Approximately 15 million American adults have social anxiety disorder, and more than 75 percent of them experienced their first symptoms during their childhood or early teenage years.1 As a parent, it can be excruciating watching your child struggle to connect with their peers, but there are several things you can do to help them manage their anxiety proactively so they can become more comfortable with themselves and with others.
Read on to find out how social anxiety is typically treated in teens, signs to look out for, and what you can do to help at home.
How Do You Treat Adolescent Social Anxiety?
It’s important to remember that there is no cure for anxiety. The best treatment plan is to help your child develop coping mechanisms that will allow them to manage their anxiety in triggering situations.
For many, therapy (specifically cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT) is highly beneficial. CBT for social anxiety involves identifying and challenging specific negative thoughts (i.e. “Nobody likes me” or “Everybody thinks I’m weird”) and unhealthy behaviors (i.e. avoidance of others) that can negatively impact your child’s mood and self-esteem. CBT helps teens understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, while developing the confidence to face triggering situations and the anxiety these situations provoke.
Some parents choose to treat their child’s social anxiety with prescription medication like antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and beta-blockers. At Brillia, we recognize that these medications can be helpful, but we recommend them as a last resort, not the first course of action. In some cases, simple adjustments to your teen’s lifestyle can help reduce their anxiety successfully, from making tweaks to their diet, to ensuring they’re getting adequate sleep, to even controlling how much screen time they get each day.
If you feel your child or teen can benefit from medication, Brillia for Children is one non-prescription option to consider. Free from harsh, synthetic chemicals and harmful side effects, Brillia is an extremely targeted homeopathic medication that contains antibodies to the the brain-specific S100B protein, a key regulator of many different intracellular and extracellular brain processes. Without masking your child’s personality, affecting their appetite, or making them drowsy, Brillia gently and impactfully reduces feelings of anxiety and stress without affecting any other systems in the body.
While antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can take some time to adjust to and may need to be increased over time to maintain efficacy, Brillia can be started or stopped at any time without any residual effects and will not need to be increased over time to be useful. Brillia also helps to regulate the mood by normalizing the level of monoamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin) in different parts of the brain, which are the same brain chemicals targeted by prescription medications for anxiety.
irritability and impulsivity.
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Signs & Symptoms to Look for in Your Teen
Social anxiety is defined as a marked fear or anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is exposed to potential scrutiny by others. This anxiety occurs in the situation and may also occur in anticipation of the situation and afterward.
Signs and symptoms include:
- Fear of being judged
- Persistent worry about embarrassing themselves
- Fear of appearing anxious to others
- Fear of of interacting or talking to others
- Anxiety in anticipation of social situations
- Ruminating about their behavior after social situations
- Difficulty making eye contact
- Avoidance of social gatherings, school, dating, and public places
- Physical symptoms such as blushing, perspiring, trembling, getting dizzy, breathing fast, feeling like their mind has gone blank, and having an upset stomach
If you suspect your teen has social anxiety, here are some ways you can help them at home:
1. Encourage Relaxation Techniques
Studies show that relaxation techniques are just as effective as CBT for managing anxiety.2 From deep breathing to progressive muscle relaxation, there are a number of strategies your teen can use when they start to feel their worries bubble up. Deep breathing will help them slow down their breath and become more rooted in the moment. Progressive muscle relaxation, which is alternating between tensing and relaxing the muscles, will help them release tenseness built up in the body.
Meditation is another powerful technique that can actually change the structure of their brain to deal with social situations in a different way. According to one study on mindfulness meditation and social anxiety, regular practice helped to reduce rumination, anxiety, and depression in people with social anxiety, while also increasing their self-esteem.3
2. Discuss Self-Talk
“Nobody likes me.” “They’re all going to laugh at me.” “What if I embarrass myself?”
So much of social anxiety has to do with how your teen thinks. Teaching your child positive self-talk starts with helping them identify the thoughts swirling around in their head. Identification creates distance from thoughts so your teen has a chance to challenge them. Once they’ve identified their negative thoughts, they can start to replace them with positive ones. If they need help, try pointing out the strengths and skills you see in them and let them build from there.
3. Model Positive Social Behavior
As a parent, you are your child’s first teacher. And chances are, your teen still looks to you for guidance (even if they’d never admit it). Studies show that children learn to form worries and threats about their environment by observing parents' own expressions of anxious thoughts or behaviors.4 If you also struggle with social anxiety as a parent, it may be time to get help. By learning relaxation techniques, going to therapy, and considering medication, you’ll model how to deal with anxiety through your own actions, teaching your child that there’s nothing wrong with needing extra support.
Please note that Brillia for Adults can help anyone over the age of 18. There are also family discounts available.
4. Avoid Negative Labels
Too shy. Antisocial. Outcast. There are many negative labels for social anxiety. While you might think these kinds of labels will help your teen “snap out of it,” they’ll only add these labels to their growing list of negative thoughts they already think about themselves. In addition to modeling social anxiety, being overly critical as a parent has also been shown to contribute to a child’s development of social anxiety.5 Instead, try to point out your teen’s strengths and all the positive things they have to offer those around them.
5. Get Them a Journal
A 2018 study found that people who journaled had a reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety because the process of writing helped to release pent-up feelings and negative thoughts, effectively quieting the mind.6 The next time they’re feeling anxious, encourage your teen to write down their thoughts and feelings to create distance from their anxiety. It will help them be more present while gaining clarity about triggering situations.
6. Reinforce That They are Not Alone
Social anxiety can be extremely lonely. It’s important that you remind your teen how much you enjoy their company, how common anxiety is for others, and that you’re willing to help when they’re ready. After all, research shows that people who suffer from social anxiety actually derive a lot of pleasure from spending time with others, even if it’s just their doting parent.7
When it comes to managing social anxiety, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. But working with your teen to develop a strategy that works for them will help give them the skills they need to move forward at their own pace.
Find more resources on managing anxiety at the Brillia(nce) Resource Center.
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Dr. Samra treats patients of all ages from Livermore, Pleasanton, and Dublin, CA and the rest of the San Francisco Bay area for Sinusitis or Rhinosinusitis at the Tri Valley Allergy Clinic in Livermore, CA
Daljeet S. Samra, MD
Allergist & Immunologist
Sinusitis/Rhinosinusitis Q & A
What is sinusitis/rhinosinusitis?
Sinusitis is a chronic sinus infection, which is usually caused by an untreated virus. Sinusitis is an inflammation or swelling, of the tissue lining the sinuses. Normally, sinuses are filled with air, but when sinuses become blocked and filled with fluid, germs such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can grow and cause an infection. Rhinosinusitis is a sinus infection which lasts more than 4 weeks. Sinusitis is common in both adults and children. Sinusitis can also be caused by deformities in the nasal or sinus cavities. Symptoms include:
Tenderness and swelling around the eyes, cheeks, nose and forehead
Sinus pressure or congestion
Difficulty breathing through the nose
Green or yellow mucus
Sore throat from nasal discharge
How can these conditions be treated?
A variety of medical and surgical methods can be used to treat sinusitis. Medical options include orally administered antibiotics or steroids, topical antibiotics or steroids in either gel or nebulized forms, nasal sprays or sinus irrigation. Most doctors will begin treatment conservatively, especially when treating children, by prescribing medicines to reduce inflammation or antibiotics to fight infection. If medication does not work, surgical procedures can also be employed to treat chronic sinusitis. An endoscopy can help the doctor to determine the cause of the inflammation. Sinusplasty or balloon sinusplasty are used to remove blockages or widen the sinus passages increasing airflow and reducing the discomfort of congestion.
What can I do to manage my chronic sinusitis?
If you, or your child, suffer from chronic sinusitis, there are steps you can take to manage the symptoms. First, do not smoke and/or avoid situations where the people around you will be smoking, this is particulary important for younger children. You can also use a neti pot or squeeze bottle to practice nasal irrigation once or twice a day. This process pushing a saline solution into one nostril and lets it drip out the other to reduce any swelling, thin any mucus, and wash out germs, allergens, and other inflammatory cells.
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If there has been one development that defined the long 19th century, it has been the emergence and prominence of the nation-state as a form of government and a mechanism for control. Whereas prior formulations of the state took the guise of vast empires, autonomous city-states, and small principalities, the era following the political revolutions of France and the United States saw the conceptual creation of nations as internally cohesive, formally defined units, ideal building blocks on which to ground and legitimize state institutions. This reconfiguration of the social and political landscape did not, however, come into being autonomously, nor were the newfound nationalities of the 1800’s historical entities which simply needed to be rediscovered by observant philosophers, economists, and statesmen. On the contrary, the fundamental definitions and conceptions of both nation and state became a battleground of competing and often highly conflictual theories, whose adherents removed the debate from manifestos and lecture halls to the boulevards and barricades; schools of thought which dominated the debate came from both Marxist and anti-Marxist perspectives, centering on fundamental questions emphasizing the primacy of class, race, ethnicity, and development in formulating who constituted a nation, what comprised the state, and how the two became intertwined within a historical context. Divergent beliefs manifested themselves in actual government policies, took root in national and social consciousness, and delineated the forms and functions of both; foundational theories of the nation largely agree on it’s constructed, artificial, and amorphous character, yet continually and violently clash on the question of the state in its abstraction.
Michel Foucault’s central contribution to this discourse has been through the concept of governmentality and its relation to the rise of the modern state form, which he expounds upon in a series of lectures delivered at the Collège de France from 1977-78 titled Security, Territory, Population. This new notion of governmentality was both a description of the ensemble of institutions, methods, mechanisms and analyses through which power is projected upon a subject population and, simultaneously, a lens through which one can trace the historical development of “a series of specific governmental apparatuses.” Within this theoretical framework, the emergence of the state as a form of governmental authority directly corresponds to the recognition of the population as subject-body to be regulated at the macro level, in which the totality of institutions, systems of knowledge, and security apparatuses are employed by the state in the furtherance of Foucault’s secondary concept, raison d’État. By tracing the genesis of the modern state through the prism of governmentality, Foucault is able to discuss its emergence not with appeal to ideology but through the study of power projection and consolidation; the notion of raison d’État fits squarely within this intellectual structure, existing as principle guiding the formation and subsequent actions of the state system. Indeed, raison d’État posits the state as simply a functionary of governmental rationality, as “a principle of intelligibility and strategic schema” which develops along a historical genealogy of governmentality and which holds the state as a highly developed apparatus of governmental reason.
In this way, Foucault’s theory allows for an understanding of the state that frees it from context dependent definitions or justifications, elevating the creation of the state to an abstraction that owes its emergence to a “composition of effects” delineated via governmentality, which serves as a device for historical analysis. As such, competing definitions and interpretations of the state and the nation, ideologically motivated or otherwise, can be subsumed into Foucault’s general theory, eschewing as it does an animating dogma or program beyond that of power consolidation and reformulation; both Marxist and anti-Marxist arguments can be situated within a Foucauldian framework, and often find their arguments buttressed by his conclusions. Theories that focus on the various exercises of authority and control by state systems, such as Louis Althusser’s Ideological and Repressive State Apparatuses from Essays on Ideology, are coterminous with Foucault’s understanding of the function of raison d’État, which must act on the consciousness of people “in such a way that their opinion is modified…and along with their opinion their way of doing things, their way of acting, their behavior as economic subjects and political subjects.” As an introductory theory of the state, Foucault’s influence and import cannot be ignored, and it serves as an excellent foundation from which to view alternate and competing arguments about Nietzsche’s coldest monster.
Similar to Foucault’s theory on governmentality, Otto Bauer approaches the nation by describing it as a composition of effects in his essay “The Nation.” There exists a national character amongst a group of people that describes their unique physical and mental characteristics, and is shaped by their existential struggles, social compositions, and cultural traditions. National character naturally comes about and changes throughout the course of history, like Foucault’s “episode of governmentality” view on states. While national character could be interpreted as a trans-historical entity, the very thing Foucault sought to disprove in his theories, Bauer claims otherwise, specifically stating, “[n]ational character is not an explanation, it is something to be explained.” Alongside national character is national spirit. Bauer is quick to distance himself from any sort of Hegelian Spirit; while this national spirit is the spirit of the people that persists through all changes a nation goes through, it explains nothing. National spirit, like character, needs an explanation. Bauer’s explanations lies in what he calls “national communities”; the nation is a community of culture because of the shared traditions among the people, the nation is a community of destiny because it holds a common history for the people, and the nation is a community of character because of the various social class it contains. While these communities help compose the national character and spirit, capitalism makes it uniform. Capitalism uprooted families from their homes and brought them into cities where through labor, popular education, universal military service, and equal suffrage, a uniform language and culture was created. Since capitalism Bauer maintains a Foucauldian perspective on the nation, merely only describing what has happened and why; he never unveils a trans-historical, all-explaining device that shows how the nation was always what it was meant to be and was simply waiting to find itself.
Bauer begins to differ from Foucault when he introduces Karl Marx’s historical method to “solve” the question of the nation, ultimately classifying it as a historical entity. Through national materialism, the nation produces itself out of the community of its national character, national spirit provides the history of the nation via the shared history of its people, and a Darwinistic view allows the nation to be viewed as a “never completed product” of a perpetual process which is fueled by “human struggle with nature.” Here is where Bauer assigns the nation a concrete manifestation and historical purpose; the nation is no longer an episode of governmentality.
Elman Service offers a departure from Marx’s historical notion of the class-conflict driven origin of the state in his anthropological approach. Like Marx, Service surveys human history and uses those results as justification for his theory. However, Service’s findings “do not support the [Marxist] economic-class element of the state [which is] based on repressive physical force” in order to protect the propertied class in power. According to Service’s researches on archaic society, the origin of the “state” is that of centralized leadership; “chiefdoms” being the way Service describes it. The “state” begins as personal power, that of an affluent chief or leader, which then becomes institutionalized by society. Next, subsidiary positions appear, creating a hierarchy. The succession of this hierarchy was hereditary in most archaic civilizations which insured the continuity of the positions of the centralized leadership, therefore allowing the hierarchy to continue “beyond the period of the competencies of the individual incumbents.” This forms the skeleton of Service’s “state” to which he adds a legal apparatus and mechanisms for redistribution of power in subsequent chapters. Though this theory of the state is born from the study of archaic societies, Service argues that modern states exhibit similar tendencies of his theorized “chiefdom”.
The centering of state authority around individuals in a manner reminiscent of a chiefdom was exploded, however, in the late 18th century with the rise of political and social liberalism, spurred on by such writers as Locke, Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau contends, in his essay On Social Contract, that the state is a development based upon the necessity of man to foster a sense of self-preservation. He begins by asserting that the state form inherently controls the liberty of those who reside within it, as he states in his opening line: “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” Rousseau, however, investigates these restrictions enforced by the state and posits that it ensures the liberty of those who reside within the state. This seeming paradox is a function of the titular social contract, the necessary output of people having to work together to overcome obstacles which they could not overcome of their own volition. Consequently, by having a community of people give their full will into a singular cause, the state form arises as the conglomeration of a multitude of voices functioning for a common desire of self-preservation. As the state is a function of the social contract cited by Rousseau, he outlines it as being created by each person “giving himself entirely” thus ensuring that no one is creating unnecessary burdens for the other, not possessing any rights in opposition to the goals of this new collective as it undermines the very basis of the collective, and thus not allowing for the appearance of a dominant singular person or force within the system since they all must work in harmony, thus ensuring all keep their natural freedom within the pact. The state, as a consequence, must function within the bounds of the established contract for its founding. Much like a father looking over his child, the state functions at a primary level for protection and growth, which in turn requires restrictions in order to ensure that no self-harm falls upon the subject, yet equally mandates no unnecessary or overbearing restraints be laid upon the subjects to prevent the retardation of growth of those functioning within the state. Per Rousseau, the state form ultimately ensures a better situation than what is created in the natural state of being in that by dedicating their lives
to the state, they are, in return, protected by it, and the risking of one’s life in defense of one’s state is a simple equitable exchange for the protection afforded to the person thanks to the state.
