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The government has decided not to include ‘caste’ as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010. Does this mean that caste discrimination goes unprotected?
In 2016, the disturbing case of Tirkey v Chandok brought this issue into the public eye. An Indian woman’s mistreatment at the hands of her employers was likened to modern slavery. Her treatment was due to her low hereditary caste. She brought her case under the existing provisions of the Equality Act. The Employment Appeal Tribunal held that ‘ethnic origin’ had a wide definition. It could include characteristics determined by descent, such as caste.
In 2017 a government consultation began to look at how best to protect against caste discrimination. The report was produced in July 2018. Caste will not become a protected characteristic. There would be difficulties in defining ‘caste’. Drafted too narrowly it would not protect those who need it most. Drafted too broadly it might provide unintended protection to people whose treatment may relate to social class (between people of the same caste), rather than caste. Instead, the law will develop on a case by case basis.
There are relatively few cases of caste discrimination that come before the courts. The government felt that people can bring a caste discrimination claim under the existing provisions of the Equality Act. Caste discrimination should not go unprotected, but the feeling is that the existing legal provisions are adequate.
If you need help with your Employment Law visit us HERE | <urn:uuid:16ff6f40-9e15-4a18-915f-0338a7c7020b> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.thsp.co.uk/caste-discrimination/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998959.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20190619103826-20190619125826-00124.warc.gz | en | 0.967859 | 297 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Thesis of sonny's blues
simply the narrative of a man and his acceptance and understanding of a blind man. tags: cathedral, london,. And his being blind bothered me (99) the narrator tells us in Raymond Carvers Cathedral. Carver uses a unique style of writing which gives the short story a simple way for the reader to understand the storys theme. While he was expected to interact positively with Robert, he still acted discriminatorily and negligently towards the blind man. During the medieval period Gothic architecture was considered to be luxurious because of its exaggerated height given to buildings. Check out our other writing samples, like our resources on Drug Addiction Essay, Drown Essay, Drought Essay. 10, and the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. The pilgrims used the road to Santiago as a test of their faith and love for God.
James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues and find homework help for other Sonny's Blues questions at eNotes. Sonnys Blues of Hatred, Misery and Love Reviews, 1406 words. Sonnys Blues of Hatred, Misery and Love. Introduction The story Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin (1957) explores the theme of suffering experienced by Black Americans as individuals fettered by discrimination, unemployment, housing problems, drug addiction, imprisonment, and. Battle Royal Questions and Answers - Discover the m community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on Battle Royal.
Regardless I was there and without chance to leave, so I figured I might as well try to appreciate. His handsome, youthful face was relaxed into a slight smile, eyes closed lazily. Also analysed was how a Catholic community can impact the identity of its parishioner as well as the importance of belonging to a Catholic parish. I wanted to do more research about this cathedral and learn more about. The husband is the man who is psychologically blind.
2 and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall.
3.8 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot.
The Essay Conclusion Paragraph: Words That Will Help You Emphasize Your Ideas.
Every knows that your concluding paragraph summarizes all of the information that you have just gone over, restates your thesis statement, and gives that reader additional studies that can be done to further the research but you would be amazed how many times the.
Free Carver Cathedral papers, essays, and research papers.
Monster essay thesis statement
Thesis on china one child policy
A thesis statement on abortion | <urn:uuid:e3d27cbe-2008-43ef-a958-924f5e19862e> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://bpni.info/49542-thesis-of-sonnys-blues/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.952246 | 587 | 2.78125 | 3 |
In the NA interpretation (and my own), gone is an adjective meaning "to be no longer in a particular place". Furthermore, in NA English, the present perfect construction favoured by the Brits is interpreted to mean that the car itself left, but that's discounted as the car can't leave of its own accord. Strictly speaking, this use of go is not limited to animate agents; yet the agent must at least appear to move on its own. Consider:
- The mist is gone. (The mist seems to move of its own volition; the wind and sun are unseen.)
- The pain is gone. (We view pain as an entity which comes and goes.)
- The bus is gone. (The bus driver is an integral part of the bus and can be expected to be inside.)
I wonder how many other contractions are masking interpretations that have gone their separate ways. | <urn:uuid:6d616ed5-1b99-435a-a9b4-ab70b1eee207> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://english-jack.blogspot.com/2006/10/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.977295 | 185 | 2.875 | 3 |
Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.
~Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Many have researched and written about the truth that trauma is not all in our heads, but that it also lives in our bodies. It is there in our epigenetic DNA, in our cellular memory, in our muscle memory, in our sense memory and lives on in our nervous systems (which then impacts the functioning of every other bodily system).
The physiological signs and “symptoms” of trauma are both universal and individual. They can appear as any (or any combination) of the following ::
• autoimmune disorders
• gastrointestinal disorders
• insomnia and/or nightmares
• racing heart beat and shortness of breath (panic attacks)
• muscle tension
• sexual dysfunction
• reproductive system disorders
• chronic pain
• “clumsiness” (i.e. bumping into things constantly or finding bruises on your body that you don’t know where they came from or when you got them)
• neurological disorders (numbness, loss of use or sensation in extremities or in your face/jaw
There has also been research around certain types of cancer and the correlation to specific types of trauma (specifically sexual trauma and reproductive system cancers).
As Bessel van der Kolk and Babette Rothschild have both stated : Our bodies know, and they keep score.
Having trauma living within us causes physical discomfort and dis-ease. Multiple studies have found this to be true. When we consider that all of us have unprocessed trauma living within us -if not from our own lived experience, then from that of our ancestors- we can begin to make sense of the different medical diseases and disorders we see passed down through generations.
It is important for us to not only expand our definitions of trauma to include the experiences of our own lived life (including the list of experiences found on the Adverse Childhood Experience study (ACEs)) but also those of our ancestors and to also consider the traumatic impact of living in our current oppressive patriarchal culture.
Our bodies know. Our bodies remember. Trauma is not something that can be ignored forever. It does not just “go away.” If one generation does not process the traumas they have experienced, future generations will feel the impacts of those traumas within their own bodies and lives.
It is vital when we seek professionals to work with in processing our trauma that they understand and know how to work with the impacts trauma has on our physiological systems. It is vital when we do our trauma work that we have others versed in body-centered and somatic approaches. Studies have shown how not having a somatic/body-centered component to trauma work, and only using talk therapies, can actually be re-traumatizing.
As professionals we need to be trauma informed. Not everyone needs to be an expert, and I do believe that any person working with other humans in the medical, mental health and body-work (massage, chiropractice, acupuncture, physical therapy, etc) need to have a basic understanding of trauma, how it impacts the body, have some very basic tools to help their clients, and have a list of referrals for those who need someone more well versed.
I talk more about all of this in the 10-minute video below
This essay is the second of a four part series I have written exploring trauma, what it is, how it impacts us, and how we can begin to process it. I hope you find it helpful and informative.
Also the main focus of my individual work is trauma and utilizing trauma informed embodiment with my clients. If you are looking for an individual therapist, you can learn more about me and my individual therapy work here.
And finally, I facilitate a free online group on Facebook where we explore trauma, grief, embodiment,and their intersections. It is called Trauma Informed Embodiment and you can join us right here.
Links to the other essays in this series::
The Physiological Impacts of Trauma (this essay) | <urn:uuid:07719d6a-1671-43a8-87ea-197d872f7bbe> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://gwynnraimondi.com/physiological-impacts-of-trauma/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.947032 | 926 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Superfoods are nutrient- packed fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish that deliver a powerful dose of disease- fighting substances, cleansing the body of toxins and neutralizing cell-damaging free radicals. A diet rich in plant-based chemicals, phytochemicals, can slow the aging process, increase longevity, protect against cancer, and prevent heart disease. Oils in nuts and some fish also have strong disease-fighting properties, earning them the superfood label. While studies have long shown the healthful benefits of including a lot of fruits and vegetables in a diet, and eating coldwater fish, researchers are now beginning to identify the specific elements that fresh produce, fish, and nuts bring to the plate.
Superfruits and Berries
High on the list of anti-oxidant foods are fruits and berries that fall in the blue-purple and red family of colors. Blueberries, blackberries, acai berries and plums get their color from Anthocyanins, which have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, and may even prevent the formation of tumors, by interacting with other phytochemicals to inhibit the production of enzymes that stress the body’s cells. Citrus fruits, and melons such as cantaloupe, are high in vitamin C, making them superfruits that give a boost to the immune system and help protect against, and reduce the severity of, the common cold. New research suggests that vitamin C is also effective in preventing arteriosclerosis, hardening of the arteries caused by the buildup of plaque along artery walls. Arteriosclerosis can lead to heart attack and stroke. Studies have also shown Vitamin C is effective in cancer prevention, and it may improve the condition of those suffering from macular degeneration, deterioration of the retina that leads to a severe loss of vision.
The Healthful Benefits of Nuts and Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to normal body functions and a dietary necessity, as the body does not produce these on its own. Fatty coldwater fish such as salmon, albacore tuna, and sardines are rich in omega-3s. Nuts are also a good source, with walnuts containing the highest level of this nutrient. Pistachios and almonds are also good choices. They are not as rich in omega-3 fatty acids as walnuts, but they are lower in calories. Women suffering from hot flashes, and other symptoms of menopause, report that consuming one ounce of walnuts every other day relives their discomfort. Omega-3s lower the triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, promoting heart health. They have also been found to reduce inflammation, the body’s response to physical and mental stressors. While some inflammation is normal and necessary — consider the body’s response to a cut, the redness and swelling is how the body battles harmful pathogens — continued inflammation wears on the body, accelerates aging, and is linked to many ailments once considered unavoidable consequences of growing old. New research is showing that omega-3 fatty acids can alleviate the joint pain and stiffness of rheumatoid arthritis, boost the effectiveness of anti-depressant medications, and may even prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Kale, collards, Swiss chard, and spinach are nutrient-dense vegetables that add important vitamins, minerals, and fiber to a diet. Because they are extremely low in calories and are very filling, there is no danger of eating too much of these healthy foods. They add bulk to a diet, facilitating movement along the digestive tract, and they release sugars into the blood gradually, preventing unhealthy insulin spikes. Vitamins found in leafy greens work to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Oxidation allows LDL cholesterol to go directly to arteries in the body where it accumulates and causes inflammation.
Incorporating these healthy foods in a diet requires a new way of looking at meal planning. Rather than select a meat entrée, and then add fruits and vegetables as side dishes, begin with superfoods as the main course. Center dinner around a large salad of dark greens, chopped vegetables, slivered nuts, and berries. Meat and dairy products should be included as small accompaniments. Fruit is a natural snack food. Keep a variety of fresh superfruits in the house for a quick bite. For an easy breakfast, combine fresh berries with non-fat yogurt and a little milk in a blender to make a satisfying fruit smoothie.
While many of the healthful compounds found in superfoods are available in pill form, it is specific combinations of phytochemicals that produce health benefits. Many of these chemicals have yet to be identified by researchers, and therefore cannot be found in dietary supplements. Consuming superfoods as nature grew them will provide the maximum health benefits, and the maximum taste. | <urn:uuid:b93be865-19a7-48e0-b912-d6e397bdf9c8> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.am-coll-nutr.org/nutrition/ultimate-superfoods/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.945626 | 994 | 3.203125 | 3 |
I Can Eat Too Few Calories?
In the personal training world I see people obessing over their calories.
When making a decision that it is time to get back into shape and lose weight, we want to take the easiest and quickest route. Diet pills and starvation diets are usually what an individual finds as the quickest way to get to this goal. Unfortunately, low calorie diets can ultimately do more harm then good. When you starve your body by limiting your calories, you are also limiting your body from getting the necessary vitamins and nutrients that it needs. Although you might initially lose weight, overtime the lack of needed vitamins and minerals can lead to some form of nutritional deficiency. Let’s face it, all the personal training in the world isn’t going to overcome a bad diet.
Deficiencies in nutrition will only jeopardize your health in the long run.
How few is too few when it comes to calories? This will vary from person to person depending on a person’s weight and their activity levels. It is recommended to stay above 1200 calories a day because when you consume less than 1200 calories, the body goes into starvation mode and it will store the fat instead of burn it.
The safest and most productive way of losing weight is to lose about a pound a week. This requires a 500 calorie deficit everyday. You can break it up by consuming 250 calories less than you normally eat and burning off 250 calories through exercise each day.
The negative impacts that women can experience with too few calories are irregular menstrual cycles and in extreme cases, no menstrual cycle at all. When you stop menstruating, your body slows down the production of estrogen. This lack of estrogen can lead to an increase in the risk of bone loss. A lack in calories can lead to an iron deficiency that can cause anemia because of the lack of proteins. Low protein levels can also negatively affect your immune system. When your immune system is down, you are at a higher risk for catching a cold or getting the flu. It causes a ripple effect.
The thyroid is also affected when we do not consume enough calories. The starvation mode slows down our systems which can result in the feeling of being cold all of the time and have less energy. These issues can lead to mental issues like depression also.
Just remember that every person is different. Some individuals may find a greater success with counting their calories while others might overestimate or underestimate their daily caloric intake. If you are very physically active person, it is vital for you to consume an adequate amount of calories to re-supply the body with the calories that you burnt. This will re-energize your body so that you can continue to workout harder and run faster. If you don’t supply the body with the calories that it needs, it will only create a negative effect to your overall health. Not only will you feel tired and have no energy to keep up with your training, but it can also cause you to gain weight. Consuming an adequate amount of calories can lead to a successful attempt in weight loss and positively affect your overall health.
Stay True to Your Goals
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Essential oils are the highly concentrated oils found naturally occurring in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. Most pure and therapeutic grade essential oils are extracted from plants through either steam distillation or a process called expression (cold pressing). Depending on the type and part of plant being used, one method is typically preferred over the other, so both steam distillation and cold pressing are the ideal methods to look for when shopping for an essential oil.
It is important to note that other methods exists, include using solvents and chemically manufacturing a synthetic version of and essential oil, but it is recommended to avoid oils produced by other methods as the benefits are not the same. Synthetic oils have little benefit at all- they simply have a scent profile similar to that of the authentic essential oil. In addition, many aromatherapists have expressed concern over traces of chemical solvents remaining in the oils produced by solvents that can then be released into the air and/or absorbed into the skin. Although these traced are below the legal limits allowed by U.S. law, not all essential oil products are tested and many imported do not have the same regulations governing production in their own country. These solvent chemicals are typically benzene, hexane, or chlorure of methylene, and are considered “toxic”.
There are a number of ways to use pure and therapeutic grade essential oils to enhance your workout session[i]. I’ve included safety guidelines at the end of this article, so please be sure to read those prior to use. Two of the most common ways I discuss in this article and others I write are using the essential oils in topical applications and using them in diffusers. I do not recommend ingesting the pure essential oil unless it is in a capsule form and you’ve discussed the ingredients with your medical doctor. Although a number of practitioners (and even the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition in this study[ii]) provide recipes for internal use, I do not recommend this. Many of these recipes include adding a few drops of a particular essential oil to water or teas that you then drink. I do not recommend doing this as it is considered unsafe by most in the medical profession and by reputable manufacturers of product and foods using essential oils. Oils do not dissolve in water, so this is not a safe way to dilute the oil. Manufacturers of reputable organic teas use the actual part of the plant in their teas, not the essential oil. For example, Traditional Medicinals® organic peppermint tea is made from organic peppermint leaf, not peppermint essential oil.
The three oils that seem to have the greatest benefit on your workout if diffused in a diffuser during your workout are Peppermint*, Lemon*, and Eucalyptus* and I frequently use all three during training sessions I conduct with my own clients. If you aren’t able to diffuse the oils in a diffuser during your workout by putting in 2-3 drops into your diffuser’s water holder, sprinkling a few drops of the oil on a tissue and then inhaling them at the start of your workout is a good substitute.
*Please see safety guidelines at the bottom of this article and check out my other article in this series here on using essential oils when pregnant or around children.
Peppermint Essential Oil
When diffused or inhaled, peppermint oil works as both an anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and decongestant for your upper respiratory system. This supports good airflow during your workout. Peppermint oil also has an invigorating scent and numerous anecdotal accounts suggests it improves athletic performance by decreasing perceived effort and fatigue when inhaled during exercise.
Lemon Essential Oil
When diffused or inhaled, lemon essential oil can also clear the nasal passages and sinuses. It has also been shown to have anti-depressant effects, great for uplifting your mood at the start of a workout after a long and stressful day. It is frequently used as an air purifier when diffused because of its cleansing and deodorizing characteristics.
Lemon essential oil also has numerous antibacterial and antifungal properties when used as a surface cleaner. This cheap and simple do it yourself spray cleaner recipe can be used to wipe down your yoga mat and other items before storing them in your gym bag:
Mix in a small spray bottle ½ cup distilled water, ½ cup distilled white vinegar, 10 drops of lemon essential oil and 10 drops of tea tree essential oil to start and then shake well. I add more lemon essential oil until I like the smell, so feel free to add more lemon essential oil to this spray cleaner recipe. If you are not into do it yourself recipes, this spray cleaner called Master Blaster from Purehaven Essentials that utilizes organic lemon essential oil is a great alternative and an effective deodorizer when sprayed in your sneakers and other workout paraphernalia like wrist wraps and knee wraps.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus Globules is one of the world's most used essential oils and it is widely noted that it helps with respiratory problems when diffused as it has many anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
This study, done in 2010 and published in the Alternative Medicine Review [iii], stated that "Eucalyptus oil (EO) and its major component, 1,8-cineole, have antimicrobial effects against many bacteria...viruses, and fungi." And that, "...surprisingly for an antimicrobial substance, there are also immune-stimulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, and spasmolytic effects."
The study recommended that vapor inhalation, such as through a diffuser was an effective way to relieve congestion.
Eucalyptus essential oil is also effective in relieving aching muscles and joints from occasional overuse so it is frequently found in post workout salt soaks such as this one and post shower body creams such as this one.
If you are looking for a source to purchase high quality USDA certified organic essential oils, all 3 essential oils above can be purchased through Purehaven Essentials.
*Safety Guidelines When Using Essential Oils
The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy has put together general safety guidelines for using essential oils, including during pregnancy and around children. These guidelines can be found here: https://naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/safety . The International Association of Professional Aromatherapists has also put together pregnancy safety guidelines that can be found here: https://naha.org/assets/uploads/PregnancyGuidelines-Oct11.pdf The Herbal Academy has also put together general safety guidelines for using essential oils around children and these guidelines can be found here: https://theherbalacademy.com/using-essential-oils-for-children/
General Safety guidelines for essential oils: Keep all essential oils out of the reach of children. If pregnant or nursing or taking medication, or under a health provider’s care, consult your doctor before using any essential oil. Do not use undiluted essential oils on the skin. Undiluted oils can have an adverse reaction when in direct contact with skin. Mix 3 drops for every 1 oz. of carrier oil on skin. Always test your skin’s sensitivity to any diluted essential oil before using. Most essential oils are not recommended for babies, children or pets. Avoid contact with eyes. Wash hands after using essential oils. This information is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. It is not intended to prescribe, treat, cure, prevent or, diagnose any disease or condition.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the author nor web site publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
Cori DiDonato, C.S.C.S., NSCA-CPT is the owner of CrossFit Silver Tiger and Silver Tiger Consulting as well as a Purehaven Essentials Independent Consultant. For more health and wellness articles by Cori DiDonato, please visit: http://www.corididonato.com/library.php
© 2017 CD Strength LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | <urn:uuid:59cefd7b-75ec-4fed-aac2-a8afefa9f4b6> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.corididonato.com/eoandexercise.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.933894 | 1,797 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Years 1 – 6
Students in Years 1 – 6 enjoy the structure and security of a single homeroom situation with their individual teachers taking them for the majority of their subjects. These include English/Drama, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Te Reo Maori, Art, Technology, Music, Physical Education and Health.
A major focus at this level is literacy and numeracy. These provide the foundation for future success in all learning areas.
Special attention is given to any student experiencing learning difficulties through Specialist Teacher and Teacher Aide assistance and support. Students who are achieving at a very high level are catered for through differentiation in the classroom.
The Junior College teachers work closely together in their planning and provision of an integrated learning environment and curriculum. Christian aspects are embedded within programmes and a morning devotions session provides a specific opportunity to focus on our Christian special character.
Parents are encouraged to partner with teachers in the learning process, and keep communication links open at all times. | <urn:uuid:fd5b0522-a77a-4075-b95a-e255f4c30f72> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.excellerecollege.school.nz/?page_id=1656 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.942558 | 200 | 2.53125 | 3 |
2/1/17 – Dr. Deni Seymour, Speaker
Following Father Kino’s Footsteps in the Sonoita Valley – Anthropologist Dr. Deni Seymour discussed the early Patagonia people (Sobaipuri-O’odham) circa 1690 – 1770 .
The Sonoita Valley has a rich past spanning the prehistoric era into the historic. The valley’s character has been shaped by human-environment interactions. This talk focuses on the early historic period from the time of Father Kino in the 1690s up through the late 1700s when the Europeans first encountered the Sobaipuri-O’odham and when this interaction had its greatest impact. The Sobaipuri-O’odham settlement of Sonoita played a key role in the area through time and were central in the area’s history.
Dr. Deni Seymour is an internationally recognized authority on protohistoric and historic Native American and Spanish colonial archaeology and ethnohistory. For 30 years she has studied the ancestral Apache, Sobaipuri-O’odham, and lesser-known mobile groups (Jano, Jocome, Manso, Suma, and Jumano) who were present at the same time. She has excavated two Spanish-period presidios (Santa Cruz de Terrenate and Tubac), numerous Kino-period mission sites, and several indigenous sites of the period. She works with indigenous groups in reconnecting with their heritage, tackles Coronado and Niza expedition archaeology, and is rewriting the history of the pre-Spanish and colonial period southern Southwest. She has published extensively on these groups and this period, with more than 80 publications in refereed journals, edited volumes, and popular venues, and has served as guest editor for journals. She has also authored six books.
She received her doctorate and MA degrees in Anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1990 and her BAs with honors in both Anthropology and Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1980. She has taught, was employed by a number of state and federal agencies, and has worked for a number of cultural resource management firms, including one she founded and directed. Now she is a full-time research archaeologist affiliated with two academic institutions and the nonprofit research group Jornada Research Institute and she serves on the boards of two non-profit organizations. | <urn:uuid:1d459143-3e37-478d-8023-fbe48a6cdae4> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.thepatagoniamuseum.org/up-coming-monthly-meeting/february-11-2017-presentation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.96438 | 502 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The Stated Clerk was the Culprit
The Presbyterian clergymen had been identified as either ministers and waiting to be called to place of ministry. Through informal talks, it was agreed by these seven ministers to gather for a presbytery meeting, the first to be held in the colonies of America. They did gather in the month of March, 1706 in Philadelphia. We know that it happened before the 28th of that month. But the exact date of this first presbytery is unknown to us because the stated clerk lost all but two paragraphs of the meeting. The stated clerk, unknown in name, was the culprit. Judging however from the date of later meetings in the following years, we can estimate that this meeting was held on March 18, 1706, with the Rev. Francis Makemie as the first moderator.
A review of the historic seven names of this original Presbytery might be profitable. Even before you read the rest of this paragraph, close your eyes and see if you can name any of the seven clergy? They were: Francis Makemie, John Hampton, George MacNish, Samuel Davis, John Wilson, Jedediah Andrews, and Nathaniel Taylor. Their backgrounds show a wide divergence of traditions. Makemie was Scot-Irish with strong ties to those mother countries of Presbyterian pilgrims. Samuel Davis came from Ireland and pastored a church in Lewes, Delaware. Three of the ministers were from New England. Jedediah Andrews was a graduate of Harvard. John Wilson was pastor at New Castle. Nathaniel Taylor was also from New England. The other two, George McNish and John Hampton, had just come over from England in answer to the call of Makemie. Of the original seven, only three were pastors and the rest were missionaries.
» Statue in Accomack County, Virginia marking the grave of Frances Makemie, unveiled in 1908. »
Now Samuel Davis had sent an excuse to this first meeting. It evidently had something to do with travel time to get to Presbytery. However the excuse was not sustained by the brethren. They were not going to allow for any variance with what they considered to be both a privilege as well as a duty in attendance at Presbytery.
The purpose of the Presbytery was described later as a meeting of ministers for consultation as to the most proper measures for advancing religion and propagating Christianity in the colonies. A second purpose was listed as furthering and promoting the true interests of religion and godliness. The last reason was for the improvement of the ministerial abilities of teaching elders, which improvement was to be tested by prescribing text to be preached upon by two ministers at every Presbytery meeting. That performance was subject to the criticism, positive and negative, of the rest of the elders.
Hebrews 1:1-2 was the assigned text for the 1707 presbytery, to be preached by Francis Makemie and John Wilson.
Philadelphia was the chosen site because it was central to the scattered bodies of Presbyterians which were meeting in churches in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Long Island, and New England. Perfect religious freedom was enjoyed in this eastern city of Pennsylvania.
The organization of Presbyterians thus gave them an early advantage over other religious traditions in the colonies. They were ready to press on the inhabitants of this new land the value of holding true to the Scriptures, the Reformed faith, and the Great Commission.
Words to Live By: In faith and life, let everything be done decently and in order. Especially is this a good rule for the planting of a church. What you do in the beginning days will be central in building the church in succeeding days. So start the church well, according to Biblical principles and practices, and that rule will continue in later years, receiving the blessing of the Lord. | <urn:uuid:435ce779-1e90-43e1-bbbc-fbd7f61dd8ac> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.thisday.pcahistory.org/2014/03/march-18-the-first-presbytery-1706-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.979495 | 774 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Microcontroller Based Neural Network Controlled Low Cost Autonomous Vehicle Working:
The Microcontroller we are chosen here is LPC2148 ARM controller. This ARM controller consists of two RS232 ports which is able to communicate with GPS and GSM modem at a time. The operating voltage of ARM is 3.3v which will be done in power circuit block. The target location values (Longitude & Latitude) are sent as message to GSM module which is connected to the Controller. The controller will analyze the current position values of the vehicle and comp [area it to destination position value and make the motors to rotate such that it reaches the Destination. When going to the destination if there is any obstacle it will be observed by using IR Transmitter and Receiver and make the vehicle to rotate and move to destination position. Once the vehicle reaches the destination the Buzzer will switches on.
SOFTWARE: Embedded ‘C’ programming Language
TOOLS: Keil Software , Flash magic tool
TARGET DEVICE: LPC2148Microcontroller
APPLICATIONS: Neural Network Controlled Low Cost Autonomous Vehicle
ADVANTAGES: Low Cost, Secure & reliable.
Other Devices Used: POWER SUPPLY Cable, BUZZER, MOTOR DRIVE, IR TRANSMITTER,
IR RECEIVER, GSM, GPS, ARM CONTROLLER LPC 2148
Download Microcontroller Based Neural Network Controlled Low Cost Autonomous Vehicle Embedded System Final Year Project | <urn:uuid:f92b96c1-c827-47b2-ad71-55aa18a34940> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://1000projects.org/microcontroller-based-neural-network-controlled-low-cost-autonomous-vehicle.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.822972 | 305 | 2.625 | 3 |
Basic Trademark Info: key info for people new to trademarks
Why use a trademark?
Why register a trademark?
What is a trademark?
A trademark is a mark that distinguishes goods or services in the marketplace.
In Canada, a trademark is either a ‘wordmark’ composed of a word or words, or a ‘design mark’ which is composed of a design with or without words, or in a few rare cases, a ‘distinguishing guise’. More exotic forms of trademarks such as smells and colours (by themselves) have not yet been recognized as trademarks in Canada.
A trademark in Canada may be a name, logo, slogan, or design.
Why use a trademark? Many of the principles of trademark law are, implicitly (but rarely expressly) correlated to the good branding and marketing principles. In particular, it is usually a good idea to ‘brand’ goods (or services) with a distinctive ‘mark’ which distinguishes the source of the goods/services. Consumers frequently choose which product/service to buy on the basis of reputation – and they correlate reputation with a name, logo, slogan, design or other mark.
What is a trademark application? In Canada, a trademark application is really a ‘request’ more than ‘a thing’, but the phrase “trademark application” has two common usages:
a) It is the actual document that you file with the Government of Canada to start the process towards registering a Canadian trademark, and
b) It refers to the corresponding application in progress.
What is a trademark registration? In Canada, a trademark can be registered or unregistered. A registered trademark in Canada is one that has been formally entered onto the official register of trademarks. Trademark registration in Canada is a matter of federal jurisdiction, governed by the Trade-Marks Act.
A trademark that has not yet been registered is often marked with (TM). Only a registered trademark can be marked with (R). More information can be found on this page on proper marking of trademarks in Canada.
A registered trademark really represents a ”bundle of property rights” that can be bought, sold, licensed, and pledged as collateral for loans.
A trademark registration in Canada comes at the end of a successful application process, when the trademark is entered by the Registrar on the Register of Trademarks. Thus an applicant files an application to register a Canadian trademark and some time later (usually 12-18 months) if the the application has been successful, the trademark is ‘registered’.
View the Canadian Trademark Process Flowchart in PDF here.
Why register a trademark? No one is obliged to register a trademark in Canada. Registration of trademark is a key step in protecting and building value in your brand. The registration improves the rights of the owner of the trademark; creates an identifiable asset; provides some protection against claims of infringement or misuse by others; and, can be useful when dealing with other some other regulatory requirements (for instance, French language requirements for labelling in Quebec).
In Canada, the owner of an unregistered trademark has common law trademark rights (but these rights are quite limited). The owner of a registered trademark has much greater rights to the trademark (and to prevent others from using the trademark or confusingly similar trademarks) than the owner of an unregistered trademark.
Moreover, registration of a trademark provides some degree of protection for use of that trademark against claims of infringement from others. Accordingly, it is frequently highly advantageous to register a trademark. The more that you invest in marketing, and branding your products/services as different from those of your competitors, the more important it is to register your trademark(s).
What is the difference between a trademark and a trade name? In Canada, trademarks and trade names are quite different.
A trade name (or ‘business name’ or ‘corporate name’ depending on the context) is used to distinguish a business; a trademark is used to distinguish goods and services.
Registration of trade names is mandatory to meet the legal requirements for proper registration of businesses.
You are legally required to register a trade name in order to carry on business under a name other than your own in each province where you carry on business. For instance, if Jane Smith is the sole proprietor of a business known as “Joe’s Plumbing” in Toronto then Jane must register the trade name (“business name”) “Joe’s Plumbing” with the government of Ontario in order to carry on business under the “Joe’s Plumbing” name. Once she has completed this business name registration, Jane can, for instance, provide evidence of the business name registration to her bank so that she can accept cheques made out to “Joe’s Plumbing”. She can also contract with suppliers in the name of “Joe’s Plumbing” rather than having to use her name, Jane Smith.
Trademarks serve a very different purpose from trade names: they are all about distinctiveness in the marketplace. Trademarks help consumers identify the origin of goods and services, and trademarks help businesses preserve their distinctiveness in the marketplace.
Jane’s business name registration provides no protection against other people using either the identical name ‘Joe’s Plumbing’ if they don’t compete with her (even, for instance, if they are in the same province), or if they are using a confusingly similar name but are not in any way ‘passing themselves off’ as Jane. If Jane does not register her trademark, she may have some limited ‘common law trademark rights’, but if Jane really wants to try to prevent people from using Joe’s Plumbing or Joe’s Carpentry anywhere in Canada, she needs to try to register Joe’s Plumbing as a Canadian trademark.
When to register a trademark in Canada – and when not to bother.
As there is no legal requirement to register a trademark in Canada, every small business owner in Canada needs to ask themselves “should I bother to register a trademark, and if so, should I do it now or wait?”
Trademark registration costs time and money, so registration of a trademark in Canada is worthwhile if the value of the protection afforded by the registration is a reasonable return on the investment. Registration of a trademark can help create value in 2 different ways:
a) It provides a substantial level of comfort that the trademark you have chosen does not infringe the trademark rights of a third party, and thus that you will not be forced to change your trademark; and,
b) It provides substantial rights that you can enforce against third parties who might infringe on your trademark – whether direct competitors or not.
As a result, it is likely to be very worthwhile to register a trademark in Canada if:
– You intend to invest a substantial amount of money in packaging, signage, and the like;
– You intend to invest heavily in marketing the product or service;
– You intend to expand beyond one location;
– It would hurt your business if someone else adopted a similar or confusing name anywhere in Canada, whether they are a competitor or not;
– You intend to franchise or have other ‘partners’ also using the same name (for instance, if you have multiple ‘chapters’ of a charity); or,
– If it would cost a substantial amount in money or lost reputation to be forced to change your name later.
Similarly, it is not likely to be worthwhile registering a trademark if you carry on a small, personal business that is confined to one geographic area and that is closely associated with you (ie. Most sole proprietorships, and many small incorporated businesses). Generally, it is worthwhile to trademark a name on a product ‘sooner’ (ie. When the business is smaller) than for services. However, this rule of thumb is less applicable to internet-based services.
What is the deadline for filing a trademark? There is no deadline for filing a trademark. However, as your rights will be determined based on the date of your trademark application, it is important to file as soon as possible. Well managed companies usually file trademark applications based on ‘proposed use’ before they actually commence using the trademark in commerce. We recommend that you do the same if possible.
Who is a trademark agent? A registered trademark agent in Canada is an individual licensed by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office to represent trademark applicants. Only trademark agents may represent third parties before CIPO on trademark matters. While many trademark agents are also lawyers (attorneys), the two professions are quite distinct – most lawyers have little experience with trademark matters. Trademark lawyers represent trademark owners in court, in disputes, and in trademark transactions (licenses, buying/selling). There are roughly 2,000 trademark agents in Canada. Our firm is in among the top 100 firms in trademark filings.
Do you need a trademark agent? No, you do not “need” to hire a trademark agent to represent you before CIPO – you can act for yourself. But, bear in mind that you do not “need” to hire a dentist to help with your toothache either. Trademarks are complex, and the costs of making a mistake can be serious. We subscribe to the rule that ‘if it really matters, hire a professional to help, but on a reasonable (not unlimited) budget’. Applicants for Canadian trademarks who reside outside Canada must retain a ‘representative for service’ in Canada – usually this person is a registered Canadian trademark agent. | <urn:uuid:e94e449f-6614-4cd5-bcba-2ed19f2786f3> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://canadian-trademark.ca/trademark-basic-info/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.927246 | 2,014 | 2.671875 | 3 |
THURSDAY, May 14, 2009 (HealthDay News) --The use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public places such as subways can save lives, new research from Germany shows.
A study of AEDs installed in Munich subways found they saved the lives of 12 people suffering heart attacks since the AEDs' installation in 2001. The defibrillators are increasingly common in public facilities, office buildings and transit stations across the United States and Europe.
The results of the study, the first to look at publicly accessible AEDs, were to be presented May 13 at Heart Rhythm 2009, the Heart Rhythm Society's annual scientific session in Boston.
The 44 defibrillators installed at 37 Munich stations come with written instructions and use voice and visual prompts to instruct would-be rescuers how to use them. They can only be operated after alerting emergency personal.
During the study, stored data in the AED were collected and analyzed after each use. Over 7.5 years, AEDs were used in 17 patients. Of 14 people having heart attacks, 12 -- 86 percent -- were resuscitated and admitted to the hospital. Three patients suffered other causes for collapse, and the device delivered no shock.
Eight (57 percent) were discharged from hospital without neurologic damage. Ventricular fibrillation, a severely abnormal heart rhythm, was the initial recording in 10 patients, eight of whom survived without neurologic damage.
One shock was inadequately delivered by the defibrillator operator. On all other occasions, defibrillators were operated adequately, and no technical malfunctions were observed, despite the strong electromagnetic field caused by the subway operation.
Total costs of the Munich subway resuscitation project were about $242,452, or $30,306 per survivor.
To use an AED, rescuers attach adhesive electrode pads to the victim's chest. Through these electrodes, the AED analyzes the electrical activity of the heart to determine if the heart should be shocked. If the electrodes detect a normal heart rhythm or a rhythm that shouldn't be shocked, the device won't deliver one.
"Systematic use of AEDs in the Munich subway system is highly effective and safe for the acute treatment of patients with cardiac arrest," according to the Heart Rhythm 2009 news release.
The American Heart Association has more on operating an AED. | <urn:uuid:bc7db20b-46d9-4c82-b4ac-711d60f092b6> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://consumer.healthday.com/general-health-information-16/emergencies-and-first-aid-news-227/subway-defibrillators-save-lives-626799.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.943794 | 492 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Further, University of Wisconsin spinoff Cellectar Biosciences
is developing engineered molecules that are able to bind to more
than sixty types of cancer, and deliver a bit of radiation to kill the
targeted cancer cells. The molecules resemble the natural structure of cell membranes. Once injected, they spread throughout
the body. Healthy cells typically break down and eliminate these
agents, but cancer cells lack that ability, so they are engulfed by
these engineered molecules.
“Our phospholipid ether molecule has shown strong in vivo
targeting in over sixty different types of human and rodent cancer
models, regardless of anatomic location,” said Dr. Jamey Weichert,
associate professor of radiology at the University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public Health. “Most chemo agents enter
many cells and rely on, sometimes, small differences in overexpres-sion of specific pathways in cancer cells for their safety margin.
Antibody targeted therapies typically only target a relatively few
cancer types. Unlike most cytotoxic chemotherapy agents, these
agents can target not only cancer cells but also cancer stem cells,
which we now know play very important roles in cancer resis-
tance, metastasis, and relapse.”
It’s interesting to note that these methods of cancer treatment
continue to blur the lines between pharmaceuticals and medical
devices. Their only “device” components are either the manu-
factured particles themselves or the engineering methods that
contribute to the design of the cancer-targeting molecules. It seems
that these “combination products” are fast becoming a trend in
best practices for cancer treatment. Application of targeting parti-
cles into pharmaceuticals could become common practice, as they
increase the efficiency of the drug, thereby requiring less of a dose
for effective treatment.
Most remarkable about these technologies is that they provide
an alternative to chemotherapy, or present improved methods of
delivery to increase its effectiveness. They represent a particular
improvement in the treatment of brain cancer, which has thus far
been a challenge for traditional chemotherapy.
“We can target both primary and metastatic brain tumors very
effectively. Most people may not realize that most cancer patients
succumb to their metastatic disease and not their primary cancers.
Most chemotherapy agents are not effective against brain metas-tases due to their inability to cross the blood brain barrier. Our
agents may offer a benefit in this regard,” said Weichert.
There unfortunately won’t be any single technological solution
for cancer, simply because there is no single cause of cancer. But
the diversity of these solutions are edging healthcare professionals
closer to a set of best practices, and tipping the scales in favor of
remission for all. | <urn:uuid:fa46e0cc-1e3e-4cb8-851b-3216c8fc215a> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://digital.mdtmag.com/medicaldesigntechnology/april_may_2015?pg=28&lm=1514998757000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.916772 | 598 | 2.71875 | 3 |
What is fairness? What does it mean to be brave? Can you step in the same river twice? It is not only adults who can discuss philosophical issues. Peter Worley picks the best philosophy books for children
What is philosophy and why is it important that children have a chance to discuss it?
I think of philosophy as an activity more than anything else. So for me, working with children, it’s important that philosophy is rooted in conversation. The reason it’s important for children to do philosophy in this conversational style is firstly, to get them to respond to problems they encounter. Secondly, to reflect on those problems, and to reason about them and then, most importantly, to reevaluate. Those are what I call the four Rs of philosophy: respond, reflect, reason and reevaluate. So, for instance, you might come across a problem in the classroom — or with your friends — which leads you to ask ‘What is fairness?’ They might be faced with a situation where one boy or girl in the class is getting more attention than the others. When they reflect on it, on the one hand, they might think this is fair because the child needs that attention. On the other hand, they might think it’s not fair because fairness is to do with equal share and equal treatment. Straightaway there’s a conflict which leads to the question of what exactly fairness is. Children often don’t get to that point and, if they do, they often won’t get past it. So it’s important to provide a structured dialogic approach for the children to start reflecting on these things.
What’s also clear is that these questions, like ‘what is fairness?’, are relevant to children. They’re not just for adults. Once you’ve given children a structured environment, and, most importantly, you’ve got them responding to each other, then they will start to move to the reflective, the reasoned and re-evaluative aspects. They might start by giving a whole different bunch of answers within a class, leading to all sorts of conflicts and problems. You then move them to the next part, which is the reasoning part, putting it into an ordered, sequential, logical process. Of course, you move back between these stages at all times. The most important bit to me is that philosophy isn’t philosophy unless it has this fourth R: re-evaluation. So, OK, we’ve got all these reasons as to what fairness could be, is that account right? Are there any possible problems with this account?
Children don’t need much prompting to ask questions that are philosophical. They ask, ‘What happened before the universe began?’ or ‘Is there a God?’ or ‘Why are you treating me differently from someone else?’ Those questions seem to come quite naturally to them. But it strikes me that children are often more concrete in their thinking than adults, and less happy with abstract argument. And philosophy is often characterized as a very abstract subject…
There has been a lot of academic debate about this, whether children are capable of reasoning abstractly or not. In Piaget, there are strict rules about what children can do at certain stages of development. There’s also been a lot of literature on how Piaget was wrong. I’m very much a practitioner, I’m in the classroom working with children. What I see is that children are much more capable of abstract reasoning than a lot of adults might think. They’re certainly capable of approaching abstract concepts and odd abstract questions, like, ‘Does the hole in this doughnut exist?’ I can take that question to pretty much any age group, and they will become quite interested in it — at least until you get to age 12-13 when suddenly those abstract pursuits and ideas become less interesting.
But for your example you’ve chosen a physical thing, a doughnut. If you just said, ‘Is nothingness a something?’ that would have lost most people, wouldn’t it?
That’s actually a question that engages children straightaway. ‘Does nothing exist?’ is a great way to get children involved in thinking about stuff, provided that they understand how the word exist works, which they usually do, from quite a young age. Those sort of questions are perfect. There are strategies and techniques that we use with very young children to help them with this, which brings me to the first book I’ve chosen.
This is the Frog and Toad stories by Arnold Lobel.
Yes. So there’s a wonderful story in there called “Dragons and Giants.” Frog and Toad are trying to work out what brave is, and what it is to be brave. They start off by saying these characters are all brave and they look in the mirror and ask, “Are we brave?” They say, “Well we look brave.” Which is great, because you can then ask the children ‘What does brave look like?’ You get them to do all sorts of poses. The next part of the story takes you through how the two characters try to test for bravery, by going up a mountain. They come across various things — like an eagle and an avalanche — and each time they get quite visibly scared and shout out, “I am not afraid!” and move on to the next thing. At the end of the story you start with a simple question and ask, “Were Frog and Toad brave?” It connects to the story in a concrete way by referring to the characters and the concept. You get some responses. Then, after a while, we move to the abstract. I might say to the children, “What exactly is brave?” Sometimes they need a bit of help. They might come up with some concrete examples of their own. We start to put together a picture of what it is to be brave.
“I can take the question “Does the hole in this doughnut exist?” to pretty much any age group.”
Once we’ve come up with some kind of account of what bravery is, we’ll move back to the concrete question. I’ll say, ‘OK if bravery is X, Y and Z are Frog and Toad brave?’ I call this the Hokey Kokey [Pokey in the US] method, because it goes in (concrete), out (abstract) and in (concrete) again. It’s a really useful general principle for using stories with young children. It’s also very Socratic. Socrates would take concrete examples to test theories against. If someone came up with a definition — say of justice, beauty or courage — then they would have to come up with an example that might refute that.
How do you stop the children all talking at once?
Sometimes we don’t stop them. After a story and asking a question, you always give them a few minutes to just talk. They need to do that. Then we come back to a structured approach, so we have a ball and various rules so that one person speaks at a time. My job is to try and get people to respond dialogically to each other. So if, for instance, somebody says ‘Yes I think they are brave because this, that and the other’ my next job is to find if there is someone who has a response of any kind to that comment. Or to find out if there is anybody who thinks they’re not brave. By facilitating in this way, the children, as a group, start to do what a philosopher does as an individual. This is really key to how we work. It’s connected to the Socratic idea of the silent dialogue, where a philosopher will be thinking of something in their own head and coming up with possible objections and problems and alternative views themselves — and then moving on to deal with those. What we do is get the children as a group to think through in a way that we might characterize as philosophy. And that will include the re-evaluative aspect. Children will often say, “I think bravery is this,” and then stop. But another child then picks up the baton, and says, “But what about this?” It might even be the first child who then responds back in defense of the first thesis. Or it might be another one. But the point is this dialogic movement is starting to happen. The children watch each other and the aim, hopefully, is for them to internalize this process so that, later on, they start to do the same thing in their own head.
What about the silent child, the one who watches it all happening?
Many of these children will be engaging in some kind of silent dialogue themselves. The usual sign that they’re not engaging is if they’re being disruptive. Silent members are often encouraged, because if they’re sitting there silently, it’s usually a sign that they are engaging. But my job over time is to bring them out of themselves and get them to join in with the group. We find all sorts of things play a role in this: How shy a child is, what cultural influences they have from their backgrounds. For instance, some girls are very reluctant to speak because it’s not encouraged at home. My job is to try and find a way of drawing them all into the conversation. We have two aims: One is the dialogic philosophy building and the other is inclusion, trying to get as many children involved as possible. The key is to try and get the balance between those two: that they are all involved at the same time as there is some kind of linked, sequential movement in the discussion.
Let’s take another book then. You’ve got the Odyssey on your list which is also a book of stories, cobbled together by a journey. How do you use it?
I’ve written my own version of the Odyssey which I use in classrooms. I tell it very much in the oral tradition, I tell the story to the class.
Do you ask, ‘Is it OK to stick a sharp stick in the eye of the Cyclops if he’s holding you prisoner?’ — that kind of thing or is that too gruesome?
That story is a favorite of theirs. The question we usually use around that story is not an ethical one, but exploring the nature of mythical creatures. So we use that story as a springboard for discussing whether or not Cyclopes exist, how many eyes Cyclopes would have, and things like that. But you’re right, most of the stories in the Odyssey focus more on ethical than metaphysical issues.
Can you give an example?
There’s the classic dilemmas. So, for instance, Scylla and Charybdis, where you’ve got the two monsters on either side of the rock faces the ship has to pass through. There’s a whirlpool to the right, and what the crew don’t know is that there’s a six-headed monster hidden in the cliffs to the left.
There’s no easy way through the rocks between Scylla and Charybdis. What’s the dilemma? Seems like you lose either way.
I’ve done versions of the trolley problem with this story. Odysseus knows about the six-headed monster, but the crew don’t. So as they’re going through, if they go too close to the whirlpool the whole ship will be sunk and everyone will die. Odysseus’s dilemma is: Should I tell the men about the monster on the left they can’t see? Because if he tells the men about the monster, he risks them being too nervous to go near the cliff on the left hand side and jeopardizing the whole ship by going too close to the whirlpool. If he doesn’t tell them, they won’t be prepared for the six-headed monster and he’ll lose six men.
So this is close to the famous moral thought experiment of the trolley problem, where a train is running out of control towards six people on a track. You have the possibility of diverting it onto another track so it only kills one. Should you do it? Most people think you probably should sacrifice one to save many. Here you’ve got the sacrifice with the added element of concealing information…
Yes, it’s much more interesting when you add in the issue of information, which crops up again and again in the Odyssey. it’s absolutely full of it, because Odysseus — and other characters but mainly Odysseus — gains information through prophecy or demigods and so on. Very often, his dilemma is what should he reveal? Interestingly this is also the storyteller’s dilemma. The Odyssey is an oral story, and the storyteller’s dilemma is always, what should I reveal and when to the audience?
The Odyssey is a compelling set of stories that have obviously been honed over time. They’re very seductive in themselves. Presumably you have the children all listening eagerly and then you get into the dialogue with them about it. Do they then transfer that back to their own lives, do you think?
That’s the plan. One of the things I’ve written about in my own book about the Odyssey, The If Odyssey and also a book about storytelling, Once Upon An If, is that these stories enable us to rehearse bad situations without actually having to be in danger. What we would do under these circumstances? It’s a kind of rehearsal for the moral agent, particularly when you’re discussing the ethical dilemmas and issues that come up in the Odyssey over and over again. My aim with the use of stories is to activate the audience as a participant, as an active moral agent. One simple device with a story would be not to read it to the end, but to simply stop it at the point where the characters are faced with a dilemma or whenever there’s a tension or conflict. Then you say to the audience, ‘What would you do?’ Or, ‘What would you do if you were him or her?’ These are different questions and you can engage the children in these different ways.
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Another interesting thing about role-play and making use of the audience in this way is that you can give dilemmas their bite back. Very often, in philosophy discussions, the children inhabit a kind of netherworld of sitting on the fence. You’ll often find them saying “I think yes because of this and I think no because of that.” We don’t want to be too violent with the children. I’ve actually had a discussion with someone who said the trolley problem is a form of ethical violence, because it puts a person in a very uncomfortable situation. You’re saying to an 8 year old, “Are you going to pull it or aren’t you?” It seems really unpleasant. However, to say to them, “I’d like you to imagine that you are Odysseus, who is the captain of a ship, which means you have to make the decision one way or the other. Would you tell the men or would you not? I know you’ve given me reasons for both sides, but now I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you, as captain of the ship, to make a decision. It’s a really powerful way to give the dilemma its sting, as Nietzsche used to call it.
We’ve been talking about using ancient stories to introduce moral discussion. There’s also a great tradition in philosophy of creating thought experiments specifically designed to test out the feelings and intuitions we have about situations. As your next book, you’ve chosen a compendium of these by Julian Baggini The Pig That Wants to be Eaten.
Thought experiments are great. They have a stickman quality to them, I think they’ve been described as stickman stories, they lack a real life dimension.
Yes, that’s normally missing because they’ve controlled the parameters — the variables — to such a degree that you don’t have fleshed out characters, you don’t have complex situations.
The reason why I’ve chosen Julian’s book is because I find thought experiments a really lively way to get children involved with philosophy. It’s the fun bit, the evocative bit. They’re very powerful. If you want to get children involved in thinking about philosophy, most philosophers will start with a thought experiment of one kind or another. This book gives us lots of examples of how you can take a thought experiment into the classroom.
They’re also bite-sized. They don’t require the sort of investment that telling the Odyssey does. A thought experiment you can just drop it in, you can parachute it into someone’s consciousness and it can have a really powerful, catalytic effect.
Plus there’s what you already mentioned, which is that the thought experiment does try to hang onto the variables. This is also one of the problems with thought experiments, of course. When you go into a classroom, and you present the thought experiment to a bunch of people that don’t know what a thought experiment is, you do have often have children saying, ‘Maybe this and maybe that.’ They bring back the variables that have been removed in order to test whatever it is you’re testing.
It’s not just children that do that, it’s undergraduates as well. They’ll say that if it’s a runaway train it depends who is on the line, if it’s Hitler, I’d let it run…
Yes, they just throw these things back in and it can be quite tricky. In order to help with this, we’ve developed a series of questioning techniques at the Philosophy Foundation, along the lines of ‘iffing’. A classic example would be brain swapping. You get into a discussion of, if they swapped brains, where would Connor be and where would Matthew be? It’s a great discussion, but often children will come in with things like, ‘But we can’t do brain swaps yet.’ Then we simply say to them “Well if it were possible to do these, then where do you think that these two people would be?” With a thought experiment it doesn’t matter if it’s wrong in the real world, as long as it’s wrong in the right kind of way.
Baggini is asking the reader to suspend disbelief for the sake of working something out. But there is then the issue of whether you can move smoothly back to the real world with its particular imperfections. Do the children ever ask, why should I even bother with that question? The child skeptic saying, ‘This is the way it is, and I’m not going to talk about hypotheticals’?
Some children do respond in that way, not with that kind of sophistication, but they’ll just dig their heels in. The strategy usually is not to put them on the spot, but to invite the whole class to think about the question and see what people think. The more sophisticated problem of how valid thought experiments are when they’re only hypothetical is not really something you can get into with very young children. With adults and teenagers you certainly can, it is a great issue to explore with older children.
Your next book is more accessible than the one we’ve just been discussing. It’s The Philosophy Files by Stephen Law. What is it about this book that appeals?
Like Julian’s book, this book enables a young child to read something that is close to ‘real’ philosophy.
I think both books are real philosophy.
Yes. They’re much more representative of the things you might get into when you’re at university doing a philosophy degree, certainly in this country. That’s why I like to include them, because it’s great for very young children. Just to give you an example, I’ve had children in sessions actually explain to me the difference between qualitative and numerical identity — and even use the right nomenclature. The reason they’ve done it is because they have just read the chapter in Stephen Law’s book on whether or not you can step in the same river twice, which is a perennial favorite of mine in classrooms.
Perhaps you can spell out what the difference is between those two?
The numerical identity is those particular materials that something is actually made of. Qualitative identity describes the properties of that thing. So, if you’re talking about water flowing in a river, some children will talk about the stuff the river is made of and they’ll say that because the water is always changing and evaporating you can’t step in the same river twice. Others will talk about the fact that it’s got water in it and it flows and follows the same path and it doesn’t matter that it’s not the same exact water.
So what you’re saying is that young children are actually capable of discussing some of the philosophical issues that are typically reserved for first or second year undergraduates at university?
Young children are very good at identifying these sophisticated ideas. I’ve had children identifying an infinite regress, even though they don’t use those words. They might also notice that someone is working on an assumption. Or, as I’ve said, they might make a distinction between numerical and qualitative identity. These are the sorts of things children do, descriptively. On the whole they don’t have the nomenclature, so it’s rather nice, with Stephen Law’s book, that they can go off and read on their own and come back having learnt this and then apply it in the context of these dialogic sessions they’re having.
He’s also got a great, quirky, sci-fi, storytelling technique which draws adult and child readers in doesn’t he? With a good sense of humor too.
That’s right. My favorite one, which captures all these qualities, is the story of Brad Baddely and the time loop. It’s about a man who is on a planet which is about to explode. He’s stuck there, his spaceship has broken down, and then, just before the planet explodes, he’s visited by his future self who has time travelled back to save him. So he steps into his future self’s spaceship and is taken back to the space station where he came from. It sets up this whole possible paradox and Stephen has got this nice way of framing it so he doesn’t get into too much trouble. At the end of it, he pans back and the two characters are watching this on the tv.
You’re immersed in the paradox, because it’s logically impossible that that could happen. It just becomes the plot of a sci fi film…
Exactly, Stephen puts it into a frame within the book which works really nicely – it’s nice to get the kids thinking about the paradox before you reveal that it’s actually just a tv show.
In a sense, this is in the same tradition, though with a more futuristic twist, as the next book you’ve chosen. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass, are full of far-fetched scenarios which are entertaining in themselves, but also raise interesting questions, suggest paradoxes, dilemmas and complications in thinking things through.
Yes, also because of course Lewis Carroll — or Charles Dodgson as he was — was a logician. He wrote lots of books on logic, so what you get is properly informed problems. The great thing is that it doesn’t really come across as that. This is slightly different from Stephen’s book. Stephen’s book is introducing people to philosophy and in that sense it’s quite pedagogical or didactic. What Lewis Carroll does is he just tells a story, and then you notice that the whole thing is peppered with little problems and things to think about.
