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BS, MBA, Southwest Missouri State University; PhD, University of Texas-Arlington
“During my teaching career my primary goal has been to help young people develop their ability to think creatively and analytically and develop morally and intellectually. I strive to not only be a teacher but a mentor, role model, and friend to my students. For example, I supervised many independent studies and internships. Several of the directed studies have resulted in research that has been presented at professional meetings and/or published in professional journals. I also strive to involve students and business leaders in an interactive learning environment by bringing real world experiences into the classroom. For instance, I regularly schedule partners from accounting firms in Jackson to present cases drawn from their current practice to my Advanced Financial Accounting Theory and Problems class.
“I have been very active in the Accounting Residency Program helping place our students in positions that allow them to gain professional work experience before graduation. These activities are critical for expanding partnerships between the College and the regional and national business community. We have had an almost 100 percent placement rate for students who graduate from our M.Acc. Program during the past 20 years.
“Globalization of business requires accounting educators to take on the challenge of preparing our students to be much more than merely technically competent accountants. We as educators we must foster and nurture an entrepreneurial spirit in our students and motivate them to strive to achieve life goals that go beyond ordinary endeavors. By offering an academically challenging, innovative curriculum we must provide students a strong foundation in fundamental business skills as well as general abilities such as critical thinking, communication, quantitative thinking, historical consciousness and multicultural awareness. Of growing importance is the need to create a focus on global awareness and cultural sensitivity, we must educate our students to the reality that globalization of business is a fact of life and that its’ increasing importance in business and in society will impact them personally. Business educators must convey these lessons with a sense of urgency. The future is now and we must broaden accounting education so that our graduates can help lead the economy of this country as we compete beyond our local, state, and national borders. To accomplish these objectives we as educators must take a personal interest in out students’ entire professional life. We must be available to serve as role models, mentors, and advocates for our students. We must create programs and connections that will place our students into the broader world. If you strive to create leaders for the future of accounting and business you can no longer simply stay in the classroom and teach your students the technical elements of accounting. We must commit to travel with students for extended periods to introduce them to the broader world, local, regional, national and beyond to the international business community.” |
NEW YORK: The vast majority of Millennials (97%) prioritize happiness above all else, but they’re also "more stressed, anxious, and depressed than any other living generation," according to data from inVentiv Health’s Allidura Consumer, healthcare ad agency GSW, and the Harris Poll.
Danielle Dunne, MD of Allidura, said the firm often fields questions from clients wondering how Millennials view health and whether it is a priority to them. Yet she added that little information was available on Millennials’ health attitudes.
Some results came as a surprise, she recalled, such as that Millennials worry about their well-being as much as or more than other generations such as the Baby Boomers, and that they have "concerns about having access to doctors and medications."
The Millennial Mindset: The Worried Well Study reflected survey results from 3,530 teenagers and adults, 2,015 of which were "adult Millennials" ages 18 to 32.
The Millennial generation is interested in self-care, explained Tracy Naden, Allidura Consumer MD.
"They see a more holistic perspective and want to integrate these healthy choices through every part of their lifestyle" such as a new diet, cleanse, or workout routine, she added, noting that they want to pinpoint "what works for them personally."
There are emotional benefits at stake, too, noted Naden. Because of how highly they view happiness, "making healthy choices is very appealing and more motivational and empowering to Millennials," she said.
Millennials’ "360-degree" view of health is both an opportunity and a challenge to healthcare communicators, whether pivoting to resonate with more young people from a health perspective or considering the sourcing of products, said Dunne.
Where there is self-care, there’s also self-diagnosis, said Dunne, noting that the survey’s respondents grew up with Google, WebMD, and a plethora of "friends" online.
"Millennials diagnose themselves with problems they don’t have," she said. The survey found that 37% of respondents do so, resulting in more stress and anxiety. That also raises the challenge of how to add context to health information available online.
The report also found that health issues facing Millennials now rather than later in life contibute to their high levels of stress and anxiety. For example, Dunne said the survey revealed Millennials consider obesity to be "the greatest health challenge of their time." Naden added that Millennial men are more likely to prioritize their mental health.
"There seems to be an even greater opportunity for brands and companies to help Millennials understand and create what’s normal," said Dunne. "I think brands can become part of that circle of trust if they put the consumer front-of-mind and provide content and information that is broader, yet relevant to the audience." |
For the average home, a roof should be replaced every eight to ten years. While you may have a warranty on your roof, that often covers the materials and not the entire roof itself. Depending on the age of the house, where it was built, and how the roof was constructed to begin with, it’s more common than not to have a roofer come out and recommend a full roof replacement. A full roof replacement is costly. Here’s how to determine how much a roof replacement costs and how to lower those costs.
Roof Replacement Cost Tips and Tricks
When a roof replacement is needed, you’re looking at more costs than just the roof itself. You’re looking at a roof tear-off, materials, labor, gutters and downspouts, and more. Depending on the shape of the roof, this can take as little as a day to a week. These factors all add up to the overall roof replacement cost.
Most roof replacements are covered by insurance after some sort of damage or failure. In some cases, if you’re selling a home, you may have to cover the cost of the roof to flip the home. Regardless of why you need to have a roof replacement, the fact is there’s ways to reduce the overall cost.
The first is to have multiple roofers come out and inspect your roof. They’ll each give you an estimate on the costs that you compare and potentially negotiate down. If you need other work done, such as gutters, they may offer a discount or deal for getting both done at the same time. When you have multiple bids on a roof, you can use this as leverage to negotiate a better price.
Roof replacements are costly because of everything that’s involved. However, the investment in your home’s future is key. The shingles you choose and the roofing company you go with can offer additional warranties on work and materials. This can help protect you down the line should something occur.
