[Note: This is the “Old” version of the Grace Commentary on Luke. It will be updated to the new version soon.]
Luke now transitions from writing about the birth and early years of Jesus, to the events immediately preceding the beginning of His mission (Luke 3:1–4:13). Continuing the pattern of alternating between Jesus and John, Luke now turns to talk about mission of John in preparing the way for the Messiah. John’s message is one of national and personal reform. It is not a message about how to receive eternal life, but rather about how the Jewish people must prepare to welcome the King of Israel.
3:1. Luke indicates a jump forward in time by providing a new historical time reference. As with the other time references (1:5; 2:1), the names listed not only provide a time reference, but also foreshadow some of the themes Luke will emphasize in the text that follows. Here, Luke’s point seems to be that the entire nation, politically and religiously, has become corrupt. “Behind the list of names and places is a story of oppression and misery that building up to an explosion point” (Wright 2004:32).
The events that follow take place in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, which is between September of 27 AD and October of 28 AD (Keener 1994:196; Barclay 1975:31). Tiberius Caesar, like the Caesars before him, was being worshiped as a god (Wright 2004:32). He was the adopted son of Augustus Caesar, was generally a good Roman emperor, not wasteful with money, and not too prone to war or excessive abuses of power. However, since he was not good with people, he was not popular, and it was widely rumored that he had sex with young boys (Evans 2003:67; Grant 1975:103). Also, as with many rulers of the time, he increasingly suspected that many of those near to him were engaged in treasonous plots, and so in 26 AD, he moved to the remote island of Capri, and never returned to the city of Rome. He continued to rule as the Roman Emperor, but only by correspondence with the Senate, his generals, and the governors of Roman provinces (Grant 1975:84-107). So at the time of the events in Luke 3, the empire was being ruled by an absent and suspicious Caesar. It was during these years of self-imposed exile, that Tiberius’ rulings became ruthless, cruel, and cold-blooded (Grant 1975:105; Green 1997:168). The entirety of Jesus’ public ministry was during the absentee reign of Tiberius, who died in 37 AD.
Luke next turns his attention to the local rulers of Palestine. After the death of Herod the Great, the province of Judea was further sub-divided into various regions which were ruled by three of Herod’s sons, who were called tetrarchs (tetrarch literally means “governor of a fourth part” but later came to refer to a governor of any part; cf. Barclay 1975:31). The genealogy of Herod the Great is confusing. Part of this is because he had two wives, and all his sons had similar names. The first wife was Cleopatra of Jerusalem. Together, they had a son named Philip. Herod the Great also married Mariamne II, and they had Herod Antipas, Herod Archelaus, and Herod Philip. Herod Philip married Herodias, and together, they had a daughter named Salome before Herodias left her husband and married Herod Antipas. Salome married Philip, her half-uncle.
So the first region of Herod the Great was given to Herod Archelaus, who ruled over Judea, Samaria, and Edom. But he ruled so poorly that the Jews petitioned Rome for his removal, and Tiberius, impatient with all the troubles in Judea, removed Archelaus and installed Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor in his place (Barclay 1975:31). The province of Judea had always been one of the most difficult regions in the Roman Empire, as the Jews frequently rebelled against Roman rule (Horsley 2003:35-54), but during his rule, Pilate was able to bring some semblance of peace.
However, just before Jesus began His public ministry, he seems to have deliberately provoked the Jewish people into rebellion when he sent a company of troops into Jerusalem carrying their standards with the images of the gods on them, and telling the people to worship and pray to these gods, and pledge their complete allegiance to Caesar. Aside from such a display violating the First Commandment, this was a way of saying that the God of Israel had been conquered and subjected to the Roman gods. Crowds of Jewish people prostrated themselves before Pilate’s house for five days in protest. When they refused to disperse, he ordered his soldiers to surround them, and threatened the people that if they didn’t leave, he would have them all beheaded. When they heard this, the Jewish people bared their necks to the soldiers and said that they were ready to die rather than break the Law. At this, Pilate relented (as reported by Josephus in Horsley 2003:48). Occasionally, Pilate did resort to punishment by death, as alluded to in Luke 13:1, and as he did with Jesus and the two other criminals (Luke 23).
The second son of Herod the Great was Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee. Herod Antipas had been raised at the imperial court, and was especially skilled at extracting tax revenues from Galilee (Horsley 2003:15). Like his father, he used these revenues not only to support imperial Rome, but also to engage in large-scale construction projects. Among these, he built two new cities, Tiberias and Sepphoris. This caused great financial stress on the people of Galilee (Horsley 2003:34, 61, 85). Tiberias was an affront to the Jews, partly because it was built on a graveyard, but also because it contained numerous images of Roman gods and Caesars (Green 1997:169).
Later in the Gospel accounts, Herod Antipas imprisoned John for condemning his marriage to Herodias, who had been the wife of his brother Herod, who is also called Philip (Luke 3:19-20; Mark 6:17; Matt 14:3). Herodias did not like such criticism, and so was able to convince Herod to behead John (Matt 14:1-11). It was also Herod Antipas who, together with Pontius Pilate, agreed to have Jesus crucified (cf. Luke 23). Such actions were often taken by the Roman ruling structure to quell what they viewed as acts of terrorism and rebellion against the Roman Empire (Horsley 2003:27).
Third is the half-brother of Herod Antipas and Herod Archelaus, Philip (not to be confused with the other Philip–also called Herod–who was the first husband of Herodias). Luke records that this Philip was the tetrarch of Iturea and…Trachonitis. These regions spread from Galilee up toward Damascus, and though sparsely populated, were important to the Roman Empire for their trade routes and as a first line of defense against the Nabateans and Parthians. This region contained very few Jews, and Josephus records that Philip ruled with justice and benevolence, gaining the respect of his subjects (Josephus, Antiq. 18.4.6). He remained in this position from 4 BC to 34 AD. During his reign, Philip built Caesarea Philippi.
The third tetrarch that Luke writes about is Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene. Very little is known ofLysanias or the region of Abilene. Some have concluded that Luke made an historical error, but there are a few vague references to such names and places in Josephus which indicate that the problem is our own ignorance, not Luke’s.
Altogether, these five names not only provide an accurate time reference for the events that follow, but more importantly, reveal that the nation of Israel was under foreign occupation. And not only were these rulers foreign, bu they were corrupt and merciless in carrying out their plans. Therefore, Israel was praying for a deliverer like Moses to lead them out of bondage to Rome.
The idea of YHWH’s being king carried the particular and definite revolutionary connotation that certain other people were due for demotion. Caesar, certainly. Herod, quite probably. The present high-priestly clan, pretty likely. (Wright 1996:203).
3:2. Generally, in such situations, the people would look to the religious leaders for such deliverance. However, if the political scene in Israel was corrupt, the religious scene was even worse. Luke records that both Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. First, there was only supposed to be one high priest. The fact that there were two indicates that something is wrong. The records indicate that the Roman officials were constantly having problems with the High Priests, and kept replacing them, trying to find one who would work with them in controlling the people. Annas was one of these, and served as High Priest from 7-14 AD. He was succeeded by four of his sons, one after the other, and then finally, by Caiaphas, his son-in-law. Caiaphas was the official High Priest according to Roman records, but it was widely recognized that Annas was the power behind Caiaphas, who rarely did anything without the consent of Annas. So both were viewed as “High Priests” (cf. Barclay 1975:32; Evans 2003:68), and explains why Jesus, at his trial, went first before Annas, and then Caiaphas (John 18:13, 24). They constantly used their power to line their own pockets and increase their own authority. Annas was even sometimes called a viper who hissed or whispered in the ears of judges and politicians in order to influence their decisions (Edersheim 1988:263) Archeological explorations from the time indicate that the high priestly families built increasingly elaborate mansions for themselves in Jerusalem. This could have only occurred through close collaboration with the Roman rulers of the region (Horsley 2003:15, 33).
The list of names indicate that the political and religious condition of Israel was so fallen and corrupt, it was clearly time for the Messiah to be revealed. Israel needed a new deliverer, not just to deliver them from political bondage and foreign rule, but also from spiritual and religious corruption.
But before the Messiah is fully revealed, a prophet must rise and call the people back to God, to prepare the way for the Messiah. With terminology from the Hebrew Scriptures, the rest of verse 2 introduces the last of the Old Testament prophets. Though Luke has listed one emperor, one governor, three tetrarchs, and two religious high priests, the word of God comes to a relatively unknown man living inthe wilderness. Luke references John’s location to show two things. First, that John was separate from the political-economic scene and the religious apostasy that was common in his day. He was separate from all this. Second, Luke wants to portray John like Moses, who came out of the wilderness to rescue Israel from Egypt. Luke is raising the question in the reader’s mind about John, and whether he will be the one to deliver Israel. Luke answers this question in 3:16.