“This is the great thing about using books with children, very often the question you need to ask is already there in the book and all you need to do is stop and put it to them.”
A good example of this, for me, is Humpty Dumpty. When Alice meets Humpty Dumpty, he starts to engage with her on questions about language. He starts off by asking her what her name means. She replies, “Must a name mean something?” Later, she picks him up on his use of the word glory, which he describes as ‘a nice knock-down argument.’ And she says “But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument.’” He says, “When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” What’s great about this is that while it might seem like a whole bunch of nonsense, he’s actually taken a classic debate within logic and inverted its usual use. Most people would say names don’t mean anything in themselves, that they just refer to someone. And, yet, most people would say we do have fixed meanings for words such as ‘glory’ or whatever it may be. What Humpty has done is reversed that issue, so that the name is the thing that has fixed meaning for him and it’s the other words which can mean whatever he wants them to mean. There’s a clever reversal of a classic problem within logical nominalism.
How would you use this book with children?
It just so happens that I have a chapter in my new book devoted to this. This is the great thing about using books with children, very often the question you need to ask is already there in the book and all you need to do is stop and put it to them. I could stop at virtually every sentence of the Humpty Dumpty story, but it starts with a description of him sitting on the wall and Alice says she’s as certain of who it is “as if his name were written all over his face.” Before you even tell the children that it’s Humpty you can ask them, ‘Who do you think it is and how do you know?’ Or, ‘How does she know?’ Then, when Humpty Dumpty asks what her name is you simply ask the children, ‘What do names mean? Do names mean anything?’ And see what they say. When he says, words mean exactly what I choose them to mean, nothing more or less, you can then say, ‘Can words mean exactly what you choose them to mean?’ This is the great thing about good writing, and about books that have been written to get you thinking, which a lot of these have: very often they give you the question and you just need to put it back to the child and see what they think.
And the stories of Alice in Wonderland are a rich source of such scenarios?
It’s dotted with them.
Do you recommend volumes containing both stories like The Complete Alice or The Annotated Alice, which gives readers a few pointers as to what is going on? The thinking behind the examples is sometimes quite cryptically concealed…
The Annotated Alice by Martin Gardner is the one I use. In some ways, it might show a lack — that to make this book really shine one needs to read something extra to get from it what’s there. In a way, perhaps, that reveals its hidden didacticness. One almost needs a teacher’s handbook to go with it, and that’s what The Annotated Alice does. It gives you a kind of handbook and, when I’m reading it, I read the annotated stuff as keenly as the rest. That’s where I get a lot of pleasure from. But of course children can access all this from the main text.
If you had one bit of advice for a parent trying to engage their child in philosophy, what would it be?
It would be to shut up and let them think things through and let them talk. This is the key thing I see constantly with parents and even with teachers. A really good exercise is to watch yourself when you’re working with a young child doing a jigsaw puzzle. If you don’t watch yourself, you find you do it all for them. You start saying a few things to them and the moment they don’t do what they’re supposed to, you just pick out the right piece for them. But the best thing to do is just to ask them questions: ‘What do you think you should start with?’ ‘What do you think we should do?’ ‘Can you find the right piece to go there?’ And if they just can’t do it, according to your questioning, then you stop. You don’t finish it for them. It’s the same with reading books and stories.
Because the whole point of the exercise is to get the children to think for themselves, not to parrot the parent?
One of the problems we have as parents is that our criteria for success is that they have to have completed the puzzle, or to have correctly interpreted the story. Actually, all you need to do when reading a story is ask them, ‘What do you think this means?’ ‘What do you think he did that for?’ And if they have nothing to say, so be it. But if you keep asking those questions on a regular basis, eventually they start to say things. And if, after they’ve given their interpretation, you think they’ve got the wrong end of the stick, you don’t just give them the correct interpretation, as you see it, because then you’re doing all the work for them. Parents need to allow the child to misinterpret it. So that’s why I would say the key thing is to stand back and let the child to approach the story in their own way. Not perhaps all the time, there is perhaps a time for interpreting a story for a child, but you want them to think for themselves.
Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at email@example.com | <urn:uuid:7eddcd78-106e-46c7-a59b-33357c1f27b6> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://fivebooks.com/best-books/philosophy-children-peter-worley/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.967683 | 6,573 | 3.921875 | 4 |
The Stack of Activities for Teaching Computer Science
Teaching computer science with abstract lectures? Boring! We prefer active learning methods. That's why we created the Stack: an open-source collection of teaching activities for understanding and practicing CS concepts.
Each activity in the Stack features a thorough description, printable handouts, and supporting materials for teachers to easily use in their classes. For free.
You can browse the full list of activities. Or just have a quick look at our flagship activities:
- Code puzzle -- An advanced Parson's problem in C#.
- Encryption modes -- Learn block cipher modes of operation, their properties and use cases from scratch.
- Incident handling: A suspicious e-mail -- Spot an e-mail scam within a corporate scenario that really happened.
- Why assign activities -- Motivation for using activities in teaching.
- How to assign activities -- Assigning tasks in a way that results in action.
- External resources -- Useful links to websites relevant for teaching CS.
- Meta-Stack -- Activities for training computer science teachers.
Contact us and join our efforts
Feel free to contribute your own activities. Please, read the contribution guidelines, format your submission accordingly, and we'll gladly welcome it in the Stack! For example, you can start by developing the ideas for new activities.
We also appreciate suggestions for improvement, notes on your experience, or any other comments. Please, email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
However, the Stack wouldn't exist without the significant contributions of other Teaching Lab members, especially Martin Ukrop, who laid the foundations with his awesome Encryption modes activity, and Ondráš Přibyla, who shared his great teaching experience with us.
A big 'thank you' goes to the authors of the activities (in alphabetical order): Bibiána Ťureková, CSIRT-MU team, Jakub Žák, Jan Horáček, Jaroslav Čechák, Karel Kubíček, Lukáš Daubner, Martin Macák, Martin Ukrop, Matej Troják, Michaela Pokludová, Phillip Abramson, Radka Cieslarová, Štefan Bojnák, and Vlasta Šťavová.
Finally, thanks to Waldemarski for creating the logotype.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. When using an activity, please credit "Teaching Lab, Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University". | <urn:uuid:9bf3bee9-4495-48be-bd97-3112f942a753> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://github.com/teaching-lab/stack-cs-activities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.845958 | 553 | 2.640625 | 3 |
What is Minimum Support Price?
According to the website data.gov.in, Minimum Support Price is the price at which government purchases crops from the farmers, to safeguard the interests of the farmers. In the year 1966-67, the Government of India announced Minimum Support Prices for the first time for wheat, to save the farmers from diminishing profits. Since then, the MSP has been expanded to many crops.
Last opportunity for MBA Admission 2019
- The Government of India announces the MSPs at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), Government of India, determines the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of various agricultural commodities in India based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices.
- Currently the MSP covers 24 crops that include seven cereals (paddy, wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, maize and ragi); five pulses (gram, arhar/tur, moong, urad and lentil); eight oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed/mustard, toria, soyabean, sunflower seed, sesamum, safflower seed and nigerseed); copra, raw cotton, raw jute and virginia flu cured (VFC) tobacco.
Group Discussion Topics & Tips: Learn the Facts
Why is it provided?
- The idea behind MSP is to give guaranteed prices and assured market to the farmers and save them from the price fluctuations.
- It shields farmers from the unwarranted fluctuation in prices caused by the variation in supply (largely influenced by the monsoon, drought), lack of market integration, information asymmetry and other elements of market imperfection afflicting the agricultural markets.
- The guaranteed price and assured market are expected to encourage higher investment and in adoption of modern technologies in agricultural activities.
- Further, with globalization resulting in freer trade in agricultural commodities, it is very important to protect farmers from the unwarranted fluctuation in prices, manipulated by the international level price variations.
- For the 2018-19 crop season, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs recently announced an increase in minimum support prices to 50% above the cost of production. The Committee approved the MSP of 14 Kharif (summer grown) crops.
- The Modi government termed it as the “historic increase.”
- The announced MSPs also include a ₹200 per quintal increase in the MSP for paddy, which is likely to inflate the food subsidy bill.
- In a press briefing Rajnath Singh, the Home Minister of India, said the hike would boost farmers’ income and purchasing capacity, and have a positive impact on the wider economy, and played down fears of rising inflation due to higher food prices.
- This decision, taken by the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came just an year before the next general election. So, more than a beneficiary measure it is being considered as a step to garner the votes of farmers.
- There is a significant variance between what the government considers as the cost of production and what the farmer incurs.
- According to the Government of India, Production Cost = Actual Expenses on seeds, fertilizers, irrigation etc. (A2) + Unpaid Family labor (FL)
- Actual Production Cost (C2) = Actual Expenses on seeds, fertilizers, irrigation etc. (A2) + Unpaid Family labor (FL) + Rentals or interest on Land
- The announcement of increase is being considered as the betrayal of the BJP’s 2014 poll promise. According to the Bharatiya Kisan Union leader, “What has been announced by the Centre is an eyewash.” He mentions “If MSP had been announced on C2 basis, then paddy price would have risen by at least Rs. 700 per quintal, but the government has only increased it by Rs. 200 per quintal.”
Tips to improve your participation in GD round
This topic in GD round is one of the hot probable topics and has been carefully chosen and solved with the sole aim to help you succeed in GD round. If you follow the few key tips, you can improve your chances to get through the GD round
- If you are clear and know the topic well, it is good to be the first to start the Group Discussion
- If you are not well versed with the topic and fee a bit confused on it, try to gather information from first 1-2 speakers and then place your view point.
- Since GD is a sort of debate, you should have a clear view point on the topic – either for or against. Don’t keep crossing the floor. It will leave a bad impression and you may be out of the race.
- Use the quote and data, if you are sure of the source else leave it. You may encounter volley of questions on the economic statistics, trade data or historical facts from your fellow participants. Unless very sure, don’t use it.
- Make multiple entries using the opportunity to speak. Take clue from your predecessor and turn it to your benefit
- Speak in a firm and audible voice. Don’t shout as it wouldn’t do any good.
Even if you agree or disagree to the view point of other participant, add value by giving reasons for it when you speak but don’t simply say I agree or disagree
Read Latest GD Topics:
- Demonetisation: Success & failures
- Social Media: A boon or a bane for society and individuals
- Cashless Economy: Is Society ready for transformation?
- GST: Will economy grow faster with reduced rates of Goods & Services Tax?
- Walmart and Flipkart Deal: Impact on Indian Economy
- Impact of Technology on Jobs: Will Automation & Artificial Intelligence reduce or increase Jobs?
- Linking of Aadhaar: Is making Aaadhar mandatory a good idea?
- Crypto Currency: A bright future or just a fad?
- Make in India: The idea will make India a manufacturing hub
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Will it abolish the orthodox mindset? | <urn:uuid:13a3da62-d24a-4ff6-a8bc-a71d736a6207> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://mbauniverse.com/group-discussion/topic/business-economy/minimum-support-price | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.919793 | 1,305 | 2.875 | 3 |
One drug can treat three deadly and neglected infections – Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness – animal studies show.
It has been described as a “new hope” for tackling the parasitic infections which affect millions of people in the poorest parts of the world.
The discovery, reported in the journal Nature, was made by testing three million compounds.
The new drug is now entering safety tests before human trials.
Categories Digital chemistry & Pharma IT | <urn:uuid:08bdbc10-d56f-4710-8700-b6a6555c4959> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://news.healthcareguys.com/sub/one-drug-is-new-hope-for-three-killer-infections/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.942287 | 97 | 2.9375 | 3 |
A thirst for knowledge; a thirst for power; people get thirsty for lots of things. But that's not surprising when you consider that our bodies are between 50 percent (women) and 65 percent (men) water. It's so important to stay hydrated.
But dehydration can happen to almost anyone, anytime of the year, whether or not they're playing sports or working out. It hits when you lose more than 2 percent of your body weight through a water deficit. The signs are thirst (if you're working out, drink before thirst sets in!) and cold legs (especially if you're not working out) progressing to dark urine, dizziness, cramps, constipation, headache and flaky skin.
While it can knock anyone off his or her feet -- and into the emergency room -- it's especially a concern for those who work out or avoid drinking water and older folks, who may forget to drink water regularly. (Remind your near and dear.)
Dehydration can upset the sodium/water balance in your blood and body, and that destabilizes your heartbeat (your heart is 73 percent water) as well as the health of your muscles (75 percent water), brain and all other organs.
How much water does it take to stay hydrated? The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies says thirst can be your guide, but about 91 ounces of water daily (80 percent from drinking; 20 percent from foods) should be enough for women; 125 ounces a day for men. Those who live in hot climates or exercise may need more.
(c) 2018 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc. | <urn:uuid:a63c9dd0-b877-43a7-b5a2-90715085368f> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://renownhealthproducts.com/rhp/library/staying_well-hydrated/2018-10-23-114.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.949772 | 349 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Media, Millennial’s, and Climate Change
Brian Bestgen is a student at the University of Central Missouri majoring in Digital Media Production. He is guest blogging for the Show Me Justice Film Festival as a part of a project for his Media Promotions course. He is also a millennial.
Climate change has been a topic of debate for decades, with the scientific community seemingly overwhelmingly saying that man-made climate change
is real and an issue. Yet despite this there is a divide within the American people over whether we believe it and whether humans are responsible for climate change. However, millennial’s seem warmer to the idea that man-made climate change is a problem. According to a Pew Research poll, 93% of ALL Democrats believe climate change has an effect on the United States. It also shows a change in views between older Republicans and millennial Republicans as over half of millennial Republicans believe climate change is effecting the United States. This also shows that millennial’s are the first generation to have a majority of people within the demographic believe in climate change. A part of the reason for this change may be attributed to how it is being presented to the new generation and the ability of new technology to show the effects.
On Tuesday, Greenpeace shared a music video on YouTube that helps demonstrate one way modern technology and strategy helps inform the new generations on the issue of climate change.
The music video is effective because it presents these stunning shots of the Antarctic and the animals that live there in a way that could only be presented now. It gives the audience a connection to what needs to be saved and why it’s important. Also present in the music video is an original song from Thom Yorke from the famous band Radiohead. The quality of the music accents the shots being shown and the big name of the person creating the song helps bring people in to watch it.
Other examples of this is the BBC series Planet Earth and The Blue Planet which showcases similar breathtaking shots over several episodes and all throughout the plant. The series also brings in composers like Hans Zimmer’s contribution to the Blue Planet II soundtrack.
Perhaps the most known early example of using popular media to bring the message to the world is the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth. This was a documentary lead by former Vice President and Presidential candidate Al Gore really bringing the importance of the issue to a wide audience. There was also a sequel to this a decade later that took a look at how close we are to an energy revolution.
Another popular documentary lead by a famous figure is Before the Flood which was produced and narrated by Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio. The documentary also brought in a popular composer in Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor.
All these projects packaged these important facts in a way a scientific study cannot. They are able to use modern technology to present stunning shots and sounds to immerse the audience in nature and in what we are all trying to protect. They also bring in popular names in order to help bring in a larger audience so more people hear the message.
Have you watched any of these documentaries/videos? Do you have a favorite? Any other media out there you think had a big impact? | <urn:uuid:148d4452-0c89-4177-a17e-db5211f5b0a1> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://showmejusticefilmfestival.wordpress.com/2018/10/18/media-millennials-and-climate-change/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.960625 | 653 | 2.640625 | 3 |
a Department of Infectious Diseases, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland
b Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland
c Hepatology, University Clinic for visceral Surgery and Medicine, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland
d Arud Centres for Addiction Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland
Approximately 3% of the world population is estimated to have a chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and 500,000 individuals die from its consequences yearly. Persons who inject drugs (PWID) bear the majority of the disease burden in high-income countries. Drug substitution programmes have helped reduce HCV transmissions among PWID. However, recent epidemics of sexually transmitted HCV infections in HIV-infected men who have sex with men demonstrated the changing nature of the HCV epidemic. HCV therapy is undergoing a revolution, as new interferon-free, oral treatments eradicate HCV infections in almost all treated patients. As a consequence, the eradication of HCV has become a matter of debate and is becoming an important future public health target. However, for this to be achieved, many challenges need to be addressed, including the poor uptake of HCV testing, the high cost of the new antiviral combinations and the high frequency of re-infections after treatment in some populations.
Key words: viral hepatitis C infection; epidemiology; direct-acting antivirals; HIV-coinfection; eradication
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) was discovered in 1989, after having been first described as “non-A, non-B hepatitis”, a cause of chronic hepatitis in transfusion recipients in the 1970s [1, 2]. Since then, HCV infection has been increasingly recognised as a major source of liver disease, causing approximately one quarter of all cases of liver cirrhosis and cancer worldwide, and accounting for 500,000 deaths per year . In 2005, over 185 million individuals (2.8% of the world population) were estimated to be infected with chronic HCV infection, determined as a single positive anti-HCV antibody test . The highest prevalence is found in East and Central Asia, as well as in North Africa, whereas Western Europe is considered to have a moderate prevalence (1.5%–3.5%). A recent report showed that, by 2007, HCV infection had even superseded HIV infection as a cause of death in the United States .
Approximately 75% of acutely infected patients develop chronic HCV infection, of whom 20% develop liver cirrhosis during the two decades after infection if left untreated [6, 7]. The rate of fibrotic progression is influenced by several risk factors, of which age at infection, sex, hepatitis B virus (HBV)-coinfection, alcohol intake, chronic immune suppression as well as genetic factors are most important . In a recent genome-wide association study including data from the Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study (www.swisshcv.ch), several genetic polymorphisms linked to genes regulating apoptosis were found to be associated with the development of liver fibrosis . Coinfection with HIV, which shares routes of transmission with HCV, has a profound impact on the natural history of HCV-related liver disease: compared with HCV-monoinfected individuals, coinfected ones are less likely to experience spontaneous HCV clearance in the early phase of infection, have higher viral loads and an accelerated progression to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and death [10–13].
In industrialised countries, the burden of HCV infection affected mainly persons who inject drugs (PWID) until the first cases of sexually transmitted infections in HIV-infected men who have sex with men (MSM) were described 10 years ago (table 1) [14–16]. These reports were followed by the description of localised epidemics in large European cities [17–19] and, finally, nationwide epidemics among HIV-infected MSM populations, such as the one in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study . Besides the importance of specific risk groups, the age of infected individuals, the viral genotype distribution, as well as the rate of progression to end-stage liver disease varies widely across settings . Thus, the epidemiological patterns of HCV infection must be analysed and interpreted separately for the different regions of the world.
For many years, treatment of HCV infection consisted of weekly injections of pegylated interferon (IFN) alpha and daily doses of ribavirin (RBV), generally for one year. In the context of its duration, many contraindications, relatively poor success and high price as well as the many related side-effects, HCV therapy uptake has been consistently poor [22–24]. However, in the last two years, novel therapeutic approaches have emerged with the use of direct acting antivirals (DAA), improving the tolerability and success rate of HCV treatment and creating a new paradigm in the management of HCV infection . The perspective to have all-oral, once-daily, pan-genotypic, 2- to 3-month treatment courses without major side effects or drug interactions and rates of sustained virological responses (SVR) above 90%, offers hope for the eradication of HCV infection . However, this goal will only be reached if important barriers, such as the poor uptake of HCV screening and the high cost of these new HCV therapies are addressed.
In this review, we summarise the most important aspects and recent trends in HCV epidemiology, and describe the impact of new management strategies at the individual and population level, before discussing the ultimate goal of HCV eradication and related challenges.
|Table 1: Differences between classic and new HCV epidemics in Switzerland.|
|Classic epidemic||New epidemic|
|Predominant transmission group||PWID (~60%)*||MSM (>80%)*|
|Role of HIV infection||Small
(<10% coinfected with HIV)
(>90% coinfected with HIV)
|Peak HCV transmissions||1980s||2005 onwards|
|Estimated number of individuals in Switzerland*||80,000||200|
|Estimated treatment uptake**||10%||75%|
|Re-infection incidence||Low (0.8–4.7 per 100 py)***||High (8.0–15.2 per 100 py)****|
|Preventive measures||Needle syringe programmes, opioid substitution treatment||Condom use, sexual behaviour campaigns|
|Impact on liver disease burden at the population level&||Large||Small|
|Transmission rate per infected individual||Relatively small in countries with well-established drug substitution programmes||Relatively large due to continuous risk behaviour|
|MSM = men who have sex with men; PWID = persons who inject drugs
* from www.swisshcv.ch and Wandeler et al.
** From Wandeler et al. and Dore et al.
*** from Grady et al.
**** from Martin et al. and Lambers et al. & Number of patients with hepatic decompensation, HCC and liver-related deaths
The classic epidemic: HCV infection in persons who inject drugs
Percutaneous exposure to HCV is the main transmission route for HCV infection worldwide. Despite well-described epidemics in haemophiliacs and dialysis patients in the 1980s, PWID represent the highest proportion of the HCV epidemic in Switzerland (table 1). In Europe, the majority of PWID are infected with HCV: according to a recent systematic review, the global HCV prevalence among this population group was 67% and over 80% in 12 countries. Globally, around 10 million active PWID are currently infected with HCV with more than a million living each in China, Russia as well as in the USA . According to a recent analysis of data from the national HCV notification system and the Swiss hepatitis C cohort study, the birth year distribution of HCV infections in Switzerland peaks in individuals born between 1955 and 1974, which correlates with the overall pattern of injection drug use (IDU) in the Swiss population . Harm-reduction strategies for PWID such as needle syringe programmes and opioid substitution treatment have been very successful for the prevention of HIV infection , but have had more limited impact for HCV prevention, where a combination of interventions is often needed . Aging cohorts of HCV-infected patients constitute an increasing pool of patients at high risk to develop end-stage liver disease and to die of liver disease.
Eastern Europe and Asia have the largest populations of PWID infected with HCV . Many countries in these regions face alarming increases in the incidence of new HCV infections in these vulnerable populations, partially because of stigmatising and criminalising laws against PWID, and due to insufficient resources and the lack of political will for the implementation of prevention strategies. Despite the scientific evidence in favour of harm reduction strategies, punitive instead of therapeutic approaches for PWID are still frequent in many low- and middle-income countries and represent a major hurdle in the fight against the global HCV epidemic.
It has been clearly shown that PWID can be successfully treated for HCV even in the context of on-going injection drug use . Nevertheless, HCV treatment uptake in this population has been consistently low in most settings. As an example, between 1999 and 2011, the proportion of HCV-infected PWID from a representative Australian sample who reported ever having received an HCV therapy increased slightly, but remained below 10% . The situation has generally been similar in HIV-infected PWID: In a single centre of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, less than 10% of HIV/HCV-coinfected patients started an HCV treatment during active follow-up, mainly because of contraindications related to other comorbidities and uncontrolled addictions . The poor uptake of HCV therapy in PWID is due to a wide range of barriers, including patient refusal, comorbidities, continuous injection drug use and alcohol consumption and the anticipated side-effects of IFN-based therapy. Furthermore, medical practitioner’s reluctance to treat PWID as well as health systems failures also contribute to the poor access to treatment in many settings. Finally, the suitability of treatment settings and models of care also seem to play an important role in the acceptance of HCV treatment for PWID .
The new epidemic: HCV in men who have sex with men
The possibility of sexual transmission of HCV infection was raised in several reports in the early 1990’s [34, 35]. In a large sero-survey of over 1,000 patients attending a genitourinary clinic in London, Tedder and colleagues were among the first to link the transmission of HCV infection to MSM sexual practices and the occurrence of other sexually transmitted infections (STI) . These first epidemiological studies were followed by further evidence including reports from resource-limited countries, which highlighted the association between HCV and MSM, but the overall number of infections remained low or the association disappeared after adjusting the estimates for injection drug use [36, 37]. It was only a few years later that concerns were raised about the potential increase in the number of HCV infections in HIV-infected MSM populations who did not have a history of injection drug use [14–16]. As an example, in a case note review of a sexual health clinic in London, the incidence of new HCV seroconversions in HIV-infected MSM significantly increased between 1997 and 2002, in parallel to the increase in other sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as syphilis . As the number of incident HCV infections remained low, these analyses were reproduced in larger cohorts and collaborative multi-cohort studies [18, 38]. Small epidemics localised in large European cities were described in groups of patients with high risk sexual behaviour, including traumatic anal intercourse, fisting and the use of sex toys . Several networks of HCV transmission specific to such high-risk groups could be shown in England, Germany and the Netherlands, with transmission chains fuelled by permucosal infections [17, 18, 40]. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses identified several transmission clusters in Europe and Australia within a large international HCV transmission network .
In 2012, a comprehensive analysis of HCV seroconversions in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) showed an 18–fold increase in HCV incidence in HIV-infected MSM between 1998 and 2011, whereas the incidence in PWID decreased steadily (table 1) . This report was based on the systematic screening of HCV infection for all SHCS participants since 1998 and was the first study to report HCV incidence in a nationwide and representative HIV-infected population. Figure 1 shows the number of incident HCV infections by calendar year and transmission group in the SHCS. Incident HCV infections were associated with unsafe sex and co-infections with syphilis and hepatitis B. Several biological and behavioural factors seem to play a role in this new epidemiological trend (fig. 2). More than separate risk factors, it is probably the interplay between a number of these that has an impact on the sexual transmission of HCV in HIV-infected MSM. In addition to the increased biological susceptibility to HCV induced by HIV-infection and other STI, the consumption of alcohol and recreational drugs as well as the engagement in unprotected high risk sexual practices lead to the high vulnerability of certain HIV-infected MSM. Phylogenetic analyses among MSM in the SHCS revealed that patients with closely related HIV viruses were more likely to acquire HCV infection if their partner was HCV-positive . This finding underscores the role of domestic HCV transmission linked to sexual risk behaviour. Seroadaptive behaviour (‘serosorting’) is increasingly common in HIV-infected MSM, leading to the broader uptake of unprotected, traumatic sexual practices . Importantly, Hasse et al. showed that, in Switzerland, condom use had decreased among HIV-infected individuals with an undetectable HIV viral load during anti-retroviral therapy in recent years, further increasing the proportion of individuals at risk of HCV infection . Kouyos and colleagues found a broad HIV transmission bottleneck in HCV-infected MSM . As a broad bottleneck is consistent with direct viral transmission through traumatic events, this finding supports the role of traumatic sex for HCV transmission among HIV-infected MSM (fig. 2).
Is the HCV epidemic only changing in HIV-infected individuals?
According to the Global Burden of Diseases Project (GBD 2010), the prevalence of people with anti-HCV has increased from 2.3% to 2.8% between 1990 and 2005 globally . Even though trends in HCV incidence vary across countries, the main drivers of HCV infection in the general population have remained fairly stable over the past years . Injection drug use remains the main mode of transmission in industrialised countries, whereas unsterile tattoos and piercings in non-professional settings might play an increasing role in young populations . Risk factors for HCV infection in resource-limited settings remain ill-defined, even though unsafe therapeutic injection practices and blood transfusions seem to be the main routes of infection .
In Switzerland, there were an estimated 82,000 viraemic HCV infections in 2013 . According to this study, the viraemic population peaked in 1996 and was projected to decrease to 63,000 by 2013 due to intensified treatment and reduced transmissions. However, the proportion of advanced liver fibrosis or hepatic decompensations was projected to increase and account for more than 20% of total infections by 2030. This indicates that the disease burden caused by HCV infections will continue to rise in the next decades if treatment uptake and efficacy do not increase substantially. Bruggmann and colleagues estimated that, if treatment uptake increases from currently 1,100 to 5,300 per year, test rate increased from 1,050 to 3,490 per year, and if treatment efficacy rises to 90% using the new DAA regimens, HCV-related mortality would decline by 70% and 1,640 liver-related deaths would be averted by 2030 in Switzerland. This indicates that treatment interventions could indeed have a substantial impact on the morbidity and mortality at the population level.
The landscape of HCV epidemiology in HIV-infected patients has changed in recent years due to the increasing role played by its sexual transmission in MSM and the decreasing incidence in injection drug use in PWID. In the context of successful harm reduction strategies for PWID in Switzerland, the number of HCV-infected patients entering HIV care has decreased in recent years, whereas the number of incident HCV infections during follow-up has increased. The new epidemic of HCV infections in HIV-infected MSM and the potentially increased sexual transmission of HCV reported in cohorts of HIV-infected women raised the question of whether sexual transmissions of HCV could also occur in HIV-uninfected individuals.
Among HIV-uninfected heterosexual people in long-term monogamous relationships, the risk of sexual transmission of HCV is extremely low. Most spousal transmissions seem to be explained by the common practice of sharing syringes . However, the probability of acquiring HCV infection has been shown to increase with the number of sexual partners . A recent systematic review on the sexual transmission of HCV underlined the importance of confounding by other risk factors in the majority of these epidemiological studies . Most reports showing an association between heterosexual contact and the acquisition of HCV infection relied on self-reports as ascertainment of injection drug use and exposure to other sources of infection including sharp objects could not be excluded. HIV-uninfected MSM do not seem to be at higher risk of acquiring HCV either. In a recent serological survey among over 800 HIV-uninfected MSM with a median of 6 sexual partners a year in Zurich, the prevalence of anti-HCV was 0.4% and only one patient had a replicating HCV infection . Thus, HCV prevalence in HIV-uninfected MSM in Switzerland does not seem to be higher than in the general population despite the large proportion of these men reporting unprotected anal intercourse and traumatic sexual practices. These results are comparable to most other evaluations in European, Australian and American cities and are in line with a recent systematic review which came to the conclusion that systematic screening of HCV infection in HIV-uninfected MSM was not recommended . Taken together, the literature available to date does not place sexual transmission as an important mode of transmission of HCV in HIV-uninfected individuals.
HCV eradication: a realistic goal?
The field of HCV infection is facing an unprecedented situation in terms of treatment perspectives. The better understanding of the HCV life cycle as well as important efforts in drug development, have led to the discovery of several direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) . Within a few years, we have moved from lengthy courses of IFN-based treatment with many side-effects and poor treatment success to shorter treatments with well-tolerated and more potent oral drugs. Within the next two years, most HCV-infected patients, including those with cirrhosis, HIV-infection and those who failed previous therapies, will benefit from atwo to three-month course of all-oral treatment regimens with over 90% chances of experiencing a sustained virological response. As successful antiviral therapy is associated with a decreased progression to end-stage liver disease and mortality, as well as with an improved quality of life, it is now clear that much of the HCV-related morbidity can be controlled with treatment . The new treatment options have moved the discussion from individual treatment efficacy to the ambitious goal of global elimination (reduction of incidence to zero but requiring preventive measures to prevent re-establishment, as with measles) or even eradication (permanent reduction to zero cases, as with smallpox) .
The control of HCV infection implies primary prevention measures, such as the testing of blood supplies and ensuring safe injections and medical procedures, combined with the management of existing infections. As the pool of existing infections is extremely large, increasing the uptake of HCV testing and treatment is a necessity and remains the main challenge on the road to HCV eradication. Lack of HCV awareness and access to health care for those at highest risk are the main barriers to overcome. At present, there are wide differences in testing and treatment uptake between countries, as shown in figure 3 for Europe. In the United States, more than half of HCV-infected individuals are unaware of their infection , and this proportion is even much higher in resource-limited settings. Sound HCV testing strategies focused on specific age groups and high-risk populations have been implemented in several countries. These strategies need to be adapted to the local epidemiologic situation, and to go along with interventions to improve access to care and treatment for those in need. The slowly increasing availability of point-of-care anti-HCV tests should also have an impact on the uptake of HCV screening, especially in low-income settings.
In all regions of the world, only a small minority of HCV-infected patients have ever received IFN-alpha-based antiviral therapy. In low and middle income countries, HCV treatment is not accessible for almost all affected persons and treatment uptake rates remain below 1%. By the end of 2005, treatment uptake in European countries was estimated to range between 16% in France and 1% in Romania and Russia . These numbers have not increased after the availability of the first generation of DAA including boceprevir and telaprevir. Only 12% of the patients with a chronic HCV infection in 2011 in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study started HCV therapy with one of the new protease inhibitors during follow-up . However, recent trends in HCV epidemiology already had an impact on treatment uptake during acute HCV infection, as shown in a recent analysis in HIV-infected patients in Switzerland . Treatment uptake in incident HCV infections has increased from 33% before 2005 to 75% after 2005. These results were mainly driven by the large proportion of MSM accounting for incident HCV infections in the SHCS after this date. However, similar trends can be expected for PWID in the future, as it is increasingly recognised that the willingness for treatment is high and that it is effective and cost-efficient in this population .
Another challenge for HCV eradication is the high frequency of HCV re-infections in certain patient populations. Whereas this does not seem to be a major issue in PWID, where re-infections are rare even in the context of on-going injection drug use , early reports from HIV-infected MSM cohorts are of greater concern. Among 145 HIV-infected MSM with a documented primary HCV infection at a large hospital in London, the re-infection rate was 8.0 per 100 person-years over a median follow-up time of 2.1 years . In another study from Amsterdam, the incidence of re-infection was even higher, with an estimated 15.2 per 100 person-years . These results underline the need for more extensive risk behaviour counselling and prevention in certain high-risk groups such as HIV-infected MSM in large European cities.
The soon-to-be available interferon-free, pangenotypic, single-tablet antiviral combinations for HCV infection will undoubtedly increase the overall treatment uptake provided its accessibility is improved through cost-reductions. One of the greatest assets of these newer generations of antiviral treatment is their broad applicability in general clinical practices or in resource-limited settings due to their safety and relative simplicity in management and monitoring . In analogy to the long-lasting fight for affordable anti-retroviral therapy for HIV infection in Africa, similar efforts will have to be made for HCV therapies in order to expect an impact of these new treatment modalities on the global HCV epidemic . In Switzerland, the high cost of the new HCV drugs has limited their promising potential in terms of treatment uptake as their prescription is currently restricted to patients with advanced liver disease.
The new therapeutic strategies have also led experts to advocate HCV treatment as prevention, in analogy to recent developments in the field of HIV infection . In contrast to HIV infection, HCV treatment is finite in time and often leads to cure. Thus, it is obvious that a combination of enhanced HCV treatment efficacy as well as improved diagnosis and treatment uptake would have a huge impact on population-level disease burden. Furthermore, treatment as prevention strategies could also be a way to address re-infections in high-risk groups. Mathematical modelling work has given important insights into the feasibility of treatment as prevention. The introduction of new DAAs will only have a modest impact on projected advanced liver disease burden, mortality and the number of new infections if treatment uptake remains at current levels [21, 67]. However, according to a recently published modelling study adapted for PWID populations in Scotland, Canada and Australia, realistic increases in treatment uptake of DAA-based antiviral therapies could halve the HCV prevalence within the next 15 years . Finally, in a similar model adapted to the HCV epidemic in HIV-infected MSM in Switzerland, condom use and HCV treatment uptake were the most important factors in curbing the epidemic in this population [A. Rauch, SSI Annual Meeting Aarau, August 2014].
The HCV epidemic has evolved over the years: besides the constant burden seen in PWID, smaller epidemics of sexually transmitted HCV infections have recently emerged in HIV-infected MSM. After two decades of slow and incremental improvements in HCV therapy, a new era has started with the availability of new generations of oral, direct-acting antiviral drugs, allowing new perspectives in terms of HCV control. HCV infection has many of the attributes needed to be a good candidate for eradication: it can be cleared from the host through treatment, there is no non-human reservoir and transmission chains can be broken. However, the poor uptake of HCV testing, the high cost of the new antiviral therapies as well as the frequent re-infections after successful treatments are some of the challenges that will need to be addressed for the better control of the HCV epidemic. Furthermore, the eradication of an infectious agent needs strong financial support as well as political and societal will. Although these factors have not always been present in the past years, the call to develop a comprehensive approach to control chronic hepatitis during the 2010 World Health Assembly leaves hope for a better control of HCV worldwide.
Acknowledgment:We thank all patients, doctors, and nurses associated with the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS), and with the Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Funding / potential competing interests: We declare no competing interests.
Correspondence: Gilles Wandeler, MD MSc, University Hospital Bern, Inselspital, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland, gilles.wandeler[at]insel.ch
Andri Rauch, MD, University Hospital Bern, Inselspital, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland, andri.rauch[at]insel.ch
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No commercial reuse without permission. | <urn:uuid:a89d35b1-2bc8-4e12-aeab-dea64a1d090c> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://smw.ch/en/article/doi/smw.2015.14093/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.897355 | 9,555 | 3.046875 | 3 |
May 7 to 12 is the 102nd annual Be Kind to Animals Week, a reminder that we should always treat our animal companions with compassion and empathy, in return for their trust and loyalty. This is a particularly good time to teach our children respect for all living creatures, and to renew our commitment to do the same for the rest of the year.
Here are some other things we can do to show kindness to our dogs:
- Adopt Don’t Shop
When you are considering adopting your next dog, please go to a shelter or rescue instead of a pet store. It’s the best way to save a life.
Not all dogs wind up in shelters because they are “bad.” Oftentimes, it’s because their former family can no longer care for them, whether for financial reasons, a move to a place that would not allow dogs, or the death of a caretaker.
A shelter dog should not be punished for the failings of its previous humans, but every puppy that is bought from a store instead of adopted from a shelter increases the likelihood for a shelter dog to become one of the nearly three million unwanted dogs that are destroyed in the U.S. every year.
Also remember that it’s very difficult to tell whether a pet store dog came from a legitimate, licensed breeder, or was the product of a puppy mill — even the pet stores can be deceived about the source of a puppy.
- Spay and Neuter
In order to reduce the number of unwanted dogs that are destroyed each year, we need to reduce the number of unwanted dogs. Spaying or neutering your pets is the best way to do this.
There is really no excuse to not have your dogs fixed. All of the standard arguments against it are complete myths.
Neutering a male dog will not make him fat and lazy, and he will not lament his lost “manhood.” Instead, it will reduce aggression and excitement, as well as his desire to “mark” his territory, including indoors. It will also eliminate the possibility of testicular cancer down the road.
It’s also a myth that female dogs should have a litter of puppies before being spayed. Spaying before a dog’s first heat cycle can reduce the possibility of various forms of cancer. Needless to say, it will also completely eliminate the possibility of unwanted puppies.
Remember: Dogs experience the world first through their sense of smell, and if you have an unfixed female around that goes into heat, every male dog in the neighborhood will know it, and the unfixed males will do their best to try to get to her.
- Donate or Volunteer
Whether you have a dog or not, you can still help your local shelters and rescue organizations through donating, whether your time, money, or material help, and there’s probably a shelter or rescue near you.
While these groups can always use financial support, if you’re short on funds you can always offer your time. They always need dog walkers, as well as volunteers to assist people in finding and adopting the right pet, to tend to the kennels and the dogs’ needs, and more.
If you don’t have the time or the money, shelters always need supplies, and many of them have wish lists. Old blankets and newspapers are always in demand, but so are things like office and cleaning supplies, toys, bowls, other accessories, and food.
- See Something, Say Something
Animal abuse is a serious issue, but the animals can’t report it themselves. If you know of dogs or cats that are living in inhumane conditions or that are being physically abused, report it to your local animal control authorities. It’s another way to save animals’ lives, and to find them homes that are loving and committed to their care.
- Help Educate Others
Spread the word to your friends on how they can help out, and how they can fulfill their dogs’ needs and bring balance to their pack. If you live in an area with a lot of dog walkers, try to organize a neighborhood pack walk, which will help to socialize the dogs and educate the humans.
Don’t forget social media. If you’re an active user of Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or other such sites, you have a platform to spread the word, and yet another way to help out animals everywhere.
The best gift we can give to our dogs is strong Pack Leadership by giving them rules, boundaries and limitations and providing exercise, discipline and affection, in that order.
A balanced dog is a happy dog. Luckily, dogs naturally know how to be balanced — if we let them. It is only when we have unbalanced energy, are inconsistent in our leadership, or fail to let our dogs know what they should be doing that misbehaviors arise and become a problem.
Preventing those problems in the first place is the greatest kindness we can show to our canine friends, this week and every week. | <urn:uuid:1f580fc4-068d-4027-9fea-a682329ad3ea> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.cesarsway.com/its-be-kind-to-animals-week/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.963199 | 1,051 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Who were these pioneers in 1717? Women of Faith and Courage! Most of them were of Anglo-Norman ancestry, as their surnames indicate. After six months in Fishers Lane, they moved to a convent in Channel Row, (later renamed N Brunswick St) which had previously been inhabited by Benedictine nuns, and followed by Poor Clare nuns.
Mary Bellew, the leader or prioress, had made profession in 1702; the remaining Sisters were professed between 1712 and 1717: Julia Browne, Ellen [Elinor] Keating, Alicia Rice, Honoria Vaughan, Elizabeth Weever/Weaver, and two blood sisters-Mary and Catherine Plunkett (relatives of Oliver Plunkett). Catherine went on to a Dominican convent in Brussels. Nothing further is known about Mary Plunkett except a record noting her death in 1719.
Mary Bellew “showed remarkable leadership qualities” by opening (1719) “a boarding school for young ladies and a ‘retirement home’ for Catholic ladies in the very heart of Dublin despite the penal laws’ threat of fines and/or imprisonment.”(Kealy)
[to be continued]
From Sr. Maris Stella McKeown, Archivist, Mission Area of Ireland
For more details, see this website link WHO WE ARE, with Drop down menu –HISTORY and BOOKS.
The drop down menu in WHAT WE DO provides insights into how and where the seed, planted in Dublin in 1717, has grown and sprouted other branches in the following three centuries. | <urn:uuid:6e46790c-a14d-40c1-b757-b1251efa4263> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.dominicansisters.com/2017/300-years-presence-of-dominican-women-in-dublin-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.962173 | 331 | 2.921875 | 3 |
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force of your blood as it pumps through your body. Blood pressure is expressed as a fraction such as
The top number is the pressure exerted on your vascular system when your heart contracts. This is the systolic pressure. The bottom number is the pressure exerted when your heart rests between beats. This is the diastolic pressure.
What is “high” blood pressure?
High blood pressure is called hypertension. According to the American Heart Association guidelines, which were updated in 2017, a systolic pressure of 130 is now considered high. (Previous guidelines defined “high” as a systolic pressure of 140 for those younger than 65 and 150 for those 65 and older.)
The new guidelines were created following the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), which was conducted at about 100 medical centers and practices across the country, including Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center locally. More than 9,300 people took part in SPRINT, including about 400 Winston-Salem area residents.
According to the updated AHA guidelines (see chart below), many more people now have blood pressure that has been redefined as high.
Why is high blood pressure a concern?
High blood pressureplaces an extra burden on your heart and blood vessels. Over time, high blood pressure can pave the way for very serious problems such as:
Heart attack Stroke
Vision loss Memory loss
Kidney disease Sexual dysfunction
High blood pressure also damages the lining of the blood vessels, allowing “bad” cholesterol to build up in the artery walls. Over time, this buildup of plaque can reduce blood flow to the heart and brain.
How do I know if I have high blood pressure?
Many people have high blood pressure and don’t know it. That’s because high blood pressure typically has no symptoms. (Extremely high blood pressure may cause headaches, vision problems, or chest pain.) Typically, the only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to measure it with a blood pressure cuff. If you only see a doctor once a year, it’s wise to take your own blood pressure from time to time. If you don’t own a blood pressure machine, you can use the automated machine found in many grocery stores, gyms, community centers, or pharmacies. But did you know there’s a right way and a wrong way to take your blood pressure?
Here’s the right way:
- Don’t consume caffeine or alcohol for 30 minutes before taking your blood pressure.
- Sit with your feet flat on the floor and your back supported. Do not cross your legs.
- Support your arm so your elbow is at or near heart level.
- Place the cuff over bare skin.
- Relax and sit silently for five full minutes before you begin.
- Do not speak while the machine is working.
After the cuff deflates, leave it in place, wait one minute, and then take a second reading. If the results are close, average them. If not, take a third reading and then take an average.
Is there anything I can do to lower my blood pressure?
Yes! There are five lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure naturally. Even if you currently control your blood pressure with medicine, you will still greatly benefit from making these changes.
To lower blood pressure naturally:
|What to Do||Why it Helps||Action Step|
Maintain a Normal Weight
|Blood pressure tends to rise as weight increases. Being overweight puts extra strain on your heart and increases your risk for high blood pressure.
|For many people, losing as little as 10 pounds lowers blood pressure. If you’re not sure what weight to aim for, or what the best weight loss method for you is, talk to your doctor.|
|Regular physical activity can lower systolic blood pressure by 4-9 mm/Hg, making it equal to the effect of some medicines.
|Be moderately active at least 30 minutes a day most days of every week. Moderate activities include walking, biking, gardening, mowing the lawn, dancing, and swimming. All activity is helpful, even little things like taking the stairs or parking farther away.
|Sodium causes fluid retention, which increases the pressure on arteries, raising blood pressure. No one should consume more than 2400 milligrams of sodium (about a teaspoon) a day. Senior adults should consume even less—no more than 1500 milligrams daily.
|Read the labels in your pantry and at the grocery store, do the math, and see how much sodium you consume in a day (you may be amazed!). Don’t add salt to your cooking; instead, flavor food with herbs and spices. Use more fresh ingredients and fewer pre-packaged “convenience” foods.|
|According to the Mayo Clinic, you can lower your blood pressure by up to 11 mm Hg just by changing your diet!||To lower blood pressure, your menu should be rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and low on saturated fat and cholesterol. The best eating plan is the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). Google it!
Drink Alcohol in Moderation
|Alcohol raises blood pressure. If weight is an issue for you, remember that alcoholic beverages are also high in calories.||If you drink alcohol, drink moderately: for women, only one drink a day; for men, no more than two.| | <urn:uuid:b559a9f7-96f7-45c6-a501-7b545d6ada0e> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.forsythwoman.com/blood-pressure-faq-lower-blood-pressure-naturally/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.926886 | 1,160 | 3.578125 | 4 |
Climate change and capacity constraints will significantly impact European airports by 2030, reports Eurocontrol study
Tue 9 Dec 2008 – According to a new Eurocontrol study, Challenges of Growth, even taking the current economic downturn into account, demand for flights in Europe will rise from 10 million today to 20.4 million in 2030, leading to one in two flights at risk of delay or cancellation at highly congested airports. In addition, bouts of extreme weather and other effects of climate change will bring further disruption to already saturated airports, together with changes to travel and route patterns.
Although many airports are working to increase capacity, the report predicts there will be around 2.3 million flights a year – or more than 6,300 flights a day – unaccommodated by 2030, with around 20 of the largest airports operating at full capacity for more than eight hours a day.
“Despite the economic downturn and a prospect of slower growth in the future – because of maturing European markets and higher fuel-related costs – demand in the longer term is still set to rise substantially,” commented David Marsh, Manager of Forecasting and Statistics at Eurocontrol. “As a result, airports are going to run out of space, and with half of each day’s flights going through one of the saturated airports, a small delay at one airport could rapidly escalate to infect the whole European air network.”
The report says the problems could get even worse because weather-related delays could be more common as bouts of extreme weather will occur more frequently. Increases in the occurrence of significant convection areas, winter storms, ice, frost, moderate and severe turbulence, windshear, fog and runway contamination may cause considerable delays to aircraft operations. In addition, rising sea levels, rising temperatures and declining water resources will all directly affect demand for air transport, and at the same time may impair the air traffic network infrastructure. A significant number of airports around Europe, points out the report, are located on coastlines or tidal river floodplains.
As higher temperatures become the norm across Europe, holiday patterns are likely to change. Over northern and eastern Europe, most of this warming will occur in the winter months, whereas across the Mediterranean and central and western Europe, the greatest temperature increases are projected for the summer. Within 10-20 years, parts of the Mediterranean are forecast to be so hot during mid-summer that this could cause a decline in the tourism economy during July and August.
While airlines will be able to change their routes to cope with this, airports, which require substantial infrastructure, are not so flexible. For example, with higher summer extreme temperatures, aircraft payload lift is likely to be affected, necessitating longer runways and changes to take-off trajectories.
“Thanks to climate change, demand may be elsewhere than today,” notes Marsh. “We need to start thinking of an agile air transport network, one that brings together people and technology so that it can react effectively both as the day’s events unfold and as demand changes by the year. It should be unencumbered by the twentieth-century concerns of national borders, with a real Single European Sky (SES), an agile pan-European system, if we are to cope with the challenges of the future.”
There are five main challenges facing the European air transport system, say the report’s authors:
·Lack of airport capacity;
·Efficient management of a highly-contested air traffic network;
·Delivering and exploiting the benefits of SES, especially SESAR; and
·The impact of climate change on demand and operations.
The report forecasts that in 2030 there will be between 1.7 and 2.2 times the number of flights in Europe seen in 2007, with 1.8 the most likely. Within this growth there will be significant variations, for example strong growth in Eastern Europe in percentage terms and limited growth in domestic traffic for many of the currently busier States. Stronger growth is seen in traffic to and from Europe (3.8% to 5.8% per year), with Russia, India and China contributing significantly to this. But the strongest growth is likely to be in overflights, which are growing at 5.0% to 7.1% per year, representing between 18,000 to 30,000 additional flights a day by 2030, as connections are increasingly made between, for example, the Middle East and North America.
The expansion of the European Union has proven to be a significant source of traffic growth in the past, because joining the EU brings not just an open aviation market but also free trade and free movement of workers and businesses. The present 27 EU States is expected to reach 34 members by 2030.
Eurocontrol believes that the introduction of aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, will increase average ticket prices by around 0.5% a year, more on long-haul and less on short-haul, and will have the effect of reducing demand in 2030 by some 0.9 to 1.3 million departures, the latter being the most likely.
The report says that Air Traffic Management is expected to provide, at best, a 10% reduction in aviation’s CO2 emissions per flight. “Even with greater improvements from other sources such as cleaner aircraft technologies, aviation growth will continue to be a significant environmental challenge,” say its authors.
They foresee trade-offs between conflicting environmental impacts. For example, a noise mitigation procedure may route aircraft away from noise sensitive areas but require longer track length, hence greater fuel use and more greenhouse gas emissions. Research into the trade-offs between fuel efficiency and other climate-related factors (such as contrails and cirrus cloud formation) suggests that cruising levels and speeds could be altered for environmental reasons, with potential changes to the vertical and lateral distribution of flights. “The impact of this on en-route capacity has not been investigated in detail, though the effect is unlikely to be trivial,” they believe.
The report concludes by examining five mitigation methods that could reduce the impact of the challenges described. Some, they concede, have limited benefits such as schedule smoothing, accelerated investment in additional high-speed train infrastructure and accelerated shift to larger aircraft to reduce frequencies. Use of alternative secondary and regional airports could reduce unaccommodated demand by 25-40%, but this is also limited due to capacity constraints elsewhere. Investment to bring all airports to be ‘best-in-class’ standard, together with SESAR improvements, could bring 40% gains. Best results, it says, would come from a mix of methods that take into account different airline business models and local demand.
The study calculates that shifting short-haul flights to high-speed trains (HST) by extending the HST network from the current 98 city-pairs to over 300 city-pairs would reduce demand by between 300,000 and 500,000 flights. Therefore, it takes three times the connections to double the reduction. Given the cost of building HST lines, it says, this is unlikely to be justifiable in its own right as a means to reduce demand. | <urn:uuid:bd62d075-54ac-43e1-a837-aba427a197f5> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.greenaironline.com/news.php?viewStory=330 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.95116 | 1,466 | 2.84375 | 3 |
The Twelve Days of Christmas isn’t about partridges or pear trees, it’s a Christian celebration of the incarnation of Jesus, beginning Christmas Day and concluding with the Feast of Epiphany on January 6. Since the fifth century, three feasts traditionally mark the Twelve Days: the Feast of St. Stephen, a day for giving food to the poor, showing Jesus’s generosity to the needy; the Feast of St. John, which honors the traditional author of the words from John 1, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us"; and the third feast draws attention to the children who were murdered by Herod as he sought the life of the baby Jesus, as described in Matthew 2.
More Book Minute Features
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Some of the earliest known examples of Christian art portraying biblical figures are actually underground. In miles of tunnels outside the walls of Ro...
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Shavuot—the Feast of Weeks, is celebrated seven weeks after Passover—commemorating the first fruits of the harvest, associated with the giving of the...
June 03, 2019
Going Into D-Day With the Bible
In the hours before the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944—D-Day—troops were preparing to land on a 50-mile stretch of French coastline. T... | <urn:uuid:a1c05b6d-9af1-4bdc-be2d-a21fc7385c8c> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.museumofthebible.org/book/minutes/518 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.946588 | 277 | 3.515625 | 4 |
What Is Base64 and How To Encode and Decode Text?
Base64 is an encoding and decoding algorithm. We need encoding of some data in order to prevent storing and transmission problems. For example If we try to transfer binary data it may create and affect some network devices because of its data structures.
Base64 is generally used different applications like email and MIME, XML, JSON, URL and HTTP etc.
Base64 uses aphabet, numbers and
= for encoded data. For example following examples are valid Base64 encoded data
And following are not valid encoded data
Base64 Is Not Encryption
Base64 is just encoding format so it is not used to encrypt data to hide from third parties. Base64 encoded data can be easily reverted or decoded back to the text format. It can work two way without a security restriction of password.
Now we will look some examples about to encrypt and decrypt Base64 in Linux bash environment.
We will encode file contents named
base64 command. We do not provide any option for this.
$ base64 data.txt
Decoding is very similar to encode we will just provide
-d option to the
base64 command like below. In this exmaple we will use file named
encoded.txt which contains base64 encoded data.
$ base64 -d encoded.txt
atob() functions which is short form of
binary to ascii and
ascii to binary . We will just provide the text or data we want to convert to these functions like below.
In PHP Programming language we can use
base64_decode functions like below. | <urn:uuid:0563118d-d59c-44a0-8c41-f211b0541a68> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.poftut.com/what-is-base64-and-how-to-encode-and-decode-text/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.762215 | 338 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Writing History Essays Paperback / softback
Part of the Macmillan Study Skills series
To write history successfully, it is essential to understand the nuts and bolts of technique as well as the underlying principles which govern the whole process.
Writing History Essays takes you step by step through the process of writing an assignment, breaking it down into a series of manageable tasks, including: * selecting sources* reading critically* taking notes* planning and drafting your essay* referencing correctly and avoiding plagiarism This book also takes you beyond the essay, with practical advice on writing book reviews, reports and dissertations, as well as guidance on sitting examinations.
This new edition includes reflective questions at the end of each chapter and discussion of visual and web-based sources, making it an indispensable guide for history students.
- Format: Paperback / softback
- Pages: 208 pages, 208 p.
- Publisher: Macmillan Education UK
- Publication Date: 27/05/2016
- Category: Writing & editing guides
- ISBN: 9781137543660 | <urn:uuid:8b8cfe94-c99b-48e9-9dd1-509ca5510b1e> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.readingspace.co.uk/Product/I-W-Mabbett/Writing-History-Essays/19150041 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.869023 | 218 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Wherever we may live, forests impact our lives daily, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. However, they are being destroyed to meet the world’s growing demand for wood, paper and agricultural products.
Responsible forestry is essential to not only reduce the adverse environmental, social and economic impacts associated with forest loss, but also to ensure the continuity of the values that forests bring.
