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No. 24; Updated March 2011 Click here to download and print a PDF version of this document. Parents are usually the first to recognize that their child has a problem with emotions or behavior. Still, the decision to seek professional help can be difficult and painful for a parent. The first step is to gently try to talk to the child. An honest open talk about feelings can often help. Parents may choose to consult with the child's physicians, teachers, members of the clergy, or other adults who know the child well. These steps may resolve the problems for the child and family. Following are a few signs which may indicate that a child and adolescent psychiatric evaluation will be useful. - Marked fall in school performance - Poor grades in school despite trying very hard - Severe worry or anxiety, as shown by regular refusal to go to school, go to sleep or take part in activities that are normal for the child's age - Frequent physical complaints - Hyperactivity; fidgeting; constant movement beyond regular playing with or without difficulty paying attention - Persistent nightmares - Persistent disobedience or aggression (longer than 6 months) and provocative opposition to authority figures - Frequent, unexplainable temper tantrums - Threatens to harm or kill oneself - Marked decline in school performance - Inability to cope with problems and daily activities - Marked changes in sleeping and/or eating habits - Extreme difficulties in concentrating that get in the way at school or at home - Sexual acting out - Depression shown by sustained, prolonged negative mood and attitude, often accompanied by poor appetite, difficulty sleeping or thoughts of death - Severe mood swings - Strong worries or anxieties that get in the way of daily life, such as at school or socializing - Repeated use of alcohol and/or drugs - Intense fear of becoming obese with no relationship to actual body weight, excessive dieting, throwing up or using laxatives to loose weight - Persistent nightmares - Threats of self-harm or harm to others - Self-injury or self destructive behavior - Frequent outbursts of anger, aggression - Repeated threats to run away - Aggressive or non-aggressive consistent violation of rights of others; opposition to authority, truancy, thefts, or vandalism - Strange thoughts, beliefs, feelings, or unusual behaviors See other Facts for Families: #25 Where to Seek Help for Your Child #52 Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation #57 Normal Adolescent Development, Middle School, and Early High School Years #58 Normal Adolescent Development, Late High School Year and Beyond #00 Definition of a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) represents over 8,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists who are physicians with at least five years of additional training beyond medical school in general (adult) and child and adolescent psychiatry. Facts for Families© information sheets are developed, owned and distributed by AACAP. Hard copies of Facts sheets may be reproduced for personal or educational use without written permission, but cannot be included in material presented for sale or profit. All Facts can be viewed and printed from the AACAP website (www.aacap.org). Facts sheets may not be reproduced, duplicated or posted on any other website without written consent from AACAP. Organizations are permitted to create links to AACAP's website and specific Facts sheets. For all questions please contact the AACAP Communications & Marketing Coordinator, ext. 154. If you need immediate assistance, please dial 911. Copyright © 2012 by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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Previous abstract Next abstract Session 40 - The Interstellar Medium. Display session, Tuesday, June 09 Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) explosions can make kpc-size shells and holes in the interstellar media (ISM) of spiral galaxies if much of the energy heats the local gas to above 10^7 K. Disk blowout is probably the major cause for energy loss in this case, but the momentum acquired during the pressurized expansion phase can be large enough that the bubble still snowplows to a kpc diameter. This differs from the standard model for the origin of such shells by multiple supernovae, which may have problems with radiative cooling, evaporative losses, and disk blow-out. Evidence for giant shells with energies of \sim10^53 ergs are summarized. Some contain no obvious central star clusters and may be GRB remnants, although sufficiently old clusters would be hard to detect. The expected frequency of GRBs in normal galaxies can account for the number of such shells. Program listing for Tuesday

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Question: How is bipolar disorder different from unipolar depression or 'regular' depression? Answer: Both bipolar disorder and major depression are typically associated with depressive episodes. So both illnesses are accompanied by depressions. The difference is that in bipolar disorder people also have periods of elevation -- or severe irritability. We call these manic or hypomanic episodes.

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Making the Case for Action This fact sheet(pdf) and slide deck provide essential state-specific information that addresses the economic imperative, the equity imperative, and the expectations imperative of the college- and career-ready agenda. These resources can be used on their own or serve as the foundation for a personalized presentation or fact sheet(word), which can be customized with state-specific details and examples. The PowerPoint, in particular, was developed with various users in mind and offers a wide range of case-making data that can be drawn from to support your own advocacy efforts. Advancing the Agenda As states continue their efforts to promote college and career readiness, Achieve regularly surveys the states to identify their progress in adopting critical college- and career-ready policies. Below is a summary of Idaho's progress to date: See Closing the Expectations Gap for more information State accountability systems focus the efforts of teachers, students, parents, administrators and policymakers to ensure that students and schools meet the established goals, including the goal of ensuring all students graduate ready for college and careers. Idaho has yet to begin to use any of the key college- and career-ready indicators in their accountability system. |Annual School-level Public Reporting||Statewide Performance Goals||School-level Incentives||Accountability Formula| |Earning a college- and career-ready diploma| |Scoring college-ready on a high school assessment| |Earning college credit while in high school| |Requiring remedial courses in college| For an explanation of the indicators, their uses and Achieve’s minimum criteria for college- and career-ready accountability, see here.

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A land whose rich cultural heritage is discovered not only from within the walls of numerous museums, galleries and churches, many of which today, as zero category monuments are included in a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, but also in that magical place on the Mediterranean, where even the shortest stroll becomes a journey down a staircase thousands of years old, which takes one through a history that is at the same time turbulent, exciting and glorious. With as many as seven cultural phenomena- The Festivity of Saint Blaise, lace-making in Lepoglava, Hvar and Pag, the bell ringers from the Kastav region, the Hvar Procession Za Križem, (‘following the Cross’), two-part singing in the Istrian scale, in Istria and Hrvatsko Primorje, the spring procession of ‘Ljelje’ and traditional manufacture of wooden toys in the Hrvatsko zagorje region, Croatia is among the countries with the most protected intangible cultural heritage elements, recorded on the UNESCO List. The famous scientist Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), inventor of alternating current. Was born in Smiljan, Croatia, died in New York, USA. Dog breed Dalmatian originates from these areas? In a small Franciscan monastery in Zaostrog, there is a painting from 1724 which for the first time depicts a Dalmatian dog… Slavoljub Eduard Penkala In 1906, a Croat Slavoljub Eduard Penkala for the first time applied for a patent for a ballpoint (penkala) and a holder for a fountain pen. From time immemorial, the tie has been a part of the Croatian national costume, which was preserved by the Croats to the more recent times, who moved to central Europe in the 16th century. It was later taken over by the Croatian soldiers who were fighting in Europe, and a part of their uniform was assumed by the French in the 17th century. Under the leadership of the French „God of Sun" Louis XIV there was a horsemen unit, the so-called Royal cravate, who wore mostly red collar ribbons. The custom of wearing ribbons from the Croats dates back to this time, which was later expanded around Europe and the world, and today is inevitably the most important detail in men's fashion, and also an original Croatian souvenir. The word «kravata» (tie) originates from the word «Kroate»... The world traveler and explorer Marco Polo was born in 1254, most probably on the island of Korčula. Even today, there are people living on the island with the same last name.. Island of Vrnik is situated in the archipelago of the Pelješac canal in front of the east coast of Korčula island, widely known for its stone-pit of quality lime-stone (marble) from which Aia Sofia (Istanbul) and the While House (Washington) were partly built as were some palaces-town halls in Dubrovnik, Stockholm, Venice, Vienna. Visit to the fertile plains of Baranja where the grapes have been cultivated for centuries, is not complete if you do not taste the "golden drops" of Baranja's vineyards. According to the old manuscripts, vine was a usual drink at the royal court of Maria Teresa, and the ancient Romans, delighted with its bouquet and with the sun rises and sunsets of that region, called it the "Golden hill"... There is a Ulysses' cave on the island of Mljet. It was named after a story which says that a famous adventurer stranded on the nearby cliff Ogiron, where he met the nymph Calypso with whom he fell in love, and spent unforgettable moments in her company... Red-white coat of arms Recognizable all over the world, and related only to Croats - characteristic cube-shaped red-white coat of arms which is believed to originate from the Persian original homeland of Croats (red signifies south and white signifies north). That is where the name for two Croatias derives from, i.e. White in north and Red in south. When the Croats have selected Ferdinand Habsburg to be their King in Cetine in 1527, they confirmed that choice with some seals, and one of them was Croatian coat of arms, but with 64 fields, i.e. the complete chess-board. That is where the popular term „šahovnica" derives from, and Šah (chess) in Persian means the Ruler - Tsar. Did you know that there is a world rarity in the Archeological museum in Zagreb? Of course, we are talking about the Zagreb mummy. Nesi-hensu, the wife of Aher-hensu, „the divine tailor" from Thebes, is the name of a mummified woman who was wrapped in cut ribbons of Zagreb linen book which represents the longest preserved text in Etruscan language and the only preserved sample of linen book in the entire Ancient world. Top seven world getaways The American magazine "In Style" has included Croatia on its list of seven top world destinations ("Top seven world getaways"). The article authors recommend a visit to Croatia for its very rich historical-cultural heritage, natural beauties and clean sea. In addition to Croatia, the list of top seven places includes Kenya, South Africa, London, Greek island Santorini and three American destinations - Aspen, Napa Valley and Nantucket. Every day, for over hundred and ten years, the cannon fires from the top of tower Lotrščak exactly at noon in memory of an event from Zagreb history. According to the legend, exactly at noon, the Grič canon fired a discharge from Lotrščak to the Turkish camp located across Sava and blew out a rooster (or a turkey) which the cook was taking to Pasha on a platter. After this event, the Turks scattered and did not attack Zagreb...

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adopt many methods to determine whether the unborn baby is a boy or a girl. The Chinese pregnancy calendar is an often used method to know about the gender of the new life in the mothers womb. is an ancient way for predicting the gender of the unborn baby It is also known as a Chinese conception chart, or the Chinese Conception Calendar. It is believed that this ancient method is highly accurate, although no clinical studies verify these chart is an ancient Chinese secret A Chinese scientist developed this calendar, 700 years ago. According to a legend, the Chinese is capable of predicting the baby gender based on two variables: the baby month of conception and the mothers age. chart was kept in a royal tomb, near the city of Peking in China in ancient times. Now this original Chinese chart is on display at the Beijing Institute of Science. Many people, especially the Chinese, believe that the original Chinese pregnancy calendar is almost 100% According to studies, the Chinese pregnancy calendar has been found to be 97% effective in predicting a baby gender. This accuracy is credited to the use of Chinese lunar calendar pregnancy calendar is dependent on the lunar calendar. It is based on the month a baby is conceived and not the birth month. The second factor is the mothers age at the time of conception, adding 9 months to her age to adjust the lunar calendar. conceived month from January to December is listed on the top row of the Chinese chart, and the left column of age during the conception. You need to follow the steps given below to get the most accurate result from the Chinese Pregnancy by the boy approaches more often , than pregnancy an girl. On statistical given beside young and sound parents more often birth boys, but beside of parents of more senior age on the contrary. 1. Note down your age at the time of conception. 2. Add 9 months to the age to adjust to the lunar calendar. 3. Also note down the month when the baby was conceived. 4. Now simply search for the conceived month across the top portion of the chart and the age on the left side of the chart. 5. Lastly, follow these two coordinates to the spot where they intersect, and that will show you either a box containing B boy, or G comparison to the Chinese pregnancy calendar, the ultrasound during the 7th or 8th month of is a more reliable method to know the gender of the child. In fact an ultrasound is use to monitor the week by week development right from conception till child birth. it is a boy or a girl, what does it matter? What matters is that you have fun guessing the gender of your unborn baby using the Chinese pregnancy All along use a journal to record your development week by week. More radio frequency to conceive aihe male sex is connected with that Spermatozoidum, carrying male Y-chromosome, several more movable, than carrying X-chromosome, and has more chances earlier to reach ovules. But healled Spermatozoidum with X-chromosome more viable and can more long to survive in wombs of pipe, and wait a period of One of the ways of planning of conceiving boy or girl is based on such abilities an Spermatozoidum. In the first place it is necessary exactly to define a date of ovulations. So, if beside you menstruations regular, the day of ovulations constant and possible produce an uncomplicated calculation. If you want conceive boy or girl, You must adjust last sexual contact before a data of ovulations. If You to planned conceive of boy or girl Study has shown that method efficient in 80% events aproximately. Used and other ways of planning conceive boy or girl, based on calculations "biological rhythms", astrological forecasts and etc. But from medical standpoints these methods not motivated. a sex of aihe during pregnancy. By means of the ultrasound during of pregnancy possible to define a sex of future child. This better and easier to realize at late terms of pregnancy, after 22-26 weeks. Then results will more

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Average life span in the wild: 12 years Size: 21 in (50 cm) Weight: 14.4 oz (408 g) Did you know? Chameleons don't change colors to match their surroundings. Each species displays distinct color patterns to indicate specific reactions or emotions. The Meller's chameleon is the largest of the chameleons not native to Madagascar. Their stout bodies can grow to be up to two feet (two-thirds of a meter) long and weigh more than a pound (one-half kilogram). Meller's distinguish themselves from their universally bizarre-looking cousins with a single small horn protruding from the front of their snouts. This and their size earn them the common name "giant one-horned chameleon." They are fairly common in the savanna of East Africa, including Malawi, northern Mozambique, and Tanzania. Almost one-half of the world’s chameleons live on the island of Madagascar. As with all chameleons, Meller's will change colors in response to stress and to communicate with other chameleons. Their normal appearance is deep green with yellow stripes and random black spots. Females are slightly smaller, but are otherwise indistinguishable from males. They subsist on insects and small birds, using their camouflage and a lightning-fast, catapulting tongue, which can be up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) long, to ambush prey. Exotic pet enthusiasts often attempt to keep Meller's chameleons as pets. However, they are highly susceptible to even the slightest level of stress and are very difficult to care for in captivity. In the wild, they can live as long as 12 years.

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Nuclear Energy in France Nuclear energy is the cornerstone of french energy policy. In the ‘70s France chose to develop nuclear as its base load electricity source as a response to the oil crisis and assure its energy independence. Nuclear Electricity Production: France currently counts 58 commercial nuclear reactors in operation responsible for producing 80% of French domestic electricity. As a comparison, the 104 US reactors produces 20% of US electricity.Despite scarce natural resources, France has reached an energy independence of 50% thanks to its strategic choice for nuclear energy. Environment: As well as providing safe and reliable energy, nuclear helps to reduce French greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding the release of 31 billions tones of carbon dioxide (contrary to coal or gas generation) and making France the less carbon emitting country within the OECD. As a leader in nuclear energy, France has developed clean technology for radioactive waste disposal. Reprocessing currently allows France to recover valuable elements from spent fuels and permit a significant reduction of high level waste and lead to safer and optimized containment, for final radioactive waste disposition. French nuclear power plants produces only 10 g/year/inhabitant of highly radioactive waste. International Cooperation and research: France is one of the forerunner in nuclear research and participates in numerous international cooperation programs alongside the United States such as the development of the next generation of nuclear power plants (Gen IV) and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) that will be built in Cadarache, South of France. The French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) The French Atomic Energy Commission is a public body established in October 1945 by General de Gaulle. It constitutes a power of expertise and proposition for the authorities. A leader in research, development and innovation, the CEA is involved in three main fields: It develops and acquires the technological building blocks necessary to the development of the nuclear reactors of the future (Contribution to Generation IV and GNEP research), It contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emission with its research on hydrogen, fuel cells, biomass, energy storage…, It supports the nuclear utilities in France by optimizing the nuclear power plants of the French nuclear fleet and by optimizing the fuel cycle, It offers safe and economically viable technical solutions for managing nuclear waste, It conducts fundamental research in climate and environmental sciences, high energy physics, astrophysics, fusion, nanosciences… Information and Health technologies: It tackles micro and nano-technologies for telecommunication and nuclear medicine for radiotherapy and medical imaging, It researches programs on biotechnology, molecular labelling, biomolecular engineering and structural biology, It shares its knowledge and know-how through education and training through the National Institute for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (INSTN), It manages over 300 priority patents and is active in the creation of clusters. Defense and National Security: It conceives, builds, maintains then dismantles the nuclear warhead of the French deterrence force, It helps to fight against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons (NRBC program). The missions of the CEA are similar to the Department of Energy in the United States. The CEA has a network of counselor or representatives in French Embassies around the world (see joint map). The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) Created in 2006, from the former DSIN (Directorate for the Safety of Nuclear Facilities), the French Nuclear Safety Authority is an independent administrative authority which is tasked with regulating nuclear safety and radiation protection in order to protect workers, patients, the public and the environment from the risks involved in nuclear activities. It also contributes to informing the public. Like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the United States, it carries out inspections and may pronounce sanctions, up to and including suspension of operation of an installation. French Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) Created in 2001 by merging the Protection and Nuclear Safety Institute (IPSN) and the Ionizing radiations Protection Office (OPRI), the Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety is a public establishment of an industrial and commercial nature placed under the joint authority of the Ministries of the Environment, Health, Industry, Research and Defense. It is the expert in safety research and specialized assessments into nuclear and radiological risk serving public authorities whose work is complementary to the ASN. Its scope of activities includes: environment and response, human radiological protection, research on the prevention of major accidents, power reactor safety, fuel cycle facility safety, research installation safety, waste management safety; nuclear defense expertise. National radioactive Waste Management Agency (ANDRA) Created in 1991, the French National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management is a public industrial and commercial organization that operates independently of waste producers. It is responsible for the long-term management of radioactive waste produced in France under the supervision of the French Ministries for Energy, Research and the Environment. It can be compared to a certain extent to the Office for Nuclear Waste of the Department of Energy in the United States. Andra also pursues industrial, research, and information activities as it designs and implements disposal solutions suited to each category of radioactive waste: the collection, conditioning, disposal of radioactive waste from small producers (hospitals, research centers, industry), specification of waste packages for disposal, disposal in suited sites, monitoring of closed disposal facilities, research programs for long-lived and high level activity waste, especially through the operation of an underground research laboratory in a deep clay formation… General Directorate for Energy and Climate (DGEC) The General Directorate for Energy and Climate represents the government and is part of the Office of the Department for Ecology and Sustainable Development. It defines the French nuclear policy. The DGEC takes care of the energy supply, the security of supply, oil refining and logistics, nuclear industry, and coal and mines. Consequently, its activities include: the design and implement energy and raw material supply policy, to ensure opening of electricity and gas markets, track key energy and raw material sectors, to oversee enterprises and public institutions in energy sector, to ensure compliance with rules and regulations governing energy sector, to participate in European and international energy projects and working groups, to provide economic, environmental, and fiscal expertise on energy matters. The Rise of Nuclear Power Generation in France.

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Mexican America - Introduction "Mexican America" is a sampling of objects from the collections of the National Museum of American History. The stories behind these objects reflect the history of the Mexican presence in the United States. They illustrate a fundamentally American story about the centuries-old encounter between distinct (yet sometimes overlapping) communities that have coexisted but also clashed over land, culture, and livelihood. Who, where, and what is Mexico? Over time, the definitions and boundaries of Mexico have changed. The Aztec Empire and the area where Náhautl was spoken—today the region surrounding modern Mexico City—was known as Mexico. For 300 years, the Spanish colonizers renamed it New Spain. When Mexico was reborn in 1821 as a sovereign nation, its borders stretched from California to Guatemala. It was a huge and ancient land of ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse regions that struggled for national unity. Texas, (then part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas) was a frontier region far from the dense cities and fertile valleys of central Mexico, a place where immigrants were recruited from the United States. The immigrants in turn declared the Mexican territory an independent republic in 1836 (later a U.S. state), making the state the first cauldron of Mexican American culture. By 1853, the government of Mexico, the weaker neighbor of an expansionist United States, had lost what are today the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. In spite of the imposition of a new border, the historical and living presence of Spaniards, Mexicans, indigenous peoples, and their mixed descendants remained a defining force in the creation of the American West. “La América Mexicana” es una muestra conformada por objetos provenientes de las distintas colecciones del Museo Nacional de Historia Americana. Estos objetos reflejan la historia de la presencia mexicana en los Estados Unidos e ilustran una crónica fundamentalmente americana acerca del encuentro centenario entre comunidades diferentes que han coexistido, pero que también se han enfrentado, en la pugna por la tierra, la cultura y el sustento. ¿Quién, dónde y qué es México? Con el transcurso del tiempo, las definiciones y los límites de México han ido cambiando. Se conocía como México al Imperio Azteca y toda el área donde se hablaba náhuatl —actualmente la región circundante a la ciudad de México. Durante 300 años los colonizadores españoles se refirieron a ella como Nueva España. Cuando en 1821 México resurgió como una nación soberana, sus fronteras se extendían desde California a Guatemala. En ese entonces era un antiguo e inmenso territorio conformado por regiones étnica, lingüística y económicamente diversas que luchaban por adquirir unidad nacional. Texas (en ese entonces parte de los estados mexicanos de Coahuila y Tejas) era una región fronteriza lejos de las densas urbes y de los fértiles valles de México central, donde se reclutaban inmigrantes de los Estados Unidos. En el año 1836 este territorio mexicano se declaró como república independiente (y más tarde, estado de EE.UU.), convirtiéndose en el primer calderón de la cultura mexicoamericana. Hacia 1853, el gobierno de México, el vecino débil de un Estados Unidos en expansión, había perdido el territorio de los actuales estados de California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Nuevo México, Texas y partes de Colorado y Wyoming. A pesar de la imposición de un nuevo límite fronterizo, la presencia histórica y ocupacional de los españoles, mexicanos y pueblos indígenas, junto a sus descendientes mestizos, constituiría a lo largo del tiempo una influencia determinante para el desarrollo del Oeste Americano. "Mexican America - Introduction" showing 1 items. - This print depicts American forces attacking the fortress palace of Chapultepec on Sept. 13th, 1847. General Winfield Scott, in the lower left on a white horse, led the southern division of the U.S. Army that successfully captured Mexico City during the Mexican American War. The outcome of American victory was the loss of Mexico's northern territories, from California to New Mexico, by the terms set in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It should be noted that the two countries ratified different versions of the same peace treaty, with the United States ultimately eliminating provisions for honoring the land titles of its newly absorbed Mexican citizens. Despite notable opposition to the war from Americans like Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams, and Henry David Thoreau, the Mexican-American War proved hugely popular. The United States' victory boosted American patriotism and the country's belief in Manifest Destiny. - This large chromolithograph was first distributed in 1848 by Nathaniel Currier of Currier and Ives, who served as the "sole agent." The lithographers, Sarony & Major of New York (1846-1857) copied it from a painting by "Walker." Unfortunately, the current location of original painting is unknown, however, when the print was made the original painting was owned by a Captain B. S. Roberts of the Mounted Rifles. The original artist has previously been attributed to William Aiken Walker as well as to Henry A. Walke. William Aiken Walker (ca 1838-1921) of Charleston did indeed do work for Currier and Ives, though not until the 1880's and he would have only have been only 10 years old when this print was copyrighted. Henry Walke (1808/9-1896) was a naval combat artist during the Mexican American War who also worked with Sarony & Major and is best known for his Naval Portfolio. - Most likely the original painting was done by James Walker (1819-1889) who created the "Battle of Chapultepec" 1857-1862 for the U.S. Capitol. This image differs from the painting commissioned for the U. S. Capitol by depicting the troops in regimented battle lines with General Scott in a more prominent position in the foreground. James Walker was living in Mexico City at the outbreak of the Mexican War and joined the American forces as an interpreter. He was attached to General Worth's staff and was present at the battles of Contreras, Churubusco, and Chapultepec. The original painting's owner, Captain Roberts was assigned General Winfield Scott to assist Walker with recreating the details of the battle of Chapultepec. When the painting was complete, Roberts purchased the painting. By 1848, James Walker had returned to New York and had a studio in New York City in the same neighborhood as the print's distributor Nathaniel Currier as well as the lithographer's Napoleon Sarony and Henry B. Major. - This popular lithograph was one of several published to visually document the war while engaging the imagination of the public. Created prior to photography, these prints were meant to inform the public, while generally eliminating the portrayal of the more gory details. Historians have been able to use at least some prints of the Mexican War for study and to corroborate with the traditional literary forms of documentation. As an eyewitness, Walker could claim accuracy of detail within the narrative in his painting. The battle is presented in the grand, historic, heroic style with the brutality of war not portrayed. The print depiction is quite large for a chromo of the period. In creating the chromolithographic interpretation of the painting, Sarony & Major used at least four large stones to produce the print "in colours," making the most of their use of color. They also defined each figure with precision by outlining each in black. This print was considered by expert/collector Harry T. Peters as one of the finest ever produced by Sarony & Major. - Currently not on view - Date made - associated date - Currier, Nathaniel - Scott, Winfield - Sarony & Major - Walker, James - ID Number - catalog number - accession number - Data Source - National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center

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- Action research (6 posts) - Artist CPD (11 posts) - Barriers to participation (2 posts) - Change management (8 posts) - Co-construction (3 posts) - Community cohesion (12 posts) - Creative curriculum development (13 posts) - Creative teaching and learning (28 posts) - Cross-curricular working (21 posts) - Developing school ethos (6 posts) - Disability awareness (4 posts) - Diversity (3 posts) - Exchanges and trips (4 posts) - Experiential learning (6 posts) - Extracurricular work (3 posts) - Learning outcomes for artists (23 posts) - Learning outcomes for teachers (27 posts) - Learning outcomes for young people (37 posts) - Learning styles (13 posts) - Mentoring (2 posts) - Outdoor learning environment (1 post) - Parent engagement (4 posts) - Participation and engagement (29 posts) - Partnerships (37 posts) - Role of the practitioner (32 posts) - School networks (2 posts) - Teacher CPD (17 posts) - Whole school working (13 posts) - Young people in decision making role (9 posts) - Youth leadership (5 posts) - Youth voice (16 posts) Select from the categories above, and scroll over the thumbnails to view information about each resource. You can download many of the resources as PDFs, view film or listen to audio. A New Direction Schools Forum: Effective Partnership WorkingThis resource summarises key ideas from schools and arts & cultural organisations from a series of discussions around six different… A Personal Journey through Preferred Learning StylesAn essay written by a creative practitioner who undertook action research into students' preferred learning styles and creativity. Artists and Teachers PartnershipsAn essay exploring partnerships between creative practitioners and teachers from an Early Years setting and a Secondary school. Arts Beyond the ClassroomA film documenting the experiences of the pupils and parents in the Arts Beyond the Classroom project. Beneath the HoodA pack including a poignant film portrait of students at a PRU, poetry cards and a resource guide for similar… Building PartnershipsAn essay describing three effective partnership projects delivered in two primary schools and one FE College. Co-construction of LearningA case study exploring examples of creative projects which supported young people to guide school change through 'co-construction'. Connecting Countries: London to VancouverA film of a group of Secondary School students who journey to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games. Creative Interventions in the English FacultyAn essay providing an arts organisation's perspective of creative teaching strategies within an East London school's English curriculum. Creative Teaching and LearningA case study discussing the ways creative programmes have supported the development of creative teaching and learning. Creativity and ChangeAn essay exploring structural and institutional change through creative programmes in three primaries and one special school. Cross-Curricular Creative ProjectsAn essay describing cross-curricular approaches in 3 primary schools and 1 secondary school in East London. Developing a Learning Strategy for ArtsadminA paper detailing the development of an arts organisation's education programme in partnership with artists and local schools. Engaging Parents Creatively in the Foundation StageA paper presenting two examples that aimed to increase parental engagement and community involvement in the pupils' work. Forensic Science Murder MysteryA film documenting a cross-curricular drama project with secondary school students inspired by a TV crime series. Grove Park Special School Takes Over the Borough of BrentA film made by students with a range of physical and learning disabilities who investigate their local area. ImagiNationA film charting an 18 month whole school cross-curricular project culminating in a community carnival. Imagine NationA short film of a poem and set of accompanying activities for literacy lessons exploring creativity and imagination. Institutional ChangeA paper exploring two different approaches to whole school change in a Special School and a Secondary School. IPC Media Schools Design ProgrammeAn essay describing the IPC Media Schools Design Programme, a graphic design work-related learning programme initiated in 2005. Learning about Learning: Preferred Learning Styles and CreativityA publication exploring education approaches to preferred learning styles. Essays and a toolkit of lesson activities are included. London to Beijing - a Dance TravelogueA film about dance students from a Further Education college who visit a dance school in Beijing, China. Making Things Happen - HereA project case study and two films. A group of Primary Schools imagine something extraordinary for their community. Olympics Literacy ResourceA set of classroom resources for all year groups for creating poetry around the theme of the Olympics.

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White-throated Magpie-Jays (Calocitta formosa) are beautiful big jays that travel the North Pacific slopes in small flocks. Their songs and calls are quite varied - this is one of the typical calls, recorded on the road to Monteverde (Costa Rica). Douglas Von Gausig (recordist; copyright holder), Naturesongs.com This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To cite this page: Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2013. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org. Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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Octodon degus is generally considered endemic to west central Chile, where it inhabits the lower slopes of the Andes. Although some have argued that its range may extend north into Peru, this is not well supported. It is common in the international pet trade, however, and is often used in laboratory studies outside of its native range. (Contreras, et al., 1987; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Octodon degus inhabits a mediterranean-type semi-arid shrubland ecosystem called "matorral", which is found on the western slopes of the Andes between 28 and 35 degrees south latitude. Further north the climate becomes too arid to support this plant community, and further south it is too wet. Degus appear to be limited to elevations below 1200 meters, both by the distribution of their habitat and by their intolerance of low oxygen partial pressure. Degus are well able to inhabit lands influenced by cattle grazing, and are agricultural pests in some areas. (Contreras, et al., 1987; Fulk, 1976) Octodon degus superficially resembles a gerbil, but is much larger. Degus typically weigh between 170 and 300 g, and measure between 325 and 440 mm in length, including the tail. The fur is yellow-brown on the back and head, and the underparts and feet are cream colored. There is a pale band around the eye and, in some individuals, the neck. The tail is moderately long and conspicuously tufted. The ears are large and darkly pigmented. The fifth digit is reduced, and on the forefeet it has a nail instead of a claw. The cheekteeth are hypsodont and their biting surfaces resemble a figure of eight. Sexes are difficult to distinguish, but males tend to be about 10% larger than females. Pups are born furred and able to see, and begin exploring within hours of birth. Octodon degus can be distinguished from the two other members of the genus Octodon by slight differences in dental morphology. It is also smaller than its relatives and its tail is said to be more noticeably tufted. (Fulk, 1976; Lee, 2004) During the annual breeding season, male-male aggression temporarily increases. Males exclude other males from their burrow and monopolize the females (usually 2 to 4) who live there. Dustbathing and urine marking may be used in the defense of territory by both sexes, but these behaviors particularly increase in the male during the breeding season. Courting males often engage in mutual grooming with females, and frequently perform a courtship ritual which involves wagging of the tail and trembling of the body. The male then raises a hind leg and sprays urine onto the female. This may serve to familiarize her with his scent and perhaps make her more receptive to his advances in the future. Receptive females may sometimes enurinate males in a similar fashion. Related female degus may nurse each other's young. (Ebensperger and Caiozzi, 2002; Fulk, 1976; Kleiman, 1974; Soto-Gamboa, 2005) In the wild degus tend to breed once per year. The breeding season usually begins in late May (autumn in Chile), and the young are conceived in late winter to early spring (September to October). In wet years, degus may produce second litters. It has been suggested that degus may be induced ovulators, but this has not been established for certain. There is also some evidence that male reproductive organs may be sensitive to changes in photoperiod. The gestation period is 90 days, and litter size is typically 4-6 pups. The young are precocial. They are born with fur and teeth; their eyes are open and they are able to move about the nest on their own. Pups are weaned at 4 to 5 weeks, and become sexually mature between 12 and 16 weeks of age. Degus do not reach adult size until about 6 months of age, however, and they generally live in same-sex social groups until they are about 9 months old and their first breeding season occurs. It has been reported that pups raised in isolation in the laboratory experience severe neural and behavioral abnormalities. (Ebensperger and Hurtado, 2005; Lee, 2004; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Before conception can occur, the male degu must invest considerable energy in the defense of his territory and harem from other males. The female subsequently expends considerable energy in gestation and lactation. The pregnancy is relatively long for a rodent, and the young are born well developed. After birth, both parents protect and provision the pups. Degus nest communally, and groups of related females nurse one another's young. In the laboratory, the female remains close to the pups until two weeks after birth, and males have been observed to huddle with the young during this period without instances of infanticide. In the wild, male degus may spend as much time feeding and huddling with the young as females do. Pups begin to eat solid food at about two weeks of age, and venture out of the burrow at three weeks. Upon weaning at four to six weeks, the pups are able to live independently of the parents and form same-sex social groups until their first breeding season. (Ebensperger and Hurtado, 2005; Fulk, 1976; Lee, 2004; Woods and Boraker, 1975) In laboratory conditions, degus typically live five to eight years. Degus are social and tend to live in groups of one to two males and two to five related females. Females participate in rearing on another's young. Groups maintain territories throughout much of the year. Degus are semi-fossorial, digging extensive communal burrow systems. These burrows are often shared by Bennett's chinchilla rat (Abrocoma bennettii). Degus feed exclusively above ground, however, and have been observed climbing into the low branches of shrubs while foraging. Dustbathing is an important social behavior among degus. Groups repeatedly mark favorite wallows with urine and anal gland secretions. This may help the group identify each other by scent as well as delineating territorial boundaries. Degus are mainly diurnal, and are most active during the morning and evening. (Ebensperger, et al., 2004; Fulk, 1976; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Fulk (1976) estimated that social groups of degus occupy home areas of roughly 200 square meters, and that their density is about 75 degus per hectare. This may be an underestimate, however, due to the trapping methods used. (Fulk, 1976) Degus have well-developed sight, smell, and hearing. They are highly vocal and use various calls to communicate with one another, including alarm calls, mating calls, and communication between parents and young. Vision is very important in avoidance of predators and in foraging. It has been shown that degus are able to see ultraviolet wavelengths, and that their urine reflects in the UV range when fresh. It has therefore been suggested that degus' urine scent marks are also visual cues. These scent marks are also used as dust wallows, allowing members of a social group to identify each other by scent. (Chavez, et al., 2003; Fulk, 1976; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Degus are generalist herbivores. They feed on the leaves, bark, and seeds of shrubs and forbs. Among their favorite foods are the bark of Cestrum palqui and Mimosa cavenia, leaves and bark of Proustia cuneifolia, Atriplex repunda, and Acacia caven, annuals such as Erodium cicutarum when in season, green grasses, and thistle seeds. Degus choose food items that reduce fiber and increase nitrogen and moisture in the diet, and thus prefer young leaves and avoid woodier shrubs. Degus rely on microbial fermentation in their enlarged cecum (they are "hindgut fermenters") to digest their food. They reingest a large percentage of their feces, usually during the night. This allows them to maximize their digestion. Degus store food in the winter, and it has been reported that they occasionally eat meat in old age. (Gutierrez and Bozinovic, 1998; Kenagy, et al., 1999; Veloso and Kenagy, 2005; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Octodon degus is subject to predation by larger mammals such as culpeo foxes (Lycalopex culpaeus), and from the air by raptors such as barn owls (Tyto alba), short-eared owls (Asio flammeus), and black-chested buzzard eagles (Geranoaetus melanoleucus). Degus use vigilance and cover to avoid predators. Their pelage is also counter-shaded and matches the soil color, which reduces visibility to predators. Degus live socially and use alarm calls to warn others of danger. When a predator is spotted, they take cover in shrubby areas and may retreat to the communal burrow. (Ebensperger and Wallem, 2002; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Octodon degus affects the plant community in its habitat by selective browsing. Degus behaviorally reduce the fiber content of their diet, preferrentially eating shrubs such as Adesmia bedwellii, Baccharis paniculata, and Chenopodium petioare, which are less fibrous and less thorny than others. These species have been shown to increase their foliage area upon exclusion of degus. As degus are very common, they are themselves an important food source for their predators. (Gutierrez and Bozinovic, 1998) Degus often live in association with Bennett's chinchilla rats (Abrocoma bennettii). The two species are known to share burrow systems and have even been observed in the same chamber within a burrow. This is believed to be a mutualistic relationship, but it is not well understood. (Fulk, 1976; Woods and Boraker, 1975) Degus are frequently kept as pets, and are used extensively in laboratory research. Because they are largely diurnal, they are useful in research on circadian rhythms, and their intolerance of sugars makes them ideal models for diabetes research. (Lee, 2004) Degus are significant agricultural pests in some areas. They take advantage of cultivated prickly pear cactus, wheat, vineyards, and orchards as abundant food sources, and can do considerable damage. They are also known to host three species of parasites that can infect humans. (Fulk, 1976) Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web. Mary Hejna (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor, instructor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America. uses sound to communicate living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture. having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria. Found in coastal areas between 30 and 40 degrees latitude, in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Vegetation is dominated by stands of dense, spiny shrubs with tough (hard or waxy) evergreen leaves. May be maintained by periodic fire. In South America it includes the scrub ecotone between forest and paramo. uses smells or other chemicals to communicate helpers provide assistance in raising young that are not their own an animal that mainly eats the dung of other animals active at dawn and dusk having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect. animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds. an animal that mainly eats leaves. Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing. an animal that mainly eats seeds An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants. offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes). having the capacity to move from one place to another. the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic. the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets. having more than one female as a mate at one time specialized for leaping or bounding locomotion; jumps or hops. communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them breeding is confined to a particular season remains in the same area reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female associates with others of its species; forms social groups. places a food item in a special place to be eaten later. Also called "hoarding" uses touch to communicate that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle). Living on the ground. defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement uses sight to communicate reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female. young are relatively well-developed when born Chavez, A., F. Bozinovic, L. Peichl, A. Palacios. 2003. Retinal spectral sensitivity, fur coloration, and urine reflectance in the genus Octodon (Rodentia): implications for visual ecology. Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science, 44/5: 2290-2296. Contreras, L., J. Torres-Mura, J. Yanez. 1987. Biogeography of Octodontid rodents: An eco-evolutionary hypothesis. Fieldiana: Zoology, New Series, 39: 401-411. Ebensperger, L., F. Bozinovic. 2000. Energetics and burrowing behaviour in the semifossorial degu Octadon degus (Rodentia: Octodontidae). Journal of Zoology, 252: 179-186. Ebensperger, L., A. Caiozzi. 2002. Male degus, Octodon degus, modify their dustbathing behavior in response to social familiarity of previous dustbathing marks. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 75: 157-163. Ebensperger, L., M. Hurtado. 2005. On the relationship between herbaceous cover and vigilance activity of degus (Octodon degus). Ethology, 111/6: 593-608. Ebensperger, L., M. Hurtado. 2005. Seasonal changes in the time budget of degus, Octadon degus.. Behaviour, 142: 91-112. Ebensperger, L., M. Hurtado, M. Soto-Gamboa, E. Lacey, A. Chang. 2004. Communal nesting and kinship in degus (Octodon degus). Naturwissenschaften, 91: 391-395. Ebensperger, L., P. Wallem. 2002. Grouping increases the ability of the social rodent, Octodon degus, to detect predators when using exposed microhabitats. Oikos, 98: 491-497. Fulk, G. 1976. Notes on the activity, reproduction, and social behavior of Octodon degus. Journal of Mammalogy, 57/3: 495-505. Gutierrez, J., F. Bozinovic. 1998. Diet selection in captivity by a generalist herbivorous rodent (Octodon degus) from the Chilean coastal desert. Journal of Arid Environments, 39: 601-607. Kenagy, G., R. Nespolo, R. Vasquez, F. Bozinovic. 2002. Daily and seasonal limits of time and temperature to activity of degus. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 75: 567-581. Kenagy, G., C. Veloso, F. Bozinovic. 1999. Daily rhythms of food intake and feces reingestion in the degu, an herbivorous Chilean rodent: optimizing digestion through coprophagy. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 72/1: 78-86. Kleiman, D. 1974. Patterns of behaviour in hystricomorph rodents. Symposium of the Zoological Society (London), 34: 171-209. Lee, T. 2004. Octodon degus: A diurnal, social, and long-lived rodent. ILAR Journal, 45/1: 14-24. Soto-Gamboa, M., M. Villalon, F. Bozinovic. 2005. Social cues and hormone levels in male Octadon degus (Rodentia): a field test of the Challange Hypothesis. Hormones and Behavior, 47/3: 311-318. Soto-Gamboa, M. 2005. Free and total testosterone levels in field males of Octodon degus (Rodentia, Octodontidae): accuracy of the hormonal regulation of behavior. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 78/2: 229-238. Tokimoto, N., K. Okanoya. 2004. Spontaneous construction of "Chines boxes" by Degus (Octodon degus): A rudiment of recursive intelligence?. Japanese Psychological Research, 46/3: 255-261. Veloso, C., G. Kenagy. 2005. Temporal dynamics of milk composition of the precocial caviomorph Octodon degus (Rodentia : Octodontidae). Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 78/2: 247-252. Woods, C., D. Boraker. 1975. Octodon degus. Mammalian Species, 67: 1-5.

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Details of Glycemic Index (GI) The GI Scale The glycemic index uses a scale from 1 to 100, which indicates the rate at which 50 grams of carbohydrate in a particular food is absorbed into the bloodstream as blood-sugar. The main reference food (rated 100) is glucose. GI Rating Categories The glycemic index divides carbohydrate foods into three categories: GI Food Testing is Ongoing Not all foods have been given a GI value, although most food-types are covered. However, due to the way GI is measured using volunteer subjects, results can vary, so GI values for some specific foods are not yet uniformly established. GI - Diabetes and Weight Control Although the glycemic index was first designed to assist diabetes patients manage their blood-sugar levels, dietitians and weight experts now use it as a tool to help treat obesity, food cravings and appetite swings, and improve eating habits. Both the type AND quantity of carbohydrate in our food influence the rise in blood glucose. But the glycemic index only rates a standard 50 gram serving size of digestible carbohydrate in a particular food, which may not be appropriate for all foods. For example, foods whose serving size contains only a small amount of carbohydrate may in practice be better for blood sugar control than foods whose normal serving size contains a large amount of carbs. Therefore, to provide a more meaningful GI-rating system, researchers at Harvard University invented the term Glycemic Load, which applies the glycemic index to normal food serving sizes. OBESITY, OVERWEIGHT and

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Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2010 August 12 Explanation: Each August, as planet Earth swings through dust trailing along the orbit of periodic comet Swift-Tuttle, skygazers can enjoy the Perseid Meteor Shower. The shower should build to its peak now, best seen from later tonight after moonset, until dawn tomorrow morning when Earth moves through the denser part of the wide dust trail. But shower meteors have been spotted for many days, like this bright Perseid streaking through skies near Lake Balaton, Hungary on August 8. In the foreground is the region's Church of St. Andrew ruin, with bright Jupiter dominating the sky to its right. Two galaxies lie in the background of the wide-angle, 3 frame panorama; our own Milky Way's luminous arc, and the faint smudge of the more distant Andromeda Galaxy just above the ruin's leftmost wall. If you watch for Perseid meteors tonight, be sure and check out the early evening sky show too, featuring bright planets and a young crescent Moon near the western horizon after sunset. Authors & editors: Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply. A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC & Michigan Tech. U.

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1. Why is extremism an issue in prisons? Extremist groups often pose special security risks in prisons. They may encourage the overthrow of the government, and prison officials can be targeted as agents of "illegal" government authority. Further, their literature often encourages ethnic hatred, promoting a violent and racially charged prison atmosphere. Since the 1980s, white supremacist organizations have spread throughout the American prison system, beginning with the growth of Aryan Brotherhood.1 Aryan Nations, although not permitting inmates to become members, has engaged in "prison outreach" since 1979. In 1987, it began publishing a "prison outreach newsletter" called The Way to facilitate recruitment. Aryan Nations also disseminates its literature and letters to inmates. The World Church of the Creator and some Identity Church groups engage in similar outreach activity, as do other racist groups, such as Nation of Islam. The situation is further complicated by the fact that nonideological criminal prison gangs are often organized based on race, which increases racial polarization. Imprisoned extremists also pose a security threat by continuing their activities while incarcerated. They recruit inmates, and teach other inmates extremist tactics. Some imprisoned extremists also have attempted to continue to influence adherents outside of prison by, for instance, publishing newsletters from the prison to maintain their outside following. Prison officials have responded in various ways, reflecting the fact that each state has its own prison system (as do cities, counties and the federal government), and that prisons have varying populations. At times, prison officials have tried to limit access to extremist literature, and these responses have occasionally given rise to litigation because they potentially impinge upon inmates' First Amendment rights. The questions are especially complicated when the censored material comes from a group that claims to be religious. 1 Aryan Brotherhood, at one time associated with Aryan Nations, began as a virulent racist and anti-Semitic prison gang, and has since developed into a crime gang associated with extortion, drug operations and prison violence. 2. Do inmates have the same First Amendment rights as everybody else? The United States Supreme Court has said that "prison walls do not form a barrier separating prison inmates from the protections of the Constitution." Nevertheless, inmates' First Amendment rights are less extensive than other citizens' and their rights can be limited due to security or other penological concerns. Because of the particular challenges administrators face running prisons, the Supreme Court has acknowledged there is a compelling government interest which warrants limiting prisoners' rights. Courts have been deferential to prison officials' assessments of security threats, and sensitive to their related regulatory decisions, even if such decisions impact inmates' First Amendment rights. A prison regulation that impinges on an inmate's constitutional rights will be upheld in court if that regulation is reasonably related to legitimate penological objectives. This means that, generally, prison officials can ban extremist materials from prisons because of concerns that the distribution of such material will undermine prison security. Extremist books, leaflets, and magazines have been forbidden to prisoners on this basis. Such material has not been allowed through the mail and has not been kept in the prison library. However, prisons have less discretion to limit inmates' religious practices than other First Amendment rights due to a new federal law. Because of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), prison officials' discretion in limiting access to extremist material may depend in part on whether such material is related to an inmate's religious exercise. Therefore, prison regulations that affect religious exercise, including access to religious literature, will be reviewed carefully if challenged in court. 3. What legal standard is used to determine the constitutionality of prison regulations? The Supreme Court announced the standard under which it would review the constitutionality of prison regulations in Turner v. Safley, a case involving a challenge to a complete prohibition on inmate marriage. As noted earlier, a prison regulation is constitutional if it is reasonably related to legitimate penological objectives. Under this standard, courts have upheld regulations based on the consideration of certain factors: - Is there a valid, rational connection between the prison regulation and the legitimate governmental interest put forward to justify it? - Are there alternative means of exercising the assert- ed right that remain open to inmates? - How great a negative impact will accommodating the inmates' rights have on guards, other inmates,a nd on the allocation of prison resources? Courts will consider the existence of obvious and easy alternatives to a challenged regulation as evidence of a regulation's arbitrariness. 4. Is the same legal standard used to determine the constitutionality of prison regulations that implicate an inmate's right to free exercise of religion? No, the same standard is not applicable to determining the constitutionality of prison regulations alleged to violate inmates' free exercise rights. The constitutionality of such regulations is determined under the more stringent standard set forth in RLUIPA. RLUIPA says that the government cannot impose a substantial burden on the religious exercise of an inmate, even if the inmate's religious exercise is being limited by a generally applicable rule. However, an inmate's religious practices can be limited if the prison official demonstrates that the regulations in question (i) further a compelling interest and (ii) the same interest cannot be served in a manner that is less restrictive of the inmate's free exercise rights. Since RLUIPA was enacted in September 2000, it has not yet been interpreted by the courts. Therefore, how this statute will impact prison regulations that affect inmates' religious exercise remains unclear. 5. How should prison officials evaluate whether particular material can be withheld from inmates? Generally, the First Amendment does not allow speech to be censored by the government because of the content of that speech. The government can only limit the time, place, and manner of speech. However, because inmates have more limited First Amendment rights than other citizens, some content-based discrimination is allowed for security reasons. For example, the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit upheld a prison official's decision to withhold entire issues of the magazine, Muhammad Speaks, because certain articles in the magazine created a danger of violence by advocating racial, religious, or national hatred. This decision was prior to the passage of RLUIPA, and therefore the Court's analysis might be somewhat different today. Under current law, if having the entire magazine withheld was determined to be a substantial burden on inmates' free exercise rights, the Court might require that the offending material be removed rather than the entire issue being withheld. Regulations that exclude publications from a prison because of security concerns have been found constitutional when the regulations have required individualized review of any material before it is banned, notification to inmates that the material has been denied, and the possibility of review of such decisions. Courts have tended to find prison regulations that ban all literature from particular groups unconstitutional. However, the determination of the constitutionality of a given regulation or the implementation of the regulation has tended to be very fact-specific. Courts look not only at the regulation at issue but also consider the nature of the prison (high, medium, or low security) and the particular administrative challenges faced by the prison (such as crowding and quantity of incoming mail) in determining reasonableness, or the practical existence of less restrictive alternative measures. 6. Can prison officials apply the same restrictions to outgoing prison material? The Supreme Court does not allow content regulation with respect to outgoing mail from inmates. While outgoing mail can be searched for contraband,2 content regulation of outgoing mail is also more restricted because it implicates the First Amendment rights of non-prisoner addressees.3 In addition, outgoing material does not pose a threat to internal prison security; therefore content limitations have been considered less urgent. However, regulations can limit the content of outgoing mail categorically. For example, escape plans, threats, running a business, and blackmail are categories that have been disallowed. Therefore, correspondence from prisoners to extremist groups cannot be banned outright because of its content. However, inmates can be prevented from distributing a newsletter from prison when doing so constitutes running a business. 2 Special rules exist with respect to attorney-client correspondence or mail that implicates an inmate's right to access the courts that are beyond the scope of this discussion. 3 However, prison officials can forbid all correspondence between incarcerated individuals. 7. Can extremist "missionaries" be prevented from visiting prisons? Prison officials can ban categories of prison visitors, such as former inmates or visitors who have previously broken visiting rules. An extremist "missionary" can be barred from a prison because of generally applicable rules. In addition, prisons can create procedures for requesting visiting ministers, and impose conditions on the selection of the ministers, such as sponsorship by an outside religious organization. Prison officials can also exclude prison "missionaries" if they are advocating violence or otherwise fomenting prison unrest by encouraging racial tension. However, under RLUIPA, the prison would have to show that any restrictions on visiting clergy are the least restrictive means of achieving its end. Prison officials do not have a responsibility to hire a minister for each religious denomination represented in the prison population. However, if visiting ministers of one denomination are compensated, visiting ministers of other denominations must be equally compensated. Security limitations can be placed on inmate-led prayer or services, but again, under RLUIPA, the prison would have to show that any restrictions on such gatherings is the least restrictive means of achieving its end. For example, it is more likely that the prison could limit the frequency of such meetings, the number of attendees and require supervision than that such gatherings could be banned outright. 8. Under what circumstances must prisons accommodate prisoners' religious dietary requirements? Accommodating religiously based dietary rules has become an issue when dealing with extremists because incidents have raised concern that extremists "adopt" religious practices that are not based on sincere beliefs in order to obtain special privileges, such as specialized diets. Generally, if an inmate's request for a special diet is because of a sincerely held belief and religious in nature, the inmate has a constitutionally protected interest. Under RLUIPA, a request for a special religious diet can only be refused based on a compelling prison interest and if it is the least restrictive means possible for the prison protecting that interest. Prisons may offer more limited food selection to prisoners with religious dietary limitations, such as providing only cold kosher meals rather than hot food. In the past, when determining whether a prison was required to provided a special diet for a prisoner, courts have considered whether the dietary restrictions were central to the prisoner's religious observance. Under RLUIPA, such a determination would probably not be relevant. The threshold question in evaluating the prison's obligation to accommodate a request would still be whether the inmate's dietary request arose out of sincerely held beliefs that were religious in nature.

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Wikipedia sobre física de partículas Rapidinho. Me falaram que a definição de física de partículas da Wikipedia era muito ruim. E de fato, era assim: Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the elementary particle|elementary subatomic constituents of matter and radiation, and their interactions. The field is also called high energy physics, because many elementary particles do not occur under ambient conditions on Earth. They can only be created artificially during high energy collisions with other particles in particle accelerators. Particle physics has evolved out of its parent field of nuclear physics and is typically still taught in close association with it. Scientific research in this area has produced a long list of particles. Mas hein? Partículas que só podem ser criadas em aceleradores? Física de partículas é ensinada junto com física nuclear? A pesquisa produz partículas (essa é ótima!)? Em que mundo essa pessoa vive? Reescrevi: Particle Physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles, which are the constituents of what is usually referred as matter or radiation. In our current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics. Most of the interest in this area is in fundamental fields, those that cannot be described as a bound state of other fields. The set of fundamental fields and their dynamics are summarized in a model called the Standard Model and, therefore, Particle Physics is largely the study of the Standard Model particle content and its possible extensions. Eu acho que ficou bem melhor. Vamos ver em quanto tempo algum editor esquentado da Wikipedia vai demorar para reverter. Atualmente está um saco participar da Wikipedia por causa dessas pessoas.

