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Welcome to Holly We are a class of Year 5 pupils, there are 25 of us in total. Our class teacher is Ms Rawson. Mrs Wright teaches us on a Monday,Thursday and Friday afternoon. We are also supported by Miss Hingley and Mr Mapplebeck. Currently we are learning about World War II. Our book this term is 'Rose Blanche', by Christopher Gallaz. In wartime Germany, Rose Blanche witnesses the mistreatment of a little boy, and follows the truck that takes him to a camp. Secretly, Rose Blanche brings him and other children food During the topic we will be learning about the countries, who were involved in the war, and their leaders. Discovering what it was like for children during this period of history. Considering the impact of the war on those people who were evacuee's, alongside other important aspects of this era, such as rationing and the Blitz. A visit to the National Holocaust Centre and Museum is also planned. Do you have any ideas for this page? Why not let Ms Rawson know! Have you seen the Kids’ Zone? Play games and visit some cool websites. You can vote for your favourites.

Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge is located in northwest Minnesota. Packs of wolves, moose, waterfowl and 300 species of birds make this refuge a wildlife wonderland. Location and Contact Information Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge provides a haven for many wildlife species. As many as 300 species of birds use the refuge; half of which nest on the refuge. The refuge is home to 49 species of mammals, 12 species of amphibians and 9 species of reptiles. Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. National wildlife refuges provide many opportunities for you to help your community by doing what you love. National wildlife refuges partner with volunteers, youth groups, landowners, neighbors and residents of urban and coastal communities to make a lasting difference. Find out how you can help make American lands healthier and communities stronger while doing something personally satisfying.

Did you know that several New Brunswick spaces and groups seek to create a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ youth to come together and be themselves? Fredericton Gender Minorities, for example, is a trans and non-binary-led resource support group that has worked to create a safer space for trans and gender-non-conforming people to discuss issues that directly impact them. Another example of a group that seeks to make our community more welcoming, is Imprint Youth Association—a group that creates space for LGBTQ+ youth and allies in New Brunswick. This cellphilm was created for use in the Grade 4 Social Studies classroom in New Brunswick, and seeks to address the specific curriculum outcomes: o Exploring the landscapes of Canada; o 4.4.2 Examine the human landscape of Canada; o 4.4.3 Examine the political landscape of Canada.

Samara scientists research how building material for planets appears in the universe by Staff Writers Samara, Russia (SPX) Apr 10, 2019 The international team of scientists proposed a sequence of transformations starting from a chemical compound - a triphenylene molecule - to graphene nanoparticles, soot, and carbon dust, which are building materials for a considerable part of meteorites. The team of scientists of Samara National Research University, Florida International University, the University of Hawaii and Lawrence National Laboratory (Berkeley) proposed and during the experiment confirmed the formation mechanisms of the primary building block for a part of meteorites and planets - triphenylene molecules. The results of the study are published in the article "Gas-Phase Synthesis of Triphenylene (C18H12)" and placed on the cover of the high ranking journal ChemPhysChem. Triphenylene is a key element around which larger graphene-like structures are formed, which then gradually "stick together" into layered nanoparticles. The latter, colliding with each other, are combined into particles of soot and carbon dust. Due to gravity, dust is collected in the simplest meteorites - carbonaceous chondrites, and then in other, larger celestial bodies, including planets. The formation mechanism of triphenylene was confirmed by quantum-mechanical calculations carried out by a team of Samara University scientists from the research laboratory "Physics and Chemistry of Combustion", supported by the megagrant of the Russian government "Developments of Physically Grounded Combustion Models" (grant No. 14.Y26.31.0020). The aim of the research is to study the formation mechanisms of harmful substances in combustion chambers, which include polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nanoparticles and soot. "In fact, we have found one of the starting mechanisms for reactions that trigger the formation of nanoparticles, soot and carbon dust both in the combustion chambers of engines and in the molecular clouds of the galaxies," - said Head of Samara University Physics and Chemistry of Combustion Laboratory, Professor of Florida International University Alexander Mebel. The calculations showed that the process of triphenylene formation can proceed not only in flames at high temperatures, but also in conditions of extra-low temperatures in interstellar space, triggering the growth mechanism of flat polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) up to nanoscale particles. In addition, as it is shown by the analysis carbonaceous chondrides having flown to the Earth from space, their composition contains the entire spectrum of particles, ranging from simple PAHs to graphene nanoparticles. "Our work aroused wide interest of the scientific community not only because we found the mechanism of formation of the triphenylene molecule, but we also determined all the kinetic constants of the processes involved in this reaction", - added Alexander Mebel. For this reason, the data obtained during the study, according to the Professor of Florida International University, will be in demand both by design engineers for creating environmentally friendly combustion chambers of aircraft and automobile engines operating on hydrocarbon fuels, and by scientists who are studying the formation of various galactic macrostructures from molecular clouds. |The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.

Why waste time creating a local environment / local development environment (LDE) from scratch when a simple, effective software can do it for you? Docker removes the obstacles to digitally adapt to new technologies. It uses existing technologies to act as an assistant between different operating systems and developers. One of the main benefits of a solution like Docker is that helps to free applications from system infrastructure, allowing expansion in capacity through collaboration. This article will also guide you in setting up Docker in order to start using it immediately and build a local environment (LDE). What is Docker exactly? To understand what it is, it’s best to first understand what it isn’t. Many compare it to traditional virtualization, and in some ways it’s true. Traditionally, you start with hardware, example a server. Within this, you run an OS. Running on top of the OS is the Hypervisor, which runs multiple VMs (virtual machines). Each VM needs to include its own OS. This can bloat up the file size, and hence, the memory needed to run it. The main advantage of Docker is the ability to use it to write code in a test environment and seamlessly transfer it to a staging or production machine. It doesn’t matter if the machines have a different operating system, as long as they all run Docker. Another advantage, which is mostly felt in a larger scale production environment, is the software’s ability to share and use operating capacity effectively. As the workload increases, additional nodes can be added to increase the cluster memory. It doesn’t matter what operating systems each individual node has. Because as long as it has Docker installed, it’ll work together with the rest of the cluster. Steps to Create an LDE – Local Development Environment One of the greatest features of Docker is the ability to create a local development environment in less than half an hour. The following example will run on Zend Expressive, but it will also work on PHP based applications. Step 1 – Install It might seem obvious, but we thought we’d put this step in here anyway. You can install Docker for Linux, Mac, and Windows. Right from the installation setup, you’ll realize how simple this solution is. Docker also comes free with your Plesk panel. Step 2 – Set up There are two ways to go about setting up your environment: the manual and automatic methods. In the manual method, we start by creating three containers. We mimic the most basic PHP applications, which consist of a web server, PHP runtime, and a database server. Label each container to reflect these three components. So as not to keep things too generic, you may opt to label them by the actual name of the software. This method is best for developers who really enjoy coding the most. For those who just want to get the job done, they should certainly go for the automated method. By using the Docker Compose tool, it creates the containers for you and you don’t have to go through the manual work. Step 3 – Container Configuration Add the necessary configuration code and relevant elements in each of the three containers. Carry out this step carefully as any errors or omissions here might negatively affect the end result. Step 4 – Container Booting The final step is to start using Docker in daemon mode. As long as you carried out the previous step properly, once you enter the command to run Docker, it’ll automatically build the containers and start operating in the proper mode. Once the containers are created, you can open a web browser or the WordPress site directly. And see your creation come to life. How to make Docker even easier to use Having multiple portals and systems running at the same time can be confusing and stressful for developers. In order to keep things simple and mistakes to a minimum, you need a central solution to create, monitor and run websites. Enter Plesk, a one-stop solution for developers and admins. We also offer a ready-to-code environment which includes support for various languages. Being a hosting platform, there’s quite an extensive range of tools and toolkits, including security and backup. But we also provide a free Docker extension – and for $5 monthly, you’ll also get remote node support. So you can manage Docker containers directly from Plesk’s interface. You get access to the image library, but can also upload your own images. When installing containers, you choose whether to do it on your local system or Plesk’s own remote node register. Despite the advantages of using Docker on Plesk, you can only benefit from them if you install and set up the Docker extension. Once you do that, you have access and make use of a wide range of technologies, including MongodDB and Memcached. And if you need any node support along the way, we offer a convenient premium support package too! Wanna learn more about using Docker on Pleask? Take our 5-minute Plesk Docker Quiz.

Chapter Fifteen – Interventions with Caretakers and Family Members5 ITCT-A includes interventions directed at the survivor’s parents/caretakers and, in many cases, his or her family. Interventions with caretakers tend to focus on one or more of five functions: - increasing caretaker understanding of the adolescent’s difficulties and behaviors, so that they may be more supportive; - providing non-offending caretakers with support, given the stress and demands associated with raising a traumatized youth; - working to increase the caretakers’ parenting skills; - assisting caretakers with significant problems of their own that interfere with their caring for the client; and - intervening in dysfunctional family dynamics to help resolve conflicts and unhelpful/nonsupportive interactions. Such goals can only be addressed if the youth has caretakers or family members who are willing to participate in treatment; a significant proportion of severely maltreated adolescents are separated and/or significantly alienated from their families. This can be because (1) intrafamilial abuse has made it difficult for the survivor to interact with caretakers (either because the youth is unwilling to do so, or because the caretaker’s maltreatment is ongoing and/or includes current neglect), (2) the client has run away from home, (3) the youth is functionally emancipated, and neither party views the caretakers as having a current role, (4) caretakers are separated from one another or are incarcerated, (5) the adolescent’s behavior has alienated the caretakers, or (6) the youth is in residential treatment or foster placement. For these reasons, caretaker and family interventions are most appropriate for youth who still live in a dependent role within a family unit. Thus, it is not as relevant to youth who live on the streets or in shelters, or who, for whatever reason, are separated or emancipated from their caretakers. Even in these cases, however, therapy involving caretakers may still be helpful, since many separated adolescents continue to have significant contact with their parents or other family caretakers (e.g., a grandparent or aunt) and thus continue to be influenced by them. Working with Caretakers A central goal of the ITCT-A interventions for caretakers is to increase their understanding of the youth’s difficulties and behaviors, so that they may be more supportive. Many parents experience considerable distress over their child’s behavior, or may have almost given up hope at the severity or chronicity of his or her depression, verbal combativeness, self-destructiveness, or aggression. Many lack information about what the effects of abuse are, and the logic behind what appears to be “bad” behavior. As well, they may not understand developmental issues that complicate the adolescent’s reactions to abuse. The caretaker’s own issues often impact the course of the young person’s treatment, as well. In general, low caretaker involvement and minimal or absent emotional support complicates the treatment of traumatized youth (Friedrich, 1990; Gil, 1996, 2006). For example, many younger adolescents are unable to attend sessions without their caretaker’s consent, or are dependent on a caretaker to bring them to sessions. More subtly, it is important that caretakers not undermine the adolescent’s therapy by belittling the process, discounting or arguing against therapist statements or recommendations, interrogating the youth after sessions, or by failing to support him or her during the treatment process. Often, the clinician will find it necessary to improve the caretaker’s ability to parent the youth, so that he or she may provide developmentally appropriate emotional support, attachment resources, positive discipline, and protection from further victimization. In this regard, it is not just child maltreatment or peer assaults that negatively impact the adolescent; it is also the degree to which he or she experiences a lack of support, caring, attunement, and protection from his or her parents or caretakers. Given the stress and demands associated with raising a traumatized youth, caretakers should be provided with opportunities to discuss and express feelings, and reach out to helpers and peers for support. The unsupported caretaker is unlikely to be as good a parent as otherwise might be possible, and may be more reactive to the challenges of raising an adolescent, let alone a traumatized one. When caretakers were not involved in sexual abuse or major physical maltreatment of the child, and are willing to engage in the process, individual and group meetings can be quite helpful. As noted above, a significant number of caretakers of adolescent trauma survivors lack good parenting skills, and may treat their own children in the way they, themselves were treated in their own dysfunctional or abusive families of origin. When caretakers, themselves, have significant trauma histories, and/or suffer from significant psychological symptomatology, their care of their children may be further compromised by behavioral withdrawal, instability, substance abuse, chaotic parenting styles, or negative mood states. Most problematic is the possibility that the disengaged or angry caretaker will discontinue therapy for the traumatized youth. For this reason, among others, the therapist should make special efforts to engage the caretaker in the therapy process. This may involve soliciting his or her opinion about the basis for the adolescent’s difficulties, as well as how the therapist might be most useful to both the adolescent and the caretaker. Also important will be explicit efforts on the therapist’s part to recognize and support the caretaker’s feelings about the youth’s trauma. By facilitating the caretaker’s expression of his or her own feelings about what transpired, while not overly confronting any denial he or she may need to engage early in the process, the clinician can help the caretaker feel like an important collaborator in the child’s treatment, and will increase the extent to which the caretaker can support the youth. The reader is referred to specific guidelines by Pearce & Pezzot-Pearce (2007) for facilitating support from caretakers following disclosures of abuse. Another reason to engage the caretaker early in the treatment process is to proactively intervene in his or her response to the youth’s trauma-related, problematic behavior. Stressed caretakers, and those whose childhood experience or cultural background support physical discipline, may require specific counseling and education regarding what is acceptable punishment for the adolescent’s perceived transgressions. Personal or cultural values can contribute to disciplinary behavior that might escalate to physical child abuse, requiring the therapist to report the caretaker to a child protection agency. At the onset of treatment, adolescent clients and their caretakers should be informed of what legally constitutes child maltreatment, and under what circumstances a suspected child abuse report must be made. Equally important, the therapist should explore with caretakers alternative, positive parenting practices that will not only not traumatize the youth, but also help him or her to learn more functional behaviors. Regardless of culturally- or historically family-based parenting practices, it is important for caretakers to understand that positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior can contribute to a more positive relationship with the adolescent. ITCT-A provides two modalities of caretaker intervention: Individual collateral meetings and caretaker groups. Individual parent/caretaker sessions usually occur on a weekly to biweekly basis, often for 30-45 minutes per meeting, and may be for a limited number of sessions, or may extend for the full duration of the adolescent’s treatment. These sessions typically involve some combination — depending on caretaker needs — of support, parenting skills development, psychoeducation on abuse and the adolescent’s response to it, general developmental issues, and ways in which the caretaker’s response to the youth may be affected by their own history of abuse or trauma. If the caretaker has mental health issues (for example, involving their own history of childhood trauma), it may be appropriate to refer them to another agency for separate therapy. However, for more disadvantaged and traumatized caretakers, it may be important for therapy to be provided at the same agency where the adolescent client attends individual therapy. When services are provided at one agency, opportunities for closer coordination and collaborative treatment planning are maximized. With appropriate consents, collaboration between the youth’s and his or her caretaker’s therapist may be both efficient and helpful. Finally, when both caretakers and children receive treatment at the same general time at the same place, the likelihood of regular attendance typically increases. We discuss issues associated with caretaker individual therapy later in this chapter. Caretaker groups generally run for 12 weeks, on a weekly basis. Caretakers sometimes repeat a group module a second time, or advance to a second series of group sessions focused more on their own issues as trauma survivors. Two types of groups are typically offered in ITCT-A: a didactic parenting group, adapted to address specific cultural issues, and a caretaker support group. In some cases, an older adolescent client is also a parent. When this is true, the youth may concurrently attend his or her own individual therapy sessions as well as participate in a caretaker group. Didactic parenting groups These groups can be especially helpful for caretakers who (a) can benefit from material and discussion focused on their ability to manage behavior, increase communication, and improve age-appropriate expectations of their children, yet (b) do not want to address trauma-focused issues and feelings in depth. Other caretaker groups, especially those more focused on addressing trauma-related issues, can provide support that, ultimately, facilitates the caretaker’s readiness to seek his or her own individual therapy. In some cases, grandparents, aunts, uncles or other relatives are the legal guardians and primary caretakers, because the biological parent or parents have abandoned the youth, are incarcerated, are incapacitated due to illness or substance abuse, have died, or have chosen to remain allied with an abusive partner. In such instances, there is usually much to talk about, gain support for, learn about, and process. Foster parents also should be encouraged to attend individual collateral sessions and caretaker groups. Unfortunately, a minority may not be interested — at least initially — in participating in the adolescent’s treatment. Even when this is true, the therapist should make every attempt to encourage their participation in (or at least support for) the adolescent’s treatment. Supportive phone calls can sometimes facilitate this process, as does collaboration with child protection workers to encourage the foster parent to attend appointments. Caretaker support groups These groups typically involve multiple topic areas, including interactions with systems (e.g., law enforcement), parenting, identity issues, their own history of trauma, reactions to their child(ren)’s trauma exposures, gender and cultural issues, sexuality and relationship issues, and prevention strategies. Books or other materials can be useful in caretaker support groups — especially with mothers of sexually abused adolescents. The sense of isolation and shame that a non-offending caretaker may feel can be reduced through participation in a group with other caretakers who have experienced similar issues. The following model is used for caretakers of adolescents who have been sexually or physically abused, or exposed to domestic violence. This is only a suggested sequence, however; more sessions may be devoted to a particular topic area, or the order of sessions may also be adjusted according to the needs of group members. We recommend 12 to 16 weeks of group sessions in this model. Although the group presented below focuses more on the dynamics and impacts of sexual abuse, the majority of adolescents treated with the ITCT-A model have experienced more than one type of trauma, for example, exposure to domestic violence and/or substance abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and community violence. When this is the case, the model below can be adjusted accordingly. This group is typically used with caretakers who have had a successful course of parenting classes or a parenting-focused support group, and usually have attended collateral sessions so that they are more able to address their own trauma issues. Although sessions include some didactic material, and exploration of parenting issues, the focus is more on the exploration of the caretaker’s own trauma history, family of origin concerns, attachment issues, as well as more general discussion and support among group members. This model is designed to increase self-awareness and positive identity, facilitate more in-depth trauma processing, explore sex role/gender issues, develop relaxation and coping skills, explore relationships with partners, and increase safety for themselves and their families. Group members may, or may not, journal their experiences in the context of the group. At the beginning or end of each session, members may choose to participate in a brief breathing exercise or relaxation activity (see Chapter 7). The recommended session-by-session structure of the caretakers group is as follows: Session 1: Introductions and planning. Topics and activities: Introductions, overview of the group, confidentiality, and rapport/trust building. Group members describe how they were referred to the group and why they are attending. Each member completes a written “contract” stating their goals for the group and their commitment to attend all planned weekly sessions, arrive on time, and stay for the entire session. Group guidelines about respecting one another, not interrupting, limits of confidentiality, and limiting communication with each other to sessions are discussed. Group members complete self-portraits and share how they are feeling about participating in the group. An overview of the group sessions is provided and discussed. Group members are encouraged to provide input so that the topics for all sessions will meet their needs. Session 2: Information regarding child abuse and domestic violence. Dealing with systems. Topics and activities: Psychoeducation regarding common reactions to child abuse and domestic violence; processing activated experiences; and strategies for dealing with systems. Didactic information is provided regarding short- and long-term impacts of child abuse and domestic violence on children, and themselves, including symptoms, feelings, and behaviors. Because many caretakers are raising younger children as well as adolescents, developmental differencesare also included in the discussion.This session may include viewing a DVD on the impacts ofabuse, in order to promote more in-depth discussion and understanding about ways in which their children may have been affected. Group members also describe and debrief one another regarding their experiences and strategies for coping with various systems such as Criminal Court, Dependency Court, Family Court, law enforcement, and child protection agencies. Session 3: Understanding the dynamics of abuse and abusers. Topics and activities: Activities and discussion to increase caretakers’ understanding of the dynamics of abuse and those who abuse, as well as the impacts and feelings associated with child abuse and domestic violence. Group members discuss dynamics and impacts of sexual abuse, domestic violence, or physical abuse, on their children and their family. Members explore the impacts of trauma on their relationships (parent-child, other children in their family, and extended family). Feelings related to the offender(s), including betrayal, grief, loss, anger are explored. Members of the group discuss how the abuse happened and the reactions they had to the disclosures. Session 4: Parenting issues and strategies. Topics and activities: Psychoeducation, discussion, and role plays to improve group members’ parenting skills and to explore the influence of their own trauma history on parenting. Behavioral management strategies are discussed, along with other ways that members can increase their support and empathy for the youth. Group members consider how their own trauma history may have contributed to their parenting issues. Strategies for better boundaries and communication are discussed. Group members may role play situations they have encountered with their children, and explore better ways of resolving caretaker-child conflicts. Members discuss ways to increase their functioning as caretakers, including the development of more affect regulation skills and increased self-awareness. Importantly, this session is for problem-solving and support, not for complaints about the adolescent’s “bad” behavior. Session 5: Coping skills and self-care. Topics and activities: Discussion and role-plays to increase healthy coping skills, self-awareness, and ability to care for themselves and others. Group members discuss the idea of using coping skills in order to be less reactive with children and youth, and practice affect regulation skills and trigger identification (see Chapters 7 and 11). They also explore how they can further develop mindfulness in their parenting and in other aspects of their lives. Group members may engage in more role-plays to practice skills they have learned through the group, including ways that they can be more assertive and empowered. Caretakers explore and develop strategies and skills to increase safety for themselves and their families. This may also include developing a safety plan (see Chapter 5) to protect them from further abuse and/or violence. Session 6: Families of origin. Topics and activities: Group members complete family genograms and discuss family issues and themes. Group member explore issues related to their own family-of-origin and attachment relationships. Each member presents their family genogram (described later in this chapter), with special attention to family-of-origin relationships, intergenerational issues related to trauma and loss, and ways in which their parenting has been influenced by their experiences while growing up. Sessions 7 and 8: Trauma narratives. Topics and activities: Members share their narratives through writing activities and/or creating a collage or timeline, and discussion. To the extent they are comfortable doing so, each group member briefly describes his or her personal trauma or neglect history, explores how the youth’s trauma (presently or in the past) may have triggered memories of his or her own victimization, and provides support for other members during this disclosure process. Beyond direct disclosures, this also may be done by sharing journal entries, writing and reading letters to the offender, or engaging in (and sharing) other writing activities. Members also may create a time-line (as described later in this chapter) or a collage, focusing on their trauma experiences and ways they have used their strengths and resources to survive traumatic experiences. Breath or relaxation exercises are especially used at the end of these sessions. Session 9: Gender and cultural identity issues. Topics and activities: Group members explore their sense of self related to gender and cultural background, and practice increasing assertiveness. Gender issues, sex roles, cultural beliefs and background, and spirituality are discussed and explored. Members may complete a collage representing their culturally-based self-perceptions as a child or youth, as well as their current views of themselves. If relevant, discussion also may include members’ experiences of racial, gender, or economic discrimination. Session 10: Attachment relationships. Topics and activities: Group members explore their attachment relationships from childhood and in their current lives, and discuss ways to improve their attachment relationships with their children . In this session, members describe their relationships with their children, partners, and others (e.g., friends, co-workers), and explore ways in which their childhoods may have made it difficult to form and maintain secure relationships — including with their children. Group members discuss ways in which members might improve their relationships with others, and provide supportive feedback to one another. Session 11: Intimacy. Topics and activities: Group members discuss issues related to dating, intimacy in relationships, and maintaining their personal safety. Trust issues are explored, and group members discuss the challenges they face in dating or ongoing relationships with romantic partners, including issues associated with sexual intimacy. Members explore self-protection and prevention strategies in instances where a partner or date might become abusive or violent, and discuss how they could increase the safety of their children and themselves. Session 12: Ending group and planning for the future. Topics and activities: Overview/recap of the group. Group members review the goals written in their contracts at the beginning of the group, and their progress in meeting those goals. Members may choose to share more of their journals entries written during the course of the group. Each group member briefly discusses his or her goals for the future. Members complete self-portraits and discuss positive changes they have noticed in themselves and others over the course of the group. Caretaker individual therapy The psychological treatment of caretakers proceeds in essentially the same way as it would for any other traumatized adult client. However, this work may be most helpful to the adolescent if the caretaker is able to explore their own trauma experiences, feelings, and reactions in much the same way that their adolescent son or daughter is hopefully doing in their own therapy sessions. The caretaker with unresolved trauma and/or a disorganized/insecure attachment to his or her child is likely to benefit from opportunities to increase affect regulation skills and self-capacities, as well as to explore and process their own traumatic experiences cognitively and emotionally. The reader is referred to recent sources on the treatment of adolescents and adults with complex trauma (e.g., Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2010; Briere & Scott, 2012; Habib, 2009; Cloitre, Cohen, & Koenen, 2006; Ford & Courtois, 2013) for further information on how these goals might be accomplished. Because of the interpersonal complexities, boundary issues, and role conflicts inherent in a single clinician treating multiple family members, it is strongly recommended that someone other than the adolescent’s therapist be assigned to treat his or her caretaker(s). This is particularly important for the older adolescent, whose relationship with his or her therapist could be compromised if the caretaker (who may have contributed to the youth’s trauma) is also seeing his or her therapist in individual collateral sessions. Similarly, if siblings are also participating in individual sessions, they should be treated by different therapists. When this is not possible within an agency, individual family members should be referred to other clinics or practitioners. Working with the Family The family therapy component of ITCT-A is indicated when negative family dynamics or intrafamilial conflicts have a negative effect on the adolescent’s psychological functioning. These interventions are often most helpful for adolescents who have not yet left the familial home. In addition, appropriate candidates for family therapy should not be overwhelmed by posttraumatic symptoms, and should have caretakers or family members who are willing to participate in treatment and are at least somewhat supportive of the client. As noted earlier, a significant proportion of severely maltreated adolescents are separated or alienated from their families. When this is true, the clinician should nevertheless try to involve the caretakers in the youth’s treatment as much as possible. Even if caretakers are non-protective or emotionally abusive, or are seemingly undermining the adolescent’s therapy, attempts should still be made to involve them in collateral sessions — while assuring the adolescent client that, with the exceptions associated with mandated reporting and extreme suicidality, what he or she shares with the therapist is kept confidential. In the unfortunate event that needed family therapy is not possible, a therapist who can engage with caretakers and form a therapeutic alliance, while maintaining a strong therapeutic alliance with the adolescent client, is more likely to facilitate positive change in the family system and to improve the outcome of the adolescent’s therapy (Gil, 1996; Karver, Handelsman, Fields, & Bickman, 2006). Engaging traumatized adolescents and their families in family therapy may be difficult, for the reasons outlined above. However, perhaps especially after the youth has had some individual therapy and the caretakers have attended parenting (and perhaps group) sessions, family therapy is often appropriate, and the involved family members may be amenable to treatment. Generally, the focus is on improving family communication patterns, exposing and attempting to resolve family conflicts that impact the adolescent, clarifying appropriate boundaries, attempting to increase the general level of attunement and emotional support within the family, and preventing further traumatization of the adolescent. Family therapy can facilitate system change as well as increase the youth’s sense of well-being and functioning. However, it is essential that all participating members feel safe and supported. Hughes (2007) suggests that the therapist have an attitude of relaxed engagement that includes qualities of playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy (P.A.C.E.). Emotionally attuned interactions between therapist and participating family members enhance the therapeutic relationship, and model secure attachment relationships (Byng-Hall, 1999; Hughes, 2007). As ITCT-A activates these “old” attachment patterns within the context of “new” caring and attunement, trauma-related behaviors and feelings can be processed in somewhat the same manner described in Chapter 13, leading to more secure and healthy attachment relationships between caretakers and their children. A particular challenge in doing family therapy arises when multiple children or adolescents have been victimized, are all considered primary clients, and have been assigned to individual therapists. We advise that, following a significant course of individual therapy, all therapists and clients participate in family therapy. In such instances, or whenever working with complicated family dynamics, pre-session planning and post-session debriefing by all therapists involved becomes paramount. This includes clinicians reflecting on the therapeutic process, specific events that transpired, and countertransferential feelings, as well as being open to feedback from the other therapists and consultants/supervisors about ways in which the family’s dynamics may influence the therapist’s perceptions and actions, or may be mirrored in the working relationship between the co-therapists. Cultural factors are often relevant in family and caretaker therapy. Caretakers and other family members may have been raised in social-cultural contexts in which issues like acceptance of corporal punishment, rigid sex roles, and parental authoritarianism — or seeming insufficient supervision — result in considerable strain with family members (including the youth) who do not endorse these perspectives. As noted by Gil and Drewes (2005), it is important for the therapist to transform cultural knowledge into appropriate therapeutic behaviors. The cultural background of the client and their family may vary within a given family, resulting in different family members identifying with different cultures. For example, a client who is biracial (African-American/Latino) may identify more with Latino culture because of important family relationships, whereas a sibling who is African-American/White may identify more with African-American culture. In addition, in the case of caretakers within a given supposed cultural group, for example “Latino” or “Hispanic,” each may be from a different subgroup (e.g., with ancestors in Mexico, Central America, South America, Puerto Rico, or Cuba), and thus endorse widely different perspectives, histories, and languages or dialects. Religious or spiritual beliefs may also vary within the family, and can influence the extent to which family members value therapy. For these reasons, it is often important to ask the client and family members how they perceive themselves regarding cultural or ethnic issues, as opposed to making potentially erroneous assumptions. We refer the clinician to Gil and Drewes (2005) for specific advice on how to adjust interventions according to the specific cultural background of the client and his or her family. Other resources for the therapist wanting to understand effects of cultural background and associated family values include Fontes (2005) and McGoldrick, Giordano, and Pierce (1996). All of these resources directly describe specific aspects of a wide range of cultures and provide guidelines for appropriate assessment and treatment. The family may be impacted by other systems issues, such as police or child welfare involvement regarding reported child abuse or domestic violence, and ongoing legal processes such as family members being involved in the criminal justice system. There may be custody, dependency, foster-parent, and reunification issues that present further complications. Many of these issues and concerns can be worked out, to some extent, if there is motivation, good family communication, and sufficient support. As communication increases, all family members have a chance to understand why things are happening as they are, and how some problematic family patterns can be changed. Dynamics such as scapegoating, splitting, inappropriate or excessive expectations of the adolescent or caretaker, verbal aggression, and emotional detachment can be brought to light, and hopefully reduced or eliminated over time. The adolescent client’s role in all this is complex. On one hand, he or she is the “identified patient,” officially responsible — by virtue of his or her problems, symptoms, and behaviors — for the family being in treatment. This is especially true when the youth has been abused or neglected within the family. Intrafamilial sexual abuse, in particular, seems to involve more complicated family system issues (Gil, 2006), including isolation and lack of outside support systems, extensive denial in the family, a non-offending caretaker who may be dissociated and disengaged, blurred boundaries and inappropriate roles, alliances by family members with the perpetrator, secrecy, poor communication, and lack of empathy for each other. In this and other instances, the adolescent client may be blamed for family dynamics that may not be his or her “fault,” and, in fact, that may be the source of some of his or her behavior. Yet, it is often the adolescent who shakes up what is already a dysfunctional family system and brings in assistance from others. He or she may inadvertently begin a process that reveals hidden family violence, abuse of other children, covert substance abuse, and significant parental psychological disturbance. As these issues are identified and processed in therapy, the youth’s role as the problematic member may shift, to his or her (and the family’s) benefit. Effective family therapy may result in increased support for, and understanding of, the adolescent trauma survivor, as well as more general positive outcomes for the rest or the family. ITCT-A family therapy interventions Unfortunately, there are only a few books that specifically address family therapy with abuse or trauma survivors. These include Friedrich (1990), Gil (1996, 2006), and Pierce and Pezzot-Pierce (2007). Presented below are family interventions that have proven to be especially useful in ITCT-A. A version of the time-line technique can be found in Families Overcoming and Coping Under Stress (FOCUS; Saltzman, Babayon, Lester, Beardslee, & Pynoos, 2008) — a therapy model first developed for medically traumatized clients and their families. In this approach, each family member creates their own time-line, demarking all specific traumatic events or losses that he or she has experienced. Family members can explore their varied perceptions and feelings associated with traumatic experiences, and update each other’s recollections of shared – but differently experienced — events. For families with multiple traumatic exposures, it may also be helpful to identify on the time-line which events have had the greatest impact on each family member. In some cases, the clinician can suggest that a “total time-line” be created, which is a compendium and integration of all the time-lines created by individual family members. In blended or fragmented families, this overall time-line may document events that some family members may not have experienced or even been aware of, and may provide insight to family members in terms of events that affect the family but are not known to all. One way that family members can become more aware of the intergenerational transmission of trauma and loss, as well as relationships between family members is to create a genogram (McGoldrick, Gerson, & Shellenberger, 1999). The genogram is a graphic representation of a family tree that maps out current and former members, and their relationships to one another. Depending on their complexity, genograms may denote a wide range of people, events, and even the transmission of behavior (e.g., child abuse) from parent to offspring, across multiple generations. Family members can contribute information and impressions regarding positive and negative relationships between family members, psychological traits, conflicts, abuse and violence, neglect, substance abuse, losses, deaths, medical and psychiatric illnesses, and family themes and secrets across several generations. This activity, sometimes completed over more than one session, supports family members’ exploration of their perceptions, experiences, and feelings relative to one another, while also becoming more aware of how family dynamics and history have contributed to their trauma and distress. Family members can be invited to each create a drawing of their family doing something (Kinetic Family Drawing), or depicting how they might appear in a photograph (Family Snapshot). Sometimes family members will express more information regarding family relationships and issues through drawings than they might through strictly verbal communication. Information on who is included in the drawing, their size relative to one another, and their proximity and demeanor can (a) increase the therapist’s understanding of family relationships and dynamics and (b) facilitate discussion and increased awareness among family members. This exercise involves family members playing the roles of other family members, under the therapist’s guidance, with a goal of increasing their understanding or appreciation of the other person’s experience. For example, a mother might role-play the adolescent son who “sits around on the couch all day,” while he role-plays her “telling me what to do all the time.” While taking on each other’s persona, and speaking from that person’s position, the mother might come to understand better the depression and hopelessness her son has experienced since the loss of his father, and the son might gain an inkling of the pressure his mother feels at now being the sole provider in the family, and her anxiety about his well-being. Not only may such interchanges increase each family member’s insight, they may lead to more openness to communication, and a greater willingness to problem-solve conflicts as they inevitably emerge during family life.

Did you know that regular exercise can significantly impact your gut health? The latest research reveals a surprising statistic: engaging in the right physical activities not only strengthens your body but also nurtures a healthy gut. In this post, we’ll explore the best exercises to support your gut health and overall well-being. From easy-to-do workouts to enjoyable outdoor activities, we’ll uncover how these exercises can positively influence the diverse community of microorganisms residing in your digestive system. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just starting on your wellness journey, understanding the connection between exercise and gut health is essential for everyone seeking a balanced and thriving body. Get ready to discover how simple lifestyle changes can make a world of difference inside you. The Necessity of Exercise for Digestive Health Importance of Regular Exercise Regular exercise plays a vital role in maintaining good digestive health. When we lead sedentary lifestyles, it can lead to various digestive problems, making exercise essential for overall well-being. By engaging in physical activity, we can stimulate the muscles in the digestive tract, which is crucial for promoting better digestion. Exercise helps keep our digestive system running smoothly. Without regular physical activity, one may experience issues such as constipation or sluggish digestion due to a lack of muscle movement in the intestines and bowel. This underscores the importance of incorporating exercise into our daily routines to support optimal digestive function. Types of Exercises Beneficial for Digestive Health Various types of exercises contribute to improving digestion and supporting a healthy digestive system. For instance, engaging in cardiovascular exercises like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming can help increase heart rate and promote blood flow throughout the body, including the digestive organs. In addition to cardiovascular activities, focusing on workouts that target abdominal muscles also benefits digestive health. Strengthening these muscles through targeted exercises contributes to improved muscle tone around the stomach area and supports more efficient digestion. Regular physical activity not only aids in preventing common digestive issues but also offers relief from conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Many individuals with IBS find that consistent exercise helps alleviate symptoms by regulating bowel movements and reducing discomfort associated with this condition. How Exercise Can Boost Gut Health Blood Flow and Digestion When you engage in physical activity, your body’s blood flow increases, reaching even the farthest corners of your system, including the gut. This improved blood circulation supports better digestion by ensuring that essential nutrients are efficiently absorbed from the food you consume. As a result, exercise can play a crucial role in promoting overall gut health. Regular physical activity also helps regulate bowel movements. By stimulating the muscles in the intestines, exercise contributes to smoother and more efficient digestion processes. This means that constipation is less likely to occur when you maintain an active lifestyle. Prevention of Gastrointestinal Disorders In addition to aiding digestion and preventing constipation, engaging in regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of developing various gastrointestinal disorders. Studies have shown that individuals who lead sedentary lifestyles are at a higher risk of experiencing issues such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Conversely, those who incorporate regular physical activity into their routines often experience fewer digestive problems. Furthermore, maintaining a healthy weight through exercise plays a crucial role in supporting optimal gut health. Excess weight gain or having excessive belly fat has been linked to an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal issues such as acid reflux and heartburn. By exercising regularly and effectively managing your weight, you can significantly reduce these risks while simultaneously promoting better overall digestive function. Science-backed Benefits of Exercise for a Healthy Gut Enhanced Gut Microbiota Diversity Research has shown that engaging in regular exercise can have a positive impact on the diversity of gut microbiota. This means that the variety and abundance of bacteria in the gut are influenced by physical activity. When we exercise, especially through activities like running, swimming, or cycling, it can lead to an increase in beneficial bacteria such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. These changes contribute to a healthier gut environment and support overall well-being. Exercise promotes a balanced gut microbiome, which is crucial for maintaining good health. A diverse community of bacteria in the digestive system helps with various functions such as breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and supporting immune function. By participating in regular physical activity, individuals can cultivate an environment within their bodies that encourages the presence of beneficial bacteria while minimizing harmful ones. Reduced Inflammation in the Gut Studies have suggested that exercise may play a role in reducing inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. Chronic inflammation in the gut is associated with conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other digestive disorders. Engaging in moderate-intensity exercises such as brisk walking or yoga has been linked to lower levels of pro-inflammatory markers within the intestines. Regular physical activity contributes to a decrease in systemic inflammation throughout the body, including within the gut. This reduction can help alleviate symptoms related to digestive issues and promote better overall intestinal health. Yoga and Pelvic Floor Activation for Gut Wellness Yoga Poses for Digestive Health Yoga offers various poses that can significantly impact gut health. For instance, twists like the seated spinal twist or the supine twist can help massage the digestive organs, promoting digestion. These movements aid in stimulating blood flow to the digestive system, facilitating better nutrient absorption and waste elimination. In addition to twists, forward folds such as the seated forward bend or standing forward fold exert gentle pressure on the abdomen. This action helps in massaging and toning the abdominal organs, thereby supporting healthy digestion. By incorporating these yoga postures, individuals can experience relief from digestive discomforts like bloating and indigestion. Pelvic Floor Activation Techniques Engaging the pelvic floor muscles through exercises like Kegels is another effective way to enhance gut function. The pelvic floor plays a crucial role in supporting abdominal organs and regulating bowel movements. Strengthening these muscles can contribute to improved bowel control and reduced instances of constipation. Specific postures like upward dog or downward dog pose require activation of the pelvic floor muscles for stability and support. By consciously engaging these muscles during yoga sessions, individuals can promote better gut health by enhancing overall pelvic floor strength. Alleviating Bloating and Gas Symptoms The combination of yoga and pelvic floor activation techniques has been found beneficial in alleviating symptoms of bloating and gas. Regular practice of these methods not only aids in improving digestion but also reduces discomfort associated with gastrointestinal issues. Walking and Biking: Simple Steps for Digestive Health Benefits of Brisk Walking Brisk walking plays a crucial role in promoting digestive health. It stimulates intestinal contractions, which help prevent sluggish digestion. When you walk at a brisk pace, your body’s movements aid in the natural contraction and relaxation of the intestines, facilitating the smooth passage of food through the digestive system. This can be especially beneficial for individuals who experience occasional constipation or irregular bowel movements. Regular brisk walking also helps improve blood circulation throughout the body, including to the digestive organs. This increased blood flow supports better nutrient absorption and overall digestive function. Engaging in this low-impact exercise can help reduce stress levels, which is important because high stress levels can negatively impact gut health. Cycling for Digestive Wellness Similar to brisk walking, cycling or biking offers several benefits for gut health as well. When you cycle regularly, especially at a moderate intensity level, it helps relieve stress on the digestive system by promoting regular bowel movements. The rhythmic motion of cycling encourages proper functioning of the intestines and can alleviate symptoms associated with bloating and gas. Moreover, incorporating cycling into your routine provides an opportunity to engage in physical activity while spending time outdoors if you choose to bike outside. Exposure to natural light during outdoor activities has been linked to improved mood and overall mental well-being—factors that contribute significantly to maintaining healthy digestion. Integrating Walking or Biking into Your Routine Incorporating either walking or biking into your daily routine can greatly support overall gut health. These exercises are simple yet effective ways to promote healthy digestion without requiring expensive equipment or complicated routines. For example: You might consider taking a brisk walk after meals as part of your post-meal routine. If you have access to safe bike paths or trails in your area, cycling could become an enjoyable addition to your weekly exercise regimen. Both activities also provide opportunities for social engagement if done with friends or family members. Consistency in Exercise for Better Digestion Importance of Regular Exercise Regular physical activity plays a crucial role in maintaining optimal digestive function.It helps regulate bowel movements, preventing issues such as constipation and diarrhea. By making exercise a habit, you ensure long-term benefits for your gut health. Consistent exercise is essential because it keeps the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract active, leading to more regular bowel movements. This can prevent bloating, gas, and discomfort caused by irregular digestion. The more consistent you are with your exercise regime, the better your digestive system functions. Types of Exercises for Gut Health When considering exercises for gut health, focus on activities that engage the abdominal muscles. These include various forms of abdominal exercises such as crunches and planks. These workouts strengthen the core muscles and support better digestion. In addition to traditional abdominal exercises, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to have positive effects on gut health. HIIT involves short bursts of intense activity followed by brief periods of rest or lower intensity exercises. Studies have indicated that this type of workout can reduce symptoms related to acid reflux and other digestive issues. Mental Wellbeing and Its Connection to Gut Health Alleviating Stress and Anxiety Exercise plays a crucial role in promoting gut health by alleviating stress and anxiety. When we experience stress, it can have a negative impact on our gut, leading to various digestive issues. However, engaging in regular physical activity can help combat these symptoms. By releasing endorphins during exercise, our bodies naturally reduce stress levels. As a result, this not only enhances our mental wellbeing but also positively influences gut health. Regular exercise is known to improve digestion by reducing the effects of stress on the body. This means that individuals who suffer from gastrointestinal problems due to high-stress levels may find relief through consistent physical activity. For instance, someone with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might notice an improvement in their symptoms after incorporating exercise into their routine. Prioritizing Mental Wellbeing By prioritizing mental wellbeing through regular exercise, individuals are taking proactive steps toward fostering a healthy gut microbiome. The relationship between mental health and gut health is closely intertwined; therefore, maintaining good mental wellbeing is essential for overall wellness. In addition to reducing stress levels and improving digestion, exercising regularly contributes to an overall boost in energy levels and vitality. This increased overall energy positively impacts both mental wellbeing and gut health simultaneously. Regularly participating in activities such as yoga or Pilates not only helps alleviate stress but also promotes relaxation which directly benefits gut function. These low-impact exercises focus on controlled breathing techniques that aid in calming the mind while indirectly benefiting the digestive system. Tips for Improved Digestion through Exercise and Diet Exercise and Diet Incorporating the best exercise for gut health into your routine can significantly improve digestion. When you combine regular exercises with a balanced diet rich in fiber, you provide essential support to your digestive system. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes aids in promoting healthy digestion by preventing constipation and supporting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Staying hydrated during exercise is crucial as it helps prevent dehydration-related digestive problems. Dehydration can lead to issues like constipation and bloating, which can hinder proper digestion. Therefore, consuming an adequate amount of water before, during, and after exercising is essential for maintaining optimal digestive function. Avoid engaging in intense workouts immediately after meals. Intense physical activity right after eating may interfere with the digestive process as blood flow is directed towards working muscles instead of aiding digestion. Waiting at least 1-2 hours after a meal before participating in vigorous physical activity allows for proper digestion without causing discomfort or potential gastrointestinal upset. Regular exercises that focus on core strength such as yoga or Pilates can also be particularly beneficial for improving gut health. These types of exercises help increase blood flow to the abdominal area while also aiding in reducing stress levels which can have a positive impact on overall digestive function. Making Your Exercise Routine Gut-Friendly with Mindfulness Practice Mindful Eating Practicing mindful eating can significantly aid digestion. Before and after your workouts, focus on consuming meals slowly and savoring each bite. This approach helps the body prepare for physical activity or wind down after exercising. By paying attention to what you eat, you can also identify any foods that may cause digestive discomfort during your workout routine. Mindful eating helps in being aware of the body’s signals, such as hunger and fullness cues. It allows individuals to make better food choices, leading to improved digestion before and after exercising. For example, instead of reaching for a heavy meal right before a workout session, opting for lighter options like fruits or smoothies can prevent potential stomach issues while still providing necessary energy. Incorporate Relaxation Techniques In addition to mindful eating practices, incorporating relaxation techniques into your exercise routine is crucial for maintaining good gut health. Stress has been linked to various digestive issues; thus, managing stress levels through deep breathing exercises or meditation can positively impact digestion before and after working out. Relaxation techniques help regulate the body’s stress response system, which in turn supports healthy digestion during exercise sessions. When individuals are stressed or anxious during workouts, their bodies may divert blood away from the gastrointestinal tract towards muscles needed for “fight-or-flight” responses. By integrating relaxation methods into their routines—such as yoga or tai chi—people can minimize this effect and promote better gut function while exercising. Listen to Your Body Listening to your body’s signals is another essential aspect of making your workouts more gut-friendly. Being attuned to how your body feels during exercise not only prevents overexertion but also minimizes the risk of potential digestive discomfort. Congratulations on reaching the end of this journey to understand how exercise can significantly impact your gut health. By exploring the science-backed benefits, embracing yoga, walking, and biking, and acknowledging the crucial connection between mental wellbeing and digestion, you’ve gained valuable insights into optimizing your gut health through physical activity. Remember, consistency is key. So, whether it’s a brisk walk in the morning or a rejuvenating yoga session, every effort contributes to a healthier gut. Now armed with these insights, it’s time to take action. Incorporate these learnings into your daily routine and witness the positive changes in your digestive health. Embrace the power of exercise not just for physical fitness but also for nurturing your gut. Your journey towards a healthier gut starts with that first step – so why not take it today? Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of exercise for gut health? Exercise can improve gut motility, reduce inflammation, and enhance the diversity of gut microbiota. It also helps in managing stress, which plays a significant role in digestive health. How often should I exercise to support my digestion? Consistency is key. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week. Can yoga help with gut wellness? Yes, certain yoga poses and pelvic floor activation techniques can aid digestion by stimulating abdominal organs and improving circulation to the digestive system. How does mental wellbeing affect gut health? The brain-gut connection is powerful. Managing stress through exercise and mindfulness practices can positively impact gut function and overall digestive well-being. What type of exercises are best for promoting good digestion? Activities like walking, biking, yoga, and core-strengthening exercises can all contribute to improved digestion by enhancing blood flow to the digestive organs and reducing stress levels.