India’s pivotal position in the global forest products market makes it a critical player in influencing better forest management domestically and internationally.
- It ranked 13th in total import values for wood and articles of wood trade in 2015.
- It is the second largest importer of tropical timber and is also the third largest consumer, after Indonesia and Brazil.
- About 17% of log imports to India are estimated to be of illegal origin and the country’s consumption of such logs is rising more rapidly than any other.
WWF-India works towards building sustainable, ‘deforestation-free’ markets for forest-based products like timber, pulp and paper, and natural rubber through engagements at multiple levels.
At the manufacturer level, we engage with companies to promote sustainable production and sourcing along their supply chains, through the progressive uptake of global best practices like credible certifications (Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC)), as well as through the promotion of the use of sustainable alternatives like agri-residue and recycled fibres. The Global Forest and Trade Network
(GFTN) is one of the key programmes that WWF uses globally to engage with forest-based companies in this way.
At the consumer level, we work to raise awareness and demand for FSC products through campaigns and communications in industry channels. At the wider sector level, we work to influence the development of forest certification in the Indian context, in line with global best practice. | <urn:uuid:fa18202f-203b-44a7-8b11-cc7d0265b749> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/making_businesses_sustainable/timber_pulp_paper/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999261.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20190620145650-20190620171650-00284.warc.gz | en | 0.934538 | 383 | 2.734375 | 3 |
The Initial Evaluation: Getting to Know Your Child
An evaluation consists of a parent interview, observation of your child, and direct interaction and testing. This process takes approximately two hours and will include an audiology test to rule out hearing problems, unless your child has already had a recent hearing test.
During this evaluation, one of our speech-language pathologists will carefully observe your child’s behavior and play to observe any patterns that may emerge. We will assess your child’s overall communication abilities, including non-verbal communication (gestures, pointing), language (vocabulary, ability to follow directions, word combinations, sentence structure) and speech skills (articulation of sounds, how well he or she can be understood).
When we meet with you and your child, our goal is to determine whether your child’s communication skills are developing typically. If not, we will determine whether he or she is experiencing a speech problem, a language problem or a combination of both. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association:
- Speech is the verbal means of communication and includes articulation, voice and fluency. When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder.
- Language is the socially shared rules including what words mean, how to make new words and what word combinations are best in specific situations. When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder.
The more we learn, the more we can help
Throughout this entire process, our team is gathering all the information we can, whether it is in formal testing or while watching your child play and interact. Our job is to learn as much as we can about your child in order to support his or her needs effectively.
If additional medical attention is needed
If your child needs further evaluation, our team may suggest that he or she be referred to a medical specialist, neurologist, developmental pediatrician, or psychologist. If your child is referred, The Emerge Center will be happy – with your permission – to coordinate care with your child’s medical professionals.
Federal assistance for children under three years of age
If your child is under three years of age, he or she may be referred to the state’s EarlySteps program, which provides early intervention services for those children who qualify until they reach three years of age. Some or all of the costs associated with the treatment will be covered by EarlySteps, which provides therapies in the home or daycare settings. The Emerge Center will be happy to assist you with the referral process.
Scheduling A Speech-Language Evaluation
To schedule an evaluation for your child, please have your child’s physician fax a referral to us at (225) 343-4233. Once we receive the referral, you will receive a call from our Intake Coordinator who will gather basic information from you prior to scheduling an evaluation.
If a speech-language evaluation has been performed within the last three months by a licensed speech-language therapist, a physician referral will still be required, but we may not need to repeat the evaluation. Please fax or mail a copy of the evaluation to:
The Emerge Center
Attention: Speech-Language Services
7784 Innovation Park Drive
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70820
A member of our team will review the evaluation, then follow up with you to discuss next steps in scheduling any appropriate services. | <urn:uuid:8f0de929-bd64-4dd8-af08-fc4cb174e5ba> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.emergela.org/speech/evaluations/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.94516 | 736 | 3.046875 | 3 |
This news release by Boston Children’s Hospital is based on a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the first randomized, double-blind, controlled trial comparing acetaminophen to ibuprofen to treat pain and fever in children with asthma. No statistically significant differences were found between the two treatment arms. Previous observational studies had suggested that acetaminophen could exacerbate asthma symptoms in young children.
The news release provides detailed, clear information on almost all of our criteria. It explains early in the text the significance of the study and gives appropriate figures in easy-to-read bullet points to support the finding that there is “absolutely no difference between Tylenol and Motrin.” (Although these two brands do contain acetaminophen and ibuprofen, respectively, we noticed that researchers actually gave Little Fevers by Little Remedies and Children’s Advil to participants.)
A short discussion of costs would have been beneficial in the news release, since acetaminophen (Little Remedies) generally tends to be more expensive than ibuprofen (Children’s Advil).
One drawback the release shared with another release we reviewed on the same study (by University Hospitals Case Medical Center) was the omission of financial ties between several study authors and the makers of branded versions of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
Acetaminophen is the most commonly used pediatric medication in the United States. Previous observational studies found a correlation between acetaminophen and increased asthma symptoms, as well as decreased lung function. Other analyses found that acetaminophen use resulted in more unscheduled medical visits for asthma than ibuprofen use. These findings have even led to alarm, as some physicians called for recommendations that acetaminophen should be avoided until more safety data become available.
But observational data carry limitations – namely, confounding by indication. That’s to say, people who use a drug more frequently differ in health and other features from those who use the drug less frequently or who do not take the drug at all. This was the first appropriately designed and randomized clinical trial in a well-characterized cohort to settle the debate of causation. Parents of young children can take comfort in the fact that acetaminophen use will not worsen asthma symptoms.
Costs are not addressed in the Boston Children’s Hospital news release. The acetaminophen medication used in the study, Little Remedies, costs about 50 percent more than Children’s Advil – $8.86 versus $4.96, respectively – at Walmart. It would have been helpful to readers to include the less costly generic versions of these drugs.
Since costs are not mentioned in the news release, we give it an Unsatisfactory rating here.
One of the questions the study attempted to answer was whether ibuprofen is a safer drug than acetaminophen in children with mild persistent asthma. This release does a laudable job laying out the figures for the number of asthma exacerbations for each group. It also includes quantitative data for the percentage of days with full asthma control, use of “rescue medication” and unscheduled healthcare visits. It also used the term “significant” correctly, stating that there “were no statistically significant differences between groups” (a common mistake we’ve seen in other releases).
Due to all these factors, we give the news release a Satisfactory rating here.
Another major study question was whether frequent acetaminophen use in children with mild persistent asthma worsens symptoms. This was measured by the number of asthma exacerbations, percentage of days with full asthma control, use of “rescue” medication and unscheduled healthcare visits for asthma. As mentioned in the “Quantify Benefits” section, this release includes quantitative data from the original study in easy-to-read bullet form. Furthermore, the headline and quotations used in the news release reinforce the study’s findings, making it clear that acetaminophen does not worsen asthma symptoms in children.
For these reasons, we give the news release a Satisfactory rating.
Boston Children’s Hospital does a thorough job outlining the study design — including information on study criteria, dosage and follow-up. In addition, it gives exact numbers on how many people enrolled in and completed the study.
The news release also points out the study’s limitations. For example, authors chose to include young children with mild persistent asthma receiving asthma controller therapy. Therefore, the news release notes, “Findings may not apply to other age groups or children with more severe asthma.”
It would have been helpful to mention that the study did not include a placebo group, since researchers deemed this to be unethical. However, this means that the trial cannot answer the question of whether the use of acetaminophen or ibuprofen itself worsens asthma, compared with no drug interventions.
Despite this omission, we feel the news release merits a Satisfactory rating here for describing the study’s design and limitations.
There is no disease mongering in this news release.
Boston Children’s Hospital discloses the fact that the National Institutes of Health and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s Asthma Network (AsthmaNet) funded the study.
However, no mention is made of the ties several of the researchers have to Pfizer, the maker of Children’s Advil, and to McNeil Consumer Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson, makers of Tylenol.
Not providing the potential conflicts of interest earns the release a Not Satisfactory rating here.
The study was designed to compare the safety of two drugs – acetaminophen and ibuprofen – in children with mild, persistent asthma, since previous observational studies had correlated acetaminophen with increased asthma symptoms.
Since the drugs themselves are already alternatives in treating pain and fever, we rate this one Not Applicable.
The availability of acetaminophen and ibuprofen is not in question, since these are well-known, over-the-counter drugs. We rate this one Not Applicable.
Boston Children’s Hospital was clear in explaining how this study contributes to the existing body of literature. In other words, what’s “new” about this study is that it “is the only blinded, randomized, controlled trial to date to prospectively compare acetaminophen head-to-head with ibuprofen (Motrin, etc.) in children with asthma.” The news release adds that it should settle the debate on whether taking acetaminophen for pain and fever worsens asthma symptoms in children.
We applaud this clarification and give the news release a Satisfactory rating here.
The news release from Boston Children’s Hospital does not use unjustifiable, sensational language. | <urn:uuid:2df6494e-6e87-4fcc-86fe-b2d3fd9c0e12> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.healthnewsreview.org/news-release-review/kudos-to-boston-childrens-hospital-for-release-on-acetaminophen-and-asthma-study/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.941224 | 1,412 | 2.609375 | 3 |
- Fiber Optics
- Fiber Connectby Technology Explained Date Added: Tuesday 07 February, 2012High speed PIN photodiodes
To reduce the response time of a photodiode, the capacitance of the PN junction must be reduced. One of the ways to do that is to expand the depletion layer. The structure of the PN junction is designed to have a large N-type material. Usually the layer of the P-type material is very thin in order to have good sensitivity at the short wavelength range. Large N-type material ensures large depletion region is generated.
To expand the depletion region further, a layer of intrinsic undoped material is used between the PN junction, to form a PIN junction. Such photodiode is called PIN photodiode. PIN structure decreases the capacitance, and increases the sensitivity of the diode by providing larger area where the electron-hole pair can be generated by absorption of the energy from incident photons.
Negatively biased photodiode (working under photoconductive mode) further expands the depletion region, and hence is the usual way that high speed photodiode is used.
High speed photodiode usually has very small active area. This puts a low limit on the maximum optical power permitted on a photodiode and the maximum photocurrent generated. Velocity matched planar waveguide photodiodes have multiple PIN diodes integrated and coupled together, hence they can achieve large bandwidth (several tens of gigahertz), and at the same time produce high (tens of mA) photocurrent.Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
- Bitline System Pty. Ltd. 10 Fishburns Road, Galston, NSW 2159, Australia
- +61 2 98991412
oeMarket.com © 2019
- Fiber Optics | <urn:uuid:c58d6586-3f5d-4129-81ed-f0590aa0d6c0> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.oemarket.com/catalog/product_reviews_info.php/10ghz-bandwidth-pin-photodetector-pri-135?reviews_id=9&osCsid=91393e93519c9745bd8f7a4c5fb44515 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.886923 | 375 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Published at Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 - 00:55:31 AM. Math Worksheets. By Alvar Kujala.
Searching for 5th Grade Math Worksheets to help your child enhance their math skills is extremely important, but the search can be frustrating. There are literally thousands of sites you‘ll come across in your search, but most of them provide nothing unique. They provide the same thing.....the same old worksheets your child has been doing throughout their school career.
Good curriculum software can address this issue by giving students instant responses and strategic feedback. The use of visual cues and auditory feedback helps students quickly recognize their fraction errors and self-correct. This just-in-time feedback system eliminates practicing incorrectly, while promoting self-correction and independence.
Any content, trademark’s, or other material that might be found on the Rick Miller website that is not Rick Miller’s property remains the copyright of its respective owner/s. In no way does Rick Miller claim ownership or responsibility for such items, and you should seek legal consent for any use of such materials from its owner. | <urn:uuid:7c716e63-7607-4b8d-a69f-37726f36f0e6> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.rickmiller.org/beginning-fractions-worksheets/beginning-fractions-worksheets-user-friendly-math-worksheets/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.939056 | 233 | 2.609375 | 3 |
A T3 immunoassay test helps to determine whether the thyroid is functioning properly. It is primarily done to diagnose hyperthyroidism. T3 is also done to monitor the progress of a patient with a known thyroid disorder. T3 test is also sometimes conducted along with thyroid antibodies test to diagnose diseases such as Graves' disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Most of the T3 in the blood is attached to the thyroxine binding globulin. Only less than 1% of the T3 remains unattached. A T3 blood test is used to measure both the bound and the free Triiodothyronine. Increased or decreased T3 test result indicates that there is an imbalance between the body's requirement and supply of the hormone. If a patient is being treated with anti-thyroid medication for hyperthyroidism and the T3 is normal, then it is likely that the medication is controlling the condition. If the T3 is elevated, then the medication is not sufficient and the patient may be experiencing symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism. The normal test value for T3 is 100 to 200 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter).
The T4 immunoassay test helps measure the amount of Thyroxine or T4 in the blood. A T4 immunoassay test is primarily done in response to an abnormal TSH result. Sometimes T4 is done along with TSH blood test. Thyroid hormone screening is commonly performed in newborns in the US as part of newborn screening programs for congenital hypothyroidism which may cause mental retardation if left untreated. False positive results can occur when testing a newborn for congenital hypothyroidism. Therefore normally the test is repeated a few days after initial testing. If the results continue to be abnormal, then additional testing is done. The normal range of a T4 test for an adult is 5 - 11 ug/dL (nanograms per deciliter).
There are other thyroid tests that indicate a malfunction. One such test is the 'Thyroid antibodies' test. This test is used to measure the presence of antibodies against thyroid tissue. Antibodies mean that the person has autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis or Graves' disease ( a condition characterized by an enlarged thyroid gland, weight loss without loss of appetite, sweating, heart palpitations, nervousness and inability to tolerate heat).
Thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) is another thyroid test which detects the TBG which is an important protein in the blood that carries the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. This is a rare test and not done very commonly. Other diagnostic tests that are used to investigate problems with thyroid gland are the thyroid scan, thyroid ultrasound and thyroid biopsy.
When deep slumber at night is regularly disrupted by an urgent feeling of urination, it is a condition called nocturia. It is common in older adults, both men and women, usually in the age group of 55 and 84 years. Nocturia is different from enuresis or bed-wetting wherein the person does not wake up from sleep but involuntarily empties the bladder. Nocturia affected person experiences sleep loss due to an urgent need to urinate. Mild nocturia is characterized by a need to urinate two to three times and in severe cases it can be anywhere between five to six times on a particular night, occasionally or daily.
Nocturia types and causes
Besides the normal aging process, nocturia is also linked to other causes. In women, besides age, childbirth or pelvic organ prolapse and menopause are often contributing factors to nocturia.
There is an overproduction of urine at night. In a 24-hour cycle the urine volume may be greater than 40 ml/kg or if the volume of urine passed at night exceeds one-third of the total daily urine output. The main feature of nocturnal polyuria is that more urine is produced during sleep which in turn induces more nighttime urination.
All fluids or even certain foods like salads, vegetables, fruits, rice and pasta with high water content can cause nocturnal polyuria. Diuretics, cardiac glycosides, demeclocycline, lithium, methoxyflurane, phenytoin, propoxyphene and excessive Vitamin D medication can lead to frequent urination. Ankle swelling is another common cause of nocturnal polyuria. Congestive heart failure, venous stasis, hypoalbuminemia or excessive salt intake are other causes for fluid retention.
In adults, the normal urine production is 1 to 2 liters. Polyuria is characterized by urine output that exceeds 2500 ml/24 hours during the day as well as at night. Polyuria is common in people with diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. Other conditions causing polyuria are Polycystic kidney disease, Sickle cell disease, Pyelonephritis, Amyloidosis, Sjogren syndrome and Myeloma. Vascular disease, restless leg syndrome, thyroid disorder and congestive heart failure are some causes for increased urinary output at night by the kidneys. Polydispisia or excessive thirst that compels drinking lots of water can cause polyuria. The thirst center or hypothalamus is affected due to anxiety, stress or psychiatric illness and leads to excessive thirst. Intravenous saline drip excessively administered can lead to polyuria. Hypercalcemia and hypokalemia lead to abnormal levels of electrolytes that can result in excessive urination.
Inadequate bladder storage
The urinary bladder has the capacity to hold as much as 600 ml of urine. But the desire to urinate is experienced when the level reaches about 150 ml. There are various reasons and conditions that lead to inadequate bladder storage. Bladder obstruction, bladder infection or recurrent urinary tract infection, bladder inflammation, pain in the bladder, bladder cancer can reduce bladder storage capacity. Stroke and Parkinson's disease can also lead to reduction in its storage capacity thus inducing an urgent need to empty the bladder.
A combination of nocturnal polyuria with reduced bladder capacity is termed as mixed nocturia.
Diagnosis of Nocturia
Basic diagnostic procedure is to record the frequency, volume and timing both daytime and nighttime for a minimum of 1-3 days. Certain diagnostic tests like urine analysis, urine culture or an ultrasound are done. Accordingly, the treatment procedure is determined. Treatment options include making dietary changes, behavioral changes with a combination of medications.
The thyroid gland is a small gland, which is located at the lower front of the neck. The thyroid gland takes thyroglobulin, a protein found within itself to make thyroid hormones namely, thyroxine and Triiodothyronine. In order to measure the amount of thyroglobulin in the blood, thyroglobulin test is done. The blood sample of the concerned individual is taken for conducting the thyroglobulin test. A needle is inserted into the veins in the arm to collect blood.
A thyroglobulin test is ordered under different circumstances. Thyroglobulin, as such, is used as a tumor marker. Thyroglobulin test is used to detect thyroid cancer. After detection of thyroid cancer and subsequent to treatment or surgery, in order to check and confirm recurrence, thyroglobulin test will be ordered. Thyroglobulin test may also be done on a periodical basis post thyroid cancer surgery to ensure that the tumor has not reoccurred or spread. The test is also recommended for patients who have symptoms of a thyroid disorder such as Grave's disease or thyroiditis. Thyroglobulin test is also ordered to check the efficacy of treatment in patients who have been prescribed anti-thyroid medications for some time.
Often several thyroglobulin levels are determined in a serial of samples to enable look at its change in concentration. The change provides more information than a single value. It is essential to have the serial thyroglobulin tests performed at the same laboratory as different test methods may produce different results in different diagnostic centers. Test results need to be discussed with your doctor. Based on these results, a doctor could follow up with a radioactive iodine scan or identify treatments to destroy remaining normal thyroid tissue or thyroid cancer if any.
Enter your health or medical queries in our Artificial Intelligence powered Application here. Our Natural Language Navigational engine knows that words form only the outer superficial layer. The real meaning of the words are deduced from the collection of words, their proximity to each other and the context.
Diseases, Symptoms, Tests and Treatment arranged in alphabetical order:
Bibliography / Reference
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A rainbow is arguably the most beautiful optical light effect created by sunlight. It is formed by millions of raindrops that break the sunlight into different colors. Shooting a rainbow is fairly easy, but there are some nice things to know about.
Rainbows take many forms. There are multiple bows, bows that cross, red bows, twinned bows, colored fringes, dark bands, spokes, and more. For a rainbow you need two things; sunshine and falling rain. The raindrops break the sunlight in different wave lengths, each having its own characteristic color. A rainbow will always show the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet, as seen from top to bottom. A rainbow always appears opposite to the sun, which means you will have the sunlight coming from behind. Therefore you will often have the risk of capturing your own shadow, especially when the sun is low on the horizon and shadows are very long.
A rainbow may seems very common, but in reality it is not. At any given location, there are less than ten rainbows in a year. Halos around the sun are much more frequent.
How the rainbow will appear depends on how high the sun is above the horizon. The closer to the horizon, the higher the bow will appear in the sky. But also when the sun is high in de the sky, a rainbow may be visible low at the horizon. From a high vintage point, it might be possible to see not only a bow, but an almost complete circle. This can be witnessed on a high mountain peak, or from an airplane.
Because of the dark clouds behind a rainbow, heavy with raindrops, the colors will stand out very well. Foreground can even be lit by the sun, making a wonderful contrast with beautiful light. You may even see streaks of falling rain in the sky.
A rainbow is not just an arc of colored rings. In reality it is a shining disk that is brightened very strongly towards the rim. That is why the sky is always brighter inside the bow, something that is very noticeable when the rainbow is very bright.
The brightness of the rainbow depends of the size of the raindrops. Large drops will produce narrow bows with very intense colors. Small drops will produce broader bows with less bright colors. When the drops become even smaller, the colors will fade gradually, and you will end up with a colorless arc, better known as a cloudbow and fogbow.
A rainbow is often companied by a second bow, less bright, and a bit higher in the sky. Perhaps you never noticed that the colors of these second bows are inverted. The start from top to bottom with violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. The funny thing is, the sky between the two bows is noticeable darker than elsewhere. It is called Alexander’s Dark Band. There are occasions when a third bow can appear, although I never witnessed that.
When you look carefully at the primary rainbow, you might see some green, pink, and purple fringes. The amount and spacing of these fringes vary from minute to minute. The fringes are called supernumerary bows. This optical effect will be more visible when the raindrops are very similar in size.
A rainbow can be seen at any place where small water drops form. Not only during rain showers, but also from a water hose at your own garden, or near waterfalls. Officially these rainbows are called spraybows. When you are near a waterfall, make sure you have the sun from behind and there is a big change you will see a spraybow. By following the trajectory of the sun through the sky, it is even possible to predict where a bow might form. This can help finding a great composition for your photo.
While sunlight produces rainbows during the day, moonlight can also produce a rainbow, called moonbows. These moonbows are very rare because the moonlight is not very bright. You need an almost full moon, rain opposite to the moon and you need to be at a very dark location. The biggest change of catching a moonbow is near a large waterfall at full moon.
Although I have captured halos around the moon, and moondogs, I never had the change of captured a moonbow.
Never use a polarization filter when you photograph a rainbow. By polarizing the light, the rainbow will disappear. It is not necessary to completely remove the polarization filter, but you need to turn the filter until the light is not polarized. The effect of polarization is visible in the before-after examples I shot of the waterfall Fossa during my recent trip to the Faroe Islands, and in an older example I shot in the Austrian Alps.
When want to photograph a rainbow, don’t wait until you see one. Make sure you already are at the location where you would like to shoot the rainbow. And if you see one, just photograph it. Don’t care about composition yet, because you never know if it will stay visible for long. After the first photo, you have the time to find a composition. Who knows, perhaps the bow may become brighter.
Although you may feel like shooting the complete bow in one frame, it may be interesting to capture only a part of the rainbow. You can even play with a shallow depth of field, showing the rainbow colors in the background of your subject.
The best time to shoot a rainbow is often during sunrise or sunset, because the bow is at its highest place in the sky. It can be very large and impressive, requiring an ultra-wide-angle to capture it in one frame. If you don’t have a lens available that is wide enough, shoot a panorama while holding your camera vertical, and stitch the individual images in Lightroom (or similar editing software). You might even capture a so called redbow, which is basically a rainbow in a reddish sky that can occur during rain showers and a setting sun.
With the sun low at the horizon you might capture your own shadow also. By choosing your foreground wisely it may become easy to use the clone tool to remove the shadow. But you can also use trees or other objects to hide your own shadow. Or just keep your own shadow in the frame. Just be creative with this and try different things.
Not all colored bows in the sky are rainbows. Halos, arcs, iridescent clouds, coronas, and sundogs are not considered rainbows, although they may show the rainbow colors. The difference is quite easy; rainbows are produced by light reflecting in raindrops, all the other ones are produced by light reflecting in ice crystals. But often these optical light effect are very photogenic also.
Have you made beautiful or special pictures of rainbows, moonbows or fogbows? Please let me know in the comment below, and I invite you to show that image also. | <urn:uuid:7d38eed3-b939-41bb-989d-5dd92b9ca3df> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://fstoppers.com/education/guide-how-photograph-rainbows-371304 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.954336 | 1,415 | 3.453125 | 3 |
The name ‘Kou-gee’ was recorded by Thomas Watson, a gentleman landowner turned surveyor who came to Western Australia with Thomas Peel’s settler group in 1829. In 1841 he surveyed a road between Dandalup and Fremantle, a route which passed Lake Coogee. He recorded the name of the lake as Kou-gee or Munster, after Prince William, Earl of Munster.
The name Kougee (also written Koojee, Coojee and eventually Coogee) has been recorded as a local Aboriginal name meaning ‘body of water’, though the origin may have become confused with the Coogee in New South Wales which slightly predates it.
The earliest known use of the name to refer to the area was in 1868, when a man named Wallace Bickley advertised property for sale in the
area ‘well known as “Koojee”’. Bickley was a Justice of the Peace in Fremantle and had taken up large swathes of land in the area to the south and east of Lake Coogee, mostly set aside as pasture for livestock.
Pensioner guards were some of the first European settlers on the shores of Lake Coogee, and consequently in the Cockburn district as a whole. Moving onto their allotments in 1876, they built stone cottages and planted small kitchen gardens to supplement their income as guards of the convicts at Fremantle. Many had wives and young children to support, and most found the distance between Lake Coogee and Fremantle too far to traverse daily, and this first small settlement petered out.
The 1880s saw assisted immigration schemes bring new settlers from Britain and allotting them grants in the Cockburn district. Among the 40 new landholders in Coogee were Walter and Letitia Powell, later to be owners of the Coogee Hotel
. The largest benefit of the settlements in the 1870s and 1880s was the clearing and building of roads to Fremantle: today’s Cockburn Road was cleared in 1876 and known as Koojee Road. By the early 1890s there were enough families in the area to warrant a school built at ‘Stockdale’, a property off Fairbairn Road, which would later become Coogee Primary School, as well as an Agricultural Hall for the market gardeners to display their produce at annual shows.
Coogee Hotel and lime kilns
The Powells’ Coogee Hotel
was opened in 1898 on a site originally known as Four-Mile Well. Around the same time lime merchants were beginning to lease land along the Coogee coastline to quarry and burn lime
for building and agriculture, serving the rapidly growing gold-boom population of Western Australia. For 29 years the Coogee Hotel served lime workers and the local market gardeners at South Coogee
, until it was closed during a push to delicense excess hotels in the state.
The Coogee coastline became important to the meat industry of WA when Robb Jetty
became the primary landing site for Kimberley cattle and sheep in the late 1890s. Several private abattoirs were built beside the jetty and the train line was extended to connect them to Fremantle. This would remain a major industrial presence in Coogee for nearly 100 years.
A small cluster of suburban houses was built around the old Coogee Hotel in the late 1960s, but most of the area remained semi-rural, with some market gardens further away from the limestone ridge near the coast. At least one limestone quarry was still present in the 1980s, but by the mid-1990s almost all of modern-day Coogee was built up into suburban housing. In 2005 the new suburb of North Coogee was approved and carved off the top end of Coogee, beginning a large-scale plan to build up desirable coastal living on old industrial sites.
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Breast cancer is the most common tumor type among women. In fact, doctors and specialists, estimated at one in 10 women suffer this type of cancer. When previously detected, the greater the chances of winning the battle and healing. Knowing the risk factors, like the programs or tests (mammography, breast self-examination), will help us to anticipate the diagnosis. Factors among which include not having children or having the first pregnancy after age 35.
Delay of childbearing age is not the only factor that makes women more vulnerable to breast cancer, there are also others such as history of relatives (mother, sisters) with cancer, feeding (diet too rich in fats and proteins) and stress, one of the enemies of our being and can influence our lives and our health.
A risk factor, by the way, that has been objects of study by researchers in recent times noting it can not only affect the appearance of breast cancer but its development and increase the risk of metastasis. Managing stress, therefore, is another essential preventive point.
Advances in methods of diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with breast cancer allow talking about a very positive aspect, and it is that although the diagnoses have increased, also there has been a significant decline in mortality. A early diagnosis (with increasingly precise techniques, such as tomosynthesis, a new technique of three-dimensional radiology more accurate than digital mammography), a more personalized treatment are two of the premises to win the battle against breast cancer.
Regarding treatments that require surgery, according to medical data, it should be noted that only 30% of patients required mastectomy, and most can also perform reconstruction during the same operation.
Breast cancer symptoms
Symptoms or signs that should alert us to the risk of breast cancer are the appearance of a lump in the breast, in fact usually the most common reason for medical consultation; pain in the breast, exit liquid by the nipple, palpation a node in the armpit, warmth, redness or sores on the nipple. The early diagnosis and preventive measures are truly effective against breast cancer. Thus, among the recommendations, the examination of the breasts regularly and if possible, gets a mammogram at regular intervals from 40. | <urn:uuid:cc6f19a2-16b8-4072-89d1-60c6a8571405> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://vitamin-resource.com/breast-cancer-a-curable-disease.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.96278 | 452 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Technology in Education
Buckingham Friends School faculty believe that technology is a tool, when used effectively, enhances instruction and enriches student learning. Technology is not a separate course of instruction; rather it is woven across content into the academic program in core subjects, as well as the arts. All Upper School students and faculty use laptop computers as part of our 1-1 program. Additionally, students in Lower School use iPads, while Middle School students use Chromebooks for classroom instruction. Most classrooms are equipped with presentation tools including interactive whiteboards and projectors, and these are available for all to use. A technology support technician is available throughout the year and an ongoing program of staff development is provided and constantly evolving. Presentations on Internet safety and acceptable use are routinely offered in the Fall of each year to both parents and students. | <urn:uuid:f0deb06d-f236-4328-acff-02630de6b003> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.bfs.org/student-life/technology | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.956384 | 166 | 3.046875 | 3 |
OVERVIEW: What every practitioner needs to know
Are you sure your patient has acute chest syndrome? What are the typical findings for this disease?
Acute chest syndrome (ACS) is the second most common reason for hospitalization of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) and is a leading cause of mortality. ACS is defined as a new pulmonary infiltrate on chest radiograph in the presence of lower respiratory tract disease (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, retractions, rales, etc.).
The peak occurrence is in children 2-4 years of age although it may occur at any age. ACS is most common with homozygous sickle cell anemia compared to those with sickle beta zero thalassemia, hemoglobin SC or sickle beta plus thalassemia. ACS occurs more frequently in winter and is the leading cause of death in children with SCD. Recurrent ACS is a risk factor for premature mortality.
What causes this syndrome to develop?
Risk factors for ACS are an elevated white blood cell count, higher hemoglobin and lower percent fetal hemoglobin at baseline. Also, asthma/reactive airway disease increases the risk by 2-4 fold. Atopy is associated with an increased risk. Other risk factors include hypoventilation and pulmonary edema. Nocturnal hypoxemia and chronic exposure to tobacco smoke are also risk factors. Approximately one-half of ACS develop in the hospital, usually in association with a vaso-occlusive crisis.
What are the most common etiologies?
In the majority of cases of ACS, an etiology is not identified. The most common identified etiology is infection, but ACS may result from pulmonary vaso-occlusion or embolus, pulmonary infarction or fat embolism. The primary infectious agents implicated in ACS include Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and viruses.
What laboratory studies should you request to help confirm the diagnosis? How should you interpret the results?
Complete blood count with differential: Elevated white blood cell count with a left shift is suggestive of a bacterial infection (The white blood count may be elevated at baseline so results must be interpreted in that context). Leukopenia is suggestive of parvovirus infection, but it can also be a sign of severe sepsis. A decrease in hemoglobin concentration is often seen at the onset of ACS.
Secretory phospholipase A2 is an enzyme that cleaves fatty acids from triglycerides and in one multi-center study a rise was 80% predictive of onset of ACS. It must be followed serially and is not generally available.
Type and cross match for minor-antigen-matched, sickle-negative, leukocyte-depleted red blood cells should be considered if the child is severely ill or if the hemoglobin is greater than 1 g/dL below baseline.
Blood cultures to look for bacterial pathogens.
Arterial blood gas per clinical discretion.
Renal (BUN, creatinine) and liver (fractionated bilirubin, ALT) function tests for severe illness or if multi-organ failure is suspected.
Viral polymerase chain reaction because pneumonia can be the cause and a positive result, especially for influenza, may prompt addition of anti-viral therapy.
Would imaging studies be helpful? If so, which ones?
Chest radiography should be performed in patients with fever, shortness of breath, tachypnea, cough, rales or chest pain and of a white blood cell count of at least 18,750 or history of ACS. These signs, symptoms and laboratory findings are reported to identify 98% of children with ACS. In one study, 61% of children presenting with a fever were found to have an unsuspected pulmonary infiltrate.
Computed tomography of the chest is important to identify progressive disease. Spiral computed tomography can be considered when pulmonary embolism is suspected, but may be difficult to interpret due to preexisting ventilation-perfusion mismatch.
What procedures may be considered?
Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to obtain bacterial cultures, viral polymerase chain reaction and cytopathologic analysis can help identify the etiology of the ACS. The presence of large numbers of lipid-laden macrophages is suggestive of fat embolism. BAL is reserved for patients with severe or progressive disease.
What general treatment should be initiated?
Treatment is provided in the hospital and aims to prevent red blood cell sickling by supporting oxygen delivery and treating potential infection. Treatment should be started immediately.
Daily weights to assess fluid status.
Record intake and output strictly to assess fluid status. The goal is to maintain “euvolemia” (IV + P.O. = 1 x maintenance). More fluid is appropriate only if the patient is dehydrated or if insensible losses are increased (e.g., with persistent fever). IV fluid should be D5 1/4 NS to avoid exacerbating the sickling process.
Antipyretics such as acetaminophen, 15 mg/kg PO q4h, should be given as needed for a temperature greater than or equal to 38.3°C (maximum daily dose 75 mg/kg/day or 4,000 mg/day) after blood cultures have been obtained.
Analgesia may be needed. Consider ketorolac 0.5 mg/kg (maximum 15 mg/dose) IV q6h, but limit to 48 hour maximum duration. Then start ibuprofen 10 mg/kg (maximum 800 mg/dose) PO q6-8hr (not PRN) if no contraindication is present (i.e. gastritis, ulcer, coagulopathy, renal impairment). If pain does not respond to anti-inflammatory medications, consider oral or intravenous opiates. Beware that opiates may depress the respiratory drive.
What antibiotics should be prescribed?
Ceftriaxone or cefotaxime intravenously for 7-10 days. Prophylactic penicillin should be discontinued while the child is receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Azithromycin or other macrolide antibiotic for a total 5-day course.
Strongly consider adding vancomycin for severe illness, or if large infiltrate with pleural effusion present and S. aureus is suspected. If vancomycin is added monitor renal function (i.e. creatinine, BUN, urine output at baseline and minimum twice weekly thereafter).
When is transfusion indicated?
Consider a simple blood transfusion (10 mL/kg red blood cells) to improve oxygen carrying capacity for children with symptomatic ACS whose hemoglobin concentration is > 1 g/dL below their baseline; hemoglobin should not rise to more than 10 g/dl. If baseline hemoglobin is 9 g/dL or higher, consider red cell exchange transfusion. Do not transfuse acutely to hemoglobin greater than 10 g/dL if the percent sickle hemoglobin is or is presumed to be greater than 30% since that is associated with increased pain and stroke.
Urgent red blood cell exchange is indicated for rapid progression of ACs as manifested by oxygen saturation <90% with supplemental oxygen, increasing respiratory distress, worsening pulmonary infiltrates and or decline in hemoglobin with transfusions.
What is the respiratory management?
Monitor with pulse oximetry but consider arterial blood gas.
Oxygen therapy should be administered to maintain O2 saturation at least 95%. Oxygen should be administered by nasal cannula or face mask for mild to moderate hypoxemia.
Incentive spirometry 10 breaths every 2 hours while awake (at least 6 times/day) should be used to minimize atelectasis.
If clinical features suggestive of asthma or acute bronchospasm or history of asthma, try an albuterol inhaler or l 2.5 mg nebulized Q4 and PRN.
Consider oscillatory positive expiratory pressure, These devices (e.g., flutter and acapella devices) promote the mobilization of mucus plugs and the overall clearance of airway secretions.
Positive pressure ventilation (CPAP and bipap) should be considered for pain-induced hypoventilation and respiratory insufficiency as well as for progressive hypoxemia.
Intubation and mechanical ventilation are necessary in cases of progressive hypoxemia and/or hypercapnia refractory to noninvasive positive pressure ventilation.
Consider consulting pulmonology.
What drug is controversial?
The risk/benefit ratio of corticosteroids in the management of ACS is controversial.
Corticosteroids (1-2 mg/kg/day—maximum, 40-60 mg/day) may be considered in severe ACS, especially in patients with a history and/or symptoms of underlying or concurrent asthma.
Slow weaning (over 2 weeks or longer) may minimize “rebound” vaso-occlusive crises that have been described in some patients who received high doses of corticosteroids and/or short courses.
What can be done to prevent ACS?
Hydroxyurea has been shown to decrease the frequency of ACS. Hydroxyurea increases fetal hemoglobin, thereby decreasing the level of sickle hemoglobin and the rate of sickling. It also decreases the white blood cell count and platelet count. Close monitoring is essential because of potential bone marrow suppression.
Chronic blood transfusion either short or long-term has been given for prevention of recurrent ACS.
What are the adverse effects associated with each treatment option?
Red blood cell transfusion risks include transfusion incompatibility, infection, iron overload and alloimmunization.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in large doses or prolonged use may cause renal toxicity and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Opiates cause respiratory depression that leads to hypoventilation and atelectasis. They also decrease gastrointestinal motility resulting in constipation.
Oxygen may suppress erythropoietin stimulated production of red blood cells.
Mechanical ventilation is associated with barotrauma.
Hydroxyurea may cause neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or anemia. Male fertility may be reduced during administration.
What are the possible outcomes of acute chest syndrome?
During an ACS, there is an increased risk of posterior reversible encephalopathy. The risk for silent infarct of the brain is increased. The risk for overt stroke is increased in the two weeks following discharge for ACS. Early onset ACS (<4 years of age) contributes to the development of chronic lung disease.
Copyright © 2017, 2013 Decision Support in Medicine, LLC. All rights reserved.
No sponsor or advertiser has participated in, approved or paid for the content provided by Decision Support in Medicine LLC. The Licensed Content is the property of and copyrighted by DSM.
- OVERVIEW: What every practitioner needs to know
- Are you sure your patient has acute chest syndrome? What are the typical findings for this disease?
- What causes this syndrome to develop?
- What laboratory studies should you request to help confirm the diagnosis? How should you interpret the results?
- Would imaging studies be helpful? If so, which ones?
- What procedures may be considered?
- What general treatment should be initiated?
- What antibiotics should be prescribed?
- When is transfusion indicated?
- What is the respiratory management?
- What drug is controversial?
- What can be done to prevent ACS?
- What are the adverse effects associated with each treatment option?
- What are the possible outcomes of acute chest syndrome? | <urn:uuid:9d14a877-1112-40d0-a755-675163dfbbd4> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.clinicalpainadvisor.com/home/decision-support-in-medicine/pediatrics/acute-chest-syndrome-in-sickle-cell-disease/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.891728 | 2,435 | 3.3125 | 3 |
The New Yorker, March 6, 1989 P. 41
REPORTER AT LARGE about the Great Plains. Writer visits Nicodemus, Kansas, a town founded in the 1870s by black homesteaders. The founders were part of a movement of tens of thousands of blacks who left the South in the late 1870s for new homes in the West. The movement reached a flood in 1879. Then came resistance to blacks and the exodus, which had brought about 40,000 blacks to the West stopped. Soon 2/3 of them had left. Today, on the Great Plains, Nicodemus is the only artifact of the black exodus that remains. Tells about the town's annual Founders' Day weekend & about some of the 19th cen. black plainsmen. Tells about the life of Gen. Geo. A. Custer, who died in a battle with Indians. Tells how the steppes of southern Russia & the Great Plains are similar. Tens of thousands of German Catholics, Mennonites, Hutterites, Amish & others left southern Russia for the Great Plains in the 1870s. They made good plains farmers & introduced several varieties of Russian wheat which flourished. Tells about the first great modern ecocatastrophe - the drought which lasted from 1932 to 1941. Tells about the nuclear missile installations in the Great Plains. Of America's 2750 or so land-based nuclear warheads, about 1850 sit on top of Minuteman and MX missiles in the Great Plains. The Air Force personnel who look after the missiles in Montana are at Malmstrom Air Force Base, just outside Great Falls. In the summer the base holds an open house. Writer went to one & tells about the information he gathered. Writer ends by listing the deplorable things we have done in our 200 years on the Great Plains. | <urn:uuid:01531e43-1d62-4cc1-a86a-a2b717674952> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1989/03/06/iii-great-plains | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.94909 | 379 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Before he cooked up green eggs or taught us to count colorful fish, Dr. Seuss was a captain in the U.S. Army. And during World War II, the author and illustrator, whose given name was Theodor Geisel, spent a few years creating training films and pamphlets for the troops.
One of Geisel's Army cartoons was a booklet aimed at preventing malaria outbreaks among GIs by urging them to use nets and keep covered up.
In 1943, Germany blocked the Allies' supply of the anti-malaria drug quinine. So Geisel created a booklet explaining to the troops how to avoid harmful encounters with "blood-thirsty Ann," the character he created to represent Anopheles, the genus of the mosquitoes that transmit the disease:
"This is Ann ... she drinks blood! Her full name is Anopheles Mosquito and she's dying to meet you!
"Ann moves around at night (a real party gal) and she's got a thirst. No whiskey, gin, beer or rum coke for Ann ... she drinks G.I. blood. She jabs that beak of hers in like a drill and sucks up the juice ... then the poor G.I. is going to feel awful in about eight or fourteen days ... because he is going to have malaria!"
Geisel also drew a map of the malaria epidemic around the world, which was printed on the back of a poster distributed by the U.S. War Department to disseminate news to troops.
These gems from Geisel's archive bubbled up on the Contagions blog today to mark the anniversary of Ronald Ross's discovery of the malarial parasite. | <urn:uuid:93912ea0-65c1-4b2e-bde6-f1de04baab0c> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/08/20/159382005/dr-seuss-on-malaria-this-is-ann-she-drinks-blood | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.961619 | 345 | 3.34375 | 3 |
This article discusses women and gender relations under communism, beginning in the Soviet Union in the 1920s, continuing through the Cold War era in Eastern Europe, and including Cuba and China today. It addresses communist gender theory, ideology, and discourse. Women’s role in politics and government is discussed. The article covers employment and education, the peasant and urban family, social policies, and socialist consumption. Under communism, the article argues, women, especially married mothers, broke through traditional resistance to women’s participation in paid, including skilled, labour. Their levels of education and employment increased dramatically in most communist states. Yet women did not attain economic equality with men in any communist society and their share of political power remained stunningly low.
Feminist sport historians have worked hard to bring women in from the accumulated (and imagined) histories of sport. This chapter outlines the various ways in which feminist sport historians have approached the institution of sport as a key site for the development of a critical feminist scholarship on gender. It traces the development over time of gender-sensitive sport histories alert to new forms of gender and to multiple forms of historical expression with attention to the precarious performance of gender and the ever-shifting politics of the sporting body in time and space. It also suggests avenues for future research in for sport historians of gender.
In 1939, an Ojibwe woman named Naynaabeak was involved in a conflict that shows some of the complexities that American Indians experienced throughout the history of settler colonialism in the United States. Her family did not live on a reservation, but they were Ojibwe people and tribal citizens and her home and fishing spot were historically Ojibwe places. The complex legal world defined by borders disrupted Naynaabeak’s ability to make a living, and her conflict was simply part of everyday existence for many Ojibwe women. This chapter considers the hurdles that Naynaabeak’s generation overcame in their determination to make a living, and how their efforts to remain on their lands, fishing grounds, forests, hills, and mountains—and especially their sacred places—enabled their descendants to maintain indigenous communities which still exist. The chapter reviews the literature about gender and labor in American Indian history to illuminate its major themes.
Erik N. Jensen
This chapter explores the intersection between athletic practices and sexual expression, primarily in the Western world, beginning with the same-sex eroticism of gymnasia in ancient Greece and the charged atmosphere of gladiatorial contests in Rome. After brief mentions of jousting and the Renaissance celebration of chiseled torsos, the chapter focuses on sports’ nineteenth-century reemergence as a chaste antidote to sexual desire, particularly in the movement known as “muscular Christianity.” Already by the early 1900s, however, athletes had begun to cultivate highly sexualized images. The heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson, in particular, epitomized white fears of the athletically indomitable and sexually insatiable black athlete. Even as heterosexual behavior in sports became headline news in the twentieth century, homosexuality remained hidden in the shadows until the first female tennis players began coming out in the 1980s. The chapter concludes with the rise of the athlete as sex symbol over the past three decades. | <urn:uuid:4afa0812-e91a-4676-a000-57cb9248c799> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/browse?btog=chap&pageSize=20&sort=titlesort&t_0=ORR%3AAHU00830&t_1=ORR%3ASOC02590&t_2=ORR%3AAHU01220 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.957062 | 667 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Cold winds and freezing temperatures can really do a number on some of the more sensitive plants. Annuals die off and many summer perennials will fade back, which is normal, but even the more cold tolerant species can use a little help getting through the cold season.
There are several things that can be done from items in the garden to insulate and guard tender plants. The Internet and garden supply stores are also alive with structures and fabrics to apply to plants for winter protection. It is important to protect plants well in advance of a frost which may end the life of the plant.
Easy method to protect your plants
One of the easiest and most common methods of providing protection is by mulching. Simply adding 1 to 3 inches of organic material over the root zone can prevent cold damage to the roots and crown of plants.
Using the plant's own foliage is also helpful in creating a barrier between the plant and cold air. Make a teepee out of dying fern fronds or gently lay the browning leaves of a calla or canna over the base of the plant to protect the bulbs.
Piling up raked leaves over cut back perennials will help make a blanket and insulate the plant for winter. Frost tender plants can be transplanted into containers and moved indoors.
Build structures out of chicken wire to hold frost protector fabric or blankets and create an igloo of coziness. Such a structure or cage can first be stuffed with straw as an insulator and then covered with a quilt or blanket. Remove the blanket during the day to allow photosynthesis to proceed.
This effective protection should be removed in early spring to allow leaves and buds to sprout. Almost any covering can be an effective temporary shelter for brief freezes. Cotton sheets, burlap, weed barrier fabric and old household textiles will seal in some heat and protect from topical ice crystals that burn sensitive leaves.
Get your material in advance
Prepare for winter by ordering or picking up necessary items to shelter cold tender plants. Frost protection fabric, poly tunnels, water walls, bubble wrap, and garden fleece are all handy items to have on hand when cold snaps threaten.
Before you cover up any plant, be sure to water it well, as moist soil is more protective to roots than dry earth. If there is no room indoors for sensitive potted plants, heal them in, container and all, and mound soil around the pot. Top with a heavy layer of mulch and tent frost protection fabric over the area.
Growing sensitive plants can take some preparation and planning, but with some simple tips, they can be saved from freezing temperatures and live to sprout again. | <urn:uuid:617df438-fb20-4ed5-b320-35d791ceb47b> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.promixgardening.com/en/tips/tips-for-protecting-plants-during-winter-46 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627999787.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20190625031825-20190625053825-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.913319 | 541 | 3 | 3 |
Author: Bartolome Las Casas
Publisher: Penguin UK
Release Date: 2004-03-25
Bartolomé de Las Casas was the first and fiercest critic of Spanish colonialism in the New World. An early traveller to the Americas who sailed on one of Columbus's voyages, Las Casas was so horrified by the wholesale massacre he witnessed that he dedicated his life to protecting the Indian community. He wrote A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies in 1542, a shocking catalogue of mass slaughter, torture and slavery, which showed that the evangelizing vision of Columbus had descended under later conquistadors into genocide. Dedicated to Philip II to alert the Castilian Crown to these atrocities and demand that the Indians be entitled to the basic rights of humankind, this passionate work of documentary vividness outraged Europe and contributed to the idea of the Spanish 'Black Legend' that would last for centuries.
Author: Bartolome de las Casas
Release Date: 2019-01-26
A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies is an account written by the Spanish Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas in 1542 (published in 1552) about the mistreatment of and atrocities committed against the indigenous peoples of the Americas in colonial times and sent to then Prince Philip II of Spain.
Author: Bartolomé de las Casas
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
Release Date: 2003
Fifty years after the arrival of Columbus, at the height of Spain's conquest of the West Indies, Spanish bishop and colonist Bartolomé de las Casas dedicated his Brevísima Relación de la Destruición de las Indias to Philip II of Spain. An impassioned plea on behalf of the native peoples of the West Indies, the Brevísima Relación catalogues in horrific detail atrocities it attributes to the king's colonists in the New World. The result is a withering indictment of the conquerors that has cast a 500-year shadow over the subsequent history of that world and the European colonisation of it. Andrew Hurley's daring new translation dramatically foreshortens that 500 years by reversing the usual priority of a translation; rather than bring the Brevísima Relación to the reader, it brings the reader to the Brevísima Relación -- not as it is, but as it might have been, had it been originally written in English. The translator thus allows himself no words or devices unavailable in English by 1560, and in so doing reveals the prophetic voice, urgency and clarity of the work, qualities often obscured in modern translations. An Introduction by Franklin Knight, notes, a map, and a judicious set of Related Readings offer further aids to a fresh appreciation of this foundational historical and literary work of the New World and European engagement with it.
Author: Paul S. Vickery
Publisher: Paulist Press
Release Date: 2006
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
"Bartolome de las Casas (1484-1566) came to the New World in pursuit of material wealth, became virtually a slave owner, and ended up suddenly and dramatically turning his life around to become a Dominican friar and the first great champion of the Native Americans. Daring to challenge the Spanish encontienda system, which was little more than a justification of forced labor, Las Casas, in the spirit of the great Hebrew Prophets, spoke out unequivocally for justice and freedom for oppressed peoples. His The Only Way, which argued that the native peoples of the Americas are fully human, can rightly be called one of the seminal documents of American Catholic social justice." "In this biography, Paul Vickery focuses especially upon Las Casas's "conversion" journey. Drawing upon Las Casas's own words and actions, Vickery describes the historical setting and specific events leading up to Las Casas's spiritual awakening and then interprets this experience in light of his message for us today. Students of history, Western civilization, and social justice will find here an original and provocative text about Colonial Latin America and Native American studies, while students of ethics will find much food for thought in its treatment of questions of conscience and the moral choices with which we are confronted."--BOOK JACKET.
Author: Douglas E. Christie
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Release Date: 2012-12-04
"There are no unsacred places," the poet Wendell Berry has written. "There are only sacred places and desecrated places." What might it mean to behold the world with such depth and feeling that it is no longer possible to imagine it as something separate from ourselves, or to live without regard for its well-being? To understand the work of seeing things as an utterly involving moral and spiritual act? Such questions have long occupied the center of contemplative spiritual traditions. In The Blue Sapphire of the Mind, Douglas E. Christie proposes a distinctively contemplative approach to ecological thought and practice that can help restore our sense of the earth as a sacred place. Drawing on the insights of the early Christian monastics as well as the ecological writings of Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Annie Dillard, and many others, Christie argues that, at the most basic level, it is the quality of our attention to the natural world that must change if we are to learn how to live in a sustainable relationship with other living organisms and with one another. He notes that in this uniquely challenging historical moment, there is a deep and pervasive hunger for a less fragmented and more integrated way of apprehending and inhabiting the living world--and for a way of responding to the ecological crisis that expresses our deepest moral and spiritual values. Christie explores how the wisdom of ancient and modern contemplative traditions can inspire both an honest reckoning with the destructive patterns of thought and behavior that have contributed so much to our current crisis, and a greater sense of care and responsibility for all living beings. These traditions can help us cultivate the simple, spacious awareness of the enduring beauty and wholeness of the natural world that will be necessary if we are to live with greater purpose and meaning, and with less harm, to our planet.
A vivid account of the literary culture of the Spanish-speaking Americas from the time of Columbus to Latin American Independence, this Very Short Introduction explores the origins of Latin American literature in Spanish and tells the story of how Spanish literary language developed and flourished in the New World. A leading scholar of colonial Latin American literature, Rolena Adorno examines the writings that debated the justice of the Spanish conquests, described the novelties of New World nature, expressed the creativity of Hispanic baroque culture in epic, lyric, and satirical poetry, and anticipated Latin American Independence. The works of Spanish, creole, and Amerindian authors highlighted here, including Bartolom? de las Casas, Felipe Guaman Poma, Sor Juana In?s de la Cruz, and Andr?s Bello, have been chosen for the merits of their writings, their participation in the larger literary and cultural debates of their times, and their resonance among readers today. About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.
Author: Louis P. Masur
Publisher: JHU Press
Release Date: 1999-04-20
In The Challenge of American History, Louis Masur brings together a sampling of recent scholarship to determine the key issues preoccupying historians of American history and to contemplate the discipline's direction for the future. The fifteen summary essays included in this volume allow professional historians, history teachers, and students to grasp in a convenient and accessible form what historians have been writing about.
This ebook is a selective guide designed to help scholars and students of the ancient world find reliable sources of information by directing them to the best available scholarly materials in whatever form or format they appear from books, chapters, and journal articles to online archives, electronic data sets, and blogs. Written by a leading international authority on the subject, the ebook provides bibliographic information supported by direct recommendations about which sources to consult and editorial commentary to make it clear how the cited sources are interrelated. This ebook is just one of many articles from Oxford Bibliographies Online: Atlantic History, a continuously updated and growing online resource designed to provide authoritative guidance through the scholarship and other materials relevant to the study of Atlantic History, the study of the transnational interconnections between Europe, North America, South America, and Africa, particularly in the early modern and colonial period. Oxford Bibliographies Online covers most subject disciplines within the social science and humanities, for more information visit www.oxfordbibliographies.com.
Author: Adam Lifshey
Publisher: Fordham University Press
Release Date: 2010-06-15
Genre: Literary Criticism
This book intervenes in transatlantic and hemispheric studies by positing Americaas not a particular country or continent but a foundational narrative, in which conquerors arrive at a shore intent on overwriting local versions of humanity, culture, and landscape with inscriptions of their own design. This imposition of foreign textualities, however dominant, is never complete because the absences of the disappeared still linger manifestly, still are present. That apparent paradox results in a haunted America, whose conquest is always partial and whose conquered are always contestatory. Readers of scholarship by transatlanticists such as Paul Gilroy and hemispherists such as Diana Taylor will find new conceptualizations here of an America that knows no geographic boundaries, whose absences are collective but not necessarily interrelated by genealogy. The five principal texts at hand - Columbus's diary of his first voyage, the Popol Vuh of the Maya-K'iche', Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, Evita's Cuando los Combes luchaban (the first African novel in Spanish), and Pynchon's Mason & Dixon - are examined as foundational stories of America in their imaginings of its transatlantic commencement. Interspersed too are shorter studies of narratives by William Carlos Williams, Rigoberta Mench£, μlvar N£¤ez Cabeza de Vaca, Jos Mart¡, Mark Knopfler (former lead singer of Dire Straits) and Gabriel Garc¡a M~rquez. These texts are rarely if ever read together because of their discrete provenances in time and place, yet their juxtaposition reveals how the disjunctions and ruptures that took place on the eastern and western shores of the Atlantic upon the arrival of Europeans became insinuated as recurring and resistant absences in narratives ostensibly contextualized by the Conquest.The book concludes by proposing that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the great American novel.After Specters of Conquest: Indigenous Absence in Transatlantic Literatures, America will never seem the same. | <urn:uuid:e4df43b5-d8c2-4481-8b9c-e914f4effa43> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://myvocabbook.com/download/a-short-account-of-the-destruction-of-the-indies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.909595 | 2,272 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Bhubaneshwar: Wile 500 & 1000 has been expired tender in Indian currency, this boy smartly utilised Rs 500 notes to generate electricity and tested it by switching on the bulb.