While roof replacement is expensive, it’s a necessary evil when owning a home. |
For her great position in the Holy Bible and Christianity, the Virgin Mary was demonstrated in a variety of scenes in Coptic art, Christian icons and drawings, and her pictures spread in all churches of the world.
HG Bishop Martiros, the General Bishop, in his article The diversity of the appearance of the Mother of God in icons explained to us that Saint Luke the physician was the first to draw an icon of the Mother of God carrying her son, the Lord Jesus. Then, her pictures were painted on the walls of the dimes places under the floor of the ancient city of Rome, and then her pictures spread in the churches of the whole world with various scenes and forms expressed by Christian art.
The various icons and drawings of the Virgin Mary were depicted in several scenes that have specific connotations, among which it was explained that she has always been virgin, the second heaven, the queen, the mother of God, and higher than the cherubim and the seraphim. The images also highlighted several symbols associated with the Virgin, such as the bush, the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant and the ladder of Jacob.
Many purposes and specific connotations, whether theological, spiritual or doctrinal, were demonstrated in the icons of the Holy Virgin Mary about whom Saint Cyril of Alexandria says: (Peace be to Mary, the Mother of God, the precious treasure, the lamp that is never extinguished, the crown of virginity, and the rod of Orthodoxy). |
Great news – we are just over £500 from our first target for the Fairy Meadow Fund ! This fighting fund will help us buy wildlife-poor land and turn it into new meadows rich in wildflowers for families and children to enjoy, and has now reached £19,454. Please help us hit our first target of £20,000 so that we can start looking for land to buy and re-sow with native British wildflowers.
Why Midsummer ?
This is the very best time of year to go out and visit wildflower-rich grasslands of the sort that used to be traditional places for picnics and play for our grandparents and great-grandparents.
Solstice Daisies, so-called as they are in flower at Mid-Summer, reaching for the sun at Fritton Common in Norfolk
In June and July, meadows, commons and downlands are at their best as a succession of different wildflowers come into bloom and they buzz with bees and flutter with butterflies. Have look at the photos of some flower rich grasslands and see places to visit at the Fairy Meadow Fund page.
Did you know that more than 97% of out traditional lowland hay meadows have been lost ? That makes it so much harder for parents to introduce their children to nature, and even to find a flower rich grassland for family walk or outing. It also drives many of our wild plants, flowers and the wildlife taht depend upon them, towards extinction. But it is possible to re-create similar if never quite identical meadows and that’s what the Fairy Meadow Fund is for.
Cowslips on a resown pasture at Courtyard Farm, Norfolk
Midsummer is a very magical time by tradition associated with the peak of fairy activity. This year the Summer Solstice, the longest day, is on Monday 20 June and so we are launching our Fairy Meadow Fund Midsummer Appeal now to try and close that gap to our first target of £20,000.
Flower rich meadows and waysides are a vivid part of our heritage and national memory and should be a vital children’s future. Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Nights Dream, is full of mentions of wild flowers, which would have been common at the time and a part of everyday life well known to his audiences. Today many are far rarer.
In A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Fairy tells the magical sprite Puck (Robin Goodfellow):
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be;
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,
In those freckles live their savours.
I must go seek some dewdrops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
Rubies refer to the red spots on Cowslip petals.
Most famously though, Oberon the Fairy King describes the place where his queen, Titania sleeps :
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine;
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lull’d in these flowers with dances and delight
(Act II, Scene I, A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
There are now few banks where the ‘wild thyme blows’, not so many people can tell Eglantine from a Dog Rose and most children don’t get a chance to sniff a real wild Sweet Violet but through the Fairy Meadow Fund we hope to bring some of these treasures back so more people can share and experience them. |
Multiple websites and blogs state that the average person has between 15-20 pounds of waste sitting in their colon. This statement has given rise to many people seeking out ways to clean their colon and thus, lose weight. But the reality is, the connection between cleaning your colon to lose weight is a little bit more involved.
According to The National Library of Medicine, the average bowel movement weighs up to one pound. The actual weight of any movement depends on several factors: your body size, what you eat, your daily water intake, and how often you go.
For example, the more fiber you eat, the heavier it will be as the fiber will hold water. Fortunately, this makes it easier to pass through your system, and you’ll go more regularly and completely.
Of course, that one-pound number is the weight of any given release. If you eat regularly, there is a constant flow through your colon. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through your entire digestive tract and become a bowel movement.
So, if we continue to eat on a daily basis, there will always some amount of fecal matter, and weight, in our colon.
Perhaps the better question we really should be asking is…
How much excess waste is in your colon?
According to multiple websites, the average weight loss after colon cleansing was about 2.6 pounds (1.2 kilograms). One specific study compared different methods of colon cleansing and one of the most effective colon cleanses resulted in an immediate 6.6 pound (3 kilograms) weight loss.
But please note that weight loss does not equal fat loss. A colonic will only affect your bowel movement, which means that you will not actually be losing any body fat (which should be your primary weight loss goal). Even though you can almost immediately decrease the number on your scale, you still may have a high percentage of body fat.
But colon cleansing helps you lose weight in another important way: by giving your digestive system a refreshing cleanse to make sure everything is working at maximum capacity. When your colon and digestive system are in poor health, they’re not able to do their job to efficiently get rid of unwanted waste.
This results in a sluggish digestive tract that’s slow to eliminate waste, more likely to accumulate unwanted weight, and ideal for toxin-producing bacteria to thrive in. All of these factors can negatively impact the way your body digests food and uses/stores the calories.
With a clean, waste-free colon, you’ll find yourself having more energy, clear mental focus, and all-around better performance and results when using traditional weight loss methods.
How to cleanse your colon?
There are many different ways of performing a colonic. Colon cleanser products like pills can be taken orally (through your mouth) or even rectally (through your anus). Colon hydrotherapy refers to a colon cleanse that is usually done with water alone. You can also buy a do-it-yourself kit and perform it right in the comfort of your home. Or you can have a therapist perform a colon cleanse for you.