Foucault’s concept of governmentality echoes many of the points which Rousseau lays out himself. The former’s concept of a “composition of effects” seems to be slightly related to Rousseau’s idea that the state arises through a collaboration of individuals pooling their efforts for the greater good over a period of time due to their inability to combat threats on a singular basis. Foucault’s calling of the state a device of projecting power in the most rational and effective way possible echoes Rousseau’s thoughts as Rousseau postulated that the state naturally arose through the collaboration of people and their inherent willingness to give their all for a common cause. The critical divergence is embedded in that Rousseau believes that the organization of power – that of collaboration – is the most ideal of circumstances whereas Foucault is of the belief that the state is just another method of organizing power. Whereas the state arose through careful self-introspection in Foucault’s eyes in conjunction through the pooling of events leading up to that particular moment which gave birth to the state, Rousseau argues that the state is a phenomenon bound to spring forth should a community gather and collectively formulate a social contract mandating each person fully commit themselves to the betterment of the overall state.
Academic theories of both nation and state had concrete implications for Meiji Japan. The centrality of apparatuses of security and governmentality within Foucault’s work is highly applicable to the early Japanese state, which was characterized by a well-developed internal police system and a governmental apparatus that deployed a variety of ideological and social mechanisms in the pursuit of crafting the very Japanese nation-state it claimed to rule. Institutions and traditions were either created wholesale or roughly anchored in the past, all in an effort to solidify the newly established principle of Imperial rule. Additionally, the concept of raison d’Etat explains the frenetic pursuit for recognition by the dominant world powers of nation-state status, an attempt to guarantee survival in an imperialist world order. Bauer’s views on the nation can also be seen within Japan during the Meiji Era. There is a national character with a shared culture, history, and language, which the government conceived of to serve the purpose of the nation-state; strikingly, this ties into Service’s views on chiefdom and leadership, with the subjects of the old Tokugawa shogunate were slowly led to believe they had always been subjects of the Emperor. Furthermore, as the nation-state’s roots began to grow in Japan, Rousseau’s ideas gained relevance as well, especially in the years from 1870-1880 in which a sentiment of optimism and possibility, specifically in the context of democratic, republican government, took hold. Regardless of the degree to which it naturally occurred or which it was explicitly created, multiple theorists would agree that Meiji Japan is an example of the ways in which both nation and state emerge.
 Michel Foucault, Security, Territory, Population, ed. François Ewald et al., trans. Graham Burchell, (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007), 108.
 Foucault, Security, Territory, Population, 286.
 Foucault, Security, Territory, Population, 238.
 Foucault, Security, Territory, Population, 275.
 Otto Bauer, “The Nation,” in Mapping the Nation, ed. Gopal Balakrishnan (London: Verso, 1996), 40.
 Bauer, “The Nation,” 41.
 Bauer, “The Nation,” 46.
 Bauer, “The Nation,” 57.
 Service, Elman. Origins of the State and Civilization: The Process of Cultural Evolution. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1975. 8
 Elman, Origins of the State and Civilization, 8
 Elman, Origins of the State and Civilization, 72
 Jean-Jacques Rousseau, “On Social Contract,” in Rousseau’s Political Writings, ed. Alan Ritter (New York City: WW Norton & Company, 1988), 85.
 Rousseau, “On Social Contract,” 92-93.
 Rousseau, “On Social Contract,” 86.
 Rousseau, “On Social Contract,” 103.
Service, Elman. Origins of the State and Civilization: The Process of Cultural Evolution. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1975.
Service writes his Origins of the State and Civilization as an anthropologist interested in the similarities in the development of archaic civilizations. He argues that most archaic civilizations do not fit the typical definition of the state as posited by thinkers such as Marx and Lenin; a repressive force which coincides with the rise of civilization used to control the masses. He then considers several modern primitive states as case studies : Zulu State, Ankole State in Uganda, Cherokee Indians, Polynesia, Mesoamerica, Peru, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus River Valley, and China, in order to highlight the lack of historical basis for a class-conflict theory of origin of state or civilization. Service posits that the state is born from centralized leadership; chiefdom being the term he uses. For Service, the essential ingredients to “stateness” are the power of force and the power of authority, whether it is legitimized by custom, hierarchy, or law. Through his research of the primitive state he shows that they worked to protect not another class, but the state itself. Service also extends this to the economy as he argues that the primitive systems were redistributive rather than acquisitive. Unlike in Marxist ideology, personal wealth is not a requirement for political power. His approach is helpful in its use of concrete historical examples in distinguishing his definition of the state.
Tagore, Rabindranath. “Nationalism in the West.” Nationalism. New York City: MacMillian Company, 1917. 13-61. Print.
Rabindranath Tagore argues – through a collection of lectures he delivered in the United States as compiled in the book Nationalism – that the nation is a machination designed to propagate its own power and legitimize human greed through artificial competition. Thus, he asserts that the nation is distinctly unnatural creation which subverts the natural, therefore hurting humanity as a whole. Tagore formulates his argument through first defining man’s natural state, that of adapting to the difficulties he faces while still recognizing his status as a human being, thus pushing him to do what is necessary for long-term successes, even if it creates issues for him in the short-term. Man, therefore, must overcome the physical obstacles he faces by organizing power – in essence, power must be consolidated for the goal of defense to facilitate self-growth of the people in that society. Coalescing power in such a manner inherently calls for restrictions, as Tagore describes through his example of a man walking on a gravel road. In this description, Tagore posits that a person walking barefooted on gravel will experience pain but eventually adjust to the situation at hand; walking in shoes, however, prevents the adaptation while providing comfort. The key issue with the latter situation is that the appearance of even a little gravel in the shoe creates great discomfort, and the person is inhospitable to such an intrusion. The nation, in Tagore’s eyes, are these shoes, yet they are extremely tight and prevent no room for the feet to adopt should any gravel manage to enter the shoe – thus systematically destroying human tolerance. The nation is created as a machine for success – it is, as he states, “the object and justification of a machine, while goodness only is the end and purpose of man” – and to do so, it organizes the populace on a mass scale into individual parts of a machine, destroying whatever humanity is present in the system. To Tagore, the nation, in its desire for success, purposefully seeks conflict and conquest, and when it does achieve the latter goal, it subjugates the people it has conquered under a mechanical hand in slowing the growth of the colonized while exploiting it for their own. While possessing a few benefits drawn from its organization, Tagore ultimately paints the nation as a near-evil phase in human history drawn to create a mechanized, inhuman, form of success.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. “On Social Contract.” Rousseau’s Political Writings. Ed. and trans. Alan Ritter and Julia Conway Bondanella. New York City: W. W. Norton & Comopany, 1988. 84-173.Print.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau opens his essay, On Social Contract, with the famed line, “Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains.” This statement asserts that man is inherently bound by the restrictions placed upon him by the bounds of the state that he resides within. Critically, the essay does not merely state that man is lacking liberty under the rule of the state, but it also dissects the reason to why the state form developed in the manner that it did. Rousseau first establishes that man’s fundamental aim is his own preservation and so he develops relationships with other people with that goal in mind. This, to him, is the basis of the most fundamental of societies: the family, which is predicated upon the agreement of father protecting child. The state form, thus is an elaboration of that particular relationship on a much larger scale. Over time, it people could not simply deal with obstacles with just their own strength; indeed, to achieve their goal of self-preservation, they needed to work together. To unite their powers, the partaking members inherently create Rousseau’s titular social contract, in which each individual fully surrenders themselves for the good of the community as a whole. According to Rousseau, since each person gives themselves fully to the community, there is no self-interest in creating an unnecessary burden for others as it will negatively impact themselves. Furthermore, since each person has to give themselves fully to this society in order for it to succeed, they are incapable of having any rights which stand in opposition to the goals of the larger collective as it will undermine the basis of having a multitude of people working together in complete harmony. Since all are equally giving themselves for the benefits of the society, no one stands above others, ensuring all keep their natural freedom in entering the pact. The state, in Rousseau’s interpretation, is the conglomeration of individuals agreeing to give themselves fully in the service of each other in order to achieve their own ultimate goal of self-preservation. The state acts towards the individual much as a father acts towards their child: it provides the protection necessary for survival and in return the individual or child returns with a willing acceptance to fully provide their abilities for the benefit of the larger collective. As such, the legitimized power gives the individual a range of behaviors in which they have their liberty as it will then not undermine the self-protection goal of the state. As the state is a reflection of the general will it is not infallible – it can towards unideal outcomes – but it will ultimately correct itself into what is necessary for the sake of the citizens’ goal of self-protection, and later, the general good of the populace. The liberty of those in the state are ensured by the state being a product of the originally-agreed social contract; an overreach by the state in the restrictions they impose upon its citizens will undermine that contract and consequently undermine the validity of that state’s existence.
Louis Althusser, Essays on Ideology. London: Verso, 1984.
Louis Althusser, in his brief collection of essays, attempts to formulate a more complete and exhaustive theory regarding the ways in which the State, and necessarily the conditions of class conflict and repression, are continuously reproduced and reified. Writing firmly within Marxist political theory, Althusser recognizes the fundamental accuracy in the description of the State as a superstructure determined and built upon the infrastructure of production; however, he finds Marx’s 19th century evaluation to be relatively descriptive in nature, without accounting for or explaining the ways and means in which the State, as a “function of State power” dominated by a given ruling class, is able to reproduce the conditions necessary for its continuous supremacy. Indeed, in Althusser’s attempt to go beyond Marx’s description of the superstructure and its relation to the mode of production he argues that the State can only be understood through the fundamental mechanism of ideological reproduction. He delineates two forms in which the State, and therefore the dominant class, is able to secure for itself both its survival and expansion: the Repressive State Apparatus, which encompasses the systems of direct control and coercion, and the Ideological State Apparatuses, which, while less viscerally coercive, are nevertheless the preeminent method for reproducing the social structure allowing the dominant class to maintain its authority. The basic differentiation between the two relies on the devices used in projecting power: while the former relies on violence at its most fundamental level, the Ideological State Apparatuses deploy a plurality of means which function by fashioning and inculcating the ideological prescriptions of the given regime. Notably, in contrast to State power, which is the focal point upon which all political conflict revolves around, State apparatuses continue to exist regardless of a change in the political order; they are the indoctrinating forces that allow for the continual reproduction of the social topography of a given superstructure, regardless of the form of government specified. The concept of Ideological State Apparatuses and the centrality of system reproduction in Althusser’s work serves as a prism through which to view and understand the practices and mechanisms deployed by the Meiji state in the early years of its existence; from the education system to the media, cultural practices to spiritual exercises, the government sought to perpetuate itself through ideological indoctrination and revitalization.
Hobsbawm, Nations and Nationalism since 1780. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
In E. J. Hobsbawm’s exploration into the nature and history of nations and national sentiment, he underscores the constant ambiguity and opaqueness surrounding both their definition and constitution. Nations, Hobsbawm argues, are both a novel historical phenomenon and the product of conscious construction by certain individuals and groups; however, the very concept of the nation needed to be determined before this development could occur. Historically, Hobsbawm writes, the philology of the nation was explicit in its connection with one’s local province or region, without any of the contemporary definitions that hold it synonymous with the population of a given state. The slow construction of whom or what constituted a nation, then, was fraught with political conflict in a manner unique to the social-Darwinism of 19th century Europe; as nations slowly became the building blocks necessary for a community’s survival in the international arena, the definition and granting of nationhood status became ever more an exercise in power-politics. Hobsbawm argues that, despite intellectual debates concerning the characteristics necessary for a people to be classified as a nation, in reality only three factors were determinate: a historic association with an already existing state, or one with a substantial history; the existence of an established cultural elite possessing a written literary and administrative vernacular; and, in keeping with realpolitik of the era, the proven capacity for conquest. He maintains that social Darwinist thinking shaped 19th century liberalism’s political theories and placed the newfangled concept of “nation” within that intellectual arena, attaching to the nation not just a valuation as a political entity or instrument, but as the manifestation of social evolution; those peoples who failed to attain nation status were considered developmentally stagnant, and were almost invariably subsumed and assimilated into newly dominant nation-states. As a historical argument, the emphasis Hobsbawm places on 19th century liberalism’s adoption of social Darwinism as the dominant evolutionary theory for explaining the rise of nation-states allows for a more nuanced appreciation of the Meiji government’s frenetic fixation on having Japan recognized as such; it was a strategy for survival in a newly formulated and established world order.
Michel Foucault, Security, Territory, Population. Edited by François Ewald and Alessandro Fontana; translated by Graham Burchell. New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
Michel Foucault’s 1977-78 lectures at the Collège de France revolve around the question and subject of governmentality. Governmentality, Foucault argues, is a historically specific phenomenon that arose concurrently with the recognition that the population as a mass, as a cohesive entity, was a subject to be acted upon by the state; whereas former conceptions of state power focused on the regulation of individual conduct, governmentality delineates the complex systems of knowledge and apparatuses of security which the state utilizes when managing the population as a unit. However the state, Foucault claims, is also itself an episode of governmentality, existing as a device for projecting power in the most rational and effective way possible, and this rationality cuts to the core of what Foucault believes to be the genesis of the historically modern state structure; much as the population needed to first be recognized as a locus of observation and a body to be operated upon, the state necessarily had to undergo its own process of self-reflection, of becoming an object of knowledge and analysis. This, Foucault maintains, is the process behind the rise of raison d’État, which fused the need for self-awareness by the state qua state with its existence as an apparatus of knowledge concerning the population. The discovery of the need for raison d’État in the mid-17th century is, Foucault contends, one of the motivating factors for the creation of the state as a mode of governmentality, with the state serving as both a schema of intelligibility for reality and the objective of governmental reason; it is at once both the subject and the object of raison d’État. Within the context of Meiji Japan, it’s Foucault’s conception of governmentality provides a framework in which to view the active state building of the nascent Meiji government, and the ways and means in which it deployed apparatuses of security to protect and perpetuate itself.
Bauer, Otto. “The Nation.” In Mapping the Nation, edited by Gopal Balakrishnan, 39-77. London: Verso, 1996.
In his essay, “The Nation,” Otto Bauer ultimately defines the relationship between the nation and the state, but does so by first constructing what composes the nation. Bauer lays out several key characteristics of the nation that he later elaborates on: national character, national communities, capitalism, socialism, and language. Bauer defines national character as the physical and mental differences between one nation and another and is the product of a nation’s history. National character serves as the umbrella term for the various “communities” that Bauer brings into play. Nations are cultural communities because of the culture and tradition they preserve. Nations are communities of destiny as they bind people together who share a common struggle. Nations are communities of character that house various social classes. The nation is a composition of all these various communities that is then established by capitalism, socialism, and language. With capitalism came industry, and industry pulled families off their farms and into cities for work. Within cities, through labor and education, a uniform culture and language is created amongst the people of a nation. That uniform language is then a permanent bond between the people. Bauer is clear to state that language on its own does not make a nation, but when working in tandem with the other elements he describes, solidifies national character. Since the forces of capitalism go unnoticed by the people, Bauer claims, socialism is required for the nation to become autonomous. Capitalism drives the nation of the level of the individual, whereas socialism brings individuals together to drive the nation as a whole. Bauer then explains how the nation-state model was sought to prevent foreign rule, as one could be governed by an alien state but not an alien nation. The ever-growing nature of capitalism also called for a large state to provide for it, so European nations quickly embraced the state. Bauer calls the state an artificial product and the nation a natural model that lives inside one, and claims that it is the state’s role to bind the nation politically.
Habermas, Jürgen. “The European Nation-state–Its Achievements and Its Limits. On the Past and Future of Sovereignty and Citizenship.” In Mapping the Nation, edited by Gopal Balakrishnan, 281-294. London: Verso, 1996.
“The European Nation-state–Its Achievements and Its Limits. On the Past and Future of Sovereignty and Citizenship” is ultimately Habermas’ beliefs on the place of nation-states and national citizenship in the era of globalization. But to reach the conclusions he makes, Habermas lays out what he believes to compose the nation, state, and nation-state. Like other theorists, Habermas describes the nation to be what is created or imagined by the likes of historians and writers, pulled from a shared history and culture of a certain people, and the state to be the political construct created by lawyers and diplomats. The nation can be traced back to feudal Europe, where a common people were bound by common language and history under the ruling class, known as the Adelsnation (nation of nobility). This eventually transformed into the Volksnation (nation of the people) with movements fueled by the educated urban middle-class to bring more power to the people. The state came into play as a way of secularizing the nation given the issues that religion and divine legitimation were beginning to present. The nation-state came about from the combination of the modern nation and modern state Habermas presents. The nation-state works because the nation and state rely on each other; state administrations require taxes, but markets require laws and regulations. The nation provides the spirit of unity and citizenship, while the state makes it legal. The state provides the structure and the nation provides the substance.