A science student from of Khariar College in Nuapada district of Odisha, Lachman Dundi, on Wednesday invented the method which produces electricity using the silicon present in the old Rs 500 notes.
“On exposing these notes to sunlight or any other form of light, the silicon produces electricity. A silicon plate is needed to be attached on one side of the note,” he said.
To light the electric bulb, you will at least need 220 volts. So the wire is attached with a note which is connected to a transformer that produces enough power. Extra 5 volts can be produced by sunlight. This is how he utilised the natural sources of energy.
“We can use the electricity for 24 hours if it is stored in a battery,” he added.
He also found some possibilities to even run cycle and generator through energy produced from urine, the idea which we first watched in ‘3 idiots’ movie. Furthermore, he has been seeking government help to fulfil his dream of producing enough power without major expense.
This unsung genius has experience of selling LED Bulbs assembled by him in local market. He is the son of Tirtha Dundi and Suadei Dundi of Kotamal village under Khariar area.
His science teacher at Shree Maa Girls’ High School, Kendrapara, Pravat Kumar Parija said that the solar panels that produce electricity are made up of a series of interconnected silicon cells joined together to form a circuit.
“If the Rs 500 currency note has really got a coat of silicon on it, it can be used as solar cells to produce electricity,” he further added.
“It needs to be scientifically examined if the scrapped Rs 500 note has any coat of silicon on it. If it has really got a coat of the metal, it can be used for producing electricity,” he said. | <urn:uuid:b9fbe454-9058-4df3-817d-b1daed54f9e9> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://newsonscreen.com/meet-the-odisha-youth-who-generated-electricity-from-old-rs-500-notes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.953849 | 437 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Have you noticed that there is a lot of involuntary jerking in your arms and legs lately? You might want to make an appointment with a neurological specialist as soon as possible, as the problem you are experiencing is one of the symptoms of epilepsy. Find out in this article what you should know about epilepsy so you will know what to expect if you are diagnosed and treated for it.
What Causes Someone to Get Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a disorder that causes problems for the nervous system. Basically, you can experience multiple seizures during a day when you have epilepsy. Some of the causes of epilepsy include brain trauma, withdrawal from drugs, stroke and a variety of other conditions. There are various symptoms that you might have during a seizure, depending on the type that you have. Besides jerking in your arms and legs, you might also experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing, a stiff body, no response to noise, a lack of bladder control, head nodding and blinking eyes in a rapid manner.
How Can Epilepsy Be Diagnosed?
Getting diagnosed for epilepsy will begin with a specialist asking you about the medical history of your family in case epilepsy is genetic. The types of tests that will have to undergo depends on what the specialists believes led to your epilepsy. You might have to undergo a blood test, spinal tap, computed tomography (CAT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). One of the main types of tests that is likely to be performed is called an electroencephalogram (EEG), as it is necessary for recording brain activity.
How Does a Specialist Treat Epilepsy?
There are a few different things that will determine how your epilepsy is treated if you are diagnosed with it, including your age, type of seizure you have, as well as the type of treatment that you are comfortable with (ins some cases). The goal of the specialist will be to bring your seizures to a complete stop, or prevent them from occurring so frequently.
One method of treatment is through consuming neurological drugs that can regulate your brain activity. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is another form of treatment for epilepsy, which involves a battery with wires on it in the chest wall where the vagus nerve is located. You can then control your seizures by putting a magnet above the implanted battery when you feel like you are getting ready to have one.
You don't want your condition to become worse by waiting too long to get diagnosed and treated. Contact a neurological specialist like Mohsen M. Hamza, M.D. so you can find out if you are suffering from epilepsy! | <urn:uuid:5c258983-4c88-4e61-bd12-ac933b9e7007> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://situation-healthy-diet-plans.com/2016/01/22/helpful-information-about-epilepsy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.96472 | 528 | 3.203125 | 3 |
Hand anatomy and function are highly complex. The thumb alone is controlled by nine individual muscles, which are controlled by the radial, median, and ulnar nerves. The thumb movement is so complex that there are six unique descriptive terms for describing only the direction of the thumb joint at the base of the thumb. If you play an instrument, such as the guitar or the piano, you are likely aware how the slightest ache or pain affects your finger positioning required to play those instruments.
Hand and wrist have twenty seven bones. The hand is innervated by the median, ulnar, and radial nerves, which have sensory and motor components. The muscles of the hand are divided into intrinsic and extrinsic groups while the tendons are divided into flexors and extensors.
Tip: View in full screen mode by selecting four arrows in the bottom right corner. | <urn:uuid:0fcb076f-99ce-4844-b872-d2aa3bb79350> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.izadihand.com/hand-anatomy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.941232 | 175 | 3.703125 | 4 |
The Alberta scientist and academic Margaret Perkins Hess was an adventurer and a collector.
When she died her estate started passing on the artifacts and the art that she had gathered over a lifetime. Now the Canadian Museum of History has received a gift of almost 1,000 works by Inuit artists.
Hess travelled extensively in Canada’s North, and assembled an historically important collection of sculptures, prints and other artifacts.
“(Dr. Hess) was a great supporter of Canadian culture and a champion of Indigenous artists. Her commitment to the North and to its people resulted in a collection of exceptional breadth and quality that we look forward to sharing with new audiences,” said Mark O’Neill, president and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History, in a media release.
Hess was an internationally recognized art historian and lecturer. She was also a business person, rancher and a philanthropist. She was born in Calgary in 1916 and studied in Toronto in the mid-1930s where she met and befriended members of the Group of Seven.
They in turn, fuelled her passion for art and the wilderness. Those interests led her north where she met Inuit artists and often bought works directly from them. In 1970, she opened Calgary Galleries Ltd., to promote Indigenous art.
This gift includes more than 750 contemporary sculptures, 120 works on paper and 25 examples of historical material collected from 30 northern communities — including Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake) and Inujjuaq (Inujjuaq/Port Harrison), as well as Talurjuaq (Taloyoak/Spence Bay), Naujaat (Repulse Bay) and Kugluktuk (Coppermine).
The works will strengthen the museum’s existing collections. Hess also kept detailed records of the art works that will aid scholarship, the museum said.
Hess was an officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Alberta Order of Excellence and a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 1988, the federal government named an archaeological site on Ekkalluk River after her.
The University of Lethbridge Art Gallery has also received a thousands of works by artists such as Tom Thomson, Emily Carr and Alex Janvier. And a large collection of West Coast art, including early works by Bill Reid, was given to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia.
This is not the first donation to the Museum of History by Hess. She previously helped fund the Mercury book series, donated two sculptures by Inuit artists from the Puvirnituq and commissioned Robert Davidson’s gold-on-bronze sculpture, Raven Bringing Light to the World, on display in the Grand Hall.
The museum said in the release that it intends to create a travelling exhibition of Inuit art from the Hess collection. | <urn:uuid:98743a99-5469-4c20-aae3-4c6682b805df> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://artsfile.ca/museum-of-history-receives-important-gift-of-inuit-art-from-estate-of-margaret-hess/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.965412 | 598 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Neuroscientists at USC have discovered that carbonated drinks set off the same pain sensors in the nasal cavity as mustard, albeit at a lower intensity. During experimentation, researchers flowed carbonated saline over a dish containing nerve cells taken from the sensory circuits in the nose and mouth. They discovered that the gas activated a specific cell which serve as general pain sensors and expresses the TRPA1 gene.
Sparkling drinks spark pain circuits
Fizzy beverages light up same pain sensors as mustard and horseradish, a new study shows — so why do we drink them?
You may not think of the fizz in soda as spicy, but your body does.
The carbon dioxide in fizzy drinks sets off the same pain sensors in the nasal cavity as mustard and horseradish, though at a lower intensity, according to new research from the University of Southern California.
“Carbonation evokes two distinct sensations. It makes things sour and it also makes them burn. We have all felt that noxious tingling sensation when soda goes down your throat too fast,” said Emily Liman, senior author of a study published online in the Journal of Neuroscience.
That burning sensation comes from a system of nerves that respond to sensations of pain, skin pressure and temperature in the nose and mouth.
“What we did not know was which cells and which molecules within those cells are responsible for the painful sensation we experience when we drink a carbonated soda,” said Liman, an associate professor of neurobiology in the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
By flowing carbonated saline onto a dish of nerve cells from the sensory circuits in the nose and mouth, the researchers found that the gas activated only a particular type of cell.
“The cells that responded to CO2 were the same cells that detect mustard,” Liman said.
These cells express a gene known as TRPA1 and serve as general pain sensors.
Mice missing the TRPA1 gene showed “a greatly reduced response” to carbon dioxide, Liman said, while adding the TRPA1 genetic code to CO2-insensitive cells made them responsive to the gas.
Now that carbonated beverages have been linked to pain circuits, some may wonder why we consume them. A new park in Paris even features drinking fountains that dispense free sparkling water.
Liman cited studies going back as far as 1885 that found carbonation dramatically reduced the growth of bacteria.
“Or it may be a macho thing,” she speculated.
If only a sip of San Pellegrino were all it took to prove one’s hardiness.
The pain-sensing TRPA1 provides only one aspect of carbonation’s sensory experience. In 2009, a group led by Charles Zuker of the University of California, San Diego and Nicholas Ryba of the National Institutes of Health showed that carbonation trips cells in the tongue that convey sourness.
Contact: Carl Marziali
Source: University of Southern California | <urn:uuid:ee98211f-f550-453d-bb85-92920de1919c> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://neurosciencenews.com/trpa1-gene-carbonated-drinks-pain-sensors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.951147 | 631 | 3.125 | 3 |
The Impact of Minimum Wages in Mexico
In Mexico, low levels of compliance and ineffective levels of minimum wages imply negligible employment effects. There are diverging views about how minimum wages affect labor markets in developing countries. Advocates of minimum wages hold that they redistribute resources in a welfare-enhancing way, and can thus reduce poverty, improve productivity, and foster growth. Opponents, on the other hand, contend that minimum wage interventions result in a misallocation of labor and lead to depressed wages in the very sectors — the rural and informal urban sectors — where most of the poor are found, with the effect of wasting resources and reducing the growth rate. Data from Mexico provide an opportunity to evaluate the impact of minimum wages. In Mexico, minimum wages have had virtually no effect on wages or employment in the formal sector. The main reason: the minimum wage is not an effective wage for most firms or workers. In the informal sector, in turn, there is considerable noncompliance with the mandated minimum wage, especially among part-time and female workers. As a result, significant numbers of workers are paid at or below minimum wages. Consequently, dozens of people immigrate to the United States continuously in escape of the torturous maquiladoras.
Maquiladoras are Mexican assembly plants that manufacture finished goods for export to the United States. They are generally owned by non- Mexican corporations, whom take advantage of plentiful low cost Mexican labor, and close proximity to U.S. markets. Starting on a small scale in the 1960s, the maquiladoras were initially almost entirely located in the northern border region of Mexico. They grew dramatically after Mexico substantially revised its economic regulations concerning foreign investment in the early 1980s. From 1983 to 1990, the maquiladora industry grew at approximately twenty percent annually, and it grew even more sharply… | <urn:uuid:dc5007c5-ebac-4558-b0da-644558f642d5> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://paperap.com/paper-on-immigration-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.950893 | 377 | 3.390625 | 3 |
May’s App of the Month is City of Calgary’s Solar Potential Map. See how they used geographic information system (GIS) technology to help residents explore the viability of solar as an energy source for their homes and buildings.
In an effort to remain sustainable, many cities have started to turn to alternative sources of energy to meet the needs of their population. One such source is solar power. The City of Calgary has a requirement stipulating that all new occupied City-owned buildings and major renovations must meet specific Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. This is known as the Sustainable Building Policy. To support this initiative, the City has opted to install solar energy systems on some of the buildings it owns.
The City started its assessment of solar potential for City-owned buildings in mid-2016. It used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to compile corporate city-wide 3D datasets. It was then decided to process this data to make it available to all Calgarians in the form of an online story map. The City performed a GIS analysis by using solar radiation tools and shadow analysis for the best possible presentation of information to the public. Working with sustainable infrastructure and communications experts, it gathered information and prepared key messages to include in the story map.
The resulting Solar Potential Map underwent web and load testing as well as cartography quality control before being released to the public in November 2016. By making the story map available to its residents, the City hopes to enable Calgarians to explore the potential of using solar energy for their homes and buildings.
The City of Calgary’s story map is a starting point for Calgarians who are curious about the potential of solar as an energy source for their home or building.
During the creation of the story map, the City’s Sustainable Infrastructure team approached the Geospatial Business Solutions (GBS) Division to provide solar potential data on about 10 specific City facilities that were being assessed for solar energy viability. In addition to the assessment for these sites, the division also provided an extensive evaluation, which included structural evaluations, financial viability, detailed solar exposure evaluations and secured funding sources. GBS also helped the City’s Open Data team in providing city-wide data in the proper format for download via Calgary’s Open Data Portal.
As part of the City’s ongoing Imagery Program, LiDAR technology was used to capture high-accuracy elevation data. With the help of specialized software, sun exposure data was extracted and presented in a map format. LiDAR precision was crucial in capturing geographical latitude, shadowing from buildings and vegetation, as well as the sun's daily position throughout the year. This resulted in a generalized estimate of a roof's exposure to the sun. Esri’s ArcGIS Online software, including the solar radiation tool, then converted this set of high-quality 3D building data into the high-quality output of the Solar Potential Map. ArcGIS Online also includes Esri Story Maps, which provides several easy-to-use templates for combining maps with narrative text, photos and multimedia content. For its story map, Calgary used the Map Journal template.
“Having ArcGIS technology and its suite of tools at our fingertips enabled us to make the most of the complete, detailed data from LiDAR and allowed us to share that data in a relevant, understandable way with our citizens,” says Liz Findlay, Manager of Geospatial Business Solutions.
Following the launch of the Solar Potential Map on the City of Calgary’s website, the app grabbed the attention of employees on the City’s intranet. It also caught the public’s attention on Facebook, with close to 200,000 viewers reached and over 700 sharing the link to the story map. The success was also replicated elsewhere as more than 10,000 Twitter impressions were noted. The City also received numerous media requests and saw its blog post about the map exceed 36,000 views.
Liz expects the story map will be used by municipal facilities managers and home and business owners alike. “By looking up a Calgary address in the Solar Potential Map, Calgarians can take the first step in determining if their roof has the right amount of solar exposure to further investigate the viability of installing solar panels,” she notes.
The Solar Potential Map supports onsite preliminary assessments of buildings within Calgary city limits. It is also an educational tool for the City of Calgary. Feedback about the app has been great, and some say they have been motivated to buy solar panels. The ability to look up a specific address on the app has been particularly well-received. The story map accumulated 20,000 visits within the first 3 months of its launch and in 2017 received more than 8,600 visits, without any promotion. The City of Calgary plans to update the app this fall with 2017 data and will make it available through Calgary’s Open Data portal. The City hopes this will solidify its position as a leader in solar energy installation and use for city facilities.
Explore Calgary’s Solar Potential Map and leave your feedback below.
Have you created an app or map using ArcGIS that you’re particularly proud of? Submit an entry to our 2019 Map Calendar & App of the Month Contests today for a chance to have your outstanding work featured in our print calendar or our Blog. The contests run until June 8. | <urn:uuid:44e36324-d75a-4af7-8b05-b4a3d4dab259> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://resources.esri.ca/news-and-updates/may-s-app-of-the-month-calgary-s-solar-potential-map | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.943949 | 1,118 | 2.578125 | 3 |
I must admit, every time I use the word whom, I feel a bit uneasy.
Though I’m uncomfortable using bad grammar — and I know stickers would bristle at an incorrect who — sometimes whom just sounds pompous. Like a 19th century English butler.
Let’s explore proper usage of who vs whom, then consider whether there are cases where we might justifiably depart from the excruciatingly correct.
Who vs Whom
In theory, it’s very simple. Both who and whom are pronouns. Use who when referring to the subject (i.e. the person doing or giving something to someone) and whom when referring to the object (i.e. the person who receives something).
If “Bob gave the money to Jack”, then Bob is the subject and Jack is the object. Therefore, we ask, “Who gave the money to whom”. That is:
- Who gave the money to Jack?
- Bob gave to the money to whom? (Or, phrased differently, “To whom did Bob give the money?”)
The confusion arises because sometimes, especially in more complicated sentences, it’s hard to tell subject from object.
A (Not So) Secret Trick
Luckily, there’s really easy way to tell which is correct. Pretend both the subject and object are men. Then ask yourself whether the answer to the question would be he or him.
- If the answer is he, you should use who.
- If the answer is him, then you should (in theory, at least) use whom.
You can remember this, because both whom and him end with an m. (That’s why you have to pretend they’re all men. “Her” ends with an r, so the trick doesn’t work.)
So for example:
“Who/whom do you wish to see?” The answer would be, “I wish to see him“, not “I wish to see he“. So you should use whom.
“Who/whom is going to the store?” The answer would be, “He is going to the store”, not “Him is going to the store.” So you should use who.
Sometimes – even most times – whom just sounds wrong. Especially when used at the very beginning of a sentence, like:
- Whom do you love?
- Whom are you trying to kid?
In speech, almost nobody would use whom like this. And even in formal writing, it sounds pompous and wrong. So I for one don’t use it.
If whom ever sounds “right”, it’s when it comes directly after a preposition. For example:
- He gave the money to whom? (Or just, “To whom?)
- For whom are you working? (Or just, “For whom?”)
And that’s about the only time I use whom: directly after a preposition. Unless, of course, my audience consists mainly of English butlers… | <urn:uuid:8b144545-9b1b-4a8a-9a98-5adab8027574> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.cardinalpath.com/writing-for-the-web-to-whom-or-not-to-whom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.946607 | 672 | 3.5 | 4 |
“[Government agencies] continue to experience shortages of people skilled in hard-to-learn languages due to a limited pool of Americans to recruit from.”
– Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) at a 2002 hearing on
“A National Security Crisis: Foreign Language Capabilities in the Federal Government”
One-fifth of the world population speaks Chinese, making it the most widely spoken language in the world. According to the State Department, Chinese is one of the Critical Languages and has over 1.2 billion native speakers. In addition to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, many other countries/regions also speak Chinese, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Mongolia.
Learning and mastering the Chinese language has tremendous advantages in terms of gathering information, explaining and advocating U.S. policies, establishing and maintaining U.S.’s diplomatic platforms, building and maintaining trust, and creating relationships. In today’s rapidly changing world, the need for these skills has never been more critical.
The Chinese courses offered by IWP are designed to help students to achieve their language proficiency goals, to promote successful communication and performance in their professional assignments, to bring cultural awareness, and to enhance the leadership and management capabilities of the U.S. foreign affairs community.
IWP offers the following Chinese language courses:
These courses may be taken as a part of IWP’s Continuing Education Program. | <urn:uuid:3f90cd34-21bd-440d-8be1-7a6c37f2331f> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.iwp.edu/language-study/chinese-language-study/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.936984 | 306 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Stephen Carrick-Davies, CEO of Mondo Foundation, asks what would radical education reformers of the past make of education initiatives being developed in some of the poorest regions of the world today.
Joseph Lancaster was a public education innovator who knew a thing or two about running a school on a budget. Born in 1778 at a time when education in this country was limited to the privileged few, he set up his first school on the floor of his father’s shop. Within 50 years he had pioneered a pedagogy which was implemented across 1,500 ‘Lancastrian’ schools and included new concepts such as peer-learning and the recruitment of monitors to support classroom teaching. Whether this was a creative move to avoid the cost of employing more teachers we may never know. What we do know is that 240 years later, in a time of austerity and societal change, our schools need similar innovators to formulate new models of teaching and learning.
But where is this innovation likely to come from? Is it the well-resourced schools of the west, or is change more likely to come from some of the poorest parts of the world, where the floor is still the classroom?
I had never heard about Joseph Lancaster until I attended a remarkable workshop last week run by the British Foreign School Society, a charity which was established by Royal Charter in 1906 to carry on the work of Lancaster. Today the Society awards grants of just over £700,000 a year for education projects in the UK and around the world.
So what? I hear you ask. Many charities were set up years ago to advance the causes of education and social justice. Yes, but today BFSS does so much more. Each year they bring the 60 or so beneficiaries together, to create a space to share, learn and collaborate. In speaking to previous participants, it was clear that the facilitated discussion groups were effective in helping us to look at strategic issues and share from our experience in the field. Topics included developing quality early childhood education, breaking barriers for disabled students to access services, educating street children, constructing new schools and even how to formulate your Theory of Change (whilst at the same time securing funding for your practice of change!).
Many of the charities BFSS funds, like Mondo Foundation which I have the privilege of leading, are working to establish transformative educational practices. Like Lancaster, we fund educators to teach children in the equivalent of the ‘shop floor’; Temporary Learning Centres with a carpet on the floor if you are lucky.
However, rather than being the poor distant relative of the UK education family, the BFSS supported programmes are, like Lancaster’s, finding ways to innovate and develop ideas from which the UK education system could learn. Necessity may be the “mother of invention” but this ‘mother’ is getting restless and needs a passport!
Many funding bodies take the time to help beneficiaries apply for funding, but in my experience of 30 years of working for and leading non-profit organisations, it is rare to find funders both transparent enough to share the impact of their work, and humble enough to ask beneficiaries for help.
I’m discovering more and more, that when asked to share learning from their mistakes and challenges, charity leaders of small organisations are eager to co-operate. Maybe because knowledge is linked to power, and if you don’t have a lot of power you are more willing to share what you have. Indeed, I would argue that the pre-eminent leadership skill for the 21st Century charity leader is being able to share. In the past we were defined by what we owned, today we are best defined by what we share. Just look at how social media has become the most important ‘window’ for small charities.
But we also need safe confessional spaces where we can gather, cooperate and be recharged to respond again to the phenomenal challenges we face in our educational learning ‘worlds’. For example, how do you start to support a wonderful teacher committed enough to walk 6 miles each day to school to teach 60 pupils in a TLC before walking 6 miles home only to be paid enough to eat rice and dahl for the 7th night in a row?
How do you help schools continue to educate their pupils through ‘pop-up’ Saturday schools when local political unrest has closed schools for months on end?
How do you distil and funnel the precious spirit of resilience shown each day by villagers whose homes and lives have been shattered by earthquakes, towards re-training them to build new earthquake resilient village schools? Is this process not education itself?
And with a ‘nudge’ to Lancaster and later reformers, how do schools throw off the shackles of a Victorian rote-learning mindset and be given the autonomy and support to innovate and develop teaching methods which better prepare students for employability, enterprise and life-time learning? Is this teaching style taught or caught? And if so, where are the mentors who have the skills to model this change over many years? It’s not so much “sage on the stage”, or even “guide by the side”, we need “professionals in the pit of learning,” inspiring students on to become future educators whilst they are still on the classroom floor.
Small-scale, locally-led organisations are nimble, able to build deep reciprocal relationships and learn from their partners. We are best placed to prototype models of change and disseminate our findings. How refreshing then to know that BFSS keeps its focus on funding small organisations; that it believes that small is still beautiful and that collaboration and affiliation are at the heart of change and that what we learn is as powerful as what we change. Indeed, the two are inseparable.
Following research and feedback from its projects the BFSS are embarking on a major new initiative to launch a £800,000, three-year funding programme to enable those who care for and provide education for looked after children in the UK receive better support and access to funds. Will this new fund divert scare resources from overseas? Not at all. This is additional, and it has come from an unlikely source; “The Trump Bump” which has increased BFSS’s investment-portfolio, so it can now re-invest in a more urgent social portfolio which will produce a dividend of greater equality and change.
So should today’s financially well-run grant-making trusts be proactive in developing forums and authentic learning space which allow funded projects to share, learn from and inspire each other? Is the “nothing about us, without us” tide finally making its way ‘upstream’ and if so, is the funded-organisation voice being heard by funders who want to measure their soft and hard outputs and create a full picture of impact?
One person who has thought more than most about the strategic role of funders is Ben Cairns, Director and Founder of the Institute of Voluntary Action Research. He terms this as ‘Funding Plus;’ any activity which is additional to a grant and the grant making process.’ Ben Says, “We have found understanding what kind of contribution you can make as a funder to be a critical component of ‘responsible funding’ – funding that takes account of the possible and the appropriate. For some, going beyond the money may be automatic – it is an expression of values and beliefs”.
And so back to Lancaster. How would he be responding if he was alive today? Would he be turning in his grave 200 years on at the news that so many children in our world still have no access to quality education? Or would he be smiling from on high at the way pioneers are seeking to bring about effective change by deliberately learning from the little people working on the ground?
At the end of the intensive day, those present were asked if they wanted to become members of the society. Not to crowd-fund but to crowd-think and crowd collaborate. Now that’s an interesting theory of change, and if BFSS can turn this into a practice of change and continue to value and amplify the learner’s-voice, there may yet be a far greater crowd-change.
Full disclosure; Mondo Foundation has received funding from the BFSS for 2 major school building projects in Nepal during the last few years. In the most recent the grant was conditional on our ability to set up a base line and measure educational outcomes 2 and 3 years after the building was completed. See https://www.mondofoundation.org/nepal/
As it has in NE India where the Charity I run works and where schools have been closed. | <urn:uuid:fdb74c70-8100-4c0a-91d6-d7935f13ece2> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.mondofoundation.org/creating-a-space-to-learn/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.970606 | 1,808 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Recently the Ashley Leiman (Director and Trustee, Orangutan Foundation) presented a well received talk, entitled "Palm Oil Development and Biodiversity Conservation". Here is the message in brief, addressing the ever popular and confusing topic of Palm Oil within modern day orangutan and habitat conservation...
Some facts and figures...
- Indonesia is now the world’s largest producer of palm oil, and together with Malaysia, they produce over 80% of the world’s palm oil.
- This has brought major economic benefits to both countries. For example, according to CIFOR, in 2008, production of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) in Indonesia generated revenues of $ 12.4 billion dollars from foreign exchange exports and $ 1 billion dollars from export taxes;
- whilst employment generated directly by the palm oil industry in Indonesia in 2013 was estimated to be 3.2 million people.
Despite these major economic benefits, NGO’s have questioned the environmental and health costs involved. Of the 8 million hectares that are currently under oil palm in Indonesia, CIFOR estimated that at least half has been developed directly by deforestation.
The Indonesian Government hopes to expand the area under oil palm by an additional 4 million hectares so that the current production of CPO can be doubled to 40 million tons annually by 2020. This raises the questions: where will the additional 4 million hectares come from ?
Addressing the biodiversity of primary forests... Compared to oil palm plantations, how much biodiversity exists in primary forests? What options are available as a source of land to develop new areas for oil palm?
Koh & Wilcove (2008) showed that the number of species of birds and butterflies that were recorded in four locations... This shows that if primary forest is converted to oil palm, there is a 77% loss in forest birds, and an 83% loss in forest butterflies. It also shows that the 30-year old selectively-logged forest had largely recovered, to the extent that it contained 84% of the forest birds found in the primary forest.
So, secondary forests DO have the potential to recover all of the original biodiversity of their former primary condition... A review of studies covering a wider range of species by Fitzherbert and Danielsen have supported these results. They found an average of just 15 - 23% of forest species in oil palm.
From the biodiversity perspective, we can conclude that if new oil palm developments were to involve clear-felling existing primary or secondary forests to convert the land ready for planting with oil palm, this would result in devastation for the existing biodiversity, with an 80-85% loss of forest species.
What options are available? Where could there be a source of land to develop new oil palm plantations that do not destroy existing forest?
There is mounting evidence to show that there is already sufficient degraded ‘low-carbon’ lands that are suitable for oil palm, instead of converting existing forests. The World Resources Institute (WRI) has recently launched an initiative to map degraded lands in Indonesia. So far, WRI has identified more than 14 million hectares of such degraded lands in Kalimantan that may be suitable for oil palm production. Not all of this would eventually become productive, however, as some local communities may have alternative proposals.
In theory an area of State Forest Land that is released by the Ministry of Forestry for conversion to oil palm should not normally contain any forest, but the situation in practice is clearly different.
Many plantation companies report that they do have significant areas of forests within the boundaries of their concession. Taken together, these small islands of high biodiversity value provide an important compliment to the State’s total conservation land.
Speaking to people living and working in these areas...
There is a growing conflict developing between orangutans and humans in and around oil palm. This is especially so in Kalimantan. Orangutans that have had their forest home destroyed are often found in remnant forest patches nearby, from where they enter cultivated areas and are labelled as pests. There have been some well-documented cases recently of workers from plantations companies or local communities killing orangutans.
Rescue orangutans from plantations and surrounding forest patches, although fantastic to remove individuals from degraded areas, also raises some problems. Primarily, for example, that given the massive scale of conversion of natural forests in Kalimantan to oil palm or other land-use development, there are not enough suitable forests that can take such an exodus of captured orangutans.
There are solutions...
- We need to change the perception of public and private sector stakeholders that orangutans they encounter outside conservation forests should be captured and sent to rehabilitation centres or relocated elsewhere;
- Plantation companies need to be persuaded to set aside high biodiversity forests within their concessions as locally protected conservation areas. This is allowed under current Government regulations, and hence compliant with ISPO criteria for certification.
- We need to raise awareness that there are alternative practical solutions, especially on how to deal with crop-raiding cases. Guidelines on this have been produced by a team from BOS-Indonesia, WWF-Indonesia and UNAS in 2007.
The Orangutan Foundation held a multi-stakeholder workshop. An important resolution was passed in which the participants committed to protect the orangutans within their concession and to exchange best practice experiences on mitigating conflicts with orangutans. To do this, the oil palm companies were urged to ensure they have a conservation plan to properly manage the biodiversity found in the remaining forests within their concession. This plan should be in accordance with the stipulations in the original environmental impact assessment (AMDAL) that should have been conducted before the Permit for Plantation was issued.
Palm oil certification on paper...
Great hope had also been invested in the RSPO as a means of producing palm oil without destruction of rainforests. Regrettably, the palm oil industry has not yet stepped up to the mark to achieve a majority of certified CPO, as currently only 15% of the CPO market comes from certified sources. In addition, there is growing concern that the RSPO’s certification process is not as rigorous as it should be.
This has prompted the establishment of a new group called the Palm Oil Innovation Group; whilst Greenpeace has urged progressive companies to go beyond the standards set by RSPO in their practices. It would be commendable, therefore, if the ISPO criteria included a ban on converting forests and had a stringent certification process.
We hope the palm oil industry would consider using existing degraded low-carbon lands in Kalimantan, which have been identified as suitable for oil palm plantation, as this would provide an alternative land source for the industry in line with the Indonesian Government’s CPO target for 2020.
We believe this can this be achieved without further destruction of these magnificent rainforests and the spectacular biodiversity they contain. Help us via donating or finding out more via asking us anything at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:09f34a13-76ff-4d20-8291-118fa82e8252> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.orangutan.org.uk/blog/tag/agriculture | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.95764 | 1,448 | 3 | 3 |
The DNA in each of us hosts about 21,000 genes. Their blueprints are coded in the roughly 3 billion rungs of our DNA’s ladder-like structure. The Human Genome Project finished decoding all of those genes in 2003. That task took hundreds of scientists more than 12 years.
Scientists are now working fast and furiously to learn what each identified gene does. Their answers will help science better understand how cells work. The knowledge also could help doctors better treat disease.
“One great way to learn what cells do normally with all their different genes is to turn off those genes one at a time,” explains Craig Mello. He’s a geneticist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
David Root is a geneticist at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass. To show how turning off genes can help, Root likens our complex genome — the complete encyclopedia of our genes — to the main electrical box in your house, full of fuses or circuit breakers. If none of the circuits feeding the box was labeled, he says, “You might turn each [circuit] off and see which of your lights go out or which of your appliances turn off.”
As it happens, our cells can naturally turn off genes. The cells in many other species do too. They use a process called RNA interference, or RNAi. (Like DNA, RNA is a molecule found in all cells.) Mello and Andrew Fire, now at Stanford University School of Medicine in California, shared a 2006 Nobel Prize for discovering this process for silencing genes.
Scientists can trigger RNAi too. And by doing so, “We can trick the cell into shutting down any one gene — pretty much any gene in the whole genome — any time we want,” says Mello.
Turning off genes this way allows scientists to find out what they do when they’re on. Read on to see how RNAi works and what new work that uses it shows.
Our genetic alphabet
Cells have two kinds of genetic material: DNA and RNA. Our genes reside on DNA. Its long molecules resemble twisted ladders.
Each rung in DNA’s ladder-like structure is a pair of two chemicals — called nucleotides. Together they make up a base pair. The four nucleotides in DNA are known as A, T, C and G. They stand for adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. The nucleotide attached to each long side on the twisted ladder must pair with a particular one on the other side. All A’s, for instance, pair with T’s. C’s will only pair with G’s.
“The order of these four different units in the string is what defines the human genome sequence,” Root explains. That order provides the chemical code that defines what a gene will do. The Human Genome Project spelled out that code for all our genes, letter by letter.
“DNA is a lot like the hardware in a computer. It’s something you’re born with,” says Mello. “Every time the cell reproduces,” he explains. “it reproduces a full set of these instructions that allow the cell to do its thing.”
Putting DNA’s instructions to work is one job of RNA.
“RNA is also a string of four different units, and it matches up one-to-one with DNA,” Root says. Three of those units are the A, C and G found in DNA. But in RNA, “instead of the T, you’ve got a U.” That U stands for uracil. Like T, it always — and only — binds to A.
While some types of RNA are double-stranded, most forms have a single strand of nucleotides. Different types of RNA do different jobs.
Messenger RNA, or mRNA, carries a gene’s instructions to structures in a cell known as ribosomes (RY-boh-sohmz). This information tells other RNA molecules in those ribosomes to make some particular protein. Those proteins will carry out most of a cell’s functions.
But not every cell needs to do every task. For example, nerve cells and skin cells have very different tasks. Nor must each cell work at the same time.
Instead, each cell expresses — or turns on — the genes that it needs for a particular job at some particular time. Different RNA molecules help control that process.
One way RNA does this is with proteins called Argonautes. These specialized proteins, named for a band of heroes in Greek mythology, bind to small RNA molecules. They help coordinate other proteins in events that result in the eventual silencing of a gene.
“Argonautes are very much like the search engines we use on our Web browser,” says Mello. The small RNAs function like the query for a search. They resemble the few words that you might type into a search window to find detailed information about a topic. Argonautes work with bigger chunks of information to find matches for the search query. And, Mello notes, “Argonautes can do this very rapidly.”
When the short piece of RNA bound to the Argonaute matches up with part of a specific messenger RNA, the Argonaute protein cuts the mRNA. The mRNA falls apart, and that destroys its message. Thus, the ribosome never gets the instruction to make a certain protein.
This process is RNA interference, or RNAi. It keeps cells from making proteins that aren’t needed at that time. Cells also use RNAi “to clean up any RNA that shouldn’t be there or that isn’t perfect,” explains Lisa Stanek. She’s a neuroscientist at Genzyme Corp. in Cambridge, Mass.
The process happens naturally in animals, plants, fungi and even some bacteria. Says Mello: “We think RNA interference is at least a billion years old!”
Hijacking the process
Since the first news about its discovery in 1998, researchers have wanted to use RNAi to study cells. To do that, scientists learned how to “hijack it and reprogram it,” says Christof Fellmann. He’s a molecular biologist at Mirimus Inc., in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.
Scientists can trigger RNAi, for example, by introducing synthetic double-stranded RNA molecules. Their shape “resembles a short hairpin,” Fellmann explains.
A triggering molecule must contain a string of 21 or 22 nucleotides. Each of these will pair precisely with part of the target mRNA. Those short genetic sequences are like search queries. They find and link to the mRNA from a single gene — that gene’s messengers. They seek it out from among all the materials inside the cell. That action cuts off the gene’s instructions. In effect, the change turns off the gene and reprograms a cell.
“Nature had millions of years of evolution to fine-tune these things,” Fellmann notes. Making artificial triggers for RNAi, he believes, could help in both research and medicine.
Of course, triggers need a way into cells. One trick: Stuff them into a virus and then let the germ ferry the molecule into target cells.
“Viruses’ jobs are to infect cells,” explains Stanek at Genzyme. First, bioengineers take out all genes that might make someone sick. Then they tinker with the germ. “We engineer the virus to deliver our RNAi,” she says.
Triggering RNAi to occur on demand
But that may not always work. Some immune cells destroy viruses, for instance. So researchers working with the Broad Institute found a way to insert the triggers with nanowires. They injected teensy wires, like needles, into cells.
Disguising the RNAi trigger is another approach. Steven Dowdy at the University of California San Diego and his colleagues use chemistry to do this.
To bind to its targets, an RNAi trigger needs a negative ionic charge, he explains. (An ion is an atom or molecule with an electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons. Something with a negative charge has extra electrons.) But immune responses in humans often keep negatively charged molecules out of cells.
To avoid that, Dowdy and his team neutralized the charge of their RNAi trigger. They designed molecules with an added chemical group, called a phosphotriester (FOSS-foe-try-ESS-tur). This acts like a mask so that the RNAi trigger molecule can sneak into cells. Once inside, a cellular enzyme strips away the added chemical group.
“This little Pac-Man enzyme sees it right away, and it starts chewing off this phosphotriester group,” says Dowdy. The remaining molecule has a negative charge, so it can now trigger RNAi. Dowdy’s team reported this technique in the November 2014 Nature Biotechnology.
Getting an RNAi trigger into a cell is only part of the task, though. “To figure out what a gene can do, you actually have to do that experiment over and over again, because the answer turns out to be different in different kinds of cells and conditions,” explains Root at the Broad Institute.
“You don’t necessarily learn about what a gene does in neurons by changing that gene in an immune cell,” he notes. You can’t tell, “even by looking at a neuron in isolation,” he adds. And changing the environment that surrounds a cell may change the way it behaves when a gene is silenced.
Fortunately, automated equipment lets researchers test many kinds of cells and triggers at once. Tests don’t need much space, either.
“On your palm you can fit several hundred RNAi experiments,” says Anastasia Eskova. She’s a cell biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, Germany.
Exploring cells, treating disease and more
RNAi helped show Eskova and her colleagues how some cells move. Those cells form — and then later eliminate — tiny anchors on their outer covering, called a membrane. Then they absorb the anchors at one end before making new anchors at the other end. This allows them to move like little caterpillars. Cancer cells do this, for instance, as the disease spreads. Immune cells also do this to stalk harmful invaders.
Each new anchor works like a rock climber’s new handhold. After the anchor's use, the cell absorbs it. The cell can use that material elsewhere to make new anchors.
“We turned off, one by one, almost 400 different genes,” says Eskova. About 122 of them turned out to play some role in absorbing and moving the anchor material. One gene even turned out to control the transport of material across the cell for reuse. Scientists hadn’t known about that before. Her team published its findings in the June 2014 Journal of Cell Science.
Other RNAi research aims to treat disease. Genes often mutate, which means they change. Some of those changes may be harmful. They might slow or alter normal life functions. But RNAi could keep the mutant cells from making one or more proteins that would otherwise go on to cause trouble.
Stanek and others at Genzyme hope to help patients with a fatal genetic brain illness known as Huntington’s disease. Just one mutant copy of a single gene causes the disease. The mutation changes the gene’s code into the blueprint for making a protein that attacks the nervous system. Symptoms don’t tend to emerge until someone is 30 to 40 years old. Uncontrolled writhing and memory problems eventually develop. Patients become depressed and quickly upset.
Stanek’s team used RNAi in mice to curb expression of the gene in Huntington’s disease. Scientists still don’t know why patients might need the normal copy of that gene, though. So, Stanek’s team limited the amount of RNAi triggers so they wouldn’t shut it down entirely.
The treatment did not get rid of the disease, but it did reduce its symptoms. Data and evidence from mice suggest that reducing the gene’s expression by half “is good and may provide benefit” to people, Stanek says. Her team’s findings appeared in the May 2014 issue of Human Gene Therapy.
Other diseases often involve two or more genes. Still, RNAi might help. For example, Root and other researchers are looking for better gene targets to treat cancer.
One study found a protein on which certain leukemia cells depend. Normal blood cells don’t need the protein. Knocking out the gene for that protein might treat the disease, concludes Root and other scientists. They described their discovery in the July 2013 Cancer Cell.
Another study found genes that can switch off the killing action of certain cells of the immune system. Signals from cancer cells can sometimes trigger those off switches. Then the immune cells don’t attack the cancer. Knowing about that might lead to new treatments.
“You can try to block the switches, and not let the cancer use them,” Root explains. Then the immune cells should keep going and fight the cancer. Other research has used a similar approach for some new treatments, he notes. Root’s team shared its findings in the February 6, 2014 issue of Nature.
All in all, RNAi is a powerful tool. “We can now potentially fix certain types of genetic disease,” Mello says.
Beyond that, RNAi and other processes may help science understand how life works at the most basic level. And with so much left to learn, today’s young people may be the ones who ultimately make some of these important discoveries.
“Everything alive on this planet is so incredibly sophisticated,” Mello says. “It’s so cool.”
Word Find (click here to enlarge for printing)
(For more about Power Words, click here)
Argonautes Proteins that bind to small RNA molecules and help coordinate other proteins in events that result in the eventual silencing of a gene. The name comes from a band of heroes in Greek mythology.
base pairs (in genetics) Sets of nucleotides that match up with each other on DNA or RNA. For DNA, adenine (A) matches up with thymine (T), and cytosine (C) matches up with guanine (G).
bioengineer Someone who applies engineering to solve problems in biology or in systems that will use living organisms.
browser (in computing) The software program or application that someone uses to find and retrieve information from Web pages on the Internet.
DNA (short for deoxyribonucleic acid) A long, double-stranded and spiral-shaped molecule inside most living cells that carries genetic instructions. In all living things, from plants and animals to microbes, these instructions tell cells which molecules to make.
DNA sequencing The process of determining the exact order of the paired building blocks — called nucleotides — that form each rung of a ladder-like strand of DNA. There are only four nucleotides: adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine (which are abbreviated A, C, G and T). And adenine always pairs up with thymine; cytosine pairs with guanine.
electric charge The physical property responsible for electric force; it can be negative or positive.
enzymes Molecules made by living things to speed up chemical reactions.
evolution A process by which species undergo changes over time, usually through genetic variation and natural selection. These changes usually result in a new type of organism better suited for its environment than the earlier type. The newer type is not necessarily more “advanced,” just better adapted to the conditions in which it developed.
expression (in genetics) The process by which a cell uses the information coded in a gene to direct a cell to make a particular protein.
gene (adj. genetic) A segment of DNA that codes, or holds instructions, for producing a protein. Offspring inherit genes from their parents. Genes influence how an organism looks and behaves.
genetic sequence A string of DNA bases, or nucleotides, that provide instructions for building molecules in a cell. They are represented by the letters A,C,T and G.
genome The complete set of genes or genetic material in a cell or an organism. The study of this genetic inheritance housed within cells is known as genomics.
germ Any one-celled microorganism, such as a bacterium, fungal species or virus particle. Some germs cause disease. Others can promote the health of higher-order organisms, including birds and mammals. The health effects of most germs, however, remain unknown.
Human Genome Project An international research project that mapped the DNA blueprint for our species, Homo sapiens. The job took roughly 15 years and was completed in 2003.
Huntington’s disease A disease caused by a mutation in the gene Huntingtin. It produces memory problems, psychiatric symptoms, uncontrolled writhing movements and other movement symptoms. It begins mildly, usually in middle-adulthood, and becomes more severe over time. Huntington’s disease affects five to 10 out of every 100,000 people, or 0.1 percent of the population.
immune system The collection of cells and their responses that help the body fight off infections and deal with foreign substances that may provoke allergies.
ion (adj. ionic) An atom or molecule with an electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.
leukemia A type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes high numbers of immature or abnormal white blood cells. This can lead to anemia, a shortage of red blood cells.
membrane A barrier that blocks the passage (or flow through of) some materials depending on their size or other features. Membranes are an integral part of filtration systems. Many serve that function on cells or organs of a body.
messenger RNA A type of genetic material that is copied from DNA. It carries the instructions for building a cell’s proteins.
molecule An electrically neutral group of atoms that represents the smallest possible amount of a chemical compound. Molecules can be made of single types of atoms or of different types. For example, the oxygen in the air is made of two oxygen atoms (O2), but water is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom (H2O).
molecular biology The branch of biology that deals with the structure and function of molecules essential to life. Scientists who work in this field are called molecular biologists.
mutation (verb: to mutate) Some change that occurs to a gene in an organism’s DNA. Some mutations occur naturally. Others can be triggered by outside factors, such as pollution, radiation, medicines or something in the diet. A gene with this change is referred to as a mutant.
nano A prefix indicating a billionth. In the metric system of measurements, it’s often used as an abbreviation to refer to objects that are a billionth of a meter long or in diameter.
nanowire A small wire with dimensions measured in billionths of a meter.
neuron or nerve cell Any of the impulse-conducting cells that make up the brain, spinal column and nervous system. These specialized cells transmit information to other neurons in the form of electrical signals.
neuroscience Science that deals with the structure or function of the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Researchers in this field are known as neuroscientists.
nervous system The network of nerve cells and fibers that transmits nerve impulses between parts of the body.
nucleotides The four chemicals that link up the two strands that make up DNA. They are: A (adenine), T (thymine), C (cytosine) and G (guanine). A links with T, and C links with G, to form DNA.
proteins Compounds made from one or more long chains of amino acids. Proteins are an essential part of all living organisms. They form the basis of living cells, muscle and tissues; they also do the work inside of cells. The hemoglobin in blood and the antibodies that attempt to fight infections are among the better known, stand-alone proteins. Medicines frequently work by latching onto proteins.
ribosome Structure in a cell that builds proteins one amino acid at a time, using genetic information brought to it by messenger RNA (mRNA).
RNA A molecule that helps “read” the genetic information contained in DNA. A cell’s molecular machinery reads DNA to create RNA, and then reads RNA to create proteins.
RNA interference (or RNAi) A technique used to identify the chemical blueprint of gene, or to block the activity of a targeted gene.
search engine (in computing) A computer program that allows a computer to search for information on the Internet. Common examples include Google, Yahoo and Bing.
synthetic Materials created by people. Many have been developed to stand in for natural materials, such as synthetic rubber, synthetic diamond or a synthetic hormone. Some may even have a chemical makeup and structure identical to the original.
virus Tiny infectious particles consisting of RNA or DNA surrounded by protein. Viruses can reproduce only by injecting their genetic material into the cells of living creatures. Although scientists frequently refer to viruses as live or dead, in fact no virus is truly alive. It doesn’t eat like animals do, or make its own food the way plants do. It must hijack the cellular machinery of a living cell in order to survive.
Web (in computing) An abbreviation of World Wide Web, it is a slang term for the Internet.
B. Meade et al. “Efficient delivery of RNAi prodrugs containing reversible charge-neutralizing phosphotriester backbone modifications.” Nature Biotechnology. Vol. 32, online November 17, 2014. doi: 10.1038/nbt.3078.
A. Eskova et al. “An RNAi screen identifies KIF15 as a novel regulator of the endocytic trafficking of integrin.” Journal of Cell Science. Vol. 127, June 1, 2014, p. 2433. doi: 10.1242/jcs.137281.
L. Stanek et al. “Silencing mutant huntingtin by adeno-associated virus-mediated RNA interference ameliorates disease manifestations in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington’s disease.” Human Gene Therapy. Vol. 25, May 21, 2014, p. 461. doi: 10.1089/hum.2013.200.
P. Zhou et al. “In vivo discovery of immunotherapy targets in the tumour microenvironment.” Nature. Vol. 506, February 6, 2014, p. 52. doi: 0.1038/nature12988.
C. Fellmann et al. “An optimized microRNA backbone for effective single-copy RNAi.” Cell Reports. Vol. 5, December 26, 2013, p. 1704. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.11.020.
P. Miller et al. In vivo RNAi screening identifies a leukemia-specific dependence on integrin beta 3 signaling. Cancer Cell. Vol. 24, July 8, 2013, p. 45. doi:1016/j.ccr.2013.05.004.
J. Hock and G. Meister. The Argonaute protein family. Genome Biology. Vol. 9, February 6, 2008, p. 210. doi: 10.1186/gb-2008-9-2-210.
C. Mello. Return to the RNAi world: rethinking gene expression and evolution. Cell Death and Differentiation. Vol. 14, December 2007, p. 2013. doi: 10.1038/sj.cdd.4402252. | <urn:uuid:d5b8cb50-2d45-41d7-b5c0-0a7e8a12c2c7> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/silencing-genes-understand-them | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.91905 | 5,114 | 3.703125 | 4 |
By Vincent Pica, Commodore, First District, Southern Region (D1SR), United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
Imagine that you are walking along the sidewalk, trying to get to the coffee shop on the corner. But the person next to you is leaning against your shoulder, keeping pace with you and pushing you away from it. There is only one way you are going to make it to the coffee shop (short of belting the guy!). You have to lean into him to such a degree that you overcome the force of his push and the speed at which he is applying it. This is the essence of “Set and Drift” when navigating as well.
Set and Drift
The force that this rude dude above is applying to your shoulder is the “drift”; the speed at which he is walking while applying that force is the “set.” If he were the tide, or the wind for that matter, the set is the direction of the force against your hull and the drift is the speed the current is running at. The combination can be considered the force that is keeping you from (or speeding you to) the “coffee shop.”
Sailors are more concerned with these forces, as they typically travel at far slower speeds than a powered vessel and thus need greater distances to apply countervailing force to overcome it. But imagine yourself heading out to the Canyons to do some shark fishing. You leave Moriches Inlet and your pal told you to make your point of sail 200° magnetic and put the hammer down for 60 nautical miles… “Plug 39° 40’ 29” N and 071° 14’ 36” W into your GPS and fish all night…”
So, you do – and when you’ve traveled the amount of time specified, you find yourself way to the east and south of your mark. Why? Because the tidal forces of the Hudson have been just like that guy outside the coffee shop. The set (direction) of the tidal current – on your starboard quarter in this example – pushed you to port (to the east of the rhumbline), while its force (drift) added to your speed – and pushed you further south than engine speed alone would have taken you.
In reality, once you plugged a waypoint into your GPS, the GPS is calculating the “cross track error (XTE).” What is that? It is the computer doing the calculations (see below) that we all used to do by hand – except the computer can do it constantly and continuously. (We had to wait for errors big enough to matter to the human computer!) It is calculating how far off course you’ll be, taking into account your true course over the bottom, if you continue to ignore the set and drift of the current (or wind, for that matter!) In the example above, it would start to show that you’ll end up well to the east of your mark – and you’ll get there ahead of schedule! Using your helm, you start to “lean in,” i.e., in this case, you would have to turn your helm over towards starboard until the GPS says that your XTE is zero. Now, assuming that all these forces stay constant, you’ll arrive exactly where you intended (even if you get there ahead of schedule!)
But how many degrees should you have turned to starboard in this example? Rather than trial and error (“Turn a little more, dear…Wait, now a little more, dear, wait…”), couldn’t you calculate it precisely? Yes, you can!
Take a quick look at the diagram:
In upcoming issues, we’ll spell out exactly how you relate all these vectors – as well as your boat speed since that adds more countervailing power as you run at higher speeds – into a precise calculation and give you a new Course To Steer (CTS). And become a better seaman…
If you are interested in being part of the USCG Forces, email me at JoinUSCGAux@aol.com or go direct to the D1SR Human Resources department, who are in charge of new members matters, at d1south.org/StaffPages/DSO-HR.php and we will help you “get in this thing.”
Captain Andrew Tucci is the Captain of the Port and Sector Commander for US Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. Captain Tucci is responsible for all active-duty, reservist and auxiliary Coast Guard personnel within the Sector. As a Commodore of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary First District, Southern Region, Vin Pica works closely with Captain Tucci and his staff to promote boating safety in the waters between Connecticut, Long Island and 200 nautical miles offshore. Sector Long Island Sound Command Center can be reached 24 hours a day at 203-468-4401. | <urn:uuid:7d8d41ee-7149-49d4-a77c-4b57897091e3> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.windcheckmagazine.com/article/seamanship_set_and_drift_leaning_in/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560628000266.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190626094111-20190626120111-00044.warc.gz | en | 0.96225 | 1,029 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Category:910 Intelligent Transportation Systems
|Nonstandard JSP Available for ITS|
|Work Zone Intelligent Transportation System|
An Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) encompass a broad range of information, control and electronics technologies for managing surface transportation such as roads and bridges. When integrated into the roads and vehicles, these technologies help monitor and manage traffic flow, reduce congestion, provide alternate routes to travelers, enhance productivity and save lives, time and money.
Intelligent transportation systems allow skilled transportation professionals to collect and react to data about the performance of the system. One of ITS’s primary benefits is that much of the data is current, or "real time". Having this real time data enhances traffic operators' ability to respond to incidents, adverse weather or other capacity constricting events.
|The Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSM&O) Program and Action Plan applies strategies to optimize the performance of existing infrastructure and improves safety and reliability of transportation systems.|
A Traffic Management Center is one type of ITS. Missouri has three such centers, Scout in Kansas City, Gateway Guide in St. Louis and Ozarks Traffic in Springfield. These centers monitor the roadways, respond to congestion and incidents and deliver information to travelers via a number of means, including web sites, dynamic message signs and highway advisory radio.
An ITS Architecture Package is available to document a framework assisting coordination of future ITS planning, deployment and operations activities for Missouri.
New ITS applications and technologies are being developed every day. MoDOT will continue to apply these where possible to improve driving in Missouri. Traffic incidents and congestion take a heavy toll in lives, lost productivity and wasted energy. ITS enables people and goods to move more safely and efficiently.
910.1 The Need for ITS
ITS is needed to better manage the growing amount of traffic on Missouri's roadways. Cost, space and environmental concerns limit MoDOT's ability to add more pavement. By using ITS, the use of our existing road system is maximized. Incidents on the road can easily tangle traffic:
- 1 minute of lane blockage = 5 minutes of traffic congestion
- During peak hours, 1 minute of lane blockage can cause about 20 minutes of traffic congestion.
- A vehicle on the shoulder of the road reduces the capacity of the closest lane by 20 percent.
- Approximately 60 percent of congestion is caused by incidents.
910.2 How ITS Works
ITS is comprised of many components that, when combined, effectively fight traffic congestion.
- Fiber-optic cables communicate information between monitoring devices and the MoDOT Traffic Operations Center.
- Sensors provide information on average traffic speed and volume.
- Closed-circuit cameras at major interchanges, intersections and river bridge crossings provide live video information on traffic flow.
- Permanent mounted variable message signs inform motorists of incidents ahead and supply alternate route options.
- Highway Advisory Radio signs equipped with lights that flash when there is new traffic information.
- Integration of regional/urban traffic signal systems.
- The toll-free cellular call-in system routed to the MoDOT Traffic Operations Center or the Missouri Highway Patrol for immediate response to incidents.