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- published: 19 Mar 2013 - views: 42 - author: T.A. B possibly testing on weans, that worries me http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21849808. A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and "remember" it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters. Vaccines can be prophylactic (example: to prevent or ameliorate the effects of a future infection by any natural or "wild" pathogen), or therapeutic (e.g. vaccines against cancer are also being investigated; see cancer vaccine). The term vaccine derives from Edward Jenner's 1796 use of cow pox (Latin variola vaccinia, adapted from the Latin vaccīn-us, from vacca, cow), to inoculate humans, providing them protection against smallpox. Vaccines do not guarantee complete protection from a disease. Sometimes, this is because the host's immune system simply does not respond adequately or at all. This may be due to a lowered immunity in general (diabetes, steroid use, HIV infection, age) or because the host's immune system does not have a B cell capable of generating antibodies to that antigen. Even if the host develops antibodies, the human immune system is not perfect and in any case the immune system might still not be able to defeat the infection immediately. In this case, the infection will be less severe and heal faster. Adjuvants are typically used to boost immune response. Most often aluminium adjuvants are used, but adjuvants like squalene are also used in some vaccines and more vaccines with squalene and phosphate adjuvants are being tested. Larger doses are used in some cases for older people (50–75 years and up), whose immune response to a given vaccine is not as strong. The efficacy or performance of the vaccine is dependent on a number of factors: When a vaccinated individual does develop the disease vaccinated against, the disease is likely to be milder than without vaccination. The following are important considerations in the effectiveness of a vaccination program: In 1958 there were 763,094 cases of measles and 552 deaths in the United States. With the help of new vaccines, the number of cases dropped to fewer than 150 per year (median of 56). In early 2008, there were 64 suspected cases of measles. 54 out of 64 infections were associated with importation from another country, although only 13% were actually acquired outside of the United States; 63 of these 64 individuals either had never been vaccinated against measles, or were uncertain whether they had been vaccinated. Vaccines are dead or inactivated organisms or purified products derived from them. There are several types of vaccines in use. These represent different strategies used to try to reduce risk of illness, while retaining the ability to induce a beneficial immune response. Some vaccines contain killed, but previously virulent, micro-organisms that have been destroyed with chemicals, heat, radioactivity or antibiotics. Examples are the influenza vaccine, cholera vaccine, bubonic plague vaccine, polio vaccine, hepatitis A vaccine, and rabies vaccine. Some vaccines contain live, attenuated microorganisms. Many of these are live viruses that have been cultivated under conditions that disable their virulent properties, or which use closely related but less dangerous organisms to produce a broad immune response. Although most attenuated vaccines are viral, some are bacterial in nature. They typically provoke more durable immunological responses and are the preferred type for healthy adults. Examples include the viral diseases yellow fever, measles, rubella, and mumps and the bacterial disease typhoid. The live Mycobacterium tuberculosis vaccine developed by Calmette and Guérin is not made of a contagious strain, but contains a virulently modified strain called "BCG" used to elicit an immune response to the vaccine. The live attenuated vaccine containing strain Yersinia pestis EV is used for plague immunization. Attenuated vaccines have some advantages and disadvantages. They have the capacity of transient growth so they give prolonged protection, and no booster dose is required. But they may get reverted to the virulent form and cause the disease. Toxoid vaccines are made from inactivated toxic compounds that cause illness rather than the micro-organism. Examples of toxoid-based vaccines include tetanus and diphtheria. Toxoid vaccines are known for their efficacy. Not all toxoids are for micro-organisms; for example, Crotalus atrox toxoid is used to vaccinate dogs against rattlesnake bites. Protein subunit – rather than introducing an inactivated or attenuated micro-organism to an immune system (which would constitute a "whole-agent" vaccine), a fragment of it can create an immune response. Examples include the subunit vaccine against Hepatitis B virus that is composed of only the surface proteins of the virus (previously extracted from the blood serum of chronically infected patients, but now produced by recombination of the viral genes into yeast), the virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) that is composed of the viral major capsid protein, and the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits of the influenza virus. Subunit vaccine is being used for plague immunization. Conjugate – certain bacteria have polysaccharide outer coats that are poorly immunogenic. By linking these outer coats to proteins (e.g. toxins), the immune system can be led to recognize the polysaccharide as if it were a protein antigen. This approach is used in the Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine. A number of innovative vaccines are also in development and in use: While most vaccines are created using inactivated or attenuated compounds from micro-organisms, synthetic vaccines are composed mainly or wholly of synthetic peptides, carbohydrates or antigens. Vaccines may be monovalent (also called univalent) or multivalent (also called polyvalent). A monovalent vaccine is designed to immunize against a single antigen or single microorganism. A multivalent or polyvalent vaccine is designed to immunize against two or more strains of the same microorganism, or against two or more microorganisms. In certain cases a monovalent vaccine may be preferable for rapidly developing a strong immune response. The immune system recognizes vaccine agents as foreign, destroys them, and "remembers" them. When the virulent version of an agent comes along the body recognizes the protein coat on the virus, and thus is prepared to respond, by (1) neutralizing the target agent before it can enter cells, and (2) by recognizing and destroying infected cells before that agent can multiply to vast numbers. When two or more vaccines are mixed together in the same formulation, the two vaccines can interfere. This most frequently occurs with live attenuated vaccines, where one of the vaccine components is more robust than the others and suppresses the growth and immune response to the other components. This phenomenon was first noted in the trivalent Sabin polio vaccine, where the amount of serotype 2 virus in the vaccine had to be reduced to stop it from interfering with the "take" of the serotype 1 and 3 viruses in the vaccine. This phenomenon has also been found to be a problem with the dengue vaccines currently being researched,[when?] where the DEN-3 serotype was found to predominate and suppress the response to DEN-1, -2 and -4 serotypes. Vaccines have contributed to the eradication of smallpox, one of the most contagious and deadly diseases known to man. Other diseases such as rubella, polio, measles, mumps, chickenpox, and typhoid are nowhere near as common as they were a hundred years ago. As long as the vast majority of people are vaccinated, it is much more difficult for an outbreak of disease to occur, let alone spread. This effect is called herd immunity. Polio, which is transmitted only between humans, is targeted by an extensive eradication campaign that has seen endemic polio restricted to only parts of four countries (Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan). The difficulty of reaching all children as well as cultural misunderstandings, however, have caused the anticipated eradication date to be missed several times. In order to provide best protection, children are recommended to receive vaccinations as soon as their immune systems are sufficiently developed to respond to particular vaccines, with additional "booster" shots often required to achieve "full immunity". This has led to the development of complex vaccination schedules. In the United States, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which recommends schedule additions for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommends routine vaccination of children against: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, polio, mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, HiB, chickenpox, rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and pneumonia. The large number of vaccines and boosters recommended (up to 24 injections by age two) has led to problems with achieving full compliance. In order to combat declining compliance rates, various notification systems have been instituted and a number of combination injections are now marketed (e.g., Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and MMRV vaccine), which provide protection against multiple diseases. Besides recommendations for infant vaccinations and boosters, many specific vaccines are recommended at other ages or for repeated injections throughout life—most commonly for measles, tetanus, influenza, and pneumonia. Pregnant women are often screened for continued resistance to rubella. The human papillomavirus vaccine is recommended in the U.S. (as of 2011) and UK (as of 2009). Vaccine recommendations for the elderly concentrate on pneumonia and influenza, which are more deadly to that group. In 2006, a vaccine was introduced against shingles, a disease caused by the chickenpox virus, which usually affects the elderly. Sometime during the 1770s Edward Jenner heard a milkmaid boast that she would never have the often-fatal or disfiguring disease smallpox, because she had already had cowpox, which has a very mild effect in humans. In 1796, Jenner took pus from the hand of a milkmaid with cowpox, inoculated an 8-year-old boy with it, and six weeks later variolated the boy's arm with smallpox, afterwards observing that the boy did not catch smallpox. Further experimentation demonstrated the efficacy of the procedure on an infant. Since vaccination with cowpox was much safer than smallpox inoculation, the latter, though still widely practiced in England, was banned in 1840. Louis Pasteur generalized Jenner's idea by developing what he called a rabies vaccine, and in the nineteenth century vaccines were considered a matter of national prestige, and compulsory vaccination laws were passed. The twentieth century saw the introduction of several successful vaccines, including those against diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella. Major achievements included the development of the polio vaccine in the 1950s and the eradication of smallpox during the 1960s and 1970s. Maurice Hilleman was the most prolific of the developers of the vaccines in the twentieth century. As vaccines became more common, many people began taking them for granted. However, vaccines remain elusive for many important diseases, including malaria and HIV. ||The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (October 2011)| ||This article is missing information about Scientific rebuttal to the attacks. This concern has been noted on the talk page where whether or not to include such information may be discussed. (October 2011)| Opposition to vaccination, from a wide array of vaccine critics, has existed since the earliest vaccination campaigns. Although the benefits of preventing suffering and death from serious infectious diseases greatly outweigh the risks of rare adverse effects following immunization, disputes have arisen over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, and safety of vaccination. Some vaccination critics say that vaccines are ineffective against disease or that vaccine safety studies are inadequate. Some religious groups do not allow vaccination, and some political groups oppose mandatory vaccination on the grounds of individual liberty. In response, concern has been raised that spreading unfounded information about the medical risks of vaccines increases rates of life-threatening infections, not only in the children whose parents refused vaccinations, but also in other children, perhaps too young for vaccines, who could contract infections from unvaccinated carriers (see herd immunity). One challenge in vaccine development is economic: many of the diseases most demanding a vaccine, including HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, exist principally in poor countries. Pharmaceutical firms and biotechnology companies have little incentive to develop vaccines for these diseases, because there is little revenue potential. Even in more affluent countries, financial returns are usually minimal and the financial and other risks are great. Most vaccine development to date has relied on "push" funding by government, universities and non-profit organizations. Many vaccines have been highly cost effective and beneficial for public health. The number of vaccines actually administered has risen dramatically in recent decades.[when?] This increase, particularly in the number of different vaccines administered to children before entry into schools may be due to government mandates and support, rather than economic incentive. The filing of patents on vaccine development processes can also be viewed as an obstacle to the development of new vaccines. Because of the weak protection offered through a patent on the final product, the protection of the innovation regarding vaccines is often made through the patent of processes used on the development of new vaccines as well as the protection of secrecy. Vaccine production has several stages. First, the antigen itself is generated. Viruses are grown either on primary cells such as chicken eggs (e.g., for influenza), or on continuous cell lines such as cultured human cells (e.g., for hepatitis A). Bacteria are grown in bioreactors (e.g., Haemophilus influenzae type b). Alternatively, a recombinant protein derived from the viruses or bacteria can be generated in yeast, bacteria, or cell cultures. After the antigen is generated, it is isolated from the cells used to generate it. A virus may need to be inactivated, possibly with no further purification required. Recombinant proteins need many operations involving ultrafiltration and column chromatography. Finally, the vaccine is formulated by adding adjuvant, stabilizers, and preservatives as needed. The adjuvant enhances the immune response of the antigen, stabilizers increase the storage life, and preservatives allow the use of multidose vials. Combination vaccines are harder to develop and produce, because of potential incompatibilities and interactions among the antigens and other ingredients involved. Vaccine production techniques are evolving. Cultured mammalian cells are expected to become increasingly important, compared to conventional options such as chicken eggs, due to greater productivity and low incidence of problems with contamination. Recombination technology that produces genetically detoxified vaccine is expected to grow in popularity for the production of bacterial vaccines that use toxoids. Combination vaccines are expected to reduce the quantities of antigens they contain, and thereby decrease undesirable interactions, by using pathogen-associated molecular patterns. In 2010, India produced 60 percent of world's vaccine worth about $900 million. Many vaccines need preservatives to prevent serious adverse effects such as Staphylococcus infection that, in one 1928 incident, killed 12 of 21 children inoculated with a diphtheria vaccine that lacked a preservative. Several preservatives are available, including thiomersal, phenoxyethanol, and formaldehyde. Thiomersal is more effective against bacteria, has better shelf life, and improves vaccine stability, potency, and safety, but in the U.S., the European Union, and a few other affluent countries, it is no longer used as a preservative in childhood vaccines, as a precautionary measure due to its mercury content. Although controversial claims have been made that thiomersal contributes to autism, no convincing scientific evidence supports these claims. There are several new delivery systems in development[when?] that will hopefully make vaccines more efficient to deliver. Possible methods include liposomes and ISCOM (immune stimulating complex). The latest developments[when?] in vaccine delivery technologies have resulted in oral vaccines. A polio vaccine was developed and tested by volunteer vaccinations with no formal training; the results were positive in that the ease of the vaccines increased. With an oral vaccine, there is no risk of blood contamination. Oral vaccines are likely to be solid which have proven to be more stable and less likely to freeze; this stability reduces the need for a "cold chain": the resources required to keep vaccines within a restricted temperature range from the manufacturing stage to the point of administration, which, in turn, may decrease costs of vaccines. A microneedle approach, which is still in stages of development, uses "pointed projections fabricated into arrays that can create vaccine delivery pathways through the skin". A nanopatch is a needle free vaccine delivery system which is under development. A stamp-sized patch similar to an adhesive bandage contains about 20,000 microscopic projections per square inch. When worn on the skin, it will deliver vaccine directly to the skin, which has a higher concentration of immune cells than that in the muscles, where needles and syringes deliver. It thus increases the effectiveness of the vaccination using a lower amount of vaccine used in traditional syringe delivery system. The use of plasmids has been validated in preclinical studies as a protective vaccine strategy for cancer and infectious diseases. However, in human studies this approach has failed to provide clinically relevant benefit. The overall efficacy of plasmid DNA immunization depends on increasing the plasmid's immunogenicity while also correcting for factors involved in the specific activation of immune effector cells. Vaccinations of animals are used both to prevent their contracting diseases and to prevent transmission of disease to humans. Both animals kept as pets and animals raised as livestock are routinely vaccinated. In some instances, wild populations may be vaccinated. This is sometimes accomplished with vaccine-laced food spread in a disease-prone area and has been used to attempt to control rabies in raccoons. Where rabies occurs, rabies vaccination of dogs may be required by law. Other canine vaccines include canine distemper, canine parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis, adenovirus-2, leptospirosis, bordatella, canine parainfluenza virus, and Lyme disease among others. Vaccine development has several trends: Principles that govern the immune response can now be used in tailor-made vaccines against many noninfectious human diseases, such as cancers and autoimmune disorders. For example, the experimental vaccine CYT006-AngQb has been investigated as a possible treatment for high blood pressure. Factors that have impact on the trends of vaccine development include progress in translatory medicine, demographics, regulatory science, political, cultural, and social responses. |Modern Vaccine and Adjuvant Production and Characterization, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News| The World News (WN) Network, has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to user privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for wn.com, as well as e-mail newsletters. We do not collect personally identifiable information about you, except when you provide it to us. For example, if you submit an inquiry to us or sign up for our newsletter, you may be asked to provide certain information such as your contact details (name, e-mail address, mailing address, etc.). We may retain other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. 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Wars have given us the Jeep, the computer and even the microwave. Will the war in Iraq give us the Tiger? Military scientists at Edgewood Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground hope so. The machine - its full name is the Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery - combines a chute, an engine, chemical tanks and other components, giving it the appearance of a lunar rover. It's designed to turn food and waste into fuel. If it works, it could save scores of American and Iraqi lives. Among the biggest threats that soldiers face in the war in Iraq are the roadside bombs that have killed or maimed thousands since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Because some military bases lack a landfill, transporting garbage to dumps miles away in the desert has become a potentially fatal routine for U.S. troops and military contractors. The Tiger would attempt to solve two problems at once: It would sharply reduce those trash hauls and provide the military with an alternative source of fuel. It is the latest in a long line of wartime innovations, from can openers to desert boots. The conflict in Iraq has produced innovations such as "warlocks," which jam electronic signals from cell phones, garage door openers and other electronic devices that insurgents use to detonate roadside bombs, according to Inventors Digest. "In wartime, you're not worried about making a profit necessarily. You're worried about getting the latest technology on the street," said Peter Kindsvatter, a military historian at Aberdeen Proving Ground, who added that money is spent more freely for research when a nation is at war. "Basically, you find yourself in a technology race with your enemy." The Tiger, now being tested in Baghdad, would not be the first device to turn garbage into energy - a large incinerator near Baltimore's downtown stadiums does it. But it would be among the first to attempt to do it on a small scale. Its creators say it could one day become widely used in civilian life, following the lead of other wartime innovations. During World War II, contractors developed the Jeep to meet the military's desire for a light, all-purpose vehicle that could transport supplies. The development of radar technology to spot Nazi planes led to the microwave, according to historians. The World War II era also gave birth to the first electronic digital computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC. Funded by the Defense Department, the machine was built to compute ballistics tables that soldiers used to mechanically aim large guns. For years it was located at Aberdeen Proving Ground. This decade, the Pentagon determined that garbage on military bases poses a serious logistical problem. "When you're over in a combat area and people are shooting at you, you still have to deal with your trash," said John Spiller, project officer with the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, which is funding the Tiger project. "How would you feel if somebody was shooting at you every other time you pushed it down the curb?" He and other Army officials said they could not recall any specific attacks against troops or contractors heading to dumpsites.For years, large incinerators have burned trash to generate power. Baltimore Refuse Energy Systems Co., the waste-to-energy plant near the stadiums, consumes up to 2,250 tons of refuse a day while producing steam and electricity. The process is so expensive that it has only made sense to do it on a large scale, scientists say. The military has spent almost $3 million on two Tiger prototypes, each weighing nearly 5 tons and small enough to fit into a 20- to 40-foot wide container. The project is being developed by scientists from the Edgewood, Va.-based Defense Life Sciences LLC and Indiana's Purdue University. The biggest challenge was getting the parts to work together, said Donald Kennedy, an Edgewood spokesman. Because the Tiger is a hybrid consisting of a gasifier, bioreactor and generator, much of it is built with off-the-shelf items, including a grinder. Another big challenge: expectations. "When we would initially talk to people about the Tiger system, a large percentage would refuse to believe it could actually work," Kennedy wrote in an e-mail. "Alternatively, a similar percentage would be so intrigued by the idea that they would demand to know when they could buy one for their neighborhood." The Tiger works like this: A shredder rips up waste and soaks it in water. A bioreactor metabolizes the sludge into ethanol. A pelletizer compresses undigested waste into pellets that are fed into a gasification unit, which produces composite gas. The ethanol, composite gas and a 10-percent diesel drip are injected into a diesel generator to produce electricity, according to scientists. It takes about six hours for the Tiger to power up. When it works, the device can power a 60-kilowatt generator. The prototypes are being tested at Camp Victory in Baghdad Initial runs proved successful. The prototypes have been used to power an office trailer. At their peak, they could power two to three trailers. In recent weeks, the scientists suffered a setback: The above-100 degree temperatures caused a chiller device to overheat and shut off occasionally. A new chiller from Edgewood just arrived at the site, Kennedy said. After the 90-day testing phase that ends Aug. 10, the Army will decide whether to fund the project further. Its developers envision the device being used to respond to crises such as Hurricane Katrina, when there is no lack of garbage but a great need for electricity. Spiller, of the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, said he is optimistic. "The mere fact we wrote a check means we think it's got a high chance of success," Spiller said.

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Then and now, there is ample proof that Americans do take Supreme Court nominations seriously. With good reason. Sooner or later, the nation's most vexing disagreements over our most vital issues wind up before the Supreme Court. None quite penetrates to the core of our democratic being more than those involving First Amendment rights and values. Each term, the nine justices must grapple with profound questions involving freedom of speech, freedom of thought and freedom to participate in political discourse: Just how free is freedom of speech? What is the role of religion in public life? Does national security trump the public's right to know? During the Court's last three terms, the First Amendment has not fared well. The high court has accepted for review far fewer free-expression-related cases than usual and it has been unusually stingy in recognizing First Amendment claims. In only two of the 15 decisions rendered in free-expression cases did the Court sustain those claims. How the First Amendment will fare in the future depends on how Chief Justice John Roberts differs from his predecessor, William Rehnquist, and how Miers, if confirmed, differs from O'Connor. During his 33 years on the Court as an associate justice and chief justice, Rehnquist consistently voted against free-speech and free-press claims. O'Connor, however, played a pivotal role during her time as justice, frequently casting the decisive fifth vote in religion cases and occasionally in expression cases. The justices over the next 12 months will hear arguments, review briefs and render opinions in several cases that have direct bearing on whether we have full or constricted freedoms when we wish to play a role in the crucial political, cultural or religious issues that confront us. In five cases, the Court will once more take up the question of whether state laws regulating campaign contributions and expenditures pose an unconstitutional threat to political expression: Is money speech? The issues of compelled speech and government funding of speech are raised in another case. A coalition of university law schools which object to the military's ban against acknowledged homosexuals contends that requiring them to allow military recruiters on campus violates their rights. Another case tests the limits of the free exercise of religion. The justices will decide whether the federal government can prohibit a small group of followers of a Brazilian religious sect in New Mexico from importing a banned substance, a hallucinogenic tea, for use in its ceremonies. In a case involving anti-abortion protests appearing before the Court for the third time since 1986, the justices' ruling could affect protest and picketing rights and practices. And a Los Angeles deputy district attorney wants the Court to declare that his free-speech rights were violated when he was disciplined for informing a defense attorney about ethical problems in a pending case. The confirmation process for Miers should be complete by the end of the year. At present, chances seem good that she will be confirmed. Since 1789, the Senate has rejected only 34 of 155 nominations to the Supreme Court. Not much is known about Roberts' views on these issues; even less about Miers'. First Amendment advocates, of course, hope they set the new Court on a new course as far as free expression is concerned. In that regard, Justice Brandeis set a great example as a First Amendment champion during his 23 years on the Supreme Court. "Those who won our independence," he wrote in 1927, "believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. They believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth." The cause of liberty would be better served if this Court's future rulings transcend individual temperament and ideology to embrace the freedom for speech and the tolerance for belief that define a vital democracy. Editor's note: Paul K. McMasters is First Amendment ombudsman at the First Amendment Center, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22209. Web: www.firstamendmentcenter.org. E-mail: email@example.com.

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en

The vaunted protection that intellectually active adults get from Alzheimer’s disease has a dark downside, a study released Wednesday has found. Once dementia symptoms become evident and Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed in such patients, their mental decline can come with frightening speed. That finding, published in the journal Neurology, comes from a study of 1,157 Chicago-based seniors who were followed for an average of just over 11 years. Six years after gauging the extent to which the study participants engaged in activities that challenged their mental capacities, researchers from Rush University Medical Center Alzheimer’s Disease Center made periodic assessments of the study participants’ cognitive health and traced the trajectories of their brain health. All told, 148 of the participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease during the follow-up period, and 395 were found to have mild cognitive impairment—intellectual problems that are less severe than Alzheimer’s disease, but which often precede such a diagnosis. While all participants’ mental function showed yearly declines, the steepest downward trajectories belonged to those who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, but who had reported high levels of mental engagement at the outset of the study. Fellow Alzheimer’s sufferers who had not sought out much intellectual stimulation at the study’s outset showed a more gradual decline in their function. “In effect, the results of this study suggest that the benefit of delaying the initial appearance of cognitive impairment [in Alzheimer’s disease] comes at the cost of more rapid dementia progression,” the author wrote. The findings support a common observation of those who treat intellectually minded patients who go on to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease—that once diagnosed, their decline is rapid. It also underscores a growing body of evidence that the bright and mentally-active may not beat Alzheimer’s disease, but can hold off its ravages for months or years longer than those who are not so engaged. Dr. John M. Ringman, a UCLA neurologist and assistant director of the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, said he sees regular evidence of the phenomenonen in his clinical work, as well as in brain-imaging scans that can detect the physical signs of Alzheimer’s disease while a patient is still alive: Patients with a history of intensive mental engagement seem to develop a “cognitive reserve,” said Dr. Ringman. That mental strength frequently allows them to function almost normally, he said, even as the amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that are the hallmarks of the disease have advanced upon the brain. By the time such a patient comes to his office complaining that his memory and mental function are not what they used to be, the disease has progressed significantly, said Ringman. The decline from that point can be precipitous. In a disease that evidence now suggests takes years, perhaps decades, to show up in everyday behavior, Ringman said “it’s hard to quantify this cognitive reserve.” The strength of the study published Wednesday is that it gathered copious evidence of participants’ mental status and activity at the outset and followed them for more than a decade, he added. --Melissa Healy/Los Angeles Times

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Belgian physicist Francois Englert, left, speaks with British physicist… (Fabrice Coffrini / AFP/Getty…) For physicists, it was a moment like landing on the moon or the discovery of DNA. The focus was the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle that exists for a mere fraction of a second. Long theorized but never glimpsed, the so-called God particle is thought to be key to understanding the existence of all mass in the universe. The revelation Wednesday that it -- or some version of it -- had almost certainly been detected amid more than hundreds of trillions of high-speed collisions in a 17-mile track near Geneva prompted a group of normally reserved scientists to erupt with joy. For The Record Los Angeles Times Friday, July 06, 2012 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 4 News Desk 1 inches; 48 words Type of Material: Correction Large Hadron Collider: In some copies of the July 5 edition, an article in Section A about the machine used by physicists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research to search for the Higgs boson referred to the $5-billion Large Hadron Collider. The correct amount is $10 billion. Peter Higgs, one of the scientists who first hypothesized the existence of the particle, reportedly shed tears as the data were presented in a jampacked and applause-heavy seminar at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. "It's a gigantic triumph for physics," said Frank Wilczek, an MIT physicist and Nobel laureate. "It's a tremendous demonstration of a community dedicated to understanding nature." The achievement, nearly 50 years in the making, confirms physicists' understanding of how mass -- the stuff that makes stars, planets and even people -- arose in the universe, they said. It also points the way toward a new path of scientific inquiry into the mass-generating mechanism that was never before possible, said UCLA physicist Robert Cousins, a member of one of the two research teams that has been chasing the Higgs boson at CERN. "I compare it to turning the corner and walking around a building -- there's a whole new set of things you can look at," he said. "It is a beginning, not an end." Leaders of the two teams reported independent results that suggested the existence of a previously unseen subatomic particle with a mass of about 125 to 126 billion electron volts. Both groups got results at a "five sigma" level of confidence -- the statistical requirement for declaring a scientific "discovery." "The chance that either of the two experiments had seen a fluke is less than three parts in 10 million," said UC San Diego physicist Vivek Sharma, a former leader of one of the Higgs research groups. "There is no doubt that we have found something." But he and others stopped just shy of saying that this new particle was indeed the long-sought Higgs boson. "All we can tell right now is that it quacks like a duck and it walks like a duck," Sharma said. In this case, quacking was enough for most. "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably at least a bird," said Wilczek, who stayed up past 3 a.m. to watch the seminar live over the Web while vacationing in New Hampshire. Certainly CERN leaders in Geneva, even as they referred to their discovery simply as "a new particle," didn't bother hiding their excitement. The original plan had been to present the latest results on the Higgs search at the International Conference on High Energy Physics, a big scientific meeting that began Wednesday in Melbourne. But as it dawned on CERN scientists that they were on the verge of "a big announcement," Cousins said, officials decided to honor tradition and instead present the results on CERN's turf. The small number of scientists who theorized the existence of the Higgs boson in the 1960s -- including Higgs of the University of Edinburgh -- were invited to fly to Geneva. For the non-VIP set, lines to get into the auditorium began forming late Tuesday. Many spent the night in sleeping bags. All the hubbub was due to the fact that the discovery of the Higgs boson is the last piece of the puzzle needed to complete the so-called Standard Model of particle physics -- the big picture that describes the subatomic particles that make up everything in the universe, and the forces that work between them. Over the course of the 20th century, as physicists learned more about the Standard Model, they struggled to answer one very basic question: Why does matter exist? Higgs and others came up with a possible explanation: that particles gain mass by traveling through an energy field. One way to think about it is that the field sticks to the particles, slowing them down and imparting mass. That energy field came to be known as the Higgs field. The particle associated with the field was dubbed the Higgs boson. Higgs published his theory in 1964. In the 48 years since, physicists have eagerly chased the Higgs boson. Finding it would provide the experimental confirmation they needed to show that their current understanding of the Standard Model was correct. On the other hand, ruling it out would mean a return to the drawing board to look for an alternative Higgs particle, or several alternative Higgs particles, or perhaps to rethink the Standard Model from the bottom up. Either outcome would be monumental, scientists said.

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Discrimination against citizens because of their sexual orientation or their youth is just as unfair as discrimination based on race, religion or gender. Access to housing, hotels, theaters and restaurants should be equal to all, as a matter of plain fairness. The Palm Beach County Commission recognized this truth in passing an ordinance protecting homosexuals, unmarried couples and young people from discrimination in renting or buying housing and in public accommodations. The ordinance also bans discrimination based on race, religion, gender, ethnic origin or disability, but it was the protection of gays that generated opposition and demands for a countywide referendum on the issue. No other Florida county protects homosexuals against housing discrimination. In the 1970s, Dade County passed a similar ordinance but it was repealed in a voter referendum after a bitter fight. A Broward County effort to revise the human rights law to protect homosexuals is more complicated. The Broward law was adopted through the Florida Legislature, so a revision must get legislative approval and be ratified in a public referendum. Palm Beach County`s ordinance passed 4-1; commissioner Ron Howard dissented. The other four commissioners demonstrated courage by refusing to buckle under to opponents or to pass the buck to the public in a referendum. Commissioners were elected to make tough decisions; this time they did. The ordinance provides exceptions: A landlord who lives on his property of four or fewer housing units and rents the rest won`t have to comply. Nor will a seasonal resident who rents his home to someone else part of the year and lives in it himself the rest of the time. Also exempt are religious organizations that own housing units. Those sensible exceptions leave the vast majority of housing covered under the new ordinance. Violators will face fines of up to $50,000, but it may be difficult to prove a violation. Early decisive action against violators by law enforcers, prosecutors and judges could make a clear statement that the county means business and won`t tolerate further discrimination in housing and public accommodations.

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"Helplessness" and "confusion" are words that easily come to mind when the issue of sick building syndrome is mentioned. It is a problem that does not have a regulatory solution, and is bound with engineering, medicine and emotions that will challenge the best of school administrators. A careful management style and knowledgeable use of technologies in medicine, toxicology and property maintenance are a school administrator's best allies in preparing to deal with or prevent this new generation of health and safety challenges. Defining sick building syndrome There is no regulatory definition for sick building syndrome. Although it often relates to indoor-air-quality problems, it simply means that the environment of a building is inspiring complaints of discomfort and/or disease. Fundamentally, the causes of sick buildings relate to architecture and engineering patterns institutionalized in school construction following World War II. Schools of glass, rock and wood, with high ceilings, cross-ventilation via a transom over the door, and windows and radiators that could be adjusted by teachers no longer were built. These schools were being replaced with new, factory-like buildings featuring a temperamental, eccentric system of master controls for indoor environment. Buildings were constructed with no regard to the environment around them or to people within the property. Today, allowing for the ambiguity in defining sick buildings, somewhere between 1-in-5 and 1-in-15 school facilities are in a situation where discomfort and disease can be attributed to operations of the building. Health symptoms in a sick building are highly variable, but generally split into three categories: -Radical reaction--a number of people clearly and suddenly ill. This usually involves limited air exchange combined with a "smoking gun," which can include a new chemical cleaner, misbatched chlorine in a pool area, a weather inversion preventing a kiln from venting properly or a failure of a mechanical air-exchange system. -Unhealthy atmosphere--many people experiencing ongoing subtle illness or discomfort. The most common symptoms involve the dehydration of sensitive tissue, including sore eyes, throat or nasal membranes; a feeling of lethargy; a higher incidence of upper-respiratory infection; asthmatic reactions; low-grade headaches; and a continuum of muscle pain and general discomfort among building occupants. Much of this relates to oxygen deprivation typically caused by oxygen being displaced by other compounds, and occasionally by infestation of microbes as a result of excessive moisture remaining within the property. -Hypersensitive reaction or multiple chemical sensitivity reaction--one or two individuals extremely ill. This can result if even tiny exposures occur to anyone that has a highly sensitive reaction to certain chemicals. Typically, these complaints should be viewed as warnings that some low-level toxin is in the area. Although sick building syndrome usually relates to the general nature of the building itself, there are some specifics that account for most indoor-air problems: *Combustibles; any possible introduction of carbon monoxide. *Moisture as it may relate to mold (look for growths on drywall). *Moisture as it may relate to airborne infectious agents (standing water and consequent growths). *Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), usually cleaning agents or building materials, which may give off unpleasant, sometimes toxic gases. *Formaldehydes in new carpet, pressed wood or other building products. *Any new or newly exposed particleboard. *Applied poisons (pesticides, insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides). A proactive approach Administrators are dealing with a generation of post-World War II properties prone to indoor-air-quality problems, particularly buildings constructed or remodeled during the 1970s energy crisis. A school district should take several steps before a problem strikes. First, initiate patterns for preventing air-quality problems. Second, establish baseline information that will profile the building to facilitate an efficient, inexpensive and confidence-inspiring response. Building occupants and the community need to see a clear and confident administrative approach should a problem arise in the future. The proactive investigation of the building should involve a limited amount of basic testing, particularly a professional review of the microbial matrix within the building--the number of colony-forming units or what kinds of microbes presently are nesting in the building. Understanding what is living in the ambient air can help administrators understand if there is a problem or, more importantly, can help to quickly isolate the exact nature of a problem. Similarly, administrators should consider hiring an outside contractor to review how air-handling and mechanical-engineering systems are managed. A knowledgeable person should walk the area and observe the mechanical systems to see how the filtering system, the air-dispersion system and the air-dilution patterns of the building are operating. Finally, a reliable epidemiological profile of comparative absenteeism should be archived. Administrators also need to be ready to implement a smooth, confidence-building reporting system for occupants regarding air-quality or sick-building concerns. How fast and capably the district responds can be the key to getting the issue under control. The costs for responding to indoor-air problems decrease dramatically if there is baseline data and a plan in place.

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Ethiopian kids hack Zoom tablets in five months. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project recently tried a new approach to distributing computers to developing countries, by leaving boxes of tablets in remote Ethiopian villages with no instructions. The Motorola Zoom tablets had a custom English language OS, a solar charger, and tracking software to monitor how they were used. To the surprise of the organization, not only could the kids who started using the tablets easily figure out how to switch on and use them, but they also learnt to hack into the OS and enable features - amazing especially seeing as most of the kids had never seen a printed word before, let alone in English. “We left the boxes in the village. Closed. Taped shut. No instruction, no human being. I thought, the kids will play with the boxes! Within four minutes, one kid not only opened the box, but found the on/off switch. He’d never seen an on/off switch. He powered it up. Within five days, they were using 47 apps per child per day. Within two weeks, they were singing ABC songs [in English] in the village. And within five months, they had hacked Android. Some idiot in our organization or in the Media Lab had disabled the camera! And they figured out it had a camera, and they hacked Android.” OLPC used the experiment to see whether kids can teach themselves to read and write English. Research shows that 100,000,000 kids worldwide don’t even make to to first grade, often because there are no schools or teachers available. For the cost of a tablet, that could all change. Previous OLPC studies have also shown that the kids will also teach their parents to read and write as well.

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The Independent Jane For all the love, romance and scandal in Jane Austen’s books, what they are really about is freedom and independence. Independence of thought and the freedom to choose. Elizabeth’s refusal of Mr. Collins offer of marriage showed an independence seldom seen in heroines of the day. Her refusal of Mr. Darcy while triggered by anger showed a level of independence that left him shocked and stunned. The freedom she exhibited in finally accepting him in direct defiance of Lady Catherine and knowing her father would disapprove was unusual even for Austen. In her last book Anne Elliot is persuaded to refuse Captain Wentworth at Lady Russel’s insistence. Although Jane played by the rules of the day, all of her writing is infused with how she wanted life to be. She ‘screams’ her outrage at the limitations for women in Emma. When accosted by Mrs. Elton, Jane Fairfax says, “Excuse me, ma’am, but this is by no means my intention; I make no inquiry myself, and should be sorry to have any made by my friends. When I am quite determined as to the time, I am not at all afraid of being long unemployed. There are places in town, offices, where inquiry would soon produce something — offices for the sale, not quite of human flesh, but of human intellect.” “Oh! my dear, human flesh! You quite shock me; if you mean a fling at the slave-trade, I assure you Mr. Suckling was always rather a friend to the abolition.” “I did not mean, I was not thinking of the slave-trade,” replied Jane; “governess-trade, I assure you, was all that I had in view; widely different certainly, as to the guilt of those who carry it on; but as to the greater misery of the victims, I do not know where it lies.” That same sentiment is emphasized in Emma’s shock when Mrs. Weston tells her of Frank Churchill’s secret engagement to Jane. “Good God!” cried Emma, “Jane actually on the point of going as governess! What could he mean by such horrible indelicacy? To suffer her to engage herself — to suffer her even to think of such a measure!” I find it interesting that at the moment of Austen’s birth or there about, John Adams left his farm in Massachusetts for the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Doesn’t sound particularly interesting, I know but consider this. John Adams left his home in mid-December 1775 to attend an unprecedented meeting of colonial representatives to consider severing ties with their mother country and her monarch; a decision that culminated in a document unlike any ever written. In the mother country, one day in that same cold December a baby girl was born at Steventon Rectory. Her cry was heard by only the people in the house but the years to come would see her pen create works unlike any the world had ever seen. Comparing Austen’s words with Thomas Jefferson’s may seem a trivialization but I believe that Austen’s impact on the world is no less important than Jefferson’s. The effect of Jane’s writing maybe more subtle than that of the Virginian but it is no less influential. Jefferson’s words instigated and promoted a revolution, a war of independence. Jane’s words had no such excessive consequence. Still in her own quiet, genteel yet powerful way she declared and promoted the same principles of freedom and self-regulated independence as our American forefathers. In all her novels Jane advocates independence of person and thought, the rights of all and acceptance of responsibility for those rights. Jane may not have incited military action as Jefferson did but even as an avowed royalist, I doubt not that Jane Austen firmly believed in his declaration of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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"GOT NOTHING BUT BLUE SKIES" It is September 19,1783. The place, Lyons, France. Preparations are being made for a journey. A journey that will eventually take man from his secure environment of terra firma, and place him in a hostile environment called the atmosphere. The vehicle to be used is a hot air balloon. The brainchild behind this trek is a wealthy paper maker named Joseph Montgolfier. There has been much speculation over just how Montgolfier made the discovery of the hot air balloon. The most commonly-believed story is that his wife was standing too close to a fire and that the smoke caused her skirt to be inflated and lifted above her knees. This caused Montgolfier to wonder-if this smoke, and its magical lifting powers, could be captured in a very large container, it might rise and lift a passenger along with it. So, Montgolfier went about building the first hot air balloon. In 1783, not much was known about the atmosphere and its effects on human beings. Upon examination of the occupants for any ill effects caused by this lofty height, it was discovered that the duck had a broken wing. Could this have been an effect of exposure to altitude? Actually, several observers noted that as the balloon left the ground, the sheep had an anxiety attack and kicked the duck. Montgolfier reasoned that it would be safe for humans to ascend to altitude. So on November 21, 1783, Jean Francois Pilatre de Rozier (a surgeon) became the first aeronaut and flight surgeon. Over 200 years have passed since that first flight. Technology has allowed us to ascend through the atmosphere and into space, but the hazards of high altitude flight (hypoxia, altitude-induced decompression sickness, and trapped gases) will always be present. That is because humans are best suited to live in what is known as the "physiological efficient zone". This zone extends from sea level to 12,000 feet. When humans are exposed to altitudes above this zone, they are subjected to physiological hazards beyond their natural ability to adapt. One thing to keep in mind is that everything that occupies space and exerts weight is considered to be matter. All matter is made up of atoms and molecules in varying densities. These particles within the matter are kinetic and in constant motion. The slower the motion of the particles, the more dense the matter becomes. Also, as the particles are pushed closer together, the matter also becomes more dense. The best way to slow down kinetic molecules is to cool the matter. The best way to get them to move closer together is to add pressure to the matter. Inversely, when you remove the pressure or heat any material, the molecules within the material moves faster and further apart, thus making the material less dense. The least dense form of matter is, of course, gas. If a gas is cooled and compressed, at some point it will become a liquid. If that liquid is then cooled further, then at some point it will become a solid. Also, when you take the pressure off any gas or liquid, that material will grow less dense and expand. This is essentially what happens to the gaseous molecules of our atmosphere. Our atmosphere contains approximately 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, a constant ratio until you reach an altitude of about 270,000 feet. So the question that always comes up is; "If I have 21% oxygen at sea level and 21% at 40,000 feet, why do I succumb to the effects of hypoxia within 20 seconds at that altitude?" The answer is, ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE! If you could picture all the gaseous nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the atmosphere, they would stack up from the surface of the earth to the fringe of space. All these molecules stacking on top each other create a great deal of weight, or pressure. At sea level, one square-inch of any surface has about 15 pounds of air sitting on top of it. At 18,000 feet, that same square inch has only 7.5 pounds per square-inch (psi) exerted on it. What has caused this atmospheric pressure drop? The answer is simple: There is more air stacked up at sea level than above 18,000 feet, and therefore, more weight. As you recall, when molecules are subjected to this pressure, they are going to move closer together. This will make the air more dense with oxygen and nitrogen molecules. For example, if at sea level you take in a breath of air that has an atmospheric pressure of 15 psi, then that air may contain 500 billion molecules of oxygen (this a fictitious number to be used only as an example); if you go to 18,000 feet and take the same breath where atmospheric pressure is 7.5 psi, then you will pull in only 250 billion molecules of oxygen. But, you require 500 billion per breath to function normally, and you're getting only half of what you need. That's HYPOXIA! Not only do gaseous molecules in the atmosphere expand with reduced total pressure, gases in the human body are also subject to the same expansion. There are several areas in the body- ears, sinuses, lungs, gastro-intestinal tract, and teeth - where these gases can expand and cause a variety of problems. As long as the gas can expand and escape, there will be no problem. But if the gas becomes trapped, then pain will be the usual result. As we have discussed earlier, the air we breathe contains about 79% nitrogen. Nitrogen is inhaled into the lungs and distributed and stored throughout the body. According to gas laws, gases of higher pressure always exert force towards areas of low pressure. When you inhale nitrogen, it will be stored at a pressure of about 12 psi (79% nitrogen) of 15 psi (total atmospheric pressure), equal to about 12 psi). When you ascend to altitude and the pressure around your body begins to drop, this creates a pressure gradient (higher nitrogen in the body than outside the body) and the nitrogen will try to equalize and escape outside the body. Sometimes this nitrogen can leave so quickly and in such quantify that it may form a bubble. If this bubble forms at a body joint, the pain it causes is know as "the bends." These are just a few of the problems that can occur when the human body is exposed to high altitude conditions. These problems will always be there for aviation. But through education and knowledge of the mechanisms that cause these problems, we can take steps toward protection and prevention so that your BLUE SKIES won't give you a case of the blues. by J.R. Brown |ŠAvStop Online Magazine Contact Us Return Home| Grab this Headline Animator

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Here to There: A History of Mapping From the 16th to 18th centuries, many European mapmakers were convinced that California was an island — an Edenic paradise populated by black Amazons. The error persisted for over a hundred years after expeditions had proven that California was, in fact, firmly attached to the mainland. The idea of California as a fierce paradise appealed to Europeans, who were reluctant to let the mundane reality interfere with their vision of the world. So in that spirit, we’re devoting this episode of BackStory to maps — asking what they show us about who we are and and where we want to go. How do maps shape the way we see our communities and our world? What do they tell us about the kind of information we value? And what do they distort, or ignore? Please help us shape this show! Share your questions, ideas and stories below. Have opinions on New York vs. D.C. subway maps? On the merits or shortcomings of Google Maps? And do you even still use old-fashioned, ink-and-paper maps? Leave us a comment!

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Nursing a critically ill state back to health |Indranill Basu Ray highlights the core problems that afflict Bengal's health sector and suggests a few ways to improve the situation| Despite many technological and other achievements that have propelled India from being a developing nation to one of the top economies of the world, one field that India continues to lag behind in is health. This is why stories of babies dying in large numbers haunt newspaper headlines. India is behind Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in life expectancy at birth or under-five mortality level. India accounts for about 17 per cent of the world population, but it contribute to a fifth of the world's share of diseases. A third of all diarrhoeal diseases in the world occurs in India. The country has the second largest number of HIV/AIDS cases after South Africa. It is home to one-fifth of the world's population afflicted with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A common excuse that I often hear is that we have limited resources to tackle the huge and burgeoning health problems. But even the richest country on earth, the United States of America, has failed to provide appropriate health services to a large section of the populace. The problem in India is quite different. Apart from being a poor nation with limited resources, it also has a sizeable population in need of basic health services. Furthermore, the lack of appropriate sanitary measures and education ensures an ever increasing presence of communicable disease that have been controlled and even eradicated in the developed nations. India's list of woes does not stop here. Lack of foresight on the part of successive governments and selective and fragmented strategies to counter daily problems without a definite public health goal have been the mainstay of India's health policies. Resource allocation to this sector is influenced by the prevailing fiscal situation as well as by the priorities of the reigning government. Unfortunately, in Bengal — a state that faces a dismal fiscal situation — the government's priorities have been skewed as a result of political necessities. Although we have a new government at the helm, it is important to realize that gross changes at the practical level cannot be initiated without having a team with experience and knowledge define a well-thought-out strategy. It is also essential to have a government that is willing to fulfil the financial needs necessary for the strategy to work. It is difficult, if not impossible, to paint a picture of the present state of public health in West Bengal and to suggest measures to rectify the same in a short article like this. My intention is to highlight the core problems plaguing the system and to suggest solutions based on accepted principles of public health and healthcare management. The steps that need to be taken are as follows: reducing disease burden, including infectious diseases as well as non-communicable epidemics like diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease; restructuring the existing primary healthcare system to make it more accountable; creating a skilled and professional workforce which is quality driven; financial planning to bring more investment to the health sector. Reducing disease burden is the cornerstone of any good health policy. The factors that help reduce communicable diseases are clean drinking water, improved sanitation and an effective vaccination programme. A paradigm shift, from the prevalent curative approach to a preventive approach, including health promotion by inculcating behavioural changes, is imperative to reduce disease burden. West Bengal is one of four states that urgently needs high investment in safe drinking water and toilet facilities. It is estimated that Rs 18,000 crore is required to provide effective drinking water and sanitation facilities for the entire country. Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Odisha would account for more than 60 per cent of the total outlay. Similarly, a huge investment is required to provide nutritional supplements to malnourished children and pregnant and lactating mothers living below the poverty line. According to a report by the national commission on macroeconomics and health, West Bengal would need to harness an additional resource requirement of rupees (in crore) 1,286, 2,459, 4,693, 13,811 and 8,485 in sectors such as health, water and sanitation, nutrition, primary schooling and roads. It has been projected that in the next five years West Bengal will spend a large portion of its revenues on wages and salaries, interest payments and pensions, leaving very little for discretionary expenditure in the field of health. It is imperative that the present government rethink and strategize in collaboration with the Centre to ensure the appropriate funding necessary to make the state healthy. Restructuring the present healthcare delivery system is also equally important. Most primary healthcare centres are old, dilapidated buildings with few or no facilities. Some do not even have basic resources like healthcare workers or pharmacists. What is required is a radical overhaul of the existing system. There are differences in health systems of different countries. A State-run health system, such as the one in Canada, suffers from delayed medical care. A privately-run health system like the one in the US provides only limited health services to its poor. India's healthcare should carve out the best of both systems. Private healthcare is thriving in India. It is uncontrolled and aimed at profit-making. Government-run hospitals are poorly managed, providing few or no facilities to those living below the poverty line. Different models have been suggested to take care of this disparity. While private investment will always be geared towards profit-making, it is mandatory to rein in these bodies under well-defined rules. Large private hospitals in the US are non-profit bodies, which have to follow stringent rules in patient care. At the other end of the spectrum is the National Health Service in Britain in which small, medium and even a few large hospitals are making way for a more competent and accountable government-controlled health system with fewer hospitals. Human resource management is very important in running an effective health system. One of the biggest lacunae of government health service is its poor human-resource management. Many physicians are not paid appropriate salaries or are posted in places that are not of their choice. Political intervention and favouritism play a big role in posting physicians. Consequently, dedicated physicians who want to serve the public or work in the academic setting found in government hospitals are forced to remain in private hospitals. To boost morale and efficacy, discipline needs to be instituted in the system and a transparent posting policy adopted. The doctor-population ratio needs to be improved by filling up vacancies in the West Bengal health service. It is important to free postings from the grip of bureaucrats to ensure the registration of quality candidates. Physicians failing to report to duty or indulging in indiscipline must be punished. Doctors who do sign up need to provide relevant and quality medical care. This can only be done if some form of recertification of doctors is made mandatory once every 10 years. Physicians' salaries in the state health service must be made on a par with those of the Central government to make sure that it remains a lucrative option. Senior physicians providing exemplary public service must be rewarded for the same. A commonly-held notion is that most physicians run after the lucrative salaries that are offered in private hospitals. Hence it is difficult to retain them in the government sector. This, however, is true of a minority. The majority of physicians are willing to work in a healthy, progressive and academic environment if there are appropriate non-financial incentives. Let us take the example of Christian Medical College, Vellore. Most of the faculty there are paid salaries that are much lower than those of the private sector. However, physicians are provided with other facilities such as good housing, free schools, free-to-highly-subsidized college education and, most importantly, a progressive and research oriented work environment. West Bengal lags behind many other states when it comes to medical education. There is an urgent need to increase the number of medical colleges in the state. Private investment for the same should be welcomed but appropriate laws must be instituted so that huge capitation fees are not charged for seats. Furthermore, selection should be made through competitive examinations. A certain percentage of seats can be reserved for the economically weaker sections. Students passing out of such medical colleges must be given postings in rural hospitals. This has been true on paper for many decades now, but the rule has been poorly implemented even in government-run medical colleges. Innovative schemes ought to be thought of to involve the cash-rich private sector to service the medical needs of the state. Private institutions using government money or land must be asked to provide free service to 20 per cent of their capacity. Appropriate punitive measures — such as temporarily withholding or cancelling licences — can be taken when a private institution fails to honour this commitment. Institutions willing to set up large hospitals, particularly around Calcutta, must be helped through the provision of low-cost land. But in return, promises to set up satellite hospitals in far-flung district headquarters have to be met. The biggest challenge to the rejuvenation of the healthcare system is the garnering of funds. West Bengal is financially broke, thanks to the misrule of the communists. Unlike most other communist rulers, our home-grown variants failed to provide basic sanitation, good roads, a working healthcare system and appropriate nutritional supplements to women and children. The lack of social services resulted in poor health and in increased mortality among the vulnerable sections of society. Government efforts to improve basic health services must fund programmes that provide sanitation, nutritional supplements, and daily meals for school-going children. Substantial investments in these sectors can reduce mortality in children. It is popular to blame doctors for not being able to save severely ill, malnourished children. But things won't change unless determined steps are taken to root out the problems, such as poor funds, minimal resources and an incompetent workforce, that affect the West Bengal health service. In the next five years, in collaboration with the Centre and the non-government organizations involved in public health, the state government must chalk out a definitive strategy to improve the supply of clean drinking water, provide better sanitation and one full meal to school-going children and arrange for nutritional supplements to pregnant women. Private investment should be wooed in the health sector to set up hospitals in large metropolitan areas as well as in small district towns. While government land is needed at an appropriate price to help investors build hospitals, steps must be taken to bring about the inclusion of the deprived sections in their service plans. Strong regulatory bodies that can monitor private hospitals and nursing homes must be instituted. Many of the profiteering health institutions do not provide basic facilities, lack trained nurses and paramedical staff, and some are even run by quacks without medical degrees. It is of utmost importance that a regulatory body conducts surprise checks on these institutions, registers complaints and takes remedial steps. Many NGOs have been able to set up large projects benefiting thousands of people. They have also succeeded in bringing foreign aid to tackle malaria and HIV. The state government should help these NGOs achieve their goals while exercising control to prevent financial irregularities. Their services ought to be applauded and single-window processing of applications instituted to help them tackle bureaucratic delays. Health is a service industry and not a lucrative business. Unfortunately, in Bengal, most large hospitals are owned by corporates. Only a few are owned or run by doctors. There is thus a sustained effort to make profit. Poor consumer protection makes the man on the street vulnerable to substandard service at high prices. These are trying times for Bengal, after years of mismanagement in the health sector. It is important for the present rulers to rectify the situation by laying down the stepping stones for a better tomorrow. Tuesday, November 22, 2011 Nursing a critically ill state back to health Indranill Basu Ray highlights the core problems that afflict Bengal’s health sector and suggests a few ways to improve the situation

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A “magic” herb, Carissa Edulis, that drew thousands of people to a remote Loliondo village in Tanzania was identified by Kenyan scientists a few years ago as a cure for a drug-resistant strain of a sexually transmitted disease, gonorrhoea. This herb also is believed to cure many other diseases besides gonorrhoea. The Kamba refer to as mukawa or mutote and use it for chest pains, while the Nandi boil the leaves and bark to treat breast cancer, headache and chest pains. Researchers discovered the plant could be used for the treatment of the herpes virus. Led by Dr Festus M Tolo of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), the team from the University of Nairobi and the National Museums of Kenya found the herb could provide an alternative remedy for herpes infections. “An extract preparation from the roots of Carissa edulis, a medicinal plant locally growing in Kenya, has exhibited remarkable anti-herpes virus activity for both wild type and drug resistant strains,” they reported in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

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The Convention adjourned from July 26th to August 6th to allow the Committee of Detail – composed of John Rutledge of South Carolina, Edmund Randolph of Virginia, Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts, Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, and James Wilson of Pennsylvania – to prepare a rough draft of a constitution, based on the series of resolutions the delegates had debated, amended, and debated again. When the Convention re-convened, the Committee of Detail presented its report, made up of twenty-three articles. The Convention spent the remainder of August reviewing and further revising these articles. We the People of… Delegates quickly agreed to accept the Committee of Detail’s preamble and Articles I and II, affirming the new government would be called the Unites States of America and consist of Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. This agreement masked the critical issue that the Convention had debated throughout – was this to be a union of states or of people? The Committee of Detail’s constitution began, “We the people of the States (emphasis added) of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, do ordain, declare, and establish the following Constitution for the Government of Ourselves and our Posterity.” The Convention would not end with that language in the preamble. Representation: Who, What, and How Many? Discussion of the Committee of Detail report continued to include the structure and powers of the legislative branch. Some of the key questions included: Who can elect representatives? How many representatives will there be? What will be their qualifications? Delegates debated whether to allow non-land owners to the right to vote for House members, or reserve the franchise to property owners. Gouverneur Morris wanted to restrict voting to those with property, considering them more educated and better able to choose wise leaders. “The ignorant and dependant,” Morris stated, “can be… little trusted with the public interest.” Colonel Mason countered arguments of this kind, saying all citizens should have equal voting rights and privileges. Doctor Franklin sided with Colonel Mason believing that restricting the right to vote to land owners would cause contention among the people. In the end Morris’s proposal to restrict the franchise to property owners was defeated soundly (7-1-1). Just as the Convention rejected a plan to restrict voting to property owners, they also rejected a proposal to restrict elective office to property owners. South Carolina’s Charles Pinckney moved that “the President of the U.S., the Judges, and members of the Legislature should be required to swear that they were respectively possessed of a cleared unencumbered Estate” – in an amount to be agreed upon by members of the Convention. This proposal went nowhere. Benjamin Franklin expressed his “dislike of every thing that tended to debase the spirit of the common people,” and observed that “some of the greatest rogues he was ever acquainted with, were the richest rogues.” Madison reports that Pinckney’s motion “was rejected by so general a no, that the States were not called.” The Convention did have a sentiment in favor of strong citizenship requirements for legislators. The Committee of Detail’s report required members of the House be U.S. citizens for three years prior to election, and members of the Senate for four years. Some, including George Mason and Morris, agreed that a lengthy citizenship requirement would protect the legislature from foreign intrigue. Others, including Madison and Franklin, pointed to the number of foreign friends who had helped the states during the war for independence. Delegates sided with Mason and Morris, agreeing to requirements that members of the House be citizens for seven years and members of the Senate for nine years prior to election. On the question of how many representatives would make up the national legislature, Article IV of the Committee of Detail Report stated that the House of Representatives would initially consist of sixty-five members, and that in the future, members of the House would be added “at the rate of one for every forty thousand.” Madison, expecting the Union to grow rapidly, thought that rate would quickly lead the House to grow too large. Others thought that time would make this issue irrelevant. Mr. Nathaniel Gorham from Massachusetts asked, “Can it be supposed that this vast country including the Western territory will 150 years hence remain one nation? Mr. Oliver Ellsworth observed that “If the government should continue so long, alterations may be made in the Constitution” through the amendment process. Delegates agreed to add the language “not exceeding” to the one representative for 40,000 citizen ratio, making that a ceiling and not a floor. Controversy over this provision would re-emerge before the end of the Convention, however. The Specter of Slavery Likewise, controversy would emerge about slavery. Consideration of the apportionment of representatives raised the question of whether slaves would be included within that ratio. Morris rose on August 8 and gave a withering criticism of the institution. Moving to specify that this ratio would include only “free” inhabitants, Morris called slavery “a nefarious institution,” and “the curse of heaven”. Comparing free with slave states, Morris noted, on the one hand, “a rich and noble cultivation [which] marks the prosperity and happiness of the people,” and on the other “the misery and poverty which overspread the barren wastes of Virginia, Maryland, and the other states having slaves.” Morris’s motion was defeated 10-1, but the issue of how slavery would be addressed by the new union was by no means resolved. For more detailed information on the Constitutional Convention, please visit Prof. Gordon Lloyd’s web companion to the Philadelphia Convention. Posted in Countdown to the Constitution

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The concept of a numbering machine is quite simple. It consists of various wheels inside and all wheels are stamped with numbers. But, what could be done with this? Well, the wheels of a numbering machine can be set and arranged to form a date or various other numbers. Basically numbers machines are used to imprint items with sequential numbers. Over the time, people have been using this type of machine to stamp many different kinds of paperwork. By adjusting the numbers stamped on wheels, you can keep an organized record of your date paperwork and label contracts. Numbering machines are considered as an inevitable stationery in offices or corporations, especially small businesses. They are used for any paperwork that requires to be printed with unique and trackable numbers. It is a way to keep an organized record of whatever you do. There are many applications in an office set up that require sequential numbering, such as purchase orders, invoices, production orders, inventory paperwork, insurance claims, property documents, serial number tags and much more. (more…)

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Did You Know? Facts, Figures & Folklore About Fall / Autumn Sept 18 : 04 days to Fall Did you know that the word autumn comes from the French word, automne? The word came into common usage around the 16th century, before which “harvest” was used to refer to this time of year. The use of harvest fell out of popularity as people gradually began living in towns and working the land became less common. Did you know that Americans colloquially refer to the season between summer and winter as “Fall”? While Brits prefer the more scientific terms “Autumn”! Do you feel that? The crisp morning air is a sure sign that the Fall season is right around the corner. As the days get shorter and the temperatures fall, Autumn heralds its coming with fiery red leaves and bright orange pumpkins. Get yourself ready to fall back into Fall with Holidays on the Net’s fun-filled Autumn trivia. Join us for a new “Did You Know?” fact each day as we countdown to Autumn (Sept 22 @ 11:09 PM EDT)! So stop by again tomorrow.

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In 2006, two scientists announced that they had cooked an egg by placing it in between two cell phones. It has been thrououghly disproven and analyzed since the surface of the claim, but it is still an excellent opportunity to use the Scientific Thinking Principles on! #1: Ruling Out Rival Hypotheses This principle isn't the most relevant because the experiment doesn't exactly prove any hypotheses. But it can still apply to the attempt to cook an egg between two cell phones because there could be other effects causing that outcome. #2: Correlation vs. Causation There are so many other reasons that the egg could've cooked! Maybe it was really hot out? Or the cell phone egg set up was within a microwave? Not the most probable of all possible causations, but it proves the point. There could be many other ways this egg could've cooked (or in actuality, the fact that it didn't cook at all) that we need to examine or at least acknowledge that they could be there. This claim is very out there so it has a really good chance of being able to be falsified. As we will see in #4, after replicating the incident one can find almost instantly that it is in fact a hoax. As many people did, reproducing the egg cooking experiement will prove that it is in fact a hoax. Every reproduction that was prodcued failed to yield the same results as the first, which made everything make sense when the site's webmaster that published the article stepped forward to say it was in fact completely fake. #5: Extraordinary Claims The claim that you can cook an egg with two cell phones is pretty extraordinary yet there is no extraordinary evidence to back it up! In fact, it is just too extraordinary to be real. #6: Occam's Razor In my mind, the simpliest explaination would be that it simply is not true. The end. I'm not going to lie, if this claim was true I would be thrilled. In addition to being in awe of the power of technology, it would make cooking meals for myself in my dorm room a whole lot easier! Unfortunately though, this is a hoax. With the help of the Six Principles of Scientific Thinking, I will never fall for this or any other raw food cooking claim ever again!