Inclusion at IGBIS means that we support the cognitive, social, emotional, language and physical development of all students, teachers, families and the wider community. We embrace the IBO guidelines for equity and inclusive education and their principles of good practice; valuing prior knowledge, scaffolding, extending learning, affirming identity and building self-esteem. One of the strengths of the IGBIS community is our inclusive learning environment. We recognise and value the diversity of our students, who join us from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds, and who have varying academic abilities, interests and needs. Educational research has consistently shown that classes containing students with different backgrounds and diverse learning needs benefit all students (Linchevski & Kutscher, 1998; Szumski et al. 2017; Valiandes, 2015). Our teachers, administrators and learning support specialists work together to support all students to enrich learning in the classroom. Our model is flexible and based on the context of the student and the classroom. Inclusion is purposeful, planned, supported, and is in line with international best practices. Difference and diversity are central components of IGBIS. During the admissions process, we strive to understand the needs of our students and families in order to ensure we can provide meaningful and equitable access to the curriculum within available school resources. Our commitment is that each student receives access to learning in order to meet their own potential. Every child who joins IGBIS is appreciated, welcomed and included.

Unhealthy food advertising is an important contributor to childhood obesity. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of a food advertising literacy program that incorporated components of health-promoting media literacy education on fifth-grade children. Participants were 140 fifth-graders (10 and 11 years old) from one school who were randomly divided into three groups. Experimental Group A received a food advertising literacy program, experimental Group B received a comparable knowledge-based nutrition education program and the control group did not receive any nutrition education. Repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of covariance were used to test mean changes between pretest, posttest and follow-up on participants' nutritional knowledge, food advertising literacy and food purchasing behavior. Results showed that, as compared with Group B and the control groups, Group A showed higher nutritional knowledge, food advertising literacy and food purchasing behavior at post-intervention, but had no significant improvements in nutritional knowledge and food purchasing behavior at the 1-month follow-up. Although some improvements were observed, future studies should consider a long-term, settings-based approach that is closely connected with children's daily lives, as this might be helpful to solidify children's skills in recognizing, evaluating and understanding unhealthy food advertising. All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Does your facility have laboratories where hazardous chemicals are handled? If so, it is important to ensure that you are in compliance with applicable OSHA and NFPA standards in order to keep laboratory workers safe from the potential hazards associated with dangerous chemicals. CTI can assist you by inspecting your laboratories and evaluating laboratory procedures to ensure they conform with applicable OSHA and NFPA requirements. What Standards Apply to Laboratories? Laboratory personnel routinely handle hazardous chemicals. To ensure these employees are safe, it is important to comply with OSHA’s hazard communication standard 29 CFR 1910.1200 and with their laboratory safety standard 29 CFR 1910.1450. In addition to these regulations, OSHA often refers to consensus standards when conducting inspections. For laboratory safety, OSHA will often cite NFPA 45 – Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals. NFPA 45 includes information regarding fire protection requirements for laboratories, laboratory design, vent hood use, and safe quantities of flammable materials allowed to be stored and used in the laboratories. What Requirements Should My Lab Comply With? OSHA’s hazard communication standard requires all containers of hazardous chemicals to be properly labeled, and that associated Safety Data Sheets (SDS’s) are maintained, and that the facility has a Written Hazard Communication Program. All labels and SDS’s must align with the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labeling of Hazardous Chemicals (GHS). OSHA also requires that all facilities with laboratories must have a Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) to protect laboratory workers from harm due to improper handling of hazardous chemicals. Your CHP should include standard operating procedures that are relevant to safety and health considerations for each activity involving the use of hazardous chemicals. The plan should identify control measures used to reduce exposure to hazardous materials, such as engineering controls, use of PPE, and administrative controls. The plan should include permissible exposure limits (PEL’s) for OSHA-regulated substances and should identify where SDS’s are made available to laboratory employees. Along with maintaining a CHP, you should ensure that your laboratory employees are trained in methods and observations to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical. Training should also identify the physical and health hazards associated with chemicals used in the laboratories, and measures that workers can use to protect themselves from these hazards. How Can CTI Help? CTI can help ensure that your laboratories are in compliance with required laboratory and chemical safety requirements with the following: - Conducting NFPA 45 compliance reviews; - Reviewing and/or preparing Written Hazard Communication Programs or Chemical Hygiene Plans. - Testing indoor air quality in laboratories to ensure employees are not overexposed to airborne chemicals; - Identifying compressed gases used by laboratories to determine the potential for an asphyxiation hazard; and - Conducting employee training in chemical awareness and safe laboratory practice. Confined Space Entry Procedures Industrial Hygiene/Indoor Air Quality Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) Lockout/Tagout and Energy Control Procedures Machine Guarding Risk Assessment And Evaluation Noise Exposure Monitoring OSHA Compliance Audits & Mock OSHA Inspections OSHA Required Safety Training Robot Risk Assessment & Safety Safety Policies, Procedures, and Programs

Honeywell S Plan Plus Wiring DiagramThe Honeywell S Plan Plus wiring diagram is a schematic that shows how to connect the various components of a Honeywell S Plan Plus thermostat. It is a valuable tool for HVAC technicians and DIYers alike, as it can help them troubleshoot problems and make repairs. The Honeywell S Plan Plus wiring diagram is divided into two sections: the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. The indoor unit is the thermostat itself, and the outdoor unit is the compressor and condenser. The diagram shows how the two units are connected together, as well as how they are connected to the power supply. The indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit by two wires: a red wire and a white wire. The red wire is the power wire, and the white wire is the communication wire. The power wire provides power to the outdoor unit, and the communication wire sends signals between the indoor and outdoor units. The indoor unit is also connected to the power supply by a black wire and a green wire. The black wire is the hot wire, and the green wire is the neutral wire. The hot wire provides power to the indoor unit, and the neutral wire completes the circuit. The outdoor unit is connected to the power supply by a yellow wire and a blue wire. The yellow wire is the hot wire, and the blue wire is the neutral wire. The hot wire provides power to the outdoor unit, and the neutral wire completes the circuit. The Honeywell S Plan Plus wiring diagram is a valuable tool for anyone who is working with a Honeywell S Plan Plus thermostat. It can help you troubleshoot problems and make repairs, and it can also help you understand how the thermostat works. Here are the steps on how to read a Honeywell S Plan Plus wiring diagram:1. Identify the different components of the diagram.The diagram will show the thermostat, the indoor unit, the outdoor unit, and the power supply. 2. Find the labels for each wire.The wires will be labeled with a color and a letter. The color represents the type of wire, and the letter represents the function of the wire. 3. Follow the wires from the thermostat to the indoor unit.The wires will connect the thermostat to the indoor unit. 4. Follow the wires from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit.The wires will connect the indoor unit to the outdoor unit. 5. Follow the wires from the outdoor unit to the power supply.The wires will connect the outdoor unit to the power supply. By following these steps, you can easily read a Honeywell S Plan Plus wiring diagram and understand how the thermostat works. Here are some additional tips for reading a Honeywell S Plan Plus wiring diagram:* If you are not sure what a particular wire does, you can consult the thermostat's manual. * If you are still having trouble understanding the diagram, you can contact a qualified HVAC technician for help. * Always be careful when working with electrical wiring. Make sure to turn off the power to the thermostat before you begin working on it. I Require Wiring Diagram To Connect Honeywell Cmt927 Room Stat Programmer Vaillant Ecotec Plus 937 Combi Boiler Central Heating Design Honeywell Home 5 1 Day Programmable Thermostat With Digital Backlit Display Rth2410b Honeywell Home S Y And W Plan Applications 2x T6r Or T6wp Smart Thermostat 1x R6 2 Channel Receiver Box Instructions Manuals Honeywell Home Wi Fi Color Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat Ui Smart Solutions Wiring Centre Honeywell Home Heating Controls Central Heating Control Any Errors Diynot Forums Heating System Motorised Valve Questions Homeownershub Honeywell Energypro T8665c Owner S Manual Pdf Manualslib Hive With Old C Plan System Britishgashive Photo Guide To Installing A Nest Thermostat How Install Wire Adjust Program Or Repair Thermostats I Recently Bought A Honeywell Sundial Plan Wiring Centre To Replace My Old Broken One On Opening Of The Box There Is No Model Eh Electric Boiler Operation And Installation Instructions Faq Wiring Diagram S Plan Pump Overrun St9400 And Dt92e Manualzz Additional Wiring Instructions How A Y Plan Heating System Works Design Boiler Boffin

Our Foster Carers have been doing further training this week, on how to complete Life Story Books with the children and young people they care for. This course aims to explore how direct work with children and young people can help them to understand and make sense of their past, cope with current uncertainties, develop a clearer sense of identity and contribute to plans for their future. The course content has been developed with reference to the latest research, legislation, standards and good practice and the delivery of knowledge and skills is designed to take account of a wide range of different learning styles. Learning outcomes will include participants being able to: • Understand the impact of children’s earlier experiences on their capacity to express their feelings and needs • Understand the importance of life story work for looked after children, and its emotional impact on children and all those supporting and caring for them • Apply a holistic approach to life story work being done with the child or young person rather than for or to them • Describe and use a range of life story work tools with children and young people • Demonstrate improved communication skills in order to engage in a positive and meaningful way with children and young people Some of their comments on the course: “It’s given us a broader view on how we can help our foster daughter learn about herself, and in time her birth family.” “I came out of the session with lots of useful material, which will stop us stumbling blindly. I know have some very good ideas, and will put them into practice.” “Reading the sample life stories has helped me immensely, I’m looking forward to making a start.” “I didn’t really know what to expect, but found the course very interesting. I will now be able to do a life story book and know what to put in it.” “It was great to gain an understanding for the carers as to what they can do to start the life story work. More children in foster care should have more awareness of their life to help them understand about their heritage.” “Well presented content, delivered with a human approach. I really enjoyed this course, and it has given me lots of food for thought that I know I will use with both children and adults.” “I feel ready to start the children’s life story work now, which I was apprehensive about before. I now know what content to put in, relevant to their age, and know we can develop and make this more detailed as they get older – it’ll be something for them to look back on.” News & Jobs News stories and job vacancies from our member agencies, the fostering sector and the world of child protection and safeguarding as a whole.

Every year, an estimated 2 million Americans sustain injuries in collision accidents. Over 5,000 pedestrians in the United States die in traffic crashes every year. Many others sustain serious injuries. Here are a few of the most common injuries in car vs. pedestrian accidents. 1. Soft Tissue Injuries These injuries are widespread. They may affect you in both severe and minor accidents. Soft tissue injuries occur when there is trauma to a muscle, ligament, tendon, or skin on your body. Whiplash is the most prevalent soft tissue injury in car versus pedestrian accidents. Others include abrasions, muscle sprain, and lacerations. The symptoms of soft tissue injuries include bruising, swelling, pain, and a limited range of motion. 2. Back Injuries The symptoms of back injuries include stiffness, pain, muscle spasms, numbness, and paralysis. Back injuries are some of the most common injuries after a car accident. The spinal cord is not designed to sustain heavy impact. When you are involved in an accident, however, your back is likely to be impacted. 3. Upper Extremities In most car-pedestrian accidents, the final impact is when a pedestrian is tossed over the car or when they land on the hood. In such instances, about 27 percent of pedestrians will suffer injuries in the upper extremities. They may sustain various musculoskeletal effects in the wrists, hands, and arms. They are also likely to sustain injuries around the chest and abdominal area. There is a double risk of sustaining head injuries as opposed to chest or abdomen injuries. Unfortunately, head injuries can be fatal. 4. Cuts and Scrapes These injuries are common even in minor accidents. Abrasions or scrapes happen when layers of the skin are torn or scraped. On the other hand, cuts are narrow incisions. They happen when objects in the vehicle break and come in contact with the skin. Common causes of cuts and scrapes include broken glass, airbags, and car parts. Consider seeking medical attention when you have pus from the wound, your scabs have become bigger, or redness around the wound. 5. Leg and Arm Injuries Arm and leg injuries are likely to occur when a car makes sudden or unnatural changes in direction. During such accidents, involuntary movements can cause severe arm and leg injuries. The most common symptoms to watch out for are arm and leg injuries including bruising, swelling, a popping sound, tingling, deformity, pain, and limited range of motion. 6. Internal Injuries Most internal injuries from car vs. pedestrian accidents require surgery. The internal organs may be damaged by flying debris and blunt objects in a car vs. pedestrian accident. If left untreated, internal injuries can cause death. The symptoms to look out for include swelling, fainting, headache, dizziness, and deep purple color in the affected area. If you are injured in a Salem car accident, hire a Salem personal injury lawyer. They will go through the details of your case and determine if you are eligible for compensation. They will help you gather and record evidence to maximize your compensation.

Are you a producer or a consumer? Where do you fit in the food chain? Find out in this short video. National Geographic Kids: Habitats What types of habitats are needed to protect endangered species? Explore images and learn about habitats from all over the world. Northern Riffleshell Facts and Information Mussels in Ohio? Learn about the Northern Riffleshell, a threatened and endangered species. Science Trek: Habitats Habitats can be fun! Learn the basics of habitats with this video! Tools of Predation Join the Cleveland Museum of Natural History at the Perkins Wildlife Center and learn more about the unique physical adaptations and the interesting dietary preferences of predators. Vertebrate Zoology Collections Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, Roberta Muehlheim, at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History shows us some of her favorite skeletons in this fascinating collection and talks about her important research in conserving amphibian populations in Ohio.

There are several United States commemorative coins, medals and medallions that celebrate the lives and accomplishments of Black activists, athletes, educators, entertainers, inventors, leaders and patriots as well as seminal events and institutions in Black History. These coins, medals and medallions are a part of the Museum Of UnCut Funk Collection and are currently traveling to museums and cultural centers across the country as a part of our For The Love Of Money: Black Icons On U.S. Currency exhibition. A Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress through legislation, or Public Law, that is signed by the President of the United States. Congressional Gold Medals are produced by the United States Mint. The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the two highest civilian awards that can be bestowed by the United States government. The Congressional Gold Medal is awarded to persons “who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient’s field long after the achievement.” American citizenship is not a requirement. All Congressional Gold Medal legislation must be cosponsored by at least two-thirds of the Members of the House and at least 67 Senators. Congressional Gold Medals are designed by the United States Mint to specifically commemorate the person and achievement for which the medal is awarded. Medals are therefore different in appearance, and there is no standard design. Congress authorizes the United States Mint to produce bronze replicas of Congressional Gold Medals for purchase by the public. The dates below reflect when the bronze medal replicas were introduced. Twenty Black history icons and seminal events and institutions have been awarded a Congressional Gold Medal and memorialized on commemorative bronze medal replicas. Two replica commemorative bronze medals featuring a Black President have been produced to date. One commemorative silver medal featuring Lady Liberty as a Black woman, in celebration of the 225th Anniversary of the United States Mint has also been produced. - Medals and medallions are presented in chronological order based on when they were first introduced to the public. - “Obverse” refers to the front of a coin, medal or medallion and “reverse” refers to the back. 1978 – Marian Anderson Bronze Medal Commemorates her highly distinguished and impressive career of more than half a century; for untiring and unselfish devotion to the promotion of the arts throughout the world, including establishment of scholarships for young people, for her strong and imaginative support to humanitarian causes; for contributions to the cause of world peace through her work as United States delegate to the United Nations; for her performances and recordings which have reached people throughout the world; for her unstinting efforts on behalf of the brotherhood of man and for the many treasured moments she has brought to the world with enormous demand on her time, talent, and energy. Marian Anderson was the first Black person and Black woman to be awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 1978, and the first to be featured on a United States Commemorative Bronze Medal. Anderson was a renowned contralto who was the first Black person invited to perform at the White House. In 1939, she became the first Black person to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. This performance was facilitated by President Roosevelt, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and the NAACP because the Daughters Of The American Revolution denied her an opportunity to sing at Constitution Hall because she was a Black woman. In 1955, she was the first Black person to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The obverse design features a portrait of Marian Anderson. The inscription reads: “MARIAN ANDERSON.” The reverse design features a world held in two cupped hands. The inscriptions read: “HE’S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS,” “UNITY GOD’S WAY” and “HONORED BY CONGRESS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE THROUGH MUSIC 1977.” 1982 – Joe Louis Bronze Medal Commemorates his accomplishments “which did so much to bolster the spirit of the American people during one of the most crucial times in American history and which have endured throughout the years as a symbol of strength for the Nation.” Joe Louis, aka the “Brown Bomber” was the first Black man and Black athlete featured on a United States Commemorative Bronze Medal. Joe Louis, the “Brown Bomber”, was the second Black world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. His 1938 defeat of the German boxer Max Schmeling not only avenged his only loss to that point, but delivered a stinging defeat of Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy. The obverse design features a depiction of Joe Louis in a boxing stance. The inscription reads: “JOE LOUIS 1914-1981.” The reverse design features the heavyweight belt Louis won in 1937 with an American Eagle on the center buckle and a pair of boxing gloves. The inscriptions read: “WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION,” “ACT OF CONGRESS 1981” and “1937-1948.” 1984 – Roy Wilkins Bronze Medal Commemorates his “incomparable contribution to the struggle for civil rights and equality for all Americans”. Roy Wilkins was first Black civil rights leader awarded a Congressional Gold Medal. Roy Wilkins was the Executive Director of the NAACP from 1964 to 1977, and under his leadership the organization spearheaded the effort that led to the Brown v. Board of Education, 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act legislation. The obverse design features a portrait of Roy Wilkins. The inscriptions read: “ROY WILKINS,” “1901,” “1981” – the years of his birth and death. The reverse design features the goddess justice with the inscriptions: “LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL,” “1984” and “MEDAL OF CONGRESS.” 1988 – Jesse Owens Bronze Medal Commemorates his “athletic achievements and humanitarian contributions to public service, civil rights and international goodwill”. Jesse Owens was the first American track & field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympiad, at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and in doing so crushed Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy. Owens broke the Olympic long jump record and his team broke the Olympic 4 x 100 meter relay record. The obverse design features a portrait of Jesse Owens. The inscriptions read: “JESSE OWENS,” “1913,” “1980,” – the years of his birth and death, and “OLYMPIC CHAMPION”. The reverse design features Owens as an Olympic sprinter. The inscriptions read: “ATHLETE,” “HUMANITARIAN,” “ACT OF CONGRESS 1988” and “DETERMINATION, DEDICATION, DISCIPLINE, ATTITUDE.” 1991 – General Colin Powell Bronze Medal Commemorates his “exemplary performance as a military leader and advisor to the President in planning and coordinating the military response of the United States to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the ultimate retreat of Iraqi forces and Iraqi acceptance of all United Nations Resolutions relating to Kuwait. Colin Powell is a four star general who was the first Black person to serve as Secretary Of State, under President George W. Bush. He was also the only Black person to serve as Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff, under President George H.W. Bush. Powell is the only Black man to be awarded all three prestigious civilian medals – Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal Of Freedom, Presidential Citizens Medal; the only Black person to receive the Presidential Medal Of Freedom twice; the first Black and to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal. The obverse design features a portrait of General Powell. The inscriptions read: “GENERAL COLIN L. POWELL” and “CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.” The reverse design features General Powell congratulating a United States soldier and the Joint Chiefs of Staff flag. The inscriptions read: “PRESENTED TO HONOR HIS LEADERSHIP, INTEGRITY, AND PROFESSIONALISM THROUGHOUT OPERATION DESSERT SHIELD AND OPERATION DESERT STORM” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 1991.” 1998 – Nelson Mandela Bronze Medal Commemorates his “life-long dedication to the abolition of apartheid and the promotion of reconciliation among the people of the Republic of South Africa.” Nelson Mandela was the first Black South African to receive a Congressional Gold Medal. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela became the first democratically elected and first Black President of South Africa, serving one term from 1994 through 1999. His election ended white minority rule and the oppressive system of apartheid. The obverse design features a portrait of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. The inscriptions read: “PRESIDENT NELSON ROLIHLAHLA MANDELA” and ”SOUTH AFRICA.” The reverse design features compass points and a decorative spindle, children linked together and overlapping branches. The inscriptions read: “PRESIDENT MANDELA DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY OVER APARTHEID” and “BY ACT OF CONGRESS 1998.” 1999 – Rosa Parks Bronze Medal Commemorates her “contributions to the Nation” as the “first lady of civil rights” and “mother of the freedom movement,” and whose “quiet dignity ignited the most significant social movement in the history of the United States.” Rosa Parks was a civil rights icon whose refusal to give up her seat to a white person and move to the back of the bus fueled the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the fight against Jim Crow segregation and the national Civil Rights Movement. Parks was a life long activist who fought for justice and against racism and discrimination. The obverse design features a portrait of Rosa Parks. The inscriptions read: “ROSA PARKS” and “MOTHER OF THE MODERN DAY CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.” The reverse design features a swag of oak leaves, scales of justice, and the world. The inscriptions read: “QUIET STRENGTH,” “PRIDE, DIGNITY, COURAGE” and “BY ACT OF CONGRESS 1999.” Commemorates their selfless heroism of during the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School. These nine students risked their lives to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and subsequently the nation. As the first Black students to attend Little Central High School, they stood up to intimidation from the Arkansas Governor and the Arkansas National Guard, and violence from racist protesters and fellow students. The obverse design features the nine students being escorted up the steps of Little Rock Central High School by United States soldiers. The inscription reads: “THE LITTLE ROCK NINE 1957.” The reverse design features the inscriptions: “COURAGE BRAVERY JUSTICE OPPORTUNITY,” “ERNEST GREEN,” ”JEFFERSON THOMAS,” “MELBA PATTILLO BEALS,” “CARLOTTA WALLS LANIER,” “MINNIJEAN BROWN TRICKEY,” “THELMA MOTHERSHED WAIR,” “GLORIA RAY KARLMARK,” “ELIZABETH ECKFORD,” “TERRENCE ROBERTS” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 1998.” 2004 – Dr. Dorothy Height Bronze Medal Commemorates her contribution “as one of the preeminent social and civil rights activists of her time, particularly in the struggle for equality, social justice, and human rights for all people”. The National Council Of Negro Women (NCNW) national headquarters building is named after Dorothy I. Height. The NCNW, founded by Mary McLeod Bethune, was led by Height as President for 40 years. In this capacity, Height became one of the most important civil rights leaders in the country. As the only female member of the Council For United Civil Rights Leadership she worked along side the “Big Six” and was one of the organizers of the March On Washington. As a woman, however, she experienced discrimination and was never given the credit she deserved. Height is the only Black woman to be awarded all three prestigious civilian medals – Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal Of Freedom, Presidential Citizens Medal. The obverse design features a portrait of Dorothy Height. The inscriptions read: “DOROTHY I. HEIGHT” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 2003.” The reverse design features the National Council of Negro Women’s building in Washington, D.C. and the United States Capitol. The inscriptions, which reflect Height’s quotes, read: “We African American Women seldom do just what we want to do, but always what we have to do,” ” I am grateful to have been in a time and place where I could be a part of what was needed” and “Dorothy I. Height.” 2004 – Brown v. the Board of Education Medal Commemorates their contribution as pioneers in the effort to desegregate public schools. The obverse design features Reverend DeLaine, Harry Briggs, Eliza Briggs and Levi Pearson portraits and two cabbage palmettos, the state tree of South Carolina. The inscriptions read: “BRIGGS V. ELLIOT,” “Our Trust Is In God,” “Joseph A. DeLaine,” “Harry & Eliza Briggs,” “Levi Pearson” and “BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION.” The reverse design features the goddess of justice. The inscriptions read: “Honoring the Pioneers and Petitioners from Clarendon County, South Carolina,” “They proved that segregation in education can never produce equality and that it is evil that must be eradicated,” “Judge J. Waties Waring Dissenting Opinion” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 2003.” 2005 – Jackie Robinson Bronze Medal Commemorates his “legacy and personal achievements”, “advancement of civil rights in the United States” and “many contributions to the nation”. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, and in 1962 was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. The obverse design features a portrait of Jackie Robinson. The inscriptions read: “JACKIE ROBINSON,” “A LIFETIME OF ADVOCACY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE & HUMAN DIGNITY” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 2003.” The reverse design reflects a Jackie Robinson quote: “A LIFE IS NOT IMPORTANT EXCEPT IN THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OTHER LIVES” and “JACKIE ROBINSON” 2007 – Tuskegee Airmen Bronze Medal Commemorates their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black aviators to serve in the Armed Forces and the first Black flying squadron to deploy overseas during World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and 477th Bombardment Group, which were segregated units of the U.S. Army Air Corps. Tuskegee fighter pilots were known for the red tails painted on their planes. The “Tuskegee Experience” also included over 10,000 military and civilian men and women who served as support personnel. The obverse design features three Tuskegee Airmen, an officer, mechanic and pilot, designated by their headgear and an Eagle flying with wings outstretched, symbolizing flight, nobility and the highest ideals of the Nation. The inscriptions read: “TUSKEGEE AIRMEN,” “1941” and “1949.” The reverse design features three types of aircraft the Tuskegee Airmen flew in World War II: P-40, P-51, B-25. The inscriptions read: “ACT OF CONGRESS,” “2006,” and “OUTSTANDING COMBAT RECORD INSPIRED REVOLUTIONARY REFORM IN THE ARMED FORCES.” 2008 – Senator Edward Brooke III Bronze Medal Commemorates his unprecedented and enduring service to our nation. Brooke was the first Black Senator elected by popular vote. He served as a Republican Senator with distinction for two terms, in 1966 and 1972. He was also the first Black politician from Massachusetts to serve in Congress. Brooke was the first Black person to be nominated for statewide office in Massachusetts in 1960. He was the first Black person elected Attorney General in any state in 1962. The obverse design features Edward Brooke portrait. The inscription reads: “EDWARD WILLIAM BROOKE.” The reverse design features the United States Capitol Building and Massachusetts State House between two olive branches. The inscriptions read: “ACT OF CONGRESS 2008,” “AMERICA’S GREATNESS LIES IN ITS WONDROUS DIVERSITY,” ”OUR MAGNIFICENT PLURALISM HAS MADE THIS COUNTRY GREAT,” ”OUR EVER-WIDENING DIVERSITY WILL KEEP US GREAT” and “MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE.” 2011 – Montford Point Marines Bronze Medal Commemorates their personal sacrifice and service to their country during World War II as the first Black Marines. The United States Marine Corps was integrated in 1949. Montford Point Marines went on to serve in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The obverse design features Montford Point Marines in an action scene from training. The inscriptions read: “MONTFORD POINT MARINES,” “1942” and “1949.” The reverse design features Montford Point Marines in formation during training and their signature water tower. The inscriptions read: “FOR OUTSTANDING PERSEVERANCE and COURAGE that INSPIRED SOCIAL CHANGE in the MARINE CORPS,” “2011” and “ACT OF CONGRESS.” 2013 – 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Victims Bronze Medal Commemorates the powerful symbol for the movement for civil and human rights their deaths became and their ultimate sacrifice which was emblematic of many others who lost their lives for the causes of freedom and equality. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing brought national attention to the racism and violence suffered by Black people in Birmingham and the South and served as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. In 2006, the 16th Street Baptist Church was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The obverse design features silhouettes of the four little girls. The inscriptions read: “ADDIE MAE COLLINS,” “DENISE MCNAIR,” “CAROLE ROBERTSON,” “CYNTHIA WESLEY,” “PIVOTAL IN THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY” and “SEPTEMBER 13 1963.″ The reverse design features a view of the 16th Street Baptist Church. The inscriptions read: “ACT OF CONGRESS 2013,″ “KILLED IN THE BOMBING OF THE 16TH ST. BAPTIST CHURCH” and “BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.” 2013 – Martin Luther King, Jr. / Coretta Scott King Bronze Medal Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King were originally awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004 in honor of their contributions to the Nation on behalf of the civil rights movement and to recognize: - The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his widow Coretta Scott King as the first family of the Civil Rights Movement, who had distinguished records of public service to the American people and the international community - Dr. King’s doctrine of nonviolent civil disobedience to combat segregation, discrimination and racial injustice - Dr King’s August 28, 1963, march on Washington that featured his most famous address, the “I have a dream” speech - Dr. King’s assassination for his beliefs on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee - Mrs. King’s entrance into the Civil Rights Movement in 1955 during the Montgomery bus boycott and the important role she played as a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement - Mrs. King’s devotion to developing and building the Atlanta-based Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change after Dr. King’s assassination - Mrs. King’s role in the campaign to establish Dr. King’s birthday as a national holiday The obverse design features portraits of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King. The inscriptions read: “DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND CORETTA SCOTT KING,” “ACT OF CONGRESS 2004″ and “FOR THEIR SERVICE TO HUMANITY.” The reverse design features the inscription “MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CENTER FOR NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE” and an images of the center. The second inscription reflects a Martin Luther King Jr. Quote: “I suggest that the philosophy and strategy of nonviolence become immediately a subject for study for serious experimentation in every field of human conflict, by no means excluding the relations between nations. This may well be mankind’s last chance to choose between chaos and community.” 2014 – American Fighter Aces Bronze Medal Commemorates their heroic military service and defense of our country’s freedom throughout the history of aviation warfare. This medal honors Lee Andrew Archer, Jr., the first and only Black American Fighter Ace. Archer was a fighter pilot for the Tuskegee Airmen in the 302nd Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group during World War II. He also fought in the Korean War. Archer flew 196 missions and shot down four enemy aircraft and with another pilot shot down a fifth enemy plane. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Archer was also awarded a Congressional Gold Medal as a Tuskegee Airmen in 2007 by President Bush. Archer was invited along with all surviving Tuskegee Airmen to President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009. The obverse design features four pilots, representing World War I, World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War, an ace of spades, military wings with a globe centered, symbolizing the global impact of the group’s service. The inscriptions read: “AMERICAN FIGHTER ACES,” “ARMY,” “NAVY,” “AIR FORCE” and “MARINES.” The reverse design features four aircraft used by American Fighter Aces, five stars representing the minimum number of aerial combat victories required for qualification. The inscriptions read: “DUTY COURAGE AGGRESSIVENESS,” “2014,” and “ACT OF CONGRESS.” 2014 – Civil Air Patrol Bronze Medal Commemorates the extraordinary service of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) during World War II. This medal honors Willa Brown, the first Black officer in the Civil Air Patrol, receiving the rank of Lieutenant in 1942. Brown was the first Black woman to earn a private pilot’s license and to hold a commercial pilot’s license in the United States. She was also the first woman to hold both a pilot’s and mechanic’s license. She and her husband opened the Coffey School of Aeronautics at Chicago’s Harlem Airport, the first Black owned and operated flight school. Brown co-founded the National Airmen’s Association of America in 1939, working to get Black aviation cadets into the U.S. military. The obverse design features two CAP volunteers – one male and one female – watching the skies. In the background, a tanker is escorted by CAP planes overhead. The inscriptions read: “CIVIL AIR PATROL,” “1941-1945”. The reverse design features a partial laurel wreath, representing honor and service, surrounding CAP insignia’s. The inscriptions read: “HONOR,” “CIVILIAN VOLUNTEERS WHO FLEW ARMED & HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 2014.” 2015 – Selma To Montgomery Marches Bronze Medal Commemorates the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March in March of 1965, which served as a catalyst for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “The extraordinary bravery and sacrifice these Foot Soldiers displayed in pursuit of a peaceful march from Selma to Montgomery brought national attention to the struggle for equal voting rights, and served as the catalyst for Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which President Johnson signed into law on August 6, 1965.” The obverse design features foot soldiers crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge on their 54 mile journey to Montgomery, Alabama. The inscriptions read: “SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCHES 1965” and “FOOT SOLDIERS FOR JUSTICE”. The reverse design features a hand placing ballot in ballot box with American flag image in the background. The inscriptions read: “EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN MUST HAVE AN EQUAL RIGHT TO VOTE,” “VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965” and “ACT OF CONGRESS 2015”. 2018 – Office Of Strategic Services (OSS) Bronze Medal Commemorates intelligence professionals who worked for the Office Of Strategic Service (OSS) during World War II. The OSS was the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). This medal honors Ralph Bunche, the first Black Person to work for a U.S. intelligence agency. Bunche was an analyst for the OSS before moving on to serve in other roles and become the first Black Person to hold a top job in the US state department. He is the first Black intelligence professional to be honored by a Congressional Gold Medal and replica Commemorative Bronze Medal. The obverse design features the inscription “OSS” revealing three figures – a woman, a paratrooper, and a man in a suit, representing the broad range of work undertaken by the OSS. The design also features the dates “1942 – 1945.” The years during which the OSS operated. The reverse design features the OSS Spearhead inscribed with code words related to important OSS missions and agents. President Barack Obama Presidential Medals One his last day in office President Barack Obama was awarded two Presidential bronze medals to represent each term he served as the first Black President of the United States. Presidential medals are presented to honor past Presidents, a custom that has been extended by law to each outgoing President. During a ceremony in the Oval Office, Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew, Deputy Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin and U.S. Mint Principal Deputy Director Rhett Jeppson presented the medals. “It has been a privilege to serve President Obama over these last eight years and to have witnessed his leadership up close,” Secretary Lew said. “His historic presidency has improved the lives of millions of Americans and the medals presented today are just one way that his legacy will be honored.” “The medals presented to President Obama ensure that a long-standing tradition of honoring our presidents remains unbroken,” Jeppson said. “Designed, sculpted and struck by the men and women of the U.S. Mint, the medals institutionalize his legacy in a tangible and historical form alongside those leaders who preceded him.” 2017 – President Barack Obama First Term Presidential Bronze Medal The obverse design features a portrait of President Barack Obama. The inscription reads: “BARACK OBAMA.” The reverse design features a quote from President Obama beneath the Presidential Seal and the President’s signature. The design is bordered by 50 stars. The inscriptions read, “OUR DESTINY IS NOT WRITTEN FOR US. IT IS WRITTEN BY US,” and “JANUARY 20, 2009,” the date of President Obama’s first inauguration. 2017 – President Barack Obama Second Term Presidential Bronze Medal The obverse design features a traditional profile of President Obama. The inscription reads: “BARACK OBAMA.” The reverse design features a quote from President Obama beneath an image of the White House, President Obama’s signature and 50 stars around the border. The inscriptions read: “WE THE PEOPLE,” “WE SHALL OVERCOME,” “YES WE CAN,” “JANUARY 20, 2013,” and “THE SINGLE MOST POWERFUL WORD IN OUR DEMOCRACY IS THE WORD ‘WE.” JANUARY 20, 2013 is the date of President Obama’s second inauguration. 2017 – American Liberty 225th Anniversary Silver Medal Commemorates the 225th anniversary of the United States Mint. The obverse design features a profile of Liberty wearing a crown of stars. The inscriptions read: “LIBERTY,” “1792,” “2017.” The reverse features an eagle in flight, with eyes toward opportunity and a determination to attain it. The inscription reads: “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” In 1978, the United States Congress authorized the United States Mint to produce Commemorative American Arts Medallions to provide a way for citizens to invest in gold bullion-type coins similar to the the South African krugerrand and the Canadian maple leaf. The American Arts Commemorative Series was a series of ten gold bullion medallions that were produced from 1980 to 1984. The medallions were either 0.5 troy ounces (16g) or 1.0 troy ounces (31g) of gold. Marian Anderson and Louis Armstrong were both honored as a part of this series. 1980 – Marian Anderson American Arts Commemorative Gold Medallion Commemorates Marian Anderson, renowned opera singer and first Black performer to sing at the Metropolitan Opera. Anderson was the first Black person and Black woman to be featured on a United States Commemorative Gold Medallion. The Marian Anderson medallion was the first issued in the American Arts Commemorative Series, which featured 10 notable American artists. Marian Anderson helped break down racial barriers in the United States during the 20th century. She was an important symbol for the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960’s. Her career saw her work closely with the United Nations and the United States Department of State, and she was awarded several honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The obverse design features a portrait of Marian Anderson. The inscription reads: “MARIAN ANDERSON.” The reverse design features a world held in two cupped hands. The inscriptions read: “AMERICAN ARTS COMMEMORATIVE SERIES,” “UNITY GOD’S WAY” and “1980.” 1982 – Louis Armstrong American Arts Commemorative Gold Medallion Commemorates Louis Armstrong, “Satchmo”, legendary jazz trumpet player, singer and star of radio, TV and film. Armstrong was the first Black man to be featured on a United States Commemorative Gold Medallion. The obverse design features a Louis Armstrong portrait. The inscriptions read: “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “1982” and “LOUIS ARMSTRONG.” The reverse design features a trumpet and musical notes. The inscriptions read: “AMERICAN ARTS COMMEMORATIVE SERIES,” “AMBASSADOR OF JAZZ” AND “ONE OUNCE GOLD.” For more information on commemorative coins and medals you can read the three part series on African Americans On U.S. Coins written by Charles Morgan, Editor at CoinWeek.com and check out the podcast that the Museum Of UnCut Funk curators did with Charles Morgan on our website at the following links:

The Power of Innovation Innovation is the driving force behind progress. It fuels growth, sparks creativity, and propels us into a brighter future. Each week, we have the opportunity to witness the incredible power of innovation through the highlight reel of the week. In this article, we will explore two of the latest innovations that have caught our attention and showcase their potential to shape the world as we know it. Revolutionizing Transportation: The Hyperloop Imagine being able to travel at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour, significantly reducing travel time and congestion on our roads. This is exactly what the Hyperloop promises to deliver. Developed by visionary entrepreneur Elon Musk, the Hyperloop is a futuristic transportation system that uses magnetic levitation and low-pressure tubes to transport passengers and cargo at incredible speeds. To achieve a comprehensive learning journey, we suggest this external source packed with supplementary and pertinent details. Access this helpful study, uncover fresh viewpoints on the topic discussed. The Hyperloop has the potential to revolutionize transportation, making long-distance travel faster, more efficient, and environmentally friendly. By eliminating the need for traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles, the Hyperloop can significantly reduce carbon emissions, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future. Breakthrough in Healthcare: CRISPR Technology Advancements in healthcare have always been a cause for celebration. But the recent breakthrough in CRISPR technology takes it to a whole new level. CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a revolutionary gene-editing tool that allows scientists to modify DNA with unprecedented precision. CRISPR has the potential to cure genetic diseases, enhance agricultural crops, and even eradicate certain pests that have devastating effects on our environment and food production. It presents a new era in medicine and biotechnology, where we can harness the power of gene editing to improve lives and create a healthier world. Our Education System Transformed: Online Learning The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to adapt and rethink traditional systems, including education. One of the most significant transformations we have witnessed is the rise of online learning. With schools and universities shifting to remote and hybrid learning models, online learning platforms have become essential tools in ensuring continuity of education. Online learning offers flexibility, accessibility, and personalized learning experiences for students of all ages. It breaks the barriers of physical location and allows learners to access high-quality education from anywhere in the world. Additionally, online learning platforms provide opportunities for lifelong learning and upskilling, empowering individuals to acquire new knowledge and skills at their own pace. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online learning, but its impact will extend far beyond the current crisis. It has opened new avenues for collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity in education, forever transforming our approach to learning. Keep advancing your educational experience by exploring this suggested external material. Winner list, you’ll encounter useful knowledge and extra details on the topic. The Future is Bright The highlight reel of the week showcases the incredible potential of human ingenuity and innovation. From revolutionizing transportation to transforming healthcare and education, these innovations have the power to reshape our world and create a brighter future for all. As we celebrate these breakthroughs, let us embrace the opportunities they present and continue to push the boundaries of what is possible. Find more information on the subject discussed in this article by visiting the related posts we’ve prepared:

What is the impact of an increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the northeast Pacific Ocean? Adapted from: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from: http://esciencenews.com/articles/2016/09/07/study.finds.increased.ocean.acidification.due.human.activities Ocean waters in the northeast Pacific are now more polluted than the Atlantic. Ocean temperatures have increased by 0.002 degrees. Ocean waters have become more acidic and there is less aragonite for marine species’ shells. The pH level has increased, leading to dangerous levels for marine species. Already signed up? Sign in Get more questions Let's continue studying where you left off.

This post was written by Meghan Cihasky, 2019 Mono Lake Intern. When I first started at the Mono Lake Committee as an intern this past June, I had very little concept of why invasive plants are such a threat to healthy habitats. I would see posters plastered around boat ramps, heard about volunteer opportunities for invasive plant removal, and driven through vehicle inspection stops and thought, “so what?” Last month I took my first invasive plant scouting trip down at Mill Creek (one of Mono Lake’s tributaries that the Committee is working to restore) with Restoration Field Technician Robbie Di Paolo. It didn’t take long to see the threats invasive species pose here in the Mono Basin and why they’re so important to address. Maybe you have the same question I did—what is the big idea about these invasive species? Invasive plant species like white sweet clover (Melilotus alba) were introduced to the Mono Basin and now grow abundantly in riparian (streamside) habitats, like Mill Creek. This is the issue; white sweet clover creates monocultures, which inhibit the natural biodiversity of native plants along streams. Once white sweet clover is introduced to an ecosystem it’s no easy task to rid these habitats of it. The seeds are hard and light (ideal for stream transportation) and have been shown in some cases to stay viable in the soil for 30 years! This is where the Mono Lake Committee comes in. Restoration in the Mono Basin is one of the Committee’s main objectives and a large part of that restoration work is invasive plant removal in the riparian habitats surrounding Mono Lake. It’s a seemingly never-ending project, one that takes a collaboration of helping hands from the community, and something that needs general attention to understand why the committee is so involved in the removal of noxious invasive plants. Without these helping hands and knowledge on the topic these invasive plants will only become more prominent, creating unwanted monocultures, increasing fire risk and altering soil chemistry in the Mono Basin. The Committee’s goals for invasive plant removal have remained steadfast over the years—protect and restore biodiversity in the ecological habitats within the Mono Basin from noxious plants and raise awareness about invasive plants to a broad community. While the underlying goals remain the same, we are always looking for ways to expand our efforts in this field. This summer I put together a talk and gave it on the patios at the Mono Lake Committee and at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center. The hope is to raise awareness about invasive plants, showing people examples of invasive species in the Mono Basin and how they threaten the ecosystems, to help engage the public to think and act more critically towards these issues. So, what can you do in your community to help? Do a little digging of your own to find out what species are invasive in your area and find ways to get involved. This is a task that takes a community of helping hands and one that always needs attention.