(StatePoint) Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America --and the older you are, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with this serious disease.
“There is good news for those who want to take control of their risk,” says Dan Zenka, Senior Vice President of Communication at the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF). “Recent research shows that eating right can help decrease the chance of developing prostate cancer, reduce the likelihood of recurrence and slow the progression of the disease.”
Here are 10 nutrition tips for men to stay healthy as they age:
• Avoid “empty” calories by eliminating junk food. Snack on fruits, vegetables and nuts instead. Swap out soda and opt for water or natural juices.
• Rely on herbs, spices and garlic for flavor, not sugar, salt and fat.
• While fat is a necessary component of a healthy diet, limit the amount you consume from red meat and dairy. Avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and tofu are healthy sources of fat. Trans fatty acids found in margarine, however, should be avoided.
• Avoid taking more than 1,500 mg of calcium per day. Skip the supplements and consume your calcium from leafy green vegetables, beans and fish.
• Eat more fish. Evidence from several studies suggests that fish can help protect against prostate cancer because they contain “good fat,” particularly omega-3 fatty acids.
• A lack of vegetables in the diet is a risk factor for aggressive prostate cancer. Vegetables in the broccoli-family are especially beneficial. Use olive oil for cooking for a maximum health benefit.
• Avoid over-supplementation with megavitamins. Too many vitamins, especially folate, may “fuel the cancer,” and while a multivitamin is not likely to be harmful, if you follow a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and healthy oils, you likely won’t even need a multivitamin.
• Marinate meat and turn it frequently to prevent charring. Charred meat of any type can produce carcinogens. Alternatively, get your protein from vegetarian sources.
• No matter how sound your diet is, regular exercise is its perfect pair. Recent research has suggested that exercise may be one of the best natural antioxidants, eliminating inflammatory molecules that drive cancer.
• While eating well and exercising may make a difference in the long run, it doesn’t always eliminate your risk of having prostate cancer. Start talking to your doctor about your prostate health and remember to get a prostate screening during your annual physical.
While cutting out your favorite foods may seem tough at first, there are delicious ways to enjoy foods that are good for you. For recipe ideas, visit www.pcf.org/nutrition.
Nutrition and wellness go hand-in-hand. Taking control of what you put into your body is a great first step toward reducing your risk for prostate cancer and other dangerous diseases.