You can also cleanse your colon with the help of various liquid or drink mixes.
Here are a few of those options you can try:
Ginger has antiseptic properties and is beneficial as it stimulates digestion. It can be added to |
Schools Need to Be on Alert
Vaping has reached out and touched more than 3 million students
- By Tom Reilly
For years manufacturers have been finding ways to make
products more appealing to kids, either by design or
through the senses, such as smell or taste. We now have
grape-flavored pediatric cold medicine and vitamins that
look like gummy bears. So it makes perfect sense that we
also now have odors that smell like cool mint or mango drifting from
the student bathrooms.
The 2017 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 11.7 percent
of high school students and 3.3 percent of middle school students
used e-cigarettes. And in many instances, the restrooms in America’s
high schools and middle schools, where by law, video cameras are not
allowed, have become a popular place to enjoy the puff of the day as
this epidemic continues to grow.
The National Education Association estimates that up to three million
students are using vaping products, many using the JUUL brand,
which not only smells and tastes good, but also looks like a really cool
computer flash drive that can be charged in a USB port. Each JUUL
cartridge contains roughly the same amount of highly-addictive nicotine
as 20 cigarettes.
“It is happening in the hallways, it is happening in the bathrooms,
we even had a kid a couple of years ago vaping in the classroom,” said
Cam Traut, a school nurse at Libertyville High School in the Chicago
suburbs and a National Association of School Nurses board member.
“I get the sense that students think it is safe. The marketing or advertising
was, ‘oh, this is a much healthier version of traditional, tobacco
cigarettes,’ so the kids have focused on that ‘healthier’ component.
And it’s taken off like wildfire.”
“As a school, we’re trying to provide some education to the kids so
they understand the health risks they’re taking, and we’re also educating
our staff on what to look for… but it’s an uphill battle,” Traut said.
Those flavors are attractive to kids, warns the American Academy
of Pediatrics. Meanwhile, 15- to-17-year-olds are more than 16 times
more likely to be JUUL users than 25- to 34-year-olds, according to
the Truth Initiative, a nonprofit public health organization that was
established 20 years ago as part of a settlement between tobacco companies
and states. The chart below tells more of the story.
The device’s maker says it is intended only for adults trying to quit
smoking, that its website aims to block underage customers, and the
company supports legislation to raise the minimum age for vaping
products to 21 nationwide. But as JUUL and the FDA play the “hesaid,
she-said” game, young people are getting sick and, in some
Ways to track vaping in school restrooms has increased dramatically
over the years as more companies are creating sophisticated vaping
detectors, some that even have the capabilities to detect loud
noises, which can be an indication of bullying, breaking glass and
other possible violent or anti-social behavior.
New York’s Plainedge High School was among the first to install
new bathroom vape sensors that can detect e-cigarette. Few students
have been caught so far, but officials say that is not a sign of failure.
“The truth of the matter is the kids see it, they know what it is —
and it in itself is a deterrent,” said Edward Salina, superintendent of
Plainedge Public Schools.
“We’ve seen significant increases across the student body,” said
Robert Keuther, principal at Marshfield High School on the south
shore of Massachusetts. “This is not something specific to one group
of kids. It is across all of my grades, nine to 12. It is all students.”
Taking the Short Route Between Detection and Prevention
But as a school administrator, when it comes to having vaping detectors
in bathrooms you have to take the next logical step, which is to
have the technology available to not only detect, but do what needs to
be done to also prevent (i.e. catch the perpetrators). And to that end,
many security companies are now working with schools and vapedetection
manufacturers that are making these detection devices
available to schools throughout the country.
These vaping sensors can be installed in bathrooms where it will
detect vapor from electronic cigarettes in real time, including the
detection of THC oil, a chemical found in both e-cigarettes and
marijuana. Still, detection is only as useful as the ability to monitor
But how do you monitor something in an area where cameras are
not permitted? Unfortunately, this is where some schools have
blurred the line between security and invasion of privacy. Recently an
Alabama principal made headlines after he ordered the removal of
the doors in several of his school’s bathroom stalls. In that Alabama
case, the doors were put back in one week later after parents issued
concerns about their children’s privacy. In another effort, a school
district in Texas required students to roll up their sleeves when entering
school in an attempt to prevent them from hiding e-cigarettes.
Neither action was particularly popular with parents, but it shows the
extremes schools are going through to stem the rising tide. There are
Advancements in technology have given security companies the
ability to integrate these restroom vape detectors so that alerts for any
infractions can be sent in real time to the appropriate parties’ phone
and emails. It can also be integrated into the school’s security/video
systems. In addition, the technology exists to integrate with cameras
outside the restrooms, so as to monitor who enters and leaves correspondent
to when the infractions occur. This means if Larry and Billy
walk out of the bathroom minutes after the vaping detector signals a
time-stamped message to the principal’s email, you can be pretty sure
that they are doing something that they are not supposed to be doing.
Installers can also adjust and maximize the settings for the room’s
environment, thus removing false alarms that other sensors might get
from body and disinfectant sprays. Integration can also be set up to
pinpoint where the infraction occurs, so alerts are sent to a teacher on
the 2nd floor if there is an infraction in the 2nd floor bathroom, etc.
The device can also be wired into a PoE-enabled network. This is
important because it makes it easier to connect to an existing network,
with less work required.
There is no denying that schools are embracing this technology
as the ill effects of vaping become more and more prominent in the
news. And that is without factoring in that along with the obvious
health risks, vaping has also caused additional problems as e-cigarettes
are being flushed down toilets, resulting in school having to
dole out thousands of dollars in custodial and plumbing fees. But
what price tag do we place on the health and safety of our most precious
cargo. Once a student walks through the front door, his wellbeing
is in the hands of a dedicated staff, dedicated to not only
educate, but to protect.