Chinese elm trees are one of the best landscaping trees available in North America. It's also a popular bonsai tree for beginners that are new to bonsai. The seeds, called samaras, are the most important edible part of this plant and can be eaten raw or cooked. This tree has some surprising uses, so read on to learn why. Chinese elm plant profile |Deciduous tree or evergreen tree - Lacebark elm Although the Chinese Elm is normally found in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9, it has been spotted in North America from Canada to Florida, Maine to California. What Are You Foraging For Right Now? We're thrilled to hear your ideas. What would you like to submit today? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with us. Chinese elm bonsai A native of East Asia, the Chinese elm is a popular bonsai tree among beginners. In their native habitat, these beautiful semi-evergreen trees can grow up to 80 feet tall, but they have been cultivated in miniature form for bonsai for centuries. As it is slow-growing and tolerant, the Chinese elm offers beginners plenty of time and forgiveness to become familiar with bonsai care, making it one of the most popular and least demanding miniature trees in the world. In temperate climates, the bonsai can be left outdoors, even during winter. How do you identify a Chinese elm? A fast-growing deciduous or evergreen tree, the Chinese elm forms a graceful, upright, rounded canopy with long, arching, and somewhat weeping branches covered with one to two and a half-inch-long, glossy, dark green leaves. The leaf blade measures 1 to 2 12 inches (2 12 to 6 12 cm) in length, has serrated (toothed) edges and is oval in shape. In some specimens, the tree takes on the typical vase-shaped shape of an elm. Chinese Elms are native to China, Japan, Korea, and other parts of south-east Asia. The tree grows in full sun or partial shade in its native environment. How can you tell the difference between Chinese elm and Siberian elm? Despite their extreme similarities, Chinese and Siberian elms can be distinguished by their bark. The bark of the Chinese elm is mottled and may display an orange tint, while the bark of the Siberian elm is fissured with an orange tint in its crevices. This can be more difficult to distinguish on young branches, but mature bark provides a clearer picture. The Chinese elm is frequently confused with its relative, the Siberian elm. In contrast to Chinese elms, the Siberian elm is not a beloved tree. Their seeds spread profusely, they are prone to pest and disease problems, and their brittle branches are vulnerable to breakage. Due to this confusion, Chinese elms are often mistakenly discouraged as a landscape tree, even though they possess all of the desired qualities. What is Chinese elm good for? This is an excellent shade tree due to its toughness and drought resistance. There is a high level of resistance (but not immunity) to Dutch elm disease, which has devastated American elms throughout the country. The tree is moderately resistant to the elm leaf beetle (Xanthogaleruca luteola) but is susceptible to elm yellows. It is said that Chinese elm is the best wood for chisel handles and similar applications due to its superior hardness, toughness, and resistance to splitting. Among the most common uses of Chinese elm lumber are: - hardwood flooring - tool handles - and specialty uses such as longbow construction Chinese elm: medicinal uses The Chinese elm has been used as a medicinal plant for centuries and in Asia, medicines obtained from the Chinese elm are of great value. Antidotes and demulcents can be derived from the leaves either by using the leaves as an extract or drying and emulsifying them. There are several uses for the stem bark, including demulcent, diuretic, febrifuge, expectorant, hypnotic, and lithontripic. Fever and neuritis can be treated with the tiny white and green flowers from the Chinese elm that emerge in the early fall. Although there is no formal scientific evidence to support it, elm bark is also used in traditional Chinese medicine to normalize hormone levels in some women with infertility problems. Are Chinese elms poisonous in any way? Even though severe reactions are rare, elm in the Ulmus genus has been reported to be a sensitizer. In most cases, the most common reaction involves irritation of the eyes and skin. Chinese elm is mildly toxic though it poses no danger to larger animals such as horses and cattle. Additionally, the tree does not pose a threat to birds. Chinese elms should be kept away from dogs and cats, so they do not gnaw at their bark or nibble at the leaves. There have been reports of some people developing an allergic reaction to elm samaras, so it is best, to begin with small amounts to ensure safety. Chinese elm: edible parts In general, the seeds are the most important edible part of this plant, which are called samaras (SAM-ah-rah) and can be eaten raw or cooked. From a distance, they appear to be leaves, but they are thick clusters of young fruits, which are not only edible but also delicious. Young leaves of this tree are also edible raw, or cooked. They are very mild and have a slightly bitter taste. If you need sustenance, you may cook the inner bark of this plant. How to use Chinese elm in the kitchen It is best to get samaras when their wings are still green to obtain prime specimens. It is possible to eat them as they are, or toss them into salads or cook them. In salads, they are delicious, but cooking them opens up a whole new world of possibilities. A soft, papery covering resembles a small pasta and softens as it cooks. Cooked samaras are usually added to soup or broth. You can toss them in at the last minute and watch their color transform into a vibrant green. They are also a delicious garnish or snack when lightly oiled and toasted on low heat. The samara seeds can still be eaten after they have dried and their wings have become papery. It is best to rub them free of the dry wings and eat the seeds raw or cooked. The nutty flavor has been compared to that of sunflower seeds by some people. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Let us improve this post! Tell us how we can improve this post? Ana has always been interested in all things nature and flora. With her expertise in home gardening and interest in foraging, she has been spending her weekends and free time looking for edible native plants, flowers, and fungi. One of her many hobbies includes testing new savory and sweet recipes, juices or teas made from freshly picked plants, wild fruits, or mushrooms.

Purchase this article with an account. C. W. Sauer, M. L. Braunstein, G. J. Andersen, Zheng Bian; Judged shape of ground plane regions in realistic 3-D scenes. Journal of Vision 2001;1(3):41. https://doi.org/10.1167/1.3.41. Download citation file: © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present) Most research on the perception of 3-D objects in 3-D scenes has used either simulated scenes or real-world scenes. Simulated scenes provide good control over stimulus characteristics but may lack the abundance of information sources available in natural vision. Real-world scenes provide this information but it is difficult to control all attributes of objects in such scenes. In this research we introduce a hybrid method in which a simulated object—or more precisely a region on the ground plane—was superimposed on a real scene using computer graphics. Our purpose was to determine the effect of information for scene position on the perceived shape of a region in a 3-D scene, when the projected shape of the region is kept constant. The scene was produced using 50 digital photographs taken at fixed positions along a track, based on a sinusoidal function, to simulate back and forth horizontal head motion. A computer-generated L-shaped region was placed on the ground plane at one of four scene positions (distances from the observer). The projected image of the region was identical at each scene position. The region thus represented 3-D regions of different sizes and shapes, depending on the scene position. The observer's task was to adjust the horizontal leg of the L until it appeared to match the depth leg. Judged width to depth ratios increased with scene position consistent with projective geometry, but the ratios were smaller than those predicted from the geometry. This is consistent with the perception of a less slanted scene than the simulated scene. We calculated the surface slant required to match the judged ratio at each scene position and found that this slant varied with scene position. This suggests that the shape judgments for regions on the ground plane were based on local slants that varied with the simulated distance of the observer, or, equivalently, that these judgments were consistent with a curved ground plane. This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Darkness is one of the causes of crime as less visibility means fewer chances of identifying the crime. The FBI's annual Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program publication, the 2014 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), provides comprehensive crime data such as time of day and type of offense. The UCR Program has over 18,000 law enforcement agencies participating and providing data voluntarily. According to the NIBRS Crimes Against person statistics, 562,104 (51.4 percent) of the 1,093,466 incidents reported in 2014 occurred between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. LED Pole Lights are the best source to remove the darkness and to save money. These lights are available in various color temperatures: 3000k, 4000k, and 5700k. The various color temperatures make LED Pole lights highly versatile. Available in various body finishes, Replacement of HID fixtures Many cities and businesses have begun replacing traditional high-intensity discharge (HID) lights with LED bulbs, light engines, and fixtures in an effort to reduce crime and save energy. These actions have yielded results. Los Angeles started a project in 2008 to replace 215,000 lights with LED lights. According to Forbes magazine, “L.A. has already seen a reduction in crime since the project's implementation.” Between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., burglaries and vandalism have decreased by 10%. Energy-efficient and better CRI Aside from the potential for lower crime rates, energy savings are a major consideration for cities considering switching to LED lighting. LEDs use less than half of the energy that an HID fixture does. The fixtures emit better quality light with higher color rendering indexes (CRI) than HID fixtures, despite using less power. The color rendering index (CRI) measures how well a light source shows the true colors of objects, individuals, and their surroundings. An HID bulb's CRI will range from zero (high-pressure sodium) to around 65 (high-intensity discharge) (metal-halide). CRIs of 75 and higher is possible with LED fixtures. Colors are most accurately displayed, and visibility is increased in lights with a CRI of 80 or greater. LED lighting often produces uniform, concentrated light that is less glaring. HID lighting makes multidirectional light that is frequently wasted in undesirable areas. LED lights appear brighter than HID lights due to their crisp color, increased visibility, and concentrated uniform beam patterns. Not only can brighter, crisper light help deter crime at night, but it can also help detect criminals and clearly view criminal activity on video or in person. Reasons to use LED Pole Lights LED solutions have a high lumen output, which aids visibility in areas where it is most needed. It is also a more efficient solution to save your company or area's electricity costs in terms of wattage and energy consumed. LEDs have a high color rendering index, which is beneficial for this type of lighting because poor rendering makes it more difficult for the eye to pick up colors like highway signs. They also have a higher color temperature, which allows drivers to adjust the temperature to their liking.

Position Based Routing in Vehicular Adhoc Networks – A Survey A Vehicular Ad hoc NETwork or VANET is a novel approach of intelligent transportation system technology which has received significant attention recently. Routing in VANETs is a challenging task due to network partitioning, high vehicular speed and city environment characteristics. These characteristics results in degraded performance in traditional routing protocols. Traditional routing protocols, addressing the issues of Mobile Ad hoc NETwork (MANETs), are applicable for MANET applications. Position-based routing protocols, which are mostly based on greedy routing, are more suited to highly dynamic and mobile networks. Subscribe to the Innovation Insider Newsletter Catch up on the latest tech innovations that are changing the world, including IoT, 5G, the latest about phones, security, smart cities, AI, robotics, and more. Delivered Tuesdays and Fridays

Ask people what one thing you most need on the course and you’ll get answers from balls to booze. Ask a dermatologist, though, and you’ll get this answer: sun protection. For most of us, sun protection is the last thing on our minds before a round. But, Rockheads, it shouldn’t be. And your favorite Caveman is here is tell you why. What are UV rays? UV stands for ultraviolet which are the type of sun rays that fall in the middle of the magnetic spectrum. These rays are shorter than visible light but longer than X rays. Ultraviolet rays include UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. We can’t see UV rays, but they are dangerous and potentially deadly. When they hit the skin, most are absorbed by chromosomes and cell proteins. This causes damage to DNA which can lead to cancer or eye damage. How dangerous are they? Well, in 2000 the National Institutes of Health added UV rays from the sun and tanning beds to the list of identified carcinogens. Two years late, the Institute went so far as to specifically stated each component of broad-spectrum ultraviolet radiation, UVA, UVB, and UVC, were anticipated to be carcinogens. Why are they dangerous? You’re probably most familiar with the effects of UVB rays – they cause the sun damage known as sunburn. You may think that a suntan looks healthy, but it’s the exact opposite. Tans and sunburns are forms of radiation burns and are the leading cause of non-malignant skin tumors. When skin cells’ DNA is damaged by UV radiation you can end up with a sunburn or an increase in melanin production – aka a tan. The only cure is to wait for the DNA to repair itself. UVA rays also cause DNA damage to cells, but these increase the risk of malignant melanomas, the most lethal form of skin cancer. Exposure to UV rays also generates free radicals, which cause cell damage and increase the risk for malignant melanoma. Sun exposure also prematurely ages you by damaging your skin and increasing wrinkles. How do you think I look so good for being multiple millenia old? How do I protect myself? Sunscreen. Look for a broad spectrum spectrum to block UVA and UVB rays. For good UVA protection, make sure your sunscreen contains zinc oxide, avobenzone, or ecamsule. Choose a spectrum with a SPF rating of 30 or higher – that’s the minimum that dermatologists recommend. You’ll need about a nickel’s worth for your face and two shot glasses’ worth for you whole body. But sunscreen only lasts about 2 hours so remember to reapply! I’d recommend sunscreens by either Neutrogena or La Roche-Posay. If you’re going to be sweatin’, grab yourself waterproof sunscreen. Grab shades and a hat. Make sure your sunglasses block both UVA and UVB rays. Wrap-around sunglasses work best because they block rays from sneaking in the side. I’ve got lots of shades at “rock bottom” prices that’ll keep your peepers protected! Check out my shades at the Cave!

Foundations of Digital Engineering Instructed by Teaching Science and Technology Inc. (TSTI) - The Foundations of Digital Engineering course prepares knowledge workers on the front line of this transformation to navigate the transition to the 4th Industrial Revolution - Digital Transformation. - All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course. The early 21st century may be remembered as the start of the 4th Industrial Revolution—Digital Transformation. The Foundations of Digital Engineering course prepares knowledge workers on the front line of this transformation to navigate this transition. The course begins by examining the elements of the “Digital Trinity”—Agile, Open Architecture and Digital Engineering—and their interdependencies. From this understanding, Digital Engineering (DE) principles and practices are explored in greater detail starting with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). As the “model of the models,” MBSE serves a core function in the DE ecosystem. To understand its broader application, ontologies, languages and frameworks are discussed. Model development, validation and curation is then described. Finally, the importance and challenge of defining and managing an Authoritative Source of Truth (ASOT) is explored. The application of these tools within the enterprise then becomes the focus as examples of current ecosystems and the promise of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to enhance the power of DE are presented. All of these capabilities require a robust digital working environment leading to an examination of the IT and DevSecOps challenges that entails. The course concludes by examining the INCOSE digital transformation metrics as participants apply these to understand the current state and next steps for their organization. At the end of this course you should be able to: - Compare and contrast analog engineering, traditional Digital Engineering and the value proposition for more fully integrated Digital Engineering ecosystems. - Explain the elements of the Digital “Trinity” and how they relate to each other. - Describe the Lifecycle Modeling Framework as a thinking tool to conceptualize integrated Digital engineering ecosystems. - Understand the DoD DE Strategy goals and their associated metrics in the INCOSE maturity guide. - Characterize types of engineering and project models and their application across the product lifecycle. - Generalize the challenges and techniques for developing, integrating and curating models. - Analyze approaches for using models to evaluate “digital threads” in a system. - Explain the advantages of having an ASOT. - Discuss the challenges of managing multiple sources of truth in a project. - Describe the elements and requirements for an idealized Digital Engineering Ecosystem. Data sharing models? - Evaluate current commercial DE ecosystem products. - Discuss the potential applications for AI/ML to enhance the value of DE. - Appreciate the IT requirements and challenges of establishing an integrated DE ecosystem across an enterprise. - Recognize the value of agile techniques to accelerate the digital transformation in an organization (DevSecOps). - Apply the INCOSE maturity metrics to evaluate the transformation state of your organization. - Discuss plans of action to lead and support digital transformation including workforce development requirements. Program/project managers, aerospace engineers, software engineers, systems engineers, system architects, analysts, data scientists, and graduate students from aerospace or any other discipline interested in learning how Digital Engineering technologies can improve how they architect, analyze, design, and manage complex systems. Type of Course: Instructor-Led Short Course Course Level: Fundamentals Course Length: 4 days AIAA CEU's available: Yes - The “Digital Trinity”—Lean-Agile, Open Architectures, Digital Engineering - Lifecycle Modeling Framework - Model-Based Systems Engineering - Ontologies, Languages and Frameworks - Developing and Curating Models - Authoritative Source of Truth (ASOT) - Digital Ecosystems - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning - IT Challenges - INCOSE Maturity Metrics The course will be instructed by one or more of the aerospace systems experts from Teaching Science and Technology Inc. (TSTI):Dr. Jerry Jon Sellers, is the author of Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics, and is a contributing author and editor of Applied Space Systems Engineering, author of the new chapter in ASSE on Applied Model-based Systems Engineering, as well as a contributing author of Human Spaceflight Analysis and Design. He has over 30 years of space systems experience including Guidance & On-board Navigation Officer in Space Shuttle Mission Control; Assistant Professor of Astronautics at the U.S. Air Force Academy; and Chief of Astronautics for the Air Force European Office of Aerospace Research & Development. He is an Associate Fellow at AIAA and the former Chairman of the AIAA Space Systems Technical Committee. He is an elected member of the International Academy of Astronautics and is a Certified Scaled-Agile Program Consultant. He is also an adjunct professor at Stevens Institute of Technology and certified Scaled-Agile Framework (SAFe) Program Consultant (SPC5). Jerry is an elected member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

What Is Digital Trust, and How Does it Enable Modern Digital Business? The sudden shift to digital that took place in 2020 was an unprecedented shock for many. Consumers and corporations alike had to navigate a new landscape in which years’ worth of technology transformation was compressed into mere months, and people had to learn new ways of working, shopping and engaging with one another. In the midst of all this change, the concept of digital trust gained newfound importance. Values and ethics have always been important in business. And the advent of legislation like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) evidenced that governments and citizens believed personal data protection to be a fundamental human right, even before the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Still, modern digital businesses that want to be perceived as honest, reliable and dependable must pay more attention to cybersecurity than ever before. To build trusting relationships with their customers, they’ll need to establish the right technology foundation – one that can enforce security and identity policies without introducing friction. And they’ll need to keep in mind that digital trust is now a critical business enabler that can foster lasting customer loyalty. What is Digital Trust? Digital trust refers to the level of confidence that customers, employees, other stakeholders or members of the general public have in an organisation’s ability to protect its information assets and technology resources. In today’s world, maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and availability of IT systems is a fundamental business obligation, and an organisation’s ability to achieve this imperative is seen as a reflection of its core values. As digital experiences become increasingly important to customers’ relationships with brands, organisations must put people, processes and technologies in place to mitigate cybersecurity risk. At the same time, they need to consistently deliver digital experiences that delight customers, give them frictionless access to the right services and resources at the right time, and treat them as valued individuals through personalisation and customisation. In general, to win and retain digital trust, technology ecosystems must be: - highly secure - responsibly managed Why Digital Trust Matters Whenever a customer chooses to buy a company’s digital product, they’re expressing trust in that business. From this perspective, every online purchase is an act of digital trust. Conversely, if research, prior experience or brand reputation leads someone to believe that a digital business is unreliable, they’ll go elsewhere. The more digital trust a company can build, the more users it will be able to attract. Recent research has shown that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can boost lifetime customer value by as much as 76%. Individual consumer purchasing decisions are directly correlated to digital trust. Three out of four US consumers say they’re unlikely to ever make a purchase from a digital brand they don’t trust, and 47% of Americans report that they’d permanently stop using a company’s services if they learned that a breach or misuse of their data had taken place. On a national and even global scale, digital trust supports and enables economic growth. As the world economy grows increasingly dependent upon always-on connectivity, data exchange and technological innovation, digital trust is increasingly becoming a fundamental part of doing business. As the digital business ecosystem continues to grow, an organisation’s ability to cultivate digital trust will become increasingly vital to its success. This is why, according to predictions made by IDC Research, more than a third of organisations will have replaced Net Promoter Scores and similar metrics with digital trust indices by 2025. Over the next few years, customers and markets will demand a unified approach to measuring trust and will begin to employ quantitative metrics to assess things like security, privacy, compliance and customer experience. The downstream impact of this mounting emphasis on digital trust will be a stronger organisational focus on cybersecurity and privacy. Increasingly, cyber risk mitigation and data protection will be viewed as essential guarantors of customer experience. To avoid excessive – and potentially devastating – risks in a volatile and uncertain future that will demand business agility at every turn, decision-makers will need to incorporate cybersecurity strategies into the heart of every digital transformation initiative that their organisations undertake. Building a Digital Trust Strategy In any trusting relationship, both parties know that they can rely on the other to treat them — and any sensitive information they choose to disclose — ethically and with respect. If a business is to earn and retain the digital trust of its customers, it must give them confidence in the reliability of its technology systems and the services it delivers. It also must provide them with ongoing value, without introducing frustration or wasting their time. In the digital world, this requires the right technology foundation. Modernising identity management makes it possible for users to access resources quickly and efficiently while also incorporating next-generation security controls that protect sensitive data and prevent identity theft. Great user experience drives trust: when customers can access all of your digital properties smoothly and seamlessly from the device of their choice, enjoying a consistent experience everywhere, they’ll perceive your business to be reliable and consistent. Organisations that implement single sign-on capabilities across their digital ecosystems so that users can access every portal and application with one set of credentials – or, in the case of passwordless authentication, with none at all – facilitate ease and convenience. This leaves customers with the lasting impression that their time is valued. Taking advantage of an adaptive multi-factor authentication solution lets an organisation protect its customers’ identity information by enforcing risk-based policies that require additional verification factors only when users’ needs and the particular situation warrant it. This way, security requirements can flex to keep pace with contextual risk levels. Prompting customers to supply an added layer of authentication before high-risk transactions or unusual activities allows them to feel secure without introducing friction where it’s unnecessary. Here’s how a secure Customer Identity & Access Management (CIAM) solution like Okta’s can make the user experiences that your organisation delivers stand out from competitors’. - Focus on UX - Take users swiftly to what they want. A CIAM solution streamlines the digital experience to enable quick, simple login and minimal data input. - Build next-level security into your systems - Cultivate trust and prevent identity theft with security controls that add minimal friction, such as multi-factor authentication. - Personalise the experience - Unify your identity data to create a single source of truth for every customer, helping you deliver personalised experiences that drive loyalty and trust. - Automate privacy compliance - Keep on top of the most recent privacy requirements (GDPR, CCPA etc.) with an identity solution that automatically ensures consent is correctly requested, stored and updated. - Be consistent across devices - Create great omnichannel experiences that are consistent across all devices, platforms and even brands by tying individual profiles securely to users’ unique identities. When you build and deliver customer-centric digital experiences by integrating authorisation and identity management, you’ll protect your customers – and their data – and cultivate their trust. Want to know more about what it takes to build digital trust in today’s world? To explore the results of our survey of more than 12,000 consumers from the UK, Switzerland and seven EU countries, download our new report Identity: The Digital Trust Accelerator, and learn how organisations are winning the trust and loyalty of citizens and consumers. You can read some key insights from the report in this blog.

Our paper is a convenient and inexpensive material that has found its application in many areas of human activity. First of all, this type of paper is used as a packaging for variety of products. Durable and reliable paper bags and paper packaged goods can be seen in many stores. The sack paper is also used in manufacture of envelopes and other similar products. The assumption that the sack paper is used only as a packaging would be wrong. Firstly, such material is used for the manufacture of patterns at many sewing enterprises. Secondly, in folk craft, the durable paper is used in manufacture of various crafts, including children’s carnival costumes. Thirdly, the material is used for bookbinding. Fourthly, the sack paper has found application in electronics as an insulation. That is why, due to the vast scope of use, this material is always in demand and popular in the goods market. The sack paper is an environmentally friendly product. The main characteristics of the paper:

Certainly! Let’s go through the blog post outline step by step, including the keyword “how to run a Python script“: A. Briefly explain the importance of Python scripting in various fields – Introduce Python as a versatile and widely-used programming language, highlighting its significance in areas like web development, data analysis, automation, etc. B. Highlight the versatility and popularity of Python as a programming language – Mention Python’s growing popularity among developers due to its simplicity, readability, and vast community support. C. Introduce the purpose of the blog post: to help readers learn how to run Python scripts proficiently – Emphasize that the post will focus on teaching readers the essential skills to execute Python scripts effectively. II. Understanding Python Scripts A. What are Python scripts? – Define Python scripts as a series of instructions written in Python language, typically saved in a file with a .py extension. B. How Python scripts differ from regular Python programs – Explain that scripts are generally smaller, self-contained, and focused on specific tasks compared to larger Python applications. C. Advantages of using scripts for automation and repetitive tasks – Highlight the benefits of using scripts, such as saving time, reducing manual effort, and streamlining workflows. III. Setting Up the Python Environment A. Installing Python on different platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) – Provide step-by-step instructions for installing Python on different operating systems, making it accessible to all readers. B. Configuring the Python environment variables – Explain the significance of environment variables and how to set them up correctly to execute Python scripts smoothly. C. Selecting the right code editor or IDE for scripting – Introduce popular code editors and Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) suitable for writing and running Python scripts. IV. Writing Your First Python Script A. Basic syntax and structure of a Python script – Provide a simple explanation of Python syntax, including variables, loops, conditionals, and functions. B. Creating a simple “Hello, World!” script – Walk readers through the process of writing their first Python script that displays “Hello, World!” on the screen. C. Explaining variables, data types, and comments in scripts – Elaborate on the concept of variables, different data types, and the importance of comments in script readability. V. Running Python Scripts A. Command-line execution on different operating systems – Guide readers on running Python scripts through the command-line interface on various platforms. B. Using an integrated development environment (IDE) to run scripts – Demonstrate how to execute scripts directly from an IDE, catering to readers who prefer a graphical interface. C. Troubleshooting common issues during script execution – List and explain potential problems readers might encounter while running scripts and offer troubleshooting tips. VI. Working with External Libraries and Modules A. Overview of Python libraries and their significance – Introduce the concept of Python libraries and how they extend the functionality of scripts. B. Installing and importing external libraries for extended functionality – Walk readers through the process of installing and importing external libraries, using practical examples. C. Example: Using a library to manipulate images or process data – Showcase a real-world example of using an external library to perform a specific task, such as image manipulation or data processing. VII. Scripting Best Practices A. Following coding conventions for clean and readable scripts – Share coding best practices that make scripts more organized, readable, and maintainable. B. Using functions and classes for modular and organized scripts – Explain how functions and classes enhance script modularity and reusability. C. Error handling and debugging techniques – Teach readers how to handle errors and debug scripts effectively for a smoother scripting experience. VIII. Advanced Python Scripting Techniques A. Working with command-line arguments and user inputs – Introduce methods for accepting user inputs and command-line arguments to make scripts more interactive. B. Reading and writing files using scripts – Demonstrate how to read data from files, write data to files, and manipulate file content using Python scripts. C. Automating tasks with scheduled scripts using Cron or Task Scheduler – Show readers how to automate script execution using system schedulers like cron on Unix-based systems or Task Scheduler on Windows. IX. Real-world Use Cases A. Demonstrating practical examples of Python scripts in different domains (e.g., web scraping, data analysis, automation) – Present real-world use cases where Python scripts play a vital role in solving specific problems. B. How Python scripting streamlines workflows and saves time – Highlight the efficiency and time-saving aspects of Python scripting in various scenarios. C. Inspiring readers to explore creative applications of Python scripting – Encourage readers to think outside the box and explore unique ways to apply Python scripts to their interests or projects. A. Recap the key points covered in the blog post – Summarize the main concepts and skills readers have learned throughout the post. B. Encourage readers to continue learning and experimenting with Python scripts – Motivate readers to continue their Python scripting journey and explore more advanced topics. C. End with a call-to-action, inviting readers to share their experiences or ask questions in the comments section. – Prompt readers to engage with the post by leaving comments, sharing their Python script experiences, or seeking further guidance. This comprehensive outline will guide you in creating a valuable and informative blog post on running Python scripts effectively.

Introduction to Painting | Fall Throughout this course, students will explore art-making through the medium of paint. Our class time will include group demonstrations, individual instruction, work time, and class discussion. Students do not need any prior art experience. The class will start with the simple, foundational principles of shape and value. Course material will gradually build in complexity, ending with an emphasis on working from observation, creating dynamic compositions, and mixing colors. Students will practice thinking like artists—they will engage in the entire creative process, from generating ideas to making intentional decisions with each aspect of their work, and then reflecting on what they have made. Students will be encouraged to practice exercises taught in class and may need to work outside of class to complete projects. Along with hands-on studio work, students will participate in regular class critiques, creating a forum for the group to constructively collaborate and discuss creative outcomes. Individual artist statements will be required with most finished pieces of work, giving students another opportunity to articulate both their interpretive intent and their understanding of process and design concepts. Students can also expect ongoing dialogues about art in history, the Christian imagination in relationship to faith and the arts, and the role of the arts in the Church. The hope of the instructor is that, through engagement in the class, students will be brought to a deeper appreciation of the visual world and the creative love of its Maker. Placement: Please read about our new process above. Books and supplies are not included in the purchase of the course. Visit Dick Blick Art Supply for complete shopping list. Please note: it is okay to purchase other brands/variations of these materials. - Palette: Paint palettes come in several different styles. I recommend a glass palette as it is be the easiest to keep clean. You may also buy a wooden palette or a pad of disposable paper palettes. Your palette should be no smaller than 9″x12”.If you choose to purchase a glass palette, I would recommend also purchasing a razor scraper that can be used to scrape up dried paint. - Brushes: You will want a variety of long-handled oil/acrylic paint brushes. Look for “round,” “flat,” and “filbert” style brushes. You should have a few larger brushes (up to an inch wide) as well as a handful of smaller brushes. - **Paints: **You may use acrylic or oil paints for this class. If you choose to use oil paints, you will also need to buy medium. I recommend Gamsol Oil. - Titanium White (at least 150ml) - Yellow Ochre (at least 37ml) - Cadmium Yellow (at least 37ml) - Cadmium Red (at least 37ml) - Alizarin Crimson (at least 37ml) - Ultramarine Blue (at least 37ml) - Burnt Umber (at least 37ml) - Ivory Black (at least 37ml) - Blue painter’s tape - At least one palette knife - A small glass jar with a lid - Pad of 9″x12” Bristol Board - Pad of 12″x16” Canvas Paper Samuel Walter received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Haverford College, and a M.M. and M.M.A. from the Yale School of Music. During his time at Yale University Samuel established himself in New Haven as a commissioned portrait and still-life artist. He has been awarded in numerous international and national competitions including the 2022 ARC International Salon competition, the 2022 Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition and the 2021 Portrait Society of America’s Future Generation award. He has also been featured in the International Artist Magazine, The Art of The Portrait Magazine, and the American Art Collector Magazine. Samuel has received portrait commissions from presidents, professors and administration at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Swarthmore College, Haverford College, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. In his portraiture, Samuel tries to emphasize that all are created in the image of God. Samuel is also a passionate teacher and has provided both art and music instruction for nearly a decade. Teaching art is a wonderful way to open students’ eyes to the beauty of God’s creation all around them: to notice beautiful colors, shapes, lighting and compositions. Art can be an act of worship in which we appreciate what God has created, and imitate Him, the great Artist and Creator. firstname.lastname@example.org Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities. High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here. Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom: - Visit zoom.us/download. - Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings. - Open and run the installer on your computer. - In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class. Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it. Explore our courses! First, read the available course descriptions, noting prerequisites, target grades, and course objectives. If you think your student is prepared for the course, go ahead and register. After registration, a placement assessment may be provided to students, depending on the course and the student’s previous enrollment with Scholé Academy. Registration is finalized when the student’s placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation. Read the Student-Parent Handbook. Please take careful note of our teaching philosophy, our technology requirements, our school policies, the parent agreement, and the distinctions between our grade levels. Double-check the course section dates and times. Make sure they don't conflict with other activities in your schedule or other courses you are purchasing. Our system will not catch double-bookings! You're ready to add course selections to your cart! Our Assistant to the Principal will be in touch with you after your enrollment to help you with next steps, including any placement evaluations that may be required for your course selections. This registration will be finalized when the student's placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.

Population Health is the study of factors that affect the wellbeing of entire populations. Population Health addresses health outcomes that affect a particular population. One important aim is to reduce health inequities or disparities among different population groups, which are in part due to factors such as housing, environment, and income. These are just some of the determinants of health. If making a difference is something you are passionate about, Population Health could be for you. Population Health prepares students with the theory and skills to successfully analyse the factors that contribute to a population’s health and wellbeing. Staff within the School of Population Health bring a range of skills and experiences to the subject. The School of Population Health is currently based on Tāmaki campus, but will be relocating to Grafton by 2020. Where can Population Health take you? Population health is a relatively new and exciting field of health care. It offers a variety of roles. Graduates who have studied Population Health may find themselves working in health promotion, mental health and addictions, nutrition and dietetics, health systems, health information and analysis or research. You can find yourself working for local or national government, community organisations, private organisations or NGOs. The opportunities are plentiful, and so are the rewards of making a difference.

In Washington, the age of consent for participation in sexual activity is 16 years old. Children under the age of 16 cannot give legal consent to sexual activity. Even if they appear to agree to have sex, by law, they cannot give consent. Once an individual reaches the age of 16, they can legally consent to sexual activity with a peer or an adult who is 18 or older. There are several exceptions to this rule, discussed below. Washington’s age of consent laws are pertinent to both heterosexual and homosexual activity. According to Washington law, “consent” means that at the time of sexual intercourse or sexual contact, actual words or conduct indicate a freely given agreement to have sexual intercourse or sexual contact. What Are the Exceptions to the Age of Consent Rule in Washington? There are several exceptions where 16-year-olds cannot consent to sexual activity. These are as follows: - When sexual activity occurs between a foster parent and a foster child, if this type of sexual activity occurs, the age of consent is bumped up to 18. Thus, a foster child would have to be 18 to avoid the foster parent violating the age of consent law. - When sexual activity occurs between a teacher (or school administration employee) and a student, in this case, the Supreme Court of the state of Washington has ruled that this law applies regarding students up to the age of 21. Therefore, a teacher who engages in sexual activity with a student under 21 violates this law. - When sexual activity occurs between two parties with a “significant relationship,” the older person is at least 60 months (5 years) older than the younger person, and the older person abuses the relationship to bring about the sexual activity. In a “significant relationship,” the older person is someone who: - Takes the responsibility, as a professional or as a volunteer, for providing education, health, welfare, or recreational activities for minors; - As part of their job, they supervise minors; and - As part of their job, they care for the elderly and vulnerable. What Is the “Close in Age” Exemption? Many states have laws allowing minors to consent to sexual activity with a person who is close in age to them, although they are below the age of consent. These laws are often referred to as “Romeo and Juliet” laws, which state that if one partner to the sexual activity is below the age of consent, but the partners are quite close in age, an exception is made to the law. Washington does not have a “Romeo and Juliet” law, so it is unlawful for someone under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity with someone even slightly older. For example, if one person who is two months shy of 16 engages in sexual activity with someone who has been 16 for two months, this technically violates the law. There is one exception to this. The parties, if close in age, may lawfully engage in sexual activity if they are married. In Washington, generally, you must be at least 17 years old to get married – 18 years old without parental consent – but minors younger than 17 can get married by petitioning a court for “special circumstances.” While the statute does not say what these “special circumstances” are, typically, they include pregnancy or childbirth. Under the consent-by-marriage laws, if - The younger person is older than 14 but younger than 16 (i.e., 15 years old); they may lawfully engage in sexual activity with their spouse if the spouse is less than 48 months older. - The younger person is older than 12 but younger than 14 (i.e., 13 years old); they may lawfully engage in sexual activity with their spouse if the spouse is less than 36 months older. - The younger person is younger than 12, and they may lawfully engage in sexual activity with their spouse, as long as the spouse is less than 24 months older. As you can see from above, one requirement for the close-in-age exemption is that the individuals involved are married. If you are not legally married to the youth and engage in sexual activity, you will not be protected by any close-in-age exemption. What Are Washington’s Penalties for Violating the Age of Consent? There are severe penalties for those who violate Washington’s age of consent laws. Several crimes can be charged, all of which are, or can be charged as, felonies (that is, crimes for which the minimum punishment is one year in jail or prison). In addition to prison time, a felony conviction can result in loss of: - Voting rights - The ability to serve on a jury - Child custody and visitation - Public benefits access, such as food stamps - Retaining or renewing professional licenses - Eligibility to obtain federal student loans - The ability to purchase or own firearms In addition, the defendant may be required to register as a sex offender, often for the rest of their life. Those under the age of 16 are children of the law. If they have engaged in sexual activity with someone not their spouse and does not meet the close age requirement, the older person is guilty of “rape of a child.” Serious jail time and monetary fines are the penalties for these crimes. Someone with inappropriate sex with a minor can be charged with “child molestation.” There are three degrees of severity for child molestation. Punishments can range from 5 years to life in prison and a fine of $10,000 to $50,000. Each degree of severity is classified as a felony, which means a successful conviction can result in lifelong changes. There are also three degrees of “rape of a child,” which can result in prison time from a minimum of 5 years up to life in prison and a fine of $10,000 to $50,000. In these situations, both first and second-degree rape of a child is considered a class A felony and have similar levels of punishment. The difference between first and second degree is the circumstances of the crime. Finally, there is “sexual misconduct with a minor,” which is either a low-grade felony or a gross misdemeanor. It can be punished by 1 to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 to $10,000 fine. The severity of the charge is not always easy to determine before the prosecutor formally charges the defendant. Once the exact charge is known, predicting what sort of penalty or punishment may be faced becomes possible. Should I Consult an Attorney If I Violated the Age of Consent in Washington State? If you have been accused of statutory rape (i.e., inappropriate sex with a minor) or if you or your child are a victim of a violation of the laws as described above, a criminal defense attorney may be able to assist you. An experienced Washington criminal defense lawyer can help you either to deal with the charges you are facing or seek a legal remedy for the abuse you or your child has suffered.

Sprawling cities like Las Vegas must rein in unchecked growth and promote infill development and more sustainable transportation modes. Cities like Las Vegas were largely built around the automobile in the optimistic mid-century era of massive urban expansion and highway construction. But according to an opinion piece by Linda Stout, “The solution to Las Vegas’ growing pains are sustainable urban planning and rapid decarbonization, not more suburbs and parking lots. In the age of climate change, our best options are smart growth and infill development.” Stout argues that the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (SNEDCA), which state legislators passed last year and which could extend urban growth boundaries and encourage more single-family home construction, “reinforces patterns of car dependence and sprawl, jeopardizing Nevada’s mandated climate goals to reduce emissions 28% below 2005 levels by 2025, 45% by 2030, and net zero by 2050.” Stout points out that the increasingly frequent climate disasters facing Nevada “do not impact communities equally,” aggravating public health threats in some of the most vulnerable communities. “People impacted most by discriminatory housing practices often have the fewest resources to deal with heatwaves.” To reverse decades of sprawl, reduce emissions, and save money, Nevada needs zoning regulations and public infrastructure investments that favor high density and mixed use land development along with well designed public transit. To promote more sustainable and equitable development, Stout suggests prioritizing infill development and “phasing out high emission vehicles and incentivizing a rapid deployment of energy efficient public transit, trucking, and light rail.” Indiana Once Again Considering Ban on Dedicated Transit Lanes The proposed legislation would impact the construction of planned IndyGo Blue Line, the third phase of the city’s bus rapid transit system. 4 Ways to Use AI in Urban Planning and City Design With the ability to predict trends, engage citizens, enhance resource allocation, and guide decision-making, artificial intelligence has the potential to serve as planners’ very own multi-tool. LA’s ‘Spongy’ Infrastructure Captured Almost 9 Billion Gallons of Water The city is turning away from stormwater management practices that shuttle water to the ocean, building infrastructure that collects and directs it underground instead. The History of Racial Zoning and Housing Discrimination in the US More than a century of discriminatory housing policy divided cities and contributed to the racial wealth gap and other social and economic inequities. Opinion: Resort Towns Must Take Action to Keep Housing Affordable The workers that keep many popular tourist destinations running find it more difficult to find affordable housing near their jobs as more remote workers move to scenic resort areas. Commentary: San Antonio Needs ‘Thoughtful Reforms’ to Improve Affordability The growing Texas city needs a new approach to meet its residents’ housing and mobility needs. City of Grand Forks, North Dakota HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research Harvard GSD Executive Education City of Laramie, Wyoming Colorado Department of Local Affairs Lassen County Planning and Building Services This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Guidelines For Attending Virtual Class For A Child Who Is New To School Virtual class for a child age group between 2.5 years to 5 years is quite a challenging task for both the parents and children. Focus, attention, discipline and grasping are the main areas where the children start developing in physical class. Although it is time to start a new academic year, the current pandemic situation has not subsided and it appears virtual classes are the way to begin this year too. Parents support are very critical and mandatory for the new entrees as these children begin the journey of schooling virtually. As mentioned below, a few areas must be taken care. They are: • Firstly explain the reason to dear ones why virtual class instead of physical class. Explain the impacts of covid -19 to the child and make the child understand. • Support your ward whole heartedly. • Ensure the child takes bath and is dressed properly in comfortable clothes before class begins. • Ensure the child eats enough food before the session starts in order avoid cranky mood. • Try setting up a study environment by providing table, chair, books and stationary. Remove toys and other favorite items from the study table during the class hours. • Allow the child to play freely either indoor or outdoor before the class begins according to the child’s choice. This technique may induce the child’s mood to focus in the class. • Counsel the child to do the daily assignments given from school. Let’s do our best to make virtual schooling as exciting as possible to our little ones by engaging enthusiastically with them and creating a fun-loving learning atmosphere at home.

If you’re looking for a natural way to improve your mood, consider adding some indoor plants to your home. Studies have shown that indoor plants can have a positive impact on mental health, and can even help fight depression. Our guide today is Michelle Wilde, the expert in indoor plants from “The Indoor Plants Channel”. Here are five benefits of indoor plants that may surprise you. “I think that if more people had plants in their homes, they would be happier. They would feel more connected to nature, and they would have something living and growing that they could take care of.” -Dr. Andrew Weil Depression is a serious mental health condition that can negatively impact every aspect of a person’s life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression affects more than 16.1 million adults in the United States alone. While there are many different treatment options available for depression, one simple and natural option is to add some indoor plants to your home or office space. 5 Benefits Of Indoor Plants For Fighting Depression Here are five benefits of indoor plants for fighting depression: 1. Boost your mood Studies have shown that being around plants can improve your mood and reduce stress levels. One such study, conducted by the University of Washington, found that office workers who had plants in their cubicles reported higher levels of satisfaction with their work environment and felt less stressed than those who did not have plants. 2. Improve your focus and concentration. If you’re struggling to focus or concentrate due to depression, indoor plants can help. One study, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, found that students who studied in a room with plants had better attention spans and were better able to recall information than those who studied in a room without plants. 3. Increase your sense of well-being. Having indoor plants can increase your sense of well-being and make you feel more connected to nature. One study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, found that people who had plants in their homes felt more connected to nature and had a greater sense of well-being than those who did not have plants. 4. Improve your sleep quality. If you’re struggling with insomnia or poor sleep quality due to depression, indoor plants can help. One study, published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, found that people who slept in a room with plants had better sleep quality than those who did not have plants in their room. 5. Purify the air. Indoor plants can also help to purify the air in your home or office, which can improve your respiratory health and reduce your risk of respiratory infections. One study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that indoor plants were able to remove up to 87% of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. So, if you’re struggling with depression, consider adding some indoor plants to your home or office space. Not only can they boost your mood and improve your focus and concentration, but they can also increase your sense of well-being, purify the air, and improve your sleep quality. - Place the plant in your bedroom to help you sleep better. - Put the plant in your living room to help you relax. - Put the plant in your kitchen to help you cook more healthy meals. - Take the plant with you when you go to work to help you stay focused. - Give the plant to a friend who is struggling with depression. - Get a plant that is easy to care for and does not require a lot of maintenance. - Place your plants in an area of your home where you will see them often. - Take some time each day to care for your plants, such as watering them or simply admiring them. - Choose plants that have a calming effect, such as lavender or chamomile. - Remember that plants can be a great addition to your other depression treatments, such as therapy or medication. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of indoor plants for fighting depression? There are many benefits to having indoor plants when battling depression. Plants can help to improve air quality, they can boost your mood, and they can provide you with a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, indoor plants can help to reduce stress levels and can provide you with a sense of peace and relaxation. How do indoor plants improve air quality? Indoor plants act as natural air purifiers. They help to remove toxins and pollutants from the air, which can improve your overall health and well-being. Additionally, plants help to increase the amount of oxygen in the air, which can also improve your health. How do indoor plants boost your mood? Indoor plants can boost your mood in a number of ways. First, they can provide you with a sense of accomplishment. When you take care of a plant and it thrives, it can give you a sense of pride. Additionally, plants can help to reduce stress levels and can provide you with a sense of peace and relaxation. Finally, simply being around plants can boost your mood. Studies have shown that being around nature can help to improve your mood and mental well-being. What are some of the best indoor plants for fighting depression? Some of the best indoor plants for fighting depression include aloe vera, snake plants, and spider plants. These plants are known for their ability to improve air quality, boost moods, and reduce stress levels. Additionally, these plants are easy to care for, which can give you a sense of accomplishment. How do I care for indoor plants? Caring for indoor plants is relatively easy. Most plants only require watering once a week and occasional fertilizing. Additionally, it is important to place your plants in an area that receives enough sunlight. If you’re looking for a natural way to boost your mood and fight depression, consider adding some indoor plants to your home. Not only are they beautiful and relaxing to look at, but they can also help purify the air and improve your mental health. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and buy yourself some indoor plants!