- Improved highway milemarkers identify exactly where a motorist is to accurately pinpoint the location of incidents.
- In Kansas City and St. Louis, Emergency Response helps stranded motorists to get their vehicles out of traffic lanes and, if possible, running again.
- Advanced Traveler Information on weather conditions, incidents and traffic congestion levels.
- Direct media tie-in to traffic information for broadcast to motoring public.
- Direct emergency services tie-in for immediate response to incidents.
- Sharing information with transit centers regarding traffic flow.
- In urban areas, ramp-metering smoothes traffic flow on the highway near entrance ramps. | <urn:uuid:79b407f8-8ada-432a-8ee5-7958a8ae7555> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://epg.modot.org/index.php/Category:910_Intelligent_Transportation_Systems | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.886279 | 776 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Early RisingEarly rising is the habit of getting up from bed in the morning. It is a very good habit. It is essential and good for health. This habit is of special use to a ma in various ways. The man who rises early in the morning can take some exercises or a walk in the morning fresh air by the river side or in the open field.
The morning air refreshes both body and mind. Then the air is full of oxygen. There is a calm and serene atmosphere everywhere . One can enjoy the beauty of nature in the early morning. Nature smiles in the morning with colorful flowers and green leaves and the chirping of birds is also heard in the morning. All these make them cheerful and healthy. The beautiful gifts and colorful nature in the morning reminds everybody of the creator. One feels like to pray to God.
An early riser has many advantages. He can start his daily works earlier. He had nothing to worry. He is never a haste. As an early riser has enough time to work, he can earn more and thus becomes wealthy.
You can also read: The Benefits of Rising Early
So the habit of early rising is the source of health, wealth and wisdom.
An English proverb says:
“Early to bed and early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
So everybody should practice early rising. | <urn:uuid:33e1afdd-8c89-4084-8e0f-d4cf66a05456> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.digitalstudycenter.com/2013/09/early-rising.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.966226 | 286 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Cells sometimes “fix†DNA the wrong way, creating an extra mutation, Emory scientists have revealed.
Biologist Gray Crouse, PhD, and radiation oncologist Yoke Wah Kow, PhD, recently published a paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that shows how mismatch repair can introduce mutations in nondividing cells. Their paper was recognized by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences as an extramural paper of the month. The first author is lead research specialist Gina Rodriguez.
In DNA, a mismatch is when the bases on the two DNA strands do not conform to Watson-Crick rules, such as G with T or A with C. Mismatches can be introduced into DNA through copying errors as well as some kinds of DNA damage.
If the cell “fixes†the wrong side, that will introduce a mutation (see diagram). So how does the cell know which side of the mismatch needs to be repaired? Usually mismatch repair is tied to DNA replication. Replication enzymes appear to somehow mark the recently copied strand as being the one to replace — exactly how cells accomplish this is an active area of research.
In some situations, mismatch repair could introduce mutations into DNA.
Overall, mismatch repair is a good thing, from the point of view of preventing cancer. Inherited deficiencies in mismatch repair enzymes lead to an accumulation of mutations and an increased risk of colon cancer and other types of cancer.
But many of the cells in our bodies, such as muscle cells and neurons, have stopped dividing more or less permanently (in contrast with the colon). That means they no longer need to replicate their DNA. Other cells, such as resting white blood cells, have stopped dividing temporarily. Mutations in nondividing cells may have implications for aging and cancer formation in some tissues.
Through clever experimental design, Crouse’s team was able to isolate examples of when mismatch repair occurred in the absence of DNA replication.
As the NIEHS Newsletter notes:
“The researchers introduced specific mispairs into the DNA of yeast cells in a way that let them observe the very rare event of non-strand dependent DNA repair. They found that mispairs, not repaired during replication, sometimes underwent mismatch repair later when the cells were no longer dividing. This repair was not strand dependent and sometimes introduced mutations into the DNA sequence that allowed cells to resume growth. In one case, they observed such mutations arising in cells that had been in a non-dividing state for several days.â€
Although the Emory team’s research was performed on yeast, the mechanisms of mismatch repair are highly conserved in mammalian cells. Their results could also shed light on a process that takes place in the immune system called somatic hypermutation, in which mutations fine-tune antibody genes to make the most potent antibodies. | <urn:uuid:b0b45856-25ab-4721-bf36-6e10adebcefe> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.emoryhealthsciblog.com/tag/dna-repair/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.960872 | 595 | 3.375 | 3 |
In editorials, an editor expresses his views regarding a certain topic that he feels strongly about. Usually these topics are related to current events or hot topics. They reflect the facts and opinions regarding a particular subject in a precise manner along with the editor’s analysis of that subject.
When writing an editorial as an assignment, the ideas are the writer’s opinion of the discussed topic/subject. It is important to note that the most important aspect of an editorial is the opinion of the write. For this reason, to have a good editorial use the following tips;
Sometimes you need to see the exact format of successful pieces to understand how to write your editorial. Look up an example of editorial essay on the internet and you will find plenty. Also, you can learn more here as you prepare to handle more papers in future. | <urn:uuid:5c1404f0-7f17-4b8c-bb91-dcbebb14d2ad> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.meganmaedaily.com/basic-ideas/editorial-essay.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.937111 | 169 | 3.21875 | 3 |
Tim Wendell, above, his wife Isabel
and a seasonal staff of about 30 keep
more than 3,000 hives in Manitoba and
Saskatchewan, south of the Town of
Roblin. PinP photo - 2009.
On a recent speaking engagement, he told audiences in Neepawa, he lost one "bee yard" himself a couple of years ago. It was next to a field which had been planted 4 or 5 years straight to corn treated with "neonics."
He estimates, of the 40 thousand bees in that colony, perhaps only 5 thousand were left. And they were "very disorganized - no longer a community." He says government tests confirmed the chemical had gotten into the wax, pollen, soil and water in the yard. No "neonics" were found in the remaining bees, however. But Wendell does not believe that's surprising. That's because the chemical affects their ability to navigate. So those ingesting it simply get lost, never to be seen again!
Much of Manitoba's honey comes from bees who forage on canola crops. Wendell believes, since "neonic-treated" canola seeds are much smaller than corn, the danger to bees is probably much smaller.
But he is critical of methods used by commercial pollinators, who truck their bees long distances to pollinate food crops for others. Such methods are used widely in the U.S. and in Alberta and the Maritimes in Canada. Such practices weaken the bees by subjecting them to poor nutrition and stress.
But Wendell also admits he and his colleagues may, themselves be contributing to the poor state of honeybee health. The "Varroa destructor," a parasitic mite, for example, is a huge problem for beekeepers everywhere. So, he places chemical strips or "miticide" patches in his hives to combat them, because he feels he must. But he believes the strips, themselves can be harmful, even deadly to the bees. So he uses them as sparingly as he can and is testing out other, more natural treatments that won't put his bees at risk but still control the mites.
Interviews with Wendell, along with his recent slide presentation to the Neepawa Rotary Club, are now being aired in rotation on NACTV (Community access). Just go to "Schedule and Programs" and check out the next "Coffee Chat!" | <urn:uuid:6229f9f7-6134-4066-b892-04c49a8af935> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.planetinperil.ca/2015/01/honeybee-health-and-colony-collapse_17.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.978565 | 498 | 2.625 | 3 |
(zeenews) - For long, researchers thought that the faint cosmic glows seen by the Spitzer Space Telescope were the remnant radiation from first stars or black holes born in our universe.
But now, according to a new study, they might actually be clusters of the first objects to emerge from the Big Bang, reports Trend.
Astronomers have teased apart overlapping signals from that cosmic infrared background, and building upon an earlier study, showed that uneven patches of energy may actually be clusters of the first objects to emerge from the Big Bang.
According to them, the objects are either extremely bright stars; 1,000 times more massive than our sun, or quasars, large black holes that consume enormous amounts of gas and debris and re-emit the materials in almost unparalleled bursts of energy.
If the patches are star clusters, they may be the first galaxies, smaller than most known galaxies yet containing a mass on the scale of one million suns, says Alexander Kashlinsky of NASA`s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, and lead author of the study.
"Observing the cosmic infrared background is like watching distant fireworks from within a brightly lit city. It`s as if we have turned off the city lights one by one to see the bursts more clearly. While we can`t resolve each spark in the fireworks, we can see the large scale structures and their glow," he adds.
For their study, researchers poured over archival data from the calibration of the NASA Spitzer Telescope and conducted several stages of cleaning to remove signals from more recent galaxies and other objects to get to the underlying signals.
They added observations of four regions of the night sky, two from each hemisphere, with exposure times of up to 25-26 hours per pixel, to the data collected by the telescope during a calibration last year.
"Once we remove pixels in the Spitzer images corresponding to the locations of these galaxies, the background infrared light level mostly disappears. We think, therefore, the infrared light seen in Spitzer images is mostly due to the faint infrared glow from these dwarf galaxies," added Asantha Cooray, a cosmologist at the University of California in Irvine. | <urn:uuid:e048e108-5082-4dab-a7bd-a3a86487d67c> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://en.trend.az/iran/869326.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.940452 | 447 | 3.296875 | 3 |
Ptac2S is more effective than Platinol (cisplatin) at reducing the growth rate of sarcomatoid malignant pleural mesothelioma in mice, according to a study.
The finding comes on top of a study showing that PtacsS reduced the growth of epithelioid mesothelioma in mice. PtacsS’s scientific designation is Pt(O,O′-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS).
The latest research, “Apoptosis by [Pt(O,O′-acac)(γ-acac)(DMS)] requires PKC-δ mediated p53 activation in malignant pleural mesothelioma,” was published in the journal PLOS|One.
At the moment the mesothelioma treatment that does the best job of lengthening patients’ lives is a combination of Platinol (cisplatin) and either Alimta (pemetrexed) or Tomudex (raltitrexed). But survival rates are still low, with only half of patients living longer than 12 months after treatment.
Adding biological agents that target cancer-linked proteins to standard chemotherapy has had little impact on mesothelioma, highlighting the urgent need for new drugs.
There are three subtypes of mesothelioma. Epithelioid accounts for about half of cases, sarcomatoid 16 percent, and biphasic — a mixture of epitheliod and sarcomatoid — 34 percent.
Scientists say sarcomatoid mesotheliom tumors are aggressive. They are more likely to spread to other parts of the body and to resist treatment. And they have poorer outcomes.
Ptac2S is a platinum-based therapy that is 12 times more effective than Platinol in reducing the growth of epithelioid mesothelioma in mice.
Researchers wanted to see if it would also work against sarcomatoid mesothelioma. They first used Ptac2S against lab-grown cells taken from a sarcomatoid mesothelioma tumor. Then they used it against sarcomatoid mesothelioma tumors in mice.
Ptac2S halved the tumor cells’ growth rate, compared with Platinol. It also reduced the mice’s tumor mass by 53 percent, in contrast with Plationol’s 12 percent.
“Ptac2S is effective in pleural mesothelioma,” the researchers wrote. Its use in medical practice could “improve the response to chemotherapy of resistant tumors.”
“Results confirm that Ptac2S is a promising therapeutic agent for malignant mesothelioma, giving a substantial starting point for its further validation,” they concluded. | <urn:uuid:bde59b44-2a90-4199-b1ef-114c804f4e5e> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://mesotheliomaresearchnews.com/2017/07/31/study-shows-ptacs2-outperforms-platinol-in-mice-with-sarcomatoid-mesothelioma/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.904762 | 601 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Temperament is defined as a characterisitic combination of mental, bodily and moral qualities which together constitute the character and disposition of an individual. This also predisposes him to act and behave in a particular manner.
Selecting a similimum in Homeopathy is based on the main principle of Homeopathy is that every human being is different and unique. There are no two persons alike, their behaviour, their physical and mental makeup is different.
We consider temperaments during case taking and in prescribing. The classical temperaments are: sanguine, choleric, nervous, melancholic, phlegmatic. There is usually one basic predominating temperament but there are many combinations of temperaments as well.
Dr. Parinaz Humranwala, a worthy torch-bearer of Homeopathy, with her extensive research on Temperament is your guide throughout this webinar. She introduces Hahnemann’s use of temperaments and constitutional portraits. You will learn to identify temperamental type of the patient while case taking and selecting the final remedy.
- Introduction of temperaments: Sanguine, Melancholic, Choleric, Phlegmatic, Nervous
- To understand the utility and importance of temperament for homeopathic prescription
- Aphorisms relating to Temperaments in Organon of Medicine
- Insights of Melancholic temperament
- Insights of Phlegmatic temperament
- Insights of Nervous temperament
- Cases related to each temperament | <urn:uuid:6f7a137b-888b-4390-9be9-8e03d53e2475> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://onlinehomeopathycourse.com/Course/Unravel-Temperaments-Session-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.903044 | 306 | 3.484375 | 3 |
"A ship contains a set of human machinery, in which every man is a wheel, a band, or a crank, all moving with wonderful regularity and precision to the will of its machinist."
|--||Samuel Leech, (1798–1848),|
Royal Navy (1810-1812),
U.S. Navy (1812-1816)
- In 1636 Moslem pirates raided the Scilly Isles, off the southwest coast of Britain, carrying several people off into slavery.
- The defender of Bataan and Corregidor in the spring of 1942, who later spent over three years as a prisoner-of-war, Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright (1883-1853), was one of the few survivors in his military family, being the grandson of Cdr. Jonathan M. Wainwright II (1821-1863), killed in action at Galveston on January 1, 1863; the nephew of Cdr. Jonathan M. Wainwright III (1849-1870), who died of wounds sustained fighting pirates off the Mexican coast on June 19, 1870; and the son of Maj. Robert Powell Wainwright (1852-1902), killed in action in the Philippines on November 19, 1902.
- An estimated one million firearms, mostly breech loading rifles, are believed to have been sold to native peoples in Africa between 1885 and 1902.
- On February 15, 1760, when the 90-gun ship-of-the-line HMS Ramillies was wrecked off Bolt Head, near Plymouth in England, all but 21 of her crew of some 850 perished.
- In 1940, the 134 men who would command U.S. Army divisions in combat during World War II ranged in age from 33 to 58, with the average being 47.
- The sixty-some vessels that comprised the Union naval squadron during the attack on Fort Fisher, off Wilmington on January 13, 1865, was the largest concentration of American warships for a combat operation until the Second World War.
- Between 1804 and 1918, 4,044 commoners serving as officers in the Austrian and Hungarian armies were raised to the nobility, some as high as count.
- In March of 1945, Lt. Luigi Durand De La Penne of the Royal Italian Navy was awarded the Medaglia d’oro de Valor Militare for leading an intrepid team of “frogmen” into Alexandria harbor on the night of December 18-19, 1941, sinking two battleships and a tanker and damaging a destroyer; the decoration being pinned on him by British Commodore Sir Charles Morgan, who had captained the battleship H.M.S. Valiant during the attack.
of "Al Nofi's CIC" have appeared previously in Military Chronicles,
© 2005-2010 Military Chronicles (www.militarychronicles.com), used with permission, all rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:f662604c-7e0e-4db6-896c-a7cfd7ac61af> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://strategypage.com/cic/docs/cic398a.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.959112 | 615 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Our bodies have amazing healing capabilities, and some of the most interesting self-healing discoveries involve enzymes. These enzymes speed up chemical reactions in the body and help lower the overall amount of energy needed for these reactions to occur. There are estimated to be between 50,000 and 70,000 different enzymes in your body that regulate your every metabolic function. Without enzymes, all of these metabolic functions would progress through the same steps, but would go too slowly to sustain life. In essence, enzymes make life happen where otherwise there would be none.
In addition to enzymes that are produced by your body, there are other enzymes that you can consume in your food or take in the form of supplements that further assist your body in doing its job.
One of these key enzymes is a proteolytic (systemic) enzyme called Seaprose-s (also known as protease-s). This enzyme has some very specific health benefits, including both anti-inflammatory and anti-cold properties. In one report published in the journal Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research, Seaprose-s has demonstrated a potent ability to reduce painful inflammation and break up mucus. Specifically, this report pointed out that Seaprose-s has shown anti-inflammatory activity against many different conditions, including arthritis, edema, pleurisy (inflammation of the lung lining), and peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the abdomen). It also pointed out that in animal studies on arthritis, Seaprose-s significantly reduced the primary and secondary lesions – demonstrating an ability to increase proteoglycan synthesis in cartilage.
If you have read our other articles about enzymes, you will remember that the reason Seaprose can have such a significant health impact on inflammation throughout the body is because you don’t actually take it with food like you do digestive enzymes to help in breaking down your meals. Instead, you take a proteolytic enzyme between meals so they pass unused into the digestive tract and enter your bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, they help optimize your blood, plus they make their way to all of the tissues throughout your body, where they assist with intelligent, adaptive healing.
Seaprose’s ability to break up mucus means it can offer relief for respiratory problems such as bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, pulmonary emphysema, COPD, bronchiolitis, and bronchial asthma. In fact, Seaprose-s is so effective in this regard that it’s actually used as an ingredient in Japanese over-the-counter cold remedies. And in two other studies, researchers found that patients who used Seaprose-s showed significant improvements in bronchial inflammation and in the viscosity of their mucus. In other words, it made the mucus thinner so that it cleared the lungs more easily.
And finally, studies have shown that Seaprose-s is highly effective in relieving both the pain and inflammation of veins associated with thrombophlebitis, resulting from blood clot formations in the veins — a painful condition in and of itself but also closely related to deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Other studies have shown that Seaprose-s may also have antibiotic properties and may be capable of neutralizing bacteria such as streptococcus. Another study of women who had just given birth showed that supplementation with Seaprose-s helped reduce swelling and congestion of episiotomy and C-section wounds within the first day of treatment.
With these health benefits, it’s common to find Seaprose-s in enzyme supplements, including Jon Barron’s own proteolytic enzyme formula, pHi-Zymes. Especially as it:
- Causes virtually no intestinal distress.
- Is unaffected by stomach acid, so it does not require enteric coating.
- Is manufactured in Japan and is of consistent high quality.
Do not take any type of proteolytic enzyme: if nursing or pregnant, if you have history of an ulcer, or if taking blood thinners. Do not take days before having elective surgery.
Click here for more on proteolytic enzymes and how they work in the body. | <urn:uuid:bf1f7105-cbc8-432a-b1dc-7b4fde7a18e0> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.jonbarron.org/herbal-library/nutraceuticals/seaprose-s | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.952344 | 859 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Wooden Cutting Boards Found Safer Than Plastic
EVERY now and then a scientific finding flies in the face of conventional wisdom. And so it was with an accidental discovery by microbiologists at the University of Wisconsin's Food Research Institute that wooden cutting boards kill food-poisoning bacteria that survive very nicely on the plastic boards that have been widely promoted for years as safer than wood.
The scientists, Dean O. Cliver and Nese O. Ak, stumbled upon the finding while seeking ways to decontaminate wooden boards and make them as "safe" as plastic. Much to their surprise, they found that when boards were purposely contaminated with organisms like Salmonella, Listeria and Escherichia coli that are common causes of food poisoning, 99.9 percent of the bacteria died off within three minutes on the wooden boards, while none died on the plastic ones.
When contaminated boards were left unwashed overnight at room temperature, bacterial counts increased on the plastic, but none of the organisms could be recovered from the wooden boards the next morning.
It had long been believed that disease-causing bacteria from raw foods like chicken would soak into a wooden board and be difficult to remove, even when washed; then when other foods, like salad ingredients, that are eaten raw are cut on the same board, the dangerous bacteria could be picked up by them and transferred alive to the consumer. Plastic was assumed to be safer because it is nonporous and contaminating organisms could be readily washed off. A Word for Safety
Based on the new studies, Dr. Cliver said, "Wood may be preferable in that small lapses in sanitary practices are not as dangerous on wood as on plastic." But he cautioned against being "sloppy about safety" and warned cooks to be sure to wash off cutting surfaces after cutting meat, chicken or fish, whether the surface used is wood or plastic.
The researchers tested boards made from seven different species of trees and four types of plastic and found similar results: wood was safer than plastic, regardless of the materials used. Thus far, however, the researchers have been unable to isolate the agents in wood that make it so inhospitable to bacteria. | <urn:uuid:b3a6607b-40e7-4aa5-a1a9-83c1695c931f> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.kennedycuttingboards.com/index.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.970094 | 448 | 3.296875 | 3 |
As adults, we laugh about 15 times a day. Sounds pretty joyful - until you find out that children laugh about 400 times in a 24-hour go-round. That is a pretty big giggle gap!
Kids get it right, too, according to gelotologists. No, that's not a scholar of gelatin desserts. Gelotology (from the Greek gelos, which means "to laugh") is the study of laughter and its effects on our body and mind. As it turns out, laughter provides health benefits that are nothing to snicker at.
Laughing may reduce stress
You know how a good laugh can feel like an escape? Well, laughter actually has the power to stop the body's stress response in its tracks. In a small study, Dr. Lee Berk (an immunologist who has investigated laughter's benefits since the 1970s) found that real, "mirthful" laughter could slash stress hormone levels. And since stress hormones can suppress our immune system, laughter may be a way to protect our body's best defences.
Even just the anticipation of laughter that's about to happen can make us feel better. Dr. Berk discovered this when he was setting up laughter studies. He noticed that people's levels of endorphins, the so-called "feel-good" hormones, would rise right before they were about to be shown or told something funny.
Laughter also engages our muscles. Once we've stopped laughing, those muscles relax - and that muscle relaxation can last up to about 45 minutes. And it's usually cheaper than a massage, too.
Laughing may support a healthy heart
Ever heard of laughter yoga? If you haven't, you might want to take this to heart: After just seven sessions of laughter yoga, many research participants in one study saw a significant reduction in their blood pressure. The sessions consisted of 45-second rounds of simulated laughter followed by deep breathing and gentle stretching exercises; this process was repeated during the 20- to 30-minute session.
In another study measuring response to humour, it was noted that people with heart disease seemed to be more angry and hostile and less likely to laugh at ridiculous or joyous moments from everyday life. Perhaps the heart-healthy benefit of laughter comes from not just the physical act of deeper, quicker breathing, but also from a light-hearted, laugh-it-off attitude.
Laughing may sharpen our minds
A Marquette University psychologist had people read a list of words, and then some of them were shown a funny video clip. A week later, those who had the chance to chuckle at the clip recalled 20 percent more words than those who hadn't had the laugh break. It's thought that the rush of laughter speeds up the heartbeat and sends more oxygen to the brain, which could boost memory skills.
Laughter can be therapeutic
Many cancer patients try humour therapy as part of their treatment, and are able to better cope with cancer and cancer treatment because of the jolt of laughter they add to their lives. Children who laugh during painful medical procedures may be able to tolerate pain better. And they don't even have to laugh out loud to feel the soothing benefits.
Laughter yoga, mentioned above for its heart-healthy benefits, has caught on as well. More than 5,000 laughter yoga clubs have opened around the world. In these clubs, participants walk around together, breathing and chanting "ho ho, ha ha" while engaging their abdominal muscles. Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of laughter yoga, notes that while the laughter in his sessions may start off phony, "when we have eye contact with others, this laughter becomes real and contagious." Kataria contends that laughter yoga strengthens the abdominals to help support a healthy digestive system, stimulates the circulatory system, and strengthens the respiratory system.
But can laughter replace your cardio workout?
When we laugh, our heart beats faster. Our blood flow also increases - about as much as it would after taking cholesterol-lowering medications or during light exercise. Lazy optimists sometimes interpret this to mean that laughter is a good alternative to cardio. Ha! Not exactly. It's been estimated that 20 seconds of laughter would equal about 3 minutes on the rowing machine, but even the best, biggest belly laugh session can't replace a good run on the treadmill. So, hearty laughter is more like a really light, brief aerobic workout. Let out a good laugh more often, though, and you may have more energy and help your body to reverse some of the effects of excess stress.
Basically, laughing feels good, and it can undoubtedly perk up a bad mood. While it may not be the best medicine, wouldn't you take it anyway? | <urn:uuid:0f959495-bc85-489e-b9c4-7609f7302914> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.medbroadcast.com/channel/mens-health/your-mind/ha-laughing-is-good-for-you | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.967843 | 964 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Like a checking account, a savings account can be used to pay bills through a number of different means. It is important to note that there is a federal limit of three withdrawals to third parties in the United States, meaning that the bill paying power of a savings account is more limited than that of a checking account.
Write a check from the savings account. Some specialized accounts known as money markets can be accessed by check.
If the entity you wish to pay accepts electronic payment, visit its website or telephone it.
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Provide your bank's routing number and the account number for your savings account. This information is provided at account opening, typically in the form of a paper or plastic identification card.
If the party you are paying cannot accept electronic transactions, visit your bank and withdraw money from the savings account to be used to purchase a money order or cashier's check to mail to the company. | <urn:uuid:459a6e3a-877f-49a4-8116-51ce7ad52f8e> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.sapling.com/5025642/pay-bill-through-savings-account | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.943799 | 187 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Water use per person per day
Stable overall since 2009
Drinking water quality
compliance with water quality guidelines for the last three years
Per person water demand has been stable in Greater Sydney and declining elsewhere. There has been 100% compliance with drinking water guidelines.
Overall demand for water decreased substantially during the Millennium Drought but since then, in Greater Sydney, demand has slowly increased in line with the city's population growth. Overall demand stayed relatively constant in the Lower Hunter and regional centres due to decreased consumption per person.
Longstanding measures to reduce water consumption prior to 2011, particularly during the Millennium Drought, helped moderate urban water use. For the last three years of available data, both Sydney Water and Hunter Water maintained per person water use below target levels. For regional water utilities, average water consumption per property supplied was relatively stable over the last three years, maintaining the trend of the past decade. However, compared to 1991–92, these regional local water utilities (LWUs) reduced average annual residential water use by 48% (as of 2015–16).
In densely populated areas, water extraction for urban supply has ongoing impacts on river flows, putting the health of some river systems under pressure.
For major water utilities, the use of recycled water remained steady in recent years, but has increased in areas serviced by local water utilities. Nineteen private schemes now recycle water in NSW; in the year to June 2017 they supplied 2,377 megalitres (ML) of recycled water. In some areas, changing market conditions may affect future demand for recycled water.
Water utilities for NSW metropolitan areas, regional cities and major towns all manage water supplies to ensure they comply with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. In 2016–17, Sydney Water, Hunter Water and the large regional water utilities continued a multi-year trend of achieving 100% overall compliance with the guidelines' microbiological, chemical and physical criteria.
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|Indicator and status||Environmental
|Proportion of the metropolitan and regional water supply meeting national guidelines||
|Total and per person water consumption for metropolitan and regional centres||
|Water recycling - major utilities||
|Water recycling - local water utilities||
To provide a sustainable supply of water to urban areas, water managers must ensure water resources:
- are secured for human use
- support economic growth
- maintain healthy aquatic systems.
Water managers must also plan for key challenges, including population growth and future climate change.
Agriculture uses more than 60% of all water consumed in NSW, depending on climate conditions, while urban areas across NSW generally use 18% or less of all water consumed (ABS 2017). Water supply to urban areas is split among the following uses:
- irrigation (amenity, horticulture and agricultural).
Structures to store and regulate water flow are built to provide greater security of urban water supply. Yet these structures also moderate the natural variability of stream flows. By changing flow volumes and timing, extraction of water to supply high-density urban areas can have enduring effects on river health. When river health is affected this can, in turn, affect water quality in waterways. Compounding these challenges, urban stormwater discharges can also impact these waterways.
Status and Trends
Urban drinking water quality
Sydney Water and Hunter Water are NSW's two major urban water supply utilities. Water NSW manages bulk water supply and the drinking water catchments supplying Greater Sydney. Elsewhere in NSW, including the Central Coast, 95 local water utilities supply drinking water. Most of these are operated by local government councils or county councils.
Monitoring against national guidelines
The NSW Government endorses the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (NHMRC & NRMMC 2011) as the water quality benchmark for providing water to the State’s population. These guidelines include the Framework for Management of Drinking Water Quality. This framework sets out a preventative risk management approach for drinking water quality that encompasses the whole supply system, from catchment to household.
Over the last three years, drinking water monitoring in NSW's metropolitan areas, and its regional cities and towns, showed 100% compliance with these guidelines. However, the guidelines allow a small proportion of samples to not meet specified criteria. Monitoring results reported for all the State's LWUs (NOW 2015a, Appendix D1; DPI Water 2016; DPI Water 2017a; BOM 2017) showed that of all samples tested:
- 99.8 to 99.9% complied with guideline criteria for Escherichia coli (E. Coli)
- 99.4 to 99.9% complied with guideline criteria for chemicals
- 98.3 to 99% of complied with guideline physical criteria.
Extensive sampling is one way utilities comply with the risk management framework. However, this monitoring by itself does not protect against contamination. From time to time, incidents and alerts do occur. These events highlight the need for a preventive approach, achieved by implementing a risk-based drinking water management system.
Figure 6.1 tracks the volumes of water taken from different sources since 2011–12, including:
- supply reservoirs
- in-stream sources
- groundwater aquifers
- recycled water schemes.
In NSW cities and large towns, surface water is the main water supply source. Across NSW's western slopes and plains, and in larger coastal catchments, groundwater is also important for water supply.
Each year, utilities vary the proportion of water they draw from each water source. This is because different conditions – mainly weather conditions – affect how much surface water is available and held in reservoirs. Sydney Water, using bulk water supplied by Water NSW, is the largest supply utility by water volume and dominates these trends, both in terms of total demand growth and total water recycling volume in NSW.
Over the three years to 2017, available data show that total statewide annual water use for urban supply varied from 936 to 974 gigalitres (GL) (BOM 2017). The 2016–17 value is an 8.8% increase in urban water use compared to the 10 years to 2006–07 (895GL; SoE 2009). This increase generally tracks population growth.
See the Population topic for more details about population growth.
This chart is interactive - click on legend or hover over chart
Figure 6.1 shows the proportion of water supplied by source since 2011–12. The total and LWU series do not include data for LWUs serving less than 10,000 properties due to changed reporting thresholds – during 2011–2016 the total of these small LWUs amounted to a further 105.5 to 112.6 GL per year.
Recycled water represents a small but growing portion of total water supplied by local utilities. In 2015–16, for example, effluent was recycled by 39 non-metropolitan local water utilities including Central Coast Council (DPI-Water 2017a, Table 8).
NSW now also has 19 private recycled water schemes licensed under the Water Industry Competition Act 2006. These schemes service 4,096 water customers and 4,185 sewerage customers. In the year to June 2017, they supplied 2,377ML of recycled water (IPART 2017).
In 2017–18 Sydney's total water use (excluding recycled water use) was about 600GL (including use in the Illawarra and Blue Mountains). This amount includes residential, businesses, industry and irrigation, as well as leaks from the water supply network. Although total use increased in recent years, the 2017–18 volume remains lower than before late 2003, when mandatory restrictions were introduced, despite a 25% increase in population during the intervening period (Figure 6.2a). It is estimated that the hotter, drier weather in 2017–18 resulted in a 33GL increase in demand compared to what would be expected in a year with average weather conditions (Sydney Water 2018).
This chart is interactive - click on legend or hover over chart
This chart is interactive - click on legend or hover over chart
Figure 6.2b shows that in recent years, the amount of potable water the average person consumes each day remained fairly stable when corrected for weather. In 2017–18 the absolute daily volume consumed per person was 324 litres (L); but correcting for climate influences, this equates to 306L per person per day (Sydney Water 2018).
Residential demand accounts for almost 75% of potable water use in Sydney. The balance, about 25%, is consumed for non-residential uses on industrial, commercial and Government properties.
Over the 12 years to 2016–17, Hunter Water supplied 63.2 to 77.7GL of potable water per year across its area of operations, comprising local government areas of:
- Lake Macquarie
- Port Stephens
- Dungog (since 2008).
Historical water consumption per person and per property varies each year due to weather. In 2011–12, for example, wet conditions and a mild summer saw residential water use (both per person and per property) drop to a 10-year low in the Lower Hunter.
In 2016–17 and 2017–18, total rainfall was lower than the year before, and periods of below average rainfall persisted over long timeframes, including from July 2016. As a result, 2016–17 and 2017–18 water consumption increased over 2015–16 levels (Hunter Water 2018).
Total daily potable water consumption in the Lower Hunter remained relatively constant for the 12 years to 2016–17, despite population growth of about 14%. In fact, on a per person basis, annual potable water consumption actually declined 12% over this period. This decrease occurred because household water efficiency has increased, and because large industrial users have reduced their consumption (Figure 6.3).
Statewide including regional NSW, Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Illawarra and the Lower Hunter, residential use consumes the largest share of potable water, at 65–75% of the total used.
In regional NSW, residential use accounts for two-thirds of total urban water consumed (DPI Water 2017, Table 8). In 2016–17, the average annual volume LWUs supplied per-property was 48% less than in 1991–92 (162 versus 330 kilolitres [kL] per connected property; DPI Water 2017b, Chart 3). In absolute terms, total annual urban water demand has remained fairly constant in regional NSW for most of the past 10 years, but consumption per property has been generally declining (Figure 6.4).
Figure 6.5 compares per-property residential consumption for Sydney Water, Hunter Water and the LWU median, alongside the combined median for all these utilities.
This chart is interactive - click on legend or hover over chart
Poor water quality affects its suitability for human use, increases the cost of treatment for supply and may affect the health of aquatic ecosystems. The following have important effects on water quality:
- vegetation cover
- land management practices in river catchments
- land overlying aquifer recharge zones
- stormwater runoff (in urban areas)
- wastewater discharge (in urban areas).
For the last nine years of available data, water consumption per person remained relatively constant in NSW. Nevertheless, water supplies have come under constant upward pressure from:
- hotter and drier than average weather conditions
- a growing population (see the Population topic)
- increases in non-residential water use over the last three years.
Key drivers of water demand are the economy, environment and demographics. In turn, these high-level drivers affect other factors that influence demand, such as:
- people's attitude to water (for example, water use behaviour, appliance choices and rainwater use)
- the price of water
- development and adoption of new technology or practices (for example, water-efficient appliances, water source substitution)
- investment in water efficiency programs
- housing density, household size, and extent of outdoor water use
- change in non-residential water use:
- changes in industry type
- use of alternative water sources.
Weather also has a major effect on water demand. Deviation from average weather conditions can increase or decrease annual water consumption by 2–6% (Sydney Water 2017 & 2018). Prolonged extreme weather events such as heatwaves can cause more variation, particularly in the short-term. Climate strongly influences customers' water use levels, mainly by affecting residential outdoor and cooling tower use.
Residential customers' water use follows seasonal patterns: higher use over summer and lower use in cooler months. However, the disparity in summer and winter water use levels has diminished because people have maintained behaviours established during drought restrictions and because housing density has increased.
Day-to-day and week-to-week weather changes can also cause short-term fluctuations in water use significantly above or below seasonal trends.
Droughts are a natural feature of Australia's climate. Planning and response for wide-ranging, enduring droughts constitute a major urban water security challenge.
Climate change necessitates new, adaptive ways to plan for urban water security. Under climate change, projected long-term changes in rainfall are expected to create risks for water availability (Vaze & Teng 2011). In addition, the way climate change affects heavy, flood-causing rainfall events (both their frequency and intensity) is likely to differ from its effects on seasonal or average rainfalls (DECCW 2010).
The volume of water held in storages will vary with climatic conditions due to:
- changes to rainfall
- changes to evapo-transpiration and runoff
- increased watering of lands
- people's use of evaporative coolers in response to hotter, drier conditions.
The 2017 Metropolitan Water Plan includes a drought response strategy. This strategy aims to ensure greater Sydney can withstand a drought more extreme than any experienced over the past century.
Water use planning must balance both socioeconomic demands and environmental needs. It must also account for long-term changes in water availability due to climate extremes (such as droughts and floods).
2017 Metropolitan Water Plan
The 2017 Metropolitan Water Plan sets out how the NSW Government will provide a secure and sustainable water supply to meet the needs of Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra. Following an extensive review, the former (2010) plan was updated with the latest data, research findings and technological advances.
Developed through a collaborative approach, the plan is structured around four broad outcomes and 11 major strategies. It is underpinned by an adaptive planning response.
The plan's key aspects include:
- optimising water supply system management by changing the mix of water supply and demand measures (such as dams, desalination or water restrictions) to provide water security at the lowest cost
- a water conservation approach that applies economic criteria to ensure investment is optimised
- a drought response strategy that is flexible and designed to withstand a drought more extreme than any experienced over the past century
- a new WaterSmart Cities Program for a more integrated approach to providing water, wastewater and stormwater services to new urban release areas, and to significant new developments in existing areas
- improving river health by releasing variable environmental flows from Warragamba Dam to bolster the health of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River.
The plan also includes a drought response strategy with a broad suite of supply and demand management measures to deploy as dam storage levels fall. Measures include:
- a drought supply options study
- implementing water restrictions
- building new water supplies
- contingency plans for response to an extreme drought.
Lower Hunter region
The Lower Hunter Water Plan (DFS 2014), released in April 2014, is a package of water supply and demand measures. These measures aim to ensure reliable water supply over the long term and set out actions to respond to severe droughts. As a key recommendation, the plan's Water Wise Rules were implemented on 1 July 2014.
Drinking water quality management
NSW Health records water quality monitoring compliance data, which is incorporated into the NSW performance monitoring and benchmarking system.
Improved pricing of water
Strong water pricing signals can reduce customers' water consumption and more accurately reflect the value of water resources and true costs of water supply. Important water pricing reform since the mid-1990s has seen tariffs shift away from fixed annual charges and toward pay-for-use pricing (DPI Water 2017b).
All NSW water utilities now have domestic water metering. As of 2007, all free water allowances for potable water supply ceased. Up to 2011–12, a gradual increase in the median residential water usage charge for local water utility customers was reflected in ongoing reductions in average demand per connected property. This demand reduction fostered relatively stable costs for the typical residential water supply bill (Consumer Price Index adjusted) since that time.
At current levels of demand per connected property, the average water supply bill for the typical NSW residence was $625 in 2015–16 (Jan 2017 dollars, NSW DPI-Water 2017b). This represents only a 22% increase over 21 years (DPI Water 2017b).
Under the Water Management Act 2000, statutory water sharing plans were developed to help secure long-term potable water supplies for regional towns and cities. These water sharing plans provide better security of entitlement for all water users, as well as for environmental flows. In NSW, most regional water use is now covered by a water sharing plan.
See the Water Resources topic for more details.
Consumers’ average water consumption is likely to decrease due to:
- the long-term shift towards higher-density living
- greater use of water-efficient appliances through the Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) scheme.
- the implementation of Water Wise Rules
- the NSW Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) requirements.
In addition to national and state-wide initiatives, there are three distinct components to water management in NSW:
- metropolitan water use (Sydney, the Illawarra, the Blue Mountains and adjacent areas; and the Lower Hunter)
- urban water use in regional areas (the Upper Hunter, Central Coast and country towns)
- rural water use (see the Water Resources topic).
National Water Initiative (NWI)
The National Water Initiative (NWI) is a shared commitment by governments across Australia to increase water use efficiency. NSW's implementation plan for the NWI lays out specific actions for the initiative's eight key elements (NSW Government 2006). All 32 eligible NSW urban water utilities have met the national auditing requirements of the initiative. Information is published annually by the federal government through National performance reports. The Productivity Commission reports good progress by states and territories on NWI implementation. However it recommends addressing the re-emergence of out-dated public policy and the challenges associated with climate change and population growth, particularly for the urban water sector. (Productivity Commission 2017).
National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS)
Initially a NSW program, the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) became a national program to rate buildings for their measured environmental impacts, including water consumption.
Commercial office buildings, hotels, shopping centres and homes were the first spaces to be eligible for NABERS water ratings. In 2016–17 the scheme was extended to public hospitals, and the following year (2017–18) NABERS jointly certified 274 hospitals. Also during 2017–18, NABERS began ratings for apartment buildings. A NABERS internal benchmarking tool for schools, which includes water ratings, has been developed in partnership with the NSW Department of Education.
NABERS has driven substantial water efficiency gains for offices, hotels and shopping centres (NABERS 2018). From 2010–18, for example, cumulative water savings for rated NSW office buildings totalled 279,431kL.
The national Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards scheme (WELS) mandates registration and water efficiency labelling for washing machines, water-using dryers, dishwashers, toilets, urinals, taps and showers. The NSW Government has further made WELS compliance mandatory for plumbing fixtures in rental properties and for water-using appliances in residential complexes. The state government has incorporated WELS into the BASIX scheme in NSW.
Water Wise Rules
Water conservation measures adopted during droughts over the last decade have been replaced by simpler, common-sense Water Wise Rules for Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra (see Figure 6.1). These permanent rules aim to save water by embedding good practice among all water users. Present water consumption remains well below levels seen prior to the previous drought. However, obtaining the level of water use reduction achieved during times of water restrictions, and maintaining them, is yet to be accomplished.
Building Sustainability Index (BASIX)
NSW's Building Sustainability Index for new homes was introduced in 2004 to ensure homes are designed to use up to 40% less urban water compared to pre-BASIX levels. Commitments made on BASIX certificates indicate that, in the average BASIX-compliant home, a person consumes about 135 litres of water each day. Savings provided by BASIX reduce state-wide demand by 13GL a year and by the end of 2013–14, cumulative water savings in NSW exceeded 134GL of potable water (DPE 2015).
People across NSW are using more rainwater tanks to complement their piped water supply. For example, 26 local water utilities saw 42,600 residential rainwater tanks (typically 4–5kL) installed in areas they service (DPI Water 2017a, Appendix J).
Efficiency and recycling initiatives
Water recycling schemes reduce the need to discharge wastewater and can also improve nutrient levels that affect the health of streams and rivers. By making water use more efficient, these schemes free up water supply, which dams can instead release for environmental flows, improving downstream river health. In 2015–16, a total of 28.2GL of water was reported as being recovered from urban water recycling schemes. The schemes were operated by Sydney Water, Hunter Water, local councils and private schemes (DPI Water 2017a, Table 8).
In 2016–17, Sydney Water and Hunter Water estimated daily water leakage at 83L and 96L per connected property, respectively (BOM 2017).
Sydney Water and Hunter Water actively look for and repair leaks. Under its Water Conservation Plan Sydney Water expects leak detection and other programs to achieve water savings of 17.9GL over five years (Sydney Water 2018). Hunter Water expects to save 215ML annually with targeted infrastructure improvements, such as relining the Black Hill Reservoir (Hunter Water 2017).
Although the Regional NSW Water Loss Management Program was completed in 2011, most local water utilities continue to build on the program with further water loss management activities. Prior to the program, state-wide average real water loss was 154L daily per connected property; it is now down to 70L daily per connected property for participating local water utilities (DPI Water 2017b).
Urban water management in regional centres
In NSW, more than 1.9 million people in over 500 country towns receive support from programs to maintain and augment water supply systems. These programs aim to protect public health and water security and deliver better environmental and social outcomes.
Safe and Secure Water Program: This program provides $1 billion to co-fund eligible water and sewerage projects. These include projects for catchment, town and local-scale water security, town water quality, public health, and risk remediation works on some dams. This new program has already allocated funding to the Broken Hill water supply pipeline.
Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program: Concluded in 2017, this was a key program to assist regional local water utilities provide urban water supply and sewerage services. Along with the NSW Best-Practice Management of Water Supply and Sewerage Framework (NOW 2015b), the program mandated:
- strategic business planning
- sound pricing to achieve full cost recovery and encourage efficient use of services
- use of the NSW performance monitoring and benchmarking system (operated by DOI Water)
- integrated water cycle management planning to help local water utilities achieve sustainable, affordable and cost-effective water supply, sewerage and stormwater services.
Infrastructure improvements funded under the program were required to deliver improved public health and environmental outcomes, and security of water supply. Running for more than two decades (1994–95 to 2016–17) the program invested over $1.27 billion for more than 500 projects (DPI Water 2017b).
Water-sensitive urban design aims to integrate the water cycle and the built environment. This planning approach for cities, towns, suburbs and even high-rise buildings is already a longstanding requirement for new developments in many local government areas.
With its strategy A Metropolis of Three Cities, the Greater Sydney Commission explicitly aims to capture and re-use energy and water flows (GSC 2018; Objective 34). This objective complements commitments under the 2017 Metropolitan Water Plan. As Sydney grows, opportunities to apply water-sensitive urban design will expand, producing exemplars of best practice that can then be applied elsewhere in NSW.
In August 2018, the NSW Government approved a new policy and planning framework to manage Greater Sydney’s urban water. This new framework will be implemented between 2018 and 2020 and reviewed in 2022. Key initiatives include:
- Sydney Water and WaterNSW will jointly develop an integrated, 20-year capital and operational plan to identify capital investment required to meet Sydney’s future water needs.
- A stand-alone emergency drought response plan will identify measures to take during drought; the plan will be reviewed every five years.
- A Greater Sydney Water Strategy will replace the 2017 Metropolitan Water Plan. The strategy will provide a comprehensive approach to Sydney's water management.
- Obligations under the framework will be embedded into Sydney Water’s and WaterNSW’s operating licences.
- A new performance monitoring framework will be introduced to ensure utilities are held accountable for delivering their responsibilities under these plans.
ABS 2017, 4160.1 Water Account, Australia, 2015–16, Bureau of Statistics, Canberra [http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4610.0Main+Features12015-16?OpenDocument]
BOM 2015, National Performance Report 2013–14: Urban Water Utilities, Bureau of Meteorology, Canberra [www.bom.gov.au/water/npr]
BOM 2017, National Performance Report 2016–17: Urban Water Utilities, Bureau of Meteorology, Canberra [www.bom.gov.au/water/npr]
DECCW 2010, NSW Climate Impact Profile, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Sydney, [www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/Impacts-of-climate-change/2010-NSW-climate-impact-reporting]
DFS 2014, 2014 Lower Hunter Water Plan, Metropolitan Water Directorate, Department of Finance and Services, Sydney [www.hunterwater.com.au/Water-and-Sewer/Water-Supply/Lower-Hunter-Water-Plan/Lower-Hunter-Water-Plan.aspx]
DPE 2015, BASIX Scores and Savings, Department of Planning and Environment, Sydney [www.datareporting.planning.nsw.gov.au/basix-reporting-overview]
DPI Water 2016, 2014–15 NSW Water Supply and Sewerage Benchmarking Report, Department of Primary Industries Water, Sydney [https://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/147622/NSW-Water-supply-and-sewerage-benchmarking-report-2014-15.pdf (PDF 10.8MB)]
DPI Water 2017a, 2015–16 NSW Water Supply and Sewerage Benchmarking Report, Department of Primary Industries Water, Sydney [https://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/147623/NSW-Water-supply-and-sewerage-benchmarking-report-2015-16.pdf (PDF 8.3MB]
DPI Water 2017b, 2015–16 NSW Water Supply and Sewerage Performance Monitoring Report, Department of Primary Industries Water, Sydney [http://www.water.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/716146/2015-16-nsw-water-supply-and-sewerage-performance-monitoring-report.pdf (PDF 2.9MB)]
DWE 2009a, 2006–07 NSW Water Supply and Sewerage Benchmarking Report, Department of Water and Energy, Sydney [www.water.nsw.gov.au/urban-water/country-town-water/best-practice-management/performance-monitoring#P22_1895]
DWE 2009b, 2007–08 NSW Water Supply and Sewerage Benchmarking Report, Department of Water and Energy, Sydney [www.water.nsw.gov.au/urban-water/country-town-water/best-practice-management/performance-monitoring#bench]
GSC 2018, Greater Sydney Region Plan: A Metropolis of Three Cities – Connecting People, Greater Sydney Commission, Sydney [https://www.greater.sydney/metropolis-of-three-cities]
Hunter Water 2017, 2016–17 Annual Report, Hunter Water Corporation, Newcastle [https://www.hunterwater.com.au/About-Us/Publications/Reports-Annual-Reports/2016-17-Annual-Report.aspx]
Hunter Water 2018, Compliance and Performance Report, September 2018, Hunter Water Corporation, Newcastle [https://www.hunterwater.com.au/Resources/Documents/Other-Reports/Regulatory-Reports/Compliance-and-Performance-Report-2017-18.pdf]
IPART 2017, Licence Compliance Under the Water Industry Competition Act 2006, Report to the Minister, Annual Compliance Report Water, October 2017, Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, Sydney [https://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/files/sharedassets/website/shared-files/licensing-compliance-water-wica-annual-reports-to-minister/annual-compliance-report-licence-compliance-under-the-water-industry-competition-act-2006-nsw-october-2017.pdf (PDF 0.9MB)]
Metropolitan Water 2017, 2017 Metropolitan Water Plan: Water for a Liveable, Growing and Resilient Sydney, Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development, Sydney [https://www.metrowater.nsw.gov.au/2017-metropolitan-water-plan]
NHMRC & NRMMC 2011, Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2011), National Health and Medical Research Council & Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, Canberra [www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelines-publications/eh52]
NOW 2010, 2008–09 NSW Water Supply and Sewerage Benchmarking Report, NSW Office of Water, Sydney, [www.water.nsw.gov.au/urban-water/country-town-water/best-practice-management/performance-monitoring#bench]
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NOW 2014, 2012–13 NSW Water Supply and Sewerage Benchmarking Report, NSW Office of Water, Sydney, www.water.nsw.gov.au/urban-water/country-town-water/best-practice-management/performance-monitoring#bench
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Vaze J & Teng J 2011, ‘Future climate and runoff projections across New South Wales, Australia: results and practical applications’, Hydrological Process, 25(1), pp. 18–35 [dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7812] | <urn:uuid:2beebe04-a46d-41d6-89ce-bbd1186dd12c> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.soe.epa.nsw.gov.au/all-themes/human-settlement/urban-water | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.910544 | 7,152 | 3.109375 | 3 |
If you're not a cat person, it's about time you became one! A new study has revealed that a child's likelihood of developing asthma is decreased if they are exposed to cats at an early age.
Scientists from the Copenhagen Studies on Asthma in Childhood Research Centre (COPSAC) have determined that, when newborns are exposed to cats, a gene that doubles their risk of asthma is never activated.
The COPSAC team was surprised by the finding, not because it will lead to any new asthma treatments, but because it demonstrates how asthma genes can be 'switched on and off by environmental factors.'
'It documents the interplay between genetics and the environment we live in, and in particular that this occurs very early in life, both during pregnancy and in the home,' said paediatrics professor Hans Bisgaard, head of COPSAC and author of the study, reported ScienceNordic.
The study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, didn’t conclude how cats decrease the presence of the asthma gene. However, it did find that dogs didn’t have the same effect.
It's not the first time that studies have found exposure to pets (and their accompanying dust and germs) decreases a child's risk of developing asthma and boosts the immune system.
This article originally appeared on New Idea. | <urn:uuid:633e027b-6301-4a61-ad61-02e41bf18409> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.thatslife.com.au/cats-can-help-asthma-sufferers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627997508.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20190616002634-20190616024634-00084.warc.gz | en | 0.964506 | 279 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Underneath the waves lies a lost city, home to untold riches and guarded jealously by the strange creatures who make their homes within its confines.
Well, the riches are all shellfish, but “Octlantis,” a newly discovered settlement inhabited by around a dozen common Sydney octopuses, does have some strange residents.
Tale of Two Cities
Octopuses were once considered solitary creatures, thought to roam the depths alone, meeting only to mate. But recent discoveries have begun to overturn that assumption, however. Just take the 2009 discovery of a settlement similar to Octlantis, dubbed “Octopolis,” inhabited by the same type of octopus. While this species, dubbed the “Gloomy Octopus,” is still commonly found by its lonesome, in certain situations, it appears that they decide to band together into communities centered around small dens made of shells.
In Jervis Bay, off Eastern Australia, Octopolis was built around a man-made object of uncertain provenance, about which the octopuses gradually constructed small dens from the shell middens left over from foraging and feasting. Nearby Octlantis provides a crucial confirmation of the behavior, but that “city” didn’t start around an artificial nucleus. The findings were published in the journal Marine and Freshwater Behaviour and Physiology.
Researchers from the U.S. and Australia made several dives to the site in 2016 and 2017, and placed cameras to record the octopuses’ interactions. Life in the city is no peaceful idyll, they found. Octopuses taking shelter in their dens were often attacked and forced out by other members of their species, and various forms of aggression were common. Victory often went to the larger of the two, and the loser was forced to slink away, homeless for the time being.
Nevertheless, living in a community could offer some important benefits for tentacled city-slickers. As study co-author Peter Godfrey-Smith writes in his book on octopus intelligence Other Minds: Residents of Octopolis are often harried by sharks, fish and other predators when they ventured out into the open waters. Their dens, however, seemed to provide them safe haven.
Poseidon’s Own Country
Both communities were also built near dense populations of scallops, and the bounty of food both enables the octopuses’ sedentary lifestyle and could convince them to play nice with each other. Indeed, the rich prey availability has enabled a sort of cyclical expansion of the cities. As more shellfish get eaten and discarded, the midden grows, allowing more octopuses to build dens and begin discarding shellfish in turn.
Godfrey-Smith refers to the octopuses in the two cities as “ecosystem engineers,” given that they have essentially landscaped their surroundings to create a more hospitable environment. The urban development has itself attracted a much more diverse assemblage of sea life, he writes, expanding the effects of the octopuses labors beyond just their species.
Of course, it is a bit of stretch to call Octatlantis a community in the traditional sense. Octopuses are not obligated to live together, and given the unique advantages of this particular area, it seems they’ve simply chosen to put up with each other’s presence rather than embrace togetherness wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, the advent of communities and social life is theorized to have spurred our own development, and these gatherings give researchers the chance to observe the beginnings of what could be a long-term experiment in octopus cultural evolution.
Already, several generations of octopus have inhabited the sites, indicating that they are more than just a passing fad. Octopolis and Octlantis, two cities on the rise, seem here to stay. | <urn:uuid:68565c4e-7930-4f5c-8be1-689de63e4f20> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2017/09/19/octlantis-australia-octopus-city/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.967185 | 800 | 3 | 3 |
Report by Carol Daniels
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Joint Council 28
The first three years of the Washington Teamster at the
University of Washington are missing and incomplete. The collection
begins with November 1940 issue then jumps to 1941. After that the
collection seem to be
complete until October 1993.
is the voice of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,
Chauffeurs and Warehousemen, and Helpers, Joint Council 28 located in
Seattle, Washington. It circulates free to members of Joint 28 locals.
Founded as a monthly newspaper in 1937, it became a weekly publication
some time in 1941 and continues as a weekly today, published each
Friday. In its early years, it did not list a publisher or editor
other than the Joint Council 28, President Dave Beck, and Secretary
Frank Brewster. There were few bylines with featured articles and
editorials. During this time, the paper’s circulation was about
The Washington Teamster’s major purpose was to educate the IBT Joint Councils 28 locals’ members on the ideas of labor and the activities of the Teamster’s locals. The newspaper was filled with labor-related news from national, regional , and local communities, fostering a connected brotherhood of solidarity, unity, pride, and family. It kept the members informed about their leadership’s activities. It told of the friends of labor, such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Warren G. Magnuson and Henry M. Jackson. It described the enemies of labor as Republicans in general, and communists and isolationists, Hitler, Standard Oil, and even Charles A. Lindbergh to name a few.