More schools are investing heavily in placing vape detectors in
their restroom, with reports of one Ohio school district doling out
more than $60,000 to put vape detectors in their bathrooms. Plus,
there are additional costs for programming, integration, etc. So it
makes sense that schools should seek out trained installers to maximize
their return with real-time communications. |
In this blog I write about the food that I grow organically and what I cook with it. I had anticipated that by this week I might be writing about broad beans or even peas, but the vagaries of the British weather have delayed the first harvest of these early allotment vegetables. So instead I’m going to write about another group of plants that are currently doing rather well on my allotment plot: herbs.
On my plot, the Circus Garden, I currently grow mint, chives, marjoram, sage, rosemary, parsley, dill, lemon thyme, sorrel, lemon balm, chervil, French tarragon, lavender, fennel, horseradish and basil as well as slightly more unusual herb varieties such as blackcurrant sage, lemon basil and anise. They don’t take up a lot of space yet provide me with a steady supply of genuinely fresh, organically grown herbs for a large part of the growing season.
Many of us buy our fresh herbs from the supermarket, but just how fresh exactly are they? Some, of course, are sold in pots and are thus still living, although in some feeble cases it’s a fine technical distinction. But what about those packs which contain bunches of apparently freshly cut herbs?
In many cases these fresh herbs are sold in what is known as Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), a technique also often used to package bags of salad leaves, fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese and baked goods such as croissants.
MAP can considerably prolong shelf life. It is a process in which specialised equipment is used to alter the composition of the internal atmosphere of the packaging, reducing the level of oxygen, usually down to 2-3%, and replacing it with nitrogen or carbon dioxide. This process slows down the rate of oxidisation and thus the rate of deterioration of the food within.
It may well prolong shelf life but research into the effect of MAP on packaged salad leaves has suggested that a side effect of the process may be the destruction of both vitamin C and antioxidants. And anyway, how much does this technology add to the cost of the packaged food when factored alongside other costs, such as transport and distribution? Quite a lot it seems. My local supermarket is currently selling MAP packaged mint at 82p for a packet weighing 25g. That works out at a staggering £32.80 per kilo for a herb that is probably nowhere near as fresh as its appearance might suggest.
Mint is arguably the easiest of herbs to grow. Indeed it’s sometimes a challenge to stop it spreading. All of the more common herbs – mint, parsley, basil and coriander – are relatively simple to grow, whether it is on an allotment, in a garden, on a balcony or on a windowsill. Why not give it a try? Not only will your fresh herbs be genuinely fresh, each time you use them you only need to cut as much as you require, no need for any waste.
Here’s a very simple but tasty recipe showcasing a few of the more common herbs. You can easily vary the types of herbs you use according to your taste and what you have available. The fritters are light, tasty and extremely moreish.
herb and mozarella fritters
1 buffalo mozzarella, grated
Bunch spring onions, finely chopped
50 g vegetarian Parmesan
75 g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp fresh, finely chopped chives
2 tbsp fresh, finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp fresh, finely chopped coriander
A pinch of salt
2 organic free range eggs
4 tbsp groundnut oil for frying
Lime wedges, for serving
1. Place all the ingredients for the fritters into a bowl and stir to combine. Divide into eight equal sized balls and flatten each into a fritter shape, about a centimetre and a half in depth. Place the fritters onto a flat baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry the fritters for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp on the outside. Place two fritters on each plate and serve. These work really well with a tomato, olive and red onion salsa. |
The Oval Office is where the President does the business of the country--signing bills and Executive Orders and meeting with staff, visitors, and guests. The Oval Office changes with each Administration, as each President brings personal mementos and favorite furniture or artwork, and each makes selections from the White House art collection.
President Clinton chose to use the Resolute Desk, made from the timbers of the British ship, the HMS Resolute. Abandoned north of the Arctic Circle in 1854, the HMS Resolute was later found by the crew of an American whaling ship, refitted, and sent to Queen Victoria as a token of goodwill. When the ship was later dismantled, the desk was made from timbers of the ship, and Queen Victoria gave it to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. Every President from President Hayes through President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the desk; it was first placed in the Oval Office in 1961 at the request of President John F. Kennedy.
After being on exhibit for ten years at the Smithsonian Institution,
the Resolute was put back into use by President
Jimmy Carter. The Resolute
was also used in the Oval Office by
President Ronald Reagan and
for a few months by President George Bush. On January 20,
1993, this historic desk was returned to the Oval Office once again, at the
request of President Clinton. |
Each learner presents a unique reservoir of skills and challenges that can change among subjects and situations, throughout the day and year. Our goal with the Learner Variability Project (LVP) is to help educators support each of these individual learners—a task that we know is enormous, if not impossible, for a teacher to do alone.
So, we are working with edtech product partners to help create research-based supports for teachers to turn to as they tackle this formidable challenge. Below are our product partners—developers committed to founding their product development in the research behind why and how learners vary.
Read on to learn about how each of our partners is working to help teachers support the whole child.
eSpark is working with us on a study of the impact of emotion on learning to understand more deeply how a student’s whole self affects their learning outcomes.
i-LEADR is designing an integration of our LVP Navigator into their RtI: Stored product to help teachers deepen their understanding of learner variability so they can develop the best individual plan for each learner.
The Lexia Core5 Reading team has partnered with us to highlight key research areas to inform their product roadmap. They are committed to helping all members of the product team, from content designers to engineers, more deeply understand the research behind learner variability.
We have been supporting Speak Agent in integrating research-based multimodal learning strategies, such as collaborative writing and voice recording for practicing reading aloud, to help all learners master academic language.
Wisewire product teams have been using the LVP Navigator as their go-to research resource. Using LVP for how to describe a learning outcome or strategy has meant that, even with different writers, Wisewire’s units have consistency for teachers.