The story behind these iconic buildings in Scotland Sometimes, we just need to reinvent ourselves. This could be in the form of a new wardrobe, a dramatic haircut, or even an entirely new lifestyle choice. The same can be said for buildings too! There are so many buildings in Scotland that have stood tall for centuries, so it’s hardly surprising that some of them have supported various different uses over the years. What might surprise you is just what those uses have been. In this article, we’re exploring iconic Scottish buildings to uncover their original purpose compared to their current use. St Andrews in the Square This category-A listed building in Glasgow was originally built as a place of worship. The 18th century former church was built around 1754 and maintained its original purpose as a church up until 1990. But rising costs for its maintenance saw the building sold to the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust for £1 in 1993. The building needed a new lease of life, one that would not threaten the need to preserve it for future generations. Now, it is Glasgow’s leading performing arts centre, hosting facilities such as a café, toilets, and dressing rooms. It was reopened with its new purpose as a centre for Scottish culture on St Andrew’s Day in 2000. St Andrews in the Square is also a popular choice of venue for weddings, events, concerts, formal dinners, awards ceremonies, and parties thanks to its gorgeous architecture steeped in history, as well as its 250 guest capacity. Cairn Hotel Edinburgh The building now used by this Edinburgh Hotel near Waverley Station was designed in 1822 by William H. Playfair. You may recognise Playfair’s name, as he also designed the stunning National Monument in the capital city, as well as the National Gallery. The hotel, as well as other buildings along Windsor Street, were built originally to serve as private townhouses. Playfair designed the street to form part of his Eastern New Town scheme, and so the Cairn Hotel Edinburgh is a great example of one of the few domestic commissions done by the leading 19th century Scottish architects. The hotel has a number of features that were classic hallmarks of Playfair’s townhouses, including a wrought iron balcony designed with a trellis pattern and Greek key border, and distinctive railings. In fact, Playfair himself was a primary driving force behind the Greek Revival in Edinburgh during his time, with his work earning Edinburgh the reputation of being the ‘Athens in the North’! Standing at the top of Byres Road in Glasgow, you’d be hard pressed to miss the Òran Mór (which is Gaelic for “big song”, for those wondering). With its brightly-lit neon hoop suspended around the former church’s spire, and equally colourfully-lit windows, this one really is a unique whisky bar and events venue. Originally built in 1862, the church was created from a need to supply the residents with a local place of worship. A notable feature of the church building is the 11 carved heads that decorated the arches of the main hall of the church, now the auditorium of the Òran Mór. Each head represents a prominent figure of the church. Now, those heads watch over performances, gigs, weddings, club nights, and patrons at the whisky bar and restaurant. The venue is particularly noted for its wide range of whiskies on offer, with over 280 malts to choose from. Locals may remember when the Timberyard restaurant in Edinburgh was used as a site for Lawson’s Timber. But that wasn’t how life started for this warehouse building. In fact, the brick warehouse started out in the 19th century as a props and costume store! Timberyard also has a space separate from the main restaurant, called ‘The Shed’. This bare brick outhouse has a wood burning stove (of course) and now caters for up to 10 guests. With chopped logs featuring in the décor, the name and appearance heavily nods to the site’s most recent use, and less so to its origins. As for the food, this one is certainly as intricate and unique as the building’s history, with fresh, foraged ingredients on offer. The Timberyard also grows its own herbs and ingredients, as well as filtering and bottling its own water. With so many old buildings often falling into disuse, should we see more of these types of structures being reused for modern purposes? A new lease of life would add to the rich history of such structures after all.

A Star Is Born Christmas Curriculum - This Christmas, Follow the Star! The Wise Men followed a star to find the baby Jesus. But they knew, the true star was Jesus himself – the Son of God who came to bring us light and life. Kids will study 4 Bible lessons about the Christmas story in these 4 lessons leading up to Christmas. They will learn about the prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah, all the way to the story of Simeon who had been promised that he would live to see the Messiah born. A Star Is Born Christmas Lessons Overview: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 (NIV) Darkest Night – Thousands of years ago, Isaiah described the coming Messiah as a great light for the people walking in darkness. That light – that star – would be Jesus, the Son of God. Isaiah 9:2-7, For To Us A Child Is Born Shining Bright – From the start, the light of Jesus shone so bright. Elizabeth’s baby leapt for joy when Elizabeth met with Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus. Even then, some were able to recognize that Jesus was the light of the world. Luke 1:39-48, Mary Visits Elizabeth Beautiful Light – A star in the sky drew the Wise Men to the tiny town of Bethlehem where they found baby Jesus. Today, the Holy Spirit draws us to the light of Jesus. Matthew 2:1-12, The Wise Men Visit Jesus Wonderful Sight – Simeon and Anna beheld a wondrous sight when baby Jesus was brought to the temple to be dedicated. They recognized that Jesus was the light that would shine for all people – Jews and Gentiles. Luke 2:21-40, Jesus Presented in the Temple About This Curriculum: - Perfect for kids ages 6-12 - Includes large group and small group resources - This curriculum is an instant download - Download a free sample here - Download the FREE Christmas Program here Each Lesson Includes: - Make It Stick! Parent Sheet - so you can let mom and dad know what kids are learning each week and look like a rockstar teacher who's thought of everything. - Memory Verse - so that you can make sure kids are getting Scripture in their minds and hearts every single week and you can feel like each lesson was a success even when it seems like 90% of your lesson time is spent saying things like "calm down", "let's be quiet", "hands to yourself!" - Skit or Puppet Show - so you have a way to easily connect the lesson with your hands-on and visual learners. No drama team? No problem! Just hand the script to the kids. They'll have a blast and think you're the coolest. - Craft Activity - so you can give kids a physical reminder of the Bible lesson (and give yourself an activity to keep them busy until mom and dad come back!) - Game - so kids don't leave and say church was BORING! Games are so important to help keep kids engaged. Our large group games always include a "What's The Point" section to help you connect the game to the lesson. - Large Group Lesson - so you can present the Bible story in a clear and fun way, which means now you can enjoy Saturday nights instead of stressing over putting a lesson together! - Small-Group Discussion - so you can find out who was paying attention and who was talking to their neighbor. Just kidding, this is a great way for you to build deeper relationships with your kiddos after each lesson, which means you're going to care about them so much you'll cry like a baby when they graduate and go to middle school :( Guaranteed to Be Awesome! 100% Money Back Guarantee. Our Children's Ministry curriculum is guaranteed to be awesome. If you don't absolutely love this curriculum, just let us know within 30 days and we'll give you a full refund, and a big hug. No questions asked. Be sure to check out our Christmas Worship Songs for Kids Playlist on Spotify! Payment & Security Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.

St. Michael's Mount A captivating tidal island and historic landmark located just off the southwest coast of Cornwall. This iconic site is renowned for its stunning castle, picturesque gardens, and a rich history that dates back centuries. The island's history is deeply intertwined with legends, religious significance, and a remarkable blend of natural beauty and human heritage. The history of St. Michael's Mount can be traced back to ancient times, with evidence of human habitation dating as far back as the Bronze Age. However, it gained significant historical and religious importance during the medieval period. The island was dedicated to St. Michael, the patron saint of fishermen, and a chapel was built on its summit in the 12th century. The medieval priory that surrounded the chapel played a crucial role in the island's spiritual life. In the 17th century, during the English Civil War, St. Michael's Mount was transformed into a formidable fortress by the St. Aubyn family, who acquired the island in the 17th century and have continued to maintain it for generations. The St. Aubyns still reside on the island today, maintaining their ancestral connections and ensuring the preservation of this historic site. Visiting St. Michael's Mount is a unique experience, as it can be reached on foot during low tide or by boat when the causeway is covered by the sea. The castle and gardens are open to the public, offering a glimpse into the island's storied past and its breathtaking natural surroundings. Visitors can explore the medieval castle, stroll through the lush terraced gardens, and take in panoramic views of the Cornish coastline. The site is co-managed by the National Trust, who woks closely with the St. Aubyn family to maintain and protect the island's historical and environmental assets. Tickets need to be purchased in advance, either online through the official St. Michael's Mount website or on-site at the island's ticket office. It is advisable to check the opening times and tide times in advance, as accessibility to the island depends on the tides. During low tide, visitors can walk across the causeway from the mainland, while during high tide, a short boat ride is necessary.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for a more just and equitable society included a fundamental opposition to the death penalty. To Dr. King, capital punishment was both wrong as a matter of morality and misguided as a matter of policy. In 1958, Dr. King led a prayer pilgrimage to Montgomery to protest the State of Alabama’s execution of Jeremiah Reeves, a Black 16-year-old accused of raping a white woman and sentenced to death by an all-white jury. On the steps of the state capital, Dr. King called the execution a “tragic and unsavory injustice” and pointed out “the severity and inequality” of the death penalty, exemplified by the killing of Jeremiah Reeves. “Full grown white men committing comparable crimes against Negro girls are rarely ever punished, and are never given the death penalty or even a life sentence,” he said. But Jeremiah Reeves, “who was little more than a child when he was first arrested, died in the electric chair.” Dr. King’s commitment to ending the death penalty was maintained by his widow and family. The late Coretta Scott King—whose husband and mother-in-law both were assassinated—spoke out against the practice. “An evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation,” she proclaimed. “Justice is never advanced in the taking of a human life. Morality is never upheld by a legalized murder.” Public support for the death penalty is now at its lowest level in a half-century, with opposition higher than any time since 1966, as more Americans—from police officers to family members of murder victims—recognize that executing people does not make us safer. Instead, as Dr. King put it, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.” But many states persist in seeking death sentences, including Alabama, which has scheduled the execution of Matthew Reeves, a Black man suffering from intellectual disability, on January 27.

Well being technology refers to any new professional medical training that improves the health of individuals, neighborhoods as well as the united states by and large. Health and fitness technology entails numerous types of routines that lead to boosting health insurance and the introduction of medical research, such as prescription design, biotechnology, medical surgical technological innovation, pc sciences, general population health and epidemiology. Scientific innovations have dramatically increased the level of existence for many people in various regions. If you have any questions relating to where and exactly how to utilize Health technology, you could call us at the web page. The advancements in health technological innovation are consistently enhancing the answer to either persistent and extreme disorders along with their preventing and management. Considering the variety of medical health and troubles troubles developing each day, the opportunity to offer effective, risk-free and expense-powerful medical expert services has changed into a priority for many countries on earth. Well being modern technology means implementation of technological and technical awareness to increase the standard of existence for men and women, the, loved ones and organizations land by and large. Manufacturing innovations in health and wellbeing engineering have brought about tremendous rewards for those of western world, and also for patients as well as their caregivers. The aim of this article is to supply an overview of health and fitness technology and the assessment from the circumstance of an moral framework. The key focus of this article is to give a review of the major aspects regulating selecting health related solutions and the approaches designed to review them in accordance with various important stakeholders, as well as medical providers,nations and payers, and shoppers. The review of health related technology is taken on for many people causes, such as enhancing general health and cutting down health-related costs. Health care engineering is frequently viewed as a significant vehicle driver of economical analysis simply because it leads to financial growth. As more medical establishments are made, the requirement of medical care staff also springs up. This has brought about an increase in demand for skilled health and wellbeing technologists, together with other pros involved in the management of these medical facilities. At the same time, the introduction of new wellness solutions demands a detailed decide to study the possible potential risks and gains of introducing new modern technology in the training. There are numerous critical stakeholders which might be essential to give some thought to when making an assessment and possibility operations strategy for launching new systems to the practice. These stakeholders incorporate other folks, administrators, payers and services working in the means of giving health care. In this framework we discover 3 motorists of picking health and fitness systems, every featuring its own personal number of rewards and repercussions. These drivers include the time horizon, the effects on costs plus the educate decision-doing about whether or not to embrace new technologies. The first person, the moment horizon, signifies the time horizon required to obtain the anticipated benefits from implementing a different modern technology. Well being modern technology analysis in this time horizon means assessing the effect on fees and the standard of proper care within the interval considered, and assessing the effects on the economic system. While the affect on charges and the caliber of attention may look comparatively quick-expression within the encounter of long term costs if no supplemental funding is offered, the effect around the financial state as a whole usually takes more time to generally be believed and may inevitably use a greater long-term influence over the overall economy all together. The 2nd driver, the influence on costs, either can create a discounts or lessen the expenses at this time seen by the system. There are plenty of forms of computerized wellness technological innovations that have the possibility to develop substantial saving money. Some are fundamentally less expensive than legacy technologies, including X-Ray units and mammography. Other solutions may possibly present much more access and better features for a lower number of affected individuals. One example associated with a electronic digital engineering which has been formerly evaluated due to the effects on the economic climate features Entertaining Electric Well being Documents (IER), which was made to allow for health professionals to electronically obtain health files that happen to be utilised all over numerous places. Other potential these include steer make contact with computer printers, including people that are employed in retail stores, to deliver simpler usage of info for people. Your third vehicle driver, the effects on the financial system, is related resource site to the sort of systems becoming selected. Generally, medical professionals have trusted document-established programs on the subject of taking care of their patient’s health care documents. Even so, these days there are computerized wellness technology that enable for those storage area and access of electrical healthcare records, such as electric patient billing and CPOE. These modern different types of techniques have the potential to eliminate expenses associated with pieces of paper-dependent health-related resource site documentation when escalating work productivity and decreasing the involved expenses associated with maintaining the information. In talking over these three drivers, one of the biggest issues has actually been the possibility enviromentally friendly effect associated with a number of the new technologies. Mr. higman says that the matter over the environmental difficulties is essentially mainly because of the improved application of digital payments. Now, most health related companies are needed to keep the genuine duplicates of the records which are created by technologies. This lowers a chance to ensure that all sufferer details complies with authorized needs. Mr. higman notices how the worry while using probable green effect of the latest technology is absolutely not frequently appropriately dealt with by medical care companies, simply because they commonly only take advantage of the most advanced variants of existing technology. If you loved this short article and you would like to obtain a lot more information regarding Health technology kindly stop by the webpage.

We’ve all heard the complaints about American food: it’s bland, overly processed, and full of sugar. Fruits are often devoid of flavor, and bread is laden with food coloring. Meat, too, often shrinks in the pan. One of the biggest debates in the food industry today is about the ‘authenticity’ of American food. Many people argue that there is no authentic Chinese food or barbecue, but there are hundreds of varieties of these dishes. The ‘authentic’ part is irrelevant since a restaurant can serve the same word in several ways. While the concept of American food may seem to be inherently unremarkable, it does have some appeal to the culinary world. For example, immigrant communities often offer cheaper versions of exotic world cuisines. These are often better than the mainstream American food culture, which tends to repress more authentic flavors to satisfy American taste buds. It should also be noted that food cultures change over time. New immigrants, agricultural techniques, and fashion trends influence our eating. One example is chicken tikka masala. While it is based on a Hunanese dish, it has been Americanized in its cooking. The ‘authentic’ aspect of food is preparing it without removing the interesting stuff or making it taste bland. This means that it may be entirely off the original “recipe” or wildly different from the one created by millions of other grandmothers. For these reasons, it is essential to remember that authenticity is subjective and, in the end, is often irrelevant. American food’s authenticity depends on the historical context in which it is created. Many Americans have been remaking nostalgic dishes for decades to achieve historical authenticity. However, there are several ways to determine the authenticity of the food. In many cases, it is essential to consider the contextualization of a recipe. This way, you can decide whether or not it is historically accurate and how authentic it is. In the 1970s, food in the U.S. was not the food of the affluent. Instead, it was the food of the working and poor. Although some foods were vilified in the 1950s, today’s foods are not as bad as they were at that time. Many foods were developed by colonists, settlers, and immigrants from other countries. These ingredients often played a significant role in American foodways, but native Americans also used them. Across the world, the taste of American food is terrible for non-Americans. This perception comes from the common conception that American cuisine consists of McDonald’s, Burger King, or KFC. Some may even believe that Americans eat hamburgers every day. But American food is not limited to fast-food chains; it also includes authentic Chinese fare like General Tso’s chicken or Lo Mein. It is not cheap, greasy, or served with a sweet sauce. There are several reasons why Americans think that the taste of American food is terrible. Many complain that fruits lack flavor, bread is often laced with sugar, meat is dry and shrinks in the pan, and processed foods are everywhere. The quality of American food was not such a problem during the 19th century when Europeans first visited the United States. Expiration dates on American food are often misunderstood, even though they are necessary for food safety. A study by Hall-Phillips and Shah found that ten percent of respondents believed consuming food after its minimum durability was unhealthy. Despite the widespread misinformation, many people still throw out food close to the expiration date. Several government agencies are considering changes to food labeling to combat the widespread misunderstanding of expiration dates. The National Resources Defense Council and the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic have recommended a difference in using these dates. The groups propose replacing them with “best before” and “use by” dates. These new phrases are often based on scientific testing and surveys of consumers. The expiration date is important to consumers for a variety of reasons. Among them is the safety of the food and the risk of bacterial contamination. For example, the expiration date of deli meat can help consumers avoid food contaminated with listeria and other dangerous pathogens. Studies show that about 90% of Americans prematurely discard food that has passed its use-by date, even though it may still have a usable shelf-life. Most of this food is dairy products. During a single year, an average American family throws away nearly a pound of food due to spoilage. That’s enough to pay for a year’s tuition at a private college. However, the truth is that expiration dates are necessary to keep the product fresh and safe. Fresh meat, poultry, and fish have high perishability, so it’s best to buy them before they expire. Often, grocery stores will display them until their sell-by date. In addition to the expiration date, many products will have a freeze-by or use-by date. For foods that don’t have a use-by date, it’s essential to follow the cooking instructions on the label. Racism in American food is a persistent and pervasive issue that stems from the history of the United States. It began with taking land from Indigenous people, accompanied by enslavement. It expanded to the exploitation of immigrant labor from Latin America and Asia. The resulting racial hierarchies remain pervasive today, manifesting in every aspect of our food system. In the United States, the problem of systemic racism in American food is deeply rooted in the theft of land from indigenous communities and the enslavement of people of color to farm the land. This system continues today, with Black, indigenous, and other people of color struggling to access equal access to land, markets, and capital. In a recent example, the editor-in-chief of the prestigious food magazine Bon Appetit resigned after a writer tweeted a photo of him dressed in brownface. The tweet has caused outrage among black and brown chefs. But this racial divide in American food culture has been a longstanding problem for decades. Today, people of color are spearheading the fight to improve the representation of people of color in the food media industry. Racism in the food system traces its roots to the racial caste system in the Americas. This system pushed Black people into subordinate roles in the food system and made it possible for whites to build robust agriculture systems in America. This, of course, allowed for further mistreatment of people of color. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this problem, with black and Hispanic communities suffering more from the effects of the health crisis. They also experience higher mortality and infection rates than other people of color, and their communities are prone to hunger and eviction.

The contention: God is the best evidence for objective moral values and duties The Moral Argument If God exists, then objective moral values and duties exist. Objective moral values and duties do exist. Therefore God exists. What does objective mean? Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts; and binding. Inversely, to be subjective is to give an opinion based on what you know, dependent on perhaps some facts or independent of any facts. Perhaps a feeling, a hunch, or maybe something a little stronger than that like past experience. We will again go to a helpful video through Dr. William Lane Craig’s Reasonable Faith website (reasonablefaith.org) to help us understand this argument a little better: Before we get into the meat of the argument, let’s clear up some of the common misconceptions of this argument. -it does not imply that the atheist or agnostic doesn’t believe in morality or can’t be a moral person -it does not imply the existence of the Christian God. -objective morality is different than absolute morality. -it does not imply how a person comes to know morality (epistemology), rather this argument explores the foundation of morality (ontology). The moral argument is, in my opinion, one of the strongest arguments for God’s existence. People can deny science and what it may prove or disprove, but morality is something mankind is burdened with every day of our lives. Whether a theist, atheist, or agnostic, we make moral choices, judgments, and perform moral duties every day, multiple times in a day. We cannot escape it. This brings us to this strange notion of ought. Why ought we do anything? Here are some common scenarios. Why ought we try to help the transient on the street corner? Why ought we try to break up that fight? Why ought we try to forgive that person who wronged us? Why ought we try to be more willing to testify to our faith? Why ought we try to be a better person? Etc… Chapter 7 in the book of Romans shows an exquisite battle in which the apostle Paul shares his struggles with the flesh and moral choice. An objective reference point for morality is a reference point beyond human opinion, think of it like a truth. Truth exists whether you recognize it, believe it, or not. Many theists regard this reference point to be grounded in God. God transcends space, time, matter, and energy and is not a physical person (the Bible says in John 4:24 “God is spirit”). If we truly believe there are things that are wrong or right, regardless of time or cultural divide, the implication is for the existence of a moral law of some type. And any law must have a lawgiver. But let’s leave the idea of an objective lawgiver for now and look at what a worldview would be like under a subjective lawgiver, namely humanity. Now right off the bat you can see the difficulty here, namely, who decides the rules? Which society(ies) and why? So right away we have a problem with who even gets the privilege of setting the rules. And why should we trust them? A common response by people who say morality is subjective is “just look at how different people view what is right and what is wrong” so it has to be subjective. Remember, how a person comes to know morality is epistemology, not moral ontology. People who aspire to shape their moral worldview do so in many kinds of ways. Moral ontology speaks of what the foundation of morality is grounded in, not how we come to know it. Can we truly say something is right or wrong under a worldview of subjective morality? Think about what that means? It’s just my opinion versus yours. Who’s to say? Think about the societies where the power class ruled the empire. Think of the deprivation of humanity. Some folks might argue morality is clear when the result is human flourishing or the perpetuation of society. So please define what is best for human flourishing and how many different governments across our moral landscape really account for human flourishing? Would aborting fetuses be good for human flourishing? How about euthanasia of elderly or physically unproductive people, thereby freeing up resources for the healthier productive ones? Human flourishing as a whole, or human flourishing for that particular regime? And upon a Neo-darwinian worldview, who’s to say that human flourishing is best? Why not flourishing for cats or dogs? If humans are just accidental byproducts like cats and dogs, under this worldview why would human flourishing be prioritized? Under a subjective moral worldview why do we punish criminals or people who hurt others? Is what they did really wrong or just socially unfashionable? The rapist, the terrorist, the pedophile; are they just acting out of fashion or is what they are perpetuating really wrong? So perhaps we should put these people away because of the harm they have inflicted on others? Let’s look closer. If I am walking down the sidewalk and a person trips me up by accident and I fall and hurt myself, I am upset that it happened, but not really upset by the person who tripped me up. Yet when I am walking down the street and a person tries to trip me up, but doesn’t, I am outraged and looking for a fight, yet the first person has physically hurt me and the second has not (thank you C.S. Lewis). So clearly, not every act from a person that physically harms us is wrong, so why is it wrong in the case of the rapist, terrorist, or pedophile? Under a subjective worldview, why doesn’t our society allow women to abort babies up to the age of 1, instead of in utero? This way it would give women extra time to decide if they wanted to keep it based on the baby’s characteristics and potentially abnormal development. Who decides the arbitrariness of this rule, and why would it be any more right or wrong than it is now? Under a subjective worldview, why doesn’t our society make lawful more cases of euthanasia of older people who are sickly, living off social security, and taking up hospital space and resources? This way the money could go back to the young, healthy families who need it to keep the younger generation flourishing. Under a subjective worldview, why would this be construed as wrong? There’s a great story about a college student and a philosophy professor who asks his students to defend a worldview of subjective or objective morality. The professor ask his students to write an essay about whether or not they feel objective moral values and duties exist. One student decides he’s really going to rise to the top on this one so he accepts the challenge and proceeds to research and craft a brilliant story about how morality is purely evolution and a matter of opinion. Objective moral values and duties do not exist he says. So he gets the paper prepared, puts it into a nice blue binder and hands it in. The next week the professor hands back the reports and the youngster is shocked he gets an F on his paper. F? He’s never received an F in his life. He then finds the professor after class and in a very pejorative manner demands an explanation for the grade he received. His professor, ever the gentleman, proceeds to tell him that his paper was well researched, well argued, and well thought out. But his professor doesn’t like the color blue (the color of the student’s binder), so he gave him an F. The youngster is about to explode when he finally realizes the moment the professor subtly grins. The student realized if objective moral values and duties don’t exist, the professor was completely within his grounds to grade the paper on any number of criteria he wanted. The kid had no right to be upset because the professor had no right to give him a good grade. Life isn’t fair youngster and why should it be? Where does this idea of fairness even come from? In my own life, a large impetus of the development of this website and ministry was the death of my father. My father passed away suddenly from a brief battle with cancer. He was 67 and just barely a year into his retirement. Is that fair? Would fair have been 77? 97? Who’s to say what’s fair? He’s gone, as soon enough as all of us will be. We’ll talk about death in another section. But let’s stay on track here. When a person asks why you believe homosexuality, abortion, euthanasia, and other things are wrong, I’d like you to ask them why they think it is right. Put the question back on them, it will allow you to understand the foundation of the worldview they possess, and subsequently allow you to help inform them the dangers of subjective morality. Perhaps, in regards to homosexuality, they will say they are free to love who they love, God made them that way, it feels right, and they believe in tolerating all kinds of love. This provides an opportunity to engage them in their view of polygamous marriage, or incestual marriage, or age-appropriateness of marriage. If these relationships are all between consenting adults, why is this considered wrong? Is it? Why not marriage or arrangements with animals and humans? Where would we stop and why should we? This might allow me to lead further into discussions at some point of what I call the “morality menu”, which basically means people pick their course of morality based on their diet, similar to how you would choose an entree at a restaurant. This also provides an opportunity for you to show them the divide between love and tolerance, and that real love is not tolerant. How when we seek comfort we don’t find truth, and that only when we seek truth will we find comfort. I’m sure many of us have strong anecdotal evidence of what kinds of adults kids become when their parents give them everything they ask for because their parents love them. Love without boundaries serves a parent or child with no benefits down the road. All you have built is enabling. Love needs to have boundaries. Others might say all religions have some semblance of morality, even a sort of golden rule. True! Most all religions do prescribe some sort of morality, but as to what the exact prescription of that morality is very different, along with the prescriber. And remember this, at best the world religions are superficially true, and fundamentally different. If people want to argue with you that the world religions are fundamentally true and superficially different, try the following analogy. Let’s take three sports that many of us have some understanding of: American football, hockey, and baseball. Now superficially speaking, these sports are very similar in the respect that there are two teams involved in a competition, with players and coaches, uniforms, some sort of an object that the teams possess. And the goal is to score points, in fact more points than the other team so they are crowned victorious of that particular competition. A lot of similarities huh? So now let’s look closer, let’s look at the equipment, the field they play on, the number of players who can play at any one time, and most important, the RULES! Here is where we see the divide, in fact it is such a great divide as deemed comical when you think of how Joe Montana was the greatest pitcher in major league history. But of course that is false, for Joe Montana played football, not baseball, and no people who are “sportigious” would ever confuse the fact that Joe Montana was a football player. Despite the many similarities, they are in reality fundamentally different. So we have to come to the reality that because they make metaphysical truth claims, all religions cannot be true, for that would be a logical contradiction. Perhaps they are all false, but they cannot all be true. Like any truth we want to discern in life we need to weigh the evidence on what seems most reasonable. Some people will say that moral progress has taken place and I believe it! But why measure moral progress if we’re not really sure what we are progressing too? What is the standard? And despite moral progress, slavery, in any cultural time period has always been wrong (we will deal with slavery in the Bible at a later section) no matter how “right” people at the time thought it to be. How can we prove that? Well I suppose a myriad of ways, but do you think the Egyptians ever considered handing over the kingdom to the Israelites to become slaves for them for 400 hundred years? And how many people that you know would consider themselves a perfect person? I would be willing to assume many of them recognize how they fall short in their character. Just the remark of not measuring up means you have fallen short of some standard, but under a subjective worldview, what would be that standard of perfection? Even more, why strive for it? The founding fathers of this country had it right when they talked about “these truths being self-evident”. They are. But even though they are self-evident does not imply we follow them, or acknowledge their self-evident nature as true. Jumping out of an airplane with a parachute is self-evidently dangerous, yet many people do it, even for purely recreational purposes. The Bible speaks of this truth being written on our hearts (Romans 2:15). The fact that we disagree about them only means that despite that disagreement, we truly believe in the rightness and wrongness of a point of view. And why under a naturalistic worldview would we even conceive of something being right, wrong, or even the idea of rights period? Does somebody really think morality comes from evolution? Let’s listen to a famous quote from one of the most outspoken atheists of our day, Richard Dawkins. Dawkins says this: “The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute that it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive, many others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear, others are slowly being devoured from within by rasping parasites, thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst, and disease. It must be so. If there ever is a time of plenty, this very fact will automatically lead to an increase in the population until the natural state of starvation and misery is restored. In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference” (1). If you can digest that as truth can you really be a moral person? The irony here is that Dawkins himself is a staunch moralist, advocating for homosexual rights and against animal cruelty among other things. So even if you believe in the above proposal, one cannot live it consistently. Where does this idea of justice which he mentions even come from? Do you think Dawkins would make a claim of injustice if we threw him in prison for his remark? Or would he just sit in his cell and say “bad luck I suppose.” Let’s try to come back to the objective standard. If God exists it provides humanity a place to ground the existence of objective moral values and duties, for God, by His nature, must be good (see evil and suffering section). In the synoptic Gospels (Luke 17, Mt 19, and Mark 10) Jesus tells the story of how a certain ruler can inherit eternal life. C.S. Lewis said he couldn’t recognize a line was crooked without first knowing what a straight line was (2). In fact the whole Bible, what I refer to as the greatest love story ever told and written down, culminates in the second person of the trinity, God’s own Son Jesus, coming down from Heaven to die on a cross because of our immoral behavior, our sin. How instructive it is, whether you believe in the historicity of Genesis 1 or not, that God set two distinct trees in the midst of the garden, one, the tree of life, and two, a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We could call this second tree, as we find out a few verses later, the tree of death. So in regard to objective moral values and duties, the value was good at the time, there was no bad, and the duty for man, the right duty, was to not eat of the fruit of this tree, for as of yet there was no wrong. And then a decision was made that showed humanity the consequences of our moral choices. And isn’t it interesting that both of their eyes were opened (Gen 3:7). What do you suppose their eyes were opened to? I suggest it was the recognition of what we “ought” to do at odds with the reality of that which we in fact typically do. And only then did they recognize their nakedness and attempt to cover themselves. Interesting. What’s even more interesting is that a little while later God decides to cover them, knowing their efforts would always be insufficient. So in closing, given the risk of an impending reality under a subjective worldview; thank God He has saved us. (1) Richard Dawkins River out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (Basic Books, 1995) (2) C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity (Geoffrey Bles, Macmillan Publishers, 1952) (KJV) Bible: King James Version Suggested readings (Theistic and Atheistic): -Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God by Paul Copan -Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview by J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig –Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case by Frank Turek –The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris

Though more than 30 face transplants have been performed, little is known about long-term outcomes. However, a recent study suggests that transplanted faces change based on the recipient’s bone structure and age at an accelerated rate. The study, headed by Bohdan Pomahac, M.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School tracked three full-face-transplant recipients over 36 months. Notably, Dr. Pomahac led the team that performed the first full-face transplant in the United States. “We observed a significant reduction of volume of the bone and muscle in patients who received facial allotransplants that is different than what we see with normal facial aging, which primarily affects the fat and skin of the face,” Dr. Pomahac tells Cosmetic Surgery Times. “This observation raises many questions, which we are beginning to explore. Countermeasures to reverse, delay or prevent this issue may improve future outcomes for these patients. “In the short term, our results may help to set expectations for future patients,” he adds. “In the long run, we hope to understand why this process is happening, and whether and how we should intervene.” The American Journal of Transplantation published the study.

What are end-of-life issues? End-of-life issues are frequently complex moral, ethical, or legal dilemmas, or a combination of these, involving an individual's vital physiological functions, medical-surgical prognosis, quality of life, and personal values and beliefs. The challenges include the management of chronic physical pain, depression, the seemingly mundane but important tasks that need to be addressed, a variety of intense emotions, the diagnosis of a terminal illness, etcetera. By choosing the type of end-of-life care that best meets your needs while you are still healthy, you can assist those near to you in making the best decisions when the time comes. Clinicians, patients and their families face numerous obstacles and challenges associated with end-of-life care, such as managing pain and suffering. Furthermore, the supervision of a dying patient must be viewed in the context of the individual’s mental, emotional, psychological, physical, and social experiences. The elderly, who are prone to loneliness, are at the forefront of those who require end-of-life care. Challenges faced by people facing end-of-life: - Need for control How are end-of-life issues treated? In the treatment of dying patients, there are numerous clinical obstacles. Nonetheless, clinicians can execute various therapies to manage a patient's emotional and physical issues at the end of life. Physical aspects are just as significant as psychological and emotional ones. Depression is common among patients who are nearing the end of their lives. It could be primary, medication-related or organic in nature. Physical symptoms of depression might be confounded with neurovegetative symptoms of depression in patients with terminal illnesses, making depression challenging to diagnose. Thus, end-of-life issues are often treated by a multi-disciplinary team and in a holistic manner.

People have asked me about about the seeming lack of attention to green building in urban settings: “I happened to notice that very little, if not at all, mention of urban dwellings and how small urban homes are practically the greenest you can get when you factor in transportation. Green homes spread out in the country, unless you’re living off the earth and have no use for a car, may counteract your carbon footprint savings if you have to drive on a continuous basis. A vast majority of Americans live in a metropolitan area, it would be nice if your information can include an aspect to the benefits of small homes in urban dwellings.” “I am curious about building an earth covered or underground home in the future. Can these houses be built on a small lot within a city? I think being close to your neighbors etc., is one way to help achieve sustainable living, however, the green homes I have seen always appear to be on a large parcel of land.” I think these folks are absolutely right about this. It is unfortunate that most of the natural building movement has been more of a rural activity…but there is no reason why it has to be. Virtually all of the principles of sustainable architecture that I outline at http://greenhomebuilding.com/sustainable_architecture.htm would equally apply in an urban setting. In districts where housing goes above 2 or 3 stories, it is difficult to use some of the more natural techniques. One problem is that many of these methods of building result in rather thick walls, especially when the walls must go quite high, so that interior space is compromised by this. This is where some hybrid concepts might be useful, such as building with a steel framework to allow multiple stories, and then fill in the walls with less industrial materials, such as strawbales, cordwood, or earthbags. As for going underground in a city, it certainly can be done. It would be a great way to create dwelling space and reserve most of the land above for gardening or parks, creating much needed green space in the city. Also much of the movement towards “sharing facilities,” such as co-housing, can be done in cities. This is another way to create both denser housing and reserve open space for parks and gardening. I think that all proponents of green architecture need to put more creative thought into urban design!

At the country’s biennial aerospace fair in Zhuhai this week, China unveiled a partial replica of its ‘Heavenly Palace,’ a 60-tonne orbiting space lab that is the nation’s answer to the International Space Station (ISS). The International Space Station – a collaboration between the United States, Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan – has been in operation since 1998 and has become a symbol for international cooperation between the world’s largest space-faring nations. Despite the odd mishap, the station is constantly occupied and is a hub for ongoing multidisciplinary experiments that are quite literally out of this world. But its days are numbered. No matter how essential this floating laboratory has become to advance our understanding of, amongst many things, how the harsh conditions of space can affect humans when exposed over long periods of time, there is not enough money left in the pot to keep it going. Step forward China. China already has experience with Earth-orbiting space stations. It sent up the Tiangong-1, the country’s first prototype space lab, in September 2011, where it spent nearly seven years in space before plunging back to Earth in April this year amid claims that China had lost control of the station. But with the ISS due to cease operations by the end of 2024, a gap in the space station market will be open and China is set to fill it. With assembly expected to be completed around 2022, a sneak preview of the 17-metre (55-foot) core module wowed audiences at China’s main aerospace industry exhibition in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai. The full working version however will be somewhat smaller than the ISS, which is as large as a football pitch and weighs a whopping 400 tonnes. The latest ”Heavenly Palace" incarnation will also have two other modules for scientific experiments and it will be able to house three astronauts on a permanent basis to conduct biological and microgravity research. And China is not keeping the space station all to itself. Earlier this year, the country announced that the lab would be open to "all countries" to conduct science experiments and the European Space Agency has already sent astronauts to China for training so that they can use the space station once it is up and running. "There is no doubt that China will use its station in a similar way as the ISS partners are using their outpost: research, technology and as a stepping-stone for deep-space exploration," said Chen Lan, analyst at GoTaikonauts.com, a website specialised in the Chinese space programme. According to state media, some 40 plans from 27 countries and regions have been received from research institutes, universities, and public and private companies that are hoping to utilise the Heavenly Palace as they would have with the ISS. "The ability to put payloads and experiments on a human spaceflight platform is extremely valuable,” said Bill Ostrove, space analyst with US-based Forecast International consultancy. "Many countries, and increasingly private companies and universities, have space programmes, but cannot afford to build their own space station. I'm sure over time China will be successful in developing partnerships," he said.

January 15 is Wikipedia’s 21st birthday. Happy birthday, Wikipedia! In honor of the occasion, we at Wiki Education are reflecting on 21 ways our organization’s work has made Wikipedia better (in no particular order). 1. We’ve added a LOT of content to Wikipedia. In 2018, Wiki Education reached a milestone: Student editors in our Wikipedia Student Program had added as much content to English Wikipedia as was in the last print edition of Encyclopædia Britannica. Since then, we’ve steadily worked to add even more content. We’ve now added almost two full Britannicas to Wikipedia. 2. The depth and breadth of content we add covers all disciplines. Because we work with nearly every academic discipline taught in higher education, we improve a wide variety of topics. Want to know more about geology? Contested monuments? Islamic art and architecture? African archaeology? Indigenous Canadians? Occupational epidemiology? Foreign literature? Latina artists? All of these are topics on Wikipedia improved by student editors through our program. 3. We helped fill content gaps in articles related to 9/11. In a collaboration with ReThink Media in the months prior to the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we brought peace and security studies experts to Wikipedia to improve articles related to September 11, the War on Terror, and related topics. While Wikipedia’s extremely active WikiProject Military History had led to extensive coverage of the specifics of war in these articles, our experts were able to identify and fill content gaps related to the context of humanitarian implications of war. Articles our scholars improved received more than 7 million page views. 4. We’ve improved knowledge equity content. Some of the examples in the prior point illustrate this, but to drill down: Wiki Education has spent nearly a decade inviting instructors who teach in courses related to race, gender, and sexuality and other knowledge equity content areas to teach with Wikipedia. The result? Articles like the one on Harlem Renaissance writer Rudolph Fisher, which as it was expanded caught the eye of a journalist who then wrote about Fisher, bringing him to even more prominence. Or the significant work Wiki Education does to counter the biography gender gap on Wikipedia. 5. We overhauled the 19th Amendment article. In collaboration with the National Archives and Records Administration, Wiki Education hosted a series of courses bringing historians and women’s studies experts to Wikipedia prior to the 100th anniversary of passage of the 19th Amendment. Over the course of several months, scholars improved articles related to suffrage, suffragists, and — in an advanced course — the article on the 19th Amendment itself. Prior to our scholars’ work, the article centered the narrative not just on white people, but also on white men — so our program participants helped shift Wikipedia’s narrative to center women as well as adding a new section about the continued disenfranchisement of women of color. 6. We’ve brought women in science to Wikipedia. Through our partnership with 500 Women Scientists, we’ve enabled 75 members of the group to add and expand biographies of women in STEMM to Wikipedia. This work is helping change the face of science on Wikipedia. 7. Our Year of Science sparked a burst of science editing. We declare 2016 to be the Year of Science, a focused campaign to bring more science editors to Wikipedia. The results exceeded our expectations — and launched our ongoing Communicating Science initiative. In 2021, five years later, we continued to add more content to more science articles than we did during the official Year of Science. In an age where providing neutral, fact-based science information is critically important, we’re both improving Wikipedia’s coverage of science — and teaching early career scientists the important skill of being able to teach science to a general audience. 8. We’re helping the world learn about the climate crisis. As part of our Communicating Science initiative, we’ve attracted several courses that specifically work to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of the climate crisis. In this post, we explain how students from eight different universities helped add better scientific information related to climate change on Wikipedia. 9. We shaped Wikipedia’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many student editors in our Wikipedia Student Program have improved articles related to information about the pandemic, from articles on vaccines and diseases to effects of and impacts on COVID-19. We also ran a series of courses in our Scholars & Scientists Program where we brought subject matter experts to Wikipedia to improve articles related to local, state, and regional responses to the pandemic from a public policy perspective. All told, we’ve helped millions of people learn more about the pandemic. 10. We’ve added biographies of Nobel laureates — before they were honored. Every Nobel Prize announcement season, readers flock to Wikipedia to read more about the scientists receiving the honor. Sometimes, notably in the case of Donna Strickland, the biography is missing — but Wiki Education’s helped avoid that in other cases. In 2018, one of our Wiki Scholars participants transformed Jennifer Doudna‘s Wikipedia article — two years before she won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for her work on CRISPR. In 2017, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three laureates whose biographies were all created or expanded by student editors in our Wikipedia Student Program. 11. We taught a Nobel Laureate to edit. Our work with Nobel Laureates isn’t just limited to writing their biographies — we also taught one to edit Wikipedia! Dr. Bill Phillips, a 1997 laureate in physics, participated in our Wiki Scientists course in partnership with the American Physical Society. “Everyone who finds Wikipedia to be a good resource ought to contribute in one way or another, to the ongoing value of Wikipedia. One way of doing that, of course, is to act as an editor,” Phillips told us after the class. 12. We’ve inspired students to become editors. Dr. Phillips wasn’t the only one inspired by learning how to edit Wikipedia through our programs. “I call my senators, I vote, I donate to the ACLU, and now, I edit Wikipedia,” wrote a Rice University student. We’ve similarly inspired several other students to become Wikimedians. 13. We’ve inspired staff to edit. After six years of working for us, our Wikipedia Student Program Manager, Helaine Blumenthal, finally got the itch to edit herself. (Most of our staff also edit as volunteers.) Helaine reflected on her work creating the article on Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities. “I was both dismayed but unsurprised to find a paucity of information on the topic, but I’m hopeful that my article sparks others to think about how COVID has affected populations already at high risk for a host of physical, emotional, and socioeconomic disadvantages,” she says. 14. Our staff has also reflected on knowledge equity. Wiki Education’s staff are part of the broader Wikimedia community, and we as a movement are thinking about knowledge equity as a key pillar of our current strategy. Our Senior Wikipedia Expert, Ian Ramjohn, reflected on how to represent Indigenous knowledge in our projects. Wikidata Program Manager Will Kent wrote about diversity and how we as a community generate lists of equity topics to improve. These kinds of reflections are important not just for us but for our community at large. 15. We provide the software for global program leaders to manage their work. Wikipedia is enhanced by not only our work, but the work of program leaders all over the world. And thousands of these program leaders use Programs & Events Dashboard, available on WMF Labs, to manage, track, and report on their programs and events. The Dashboard is a software originally built for Wiki Education’s own course management; today, we’ve added popular features like authorship highlighting and other features that have made the Dashboard a key tool in the Wikmedia movement. 16. We’ve documented our work so others can learn. Our commitment to supporting other program leaders isn’t just technology. We also run a variety of programs and initiatives, and as part of our ongoing commitment to documenting what we do and what we’ve learned, we publish evaluation reports on Meta, the central organizing wiki for the Wikimedia movement. To date, we’ve published seven of these detailed reports, offering information on how others in the movement could replicate our successes and avoid our mistakes. We believe these reports are a critical part of our commitment to documentation and knowledge sharing. 17. Our research on student learning outcomes helps further other education programs. In 2016, we also commissioned Dr. Zach McDowell to do a student learning outcomes research project. His results are useful for any education program leader looking to demonstrate learning outcomes from writing Wikipedia articles. Ensuring we’re providing a positive pedagogical experience is what draws many instructors to teach with Wikipedia. 18. Our work has inspired other researchers. It’s not just the research we commission; our programs have also inspired other researchers to publish about Wikipedia. Some research is about teaching with Wikipedia. Others is about our program’s impact to articles. Others focus on our impact to scholarly references. Because our Dashboard allows researchers to download CSVs of participant Wikipedia user names (not real names), we’re often not even aware researchers are studying the impact of our programs until the research is published! 19. Our partnerships have transformed Wikipedia’s relationship with academia. A decade ago, Wikipedia was the bane of teachers’ existence. Today, thanks in part to our work, Wikipedia is embraced in the academy. This can partially be attributed to our work in fostering partnerships with academic associations who then encourage their members — professionals in that discipline — to participate in Wiki Education’s programs. Our partnerships with large associations like the American Sociological Association, American Chemical Society, American Physical Society, and American Anthropological Association — to name a few — have not only furthered our programmatic work in those topic areas on Wikipedia, but has also helped shape the perception of Wikipedia in academia. 20. The scale of our work has a huge impact on Wikipedia. Many other Wikimedia groups also do important work similar to us. What sets Wiki Education apart from our peers is the sheer size of our programs. In 2021, we taught 10,758 people who had never registered an account before how to edit Wikipedia. We bring so many new active editors, in fact, that 19% of English Wikipedia’s new contributors come through our programs. 21. We’re changing the face of Wikipedia. And it’s not just the scale of contributors: It’s also the diversity. While only 22% of existing contributors to Wikipedia in Northern America identify as women, Wiki Education’s programs are working to change that: 67% of our participants identify as women, and an additional 3% identify as non-binary or another gender identity. Similarly, while 89% of existing U.S. editors identify as white, only 55% of Wiki Education’s program participants do. Our programs are bringing dramatically more diverse participants to Wikipedia than our current core community, which helps us to further our collective mission to collect the sum of all human knowledge by bringing in a more diverse set of people and expertise. If you’re inspired by our work, join us! Spread the word about teaching with Wikipedia to higher education instructors you know in the U.S. and Canada. Encourage organizations you’re a member of to partner with us to offer a Wikipedia editing course. Take one of our courses yourself. And donate to Wiki Education to help us keep making these 21 ways we’ve improved Wikipedia continue into its 22nd year.