From the beginning, The Washington Teamster was aesthetically dynamic and masculine in appearance, using a five- column, eight-page format. The Washington Teamster also took advantage of different fonts and types, in upper and lower case. It displayed the official emblem of the Teamsters: the two side view (or split head) heads of horses looking in opposite directions, semi-wrapped around the top of a wheel of the teamster wagon with the initials for International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America around on the side-wall of the tire or rim. There may or not be a headline or picture above the banner. The format was bold and striking. Journalistically, it was full of punch. It used play on words such as "SENATOR PEPPER PEPS RALLY." There was nothing feminine about the paper; it was a man’s newspaper. It later tones down its boldness and changed its fonts and reinvented the emblem making it more pleasing to the all its membership.Support of Roosevelt and National Defense Policies
The November 1940 paper was very
striking because of the large picture of Franklin Delano Roosevelt on
the front page with a huge headline, "10,000 TEAMSTERS CHEER
ROOSEVELT: Again, We Stand With Him!" Labor supported Roosevelt
and Democrats, those that were friendly to organized labor. In support
of this, I found several issues, which promoted certain candidates for
different offices. However, The Washington Teamster
frequently mentioned, "Organized labor is not in any way, (shape
of form) committed to one party. The party, which can prove its
friendliness to labor by real action when in power, will get labors
"TEAMSTERS SPUR WAR
In 1939, war broke out in Europe
and the U.S. began defense production for Great Britain. After the
U.S. became involved as an ally in the war, the government went into a
national security mode and censored information to newspaper and radio
stations. The Teamsters ran war propaganda from "How Sue Sank A
Ship" to "What to do in an Air Raid."
Roosevelt sent Dan Tobin,
President of the Teamsters, to Great Britain to see how organized
labor there was "helping to win the war." Tobin returned and
told Roosevelt, and in turn the unions (according to The
Washington Teamster) that workers needed to "suspend all
labor accord" in order to fight off the axis and enable
"World Freedom." Prior to 1942, the Teamsters frequently
used strikes as an aggressive tactic to stop production and force
management to bargain with the union. In 1942, the Teamsters, as well
as the AFL and CIO, took the no-strike pledge (NSP). Throughout the
war years the Teamsters avoided strike activity, maintaining the
non-strike pledge until 1945.
The Washington Teamster
rallied around the flag. It not only promoted the war effort, it
contributed resources to the allies as well. The Washington
Teamster organized numerous drives including blood, rubber
(tire), metal ("Heaps Build Jeeps, By Jove"; The
Washington Teamster, October 31, 1941) and others. They also
made efforts to reduce the amount of oil and gasoline used by trucks
by complying with Roosevelt’s 40mph request. The Teamsters watched
tire and gasoline rationing closely because it interfered with
delivery and job security. The Washington Teamster reported
this as "Defense Program Is In Danger".
One other part of the paper's war effort is also notable. The
Washington Teamster supported the internment of Japanese
No Advertising but Campaigns
The Washington Teamster
did not accept paid advertising. However, it sometimes devoted whole
pages to its own ads promoting important ssues or favored political
candidates. In 1941 it carried big ads urging members to vote for Earl
Millikin for Mayor of Seattle. Other ads and articles campaigned for
unionism, democracy, patriotism, voting, "buy war bonds,"
support community chest, giving blood, joining the Sea Bees,
campaigning women to join the WAC’s, conserving rubber, gas and let
the Teamster deliver the goods. Listed throughout this period are
names of shops and service stations that were or were not in good
favor with the union.
Political education was one of the
central purposes of the newspaper. The Washington Teamster
lectured readers on the responsibilities of citizenship and meanings
of American democracy. It asked members to sign up and go to the polls
to vote. It campaigned for members and wives to help at the voting
districts. It pressed members to shop union and buy war bonds. It
published safety information such as "WHAT TO DO IN AN AIR
RAID." Some of this was done through the Promotional League of
the Joint Council 28. I sense that The Promotional League was the
public relations arm of the Teamsters. The
League organized the union into social campaigns that promoted the
Teamster as a good citizen and viewed the Teamster in positive favor
with the general public.
Battle with CIO
The Teamsters were affiliated with
the AFL. There were jurisdictional disputes between the CIO and AFL up
and down the west coast. One of those focused on warehouse workers
where Teamsters fought the ILWU for jurisdiction. The Teamsters used
the red baiting against the CIO union and its leader, Harry Bridges.
The October 3, 1941 issue flamboyantly displays "TOBIN FLAYS
HARRY BRIDGES" across the top of the front page. This same issue
also details several anti-unionists, including Charles Lindbergh, who
is regarded by the Teamsters as an anti-Semitic, racist and
isolationist. Coincidentally, membership in the Teamsters jumped 50%
during the warehouse campaign, with many of the gains coming in the
Los Angeles area.
In 1941, The Teamsters unions was
involved in a complicated campaign to organize the apple packing
plants in the Yakima Valley. When the growers and packers refused to
negotiate, the union organized strikes and boycotts that reached all
the way across the country. The Washington Teamster covered
the campaign, clarifying in one article: "THIS IS NOT A
STRIKE Against Farmers But It Is A Strike Against The Dynasty on
Yakima’s Produce Row."
The union was able to block the
shipment of apples to Seattle. A graphic on the front page of the
October 24, 1941 issue boasts of the union's power to control the
city's commerce. The familiar "Farmers Market" sign that
graces Pike Place Market has been changed in this half page
illustration and instead reads "Teamsters Unions Joint Council
28." In place of the clock face on the Pike Place Market tower is
the logo of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Two weeks
later the campaign escalated. The November 7, 1941 issue signaled the
start of a nationwide apple boycott with the headline, "Attention
All Teamster Unions: BATTLE YAKIMA NATIONWIDE." Ultimately the
Yakima struggle was resolved by the National War Labor Board, the
federal agency equipped with emergency powers to resolve labor
disputes and prevent strikes. The board sided the Teamsters and
required the apple packers to bargain with the union.
The Washington Teamster
overall is a very democratic and sympathetic paper, however masculine.
I don’t think that it is a radical paper and would in fact call it
conservative. It seems to have done a good job of giving the news in a
news format, even if the material was slanted to the organized
laborer. The Pennsylvania Commercial Drivers’ Conference
congratulated The Washington Teamster as a leading
example of labor journalism: "Through this medium, Teamsters
publications throughout the United States are kept up to the minute on
all matters affecting the teamster movement on the west coast."
(October 17, 1941).
The Teamster Century: This site gives timelines and historical
information about the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Teamsters Online: About the Teamsters: The General Executive Board:
Western Region. The Joint Council 28 Represents 60,000 members in the
Pacific Northwest/Seattle area, 1994-present.
Click to enlarge
Every issue of The Washington Teamster ran an editorial page, where editors commented on the state of the labor movement.
The paper frequently encouraged IBT members to engage in public service. During the holidays, the paper publicized IBT blood donor drives.
The IBT, and The Washington Socialist, frequently took conservative stances in the labor movement and maligned left-wing elements.
The Union Label
The Washington Teamster urged its readers to only shop at stores displaying the union label and published lists of union friendly stores.
© 2001 by Carol Daniels | <urn:uuid:aedbdeb5-ba92-4cf3-91f9-6aa35202e680> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/laborpress/WashingtonTeamster.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.935088 | 2,258 | 2.75 | 3 |
There have been many cases of chicken pox recently in our area.
No-one can predict how ill a child with Chicken Pox will become.
It is mainly unvaccinated children and partially vaccinated who are affected, because they do not have antibodies or resistance against the virus that causes Chicken Pox.
Chicken Pox is caused by a virus that is related to the Herpes group of viruses.
This virus spreads via airborne droplet particles and direct contact.
Once all the blisters have formed scabs, the patient is not contagious anymore.
From the time of contact and infection it takes between 14-21 days to become symptomatic if one is not immune against the virus. With close house hold contacts the incubation period is usually the quickest . The infected person becomes contagious about 48 hours before symptoms appears.
Symptoms and signs:
Symptoms can vary considerably, depending on age, immune competency and nutritional status.
Unborn and newborn babies of mothers with Chicken Pox can be severely affected.
Babies born with Chicken Pox have a 30 % mortality rate.
In general, the older an otherwise healthy child, the less severe the disease and less likely the risk of complications.
In adults however, it is often more severe with a bigger risk of complications.
Fever occurs in varying degrees when the rash appears and may persist for a few days, even after the rash has appeared.
A rash that itches and could look like insect bites appears on any part of the body surface in crops. Small reds spots appears and are in different stages. Some spots may only be appearing while others may be bigger and even start blistering. Spots may keep appearing over a period of a few days.
The blisters are generally 3-5 mm in diameter and filled with a clear fluid.
Scabs form after the spots blistered and break open in the order of which they appeared and started blistering.
It often takes 5-7 days for all the spots to blister and to form scabs and crust.
A diagnosis of Chicken Pox is considered where there is a history of contact with a person with the disease in the previous 2 -3 weeks in a patient that is not fully vaccinated or has an compromised immune system.
Swabs to detect viral particles could be done.
Blood tests to show antibodies forming against the virus may also be done.
These laboratory tests are usually not necessary to confirm a diagnosis of Chicken Pox since it’s a clinical diagnosis in most cases.
Although Chicken Pox is a common childhood illness, it’s not always predictable how severe the rash will be or whether there will be complications.
Complications could include unacceptable scarring causing cosmetic issues.
Some children might get blisters in their mouth and throat and may become dehydrated because of not eating and drinking.
Fever due to the infection could cause febrile convulsions in children that are susceptible to fever convulsions.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a serious complication with possible debilitating consequences and severe scarring.
Chicken Pox Pneumonia is a potentially fatal complication and more likely in teens and adults.
Encephalitis, an infection of the brain, may occur with symptoms of confusion , convulsions and reduced level of consciousness and coma.
Post Chicken Pox Aseptic Meningitis and inflammation of the small brain is also not uncommon.
Later in life the Chicken Pox virus can become reactivated in superficial sensory nerves causing Herpes Zoster (Shingles). If it affects the facial nerves it could involve the eye and result in blindness.
If a person who had Chicken Pox becomes ill with a disease that suppresses the immune system and/or receives treatment for such a disease , the dormant Chicken Pox virus in the body could become reactivated and cause severe disseminated disease.
Maintaining good health and nutrition is good to help one’s body fight of the disease and hopefully get it in a milder form, but it still leaves you with the risk of complications later in life.
Avoidance of people with Chicken Pox is totally impractical, because people could be infective before displaying typical symptoms and signs of Chicken Pox.
Vaccination is recommended for all immune competent children with the inactivated virus of Chicken Pox. Adults that never had the disease as a child should also be vaccinated.
This is an active form of immunization, because your immune system is presented with the inactivated virus antigens that simulates infection with the wild strain of the virus. The body then develops it’s own antibodies against the virus that will protect one in future when confronted by the real wild stain that may cause disease.
The vaccine available to us is called Varilrix and is generally administered from the age of one year.
It is important that a booster dose is given 6 weeks after the first to achieve the best possible immune response and protection.
In countries where everybody receives a vaccination early in life, only one dose is necessary with a booster only at 6 years of age again.
This is not currently part of the Extended Program of Vaccination in our country, due to the huge cost implications to our government.
Please read the package insert when your child is vaccinated.
The most frequent complication is that the person could develop a mild Chicken Pox rash.
It is important to note that the advantages of vaccination by far out weighs the very small risks of this vaccine,like all other vaccines.
Babies and immune compromised children with a very high risk of serious complications from the disease could be administered a passive form of immunization after exposure.
This is done by giving Varicella Zoster Immunoglobulin (VZIG).
VZIG is a concentrated form of human derived antibodies against Chicken Pox.
Fever can be treated with Paracetamol to keep the child comfortable and pain free.
It is important to avoid giving anti inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen, because it is suggested that it can worsen the course of the disease.
Never give aspirin to a child with Chicken Pox, it could cause Rye Syndrome, resulting in brain and liver failure.
For the itchy skin rash an oral antihistamine like Allergex is suggested. This will keep the child comfortable and prevent them from scratching the blisters that might become secondary infected with bacteria on the skin.
There are various topical applications to reduce the skin irritation caused by the rash and blisters.
Calamine lotion may be used or a spray called Poxclin.
As soon as the diagnosis is confirmed clinically, the antiviral medication Acyclovir should be started. It stops the replication of the virus and thus prevents progression of the disease process.
Most of the spots that have not blistered yet will not blister and few more new spots will appear once the antiviral medication has been started.
It is the blisters that form scabs that might continue to form the scars that could be disfiguring in some cases.
Starting early might also prevent some of the more serious complications of Chicken Pox that might occur.
It is seldom necessary to hospitalize children with Chicken Pox if it is uncomplicated.
When complications occur as mentioned admission to a hospital is required.
Immune compromised children and babies under 6 months of age may also be considered for admission to insure no complications occurs.
Although unusual, mild Chicken Pox could be fatal in some cases.
Treatment is available and should always be considered .
Chicken Pox, with its complications, are preventable by simple vaccination and everybody should be vaccinated .
Dr Willem Smit Paediatrician | <urn:uuid:24f460d6-48c8-428b-a7e3-bc40f5c21c27> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://durbanvilleathome.co.za/2017/10/10/chicken-pox-varicella-zoster/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.948818 | 1,587 | 3.59375 | 4 |
Several factors can give rise to a cat shedding hair. Among these are the cat’s diet, its medical condition which may cause cat hair problems, and the changing seasons. For instance, when warmer weather returns cats usually shed the heavier coat they grow during the winter. Although it is not possible to prevent a cat from shedding, you can manage the amount of shedding through diet and grooming. Brushing will reduce cat shedding and hairballs and can strengthen the bond between you and your cat. Diet changes can boost the condition of the coat and your cat’s skin.
Cat Hair Problems – Managing Shedding with Proper Grooming
Brush your cat on a regular basis. If your cat has long hair or sheds greatly, you may have to brush it more or once every two to three days.
- Using a comb will help get the loosened undercoat to the surface.
- Conclude with a fast rubdown using fabric or a chamois.
- Avoid the face and ears while brushing, and be cautious near the sensitive belly area.
- If the cat does not stand grooming with a brush or comb, try using grooming gloves, which feel more like stroking.
- Miniature cat-grooming vacuums are another choice. The noise they produce may frighten your cat. You may have to begin with the hoover in another room, and slowly bring it closer over the course of weeks or a couple of days before the cat accepts the apparatus used on them. Using treats can be advisable to create a positive association.
Help accustom your cat to regular brushing. You may have to train your cat to take grooming. Be careful to your cat’s response and body language. Watch the cat’s body language to avoid overstimulating or overwhelming it.
- View for ear or tail twitching. If you see this quit brushing, praise the cat or offer it a treat, then let it go. Your cat may bite or scratch you, if you continue brushing.
Never allow a long haired cat’s hair to get matted. Cat hair matting not only causes pain and irritation to the cat but you may need to go to the vet and get your cat sedated whilst the vet removes clumps of hair that are too close to the skin for the owner to remove.
Should you bathe a cat as part of grooming?
In general most cats don’t need baths as they handle this fairly well through their daily fur licking habits. However it may not be possible for them to lick every part of their body and some owners may consider it necessary to occasionally give them a bath to clean areas their cat can’t reach or if there is a medical reason for doing so.
Your cat may not be enthusiastic about a bath, because most cats don’t enjoy water and if you insist on giving them a bath it may show its lack of appreciation by struggling and scratching you! If you want to do this you should do so gradually
- When you’re prepared to bathe your cat, begin by wetting its coat.
- Use a soap-free, oatmeal established pet shampoo to lather the fur but the cat’s face.
- Rinse the fur completely avoiding the eyes, nose, and ears.
- Dry the cat with a big towel.
As an alternative to a bath use cat-cleaning products. See a pet store and look for aerosols or wipes that clean a cat’s fur without water. These can replace baths entirely for cats that are uncooperative. Or, you can use them between tubs if the cat gets dirty or starts shedding.
Using the services of a professional groomer
If you’re unable to handle the shedding yourself, make an appointment with a professional groomer. A visit to a professional groomer may be necessary for cats with long, thick fur or for cats that react vigorously to grooming.
Consider having a long haired cat shaved per year to reduce shedding.
Control Cat Shedding Through Health and Diet
Feed your cat high-quality food and offer plenty of fresh water. A nutritious diet will help keep your cat healthy, which may lead to less shedding.
Because cats need animal-based proteins, these are crucial to a healthy cat’s diet.
- Dry cat foods and low-quality foods that are wet contain a lot of grains or other carbohydrates like wheat, corn, and soy. These ingredients aren’t as nutritious for cats as meat-based proteins. They may cause allergic or digestive problems that bring about dry skin and shedding.
Help an overweight cat shed weight. Overweight cats are prone to having more loose fur and have more difficulty grooming themselves.
- You can tell if you cat is heavy when you can’t without pressing feel its ribs. When looking from above at the cat if you don’t see a narrowing midsection in front of the hips, this is another warning sign.
A veterinarian can give your cat a specific diet plan if it’s required.
You can also try refraining from giving treats and reducing your cat’s consumption to the recommended quantities.
- Play with your cat regularly so it gets enough exercise.
Keeping cat’s hair and skin healthy using omega fatty acid food
Raise your cat’s intake of omega fatty acids. Omega 3 and omega-6 fatty acids are particularly crucial in keeping a cat’s skin and fur healthy.You can see omega fatty acids in wet cat foods that contain salmon oil or flax oil.
You may also purchase omega fatty acid supplements that you can feed your cat individually or mix into its food.
Your veterinarian is best able to judge diet modifications that are proper. But, adding if you cat is heavy should be safe and if you pick a supplement don’t go beyond the recommended quantity
Problems with fleas and other parasites
Make certain your cat doesn’t have fleas or other parasites. If your cat is scratching vigorously (and therefore perhaps shedding more), it could be the outcome of fleas or parasites.
Treat your cat for fleas if you find fleas or flea faeces. Subsequently, keep your cat on a monthly flea-control regimen. Request your veterinarian to assist you to choose a flea-control product.
Take your cat to the veterinarian if you’re unable to trace the source of the itching. Along with ectoparasites, your cat could have hypersensitivity to pollens, moulds, or grasses. All these can result in shedding and itching.
Keeping Hair Shedding Off Clothing and Furniture
1. Use a cat repellent spray. Look in pet stores for a cat repellent spray that’s safe for use on furniture.
- You can use both natural and commercial sprays to deter a cat from going (and then shedding) on surfaces you don’t need it to.
2. Get a cat bed. Where your cat enjoys sleeping put a cat bed that is comfortable. This will help keep the shedding contained to a small area and off of your furniture and floors.
- Cats generally prefer sleeping in areas that are somewhat concealed, safe, and warm. Try to find a place with those attributes and set up the cat bed there. If you don’t want cat hair shedding on your bed keep them out of your bedroom as you are not the only one that likes sleeping there!
- Store-bought cat beds may smell of unfamiliar places and stuff, which cats find discouraging.
3. Cover your furniture. You can then wash it to remove cat coat that is collected.
Drop a throw, mat, or pillowcase over that spot If there’s a particular spot on the furniture your cat frequents.
Clean up shed fur with a lint roller or hoover. Use lint rollers or a vacuum (some of which have anti-pelt fasteners) to clean up fur on clothing, furniture, and floors.
- Keep a lint roller in your bag or car so you can de-pelt your clothes after leaving the house.
Warnings on some cat hair problems
- bald spots, A dry coat, or excessive shedding can be symptoms of skin disease, parasites, or allergies. Take your cat to a veterinarian if you detect these issues.
- Cats spill more hair when stressed, which can occur after a brand new individual or pet or a major change for example the arrival or a move in the house. Using a still cat pheromone diffuser can help reduce your cat’s pressure, although the period of tension is usually temporary.
- If you’re sensitive to cat hair, your doctor may have the capacity to prescribe medicine if over-the-counter medications aren’t successful. | <urn:uuid:a02fc3df-5aa5-4b78-a68c-d02af5fb94af> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://fitcats.siterubix.com/tag/control-cat-shedding | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.914789 | 1,834 | 2.71875 | 3 |
“We do not see things as they are; we see them as we are.”
This is the Talmud quoting Shmuel ben Nachmani on dreams, but the observation speaks fittingly—and pointedly—to last summer’s commemoration of the establishment of the first ever Jewish ghetto, in Venice on March 29, 1516. Events throughout the city spanned several months and included an ambitious exhibition, “Venice, the Jews and Europe, 1516-2016,” at the Palazzo Ducale; a mock trial in the matter of Shylock v. Antonio that was presided over by Ruth Bader Ginsburg on summer break; and the staging of The Merchant of Venice in the ghetto, where it had never before been presented (the production will be restaged this fall at Peak Performances in Montclair, New Jersey).
The organizers of these events seized the opportunity provided by these round numbers—five hundred years since the inception of the ghetto, four hundred since Shakespeare’s death—to remind visitors that the city is, after all, about more than masks and Murano glass. Any gesture is welcome that helps, even slightly, to moderate the flood of tourists (and touristic kitsch) that pose a greater threat to La Serenissima than the rising seawaters, yet the commemoration came with its own set of problems as its organizers sought to liken Venice’s very particular treatment of the city’s Jews to the situation faced by refugees in Europe and around the world today.
The ghetto was, above all else, invented out of economic need.
The impetus may, arguably, be a bighearted recognition of “the challenge of avoiding a new age of concrete barriers and barbed wire fences, and of obviating the danger of a world with an archipelago of ghettos,” as the exhibition’s chief curator, Donatella Calabi, described it in her introduction to the catalogue, but this was a not quite accurate reading of the past, or the present either. Immigrants today may be posing an unprecedented problem in Europe and, post-Trump, they may be testing the foundational precepts on which the United States was conceived—and has conceived of itself for generations—but no one is locking them up in a circumscribed neighborhood, pinning yellow circles on their clothes, restricting their professions, or limiting their daily physical movements.
While the Venetian ghetto foreshadows certain characteristics of the actual—and horrible—archipelago it eventually begat, it can be easy to forget that originally it was a one-off in its category and still, in many ways, remains in a category of its own. Named for the undistinguished, largely industrial neighborhood where the city’s iron foundry had fallen into disuse in the early sixteenth-century, the ghetto as a circumscribed space was established at a moment of deep crisis for Venice, in the period following 1508 when the League of Cambrai—a powerful alliance of European leaders—had turned against the republic. At the same time, with the discovery of the Americas and the opening up of trade routes there and to the East, Venetian business practices were undergoing a dramatic shift. A steady stream of capital was needed, and lots of it. The doge and the senate saw a solution: create a specific neighborhood for the republic’s Jews, whose experience as money lenders made them increasingly essential to the local economy. The ghetto was, above all else, invented out of economic need.
Just as Venice in general had a polyglot character—Orthodox Greeks, Albanians, Persians, Turks, and Northern Europeans all made their homes on the lagoon—so, in short order, did the ghetto. Jews who had formerly lived throughout the city were brought together in a single neighborhood and organized with a slyly calibrated combination of protection (meaning also surveillance) and control. Twice enlarged, by the mid-seventeenth century the ghetto stretched to embrace more than 2,600 German, Italian, Levantine, and Ponentine (Spanish) Jews. Each subgroup spoke a different language, wore different clothes, cooked different food, and worshipped at different synagogues. “In those early decades of the sixteenth century,” Calabi claims, “the Venetian Republic implemented an urban strategy of welcoming immigrants”—well, maybe, but what a very particular, and cunning, form of welcome this was indeed.
As Riccardo Calimani points out in his newly updated, comprehensive Storia del Ghetto di Venezia (History of the Venetian Ghetto, 2016), there was no question that the aim was to restrict the liberty of the Jews. Virtually overnight the Jews of Venice, who previously had been considered an important part of the social fabric of the republic, were now spoken about “con sospetto e con timore”—with suspicion and fear. Object though they did, on March 29, 1516, the city’s entire Jewish community was forced to move into the newly created ghetto, where they continued to reside until Napoleon ordered the gates torn down in 1797.
Three hundred years is a long time to be deprived of human rights; it is also a long time to summarize in one museum exhibition. While there were periods of less and more control, better and worse living conditions, one thing remained unchanged: The Jews were compelled to live in a designated place against their will. The Venetian ghetto was not, however, a prison. Jews and Christians came and went freely during the day, though at night the Christians remained at liberty while the Jews were required to retreat within the confines of a neighborhood where the windows that faced the water were by decree blocked up and guards were posted to protect and observe. Jews were forced to wear badges, and they were prevented from owning their own property, in the ghetto or elsewhere in the city.
Laws often addressed surprising minutiae: schools for dancing and singing were forbidden. Tailoring was forbidden, but dealing in second-hand clothes, or strazzaria, was permitted. Consorting with Christian women was not allowed. The practice of medicine: yes. All other higher professions: no. Moneylending was of course sanctioned—it was one of the key reasons the Jews were kept so close.
Venice’s treatment of Jews is likened to the situation faced by refugees in Europe and around the world.
Ghetto residents of means, who were in a distinct minority, managed to live decently. But the rest of the inhabitants dwelled in cramped and squalorous conditions, a fact that was not so obvious in the exhibition’s elegant displays of cross-section drawings of ghetto buildings done in the seventeenth century. The drawings weren’t alone in prettifying the past in this way. By their very nature, museums often insist on coaxing out the beautiful from even the most unbeautiful experiences, and this was particularly true in the lavish setting of the ducal apartments, where the grittier realities of ghetto life were obscured by paintings of related subjects by Vittore Carpaccio and Giovanni Bellini, delicate watercolors of the exquisite interiors of the synagogues, and a collection of gleaming silver Torah appointments.
There were some impressive achievements in the ghetto, to be sure, central among them the printing of important works of rabbinical literature by Daniel Bomberg, who began a significant publishing tradition that was undone by the Inquisition in 1553. The ghetto produced skilled musicians, effective and ambitious charities, the poet and saloniste Sara Sullam.
But any relief that comes from discovering that some of these confined people managed to thrive under highly imperfect circumstances is sharply undercut by the most basic reality check. As Dario Calimani, who recently published a new Italian translation of The Merchant of Venice, pointed out in a trenchant blog post on Moked, none of the good that came out of the ghetto counterbalances “the degradation in which the ghetto constrained thousands of people who for three hundred years were closed in, had their spirits squashed and liberty impeded, even in the relative sense of what ‘liberty’ meant at that time.” The reach of the ghetto, he added, was long-lasting: it “produced a particular mentality, a closedness, a fear, and a sense of inferiority; maybe also, who knows, an unconscious sense of guilt.”
Islamophobia is decidedly on the rise, and marooned immigrants shame the thriving western nations that turn them away, but are we anywhere near this point? When the past is mined for lessons, surely it’s best to mine it judiciously and with the clearest attention to the facts.
In the museum, as in the city last summer, Shakespeare’s one Jewish character was even trickier to pin down than the ghetto itself. It’s one thing to know the bones of The Merchant of Venice, where the moneylender Shylock, in an act of “merry sport,” as he puts it, makes a loan to the merchant Antonio with the proviso that, if Antonio defaults, he will surrender a pound of his flesh, and where, in the trial that follows Antonio’s default, the court eventually rules against Shylock, forcing him to undergo conversion to Christianity and forfeit his estate to his daughter and her Christian husband. But it’s quite another to happen on Shylock in the Ducal apartments, where he was dropped in among the Torah pointers and the cross-section drawings. Museumgoers stood rapt and silent watching film clips that ranged from a 1913 silent version of the play (“Hath not a Jew eyes?” written on a title card felt curiously jarring), to celebrated performances by Laurence Olivier and Al Pacino, to a filmed rehearsal of Karin Coonrod’s production across town, in the open air of a ghetto that Shakespeare never visited, never mentioned, and possibly did not know about, his imagined Venice being as much about his actual England, a country that had expelled its Jews in 1290 yet remained vividly preoccupied with them.
Shaul Bassi, the organizer of the Ghetto 500 events and a Shakespeare scholar himself, described Shylock in the exhibition catalogue as, inevitably, the most famous Venetian Jew of all time and called Shylock’s best-known speech a humanitarian manifesto: “We are all equal in the degree zero of our corporeality.” This sort of take dovetails nicely with an exhibition that chooses to see the Jews of sixteenth-century Venice calling across the centuries to present-day refugees in Europe. Yet even in this context Bassi recognized that Shylock is “an ambivalent figure” who is “never completely reducible to an anti-Semitic symbol and never wholly redeemable as a human being for whom we can feel sympathy and solidarity.” In other words: he is a literary creation, multifaceted and elusive, and as such cannot easily be bent to cut this year’s, or any year’s, fashions.
Shylock, the most famous of Venetian Jews, is the most profound expression of otherness the playwright ever imagined.
If Shylock can be said to embody anything, it is duality. He is both victim and villain; he is the ur-expression of anti-Semitism and the picture of philo-Semitism; he is a classic Shakespearean blocking figure in a romantic comedy, and he is the most profound expression of otherness the playwright ever imagined. He continues to invite interpretation, embarrassment, perplexity, and unease. Not unlike the ghetto, he is a screen ready for projection, or reinterpretation, in every season.
What did Ginsburg make of him? After wading into a thicket of legal confusion, some of which had to do with the mock trial (the lawyers who came before her did not agree as to whether they were appealing the verdict against Shylock under sixteenth or twenty-first century laws) and some with the play (Ginsburg logically observed that she knew of no other context in which it was possible for a civil case to turn against the plaintiff and into a criminal case), the Supreme Court Justice was especially confounded by Shylock’s bizarre insistence on obtaining that problematic pound of Antonio’s flesh. “Are you saying he is insane?” she twice asked the lawyers with evident exasperation as she and her fellow judges sailed off to deliberate in private. Ginsburg was far from the first person in the past four hundred years to have so personal a reaction to stubborn, recalcitrant Shylock.
Meanwhile the Shakespeare scholars, James Shapiro and Stephen Greenblatt, stepped forward to address the audience—the entr’acte was the thing.
Shapiro, whose first book, Shakespeare and the Jews (1992), examines what was known, thought, said, written, and feared about the Jews in England in and preceding Shakespeare’s day, began by remarking how unusual The Merchant of Venice is in the canon. Shylock starts off, after all, as a comic villain but ends up, as Shapiro phrased it, “calling for our attention as a profound human being.” He observed that the play is engaged with anti-Semitism—which is very different from taking an anti-Semitic stance—and noted that it was just one among many forms of xenophobia pervasive in Venice, and England, at the time. For Shapiro, The Merchant of Venice is a play where Jewish difference figures largely in a sea of differences, among them homosexual difference (Antonio’s love for Bassanio) and racial difference (Portia and her black suitor, the prince of Morocco, whom she shuns on account of his skin color).
Greenblatt added that the play, while generally classified as a comedy, really shares more characteristics in common with the problem plays, which are known for presenting a series of puzzles. In the case of The Merchant of Venice, these range from the way the drama opens with Antonio’s sadness to Shylock’s (if not insane, certainly illogical) determination to obtain his pound of flesh to the play’s confounding fifth act, when Shylock disappears and the whole thing goes slack.
Alas these problems were not likely to be resolved by the Ginsburg verdict, which, when it was delivered, came as no surprise: The court decided that Shylock’s attempt to extract the pound of flesh was, in fact, a recompense that no court would enforce. At the same time the court invalidated the verdict that confiscated Shylock’s property, nullified his forced conversion to Christianity, and sanctioned Portia (who had impersonated the legal scholar Balthazar) for being an imposter, hypocrite, trickster, and bigot, and went on to punish her by dispatching her to Padova to study law properly. And finally, Ginsburg added, Shylock was out of time in asking for interest on his loan.
What did Ruth Bader Ginsburg make of the stubborn, recalcitrant Shylock?
The audience erupted in merry applause, as if something had actually been resolved about this very troubling play and its very troubling setting. Afterward The New York Times cooed as it described Ginsberg sipping a Bellini (provided by Harry’s Bar) at the reception that followed.
Fortunately there is always the text. Across town in the ghetto, after the mock appeal that evening and on five other evenings besides, Karin Coonrod and her company, the Compagnia de’ Colombari, presented the play in the open air of the Piazza del Campo del Ghetto Nuovo.
As a director, Karin Coonrod is a teeming laboratory of ideas. To emphasize the diversity of Venice, her casting was color- and gender-blind, and she had the actors deliver some of their lines in Italian, Ladino, Yiddish, Judeo-Venetian, French, Spanish, German, and Arabic. Her most intriguing idea was to cast five different performers as Shylock: one Jewish, four not, white men, men of color, even a woman. Her Shylock was a universal Shylock, a provocative Shylock, a multicultural Shylock to fit with the multicultural interpretation of the ghetto in the exhibition across town—only with the point more subtly made. He was also, in the end, a somewhat diluted Shylock, since when all is said and done, isn’t Shylock’s hold on us as tenacious as it is precisely because he is a Jew—Shakespeare’s one Jew?
And yet there was a moment when the universal Shylock and specific Shylock came together with impact. At the beginning of a somewhat reworked Act III, where Shylock rages at his daughter Jessica’s elopement with the Christian Lorenzo (who happened to be played by Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s grandson, Paul Spera), Coonrod brought all five Shylocks together. All five, bound in their telltale yellow sashes, raged and moaned until anger bled into grief and these five keening, united Shylocks began to feel like a Greek chorus commenting on the betrayal that tore into Shylock like a near-mortal wound: “My own flesh and blood to rebel!”
It was one of those moments of theatrical insight—a kind of conjury—that changed the way you see this difficult man. Shylock, it became painfully clear, was betrayed as both a father and a Jew. Suddenly he was as much an alien now in his private life as he was in his public one. The moment hit Shylock in his gut and it hit us in ours, as we watched from up above, sitting in the breeze-stirred bleachers, and it ended up shedding a different clarifying light on Shylock’s vengeance in the court scenes that followed.
To marginalize a man so completely is to break him. Here, finally, was a twenty-first century take on a sixteenth-century moment that made visceral sense. As for all the rest, it seems likely that Shylock, like the play that barely contains him, will go on perplexing us for at least another four hundred years, if not longer. The ghetto is another matter. Its creation is not to be deployed in facile comparisons. It is nothing to celebrate or moderate, only to lament. Source
Michael Frank’s memoir, The Mighty Franks, will be published in May by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. | <urn:uuid:f902a5cf-638b-4ef9-aca3-094f18352802> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://primolevicenter.org/boston-review-of-books-finding-ourselves-in-the-venetian-ghetto/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.972219 | 3,926 | 2.578125 | 3 |
On August 3rd 1914, Germany attacked Belgium at a first step to invading France. At 11.00 p.m. the following day, Britain declared war on Germany. The regular army prepared to move to the continent and reservists rejoined their regiments. Meanwhile orders went out for the part-time soldiers of the Territorial Force to report for duty at drill halls around the county. On August 5th, amidst tears and cheers, they left their homes and families and reported to their local drill halls.
Plaque at Chepstow Drill Hall commemorating the departure of the local territorials
The first week of war saw a rush of volunteers. Sir Ivor Herbert, Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire, stated that 630 men from Newport and 150 from Tredegar had joined in the first week and claimed that the Director General of recruiting had told him “no other county had done anything like what Monmouthshire had done”.
In the early stages of the war a carnival atmosphere continued to surround the recruitment process and sporting metaphors were often used. One speaker at a recruiting meeting in Newport referred to Belgium as “the pitch”. When 120 new recruits left Abercarn on 2nd September “to all appearances they might have been going on holiday instead of on active service”. (SWG 4.9.14.)
Sizable numbers of men were joining up, even a month after the war had begun. By this time, with the Germans threatening Paris it was clear that the war was not going to fizzle out and that their services would genuinely be needed. On September 4th, 915 men were enrolled in Newport in a single day, while across the county 2,262 had joined-up over a three day period. It was reported that one hundred volunteers were on duty at Newport Recruiting Station to receive recruits from the different parts of the county. Meanwhile, the Lord Lieutenant was scouring Monmouthshire for doctors to carry out the necessary medical examinations. By early September, 8,000 men from Monmouthshire had volunteered. (WA 5.9.14, 12.9.14.)
Some ‘recruits’ came from unexpected quarters. John Parfitt, a collier in Newbridge, walked into the local police station and confessed that he had deserted from the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1912 and wished to rejoin his regiment. Magistrates at Abercarn Police Court agreed to his request. (SWG 14.8.14). Others returned from overseas to fight. These included a group of twenty ex-patriate Welshmen who returned from British Columbia in February 1915 to enlist in the 1st Gwents. (WA 13.2.15.)
Such was the flood of recruits that the army did not know what to do with them. Sir Ivor Herbert (who he?) caused something of a sensation when he spoke in the House of Commons to condemn the War Office for transferring many of them to the reserve and sending them back home. He pointed out that many men from Monmouthshire had arrived at Brecon barracks to find themselves being “ill fed, wretchedly housed” and sleeping under verminous blankets. Many had given up jobs worth £3 or £4 a week, only to find themselves being sent home to kick their heels on a mere 6d a day reservists’ pay. (WA 12.9.14.) Pertly as a result of this, recruiting had dropped to a relative trickle by the end of September. By mid October the number of recruits in Monmouthshire had fallen to as low as 16 on some days. (WA 26.9.14.)
FRANK RICHARDS (BLAINA): FROM OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE (1933)
I was a reservist belonging to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. I had served in India and Burma. My job now was coal-mining. On 4th August 1914 I was at Blaina, having a drink in the Castle Hotel with a few of my cronies, all old soldiers …when someone happened to come in with a piece of news. He said that war had broken out with Germany and that the Sergeant of police was hanging up a notice by the post office, calling all Reservists to the Colours. This caused a bit of excitement and language, but it was too late in the evening for any of us to proceed to our depots so we kept on drinking and yearning till stop-tap.
IDRIS DAVIES (RHYMNEY): RADIO BROADCAST 1940
I saw the local territorial march through the streets (of Rhymney) to the railway station. They started from the Drill Hall … A crowd of children had gathered outside, and we were watching the soldiers very intently. When they began marching we started singing and shouting, and we followed the men in khaki through the streets. It was great fun, I thought, as I banged away at the empty tin in my hand. But I always remember one incident of that summer morning. As we marched along I saw an old woman on one of the doorsteps weeping. She had three sons in khaki and they were marching past the door.
CHEERS AND TEARS IN CHEPSTOW (South Wales Weekly Argus 8th August 1914)
The European crisis aroused the greatest excitement at Chepstow and the Argus office was besieged with people eager to read the latest news. The Army and Naval reserve men went off with a good heart and the Territorials responded with alacrity. They assembled at the Drill Hall on Wednesday morning and extraordinary excitement and activity prevailed in the town. Inside the Drill Hall all the bustle and haste and the work of preparation went forward smoothly. Dr Thompson was in attendance to carry out the medical examinations and he found it necessary to reject very few of them. About 20 additional recruits, several of whom had seen foreign service … were enrolled for the stipulated period, and these brought the total strength up to about 120, with Captain Evill in command.
Tremendous enthusiasm prevailed as the hour of their departure approached and the streets were lined with people from all parts of the district. The fife and drum band led the way and en route to the station handkerchiefs were waved and farewells exchanged. The crush at the railway stations was enormous and the site was a memorable one. The Territorials themselves were in high spirits, but their were some touching scenes on the platforms. As the 4.30 steamed away loud cheers were raised by the thousands of people who thronged the station and the approaches. Then we all trooped back into town wondering how long they will be away.
ANOTHER VIEW FROM CHEPSTOW (Chepstow Weekly Advertiser 8th August 1914)
Orders were received by the local company of Territorials to mobilize at the Drill Hall at 11 o’clock on Wednesday morning … It soon became known that the Territorials were leaving by the 4.30 p.m. train, and as this hour approached the streets leading from the Drill Hall to the station became thronged with crowds of enthusiastic people who cheered wildly, the flutter of handkerchiefs, hats etc, making a scene that will be long remembered … Literally every corner of the station was occupied, and the cheers that followed the patriotic townsmen were deafening. The men were in the highest spirits and only too eager to be in the fray. Should they be privileged to get into the firing line we are certain they will uphold the traditions of our town.
THE TERRITORIALS LEAVE NEWPORT (South Wales Weekly Argus 8th August 1914)
The territorials were in lively mood and sang ragtime ditties … On the opposite platform the scene was not such a merry one … There were fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters assembled there, and the drawn and pale features of more than one matron told of anxious hours and perchance a sleepless night. Many cried pitifully, and made no attempt to hide their grief, and when at last the train steamed slowly away … pathetically brave smiles hid many heavy and aching hearts. | <urn:uuid:7579a9d6-5116-4441-b463-47f7b5b70ad0> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.gwentwfa.org.uk/?page_id=47 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.983923 | 1,696 | 2.921875 | 3 |
There’s no wrong time to start developing effective study habits! Our Study Skills programs in the Las Vegas region are focused on equipping kids with important skills they can use in the classroom and in life. That includes workload management skills to help cope with the challenging progression from elementary school to college and beyond. Whether your mission is to help keep your child from falling behind or equip them with added guidance to get ahead, our effective study strategies and techniques could make all the difference.
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Every child is unique. That means there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution for their education, especially when it comes to behaviors and attitudes that affect performance in every subject. Rest assured, our Personalized Tutoring program takes into account your child’s unique needs. The skill sets we focus on include:
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From setting goals to developing more effective studying and research habits, we empower teens to hone skills they can carry with them well into their adult years. Our tutors are here to provide the motivation and inspiration students need to achieve all their goals. Our Advancement & Test Prep program helps your teen:
- Focus on the right topics: This is a modular program, which means you can decide which areas to pay particular attention to, ensuring we focus on your son or daughter’s specific needs.
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- Preparation for tackling adult responsibilities: The skills your son or daughter builds at Sylvan aren’t just valuable in college. Your teen will also develop advanced strategies in goal setting, job interview prep, public speaking and more. | <urn:uuid:a0661900-49a7-4dc7-9492-ebcfbdbce2eb> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://cities.sylvanlearning.com/us/nevada/Las-Vegas-Region/study-skills | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.925499 | 612 | 2.671875 | 3 |
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Tag Archives: São Tomé Green-pigeon
Sao Tome Green-pigeon (Treron sanctithomae) is now only found on the island of São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe having formerly also occurred on the nearby Ilhéu das Rolas. It is predominantly a forest species, but will tolerate some forest … Continue reading
Archived 2010-2011 topics: Are São Tomé’s pigeons more threatened by hunting than current Red List status suggests?
Maroon Pigeon Columba thomensis , São Tomé Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba malherbii and São Tomé Green-pigeon Treron sanctithomae are all endemic to the islands of São Tomé, Príncipe and Annobón. Maroon Pigeon, currently listed as Vulnerable under criterion D1, occurs only on São Tomé as does the Least Concern São Tomé Green-pigeon, while the Least Concern São Tomé Bronze-naped Pigeon occurs on São Tomé, Príncipe and Annobón. All three species may be eligible for uplisting owing to the effects of hunting pressure. Comments on these potential category revisions are welcomed, particularly estimates of population size and rate of decline for these species. Continue reading | <urn:uuid:60ef1462-d590-4984-a412-f8e76b30a233> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://globally-threatened-bird-forums.birdlife.org/tag/sao-tome-green-pigeon/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.839356 | 541 | 2.625 | 3 |
10 Barbaric Forms Of Punishment Still Practiced Today
It is the belief of some that as humanity advances, so to do our moral values. When we look at history, this becomes evident. Slavery was once practiced and accepted as legitimate all over the world, whereas today it is all but eradicated. In the realm of criminal justice, we have seen a slow but widespread phasing out of many corporal punishments deemed as exceptionally cruel. Unfortunately, there remain some isolated places and people which continue to practice some of these heinous forms of punishment. This list will look at ten of the most barbaric forms of punishment that are still practiced today.
Flogging is a punishment in which a person is beat with a whip or a rod. The punishment was common up until the 19th century when it was gradually replaced by other forms of punishment, primarily imprisonment.
Today flogging is widely condemned by organizations such as the United Nations and Amnesty International as being an excessively cruel form of punishment, and it has been outlawed in many countries. Yet there are still some nations which continue to practice flogging as a form of punishment including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Sudan. In the countries that still practice flogging, the punishment can be administered to men, women, and children for a number of seemingly minor crimes, and it often takes place in public.
In one particularly well-known case in 2014, a Saudi man named Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and ten years in prison for “insulting Islam” on an online blog. His conviction and punishment have been protested by thousands worldwide. Despite international outcry, flogging remains an accepted form of punishment in some places.
Similar to flogging, caning is a form of punishment in which a person is beaten with a cane. The strikes from the cane can be extremely painful as they often break the skin and result in scarring. Like flogging, caning has been widely condemned, and yet it remains a brutal form of punishment in some places.
One of the most prolific users of caning is the Republic of Singapore. In 2012 alone, Singapore carried out 2,203 caning sentences, many of which were given to illegal immigrants and vandals. Just recently, two Germans students studying in Singapore were sentenced to nine months in prison and three strokes of the cane after they were caught spray-painting graffiti on a train.
Despite the protest of numerous human rights groups, and an international charter prohibiting cruel and degrading forms of punishment, Singapore and a few other countries continue to defend the legitimacy of these harsh punishments.
When it comes to punishment, we often consider the ones which induce physical pain as being the barbaric methods. Yet many consider the punishment of solitary confinement to be barbaric, as it mentally and psychologically harms those who experience it. Solitary confinement is the total isolation of a prisoner. It is reserved for only the worst criminals and those who pose a danger to the rest of the prison population. These inmates often spend anywhere from 22-23 hours alone in a small cell, with only an hour or so allocated for outdoor recreation.
Solitary confinement has been denounced by the United Nations, as well as other human rights groups, but it continues to be used in some places, including the United States, which currently has around 80,000 prisoners in solitary confinement. One report by the Human Rights Watch describes the experience of solitary confinement as “the absence of normal social interaction, of reasonable mental stimulus, of exposure to the natural world, of almost everything that makes life human and bearable . . . [it] is emotionally, physically, and psychologically destructive.”
One of the most shocking forms of punishment still utilized is dismemberment (also known as amputation). Dismemberment is the removal of any appendage such as an arm, leg, hand, or foot.
Depending on the case and the location, the dismemberment may be done in a medical environment by doctors forced to perform the operation, in which case, the convicted will be unconscious. In other cases, the convicted may not be so lucky, and the dismemberment will be carried out through much cruder methods, with hands and feet being cut off without any anesthetic at all.
In some countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Sudan, hands and feet are often cut off for various crimes. It is a tradition that finds its base in Islamic Sharia Law, which calls for thieves to be punished by losing a hand. In some instances, “cross amputation” is used as a punishment for crimes such as armed robbery in which the right hand and the left foot are both cut off.
The use of dismemberment as a punishment has been condemned as torture, and completely contrary to human rights, by many prominent international rights groups. Yet this grotesque form of justice remains a firm tenant of law in many of the countries that implement Sharia Law.
As of 1979, Iran has been governed by Sharia Law. One particular aspect of the law known as “qesas” permits physical retribution against criminals who have committed violent crimes. This is based on the ancient principle of an “eye for an eye.” This law allows for horrific physical punishments to be leveled against criminals, including the punishment of blinding.
In this punishment, one or both of the criminal’s eyes are blinded by either gouging or acid. It is typically used as retribution in cases where a victim is left blinded by an attack. In Iran, this type of revenge is not uncommon, as horrific acid attacks, meant to blind and disfigure the victim, occur all too frequently. Iran is not the only place to employ the use of blinding; the punishment is also used in Saudi Arabia.
Many people may be shocked to hear that beheading is a form of execution that is still in use today. However, it is the disturbing truth. The Islamic State (ISIS) has been known to behead captives, enemy soldiers, and hostages on a large scale. These beheadings are often carried out in public and are typically filmed and put online. The Islamic State is a blood thirsty terrorist group, and unfortunately, such heinous violence has come to be expected from them.
However, there is one sovereign nation recognized by the international community that also practices beheading: Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Sharia Law that allows for certain crimes such as rape, murder, apostasy, and drug trafficking, among others, to be punishable by death. These executions are often by decapitation, with the convicted person’s head being chopped off with a sword in public. In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed at least 157 people, many of whom were beheaded. Despite international pressure, the rate of beheadings and executions in Saudi Arabia continues to rise.
Stoning is a form of execution in which a group of people hurl stones at a person convicted of a crime (usually adultery) until they are dead. Disturbingly, this barbaric form of punishment is still used in some places around the world. Stoning is a legal form of execution in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Yemen. Although technically illegal, it also occurs in parts of Afghanistan, Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Malaysia, and Iraq.
Adultery is the crime which typically receives the punishment of stoning. However, it should be noted that women are much more likely to be convicted or suspected of adultery than men, and therefore, women make up the majority of stoning victims. In one particularly horrific 2008 case, a young girl was stoned to death in Somalia in front of thousands of people. Amnesty International reported that the girl was only 13 years old and had been convicted of adultery after she tried to report that she had been raped to the Islamist group that controlled the area.
Crucifixion is a form of execution in which a person is nailed to a cross and left to slowly die. It may take hours or even days for the person to die and is extremely painful. While most consider the punishment of crucifixion to be one that died out long ago, crucifixion does still occur. ISIS militants have been known to crucify those who attempt to resist them.
However, there is also another place where crucifixion is known to occur. Yep, you guessed it, Saudi Arabia. Under the Saudi penal code, crucifixion is a legal form of punishment and execution. In one case that has drawn international attention, the Saudi government sentenced a 17-year-old boy named Ali al-Nimr to crucifixion for his participation in anti-government protests. In Saudi Arabia, crucifixion takes place after death with the dead body being crucified in a public place to serve as a warning to others. Amnesty International has condemned the act as “the ultimate form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.”
Premature burial is when a person is buried alive as a way of killing them. Being buried alive is a nightmare situation; the mere thought of it terrifies most people. Yet in recent years, with the growth of the Islamic State, we have seen a reemergence of premature burial as a means of execution.
In 2014, a report emerged that Islamic State militants had killed hundreds of members of the Yazidi minority group after they resisted the Islamic State. According to the report, they buried alive numerous women and children. According to other reports, ISIS also buried alive some of their own soldiers as punishment for fleeing the battlefield.
Premature burial has also been reported in parts of Turkey. In one particular case, a Turkish girl of 16 was buried alive by her family in their garden in a so-called “honor killing.” Turkey has been attempting to crack down on honor killings, which occur when a girl or woman is deemed to have disgraced the family, and thus, must be killed to restore the family’s honor. Although rare, honor killings and premature burial continue to occur in Turkey.
1Death by Burning
Perhaps the most horrific means of death, death by burning was a popular means of execution in medieval times, often reserved for those convicted of witchcraft, heresy, and treason. Shockingly, death by burning as a form of punishment and execution continues to be used in some areas of the world. ISIS has burned hundreds of people alive, often filming the executions. In 2014, they burned alive 26-year-old Moaz al-Kasasbeh, a captured pilot from Jordan, in a horrific display of cruelty.
However, it is not just ISIS. In Kenya, there is an ongoing problem of villagers burning alive people suspected of witchcraft. Similarly, in places where there is little law enforcement, or the people do not trust the police, they may decide to take justice into their own hands, sometimes becoming judge, jury, and executioner. In Guatemala, in 2015, a 16-year-old girl was burned alive by a mob for her alleged part in the murder of a taxi driver. In 2016, a man in Venezuela was burned alive for an apparent robbery.
The continued use of death by burning as a punishment and form of execution is a terrifying reminder of the dark reality of our modern world. While as a species we have advanced technologically, and in some ways morally, we are still plagued by barbaric forms of violence and death. | <urn:uuid:6e28f72c-0a32-4e7a-9209-d0b15d10bb67> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://listverse.com/2017/04/04/10-barbaric-forms-of-punishment-still-practiced-today/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.974102 | 2,321 | 2.875 | 3 |
“There is a public perception that whey protein supplementation will lead to bulkiness in women, and these findings show that is not the case,” said Wayne Campbell, professor of nutrition science and senior author on the study. “Whey protein supplementation favors a modest increase in lean mass of less than 1 percent, while not influencing fat mass.”
The findings are published in Nutrition Reviews, and the research was funded by the Whey Protein Research Consortium. Campbell also served on the National Dairy Council’s Whey Protein Advisory Panel during the time this study was being conducted. The study is led by Robert Bergia, a Purdue graduate research assistant. Joshua Hudson, a Purdue postdoctoral research associate also contributed.
“Whey protein supplementation, when combined with physical activity, is shown to be an effective strategy to achieve a leaner body composition in men, but notably, females are underrepresented in this line of research. Sixty-eight percent of studies in the most-cited whey protein supplementation review included only males and we wanted to focus on what this means for women,” Campbell said.
More than 1,800 nutrition articles were screened across journal databases to identify 13 suitable studies with 28 intervention groups that were related to this topic. The studies were selected based on specific factors including the inclusion of healthy women participants, consumption of whey protein supplements, exercising, information on changes in lean body mass, and a minimum of six weeks’ duration for each of the studies.
“Although more research is needed to specifically assess the effects of varying states of energy sufficiency and exercise training, the overall findings support that consuming whey protein supplements may aid women seeking to modestly improve body composition, especially when they are reducing energy intake to lose body weight,” Bergia said.
Muscle and Fitness Hers, South Africa Edition | <urn:uuid:573a37db-eeba-4504-b83b-82493eb669d9> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://muscleandfitnesshers.co.za/whey-protein-supplements-exercise-help-women-improve-body-composition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.961514 | 380 | 2.625 | 3 |
How to Improve Your Writing Style
There are lots of skills we acquire throughout our life, and writing is one of the most essential ones. Regardless of your social status, you’re still likely to deal with writing on a regular basis. Whether you’re at school, college or work, being able to write in a skillful way will help you out in numerous occasions. Of course, there are different types of writing, but we’ve managed to find some universal tips that will help to improve your writing style.
Purple prose is a problem many amateur writers have to deal with. You might feel tempted to make your writing sound a lot more complicated, intelligent and elaborated, but in reality, abusing adjectives and adverbs create the opposite image. The true skill lays in saying a lot by saying little. Sometimes you find yourself in a situation when you struggle to put as many extra words as possible to get close to the required word count. However, this always reflects on the quality of your writing and never in a good way. In many cases, it’s better to opt for less colorful words.
Use Different Sentence Structures
If you want to make writing better, follow one rule – every text should be readable. This effect can be achieved by appealing to different types of sentences. Make sure you mix them all together, and each paragraph has a good variety. This includes short and long sentences, ones that follow the general and most common word order rules and the ones that use inversion, etc. Another mistake that many people make is constructing sentences that are too long. This is the same thing as with adverbs, instead of making the text more elaborate, it only makes it more difficult.
Modern technologies are both a blessing and a curse for our spelling skills. On the one hand, many people rely on the autocorrect too heavily and might not be able to write without it. On the other hand, however, spellcheckers are saviors for correcting accidental typos and checking complex words. You can always adjust the settings for the spellchecker to fish out your most common mistakes and, thus, teach you to avoid them. Modern spellcheckers are even capable of noticing repetitions and highlighting the difference between various types of dashes.