In chapter 1, Zacharias had been told by an angel of the Lord that his son, John, would be a prophet in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (1:17). Now, 30 years later, this promise is about to come true. John is living in the wilderness, and the Word of the Lord came to him. This is a formulaic expression used of numerous Old Testament prophets (Jer 1:1; 13:3; 1 Kings 12:22; 1 Chr 17:3; Isa 38:4).
3:3. John spoke the word from God in all the region around the Jordan. Prophets generally localize their ministry to a particular region. John stayed and preached along the Jordan river. This was important since part of his ministry involved the baptism of repentance. Furthermore, his ministry in the region of the Jordan river also points to him being like the prophet Elijah who spent his last days in the Jordan river area (2 Kings 2:1-13). John was coming in the spirit and power of Elijah to herald the way for a King. Furthermore, the baptism John performs in the Jordan would have clearly pictured the “baptism of Moses” in the Red Sea when God led Israel out of Egypt, and also, the similar events at the Jordan River when Joshua finally led Israel into the promised land. Through the baptism at the Jordan River, John was alluding to the fact that a Messiah like Joshua was about to arrive who would lead them out of bondage and into the fulfillment of all God’s promises to them (cf. Wright 2004:33).
The message John spoke is widely misunderstood and misapplied. Some refer to John’s message as the gospel, and while it is part of the gospel message, John is concerned primarily with the message of good news to the people of Israel about how God’s promises of land and inheritance could be fulfilled (cf. Barclay 1975:33). John is not telling the people of Israel how to escape hell, receive eternal life, and get into heaven. Rather, he is telling them how to prepare the way for the Messiah and all that they hoped would come with Him. The people wanted freedom and deliverance from Roman occupation, to be restored unto their land with the right to rule themselves, and the Messiah to set Himself up as King in Jerusalem, reigning over the whole world. John’s message about the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins explain how the people can prepare their lives and their communities for these Messianic expectations.
His basic message is “turn or burn” as verses 7-14 make clear, but not “burn” in the sense of “go to hell” but face the dire temporal consequences for their continued rebellion against God. To avoid further enslavement and destruction, the people needed to clean up their lives, and return to living righteously before God. This is what John meant when he preached about a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
This baptism of repentance was also known as John’s Baptism (cf. Acts 1:22; 19:3-4). It is not exactly the same type of baptism that Jesus instructed his disciples to follow, nor is it the type of baptism that occurred at Pentecost or that Paul talks about in Romans 6. There are numerous types of baptism mentioned in Scripture, some that involve water, and some that don’t. Some are physical, some are spiritual.
The word baptism (Gk. baptizo) means “immersion” and can refer to several different events or ideas. It can refer to being washed with water, or being identified with the death and resurrection of Jesus, or fully receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, or facing the full force of God’s judgment, or even to being fully instructed (i.e., immersed) in a particular subject or topic. John’s baptism was of the symbolic kind, and was a baptism of water reserved especially for Jewish people. There is, in Judaism, a baptismal practice whereby Gentiles who want to become Jews must, among other things, must undergo a ritual washing of purification, or baptism, called a mikvah (cf. Wright 2004:33). The Jewish Talmud, in the Mikva’ot tractate, states that when a Gentile wishes to become a Jew, he must be instructed according to the 613 commandments of the Torah, must be circumscribed, and must go through a Mikvah, that is, be baptized. When he goes under the water, he goes under a Gentile. When he comes back out, he comes out a Jew, born again like a new-born babe, with a new soul, spiritually and ritually pure. It is said that just like a baby is surrounded by water in the womb, so in a Mikvah, the person is surrounded by water. And just as the baby, when it comes out of the water, is born to a new life, so also, the person who comes up out of the waters of the Mikvah, is born to a new life as a Jew.
However, once a person becomes a Jew, they will often continue this practice of ritual washings. Devout Jews will often go through numerous mikvahs per year, sometimes as frequently as once per day. These washings are intended to purify the person from ritual impurity that occurred throughout life (cf. 2 Kings 5:24; Sirach 34:25; Mark 7:4). This is a way of maintaining purity.
It is something similar to this that John was calling the people of Israel to in his day. The Jewish religious system and political scene had become corrupt, and John was calling the people to turn away from the corruption, and be restored to a new life of faithful obedience to God. Baptism was a sign that the person was terminating their old relationships and old ways of living, and stating allegiance to new relationships and new ways of living (Pentecost 1981:84).
This is why it’s called a baptism of repentance (Gk. metanoia. Just as baptism symbolizes a death to the old self and the raising up to a new and different self, so repentance is a mental and moral turning from the old habits of life, to a new and righteous pattern. John’s baptism was a representation or picture of repentance, of turning from the old toward the new. It is, in a sense, a visual sermon.
Through this baptism of repentance the Jewish person would receive the remission of sins. In Western individualistic theology, this term has come to mean “forgiveness of my sins so I can get eternal life and go to heaven when I die.” This is not what it meant for the Jewish people in John’s day. The term remission (Gk. aphesis) literally means “deliverance” or “release” and means to be delivered or freed from bondage of sin. It carries with it the idea of the release of captives, of setting prisoners free (cf. Luke 4:18-19). But more than that, in Jewish thinking, sin and rebellion against God was always coupled with bondage and enslavement to foreign powers. When the nation gained deliverance from their sin, they would also gain deliverance from foreign rule (cf. comments on 1:77).
This idea is seen clearly in Jeremiah 31, where New Covenant language ties forgiveness of sins with the Israelite expectations for God’s rule on earth. During this time, God would reign in righteousness over all the earth from Jerusalem, Israel would be delivered, and evil destroyed. It is for this that the Messiah would come. It is for this that John preached. A promise about forgiveness of sins is a promise about restoration (cf. Malina 2003:364).
In summary, the prophetic ministry of John in the wilderness reveals that John was calling the people to a new Exodus, not from Egyptian bondage, but from corrupt Judaism. Further, the baptism of John indicates that this renewal will take place apart from and outside of Temple worship (Wright 1996:160). The Temple had become the nexus of corruption, and this renewed people of God would have nothing to do with the former corruption.
3:4. John’s message and ministry was in fulfillment of prophecy, as written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet. Isaiah is, as many have noticed, the Bible in miniature. It contains 66 chapters, just as the Bible contains 66 books. Isaiah is divided into two parts, the first part being chapters 1-39, which correspond to the first 39 books of the Bible. The second part of Isaiah (chapters 40–66) is 27 chapters long, and correspond with the general theme and ideas of the New Testament. The passage that Luke refers to here comes from Isaiah 40:3-5, the opening sentences to the second part of Isaiah.
The prophet Isaiah declared that before the Messiah arrived, a prophet would come before Him, who would be recognized by particular actions. First, he would be a voice…crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord. This is significant on two levels.
First, Isaiah is portraying this prophet as an emissary who goes before an Emperor or King to prepare the way. In the Roman Empire, when the Emperor planned to visit a city, he would send an emissary or herald before him to announce his coming. But this emissary would do more than just announce the coming of the Emperor. He would act as an inspector. He would go around the city, and make a list of things that needed to be cleaned and repaired. Sometimes this would involve rounding up criminals and putting them in prison, and instructing others how to behave when the Emperor arrived. Such preparations were vitally important, for if the Emperor arrived and the city was not prepared for him, he might mete out judgment and punishment upon the city and its rulers.
He follows the typical pattern of Caesar biographies of that time by showing a man named John acted as the emissary preparing the way for Jesus. In this way, Luke puts Jesus on the same level with Caesar, the Emperor of Rome. Both have emissaries who go before them to prepare the way for their arrival.
But secondly, as Isaiah reveals, this emissary does not go into the cities of Jerusalem to preach and prepare the people in the cities for the Messiah. But this emissary, says Isaiah, will declare his messagein the wilderness. This is curious because the wilderness is not where the people were. They were in the cities. But spiritually, morally, and politically, they were in the wilderness, as Luke has already hinted at with the list of names in verses 1-2. In Jewish thinking, the wilderness was a place of chaos, disorder, and dark spirits (Malina 2003:236). So having John begin his ministry in a place of chaos, disorder, and darkness gives the impression that something new is about to begin, just as when the Spirit of God hovered over the dark chaos before the original creation (Gen 1:1-2).
Mention of the wilderness also evokes images of the wilderness wanderings of Israel. Such wanderings served as a time of purification for the nation, after the Exodus from bondage in Egypt, but before entrance into the Promised Land. By preaching in the wilderness, John is forcing the people who want to hear him, as multitudes do, to experience a personal Exodus from the cities, and come out to the wilderness for purification. In so doing, John was preparing the people for the Messiah who, it was hoped, would bring about the national Exodus of the Israelites from bondage to Rome.
This is what Luke (in quoting Isaiah) refers to in the next several descriptive phrases. First, the quote from Isaiah says this emissary will [i]make His paths straight,[/b] that is, the prophet will make straight paths for the Messiah. Again, when Roman dignitaries visited cities, massive excavation, construction, and beatification projects were often undertaken in the cities and surrounding areas prior to his arrival.