ProMIS Neurosciences researchers have discovered new antibody candidates that selectively bind to the neurotoxic form of the tau protein — one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. The Latest Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Social Media Posts Scientists have found a series of brain alterations associated with Alzheimer’s disease that occur decades before the onset of the first symptoms. A new study from the Max Planck Institute finds that three different types of meditation training are linked to changes in corresponding brain regions. The part of your brain responsible for ASMR catalogs music, and appears to be a stronghold against Alzheimer’s and dementia. We often hear about the power of gratitude for creating a more positive and happy mental state. But did you know that regularly expressing gratitude may make you a happier person? Tau protein tangles (or neurofibrillary tangles) are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, but what role do they play? We know about Alzheimer’s symptoms, but what is brain plaque, and what happens in the brain before symptoms appear? Learn about the importance of early detection! Test tube and mice research has found that herpes and other viruses speed up the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Since the late 1980s, various studies have suggested chronic inflammation found in Alzheimer’s hastens the disease process, and may even be a disease trigger. Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, are important for your brain and retinas. Pregnant women must consume food sources of omega-3 fatty acids in order to get sufficient DHA. It is an important nutrient for the health and intelligence of the baby.

|Half expected it to open up to a mirror. Great Men of Canada delivered what it set out to do. Published for the Government of Ontario in 1928, author John Henderson covered the most important male figures in Canadian history as of the turn of the century. The book itself was a tightly bound 239 page hardcover that had the unexpected surprise of being an ex-libris piece with a name plate on the inside cover dating it as a Sept 1, 1928 addition to the Library of the Teacher’s Institute. |More curious to know what kind of glue they used... Another interesting thing of note was that on almost every page, there was an illustration in orange ink at the bottom depicting a scene or event from Canadian history. Much like the Sergio Aragonés doodles in the margins of MAD magazine, it provided a fun distraction from the main text. The colour scheme of orange highlights with black text on cream coloured pages itself added a nice aesthetic value to the book and made it look more modern than it actually was. |Alright, so not quite exactly like a MAD margin doodle. While it is missing some prominent figures of the 20th century, the list was hard to argue against. Not all the men in the book are household names, but after reading their chapters of exploits and contributions, you can understand why they have schools and random suburb streets named after them. |Mackenzie did not get a chapter, but at least he had a photo in here. The list along with their role in Canadian history in a nutshell: John Graves Simcoe – First Governor of Ontario, abolished slavery. Lord Durham – United Upper and Lower Canada. Sir John A. Macdonald – First Prime Minister of Canada, probably the greatest Canadian in history. George Brown – Acclaimed journalist and politician, founded what is now the Globe and Mail. Sir Georges Cartier – Brought Quebec into Confederation. Joseph Howe – Journalist and politician, fought for freedom of press, Nova Scotia self-government, and building a railway in the Maritimes. Sir Alexander Galt – Helped establish the Confederation, founded Lethbridge, AB. Sir Charles Tupper – Lead Nova Scotia into Confederation, shortest term in office as Prime Minister. Sir Leonard Tilley – United the Maritimes and brought them into Confederation, created prohibition in Canada. Thomas D’Arcy McGee – Worked towards Confederation, only Canadian federal politician to be assassinated. Lord Strathcona – Helped build the first transcontinental railway, seemingly held roles at every prestigious position at the time, philanthropist who gave away a fortune. |Slightly more pensive than on the $10 bill. The list was definitely skewed on a political angle to the forefathers of our country. While just due must be given, a lot has happened since 1928 and this list is far from comprehensive if one were to talk about the great men of Canada. Off the top of my head, I feel there is a strong case for the inclusion of these, even if they aren’t all political: Pierre Trudeau – Promoted both Canadian nationalism and multiculturalism, helped create the The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Tommy Douglas – Father of Medicare (universal healthcare!). Louis Riel – One of the founders of Manitoba, fought for Métis rights. Alexander Graham Bell – Scientist, inventor, creator of the telephone. Terry Fox – Embodiment of hope and will. Wayne Gretzky – The Great One deserves a showing. Chris Hadfield – Bowie in space is an automatic inclusion. There are no doubt a lot more that I missed, so feel free to make some arguments for other inclusions. Book rating: 8.5/10 (A great trek through Canadian history) Random quote: “He still drained his mug of rum at eleven a.m. in order that he might be sustained until the time of his mid-day meal, and the real drink.” (Prohibition was doomed from the start)

NFTs are a relatively new concept, and there is no definitive answer to this question. However, NFTs are generally digital or physical assets associated with a particular record on a blockchain. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the blockchain and can be transferred by the owner, allowing NFTs to be sold and traded. NFTs first came to prominence with the launch of CryptoKitties in late 2017. CryptoKitties is a game where users can buy, sell, and trade digital cats on the blockchain. The popularity of CryptoKitties showed that there was a demand for digital assets that could be owned and traded on the blockchain. Since then, NFTs have continued to grow in popularity, with many projects launching their own NFT platforms. These projects include Dapper Labs’ Flowchain, Loom Network’s DEXplore, and BitShares’ BitAsset Exchange. The growth of NFTs has been aided by the rise of decentralized exchanges (DEXs), which allow users to trade NFTs without relying on third-party intermediaries. This has made it easier for people to buy and sell NFTs, and has helped increase the liquidity of the market. Overall, the emergence of NFTs represents a significant shift in the way digital assets are created and traded. NFTs offer a more secure and decentralized way to store and trade digital assets, and we can expect to see more projects emerge in this space in the future. What makes an NFT valuable? An NFT is valuable because it can be used to represent an asset on a blockchain. An NFT can be used to store information about the asset and verify the ownership of the asset. This makes them ideal for gaming, collectibles, and other applications. What’s the Connection Between NFTs and Cryptocurrency? Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is built on the idea of decentralization. This means there is no one central authority controlling the currency or blockchain. Instead, the network is controlled by the collective users of the currency. This allows for a more democratic system in which users can control their own money. NFTs are also built on the idea of decentralization. This means there is no one central authority controlling the NFTs. Instead, the network is controlled by the collective users of the NFTs. This allows for a more democratic system in which users can control their digital assets. Are NFTs the Future of Art and Collectibles? There is no definitive answer to this question. However, there are a few reasons why non-fungible tokens (NFTs) may be the future of art and collectibles. First, NFTs offer a much more secure and transparent way of storing and transferring digital assets than traditional methods. This is because NFTs are stored on a blockchain, which is a decentralized, tamper-proof ledger. As such, NFTs can be used to securely store and track the ownership of digital artwork and other collectibles. Second, NFTs provide a more efficient way to exchange digital assets than traditional methods. This is because NFTs can be traded on decentralized exchanges, which do not require the involvement of third-party intermediaries. As such, NFTs could be used to trade digital artwork and other collectibles in a more cost-effective and timely manner. Lastly, NFTs provide a more flexible way to own digital assets than traditional methods. This is because NFTs can be divided into smaller units, which allows greater flexibility in owning and trading digital assets. For example, an NFT can be divided into 100 units, each individually traded or used as collateral for a loan. As such, NFTs may provide a more efficient and flexible way to own and trade digital artwork and other collectibles in the future. Buyer Beware of Celebrities NFT’s Celebrities are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make money. It seems almost anything can be turned into a money-making opportunity for them. And that includes virtual reality and blockchain technology. There are now many scams and money grabs being used by high profile celebrities to make money off of NFT and blockchain technology. These scams and money grabs range from initial coin offerings (ICOs) to token sales. Celebrities often can dupe the public into investing in these schemes by using their fame and influence. The problem is that the average person doesn’t know enough about blockchain technology or virtual reality to distinguish a legitimate investment opportunity from a scam. This means they are often taken advantage of by celebrities who are only interested in making a quick buck. It’s important that the public is aware of these scams and money grabs, so that they can avoid being scammed by celebrities. It’s also important that they understand how blockchain technology and virtual reality work, so that they can make informed decisions about investing in these technologies. Educate Yourself Before You Spend A Dime When investing in any new technology, it is important for the public to do their research before handing over their hard-earned money. With so much at stake, it is critical that people understand what they are buying into. This is especially true for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are still a relatively new technology. One of the best ways to learn about NFTs is to attend events where experts in the field will speak. These events can provide a wealth of information, and allow investors to ask questions directly of the experts. Another great way to learn about NFTs is through online resources. There are many websites and articles devoted to this topic, and these can be a great way to get started. However, it is important to remember that not all information online is accurate, so do your own research. Finally, education is the key driver for making money in NFTs. By learning as much as possible about this technology, investors can make informed decisions about whether to invest in it. With careful research and due diligence, investing in NFTs can be lucrative. NFT Can Be A Great Investment NFTs can provide interesting investment opportunities for those willing to take the time to learn about the investment side of the game. By understanding blockchain technology, token economies, and project valuation, investors can make well-informed decisions about where to place their money. Additionally, NFTs offer a rare chance to get in early on a new technology or trend. Because most projects in the NFT space are still in development, early investors have the potential to see considerable returns if the project is successful. However, it is important to do your own research before investing in any project and be aware of the risks involved. In short, NFTs can be a great investment for those who educate themselves on the investment side of the game. By understanding the basics of blockchain technology and token economies, investors can make informed decisions about where to put their money. Additionally, NFTs offer a chance to get in on a new technology or trend early, with significant returns if the project is successful. However, it is important to do your own research and be aware of the risks before investing in any project.

Glyceria was the daughter of a Roman governor. Becoming impoverished after her father’s death, Glyceria settled in Trajanopolis in Thrace. During the reign of the nefarious Emperor Antoninus, Glyceria was taken to offer sacrifices to the idol of Jupiter [Zeus]. She traced the sign of the cross on her forehead and when the Prefect Sabinus questioned her concerning her lamp, (for all of them carried lamps in their hands), Glyceria pointed to the cross on her forehead and said: “This is my lamp.” As a result of her prayer lightning struck the idol and smashed it to pieces. The prefect became angry and ordered her flogged and thrown into prison. The prefect sealed the doors to the prison, determined to starve the virgin to death. However, an angel of God appeared to Glyceria and administered heavenly food to her. After a period of time, when the prefect thought that the virgin must have died from hunger, he opened the doors of the prison and was astonished when he saw her healthy, radiant and joyful. Witnessing this miracle, Laodicius, the jailer confessed Christ the Lord and was immediately beheaded. After that Glyceria was thrown into a fiery furnace but remained unharmed by the fire. Standing in the midst of the fire and, remembering the miracle of the three youths in the Babylonian furnace, Glyceria praised the Lord. Finally, she was thrown to the lions and, praying to God, this holy virgin gave up her soul to the Lord for Whom she bravely endured many tortures. She suffered honorably in the year 177 A.D. A healing oil [myrrh] emitted from her relics which healed the sick of the gravest diseases.

Seasonal patterns in groundwater and flow rates |The chart below demonstrates interesting patterns from the Groundwater Observation Well Network dataset, showing the value of the network and the need for a more extensive groundwater network. This shallow gravel aquifer, located on the western bank of the Peace River at the town of Peace River, shows the seasonal patterns of groundwater elevation compared to the river's flow rate. Historical Water Levels in La Crete Shallow AquiferAs shown in the next chart, the shallow (8.5-metre) aquifer near La Crete appears to be under long-term stress (approximately 20% reduction in original available supply). Further study is required to determine the causes of this decrease and its sustainability over time.

The study included 618 Swedes with coronary heart disease and a control group of 3,000 healthy subjects. The subjects were assigned to various categories based on the amount of alcohol they consumed (ethanol intake). Meanwhile, they were tested in order to identify a particular genotype (CETP TaqIB) that previous studies had found to play a role in the health benefits of alcohol consumption. The results, which have been published in Alcohol, confirm the findings of the earlier studies. Moderate consumption of alcohol helps protect people with the genotype against coronary heart disease. „In other words, moderate drinking has a protective effect among only 15% of the general population,“ says Professor Dag Thelle, Professor Emeritus at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Thus, the researchers believe that the advice frequently given about the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption is far too sweeping. „Moderate drinking alone does not have a strong protective effect,“ says Professor Lauren Lissner, who also participated in the study. „Nor does this particular genotype. But the combination of the two appears to significantly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.“ The genotype codes for the Cholesterylester transfer protein (CETP), which affects the ‚good,‘ cardio-protective HDL cholesterol that helps remove excess lipids from the blood vessels. One hypothesis is that alcohol somehow affects the CETP in a way that benefits HDL cholesterol. A second hypothesis is that alcohol contains healthy, protective antioxidants. The researchers believe that one or both of the hypotheses may prove correct, but the mechanisms by which HDL cholesterol or antioxidants might act remain unknown. „Our study represents a step in the right direction,“ Professor Thelle says, „but a lot more research is needed. Assuming that we are able to describe these mechanisms, it may be a simple matter one day to perform genetic testing and determine whether someone belongs to the lucky 15%. That would be useful to know when offering advice on healthy alcohol consumption. But the most important thing is to identify new means of using the body’s resources to prevent coronary heart disease.“ The article CETP TaqIB genotype modifies the association between alcohol and coronary heart disease: The INTERGENE case-control study was published online in Alcohol on September 17, by lead author Kirsten Mehlig and colleagues. Link to article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0741832914200565 Professor Dag Thelle, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg phone +46 709-458024 Professor Lauren Lissner, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg phone +46 31-7866847, +46 708-207343

When administered in a controlled manner (without excesses) it does not affect the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, nor the acid-base balance of the organism, it does not irritate the gastric mucosa and it has no effects on uric acid excretion and platelet aggregation. Thanks to this noble action, it is highly used as an active ingredient in the formula of various drugs. Unlike opioid pain relievers, it does not alter the mood of the patient. The latter cause euphoria or depression. So far, no evidence has been found that acetaminophen is addictive. What is paracetamol for? Paracetamol has specific functions that benefit the patient, guaranteeing well-being in a short time in terms of pain relief and fever reduction. Paracetamol is used to: - Remove or decrease pain - Treat fever for various conditions Take away or decrease pain Paracetamol attacks pain; It acts by inhibiting prostaglandins (lipid substances that serve as mediators in various organic processes), thus preventing the appearance of pain in some injuries such as sprains and bumps in which the pain is mild or moderate. It is responsible for relieving pain caused by bruises and other conditions in which treatment with morphine and other powerful drugs, most of them opiates, is not necessary. Paracetamol is responsible for alleviating chronic pain, recurrent pain and minor injuries , being ingested in four different ways: - Usually orally, through tablets. - Administered intravenously and intramuscularly with injections - Consumed by the eye or nose through concentrated drops - Introduced into the body rectally, using suppositories Due to its effectiveness in reducing muscle pain, it is frequently used against pain associated with age , such as low back pain or arthritis. Paracetamol is used to relieve pain of various origins, such as menstrual pain, headaches, dental pain and neuropathic pain, related to diabetic neuropathies. Treat fever in various conditions Paracetamol decreases the febrile reaction in various conditions, such as the flu and measles. Thanks to this antipyretic effect , it is common for it to be present in flu-fighting drugs, but it is also administered independently, without being combined with the flu. Paracetamol is a great support during throat conditions, where irritation causes annoying pain. Contraindications of paracetamol The use of this drug is contraindicated for a variety of patients: - Those who suffer or have suffered from liver disease , since this organ can be seriously affected by the medicine. - Pregnant or lactating women . This medicine crosses the placenta and can also reach breast milk, so care is given under the detailed instructions of a doctor. - Those who drink alcohol in a time close to contact with paracetamol - Patients currently taking other medications . This contraindication must be addressed, since a doctor is in charge of approving the combination of drugs, analyzing the possible effects. With this observation, toxicity reactions can be avoided. Does consuming paracetamol have side effects? A consequence of inappropriate consumption is toxicity , generated by certain main causes: - Consumption in excess - Ingest it in the absence of apparent symptoms - Accompany it with alcohol intake In the above cases, the toxicity comes to risk the patient to suffer: - Loss of appetite - Jaundice of the skin and eyes - Stomach ache - Renal insufficiency - Hepatocellular insufficiency (dysfunctions in the liver) - When there is severe liver damage, it leads to tissue necrosis and organ death. In people allergic to paracetamol, adverse symptoms such as: - Difficulty breathing - Swelling of the throat, face, tongue, lips - Appearance of hives - Seizures, in rare cases

Allison interviews Taylor Speegle from VisionAid about their products that help people with impaired vision. Taylor first demonstrates their Eye Disease Simulator. This mixed reality headset allows people to experience, first-hand, life through the eyes of someone who lives with eye disease. Eye Disease Simulator helps people such as ophthalmologists, medical students, patients, and loved ones to develop empathy and understanding of a person suffering from eye disease. With a set of mixed reality goggles, the simulator displays visual symptoms of several selectable types of eye diseases to the user, thus distorting the actual scene they are viewing. Eye diseases, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, can be simulated from the earliest stages to the most advanced stages. In addition, different or varying degrees of eye diseases can be simulated in each eye separately. Their second product, VisionAid Air, is currently under development. It is a set of electronic glasses designed to improve visual performance for people who are legally blind or with low vision. VisionAid Air glasses will actively and in real-time augment the available vision of those afflicted with some types of vision impairment. Learn more a https://visionaid.io/ Using a Screen Reader? click here

The American Football Debate: Cultural Differences The debate surrounding what American football should be called is an interesting one, as it reflects the cultural and linguistic differences between countries. In the United States, the sport is known as American football to differentiate it from other popular sports like soccer and basketball. The term encapsulates the unique set of rules and characteristics that make the sport distinct. While some argue for a change in name to simply ‘football,’ it could lead to confusion and dilute the sport’s identity. Therefore, preserving the label of American football seems justified. UK and Australia refer to soccer Furthermore, in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia, football refers to what Americans refer to as soccer. British football fans are passionate about their sport, and calling American football simply ‘football’ could be perceived as disrespecting this cherished tradition. Thus, it is important to acknowledge and respect the existing nomenclature and cultural significance associated with the term ‘football’ in other countries. Renaming American Football Undermines Cultural Significance Moreover, renaming American football could also potentially undermine its historical and cultural significance in the United States. The term ‘American’ in American football represents the sport’s deep-rooted connection to American culture, history, and values. It serves as a reminder of the sport’s iconic moments, legends, and traditions that have shaped the game as it is known today. Changing the name would detach the sport from its rich heritage and detract from its powerful role as a symbol of American identity. Maintaining American Footballs Cultural Identity Ultimately, while the debate over what American football should be called is an interesting one, it seems appropriate to maintain the current label of American football. This acknowledges the cultural, linguistic, and historical contexts surrounding the sport and respects the different meanings attached to the term ‘football’ in various countries. Embracing the name as American football solidifies its uniqueness and allows for a deep appreciation of its distinctive rules, players, and history within the diverse landscape of global sports. Charlie is not your average man blogger. With a quick wit and a knack for finding humor in the most unexpected places, he brings a refreshing twist to the world of American football. Armed with his keyboard and a passion for the game, Charlie dives deep into the intricacies of the sport, dissecting plays, analyzing strategies, and sharing his unique perspective with his readers. Whether he's poking fun at the overzealous fans or cracking jokes about the players' pre-game rituals, Charlie's writing is guaranteed to leave you in stitches while still providing insightful commentary on the game he loves.

Why We Should Purify Our Wealth? - Post by: Muhsin Nor Paizin - December 23, 2021 - Comments off Why it is important that we should ‘purify’ our wealth and what is the significance of zakat? In Islam, all wealth belongs to Allah. It does not belong to the individual. Wealth is an amanah (trust that is entrusted to the individual) from Allah. We are but the administrator of it. We will have to account for the wealth that Allah has entrusted to us in the Hereafter. Allah has made it obligatory on us that a very small part only 2.5 percent of the wealth He entrusted us with must be paid as zakat. This 2.5 percent does not belong to us. It belongs to the poor and the needy and those who can receive it. The poor and the needy have the right to demand the due zakat from the wealthy. When a Muslim gives the zakat, Allah, through His Love and Mercy, makes the rest of his wealth which is the remaining 97.5 percent halal (lawful) for him to use as he pleases. Allah encourages him to spend a portion of his 97.5 percent in charity (sadaqah) but He does not make it obligatory or compulsory. In giving zakat, a person purifies his soul from the filth of miserliness, greed, and selfishness. It cleanses his soul from feeling contempt for the poor. It stops him from behaving harsh-heartedly towards the poor. It nurtures in him feelings of spiritual goodness which include compassion, concern, and understanding for the poor. It ensures that the giver will receive the Blessings of Allah in the Hereafter. One of the main aims of zakat is to eradicate poverty (al-faqr). Allah, due to His all-encompassing Knowledge and Mercy, knows that it will be difficult for a person to perform his obligatory duties, personal, spiritual, social, political, and otherwise when he is starved of food and deprived of shelter. Thus performing zakat will help them. Allah knows best!

Before the cleaning begins, the dental professional will take a look at the entire mouth with a small mirror. This mirror is angled so that they can see all around the mouth, gums, and teeth. During this examination, they will look for signs of oral health concerns, such as inflamed gums, which may indicate gingivitis — the first stage of gum disease. Unless there are any problems detected, the examination and cleaning are taken care of by the dental professional without needing to consult anyone else. The dental professional will use a scaler to remove any plaque or tartar that has built up on the surface of the teeth since the last dental examination. This is important because buildup can lead to tooth decay and cavities. A scaler is a special tool that looks like a hook. The dental professional uses it to remove the plaque on the teeth and around the gumline. It is normal to hear scraping sounds during the scaling. With regular brushing and flossing, scaling should not take too long. After the dental professional has removed the plaque, they will use a gritty toothpaste and electric brush to smooth and polish the teeth. The brush may be noisy, but the brushing itself is unlikely to cause discomfort. The toothpaste has a gritty substance to help get rid of any leftover plaque that the scaling might have missed, and the paste itself will polish the teeth to protect them from the buildup of bacteria between checkups. Flossing should be part of everyone’s regular at-home oral care routine. For people who do not floss regularly, there may be some discomfort during this part of the dental cleaning. The dental professional will use a thin piece of floss and glide it between each tooth to remove any plaque that might be present. They will likely ask how often the patient flosses and offer some suggestions for at-home care.

Parenting a teen who is in recovery is not an easy job. It is normal for parents to feel concerned about the risk of their teen’s relapse. While adolescents must learn to take responsibility for their sobriety, as a parent you can help them. This is particularly important if your teen is just out of treatment. One way to help is to encourage and assist them in building healthy habits, including exercise. In doing so, you are helping them reduce their risk of relapse now and in the future. Importance of Avoiding Relapse Immediately After Treatment Getting treatment for your teen is the first step to helping them heal. However, addiction is a chronic disease in which individuals are prone to relapse. As a result, avoiding relapse is one of the main goals of recovery. A particularly important time to help your teen avoid relapse is immediately after treatment. When your teen is freshly out of treatment, they return home to an environment where they have struggled with substance use in the past. Therefore, the surroundings and relationships are more likely to facilitate them using drugs and alcohol again. This makes the time immediately after treatment an important time to help your teen manage their risk of relapse. While it will look different for each individual, helping your teen find ways to build a new lifestyle will help. Contributing Factors to Teen Relapse The first step to managing relapse is understanding what contributes to your teen’s risk of relapse. Each individual will have a unique blend of factors that play a role. However, mental health, social groups, and stress often impact the risk. Addiction and mental health are closely linked. Many teens who struggle with addiction have co-occurring mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety. Additionally, other aspects of mental health, such as self-esteem, are often impacted by substance use and play a role in relapse. As a result, poor mental health will impact your teen’s risk of relapse. Therefore, helping your teen improve their mental health is one tool to aid in their relapse management. Before treatment, your teen likely participated in and was a part of certain social groups. Teens who use substances commonly spend time with peers who also use drugs and alcohol. When your teen returns to their life after treatment, they are unlikely to find adequate support from these social groups. One way to manage your teen’s risk of relapsing is to support them in finding set social groups that help them stay sober. Research supports this idea. Findings indicate that a lack of adequate social support is one of the primary factors in adolescent addiction and relapse, making social groups an important contributing factor in your teen’s risk of relapse. There are many reasons why adolescence is a stressful period in your child’s life. Many physical, emotional, and mental changes occur during this time, which can cause stress. Additional negative life events can increase stress for teens. However, it’s important to understand that stress is a contributing factor to relapse. Research shows that chronic stress in adolescents increases their vulnerability to addiction and relapse. Helping your adolescent to find healthy ways to manage stress can therefore help them decrease their risk of relapse. How Exercise Can Decrease Risk of Relapse in Your Teen Exercise is a simple and effective method to help your teen manage factors commonly contributing to relapse. By improving their mental health, building new social groups, and giving them a healthy outlet for stress, increased exercise can make a huge difference in your teen’s life. Helping your adolescent get more exercise will have a positive impact on their mental health. Whether they are struggling with a specific mental health disorder or not, exercise helps adolescents to improve their self-esteem. It also helps decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercise can also help them feel more energized and focused while releasing physical energy that is pent up from more sedentary activities. After treatment, helping your teen build a new social circle can be challenging. You do not want to encourage them to spend time with their old social circles if they encourage substance use or unhealthy behaviors. However, it is crucial for your teen to have a community. Exercise is an easy way for teens to build new relationships that are centered around sports or other activities. Helping your teen find an exercise they enjoy can help them bond with others over a mutual interest. Finally, exercise is a healthy way for teens to manage stress. When they are experiencing stress, getting exercise can release the feelings they have built up. However, it can also help them become more resilient to stress overall. Both of these are positive outcomes of exercise that can provide your teen with important tools to maintain their sobriety. In doing so, your teen will build a foundation that supports their recovery – now and in the future. Exercise is a way for teens to release energy, improve their mental health, and manage stress. As a parent, your encouragement and support can help your teen find ways to get more exercise and build a community around it. At Sustain Recovery, we believe that recovery is a result of making sustainable changes. In our programs, we use evidence-based clinical treatment modalities that help our clients learn new skills and habits that support their mental health and sobriety. We offer multiple levels of care that can be individualized to meet each client’s needs. If you are interested in learning more about our program and how we can help your teen, call us today at (949) 407-9052.

With Veterans Day quickly approaching, there’s something that we’d like to try, but we’ll need some input in order to bring it to life. Perhaps you or someone you know can help, and maybe make a difference in someone else’s life. First, here are some key stats to consider: - 85% of active duty military members are diagnosed with a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea or insomnia. Sleep disorders not only cause extreme fatigue, they can also affect mood and decision making. This can put pose as a serious risk for military members’ jobs and their safety. - Trauma-related nightmares (TRN) have been referred to as the “hallmark” of PTSD, with rates as high as 90%. - Shift work (working outside of a typical 9-to-5 job and/or sleeping less than 8 hours at night) puts soldiers at greater risk for motor vehicle or work-related accidents and impairs decision-making and alertness. Shift workers notably have a higher prevalence of insomnia and mental disorders compared to non-shift workers. - Veterans with PTSD are two times more likely to have insomnia, and those with depression or pain syndrome are about 1.5 times more likely to have insomnia. - Other physiologic and psychological diagnoses such as cardiovascular disease and dementia have also been associated with chronic, insufficient sleep. - Increased co-morbidity and mortality are compounded by traumatic brain injury resulting from blunt trauma, blast exposure, and highly physically demanding tasks under load. - Chronic pain is very common in the military, affecting more than 40% of active duty soldiers following deployment. In a study involving veterans treated at a primary care clinic at the Western New York Veterans Administration Health System, 71% reported experiencing pain; of those patients, 35% reported that their pain was constant and 85% reported that pain had been ongoing for several years. - Opioid medications are often prescribed for chronic pain conditions but use and misuse of opioids resulting in hospitalizations and death has been on the rise. - A study examined the prevalence of chronic pain and opioid use among U.S. soldiers following deployment. The researchers found that of the more than 2,500 participants surveyed, 44% had chronic pain and 15% regularly used opioids—rates much higher than the general population. - Prescription drug misuse is reportedly highest in the Army and lowest in the Coast Guard. The reality is that military culture often coincides with insufficient sleep and pain management – not just for soldiers, but sometimes for their immediate family members too. It’s not all that surprising considering the traumatic experiences that our service members are exposed to, but that doesn’t mean that they must suffer for the rest of their lives. At the very least, they deserve adequate rest, and to feel okay. With that said, one of our passions at TrueDark® is to help light a path toward drug-free sleep and pain management solutions for military personnel. We would like to offer more support for those who have served and continue to do so – specifically with helping military members sleep better, and healing their bodies, naturally — but we realize that education must come first. There’s nothing quite like the solidarity and trust that is established within military units; so, what better way to help educate other military members than to hear directly from their brothers and sisters? We invite all Active Military, Veterans, Retirees, Guard Troops, Military Spouses and their Immediate Family Members, to share their personal experiences with using: - TrueDark® eyewear to help improve sleep, mood, and cognitive function - TrueLight® light therapy devices to help heal their skin or body We acknowledge that serving the nation isn’t for praise and that sharing personal stories comes with a degree of vulnerability. We also believe that it can help others heal, that is the next mission. If you’d like to join this effort, all you have to do is submit your story/testimonial to email@example.com by November 7th, and we will share it publicly (on our website, social channels, and via email) throughout the week of November 11th. Please include any photos/videos that we are permitted to share along with your story or let us know if there is anything that we need to omit. We respect your privacy and discretion. It goes without saying, but thank you to all military members and their families for your service and sacrifice to defend our nation. Because of you, this country continues to enjoy the freedoms and privileges that are so often taken for granted. – Your TrueDark® Team

What should a monthly budget worksheet include? You’re probably bored of the thought of learning how to budget your money. You might also be thinking that your situation is unique and that you can’t budget your money. That’s incorrect. Your situation is likely very common. If you want to get rid of your student credit card debt or get on track with your money, this is the article for you. Below are my best tips to help you grow and figure out how to budget your money: Know your expenses on your monthly budget worksheet. It’s obvious that stuff happens and sometimes we have to spend money that we had no clue we would be spending. Aside from unexpected events, we for the most part should have a solid understanding of all of our monthly expenses. The problem is that this is probably the worst part of budget planning because you have to take a realistic look at where all of your money is going. To make things easier you should breakdown your expenses into two categories: fixed and variable expenses. - Fixed expenses. These are the expenses that you have every month no matter what happens. You have to pay your rent every month, you have to pay your mortgage, you have to pay insurance, and you have to cover your other bills (cell phone, cable package, etc.). - Variable expenses. This is everything else that you spend your money on. Anything from drinking, shopping, food, going out, all the way to purchasing new items. Plan your savings. We all have different savings goals and motivation for saving money. The trick is to pay yourself first. If you follow the philosophy that you will go out first and then save the rest then I really doubt you will ever save anything. Savings come in all shapes and sizes- retirement planning, saving for a vacation, saving for a new car, securities (shares and bonds), real estate, and emergency fund. It’s obviously impossible to try to save for everything at once but it is crucial that you plan your savings based on your age and goals in life. Are budgets really that bad? Not all but it’s a tough pill to swallow when you realize how much money you spend monthly and where the money is going. Now you have your very own monthly budget worksheet. How are your numbers looking?

Lotteries are games where a person buys a ticket and then hopes to win a prize. The prizes range from large sums of money to small ones. Some of the prizes are awarded in lump sums while others are received in instalments over a number of years. The lottery industry also includes the operation of retail outlets where a person can purchase tickets. The History of Lotteries Lottery games date back to ancient times. They were first used to determine the fate of individuals in a situation where resources were limited. They were also used in political decisions. In the 17th century, many American colonies established lotteries to finance projects such as roads, bridges and schools. In the 18th century, lotteries were used to finance a number of public projects in Europe. The Origins of Lotteries Several factors influence the development of lotteries, including social attitudes toward gambling and the desire for an easy way to raise revenue for state governments. In general, the general public is supportive of the establishment of a lottery as a means to generate revenues without increasing tax rates. Once the lottery is introduced, its revenues expand rapidly. They then level off and begin to decline. The pressure to maintain or increase these revenues results in the escalating introduction of new games. Some of these new games, such as scratch-off tickets, are instant and have low prize amounts, typically 10s or 100s of dollars. These are often more popular among people in lower socio-economic groups than traditional raffles. They have high odds of winning, on the order of 1 in 4 or higher. Despite these high odds, the chances of winning are still low enough that they can be considered a risky investment. The odds of winning a jackpot are incredibly low, too, and there are often huge tax implications. There are many different types of lottery games, from state-wide pick-3 to mega-millions. Some have better odds than other games, but the odds of winning a big jackpot are still very low. It is a good idea to play a smaller game with fewer numbers, like a state pick-3. These have better odds than bigger games, and they are easier to win. In most cases, the winning numbers are drawn randomly from a pool of numbers. However, there are some tricks that you can use to help improve your chances of winning. These include avoiding numbers from the same group and avoiding numbers that end with the same digit. A player should always keep track of the drawing dates for their favorite lottery games, and should never forget the numbers. It is also a good idea to jot down the numbers on your calendar if you are worried that you may forget them. The Logic of Lotteries In the United States, state lotteries have been a significant source of revenue for governments. They have benefited from widespread public support, particularly among the working class. The general public enjoys the excitement of playing a lottery, and they often become regular players.

Some of the greatest horse poems for kids can be found on this web page. We have gathered unique poetry celebrating the horse in all of its glory. If you know of other horse poems for kids that you feel would be a good addition here, please contact us and let us know. The High Horse by Carolyn Wells White Horses by Irene F. Pawsey The Horseman by Walter de la Mare My Pony by Unknown Author Tommy’s Three Horses by Unknown Author Horse by Edward Lear Horse and Flea by Unknown Author My Wooden Horse by Rebecca Anne The Deacon’s Masterpiece The Ballad Of The White Horse The Horse’s Tail How The Old Horse Won The Bet The Fly-Away Horse The Willing Horse by Edgar Guest Upon The Horse And His Rider The Discontented Horse The Council of Horses White Horses by Rudyard Kipling If wishes were horses, beggars would ride Horse, Dog And Man by S.E. Kiser The Old Horse in the City by Vachel Lindsay Horse by Elizabeth Madox Roberts The Riders by Mary Carolyn Davies The Iron Horse by James Whitcomb Riley The Horses of the Sea by Christina Rossetti Horse Rhymes by Unknown Author The Blood Horse by Bryan Waller Procter Say This of Horses by Minnie Hite Moody The Stallion by Walt Whitman Colts by Unknown Author The Horse by William Shakespeare The Horse by Unknown Author Hobby Horse by Unknown Author Hersey Horsey by Unknown Author Dappledun by Phoebe Cary The Horse by James Stephens The Evening Is Coming by Unknown Author The Horse and the Mule by John Wynne The majesty of the horse has been depicted in art from the beginning and is still honored today as one of the incredible beauties of the world. And as paint captures the amazing strength of the horse, poets have used words to describe that enduring magnificence that defines the horse. Kings have ridden into battle on the back of a royal steed and peasants have plowed fields with a faithful old mare. Up until the turn of the 20th century horses were the main way people traveled to any destination close or far. Horses have been an integral part of the evolution of human society so it makes sense that they would be represented in the fabric of culture ranging from images to poetry. In this collection of Horse Poems for kids you’ll find not only horses of every color but a love and fascination that extends from one end of the earth to the other. Work horses, stallions, mares and ponies alike poets have written in honor of this amazing hoofed, long tailed equine creature since poetry’s beginning. The diversity in poems are as diverse as the horses themselves, encompassing humor, fear, happiness, sadness, pride, strength, loss and most of all imagination. Christina Rossetti captures the grace of horses in her poem The Horses of the Sea with metaphor of foaming crests racing onto land shaped in the form of a horse. And what about Eugene Field’s Fly-Away Horse where a wispy horse made of clouds gallops around the moon and stars. Or read and imagine riding on the back of a strong stallion through the deep deserts of the Middle East in James Whitcomb Riley’s poem Iron Horse. The possibilities are endless with poetry. In today’s fast paced society, horses aren’t the integral part of the community that they used to be, but the enduring share they have contributed in the comfort, friendship and advancement, lives on in the many poems written in honor of the great majesty of the horse.

We've talked about how the hardware inside your phone can make a difference when it comes to the user experience. Now it's time to talk about the software. Software is the single-most important piece of any computer. Whether we're talking about the small computer you keep in your pocket or the room-sized clusters that do things like manage space missions, without software all of those circuits and wires and chips would do nothing. It even takes software to turn your phone on and start it up before you can see it doing anything. No matter how expensive or new the hardware inside your phone is, it would be useless without all the work that went into programming it to do something. We're going to focus on Android with this because that's what we do here, but a lot of the ideas we're going to talk about are the same for any computer you can buy or make yourself. The biggest differences (and challenges) are that our phones are mobile devices that aren't very big, and that means everything is done with an eye for power efficiency. Extreme power efficiency. After the right parts are designed and assembled to try and provide the best user experience with a tiny power supply, it's time for the software teams to get to work. What is Android We've mentioned this before, but it's worth covering again — Android probably isn't what you think it is. The word gets used in quite a few different ways — Android is a brand, Android is an operating system and Android is source code. What Android is, at the basic level, is a bunch of code that can be used to run applications. It comes with a basic user interface to its core features but it requires a lot of time and development to make it run on whatever device it's intended to run on. While everything you need to have to create a bootable software image is included in the Android source code, you can't create a single image and installer that can be used for all hardware. Support for the specific hardware needs to be declared before you try to build it into something that will actually run. Once that is done you can build a running Linux operating system and install it to the intended target. Before you can ship anything, though, you'll need to tweak and twiddle a lot of it — that's what we mean when we say optimization. The operating system There are two levels of software — the operating system and its associated extras and applications that are installed to run on it. The people who made your phone not only have to worry about making the operating system perform well, but have to maintain compatibility with a million or so applications. Notice we said "maintain compatibility," not optimize anything for third-party apps. That's an entirely different matter, and Google does most of the work there with the Android application framework — all the phone manufacturer needs to do is try not to break any of it. And that is more work than you think it is, because of the way these companies change the way Android looks and feels. No two Android models are the same. Even phones from the same manufacturer with the same name can run different software in different regions (or for different customers — your phone company), and they do. And that makes sense. We don't have gigabytes of storage space so support for every different model of Samsung Galaxy S7 — there are more than 30 versions of that one phone — built into one piece of software isn't practical. This is why, for example, you can't download the Verizon update for the S7 and use it on your AT&T model. But outside of the small changes made for different SKUs of the same model, the base software used across every Galaxy S7 (with the Qualcomm CPU) is the same. To keep with our Galaxy S7 example, you need to remember also that "Touchwiz" is not a skin or a launcher. It is the operating system. Samsung takes that base software provided from Google and changes it to better suit its needs. The way it looks, the features it has and the options and settings are all built by Samsung and added into Android in a way that will still allow third-party apps to install and run. There are a lot of parts of the Android code that Samsung doesn't alter (or can't alter) because Google requires certain things to be kept in order to use their store and applications. It's up to Google to improve and maintain those portions, but a large part of the operating system is left to Samsung to optimize for the specific hardware it is to be installed on. What is optimization? Software optimization is a necessary evil. It's time-consuming and difficult. But without it, the user experience would suffer. Google continuously optimizes Android code on a hardware-independent level. Techniques like loop unrolling, using fewer function calls and more memory efficient routines are things that benefit every device that runs Android. But Samsung (in our example) has to further these for the hardware they are using to reduce the total instruction path length (the number of CPU cycles required goes down with fewer instructions) and reduce the memory footprint, as well as build on things like scheduling and cache optimization for their specific model of CPU. All while adding more features and functions to the user and maintaining compatibility with Google Play. Generally, the process goes something like this: - Decide what features your customers want. Then throw 80% of them away and decide what features are feasible. - Define the specific hardware that will be used. - Build a bootable version of the operating system with the required features all working. - Find the bottlenecks, try to fix them, rinse and repeat. Finding those bottlenecks is difficult. Fixing them is even more difficult. And there are several ways to tackle it all. One way is to not add features to the operating system that create overhead, which gives you fewer things that can go wrong. That's where the 2015 Moto G shined. It was a very basic phone, with very basic software. After a talented team optimized the software that shipped on the phone, it was one of the most fluid Android experiences of the year — until you added a handful of apps from Google Play into the mix. Then it was apparent that the hardware inside wasn't as capable of doing many things at once as more expensive phones were. The hardware used was inexpensive so that the phone could be inexpensive, and the software optimization on just the operating system was excellent. A second way is to continue to optimize your platform while not stripping out any important features, and letting better hardware help minimize the impact. The Galaxy S7 is a product of every bit of work the software development team at Samsung has done since the original Galaxy S was introduced, running atop hardware powerful enough to deliver it in a smooth and friendly package. The result is a phone that is universally praised by both the industry and users alike. Missteps with memory management and sluggishness we saw up and including the Galaxy S6 are all but gone, and whether you love or hate the final product you can't say that it's not one of the best Android phones you can buy today when it comes to performance. We can't walk away from this topic without addressing memory management. It's one of those terms that gets thrown around because some people see some sort of problem when they are doing some things, and the bandwagon gets rolling. It can (and has) been a real issue, though. The operating system decides when to kill (as in close and not run in the background) applications and processes that are stored in the RAM. Writing to and reading from RAM is fast — much faster than writing and reading from storage. But it's limited. Even a phone with 6GB of RAM still has to have parameters set for best performance. And not all of the RAM installed inside of your phone is available for the operating system to use. Portions are reserved for the kernel to run in, the GPU to use and the cellular radio. At boot-time, it's common to see at least 512MB (or more) of RAM in use and unavailable. That's a good thing — those functions need "instant" access to the CPU. What's left is managed in a tiered way. Certain apps and processes have a higher priority than others, and they will be assigned to a higher tier than other, sometimes optional, things that are running in the background. When the total amount of free RAM shrinks to a pre-defined level, processes are killed according to priority. The goal is to keep as many things alive in the background as possible while leaving enough room to start new things. While those new things are starting, RAM is flushed until they have enough to load and a free buffer is maintained. That's why you hear people say "free RAM is wasted RAM" when talking about Linux — Android runs atop the Linux kernel. All these parameters (outside of the reserved area for the kernel) are adjustable by the people who built the operating system. They can decide how much RAM needs to stay free, and how much RAM can be used by each tier of processes. They also can write their software so that portions are assigned to a specific tier in the tree. A handy trick is to keep the launcher — what you see on the home screen(s) and application drawer — in RAM at all times. This means that the user interface for the things you're likely to spend the most time interacting with are always stored in the RAM and will be more fluid because no time is spent reading from storage and writing to the RAM when you are swiping and tapping. Issues can happen when too much or too little RAM is kept free or too many things are "marked" as essential and kept resident in RAM. That's why, for example, you can start typing something into a form on a web page, switch to another app, and come back to see everything you wrote is gone because the page had to refresh. The system still will try to keep the things you use the most in RAM, but it's unable to do so. This is all fixable, provided there is enough RAM installed. It's another part of the optimization process, and a difficult one to get right. All Androids are not created equal And we shouldn't want them to be. The software is tailored to the specific hardware used, and trial and error and Red Bull are part of the optimization process. This is part of what makes every Android phone unique and allows a choice for everyone. Be an expert in 5 minutes Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android

It all started as a discussion about how to change Bitcoin. Something was needed to help it cope better with the increasing number of people using the cryptocurrency. After years of debate, however, two different ideological camps arose with opposing views. This has resulted in the “forking” of Bitcoin into two versions: Bitcoin, as it is now, but with some evolutionary changes to make it more efficient, and Bitcoin Cash, a clone of Bitcoin but with a number of technical differences. The disagreement is highly technical in nature, but the fact that it came about at all is a reflection of the nature of Bitcoin. Unlike other software, the developers can’t simply make changes unilaterally – they need to have the agreement of the groups and companies that are responsible for “creating” Bitcoin. In other words, the Bitcoin miners and the groups running the exchanges that allow Bitcoin to be bought and sold. What was the argument? The argument about how to scale Bitcoin has centred around restrictions imposed by the original design of Bitcoin. These limited the way in which transactions were processed and put into the public ledger of transactions, called the blockchain. The rationale for this was to put the security of the system ahead of functionality which, given the small number of people using Bitcoin in those early days, wasn’t an issue. The options for lifting this restriction however became a sticking point between different groups of developers and their various supporters. One group, consisting of the Bitcoin core developers, decided on a gradual approach that would first make more space in the ledger by shuffling how things were stored. And then as a second step, increase the size of the “blocks” or groups of transactions that were added to the blockchain (the ledger that records all of Bitcoin’s transactions). Another group of developers lead by ex-Facebook developer Amaury Séchet, however, disagreed with this approach. They didn’t believe it would actually go ahead and so came up with a different design. They decided to go ahead with this new design, which essentially meant diverging from the existing Bitcoin blockchain and creating their own version. The only way they saw of implementing this design was to set a time and then start creating their own version of Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash. The argument has not just been about technology. There are ideological and commercial interests driving the various players. What was the Bitcoin upgrade solution? To understand what the Bitcoin core developers were proposing, imagine transactions being written on a piece of paper: the sheet of paper lists all of the individual sending of bitcoin from one address to another. It also contains a signature from the sender declaring that the sender actually owns the funds that she is sending, and another signature to say she now wants to spend some of those funds. These signatures takes up quite a lot of space on the paper. Bitcoin allows one piece of paper to be filed in the filing cabinet (the blockchain) every 10 minutes, and so if the piece of paper is full of transaction details, any new transactions have to wait to be put on the next bit of paper. The proposal of the Bitcoin core developers called SegWit2x wanted to improve the way Bitcoin worked by saying that signatures could be moved to a separate piece of paper, one that is filed along with the sheet containing the transaction information. Because there is more room on the paper, more transactions can be written down. The other proposal was to set a timeline through which the system would allow two sheets of transactions instead of just one. What did the Bitcoin cash people want? The developers behind Bitcoin cash didn’t agree with the idea of separating the signatures from the transaction. They thought this was a “hack”. Bitcoin cash doesn’t use this approach, and instead of simply allowing a two times increase in the block size, Bitcoin cash can grow to eight times. They also changed the way signatures were used to better suit specific types of hardware used to store bitcoin. What happens now? Bitcoin cash launched officially on August 1st at 18:24:41 UTC (GMT). Everyone who had Bitcoin before this date theoretically has access to the same number of Bitcoin cash. The current price at the time of writing was US$358 per bitcoin cash. This was about 20% of the price of Bitcoin, which was trading at US$2,715. Since the launch of Bitcoin cash, other exchanges have said they will support it, and so it seems to be gathering momentum. Having two different Bitcoins shouldn’t really pose too much of a problem for casual investors, given that they may have different characteristics and their price will start moving independently fairly quickly. Whether there will be an eventual winner will depend on how the changes actually work in practice and for that, we will have to wait and see.