We are supporting Zyrobotics in their cutting edge development of speech recognition tools for young readers to receive real-time feedback as additional support in these critical early years.
If you want to deepen supports for learner variability in your product, and help bring equity to the classroom by considering the full diversity of each student, our Product Explorer tool is a great place to start. Creative literacy product developers are also invited to apply to our open RFP. |
As a student, this article will provide you with the information you need to successfully discover scholarships, apply for them and win them. You will understand the rudimentary steps you need to take to be able to get scholarships to fund your studies in a university or college.
If you are an international student or domestic students and you are interested in applying for a scholarship now or later in your life, or you’ve been applying and each time get rejected, then you need to read this article to the end to discover the sure ways to apply for Scholarships. The pang that comes from getting rejected each time one apply for scholarships cannot be understood by one who has never applied or who has never gotten rejected. Mastering the sure routes on how to get scholarships for university or college is a skill worth acquiring in this era considering the number of students who get rejected during scholarship application lately.
Since it has been conventionally said that scholarships have become too competitive and very difficult to get, there are still people who have completed their higher education fully sponsored by scholarships, grants or financial aid platforms. This might be because the individual might have discovered sure ways to get scholarships.
Where to Find Scholarships for College/University
Students conventional compete for the most popular scholarships, without actually taking notices of the tons of hidden or very unpublished scholarships they can apply for.
What you will see here are not the only places one can find scholarships for college or university, but they are one of the places students rarely look at, when they are searching for scholarships for college
How to get Scholarships for University Through Ethnic Organisation
Ethnic Organisations of all stripes has the tendencies of offering domestic and international scholarships to students.
All you need to qualify for these kinds of scholarships is to be of that ethnic group. These scholarships are not rare and they are very easy to find. After your high school, it is of utmost importance that you start asking and searching for scholarship available for people from your race.
Read Also: 12 Scholarship Application Tips in 2020
How to get Scholarships for University Through Friends and Family
It is important that when you want to search for college scholarship, don’t neglect your family members, talk to your parents guidance, or parents friends see if they know about any scholarship that you will qualify for.
There are a lot of companies that offer scholarships for college students – companies that people you know or your parents knows work at. Ask around, don’t neglect anybody, some of the most scholarships come from unexpected places.
There are scholarships available for college students that are not publicized that your family member might know about. You have ask or you may miss valuable opportunities to win huge college scholarships.
How to get Scholarships for University Through Universities and colleges
You must know that most colleges and universities of the world offer scholarships to their students. You have to be smart enough to take note of any scholarship offered by the university or college you are currently applying for.
Colleges and Universities might decide to offered tuition waiver to students who meet certain requirements.
You can find some full scholarships offered by Universities and colleges here.
It has been said by multiple sources that volunteers have won $400,000 and more in college scholarships, on the basis that scholarship sponsors are seeking long-time commitment to volunteering.
This concentration towards volunteering makes sense, because many scholarship platforms are nonprofits organisations, who are just focused on helping others.
to win Scholarships for University and College, you also need to check your online presence by googling your name to be sure that you hold professional online presence. This advice is coming from professionals. Remove any inappropriate materials on your social media accounts, especially on Facebook.
And make sure you don’t make use a risqué email account.
Searching scholarships through scholarship search engines can make your job easier and increase your chances of quickly getting a scholarship.
You can as well check out these international scholarships.
Don’t ignore the optional questions.
When applying for any scholarship at all, some questions are considered optional, these questions doesn’t require that you must give answers to them. But you must answer every question whether or not it is optional or a must.
Take note of this, it can drastically increase your chances of getting a scholarship in a way you never have imagined.
Learn more about scholarship odds.
Scholarship odds cannot be neglected.
If you must be offered Scholarships for University and College, you must meet all of its requirements, and let’s be honest, some scholarships are way out of your league, these are scholarships that no matter what you do you cannot qualify for them, maybe because of the CGPA requirements, level of study or stuffs like that.
Make sure you understand your old of being offered a scholarship before applying for that scholarship.
Understanding your odds would help you apply to only those scholarship that you possibly will be offered
Apply to every eligible scholarship
Scholarship application is a numbers game and even amid the most accomplished students, luck is considered a factor too.
Don’t ignore the small stuff.
Some nice scholarships worth about $1,000 or less may only have a very few number of students apply to them, like 15 or 20 students.
Look for essay contests.
Some students can be very lazy and most times will skip scholarship contests that would require an essay writing.
Applying for scholarships requiring essay could increase your odds of success in Scholarship hunt.
During the time you’re writing an essay for a scholarship let your voice come through.
Include tons of details in your essay writing that helps reveal who personality and experiences.
It’s usually advisable to focus on a particular problem and how you were able to solve it or overcame that particular adversity.
Do well to obtain from your high school guidance counsellors concerning local scholarships.
Also check out bulletin boards at local libraries and outside financial aid offices or Scholarship organizations. |
If it wasn’t for a personal experience with his healthcare provider, Nolan Pokpongkiat might’ve been studying software engineering and his organization, The Helix Group, wouldn’t have been born. Now a sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley, he founded Helix to address the lack of diversity within the healthcare field and encourage underrepresented students to explore degrees in medicine.
Sparked by encounters outside of the classroom, Pokpongkiat took the lessons he learned beyond the university’s walls and created Helix with five other undergraduates from his school.
The organization provides a three-step approach that hopes to inspire more minority students to pursue healthcare careers in order to combat the challenge of navigating cultural barriers to provide the best care possible for afflicted patients.
The first step is a week-long summer program taught by UC Berkeley undergraduate recruits. Local high school students from around the San Francisco area will study a carefully student-curated curriculum. They also will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on lab experiments, learn from lectures, earn a CPR certification and connect with local professionals.
