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HEALTH chiefs say people should be vigilant for the signs and symptoms of meningococcal infection over the next few weeks. Professor Martyn Regan, lead regional epidemiologist with the Health Protection Agency North West, is issuing the warning as most cases of meningococcal disease occur in the winter months and because some sporadic cases have recently been reported in the region. He said: 'The reports we received in the past two or three months have largely been of isolated cases, with little if any risk to other people. 'However, we tend to see an increase in meningococcal infection at this time of the year. People everywhere and particularly the parents of young children should be aware of the signs and symptoms to look out for.' Prof Regan says that in its very early stages, meningococcal infection can sometimes be indistinguishable from flu, but over a few days, or even hours, the disease can become serious. Symptoms, which are not always present, may include a rash, drowsiness, fever, vomiting, cold hands and feet, rapid breathing, severe headache, stiff neck, and dislike of bright lights. 'In babies, the symptoms may include fever, refusing feeds, vomiting and a high pitched cry. The child will sometimes be lethargic and difficult to wake, but the symptoms will not always appear together,' said Prof Regan. 'If parents are concerned they should trust their instincts and contact a doctor immediately.' During 2005 there were 361 meningococcal cases last year, 129 of which were in Cheshire and Merseyside. About 25% of young adults carry the germ harmlessly in their throat. It is spread by droplets in the air, caused by coughing and sneezing. The germ does not survive outside the body for long. Further information is available from the National Meningitis Trust 24 hour helpline, 0845 6000800, or via their website http://www.meningitis-trust.org.uk The Meningitis Research Foundation website is: www.meningitis.org.uk

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The Akoya oyster, growing in the Mie Prefecture bay, produces pearls that are the most prized. A century prior Mikimoto Kokichi established a technique to grow pearls that werespherical, the Prefecture became home to a museum celebrating his work and the beauty it has made possible. What am I talking about, Mikimoto pearls. Waters of Mie Prefecture Pearl farmers who make a living from these waters owe thanks to the determination and patience of locally born Mikimoto Kokichi (1858–1954).Mikimoto in his early life became captivated with pearls, which during this time were more valuable than even today since they had never been cultivated successfully. History of cultivating Efforts had before now gone into pearlcultivating, especially in Europe, but there was no successful attempt. Mikimoto was undeterredand began growing Akoya oysters in Ago Bay. After 5 years of “trial and error”, he was succeeded in developing hemispherical pearls that grew as “blisters” attached to the oyster’s inner shell. Mikimoto worked with two other pearl scientists in this same field and who joined their work with his own earlier discoveries and received a 1916 patent for the culturing of pearls in the oyster mantle tissue, and this launched the first commercially spherical pearl business. A century later, that method that Mikimoto, referred as the “Pearl King,” established is still being used. And while the process of cultivating pearls is still done in the old-style, technology is increasingly being used to guard the oysters while the pearls are developing.

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St Cyril (376 – 444) was born in Theodosius, Egypt. His uncle was the Patriarch of Alexander. His extensive education included theological studies. He worked closely with his uncle and accompanied him on a Synod in Constantinople. When his uncle died in 412, St Cyril was appointed Patriarch of Alexandria. St Cyril wrote extensively and became a central figure in quelling turmoil between leaders and strengthening Christianity. St Cyril is a Doctor of the Church with the titles, Pillar of Faith and Seal of all Fathers. His Feast Day is the 27th June. St Cyril of Alexandria: Pray for us that others will find God’s teachings in our daily actions. Glory be to the…

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Android Interview Questions and Answers 1) What is Android? Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, based on the Linux kernel and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices. It has been equipped with rich components that allows developers to create and run apps that can perform both basic and advanced functions. 2) What is the google Android SDK? The Android <strong>software development kit</strong> (SDK) includes a comprehensive set of development tools which is a toolset that developers need in order to write apps on Android enabled devices. It contains a graphical interface that emulates an Android driven handheld environment, allowing them to test and debug their codes. 3) What is the Android architecture? Android architectue is divided into following five parts.<br/> <strong>linux kernel<br/> native libraries (middleware),<br/> Android Runtime<br/> Application Framework<br/> Applications</strong> 4) Explain .apk extension. <strong>Android application package (APK)</strong> is the package file format used by the Android operating system for distribution and installation of mobile apps and middleware. APK files are a type of archive file, specifically in zip format packages based on the JAR file format, with .apk as the filename extension. The MIME type associated with APK files is application/vnd.android.package-archive. 5) What is AAPT? <strong>AAPT (Android Asset Packaging Tool)</strong> allows you to view, create, and update Zip-compatible archives (zip, jar, apk). It can also compile resources into binary assets. It is the base builder for Android aplications. 6) What is the importance of having an emulator within the Android environment? Basically emulator helps you to run your application there itself in the PC, you needn't require any android phone to test your application.<br/> Developers use emulator for quick testing of the apk at the machine itself. 7) What method does Android follow to track applications? It is done by assigning each application with a unique ID (referred as Linux User ID). 8) What is the use of an activityCreator? An ActivityCreator is the first step towards the creation of a new Android project. It is made up of a shell script that will be used to create new file system structure necessary for writing codes within the Android IDE 9) Describe activities? <strong>Activity</strong> - represents the presentation layer of an Android application, e.g. a screen which the user sees. An Android application can have several activities and it can be switched between them during runtime of the application. 10) What are intents? An intent is an abstract description of an operation to be performed. It can be used with startActivity to launch an Activity, broadcastIntent to send it to any interested BroadcastReceiver components, and startService(Intent) or bindService(Intent, ServiceConnection, int) to communicate with a Background Service. 11) What is referred to Explicit and Implicit Intent? <strong>Explicit Intent:</strong> Explicit intent names the component.<br/><strong>Implicit Intent:</strong> Implicit Intents have not specified a component.<br/> eg: The java class which should be called Implict intent asked the system to perform a service without telling the system which java class should do this service. 12) Differentiate Activities from Services? <strong>Activity </strong>: An activity represents a single screen with a user interface. For example, an email application might have one activity that shows a list of new emails, another activity to compose an email, and another activity for reading emails. Although the activities work together to form a cohesive user experience in the email application, each one is independent of the others. An activity is implemented as a subclass of Activity.<br/> <strong>Service:</strong> A service is a component that runs in the background to perform long-running operations or to perform work for remote processes. A service does not provide a user interface. For example, a service might play music in the background while the user is in a different application, or it might fetch data over the network without blocking user interaction with an activity.A service is implemented as a subclass of Service 13) What items are important in every Android project? The android project structure definitely stands on the following items if one is left off the ; the android application would not work properly.The items involve in adroid project are described below: <strong>AndroidManifest.xml<br/>build.xml<br/>bin/<br/>src/<br/>res/<br/>assets/</strong> 14) What is the importance of XML - based layouts? The use of XML-based layouts provides a consistent and somewhat standard means of setting GUI definition format.<br/> In common practice, layout details are placed in XML files while other items are placed in source files. 15) What are containers? Containers is a bucket description for Views that wrap dynamic content. They are more specialized than Layouts and can but doesn't have to extend a Layout. Some extend ViewGroup indirectly e.g ListView, some don't e.g. VideoView. The Container label is used in Android Studio but is not part of the class name. 16) What is Orientation? Orientation, which can be set using setOrientation(), dictates if the LinearLayout is represented as a row or as a column. Values are set as either HORIZONTAL or VERTICAL. 17) what is the importance of Android in mobile market? Developers can write and register apps that will specifically run under the Android environment. This means that every mobile device that is Android enabled will be able to support and run these apps. With the growing popularity of Android mobile devices, developers can take advantage of this trend by creating and uploading their apps on the Android Market for distribution to anyone who wants to download it. 18) What do you think are some disadvantages of Android? Little Memory for Storage<br/>Force Close on Large App/Games<br/>Data Connection<br/>Battery Problem<br/>Box of Malware Google play store<br/> 19) what is adb? Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a versatile command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device. It is a client-server program that includes three components:<br/> A client, which sends commands. The client runs on your development machine. You can invoke a client from a shell by issuing an adb command. Other Android tools such as DDMS also create adb clients.<br/> A daemon, which runs commands on a device. The daemon runs as a background process on each emulator or device instance.</br> A server, which manages communication between the client and the daemon. The server runs as a background process on your development machine.<br/> 20) What are 4 essential states of an activity? <strong>Active</strong> – if the activity is at the foreground<br/> <strong>Paused</strong> – if the activity is at the background and still visible<br/> <strong>Stopped</strong> – if the activity is not visible and therefore is hidden or obscured by another activity<br/> <strong>Destroyed</strong> – when the activity process is killed or completed terminated 21) What is ANR? <strong>ANR</strong> stands for A pplication N ot R esponding.<br/>An ANR will occur if you are running a process on the UI thread which takes a long time, usually around 5 seconds. During this time the GUI (Graphical User Interface) will lock up which will result in anything the user presses will not be actioned. After the 5 seconds approx has occurred, if the thread still hasn't recovered then an ANR dialogue box is shown informing the user that the application is not responding and will give the user the choice to either wait, in the hope that the app will eventually recover, or to force close the app. 22) What is the difference between ANR and crash in Android? An <strong>ANR</strong> will occur if you are running a process on the UI thread which takes a long time, usually around 5 seconds. During this time the GUI (Graphical User Interface) will lock up which will result in anything the user presses will not be actioned. After the 5 seconds approx has occurred, if the thread still hasn't recovered then an ANR dialogue box is shown informing the user that the application is not responding and will give the user the choice to either wait, in the hope that the app will eventually recover, or to force close the app.<br/> A <strong>crash</strong> is when an exception within the app has been thrown which has not been handled. For example, if you try to set the text of an EditText component, but the EditText is null and there is no try catch statement to catch the exception that your app will crash and will be force closed. The user will not see what caused the crash, they will be shown a dialogue telling that the app has force closed unexpectedly and will give them the option to send a bug report. In this example if you were to look in the bug report you would see the error caused by java.lang.NullPointerException. 23) Which elements occur only once and must be present? Among the different elements, the and elements must be present and can occur only once. The rest are optional, and can occur as many times as needed. 24) How are escape characters used as attribute? Escape characters are preceded by double backslashes. For example, a newline character is created using ‘\\n’ 25) What is the importance of setting permissions in app development? Set permission helps in setting restriction for data protection and code can be set up using permission. In the absence of permission, codes could get compromised which can lead to defects in functionality. 26) What is the function of an intent filter? An intent filter is an expression in an app's manifest file that specifies the type of intents that the component would like to receive.<br/>When you create an implicit intent, the Android system finds the appropriate component to start by comparing the contents of the intent to the intent filters declared in the manifest file of other apps on the device. If the intent matches an intent filter, the system starts that component and delivers it the Intent object. 27) Enumerate the three key loops when monitoring an activity? <Strong>Entire lifetime</strong> – activity happens between onCreate and onDestroy<br/> <Strong>Visible lifetime</Strong> – activity happens between onStart and onStop<br/> <Strong>Foreground lifetime</Strong> – activity happens between onResume and onPause 28) When is the onStop() method invoked? A call to onStop method happens when an activity is no longer visible to the user, either because another activity has taken over or if in front of that activity. 29) Is there a case wherein other qualifiers in multiple resources take prededence over locale? Yes, there are actually instances wherein some qualifiers can take precedence over locale. There are two known exceptions, which are the MCC (mobile country code) and MNC (mobile network code) qualifiers. 30) What are the different states wherein a process is based? There are 4 possible states:<br/> <strong>foreground activity<br/> visible activity<br/> background activity<br/> empty process</strong> 31) How can the ANR be prevented? One technique that prevents the Android system from concluding a code that has been responsive for a long period of time is to create a child thread. Within the child thread, most of the actual workings of the codes can be placed, so that the main thread runs with minimal periods of unresponsive times. 32) What roles does Dalvik play in Android development? Dalvik i.e Dalvik Virtual machine is used to run your android projects. Usually, android apps are written in java and compiled to bytecode version using java virtual machine (JVM) which is then translated to Dalvik bytecode or .dex file. 33) What is AndroidManifest.xml? Every application must have an AndroidManifest.xml file (with precisely that name) in its root directory. The manifest file provides essential information about your app to the Android system, which the system must have before it can run any of the app's code. 34) What is the proper way of setting up an Android-powered device for app developemnt? The following are steps to be followed prior to actual application development in an Android-powered device:<br/> -Declare your application as “debuggable” in your Android Manifest.<br/> -Turn on “USB Debugging” on your device.<br/> -Set up your system to detect your device. 35) Enumerate the steps in creating a bounded service through AIDL? <strong>1.</strong>create the .aidl file, which defines the programming interface.<br/> <strong>2.</strong> implement the interface, which involves extending the inner abstract Stub class as well as implanting its methods.<br/> <strong>3. </strong>expose the interface, which involves implementing the service to the clients. 36) What is the importance of Default Resources? When default resources, which contain default strings and files, are not present, an error will occur and the app will not run.<br>Resources are placed in specially named subdirectories under the project res/ directory. 37) When dealing with multiple resources , which one takes precedence? Assuming that all of these multiple resources are able to match the configuration of a device, the ‘locale’ qualifier almost always takes the highest precedence over the others. 38) When does ANR occur? The ANR wil occur when long running operations performed on the Main Thread. When a long running operations will perform Main thread is not responsive at some time in these scenariosAccess Network State,Getting dataServer. The responseServer will take some time, in this time the Main thread is ideal. So The ANR will occur at these situations. To avoid those use Threads, Handlers,AsyncTask and Cursor Loaders based on your requirement. 39) What is AIDL? AIDL (Android Interface Definition Language) is similar to other IDLs you might have worked with. It allows you to define the programming interface that both the client and service agree upon in order to communicate with each other using interprocess communication (IPC). 40) What data types are supported by AIDL? By default, AIDL supports the following data types:<br/> All primitive types in the Java programming language (such as int , long , char , boolean , and so on)<br/> String.<br/> CharSequence.<br/> List. ...<br/> Map.<br/> 41) What is a Fragment? A fragment is usually used as part of an activity's user interface and contributes its own layout to the activity. To provide a layout for a fragment, you must implement the onCreateView() callback method, which the Android system calls when it's time for the fragment to draw its layout. 42) What is a visible activity? A visible activity is one that sits behind a foreground dialog. It is actually visible to the user, but not necessarily being in the foreground itself. 43) When is the best time to kill a foreground activity? If system is low on memory it kills some processes to make some space that operating system can run. So that it starts killing starting from low priority to high (5 to 1). If your foreground activity is destroyed, system has very very low memory to run and even operating system may crash soon. 44) Is it possible to use or add a fragment without using a user intrface? Yes, it is possible to do that, such as when you want to create a background behavior for a particular activity. You can do this by using add(Fragment,string) method to add a fragment from the activity. 45) How do you remove icons and widgets from the main screen of the Android device? To remove an icon or shortcut, press and hold that icon. You then drag it downwards to the lower part of the screen where a remove button appears. 46) What are the core components under the android application architecture? There are 5 key components under the Android application architecture:<br/> <strong>services<br/> intent<br/> content providers<br/> resource externalization<br/> notifications</strong> 47) What composes a typical Android application project? A project under Android development, upon compilation, becomes an .apk file. This apk file format is actually made up of the AndroidManifest.xml file, application code, resource files, and other related files. 48) What is sticky intent? A Sticky Intent is a broadcast from sendStickyBroadcast() method such that the intent floats around even after the broadcast, allowing others to collect data from it. 49) Do all mobile phones support the latest Android operating system? Some Android-powered phone allows you to upgrade to the higher Android operating system version. However, not all upgrades would allow you to get the latest version. It depends largely on the capability and specs of the phone, whether it can support the newer features available under the latest Android version. 50) What is portable wi-fi hotspot? Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot allows you to share your mobile internet connection to other wireless device. For example, using your Android-powered phone as a Wi-Fi Hotspot, you can use your laptop to connect to the Internet using that access point. 51) What is an action? In Android development, an action is what the intent sender wants to do or expected to get as a response. Most application functionality is based on the intended action. 52) What is the difference between a regular bitmap and a nine-patch image? In general, a Nine-patch image allows resizing that can be used as background or other image size requirements for the target device. The Nine-patch refers to the way you can resize the image: 4 corners that are unscaled, 4 edges that are scaled in 1 axis, and the middle one that can be scaled into both axes. 53) What language is supported by Android for application development? The main language supported is Java programming language. Java is the most popular language for app development, which makes it ideal even for new Android developers to quickly learn to create and deploy applications in the Android environment.

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Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the major enzyme involved in histamine metabolism and is responsible for ensuring a steady histamine level required for the balance of numerous chemical reactions taking place in the body. DAO is the key enzyme responsible for the degradation of extracellular (free) histamine, regardless of whether the histamine originates from allergy-induced processes in the body or is consumed with food. Histamine exerts its effects by binding to its 4 receptors: H1R, H2R, H3R and H4R on target cells in various tissues. Histamine receptors are located all over the body and have many important functions including: - H1 receptors: Smooth muscle and endothelial cells affecting skin; blood vessels (Benadryl and Claritin block activity of these receptors) - H2 receptors: Cells in the intestines control acid secretion, abdominal pain, and nausea; heart rate - H3 receptors: Central nervous system controlling nerves, sleep, appetite and behavior. - H4 receptors: Thymus, small intestine, spleen, colon, bone marrow and white blood cells; inflammatory response The DAO gene is also involved in the metabolism of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter found to be elevated in those with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. The DAO snippet can be identified in genetic testing, like 23andme. If you have a primary deficiency it can lead to significantly reduced DAO enzyme activity. Individuals with a DAO gene mutation may have a tendency towards high histamine. The DAO enzyme is dependent on vitamin B6, B12, iron, copper and vitamin C. Excess zinc will prevent copper absorption and may also be an issue in the diet. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), Leaky Gut Syndrome, GI inflammatory conditions, like Crohn’s disease, IBS, colitis and Celiac disease all produce high amounts of histamine that can alter DAO production. Certain drugs like NSAIDs, PPIs, anti-depressants, and immune suppressants also can suppress DAO production. Few companies produce DAO supplements and have difficulty obtaining the raw materials for consistent production. However, DAO naturally occurs in pea sprouts and to a lesser extent, pea protein. Pea protein has become more popular the last few years as people look for a protein powder other than whey, casein or soy. Both Standard Process and Biotics now have a pea protein powder used in their detoxification programs. I have begun using pea protein in patients who persist with digestive issues despite having corrected other aspects of digestion, inflammation, and dysbiosis. The early results are encouraging. Using myself as a guinea pig, I find significant reduction in mucous congestion especially upon arising in the morning. I actually reduced the dose from daily to three days a week as the anti-histamine effects felt too “drying” to the digestive and respiratory tracts. My wife, who is lactose intolerant, has noted a dramatic improvement in bowel function and prefers to take the pea protein almost daily. The Bottom Line: If you have unresolved digestive issues and/or excessive histamine production, try pea protein as a short term change to your diet. You should note some benefit within just a few days. Then modify the dosage as needed. For those who want definitive testing, Dunwoody Labs in Georgia offers a plasma test that measures DAO, histamine and zonulin along with IgA, IgG and IgM LPS to evaluate the intestinal barrier.

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Guide: Immunology basics A global general immunology guide delivering the fundamentals of innate and adaptive immunity, including the description of immune cell types and their associated signaling pathways Get a useful overview of today’s immunity knowledge with this booklet. Innate and adaptive immunity is a collection of complex processes involving multiple strategies and specialized cell types. This booklet provides you with critical information regarding their roles, characteristics and critical signaling pathways as well as the collaborative behaviors that contribute to immunity. In this guide, find a comprehensive review of innate immunity pathways like the cGAS-STING axis, Toll Like Receptors, and inflammasomes as well as TCR and BCR pathways from the adaptive immunity part.

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In 1703, when Narcissus Marsh founded Marsh’s Library beside St Patrick’s Cathedral in the Liberties, religion was one of the hot topics of academic debate. Marsh was an Anglican bishop, a linguist and a philosopher, and like many of his contemporaries, he was searching for answers about creation and which version of the Bible was the truth. “These theologians recognised that the Bible was a very human document and had passed through many hands,” says Sue Hemmens, deputy director of Marsh’s Library, surrounded by tall, oak cases full of old books. “At this stage in the late 17th century they were trying to zero in on the truest, most authentic version of the word of God,” she says. Marsh was interested in lots of things: maths, music, and astronomy. But his main love was studying the Old Testament in Hebrew and other Near Eastern languages. He amassed a collection of 150 books in Hebrew and Yiddish, mostly biblical texts. Over the centuries, the library added around 100 more Jewish books to Marsh’s original collection, and they recently launched an online exhibition of the texts. They are stained and faded or yellowing, and some have ornate illustrations. Jason McElligott, director of Marsh’s Library, says some of the Jewish texts on exhibit are very rare. “What we wanted to say with the exhibition is the library here in the south inner-city is part of the Liberties, but it also opens up into this wider world that you just wouldn’t expect,” he says. The Word of God Official church teaching in Marsh’s time was that the world had been created 4,000 years before Christ, says Hemmens. But in the early 1700s that had become problematic. Europeans had come into contact with civilisations, like China, which were obviously older and had their own timelines, she says. There were also clues in nature, like fossils. They were trying to understand a lot of things that didn’t quite fit with the church’s world view, she says. They were questioning everything, and debating – but carefully. Stray too far into criticising the church’s view, or into atheism, and it could destroy a career or even end in an execution. One of the main things that the early 18th-century scholars were trying to comprehend was creation itself, says Hemmens. That is why the Old Testament is so important. “They were trying to fit the whole jigsaw together – the language, the time and the space,” she says. “They want to understand more about how the process of creation might have happened.” Academic elites debated ideas through letters and pamphlets, she says. “They are having major controversies about it,” says Hemmens. “The big pamphlet wars about how things might have happened.” In books, people were often careful of what they said, but the truth of their ideas and questions can be found in their letters, which were then passed around among the academics. That way, “private thoughts creep into the public domain”, says Hemmens. “Just like we do with social media today.” Scholars at the time often printed books with several different interpretations of the same passage from the Old Testament, presented together. That way, people could get a better understanding of the passage, to facilitate debate. Some of Marsh’s Jewish books are made up of several original texts – books within a book. One of those original texts was printed in Lisbon, within 30 years of the invention of printing, says McElligott. With the help of colleagues in Columbia University in New York who have been tracing the “footprint” of old Jewish books, as they moved around the world, they were able to track that Hebrew book. “This book printed in Lisbon in 1489 makes its way circuitously through Europe and ends up in Marsh’s Library,” he says. Experts can trace the books because people often wrote in them, he says. They know that their book, which started in Lisbon, was later in Rome, because a Catholic censor crossed out some lines that went against the church’s teaching, and then signed his name. Restoring a Scroll As well as the collection of Jewish books currently exhibited online, the library is currently working on restoring a Hebrew prayer scroll, which dates back to between 1702 and 1714. “It is roughly contemporary with the establishment of the library,” says Hemmens. The scroll, printed on an animal skin, contains a prayer for Queen Anne, the monarch of the day. “In every synagogue, even today, all over the world, there is a prayer for the monarch or the head of state,” says McElligot. “So this is part of that tradition.” It would have been on display prominently in the local synagogue, he says. The scroll may have been donated to the library when Queen Anne’s reign ended. The synagogue would then have replaced it with a different one, for King George, he says. They are going to clean it up as best they can and put it on display in the library, he says. “We are also going to get DNA testing done to date it and find out what the skin is from and hopefully even where the animal was reared,” says Hemmens. “I think it is absolutely fascinating and can’t wait to see what comes out of it.” [CORRECTION: This article was updated on 15 January 2020 at 15.23. An earlier version mistakenly said one of the texts was printed in Lisburn – rather than Lisbon. Sorry for the error.] Sign up here to get our free email newsletter each Wednesday, with headlines from the week’s online edition, updates from inside the newsroom, and more. It’s a little reminder when we have a new edition out, and a way for you to stay in touch with what we’re doing without having to check social media.

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|SEMESTER ONE | |LEARNING ACTIVITIES | |Health 1 | |Electronic Literature Search | |Professional Growth 1 | |Nursing Informatics as Competency | |Self and Others 1 | |Reverie Journaling & Blogging | |Nursing Practice 1 | …show more content… "Nurses, in all domains of practice and at all levels, must be "technology literate" to be able to participate in decision making and evaluation of these systems - systems that should support them in information management, knowledge development and evaluation of new ways of practicing....Evidence-based practice in all practice domains requires competencies in informatics." (Hebert, 1999). The Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) must developed a working group to examine nursing education needs in informatics for all Philippine nursing students and practicing nurses, educators, managers and researchers. The intent is to develop a national strategy for addressing nursing informatics education. This Working Group had the goals to: • establish a national definition of Nursing Informatics • propose core competencies for Filipino nurses • identify Nursing Informatics education opportunities currently available to nurses; and determine Nursing Informatics education priorities Ends in View This learning activity is intended to give the learner the opportunity to: a) reflect on how nursing

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This tea is living archaeology The leaves in this tea have been harvested and brewed just the same way they were over 1000 years ago. Originally the tea was reserved for the elite of Chinese society, but due to changing times we can now brew and taste the same tea that has been prized for so long. Whole tea leaves are harvested during the first growth of tea in the early spring. The leaves are then hand rolled into "pearls," dried, and finally rolled with jasmine flowers to absorb a natural jasmine flavor. This delicate process creates a very unique tea, a favorite of mine and revered among tea gourmands. When steeped the pearls expand and unroll to a surprising volume - great for multiple infusions. Caffeine Strength: LowTotal # of Infusions: 4 Ingredients: Green tea naturally scented by jasmine flowers 1. Heat water to 210° F (just under boiling) 2. Measure 1-1.5 teaspoons of tea and place in a strainer or cup, whatever you desire. 3. Pour 1 cup of the heated water over the tea leaves and allow to steep for 1 min (light tea) to 3 min (strong tea) 4. Remove tea leaves after steeping, sweeten tea and enjoy.

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Search Within Results Common Core: Standard Common Core: ELA Common Core: Math Topic: Common Core Learning Standards - In this lesson, students will engage in an evidence-based discussion in which they will analyze how the two unit texts, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,” talk to each other.... - In this lesson, students build on discussions from the previous seven lessons and identify and connect textual evidence to write a claim about how a central idea is developed in “The Tell-Tale Heart... - "In this lesson, students analyze William Carlos Williams’s poem “Raleigh Was Right” and explore how this contemporary voice transforms the conversation begun by Marlowe and Raleigh. Students...

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Home schooling also caters to the parents’ wish to be able to supervise the child’s learning process more closely, understand the strengths and weaknesses of the child, and develop the child in their own specific way. Home schooling retains the natural curiosity of the child to the process of learning and gets rid of the compulsions laid down by schools.The child has freedom to choose what he likes and thus home schooling keeps the kids engaged. The control over the child’s schedule also allows the family to take travel trips together at most times of the year to complement the child’s learning about separate cultures and thus raises more tolerant and well-informed individuals. The main benefit about home schooling is the the one to one student teacher ratio ensures that the child has attention trained towards him all the time. This situation is not possible in public schools and the needs of the child often go ignored.Home schooling also protects the children from bullies, teenage peer pressure, unhealthy competition. It is also beneficial in the case of teenage girls who are prone to worry about fitting in with the rest of the people and following trends and fashion. This takes away their attention from the main element of learning. Home schooling also benefits the families which have to keep relocating very often due to work or otherwise. The kids may face problems with moving around very often and home schooling gives them a buffer against this. This brings in more stability to the learning process of the children.

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What is a geospatial cloud? Cloud platforms and geographic information systems (GIS) software together give businesses the ability to analyze massive amounts of information. The resultant location intelligence often reveals deeper insights and innovative ways to increase efficiency. A geospatial cloud empowers you to analyze complex datasets on easy-to-understand smart maps, which can then be used by anyone in your organization to visualize and monitor important trends across lines of business and take action in mission-focused projects. A geospatial cloud also allows location intelligence data to be easily combined with artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to map out ways to drive productivity or adjust strategies before bigger problems develop. With a geospatial cloud, you can create maps that represent thousands of relationships between hundreds of layers of data on demographics, sales, population growth, likely customers, competitors, supply chains, delivery routes, and countless other variables. The concept of a geospatial cloud introduces a whole new scale of location intelligence, and organizations of every size are using it to break new ground and digitally transform.

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Email Us at: Join Our Campaign In Recognizing Our Country's Flag Take the opportunity to do something that will Impact The Community! Help make a difference History of the "American Flag" "On July 4, 1776, our nations Continental Congress passed a resolution authorizing a committee to devise a seal for the United States of America. This mission, designed to reflect the Founding Fathers' beliefs, values, and sovereignty of the new Nation, did not become a reality until June 20, 1782. In heraldic devices, such as seals, each element has a specific meaning. Each color has a specific meaning. The colors red, white, and blue did not have meanings for The Stars and Stripes when it was adopted in 1777. However, the colors in the Great Seal did have specific meanings From a book that was related to flag history published in 1977 by the House of Representatives was meaning around the stars and stripes: The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun." "Stars & Stripes" "The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence Red, hardiness & valour Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice."

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In territory as small and fragmented as that given to Palestinians, any division was bound to weaken its diplomatic bargaining strength. Last March a huge demonstration in Gaza and the West Bank, called for an end to the long-running feud between Hamas and the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The victory of Hamas in the parliamentary elections of 2006 in Gaza complicated the situation. It lead to a national unity government between President Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh, the nominated prime minister, but that was short-lived. In June 2007 clashes erupted between pro-Fatah and Hamas factions. In effect a mini-civil war in which over 100 people lost their lives and which cemented the division between the two movements. Hamas took control of Gaza, forcing Fatah out of the territory. But the roots of the division go much deeper. Hamas was created in 1987 by Sheik Yassin after the first intifada, or uprising. Fatah was founded by Yasser Arafat in 1965 as a political movement, rather than as simply a reaction to a specific event. The Oslo Accords, signed in Washington in 1993 between Yasser Arafat and Israel’s Shimon Peres, were the first Israeli-Palestinian agreements that laid the foundations for the peace process. But Hamas has rejected the accords to this day and still does not recognise Israel. Years of division has done nothing to help the chances of their voices being heard. They should have more success if they can speak with one voice according to Uzi Rabi is a Middle East expert at Tel Aviv University. He said: “Fatah and Hamas are going to benefit a lot if they can present a united front, and this helps out in putting much pressure on Israel and United States.” But for Israel and the international community Hamas remains a terrorist organisation. Reconciliation is one thing, its practical implementation is another. Former Israeli negotiator Yossi Bellin said there are still big questions: “What we have to know is whether Hamas is going to have any say in the security of the West Bank and whether the government or Hamas in that case is going to allow Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President to negotiate on peace with Israel.” After the recent violent clashes it is predictable that security will be the Israelis’ chief concern. It may be that reaching an accord between Palestinians, could make it more difficult to make peace with other countries.

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It’s getting harder and harder to take umbrage if someone calls you a Neanderthal. According to two studies published on Wednesday, DNA from these pre-modern humans may play a role in the appearance of hair and skin as well as the risk of certain diseases. Although Neanderthals last walked in Europe around 28,000 years ago, as much as one fifth of their DNA has survived in human genomes due to interbreeding tens of thousands of years ago, one of the studies found, although any one individual has only about two percent of caveman DNA. “The two percent of your Neanderthal DNA might be different than my two percent of Neanderthal DNA, and it’s found at different places in the genome,” said geneticist Joshua Akey, who led one of the studies. Put it all together in a study of hundreds of people, and “you can recover a substantial proportion of the Neanderthal genome.” Both studies confirmed earlier findings that the genomes of east Asians harbour more Neanderthal DNA than those of Europeans. This could be 21 percent more, according to an analysis by Akey and Benjamin Vernot, published online in the journal Science. Still, “more” is a relative term. According to the paper by geneticists at Harvard Medical School, published in Nature, about 1.4 percent of the genomes of Han Chinese in Beijing and south China, as well as Japanese in Tokyo come from Neanderthals, compared to 1.1 percent of the genomes of Europeans. Anthropologists expressed caution about the findings. Fewer than half a dozen Neanderthal fossils have yielded genetic material, said Erik Trinkaus of Washington University in St. Louis, one of the world’s leading experts on early humans. Using this small sample to infer how much Neanderthal DNA persists in today’s genome is therefore questionable, he said. As expected, since Neanderthals never existed in Africa, Africans and those who trace their ancestry to that continent have almost no Neanderthal DNA, the Harvard team found. Human ancestors began migrating out of humanity’s natal continent as early as one million years ago, paleoanthropologists infer from fossil evidence, and between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago evolved into the robust, large-browed Homo neanderthalensis in Western Europe. Ever since scientists extracted DNA from the remains of Neanderthals, they have known that people today carry snippets of cavemen genes, amounting to around two to three percent. That clinched the case that Neanderthals and modern humans interbred, probably 40,000 to 80,000 years ago, soon after the latter arrived in Europe from Africa. The new studies add details about how much DNA and of what kind we inherited. “The story of early human evolution is captivating in itself, yet it also has far-reaching implications for understanding the organisation of the modern human genome,” Irene Eckstrand of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which partially funded the research, said in a statement. “Every piece of this story that we uncover tells us more about our ancestors’ genetic contributions to modern human health and disease.” The Harvard team used a novel genetic algorithm to estimate the probability that a particular genetic variant arose from Neanderthals. Basically, they started with the genome of a 50,000-year-old Neanderthal, and determined whether pieces of it also appeared in some non-Africans but not in sub-Saharan Africans. The algorithm identified remnants of Neanderthal DNA, called alleles, in genes associated with type 2 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, lupus, biliary cirrhosis and smoking behaviour. “But we can’t tell if the Neanderthal alleles are contributing to disease,” said Harvard’s Sriram Sankararaman, lead author of the paper in Nature. Areas “with increased Neanderthal ancestry tend to be higher the farther away you go from genes,” sitting, instead, in regions of the genome that do not actually produce the proteins, enzymes and other working molecules of the body. Neanderthal DNA does sit within some genes, however, such as those for keratin, a fibrous protein that makes skin, hair and nails tough and can be beneficial in colder environments by providing thicker insulation. The endurance of this Neanderthal DNA suggests that our caveman inheritance was adaptive, picked by natural selection to persist in our genome, generation after generation, because it conferred a survival advantage in individuals who carried it. The Harvard team analysed the genomes of 1,004 people to estimate which populations got more or fewer Neanderthal DNA. Confirming a 2013 study, they found more in the genomes of east Asians than in Europeans. But they also dug deeper: Puerto Ricans and Spaniards have the least Neanderthal DNA, 1.05 percent and 1.07 percent respectively. That is curious because Neanderthals made their last stand on the Iberian peninsula, finally dying out there 28,000 years ago. Across all populations, Neanderthal DNA is conspicuously low in regions of the X chromosome and in testes-specific genes. The paucity of Neanderthal genes among those active in the testes suggests that interbreeding wasn’t a resounding success: it produced viable children, but the males were infertile. Although as much as 20 percent of Neanderthal DNA persists in modern genomes, according to the Washington scientists, vast regions of the latter are Neanderthal deserts. Among them is a region of chromosome 7 that includes a gene called FOXP2. “FOXP2 has previously been implicated in speech and language and may be an example of a gene that influences a uniquely human trait, which is why we find no Neanderthal sequences in these regions,” said Akey.

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C Programming: A Modern Approach is a comprehensive book for computer science students and programming enthusiasts. The book teaches beginners about the C programming language, and its syntax. It explains how the language can be used to make interactive programs and to build software. The book includes a vast number of program examples for readers to try out in addition to unsolved exercises which will help readers test their understanding of the language. This second edition brings readers updated content related to the C99 standard, as well as an increased number of exercises and longer programming projects. About K. N. King K. N. King is an American computer science professional and academician currently working at Georgia State University as an associate professor of computer science. Dr. King completed his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California at Berkeley, and has also authored: Java Programming: From the Beginning, and Modula-2: A Complete Guide.

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Richard D. Sauerheber, Ph.D. Palomar Community College 1140 W. Mission Rd., San Marcos, CA 92069 E-mail: email@example.com Phone: 760-402-1173 July 26, 2012Oral Health Division U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, Georgia Toothpaste contains 1,500 ppm fluoride, argued to be an effective decay-preventing dentifice. On the other end of the spectrum, fluoride in saliva from ingested industrial fluoride in treated water supplies is only 0.02 ppm (NRC, 2006 p.81), which although unable to enter teeth enamel is also claimed by dental officials at OHD to prevent teeth decay by topical means. 1) If 1,500 ppm fluoride acts topically to prevent teeth decay during teeth brushing, then how does fluoridated water prevent tooth decay when ingested fluoride is present in saliva at 75,000 times lower concentration than in toothpaste? Could you please provide the data that prove 0.02 ppm fluoride bathing teeth is superior to 0.01 ppm or less that is typically found in saliva in non-fluoridated cities, that would justify the U.S. to continue spending over 300 million dollars annually to adjust fluoride levels in most all U.S. water supplies? On the other hand: 2) If 1 ppm fluoridated water that produces 0.02 ppm fluoride in saliva can act topically to reduce decay as many dental officials argue, with only 0.02 mg available per 24 hour day, then why does toothpaste need to be 75,000 times more concentrated than this to be effective at treating teeth to prevent decay? Where is the data that proves a need for 1,500 ppm fluoride in toothpaste, when 0.02 ppm for a 24 hour period between brushings contains only 0.02 mg fluoride total available (1 liter of saliva daily) while a tooth brush would contain 1.5 mg, 75 times more than in 24 hours worth of saliva, a 75 day supply? Please respond to these questions at your earliest convenience with data from these studies for all to see and analyze. The usual claim that ‘fluoride is a great public health achievement’ or that ‘fluoride decreases decay’ do not suffice, since no mention is made of the amounts of fluoride required to achieve these claims. Indeed, the CDC publication in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly, August, 2001 stated that systemic fluoride from ingestion does not decrease teeth caries, and fluoride is only believed to act topically (i.e. presumably from toothpaste). We have city Council members from many U.S. and Canadian cities needing answers to these questions, before deciding to continue infusing industrial fluorosilicic acid/caustic soda materials into drinking water to treat citizens for the purpose of taking fluoride internally, all without FDA approval for ingestion. Cities infusing industrial fluoride into water to treat citizens are fully liable and know full well that the FDA ruled in 1963 that fluoride is not a mineral nutrient and when injected into water is an uncontrolled use of an unapproved (1993) drug. The U.S. Health and Human Services request in 2011, that fluoride in water not exceed 0.7 ppm until updated guidelines are developed, addressed the problem that 41% of U.S. teens as of 2003 have permanent fluorotic teeth with abnormal enamel hypoplasia and ugliness. Colgate toothpaste manufacturers have written that water districts are at fault for this endemic (Los Angeles Times, Jan., 2011) by allowing fluoride to be swallowed– toothpaste is not to be swallowed, but applied directly to teeth. On the other hand, water district officials argue that toothpaste manufacturers are at fault for the endemic, because fluoridated water began in 1945 and toothpaste use followed many years afterward, so water fluoridation was set in place prior to the pervasive use of concentrated toothpastes. The FDA would argue that both contributors are at fault, since the NRC 2006 report clarified that 55% of fluoride in the bloodstream is that ingested from treated water, and 35% is from toothpaste use. Currently there are no city officials who obtain measurements of blood fluoride or saliva in treated citizens to ensure that infused industrial fluoride from fluorosilicic acid/caustic soda mixtures is either safe or effective, in spite of vast data indicating that soft water allows blood fluoride levels to accumulate to 4 times higher concentrations than fluoride present from ingesting treated hard water containing sufficient calcium to minimize assimilation of fluoride from the GI tract. Richard Sauerheber, Ph.D. Copy sent to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Rockville, MD 20857 (in care of petition FDA-2007-P-0346) Response from the CDC, admitting that they have no answer to this important question:

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Successive French governments have responded to the large undocumented migrant population in the northern port of Calais by heightening security around the border and by controlling migrants’ access to shelter in the immediate vicinity of Calais. There has been a pattern for over twenty years of alternating between providing accommodation and conducting evictions or forced relocations. Reception centres have opened and then shut down and encampments have been allowed to grow and then demolished. By January 2016, when the French Minister of the Interior ordered the demolition of the informal camp known as ‘the Jungle’ and the relocation of its residents, the migrant population of the camp comprised an estimated 6,000 people. The Jungle was demolished in two phases over a period of eight months. During the first phase, some of those evicted were relocated to a temporary facility constructed next to the camp from re-purposed shipping containers. Many chose instead to move to the half of the camp which was still standing. In the second phase of demolition, riot police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to evict everyone, including residents of the container facility. The provision and destruction of shelter for migrants in Calais has been consistently justified by officials using the language of humanitarianism, citing the poor conditions in which the inhabitants lived. Yet the state’s ‘humanitarian response’ to the conditions in the Jungle in 2016 was to violently evict several thousand people (half of whom saw their homes bulldozed twice), temporarily re-house a minority in shipping containers that did not conform to international humanitarian standards, and ultimately relocate people to asylum accommodation that many chose to leave, preferring to sleep on the streets. The Jungle camp challenged the sovereignty of the French state. Although the migrant population had received permission to occupy the site in Calais, the autonomous construction of a semi-permanent settlement that by 2016 housed several thousand people defied state authority. Residents of the settlement lived in extreme hardship but they had opportunities to be themselves and perform acts of citizenship which were incompatible with their status as undocumented migrants. It was therefore desirable for the state to demolish the camp and reincorporate its inhabitants into the immigration regime. The decision to dismantle the Jungle and relocate its inhabitants to alternative accommodation in shipping containers and reception centres across France was primarily a political act, not a humanitarian one. In official camps that provide shelter for displaced people, site arrangements and rules are generally drawn up by the organisation running the camp. In contrast, the French state set the external boundaries of the Jungle settlement – riot police patrolled its perimeter and monitored those entering – but went no further. Inside, residents determined the structure of the camp, building their own houses, initially from plastic sheets, later from longer lasting materials such as wood and corrugated metal. Streets were demarcated and named, and districts were established, generally along national lines. Working with volunteer groups, residents constructed large buildings that provided public facilities such as mosques, churches, children’s centres and a youth centre. In the absence of government involvement, humanitarian agencies and voluntary groups performed a range of state-like functions including the provision of medical treatment, childcare, education, legal advice and the conducting of censuses. The Jungle was the product of Anglo-French border policy but within its boundaries residents enacted their own social order beyond the realm of the French state. The Jungle offered a space in which residents enacted multiple potential identities irrespective of migration status. There were opportunities for social advancement within the settlement that would not have been possible outside it. The organisation L’Auberge des migrants selected community leaders to assist with the fair distribution of clothes and food. Undocumented entrepreneurs started businesses – grocers sold food purchased in supermarkets in Calais, hawkers traded clothing donated to the camp by the British and French public, and there were a number of restaurants and a nightclub. Residents had opportunities for artistic production, with theatre groups and performing artists travelling from Britain. Volunteers and agency workers lived and worked alongside undocumented migrants to construct shelters and provide services. People made political claims through marches, motorway blockades, occupations, hunger strikes and sewing up their lips. Their actions drew public attention to the issues facing migrants in Calais, and succeeded in delaying the demolition of the northern half of the settlement by six months. Reasserting state authority The shipping container facility constructed alongside the Jungle reasserted the state’s authority, restricting the formation of new identities and limiting opportunities for acts of citizenship. Whereas the Jungle was formed incrementally in response to its residents’ needs, the container facility was planned and managed by an organisation acting on behalf of the French state according to the principles of cost efficiency and security. Its physical space comprised a grid made up of large containers each housing 12-14 people, whereas camp residents had chosen to live in small, private shelters for individuals or families. The container facility lacked communal spaces for association or performance, public facilities or premises for business. Residents had no opportunity to reconstruct the built environment, which had a permanence that the Jungle lacked. The facility was surrounded by a wire fence patrolled by police dogs, and only residents were able to enter and leave, through turnstiles secured with fingerprint scanners. In contrast, the Jungle settlement had been open to visitors, allowing inhabitants to develop relationships with volunteers, agency workers and activists. The relocation of Calais’ migrants reaffirmed the social and bureaucratic labels from which the informal settlement had sheltered them. Those who moved into the shipping containers became passive recipients of assistance, literally ‘contained’ in the facility. They were obstructed from creating other identities for themselves by their physical separation from non-residents and by the restrictions on business or community activities. At the same time, the securitised architecture of the facility presented its inhabitants as dangerous. Shelter provision is political as much as it is humanitarian. In 2016, the dismantling of the Jungle and the forced relocation of its inhabitants were a response to the challenge to state authority posed by the rapidly growing informal settlement. When Eric Besson, French Immigration Minister, ordered the demolition of a migrant settlement in Calais in 2009, he declared that: “On the territory of this nation, the law of the jungle cannot endure.” Besson’s ‘law of the jungle’ described chaos and hardship but the Calais Jungle also represented autonomy and the multiplicity of identities. It was these latter characteristics that were incompatible with the French immigration regime.