While trying to make your writing more diverse, you might think it’s a good idea to use different words for the same thing or concept. However, this approach might only confuse and irritate the readers. It can also show your lack of confidence, since you can’t make up your mind and stick to one option. Consistency is a generally positive feature for every type of writing, so you should work on developing it. You might even use the help of your spellchecker and put in the only right option.
These tips are not universal, and you’re not obliged to follow them. However, we believe that those who struggle with writing will find them helpful and practical. | <urn:uuid:ba82b765-9477-43d1-9d73-c019a0dc06cd> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://perfect-writings.com/how-to-improve-your-writing-style/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.953932 | 609 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Die Seele und ihre Vermögen: Kants Metaphysik des Mentalen in der Kritik der reinen Vernunft
Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason aims to determine boundaries of reason. Reason is a
faculty of the soul. But Kant does not deal explicitly with the question what a faculty of the soul itself may be. The dissertation construes Kant’s implicit notion of a mental faculty in relation to psychological debates in 17th and 18th century Germany. It can be shown that Kant agreed with Christian August Crusius in that faculties are real properties, an assumption that was denied by Christian Wolff. This poses a problem which is fundamental for understanding Kant’s project: How can we have knowledge of mental faculties at all? If knowledge of faculties was empirical for Kant, it would belong to psychology rather than to epistemology which, according to Kant, must not rely on empirical facts. In order to find out whether there can be knowledge a priori about mental faculties, the book provides a close reading of relevant passages from published texts and other sources (lecture transcripts, Reflexionen). The final result is negative: Kant has no conclusive argument for the real existence of mental faculties. Nevertheless, an awareness of Kant’s unwritten “metaphysics of the mental” is essential for understanding implicit premisses of Kant’s thought. | <urn:uuid:404f5dcb-4d0a-4670-b3c2-0327b1178ebf> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://publications.hse.ru/en/books/102527566 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.883157 | 292 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Anyone can be affected by osteoporosis, yet it is most common in postmenopausal women. Fractures resulting from Osteoporosis are about twice as common in women than in men. Many do not become aware of their condition until they suffer a painful fracture.
It is a common misconception that osteoporosis only affects white women. Incidence of osteoporosis and fracture is often under reported, especially in minority populations. While African American women tend to have higher bone mineral density than white women throughout life, they are still at significant risk of developing osteoporosis.
Asian and Hispanic Women
Asian women in general have been found to consume less calcium. One reason may be that up to 90% are believed to be lactose intolerant and avoid dairy products.
Studies show hispanic women are twice as likely to develop diabetes as white women, which may increase their risk for osteoporosis. There are several risk factors associated with osteoporosis. The more you possess the higher your risk.
In theory, based on lifestyle alone, minority women would appear to be at a higher risk for osteoporosis. However, most evidence indicates that African-Americans and Hispanic Americans have a lower risk of developing osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture than Caucasians.
African American Women
Studies show that Asian and Caucasian women are at highest risk for developing osteoporosis, that African Americans have a substantially lower risk of osteoporosis and other minority populations have an intermediate risk of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is often misdiagnosed and under treated in African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans. One reason may be that they believe they are not at risk so they do not take preventative measures or seek early treatment. As African American women age, their risk for hip fracture doubles approximately every 7 years, they are also more likely than white women to die following a hip fracture.
Surveys show that African Americans consume less than half the recommended amount of calcium, another factor in osteoporosis. It is estimated that ten percent of Hispanic women over the age of 50 are afflicted with osteoporosis. Another 49 percent have low bone mass. Instances of hip fracture are on the rise and surveys show that Hispanics consume less calcium then recommended.
Hip vs. Vertebral Fractures
Asian women tend to have smaller builds, one of the risk factors for osteoporosis. Instances of hip fracture are lower than that of Caucasians, but instances of vertebral fracture are nearly equivalent. Asian women have also been found to consume less calcium.
Researchers have found that when comparing Caucasians, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans with the African-American population, African Americans have the lowest risk of osteoporotic fractures in part due to higher bone mass density.
Most of these studies concentrated on instances of hip fracture. Instances among Native Americans are virtually unknown.
Though the incidence of osteoporosis may be lower in some populations, osteoporosis is a serious and often debilitating disease, the numbers may still be unacceptably high and should be addressed as an important health concern.
Photo by Jonathan Talbot, World Resources Institute, Creative Commons License. Near Masoala National Park, Madagascar. The woman is carrying gathered wood for a fire and a subtle but delicious fruit called ‘macooba.’ | <urn:uuid:9393c880-11a8-4b63-aba2-c0b902395e0a> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://reliawire.com/minority-women-underdiagnosed/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.950338 | 696 | 3.34375 | 3 |
For images and links, click to: riverhouses.org/lunar-2019-05 😊
There’s a full moon tonight, so that means it’s time for a report from the Lunar Society of the River Houses.
The Lunar Society is one of our big and wonderful long-term plans to encourage homeschoolers to participate in real online research projects and to share their results with other homeschool families.
Here’s an outline of the idea, along with a list of some of the great projects that homeschool students (and their parents) can join and contribute to, from history to geography to physics to natural history to mathematics to meteorology to literature to galactic exploration:
Browse through that big project list and find one or two that would be a good fit for your family and a good match for your interests. Before you know it, your students will be learning a host of valuable skills and your little home academy will be on its way to becoming an international research powerhouse. 🔬 🔭 🖥 🦋 🔍 ⚗️ ⛏ 📖 🌲 😊
Over time, it’s my hope that these monthly reports about the Lunar Society will evolve into something like a forum where homeschoolers participating in online research can share their achievements.
As a simple example, here’s my own personal report for the past lunar month on the two types of projects I participate in: eBird monitoring of bird populations, and distributed computing research using the Berkeley open infrastructure application. You and your students can participate right now in these projects, and in many others too.
On the eBird website (eBird.org), sponsored by Cornell University, I’ve been tracking the birds in a small riverside park near me (eBird hotspot L6926932), and have now contributed a total of 470 checklists (daily observation reports) for this locality. When all the checklists are combined you can really get a sense of the seasonal distribution and migration patterns for the year.
You can start keeping a similar list for a location near you — your backyard, or a local park or other natural area. (Helping to track a public park or eBird “hotspot” will let you generate more interesting results.) You can even add photos and sound recordings to your reports if you wish. Just pay a visit to the eBird website (ebird.org) and start exploring.
Distributed computing projects use idle time on your computer to perform scientific calculations on various kinds of complex data. The most popular distributed computing projects run on the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing platform (BOINC), and I contribute computer time to three of these: (1) the SETI@Home project, sponsored by the University of California, which searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (really!); (2) the Einstein@Home project, which studies neutron stars; and (3) the MilkyWay@Home project, which studies the history and structure of our galaxy.
I’ve created River Houses team pages for each of these projects (Einstein@Home team, MilkyWay@Home team, SETI@Home team). Once your computer is signed up to participate you can join one of these teams and also print “certificates of computation” that show how much data you’ve individually analyzed and how much your team has analyzed — they’re just the thing for your homeschool bulletin board. 😊
And here’s another level of skill development for your high-school (or even advanced middle-school) students: once you’ve processed a few weeks or months of data, you can start graphing your contributions. Using Google Sheets, I’ve set up a simple chart of River Houses team results, and this is what it looks like:
That’s just a simple graphing exercise — it’s something that we can refine, develop, and expand in the future. (And your students can develop their own individual charts as well.)
The Internet provides exceptional opportunities for homeschool students to participate in real research projects in a variety of scientific and scholarly fields, something that would have been impossible only a few years ago. Pay a visit to our Lunar Society page to read about many more projects that your family can join.
What scholarly and scientific discoveries have you made in your homeschool this month? 😊
❡ Calling all photographers: If you’ve got a budding photographer in your homeschool, one group project you can participate in is the Wikimedia Commons Photo Challenge. A different theme is chosen each month; just sign up and follow the instructions to submit your own entries. Once you’re a registered participant you can also vote for each month’s winners. 📸
❡ Books in the running brooks: If you decide to participate in eBird, our recommended homeschool reference library (riverhouses.org/books) includes an excellent bird guide that would serve your family well. And for any astronomical projects you may join, our recommended star atlas and world atlas (which has an astronomical section) will help you orient yourself to the objects you are studying in the starry vault above. 🦉 🌠
❡ Whether they work together or apart: The Internet provides exceptional opportunities for homeschool students to participate in real research projects in a variety of scientific and scholarly fields, something that would have been impossible only a few years ago. Pay a visit to our Lunar Society page (riverhouses.org/lunar) to read about many more projects that your family can join. 🔬 🔭 🖥 🦋 🔍 🌻 ⚗️ ✒️ 📖 🌲 😊 | <urn:uuid:cdc62fd9-cb42-4242-a322-684d58d93deb> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://riverhouses.org/lunar-2019-05/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.923438 | 1,198 | 2.65625 | 3 |
For live links, click to: riverhouses.org/2019-spica 😊
June is the first month of Hercules Term in the River Houses, and as the River Houses Star Calendar will tell you, our great-star-of-the-month for June is Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo. Its formal designation is α Virginis — “alpha of Virgo.” Spica (in Latin) is the ear of grain — the spike — in the left hand of the harvest maiden Proserpina (Persephone in Greek).
If you want to introduce your students to Spica, you can start with some basic astronomy from your homeschool star atlas (riverhouses.org/books):
“Virgo is both a zodiacal and equatorial constellation. Spica, its brightest star, is about 30º southwest of Arcturus in Boötes [next month’s great star] and forms the southernmost point of the Diamond of Virgo. Spica has a magnitude of 1.2 and it’s the 14th of the 20 brightest stars in the sky. The autumnal equinox, where the sun crosses the celestial equator on its journey south, is located close to the star η [eta] Virginis. In the rough square formed by Denebola in Leo [the lion’s tail] and ε [epsilon], γ [gamma] and β [beta] Virginis lies the so-called ‘Field of the Nebulae’ where Herschel discovered 323 nebulae; some of these are visible in a small telescope.“ (Celestron Sky Maps, page 7)
The planisphere on the front of your star atlas will help you locate Spica, and that’s plenty for beginning students — your little lesson is done. If you want to get more advanced, the Wikipedia page on Spica is packed with additional information on everything from astrometrics to cultural history.
Spica is a blue-white giant about seven times the diameter of the sun. It has a small companion that is invisible to the eye (even with a telescope) but that can be detected spectroscopically. The Spica pair is about 250 light years distant — close in astronomical terms — and it’s also quite young: about 12.5 million years old.
Spica is very close to the ecliptic, the line followed by the moon, sun, and planets as they cross the earth’s sky, and so on rare occasions it is briefly covered by them — an event called an occultation. The last occultation of Spica by Venus occurred in the year 1783, and the next will occur in 2197.
Measurements of Spica’s position are believed to have led the ancient astronomer Hipparchus to discover the precession of the equinoxes.
This month, why not take your homeschool students out at dusk and introduce them to this great nearby sun, and teach them its name, and so give them a new friend for life.
What stellar observations have you made in your homeschool lately? 😊
❡ Alpha and beta and gamma, oh my: Most of the principal stars within each constellation have both old vernacular names — Vega, Sirius, Arcturus, and so on — as well as more formal scientific designations. The German astronomer Johann Bayer (1572–1625) devised the formal system of star designations that is still in common use today. In Bayer’s system, the stars in each constellation, from brightest to dimmest, are assigned a lowercase letter of the Greek alphabet: α (alpha, brightest), β (beta, second brightest), γ (gamma, third brightest), δ (delta, fourth brightest), and so on. This letter designation is combined with the Latin name of the constellation in its possessive (genitive) form: Lyra becomes Lyrae (“of Lyra”), Canis Major becomes Canis Majoris (“of Canis Major”), and so on. The brightest star in the constellation Lyra (the star Vega) thus becomes α Lyrae (“alpha of Lyra”), the brightest star in Canis Major (the star Sirius) becomes α Canis Majoris (“alpha of Canis Major”), and so on, through all 24 Greek letters and all 88 constellations. How bright would you expect, say, the σ (sigma) star of Orion to be? Not very bright — it’s far down the alphabet — but σ Orionis happens to be the top star of Orion’s sword, so even though it’s not very bright it’s still notable and easy to locate on a dark night. ✨
❡ Watchers of the skies: Teaching your students to recognize the constellations is one of the simplest and most enduring gifts you can give them. The planisphere on the front of your River Houses star atlas (riverhouses.org/books) will let you dial up the northern hemisphere sky for any night of the year, and the descriptions and maps of each constellation will point out the highlights, including the names and characteristics of the brightest stars. Your general world atlas also has beautiful maps of the whole northern and southern hemisphere night skies on plates 121–122. Why not find a dark-sky spot near you this month and spend some quality homeschool time beneath the starry vault. 🌠 🔭 🌌 🌟
❡ First star I see tonight: This is one of our monthly “great star” posts featuring twelve of the brightest stars of the northern hemisphere night sky. Download and print your own copy of our River Houses Star Calendar (riverhouses.org/calendars) and follow along with us as we visit a different great star each month. 🌟 | <urn:uuid:2c2240ac-a632-4b42-b3f1-3d266467c3d5> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://riverhouses.org/topics/astronomy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.916923 | 1,251 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Sunday Food: Get Ready to Plant a Garden
There’s much to be enjoyed about the garden that grows your own vegetables, and your flowers. Having a bit of space that you can cultivate gives many forms of rich reward in return for an effort that can be spaced over time. I have lived for some time in a warm climate, so usually am doing something outdoors on warm days going all the way back into winter. Now, almost to March, it’s always good to have your garden plot spaded and ready, turning the soil over spare minutes on days that it can be done a bit at a time.
Recently I’ve been reading about the native tribal methods of planting that spread the garden over existing features, instead of putting in straight rows. The erosion control it gives, as well as a spread of different plant features patterned among each other, makes a shared benefit among all the elements that works with the land you are cultivating.
We’ve recently become familiar with making mounds to grow melons, and the mutual supportive features of planting different vegetables with each other.
One of the most often used Native American gardening techniques was the Three Sisters. This method used three different seeds planted together in one large mound of dirt. The seeds were corn, squash and beans. Each of these seeds would provide something that the other seeds would need as they grew. The beans would provide nitrogen to the soil, which the corn and squash would need to grow strong. The corn provided a trellis on which the beans would grow. The squash provided cover for the other two plants as they were growing and helped to deter some pests. Some Native Americans would also put a fish or eel in the hole first, and then place the seeds on top before covering with soil. This provided added fertilizer to the soil.
It is interesting to note that the growing of the Three Sisters varies in the east and west. In the west, the bean varieties cultivated were often self-supporting, so they did not have to be planted in the same hole as the corn and squash.
Some of the southwest tribes also planted a “fourth sister” in addition to corn, beans and squash. They also planted the Rocky Mountain bee plant, which helped to attract bees to pollinate their gardens.
The gardens native tribes planted along the land’s features takes advantage of patterns of topography and drainage, rather than impose a standard row pattern onto existing depths – and avoids losing soil to that imposed planting. The raising of beds of plants rather than rows uses the plants’ features as well as topography to your best advantage. Raised beds are increasingly used, also, and lend themselves to the gardener’s easy access.
Companion plants lend themselves to each other’s health, and herbs or flowers often are spread among the more common vegetables to attract pests or give benefits to the surrounding growth.
- Marigolds are as good as gold when grown with just about any garden plant, repelling beetles, nematodes, and even animal pests.
- Some companions act as trap plants, luring insects to themselves. Nasturtiums, for example, are so favored by aphids that the devastating insects will flock to them instead of other plants.
- Carrots, dill, parsley, and parsnip attract garden heroes — praying mantises, ladybugs, and spiders — that dine on insect pests.
- Much of companion planting is common sense: Lettuce, radishes, and other quick-growing plants sown between hills of melons or winter squash will mature and be harvested long before these vines need more leg room.
Ordering seed is probably beginning in your planting aspersions for the coming spring, and there are always new and intriguing ones calling for attention. Maybe this year I will even finallly get my black tomato or my romanesco into a corner of a garden.
(Photo courtesy of PhilCalvert at flickr.com.) | <urn:uuid:188f406f-1a1f-4d80-95cf-972c6e27b362> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://shadowproof.com/2015/02/22/sunday-food-get-ready-to-plant-a-garden/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.963217 | 823 | 2.828125 | 3 |
History of Hashtags: How a Symbol Changed the Way We Search & Share
In the span of approximately 10 years, hashtags went from being a useful tool known in programmer culture to a mainstream organizational device for online content.
In the pre-internet days, what we called the # symbol depended on what country we were raised in. Americans and Canadians called it the pound sign or the number sign, whereas Britons and the Irish called it a hash. However, in the context of the internet, we all call the # a hashtag.
Stowe Boyd, who published the first known use of the word “hashtag,” told Wired that the name “hashtag” comes from programmer culture because he and his friends would refer to the symbol as the hash, not the pound sign.
Today, the symbol is so pervasive in social media that almost every major social media platform supports some functionality for the hashtag.
In 1988, the first hash symbol was used on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to label groups and topics that were available across the entire network. They were used for grouping similar messages and content to make it easy for users to find the information they were looking for.
Twitter did not always have a hashtag feature. In its early days, users complained that it was a bit of a free for all and that they were seeing irrelevant content. Looking for a solution to this problem, Chris Messina took inspiration from IRC and unleashed the first Twitter hashtag on August 23, 2007. However, the hashtag wouldn’t take off until the 2007 California wildfires in October 2007.
how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?
— molly.com/chris (@chrismessina) August 23, 2007
While Twitter did not support the hashtag in 2007, Chris Messina saw an opportunity to get the hashtag noticed. California resident Nate Ritter happened to be prolifically tweeting about the wildfires. At the same time, Messina noticed that SanDiegoFire was being used as a tag on Flickr. This inspired Messina to reach out to Ritter and suggest the use of #SanDiegoFire on all relevant tweets.
Ritter’s tweets became so well known that Twitter users started using hashtags to group relevant content. In 2009, Twitter finally embraced them and introduced a search tool, so that users could see who else was using a particular hashtag. The following year Twitter introduced “Trending Topics,” which displays the most popular hashtags at a given time.
From there, hashtags were adopted by other platforms and became part of the internet lexicon. Instagram, which was launched in 2010, has used them from day one. Facebook added them in 2013. Google+, Tumblr, and Pinterest also let users group content by simply using the # symbol.
Since their introduction to the mainstream internet, hashtags have gone from a convenient way to group content to an indispensable tool. In 2010, they were used to coordinate the Arab Spring. The hashtag #MeToo is used to raise awareness about sexual assault and harassment. The latest hashtag to go viral is #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe, which is being used to celebrate a superhero movie starring black actors and African American culture. Now the question isn’t “How will we organize topics on social media?,” it’s “What will be the next movement to be inspired by a hashtag?”
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Mumbai has already been setting records for urban wildlife preservation for decades, since the 104-square-kilometer Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), located within the city borders, was established in 1974. But the city surpassed expectations yet again on August 6th, 2015 with the creation of the Thane Creek Sanctuary. Thane Creek is located just east of SGNP, and includes 896 hectares of mangroves and a 794-hectare body of water. This area is home to over 200 species of native birds, including flamingos and threatened species such as the Greater Spotted Eagle. The flamingos have been coming to the creek since 1994, and every November, over 30,000 of these birds arrive to take care of their chicks until the adults leave the following May.
This sanctuary is a great step for Mumbai, the state of Maharashtra, and India as a whole, and it is also a perfect example of the decision-making process behind land preservation. Setting aside land for wildlife is always complex, and involves a variety of different stakeholders with different priorities and perspectives. Especially in a city as densely packed as Mumbai, where open space is very rare, there is always more than one entity vying for a specific use of a given parcel of land.
Environmentalists have been pushing for this sanctuary for five years, since the important bird refuge has faced human disturbances like fishing, development, and illegal dumping. However, the government only recently agreed to the proposal when it realized it could use the sanctuary as compensation for the nearby planned highway bridge between Mumbai and New Mumbai. This bridge, which will be called the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), will span 22km and will be the longest sea bridge in India. While the MTHL will cause significant habitat degradation to a place visited often by the flamingos, the birds only visit during low tide, whereas they come to Thane Creek all of the time.
The Bombay Natural History Society proposed moving the MTHL about 500-700 meters from its current planned location, but this motion was rejected. For now, the sanctuary has been established, and the planned bridge, when built, will damage some habitat downstream from the sanctuary. However, there is still a possibility that the Forest Clearance Authority may not approve the MTHL project.
Another group of people have been pushing back on the sanctuary proposal: traditional fishermen. Thane Creek is a popular fishing and crabbing site, and their activities have disturbed birds in the past. There will be no fishing allowed in the sanctuary area, but the Forest Department ensures that the sanctuary doesn’t include the area of the creek where the most fishing happens.
Despite the complex negotiations that went into the establishment of the flamingo sanctuary, this collection of crucial mangrove, mudflat, and water habitats will now be protected. The Forest Department has already conducted baseline studies and ecosystem assessments of the area, which will inform a Scientific Management Plan for the new sanctuary. The sanctuary will also be continually monitored and protected from serious threats like effluent discharge and sewage dumping.
Behind every new wildlife sanctuary, parcel of open space, or land preservation agreement, there are years of negotiations, decisions, and compromises. Some areas of Thane Creek will continue to be impacted by human activities like fishing, dumping, and development, and some areas will be protected and cherished through the new sanctuary. Here at WILD Cities, we know that every parcel of land set aside comes after a long decision-making process, and every square foot of wild space is a victory for wildlife, people, and the planet. Mumbai is setting a wonderful example for large-scale preservation of important wildlife habitats, right in the middle of a bustling city.
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We live in the age of computers, where almost every aspect of life has been made easier by computer technology in one way of another. Hence, a career in Information Technology is certainly a promising one. This is why many students are considering a course related to Information Technology. Listed below are examples of IT courses that you can enroll yourself in through online education courses.
Information Systems Security Specialist. Many online universities today offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems Security or Network Security. A specialist in this field is the one in charge of protecting a networking system from unauthorized access and loss or corruption of data.
Computer Forensics Specialist. Specialists who are assigned in computer forensics assist in analyzing criminal evidence to resolve crime investigations using computer technology.
Health Informatics Specialist. A specialist in this field collects data that are related to medicine and health care. Examples of such data are as patient records, drug listings, and clinical analysis. If you have graduated in a course related to medicine and would like to enhance your career, then you may consider branching pursuing Information Technology majoring in health informatics or bio informatics.
Technology Management Specialist. Specialists in Technology Management are also called Systems Analysts. They are the ones who have the duty ensure the overall efficiency of the networking system in a corporate set-up, educational institutions and government organizations.
Computer Programmer. Computer Programming has been a popular field of Information Technology since it was first introduced in the market. These specialists are the ones who create and develop software applications. This particular IT education program is further categorized in three fields of studies- computer science, information technology, and software engineering.
Database Administrator. As the name implies, a database administrator is the one in charge of managing, retrieval and safekeeping information contained in databases. Both large corporations and small companies hire database administrators and is considered as one of the highest-paying professions in the industry today.
Web Developer. Web developers are also computer programmers who specialize in different types of web applications, server programming, and network solution.
Mobile Applications Programmer. This is the newest field of study in information technology. It deals with the creation and development of software applications (ex. Java, .NET) that are necessary for mobile devices.
About the Author
Nita Harris is a graduate of a Computer Science program in Santa Monica, CA. A budding programmer and a web developer, she also furthers her education through a distance learning degree while working full time in a small IT company. She also writes, whenever time permits, in a site for credit cards for students. | <urn:uuid:4c253ba2-633e-4961-a9f0-bae8c673d3e2> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | https://www.buildingcreditforstudents.com/online-education/online-degrees-information-technology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998376.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20190617043021-20190617065021-00244.warc.gz | en | 0.93175 | 522 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Using a liquid in-feed antimicrobial can help reduce the risk of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus infection of naïve pigs.
Recently, contaminated feed was confirmed as a vehicle for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus (PEDv) infection of naïve piglets. This research provides in vivo data supporting the ability of a liquid antimicrobial product to reduce this risk.
Sal Curb, produced by Kemin Industries, Des Moines, IA, USA, is a liquid antimicrobial that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This is usually used to control Salmonella contamination in poultry and swine diets.
To test its effect against PEDv, feed treated with the product was spiked with a stock isolate of PEDv, which PEDv-naïve piglets were allowed to ingest via natural feeding behaviour (ad lib) for a 14-day period. For the purpose of a positive control, a separate group of piglets was allowed to ingest non-treated feed also spiked with stock PEDv.
A negative control group received PEDv-free feed. Clinical signs of PEDv infection (vomiting and diarrhoea) and viral shedding in faeces were observed in the positive control group two to three days post-consumption of non-treated feed.
In contrast, no evidence of infection was observed in pigs fed treated feed or in the negative controls throughout the 14-day study period. In addition, the treated feed samples had higher mean PEDv Ct values than samples from the positive control group.
These data provide proof of concept that feed treated with this antimicrobial can serve as a means to reduce the risk of PEDv infection through contaminated feed. Furthermore, the results from the positive control group provide additional proof of concept regarding the ability of contaminated feed to serve as a risk factor for PEDv infection of naïve piglets.
The research was carried out by Scott Dee and Casey Neill, both from Pipestone Veterinary Practices in Minnesota, USA; and Travis Clement, Jane Christopher-Hennings and Eric Nelson of South Dakota State University. The article was published in BMC Veterinary Research.
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Sufism (Arabic: الصوفية al-ṣūfiyya; Persian: تصوف taṣawwuf) is a concept in Islam, defined by scholars as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam; others contend that it is a perennial philosophy of existence that pre-dates religion, the expression of which flowered within the Islamic religion. Some hold the notion its essence has also been expressed via other religions and metareligious phenomena, while others believe Sufism to be totally unique within Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (; صُوفِيّ). They belong to different ṭuruq or "orders"—congregations formed around a master—which meet for spiritual sessions (majalis), in meeting places known as zawiyahs, khanqahs, or tekke. e.g. Khanqah Khairiyyah
All Sufi orders (turuq) trace many of their original precepts from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib, with the notable exception of the Sunni Naqshbandi order who claim to trace their origins through the first sunni Caliph, Abu Bakr. However, Alevi, Bektashi and Shia Muslims claim that every Sufi order traces its spiritual lineage (silsilah or Silsila) back to one of the Twelve Imams (even the Naqshbandi silsilah leads to the sixth imam Ja'far al-Sadiq and Salman the Persian, a renowned follower of the first imam Ali ibn Abi Talib), the spiritual heads of Islam who were foretold in the Hadith of the Twelve Successors and were all descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali. Because of this Ali ibn Abi Talib is also called the "father of Sufism". Prominent orders include Alevi, Bektashi, Burhaniya, Mevlevi, Ba 'Alawiyya, Chishti, Rifa'i, Khalwati, Naqshbandi, Nimatullahi, Oveyssi, Qadiria Boutshishia, Qadiriyyah, Qalandariyya, Sarwari Qadiri, Shadhiliyya and Suhrawardiyya.
Sufis believe that they are practising ihsan (perfection of worship) as revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad: "Worship and serve Allah as you are seeing Him and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you". Sufis consider themselves to be the original true proponents of this pure original form of Islam. Sufism is opposed by Wahhabi and Salafist Muslims.
Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God". Alternatively, in the words of the Darqawi Sufi teacher Ahmad ibn Ajiba, "a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one's inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits".
Muslims and mainstream scholars of Islam define Sufism as simply the name for the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam which is supported and complemented by outward or exoteric practices of Islam, such as Islamic law. In this view, "it is absolutely necessary to be a Muslim" to be a true Sufi, because Sufism's "methods are inoperative without" Muslim "affiliation". In contrast, author Idries Shah states Sufi philosophy is universal in nature, its roots predating the rise of Islam and Christianity. Some schools of Sufism in Western countries allow non-Muslims to receive "instructions on following the Sufi path". Some Muslim opponents of Sufism also consider it outside the sphere of Islam.
Classical Sufis were characterised by their attachment to dhikr, (a practice of repeating the names of God, often performed after prayers) and asceticism. Sufism gained adherents among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE). Sufis have spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, originally expressing their beliefs in Arabic, before spreading into Persian, Turkish, Indian languages and a dozen other languages.
|Sufism and Tariqa|
- Etymology 1
- Teaching 2.1
- Origins 3.1
- Formalization of doctrine 3.2
- Growth of influence 3.3
- Present 3.4
Theoretical perspectives 4
- Contributions to other domains of scholarship 4.1
Devotional practices 5
- Dhikr 5.1
- Muraqaba 5.2
- Visitation 5.3
- History 6.1
Current attacks 6.2
- Timeline 22.214.171.124
- Kashmir, India 6.2.2
- Somalia 6.2.3
- Mali 6.2.4
- Egypt 6.2.5
- Libya 6.2.6
- Tunisia 6.2.7
- Russia, Dagestan 6.2.8
- Iran 6.2.9
- Pakistan 6.2.1
Islam and Sufism 7
- Sufism and Islamic law 7.1
- Traditional Islamic thought and Sufism 7.2
- Traditional and Neo-Sufi groups 7.3
Prominent Sufis 8
- Abul Hasan al-Shadhili 8.1
- Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani 8.2
- Bayazid Bastami 8.3
- Ibn Arabi 8.4
- Junayd Baghdadi 8.5
- Moinuddin Chishti 8.6
- Mansur al-Hallaj 8.7
- Perception outside Islam 9.1
- Influence on Judaism 9.2
In popular culture 10
- Films 10.1
- Music 10.2
- Literature 10.3
Modern and contemporary Sufi scholars 11
- Arabian Peninsula 11.1
- Levant 11.2
- North Africa 11.3
- West, Central and Southern Africa 11.4
- Western Europe 11.5
- Eastern Europe 11.6
- North America 11.7
- South Asia 11.8
- Eastern and Central Asia 11.9
- Controversy 12
- Gallery 13
- See also 14
- References 15
- Further reading 16
- External links 17
Two origins of the word sufi have been suggested. Commonly, the lexical root of the word is traced to ṣafā (صَفا), which in Arabic means "purity". Another origin is ṣūf (صُوف), "wool", referring to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore. The two were combined by the Sufi al-Rudhabari who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity".
Others have suggested that the word comes from the term ahl aṣ-ṣuffah ("the people of the bench"), who were a group of impoverished companions of Muhammad who held regular gatherings of dhikr. These men and women who sat at Al-Masjid al-Nabawi are considered by some to be the first Sufites in existence. Abd al-Karīm ibn Hawāzin Qushayri and Ibn Khaldun both rejected all possibilities other than ṣūf on linguistic grounds.
While all Muslims believe that they are on the pathway to God and hope to become close to God in Paradise—after death and after the "Final Judgment"—Sufis also believe that it is possible to draw closer to God and to more fully embrace the Divine Presence in this life. The chief aim of all Sufis is to seek the pleasing of God by working to restore within themselves the primordial state of fitra, described in the Qur'an. In this state nothing one does defies God, and all is undertaken with the single motivation of love of Allah.
To Sufis, Sufism involves the study and ritual purification of traits deemed reprehensible while adding praiseworthy traits. This is independent of whether or not this process of religious cleansing and purifying leads to esoteric knowledge of God. This can be conceived in terms of two basic types of law (fiqh), an outer law concerned with actions, and an inner law concerned with one's own actions and qualities. The outer law consists of rules pertaining to worship, transactions, marriage, judicial rulings, and criminal law—what is often referred to, broadly, as qanun. The inner law of Sufism consists of rules about repentance from sin, the purging of contemptible qualities and evil traits of character, and adornment with virtues and good character.
The typical early Sufi lived in a cell of a mosque and taught a small band of disciples. The extent to which Sufism was influenced by Buddhist and Hindu mysticism, and by the example of Christian hermits and monks, is disputed, but self-discipline and concentration on God quickly led to the belief that by quelling the self and through loving ardor for God it is possible to maintain a union with the divine in which the human self melts away.
A Sufi student enters the faith by seeking a teacher. Sufism emphasises a strong relationship between the seeker and the teacher. To be considered legitimate by the Sufi community, the teacher, must have received the authorization to teach (ijazah) from another Master of the Way, in an unbroken succession (silsilah) leading back to Muhammad. To the Sufi, it is the transmission of divine light from the teacher's heart to the heart of the student, rather than worldly knowledge, that allows the adept to progress. They further believe that the teacher should attempt to inerrantly follow the Divine Law.
According to Moojan Momen "one of the most important doctrines of Sufism is the concept of the "Perfect Man" (al-Insan al-Kamil). This doctrine states that there will always exist upon the earth a "Qutb" (Pole or Axis, of the Universe)—a man who is the perfect channel of grace from God to man and in a state of wilaya (sanctity, being under the protection of God). The concept of the Sufi Qutb is similar to that of the Shi'i Imam. However, this belief puts Sufism in "direct conflict" with Shi'ism, since both the Qutb (who for most Sufi orders is the head of the order) and the Imam fulfill the role of "the purveyor of spiritual guidance and of God's grace to mankind". The vow of obedience to the Shaykh or Qutb which is taken by Sufis is considered incompatible with devotion to the Imam".
As a further example, the prospective adherent of the Mevlevi Order would have been ordered to serve in the kitchens of a hospice for the poor for 1,001 days prior to being accepted for spiritual instruction, and a further 1,001 days in solitary retreat as a precondition of completing that instruction.
Some teachers, especially when addressing more general audiences, or mixed groups of Muslims and non-Muslims, make extensive use of parable, allegory, and metaphor. Although approaches to teaching vary among different Sufi orders, Sufism as a whole is primarily concerned with direct personal experience, and as such has sometimes been compared to other, non-Islamic forms of mysticism (e.g., as in the books of Hossein Nasr).
Many Sufi believe that to reach the highest levels of success in Sufism typically requires that the disciple live with and serve the teacher for a large period of time. An example is the folk story about Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, who gave his name to the Naqshbandi Order. He is believed to have served his first teacher, Sayyid Muhammad Baba As-Samasi, for 20 years, until as-Samasi died. He is said to then have served several other teachers for lengthy periods of time. He is said to have helped the poorer members of the community for many years and after this concluded his teacher directed him to care for animals cleaning their wounds, and assisting them.
Eminent Sufis such as
Practitioners of Sufism hold that in its early stages of development Sufism effectively referred to nothing more than the internalization of Islam. According to one perspective, it is directly from the Qur'an, constantly recited, meditated, and experienced, that Sufism proceeded, in its origin and its development. Others have held that Sufism is the strict emulation of the way of Muhammad, through which the heart's connection to the Divine is strengthened.
According to Marshall Hodgson, the Muslim conquests had brought large numbers of Christian monks and hermits, especially in Syria and Egypt, under the rule of Muslims. They retained a vigorous spiritual life for centuries after the conquests, and many of the especially pious Muslims who founded Sufism were influenced by their techniques and methods. However, others disagree with this view by asserting Sufism to be unique within the confines of the Islamic religion and contend that Sufism developed from devout followers of Islam, like Bayazid Bastami who in his utmost reverence to the Sunnah refused to eat a watermelon as he did not find any proof that the prophet Muhammad ever ate it. According to late Medieval mystic Jami, Abd-Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah was the first person to be called a "Sufi".
Important contributions in writing are attributed to Uwais al-Qarni, Harrm bin Hian, Hasan Basri and Sayid ibn al-Mussib. Ruwaym, from the second generation of Sufis in Baghdad, was also an influential early figure, as was Junayd of Baghdad; a number of early practitioners of Sufism were disciples of one of the two.
Sufism had a long history already before the subsequent institutionalization of Sufi teachings into devotional orders (tarîqât) in the early Middle Ages. The Naqshbandi order is a notable exception to general rule of orders tracing their spiritual lineage through Muhammad's grandsons, as it traces the origin of its teachings from Muhammad to the first Islamic Caliph, Abu Bakr.
Formalization of doctrine
Towards the end of the first millennium CE, a number of manuals began to be written summarizing the doctrines of Sufism and describing some typical Sufi practices. Two of the most famous of these are now available in English translation: the Kashf al-Mahjûb of Hujwiri, and the Risâla of Qushayri.
Two of Imam Al Ghazali's greatest treatises, the "Revival of Religious Sciences" and the "Alchemy of Happiness", argued that Sufism originated from the Qur'an and thus was compatible with mainstream Islamic thought, and did not in any way contradict Islamic Law—being instead necessary to its complete fulfillment. This became the mainstream position among Islamic scholars for centuries, challenged only recently on the basis of selective use of a limited body of texts. Ongoing efforts by both traditionally trained Muslim scholars and Western academics are making Imam Al-Ghazali's works available in English translation for the first time, allowing English-speaking readers to judge for themselves the compatibility of Islamic Law and Sufi doctrine. Several sections of the Revival of Religious Sciences have been published in translation by the Islamic Texts Society. The Alchemy of Happiness has been published in a complete translation by Claud Field (ISBN 978-0935782288), and presents the argument of the much larger Revival of Religious Sciences in summary form.
Growth of influence
The rise of Islamic civilization coincides strongly with the spread of Sufi philosophy in Islam. The spread of Sufism has been considered a definitive factor in the spread of Islam, and in the creation of integrally Islamic cultures, especially in Africa and Asia. The Senussi tribes of Libya and Sudan are one of the strongest adherents of Sufism. Sufi poets and philosophers such as Khoja Akhmet Yassawi, Rumi and Attar of Nishapur (c. 1145 – c. 1221) greatly enhanced the spread of Islamic culture in Anatolia, Central Asia, and South Asia. Sufism also played a role in creating and propagating the culture of the Ottoman world, and in resisting European imperialism in North Africa and South Asia.
Between the 13th and 16th centuries CE, Sufism produced a flourishing intellectual culture throughout the Islamic world, a "Golden Age" whose physical artifacts survive. In many places a pious foundation would endow a lodge (known variously as a zaouia, khanqah, or tekke) in perpetuity (waqf) to provide a gathering place for Sufi adepts, as well as lodging for itinerant seekers of knowledge. The same system of endowments could also pay for a complex of buildings, such as that surrounding the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, including a lodge for Sufi seekers, a hospice with kitchens where these seekers could serve the poor and/or complete a period of initiation, a library, and other structures. No important domain in the civilization of Islam remained unaffected by Sufism in this period.
Current Sufi orders include Azeemia, Alians, Bektashi Order, Mevlevi Order, Ba 'Alawiyya, Chishti, Jerrahi, Naqshbandi, Nimatullahi, Qadiriyyah, Qalandariyya, Sarwari Qadiri, Shadhiliyya, Suhrawardiyya, Ashrafia, Saifiah (Naqshbandiah) and Uwaisi (Oveyssi). The relationship of Sufi orders to modern societies is usually defined by their relationship to governments.
Turkey and Persia together have been a center for many Sufi lineages and orders. The Bektashi was closely affiliated with the Ottoman Janissary and is the heart of Turkey's large and mostly liberal Alevi population. It has been spread westwards to Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bosnia, Kosovo and more recently to the USA (via Albania). Most Sufi Orders have influences from pre-Islamic traditions such as Pythagoreanism, but the Turkic Sufi traditions (including Alians, Bektashi and Mevlevi) also have traces of the ancient Tengrism shamanism.
Sufism is popular in such African countries as Morocco and Senegal, where it is seen as a mystical expression of Islam. Sufism is traditional in Morocco but has seen a growing revival with the renewal of Sufism around contemporary spiritual teachers such as Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutshishi. Mbacke suggests that one reason Sufism has taken hold in Senegal is because it can accommodate local beliefs and customs, which tend toward the mystical.
The life of the Algerian Sufi master Emir Abd al-Qadir is instructive in this regard. Notable as well are the lives of Amadou Bamba and Hajj Umar Tall in sub-Saharan Africa, and Sheikh Mansur Ushurma and Imam Shamil in the Caucasus region. In the twentieth century some more modernist Muslims have called Sufism a superstitious religion that holds back Islamic achievement in the fields of science and technology.
A number of Westerners have embarked with varying degrees of success on the path of Sufism. One of the first to return to Europe as an official representative of a Sufi order, and with the specific purpose to spread Sufism in Western Europe, was the Swedish-born wandering Sufi Abd al-Hadi Aqhili (also known as Ivan Aguéli). René Guénon, the French scholar, became a Sufi in the early twentieth century and was known as Sheikh Abdul Wahid Yahya. His manifold writings defined the practice of Sufism as the essence of Islam but also pointed to the universality of its message. Other spiritualists, such as G. I. Gurdjieff, may or may not conform to the tenets of Sufism as understood by orthodox Muslims.
Other noteworthy Sufi teachers who have been active in the West in recent years include Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Inayat Khan, Nazim Al-Haqqani, Javad Nurbakhsh, Bulent Rauf, Irina Tweedie, Idries Shah, Muzaffer Ozak, Nahid Angha and Ali Kianfar.
Traditional Islamic scholars have recognized two major branches within the practice of Sufism, and use this as one key to differentiating among the approaches of different masters and devotional lineages.
On the one hand there is the order from the signs to the Signifier (or from the arts to the Artisan). In this branch, the seeker begins by purifying the lower self of every corrupting influence that stands in the way of recognizing all of creation as the work of God, as God's active Self-disclosure or theophany. This is the way of Imam Al-Ghazali and of the majority of the Sufi orders.
On the other hand there is the order from the Signifier to His signs, from the Artisan to His works. In this branch the seeker experiences divine attraction (jadhba), and is able to enter the order with a glimpse of its endpoint, of direct apprehension of the Divine Presence towards which all spiritual striving is directed. This does not replace the striving to purify the heart, as in the other branch; it simply stems from a different point of entry into the path. This is the way primarily of the masters of the Naqshbandi and Shadhili orders.
Contemporary scholars may also recognize a third branch, attributed to the late Ottoman scholar Said Nursi and explicated in his vast Qur'an commentary called the Risale-i Nur. This approach entails strict adherence to the way of Muhammad, in the understanding that this wont, or sunnah, proposes a complete devotional spirituality adequate to those without access to a master of the Sufi way.
Contributions to other domains of scholarship
Sufism has contributed significantly to the elaboration of theoretical perspectives in many domains of intellectual endeavor. For instance, the doctrine of "subtle centers" or centers of subtle cognition (known as Lataif-e-sitta) addresses the matter of the awakening of spiritual intuition in ways that some consider similar to certain models of chakra in Hinduism. In general, these subtle centers or latâ'if are thought of as faculties that are to be purified sequentially in order to bring the seeker's wayfaring to completion. A concise and useful summary of this system from a living exponent of this tradition has been published by Muhammad Emin Er.
Sufi psychology has influenced many areas of thinking both within and outside of Islam, drawing primarily upon three concepts. Ja'far al-Sadiq (both an imam in the Shia tradition and a respected scholar and link in chains of Sufi transmission in all Islamic sects) held that human beings are dominated by a lower self called the nafs, a faculty of spiritual intuition called the qalb or spiritual heart, and a spirit or soul called ruh. These interact in various ways, producing the spiritual types of the tyrant (dominated by nafs), the person of faith and moderation (dominated by the spiritual heart), and the person lost in love for God (dominated by the ruh).
Of note with regard to the spread of Sufi psychology in the West is Robert Frager, a Sufi teacher authorized in the Khalwati Jerrahi order. Frager was a trained psychologist, born in the United States, who converted to Islam in the course of his practice of Sufism and wrote extensively on Sufism and psychology.
The devotional practices of Sufis vary widely. This is because an acknowledged and authorized master of the Sufi path is in effect a physician of the heart, able to diagnose the seeker's impediments to knowledge and pure intention in serving God, and to prescribe to the seeker a course of treatment appropriate to his or her maladies. The consensus among Sufi scholars is that the seeker cannot self-diagnose, and that it can be extremely harmful to undertake any of these practices alone and without formal authorization.
Prerequisites to practice include rigorous adherence to Islamic norms (ritual prayer in its five prescribed times each day, the fast of Ramadan, and so forth). Additionally, the seeker ought to be firmly grounded in supererogatory practices known from the life of Muhammad (such as the "sunna prayers"). This is in accordance with the words, attributed to God, of the following, a famous Hadith Qudsi:
My servant draws near to Me through nothing I love more than that which I have made obligatory for him. My servant never ceases drawing near to Me through supererogatory works until I love him. Then, when I love him, I am his hearing through which he hears, his sight through which he sees, his hand through which he grasps, and his foot through which he walks.
It is also necessary for the seeker to have a correct creed (Aqidah), and to embrace with certainty its tenets. The seeker must also, of necessity, turn away from sins, love of this world, the love of company and renown, obedience to satanic impulse, and the promptings of the lower self. (The way in which this purification of the heart is achieved is outlined in certain books, but must be prescribed in detail by a Sufi master.) The seeker must also be trained to prevent the corruption of those good deeds which have accrued to his or her credit by overcoming the traps of ostentation, pride, arrogance, envy, and long hopes (meaning the hope for a long life allowing us to mend our ways later, rather than immediately, here and now).
Sufi practices, while attractive to some, are not a means for gaining knowledge. The traditional scholars of Sufism hold it as absolutely axiomatic that knowledge of God is not a psychological state generated through breath control. Thus, practice of "techniques" is not the cause, but instead the occasion for such knowledge to be obtained (if at all), given proper prerequisites and proper guidance by a master of the way. Furthermore, the emphasis on practices may obscure a far more important fact: The seeker is, in a sense, to become a broken person, stripped of all habits through the practice of (in the words of Imam Al-Ghazali) solitude, silence, sleeplessness, and hunger.
Magic has also been a part of Sufi practice, notably in India. The most famous of all Sufis, Mansur Al-Hallaj (d. 922), visited Sindh in order to study "Indian Magic", where he accepted Hindu ideas of cosmogony and divine descent and also seems to have believed in the Transmigration of the soul. The practice of magic intensified during the declining years of Sufism in India when the Sufi orders grew steadily in wealth and in political influence while their spirituality gradually declined and they concentrated on Saint worship, miracle working, magic and superstition.
Dhikr is the remembrance of God commanded in the Qur'an for all Muslims through a specific devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature and the Qur'an. More generally, dhikr takes a wide range and various layers of meaning. This includes dhikr as any activity in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God. To engage in dhikr is to practice consciousness of the Divine Presence and love, or "to seek a state of godwariness". The Qur'an refers to Muhammad as the very embodiment of dhikr of God (65:10–11). Some types of dhikr are prescribed for all Muslims and do not require Sufi initiation or the prescription of a Sufi master because they are deemed to be good for every seeker under every circumstance.
Some Sufi orders engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies, or sema. Sema includes various forms of worship such as: recitation, singing (the most well known being the Qawwali music of the Indian subcontinent), instrumental music, dance (most famously the Sufi whirling of the Mevlevi order), incense, meditation, ecstasy, and trance.
Some Sufi orders stress and place extensive reliance upon Dhikr. This practice of Dhikr is called Dhikr-e-Qulb (invocation of God within the heartbeats). The basic idea in this practice is to visualize the Arabic name of God, Allah, as having been written on the disciple's heart.
The practice of muraqaba can be likened to the practices of meditation attested in many faith communities. The word muraqaba is derived from the same root (r-q-b) occurring as one of the 99 Names of God in the Qur'an, al-Raqîb, meaning "the Vigilant" and attested in verse 4:1 of the Qur'an. Through muraqaba, a person watches over or takes care of the spiritual heart, acquires knowledge about it, and becomes attuned to the Divine Presence, which is ever vigilant.
While variation exists, one description of the practice within a Naqshbandi lineage reads as follows:
He is to collect all of his bodily senses in concentration, and to cut himself off from all preoccupation and notions that inflict themselves upon the heart. And thus he is to turn his full consciousness towards God Most High while saying three times: "Ilahî anta maqsûdî wa-ridâka matlûbî—my God, you are my Goal and Your good pleasure is what I seek". Then he brings to his heart the Name of the Essence—Allâh—and as it courses through his heart he remains attentive to its meaning, which is "Essence without likeness". The seeker remains aware that He is Present, Watchful, Encompassing of all, thereby exemplifying the meaning of his saying (may God bless him and grant him peace): "Worship God as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you". And likewise the prophetic tradition: "The most favored level of faith is to know that God is witness over you, wherever you may be".
In popular Sufism (i.e., devotional practices that have achieved currency in world cultures through Sufi influence), one common practice is to visit or make pilgrimages to the tombs of saints, great scholars, and righteous people. This is a particularly common practice in South Asia, where famous tombs include those of Khoja Afāq, near Kashgar, in China; Lal Shahbaz Qalander, in Sindh,Ali Hajwari in Lahore Bawaldin Zikrya in Multan Pakistan; Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, India; Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi, India, and Shah Jalal in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Likewise, in Fez, Morocco, a popular destination for such pious visitation is the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II and the yearly visitation to see the current Sheikh of the Qadiri Boutchichi Tariqah, Sheikh Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutchichi to celebrate the Mawlid (which is usually televised on Moroccan National television). The purpose of such visitations is usually two-fold, first and foremost the aim is to receive spiritual guidance and blessings from the Saint who rests in the shrine, which helps the Seeker in his or her own path towards enlightenment. Secondly, the Saint is also approached for intercession in prayers, be it in worldly matters or religious.
Sufis and Sufism has been subject to destruction of Sufi shrines and mosques, suppression of orders, and discrimination against adherents in a number of Muslim countries where most Sufis live. The Turkish Republican state banned all the different Sufi orders and closed their institutions in 1925 after Sufis opposed the new secular order. The Iranian Islamic Republic has harassed Shia Sufi, reportedly for their lack of support for the government doctrine of "velayat-e faqih" (i.e., that the supreme Shiite jurist should be the nation's political leader). In most other Muslim countries, attacks on Sufis and especially their shrines has come from some Muslims from the more puritanical schools of thought who believe Sufi practices such as celebration of the birthdays of Sufi saints, and Dhikr ("remembrance" of God) ceremonies are Bid‘ah or impure innovation, and polytheistic (Shirk).
During the Safavid era of Iran, "both the wandering dervishes of 'low' Sufism" and "the philosopher-ulama of 'high' Sufism came under relentless pressure" from power cleric Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (d1110/1699). Majlisi—"one of the most powerful and influential" Twelver Shi'a ulama "of all time"—was famous for (among other things), suppression of Sufism, which he and his followers believed paid insufficient attention to Shariah law. Prior to Majlisi's rise, Shiism and Sufism had been "closely linked".
According to a 2005 article in The Guardian:
Before the first world war there were almost 100,000 disciples of the Mevlevi order throughout the Ottoman empire. But in 1925, as part of his desire to create a modern, western-orientated, secular state, Atatürk banned all the different Sufi orders and closed their tekkes. Pious foundations were suspended and their endowments expropriated; Sufi hospices were closed and their contents seized; all religious titles were abolished and dervish clothes outlawed. [...] In 1937, Atatürk went even further, prohibiting by law any form of traditional music, especially the playing of the ney, the Sufis' reed flute.
In recent years, Sufi shrines, and sometimes Sufi mosques, have been damaged or destroyed in many parts of the Muslim world. Some Sufi adherents have been killed as well. Ali Gomaa, a Sufi scholar and Grand Mufti of Al Azhar, has criticized the destruction of shrines and public property as unacceptable.
Since March 2005, 209 people have been killed and 560 injured in 29 different terrorist attacks targeting shrines devoted to Sufi saints in Pakistan, according to data compiled by the Center for Islamic Research Collaboration and Learning (CIRCLe). At least as of 2010, the attacks have increased each year. The attacks are generally attributed to banned militant organizations of
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- An Introduction to Shiʻi Islam: The History and Doctrines of Shi'i Page 209
- See Muhammad Emin Er, Laws of the Heart: A Practical Introduction to the Sufi Path, Shifâ Publishers, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9815196-1-6, for a detailed description of the practices and preconditions of this sort of spiritual retreat.
- See examples provided by Muzaffar Ozak in Irshad: Wisdom of a Sufi Master, addressed to a general audience rather than specifically to his own students.
- Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, Classical Islam and the Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition, ISBN 978-1-930409-23-1
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- The most recent version of the Risâla is the translation of Alexander Knysh, Al-Qushayri's Epistle on Sufism: Al-risala Al-qushayriyya Fi 'ilm Al-tasawwuf (ISBN 978-1859641866). Earlier translations include a partial version by Rabia Terri Harris (Sufi Book of Spiritual Ascent) and complete versions by Harris, and Barbara R. Von Schlegell.
- For the pre-modern era, see Vincent J. Cornell, Realm of the Saint: Power and Authority in Moroccan Sufism, ISBN 978-0-292-71209-6; and for the colonial era, Knut Vikyr, Sufi and Scholar on the Desert Edge: Muhammad B. Oali Al-Sanusi and His Brotherhood, ISBN 978-0-8101-1226-1.
- Leonard Lewisohn, The Legacy of Medieval Persian Sufism, Khaniqahi-Nimatullahi Publications, 1992.
- Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Islam: Religion, History, and Civilization, HarperSanFrancisco, 2003. (Ch. 1)
- Dina Le Gall, A Culture of Sufism: Naqshbandis in the Ottoman World, 1450–1700, ISBN 978-0-7914-6245-4.
- Arthur F. Buehler, Sufi Heirs of the Prophet: The Indian Naqshbandiyya and the Rise of the Mediating Sufi Shaykh, ISBN 978-1-57003-783-2.
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- Sufism and Religious Brotherhoods in Senegal, Khadim Mbacke, translated from the French by Eric Ross and edited by John Hunwick. Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener, 2005.
- See in particular the biographical introduction to Michel Chodkiewicz, The Spiritual Writings of Amir Abd Al-Kader, ISBN 978-0-7914-2446-9.
- From the article on Sufism in Oxford Islamic Studies Online
- Muhammad Emin Er, Laws of the Heart: A Practical Introduction to the Sufi Order, Shifâ Publishers, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9815196-1-6
- For a systematic description of the diseases of the heart that are to be overcome in order for this perspective to take root, see Hamza Yusuf, Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart, ISBN 978-1-929694-15-0.
- Concerning this, and for an excellent discussion of the concept of attraction (jadhba), see especially the Introduction to Abdullah Nur ad-Din Durkee, The School of the Shadhdhuliyyah, Volume One: Orisons, ISBN 977-00-1830-9.
- Muhammad Emin Er, al-Wasilat al-Fasila, unpublished MS.
- Realities of The Heart Lataif
- Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam, ISBN 978-0-8078-1271-6 .
- See especially Robert Frager, Heart, Self & Soul: The Sufi Psychology of Growth, Balance, and Harmony, ISBN 978-0-8356-0778-0.
- Hakim Moinuddin Chisti, The Book of Sufi Healing, ISBN 978-0-89281-043-7
- For an introduction to the normative creed of Islam as espoused by the consensus of scholars, see Hamza Yusuf, The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi, ISBN 978-0-9702843-9-6, and Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Maghnisawi, Imam Abu Hanifa's Al-Fiqh Al-Akbar Explained, ISBN 978-1-933764-03-0.
- The meaning of certainty in this context is emphasized in Muhammad Emin Er, The Soul of Islam: Essential Doctrines and Beliefs, Shifâ Publishers, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9815196-0-9.
- See in particular the introduction by T. J. Winter to Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali, Al-Ghazali on Disciplining the Soul and on Breaking the Two Desires: Books XXII and XXIII of the Revival of the Religious Sciences, ISBN 978-0-946621-43-9.