The second step is a four-week internship that rotates students through a shadowing program so that they can gain insight from real clinic operations. Lastly, students will meet at the end of the summer for the Helix Symposium to share their experiences and knowledge.
The idea came to fruition over the summer when Pokpongkiat and a group of friends were working as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). They recognized the lack of diversity in numerous fields but did not fully become aware of it within their own until they researched further.
They discovered that African Americans, Hispanics and other ethnic minorities made up approximately 30 percent of the population but only comprised about 10 percent of doctors. It was the summer experience coupled with the absence of a preexisting student organization focusing specifically on the issue which led him to conceive the program’s concept.
“What we want to do is basically diversify medical education, and therefore by extension, increase the cultural competency of doctors once they graduate medical school so they can provide better care for their patients,” he says.
Presently a molecular and cell biology major, Pokpongkiat was propelled into the world of medicine from an early onset.
“My parents both work in healthcare. My dad is a doctor, and so from a pretty young age I’ve been put onto the path of going into medicine, but it wasn’t really until college when it became solidified for me,” he says. “I think growing up, throughout elementary school, middle school [and] high school I was like ‘Okay, yeah I’m going to be a doctor,’ but I didn’t really know why.”
He deliberated between medicine and software engineering, two fields he both enjoyed and excelled at, before ultimately deciding to pursue a health-related degree after an experience he had with his personal healthcare provider.
“It wasn’t until this past break, when I went to see my doctor for surgery, when I was really touched by how comfortable a doctor can make you feel in a time of [uncertainty] about your situation [and] about your health.”
At the core of his career choice resides an unconventional motivation: a desire to empathize with the people he serves, particularly underrepresented groups. Understanding people of particular backgrounds forms the basis of connecting medicine and personal engagement with patients.
He recounted a time when his mother injured her arm and visited a few doctors before voicing her frustrations because she didn’t feel that they thoroughly understood her and her background. This prompted him to delve into the issue of doctors not being unable to care for their patients in a “culturally competent way.”
One of the difficult questions he posed to students is, “At what point are you going to learn to understand people from different cultures…and interact with people from different backgrounds if you’ve never been exposed to it in your education?”
A challenge he has faced in the creation of the newly formed organization resides in the starting operations. He voiced the difficulties of pitching the idea to doctors at hospitals because of the lack of prior, tangible work thus far.
However, he cites that trusting in the team’s drive and idea along with showcasing a clear plan of implementation has garnered significant success.
“We interviewed our applicants, and we’ve found that there are so many people who care about the same things we do.” Pokpongkiat asserted that Helix received over 50 applicants and that the program has been well received by students, doctors and professors alike.
Speaking with conscientiousness toward Helix’s future, he says, “We’re keeping track of all the things that we’re doing and trying to make a startup kit of the resources we’ve been using so that the program is…expandable. If we experience success in the Bay Area in our 10-mile radius, there is potential of expanding it throughout different college campuses. If we’re really able to do that, then we’ll actually be able to make a much greater impact.” |
The coffee seller advertised his wares with a flourish of a brass pot, catching the glint of the desert sun as he poured the fragrant liquid into a Lilliputian-sized cup. The guest drank the steaming liquid, asked for another, then finished it with a side to side shake of the cup, indicating no refill was needed.
Coffee, a symbol of Arabic hospitality, is seen throughout the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Often flavored with the heady taste of cardamom, coffee is strong and tasty (and often filled with grounds–so leave that last mouthful!)
Jordanian cuisine is as flavorful as its favorite drink. Most meals begin with mezze, an assortment of appetizers that could be a meal in themselves. Every mezze includes flat Arabic bread, hummus (a tasty dip of pureed chickpeas with tahini or sesame seed paste, garlic and lemon juice), baba ghanoush (dip made from smoked eggplant and tahini), kibbe maqliya (deep fried meat balls) and tabouleh (a chopped salad that includes mint and bulgar wheat).
Many of Jordan’s residents trace their heritage to Bedouin roots so it’s not surprising that the national dish is a Bedouin specialty. Mansaf is a special dish often prepared as a sign of honor for guests. Made from lamb served atop a bed of rice and yogurt sauce, the dish is served family style. Although travelers will find this dish served (with forks and plates) in many restaurants, the traditional way to enjoy mansaf is from a communal plate. Diners use their right hand only, taking food directly from in front of them. The food is formed into a small ball and, using the thumb, moved from palm to mouth. Traditionally mansaf is served with rashoof soup, made from lentils, yogurt and onions.
Other traditional dishes appear on restaurant menus as well, especially kebabs. Pick from shish kebab (beef), shish taouk (chicken) or kofta kebab (lamb).
Although Jordan is an Islamic country, alcoholic beverages are served in most restaurants. Jordanian wines are good and available for as little as 8JD (US$12) per bottle; Amstel beer is bottled locally as well. The local liqueur is araq, a drink similar to ouzo but with a strong anise taste. Enjoy the cloudy drink on ice and with water.
Dessert is an Arabic specialty and most restaurants have an extensive spread. Baklawa (baklava) is a favorite, made with delicate layers of phyllo dough covered in nuts and honey. Konafa is a shredded dough filled with goat cheese or nuts then baked in syrup. During Ramadan, a special dessert called ataif is prepared. These small, deep-fried pancakes are stuffed with nuts or cheese.
After a meal, it’s traditional to order a nargileh, a waterpipe or hubble bubble. Shared between several smokers, the pipes burn a mild, aromatic tobacco, often apple flavored.
An excellent restaurant to sample Jordanian food is Kan Zaman, located outside Amman. The restaurant is located in a former fortress; today guests are greeted by photos of the eatery’s most famous diners including the late King Hussein. After a meal, guests can watch performances of traditional Arabic music and dances or stroll through the complex to shop for handicrafts, silver jewelry, embroidered jackets, brass knives, antiques (including antique brass coffeepots), and mirrors with Arabesque designs.