There are many stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding U.S. immigration. So, it’s a good idea to ask ourselves how much we actually know about it. Here are some facts you are less likely to know about U.S. immigration. Some of them may challenge your perceptions or take you by surprise but they will definitely provide you with a more realistic picture around the topic. Do immigrants pay taxes? There is a belief that immigrants do not pay taxes. But the fact is, even undocumented immigrants do. Each year immigrants pay between $90 to $140 billion in taxes. In 2012, undocumented immigrants paid about $11.8 billion, which included taxes on good and property. There are other concerns that U.S. immigration threatens to take away jobs from people born in the U.S. To debunk this, if you compare immigrants to citizens, it’s enough to know that immigrants are twice as likely to found businesses. In addition, companies owned by immigrants show higher employment rate. States with many immigrant-owned companies have a higher employment rate for everyone. Moreover, immigrants contribute to home ownership market faster than the U.S. born population. From 1994 to 2015, immigrant homeownership rate increased by 2.3 percent while U.S. born home ownership remained stable. According to Jacob Vidgor of the University of Washington, immigrants’ contribution to the housing markets is estimated to be $3.7 trillion nationwide. Is U.S. immigration mostly illegal? It is a common myth that most U.S. immigration is illegal. In fact, about 40 to 50 percent of illegal immigrants in U.S. have crossed the border legally. What happened is they got their visas as employees, students or tourists and did not return to their home country when their visas expired. Statistics from the Pew Hispanic Center show that 66 percent of unauthorized adults in the U.S. in 2014 have been residing in the country for about a decade. Those are people who have long integrated into all aspects of life from labor-market to civil society. Does U.S. immigration boost criminality? As opposed to the common belief, they do not. In fact, U.S. born population is more likely to commit crimes. Even undocumented immigration is associated with lower crime rates. According to a study by Harvard sociologist Robert Sampson, police records and census data demonstrate that cities of concentrated immigration are among the safest in U.S. Other curious facts about U.S. immigration Since we’ve debunked the most crucial of myths, now it’s time for a couple of curious facts. Until 1960s male immigrants outnumbered female immigrants. However, starting from 1970’s the situation has changed and up until now there are more women immigrants coming to the U.S. In 2015, 51.4% immigrant population in the U.S. was female.In 2014, 17% of the civilian labor force in the U.S. consisted of immigrants. Next, in 2014, 17% of the civilian labor force in the U.S. consisted of immigrants. In 2014, 29% of immigrants in the U.S. aged 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher compared with the 30 percent of U.S. born citizens. And lastly, in 2016, the six American Nobel Prize winner in areas of economics, chemistry, and physics were all immigrants. It is not easy to differentiate facts and myths when it comes to U.S. immigration. But now you are certainly more equipped to do so!

It is probable that black cat became bad luck during the Middle Ages thanks to Christianity. The fear that all black cats are agents of the devil led to the common superstition which has survived to the present day namely that if a black cat crosses your path, it will bring you bad luck. The superstition is that the devil has passed in front of you and therefore has been close to you but done you no harm. So, the connection with bad luck is a connection with the devil. Perhaps the fact that the black cat did you no harm was due to good luck! You can see how confusing superstition becomes. The black cat has been singled out and has played a special role in folklore. Black cats were severely persecuted by the Christian church. It is said that all cats were considered wicked in the Middle Ages by the church but black cats were singled out because they believed they were the devil. In mediaeval France the Prince of Darkness would borrow the coat of the black cat when he wanted to torment his victims. Saint Dominique, preached that the devil was a black cat. And in Cornelius Agrippa’s book Occult Philosophy (1651) he describes how to raise cat demons. He writes “Coriander, smallage, henbane and hemlock be made a fume, spirits will presently come together.” The church organised annual burning-cats-alive ceremonies on the day of the Feast of St John. Black cats were sought out to be burnt alive. Writing in 1727, Moncrif remarked: “it is true that the colour black does much harm to cats among vulgar minds; it augments the fire of their eyes: this is enough for them to be thought sorcerers at the least.” Humankind’s superstitious mind is very confused about cats in general and black cats in particular. Africa is in the grip of ancient superstitions about black cats or cats with any coat type but black is the main recipient of human superstition. Folklore states that a cat roaming a graveyard is looking for a soul to possess. A cat sitting on a tombstone means that the deceased belongs to the devil. And two cats fighting in a cemetery represent the devil and an angel fighting over the soul of the dead. Although black cats can be associated with good luck as well as bad today. There was a time on the planet when black cats were incredibly rare. The black coat occurred because of a genetic mutation which transformed the standard tabby coat of the domesticated North African wildcat to black. The first recorded mention of black cats was in Greece and Phoenicia in 500 BC according to my research. Carthaginian traders transported these black cats far and wide and introduced them to foreign places. In ancient Egypt, rare black cats became associated with the goddess Isis; the goddess of the earth’s fertility and all things living. The goddess wore a black coat symbolising night. At that time the night was considered to be calming and gentle. A time for love. It was not a time for sinister and demonic goings-on. Black cats became regarded as the reincarnation of Isis and revered sacred animals. Black cats became a good luck charm on sea voyages. They invoked Isis’ goodwill and protection on the voyage. Images of cats were carved for the ship’s prow. As recently as the 20th century it was considered to be bad luck to sail without a ship’s cat. And a ship’s cat was mandatory on British royal naval vessels until 1975. An old English folk poem goes as follows: A black cat I’ve heard it said, Can charm all heal away And keep the house wherein she dwells From fever’s deadly sway. My observation of the association of black cats with good and bad luck is that the picture is unclear because a black cat can be regarded as good luck but in general it is the opposite. And we can blame Christianity for that cruel superstition which appears to have converted the black cat’s association with the devil into bad luck today. SOME MORE ON BLACK CATS: Please search using the search box at the top of the site. You are bound to find what you are looking for.

The first therapeutic cancer vaccine to be approved in the United States will stay on the market despite the financial collapse of the trailblazing biotechnology company that developed it. The vaccine, Provenge (sipuleucel-T), was purchased on 23 February by Valeant Pharmaceuticals of Laval, Canada, which paid US$415 million for the prostate-cancer treatment and other assets of the bankrupt Dendreon Corporation. The now-defunct Dendreon, of Seattle, Washington, made history in 2010 by showing that complex treatments made fresh for each patient could win regulatory approval, and could be expanded beyond the realm of specialized academic hospitals. Industry took note: today, experimental cancer therapies that spur patients’ immune cells to attack tumours are among the hottest properties in biotechnology. “Dendreon had vision and foresight,” says Usman Azam, head of cell and gene therapies at Novartis, a Swiss pharmaceutical company that has purchased one of Dendreon’s manufacturing plants to fuel its own cell-therapy efforts. “Don’t view Dendreon as a failure: it paved the way.” But although Dendreon created the market for cell therapies, it ultimately could not survive in it. Primed for attack Provenge is made by harvesting a patient’s dendritic cells and then mixing them with a protein that is particularly abundant in prostate tumours. After being primed by that process to recognize and attack the tumour, the cells are infused back into the patient. The technique was pioneered in the early 1990s by Edgar Engleman, an immunologist at Stanford University in California, who had seen promising results in animal studies of a different cancer, lymphoma. Engleman teamed up with fellow Stanford immunologist Samuel Strober to work out ways to make the process more efficient. When the two pitched their idea for a company to investors, they had little clinical data and were too optimistic about how fast the treatment could reach patients, says Strober. The company was an enormous gamble: harnessing the immune system to fight cancer was still a controversial idea, and no other company had marketed a therapy so personalized and labour-intensive. “But at that time it was a little different from now,” says Strober. “Companies were getting funded on the basis of promise, rather than actually looking at their capacity for early commercial success.” Engleman and Strober founded Dendreon in 1992; the US Food and Drug Administration approved Provenge in 2010. The approval was celebrated as an important proof of concept by researchers working to develop cancer vaccines and other treatments that stimulate immune responses to the disease. But Dendreon, already strained by the long wait for approval, soon ran into financial difficulty. Confusion over how payment for Provenge would be reimbursed by insurance companies left many doctors in the United States hesitant to use it, says Corey Davis, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity, an investment bank based in Toronto, Canada. When revenues came in far below the company’s initial estimates, Dendreon failed to adjust its operations accordingly, Valeant chief J. Michael Pearson told investors on 23 February. Provenge is, at first glance, an odd purchase for Valeant, a company known for acquiring relatively simple, established products — for example, it controls 10% of the US contact-lens market. But Valeant saw an opportunity to cut costs and improve how the vaccine is marketed to doctors, and thinks it can make back its investment in less than two years, says Davis. The vaccine’s rescue is a relief to Engleman, who had feared that Provenge might disappear along with Dendreon. As the company struggled financially, the scientists who founded it watched helplessly from the sidelines. “This was our baby,” says Engleman. “It was extraordinarily frustrating. There was nothing we could do.” In retrospect, Engleman says, some early scientific choices may have exacerbated Dendreon’s struggle. The company decided not to develop ways to freeze the stimulated immune cells, he notes, which could have simplified the procedure and lowered its cost. And both scientists lament the choice of prostate cancer as the inaugural disease target of the technology. Although the early lymphoma data had been very promising, recalls Engleman, the company decided to switch to a more common cancer with a bigger potential market. And prostate cancer had another advantage: people can live without a prostate, which helped to calm fears (since proved unfounded) about what would happen if the primed immune cells attacked healthy tissue. But the results in prostate cancer were not as dazzling as Engleman had hoped on the basis of his animal results in lymphoma. Dendreon did extend survival in some people with advanced prostate cancer, but by a median of only four months1. This week, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence advised that at more than £47,000 (US$73,000) per course of treatment, Provenge is too expensive to justify its use by the National Health Service. The Dendreon experience has not dampened Engleman’s enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. He and Strober, along with other collaborators, have teamed up on a company that aims to develop a technique to reduce the likelihood that recipients of transplanted organs will develop an immune response to the new tissue. They are again on the hunt for funding, but this time the team is backed by more than a decade of clinical-trial data that backs the method. “We’re thinking that this one will progress a lot faster than the Dendreon thing,” says Strober.

Transcript from the "Oak Routing" Lesson >> Let's talk about routing. Routing is fundamental to any web application. And Oak has pre built router middleware that allows you to handle different routes, parameters, queries, all of the things that we're doing manually before. And it's basically doing a lot of the string parsing and regular expression and pattern matching in stuff that you otherwise have to do yourself. [00:00:21] And so let's look at how to use it. So up here at the top, what wanna do is pull in the router from okay, so let's do that. Let's see this a router. You want to enable import IntelliSense for Deno land, Deno land, yes. Just so you can see what that does. [00:00:58] What it should do, is It doesn't but it will actually go out to the web and give you IntelliSense on modules that you can import remotely. Although support for that seems to be a little sketchy. All right anyway, we pulled in router, so we wanna use that. So let's create a new router instance. [00:01:21] Which we did and now what we wanna do is handle all these requests with our router. So let's do router.get and then it wants to know what path so this is the route path. So this is our route router, okay. This is our index page we're going to return and then what we get here is the context object again. [00:01:45] But we don't get the next, right, next is gonna be called for us automatically. So what we're going to do here is just a ctx, but the API is the same, right? So this is we'll just call this index page and then let's do the same thing for, let's make a user's page speed. [00:02:04] Just like Express we have like /users. Again, let's just return oops, nope, that's not what we want but that is ctx. I need to come here. Let's do. Sorry, I can't use the Escape key. Response body equals users page and then let's do a route with a parameter. [00:02:37] So we'll do router.get/users/name and then again with our context object and then we can just return, equals. Let's just echo back, the name. How do we get the name, ctx context.params. Again, if you didn't know what can I do with the context, you can just sort of got it and get the IntelliSense and find params that's probably it. [00:03:16] And then what can we do with params to context.params.what.name, maybe I don't know. Let's try this and see if it works on the task, the task manager popped up, even though I didn't ask for it. Windows is trying to tell me something. All right, so we no longer need to have the app handle the requests. [00:03:40] So instead, what we wanna do is have the app use the router sorry, app use router. And then specifically, we need to tell it these are the different routes and then we also want to tell it to use this allowed methods. Which allows us to handle all the methods, http methods that we might get, besides just to get okay. [00:04:13] So now we're handling all these different routes and we're gonna respond differently based on which one we're at. And we're even gonna handle a route perimeter that we jumped through quite a bit of hoops before, but hopes a router makes this quite simple. So let's make sure we're still running here, open an unsupported media type was attempted to be imported as a module. [00:04:36] I don't think that's right, let's try this again. Look at this, somehow this got pulled in. Let's take this out, we don't want this, there we go. All right, so here's our application running on port 3000 refresh index page. So if we go to users should say Users page and if we pass a name, it should just echo back the name and it does. [00:05:09] All right, so, that the router from oak makes it quite simple to do complex routing, than your application would likely have. Routing is a fundamental part of any web application. All right, so we implemented that, added the users route. Now, one of the things here, though, that's going to be a problem is that you can imagine if this application was at any size that we would have dozens of routes maybe hundreds of routes, who knows, right? [00:05:45] And so this app file could be extremely monolithic and so what we don't want to do is just put all of our application code in the app file. Because what if here, we were making some sort of a database call to get users and then here we were doing something else. [00:06:04] And then we write all of this code to be in the app page, and we don't want that. So really what we wanna do is mimic what Express does and what Express does is it says, okay, well we're gonna put all of our routes in a folder called routes, all right. [00:06:21] So we need to create files in here and each file will handle a specific route. So for instance, in Express, one file handles all the index routes, doesn't matter if it's a get post, put what have you. Doesn't matter if there's parameters, one file handles all that for users, same thing. [00:06:38] So we wanNA create that kind of structure. So I'm going to create this file and I'm just going to call it index router.ts. And now what I need to do is I need to be able to reference that router object so that I can add the route here in this file and handle all the code here. [00:07:01] Now, there's no prescribed way to do this So what I'm gonnado here is just sort of my opinion on how to structure this. But what we can do here is we can export because we have this syntax this like you'll see, keep seeing this use syntax right here. [00:07:18] So I wanna have a syntax that's similar to this but what we can do here is we can say, export. We could say export default. Export actually just export function use, and then we wanna pass in a path string and we wanna pass in, maybe we want to pass in the router, okay? [00:07:46] Now in order to actually use the router object, we have to import it and this is where we run into this problem where we're gonna have URL imports all over the place and we don't want that. So now's a really good time for us to create that depths file that we talked about. [00:07:59] So let's do a new file, call it depth.ts and let's paste this in and then remember, we have to export this stuff back out. So let's export application and router. Okay, and actually here, let's do let's export a default function, And then at the top of this, what I wanna do is import router from the depths file which we can access like this. [00:08:38] Right now all of our nasty URLs are hidden away out of sight. But we need to import application and application and router from that file as well. Forgot na From our depths.ts, okay. And it's in the same folder here, so we don't need this, just do this. Okay, so here we've got this function and inside of that, what we wanna do is just say this router object which we've passed in needs to be of type router. [00:09:23] We'll just say router dot oops, I got an uppercase, let me change this, router.get, right. And then we just wanna get the path and then we wanna do something just like we're doing before. We just moving this code in what we're doing before saying ctx.response.body equals index pag, okay. [00:09:54] Now we need to take out our router here. So let's get rid of this. So we don't need this anymore, instead we're gonna pull in our router file, so import. So we wanted to do routes, there we go, Index router.ts, okay. And then here what we can do is just tell our index router we got a default remember we talked about that I messed it up. [00:10:31] So he pulled us out, we should be able to get it. Like this, use, there it is and then we're gonna pass in the path, okay? And we're gonna pass in the context, the router object sees me. Okay, so just like that we've moved the logic for our index router into another file and let's just do the same thing for our users routes. [00:10:57] Let's just do user's router. And then we can just copy over basically everything from the index route into our users router but in this case, what we wanna do is, we wanna have two routes. One is responding to the params but for now we'll just handle the main route and let's just change this to users page, okay. [00:11:26] And then now we can copy the same line up here, just move this down, just rename it to Users router. Okay, excellent. Let's get rid of this because we're not using router and now it's just, users router.use, users and then we're passing in that router object. Okay, so as just like this, you can see where we're sort of just moving through here and handling paths and moving things into routers and structuring our application, the way an application might be structured. [00:12:09] Now, I think actually the right way to do this in a perfect world is to actually create a new router in each one of these files. So, in a perfect world, we'd say, const router equals new router like this and then we would say router.get and we would handle all of this stuff here in this file. [00:12:26] But the problem is as of the time of this writing oak does not handle sub routers like that, it will only take that one router. And so we're sort of stuck to this syntax of kind of mimicking that by wrapping everything in a use function. Okay, are we still running over here? [00:12:47] File change detected we are. So now do we have something similar? Let's see here. Let's go back Index page. Users page All right, so our router is working very nicely. All right, so we are slowly approximating something that looks like we need it to.

The cost-effectiveness and high efficiency of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) incentivise researchers to explore its potentials within the food industry. Presently, the destructive nature of this nonthermal technology can be utilised to inactivate foodborne pathogens, enzymatic ripening, food allergens, and pesticides. However, by adjusting its parameters, ACP can also be employed in other novel applications including food modification, drying pre-treatment, nutrient extraction, active packaging, and food waste processing. Relevant studies were conducted to investigate the impacts of ACP and posit that reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) play the principal roles in achieving the set objectives. In this review article, operations of ACP to achieve desired results are discussed. Moreover, the recent progress of ACP in food processing and safety within the past decade is summarised while current challenges as well as its future outlook are proposed. ASJC Scopus subject areas

History of the Census and Its Samples - Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790-2000 - This volume was published by the Census Bureau in 2002. It contains a record of all census questions, enumerators instructions, and brief histories of every census from 1790-2010. - Histories of Enumeration Procedures for Each Census The procedural histories provide detailed information on the collection and processing of each item on the questionnaire. The essay on the 1790-1940 censuses was written by a historian. The 1940 procedural history was prepared as part of the PUMS creation in the 1980s; the other volumes were published by the Census Bureau shortly after each census was taken.

Al-Andalus. Poetry. Homoerotic Verse. One of the many surprises of the poetry of al-Andalus (as the Moors called the land they occupied in the Iberian Peninsula) is the existence of homoerotic verse. It was, however, not an isolated feature but figured as part of a general occurrence across the Islamic world. This despite the orthodox view as reflected in the Qu’ran, in the hadiths (the collected sayings attributed to Muhammad) and in legal treatises (e. g. the theologian Malik of Medina) which was generally unforgiving. Punishment was death by stoning, although in the most liberal cases the penalty could be reduced to whiplashes. The continued and widespread penning of homoerotic poetry reflected, then, a marked ambivalence or at least cautious acceptance when popular attitude was measured against orthodox stances. In al-Andalus, the most articulate and influential commentary on love was made by the Cordoban Ibn Hazm (994-1064) in his wide-ranging book, The Dove’s Neck-Ring about Love and Lovers (c. 1022). For Ibn Hazm, love was natural, God-given and beyond man’s control and most of his arguments refer to heterosexual relationships, as exemplified by numerous anecdotes. However, he does also include tales of men falling in love with other men or youths without condemnation. What was important was that lovers should keep their love secret. Ibn Hazm even extols those who love without the objects of their love even being aware of the passion they had awoken. Those thus infatuated were the “martyrs of love.” In reciprocated homosexual love, Ibn Hazm seems to suggest that relationship be restricted to chaste embraces and kisses without intercourse or at least should not infringe on public morality. The frequent references in legal and moral commentaries, as well as in poetry, to male friendships suggest that the practice was fairly common and tolerated. Several leaders –kings, ministers of state, scholars, civil servants– were known to be bisexual, including the great Abd al-Rahman III (912-61), self-declared caliph who ruled al-Andalus in its political and cultural heyday, Abd al-Rahman’s son, al-Hakam II (915-76), and al-Mu’tamid (1040-95), the king/ emir of the taifa of Seville. Homoerotic poetry in al-Andalus is in many ways much like heterosexual verse in that it seeks to open to readers a world of unexpected associations based on images that delight in awakening a sensory response. Nature, from precious metals and jewelry to animals and flowers, has an important function in this. It is trawled for a combination of images that suggest refined eroticism and indolent pleasure with, for example, reclining youths whose beauty the leaves the lover inebriated. Wine is frequently present (despite official Muslim injunctions against alcohol) served perhaps by a slender youth or cup bearer whose emerging beard only adds to his desirability. [There is a revered source that may surprisingly have helped make such poems acceptable, and that is the Qu’ran, where the image of paradise frequently conjures a garden with bountiful streams where boys serve the blessed with wine and fruits, e.g. Suras 76, 56, 52,] Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi (858-940), the most prominent poet in the courts of Abdullah ibn Muhammad (ruled 888-912) and Abd al-Rahman III (r. 912-61), describes the effect of a cup bearer when he looks at him: Oh that face that shines at me almost bled (i.e. blushed) when I gazed at it. He gave me the cup and the darts of his eyes, and before I drank from his hands, it was from his eyes that I drank. (Legacy, 330) The first growth of a youth’s beard commonly awoke a passionate response in Arabic poets. Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi puts it like this: Oh you on whose cheeks the sprouting beard has drawn two lines arousing passion and frustration, I never knew your glance could be a sword until you put on the sword belt of your new beard. (Banners #64) Ibn Aishah of Valencia (end 11th beg 12th C) avoids the martial imagery for a softer picture, as he describes the transformation from child to youth entirely in terms of natural objects: If you loved his face when it was a garden where soft narcissus and red roses grow, Love it all the more now, and with greater passion, for his new beard has added violets. (Banners #66) Night, predictably, figures frequently in love poetry; it is a time when lovers can be alone. Ibn Hazm quotes lines from Ibn Ammar (d. 1086), the bisexual vizier to al-Mut’amid with whom he had a stormy relationship and by whom he was killed! Ibn Ammar describes an erotic night he spent with the then youthful al-Mu’tamid, whose beauty is evoked by natural objects that convey youthful colour (the myrtle is an evergreen bush with aromatic white or rosy flowers) combined with the purity and fragrance of the lilies: During the night of union there was wafted To me, in his caresses, the perfume of its dawns, My tears streamed out over the beautiful gardens Of his cheeks to moisten its myrtles and lilies… (Crompton, 151). The love making is converted into a suggestive, erotic picture but constrained by the delicacy of the metaphors drawn from nature. One of the best-known poets of homoerotic verse is Ibn Shuhayd (992-1035), like Ibn ‘Abd Rabbihi, from Córdoba. Well known, too, for raging against the impotence and disintegration of his beloved Córdoba, Ibn Shuhayd could celebrate his attachment to his lover with some disturbing images for the modern reader. In one poem, he describes their meeting at night: When, drenched in drunkenness, he lay down and fell asleep, and the eyes of the night watchman closed in slumber, I approached him timidly, like a friend who is searching for something; imperceptibly as a dream, I crept towards him, and as sweetly as breathing, I drew close to him, I kissed the whiteness of his neck and sipped the redness of his lips; and I spent the night with him deliciously, until the darkness smiled, showing the white teeth of dawn. (Banners #177) Modern sensibility would probably not view the picture very favourably since this is a one-sided picture of events, despite the seemingly innocuous imagery of timidity and friendship and apparent satisfaction. But that satisfaction is not seen to have been shared, since the narrator has taken advantage of his partner’s drunkenness to caress him, and the “I” of the last line is conspicuous rather than the expected “we” of shared pleasure. Nowadays, we might classify this non consensual, a kind of rape, with the partner unconscious and the action centred around the “I” of each line except the first. The same criticism of one-sided satisfaction might be made of the following two lines, where questionable poetic taste and overwrought passion –as expressed by Ibn Shuhayd– have combined to produce a comical image: Such was the kissing, such my sucking of his mouth that he was almost made toothless. (Watt and Cachia, 102) A final example shows how difficult it is sometimes to distinguish between homosexual and heterosexual poems, since the imagery can be similar to that used in describing the lady. In fact, in a well regarded Spanish translation of the Banners by Emilio García Gómez, Poemas arabigoandaluces # 41) the following extract is from a poem is entitled “The beautiful woman in revelry: la hermosa en la orgia.” In two English versions (Banners and Monroe’s anthology) it is a young man who is described. The poet, Prince Marwan ibn Abd al-Rahman (grandson of Abd al-Rahman III, d 1009) imagines his lover drinking a glass of wine. He begins: His supple waist was a branch that balanced on the sandy dune of his hips, from which my heart seized fruits of fire. The fair hair that peeped over his brow cast a curl over the white page of his cheeks, like gold running over silver. (Poemas arabigoandaluces #41) The poem continues with contrasting images of the wine as red nectar in a glass held by the lover’s white fingers, and when drunk the wine becomes the sun which sets in his lips leaving its setting rays on his cheeks. The sensation from reading this kind of poetry –not only homoerotic but also heterosexual– is that of refined eroticism and indolent pleasure. It is an impressionistic picture of the beloved as a medium for aesthetic as well as sensory gratification. The prominence of wine might surprise us in view of the Islamic strictures against alcohol, but if documentary evidence is anything to go by, the restrictions were not too severely applied, and in fact, the praise of wine was a very widely exploited topic in Arabic poetry (The Rubaiyat (i. e. Quatrains) of Omar Khayyam (1048-1131) is undoubtedly the best known, thanks to Edward FitzGerald’s 1859 translation). There is something transgressive in the indulgence enjoyed in skirting official sanctions. Writing about wine and homosexuality was perhaps, acceptable because it was not seen as openly advocating such behaviour but as a doorway to new and unexpected worlds of aesthetic pleasures. Bellamy, James & Patricia Owen Steiner Banners of the Champions. An Anthology of Medieval Arabic Poetry from Andalusia and Beyond. Selected and transl. from the original Arabic of Ibn Said’s anthology Madison 1989. García Gómez, Emilio Poemas arabigoandaluces Mexico 3rd ed 1946 (based on Ibn Said’s collection, The Banner of the Champions). Menocal, Rosa, Scheindlin, Raymond and Sells,Michael The Literature of Al-Andalus Cambridge 2000. Monroe, J. T Hispano-Arabic Poetry: a Student Anthology Berkeley 1974. Rubiera Mata, Ma Jesus Literatura hispanoárabe Madrid 1992. Salma Khadra Jayyasi ed. Legacy of Muslim Spain Leiden 1992. Watt, Montgomery and Cachia, Pierre A History of Islamic Spain New York 1967.

Creosote is a part of a chimney professional’s day every day, but creosote is not an inevitable part of burning a fire in the fireplace. People often think that creosote buildup occurs whenever a fireplace is used, but this is not the case. There are actually many factors which are preventable that are the reason that creosote buildup occurs. If you have a wood stove, a common problem which results in creosote buildup is a poorly designed wood burning stove. Until recently, air tight stoves were deemed the best for burning wood. These stoves are designed to allow wood to burn for a long time at a relatively low heat, meaning that the fire needs fueled less often but also provides an incomplete combustion. A large part of the wood is used not for producing heat but producing smoke, and since the flue system is relatively cool it condenses in the form of creosote in the flue. By using a newer, EPA certified stove you can burn fuel more efficiently and reduce creosote buildup. You should not see a lot of smoke billowing out of your chimney. If you do, this means that your fire is not burning hot enough and therefore not very efficiently. Chimneys that draw improperly are another cause of creosote. If the ratio between flue size and firebox is not correct, the products of combustion will not move up and out of the chimney as quickly as they should. When this occurs, the gases have a chance to cool off and condense on the walls, causing creosote buildup. If you select the wrong type of wood to burn, no matter how efficiently you get the fire burning creosote will build up. Wood that is green or wet should not be burned. It releases excessive water vapors into the flue system which increases the rate at which creosote condenses in the flue system. Always burn dry wood. Dry wood releases less water vapor and makes for a more complete burn to reduce creosote buildup. Creosote buildup, especially once it has reached stage three and is glazed onto your flue system, is often hard to remove. Your chimney professional may recommend a creosote modifying spray or powder to change the state of the creosote. These actually modify the creosote so that it is easier to remove. If the creosote is glazed on it will chemically change it such that a standard brush is able to sweep the creosote away. As you can see, creosote buildup is preventable. Conditions must be right in order for a chimney to draw properly, for the fire to burn at an appropriate temperature, and the wood you use must not be wet or green. Homeowners think that creosote is simply the result of burning fires, but this is not the case.

The methanol spray combustion in a laboratory-scale combustor was experimentally studied in the present study, especially for the effect of the water content in methanol on the flame phenomena. The results showed that as the water content in the fuel mixture was less than 10%, and the flames can be sustained stably. The appearance of the flames was not significantly different for various water contents in the fuel mixture. However, the flame length was reduced by increasing water contents, but there was no apparent change in the flame lift-off height. The exergy efficiency was in the range of 18%-21%. In addition, near flame extinction, the increase of specific exergy destruction can be found. As the water content in the fuel mixtures was increased by 10%, the exergy efficiency reasonably decreased by 9.98%, but the thermal efficiency reduced by 26.61%. All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

The origin of Cancer Stem Cells Cancer stem cells (CSCs), also known as tumor-initiating cells (TICs), are cancer cells that possess capability of proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal. It is widely believed that CSCs play critical role in the initiation, metastasis, and relapse of cancers, but the origin of CSCs remains unclear. Up to date, several hypotheses have been described, and cell fusion and horizontal gene transfer, which may occur during development and tissue repair process, are considered as important origins of CSCs. In addition, critical gene mutations in stem cells, progenitor cells or even differentiated cells may also contribute to the formation of CSCs, and cell microenvironment is critical to CSC self-renewal and differentiation. The ongoing efforts to identify the CSCs origins may shed more light on understanding of cancer initiation and progression, as well as the development of novel cancer therapies. Bu, Y. and D. Cao (2012). “The origin of cancer stem cells.” Front Biosci (Schol Ed) 4: 819-830.

Go to Part 21 Enquiry into the statement, ‘That Thou Art' तत् त्वम् असि ननु साहंकारस्य किंचिज्ञ्यस्य जीवस्य निराहंकारस्य सर्वज्ञस्य ईश्वरस्य तत्वमसीत महावाक्यात् कथमभेदबुद्धिः स्यादुभयॊः ननु – but साहंकारस्य – of one with ego किंचित् ज्ञानस्य – with limited knowledge जीवस्य – of the individual and निराहंकारस्य – of one without ego सर्वज्ञस्य – all knowing omniscient ईश्वरस्य – who is the lord तत् – that त्वम् – you असि – are इति महावाक्यात् – the greatest statement कथम् – how अभेदबुद्धिः – vision of non-difference स्यात् – is possible उभयोः – the two are विरुद्ध धर्म आक्रन्तत्वात् – endowed with opposite natures इति चेत् - if it is said so, the answer is न ‘No'. But the individual is endowed with ego and his knowledge is limited; whereas the lord is without ego and omniscient. Then how can there be unity between them as stated in the great statement, “That Thou Art”? These two are possessed of contradictory characteristics. ननु साहंकारस्य किंचित् ज्ञानस्य जीवस्य - but the jiva or individual is endowed with ego and his knowledge is limited (alpaj~na). Ego is identification with individual body, “I notion”. निराहंकारस्य सर्वज्ञस्य ईश्वरस्य – the Lord is devoid of ego and is all knowing (omniscient). He has no identification with any single body; no individuality. He is described as the creator, abiding everywhere, and of super strength (सर्वस्रुष्टिकर्ता, सर्वव्यापि, शक्तिमान्). तत् त्वम् असि इति महावाक्यात् – How can there be identity as stated in the mahavakya of Upanishads, “thou are that”? कथम् अभेदबुद्धिः स्यात् – how can be there be vision of dissimilarity between them, उभयोः विरुद्ध धर्म आक्रन्तत्वात् - the two being of opposite nature? The previous sentence ended with an advice जीव ईश्वरयोः अभेदबुद्धिः न स्वीकार्या one should never differentiate between jiva and Ishwara. Now a question arises. How the individual and the great Lord could be the same? Swami Paramarthananda lists several differences between them. Here is a tabular form: महावाक्य mahAvAkya - A great sentence. All sentences convey a direct or implied meaning. A great sentence or mahavakya is pithy in nature and conveys a meaning of immense philosophical importance showing the way to liberation. There are four mahavakyas attached the four Vedas. Out of these, Tatvabodha has taken up the most popular one “That thou art,” tat tvam asi. The four mahavakya are: Of all these four mahavakyas, तत् त्वम् असि - “You are that” is famous. It was told by a teacher to his child student Shwetaketu and the child became illuminated. The next part will analyze the meaning of each of the three words of this mahavakya. Contact Dr. Bapat at email@example.com if you have any comments or questions. Existing comments may be seen here. Go to Part 23

Motorists in major cities in Kenya may soon have to pay traffic congestion charges if the government follows through on a draft policy targeting environmental protection and easing traffic congestion in the cities. The National Treasury issued a policy document outlining plans to use taxation to reduce traffic congestion in major cities and slow global warming. Kenya is seeking the introduction of a congestion charge through the Draft National Green Fiscal Incentives Policy Framework, a fee to be paid by all motorists driving in heavy traffic zones, including all major towns. “The government will explore the development of a congestion charging scheme in cities as a source of revenue for greening the sector. This will help to reduce emissions from the sector, as well as congestion and inefficiency in the public transportation system. This will be supplemented by efforts to ensure that the lead implementors and the general public understand it,” the document states in part. It does not, however, specify the proposed amount that motorists will pay, the types of vehicles charged, or whether the tax will be combined with other taxes such as the fuel levy or parking fees. The government intends to generate revenue while discouraging motorists from purchasing high-emission vehicles to avoid paying the tax. According to official figures, Kenya has 4.4 million vehicles, the vast majority of which are powered by internal combustion engines. The State sees carbon taxes as catalysts to the transition to zero-emission vehicles. Kenya has seen an increase in the number of vehicles – primarily those powered by gasoline or diesel- and plans to shift the burden of pollution to those responsible. The transport sector in Kenya directly accounts for approximately 11% of total GHG emissions, with sector growth expected to push emissions to about 15% by 2030. Available data shows the sector is the largest consumer of liquid fossil fuels in Kenya, accounting for 81% (67% by road transport and rail and 13% by aviation) of total final consumption of oil products. Vehicles emit Carbon after burning fossil fuels. The tax will encourage motorists to purchase electric and hybrid vehicles while also achieving the overall environmental goal through flexible and low-cost methods for motorists. The policy document notes that the “government will provide incentives for import, manufacture and assembly of electric and hybrid motor vehicles, electric motorcycles and their spare parts. This will be required to aid in the transition to low-emission and clean transportation systems.” According to the World Bank, 40 countries and more than 20 cities, states, and provinces have already implemented carbon pricing mechanisms, with more on the way. The existing carbon pricing schemes cover roughly half of their emissions, about 13% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. The Draft National Green Fiscal Incentives Policy Framework, based on Kenya’s 2017 Emission Baseline, identifies transport as the fourth largest carbon emitter after energy (electricity generation), agriculture, and forestry. The Climate Change Act (No. 11 of 2016) also provides a framework for mainstreaming climate change across sectors, and guides climate change action in Kenya. The Act requires the State to develop a five-year National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) that addresses all sectors of the economy and includes mechanisms for incorporating climate change into all sectors.

Primary AuthorImogen Purcell & Nina Evason, - Music and dance plays a great role in Venezuelan culture. The merengue, salsa and bolero dances are very popular. Additionally, reggaeton music is highly popular in Venezuela and the entire region. It often provides people with a connection to culture when living overseas. - While military service is no longer compulsory in Venezuela, it remains common and popular for citizens to enrol. is a large feature of Venezuelan culture and is highly visible in the national education system. - On the street, catcalling can be both common and unwanted. Known as ‘piropos’, catcalls are commonly directed at women, and can be vulgar. Some women may find being catcalled flattering, but in general these comments are ignored. - Be aware that human rights abuses are widely reported to be “pervasive” in Venezuela. The Venezuelan government is known to crack down on protests, persecute political opponents, and is alleged to have committed extrajudicial killings.1 1 Human Rights Watch, 2019 Get a downloadable PDF that you can share, print and read.

The following sections summarize some of the major pandemics and provide references for further reading. We kept the recommendations to a few important publications to avoid overwhelming you with an endless list of readings. As much as possible, we tried to include readings that can be found online for free, which we link to below, or we offer links to various books available online. If they aren’t free, they can sometimes be found through the author’s personal website or academia.edu website where people tend to post copies of their work. If you still can’t find a copy and want one, please contact us (link) and we can pass along a copy if we have one. Justinianic Plague (c. 541-750 CE) Research on the Justinianic Plague has increased significantly in the last few decades. This plague pandemic has been portrayed as a massive pandemic that killed tens of millions, brought down the Roman Empire, and led to the Islamic conquest of the Middle East (c. 630s CE) – although recent research has questioned this interpretation. We recommend reading the following four items if you want to know more: - Kyle Harper has written a highly readable synthesis book The Fate of Rome, that depicts the Justinianic Plague as a watershed event in human history (Chapter 6 focuses on it). While we don’t agree with his conclusions, Harper is a trailblazing scholar and an engaging writer. - Our own history article in the top-tier history journal Past & Present “Rejecting Catastrophe: the Case of the Justinianic Plague,” where we reexamined all the evidence from written sources to supposed mass burials to argue that the plague did not have a massive impact - Our science article (that we wrote along with a few other specialist co-authors) in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) entitled “The Justinianic Plague: an Inconsequential Pandemic? ” Here we looked at all types of evidence – from inscriptions and papyri to pollen and DNA for the plague’s demographic impact and found none. - Marcel Keller and co-authors published the most recent article on ancient DNA evidence for the bacterium Yersinia pestis entitled, “Ancient Yersinia pestis genomes from across Western Europe reveal early diversification during the First Pandemic” in 2019. Their work established the connections between different plague remains across western Europe at the time and significantly improved our understanding of the evolution of the bacterium. Black Death (c. 1346-19th century) The Black Death is the most famous pandemic in human history. Full Stop. It may have killed up to 50% of the population of Europe in just the first 5 years (1346-1351 CE) and killed huge numbers of people across Eurasia as well. Outbreaks of this disease continued in Europe and the Mediterranean world for centuries, such as the famous London Plague of 1665 and the Marseille outbreak in 1720. This pandemic’s impact has shaped how people think about all other pandemics in human history. The literature on this pandemic is vast and continually expanding. We offer just a few key readings, but all of them have additional bibliographies. - The edited volume Pandemic Disease in the Medieval World: Rethinking the Black Death has a number of articles on various aspects of the disease from science to history and across the geographical scope of the pandemic. It is available free online, so easy enough to get a hold of. - Ole Benedictow’s book The Black Death, 1346-1353: the complete history remains the most comprehensive account of the Black Death in Europe with maps and numerous suggestions of what to read next. - Rosemary Horrox, ed. and tr., The Black Death has a huge range of sources written by people who lived through the outbreak in the 14th century. It is the standard work if you want to read the experiences of the people who lived through the outbreak of plague. - Kirsten Bos and co-authors wrote a key science article on the Black Death entitled, “A draft genome of Yersinia pestis from victims of the Black Death” in 2011. As with Keller’s article on the Justinianic Plague, this solidified what the bacterium that caused the Black Death was. Spanish Flu/Influenza Pandemic of 1918 The 1918 Influenza pandemic is being compared most often to the COVID-19 pandemic, since both are flu like virus diseases and both spread globally over the course of a short time period. Deaths across the world from thos pandemic were in the tens of millions, but the true extent will probably never be known, since many countries did not keep track of their data. There are two key differences between the 1918 Influenza and COVID-19. First, the disease in 1918 disproportionately struck young, healthy people while COVID-19 (at the moment) tends to strike the elderly and those with immune response problems. Second, even the sometimes problematic public health responses across the globe today are far better than what was available in 1918. Treatments 100 years ago consisted largely of what we would term self-care at home today: cover yourself with blankets, drink water, eat soup, and the like. Interestingly, the Influenza of 1918 was almost entirely forgotten within just a few decades after its spread and, for much of the 20th century, was rarely discussed. We recommend reading: - Alfred Crosby’s 1978 America’s forgotten pandemic the influenza of 1918 remains the key book on the subject, with new editions in the late 1980s and early 2000s. Crosby was the first historian to write a book on the subject and his analysis and framing are still the gold standard. - John Barry wrote a popular book in 2004, The Great Influenza that traces out the turn of the 20th century the state of medicine and follows the pandemic across the United States and around the world. He is a lively writer, although it is a long book! - If you are interested in the scholarship on the Influenza Pandemic, then Howard Phillips’s 2014 article “The Recent Wave of ‘Spanish’ Flu Historiography ” has you covered. He surveys the state of the field from a few years ago and offers guidance on new work - For sources written at the time, the best resource is the Influenza Encyclopedia that is online from the University of Michigan. It has over 16,000 documents and photographs from across the U.S. that can be searched by people, places, organizations, and subjects. Definitely worth a read. Ebola first emerged in central Africa in 1976 and has caused over 25 outbreaks in Africa, which continue to the present. Ebola takes a deadly toll, with high risk of death, up to 90%, in individuals who get it. There is no known treatment for Ebola, but it has almost entirely been contained to outbreaks in Africa. Ebola was important in American culture, since its emergence was the first devastating infectious disease to reach the U.S. (and global) media for decades and make an impression in American intellectual thought. (More on HIV/AIDS to come.) This was also the model for the fictional disease that was featured in the 1995 movie Outbreak, which shaped popular conceptions of pandemic. Due to Ebola’s more recent history, there are fewer historical discussions of its impact. - Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone is based on a 1989 incident that occured in Reston, Virginia that wiped out monkeys at a facility there. It is considered perhaps the most central book to push infectious diseases into the fore of American thought. - David Quammen’s Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Disease is also a fast read written for abroad audience. It tracks the history of Ebola across the last 40 plus years and discusses its implications.