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Do you ever find yourself humming to a tune while you are waiting in line? Or what about jamming along to your favorite song that just came on the radio? Do you even find yourself singing in the shower? Well, if you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions above, then you have already experienced some of the beneficial effects of music. Music has been around for centuries and it is simply defined as tones or sounds that express ideas and emotion. Music surrounds us everyday and varies across cultures, generations, and people. Whether you prefer classical, jazz, rock, or pop, research shows that music has both mental and physical benefits for our bodies. The imminent stress that accompanies upcoming midterms and finals can leave college students mentally drained and exhausted. With the help of a little music, you can reduce your anxiety. While everyone has a different preference of background music while they study, soft music playing in the background has been shown to improve some people’s ability and efficiency to complete tasks. Maybe your roommate’s loud, obnoxious rock music isn’t exactly your taste, nor might it create an environment suitable for your studying. But give classical or jazz music a try and see how that affects your ability to focus. Listening to upbeat music before you take an exam may be a strategy to consider, as music can calm nerves and help you perform better under high-pressure situations. When used as a meditative medium, music can induce therapeutic effects. Many types of musical therapies have been developed to help people who may be coping with a traumatic event. For some, listening to music reduces anxiety and improves their mood. Music can also have a positive impact on physical health. For starters, listening to music during your workout is a great way to improve your endurance and boost physical performance. When you listen to music, this distracts your brain from focusing on the developing fatigue and exhaustion. If you want to increase your mileage on a run but find yourself stopping short of your goal, try creating a playlist with your favorite tunes to listen to as a means of upping your workout motivation. This will trick your brain into thinking about something else rather than on the muscle fatigue. If you find yourself suffering from insomnia, playing classical music before bed has been found to effectively treat sleep issues. When it comes to eating, music plays a part as well. Have you ever noticed how some restaurants will play soft music in the background as you eat your meal? Well, it turns out that there might be a reason behind that. The soft background music influences people in a way that encourages them to eat slower, perhaps to reflect the more relaxed beat of the tune. When people eat slower, they end up eating less food because they will be more mindfully aware of the amount of food they are putting into their mouths. In addition to its entertainment value, music has been shown to have a practical side as well. From reducing stress to improving sleep or enhancing endurance, music has truly shown its wide-range of effects on our day-to-day activities. Michelle Chen is a sophomore at Cornell University majoring in Nutritional Sciences with a concentration in Dietetics. She plans to enter the field of medicine. Photo Credit: Sammy Gitlin

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IRAN — Wildlife conservationists celebrated the sighting of a family of cheetahs in Iran as relations between the United States and Iran continue to show signs of improvement—a positive development in the fight to save these animals. This past Friday, Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the lead negotiator in nuclear talks with Iran, called for a pause on new sanctions against the Iranian government. This follows an incident from a few weeks back, when President Obama and the President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, had the first phone conversation between leaders of the respective governments since 1979. The moment carried great global significance for several reasons, and was a positive development for the campaign to save the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah. Asiatic cheetahs are extinct everywhere except Iran; where research has suggested only 40 to 70 cheetahs remain in the wild. Images taken earlier this week captured five Asiatic cheetahs, a mother and four cubs, in Turan National Park. The sighting provided hope for conservationists who have worked tirelessly to protect the cheetahs and raise awareness in the Persian country. “In the past year or so that we closely monitored Turan, we never spotted a family, especially female cheetahs with cubs. It shows Asiatic cheetahs are surviving, breeding cubs are managing to continue life. It’s good news against a barrage of bad news about these animals,” Delaram Ashayeri, project manager at the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, told The Guardian. Since 2006, led by the United States, the United Nations have imposed sanctions against Iran to deter them from developing nuclear weapons. These sanctions have made the work of conservationists even more difficult. “Unfortunately, due to sanctions, we have not been able to reach international funds,” Morteza Eslami, head of the Iranian Cheetah Society told The Guardian. “We are an NGO, we are independent of the government but due to sanctions we had serious difficulties in obtaining camera traps, for example. It is not possible to directly buy them and we have to go through a number of intermediaries and that means that we have to pay more to get our hands on them. Also, we have banking restrictions, making it difficult for us to pay for these camera traps.” So Under Secretary Sherman’s call to delay further sanctions against Iran provides a ray of hope for the Asiatic cheetah, and for the counter proliferation of weapons with the power to extinguish all life on earth. — Israel Igualate, exclusive to Global Animal

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The Ahar Cenotaphs is the most famous archaeological site in the whole of Rajasthan as the wives were immolated with the king's cremation. The wives would sacrifice themselves whenever the king passed away; even Maharana Sangram Singh was cremated at this cremation ground with his 21 wives. Each Cenotaph represents each king who ruled the Mewar along with the wives and the cenotaph was carved in a unique design. The Ahar Cenotaphs refer to the empty tomb monument which was built as an honour or a memorial of the King. There are a total of 19 cenotaphs present in this site. Image of Lord Vishnu, the Maharana and the queens are carved into the dome of the cenotaph and the architecture of these cenotaphs was very similar to that of a Hindu temple. All the royal cenotaphs consist of 8 hand-carved pillars supporting the octagonal dome in the middle. Ahar Archeological Museum is also located within the vicinity of the cremation ground. The State Government of Rajasthan created this museum to protect the artefacts and other items which were excavated from the Mewar period. It became the most famous tourist sites within months and tourists had a chance to view how people of Mewar used to live and what kind of object they used to use in the ancient period which included the relics and the religion they used to follow. Ahar Cenotaphs open at 06:00 AM to 06:00 PM - (from Sunrise to Sunset) Cenotaphs Entry Fees There is not entry fee to visit Cenotaphs Ahar Cenotaphs Museum open at 10:00 AM to 04:30 PM Museum Entry Fees 3 INR (per person)

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This is the fifth brief in a thirteen-part series designed to inform Maine school leaders as they work to develop and implement their proficiency-based learning system. What you need to know - A proficiency-based system uses criterion-referenced assessments. - There are a variety of performance indicator verification approaches schools can use. - In a proficiency-based learning system students are provided with multiple opportunities to complete assessments. - Adopting or adapting high quality work from other districts may be very helpful. What you need to know - Develop, adopt, or adapt 8–10 performance indicators for each graduation standard. - Develop, adopt, or adapt high quality scoring criteria. - Provide time for teachers to create, revise, and calibrate their scoring of common assessments. - Lead the district in determining which method teachers will use to verify student achievement of performance indicators. - Select or update electronic gradebooks to reflect the verification system. Reminder: The steps we recommend and the resources we provide are grounded in the PBL Simplified Model we have created and assume a general level of familiarity with it. Performance indicators support a criterion-referenced assessment that measures student learning against a set of agreed upon learning standards. In a proficiency-based learning system, a wide variety of criterion-referenced assessments are used to individually assess students against clear, universally-shared performance indicators. Students are not compared to each other, but rather to how they, as individuals, measure up to the learning expectations. Keep in mind that schools may currently assess students by comparing them to their peers (norm referenced), and take into account various behaviors, attendance, homework completion, and class participation. In a proficiency system, students are not disadvantaged by prior poor performance on assessments as they are given multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency. Using Scoring Criteria Performance indicators outline what students need to know or be able to do; scoring criteria outline how well students must perform to achieve proficiency. Using common scoring criteria to assess performance indicators requires a new mindset for all of us. Professional development to ensure consistent application of scoring criteria, including calibration of scoring student work, will ensure the assessment system is fair and accurate from the outset. Schools may adopt or adapt scoring criteria from other districts that have invested considerable time in this work. Given high-quality graduation standards, performance indicators, and scoring criteria, the real work begins when teachers gather to review student work that reflects each level of scoring criteria. Proficiency on any performance indicator should eventually have common meaning throughout the school. Because building common agreement is so important, it is wise to use collaboration time to develop a shared understanding of proficiency and the scoring process. As with scoring criteria, some districts have chosen to adopt or adapt work from other districts rather than writing all new performance indicators and scoring criteria. For those schools able to allocate time in writing scoring criteria, the Great Schools Partnership offers advice on best practices (see Scoring Criteria Design Guide). These task-neutral (applicable across diverse assessments) criteria should be increasingly complex in cognitive demand, focus on the quality of work produced, and describe what students can do. Further, they should be applicable to a variety of learning experiences, not one particular project or task, keeping in mind that, over time, results from performance indicator-aligned assessments are aggregated to determine proficiency levels on graduation standards. The scoring criteria design process takes practice and collaboration among teachers, with attention to design principles that help build shared agreement and consistency. Classroom assessments may apply to several performance indicators and standards, so the scoring of these indicators across courses must be consistently applied. This consistency ensures that the scores on performance indicators are accurate and fair measures of student achievement. Verification of Performance Indicators There are actually two verification steps used in a proficiency-based learning system. First, throughout a grading period, teachers accumulate summative assessment scores of student achievement on performance indicators. The collection of these values is aggregated to generate a score that represents student achievement on each performance indicator. Second, the graduation standard score is then derived using the collection of aggregated scores from the performance indicators related to that standard. This information brief focuses on the first step in this process, the aggregation of individual performance indicators. There are three options that may be used to determine an aggregated performance indicator score. These are described in detail on the GSP website: decaying average, power law, and most recent score. (Note that power law and decaying average may require specialized online gradebook systems.) Decaying average formulas assign progressively decreasing weight to older scores, thus newer scores are more heavily weighted in the final score. Since student learning improves over time—and some students may experience early struggles—this method could encourage teaching practices that focus on learning growth and be less discouraging for the student. Additionally, since earlier scores do actually count, if only minimally, it provides an incentive for students to work hard throughout the learning process. This method works best when there are many scores to consider within any grading period. Power law (also known as trending) plots assessment scores over time and generates a score that is a “best fit.” It answers the question: What score would the student most likely receive on the performance indicator if she were assessed again? An advantage is that this method does not penalize students for early poor performance and produces scores that reflect what the students knows at the end of the term. However, because of the way the formula itself is written, it’s possible to produce a final score that is higher than the highest one earned by the student. For this reason, the Great Schools Partnership recommends decaying average as a better method. Using the most recent score or scores to determine if students have achieved performance indicators more accurately reflects knowledge acquired over the course of the grading period, and will encourage students to improve their performance. Students who meet standards early on need to maintain high performance throughout the term. While no system is perfect, using the most recent score allows students the opportunity to recover from past failures and not be disadvantaged by earlier struggles. It is also more equitable for struggling learners. Further, students who meet standards early on need to maintain high performance throughout the term. Calculating final scores in a way that assigns the greatest weight to the most recently assessed work is ultimately a truer measure of what a student actually knows and is able to do. Alternative methods used by some schools include mean, mode, and highest score. Though most familiar to teachers, averaging scores on the same performance indicators may defeat the purpose of a proficiency-based system. Progress over time is unclear as is the level of achievement at the end of a term when teachers have to make a determination regarding moving forward in a course. Using the mode or most common score may not accurately measure the depth of learning as the struggles along the way would factor more heavily in the final grade. Alternatively, counting only the highest score would not take into account a student whose effort falls off toward the end of the term, providing an incomplete picture of work habits. The Great Schools Partnership has developed resources that offers guidance and thoughtful explanations of these various methods of verifying proficiency. It is essential for teachers to first have a shared understanding of what proficiency means for each performance indicator before determining which method to use, and to also understand the limitations of each method. The choice of verification approaches will impact many elements of teaching and learning. Schools will need to make a range of decisions, including: consequences for missing or late work; how, and whether, to record progress on formative assessments; and the expected pace of progress, to name a few. Resolving these important issues will be crucial for both teachers and students when the verification of proficiency system is in place. Ultimately, we want parents to have confidence that scores from summative assessments are true measures of what a student knows and is able to do and, in particular, ensures college- and career-readiness for all. - Verifying Proficiency: Performance Indicators - Scoring Criteria: Design Guide - Ensuring Consistency When Using Common Assessments - Determining Proficiency Levels and Establishing Scoring Criteria - Verifying Proficiency: Scoring Criteria Proficiency-Based Learning Simplified by Great Schools Partnership is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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E-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) are battery-operated devices designed to look and feel similar to cigarettes or cigars, but they don't burn tobacco. What is an e-cigarette? E-cigarettes heat liquids to produce a vapour that looks like smoke, which users inhale. Using an e-cigarette is often called 'vaping'. The liquid solutions contain chemicals and sometimes appealing-sounding flavourings, such as chocolate, bubblegum and fruity flavours. E-cigarettes might be shaped like cigarettes, cigars, pens or other common items. Are e-cigarettes legal? In all states and territories in Australia, it is illegal to sell, possess or use e-cigarettes that contain nicotine. But this does not guarantee all e-cigarettes sold legally are nicotine-free. You can legally buy e-cigarettes that do not contain nicotine. It is illegal, however, for manufacturers or retailers to make any therapeutic claims about e-cigarettes. For example, they can't claim that e-cigarettes help people to quit smoking. It is also against the law in most states and territories to use e-cigarettes in legislated smoke-free areas (see 'Use of e-cigarettes in public places', below). Is vaping harmful? There has not been enough research on e-cigarettes to know exactly how they might affect your health. And evidence is emerging of a link between vaping and lung disease requiring intensive care. Most e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, but the toxic chemicals and flavourings in e-cigarettes could be very harmful. Most products that involve inhaling chemicals into the lungs go through a long testing process to prove they are safe and effective. These tests have not been conducted on the e-cigarettes available in Australia, so their safety can't be guaranteed. Experts are concerned that teenagers and young people who wouldn't try 'real' cigarettes may be attracted to vaping. There's a risk that e-cigarettes could normalise smoking, and act as a gateway to tobacco cigarettes. Do e-cigarettes help you quit smoking? There is no evidence that e-cigarettes can help you quit smoking. E-cigarettes are not approved in Australia as a smoking cessation (stopping) aid. If you want to give up smoking, call the Quitline on 13 7848. You can also talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) aids, such as patches, gum and inhalators. They're usually available over the counter, but if you have a prescription you may be able to get them on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Combining 2 forms of NRT seems to work better than one since they work in different ways. Vaping liquids can harm children Although illegal in Australia, liquid nicotine refills for e-cigarettes are very dangerous both for children and adults. Nicotine is a poison that can be absorbed through the skin, and accidental swallowing of liquid nicotine can be lethal. One teaspoon of liquid nicotine refill is enough to cause permanent damage or even death, particularly in children. If you suspect that someone has taken has been poisoned, get medical help immediately. You can call the Poisons Information Line 24 hours a day from anywhere in Australia on 13 11 26. If the person is showing signs of being seriously ill, such as vomiting, loss of consciousness, drowsiness or seizures (fits), call triple zero (000) for an ambulance, or take the person to the closest emergency department. Use of e-cigarettes in public places In all states and territories except Western Australia, you are not allowed to use e-cigarettes in places where cigarette smoking is also prohibited, such as shopping centres, buses, trains, near children's play equipment, outdoor dining areas, sports grounds and more. To find out about the laws regarding e-cigarette use in public spaces where you live, visit the relevant link: Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Last reviewed: November 2019

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Type 2 Diabetes is a serious condition that impacts millions of Americans. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) of the 30 million Americans with diabetes, 90-95% of the 30 million Americans with diabetes have Type 2. If your doctor has warned you that your glucose levels are in the prediabetic range, or if Type 2 Diabetes runs in your family, that’s no guarantee you’re destined for the full-blown diagnosis. With the right interventions, there’s more than an excellent chance that you can avoid the disease in the future. 1. Reduce Sugar Intake (Yes, That Also Means Alcohol) One of the primary fuel sources for our body is carbohydrates. We need a balance of healthy, complex carbs (whole grains like brown rice, high fiber fruits, and veggies) to maintain a good diet and keep our energy up all day. Refined sugars, the type found in sweetened soft drinks and packaged baked goods, should always be eaten in moderation. Refined sugar is stored as access fat, which leads to weight gain and may eventually cause insulin resistance. Alcohol (beer, wine, vodka, gin, etc.) while not a refined sugar is a simple carbohydrate. If you are familiar with the term “empty calories”, alcohol is full of them. In general, here’s a short list of foods to avoid: - Sweetened candy, soft drinks, desserts, and snacks - Sweetened breakfast cereals and breakfast bars - Sweetened condiments (read those labels; ketchup has almost four teaspoons of sugar per ¼ cup) - Fast food - Pre-packaged and frozen food - Beer, wine, and mixers like margarita mix and sweetened tonic water If you want or need alternatives to the above, consult your doctor or reach out to a nutritional expert like a licensed dietician. 2. Get Preventative Health Screenings The American Diabetes Association and the CDC recommend glucose screenings for everyone over 45. The CDC also recommends glucose screenings if you: - Have prediabetes - Are overweight - Have a sibling or parent with Type 2 Diabetes - Are not physically active at least three times per week - Were ever diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy or given birth to a baby who weighed 9 pounds or more at birth - Are any of the following: African American, Hispanic/Latinx American, Native American/Alaska Native; note that per the CDC, some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans could also be in a higher risk group The bottom line: while there are certain lifestyles and ethnicities that put you at greater risk, everyone 45 years or older needs to get annual blood sugar screenings. 3. Increase Your Physical Activity Studies show that physical activity can prevent insulin resistance in prediabetic adults. All children and adults alike must find activities that they enjoy doing to increase your heart rate, build lean muscle, and burn fat. We’re not suggesting that you have to start training for a triathlon or sign up for a CrossFit gym. Also, no, you don’t need six-pack abs to be considered healthy and fit. The point is: get moving. Any and all kind of movement is good. Do you garden? Great! That’s considered a form of mild exercise. How about walking your dog, or doing your errands by foot? Here are some other forms of activities that keep your weight down, your heart rate up, and reduce your chances of becoming a Type 2 diabetic. - Brisk walking for 30 minutes outside or on a treadmill - Biking for 20-30 minutes on a stationary or regular bike - Low-resistance exercise classes like Pilates, water aerobics, or yoga - Organized sports (kickball, softball, basketball, or soccer) - Lifting weights Even if you start out with just one or two sessions a week, remember that a little is always better than nothing. One last thing: everyone misses a day at the gym or has to skip their circuit training class because of a conflict every once in a while. Don’t beat yourself up. That’s why you have a structure, so you pick right back up where you left off. 4. Increase Fiber Intake Not only do Americans not get enough exercise, we also don’t get nearly enough fiber in our diets. High-fiber, complex carbohydrates release glucose slowly as we digest, which helps you feel full for longer. Because those same foods don’t blast the system with glucose (like simple sugars do), high-fiber foods also reduce the likelihood that you will become insulin resistant. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women get 25 grams of soluble fiber per day and that men get 38. If you start to read the grams of fiber per serving in what you’re eating right now, it’s likely you’re not even close. In fact, low-carb fad diets (more on those below) have deprived many Americans of the complex carbs we should be eating to get our recommended daily fiber intake. For example, one slice of whole-wheat or multigrain bread has around 3 grams of fiber. Legumes like black beans and garbanzo beans are a must, with a whopping 11-15 grams of fiber per cup. Challenge yourself to include at least one serving of high-fiber food in every meal and start tracking it. Use this chart as an easy reference to get started. Foods Naturally High in Fiber Grams of Fiber per Serving 5. Skip the Fad Diets and Embrace a New Lifestyle Dieting is an acceptable method to accomplish short-term weight loss. So, let’s say you went away for a few days and dined out on the town the whole time. A low-carb or restrictive diet for a week or two could help you drop the handful of pounds you gained while you were having fun. The only occasions anyone should engage in a faddish diet are under those very types of circumstances, to shed a few pounds after a little bit of indulging over the holidays, on vacation, or after a couple of successive cheat days. There’s no shame in celebrating a special occasion every once in a while. Maintaining a healthy weight is a lifestyle. Reducing your overall calorie intake, cutting down on portion sizes, upping your fiber content, teaching yourself about healthy carbs, increasing your activity, and avoiding sugary foods will eventually result in a healthy weight. The point of healthy living isn’t being thin. A healthy lifestyle not only helps prevent diabetes, but is also one of the best overall strategies to prevent other dangerous, chronic health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, high cholesterol, and chronic pain. Sometimes, taking that first step is the hardest, and you may need tools, coaching, and technology to help with that. We leverage available technologies and science-based insights to make disease prevention convenient, attainable, and automated. Learn more about how we can help you today.

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Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) is a chemical compound found in many personal care and household cleaning products. CAPB is a surfactant, which means that it interacts with water, making the molecules slippery so they don’t stick together. When water molecules don’t stick together, they are more likely to bond with dirt and oil so when you rinse away the cleaning product, the dirt rinses away, too. In some products, CAPB is the ingredient that makes lather. Cocamidopropyl betaine is a synthetic fatty acid made from coconuts, so products that are considered “natural” can contain this chemical. Still, some products with this ingredient may cause unpleasant side effects. Cocamidopropyl betaine allergic reaction Some people have an allergic reaction when they use products containing CAPB. In 2004, the American Contact Dermatitis Society declared CAPB the “Allergen of the Year.” Since then, a 2012 scientific review of studies found that it’s not the CAPB itself that causes an allergic reaction, but two impurities that are produced in the manufacturing process. The two irritants are aminoamide (AA) and 3-dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA). In multiple studies, when people were exposed to CAPB that did not contain these two impurities, they did not have an allergic reaction. Higher grades of CAPB that have been purified don’t contain AA and DMAPA and don’t cause allergic sensitivities. If your skin is sensitive to products that contain CAPB, you may notice tightness, redness, or itchiness after you use the product. This kind of reaction is known as contact dermatitis. If the dermatitis is severe, you may have blisters or sores where the product came into contact with your skin. Most of the time, an allergic skin reaction like this will heal on its own, or when you stop using the irritating product or use an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. If the rash doesn’t get better in a few days, or if it is located near your eyes or mouth, see a doctor. CAPB is in several products intended for use in your eyes, like contact solutions, or it’s in products that may run into your eyes as you shower. If you are sensitive to the impurities in CAPB, your eyes or eyelids could experience: If rinsing the product away does not take care of the irritation, you may want to see a doctor. CAPB can be found in facial, body, and hair products like: - makeup removers - liquid soaps - body wash - shaving cream - contact lens solutions - gynecological or anal wipes - some toothpastes CAPB is also a common ingredient in household spray cleaners and cleaning or disinfecting wipes. CAPB will be listed on the ingredient label. The Environmental Working Group lists alternative names for CAPB, including: - hydroxide inner salt In cleaning products, you may see CAPB listed as: - cocamidopropyl dimethyl glycine - disodium cocoamphodipropionate The National Institute of Health maintains a Household Product Database where you can check to see if a product you use may contain CAPB. Some international consumer organizations like Allergy Certified and EWG Verified offer assurances that products with their seals have been tested by toxicologists and have been found to have safe levels of AA and DMAPA, the two impurities that usually cause allergic reactions in products containing CAPB. Cocamidopropyl betaine is a fatty acid found in lots of personal hygiene and household products because it helps water to bond with dirt, oil, and other debris so they can be rinsed clean. Although it was initially believed that CAPB was an allergen, researchers have found that it’s actually two impurities that emerge during the manufacturing process that are causing irritation to eyes and skin. If you are sensitive to CAPB, you may experience skin discomfort or eye irritation when you use the product. You can avoid this problem by checking labels and national product databases to find out which products contain this chemical.

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Design Example of a somewhat more modern lock built into a chest lid. The key, which is placed in the midpoint, controls 14 short bolts in four directions via the two centrally placed bolts and actuators. Plate from Comte de Grandpré, Manuel théorique et pratique du serrurier, 1830 This specific type of chest has sides covered with rolled sheet iron reinforced with intersecting narrow nailed iron strips. All angles are covered with edging that form a frame held together with iron rivets. In some places dome-shaped rivet heads are used. The lid is also made of plate and is completely plain, or reinforced with intersecting narrow steel strips. It is also attached to the chest at the back with two strong hinges. The heavy chests required strong handles on each gable. The base color is always green and the strips are usually black. It is believed that master Willem in Nyköping brought the practice of rolling iron into plate to Sweden in the early seventeenth century. Subsequently more rolling mills were established that could provide black plate to tinsmiths and locksmiths. Iron chests are not particularly safe from the standpoint of fire. When heated, the paper inside the chest chars and in strong heat the chest can melt. In order to delay the effect of the heat on the contents to some extent, some chests in the late nineteenth century were made with double plate walls separated by, for example, about a 2 cm-thick layer of cork.Locking devicesLocking devices vary; the lid is usually locked with some form of locking device built into the lid and supplemented with one or usually two padlocks via the flap mounted on the front edge of the lid and corresponding with staples on the upper edge of the chest. The lid is locked with a padlock using a fitting attached to the lid with hinges adapted to the corresponding one or two staples on the upper edge of the front sides. Sometimes they are fitted with false keyholes on the front sides.The lid lock was attached to its underside and the key controlled from the upper side of the lid by lock bolts under a strip on the upper edge of the sides of the chest. 1. The lock may be a tumbler lock with two or three lock bolts built into one (or two) plate box(es) (lock body), nailed to the underside of the lid, with keyhole that sticks out on the upper side of the lid and is protected by a flap. 2. However, the locks can also be more complicated, covering the underside of the lid with several bolts in three or four directions, which are controlled by a centrally placed key. This type of lock can have an extra function alongside the central one, which is controlled via a secret camouflaged, ornamental detail. Principle for self-locking lid. Locks against the strip that reinforces the upper edge of the sides of the chest. Bolts without beveling also use the same type of strip when locking. Sketch by the author. Built-in tumbler lock as trunk lock. Screwed onto the underside of the lid with keyhole on the upper side of the lid. Göteborg City Museum. Photo by the author. Lock built into the lower edge of the lid. Four bolts, two of which are beveled. Göteborg City Museum. Photo by the author.

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When the colonists arrived on the shores of America, among the kitchen and medicinal herbs that crossed the ocean with them were chives. Down through thousands of years, chives have been cultivated and developed. As long ago as 3,000 B.C., onion chives (Allium schoenoprasum) were found growing in the gardens of China. The great Emperor Charlemagne, in A.D. 812, listed the already familiar chives among the more than seventy other herbs in his famous garden. Dodoens gives the French name for it in his days: “Petit poureau,” relating to its rush-like appearance. In present-day it’s common French name is “Ail civitte”. The Latin name of this species means “Rush-leek”. The well-known herbalist of England’s sixteenth century, Parkinson, also cultivated this familiar herb. Chives are the smallest, though one of the finest-flavored of the onion tribe and belongs to the botanical group of plants listed as Alliums. The variety, A. Schoenoprasum “Ruby Gem”, has gray foliage and pink-ruby flowers. Allium schoenoprasum “Forcaste” grows slightly larger than the usual chives. Another important allium species in China and Japan is the Welsh onion which provides a continuous supply of bunching onions and leaves throughout the year. Though said to be a native of Britain, Allium schoenoprasum can be found growing throughout temperate and northern Europe but rarely is it found in an uncultivated state. In the Southern gardens of the U.S., this hardy perennial is frequently seen delicately edging a garden bed because it makes such an attractive border plant. The Chive contains a pungent volatile oil, rich in sulphur, which is present in all the onion tribe. Although herbalists of old did not find much medicinal use for chives, it was believed that chives could drive away diseases and evil influences; bunches of them were hung in homes for this purpose. But modern research has found sulfur oil is antiseptic and helps lower blood pressure, but only in fairly large quantities. Chives can be called a healthful rather than medicinal herbs. They are useful in toning the stomach, reducing high blood pressure, and strengthening the kidneys. Chives also are rich in calcium which strengthens nails and teeth. Chives stimulate the appetite and tone up the kidneys. The delicate piquancy that they impart to food makes chives best known for their use in cooking; they taste like mild, sweet onions. Mince the fresh leaves to flavor dishes and don’t overlook the flowers. Toss them in salads or garnish dishes with them. This plant is a hardy perennial. The tightly crowded bulblets grow in clumps very close together in dense clusters. The hollow, round reed-like spears of leaves appear early in spring and are long, cylindrical and hollow, tapering to a point. They grow from eight to twenty inches tall, though they rarely reach over a foot in gardens. The leaves should be harvested before flowering, usually about four to six weeks after the growing season begins. The flowering stem is hollow and either has no leaf, or one leaf sheathing it below the middle. The mauve pin-cushion blossoms consist of numerous flowers encased in paper-like bracts and densely packed together on separate, slender flower-stalks. The flowers are in blossom in June and July. With consistent watering, the blooming period can be lengthened. Keep free of weeds—once grasses become established in a clump of chives, they are difficult to eradicate. Chives will grow in any ordinary garden soil. They are nitrogen-loving plants and thrive in rich, well-draining soil with regular applications of fertilizer. Chives can be raised from seed, but are usually propagated by division of clumps in spring or autumn. In dividing the clumps, leave about six little bulbs together. These will spread to a fine clump in the course of a year. Set the clumps from nine inches to a foot apart each way. This division of mature plants is beneficial because chives multiply quickly and need to be divided every three or four years. Plant two to three-inch sized clumps about a foot apart. Onion chives will die back during the hot summers, but begin to show tender new shoots when cooler temperatures return. They also go into hibernation for the winter. You may want to pot up a clump in the fall and bring it into the house to have a steady supply of this mild onion flavor all winter long. Plants will live several years in pots. A less familiar variety of chives (Allium tuberosum) is commonly known as Oriental garlic or Chinese chives. Easily distinguished by its garlic aroma and taste, this herb also grows in clumps like onion chives, but has lighter green flat reed-like leaves. Garlic chives are taller, reaching up to two feet, and produce delicate clusters of starry white flowers which bloom in late summer, lasting well into fall. Full sun is preferred but they can tolerate some shade. This hardy perennial can be cut back frequently to promote thick growth. Garlic chives are prolific self-seeders and can become invasive if not controlled. Both chives grow easily, but slowly, from tiny, black seeds; the garlic chive seed is twice as large as the onion chive seed. Both chives will reseed themselves if allowed. Garlic chives are often used as an ornamental border because they remain green all year. These flowers attract bees and bumblebees galore when their charming white flower-heads are blooming in the herb garden. You might want to consider allowing some of the flowers to completely dry on the plant. Then, when the petals are paper-dry, harvest them to use in dried arrangements or within an herbal wreath. It is best to use these herbs in their fresh state as the flavor and nutrition is diminished by cooking. Remember to wait until the last few minutes of cooking to stir in these herbs; long cooking destroys the delicate flavor. Being a coarser plant, garlic chives should be chopped more finely than the onion chives before adding to dishes. Garlic chive blooms are edible; the flowers have a mild, sweet aroma and a pleasant flavor. They can be tossed into salads, add them to stir-fries at the last minute, or add them to sauteed or steamed vegetables or baked potatoes. Use to garnish herb butters or sauces and to garnish plates. Garlic chives should be chopped very finely before using them. The mauve pin-cushion blossoms of onion chives are also used to flavor vinegar; the finished product ends up a lovely rosy hue. Although both onion and garlic chives produce small bulbs below ground, it is the leaves that are used in the kitchen. Use onion chives whenever a mild onion flavor is desired. This herb contains phosphorus, iron, Vitamins A and C, and pectin. It has a reputation of stimulating the appetite and toning up kidneys. It also contains calcium which strengthens nails and teeth. Onion chives complement cheese, soups, salads, egg dishes, dips, spreads and any food you would use onion with. The tasty new leaves of garlic chives have antibiotic properties; the sulfur oil in these strap-like blue-green leaves is antiseptic and helps lower blood pressure. Home-dried chives soon lose their color and the flavor turns salty over time, but they can be successfully frozen. Chop them and freeze in small packet. If frozen for future use, chopped chives do not have to be thawed before use. The best and most nutritious way to use them, though, is fresh. You may want to try drying chives leaves in a cool oven with sea salt and crush to store as chive salt. In the garden, these herbs can become aphid traps for your carrots and roses is planted nearby. Chives also have a reputation of deterring Japanese beetles and black spot on roses. Farmers who garden with organic methods sometimes prepare a natural insecticide by grinding garlic, chives, and chili with water to use as a spray. Harvest your chives frequently by pinching off stems from the outside of the plant’s base; cutting with clippers or scissors will cause the stems to turn brown. Allow new shoots to mature from the center of the clump. Whatever your reason for growing chives, onion and/or garlic, you can be sure this flavorsome herb family will prove its worth in the garden and in the home. Chive Growing Tips Chives grow slowly from seed and take nearly a year to reach maturity. Needs moderately rich, well-draining soil and full sun. Chives are hardy to zone 3. Flowers of onion chive are small and pale-purple in color. They form a dense globular umbel at the top of a stem. Leaves are dark green, slender and hollow. Plants can grow to a height of eighteen inches. Garlic chive flower-heads are composed of densely packed white blossoms that form a rounded shape. A perennial, chive bulbs are dormant over winter but new green shoots appear early in the spring. Garlic chives remain green year-round. Give onion chives a “haircut” about twice a month from May to frost. Discouraging chives from blooming by pinching off the flower stalks will promote the growth of new leaves. Facts About Chives - Chives may be planted as border around the vegetable garden. - Chives are a crucial ingredient in fines herbes and bouquet garni. - Adding blossoms of onion chives creates a flavorful and rosy-colored herb vinegar. - Garlic chives have a robust flavor and should be used sparingly. - Romanian gypsies are said to have used chives in their fortune telling rites. - Chives fare well grown as a potted plant indoors.

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This element is also available in our updated HTML 4 reference. Some characteristics may have changed. |Contents:||TT, I, B, U, STRIKE, BIG, SMALL, SUB, SUP, EM, STRONG, DFN, CODE, SAMP, KBD, VAR, CITE, A, APPLET, IMG, FONT, BASEFONT, BR, MAP, INPUT, SELECT, TEXTAREA and plain text. |May occur in:||BODY, DIV, CENTER, BLOCKQUOTE, FORM, TH, TD, DT, DD, LI, P, H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, PRE, ADDRESS, TT, I, B, U, STRIKE, BIG, SMALL, SUB, SUP, EM, STRONG, DFN, CODE, SAMP, KBD, VAR, CITE, FONT, A, APPLET, CAPTION. EM is used to indicate emphasized text. While it is often rendered identical to I, italics, using EM rather than I is preferred. It allows the browser to distinguish between emphasized text and other text which can be drawn in italics (for example citations, CITE). EM text should be rendered distinct from STRONG text. HTML 3.2 Reference ~ Elements by Function ~ Elements Alphabetically Home, Forums, Reference, Tools, FAQs, Articles, Design, Links Copyright © 1996 - 2006. All rights reserved.

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April 2005 by StaffExcerpts from CMJ published 50 years ago this month. Excerpts from California Mining Journal, our original title, published 50 years ago this month. A UC Berkeley professor says the federal government is using an analysis method that seriously underestimates the economic impact of critical habitat designations for imperiled species. Rumors, myths, legends, folklore and oral histories—all of these are part of the framework that make up the core belief systems of the elements of society that persist to this day to go in pursuit of illustrious gold. I believe dry washing is an underappreciated prospecting method. There are plenty of places where there is some pretty decent gold to be had, but the spot is a long way from any water and dry processing may well be the best way to go. Imagine a coin worth more than its weight in gold... Gold prices won't be on the rebound anytime soon, so World Gold Council Chairman John Willson is telling miners they have to eke by with the current depressed value of the metal. The Bawl Mill • Our Readers Say • Progress Report on Washington State Small-Scale Regulations • Pediments • Bill to Allow Mining of Coeur d'Alene Basin • Dredging Below the Homestake • Picks & Pans: The Glory Hole • Enthusiastic Crowds at PDAC • Fraser Institute Survey Results Rank Best (and Worst) Mining Locales • Synclinal Oil • Small-Scale Prospecting & Mining (A Little History) • Higher Zinc Price Creates Opportunity • Government Appeals Miner Injury Case to Supreme Court • Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices • Melman on Gold & Silver

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(Last Updated on : 29/06/2013) Voles are small rodents which are somewhat similar to a mouse. These are small rather secretive rodents belonging to the family Cricetidae. They are characterized by rather short tails and rounded blunt muzzles. Most of the voles live in the northern hemisphere and are palearctic in distribution. In India there are several species adapted to the temperate conditions of the Himalayan ranges. In the north-western parts are two very large voles of strongly burrowing habits: True's Vole (Hyperacrius fertilis) and the Murree Vole (H.wynnei), both of which extend from Pakistan into Kashmir. The former occurs in alpine meadows above the tree-line whilst the latter is associated with mixed coniferous and deciduous forest in the lower or outer hill ranges and has become quite a serious pest of apple orchards, gnawing the bark at the base of the tree trunk. They feed on seeds, conifer needles, tubers, bark and a number of green vegetation like clover and grass as well as insects. There are also some species of Voles which even die if unable to get their main meal - Douglas fir needles - for a longer period. Voles form the food of several predators like raccoons, owls, martens, hawks, foxes, snakes, coyotes and the red tailed hawk, cats and weasels. The most common enemies of Voles are the short-eared owl, the Saw-whet Owl, the northern spotted owl, the Northern Pygmy Owl and the barn Owl. In the inner hills at higher altitudes there are two more high-altitude voles with longer tails and less fossorial habits. Royle's Vole (Alticola roylei) and the Sikkim Vole (Pitymys sikimensis). The former occurs in the western part of the Himalayas from Pakistan to Kimaon, whilst the latter occurs in Sikkim. Baluchistan forms the easternmost range of the Mole Vole (Ellobius fuscocapillus) which is the most adapted of all to a fossorial life, having almost lost the power of vision and with tiny ears hidden in its short velvety body fur. This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to email@example.com

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Converting an Idea into a New Business Solution is a Lot of Work Innovation culture places a very high premium on the ‘great idea’ as an enabler for innovation. Popular culture is cluttered with the idea of the genius innovator who has one great idea after another. In truth, innovation is a systematic discipline that can be learned and practiced. In fact, as Peter Drucker, the management guru pointed out, “An innovation program based on the hopes of producing some bright ideas is the riskiest.” Not all complexities on the ground can be imagined and anticipated in a lab. These complexities often get underestimated and organizations end up biting a lot more than they can chew. A lot of good innovative ideas fail because this last-mile connectivity is not achieved. An idea is just a starting point for innovation rather than the end goal. An innovation can be classified as one only when it becomes useful to someone. A lot of work is required before a bright idea or invention can become an innovation. This is the art of systematic innovation. Technologists who are in awe of technology often fail to apply the critical thinking needed to make a technical invention into a successful innovation. Scientists and inventors are frequently guilty of giving undue importance to technical feasibility, while underestimating other factors that go into creating an innovative product, such as economic viability, ease of use, aesthetic appeal, process changes and availability of talent. In reality, the idea accounts for only a small percentage of the final product. It is the other factors that pre-dominantly determine whether an innovation is successful or not. When evaluating an idea, and while iterating on a solution, it is important that each iteration covers the entire solution – and not just the core idea. Innovation programs must take into account that creating a proof of concept or iterating on a prototype means testing out as many of these other factors as possible, in addition to testing the core concept.

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Scientists have discovered that people who regularly sleep for more than 11 hours or less than 4 hours are 2-3 times more likely to have the incurable disease, pulmonary fibrosis, compared to those that sleep for 7 hours in a day. They attribute this association to the body clock. The study also reveals that targeting the body clock reduces fibrosis in vitro, revealing a potential target for this incurable disease that kills about 5,000 people, a year in the U.K.,the same number as leukaemia. The research team members are based at the Universities of Manchester, Oxford, Newcastle, University College London, and Toronto, as well as Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and is funded by the Medical Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust. Our internal body clocks regulate nearly every cell in the human body, driving 24-hour cycles in many processes such as sleeping, hormone secretion and metabolism. In the lungs, the clock is mainly located in the main air carrying passages – the airways. However, the team discovered that in people with lung fibrosis, these clock oscillations extend out to the small air spaces, called alveoli. Studies in mice revealed that by altering the clock mechanism it was possible to disrupt the fibrotic process making the animals more likely to develop pulmonary fibrosis. The researchers then showed, that pulmonary fibrosis is associated with short and long sleep duration using human data from the UK Biobank. The link between sleep duration and lung fibrosis is similar in strength to other known risk factors for this disease. People who report they regularly sleep 4 hours or less in a day doubled their chance of having pulmonary fibrosis while those sleeping 11 hours or longer in a day tripled their chance of having the disease, compared to those sleeping 7 hours per day. Smaller, but still elevated, risks were also seen in people who like to stay up late at night or those who do shift work. The researchers explain their findings by the discovery that a core clock protein (REVERBα) which alters the production of a key protein in lung fibrosis (collagen). This is an exciting finding, they say, because chemical compounds can alter the function of REVERBα. The authors were able to show that one of these REVERBα compounds can reduce collagen in lung slices from people with this disease. Dr John Blaikley from The University of Manchester, who led the project said: “Pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating condition which is incurable at present. Therefore, the discovery that the body clock is potentially a key player potentially opens new ways to treat or prevent the condition. More work will need to be done around studying the association between pulmonary fibrosis and sleep duration to establish both causation and reproducibility. If these results are confirmed, then sleeping for the optimal time may reduce the impact of this devastating disease.” Dr Peter Cunningham, joint lead author on the paper, said: “It is fascinating to think that clock activity is increased in fibrotic disease. Previous studies have shown that the clock also plays an important role in infection, cancer and diabetes. The discovery that the clock plays a role in fibrosis suggests that altering these oscillations could become an important therapeutic approach.” Source: University of Manchester

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These days, in Nairobi, Kenya, the largest summit on reproductive rights and equal opportunities for women and girls is being held. The delegation of the Republic of Moldova affirmed in the forum the country's commitments to the agenda of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), 25 years ago, when 179 governments demanded that women and girls be able to manifest themselves in all spheres of life and decide on their sexual and reproductive health, IPN reports. A press release of UNFPA Moldova, mentions that officials from the Moldovan delegation include civil society members, demographic researchers, young people and activists who advocate the rights, reproductive health and equal opportunities of women, girls and young people. The commitments reconfirmed by the Republic of Moldova are related to reducing the phenomenon of teenage pregnancy, increasing the access of young people to health education and youth-friendly services. Commitments include developing opportunities for youth participation, ensuring access for people with disabilities and other vulnerable categories to sexual and reproductive health services. "We have come a long way since then (since ICPD), But we still have much to accomplish until we can say that reproductive rights and health are a reality for everyone," said Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director. "We must enhance our efforts to make modern contraception available to all who want and need it, to improve maternal health care services and to protect women and girls from gender-based violence," mentioned the source. Globally, it is estimated that more than 800 women die from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth, and 33 thousand girls are forced into marriage. 232 million women want to prevent pregnancy, but cannot do so because they do not have access to modern contraception, and every year over four million girls are subjected to female genital mutilation. To date, over a thousand commitments have been made for implementing the 1994 ICPD Action Plan. Achieving ICPD objectives is also essential for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The Nairobi Summit brings together thousands of people from around the world. The event takes place on November 12-14, being organized by the Government of Kenya, Denmark and UNFPA.

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ISLAM AND ALMS The communists as well as some of those whose souls and thoughts were enthralled by colonialism try to accuse Islam of letting the common people lead a life of dependence on the alms given by the rich. This false accusation is derived from the mistaken belief that Az-Zakat is an alms obligingly donated by the wealthy people, In refuting such accusations we should distinguish between Az-Zakat and alms. Charity is voluntary. It cannot be imposed by law or by order of the ruler. Az-Zakat, on the other hand, is an ordinance prescribed by law; the government must fight those who refuse to pay Az-Zakat and may even kill them if they persist in such refusal, because they would then be considered apostates. It is needless to say that nothing of the sort will happen with respect to charity which is completely left to our own conscience. From the financial point of view, Az-Zakat was the first regular tax ever imposed in the world. Before that, taxes were imposed according to the whims of rulers. The exaction of such taxes was affected by the ruler's need for money to achieve personal ambitions. The burden of taxation used to fall on the poor rather than on the rich and very often the taxes were collected from the common people alone. Islam organized the collection of taxes and prescribed a maximum percentage which may not be exceeded in ordinary circumstances. Taxes were imposed on the rich and middle classes but the poor were exempted. It should be borne in mind that Islam prescribes that the proceeds of Az-Zakat should be distributed among the poor by the state and not by the rich people. In this sense, Az-Zakat is a tax collected and distributed by the state. The Public Treasury under Islam is the counterpart of the modern Ministry of Finance which collects public revenues and distributes these among the various public utilities. The state supports and looks after those who become needy-through inability to earn their living or due to the insufficiency of their means-but it cannot be said that the state does that out of charity or that such help is humiliating to the recipients. No one can say that retired officials who receive pensions from the State or that workmen who benefit from social security schemes feel like begging from the rich. The same thing can be said of helpless children and aged people who cannot earn their living. No one can say that the pride of such people is hurt when the state supports and extends aid to them. The state is bound to do such things by virtue of its human obligations. Social security by the state is a modem system which humanity managed to adopt after bitter experiences and a long history of social injustice. One of the glories of Islam is that it prescribed the said system at a time when Europe lived in social darkness. Yet some people who are charmed by systems which are imported from the West or East, accuse the same systems of regression and backwardness if they had been adopted by Islam. It should be pointed out that if the circumstances of life in the early years of Islam necessitated or tolerated that the poor may personally receive Az-Zakat in cash or in kind, nothing in the provisions of Islam Prescribes that the aforesaid method is the only way for the distribution of Az-Zakat. Therefore, nothing in Islam prevents the use of Az-Zakat funds in building hospitals and schools from which people may benefit or in the establishment of co-operative societies which can make life easier for the poorer people or in the Construction of factories which provide permanent employment for many people. In other words, the proceeds of Az-Zakat may be given in the form of social services. Only those who are incapacitated through illness, old age or childhood, are entitled to receive Az-Zakat in cash but others may receive it in the form of employment or social services. Besides, the Islamic society is not supposed to comprise any poor people who might live in complete dependence on Az-Zakat. It is good to remember that the Islamic society reached an ideal stage during the age of Omar bin Abdel Aziz. Az-Zakat was collected, yet the Collectors could not find anyone who would accept it or any poor people among whom they might distribute it. Let us listen to what was said by Yehia bin Said, a Zakat Collector under Omar bin Abdel Aziz: "Omar bin Abdel Aziz sent me to collect alms from Africa. I collected the alms and then looked for the poor to distribute the alms among them but I found none, nor did I find anyone who might have accepted these from me for Omar bin Abdel Aziz had enriched the people". There is no doubt that every community is likely to include poor and needy people. Therefore necessary legislation should be made to face such a problem. It should be borne in mind that Islam constantly attached to itself new communities with different degrees of richness. It was only natural that legislation should be made which would help to lead gradually to the ideal stage which existed under the rule of Omar bin Abdel Aziz. Alms are the properties which the rich voluntarily give for the sake of charity. Islam approved and encouraged almsgiving. Alms were supposed to be given in various ways: by supporting parents and relatives, and helping the needy in general. It may also take the form of good deeds or kind words. No one can say that being generous to our relatives hurts their feeling or insults their pride. Such generosity to our relatives is the outcome of affection, sympathy and compassion. When you present a gift to your brother or give a dinner in honor of your relatives you will not be humiliating them or arousing their malignance or hatred. As for the gifts in kind which are given to the needy, they are subject to the same prescriptions which governed Az-Zakat in the early days of Islam. Circumstances of life at the time tolerated the donation of gifts in kind, and Islam regarded such gifts as honest means to help the needy and those in trouble. Nothing in Islam prescribed that alms should be given in one form only. Alms may be given in the form of donations to societies and organizations which provide social services. Az-Zakat may be given as an aid to any Islamic state which needs funds for the execution of its schemes and enterprises. Islam maintains that as long as there are poor people, the state should try by all possible means to make their life more comfortable. Besides, the Islamic society is not supposed to comprise only poor people. When the Islamic state reaches the above-mentioned ideal stage, many people may not be in need of alms just as they at one time did not need Az-Zakat. In such a case, both Az-Zakat and alms will be allocated for services that are of great importance to every community i.e., looking after people who are unable to work for any reason whatsoever. It win be noticed that Islam has never called upon Muslims to lead a life of dependence on charity. The Islamic state is required to secure honorable life for those who are unable to earn their living, it being understood that such obligation is not the outcome of charity or condescension. On the other hand, the Islamic state is required to provide work for every person who is able to work. The state's obligation to find work for every Muslim is emphasized by the following tradition: “A man came to the Prophet (peace and prayer of God be upon him) begging for anything to live on. The Prophet gave him an axe and a rope and ordered him to collect some wood and sell it and live by its price. He further told the man to come back and report what would happen to him". Now, some misguided people may be inclined to say that the above-mentioned tradition is just an individual example of no significance in the twentieth century. They would also say that the said example involved an axe, a rope and one man whereas modern life involves great factories, millions of unemployed workers and organized governments whose functions are carried out by various competent departments. Such logic is surely a naive one. The Prophet was not required to talk about factories or lay down the necessary legislation a thousand years before the existence of any factories. If he had done so no one would have understood him. It was quite sufficient that he laid down the basic principles of legislation leaving for each generation the task of devising their suitable method of application within the framework of the basic principles. The above-mentioned tradition contains the following basic principles: - Sense of responsibility of the Prophet(i.e.head of the state) for finding work for the man. - The Prophet ensured work for that man (according to the circumstances existing at that time). - The Prophet emphasized his sense of responsibility by ordering the man to come back and report what would happen to him. This sense of responsibility which Islam prescribed thirteen centuries ago is completely supported by the most modern economic and political theories. But where the state is unable to find work for the unemployed, the Public Treasury will support them until their circumstances improve. There is nothing wrong in this, for Muslims are generous to themselves, to the state and to others.