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How To Win At Science Fairs (Dec, 1960) How To Win At Science Fairs by Ronald Benrey YOU CAN WIN at a Science Fair as long as one thing interests you more than winning does. This is your project itself. It is going to be judged on scientific thought, creative ability, and presentation. You will really have to know the field your project is concerned with. This takes effort. Since you lack the means of a professional laboratory, you will have to do much with little. This takes trial and error and just plain work. Your presentation must be attractive and clear. This means good workmanship, which takes time and care. You are going to have to show some originality. After all, there is no use doing what everybody else is doing: be different. For this, you have to have the other three under control. By the way, the “laymen” who see your exhibit will ask all kinds of questions. Have good answers at your fingertips. The judges won’t be laymen, and any double-talk will scream to them that you don’t know your subject. It may also make them suspect that the best parts of your project are not your work. This would be unjust, perhaps, but deadly. Now, whether your entry covers a large table top or can just be tucked under your arm, it is going to be a big job. It can’t be left for a “crash program” in the last few weeks before the Fair. It is going to eat up big portions of your time, energy, and spending money for the next several months. All this demands your interest. But it isn’t simply a matter of “fun. ” Licking this challenge may be a turning point in your life. With or without a scholarship prize, your career may begin with it. As a reader of Electronics Illustrated your project will probably deal with electronics or applied physics rather than with biological or earth sciences. Select your topic carefully from a broad subject that really interests you. A massive effort in the direction of a passing fancy will result in a mediocre project at best. Take a limited subtopic that you think worth investigating and that you feel able to handle. To ease financial strain, plan now to build your project over a long period of time, say six months, on a pay-as-you-build basis. Once you have a rough idea of your project’s general form, don’t dash into construction. Visit technical libraries and learn all you can about current professional work in the field, and its technical jargon. This will give you much important information and helpful hints, and when you finally face the judges, you will know your subject. Here is a prickly question. It is up to you to be realistic and honest with yourself when you choose a topic. Your science teachers and advisers will certainly be helpful, but the final decision must be yours. In other words, if you have never handled a soldering iron before, don’t take on a project requiring elaborate electronic instrumentation. If you have enough time you can work up to a complex project by building a few simpler devices, like many described in EI. This is another reason for starting NOW. – Why not get your feet wet by assembling some test equipment from kits? You will certainly need a multimeter anyway, for any project, and it will be something you can use “forever. ” Another touchy subject: discussion of this often scares off good potential science fairers. Nobody requires or expects a science fair project to produce a radical new scientific discovery. However, this does not imply that an entrant can’t find a new angle on an old problem. Merely duplicating a project described in a magazine shows the judges only one thing: the builder can follow directions. The main benefit of entering a science fair is the challenge of thinking a real problem out, all the way through. Your project can be for “demonstration” rather than “research, ” but make sure you come up with fresh, clear, meaningful ways to present your material. Stay away from last year’s winning project: it was good last year. Avoid “staples” (like Tesla coils) unless they are only part of a ‘wider original project. Your project should be well presented and look impressive, but impressive need not mean expensive. Judges seldom look twice at an exhibit loaded down with excess and borrowed equipment when the same results could have been obtained more economically and without false show. Novel use of common materials shows creative ability, and this is an important judging criterion. Remember, how you solved your problem is what counts at a science fair, and not merely that you solved it. Also, neatness counts! Aside from being impossible to troubleshoot, a rat’s nest of wiring is typical of losing projects. Time spent color-coding leads, installing wire harness and cable clamps will result in a much more attractive and more reliable project. But know what you are doing! Don’t harness leads in a circuit that demands point-to-point wiring, or cable grid and plate leads together in an amplifier circuit. Read up on layout and construction techniques, and allow yourself time to make and correct mistakes. Prior planning will also pay off in dollars and cents, since you can save by purchasing some components (like resistors) in quantity, and if you live near a big city you can shop around for some items in the military surplus stores, modifying your design if necessary to take odd-value components. Now, sit back and start your thinking. The time to start is right now. IS YOUR WINNING PROJECT HERE? RADIO TELESCOPE: Home-built sensitive low-noise receiver, simple antenna system. Try to make simple “radio map.” GUIDANCE SYSTEM: For model ear. Can be programmed to run around science fair grounds without hitting anything, or to reach pre-chosen destination. SOLAR CELLS: Home-built unit as part of demonstration of basic physics of solar cells: display on recent professional research results: off-beat practical applications (eyeglass type hearing aid?). MOON MOUSE: “To be landed on the Moon. ” Self-propelled, radio controlled from Earth, instrumented and transmitter equipped. Some functions solar powered ? These are only suggestions. You may come up with ideas regarding fuel cells, space communications, navigation, etc.

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With the development of science and technology, computer has become more and more popular in our daily life, which is intended to be a part of our life. But at the same time it also brings the safety problem, because increasing number of bad people would like to break into computer systems to steal the secret information. It seems that computer safety has been a serious problem by now. Maybe you could learn something about the safety terms in Microsoft so that you could adopt the different methods according to different cases. What is malware? In fact malware, short for “malicious software”, is any kind of software which is installed without your complete permission and is not in need at all.The famous malware areviruses, worms, and Trojan horses, which are almost known to us all. Even though you are not familiar with them, you must have heard of it at ordinary times. If you want to protect your computer from the malware, you could make sure that the automatic updating is turned on all the time to get the latest updates. 2 antispyware software Antispyware software helps protect your computer, and prevent the pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other adverse software. Every computer user must keep antispyware software up to date in order to keep in touch with the latest spyware. Aimed at protecting our computer, we could use Microsoft Security Essentials, free download software, to be against spyware and other malicious software. A firewall is used to help screen out hackers, viruses, and worms that try to attack your computer through the Internet.In fact, if you are the one who use the computer at home, the most efficient and important step is to enable firewall when you start your computer. A virus will slip through and infect you; the only effective way by protecting yourself is using a firewall. A firewall monitors your Internet connections and allows you to specify which programs are allowed to connect and which are not. 4 antivirus software Antivirus software is a kind of computer program which can be used to test, defend, and take actions to remove or delete malicious software program. As we all know, computer virus is some programs, which can specially disturb computer operation. So we should update antivirus software in regular time to prevent against the latest virus. 5 Windows password Besides the above mentioned software, you could have an alternative at the same time, namely Windows password. With a password like this, you can prevent your privacy from being let out or being viewed. Of course you should set up a Windows password reset disk to set the password reset in case that you forget it. As a computer user, you should have a general knowledge of these safety terms so that you can protect your computer better. And with these terms, your computer can be protected better than that without them. In a word, please have a brief understanding of them in the first place, and then you could know how important they are.

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Ever wondered what white tea is? Why we call it white anyway? Here are a few interesting facts about white tea, made from the plant Camellia sinensis: - White tea is similar to green tea in that it has undergone little processing and no fermentation whatsoever. - The leaves are harvested before they open fully, when the unopened buds are still covered by thin silvery white hair. Hence the white tea name. - White tea has a subtle and slightly sweet flavor that sharpens the senses without overwhelming the tongue, whereas green tea has a “grassy” taste. - There is 25% to 30% less caffeine in white tea than in green tea, though it depends on the variety. - White tea health benefits are the highest among the tea family¹. - It is more expensive than green or black tea because white tea is scarcer. Yet, at Savorique, white tea is as cheap as black or green tea. Note 1: Science Daily “”White Tea Could Keep You Healthy and Looking Young”", (August 14, 2009) and Science Daily “”White Tea Beats Green Tea In Fighting Germs”", (May 28, 2004).

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.8grams X kilogram of body weight/day How to convert pounds into kilograms: #pounds/2.2 = kg For example someone who weighs say 110 would be 50kg. So we take 50kg and multilpy that by .8gm and they should be getting about 40 grams of protein a day. Low protein diets can result in weak bones, muscle wasting, and decrease in time for wounds to heal. Protein is essential in the diet and having enough is very important especially if you are exercising. When you are working with weights and building muscle adequate protein intake is essential in building those muscles. If you are taking a protein supplement in powder try to find one that does not have any added saturated or transaturated fats. There are some protein supplements out there that are made for gaining weight so they will have additional calories and fats in them. So make sure you read the label and everything says 0 except the protein. This brand is an excellent choice and very safe : Just remember to read label and consult with your doctor if it is safe for you to take a protein supplement. The following foods are excellent sources of protein: - cottage cheese - nuts and seeds - soy beans - Greek yogurt Make sure at every meal you have a protein, a healthy carbohydrate(whole wheat or whole grain), and good fat. (monounsaturated fats) Keep your meals and snacks balanced so you can stay full and not feel hungry throughout the day.

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Our opinion: Fostering better nutrition is a key to reducing public health costs. That makes the scarcity of large grocery stores in some urban neighborhoods, especially poor ones, a matter of public policy. It’s easy, and comforting, to assume that in an modern, industrialized nation, everyone eats well. Surely with programs like food stamps, even needy people are doing OK, right? More than 40,000 people in Albany and Schenectady live in what are known as food deserts — places where a grocery store is at least a mile away. Many are poor. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 3,700 of the more than 23,000 people in Albany who don’t live near a large grocer are poor. In Schenectady, about 5,400 of the more than 19,000 people for whom a supermarket trip is more like a trek are low income. Moreover, those estimates were based largely on information gathered before a recession that has made even more people poor. That’s not just an inconvenience. It’s a public health issue in a society where the problems associated with poor nutrition and obesity are linked to the growing cost of public health care. One suggestion for alleviating the problem comes from the American Cancer Society, which is reviving the controversial idea of a tax on soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks. The group suggests using the tax to help fund and evaluate child obesity programs. An even more productive use might be to devote a portion of such a tax to local efforts to lure larger grocery stores to urban neighborhoods that don’t have them now. It would seem doubtful, though, that the state Legislature will be any more inclined to implement a soda tax than it was last year, when it refused to do so even with the prospect of raising $400 million in new revenue and even with the urging of the state health commissioner and then-Gov. David Paterson. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying for a soda tax — encouraging kids in particular to cut back on sugary beverages is not a bad goal at all, nor is raising funds that could be used to promote a healthier citizenry. But the more likely reality is that New York and communities will have to find ways to do something about poor nutrition and food deserts without the help of a soda tax. Here’s one direction: Since last March, Capital District Community Gardens has been supplying nine convenience stores and markets with fresh produce under a five-year, $175,000-a-year grant from the state Health Department that also helps underwrite fitness programs. Veggie Mobile Sprout, as this program is called, delivers produce twice a week at wholesale prices, enabling urban stores in Albany and Schenectady to sell fresh food at supermarket rates and offer something better than their typical fare of often fattening and less nutritious processed food. The program’s goal is to become self-sustaining. How many more ideas to promote healthy and affordable food choices are there that might perhaps benefit from some initial public investment or other support? Why not make identifying and nurturing those ideas part of the mission of local community development or economic development entities? Funding for such programs would not be handouts; beyond improving nutrition and reducing obesity with a long-term eye toward reducing public health costs, they would help get greater value out of the public assistance that goes to people in low-income neighborhoods. Sounds like a shopping cart full of public interest to us.

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Yesterday’s House passage of cap-and-trade legislation designed to confront climate change is a landmark achievement, the first tangible step taken by the country that emits more greenhouse gas per capita than anyone in the world. The bill itself still faces a tough test in the Senate. Passage is far from assured, and without similar actions by other major emitting countries, it won’t mean much. But it does finally demonstrate to the rest of the world that the United States is prepared to do its part, which puts the pressure on them to follow suit. The bill itself, the product of a thousand political compromises, also isn’t perfect. But it also isn’t what its hysterical opponents claim it is. As Bryan Walsh acknowledges in Time: … critics have vastly overstated the likely cost. In fact, they’re all but lying. During the House debate, Republican whip Eric Cantor, using numbers from an American Petroleum Institute study, said that the bill would eventually cost more than $3,000 per family per year — but those numbers assume that billions of tons worth of inexpensive carbon offsets won’t be available under the bill, which would significantly inflate the overall cost. That’s not going to happen. A more reliable study from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecast that the bill would cost the average U.S. household $175 in higher energy costs annually by 2020 — and other studies estimate that the energy-efficiency provisions in the bill might even save Americans money over time. When opponents are forced to lie so blatantly — in this case exaggerating the likely cost 17 times over — they don’t have much of an honest argument.

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Just as there are many variants and forms of electronic malware and Internet-based threats around the globe, so there are many forms of protection against these threats. Signature-based detection is one of the multifarious forms of defense that have been developed in order to keep us safe from malicious content. Although signature-based detection can be argued to have been overshadowed by more sophisticated methods of protection in some environments, it remains as a core ‘technique’ featuring in the anti-virus controls of packages and suites that work to protect a user’s system today. How does signature-based detection work? Signature-based detection works by scanning the contents of computer files and cross-referencing their contents with the “code signatures” belonging to known viruses. A library of known code signatures is updated and refreshed constantly by the anti-virus software vendor. If a viral signature is detected, the software acts to protect the user’s system from damage. Suspected files are typically quarantined and/or encrypted in order to render them inoperable and useless. Clearly there will always be new and emerging viruses with their own unique code signatures. So once again, the anti-virus software vendor works constantly to assess and assimilate new signature-based detection data as it becomes available, often in real time so that updates can be pushed out to users immediately and zero-day vulnerabilities can be avoided. Next-generation signature-based detection New variants of computer virus are of course developed every day and security companies now work to also protect users from malware that attempts to disguise itself from traditional signature-based detection. Virus authors have tried to avoid their malicious code being detected by writing “oligomorphic“, “polymorphic” and more recently “metamorphic” viruses with signatures that are either disguised or changed from those that might be held in a signature directory. Despite these developments, the Internet at large does of course still function on a daily basis. Populated as it is by users who not only have up to date security software installed, but also by those who have educated themselves as to the type of risks discussed here.

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By Jason Kohn, Contributing Columnist Like many of us, scientific researchers tend to be creatures of habit. This includes research teams working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. government agency charged with measuring the behavior of oceans, atmosphere, and weather. Many of these climate scientists work with massive amounts of data – for example, the National Weather Service collecting up-to-the-minute temperature, humidity, and barometric readings from thousands of sites across the United States to help forecast weather. Research teams then rely on some the largest, most powerful high-performance computing (HPC) systems in the world to run models, forecasts, and other research computations. Given the reliance on HPC resources, NOAA climate researchers have traditionally worked onsite at major supercomputing facilities, such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, where access to supercomputers are just steps away. As researchers crate ever more sophisticated models of ocean and atmospheric behavior, however, the HPC requirements have become truly staggering. Now, NOAA is using a super-high-speed network called “n-wave” to connect research sites across the United States with the computing resources they need. The network has been operating for several years, and today transports enough data to fill a 10-Gbps network to full capacity, all day, every day. NOAA is now upgrading this network to allow even more data traffic, with the goal of ultimately supporting 100-Gbps data rates. “Our scientists were really used to having a computer in their basement,” says Jerry Janssen, manager, n-wave Network, NOAA, in a video about the project. “When that computer moved a couple thousand miles away, we had to give them a lot of assurances that, one, the data would actually move at the speed they needed it to move, but also that they could rely on it to be there. The amount of data that will be generated under this model will exceed 80-100 Terabits per day.” The n-wave project means much more than just a massive new data pipe. It represents a fundamental shift in the way that scientists can conduct their research, allowing them to perform hugely demanding supercomputer runs of their data from dozens of remote locations. As a result, it gives NOAA climate scientists much more flexibility in where and how they work. “For the first time, NOAA scientists and engineers in completely separate parts of the country, all the way to places like Alaska and Hawaii and Puerto Rico, will have the bandwidth they need, without restriction,” says Janssen. “NOAA will now be able to do things it never thought it could do before.” In addition to providing fast, stable access to HPC resources, n-wave is also allowing NOAA climate scientists to share resources much more easily with scientists in the U.S. Department of Energy and other government agencies. Ideally, this level of collaboration and access to supercomputing resources will help climate scientists continue to develop more effective climate models, improve weather forecasts, and allow us to better understand our climate. Powering Vital Climate Research The high-speed nationwide HPC connectivity capability provided by n-wave is now enabling a broad range of NOAA basic science and research activities. Examples include: - Basic data dissemination, allowing research teams to collect up-to-the-minute data on ocean, atmosphere, and weather from across the country, and make that data available to other research teams and agencies nationwide. - Ensemble forecasting, where researchers run multiple HPC simulations using different initial conditions and modeling techniques, in order to refine their atmospheric forecasts and minimize errors. - Severe weather modeling, where scientists draw on HPC simulations, real-time atmospheric data, and archived storm data to better understand and predict the behavior of storms. - Advancing understanding of the environment to be able to better predict short-term and long-term environmental changes, mitigate threats, and provide the most accurate data to inform policy decisions. All of this work is important, and will help advance our understanding of Earth’s climate. And it is all a testament to the amazing networking technologies and infrastructure that scientists now have at their disposal, which puts the most powerful supercomputing resources in the world at their fingertips – even when they are thousands of miles away.

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The bacterium Micavibrio aeruginosavorus (yellow), leeching on a Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium (purple). What’s the news: If bacteria had blood, the predatory microbe Micavibrio aeruginosavorus would essentially be a vampire: it subsists by hunting down other bugs, attaching to them, and sucking their life out. For the first time, researchers have sequenced the genome of this strange microorganism, which was first identified decades ago in sewage water. The sequence will help better understand the unique bacterium, which has potential to be used as a “living antibiotic” due to its ability to attack drug-resistant biofilms and its apparent fondness for dining on pathogens. Anatomy of a Vampire: - The bacterium has an interesting multi-stage life history. During its migratory phase it sprouts a single flagellum and goes hunting for prey. Once it find a delectable morsel of bacterium, it attacks and irreversibly attaches to the surface, and sucks out all of the good stuff: carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, DNA, etc. - Sated, the cell divides in two via binary fission, and the now-depleted host is left for dead. Hungry for Pathogens: - M. aeruginosavorus cannot be grown by itself; it must be cultured along with another bacteria to feed upon. A 2006 study found that it only grew upon three bacterial species, all of which can cause pneumonia-like disease in humans. A more recent study showed that it can prey upon a wider variety of microbes, most of them potentially pathogenic, like E. coli. - These studies also found that M. aeruginosavorus has a knack for disrupting biofilms, the dense collection of bacteria that cause harmful plaques on teeth and medical implants alike, and can be up to 1,000 more resistant to antibiotics than free-swimming bugs. - The bacteria can also swim through viscous fluids like mucous and kills Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the bacterium that can colonize lungs of cystic fibrosis patients and form a glue-like film. - These qualities have caught the eye of researchers who think it could be used as a living antibiotic to treat biofilms and various types of drug-resistant bacteria, which are a growing problem in medicine. Sequencing the organism’s genome is an important step in understanding its biochemistry and how it preys on other microbes. Clues From the Vampire Code: - The new study found that each phase of life involves the use (or expression) of different sets of genes. The migratory/hunting phase involves many segments that code for flagellum formation and genes involved in quorum sensing. The attachment phase involves a wide variety of secreted chemicals and enzymes that facilitate the flow of materials from the host. - Micavibrio aeruginosavorus possesses no genes for amino acid transporters, a rather rare trait only seen in a few other bacterial species that depend heavily upon their host to help them shuttle these vital protein building-blocks. This absence helps explain the bacterium’s dependence on a narrow range of prey, from which it directly steals amino acids. Although it remains unclear exactly how the microbe attaches to and infiltrates other cells. The Future Holds: - The range of microbes upon which Micavibrio aeruginosavorus can survive is expanding; after being kept in laboratory conditions for years it has apparently evolved a more diverse diet. If this expansion continues, that could be a real problem for its use as an antibiotic; it could begin to eat beneficial gut bacteria, for example. - Researchers claim it is harmless to friendly gut microbes, but it hasn’t been tested on all the varieties of bacteria present in humans. - Several important steps must be taken before testing in people, like learning more about what traits makes another bacteria tasty to Micavibrio aeruginosavorus. Researchers speculate the bacterium may need to be genetically altered in order to go after specific pathogens, or to reduce the risk of it causing unforeseen complications. Reference: Zhang Wang, Daniel E Kadouri, Martin Wu. Genomic insights into an obligate epibiotic bacterial predator: Micavibrio aeruginosavorus ARL-13. BMC Genomics, 2011; 12 (1): 453 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-453 Image credit: University of Virginia

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- November 15th, 2008 - Derek Robertson - Comments: 7 Comments »Tags: Consolarium, Endless Ocean, games based learning, Wii Endless Ocean for the Nintendo Wii was one of those games that immediately caught my eye. A wonderful world in which the player can become immersed in a rich, vibrant and somewhat hypnotically therapeutic underwater world. I’ve written about how I thought it might be used to drive learning before but my initial ideas have been put into place and extended beyond recognition by some really creative teachers. Last week I went with Margaret Cassidy from Stirling Council to Cowie PS to see a teacher that was using Endless Ocean with her class: Mrs Bullivant and her class of P.6 children treated me to an afternoon of sheer joy. I walked in to a class that had been turned into an underwater world that was awash with a tide of enthusiastic and industrious learnning. - Streamers of various shades of blue were hung from two lines that criss-crossed the class.From these lines also hung starfish, sharks and other underwater creatures that the children had made. - The Wii was hooked up to the whiteboard and the gameplay was integral to the learning. - The children were divided into ‘dive teams’ and their ‘dive leader’ had to manage certain aspects of how the children worked together. - Children were engaged with a teacher led leson that investigated buoyancy. - Children were searching the web to find out more about some of the creatures that they discovered in the game. - A spreadsheet activity detailing the range of creatures that they had discovered was in place. - A shipwreck (created by the janitor) was sitting in the class. This helped drive much of the creative writing work. - The children created treasure maps and were using these to look at grid references. - Mermaids were created in art and design and very lifelike they were too! - Reference books were in great demand when I was in the class and the initial stimulus of the game appeared to drive a real interest for what could be found in the complementary resource that was the book. - Children actively encouraged to measure exactly how long 7 metres is as a result of finding out that that was how long a Great White Shark was. This was just a wonderful visit and an example of what learning in class can be. Yes we need creative teachers to lead this but isn’t that what we are meant to be. The work that was in evidence in this class was delightful to witness and further cemented my ideas of the possibilities of sandbox games such as Endless Ocean. Categories Stirling Council

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Correctly identifying what is causing a problem is the most important step in pest control. We do our best here to help you do that. Sometimes we can identify the cause accurately enough from your phone or e-mail description of what is happening and what you see. Sometimes we can do this from photographs you submit, either electronically or printed on paper. But sometimes word descriptions and photographs aren't quite good enough, and we ask you to submit a specimen of an arthropod you have found, or the damage it has caused. The information we give you is only as good as the information you give to us. I can't identify specimens that look like the one in the photograph above. Here are some hints that will help all of us: 1. Make sure any photographs are CLEAR and take several, from very close up to farther away. Make sure you have sufficient light, or that you compensate with your camera to make sure we can clearly see what you are trying to show us. Learn how to use the close up mode on your digital camera. 2. You have 20,000 of something flying around? Please give us at least - oh maybe - six of them. If it's something unusual, we need at least one full, intact set of key characteristics. If there are big individuals and little ones, try to submit a few of each size. Maybe they're different, maybe they're not, but we won't know for sure unless we see them. 3. Label your material. Where and when was it found? What does it seem to be doing? 4. You had 20,000 last week, but you can't find even one now? Maybe you don't have the problem anymore. Keep an eye on the situation and try not to worry. 5. That doesn't go for termites. If you think you had a termite swarm, worry! Keep a close eye on it, try to find a least one, even if it's only a wing, and submit it for identification. 6. You can kill most small pests by putting them in the freezer or by dropping them into alcohol. Any sort of alcohol will do. The alcohol not only kills them, it also preserves them. Never submit arthropod specimens in water (unless they are living aquatic animals). Moths and butterflies are easier to identify if they are not preserved in alcohol, so just freeze them and bring them in dry. We can also take live specimens. 7. Some insects and mites are most easily submitted on or in a piece of the plant they are living on. It's best if the sample is as fresh as possible. Don't bake it in a hot car. 8. A few creatures can't be identified from the sample you submit. Ants are most easily identified from the workers (the ones without the wings). Some spiders can only be identified to species if you have adults of both sexes. Small larvae, nymphs and eggs can be extremely difficult to identify. That's just the way it is. 9. Entomologists specialize. Sometimes we have to send things off. If they only have to go to the university, turn-around time can be quick. If they have to go further, it may be a long time before you hear back. This doesn't happen that often, though.

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The tragic loss of one of America’s greatest heros, a title he tried to avoid, has saddened the scientific community, the country and the world. His work is not done, however, as Neil Armstrong is continuing to help demonstrate NASA‘s accomplishments. His death has helped to rekindle the effort to declare the lunar landing sites National Historic Sites, and to highlight the importance of the artifacts left there. With new trips to the moon being planned, it is hoped that disallowing interference in the Apollo sites will preserve the history that lies therein. For more information on the work being done on lunar landing site preservation, please see: For the guidelines for preservation established earlier this year, please see: Building the World Blog by Kathleen Lusk Brooke and Zoe G Quinn is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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Lobster, California spiny The California Spiny Lobster fishery is a small but locally important and largely sustainable fishery in southern California. Abundance of Spiny Lobsters off California varies with broad-scale changes in environmental conditions caused by El Nino and La Nina. State managers closely regulate commercial fishing for Spiny Lobster, but do not monitor recreational catches. Bycatch is low. Spiny Lobster traps generally allow undersize lobsters and other animals to escape. This fish may have high levels of mercury that could pose a health risk to adults and children. More mercury info here.

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Efforts to incorporate Bowmanstown as a borough occurred as early as 1892. The village contained about 300 inhabitants in 1896 but the nearby New Jersey Zinc Company soon added to its growth. Bowmanstown was incorporated as a Borough on November 29, 1913 for the purpose of providing general local government services to residents of the community. Upon incorporation of Bowmanstown as a borough its boundaries encompassed lands measuring 0.75 square mile. The borough's assessed valuation in 1918 was $279,000.00. The population of 834 in 1920 remained relatively constant for decades. The Bowmanstown Borough Municipal Building (Borough Hall) is a converted school building that was constructed in 1903 to serve the youths of the community. In 1958, the Palmerton School District was established and combined several local schools in order to create a regional school thus making the Bowmanstown campus obsolete. In 1964, the Borough acquired the old brick school building and has been using it as offices ever since. The borough kept the building in its original condition. The Bowmanstown Borough Authority was incorporated August 24, 1997 and was created for the purpose of owning and operating the Bowmanstown Public Water System. On February 11, 2002 the Authority began construction of its water system improvement project which included a new chlorine building, looping numerous water mains, installing new services, erection of a new 250,000 gallon Standpipe and a new liner to the one Reservoir. In 2009, the Authority replaced their two roofs at the Reservoirs with metal roofs. Ongoing water projects will continue to transpire throughout the years.

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died Aug. 28, 1818, St. Charles, Mo., U.S. black pioneer trader and founder of the settlement that later became the city of Chicago. Du Sable, whose French father had moved to Haiti and married a black woman there, is believed to have been a freeborn. At some time in the 1770s he went to the Great Lakes area of North America, settling on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Chicago River, with his Potawatomi wife, Kittihawa (Catherine). His loyalty to the French and the Americans led to his arrest in 1779 by the British, who took him to Fort Mackinac. From 1780 to 1783 or 1784 he managed for his captors a trading post called the Pinery on the St. Clair River in present-day Michigan, after which he returned to the site of Chicago. By 1790 Du Sable's establishment there had become an important link in the region's fur and grain trade. In 1800 he sold out and moved to Missouri, where he continued as a farmer and trader until his death. But his 20-year residence on the shores of Lake Michigan had established his title as Father of Chicago.

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Angola is a giant jigsaw puzzle of different climates, landscapes, cultures and colors. From mountains to vast open plains, wide white beaches to thick tropical rainforest, Angola has it all, as if each of its eighteen provinces were a different country. Lubango has a mild temperate climate, Luanda is hot and dry, while Cabinda is steamy and tropical. Much of the landscape is dramatic, with plunging waterfalls, bizarre rock formations and deep gorges. With an Atlantic coastline stretching for over 1.650 kms, Angola has mighty rivers flowing into wide estuaries depositing sediments from the high plateaus to form numerous small islands, bays and sandbanks. In Angola, you can encounter a diversity of wild animals: lions, hyenas, elephants and antelopes. Apes, hippopotamuses and crocodiles are also indigenous to this country. In the Namib Desert, which is situated in the south-west, you can find the tumboa, a unique plant with two wide leaves that are several metres long and lie on the ground of the desert. Although the climate is such that the beaches can be visited all year round, it is in fact during the hot season that they are most frequented. The bars all filled and the local music and dancing provide an animated and exotic atmosphere that mixes well with the mystery of the African nights.

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According to Buddhist tradition, the disciple Devadatta was the Buddha's cousin and also brother to the Buddha's wife, Yasodhara. Devadatta is said to have caused a split in the sangha by persuading 500 monks to leave the Buddha and follow him instead. This story of Devadatta is preserved in the Pali Tipitika. In this story, Devadatta entered the order of Buddhist monks at the same time as Ananda and other noble youths of the Shakya clan, the clan of the historical Buddha. Devadatta applied himself to practice. But he became frustrated when he failed to progress toward becoming an arhat. So, instead, he applied his practice toward developing supernatural power instead of the realization of enlightenment. It was said he also became driven by jealousy of his kinsman, the Buddha. Devadatta believed he should be the World-Honored One and the leader of the order of monks. One day he approached the Buddha and pointed out that the Buddha was growing older. He proposed that he be put in charge of the order to relieve the Buddha of the burden. The Buddha rebuked Devadatta harshly and said he was not worthy. Thus Devadatta became the Buddha's enemy. Later, the Buddha was questioned how his harsh response to Devadatta was justified as Right Speech. I'll come back to this a bit later. Devadatta had gained the favor of Prince Ajatasattu of Magadha. Ajatasattu's father, King Bimbisara, was a devoted patron of the Buddha. Devadatta persuaded the prince to murder his father and assume the throne of Magadha. At the same time, Devadatta vowed to have the Buddha murdered so he could take over the sangha. So that the deed could not be traced back to Devadatta, the plan was to send a second group of "hit men" to assassinate the first one, and then a third group to take out the second one, and so on for some time. But when the would-be assassins approached the Buddha they couldn't carry out the order. Then Devadatta tried to do the job himself, by dropping a rock on the Buddha. The rock bounced off the mountain side and broke into pieces. The next attempt involved a large bull elephant in a drug-induced fury, but the elephant was gentled in the Buddha's presence. Finally Devadatta attempted to split the sangha by claiming superior moral rectitude. He proposed a list of austerities and asked that they become mandatory for all monks and nuns. These were: - Monks must live all their lives in the forest. - Monks must live only on alms obtained by begging, and should not accept invitations to dine with others. - Monks must wear robes made only from rags collected from rubbish heaps and cremation grounds. They must not accept donations of cloth at any time. (See Kathina.) - Monks must sleep at the foot of trees and not under a roof. - Monks must refrain from eating fish or meat throughout their lives. The Buddha responded as Devadatta had predicted he would. He said that monks could follow the first four austerities if they wished, but he refused to make them mandatory. And he rejected the fifth austerity entirely. (See Buddhism and Vegetarianism.) Devadatta persuaded 500 monks that his Super Austerity Plan was a surer path to enlightenment than the Buddha's, and they followed Devadatta to become his disciples. In response, the Buddha sent two of his disciples, Sariputra and Mahamaudgayalyana, to teach the dharma to the wayward monks. Upon hearing the dharma explained correctly, the 500 monks returned to the Buddha. Devadatta was now a sorry and broken man, and he soon fell mortally ill. On his deathbed he repented of his misdeeds and wished to see the Buddha one more time, but Devadatta died before his liter-bearers could reach him. Life of Devadatta, Alternate Version The lives of the Buddha and his disciples were preserved in several oral recitation traditions before they were written down. The Pali tradition, which is the foundation of Theravada Buddhism, is the best known. Another oral tradition was preserved by the Mahasanghika sect, which was formed about 320 BCE. Mahasanghika is an important forerunner of Mahayana. Mahasanghika remembered Devadatta as a devout and saintly monk. No trace of the "evil Devadatta" story can be found in their version of the canon. This has led some scholars to speculate that the story of the renegade Devadatta is a later invention. The Abhaya Sutta, on Right Speech If we assume the Pali version of Devadatta's story is the more accurate one, however, we can find an interesting footnote in the Abhava Sutta of the Pali Tipitika (Majjhima Nikaya 58). In brief, the Buddha was questioned about the harsh words he said to Devadatta that caused him to turn against the Buddha. The Buddha justified his criticisms of Devadatta by comparing him to a small child who had taken a pebble into his mouth and was about to swallow it. Adults would naturally do whatever it took to get the pebble out of the child. Even if extracting the pebble drew blood, it must be done. The moral appears to be that it is better to hurt someone's feelings than to let them dwell in deceitfulness.

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Public Papers - 1991 White House Fact Sheet on The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) Today, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. This treaty marks the first agreement between the two countries in which the number of deployed strategic nuclear weapons will actually be reduced. Reductions will take place over a period of 7 years, and will result in parity between the strategic nuclear forces of the two sides at levels approximately 30 percent below currently deployed forces. Deeper cuts are required in the most dangerous and destabilizing systems. START provisions are designed to strengthen strategic stability at lower levels and to encourage the restructuring of strategic forces in ways that make them more stable and less threatening. The treaty includes a wide variety of very demanding verification measures designed to ensure compliance and build confidence. The treaty sets equal ceilings on the number of strategic nuclear forces that can be deployed by either side. In addition, the treaty establishes an equal ceiling on ballistic missile throw-weight (a measure of overall capability for ballistic missiles). Each side is limited to no more than: -- 1600 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles (deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles [ICBM's], submarine launched ballistic missiles [SLBM's], and heavy bombers), a limit that is 36 percent below the Soviet level declared in September 1990 and 29 percent below the U.S. level. -- 6000 total accountable warheads, about 41 percent below the current Soviet level and 43 percent below the current U.S. level. -- 4900 accountable warheads deployed on ICBM's or SLBM's, about 48 percent below the current Soviet level and 40 percent below the current U.S. level. -- 1540 accountable warheads deployed on 154 heavy ICBM's, a 50-percent reduction in current Soviet forces. The U.S. has no heavy ICBM's. -- 1100 accountable warheads deployed on mobile ICBM's. -- Aggregate throw-weight of deployed ICBM's and SLBM's equal to about 54 percent of the current Soviet aggregate throw-weight. Ballistic Missile Warhead Accountability The treaty uses detailed counting rules to ensure the accurate accounting of the number of warheads attributed to each type of ballistic missile. -- Each deployed ballistic missile warhead counts as 1 under the 4900 ceiling and 1 under the 6000 overall warhead ceiling. -- Each side is allowed 10 on-site inspections each year to verify that deployed ballistic missiles contain no more warheads than the number that is attributed to them under the treaty. Downloading Ballistic Missile Warheads The treaty also allows for a reduction in the number of warheads on certain ballistic missiles, which will help the sides transition their existing forces to the new regime. Such downloading is permitted in a carefully structured and limited fashion. -- The U.S. may download its three-warhead Minuteman III ICBM by either one or two warheads. The Soviet Union has already downloaded it's seven warhead SS - N - 18 SLBM by four warheads. -- In addition, each side may download up to 500 warheads on two other existing types of ballistic missiles, as long as the total number of warheads removed from downloaded missiles does not exceed 1250 at any one time. The treaty places constraints on the characteristics of new types of ballistic missiles to ensure the accuracy of counting rules and prevent undercounting of missile warheads. -- The number of warheads attributed to a new type of ballistic missile must be no less than the number determined by dividing 40 percent of the missile's total throw-weight by the weight of the lightest RV tested on that missile. -- The throw-weight attributed to a new type must be no less than the missile's throw-weight capability at specified reference ranges (11,000 km for ICBM's and 9,500 km for SLBM's). START places significant restrictions on the Soviet SS - 18 heavy ICBM. -- A 50-percent reduction in the number of Soviet SS - 18 ICBM's; a total reduction of 154 of these Soviet missiles. -- New types of heavy ICBM's are banned. -- Downloading of heavy ICBM's is banned. -- Heavy SLBM's and heavy mobile ICBM's are banned. -- Heavy ICBM's will be reduced on a more stringent schedule than other strategic arms. Because mobile missiles are more difficult to verify than other types of ballistic missiles, START incorporates a number of special restrictions and notifications with regard to these missiles. These measures will significantly improve our confidence that START will be effectively verifiable. -- Nondeployed mobile missiles and non-deployed mobile launchers are numerically and geographically limited so as to limit the possibility for reload and refire. -- The verification regime includes continuous monitoring of mobile ICBM production, restrictions on movements, on-site inspections, and cooperative measures to improve the effectiveness of national technical means of intelligence collection. Because heavy bombers are stabilizing strategic systems (e.g., they are less capable of a short-warning attack than ballistic missiles), START counting rules for weapons on bombers are different than those for ballistic missile warheads. -- Each heavy bomber counts as one strategic nuclear delivery vehicle. -- Each heavy bomber equipped to carry only short-range missiles or gravity bombs is counted as one warhead under the 6000 limit. -- Each U.S. heavy bomber equipped to carry long-range nuclear ALCM's (up to a maximum of 150 bombers) is counted as 10 warheads even though it may be equipped to carry up to 20 ALCM's. -- A similar discount applies to Soviet heavy bombers equipped to carry long-range nuclear ALCM's. Each such Soviet heavy bomber (up to a maximum of 180) is counted as 8 warheads even though it may be equipped to carry up to 16 ALCM's. -- Any heavy bomber equipped for long-range nuclear ALCM's deployed in excess of 150 for the U.S. or 180 for the Soviet Union will be accountable by the number of ALCM's the heavy bomber is actually equipped to carry. Building on recent arms control agreements, START includes extensive and unprecedented verification provisions. This comprehensive verification regime greatly reduces the likelihood that violations would go undetected. -- START bans the encryption and encapsulation of telemetric information and other forms of information denial on flight tests of ballistic missiles. However, strictly limited exemptions to this ban are granted sufficient to protect the flight-testing of sensitive research projects. -- START allows 12 different types of on-site inspections and requires roughly 60 different types of notifications covering production, testing, movement, deployment, and destruction of strategic offensive arms. START will have a duration of 15 years, unless it is superseded by a subsequent agreement. If the sides agree, the treaty may be extended for successive 5-year periods beyond the 15 years. Noncircumvention and Third Countries START prohibits the transfer of strategic offensive arms to third countries, except that the treaty will not interfere with existing patterns of cooperation. In addition, the treaty prohibits the permanent basing of strategic offensive arms outside the national territory of each side. Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCM's) START does not directly count or limit ALCM's. ALCM's are limited indirectly through their association with heavy bombers. -- Only nuclear-armed ALCM's with a range in excess of 600 km are covered by START. -- Long-range, conventionally armed ALCM's that are distinguishable from nuclear-armed ALCM's are not affected. -- Long-range nuclear-armed ALCM's may not be located at air bases for heavy bombers not accountable as being equipped for such ALCM's. -- Multiple warhead long-range nuclear ALCM's are banned. Sea Launched Cruise Missiles (SLCM's) SLCMs are not constrained by the treaty. However, each side has made a politically binding declaration as to its plans for the deployment of nuclear-armed SLCM's. Conventionally-armed SLCM's are not subject to such a declaration. -- Each side will make an annual declaration of the maximum number of nuclear-armed SLCM's with a range greater than 600 km that it plans to deploy for each of the following 5 years. -- This number will not be greater than 880 long-range nuclear-armed SLCM's. -- In addition, as a confidence building measure, nuclear-armed SLCM's with a range of 300 - 600 km will be the subject of a confidential annual data exchange. The Soviet Backfire bomber is not constrained by the treaty. However, the Soviet side has made a politically binding declaration that it will not deploy more than 800 air force and 200 naval Backfire bombers, and that these bombers will not be given intercontinental capability. The START agreement consists of the treaty document itself and a number of associated documents. Together they total more than 700 pages. The treaty was signed in a public ceremony by Presidents Bush and Gorbachev in St. Vladimir's Hall in the Kremlin. The associated documents were signed in a private ceremony at Novo Ogaryevo, President Gorbachev's weekend dacha. Seven of these documents were signed by Presidents Bush and Gorbachev. Three associated agreements were signed by Secretary Baker and Foreign Minister Bessmertnykh. In addition, the START negotiators, Ambassadors Brooks and Nazarkin, exchanged seven letters related to START in a separate event at the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow. Magnitude of START -- Accountable Reductions Following is the aggregate data from the Memorandum of Understanding, based upon agreed counting rules in START. (Because of those counting rules, the number of heavy bomber weapons actually deployed may be higher than the number shown in the aggregate.) This data is effective as of September 1990 (TABLE START)and will be updated at entry into force: Delivery Vehicles .... 2,246 .... 2,500 Warheads .... 10,563 .... 10,271 Ballistic Missile Warheads .... 8,210 .... 9,416 Heavy ICBM's/Warheads .... None .... 308/3080 Throw-weight (metric tons) .... 2,361.3 .... 6,626.3 As a result of the treaty, the above values will be reduced by the following percentages: Delivery Vehicles .... 29 percent .... 36 percent Warheads .... 43 percent .... 41 percent Ballistic Missile Warheads .... 40 percent .... 48 percent Heavy ICBM's/Warheads .... None .... 50 percent Throw-weight (metric tons) .... None .... 46 percent

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative A national working group has begun the Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative (CCCII) to develop and disseminate resources and guidelines to assist Catholic elementary and secondary schools in integrating elements of Catholic identity (Catholic values, Scripture, Church social teachings, encyclicals, etc.) into curriculum and instruction based on the Common Core State Standards. The initial phase of CCCII focuses on K-8 English/Language Arts/ Literacy. Resources for other subjects and for 9-12 curriculum will be developed in later phases. Forty-six states have agreed to adopt the Common Core State Standards, a set of high quality K-12 learning standards that includes rigorous content and application of knowledge using higher-order thinking skills, leading students to college and career readiness. Currently, Catholic schools are assessing what the implications of the standards and accompanying assessments may be for them. While Catholic schools have their own local or diocesan standards, their ability to continue to provide high-quality education for their students is compelling them to consider adoption of the common core standards. Catholic schools will be impacted as curriculum resources and professional development opportunities become aligned with Common Core State Standards by producers of instructional materials, college teacher preparation programs, or regulations for participation in the federal programs that currently benefit their students and teachers. Within this environment, maintaining the uniqueness and integrity of the Catholic school will require integrating the demands of their mission and the academic expectations of their constituents and the wider education community. To assist Catholic schools with enhancing Catholic identity integrated into the curriculum, the Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative (CCCII) has been launched as a collaborative project involving Catholic universities, corporations and sponsors invested in Catholic education, and the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). The Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative has two goals: - to empower Catholic schools and dioceses to design and direct the implementation of the Common Core standards within the culture and context of a Catholic school curriculum - to infuse the Common Core standards with the faith/principles/values/social justice themes inherent in the mission and Catholic identity of the school. The CCCII project aims to accomplish its goals by creating a process and a product: Phase 1: Gather approximately 35 practitioners and curriculum and catechetics experts to pilot a CCCII ELA Unit development process to be shared with the larger Catholic educational community. (June 2012) Phase 2: Revise and refine the unit development process so that it can be replicated in dioceses around the country. Phase 3: Invite participation in development of additional CCCII ELA Units by Catholic educators around the country. Phase 1: Utilize the expertise and strength of experienced and innovative teachers to develop complete units/exemplars that join Catholic identify with the Common Core curriculum standards. Utilize the expertise of CCCII leaders to develop supporting resources and guidelines. (June 2012) Phase 2: Post exemplar units, guidelines, and resources developed in for the June 2012 launch for open access by Catholic educators on the Catholic School Standards Project Website www.catholicschoolsstandards.org) . (July 2012) Phase 3: Expand exemplar units and Catholic Identity resources available for use by local Catholic schools. Tailor the CCCII Unit development process for Catholic secondary schools. Expand CCCII to include additional subject areas. Meet the CCCII Leadership and Planning Teams

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Instructors: Andrea Dykstra, Curt Van Dam, Kelli Ten Haken and Tami De Jong 1. Students will gain interest in the Unit on Alaska. 2. Students will be introduced to Alaska and the Iditarod race that takes place in Alaska every year. 3. Students will be able to appreciate the beauty of Godís creation in Alaska. 4. Students will be able to see Godís majesty and power in their personal experiences. In this lesson, the students will discuss what they know about Alaska. They will watch a movie and then discuss how God shows His power and majesty through creation. Next, they will be introduced to the Iditarod race by reading a story and then the teachers will explain the game the students will play about the Iditarod through the unit. At the end of class, students will have a chance to start work on their maps of Alaska and then the teachers will end in closing prayer. - Psalm 19:1- The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. - Other Scripture references that can be used through out the unit: The Creation story in Gen. 1 and 2 Alaska: Spirit of the Wild 2. DVD player 5. Learning center and trade books 6. Example of the Iditarod Game 7. Book: Iditarod Dream by Ted Wood 8. Overhead projector, overhead and pen 9. Construction paper 10. Markers, crayons, colored pencils 1. On the first day of this unit, teachers should enter the room dressed in parkas, snowshoes, scarves, mittens; anything that looks like what people in Alaska would wear. Motion for the student to sit down. Once they are quiet, ask them where they think the teachers are from and how they came to this conclusion. We would expect conclusions such as the Artic, Antarctica, and possibly Alaska. 2. Have students take out a sheet of paper and write five things down that come to their minds when they think of Alaska. Have them get into groups of three and share what they wrote with their group. The students will be encouraged to share the combined ideas from their group with the whole class. The teacher will write down these ideas on the overhead. 3. Explain to the students that they are going to be learning about all of these of these things and even more about Alaska in the upcoming unit. 4. Have each student write down one or two things about Alaska they would like to know more about. Suggest ideas such as: What sports do they play in Alaska? How many people live there? Is it really cold and snowy year round? Take these ideas into consideration when planning the rest of the unit. 1. Put in the DVD Alaska: Sprit of the Wild. Students will watch the movie. It is forty minutes long. Before they watch it, share with them the beauty that can be found in Alaska. Tell them to look specifically for how they can see God in the things that are shown on the film. 2. After the movie, discuss with the students what they thought of the movie. Ask them questions such as what surprised you about this film? What did you learn about Alaska that you didnít know before? What can we discover about God by watching this movie? How can we get to know God better by studying Alaska? 3. Read Psalm 19:1 aloud. Read it again, this time have the students say it after you. Ask them how this verse relates to Alaska. Hopefully they will make the connection that creation shouts Godís praise. Alaska is so beautiful; this reflects on Godís majesty, creativity and mercy. God loves us enough to give us beautiful creation simply so we can enjoy it. We can see his fingerprints in Alaska. 4. Read Psalm 8 aloud. Again, ask them how this verse relates to Alaska. They will probably have similar responses as above in step three. Share a personal experience of how he/ she has seen Godís power and majesty in His creation. - For example, this is my own experience; you could share something similar to it: One time I climbed the highpoint of Colorado with my dad. We started hiking before the sun was up. As we were walking along the ridge of the mountain, the sun began to rise; the colors were brilliant! We kept on hiking and hiking. I was getting tired and hungry but soon we came close to the top. As I climbed up the last little peak and the top of the mountain, I looked out and the view was breathtaking!!! I had never seen so many snow capped mountains before. Sitting up there on the mountaintop, I felt such a joy and peace. What a great God I serve! He created all of this; His creation alone is enough to tell of His majesty. 5. Ask the students if any of them have had an experience like this; encourage them to share if they would like. 6. Encourage them to find other verses that could relate to our study of Alaska and bring them to class tomorrow to share. 1. Introduce the Iditarod race the studentís will be learning about by reading the book Iditarod Dream by Ted Wood. As you are reading, stop periodically through out the book and ask them to jot down a few of their thoughts. At the end of the book ask them to share a few thoughts they wrote down about the book. 2. Introduce the game the students will be playing throughout the unit. Tell the students they will be having their own Iditarod race in the classroom. Each student will make a map of Alaska on construction paper. On this map, they will draw the trail of the Iditarod race. They will have to map out the different checkpoints of the race on their trails. It is their job to find out how many miles are between each checkpoint and how many miles they can travel in one day. 3. Each day the students will move their markers on their maps how ever many miles we decide as a class they can travel in one day. Every morning the students will receive a ďracerís fateĒ card. These cards will say various things such as, ďyour dog has broken a leg, move back twenty milesĒ, or ď you have found an extra bundle of food on the trail, move ahead twelve milesĒ. The students will have to keep track of where they are on the trail on their own maps and on a large map on the classroom bulletin board. 4. Each afternoon, students will have an opportunity to receive another card if they got their homework done on time that day. This card could be good or bad, but the students get to decide if they want to take it. 5. This activity will be incorporated into language arts. The students will be keeping a race journal. As they play this game they can write their feelings about the race in the journal as if they were an actual racer. 6. This game will also be incorporated into math. Students will need to do calculations to play the game correctly. They will also discover how to find median, mean and using the game. 1. The students will begin making their maps of Alaska for the Iditarod game. The outline of the map of Alaska will be projected on the overhead so the students have something to follow when they draw. Copies of the outline of this map will be available for students to trace if they do not want to draw the map freehand. 2. The students can use crayons or colored pencils to make their maps on. 3. The trail outline and check points will be labeled on the overhead map, but the students will need to research how many miles are in between each check point in a later class 1. Read Psalm 8 one more time and end in prayer, thanking God for His creativity that is evident in all of creation, especially as it has been seen in Alaska today. 1. Students can do more research about the real Iditarod race on the Internet. 2. Students can read one of the many books about Alaska set up in the learning center. 3. Students can complete any activity set up in the learning center, including: math story problems, language arts writing activities, and social studies and science 1. Observe how much students participate in the lesson. Have one teacher walk around with a checklist and put checks by the names of the students who are on task and participating by sharing, asking questions, diligently listening. 2. Observe how diligently students work on their maps. Check the next day to see if they have completed them. Give them a check if they are finished and are done Lesson Plans Unit Outline Home Page Trade Books Learning Center

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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Young Kids May Be Able to Unbuckle Car Seats Survey of Parents Finds Some Kids May Be Unbuckling While Car Is in Motion May 2, 2011 -- Children as young as 1 year old can unbuckle themselves from car safety seats, a new survey of parents finds. "We found that children can unbuckle from their child car safety seats by their fourth birthday, and there is an alarming 43% who do so when the car is in motion," says researcher Lilia Reyes, MD, a clinical fellow in pediatric emergency medicine at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven. "It was reported as early as 12 months." The findings are being presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver. Child Car Seats: How Secure? While working in the pediatric emergency room at Yale, Reyes encountered two different mothers who had minor car accidents. They told her it happened when they turned their heads around after discovering their kids had unbuckled themselves. Trying to determine how frequently it happened, she and her colleagues from Yale surveyed 378 parents of young children. Among the other findings: - 51% or about 191 families reported that at least one of their children had unbuckled their car seats. Of these, 75% were age 3 or younger. The youngest was 12 months old. - Boys unbuckled more than girls; 59% of the kids who unbuckled were boys. Parents were not asked if they were sure they had buckled correctly, Reyes tells WebMD. So there is a possibility the children weren't buckled in correctly. But parents do typically hear a click, like a seat safety belt, when the buckle latches, she says. The problem, she says, is that while children may be able to physically unbuckle the seat, they are just beginning, at around age 3, to develop reasoning skills to appreciate the consequences of unbuckling. Parents used seats of various types. They included the five-point harness, convertible seats, and booster seats, depending on their child's age and weight. Are Car Seats Really Buckled? ''This study raises questions about how the child restraint was used," says Lorrie Walker, training manager and technical advisor for Safe Kids USA, an advocacy group. "Federal motor vehicle safety standard 213 requires the buckle to release using between 9 and 14 pounds of pressure," she says. "It is often challenging for an adult to unbuckle the harness." She wonders if the buckle was not adequately locked in some cases. "A buckle may give the appearance of being buckled when it has not completely latched," she tells WebMD. Among the mistakes many parents make when placing a child in a car seat she says, is to loosely attach the harness straps or place the straps in the wrong harness slots. If these mistakes occur, she says, it makes it easy for a child to climb out. The finding that a child as young as age 1 could unbuckle the seat is a surprise to Jennifer Stockburger, program manager of vehicle and child safety for Consumer Reports. She reviewed the findings for WebMD but was not involved in the study.

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GEF and UNEP Launch Global Platform for Efficient Lighting 25 September 2009: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have launched the “Global Market Transformation for Efficient Lighting Platform,” a public-private partnership directed at reducing global energy demand for lighting. The Platform aims to transform lighting markets, primarily in developing countries, by fostering the usage and production of energy efficient lighting while gradually discontinuing use of incandescent lighting, and substituting traditional fuel-based lighting with modern, efficient alternatives such as solid-state lighting (SSL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps. It is hoped that, through these efforts, global demand for lighting energy can eventually be reduced by up to 18 percent. In attendance for the event was UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, who noted that “in terms of climate change, this is among the lowest of low-hanging fruit. Eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked with lighting; this project can by 2014 make a big dent in these while saving people money too.” [UN News Centre] [GEF press release]

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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Tornadoes are the most intense storms on the planet, and they’re never discussed without at least some mention of the term wind shear. Many of us sitting at home, though, have no idea what wind shear is, or if we do, how it affects tornado production. What is Wind Shear Wind shear, although it might sound complex, is a simple concept. Wind shear is merely the change in wind with height, in terms of wind direction and speed. I think that we all understand that the wind is generally stronger in the atmosphere over our heads than it is here on the ground, and if we think of the atmosphere in terms of the three dimensions that it has, it should not be surprising that the wind above us might also be blowing from a different direction than the wind at the ground. When that happens–the wind speed and direction vary with height–wind shear is occurring. Wind Shear and Supercell Thunderstorms This wind shear is an important part of the process in the development of a supercell thunderstorm, from which the vast majority of strong tornadoes form. All thunderstorms are produced by a powerful updraft–a surge of air that rises from the ground into the upper levels of the atmosphere, and when this updraft forms in an area where wind shear is present, the updraft is influence by this speed and different direction of the wind above, pushing the column of air in the updraft into a more vertical alignment. Rain’s Influence on Tornado Production Needless to say, thunderstorms typically produce very heavy rain, and rain-cooled air is much heavier than the warm air of the updraft, so the rain-cooled air, produces a compensating downdraft (what comes up, must come down). This downdraft pushes the part of the rotating air that was forced in its direction by the stronger wind aloft downward, and the result is a horizontal column of rotating air. That’s Not a Tornado! I know what you’re thinking that you’ve seen enough TLC or Discovery Channel shows to know that a horizontal column of air is NOT a tornado; you need a vertical column of air. This Can Be a Tornado You’re right, but remember the updraft that is driving the thunderstorm is still working, and it’s able to pull the horizontal, spinning column of air into the thunderstorm, resulting in a vertical column of spinning air. (NOAA image showing vertical column of air in a supercell thunderstorm) The result is a rotating thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado, and it would not be possible without wind shear. (NOAA image showing tornado formation in supercell thunderstorm)

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Reversal of fortune To unlock the vast, untapped potential of the world’s drylands, we must learn from the people who live in them, says Dr Jonathan Davies. Drylands are a major global biome, home to a great diversity of species and some of our most treasured natural heritage. They are also home to over 2 billion people and in the developing world in particular they are associated with poverty and social inequity. Global development and environment goals are not being met in the drylands: by 2015 many dryland regions are set to fail to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, whilst progress towards the goals and objectives of the UN environmental conventions (the Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity in particular) is generally poor. Recent experiences in the drylands of emerging countries, such as China and India, illustrate that economic development in drylands can outpace that in areas that are usually considered “high potential”. Although development is often associated with degradation, experiences in Sub Saharan Africa illustrate that economic development can be greatly enhanced through protection of biodiversity as a source of income. By taking an even broader, global view of drylands and examining industrialised dryland countries, it becomes clear that for every seemingly-insurmountable challenge we are able to find evidence of a viable solution somewhere in the world. To address the challenges of the drylands, we need to understand their unique features and how these have to be managed. Perhaps the most important of these is climate unpredictability: the amount of precipitation varies enormously between areas, between seasons and between years. The sheer magnitude of this uncertainty is hard to grasp, but in many drylands the normal range of rainfall, drought-years aside, can be plus or minus 50% of the average. Yet development in many water-deficit areas continues to favour agricultural practices that expose farmers to huge risks whilst simultaneously degrading the natural resource base on which they depend. Climate change is a cause for concern in dryland areas, but also an opportunity for new approaches and new learning that illustrate the value of dryland areas. Dryland ecosystems and people are highly adaptable and can survive in their uncertain climate.. Whether drylands become wetter or drier as a result of climate change, they will almost invariably become more unpredictable and their adaptive capacity will be vital to their future. Drylands more than any other ecosystem have the capacity to deal with that unpredictability and we have a great deal to learn from them. Contrary to popular perception, drylands are not necessarily poverty traps. Dryland ecosystems and their goods and services already contribute significantly to national and international economies. The vibrant tourism sector in Eastern and Southern Africa relies heavily on the biodiversity of drylands. Globally-important dryland commodities include grain, meat and milk and dryland goods like Gum Arabic, Henna, Aloe, and Frankincense. Recent years have seen the commercial development of natural medicines from drylands, and untold numbers of medicinal plants remain un-researched, known only to the dryland inhabitants who have used and conserved them for centuries. Local knowledge of the drylands is rich and is a powerful resource to be harnessed. There has been a tendency to dismiss this knowledge, because local dryland practices have been portrayed as backward or inappropriate and in need of replacing. The current emergency in the Horn of Africa graphically illustrates the outcome of this attitude: populations are exposed to insupportable risk as a result of losing their traditional strategies and being pushed into new ways of life that simply don’t work. Where people are driven towards catastrophe it is almost guaranteed that the environment will face similar consequences. Customs and cultures that are intimately connected to biodiversity become contorted into a system of pure survival where respect for the environment becomes an unaffordable luxury. The scientific explanation of the rationale behind traditional strategies has been known for long enough to develop innovative new approaches to sustainable drylands management. Development support has to enable management of the extreme climatic uncertainty of drylands and needs to be built on understanding of the drivers of continuous change in dryland ecosystems. These are dynamic ecosystems in which adaptation and flexibility are pre-requisites for survival. We need to learn from past failures and successes and ensure that development and humanitarian interventions recognize dryland characteristics and build on local knowledge and capacity to turn the existing opportunities into equitable and sustainable wealth creation. In particular we need to generate greater awareness of the tremendous opportunities for strengthening biodiversity-based livelihoods to diversify dryland economies and strengthen resilience. IUCN’s vision 2020 emphasizes the need to strengthen the Union’s work on conserving the diversity of life while also connecting nature conservation to wider societal objectives such as security and poverty reduction. This vision cannot be reached if we fail to understand and address the unique challenges of the drylands. IUCN, with its great diversity of members and commission members, has a vital role to play in securing effective global action to address dryland issues and in enabling dryland communities to develop their nature-based solutions to risk management and sustainable development. Dr Jonathan Davies is Coordinator of IUCN’s Global Drylands Initiative.