3:5. Sometimes the work performed would be to such a great extent that every valley would be filledin and every mountain and hill brought low. One of the things expected was that the path or road he arrived on was straight and level. This would protect him from getting lost by having to make too many turns, from danger by not being able to see around corners, and from weariness (or his horse from weariness) by having to go up and down too many hills. Through parallelism, Isaiah says that the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth. Such terminology hints, of course, that when it comes to the Messiah and the prophet that would prepare the way before Him, God is not concerned about the roads and buildings, but about the spiritual and moral lives of His people (referred to as “all flesh” in verse 6.) He wants them to straighten out the crooked ways in their lives, and smooth out the rough places.
Again, this terminology points back to the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings. Jewish tradition states that the pillar of cloud which went before Israel in the wilderness brought every mountain low, filled in every valley, and cleared their resting places of snakes and scorpions. The Jews applied such terminology to the expectation that through the Messiah, they would once again be led out of captivity (Lightfoot 1989:51).
3:6. The result of all of these preparations is that all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ This verse, in connection with Luke’s reference to the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins in verse 3, has caused many to believe that John is telling people how to “be saved,” which to many, means “get eternal life, escape hell, and go to heaven when you die.” But this is not what John is preaching, nor what Luke is referring to, nor how the term “salvation” is most often used in Scripture. In Scripture, the “salvation” word family (save, saved, salvation, etc.) most often refers to being delivered from some physical, temporal calamity such as sickness, enemies, and storms. Sometimes it refers to being delivered from the enslaving power of sin in our lives. Only rarely does it refer to having something to do with going to heaven when we die (e.g., Eph 2:8-9), and even then, the terminology is debatable.
Here in this context, Isaiah, Luke, and John are all clearly referring not to eternal life and going to heaven, but rather to being delivered from one’s enemies, and more particularly, from the Roman occupation and religious corruption Luke referred to in 3:1-2. Individually, this will occur as each person makes the necessary preparations in their own lives by making steps to be delivered from sin. John tells them how to do this in verses 7-14. So here, the salvation of the Lord refers to freedom from sin and freedom from foreign rule, and a return of all flesh, that is, all the world, being ruled by God. When this happens, the power and domination of paganism will be broken, God will return to Zion, the covenant will be renewed, Israel’s (and all the world’s) sins forgiven, the long-awaited ‘exodus’ will happen, the Temple will be rebuilt, and all the other promises fulfilled (Wright 1996:xviii).


The Holy Prophet Habbakuk, the eighth of the Twelve Minor Prophets, was descended from the Tribe of Simeon, and he prophesied around 650 B.C.
The Prophet Habbakuk foresaw the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Babylonian Captivity and the later return of the captives to their native land. During the war with the Babylonians the prophet withdrew to Arabia, where the following miracle occurred. When he was bringing dinner to the reapers, he met an angel of the Lord, and instantly by the strength of his spirit he was transported to Babylon, where at the time the Prophet Daniel was languishing in prison. The food intended for the reapers assuaged the hunger of the exhausted Prophet Daniel (Dan. 14:33-37).
After the end of the war with the Babylonians, the Prophet Habbakuk returned to his homeland and died at a great old age. His relics were found at the time of Emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450), together with the relics of the Prophet Micah (August 14).


The Obama administration's proposal to reduce dependence on coal fired power plants is not a "climate" proposal.
The "climate" connection assumes a causal relationship among extreme weather events that impact local economies, and human anthropogenic CO2. As climate scientists have repeatedly stated, this connection cannot be demonstrated with any certainty for any extreme weather event. The most that can be said is that weather extremes are consistent with projections from mathematical computer models used to test theories to explain observed climate variation. To date, these models have been unsuccessful in projecting present trends in global climate variation.
It remains to be seen whether or not a reduction of coal fired power plant effluent will have any effect on observed climate variation. Since global average surface temperature has remained statistically stable for the past decade and a half, while global atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise linearly, the anthropogenic CO2/climate change connection is called to question. Observable results of a reduction in CO2 production, if any, must be weighed against complex and chaotic natural climate variation resulting from existing solar, geophysical and cosmic energy cycles.
Of greater concern is that this push to reduce existing energy sources, with no concomitant reduction in energy demand, will result in increased emphasis on energy production from nuclear power plants, fracked natural gas, and hydropower, prospects that threaten greater risks to public health, communities and their economies, and the natural environment.


This picture shows material from the Sun coming towards the Earth. It is the Sun's magnetic field carried in this material that causes magnetic storms.
From May 1806 until June 1807, from his home in Berlin, Baron Alexander von Humboldt observed which way the magnetic needle was pointing. On December 21, 1806, he recorded strong magnetic disturbances. The same night he saw auroral lights. In the morning, the aurora was gone, the magnetic disturbances were gone. Humboldt was left though with his discovery of the geomagnetic storm.
A geomagnetic storm is just what Humboldt recorded, a disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field.
The solar wind carries with it the magnetic field of the Sun. This magnetic field or the IMF (interplanetary magnetic field) has a particular orientation - southward or northward. If the IMF of the solar wind is southward and the solar wind crosses the Earth for long periods of time, geomagnetic storms can be expected. The southward IMF causes magnetic and particle energy to be injected into the Earth's magnetosphere creating storms.
Just in the last 30 years have scientists truly begun to understand the coupled Sun-Earth system. Many of the improved theories are due to satellites such as Yohkoh and Ulysses. It is extremely important to understand such storms because of the effects they have on life on Earth. Geomagnetic storms can affect radio communication, satellite drag, auroral activity and even the safety of astronauts in Earth orbit.
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This section provides a collection of stories with the theme of gentleness, along with questions you can use to guide family discussions. Choose one or more stories that are appropriate for your children.
Before reading aloud, take a few minutes to review the story. If the Bible passage is too complex for your children, paraphrase the story yourself or use the summary provided under “key concepts.”
Read 1 Kings 12:12-17, Zechariah 9:9 and Matthew 11:28-30.
Rehoboam was a harsh and cruel king. The Israelites, also known as Jews, had become used to living under the authority of harsh kings or rulers. In fact, at the time that Zechariah lived, the Jewish people had just been released from living in slavery in Babylon and had been allowed to go back to Jerusalem.
Zechariah encouraged the people by telling them that they could look forward to the coming of another king. He told them the coming king would bring salvation, and righteousness. He also said the new king would be gentle and come to them riding on a donkey. He was talking about Jesus.
When Jesus did come, the Jews were still waiting for their “Messiah” or “Saviour.” They were expecting an earthly king, but God sent a heavenly king. Jesus told the people He was gentle and humble and that He would carry their burdens and give them a light “yoke.” He was reminding them that He would not be a harsh and cruel ruler, but a kind and gentle leader. Jesus came to save the Jewish people from their sins and He came to do that for us, too.
Read Psalm 23:1-3, Isaiah 40:11 and Hebrews 12:1-11.
The Bible compares Jesus to a shepherd. The description in Isaiah refers to Him as leading gently and carrying lambs close to His heart. He is a loving shepherd. Psalm 23 describes how shepherds take their sheep to green pastures where there are quiet waters. It also says that Jesus guides the sheep, meaning us, in “paths of righteousness.” This means that when we follow Jesus, He will lead us to do what is right.
God gives children parents for the same reason that sheep need shepherds. As a shepherd guides sheep to safe places to eat and drink, parents guide their children in life and in following God in righteousness. Children may not enjoy eating vegetables or obeying all of the rules their parents give them, but these things are for their benefit. Ultimately, God is our Heavenly Father who cares for parents and children, and disciplines everyone as He sees best. As sheep trust their shepherds, we can completely trust God.
Read John 8:1-11 and Galatians 6:1.
The Old Testament law said that a man or woman who gave their love and attention to someone who was not their wife or husband should be stoned to death. The Pharisees brought the woman to Jesus who had sinned in this way. They wanted to try and trap Jesus so they would have a reason to accuse Him of wrongdoing. Instead of telling them to stone her, Jesus began writing on the ground. Then Jesus said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7).
People began to leave, one by one. Finally, only Jesus and the woman were left. Jesus didn’t throw any stones at her, but He did tell her to leave her life of sin. We can follow Jesus’ example by gently correcting those who do wrong and offering them forgiveness.
Read Ephesians 4:2-3, Proverbs 22:24-25 and Luke 6:31.
We often begin to treat others the same way that they treat us. The Bible says we are not to make friends with a hot-tempered person or we will learn to act like them. It also says we are not to envy a violent man or choose to act like him because God is not happy when people are violent.
God’s basic instructions on how to treat people are found in the Bible. Jesus tells us we are to love others as we love ourselves and we are to treat others the way you would like to be treated (Matthew 22:39, Luke 6:31). It is much more pleasant to be with friends and family members who are gentle and gracious than those who are harsh and unforgiving.
Read Colossians 3:12, Proverbs 16:21 and Ephesians 4:15-16.
When we correct people harshly, it can make them feel worse than they already do, just like it stings when you get salt in a cut. When a person has done something wrong, they usually know it. It makes that person feel bad when another person corrects them aggressively, instead of gently.