Do heat pumps work in really hot weather?
Though more commonly associated with heating in the winter, heat pumps are an excellent cooling option in the summer. Even in humid climates like ours, heat pumps perform well and can keep your home comfortable all season long.
Heat pumps do not operate as efficiently when temperatures drop to between 25 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit for most systems. A heat pump works best when the temperature is above 40. Once outdoor temperatures drop to 40 degrees, heat pumps start losing efficiency, and they consume more energy to do their jobs.
High temperature heat pumps can achieve operating temperatures of between 60-80°C, the same high temperatures usually associated with boilers. You may not need to install new insulation or radiators to have a high temperature heat pump installed, however, they don't tend to have the same efficiency as boilers.
In the summer months, a heat pump works just like a standard air conditioner would. Standard air conditioners, use a refrigerant to absorb unwanted heat in your home and transfer it to the air outside. This happens by changing the pressure of the refrigerant fluid.
Our answer? It all depends on the outside temperature. If it's really cold or really hot (below 30° F and above 100° F), there is likely nothing wrong with your heat pump.
Air source heat pumps can experience issues such as icing in cold temperatures, which can ultimately damage the system. Although modern heat pumps do often have automatic defrosting. Their efficiency will also be lower at very cold temperatures, and use more electricity during those cold days.
The ideal heat pump effective operating temperature for cooling is 20 degrees lower than the outdoor temperature. To maximize heat pump cooling efficiency in the summer, you should never set your heat pump temperature higher than 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which is sufficient on the hottest days of 100-degree weather.
HT heat pumps have been designed to operate at 80 degrees and so can heat standard radiators. Other advanced heat pumps operate up to 65 degrees and are also good candidates for existing heating systems.
One of the most popular questions we hear is, “do heat pumps use a lot of electricity?” We are delighted to answer that they do not. Compared to more traditional methods of heating, ductless heat pumps are much more energy-efficient, which means they have less impact on your utility bills.
From a strictly scientific basis, heat pumps are technically more energy efficient in that they can transfer more energy than they use. By contrast, a high efficiency natural gas furnace like the Carrier Infinity 98 with Greenspeed® Intelligence can provide up to 98.5% efficiency (AFUE).
Should I leave my heat pump on all the time?
While heat pumps are the most cost effective way to use electricity to heat your home during the cooler months, leaving them running day and night is not economically efficient. According to Energywise, you should switch off your heat pump when you don't need it. This is to avoid excessive energy waste.
Generally speaking, a heat pump will produce air that is about 55 degrees warmer than the outside air. This isn't a problem when it's 55 degrees outside—your system will expel air that's a toasty warm 110 degrees or so.
Most air conditioning systems are designed to function with outside temperatures of 100 degrees or less. When temperatures outside become higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the air conditioning system can consume more energy and begin to malfunction or fail.
No, you don't want to shut down your heat pump for the summer—because the heat pump is also your air conditioner. When the warm weather starts, you'll simply switch the heat pump into cooling mode and it will continue to work like it always does, except now it's moving heat out of your house rather than inside it.
Heat Pumps are Ideal for Las Vegas' Climate
Not only does this make heat pump repair and maintenance more convenient, but they can even be more efficient—especially in winter.
Heat pumps work especially well in areas like High Desert where winter temperatures are not below -10F (-23C).