In the city of Madaba, Haret Jdoudna (Ancestor’s Court) is an excellent choice for traditional food served in a former home. Diners can begin with labaneh, a soft goat cheese topped with hot pepper and olive oil and then move on to kifta, minced meat with sesame, tomato or yogurt sauce. For dessert, save room for fig compote served with walnuts or the El-Hara Special, pastry flakes and walnuts served with Arabic pistachio ice cream.
Mansaf is Jordan’s most traditional dish. Here’s a recipe compliments of the Mövenpick Dead Sea Resort:
4 kilograms lamb
Dry yogurt (or see recipe for yogurt, below)
2 kilograms rice (Egyptian or Oriental rice preferred)
One onion, chopped
Put the dried yogurt in hot water for five hours. (If you don’t have dry yogurt, use one kilogram whey and soak in water for one hour. After an hour, put the mixture in a blender. Set aside.)
Boil the lamb with onion and spices until done. Remove the lamb but keep the water. Add the yogurt or the whey to the water. This can be thickened with cornstarch if desired.
Cook the rice. When the rice is finished, return the lamb to the soup and cook for five minutes. Pour lamb and soup mixture over the rice on a large platter. Decorate with pine nuts. |
I’ve only read three Shakespeare plays in my life. Henry V isn’t one of them. So I came to the movie with a chip on my shoulder, mad at myself for having not gotten familiar with a writer whose importance I’ve known about my whole life. But rather than read a summary of the play beforehand, or postpone the movie while I try to sprint through the text, I decided to just siddown and have some coffee and watch it, see if I could follow the story and maybe use it as a basis for reading the play with a little more…understanding.
My friend Steve has been reading Shakespeare his whole life, beginning when he was holed up in a basement during the plague with nothing but two pails of water and the first folio, and having taught a fair bit of it, too, he says that the best way to understand a Shakespeare text, especially if you’re intimidated, is to read it aloud with some friends. The next best way is to watch a good performance.
So that’s what I did. Can’t say I understood every bit of what was happening, but I gathered the broad strokes. Henry’s an Englishman, fighting the French. There’s some philosophy about the moral weight that a king must bear with every decision.
But who am I to say that about a Shakespeare play? My friend Steve knows these plays (as well as the stuff that was coming out contemporaneously and Shakespeare’s piecemeal biography) inside and out, so he’s got more authority in critiquing them. Normally I’d say that, understanding so little of the dialogue, what I can vouch for is whether I enjoyed the movie or not, and venture a guess at whether you might like it or not.
But how can I even say I like it if I don’t fully understand it? I can tell you I enjoy listening to “99 Luftballoons” — I dunno what it’s about. Shit’s German. What if I learned the lyrics were “Fuck Alex” on loop for three minutes? I’d probably stop liking it.
So the story of Henry V feels like it’s beyond reproach, at least for me, because whatever we might wanna argue about how everybody is entitled to like or dislike a work of art, and how their preference is perfectly legitimate and needs no defending, I’m reluctant to give any kind of verdict on something that I don’t understand — if, that is, I have reason to believe that it can be understood. Like I’m not gonna look at Tommy Wiseau’s The Room and, finding myself confused, decide that it’s gone over my head and then refrain from saying if I liked it or not. In the case of The Room, clearly, we don’t understand what’s going on because the people who made it didn’t understand what was going on. The filmmaker was disoriented. The movie is disorienting.
Henry V, on the other hand, has been around for 400 years and people’ve been reading and performing and loving it the whole time. For me to approach something with all that clout and, not understanding every word of dialogue, deem it good or bad, would make me feel pretty rotten.
But, again, getting back to the movie: what I can give a verdict on is the filmmaking, and whether the director (Laurence Olivier, who also stars) did anything interesting.
And he did. Even for somebody like me, who’s gonna understand one line in ten, the approach he takes is so cinematic — communicating one narrative with the actors’ interactions and a second narrative with the camera — that an uninitiated viewer can shake the straw out of her hair, wipe the saliva from his chin, and get some yuks.
The movie is divided into two halves. The first half isn’t just an adaptation of Henry V but a movie about a stage production of that play at the Globe Theater in London in 1600. Beautiful crane shots show us what the audience would have looked like, and how the seating was arranged. We hear what the audience would have reacted to, and how. We see how the actors interpreted tehir lines and worked in some physical humor to liven up the dialogue. (To Steve’s credit, watching the play really does help understand some things that might not bend on the page. An actor’s inflection reveals the levity or gravity in a line that I almost definitely wouldn’t have spotted if I were just reading it on my own.) What most delighted me was the incorporation of rain, which could fall at any moment through the theater’s skylight and soak the standing audience and actors alike.
The second half is a full-blown feature. Big sets for a big battle. Swordfights and campfires and galloping horses. That part’s fun to look at, and when Olivier crouches down with some soldiers and trades lines, he wears his emotions with enough clarity that, catching only the broad strokes of what he’s saying, we can still follow what’s happening. Seems like something he might have perfected on the stage. Not just getting a vibe for the performance by doing it night after night, but having to emote so’s the people five and ten rows back have an idea of what you’re up to.
The movie is a delight but for the fact that, watching it as somebody five years removed from his English degree, I don’t think I’ve encountered a movie on the List just yet that so starkly presented me with one of my limitations. I haven’t read as much Shakepseare as I ought to’ve read. Whenever I sit down to rectify this, I fail. I don’t understand every line, I get flustered, start feeling insecure — I end up slapping the book down.