The Bible says that we are to correct those who are caught sinning gently and to speak the truth in love. We can do this by praying before we talk to people about their wrongdoing. When we have God’s love in our hearts, we will find it easier to be gentle, kind, patient and humble when we talk to those who have hurt us or done wrong.
Have your children pray a prayer from the kids talk with God section, or have them come up with their own prayers requesting the Holy Spirit’s help in developing a gentle attitude.
Read Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 16:24 and Proverbs 12:18.
Use your discussion time to talk respectfully about people who have spoken harshly to your children. Possible examples include children who speak unkindly during playtime and neighbours who yell at children. Emphasize the following ideas during your discussion:
The Bible tells us that we accomplish more by responding to those who are cruel or angry with gentleness. When people lash out and say hurtful things, it is often because they have pain in their hearts. God wants us to be people who say kind things that will help “heal” the hurt in others. Kind words are like “God’s bandages” for people who have “bleeding hearts.”
Pray with your children and ask God to help all of you show His love to hurting people by speaking words of encouragement.
Note: The “take 1; take 2; take 3!” exercise in the hands-on options section is a good complement to this discussion.


Interstitial Lung Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
Interstitial lung disease is a general category that includes many different lung conditions and is a group of respiratory diseases that inflame, damage and scar the lungs. The inflammation and scarring make it hard to get enough oxygen. Medications may slow the damage of interstitial lung disease, but in some cases some people never regain full use of their lungs.
Interstitial lung disease occurs when injuries to your lungs trigger an abnormal healing response. Ordinarily, your body generates just the proper amount of tissue to repair damage, but someone who suffers from interstitial lung disease, the repair process goes awry and the tissue around the air sacs becomes scarred and thickened and makes it difficult for oxygen to pass into your bloodstream. Interstitial lung disease can be triggered by various factors — including airborne toxins, drugs and some medical treatments. In most cases, the causes are unknown.
Long-term exposure to a number of toxins and pollutants can damage your lungs. These may include:
Pneumoconiosis (Black lung disease)
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (Farmer’s lung)
Siderosis (Iron from mines or welding fumes)
Treatment depends on the exposure and the stage of Interstitial Lung Disease. It may involve oxygen therapy, medications, and in severe cases a lung transplant. Some treatments may improve symptoms temporarily or slow the disease's progress while others help improve quality of life.
Using oxygen therapy can't stop interstitial lung disease but it can make breathing and exercise easier, prevent or lessen complications from low blood oxygen levels, reduce blood pressure in the right side of your heart, and improve your sleep and sense of well-being.
The information on this page is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For more information about interstitial lung disease, talk to your doctor or primary care provider.


POSITIVELY AWARE JULY/AUGUST 2011
Undetectable by whose standard? New viral Load tests are more sensitive, but what does that really mean? By Tony Mills, MD.
When I first got involved in HIV in the mid 1980s, we hadn’t yet isolated the virus that causes AIDS. Although we didn’t know the etiology of the infection, we knew it destroyed the body’s immune system and the measurement of the CD4 T-cells was the most important number in the life of a patient with “GRID” (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency), the disease that would become known as AIDS.
Soon we isolated the virus, found a cause for HIV, and an antibody that told us who was infected.
In the HIV world, a popular analogy in the early years was that having HIV was like being on a train speeding towards a cliff: the distance to the cliff was the T-cell count and the speed of the train was the HIV viral load. It was a fatalistic analogy but, unfortunately, a somewhat apt one. The train speed (HIV VL) was impossible to control, but we fought tooth and nail to maintain the distance from that cliff (CD4 count). The T-cell count was the most important number in an HIV-positive person’s life.
From T-cells to viral load
Three decades have passed since the first reports of the epidemic, and how we measure success against the virus has changed in many ways. The T-cell count is certainly still important. It predicts who might be at risk of opportunistic infections and it monitors our progress in immune restoration as we move back towards the world of the living and contemplate the long and bright future ahead. But it is the HIV viral load that is truly the bellwether. A low viral load is a surrogate marker of health and it tells us that the medications are working well, that we are doing everything we can to fight the disease, and that we are winning the battle against our foe.
Assessment of HIV viral load is one of the best predictors of clinical disease progression and it is the main parameter used to evaluate treatment response in HIV-positive patients. Reproducible and ever more sensitive assays based on real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology have been developed to quantify HIV in the bloodstream of positive patients. Recent improvements have allowed reliable measurements of various strains of HIV, including the difficult-to-quantitate non-B subtypes. As we look towards the future, and certainly in cutting-edge research today, testing specimens other than serum or plasma for HIV has become important. This has been a challenging task, to measure HIV viral load without plasma, but it is an important goal, particularly for developing parts of the world.
In almost all cases, HIV infection results in a lifelong persistent presence of the virus, despite evidence for almost complete suppression of viral replication using highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). Sensitive and reproducible means for quantifying plasma viremia (viral load) have been developed since the mid-1990s when a landmark study conducted on specimens collected from individuals enrolled in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) demonstrated that plasma HIV-RNA was a better predictor of progression to AIDS and death than CD4+ T-cell counts.1,2Besides having prognostic value, soon thereafter measurement of plasma HIV-RNA was found to provide the most accurate information as to the efficacy of antiretroviral drugs and herein lies the key to its importance today.
When first attempts were made to measure HIV viral load, reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR methodologies were modified to assess as accurately as possible the circulating HIV-RNA molecules in the plasma. In more recent years, the development of RT-PCR technologies has resulted in improvements in sensitivity and in the time required for the assay. All RT-PCR assays were originally designed to measure and quantify the replication of clade B virus. As the global initiative has grown and antiretroviral therapy is now more accessible in developing regions of the world, the challenge of testing HIV-1 non-B subtypes has become more and more of an issue and the need exists for novel technologies adept at measuring this strain of the virus.
The newer real-time viral load testing technologies produce results faster, display larger dynamic ranges, use fully automated extraction procedures, and allow for measurement of greater numbers of samples. All these characteristics are important in both resource-rich countries and in resource-limited environments. Unfortunately, in these resource-poor settings, the required laboratory infrastructure is often found only in major urban areas and isn’t available in the rural environments where much of the HIV epidemic is located. In resource-limited settings, a large emphasis has been placed on developing techniques to assess HIV viral load in some way other than using plasma. The use of dried blood spots has proven to be invaluable in these undeveloped areas for both the process of viral load monitoring and for drug resistance (genotype) testing and HIV sub-typing.
Over the years, many diagnostic companies have been involved in the creation of assays to accurately assess HIV viral load. As a result of all of this research, several methods of quantifying HIV viral load have been developed. Four different commercial viral load assays based on distinct principles are currently approved by the regulatory agencies in the U.S. and/or Europe, and are widely used for antiretroviral treatment monitoring. The most recent tests are based on nucleic acid amplification by PCR and real-time detection. The four assays are: COBAS TaqMan (Roche; Pleasanton, CA);3 NucliSENS EasyQ HIV-1 v2.0 (bioMérieux; Boxtel, Netherlands);4,5 RealTime HIV-1 m2000rt (Abbott; North Chicago, IL);6,7 and VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 1.0 kinetic PCR (kPCR; Siemens; Berkeley, CA).8 Besides real-time detection, all these assays have an initial step of automated nucleic acid isolation, in most cases based on the use of magnetic particles, which generally improves their performance. Although commercial HIV viral load assays differ in terms of principle and performance, they have all been optimized and their current sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility are generally excellent.
All viral load methods described have provided an overall reproducibility above 95%, with co-efficient variations below 10%. They are comparable in the range of lower HIV-RNA detection limit (less than 50 copies/mL on average, though the newest Roche assay goes down to less than 20 copies/mL), as well as upper limit (greater than 107 copies/mL). In comparison studies, there is excellent correlation between the various assays. Also of great interest is the similarity in cost between the different assays. In general, there is a less than a 10% difference in direct reagent and consumable costs between assays.9, 10 Providers are faced with a variety of choices of HIV viral load assays to order for any given patient. Often providers opt to utilize whichever technology has been used in the past to monitor a specific patient. This reduces confusion and minimizes inter-assay variability in results. Conversely, providers might opt to utilize the newest technology or the most sensitive technology in an effort to be on the cutting edge of HIV diagnostic development.