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Originally published September 23, 2010, this is the second in a series. Pope Boniface VIII was looking for a new artist to work on the frescoes in St. Peter's Basilica, so he sent a courtier out into the country to interview artists and collect samples of their work that he could judge. The courtier approached the painter Giotto and asked for a drawing to demonstrate his skill. Instead of a study of angels and saints, which the courtier expected, Giotto took a brush loaded with red paint and drew a perfect circle. The courtier was furious, thinking he had been made a fool of; nonetheless, he took the drawing back to Boniface. The Pope understood the significance of the red circle, and Giotto got the job. This is often told as the story of the ultimate test of drawing, and I don't dispute that it is very hard to draw a perfect circle. However, I would argue that it is much more useful to be able to draw a circle existing in space, a circle seen turned at various angles as we usually encounter it in the world. We need to be able to draw an ellipse. The ellipse is the Frisbee of art, the circle freed from its flatness that sails out into imagined space tilting this way and that and ending up on the top of the soup bowl and silver cup in Jean-Baptiste Chardin's still life or, imagine this, on the wheels of the speeding Batmobile. Jean-Baptiste Cardin The Silver Goblet © 2010 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York Mother and Child Once you tune into ellipses, you will begin to see them everywhere: in art, as in the Chardin painting, or in life, in your morning coffee cup or the table top on which the cup sits. The ellipse is also implicit in every cylindrical form whether or not we see its end exposed (as it would be in a can or a cup or a length of pipe). Just look at the Picasso "Mother and Child." Highlighting the ellipses, as I have done, helps you to understand the basic roundness of those limbs, encouraging you to see and to draw with a volumetric rather than a flat perception of what you are observing. So the ellipse is important because it exists in so many places as an actual shape, and because it is "buried" in so many round forms that we are likely to draw. The challenge of drawing an ellipse is that it must be done with enough speed to engage the natural "roundingness" of your reflexes. In essence, you are deciding to make a particular shaped ellipse and then letting your hand and wrist move autonomously to accomplish the job. Much of what you are practicing in learning to draw is engaging your fine motor skills in this way, so that the hand moves to do your bidding without a "controlling" space between deciding to make a particular line and the hand moving to do it. Before this kind of almost simultaneous cooperation between your brain and your hand occurs, you will tend to worry the line out in slow incremental steps. In this hand-eye coordination, drawing is an athletic activity that benefits from practice, like golf or tennis. On a page of your drawing pad, make various kinds of ellipses as a warmup for the exercise below. Keep the movement of your hand fluid and relatively fast. Let's begin by drawing a pot. A few words on perspective are in order before we start. Think of looking at a can of soda on a table in front of you: the implied ellipse at the bottom of the can where it sits on the table is rounder that the ellipse at the top of the can because you are looking down on it more. If it's easier to observe this in a straight-sided drinking glass then use that as an example. This describes the basic idea, illustrated by the diagram below, that as you look down on an ellipse you see more of it than if the ellipse is higher up relative to your eye level. Start your drawing by looking at the top of the pot and making an ellipse as close as you can to the shape you see. Give it a couple of tries if you need to. Now bring down two outside-edge lines to where the pot bulges out. Add a center line all the way down to where you think the bottom of the pot is. Now add two horizontal lines, one at the bulge point and one a little above the bottom of the pot. These lines will guide you as you make the two ellipses that describe the cylindrical shape of the pot. Make the ellipse at the bulge point a little rounder than the top ellipse. Make the bottom ellipse rounder still. Now, looking at the outside edges at the bottom of the pot, draw connecting curves between the two ellipses, trying to capture the nature of the shapes in the way that the bulge is more pronounced at the top, like shoulders, and then curves inward. Congratulations! You have now made a basic linear drawing of a pot. I encourage you to strengthen your understanding of analyzing round forms by doing an additional exercise; choose a basically cylindrical object from your surroundings and draw it using ellipses in the same way I have just demonstrated. Because you will be studying an object in three dimensions rather than in a photograph it may be easier to see the ellipses. I have photographed a group of household objects to suggest some of the things that you might consider. In the next column I'll show the same pot we've just drawn in a more dramatic light to make it easier to understand its volumes, so you can see how the direction the light comes from affects the shadows. You'll have an opportunity to practice the logic and art of shading.

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WorkForce Discrimination is Happening More than we thought. After researching this over the past month here is information regarding it. Types of Workplace Discrimination What is workplace discrimination, and what constitutes discrimination against employees or job applicants? Employment discrimination happens when an employee or job applicant is treated unfavorably because of his or her race, skin color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, or age. It is illegal to discriminate based on race, religion, gender, or national original when hiring or in the workplace. It is illegal to discriminate in any facet of employment, so workplace discrimination extends beyond hiring and firing to discrimination that can happen to someone who is currently employed. What Is Employment Discrimination? Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it unlawful to discriminate in hiring, discharge, promotion, referral, and other facets of employment, on the basis of color, race, religion, sex, or national origin.1 This is enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In addition, federal contractors and subcontractors must take affirmative action to guarantee equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. Executive Order 11246 is enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).2 Discrimination vs. Harassment What's the difference between discrimination and harassment? Harassment is a form of discrimination. As with discrimination, there are different types of harassment, including unwelcome behavior by a co-worker, manager, client, or anyone else in the workplace, that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), nationality, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. Review this list of the different types of employment discrimination, examples of workplace discrimination, and tips for handling workplace discrimination issues. Mental or Physical Disability Relationship to someone who may be discriminated against Pregnancy or Parenthood Examples of Employment Discrimination Employment discrimination could occur in any number of situations, including: Stating or suggesting preferred candidates in a job advertisement Excluding potential employees during recruitment Denying certain employees compensation or benefits Paying equally-qualified employees in the same position different salaries Discriminating when assigning disability leave, maternity leave, or retirement options Denying or disrupting the use of company facilities Discrimination when issuing promotions or lay-offs Discrimination Legislation and Issues Age discrimination is a practice specifically prohibited by law. With a few rare exceptions, companies are forbidden from specifying an age preference in job advertisements. Employees must receive the same benefits regardless of age, the only exception being when the cost of providing supplemental benefits to young workers is the same as providing reduced benefits to older workers. Also, age discrimination in apprenticeship programs or internship opportunities is illegal. It is illegal for employers to discriminate based on an individual's religious customs. Businesses are required to make reasonable accomodation of an employee's religious beliefs, as long as doing so doesn't have excessive negative consequences for the employer. When paying a salary to men and women of the same qualifications, responsibility, skill level, and position, employers are forbidden to discriminate on the basis of gender. Also, businesses are forbidden from lowering one gender's salary in order to equalize pay between men and women. Additionally, pregnancy-based discrimination is illegal. Employers are required to handle pregnancy in the same way that they would handle a temporary illness or other non-permanent condition that would necessitate special consideration. Job seekers have the same rights as employees, and both are protected by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) passed in 1978.3 Hostile Work Environment A hostile work environment is created when harassment or discrimination interferes with an employee’s work performance or creates a difficult or offensive work environment for an employee or group of employees. Unlawful Discrimination and Harassment It's important to note that discriminatory practices can occur in any aspect of employment. It is illegal for an employer to make assumptions based on race, gender, or age-related stereotypes, and it's also unlawful for an employer to assume that an employee may be incapable because he or she is disabled. Additionally, companies are prohibited from withholding employment opportunities from an employee because of his or her relationship with someone of a certain race, religion, or ethnicity. Unlawful discrimination also includes harassment based on legally protected personal traits, including (but not limited to) race, gender, age, and religion. Employment Discrimination Complaints Under United States laws, companies are prohibited from subjecting employees to unfair treatment or blatant discrimination based on these legally-protected characteristics.4 Also, it is illegal for an employer to retaliate against a person who has filed a complaint about discrimination or participated in a related investigation. While not all unfavorable treatment constitutes unlawful discrimination, any employee who believes that he or she has experienced workplace discrimination can file a complaint with the EEOC (The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Distribution of EEOC Complaints The EEOC reported the following breakdown for the charges of workplace discrimination that were received by the agency in 2018:5 Some of the numbers of it. Retaliation: 39,469 (51.6% of all charges filed) Sex: 24,655 (32.3%) Race: 24,600 (32.2%) Disability: 24,605 (32.2%) Age: 16,911 (22.1%) National Origin: 7,106 (9.3%) Color: 3,166 (4.1%) Religion: 2,859 (3.7%) Equal Pay Act: 1,066 (1.4%) Genetic Information: 220 (0.3%)

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According to NASA, the increased rate of thickening of sea ice in the Arctic is due to Global Warming. Wintertime Arctic Sea Ice Growth Slows Long-term Decline: NASA Dec. 7, 2018 New NASA research has found that increases in the rate at which Arctic sea ice grows in the winter may have partially slowed down the decline of the Arctic sea ice cover. As temperatures in the Arctic have warmed at double the pace of the rest of the planet, the expanse of frozen seawater that blankets the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas has shrunk and thinned over the past three decades. The end-of-summer Arctic sea ice extent has almost halved since the early 1980s. A recent NASA study found that since 1958, the Arctic sea ice cover has lost on average around two-thirds of its thickness and now 70 percent of the sea ice cap is made of seasonal ice, or ice that forms and melts within a single year. But at the same time that sea ice is vanishing quicker than it has ever been observed in the satellite record, it is also thickening at a faster rate during winter. This increase in growth rate might last for decades, a new study accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters found.

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How It Works… Electricity is produced from sunlight through a process called solar photovoltaics. Photovoltaic cells are made of semi-conducting materials, so when the sunlight strikes, it is converted into electricity. Solar panels can be beneficial to both domestic and commercial clients alike. Benefits of Solar PV: The PV modules are made out of silicon which is entirely benign, and available in abundance. No noise pollution or harmful gases are emitted during the operation. PV utilises the most abundant energy source on the planet – the sun. No barriers to installation PV is not affected by ‘Nimbyism’ or affected by planning delays. PV has no moving components and is virtually maintenance free. PV systems can be incorporated into all types of building, and retrofitted on existing roofs, or as part of the building envelope at construction stage. It can be curved and shaped to the building design. In grid locations where grid connection is too expensive. Reduces energy bills Having a solar roof provides you with a power source that can be used to augment your grid connected electricity supply subsequently reducing your electricity bills. In addition, having PV as an energy resource increases your awareness of electricity use and encourages more efficient energy behaviour. This in turn leads to lower energy bills. At JTB electrical services we like to know that our customers are well looked after and that they have complete peace of mind. If at any point you are unsure about the work that is being carried out by our technicians or if you would like to know what the work involves then please make sure to ask one of our technicians on site. We offer our customers a free no obligation quote so please make sure to contact us for this.

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Walking in the Daintree Rainforest, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped back in time to millions of years ago. It covers about 1200km2 of hilly terrain that makes up the northeast coast of Queensland. Stretching down to the edge of the ocean in places and fringing remote white-sand beaches, this impressive rainforest is part of the UNESCO-listed Wet Tropics of Queensland and part of the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest in Australia. Did you know you can visit this incredible rainforest whilst diving the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns. It’s just a short bus ride away. Find out more in my latest article for Forest and Bird magazine.

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In many homes, December is a month for getting together with the family and exchanging presents - but are the toys and other gifts children receive safe? This is a vital question, and one that manufacturers should ponder when deciding on their labeling strategies. Custom hazard labels can help ensure items aren't used in risky ways, and keep parents and guardians aware of any information they should know. December has been set aside as Safe Toys and Gifts Month, a formalized way of acknowledging that brand leaders should keep their customers safe and secure with as much information as possible. This doesn't just mean following the letter of the law when it comes to labeling. Complying with all applicable rules is a baseline that companies can expand from, rather than an endpoint to aspire to. Age Ranges, Warnings and More Just about any toy can be dangerous if it's picked up by someone too young. Parts that are totally innocuous in the hands of a 10-year-old could be a choking hazard for younger kids, and brands need to be ready to alert parents and guardians as to whether the items they're pondering are right for their children. This is where an important subset of safety labeling, age appropriateness labels, comes in. Safe Toys and Gifts Month serves as a good reminder for brand managers to look over their lines of kids' products to ensure everything has an accurate age range listed on the package. Once the age range has been specified, brands can be even more specific in warning of different hazards. Choking risk, potentially toxic substances, sharp edges and more may be worthy of warning labels. Leaders worried that their brands may seem less appealing if they offer more safety information should rest easy - adding warning stickers to packages shows that the company cares about keeping customers' kids safe. This is something any audience buying gifts will care deeply about, and one worth taking seriously. Parents and guardians will only get the information they need if labels are well made and tough enough to survive production, shipping and life on store shelves. A safety label that peels off, fades or otherwise becomes illegible is no good to anyone. This is why it's important to work with a top-quality printing partner to launch new warning labels or stickers. Lightning Labels Can Help Companies pondering their strategies for Safe Toys and Gifts Month can look to Lightning Labels for assistance. Warnings and safety information are hugely important, and that means it's good to release new designs as quickly as possible. Lightning Labels lives up to its name with lightning speed, letting companies get new designs in a matter of days, rather than weeks or months. This is due to an all-digital printing process and the use of domestic facilities rather than outsourcing to faraway plants. Whether organizations are massive in scale or just starting out, there is a Lightning Labels offering that can help. All-digital printing is affordable even at small scales, meaning leaders of all sorts of companies can use Lightning Labels as their warning label partner. Request your FREE instant quote today.

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Led by Sam Moser, director of academic technology, Primary School students participated in the Hour of Code on Wednesday as part of Computer Science Education Week. The goal of this international event is to expose students of all ages to the power and excitement of computer programming. Sam was excited to see the entire division participate together. He even observed teachers asking their students for help! Everyone worked together to solve problems applying the design process to their work. Kindergartners learned to program “Blue Bots” to follow paths they created with directional cards. First and 2nd graders experimented with Scratch, programmed a virtual dance party, and worked with Tinkercad. Third through 5th graders could choose building virtual Minecraft worlds, programming a game with Flappy Bird, and creating digital art through code. Many of these programs use a block-based interface to help students conceptualize the foundations of programming. Though many of our Primary School students have significant coding experience through their work on Code.org, participating as a division along with their teachers, created an atmosphere that nurtured collaboration, persistence, and fun!

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Fascination. Elegance. Beauty. A legendary garment and the challenge of the fashion of the future: the black dress. We have always linked the idea of black color to mourning. After the wars the widows dressed in black and did not choose another color as a symbol of respect for the deceased. However, it was a fashionable color when it ceased to be the symbol of duel. Cocó Chanel was the revolutionary of the time. After learning sewing at the orphanage in which she grew up, she would never have imagined that she would have so much influence on the fashion world of today. On October 1, 1926, the first black dress was created and it differed from the rest. Its structure was simple, practical and easy to look. It was the dress of the emancipated woman. Chanel’s idea was to free the woman. And she did, transferring masculine fashion (in particular the Dandee look) and the expressions of men to the feminine fashion. This created a kind of uniform for women, which gave confidence and allowed women to dress well reducing the risk of making mistakes. Thanks to me poor girls can dress like the rich ones. And Chanel did not believe in wealth. She believed in beauty and cared about what was elegant. And the black dress was (and still is). However, Paul Poiret, one of the first fashion designers as we talked about in previous articles, was not very funny about the idea of the black dress. Simply, the Paris fashion dictator did not accept it. So much that when he met Chanel (who was wearing a black dress), Poiret asked: “For whom do you see in mourning?” – to which Chanel replied: for you, gentleman. From the creation of the first black dress model, creativity flowed through the blood of designers. Why not join the black and white? It was a mixture of colors that went against all trends. And that was its essence. This imagination continues to flow as we have previously seen speaking of Iris Van Herpen, who, along with her first 3D fashion collection, also included the first black dress made in three dimensions. They were not fashionable days. 1939 was a hard year for Chanel since she closed its meson. Along with the end of the war, the strongest was Christian Dior, who creates a new look in retro style and the black dress returns to resurface having an overwhelming success. But what about the black dress in the film? The black dress has been an icon of the film in all its senses. That idea that is related to the protagonism of what they call Femme Fatale. Those intelligent and despised women who are not objects, but subjects. They are the dark women of Hollywood. The woman in that black dress had a deadly weapon. It meant she was a fantastic woman, a bad woman. And is that without any doubt, black is a defiant color when it has to be. Rita Hayworth in Gilda (1946). Lauren Bacall in The Big Sleep (1946) or Marilyn Monroe in The Asphalt Jungle (1950), are some of the femme fatale of the time. But certainly, in the 60´s was Audrey Hepburn that would bring the change of the concept of the black dress in Breakfast with Diamonds (1961). She chose that model because she had a different neckline in the back for the first scene of the film. She had the physical, the presence and the posture. She was almost a model. With it, the concept of the black dress changes. We are not talking about a Femme Fatale. Now the one that predominates is the romantic woman, like Audrey. Great designers of luxury dresses have taken to their ground a different concept of the black dress. Due to the boom and the concept of the dress in the cinematographic field, many designers went to design their own version of the dress. In particular, in the year 1970, this beautiful dress of Yves Saint Laurent with lacy back full: When Cocó Chanel died in 1971, her legacy relegated to the well-known Karl Lagerfeld. The German designer had with Cocó a love-hate relationship. Because she had found the signature look of Chanel and he was in charge of reviving it. But he did, and returned Chanel to the fashion elite. And later, in 1994, how to forget that black Versace dress worn by Elizabeth Hurley at the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) in London, accompanying Hugh Grant: Straight, tight, with sleeves, sleeveless, long, short, with lace, without it, with the back open, closed or even in 3D. Undoubtedly the black dress will always prevail in the fashion world and will continue to amaze us every season. What will be the next black dress that triumphs in the history of fashion?

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Create reusable code assets—the page header and footer—and learn how to use PHP code to address the problem of having different relative paths to shared files. - [Instructor] In the previous movie,…we learned to use include and require.…In this movie, we'll learn some additional techniques…that can help you to use them better in your projects.…So, the first thing I want to show you…is how we can use variables in PHP to work with these…included and required files.…Specifically, I want to be able to set a page title…on this page, $page_title…and I'm going to set it equal to,…let's just call it Staff menu.…I'll make it capital, Menu.…Okay, so I'm setting this variable, $page_title,…what I want to show you is that…that variable is available inside this file.… It's an exactly as if that PHP code…were right in this spot.…Right at line four,…all of the content of staff_header right there.…That means we have access…to any variables that have been set.…I just want to make sure that that's clear to you.…So, here we go, let's put in a dash and let's do…echo our assigned page title.…Now, of course, we want to make sure that page title is set.…So let's go up here to the very top,…let's put in a bit of PHP… - Organizing project files - Including and requiring files - Working with URL parameters - Encoding dynamic content - Modifying headers and page redirection - Creating forms and processing form data - MySQL basics - Using PHP to access database tables - Creating, reading, updating, and deleting database records with PHP - Validating data - Preventing SQL injection Skill Level Beginner MVC Frameworks for Building PHP Web Applicationswith Drew Falkman2h 57m Intermediate 1. Start a Database-Driven Project 2. Build Web Pages with PHP 3. Headers and Redirects 4. Build Forms with PHP 5. MySQL Basics 6. Use PHP to Access MySQL 7. CRUD with PHP 8. Validate Data with PHP 9. Prevent SQL Injection Next steps1m 8s - Mark as unwatched - Mark all as unwatched Are you sure you want to mark all the videos in this course as unwatched? This will not affect your course history, your reports, or your certificates of completion for this course.Cancel Take notes with your new membership! Type in the entry box, then click Enter to save your note. 1:30Press on any video thumbnail to jump immediately to the timecode shown. Notes are saved with you account but can also be exported as plain text, MS Word, PDF, Google Doc, or Evernote.

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Empowering students to actively contribute to the vitality of our forest communities today and into the future. A small group of teachers, administrators, industry and postsecondary representatives met at the University of Maine, Orono to explore the following questions: Is there a link between natural resource-based educational opportunities within rural schools/communities and the success of a diverse forest economy? How could a collaboration between natural resource community leaders, postsecondary institutions, teachers and students contribute to a successful natural resource-based economy in Maine? YES! There is a link between opportunities and the success of Maine's forest economy! YES! Collaboration is the key to developing an engaged, informed, and innovative future workforce! We brought the team back to investigate how innovation is playing a role in our future natural resource economy, to explore what the Maine Forest Collaborative could look like in rural schools, and to select a collaborative project question for the January 2019 MFC 1.0 Launch. Participants toured the Wheatland Lab, Foster Center for Student Innovation, Advanced Structures and Composites Center, Forest Bioproducts Research Institute, and the Old Town Canoe factory. A successful and diverse natural resource economy will depend on a future workforce with a developed innovation mindset! MFC 1.0 Collaborative Project Question: "How can we use forest resources to positively impact local communities?"

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A rare, unfinished film by Andy Warhol, Sunset is a meditation on the temporality of an everyday phenomenon. Warhol began making the film in 1964 when the Menil Collection founders John and Dominique de Menil commissioned the artist to create a new film, one with spiritual significance. Warhol shot sunsets in San Francisco, East Hampton, and New York City, but never completed the project, stating, “I filmed so many sunsets for that project, but I never got one that satisfied me.” The film originated during a productive period of filmmaking for the artist; he made more than 600 films in five years. In Sunset and in some of his better-known films such as Empire, 1964, or Sleep, 1963, Warhol explored the moving image through real-time footage and static shots. Here, a sunset over the Pacific Ocean in California unfolds as a slow and colorful shift of atmospheric light at dusk. As the sun sinks to the horizon, the deep voice of the singer Nico, who was then working with the Velvet Underground, is heard reading poetry off-screen. Sunset was restored and re-released in 2000 as part of The Andy Warhol Film Project, begun in the 1980s to research, catalogue, and preserve the artist’s massive—and for a time, relatively unknown—moving-image body of work. The Andy Warhol Film Project is a collaborative archival research project of Whitney Museum and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Warhol himself gave his approval to the project and handed over his original films to MoMA for cataloguing and storage in 1984. This presentation of Sunset is curated by Michelle White. Daily screening of the 16mm film held Wednesday through Sunday at 6 p.m. In the spirit of Warhol’s meditative film, share your best photos of the transitioning sky using #menilsunset on your favorite social media platform. This exhibition is generously supported by Pelican Builders; Janet and Paul Hobby; Anne and David Kirkland; Harry and Karen Pinson; Susanne and William E. Pritchard III; Mark Wawro and Melanie Gray; Michael Zilkha; and the City of Houston.

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The World's Worst Countries for Modern Day Slavery The notion of slavery in a modern society may seem far-fetched, but in reality, almost 30 million people are forced to live as slaves around the world today. They contribute to the production of about 120 goods from 58 countries, with an estimated $15.5 billion of those goods being made in wealthy industrialized countries, according to data from the International Labour Organization. Some become de facto slaves by borrowing money from wealthy benefactors only to end up working for years for free to pay it back while their debt collects interest. Others, mostly young women, unknowingly enter into slavery by answering a call for a job as a home or child care worker and are taken captive, forced to work against their will and without pay. According to Walk Free, an organization started by Bill Gates and Hillary Clinton to combat the issue, modern slavery is profitable. It generates at least $32 billion every year, with some goods made by children as young as 5 years old. And it happens here at home: Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States every year, according to the U.S. Department of State. While Walk Free states that slavery occurs in every country around the world, here are some countries where the problem is prominent and widespread: Up to 20% of the Mauritanian population is enslaved, according to NGOs on the ground. Some are natives who are bought, sold and rented as slaves, while others are trafficked into the country from surrounding regions. Slavery has been prohibited by Mauritanian law since 1961, however it has been shown to be very difficult for slaves to plead their case to the government. Since the earthquake in 2010, little has been done to combat slavery in Haiti, where according to Walk Free, one in 10 children are exploited. Women and children forced into camps for internally displaced people after the earthquake are at an increased risk of sex trafficking and forced labor. A new study by Walk Free found that Pakistan is home to over 4 million modern day slaves, one of the highest rates in the world. A feature story on France 24 found countless poor farmers working for wealthy landowners who persuaded them to borrow money for medical expenses or dowries. These farmers then found themselves working for years to pay off their debts. Another country where human trafficking is a frequent occurrence is India. Every year countless women and children are taken from remote villages and towns and brought to Delhi where they are sold into domestic slavery. The Delhi Private Placement Agencies (regulation) Bill has been proposed to the Delhi government to define rights of a domestic worker, create a database of all placement agencies and guarantee minimum wage. Poverty is one of the root causes of slavery in Nepal, with many children sent away as servants to provide for their families. Women and children are often denied basic needs such as health care and education, which contributes to their lack of options and makes them vulnerable to slave labor and sexual exploitation. According to the International Organization for Migration, people most affected by slavery in Moldova are women from socially disadvantaged families, women subjected to domestic violence, children left without parental care and children placed in state institutions. Many Moldovans are subjected to slave labor in other countries including Russia, Turkey, the UAE and Kosovo. Modern slavery in Benin consists of many people trafficked both internally and abroad from countries like Niger and Togo. Many young boys are subjected to agricultural work like farming cotton and cashews. Girls are often forced into domestic work in exchange for shelter and food. Benin was one of the first African countries to pass an anti-human trafficking law in 1961. However, a lack of financial backing has stalled many of the anti-slavery efforts put forth by the government.

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Produces high-quality 3D parts with few voids at high speed. Our unique dot-forming technology has improved shape accuracy. We have developed a dot-forming technology that realizes high-precision shaping by combining laser, computer numerical control (CNC) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM*1) technologies in a 3D printer. This new technology produces high-quality three-dimensional parts with few voids at high speed, employing a laser wire DED*2 method. The developed technology will contribute to greater productivity in a wide range of applications, such as the "near-net*3" shaping of aircraft and automobile parts and build-up repairs. Conventional 3D metal modeling equipment employs the powder bed fusion (PBF*4) method, in which stacked layers of thin metal powders are fused and bonded by a laser. While PBF can form detailed, complicated shapes with high precision, time is required for modeling and voids tend to form inside the shaped objects. The laser wire DED method, by contrast, offers the advantage of being able to form dense objects at high speed. When shaping 3D objects using the laser wire DED method, the laser is used to melt and deposit the material. Heat generated by the laser and heat from the just-deposited material are transferred to the deposition base. With continuous irradiation by the laser, the temperature of the deposition base rises. If a new molten material is then deposited on this extremely hot base, it can take time to solidify, during which time the shape can collapse under its own weight. To prevent such issues, we have combined unique laser and CNC technologies, employing a pulsed laser to minimize heat input and ensure adequate cooling time. In addition, we have controlled shape collapse using a technology that synchronizes the supply of wire and shield gas, and also controls the position of the laser irradiation point and the speed of motion of the laser. The production of complex shapes is further supported by the use of special-purpose CAM that automatically generates special forming paths corresponding to the dot-forming technology. Using the new technology, it is also possible to produce hollow spheres and parts consisting of different materials, which cannot be formed using the cutting method.

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It is already understood that the health of your gums is highly influenced by the health of your body, and vice versa. Untreated gum disease has been linked to stroke, heart disease, premature birth and other serious health conditions. But could your body weight play a role in your periodontal health? A recent study at New York Medical College believes to have found a correlation between periodontitis (advanced gum disease) and obesity. According to the NYMC professor of medicine and pharmacology Nader G. Abraham, PhD, DrHC, DrHC, “for the first time ever we found evidence that bacteria can affect fat cells.” In this “first of its kind study,” researchers discovered that fat cells can display an inflammatory reaction when under attack by viruses or bacteria. In those who are overweight or obese, this inflammation can lead to type 2 diabetes. The research at NYMC was carried out by giving mice a form of bacterium responsible for periodontitis (Porphyromonas gingivalis) and then tracking the resulting tissue inflammation. The researchers saw that the bacteria had impacted the operation of the fat tissue inside the mice. While gum disease can have profound influences within the mouth, the effects within the body are just as disturbing. If you notice signs of gum disease, it is imperative that you take action sooner rather than later. Symptoms such as puffy, bleeding or red gums indicate gingivitis, which is the first and most treatable stage of gum disease. If allowed to progress into periodontitis, the consequences get much more dire. To avoid tooth loss as well as potential cardiovascular disease and diabetes, it is critical that you keep your gums in ideal shape. How do you keep your gums in good health? Regular brushing and flossing at home as well as routine exams with your dentist. If you smoke, have a family history of gum disease or carry other high risk factors, it may be best to see your dentist more often than every six months. Call Dr. Mitzi Morris today and let us evaluate your gum health! Posted on the behalf of Mitzi Morris, DMD, PC Circle us on Google+

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A practical creation that transports you from one destination to the next, stairs rarely garner much attention beyond being cumbersome to climb. But staircases are one of the oldest architectural creations, dating to the second millennium B.C. Ancient steps provided strategic ways to traverse rough terrain, and some believed they connected Earth to the heavens. But artists and designers throughout the ages have transformed stairs beyond mere functionality. With towering spirals, daring designs, and classic ornaments, staircases have become statement pieces and dramatic works of art that are destinations in their own right. (See 24 unconventional art destinations around the world) Members of our Your Shot photography community captured the dramatic beauty of staircases around the world. Join the Your Shot community to share a photo of somewhere that's meaningful to you. Starlight Williams is an editorial researcher and writer at National Geographic. Follow her on Twitter @star_lightw and Instagram @starlightwilliams.

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July 11 is World Population Day, a day created by the United Nations to raise awareness about global population issues. The global population is roughly 7.4 billion. As the population continues to grow, more people means more demand for fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal, all of which put more carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. According to the United Nations Population Fund, Earth's population grew from 1.6 billion in 1900 to almost seven and a half billion in a little more than 100 years, and at the same time, carbon dioxide emissions grew 12-fold. The world population is expected to surpass nine billion by 2050, and that would mean much more carbon dioxide getting pumped into the atmosphere, warming the planet up even further. Population experts believe the answer to slowing down population growth is educating and improving the health of women in developing nations, which ties into the theme for this year's World Population Day — "Investing in teenage girls." The United Nations Population Fund hopes their program will encourage women to stay in school and get access to information about their health and reproductive rights to better shape their futures. Follow Storm Shield Meteorologist Jason Meyers via the Storm Shield app on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Download the Storm Shield Weather Radio App for your iPhone or Android device and get severe weather alerts wherever you are. Named by Time.com one of the best weather apps for your iPhone.

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Many of the parents I meet often ask why very few occupational therapist work with infants, or why an occupational therapist (OT) is seeing their child for toe-walking as opposed to a physical therapist (PT). They often wonder why one child who has balance or coordination issues would see a physical therapist while another with similar limitations would see an occupational therapist instead. Some parents think that occupational therapists only work on fine motor skills while physical therapists only work on gross motor skills. Physical and occupational therapists work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, neonatal intensive care units, skilled nursing homes, outpatient clinics, schools, rehabilitation centers, and doctor’s offices. Physical therapist and occupational therapist roles differ depending on the setting they work in and the medical diagnoses they work with. In the outpatient clinic, some of these roles may overlap. While there are some similarities between PTs and OTs in each setting, there are a few fundamental differences between OTs and PTs in the pediatric setting. Pediatric Physical Therapy: In the pediatric outpatient setting, physical therapists are often musculoskeletal and movement specialists. Parents can seek out evaluations when their babies are as young as 1 month old. Physical therapists have in-depth knowledge about human musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, integumentary, and cardiovascular systems. Based on our background in stages of development and biomechanics, we help children with mobility difficulties; whether they are behind on their gross motor milestones, recovering from injury/surgery, or not keeping up with other children. Through all kinds of hands-on or play techniques, pediatric physical therapist work with children on the following: - Gross motor skills - Balance and coordination - Motor control and motor planning - Body awareness - Pain relief - Gait mechanics - Orthotics training - Wound care Our focus is for children to be as mobile and as independent as possible, while training their caregivers on all aspects of a child’s physical development. This includes anything that may affect a child’s quality of movement, posture, alignment, and safety. Pediatric Occupational Therapy Outpatient pediatric occupational therapists are trained to improve the quality of children’s participation in their daily functional tasks. A child’s job is to play and take part in activities at school and at home. These include important endeavors such as paying attention in class, hand writing, dressing, feeding and grooming themselves, and being able to engage in age-appropriate games. Occupational therapists are also trained to help children organize and interpret information from the environment so that they can just be kids. This may include taste aversions that limit their food intake, or texture aversions that affect their clothing tolerance, or sound aversions that affect their mood. OTs work with children on the following skills: - Sensory integration - Cognitive endurance - Fine motor skills - Hand function - Visual-spatial awareness - Hand-eye coordination - Social skills - Body awareness Occupational therapists often educate parents and teachers on the best techniques to ensure children participate in learning, self-care, and play tasks. Why do some children need both disciplines and some only need one? So many factors can affect a child’s ability to participate in her daily life. A child may be experiencing frequent falls or may have trouble jumping due to a number of reasons. No matter the diagnosis or underlying medical condition, any child who is having a hard time keeping up with his peers can benefit from a comprehensive evaluation by a pediatric specialist.

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Visual Fluency Cards Delta Math Visual fluency cards were inspired by Graham Fletcher’s Multiplication Subitizing Cards and are available thanks to the leadership and partnership of the Berrien RESA. These cards are designed to support student understanding using visual representations for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The cards help students see the following fluency strategies: - Addition to 5 and 10 (Count on from the greatest number on a 5-frame) - Addition to 20 (Make a ten on a 10-frame) - Subtraction within 5 and 10 (Count up to subtract on a 5- or 10-frame) - Subtraction within 20 (Count up and make a ten on a 10-frame) - Multiplication (Multiply by 5 and some more within 10-frames and area models) - Division (Think multiply to divide with an area model) Directions are available on table tents to provide 3 activities that progress in complexity. - Activity 1 is a card sort where all cards begin face up. - Activity 2 is a match-up game where the Number Problem cards are dealt face-down and the Visual Answer cards are dealt face-up for players to take turns matching the problem cards with their visual answer cards. - Activity 3 is “Concentration” with both Number Problem cards and Visual Answer cards dealt face-down for students to find pairs with the equivalent values. Not all basic facts were included to keep the number of cards manageable. Our goal was to provide opportunities for students to engage with the facts that are typically missed with the highest frequency. Caution: The visual fluency cards are designed to provide additional practice for specific strategies. They are not to be used to introduce a strategy! For students beginning their journey toward fluency, please consider where the student is within the following progression of Delta Math resources for supporting basic fact fluency: - Tier 2 and Tier 3 Intervention Lessons (Build / Draw / Write) - Additional Guided Practice (Draw / Write) - Visual Fluency Cards (Draw / Write) - Independent Practice (Write)

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Chapter 7. Making and Modifying Selections In This Chapter Creating selections with the Lasso tools, Magic Wand, and more Using the Cookie Cutter tool Eliminating with the Eraser tools Working with the Magic Extractor command Saving and loading your selections If all you want to do is use your photos in all their unedited glory, feel free to skip this chapter and move on to other topics. But if you want to occasionally pluck an element out of its environment and stick it in another, or apply an adjustment to just a portion of your image, this chapter's for you. Finding out how to make accurate selections is one of those skills that's well worth the time you invest. In this chapter, we cover all the various selection tools and techniques. We give you tips on which tools are better for which kinds of selections. But remember that you usually have several ways to achieve the same result. Which road you choose is ultimately up to you. Before you dig in and get serious about selecting, let us clarify for the record what we mean by defining a selection. When you define a selection, you specify which part of an image you want to work with. Everything within a selection is considered selected. Everything outside the selection is unselected. After you have a selection, you can then adjust only that portion, and the unselected portion remains unchanged. Or, you can copy the selected ...

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During normothermic machine perfusion with the OrganOx metra, the donor liver is continuously perfused with oxygenated blood, medications and nutrients at normal body temperature and near physiological pressures and flows. This means the liver is functional throughout preservation, enabling functional assessment and evidence-based decisions on whether to transplant a donor organ. Oxygen is concentrated from ambient air and supplied, on-demand to the oxygenator. The blood is also warmed by the on-board heater. Blood is drawn from the liver by a centrifugal pump, which automatically varies in speed according to changes in blood pressure. Warm, oxygenated blood is stored in the soft-shell reservoir, and supplied to the liver under near-physiological pressure. Medicines & nutrition Medicines and nutrition are delivered automatically throughout perfusion, in order to minimise operator hands-on time. Assessment of liver function prior to transplant with the metra may result in more donor livers being available for transplant.1 Conventional cold preservation involves storage of the liver at 4°C and aims to minimise liver degradation. The metra, however, recreates a near physiological environment by continuously perfusing the liver at near physiological pressures and flows with oxygen-carrying red blood cells at 37°C. The liver remains functional during preservation, producing bile, metabolising glucose and maintaining pH, allowing the objective assessment of organ performance prior to transplant. 1,2 Via onboard blood gas analysis, the metra automatically measures and controls blood gases in the perfusate without user intervention. The metra has a rugged, robust design for ease of transport and safe storage when not in use. It has a battery for transportation when not on mains power and a self-regulating oxygen supply, removing the need to carry gas canisters. The metra has a simple control panel with just three main buttons: start, stop and remove cartridge. The onboard automation allows automated control of flows, pressures, temperature and blood gases, providing the same perfusion conditions every time. Simplicity of use is paramount in a clinical setting and the metra's fully automated perfusion system provides this. The sterile disposable circuit is pre-assembled making is simple and rapid to prime as well as being easy to dispose of after the procedure. All connectors are simple and rapid to use, ensuring that preparation time is minimal. The metra self primes under gravity in less than 15 minutes. References: 1. Nasralla D et al. Nature 2018; 557(7703):50–56. 2. Jayant K et al. Exp Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018;12:1045–1058. 3. Ceresa CDL et al. Liver Transpl 2019; [Epub ahead of print]. 4. Bral M et al. Liver Transpl 2019; 25(6):848–858.

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Thursday 13 September 2018 2:48pm University of Otago research leader Professor Richard Blaikie has received almost $1 million in Government funding to develop a cost-effective solution for large-scale production of hydrogen gas, a potential source of energy as an alternative to fossil fuel. Professor Blaikie, who is the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, is one of five Otago researchers successful in securing almost $5 million between them from the Government’s Endeavour Fund, New Zealand’s largest and most prestigious research and science contestable fund. One of Professor Blaikie’s research areas focuses on a form of nanotechnology where light is controlled at scales much smaller than its wavelength. His project will use this to enhance water-splitting efficiency to help produce cost-effective energy fuels. For some time, the scientific community has been actively seeking alternatives to burning fossil fuels, the main source globally of greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. Professor Blaikie explains hydrogen is a promising option because it burns clean, has abundant reserves and is high energy-density by weight. Hydrogen is also an important chemical for fertiliser, semiconductor and chemical industries. However, production of hydrogen is currently dominated by a process of steam-reforming of natural gas which produces significant greenhouse gas emissions. Water splitting offers a clean pathway to hydrogen production, but this is currently significantly more expensive, Professor Blaikie says. “This research will significantly reduce the hydrogen production cost, having significant value as the world seeks out clean energy to replace fossil fuels and clean industrial hydrogen.” Professor Blaikie, who is an investigator in the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, a national centre for research excellence hosted by the University of Otago, will receive $999,959 for his project over three years. The other successful research teams are led by Drs Lynette Brownfield and Andrew Cridge, from the Department of Biochemistry and Drs Sam Lowrey and Harald Schwefel, from the Department of Physics. Dr Lynette Brownfield, Department of Biochemistry Male-fertile female kiwifruit Kiwifruit differs from most crop plants as it has separate male and female plants. This means that pollen must be transferred from a male to a female plant for fertilisation and subsequent fruit development. As a result, more than 10 per cent of the plants in current kiwifruit orchards are non-fruiting males required for pollen production. Additionally, as the size of fruit depends on a high rate of pollination, kiwifruit growers spend resources on managing bees (kiwifruit flowers are not attractive to bees), and some growers resort to artificial pollination. Interestingly, flowers on female kiwifruit plants initiate pollen development, but the pollen aborts before maturity. A team led by Dr Brownfield and involving scientists at Plant and Food Research Ltd aim to understand what causes this pollen abortion. This knowledge could provide tools to restore male fertility in female kiwifruit plants. Having females that can also produce pollen in orchards means the male plants could be removed and growers would no longer need to manage bees and pollination. This would reduce costs, increase yields and improve land-use efficiency. Dr Andrew Cridge, Department of Biochemistry Bees as Biosecurity Biomonitors New Zealand’s world-class biosecurity system aims to protect the environment, primary production and human health from harmful invasive organisms. Biosecurity implemented through comprehensive surveillance, eradication and management programmes costs $248 million annually. Recent invasions of the velvetleaf plant and myrtle rust highlight that once pest species enter New Zealand, they are tough to contain and require significant resources to eradicate or manage. The success of eradication is exponentially improved by early detection of new invaders, and in turn, enhanced by proficient monitoring. However, monitoring remains poor for weed species with reliance on fortuitous observation or border interceptions. The Otago research will make novel use of honey bees as biosecurity monitors, to detect and locate the presence of noxious plant species in New Zealand. The researchers will deliver an efficient and cost effective end-to-end surveillance, diagnostic and discovery system by combining the foraging behaviour of bees, with cutting edge DNA technology to identify plant species from bee-collected pollen, and remote-data modelling to locate the invasive plant. This landscape-scale approach to monitor for noxious plants will be trailed in both rural and urban areas, including high-risk sites for exotic weed invasions. This surveillance system will provide a new component in the biosecurity toolbox to better support government and Māori aspirations to protect our unique environments and primary industries. The science is also anticipated to underpin additional biosecurity issues by using pollen to monitor for exotic plant diseases, and infering the geographic origin of high-risk insect pests detected by border security. Dr Sam Lowrey, Department of Physics Superhydrophobic lenses – wetting gradients for anti-icing Icing constrains many engineering systems, from aircraft to domestic appliances. It is a particularly major problem in energy generation and conversion systems such as wind-turbine blades and heat exchangers, leading to system damage and reduced availability and efficiency. Anti-icing coatings can be applied, demonstrating ice-formation delays of 3-5-fold on heat exchangers or wind-turbines; however, these are a temporary measure. Removing condensed liquid remains an unsolved technical challenge for hydrophobic anti-icing coatings. This project will demonstrate new classes of surfaces that prevent ice-formation even under extreme conditions. These novel surfaces will be trialled under real-world conditions of high airflow-rates and condensation-icing typical of heat exchanger and wind turbine operation to demonstrate fast and continuous surface rejuvenation. Dr Lowrey’s team will test their new systems with NZ heat exchanger, wind turbine manufacturers and the metal and composite-fibre industry. Dr Harald Schwefel, Department of Physics Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies Quantum microwave-optical conversion The goal of this project is to develop the technologies needed to efficiently, coherently and reversibly convert individual microwave photons into individual optical photons. The motivation for this work is communicating and performing calculations using inherently quantum mechanical states, so called quantum simulators or quantum computers. There has been spectacular progress towards this end using devices based on superconducting quantum-bits (qubits). Superconducting qubits are small resonant circuits made of superconductor. One of their key advantages is that they are manufactured in a similar way to today’s computer chips with the same benefits of robustness and ease of manufacture at reasonable cost. One of the downsides is that they have to be cooled to only a fraction of a degree above absolute zero. These extreme operating temperatures mean that it is very hard to send quantum signals to and from the quantum computer and currently there are no technologies that work. This lack of a quantum interface means superconducting qubit computers cannot be connected together to form quantum network. Severely limiting their application to super-secure quantum cryptography and to powerful distributed quantum computation. In this project, they will improve the efficiency of the conversion of microwave photons to a state where true quantum states can be transferred. For further information, contact: Professor Richard Blaikie Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research Tel 03 479 8513 Dr Lynette Brownfield Department of Biochemistry Tel 03 479 5151 Dr Andrew Cridge Department of Biochemistry Dr Sam Lowrey Department of Physics Tel 03 479 7784 Dr Harald Schwefel, Department of Physics Senior Communications Adviser Tel 03 479 9065 Mob 021 279 9065 Electronic addresses (including email accounts, instant messaging services, or telephone accounts) published on this page are for the sole purpose of contact with the individuals concerned, in their capacity as officers, employees or students of the University of Otago, or their respective organisation. Publication of any such electronic address is not to be taken as consent to receive unsolicited commercial electronic messages by the address holder.

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‘Only provision of fundamental rights can ensure justice’ Fundamental rights are rights due to community by the state. They are imperative to the development of the individual, the society. They are enshrined in the constitution of a country. Fundamental rights also imply the preservation of property, optimum quality of life, and freedom of speech and of religious practice. These views were expressed by Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, inspector-general of Police (IGP) of Gilgit-Baltistan, on Wednesday while addressing the students of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) on the subject titled, “Fundamental Rights and Peace”. Fundamental rights are enforceable by the judiciary and recognised by the state, he said. “There has to be justice in society and only the provision of fundamental rights can ensure justice.” “Justice will make fault lines die out,” he said. By fault lines, he said he meant irritants like the ethnic divide, the urban-rural divide, the religious divide and so on so forth. He spoke of the Peace Index which, he said, had three main components: absence of violence, economic viability, and social justice He said that the peace index in the far-flung, rural parts of Pakistan was very high. “Give the people their rights and there will be peace,” he said. Noted women’s rights activist and social society figure Anis Haroon began her discourse by talking about religious freedom and cooperation and said, “We should facilitate the worship of the minority communities and cooperate with them.” She said, “It is we the masses who have to struggle for the attainment of our rights. If we don’t, the consciousness of the society will die out.” After this, her talk took a significantly gender-based turn and she talked of the formation of WAF (Women’s Action Forum) in 1981. She narrated in detail the opposition to the struggle for women’s rights by the obscurantists and misogynists and noted how at every step the women had resisted their moves. As a result, she said, so many anti-women laws had been repealed. As for capital punishment, Abbasi said that nothing could be said very definitely. In certain societies, he said, capital punishment would be practical while in others it would be certainly an excess. As for the missing persons in Pakistan, an issue which has been the cause of extreme turmoil for so many families, he said that the issue had brought Pakistan a really bad name internationally but said that efforts were afoot to deal with it. Anis Haroon disapproved of capital punishment on the grounds that there was too much of miscarriage of justice and very often innocent people went to the gallows. As for the minorities, Abbasi said that he was against the term ‘minorities’ as they were absolutely equal members of society and the country. They were absolute full citizens, he said. The talks were followed by an animated question-answer session.

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An Air Ambulance, also known as a Medevac, is an aircraft used to quickly pick up a seriously injured person and transport them to a medical facility for treatment. Air Ambulances are commonly used to reach locations that a regular ambulance cannot get to or cannot get to quickly, such as remote locations, mountain tops, or ships at sea. Just like an automobile ambulance, the aircraft is fitted with medical equipment to help stabilize the patient until the air ambulance can get them to a proper medical facility or hospital. Like a lot of our modern technology, Air Ambulances were first used by the military. Airplanes were first used to transport patients to hospitals, and eventually air ambulance corps were formed in many countries’ militaries. During the Korean War, helicopters were used to rush wounded soldiers from the battlefield, or to transport them from a first aid center to a more advanced Naval Hospital Ship. Later, during the Vietnam conflict, U.S. researches found that soldiers wounded in combat and flown to a medical facility had a better survival rate than wounded automobile drivers on the California freeway. This led to the development of civilian Air Ambulances, serving local areas or regions that undergo devastating disasters. Today, Medical Air Ambulances can be run by several organizations, depending on the region that they are located. There are Federally run aircraft, such as those operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, that are able to rescue and fly injured or stranded sailors from the ocean or ships in distress. The Coast Guard even has rescue swimmers that jump from hovering helicopters to rescue people have fallen over board. Other organizations that run Air Ambulances include private companies that offer to fund an aircraft for emergency transportation services, or city-run and funded aircraft that work with Ambulance or Emergency Medical Crews. In some areas that cannot afford to run an Air Ambulance for that sole purpose may use a multi-role aircraft that may be used for Police work when it is needed or as an Air Ambulance when an emergency arises. Air Ambulances come in all different type of aircraft, from light, single engine airplanes to large helicopters, and can reach locations that a regular medical crew may not be able to get to. They can pick up stranded people or rush wounded soldiers to a medical center. Air Ambulances help to save lives.