Patent rights (if granted) generally last for 20 years from the date a patent application is filed and, unlike copyrights, patent rights must be awarded by a national organization such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
There are three types of patents in the United States:
– Utility patents cover new and useful processes, machines, articles of manufacture, or compositions of matter. They also include improvements to existing processes, machines, articles of manufacture, or compositions of matter.
– Design patents cover new, original, and ornamental designs for an article of manufacture.
– Plant patents cover new plant varieties.
Applying for patent protection before publishing research is ideal. Public disclosure can inhibit the ability to patent an invention. It is always best to contact the TTIC before publishing in order to determine if a patent application should be filed in advance of publication.


In this guest post, Bob Gwynne, Associate Curator at the National Railway Museum, takes a look behind the scenes at some essential conservation work.
When the National Railway Museum expanded into York’s former diesel depot and created The Works, it developed a number of new approaches and displays that helped it win the prestigious European Museum of the Year award in 2001. These included a workshop, balcony viewing area and The Warehouse, the country’s first museum store open to the public seven days a week.
On the Works Balcony there was space to put signalling centre stage for the first time, with a direct link to the York IECC (the main signal control centre for York) as well as a demonstration known as NRM Central, a mock-up of a signal box complete with a real Midland Railway tumbler lever frame. The lever frame and instruments were linked to a computer, allowing the frame to be worked in a way that demonstrated how a train would be signalled past a signal box on the ‘big railway’.
However, it soon turned out that the sequence, which was carefully accurate, took longer than many people were prepared to wait. Even those happy to give it a go found themselves interrupted as others tried to operate levers that could not be moved out of sequence – as in real life. This wore parts on the lever frame and so the decision was taken to leave the demonstration open to view, but behind a small fence to remove the temptation to pull on levers. Today NRM Central is part of the monthly set of demonstrations delivered by our skilled Lancashire and Yorkshire Signalling School volunteers. On the second Saturday of every month, interested visitors can have a go at working NRM Central and learn more about how signal boxes and signalmen and women ensure that trains runs safely. Instruction is given by volunteers who are highly knowledgeable about the way a signal box safely signals trains and a certificate is awarded to all who stay the course.
Unfortunately, when NRM Central was on open display it suffered some damage from visitors who had hung on the levers or held children up to have a go. Some parts were worn to the point where our L&Y volunteers knew there were certain movements possible with the frame that should not have been – and which would have been instantly reported and quickly fixed had they been out on the real railway. However, fixing a signal box mechanism is something that skilled signalmen never do, a division of responsibilities which exists for good reason.
Enter, then, our good friends the Network Rail locking team, who were interested in refurbishing the lever frame so that it worked correctly as a training exercise. The fact that the frame was in a warm, dry and very accessible location, with a good café close by, was naturally a bonus.
In December 2016, when the museum is at its quietest, the team descended on York from the four points of the compass to work on refurbishing and repairing the core of NRM Central. They swiftly discovered that the 12 levers had not had maintenance prior to being fitted in the museum display, and located the wear that needed repair. They also quickly noted that there ought to have been at least two more levers for the track layout as it was displayed, particularly given the crossover connecting the two lines on the signal diagram.
The frame had been selected while The Works was under development because the locking – the means by which you can only move the levers in the correct sequence – is above the floor and behind the levers on a Midland ‘tumbler’ frame, rather than in a separate floor below the levers. Putting the locking in a separate space below the main signalling floor is a useful way of separating out responsibilities and the approach to maintenance. This of course gives signal boxes their traditional appearance as two storey buildings, but would not work in a first floor gallery display.
The Network Rail locking team were happy to repair NRM Central as it was, but told us that had it been one of their projects, there would have been serious work to make it absolutely fit for purpose. Their encyclopaedic knowledge of mechanical signalling meant they had encountered the rare form of lever frame fitted to NRM Central before, and knew of examples still in use on the routes once run by the Midland Railway.
Eventually they were able to sign off the frame as repaired, but only after the head of the section had tested their work himself. Thanks to the team, NRM Central is now up and running with no incorrect moves possible. The invitation has been extended for the team to come and test their knowledge of signalling operations sometime on the antique (but accurate in every detail) model that is the L&Y Signalling school.
Today the UK has over 400 mechanical signal boxes, and the locking team encounters many different issues as they travel the country making sure these essential parts of the rail infrastructure continue to deliver a safe railway. The long-term plan is to centralise control of railway signalling into just 12 rail operating centres (ROCs), but this work will not be completed in the near future. In the meantime, the locking team keeps the country’s aged – but tried, tested and very robust – mechanical signalling system going.
If you would like to see the L&Y Signalling School in action, you can find further information here.


A ban on gutkha, the popular chewing tobacco held responsible for the high incidence of oral cancer in India, is spreading across the populous country. Numerous courts are now supporting the movement.
Tobacco has been chewed in India for centuries and in the past decade, gutkha has emerged as the chewing tobacco of choice.
Ready-packaged in small sachets, gutkha is a commercially produced mixture of crushed areca nut, tobacco, lime, paraffin and other "secret" ingredients. Some brands also contain lead, arsenic, chromium, nickel and cadmium.
Because of its sweet or chocolate-like flavor and dirt-cheap prices - as low as 2 euro cents per sachet - gutkha has become increasingly popular among children who chew and even eat it.
More chew than smoke
In fact, five million Indian children are already addicted to gutkha, with another 5,000 joining their ranks everyday, according to an Indian Health Ministry report. Many try it for the first time as early as age five.
Overall, more tobacco is chewed than smoked in India. Last year, the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) reported that 26 percent of adult Indians were tobacco chewers while 14 percents were smokers. One-third of Indian men and one-fifth of women users were addicted to chewing tobacco, most of them to gutkha, according to survey.
To make its shelf-life longer, some producers add magnesium carbonate, which is used in fire extinguishers and is also a known carcinogen.
Among more than 3,000 chemical components found in the tobacco products, including gutkha, at least 28 were proved to be carcinogenic, according to oncologist Sharadwat Mukherjee.
A cause of cancer and other diseases
"Every year, more than 80,000 cases of oral cancer are reported in India and rising use of gutkha is the key reason behind the spurt of the disease," Mukherjee told DW. "More than 90 percent of oral cancer cases are directly associated with the use of tobacco and India has the highest prevalence of oral cancer globally - even 12 to 13-year-old children are getting pre-cancerous growths in their mouth after two or three years of chewing it."
Mukherjee added that gutkha was also triggering a host of other cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and even psychological diseases.
When the chewing tobacco was introduced to the market in the 1990s, its producers said it was a palate cleanser or mouth freshener. The product was also identified as a foodstuff.
In August 2011, India's Food Safety and Standard Authority issued a regulation banning nicotine or tobacco in foodstuffs, including gutkha.
Several medical experts and non-government organizations have mounted a country-wide campaign lobbying for a blanket ban on the manufacture and sale of gutkha across the country.
Calls for nation-wide ban
In April 2011 Madhya Pradesh became the first Indian state to ban gutkha. With the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha joining the ban earlier this month, the manufacture and sale of the chewing tobacco has now been prohibited in 17 of India's 28 states and three of the seven union territories (UTs), including New Delhi.
Anti-gutkha activist dentist Debjit Ray told DW that although the tobacco product was banned in Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha, it was still being sold secretly in all three states. He said the product was smuggled from the adjacent West Bengal state, where it was still legal.
"A ban in only part of the country is of no help at all; all states and UTs where gutkha is not yet banned should cooperate and ban it immediately," said Ray, who is based in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. "Gutkha chewers spit just everywhere and spread many infectious diseases. Gutkha stains make public places look awfully ugly."
Anti-gutkha activists in West Bengal have long demanded a ban on the chewing tobacco but the state government has yet to act. Earlier this month, they took their demand to the High Court in Kolkata, which last week criticized the West Bengal government for not banning the product.
The state, according to the court, is more eager in generating revenue from the sale of gutkha than in ending the health risks it causes thousands of people.
"We hope the court will order the government to immediately ban gutkha in the state at the hearing next month," said Ray.
Although gutkha sachets display a warning that the product causes cancer, most people ignore the health risks, according to the dentist. "Unless gutkha is banned and actually made unavailable in the market across the whole country," he said, "you cannot stop people from chewing it."