It is worth noting here that with the newer and more sensitive assays, patients who were once always “undetectable” may now show variable low-level viremia. While this can be disconcerting to the patient and to the physician, it truly is a result of the increased sensitivities of the assays at low viral loads and it is most often not an indication that the medications are not working and that resistance is developing. There was so much concern in the HIV provider community about this low level viremia that the DHHS recently addressed it directly. In the latest version of the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents, released in January of 2011, the DHHS has this to say about the new phenomenon of low-level detectable viremia:
“Optimal viral suppression is generally defined as a viral load persistently below the level of detection (<20–75 copies/mL, depending on the assay used). However, isolated “blips” (viral loads transiently detectable at low levels, typically <400 copies/mL) are not uncommon in successfully treated patients and are not thought to represent viral replication or to predict virologic failure. In addition, low-level positive viral load results (typically <200 copies/mL) appear to be more common with some viral load assays than others, and there is no definitive evidence that patients with viral loads quantified as <200 copies/mL using these assays are at increased risk for virologic failure. For the purposes of clinical trials the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) currently defines virologic failure as a confirmed viral load >200 copies/mL, which eliminates most cases of apparent viremia caused by blips or assay variability. This definition may also be useful in clinical practice.”11
The newest HIV viral load assays have improved their sensitivity and reproducibility, and require less time to process and to provide results. It was not uncommon in the early 1990s for an HIV viral load assay to take two weeks to produce results. Now, turnover can be as quick as overnight. Another important advancement in the latest technologies is the minimization of the risk of contamination, mainly as a result of the advancements of automated RNA isolation and real-time amplification and detection. In the past, large volumes of plasma were often needed to quantify HIV viral loads. Today, the required volume of the specimen for testing is generally much lower than that required by earlier assays. In addition to being more economical, the sensitivity of the assays continues to improve. HIV viral load tests are often batched and run together for economic reasons. The number of tests performed in each run on most systems is 96, allowing large workflow for laboratories with a high number of patients. A further benefit of the new assays is that many of them have incorporated the option of testing specimens other than plasma/serum. Work is currently being done looking at seminal plasma viral loads to learn more about transmission risks in patients on and off of medications. In truly resource-limited areas where refrigeration, transportation, and easy access to local RT-PCR technology are the exception rather than the rule, dried blood spots (blots of blood on paper) are often used to assess the viral load. These DBS’s, as they are called, are more stable in unfavorable environments and, compared to tubes of blood, they are more easily batched and shipped to the nearest HIV clinical lab.
Though it is true that the newest HIV viral load assays offer many advantages, several limitations must also be addressed. The first and most important limitation is their cost. The cost of antiretroviral drugs in the developed world continues to escalate with the drive for newer, simpler, and more effective medications fueling the rising cost of the newer drugs. In the developing world, much effort has been made to decrease the costs of drugs and thereby make them affordable and within reach for the general population. While the ethical commitment to provide treatment to those who need it in these resource-limited areas has forced reduced medication costs, there has not been a parallel reduction in the costs of laboratory monitoring tests, especially in HIV viral load assays.
The cost of viral load testing using the newest commercial real-time assays is more expensive than it ever was before. In many countries and in many settings, the increased cost per test is difficult, if not impossible, to afford. Moreover, logistical and technical aspects represent a further limitation for the use of the tests. Correct use of the technologies is complex and requires a high level of education and skill. The diagnostics manufacturers often provide skilled specialist support, but this level of support is often very expensive. The supply of reagents, additional expenses due to consumables, constant air-conditioning requirements, regular electricity supply and power back-up, and availability of protocols and package product inserts in a variety of languages further limit the optimal implementation of the newest HIV viral load assays and further elevate the costs.
In today’s HIV world, the viral load assay is the most important indicator of the success of a patient’s HIV regimen. Maintenance of an undetectable viral load is fundamental: it’s how we know we are keeping the virus in check and it’s how we know we are moving in the right direction towards long-term HIV suppression and long-term survival in the battle with HIV. The currently available real-time PCR assays for HIV viral load measurements are extremely accurate and reproducible in their quantification of the level of HIV activity. They provide advantages in terms of time consumption, cross-contamination, and sample volume needed to obtain results.In addition, these tests allow an improved workflow, reliable detection of non-B variants, and permit samples other than serum/plasma to be tested. These newest HIV viral load tests are not without limitations, however. They are expensive and they require a complex laboratory infrastructure that is not usually available in many resource-poor countries. In addition, these tests allow an improved workflow, reliable detection of non-B variants, and permit samples other than serum/plasma to be tested. These newest HIV viral load tests are not without limitations, however. They are expensive and they require a complex laboratory infrastructure that is not usually available in many resource-poor countries. In resource-limited settings, efforts to provide access to adequate laboratory facilities where HIV viral load can be tested with the newest assays has to be considered as a priority, since the success and the benefit of the rapid scaling-up of first-line HAART seems to be largely dependent on adequate laboratory monitoring, particularly when access to second-line therapies is still limited. If viral load cannot be accurately monitored and durable high level virologic suppression maintained, then infection by and accumulation of drug-resistant viruses and their subsequent transmission within the population could be an inevitable consequence that could significantly impact the life expectancy of all of us living with HIV.
This is the last of a three-part series of articles sponsored by Abbott Molecular.
Tony Mills, MD is a leading clinician in HIV disease and men’s health in Los Angeles. He has been principal investigator on more than 50 clinical trials, is a nationally known speaker, and has most recently formulated a line of natural supplements for men. Visit www.tonymillsmd.com.
- Mellors J, Rinaldo C, Gupta P et al.: Prognosis in HIV-1 infection predicted by the quantity of virus in plasma. Science272,1167-1170 (1996).
- Mellors J, Muñoz A, Giorgi J et al.: Plasma viral load and CD4+ lymphocytes as prognostic markers of HIV-1 infection. Ann. Intern. Med.126,946-954 (1997).
- Katsoulidou A, Petrodaskalaki M, Sypsa E et al.: Evaluation of the clinical sensitivity for the quantification of HIV-1 RNA in plasma: comparison of the new COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 with three current HIV-RNA assays - LCx HIV RNA quantitative, VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 3.0 (bDNA) and COBAS AMPLICOR HIV-1 Monitor v1.5. J. Virol. Methods131,168-174 (2006)
- de Mendoza C, Koppelman M, Montes B et al.: Multicenter evaluation of the NucliSENS EasyQ HIV-1 v1.1 assay for the quantitative detection of HIV-1 RNA in plasma. J. Virol. Methods127,54-59 (2005).
- Yao J, Liu Z, Ko L et al.: Quantitative detection of HIV-1 RNA using NucliSENS EasyQ HIV-1 assay. J. Virol. Methods129,40-46 (2005).
- Tang N, Huang S, Salituro J et al.: A real time HIV-1 viral load assay for automated quantitation of HIV-1 RNA in genetically diverse group M subtypes A-H, group O and N samples. J. Virol. Methods146,236-245 (2007).
- Scott L, Noble L, Moloi J et al.: An evaluation of the Abbott m2000 Real-Time HIV-1 assay for HIV viral load monitoring in South Africa compared with existing technologies: Roche COBAS Ampliprep/COBAS Amplicor; Roche COBAS Ampliprep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1, and bioMérieux NucliSENS EasyQ HIV-1. J. Clin. Microbiol.47(7),2209-2217 (2009).
- Ruelle J, Jnaoui K, Lefevre I, Lamarti N, Goubau P: Comparative evaluation of the VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 1.0 kinetic PCR molecular system (kPCR) for the quantification of HIV-1 plasma viral load. J. Clin. Virol.44,297-301 (2009).
- Rouet F, Rouzioux C: HIV-1 viral load testing cost in developing countries: what's new? Expert Rev. Mol. Diagn.7,703-707 (2007).
- Sloma C, Germer J, Gerads T et al.: Comparison of the Abbott RealTime HIV-1 assay to the COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 test: workflow, reliability and direct costs. J. Clin. Microbiol.47,889-895 (2009).
- Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents . DHHS. January 1, 2011. p. 9.


Date of Award
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
The present study explores the selection of Africultural coping strategies (i.e., Spiritual-Centred, Collective, Ritual-Centred) and conventional Eurocentric coping strategies (i.e., Problem-Focused, Emotion-focused) among Canadians of African descent (N=190) responding to three types of racial discrimination (i.e., Interpersonal, Institutional, Cultural), and the relative importance of these strategies in managing psychological distress. The results indicated that Canadians of African descent utilize both Africultural and conventional Eurocentric coping strategies when responding to racial discrimination. However, preferences for these coping strategies depend on the type of racial discrimination being encountered. Preferences for conventional Eurocentric and Africultural coping resources in response to different types of racial discrimination were also found to have differential effects on psychological outcomes over the past year. Overall, the findings demonstrated that individuals of African descent are exposed to unique stressors that require them to effectively utilize a repertoire of mainstream and culture-based coping strategies in order to maintain psychological well-being.Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2006 .J67. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-01, page: 0479. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2006.
Joseph, Justine, "Psychological survival: Selective coping strategies among Canadians of African descent responding to racial discrimination." (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3225.


In the previous post, from a cluster of touching mouse chromosomes:
points belonging to negatively curved domains of a contour can be isolated :
|Yellow points belong to negatively curved domains of the contour.|
To separate the chromosomes, it is tempting to cut between the closest pairs of points.
Let's make combination of pairs of points belonging to the contour:
Python provides itertools.combinations(); the closest pairs of points are in the set of the combinations of every pairs of points:
Path between two points belonging to the countour:Each line shows the euclidian distance between two points, the four shortest lines correspond more or less to the contact domains between the chromosomes, cuting along them provides a way to separate the chromosomes.