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|Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) Detachment Signs and Symptoms In most instances, serous detachment of the RPE occurs asymptomatically. Only in those cases in which the macula is affected will patients report blurred vision, metamorphopsia, micropsia, or positive scotomas. Other associated clinical findings may include induced hyperopia and delayed retinal recovery time on the photostress test. Most individuals with RPE detachment are male, between the ages of 20 and 60 years. The history often reveals predisposing or concurrent ocular conditions such as macular degeneration, idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (ICSC), angioid streaks, presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (POHS), or hereditary choroidal degeneration. In other cases, the condition occurs idiopathically. RPE detachment appears ophthalmoscopically as single or multiple, well-circumscribed round or oval lesions within the posterior fundus. The lesions are typically dome-shaped with slight elevation and appear yellow to orange in color. A reddish "halo" is often seen around the base of the detachment, and overlying pigment defects such as clumping or mottling are commonplace. Lesions may vary in size from one-fifth to over 5 disc diameters (DD), but most are less than 1 DD. Fluorescein and indocyanine green (ICG) angiography show early hyperfluorescence of the entire RPE detachment, which persists throughout the angiogram demonstrating late pooling. Leakage into the sensory retina occurs only in cases of concurrent serous retinal detachment. RPE detachment is a non-specific anatomical alteration that may result from any number of choroidal disorders that disrupt the normal junction between the basement membrane of the RPE and the inner collagenous layer of Bruchs membrane. This disruption permits serous fluid from the underlying choriocapillaris to gain access into the sub-RPE space. Age-related macular degeneration, choroidal neovascular membranes, high myopia, angioid streaks, hereditary choroidal degeneration, POHS, and tumors of the choroid have all been identified as precipitating conditions in the development of RPE detachment. Idiopathic cases are sometimes associated with ICSC; some believe these two conditions to represent a continuum of a similar underlying pathology. Uncomplicated idiopathic serous detachments of the RPE often resolve spontaneously, however, those associated with more generalized damage to the choriocapillaris may be complicated by hemorrhage, choroidal neovascular membrane formation, and disciform scarring. Most patients under the age of 55 who present with small serous RPE detachments without evidence of other retinal or choroidal disease enjoy an excellent prognosis without intervention. This is particularly true if the lesion is outside of the fovea and there is no associated subretinal fluid. Older patients who manifest RPE detachment without angiographic evidence of a choroidal neovascular membrane have a 25-30 percent chance of developing such membranes during their lifetime, and therefore warrant careful observation as well as weekly home monitoring with an Amsler grid. Those patients over the age of 55 who present with associated choroidal neovascular membranes and/or hemorrhagic RPE detachments have an exceedingly poor visual prognosis. Focal laser photocoagulation is indicated for these patients. Approximately 90 percent of cases of RPE detachment have or will manifest concurrent serous retinal detachment over the natural history of the disorder. In cases of idiopathic RPE detachment, a striking similarity with ICSC is seen in the predisposed patient population; i.e. male, average age of 44 years, and a moderate to severe emotional stress level. The presentation of RPE detachment is quite characteristic. Nonetheless, one must be sure to rule out other conditions that may appear similar from an ophthalmoscopic perspective. These include: ICSC, malignant melanoma, metastatic carcinoma, choroidal hemangioma, and Bests disease (vitelliform dystrophy). History and angiography are the most helpful factors in making this RPE detachment in patients over 55 years of age should be considered secondary to choroidal neovascular membrane, rather than idiopathic, until proven otherwise. Prompt fluorescein angiography is mandatory in these cases. Other reports in this section

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First - you might want to redefine you search. Are you looking for happiness or rather positive affect? Happiness is fairly ambigious term, and it's much more associated with positive psychology studies on well-being. If you are interested in more global definition of happiness, check the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. On the other hand, there is a large number of studies on physiological measurements of positive affect. One such physiological measurement is Electromyography (EMG) - recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG will detect very brief smiles or higher activity in cheek muscles (zygomaticus major) which are correlated with positive affect. There is quite classic (but very quoted) paper on that: Cacioppo JT, Petty RE, Losch ME, Kim HS. (1986) Electromyographic Activity Over Facial Muscle Regions Can Differentiate the Valence and Intensity of Affective Reactions. J Pers Soc Psychol., 50(2):260-8. download Another simple physiological assesment is heart rate measured by the interbeat interval (IBI). For example, study by Brosschot & Thayer (2003) shows that heart rate response is longer after negative emotions than after positive emotions. Brosschot JF, Thayer JF. (2003) Heart rate response is longer after negative emotions than after positive emotions. Int J Psychophysiol., In fact, the full spectrum of somatic measurements have been used along heart rate including pulse transmission time to the finger, skin conductance level or pupil dilation (Partala, 2003). All those are a bit less reliable methods and usually they detect arousal rather then indicate physiological differences between positive and negative affect. Partala T.; Surakka V. (2003) Pupil size variation as an indication of affective processing. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, Finally, I would advise browsing literature on measurements of negative affect. You are likely to find some interesting methods there, like in this paper on the psychophysiology of crying (Gross et al., 1994). Gross JJ, Frederickson BL, Levenson RW. (1994) The psychophysiology of crying. Psychophysiology, 31(5):460-8. download

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Is this bone a Neanderthal flute? Cave Bear femur fragment from Slovenia, 43+kya DOUBTS AIRED OVER NEANDERTHAL BONE 'FLUTE' (AND REPLY BY MUSICOLOGIST BOB FINK) Science News 153 (April 4, 1998): 215. By B. Bower Amid much media fanfare, a research team in 1996 trumpeted an ancient, hollowed out bear bone pierced on one side with four complete or partial holes as the earliest known musical instrument. The perforated bone, found in an Eastern European cave, represents a flute made and played by Neandertals at least 43,000 ye us ago, the scientists contended. Now it's time to stop the music, say two archaeologists who examined the purported flute last spring. On closer inspection, the bone appears to have been punctured and gnawed by the teeth of an animal -- perhaps a wolf -- as it stripped the limb of meat and marrow report, April Nowell and Philip G. Chase, both of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. "The bone was heavily chewed by one or more carnivores, creating holes that became more rounded due to natural processes after burial," Nowell says. "It provides very weak evidence for the origins of [Stone Age] music." Nowell presented the new analysis at the annual meeting of the Paleoanthropology Society in Seattle last week. Nowell and Chase examined the bone with the permission of its discoverer, Ivan Turk of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences in Ljubljana (S.N.: 11/23/96, p. 328). Turk knows of their conclusion but still views the specimen as a flute. Both open ends of the thighbone contain clear signs of gnawing by carnivores, Nowell asserts. Wolves and other animals typically bite off nutrient-rich tissue at the ends of limb bones and extract available marrow. If Neandertals had hollowed out the bone and fashioned holes in it, animals would not have bothered to gnaw it, she says. Complete and partial holes on the bone's shaft were also made by carnivores, says Nowell. Carnivores typically break open bones with their scissor like cheek teeth. Uneven bone thickness and signs of wear along the borders of the holes, products of extended burial in the soil, indicate that openings made by cheek teeth were at first less rounded and slightly smaller, the researchers hold. Moreover, the simultaneous pressure of an upper and lower tooth produced a set of opposing holes, one partial and one complete, they maintain. Prehistoric, carnivore-chewed bear bones in two Spanish caves display circular punctures aligned in much the same way as those on the Slovenian find. In the March Antiquity, Francesco d'Errico of the Institute of Quaternary Prehistory and Geology in Talence, France, and his colleagues describe the Spanish bones. In a different twist, Bob Fink, an independent musicologist in Canada, has reported on the Internet (http://www.webster.sk.ca/greenwich/fl-compl.htm) that the spacing of the two complete and two partial holes on the back of the Slovenian bone conforms to musical notes on the diatonic (do, re, mi. . .) scale. The bone is too short to incorporate the diatonic scale's seven notes, counter Nowell and Chase. Working with Pennsylvania musicologist Robert Judd, they estimate that the find's 5.7-inch length is less than half that needed to cover the diatonic spectrum. The recent meeting presentation is "a most convincing analysis," comments J. Desmond Clark of the University of California, Berkeley, although it's possible that Neandertals blew single notes through carnivore-chewed holes in the bone. "We can't exclude that possibility," Nowell responds. "But it's a big leap of faith to conclude that this was an intentionally constructed flute." TO THE EDITOR, SCIENCE NEWS (REPLY BY BOB FINK, May 1998) (See an update of this discussion on Bob Fink's web site, November 2000) The doubts raised by Nowell and Chase (April 4th, DOUBTS AIRED OVER NEANDERTHAL BONE 'FLUTE') saying the Neanderthal Bone is not a flute have these weaknesses: The alignment of the holes -- all in a row, and all of equivalent diameter, appear to be contrary to most teeth marks, unless some holes were made independently by several animals. The latter case boggles the odds for the holes ending up being in line. It also would be strange that animals homed in on this one bone in a cave full of bones, where no reports of similarly chewed bones have been made. This claim is harder to believe when it is calculated that chances for holes to be arranged, by chance, in a pattern that matches the spacings of 4 notes of a diatonic flute, are only one in hundreds to occur . The analysis I made on the Internet (http://www.webster.sk.ca/greenwich/fl-compl.htm) regarding the bone being capable of matching 4 notes of the do, re, mi (diatonic) scale included the possibility that the bone was extended with another bone "mouthpiece" sufficiently long to make the notes sound fairly in tune. While Nowell says "it's a big leap of faith to conclude that this was an intentionally constructed flute," it's a bigger leap of faith to accept the immense coincidence that animals blindly created a hole-spacing pattern with holes all in line (in what clearly looks like so many other known bone flutes which are made to play notes in a step-wise scale) and blindly create a pattern that also could play a known acoustic scale if the bone was extended. That's too much coincidence for me to accept. It is more likely that it is an intentionally made flute, although admittedly with only the barest of clues regarding its original condition. The 5.7 inch figure your article quoted appears erroneous, as the centimeter scale provided by its discoverer, Ivan Turk, indicates the artifact is about 4.3 inches long. However, the unbroken femur would originally have been about 8.5 inches, and the possibility of an additional hole or two exists, to complete a full scale, perhaps aided by the possible thumbhole. However, the full diatonic spectrum is not required as indicated by Nowell and Chase: It could also have been a simpler (but still diatonic) 4 or 5 note scale. Such short-scale flutes are plentiful in homo sapiens history. Finally, a worn-out or broken flute bone can serve as a scoop for manipulation of food, explaining why animals might chew on its ends later. It is also well-known that dogs chase and maul even sticks, despite their non-nutritional nature. What appears "weak" is not the case for a flute, but the case against it by Nowell and Chase. Letter to the Editor: Antiquity Journal: "A Bone to Pick" By Bob Fink I have a bone to pick with Francesco d'Errico's viewpoint in the March issue of Antiquity (article too long to reproduce here) regarding the Neanderthal flute found in Slovenia by Ivan Turk. D'Errico argues the bone artifact is not a flute. D'Errico omits dealing with the best evidence that this bone find is a flute. Regarding the most important evidence, that of the holes being lined up, neither d'Errico nor Turk make mention of this. This line-up is remarkable especially if they were made by more than one carnivore, which apparently they'd have to be, based on Turk's analysis of the center-spans of the holes precluding their being made by a single carnivore or bite (Turk,* pp.171-175). To account for this possible difficulty, some doubters do mention "one or more" carnivores (Chase & Nowell, Science News 4/4/98). My arguments over the past year pointed out the mathematical odds of the lining up of the holes occurring by chance-chewing are too difficult to believe. The Appendix in my essay ("Neanderthal Flute --A Musicological Analysis") proves that the number of ways a set of 4 random holes could be differently spaced (to produce an audibly different set of tones) are 680 ways. The chances a random set would match the existing fragment's spacing [which also could produce a match to four diatonic notes of the scale] are therefore only one in hundreds. If, in calculating the odds, you also allowed the holes to be out of line, or to be less than 4 holes as well, then the chance of a line-up match is only one from many tens of thousands. And yet randomness and animal bites still are acceptable to account for holes being in line that could also play some notes of the scale? This is too much coincidence for me to believe occurred by chance. D'Errico mentions my essay in his article and what he thought it was about, but he overstates my case into being a less believable one. My case simply was that if the bone was long enough (or a shorter bone extended by a mouthpiece insert) then the 4 holes would be consistent and in tune with the sounds of Do, Re, Mi, Fa (or flat Mi, Fa, Sol, and flat La in a minor scale). In the 5 points I list below, extracted from Turk's monograph in support of this being a flute, d'Errico omits dealing with much of the first, and all of the second, fourth and sixth points. Turk & Co's monograph shows the presence on site of boring tools, and includes experiments made by Turk's colleague Guiliano Bastiani who successfully produced similar holes in fresh bone using tools of the type found at the site (pp. 176-78 Turk). They also wrote (pp. 171-75) that: 1. The center-to-center distances of the holes in the artifact are smaller than that of the tooth spans of most carnivores. The smallest tooth spans they found were 45mm, and the holes on the bone are 35mm (or less) apart; 2. Holes bitten are usually at the ends of bones rather than in the center of them; 3. There is an absence of dents, scratches and other signs of gnawing and counter-bites on the artifact; 4. The center-to-center distances do not correspond to the spans of carnivores which could pierce the bone; 5. The diameters of the holes are greater than that producible by a wolf exerting the greatest jaw pressure it had available -- it's doubtful that a wolf's jaws would be strong enough (like a hyena's) to have made the holes, especially in the thickest part of the wall of the artifact. 6. If you accept one or more carnivores, then why did they over-target one bone, when there were so many other bones in the cave site? Only about 4.5% of the juvenile bones were chewed or had holes, according to Turk (p. 117). * Turk, Ivan (ed.) (1997). Mousterian Bone Flute. Znanstvenoraziskovalni Center Sazu, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Maintained by Francis F. Steen, Communication Studies, University of California Los Angeles

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The plant collections of the Smithsonian Institution began with the acquisition of specimens collected by the United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842). These formed the foundation of a national herbarium which today numbers 4.8 million historical plant records, placing it among the world's largest and most important. Nearly 800,000 specimen records (including over 90,000 type specimens with images) are currently available in this online catalog. Select a tab on this page to search by Keyword or Selected Fields. If you don't know what you want to see, you may want to look at the sample records in the Quick Browse section below. Searches are limited to 2000 records and the results are sorted by taxonomic group. If you need to retrieve a larger record set, contact the Department of Botany's Data Manager. See the Help tab to learn more about searching and then exploring your returned results (sorting, exporting, etc.). ||Sample Records from the DC Flora Collection ||2205692 2197595 2191752 2175968 2213272 2196389 2200318 2192830 2219158 2200909 2208745 2223985 2175937 2192264 2220376 ||Sample Records from the Botanical Type Register ||2119407 2149872 2161549 2790611 2105614 2099734 2134596 2116358 2166713 2151580 2158541 2143664 2097212 2076608 2167306 2121665 2095940 2075490 ||Sample Records from the Wilkes Expedition ||2524597 2705372 2705371 2743367 2699717 2741233 2741229 2733613 2741227 2680776 2741226 2741217 2741216 2687168 2702446 2684992 2680753 2680752 2741176 2741175 2693758 2680751 2678261 Enter your keywords separated by spaces and click Search. Records that match your search terms will be returned. - Using parentheses to clarify the logic, you can create complex queries with OR and NOT (here capital letters are required, otherwise they will be treated as keyword terms). - You can also use double-quotes to specify terms that should be treated as one. - Lastly, you can include the terms image(s) or type(s) to find records that have images or that are type specimens. Note that searching for common (vernacular) names may not yield the expected results. Associating common names with specimen records is a work in progress. Keyword search example: marantaceae ("new guinea" OR australia) images Use the By Field search to find specimen data that match values in specific database fields. Enter a value or choose one from the dropdown lists. - Click the Search button to initiate a search. Clear resets all fields. - Some lists are linked, so for example, choosing a Country narrows the choices for Province/State/Territory, and District/County. Dropdown choices also narrow as you type, for example, typing zing in the Family field might narrow the choice to Zingiberaceae. - Note that the Province/State dropdown is populated only after you have chosen a Country. You can type a Province/State without selecting a Country. - Check Only Records with Images if you want to restrict the search to records with multimedia content. - You will receive a warning when you enter invalid information in the text fields. For example, Catalog Numbers are composed strictly of letters and numbers; other characters will raise a warning. The results of your searches can be displayed in Grid (a sortable, customizable table) or Gallery View (best for reviewing images). Use the Switch button to cycle between these views. - You can choose whether to display 5, 10, 20, 50, or 100 records at a time. In Sheet View: - Click on the scientific name to view the full record. - Click on the thumbnail to view larger resolutions of the image. Use Control+Click (Command+Click) to open a new browser tab. In Grid View: - You can choose the columns to display from any column's dropdown menu (mouse into a column header and click the dropdown icon). Under Columns, click the name to display or hide the field (you do not need to click the checkbox specifically). - You can drag a column header to change its order of appearance in the grid. - You can also drag the edge of a column to make it wider or narrower. - Click in the expansion () column to view the full record. In Gallery View: - Click the image to view the full record. See Exporting Results for information on downloading results to, for example, Excel or Google Earth. Open the full collection record by clicking the expansion button () in Grid View, on the scientific name in Sheet View, or anywhere within the image frame in Gallery View. Inverse expansion buttons () indicate records with multimedia (typically, images). - In the Record window, metadata for the multimedia content is available when you mouseover the thumbnail. - Clicking the thumbnail opens the content in your browser or other appropriate application. - Record windows may be resized or moved within the browser window. - You may have up to ten Record windows open at any one time. Sort results in Grid View by clicking the column header (or by choosing Sort from the column's dropdown menu). - Sort on multiple columns by consecutively sorting columns in reverse order. For example, to view results sorted by Country and Province/State, first sort by Province/State and then sort again by Country. - For any column you can choose to sort in Ascending or Descending order. Export all or selected results by clicking the Export Results as CSV button in the bottom toolbar in Grid, or Gallery View. - Select individual records for Export by checking the export selection box (along the left edge of the Grid View grid). - Clear all selections with the Clear Selections button in the bottom toolbar. - Results are exported as comma-separated-values, one record per line, which can be saved to disk or opened directly with applications such as Microsoft Excel. You can also export all or selected results to a KML file for viewing with Google Earth or other KML viewers, by clicking the Export as KML button. This button is grayed when all or selected results lack latitude/longitude values. To create a link to specific records at NMNH provide the appropriate unit and querystring to: where UNIT is: - anth, birds, botany, ento, fishes, herps, iz, mammals, ms, or paleo and QUERYSTRING is (use a plus-sign to separate words): - One or more CATALOG NUMBERS, e.g. - One or more BARCODES, e.g. - The NAME of a TYPE specimen, e.g.: - The NAME of a specimen or object, e.g.: - The NAME (qn) and/or TYPE STATUS (qt) of a specimen, and/or its COLLECTOR (co), and/or the COLLECTION (cn) it is part of, e.g.: (Holotypes whose name includes Torre and Bartsch collected by Webb and part of the Henderson Collection) - To open the Collections Search to a specific search tab, e.g. Tabs are numbered left to right, beginning with zero. - iz/?ti=1 (Invertebrate Zoology Keywords Search) - mammals/?ti=3 (Mammals Whale Collection Search) There are ways to speed up your queries (or slow them down!) and to find specific information. - The more specific you make your queries the faster they will execute. Using more, rather than fewer, terms will very likely speed up your search. - These following special characters modify the interpretation of search terms (use with as many other terms as possible to avoid slowing your search): - * matches any number of characters, e.g. *pseudo* - ? matches a single character, e.g. young?lus frank? - ! negates the presence of a term, e.g. !new - ~ matches all terms with the given stem, e.g. ~spear for spear, spears, spearing, etc. - = match is case-sensitive, e.g. =Paris - Query results are typically limited to 5000 records. Avoid general queries, when you can, that are likely to bring back very large numbers of records, e.g. searching for poaceae. - Long running queries are automatically terminated, with no results returned. Please use the Feedback page to report back any problems you find with the data, or with using these search pages.

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Bees are vital for pollination. You can buy leafcutter bee houses to attract the bees to your garden. The leaf-cutter bees are solitary and unlike honey bees do not swarm like honey bees so they are little or no danger to humans or pets. Bees are vital for pollination. You can buy leafcutter bee houses to attract the bees to your garden. Leafcutter bee house. Leaf cutter bees like hollow tubes and bamboo are ideal. They also excavate tunnels in flower pots where light gritty compost is used. The female has used the circular cuts to seal off the ends of the chamber, whereas the longer cuts are wrapped around the sides. The adult bee will provision the chamber with pollen and lay an egg. The larva feeds of the pollen. The female larva are the first to be layed and are deepest in the line. This means that if the nest is predated by a woodpecker, the feamles have a better chance of avoiding being eaten. The male larva is nearst the exit and will be the first to be eaten. Although this larva will probably die, I carefully replaced the bamboo and sealed it with wax to keep the chambers intact and dry. Leaf damage on rose by leaf cutter bees

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Coyotes spend a good deal of their day sleeping. Members of a pack or family may sleep within close proximity of each other, or they may sleep much further apart, but probably within the same couple of acres of each other. They have amazing built-in time clocks, but they also are influenced by circumstances of the moment. My own dog could tell the time and knew what was to be done at that time. For example, I always set off, with my dog, at exactly 2:40 to pick up one of my kids at school. But one day I fell asleep — I would not have made it on time except that my dog began poking me with her muzzle at exactly 2:40. Needless to say, I was amazed. The same is true for coyotes — they seem to know when it is time to meet up, but if people or dogs are around, they will delay. Most coyotes I know like to go trekking alone. After all, their staple diet consists of voles and gophers — animals that really can’t be divvied up very well. Might as well hunt alone. But some coyotes do enjoy trekking together, usually in pairs. When they hunt in pairs, there is usually a rendezvous beforehand. Rendezvous locations can remain the same for a while, or they can change drastically from day to day, but coyotes seem to have various favorite meeting spots which they alternate between for a while, before changing these altogether . This is where they congregate to then move together for their foraging. In this case here, the older female had spent her day sleeping in the sun quite some distance from where the young male had been also sleeping in the sun. The female was the first to move around — she disappeared into some bushes. In the meantime, I watched the male who moved from where he had been sleeping to a new location where he curled up and then dozed a while longer. Finally, he got up, stretched, scratched, and began to forage. I watched him catch a vole and toy with it. He continued searching for voles and then looked up ahead. He must have seen the female approaching, because he sat down and watched intently. She trotted over, and arrived on the scene. The ritual began with hugs and kisses. They are hidden in the grass in these photos, but you can see what is going on. It was intense, but lasted only about a minute. That was the first phase of the meeting. Then there was a pause where all activity ceased. I think the male was waiting for something, but since nothing happened he turned around and backed into her — it looked like a request. He did it again and then looked over his shoulder: “well?”. The older female was obliging. She began grooming the young fellow, pulling off burrs and bugs. He accepted this, repeatedly laying his ears back against his head — he seemed to melt with the attention. There was care, affection, and intensity here which few animals that I have seen show each other. The next phase of the meeting involved trotting off together. From what I have seen in the past — though I did not follow them this time — they will spend their time together trekking, marking their territory, hunting, playing, exploring and maybe even meeting up briefly with a couple of lone coyotes who live adjacent to this territory, before again returning to separate localities to rest.

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The Richboro Elementary Meadow Project Students in the Richboro Elementary Ecology Club have been planting a meadow each year since 2008. We were the first school in Council Rock School District to do so, and our project has inspired the District to plant four acres of meadows at several other Council Rock school locations. Why plant meadows? Meadows provide habitats for more insects and other animals than green lawns. The first year we planted the meadow, we found two praying mantids had moved in! Additionally, meadows do not need to be mowed more than once a year, so they save fossil fuel. Below are photos and descriptions of our current meadow as well as meadows from previous years. The Fourth Planting of Richboro Elementary School's Meadow Students in the Richboro Elementary School Ecology Club planted its fourth meadow this spring. Students sowed the flower seeds harvested last fall in the newly prepared plot. Additional native seeds, including sunflower and asters, were planted. Students and teachers look forward to seeing what surprises await when returning to school in the fall. The Third Planting of Richboro Elementary School’s Meadow The Ecology Club at Richboro Elementary School planted its meadow for a third growing season this April. Using seeds harvested from the meadow last fall, the club members, ranging from grades two through five, took turns planting seeds in a grid-like pattern across the meadow plot. Sunflower seeds were pushed into the ground with planting sticks, and the soil was raked to cover the seeds. As the club ended, the clouds gathered and watered the meadow, as if on cue. We look forward to watching our garden bloom as the seasons turn. Richboro Elementary School’s Meadow The Ecology Club at Richboro Elementary School planted its meadow for a second growing season this April. The club, with over 40 students and 5 teachers, worked together to sow seeds on a drizzly, windy day. The seeds had been harvested by the students last fall from the meadow’s first dried flowers. The charming sign, including drawings by 13 children, will be posted at the front of the meadow. Richboro Elementary School’s Meadow Blooms and Seeds are Harvested Last spring the Ecology Club at Richboro Elementary School planted seeds to create a meadow in the front of the building. Not certain how successful the meadow would be, the club members were greeted at the beginning of this school year by a surprisingly full field of colorful blooms. This fall the flowers matured to produce seeds. To complete the cycle, the Ecology Club plans to plant the seeds next spring. The Earth Laughs in Flowers Richboro Elementary School’s Meadow Project The Ecology Club at Richboro Elementary School planted a meadow for their final big project of the school year. Ecology Club students pulled out clumps of grass, and then teachers gave students seeds to plant in the plot. The students zig-zagged their way across the plot to ensure even coverage of the seeds. At the end of the day, each child received a small bag of seeds to plant at home with the saying, "The Earth Laughs in Flowers." The seeds had been sorted and packaged by students in the Autistic Support classes at Richboro Elementary. The flowers hopefully will grow throughout the summer. In addition to adding beauty to the school, the meadow will reduce the fossil fuel needed to mow the grass all summer and will help insects gain a new home. The students and teachers look forward to seeing a wildflower meadow in full bloom at the beginning of the new school year in September.

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Wood Anemone - Dainty Spring Bloomers for the Woodland Garden It's time to read and vote for your favorite article in the 2013 Write-Off Contest! The four finalist's articles are featured in the May 13 newsletter and can be found through this link. Hurry! Voting ends May 18. If your garden is has dappled shade and you are looking for a lovely spring woodlander to combine with spring bulbs, Trillium and Hepatica, then try growing wood anemone, Anemone nemorosa. Available in white, pink or blue shades, this charming spring flower is sure to delight you! (Editor's Note: This article was originally published on June 5, 2010. Your comments are welcome, but please be aware that authors of previously published articles may not be able to promptly respond to new questions or comments.) One of the harbingers of the European spring is drifts of wood anemone growing under the deciduous forests of beech, oak and maple.Botanically, wood anemones are called Anemone nemorosa. Plants produce wiry stems to 10 to 25 cm.Each stem produces a whorl of three, trisected leaves and is topped with a single 2 to 3 cm diameter flower.Each bloom normally has 6 to 8 tepals (the ‘petals' are actually modified sepals).In the wild, white is the normal colour but pink and blue forms do exist.Plants may be grown from seed but the seed needs to be sown as soon as it is ripe (they quickly lose viability if left dry on a shelf).They require a stratification period (essentially a winter) before they will germinate. Due to the fussy nature of seed germination, plants are more commonly grown by division of their narrow rhizomes.If happy, wood anemone will multiply quite rapidly via underground rhizomes to produce a large-size colony.If dug after flowering, you can separate the plants into numerous plantlets. All you need is a growing stem and a couple of inches of the rhizome. In the garden, wood anemones prefer dappled shade.Their soil should be moderately moist and organic-rich.They make admirable groundcovers under deciduous trees but in warm climates, may go dormant by mid summer.In cool climates, they will stay green well into September. Wood anemones have been grown as garden ornamentals for hundreds of years.As a result of their natural variation, many named varieties now exist, most which were selected many years ago.While the wild form has small 2 to 3 cm diameter flowers, some selected forms have flowers approaching 6 cm in diameter. Availability of this woodland anemone is variable. Generally you will need to seek out a specialty woodland plant nursery.‘Lychette' has white flowers twice the size of the wild type.Two of the largest-flowered selections include ‘Allenii' and ‘Robinsoniana'.Both have lavender flowers but the outside of the tepals is lilac-blue on ‘Allenii' while the exterior is more grey-blue on ‘Robinsoniana'.Also quite large-flowered is ‘Blue Beauty' and ‘Blue Bonnet', both which are pale blue. The richest blue colour is found on ‘Royal Blue' but its flowers are a little smaller than the previous selections. Shown above is 'Allenii' (top left), 'Robinsoniana' (top right), 'Royal Blue' (bottom left) and 'Blue Eyes' (bottom right) ‘Rosea' and ‘Westwell Pink' have very pale pink flowers that age to deep pink.One of the prettiest is ‘Vestal'.This selection has small flowers that are white but has a double, pompom-like center.‘Monstrosa' has flowers double flowers that are a mix of white and green while ‘Blue Eyes' has double white flowers with a blue center.If unusual flowers are your thing then try ‘Green Fingers' whose white flowers have a small, central leafy tuft.More bizarre still is ‘Bracteata' whose tepals are replaced by tiny green leaves! Shown above is 'Vestal' (top left), 'Green Fingers' (top right), 'Monstrosa' (bottom left) and 'Westwell Pink' (bottom right) Closely related to wood anemone and sometimes growing in the same area isA. ranunculoides with small buttercup-yellow flowers.In areas where the two species overlap, you many encounter a natural hybrid called A. x lipsiensis.From this hybrid comes the selection ‘Pallida' whose flowers are 3 cm and a pretty butter yellow. Shown above is A. ranunculoides (left) and A. X lipsiensis. I would like to thank the following people for the use of their pictures: Galanthophile ('Green Fingers'), KMAC ('Westwell Pink'), kniphofia ('Monstrosa') and wallaby1 ('Blue Eyes'). About Todd Boland I reside in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. I work as a research horticulturist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden. I am one of the founding members of the Newfoundland Wildflower Society and the current chair of the Newfoundland Rock Garden Society. My garden is quite small but I pack it tight! Outdoors I grow mostly alpines, bulbs and ericaceous shrubs. Indoors, my passion is orchids. When not in the garden, I'm out bird watching, a hobby that has gotten me to some lovely parts of the world.

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My passion is studying early man, specifically how we became who we are. Is our violence an aberration or part and parcel of survival? No other mammal kills their own, but maybe–as the alpha on the planet–our greatest threat to our survival is our own species, so we’re forced to destroy each other. What was lacking in H. Habilis that led to their extinction, to be replaced by the big-brained, scrawny Homo erectus? Habilis was preyed upon by species with bigger claws, sharper teeth and thicker skin. Habilis (and my friend Lyta) scavenged their left-overs, in between hiding from the imposing mammals that dominated the Plio-Pleistocene African savanna. But, eventually hiding wasn’t enough and H. erectus took over (we don’t know if they fought with each other or if habilis left ‘with a whimper’). H. erectus, with his longer lower limbs for running and walking efficiency, his bigger brain especially in the areas for planning and forethought (and speech depending upon whose research you’re reading) was tall, thin, and barrel-chested, hardly daunting in a world of sabertooth cats, mammoth and giant sloths. Yet , it is he who spread from Africa to China, India, the Middle East, Java. It is he–not predator cats or alligators–who developed a highly adaptable culture allowing him to survive a wide range of climates and habitats. That is the first of their firsts. Want more? - first appearance of systematic hunting. - first use of fire (though arguably no control of it) - first indication of extended childhood (thanks to the helplessness of their infants) - first indication of the ability to lead a more complex life (their Acheulian tools were sophisticated, their hunting was planned) - first to wear clothing (how else to survive Georgia and China) - first to create complex tools and weapons Their faces were short but wide and the nose projected forward, hinting at the typical human external nose. They had a pronounced brow ridge. Their cranium was long and low and somewhat flattened at the front and back. The cranial bone was thicker than earlier hominids. Remnants show damage from being hit in the head by something like clubs or heavy rocks. Their arms and legs were also robust, with thicker bones and clear evidence of being heavily muscled. The suspicion is they were a more violent species than habilis. Is that why habilis disappeared? The tougher group survived and bred offspring with their thicker, more protective skulls. You probably remember my friend Lyta is a Homo habilis (see her page). I’ve lived her life through Otto‘s ability to ‘see’ into the past. Where other primates rest when they have enough to eat, she thinks and shares information with her band. Where most mammals sleep when they aren’t hunting, playing or resting, Lyta worked–knapped tools, collected food for a cache, planned. I have come to believe that her survival depended not so much on her physique (which was sorely lacking in that physical time) as what was inside of her: her courage, ability to plan ahead, strength of her convictions, what we call ‘morals’. These are very human traits that can’t be preserved in bones and teeth. I wouldn’t know they existed if not for Otto. I’ve posted an excerpt from that research on Scribd.com (Born in a Treacherous Time). My next project is to determine how man migrated throughout the world. Where did he get the courage? Was he forced out because he couldn’t defend his territory? Or was it wanderlust? Was he a seeker, wanting more for his life? Did he get bored and need to challenge his constantly-growing brain?

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|reference frame (rěf'ər-əns) Pronunciation Key A basis of a four-dimensional coordinate system in which the first coordinate is understood as a time coordinate, while the other three coordinates represent spatial dimensions. Inertial frames and non-inertial frames are both examples of reference frames. Also called frame of reference. See also General Relativity, space-time, Special Relativity. |a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.| |a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.|

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tumor marker n. A substance, released into the circulation by tumor tissue, whose detection in the serum indicates the presence of a specific type of tumor. |an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.| |a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.| Dictionary.com presents 366 FAQs, incorporating some of the frequently asked questions from the past with newer queries.

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Dictionary and translator for handheld New : sensagent is now available on your handheld A windows (pop-into) of information (full-content of Sensagent) triggered by double-clicking any word on your webpage. Give contextual explanation and translation from your sites ! With a SensagentBox, visitors to your site can access reliable information on over 5 million pages provided by Sensagent.com. Choose the design that fits your site. Improve your site content Add new content to your site from Sensagent by XML. Crawl products or adds Get XML access to reach the best products. Index images and define metadata Get XML access to fix the meaning of your metadata. Please, email us to describe your idea. Lettris is a curious tetris-clone game where all the bricks have the same square shape but different content. Each square carries a letter. To make squares disappear and save space for other squares you have to assemble English words (left, right, up, down) from the falling squares. Boggle gives you 3 minutes to find as many words (3 letters or more) as you can in a grid of 16 letters. You can also try the grid of 16 letters. Letters must be adjacent and longer words score better. See if you can get into the grid Hall of Fame ! Change the target language to find translations. Tips: browse the semantic fields (see From ideas to words) in two languages to learn more. 1.the language of educated people in ancient Rome"Latin is a language as dead as dead can be. It killed the ancient Romans--and now it's killing me" classical Latin (n.) Latin inscription in the Colosseum |Spoken in||Roman republic, Roman empire| |Region||mare nostrum (Mediterranean)| |Era||75 BC to the 3rd century AD, when it developed into Late Latin| |Writing system||Latin alphabet| |Official language in||Roman republic, Roman empire| |Regulated by||Schools of grammar and rhetoric| The range of Latin, 60 AD Classical Latin in simplest terms is the socio-linguistic register of the Latin language regarded by the enfranchised and empowered populations of the late Roman republic and the Roman empire as good Latin. Most writers during this time made use of it. Any unabridged Latin dictionary informs moderns that Marcus Tullius Cicero and his contemporaries of the late republic while using lingua Latina and sermo Latinus to mean the Latin language as opposed to the Greek or other languages, and sermo vulgaris or sermo vulgi to refer to the vernacular of the uneducated masses, regarded the speech they valued most and in which they wrote as Latinitas, "Latinity", with the implication of good. Sometimes it is called sermo familiaris, "speech of the good families", sermo urbanus, "speech of the city" or rarely sermo nobilis, "noble speech", but mainly besides Latinitas it was Latine (adverb), "in good Latin", or Latinius (comparative degree of adjective), "good Latin." Latinitas was spoken as well as written. Moreover, it was the language taught by the schools. Prescriptive rules therefore applied to it, and where a special subject was concerned, such as poetry or rhetoric, additional rules applied as well. Now that the spoken Latinitas has become extinct (in favor of various other registers later in date) the rules of the, for the most part, polished (politus) texts may give the appearance of an artificial language, but Latinitas was a form of sermo, or spoken language and as such retains a spontaneity. No authors are noted for the type of rigidity evidenced by stylized art, except possibly the repetitious abbreviations and stock phrases of inscriptions. Good Latin in philology is "classical" Latin literature. The term refers to the canonicity of works of literature written in Latin in the late Roman republic and the early to middle Roman empire: "that is to say, that of belonging to an exclusive group of authors (or works) that were considered to be emblematic of a certain genre." The term classicus (masculine plural classici) was devised by the Romans themselves to translate Greek ἐγκριθέντες (egkrithentes), "select", referring to authors who wrote in Greek that were considered model. Before then, classis, in addition to being a naval fleet, was a social class in one of the diachronic divisions of Roman society according to property ownership by the Roman constitution. The word is a transliteration of Greek κλῆσις (klēsis) "calling", used to rank army draftees by property from first to fifth class. Classicus is anything primae classis, "first class", such as the authors of the polished works of Latinitas, or sermo urbanus. It had nuances of the certified and the authentic: testis classicus, "reliable witness." It was in this sense that Marcus Cornelius Fronto (an African-Roman lawyer and language teacher) in the 2nd century AD used scriptores classici, "first-class" or "reliable authors" whose works could be relied upon as model of good Latin. This is the first known reference, possibly innovated at this time, to classical applied to authors by virtue of the authentic language of their works. In imitation of the Greek grammarians, the Roman ones, such as Quintilian, drew up lists termed indices or ordines on the model of the Greek lists, termed pinakes, considered classical: the recepti scriptores, "select writers." Aulus Gellius includes many authors, such as Plautus, who are currently considered writers of Old Latin and not strictly in the period of classical Latin. The classical Romans distinguished Old Latin as prisca Latinitas and not sermo vulgaris. Each author (and work) in the Roman lists was considered equivalent to one in the Greek; for example Ennius was the Latin Homer, the Aeneid was a new Iliad, and so on. The lists of classical authors were as far as the Roman grammarians went in developing a philology. The topic remained at that point while interest in the classici scriptores declined in the medieval period as the best Latin yielded to medieval Latin, somewhat less than the best by classical standards. The Renaissance brought a revival of interest in restoring as much of Roman culture as could be restored and with it the return of the concept of classic, "the best." Thomas Sebillet in 1548 (Art Poétique) referred to "les bons et classiques poètes françois", meaning Jean de Meun and Alain Chartier, which was the first modern application of the word. According to Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the term classical, from classicus, entered modern English in 1599, some 50 years after its re-introduction on the continent. Governor William Bradford in 1648 referred to synods of a separatist church as "classical meetings" in his Dialogue, a report of a meeting between New-England-born "young men" and "ancient men" from Holland and England. In 1715 Laurence Echard's Classical Geographical Dictionary was published. In 1736 Robert Ainsworth's Thesaurus Linguae Latinae Compendarius turned English words and expressions into "proper and classical Latin." In 1768 David Ruhnken (Critical History of the Greek Orators) recast the mold of the view of the classical by applying the word canon to the pinakes of orators, after the Biblical canon or list of authentic books of the Bible. Ruhnken had a kind of secular catechism in mind. In 1870 Wilhelm Sigismund Teuffel in Geschichte der Römischen Literatur (A History of Roman Literature) innovated the definitive philological classification of classical Latin based on the metaphoric uses of the ancient myth of the Ages of Man, a practice then universally current: a Golden Age and a Silver Age of classical Latin were to be presumed. The practice and Teuffel's classification, with modifications, are still in use. His work was translated into English as soon as published in German by Wilhelm Wagner, who corresponded with Teuffel. Wagner published the English translation in 1873. Teuffel divides the chronology of classical Latin authors into several periods according to political events, rather than by style. Regarding the style of the literary Latin of those periods he had but few comments. Teuffel was to go on with other editions of his history, but meanwhile it had come out in English almost as soon as it did in German and found immediate favorable reception. In 1877 Charles Thomas Cruttwell produced the first English work along the same lines. In his Preface he refers to "Teuffel's admirable history, without which many chapters in the present work could not have attained completeness" and also gives credit to Wagner. Cruttwell adopts the same periods with minor differences; however, where Teuffel's work is mainly historical, Cruttwell's work contains detailed analyses of style. Nevertheless like Teuffel he encounters the same problem of trying to summarize the voluminous detail in a way that captures in brief the gist of a few phases of writing styles. Like Teuffel, he has trouble finding a name for the first of the three periods (the current Old Latin phase), calling it mainly "from Livius to Sulla." The language, he says, is "…marked by immaturity of art and language, by a vigorous but ill-disciplined imitation of Greek poetical models, and in prose by a dry sententiousness of style, gradually giving way to a clear and fluent strength…" These abstracts have little meaning to those not well-versed in Latin literature. In fact, Cruttwell admits "The ancients, indeed, saw a difference between Ennius, Pacuvius, and Accius, but it may be questioned whether the advance would be perceptible by us." Some of Cruttwell's ideas have become stock in Latin philology for better or for worse. While praising the application of rules to classical Latin, most intensely in the Golden Age, he says "In gaining accuracy, however, classical Latin suffered a grievous loss. It became cultivated as distinct from a natural language… Spontaneity, therefore, became impossible and soon invention also ceased… In a certain sense, therefore, Latin was studied as a dead language, while it was still a living." These views are certainly debatable; one might ask how the upper classes of late 16th century Britain, who shared the Renaissance zealousness for the classics, managed to speak spontaneous Latin to each other officially and unofficially after being taught classical Latin by tutors hired for the purpose. Latinitas in the Golden Age was in fact sermo familiaris, the spoken Latin of the Roman upper classes, who sent their children to school to learn it. The debate continues. A second problem is the appropriateness of Teuffel's scheme to the concept of classical Latin, which Teuffel does not discuss. Cruttwell addresses the problem, however, altering the concept of the classical. As the best Latin is defined as golden Latin, the second of the three periods, the other two periods considered classical are left hanging. While on the one hand assigning to Old Latin the term pre-classical and by implication the term post-classical (or post-Augustan) to silver Latin Cruttwell realizes that this construct is not according to ancient usage and asserts "…the epithet classical is by many restricted to the authors who wrote in it [golden Latin]. It is best, however, not to narrow unnecessarily the sphere of classicity; to exclude Terence on the one hand or Tacitus and Pliny on the other, would savour of artificial restriction rather than that of a natural classification." (This from a scholar who had just been complaining that golden Latin was not a natural language.) The contradiction remains; Terence is and is not a classical author depending on context. After defining a "First Period" of inscriptional Latin and the literature of the earliest known authors and fragments, to which he assigns no definitive name (he does use the term "Old Roman" at one point), Teuffel presents "the second period", his major, "das goldene Zeitalter der römischen Literatur", the Golden Age of Roman Literature, dated 671 – 767 AUC or 83 BC – 14 AD according to his time reckoning, between the dictatorship of Lucius Cornelius Sulla and the death of the emperor Augustus. Of it Wagner translating Teuffel writes The golden age of the Roman literature is that period in which the climax was reached in the perfection of form, and in most respects also in the methodical treatment of the subject-matters. It may be subdivided between the generations, in the first of which (the Ciceronian Age) prose culminated, while poetry was principally developed in the Augustan Age. The Ciceronian Age was dated 671–711 AUC (83 BC – 43 BC), ending just after the assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar, and the Augustan 711–67 AUC (43 BC – 14 AD), ending with the death of Augustus. The Ciceronian Age is further divided by the consulship of Cicero in 691 AUC or 63 BC into a first and second half. Authors are assigned to these periods by years of principal achievements. The Golden Age had already made an appearance in German philology but in a less systematic way. In Bielfeld's 1770 Elements of universal erudition the author says (in translation): "The Second Age of Latin began about the time of Caesar [his ages are different from Teuffel's], and ended with Tiberius. This is what is called the Augustan Age, which was perhaps of all others the most brilliant, a period at which it should seem as if the greatest men, and the immortal authors, had met together upon the earth, in order to write the Latin language in its utmost purity and perfection." and of Tacitus "…his conceits and sententious style is not that of the golden age…". Teuffel evidently received the ideas of a golden and silver Latin from an existing tradition and embedded them in a new system, transforming them as he thought best. In Cruttwell's introduction, the Golden Age is dated 80 BC – 14 AD ("from Cicero to Ovid"), which is about the same as Teuffel's. Of this "Second Period" Cruttwell says that it "represents the highest excellence in prose and poetry," paraphrasing Teuffel. The Ciceronian Age is now "the Republican Period" and is dated 80–42 BC through the Battle of Philippi. Later in the book Cruttwell omits Teuffel's first half of the Ciceronian and starts the Golden Age at Cicero's consulship of 63 BC, an error perpetuated into Cruttwell's second edition as well. He must mean 80 BC as he includes Varro in Golden Latin. Teuffel's Augustan Age is Cruttwell's Augustan Epoch, 42 BC – 14 AD. The literary histories list all authors canonical to the Ciceronian Age even though their works may be fragmentary or may not have survived at all. With the exception of a few major writers, such as Cicero, Caesar, Lucretius and Catullus, ancient accounts of Republican literature are glowing accounts of jurists and orators who wrote prolifically but who now can't be read because their works have been lost, or analyses of language and style that appear insightful but can't be verified because there are no surviving instances. In that sense the pages of literary history are peopled with shadows: Aquilius Gallus, Quintus Hortensius Hortalus, Lucius Licinius Lucullus and many others who left a reputation but no readable works; they are to be presumed in the Golden Age by their associations. A list of some canonical authors of the period, whose works have survived in whole or in part (typically in part, some only short fragments) is as follows: The Golden Age is divided by the assassination of Julius Caesar. In the wars that followed the Republican generation of literary men was lost, as most of them had taken the losing side; Marcus Tullius Cicero was beheaded in the street as he enquired from his litter what the disturbance was. They were replaced by a new generation that had grown up and been educated under the old and were now to make their mark under the watchful eye of the new emperor. As the demand for great orators was more or less over, the talent shifted emphasis to poetry. Other than the historian Livy, the most remarkable writers of the period were the poets Vergil, Horace, and Ovid. Although Augustus evidenced some toleration to republican sympathizers, he exiled Ovid, and imperial tolerance ended with the continuance of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. Augustan writers include: In his second volume, on the Imperial Period, Teuffel initiated a slight alteration in approach, making it clearer that his terms applied to the Latin and not just to the age, and also changing his dating scheme from years AUC to modern. Although he introduces das silberne Zeitalter der römischen Literatur, "the Silver Age of Roman Literature", 14–117 AD, from the death of Augustus to the death of Trajan, he also mentions regarding a section of a work by Seneca the Elder a wenig Einfluss der silbernen Latinität, a "slight influence of silver Latin." It is clear that he had shifted in thought from golden and silver ages to golden and silver Latin, and not just Latin, but Latinitas, which must at this point be interpreted as classical Latin. He may have been influenced in that regard by one of his sources, E. Opitz, who in 1852 had published a title specimen lexilogiae argenteae latinitatis, mentioning silver Latinity. Although Teuffel's First Period was equivalent to Old Latin and his Second Period was equal to the Golden Age, his Third Period, die römische Kaiserheit, encompasses both the Silver Age and the centuries now termed Late Latin, in which the forms seemed to break loose from their foundation and float freely; that is, literary men appeared uncertain as to what "good Latin" should mean. The last of the Classical Latin is the Silver Latin. The Silver Age is the first of the Imperial Period and is divided into die Zeit der julischen Dynastie, 14–68; die Zeit der flavischen Dynastie, 69–96; and die Zeit des Nerva und Trajan, 96–117. Subsequently Teuffel goes over to a century scheme: 2nd, 3rd, etc., through 6th. His later editions (which came out in the rest of the late 19th century) divide the Imperial Age into parts: the 1st century (Silver Age), the 2nd century: Hadrian and the Antonines and the 3rd through the 6th Centuries. Of the Silver Age proper, pointing out that anything like freedom of speech had vanished with Tiberius, Teuffel says …the continual apprehension in which men lived caused a restless versatility… Simple or natural composition was considered insipid; the aim of language was to be brilliant… Hence it was dressed up with abundant tinsel of epigrams, rhetorical figures and poetical terms… Mannerism supplanted style, and bombastic pathos took the place of quiet power. The content of new literary works was continually proscribed by the emperor (by executing or exiling the author), who also played the role of literary man (typically badly). The talent therefore went into a repertory of new and dazzling mannerisms, which Teuffel calls "utter unreality." Crutwell picks up this theme: The foremost of these [characteristics] is unreality, arising from the extinction of freedom… Hence arose a declamatory tone, which strove by frigid and almost hyterical exaggeration to make up for the healthy stimulus afforded by daily contact with affairs. The vein of artificial rhetoric, antithesis and epigram… owes its origin to this forced contentment with an uncongenial sphere. With the decay of freedom, taste sank… In Crutwell's view (which had not been expressed by Teuffel), Silver Latin was a "rank, weed-grown garden", a "decline." Cruttwell had already decried what he saw as a loss of spontaneity in Golden Latin. That Teuffel should regard the Silver Age as a loss of natural language and therefore of spontaneity, implying that the Golden Age had it, is passed without comment. Instead, Tiberius brought about a "sudden collapse of letters." The idea of a decline had been dominant in English society since Edward Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Once again, Cruttwell evidences some unease with his stock pronouncements: "The Natural History of Pliny shows how much remained to be done in fields of great interest." The idea of Pliny as a model is not consistent with any sort of decline; moreover, Pliny did his best work under emperors at least as tolerant as Augustus had been. To include some of the best writings of the Silver Age, Cruttwell found he had to extend the period through the death of Marcus Aurelius, 180 AD. The philosophic prose of that good emperor was in no way compatible with either Teuffel's view of unnatural language or Cruttwell's depiction of a decline. Having created these constructs, the two philologists found they could not entirely justify them; apparently, in the worst implications of their views, there was no classical Latin by the ancient definition at all and some of the very best writing of any period in world history was a stilted and degenerate unnatural language. Writers of the Silver Age include the following. Of the additional century granted by Cruttwell and others of his point of view to Silver Latin but not by Teuffel the latter says "The second century was a happy period for the Roman State, the happiest indeed during the whole Empire… But in the world of letters the lassitude and enervation, which told of Rome's decline, became unmistakeable… its forte is in imitation." Teuffel, however, excepts the jurists; others find other "exceptions," recasting Teuffels's view. The style of language refers to repeatable features of speech that are somewhat less general than the fundamental characteristics of the language. The latter give it a unity allowing it to be referenced under a single name. Thus Old Latin, Classical Latin, Vulgar Latin, etc., are not considered different languages, but are all referenced under the name of Latin. This is an ancient practice continued by moderns rather than a philological innovation of recent times. That Latin had case endings is a fundamental feature of the language. Whether a given form of speech prefers to use prepositions such as ad, ex, de for "to", "from" and "of" rather than simple case endings is a matter of style. Latin has a large number of styles. Each and every author has a style, which typically allows his prose or poetry to be identified by experienced Latinists. The problem of comparative literature has been to group styles finding similarities by period, in which case one may speak of Old Latin, Silver Latin, Late Latin as styles or a phase of styles. The ancient authors themselves first defined style by recognizing different kinds of sermo, or "speech." In making the value judgement that classical Latin was "first class" and that it was better to write with Latinitas they were themselves selecting the literary and upper-class language of the city as a standard style and all sermo that differed from it was a different style; thus in rhetoric Cicero was able to define sublime, intermediate and low styles (within classical Latin) and St. Augustine to recommend the low style for sermons (from sermo). Style therefore is to be defined by differences in speech from a standard. Teuffel defined that standard as Golden Latin.

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I will only point out two caveats: - We cannot assume that click speakers of the African Southwest are necessarily indigenous to that region, and - It is possible that, the greater phonemic diversity is due to ancient admixture between quite divergent peoples who possessed two different types of phonemic inventories, while most Africans inherited only the phonemic inventory of one of these peoples, which then decayed as per the author's theory away from Africa. Science 15 April 2011: Vol. 332 no. 6027 pp. 346-349 Phonemic Diversity Supports a Serial Founder Effect Model of Language Expansion from Africa Quentin D. Atkinson Human genetic and phenotypic diversity declines with distance from Africa, as predicted by a serial founder effect in which successive population bottlenecks during range expansion progressively reduce diversity, underpinning support for an African origin of modern humans. Recent work suggests that a similar founder effect may operate on human culture and language. Here I show that the number of phonemes used in a global sample of 504 languages is also clinal and fits a serial founder–effect model of expansion from an inferred origin in Africa. This result, which is not explained by more recent demographic history, local language diversity, or statistical non-independence within language families, points to parallel mechanisms shaping genetic and linguistic diversity and supports an African origin of modern human languages.