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Maya Angelou Biography: Maya Angelou is a notable American poet and author. She is most well known for her series of autobiographical books that tell the story of her life from childhood into early adulthood. Those years covered the Great Depression through the Civil Rights Era. A Maya Angelou biography reads like an American history lesson since she lived during such a pivotal time and was active in current events of the day. In her books, she also shares her struggles with racism, single parenthood, and her search for identity. Maya Angelou Biography - Early Life Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis. When she was three years old, her parents split up and sent the young Mays and her brother to live with their grandmother. The grandmother owned a profitable general store and was one of the few people living a prosperous life during the Great Depression. When Maya Angelou was eight years old, she was sent back to live with her mother. Her mother's boyfriend sexually assaulted Angelou and he was later murdered, presumably by one of Angelou's uncles. The incident left Maya Angelou mute for a period of years. According to a Maya Angelou biography written by Marcia Ann Gillespie, it was during this time of silence that Angelou developed her love of literature and her sense of introspection. A teacher introduced Angelou to classic works of literature, and that helped her to recover and eventually speak again. Maya Angelou Biography -Young Adulthood Angelou held a variety of jobs once she entered adulthood. She worked as a streetcar conductor, prostitute manager, singer, dancer, and cook. She was a single mother, struggling to raise a son alone with no education or training for a career. She also had to fight racism that was prevalent at the time. Eventually, she became a popular nightclub singer and dancer, and even put out an album. In 1959, Maya Angelou moved to New York and joined the Harlem Writers Guild where she met notable African-American writers that influenced her work. Angelou moved to Africa with her son to explore her African roots. While there, she met Malcolm X and helped him with his civil rights cause. Her son remained in Africa when she decided to return to America. Once back in the United States, Angelou stayed active in the civil rights movement and began her writing career in earnest. Maya Angelou Biography - Later Life Angelou lived during some of the defining moments in modern American history. Race, motherhood, and the search for self, became common themes in her work. Her autobiographies became bestsellers, and are found in many schools today. They tell the personal story of a strong creative girl who grew up in one of the most tumultuous periods of American history. Her life was equally tumultuous, but she eventually found fame and recognition for her creative spirit. Angelou has received numerous distinguished awards for her writing and her contribution to American culture. In 1993, she was chosen to recite one of her poems at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. The notoriety she received as a result of this honor, introduced her to a new generation of readers, and reignited her popularity. Maya Angelou Biography and Maya Angelou Books - In Her Words ||• "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was published in 1969. Today it is available as a book, audio book, and ebook. This is the first book in a series of autobiographies written by Maya Angelou. In it, the author tells about the events of her life from the age of three to seventeen. She was sent to live with her grandmother and endured feelings of abandonment, racism, and trauma. When she discovered William Shakespeare and the love of reading and writing, she overcame her feelings of inferiority and rose above her adversities rather than let them rule her life. If you click on the image to the left it will open a new tab/window on Amazon.com, where users have given this book 4 stars out of 5. The book can also be bought as an ebook in the flexible Amazon Kindle format (which works on PC, Mac, Android smartphone & tablet, iPad and iPhone) - to check out the Kindle ebook on Amazon.com, please click this link: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ||• "Gather Together in my Name" is the second in the series of Maya Angelou autobiographies and it was published in 1974. This work is available as a book, ebook, and audio book. This Maya Angelou biography tells of her descent into poverty and crime as a young mother. It is set at the end of World War II, when the author was seventeen to nineteen years of age. She had become a mother and struggled to find herself by working through job after job, and waiting for her knight in shinning armor to arrive. "Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas" is a book and ebook that was published in 1976. It covers the years 1949 to 1955 when Angelou was in her early twenties. During this time, Angelou started a career in the entertainment business but still struggled to support her son, find herself, find love, and overcome obstacles associated with racism. If you click on the image to the left it will open a new tab/window on Amazon.com, where users have given this book 4.5 stars out of 5. ||• "The Heart of a Woman" was published in 1981. This Maya Angelou autobiography covers the years from 1957 to 1962, and is considered one of the top books written by Angelou. In this Maya Angelou biography, her son is now a teenager, and the story follows their lives as they travel around the world. During this period, Angelou became a published author and became active in the civil rights movement. At the book's end, her son leaves for college and Angelou looks forward to a life of renewed independence as her son begins a new life, but his fate was to be involved in a serious car crash. ||• "All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes" is a book, audio book, and ebook that was published in 1986 and is the fifth in the series of Maya Angelou autobiographies. This work covers Angelou's life in her early thirties and deals with her recurring themes of motherhood, identity, and race. Angelou describes her wish to go home to Africa, but finds it difficult to fit in. In the end, she leaves her son in Ghana and she heads back to the United ||• "A Song Flung Up to Heaven" is the last book in the autobiographical series by Maya Angelou. It was published in 2002 and is available as a book, ebook, and audio book. This book covers the years from 1965 to 1968 and in it Angelou describes how the civil rights movement during that time affected her life, particularly the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Angelou also discusses her literary career and ends the book as she is beginning her first autobiography, "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings." Maya Angelou Biography - Angelou today Maya Angelou continues to write poetry books and has several collections in print. Angelou is also known to be a very accomplished cook and has two cookbooks on the market. has been a university professor, actor, and film director, and she maintains a very active lifestyle as a lecturer and political activist. More importantly, she has been an inspiration to millions of her readers. As pretty much any Maya Angelou biography shows, she overcame great adversity and went on to live a spectacular and fulfilling life. The Personal Development Guy's Self Improvement Ezine (FREE) Would you like to keep in touch - and get high-level tips and special bonuses? Then please sign up for my self improvement newsletter The Personal Development Guy's Self Improvement Ezine. It is totally FREE. I LOVE Your Support If you've found the free personal development content on this website useful, please click the Donate button. Your donation will help me to keep producing free, high-level self improvement information. I am VERY GRATEFUL for your support! PayPal is one of the largest payment processors on the Internet. When you click the Donation Button, you can make a donation of your choice on an encrypted and secure page. Thank you very much! Inspirational Quotes, Poems and Funny Short Stuff If you want, you can also get your personal development, spirituality and general wisdom in an ultra light version - or even add your own wisdom to the site. Just go to the other sister of this website at: - World's Best and YOUR Best Quotes, Poems and Short Funny Stuff Quotescoop.com is also known as: This is where you might go for a quick 'fix' of wisdom and humor. A special treat is that this site has forums for you to present your own wisdom and humor in the form of inspirational short funny quotes, jokes, notes, letters, stories, SMS text messages and poems. Share your wisdom and witticisms with the world! High-Level Positive Parenting Advice and Deep Insights Positive Parenting Ally is the parenting equivalent of the Personal Development Guy. This is where you go if you want really deepen your understanding of parenting, empower your kids and make everyday life more easy and joyful. - Parenting advice for the conscious, open-minded parent! Back to the top of this page about Maya Angelou Biography and Books Where Would You Like to Go Next? To see what has been added to this site recently (plus offers, etc.), check out Blog & News at thePersonalDevelopmentGuy.com Jump to Self Help Books List of articles about self help books listed alphabetically: Barbara De Angelis , Maya Angelou , Arjuna Ardagh , Richard Bandler , Brandon Bays , Alain de Botton , Les Brown , Leo Buscaglia , Tony Buzan Andrew Carnegie Biography , Pema Chodron , Deepak Chopra Deepak Chopra Books , T. 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Miss Ann Day didn’t look her best. Damage of unknown origin was splattered across her face, wide-brimmed hat, and hand muff, as well as the red curtain backdrop. The painting of Day, created by British portraitist Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1760 and later acquired by Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art, is considered a masterpiece. But as art researcher Costas Karakatsanis studied the piece, he could see that the years had taken a toll. It would need to be restored. Yet the museum’s conservation experts didn’t know what had caused the portrait’s damage, making their work more difficult. So Karakatsanis and colleagues decided to discover what had happened to Miss Day. However, Karakatsanis (A&S ’74, ’78G) isn’t formally trained in art history. The native of Cyprus studied chemistry at Pitt and worked in materials science at Bayer for three decades before retiring and volunteering at the museum. The curators at the Carnegie Museum of Art soon found that his inquisitive scientific mind and love for art made him an excellent archival researcher. “Each painting has a history,” he says. While investigating on the Internet, Karakatsanis found a critical clue: a late 19th-century art catalog that mentioned the painting’s encounters with fire and attempted restoration. These newfound details — and those he’s unearthed relating to other artworks — have helped museum staff make informed restoration choices. Karakatsanis’s sleuthing skills have led him beyond the purview of any volunteer before him. He has cocurated two separate exhibitions at the museum involving art he investigated. The most recent, "Created, Collected, Conserved," reunited Miss Day with six of the museum’s other paintings that had once belonged to one of Britain’s most prominent art collections — a hidden connection Karakatsanis’s dogged research helped reveal. Read more features in the Fall 2019 edition of Pitt Magazine.

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You're in the doctor's office for a routine physical exam when you receive the diagnosis: type 2 diabetes. Sure, you have heard of diabetes before and may even have a general idea of what led to this diagnosis. In fact, your doctor may have even warned you that in most cases, developing the disease is a direct result of poor nutrition and lack of exercise. But you didn't really listen, because you've been living this way for years and things seemed fine. How did you miss the warning signs? And what exactly went wrong? To find out, let's take a look at the most common risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and better determine which ones may apply to you. This article was originally published by our partners at RodaleWellness.com. The more fat you have (especially around your middle), the more resistant your body becomes to insulin and the hunger-regulating hormone leptin. Certain races are more prone to the ravishments of the Western diet than others: Hispanics, blacks, Hawaiians, Native Americans, and Asians have an increased risk of developing diabetes. When your hemoglobin A1c hovers close to 6.0, consider yourself at risk.

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As we discussed in the requirements and design section, the database model for our application is fairly simple and contains only two entities: the virtual host definition and the configuration directive definition. For the implementation, however, we also need to add a third element into the schema that ties the virtual host and the configuration directive elements. The reason for adding yet another table is that each configuration directive can be part of one or more virtual hosts. Also, there might be one or more directives in each virtual host. Therefore, we have a many-to-many relationship between the objects, and in order to resolve that we need to insert an intermediate table that has a one-to-many relationship with the other tables. We can represent this relationship model in the entity relationship (ER) diagram shown in Figure 5-1, where you can see the properties of each entity and the relationships between them. ER diagrams are really helpful when coding and sometimes save you from writing complex code just to find information that can be easily obtained with a simple SQL statement if you know the relations between different tables. We'll use this technique again in later chapters. ConllgDirecllve id INT (toe uine nation VARCHARrMO) ts .container BOOLEAN PRIMARY directive vhost parent ■Note The diagram in Figure 5-1 was produced using the MySQL Work Bench tool. It follows the convention and structure used to represent the data tables and also the relationships between them (one-to-many links, and so on). The description of those details is beyond the scope of this book, but if you want to learn more about the subject, I recommend Beginning Database Design: From Novice to Professional, by Clare Churcher (Apress, 2007), which is a good introduction to database design. A much shorter description of some of the symbols used in the diagram can be found on the Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity-relationship_model. You can see that the ConfigDirective and the VirtualHost tables have a one-to-many relationship with the VHostDirective table. This table also holds the value for the configuration directive, which is specific to the particular virtual host. You may also have noticed that the VHostDirective has a loop-back relationship to itself. This is to implement the directive encapsulation, where some directives can be the "parent" directives for others. Was this article helpful?

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- Portland Public Schools (PPS) students randomly assigned to dual-language immersion programs outperformed their peers on state reading tests by 13 percent of a standard deviation in grade 5 and by 22 percent of a standard deviation in grade 8. - Immersion-assigned students did not show statistically significant benefits or deficits in terms of mathematics or science performance. - There were no clear differences in the effects of dual-language immersion by students' native language. - English learners assigned to dual-language immersion were more likely than their peers to be classified as English proficient by grade 6. This effect was mostly attributed to English learner students whose native language matched the classroom partner language. Dual-language immersion (DLI) programs — which provide both native English speakers and English learners with general academic instruction in two languages from kindergarten onward — are proliferating rapidly in the United States. Although precise counts of DLI programs are not available, recent estimates place the figure between 1,000 and 2,000 nationally, with substantial recent growth in Utah, North Carolina, Delaware, and New York City. This expansion appears driven by a number of complementary forces: a large increase in the share of U.S. schoolchildren who are not native English speakers; observational evidence that English learners in DLI programs academically outperform those in other programs; and demand from parents of native English speakers who anticipate the benefits of bilingualism in an increasingly global society. In the largest random-assignment study of DLI education to date, RAND partnered with the American Councils on International Education and the Portland Public Schools in Oregon (PPS) to estimate the causal effects of the district's DLI programs on student performance over time in reading, mathematics, and science, and on English learners' reclassification as English proficient. The four-year study was funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. Leveraging random assignment to identify the causal effects of DLI programs PPS provides a strong test bed for examining dual-language education at scale because the district offers a wide array of DLI programs — some dating to the mid-1980s — and because it has historically allocated immersion slots using a random-assignment lottery process for those who apply to the programs. The scale of PPS's immersion offerings allowed the study to include both two-way programs, in which about half of the students are native speakers of English and half are native speakers of the "partner" (non-English) language, and one-way programs, in which most students in the classroom are new to the partner language. In addition, the study was able to include programs that represented four different partner languages: Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Russian. The random-assignment process allowed the study to estimate effects caused by access to these programs and not by the unobserved characteristics or preferences of families who chose DLI. Due to the scale and longevity of Portland's offerings, the study is one of a very few able to estimate academic effects for both native English speakers and English learners, and to track students' performance for up to nine years, from kindergarten through eighth grade. DLI students outperformed non-immersion peers in two important ways Prior studies of DLI have shown that students in such programs perform as well as or better than their peers in core content areas such as English language arts, mathematics, and science — which are all typically tested in English — especially by mid-elementary school. However, those studies left open the question of whether the effects should be attributed to the DLI programs themselves or to the characteristics of the families and students who chose to enroll in those programs. By comparing students who applied to DLI programs and were given spaces through random assignment with those who applied but were not randomly assigned spaces, the RAND study was able to answer that question. The study focused on 1,625 students who were randomized to immersion or to a control group via Portland's immersion pre-K and kindergarten immersion lotteries in 2004–2005 through 2010–2011. Further, through collaboration with the Oregon Department of Education, the study team was able to track the outcomes not only for lottery applicants who remained within PPS, but also for those who subsequently entered other public school districts in Oregon. PPS DLI programs had positive effects on reading test scores - PPS students randomly assigned to DLI outperformed their peers on state accountability tests in reading by 13 percent of a standard deviation in grade 5 and by 22 percent of a standard deviation in grade 8. This represents roughly seven additional months of learning in grade 5 and nine additional months in grade 8. While the researchers did not find a statistically significant benefit in math or science, they also found no detriment, even though students received math and science instruction at least partially in the partner language through grade 5. English learners reached English proficiency at higher rates - Controlling for whether students were classified as English learners in kindergarten, those who were randomly assigned to DLI were three percentage points more likely to have reached English proficiency by grade 6. This effect was stronger for English learners whose native language matched the partner language, for whom the effect was as high as 14 percentage points in sixth grade. These findings are consistent with other research that finds that DLI helps English learners become proficient in English at higher rates by middle or high school. The effects on student outcomes were similar across student groups - The effects of immersion programs on student test scores appeared to be similar for students who were native English speakers and those who were native speakers of other languages. The small difference between the estimated effects of DLI programs for these two groups was not statistically significant. - The estimated immersion benefits in reading appeared slightly higher for students in Spanish DLI programs than for students in programs focused on less commonly taught languages (Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Russian), but these differences were not statistically significant. In mathematics, immersion benefits appeared slightly greater for the less commonly taught languages than for Spanish, but neither the overall mathematics effects nor the differences by program language were statistically significant. - Immersion effects did not appear to differ between two-way and one-way immersion programs. It is also noteworthy that by eighth grade, on average, PPS DLI students reached intermediate levels of proficiency in the partner languages as measured by the STAMP 4S (Standards-Based Measurement of Proficiency), compared with the novice levels of proficiency attained by PPS eighth-graders studying Spanish in non-immersion foreign language classes. Lessons for policymakers Policymakers should note that the benefits of DLI programs — improved reading in English, increased English proficiency for English learners, and proficiency in two languages — did not come at the cost of performance in mathematics or science. These outcomes may make the programs highly attractive to policymakers, administrators, educators, and families. Importantly, this evidence comes not from a small, boutique program, but from a collection of 12 varied DLI programs dispersed across a large, urban district and operating over a ten-year period. The variation among the programs means that the findings are not limited to one particular school, classroom language, or instructional approach. It is important to note that these causal effects apply most clearly to families that were motivated to apply to DLI programs. If a program of this nature were mandatory for everyone in a school district, the results might differ, for three reasons. First, students whose families were not supportive of DLI could feasibly struggle more in immersion than students whose families applied to an immersion lottery. Second, randomization to immersion in Portland changes not only the language of instruction but also the particular teachers and peers to which students are exposed. Although the study found that immersion benefits were not attributable to observable teacher or peer characteristics, it is still possible that program attributes other than the language of instruction could have contributed to the benefits. Third, dramatic expansion of such programs could dilute program quality. Therefore, efforts to scale DLI programs should carefully attend to the quality of program implementation. Finally, equitable access to DLI programs is important. Participation by English learners along with native English speakers is not only critical to the integrity of two-way models but also helps ensure that academic benefits are fairly distributed within a community. This study provides some of the strongest causal evidence available that DLI programs can improve students' reading skills in English while also building their skills in a language other than English. Expanding the high-quality implementation of these programs could play a pivotal role in the struggle for educational opportunity for English learners and native English speakers alike. - Months-of-learning estimates are based on the difference in vertically scaled scores between grades 4 and 5 and between grades 7 and 8, and on the pooled standard deviations in performance in grades 5 and 8. - This brief describes work done in RAND Education and documented in Jennifer L. Steele, Robert O. Slater, Gema Zamarro, Trey Miller, Jennifer Li, Susan Burkhauser, and Michael Bacon, "Effects of Dual-Language Immersion Programs on Student Achievement: Evidence from Lottery Data," American Educational Research Journal, Vol. 54, No. 1 suppl., April 2017 doi.org/10.3102/0002831216634463.

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Broccoli is one of our favorite plants to grow in the spring and fall. Not only are the heads delicious, but the leaves add a wonderful dimension to stir fries and provide a lot of valuable nutrients. We like to plant broccoli densely directly by seed in the spring and fall then we thin them down as they grow until only the largest is left. We love to use the thinned down plants in stir-fries! Cabbage worms also love broccoli, but they’re easy to manage. How to Grow: Broccoli is a cool season crop that can be planted in both the spring and fall. You can plant it outdoors 4-6 weeks before your last spring frost and 12 weeks before first fall frost. You can start broccoli indoors 8-10 weeks before your last spring frost to get a head start on your growing season! You can see specific dates for your location using our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web App. Broccoli seeds are planted 1/4 inch deep, 1 per square foot, in full sun. Take care to notice what plants are around the area as well, see the companion plant section below. Broccoli will need consistent moderate watering and will sprout in approximately 4-10 days. Companion planting is a vital part of organic gardening. Companion plants assist in the growth of others by attracting beneficial insects, repelling pests, or providing nutrients, shade, or support. There are also plants that do not like being next to each other. Some plants get too tall and can provide too much shade for your plant. Sometimes certain plants attract the same pests, so it is important to try and separate these. |Marigold||Thyme||Tomatoes (Bush & Vine)| Pests can be one of the most difficult challenges you face in the garden. We strive to grow food without the use of pesticide and luckily there are natural solutions for most of these nasty pests! The pests listed below are common ones for broccoli: Full-sized broccoli heads will be ready to harvest in 80-90 days, but you can harvest younger plants whenever you’d like and stir-fry it all. Harvest by cutting off the main head as soon as the it forms, and be sure to harvest before the flower heads begin to open. New side shoots will develop within a few weeks and should continue to do so as long as you keep up with harvesting. We also love to harvest some of the leaves to use in stir-fries. Cooking & Eating!

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The research team, led by David Sobral, used special filters to look for a particular wavelength of light called Lyman alpha radiation. Galaxies that emits radiation are extremely distant. And because of the finite travel time of light, they provide glimpses into the history of the universe. They are thought to be the progenitors of most modern Milky Way-type galaxies. To find these galaxies, the researchers used 16 different narrow and medium band filters and looked at one of the most widely studied regions of sky outside our Milky Way. This area of the universe has been the focus of the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), which probes for signs of galaxy formation and evolution as a function of cosmic time and the local galaxy environment. The field is a small, 2 degree area of the sky located in the direction of the constellation of Sextans. “We used large amounts of data taken with 16 special filters on wide field cameras and processed them here in Lancaster to literally slice the universe in cosmic time and time-travel to the distant past with 16 well-defined, cosmic-time destinations," said Sergio Santos, another Lancaster University Ph.d. student and team member. RELATED: Hubble Telescope Captures Image of the Farthest Star Ever Seen Researchers are able to date the light from the galaxies because it is stretched by the expansion of the universe, which increases its wavelength, pulling toward the red end of the visible-light spectrum. By measuring the redshift of a galaxy, astronomers can figure out its distance and how long its light has taken to reach us, which tells them how far back they’re peering in time. The researchers found that star formation evolves by fits and starts. "These early galaxies seem to have gone through many more ‘bursts’ when they formed stars, instead of forming them at a relatively steady rate like our own galaxy,” Sobral said in a statement. “Additionally, they seem to have a population of young stars that is hotter, bluer, and more metal-poor than those we see today." Sobral has been studying the early universe for much of his career. In 2015, he led a team that found the first example of a spectacularly bright galaxy within the Epoch of Reionization, which was thought to be home to first generation stars, and a year later, he found similar galaxies made up of the earliest stars.

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Inside: Are you looking for fun and engaging Math Activities for Preschoolers? Help them problem solve, count and have fun learning through this STEAM Activity for Preschoolers. As we all know our little ones are like sponges. Yet we have to be proactive in balancing the act of teacher aka mom with engaging them in learning activities as well as the freedom to explore, play and imagine. This preschool math activity encompasses so much all in one activity. It is one of the most simple hands on math activities for preschoolers all while teaching them fine motor skills, colors, shapes, counting, numbers, color sorting and verbalizing so much through one activity. Math Activities for Preschoolers What you need: - Take your construction paper and cut it in fourths (squares). Simply write on the top the number, then draw a circle on the same square i.e. top of the square is 5 then I drew 5 circles so she could match the circle cereal. - Using card numbers 1-9 – take your spinner and have your preschooler spin. What number did she land on? Have her name the number and find the matching number card. - Place a cereal on each circle, then have your preschooler count by pointing to each circle and saying the count OUT LOUD! I’m a very firm believer in the child talking and saying the numbers/counting out loud. This does wonders for connection in the brain! Having a manipulative + counting out loud is super important in the math world for preschoolers. I couldn’t say it any better than this great article written by School Sparks on Math and Number Awareness! Oh the great importance for steam in early childhood education. Math Activities for Preschoolers at Home – Variations There are so many ways you can change up this one activity at home. Consider focusing on: - Recognizing Numbers - Color Sorting - Talking about Colors - Talk about Shapes - Fine motor skills of choosing the circles or even stacking the circles. - Start with numbers 1-9 (that’s what is on our spinner) When she grasped that, I moved onto the higher numbers and we just eliminated the spinner! Many times when I’m brainstorming a new concept we need to learn…I simply try to look around my home and find items we already have to incorporate into our daily life to count, sort, match or talk about. Math Activities for 3 year olds are simple…but make them fun and engaging so that it stretches their minds and creates a time of learning. Here at our home we are huge on our activities being “STEAM Activities”. You might be wondering what is STEAM? Hop over here –> Everything You Need to know about STEAM Activities for Preschoolers. I hope to explain it in a very down to earth manner as to not over think what we are doing with our children. Lastly, I’ll break down the STEAM process for this particular Math Activity. The STEAM process for Spinner Math - Investigate: I always put the materials out in front of my preschooler and let her explore each piece. Once I feel like she’s had the time to explore and “play” we then go into our next step… - Discover: We talked about the materials. i.e. the spinner- how it goes around, their are numbers on them…we talk about the cereal and what shape they are, what colors we have. - Connect: Keep it simple! Get your preschooler to think and talk. I might ask her what else goes around in circles like her spinner…what other objects do you see in our home that are circles like your cereal shape. - Create: Next I direct her our STEAM activity. Considering this is heavily math related I help her but then let her go for it. If she makes a mistake…I let her…then we do it again the correct way. - Reflect: Again get your 3 & 4 Year olds talking! Ask them what they learned…what can they count to? Our little one can count to 20…but sometimes skips thirteen…so we are working on it. Keep on keeping on! Explore our great STEAM Activities for Preschoolers Including engineering projects for preschoolers, problem solving activities, math activities, science experiments for preschoolers and more! We are a husband and wife team, pairing our strengths together to teach our preschooler in the most fun and engaging way we possibly can. The mister is a high school educator at Northlake Christian school in Covington Louisiana and over the Innovation Center, which is all things STEAM. I am a SAHM that blogs pretty much everything we do in our little paradise, from what we eat, to where we travel to how we teach our little one. We hope you are inspired to incorporate STEAM into learning with your children.

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How to clean bird droppings? Anyone who has unwittingly parked their car below a flock of birds knows just how messy they can get. Pigeon, starling and sparrow droppings contain high amounts of corrosive uric acid that can stain and damage building materials. If birds are roosting in or on your home, it takes little time for their droppings accumulate on siding, brick, metal, and stone. If left too long, bird feces can cause irreversible damage resulting in costly repairs. The easiest way to prevent damage to your home is to quickly remove, exclude and deter birds from your property. In addition to being highly corrosive, bird poop can also create health risks for humans and pets. The droppings of pigeons, starling and sparrows can contain a fungal disease called histoplasmosis. Exposure to bird roosts and nests that are heavily contaminated with dangerous fungal spores increases the chance of inhalation. Humans are most at risk for infection when dry bird feces become airborne and travel through air vents and open windows. Personal protective should always be worn when cleaning and decontaminating bird roosts and nests. Skedaddle has the experience and know-how to safely remove and eliminate the risk. Call us today 1-888-592-0387. Removing bird nests When most people think of a bird’s nest they imagine a neat bowl of straw perched atop a tree branch. Few homeowners realize just how large starling and sparrows nests can become. As hole-nesters, sparrows and starlings will gather materials and add to their nests until they have completely filled the cavity. Without human intervention, nests can quickly grow to unmanageable and dangerous sizes. It is not uncommon for Skedaddle technicians to remove multiple garbage bags full of nesting material from attics, soffits and ventilation systems. Bird nests inside vents and attics represent a significant fire hazard. Clogged bathroom and stove vents will fail to exhaust properly causing fan motors to overheat. Dried leaves, twigs, grass and feathers serve as dangerous fire accelerants when placed in contact with a home’s electrical components. Pigeon, starling and sparrow nests are also hotbeds for bird mites. These birds share their nests with tens of thousands of mites that survive by feeding on their blood. Unfeathered baby birds are preferred hosts as they are unable to groom themselves. When birds abandon or are evicted from their nests, mites will migrate en masse in search of a new host. While bird mites are unable to live on humans, they will bite and can survive several weeks without a blood meal. Be sure to speak with a Skedaddle technician about eliminating the bird mites in your home. Once all birds have been humanely evicted from a home it is critical to remove all nesting material. Skedaddle’s technicians aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get dirty to make sure your home is safe and protected. That includes crawling in attics, climbing ladders and getting up close and personal with some pretty nasty stuff. Learn more about how Skedaddle can repair the damage to your attic’s insulation. Or call us now 1-888-592-0387.

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SCALING & ROOT PLANING WHAT IS SCALING AND ROOT PLANING? Scaling and Root Planing, also known as a Deep Cleaning, is a procedure used to help remove any plaque and tartar accumulation that has developed below the gum line. The procedure is identical to a regular cleaning, for the exception that the instrumentation is performed below the gums. Due to the discomfort, anesthesia is typically provided. The procedure is per quadrant or quarter of the mouth and is typically performed on half the mouth at a time. WHY DO I NEED IT? Every time we eat, plaque, a combination of food particles and bacteria, accumulates on our teeth. This can develop both above and below the gum line. With proper brushing and flossing habits, accumulated plaque can be easily removed without any negative consequences. If, on the other hand, the plaque remains on the teeth two things can happen. Firstly, inflammation will develop in the area causing gingivitis, or inflammation of the gum tissue. This presents as red, swollen gums that bleed easily. Often times people will notice that they have severe bleeding when brushing and flossing at night. At this stage, improved brushing and flossing habits may still be sufficient to treat the problem and reverse all signs and symptoms. Secondly, the calcium normally present in our saliva will begin to calcify and harden; the plaque accumulation turning it into the harder substance calculus, a.k.a. tartar. Again, early on this will only cause gingivitis. However, once tartar is accumulated a dental cleaning is required, as tooth brushing and flossing cannot remove such hard substances. Bone, including that in your jaw supporting your teeth, is not a static being. In fact, throughout the course of someone's life bone is absorbed and deposited. The accumulation of plaque and tartar, as stated previously, create an inflammatory response by your body. This inflammatory response has the side effect of preferentially activating the cells that absorb or eat away at the bone. This results in bone loss around the teeth, allowing more and more accumulation of plaque and tartar significantly further below the gum line. It is at this time that a simple dental cleaning is no longer sufficient; instead scaling and root planning is required. MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND OTHER EXTERNAL FACTORS AFFECTING YOUR GUMS As anyone who has suffered from diabetes knows, infections can spread very rapidly in diabetics, particularly in cases where the diabetes is poorly controlled. This is also true for infections in the mouth. Diabetics are significantly more susceptible to the effects of accumulated plaque and calculus. Not only are they more likely to develop gingivitis and periodontitis, but they are also more likely to have a slower response to treatment. Among the many symptoms of pregnancy are bleeding gums and gingivitis. For some people this can be very severe and is secondary to the effects of high hormone levels. Though the likelihood of periodontitis is not affected, poor oral hygiene will worsen the degree of gingivitis and bleeding. Often times, with good oral hygiene practices, this will self-resolve without any treatment following labor and nursing. Smoking reduces oxygen flow to your mouth and oral tissues. Without sufficient oxygen, tissue is unable to heal as quickly and completely as it otherwise would, worsening inflammation. As a result the likelihood and severity of gingivitis and periodontitis is worsened. In fact, nearly all smokers suffer from at least mild cases of gingivitis that could easily be resolved if the smoking habit ceased. Yet another reason to stop smoking! Braces and orthodontic movement in itself can cause significant inflammation in the supporting structures of the teeth due to the severe forces being applied to these areas to allow tooth movement. As in all these cases, any plaque and calculus accumulation which could cause inflammation in its own right, will serve to significantly worsen the inflammation in these patients' mouths; again, resulting in more severe and more difficult cases to treat. With ideal oral hygiene, on the other hand, these cases of gingivitis typically resolve on their own after completion of orthodontic treatment. HOW ARE GINGIVITIS AND PERIODONTITIS DIAGNOSED? Gingivitis is diagnosed by a clinical examination. In these patients redness and swelling is typically visible in the gum tissue. The gums are prone to bleeding, quite heavily at times. This is often reported by patients as a something they see when brushing. Your dentist and hygienist will also note it during cleanings and restorative procedures. Periodontitis, on the other hand, causes physical changes in the bone and can be found both by clinical and radiographic examination. During your biyearly exam, measurements are taken of your gum tissue. These measurements record the "pocket" that is present between your tooth and your gum tissue, as your gums don't adhere to your tooth at their height in your mouth, but instead further down. In a normal, healthy mouth this pocket is typically about 3mm in depth - a depth that your toothbrush bristles can reach to remove all plaque and debris accumulated below the gum line. When inflammation causes the bone loss consistent with periodontitis, the pocket depth is found to be deeper, sometimes reaching more than 10mm. Yearly x-rays confirm these findings by showing a reduction in the height of the bone supporting the teeth from its ideal location. In addition, often times you can even see the accumulated tartar attached to the teeth below the gum line. WHAT IS THE COURSE OF TREATMENT? If the diagnosis of periodontitis is made on your initial visit, depending on the severity of calculus accumulation you may be advised to have a cleaning or "full mouth debridement" intially. The full mouth debridement is typically reserved for cases where there is such a large amount of accumulated debris proper, complete examination of the tooth structures and periodontal tissue is impossible. These intial treatments will then be followed by Scaling and Root Planing in the regions where it is indicated. In other cases, it may be possible to go directly to the deep cleaning without any other intial work. For more long term patients, typically the progression to periodontitis, assuming no drastic lifestyle or medical changes, is something that has been presented to you over previous visits. Often times, the doctor and hygienist will have been monitoring pocket depths of 4mm from prior visits. In these cases, you will typically experience your 6 month cleaning and then be advised to return for Scaling and Root Planing. Patients usually experience some soreness in the gum tissue following treatment. It is typically mild, usually lasting less than one week, and easily managed with over-the-counter Ibuprofen. It is important that ideal brushing and flossing habits are maintained during this time, despite potential soreness, to ensure there are no new causes of inflammation allowing the tissue to heal fully. Patients will be sent home with a prescription for an antibiotic mouthwash, specifically targeted at the bacteria that causes gingivitis and periodontitis to aid in healing. Patients are advised to return to the office in 6 weeks for a re-evaluation of the gum tissue to see the degree of healing and bone regeneration. Depending on the findings, further treatment may be indicated and will be discussed at that time. If, as is common, ideal improvement is found, you will be advised to return for cleanings or "periodontal maintenance" procedures every 3 months. Again, depending on the degree of bone loss and healing, after a period of time certain patients may graduate to cleanings every 4 months or even return to twice a year. WHAT TO EXPECT? As with every aspect of your health, every person, mouth and situation is different. Each patient will be evaluated and treated as the individual they are. WHAT IF I DON'T GET TREATMENT? Unfortunately, once the pocket progresses beyond 3mm in depth, your toothbrush bristles cannot reach the depth needed to remove the plaque accumulation. Nor can your toothbrush remove calculus accumulation within the 3mm depth. As such, the perpetual inflammation will result in further and further bone loss around your teeth. Eventually, this will cause your teeth to become loose. Some patients experience severe pain from the moving and shifting of teeth they feel when eating. Others can develop an abscess from the infection, which can present as a severe throbbing ache or swelling adjacent to the involved teeth. Luckier patients do not have pain but can experience movement of teeth affecting their esthetics. Finally, and what will eventually happen in all mouths after a long enough time, teeth will become so loose they fall out on their own.

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Advanced Sewing, 4-12, 10:30 The ability to use a sewing machine to sew straight seams. These items are required the first day of class: Sewing Machine (any model as long as it is working), fabric scissors, pins, thread, seam ripper and hem gauge (measuring tool). Fabric for pants and elastic should be purchased before the second class. Details about fabric purchases will be given during first class. Addition sewing project items may need to be purchased as well once pants are completed. This is an advanced sewing class for students that have sewn before and can sew straight seams. Students will be instructed as a group on how to make pajama pants with pockets. If students complete their pants before the end of the course, they may choose another project/s of their choice to begin. This is an Enrichment Class.

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‘Jacob said: 'I will not let you go, unless you bless me.' …then [he] asked him, 'Please tell me your name?' But [the man] said, 'Why is it that you ask my name?' And there he blessed him.’ Gen 32.26, 29 The Christian story is unique because it is just that – a story. It is narrative, script, folktale; history, poetry and song, wisdom, apocalyptic visions, and law; it is instruction, admonishment, consolation, letters to friends, memoirs for a distant people… A sermon given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, at a service to mark the 30th anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero in Westminster Abbey on Sunday March 28, 2010. The Archbishop in the pulpit © Westminster Abbey Sentir con la Iglesia: 'feeling with the Church'. This was Oscar Romero's motto as a bishop – you'll see it in many photographs inscribed on the episcopal mitre he wore. It is in fact an ancient phrase, very often used to express the ideal state of mind for a loyal Catholic Christian; indeed, it's usually been translated as 'thinking with the Church'. It can be used and has been used simply to mean having the same sentiments as the Church's teaching authority.

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Predictions that could help society adapt to climate change need to consider an overlooked variable, says a Scripps-led review. Society needs forecasts tailored to individual regions to be able to adapt to climate change, but a new paper says the most important consideration for creating accurate models has been largely overlooked. In a National Science Foundation and NOAA-funded review of recent advances in regional modeling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, climate scientist Shang-Ping Xie and co-authors say that a better understanding of atmospheric circulation is the key to improving region-scale predictions. Studying in particular the tropics, where atmospheric circulation interacts strongly with ocean processes, affords an opportunity to improve models. Regional climate models provide high-resolution views at regional levels and are often perceived as the solution to regional climate forecasts. But the review says that regional models are not a silver bullet as they inherit the inaccuracies of global-scale simulations of climate change. For instance, outside the tropics, variables such as seemingly random fluctuations of atmospheric pressure and wind velocity are important factors in creating regional patterns, but their complexity hampers the effectiveness of regional climate models. Accounting for the built-in uncertainty would be a major step toward forecasting regionally specific phenomena ranging from drought in California to hurricanes on the eastern seaboard. “Global warming research tends to focus on global mean temperature, but nobody lives in global mean temperature,” said Xie, the Roger Revelle Chair in Environmental Science at Scripps. “Rainfall change is perhaps far more consequential and is fundamentally regional: precipitation might increase in Canada but decrease in the Southwest U.S. Different processes govern uncertainties in the projections of global mean and regional changes. We show that the atmospheric circulation change holds the key to improving regional climate projections. We suggested a way forward to tackle this problem.” The paper, “Toward predictive understanding of regional climate change,” appears in online editions of the journal Nature Climate Change on Sept. 7. For instance, global surface temperatures are expected to keep rising because of climate change. In the tropics, ocean warming patterns determine rainfall change by driving atmospheric circulation change. In regions of enhanced ocean warming, the atmosphere becomes unstable and conducive to convection, an upward movement of warm air that causes rainfall. Portraying that properly could bring greater accuracy to predictions of climate phenomena with profound societal impact, such as El Niño. A major El Niño event is being forecast later this year, which increases chances of above-normal precipitation over California to relieve the decadal drought. Climate models forecast that under global warming, El Niño effects on the atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific will intensify and move eastward from the central Pacific, meaning the West Coast would likely receive more intense rainfall during such events. The authors call for the collection of more comprehensive data and for a greater understanding of atmospheric physics to achieve more accurate regional forecasts. “In the tropics where towering thunderstorms drive the global atmospheric circulation, we showed that the interaction with the ocean is the key,” Xie said. “Advances in physical understanding of this interaction enabled the prediction of El Niño, which has become routine.”

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Tech moves fast! Stay ahead of the curve with Techopedia! Join nearly 200,000 subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from Techopedia. Upscaling is the process of matching an incoming multimedia signal with the native resolution of the display of a device. Upscaling is done by video processing chips that are installed in digital display devices. A low-resolution signal cannot be properly displayed on a large-resolution display, and vice versa, therefore upscaling is inevitable in today’s technology. Upscaling is also known as upconverting. Suppose an HD-ready display device has a 1,920×1,080-pixel display. Upon connecting a DVD player or a source of video with a standard definition signal and a resolution of 720×575 pixels, the job of the video processing chip would be to upscale and process the video signal to fit the display resolution. If upscaling is not done, then the screen would show large patches of black since the input signal would not be able to cover the entire screen. The signal is deinterlaced and processed, then upscaled using various algorithms and adding pixels.

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Although many musicians perform, most don’t rely only on performance to meet their financial and career needs. Making it in classical ensemble or musical theater, as a singer/songwriter, or with a band can be a slow and uneven journey – even when it works! And not every musician wants to perform. So what else can you do with your life if you really want to major in music? Here are some options. 1. Music Technology If you’re passionate about music and consider yourself a computer nerd, music technology may be a good fit. Many music schools offer majors in recording, production and/or acoustical engineering. Each school labels its program differently and provides its own mix of training and experience. Check out program descriptions on school websites and ask questions to be sure you’re finding what you really want to learn. Graduates of music technology programs may go on to create their own recording and music production studios. They might also find jobs at existing studios; in live sound; and as studio managers, sound-effects creators and stage technicians. Some tour with musicians. Others run music festivals, work as audiovisual consultants and teachers, or as master engineers. If you have a strong background in math and physics, you might also qualify for a career in audiovisual and headphone/microphone design. One warning: Music technology is a rapidly-changing field. Professionals must keep up with the latest advances in order to remain employable. 2. Music Industry Careers in the music industry include artist management, concert promotion, music publishing, tour management, business management, music instrument manufacturing and distribution, and working behind the scenes to support live and recorded music. Like music technology, the field is constantly changing, as are the career opportunities. Internships are extremely important in the world of music industry. The more skills and hands-on experience you gain before you launch your career, the more options you’ll have for employment. 3. Music Therapy Music therapists use music to address physical, emotional, cognitive or social/behavioral problems. They work in hospitals and in private practice. Clients may include children and adults on the autism spectrum, infants in neonatal intensive care, elders with Alzheimer’s disease or veterans and others suffering from post-traumatic stress. The American Music Therapy Association dictates a curriculum that includes the study of music and psychology, along with biology, social and behavioral sciences, and a lengthy internship. Singing as well as playing piano and guitar are required for accreditation and are all taught in music therapy programs. 4. Arts Management Most people in arts mangement field have a degree in the arts, such as music, and get a master’s degree in arts management or business to expand their skill set. The work is often in the nonprofit sector and may include finding and cultivating donors; fundraising; developing and strengthening the board of directors; managing events or an arts center; or creating and managing an ensemble. It’s good to have strong marketing, accounting and leadership skills. 5. Music Education Proficient musicians who are passionate about sharing their love and understanding of music will find teaching students on the K-12 level a very fulfilling career. Many music educators perform on the side and during the summer to make extra income and to stay fresh with how and what they teach. The good news is that many college-level music programs boast a 100 percent employment rate for students graduating in music education. The not-so-good news is that K-12 music programs are constantly on the chopping block. Jobs may be jeopardized. For budget reasons, music teachers may need to travel to more than one school to teach classes. They may be responsible for teaching both instrumental and vocal music. And invariably they’re expected to help generate funds to make their music programs viable. Some undergraduate music education programs lead directly to accreditation in the state where the undergrad program is earned. Others don't. In which case students may need another year to get the accreditation, which is sometimes connected to a master's degree. A higher pay scale is typically associated with a master's. Teaching on the college level requires at least a master’s degree and more often a doctorate. Music faculty will find good support from their schools for performing outside of their teaching obligations. However, these jobs are extremely competitive and demand an even higher level of proficiency as well as pedagogical training and experience. Many musicians also teach at community music schools, summer music camps and programs, and in their own private studios. If you’re fascinated by the history of music or love studying the music of other cultures, a career in musicology/ethnomusicology (the lines between these two have blurred) may be worth exploring. While musicology students tend also to be strong performers, this is an academic field of music that incorporates extensive research, writing, getting published and presenting at conferences all over the world. Graduate training is essential, as is the study of foreign languages. Most musicologists have a Ph.D. Teaching on the college level is a common career path, but some musicologists also work in museums, libraries, law firms, arts management and publishing. Some of the many other options for working in music include: scoring for television, movies, and games; composing for ensembles and orchestras; conducting; arranging; playing music on cruise ships and in pit orchestras; building and repairing instruments; working as a session musician; and going into entertainment law with a focus on music. Those with entrepreneurial skills will find limitless opportunities to apply their musical training to creatively solve problems with their own products and services. And as technology continues to redefine the way music is presented and consumed, new careers in music will emerge.

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Read the passage beneath and answer the following five questions. It goes a long way back, some twenty years. All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naive. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: That I am nobody but myself. But first I had to discover that I am an invisible man! And yet I am no freak of nature, nor of history. I was in the cards, other things having been equal (or unequal) eighty-five years ago. I am not ashamed of my grandparents for having been slaves. I am only ashamed of myself for having at one time been ashamed. About eighty-five years ago they were told they were free, united with others of our country in everything pertaining to the common good, and, in everything social, separate like the fingers of the hand. And they believed it. They exulted in it. They stayed in their place, worked hard, and brought up my father to do the same. But my grandfather is the one. He was an odd old guy, my grandfather, and I am told I take after him. It was he who caused the trouble. On his deathbed he called my father to him and said, “Son, after I’m gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy’s country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ’em with yeses, undermine ’em with grins, agree ’em to death and destruction, let ’em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open.” They thought the old man had gone out of his mind. He had been the meekest of men. The younger children were rushed from the room, the shades drawn and the flame of the lamp turned so low that it sputtered on the wick like the old man’s breathing. “Learn it to the younguns,” he whispered fiercely; then he died. Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal,” 1947 1. In the last sentence of the first paragraph the narrator says, “I am an invisible man!” Why might the narrator feel he is invisible? A. He doesn’t know who he really is. B. He goes unnoticed as a black man in America. C. He hides from his past to not face the truth. D. He doesn’t know what to do with his life. 2. What kind of tone does the following piece of literature have? A. Longing and Regretful B. Frustrated and Defiant C. Thankful and Accepting D. Shameful and Confused. 3. What is the meaning of the word exulted in the second paragraph? B. Were disillusioned C. Were ashamed 4. How was the narrator’s grandfather a traitor? A. He was caught as a spy in the civil war. B. He had gone against his family’s traditions. C. He never fought for rights of his fellow black people. D. He was part of the Reformation Army. 5. In the first paragraph, why does the narrator say his was naive? A. He did know himself before this time. B. He was looking for himself in other people. C. He was born and raised where he was. D. He forgot his family’s past.

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The Benefits of Using Plant-Based Digestive Enzymes Digestive enzymes are naturally in your body. They are small proteins that help your body to process and break down the food you eat. The breakdown allows the nutrients in your food to absorb the good parts and get rid of the bad. There are people out there who, unfortunately, have a low count of proteins. This leads to the lack of absorption of minerals and nutrients. The solution is to take plant-based digestive enzymes in order to digest food smoothly. At The BioMat eStore, we offer enzyme supplements to help our customers live a healthier life. To learn more about the benefits of using plant-based enzymes, keep reading! Choosing Plant-Based Digestive Enzymes Over Animal-Based All digestive enzymes derive from either plant-based or animal-based sources. Animal-based enzymes are effective only part of the time, when a specific pH level is in range. The enzymes need an acidic environment to flourish, which is found in the stomach. Alternatively, plant-based enzymes act earlier, and no animals are harmed in the making! Aids in Lactose Intolerance Millions of Americans suffer from lactose intolerance, making it challenging for them to enjoy certain foods and drinks. Generally speaking, lactose has a hard time properly digesting, but digestive enzymes can help lactose intolerant individuals enjoy their favorite desserts without the frequent trips to the bathroom. Aids in Gluten Intolerance Wheat products are complicated on the digestive system, so it’s no wonder that millions of people face a gluten intolerance issue. A plant-based enzyme can help facilitate the digestive process, so that the substances can be broken down more steadily and completely. Aids in Food Allergies Allergies come in many shapes and sizes, but often, people endure food allergies. The reason for the allergy is simple: the body’s immune system detects a florigen substance and reacts, usually negatively. While it’s unwise to consume foods one is allergic to, plant-based protein enzymes can assist!