It should be possible to do better by using a geodesic distance between the points, that is using a path inside the cluster of chromosomes. In the following example:
On the left, two paths (depending on the chosen pixel neighborhood) between the two blue points were overlaid on a binary image (background is set to 255 and the foreground to 0). The path were determined as follow using skimage 0.8dev:
- negbin: the negative binary image
- p1, p2: the two points figured in blue.
On the right the background (0) was set to 255 (white), the path (red) between the two points was determined by minimizing the "greyscale cost", that is through the valleys between the two points is the image is viewed as a greyscaled landscape.
All the paths can be determined (left), and then the paths can be sorted according to their cost (right). The four paths with the smallest cost are figured in red (left).
or see bellow:


Today, nearly half of the public knows someone who uses online dating or who has met a spouse or partner via online dating – and attitudes toward online dating have grown progressively more positive.To be sure, many people remain puzzled that someone would want to find a romantic partner online – 23% of Americans agree with the statement that “people who use online dating sites are desperate” – but in general it is much more culturally acceptable than it was a decade ago.Two thirds of online daters—66%—tell us that they have gone on a date with someone they met through a dating site or dating app.
With the use of modern technology, people can date via telephone or computer or meet in person.
This term may also refer to two or more people who have already decided they share romantic and/or sexual feelings toward each other.
Dating is a stage of romantic and/or sexual relationships in humans whereby two or more people meet socially, possibly as friends or with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as a partner in a more committed intimate relationship or marriage.
It can be a form of courtship consisting of social activities done by the couple.
Digital technology and smartphones in particular have transformed many aspects of our society, including how people seek out and establish romantic relationships.
Few Americans had online dating experience when Pew Research Center first polled on the activity in 2005, but today 15% of U. adults report they have used online dating sites or mobile dating apps.
The protocols and practices of dating, and the terms used to describe it, vary considerably from country to country and over time.
While the term has several meanings, the most frequent usage refers to two or more people exploring whether they are romantically and/or sexually compatible by participating in dates with the other.
One factor behind the substantial growth among younger adults is their use of mobile dating apps.


Soil protection in highly mechanized timber harvest
Joint project: investigation and assessment of soil functions and derivation of solution strategies for a soil-protective timber harvest; Subproject 2: soil physical data and measuring sensors
In modern highly mechanized timber harvesting, vehicle mass has been steadily increasing for decades. Heavy vehicles increase the performance of logging and make it possible to meet the growing demand for wood. Due to the increasing days of use, however, unfavorable soil conditions can impair soil functions.
How does this affect, and what are the solution strategies for a soil-conserving timber harvest?
Background and Objective
The heavier the machines used in the forest, the more they stress the forest ecosystem. The direct interaction between the vehicle and the ground can change the functionality of the soil / soil functions. In order to assess this, a combined consideration of soil physical and soil biological indicators is required, which the Thünen Institute of Agricultural Technology compiles and evaluates in cooperation with the Northwest German Forestry Research Institute (NW-FVA) and the Niedersächsisches Forstplanungsamt (NFP). The parameters are set in relation to the key indicator "lane depth" because the lane depth can be visually and thus easily raised for the driver. From the cause-effect chain "driving - soil properties - soil functions", ecological guard rails can finally be derived as decision-making aid for practical applications. The findings will also be integrated into a future concept, from which a prognosis model for the driveability of forest soils will be created. Meteorological data should also be included in this hazard map for the trafficability of forest soils.
In addition, the development of a limit value transmitter is driven forward to avoid costly hand measurements and to support the workflow during the cutting operations.
Science and research, forest and soil research community, forestry enterprises and associations, forestry consultants, education, politics.
- Selection of spruce stands on stress-sensitive soils for investigations
- Assessment of the relevant soil physical properties (water content, dry bulk density, pore and particle size distribution, hydraulic conductivity, penetration resistance) of existing skid trails before and after renewed timber harvest through forest soil and laboratory investigations
- Mapping of the morphological characteristics of the skid trails, esp. the driving lane depth, before and after re-driving with forestry vehicles
- Use of the hydrostatic settlement measurement developed by the Thünen Institute for determining the settlement of soil caused by driving on the skid trails with a field-used harvester and a forwarder
- Integrated consideration of soil physical (Thünen Institute), soil biological and soil chemical parameters (both by the NW-FVA) to determine the effects of the approach on the forest floor ecosystem
- Linking the findings with the parameter "lane depth" and deriving ecological guard rails.
- Issue of recommendations for action regarding the drivability of forest soils in the sense of a soil-conserving timber harvest
- Further development of the hazard map of forest soils
- Development of a future concept for the location- and weather-sensitive prediction of the risk of traffic
- Parallel: Further development of the prototype-level limit switch for the indication of exceedances of a critical lane depth
Our Research Questions
- Is there a connection between soil-functional properties and the morphological characteristics of the lane, and can critical driving lane depths set as a guideline?
- When can a detected change of state be interpreted as ecological damage? What is the tolerable level of soil degradation from an ecological point of view?
- How can the parameter lane depth be integrated into existing risk concepts for the practicability of forest soils and what are the possibilities of regionalization?
- Can a track depth sensor be developed that reliably replaces the hand measurement of the driving lane under practical conditions?
Involved external Thünen-Partners
- Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt (NW-FVA)
(Göttingen, Hann. Münden, Deutschland)
- Niedersächsische Landesforsten
(Wolfenbüttel, Oerrel, Deutschland)
Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR)
6.2017 - 8.2022
Project funding number: 22014616
Funding program: FNR
Project status: ongoing


...is hydrogen, up to 10 percent is methane, and between 10 and 30 percent is carbon dioxide. Most of the air that people swallow, while talking and eating in particular, is either regurgitated (as in belching) or absorbed in the stomach. Anxiety or eating quickly induces frequent swallowing of air with consequent belching or increased rectal flatus. Although some of the carbon dioxide in the...
TITLE: speech: Esophageal voice
SECTION: Esophageal voice
Some European birds and other animals can produce a voice in which air is actively aspirated into the esophagus and then eructated (belched), as many people can do without practice. The sound generator is formed by the upper esophageal sphincter (the cricopharyngeus muscle in man). As a replacement for vocal cord function, the substitute esophageal voice is very low in pitch, usually about 60...


Virus: ‘A piece of bad news wrapped in a protein’
-Sir Peter Medawar
Diagram of the HIV virus. US National Institute of Health (redrawn by en:User:Carl Henderson)
It is no secret that viruses are a bane of modern life—prior to the Bird Flu, Ebola, and HIV most individuals did not put much worry in catching a cold nor the influenza. However, the arrival of HIV in the late 1970s opened the eyes of many people—(and HIV’s source seemingly came from ‘monkey meat.’) While all along, the question as to whether viruses were a form of life was hotly debated and still remains partly solved (with the mainstream regarding viruses as non-life). Truth be told, the definition of life is a thorny issue to the majority of biologists.
The lack of understanding of viruses plagues the field of astrobiology as well. Googling the terms—viral life and astrobiology will nearly turn up an empty cache. One other remarkable fact is the number of viruses are said to outnumber bacteria by one order of magnitude. (Estimates put the number of viruses at 1031and the number of bacteria at 1030. That is the number 10 with 31 zeros behind it.) Any place there is humanity, you may well find a virus feeding as a parasite. In fact, there are viruses that feed on other viruses.
The discipline of astrobiology is studying viruses, and it may help discern the puzzle of fossilized life on the side (see note at end of post). However more to point, I will speak of ‘virus fundamentals.’ Viruses trick their host into ‘believing’ that their chemistry is a part of host’s biochemistry. The virus will attach itself to the ‘wall of its host’ and insert its DNA (or RNA) to make more copies of itself. It is correctly pointed out that viruses play a prominent role in life’s present and past evolution. (Viruses have been a part of the Earth’s biology since near the beginning of life.) And, it is pointed out that by finding ET-viruses it will help us to understand how life may have arisen elsewhere. That argument is put forth because viruses are now found in archaea, the bacterial communities that survive under extreme conditions. It has also has been reported that archaeal viruses may survive for extended periods by coating their exteriors with a glassy silica (related to sand).
The likelihood of finding ET-viruses is one which intrigues the astrobiology community. However, scenarios posed show a murky picture at best. If viral entities are found everywhere, it may be nearly impossible to discern ‘infected-life’ from ‘non-infected-life.’ Further clouding the scenario is the mainstream view that viruses are not alive but collections of chemical bags that bear little similarity to conventional life.
REFERENCES for READING and STUDY:
Matti Jalasvuori, Anni-Maria Örmälä and Jaana K.H. Bamford (2009). On the astrobiological relevance of viruses in extraterrestrial ecosystems. International Journal of Astrobiology, 8, pp 95-100. doi:10.1017/S1473550409004479.