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Xantusiidae is a clade of viviparous (live bearing) lizards that ranges from southwestern North America and Baja California (Xantusia) into Central America (Lepidophyma) and Cuba (Cricosaura). Xantusia magdalena occurs in Baja California. Xantusiidae is a relatively small clade, with 3 genera and approximately 30 living species. Lepidophyma is the most speciose (~17 species), whereas Cricosaura is monotypic. Xantusiids have a reasonably good fossil record extending from the mid-Paleocene onward in western North America. Xantusiids are fascinating lizards for several reasons. First, although they are almost uniformly diminuitive (Xantusia magdalena measures less than 4 cm snout-vent length, and the largest xantusiid species measure about 10 cm snout-vent length), xantusiids generally take several years to reach sexual maturity, and several species give birth to just 1 or 2 offspring. It is a more usual reproductive strategy for small lizards to mature quickly and produce large numbers of offspring, to increase their chances of survival. Despite this low reproductive potential, xantusiid neonates actually have a high life expectancy; this can be attributed at least in part to their secretive lifestyle, which leads to the second reason why xantusiids are particularly interesting -- microhabitat specialization. Microhabitat specialization is an ecological hallmark of Xantusiidae. Many populations are narrowly restricted to specific niches -- crevices (e.g., Xantusia henshawi in exfoliating granitic cap rocks), interstices in agaves and yuccas in dry climates (e.g., X. magdalena), decaying logs in wet climates (e.g., Lepidophyma flavimaculatum) -- and individuals may be found under the same patch of cover throughout their lives! These microhabitat restrictions result in extremely disjunct geographical distributions, and also may be responsible for some morphological convergence within the group (e.g., flattened skulls for crevice dwelling). Xantusiidae also includes two insular endemics: the Cuban Cricosaura typica is the only xantusiid found in the West Indies and is interpreted as one of the Caribbean's few ancient endemic vertebrate lineages; and Xantusia riversiana (formerly Klauberina riversiana) is limited to three of the Channel Islands off the coast of California. The phylogenetic relationships of Xantusiidae are problematic. Morphology and molecules produce different topologies within the clade: morphology recovers a Cricosaura + Lepidophyma clade, while mitochondrial genes recover a Lepidophyma + Xantusia clade. Lack of resolution of relationships within Xantusiidae has hindered the placement of this clade within the squamate tree. Xantusiidae is a "tree-changing" taxon: it causes homoplasy wherever it is placed, and its placement can tip the balance between the two primary competing hypotheses of scleroglossan relationships. Xantusiidae is traditionally placed within Scincomorpha, but some analyses have placed it near Gekkota. Thus, Xantusiidae is either a highly derived, or extremely basal, scleroglossan clade. Previous analyses of squamate phylogeny have almost certainly suffered in relying on species of the readily available -- but relatively derived -- genus Xantusia as exemplars for Xantusiidae. Cricosaura or a species of Lepidophyma would be more appropriate, but both are exceedingly rare in collections; indeed, some species of Lepidophyma are known from only 1 or 2 specimens. Whatever the placement of Xantusiidae within squamates, there is no doubt that xantusiids are monophyletic. The following are some of the hypothesized synapomorphies of the lineage (from Estes et al., 1988), most of which can be seen in the skull reconstructions above: supratemporal fenestra closed primarily by postorbital; parietals paired well into postembryonic ontogeny; parietal table extensive posteriorly, largely obscuring braincase in dorsal view, supratemporal process short; vomers fused; ectopterygoid contacts palatine anterolaterally, excluding maxilla from suborbital fenestra; ectopterygoid enlarged medially, restricting suborbital fenestra. About the Species This specimen was collected in Baja California Sur, Mexico. It was made available to the University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray CT Facility for scanning by Dr. Jessie Maisano of The University of Texas and Dr. Jacques Gauthier of Yale University. Funding for scanning was provided by an NSF grant (DEB-0132227) to Dr. Jack Sites of Brigham Young University. Funding for image processing was provided by a National Science Foundation Digital Libraries Initiative grant to Dr. Timothy Rowe of The University of Texas at Austin. About this Specimen The specimen was scanned by Matthew Colbert on 18 May 2005 along the coronal axis for a total of 615 1024x1024 pixel slices. Each slice is 0.0152 mm thick, with an interslice spacing of 0.0152 mm and a field of reconstruction of 7 mm. Bezy, R. L. 1982. Xantusia vigilis. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 302.1-302.4. Bezy, R. L. 1988. The natural history of the night lizards, family Xantusiidae, p. 1-12. In H. F. DeLisle et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the Conference on California Herpetology. Southwest Herpetological Society Special Publication 4. Bezy, R. L. 1989. Night lizards: the evolution of habitat specialists. Terra 28:29-34. Bezy, R. L., and J. L. Camarillo. 2002. Systematics of xantusiid lizards of the genus Lepidophyma. Los Angeles County Museum Contributions in Science 493:1-41. Crother, B. I., M. M. Miyamoto, and W. F. Presch. 1986. Phylogeny and biogeography of the lizard family Xantusiidae. Systematic Zoology 35:37-45. Estes, R. 1983. Sauria Terrestria, Amphisbaenia. Handbuch der Palaoherpetologie, Part 10A. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart. Estes, R., K. de Queiroz, and J. Gauthier. 1988. Phylogenetic relationships within Squamata, p. 119-281. In R. G. Estes and G. K. Pregill (eds.), Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families: Essays Commemorating Charles L. Camp. Stanford University Press, Stanford. Fellers, G. M., and C. A. Drost. 1991. Ecology of the island night lizard, Xantusia riversiana, on Santa Barbara Island, California. Herpetological Monographs 5:28-78. Hedges, S. B., R. L. Bezy, and L. B. Maxson. 1991. Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of xantusiid lizards, inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Biology and Evolution 8:767-780. Lee, M. S. Y. 1998. Convergent evolution and character correlation in burrowing reptiles: towards a resolution of squamte relationships. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 63:369-453. Macey, J. R., A. Larson, N. B. Ananjeva, and T. J. Papenfuss. 1997. Evolutionary shifts in three major structural features of the mitochondrial genome among iguanian lizards. Journal of Molecular Evolution 44:660-674. Savage, J. M. 1955. The lizard family Xantusiidae: an evolutionary study. Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University. Savage, J. M. 1963. Studies on the lizard family Xantusiidae. IV. The genera. Los Angeles County Museum Contributions in Science 71:3-38. Sinclair, E. A., Bezy, R. L., Bolles, K., Camarillo R., J. L., Crandall, K. A. and J. W. Sites Jr. 2004. Testing species boundaries in an ancient species complex with deep phylogeographic history: Genus Xantusia (Squamata: Xantusiidae). The American Naturalist 164:396-414. Van Denburgh, J. 1895. The species of the genus Xantusia . Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Series 2) 5:523-534. Zweifel, R. G., and C. H. Lowe. 1966. The ecology of a population of Xantusia vigilis , the desert night lizard. American Museum Novitates 2247:1-57. Xantusiidae page on the EMBL Reptile Database Three-dimensional volumetric renderings of the skull with the scleral ossicles, hyoid and jaw removed, and of the isolated left mandible. All are 2mb or less.

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This database of images for the study and teaching of art, design, and visual culture at Illinois State University, is produced as a collaboration between the School of Art and Milner Library. The images come from many sources, including publications, original photography, and the Visual Resources Collection of the School of Art. The slides of Sverre "Bex" Braathen combine a "Passion for Circus" with the skills and artistry of photography at its finest. Images were captured in the saturated colors of Kodachrome slides and date from the early 1940s to the late 1950s as well as black and white film in the 1930s. Set within the context of the entire Braathen … Illinois State University History is a growing collection that currently includes campus history books, proceedings of the first university governing board, and nearly 400 photographs. Support for this collection is provided by the Friends of Milner Library and the Illinois State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of … Welcome to Milner Library's International Collection of Child Art digital image collection! This resource holds images of art created by children and adolescents representing more than fifty countries and cultures from Argentina to New Zealand. The artworks are two dimensional and use varied media. The work in this collection … Voices of Extremism: Conflicting Ideologies in United States Politics in the Decades Following WWII is a unique audio documentation of the individuals and movements that characterized the Extremist politics in the United States in the decades following the Second World War from 1946 to 1980. The collection also includes a documentary on … Cultivated in the spirit of teaching, learning and research, Milner Library's digital collections provide a variety of resources. They reflect the rich cultural heritage at Illinois State University, and include audio recordings, historic documents, photos, and images of art and visual culture. Discover all collections Art & Culture Circus & Allied Arts Illinois State University History International Collection of Child Art Voices of Extremism Native American Collection Normal Editions Workshop (N.E.W.) Towanda Area History World War I Women

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Creator: Gust, Iris Description: The brochure promotes urban transportation policy to increase the use of renewable energy to 100%. Seen globally, transport is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet fossil fuels are becoming scarce, will become increasingly expensive and will eventually stop being viable as transport fuels. Before this happens, climate change will have begun to have a serious impact on human lives. The authors believe that it is crucial to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy as soon as possible, especially in the transport sector. Making urban transport independent of fossil fuel is a great challenge, but the authors cite growing evidence that it can be achieved. Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries

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Date: August 2010 Creator: Allen, Evette L. Description: Family communication has the potential to affect a variety of youth behavioral outcomes including adolescent sexual risk behavior. Within chapter 1, I present past literature on adolescent sexual risk behaviors, family communication patterns, and the gaps associated with those areas. In chapter 2, I review previous literature on adolescent sexual risk behavior, parent-child communication and family communication patterns. In chapter 3, I present the method which includes a description of the participants, procedures, measures, and data analysis used. In Chapter 4, I present the results of the study. According to the results of the study, father-child communication is not a better predictor of adolescent sexual risk behavior. A higher quantity of parent-child communication does not lead to less adolescent sexual risk behavior. Participants with a pluralistic family type do significantly differ from laissez-faire and protective family types in regards to levels of parent-child communication. Participants with a consensual family type do have significantly higher levels of parent-child communication in comparison to laissez-faire family types, but not protective family types. Finally, in chapter 5, I present the discussion with a review of previous research (consistent or inconsistent with the current findings), limitations and conclusions for the current study. Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries

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Children of substance abusers: Observations and their mothers' reports of childrearing practices The widespread use of drugs includes women who are mothers and of childbearing age. A review of the literature shows that women who are substance abusers suffer from depression, low self-esteem, have poor health and nutrition, and histories of family violence and abuse.^ During pregnancy, addictive women often lack prenatal care. In utero exposure to drugs is associated with multiple postnatal outcomes which include prematurity, low birth weight, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Intelligence testing found that the children scored within the normal range but significantly lower than the children of drug-free controls.^ Conflicting views on the parenting of mothers who are substance abusers exist. Deprived and poorly nurtured in childhood themselves, they feel inadequate as parents. However, they love their children, are capable of learning developmental issues of childhood, and can respond with sensitivity to their needs.^ The purpose of this study was to examine the child-rearing attitudes and parental style of addicted mothers and the impact of their drug use, parental attitudes, and demographic variables on their interactions with their children. Forty-four mothers, forty-one drug users and three non-drug users, and nineteen infants participated in the study. Participants attended the Infant and Toddler Schools of the Center for Comprehensive Health Practice, Inc. Subjects completed the demographic sheet and the modified Child-Rearing Practices Report (CRPR). The child data was obtained from the agency and included the scores of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, the Checklist for Caregiver-Infant Observation, and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment-Short Form (Home-SF). Generally, greater parental control and less expression of affection were adhered to as values by the participants of the study. Correlations as a function of drug usage and demographic variables suggested that the participants held both sound and inappropriate child-rearing attitudes. Length of treatment and the age of the youngest child emerged as the demographic variables most related to the parental attitude variables. The children scored within the average range of intelligence, however, the range of variation was highly significant. ^ Health Sciences, Mental Health|Women's Studies|Psychology, Developmental Sarai Ramona Padilla-Rafalsky, "Children of substance abusers: Observations and their mothers' reports of childrearing practices" (January 1, 1993). ETD Collection for Pace University.

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This study presents the results from a survey issued to speech-language pathologists in the state of Kentucky regarding their perspectives on referral and assessment of bilingual speakers whose primary language is not English. The study was conducted to determine methods for decreasing the over-identification of bilingual students served for speech and language disorders. Literature review indicates an over-identification of non-English speakers in special education and related services programs nationwide. There are many possible reasons for this over-identification some of which include: lack of English instruction prior to testing in English, Speech-Language Pathologists’ preparation level, and shortage of appropriately normed assessment tools. This study specifically addresses Kentucky Speech-Language Pathologists’ preparation and comfort level with referral and assessment of non-English speaking students. Advisor(s) or Committee Chair Professor Leisa Hutchison Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Speech and Rhetorical Studies Schulte, Kathleen M., "A Speech-Language Pathologiest Perspective on the Referral and Assessment of Bilingual Children whose Primary Language is not English" (2010). Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 253.

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Born in 1940, Wangari Maathai is a Kenyan ecologist and environmental activist who founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, causing the media to depict her as a latter-day Johnny Appleseed who has planted millions of trees in Africa. (The Green Belt Movement has been responsible for the planting of more than 10 million trees to prevent soil erosion and provide a source of firewood.) As a member of the Green Belt Movement, Maathai has led sub-Saharan African women in provoking sometimes-violent clashes with police. Though casting herself as a hero of the downtrodden, she has demonstrated against peasants’ economic interests. When Kenyan autocratic leader Daniel arap Moi wanted to revive the nation’s dead economy by building the world’s largest skyscraper in the capital, her riotous actions dried up investment. Later, she led a protest to prevent “small-scale farming” on African forestland and called farmers “invaders” who were guilty of “rape.” In 1992, she and the women in her Green Belt Movement foreshadowed contemporary Western antiwar demonstrators by staging a public strip-in. In 2004 she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in “human rights” and “reversing deforestation across Africa.” When Maathai was awarded her Nobel Prize, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan paid her a glowing tribute: Maathai is also an anti-white, anti-Western crusader for international socialism. She charges that “some sadistic [white] scientists” created the AIDS virus “to punish blacks” and, ultimately, “to wipe out the black race.” Maathai continues: “Renowned and admired throughout her native Kenya and across Africa for her pioneering struggle against deforestation and for women’s rights and democracy, Ms. Maathai has also played an important role at UN conferences such as the Earth Summit, making an imprint on the global quest for sustainable development.... Selfless and steadfast, Ms. Maathai has been a champion of the environment, of women, of Africa, and of anyone concerned about our future security.” “Some say that AIDS came from the monkeys, and I doubt that, because we have been living with monkeys [since] time immemorial; others say it was a curse from God, but I say it cannot be that.... Us black people are dying more than any other people in this planet. It’s true that there are some people who create agents to wipe out other people.” “Why is the rest of the world just watching,” Maathai asks, “doing nothing while Africans are being wiped out? The rest of the world has abandoned us.” There is, of course, a very real genocide throughout sub-Saharan Africa, as Muslim Arabs murder indigenous black Christians and animists, 100,000 in Darfur alone. The repeated rape of young black boys by Arabs is now commonplace. These scenes first played out during the genocide in Rwanda, which began early in the Clinton administration, and have been seen all over the sub-continent for a decade. Maathai addressed this brutality at the World Women’s Conference in Beijing in 1995, where she blamed it on Western capitalists. She claims that Western governments laid the groundwork for present slaughter during the Cold War. “The carnage goes on in Somalia, Rwanda, Liberia and in the streets of many cities,” she says. “People of Africa continue to be sacrificed so that some factories may stay open, earn capital and save jobs.” Thus in Maathai’s view, Arab genocide is the fault of wealthy whites. Maathai has courted global socialism through her long association with the United Nations’ environmentalist agenda. She was a member of the Commission on Global Governance (CGG), founded in 1992 at the suggestion of former West German Chancellor and socialist Willy Brandt. Maathai worked on the CGG alongside Maurice Strong, Jimmy Carter, and Robert McNamara. The group’s manifesto, “Our Global Neighborhood,” calls for a dramatic reordering of the world’s political power – and redistribution of the world’s wealth. Most importantly, the CGG’s proposals would phase out America’s veto in the Security Council. At the same time, the CGG would increase UN authority over member nations, declaring, “All member-states of the UN that have not already done so should accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the World Court.” It asks the UN to prevail upon member governments to enact proposals made by wide NGOs – such as the Green Belt Movement. “Our Global Neighborhood” also suggested creating a 10,000-man “UN Volunteer Force” to be deployed at the UN’s approval on infinite peacekeeping missions everywhere (except Iraq). Maathai currently acts as a commissioner for the Earth Charter, along with the aforementioned Maurice Strong, Mikhail Gorbachev and Steven Rockefeller. She is also on the Earth Charter’s Steering Committee. In addition to calling for sharing the “benefits of development . . . equitably,” the Earth Charter calls on international bodies to “Promote the equitable distribution of wealth within nations and among nations.” Another Charter provision would disarm the entire world and use the money previously allocated for national defense to restore the environment. Additionally, the Earth Charter worries about the “unprecedented rise in human population,” and demands “universal access to health care.” Maathai earned her biology degree from Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas and a Master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh. She later returned to Kenya and worked in veterinary medical research at the University of Nairobi, eventually earning a Ph.D. there and becoming head of the veterinary medicine faculty.

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In some people, macular degeneration advances so slowly that it has little effect on their vision. But in others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to vision loss. Sometimes only one eye is affected, while the other eye remains free of problems for many years. People with dry macular degeneration in one eye often do not notice any changes in their vision. With one eye seeing clearly, they can still drive, read, and see fine details. Some people may notice changes in their vision only if macular degeneration affects both of their eyes. Both dry and wet macular degeneration cause no pain. Symptoms of macular degeneration include: Blurred vision —This is an early sign. An example of early findings is that you may need more light for reading and other tasks. Difficulty seeing details in front of you —You may have a difficult time seeing words in a book or faces. Blind spot —A small, growing blind spot will appear in the middle of your field of vision. This spot occurs because a group of cells in the macula have stopped working properly. Over time, the blurred spot may get bigger and darker, taking more of your central vision. Crooked lines —An early symptom of wet macular degeneration is straight lines that will appear crooked or wavy. This happens because the newly formed blood vessels leak fluid under the macula. The fluid raises the macula from its normal place at the back of the eye and distorts your vision. Lighting —Images appear more gray in color and colors are not as bright Contact your ophthalmologist immediately for an eye exam if you notice: - Visual distortions - Sudden decrease in central vision - A central blind spot - Any other visual problems - Reviewer: Christopher Cheyer, MD - Update Date: 09/01/2011 -

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Now he’s alerted me to a new study and related lecture on what he and his co-authors are calling “peak farmland” — an impending stabilization of the amount of land required for food as humanity’s growth spurt plays out. While laying out several important wild cards (expanded farming of biofuels among them), Ausubel and his co-authors see a reasonable prospect for conserving, and restoring, forests and other stressed terrestrial ecosystems even as humanity exerts an ever greater influence on the planet. The study, “Peak Farmland and the Prospects for Sparing Nature,” is by Ausubel, Iddo K. Wernick and Paul E. Waggoner and will be published next year as part of a special supplement to the journal Population and Development Review, published by the Population Council. Drawing on a host of data sets, the authors conclude that a combination of slowing population growth, moderated demand for land-intensive food (meat, for instance) and more efficient farming methods have resulted in a substantial “decoupling” of acreage and human appetites. Here’s the optimistic opener: Expecting that more and richer people will demand more from the land, cultivating wider fields, logging more forests, and pressing nature, comes naturally. The past half-century of disciplined and dematerializing demand and more intense and efficient land use encourage a rational hope that humanity’s pressure will not overwhelm nature. Ausubel will describe the findings in a talk during a daylong symposium at his university on Tuesday honoring Paul Demeny, who at age 80 is stepping down as editor of the journal. Ausubel’s prepared remarks are online. In his talk, he explains that while the common perception is that meeting humanity’s food needs is the task of farmers, there are many other players, including those of us who can choose what to eat and how many children to have: [T]he main actors are parents changing population, workers changing affluence, consumers changing the diet (more or less calories, more or less meat) and also the portion of crops entering the food supply (corn can fuel people or cars), and farmers changing the crop production per hectare of cropland (yield). The new paper builds on a long string of studies by Ausubel and the others, including the 2001 paper “How Much Will Feeding More and Wealthier People Encroach on Forests?.” Also relevant is “Restoring the Forests,” a 2000 article in Foreign Affairs co-written by Ausubel and David G. Victor (now at the University of California, San Diego) This body of analysis is closely related to the core focus of this blog: finding ways to fit infinite human aspirations (and appetites) on a finite planet. The work presents a compelling case for concentrating agriculture through whatever hybrid mix of means — technological or traditional — that best fits particular situations, but also fostering moderation in consumption. Here’s an excerpt from the paper’s conclusion, which notes the many wild cards that make the peak farmland scenario still only a plausible, and hardly inevitable, future: [W]ild cards remain part of the game, both for and against land sparing. As discussed, the wild card of biofuels confounded expectations for the past 15 years. Most wild cards probably will continue to come from consumers. Will people choose to eat much more meat? If so, will it be beef, which requires more land than poultry and fish, which require less? Will people become vegetarian or even vegan? But if they become vegan, will they also choose clothing made from linen, hemp, and cotton, which require hectares? Will the average human continue to grow taller and thus require more calories? Will norms of beauty accept obesity and thus high average calories per capita? Will a global population with a median age of 40 eat less than one with a median age of 28? Will radical innovations in food production move humanity closer to landless agriculture (Ausubel 2010)? Will hunger or international investment encourage cropland expansion in Africa and South America? (Cropland may, of course, shrink in some countries while expanding in others as the global sum declines.) And will time moderate the disparities cloaked within global averages, in particular disparities of hunger and excess among regions and individuals? Allowing for wild cards, we believe that projecting conservative values for population, affluence, consumers, and technology shows humanity peaking in the use of farmland. Over the next 50 years, the prospect is that humanity is likely to release at least 146 mHa [146 million hectares, or 563,710 square miles], one and a half times the size of Egypt, two and a half times that of France, or ten Iowas, and possibly multiples of this amount. Notwithstanding the biofuels case, the trends of the past 15 years largely resemble those for the past 50 and 150. We see no evidence of exhaustion of the factors that allow the peaking of cropland and the subsequent restoration of nature. In an e-mail exchange today, I asked Ausubel about another issue touched on in the paper: Looking around the planet, it’s clear from a biodiversity standpoint that all forests — or farming pressures — are not equal. For instance, in Southeast Asia, palm oil and orangutans are having a particularly hard time co-existing. So while the overall trend is great, do you see the need for maintaining a focus on particular “hot spots,” to use a term familiar in environmental circles? So far, I don’t see lots of evidence that conservation campaigners (you are one on ocean resources) have found a way to accept this kind of good news and/or incorporate it in their prescriptions for sustaining a rich and variegated biological sheath on Earth. If you agree, any idea why? Indonesia is the number one place where letting the underlying trend work will not work fast enough. The list of threatened regions is quite well identified: parts of the central African forest, parts of the Amazon. Some conservation groups have realized that the slow growth in demand for calories as well as pulp and paper are creating big chances to reserve or protect more land. In the right places, where crops are no longer profitable, some amounts of money can acquire large amounts of land for nature. Conservation groups also ought to attend more to the ecological disaster called biofuels. I encourage you to dig in on this paper and related work, which provides a useful guide for softening the human impact on a crowding planet. There’ll be plenty of losses, and surprises, but there are real prospects for sustaining a thriving, and peopled, orb. 6:57 p.m. | Addendum | For relevant work with somewhat different conclusions review the presentations from “Intensifying agriculture within planetary boundaries,” a session at the Planet Under Pressure conference in London last March. I’ll be adding links to other relevant analysis here.

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Although uncommon, an entirely different group of factors plays a role when an athlete suffers a stroke. Head and neck trauma are often factors in stroke during athletic competitions. Direct head trauma can result in leakage from blood vessels, depriving large regions of the brain of necessary nutrients. Violent forward and backward movement of the head can result in tearing the inner lining of vital arteries responsible for directing blood to the brain. This condition, known as arterial dissection, can form a clot within the affected blood vessel or become a source of small clots. These smaller clots often move toward the brain as emboli and block other arteries. Treatment for arterial dissection involves the use of blood thinning medications and avoiding violent collision sports. Another common risk factor for stroke in athletes is the existence of a patent foramen ovale (PFO). A PFO is a hole between the upper chambers of the heart, the right and left atria. The foramen ovale forms in the fourth week of embryonic development and should close in the first three months after birth. When it does not close, it is considered patent or open. This abnormal channel allows direct passage of blood clots to the brain. These clots often originate in the legs and may result from immobilized lower extremities. PFOs can be treated with equal success by surgical closure or blood thinning medications. Athletes appear to do better with surgical closure and usually make a full recovery to return to sports. While considered rare, strokes do occur in athletes and treatment requires a different approach.

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There are many ways to effectively teach a dog. Not so long ago, most of the accepted methods for training were forceful or aversive. Unfortunately, some of these methods still are in use among the abusive and uneducated. One of the pioneers of gentle training techniques was Barbara Woodhouse. This English dog trainer was instrumental in paving the way for today’s nonaversive and positive methods of training. She was a genius at molding behaviors with lures and gently “modeling” a dog into positions without force. But even Woodhouse used some techniques that can be considered rough by today’s standards. If you have researched dog-training methodologies at all, you probably have noticed that a percentage of the available training books advocate the use of a “choke chain” (otherwise called the training collar). When used properly, this training device relies on aversion to get the dog’s attention or to make a correction when your dog doesn’t respond to a command correctly. A sharp snap of the leash tightens the collar around the dog’s neck, startling the dog with a momentary, low-level pain. The choke chain is not a training device for leash pullers, as is commonly thought, and when used incorrectly can, at the least, cause misalignment of the spine and trachea damage. At worst, it can cause brain damage and even death. Because there is such a high risk for misuse of this device (you may not realize that the choke chain should be worn with the free ring up, for instance), the training world probably would be much better off without it. Your efforts to train your dog should focus on building a bond and nurturing trust. This bond becomes the motivator that drives your dog to learn, focus and respond. Why would anyone want to use force or violence when positive reinforcement works so well? Why should your dog trust you if he knows that you are likely to hit him when he is unfocused or confused? That’s like your supervisor yelling at you when you have problems with a difficult task. Stress won’t help you concentrate or focus better. Abusive treatment of dogs in the name of training, just as abusive handling of employees in the name of supervision, doesn’t work. It does, however, tell us a lot about the trainer. For any method of dog training to be successful, it must be: Effective – If it’s not effective, what’s the point? Efficient – Both you and your dog will become frustrated if training takes too long. Enjoyable – Fun is an important ingredient in motivating both you and your dog. The proper execution of any training program is dependent on these three ingredients. But, ultimately, the most important ingredient in your training program is you, the owner. The trust you nurture in your dog will be evident in his willingness to look to you for leadership and his motivation to work with you in any and all situations. Those qualities are in your dog right now but cannot be developed through the use of harsh training methods. Dog training can be whatever you want it to be. If you rely on anger and force, the relationship and trust will suffer. If you rely on motivation and reward, while providing appropriate consequences for misdeeds, training just gets better and better. Julie Winkelman is a certified pet dog trainer and a certified dog trainer. Reach her at www.alphacanineacademy.com.

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A 2012 survey conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found 52.5 percent of dogs and 58.3 percent of cats to be overweight or obese by their veterinarian. This translates to nearly 80 million dogs and cats in America with a weight problem. Dr. George Banta, chair of the Veterinary Technology department at Brown Mackie College - Akron and Dr. Mary Jo Wagner, attending veterinarian at Argosy University, Twin Cities, offer useful information for pet owners. How can you tell if your pet is overweight? “It’s not the number of pounds, it’s how the animal carries the weight,” says Banta. “The number on the Body Condition Score is more important than pounds.” The Body Condition Score offers a way to assess the condition of an animal, usually on a scale from one to five, taking into account height, weight, and relative proportions of muscle and fat. With a little knowledge, you can use sight and touch to figure your pet’s general condition. “When looking down on a dog or cat from above,” says Banta, “the body should slim to a discernable waist. An animal is too thin if you can see the spine or ribs; however, you should be able to feel them beneath the fur.” An animal of ideal weight will also display a pelvic tuck when viewed from the side. “Just like humans, when animals overeat, they face increased risk for health problems like diabetes, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems and cancer,” continues Banta. In fact, these risks also include a shortened life expectancy. Many owners feed pets according to the manufacturer’s suggested amounts; however, this instruction may not be right for your pet. “These guidelines are meant to cover all animals of a certain weight range,” says Wagner. “An owner must consider the age and activity level of each pet. The more active they are, the more calories they will burn in a day.” Metabolism rates vary in animals the same way they do in people. Metabolism is the body process in which food is broken down for energy; another factor that affects the amount of food a pet needs. Wagner advises owners to keep an eye on body condition to judge whether a pet is eating properly. “If your pet shows signs of being overweight, simply cut back the amount of food given at each meal. Then weigh the pet in two or three weeks to see if it has made a difference,” she says. Choosing the right food for your pet is important as well. Different brands of pet food contain varying amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates and calories. “As a general rule, young, active dogs need high protein food,” says Wagner. “Older dogs need higher fiber to keep the gastrointestinal (GI) tract moving.” Ingredients listed on the package appear in descending order of volume; the first item on the list is most abundant in the food. Most of us love to give treats, but many of us don’t realize how many we offer each day. “A 40-pound dog is one quarter the size of a 160-pound person,” Wagner says. “They have smaller stomachs. Look at calories in everything your pet eats. After that, it’s simple math.” “Table scraps are a definite no. Zip, zilch, nada,” says Banta. “They are not good for two reasons. First, foods like chocolate, caffeine, grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs. Second, the high fat content associated with table scraps, especially holiday trimmings, can lead to the onset of acute pancreatitis, which can be fatal.” He recommends offering a kibble of food or a carrot instead of a cookie. If you must give cookies, try breaking them in half. “Pets do enjoy treats as a reward; however, attention from you is also a reward. It’s important to praise animals. In some ways, spending time with them is better than a treat,” Wagner says.

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On this day in 1951, more than six years after the end of World War II in Europe, President Harry S. Truman signed a proclamation officially ending U.S. hostilities with Germany. The official end to the war came nine years, 10 months and 13 days after Congress had declared war on Nazi Germany. The lawmakers had responded to a declaration of war issued by the Third Reich in the aftermath of the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and other U.S. bases in the Pacific. The president explained why he had waited so long after the fighting had ended to act: It had always been America’s hope, Truman wrote, to create a treaty of peace with the government of a united and free Germany, but the postwar policies pursued by the Soviet Union “made it impossible.” After the war, the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union divided Germany into four zones of occupation. Berlin, while located wholly within the Soviet zone, was jointly occupied by the wartime allies and also subdivided into four sectors because of its symbolic importance as the nation’s historic capital and seat of the former Nazi government. The three western zones were merged to form the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1949, and the Soviets followed suit in October 1949 with the establishment of the German Democratic Republic. The East German regime began to falter in May 1989, when the removal of Hungary’s border fences punched a hole in the Iron Curtain, allowing tens of thousands of East Germans to flee to the West. Despite the grants of general sovereignty to both German states in 1955, neither of the two German governments held unrestricted sovereignty under international law until after they were reunified in October 1990.

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Survey data is a snapshot of a population, a moment captured in numbers, like vital signs: height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, etc. People build trend lines and watch for changes, shifting strategies as they make educated guesses about what’s going on. What’s holding steady? What’s spiking? What’s on the decline? Just as a thermometer makes no judgment, the Pew Research Center provides data about the changing world around us. We don’t advocate for outcomes or recommend policies. Rather, we provide an updated record so that others can make those pronouncements and recommendations based on facts. The latest in our health research series is being released today. Health Online 2013 finds that internet access and interest in online health resources are holding steady in the U.S. For a quick overview, read on… What is new? 1 in 3 U.S. adults use the internet to diagnose themselves or someone else – and a clinician is more likely than not to confirm their suspicions. This is the first time we – or anyone else – has measured this in a straightforward, national survey question. 1 in 4 people looking online for health info have hit a pay wall. This is the first data I know of that begins to answer the important question: what is the public impact of closed-access journals? We added three new health topics: - 11% of internet users have looked online for information about how to control their health care costs. - 14% of internet users have looked online for information about caring for an aging relative or friend. - 16% of internet users have looked online for information about a drug they saw advertised. (A full list of all the health topics we’ve included, 2002-10, is available here.) What has changed? The percentage of people who have consulted online reviews of drugs and medical treatments dropped (and I don’t know why — do you have a theory? Please post a comment.) Related: why aren’t health care review sites catching on? Pew Internet has tracked a boom in consumer reviews of other services and products — why not health care? What to keep an eye on? One of my favorite survey questions is asked of all adults and attempts to capture a broad portrait of health care resources that someone might tap into when they’re sick. It’s a useful question for keeping online resources in perspective. I think it’s also going to prove useful in the coming years as the landscape shifts and people have more opportunities to connect with clinicians online. How fast will that ”Yes, online” group grow? Or will care always be hands-on at its core — and therefore we should see growth in the “Yes, both” category? Speaking of keeping things in perspective, I think it’s important to remind ourselves that there are pockets of people who remain offline. Internet access drives information access. Here’s a table from the Appendix that digs even deeper: In other words, 64% of college educated adults in the U.S. have researched a specific disease online, compared with just 16% of U.S. adults who have not completed high school. These are just a few highlights — please read the report, ask questions, and tell us what you think: How’s the patient doing, based on this new set of vital signs? What do you prescribe?

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Fewer rare sea turtles will die on the swordfish industry's longlines in Hawaii under an agreement between environmental groups and the government. The agreement settles a lawsuit challenging the federal government's plans that would have dramatically increase the number of turtles that could be killed. The Turtle Island Restoration Network, Center for Biological Diversity and KAHEA sued the National Marine Fisheries Service for allowing 46 imperiled Pacific loggerhead turtles to be hooked last year. The new court-ordered settlement caps the number at 17 per year. Meanwhile the National Marine Fisheries Service is weighing whether loggerheads need more protection under the Endangered Species Act. "It made absolutely no sense to have one arm of the National Marine Fisheries Service increasing the lethal capture of loggerheads, while the other arm is in the process of determining whether loggerheads should be uplisted from threatened to endangered," said Todd Steiner, biologist and executive director of Turtle Island Restoration Network. "With extinction looming, these animals need more protection, not less." "With this decision, Hawaii's public-trust ocean resources can be better managed for our collective best interest, and not just the interests of this commercial fishery," said KAHEA program director Marti Townsend. "This is a victory not just for the turtles, but for Hawaii's people who rely on a healthy, functioning ocean ecosystem." Conservation groups represented by Earthjustice filed a federal lawsuit challenging a 2009 rule allowing the swordfish fleet to catch nearly three times as many loggerhead sea turtles as previously permitted. This settlement freezes the number at the previous cap of 17 while the government conducts additional environmental studies and decides whether or not to classify the loggerhead as endangered, rather than its current, less-protective status of threatened. For leatherback turtles, the bycatch limit remains at 16 per year. In 2010, eight Pacific leatherbacks and seven loggerheads were caught in the longline fishery, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. There have already been 4 loggerheads captured in 2011, which has sea turtle conservationists concerned. "Sea turtles have been swimming the oceans since the time of dinosaurs. But without a change in management, they won't survive our voracious quest for swordfish and tuna," said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "If loggerheads are going to survive in the North Pacific, we need to stop killing them in our fisheries." "Pacific loggerhead sea turtles are nearly extinct, so this bycatch rollback helps right a serious wrong," said Teri Shore, program director at Turtle Island Restoration Network. "We can't allow these rare sea turtles to disappear for a plate of swordfish. It's tragic that it took a lawsuit to correct this fishery problem." Swordfish longline vessels trail up to 60 miles of fishing line suspended in the water with floats, with as many as 1,000 baited hooks deployed at regular intervals. Sea turtles become hooked while trying to take bait or become entangled while swimming through the nearly invisible lines. These encounters can drown the turtles or leave them with serious injuries. Sea birds such as albatross dive for the bait and become hooked; marine mammals, including endangered humpback whales and false killer whales, also sometimes become hooked when they swim through the floating lines.

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Volume 4 Number 2 ©The Author(s) 2002 The Continuity Framework: A Tool for Building Home, School, and Community Partnerships AbstractWe will need to become savvy about how to build relationships, how to nurture growing, evolving things. All of us will need better skills in listening, communicating, and facilitating groups, because these are the talents that build strong relationships. (Wheatley, 1992, p. 38) In the face of today's challenging social and family issues, many new efforts are underway to help children and families. One solution that many communities have adopted is the establishment of a collaborative partnership that involves all the relevant partners—home, school, and community—in the planning and monitoring of services for children. Unfortunately, achieving a strong partnership with meaningful participation can often be difficult and time-consuming. This article focuses on a set of training materials that has been developed to assist community partnerships in their efforts. These materials highlight eight elements of continuity and successful partnerships: (1) families as partners, (2) shared leadership, (3) comprehensive/responsive services, (4) culture and home language, (5) communication, (6) knowledge and skill development, (7) appropriate care and education, and (8) evaluation of partnership success. Results from a field study that included more than 200 reviewers and 8 pilot sites are summarized. Results indicate that a majority of reviewers found the training materials easy to understand, relevant to their work, and up-to-date. In addition, data gathered from the pilot sites indicate that the partnerships found the materials practical and useful for addressing a variety of issues, including time constraints, communication gaps, differences in professional training, and funding limitations. Communities face a host of problems that threaten the health and well-being of their children and families. Poverty, unemployment, inadequate care/education, and poor health care are just a few of the difficult issues that communities must confront. What makes these issues particularly challenging is that children and families who experience one problem are often likely to experience other problems as well. Compounding the problem is that delivery of services to help children and families is typically fragmented and scattered. Even efforts designed to increase the quality and supply of services to children and families have, at times, created greater fragmentation and discontinuity. In previous years, those who sought to improve outcomes for children concentrated only on the child. Today, however, many service providers have come to understand that the best way to serve and preserve children is to serve and preserve the supportive networks that benefit children (Family Support America, 1996). An extensive body of research identifies the elements that contribute to children's well-being, beginning with those closest to the child and moving outward to encompass the family, early care/education, the neighborhood, the community, and beyond. This ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) has motivated a growing number of communities to focus more closely on the need for collaboration--engaging in a process that allows the community to address many problems at once rather than one at a time. One solution that many communities have adopted is the establishment of a collaborative partnership involving all the relevant partners--home, school, and service providers--in the planning and monitoring of services for children (Kagan, 1992; Hoffman, 1991). The goal of most of these collaboration initiatives is to improve child outcomes, recognizing that many of the child's needs are closely linked to needs of the family and the community. Challenges to Collaboration Community collaboratives/partnerships represent one of the most challenging--yet one of the most effective--efforts for creating a flexible, comprehensive system that meets the needs of children and families. They involve new relationships among service providers and the children and families they serve. They require time, resources, and the willingness of collaborating agencies to learn about and establish trust with each other. In short, they require change (Bruner, Kunesh, & Knuth, 1992). As a result of the new roles and responsibilities that service providers must assume, collaboratives/partnerships encounter many common difficulties, including (Melaville, Blank, & Asayesh, 1996): - staff or agency representatives who are resistant to relinquishing power; - policies and regulations within individual agencies that make it difficult to coordinate services, information, and resources; - differences in prior knowledge, training, or experience that make it difficult for members to communicate and work together; and - lack of time to meet and plan together. Many factors contribute to the success or failure of a community collaborative, and no two collaboratives operate in exactly the same way. However, certain guidelines seem to help smooth the way for a more successful partnership, including (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1993): - involve all key stakeholders; - establish a shared vision of how the partnership will operate and expected outcomes for the children and families served; - build in ownership at all levels; - establish communication and decision-making processes that are open and allow conflict to be addressed constructively; - institutionalize changes through established policies, procedures, and program mandates; - provide adequate time for partners to meet, plan, and carry out activities. The process of establishing and maintaining a collaborative partnership is not easy, and in the end, each partnership must find a way to proceed that is consistent with its community and unique set of circumstances. However, a number of resources and tools are available to help communities get started creating an effective system for delivering services. In this article, we describe one such tool that assembles elements essential to building a successful collaborative partnership. Development of Continuity Framework Materials For the past eight years, the 10 Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) serving each region of the country have studied effective strategies for strengthening collaboration and increasing continuity among programs for young children and their families. The RELs are overseen by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement [now the Institute of Education Sciences], and their primary purpose is ensuring that those involved in educational improvement have access to the best information from research and practice. During the contract period of 1995-2000, the RELs established a program called the Laboratory Network Program (LNP), which convened representatives from each Laboratory as a national network working on common issues. In 1995, the Early Childhood LNP developed Continuity in Early Childhood: A Framework for Home, School, and Community Linkages (U.S. Department of Education, 1995), a document designed with two key purposes in mind: first, an emphasis on the need for children and families to receive comprehensive and responsive services, reflected in the eight elements of continuity outlined in the Framework (see Figure 1). Taken together, the elements are intended to promote a comprehensive understanding of continuity and transition during early childhood. Second, the Framework offered a set of guidelines that partnerships could use to compare and assess their current policies and practices, as well as identify areas in need of improvement. Figure 1. Elements of Continuity (U.S.Department of Education, 1995) An extensive field review of the Framework indicated that although the document was helpful and informative, many community partnerships continued to have difficulty "getting started." As a result, a Trainer's Guide was developed to support the use of the Framework and assist community partnerships in the first stages. These materials were developed by the Early Childhood LNP in collaboration with the National Center for Early Development & Learning. The Trainer's Guide provides an overview of the content and potential uses of the Framework and includes all activities and materials necessary to conduct training sessions. The Guide itself consists of four training sessions that are organized around the eight elements of continuity. The materials are designed so that a local partnership has everything needed to conduct the training: background information, scripts, handouts, transparencies, sample agendas, and checklists for additional equipment and supplies: - The first session, Understanding Continuity, is designed to introduce participants to the Framework document and help participants develop a greater understanding and appreciation for continuity. - The second session, Developing a Continuity Team, highlights the importance of broad representation and shared leadership among partnership members. - The third session, Planning for Continuity, emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to service delivery and encourages participants to examine their current partnership practices and policies. - The final session, Formalizing Continuity, focuses on the importance of effective communication among group members and provides participants with an opportunity to formulate action plans. The Guide is designed to be a flexible training tool, adaptable to meet the needs of a particular audience. The intended audience includes local partnerships for children and families (including Smart Start partnerships in North Carolina), Head Start Program representatives, public schools, and communities. The overall objectives of the training are (1) to enhance the collaborative's knowledge and understanding of continuity, (2) to strengthen and support collaborative groups in their efforts to work as partners, and (3) to maximize the benefit they might receive from using the Framework. What follows is a description of the field test that was designed to assess the use and effectiveness of the Trainer's Guide. The field test focused exclusively on the Framework materials--no other instructional sources were employed. We will present the major findings of the field test and summarize recommendations based on those findings. In addition, we will highlight the work of several collaborative partnerships that took part in the field study, and we will describe some of the problems they encountered, how they used the Framework materials to address those problems, and where they are today. Specifically, the evaluation will explore: - To what extent is the information contained in the Framework and Trainer's Guide relevant and useful to community partnerships? - What is the perceived impact of the training and Framework on partnership activities? - How do partnerships incorporate elements of the Framework into their ongoing activities? - Of the review sites that indicated interest in the training materials, what proportion actually conducted the training? The overall usefulness and effectiveness of the Trainer's Guide was studied in two phases. Phase One consisted of document review and feedback from individuals working in the early childhood field. In Phase Two of field testing, the training was actually piloted in eight partnership sites. Phase One: Document Review Reviewers for the Trainer's Guide were solicited through the Laboratory Network Program (LNP) and at conferences related to early childhood issues. Three hundred thirteen individuals/organizations requested a set of the Framework materials (participant manual, Trainer's Guide, and a sample color transparency) and feedback form. Feedback questions centered on four areas: (1) information's relevancy and accuracy, (2) format and organization of the Trainer's Guide, (3) specific training needs, and (4) possible barriers to conducting training. Of the 313 requesting materials, 215 (68.7%) reviewers returned feedback forms. Twenty-one percent (N = 45) of the respondents were members of a Smart Start partnership (North Carolina initiative), 19% (N = 40) worked in Head Start agencies, and 11% (N = 24) worked in family resource centers. Others included representatives from state agencies, school personnel, and university faculty. A majority (89%) of the respondents indicated that they are actively involved in a community partnership. Final Follow-up with Select Reviewer Sites. Of the original 215 organizations/individuals who reviewed the Framework materials, 80 indicated an interest in conducting the training in its entirety and requested a complete set of transparencies. (The original materials included one sample color transparency, and the REL offered a complete set of Framework transparencies to all organizations making the request.) Approximately one year after receiving the materials, interviews were conducted with representatives who received transparencies. The purpose of these follow-up telephone calls was to determine if the materials had been used and the degree to which outside support or assistance might be needed to conduct the training. Phase Two: Pilot Training During the second phase of the field testing, the training was piloted in eight collaborative partnerships from across the nation (see Table 1). These sites were recruited through the LNP and selected based on their interest in the project. To assist with logistical details, a liaison, identified at each site, coordinated training dates and assisted with data collection. Sites varied according to demographics, partnership maturity, and sponsoring or lead agency. |Site Location||Community Type||Sponsor/Lead Agency| |Beaufort, SC||Rural||Success by 6| |Dothan, AL||Urban||Family Resource Center| |Walnut Cove, NC||Rural||Smart Start| |Valdosta, GA||Rural||Family Connections/County Commission| |Wheeling, WV||Rural||Head Start| |Troy, NC||Rural||Smart Start| |Concord, WV||Rural||Family Resource Center| Five of the partnerships described themselves as existing collaboratives (two years or more), while the remaining three indicated that they were in the planning stages of building a collaborative partnership. Sponsors of the partnerships included Smart Start (2); Head Start, family resource centers (2); Success by 6; a public school system; and a county task force. Across the eight sites, a total of 160 individuals participated in the training. Approximately 64% of the attendees were White, 27% were African American, and the remainder were either Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, or multiracial. Several of the partnerships invited persons who were not part of the collaborative partnership to attend the training. As a result, slightly more than half (54%) of the participants reported that they were current members of the partnership. The majority of these had been members less than one year (53%). Early childhood specialists represented the largest group attending the training (29%), followed by program administrators (18%), teachers/caregivers (14%), and parents (10%). Other groups represented included policy makers, members of the business community, and university faculty. Each of the sites conducted the entire training course in the fall; however, there was some variability in delivery of training. For example, some partnerships conducted the training as described in the Trainer's Guide--two complete, consecutive days of training. Other partnerships modified the training schedule to meet the needs of its members and used other formats such as one day of training followed two weeks later by a second day of training. At the conclusion of training, participants were asked to provide feedback on specific elements of the training, including organization, training content, and materials/resources. In addition, participants were asked to comment on their satisfaction with the training and the overall usefulness of the training materials. This information, along with information gathered from the review sites, was used to revise the Trainer's Guide. In the six months following the training, partnership activities were studied to determine the degree to which the collaboratives incorporated content from the Framework into their regular activities. Materials studied included a record of stakeholder attendance and meeting minutes documenting partnership activities. At the end of this period, a follow-up survey was sent to participants at each pilot site. Survey questions focused on three major areas: (1) impact of the training, (2) impact of the Framework materials, and (3) overall familiarity with Framework materials. In addition to the final survey with individuals who participated in the training, a final interview was conducted with seven site liaisons (one liaison was unavailable for interview). Interview questions focused on the original goal of the partnership, reasons for participating in the field study, and impact of the training and Framework materials. The data were analyzed to determine general response patterns and to identify logical changes or improvements to the Trainer's Guide. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to analyze data from the review sites and the pilot sites. Phase One: Document Review Analyses of data from reviewer sites were conducted on 215 surveys. Table 2 summarizes Trainer's Guide as easy to understand, relevant to their work, accurate, and up-to-date. |Survey Statement||Agreed or Strongly Agreed with Statement| |Information is accurate and up to date.||94.9% (4.54)| |Format is easy to understand and follow.||93.9% (4.49)| |Training materials were easy to understand and follow.||92.5% (4.46)| |Information is relevant to my work.||89.3% (4.41)| |I would be comfortable using the materials.||83.3% (4.29)| |*Note: According to the scale, 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree. Mean scores are presented in parentheses.| A series of open-ended questions provided respondents with an opportunity to provide more specific information and feedback. When asked what parts of the training were most useful, of those who responded, approximately 30% reported that the materials were the most useful part of the training. Reviewers specifically mentioned handouts, transparencies, and checklists. Another 22% reported that the information focusing on the need to include families and share leadership responsibilities was most useful. Reviewers also were asked to identify the greatest training need within their partnerships. Of those who responded, more than one-third (34%) reported that they often need assistance identifying and including community stakeholders. Reviewers cited family members and members of the business community as groups that often are poorly represented at partnership meetings. Other topics representing challenges to partnerships included developing the team, sharing leadership responsibilities, and involving families in meaningful ways. In terms of barriers or factors that would influence the use of training, most of the respondents (75%) cited time as the greatest barrier to conducting training. This factor was followed by a lack of funding (68%), the unavailability of a trainer (45%), and lack of interest of collaborative partners (39%). Final Follow-up with Select Reviewer Sites. Of the 80 individuals/organizations who requested a complete set of transparencies, 68 were located for follow-up interviews (85%). For the remaining 12, attempts to contact the site were unsuccessful; either the person requesting the transparencies was no longer there, or the materials were never received. Interviews revealed that 23 of the respondents had conducted training using the Framework and accompanying materials. Of those who stated that they had conducted the training, only two (less than 10%) had used the training in its entirety. Most had conducted at least one part of the training, selecting the portions most useful for their work. "Families as Partners," "Shared Leadership," and "Comprehensive and Responsive Services" were the elements from the Framework most often used for training. An additional 17% said that although they had not conducted the training as designed, they had adapted the materials or used them in other circumstances. Examples of how they had adapted the materials included using the exercises, overheads, major concepts, and other information in training activities. Head Start agencies were the primary sponsors for half of the training events. Public schools, area education associations, state departments of education, local partnerships, child development centers, and related-type centers were listed as sponsors or lead agencies for the remaining training activities. Training participants included staff and administrators at Head Start agencies, preschool and child care providers, local education agencies, schools, school improvement teams, state departments of education staff, local family service agencies and boards of directors, and parents. All who said they had used the training materials were asked to comment on the usefulness of the training. The majority of respondents rated the training as "very useful" or "useful," and all said they would recommend the training to others. Particular aspects of the training that respondents liked included: - professional quality, clarity of materials, and sequencing of content of the Framework; - handouts, activities, and overheads; - content and the ability to present the material at multiple skill levels; and - ease of use of the Framework. There were suggestions for improving the training. Four respondents said the course was "too long," especially if used in school systems or with parents. Others maintained a need for greater emphasis on action planning and implementation, "more written support materials (research, position support, background), and additional copies of key pieces of materials that helped shape the Framework." Phase Two: Pilot Training In terms of the training quality and overall effectiveness, most of the participants rated the training sessions as either "good" or "excellent." Participants tended to rate the second day of training as higher in quality and more effective than the first day of training (M = 4.392 and M = 4.17, respectively, based on a 5-point scale). Participants also evaluated the effects of the training and estimated its impact on future partnership practices. Using a four-point Likert-type scale, participants rated the extent to which they agreed with each statement. Table 3 summarizes participants' appraisal of the training and reinforces the focus of the original training objectives. Objective 1: To enhance the collaborative's knowledge and understanding of continuity |As a result of the training, I believe that I am motivated to build and strengthen continuity efforts in my community.||3.44||.65| |As a result of the training, I believe that I have a better understanding of continuity and why it is important.||3.41||.65| |I believe that this training will have an impact on increasing awareness of new skills and knowledge for our team.||3.31||63| Objective 2: To strengthen and support collaborative groups in their efforts to works as partners |As a result of the training, I believe that I am better able to participate as a member of a home, school, and community partnership.||3.40||.65| |I believe that this training will have an impact on how decisions are made and the planning we do for services.||3.25||.59| |I believe that this training will have an impact on changing/enhancing the quality of community practices.||3.23||.58| Objective 3: To maximize the benefit the collaborative might receive from using the Framework |As a result of the training, I believe that I am better able to use the Framework as a tool for exploring continuity and transition||3.26||.63| |I believe that this training will have an impact on positively affecting outcomes for children and families.||3.31||.63| |*Note: According to the scale, 1 = strongly disagree and 4 = strongly agree.| In addition to participant ratings immediately following the training, data were collected on regular partnership activities after the training. Analysis of materials such as meeting minutes revealed that during the six months following completion of the training, five of the eight sites reported that they continued to use the Framework materials. Exactly how the materials were used varied from site to site. Two of the sites selected specific elements of the Framework as their priority concerns for the coming year. They then organized subcommittees to review the partnerships' practices with respect to those elements and make recommendations for improving existing services. Another partnership used the materials to provide training to other agencies and organizations not directly involved with the partnership. The remaining two partnerships used the Framework as a resource for improving transition practices with their communities. At the end of the six months, a final survey was distributed to participants at the last partnership meeting of the year, and surveys were mailed to those not in attendance at the final meeting. Approximately half of the individuals who participated in the training (81 of 160) responded to the survey. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which the Framework materials had had an impact on partnership practices. On a four-point scale (4 = "a great deal," 3 = "some," 2 = "very little," and 1 = "not at all"), the majority of respondents (88.6%) reported that the training had "impacted" their knowledge and skill development "some" or a "great deal." Respondents also thought that the Framework had at least "some" impact on the knowledge and skills development of their partnership (83%) and community (72%). The majority (97.4%) speculated that the Framework would have at least some future impact. Finally, participants were asked to indicate the single greatest impact they experienced as a result of the training. Approximately 41% reported that as a result of the training they felt more motivated to build or strengthen efforts to support continuity of services for children in their communities. Thirty-five percent of the respondents said they had a better understanding of continuity and its importance; 17% felt that the training prepared them to be better members of their partnership; and 7% said that the training gave them a greater understanding of the Framework as a tool. Stokes County Partnership for Children, King, NC An ongoing goal of the Stokes County Partnership for Children is to create a system that encourages service providers to work together and promotes continuity for children and their families. Members of the partnership began by using the Framework to build their own knowledge and skills about continuity; however, they soon recognized the need to inform others of the importance of continuity in children's lives. As a result, the Partnership conducted a series of focus groups and meetings among parents and family members within the community. They used information from Elements 3 (Comprehensive/Responsive Services) and 7 (Developmentally Appropriate Care/Education) to explain what was needed to support continuity and its potential benefits for children. These meetings were also an opportunity to inform families of the various resources and supports available within the community. Later, the focus groups were expanded to include all stakeholders (e.g., child care, kindergarten, Head Start, school administrators, special needs coordinators, etc). The information gathered from these meetings has been used to guide the development and implementation of policies and practices that promote continuity. Final Interview with Liaisons. In the final interview conducted with site liaisons, five of the seven liaisons reported that the overall goal of their partnership is to improve services for children and their families by connecting agencies and strengthening the collaborative bonds between those agencies. Three of the liaisons specifically mentioned the need to improve transitions and create a system of responsive and comprehensive services. In addition, liaisons were asked to talk about their reasons for participating in the field-test process. At least three of the liaisons cited low levels of collaboration across agencies and indicated that partnership meetings were used primarily as a time for sharing information. Others saw the training as an opportunity to invite additional partners to the table and begin a discussion of how they could better work together. Finally, liaisons were asked to rate the extent to which the Framework materials had been helpful in accomplishing their overall partnership goal. Using a five-point scale, five of the liaisons rated the Framework materials as either "helpful" (4) or "very helpful" (5). The remaining two liaisons rated the Framework materials as at least "somewhat helpful" (3). Developing and maintaining a community collaborative is hard work, and it is a challenge that requires a great deal of commitment and cooperation from those involved. Training and resource materials available to help community partnerships build a more responsive system must address such issues as time constraints, communication gaps, differences in professional training, and funding limitations. Given these challenges, the Continuity Framework and its Trainer's Guide seem to be important and useful tools for helping partnerships increase collaboration and involvement. Data gathered from participant ratings and key-informant interviews indicated that the training was helpful in a number of ways. A feature of the training mentioned by many of the participants was the fact that the experience helped "level the playing field." That is, it provided stakeholders with a common language to use as they worked together. As illustrated in the following example, stakeholders often come from a variety of agencies and backgrounds, which can be a major impediment when a community must begin to work together and coordinate its efforts. The case studies in the sidebars highlight the work of four collaborative partnerships that took part in the field study. These case studies discuss some of the problems they encountered, how they used the Framework materials to address those problems, and where they are today. Bovill, Idaho, Collaborative Bovill is a small town (population 310) located in the north central part of the state. Bovill has no resident doctor or dentist. At the time, there also was no child care center or preschool available to children. (The closest one was 35 miles away.) In 1998, various members of the community decided that they wanted to do something to help improve the situation for children. This group of citizens brought together parents and virtually every local organization to work on a plan that would support the learning needs of children and their families. Part of this effort was a proposal submitted to the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation that would help fund an early learning center. In 1999, they were awarded a grant, and they began the work to open the Bovill Early Childhood Community Learning Center. However, once the work began, members of the partnership found that they did not have a common vocabulary to talk about the issues of early childhood education. There were also difficulties associated with establishing a partnership, such as "Who else should be included?" and "How do you get started?" In an effort to "get started" and begin the planning process, the partnership elected to participate in the field testing of the Framework materials. Framework training was provided over two consecutive days and built into the inservice training schedule of the elementary school. In addition to staff and faculty from the elementary school, representatives from other agencies and organizations participated, including the health department, the Idaho Department of Disabilities, news media, schools, early childhood education, Even Start, parents, university students, attorneys, community leaders, and businesses. According the site liaison, the Framework materials were used: - To improve awareness of key issues in providing high-quality services. The Framework provides direction to help develop a program that really works. - To provide a common language and for internal communication enhancement. Now everyone "speaks the same language." - As an external communication tool. According to the liaison, "it is so much easier to talk with funding sources when you use the structure of the elements as a base." - To validate their progress toward providing the best practices in early childhood education. - As a piece of the Bovill Elementary School improvement plan. Positive impact on individual partnership members was cited as another basis for success of the training. Many indicated they had a better understanding of continuity and were more motivated to continue to work on the difficult issues that often arise as part of the collaborative process. An added value of the training was the opportunity to spend time together and develop relationships with persons from other agencies. Often, these individual relationships help form the basis for collaborative work within the partnership. Based on the sites that continued to use the materials, the Continuity Framework and its Trainer's Guide seem to be equally useful to both existing and newly established partnerships. A common experience in the maturation of partnerships is that they are prone to lose initial momentum, often stagnating into "easy" roles such as simple information sharing. A serendipitous discovery of this study is that such partnerships evidenced rejuvenation of their efforts after participating in the training (see the Valdosta, Georgia, example). Valdosta, Georgia, Collaborative The Lowndes County/Valdosta Commission for Children and Youth has been in existence for more than a decade, and during this time, the partnership has experienced various "ups and downs." According to site liaison Vickie Elliott, cycles are a normal part of the collaborative process, "They may be the result of staff turnover or changes in the board chair and/or board members." She reports that participation in the training provided members with practical, research-based information. This information served as a reminder to members that they were doing good work and that their work was important. Since the training, the partnership has continued to use Framework materials as a reference and resource. For example, during a recent meeting, members began a discussion regarding the evaluation of partnership activities. They used Element 8: Evaluation of Partnership Success to help shape and guide this discussion. In addition, the partnership has applied for and received a 21st Century Learning Community grant. Because of the knowledge and understanding they gained during the training, members requested funds for a case manager position to be based at each school and conducting home visits. It is hoped that this strategy will facilitate communication and create greater continuity of services for students and families. Finally, the data indicate that change takes place slowly. Participants reported that the training had had some impact on their community but felt that the greatest impact was yet to come. Bringing everyone to the table is not enough. True collaboration that produces continuity in services for children takes place over a long period of time, as agencies that have not previously worked together begin to get to know each other and slowly modify procedures and practices. Marshall County Tadpole Team, Wheeling, WV Efforts to collaborate are often driven by the realization that single agencies cannot solve problems alone. Partners must be willing to jointly plan and implement new ventures, as well as pool resources such as money and personnel. Nowhere is this need to collaborate and pool resources more crucial than in Marshall County, WV. Located in the northern part of West Virginia, Marshall County remains a predominantly rural county. With a population of approximately 36,000, Marshall County has seen a decline in the number of residents over the past two to three years, largely attributed to the economic hardships of the area. This part of West Virginia relies heavily on the coal and steel industries, and as these industries have fallen on hard times, so too have many families. As a result, many families have moved away to find other employment; however, many others have sought support from social services agencies within the community. In order to make the most of the limited resources and support available within the county, many of the local agencies (e.g., Northern Panhandle Head Start, Starting Points Center, Tadpoles Team) came together to form a community collaborative. Although their collaborative meetings began more as a time for sharing information, members soon realized that to be a true "working group," they would need to broaden the meeting agendas and formalize the collaborative relationships. Using the Framework materials as an assessment tool, members worked through each element identifying the gaps in services and generating ideas for possible programs and procedures to address those gaps. This shift encouraged members to devote meeting times to discussing specific issues facing the community. Moreover, it encouraged members to formalize the partnership with written agreements. These agreements have allowed members to make a solid commitment to the collaborative, as well as clarify specific roles and responsibilities for services. Beyond the content of the training and issues related to the collaborative process, the field study underscored the importance of training structure and design. Many study participants praised the Framework materials for flexibility and relevance to a variety of contexts. The training materials were designed so that particular attention was devoted to issues such as target audience attributes (e.g., varied educational and professional development backgrounds), which dictate the appropriate level of sophistication as well as the need for course module structure (i.e., overall organization and scripting) to be highly adaptable to local training needs. The field studies indicate that community partnerships benefit from training and technical assistance that help with the process of getting started, as well as recapturing momentum and focus. Additional research is needed to document the ongoing efforts of these communities and explore whether the Framework materials continue to have an impact on community practices and outcomes, as many of the participants predicted. Further study also is needed to determine what other kinds of training or technical assistance might be useful to these partnerships as they work to build capacity and expand or grow new programs. Bronfenbrenner, Urie. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Bruner, Charles; Kunesh, Linda; & Knuth, Randy. (1992). What does research say about interagency collaboration? [Online]. Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Available: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/stw_esys/8agcycol.htm [2002, October 22].Editor's Note: this url is no longer active. Family Support America. (1996). Making the case for family support [Online]. Chicago: Author. Available: http://www.familysupportamerica.org/content/pub_proddef.htm [2002, October 22]. Editor's Note: this url is no longer active. Hoffman, Stevie (Ed.). (1991). Educational partnerships: Home-school-community [Special issue]. Elementary School Journal, 91(3). Kagan, Sharon Lynn. (1992). The strategic importance of linkages and the transition between early childhood programs and early elementary school. In Sticking together: Strengthening linkages and the transition between early childhood education and early elementary school (Summary of a National Policy Forum). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. ED 351 152. Kunesh, Linda. (1994). Integrating community services for children, youth, and families. Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Melaville, Atelia; Blank, Martin; & Asayesh, Gelareh. (1996). Together we can: A guide for crafting a profamily system of education and human services (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Available: http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/families/TWC/ Editor's Note: this url is no longer active.[2002, October 22]. ED 443 164. North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. (1993). NCREL's policy briefs: Integrating community services for young children and their families. Oak Brook, IL: Author. Available: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/93-3toc.htm [2002, October 22]. U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1995). Continuity in early childhood: A framework for home, school, and community linkages [Online]. Washington, DC: Author. Available: http://www.sedl.org/prep/hsclinkages.pdf [2002, October 22]. ED 395 664. Wheatley, Margaret J. (1992). Leadership and the new science. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Dr. Glyn Brown is a senior program specialist with SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory. She studied at the University of Alabama (B.S.), the University of Southern Mississippi (M.S.), and completed her Ph.D. in Family and Child Development at Auburn University. Prior to coming to SERVE, Dr. Brown worked as a children's therapist in a community mental health program. As a program specialist with SERVE, Dr. Brown provides training and direct consultation to school personnel, child care providers, and community partnerships. SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory 1203 Governor's Square Blvd., Suite 400 Tallahassee, FL 32301 Carolynn Amwake, a program specialist at the SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory, has extensive experience working with families, child care providers, teachers, administrators, and community partners. She received her B.S. from Radford University in early childhood education and special education and has taught children with special needs in elementary schools, children's homes, and child care centers. Her experiences as an educator and parent led to an interest in improving the quality and continuity of early childhood transitions for both children and families. SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory 1203 Governor's Square Blvd., Suite 400 Tallahassee, FL 32301 Timothy Speth is a research associate at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL). He received his B.S. in psychology from South Dakota State University and his M.A. from San Diego State University. He has extensive training and experience in research design, statistics, and program evaluation. Mr. Speth is currently involved with several research and evaluation projects throughout the Northwest, as a Research Associate of NWREL's Child and Family Program. He is the primary external evaluator for six Alaska schools participating in the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Project (CSRD) and assists in CSRD-related activities throughout the Northwest. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory 101 S.W. Main Street, Suite 500 Portland, OR 97204-3297 Catherine Scott-Little, Ph.D., is director of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Project for SERVE. Dr. Little completed her graduate work in human development at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her undergraduate degree in child development and family relations is from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Prior to joining SERVE, Dr. Little was deputy director of a large Head Start program in Fort Worth, Texas, and she has also served as director for a child development center serving homeless families in the Washington, DC, area. SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory P.O. Box 5367 Greensboro, NC 27435