Mono-ammonium Phosphate is produced from phosphoric acid and ammonia through acid and alkali reactions. It can provide crops with N and P simultaneously. It has a better effect than superphosphate and ammonium sulfate in acid and alkaline soils. Suitable for all crops. Can be used with chelated secondary and trace elements. Total Nitrogen (N).......................12.00% Available Phosphate (P2O5)...........61.00% Suitable for a wide range of crops and soil types. Crystalline powder, easy to transport. Improve crops yield, quality, and stress resistance. Main raw material for soluble fertilizers. Applications close to the seeds should be avoided. Directions for use An ideal combination of N and P2O5 to be used as a starter fertilizer on small grains, row crops, and trees. The mono-ammonium form reduces the risk of fertilizer harming germinating seeds. Chemically compounded N and P2O5. The ammonium phosphate combination in each pellet enhances the uptake of phosphate by the plant.

Level 1-2-3 Framework for Wetland Assessment - Level 1 (landscape assessment) relies on coarse, landscape scale inventory information, typically gathered through remote sensing and preferably stored in, or convertible to, a geographic information system (GIS) format. - Level 2 (rapid assessment) is at the specific wetland site scale, using relatively simple, rapid protocols. - Level 3 (intensive site assessment) uses intensive research-derived, multi-metric indices of biological integrity. Nearly all assessment methods in use today fit within one or more levels of this paradigm. Ecological Condition Assessment Methods CHNP has developed ecological condition assessment methods for all three levels within the Level 1-2-3 Framework. In addition to protocols developed by CNHP, several wetland and riparian assessment protocols are used by various Colorado agencies and partners.Visit the Assessment Methods Page Habitat Quality Assessment Methods Wildlife habitat is among the most critical functions wetlands provide. CNHP and parnters have developed factsheet and habitat scorecards to help landowners and land managers understanding habitat needs of priority wetland-dependent wildlife.Visit the National Wetland Condition Assessment Page Wetlands are among the most diverse ecosystems in Colorado. Since 1992, CNHP has partnered with public, non-profit, and private entities to conduct surveys of critical biological resources for counties and/or watersheds.Visit the National Wetland Condition Assessment Page Colorado Wetland Assessment Projects In 2008, CNHP began a series of field projects to assess the condition of wetlands in Colorado’s major river basins. Our goal is to survey each of the major river basins on a rotating schedule every 10 to 15 years.Visit the Basinwide Assessments Page National Wetland Condition Assessment The National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) is a collaborative survey of the nation's wetlands. CNHP is an active participant of the NWCA and coordinated sampling in Colorado for both the 2011 and 2016 surveys.Visit the National Wetland Condition Assessment Page

Decision-making tools help organizations identify all the activities that must take place for a decision to be made and executed well. Using these tools, organizations determine and define the roles that individuals will play in decisions of different types. There are several decision-making tools nonprofit leaders can use, usually with acronyms for the roles that individuals can take on during the decision-making process. For example, RAPID: - "R" stands for "recommender"—the person who drives the process. - "A" is for an individual who needs to "approve" a recommendation (or can veto it). - "P" stands for "perform"—the person who carries out the decision once it has been made. - "I" stands for "input." An "I" must be consulted, but does not have a vote or veto. - "D" means "decide." The "D" has final authority to commit the organization to action. Other decision-rights tools include: - ASICK (Accountable, Support, Inform, Consult, Okay) - CAIRO (Consulted, Approves, Informed, Responsible, Out of loop) - IMRN (Input, Make, Ratify, Notify) - LACTI (Lead, Accountable, Consult, Tasked, Informed) - RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) - REDI (Responsibility, Execution, Decision-Making, Influence) How it's used A clear understanding of decision roles and structures, or "decision rights," is an important component of an effective organization. Organizations are often faced with critical decisions, of both the major-and-infrequent variety (e.g., establishing a five-year strategy, developing or closing major programs or services, launching or exiting partnerships) and the smaller-but-more-frequent type (e.g., budgeting, hiring, and staffing). Unstructured decision-making processes and roles can create bottlenecks. Whether applied to the entire organization or just to specific programs, departments, or decisions, clear decision rights help organizations to: - Make more effective decisions by giving authority and accountability to a single decision-maker - Make more efficient decisions by including only necessary participants in the process and assigning clear responsibility to the driver of the process - Increase transparency about staff roles in the process - Reduce conflict by increasing role clarity Introducing a decision-rights tool is a multistep process: - Introduce the concept and tool: Ensure everyone in the organization understands the goal of clarifying decision-making roles, the specific tool that will be used (e.g. RAPID), and the process for rolling it out. - Identify key decisions and diagnose problems: Select a handful of key decisions causing the organization pain and identify what is currently holding these decisions back. - Apply the tool to a few key decisions: Clarify how these key decisions should be made in the future, using the decision-rights tool to redesign the process. Assign clear roles ("R," "I," and so forth) to each person involved in the decision-making process. Begin making these decisions in the new way. Assess the improvements and modify roles as necessary. - Roll it out more broadly: After piloting the tool on a few key decisions, use the same process to clarify all other critical decisions within the organization. - Step back and review the whole: Continue to assess whether decisions are being made in an efficient and effective manner. As the organization evolves or grows, the roles may need to be reassigned. Five Ways that Nonprofits Can Make Decision Making More Inclusive—and More Effective Nonprofits are emphasizing inclusion to make their decision-making processes more effective. For many, it’s also a means to an end of achieving more equitable outcomes. The RAPID Decision Making Tool for Nonprofits The RAPID® tool for decision making can help a nonprofit spell out roles to improve its organizational decision-making process. Who Has the D?: How Clear Decision Roles Enhance Organizational Performance This seminal article explains the power of clarifying decision-making roles and processes to strengthen organizations. Examples and case studies Boys Town: Clarifying Decision-Making Roles Between Headquarters and Sites This case study shows how Boys Town's leaders used RAPID to help them clarify decision-making roles between headquarters and sites. Aspire Public Schools: Building the Organizational Capacity for Healthy Growth This article explains how leaders at Aspire Public Schools used RAPID to clarify decision-making roles as part of their efforts to strengthen the organization.

Gideon Algernon Mantell Gideon Algernon Mantell, English geologist and palaeontologist, was born in 1790 at Lewes, Sussex. The son of a shoemaker, he was educated for the medical profession, but found time to carry out research on the palaeontology of 'secondary' rocks (Mesozoic), particularly in Sussex. His hobby quickly became an obsession and Mantell soon became known as a competent geological investigator. His most remarkable discoveries were made in the Wealden formations. He demonstrated the fresh-water origin of the strata, and from them he brought to light and described the remarkable Dinosaurian reptiles known as Iguanodon (shown below), Hylaeosaurus, Pelorosaurus and Regnosaurus. For these researches he was awarded the Wollaston medal by the Geological Society and a Royal medal by the Royal Society. He was elected F.R.S. in 1825. Among his other contributions to the literature of palaeontology was his description of the Triassic reptile Telerpeton elginense. Towards the end of his life Dr Mantell retired to London, where he died on this day, November 10th, 1852.

One of the key ways the government tries to curb landfill usage and have people and businesses choose more environmentally friendly ways to deal with their waste is to up the cost of dumping that waste at the tip. Unsurprisingly, we’re on board! Not only is the waste levy (how much it costs to take it to landfill) going up, the waste has been categorised, reflecting how hazardous the materials being dumped are. The levy is priced accordingly. The idea is to have businesses re-think which materials they’re using and therefore how much landfill they’re creating, encouraging them to find safer alternatives. We’ll give you a hint: soil recycling means that we sort the bad stuff from the good, leaving you with more reusable material and less landfill. As good for the back pocket as it is for the environment. Here’s what you can expect to pay this financial year (image source): From July 1 2021, you’re required to pay the owed waste levy within 64 days after the coinciding quarter ends. You can calculate your levy and the claimable rebate for it over here. Choosing to participate in the circular economy means actively trying to reduce waste, reuse and recycle existing materials where you can. Hopefully this levy is a final straw in what should be an easy decision for your environmental impact and your bottom line, longer term. You can find more on the circular economy here, and read about how we can help to reduce your landfill here. Pull your head out of the dirt and make a positive impact!

Complications in Orthopaedics: Pediatrics, 1st Edition - Describes how to navigate the most common or most devastating errors and complications in pediatric orthopaedic surgery, combining the breadth of knowledge of academic surgeons with the “‘in-the-trenches” skills of community surgeons. - Follows a templated, reader-friendly format throughout. - Emphasizes how to recognize and avoid errors, with thorough coverage of preoperative errors, intraoperative issues, and postoperative complications. - Includes video clips, clinical images, and MRI and CT scans to enhance and reinforce the material. - An eBook version is included with purchase. The eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references, with the ability to search, customize your content, make notes and highlights, and have content read aloud. Section 1 Pediatric Trauma 1 Proximal Humerus and Clavicle Complications 2 Supracondylar Humerus Fractures 3 Lateral Condyle Fractures 4 Medial Condyle and Medial Epicondyle Fractures 5 Forearm Fractures 6 Complications of Distal Radius and Ulna Fractures in Children 7 Hand/Finger Fractures 8 Complications in Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma 9 Complications in Thoracolumbar Spine Trauma 10 Complications in Pediatric Pelvic and Proximal Femur Fractures 11 Complications in the Treatment of Pediatric Femoral Shaft Fractures 12 Fractures About the Knee 13 Complications in Tibial Shaft Fractures 14 Ankle Fractures 15 Foot Fractures Section 2 Upper Extremity 16 Brachial Plexus Reconstruction 17 Syndactyly 18 Complications in Surgery of the Thumb 19 Cubitus Varus/Valgus Correction Section 3 Spine 20 Complications in the Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis 21 Complications in the Treatment of Neuromuscular Spine 22 Congenital Spine Deformities 23 Complications in Kyphosis in Children 24 Pediatric Complications: Growing Rod Treatment Section 4 Lower Extremity 25 Complications Associated With Management of Septic Arthritis of the Hip in Pediatric Patients 26 Complications of Closed Reduction of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip 27 Complications in Open Treatment of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip 28 Complications of the Periacetabular Osteotomy for Treatment of Adolescent Hip Dysplasia 29 Proximal Femoral Osteotomies 30 Complications of Surgical Treatment of Perthes Disease 31 Complications in Treatment of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis 32 Complications in Surgical Management of Adolescent Blount Disease 33 Complications Associated with Epiphysiodesis and Hemiepiphysiodesis 34 Surgical Management of Clubfoot 35 Complications in Pediatric Flatfoot Reconstruction 36 Tarsal Coalition Resection 37 Cavus Foot Correction Section 5 Neuromuscular/Congenital Disorders 38 Osteotomies for Osteogenesis Imperfecta 39 Spastic Hip Dislocation 40 Complications of Upper Extremity Surgery for Neuromuscular Disorders 41 Complications in Lower Extremity Soft Tissue Surgery in Neuromuscular Patients Index Matthew Schmitz, Chief, Pediatric Orthopaedics and Young Adult Hip Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and Stephen Thompson, MD, MEd, FRCSC, Medical Director, EMMC Sports Health, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor, Maine

Contests and Events Through 4-H, youth are provided opportunities to develop their unique talents and capabilities. The basis of 4-H is "Learning by Doing." 4-H provides opportunities for both training (learning) and practice (doing). Through this process, young people develop life skills that are relevant now and in the future. Youth who develop life skills become self-directed, productive, contributing citizens. A variety of 4-H competitions and events enable 4-H members to practice and perfect the life skills they learn through their projects. Click on the list to the right for more specific information. Officer Training is a workshop designed to give 4-H members the skills they need to perform the office that they hold. This workshop is open to all 4-H members age 9 - 18 who hold an officer position or hope to hold an officer position in the future. The workshop is full of games and activities, so participants should be prepared to learn but have fun too. This event is usually held on a county-wide level in October but is often scheduled mid-year for new clubs. Fauquier County 4-H Contest Day features opportunities for youth to compete in Presentations, Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Speech, Fashion Revue, Share-the-Fun Contest (vocal and instrumental only), Table Setting, Science Fair, and Radio & Public Address Contests. This is a great opportunity to test out public speaking skills in a positive and supportive environment. Youth in presentations and public speaking contests choose their own topics and are encouraged to speak about anything that interests them. This event is usually held in early March and more information can be found at: https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/contestday/home Leaders of each club may nominate their 4-H’ers for the following awards at the completion of a project. The awards given are: Certificate of Project Achievement - This award is given to a 4-H’er who has completed the first year of a Project and has achieved their goals for that year. This award is only given once for each Project area completed. County Medal - This award is given to a 4-H’er who has completed 2 years of that Project and has accomplished their goals. This award is only given once for each project area completed. Certificate of Continued Project Achievement - This award is given to a 4-H’er who has been in the project for 3 or more years and has accomplished their goals for that year. This award may be given annually. Top County Awards There are 5 Top County Awards. They are based on overall 4-H accomplishment and it is a great honor to receive any one of these. To be eligible, youth must turn in a Portfolio and receive an honor award for his/her current age division. The categories are: - Achievement (Junior and Senior awards) - Leadership (Junior and Senior awards) - Citizenship (Junior and Senior awards) - I Dare You (must be a Senior in high school and have received Achievement, Leadership, and Citizenship Awards) - Pinky Horsemanship (all ages are eligible) 4-H’ers (age 9 – 18 as of September 30 of the current year) can apply for an Honor Award by submitting a Virginia 4-H All Stars Application with the following point totals for each age division: Juniors: 15 points Intermediates: 25 points Seniors: 50 points Honor Award applicants don’t have to fill out the last two pages of the application. Awards for Volunteers Nominations are accepted for these awards each fall and they are presented at the Annual Achievement Awards Night. Sam Gouldthorpe Sr. Award - The Woodland Farm Perpetual Trophy is given in memory of Sam Gouldthorpe, Sr. Mr. Gouldthorpe was a longtime outstanding dedicated and caring 4-H leader in Fauquier County. This award is used to annually recognize a Fauquier 4-H Club Leader who follows Mr. Gouldthorpe’s example. 4-H Alumni Award - The Alumni Award is to recognize 4-H Alumni who remain active in giving back to 4-H by working with the youth or supporting the program. Friend of 4-H Award - The Friend of 4-H Award is to recognize any member of the community who is active in working with 4-H youth or support the 4-H program. The Show and Sale is an opportunity for 4-H participants to learn about raising livestock including feeding, health maintenance, record keeping, showing, and selling. The profits earned through this program are used to fund future projects as well as future education. To further the education of all the exhibitors, carcass contests for each species will be held. Through these contests the participants will be able to judge their individual feed programs as well as their breed selection. Market steers will be sent to a packer for the carcass contest. Buyers wishing to resell their purchases will be paid on a carcass grade and yield basis by the packer. Local delivery can also be arranged for the carcasses processed at the packer for a small slaughtering/processing fee.

Data recovery is a hot topic. As new internet and data threats emerge, the importance of retrieving lost data surges. In fact, the Graziadio Business Review reports that there are upwards of 4.6 million occurrences of data loss each year. User mistakes cause some of these episodes, while viruses and software corruption cause others. Thanks to the prevalence of data loss, data recovery is one of the most important fields of today’s computer industry. In response to emerging threats and advancing technology, data recovery has improved significantly in recent years. Today, anyone interested in data recovery or data loss should know the following five things: Data Recovery in the Modern World: 5 Facts Today, data recovery is one of the fastest-changing and most dynamic fields in all of tech. As a result, anyone interested in computers or the science of data should know the following five things: 1. Data recovery software is available While most data recovery issues require a trained computer support professional, users can occasionally address data recovery themselves. Today, software can retrieve files from the hard drive. Additionally, people who are knowledgeable about hard drive construction may be able to replace faulty parts on their own. Keep in mind, though, that this may cause damage to the hard drive, and is not recommended. In cases where software cannot recover the data, and hard drive disassembly is not an option, it is necessary to contact a computer repair specialist to retrieve your precious data for you. 2. Modern data loss has many causes While many people attribute data losses to hard drive failures, there are several causes for this issue. In many cases, data is lost when software fails or becomes corrupted. During these situations, small errors and problems in software systems can lead to a “data dump,” which can compromise much of the data on a given system. Aside from software corruption, human error (accidental deletion of data or user mistakes that result in faulty reboots, etc.), and viruses are also prime culprits that frequently provoke data loss. 3. Data recovery has become much more advanced in recent years While it’s true that the issues behind data loss are involved, the approaches to reclaiming lost data have become more innovative. One technology that stands out is forensic data analysis, which examines data to discover criminal activities such as fraud. Unlike so many other techniques, forensic data analysis can bring together bits of data from hard drives that have been wiped completely, thus helping to solve various crimes and shine a light on various criminal activities. Unlike many other techniques, forensic data analysis can harvest data from destroyed or wiped hard drives, thus helping to solve various crimes and shine a light on criminal activities. 4. Expert data recovery services can retrieve near-impossible data Even if you purchase the best software out there, some data recovery issues demand the assistance of a professional. Even if a hard drive seems like it has failed completely, it’s possible that professional data recovery services can help you reclaim some or all of your data. What’s more, since data recovery services are fast and inexpensive, you can expect not to break the bank to retrieve your information. 5. It’s possible to prevent data loss While data loss is becoming a more common problem, there are ways to avoid it. Two of the best approaches are regularly backing a hard drive up to the cloud or an external system, and knowing the symptoms of hard drive failure and virus infestation. Through these methods, it’s easy to avoid data loss and prevent the need for data recovery services. Data Loss & Recovery: An Increasing Concern Between faulty software and increasing online threats, people are more concerned about data loss than ever. Fortunately, data recovery approaches have evolved, and things like forensic data analysis and software programs now retrieve data efficiently. These methods make it easier than ever before to recover corrupted files for good and put a cap on the threat of data loss.

Dentist in 21001 The food children eat affects their long term oral health. Some foods have nutrients teeth need. Others are full of acids and sugars that are harmful to teeth. With so many unhealthy food choices being marketed to children every day, We use our tongues every day to talk, taste, and swallow, yet we rarely take time to think about this flexible organ. Here are 9 things you may not know about the tongue: - The longest recorded tongue was more than 3.8 inches from back to Dentist Aberdeen MD Your smile is one of the first things a person will notice when you meet. If you would like to improve your smile with a simple procedure, teeth whitening may be a great option for you, especially if you have stained, At Bay Area Dental, there is more to proper oral care than just having a beautiful and healthy smile. Researchers have found that there are over 100 medical conditions that can be detected in the early stages by a dentist. Some of these health conditions include: - Respiratory disease - Heart Disease - Pregnancy issues Find out more about the link between your oral health and overall health before it’s too late. No time to brush or floss your teeth? When brushing or flossing isn’t convenient, you can still keep your mouth feeling fresh by eating certain foods. When you’re on the go or in a hurry, try grabbing one of these foods to munch on to help fight plaque and keep your teeth healthy.

All staff are expected to read the ICS handbook, taking particular note of the safety and welfare section. The handbook has been developed over the last 40 years with a collaborative input from many instructors along the way. It includes principles of child psychology and expresses the core ethos of ICS, along with specific operating procedures. New instructors will be sent a copy in PDF format, if you need a new copy of the handbook just let Jae know. Practices & Ethos Summary We have three main objectives: - Firstly, we look after the students’ safety and welfare. This means not exposing them to unreasonable risks, and ensuring that they get appropriate attention when they are physically injured or emotionally upset. If a child reports any distress beyond what is expected in the normal training procedures, you must inform the principal immediately. - Secondly, we strive to increase their self-confidence and self esteem. We achieve this by presenting challenges which we help them meet by encouragement; congratulating their efforts when they do well, being patient when they fail. - Finally we aim to teach them to sail or increase their sailing, racing and/or seamanship abilities, and encourage an appreciation of the natural environment. We help them achieve as high a standard as is possible during the course, whilst maintaining a strict policy of honesty. i.e. Giving awards only when the relevant level has been achieved. We achieve these objectives by working within a structure with strict times (start times, break and meal times, etc.), in an organised but friendly and relaxed atmosphere. How we communicate with the students is of vital importance. The way we do this affects not just how successful we are in transferring information, but more importantly, the way in which the students develop their life skills (self reliance, problem solving, self discipline, and so on). The psychiatrist Eric Berne realised the importance of the way in which we communicate with each other, not just by the words we use, but also the tone. A frown, a laugh, a gesture, they all effect the way in which information is received. Berne used the term ‘transactional analysis’ for the study of the way in which we communicate. It is an interesting and important subject for everyone, but especially important to those teaching children. The psychiatrist Thomas Harris introduced the idea that we all (adults and children alike) have within us ‘parent’ ‘adult’ and ‘child’ and we transact communications from one of these within us, to one of these within the person with whom we are communicating. I place a tremendous importance on staff communicating to children on an ‘adult-to-adult’ basis; from your adult to their adult – speaking to them as you would an adult – not talking ‘down’ to them. Adult-to-adult conversations are information seeking and information giving. Those children who are used to adults (e.g. parents and teachers) talking to them in this way will have a well-developed ‘adult’; that is, they will feel confident about assessing a question and giving an answer, or asking a question when they need information. Children who have parents and teachers who do not seek information by asking questions and valuing the answers will have a little-developed, or weak, ‘adult’. When we (ICS staff) talk to children on an ‘adult-to-adult’ basis, we help to develop their ‘adult’; and thereby help develop their self-confidence, their self-worth, and their ability to communicate. Congratulatory rhetoric is adult-to-child and that is important too (we all need it!). Admonitions are ‘parent-to-child’ and are never useful and often damaging. Everyone makes mistakes. Even negative behaviour should be seen as transitory and not part of the child's personality. Saying "you're a naughty girl" (parent-child), is completely different to saying, "that behaviour is not acceptable," (adult-child). The latter accepts that the child is in control of their behaviour and has the power to change it in the future. I place great importance on skippers feeling that they can approach any staff member at any time with any ‘adult-to-adult’ question, and when they do so, they will get a proper ‘adult-to-adult’ response, perhaps with a bit of ‘adult-to-child’ but with nothing ‘parent’ in the response. For example the question “I’ve found this glove, what shall I do with it?” might get the response “Well done,” (the congratulatory ‘adult-to-child’) “Could you put it in the lost property box over there” (the ‘adult-to-adult’). The response: “I told you this morning about lost property. Have you forgotten already?” would be a ‘parent-to-child’ response. Please try to avoid ‘parent-to-child’ transactions. On a practical note, remember that some children sail slow boats. The RYA hire boats for example are much heavier and slower than down-to-weight class Optimists. Remind the skippers that are sailing polypropylene boats, which are inherently slow, and congratulate them when they sail well, rather than sail fast. We have a policy that everyone on the premises during the course are students or staff. Parents of students and friends of staff distract both students and staff in their work. A unique benefit to students on ICS Easter courses at Papercourt is that everyone on the premises (in fact pretty well everyone in sight) is either a student, or a staff member involved in serving students’ needs. Praise Effort, Not Talent Research has shown that people of all ages perform significantly better when their hard work is acknowledged, rather than some innate talent they apparently possess. It can seem like a subtle difference but saying, "Wow, you're so good at this!" puts a lot of pressure on the person to continue to fit that mould. Whereas saying something like, "That's great, you're doing well, if you keep working this hard you'll improve quickly," takes the pressure off of them having to prove they have a natural talent (which would supposedly require no effort and is therefore always a fantasy) and puts the emphasis instead on the work involved to get there. General policies – a quick check list for instructors - Get to know the course names of the children in your group - Talk adult-to-adult (information giving and seeking) and adult-to-child (congratulatory) - Be clear in your instructions so that the student knows what is expected of him - Realise that if they don't understand what's going on, or what they're supposed to be doing, it is the fault of the instructor, not the skipper - Praise effort often, don’t criticise - If you have to discipline, address behaviour in 'adult-child' mode - Set achievable objectives - At all times, know where all your children are and what they are doing - Check children in your group have sufficient clothing / protection for weather conditions - Check buoyancy aids before going afloat - Check Buoyancy bags in boats and that masts are tied in securely - Check mast-tie-downs or clamps - Send in capsizers (unless warm and no stress in which case they can sail on of course) - Send in children who are physically or psychologically injured - Send/bring in individual children or groups who are cold - Give team points for trying and achieving - Provide golden moments for under achievers - Use correct terms – avoid simplified or over complicated terms - Don’t swear or threaten Safety & Welfare - Overall and final responsibility for the safety and welfare of children and staff is with Jae Willis. In his absence, another staff member will act on his behalf. The name of this staff member will be displayed on the notice board. - When children are in their working groups, the Group Leader instructors take responsibility for the safety, health and welfare of the children in their group and for the other instructor(s) allocated to the group. - All staff are required to read this document and the section in the ICS handbook on ‘Welfare’. - Jae Willis will check validity of first-aid certificates. - Whether or not an injury requires treatment is a decision to be made by the Group Leader instructor while children are working within groups, or by Jae Willis at other times. - In the case of any injury requiring treatment, the injured person is to be sent to Jae Willis (or in his absence the person nominated by him whose name will be displayed on the ICS notice board). - The first aid kit is kept in the staff office. Jae Willis will ensure that the first aid and medical boxes are maintained. - The names of Group Leader instructors allocated to each working group, will be displayed on the notice board. The names of persons qualified to give first aid will be highlighted in yellow. Record accidents, illnesses and treatments on the relevant student control cards. - In the case of a serious accident or illness Jae Willis (or in his absence, the person nominated by him) will contact the parent or next-of-kin. - Children are split into working groups of about 8 (higher numbered groups might have more children – a maximum of 12). Each group has at least one safety boat. - The wearing of buoyancy aids is compulsory for children while on or near the water. The wearing of buoyancy aids is compulsory for staff while on the pontoons or on the water. - The minimum standard is that for all staff and all children who can swim, BAs must comply with the CE50 Newton Standard. Group Leader instructors will be informed by Jae Willis of any non- swimmers who will be required to wear BAs meeting the CE150 Newton Standard. - PSC will ensure that planing safety boats will be fitted with kill cords. ICS staff using a safety boat fitted with a kill cord must have the end clipped around the thigh whenever the engine is in gear. Welfare and medical The safety and welfare of the children on the course is ultimately my (Jae Willis) responsibility and if something serious happens, I am legally responsible. However, I delegate this responsibility to the Group Leader instructors when the children are working in their groups, and Group Leader instructors may delegate to their assistant instructors when appropriate. Many staff members are experienced teachers or sailing instructors and are aware of the heavy burden of responsibility involved in looking after children, but our record is remarkably good. We have as yet never had a serious accident, never had to take anyone to hospital, or call a doctor. Rather than ‘touch wood’ it is more useful to be aware why we have a good record, and reassess our policies and procedures regularly to ensure that we keep up our good record. Firstly, and perhaps the most important factor is that we run a tight ship; that is, every child is in a controlled environment all the time. When in a working group, both the Group Leader instructor and the children know what they are supposed to be doing, where they are supposed to be. So if one were to ask a child at any time ‘what are you doing’ he will have an answer e.g. ‘I have to put my rig in, and sail round that buoy, then back to the pontoon, then report to my instructor’. And of course the Group Leader instructor knows where all his children are and what their objectives are. Children never have ‘free time’ when they can do whatever they like. This way the environment is always, to a greater degree, under control. It is important to ensure the children in your group are dressed warmly and wearing a suitable buoyancy aid, correctly tied, when going afloat. Children have a remarkable inability to judge how cold they might get on the water, when they are making the decision standing in a warm clubhouse. Talk of layers. A wet suit is worth three layers. Explain that wind blowing on a wet absorbent outer garment causes the moisture to evaporate and this evaporation causes the garment, and the person in it, to cool. Bear in mind that some children need far more clothing than do others. Encourage them to learn from their experiences: if they were cold yesterday they will need more clothes today. Advise them to add a layer or two (no one can be happy or learn anything if they are cold). Hypothermia is rarely a problem because even in the coldest conditions, the sessions are so short that children cannot be cold for any prolonged period. However, be ever vigilant for the first signs of hypothermia: disinterest, shivering, incoherent speech, and when diagnosed, take child by rescue boat immediately to the clubhouse for recovery. If a child in your group is injured to the extent that you or your partner instructor would have to abandon your group to deal with the situation for more than a few minutes, it is usually best to send the injured child in to the clubhouse. We have our own large first-aid kit and if there is a more serious problem, we have a stretcher, and access to a doctor and hospital. The most common injury is a bruise caused by a boom hitting a head. Although it has not happened yet, a relatively likely injury can be caused by falling onto concrete (there are numerous concrete paths and walls) or slipping on a wet wooden pontoon. It is also important, in fact sometimes even more important, to respond to ‘psychological injury’. When a child has had a fright, take the trouble to ensure he or she is OK. In the event of an accidental capsize, or serious bang on the head with a boom, it is usually best to send him/her back to whoever is in charge in the clubhouse, and continue working with your group. Always inform me (I monitor the VHF base station). The chances of a medical problem just because of the capsize is very remote because the exposure to cold is for such a short time, but it is important to tell me. In 1990 we had a child abandon the sport. No-one monitored or responded to the ‘psychological injury’. He decided he never wanted to go out in a boat again in his life and nothing could make him change his mind. This happened on the Tuesday. Nothing could persuade him to come again and as far as I know he has never stepped into a sailing boat since. It wasn’t the capsize that put him off but the firm idea that he had done something wrong and no one paid any interest in his plight. His self-esteem took a big backward step. Of course a child in the top group wearing a dry suit is invariably completely unaffected by an accidental capsize and can stay on the water working in the group. Indeed, any child wearing a wet suit or a dry suit who is not cold and not shocked, can continue in the group activity. You should know about Weils disease. It is spread by rat’s urine. Contracting the disease is a possibility (albeit a remote one) around any fresh water in the UK (including rainwater trapped in boat-covers kept at sea clubs) and we are required to take precautions. The symptoms (several weeks after contracting) vary in intensity from a mild flu-like illness to a fatal form of jaundice due to severe liver disease. The kidneys are often involved and there may be meningitis. Penicillin is the main cure. The signs/symptoms (several weeks after contracting) are: fever, jaundice, enlarged liver, bleeding from mucous membrane (nose, throat, urine), nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys). Our policy, approved by the RYA, is to ensure all open wounds are covered with a waterproof dressing, capsize drills are conducted away from the waters edge, and anyone who has been immersed takes a shower. A note to parents is included in every skipper’s folder so that in the unlikely event of a child developing the symptoms after the course, the parent would make the child’s doctor aware of the possibility of Weils disease. Early treatment is invariably successful. Don’t over-rate the problem; it is very rare; if a child asks you about it, make light of it and say it is very rare. At the initial briefing (1000 on the first day) I give information about the risk and the preventative measures which are relevant to all inland sailing venues in the UK. I’ll now describe some of the more likely medical problems you might encounter. Medical information provided by parents appears on the control cards. You should carefully study the cards of the children in your group at the beginning of the week, and the card of any child transferred to your group during the week, noting any medical information. Many children suffer from a mild form of asthma. Most of those that do bring their own inhaler. It is important that they use their own inhaler, not someone else’s, as they don’t all contain the same chemical. No harm can come from excessive use of an inhaler, although tachycardia (racing pulse) palpitations and irritability can occur if too many doses of salbutamol (“ventolin”) are administered. Instructors are often asked to carry inhalers afloat for safekeeping. You should check that they are clearly identified with the child’s name. In practice they are rarely required, but any child asking for his inhaler should always be given it immediately. In the very unlikely event of a very serious attack the child must be taken to hospital (by two adults in case resuscitation is required). The hospital should be warned in advance of arrival. Some children suffer from Eczema, a disorder of the skin, which looks dry and flaky. Eczema is not contagious or infectious, and psychological harm can be done to children who suffer from eczema by others (e.g. their friends) reluctant to touch them. Scratching in private should not be discouraged. Sufferers will invariably be aware of the importance of not causing bleeding and infection by scratching. Some children have grommets fitted in their ears. A grommet seals a perforation in the eardrum, without which hearing ability would be seriously impaired. Infection is a significant possibility should lake water enter the ear, so the child will have been provided with ear plugs for use during capsize drill. If you are involved in running capsize activities, bear in mind that a child wearing ear plugs may not hear your instructions. In the very unlikely event of a child having a fit, the most important consideration is to protect from injury. Those prone to fits will have an indication on the control card, including whether recovery is likely to be ‘quick’, or ‘confused for a time’, or ‘needs to sleep’. Child should be brought ashore and placed on side recovery position with support under the head. Experts believe that one in ten children may be dyslexic to some degree, but only about 1 in 40 are diagnosed and information about these will appear on the control cards. No two dyslexic children experience exactly the same pattern of difficulties. Generally they have difficulty with their perception, organisation and processing of symbolic information. They may experience: - Mixed dominance – ambidexterity and difficulty in telling left from right - Directional confusion – not just left/right (port/starboard), but up/down, in/out and general difficulty in positioning things in space - Difficulty with sequencing – the alphabet, days of the week, events in the day and generally positioning things in time - Difficulty with working/short term memory – holding any verbal information - Short attention span - Poor motor control – may be clumsy and awkward and experience poor hand-eye co-ordination. - Difficulty in copying from a blackboard or from books When you have your group assembled for a theory session, and there is a child in your group identified on his control card as being dyslexic, he should be encouraged to sit near you. Be aware that he will have persistent difficulty learning anything in sequential order and that constant over-learning is essential at every stage. He should not be asked to read aloud in front of the group. His ability should be judged more on his oral responses than on written answers. He needs praise and recognition. If possible give him a copy of instructors notes or a hand-out at the end of the briefing or lesson rather than expect him to copy from the blackboard. Patience is required if he loses his way and arrives late for a theory session or always appears to be in the wrong place or at the wrong time. Remember his sense of direction and time are not good. Whenever possible the dyslexic child should be asked to repeat back to you what he has been asked to do. His own voice is a useful aid to memory. The design and presentation of worksheets needs to be carefully thought out: bold headings, clear print, less writing more diagrams etc. Remember always to portray a positive attitude and endeavour to make each experience a positive one for the child. Mild dyslexia is unlikely to effect a child’s ability to learn to sail, but will probably effect his ability to read and write. Parental support will resolve the problem of homework, but you need to bear the problem in mind when communicating with, for example, a blackboard. After a briefing take the child aside to satisfy yourself he understands your instructions. Children who are short sighted normally wear glasses but might be reluctant to use them in a boat. In the case of beginners, the child will sometimes focus his attention within the boat and its rig (rather than the instructor on the far pontoon) resulting in the boat going round and round in circles. If he cannot see the target, he’ll need to wear his glasses. A few children have hearing problems. If you have one in your group, speak clearly and loudly towards him, but don’t change your tone. Some children have food allergies. These are brought to the attention of the galley master who prepares special food for them. Details are on the control card. Some children are what one might call precocious. Details will not be on the control card (unless I know them from a previous course) but you’ll recognise the problem within five minutes of receiving your group. They constantly demand attention and recognition, are sometimes aggressive, and may be inclined to bully other children. They are difficult to help because it seems unnatural to congratulate them. However, these children need congratulatory encouragement even more than most. Contrary to how they appear, they actually have a low level of self-esteem. They are often criticised full-time by their parents and teachers. Don’t fall into the obvious trap of not praising, or of finding fault. Instead, find ways of giving more praise more often, and boosting their self-esteem no matter how unnatural it feels to do so. The rewards of such a policy can be dramatic, but as these children are returned to their usual home and school environment after the course, the benefits we might achieve are probably short-lived.* Historically, bullying on our courses has been very rare. However if it does occur, immediate intervention is essential (and inform me later). *[Since writing this paragraph I have been advised by a child psychologist that the benefits are not necessarily short-lived. “To the contrary, a single event raising the child’s self-esteem could be a turning point and a foundation on which to build the self-confidence they appeared to have but didn’t have.”] Some children are under-achievers. They appear to fail at almost everything. They often have learning difficulties. All children have the need for special moments where they feel really good about themselves, but under-achievers have a greater need because these moments are more rare. I use the term ‘golden moment’ for a special moment when an under-achiever succeeds in the eyes of his peers and a firm, very beneficial, impact is made on the child’s memory. A ‘golden moment’ can have a dramatically advantageous effect on some children. The average child gets plenty of golden moments and there is no need to monitor. Some under-achievers need a situation to be contrived in which they can get a ‘golden moment’, perhaps succeeding at something not related to sailing. You’ll be glad to know that 90% of children have none of these problems, so the few that have can have that little extra effort and attention from us that they need. If you smoke, I ask this of you: please don’t smoke in the clubhouse or the galley or the changing rooms, and please don’t let any child on the course see you smoking. We are all role models to some degree, and we do the children on the course a disservice if we allow smoking to be associated with the healthy occupation of sailing and learning. Thanks. ICS Child Protection Policy As defined in the Children Act 1989, for the purposes of this policy anyone under the age of 18 should be considered as a child. The policy also applies to vulnerable adults. It is the policy of ICS to safeguard children and young people taking part in boating from physical, sexual or emotional harm. ICS will take all reasonable steps to ensure that, through appropriate procedures and training, children participating in ICS activities do so in a safe environment. We recognise that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount and that all children, whatever their age, gender, disability, culture, ethnic origin, colour, religion or belief, social status or sexual identity, have a right to protection from abuse. ICS actively seeks to: - Create a safe and welcoming environment, both on and off the water, where children can have fun and develop their skills and confidence. - Be prepared to review its ways of working to incorporate best practice. - Treat all children with respect and celebrate their achievements. - Carefully recruit and select all employees, contractors and volunteers. - Respond swiftly and appropriately to all complaints and concerns about poor practice or suspected or actual child abuse. This policy relates to all employees, contractors and volunteers who work with children in the course of their ICS duties. It will be kept under periodic review. |Drowning from capsize |‘Buoyancy aids compulsory’ rule, while on or near water – children told at initial briefing. Rule enforced by senior instructors. Senior instructors to check personal BAs meet RYA standard. Capsizes are attended to immediately. ICS provides spare Buoyancy Aids to RYA standard. |Drowning from falling in from pontoon or shore or safety boats |Students and staff, and parents on last afternoon |‘Buoyancy aids compulsory’ rule for students while on or near water – children told at initial briefing. – enforced by senior instructors. Senior instructors check BAs meet standard. Buoyancy aids compulsory for staff when on water. Parents told in ‘final letter’ of ‘compulsory buoyancy aids rule’ for visiting children |Drowning from being trapped under sail after capsize |‘Buoyancy aids compulsory’ rule. Children briefed on this possibility at capsize briefing. Controlling staff close at hand. Possibility is in any case negligible. |Hypothermia from immersion or exposure |Staff informed that cold children (whether or not immersed) must be brought ashore. |Head injury from boom |Instruction given to children by instructors. Policy for Senior instructors: injured children must be sent in to Principal for treatment |Head or body injury from slipping or tripping on pontoons or concrete paths |Students and staff |Policy for Senior instructors: injured children must be sent in to Principal for treatment |Hit by moving vehicle in car park |Students and staff, and parents on last afternoon |PSC has speed limit. Children kept away from car park on last afternoon when parents arrive. When children leave with parents we assume parents will monitor. |Contaminated water (blue/green algae and Weils disease) |Students and staff |PSC tests water periodically and treat if necessary. We have policy on Weils disease (children informed re open cuts at initial briefing, capsize away from edge, shower after immersion, warning to parents in ‘post course information’ in case of flu-like symptoms) |Back damage from lifting boats |Students and staff |Senior instructors ensure sufficient bodies to lift boats (minimum 4 children for Optimists, 6 for polypropylene ‘Oppies’) |Fingers pinched between boat gunwhales or gunwhale and pontoon |Students briefed at initial briefing, reinforced by staff. Optimists are comparatively light and the likelihood of other than minor injury is slight.Injured students sent in for treatment. |Fire or burning accident in kitchen |Staff (Students not permitted in kitchen) |Fire blanket at hand. First Aid kit readily to hand. |Fire at petrol refuelling point |Station is far from buildings and is locked metal cabinet outside. Refuelling under supervision of experienced bosun. Smoking prohibited at all times on entire site. |Scalding from showers |Member of staff at hand when hot water very hot to ensure safe mix before standing under and turn off hot first |Slipping on changing room floor |Students Instructed to put wet clothes straight into plastic bag, and to take towel to shower to dry before leaving shower cubicle. Floors sponged dry immediately become wet. Use of raised plastic floor tiles in changing rooms reduces risk of slipping on wet floors – instructor in charge of changing rooms on capsize day to ensure that these tiles are used. |Splinters from wooden pontoons |Policy for Senior instructors: injured children sent in to Principal for treatment |Students and staff |Special medical requirements identified on control cards, and where appropriate brought to notice of relevant staff. . To apply to join the team this year: First select which course(s) you'd like to apply for. Summer Half Term Adventure Course 27th May - 31st May 2024 Cookham Reach, Maidenhead Toppers and Optimists Summer Adventure Course 30th July - 3rd August 2024 Cookham Reach, Maidenhead Toppers and Optimists Join the team Please select at least one course above.

Jacob Kostrzewski. Jacob is the Program Coordinator for the International Rule of Law and Security Program. This series will examine the evolving role of regional organizations in a changing world order. This first post will examine the current rule and future of NATO, and subsequent posts will explore organizations including the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Organization of American States (OAS), and others. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has, over the past several years, been under attack from both within and without. President Donald Trump, the leader of the Alliance’s most powerful member-state, derided it as being “obsolete.” Russian President Vladimir Putin openly declared that NATO’s breakup would benefit his country. Democratic backsliding is running rampant through numerous NATO states, putting into question the idea of shared values. It can be difficult to see the Alliance surviving these challenges, yet rather than breaking up, NATO is preparing to welcome its 30th member, the Republic of North Macedonia. The original purpose of the Alliance, in the words of its first Secretary General, Lord Hastings Ismay, was to “keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.” It succeeded in all three regards: the Soviet Union, and now Russia, have not (openly) invaded any European state; Germany never remilitarized; and the United States remains actively involved in European affairs through trade, military cooperation, and diplomacy. Barring regional wars in the Balkans in the 1990s and the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, Europe has remained largely at peace with itself. If its goals were accomplished, can NATO be considered obsolete? On the contrary. Rather than becoming obsolete, NATO’s role in the post-Cold War world order has evolved to achieve a different set of goals which are just as critical to Europe’s security as those outlined by Lord Ismay in 1949. These goals emphasize the Alliance’s normative power: aspiring member-states are willing, and often eager, to undergo domestic reforms to align their values with NATO’s to facilitate their membership. The Preamble to the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO’s founding document, states that the Alliance was formed on the “principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law.” Article II further emphasizes “economic collaboration” between Allies. Western European states coalesced around these norms throughout the Cold War, differentiating themselves from the Soviets by ensuring basic rights and freedoms for their citizens, and rather than competing for scarce resources, they shared them. The idea that countries united by a shared set of democratic values and committed to economic cooperation will have similar security interests is hardly new: it is the foundation of the democratic peace theory first identified by Immanuel Kant in the late 1700s. Countries aspiring to join NATO have historically demonstrated willingness to reform their political and economic structures and embrace the norms shared by the alliance. NATO has a certain power of attraction beyond the benefits of collective defense: its members have a sense of legitimacy and respect and the feeling of a collective identity that attract states and compel them to align their laws and policies to those of the Alliance. Democratization and NATO membership go hand in hand. According to Freedom House’s annual Freedom in the World reports, every Central and Eastern European country that has joined NATO since the collapse of the Soviet Union has seen increases in its political liberties and civil rights scores, while countries that did not join, namely Ukraine and Belarus, actually saw decreases in their scores. While democratic backsliding in some NATO member-states causes the alliance trouble from within, NATO’s normative power still leads to positive changes in those countries seeking to join. North Macedonia has made sufficient progress in its Membership Action Plan to begin formal accession talks with NATO allies, a step that is usually just a formality before the country in question is granted admission. NATO’s Secretary General praised reforms in North Macedonia and Georgia, another aspiring member. The hallmark of Montenegro’s foreign policy, NATO accession, guided considerable domestic democratic reforms in the country. Its efforts were recognized and it was granted admittance in 2017, despite last-minute efforts by Russia to assassinate its prime minister to halt accession. NATO may be the most powerful military alliance on the planet, but democratic reforms were not achieved in Central and Eastern Europe through guns and bombs. The Alliance’s normative strength, its belief in core liberal values of human rights and rule of law, and shared economic prosperity have led aspiring member-states to undergo often challenging reforms to be allowed to join the club. NATO is not obsolete; instead, it represents a beacon of hope for liberalism at a time when it is under attack throughout the world. The Alliance should continue to work with aspiring member-states, including Georgia, Bosnia, and Ukraine, to draw them into the family of democracies through political and economic reforms.