Why should I care about Earth Day & Climate Change?
Caring for the ENVIRONMENT and PEOPLE can seemingly appear as two separate principles, however, they are strongly interconnected. No matter where you come from, it’s undeniable that you or someone you know has experienced hardship resulting from climate change. In the United States alone there have been record-breaking wildfires raging in the West, major storms and flooding in the South, drought in the Midwest, and extreme weather conditions that endanger vulnerable populations. That’s why we believe that caring for the planet ultimately means caring for people.
Earth Day & Climate Change
Chances are you’ve probably heard the phrases “Earth Day”, “climate change” or “global warming” through social media, the news, or maybe conversations amongst friends. But what is climate change, why is it important, and why should you care about Earth Day? These are all relevant questions that you may have as we are reaching a critical point in the climate crisis.
According to the UN, climate change refers to “the long-term shift in temperature and weather patterns”. While it is natural for some shifts to occur, human activity has unnaturally expedited this process. One symptom of climate change is global warming in which the temperature of the planet gets warmer thus jeopardizing many ecosystems and forms of life. To combat the impending dangers of climate change, many people and organizations have come together to bring about change and prevent further damage to the earth. In 1970, one such group of American senators and student activists rallied to capitalize on the growing public awareness about pollution and environmental deterioration. Together they organized a large-scale teach-in event that brought national attention to environmental injustices which in turn created the first Earth Day. This marked the beginning of the push for environmental protections on the US national agenda. Since then, Earth Day has expanded to roughly 141 countries and mobilized more than 200 million people.
What can I do?
The climate crisis is a substantial issue that requires immediate and extensive action. At times, it may seem like there is little the average person can do, however, we want to challenge that perspective and inspire people to see that any change is still progress. In honor of Earth Month, we’re offering easy tips on how to incorporate earth-friendly practices into your everyday life.
Reusable Swaps - bottles, coffee cups, straws, grocery bags, produce bags…
Meatless Mondays (or any other day of the week) - Introducing meals without meat and plant-based foods into your diet offers great health benefits and helps reduce your overall carbon footprint. There are tons of delicious recipes to choose from that you may not have even thought of.
Repurpose Leftovers - Getting creative with leftovers can help divert food waste and can also be a means to save time and money.
Go Paperless - Many businesses and services are offering paperless options that make it easy to reduce paper waste.
Turn off appliances and lights when not in use
Turn off the tap when not in use - Don’t leave the water running when brushing your teeth, or washing your face, your water bill will thank you.
Living an environmentally conscious lifestyle can take many shapes and forms, whether you are hoping to reduce waste, your carbon footprint, or both, we hope you took away some helpful information to get started on your sustainable journey or continue it. Tackling climate change is a big task that can intimidate anyone; however, we believe that with collective effort and action we can all contribute to a healthier and greener future.
Happy Earth Month,


I love botany. I like to dabble in growing different types of plants and analyzing their growth patterns. I’m certainly no expert, but it always surprises me just how much I can learn from simply trying to grow a certain type of plant.
My knowledge of plants only stems from empirical data that I collect and analyze myself so I can, in no way, hold a candle to the knowledge of people who study and apply the science of botany for a living. For instance, there are always breakthroughs in the realm of using different plants for practical purposes that range anywhere from environmental benefits to renewable energy. It’s truly remarkable how much potential there is in plant science. I have no doubt that major breakthroughs in plant science will shape the near future for of all of humankind.
Now, that may be a little too grandiose, so let’s look at something that’s a little more down to earth. One of those breakthroughs (some wouldn’t call it a breakthrough so much as a very innovative use of a plant) is Arvegenix. Arvegenix uses pennycress to fill in the holes of a crop cycles and give farmers an extra crop to grow in between harvests.
“Arvegenix is the industry leader in the development of field pennycress (thlaspi arvense L.) as a significant new crop for the corn-soy growing regions of the world," their website claims. "Pennycress will grow over winter between the corn-soy rotation thereby providing growers with an additional revenue crop.”
There are benefits in terms of renewable fuel: “Pennycress oil has ideal properties for use in biodiesel and aviation fuel.” There are benefits in terms of feeding animals: “Pennycress meal has an excellent nutritional profile for ruminant livestock.” Also, environmental and social issues: “Pennycress is not a food crop and will not compete for food crop acres because it grows and matures over winter. It also provides ecological winter cover crop benefits by protecting the soil from erosion, preventing the loss of nitrogen to the water systems, and helping hold nutrients and residues to improve soil productivity.”
Here is a little bit of the science that defines the plant pennycress:
“Field pennycress is a winter annual belonging to the brassica (mustard) family. Pennycress seeds typically contain 36% oil content, roughly twice the level as a soybean. Pennycress has been examined and researched by the USDA and a number of academics over the years, from around the world. However, Arvegenix is the first entity to invest in an ambitious breeding and genomics program to domesticate the wild strains of pennycress into a viable commercial crop. The breeding and genomic research underway will generate commercial lines that emerge consistently, produce high yields, dry down consistently, and contain oil and meal properties following crushing that are ideal for commercial biofuels and animal feed.”
It’s not exactly a problem because farmers have dealt with the reality for centuries, but it’s still nice to not have a large lull in the off-season when it comes to growing crops. What I mean by this is that most farmers have to do all their growing in the spring and summer, and they have to make sure that the harvest they yield makes enough profit to last them for the next year. Of course, many farmers still turn a profit in the off-season by other means, but it’s is nowhere near what they earn after they harvest their main crops. This cultivation of the pennycress plant allows farmers to grow it over the winter and sell it, not to eat, but to use for fuel and soil maintenance.
Even the way that they plant this crop stands out as efficient: they use aerial seeding to plant pennycress by dropping it from a plane.
“This 15 acre field in Missouri was aerially seeded on September 18. Emergence has been excellent due to timely planting and good rainfalls that followed.”
Any farmer willing to embrace Arvegenix is sure to greatly benefit from it. All it takes is a bit of innovation and creative thinking to come up with an idea like this.


When you think of butterflies, more than likely you imagine flying insects with brightly coloured wings. The patterns found on the wings vary from species to species, however, in all cases they are symmetrical. Typically, the male and female butterfly of a species have different colouring, much like you would see in birds. Most butterflies have different colouring on either side of their wings. The facing side (recto) tends to be the more vibrant of the two sides, used to warn predators that they are poisonous. When in danger they fold up their wings and hide behind their duller side (verso) which provides camouflage.
Although it is very rare, a single butterfly can be half female and half male. This condition is known as gynandromorphy – where cells fail to split their sex chromosomes during development. This results in a butterfly that is literally one half male colouring and one half female colouring. This phenomena occurs mostly in the insect world but also affects birds and crustaceans. Shown here is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly – the yellow side is male and the darker side is female.


Let’s Talk About Super Special Kids & Cake Podcast [Episode 002 / Segment: Eating Cake for Breakfast]
Today, it’s bath time that I’m appreciating! What I really love about bath time is that it is a simple environment: just water and a few toys; but it can be so rich in language between parent and child. Simple things like describing the water as ‘wet’ or saying the colour of your child’s toy is an effortless way to promote language without making your child feel like even bath time is a lesson.
Why Routines for Children are Important to Learning
You can ask your child to ‘wash’ and they may reach for a sponge, or wipe themselves with it – thus learning all about word association and that certain words go with certain actions. Bath time, as with all other regular things that we do within our day (our routine) can be used as a context for teaching language and promoting cognitive learning. I love moments like bath time or story time just before bed as these routines are great opportunities for learning, having fun and interacting.
The other great thing about these fun activities with our child is that we don’t need to try and make extra time in the day to do them – they’re already embedded in our daily routine. So the next time you’re doing a mundane task in the day with your child; like grocery shopping or lunch time, try to make it as enjoyable as possible. It’ll make the day a little brighter for you too!