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How hot is it where you are? Tell your stories at CNN's iReport. (CNN) -- For many Americans, this summer has been miserably hot. Heat advisories and warnings have been issued from coast to coast, with high temperatures often reaching into the triple digits, and July went into the record books as the hottest month ever for the continental United States. But in certain parts of the world, this is the norm -- or maybe even on the cool side. Try Kuwait City, for instance. In July, its average high temperature is 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Or Timbuktu in Mali, where the highs average 108 in May and was once recorded at 130. 130! That ranks fifth on the all-time list. The highest temperature ever recorded on the planet was in 1922, when a thermometer in El Azizia, Libya, hit 136. Some dispute that mark, saying it was improperly measured. If that's true, the record would be the 134, reached nine years earlier in Death Valley, California. But the world's hottest place might not be any of these, according to a team of scientists from the University of Montana. It says the highest temperatures on Earth are found in areas that don't even have weather stations. "The Earth's hot deserts -- such as the Sahara, the Gobi, the Sonoran and the Lut -- are climatically harsh and so remote that access for routine measurements and maintenance of a weather station is impractical," said David Mildrexler, lead author of a recent study that used NASA satellites to detect the Earth's hottest surface temperatures. The satellites detect the infrared energy emitted by land. And over a seven-year period, from 2003 to 2009, they found Iran's Lut Desert to be the hottest place on Earth. The Lut Desert had the highest recorded surface temperature in five of the seven years, topping out at 159 degrees in 2005. Other notable annual highs came from Queensland, Australia (156 degrees in 2003) and China's Turpan Basin (152 degrees in 2008). It's important to stress that surface temperatures are naturally higher than the air temperatures measured by weather stations. Air temperatures have to be measured by thermometers placed off the ground and shielded from sunlight, according to global meteorological standards. But the study shows that today's modern records might not necessarily be the most accurate. "Most of the places that call themselves the hottest on Earth are not even serious contenders," co-author Steve Running said. The world's highest recorded air temperatures 1. El Azizia, Libya (136 degrees Fahrenheit) 2. Death Valley, California (134) 3. Ghadames, Libya (131) 3. Kebili, Tunisia (131) 5. Timbuktu, Mali (130) 5. Araouane, Mali (130) 7. Tirat Tsvi, Israel (129) 8. Ahwaz, Iran (128) 8. Agha Jari, Iran (128) 10. Wadi Halfa, Sudan (127) Highest recorded air temperature (by continent) Africa: El Azizia, Libya (136) North America: Death Valley, California (134) Asia: Tirat Tsvi, Israel (129) Australia: Cloncurry, Queensland (128*) Europe: Seville, Spain (122) South America: Rivadavia, Argentina (120) Antarctica: Vanda Station, Scott Coast (59) Sources: NOAA, World Meteorological Organization * This temperature was measured using the techniques available at the time of recording, which are different to the standard techniques currently used in Australia. The most likely Australian record using standard equipment is an observation of 123 degrees, recorded at Oodnadatta, South Australia.

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Using the Moon as a High-Fidelity Analogue Environment to Study Biological and Behavioural Effects of Long-Duration Space Exploration Goswami, Nandu and Roma, Peter G. and De Boever, Patrick and Clément, Gilles and Hargens, Alan R. and Loeppky, Jack A. and Evans, Joyce M. and Stein, T. Peter and Blaber, Andrew P. and Van Loon, Jack J.W.A. and Mano, Tadaaki and Iwase, Satoshi and Reitz, Guenther and Hinghofer-Szalkay, Helmut G. (2012) Using the Moon as a High-Fidelity Analogue Environment to Study Biological and Behavioural Effects of Long-Duration Space Exploration. Planetary and Space Science, Epub ahead of print (in press). Elsevier. DOI: 10.1016/j.pss.2012.07.030. Full text not available from this repository. Due to its proximity to Earth, the Moon is a promising candidate for the location of an extra-terrestrial human colony. In addition to being a high-fidelity platform for research on reduced gravity, radiation risk, and circadian disruption, the Moon qualifies as an isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) environment suitable as an analogue for studying the psychosocial effects of long-duration human space exploration missions and understanding these processes. In contrast, the various Antarctic research outposts such as Concordia and McMurdo serve as valuable platforms for studying biobehavioral adaptations to ICE environments, but are still Earth-bound, and thus lack the low-gravity and radiation risks of space. The International Space Station (ISS), itself now considered an analogue environment for long-duration missions, better approximates the habitable infrastructure limitations of a lunar colony than most Antarctic settlements in an altered gravity setting. However, the ISS is still protected against cosmic radiation by the earth magnetic field, which prevents high exposures due to solar particle events and reduces exposures to galactic cosmic radiation. On Moon the ICE environments are strengthened, radiations of all energies are present capable of inducing performance degradation, as well as reduced gravity and lunar dust. The interaction of reduced gravity, radiation exposure, and ICE conditions may affect biology and behavior--and ultimately mission success--in ways the scientific and operational communities have yet to appreciate, therefore a long-term or permanent human presence on the Moon would ultimately provide invaluable high-fidelity opportunities for integrated multidisciplinary research and for preparations of a manned mission to Mars. |Title:||Using the Moon as a High-Fidelity Analogue Environment to Study Biological and Behavioural Effects of Long-Duration Space Exploration| |Journal or Publication Title:||Planetary and Space Science| |In Open Access:||No| |In ISI Web of Science:||Yes| |Volume:||Epub ahead of print (in press)| |Keywords:||Physiology, Orthostatic tolerance, Muscle deconditioning, Behavioural health, Psychosocial adaptation, Radiation, Lunar dust, Genes, Proteomics| |HGF - Research field:||Aeronautics, Space and Transport, Aeronautics, Space and Transport| |HGF - Program:||Space, Raumfahrt| |HGF - Program Themes:||W EW - Erforschung des Weltraums, R EW - Erforschung des Weltraums| |DLR - Research area:||Space, Raumfahrt| |DLR - Program:||W EW - Erforschung des Weltraums, R EW - Erforschung des Weltraums| |DLR - Research theme (Project):||W - Vorhaben MSL-Radiation (old), R - Vorhaben MSL-Radiation| |Institutes and Institutions:||Institute of Aerospace Medicine > Radiation Biology| |Deposited By:||Kerstin Kopp| |Deposited On:||27 Aug 2012 08:05| |Last Modified:||07 Feb 2013 20:40| Repository Staff Only: item control page

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In this section we will describe some basis of hardware involved in Nano. Block Diagram Power Supply Jz4720 support 3 different boot sources. The boot sequence is controlled by boot_sel pin values [1:0]. The configuration of BOOT_SEL1 and BOOT_SEL1 [1:0] is showed as below: |0||0||Boot from external ROM at CS4| |0||1||Boot from USB device| |1||0||Boot from 512 page size NAND flash at CS1| |1||1||Boot from 2048 page size NAND flash at CS1| Arquitectura General It is necessary, for the operation of the Nanonote Board to store many sections of executable programs in volatile and non-volatile memories. The volatile memories are used like Random Access Memories (RAM) due to its low access time and unlimited number of Read/Write cycles. On the other hand, the Non-volatile memories (NAND, SD) stores for long periods of time the required information to operate the Embedded System. Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a way of setting up communication between a computer and peripheral devices. USB is intended to replace many varieties of serial and parallel ports. USB can connect computer peripherals such as mice, keyboards, PDAs, gamepads and joysticks, scanners, digital cameras, printers, personal media players, flash drives, and external hard drives. For many of those devices, USB has become the standard connection method. A USB system has an asymmetric design, consisting of a host, a multitude of downstream USB ports, and multiple peripheral devices connected in a tiered-star topology. Additional USB hubs may be included in the tiers, allowing branching into a tree structure with up to five tier levels. A USB host may have multiple host controllers and each host controller may provide one or more USB ports. Up to 127 devices, including the hub devices, may be connected to a single host controller. Serial and JTAG The NAND in the Ben NanoNote: - Has pages that are 4096 bytes in length - Has blocks that are 128 pages in length - Has 4096 blocks of storage in total - 4096 × 128 × 4096 = 2147483648 bytes ( 2 GB) root@ben:/# cat /proc/mtd dev: size erasesize name mtd0: 00400000 00080000 "NAND BOOT partition" mtd1: 00400000 00080000 "NAND KERNEL partition" mtd2: 7f800000 00080000 "NAND ROOTFS partition" - size is the capacity of the partition in bytes. 7f800000 is just shy of 2 GB - erasesize is the block size. 00080000 is 512 KB ( 128 × 4096 byte pages) Samsung K9GAG08X0M NAND flash chip, hardware info 1 Page = (4K + 128)Bytes 1 Block = 128 Pages (512K + 16K) Bytes 1 Devie = (512K + 16K) Bytes x 4,096 Blocks 1 Device = (4K+128)B x 128Pages x 4,096 Blocks = 16,896 Mbits - NanoNote partitions |Name||Size||Block offset||Page offset| - NanoNote partitions AFTER OpenWrt_Software_Image#Image_2010-11-17, we change the rootfs to 512M |Name||Size||Block offset||Page offset| PCB 08.50 (ben) Micro-SD pins on testpads Pin TP note ------------------ #1 TP14 data2 #2 TP15 cd/data3 / _CS #3 TP17 cmd / mosi #4 sdVCC switched by Q4 (fet?) controlled via line from cpu (on TP11) #5 TP16 clock #6 GND #7 TP12 data0 / miso #8 TP13 data1 Serial pins System information GPIO pins The Jz4720 has only a limited number of pins as outputs to the board. Furthermore, several functions take up gpio pins which are therefore not usable for other functions. Those devices are the sdram and nand controller, lcd controller and mmc+sd controller. Below is a table showing how they are used. Please complete this table. The missing entries are not connected to a pad in the Jz4720. Port A - 01 sdram data 0 - 03 sdram data 1 - 05 sdram data 2 - 07 sdram data 3 - 08 sdram data 4 - 09 sdram data 5 - 10 sdram data 6 - 11 sdram data 7 - 12 sdram data 8 - 13 sdram data 9 - 15 sdram data 10 - 17 sdram data 11 - 22 sdram data 12 - 26 sdram data 13 - 28 sdram data 14 - 30 sdram data 15 Port B - 00 sdram address 0 - 01 sdram address 1 - 02 sdram address 2 - 03 sdram address 3 - 04 sdram address 4 - 05 sdram address 5 - 06 sdram address 6 - 07 sdram address 7 - 08 sdram address 8 - 09 sdram address 9 - 10 sdram address 10 - 11 sdram address 11 - 12 sdram address 12 - 13 sdram address 13 - 14 sdram address 14 - 15 nand command latch - 16 nand address latch - 17 SHDN_HOST??? - 18 TP23 (free) - 19 sdram dcs - 20 sdram ras - 21 sdram cas - 22 ??? - 23 sdram cke - 24 sdram cko - 25 sdram cs1 - 26 sdram cs2 - 27 USB ID - 28 ??? - 29 Audio output enable - 30 TP25 (free) - 31 ??? Port C - 00 lcd data 0 - 01 lcd data 1 - 02 lcd data 2 - 03 lcd data 3 - 04 lcd data 4 - 05 lcd data 5 - 06 lcd data 6 - 07 lcd data 7 - 08 TP 35 (unused) - 09 TP 36 (unused) - 10 keyboard out 0 - 11 keyboard out 1 - 12 keyboard out 2 - 13 keyboard out 3 - 14 keyboard out 4 - 15 keyboard out 5 - 16 keyboard out 6 - 17 keyboard out 7 - 18 lcd pixel clock - 19 lcd hsync - 20 lcd vsync - 21 LCD SPI chipselect - 22 LCD SPI data - 23 LCD SPI clock - 24 sdram write enable 1 - 27 Charge detect - 28 nand read enable - 29 nand write enable - 30 nand flash ready/busy - 31 select uart or jtag on pad 147; not a gpio pin Port D - 00 SD Card detect - 02 SD Card power enable - 04 Speaker AMP enable - 06 Shutdown detect - 08 SD Card command - 09 SD Card clock - 10 SD Card data 1 - 11 SD Card data 2 - 12 SD Card data 3 - 13 SD Card data 4 - 15 TP 38 (free) - 18 Keyboard in 1 - 19 Keyboard in 2 - 20 Keyboard in 3 - 21 Keyboard in 4 - 22 Keyboard in 5 - 23 Keyboard in 6 (i2c?) - 24 Keyboard in 7 (i2c?) - 25 uart transmit - 26 Keyboard in 8 (uart receive) - 27 Buzzer, controlled with pwm4. Piezo-electric buzzer; not related to soundcard output. - 28 USB detect - 29 power button Test Points Under Battery This page is to describe all test pins under battery label. You may want to probe or discover them as long as you tear off battery label. Also this whole page you can reference to the schematic of AVT2 RC1 Reference Board. - TP 9, V33, system voltage 3.3V when power on - TP 12, SDD0, MSC_D0/GPD10(in/out) of jz4720, MSC data bit 0, Please see MicroSD. - TP 13, SDD1, MSC_D1/GPD11(in/out) of jz4720, MSC data bit 1, Please see MicroSD. - TP 14, SDD2, MSC_D2/GPD12(in/out) of jz4720, MSC data bit 2, Please see MicroSD. - TP 15, SDD3, MSC_D3/GPD13(in/out) of jz4720, MSC data bit 3, Please see MicroSD. - TP 16, SDCLK, MSC_CLK/GPD9(out) of jz4720, MSC clock output, Please see MicroSD. - TP 17, SDCMD, MSC_CMD/GPD8(in/out) of jz4720, MSC command, Please see MicroSD. - TP 19, CS1_N, CS1_/GPB25(out) of jz4720, This connects to NAND (NAND chip enable). - TP 20, CS2_N, CS2_/GPB26(out) of jz4720, This connects to NAND (NAND chip enable 2). - TP 24, POP, GPB29(out) of jz4720, This pin is the purpose on eliminate POP sound free. Please also see Audio IN OUT. - TP 25 COB TEST, GPB30 of jz4720, Purpose during production test. - TP 26, FWE_N, FWE_/GPC29(out) of jz4720, This connects to NAND WE_(NAND flash write enable). Please see NAND. - TP 29, FRB_N, FRB_/GPC30(in) of jz4720, This connects to NAND FRB(NAND flash ready/busy). Please see NAND. - TP 32, CHARGE_N, GPC27(in) of jz4720, Through this input pin that shows if charging or not. Please see Power Supply Circuit & Battery Charger. - TP 39, LCD0, pin 16 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC0(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 40, LCD1, pin 15 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC1(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 41, LCD2, pin 14 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC2(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 42, LCD3, pin 13 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC3(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 43, LCD4, pin 12 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC4(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 44, LCD5, pin 11 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC5(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 45, LCD6, pin 10 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC6(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 46, LCD7, pin 9 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC7(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 47, LCDDCLK, pin 17 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC18(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 48, VSYNC, pin 18 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC20(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 49, HSYNC, pin 19 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC19(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 50, LCDCS, pin 20 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC21(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 51, LCDSCL, pin 21 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC22(out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 52, LCDSDA, pin 22 of CON2 FPC connector, GPC23(in/out) of jz4720, Please see LCD. - TP 60, KEYOUT2, GPC11(out) of jz4720, Please see Keyboard. - TP 62, KEYOUT4, GPC13(out) of jz4720, Please see Keyboard. - TP 63, KEYOUT5, GPC14(out) of jz4720, Please see Keyboard. - TP 64, KEYOUT6, GPC15(out) of jz4720, Please see Keyboard. - TP 66, KEYOUT8, GPC17(out) of jz4720, Please see Keyboard. - TP 67, KEYIN1, GPD18(in) of jz4720, Please see Keyboard. - TP 74, KEYIN8, GPD26(in) of jz4720, Serial console RXD pin in, Please see Serial console. - TP 75, TXD, GPD25(out) of jz4720, Serial console TXD pin out, Please see Serial console. - TP 76, GND, System ground, Please see Serial console. - TP 79, USBDET, GPD28(input) of jz4720, Jz4720 can detect a "LOW" status during usb host cable is plug in.

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|This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in the French Wikipedia. (December 2008)| |— Department —| |• President of the General Council||Augustin Bonrepaux (PS)| |• Total||4,890 km2 (1,890 sq mi)| |• Density||30/km2 ( 79/sq mi)| |Time zone||CET (UTC+1)| |• Summer (DST)||CEST (UTC+2)| |^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2| Foix is the administrative capital of the Ariège. It is an ancient medieval town with a fortress Chateau de Foix perched on a hill overlooking it. The fortress has been attacked many times without capture, including an attempt by Simon de Montfort. It has also been used as a prison, and the names of English prisoners of war can still be seen on the cell walls. Another famous chateau in the Ariège is Montségur, located on a rocky outcrop at a height of 1200 metres (3,900 ft). During the Albigensian Crusade and siege of 1244 AD the chateau was largely destroyed, with more than two hundred Cathar priests burnt at the stake as heretics. The chateau was gradually rebuilt by Royalists over a period of the next three hundred years. The start of the seventeenth century saw the area ravaged by wars between Protestants and Catholics. In 1621 Huguenot forces ruined the church at La Tour-du-Crieu. In 1629 Pamiers was sacked by Henry of Condé following uprisings that left several hundred dead in the city. This was also the period during which the abbeys at Foix, Tarascon-sur-Ariège, Saint-Girons, Saverdun and Le Mas-d'Azil were torched and destroyed. The nineteenth century was a time of strong industrial growth, supported in Ariège by an abundant supply of water power. The department also benefitted from its significant reserves of iron ore. The growth of iron based industries were a feature of the period, with the establishment in 1817 of a steel manufacturing plant at Pamiers which has been a principal driver of the local economy ever since. Other representative examples of the iron based industry that developed in Ariège during the nineteenth century include the forges at Montgaillard and the blast furnaces at Tarascon-sur-Ariège. Description of the department's industrial development during the nineteenth century should also include mention of the paper industry at Saint-Girons and the textile industry in the Pays d'Olmes. Towns of particular historical interest in the département include Pamiers, host to a large commercial centre and three churches. Mirepoix is a medieval town, as is Saint-Lizier situated on a hilltop with winding streets, fine views and a church with cloisters that are noteworthy. Saint-Girons is an agricultural centre with a Saturday market. The geography is dominated by the Pyrenees mountains, which form the border between France and Spain. There are hundreds of miles of well-marked paths which allow exploration of the magnificent Pyrenees mountains. The high mountains are easily accessible via good roads, cable cars or by foot. There are a number of lodges providing high level mountain accommodation that are comfortable, warm and with good meals. There are also a number of fresh water lakes which provide a variety of activities including, walking, swimming, fishing, canoeing, sailboarding and picnicking. The Ariege has several of its own downhill ski resorts, the three largest being Ax-Bonascre, Les Monts D'Olmes and Guzet-Neige. There are many cross country ski-ing resorts, one of the best being at Plateau de Beille, near Les Cabannes. The Pyrenees mountain range forms a fantastic backdrop to the entire Ariège Department, rising some 10,000 feet (3000m) in the Montcalm Massif, along the border with Andorra and Spain. The highest peaks are clearly visible visible from Toulouse in the Haute Garonne. It is one of the least populated and most unspoiled regions of France. The locals enjoy keeping traditions alive, especially old farming techniques. Consequently, as fewer insecticides, for example, have been used, the flora and fauna of the area continue to be rich in both diversity and numbers. Butterflies are common and birds are numerous; particularly noticeable are large birds of prey, including the magnificent Griffon vultures. There are also many unspoiled villages and hamlets tucked away in the valleys close to the department's border with Spain – Seix, Cominac and Aulus Les Bain are examples – together with picturesque mountain villages, most notably Aleu which comes alive in the holiday season. Ariège stands on the eastern limit of oceanic dominance over rainfall, but other influences are felt: - Mediterranean – particularly visible in the vegetation of the foothills and of the valley of the Ariège river towards Tarascon, and in the Pays de Sault; - Continental – in the Pyrenean valleys, with many storms and big differences of temperature between day and night. There is no great tendency to summer drought as the flow of air from the north-west brings rain throughout the year. Rainfall is moderate on the foothills and in some sheltered valleys, measuring 700 to 1,000 mm per year, but increases significantly in the higher valleys with levels between 1,000 mm and 1,800 mm. The slopes exposed to the north-west, such as Aulus and Orlu, are, as one would expect, the wettest, together with the frontal ridges that meet air flow from the southwest (giving rise to the Foehn effect). Snow cover is common over 1,000 metres, lasting several months above 1,500 to 2,000 metres. Some periglacial areas exist over 2,500 m but the only true glacier in Ariège is that of Mont Valier, near Castillon-en-Couserans. Temperatures are mild in the foothills, e.g. at the city of Foix (400 metres) the average is 5 °C in January and 19 °C in July. However, they decline rapidly with elevation, e.g. at l'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre (1,430 m) it is 0 °C in January and 14 °C in July. The inhabitants of the department are called Ariégeois. The department has 151,477 inhabitants, or 146,289 as the population without double counting. The populations of the arrondissements (double-counting) are : - Foix – 53,595 - Pamiers – 69,664 - Saint Girons – 28,218 The populations of the principal towns (double-counting) are : - Pamiers – 15,702 - Foix – 9,994 - Lavelanet – 7,068 - Saint Girons – 7,019 The Ariege department is a largely unknown department which is situated next to the Aude in the most southern part of the Midi-Pyrenees region and shares its borders with the Aude, Andorra, Haute Garonne and the Pyrenees Orientales. This is predominantly a farming area as the soil is rich and fertile and yet more than 50% of the Ariège is mountainous, with 490 965 hectares being covered by forests. |Number of businesses||19 750||15 November 2006| |Rate of business creation||10.4% (Ariège) 9.3% (Midi-Pyrénées) 9.3% (France)||2003| |Unemployment rate||10.4% (Ariège) 9.1% (Midi-Pyrénées) 9% (France)||September 2006| |Value of Exports||450 M€||2005| |Value of Imports||368 M€||2005| |source : Ariège Expansion| The Ariège Chamber of Commerce and Industry is situated at Foix. The department’s Economic Development Agency (ARIEGE EXPANSION) is at Verniolle. The department has established three ‘business incubators’ to support enterprise in Ariège. The department has two parliamentary constituencies and twenty-two cantons. Broadly speaking, Ariège has been firmly held by the Socialist Party since the days of the Third Republic, although in recent years the right has managed to make some inroads. Nevertheless, the department remains one of the most left-wing departments in France, and the left holds all but three of the department's 22 cantons. The President of the General Council is Augustin Bonrepaux of the Socialist Party. |Union for a Popular Movement||2| Ariégeois gastronomy is based on the cooking of Pyrenean regional food, such as cheese or charcuterie from the mountain country. The Azinat is the local and typical dish of Ariege. The department is also well advanced in the field of organic farming. The castle of Foix Cathedral of Saint-Antonin at Pamiers Cathedral de Saint-Lizier Covered shopfronts at Mirepoix According to the general census of the population of 8 March 1999, 26.5% of available housing in the department consists of second homes. |Year||Town||Population without double-counting||Number of dwellings||Second homes||% of dwellings being second homes| Famous people - Fabien Barthez, football player, winner of the World Football Cup 1998 and born at Lavelanet - Pierre Bayle (1647–1706), philosopher and writer, born at Carla-Bayle (then known as Carla-le-Comte; the commune changed its name in his honour) - Théophile Delcassé (1852–1923), politician, minister, ambassador, born at Pamiers - Jacques Dupont (born in 1928), cyclist, holder of the Olympic record, born at Lézat-sur-Lèze - Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924), composer, born at Pamiers - Jacques Fournier (1285–1342), bishop of Pamiers then of Mirepoix, pope under the name Benedict XII from 1336 to 1342 (Avignon), born at Canté near Saverdun - Claude Piquemal (born in 1939), athlete and sprinter, Olympic medalist, born at Siguer - Marie Laforêt, born Maïténa Marie Brigitte Doumenach (in 1939), actress and singer. See also - Cantons of the Ariège department - Communes of the Ariège department - Arrondissements of the Ariège department - Census 2009, French National Institute of Statistics - http://www.atlaspol.com/MDPY/ariege.htm Political atlas of Ariège (in French), consulted 30 June 2009 - Census site, INSEE, figures as at 8 March 1999 - Estimates of the intermediate census, INSEE, figures as at 1 July 2005 |Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ariège| - (French)Conseil general website - (French)Prefecture website - (French)Trekking in Ariege Pyrenees website - (French)Photography Panoramics 360° website - (French)Photography Panoramics 360° website 2

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A bullock cart or ox cart is a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle pulled by oxen (draught cattle). It is a means of transportation used since ancient times in many parts of the world. They are still used today where modern vehicles are too expensive or the infrastructure does not favor them. Used especially for carrying goods, the bullock cart is pulled by one or several oxen (bullocks). The cart (also known as a jinker) is attached to a bullock team by a special chain attached to yokes, but a rope may also be used for one or two animals. The driver and any other passengers sit on the front of the cart, while load is placed in the back. Traditionally the cargo was usually agrarian goods and lumber. Costa Rica In Costa Rica, ox carts (carretas in the Spanish language) were an important aspect of the daily life and commerce, especially between 1850 to 1935, developing a unique construction and decoration tradition that is still being developed. Costa Rican parades and traditional celebrations are not complete without a traditional ox cart parade. In 1988, the traditional ox cart was declared as National Symbol of Work by the Costa Rican government. In 2005, the "Oxherding and Oxcart Traditions in Costa Rica" were included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In Indonesia, Bullock Carts are commonly used in the rural parts of the country, where it is used for transporting goods and carriages and also people. But it is mostly common in Indonesia that there are Horse Car than Bullock Carts on the streets of Indonesia. Bullock carts were widely used in Malaysia before the introduction of automobiles, and many are still used today. These included passenger vehicles, now used especially for tourists. Passenger carts are usually equipped with awnings for protection against sun and rain, and are often gaily decorated. See also |Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ox-drawn carts|

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Topography of Flores |Location||South East Asia| |Archipelago||Lesser Sunda Islands| |Area||13,540 km2 (5,228 sq mi)| |Highest elevation||2,370 m (7,780 ft)| |Highest point||Poco Mandasawu| |Province||East Nusa Tenggara| |Largest city||Maumere (pop. 70,000)| |Population||1,831,000 (as of 2010)| |Density||135 /km2 (350 /sq mi)| Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1,831,000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers". Flores is located east of Sumbawa and Komodo and west of Lembata and the Alor Archipelago. To the southeast is Timor. To the south, across the Sumba strait, is Sumba and to the north, beyond the Flores Sea, is Sulawesi. Homo floresiensis In September 2004, at Liang Bua Cave in western Flores, paleoanthropologists discovered small skeletons that they described as a previously unknown hominid species, Homo floresiensis. These are informally named hobbits and appear to have stood about 1 m (3.3 ft) tall. The most complete individual (LB1) is dated as 18,000 years old. The Dominican order was extremely important in this island, as well as in the neighbouring islands of Timor and Solor. When in 1613 the Dutch attacked the Fortres of Solor, the population of this fort, led by the Dominicans, moved to the harbor town of Larantuka, on the eastern coast of Flores. This population was mixed, of Portuguese and local islanders descent and Larantuqueiros, Topasses (people that wear heats) or, as Dutch knew them, the 'Black Portuguese' (Swarte Portugueezen). The Larantuqueiros or Topasses became the dominant sandalwood trading people of the region for the next 200 years. This group used Portuguese as the language for worship, Malay as the language of trade and a mixed dialect as mother tongue. This was observed by William Dampier, a British Brigadier visiting the Island in 1699: - These [the Topasses] have no Forts, but depend on their Alliance with the Natives: And indeed they are already so mixt, that it is hard to distinguish whether they are Portugueze or Indians. Their Language is Portugueze; and the religion they have, is Romish. They seem in Words to acknowledge the King of Portugal for their Sovereign; yet they will not accept any Officers sent by him. They speak indifferently the Malayan and their own native Languages, as well as Portugueze. In 1846, Dutch and Portuguese initiated negotiations towards delimiting the territories but these negotiations led to nowhere. In 1851 the new governor of Timor, Solor and Flores, Lima Lopes, faced with an impoverished administration, agreed to sell eastern Flores and the nearby islands to Dutch in return for a payment of 200,000 Florins. Lima Lopes did so without the consent of Lisbon and was dismissed in disgrace, but his agreement was not rescinded and in 1854 Portugal ceded all its historical claims on Flores. After this, Flores became part of the territory of Dutch East Indies. Flores is part of the East Nusa Tenggara province. The island along with smaller minor islands are split into eight regencies (local government districts); from west to east these are: Manggarai Barat (West Manggarai), Manggarai Tengah (Central Manggarai), Manggarai Timur (East Manggarai), Ngada, Nagekeo, Ende, Sikka and Flores Timur (East Flores). It has 39.1% of the provincial population as of 2010, and the most Indonesians of all islands in the province. However, Timor including the nation of East Timor is more populated. It is the island with the 9th most Indonesians. Among all islands containing Indonesian territory, it is the 10th most populous after Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, New Guinea, Bali, Madura, Lombok, and Timor. |Manggarai Regency||Ruteng||1958||UU 69/1958||1,545.97||292,037| |Sikka Regency||Maumere||1958||UU 69/1958||1,731.92||300,301| |Ngada Regency||Bajawa||1958||UU 69/1958||1,620.92||142,254| |Ende Regency||Ende||1958||UU 69/1958||2,046.62||260,428| |East Flores Regency||Larantuka||1958||UU 69/1958||1,812.85||232,312| |West Manggarai Regency||Labuan Bajo||2003||UU 8/2003||2,947.50||221,430| |Nagekeo Regency||Mbay||2007||UU 2/2007||1,416.96||129,956| |East Manggarai Regency||Borong||2007||UU 36/2007||2,502.24||252,754| Flora and fauna The west coast of Flores is one of the few places, aside from the island of Komodo itself, where the Komodo dragon can be found in the wild, and is part of Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kelimutu National Park is the second national park designated on Flores to protect endangered species. The Flores giant rat is also endemic to the island, and Verhoeven's giant tree rat was formerly present. These giant rodents are considered examples of island gigantism. Flores was also the habitat of several extinct dwarf forms of the proboscidean Stegodon, the most recent (Stegodon florensis insularis) disappearing approximately 12 000 years ago. It is speculated by scientists that limited resources and an absence of advanced predators made the few megafaunal species that reached the island subject to insular dwarfism. There are many languages spoken on the island of Flores, all of them belonging to the Austronesian family. In the centre of the island in the districts of Ngada, Nagekeo, and Ende there is what is variously called the Central Flores Dialect Chain or the Central Flores Linkage. Within this area there are slight linguistic differences in almost every village. At least six separate languages are identifiable. These are from west to east: Ngadha, Nage, Keo, Ende, Lio and Palu'e, which is spoken on the island with the same name of the north coast of Flores. Locals would probably also add So'a and Bajawa to this list, which anthropologists have labeled dialects of Ngadha. Flores is almost entirely Roman Catholic and represents one of the "religious borders" created by the Catholic expansion in the Pacific and the spread of Islam from the west across Indonesia. In other places in Indonesia, such as in the Maluku Islands and Sulawesi, the divide is less rigid and has been the source of bloody sectarian clashes. The most famous tourist attraction in Flores is Kelimutu, a volcano containing three colored lakes, located in the district of Ende close to the town of Moni. These crater lakes are in the caldera of a volcano, and fed by a volcanic gas source, resulting in highly acidic water. The colored lakes change colors on an irregular basis, depending on the oxidation state of the lake from bright red through green and blue. There are snorkelling and diving locations along the north coast of Flores, most notably Maumere and Riung. However, due to the destructive practice of local fishermen using bombs to fish, and locals selling shells to tourists, combined with the after effects of a devastating tsunami in 1992, the reefs have slowly been destroyed. Labuan Bajo (on the western tip of Flores) is a town often used by tourists as a base to visit Komodo and Rinca. Labuanbajo also attracts scuba divers, as whale sharks inhabit the waters around Labuanbajo. In addition to tourism, the main economic activities on Flores are agriculture, fishing and seaweed production. The primary food crops being grown on Flores are rice, maize, sweet potato and cassava, while the main cash crops are coffee, coconut, candle nut and cashew. Flores is one of the newest origins for Indonesian coffee. Previously, most Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) from Flores was blended with other origins. Now, demand is growing for this coffee because of its heavy body and sweet chocolate, floral and woody notes. An ancient Ngada megalith See also - Monk, K.A.; Fretes, Y., Reksodiharjo-Lilley, G. (1996). The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku. Hong Kong: Periplus Editions Ltd. p. 7. ISBN 962-593-076-0. - "Out of the Ashes - Chapter 1". Epress.anu.edu.au. 1914-06-25. Retrieved 2012-07-25. - L, Klemen (1999-2000). "The Lesser Sunda Islands 1941-1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942. - "Hasil Sensus Penduduk 2010". Ntt.bps.go.id. Retrieved 2012-07-25. - Van Den Bergh, G. D.; Rokhus Due Awe; Morwood, M. J.; Sutikna, T.; Jatmiko; Wahyu Saptomo, E. (May 2008). "The youngest Stegodon remains in Southeast Asia from the Late Pleistocene archaeological site Liang Bua, Flores, Indonesia". Quaternary International 182 (1): 16–48. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2007.02.001. Retrieved 27 November 2011. - "Hobbits" Were Pygmy Ancestors, Not New Species, Study Says, National Geographic, 21 August 2006. - Pasternack. Keli Mutu Volcanic Lakes, University of California Davis. - East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Retrieved 8 August 2008. - Arabica Producing Regions of Indonesia, Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia. Retrieved 8 August 2008. |Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flores, Indonesia| - L, Klemen (1999-2000). "Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942".

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German destroyer Z11 Bernd von Arnim |Career (Nazi Germany)| |Name:||Z11 Bernd von Arnim| |Namesake:||Bernd von Arnim| |Ordered:||9 January 1935| |Laid down:||26 April 1935| |Launched:||8 July 1936| |Completed:||6 December 1938| |Fate:||Scuttled, 13 April 1940| |General characteristics as built| |Class & type:||Type 1934A-class destroyer| |Displacement:||2,171 long tons (2,206 t)| |Length:||119 m (390 ft 5 in) o/a 114 m (374 ft 0 in) w/l |Beam:||11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)| |Draft:||4.23 m (13 ft 11 in)| |Installed power:||70,000 shp (52,000 kW)| |Propulsion:||2 shafts, 2 × Wagner geared steam turbines 6 × water-tube boilers |Speed:||36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)| |Range:||1,825 nmi (3,380 km; 2,100 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)| |Armament:||5 × 1 - 12.7 cm (5 in) guns 2 × 2 - 3.7 cm (1.5 in) guns 6 × 1 - 2 cm (0.79 in) guns 2 × 4 - 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes 32–64 depth charges, 4 throwers and 6 individual racks Z11 Bernd von Arnim was a Type 1934A-class destroyer built for the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) in the late 1930s. At the beginning of World War II, the ship was initially deployed to blockade the Polish coast, but she was quickly transferred to the German Bight to lay minefields in German waters. In late 1939 the ship made one successful minelaying sortie off the English coast that claimed one British warship and seven merchant ships. During the early stages of the Norwegian Campaign, Bernd von Arnim fought the British destroyer Glowworm while transporting troops to the Narvik area in early April 1940, but neither ship was damaged during the action. The ship fought in both naval Battles of Narvik several days later and had to be scuttled after she exhausted her ammunition. Design and description Bernd von Arnim had an overall length of 119 meters (390 ft 5 in) and was 114 meters (374 ft 0 in) long at the waterline. The ship had a beam of 11.3 meters (37 ft 1 in), and a maximum draft of 4.23 meters (13 ft 11 in). She displaced 2,171 long tons (2,206 t) at standard load and 3,190 long tons (3,240 t) at deep load. The Wagner geared steam turbines were designed to produce 70,000 shaft horsepower (52,199 kW) which would propel the ship at 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). Steam was provided to the turbines by six high-pressure Benson boilers with superheaters. Bernd von Arnim carried a maximum of 752 metric tons (740 long tons) of fuel oil which was intended to give a range of 4,400 nautical miles (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph), but the ship proved top-heavy in service and 30% of the fuel had to be retained as ballast low in the ship. The effective range proved to be only 1,530 nmi (2,830 km; 1,760 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). Bernd von Arnim carried five 12.7 cm SK C/34 guns in single mounts with gun shields, two each superimposed, fore and aft. The fifth gun was carried on top of the rear deckhouse. Her anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns in two twin mounts abreast the rear funnel and six 2 cm C/30 guns in single mounts. The ship carried eight above-water 53.3-centimeter (21.0 in) torpedo tubes in two power-operated mounts. Four depth charge throwers were mounted on the sides of the rear deckhouse and they were supplemented by six racks for individual depth charges on the sides of the stern. Enough depth charges were carried for either two or four patterns of 16 charges each. Mine rails could be fitted on the rear deck that had a maximum capacity of 60 mines. 'GHG' (Gruppenhorchgerät) passive hydrophones were fitted to detect submarines. The ship was ordered on 4 August 1934 and laid down at Germania, Kiel on 26 March 1935 as yard number G537. She was launched on 8 July 1936 and completed on 6 July 1938. When World War II began in September 1939, Bernd von Arnim was initially deployed in the Baltic to operate against the Polish Navy and to enforce a blockade of Poland, but she was soon transferred to the German Bight where she joined her sisters in laying defensive minefields. The ship also patrolled the Skagerrak to inspect neutral shipping for contraband goods. Bernd von Arnim joined the other destroyers in laying minefields off the British coast in November, when Bernd von Arnim, Hermann Künne and Wilhelm Heidkamp laid about 180 magnetic mines in the middle of the Thames Estuary on the night of 17/18 November. The destroyer HMS Gipsy, one trawler, and seven other ships totalling 27,565 Gross Register Tons (GRT) were sunk by this minefield. Four days later, she was one of the destroyers escorting the battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst through the North Sea to break out into the North Atlantic. Together with her sisters Hans Lody and Erich Giese, Bernd von Arnim was to lay a minefield off Cromer during the night of 6/7 December, but she had trouble with two of her boilers and had to shut them down. The ship was ordered to return to port while the other two destroyers continued their mission. Norwegian Campaign Bernd von Arnim was allocated to Group 1 for the Norwegian portion of Operation Weserübung in April 1940. The group's task was to transport the 139th Mountain Infantry Regiment (139. Gebirgsjäger Regiment) and the headquarters of the 3rd Mountain Division (3. Gebirgs-Division) to seize Narvik. The ships began loading troops on 6 April and set sail the next day. Bernd von Arnim was spotted by the British destroyer Glowworm in a storm on the morning of 8 April and the ship turned away to the north-west at full speed after laying a smoke screen. The German ship was suffering damage from the heavy seas at 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) and was forced to reduce speed to 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) after she had lost two men overboard. The British destroyer was better suited for the conditions and began to close on Bernd von Arnim. Lieutenant Commander (Korvettenkapitän) Curt Rechel, captain of von Arnim, turned his ship to the north-east, closer to the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper. The ships exchanged fire without effect for an hour until Hipper came within range and sank Glowworm shortly afterward. The German destroyers reached the Ofotfjord on the morning of 9 April and Commodore Friedrich Bonte took his flagship Wilhelm Heidkamp, Bernd von Arnim and Georg Thiele down the fjord to Narvik. A heavy snowstorm allowed von Arnim and Thiele to enter the harbor without challenge and tie up at a pier. The mountain troops immediately began disembarking, but the ship was spotted by the coast defense ship Norge a few minutes later. The latter ship immediately opened fire and was able to fire approximately 13 shells at 600–800 meters (660–870 yd) range before von Arnim was able to fire seven torpedoes. Only two struck the Norwegian ship, but they detonated one or more of the ship's magazines and she immediately capsized and sank. None of the Norwegian shells hit either of the two German destroyers due to the darkness and falling snow, despite the short range. Von Arnim lowered boats to rescue the surviving Norwegian sailors and was able to pick up 96 men together with boats from the merchantmen in harbor. Von Arnim and Thiele were the first to refuel from the single tanker that had made it safely to Narvik and later moved to the Ballangenfjord, a southern arm of the Ofotfjord, closer to the entrance. Shortly before dawn on 10 April, the five destroyers of the British 2nd Destroyer Flotilla surprised the five German destroyers in Narvik harbor. They torpedoed two destroyers and badly damaged the other three while suffering only minor damage themselves. As they were beginning to withdraw they encountered the three destroyers of the 4th Flotilla which had been alerted in the Herjansfjord when the British began their attack. The Germans opened fire first, but the gunnery for both sides was not effective due to the mist and the smoke screen laid by the British as they retreated down the Ofotfjord. The German ships had to turn away to avoid a salvo of three torpedoes fired by one of the destroyers in Narvik, but von Arnim and Thiele had also been alerted and were coming up to engage the British. The two German destroyers crossed the T of the British flotilla and were able to fire full broadsides at a range of only 4,000 meters (13,000 ft). They first engaged the British flagship, HMS Hardy, and badly damaged her. Both of her forward guns were knocked out and the forward superstructure was set afire. Hardy was forced to beach herself lest she sink, and the German ships switched their fire to HMS Havock, the next ship in line. Their fire was relatively ineffective and both sides fired torpedoes without scoring any hits. Havock pulled out and dropped to the rear to fight off any pursuit by the ships of the 4th Flotilla. This placed HMS Hunter in the lead and she was quickly set on fire by the German ships. Thiele probably also hit her with a torpedo and she was rammed from behind by HMS Hotspur when the latter ship lost steering control. Hotspur was able to disengage, but Hunter capsized shortly afterward. The three remaining British ships were able to escape from the Germans under the cover of a smoke screen. Von Arnim had been hit by five British shells, which had knocked out one boiler. This was repaired by the morning of 13 April and she received six torpedoes from the badly damaged destroyers. On the night of 12 April, Commander Erich Bey, the senior surviving German officer, received word to expect an attack the following day by British capital ships escorted by a large number of destroyers and supported by carrier aircraft. The battleship Warspite and nine destroyers duly appeared on 13 April, although earlier than Commander Bey had expected, and caught the Germans out of position. The five operable destroyers, including Bernd von Arnim, charged out of Narvik harbor and engaged the British ships. Although no hits were scored, they did inflict splinter damage on several of the destroyers. The ship was able to make a torpedo attack on the British destroyers before being driven off, but her torpedoes all missed. Lack of ammunition forced the German ships to retreat to the Rombaksfjorden (the easternmost branch of the Ofotfjord), east of Narvik, where they might attempt to ambush pursuing British destroyers. Von Arnim had exhausted her ammunition and she was beached at the head of the fjord. Her crew placed demolition charges and abandoned the ship. By the time the British reached the ship she had rolled over onto her side. The ship's crew joined the German troops ashore and participated in the campaign until the British evacuated the area in June. - Groener, p. 199 - Whitley, p. 18 - Koop and Schmolke, p. 26 - Whitley, p. 215 - Whitley, pp. 71–72 - Whitley, p. 204 - Koop and Schmolke, p. 91 - Rohwer, pp. 2–3, 5, 7 - Rohwer, p. 9 - Whitley, p. 89 - Hervieux, p. 112 - Whitley, pp. 89–90 - Whitley, p. 96 - Haarr, pp. 91–93 - Haarr, p. 323 - Haarr, pp. 327 - Haarr, p. 334 - Whitley, p. 99 - Harr, pp. 339–43 - Haarr, pp. 344–47 - Whitley, p. 101 - Haarr, pp. 356–57, 362, 366 - Whitley, p. 103 - Haarr, pp. 368, 373–74 - Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Volume 1: Major Surface Warships. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-790-9. - Hervieux, Pierre (1980). "German Destroyer Minelaying Operations Off the English Coast (1940–1941)". In Roberts, John. Warship IV. Greenwich, England: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 110–16. ISBN 0-87021-979-0. - Haarr, Geirr H. (2009). The German Invasion of Norway, April 1940. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-59114-310-9. - Koop, Gerhard; Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (2003). German Destroyers of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-307-1. - Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2. - Whitley, M. J. (1991). German Destroyers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-302-8.