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The Factors behind the Accelerating Rivalry between the U.S., China, Russia, EU and Japan A Critique of the Left’s Analysis and an Outline of the Marxist Perspective List of Tables List of Figures Part 1: Features of Imperialism in the 21st Century Main Characteristics of an Imperialist respectively a Semi-Colonial State Is a Transition from Being One Type of State to Another Possible? “Sub-Imperialism” – A Useful Category? Production and Trade Monopolies and Billionaires Capital Export and Military Spending At the Onset of a New Cold War Tianxia – China’s Ideological Challenge Protectionism and Militarism The Imperialist Drive for Control of the South Rivalry between U.S. and China as the Main Axis of Inner-Imperialist Contradictions Excurse: The Law of Uneven and Combined Development Some Historical Examples about the Unevenness of the Great Powers before 1939 Globalization and Great Power Rivalry in the Period before World War One The “Fat” and the “Lean” Cows Part 2: Modern Revisionist Theories of Great Power Rivalry in Today’s World Is China a Unique Case of Capitalist Miracle? Russian Stalinists: Failure to Understand Imperialism in their own Country The Ultra-Stalinist CPGB-ML: “Anti -Imperialist” Russia and China? Capitalism is still not restored in Russia and China? Lenin’s Theory of Imperialism and its Stalinophile Falsification Russia’s and China’s Capital Export: Myth and Reality On the Character of China’s Foreign Investments State-Owned Corporations in China and Russia: Not Capitalist? The Role of Migration LIT: Is China Comparable with Brazil, India or Mexico? UIT: China is Super-Exploited by Imperialism? FT: Russia and China can not become Imperialist before a Major War? CWI: “Forgetting” about Russia’s or China’s Imperialist Character? IMT: A purely formal Recognition of Russia and China as Great Powers SWP: Theoretical Indifference Part 3: The Program of Revolutionary Defeatism against All Great Powers Population Growth and Long Upswings What are the Conditions for Long Upswings? An Element of Kautskyanism Internationalism and National Liberation On Aristocratism and the Labor Aristocracy The Contradictory Nature of Imperialism as the Objective Basis for Anti-Imperialism The Marxist Classics on the Combined Strategy “Small” and “Large” Imperialist Wars World War III and Revolution – A Contradiction in Itself? Marx and Engels in the Pre-Imperialist Epoch The Bolsheviks and the Russian-Japanese War 1904/05 The Full Elaboration of Lenin’s Defaitist Program in World War One 1914-17 Bolshevik Agitation against the War in Russia Trotsky continues the Revolutionary Struggle against Imperialist War For Working Class Independence – No Support for Any Great Power! The Struggle against Chauvinism Changes in Conditions and its Consequences The Moral Crisis in the Western Imperialist Countries The Issue of Sanctions of one Great Power against Another Global Trade War and Internationalist Tactics Wars between Great Powers respectively their Proxies Siding with the “Lesser” (Imperialist) Evil? The Poverty of Pacifism The Slogan of Disarmament International Courts of Arbitration and United Nations Imperialist Wars and Occupations of Semi-Colonial Countries Imperialist Non-Military Aggressions against Semi-Colonial Countries Oppression of National Minorities Tactics of Mass Struggle On Complex War Scenarios Part 4: The Failure of the Left in the Struggle against Imperialism General Introductory Remarks The Party of the European Left (PEL) Islamophobia is the new Anti-Semitism of the 21st century The Japanese Communist Party JCP: Advisor for an Alternative Strategy for Japanese Imperialism The Stalinist Alliance around the “International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties” “Defending the Sovereign Rights of Greece”: The Stalinist KKE as an Example of Bourgeois Social-Chauvinism Stalinism and Counterrevolution in Syria Russian Social-Imperialism: The KPRF, the RKRP and the OKP Stalinists Cheer Serbian Chauvinism against Kosovo Albanians The Ultra-Stalinist CPGB-ML: Loyal Cheerleaders of Russian and Chinese Imperialism Excurse: Some Observations on the “Pacifist” and the “Belligerent” Social-Imperialists Boris Kagarlitsky and Rabkor: Great Russian “Marxists” ready to fight for Moscow’s Interests “with Blood and Iron” The Pro-Russian/Chinese Pseudo-Trotskyists (PO/CRFI) The Spartacist sects and their defense of the Chinese “Deformed Workers State” What are the reasons for the misplaced “anti-imperialist” Appeal of Russia and China? Inverted Social-Imperialism as a Variation of Class-Collaboration What will Inverted Social-Imperialists do in Case of a Major War? CWI/IMT: Refusal to Defend Semi-Colonial Countries against Imperialism IMT Russia: No Support for “Chechen Separatism” Did Lenin “correct” his Program of Revolutionary Defeatism? The Russian Socialist Movement: Confused Eclecticists Part 5: The Task of Organizing the Anti-Imperialist Struggle Changes in the Conditions to Build a Revolutionary World Party Orientation to the New Militant Layers of the Working Class and Youth Reformism and Centrism as Obstacles

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An Adult Conversation About Article V & Nullification Nullification or Article V conventions? Contributed to TLB by: KrisAnne Hall, JD Article V Conventions and Nullification are NOT mutually exclusive, nor is one the magic pill for all of our federal problems. Each is a legitimate Constitutional solution, but each has a different aim and application. Each plan has its inherent dangers and there are legitimate concerns that should be considered and these dangers guarded against. They can be used together in the defense of Liberty as long as we understand each in its own context and consider the pitfalls involved. It must be noted that we are having this discussion because of the very fact that we have stepped so far out of the Constitutional boundaries given to this government that we are operating practically in a post-Constitutional America. At this point, it is unlikely that any solution will be perfect or without peril. Two different animals Article V Convention is a long term fix aimed at making corrections at the federal level. Nullification is an immediate defense at the state, local and individual level. Article V aims to make structural changes or further clarifications to the operations of the federal government and its relation to the states by amending the Constitution. Nullification aims to make no changes to the current Constitution, but is simply an assertion by the individual sovereign states and communities of the authority they already possess and a declaration of the limitations to federal power already defined by the Constitution. Article V convention in the current context seeks to fix what is assumed to be broken or lacking in the federal system and is to be used in the rarest of circumstances. Nullification, as intended by the framers, was to be a part of “republican maintenance,” whereby the central government was to be continually kept in check by its masters, the people through their states. Both have their merits and their dangers. Let us take a look at some concerns that the framers themselves noted. We should keep these things in mind so that we can work TOGETHER to defeat the common enemy…TYRANNY. Some of the challenges with Article V: WHO are the delegates and what is their motivation? According to James Madison in Federalist 49, one significant problem with conventions is – WHO will be the delegates? Madison discusses two options for choosing delegates: either through the Legislators or through popular vote of the people. In each case he believed there was cause for concern. In modern terms, when delegates are chosen by the legislators, what we could see are appointments based upon party loyalty, power or popularity rather than upon Constitutional expertise and dedication to Liberty principles. When the delegates are chosen by popular vote, typical election dynamics could determine the outcome. Voters would vote based upon party popularity and perhaps even a “lesser of two evils” and the same corrupt politicians would now be “fixing” the very problems they created. Madison framed the outcome this way, “The same influence which had gained them an election into the legislature, would gain them a seat in the convention… They would consequently be parties to the very question to be decided by them.” According to Madison, the real difficulty with delegates boils down to “motivation”. What will be the motivating force behind the delegates and their amendments? Madison recognized that the only reason we have our current Constitution is that the framers had just come from a bloody revolution that kept the delegates focused upon LIBERTY and that forced them to set aside their party politics and personal motivations and it was still no easy path: “We are to recollect that all the existing constitutions were formed in the midst of a danger which repressed the passions most unfriendly to order and concord; of an enthusiastic confidence of the people in their patriotic leaders, which stifled the ordinary diversity of opinions on great national questions; of a universal ardor for new and opposite forms, produced by a universal resentment and indignation against the antient government;” ~ James Madison Federalist 49 Madison seems to be telling us that without some overriding and unifying motivation, the convention would likely degrade into another Republican vs. Democrat drama. If we cannot get delegates that are properly constitutionally minded rather than driven by political gain and greed, this will never benefit us. WHEN will it be done? One practical difference between nullification and convention is the time each takes to implement. Any advocate of Article V must admit that this is a LONG TERM goal and not a quick fix. To call convention, choose delegates, agree on amendments, an Article V convention could take several years, possibly 5 to 10 years. Adding to the time frame is the Article V requirement of 3/4 ratification by the States. That means EVERY AMENDMENT must be agreed upon (debated), individually, by 3/4 of the States to ratify. During such a time frame, it would be prudent to use nullification to puts the brakes on at the state level until corrections (if truly needed) can be made at the federal level. What will be the scope and impact? Probably the most debated aspect is the notion of a “runaway convention.” Some say the ¾ ratification is a check on a runaway convention, that ¾ of the states would never go along with a total rewrite of the Constitution or the addition of harmful amendments. Of course, ¾ of the states DID ratify the very harmful 16th and 17th amendments. Tinkering with the foundation is always risky business. SO at the end of the day it may well come back to the main issue of the motivation, focus and education of the people and their delegates. What about the opposite of a runaway convention? What about a do-nothing convention? What if we do open-heart surgery on the Constitution for something as cosmetic as a balanced budget amendment?! First, Nullification is a constitutional solution not because it is enumerated per se, but because the Constitution is a contract (technically a compact) among the States that created the federal government. The States are the parties to the Constitutional Contract and the federal government is the PRODUCT of that contract. Inherent in EVERY contract is the right of the parties to that contract to control the product of the contract. The States are the representatives of the people in this contract and have a DUTY to keep the federal government within its constitutional boundaries and thus protecting the rights of the people. It is inherent in the very nature of the Constituion. Nullification is that act of the PEOPLE through their States to keep the federal government within in its “limited and defined” boundaries and should be as regularly carried out as an oil change in your car. Madison states this principle again in Federalist 49: “As the people are the only legitimate fountain of power, and it is from them that the constitutional charter, under which the several branches of government hold their power, is derived; it seems strictly consonant to the republican theory, to recur to the same original authority, not only whenever it may be necessary to enlarge, diminish, or new-model the powers of government; but also whenever any one of the departments may commit encroachments on the chartered authorities of the others.” This is not the forum for a full explanation of Nullification. If you are unfamiliar with this term or have in the past heard that it is not an option available to the States for a myriad of reasons, please take the time to read the FACTS about nullification before you give in to any one position. THIS LINK will get you started. Fear of Nullification The first problem with nullification is fear and lack of education. For some, nullification’s association (rightly or wrongly) with the Civil War and slavery (despite the fact that it was used to resist slavery) throws a veil of fear over the entire issue. So care must be taken not to add fuel to the fire of racial division because those who capitalize on such things will use it for their own design. Many mistruths and misconceptions regarding this Liberty solution must be overcome in order to even utilize this option. Retorts such as “the South lost the war,” “SCOTUS says no,” or “it’s the law of the land” are common among those ignorant of the concepts of State and local autonomy and nullification. Even as nullification happens all around us today with, States legalizing marijuana and same sex marriage; states denying the federal government power to enforce the indefinite detention provisions of NDAA 2012 and Obamacare; local and state governments refusing to enforce federal gun restrictions, some will still say that nullification is an obscure and outdated concept. With more than 100 years of distorted history, overcoming fear and lack of education surrounding Nullification is no easy task. Participation by the States: Whereas Article V requires 3/4 of the States to ratify any amendment, Nullification can be achieved on a State by State basis. However, many states that would at first glance be thought to be inclined to resist federal encroachment are often controlled by “federal supremacists,” those who believe that the federal government is superior to the states. Many state legislators do not understand the true nature of the states’ relationship to the federal government and they understand the states’ right and duty to interposition even less. Federal Enforcement of Unconstitutional Acts One more roadblock to nullification is the acquiescence to federal bullying and bribery. The dirty little secret is that the feds generally do not have the resources to enforce most of its dictates; it must co-opt state and local resources. This is done primarily through bullying and legalized bribery. The feds use state EPA, state DOE, state and local law enforcement elements to enforce its demands. In most cases the state and local entities comply. Without such compliance the federal dictates would be ineffective and in most cases unenforceable. The most obvious attempt at forced compliance will be through the withholding of federal funds. Any State who intends to maintain their supremacy over the federal government will have to be able to become self-sufficient in the face of federal funding withdrawal and brave leaders will have to be willing to call the bully’s bluff. In an arena where it’s all about the money and in a political system where politicians climb the ladder of power by giving and receiving favors this is also a significant obstacle. Sometimes opponents of nullification characterize the concept as “ignoring laws you don’t like.” The question at issue in nullification is not whether we like the law or not, the question is whether the law is constitutional or not. A possible danger is that states may wish to “nullify” inherent natural rights, such as those protected in the bill of rights from the abuse of the federal government. When such tyranny arises on the state level, the citizens must be ready to resist this tyranny as well, or else choose to live as slaves. The REAL Solution lies within the operation of BOTH methods! What Article V conventions cannot do to stop tyranny now, nullification can if successfully implemented accomplish with near immediate effect. Where Nullification ends, Article V provides a long term solution to strengthening the restraints on the federal government, if done by the right people for the right reasons in the right way. If we DO NOT engage in Nullification now, we will never survive as a republic long enough for the Article V Convention to have any hopes. If we just engage in Nullification and do not follow through with shoring up the established boundaries, I believe we will dissolve into individual sovereign States and the Republic will die. We will not succeed if we are so caught up in our own causes that we have to defeat everyone else’s. That is egocentric and immature. Truth be told, we will not succeed without all the efforts of all the people working together in the defense of Liberty. We need nullification daily to maintain the Republic, yet if we continue to allow the foundation to erode, we may indeed need a convention to right the ship. So let’s approach the defense of Liberty like grown-ups. Let’s work together instead of trying to punch each other in the eye to elevate ourselves. I have confidence that when all is said and done, our future will look back and say, “Coming up with a new and better form of government was nearly impossible. The original Constitution itself was not the problem; it was the ignorance of the people that lived under it.” If you want more detailed information about this discussion go to my book Sovereign Duty! Also available thru many online book store The above re-published article An Adult Conversation About Article V & Nullification was contributed to The Liberty Beacon Project by author KrisAnne Hall and was originally published on KrisAnne’s website KrisAnneHall.com. It is hard to deny that our public schools do more indoctrinating than educating. Let us help you protect their future with the proper education to counter what they are being forced to learn. If we fail in this endeavor, all the progress we make will be for nothing, the enemy will have their victory […] Get Informed – Get Equipped – Get Inspired Because “Liberty must be defended at all hazards.” John Adams If you would like a better understanding of how our Constitution created our federal judiciary, our online educational program called Liberty First University, will give you that understanding free from historical revision and political propaganda. They have both online courses on the judiciary and DVDS available for in home, church, and group meetings. You can find out more by clicking on the image below. Check out The KrisAnne Hall Show by clicking on the link below: Stay tuned to … The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB) Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning. Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner. Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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Death of a child while under care of psychiatric hospital personnel reeks of the barbarism common when the lunatic asylums of the 19th and 18th centuries flourished in Europe. Yet the use of deadly restraint involving children in psychiatric asylums is ongoing. Criminal behavior on the part of asylum personnel has not only gone largely unreported, but unprosecuted as well. Charles G. Curie, the administrator of SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in 2001-2006 had the eventual elimination of both restraints and seclusion in psychiatric hospitals his main priority. In his words: “Seclusion and restraint – with their inherent physical force, chemical or physical bodily immobilization and isolation – do not alleviate human suffering. They do not change behavior. And they do not help people with serious mental illness better manage the thoughts and emotions that can trigger behaviors that can injure them or others. Seclusion and restraint are safety measures of last resort. They can serve to retraumatize people who already have had far too much trauma in their lives. It is my hope that we can create a single, unified policy – a set of primary principles that will govern how the Federal Government approaches the issue of seclusion and restraint for people with mental and addictive disorders.” Death from Restraints Not surprisingly, the Psychiatric Times voiced this opinion, “Most experts in the emergency field believe, however, that there is an essential role for these procedures in the care of patients in the acute care setting.” However, studies have proven that restraint can bring about death from a variety of physiological reactions. They include: - Asphyxiation – This is the most common cause of death during restraint. If the body’s position interferes with breathing, asphyxiation can result. This is most common when restrained patients are placed in a prone position. A patient under the influence of psychotropic drugs is even more vulnerable to asphyxiation. - Aspiration – Restraining someone in a supine (on their back) position, especially when that person has a lower level of consciousness due to psychiatric drugging, can result in aspiration, as the patient is unable to protect his airway. - Emotional Extremes – A person under restraint may release body chemicals that sensitize the heart, producing rhythm disturbances that can result in sudden death. Young Girl Dies under Restraint As a child, Edith Campos was shy and well-behaved. But when she entered her teen years, she started to hang out with the wrong crowd and began taking drugs. Her family, possibly lured by the PR generated by the Desert Hills psychiatric center in Tucson, Arizona sent her there for help. When she arrived at the facility she was frightened, and clutched a comforting photograph of her family. But photos were not allowed at the facility, and a 200 pound mental health aide insisted on following the rules. Edith resisted. And for this, she was crushed face down on the floor in a “therapeutic hold.” Edith Campos didn’t have a chance. She was killed by a man almost twice her size. Kirke Cooper, director of business development for Desert Hills defended the brutality of the staff member who murdered Edith. He states “It was a tragedy that this girl died in our care. But I don’t feel there was any wrongdoing on the part of our staff. They are all well-trained in physical control and seclusion.” One wonders what planet Mr. Cooper is from, but generally here on Earth we don’t call murdering a petite teenage girl the result of the perpetrator being “well-trained.” Mental Health Care Workers Blow the Whistle on Restraints Psychologist Wesley Crenshaw has conducted a national survey on restraint use. He states “I can’t understand why patients don’t die more often with all the things that happen on a daily basis. You have people who are `cowboying’ it. People who really want to get in there and show they’re the boss.” Wanda Morh, who directs psychiatric mental health nursing at University of Pennsylvania has stated “You can’t believe how many times a kid gets slammed into restraints because an argument will ensue after calling a staff member a name.” Seemingly, the early barbarism rampant in Victorian mad houses is alive and well in psychiatric facilities here and abroad. We as parents and grandparents must keep our children safe and out of the hands of the psychiatric industry. Family tragedies can be avoided only when one’s faith is no longer placed in the bloodied hands of those professing to help. Read more great, pertinent articles here: http://www.cchrflorida.org/articles/

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The Peterloo bicentenary weekend commemorations may be over, but if you missed them and want to know more about Peterloo, and its relevance to today, then Disrupt, Peterloo and Protest at the People’s History Museum is for you. With the current plans for prorogation of parliament, causing a crisis in our democracy, the exhibitions theme of ongoing struggle for democratic reform are particularly compelling. The exhibition includes original Peterloo artefacts displayed side by side for the first time, and a short film commissioned for the exhibition brings the story of Peterloo to life. On 16 August 1819, over 60,000 people gathered peacefully in St Peter’s Field, Manchester, to protest for rights and representation. They came from all over Lancashire, dressed in their best Sunday clothes, marching in disciplined columns behind banners and flags to hear speeches calling for parliamentary reform. For the vast majority of the working classes, things were going from bad to worse. Economic conditions were worsening in the midst of the post-Napoleonic depression. Unemployment was chronic and hunger was rife, exacerbated by the Corn Laws which enhanced the profits of land owners at the expense of higher food prices for everyone else. The working class had no representatives in parliament to fight their cause. Only 2% of the population (and no women) had the vote. Manchester, a city with around 100,000 people, did not return a single MP to Parliament. On the day the protestors gathered on St Peter’s Field, yeomanry cavalry were ordered by the local magistrates to arrest speakers at the event such as Henry Hunt. But they did not confine themselves to seizing Hunt, they charged the crowds with sabres drawn making a deliberate attack on the protestors themselves. Eighteen died on St Peter’s Fields that day, with a further 654 casualties. One of the first things you see upon entering the exhibition is an extremely provocative drawing called Universal Suffrage, printed in July 1819. It depicts ‘Revolution’, a many-headed monster, with fanged jaws and breathing fire, standing menacingly on top of a pile of cherished British institutions – a sceptre and crown representing monarchy; the scales of Justice and Magna Carta; a plough; a palette and brushes; and two British flags. “An Allegory to demonstrate the fatal consequences of ‘Radical Reform’ in plain English Revolution,” warns its caption. The drawing shows us what the Peterloo protestors were up against. Warning of the dangers of giving the masses too much power over their lives, it perfectly encapsulates the ideology of authority at the time; of the political establishment’s dread of universal suffrage, their fear of the spectre of ‘mob rule’. Above all, it provides an explanation of the authorities’ motivation to mow down the Peterloo protestors: radical reform with widespread public support has created a monster that threatens to destroy the status quo and must be met with force. The exhibition succeeds in framing the protest as a brave act against the odds, while capturing the hostile environment created by a political establishment resistant to democratic reform. In the event’s wake, the UK Parliament passed the Six Acts, a draconian set of measures designed to outlaw freedoms of speech and assembly. Resistance was widespread and many flouted the Six Acts to express their outrage in print. In ironic reference to the military triumph of Waterloo four years earlier, the Manchester Observer dubbed the event ‘Peter Loo’. Most famously, the massacre prompted Percy Bysshe Shelley’s The Masque of Anarchy, where he urges the working classes to rise up against injustice: Rise like lions after slumber In unvanquishable number— Shake your chains to earth like dew Which in sleep had fallen on you— Ye are many—they are few. In ironic allusion to the infamous acts passed in Peterloo’s wake, The Six Acts to Reboot Democracy campaign aims to harness the widespread disillusionment of our political system in society today in order to address its issues. It is designed to crowdsource ideas for rethinking democracy, and their website is still open to submissions for ideas to reform democracy. The legacy of Peterloo has been contested for centuries, conservatives contend that it was practically non-existent. Peterloo was a tragedy, they claim, but it was not a turning point in our history. England’s ‘successes’ were engineered in the centres of privileged elites, far removed from the people. A Times editorial just last week concluded that Peterloo “had no wider historical significance and did not change Britain”. David Finkelstein wrote last year, “Britain’s modern history was shaped in factories and parliament… not on the street.” The implication of this reading of Peterloo is that Britain’s political elites granted us our rights out of generosity, in the absence of any popular struggle. This could not be further from the truth. Peterloo saw people articulating a new vocabulary of rights for individuals, handed down from the French Revolution in 1789. The ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity which emerged from it did not create revolution in England. But the English working classes clearly articulated the language of the French Revolution to critique the political system under which they were living. The only known surviving banner from Peterloo, currently held in Touchstone’s Museum in Rochdale, is embossed with the words “Liberty and Fraternity.” The evidence points to the fact that the Peterloo Reformers died promoting the idea that parliament should respect the rights of the individual and represent the people, not vested interests. The People’s History Museum Peterloo exhibition therefore teaches us that the concept of political rights of the individual were as much a creation of the grassroots as it was of those in positions of power. By occupying public spaces, the working classes demanded radical reform to engineer liberty. Michael Powell, Programme & Learning Officer at the People’s History Museum, emphasised this point to me when I asked him about the exhibition. Peterloo, he said, showed people that they could play “a leading role in shaping and setting the national conversation on the fight for equality.” Under-examining dissent and disruption has potentially disastrous consequences for public consciousness. The absence of a counter-narrative of protest allows for establishment apologetics; the notion that our freedoms and rights have been granted out of the kindness of those who govern us. It is important to remember that many before us sacrificed so much for us to have rights and freedoms. “Power concedes nothing without a demand,” the African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass famously pronounced. “It never did and it never will.” Dissent and protest from the bottom up are necessary preconditions for democratic freedoms. British democracy today is facing serious challenges, and doubts as to whether our parliament really represents the interests of people who voted them in. Theory dictates that legitimacy in a democracy comes from the people, and yet our new Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been elected by less than 0.01% of the population. Johnson wishes to implement no deal Brexit, a policy which was never a proposition during the Brexit referendum campaign; and plans to suspend parliament, by prorogation, to get his way. He also says he will refuse to quit if he lost a no-confidence vote. Johnson’s plans have been widely condemned as “anti-democratic”, and were the cause of mass demonstrations against Johnson across the country last weekend. His appointment of the most right-wing cabinet ever (with four of the five authors of Britannia Unchained, a paean to deregulatory libertarianism, now in cabinet) signals to us that our rights to consumer protection are secondary to the interests of big business. Individual’s rights are subordinated to vested interests. There are also structural issues at play too in popular disenfranchisement. With the House of Lords and our electoral system remaining unreformed and not fit for the 21st century. Despite the many reforms that have been made to our democracy, inspired by the actions of protestors at Peterloo, recent events around Brexit have highlighted the fact that we have a long way to go still to get a truly representative democracy. The PHM Peterloo exhibition accommodates this ongoing struggle for reform by including a Protest Lab, a creative space which individuals, communities and organisations can use to develop and share their ideas for collective action. With politics Professor Paul Whiteley describing the UK as a “flawed democracy”, and even the mainstream Economist saying that our political system is broken, it appears parliament is deaf to the demands of large sections of the British public, just as the elites in parliament were two hundred years ago. Disrupt? Peterloo and Protest, at the People’s History Museum is on till Sunday 23 February 2020, 10.00am – 5.00p. The museum is free to enter with suggested donation of £5 Feature image: Wikipedia

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- 9 Months ago Oranges are among the world's most popular fruits. Oranges are bright orange in color, tangy (sometimes sweet, sometimes sour) in taste and is easily available in the market. It is a popular fruit because of their natural sweetness, wide variety of types and diversity of uses, from juices and marmalades to face masks and candied orange slices. This juicy citrus fruit is packed with loads of vitamin C, phytochemicals and flavonoids. It is your way to stronger immune system! Nutritional Value Of Orange Low in calories but, rich in vitamin C, it is a good source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), thiamine and folate as well. Having these nutrients makes it a rich source of anti-oxidants! It is fibrous, gives satiety and comes as a handy snack. Nutritional Value (Per 100 gm) - Energy - 38 kcal - Carbohydrates – 7.9 gm - Fat - 0.13 gm - Protein - 0.7 gm - Fiber – 1.3 gm - Potassium - 164 mg - Vitamin A - 1581 IU - Vitamin C – 42.7 mg Benefits Of Orange - Oranges are low in calories while high in vitamin C and fiber. Eating whole fruit not only results in less hunger and calorie intake but also increased feelings of fullness. - Oranges have both soluble and insoluble fiber that helps in keeping intestines and stomach functioning smooth, preventing irritable bowel syndrome and treat constipation to a greater extent. - Fiber and natural fruit sugar present in oranges help in keeping blood sugar levels under control, thus, making oranges a healthy snack for people with diabetes. - Oranges have cholesterol lowering effect due to presence of flavonoids. - Being a good source of magnesium, it helps keep blood pressure under control. - Oranges, being rich in Vitamins B6, helps support the production of hemoglobin in the body, thus, prevents anemia. - Oranges are beneficial for a healthy immune system, is good for preventing colds and recurrent ear infections. - Oranges, being an excellent source of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer as it helps to get of free radicals that cause damage to the cells in our body. - Oranges are a rich source of carotenoid. Vitamin A present in them plays an important role in keeping the mucus membranes in the eyes healthy, prevents age-related muscular degeneration and helps eyes to absorb the light. - The antioxidant vitamin C present in orange, when eaten in its natural form or applied topically, can help fight skin damage caused by the sun and pollution, reduce wrinkles and improve overall skin texture. - Oranges also have healing properties that are associated with compounds known as phytonutrients. Myths About Orange Myth: Oranges should be avoided (as they are sour in taste) if one has cold and cough. Fact: Oranges are a rich source of vitamin C, which is an immune booster. This fruit can actually help in fighting against infections and so can/should be eaten if one has cold and cough. Myth: Eating orange will lead to muscle soreness in athletes. Fact: Orange is a good source of potassium. Potassium is known to play a role in relieving muscle cramps and/or soreness. So, oranges can actually be beneficial for athletes. Tips To Include Orange In The Diet - An orange in between meals makes a very healthy snack. - Add small pieces of oranges to your salad to give a tangy taste. - A glass of fresh orange juice (without sugar) is a good option, sometimes, instead of going for sodas. - A variety of mock tails can be prepared using orange juice. - Orange pieces can be added to desserts like cakes, pastries, muffins, pie, smoothie, etc. - Orange peel can be grated and used in dishes like vegetable stew or salads. - Orange can be used to prepare jams, marmalade and jellies.

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Determining the dimensional accuracy / shrinkage ratio of a printer requires a large object that prints fast. Here is a thin 200mm test strip with hexagon ends. This avoids errors that might be introduced by over / under extrusion on a 20mm calibration cube. I should credit Thomas Sanladerer with the idea. He makes calibration sticks in various sizes, however, he uses round holes, and is somewhat more pessimistic about the accuracy of consumer 3d printers. https://www.youmagine.com/designs/calibration-sticks Simply print a strip, let it cool, and measure from the pointy parts of the hole. It should measure 200mm exactly. Turn the strip to align with the Y axis in your slicer software and repeat. The math isn't that hard. If you ask for 200mm and it prints smaller, like 190mm, you will want to increase the size of the print or the steps per mm setting. Simply create a ratio > 1, like (200 / 190). - If it measures long, like 210mm, then you want to shrink the print or steps per mm, so that would be a ratio < 1, like (200 / 210). Then multiply the current setting by your ratio (making it larger or smaller as desired) to get the new setting. In Cura 4.3.0 the Shrinkage Ratio seems to have been "locked" in the FLSun QQ-S Profile. Don't know if that's a repetier thing or a delta thing or what. If dimensions are critical to the print, you can still "Scale" each axis of a model upon preparation.

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When seeking a solution to pest birds a humane approach should always be the first port of call. Culling birds is always seen as the last option when all other alternatives have been exhausted and there is a real threat to health. So how exactly do humane bird control methods work? The basic idea is that bird control solutions make an area inhospitable to birds so that they no longer return there to roost. Deterring pest birds from nesting Spikes are particularly effective in doing this. Importantly they are also fairly unobtrusive and can be adapted to a many different aspects of a building. When you consider the parts of a building that birds might choose to make their homes, accessibility is important for the chosen bird control solution. Aerials, chimneys, underneath gutters, window sills, rooftop corners and crevices are all prime targets for birds looking for a place to make their home. Small enough to be used in these areas but prominent enough to deter birds, spikes are an essential piece of kit in deterring birds from nesting. The metal spikes are attached to a plastic base and are either glued or screwed into place. They work by making it difficult for birds to land in a particular area thereby deterring them from making their nest – or returning to a former roosting site. Importantly, the spikes do not harm the birds and as such are seen as a highly efficient form of bird control. By being a permanent solution, spikes not only deal with a present bird control problem but will act as a bird deterrent in the future to prevent more birds from attempting to make their home at the property. While dealing with pest birds it is important to protect your property and the health of the people who live or work there, so is doing this in the most humane way possible. Spikes are an effective way to deal with pest birds without causing unnecessary harm. They get the humane seal of approval. If you have a problem with pest birds at your property get in touch with Total Bird Control to talk about a suitable preventative solution.

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Diving is an underwater recreational activity undertaken for leisure and enjoyment. Diving is an activity which requires use of different equipment for protection and hustle free diving. There are various products included in the diving equipment such as rebreather or regulator which absorbs the carbon dioxide of a user's exhaled breath and helps to rebreathe; cylinders and propulsion vehicle which helps to dive faster underwater; decompression chamber, which holds the internal pressure with the help of control the pressurized gas system and supply breathing gas to diver; exposure suits, which comes in two types: dry suit for commercial application and wet suit that protects the diver from water; and accessories such as headset/hood (headgear), watch, torch, knife, and others. The number of underwater projects in coastal areas is increasing for leisure and recreational activity. More and more consumers are opting for diving as their preferred recreational activity during their holiday. Underwater hotels, restaurants, and aquariums are the latest trend. These projects will boost the diving equipment market. Increasing coastal tourism across the globe has given an opportunity to manufacturers to boost their sales and supply the equipment to cater to the demand of consumers. Staying in a marine hotel, built underwater, to experience something new especially during winter is a growing trend among tourists. According to Sports and Fitness Industry Association, there were 6 million scuba divers globally and this number is set to increase. Increasing population across the globe has resulted in the increased production of petrol and crude oil products. Oil and gas refiners are using diving equipment for their employees who work in the production process. Exploration and production of oil and gas is done by offshore diving and this will result in the growth of the diving equipment market. Navy is an important branch of a country’s armed forces and protects the country’s shores. Joint navy operations between two countries involve machinery and diving equipment. Naval military exercise help to strengthen the navy and will increase the usage of diving equipment. Manufacturers are innovating their products and introducing water proof digital gadgets for consumers such as dive computers, watches, and cameras to make diving smooth. There are some restraints of diving equipment which can affect the demand for the product. Diving underwater can lead to injuries and health issues such as drowning, and bites and stings from various marine life, apart from sunburn and heat disorders, cuts and bruises, motion sickness etc. Diving without a professional instructor or supervision can even lead to the possibility of death. Designing of diving equipment is costly and it may refrain manufacturers from product development. Such restraints and disadvantage can impact the growth of the diving equipment market. The global diving equipment market can be segmented based on product type, application, depth, and region. Based on product type, the diving equipment market can be classified into rebreather, cylinder and propulsion vehicle, exposure suit, decompression chamber, and accessories. Based on application, the diving equipment market can be segmented into defense, commercial, and civil. Based on depth, the global diving equipment market can be classified into recreational diving, clearance diving, and saturation diving. Based on region, the diving equipment market can be divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America. Some of the key players in the global diving equipment market are Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), Divex Ltd (U.K.), Aqua-Lung America Inc. (U.S.), Submarine Manufacturing & Products Ltd (U.K), Henderson Sport Group (U.S.), American Underwater Products, Inc. (U.S.), Johnson Outdoors Inc. (U.S.), Mares S.p.A (Italy), Mersen SA (Italy), and Cressi Sub S.p.A (Italy). The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications. The study is a source of reliable data on: - Market segments and sub-segments - Market trends and dynamics - Supply and demand - Market size - Current trends/opportunities/challenges - Competitive landscape - Technological breakthroughs - Value chain and stakeholder analysis The regional analysis covers: - North America (U.S. and Canada) - Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others) - Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) - Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia) - Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand) - Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa) The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industry’s value chain. A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period. Highlights of the report: - A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market - Important changes in market dynamics - Market segmentation up to the second or third level - Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume - Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments - Market shares and strategies of key players - Emerging niche segments and regional markets - An objective assessment of the trajectory of the market - Recommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the market Note: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMR’s reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.

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Most of us have heard the saying: The optimist sees the glass half full, while the pessimist sees it half-empty. In its simplest terms, positive thinking is optimism and negative thinking is pessimism. It is an attitude towards life, yourself and particular predicaments and events in life. Positive thinkers quickly zone in on the positive side of even the darkest moments in their lives, and often see those predicaments as opportunities for growth and learning. Positive thinkers are resilient and able to deal with stressful situations in productive ways. "Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine."- Anthony J. D'Angelo Becoming a positive thinker is not necessarily something that will happen overnight. Depending on the severity of the negativity, it can take time to make appropriate changes. The practice of positive thinking, and making it a character trait rather than a one-time thing, takes effort, patience, and time. If optimism is not natural to you, there are ways to turn it around. Work towards combating the negativity you identified and maintaining an optimistic nature and use these steps as tools in the process. 7 Steps To A Positive Attitude 1. Say something positive whenever you think something negative. The tricky part about this is catching each negative thought as is happens. As much as possible, stop the negative thought as it happens and say something constructive to yourself, such as "today is going to be great." Positive affirmations can be recited daily to reprogram the mind of negative thinking. There is a positive opposite for virtually everything negative... "The weather is too hot." versus "The sun feels good on my skin." "People at work are annoying." versus "It's great to a have a team to help with the workload." "I look fat in that dress." versus "I look awesome in that dress." "I screwed up again." versus "I made a mistake that I will learn from." "I should be graduating at the top of my class." versus "I am so proud that I am graduating." "All this snow is a hassle; it makes life harder and creates more work." versus "The snow left my backyard looking like a scene from a postcard." "My husband cooked dinner for me, but it was only pasta." versus "I so appreciate my husband cooking dinner for me." "I worked hard all day but did not get nearly enough done." versus "Wow, what a productive day I had at work." 2. Laugh often. Negative thinkers tend to be very uptight, and it's no wonder considering the heavy burden they often carry and the lack of positivity in their life. Allow yourself to laugh and often. Seek out scenarios where you laugh, like hanging out with funny people or visiting comedy clubs. Learn to see the humor in life, even during painful times. Laughter reduces stress, stops you from taking everything too seriously, and yields a more optimistic outlook. 3. Surround yourself with positive people. Negativity breeds more negativity. A positive attitude is contagious, and the best way to adopt such a thought process is to learn first-hand from a master. Having positive people in your life will allow you to view first-hand what it looks like, and positive people will give you uplifting advice, feed a positive outlook and problem solving suggestions, as opposed to negative people who will only want to sink in the muck with you and feed your negativity. 4. View every experience as a learning opportunity. Consider this scenario. A positive thinker finds out that their significant other has cheated. They break off the relationship, evaluate what went wrong, and attempt to learn from the situation, viewing it as a growing experience and a stepping-stone to a brighter future with someone else. Their process is a positive one that will include pain, and anger, but the way the positive thinker deals with it is constructive. The optimist knows that not everyone is a liar or a cheater, and that they can and will meet someone honest. A negative thinker founds out that their significant other has been unfaithful and thinks thoughts like, "all men/women are liars and cheats;" I hate them all." They will dwell in the misery, and pain, and not view the experience as a learning process. They may become consumed by anger and hatred and generalize the entire opposite sex as evil, and eventually they may fall into a state of depression and experience anxiety and other ill health effects. Their next relationship may inevitably suffer, as their general distrust of the opposite sex will surely affect intimacy. The positive thinker's resiliency and attitude allows them to grow through the painful experience, come out better for it on the other side, and avoid possible health manifestations that can result from negativity and its stress. The negative thinker's own attitude will result in them missing an opportunity to grow, and the stress that attitude puts on their emotional and mental health will only harm them in the long run. 5. Adopt practices such as yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, tai chi and deep relaxation. These practices help you to focus your mind, build self-awareness, and obtain a deep peace. They also help you to maintain awareness about your thoughts and feelings, which helps you to control them so that you can build more positive energy in your mind and body. 6. Use positive affirmations. Our own inner dialogue determines our emotions, this means that we must be deliberate and conscious about what we say to ourselves. Speak positive affirmations to yourself every day, as they can help re-program your mind towards the positive mode and control your inner dialog. Our mind is a garden and our attitudes are the seeds of its life, so plant healthy and weed regularly! Always repeat positive affirmations phrased in the present and personal tense, for example: "I like myself!" "I love today!" "I love my life!" "I see the positive in everything!" "I can deal with anything!" "I am strong!" "I am optimistic!" "I enjoy being around positive people!" "I am aware of my thoughts" And my favourite of all - "You are stronger than you seem, braver than you believe and far more capable than you think you are." 7. Practice Gratitude. There are multiple methods to transform your negative feelings. One of the fastest and highly effective ways is to harvest feelings of thankfulness and appreciation directed towards: • Other people in your life • Material things • Your life circumstances • And even strangers Practice starting your day by focusing on being grateful, and bring to mind several specific things. This will help you move your mind towards positive thinking and positive energy vibrations. There is nothing stopping you from achieving a more positive state of mind other than yourself. Start by acknowledging your negative thoughts, determining their source, and then transforming them into positivity. You can find more tips, strategies and techniques to help boost your energy and relieve stress with the FREE Boost Your Energy Starting Now Kit at http://www.joseesmith.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9388784

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An antenna can be used as both transmitting antenna and receiving antenna. While using so, we may come across a question whether the properties of the antenna might change as its operating mode is changed. Fortunately, we need not worry about that. The properties of antenna being unchangeable is called as the property of reciprocity. The properties of transmitting and receiving antenna that exhibit the reciprocity are − Let us see how these are implemented. The radiation pattern of transmitting antenna1, which transmits to the receiving antenna2 is equal to the radiation pattern of antenna2, if it transmits and antenna1 receives the signal. Directivity is same for both transmitting and receiving antennas, if the value of directivity is same for both the cases i.e. the directivities are same whether calculated from transmitting antenna’s power or receiving antenna’s power. The value of maximum effective aperture is same for both transmitting and receiving antennas. Equality in the lengths of both transmitting and receiving antennas is maintained according to the value of the wavelength. The output impedance of a transmitting antenna and the input impedance of a receiving antenna are equal in an effective communication. These properties will not change though the same antenna is operated as a transmitter or as a receiver. Hence, the property of reciprocity is followed.

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- How do you know when an infant is happy and healthy? Every infant and child is different, with different personalities, and different temperaments. However, to be happy and healthy, all babies need to feel safe and secure – that their caregiver is “tuned into them”, will play and interact with them when they are happy, and will reassure them or meet their needs when they aren’t feeling well. Here are a few cues to look for at different ages to tell you that your infant is happy and healthy: - Newborns: turning to your face or the sound of your voice - 0-3 months: relaxing in your arms or snuggling in close when held - 3-6 months: smiling and laughing spontaneously - 6-9 months: babbling, getting excited to see you - 9-15 months: checking in with you, looking to you for reassurance or even crying when strangers enter their personal space (“stranger anxiety”) - What is too much crying? All babies cry – routinely up the 3-4hrs every day! Babies cry for lots of reasons: while crying is the main way babies tell us that they are hungry or uncomfortable, babies also cry to get rid of extra energy, or to shut out light or noise that they find overwhelming. As your baby grows, she will develop different-sounding cries for “I’m hungry” vs “leave me alone” vs “I’m uncomfortable” vs “I want to snuggle”. If your baby is crying, make sure she’s warm, clean, dry, and fed, then try to console her by rocking, singing, swaddling, or burping her. If all else fails or you find yourself getting frustrated, put you baby down on her back in her bassinet or crib and let her cry on her own for a little while. If your baby is crying and nothing you try settles her down, she might be telling you that she is sick or has an infection. Check her temperature – if it is over 100.4 F, call your pediatrician. - When do babies start to talk, crawl and walk? One of the most exciting things about being a parent is watching your child learn and grow. While every child is different, there are some predictable ages at which, on average, most children should show you a new skill (developmental milestone). You and your pediatrician will be paying attention to your child’s development and will decide if things are happening on-time or if they are delayed. Be sure to let your pediatrician know if you have any concerns about when or how your child meets her milestones. Talking: Babies start communicating with us from the moment they are born. They start by watching our faces for non-verbal cues and by listening to the sounds and tone of our voices and the words we use. Most babies will start cooing and laughing by 2-3 months. Next, you might hear your baby by “jargoning” or “babbling” where they will express the tones and inflections of speech without words that we adults recognize. Most babies will start experimenting with consonant sounds (like ba-ba-ba or da-da-da) between 7 and 10 months of age, and most children with have a few words (commonly, “mama”, “dada”, plus one additional word) by their first birthday. Walking: To walk, your baby has to develop the strength and coordination to pull to stand, balance on two feet, and then keep that balance while moving. On average, babies will start “cruising” (pulling to stand and walking along furniture for support) by about 9 months, and will start walking on their own around their first birthday. Crawling: Believe it or not, crawling is not actually a developmental milestone! While many babies will learn to crawl before they learn to pull to stand or cruise, some never do! They may get around by rolling, or scooting on their back or bottom, or they may skip crawling altogether in favor of two-footed locomotion. - What's the difference between breast milk and formula? Choosing how to feed your newborn can seem overwhelming. Breastmilk and breastfeeding have many benefits for infants, and is recommended by pediatricians for most babies. However, your personal preferences, changes in caregivers, or your infant’s particular needs might prompt formula or bottle feeding. Either way, in the first 6 months of life your infant’s main source of nutrition and fluid will come from the breastmilk or formula they drink. Both contain the mix of sugar, fat, electrolytes and protein your infant needs to stay well hydrated and to grow. While formula manufacturers have worked hard to find the right balance of nutrients, only breastmilk contains immunoglobulins – proteins that help protect your infant from infections. Most formulas are cow’s milk-based - compared to regular cow’s milk, infant formulas have specially-processed the protein, fat, and sugars (lactose) in the milk to better approximate the composition of human breastmilk. Formulas also contain extra iron to prevent anemia. Some families choose soy-based formulas instead – sometimes because they wish their child to consume a vegetarian diet. Some babies with allergies need a hydrolyzed (hypoallergenic) formula, while some babies who have particular medical conditions that require a specialized formula. If you chose to bottle-feed, your pediatrician can help you pick which is the right formula for your baby. - How do I know my baby is eating healthily? As a newborn and young infant (through 6 months of age), the only nourishment your baby needs is breastmilk or formula. Infants shouldn’t drink plain water until they are at least 6 months old. If you choose to give your baby juice, wait until she is at least 6-9 months old, and then limit juice to no more than 4oz per day. Signs of feeding problems in young infants under the age of 6 months include: - Too much feeding – taking more than 6 oz per bottle-feed, vomiting most or all food after a feeding, or having very loose or watery stools - Too little feeding – nursing less than 10 minutes per feed, wetting fewer than 4 diapers per day, having very hard or very rare stools, or always seems hungry - Allergy –vomiting most food immediately after a feed, more than 8 watery stools per day or blood in stools, or bad skin rashes Talk with your pediatrician if you have any concerns about how or what your baby eats. - When should babies start eating food? To eat solid food, you baby needs to master the following skills: - She needs to be able to hold her head steady while sitting upright (in a high chair or on her own) – most babies will achieve this between 4 and 6 months of age. - She needs to be big enough to take solid food – this usually occurs when baby is ~13lbs or has doubled her birthweight. - She needs to be interested in food – a baby who is excited about food will watch you closely and open her mouth wide if she sees food headed her way. - Is it normal for toddlers to hit, scream and bite? How should they be disciplined? There are three things parents need to remember about toddlers: (1) Toddlers have very little self-control. (2) Toddlers often act out when they are tired, frustrated, or just want your attention. (3) Toddlers are excellent mimics, looking to adults around them to show them how to respond to situations where they are angry or frustrated. An adult who strikes out or screams when angry tells a toddler that it is ok to hit and scream rather than use words to express their upset. Therefore, the best intervention is prevention: everyone who cares for your child should be a good role model, and they should agree to and enforce the same rules that you do. The key is to remember that toddlers cannot be reasoned with, but learn by getting attention from you for a behavior – this is called reinforcement. There are two kinds of reinforcement: positive reinforcement is praise and attention for wanted behavior. Therefore, be sure to “catch your toddler being good”, and be sure to praise your toddler when he uses his words to express frustration rather than screaming, biting, or hitting. Negative reinforcement occurs when you give attention to bad behaviors: this might including bribing or negotiating with your child to get them to stop a behavior, or getting upset or angry yourself when your toddler is misbehaving. So, what should you do if your toddler breaks an important rule, or acts out by hitting or biting? First, reprimand the child immediately with a firm but calm voice so that he knows what he did wrong. Next, try a time out, especially for “dangerous” behaviors like biting and hitting – time-out removes your child from his bad behavior and gives him a chance to cool off. Usually 1 minute time-out for each year of age is sufficient. Time out should be boring, with minimal interaction and eye contact, and should end while your child is still calm, quiet and still (that is, before he starts acting out again!). If your child seems unusually aggressive, if you are worried about safety, or if you can’t cope on your own, talk to your pediatrician – She can help you sort out other strategies or supports to help your toddler learn to handle their frustration. - Does my toddler need to play with others? The short answer to this question is yes, playing with other children allows your child to develop important social skills, like sharing, and awareness of others, they can’t learn as well from adults. This is because one-year-olds occupy the center of their own universe – they know that other people exist, but don’t yet have a good sense of how others think or feel. Therefore, most young toddlers will play next to other children, rather than with them. Because she is the most important person in the universe, sharing is difficult, and she may become possessive over toys. When your young toddler is playing with other children, reassuring her that the other child is only looking or isn’t going to take a particular toy may help keep the situation calm. As your toddler grows closer to two years of age, she will likely still be somewhat selfish but will also spend more and more time imitating the people around her and playing pretend. Playing with other children gives your toddler plenty of opportunity to practice sharing skills and learn how to imagine herself in someone else’s shoes. Try starting with small playgroups of 2-3 children: this way adults can monitor to be sure everyone is safe while allowing the children to learn to play together. - How much sleep do babies (children) need? Babies and children need LOTS of sleep! Most babies do not have a regular sleep schedule until they are around 6 months old. Newborns will sleep in 1-2 hour increments for up to 18 hours of the day and may be equally alert or sleepy during the day or night. Usually by 1 month of age, infants will consolidate some of their sleep for longer stretches, and by 2-3 months, many infants will settle into a 3 nap per day plus overnight schedule. By 6 months infants will sleep approximately 14 hours per day, while 1 year olds sleep just under 14hours per day. Toddlers will often resist going to sleep – they don’t want to miss anything! Having a set nighttime routine with consistent bedtime can help your toddler get the rest they need. - When do children start to read? Love of books, language, and reading starts in infancy. Sharing books and reading to your young child will help her learn that books are fun and that reading together is enjoyable. She will learn new words and will be more ready to start school. Children whose parents or caregivers read to them early in life tend to read on their own at a younger age, and tend to do better in school when compared to other children. Try reading together for 5-10 minutes each evening with the TV off as part of your bedtime routine. At 1 year, your child can pay attention to a book for a few minutes, will enjoy the colors and pictures and feel of the book, and may imitate your reactions to the book. Let your 2 year old pick out the book to share each evening (it may be the same book over and over again), try asking your child questions about pictures or the story. By age 3, your child should be able to name the book she wants to share. She may even know the story well enough to correct you if you skip a favorite word or page! - Is television bad for kids? Let's face it, television is a part of our culture and difficult to avoid. Not all television is bad, and some programming can be educational. Parents should closely monitor what their children are watching, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 2 hours of "screen time" (TV, video games, computers, etc.) per day. Televisions should not be placed children's bedrooms where it is difficult to monitor and can cause difficulties with sleep. - What are normal bowel movements? Everyone is different when it comes to bowel movements. Most children have daily to every other day bowel movements, but for some, more than once a day or only once a week can be normal. Bowel movements should be soft and passed without difficulty. Bowel movements that are hard in consistency and difficult to pass can be a sign of constipation. Very loose or watery stools is abnormal, as well as white, black, or bloody stool. - What is normal urination? Most infants urinate 8-10 times per day, and this slows down as they age. Once bladder control is reached, most children urinate 4-5 times per day. - How would I know if my child has asthma? Signs of asthma include shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing during activity or exposure to cold air, smoke, or other lung irritants. If wheezing becomes a prominent symptom during routine viral infections over time, this can also be a sign of asthma, as well as coughing at night. - How would I know if my child is diabetic? Signs of diabetes are excessive thirst and urinating more than usual. A child who has been toilet trained for a while may also start to have accidents with urination if they have diabetes. Other signs include weight loss and vomiting. - When can my child sit in the car without a booster seat? Children who have outgrown their car seats should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle lap-and-shoulder seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age. - How would I know if my child has a learning disability? A learning disability can present with difficulty keeping up with peers in school or not reaching academic potential, and may be subject specific, such as isolated reading or math difficulty. There are many other issues that can cause a child to have problems in school, such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleeping disorders, etc. If you suspect that your child may have a learning disability it is important to talk to your child's teacher and principal, since the school system is responsible for performing evaluations for learning problems. Your pediatrician can also look into other issues that can cause problems in school. - Do we need to use sunscreen on children? Sunscreen with SPF of at least 15 should be used consistently starting at 6 months of age when you are out in the sun. Try to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and after swimming or excessive sweating. Before 6 months of age, try to keep your child out of the sun as much as possible (sun hats strollers with a canopy are helpful). - How can I discipline my child without her thinking I'm an ogre? As a parent, it is your job to discipline your children so they grow up knowing what is right and what is wrong. Discipline should be done in a loving environment, and should not include corporal punishment. Time-out for younger children, and taking away privileges for older children can be helpful. Also, remember to praise your children when they do something good! This way, your child is hearing positive reinforcement from you, so you will not always be the "bad guy". Discipline involves praising good behavior as well as discouraging bad behavior. - When does teasing turn into bullying? Children often tease one another, but bullying is when the teasing becomes a pattern over time, and it happens over and over again. A bully is trying to control other children by showing power over them and scaring them. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or social. Alert your child's teacher and school if you believe your child is a victim of bullying. - How would I know if my child is gifted? Some signs of a gifted child include high verbal and reasoning skills, ability to learn quickly and absorb large amounts of information, and very good memory skills. They may also be able to read well above their grade level. Keep in mind that just because a child is gifted does not mean that they could not also have a learning problem such as dyslexia or language problem, and gifted children may become bored in regular classes which could cause behavioral problems. - How would I know if my child is depressed and what should I do about it? Children and teenagers may not look typically “depressed.” They can appear sad or tearful, but you might also notice that they are irritable or withdrawn from family, school or friends. If you are worried that your child or teen is depressed, you should make an appointment with your pediatrician to discuss your concerns. - What are the signs of puberty and how long does it last? Puberty begins in girls with breast development and in boys with enlargement of the testicles. Other signs of puberty include pubic and underarm hair, acne, body odor, physical growth, and periods (in girls). Girls begin puberty between 8-13 years of age, and boys begin puberty between 9-14. Puberty lasts until it is over! It can take from 2-5 years to progress through the physical stages of puberty. - How would I know if my child has mono? Mono – or mononucleosis – is a viral illness caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Younger children often have mild symptoms like sore throat and fever that go away in a few days. Older children and adolescents can develop a more severe sore throat, fever, and fatigue. They may also have swollen glands (lymph nodes) on their neck. If your child or adolescent has any of these symptoms, or if you are concerned they may have mono, you should make an appointment with your pediatrician. Your pediatrician can do blood tests to help diagnose mono. - What are the best ways to maintain open lines of communications with sullen teenagers? It might be difficult to get your teenager to start talking. Parents should try to be available and be honest. Let teens know that you are there to talk, and you are willing to talk about anything. Take advantage of time driving in the car or time at the kitchen table to ask questions. And remember to listen! - How do you punish a kid who's way bigger than you? Spanking and other forms of corporal punishment are not recommended by pediatricians. Older children and adolescents should be disciplined with methods appropriate for their developmental stage. As children get older and become more independent, clear rules and expectations are important. Natural consequences and loss of privileges can be used.