All the file operations have to be performed using java.io.* package. You have already learnt various file operations. In this section, you will learn how to update the text file.
Description of code:
We have used FileReader and BufferedReader class to read the content from the file and stored it into the StringBuffer. Now to edit the file, we have used the indexOf() method to search the specified text from the buffer and then using the replace() method , we have modified the specified content with the new one. This buffered string is then write into the file using FileWriter and BufferedWriter class.
StringBuffer- This class is used to store strings that can be changed.
readLine() method- This method of BufferedReader class read the line from the file.
write() method- This method of BufferedWriter class writes the content into the file.
append() method- This method of StringBuffer class appends the string to the StringBuffer.
indexOf(String s) method- This method of StringBuffer returns the index of the specified string.
replace() method- This method of StringBuffer class replaces the characters in a substring with characters in the specified String.
Content of text file: new.txt:
|Hello World, All glitters are not gold.|
Here is the code:
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The Norse Discovery of America
by Arthur Middleton Reeves,
This is a collection of texts relating to the voyages of the Norse west to America. A thousand years ago, nearly half a millennium before Columbus, the Norse extended their explorations from Iceland and Greenland to the shores of Northeastern North America, and, possibly, beyond.
This volume from the Norroena collection contains all known sagas and documentary fragments which relate to this legendary exploration. It also contains analysis of the texts which should be read with a critical eye. While it is now certain that the Norse reached Nova Scotia, the claims in this book that they reached as far south as Boston--not to mention Georgia or South Carolina--are still controversial. There is also tangential discussion of whether the Irish managed to get to America prior to the Norse, an even more contentious assertion.
Regardless, the texts in this three-part volume open up a window into a vivid era, and give glimpses of religion, society and travel in the period when the Norse were actively exploring the North Atlantic. They contain one of the only detailed descriptions of a pagan women's divination ritual, and deal with the expansion of Christianity from both sides. There are bone-chilling stories of disease, murder and jealousy in the small communities on the leading edge of Viking colonization. Reading these sagas inspires deep understanding of the life and motivations of the Scandinavian sea rovers and respect for their accomplishments in the field of exploration.
--John Bruno Hare, February 18th, 2004


Board Games Throughout the Ages: A History
Board games are an integral part of our society. They have been around since ancient times and have come a long way in evolving to what they are today. Board games have helped us pass the time, learn skills, develop relationships, and even win prizes (on Sbobet site)! But where did board games originate? What is their history? And how did it all start?
There were many ancient board games that originated from the early civilizations such as Egypt, Greece and Rome. These early tabletop games actually became a symbol for status or even nobility in some cases which led to them being kept hidden away and only played by royalty and their social circle. Board game competitions would be held at holidays like Solstice Festival where playwrights would write entire plays based on how well you could play certain board games! The Egyptians also developed an early version of chess but it didn’t become popular until later during medieval times when it turned into what we know now as “chess” (it is believed by historians that chess spread across Europe through the Crusades).
About the same time as chess, another popular board game called “Fox and Geese” also emerged in Europe during medieval times (namely around 1200 AD) which involved trying to help your geese cross a river without being caught by foxes that move one space per turn across the grid until they catch someone. This is considered an early version of checkers but it wasn’t until much later when people realized they could play with more than two players at once! Another example is Mancala which originated from Africa around 700 AD and became popular throughout Asia, Arabia and eventually reached England before becoming known as “Oware” or “Awari”.
The history of board games did not stop there! They continued to evolve and become more detailed with different styles, game pieces, boards/grids, multiple players etc.. The Chinese even developed their own version of Mahjong which contained four suits instead of three which led them to create the first deck made up of 52 cards (this became popular during the Tang dynasty). And in England around 1380 AD they created a card game called “Rummy” but it wasn’t until much later when people realized they could combine two decks or add some wildcard jokers that Rummy evolved into what we know today as “Gin” or “Canasta”.
During the 18th century, another popular card game called “Whist” emerged which is believed to be one of the first modern games but it didn’t become extremely popular until much later during Victorian times when Queen Victoria herself played it on a regular basis! Also at around the same time, Pachisi (a cross between Parcheesi and Ludo) began gaining popularity in India where we now know as “Chutes and Ladders” so there you have some examples of how board games evolved over time to what they are today. Many more forms were developed such as: chess-like games like Chinese Chess or Shogi; race car driving simulation games like Grand Prix and Pole Position; strategy-based games like Chess, Stratego and Risk; action/role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons (yes the original roleplaying game was a board game); trivia based quiz games like Trivial Pursuit; or even modern versions of physical puzzles such as “Sudoku” which all began to gain popularity during the Victorian era.


LONDON, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- British researchers say they've identified a gene that may link brain structure -- particularly the thickness of its gray matter -- to intelligence.
Scientists at King's College London have been looking at the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the human brain known as "gray matter," which plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language and consciousness.
Although previous studies have suggested the thickness of the cerebral cortex closely correlates with intellectual ability, no gene linked to that structural thickness had yet been identified, they said.
In the study, DNA samples and MRI scans from 1,583 healthy 14-year-olds showed those who carried a particular gene variant had a thinner cortex in the left cerebral hemisphere, particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes, and performed less well on tests for intellectual ability.
"The genetic variation we identified is linked to synaptic plasticity -- how neurons communicate," study lead author Sylvane Desrivieres said. "This may help us understand what happens at a neuronal level in certain forms of intellectual impairments, where the ability of the neurons to communicate effectively is somehow compromised."
She cautioned against putting too much emphasis on the gene variation in terms of human intellectual performance.
"It's important to point out that intelligence is influenced by many genetic and environmental factors," she said. "The gene we identified only explains a tiny proportion of the differences in intellectual ability, so it's by no means a 'gene for intelligence.'"


This week’s focus is on fruit, vegetables, & energy levels. Fruit and veggies contain more fibre than most other food and drinks. Fibre is the indigestible parts of plant foods, including veggies, fruits, grains, beans and legumes.
The recipes for this week are perfect for those times when you may not have a whole lot of fresh fruit or vegetables available at home. Sometimes, we need to make compromises and use frozen foods or other ingredients.
With the kids scouting out this years hunt we recommend those us with some free time take a look at this weeks recipes to make sure everyone has at least one nutritious meal to balance out the chocolate this Easter. It is our hope to encourage those of us living off chocolate for the next month to put down the Malteaser bunny and pick up a spatula.
This week is all about cooking healthy and drool worthy food while keeping in line with your budget. The three recipes here simply prove that healthy food prepared at home does not have to cost big $$$.
This week was inspired by cooking healthy homemade alternatives to store bought foods. Food that we eat and see out of the house whether it is the bakery, supermarket or cafe can be created in your own home.
Inspired by all things FRESH and from time to time available here at Foodbank this weeks recipes are sure to wow. From succulent strawberries and pears to sweet potatoes and cherry tomatoes we took advantage of the best fresh produce we had on offer.


Apples and pears need an open position, well prepared, well drained soil (pears will stand slightly wetter ground) and a slightly acid soil (pH 5.5-6.5). Plums like similar conditions, but do not appreciate a very acid soil.
Peaches, nectarines and apricots prefer a slightly alkaline, but not chalky position. Bushes should be planted in the warmest, most sheltered part of the garden, but the best position in most places in Britain is against a warm, south or west-facing wall.
Cherries do not like heavy clays, but do well in a soil with plenty of substance, deep and well drained.
The method of planting all fruit trees is similar to that for ornamental trees and bushes (see pages 211-12) and timings are the same. Do be careful not to plant the union between the rootstock and scion (seen as a kink or knob at the base of the trunk) below soil level, as the top part will root and you will lose the dwarfing effect of the rootstock.
Bushes and trees require firm staking and tying, at least in the early years. Fans, cordons and esplaiers must be tied to strong galvanized or plastic-covered vire spaced about 18 in. (450 mm) apart or to fit the trained branches. This wire can either be attached to the wall or fence or to stout posts in the ground, Cordons are usually planted and tied in at an angle of 45°. This angle can be reduced as the bushes grow, to enable you to reach the tops more easily.
If you are growing fruit trees and bushes in grass, leave a square of bare earth around the base of the trunks for a year or two until the trees become established.