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A jack-o'-lantern, one of the symbols of Halloween |Also called||All Hallows' Eve All Saints' Eve |Observed by||Western Christians & many non-Christians around the world| |Celebrations||Trick-or-treating/guising, costume parties, making jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, divination, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, fireworks displays| |Observances||Church services, prayer, fasting, and vigils| |Related to||Samhain, Hop-tu-Naa, Calan Gaeaf, Kalan Gwav, Day of the Dead, All Saints' Day (cf. vigils)| Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening"), also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows (or All Saints) and the day initiating the triduum of Hallowmas. According to many scholars, All Hallows' Eve is a Christianised feast originally influenced by western European harvest festivals, and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain. Other scholars maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots. Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. The word Halloween was first used in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All Hallows' Eve ('evening'), that is, the night before All Hallows' Day. Although the phrase All Hallows' is found in Old English (ealra hālgena mæssedæg, mass-day of all saints), All Hallows' Eve is itself not seen until 1556. Celtic influences Though the origin of the word Halloween is Christian, the holiday is commonly thought to have pagan roots. Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain", which comes from the Old Irish for "summer's end". Samhain (pronounced SAH-win or SOW-in) was the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Gaelic (Irish, Scottish and Manx) calendar. It was held on or about October 31 – November 1 and kindred festivals were held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for example the Brythonic Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall) and Kalan Goañv (in Brittany). Samhain is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year. This was a time for stock-taking and preparing for the cold winter ahead; cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and livestock were slaughtered. In much of the Gaelic world, bonfires were lit and there were rituals involving them. Some of these rituals hint that they may once have involved human sacrifice. Divination games or rituals were also done at Samhain. Samhain (like Beltane) was seen as a time when the 'door' to the Otherworld opened enough for the souls of the dead, and other beings such as fairies, to come into our world. The souls of the dead were said to revisit their homes on Samhain. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them. Lewis Spence described it as a "feast of the dead" and "festival of the fairies". However, harmful spirits and fairies were also thought to be active at Samhain. People took steps to allay or ward-off these harmful spirits/fairies, which is thought to have influenced today's Halloween customs. Before the 20th century, wearing costumes at Samhain was done in parts of Ireland, Mann, the Scottish Highlands and islands, and Wales. Wearing costumes may have originated as a means of disguising oneself from these harmful spirits/fairies, although some suggest that the custom comes from a Christian or Christianized belief (see below). In Ireland, people went about before nightfall collecting for Samhain feasts and sometimes wore costumes while doing so. In the 19th century on Ireland's southern coast, a man dressed as a white mare would lead youths door-to-door collecting food; by giving them food, the household could expect good fortune from the 'Muck Olla'. In Moray during the 18th century, boys called at each house in their village asking for fuel for the Samhain bonfire. The modern custom of trick-or-treating may have come from these practices. Alternatively, it may come from the Christian custom of souling (see below). Making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween may also have sprung from Samhain and Celtic beliefs. Turnip lanterns, sometimes with faces carved into them, were made on Samhain in the 19th century in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. As well as being used to light one's way while outside on Samhain night, they may also have been used to represent the spirits/fairies and/or to protect oneself and one's home from them. Another legend is that a trickster named Jack decided one day to trick the Devil. He trapped the Devil in a pumpkin and paraded him around town. Eventually, Jack let the Devil out and the Devil put a curse on Jack and forever made him a spirit in hell. On Halloween, Jack is released to terrorize the country all night. To protect themselves, the Irish would place a pumpkin with a face outside to scare Jack into believing it was the Devil. However, a Christian origin has also been proposed. Christian influences Halloween is also thought to have been influenced by the Christian holy days of All Saints' Day (also known as All Hallows, Hallowmas or Hallowtide) on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2. They are a time for honoring the saints and praying for the recently departed who had yet to reach Heaven. All Saints was introduced in the year 609, but was originally celebrated on May 13. In 835, it was switched to November 1 (the same date as Samhain) at the behest of Pope Gregory IV. Some have suggested this was due to Celtic influence, while others suggest it was a Germanic idea. By the end of the 12th century they had become holy days of obligation across Europe and involved such traditions as ringing bells for the souls in purgatory. "Souling", the custom of baking and sharing soul cakes for "all crysten christened souls", has been suggested as the origin of trick-or-treating. Groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door on All Saints/All Souls collecting soul cakes, originally as a means of praying for souls in purgatory. Similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy. Shakespeare mentions the practice in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593), when Speed accuses his master of "puling [whimpering or whining] like a beggar at Hallowmas." The custom of wearing costumes has been linked to All Saints/All Souls by Prince Sorie Conteh, who wrote: "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world. In order to avoid being recognised by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities". In Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, Nicholas Rogers explained Halloween jack-o'-lanterns as originally being representations of souls in purgatory. In Brittany children would set candles in skulls in graveyards. In Britain, these customs came under attack during the Reformation as Protestants berated purgatory as a "popish" doctrine incompatible with the notion of predestination. The rising popularity of Guy Fawkes Night (5 November) from 1605 onward, saw many Halloween traditions appropriated by that holiday instead, and Halloween's popularity waned in Britain, with the noteworthy exception of Scotland. There and in Ireland, the rebellious Guy Fawkes was not viewed with the same criminality as in England, and they had been celebrating Samhain and Halloween since at least the early Middle Ages, and the Scottish kirk took a more pragmatic approach to Halloween, seeing it as important to the life cycle and rites of passage of communities and thus ensuring its survival in the country. Spread to North America North American almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th century give no indication that Halloween was celebrated there. The Puritans of New England, for example, maintained strong opposition to Halloween and it was not until the mass Irish and Scottish immigration during the 19th century that it was brought to North America in earnest. Confined to the immigrant communities during the mid-19th century, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and by the first decade of the 20th century it was being celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial and religious backgrounds. Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger – making it easier to carve than a turnip. Subsequently, the mass marketing of various size pumpkins in autumn, in both the corporate and local markets, has made pumpkins universally available for this purpose. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837 and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century. The modern imagery of Halloween comes from many sources, including national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein and Dracula) and classic horror films (such as Frankenstein and The Mummy). One of the earliest works on the subject of Halloween is from Scottish poet John Mayne, who, in 1780, made note of pranks at Halloween; "What fearfu' pranks ensue!", as well as the supernatural associated with the night, "Bogies" (ghosts), influencing Robert Burns' Halloween 1785. Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween. Trick-or-treating and guising Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In Scotland and Ireland, guising – children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins – is a traditional Halloween custom, and is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit and money. The practice of Guising at Halloween in North America is first recorded in 1911, where a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood. American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book length history of Halloween in the US; The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America": The taste in Hallowe'en festivities now is to study old traditions, and hold a Scotch party, using Burn's poem Hallowe'en as a guide; or to go a-souling as the English used. In short, no custom that was once honored at Hallowe'en is out of fashion now. In her book, Kelley touches on customs that arrived from across the Atlantic; "Americans have fostered them, and are making this an occasion something like what it must have been in its best days overseas. All Halloween customs in the United States are borrowed directly or adapted from those of other countries". While the first reference to "guising" in North America occurs in 1911, another reference to ritual begging on Halloween appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920. The earliest known use in print of the term "trick or treat" appears in 1927, from Blackie, Alberta, Canada: Hallowe'en provided an opportunity for real strenuous fun. No real damage was done except to the temper of some who had to hunt for wagon wheels, gates, wagons, barrels, etc., much of which decorated the front street. The youthful tormentors were at back door and front demanding edible plunder by the word “trick or treat” to which the inmates gladly responded and sent the robbers away rejoicing. The thousands of Halloween postcards produced between the turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but not trick-or-treating. The editor of a collection of over 3,000 vintage Halloween postcards writes, "There are cards which mention the custom [of trick-or-treating] or show children in costumes at the doors, but as far as we can tell they were printed later than the 1920s and more than likely even the 1930s. Tricksters of various sorts are shown on the early postcards, but not the means of appeasing them". Trick-or-treating does not seem to have become a widespread practice until the 1930s, with the first U.S. appearances of the term in 1934, and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939. Halloween costumes are traditionally modeled after supernatural figures such as monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. Over time, in the United States the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic archetypes such as ninjas and princesses. Dressing up in costumes and going "guising" was prevalent in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween by the late 19th century. Costuming became popular for Halloween parties in the US in the early 20th century, as often for adults as for children. The first mass-produced Halloween costumes appeared in stores in the 1930s when trick-or-treating was becoming popular in the United States. Halloween costume parties generally fall on or around October 31, often on the Friday or Saturday before Halloween. "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF" is a fundraising program to support UNICEF, a United Nations Programme that provides humanitarian aid to children in developing countries. Started as a local event in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood in 1950 and expanded nationally in 1952, the program involves the distribution of small boxes by schools (or in modern times, corporate sponsors like Hallmark, at their licensed stores) to trick-or-treaters, in which they can solicit small-change donations from the houses they visit. It is estimated that children have collected more than $118 million for UNICEF since its inception. In Canada, in 2006, UNICEF decided to discontinue their Halloween collection boxes, citing safety and administrative concerns; after consultation with schools, they instead redesigned the program. Games and other activities There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween parties. One common game is dunking or apple bobbing, which may be called "dooking" in Scotland in which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water and the participants must use their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. The practice is thought by some to have derived from the Roman practices in celebration of Pomona. A variant of dunking involves kneeling on a chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drop the fork into an apple. Another common game involves hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity that inevitably leads to a very sticky face. Some games traditionally played at Halloween are forms of divination. A traditional Scottish form of divining one's future spouse is to carve an apple in one long strip, then toss the peel over one's shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name. Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear. The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from the late 19th century and early 20th century. Another game/superstition that was enjoyed in the early 1900s involved walnut shells. People would write fortunes in milk on white paper. After drying, the paper was folded and placed in walnut shells. When the shell was warmed, milk would turn brown therefore the writing would appear on what looked like blank paper. Folks would also play fortune teller. In order to play this game, symbols were cut out of paper and placed on a platter. Someone would enter a dark room and was ordered to put her hand on a piece of ice then lay it on a platter. Her "fortune" would stick to the hand. Paper symbols included: dollar sign-wealth, button-bachelorhood, thimble-spinsterhood, clothespin- poverty, rice-wedding, umbrella- journey, caldron-trouble, 4-leaf clover- good luck, penny-fortune, ring-early marriage, and key-fame. The telling of ghost stories and viewing of horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Episodes of television series and Halloween-themed specials (with the specials usually aimed at children) are commonly aired on or before Halloween, while new horror films are often released theatrically before Halloween to take advantage of the atmosphere. Haunted attractions Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare patrons. Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses. Origins of these paid scare venues are difficult to pinpoint, but it is generally accepted that they were first commonly used by the Junior Chamber International (Jaycees) for fundraising. They include haunted houses, corn mazes, and hayrides, and the level of sophistication of the effects has risen as the industry has grown. Haunted attractions in the United States bring in an estimate $300–500 million each year, and draw some 400,000 customers, although press sources writing in 2005 speculated that the industry had reached its peak at that time. This maturing and growth within the industry has led to technically more advanced special effects and costuming, comparable with that of Hollywood films. Because Halloween comes in the wake of the yearly apple harvest, candy apples (known as toffee apples outside North America), caramel or taffy apples are common Halloween treats made by rolling whole apples in a sticky sugar syrup, sometimes followed by rolling them in nuts. At one time, candy apples were commonly given to children, but the practice rapidly waned in the wake of widespread rumors that some individuals were embedding items like pins and razor blades in the apples in the United States. While there is evidence of such incidents, they are quite rare and have never resulted in serious injury. Nonetheless, many parents assumed that such heinous practices were rampant because of the mass media. At the peak of the hysteria, some hospitals offered free X-rays of children's Halloween hauls in order to find evidence of tampering. Virtually all of the few known candy poisoning incidents involved parents who poisoned their own children's candy. One custom that persists in modern-day Ireland is the baking (or more often nowadays, the purchase) of a barmbrack (Irish: báirín breac), which is a light fruitcake, into which a plain ring, a coin and other charms are placed before baking. It is said that those who get a ring will find their true love in the ensuing year. This is similar to the tradition of king cake at the festival of Epiphany. List of foods associated with Halloween: - Barmbrack (Ireland) - Bonfire toffee (Great Britain) - Candy apples/toffee apples (Great Britain & Ireland) - Candy corn, candy pumpkins (North America) - Caramel apples - Caramel corn - Colcannon (Ireland) - Novelty candy shaped like skulls, pumpkins, bats, worms, etc. - Pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread - Roasted pumpkin seeds - Roasted sweet corn - Soul cakes - Scary Faced Pizza Religious observances On Hallowe'en (All Hallows' Eve), in Poland, believers are taught to pray out loud as they walk through the forests in order that the souls of the dead might find comfort; in Spain, Christian priests toll their church bells in order to allow their congregants to remember the dead on All Hallows' Eve. The Christian Church traditionally observed Hallowe'en through a vigil "when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself." This church service is known as the Vigil of All Hallows or the Vigil of All Saints; an initiative known as Night of Light seeks to further spread the Vigil of All Hallows throughout Christendom. After the service, "suitable festivities and entertainments" often follow, as well as a visit to the graveyard or cemetery, where flowers and candles are often placed in preparation for All Hallows' Day. Christian attitudes towards Halloween are diverse. In the Anglican Church, some dioceses have chosen to emphasize the Christian traditions associated with All Hallow's Eve. Some of these practises include praying, fasting and attending worship services. Father, All-Powerful and Ever-Living God, today we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place. May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. —All Hallow's Eve Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours Other Protestant Christians also celebrate All Hallows' Eve as Reformation Day, a day to remember the Protestant Reformation, alongside All Hallow's Eve or independently from it. Often, "Harvest Festivals" or "Reformation Festivals" are held as well, in which children dress up as Bible characters or Reformers. Father Gabriele Amorth, an exorcist in Rome, has said, "if English and American children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that." In more recent years, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has organized a "Saint Fest" on Halloween. Similarly, many contemporary Protestant churches view Halloween as a fun event for children, holding events in their churches where children and their parents can dress up, play games, and get candy for free. Many Christians ascribe no negative significance to Halloween, treating it as a fun event devoted to "imaginary spooks" and handing out candy. To these Christians, Halloween holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children: being taught about death and mortality, and the ways of the Celtic ancestors actually being a valuable life lesson and a part of many of their parishioners' heritage. In the Roman Catholic Church, Halloween's Christian connection is sometimes cited, and Halloween celebrations are common in Catholic parochial schools throughout North America and in Ireland. Some Christians feel concerned about the modern celebration of Halloween, and reject it because they feel it trivializes – or celebrates – paganism, the occult, or other practices and cultural phenomena deemed incompatible with their beliefs. A response among some fundamentalist and conservative evangelical churches in recent years has been the use of "Hell houses", themed pamphlets, or comic-style tracts such as those created by Jack T. Chick in order to make use of Halloween's popularity as an opportunity for evangelism. Some consider Halloween to be completely incompatible with the Christian faith, believing it to have originated as a pagan "Festival of the Dead". According to Alfred J. Kolatch in the Second Jewish Book of Why Halloween is not technically permitted by Jewish Halakha because it violate Leviticus 18:3 forbidding Jews from partaking in gentile customs. Nevertheless many American Jews celebrate it as a secular holiday, disconnected from its pagan and Christian origins. Reform Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser, of the Central Conference of American Rabbis has said that “There is no religious reason why contemporary Jews should not celebrate Halloween as it is commonly observed" while Orthodox Rabbi Michael Broyde has argued against Jews sending their children trick or treating or otherwise observing the holiday. Around the world The traditions and importance of Halloween vary greatly among countries that observe it. In Scotland and Ireland, traditional Halloween customs include children dressing up in costume going "guising", holding parties, while other practices in Ireland include lighting bonfires, and having firework displays. Mass transatlantic immigration in the 19th century popularized Halloween in North America, and celebration in the United States and Canada has had a significant impact on how the event is observed in other nations. This larger North American influence, particularly in iconic and commercial elements, has extended to places such as South America, Australia, New Zealand, (most) continental Europe, Japan, and other parts of East Asia. See also - "BBC – Religions – Christianity: All Hallows' Eve". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2011. "All Hallows' Eve falls on 31st October each year, and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself. The name derives from the Old English 'hallowed' meaning holy or sanctified and is now usually contracted to the more familiar word Hallowe'en." - The Book of Occasional Services 2003. Church Publishing, Inc. 2004. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "Service for All Hallows' Eve: This service may be used on the evening of October 31, known as All Hallows' Eve. Suitable festivities and entertainments may take place before or after this service, and a visit may be made to a cemetery or burial place." - Anne E. Kitch (2004). The Anglican Family Prayer Book. Church Publishing, Inc. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "All Hallow's Eve, which later became known as Halloween, is celebrated on the night before All Saints' Day, November 1. Use this simple prayer service in conjunction with Halloween festivities to mark the Christian roots of this festival." - The Paulist Liturgy Planning Guide. Paulist Press. 2006. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "Rather than compete, liturgy planners would do well to consider ways of including children in the celebration of these vigil Masses. For example, children might be encouraged to wear Halloween costumes representing their patron saint or their favorite saint, clearly adding a new level of meaning to the Halloween celebrations and the celebration of All Saints' Day." - Thomas Thomson, Charles Annandale (1896). A History of the Scottish People from the Earliest Times: From the Union of the kingdoms, 1706, to the present time. Blackie. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "Of the stated rustic festivals peculiar to Scotland the most important was Hallowe'en, a contraction for All-hallow Evening, or the evening of All-Saints Day, the annual return of which was a season for joy and festivity." - Merriam-Webster's Encyclopædia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster. 1999. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "Halloween, also called All Hallows' Eve, holy or hallowed evening observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. The pre-Christian observances influenced the Christian festival of All Hallows' Eve, celebrated on the same date." - "BBC – Religions – Christianity: All Hallows' Eve". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2011. "It is widely believed that many Hallowe'en traditions have evolved from an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain which was Christianised by the early Church." - Nicholas Rogers (2002). Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "Halloween and the Day of the Dead share a common origin in the Christian commemoration of the dead on All Saints' and All Souls' Day. But both are thought to embody strong pre-Christian beliefs. In the case of Halloween, the Celtic celebration of Samhain is critical to its pagan legacy, a claim that has been foregrounded in recent years by both new-age enthusiasts and the evangelical Right." - Austrian information. 1965. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "The feasts of Hallowe'en, or All Hallows Eve and the devotions to the dead on All Saints' and All Souls' Day are both mixtures of old Celtic, Druid and other heathen customs intertwined with Christian practice." - "BBC – Religions – Christianity: All Hallows' Eve". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2011. "The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions also claims that Hallowe'en "absorbed and adopted the Celtic new year festival, the eve and day of Samhain". However, there are supporters of the view that Hallowe'en, as the eve of All Saints' Day, originated entirely independently of Samhain and some question the existence of a specific pan-Celtic religious festival which took place on 31st October/1st November." - The Oxford English Dictionary (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. 1989. ISBN 0-19-861186-2. - Rogers, Nicholas (2002). "Samhain and the Celtic Origins of Halloween". Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, pp. 11–21. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8. - Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996) - A Pocket Guide To Superstitions Of The British Isles (Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; Reprint edition: 4 November 2004) ISBN 0-14-051549-6 - All Hallows' Eve BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2011. - Monaghan, Patricia. The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore. Infobase Publishing, 2004. p.407 - Frazer, Sir James George. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion. Forgotten Books, 2008. pp.663–664 - Monaghan, p.41 - O'Halpin, Andy. Ireland: An Oxford Archaeological Guide. Oxford University Press, 2006. p.236 - "Halloween". Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 21 September 2012. - McNeill, F. Marian. The Silver Bough, Vol. 3. William MacLellan. pp.11–46 - Spence, Lewis (1945). The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain. p.88. ISBN 0-09-474300-2 - Hutton, pp.380–382 - MacLeod, Sharon. Celtic Myth and Religion. McFarland, 2011. pp.61, 175 - Hutton, pp.365–368 - Hutton, p.382 - Hill, Christopher. Holidays and Holy Nights. Quest Books, 2003. p.56 - Rogers, p.57 - Rogers, Nicholas (2002). Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, pp. 22, 27. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8. - Hutton, p.364 - Rogers, Nicholas (2001). Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. Oxford University Press. pp. 28–30. ISBN 0-19-514691-3. - "Halloween". Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 25 October 2012. - Hutton, pp.374–375 - "Ask Anne", Washington Post, 21 November 1948, p. S11. - The Two Gentlemen of Verona Act 2, Scene 1. - Prince Sorie Conteh (2009). Traditionalists, Muslims, and Christians in Africa: Interreligious Encounters and Dialogue. Cambria Press. Retrieved 31 October 2011. - "Kalan -Goañv ha Marv". Tartanplace.com. 12 July 2001. Retrieved 1 November 2012. - Rogers, Nicholas (2002). Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, pp. 37–38. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8. - Rogers, Nicholas (2002). Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, pp. 49–50. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8. - Rogers, Nicholas (2002). Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, p. 74. New York: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8. - The Oxford companion to American food and drink p.269. Oxford University Press, 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2011 - Frank Leslie's popular monthly, Volume 40, November 1895, p. 540-543. Books.google.com. 5 February 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2011. - Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Great Carbuncle," in "Twice-Told Tales", 1837: Hide it [the great carbuncle] under thy cloak, say'st thou? Why, it will gleam through the holes, and make thee look like a jack-o'-lantern! - As late as 1900, an article on Thanksgiving entertaining recommended a lit jack-o'-lantern as part of the festivities. "The Day We Celebrate: Thanksgiving Treated Gastronomically and Socially," The New York Times, 24 November 1895, p. 27. "Odd Ornaments for Table," The New York Times, 21 October 1900, p. 12. - Rogers, Nicholas (2002). "Halloween Goes to Hollywood". Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, pp. 103–124. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8. - Thomas Crawford Burns: a study of the poems and songs Stanford University Press, 1960 - Simpson, Jacqueline All Saints' Day in Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, Howarth, G. and Leeman, O. (2001)London Routledge ISBN 0-415-18825-3, p.14 Halloween is closely associated in folklore with death and the supernatural. - Rogers, Nicholas. (2002) "Coming Over:Halloween in North America". Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night. p.76. Oxford University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-19-514691-3 - Ruth Edna Kelley, The Book of Hallowe'en, Boston: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co., 1919, chapter 15, p.127. "Hallowe'en in America." - Kelley, Ruth Edna. "Hallowe'en in America". - Theo. E. Wright, "A Halloween Story," St. Nicholas, October 1915, p. 1144. Mae McGuire Telford, "What Shall We Do Halloween?" Ladies Home Journal, October 1920, p. 135. - "'Trick or Treat' Is Demand," Herald (Lethbridge, Alberta), November 4, 1927, p. 5, dateline Blackie, Alberta, Nov. 3. - For examples, see the websites Postcard & Greeting Card Museum: Halloween Gallery, Antique Hallowe'en Postcards, Vintage Halloween Postcards, and Morticia's Morgue Antique Halloween Postcards[dead link]. - E-mail from Louise and Gary Carpentier, 29 May 2007, editors of Halloween Postcards Catalog (CD-ROM), G & L Postcards. - "Halloween Pranks Keep Police on Hop," Oregon Journal (Portland, Oregon), 1 November 1934: Other young goblins and ghosts, employing modern shakedown methods, successfully worked the "trick or treat" system in all parts of the city. Pretty Boy John Doe rang the door bells and his gang waited his signal. It was his plan to proceed cautiously at first and give a citizen every opportunity to comply with his demands before pulling any rough stuff. "Madam, we are here for the usual purpose, 'trick or treat.'" This is the old demand of the little people who go out to have some innocent fun. Many women have some apples, cookies or doughnuts for them, but they call rather early and the "treat" is given out gladly. - Doris Hudson Moss, "A Victim of the Window-Soaping Brigade?" The American Home, November 1939, p. 48. Moss was a California-based writer. - Beauchemin, Genevieve; CTV.ca News Staff (31 May 2006). "UNICEF to end Halloween 'orange box' program". CTV. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 29 October 2006. - "History of the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Campaign". UNICEF Canada. 2008. Archived from the original on 4 June 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009. - Apple dookers make record attempt, BBC News, 2 October 2008 - McNeill, F. Marian (1961, 1990) The Silver Bough, Vol. 3. William MacLellan, Glasgow ISBN 0-948474-04-1 pp.11–46 - "Vintage Halloween Cards". Vintage Holiday Crafts. Retrieved 28 October 2009. - Green Bay Press Gazette, 27 October 1916 - Associated Press (30 October 2005). "Haunted house business getting frightfully hard". MSNBC.com. MSNBC. Retrieved 18 November 2008. - Greg Ryan (17 September 2008). "A Model of Mayhem". Hudson Valley Magazine. Retrieved 6 October 2008. - Wilson, Craig (12 October 2006). "Haunted houses get really scary". USAToday.com. - Rogers, Nicholas (2002). "Razor in the Apple: Struggle for Safe and Sane Halloween, c. 1920–1990," Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, pp. 78–102. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8. - "Urban Legends Reference Pages: Pins and Needles in Halloween Candy". Snopes.com. Retrieved 31 October 2008. - Nixon, Robin (27 October 2010). "Poisoned Halloween Candy: Trick, Treat or Myth? – LiveScience". LiveScience.com. Retrieved 23 January 2011. - "Halloween Food:Scary Faced Pizza". - Bannatyne, Lesley Pratt (1 August 1998). Halloween: An American Holiday, an American History. Pelican Publishing. p. 12. ISBN 1565543467. Retrieved 1 November 2012. "Polish Catholics taught their children to pray out loud as they walked through the woods so that the souls of the dead could hear them and be comforted. Priests in tiny Spanish villages still ring their church bells to remind parishioners to honor the dead on All Hallows Eve." - "BBC - Religions - Christianity: All Hallows' Eve". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2011. "All Hallows' Eve falls on 31st October each year, and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself." - Dr. Andrew James Harvey (31 October 2012). "'All Hallows' Eve'". The Patriot Post. Retrieved 1 November 2011. ""The vigil of the hallows" refers to the prayer service the evening before the celebration of All Hallows or Saints Day. Or "Halloween" for short -- a fixture on the liturgical calendar of the Christian West since the seventh century." - "Vigil of All Saints". Catholic News Agency. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2011. "The Vigil is based on the monastic office of Vigils (or Matins), when the monks would arise in the middle of the night to pray. On major feast days, they would have an extended service of readings (scriptural, patristic, and from lives of the saints) in addition to chanting the psalms. This all would be done in the dark, of course, and was an opportunity to listen carefully to the Word of God as well as the words of the Church Fathers and great saints. The Vigil of All Saints is an adaptation of this ancient practice, using the canonical office of Compline at the end." - "Night of Light Beginnings". Cor et Lumen Christi Community. Retrieved 2 November 2012. "In its first year - 2000 AD - over 1000 people participated from several countries. This included special All Saints Vigil masses, extended periods of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and parties for children. In our second year 10,000 participated. Since these modest beginnings, the Night of Light has been adopted in many countries around the world with vast numbers involved each year from a Cathedral in India to a convent in New Zealand; from Churches in the USA and Europe to Africa; in Schools, churches, homes and church halls all ages have got involved. Although it began in the Catholic Church it has been taken up be other Christians who while keeping it's essentials have adapted it to suit their own traditions." - "Here's to the Soulcakers going about their mysterious mummery". The Telegraph. Retrieved 6 November 2012. "One that has grown over the past decade is the so-called Night of Light, on All Hallows’ Eve, October 31. It was invented in 2000, in leafy Chertsey, Surrey, when perhaps 1,000 people took part. Now it is a worldwide movement, popular in Africa and the United States. The heart of the Night of Light is an all-night vigil of prayer, but there is room for children’s fun too: sweets, perhaps a bonfire and dressing up as St George or St Lucy. The minimum gesture is to put a lighted candle in the window, which is in itself too exciting for some proponents of health and safety. The inventor of the Night of Light is Damian Stayne, the founder of a year-round religious community called Cor et Lumen Christi – heart and light of Christ. This new movement is Catholic, orthodox and charismatic – emphasising the work of the Holy Spirit." - Armentrout, Donald S.; Slocum, Robert Boak (1999). An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church. Church Publishing, Inc. p. 7. ISBN 0898692113. Retrieved 1 November 2012. "The BOS notes that "suitable festivities and entertainments" may precede of follow the service, and there may be a visit to a cemetery or burial place." - Infeld, Joanna (1 December 2008). In-Formation. D & J Holdings LLC. p. 150. ISBN 0976051249. Retrieved 1 November 2012. "My folks are Polish and they celebrate Halloween in a different way. It is time to remember your dead and visit the cemetery and graves of your loved ones." - "Bishop Challenges Supermarkets to Lighten up Halloween". The Church of England. Retrieved 28 October 2009. "Christianity needs to make clear its positive message for young people. It's high time we reclaimed the Christian aspects of Halloween," says the Bishop, explaining the background to his letter." - "Halloween and All Saints Day". newadvent.org. n.d. Retrieved 22 October 2006. - "Halloween Prayers: Prayers and Collects for All Hallows Eve". Ancient and Future Catholics. 2001. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "Father, All-Powerful and Ever-Living God, today we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place. May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen." - "Reformation Day". Retrieved 22 October 2009 - "Reformation Day: What, Why, and Resources for Worship". The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. 21 October 2005. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2006. - Travis Allen (2011). "Christians and Halloween". John F. MacArthur. Retrieved 31 October 2011. "Other Christians will opt for Halloween alternatives called "Harvest Festivals", "Hallelujah Night" or "Reformation Festivals"--the kids dress up as farmers, Bible characters, or Reformation heroes." - Gyles Brandreth, "The Devil is gaining ground" Sunday Telegraph (London), 11 March 2000. - "Salem 'Saint Fest' restores Christian message to Halloween". www.rcab.org. n.d. Archived from the original on 29 September 2006. Retrieved 22 October 2006. - "Feast of Samhain/Celtic New Year/Celebration of All Celtic Saints 1 November". All Saints Parish. n.d. Retrieved 22 November 2006. - Halloween's Christian Roots AmericanCatholic.org. Retrieved on 24 October 2007. - Halloween: What's a Christian to Do? (1998) by Steve Russo. - "'Trick?' or 'Treat?' – Unmasking Halloween". The Restored Church of God. n.d. Retrieved 21 September 2007. - "Jews and Halloween". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2013-03-05. - Name (required) (2011-10-30). "Halloween and Judaism: a contradiction or a coalition?". Haamnews.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2013-03-05. - Halloween fire calls 'every 90 seconds' UTV News Retrieved 22 November 2010 - McCann, Chris (28 October 2010). "Halloween firework injuries are on the increase". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 22 November 2010. - Paul Kent (27 October 2010). "Calls for Halloween holiday in Australia". The Herald Sun. - Denton, Hannah (30 October 2010). "Safe treats for kids on year's scariest night". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 November 2010. - Rogers, Nicholas (2002). Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, p.164. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-516896-8 Further reading - Diane C. Arkins, Halloween: Romantic Art and Customs of Yesteryear, Pelican Publishing Company (2000). 96 pages. ISBN 1-56554-712-8 - Diane C. Arkins, Halloween Merrymaking: An Illustrated Celebration Of Fun, Food, And Frolics From Halloweens Past, Pelican Publishing Company (2004). 112 pages. ISBN 1-58980-113-X - Lesley Bannatyne, Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, Facts on File (1990, Pelican Publishing Company, 1998). 180 pages. ISBN 1-56554-346-7 - Lesley Bannatyne, A Halloween Reader. Stories, Poems and Plays from Halloweens Past, Pelican Publishing Company (2004). 272 pages. ISBN 1-58980-176-8 - Phyllis Galembo, Dressed for Thrills: 100 Years of Halloween Costumes and Masquerade, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (2002). 128 pages. ISBN 0-8109-3291-1 - Editha Hörandner (ed.), Halloween in der Steiermark und anderswo, Volkskunde (Münster in Westfalen), LIT Verlag Münster (2005). 308 pages. ISBN 3-8258-8889-4 - Lisa Morton, The Halloween Encyclopedia, McFarland & Company (2003). 240 pages. ISBN 0-7864-1524-X - Nicholas Rogers, Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, Oxford University Press, USA (2002). ISBN 0-19-514691-3 - Jack Santino (ed.), Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life, University of Tennessee Press (1994). 280 pages. ISBN 0-87049-813-4 |Find more about Halloween at Wikipedia's sister projects| |Definitions and translations from Wiktionary| |Media from Commons| |News stories from Wikinews| |Source texts from Wikisource| |Travel information from Wikivoyage|

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List of earthquakes in Haiti This is a list of earthquakes in Haiti. Some of them have been very destructive to the country. List of major earthquakes - 1564 quake destroyed of Concepción de la Vega and Santiago de los Caballeros. - 1701: On November 9, severe destruction occurred and "[p]art of the area along the north shore of the Tiburon Peninsula from Logane to Petit Goave sank into the sea". - 1751 Port-au-Prince earthquake (18 October): According to French historian Moreau de Saint-Méry, "only one masonry building had not collapsed" in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city. - 1770 Port-au-Prince earthquake (3 June): The city was leveled in this magnitude 7.5 quake, which killed over 200 people. - 1783: A strong quake partially destroyed the church in Santiago. - 1842 Cap-Haitien earthquake (7 May): An earthquake destroyed the city of Cap-Haïtien and other towns in the north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic; this earthquake also destroyed the Sans-Souci Palace. 10,000 people were killed. It has been estimated that its magnitude was 8.1. - 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake (4 August): This 8.0-magnitude quake in Samaná also shook Haiti horrifically, producing a tsunami that killed 1,600 people. - 2010 Haiti earthquake (12 January):. The epicentre of this magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake was near Léogâne, approximately 25 km (16 miles) west of Port-au-Prince. at a depth of 13 km (8.1 miles). The United States Geological Survey recorded a series of at least 33 aftershocks, 14 of which were between magnitudes 5.0 and 5.9. The International Red Cross estimated that about three million people were affected by the quake; the Haitian Government reports that over 316,000 people had been identified as dead, an estimated 300,000 injured, and an estimated 1,000,000 homeless. 12 January 2010 earthquake Eric Calais, a geophysicist at Purdue University who has researched in the area for years, and Ross Stein of the United States Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California, and colleagues have independently calculated that the earthquake has increased the risk on other segments of the Enriquillo fault and perhaps on other faults, although the quake probably did not increase the risk (which is already known to be high) of a major tremor on the Septentrional fault. Stein suggests that if the calculations are right—noting that they may well not be—something may be "fundamentally locked in some fashion, on pretty much all scales, and might be capable of popping off something large". Historical accounts, although not precise, suggest that there has been a sequence of quakes progressing westwards along the fault, starting with an earthquake in the Dominican Republic in 2010. There are concerns that the 12 January earthquake could be the beginning of a new long-term sequence of both earthquakes and tsunamis: "the whole region is fearful". See also - Enriquillo – Plantain Garden fault zone - List of earthquakes - Map of 'Earthquakes in Haiti', compiled from the list above. - Prepetit, Claude (9 October 2008), "Tremblements de terre en Haïti, mythe ou réalité ?[[Category:Articles containing French language text]]", Le Matin, N° 33082 Wikilink embedded in URL title (help), quoting Moreau de Saint-Méry, Médéric Louis Élie, Description topographique, physique, civile, politique et historique de la partie française de l'Ile Saint Domingue and J. M. Jan, bishop of Cap-Haïtien (1972), Documentation religieuse, Éditions Henri Deschamps. http://haitimega.com/Cap_Haitien-Cap_Haitian_Earthquake_of_May_7_1842/84144788150681600/article_84481504601309194.jsp - "What caused the devastating Haiti earthquake?". LiveScience.com. 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-12. - "Major Caribbean Earthquakes And Tsunamis A Real Risk". Science Daily. Feb. 8, 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-12. - "USGS Magnitude 7.0 – HAITI REGION". Retrieved 13 January 2010. - Millar, Lisa (2010-01-17). "Tens of thousands isolated at quake epicentre". ABC News. Retrieved 2010-01-18. - Earthquake Center, USGS. "Latest Earthquakes M5.0+ in the World – Past 7 days". Earthquake Hazards Program. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 13 January 2010. - "Red Cross: 3M Haitians Affected by Quake". CBS News. 13 January 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2010. - "Haitians recall 2010 quake "hell" as death toll raised. Many survivors of the earthquake were left with permanent disabilities including limb amputation, spinal cord injury and severe fractures. Traditionally disability was not well received in Haiti. [[Team Zaryen]], a Haitian Amputee Soccer Team has been challenging that negative association by showing their success on the pitch.". Rueters. 2011-01-12. Wikilink embedded in URL title (help) - New York Times: A Deadly Quake in a Seismic Hot Zone

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|Elevation||4,095 m (13,435 ft)| |Prominence||4,095 m (13,435 ft) |Listing||Country high point John Whitehead (highest peak) Mount Kinabalu (Malay: Gunung Kinabalu) is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the highest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the highest mountain in the Malay Archipelago. Mount Kinabalu is also the 20th most prominent mountain in the world by topographic prominence. In 1997, a re-survey using satellite technology established its summit (known as Low's Peak) height at 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level, which is some 6 metres (20 ft) less than the previously thought and hitherto published figure of 4,101 metres (13,455 ft). Mount Kinabalu includes the Kinabalu montane alpine meadows ecoregion in the montane grasslands and shrublands biome. The mountain and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with between 5000 and 6000 species of plants, 326 species of birds, and more than 100 mammalian species identified. Among this rich collection of wildlife are famous species such as the gigantic Rafflesia plants and the orangutan. Mount Kinabalu has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage status. Low's Peak can be climbed quite easily by a person in good physical condition and there is no need for mountaineering equipment at any point on the main route. Other peaks along the massif, however, require rock climbing skills. Significantly, Mount Kinabalu along with other upland areas of the Crocker Range is well-known worldwide for its tremendous botanical and biological species biodiversity with plants of Himalayan, Australasian, and Indomalayan origin. A recent botanical survey of the mountain estimated a staggering 5,000 to 6,000 plant species (excluding mosses and liverworts but including ferns), which is more than all of Europe and North America (excluding tropical regions of Mexico) combined. It is therefore one of the world's most important biological sites. The flora covers the mountain in zones of different types of habitat as one climbs up, beginning with a lowland belt of fig trees and insectivorous pitcher plants. Then between 2,600 to 3,200 m (8,530 to 10,499 ft) is a layer of short trees such the conifer Dacrydium gibbsiae and dwarf shrubs, mosses, lichens, liverworts, and ferns. Finally many of the world's richest variety of orchids are found on the high rockier slopes. These plants have high levels of endemism (i.e. species which are found only within Kinabalu Park and are not found anywhere else in the world). The orchids are the best-known example with over 800 species including some of the highly-valued Paphiopedilum slipper orchids, but there are also over 600 species of ferns (more than the whole of Africa's 500 species) of which 50 are found nowhere else, and the richest collection in the world for the Nepenthes pitcher plants (five of the thirteen are found nowhere else on earth) which reach spectacular proportions (the largest-pitchered in the world being the endemic Nepenthes rajah). The parasitic Rafflesia plant, which has the largest single flower in the world, is also found in Kinabalu (particularly Rafflesia keithii whose flower grows to 94 centimetres (37 in) in diameter), though it should be noted that blooms of the flower are rare and difficult to find. Meanwhile another Rafflesia species, Rafflesia tengku-adlinii, can be found on the neighbouring Mount Trus Madi and the nearby Maliau Basin. Its incredible biodiversity in plant life is due to a combination of several unique factors: its setting in one of the richest plant regions of the world (the tropical biogeographical region known as western Malesia which comprises the island of Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and the island of Borneo), the fact that the mountain covers a wide climatic range from near sea level to freezing ground conditions near the summit, the jagged terrain and diversity of rocks and soils, the high levels of rainfall (averaging about 2,700 millimetres (110 in) a year at park HQ), and the climatic instability caused by periods of glaciation and catastrophic droughts which result in evolution and speciation. This diversity is greatest in the lowland regions (consisting of lowland dipterocarp forests, so called because the tree family Dipterocarpaceae are dominant). However, most of Kinabalu's endemic species are found in the mountain forests, particularly on ultramafic soils (i.e. soils which are low in phosphates and high in iron and metals poisonous to many plants; this high toxic content gave rise to the development of distinctive plant species found nowhere else). The variety of plant life is also habitat for a great variety of birds and animals. There are some 326 species of birds in Kinabalu Park, including the spectacular Rhinoceros Hornbill, Mountain Serpent-eagle, Dulit Frogmouth, Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher, and Bare-headed Laughingthrush. Twenty-four birds are mainly found on the mountain and one, the Bornean Spiderhunter, is a pure endemic. The mountain is home to some 100 mammalian species mostly living high in the trees, including one of the four great apes, the orangutan (though sightings of these are uncommon; estimates of its numbers in the park range from 25 to 120). Other mammals include three kinds of deer, the Malayan Weasel (Mustela nudipes), Oriental Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea), and Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis). Endemic mammals include the Black Shrew (Suncus ater) and Bornean Ferret-badger (Melogale everetti). Threats and preservation The steep mountainsides with poor soil are not suitable for farming or for the timber industry so the habitats and animal life of Kinabalu remain largely intact, with about a third of the original habitat now degraded. Kinabalu Park was established in 1964 and the nearby mountains were protected as the Crocker Range National Park in 1984. However even national park status does not guarantee full protection, as logging permits were granted on Trus Madi in 1984. Mount Kinabalu is essentially a massive pluton formed from granodiorite which is intrusive into sedimentary and ultrabasic rocks, and forms the central part, or core, of the Kinabalu massif. The granodiorite is intrusive into strongly folded strata, probably of Eocene to Miocene age, and associated ultrabasic and basic igneous rocks. It was pushed up from the earth's crust as molten rock millions of years ago. In geological terms, it is a very young mountain as the granodiorite cooled and hardened only about 10 million years ago. The present landform is considered to be a mid-Pliocene peneplain, arched and deeply dissected, through which the Kinabalu granodiorite body has risen in isostatic adjustment. It is still pushing up at the rate of 5 mm per annum. During the Pleistocene Epoch of about 100,000 years ago, the massive mountain was covered by huge sheets of ice and glaciers which flowed down its slopes, scouring its surface in the process and creating the 1,800-metre (5,900 ft) deep Low's Gully (named after Hugh Low) on its north side. Its granite composition and the glacial formative processes are readily apparent when viewing its craggy rocky peaks. British colonial administrator Hugh Low made the first recorded ascent of Mount Kinabalu's summit plateau in March 1851. Low did not scale the mountain's highest peak, however, considering it "inaccessible to any but winged animals". In April and July 1858, Low was accompanied on two further ascents by Spenser St. John, the British Consul in Brunei. The highest point of Mount Kinabalu was finally reached in 1888 by zoologist John Whitehead. British botanist Lilian Gibbs became the first woman and the first botanist to summit Mount Kinabalu in February 1910. Botanist E. J. H. Corner led two important expeditions of the Royal Society of Great Britain to the mountain in 1961 and 1964. Kinabalu National Park was established in 1964. The park was designated a natural World Heritage Site in 2000. Climbing route Climbers must be accompanied by accredited guides at all times due to national park regulations. There are two main starting points for the climb: the Timpohon Gate (located 5.5 km from Kinabalu Park Headquarters, at an altitude of 1,866 metres (6,122 ft)), and the Mesilau Nature Resort. The latter starting point is slightly higher in elevation, but crosses a ridge, adding about two kilometres to the ascent and making the total elevation gain slightly higher. The two trails meet about two kilometres before Laban Rata. Accommodation is available inside the park or outside near the headquarters. Sabah Parks has privatised Mount Kinabalu activities to an organisation called Sutera Sanctuary Lodges (also known as Sutera Harbour). The mountain may be climbed on a single day trip, or hikers may (usually) stay one night at Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,270 metres (10,730 ft) to complete the climb in 2 days, finishing the ascent and descending on the second day. The majority of climbers begin the ascent on day one of a two-day hike from Timpohon gate at 1,866 metres (6,122 ft), reaching this location either by minibus or by walking, and then walk to Laban Rata. Most people accomplish this part of the climb in 3 to 6 hours. Since there are no roads, the supplies for the Laban Rata Resthouse are carried by porters, who bring up to 35 kilograms of supplies on their backs. Hot food and beverages are available at Laban Rata. Most rooms have no hot water in the bathrooms and whilst the dining area is heated, most rooms are not. The last 2 kilometres (6,600 ft), from the Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,270 metres (10,730 ft) to Low's Peak (summit) at 4,095.2 metres (13,436 ft), takes between 2 and 4 hours. The last part of the climb is on naked granite rock. Given the high altitude, some people may suffer from altitude sickness and should return immediately to the bottom of the mountain, as breathing and any further movement becomes increasingly difficult. Low's gully Low's Gully (named after Hugh Low) is a 1,800-metre (5,900 ft) deep gorge on the north side of Mount Kinabalu, one of the least explored and most inhospitable places on earth. In 1994 two British Army officers were severely criticised after having led a party of 10 adventurers that required extensive rescue efforts from both the RAF and the Malaysian army. Five members of the party were trapped for 16 days and did not eat for five days before being rescued. The breakaway party of five successfully completed the world's first descent of the gully in three days. There are two stories that led to the main beliefs in the origin of the mountain's name. The first derivation of the word Kinabalu is extracted from the short form for the Kadazan Dusun word 'Aki Nabalu', meaning "the revered place of the dead". The second source states that the name "Kinabalu" actually means "Cina Balu" (which would fully mean "A Chinese Widow"). Due to the lingual influence among the Kadazan Dusun of Sabah, the pronunciation for the word "cina" (chee-na) was changed to "Kina" (kee-na). It was told that a Chinese prince, was cast away to Borneo when his ship sank in the middle of the South China Sea. He was subsequently rescued by the natives from a nearby village. As he recovered, he was slowly accepted as one of the people of the village. Eventually, he fell in love with a local woman, and married her. Years went by, and he started to feel homesick. So he asked permission from his newly-found family to go back to China to visit his parents (the Emperor and Empress of China). To his wife, he promised that as soon as he was done with his family duties in China, he would come back to Borneo to take her and their children back to China. When he made his return to China, he was given a grand welcome by his family. However, to his dismay, his parents disagreed with him about taking his Bornean wife back to China. Worse, they told him that he was already betrothed to a princess of a neighbouring kingdom. Having no choice (due to high respect towards his parents), he obeyed with a heavy heart. Meanwhile, back in Borneo, his wife grew more and more anxious. Eventually, she decided that she will wait for her husband's ship. However, since the village was situated far away from the coast, she couldn't afford to come to the shore and wait for him daily. Instead she decided to climb to the top of the highest mountain near her village, so that she could have a better view of the ships sailing in the South China Sea. Thus, she was then seen climbing up the mountain at every sunrise, returning only at night to attend to her growing children. Eventually her efforts took their toll. She fell ill, and died at the top of the cold mountain while waiting for her husband. The spirit of the mountain, having observed her for years, was extremely touched by her loyalty towards her husband. Out of admiration for this woman, the spirit of the mountain turned her into a stone. Her face was made to face the South China Sea, so that she could wait forever for her dear husband's return. The people in her hometown who heard about this were also gravely touched by this. Thus, they decided to name the mountain "Kinabalu" in remembrance of her. To them, the mountain is a symbol of the everlasting love and loyalty that should be taken as a good example by women. See also - Given the definition of the Malay Archipelago excluding New Guinea, where about 22 mountains exceed 4100 m. - "World Top 50 Most Prominent Peaks" Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2011-11-21. - Phillipps, A. & F. Liew 2000. Globetrotter Visitor's Guide – Kinabalu Park. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd. - Eight Southeast Asian Destinations You Shouldn't Miss - Mount Kinabalu National Park ... revered abode of the dead - Parris, B. S., R. S. Beaman, and J. H. Beaman. 1992. The Plants of Mount Kinabalu: 1. Ferns and Fern Allies. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. 165 pp + 5 pl. - Wood, J. J., J. H. Beaman, and R. S. Beaman. 1993. The Plants of Mount Kinabalu. 2. Orchids. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. xii + 411 pp + 84 pl. - Beaman, J. H., and R. S. Beaman. 1998. The Plants of Mount Kinabalu. 3. Gymnosperms and Non-Orchid Monocotyledons. Kota Kinabalu: Natural History Publications (Borneo) Sdn. Bhd.; Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. xii + 220 pp + 25 pl. - Beaman, J. H., C. Anderson, and R. S. Beaman. 2001. The plants of Mount Kinabalu. 4: Dicotyledon families Acanthaceae to Lythraceae. xiv + 570 pp + 45 pl. Kota Kinabalu: Natural History Publications (Borneo) Sdn. Bhd.; Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. - Beaman, J. H., and C. Anderson. 2004. The plants of Mount Kinabalu. 5: Dicotyledon families Magnoliaceae to Winteraceae. xiv + 609 pp + 40 pl. Kota Kinabalu: Natural History Publications (Borneo) Sdn. Bhd.; Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. - Kurata, S. 1976. Nepenthes of Mount Kinabalu. Sabah National Parks Publications No. 2, Sabah National Parks Trustees, Kota Kinabalu. - Adam, J.H. & C.C. Wilcock 1998 ['1996']. Pitcher plants of Mt. Kinabalu in Sabah. The Sarawak Museum Journal 50(71): 145–171. - Blakemore, R.J., C. Csuzdi, M.T. Ito, N. Kaneko, T. Kawaguchi & M. Schilthuizen 2007. PDF (16.4 KiB) Zootaxa 1613: 23–44. - "Kinabalu montane alpine meadows". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. - Hiung, C. S., R. Mandalam, and C. Chin. 2004. The Hugh Low Trail: The Quest for the Historical Trail to the Summit of Kinabalu. The Sabah Society, Kota Kinabalu. - Kinabalu Park. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. - Cymerman, A; Rock, PB. Medical Problems in High Mountain Environments. A Handbook for Medical Officers. USARIEM-TN94-2. US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report. Retrieved 2009-03-05. - The Independent, 21 September 1994, Leaders of lost expedition criticised, by Mary Braid - McIlroy, N. 2011. Man versus mountain. The West Australian, 9 July 2011. |Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mount Kinabalu| - Mount Kinabalu travel guide from Wikivoyage - Sabah Parks website - Mount Kinabalu Information - Climbing Mount Kinabalu - Plants of Mount Kinabalu

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|Birth name||Norman Percevel Rockwell| February 3, 1894| New York City |Died||November 8, 1978 |Training||National Academy of Design Art Students League Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine for more than four decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter, Saying Grace (1951), The Problem We All Live With, and the Four Freedoms series. He is also noted for his work for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA); producing covers for their publication Boys' Life, calendars, and other illustrations. Life and works Early life Norman Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894, in New York City to Jarvis Waring Rockwell and Anne Mary "Nancy" (born Hill) Rockwell. His earliest American ancestor was John Rockwell (1588–1662), from Somerset, England, who immigrated to America probably in 1635 aboard the ship Hopewell and became one of the first settlers of Windsor, Connecticut. He had one brother, Jarvis Waring Rockwell, Jr., older by a year and a half. Jarvis Waring, Sr., was the manager of the New York office of a Philadelphia textile firm, George Wood, Sons & Company, where he spent his entire career. Norman transferred from high school to the Chase Art School at the age of 14. He then went on to the National Academy of Design and finally to the Art Students League. There, he was taught by Thomas Fogarty, George Bridgman, and Frank Vincent DuMond; his early works were produced for St. Nicholas Magazine, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) publication Boys' Life and other juvenile publications. Joseph Csatari carried on his legacy and style for the BSA. As a student, Rockwell was given smaller, less important jobs. His first major breakthrough came in 1912 at age eighteen with his first book illustration for Carl H. Claudy's Tell Me Why: Stories about Mother Nature. In 1913, the nineteen-year-old Rockwell became the art editor for Boys' Life, published by the Boy Scouts of America, a post he held for three years (1913–1916). As part of that position, he painted several covers, beginning with his first published magazine cover, Scout at Ship's Wheel, appearing on the Boys' Life September 1913 edition. World War I During World War I, he tried to enlist into the U.S. Navy but was refused entry because, at 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 140 pounds (64 kg) he was eight pounds underweight. To compensate, he spent one night gorging himself on bananas, liquids and doughnuts, and weighed enough to enlist the next day. However, he was given the role of a military artist and did not see any action during his tour of duty. Rockwell's family moved to New Rochelle, New York when Norman was 21 years old and shared a studio with the cartoonist Clyde Forsythe, who worked for The Saturday Evening Post. With Forsythe's help, he submitted his first successful cover painting to the Post in 1916, Mother's Day Off (published on May 20). He followed that success with Circus Barker and Strongman (published on June 3), Gramps at the Plate (August 5), Redhead Loves Hatty Perkins (September 16), People in a Theatre Balcony (October 14) and Man Playing Santa (December 9). Rockwell was published eight times total on the Post cover within the first twelve months. Norman Rockwell published a total of 323 original covers for The Saturday Evening Post over 47 years. His Sharp Harmony appeared on the cover of the issue dated September 26, 1936; it depicts a barber and three clients, enjoying an a cappella song. The image was adopted by SPEBSQSA in its promotion of the art. Rockwell's success on the cover of the Post led to covers for other magazines of the day, most notably The Literary Digest, The Country Gentleman, Leslie's Weekly, Judge, Peoples Popular Monthly and Life Magazine. Personal life Rockwell married his first wife, Irene O'Connor, in 1916. Irene was Rockwell's model in Mother Tucking Children into Bed, published on the cover of The Literary Digest on January 19, 1921. However, the couple were divorced in 1930. Depressed, he moved briefly to Alhambra, California as a guest of his old friend Clyde Forsythe. There he painted some of his best-known paintings including "The Doctor and the Doll". While there he met and married schoolteacher Mary Barstow. The couple returned to New York shortly after their marriage. They had three children: Jarvis Waring, Thomas Rhodes and Peter Barstow. The family lived at 24 Lord Kitchener Road in the Bonnie Crest neighborhood of New Rochelle, New York. Rockwell and his wife were not very religious, although they were members of St. John's Wilmot Church, an Episcopal church near their home, and had their sons baptized there as well. Rockwell moved to Arlington, Vermont, in 1939 where his work began to reflect small-town life. In 1953, the Rockwell family moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, so that his wife could be treated at the Austen Riggs Center, a psychiatric hospital at 25 Main Street, down Main Street from where Rockwell set up his studio. Rockwell himself received psychiatric treatment from the analyst Erik Erikson, who was on staff at Riggs. Erikson is said to have told the artist that he painted his happiness, but did not live it. In 1959, Mary Barstow Rockwell died unexpectedly of a heart attack. World War II In 1943, during World War II, Rockwell painted the Four Freedoms series, which was completed in seven months and resulted in his losing 15 pounds. The series was inspired by a speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, in which he described four principles for universal rights: Freedom from Want, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, and Freedom from Fear. The paintings were published in 1943 by The Saturday Evening Post. The United States Department of the Treasury later promoted war bonds by exhibiting the originals in 16 cities. Rockwell himself considered "Freedom of Speech" to be the best of the four. That same year, a fire in his studio destroyed numerous original paintings, costumes, and props. Shortly after the war, Rockwell was contacted by writer Elliott Caplin, brother of cartoonist Al Capp, with the suggestion that the three of them should make a daily comic strip together, with Caplin and his brother writing and Rockwell drawing. King Features Syndicate is reported to have promised a $1,000/week deal, knowing that a Capp-Rockwell collaboration would gain strong public interest. However, the project was ultimately aborted as it turned out that Rockwell, known for his perfectionism as an artist, could not deliver material as fast as required of him for a daily comic strip. During the late 1940s, Norman Rockwell spent the winter months as artist-in-residence at Otis College of Art and Design. Students occasionally were models for his Saturday Evening Post covers. In 1949, Rockwell donated an original Post cover, "April Fool", to be raffled off in a library fund raiser. In 1959, his wife Mary died unexpectedly from a heart attack, and Rockwell took time off from his work to grieve. It was during that break that he and his son Thomas produced his autobiography, My Adventures as an Illustrator, which was published in 1960. The Post printed excerpts from this book in eight consecutive issues, the first containing Rockwell's famous Triple Self-Portrait. Later career Rockwell married his third wife, retired Milton Academy English teacher Mary Leete "Molly" Punderson, on October 25, 1961. His last painting for the Post was published in 1963, marking the end of a publishing relationship that had included 321 cover paintings. He spent the next ten years painting for Look magazine, where his work depicted his interests in civil rights, poverty and space exploration. In 1968, Rockwell was commissioned to do an album cover portrait of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper for their record The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper. During his long career, he was commissioned to paint the portraits for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, as well as those of foreign figures, including Gamal Abdel Nasser and Jawaharlal Nehru. One of his last works was a portrait of Judy Garland in 1969. A custodianship of his original paintings and drawings was established with Rockwell's help near his home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and the Norman Rockwell Museum is still open today year round. Norman Rockwell Museum is the authoritative source for all things Norman Rockwell. The museum's collection is the world's largest, including more than 700 original Rockwell paintings, drawings, and studies. The Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at the Norman Rockwell Museum is a national research institute dedicated to American illustration art. When he began suffering poor health, he placed his studio and the contents with the Norman Rockwell Museum, which was formerly known as the Stockbridge Historical Society and even more formerly known as the Old Corner house, in a trust. For "vivid and affectionate portraits of our country," Rockwell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America's highest civilian honor, in 1977. Body of work Norman Rockwell was a prolific artist, producing over 4,000 original works in his lifetime. Most of his works are either in public collections, or have been destroyed in fire or other misfortunes. Rockwell was also commissioned to illustrate over 40 books including Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. His annual contributions for the Boy Scouts' calendars between 1925 and 1976 (Rockwell was a 1939 recipient of the Silver Buffalo Award, the highest adult award given by the Boy Scouts of America), were only slightly overshadowed by his most popular of calendar works: the "Four Seasons" illustrations for Brown & Bigelow that were published for 17 years beginning in 1947 and reproduced in various styles and sizes since 1964. Illustrations for booklets, catalogs, posters (particularly movie promotions), sheet music, stamps, playing cards, and murals (including "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "God Bless the Hills", which was completed in 1936 for the Nassau Inn in Princeton, New Jersey) rounded out Rockwell's œuvre as an illustrator. In 1969, as a tribute to Rockwell's 75th-year birthday, officials of Brown & Bigelow and the Boy Scouts of America asked Rockwell to pose in Beyond the Easel, the calendar illustration that year. Rockwell's work was dismissed by serious art critics in his lifetime. Many of his works appear overly sweet in modern critics' eyes, especially the Saturday Evening Post covers, which tend toward idealistic or sentimentalized portrayals of American life – this has led to the often-deprecatory adjective "Rockwellesque". Consequently, Rockwell is not considered a "serious painter" by some contemporary artists, who often regard his work as bourgeois and kitsch. Writer Vladimir Nabokov sneered that Rockwell's brilliant technique was put to "banal" use, and wrote in his book Pnin: "That Dalí is really Norman Rockwell's twin brother kidnapped by Gypsies in babyhood". He is called an "illustrator" instead of an artist by some critics, a designation he did not mind, as it was what he called himself. However, in his later years, Rockwell began receiving more attention as a painter when he chose more serious subjects such as the series on racism for Look magazine. One example of this more serious work is The Problem We All Live With, which dealt with the issue of school racial integration. The painting depicts a young African American girl, Ruby Bridges, flanked by white federal marshals, walking to school past a wall defaced by racist graffiti. Rockwell's work was exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 2001. Rockwell's Breaking Home Ties sold for $15.4 million at a 2006 Sotheby's auction. A twelve-city U.S. tour of Rockwell's works took place in 2008. In 2008, Rockwell was named the official state artist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. - In the film Empire of the Sun, a young boy (played by Christian Bale) is put to bed by his loving parents in a scene also inspired by a Rockwell painting—a reproduction of which is later kept by the young boy during his captivity in a prison camp ("Freedom from Fear", 1943). - The 1994 film Forrest Gump includes a shot in a school that re-creates Rockwell's "Girl with Black Eye" with young Forrest in place of the girl. Much of the film drew heavy visual inspiration from Rockwell's art. - Film director George Lucas owns Rockwell's original of "The Peach Crop", and his colleague Steven Spielberg owns a sketch of Rockwell's Triple Self-Portrait. Each of the artworks hangs in the respective filmmaker's workspace. Rockwell is a major character in an episode of Lucas’ Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, “Passion for Life.” - In 2005, Target Co. sold Marshall Field's to Federated Department Stores and the Federated discovered a reproduction of Rockwell's The Clock Mender, which depicted the great clocks of the Marshall Field and Company Building on display. Rockwell had donated the painting depicted on the cover of the November 3, 1945 Saturday Evening Post to the store in 1948. - On Norman Rockwell's birthday, February 3, 2010, Google featured Rockwell's iconic image of young love "Boy and Girl Gazing at the Moon", which is also known as "Puppy Love", on its home page. The response was so great that day that the Norman Rockwell museum's servers went down under the onslaught. - "Dreamland", a track from Canadian alternative rock band Our Lady Peace's 2009 album Burn Burn, was inspired by Rockwell's paintings. Major works - Scout at Ship's Wheel (first published magazine cover illustration, Boys' Life, September 1913) - Santa and Scouts in Snow (1913) - Boy and Baby Carriage (1916; first Saturday Evening Post cover) - Circus Barker and Strongman (1916) - Gramps at the Plate (1916) - Redhead Loves Hatty Perkins (1916) - People in a Theatre Balcony (1916) - Tain't You (1917; first Life magazine cover) - Cousin Reginald Goes to the Country (1917; first Country Gentleman cover) - Santa and Expense Book (1920) - Mother Tucking Children into Bed (1921; first wife Irene is the model) - No Swimming (1921) - Santa with Elves (1922) - Doctor and Doll (1929) - Deadline (1938) - The Four Freedoms (1943) - Rosie the Riveter (1943) - Going and Coming (1947) - Bottom of the Sixth (or The Three Umpires; 1949) - The New Television Set (1949) - Saying Grace (1951) - The Young Lady with the Shiner (1953) - Girl at Mirror (1954) - Breaking Home Ties (1954) - The Marriage License (1955) - The Scoutmaster (1956) - The Runaway (1958) - A Family Tree (1959) - Triple Self-Portrait (1960) - Golden Rule (1961) - The Problem We All Live With (1964) - Southern Justice (Murder in Mississippi) (1965) - New Kids in the Neighborhood (1967) - Russian Schoolroom (1967) - The Rookie - Spirit of 76 (1976) (stolen in 1978 but recovered in 2001 by the FBI's Robert King Wittman) Other collections - Norman Rockwell World War II posters, hosted by the University of North Texas Libraries Digital Collections - Rockwell Collection at the National Museum of American Illustration - Norman Rockwell and the Art of Scouting at the National Scouting Museum, Irving, TX See also - James K. Van Brunt, a frequent model for Rockwell - William Obanhein, another one of Rockwell's models who would later become famous elsewhere - Norman Rockwell's World... An American Dream, a 1972 short documentary film - "Alex Ross Biography". alexrossart.com. Retrieved February 13, 2012. - About the Saturday Evening Post[dead link] - Boughton, James (1903). Genealogy of the families of John Rockwell, of Stamford, Connecticut 1641, and Ralph Keeler, of Hartford, Connecticut 1939. W.F. Jones. p. 441. - Roberts, Gary Boyd, and David Curtis Dearborn (1998). Notable Kin: An Anthology of Columns First Published in the NEHGS Nexus, 1986–1995. Boston, Massachusetts: Carl Boyer in cooperation with the New England Historic Genealogical Society. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-936124-20-9. - Claridge, Laura P. (2001). Norman Rockwell: A Life. New York, New York: Random House. p. 20,29. ISBN 978-0-375-50453-2. - Rockwell, Margaret (1998). Norman Rockwell's Growing Up in America. Metro Books. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-1-56799-598-5. - SSDI. – SS#: 177-01-3581. - Claridge. – p.30,47,150. - Rockwell, Norman, and Thomas Rockwell (1988). Norman Rockwell, My Adventures as an Illustrator. Abrams. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-8109-1563-3. - "Rockwell and Csatari: A tour de force". Scouting magazine: 6. March–April, 2008. - "A personal recollection". City of Alhambra. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - Kamp, David (November 2009). "Norman Rockwell’s American Dream". Vanityfair.com. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - "A portrait of Norman Rockwell - Berkshire Eagle Online". Berkshireeagle.com. July 3, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - Elliott Caplin: Al Capp Remembered (1994) - Gherman, Beverly (2000) "Norman Rockwell Storyteller with a brush" - Claridge, p. 581 - Kamp, David. "Erratum: Norman Rockwell Actually Did Rock Well". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 24, 2011. - Official List of Silver Buffalo award Recipients (Retrieved July 17, 2007) - William Hillcourt (1977). Norman Rockwell's World of Scouting. New York: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-1582-0. - Jim Windolf (February 2008). "Keys to the Kingdom". Vanityfair.com. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - "Solomon, Deborah, In Praise of Bad Art". New York Times. January 24, 1999. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - "Art of Illustration". Norman Rockwell Museum. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - "Norman Rockwell Wins Medal of Freedom". Massmoments.org. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - Miller, Michelle (November 12, 2010). "Ruby Bridges, Rockwell Muse, Goes Back to School". CBS Evening News with Katie Couric (CBS Interactive Inc.). Retrieved November 13, 2010. - Norman Rockwell at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.[dead link] - Gates, Anita (November 24, 1999). "Looking Beyond the Myth-Making Easel of Mr. Thanksgiving". New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - RICHARD CORLISS (June 24, 2001). "The World According to Gump". Time.com. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - Aronovich, Hannah (April 20, 2006). "Field's, Federated and More Feuds". Gothamist. Retrieved April 4, 2008. - "Norman Rockwell Of Field's Store Goes Missing". NBC5.com. April 21, 2006. Retrieved April 4, 2008. - Aronovich, Hannah (April 20, 2006). "Field's, Federated and More Feuds". Gothamist. Retrieved September 21, 2009. - "Dreamland". Songfacts.com. Retrieved May 5, 2010. - "Rosie the Riveter". Rosie the Riveter. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - NRM, p. 109 - "The norman rockwell collection". Web.me.com. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - "Norman Rockwell: Southern Justice (Murder in Mississippi)". Artchive.com. Retrieved April 28, 2012. - "Museum > Exhibitions - Norman Rockwell and the Art of Scouting". Irving, Texas, USA: National Scouting Museum. Retrieved 16 August 2012. Further reading - Buechner, Thomas S (1992). The Norman Rockwell Treasury. Galahad. ISBN 0-88365-411-3. - Finch, Christopher (1990). Norman Rockwell: 332 Magazine Covers. Abbeville Publishing Group. ISBN 0-89660-000-9. - Christopher, Finch (1985). Norman Rockwell's America. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0-8109-8071-1. - Gherman, Beverly (2000). Norman Rockwell: Storyteller with a Brush. ISBN 0-689-82001-1. - Hennessey, Maureen Hart; Larson, Judy L. (1999). Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-6392-2. - Rockwell, Tom (2005). Best of Norman Rockwell. Courage Books. ISBN 0-7624-2415-X. - Schick, Ron (2009). Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera. Little, Brown & Co. ISBN 978-0-316-00693-4. |Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Norman Rockwell| |Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Norman Rockwell| - Booknotes interview with Laura Claridge on Norman Rockwell: A Life, December 2, 2001. - Gallery of classic graphic design featuring the illustrations of Norman Rockwell. - Art Directors Club biography, portrait and images of work - Norman Rockwell at Find a Grave - Footage of Norman Rockwell sketching a couple - America, Illustrated – by The New York Times - Norman Rockwell: Once upon a time there Was the American Dream by Tiziano Thomas Dossena, Bridge Puglia USA, April 2011