Griffin D.W. (2013). The quest for extraterrestrial life: what about the viruses? Astrobiology. 2013 Aug;13(8):774-83. doi: 10.1089/ast.2012.0959.
REFERENCE related to fossils and biosignatures:
Laidler, J., Shugart, J., Cady, S., Bahjat, K., Stedman, K. “Reversible Inactivation and Desiccation Tolerance of Silicified Viruses.” J. Virol. 10.1128/JVL.02825-13. http://jvi.asm.org/content/early/2013/10/03/JVI.02825-13.full.pdf+html?sid=affa42aa-f145-4284-b6db-e12bdd34b1ed


How You Can Report An Analysis Pieces of paper Making use of MLA Formatting
How You Can Report An Analysis Pieces of paper Making use of MLA Formatting
For anybody who is an increased university or university student, then there may surely certainly be a time if you find yourself in any situation that you ought to report an investigation papers, dissertation, annotated bibliography or anything else. There are numerous kinds of formatting, however the normally utilised products could be the MLA, APA, and Chi town varieties. With these formatting models will help to be certain that the authors usually do not embark on plagiarism and in addition it simplifies the procedure of obtaining places utilized inside the essay. EssayPro will educate you tips on how to properly report an investigation papers employing MLA Data format.
Stand Of Items
- Exactly What Is MLA Formatting Type
- Formatting The Leading Website
- The In-wording Citation
- Instance of a study Old fashioned paper in MLA Structure
What on earth is MLA Formatting?
MLA would be the formatting technique of the current Foreign language Relationship. Its found in spots for instance British experiments, relative literature, overseas terms, and literature or societal reports. It is really an scholastic design tutorial broadly made use of in the nation, Canada, in addition to other nations around the world. It frequently presents suggestions for creating and paperwork of explore in humanities and British literature.
Formatting The Front Side Web site
There can be some main elements associated with installing inside of suitable MLA principles:
- Web page Margins needs to be Just 1 in . on ends on the words.
- Fixed the fishing line space from individual to two times-spread out. This may cause studying the words significantly less crammed within the eyes and permits the professor to help with making required opinions within a awesome and prepared approach.
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- Last but not least, get into the needed class details at the top-allowed to remain part of this first page. It will resemble this:
- Complete Name
- Label of Instructor/Professor
- Company name naturally
- Scheduled Time for Task
The In-words Citation
When citing an analysis cardstock, encompass suggestions after only two segments:
- The estimates chosen from the essay
- The Actually works Reported internet page right at the end
The citation advice in your system with the old fashioned paper is referred to as “in-content citation. The obvious enough time to apply it in words is usually when you use an insurance quote through a supply right or reference it by subject or source.
Often, you want to selection the writer’s surname and site amount covered within just parentheses upright once the price. When the author’s title is integrated being a option on your phrase, you definitely only need to range from the webpage variety with the bracket.
Two roadways diverged in any raw wood, and that i – I used the person considerably less traveled by, and therefore has created a huge difference (Frost 1). Kenneth Burke has referred to mankind as “icon-utilizing cats” (3).
Obviously, Burke’s identity was as part of the phrase, so there is not any requirement for rep in your citation.*
Recommendations: When giving you suggestions in your own homework document, the people have to be notified relating to the starting point from the methods from your location citing your data. The personal reference internet page is referred to as the “Will work Reported”. This blog is how the article author grants loan on the reference. Items that are positioned within the citation comprise of: buy essay online cheap alphabetical obtain of experts surname, label of write-up and time made.
Go along with this structure just: Journalist(s)-Andgt; “Headline of Post.” -Andgt;Label of Diary Amount.-Andgt;Challenge (Year or so): pages of content Electric Suppliers. For electronic and digital options take advantage of the inventor’s identify and web site multitude or section phone number for in-product suggestions. That is if only the details lacks web page or segment quantities by any solutions. At that time, you are going to fundamentally range from the author’s company name inside the area once you have known as the documented advice.
Picking out A Good Procedure for the In-textual content Citation.
In-written text citations are many times parenthetical, meaning material are invariably combined with the conclusion for the phrase in parentheses. But in the case you include things like that important information within the words for the phrase per se, you must not include parenthetical citation. To illustrate, if ever the author’s term is available from the in-content citation, there is no requirement to add in it afterwards; merely include the internet page quantity with your referencing is completed!
Set up of your In-words Citation
Acquiring two resources within the equivalent source could possibly confound your reader. Once they look at the resource, they might uncover two diverse articles and reviews. To prevent this misunderstandings, you ought to add a quite short name from the investigation citation, and so the audience know which for the citations to hunt for.
Where a provider has 2 or 3 creators, it is advisable to comprise of all authors’ past titles. Unlike, after you have a number of or over editors then you must produce each of them out adopting the surname with the initially Article writer.
Despite the fact that exploring in class or college or university, you will likely confront these sort of version of task as essay posting. That’s why efficient report creating is becoming a lot more well-liked these days. It’s very hard to be great at various formulating, but which should not sway your faith. Subsequent to getting wholly versed during the some important categories of school posting, you will possess the total skillset to cope with any kind of essay.
The Four Basic Varieties of Essay Posting Kinds
Nevertheless there is lots of bedroom for innovation and personalization, most put together messages abide by 1 of 4 paths. In most cases, almost every other textual content developed in an essay pattern is some type of ingenious producing having no instructional tips. Basically, not all kinds of essay publishing are a part of this word. Ever since we have been specializing in scholastic crafting, anything at all excluded from that organization should not brought up. So, you may thinking about do you know the several types of essay formulating? Actually, the four different types of essay composing are expository, enticing, descriptive and story.
Distinction between categories of essays is only a matter of being familiar with is there a author’s purpose. It is sharing with a narrative regarding a personalized practical knowledge, outlining a concern, portraying one thing, or seeking to convince or persuade your reader to simply accept a definite perspective. The 4 essay kinds are:
Expository Essays: It’s Information About Info
An Expository Essay is a form of scholastic authoring where you really need to take a look at a subject making use of info, stats, and some examples. You may do this in a few tactics: understanding an expression, contrasting and contrasting, inspecting a reason and benefit, and so forth. The aim should be to make clear the topic inside of a reasonable process. Offer you a good well-balanced studies devoid of indicating private sensations and regards to the subject.
Useful Information On Publishing an Expository Essay:
- Bargains Completely with displaying the reality
- Explained to within a 3rd individual prospective
- Commonly possesses a 5 various-section shape
- Delivers an approach to the condition
- Remember to incorporate your thesis document with your preliminary section. It ought to be one particular brief phrase that discuss the chief thought of the history.
- Almost every section have to take care of a issue that concerns the thesis
Continue reading: Creating an Expository Essay
Enticing Essay: Tell Me Whenever You Can
Convincing Essays do just like the term programs; they effort to influence viewers into trusting their area associated with the debate/disagreement is accurate or far better. It will need a lot of approaches to rhetoric among them the effective use of ethos, pathos, and emblems. Trainees that believes that the demise punishment really should be abolished all over the world would make an argumentative essay of which they point out truth and views with regards to thinking. Enticing essay freelance writers should discover how to promote themselves as legitimate resources, fascinate sentiment, and rationally rationale because of their crowd.
Different Manifestation of the Convincing Essay:
- Given inside of a argument formatting
- May be advised in very first or 3 rd someone
- Secures frequently a 4 to 5 section system.
- Purposes experiences as elements within the discussion.
- Frequently measures up and differences
- Discover important places to guard their issue
- Locate the most legitimate verification for any opposition see
Continue reading: Crafting a Enticing Essay
Descriptive Essay: Get A Snapshot
Descriptive Essays coach a freelance writer to spell it out some sort of images. Utilizing the 5 feels of tastes, noise, view, feel, and stench, the author ought to fresh paint the clearest image likely. Carrying out this helps to your reader make the most authentic visualization. A standard illustration of a descriptive essay is generally employed in categories of higher education essay creating. When presenting with a university entry request, we have a inquiry which requires the author to clarify themself. Finding out how to offer a product (even your body) making use of brilliant words and interesting elements just might help you get good at the descriptive essay.
One of a kind Manifestation of the Descriptive Essay:
- Calls for inventive composing and descriptive capabilities.
- Could be advised in to start with, 2nd, or 3 rd individual.
- Often developed in 3-5 lines
- Delivers info utilizing the 5 sensory faculties
- Is designed to attractively establish some subject or thought
Discover more: Creating a Descriptive Essay
Story Essays are accustomed to explain to a tale. This particular publishing requires several route with the typical investigate and research type. This style of creating essay lets someone to grow to be inspiring. They may put together their own individual plan, establishing, figures, recommendations, or anything else. The intention of a story essay may be to coach a course throughout the advancement of the storyplot. To be a viewer, 1 would like to sense a feeling of motive in viewing the writing, and that is certainly the final intention on the article writer. Most guides and stories are forms of story authoring.