With coronavirus disease (COVID-19) currently active in the United States, it is important to establish an understanding of how it spreads. It is also important to educate yourself on steps you can take to help prevent this virus from spreading.
How COVID-19 Can Spread
COVID-19 spreads from person to person most often. Person-to-person spread can occur:
- When people are within approximately 6 feet of each other.
- Through any droplets that exit the nose and mouth during a sneeze or a cough, if these droplets land in the nose or mouth of another person or enter someone’s lungs after being inhaled.
While COVID-19 mainly spreads from person to person, it can also spread via contaminated surfaces. In certain cases, the virus can live on surfaces for days. When a healthy person touches a contaminated surface and then touches their face, nose or mouth, they risk infection.
Ways to Prevent COVID-19 From Spreading
Avoiding exposure is the most effective way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. You can limit your contact with the virus using the following tips.
Wash Your Hands
Use soap and water to wash your hands constantly throughout the day. Make sure to wash your hands for 20 seconds or more. Avoid touching your face if you have not washed your hands recently. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that consists of at least 60% alcohol.
Put Distance Between Yourself and Others
COVID-19 spreads when people are in close proximity. Therefore, it is important to put distance between yourself and others. It is also important to refrain from contact with others who are sick. If you are sick, stay home unless seeking medical care.
Disinfect the surfaces in your home that are most frequently touched. This can include tables, handles, phones, keys, light switches, faucets, keyboards, and counters. It is also important to use water and soap to clean any dirty surfaces before disinfecting them.
Cover Your Mouth and Nose
Use tissues when coughing and sneezing or direct the sneeze or cough into your elbow. Remember to place used tissues in the trash and always wash your hands afterward.
Wear a Mask, If Needed
If you are sick, wear a facemask in situations involving other people and while receiving medical care at a healthcare facility. If you are not sick you do not need to wear a facemask unless you are providing care for someone who is sick.
Stay informed with the latest information from healthcare providers and public health authorities. They will provide timely advice on steps that you and members of your community should take for protection.
Stay updated on what Mercy Health is doing related to COVID-19.
Call our 24/7 COVID-19 Hotline at (888) 700-9011 for questions and guidance.


Author: Vivianne M. Schinasi-Silver
Synopsis: 42 Keys to the Second Exodus is the memoir of a woman who was a member of the last generation of Jews to have lived in Egypt before the Suez Crisis of 1956.
In her story, Viviane M. Schinasi-Silver bears witness to her ancestry, describing the landscape of Jewish life during Egypt’s “golden era” in that community. She recounts her early years as an immigrant in Canada and also pays tribute to the memory of people who have influenced her life.
Published in: 2007
No. of Pages: 176


The Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri is a collection of rare ancient manuscripts. These documents were written on various forms of writing material including papyri, ostraca, and wood tablets. This collection is solely compiled of documentary papyri: personal letters, receipts, various political documents, and other correspondence.
The Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri gives you access to primary texts in Greek, Latin, Coptic, and several other languages. For more than a century, the discovery of papyri has revolutionized the study of the ancient languages, and shed new light on the history and culture of the ancient world. This database is the result of years of meticulous work to organize scattered materials, and the result is a vast database of documents.
This vital corpus of primary source material gives you unprecedented access to the ancient world. Read letters, receipts, political documents, correspondence, and more. Supplement your study with original source materials. Enrich your word studies by comparing word usage between New Testament texts and this collection of papyri.


About This Project
The Mondzish languages are spoken mostly in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, southwestern China. These languages are highly endangered and poorly documented, often lacking even basic descriptions. I plan to finish collecting audio recordings and basic word lists for all Mondzish languages. Since most of these languages have fewer than 500 speakers left, and some have only around 50 elderly speakers remaining, research is highly urgent.
Ask the ScientistsJoin The Discussion
What is the context of this research?
The Mondzish languages were recently identified by Ziwo Lama in 2012 as a new group (clade) of languages. They share a common ancestor with Burmese, and form part of the Lolo-Burmese branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family. However, at the time, Lama identified only 2 languages as part of the group.
So far, I have identified 6 separate languages in this language group, some of which are new to science and extremely endangered (many with fewer than 500 speakers left). At least a few more Mondzish languages in China still await discovery and identification.
According to Wenshan locals, a few nearby small ethnic groups reportedly speak similar but "different" languages, which could possibly be other languages unknown to science. These include "Meng" of Lisa village, and "Mengpu" of Dagulu.
What is the significance of this project?
Today, language diversity is highly threatened by globalization and cultural assimilation. In China, language endangerment is especially severe, with ethnic minority languages often not being passed onto people under the age of 30 or 40. Many minority languages in China are so endangered that only a few elderly speakers remain, making language documentation a desperately urgent "race against time". Such languages often hold important clues to human prehistory and migration, but may soon die out without ever being known to science.
Furthermore, some Mondzish languages preserve highly archaic sounds and words. For instance, the Kathu language preserves many rare, archaic sounds such as "kl"-, as well as many words that are closer to its common ancestral language, Proto-Tibeto-Burman.
What are the goals of the project?
- Collection of basic vocabulary word lists (a few hundred items). Audio recordings will be collected and posted online; each word will be repeated by the consultant 3 times.
- Conduct fieldwork in rural Yunnan, China for one month by hiring local motorbikes and minivans. Springtime (before the rainy season) is optimal.
- Survey of demographics, such as villages where the language is spoken
- Identify other little-known ethnic subgroups who may speak languages that are previously unknown to science and undocumented.
- All data collected from field trips will be open-source and freely shared. Data has been supplied to Glottolog, resulting in cataloging of languages new to science, freely available online (example: the Muangphe language: http://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/muan1234 )
Fortunately in China, linguistics research is relatively cheap and can be carried out on a backpacker's budget.
Excluding airfare and visas, one month of linguistics research in southwestern China is expected to cost around $1,600 USD (10,000 Chinese yuan), which was about what I spent per month during my past self-funded field trips to China. This time, I plan to do research for at 2-3 weeks and spend $1,000. Average costs in rural Yunnan, China are as follows.
- Budget hotel: 60-100 yuan ($10-$16)
- Budget meal: 12-15 yuan ($2-$3)
- Motorcycle-taxi, round-trip: 150 yuan ($25) - only available in some towns
- Minivan-taxi, round-trip: 200-400 yuan ($30-$65) - available in all towns
- Bus fare to rural town: 50 yuan ($8)
- Tips for language consultants: 60 yuan ($10)
Donate $25 to support half a day of field research
Donate $50 to support one entire day of field research
Donate $100 to support 2 or even 3 days of field research
Thank you for helping to save some of the world's most endangered languages!
Meet the Team
Team BioAndrew Hsiu has been documenting little-known but taxonomically important minority languages since 2012, while he was still a linguistics undergraduate student at UC San Diego. He has made 3 successful language documentation field trips to China, and has identified several languages in China that are new to science, including Muangphe, Maza, Ku, Luoji, and others. He has also documented new language varieties in northern Vietnam such as Na Meo of Tuyen Quang, and has performed additional language documentation fieldwork in Thailand, the Philippines, and San Diego, USA.
Andrew has worked at the Center for Research in Computational (CRCL) in Bangkok, Thailand building comparative databases of Southeast Asian minority languages, and has presented at numerous international academic conferences in Asia and the US. Currently an independent scholar, he is looking forward to continue documenting minority languages in East Asia.
Andrew Hsiu has been documenting little-known but taxonomically important minority languages since 2012, while he was still a linguistics undergraduate student at UC San Diego. He has made 3 successful language documentation field trips to China, and has identified several languages in China that are new to science, including Muangphe, Maza, Ku, Luoji, and others. He has also documented new language varieties in northern Vietnam such as Na Meo of Tuyen Quang, and has performed additional language documentation fieldwork in Thailand, the Philippines, and San Diego, USA.
Andrew has presented at numerous international academic conferences in Asia and the US. Currently an independent scholar, he is looking forward to continue documenting minority languages in East Asia.Website:
Press and MediaThis project builds on the work of other eminent language researchers such as Jamin Pelkey and Jerold Edmondson. Both have discovered new Tibeto-Burman languages in China and Vietnam previously unknown to science.
Jamin Pelkey - Linguists Discover New Tongues in China
Jerold Edmondson - A man of words–and actions
One of the last speakers of the Mango language, which is a new language I had discovered in April 2013. Just under 50 fluent speakers remain in 2 small villages. Nearly all fluent are over 50 years old, and the language is not being passed onto young people anymore. Documentation is extremely urgent.
Kathu speakers in Nabi village, Wenshan, China. The Kathu language preserves many highly archaic features (such as the sound kl-) that are found only in a few modern-day languages such as Written Burmese. Only a few thousand speakers in 2 village clusters remain. The speakers below speak a previously dialect of Kathu that was unknown and undocumented before my preliminary documentation in April 2013.
The last Wai Gelao in Funing County, Yunnan Province, China who can recall any words in Wai Gelao. She is in her mid-80's. She only remembers several vocabulary words.
Typical village scene, with a minivan-taxi in the foreground. Minivan-taxis are available for hire at the town centers for $30-$50 (200-300 Chinese yuan) per trip. A one-way trip to a typical field site would take around half an hour if road conditions are good.
A motorcycle-taxi taking me through the rugged mountainous landscape of Yunnan in 2012. My goal was to find the only woman in China who could still speak Red Gelao.
A typical field session: The language consultant pronounces words and sentences in his native language as I perform audio recordings using a USB microphone connected to a netbook computer.
Thank you for helping to save some of the world's most endangered languages!
- $1,000Total Donations
- $76.92Average Donation


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