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Sabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research. It was coined by Bill James, who is one of its pioneers and is often considered its most prominent advocate and public face. General principles The Sabermetric Manifesto by David Grabiner (1994) begins: Bill James defined sabermetrics as "the search for objective knowledge about baseball." Thus, sabermetrics attempts to answer objective questions about baseball, such as "which player on the Red Sox contributed the most to the team's offense?" or "How many home runs will Ken Griffey hit next year?" It cannot deal with the subjective judgments which are also important to the game, such as "Who is your favorite player?" or "That was a great game." It may, however, attempt to settle questions such as "Was Willie Mays faster than Mickey Mantle?" by establishing several possible parameters for examining speed in objective studies (how many triples each man hit, how many bases each man stole, how many times he was caught stealing) and then reaching a tentative conclusion on the basis of these individual studies. Sabermetricians frequently question traditional measures of baseball skill. For instance, they doubt that batting average is as useful as conventional wisdom says it is because team batting average provides a relatively poor fit for team runs scored. Sabermetric reasoning would say that runs win ballgames, and that a good measure of a player's worth is his ability to help his team score more runs than the opposing team. This may imply that the traditional RBI (runs batted in) is an effective metric; however, sabermetricians also reject RBI, for a number of reasons. Rather, sabermetric measures are usually phrased in terms of either runs or team wins. For example, a player might be described as being worth 54 offensive runs more than a replacement-level player at the same position over the course of a full season, as the sabermetric statistic VORP can indicate. Sabermetrics is concerned both with determining the value of a player or team in current or past seasons and with attempting to predict the value of a player or team in the future. Many areas of study are still in development, specifically in the area of performance measurement. Early history Sabermetrics research began in the middle of the 20th century. Earnshaw Cook was one of the earliest researchers of sabermetrics. Cook gathered the majority of his research in his 1964 book, Percentage Baseball. The book was the first of its kind to gain national media attention, although it was widely criticized and not accepted by most baseball organizations. - Base runs (BsR) - Batting average on balls in play (BABIP) - Defense independent pitching statistics (DIPS) - Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) - Equivalent average (EQA) - Fantasy batter value (FBV) - Late-inning pressure situations (LIPS) - On-base plus slugging (OPS) - PECOTA (Player empirical comparison and optimization test algorithm) - Peripheral ERA (PERA) - Pythagorean expectation - Range factor - Runs created - Secondary average - Similarity score - Speed Score - Super linear weights - Total player rating, or Batter-Fielder Wins (TPR, BFW); Total Pitcher Index, or Pitcher Wins (TPI, PW) - Ultimate zone rating (UZR) - Value over replacement player (VORP) - Win shares - Wins above replacement (WAR) Notable proponents - Russ Brandon: Team President and CEO of the Buffalo Bills is going to incorporate Sabermetrics to contracts, and use in conjunction with scouting and player analysis beginning in 2013. - Sandy Alderson: Former General Manager of the Oakland Athletics, Alderson began focusing on sabermetric principles toward obtaining relatively undervalued players in 1995. He became GM of the New York Mets in late 2010. - Billy Beane: Athletics' General Manager since 1997. Although not a public proponent of sabermetrics, it has been widely noted that Beane has steered the team during his tenure according to sabermetric principles. In 2003, Michael Lewis published Moneyball about Billy Beane's use of a more quantitative approach. In 2011, a film based on Lewis' book which dramatised Beane's use of sabermetrics was released, starring Brad Pitt in the role of Beane. - Carson Cistulli: Senior editor of FanGraphs, member of the BBWAA - Earnshaw Cook: Early researcher and proponent of statistical baseball research. His 1964 book Percentage Baseball was the first book of baseball statistics studies to gain national media attention. - Paul DePodesta: A key figure in Michael Lewis' book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game as Beane's assistant in Oakland. - Theo Epstein: President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs. As GM of the Red Sox, Epstein hired sabermetrician Bill James. - Bill James: Widely considered the father of sabermetrics due to his extensive series of books, although a number of less well known SABR researchers in the early 1970s provided a foundation for his work. He began publishing his Baseball Abstracts in 1977 to study some questions about baseball he found interesting, and their eclectic mix of essays based on new kinds of statistics soon became popular with a generation of thinking baseball fans. He discontinued the Abstracts after the 1988 edition, but continued to be active in the field. His two Historical Baseball Abstract editions and Win Shares book have continued to advance the field of sabermetrics, 25 years after he began. In 2002 James was hired as a special advisor to the Boston Red Sox. - Christina Kahrl: Co-founder of Baseball Prospectus and current ESPN columnist, Kahrl puts an emphasis on advanced baseball analytics. - Sean Lahman: Created a database of baseball statistics from existing sources and in the mid-1990s made it available for free download on the Internet, providing access to statistical data in electronic form for the first time. - Voros McCracken: Developed a system called Defense Independent Pitching Statistics (DIPS) to evaluate a pitcher based purely on his ability. - Rob Neyer: Senior writer at ESPN.com and national baseball editor of SBNation and former assistant to Bill James, he has worked to popularize sabermetrics since the mid-1980s. Neyer has authored or co-authored several books about baseball, and his journalistic writing focuses on sabermetric methods for looking at baseball players' and teams' performance. - Joe Posnanski: A popular baseball writer and a proponent of sabermetrics. - Nate Silver: Writer and former managing partner of Baseball Prospectus, inventor of PECOTA. Later applied sabermetric statistical models to the study of politics, particularly elections, and published the results on his blog FiveThirtyEight (later affiliated with The New York Times). - David Smith: Founded Retrosheet in 1989, with the objective of computerizing the box score of every major league baseball game ever played, in order to more accurately collect and compare the statistics of the game. - Tom Tango: Runs the Tango on Baseball sabermetrics website. In particular, he has worked in the area of defense independent pitching statistics. - Eric Walker: Former aerospace engineer turned baseball writer, who played an important part in the early acceptance of sabermetrics within the Oakland Athletics organization. GM Sandy Alderson hired Walker in order to get "some Bill James-like stuff that was proprietary to us." - Keith Woolner: Creator of VORP, or Value over Replacement Player, is a former writer for sabermetric group/website Baseball Prospectus. He was hired in 2007 by the Cleveland Indians as their Manager of Baseball Research & Analytics. - Craig R. Wright: A statistician for the Texas Rangers, was the first front office employee in Major League Baseball to work under the title "Sabermetrician." - Baseball Prospectus is an annual publication and web site produced by a group of sabermetricians who originally met over the Internet. Several Baseball Prospectus authors have invented or improved upon widely relied upon sabermetric measures and techniques. The website publishes analytical articles as well as advanced statistics and projections for individuals and teams. This group also publishes other books that use and seek to popularize sabermetric techniques, including Baseball Between the Numbers and It Ain't Over 'til It's Over. - The Hardball Times is a website as well as an annual volume that evaluates the preceding major league season and presents original research articles on various sabermetric topics. The website also publishes original research on baseball. - FanGraphs is a website that publishes advanced baseball statistics as well as graphics that evaluate and track the performance of players and teams. The site also favors the analysis of play-by-play data and PITCHf/x. It draws on some of the advanced baseball metrics developed by well-known sabermetricians such as Tom Tango and Mitchel Lichtman. - Beyond the Boxscore is a part of SB Nation and specializes in sabermetric analysis and research. It has also launched the careers of many successful sabermetricians. - SABR is the Society for American Baseball Research, founded in 1971, and the root of the term sabermetrics. Statistical study, however, is only a small component of SABR members' research, which also focuses on diverse issues including ballparks, the Negro Leagues, rules changes, and the desegregation of baseball as a mirror of American culture. - Fielding Bible Awards are voted on by a panel of sabermetically inclined writers to recognize the best defensive player for each fielding position. It provides an alternative to the Gold Glove Awards, the traditional measurement of fielding excellence. - Baseball Think Factory is a web forum that includes extensive coverage of and commentary on baseball, usually from the perspective of sabermetrics. Popular culture - Moneyball, the 2011 film about Billy Beane's use of sabermetrics to build the Oakland Athletics. The film is based on Michael Lewis' book of the same name. - The season 3 Numb3rs episode "Hardball" focuses on sabermetrics, and the season 1 episode "Sacrifice" also covers the subject. - "MoneyBART", the third episode of The Simpsons' 22nd season, in which Lisa utilizes sabermetrics to coach Bart's Little League Baseball team. See also - Fielding Bible Award - Win Shares by Bill James - Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? by Bill James - Total Baseball by John Thorn and Pete Palmer - The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract - Moneyball, by Michael Lewis - APBRmetrics, the basketball equivalent - Lewis, Michael M. (2003). Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-05765-8. - Grabiner, David J. "The Sabermetric Manifesto". The Baseball Archive. - Jarvis, J. (2003-09-29). "A Survey of Baseball Player Performance Evaluation Measures". Retrieved 2007-11-02. - Albert, James; Jay M. Bennett (2001). Curve Ball: Baseball, Statistics, and the Role of Chance in the Game. Springer. pp. 170–171. ISBN 0-387-98816-5. - Kipen, D. (June 1, 2003). "Billy Beane's brand-new ballgame". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 2, 2007. - Neyer, Rob (November 5, 2002). "Red Sox hire James in advisory capacity". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 7, 2009. - Shanahan, M. (May 23, 2005). Retrieved November 2, 2007 His numbers are in the ballpark The Boston Globe - "Bill James, Beyond Baseball". Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg. PBS. June 28, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2007. - Ackman, D. (May 20, 2007). "Sultan of Stats". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 2, 2007. - Jaffe, C. (October 22, 2007). "Rob Neyer Interview". The Hardball Times. Retrieved November 2, 2007. - Lewis, M. Moneyball. pp. 58–63. - "Baseball Prospectus". Retrieved 2012-03-04. - Baseball Between the Numbers. 2006. ISBN 0-465-00596-9. - Goldman, Steven (2007). It Ain't Over 'til It's Over. ISBN 0-465-00285-4.

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|Regions with significant populations| |New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Louisiana, Ohio, Iowa, Texas| |Related ethnic groups| Syrian Americans are residents of the United States of Syrian ancestry or nationality. This group includes Americans of Syrian ancestry, Syrian first generation immigrants, or descendants of Syrians who emigrated to the United States. Syrian Americans may be members of a number of differing ethnicities, including Arabs, Assyrians/Syriacs, Antiochian Greeks, Kurds, Armenians and Circassians. It is believed that the first significant wave of Syrian immigrants to arrive in the United States was in 1880. Many of the earliest Syrian Americans settled in New York, Boston, and Detroit. Immigration from Syria to the United States suffered a long hiatus after the United States Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1924, which restricted immigration. More than 40 years later, the Immigration Act of 1965, abolished the quotas and immigration from Syria to the United States saw a surge. An estimated 64,600 Syrians emigrated to the United States between 1961 and 2000. The overwhelming majority of Syrian immigrants to the US from 1880 to 1960 were Christian, a minority were Jewish, whereas Muslim Syrians arrived in the United States chiefly after 1965. According to the United States 2000 Census, there were 142,897 Americans of Syrian ancestry, about 12% of the Arab population in the United States. The first Syrian immigrants arrived in the United States from Ottoman Syria. Most of them came from Christian villages around Mount Lebanon, while around 5-10% were Muslims of different sects. A small number were also Palestinians. According to historian Philip Hitti, approximately 90,000 "Syrians" arrived in the United States between 1899 and 1919. An estimated 1,000 official entries per year came from the governorates of Damascus and Aleppo, which are governorates in modern-day Syria, in the period between 1900 and 1916. Early immigrants settled mainly in Eastern United States, in the cities of New York, Boston and Detroit and the Paterson, New Jersey area. In the 1920s, the majority of immigrants from Mount Lebanon began to refer themselves as "Lebanese" instead of "Syrians". Syrians, like most immigrants to the United States, were motivated to immigrate to the United States to pursue the American Dream of economic success. Many Christian Syrians had immigrated to the United States seeking religious freedom and an escape from Ottoman hegemony. Thousands of immigrants returned to Syria after making money in the United States; these immigrants told tales which inspired further waves of immigrants. Many settlers also sent for their relatives. Although the number of Syrian immigrants was not sizable, the Ottoman government set constraints on emigration in order to maintain its populace in Greater Syria. The United States Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1924, which greatly reduced Syrian immigration to the United States. However, the quotas were annulled by the Immigration Act of 1965, which opened the doors again to Syrian immigrants. 4,600 Syrians immigrated to the United States in the mid-1960s. Due to the Arab-Israeli and religious conflicts in Syria during this period, many Syrians immigrated to the United States seeking a democratic haven, where they could live in freedom without political suppression. An estimated 64,600 Syrians immigrated to the United States in the period between 1961 and 2000, of which ten percent have been admitted under the refugee acts. According to the United States 2000 Census, there are 142,897 Americans of Syrian ancestry living in the United States. New York City has the biggest concentration of Syrian Americans in the United States. Other urban areas, including Boston, Dearborn, New Orleans, Toledo, Cedar Rapids, and Houston have large Syrian populations. Syrian Americans are also numerous in Southern California (i.e. the Los Angeles and San Diego areas) and Arizona, many are descendants of farm laborers invited with their farm skills to irrigate the deserts in the early 20th century.. Many recent Syrian immigrants are medical doctors who studied at Damascus and Aleppo Universities and pursued their residencies and fellowships in the United States. The traditional clothing of the first Syrian immigrants in the United States, along with their occupation as peddlers, led to some xenophobia. Dr. A. J. McLaughlin, the United States health officer at Marine Hospital, described Syrians as "parasites in their peddling habits." However, Syrians reacted quickly to assimilate fully into their new culture. Immigrants Anglicized their names, adopted the English language and common Christian denominations. Syrians did not congregate in urban enclaves; many of the immigrants who had worked as peddlers were able to interact with Americans on a daily basis. This helped them to absorb and learn the language and customs of their new homeland. Additionally, military service during World War I and World War II helped accelerate assimilation. Assimilation of early Syrian immigrants was so successful that it has become difficult to recognize the ancestors of many families which have become completely Americanized. Post 1965 Immigration was mostly Muslim, and unlike their Christian counterparts they faced a somewhat greater difficulty in assimilating because of their Islamic faith and the "back to the roots" trend that gripped America in the 1960s and 1970s. Generally, they are not overly desirous of giving up their identity as Arabs, which might be a result of the bloom in multiculturalism to respect their Islamic religious customs and traditions in the United States. Christian Syrian Americans arrived in the United States in the late 19th century. Most Christian Syrian Americans are Greek Orthodox. There are also many Catholic Syrian Americans; most branches of Catholicism are of the Eastern rite, such as Maronite Catholics, Melkite Greek Catholics, Armenian Catholics, Syrian Catholics, and Assyrian Chaldean Catholics. There are only few minor differences between the different branches of Catholicism; such differences include the language/s church services are conducted, and the belief in papal infallibility. A few Christian Syrian Americans are Protestant. There are also members of the Assyrian Church of the East and Ancient Church of the East. The first Syrian American church was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1895 by Saint Raphael of Brooklyn. There are currently hundreds of Eastern Orthodox churches and missions in the United States. Saint Nicholas and Saint George are popular saints for the Orthodox. Muslim Syrian Americans arrived chiefly after 1965. The largest sect in Islam is the Sunni sect, forming 74% of the Muslim Syrian population. The second largest sect in Islam in Syria is the Alawite sect, a religious sect that originated in Shia Islam but separated from other Shiite Islam groups in the ninth and tenth centuries. Most, if not all, Alawi Syrians come from the rural areas of Latakia Governorate. Muslim Syrian Americans have often found it difficult practicing their religion in the United States; For example, some Muslims, who are required to pray five times a day as part of Muslim rite, argue that there aren't enough mosques in the United States. Druzes form the third largest sect in Syria, which is a relatively small esoteric monotheistic religious sect. Early Syrian immigrants included Druze peddlers. Muslim Syrian Americans have often found it difficult practicing their religion in the United States; Syrian Jews first immigrated to the United States around 1908 and settled mostly in New York. Initially they lived on the Lower East Side; later settlements were in Bensonhurst and Ocean Parkway in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The Syrian Jewish community estimates its population at around 50,000. Early Syrian Americans were not involved politically. Business owners were usually Republican, meanwhile labor workers were usually Democrats. Second generation Syrian Americans were the first to be elected for political roles. In light of the Arab-Israeli conflict, many Syrian Americans tried to affect American foreign policy by joining Arab political groups in the United States. In the early 1970s, the National Association of Arab-Americans was formed to negate the stereotypes commonly associated with Arabs in American media. Syrian Americans were also part of the Arab American Institute, established in 1985, which supports and promotes Arab American candidates, or candidates commiserative with Arabs and Arab Americans, for office. Mitch Daniels, the current Governor of Indiana, is a descendant of Syrian immigrants with relatives in Homs. The majority of the early Syrian immigrants arrived in the United States seeking better jobs; they usually engaged in basic commerce, especially peddling. Syrian American peddlers found their jobs comfortable since peddling required little training and mediocre vocabulary. Syrian American peddlers served as the distribution medium for the products of small manufacturers. Syrian peddlers traded mostly in dry goods, primarily clothing. Networks of Syrian traders and peddlers across the United States aided the distribution of Syrian settlements; by 1902, Syrians could be found working in Seattle, Washington. Most of these peddlers were successful, and, with time, and after raising enough capital, some became importers and wholesalers, recruiting newcomers and supplying them with merchandise. By 1908, there were 3,000 Syrian-owned businesses in the United States. By 1910, the first Syrian millionaires had emerged. Syrian Americans gradually started to work in various métiers; many worked as physicians, lawyers, and engineers. Many Syrian Americans also worked in the bustling auto industry, bringing about large Syrian American gatherings in areas like Dearborn, Michigan. Later Syrian emigrants served in fields like banking, medicine, and computer science. Syrian Americans have a different occupational distribution than all Americans. According to the 2000 census, 42% of the Syrian Americans worked in management and professional occupations, compared with 34% of their counterparts in the total population; additionally, more Syrian Americans worked in sales than all American workers. However, Syrian Americans worked less in the other work domains like farming, transportation, construction, etc. than all American workers. According to the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) which represents the American health care provoiders of Syrian descent www.sams-usa.net there are estimated 4000 Syrian physicians practicing in the United States representing 0.4% of the health workforce and 1.6% of international medical graduates. However the reported number of Syrian American phyicians does not include the second and third generation of Syrian descent, therefore it is estimated that there are 10,000 Syrian American physicians practice in the United States. Arabi M, Sankri-Tarbichi AG. The metrics of Syrian physicians' brain drain to the United States. Avicenna J Med [serial online] 2012 [cited 2012 Oct 27];2:1-2. Available from: http://www.avicennajmed.com/text.asp?2012/2/1/1/94802. The median level of earnings for Syrian men and women is higher than the national earning median; employed Syrian men earned an average $46,058 per year, compared with $37,057 for all Americans and $41,687 for Arab Americans. Syrian American families also had a higher median income than all families and lower poverty rates than those of the general population. Syrians value strong family ties. Unlike young Americans, young Syrians find leaving their family unnecessary to set up their independence; the reason being, is that Syrian society just like Southwest Asia, North Africa and the wider Eastern world, places great emphasis on the group rather than the individual. In the West the individual is key and the group is secondary. Respect and social status are important in Syrian societies. Men are respected for their financial success or their honesty and sincerity. Syrians are characterized by their magnanimity and graciousness, ethics which are integral to Syrian life." However, much of the Syrian traditions have diminished with time, mainly due to the fast pace of life in America which encourages individual independence. Syrians consider eating an important aspect of social life. There are many Syrian dishes which have become popular in the United States. Unlike many Western foods, Syrian foods take more time to cook, are less expensive and usually more healthy. Pita bread (khubz), which is round flat bread, and hummus, a dip made of ground chickpeas, sesame tahini, lemon juice, and garlic, are two popular Syrian foods. Baba ghanoush, or eggplant spreads, is also a dish made by Syrians. Popular Syrian salads include tabbouleh and fattoush. The Syrian cuisine includes other dishes like stuffed zucchini (mahshe), dolma, kebab, kibbeh, kibbeh nayyeh, mujaddara, shawarma, and shanklish. Syrians often serve selections of appetizers, known as meze, before the main course. Za'atar, minced beef, and cheese manakish are popular hors d'œuvre. Syrians are also well known for their cheese. A popular Syrian drink is the arak beverage. One of the popular desserts made by Syrians is the baklava, which is made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and soaked in honey. Syrian music includes several genres and styles of music ranging from Arab classical to Arabic pop music and from secular to sacred music. Syrian music is characterized by an emphasis on melody and rhythm, as opposed to harmony. There are some genres of Syrian music that are polyphonic, but typically, most Syrian and Arabic music is homophonic. Syrian music is also characterized by the predominance of vocal music. The prototypical Arabic music ensemble in Egypt and Syria is known as the takht, and relies on a number of musical instruments that represent a standardized tone system, and are played with generally standardized performance techniques, thus displaying similar details in construction and design. Such musical instruments include the oud, kanun, rabab, ney, violin, riq and tableh. The Jews of Syria sang pizmonim. Modern Syrian music has incorporated instruments from the West, including the electric guitar, cello, double bass and oboe, and incorporated influences from jazz and other foreign musical styles. Traditional clothing Traditional dress is not very common with Syrian Americans, and even native Syrians; modern Western clothing is conventional in both Syria and the United States. Ethnic dance performers wear a shirwal, which are loose, baggy pants with an elastic waist. Some Muslim Syrian women wear a hijab, which is a headscarf worn by Muslim women to cover their hair. There are various styles of hijab. Syrian Americans celebrate many religious holidays. Christian Syrian Americans celebrate most Christian holidays usually celebrated in the United States. They celebrate Christmas and Easter, but since most Syrians are Eastern Orthodox, they celebrate Easter on a different Sunday than most other Americans. Some Christians celebrate various Saints' days. Syrian American Jews celebrate the Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Purim, Passover and Shavuot. Few Syrians celebrate Syria's independence day, April 17. As American citizens, many Syrians celebrate American holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving Day. Muslim Syrian Americans celebrate three main Muslim holidays: Ramadan, Eid ul-Fitr (Lesser Bairam), and Eid ul-Adha (Greater Bairam). Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year, during which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset; Muslims resort to self-discipline to cleanse themselves spiritually. After Ramadan is over, Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, when Muslims break their fasting and revel exuberantly. Muslims also celebrate Eid ul-Adha (which means The Festival of Sacrifice) 70 days after at the end of the Islamic year, a holiday which is held along with the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, Hajj. Dating and marriage Syrian Americans prefer traditional relationships and disfavor casual dating. Muslims can only date after completing their marriage contact, kitabt al-kitab (Arabic: كتابة الكتاب, which means "writing the book"), a period that ranges from a few months to a year or more to get used to living with one another. After this time period, a wedding takes place and fulfills the marriage. Muslims tend to marry other Muslims only. Unable to find other suitable Muslim Syrian Americans, many Muslim Syrian American have married other Muslim Americans. Syrian American marriages are usually very strong; this is reflected by the low divorce rates among Syrian Americans, which are below the average rates in the United States. Generally, Syrian American partners tend to have more children than average American partners; Syrian American partners also tend to have children at early stages of their marriages. According to the United States 2000 Census, almost 62% of Syrian American households were married-couple households. Syrian Americans, including the earliest immigrants, have always placed a high premium on education. Like many other Americans, Syrian Americans view education as a necessity. Generally, Syrian and other Arab Americans are more highly educated than the average American. In the 2000 census it was reported that the proportion of Syrian Americans to achieve a bachelor's degree or higher is one and a half times that of the total American population. Many Syrian Americans now work as engineers, scientists, pharmacists, and physicians. Syrians are mainly Arabic speakers. While some may speak the formal literary Arabic, many Syrians speak Syrian Arabic, a dialect which belongs to the Levantine Arabic family of dialects. There are also sub-dialects in Syrian Arabic; for example, people from Aleppo have a distinct and distinguishable accent, one that differs considerably from that of people from Homs or Al-Hasakah. Syrians can usually comprehend and understand the dialects of most Arabs, especially those who speak any form of Levantine Arabic. Many old Syrian American families have lost their linguistic traditions because many parents do not teach their children Arabic. Newer immigrants, however, maintain their language traditions. The 2000 census shows that 79.9% of Syrian Americans speak English "very well". Throughout the United States, there are schools which offer Arabic language classes; there are also some Eastern Orthodox churches which hold Arabic services. Notable people and contributions Sometimes some confusion occurs between Greater Syria and the modern Syria when determining the place of origin of the earliest Syrian Americans. However, the following list comprises notable Americans who are originally people of modern Syrian heritage. - Paula Abdul (born June 19, 1962), is a television personality, jewelry designer, multi-platinum Grammy-winning singer, and Emmy Award-winning choreographer. According to Abdul, she has sold over 53 million records to date. Abdul found renewed fame as a judge on the highly rated television series American Idol. - F. Murray Abraham (born October 24, 1939), is an actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Antonio Salieri in the 1984 film Amadeus. His career after Amadeus inspired the name of the phenomenon dubbed "F. Murray Abraham syndrome", attributed to actors who, after winning an Oscar, have difficulty obtaining comparable success and recognition despite having recognizable talent. - Moustapha Akkad (July 1, 1930 – November 11, 2005), was a film director and producer originally from Aleppo; Akkad is best known for producing the series of Halloween films, and for directing the Lion of the Desert and Mohammad, Messenger of God films. - Malek Jandali (born December 25, 1972), is an award-winning composer and pianist originally from Homs; Jandali is best known for arranging the oldest music notation in the world of Ugarit in his album Echoes from Ugarit. - Tige Andrews (March 19, 1920 – January 27, 2007), was an Emmy-nominated character actor who was best known for his role as "Captain Adam Greer" on the television series The Mod Squad. - Paul Anka (born July 30, 1941), is a singer and song writer. Anka rose to fame after many successful 1950s songs, earning him the status of a teen idol. (Some sources, such as The Canadian Encyclopedia and Time magazine, suggest that Anka is of Syrian descent, while other sources, including Anka's official website, suggest that he is of Lebanese descent.) - Michael Ansara (born April 15, 1922), is a stage, screen and voice actor. - Rosemary Barkett (born 1939), was the first woman to serve on the Florida Supreme Court, and the first woman Chief Justice of that court. She currently serves as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. - Mitch Daniels (born April 7, 1949), is the current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. - Hala Gorani (born March 1, 1970), is a news anchor and correspondent for CNN International. - Dan Hedaya (born July 24, 1940), is a prolific character actor notable for his many Italian American film roles. - Robert M. Isaac (born January 27, 1928), is the former Republican Mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Elected in 1979, he was the first elected Mayor of the history of Colorado Springs, serving through 1997. - Alan Jabbour (born 1942), is a folklorist and a musician. - Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011), was the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, the largest Disney shareholder, and a member of Disney's Board of Directors. Jobs is considered a leading figure in both the computer and entertainment industries. - Mohja Kahf (born 1967), poet and author - Peter Lupus (born June 17, 1932), is a bodybuilder and actor, known primarily for "Mission: Impossible". - Kurtis Mantronik (born September 4, 1965), is a hip-hop, electro funk, and dance music artist, DJ, remixer, and producer. Mantronik was the leader of the old-school band Mantronix. - Jack Marshall (born 1936), is an author and poet. - Louay M. Safi (born September 15, 1955), is a scholar and Human Rights activist, and a vocal critic of the Far Right. Author of numerous books and articles, Safi is active in the debate on nuclear race, social and political development, and Islam-West issues. He is the chairman of the Syrian American Congress. - Jerry Seinfeld (born April 29, 1954), is a comedian, actor, and writer, best known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the long-running sitcom Seinfeld, which he co-created and executively produced. - Teri Hatcher (born December 8, 1964), is an actress known for her television roles as Susan Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and Lois Lane on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Hatcher is Syrian from her mother's side. - Yasser Seirawan (born March 24, 1960), is a chess grandmaster and 4-time US-champion. Seirawan is the 69th best chess player in the world and the 2nd in the United States. - Mona Simpson (born June 14, 1957), is a novelist and essayist; Simpson is also a sister of Steve Jobs. - Kelly Slater (born February 11, 1972), is a successful professional surfer and an 11 time world champion. - Wafa Sultan (born 1958), is a well-known secular activist and vocal critic of Islam. In 2006, Sultan was chosen by Time Magazine to be on the Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people in 2006. - Vic Tayback (January 6, 1930 – May 25, 1990), was an actor who won two Golden Globe Awards for his role in the television series Alice. - Fawwaz Ulaby, is the R. Jamieson and Betty Williams Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan, and the former vice president for research. - M.Safwan Badr, is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Chief of Pulmonary/Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Wayne State University, and the president elect of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). See also - U.S. Census Bureau: Population by Selected Ancestry Group and Region: 2005[dead link] - "Lebanese and Syrian Americans". Utica College. Retrieved 2007-05-06. - "Immigrants, by Country of Birth: 1961 to 2005". United States Census. Archived from the original on 2007-04-03. Retrieved 2007-04-29. - A Community of Many Worlds: Arab Americans in New York City, Museum of the City of New York/Syracuse University Press, 2002 - Naff (1993), p. 3 - Ernest McCarus (1992). The Development of Arab-American Identity (Hardcoover ed.). University of Michigan Press. pp. 24, 25. ISBN 0-472-10439-X. - Hitti, Philip (2005) . The Syrians in America. Gorgias Press. ISBN 1-59333-176-2. - "Syrian Americans". Everyculture.com. Retrieved 2007-05-21. - Samovar & Porter (1994), p. 83 - Suleiman (1999), pp. 1-21 - McCarus, Ernest (1994). The Development of Arab-American Identity. University of Michigan Press. p. 26. ISBN 0-472-10439-X. - Samovar & Porter (1994), p. 84 - "Religion in Syria - Christianity". About.com. Retrieved 2007-05-22. - "St. Raphael of Brooklyn". Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Retrieved 2007-05-22. - "Orthodox Churches (Parishes)". The Antiochian Orthodox Church. Retrieved 2007-05-30. - Williams, Raymond (1996). Christian Pluralism in the United States: The Indian Experience. Cambridge University Press. p. 11. ISBN 0-521-57016-6. - "Syria". The World Factbook. 2007. - "Religion in Syria - Alawi Islam". About.com. Retrieved 2007-05-22. - Zenner, Walter (2000). A Global Community: The Jews from Aleppo, Syria. Wayne State University Press. p. 127. ISBN 0-8143-2791-5. - Kornfeld, Alana B. Elias. "Syrian Jews mark 100 years in U.S.". Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. Retrieved 2007-05-20. - Samovar & Porter (1994), p. 85 - The Arab Americans: a history by Gregory Orfalea, pg 224 - Naff, Alixa (1993). Becoming American: The Early Arab Immigrant Experience. Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 978-0-585-10809-4. - Levinson, David; Ember, Melvin (1997). American Immigrant Cultures: Builders of a Nation. Simon & Schuster Macmillan. p. 580. ISBN 0-02-897213-9. - Giggie, John; Winston, Diane (2002). Faith in the Market: Religion and the Rise of Urban Commercial Culture. Rutgers University Press. p. 204. ISBN 0-8135-3099-7. - "We the People of Arab Ancestry in the United States". United States Census. Retrieved 2007-05-20. - Davis, Scott (2002). The Road from Damascus: A Journey Through Syria. Cune Press. ISBN 978-1-885942-84-5. - Mahdi, Ali Akbar (2003). Teen Life in the Middle East. Greenwood Press. pp. 189–191. ISBN 0-313-31893-X. - Toumar, Habib Hassan (2003). The Music of the Arabs. Amadeus. ISBN 1-57467-081-6. - "Holidays". US Embassy in Damascus. Retrieved 2007-05-24. - Eichner, Itamar (2006-11-17). "Israeli minister, American Idol". YNetNew.com. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - Rocchio, Christopher (2007-03-14). "Paula Abdul dishes on Antonella Barba, 'Idol,' and her media portrayal". RealityTVWorld.com. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - Zeidler, Sue. "Is winning an Oscar a curse or a blessing?". Film.com. Retrieved 2007-05-20. - "Moustapaha Akkad". The Daily Telegraph (London). 2005-11-12. Retrieved 2007-05-20. - "Malek Jandali". National Public Radio (Houston). 2010-10-08. Retrieved 2010-10-08. - "'Mod Squad' actor Tige Andrews, 86, dies". USA Today. 2006-02-05. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - "Paul Anka". Historyofrock.com. Retrieved 2007-05-20. - "Anka, Paul". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2007-03-26. - "Paul the Comforter". Time. 1961-11-03. Retrieved 2007-03-26. - Leiby, Richard (2005-04-05). "Paul Anka's Deutsch Treat". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-03-26. - "FAQ". PaulAnka.com. Retrieved 2007-03-26. - "Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels". Official Indiana state site. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - Abbas, Faisal (2006-01-17). "Q&A with CNN’s Hala Gorani". Asharq Al-Awsat. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - "Dan Hedaya". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-05-20. - "Steve Jobs' Magic Kingdom". BusinessWeek. 2006-01-06. Retrieved 2006-09-20. - Burrows, Peter (2004-11-04). "Steve Jobs: He Thinks Different". BusinessWeek. Retrieved 2006-09-20. - "Jerry Seinfeld". Vividseats.com. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - "Yasser Seirawan". Chessgames.com. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - Abinader, Elmaz. "Children of al-Mahjar: Arab American Literature Spans a Century". USINFO. Archived from the original on 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2007-05-20. - Campbell, Duncan (2004-06-18). "Steve Jobs". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2006-05-20. - "Surf for Peace". Surfer Magazine. Retrieved 2009-06-17. - Nomani, Asra (2006-04-30). "Wafa Sultan". Time. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - "The TIME 100, 2006". Time. Retrieved 2006-05-20. - Maslin, Janet. "Vic Tayback". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-05-20. - Abu-Laban, Baha; Suleiman, Michael (1989). Arab Americans: Continuity and Change. AAUG monograph series. Belmont, Massachusetts: Association of Arab-American University Graduates. ISBN 978-0-937694-82-4. - Kayal, Philip; Kayal, Joseph (1975). The Syrian Lebanese in America: A Study in Religion and Assimilation. The Immigrant Heritage of America series. [New York], Twayne Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8057-8412-1. - Naff, Alixa (1985). Becoming American: The Early Arab Immigrant Experience. Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 978-0-585-10809-4. - Saliba, Najib (1992). Emigration from Syria and the Syrian-Lebanese Community of Worcester, MA. Ligonier, Pennsylvania: Antakya Press. ISBN 0-9624190-1-X. - Saliba Jerry Seinfeld Ticketsinventory.com Retrieved 2006-05-20. Missing or empty - Samovar, L. A.; Porter, R. E. (1994). Intercultural Communication: A Reader. Thomson Wadsworth. ISBN 0-534-64440-6. - Suleiman, Michael (1999). Arabs in America: Building a New Future. NetLibrary. ISBN 0-585-36553-9. - Younis, Adele L. (1989). The Coming of the Arabic-Speaking People to the United States. Staten Island, New York: Center for Migration Studies. ISBN 978-0-934733-40-3. OCLC 31516579.

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United Nations Special Commission United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) was an inspection regime created by the United Nations to ensure Iraq's compliance with policies concerning Iraqi production and use of weapons of mass destruction after the Gulf War. Between 1991 and 1997 its director was Rolf Ekéus; from 1997 to 1999 its director was Richard Butler. United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) was an inspection regime created with the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 in April 1991 to oversee Iraq's compliance with the destruction of Iraqi chemical, biological, and missile weapons facilities and to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s efforts to eliminate nuclear weapon facilities all in the aftermath of the Gulf War. The UNSCOM inspection regime was packaged with several other UN Security Council requirements, namely, that Iraq’s ruling regime formally recognize Kuwait as an independent state and pay out war reparations for the destruction inflicted in the Gulf War, including the firing of Kuwaiti oil supplies and destruction of public infrastructure. Until the UN Security Council saw that Iraq’s weapons programs had been aborted and Iraqi leaders had allowed monitoring systems to be installed, the UN’s aforementioned sanctions would continue to be imposed on Iraq. The commission found corroborating evidence that Rihab Rashid Taha, an Iraqi microbiologist educated in England, had produced biological weapons for Iraq in the 1980s. The destruction of proscribed weapons and the associated facilities was carried out mainly by Iraq, under constant supervision by UNSCOM. Inspectors withdrew in 1998, and disbanded the following year amid allegations that the United States had used the commission's resources to spy on the Iraqi military. Weapons inspector Scott Ritter later stated that Operation Rockingham had cherry-picked evidence found by the United Nations Special Commission; evidence, he says, that was later used as part of the casus belli for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The successor of the United Nations Special Commission was the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission. The United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) was headed by Rolf Ekéus and later Richard Butler. During several visits to Iraq by the United Nations Special Committee (UNSCOM), set up after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait to inspect Iraqi weapons facilities, weapons inspectors were told by Rihab Rashid Taha that the al-Hakam germ warfare center was a chicken-feed plant. "There were a few things that were peculiar about this animal-feed production plant," Charles Duelfer, UNSCOM's deputy executive chairman, later told reporters, "beginning with the extensive air defenses surrounding it." The powers given to UNSCOM inspectors in Iraq were: “unrestricted freedom of movement without advance notice in Iraq”; the “right to unimpeded access to any site or facility for the purpose of the on-site inspection...whether such site or facility be above or below ground”; “the right to request, receive, examine, and copy any record data, or information...relevant to” UNSCOM’s activities; and the “right to take and analyze samples of any kind as well as to remove and export samples for off-site analysis. Acceptance of the intrusion of the UNSCOM’s inspectors on the part of the Iraqi regime was slow coming. But with the threat of punitive military action looming from the international community, and particularly the U.S., Saddam Husain begrudgingly allowed UNSCOM’s inspectors into the country to begin their work. Between 1991 and 1995, UN inspectors uncovered a massive program to develop biological and nuclear weapons. A large amount of equipment was confiscated and destroyed. Iraq by and large refused to cooperate with UNSCOM and its inspections as mandated by UN SC Res. 687 until June 1992, ten months after deadline, at which time the Iraqi government submitted “full, final and complete reports” on all of its weapons of mass destruction programs. These reports, however, were found to be incomplete and deficient, and at the same time UN inspectors were subjected to harassment and threats on the part of the Iraqi regime. United Nations Security Council Resolution 699 was also passed in 1991, declaring that Iraq was responsible for all funding of UNSCOM’s inspections in Iraq. In 1995, UNSCOM's principal weapons inspector Dr. Rod Barton showed Taha documents obtained by UNSCOM from Israel that showed the Iraqi government had just purchased 10 tons of growth media from a British company called Oxoid. Growth media is a mixture of sugar, proteins and minerals that allows microscopic life to grow. It is used in hospitals, where swabs from patients are placed in dishes containing growth media for diagnostic purposes. Iraq's hospital consumption of growth media was just 200 kg a year; yet in 1988, Iraq imported 39 tons of it. Shown this evidence by UNSCOM, Taha admitted to inspectors that she had grown 19,000 litres of botulism toxin; 8,000 litres of anthrax; 2,000 litres of aflatoxins, which can cause liver cancer; clostridium perfringens, a bacterium that can cause gas gangrene; and ricin, a castor bean derivative which can kill by inhibiting protein synthesis. She also admitted conducting research into cholera, salmonella, foot and mouth disease, and camel pox, a disease that uses the same growth techniques as smallpox, but which is safer for researchers to work with. It was because of the discovery of Taha's work with camel pox that the US and British intelligence services feared Saddam Hussein may have been planning to weaponize the smallpox virus. Iraq had a smallpox outbreak in the 1970s and UNSCOM scientists believe the government would have retained contaminated material. UNSCOM learned that, in August 1990, after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, Taha's team was ordered to set up a program to weaponize the biological agents. By January 1991, a team of 100 scientists and support staff had filled 157 bombs and 16 missile warheads with botulin toxin, and 50 bombs and five missile warheads with anthrax. In an interview with the BBC, Taha denied the Iraqi government had weaponized the bacteria. "We never intended to use it," she told journalist Jane Corbin of the BBC's Panorama program. "We never wanted to cause harm or damage to anybody." UNSCOM found the munitions dumped in a river near al-Hakam. UNSCOM also discovered that Taha's team had conducted inhalation experiments on donkeys from England and on beagles from Germany. The inspectors seized photographs showing beagles having convulsions inside sealed containers. The al-Hakam germ warfare center, headed by the British-educated Iraqi biologist Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha, was blown up by UNSCOM in 1996. According to a 1999 report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, the normally mild-mannered Taha exploded into violent rages whenever UNSCOM questioned her about al-Hakam, shouting, screaming and, on one occasion, smashing a chair, while insisting that al-Hakam was a chicken-feed plant. Iraq charged that the commission was a cover for US espionage and refused UNSCOM access to certain sites, such as Baath Party headquarters. Although Ekéus has said that he resisted attempts at such espionage, many allegations have since been made against the agency commission under Butler, charges which Butler has denied. Within the UN establishment in Iraq, UNSCOM was not without its critics, with the UN's humanitarian staff informally calling the inspectors 'UN-Scum'. In return, the UN's humanitarian staff were called "bunny-huggers". Also in 1996, the Iraqi ruling regime agreed to the terms of United Security Council Resolution 986, an oil-for-supplies agreement in which Iraq was allowed to sell $2 billion worth of oil every six months as a ways to purchase supplies for its increasingly impoverished and malnourished population. This agreement also allowed the UN to oversee the use and management of oil revenues, and to see that some of the funds went to pay war reparations and for the work of UNSCOM in Iraq during this period. The distribution of supplies purchased with oil revenues was also to be supervised by UN inspectors to ensure fair and equal distribution throughout the Iraqi population. 1998 Airstrikes Security Council Meeting On the evening of 15 December 1998 the Security Council convened to consider two letters from weapons inspectors. The IAEA report by Mohamed El Baradei stated that Iraq "has provided the necessary level of cooperation to enable... [our] activities to be completed efficiently and effectively". The UNSCOM report, authored by Richard Butler, deplored the restrictions, lack of disclosure, and concealment. While conceding that "[i]n statistical terms, the majority of the inspections of facilities and sites under the ongoing monitoring system were carried out with Iraq's cooperation," his letter listed a number of instances where unspecificed "undeclared dual-capable items" had been discovered, and where inspections had been held up so that buildings could be cleared of sensitive material. Since Operation Desert Fox had already begun at the time of the meeting (just hours after the inspectors had been evacuated), the Security Council debated about who was to blame for the military action, rather than whether they should authorize it. The Iraqi representative said: |“||I speak to you now while rockets and bombs are falling on the cities and the villages of Iraq... At a time when the Security Council... was discussing [the] reports..., and before the Council reached any conclusion on this subject, the United States and Britain launched their attack against Iraq. The two Powers requested a suspension of the informal meeting of the Security Council and their pretext for aggression was that one of the two reports -- the UNSCOM report -- emphasized the lack of full cooperation by Iraq with UNSCOM... Time and again we have warned against the partiality and lack of objectivity of the United Nations Special Commission... The UNSCOM Executive Chairman singled out in his report yesterday five incidents out of a total of 300 inspection operations... The exaggerated uproar about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction is nothing but a great lie.||”| The Russian ambassador added: |“||We believe that although there are certain problems..., the current crisis was created artificially... On the night of 15 December this year, [Butler] presented a report that gave a distorted picture of the real state of affairs and concluded that there was a lack of full cooperation on the part of Iraq. That conclusion was not borne out by the facts. Without any consultations with the Security Council, Richard Butler then evacuated the entire Special Commission staff from Iraq. At the same time, there was an absolutely unacceptable leak of the report to the communications media, which received the text before the members of the Security Council themselves... It is symbolic that precisely at the time when Richard Butler... was attempting to defend the conclusions reached in his report, we were informed about the strike against Iraq, and the justification for that unilateral act was precisely the report which had been presented by the Executive Chairman of the Special Commission.||”| The view of the Council was split, with several countries placing the responsibility on Iraq. The United States declared that "Iraq's policy of unremitting defiance and non-compliance necessitated the resort to military force". The United Kingdom stated that the objectives of the action were "to degrade Iraq's capability to build and use weapons of mass destruction, and to diminish the military threat Iraq poses to its neighbours. The targets chosen, therefore, are targets connected with his military capability, his weapons of mass destruction and his ability to threaten his neighbours." 1999: End of UNSCOM In December 1999, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1284, replacing UNSCOM with the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission. Four countries — among them Russia, France and China — abstained from voting on Res. 1284, which led the Iraqi regime to reject the resolution because they saw the resolution as a way for the UN to claim Iraq as a “protectorate.” UNSCOM’s intention of identifying and eliminating Iraqi weapons programs resulted in numerous successes, illustrating the “value of a system approach to biological arms verification,” as former UNSCOM Historian Stephen Black has written. But the overall effect of the UN sanctions on Iraqi in the 1990s proved devastating to an already crumbling country. Malnutrition rates among Iraqis increased and infant mortality rates soared, exacting a heavy toll on the people of Iraq not part of the ruling regime’s patrimonial “shadow state.” Allegations of CIA infiltration of UNSCOM Evidence that UNSCOM had been used by US intelligence to penetrate Iraqi security and track President Saddam Hussein's movements emerged in January 1999. An investigation by the Washington Post claimed that CIA engineers, working as UN technicians, installed equipment to spy on Iraqi sites without Butler's knowledge, and that this explained the unidentified "burst transmissions" that had been noted by the inspectors. Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter later accused some UNSCOM personnel of spying, and also alleged that the purpose of the spying was to target Saddam in the bombing. Butler, on the other hand, denied allegations that foreign intelligence agencies "piggybacked" UNSCOM and questioned the factual accuracy of several of Ritter's statements. On 31 August 1998, Ritter said: "Iraq still has proscribed weapons capability. There needs to be a careful distinction here. Iraq today is challenging the special commission to come up with a weapon and say where is the weapon in Iraq, and yet part of their efforts to conceal their capabilities, I believe, have been to disassemble weapons into various components and to hide these components throughout Iraq. I think the danger right now is that without effective inspections, without effective monitoring, Iraq can in a very short period of time measure the months, reconstitute chemical biological weapons, long-range ballistic missiles to deliver these weapons, and even certain aspects of their nuclear weaponization program." Almost a year later, in June 1999, Ritter responded to an interviewer saying: "When you ask the question, 'Does Iraq possess militarily viable biological or chemical weapons?' the answer is no! It is a resounding NO. Can Iraq produce today chemical weapons on a meaningful scale? No! Can Iraq produce biological weapons on a meaningful scale? No! Ballistic missiles? No! It is 'no' across the board. So from a qualitative standpoint, Iraq has been disarmed. Iraq today possesses no meaningful weapons of mass destruction capability. Butler resigned from UNSCOM on 30 June 1999. See also - In Shifting Sands: The Truth About Unscom and the Disarming of Iraq - documentary film directed by Scott Ritter - Iraq disarmament crisis and Iraq disarmament timeline 1990–2003 - UNSCOM personnel: Rolf Ekéus, Richard Butler (diplomat), Charles A. Duelfer, Scott Ritter, Corinne Heraud, Alexander Coker - United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 S-RES-687(1991) page 3 on 3 April 1991 (retrieved 2008-04-10) - Zilinskas, Raymond A., “UNSCOM and the UNSCOM Experience in Iraq,” Politics and the Life Sciences, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Aug., 1995), 230-231 - Tripp, Charles, “A History of Iraq,” (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008), 250 - What Happened to Saddam's WMD? Arms Control Today September, 2003 - Chief U.N. weapons inspector rejects spying allegations CNN January 6, 1999 - US silence on new Iraq spying allegations BBC News January 7, 1999 - Black, Stephen, “UNSCOM and the Iraqi Biological Weapons Program: Implications for Arms Control,” Politics and the Life Sciences,” Vol. 18, No. 1 (Mar., 1999), pp. 62-63 - Tripp, 250-251 - Zilinskas, 230 - "The Inspections Maze". Christian Science Monitor. 2002. Retrieved 2006-04-28.[dead link] - "Baghdad prevents inspections at Baath party headquarters". Arabic News.com. 12/11/1998. Retrieved 2006-04-28. - Wright, Susan (2002). Biological Warfare and Disarmament. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 272. ISBN 0-7425-2469-8. - Varadarajan, Siddharth (26 February 1998). "'UNSCUM' versus 'Bunny-huggers' in Iraq". The Times of India. - Tripp, 252 - United Nations Security Council PV S-PV-3955 on 1998-12-16 (retrieved 2007-04-04) - "LETTER DATED 15 DECEMBER 1998 FROM THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL". Un.org. Retrieved 2011-06-19. - United Nations Security Council S-1998-1172 on 1998-12-15 (retrieved 2007-04-04) - Julian Borger (17 December 1998). "Missile blitz on Iraq". The Guardian. - United Nations Security Council PV S-PV-3955 page 2 on 1998-12-16 (retrieved 2007-04-04) - United Nations Security Council PV S-PV-3955 page 3 on 1998-12-16 (retrieved 2007-04-04) - United Nations Security Council PV S-PV-3955 page 8 on 1998-12-16 (retrieved 2007-04-04) - United Nations Security Council PV S-PV-3955 page 5 on 1998-12-16 (retrieved 2007-04-04) - Tripp, 269 - Black, 68 - Graham-Brown, Sarah, “Sanctioning Iraq: A Failed Policy, Middle East Report, No. 215 (Summer, 2000), pp. 8-10 - Halliday, Denis J., “The Impact of the UN Sanctions on the People of Iraq,” Journal of Palestine Studies, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Winter, 1999), pp. 29-33 - Mark Tran (7 January 1999). "UN 'spied on Iraq'". The Guardian. - Barton Gellman (2 March 1999). "U.S. Spied On Iraq Via U.N". Washington Post. - Julian Borger (3 March 1999). "UN 'kept in dark' about US spying in Iraq". The Guardian. - "Unscom 'infiltrated by spies'". BBC News. March 23, 1999. Retrieved 2006-04-28. - "The Lessons and Legacy of UNSCOM, an Interview with Ambassador Richard Butler". Arms Control Today. June 1999. - Arons, Nicholas (June 24, 1999). "Interview with Scot Ritter". Federation of American Scientists, June 24, 1999. Retrieved 2008-09-06.

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