As a child grows and develops, it is normal for their feet and legs to go through considerable changes. From birth to about 10-years-old, the long arch of the foot is expected to transition from “flat footedness” to “normal”. It is during this slow and gradual process that a child may complain of pain or a caregiver may notice something doesn’t look quite right. It is the role of a Canadian Certified Pedorthist C. Ped (C) to assess and treat the child if necessary. Some common signs that the child should be assessed by a C. Ped (C) include: - Complaints of pain in the foot, ankle, leg, knee, hip and/or lower back (sometimes these complaints are most notable after sport/physical activity or at night time or first thing in the morning) - The child withdraws from sport/physical activity due to pain - There is a noticeable difference between one foot and the other (e.g., one long arch is lower than the other) - The ankles appear to be rolling in or out when standing and/or walking - There is excessive wear on the soles of the child’s shoes - There has been a rapid and significant growth spurt - When the child stands and walks the toes appear to be pointed inward or considerably outward - Walking on the balls of the feet the majority of the time - When there has been no change in the height of the long arch over time - Any muscle, joint or neurological concerns Treatment for the above concerns vary and are based on additional factors found during the assessment; such as the age of the child, the physical movement of joints, the child’s activity level, the type of sport or activity they participate in and the degree of past or current injuries. Treatment can be used to allow injury to heal or to prevent future problems from occurring. The most common treatment recommendations include: - Over-the-counter (OTC) inserts - Supportive footwear worn daily (indoor and outdoor use) - Stretching and/or muscle specific exercises - Custom made foot orthotics A combination of two or more recommendations are often required. A Canadian Certified Pedorthist is a trained professional that can help all ages. If your child is experiencing any signs or symptoms listed above, contact your local Pedorthist to determine if treatment is right for your child. In the end, our goal is to promote a proactive approach to better body mechanics that will allow children to play and grow optimally. By Vanessa Raffa De Rita C. Ped (C) London, Ontario

Single pointed needles are the most popular type of knitting needle. They are long and thin, with a point at one end and a blunt end at the other. Single pointed needles are used to knit in the round, as well as for flat knitting. There are two types of single pointed needles: straight needles and circular needles. Straight needles are the most common type of single pointed needle. They are used for knitting flat items, such as scarves, blankets, and sweaters. Single point needles can be made from a variety of materials, such as wood, plastic, metal, or bamboo. The type of material you choose should be based on your personal preferences and the project you are working on. Metal needles are slippery and can be difficult to use for beginners. Bamboo needles are lightweight and have a smooth surface that is easy on the hands.

Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) are the systems suitable for large-scale energy production. The cathode material used in these cells is NiO. In this study the NiO cathode was synthesized by tape-casting method and the adsorption of CO2, one of the cathode feeding gases, was investigated on it. The adsorption studies were carried out by the use of packed column and the adsorption analysis were performed using pulse response technique. There were two 1/4 in. diameter and 5 and 10 cm length columns prepared for the experiments and they were packed with 3 mm average particle sized NiO. The experiments were carried out with gas chromatography using He as a carrier gas. The response curves were taken after pulsing the columns with CO2. The equilibrium constants and heat of adsorption of CO2 on NiO were determined by the use of the first absolute moment equations corresponding to retention times. It was observed that the adsorption was physical in nature. From the adsorption constants determined at different temperatures and the heat of adsorption, DeltaH(0), was found as -1299 cal mol(-1). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The John Innes Center will co-lead a pioneering research program investigating how a plant-based diet could prevent chronic illness. The Edesia: Plants, Food and Health Ph.D. program aims to advance understanding of plant-based nutrition from crop to clinic, initiating a step-change in nutritional research in the UK and addressing diet-related illness globally. Named after the Roman goddess of food who emphasized the good things we get from our diets, Edesia reflects a growing recognition that plant-based foods are critical in tackling chronic illnesses such as cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The unique cross-disciplinary Ph.D. program draws together the world-class research expertise of the Norwich Research Park in a collaboration that includes the University of East Anglia (UEA), the John Innes Center, Quadram Institute, and Earlham Institute. 25 Edesia students – five each year over a five-year period – will work to unravel the complex inter-relationship between plant-based foods, metabolism, gut microbiota, and health outcomes. The first Ph.D. students will take up places in autumn 2020. The £5m award is part of £127m funding announced by the Wellcome Trust to support 23 new Ph.D. programs. The program will increase opportunities for metabolic engineering and optimizing crops through state-of-the-art approaches such as speed breeding and genome editing. Co-director of the program Professor Cathie Martin FRS from the John Innes Center said: “The loss of plant-based, unrefined foods from the human diet means more people are burdened with nutritional insecurity and associated chronic illnesses. “Understanding how plant-based foods promote and protect health will underpin effective future dietary recommendations, food choices, and food production. If we want to improve the health of future societies worldwide we need more evidence and this program will start to address that.” Fruit and vegetables supply the most essential vitamins and micronutrients as well as fiber, resistant starch, polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids in the human diet. But these benefits have been poorly understood or overshadowed by the concentration on caloric intake over the past 40 years. Professor Ian Clark from the UEA, director of the program, said: “The largest burden on the NHS stems from poor diet and food-related ill health, costing around £5.8 billion per year. “The evidence shows that optimized diets play a major role in improving health, with plant-based diets also a key to environmental sustainability.” The 2017 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) report estimated that dietary changes could prevent more than 50% of contemporary public health problems. Earlier this year the EAT-Lancet Commission report (Willet et al 2019) highlighted that food represents one of the greatest health and environmental challenges of the 21st century and stressed the urgent need to focus on high-plant food diets. The report calculated that a change to high plant-based foods from limited animal food/unhealthy foods would prevent an overall 11 million deaths per year. The Edesia program also addresses several UN sustainable development goals on hunger, poverty, inequality, responsible consumption patterns, and climate action. Professor Ian Charles, director of the Quadram Institute, said: “Understanding the impacts of food on health is a complex challenge, which demands an interdisciplinary approach that combines complementary expertise. This program will allow a new generation of Ph.D. students to benefit from that expertise across the institutes of the Norwich Research Park and equip them with the skills and knowledge to address nutritional challenges society is facing.” The Wellcome funding signals a new approach to blend scientific excellence with a commitment to improving research culture. The program includes holistic support for the personal, professional, and technical development of students during their Ph.D. and in the transition to the next stage of their careers. Anne-Marie Coriat, head of UK and Europe Research Landscape at Wellcome, said: “Excellence in science and culture can exist side by side. Each of the funded programs is built on high-quality research training that will explore a wide range of exciting topics, from understanding the inner workings of distinct cell types to public health economics, from plant-based nutrition to health data science. “At the same time, we’ve seen new ways that we can work together as a community to bring science and culture together, placing both firmly at the heart of what we do.”

A Library For Every Family For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, reading can be a challenging job and a public library is not always inviting. Some kids need a quiet and calming environment, while others need outside stimulation to allow them to concentrate on the task. At the new Route 9 Library & Innovation Center in Newark, Delaware, kids with autism and other sensory issues can enjoy their own library experience in a room specifically dedicated to their needs. “It’s all about the literacy,” explained Heidi Mizell, Resource Coordinator for Autism Delaware. “What would make a child with a sensory disorder want to read?” The new community learning hub redefines the library experience with ‘Experiential’ spaces. It included a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning laboratory, a black box theater, a maker space, and the Sensory Room. With solar projections and special acoustic technology, kids are able to modulate the levels of sensory stimulation to their personal comfort level. Developed in partnership with Autism Delaware, it’s the first sensory room in the United States designed for a public library. The design team created many special features for the room, including a little cabin for children wanting a small, secure space and a fiber optic ‘curtain’ that can either enclose a vibrating chair or be draped over a shoulder to direct attention down onto a book. There are bubble tubes that change color for hugging or resting on and an interactive projector that responds to movement, changing the floor to images of water, ice or leaves. Adding sound to the room, special speakers coordinate with the colors and images to produce tones or words. “Our vision for the room is for folks to come in and use the space to be calmed enough or stimulated enough to read or be read to. Many folks with autism present with sensory issues and this room will be useful to many in our community,” said Ms. Mizell, noting that others will also find a use for the area. “For example, someone who is visually impaired may respond to the fiber optics, using them to assist someone’s eyes down to a book. Or, maybe someone with Alzheimer’s could be calmed or stimulated enough to allow a caregiver to sit and read for a short time. We allowed room for wheelchairs in our plans and there are materials say, weighted or vibrating, available to meet many sensory needs.” New Castle County’s Innovation Center Library offers something for everyone with a Media Production Studio, a full-service kitchen for students interested in the culinary arts and The Lego® Room where kids and adults can create and build together whatever their imagination comes up with. While the new library building is brand new, built through a combination of state and county money, older libraries can also make accommodations for families with autism. Dedicated ‘Sensory’ time before or after public hours, a special section filled with manipulative toys to play and experiment with, or portioning off a small section and adding adjustable lighting can instantly create a more welcoming feel for families dealing with sensory issues. The Route 9 Library Innovation Center ( http://nccde.org/1389/Route-9-Library-Innovation-Center ) FOR THE LIBARARIAN “Making a library facility more sensory friendly and accessible for individuals with autism requires some training and general knowledge about autism,” notes Suzanne Schriar, Associate Director, Library Automation & Technology, Gwendolyn Brooks Building, Illinois State Library. She points to one area of concern for most libraries, sensory ‘triggers.’ “Sensory overload is a characteristic of autism and can result in emotional meltdowns,” she explains. Sensory triggers in a library can include the humming and flickering of fluorescent lighting, seating that is uncomfortable or too crowded, loud noises, clutter and a lack of clear signage or directions. Some of these are easy fixes. “For cost-effective solutions and best practices for library programming and environmental considerations, a wonderful resource is Programming for Children and Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Barbara Klipper (ALA Editions, 2014)” she recommends. “In addition, check out the resources page in the Targeting Autism for Librarians blog. (https://targetingautismlibs.com/about/).” At the Targeting Autism site, you’ll find information about other innovative programs and services, librarian workshops and even grants from all across the country. Another online resource can be found at Libraries & Autism (http://www.librariesandautism.org/index.htm)

There was once a flower in bloom into which many ants had crawled. Suddenly the flower closed and the ants were trapped inside! They made little eggs and stayed in there forever and the first Pomegranate was born! This 12-year old’s description and illustration of how the pomegranate came into existence was part of an ‘origin myth’ session with Gond artist, Venkat Singh Shyam at The Pomegranate Workshop. So why is it special? Scratch the surface and you will see the student’s critical thinking (conceptualizing, analyzing, synthesizing) and creativity surface, along with bold risk taking (no fear of right and wrong). Now juxtapose these skills with instructional (and outdated) art education today – which presents a prototype and instructs students on how to reproduce it. The net result is a piece of paper with a cookie cutter art work. Worse still, this form of copy paste instruction communicates ‘right and wrong’, ‘no risk’ and definitely no requirement for ‘conceptualization or application’ which sets the student’s development back with each hour of learning. At Pomegranate we believe in strategies that build critical thinkers and risk takers, be it through art, creative writing, theatre, film or STEM! Our workshops sparkle in their ability to create thinking and risk taking leaders! 15 years, several international awards and touch points with a host of schools, education boards and thousands of students later, The Pomegranate Workshop can lay claim to creating real leaders. Here is a glimpse: A word from our STEM students Here is what parents of our students have to say DESIGNED BY IMAGINITO © THE POMEGRANATE WORKSHOP 2017

Updated on April 3rd, 2022 Music, albums, records, singles are some common terminologies that you all must have come across often. But unless you’re a trained musician, it’s confusing to understand the original terms, unless you get familiar with the jargons. You may often refer to a series of songs as an album, but you might not have heard of the term Long Playing Record or LP. Besides, if you’re wondering what does LP mean in music, then you must scan through this article. Here, we have explained the definitions and related meaning of it in music to provide you with detailed information related to it. So, read on. What Does LP Mean in Music? Understanding the musical jargon and registers is truly essential if you’re passionately into music. Novice musicians might know the names of different instruments but when it comes to having technical knowledge, many of them become clueless. And one such term is LP. So, what does it stands for in music? Before you move on to understand LP, there is a backstory to it. Even though first created in 1948, the vinyl LP came out 70 years after the invention of the first recorder. Soon it become popular but it was short-lived, as with the technological advancement vinyl LP was sided in the music market by cheaper alternatives like cassettes. But for musicians then and now, it remained a term used to refer to elaborate albums and it still does. Long Playing or Long Play can simply be defined by just one term- ‘album’. Basically, it means the length of the recording that a musician creates. Longer than a single and an EP album! According to musicians, LP is used for 33 1/3 RPM microgroove vinyl records, which acts as a storage medium for analog sounds. In other words, the sounds you listen to as songs, the recording of those are referred to as LP. Typically, LP nowadays has changed from analog sounds to digital ones. Plus, now an LP comes with 12 songs/recordings, which makes an LP album. How to Identify LP? Now that you have a basic idea about LP, you might wonder how to identify it. Well, if you want to identify it, then you must first know that there are several formats of LP. Originally, it was those black discs, which represented how sound waves move during the playout of the audio. However, now, LP is popularly available in digital forms or CDs. Besides, some musicians prefer the digital formats and don’t keep a physical copy at all. And in case it is in Compact Disc format, you can easily find it within the album’s case. How is LP different from EP? As you proceed to understand LP, it is also essential to know that it’s different from EP. EP or Extended Play, particularly, means recording releases that are similar to ‘Single’ or albums with up to 5 songs. Apart from this, there is another point of distinction between LP and EP, which is to categorize the albums based on the number of songs a recording artist wants to include. As per some recording legends, the LP album included songs that were connected by a thematic thread. Whereas when an artist releases EP, the possible reason could be to fill in the gaps between tours and the next big release. On the whole, both these legendary terms are relevant even in today’s musical world, however, only certain aspects have changed, especially that these may not necessarily mean records. Now, let’s delve into the working of the LP. How Does the LP Work? Earlier when it was vinyl records, it had 3-D grooves cut, and the stylus or needle of the player used to run over these grooves only. This created an electric current amplified through the speakers and 33 1/3 RPM is the speed at which the disc would rotate. Moreover, the music produced through it vinyl was much better and soothing to hear than the digitalized forms produced these days. Several musicians testify that the LP is superior to other digitalized forms of music due to the warmness in the vinyl’s sounds. Coming to the recent forms of the LP like the CD, it is no different from a regular CD’s functioning. Just like in normal CDs, a small laser beam inside the player scans it disc and generates an array of 1s and 0s. Further, this code comprising of 1s and 0s is converted into an alternating pattern of current. Finally, the music/sound is produced via the loudspeaker attached to the player. That’s how it works! Apart from its functioning, amateur musicians or learners often get confused about how many tracks/recordings to include in an LP. Earlier it used to have 12 songs interconnected via a common theme as mentioned before, now this has changed completely. At present, you can make it album with a minimum of 8 tracks, especially for LP vinyl albums. But for the LP on a CD, it’s better to include 12 full tracks only. You can even include intros, skits, and conclusive songs along with the other tracks. Even though you can add more than 12 tracks, it is totally your choice, but just don’t add songs only for the sake of reaching the 12 songs mark. So, if you’re planning to make an LP album, then you need to check with the songs and also how are you going to put it across to listeners. Unlike EP or mixtapes, the LP isn’t a promotional tool to earn extra. Often recording artists give off their tracks free, but those are mostly singles, not an LP. Moreover,it is quite expensive to make, and giving it off free isn’t a smart career move for musicians. If you want to buy one, you can check out any regular music store or even online, as these are readily available in both formats-vinyl and CD. You can drop-in today at your nearest music store and grab your favorite recording, be it vinyl or CD, and enjoy the soothing music. We hope you know what does LP mean in music now and have gained a better understanding of it. So, whether you’re a music enthusiast discovering new aspects in it or a passionate recording artist expanding your musical knowledge, Long Play is a vital aspect to understand recording and albums in depth. We hope you love our reviews! For your information, we do earn money from commission in the link in the content! For more information click here!

A Brief Introduction About the Earnest Money Contract Earnest money is the term that is used for an amount of money that is given by a buyer to the seller. This amount indicates that the buyer has good faith in a particular transaction, for instance, a property (Ellis & Abramowitz, 1984). This term and earnest money agreement are mostly used by the people involved in the real estate wherein the seller has to allow the buyer some extra time to arrange for finances for the property (Walker, 2009). Earnest Money Contract is like a simple deposit that is held only by the buyer. The parties involved in such transactions have to sign the earnest money agreement, which is a standardized contract, and it may differ as per the state laws. The form of the contract can be attained from the real estate agents and is also available online on the website. The earnest money agreement form contains stipulations made between both the parties. Who Takes the Earnest Money Contract?– People Involved There are two parties involved in an earnest money agreement. One is the seller of the property, and another party is the potential buyer of that property (Smith, 1959). Before signing the agreement, all the terms, conditions, and other information must be thoroughly read. Purpose of the Earnest Money Contract– Why Do You Need It? The purpose of the earnest money agreement is to attain acceptance on offer made on real property from the buyer. This agreement helps the seller to know that the buyer is seriously interested in the property (Allen & Swisher, 2000). The agreement memorializes the total amount that helps the two involved parties, to be honest until the actual selling of the property is done. Earnest money contract is mostly used for real estate business. The contract is usually filled by both parties when the buyer is interested in buying the property that the seller wishes to sell. Also, it makes a kind of reservation for that particular property so that no other potential buyer acquires it before they do the aim of this agreement to initiate a safe transaction between two parties. Earnest money agreement is different from down payment agreement as the amount, in this case, is lesser and is more like a good-faith gesture. Once the buyer and the seller have agreed to the terms of the agreement and the price, then the final signatures are done along with the inspection of the property. Every agreement should mention the payment token, which is decided by both the parties mutually. Contents of the Earnest Money Contract– Inclusions - Contact date – Firstly, the agreement includes the date of the agreement, which is usually two to five years. The starting of the agreement date and the end should both be mentioned. - Parties – The names of the parties involved in this agreement, along with their contact details and address, should be mentioned. - The amount payable – The amount which will be paid by the buyer of the property to the seller of the property will be present along with the sum of all debt assumptions (Litvinoff, 1973). - Earnest money clause – This clause states that the amount should be deposited as per the earnest money agreement - Assets included and excluded – The next point states the assets that are included or excluded on the sale of business like the name of the business, Domain Name, furniture, lease, trademark, contact number, cash, deposit, lease deposit, etc. - Assignment rights – This clause states that the buyer has the right to assign the rights as well as responsibilities under the earnest money contract. In such cases, the buyer agrees to provide a guarantee to the payments of property lease. - Inventory – This point clarifies that the property sale price may increase or decrease according to the difference in the stock held for resale (Shilling et al., 1985). - Lease – Under this clause, it mentioned that the seller is ready to sell the property and transfer the lease to the potential buyer. Then the seller agrees to attain written consent from the buyer. - Inspection – The buyer will personally examine the assets and will not rely on any of the real estate agents How to Draft the Earnest Money Contract? While drafting the earnest money agreement, it’s important to keep something in mind like: – - The information of both the buyer and the seller should be identified based on the national ID card number. - The information about the house and the property, which is for sale along with a subject to any charges (if any), should be mentioned. - Then the price of the property along with the details of the amount of both buyer and seller that they are liable for will also be mentioned. - The fourth step will disclose the deposit amount, which is the nonrefundable amount that the buyer pays the sellers to sign the earnest money agreement. This amount is later deducted from the actual sale price of the property. - The term period in which the purchase and sale agreement should be signed (Litvinoff, 1973). - The broker’s fee for negotiating the sale and if the seller agrees to the amount the closing date of the sale and the commission as agreed will be listed in the contract between the broker and seller. - The signature of both parties should be present on the agreement once they accept the terms and conditions of the earnest money agreement. The amount of earnest money is negotiated between the seller and the buyer of the property, which is around 1% to 2% of the total purchase amount. (Litvinoff, 1973).This good faith amount is held by the real estate agent or the seller’s broker and is used as a credit towards the down payment. Benefits & Drawbacks Of The Earnest Money Contract Benefit – Earnest money deposit is an important part of a real estate company as it tells the seller that the buyer is interested in buying the property that he wishes to sell. Earnest Money contract leads to trust between the buyer and the seller (Leegard et al., 2016). Without the earnest money agreement, there are chances that one party may cheat another party for their self-interest. With the help of this agreement, the real estate owners can provide offers on various properties and enhance their revenue. This agreement leads to mutual understanding between two parties leading to benefit for both buyer and seller. Drawback – Earnest money agreement is an additional cost that the buyer has to bear. The buyers consider the earnest deposit amount as a good faith deposit, which is like an advance payment, and the sellers are not ready to accept offers without good faith (Leegard et al., 2016). If there was no good-faith amount, then the buyers could have made many offers on different properties. The state regulation can be a problem as the earnest money agreement amount depends on the state laws and regulations and not as per the seller’s preference. What Happens In Case Of Violation? When a buyer signs the earnest money contract, then it means that the buyer is ready to buy the property. Similarly, when the seller signs this agreement, that means that the seller is ready to sell the property as per the mutually decided price (Hebert, 1930). Paying the earnest money deposit indicates that the buyer has a serious interest. But when due to some reason the deal gets off, then there are chances that the buyer may not get his money back. In this case, due to the breach of contract(1), the seller can be taken to court. But the deposit cannot be claimed to buy the buyer until the judge rules on it. When two parties get into the contract of buying and selling of property, then earnest money agreement is used. Along with the signed agreement, a deposit amount is also accepted, which can range from $500 to $5000 depending upon the price of the property sold. If the deal doesn’t work, then the amount should be given back to the buyer (Leegard et al., 2016). It’s recommended that once the contract is signed and the deposit amount is given, then it’s necessary to inspect and survey as soon as possible to save the earnest money, just in case if there is some problem with the property or the deal.

Tools and Resources for Crystalline Silica The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG) helps workers, employers, and occupational health professionals recognize and control workplace chemical hazards. The NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) is a collection of methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air, and in the blood and urine of workers who are occupationally exposed. - NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search - Silica Health Hazard Evaluations - Best Practices for Dust Control in Coal Mining - Best Practices for Dust Control in Metal/Nonmetal Mining - Current Intelligence Bulletin: Silica Flour: Silicosis (Crystalline Silica) - Comparison of MERV 16 and HEPA Filters for Cab Filtration of Underground Mining Equipment - Construction Safety and Health - Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica - Direct-on-filter Analysis for Respirable Crystalline Silica - Examination of a Newly Developed Mobile Dry Scrubber (DS) for Coal Mine Dust Control Applications - Field Evaluation of Air-blocking Shelf for Dust Control on Blasthole Drills - Formative Research to Reduce Mine Worker Respirable Silica Dust Exposure: A Feasibility Study to Integrate Technology into Behavioral Interventions - Hazard Control #27: New Shroud Design Controls Silica Dust From Surface Mine and Construction Blast Hole Drills – Hazard Control #27 in Spanish: En Español - Hazard ID 1: Exposure to Silica Dust on Continuous Mining Operations Using Flooded-Bed Scrubbers - Impact on Respirable Dust Levels When Operating a Flooded-bed Scrubber in 20-foot Cuts - Inhaling Silica Dust Can Cause Deadly Lung Disease – Infographic - Inhaling Silica Dust Can Cause Deadly Lung Disease – Infographic (SPANISH) - NIOSH Hazard Review: Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica - Occupational Exposure to Silica Among US Metal and Nonmetal Miners - Occupational Health Guideline for Amorphous Silica - Occupational Health Guideline for Crystalline Silica - Oil and Gas Extraction Program - OSHA/NIOSH Hazard Alert: Worker Exposure to Silica during Countertop Manufacturing, Finishing and Installation - Preventing Silicosis and Deaths From Sandblasting - Preventing Silicosis and Deaths in Construction Workers - Preventing Silicosis and Deaths in Rock Driller - Science Blogs on Silica - Tuberculosis Topic Page - Worker Notification Program Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) - Severe Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabrication Workers — California, Colorado, Texas, and Washington, 2017–2019–Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: September 27, 2019 / 68(38);813–818. - Surveillance for Silicosis Deaths Among Persons Aged 15–44 Years — United States, 1999–2015– Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: July 21, 2017 / 66(28);747–752. - Summary of Notifiable Noninfectious Conditions and Disease Outbreaks — United States–Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: October 14, 2016 /63(54);73–78. - Surveillance for Silicosis — Michigan and New Jersey, 2003–2011–Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: October 14, 2016 /63(55);73–78. - Update: Silicosis Mortality – United States, 1999-2013–Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: June 19, 2015 /23(64);653–654. - Silicosis Mortality Trends and New Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica – United States, 2001-2010–Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: February 13, 2015 / 15(64);117–120. - Notes from the Field: Silicosis in a Countertop Fabricator – Texas, 2014–Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: February 13, 2015 / 64(05);129–130. - Working safely with natural and engineered stone products: Controlling worker exposure to silica dust during counter top manufacturing, finishing, and installation – Webinar Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Institutes of Health - Report on Carcinogens, Fourteenth Edition, National Toxicology Program–Silica, Crystalline Quartz pdf Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - Silica, Crystalline Topic Page - A Guide To Working Safely With Silica: If It’s Not Just Dust - Frequently Asked Questions: Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule - Helping Small Businesses - Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction pdf - Worker Exposure to Silica during Hydraulic Fracturing pdf State of California – Department of Industrial Relations - Cal/OSHA Hazards of Silica in Construction eTool - Cal/OSHA Hazard Alert – To Employees and employers in the granite counter top fabrication industry - Respirable Crystalline Silica Standards FAQs California Department of Public Health - Silica Safety Resources for Stone Fabricators - Hazard Warning: Silica Dust from Countertop Fabrication – Information for Employers - Hazard Alert for Workers: Silica Dust from Countertop Work can Harm You! New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services University of Washington Safe Work Australia International Agency for Research and Cancer (IARC) United Kingdom, Health and Safety Executive Resources for Silica in Industry Health Hazard Evaluations The Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program provides assistance to employers and employees in evaluation of new and recurring workplace hazards and in implementing preventive measures. Search the HHE database to find respirable crystalline silica evaluations that have been conducted in a number of different industries. NIOSH Construction Safety and Health Topic Page Resources related to safety and health for construction workers. OSHA Fact Sheet – OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction DSG FS-3681 (Dec 2017) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standard requiring employers to take steps to protect workers from exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health (eLCOSH): Silica Collection of resources regarding information on silica. Some documents include versions in additional languages. Workplace Solutions: Reducing Hazardous Dust Exposure When Rock Drilling During Construction NIOSH Publication No. 2009-124 (April 2009) Construction workers may be exposed to hazardous dust containing crystalline silica during site preparation when drilling systems are used. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that drill dust could be decreased by using wet or dry dust reduction engineering controls, enclosed cabs, and implementing a dust control program. Workplace Solutions: Reducing Hazardous Dust in Enclosed Operator Cabs During Construction NIOSH Publication No. 2009-123 (April 2009) Construction workers may be exposed to hazardous dust containing silica when working in enclosed cabs during construction activities. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that equipment operator exposure could be reduced by retrofitting air pressurization and filtration systems on existing cabs, using sweeping compounds on soiled floors, and implementing a dust control program. Workplace Solutions: Control of Hazardous Dust When Grinding Concrete NIOSH Publication No. 2009-115 (April 2009) Construction workers are exposed to hazardous dust when using handheld electric grinders to smooth poured concrete surfaces after forms are stripped. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that exposures could be reduced if a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) shroud was attached to the grinder. Workplace Solutions: Control of Hazardous Dust During Tuckpointing NIOSH Publication No. 2008-126 (September 2008) Construction workers are exposed to hazardous dust when grinding or cutting mortar or cement from between the bricks of old buildings. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that exposures could be reduced using tool-mounted local exhaust ventilation and work practices. Workplace Solutions: Water Spray Control of Hazardous Dust When Breaking Concrete with a Jackhammer NIOSH Publication No. 2008-127 (May 2008) Construction workers are exposed to hazardous dust when using jackhammers to break concrete pavement. NIOSH found that exposures could be reduced by using a water-spray attachment. A study to measure exposures found that jackhammer operators who break concrete were exposed to about 6 times the NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL). Silicosis – Working with Cement Roofing Tiles: A Silica Hazard NIOSH Publication No. 2006-110 (2006) Although respirable silica is a recognized health hazard in the construction industry, only recently has this exposure been documented in roofers. NIOSH has measured respirable silica levels up to four times the recommended exposure limit around roofers cutting cement products such as when roofing tiles are cut during the installation process. Silicosis: Learn the Facts! NIOSH Publication No. 2004-108 (August 2004) This document presents information in an easy to read format describing silica exposures, the effects of silicosis, and methods to protect against silicosis. Hazard Control 27: New Shroud Design Controls Silica Dust From Surface Mine and Construction Blast Hole Drills DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-150 (1998) On surface coal mining and construction sites, blast hole drills are notorious sources of airborne respirable dust that may contain significant amounts of silica. This Hazard Control offers information on a unique circular deck shroud which may reduce dust up to 99%. Hazard Control 30: Control of Drywall Sanding Dust Exposures NIOSH Publication No. 99-113 (1999) Construction workers who sand drywall joint compound are often exposed to high concentrations of dusts and, in some cases, respirable silica. This publication focuses on two methods of drywall sanding — vacuum sanding systems and pole-sanding, which assist in reducing exposure. Construction Workers: It’s Not Just Dust!…Prevent Silicosis NIOSH Publication No. 97-101 (1997) This pamphlet contains brief information about what silicosis is, its symptoms, how construction workers get exposed, activities in which silica dust may be present, and silicosis prevention. Silica…It’s Not Just Dust: What Rock Drillers Can Do to Protect Their Lungs from Silica Dust NIOSH Publication No. 97-118 (July 1998) This bulletin, produced by an interagency team from NIOSH, MSHA and OSHA describes how to minimize the risks of silicosis for rock drillers. Preventing Silicosis and Deaths in Construction Workers NIOSH Publication No. 96-112 (1996) This Alert describes six case reports of construction workers who have died or are suffering from silicosis. In addition, the Alert cites examples of five construction operations that used poor dust controls and two operations that used good dust controls. NIOSH Dentistry Directory Page Resources related to safety and health for dentist workers. Silicosis in Dental Laboratory Technicians—Five States, 1994–2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): 53(09);195-197 (Mar 2004). During 1994 – 2000, occupational disease surveillance programs in five states identified nine confirmed cases of silicosis among persons who worked in dental laboratories. This report describes three of the cases and underscores the need for employers of dental laboratory technicians to ensure appropriate control of worker exposure to crystalline silica. Silicosis and Silica Exposure in Dental Technicians New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), Public Health Services Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health, Occupational Health Service, Occupational Health Surveillance Program (slide presentation 2008). What Dental Technicians Need to Know About Silicosis New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), Public Health Services Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health, Occupational Health Service, Occupational Health Surveillance Program (Brochure) Respirable Dusts: Mining Topic Page NIOSH topic page on respirable dust in mining. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations – Mandatory Health Standards, Underground Coal Mines Title 30, Part 70 (Jan 2020) Respirable crystalline silica can be found in three forms – quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite. To control quartz exposure of mine workers, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) established permissible exposures limits (PELs) and conducts personal dust sampling to assess compliance with these PELs. Dust Control Handbook for Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing, Second Edition NIOSH Publication No. 2019-124 (Mar 2019) A successful collaborative effort by government and industry toward protecting the health of U.S. workers. NIOSH Testing a Revised Inlet for the Personal Dust Monitor Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 2019 Mar; 16(3): 242-249. NIOSH research on the development of a continuous personal dust monitor (CPDM) designed for use in underground coal mines. MSHA Handbook Series for Coal Mine Health Inspection Procedures – Chapter 1 Handbook Number: PH89-V-1, 27 (June 2016) Procedures and guidelines for conducting respirable coal mine sampling inspections, evaluating sampling results, establishing and removing sampling entities, establishing reduced dust standards due to quartz, and monitoring the operators’ respirable dust control and sampling programs. Best Practices for Dust Control in Coal Mining NIOSH Publication No. 2010-110 (Jan 2010) This publication identifies available engineering controls that can help the industry reduce worker exposure to respirable coal and silica dust. Mining Product: Best Practices for Dust Control in Metal/Nonmetal Mining NIOSH Publication No. 2010-132 (May 2010) This publication identifies available engineering controls that can help underground and surface metal/nonmetal mining operations in reducing worker exposure to silica dust. MSHA Handbook Series for Coal Mine Health Inspection Procedures – Chapter 5 Mineral Dusts – Gravimetric Method (Oct 2006) Exposure to mineral dust is determined by the gravimetric method (using a sampling pump and a pre-weighted filter cassette to determine dust concentrations in the mine atmosphere. Evaluation of an Improved Prototype Mini-Baghouse to Control the Release of Respirable Crystalline Silica from Sand Movers J Occup Environ Hyg (Jan 2018) NIOSH research identified at least seven sources where respirable crystalline silica aerosols were generated at hydraulic fracturing sites. NIOSH researchers developed an engineering control to address one of the largest sources of silica aerosol generation escaping from thief hatches on the top of sand movers. The Development and Testing of a Prototype Mini-Baghouse to Control the Release of Respirable Crystalline Silica from Sand Movers J Occup Environ Hyg (Aug 2016) This manuscript details the results of a trial of the NIOSH mini-baghouse at a sand mine in Arkansas in 2013. In-Depth Survey Report: Field Evaluation of the NIOSH Mini-Baghouse Assembly or Control of Silica Dust on Sand Movers NIOSH In-Depth Survey Report (Jul 2016) This report details the results of a trial of the 3rd generation of the NIOSH-developed mini-baghouse retrofit assembly that occurred at Southwestern Energy Sand Company in North Little Rock, Arkansas in 2015. This trial is a follow-up to the 2013 test of the 2nd generation of the technology. NIOSH-Designed Technology Can Reduce Workers’ Exposure to Silica at Hydraulic Fracturing Sites NIOSH Update (Nov 2015) Researchers have developed and tested a prototype called the “mini-baghouse” that can protect oil and gas extraction workers by effectively controlling silica dust at hydraulic fracturing worksites. NIOSH Oil and Gas Extraction Program NIOSH Oil and Gas Extraction Program resources for publications, topic pages, related NIOSH Centers, and science blogs. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica during Hydraulic Fracturing J Occup Environ Hyg (Jul 2013) This report describes a previously uncharacterized occupational health hazard: work crew exposures to respirable crystalline silica during hydraulic fracturing. OSHA/NIOSH Hazard Alert: Worker Exposure to Silica during Hydraulic Fracturing OSHA/NIOSH Publication No. 2012-166 (Jun 2012) A OSHA/NIOSH hazard alert identifies exposures to airborne silica as a health hazard to workers conducting some hydraulic fracturing operations during recent field studies. NIOSH Science Blog: Outbreak of Silicosis among Engineered Stone Countertop Workers in Four States This blog further discusses the MMWR report Severe Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabrication Workers – California, Colorado, Texas, and Washington, 2017-2019. Evaluation of Crystalline Silica Exposure during Fabrication of Natural and Engineered Stone Countertops NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. 2014-0215-3250 (Mar 2016) The Texas Department of State Health Services asked the Health Hazard Evaluation Program requested assistance to evaluate silica exposure in a manufacturing plant. The plant makes natural and engineered stone countertops. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): Severe Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabrication Workers — California, Colorado, Texas, and Washington, 2017–2019 68(38);813–818 (Sep 2019) Eighteen cases of silicosis, including two fatalities, are reported among stone fabrication workers in four states. Several patients also had autoimmune disease and latent tuberculosis infection. Notes from the Field: Silicosis in a Countertop Fabricator – Texas, 2014 64(05);129-130 (Feb 2015) A case of silicosis with progressive massive fibrosis was reported in a Hispanic male aged 37 years who worked for an engineered stone countertop company as a polisher, laminator, and fabricator. This is the first reported case of silicosis associated with exposure to quartz surfacing materials in North America.

- 1. Chromatic aberration - 1. 1 The putty powder itself is a semi-finished product. The instability of raw materials is one of the main causes of color difference. The quality of the ore powder mined from different mining areas will be varied and if no blending, there will be color differs from different batches. - 1.2 Some suppliers mix low-grade raw materials, when the purchased quantity is large, it is impossible to check every batch, which leads to low-quality products mixed in the production and resulting in color difference. - 1.3 The chromatic aberration is caused by mixing different grades of raw materials or scraping different brands of products on the same wall due to the mistakes of the production personnel. - The color difference is generally not a matter of formula, when it happens, it is recommended to scrape a piece of putty powder or paint with no color difference. - All personnel involved in production and construction should strictly follow relevant standards for production and construction to avoid man-made quality problems. - 2. Powder removal - 2.1 Construction: the painter used a scraper to dry the wall several times during the last finishing process, the surface of the surface will be slightly peeled. After drying, it will be powder removal. - Man-made: When the putty is not dry, it encounters dust adhering to the wall surface, such as cutting operation, strong wind or cleaning the floor, etc., leading the false powder removal. - 2.2 Production: wrong formula, or due to the unloading of the machine and equipment, which caused the formula to be unstable. - The construction workers should pay attention to the surface humidity of thewallputty when doing the last non-painting layer. If it is too dry, it will cause powder peeling. And it’s enough to smooth the knife marks when finishing, not suitable for multiple dry scraping. - If there is false powder removal caused by the dust attached to the wall, just removed the dust with a feather bomb after the completed decoration, or wipe it with clean cloth. - If there is quick-drying powder removal, it’s need to identify whether it is caused by the formula by technical dept.. - 3. Mouldy 3.1 If the raw materials are mixture of sea sand and cement, which own high acidity and alkalinity, and then acid-base reactions happen at the baseboards or leaking places on the wall, further causing the wall putty with problems of hairy, moldy, hollow, and shedding. Remove the moldy and hollow putty, and clean it with water. And if there are leaks or damp wall putty, repair and stop the water source in time, and then scrape the alkali-resistant putty again after the walls are dry fully. - 4. Drying quickly - 4.1 Due to the high temperature in summer, the water evaporates quickly during the operation of scraping wall putty, which usually occurs on the second stage of the construction. - 4.2 Cellulose ether’s water retention rate is low, qualified cellulose ether should own the capacity of keeping mortar at least two hours before scrapping. - During construction, the temperature should not be higher than 35℃. The second stageof wallputty should not be scraped too thin. - If there is a quick-drying phenomenon, it’s need to check and identify whether it’s caused by the formula. - If quick-drying happens, it is recommended that the construction should be completed for about 2 hours afterthe previous constructionwhen the surface is dry, this way helps reduce the quick-drying. - Choose high quality cellulose ether with good water retention rate.Landercoll HPMC K100 and MHEC EM100, with middle viscosity, are highly recommend for wall putty, which own good performance of water retention and workability even in summer. - 5. Pinhole - 5.1 It is normal for pinholes to appear when scraping the first layer, that’s because the wall putty layer is very thick and not easy to be flattened. Pinholes in the second and third layers are appear at uneven areas on the wall, that’s because more materials existand dry slowly, it is more difficult for the scraper to compact the putty in the concave areas. - 5.2 Insufficient light during construction will cause the construction personnel to ignore some small pinholes on the wall, and can’t flatten them in time. - The uneven wall surface should be filled to flat as much as possible during the first layer, this is conducive to scraping the second and third layer and the generation of pinholes will be reduced. - Pay attention to light during construction. In case of insufficient light in bad weather or when the light turns from bright to dark in the evening, construction should be carried out with the help of lighting equipment to avoid man-made pinhole problems caused by construction errors. - Putty powder with higher viscosity or slow drying will also produce some pinholes, so attention should be paid to the rationality of the formula. - 6. Delamination - 6.1 The type of slow-drying wall putty own the trait that the firstlayer of putty will increase its hardness along with time and absorption moisture from air. The interval time between the first and last layers is long. When the last layer is completed, the grinding will begin. The outer layer is looser and easier to polish, meanwhile the firstone is placed for a long time and harder to polish, which will form a similar delamination phenomenon finally. - 6.2 When scrap the last layer of wall putty, the hardness will be different between surface film and inner layer due to the too big pressure and long interval time. The inner layer is loose and easy to be ground, while the surface film own higher hardness and is not easy to be ground, which will cause delamination. - After the firstlayer construction is completed, if interval time is too long due to some reasons such as rainy season, it is recommended to scrape two coats of wall putty in the next step of construction. - When scraping the last layer of putty, not to press too hard, but just faltten the pinholes and knife marks on the surface. In case of wet weather or rainy season, work should be suspended. - 7. Hard to polish - 7.1 It is more difficult to polish a wall when it’s too solid or polished during construction, which with increased density and stronger hardness of the wall putty layer. - 7.2 The slow-drying wall putty will achieve the best hardness after one month. If it encounters water, such as wet weather, rainy season, wall seepage, etc., it will accelerate hardening and make it more difficult to polish, and the polished layer is rougher. - 7.3 Different formulas of wall putty are mixed together, or the dosage of formula is adjusted incorrectly, so that the hardness of the wall putty after scraping is higher. If the wall is too solid and hard to polish, it should be roughed with 150# sandpaper first and then 400# sandpaper to modify the pattern or scrape two more times before polishing. - 8. Cracks - 8.1 External factors including thermal expansion and contraction, earthquakes, subsidence of foundations. - Incorrect proportion of mortar in the curtain wall will shrink and cause cracking drying. - External forces are uncontrollable, it is difficult to prevent and control. - The scraping process should be carried out after the wall drying fully.

Wild pollinators are threatened which has consequences for both biodiversity and food security. In WINGS we will develop solutions for creating pollinator-friendly agricultural landscapes. Pollinators, such as bees and hoverflies, are essential for plants that reproduce through seed setting. This also includes many of our crops. Around 30% of the food we eat is directly or indirectly dependent on pollinators. One of the main threats to wild pollinators is the loss and reduced quality of important habitats such as semi-natural grasslands, coastal heathlands and speceis rich road verges. Land use changes, including intensification of agriculture, is the main reason for pollinator habitat loss. The main aim of WINGS is to support wild pollinators by developing solutions for the management and restoration of pollinator-friendly agricultural landscapes. These solutions will consider different interests across involved sectors, including agriculture, area management authorities, food businesses and NGOs, as well as the variation in the composition of Norwegian agricultural landscapes. The sub-objectives of the project are to: (i) identify and mobilise existing data on the distribution of important resources for pollinators in the agricultural landscape, (ii) assess the quality of pollinator habitat across production types and landscape contexts, (iii) improve existing agri-environmental schemes to support pollinators, (iv) create sustainable solutions for pollinator-friendly agricultural landscapes and (v) communicate pollinator-friendly solutions to society. WINGS is a collaboration between research institutions, nature management authorities, food industry and an NGO, all with an interest in safeguarding pollinators. The partners are NIBIO (project owner), Norsk Landbruksrådgivning, the County Governor in Nordland, Norsk Kylling, Sabima, NINA, NMBU and Aarhus University. Globally, wild pollinators are under pressure due to the total impact of land use changes which has caused the loss, fragmentation and reduced quality of pollinator habitat. Successful implementation and uptake of management solutions aimed at protecting wild pollinators requires coordination between sectors that may have conflicting interests and goals. The main objective of WINGS is therefore to develop solutions for the management and restoration of pollinator-friendly agricultural landscapes that consider sustainability trade-offs across sectors and agricultural landscape contexts. To reach this objective, WINGS uses a transdisciplinary co-learning approach in which researchers from social, ecological, and mathematical sciences team up with agricultural advisors, food industry, NGOs and area management authorities. WINGS is organised into five integrated work packages (WPs) that address knowledge gaps about area-resource management, sustainability and ecology when safeguarding pollinators. WP0 will ensure the coordination and communication between WPs which is paramount to the success of the transdisciplinary backbone of WINGS. In WP1, we will mobilise and integrate data on area-based resources important for wild pollinators. In WP2, we will quantify pollinator habitat quality across agricultural landscapes. WP3 will identify solutions for improving agri-environmental schemes and their synergies. In WP4, we will develop and communicate sustainable solutions for management of pollinator-friendly agricultural landscapes. A variety of communication channels will be used to reach target audiences, including a national conference and farmer excursions. Close collaboration with partners from stakeholder groups will ensure capacity building and outreach across sectors and society. WINGS will contribute both nationally and internationally to a broader understanding of how to safeguard pollinators as an integrated part of agri-environmental land use practices. MILJØFORSK-Miljøforskning for en grønn samfunnsomstilling

Volume 26, Issue 1, Spring 2004 Cassandra Y. Johnson, J. M. Bowker African-American Wildland Memories Collective memory can be used conceptually to examine African-American perceptions of wildlands and black interaction with such places. The middle-American view of wildlands frames these terrains as refuges—pure and simple, sanctified places distinct from the profanity of human modification. However, wild, primitive areas do not exist in the minds of all Americans as uncomplicated or uncontaminated places. Three labor-related institutions—forest labor, plantation agriculture, and sharecropping—and terrorism and lynching have impacted negatively on black perceptions of wildlands, producing an ambivalence toward such places among African Americans.