- Akbar Ahmed, Diiscovering Islam, Making sense of Muslim History and Society,ISBN 0-415-28525-9(Pbk)
- Klaus K. Klostermaier, A Survey of Hinduism, ISBN 978-0-7914-7082-4 (Pbk)
- Abdullah Jawadi Amuli, "Dhikr and the Wisdom Behind It"
- Hakim Moinuddin Chisti The Book of Sufi Healing, ISBN 978-0-89281-043-7
- Naqshbandi Way of Dhikr
- Touma 1996, p.162
- What is Remembrance and what is Contemplation?
- Muhammad Emin Er, Laws of the Heart: A Practical Introduction to the Sufi Path, ISBN 978-0-9815196-1-6, p. 77.
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- a think-tank based in Rawalpindi
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- John R. Schmidt states, "although most Deobandis are no more prone to violence than their Christian fundamentalist counterparts in the West, every jihadist group based in Pakistan save one is Deobandi, as are the Afghan Taliban". The Unraveling: Pakistan in the Age of Jihad | John R. Schmidt| 2011
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- Chakrabarty, Rakhi (Dec 4, 2011). "Sufis strike back". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
Researcher Amir Rana (a researcher and editor quarterly research journal Conflict and Peace Studies. What is young Pakistan thinking?) claims than Deobandi themselves are often Sufi, as "). Maulana Qasim Nomani, the Rector of Deobandi seminary Darul Uloom Deoband has denied either that his school is anti-sufi or promotes militancy, stating Deoband scholars like Ashraf Ali Thanwi, and others were Sufi saints as well and they had their Khanqahs (Sufi hospice).
Who said we are against Sufism? We very much follow the Sufi traditions and all of our elders were Sufi practitioners of Sufi tradition (source: Ali, Md. "Deoband hits back, rejects "baseless" charge of radicalizing Muslim youth". 19 October 2011. TwoCircles.net. Retrieved 4 March 2013.)According to the Jamestown Foundation, Deobandi have also been victims of sectarian strife.
Scores of Deobandi leaders and members of Ahle Sunnat wal Jamat (ASWJ, formerly the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan) have been assassinated in Karachi in recent years. Police sources say that the Sunni Tehrik, a Barelvi organization, is behind most of these assassinations. (source: Jamal, Arif. "Karachi's Deadly Political and Sectarian Warfare Threatens the Stability of Pakistan's Commercial Capital". Terrorism Monitor April 20, 2012. Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 4 March 2013.)
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- Bari Imam blast: Masterminds belong to LJ linked group By Shahzad Malik| 14 June 2005
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- PESHAWAR: Another faith healer shot dead in Peshawar| By Ali Hazrat Bacha| dawn.com| 18 February 2009
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- Terrorism Monitor Brief, March 19, 2009
- And now Sunni vs Sunni Riaz ul Hassan| circa July 2010
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- Express Tribune, June 22, 2010
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- "Clashes follow fire at Kashmir Sufi shrine". BBC News. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- Rana, Amir. "Kashmir: Sufi and Wahabbi Islam in Conflict". Pulitzer Center. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- Ahmad, Mukhtar (June 25, 2012). "Fire destroys historic shrine, triggering anger in Kashmir". CNN. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- "Libya and Mali: Salafi Islamists destroying shrines courtesy of Saudi Arabia and Qatar". Modern Tokyo Times. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- Al Shabab of Somalia Destroy the Graves of Sufi Saints
- Timbuktu's Destruction: Why Islamists Are Wrecking Mali's Cultural Heritage| By Ishaan Tharoor|time.com| July 02, 2012
- "Sufism and Salafism, Mali's deep religious divide". Theafricareport.com. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
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- Van den Bos, M. 2002. Mystic Regimes. Sufism and the State in Iran, from the late Qajar era to the Islamic Republic (Social, economic and political studies of the Middle East and Asia 83). Leiden: Brill.
- Esfandiari, Golnaz. "Wednesday, February 27, 2013 Features Sufism Under Attack In Iran". February 27, 2013. rferl.org. Retrieved 27 Feb 2013.
- United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (May 2009). "Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom: Iran". USG. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
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- Muhammad Emin Er, The Soul of Islam: Essential Doctrines and Beliefs, Shifâ Publishers, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9815196-0-9.
- Annemarie Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam (1975) pg. 99
- (source: [pp. 778–795 of The Reliance of the Traveller, by Shaykh Nuh Ha Meem Keller])
- The Amman Message Summary. Retrieved on Feb 2, 2010.
- Neo-Sufism: The Case of Idries Shah
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- K. al-Wasa'il, quoted in The Unlimited Mercifier, Stephen Hirtenstein, p. 246
- Memoirs of the Saints, p.108
- Ron Geaves, Theodore Gabriel, Yvonne Haddad, Jane Idleman Smith: Islam and the West Post 9/11, Ashgate Publishing Ltd., p. 67
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- A Sufi-Jewish Dialogue: Philosophy and Mysticism in Bahya ibn Paquda's Duties of the Heart, Diana Lobel
- Jewish pietism of the Sufi type, Mireille Loubet
- Zeeshan Jawed (4 June 2005). "Soundscape for the soul".
- Bageshree S. (26 March 2005). "Urban balladeer".
- Curiel, Jonathan (February 6, 2005). "Islamic verses: The influence of Muslim literature in the United States has grown stronger since the Sept. 11 attacks". San Francisco Chronicle
- "Sufi faithful raise a stink over sultry Roberto Cavalli perfume ads starring Georgia May Jagger". NY Daily News. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- Dala'il al-Khayrat
- Index of Sufism-related articles
- Rahe Bhander Ennoble Award
- Tawassul, a religious practice in which a Muslim seeks nearness to God.
- Universal Sufi Festival
The Golden Chain of the Naqshbandiyya order
Sufi mosque in Srinagar India.
Wali tomb, south of Karima, Sudan
Pir Dastgir from the Mughal Empire.
Roberto Cavalli caused offence to thousands of Sufis by exploiting the Islamic Sufi Oveyssi-Shahmaghsoudi order's symbol in his designer commodities.
Roberto Cavalli caused offence to thousands of Sufis by exploiting the Oveyssi-Shahmaghsoudi order's symmbol.
- Habib Munzir Al-Musawa (1973–2013) – Indonesia
- Muhammad Abdul Aleem Siddiqi (1892–1954) – Singapore
- Muhammad Ma Jian (1906–1978) – China
- Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas (b. 1931) – Malaysia
Eastern and Central Asia
- Waris Ali Shah (1819-1905) -India
- Ahmed Ullah Maizbhanderi (1826–1906) – Bangladesh
- Ahmed Raza Khan (1856–1921) – India
- Akhtar Raza Khan (b. 1943) – India
- Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi (b. 1927) – Pakistan
- Meher Ali Shah (1859–1937) – Pakistan
- Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi (1911-1970) - Pakistan
- Muhammad Abdul Qadeer Siddiqi Qadri (1871–1962) – India
- Muhammad Akram Awan (b.1934) - Pakistan
- Muhammad Ilyas Qadri (b. 1950) – Pakistan
- Qalandar Baba Auliya (1898–1979) – Pakistan
- Qamaruzzaman Azmi (b. 1946) – India
- Wahid Baksh Sial Rabbani (?–1995) – Pakistan
- Shah Shahidullah Faridi (1915–1978) – Pakistan
- Syed Muhammad Zauqi Shah (1878–1951) – Pakistan
- Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (1829–1905) – India
- Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki (1817–1899) – India
- Saheb Qiblah Fultali (1913–2008) – Bangladesh
- Syed Waheed Ashraf (b. 1933) – India
- Tajuddin Muhammad Badruddin (1861-1925) – India
- Thaika Shuaib (b. 1930) – India
- Omer Tarin (b. 1966)- Pakistan
- Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (1951)- Pakistan
- Shaykh Fasehullah Shah
- Ali Kianfar (b. 1944) – United States
- Ahmed Tijani Ben Omar (b. 1950) – United States
- Hamza Yusuf (b. 1960) – United States
- Hisham Kabbani (b. 1945) – United States
- Hossein Nasr (b. 1933) – United States
- Kabir Helminski (b. 1942) – United States
- M. A. Muqtedar Khan (b. 1966) – United States
- Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy (b. 1966) – United States
- Nahid Angha (b. 1945) – United States
- Nooruddeen Durkee (b. 1938) – United States
- Zaid Shakir (b. 1956) – United States
- Hüseyin Hilmi Işık (1911–2001) – Turkey
- Nazim Al-Haqqani (b. 1922) – Turkey
- Said Afandi al-Chirkawi (1937–2012) – Dagestan
- Said Nursî (1878–1960) – Turkey
- Abdal Hakim Murad (b. 1960) – United Kingdom
- Ahmed Babikir – United Kingdom
- Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998) – Switzerland
- Idries Shah (1924–1996) – United Kingdom
- Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee (b. 1953) – United Kingdom
- Martin Lings (1909–2005) – United Kingdom
- Muhammad Imdad Hussain Pirzada (b. 1946) – United Kingdom
- Abdalqadir as-Sufi (b. 1930) – South Africa
- Ahmad Tijani Ali Cisse (b. 1955) – Senegal
- Amadou Bamba (1853–1927) – Senegal
- Hassan Cissé (1945–2008) – Senegal
West, Central and Southern Africa
- Abd al-Hamid Kishk (1933–1996) – Egypt
- Ahmad al-Alawi (1869–1934) – Algeria
- Ahmed el-Tayeb (b. 1946) – Egypt
- Ali Gomaa (b. 1951) – Egypt
- Muhammad ibn al-Habib (1876–1972) – Morocco
- Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy (1928–2010) – Egypt
- Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam – Egypt
- Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri (1912–2004) – Syria
- Muhammad al-Yaqoubi (b. 1963) – Syria
- Nuh Ha Mim Keller (b. 1954) – Jordan
- Wahba Zuhayli (b. 1932) – Syria
- Yusuf an-Nabhani (1849–1932) – Palestine
- Abdallah Bin Bayyah (b. 1935) – Saudi Arabia
- Habib Ali al-Jifri (b. 1971) – Yemen
- Habib (b. 1962) – Yemen
- Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki (1944–2004) – Saudi Arabia
Modern and contemporary Sufi scholars
The Persian poet Rumi has become one of the most widely read poets in the United States, thanks largely to the interpretative translations published by Coleman Barks. Elif Safak's novel The Forty Rules of Love tells the story of Rumi becoming a disciple of the Persian Sufi dervish Shams Tabrizi.
British folk singer Richard Thompson is a long-time Sufi.
Mercan Dede is a Turkish composer who incorporates Sufism into his music and performances.
Singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt's record The Mask and Mirror (1994) has a song called "The Mystic's Dream" that is influenced by Sufi music and poetry. The band mewithoutYou has made references to Sufi parables, including the name of their album It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright (2009). Tori Amos makes a reference to Sufis in her song "Cruel".
Madonna, on her 1994 record Bedtime Stories, sings a song called "Bedtime Story" that discusses achieving a high unconsciousness level. The video for the song shows an ecstatic Sufi ritual with many dervishes dancing, Arabic calligraphy and some other Sufi elements. In her 1998 song "Bittersweet", she recites Rumi's poem by the same name. In her 2001 Drowned World Tour, Madonna sang the song "Secret" showing rituals from many religions, including a Sufi dance.
A. R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning Indian musician, has several compositions which draw inspiration from the Sufi genre; examples are the filmi qawwalis Khwaja Mere Khwaja in the film Jodhaa Akbar, Arziyan in the film Delhi 6 and Kun Faya Kun in the film Rockstar.
Abida Parveen, a Pakistani Sufi singer is one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music, together with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are considered the finest Sufi vocalists of the modern era. Sanam Marvi another Pakistani singer has recently gained recognition for her Sufi vocal performances.
- The Jewel of the Nile (1985), the eponymous Jewel is a Sufi holy man.
- In Hideous Kinky (1998), Julia (Kate Winslet) travels to Morocco to explore Sufism and a journey to self-discovery.
- In Monsieur Ibrahim (2003), Omar Sharif's character professes to be a Muslim in the Sufi tradition.
- Bab'Aziz (2005), a film by Tunisian director Nacer Khemir, draws heavily on the Sufi tradition, containing quotes from Sufi poets such as Rumi and depicting an ecstatic Sufi dance.
In popular culture
The Maimonidean legacy extended right through to the 15th century with the 5th generation of Maimonidean Sufis, David ben Joshua Maimonides, who wrote Al-Murshid ila al-Tafarrud (The Guide to Detachment), which includes numerous extracts of Suhrawardi's Kalimat at-Tasawwuf.
Abraham Maimuni's two sons, Obadyah and David, continued to lead this Jewish-Sufi brotherhood. Obadyah Maimonides wrote Al-Mawala Al Hawdiyya ("The Treatise of the Pool")—an ethico-mystical manual based on the typically Sufi comparison of the heart to a pool that must be cleansed before it can experience the Divine.
The followers of this path, which they called, interchangeably, Hasidism (not to confuse with the latter Jewish Hasidic movement) or Sufism (Tasawwuf), practiced spiritual retreats, solitude, fasting and sleep deprivation. The Jewish Sufis maintained their own brotherhood, guided by a religious leader—like a Sufi sheikh.
Abraham Maimuni's principal work is originally composed in Judeo-Arabic and entitled "כתאב כפאיה אלעאבדין" Kitāb Kifāyah al-'Ābidīn ("A Comprehensive Guide for the Servants of God"). From the extant surviving portion it is conjectured that Maimuni's treatise was three times as long as his father's Guide for the Perplexed. In the book, Maimuni evidences a great appreciation for, and affinity to, Sufism. Followers of his path continued to foster a Jewish-Sufi form of pietism for at least a century, and he is rightly considered the founder of this pietistic school, which was centered in Egypt.
Abraham ben Moses ben Maimon, the son of the Jewish philosopher Maimonides, believed that Sufi practices and doctrines continue the tradition of the Biblical prophets. See Sefer Hammaspiq, "Happerishuth", Chapter 11 ("Ha-mmaʿaḇāq") s.v. hithbonen efo be-masoreth mufla'a zo, citing the Talmudic explanation of Jeremiah 13:27 in Chagigah 5b; in Rabbi Yaakov Wincelberg's translation, "The Way of Serving God" (Feldheim), p. 429 and above, p. 427. Also see ibid., Chapter 10 ("Iqquḇim"), s.v. wa-halo yoḏeʾaʿ atta; in "The Way of Serving God", p. 371. There are other such references in Rabbi Abraham's writings, as well. He introduced into the Jewish prayer such practices as reciting God's names (dhikr).
- 1. of "Shari'ah", i.e., of strict obedience to all ritual laws of Islam, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, ablution, etc., which is the lowest degree of worship, and is attainable by all
- 2. of Ṭariqah, which is accessible only to a higher class of men who, while strictly adhering to the outward or ceremonial injunctions of religion, rise to an inward perception of mental power and virtue necessary for the nearer approach to the Divinity
- 3. of "Ḥaḳikah", the degree attained by those who, through continuous contemplation and inward devotion, have risen to the true perception of the nature of the visible and invisible; who, in fact, have recognized the Godhead, and through this knowledge have succeeded in establishing an ecstatic relation to it; and
- 4. of the "Ma'arifah", in which state man communicates directly with the Deity.
The Jewish writer Abraham bar Ḥiyya teaches the asceticism of the Sufis. His distinction with regard to the observance of Jewish law by various classes of men is essentially a Sufic theory. According to it there are four principal degrees of human perfection or sanctity; namely:
It is noteworthy that in the ethical writings of the Sufis Al-Kusajri and Al-Harawi there are sections which treat of the same subjects as those treated in the "Ḥovot ha-Lebabot" and which bear the same titles: e.g., "Bab al-Tawakkul"; "Bab al-Taubah"; "Bab al-Muḥasabah"; "Bab al-Tawaḍu'"; "Bab al-Zuhd". In the ninth gate, Baḥya directly quotes sayings of the Sufis, whom he calls Perushim. However, the author of the Ḥōḇōṯ Ha-lleḇāḇōṯ did not go so far as to approve of the asceticism of the Sufis, although he showed a marked predilection for their ethical principles.. The arrangement of the book seems to have been inspired by Sufism. Its ten sections correspond to the ten stages through which the Sufi had to pass in order to attain that true and passionate love of God which is the aim and goal of all ethical self-discipline. A considerable amount of Sufi ideas entered the Jewish mainstream through Bahya ibn Paquda's work, which remains one of the most popular ethical treatises in Judaism. UlamasThis was precisely the argument used by the Sufis against their adversaries, the
The precepts prescribed by the Torah number 613 only; those dictated by the intellect are innumerable. under the title "Ḥōḇōṯ Ha-lleḇāḇōṯ".Hebrew into Judah ibn Tibbon. This book was translated by Bahya ibn Paquda, of Duties of the Heart. In the first writing of this kind, we see "Kitab al-Hidayah ila Fara'iḍ al-Ḳulub", Middle Ages Both Judaism and Islam are monotheistic. However, there is evidence that Sufism did influence the development of some schools of Jewish philosophy and ethics. A great influence was exercised by Sufism upon the ethical writings of Jews in the
Influence on Judaism
The Islamic Institute in Mannheim, Germany, which works towards the integration of
Sufi mysticism has long exercised a fascination upon the Western world, and especially its orientalist scholars. Figures like Rumi have become well known in the United States, where Sufism is perceived as a peaceful and apolitical form of Islam.
Perception outside Islam
Mansur al-Hallaj (died 922 CE) is renowned for his claim "Ana-l-Haqq" (I am The Truth). His refusal to recant this utterance, which was regarded as apostasy, led to a long trial. He was imprisoned for 11 years in a Baghdad prison, before being tortured and publicly dismembered on March 26, 922. He is still revered by Sufis for his willingness to embrace torture and death rather than recant. It is said that during his prayers, he would say "O Lord! You are the guide of those who are passing through the Valley of Bewilderment. If I am a heretic, enlarge my heresy".
He was born in 1141 and died in 1236 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor", he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. Moinuddin Chishti introduced and established the order in the subcontinent. The initial spiritual chain or silsila of the Chishti order in India, comprising Moinuddin Chishti, Bakhtiyar Kaki, Baba Farid, Nizamuddin Auliya (each successive person being the disciple of the previous one), constitutes the great Sufi saints of Indian history. Moinuddin Chishtī turned towards India, reputedly after a dream in which Prophet Muhammad blessed him to do so. After a brief stay at Lahore, he reached Ajmer along with Sultan Shahāb-ud-Din Muhammad Ghori, and settled down there. In Ajmer, he attracted a substantial following, acquiring a great deal of respect amongst the residents of the city. Moinuddin Chishtī practiced the Sufi Sulh-e-Kul (peace to all) concept to promote understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims
Junayd Baghdadi (830–910 CE) was one of the great early Sufis, and is a central figure in the golden chain of many Sufi orders. He laid the groundwork for sober mysticism in contrast to that of God-intoxicated Sufis like al-Hallaj, Bayazid Bastami and Abusaeid Abolkheir. During the trial of al-Hallaj, his former disciple, the Caliph of the time demanded his fatwa. In response, he issued this fatwa: "From the outward appearance he is to die and we judge according to the outward appearance and God knows better". He is referred to by Sufis as Sayyid-ut Taifa—i.e., the leader of the group. He lived and died in the city of Baghdad.
Muhyiddin Muhammad b. 'Ali Ibn 'Arabi (or Ibn al-'Arabi) AH 561- AH 638 (July 28, 1165 – November 10, 1240) is considered to be one of the most important Sufi masters, although he never founded any order (tariqa). His writings, especially al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya and Fusus al-hikam, have been studied within all the Sufi orders as the clearest expression of tawhid (Divine Unity), though because of their recondite nature they were often only given to initiates. Later those who followed his teaching became known as the school of wahdat al-wujud (the Oneness of Being). He himself considered his writings to have been divinely inspired. As he expressed the Way to one of his close disciples, his legacy is that 'you should never ever abandon your servanthood ('ubudiyya), and that there may never be in your soul a longing for any existing thing'.
Bayazid Bastami (died 874 CE) is considered to be "of the six bright stars in the firmament of the Prophet", and a link in the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi Tariqah. He is regarded as the first mystic to openly speak of the annihilation (fanā') of the base self in the Divine, whereby the mystic becomes fully absorbed to the point of becoming unaware of himself or the objects around him. Every existing thing seems to vanish, and he feels free of every barrier that could stand in the way of his viewing the Remembered One. In one of these states, Bastami cried out: "Praise to Me, for My greatest Glory!" His belief in the unity of all religions became apparent when asked the question: "How does Islam view other religions?" His reply was "All are vehicles and a path to God's Divine Presence".
Al-Sayyid Muhiyudin Abu Muhammad Abdal Qadir Al-Jilani Al-Hasani Wal-Hussaini (born 11 Rabi al-Thani), 470 Hijri, in the town of Na'if, district of Gilan, Ilam Province Or Amol of Tabarestan, Persia, died 8 Rabi al-Awwal 561 AH, in Baghdad, (1077–1166 CE), was a Persian Hanbali jurist and Sufi based in Baghdad. Qadiriyya was his patronym. Al Gilani spent his early life in Na'if, the town of his birth. There, he pursued the study of Hanbali law. Abu Ali al-Mukharrimi gave Al Gilani lessons in Fiqh. He was given lessons about Hadith by Abu Bakr ibn Muzaffar. He was given lessons about Tafsir by Abu Muhammad Ja'far, a commentator. In Tasawwuf, his spiritual instructor was Abu'l-Khair Hammad ibn Muslim al-Dabbas. After completing his education, Gilani left Baghdad. He spent twenty-five years as a reclusive wanderer in the desert regions of Iraq. In 1127, Al Gilani returned to Baghdad and began to preach to the public. He joined the teaching staff of the school belonging to his own teacher, al-Mukharrimii,and was popular with students. In the morning he taught hadith and tafsir, and in the afternoon he held discourse on the science of the heart and the virtues of the Qur'an. He was said to have been a convincing preacher and converted numerous Jews and Christians. His strength came in the reconciling of the mystical nature of the Sufi and strict nature of the Qur'an. He felt it important to control egotism and worldliness in submission to God.
Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
Abul Hasan al-Shadhili (died 1258 CE), the founder of the Shadhiliyya Sufi order, introduced dhikr jahri (The method of remembering Allah through loud means). Sufi orders generally preach to deny oneself and to destroy the ego-self (nafs) and its worldly desires. This is sometimes characterized as the "Order of Patience-Tariqus Sabr". In contrast, Imam Shadhili taught that his followers need not abstain from what Islam has not forbidden, but to be grateful for what God has bestowed upon them. This notion, known as the "Order of Gratitude-Tariqush Shukr", was espoused by Imam Shadhili. Imam Shadhili gave eighteen valuable hizbs (litanies) to his followers out of which the notable Hizbul Bahr is recited worldwide even today.
Abul Hasan al-Shadhili
Western Sufi practice may differ from traditional forms, for instance having mixed-gender meetings and less emphasis on the Qur'an.
"Neo-Sufism" and "universal Sufism" are terms used to denote forms of Sufism that do not require adherence to Shariah, or a Muslim faith. The terms are not always accepted by those it is applied to. The International Association of Sufism.
The traditional Sufi orders, which are in majority, emphasize the role of Sufism as a spiritual discipline within Islam. Therefore, the Sharia (traditional Islamic law) and the Sunnah are seen as crucial for any Sufi aspirant. One proof traditional orders assert is that almost all the famous Sufi masters of the past Caliphates were experts in Sharia and were renowned as people with great Iman (faith) and excellent practice. Many were also Qadis (Sharia law judges) in courts. They held that Sufism was never distinct from Islam and to fully comprehend and practice Sufism one must be an observant Muslim.
Traditional and Neo-Sufi groups
In short, Muslim scholars who focused their energies on understanding the normative guidelines for the body came to be known as jurists, and those who held that the most important task was to train the mind in achieving correct understanding came to be divided into three main schools of thought: theology, philosophy, and Sufism. This leaves us with the third domain of human existence, the spirit. Most Muslims who devoted their major efforts to developing the spiritual dimensions of the human person came to be known as Sufis.
For these and other reasons, the relationship between traditional Islamic scholars and Sufism is complex and a range of scholarly opinion on Sufism in Islam has been the norm. Some scholars, such as Al-Ghazali, helped its propagation while other scholars opposed it. W. Chittick explains the position of Sufism and Sufis this way:
The literature of Sufism emphasizes highly subjective matters that resist outside observation, such as the subtle states of the heart. Often these resist direct reference or description, with the consequence that the authors of various Sufi treatises took recourse to allegorical language. For instance, much Sufi poetry refers to intoxication, which Islam expressly forbids. This usage of indirect language and the existence of interpretations by people who had no training in Islam or Sufism led to doubts being cast over the validity of Sufism as a part of Islam. Also, some groups emerged that considered themselves above the Sharia and discussed Sufism as a method of bypassing the rules of Islam in order to attain salvation directly. This was disapproved of by traditional scholars.
Traditional Islamic thought and Sufism
The tazkiah as opposed to the various manifestations of Sufism around the Islamic world).
It leads the adept, called salik or "wayfarer", in his sulûk or "road" through different stations (maqâmât) until he reaches his goal, the perfect tawhîd, the existential confession that God is One. Shaykh al-Akbar Muhiuddeen Ibn Arabi mentions, "When we see someone in this Community who claims to be able to guide others to God, but is remiss in but one rule of the Sacred Law—even if he manifests miracles that stagger the mind—asserting that his shortcoming is a special dispensation for him, we do not even turn to look at him, for such a person is not a sheikh, nor is he speaking the truth, for no one is entrusted with the secrets of God Most High save one in whom the ordinances of the Sacred Law are preserved. (Jami' karamat al-awliya')".
The tariqa, the 'path' on which the mystics walk, has been defined as 'the path which comes out of the sharia, for the main road is called branch, the path, tariq.' No mystical experience can be realized if the binding injunctions of the sharia are not followed faithfully first. The tariqa however, is narrower and more difficult to walk.
Scholars and adherents of Sufism sometimes describe Sufism in terms of a threefold approach to God as explained by a tradition (hadîth) attributed to Muhammad, "The Canon is my word, the order is my deed, and the truth is my interior state". Sufis believe the sharia (exoteric "canon"), tariqa (esoteric "order") and haqiqa ("truth") are mutually interdependent.
Sufism and Islamic law
Islam and Sufism
Not all Sufis in Iran have been subject to government pressure. Sunni dervish orders—such as the Qhaderi dervishes—in the Sunni-populated parts of the country are thought by some to be seen as allies of the government against Al-Qaeda.
In 2009 the mausoleum of the 19th century Sufi poet Nasir Ali and an adjoining Sufi prayer house were bulldozed.
In February 2009, at least 40 Sufis in Isfahan were arrested after protesting the destruction of a Sufi place of worship; all were released within days. In January, Jamshid Lak, a Gonabadi Dervish from the Nematollahi Sufi order was flogged 74 times after being convicted in 2006 of slander following his public allegation of ill-treatment by a Ministry of Intelligence official. In late December 2008, after the closure of a Sufi place of worship, authorities arrested without charge at least six members of the Gonabadi Dervishes on Kish Island and confiscated their books and computer equipment; their status is unknown. In November 2008, Amir Ali Mohammad Labaf was sentenced to a five-year prison term, 74 lashes, and internal exile to the southeastern town of Babak for spreading lies, based on his membership in the Nematollahi Gonabadi Sufi order. In October, at least seven Sufi Muslims in Isfahan, and five others in Karaj, were arrested because of their affiliation with the Nematollahi Gonabadi Sufi order; they remain in detention. In November 2007, clashes in the western city of Borujerd between security forces and followers of a mystic Sufi order resulted in dozens of injuries and the arrests of approximately 180 Sufi Muslims. The clashes occurred after authorities began bulldozing a Sufi monastery. It is unclear how many remain in detention or if any charges have been brought against those arrested. During the past year, there were numerous reports of Shi'a clerics and prayer leaders, particularly in Qom, denouncing Sufism and the activities of Sufi Muslims in the country in both sermons and public statements.
The government of Iran is considering an outright ban on Sufism, according to the 2009 Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. It also reports:
Since 2005 the Ni'matullāhī order—Iran's largest Sufi order—have come under increasing state pressure. Three of their houses of worship have been demolished. Officials accused the Sufis of not having building permits and of narcotics possession—charges the Sufis reject.
The book Mystic Regimes. Sufism and the State in Iran, from the late Qajar era to the Islamic Republic by Matthijs van den Bos discusses the status of Sufism in Iran in the 19th and 20th century. According to Seyed Mostafa Azmayesh, an expert on Sufism and the representative of the Ni'matullāhī order outside Iran, a campaign against the Sufis in Iran (or at least Shia Sufis) began in 2005 when several books were published arguing that because Sufis follow their own spiritual leaders do not believe in the Islamic state's principle of "velayat-e faqih" (i.e., that the supreme Shiite jurist should be the nation's political leader), Sufis should be treated as second-class citizens. They should not be allowed to have government jobs, and if they already have them, should be identified and fired.
Said Atsayev—also known as Sheikh Said Afandi al-Chirkavi—a prominent 74-year-old Sufi Muslim spiritual leader in Dagestan Russia, was killed by a suicide bombing August 28, 2012 along with six of his followers. His murder follows "similar religiously-motivated killings" in Dagestan and other regions of ex-Soviet Central Asia, targeting religious leaders—not necessarily Sufi—who are hostile to violent jihad. Afandi had survived previous attempts on his life and was reportedly in the process of negotiating a peace agreement between the Sufis and Salafis.
In an article on the rise of Salafism in Tunisia, the media site Al-Monitor reported that 39 Sufi shrines were destroyed or desecrated in Tunisia, from the 2011 revolution to January 2013.
In September 2012, three people were killed in clashes between residents of Rajma (50 km south-east of Benghazi) and "Salafist Islamists" trying to destroy a Sufi shrine in Rajma, the Sidi al-Lafi mausoleum. In August 2012 the United Nations cultural agency Unesco urged Libyan authorities to protect Sufi mosques and shrines from attacks by Islamic hardliners "who consider the traditional mystical school of Islam heretical". The attacked have "wrecked mosques in at least three cities and desecrated many graves of revered Sufi scholars".
Following the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, several Sufi religious sites in Libya were deliberately destroyed or damaged. In the weeks leading up to September 2012, "armed groups motivated by their religious views" attacked Sufi religious sites across the country, "destroying several mosques and tombs of Sufi religious leaders and scholars". Perpetrators were described as "groups that have a strict Islamic ideology where they believe that graves and shrines must be desecrated." Libyan Interior Minister Fawzi Abdel A'al, was quoted as saying, "If all shrines in Libya are destroyed so we can avoid the death of one person [in clashes with security forces], then that is a price we are ready to pay."
According to Gaber Qassem, deputy of the Sufi Orders, approximately 14 shrines have been violated in Egypt since the January 2011 revolution. According to Sheikh Tarek El-Rifai, head of the Rifai Sufi Order, a number of Salafis have prevented Sufi prayers in Al-Haram. Sheikh Rifai said that the order's lawyer has filed a report at the Al-Haram police station to that effect. In early April 2011, a Sufi march from Al-Azhar Mosque to Al-Hussein Mosque was followed by a massive protest before Al-Hussein Mosque, "expressing outrage at the destruction" of Sufi shrines. The Islamic Research Centre of Egypt, led by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb, has also renounced the attacks on the shrines. According to the Muslim Brotherhood website ikhwanweb.com, in 2011 "a memorandum was submitted to the Armed Forces" citing 20 "encroachments" on Sufi shrines.
A May 2010 ban by the ministry of awqaf (religious endowments) of centuries old Sufi dhikr gatherings (devoted to the remembrance of God, and including dancing and religious songs) has been described as a "another victory for extreme Salafi thinking at the expense of Egypt's moderate Sufism". Clashes followed at Cairo's Al-Hussein Mosque and al-Sayyida Zeinab mosques between members of Sufi orders and security forces who forced them to evacuate the two shrines. In 2009, the moulid of al-Sayyida Zeinab, Muhammad's granddaughter, was banned ostensibly over concern over the spread of swine flu but also at the urging of Salafis.
A manuscript from Timbuktu belonging to Al-Mukhtar ibn Aḥmad ibn Abi Bakr al-Kunti al-Kabir.
A manuscript from Timbuktu belonging to Baba ibn Ahmad al-Alawi al-Maliki al-Maghribi al-Shingiti.
International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda described the Islamists' actions as a "war crime".
In the ancient city of Timbuktu, sometimes called "the city of 333 saints", UNESCO reports that as many as half of the city's shrines "have been destroyed in a display of fanaticism", as of July 2012. A spokesman for Ansar Dine has stated that "the destruction is a divine order", and that the group had plans to destroy every single Sufi shrine in the city, "without exception". In Gao and Kidal, as well as Timbuktu, Salafi Islamists have destroyed musical instruments and driven musicians (music is not Haraam under Sufi Islam) into "economic exile" away from Mali.
Under the Al-Shabab rule in Somali, Sufi ceremonies were banned and shrines destroyed. As the power of Al-Shabab has waned, however, Sufi ceremonies are said to have "re-emerged".
mourners outside the burning shrine cursed the Salafis for creating an atmosphere of hate, [while] some Salafis began posting incendiary messages on Facebook, terming the destruction of the shrine a "divine act of God".
In this predominately Muslim, traditionally Sufi region, some six places of worship have been either completely or partially burnt in "mysterious fires" in several months leading up to November 2012. The most prominent victim of damage was the Dastageer Sahib Sufi shrine in Srinagar which burned in June 2012, injuring 20. While investigators have so far found no sign of arson, according to journalist Amir Rana the fires have occurred within the context of a surging Salafi movement which preaches that "Kashmiri tradition of venerating the tombs and relics of saints is outside the pale of Islam".
- 21 June: Bomb kills three people and injures 31 others at the Pinza Piran shrine in Hazarkhwani in (Peshwar). "A police official said the bomb was planted in a donkey-cart that went off in the afternoon when a large number of people were visiting the popular shrine".
- 3 February: Remote-controlled device is triggered as food is being distributed among the devotees outside the Baba Haider Saieen shrine in Lahore, Punjab. At least three people were killed and 27 others injured.
- 3 April: Twin suicide attack leaves 42 dead and almost a hundred injured during the annual Urs festival at shrine of 13th century Sufi saint Sakhi Sarwar (a.k.a. Ahmed Sultan) in the Dera Ghazi Khan district of Punjab province. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claims responsibility for the attack.
- 22 June: Taliban militants blow up the Mian Umar Baba shrine in Peshawar. No fatalities reported.
- 1 July: Multiple bombings of Data Durbar Complex Sufi shrine, in Lahore, Punjab. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up killing at least 50 people and injuring 200 others.
- 7 October: 10 people killed, 50 injured in a double suicide bombing attack on Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine in Karachi
- 7 October: The tomb of Baba Fariddudin Ganj Shakkar in Pakpattan is attacked. Six people were killed and 15 others injured.
- 25 October: 6 killed, and at least 12 wounded in an attack on the shrine of 12th-century saint, Baba Farid Ganj Shakar in Pakpattan.
- 14 December: Attack on Ghazi Baba shrine in Peshawar, 3 killed.
- March 5: The shrine of Rahman Baba, "the most famous Sufi Pashto language poet", razed to the ground by Taliban militants "partly because local women had been visiting the shrine".
- 8 March: Attack on shrine of "famous Sufi poet" Rahman Baba in Peshawar. "The high intensity device almost destroyed the grave of the Rehman Baba and the gates of a mosque, canteen and conference hall situated in the spacious Rehman Baba Complex. Police said the bombers had tied explosives around the pillars of the tombs, to pull down the mausoleum".
- May 8: shrine of Shaykh Omar Baba destroyed.
- 12 June: Mufti Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi killed by suicide bomber in Lahore. A leading Sunni Islamic cleric in Pakistan he was well known for his moderate views and for publicly denouncing the Taliban's beheadings and suicide bombings as "un-Islamic".
- and suppressing it has been a cause of "extremist" Muslims there.
Pakistani faith healers are known as pirs, a term that applies to the descendants of Sufi Muslim saints. Under Sufism, those descendants are thought to serve as conduits to God. The popularity of pirs as a viable healthcare alternative stems from the fact that, in much of rural Pakistan, clinics don't exist or are dismissed as unreliable.
- 17 February: Agha Jee shot and killed in Peshwar, the fourth faith healer killed over several months in Pakistan. Earlier Pir Samiullah was killed in Swat by the Taliban 16 December 2008. His dead body was later exhumed and desecrated. Pir Rafiullah was kidnapped from Nowshera and his beheaded body was found in Matani area of Peshawar. Pir Juma Khan was kidnapped from Dir Lower and his beheaded body was found near Swat. Faith healing is associated with Sufi Islam in Pakistan
- March 3: ten villagers killed in a rocket attack on the 400-year-old shrine of Abu Saeed Baba. Lashkar-e-Islam takes credit.
- 18 December: The shrine of Abdul Shakoor Malang Baba is demolished by explosives.
- 11 April: A suicide-bomber attacked a celebration of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (Eid Barelvi Jamaat Ahle Sunnat. 57 died including almost the entire leadership of the Sunni Tehrik; over 100 were injured. Three people associated with Lashkar-i-Jhangvi were put on trial for the bombing. (see: Nishtar Park bombing)
- 19 March: a suicide bomber kills at least 35 people and injured many more at the shrine of Pir Rakhel Shah in remote village of Fatehpur located in Jhal Magsi District of Balochistan. The dead included Shia and sunni devotees.
- 27 May: As many as 20 people are killed and 100 injured when a suicide-bomber attacks a gathering at Bari Imam Shrine during the annual festival. The dead were mainly Shia. According to the police members of Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ) were involved. Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), were arrested from Thanda Pani and police seized two hand grenades from their custody.
In 2005, the militant organizations began attacking "symbols" of the Barelvi community such as mosques, prominent religious leaders, and shrines. | <urn:uuid:bf9b4726-c189-4aae-bcda-73714fd95dbc> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://community.worldheritage.org/articles/eng/Sufism | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998708.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618083336-20190618105336-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.92031 | 23,406 | 2.921875 | 3 |
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Nine-year-old Bobby Fieldstone has everything a kid could possibly want, except for his father’s attention.
In the dynamic new children’s book Stone’s Throw Away, Bobby is a child crying out for love. While his Dad stays busy on his cell phone and computer, precocious young Bobby gets into mischief. When Dad finally takes notice after Bobby’s latest prank, it’s only to send his son away as punishment.
The book is about the cultural differences and family values Bobby learns as a result of staying at the home of one of his father’s African-American employees.
Bobby lives in an exclusive subdivision just outside Detroit, but he learns an important life lesson by spending a week in the inner city. He comes to appreciate what he has at home as well as what can be found only a Stone’s Throw Away.
Keywords:- Sharing, Friendship, Neighborhood, Social, Poverty, Responsibility, Games.
Genres:- Juvenile Fiction, Social Issues. | <urn:uuid:a2616f27-d23a-408b-9441-a3640c2651bd> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://epubco.com/shop/products/stones-throw-away/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998708.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618083336-20190618105336-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.962097 | 247 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Also found in: Encyclopedia.
a long, thread-like worm usually found in Africa. It commonly infects wild and domestic animals and occasionally invades the bloodstream of humans, causing a rash, muscle and joint pains, various neurologic disorders, and nodules in the subcutaneous tissues. The larvae are also found in the cerebrospinal fluid of affected patients.
Acanthocheilonema perstans(a-kan?tho-ki?lo-ne'ma per'stanz?)
The former name for the filarian species now known as Mansonella perstans.See: Mansonella perstans. | <urn:uuid:4ec4d89a-e478-47d4-b772-e17febfc6604> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Acanthocheilonema+perstans | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998708.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618083336-20190618105336-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.771871 | 134 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Did you know? Approximately TWO MILLION construction workers are affected and exposed to respirable crystalline silica. This includes 600,000 workplaces that may not be compliant. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that at least 840,000 of these construction workers are exposed to silica dust levels greater than the new permissible exposure limit standard. This whooping figure lead to the enactment of OSHA’s final rule on respirable crystalline silica on September 23rd, 2017. California was one of the first states to enact and enforce the regulation set in forth by Fed OSHA.
Silica is comprised of quartz, found naturally in rocks, sand, soil brick and other concrete products. Silica is predominantly found in building materials including concrete, masonry, mortar, rock, sand and some varieties of paints. If your firm performs:
on any building materials, it is highly likely that respirable silica dust can be in the air.
The OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.1153 on respirable crystalline silica now outlines a new permissible exposure limit, also known as PEL, for silica dust exposure. This standard makes employers and workplaces now liable for safety of their employees when silica dust exposure risk is high. The OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1926.1153 applies to all occupational silica dust exposures in construction work that have are greater than 25 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour time-weighted average. This standard is regulated under any foreseeable conditions.
Not only does the standard require for employers and workplaces to be under the permissible exposure limit for silica dust hazards, but they must also have a written exposure control plan, overseen by a competent person. The written exposure control plan identifies tasks that involve exposure and methods used to protect workers. The competent person shall be trained and understand the many duties of implementing the written exposure control plan. Furthermore, the competent person must be accountable for the record-keeping of medical exams, objective data and exposure measurements. The employer must also offer medical exams – including chest x-rays and lung function tests – every three years for workers exposed at or above the action level for 30 or more days per year.
Some standard key elements of the new OSHA regulation includes: using housekeeping methods that minimize or eliminate airborne dust when feasible, limiting worker access to areas above the permissible exposure limit, using dust controls, and providing respirators when necessary. Included with this regulation, employers must provide and properly fit test their employees, who will be exposed to silica dust greater than the permissible exposure limit, with respirators annually. Medical records and exams should be wholly provided by the employer as well.
Silica dust can lead to serious chronic illnesses including but not limited to silicosis, lung cancer, COPD and tuberculosis. Many of these illnesses have no cure and could have been prevented with the correct measures when dealing with respirable crystalline silica. Silicosis, also known as grinder’s asthma, is a form of lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica. Early stages include inflammation of the lungs and silicosis ultimately leads to lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. There are two forms of silicosis: acute and chronic. Acute silicosis occurs within a few weeks or years from exposure to inhaled silica. Acute silicosis attributes to coughing, fatigue and drastic weight loss. Chronic silicosis is more dormant, and does not affect the body until 10 to 30 years after exposure. Chronic silicosis affects the upper lobes of the lungs and causes lesions and extensive scarring. Silicosis is typically diagnosed by a computed tomography (CT) scan or a chest x-ray. A physician may also obtain a lung sample if imaging results are not verifiable to clearly diagnose silicosis. There is currently no cure for silicosis.
Using water during drilling, sanding, grinding, or etc. can drastically keep silica dust out of the air. Some tools may come with water attachments to control dust directly at the source. Water is strongly recommended and can also keep dust out during sweeps and demolitions. When water isn’t available, use a HEPA-certified vacuum. Tools with vacuum attachments also capture dust right at the source. Silica dust can be drawn into hoods or covers right into the tool and is typically cleared by a HEPA-filter. HEPA-specified vacuums come included with a HEPA-filter to ensure silica dust is out of the air.
When the area of exposure could be too great for a tool or water to be used, ensuring that your firm uses HEPA Ventilation and Filtration Air Systems can drastically keep dust out of your airways. When these controls cannot maintain or keep permissible exposure limits below the OSHA standard, a respirator must be used. Employers are required to have full and written respiratory programs. Respirators are necessary when all other devices including vacuums and water do not sufficiently protect from silica exposure. Employers must also train their employees on how to properly use respirators, the types of respirators for different workplace scenarios, as well as fit testing to ensure respirators are fitted and functioning properly.
With California leading the way to enforcing these new regulations set in place, regular audits and surprise audits could lead to many firms having compliance issues to this standard. Furthermore, it could lead to citations and perhaps heavy fines imposed. These fines can levy a huge financial burden and could potentially put firms out of business. Ensuring your employee and firm’s safety could also mean the financial survival of your business.
Here at Global Environmental Network, Inc., we can help your firm become compliant to OSHA’s Final Rule on Crystalline Silica Dust Exposure. We offer many services in accordance with this new standard including but not limited to: Silica Hazard Awareness Training (for worker and supervisor), Silica Dust Air Sample Monitoring, Silica Exposure Control Plan Writing as well as Respirator Training and Fit Testing. Our main priorities are to keep you and your employees safe as well as being compliant with OSHA’s many regulations. We offer two-hour silica hazard awareness training for workers who are exposed to respirable crystalline silica and a four-hour silica hazard awareness training for supervisors. | <urn:uuid:19b98493-00d4-4681-912b-bb1d99a209e7> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://safetygeni.com/blog/?p=124 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998708.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618083336-20190618105336-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.943444 | 1,302 | 2.546875 | 3 |
A report by England’s children’s commissioner has raised concerns about how kids’ data is being collected and shared across the board, in both the private and public sectors.
In the report, entitled Who knows what about me?, Anne Longfield urges society to “stop and think” about what big data means for children’s lives.
Big data practices could result in a data-disadvantaged generation whose life chances are shaped by their childhood data footprint, her report warns.
The long term impacts of profiling minors when these children become adults is simply not known, she writes.
“Children are being “datafied” – not just via social media, but in many aspects of their lives,” says Longfield.
“For children growing up today, and the generations that follow them, the impact of profiling will be even greater – simply because there is more data available about them.”
By the time a child is 13 their parents will have posted an average of 1,300 photos and videos of them on social media, according to the report. After which this data mountain “explodes” as children themselves start engaging on the platforms — posting to social media 26 times per day, on average, and amassing a total of nearly 70,000 posts by age 18.
“We need to stop and think about what this means for children’s lives now and how it may impact on their future lives as adults,” warns Longfield. “We simply do not know what the consequences of all this information about our children will be. In the light of this uncertainty, should we be happy to continue forever collecting and sharing children’s data?
“Children and parents need to be much more aware of what they share and consider the consequences. Companies that make apps, toys and other products used by children need to stop filling them with trackers, and put their terms and conditions in language that children understand. And crucially, the Government needs to monitor the situation and refine data protection legislation if needed, so that children are genuinely protected – especially as technology develops,” she adds.
The report looks at what types of data is being collected on kids; where and by whom; and how it might be used in the short and long term — both for the benefit of children but also considering potential risks.
On the benefits side, the report cites a variety of still fairly experimental ideas that might make positive use of children’s data — such as for targeted inspections of services for kids to focus on areas where data suggests there are problems; NLP technology to speed up analysis of large data-sets (such as the NSPCC’s national case review repository) to find common themes and understand “how to prevent harm and promote positive outcomes”; predictive analytics using data from children and adults to more cost-effectively flag “potential child safeguarding risks to social workers”; and digitizing children’s Personal Child Health Record to make the current paper-based record more widely accessible to professionals working with children.
But while Longfield describes the increasing availability of data as offering “enormous advantages”, she is also very clear on major risks unfolding — be it to safety and well-being; child development and social dynamics; identity theft and fraud; and the longer term impact on children’s opportunity and life chances.
“In effect [children] are the “canary in the coal mine for wider society, encountering the risks before many adults become aware of them or are able to develop strategies to mitigate them,” she warns. “It is crucial that we are mindful of the risks and mitigate them.”
Transparency is lacking
One clear takeaway from the report is there is still a lack of transparency about how children’s data is being collected and processed — which in itself acts as a barrier to better understanding the risks.
“If we better understood what happens to children’s data after it is given – who collects it, who it is shared with and how it is aggregated – then we would have a better understanding of what the likely implications might be in the future, but this transparency is lacking,” Longfield writes — noting that this is true despite ‘transparency’ being the first key principle set out in the EU’s tough new privacy framework, GDPR.
The updated data protection framework did beef up protections for children’s personal data in Europe — introducing a new provision setting a 16-year-old age limit on kids’ ability to consent to their data being processed when it came into force on May 25, for example. (Although EU Member States can choose to write a lower age limit into their laws, with a hard cap set at 13.)
And mainstream social media apps, such as Facebook and Snapchat, responded by tweaking their T&Cs and/or products in the region. (Although some of the parental consent systems that were introduced to claim compliance with GDPR appear trivially easy for kids to bypass, as we’ve pointed out before.)
But, as Longfield points out, Article 5 of the GDPR states that data must be “processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to individuals”.
Yet when it comes to children’s data the children’s commissioner says transparency is simply not there.
She also sees limitations with GDPR, from a children’s data protection perspective — pointing out that, for example, it does not prohibit the profiling of children entirely (stating only that it “should not be the norm”).
While another provision, Article 22 — which states that children have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing (including profiling) if they have legal or similarly significant effects on them — also appears to be circumventable.
“They do not apply to decision-making where humans play some role, however minimal that role is,” she warns, which suggests another workaround for companies to exploit children’s data.
“Determining whether an automated decision-making process will have “similarly significant effects” is difficult to gauge given that we do not yet understand the full implications of these processes – and perhaps even more difficult to judge in the case of children,” Longfield also argues.
“There is still much uncertainty around how Article 22 will work in respect of children,” she adds. “The key area of concern will be in respect of any limitations in relation to advertising products and services and associated data protection practices.”
The report makes a series of recommendations for policymakers, with Longfield calling for schools to “teach children about how their data is collected and used, and what they can do to take control of their data footprints”.
She also presses the government to consider introducing an obligation on platforms that use “automated decision-making to be more transparent about the algorithms they use and the data fed into these algorithms” — where data collected from under 18s is used.
Which would essentially place additional requirements on all mainstream social media platforms to be far less opaque about the AI machinery they use to shape and distribute content on their platforms at vast scale. Given that few — if any — could claim not to have no under 18s using their platforms.
She also argues that companies targeting products at children have far more explaining to do, writing:
Companies producing apps, toys and other products aimed at children should be more transparent about any trackers capturing information about children. In particular where a toy collects any video or audio generated by a child this should be made explicit in a prominent part of the packaging or its accompanying information. It should be clearly stated if any video or audio content is stored on the toy or elsewhere and whether or not it is transmitted over the internet. If it is transmitted, parents should also be told whether or not it will be encrypted during transmission or when stored, who might analyse or process it and for what purposes. Parents should ask if information is not given or unclear.
Another recommendation for companies is that terms and conditions should be written in a language children can understand.
(Albeit, as it stands, tech industry T&Cs can be hard enough for adults to scratch the surface of — let alone have enough hours in the day to actually read.)
A recent U.S. study of kids apps, covered by BuzzFeed News, highlighted that mobile games aimed at kids can be highly manipulative, describing instances of apps making their cartoon characters cry if a child does not click on an in-app purchase, for example.
A key and contrasting problem with data processing is that it’s so murky; applied in the background so any harms are far less immediately visible because only the data processor truly knows what’s being done with people’s — and indeed children’s — information.
Yet concerns about exploitation of personal data are stepping up across the board. And essentially touch all sectors and segments of society now, even as risks where kids are concerned may look the most stark.
This summer the UK’s privacy watchdog called for an ethical pause on the use by political campaigns of online ad targeting tools, for example, citing a range of concerns that data practices have got ahead of what the public knows and would accept.
It also called for the government to come up with a Code of Practice for digital campaigning to ensure that long-standing democratic norms are not being undermined.
So the children’s commissioner’s appeal for a collective ‘stop and think’ where the use of data is concerned is just one of a growing number of raised voices policymakers are hearing.
One thing is clear: Calls to quantify what big data means for society — to ensure powerful data-mining technologies are being applied in ways that are ethical and fair for everyone — aren’t going anywhere. | <urn:uuid:7c2265f6-d4ad-481e-a3b7-d7976c64a087> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://techio.co/tag/identity-management/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998708.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618083336-20190618105336-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.952277 | 2,063 | 2.859375 | 3 |
MONDAY: You will have a mini-lesson on MLA Citation and create a MLA flipbook. In addition, you will have an opportunity to explore the Opposing Viewpoints database on the Cobb County Digital Library ( https://cobb.mackinvia.com/ ) Finally you will decide on a topic and develop a claim.
TUESDAY: You will continue to research your chosen topic. You will search for textual evidence to support your claim. You will organize your evidence and develop three reasons that support your claim. You will place all of this information into your Argumentative Research Folder.
WEDNESDAY - We will elevate your writing by using an Argumentative Writing Workshop. You will get the opportunity to refine your claim, address counterclaims and acknowledge any bias present in your textual evidence.
THURSDAY - Argumentative R.A.C.E. practice. Using two separate articles on the same issue you will write a comparative essay using the graphic organizers and information from the week.
FRIDAY - Common Assessment #4 on Argumentative Writing | <urn:uuid:8138413c-18f9-4e20-b616-37d9014c7a76> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.mswhipple.com/9th-literature-blog/archives/09-2017 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998708.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618083336-20190618105336-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.843762 | 221 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Rambert history infographics
Produced by the Rambert Archive with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, these nine infographics illustrate key moments in Rambert’s history, with one poster for each decade.
They are freely available for non-commercial use, and make an ideal support to National Curriculum teaching, as digital learning materials, printed posters or handouts.
Scroll down to download high-resolution A3 PDFs, for optimal printing quality.
About the infographics
The infographics were devised by A-Level students from ten schools in workshops led by a knowledgeable dance animateur. Each workshop focused on a decade, and the students decided the key historical points, suggested design ideas, and re-created some of the repertoire.
The ten schools were: Angmering School, Angmering, Bridgewater High School, Warrington, Brooksby Melton College, Melton Mowbray, Burnley College, Burnley, College of West Anglia, Kings Lynn, Priestley College, Warrington, Queen Elizabeth School, Wimborne, Thomas Clarkson Academy, Wisbech, Weatherhead High School, Wallasey, and Wyke Sixth Form School, Hull. | <urn:uuid:3b9e86f7-da49-4fdd-b822-0853aa0f332d> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.rambert.org.uk/explore/rambert-archive/rambert-history-infographics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998708.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618083336-20190618105336-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.936525 | 245 | 3.125 | 3 |
Today we're going to start at the very beginning (a very good place to start). Try introducing a writing instrument to your child around 9 months of age. (That age was recommended to me by my Parents as Teachers Organization as well as my pediatrician. However, Logan did not start holding the crayon and making marks alone until around 1 year).
There are many choices of writing instruments. There are triangle shaped crayons, rounded crayons, etc. Most children don't need a special type of writing tool when beginning. A plain crayon will do. If your baby eats the crayon, try these colored pencils. They are chunkier so they feel more like a crayon but they can go in the mouth.
One of our favorite beginning activities was making large marks on paper. Guide your child's arm around at first and demonstrate making large circles/scribbles. Say, "We are making large circles. We are making green circles.)" etc.
By exposing your child to scribbling at a young age, you are helping to develop the hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, creativity and enjoyment that your child will need to be a writer in the future! | <urn:uuid:843d0969-f706-413a-8895-1bc262454307> | CC-MAIN-2019-26 | http://www.ready-set-read.com/2010/08/ready-set-read-and-write.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-26/segments/1560627998708.41/warc/CC-MAIN-20190618083336-20190618105336-00404.warc.gz | en | 0.966849 | 247 | 3.609375 | 4 |