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Cervical cancer screenings (smear tests) save lives Less than 1 in 3 eligible females with a learning disability had theirs during 2015-16 Recent data collected from over half of GP practices in England in 2014-15 and 2015-16, to identify potential differences in the treatment, health status, and outcomes of people with learning disabilities compared with the rest of the population, found that very few women with a learning disability attend cervical screening, far less than other women, even though it can save their life. In fact, people with learning disabilities are 45% less likely to be screened for cancer compared to their counterparts without learning disabilities. There are lots of reasons why; fear, embarrassment, not knowing enough about the test, and some carers and health care professionals think women with learning disabilities do not need one. Do not let these reasons get in the way and hear why cervical screening is so important from real women of all ages (video). Women 25 and over are invited to cervical screening to check for any changes down below. All women whether they are in a relationship and having sex or not, should attend when invited or talk to their doctor about being checked to stay healthy down below. The test does not look for cancer it checks for changes. Some changes down below (in the cervix) can become cancer. This sort of cancer is called cervical cancer. Cervical cancer can be prevented if the changes are found early enough so get checked or encourage the person you care for to attend from 25 onwards. Women can have a smear test every 3 years between 25 and 49. Over 50’s can go every 5 years. The doctor or nurse will be happy to talk about the screening, why it is important and what to expect. Lots of women take a friend, family member or carer with them for support on the day. Attending a smear test when invited can save your life or your loved ones life. Do not let embarrassment get in the way and find out more about the test by reading the having a smear test leaflet or watch the smear test film (video).

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Stories and podcasts WBW Stories World Breastfeeding Week 2017: Sustaining Breastfeeding Together THE World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) holds from 1st -7th August of every year and it is a full week set aside to talking about breastfeeding and its importance on both mother & child and the society at large. The theme for the 2017 WBW is Sustaining Breastfeeding Together which is aimed at informing the public, anchoring advocacy efforts, engaging partners and galvanising multi-sectorial efforts at achieving the SDG. Simply, the theme sets forth to promote collaboration and mobilize public support for breastfeeding. This year’s breastfeeding campaign is woven around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and it is important to point out that breastfeeding has far reaching significance cross-cutting the entire 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The Sustainable Development Goal is an ambitious set of 17 global goals and 169 targets focussed on the people, planet and prosperity, given the necessary backing (signatures) of over 190 heads of state following the 2015 UN GA of which Nigeria is a signatory.1 Categorised under four thematic areas: environment and climate change; nutrition, poverty-reduction and food security; survival, health and wellbeing; women and economic empowerment, the breastfeeding awareness addresses every expedient avenue needed to bequeath a sustainable world to the generation coming after us. Thus, I would share in these article benefits of breastfeeding and what everyone can do to support breastfeeding mothers at family, regional, national and global levels. Human milk and breastfeeding are the ideal and normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition. The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommends human milk as the sole source of nutrition for the first 6 months of life, with continued intake for the first year, and as long as desired thereafter. Breastfeeding has short- and long-term advantages for infant development.2 The first 2 days of breastfeeding, and perhaps the first hour of life, may determine the success of breastfeeding. However, some women have difficulty in expressing breast milk at that very auspicious time but it remains the duty of the attendant doctor or health officer to advice on how to proceed. It is understandable that some women have difficulty in expressing breast milk especially women with their first delivery. Some of the include anxiety, complicated childbirth, postpartum depression among others but no matter the alternative available, the diet of a child should be taken seriously.2,4 It is scientifically proven that breastfed children score higher on cognitive and IQ tests at school age, and also on tests of visual acuity; have a lower incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS); are less likely to suffer from infectious illnesses and their symptoms such as diarrhea, ear infections, respiratory tract infections. Other proven benefits to the child include lower risk of the two most common inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis), they suffer less often from some forms of cancer (e.g., Hodgkin’s disease, childhood leukemia); have a lower risk of juvenile onset diabetes, if they have a family history of the disease and are breastfed exclusively for at least 4 months; are significantly protected against asthma and eczema; if at risk for allergic disorders and exclusively breastfed for at least 4 months, may have a lower risk of obesity in childhood and in adolescence.2,3,4 Whilst many young mothers complain of sagging breasts as a result of breastfeeding, this perceived cosmetic drawback is incomparable to the benefits mothers gain from breastfeeding. It is proven that women who have breastfed are less likely to develop ovarian and premenopausal breast cancers, reduces osteoporosis and they enjoy a quicker recovery after childbirth, with reduced risk of postpartum bleeding. More so, it is proven that mothers who breastfeed are more likely to return to their prepregnancy weight than mothers who formula feed thus for a healthy mother and child, breastfeeding is very important.2, 4 Breastfeeding is also known to reduce the risk for long-term obesity and risk of anemia by delaying the return of the menstrual cycle for 20 to 30 weeks. In addition, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months after delivery, in the absence of menses, is 98 percent effective in preventing pregnancy- an effective natural contraceptive. Also, breastfeeding mothers are reported to be more confident and less anxious than bottle-feeding mothers as it tightens the emotional and psychological bonds between a mother and her child.4 However, it is important to note that some women choose not to breastfeed their children for various reasons such as medical advice in cases of systemic infection, post partum depression/psychosis etc. it is understandable that breastfeeding infants can be challenging but it is the duty of community members and close relations to support mother and baby despite her choice or preferences.2 The society is not left out from the benefits of a breastfed child. Some of the benefit include: reduction in the number of sick days that families must use to care for their sick children. The estimated cost of artificial feeding (formula feed) is four times that of breastfeeding. Concentrated and ready-to-feed formulas are even more expensive than powdered formula. Breastfeeding requires no packaging, and its production does not harm the environment: environmental sustainability!2 In conclusion, sustaining breastfeeding together is a call to action, to all including men and community leaders, to appreciate the importance of breastfeeding and how supporting lactating mothers can go a long way in benefiting mother, child and society at large at both short term and long-term. Until we put hands together to supporting breastfeeding, the #WorldWeWant cannot be actualized: A healthy world where every child is adequately breastfed. Play your part! References: 1. sustainable Development Goal: 17 Goals to transform our World. www.un,org/sustainabledevelopment accessed on 1st August 2017 2. Nelson’s Text book of Paediatrics, 19th edition, Elsevier Inc 3. World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action http://worldbreastfeedingweek.orgaccessed on 1st August, 2017 4. Primary health care and Child Survival Strategies by Alice Nte; Paediatrics and Child health in a tropical region by Azubuike J. & Nkangineme K.E.O 2nd Edition Published by African educational Services, Owerri. About the Author.

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Imagine you’re a wheat farmer in Rajasthan, a state in northwestern India. Wheat needs more water than rains provide, especially during the dry season. So you drill a well. You don’t have to pay for the water you use or the electricity that powers your pump, so you let the pump run. While you know the water comes from an aquifer somewhere beneath your feet, it's invisible, diffused throughout layers of soil and rock. Draining an aquifer is therefore very different from draining a reservoir, where you can see the water level drop. You and your neighbors, and other farms, companies and cities around the world, keep withdrawing water from these underground sources with little regard for how much water they use and how much is left. People have an incentive – and no disincentive – to tap as much groundwater as they can. The result is a race to the bottom of the aquifer. The results of this very local phenomenon were captured on a global scale by research released last week by NASA and the University of California, Irvine. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites showed that many of the world’s biggest aquifers are being depleted at a much faster rate than they can be replenished, from the Middle East, India, North Africa and Central Asia to California’s Central Valley. These data and analyses are critically important, raising awareness about an underreported issue and looming crisis, and allowing governments, development organizations, companies and researchers around the world to concentrate their groundwater work on the worst-suffering areas. However, there’s far more work to be done. That motivates WRI’s Water Team to focus on other key contextual elements: the combined effect of competition for surface water, groundwater depletion, and sharpening our comprehensive understanding of groundwater resources themselves, from current water table levels to sustainable withdrawal rates and more. Dry Surface? Look Out Below Both supply and demand must be a part of any discussion about dwindling water resources. All the critical regions identified by GRACE face high to extremely high water stress in surface rivers and streams. In highly water-stressed areas, 40 to 100 percent of the local water supply is withdrawn by businesses, farmers, residents and other consumers every year. WRI’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas maps water stress around the world. The Middle East appears in the Atlas as a quilt of dark red and grey, indicating arid and extremely high water stressed areas where users withdraw 80 percent or more of the available, annually renewable surface water every year. Farther east, India’s water stress shows a similar pattern to GRACE’s groundwater-level decline map. A large swath of extremely high surface water stress covers northwestern India. With limited surface water, it’s no surprise that the region’s farmers are withdrawing groundwater more quickly than anywhere else on Earth, making the water situation even more precarious. Across the country, 54 percent of 4,000 measured groundwater wells are declining. California’s Central Valley is another exceptionally productive agricultural region that raised red flags for groundwater depletion in the GRACE analysis. WRI mapped the competition for naturally occurring surface water in California over its irrigated agricultural land, and once again, surface water stress mirrors areas of high groundwater stress very closely. About 66 percent of the state’s irrigated agriculture faces extremely high levels of baseline water stress. It’s long been known that Central Valley groundwater is being pumped at unsustainable rates. In the midst of California’s current epic drought, with no natural replenishment of aquifers and over-pumping, groundwater tables are declining alarmingly. Improving Global Groundwater Estimates As valuable as GRACE’s groundwater data is, it has a crucial gap: it cannot show the total volume of groundwater available in the aquifers it tracks, only the rate of decline. Without knowing when the aquifers will go dry, or when water tables will sink so low that they are effectively inaccessible, users and water managers are blind to the scope and severity of their problems. A global dataset for volumes of water stored in aquifers would be invaluable, but is still many years away. At WRI, we are planning a new global groundwater data layer for the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas as a first step. In collaboration with Utrecht University in the Netherlands and Deltares, a Dutch water research organization, we are preparing more detailed models of groundwater. We will create a comprehensive, high-resolution groundwater risk map for groundwater levels and extraction rates around the world. We are also planning a groundwater stress map to illustrate the ratio of recharge to depletion in a given aquifer every year. Groundwater is a valuable resource the world over. Managed sustainably, it can support food production and growing cities and businesses. But truly understanding the nature of this critical resource, how much groundwater there is, how long it may last in different places at current rates of extraction, and what sustainable recharge rates are, is essential for many countries’ future economic development.

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NAUGATUCK, Conn. (WTNH) — It was one of the worst natural disasters in Connecticut history. On August 19, 1955, dangerous flood waters from the Naugatuck River rose extremely high, swallowing parts of downtown and destroying homes, buildings and bridges in cities and towns along the Naugatuck River basin. It caused more than $200 million in damage and killed 87 people. “Over a dozen houses got washed away (in Waterbury),” said Kevin Zak, whose family in Waterbury survived The Great Flood. “They floated by my house. There were actually people on top of the roofs that needed to be rescued.” Naugatuck’s current mayor needed to be rescued that day, too. Pete Hess was seven years old when the flood waters rose outside his family’s home. Mayor Hess took News8 to his childhood home to explain how he jumped to safety when he was a kid. “The water was higher than the first floor windows,” Mayor Hess said. “We came out of the windows into a boat.” The mayor says lessons were learned because of The Great Flood and several measures have been taken since to better protect cities and towns in the Naugatuck River basin to better control and manage the water flow. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has built local flood control projects in Waterbury, Torrington, Ansonia, and Derby. There are also flood control dams in Thomaston, Torrington, Naugatuck, Plymouth, Litchfield, and Harwinton all managed by the cities and towns. They’re all built so that history never repeats itself. “We can never let something like this happen again,” said Mayor Hess. “I think we’ve done a good job with flood management. I think the Army Corps has done a great job. And the Naugatuck Valley is protected today.”