Different Sign of the Story Essay:
- Instructs a narrative by using a intention
- Regularly informed in first of all someone but will have 3 rd
- Are usually developed in 3 lines or the dimensions of a novel
- Makes use of figurative vocabulary and several prices
- Helps keep items currently linear progression
- Bring conversation in between heroes to add in lifestyle to essay
Find out more: Crafting a Story Essay
While all essay styles adhere to the same exact primary key points, you can find areas which make them differentiate yourself from the other person. Not surprisingly, expository essays offer you informative information and facts, enticing essays make an attempt to have an impact on, descriptive essays coloration an image, and story essays determine a tale. These in their ideal stick to 4 distinctive roadways.
Strongly suggested: Essay Free samples
Backlinking Sections of Essays
Despite the fact that there can be several types of essays and samples, all formulating variations write about some standard plans. For a start, the exact elements of an essay vacation the very same, irrespective of the model. Each and every essay holds about it an intro, a whole body, and in closing. Even though the information that could be set into some of those portions may differ while using the model, their generally objective is fixed.
- The intro is needed to spread out along the subject matter and lightly expose tips which will be shown eventually.
- Any suitable history is provided in this article.
- The thesis impression is disclosed following the introduction and uncovers the actual standing for the essay.
Learn more concerning how to create an amazing Intro
Human body Section(s)
- Your system connected with an essay may be the meats grinding machine; most of the measures arises on this site or any areas that must be showed or outlined exist in this portion.
- The thesis assertion is meticulously revealed and revealed
- Each individual section while in the on the whole physique takes care of its intent. The leading intent from the copy is split up into components each section undergoes among those pieces.
- The actual final outcome recaps key areas and restates thesis documents, correctly offering it verified.
- The crafting is provided relevance, commonly finished with a phone call to actions or maybe in general concluding assertion.
On the subject of grading and in general energy on the word, university or college instructors, and classes tutors center on a couple of components:
- Was the sentence structure thoroughly created? How effortlessly do the written text stream?
- Have done the language present serious taste or was it merely tossed inside for phrase lure. Have this content understand?
- How good performed they help answer the topic / show the theory?
- Managed to do they remain focused in this particular precise thought or do their work out of believed walk?
Every time a freelance writer has enough supplied tips 1,2 and three, that’s when they usually are certain that the creating was good. With the ability to sustain these three areas and still provide enlightening articles that delivers reader’s focus is the reason why for superior composing.
Click this link to explore How To Make A Earning Description
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A video featuring a smiling poo emoji released today by the University of California reminds us that there’s energy in human waste. The idea of poop-as-biofuels has been floating around for a few years — most notably in Britain, where the so-called Bio-Bus loads up on excrement and putters around Bristol.
If you want to turn stank sausage into readily usable liquid energy, you have to enlist some microscopic help: By altering the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, the UCLA scientists can feed waste polypeptides to the germs, which then produce biofuels and ammonia. It’s an ouroboros of excretion, consumption, and excretion. In 2014, the team reported biofuel yields of 20 percent of the theoretical max. The process, they wrote in the journal Metabolic Engineering, demonstrates “the feasibility of direct microbial conversion of polypeptides into sustainable products.”
“For about eight years, we have worked on converting waste proteins, including animal wastes, algal biomass, fermentation residues, and other agricultural wastes to usable products,” says UCLA engineer and study co-author James Liao to Inverse, who emphasized the lab is more focused on animal waste rather than human poo.
“We now have a even better organism, Bacillus mamaransis, which can grow in extreme alkaline solutions, where very few (if any) other organisms can survive.”
Unlike traditional biofuels — think corn-based ethanol — the end product isn’t corrosive to metal, argue the UCLA scientists. That means you could, in theory, just fill up your tank without any conversion, says metabolic engineer David Wernick.
Bioengineers still need to figure out how to increase the bacterial yield, tweaking the microbe strains until they excrete higher percentages of potential biofuel. The end fuel is going to have to be cheap enough, too, to compete with gasoline. “The area needs much more investment and work to improve efficiency,” says Liao. “We just pointed to the path.”
What no one has to worry about is a lack of manure — the U.S. churns that stuff out, agriculturially and anthropogenically, at a rate of 1 billion tons annually. If we can tap into this resource, a greener earth might look a little browner, too.


The role of a medicine practitioner can vary depending on the nation. Some work as part of an on-call roster while others are based in private consulting areas. The latter might be shown to various other medical practitioners in a specialized. They might see individuals in their own consulting areas on a particular day of the week and traveling to hospitals for other visits. They additionally might be part of a group that works in a wellness centre or healthcare facility.
Doctors have details university degrees. In a lot of nations, they can become certified to exercise. In the United States, this licensing procedure is called licensure; in Commonwealth countries, it is called enrollment. In some nations, it is called a residency or internship. In some other countries, such as France and Portugal, a physician must be a member of the Order of Physicians. In the United Kingdom, medical practitioners should complete a training program and register with the General Medical Council.
In Europe, medical professionals are called for to go through supervised method before they can be fully certified to practice. This period can be approximately 2 years. This duration is known as a teaching fellowship or foundation year, as well as it is called conditional enrollment in the UK. In some jurisdictions, a physician should carry out a residency prior to they can come to be licensed to exercise. The role of a medication specialist is highly varied. Typically, a doctor is needed to have a clinical degree or a doctorate.
The function of a medicine professional includes supplying overall care to clients. A doctor administers therapies as well as measures for a range of conditions. He also does assessments and also concerns people to comprehend the nature of their issues. He or she may trade medical details with experts. Additionally, a physician may be responsible for reporting births and fatalities. These jobs are executed by a general practitioner. The work of a physician varies from country to nation, relying on the jurisdiction.
In the United States, doctors are needed to be licensed. The British and Irish federal governments have a national medical council. In the United States, a physician’s certificate is usually identified by the state in which they function. It is necessary to choose a medication specialist that is licensed in the field of medication. They will certainly be able to offer take care of patients. The occupation additionally provides look after individuals with numerous health conditions. They frequently work in facilities or hospitals.
In the USA, physicians are required to acquire a certificate to exercise medicine. In Canada, physicians are accredited by the state’s Ministry of Health. The federal government calls for a doctor to be signed up with the nationwide medical council. In some nations, a medication specialist’s permit is the same as the medical professional’s certification. However, the Canadian Medical Council has a various meaning for a medical professional. Further, the General Medical Council does not consider a medical professional a qualified cosmetic surgeon.
In the United Kingdom, the title “medicine practitioner” is a generic term for a medical professional. It is used for a doctor that is licensed by the district. In several various other nations, the term is similar to words “medical professional” in English. In both instances, the method of medicine is controlled by the government. Those who want to exercise medicine must fulfill particular criteria, including licensing demands. In the USA, doctors must have a permit to work in their selected field.
In the USA, doctors are certified to practice medicine. In the United Kingdom, this process is called licensure. In many Commonwealth countries, the term is signed up. In France and also Italy, the title is medico. In Portugal, the term physician originates from the Latin word ‘medical professional’, which indicates “health specialist.” In the majority of countries, medical professionals are regulated by the state and a clinical council. They are licensed to exercise medication.
The career of medication is managed in many countries. In the United States, doctors are licensed to exercise medicine, yet in the UK, the procedure is called licensure. In the UK, physicians should have a degree from a college in the field. They need to be licensed in their nation to exercise. Some countries require a residency or a certificate in order to practice as a medical professional. These needs can differ widely from country to country.
A medicine expert is a person that methods medicine. The term “medication expert” is various in different nations. In the United States, the licensing procedure is called licensure. In Europe, the term is called registration, while in the UK it is known as registration. Generally, doctors work full time as well as are based in health centers or personal consulting spaces. The latter are usually shown to other experts in the exact same specialized. A medication practicer may see a client in the hospital on a specific day, but travel to an additional health center on recentlies.
There are a number of kinds of medicine experts. A general practitioner provides health care for individuals as well as refers individuals to professionals when needed. Lots of people consider their doctor to be their first factor of call for their individual wellness requirements. A dependency medicine expert deals with the basic concerns connected to non-medical substance abuse. Their primary emphasis is the rehabilitation of medicine reliant clients. The technique of addiction medication is increasing in lots of areas, including the United States and also Australia. It is also an expanding area in the United States.
In the USA, a medical professional is certified to practice medication. In the Republic, a medical professional is licensed by the ideal board. In a healthcare facility, a doctor’s obligations vary, yet they normally entail diagnosing and also treating diseases. In addition to exercising medicine, a doctor might be a local, a trainee, or a physician that has just finished. These physicians all provide primary care for their clients and also are managed by a clinical college. Learn more
A physician’s duty is to provide extensive like individuals. This includes suggesting drug and also various other treatments. A doctor conducts assessments as well as inquiries individuals regarding their medical conditions. They may also report deaths and births, and monitor their development. The method of medicine is very closely related to the practice of medicine. The obligation of a medical professional is vast, as well as a doctor requires to have a comprehensive understanding of their work. The career is constantly transforming, and the difficulties of the work have to be attended to.