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Tracing ideas from 2800 years ago to the 1st Century BCE, this is first of a series on the history of natural law, natural rights, and the social contract. This topic includes pertinent ideas from Egypt, Homer, Hesiod, the Upanishads, Guan'Zhong, Gautama Buddha, Confucius, Lao'Tzu, Solon, Thales, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Huang-Lao. The First Three Branches of Thought Somehow, for some reason, three separate branches of thought in theWest, East, and Far East all started at about the same time, in the 8th century BCE. The early ideas in each of these three branches have influenced all subsequent thinking in the many civilizations that followed in each of their continental regions. Of these three branches,only the Western branch was influenced by ideas of afterlife. This has profound significance in the nature of the political systems that have developed. Earliest Religious Roots The Egyptian Book of the Dead is generally agreed to be the oldest known morality in existence. Although older writing has been found, all older religious texts are various forms of praise. The oldest writing is from ~5260BCE, in Dispilio, Greece (for complete information, see Facorellis, 2014). The oldest readable sentence is from the tomb of Pharaoh Seth-Peribsen in Egypt, stating "the golden one of Ombos has unified the two realms for his son, the king of Lower and Upper Egypt, Peribsen" (seeSeth-Peribsen Tomb Texts c.2686 BCE). The oldest readable literature is the Sumerian Kesh building hymn from ~2600 BCE, found in Nippur, Iraq: The princely one, Enlil, came forth royally from the house. Enlil lifted his glance over all the lands, and the lands raised themselves to Enlil. The four corners of heaven became green for Enlil like a garden. Kesh was positioned there for him with head uplifted, and as Kesh lifted its head among all the lands, Enlil spoke the praises of Kesh. Nisaba was its decision-maker; with its words she wove it intricately like a net. -Kesh Building Hymn (~2600 BCE) However it is not clear if 'Kesh' is a God, or the name of the building. In the Americas, Olmec writing dated to ~900 BCE was found in 2006 in Veracruz (Mexico), as well as Zapotec symbols on the Dazante stone from ~600 BCE (Oaxaca, Mexico). The first deciphered language is Mayan (~200BCE~800AD). But the American cultures did not continue. Although there were many other sophisticated civilizations when Europeans arrived, there is no written history of them, and so beyond our account here. TheEgyptian Book of the Dead is distinctive in that it not only is fully readable, but also the earliest existent text stating how people are expected to behave. Found in scrolls in Luxor (Egypt), it is dated to ~1550 BCE. TheEgyptian Book of the Dead describes how the Gods judge humans after death. The dead first pass through gates into caverns guarded by monstrous creatures made of different giant beast and human parts, wielding enormous knives. If the dead recite spells to calm the beasts, the God Anubis leads them to Osiris, before whom they have to swear they did not commit any of 42 sins in their life. (These sins include: killing, aggression, theft, swindling offerings, breaking the law, lies, cursing, adultery, seduction, sodomy, persecution, eavesdropping, false accusation, conceit, insolence, wrongful anger or sorrow, rashness, and destruction of holy property.) After the dead so swear that they committed none of these sins, the goddess Maat of Truth and Justice appears, in the form of a feather, on one end of a pair of scales, The dead's heart is weighed on the scales against the feather. If the scales balance, the deceased led a good life, Anubis would take them to Osiris, and they would find their place in a new afterlife. If the dead person's heart was heavier than Maat, then the horrible Ammit the Devourer eats it, ending the dead person's afterlife in a gruesome manner. However, if the dead are properly educated, and recite a spell while their hearts are on the scales, then their sins are forgiven and they pass the test with forgiveness. For this reason, the priests hold the only real key to eternal happiness, and one must be obedient to them, or suffer accordingly, because no human being could otherwise pass the test of Maat. In terms of government, the priests defined one heir in the line of pharaohs as an incarnate God, whose will is unquestionable, and whose every desire should be satisfied. In order to assist these powerful people reach the afterlife without intervention of other humans, massive structures were built around them, or later hidden deep in the earth, presumably to keep other people out. Or maybe, considering how most the pharaohs behaved, the priests were really trying to trap the pharaohs in...The bigger the pyramid, the worse they were...In any event, accounts of other beliefs at the time are only known through secondary sources. From that secondary evidence, and tribal beliefs of less advanced cultures at later times, it seems far to assume that religious ideas primarily focused on threats of divine vengeance in order to oppress rebellion against authority. Learning of this, one might be led to believe that the Jewish idea of judgment in afterlife inherited from Egyptian culture. But this would not be true. Archaeologists have not found any evidence that Israel was a slave population of Egypt, but regardless, Israel did not have a concept of judgment in the afterlife until ~100 BCE, when the Pharisees started to teach about a reward in an afterlife for those that please God. Before then, it appears Israelites believed one simply descends into the center of the earth upon death, to a place called Sheol. However, there were ideas of afterlife in Greece, which is the first of the three branches considered here. Although exact dating is uncertain, Hesiod was likely a contemporary of Homer, c. 700 BCE (~400 years after the sacking of Troy). Like Homer, he recorded oral traditions of the Hellenic civilization, some of which were similar to the ancient Egyptians in describing the Gods which control the world. In theTheogeny of Hesiod, he described the origin and relationship of the Gods in the Hellenic pantheon. Although there were other theogenies in neighboring cultures, Hesiod's description remains largely consistent with all other accounts throughout Hellenic civilization, so it is safe to assume this document was very widely circulated, and there is evidence that it later even reached China, influencing theHuang Lao. Key to later thought was his assertion of aGolden Age in another text,Works and Days. In this old story, there was once a time when everyone lived in perfect harmony, without war or conflict. In transpires thatrestoration of the Golden Age became rather central to Western and Far Eastern political thought. Since Hesiod, most ideas about natural law have derived in some way from this legend, either by regarding the story as an inspiration for imagination, or by retelling it in a new way. So in the study of natural rights, even now, this myth, at least 2,800 years old, remains the conceptual origin from which our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness derived. Hesiod described how the original state of being, in theEra of Golden Spirits. gradually descended to the current world in five stages, each of which lost some virtue of the past. In theEra of Silver Spirits, the first loss was intelligence, resulting in greater sin, shorter life, and impiety. Then in theEra of Bronze Sprits, people started being violent, and wars commenced. This led to theEra of Demi-Gods, which the epic of Homer describes, for example, as the Trojan war. Some demi-Gods were killed, but the survivors (like Odysseus for example) heralded a new age of peace. From the demigods, civilization passed into theEra of Iron Spirits, who are characterized by all the errors of those before. Because of this, Hesiod states, we should appeal to the Gods Aidos and Nemesis, who are the Gods ofHumility and Retribution. When those virtues leave the earth, there will be nothing left but evil. Here I recount the entire myth, as it is so central to subsequent ideas of justice. First of all the deathless gods who dwell on Olympus made agolden race of mortal men who lived in the time of Cronos when he was reigning in heaven. And they lived like gods without sorrow of heart, remote and free from toil and grief: miserable age rested not on them; but with legs and arms never failing they made merry with feasting beyond the reach of all evils. When they died, it was as though they were overcome with sleep, and they had all good things; for the fruitful earth unforced bare them fruit abundantly and without stint. They dwelt in ease and peace upon their lands with many good things, rich in flocks and loved by the blessed gods. But after earth had covered this generation—they are called pure spirits dwelling on the earth, and are kindly, delivering from harm, and guardians of mortal men; for they roam everywhere over the earth, clothed in mist and keep watch on judgments and cruel deeds, givers of wealth; for this royal right also they received;—then they who dwell on Olympus made a second generation which was ofsilver and less noble by far. It was like the golden race neither in body nor in spirit. A child was brought up at his good mother's side a hundred years, an utter simpleton, playing childishly in his own home. But when they were full grown and were come to the full measure of their prime, they lived only a little time in sorrow because of their foolishness, for they could not keep from sinning and from wronging one another, nor would they serve the immortals, nor sacrifice on the holy altars of the blessed ones as it is right for men to do wherever they dwell. Then Zeus the son of Cronos was angry and put them away, because they would not give honor to the blessed gods who live on Olympus. But when earth had covered this generation also—they are called blessed spirits of the underworld by men, and, though they are of second order, yet honor attends them also—Zeus the Father made a third generation of mortal men,a brazen race, sprung from ash-trees; and it was in no way equal to the silver age, but was terrible and strong. They loved the lamentable works of Ares and deeds of violence; they ate no bread, but were hard of heart like adamant, fearful men. Great was their strength and unconquerable the arms which grew from their shoulders on their strong limbs. Their armor was of bronze, and their houses of bronze, and of bronze were their implements: there was no black iron. These were destroyed by their own hands and passed to the dank house of chill Hades, and left no name: terrible though they were, black Death seized them, and they left the bright light of the sun. But when earth had covered this generation also, Zeus the son of Cronos made yet another, the fourth, upon the fruitful earth, which was nobler and more righteous, agod-like race of hero-men who are called demigods, the race before our own, throughout the boundless earth. Grim war and dread battle destroyed a part of them, some in the land of Cadmus at seven- gated Thebe when they fought for the flocks of Oedipus, and some, when it had brought them in ships over the great sea gulf to Troy for rich-haired Helen's sake: there death's end enshrouded a part of them. But to the others father Zeus the son of Cronos gave a living and an abode apart from men, and made them dwell at the ends of earth. And they live untouched by sorrow in the islands of the blessed along the shore of deep swirling Ocean, happy heroes for whom the grain-giving earth bears honey-sweet fruit flourishing thrice a year, far from the deathless gods, and Cronos rules over them; for the father of men and gods released him from his bonds. And these last equally have honor and glory. And again far-seeing Zeus made yet another generation, the fifth, of men who are upon the bounteous earth. Thereafter, would that I were not among the men of the fifth generation, but either had died before or been born afterwards. For now truly is arace of iron, and men never rest from labor and sorrow by day, and from perishing by night; and the gods shall lay sore trouble upon them. But, notwithstanding, even these shall have some good mingled with their evils. And Zeus will destroy this race of mortal men also when they come to have grey hair on the temples at their birth. The father will not agree with his children, nor the children with their father, nor guest with his host, nor comrade with comrade; nor will brother be dear to brother as aforetime. Men will dishonor their parents as they grow quickly old, and will carp at them, chiding them with bitter words, hard-hearted they, not knowing the fear of the gods. They will not repay their aged parents the cost their nurture, for might shall be their right: and one man will sack another's city. There will be no favor for the man who keeps his oath or for the just or for the good; but rather men will praise the evil-doer and his violent dealing. Strength will be right and reverence will cease to be; and the wicked will hurt the worthy man, speaking false words against him, and will swear an oath upon them. Envy, foul-mouthed, delighting in evil, with scowling face, will go along with wretched men one and all. And then Aidos and Nemesis, with their sweet forms wrapped in white robes, will go from the wide-pathed earth and forsake mankind to join the company of the deathless gods: and bitter sorrows will be left for mortal men, and there will be no help against evil. -Works and Days, ll. 109-201, Hesiod (c. 700 BCE) Hesiod's original idea of the five ages was adopted in other cultures as thefour ages: gold, silver, bronze, and iron. The demigods of Troy were removed. Sometimes, a prior Golden Age is simply contrasted with modern decadence, as a basis for theories of justice, as inCicero andChina. In Rome, Ovid conflated Cicero's ideas of uncorrupted reason with the Golden Age: The Golden Age was first; when Man, yet new, No rule but uncorrupted Reason knew: And, with a native bent, did good pursue. Unforc'd by punishment, unawed by fear. His words were simple, and his soul sincere; Needless was written law, where none opprest: The law of Man was written in his breast. -Metamorphoses, Book the First. Ovid (Rome, 8 AD) Also in Rome, Virgil substituted Jupiter for the Gods, emphasizing naive innocence (Eclogue, lines 5-8;Georgics, 1:125–28). The name 'Jupiter' appears in a subsequent painting of the 'City of God' (see the section onAugustine in 1550 AD, showing the persistence of the idea). Virgil's emphasis on innocence appears in most artistic renditions, such as this version from Lucas Cranach the Elder (Weimar, Germany. ~1530 AD). However the idea of innocent nudity is newer. Before the restoration, the Golden Age was more considered simply for its virtues. The Old Testament mentions the Golden Age in a dream of Daniel, resulting in the preservation of Hesiod's writing in the Dark Ages, despite its other heretical teachings: Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue - an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, Its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, Its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. -the Book of Daniel, 2:31-35 (Israel, c.165 BCE) In the East, there is also reference to these ages in the Mahabharata, but it is difficult to know when the idea was actually placed within it. Those favoring the Eastern tradition would state the myth could date to before the life of Hesiod. That interpretation would not be at odds with the Western account, as Hesiod states he is merely recording existing stories. But as much as is known, the Mahabharata is thought to have been completed ~400 BCE, and the exact date of origination for each story in it is unknown. Plato later explained how some people in later ages could still be regarded as members of the Golden Race: Socrates...I suppose that he means by the golden men, not men literally made of gold, but good and noble; and I am convinced of this, because he further says that we are the iron race. Hermogenes. That is true. Socrates. And do you not suppose that good men of our own day would by him be said to be of golden race? Hermogenes. Very likely. Socrates. And are not the good wise? Hermogenes. Yes, they are wise. -Cratylus, Plato (Athens, c.400 BCE) Overall, Hesiod's ideas laid the foundation for the Western civilization, mostly believing in all-powerful Gods who have left the earth and rarely intercede, for which reason the wise seek justice and humility while recognizing the limits of that which has already passed: the intellect and peace are no longer valued by the masses, and it is the work of philosophers to understand and restore these values, to regain the pleasures of that which has passed. The Eastern Branch: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad From Southern India in ~700 BCE, this 'Honey wisdom' is the oldest recorded metaphysical philosophy, now part of the HinduVedanta. It asserts that the soul exists, and that all organic beings (plants, animals, human beings and gods) are wandering souls, yet one with each other and one with the cosmic soul; it further asserts that inorganic nature (fire, air, earth, water, space) is the field where beings interact, and from the numerous actions, fruits are created that are both separately and unifiably experienced. When one knows all is part of the one soul, all existence is blissful oneness, immanent and transcendent, and the divisions between us are illusory. From this understanding, we should not be proud, but instead be modest of our wisdom, adopting childlike curiosity and simplicity, being silent and observant, meditating on each part we learn of the totality in our journey towards deeper knowledge, where there is freedom from frustration and sorrow. Those who learned how to read this wisdom abandoned all earthly things, living in ascetism, blessing marriage and other ceremonies, asking for nothing but loin cloths and a daily filling of their prayer bowls. But such ascetism was not for everybody. The Brahman taught that each person could find the greatest fulfillment in pursuing their own walk of life. In subsequent recording of ideas, the Brahman created a series of guide books, called 'sutras,' each of which described how to find the greatest joy in the endeavor of any skill, whether it be to be a guard, or a craftsman, or a governor, or even a prostitute. This was the grounds of the caste system in India, which allowed more integration of many different tribes and cultures than previously possible without conflict. The Brihadaranyaka was the first text to define the idea ofdesire as the root of existence, which became the basis of natural law used byJefferson in the United States Declaration of Independence: You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will As your will is, so is your deed As your deed is, so is your destiny -Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Iv.4.5 (India, C.700 BCE) This also provided the foundation forBuddhism. In Eastern thought, Gods are regarded with veneration, and the same veneration is often extended to its greater practitioners, resulting in their deification also. But the there is not any significant concept of judgment in the afterlife, as in the West. Instead, there are ideas oftransmigration, that spirits return to be reborn in different forms. Sometimes, those who are good in one life are rewarded with a better form in the next life, which also led to the idea of reincarnation of authority, as inTibetan Buddhism. Guan'Zhong (Chinese: 管仲; c. 720–645 BC) was a chancellor and reformer in China. His bookGuanzi is mostly political, but it contains the values later adopted Confucianism, and the earliest known statement of Taoist ideas, later expanded byLao'Tzu: For the heavens, the ruling principle is to be aligned. For the earth, the ruling principle is to be level. For human beings the ruling principle is to be tranquil. Spring, autumn, winter and summer are the seasons of the heavens. Mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys are the resources of the earth. Pleasure and anger, accepting and rejecting are the devices of human beings. Therefore, the sage: Alters with the seasons but doesn't transform, Shifts with things but doesn't change places with them. -Guanzi, Nei-yeh 7. Guan'Zhong (c. 700 BCE) As later explained,Confucius found himself obliged to defend Guan'Zhong's ideas against others all too eager to point to inadequacies in his personal ethics, and Guan'Zhong himself has therefore not been regarded so much as the origin of Confucian ideas as of Taoist ideas. However his idea of qi has remained central in Confucian doctrines too. Far Eastern thought has focused primarily on the nature of thisqi, the life force, without much so much concern for the Gods and their actions, and without any idea of retribution in the afterlife whatsoever. The Far East does have Gods, and priests conduct ceremonies for birth, marriage, death and other significant life events. But the mythology around them has remained something that parents teach children as a way to educate them in the nature of life and ethics. To the the Far East, attempts to derive sources of divine authority for human affairs from some kind of theistic mythology still appears a rather a rather ludicrous and puerile fantasy. The Demi-Gods of Thought If we are to agree with Plato that wise and good men are members of the Golden Race, then the thinkers here have become equivalent to Hesiod's demi-Gods. For several hundred years, the wisdom of Hesiod, the Vedanta, and Guan'Zhong spread and influenced the entire world, during which time, there is little record of much significant extension to their thoughts. Then in the 5th century BCE, a number of thinkers appears in the West, East, and Far East who dramatically deepened and transformed the golden ideas. But while their writings spread rapidly, much debate on them also ensued, as a consequence of which, facts about them remained rather uncertain for thousands of years, until the recent advances in archaeology in the last century clarified which accounts are trustworthy. As a consequence, in the intervening eras, they have become somewhat equivalent to demi-Gods, or even transformed into Gods incarnate. In this account, we consider not so much the people themselves, or whether they should be worshipped, but rather their influence on political philosophy. From this perspective, another analogy could more suitable. The first splits in thought, during the Golden age, were the foundations of three different schools. All following thinkers are cornerstones, building up from the foundation to many different towers. Thought to live c.563~480 BCE, Gautama was a prince who was raised in wealthy isolation from the poverty of his subjects. In his early adulthood he became curious as to the real lives of his subjects, and ventured out into his city in disguise. He saw poverty and sickness. Resolving to serve his subjects better, he renounced his royal life and joined the Brahman ascetics, listening to their wisdom. But in it he found no solution to how to lessen the suffering of his subjects. Retiring to meditate on their words, he conceived theFour Noble Truths (e.g., Norman, 2003): first, that life is full of desire and suffering; second, that living only to satisfy the cravings of desire only results in more desire, and more craving, in an endless and inescapable cycle; third, that detachment from desire results in transcendental enlightenment; and fourth, by cultivating mindful concentration on the needs of others, the attachment to cravings disappears, dissatisfaction ends, wisdom of perspective and resolve strengthens, manifest as rightfulness of speech, action, and livelihood. The Stages of Desire The Pratītyasamutpāda (प्रतीत्यसमुत्पाद) is the name of the general theory of interdependent causation, which gives rise to the main 12 main stages of cause and effect resulting from desire, which have a rather large number of inter-relationships, so it is difficult to simplify. The following diagram depicts the 'standard model' of ontologically dependent origination, in the center, together with the variations for the Madhyamaka (great vehicle), Theravāda (orthodox), and Dzogchen (Tibetan) variations around it, organized by the sutras which define them. The revelation to Gautama was that these four truths could be understood and practiced by anyone, and was not restricted to the ascetics alone via his 'middle way,' whereby one seeks moderation, rather that punitive self denial, in order to further one's own practice. He set about sharing his ideas, and soon he became the first great religious leader, known as the Buddha. When asked about systems of rule, Gautama Buddha indicated how, in his 4 noble truths, that no one should want to tell others what to do, but to let each person find their way themselves. But as someone must make decisions on disputes, that it would best that a royal family do so. For otherwise, others would have to tell someone to take on such responsibility of commanding others, that no compassionate being would desire to take on for themselves. Therefore, the succession of government is best decided by inheritance. Upon Buddha's death, there was some spiritual competition as to how to best share his ideas, but it was a peaceful competition, and his followers spread his ideas as a new caste. Some 400 years later, at about the time ofAlexander the Great, there was a mighty warrior empire known asMaurya, whose great kingAshoka learned of Buddhism and is said to have converted to it. Much likeConstantine the Great, who was also a warrior emperor supposedly converted to a peaceful religion, his actual conversion is disputed (Fogelin, 2015). But other facts do indicate he was more benign than Constantine in his later life. For example, he ceased all war, and his descendants followed his example. The empire slowly faded, but the ideas continued. As Buddhism teaches peace and desires no control, other political systems took over from it in most places. But in the more remote reaches of the Himalayas, where hardy people eked out a life in the most demanding and barren realms, Buddhism continued undisturbed, for thousands of years. In the last century, China's enormous population started to spill over into the Buddhist kingdoms, first taking over Tibet, and then Nepal. Bhutan, Kashmir, and Sikkim remain. One even more remote plateau, the Kingdom of Lo, was totally isolated from the rest of the world for some 1600 years. When rediscovered, it was still practicing Tibetan Buddhism in exactly the same way as in the early days of their founding, making it the most stable incarnation of a political philosophy in all of known history (for details, see my article "The Ancient Kingdom of Lo" on this server). Buddhism also merged with other cultures across China, even reaching Japan, in new forms. Because the ideas of Buddhism are ethical in basis, rather than theological, the Buddhist missionaries incorporated the mythologies of local beliefs in the Far East. And so there are also even a handful of Buddhist countries on the Pacific rim. As time passes, other more aggressive beliefs push aside the legacy of the ancient Khmers in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos; yet somehow Thailand has survived as a Buddhist kingdom with a king and capitalist economy too. There has been dissidence in Thailand, with political protesters cordoned by the police to prevent them interrupting neighboring traffic; and after, sometimes the protesters give the police hugs, just to show there are no ill feelings about it. While Buddhism also reached across the North-East of Asia to merge with local theologies into Chinese Buddhism, in the far east it ran into a rather frightful period known as theera of a hundred kingdoms, also known as theage of the warring States. This was a truly awful state of affairs, where neighboring kings routinely invaded each other repetitively, recruiting local villagers for their soldiers. As the borders shifted back and forth, a father could find himself commanded to fight his son, or a brother to kill his own brother. In response to the despondent need of some spiritual recourse, two spiritual leaders appeared, both at about the same time as Gautama Buddha: Confucius and Lao'Tzu. Confucius (551~479 BCE) advocated, first, withdrawal from the material world into introspective contemplation, practicing music, and seeking to understand 'harmony of the spheres,' whereby our actions in life correspond with the order of universe, discovered by ritual and acceptance of social order. Just as music is a ceremony of sound, and the world is the ceremony of nature, Confucius held that our interaction with each other should be the ceremony of our spirit. After inner contemplation to find harmony with the forces around us, we can then properly conduct the formalities of life with sophistication and artful prowess. Confucius believed some people are born more gifted than others, and that government was better as feudal than democratic, as otherwise the stupid have too much control. Simultaneously, though, he felt it most important that a ruler seek the virtues of intelligent discourse, honesty, good manners, and in accepting advice of the more experienced. If a king acts properly, others follow in example, and need not be commanded or punished. One result of his ideas was the development of wiser traditions and greater diplomacy in court, which gradually led to the creation of larger and more stable kingdoms, and then empires. Perhaps most importantly, he established the idea of ritualistic protocol in the interaction with authority, whereby the knowledgeable can share their experience, and the rulers can learn from it without loss of face. As to what the wisdom should be in any particular circumstance, Confucius also had much to say, including that it was circumstantial. Some of his ideas still persist in China, most obviously as respect for elders and silent rule. But Confucius is a subtle force; his wisdom works where you think it not. As one example, a colleague once went to China in an attempt to sell a new digital cable TV system to a city, under the auspices of the Bank of China. Before beginning the negotiations, the bank asked him to dinner, and he was treated to lobster. A live lobster, pinned down on the plate with tiny hooks, and with the shell already cut off its back. The lobster's eyes, on their little stalks, swiveled to look at him as the manager of the Bank of China handed him a fork, smiling graciously...my colleague, most sadly, found himself thinking for a moment, if he tried to eat without killing the poor beast first, he might lose the multimillion dollar contract—while the lobster's eyes moved on their little stalks to look away from him, at the fork... Lao'Tzu is thought to have been a contemporary of Confucius (~500 BCE). He wrote theTao Te ching, and a copy from c.300BCE is the oldest surviving written text of Chinese philosophy. These bamboo strips would have been bound into a scroll. Note that the current translation requires much more complex pictograms than the original, because many words served multiple purposes in ancient Chinese, depending on context. For example, the word 'qi', which in philosophy refers to 'life force,' also translates to air, breathing, lungs, and the name of one of the oldest and most powerful States in China, where Beijing is now located. WhileLao'Tzu is often falsely accredited with inventing Taoism, it is fair to say he was the first to state it as a complete philosophy. Taoism holds that we exist in a state of continual flux, best by random forces, at the wills of spirits who care nothing for our well being. While Confucianism worked to create wiser rule, Taoism worked to help people live through the violence of their times. It taught that people simply find fulfillment by accepting the natural way, or path, that the universe presents. We let ourselves be flexible in the flow of physical and spiritual movements, via the energy that flows through us, rather than attempting to shape it unnaturally by exerting our own will upon it. There is probably no better way to understand the gigantic population of China than to understand how Taoism has helped people survive the waywardness of life to this current day. Or fame or life, which do you hold more dear? Or life or wealth, to which would you adhere? Keep life and lose those other things; Keep them and lose your life—which brings Sorrow and pain more near? Thus we may see who cleaves to fame rejects what is more great; Who loves large stores gives up the richer state. Who is content needs fear no shame. Who knows to stop incurs no blame. From danger free Long live shall he. -Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu (China, c. 500 BCE) From Taoism is derived the idea ofYin-Yang which remains central to all its thinking. Whereas the West has built on ideas of Aristotelian Logic, the Far East considers there to be no such dichotomy. This famous symbol of opposites illustrates that idea, in which some of each opposite exists in the other. Attempts to define absolute concepts are therefore always doomed to failure. Existence consists of a cycle between the yin and yang, which if pursued to perfection, leads to smaller and smaller cycles, until one reaches the center point of Wu Ji. Taoism also led to advances in martial arts, including the graceful dance of t'ai chi ch'uan, which all of China did together in the mornings, under perhaps the most extraordinary of the edicts ofChairman Mao; and the theories of design (Feng Shui), the flowing styles of Chinese painting, and even the art of Chinese writing itself. Taoist ideas rather oppose those of Confucianism, but Confucius himself refused to dismiss them. Confucius argued that Guan Zhong was not of the power that his ideas should have enabled, because of defects in personal morality, from which he escaped by strict observance of social protocols: The Master said: “Guan Zhong was quite limited in capacity.” Someone asked: “Wasn't Guan Zhong frugal?” Confucius said, “Guan had three sets of wives and his officers never worked overtime. How can he be considered to have been frugal?” “But then did Guan Zhong understand propriety?” Confucius said, “The princes of the states have a special ritual screen at their door, and so did Guan Zhong (even though he was not of the proper rank to do this). When the princes of state had a friendly meeting, they would ritually turn their cups over on the table. Guan also turned his cups over on the table. If Guan Zhong understood propriety, then who doesn't?” -Analects, 3:22. Confucius (c. 500 BCE) Later, Confucius' disciples again criticized Guan Zhong for his lack of personal morality. Confucius then stated the product of his work, which was to enable the benefits of civilization as they knew it, and the cultured person would not persecute a man with such good works, simply because of failures in his personal ethics: Zi Lu said, “When Huan Gong assassinated Gongzi Jiu, Zhao Hu followed him to his death, but Guan Zhong did not. He had not fully developed his Humaneness, had he?” The Master said: “When Huan Gong unified the nobles, it was not through military force, but by the efforts of Guan Zhong. How about this level of Humaneness? Zi Gong said: “Guan Zhong was not a truly good man; when Huan Gong executed [his own brother] Gong Zi Jiu, he was not only incapable of dying along with his lord — he became Huan's minister.” Confucius said: “When Guan Zhong served Huan Gong as minister, he made him leader of the nobles and straightened out the disorder in the realm. The people are benefiting from this down to the present day. If not for Guan Zhong, we would all be like unkempt barbarians, wearing our hair over our faces and fastening our clothes on the left. Shall we exercise the sincerity of simple people, who would hang themselves to death in a ditch, with no one knowing about it?” -Analects, 14:16-17. Confucius (c. 500 BCE) Recently, the "Yellow Emperor's Four Classics” (Huángdì sìjīng) were rediscovered. The Yellow Emperor is a mythical first emperor, and these texts were known to exist but lost until the 1970s. These copies date to ~160 BCE, but most say they are older. It states: The Dao gives birth to laws. Laws are the measuring-line of gain and loss and what illuminates straight and crooked. Who holds to the Dao gives birth to laws and dares not contravene them; once laws are set up, he dares not discard them. After one can stretch plumb spontaneously, one can know the world and not be of two minds. Void without form, its axis all dark; it is what the world of things is born from. In their birth-nature there is that which harms, called desire, called not knowing what is enough. By birth-nature they must move: In movement there is that which harms, called untimeliness, called timely but In movement are affairs: In affairs there is that which harms, called opposition, called not balancing, not knowing the practicable. Affairs must have words: words there is that which harms, called unfaithfulness, called not knowing to be in awe of others, called revealing one’s baseness, called vain boasting, taking insufficiency for surplus. Thus alike coming forth from the dark, some dying thereby, some living thereby, some defeated thereby, some completed thereby. Fortune and calamity share one Dao, none knows whence it is born. The Dao of knowing is merely voidness with nothing. Voidness with nothing, the smallest thing complete within it must have form and name. When form and name are set up then the distinction of black and white is complete. hence he who holds to the Dao, as he observes the world, has nothing to which he holds, has no place at which he dwells, has no action, has no partiality. Hence, when there are affairs in the world none do not spontaneously exhibit form, name, sound, and title. Form and name being already set up, sound and title being already established, then one cannot cover up one’s tracks, or obscure the standard. -Dao fa, 1.1-1.2, "Huángdì Sìjīng" (<160 BCE) The ideas of Confucius and Taoism were later merged by theHuang Lao, then split and merged again, as discussed here later. Penultimate in this account of the earliest great metaphysics, we move entirely back around the world to ancient Greece, where two men defined the ideas that formed the entire Western civilization. Struggling with an irate Athenian population that was totally fed up with rampant despotism,Solon of Athens (c.638~558 BCE) initiated ideas of civilian rights to control government through a majority-rule system, now called democracy. While problems persisted for several hundred years before it reached a stable form, Solon had also created a newcommon area for sharing ideas, the agora, which became the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual, and philosophical life, as well as the location of debates and voting for political decisions. It is said, as a consequence of this new social domain, thinkers were more than able to gather and share thoughts;thinkers were even able to build on each other's ideas in the kind of way that public-domain software now works. In the Hellenic civilization, this resulted in advances in free thought not found anywhere else in the world, and was regarded with deep jealousy by Rome. It is certainly known, due to its long persecution of such free thinkers in its savage but brutally successful origins, ancient Rome was never able to create a similar open space for ideas, and Rome's Forum was never more than a place for political debate. So in Rome, training in the academic ideas remained in the private domain. But Greece somehow was successful in enabling public thought beyond the political. That is usually attributed to Solon's ideas of citizens' authority, even though many of the thinkers lived in other Greek city states besides Athens which did not have democratic systems. Evolution of Democracy of Athens the Solonian Constitution was atimocracy: mostly, only land owners could vote, in a senatorial-styled council (Greenidge, 2015): Thalēs of Miletus (c. 624~546 BCE) is now called a pre-Socratic philosopher, although he himself would not have known he was pre-Socratic, and may not have regarded himself a philosopher either. He would have been more likely to call himself asophist (for this and other pre-Socratics, seeKirk, Raven, and Schofield, 1957). Sophists made their living by demonstrating their skills of thought in the public squares, and putting themselves up for hire to teach the children skills such as rhetoric, and knowledge such as history and metaphysics. However, after Socrates ridiculed so many of them as deceiving simpler minds withsophistry, the term has fallen out of favor, and now they are called 'pre-Socratic' instead. Thales broke with theistic traditions and attempted to understand the functioning of the world by testing hypotheses, which remains the main principle of science (now called theempirical method). Thales is also said to have invented the first mathematical theorem. One really should note the dramatic difference between Thales' approach to understanding the world and everyone else. Not only the later development of science, but also secular political theory traces back to Thales' entirely different approach to the world.While the first great Eastern thinkers wrote with beauty, insight, eloquence, and style, none of them provided a foundation for empirical exploration of secular political theory that even approached that in Western Thought. That early mindset, created by the first great thinkers, has persisted, and the East today remains almost entirely shaped by them, except insofar as it has adopted the more advanced products of Western science and philosophy, rather than developing their own equivalents. This is not to say that the cultures of the Far East have not had enjoyed their own developments in Science. Vedic mystics in India, for example, considered whether matter is solid. While watching motes of dust dance in sunlight, they contemplated on the smallest possible solid particle. Even if a particle is infinitely small, it still has an inside area and outside area. Between the inside and outside, there must be some edge between that which is solid, and that which outside the particle. But as the particle is already infinitely small, there is no space for the edge to exist. Therefore, they concluded, matter is comprised of compartments of space, each of which may or may be empty or contain some solid, but it cannot ultimately be known whether any one compartment contains a particle or not, because the compartments are the smallest things that can exist. Strangely enough, Western science confirmed this idea with particle accelerators. The idea thought of by Eastern mystics some 3,000 years ago is now stated mathematically, in particle physics, as the 'Heisenberg uncertainty principle.' Now knowing that, some Indian philosophers gladly point to this success, and consider their method of contemplation superior to Western science. Butother Indian philosophers are disappointed, because they had considered matter to be some amorphous liquid without particles at all. That is to say, the Vedic mystics demonstrated something else: they demonstrated thatwe cannot conceive of a scientific explanation that is beyond our ability to imagine. And one can only admire the imagination and reasoning by which the Vedic mystics reached different explanations of the nature of matter. By reasoning, different possibilities may be construed: for example, whether the smallest parts of matter are like particles, or like water. But with respect to the material world and the science of physics, the best model for reality can only be determined with Thalēs' method of empirical testing of the hypothesis, which determines whether a theory is corroborated, or disproved, in the particular test case. By accumulating the results of many experiments, many theories can be tested with each other, to form anempirical system, whereby each little theory can combine, to build a bigger and more complete model. It is that process that has caused the Western ideas to progress in the realm of science so well. Similarly, China has its own form of science too. China for example invented gunpowder, by trying many different mixtures of different substances. This is in accordance with Taoist ideas of accepting randomness in the course of life. Thebrute force approach is possible when one has the resources of a large population, but takes longer than thepredictive approach. for example, the astronomer Percival Lowell(1855-1916) observed orbital anomalies of Neptune and Uranus. He deduced that there could be a ninth planet, and used the model of Newtonian gravitational force to predict its position. It transpired there were other as yet undiscovered planetoids and dwarf planets, so Pluto itself was not alone in changing the gas giant's orbits. It took longer to find than expected. But by watching the predicted location over a longer period of time, Pluto was indeed discovered in 1930, when the other causes of the outer planets' orbital anomalies were at a minimum. Pluto is a very small dwarf planet, and being so far from the sun, it is very dark. It would never have been found without the prediction. This example also illustrates that science sometimes makes predictions which are true (in this example, that there was a ninth planet) but which are not at first validated, due to other unknown factors. Sometimes, experiments appear to validate a hypothesis, when in fact another factor is causing a false result. Now knowing that, the experimenters in China can say their approach is superior, because 'brute force' methods test all possible scenarios, and therefore even produce results that could not be predicted. But with the tiny and dark object like Pluto, it probably would not have been found by 1930, even if all the telescopes in the world had been looking for it; which is rather beside the actual point, because they would have had no reason to look for the planet without the prediction. Thus, over time, China has made some astounding inventions, such as the creation of silk from silk-moth cocoons ~5,000 years ago. The process of domesticating the moths, breeding them, and harvesting the silk took an enormous amount of trial and error, and most details are still a closely guarded secret. But as models advance and improve, their ability to produce useful predictions inevitably exceeds that which can be produced from random results from brute-force approaches. Atoms, Flux, and Forces of Matter and Mind But matters developed rather differently in Greece, Based on the ideas of Thales, Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 535~475 BCE) advocated that the material world continually changes due to the force of a primal and invisible fire, causing tiny particles to move around in unrepeating patterns. Heraclitus is often considered the world's first genuine atheist. Empedocles (c 450 BCE) first imagined the periodic table, comprised of four elements: earth, water, air, and fire, with forces of attraction and repulsion allowing the elements to interact. Physical matter is made of clusters with more heavy elements, whereas the mind and soul are made of clusters of the lighter elements. Similar material objects might be made of the same clusters of heavy elements, and therefore, similar ideas also might be constructed of similar clusters of lighter elements. Moreover, just as forces of attraction and repulsion move the molecules of physical matter, maybe there are forces which control the interaction of ideas. Moving on Empedocles' idea, Socrates was able to postulate the nature of ideal form, which allows our minds to recognize the objects we see. Aristotle was able to define the three classical rules of formal logic: The law of identity (for any proposition A, A=A); The Law of excluded middle (for any proposition A, either that A is true, or not-A is true); and , the law of non-contradiction (the two propositions "A is B" and "A is not B" cannot both be true). Theseaxioms are statements of thought on which no one disagrees, upon which mathematical proofs can be made, as well as Boolean mathematics and digital computation. These theories work independently of any supernatural spirit or God. Therefore, human reason can properly determine the nature of government. The theories will always run into objections from the other metaphysical schools—whether they advocate divine judgment, or caste systems, or undesiring kings, or manners, or unpredictable chaos as the only guiding principle of politics—but the other systems have already stated all they can in abstract. The mechanisms of empirical and logical reason, however, can still define far more. So now all the basic metaphysical requirements are now in place for the first philosophical definition of a social contract—even if it would take another century for someone to figure out how to state it. Often, naïve speakers use the words 'true,' 'right' and 'good' interchangeably. But In philosophy, there are significant differences between those words. Statements about logic, morality, ethics, and justice can all be true or false, but the method for determination is different: To clarify, this article implementsthe model of legal positivism, which is not how people often speak, but which permits clear statements. According to this model, the law defines what is right or wrong. People may have opinions as to whether a law is good or bad, but cannot themselves define the law. An opinion of a law is based on a value system, such as a religion. The opinion can be evaluated as true of false within the context of a religion's value statements, but as far as political philosophy is concerned, the truth of the religion's values cannot themselves be determined with logic. The first extensive work on secular justice was Plato, who in ~380 BCE wrote the dialogues of Socrates. Socrates held that only a few wise philosophers could infer the concept of 'justice' intuitively. The far greater number of people, including lawyers, only know it as tenuous shadows in a cave, over which they bicker as to their shape. But they can never really decide, because the shadows are not only all that they can see, but even more crucially, they themselves think the shadows are all there is. Only the philosopher knows that the shadows are mere ephemera in a cave of ignorance. Above the cave, in the true light of goodness, ideas are the real natural things, which areideal forms. From the ideal forms, the light of goodness casts shadows as pure ideas, like triangles and squares. But most people never see that, and just sees shadows of artificial things, such as living beings and dead objects, which illuminated by the element of fire. The fire's flickering light casts shadows of artificial things onto the cave wall, which is all that most can see. The actual form of the real idea is unknown and unimaginable to those bickering in the caves. If one attempts to show the deluded the actual truth, it is so blinding to them, they can only turn away from it. Instead, they sneer and ridicule those who are able to see the pure ideas and ideal forms from the darkness of the cave, where they shackled like slaves by their own lack of will to seek greater understanding. "At first, when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look towards the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distress him, and he will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows; and then conceive someone saying to him, that what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned towards more real existence, he has a clearer vision, -what will be his reply? And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them, -will he not be perplexed? Will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him? ... Until the person is able to abstract and define rationally the idea of good, and unless he can run the gauntlet of all objections, and is ready to disprove them, not by appeals to opinion, but to absolute truth, never faltering at any step of the argument—unless he can do all this, you would say that he knows neither the idea of good nor any other good; he apprehends only a shadow, if anything at all, which is given by opinion and not by science—dreaming and slumbering in this life, before he is well awake here, he arrives at the world below, and has his final quietus. - Republic,Plato (Athens, ~380 BCE). The problem of Plato's cave is, unless people can understand concepts as existing independently in a domain of mind, it is not only impossible to argue about it, but as Plato writes, painful to do so for both parties. In philosophy, the full issue of the Platonic idea of form is an issue for epistemology (the nature of knowledge) in metaphysics, and too complex for this short essay on the political theory behind the social contract. To those who cannot understand further (or believe that understanding is illusory), philosophy usually remains something like the arcane magic that is the most a Cro-Magnon could understand of an automobile's functioning. So at this point, many people's comprehension ends. They are incapable of understanding something more than the shadows. When asked to explain how a philosopher knows the true forms of ideas, Socrates stated that some nonetheless strive to see the light, after which the truth is known to that philosopher intuitively, but only some people have the intuition. The ability to express that knowledge is a skill, but no matter how much people work on it, they cannot improve their knowledge if they are not natively endowed with the insight. As such, Socrates stated he knew a concept of natural law exists, but only a few people can understand it. No one at the time could prove him reasoning false. It is thus fair to say Socrates was an intellectual bigot for good reason. That his reasoning was good is an understatement, except in the realm of political government. It is also fair to say, he had very sophisticated opinions, but his conclusions as to how government should function (as a totalitarian state ruled by thinkers) were essentially unworkable, even if just, because no one has ever been able to define whom thephilosopher king should be, or not. When asked to describe his ideas directly, Socrates usually avoided the question. He preferred to ask others to describe their ideas, and then he showed how others were wrong. But on justice, Socrates provided a very clear definition, which was the first written version of the social contract With respect to political law, Socrates again demonstrated his intellectual superiority by definingthe first social contract. He stated that justice is a pact made between people of different walks in life for mutual benefit. The carpenter needs the blacksmith to make nails, and the blacksmith needs the carpenter to build his house. Therefore it is to their mutual benefit if they agree on a common set of rules for a harmonious relationship. From that, Socrates extrapolated trades, and their interaction, to define an extensive system of law which, through its understanding, createsinner and outer harmony. The most common objection to thisSocratic social contract is that the laws are not decided by us ourselves, but are imposed on us by authority. As such, we do not actually agree to the social contract, but it is enforced on us whether we want it or not, whether it really is to our benefit or not. Most people believe the social contract is therefore wrong, and therefore justice can be wrong, no matter how wrong they are in making the judgment. As such, Socratic natural law is not intuitively understood by most people—just as Socrates himself said, in fact. Socrates defense—that objectors are taking a vulgar view ofouter justice which is inharmonious withinner justice—certainly does not help either. To Socrates, the natural law was self evident as a harmonious coexistence, extending beyond political law into morals and ethics, creating a unified outer and inner state. The philosophers perceive the ideal forms of those relationships and interpret them for the good of society, for example, by enabling artists to present them in the great Greek dramas (the playwright Euripides, mentioned elsewhere here, was Socrates' friend). But the objectors continue to believe that inner harmony is just 'arbitrary nonsense' and refuse to accept the possibility that natural law really exists at all. However, it is difficult for a philosopher to demonstrate that the Socratic social contract is misunderstood because, by Socrates' own definition, the ability to understand the social contract is only possible to the naturally gifted philosopher. Thus, most people agree with Socrates' opponents. One was Thrasymachus, who argued that might is right, and justice is the fist of the mighty. Another was Glaucon, who held that justice is enforced on the weak, but that the pact of a social contract can exist when a powerful authority confronts someone of equal power (but even then, the authority continually tries to find a way to cheat on the opponent). Whatever one thinks of Socrates' natural law, a person desiring more than a naïve perspective could certainly agree that Thrasymachus and Glaucon were vulgar thinkers, and seek something better. Nonetheless, this conflict in intuitive views nonetheless persisted for some 2,000 years. And due to the complexity of Western empirical thought, the Socratic version remains the most frequently understood—or misunderstood—version of the secular social contract to this day. Aristotle's Ideal and Perverted Governments Aristotle (384–322 BCE) defined royalty, aristocracy, and constitutional systems as ideal, from which corruptions cause tyrannies, oligarchies, and democracies. The extent of Aristotle's thought is truly incredible. Even in months of reading posts on typical social media boards about politics, one can rarely find even one postulate on democratic justice that Aristotle did not already write 2500 years ago. He discussed virtually every issue one still hears. Even today, his observations on political corruption still seem difficult for most to accept as real. Instead angry tirades continue on the latest scandal gossip, as if one should be surprised at something completely novel. Democracy as the Least-Worse Alternative Aristotle did not have Socrates' lofty vision. Although he wrote of ideal systems, he was not at all concerned with defending some 'pure idea in the domain of mind.' Instead, he saw the ideals purely in terms of the foundation they could provide for a practical system, within which, no matter how much on strives, corruption will always be inevitable. Therefore, the best one can do is choose the least-worse evil. Others would have to be deeply cynical to dismiss ideals as Aristotle did. But Aristotle himself maintains the best of Greek optimism in the face of inevitable failures. With so much corruption at each and every turn, why did he stay cheerful? Some may say it is because the experience in Athens already had with the even less desirable evil—despotism. it had completely reached the bottom of the barrel before Solon defined the first attempt. Then Athens collapsed into tyrannies and oligarchies several times, with continuous interspersed efforts at democratic reforms. Finally it created a stable system. By the time Aristotle entered on the scene, there was already a very well established history of corruption. Yet this is not the version of Athenian democracy one encounters in America today. If you would understand why I describe Aristotle's dilemma here, you would only need to see once the innocent smile of an American tourist in Athens talking about the inventor of democracy...and the wan resignation of a Greek citizen attempting to vanquish a hidden reticence, to smile in return. Why the smile? Even current Greeks innately know why Aristotle was cheerful, and remain cheerful themselves for the same reason. Eligibility to Vote Out of all of Aristotle's discussions on the practical nature of democracy, I touch on this one only because, perhaps of all naïveties, it is the self assurance which Americans assert on whom should vote that is the most remarkable—especially given the many changes to voting requirements in the USA already. In Greece it is now compulsory to vote—upon hearing which, Americans immediately burst out a raging protest. My personal belief, that people should be required to have passed exams in understanding the democratic system first, is also assailed with rage, though only by a majority. A few with more education agree with resignation that it would be a nice idea—in an ideal world. this is no ideal world, and any exam as voter qualification would struggle with the same corruptions as all other aspects of political rule. So those who understand the theories, and state their predictions, are still dismissed like the elitistphilosopher kings of Socrates. It is for this reason, Aristotle believes the continuing corruption inevitable. The consequences of naïve beliefs continue to influence the majority more than those of wisdom. As long as knowledge is ridiculed, the fate of such actions remains unavoidable, which Aristotle himself knew as divine natural law. It may be a real surprise how much ignorance there is of Aristotle's natural law. Even academic communities have trouble recognizing it, because Aristotle was a traditionalist, which is quite obvious from his style in general, but he talks about in specific only occasionally. Consider for example this rare statement, in all his extensive writing, on the natural law. His evidence is not logic, butAntigone's civil disobedience in choosing to bury her brother, in defiance of her king's command (the ancient Greeks believed one would remain in the worst hell if not buried). Universal law is the law of Nature. For there really is, as everyone to some extent divines, a natural justice and injustice that is binding on all men, even on those who have no association or covenant with each other. It is this that Sophocles' Antigone clearly means when she says that the burial of Polyneices was a just act in spite of the prohibition: she means that it was just by nature: "Not of to-day or yesterday it is, But lives eternal: none can date its birth." -Rhetoric, Aristotle (Athens, ca. 380 BCE) This story, coincidentally, continues to be misunderstood by many who should know better. During the Nazi occupation of Paris, the playwrightjean Anouilh wrote a French play on Antigone's civil disobedience that passed the Nazi censors, who observing how Antigone was killed for disobeying authorities, believed it a good moral warning; and the stage performed to packed-out audiences of the French, who saw Antigone's appeal to higher law as an inspiration for their resistance to occupation. Just as the Germans could not understand Antigone's higher law, so also most politicians and philosophers read Aristotle without understanding the natural law of which he spoke; but Aristotle found little need to repeat the knowledge offate as it was: nothing to do with human justice, but rather,an unavoidable and persistent tainting of blood, so severe that the consequences of one's immoral actions could even pass to one's own family and be perpetuated across generations. Even heroes of the most virtuous military could not escape the tainting caused by their killing of others. Their best hope was to reach the fields of Elysium in the afterlife, where they could drink from the river of Lethe, which granted forgetfulness of their worldly acts.For heroes in their deeds could be virtuous, but war itself was not. But Aristotle should not be blamed himself for misleading his audience, because his real ideas on this topic are not found so much in his own writings, but in those that pervaded the culture of his era. It may be difficult to imagine, but all people living in Athens at the time of Aristotle could describe all the Gods in the following diagram, and tell many stories of what they did to each other. It was taught from childhood stories. They knew these stories as well as children now know about Cinderella, Gandalf, and Harry Potter, but with one important difference: almost all the stories they told children were about these Gods, whereas fiction now has many different origins. So when you think of it that way, it seems more understandable that everyone knew all these Gods. Many think Zeus most important, but you may have difficulty finding him, because he is only one of the many children of the Titans (who are in green). The deities are arranged in tiers. Those higher up have less interest in normal human affairs, whereas those lower down often intercede. Often the higher Gods have disputes, manifest as natural problems such as storms, diseases, and so on. The lower Gods intervene in normal human life as emotions. Not shown in this diagram are a series of lower-order spirits, which include elementals (Naiads, Ourea, Theoi, Nereids, and other nymphs), who are not that intelligent, and sometimes can't even talk, and are bound to the particular locations whose forces they control, such as rivers, mountains, clouds, and oceans. Other lower-order spirits are not bound, including the muses, satyrs, and the Fates (Moirai). Now in most cases humans have no right of appeal to the consequences of the Gods' disputes, unless one person breaks the ultimate law and kills another. If so, humans can appeal to the God of their choice for intercession. After an appeal, the Moirai take over, and determine if the accused should die: Atropos chooses the manner of death, and if the judgment is against the human, she cuts their life-thread with shears. If properly buried, the person's soul then descends to Hades, where the afterlife judgment occurs. But in most cases, humans have little choice in what happens to them as the result of Gods. We are judged not for our experiences, but for how we respond to them, for the unfortunate events in our lives are, in most cases, only the consequences of disputes in a higher plane. However there is an exception. If another person in our family has committed a terrible sin, then the taint in their blood spreads to our own. We will suffer for it in our life, and there is nothing was can do to change that. If the taint in our blood causes extreme consequences—such as us taking vengeance—We can only appeal to the Gods for clemency after death. And few who reach this point of study in politics or philosophy learn also of the ancient culture which produced his thought. To Aristotle, natural justice really was not a secular theory, but an ethical system with the same inevitably negative consequences as politics, due to fate. Ultimately, utterly unavoidable fate. It was the eternal yet futile hope of mankind to avoid it, and it is impossible to avoid. So while he writes himself on ethics, even Aristotle himself would prefer you to know what I write below. This is because, to understand the nature of his thought, one has to look far before and beyond Aristotle, 3,000 years ago, when a bard collected a set of stories about the conquest of Troy. To illustrate their importance, consider here how the ancient Greeks themselves interpreted the story of Troy's subjugation, which despite its widespread recount, is rarely spoken any more as it was: The Most Horrible Story in History First, after suitable excuse of abduction (where in fact the damsel Helen wished to leave), the journey to conquest started with Agamemnon, a king so zealous for rapid success that he sacrificed his own daughter for good weather and rapid victory. A tremendously long account follows of the noble warriors and how they died fruitlessly. Where possible, heroes of each side fought 1-on-1, to avert unnecessarily slaying. Sometimes, even the greatest Greek heroes committing barbaric atrocities beyond redemption, to no avail. The Trojan heroes showed themselves on many occasions far greater and more noble, and were equally admired where due. At each hero's death, whichever side they be, even Gods lamented. But neither side had clear advantage, and the war waged on bitterly. After 7 years of disease, famine, pestilence, and destitution, the siege of Troy was finally won. The King returned home and was promptly murdered in his bathtub by his wife. Before the construction of the great amphitheaters, the fate of Troy was handed down from generation to generation through children who learned it phonetically from age 6. The first bards were the 'keepers of the flame.' Greece at that early time did not know how to start fire, and embers had to be nursed when trees were struck by lightning; and the verses were recited to keep them awake over the fires. Forhundreds of years, the stories were learned by rhyme. Sailors learned the stories from the bards because, if they could recite them to pirates as entertainment, their lives would be spared. And with their popularity, people sought to join in a peace where no such abomination would happen again, leading to the greatcity states, reaching all across the oceans from the Crimea to Israel. The city states had many different forms of government, but across the entire federation, the great amphitheatres were constructed, where people learned the myths which joined them together. As important as the Olympics (if not even more important), people traveled vast distances to attend the events, bringing food and drink to share, that they not miss one moment. Over three days of singing and dancing, the woe of Troy was told again, even recounted by new writers. Complete plays about Troy survive by Aeschylus (trilogy, 458 BCE), Euripides (420, 415, 414, 412, 408. 405 BCE), and Sophocles (442, 409, 401 BDE); and there are many dozens of fragments. "And so to this man here the blessed gods granted the taking of Troy, and he has come home with the gods' honour; but now if he is to pay for the blood of those before, and by his death to ordain vengeance for the dead in other deaths, who of mortal men, when he hears this, would boast of birth to a destiny without harm?" -Agamemnon, Aeschylus (Athens, 458 BCE) And so it was thatthe natural law which made democracy successful was not from philosophy, but that written by some of the greatest playwrights in history, first told over the embers of fires, then to the largest crowds as the greatest performances in the world as it was, describing the evil of war and its inevitable consequences for a thousand years. The Single Greatest Corruption Part of the reason that modern philosophers cannot easily understand Aristotle's ideas is not only because they derived from his culture, but also because, long since then, the meaning of the myths from which he derived his ideas on fate and the utter pointlessness of war have been almost totally eradicated. This is because, a THOUSAND YEARS after the siege of Troy, in ancient Rome during the life of Christ, emperor Augustus hired Virgil to write a new mythology for Rome. Virgil wrote the Aeneid, which changed the story so that it ends when his new invention, the Trojan horse. After the contrived deception, there story ends with a bloody massacre of all the remaining citizens in Troy, amid the cries of noble victory. Rome had destroyed Troy yet again. In the Roman rewrite, no king meets his deserved doom at the hands of his long neglected wife, who seeking vengeance for the loss of his daughters, eagerly awaits him to disrobe and put aside his sword before his slashing his neck in his bathtub. The entire story is not about futility and revenge, but the nobility and virtue of war. Instead of being a woeful story of the conqueror's demise, it became nothing but a glorified tribute to the heroic soldier who gives his life and all in the name of those who care little for his life at all. It remains that way to this day in virtually all telling. Fragments of Virgil may often be heard quoted on speeches on Memorial Day, adulating the magnificent efforts of those who give their life's blood in wonderful duty to the power that spawned them. No more was it a story of horror and warning. Instead it had become a repeated symbol of violent aggression. Even Greece itself lost its greatest homage to Homer. It had called itself "Hellas.' after Helen of Troy herself. Occasionally one still hears of the once greatHellenic Civilization, which sought commerce to unify city states rather than war. yet even when mentioned, it is rarely thought how the name signifies how much they loathed war and sought peace instead. Even now there is little remembrance at all for the horrible tragedy of Troy. Even its golden treasures, discovered again after three millennia, were secretly whisked away to Moscow after World War 2. So ends this sad yet proud tale of ancient Greece, and the natural law of fate, in which Aristotle believed, and for which reason, he sought a better way for all. For no one chooses to be at war, or provokes war, for the sake of being at war....So if among excellent actions political and military actions are distinguished by nobility and greatness, and these are unleisurely and aim at an end and are not desirable for their own sake, but the activity of intellect, which is contemplative, seems both to be superior in worth and to aim at no end beyond itself, and to have its pleasure proper to itself (and this augments the activity), and the self-sufficiency, leisureliness, unweariedness (so far as this is possible for man), and all the other attributes ascribed to the blessed man are evidently those connected with this activity, it follows that this will be the complete happiness of man. -Nicomachean Ethics, 10:7, Aristotle, (Athens, 420 BCE) Aristotle described many corruptions, but none of those he described are any worse. The greatest corruption is the destroyed and forgotten reason why Aristotle designed his system of democracy; the reason why, despite all the impossible ideals, despite all that which others would call cynicism, despite all the failures, despite all the impossibly inescapable fates...The reason why Aristotle remained cheerful: he was designing a practical way to end war forever. But his own vision was itself corrupted by the evils he tried to encapsulate and protect against. Propagandists even use the idealism of democracy itself as a reason for war. This is not to say that barbaric ideas of conquest and military vengeance did not occur in the Hellenic world. Aristotle himself failed to Alexander the Great not to attempt conquest of Persia. It is true that Alexander the Great was an incredible military commander in both tactics and strategy, but he could not create the synthesis of his conquered peoples with democratic ideals in the empire that he aimed to create; and upon his death, it rapidly collapsed, just as Aristotle predicted. But this was not the greatest corruption of Aristotle's ideas either. The single greatest corruption, which has caused the greatest loss of life, was the rewriting of the history of Troy.The nobilification of war, rather than heroes, causes even democracy itself to be used as an excuse for war against other nations, even after the exemplification of such failure by Alexander the Great, who in his youthful exuberance in the virtues of Hellenic thought, only proved again how Homer was right: no matter how much we can admire the hero's virtues of valor and courage, there is never a justification to instigate the horrific scenarios of war, no matter how much the despots who do so point to its wileful ends. TheHuainanzi, written in 139 BCE, attempt to define the necessary conditions for perfect socio-political order. Formed during the Second Imperial Dynasty, it is a synthesis of Taoist and Confucian ideas into legalism by a group of scholars known as the Huang-Lao. The Huang-Lao school itself lasted about 200 years, but Neoconfucianists adopted its ideas of natural law into their thought, so the principle still remains at the heart of both political philosophy and law, even surviving the cultural revolution, Maoism, and the Communist Party of China. Its study is relatively rare in the West, partly because its approach is rather alien to the Western mind. William Ralph Inge (1860–1954), a Cambridge professor of divinity, observed similarities between ideas of natural law in theHuainanzi andthe Neoplatonism of Proclus and Plotinus. Medieval thought regarded the universe as an articulated whole, and everything in it as both a part and a whole. The world is cosmos, a divinely instituted harmony. And, in accordance with the Neoplatonic philosophy, the higher principle is not divided up when it 'comes down' in its creative power to give life and order to the lower ranks of being. It is present everywhere in its entirety, though enfeebled to a greater or less degree in its operation, from its admixture with lower existences. Therefore, every institution and even every individual is a microcosm or minor mundus (hsiao tien). God, the Absolute One, is above the plurality of the world, the source and also the goal of every living being. Hence thelex eterna>, the eternal law of God, permeates all the apparent multiplicity of the world. 'All multitude', it was said, 'is derived from the One, and is brought back to the One': in other words, all order consists in the subordination of plurality to unity. The heavenly bodies have their unity in the primum mobile. So, in societies, there must be a unum regens in every whole.The State Invisible is the kingdom of absolute values, the kingdom of eternal life. -Huainanzi, Forward, William Ralph Inge (Cambridge, England. 1933) This 'State Invisible' is T‛ai Ch‛ing, connects to Western ideas of 'state of nature,' but different in being sublime, rather than simply an imagined state of physical existence without authority, and also derived from the One, as in Plotinus and Proclus: Felicity of all order in the Cosmic Spirit. The rule of the T‛ai Ch‛ing was in accord with Heaven, and beneficial to creation. Nature (hsing) was constant, the spirit simple and centered, (i.e. not scattered over a multitude of things). The mind had no appetites, (desire): it was quiescent: it was active, not stagnant. Mental activities were inwardly consonant with the Tao, and outward activities were in agreement with right. The activities of the mind worked artistically; action was correct with benefit to things. Words were prized and in accord with reason. Actions were simple and direct, in accordance with nature. The mind was contented and without cunning.Actions were simple and without ostentation. So there was no recourse to horoscopy and divination of the eight signs and the tortoise. There was no thought of where to begin and how to end. (There was no such thing as scheming policy). Action took place when it was demanded. Principles were embodied: the spirit of Yin and Yang were envisaged. All was in conformity with the four seasons. All was bright and clear as the sun and moon: man was a fit mate of the Creator. Hence Heaven overshadowed them with grace, and Earth sustained them with life. The four seasons did not lose their order, nor did the wind and rain fall with violence. The sun and moon were limpid and lucent, shining in their brightness, and the five planets moved in their orbits without error. During these periods the primal fluid was surpassingly glowing (in men of the period) and transmitted its brilliancy. The phoenix and the Lin nestled on the land; the divining grass and tortoise were found. The fattening dews descended; the flowering bamboo came to ripeness; the yellow jade appeared; the vermillion grass showed itself in the palace precincts. Portents of good omen were all these. Men's hearts were free from secret craftiness and the smartness of cunning. -Huainanzi, Chapter 4: "Natural Law," the Huang-Lao (China, c.139 BCE) From this origin, the rulers gained a life of decadent abundance, whereas the poor had not even enough to furnish their homes: Decadent age marked by Luxury and poverty. When we arrive at the decadent age, we find that men dug into the mountains for precious stones. They wrought metal and jade into cunning vessels and broke open oysters in search of pearls: they melted brass and iron; the whole of nature withered under the exploitation. They ripped open the pregnant and slew the young, untimely (in order to get skins and furs). The Chilin, as a result, did not visit the land. They broke down nests and despoiled the birds that had not lain, so that the phoenix no longer hovered around. They drilled wood for fire: they piled up timber to make verandahs and balustrades: they burnt forests to drive out game and drained the waters for fish. In spite of this, the furniture at the service of the people was not enough for their use, whilst the luxuries of the rulers were abundant. Thus, the world of life partially failed and things miscarried so that the larger half of creation failed of fruition. -Huainanzi, 4.2, the Huang-Lao (China, c.139 BCE) In response to the exploitation of the land, nature became savage, causing natural disasters. Those in authority divided the land, built walled cities for self defense; and punished those resisting them. From the need to maintain authority, they created soldiers, from which wars and strife arose. This disrupts the natural order. Cosmic order deranged by human enmity In the course of time, the mountains and streams were divided into boundaries and frontiers: censuses of the people were taken in order to know the population of this place and that: cities were built and moats and dykes dug: barriers were erected and weapons forged, for defensive purposes: officials were created for the departments with various robes and badges and with laws: they differentiated classes and masses and distinguished the worthy from the vulgar: they organized a system of reprimands and approbations, of rewards and punishments. Following these, there arose soldiers; and firearms were made, which gave birth to wars and strife. The untimely death and annihilation of the oppressed people ensued. There was arbitrary murder of the guiltless, and the punishment and death of the innocent. These inequities all sprang up at these times and on such occasions. The harmonious cooperation of Heaven and Earth, the evolution of creation by the Yin and Yang depends on the spirit of man. Hence, when there is an estrangement between the classes and masses or rulers and the people, the very air of Heaven becomes noxious and disorganized: when prince and minister are not in harmony, the crops in the fields fail to ripen. -Huainanzi, 4.3-4, the Huang-Lao (China, c.139 BCE) Govern by Ethical Spirit, without Benevolence From this, it is asserted thatpeople are fundamentally good. The best course of action is thereforewuwei, non-action (as from Taoist philosophy). Dissent can arise from two sources: exploitation by those in authority, and excessive indulgence in pleasures by the subjects. The method to remove dissent is to reassert the divine order, by enforcing the highest ethics. Desires for greater wealth will then not cause insurrection, and the people can enjoy amusements without invocation of avarice, which is the danger to the ruler. That is, the objective of the ruler is allow goodness, prevent dissent by force, and to govern by spirit, rather by than setting any particular rules. With good spirit, the government is successful. With ill spirit, the government fails. When the spirit which is ordained by heaven is centered on spiritual things and is free from passion, and when this spirit of wu wei is prevalent, the people will be good. People's nature being virtuous, Nature and the Auras are favorable and afford protection. Thus, then, wealth will be enough, and men will be contented; neither cupidity, avarice, strife nor war will arise. It is clear that, under such conditions, benevolence and duty have no place in the economy. When ethics and moral nature are predominant in the world and the people are simple and unaffected, then it will follow that the eye will not be influenced by beauty nor the ear be ravished by lascivious strains. Amusements, theatricals, merrymaking and jollity, even if they were the allurements of the beauties, Mao Ch‛iang and Hsi Shih, will stir up no desire. Neither will classical music, and dance of Piao Yu and Wu Hsiang give rise to mirth. Being unaffected by lewdness, it is clear that ceremony and music have no place under such a condition. -Huainanzi, 4.3-4, the Huang-Lao (China, c.139 BCE) From this, it is deduced that the perfect order is best maintained by a single ruler, the emperor, with kings under him. The kings in turn have autocrats and princes under them, hierarchically. The princes avoids exploitation of natural resources and enforces, by any extent of punishment necessary, the good behavior of his subjects. Characteristics of good rule. Heaven and Earth and animated with the obligations due to tao and te: his intelligence is clear as the noontide; his spirit is identified with creation: his activity and rest synchronize with Yin and Yang: his joy and anger act in cordiality with the Four Seasons. His virtuous charity reaches the most distant parts, and his name is transmitted to later generations. This is the man, the Emperor, who embodies the principles of the T‛ai I. The King imitates Yin and Yang; his virtue stands on a par with Heaven and Earth; his intelligence is comparable with the sun and moon; his spiritual character is like the divinities. He is similar to Heaven and Earth (they are the round and square); he maintains the principles of right, justice and truth. Able to govern himself, he obtains the adhesion of men. So there are none in the empire who do not follow and give general assent to laws and commands, as they are issued and promulgated. The Autocrat copies the Four Seasons and acts flexibly, but not with impatience, firmly, but not with harshness, generously, but not with excess, eagerly, but not refractorily. Leisurely, flexibly, deliberately, persistently he acts so as to nourish the various things and affairs of life. His goodness tolerates the simple, and suffers the reprobates. There is no trace of a baleful partiality. The Princes use the Six Laws, suppress anarchy, arrest the violent, advance the worthy and degrade the unfit: they brush away the incompetent and forcibly correct them: they straighten out the rough and awkward and bend the crooked to make him straight. These know what to prohibit and permit, what to encourage and what to discourage. Following the spirit of the times and popular ideas, they act so as to command the allegiance of men. Abuse of the proper order leads to failure.Now, when he who is emperor acts in sympathy with Yin and Yang (and not with God, as he should) he will suffer from the aggression of others. When the king imitates the Four Seasons, he will have his territories sliced away. When the autocrat uses the six laws, he will suffer shame at the hands of his neighbors. When the prince loses his square and line i.e. righteousness and justice, he will see the defection of his people. -Huainanzi, 4.17-18, the Huang-Lao (China, c.139 BCE) The Huang-Laos' idea, to merge Confucian and Taoist ideas into legalism, resulted in a syncretic system ofheavenly law, wherein all are held to the highest ethical order. Within this, there is no social contract between the people and authority, and the people have no rightsper se. However, when presenting cases of dispute to authority, the method of justice is not based on actions, but rather on ethical quality. A person who is of good ethical fiber can present a grievance against a less ethical person and expect to win. As for limits of authority,everyone is expected to live to the same high moral standards, so authority itself is under continual and vigilant criticism by the court. One rather might feel that a good emperor has a very miserable life, and a bad emperor a very short one. When one examines the actual history after the Han Dynasty (or Second Imperial Dynasty, c.204BCE~24AD), it does seem such a feeling has a sound basis. After the Han Dynasty's end, no single dynasty lasted as long until the Tang Dynasty (or the Ninth Imperial Dynasty, 618-907). In between the 2nd and 9th Imperial Dynasties, many debates about varying interpretations of Taoism and Confucianism continued. the debates were further complicated by increasing Buddhism. With no clear resolution, no policies founded on any one of the schools of political thought remained dominant for any significant period of time, and the emperors muddled through in various ways. - Aeschylus.Oresteia (Athens, 458 BCE). Trans. E.D.A. Morshead [Oxford, 1885]. Retrieved fromhttp://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks07/0700021h.html. - Aristotle.Politics (Athens, 360 BCE). Trans. Benjamin Jowet [Oxford University Press, 1892]. Retrieved fromhttp://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/politics.html. - Aristotle.Nicomachean Ethics (Macedonia, Greece. c.350 BCE). Trans. W.D. Ross . Retrieved fromhttp://www.constitution.org/ari/ethic_00.htm. - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. India (C.700 BCE). trans. Swāmī Mādhavānanda . Retrieved fromhttp://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-brihadaranyaka-upanishad. - Confucius.Analects (China, c.500 BCE). Trans. James Legge . Retrieved fromhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/cfu/conf1.htm. - Dao fa, 1.1-1.2.Huángdì Sìjīng(Yellow Emperor's Four Classics) (<160 BCE). Trans. Henry Lu [Victoria, Canada. 1971]. Retrieved fromhttp://blackhistoryfactorfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/yellow-emperors-internal-medicine.pdf. - Egyptian Book of the Dead.The Papyrus of Ani (Luxor, Egypt. C.1560 BCE) trans. E. A. Wallis Budge . Retrieved fromhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/. - Euripides.Andromache (Athens, 425 BCE). - Euripides.Hecuba (Athens, 424 BCE) trans. E. P. Coleridge . Retrieved from http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/hecuba.html. - Euripides.Electra (Athens, 420 BCE). - Euripides.The Trojan Women (Athens, 415 BCE). - Euripides.Iphigenia in Tauris (Athens, 414 BCE). - Euripides.Helena (Athens, 412 BCE). - Euripides.Orestes (Athens, 408 BCE). - Euripides.Iphigenia in Aulis (Athens, 405 BCE). - Facorellis, Yorgos, M. Sofronidou, and G. Hourmouziadis.Radiocarbon. "Radiocarbon Dating of the Neolithic Lakeside Settlement of Dispilio, Rastoria, Northern Greece." (University of Arizona, 2014). Retrieved fromhttps://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/radiocarbon/article/view/17456/pdf. - Fogelin, Lars.An Archaeological History of Indian Buddhism (Oxford University Press, 2015). Retrieved fromhttps://books.google.com/books?id=yPZzBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 - Gaius.The Commentaries of Gaius and Rules of Ulpian (Rome, 161-185). Trans. J.T.Abdy and Bryan Walker [Cambridge, 1870]. Retrieved fromhttps://archive.org/stream/commentariesgai00walkgoog. - Hesiod.Works and Days (Boeotia, c.700 BCE) trans. Hugh G. Evelyn-White . Retrieved fromhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hesiod/theogony.htm. - Hesiod.The Theogony of Hesiod (Boeotia, c.700 BCE) trans. Hugh G. Evelyn-White . Retrieved fromhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hesiod/theogony.htm. - Homer.The Iliad (Greece, c.740 BCE). - Homer.The Odyssey (Greece, c.720 BCE). - Kesh Temple Hymn. (Nippur, Iraq. c.2600 BCE). Retrieved fromhttp://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section4/tr4802.htm. - Kirk, G.S., J.E.Raven and M.Schofield.The Presocratic Philosophers (Cambridge University Press, 1957). Retrieved fromhttps://books.google.com/books?id=kFpd86J8PLsC. - Lao-tzu.Tao Te Ching (China, c.500 BCE). trans. J. Legge . Retrieved fromhttp://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/taote.htm. - Nagel, Thomas.What is it like to be a bat? (The Philosophical Review, Vol. 83, No. 4 (Oct., 1974). Retrieved fromhttp://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/activities/modules/ugmodules/humananimalstudies/lectures/32/nagel_bat.pdf. - Norman, K.R.Indological and Buddhist Studies, "The Four Noble Truths" (Pali Text Society. Oxford, 2003). Retrieved fromhttp://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/Articles/The%20Four%20Noble%20Truths_Norman_PTS_2003.pdf. - Ovid.Metamorphoses (Rome, 8) trans. Sir Samuel Garthet al. . Retrieved fromhttp://ovid.lib.virginia.edu/va1717/Bk1.html. - Piaget, J..The role of action in the development of thinking (Springer US, 1977). Retrieved fromhttp://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4684-2547-5_2. - Pinker, Stephen.The Language Instinct (Harvard, 1994). Retrieved fromhttp://stevenpinker.com/publications/language-instinct. - Plato.Cratylus (Athens, c.400 BCE) trans. Benjamin Jowett [Oxford University Press, 1892]. Retrieved fromhttp://classics.mit.edu/Plato/cratylus.html. - Plato.The Gorgias (Athens, c.390 BCE). Trans. Benjamin Jowett [Oxford, 1856]. Retrieved fromhttp://classics.mit.edu/Plato/gorgias.html. - Plato.The Republic (Athens, c.360 BCE). Trans. Benjamin Jowett [Oxford, 1856] Retrieved fromhttp://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.html. - Seth-Peribsen Tomb Texts (Abydos, Egypt, c.2686 BCE). Trans. Francesco Raffaele [undated]. Retrieved fromhttp://xoomer.virgilio.it/francescoraf/hesyra/pribsn.htm. - Schmitt, Carl.The Concept of the Political (Berlin, 1927). Retrieved fromhttps://archive.org/stream/CarlSchmittsConceptOfThePolitical/CarlSchmittsConceptOfThePolitical_djvu.txt. - Sophocles.Ajax (Athens, 442 BCE). - Sophocles.Philoctetes (Athens, 409 BCE). - Sophocles.Electra (Athens, c.401 BCE). - Virgil.Eclogue (Rome, c.38 BCE). Retrieved fromhttp://classics.mit.edu/Virgil/eclogue.html. - Virgil.Georgics (Rome, c.29 BCE). Retrieved fromhttp://www.theoi.com/Text/VirgilGeorgics1.html.

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Cold weather is not the only thing just around the corner. You never know when disaster will strike… from a devastating natural disaster to civil unrest and chaos. So, just because cold weather is around the corner doesn’t mean you need to put away your rake, soil and seeds. For most gardeners, the late fall brings the last harvest of the season, but if you prepare your vegetable patch properly, you can continue to produce quality food for your stockpile through the frost and beyond. Here are some tips to help you reap the rewards of your survival garden this winter. If you don’t have the right type of outdoor soil for gardening or you simply don’t have the space, you can grow certain types of vegetables inside during the winter. In many cases, if you have the right amount of sunlight in your home, you can grow all of the winter crops in a container, including lettuce, herbs, peas, carrots and radishes. If you’re short on sunlight, you can invest in a halide lamp, which will offer your plants more light. If you’ve ever planted seeds for winter friendly items and yet you get no results, it could be that you ignored your seed’s stratification requirements. “Many plants that were originally grown in cold weather have evolved to develop a natural understanding to survive by requiring a six-month cold period before they will sprout,” says Tony Avent. “A stratification period is normally three or six months, depending on the plant. You’ll sow the seed, and then it will require that many months of cold weather, typically below 40 degrees, before it will come up.” The stratification period varies from plant to plant, so you’ll want to investigate how many chilling hours your particular plant requires by investing in a good seed book that will delineate the stratification period of each seed, Avent advises. The late autumn yield from your garden should still be rich with tomatoes, peppers and peas, especially if you picked the first round in late summer and quickly repaired and replanted in your beds. These canning and stockpile essentials can be kept hardy even through a light frost with a portable greenhouse or homemade covering. Many nurseries and hardware stores, in addition to online seed companies, offer several inexpensive covers for winter seed and frost gardening cultivation. Make sure you scoop out the seeds from these fruits and vegetables, allowing them to dry for up to two weeks before storing. Your family table should be topped with squash, pumpkin and cucumber delights from your earlier harvest right now. It’s essential that you collect the seeds while preparing or dividing these vegetables and gourds for your pantry. Occasionally, gourd and squash seeds do not produce the same quality season after season, so it’s always a good idea to purchase new seeds just in case. Pumpkin seeds are also a wonderful cold day snack when toasted over a fire and sprinkled with salt; thus, they do the double duty of being both a future crop and treat. Most greens used both in salads and for cooking will flourish in a cold climate, and they can be counted on in bleak times to bring a bounty of healthy food to your table and pantry. “Turnips, lettuce and collard greens will grow very well in winter,” says Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to sow your leafy greens seeds. To ensure plentiful results, plant a variety of cold-loving greens. It’s a good idea to cover the soil with a light mulch to keep the dirt around the seeds warmer from frost. The greens will thrive in a colder climate, but a covering might prove helpful to increase the produce yield. With a watchful eye and careful touch, your survival garden will be full of lettuces all winter long. After you have harvested your fall crops, you can begin “overwintering” your garden. Overwintering means planting and preparing your beds for your early spring vegetables. After you adapt the recently harvested soil, root and bulb vegetables like carrots, turnips, beets, onions, garlic and rutabagas are all excellent products to sow in your space for overwintering. They will need to be in the growing process before you cover the soil with a layer of mulch and may look lackluster and dreary for a while. Broccoli and cauliflower as well as leafy greens like spinach, kale and chard can also be planted now. When the days begin to get longer and winter is waning, your survival garden will begin to emerge again with many tasty veggies. As the temperatures begin to rise and only a light frost comes at night, it’s time to brush away the heavy dirt and let your plants grow. Your winter garden will produce an early spring harvest and a bounty for your disaster pantry. Because you never know what is just around the corner. You’ve planted your tomatoes and harvested the delicious results all summer, only to assume that you would have to rely on your canning and jarring to get you through the winter—but then you discover a fresh tomato on the vine—in November! Many gardeners experience this anomaly, often the result of a warm autumn or placing the tomatoes in a well-lit area. These harvests are safe to eat, although they may not taste as delicious as the summer crop. The Urban Garden Guide : Growing greens in a gray landscape Best Indoor House Plants: A guide to greener room and greener life The Basics of Using Natural Pest Control for Gardens How to mow a lawn: a beginner guide Best Solo Backpack Weed and Garden Sprayer Reviews Best Spiked Lawn Aerator Shoes and Sandals Reviews for Gardening How to grow garlic from bulb 7 easiest tea herbs to grow in your garden (#3 is my favorite)

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Caring for the teeth is a vital gesture that begins in the early stage of life. But with age, dental problems follow one another, teeth that crack, gums that bleed, teeth that come off. These occurrences are accustomed because of the teeth age as the body. For this reason, it is advisable for aging parents to regularly consult a dentist, take before and after dental procedure photos to know if actually, they are making progress. Preventive actions and oral hygiene measures are recommended to preserve your teeth as long as possible. Here are some tips from a dental hygienist. Causes of Oral Problems in Aging Parents Even if dental hygiene is thorough and regular, the teeth do not escape age, the aging of dental tissues and the erosion of enamel. Here are the causes of the phenomena that promote dental deterioration. The gums tend to retract as they get aged. It uncovers the root of the tooth which is then more vulnerable to cavities. Dental caries may appear around the old fillings that crack. One of the main problems of the dentition of the elderly is, therefore, the retraction of the gums. Dental areas and spaces are exposed directly and become sensitive to hot, cold, acid or sweet. This sensitivity can be as the upshot of the existence of caries. Dentures, removable or fixed appliances make life easier for older people, but their maintenance requires to be done carefully. It is a good idea to follow the recommendations of the dental hygienist or your trusted dentist. Gum disease affects people of all ages. The causes are diverse: - An unbalanced diet - Defective oral hygiene - Drug treatments - The bad habits of life: the stress, the smoking, the alcohol - Dry Mouth It is a recurring problem in the elderly that can be accentuated by taking medication. This can damage teeth and cause bad breath (halitosis). To prevent the mouth from drying up, it is recommended to drink regularly and not to smoke. Diabetes, cardio problem, cancer and, certain diseases are harmful to the state of oral health, and that whatever the age, the most frequent problems with age are: - The reduction of teeth and toothache - Wear of tooth enamel - Gingivitis that Destroy the Nectar Impacts of bad teething and tooth loss have adverse health and morale effects, weight loss because the person cannot eat normally, undernutrition, isolation, addiction, lack of self-esteem, poor digestion because chewing is not optimal, faced with this, the dentist has solutions.

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Without blood, the human body would simply stop working. This essential fluid of life dispenses crucial nutrients throughout the body, exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide, and carries our immune system’s ‘militia’ to stave off infections. But not all blood is equal, and in the event of a transfusion, mixing incompatible blood types can lead to death. Distribution of blood types There are 4 main blood groups: A, B, AB and O, of which group O is the most common. In the United States, the average distribution of blood types is as follows: - O-positive: 38 percent - O-negative: 7 percent - A-positive: 34 percent - A-negative: 6 percent - B-positive: 9 percent - B-negative: 2 percent - AB-positive: 3 percent - AB-negative: 1 percent Different racial and ethnic groups typically see a different distribution. For instance, 45 percent of Caucasians are type O, but 51 percent of African-Americans and 57 percent of Hispanics are type O, according to the Red Cross. This Wikipedia page has the blood type distribution in every country. Type O is the most demanded blood type in hospitals, both because it’s the most common and because O-negative blood is a universal donor type, meaning it is compatible with any blood type. Conversely, type AB-positive blood is called the universal recipient type because a person who has it can receive blood of any type. How blood type is determined Like eye color, blood type is genetically inherited from your parents. Whether your blood group is type A, B, AB or O is based on the blood types of your mother and father. For instance, if your mum is AB and your dad is A, you can expect to be A, B, or AB. If mum is AB and dad is O, the child will have an A or B blood type. When both parents are A, the child will have either O or A. Blood is essentially made up of two types of blood cells (red and white), platelets, and a fluid called plasma. About half the blood (45%) is made up of blood cells, with the remaining 55% being plasma. Millions of blood cells are produced daily in the bone marrow, the soft spongy material that fills up bone cavities. A person’s blood type is determined by proteins found on the surface of red blood cells called antigens. If antigen A is present in the red blood cells, then you have type A blood, while having B antigen present means you have type B blood. If both A and B are present, you have type AB blood. If neither antigen is present, you have type O blood. Besides the ABO classification, there’s also another blood type grouping that involves Rhesus (Rh) factors. The name comes from the Rhesus monkeys, in which such proteins were first discovered. Rhesus factor D, which is the most important, is present in 85% of people, making them Rhesus positive. The remaining 15% are grouped Rhesus negative. The Rh grouping can be very important in some situations. For instance, a baby’s life can be endangered if it inherits a Rhesus positive blood type from the father while the mother is Rhesus negative — in such a situation, the mother can form antibodies against her own baby’s blood. Blood groupings and transfusions In order to safely perform a blood transfusion, it’s essential that a patient receives a blood type that is compatible with their own. If the blood type is incompatible, the red blood cells can clump together, producing clots that block blood vessels and cause death. Generally, for the ABO grouping, blood transfusions follow these rules: - A person with type A can donate to a person with type A or AB. - A person with type B blood can donate to a person with type B or AB. - A person with AB type blood can only donate to a person with AB. However, a person with blood type AB can receive blood from anyone, being the universal recipient. - A person with O type blood can donate to anyone, being the universal donor. This is because type O blood has no antigen on the surface of its red blood cells. However, people with type O blood can only receive type O. People with Rh-positive blood can receive either positive or negative donations but those who have Rh-negative blood can only receive other Rh negative blood. Doctors will test your blood before you are allowed to donate or receive blood. However, in the event of an emergency when the patient’s blood type is unknown, type O blood will be used. It’s important to note that there are more than 600 other known antigens, the presence or absence of which creates “rare blood types.” The ABO grouping works just fine for most people, but in some rare cases, certain blood types may be unique to specific ethnic or racial groups. For instance, many patients with sickle cell disease require an African-American blood donation. That’s why it’s still ideal to match a blood donation type to its recipient exactly, accounting for both antigen types and Rh factor.

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Winning The Hunger Games -One of the greatest challenges of our time World leaders, through the United Nations, have adopted the most ambitious agenda in human history - the Sustainable Development Goals. Among the 17 goals, which are focused on people, planet and prosperity, is a call for zero hunger by 2030. Never before has humanity had such an opportunity. The world is now echoing the call that The Hunger Project declared in 1977 - it is time to end hunger, once and for all. More than 795 million people – or one in nine people in the world – do not have enough to eat. At the same time, roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption gets lost or wasted. However, hunger is connected to so much more than food. The Hunger Project firmly believes that empowering women to act as key change agents is an essential element to achieving the end of hunger and poverty. Join us for a panel talk where we discuss how the issue of hunger is interconnected with many other aspects of development. How can we here in Sweden contribute to end world hunger? Which role does gender equality play? What kind of leadership and what approaches are needed to solve the issue of hunger?

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Essentially all Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria that gain access to the circulation are plucked out of the bloodstream by the intravascular macrophages of the liver — the Kupffer cells. It is also thought that these bacteria are disseminated via the bloodstream to other organs. Our data show that S. aureus inside Kupffer cells grew and escaped across the mesothelium into the peritoneal cavity and immediately infected GATA-binding factor 6–positive (GATA6+) peritoneal cavity macrophages. These macrophages provided a haven for S. aureus, thereby delaying the neutrophilic response in the peritoneum by 48 hours and allowing dissemination to various peritoneal and retroperitoneal organs including the kidneys. In mice deficient in GATA6+ peritoneal macrophages, neutrophils infiltrated more robustly and reduced S. aureus dissemination. Antibiotics administered i.v. did not prevent dissemination into the peritoneum or to the kidneys, whereas peritoneal administration of vancomycin (particularly liposomal vancomycin with optimized intracellular penetrance capacity) reduced kidney infection and mortality, even when administered 24 hours after infection. These data indicate that GATA6+ macrophages within the peritoneal cavity are a conduit of dissemination for i.v. S. aureus, and changing the route of antibiotic delivery could provide a more effective treatment for patients with peritonitis-associated bacterial sepsis. Selina K. Jorch, Bas G.J. Surewaard, Mokarram Hossain, Moritz Peiseler, Carsten Deppermann, Jennifer Deng, Ania Bogoslowski, Fardau van der Wal, Abdelwahab Omri, Michael J. Hickey, Paul Kubes

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In October, 1943, Albert Schatz discovered streptomycin, the first effective treatment for tuberculosis and gram negative organisms, when he was a 23 year old graduate student at Rutgers University. Streptomycin saved millions of lives and resulted in the closing of countless TB sanatoriums around the world. This website contains information and media by and about Albert Schatz. For more on Albert Schatz, please contact us or visit his archived collections in the Special Collections Department, Temple University,

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Repost from Outside Magazine, December 2014 [Editor: Don’t miss the excellent 3-minute video. Scroll down, and expand to full screen mode. – RS] The High Cost of Oil The crude that would feed the XL pipeline comes from a once pristine part of Alberta that now resembles mining operations on a sci-fi planet. At places like Fort McKay, home to First Nations people who’ve lived there for centuries, the money is great but the environmental and health impacts are exceedingly grim. The world has to have fuel. Is this simply the price that must be paid?By: Ted Genoways, November 11, 2014 Less than a year after the end of World War II, when Celina Harpe was just seven, she sat beside her grandfather on the steps of his cabin, overlooking the Athabasca River in the northern reaches of Alberta. “It was spring,” she told me recently—the time of breakup, when the ground is still packed with pearlescent snow but the sun weakens the river ice until it cracks and starts to move. The force of the current pushed giant floes onto the banks and up the ridge. “Look at the beautiful river, the way it looks now,” her grandfather said. Adam Boucher was an elder of the Fort McKay First Nation, descended directly from the hereditary leaders of the Chipewyan people, who in the 19th century had intermarried with French and Scottish voyageurs as they established traplines for the North West Company and Hudson’s Bay Company. Boucher was a child when his uncle, as headman of the Chipewyan band, added his X to Treaty 8 with Queen Victoria, surrendering their ancestral land around Moose Lake to Canada and Great Britain in return for a reserve along the Athabasca. Aside from land used for logging, mining, or white settlements, the people of Fort McKay were promised unfettered rights to hunt and fish in perpetuity. “As long as the sun shines and the river flows and the hills don’t move,” Boucher later recalled. For people who see the oil industry as an all-consuming beast, tar-sands mining looks like the stark, apocalyptic endgame of fossil-fuel extraction. In the 50 years that followed, Boucher saw his people’s access to hunting grounds and traplines fenced off as logging interests moved in. And in 1946, after suffering through wartime shortages of oil and gas, Alberta’s provincial government unveiled a joint project with an Edmonton-based company called Oil Sands, Ltd. They made plans to build a test facility at Bitumount, barely 15 miles downriver, to prove the viability of an experimental hot-water process developed by Karl Clark of the Alberta Research Council, a provincial R&D corporation. The goal was to separate heavy-grade bitumen—a black, gooey form of petroleum, also known as tar sands—from the deposits underlying the ground all around Fort McKay. By the time of the ice breakup that year, the site had been cleared and crew quarters erected, and a power plant was swiftly being built. Seeing all this, Boucher feared losing access to the spruce bogs around McClelland Lake, not far from the Bitumount site, where First Nations people gathered blueberries, cranberries, and kinnikinnick. He worried that mining would inevitably harm the river. “You know the water is sacred?” he asked his granddaughter. “You know we need the trees?” Celina nodded. “Yeah, I understand that.” “I see it, what’s going to happen in the future,” Boucher said. “All the trees will be gone. They’re going to dig big holes, and they’re going to dig up all that black stuff. You know that tar? That’s what they’re after.” They sat quietly on his steps, watching the river move. “I won’t see it. I’m too old,” Boucher told her. “But if you have children, you’re going to have to tell them not to drink this river water.” Taking Canadian Highway 63 straight north from Fort McMurray, during the half-lit hours of the morning commute, I moved past the old downtown, with its bars and weekly-rate hotels, past the sprawling suburbs and high-speed ring road, into expanses of peat-rich muskeg and forests of tamarack and spruce. As the sun climbed, cars became scarce and the road seemed to stretch endlessly toward the horizon. Traveling from McMurray to McKay doesn’t take long—it’s less than 40 miles—but the transformation you see in that short distance is astounding. At first there were few signs of the massive development I’d been told to expect, but the farther I drove, the more industrial the scene became. There were 18-wheelers barreling up to unmarked interchanges and thundering into merge lanes, along with passenger coaches and repurposed school buses ferrying workers from camp barracks to a place that locals euphemistically call “the site.” The trucks and miners are headed not toward a single site but to a patchwork of them. If you were viewing this region from the air, you’d see a crazy quilt of open-pit mines flanking the Athabasca River for more than ten miles. There, at the bottom of cavernous quarries roughly 150 feet down, dragline conveyers scrape away at a dense layer of sandstone suffused with tar. The method of mining and refining this resource, the latest development in our desperate effort to extend the fossil-fuel era by a few more decades, is one of the most labor-intensive extraction processes ever undertaken. It requires grand-scale removal just to make the narrow profit margins work. More than 250 square miles of former boreal forest have already been stripped away, and by 2030 the industry hopes to extract all the mineable tar sands from the 1,853 square miles of deposits, an area larger than Rhode Island. Tar sands have been mined here on a smaller scale since the 1920s, but the U.S. government gave the industry a huge boost when it invaded Iraq in 2003, sending global oil prices sky-high. Since then two new pit mines have opened north of Fort McMurray, another three are under development, and still more extraction is on the way, by means of a process called SAG-D. That stands for steam-assisted gravity drainage, which involves using high-pressure steam to make the tar sands less viscous and easier to move through pipes. How you view these developments is something of a Rorschach test. For people who see the oil industry as an all-consuming beast, tar-sands mining looks like the stark, apocalyptic endgame of extreme fossil-fuel extraction. Environmentalists point out that all this massive machinery burns almost two barrels of oil for every three taken out; that the steam-separation process is one of the most water-intensive in the world; and that the resulting fuel, according to estimates by the U.S. State Department, emits about 17 percent more greenhouse gas when burned than standard light-grade crude (a number that watchdogs like the Natural Resources Defense Council insist is a lowball guess). The greatest concern is what happens if this development is allowed to continue. The oil industry itself estimates that less than 10 percent of tar-sands deposits in Alberta have been extracted. James Hansen, the former director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and one of the first scientists to sound the alarm about climate change in the 1980s, estimates that the remaining reserves of tar sands contain twice the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the entire global oil industry—in all of human history. Hansen has been unequivocal about the consequences if such resources are exploited. “If Canada proceeds, and we do nothing,” he wrote in a New York Times editorial, “it will be game over for the climate.” All of which might have escaped the attention of the American public if not for the Keystone XL pipeline. The proposed $7 billion project, intended to carry bitumen and a soup of chemical diluents from northern Alberta to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast—for further processing and shipment around the world—has turned into a six-year battle between environmentalists and industry supporters. As the proposal has made its way through State Department reviews and court fights, other pipelines carrying similar heavy-grade Alberta crude have ruptured in various parts of the U.S. The most notable are Enbridge’s Line 6B, which spilled more than a million gallons into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River in 2010, and ExxonMobil’s Pegasus pipeline, which in 2013 spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons in Mayflower, Arkansas. These accidents have forced people to ask just how safe it is to extract, transport, refine, and burn tar-sands crude. This has been a major controversy for years in the U.S., where the Obama administration is simultaneously attempting to placate environmentalists and encourage a fossil-fuels industry that has created more new jobs than most other sectors since the 2007 recession. It’s also a hot topic in Canada. Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipelines, which would carry tar sands to the Pacific Coast of British Columbia for shipment to China and other parts of Asia on oil tankers, have met with nearly a decade of heated opposition from Canadians—including more than 130 First Nations. Last year, to draw more attention to tar-sands development, Ontario native Neil Young traveled to the mining region to see things up close. “Fort McMurray looks like Hiroshima,” he declared afterward. “Fort McMurray is a wasteland.” Industry backers and mine employees were outraged, and many took to Twitter, posting photos of their backyards or favorite hiking spots with the hashtag #myhiroshima. To them, tar sands represent an economic lifeline and the gateway to North American energy independence. Many Albertans enjoy thumbing their noses at environmentalists, who they dismiss as whiney doomsayers. They also complain that critics have obsessed too much over the boomtown ugliness on view at Fort McMurray. The much covered gold-rush scene there has featured 40,000 young itinerant workers who have flocked to the region hoping to get rich quick, bars and gambling parlors lining the highway, rampant prostitution, Hell’s Angels competing with a Somali gang for control of the cocaine trade, and more than 100 traffic deaths in a span of only eight years. Two years ago, after yet another journalist wrote about the booze, drugs, and hookers, the town fathers of Fort McMurray, population 75,000, decided to clean up their image. They shuttered Teasers Strip Bar, the Oil Can Tavern, Diggers Variety Club, and the Oil Sands Hotel. Soon after, the whole sin district was razed and turned into a parking lot. Mine workers now do their drinking inside the locked-down confines of the residential camps, which sit roughly 20 miles north of Fort McMurray and are closed off with chain-link fencing and barbed wire to thwart nosy reporters, including this one. Officials at both of the main companies operating in the area—Suncor and Syncrude—declined to let me view mining operations or the camps when I was in Alberta. Meanwhile, though the short-term social ills of the extraction boom may have been tamed a bit, there’s been surprisingly little discussion of the long-term environmental consequences for the string of First Nations villages along the Athabasca River, downstream from the interconnected tailings ponds of chemical by-products produced by the tar-sands refining process. Neil Young’s Hiroshima comparison grabbed headlines, but his more explosive claim focused on research presented by provincial doctors working in those communities. “The native peoples are dying,” Young said at a September 2013 press conference in Washington, D.C. “People are sick. People are dying because of this. All the First Nations people up there are threatened.” When I called Celina Harpe, now age 75 and an elder in the Dene band of the Fort McKay First Nation, she said it was true. People were dying young and unexpectedly, of rare and aggressive forms of cancer. “By the time they find out, they’re on stage four,” she said. “Too late. They’re gone.” She urged me to come see for myself but discouraged the idea of staying overnight. The lights of the 24-hour mining operations just over the ridge meant that her village was never dark anymore, and the echoes of nearby air cannons all through the night made it impossible to sleep. “You go to bed, it’s like you’re in a war zone.” Worst of all, everything her grandfather predicted had come to pass. The trees were being clear-cut, the moose and beavers were disappearing. All the native villages along the Athabasca River were fearful of contamination. And just as her grandfather had warned, it wasn’t safe to drink the water. The headwaters of the Athabasca pool up under the Columbia Icefield in Alberta’s Jasper National Park before running north, carrying snowmelt for more than 800 miles. In the 19th century, when Scottish fur traders hit impassible rapids during their explorations, they put out and founded Fort McMurray. Eventually they pushed farther north, establishing traplines, searching out navigable routes to the Arctic, and founding Fort McKay and Fort Chipewyan, where the river widens and empties into Lake Athabasca. Fort McKay, with just over 400 permanent residents, has traditionally been the least developed and discussed of these settlements—neither as big and hurly-burly as Fort Mac nor as remote and idyllic as Fort Chip. Instead, McKay has been significant as the contact point, the place where the ambitions of white traders (and, later, white loggers and oil speculators) meet the traditional interests of northern bands dependent on wild game for food and fur-bearing animals for warmth and shelter. McKay was never accessible enough to be subsumed by the arrival of white culture, but it was too close not to feel its impact—especially after the arrival of Highway 63 in 1964, and then the logging road that connected the boreal forests north of McKay to the highway that leads back to McMurray. In the late sixties, the Alberta government partnered with Sunoco to form the Great Canadian Oil Sands consortium—today known as Suncor. Soon after, the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo sent oil prices soaring, and provincial regulators ushered through a second project, known as Syncrude. This was the beginning of a decades-long struggle that pitted the people of Fort McKay against the collective clout of Canada’s largest petroleum companies, with the government—a party that had a vested financial interest—serving as sole adjudicator. Seemingly unchecked by regulations, the mines expanded into giant black caverns, where massive shovel loaders now scoop the coal-like rock, 70 tons at a time, into dump trucks three stories tall. Heavy haulers deliver mined material into a double-roll crusher, then a conveyor system carries the ground-up rock into a cyclofeeder. In sprawling coking and refining facilities, hot water melts the tar sands into a slurry, sending clouds of thick smoke and steam across the landscape. What remains is chemically separated to produce a thin top layer of bitumen froth, but everything else—the heavy sand, the toxic wastewater, and the leftover chemicals—is by-product, and it’s emptied into tailings ponds the size of enormous lakes. As I drove along the highway, piles of discarded sand, held for eventual reclamation, swirled up into a lashing white dust storm, mixing with the smoke and fly ash billowing from the stacks of an on-site refinery at Syncrude. The embankment dam along the road, the main containment wall for the Mildred Lake Settling Basin, is more than 11 miles long, one of the largest earthen dams on the planet. At the time, the rainbow-sheened ponds bracketing the highway spread across more than 50 square miles of former wetlands, and they are expanding at a rate of nearly half a billion gallons each day. Lakes this large and foul have an impact. In April 2008, Robert Colson, a heavy-equipment operator with Syncrude, spotted what he could only describe as lumps floating on the company’s nearby Aurora tailings pond. He had been puzzling over the scene for a few minutes when a group of ducks came flapping in and landed. “And that’s when I realized what was going on,” he said later. More than 1,600 migrating waterfowl were killed on that day alone. When I pulled off onto a sandy turnout to get a better look at the Mildred Lake Basin, I could see a parade of empty yellow hazmat suits propped up on the banks and set bobbing on tethered oil drums in the lakes. Their arms stretched wide in a pantomime of panic, they served as makeshift scarecrows, nicknamed “bitu-men.” I could hear the constant fire of 100-decibel air cannons, installed on the shoreline and timed to go off intermittently to frighten away waterfowl and other birds. All of this was in place at the time of the waterfowl deaths in 2008, but none of it had been switched on. Still, Syncrude officials denied that they bore responsibility, saying the deaths were “an act of God.” The government eventually levied only a nominal fine—roughly eight hours’ worth of corporate revenues—and even then Syncrude complained that these environmental strictures were unworkable, warning that the company would be breaking the law every hour of every day. I turned west from the highway, toward Fort McKay, and drove past construction crews who were widening the old road. I could see the signs of recent expansion everywhere—heavy equipment parked in newly laid gravel yards, surges of black smoke rising from diesel engines in the distance. When I finally reached the edge of the village, I wasn’t sure I’d actually arrived. A looping mud road crisscrossed the tree-stripped hillside, where haphazard clapboard houses were scattered. Trucks and four-wheelers stood parked in gravel driveways and on patchy front lawns. “Fort McMurray looks like Hiroshima,” Ontario native Neil Young said after seeing the mining region up close. “Fort McMurray is a wasteland.” Fort McKay has no restaurant and just one market, which was shuttered when I was there. Many of the residents, most of them registered First Nations members, get by on some form of subsistence hunting or trapping, as allowed for in Treaty 8. Tepee smokehouses rose from behind backyard privacy fences. As I moved along the river, a potent ammonia smell hung in the air, but it was a sunny day and people were packing tackle and rods onto their motorboats. But the river is no longer the central sustaining force in the community. After the start of the latest tar-sands boom, fishermen began to report rising numbers of deformities: whitefish and walleye with tumors and skin lesions, burbot with misshapen spines, northern pike with bulging eyes. In 2007, the Fort Chipewyan health board asked Kevin Timoney, a scientist who had done extensive work in the Peace-Athabasca Delta area, to study the water and soil quality in the region. His findings were distressing: elevated levels of arsenic and mercury in fish, the water supply, even the river sediment. Timoney estimated that tar-sands mines were exposing deposits of heavy metals, especially arsenic, which were then running into the water. Alberta Health and Wellness, the provincial health ministry, conceded that arsenic exposure was widespread but countered that it was impossible to control “due to its presence in the earth’s crust.” Soon after, a report by the Pembina Institute, an environmental-impact assessment firm, estimated that Tar Island Pond One, owned by Suncor, was producing a steady daily leak of more than 1.5 million gallons of toxic chemicals and heavy metals including arsenic, mercury, and lead. By Suncor’s own admission, the pond released 400,000 gallons of sludge into the river every day, almost enough to fill a river barge. And that was just one pond. Environmental Defence, a Canadian environmental-action group, estimated the combined daily leakage from all the tailings ponds into the Athabasca River to be nearly three million gallons. But still the government refused to intercede. The situation has grown so grim that the United Nations issued a call in May 2014 for the Canadian government to launch a special inquiry into the treatment of First Nations people, specifically citing, among other concerns, that more than half of all native people on government reserves face health risks due to contaminated drinking water. Government officials have failed to act, the report said, because they see the interests of native people as counter to the best interests of Canadians. James Anaya, then the U.N.’s special rapporteur on indigenous rights, warned that lawsuits and government claims over treaty violations have languished so long that many First Nations have “all but given up.” Officials at Suncor declined to discuss the environmental impact of tar-sands mining with Outside. Will Gibson, Syncrude’s media relations adviser, said in a phone interview: “Human activity is going to have an impact. Industrial activity is going to have an impact. For us, it’s important to mitigate that impact.” He pointed to Syncrude’s large expenditures on R&D for new processes aimed at reducing emissions and minimizing the negative effects of mining. As for health risks, he said that the company’s extraction techniques, past or present, “would never have any impact in terms of causing cancer.” Celina Harpe’s home, a tiny fifties-era house with slate blue clapboard siding, sits below the roadbed, perched on a bend in the Athabasca. Harpe greeted me there but didn’t want to talk inside, because it was cramped and drafty. Instead we walked across the road to the elder-care section of the community center. Harpe is small and unsteady, but her short curly hair is still dark and her eyes are bright behind her square, tinted glasses. Seated inside, looking out through a broad bank of picture windows, she remembered again how her grandfather had warned her about the river’s future. Soon, she said, she would have no choice but to move to Fort McMurray. She turned her hands over to show me lesions on her knuckles and between her fingers. “My hands get all these sores. Do you see?” she said. “We can’t drink that tap water because it’s no good…. It’s got too much chemicals. If it can do this to your hands, what do you think it’s doing to our insides, you know?” Harpe said it hadn’t always been this way. Her sister, Dorothy McDonald, became chief in the eighties, after their father, Phillip McDonald, was killed in a crash on the logging road in 1976. Before Dorothy took over, the encroachment of tar-sands development had already left many people concerned about their health, so Celina’s father had arranged for pump stations to be installed, dispensing water trucked in from Fort McMurray. But one pump tower burned in late 1981, and another froze during the bitter winter of 1982. People went down to the river and drew their drinking water straight from the Athabasca. After several weeks of getting by this way, Dorothy, as the newly elected chief, received a message from Suncor: there had been a spill. One of Suncor’s tailings ponds had been releasing oil, grease, and other contaminants into the river for days—up to 17 times more than the legally permitted limit. McDonald demanded action from officials at Alberta Environment—the province’s main environmental protection agency—but they declined to do anything. “So she took Suncor and Syncrude to court,” Harpe said. “She charged them for polluting the water.” A provincial judge eventually found Suncor guilty of violating the Fisheries Act—not of poisoning the community—and ordered the company to pay just $8,000. About the same time, Harpe, who had gotten a job as a community-health nurse because she could translate for English-speaking provincial doctors and tribal people who spoke Cree and Dene, started to notice a rash of illnesses that had never affected Fort McKay before. Later, when she became the first native liaison coordinator at the Fort McMurray hospital, she heard similar complaints coming from the residents of Fort Chipewyan. When doctors came back with diagnoses, she had trouble translating. “We never heard of asthma,” Harpe told me. “We didn’t know there was such thing as cancer. We had no name for it.” Before long it seemed as if everyone in the community was sick or had a family member who was seriously ill. “I lost one son first with sickness before I lost my husband,” Harpe said. The main room of the community center was ringed with black-and-white portraits of band members. “That’s me there,” she said. Harpe couldn’t remember exactly when the photos were taken, but her portrait looked to be about a decade old. “Beside me there, that lady, she died,” she said, pointing to the next photograph. “My cousin Stella, she’s gone. She just died in January.” She began moving down the line. “Her, my auntie, there in that corner by the flowers, she’s gone. He died last year, that gentleman. That guy is still alive. He died, this other one that’s next to Johnny.” Many of the people didn’t appear old, 50 at most. “That couple there, they’re gone. He’s still alive. She’s still alive. She’s gone. She’s gone. She’s gone. He’s gone. She’s gone. That lady’s gone.” I asked at what age people were being diagnosed with cancer. “People are dying at 35, 40,” she said. She shook her head. “It’s pretty sad, because my father was a good chief. My sister was such a good chief. My sister Dorothy’s right there,” she said, pointing to a portrait. “Dorothy passed away.” Dayle Hyde turned into the dirt parking lot of the Fort McKay community school. She wanted to show me another side of the village, starting with the place where her own education began—and where her father was the teacher, and later principal, for more than three decades. Hyde, in her early thirties, is worldly compared with a lot of the younger people in Fort McKay. She wears cat-eye glasses and has a nose ring. She went away to high school in Fort McMurray and later graduated from the University of Alberta with a degree in native studies and a minor in art and design. Now she’s the communications director for the Fort McKay First Nation. She’s also the middle child of Dorothy McDonald. Hyde said her mother’s court case had energized Fort McKay and sparked further protest. Most notably, in 1983, McDonald had organized a blockade of the logging road, the one where Dorothy’s father had died. “They allowed one logging truck to go through the community,” Hyde said, “and then they erected a roadblock and wouldn’t allow any others to go through.” The mines expanded into giant black caverns, where massive shovel loaders now scoop the coal-like rock, 70 tons at a time, into dump trucks three stories tall. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were sent to end the standoff, but McDonald refused to back down. Though the January dark sent temperatures plummeting to minus 20, band members kept vigil around the clock. Finally, on the sixth day, three cabinet ministers agreed to hear out Fort McKay’s concerns about logging and tar sands. To honor McDonald and her stand, the band later erected an enormous community center on the same road as the old blockade site. But Hyde balked at the notion, pushed by elders like her aunt, Celina Harpe, that the roadblock was the kind of opposition the community needed now. “Let me make something clear,” Hyde said. “When my mom was being very aggressive, we didn’t get anywhere.” Yes, the government arranged for meetings, but nothing changed. Officials commissioned studies that were never completed and made empty promises that were designed only to defuse tension. The real turning point, Hyde said, was when her mother began to focus on what she called “parallel development”—the concept that if industry was benefiting, then the community should benefit in a proportionate manner. Pollution should be offset by jobs and contracts for native-owned companies. Tribal leaders started by getting a single janitorial contract, for cleaning offices at Suncor’s headquarters. McDonald also pushed the company to give something back to McKay. She convinced executives to make a small donation toward the construction of a playground at the local school—the first project sponsored by one of the tar-sands developers—and the school’s principal (her husband, Rod Hyde) got matching funds from Suncor. This was the end of vocal opposition, Hyde said, and the beginning of negotiation and partnership. In 1987, McDonald filed a claim with the Canadian government, charging that 23,000 acres of property surrounding Fort McKay—which were being developed under private lease—were part of the land deeded to the band under Treaty 8. Instead of claiming that the community had been harmed by development, she contended that it was owed compensation for treaty violations. In 2006, two decades after McDonald filed the original claim and a year after her death due to complications from lupus, the Treaty Land Entitlement Settlement Agreement paid the band $41.5 million in compensation for land that belonged to them under the treaty—and, more important, agreed that they were titleholders to 8,200 acres of land under exploration for tar-sands development. Hyde drove me up the ridge to where construction crews were building new modern homes and laying cobblestone driveways. It could have been an affluent suburb to any midsize city in America—all aluminum siding and fake stone facades. People down by the river have derisively dubbed this new development Beverly Hills. They accuse Jim Boucher, the chief for 24 of the past 28 years—and a man who originally opposed oil-sands projects but now supports them—of putting profits over health. Celina Harpe was blunt. “He’s selling us out,” she said. “He doesn’t care as long as it puts money in his pocket.” Boucher declined to speak with me, but in interviews with local media he has bristled at such characterizations. “We were antidevelopment for a long time,” he told one reporter. “But at the end of the day, it came down to the point where government would approve the projects and our rights were diminished by virtue of what they were doing. Gradually, we came to recognize we had no other option but to develop an economy of our own.” Hyde said the big houses were part of the mixed bag created by the tar-sands boom. Companies netting hundreds of millions of dollars per year are reaping huge profits, but they’re also paying excellent wages: in Fort McKay, entry-level skilled workers can expect to pull down six-figure salaries. “It’s not been accepted per se, but it’s a realization that if we’re going to stay here, this is one of the things that we have to deal with,” she said. “We’re never going to stop the oil-sands development. It’s never going to go away until the oil is gone. The best that we can do is to try to mitigate some of those negative impacts.” Trying to lessen the impact of tar-sands development seems a nearly impossible task. Everything about the work sites is sprawling, and it stretches ever closer to the edges of Fort McKay. The tree line across the river is now denuded in places where new digging is set to begin. Fences and barricades have been erected along newly constructed mine roads, blocking band members—often without warning—from reaching traditional hunting grounds. And new projects bring more and more mine workers. The residential camps where those workers live house thousands of people, almost all of them men from Canada and the U.S., in row after row of modular multi-story buildings. At Suncor, the barracks—square roofed and vinyl sided, like overgrown trailer homes—stand close to the highway but are ensconced behind tall chain-link fences. At Syncrude, the buildings are painted with black and white stripes, practically daring those who live inside to compare them to cell blocks. And many do. Though photography is forbidden and workers are instructed not to write publicly about life in camp, there are many YouTube videos, Twitter pictures, Facebook updates, and blog entries complaining about the drab institutional architecture and lockdown conditions. One especially poetic employee wrote online that Wing 39 of Imperial Oil’s Wapasu Camp East, where he lived, stood “austere in the Arctic night,” bringing to mind “prison camps of the Soviet Gulag.” Miners are paid between $100,000 and $200,000 per year. If a man works and puts away his money for two or three years, it’s possible to leave with a nest egg of half a million dollars. Inside, hundreds of identical eight-by-ten rooms stretch down long corridors, each furnished only with a bed, a nightstand, and maybe a TV. There are game rooms and large cafeterias, but workers aren’t afforded much downtime. Most are pulling 12-to-14-hour shifts for three weeks straight. Every morning they are loaded onto buses, swiping site badges and passing through metal detectors. And they work nonstop, even through the subzero cold and the round-the-clock darkness of deep winter, until they are returned to the camps for sleep. The workers endure these conditions for a simple reason: most can earn salaries between $100,000 and $200,000 per year. If a man works and puts away his money for two or three years, it’s possible to leave with a nest egg of half a million dollars. And once they’ve done that, these men will leave northern Alberta and never look back. It’s not so simple for the First Nations mine workers of Fort McKay. Most of the major tar-sands developers reserve positions for native applicants—and now, employing more than 1,600 full-time First Nations workers, they are virtually the only game in town. Even the people who don’t work directly in the mines are often employed by subcontractors. The Fort McKay Group of Companies, which began with that single janitorial contract, has an earthworks division to remove mud from tailings ponds and reinforce containment dykes, but it also builds access roads and installs guardrails. The companies have joint ventures offering catering and lodging services for mine workers. They provide office help and logistical assistance. No matter how far removed, the jobs in Fort McKay exist because of the tar-sands developers, so even those who hate the mines now depend on them, whatever the risks. Celina Harpe’s husband worked as a crane operator at one of the mine sites. One night, riding the transport boat home, he fell into the Athabasca River. He struggled to keep himself afloat, but his rubber work boots filled with water and pulled him under. Such sudden deaths are a fact of life in the mines; there have been six on-site fatalities so far in 2014. But for most people in Fort McKay, it’s not the threat of workplace injury that worries them. Instead they fear that on-site exposure to chemicals and fumes, followed by exposure from drinking water and wild game and breathing toxic emissions every night, means that they never get any relief from the effects of the development. In the eighties, Dorothy McDonald commissioned an air-quality study by epidemiologists at the University of British Columbia, who tested hair samples and found that four of McKay’s 44 children had above-normal levels of lead. Long before residents of Fort McKay have a chance to set foot on a work site or earn a single paycheck, they are at elevated risk of exposure to heavy metals. One known outcome of such exposure is autoimmune disorders—particularly lupus, which is what shortened the life of Dorothy McDonald. So while their white counterparts get rich working in the mines and then head back south to Fort McMurray or Edmonton or the U.S., the native residents of Fort McKay stay and face the uncertain consequences. When I told Dr. John O’Connor what Dayle Hyde had told me, that band leaders of Fort McKay were looking for ways to work with developers to minimize impact, his face tightened with worry. Officially, O’Connor is the director of Health and Human Services at Fort McKay First Nation, but in practice he’s a country doctor, shuttling from one village to the next along the Athabasca to provide primary health care. White bearded, with a stethoscope always around his neck, he moves slowly, taking his time with each patient. But when we discussed tar-sands developers and the Alberta government, O’Connor couldn’t hide his misgivings. Together, he said, industry and government have forced communities like Fort McKay to join in their own destruction. “It’s almost a choice of, ‘Do I die by starvation, or do I die by poisoning?’ ” he said, his voice soft and resigned. O’Connor, 57, grew up in the working-class section of Limerick City, Ireland, and retains a gentle accent. “Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. What decision can you make?” O’Connor questions the very notion of parallel development. Certainly, the profits are not shared equally—and neither are the risks. In 2003, not long after O’Connor began making weekly visits to Fort Chipewyan in his capacity as an Alberta provincial doctor, the local school-bus driver came in to schedule an appointment. He had lost a lot of weight and couldn’t figure out why. Blood tests revealed that he was suffering from cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer that attacks the bile ducts. O’Connor had never seen a single patient with it. “Never in my practice did I expect to see a case,” he told me. But O’Connor knew a great deal about the illness because his father had been diagnosed with it a decade before—and died, as did O’Connor’s patient in Fort Chip, within a matter of weeks. He knew the illness was exceedingly rare, affecting just one in 100,000 people, but soon there were more cases: one in 2005 and another in 2006. Two more people died before he could do blood work. And it wasn’t just cancer of the bile ducts. Within five years, O’Connor diagnosed five cases of leukemia and four cases of lymphoma. Six residents of Fort Chip died of colon cancer. In March 2006, Alberta Health and Wellness announced that it would conduct a thorough review of death and cancer statistics. They would track people through their treaty and federal ID numbers to include tribal members who had left Fort Chipewyan and became sick elsewhere. They would also study the related communities in other parts of the Athabasca River Valley. But then, just a few weeks later, Health Canada and Alberta Health and Wellness announced that the cancer rates in Fort Chip “were comparable to the provincial average.” Case closed. O’Connor claims that government officials admitted to him that they were missing data from several months in 2004 and 2005, the most recent years available, but only alerted him to this after the study was completed. Worse, a review conducted by the National Review of Medicine, a prominent medical newspaper in Canada, alleged that the government had fudged the average by using a population parameter of 30,000 instead of the village’s actual population of fewer than 1,000. Multiple subsequent tests concluded that the cases ruled into the government study actually represented about a 30 percent higher rate of cancer than expected for a community the size of Fort Chip. Around the same time, Suncor commissioned an independent study to evaluate the human-health risk leading up to a proposed expansion project that has since been scrapped. Normally, authorities would consider more than one extra case of cancer in a population of 100,000 people to represent an unacceptable public-health hazard. The Suncor report—undertaken by Golder Associates, a firm that routinely performs environmental-impact assessments for the province—found that elevated rates of arsenic in Fort Chipewyan’s drinking water had raised the community’s cancer risk by the equivalent of 450 extra cases per 100,000. That couple there, they’re gone,” Harpe said as we looked at photos of Cree Band members. “He’s still alive. She’s still alive. She’s gone. She’s gone. He’s gone.” Alberta Health and Wellness quickly rejected the findings and announced that the agency would do its own study. In the meantime, Canada’s health minister went before the Legislative Assembly of Alberta to assure lawmakers, “We’re satisfied that arsenic levels in the area are actually lower than in other areas.” After O’Connor publicly complained about the investigation, he received a letter from the registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta saying that Health Canada believed he’d made false allegations of elevated cancer rates, raised undue alarm in the community, obstructed efforts to investigate his claims, and engendered mistrust in Health Canada. If the review committee upheld the claims, O’Connor’s attorney warned him, it would be “career ending.” He told me that when he heard this news, he ran to the bathroom and vomited. But as the review of O’Connor slowly progressed, other researchers began to collect data and uncover trends supporting his theories. In February 2009, the Alberta Cancer Board prepared a new independent analysis of the cancer data collected by Health Canada and Alberta Health and Wellness—this time including the full data. The language of the report was clear. “The number of cancer cases observed in Fort Chipewyan was higher than expected for all cancers combined and for specific types of cancer, such as biliary-tract cancer and cancers in the blood and lymphatic system,” the authors concluded. They also acknowledged that cancer rates in the community had climbed in recent years. In November 2009, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta dropped all charges against O’Connor—though it insisted that he could have been more cooperative with government efforts to investigate. By then O’Connor was the director of Health and Human Services at Fort McKay. He promised to be as helpful as possible if the government would perform a health study of the Fort McKay community. The village shared so many family connections with Fort Chip, he argued, it only made sense to study them together. Initially, provincial authorities promised to do just that—and even said they would appoint O’Connor to the investigatory team. But years have passed and nothing has happened. “Fort Chip, walked away from,” O’Connor told me. “And now McKay’s been walked away from.” When I arrived at Mel Grandjamb’s house, set on the fringe of all the new construction, he was waiting in his driveway next to a motor home. Behind him stood his three four-wheelers, his motorboat, his sixties-era muscle car, and his Hummer. Inside, the hallway of his house was covered in furs from one end to the other. Grandjamb, a chief of Fort McKay First Nation in the early nineties and the former CEO of the Fort McKay Group of Companies, is one of the last trapper holdouts in the community, maintaining his traplines to this day. Wolves, wolverines, martins, fishers, foxes, coyotes, lynx, beavers, rabbits: they hung on evenly spaced hooks, their metal provincial tags still intact. Grandjamb traps now as a way of staying connected to a traditional lifestyle he learned from his father in the backwoods around Moose Lake. “My first couple of years, we actually used dog teams to the trapline,” he said. “No one uses dog teams anymore. That part of the culture is gone.” But Grandjamb shrugged off the changeover to gas-powered engines, and he doesn’t fault the petroleum interests developing the tar sands. “Industry is industry,” he said. It exists for one purpose—profit—and pushes relentlessly toward that goal. If people want to control industry, they should elect government officials committed to strict regulation. “If there wasn’t a license to operate funded by the provincial government, these plants wouldn’t be operating,” he said. As sanguine as Grandjamb seemed, the fact is that Fort McKay First Nation had opposed recent development northeast of Fort McKay, near Moose Lake, more vocally than it had at any time since Dorothy McDonald was chief. The spot, which is the ancestral home of both the Cree and the Dene, is sacred to band members. Around Moose Lake, he said, “you get out to your cabin, you hear the fire going and the wolves howling, and it’s life.” But then, in 2010, Brion Energy, a subsidiary of PetroChina, applied to start steam-assisted extraction of tar sands near Moose Lake. Band leaders, including Chief Jim Boucher, argued that the Brion project violated the buffer zone around Fort McKay, as established by their legal victory in 2006. Leaders in other villages rallied to their defense, hoping to set a firm precedent forcing developers to consult native communities before beginning new projects. At that time, members of the Beaver Lake Cree Nation—south of Fort McMurray, in Lac La Biche—had a case before the Alberta Court of Appeals, in which they argued that tar sands have so harmed fish and wildlife populations that mining operations constitute a violation of their treaty rights to hunt, fish, and trap. And the Fort Chipewyan First Nation was challenging Shell Oil’s planned expansion of the Jackpine mine and the company’s Pierre River tar-sands project. “If Fort McKay can set precedents for what’s necessary to preserve their cultural rights,” Eriel Deranger, spokeswoman for Fort Chip, told a local newspaper, “it strengthens our arguments.” But in February 2014, Fort McKay withdrew its complaint. A confidential deal with Brion promised that the Fort McKay reserve would receive environmental protections, construction contracts at the new site, and an undisclosed amount of cash—which the city expects to be in the millions. “We didn’t get a no-development zone,” Fort McKay’s lead negotiator, Alvaro Pinto, acknowledged. Tribal members like Celina Harpe complained that Boucher didn’t press hard enough to protect the community. “They didn’t even ask for a 20-kilometer buffer zone,” she told me. “The chief sold us out without our consultation, without our advice.” When Brion representatives came out to pitch the benefits of the deal in a meeting at the community center, they met with anger. According to Harpe, a Brion spokesperson told the crowd, “Native people are complaining, and they never had it so good.” Harpe said she leaped to her feet and began banging the table. “You white trash!” she shouted. “You don’t know how many people we buried, how much sorrow. You don’t know what the oil companies have done to us people.” Dayle Hyde confessed to understanding how Harpe felt. “Moose Lake is sacred to the people of Fort McKay,” she told me. That’s where Dorothy McDonald had felt most at home and where her family had scattered her ashes. “That was our place to go, and now that’s going to be changed as well. It’s another thing we have to deal with and live with.” Mel Grandjamb, a former chief of Fort McKay First Nation who supports tar-sands development, dismissed the idea that the industry could be slowed down. “They’ll never stop this. Never.” But Hyde insisted that fighting Brion was unrealistic. To show me why, she spread out a large map of the area—and pointed out a provincial park to the west of Moose Lake, then the land specifically set aside for the Fort McKay reservation. All around, millions of acres were depicted in jagged squares of different colors, representing all the land already leased by dozens of oil companies. “This whole area,” Hyde said, “at some point or another, people are going to be trying to figure out how to develop it.” Alberta Energy Regulator, a private consulting firm specializing in energy resources, argued that Fort McKay’s request for a buffer zone should be denied because it would result “in sterilization of a significant bitumen resource.” The Alberta government, despite Fort McKay’s legal foundation, sided with Brion. “When you have an industry that’s the economic driver of the whole province,” Hyde told me, “there doesn’t seem to be a neutral party. I was left with the impression that the Alberta government is more interested in the well-being of Alberta as a whole rather than the people in a small community. They wouldn’t be—what’s the word they used?—‘sterilizing’ the resources at Moose Lake for the betterment of a small number of people.” She let out a quick, defensive laugh, then wavered nervously into tears. “I find this map really depressing.” Mel Grandjamb understands the feeling, but he steadfastly refused to blame the oil companies. He had grown tired of environmentalists questioning the compromises of the leaders of Fort McKay—flying in on airplanes and arriving in cars to criticize the fossil-fuel industry. “It’s good to say, Everything stops,” he said. “But does that mean I walk to town tonight? Does that mean I get in the canoe and I paddle upstream for three days?” He shook his head dismissively at the very idea. “They’ll never stop this. Never.” Grandjamb’s words seemed to follow me on my drive back across the toxic tailings ponds encircling Suncor and Syncrude, back down Highway 63 to the brand-new airport, where I dropped off my rental SUV and wandered through the terminal’s sole gift shop, selling piles of T-shirts that read FORT MCMURRAY and PROPERTY OF OIL SANDS. Grandjamb was right: there’s no stopping this—not unless we collectively demand something different. And there are few signs of that happening. Just days later, I got word that Alberta’s provincial government had approved another project. Originally explored by Koch Oil Sands, then sold to Prosper Petroleum for development, the site is slated for the extraction of tar sands from more land around Moose Lake, one more piece in the lease-map jigsaw puzzle. Leaders in Fort McKay complained to the Alberta government that they had not been “adequately consulted” about this new site and its potential health impacts on the reservation. The government agreed with Prosper that the community had failed to precisely define “adequately.” Ted Genoways (@tedgenoways) is the author of The Chain: Farm, Factory, and the Fate of Our Food, published by Harper in October.

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Renowned naturalist, forest botanist and one of the founders of tropical ecology, Peter Ashton, recounts how ten years spent living in Borneo opened the opportunity to master a complex flora and to specialise in the family of dominant canopy emergent trees, the Dipterocarpaceae, to interpret its floristic ecology and history. The results have spanned 60 years and have significantly impacted our current understanding of forest structure and ecology in the tropical Asian region. The resulting body of research covers a broad range of fields including systematics, natural history, interactions with other organisms, evolutionary history, species diversity, biogeography and past and present human impact. This talk will explore hypotheses explaining patterns of species diversity in the Asian tropical forests and subsequent to the events of the past 60 years, how have events constrained continuing research, and what must our priorities be for ensuring an Anthropocene future for this biome, its inhabitants and its students? Sir Julian Huxley Lecture 2019 In association with The Systematics Association Peter Ashton FLS is the Charles Bullard Professor of Forestry at Harvard University and is also an Honorary Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is the former director of The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances the date of this lecture has now changed from the 16th of October to the 14th of November. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. More information on our events can be found here: www.linnean.org/events

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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a trauma. Events that can cause traumatic reactions might be a one-time event, but may also include traumatic situations repeating over time. People who suffer from PTSD may experience dissociation, flashbacks, and nightmares. Intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings that last long after the trauma has ended are common. Also, people will often avoid places, people, or things that remind them of traumatic events, leading to increased isolation, anxiety, and less involvement in a life worth living. In some cases, individuals who suffer from PTSD will also experience life threatening behaviors, such as suicidal thoughts, self-harming behaviors, or impulsivity. Evidence-based treatments for the complex symptoms of PTSD include Prolonged Exposure Therapy. CEBTOhio offers treatment to adult and adolescent clients for PTSD symptoms via the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Prolonged Exposure protocol (DBT PE). To get started, contact us by phone or email.

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Bridges out of Poverty is a framework designed to educate individuals from middle or upper class on what it means to live in poverty. Through education and awareness, Bridges helps make sustainable communities where everyone can do well. Bridges training is offered to anyone interested in learning more about the social and economic impact that poverty has on individuals and our community. Bridges out of Poverty looks at the four causes of poverty: - individual behaviour - community conditions - political and economic structures Bridges out of Poverty helps organizations and communities to develop effective strategies to influence policy change. Bridges is an empowering learning opportunity. For more information please call 1-800-265-7293 and speak with Public Health Nurse and Bridges facilitator Elaine Weir.

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