That’s my own fault, though. I had the same problem with Pynchon for a long time. I’d read a couple pages, not understand what was going on, find myself totally disoriented by the style and then go home feeling stupid and hating myself. The way it finally worked is I just kept reading. Yeah, it was going over my head, but I kept reading and reading until, at maybe the tenth or fifteenth page, I started to see the rhythm, and I’d catch a joke here and there, and even though I hadn’t understood those first couple pages it would feel, by page 50, like I had. Retroactively.
With Shakespeare I’m sure it’s the case that if I just sprinted through it, didn’t beat myself up over what went over my head, and then went back through it a bit slower I would probably see what was going on. I just need to do something meditative or reaffirming so that I don’t lose heart halfway through.
It does compel me to want to finally understand Shakespeare, dig myself into it, but the confrontation has been uniformly discouraging. |
7 Indoor Plants Poisonous to Cats and Dogs
- Many indoor plants are toxic to dogs and cats.
- Poisonous plants ranked the fourth most common cause of poison-related pet insurance claims.
- Be especially wary of caladium, lilies (toxic to cats), and sago palms.
It’s National Indoor Plant Week and pets may love certain types of household flora, but others can be extremely poisonous to cats and dogs. My cat Bug recently recovered from an accidental poisoning courtesy of an indoor plant last July. One morning we discovered vomit containing the stamen and pistils – flower parts – from the large, yellow Asiatic lilies on the nightstand. We had no idea what time she had eaten them or how many.
A quick Google search revealed the flowers are (of course) extremely poisonous to cats: “Even small ingestions (such as 2-3 petals or leaves) – even the pollen or water from the vase – can result in severe, acute kidney failure,” says the Pet Poison Helpline. After a call to the local vet clinic, Bug was brought in for overnight observation and rehydration to flush out and combat the toxin. She had no adverse reactions – seizures and vomiting are known to occur – and came home 12 hours later, her fur lush and plump from the intensive IV fluids.
Accidental poisonings are extremely common among dogs and cats. Young pets in particular are more prone to taste testing dangerous things, from bits of string to pennies. Ingestion of toxic plants is especially dangerous; the severity of a case hinges on precisely how much a pet has eaten, which can be difficult to determine. In many cases there is no witness to the crime – a common scenario involves dogs getting into the baking cabinet while humans aren’t home. Poisons can act alarmingly fast, especially if consumed in large quantities, making them one of the most unpredictable hazards facing dogs and cats.
Plants poisonous to cats and dogs ranked the fourth most common cause of poison-related pet insurance claims in a recent study. Without the best pet insurance, the cost of pet poisoning treatment can be pricey: $370 on average. (I paid $159.45, with pet insurance reimbursing $61.55 after I met my $100 annual deductible.)
Learn about common pet poisons, especially indoor plants that may be appetizing to pets. If you already have some of the plants listed, you may be able to place them out of paws’ reach. Re-home offenders to a greenhouse, patio or sunroom; find sunny nooks dogs don’t explore, or use a citrus spray to drive away pets.
Houseplants go by many common names in addition to their scientific one. Caladium is also known as Elephant’s Ear, Mother-in-Law Plant, Candidum, Stoplight, and many others. Green, heart-shaped leaves splotched with pinkish-red are the signature feature of this pretty yet poisonous houseplant. Toxic to both dogs and cats, chewing on Caladium causes extreme irritation and swelling of the mouth, tongue and throat as calcium crystals cause soft tissue injury. Excessive drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing may also occur; contact your vet if you notice any of the above symptoms.
2. Mistletoe and Holly
Love-inspiring in humans, bad for dogs and cats, mistletoe is generally mild to moderate but still unpleasant for pets. American varieties of these seasonal plants are less toxic than the European, but keep all kinds out of paws’ reach just in case. Gastrointestinal irritation (diarrhea, vomiting, drooling) and walking “drunk” are classic symptoms of mistletoe poisoning in cats and dogs. Ingesting large amounts can cause deadly hypotension and tachycardia, so see a vet if you can’t determine the amount eaten. The holly plant’s spiny leaves can also cause injury to the mouth, throat and intestines.
Another seasonal houseplant, poinsettias can put a damper on any holiday party by poisoning pets. The crimson Christmas plant’s sap is responsible for sufferers’ symptoms. Despite all the hype, poinsettia poisoning in dogs and cats is only mild, with skin and mouth irritation and gastrointestinal upset common symptoms. If your pet seems especially miserable, call your vet, who can advise some at-home treatments.
The term Dracaena actually refers to an genus of 40 succulents and shrubs. Aliases include the Cornstalk or Corn Plant, Ribbon Plant, Dragon Tree, Money Tree and Lucky Bamboo. A class of compounds called saponins are to blame for Dracaena’s mild to moderate side effects, which include drooling, dilated pupils, walking “drunk,” and gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Asiatic Lily
As I mentioned before, many kinds of lilies are especially toxic to cats. Whether they’re grown inside or placed in a vase, every part of the Asiatic lily is a nephrotoxin, or poison targeting the kidneys. Small amounts ingested without a pet parent’s knowledge can lead to gradual kidney failure over a period of weeks. For the best outcome, Pet Poison Helpline recommends IV fluids be started within 18 hours of your cat ingesting the lily. Vomiting may be induced, with treatment focusing on rehydration and overnight monitoring.
6. Sago Palm
This tropical plant is found growing full-sized outdoors or miniature as a Bonsai variety. All parts of the Sago Palm are toxic to cats and dogs, especially the nuts, which contain cycasin. Liver failure occurs without treatment, along with gastrointestinal symptoms including black, tarry stools. Even with immediate treatment, the survival rate for Sago Palm poisoning in dogs and cats is only 50 percent. For the best odds, visit an emergency veterinary clinic at the first sign of any poisoning.
Commonly kept in vases, especially during spring, daffodils are moderately toxic to pets. Lycorine, an emetic – substance causing vomiting – is present in the sunny blooms, as well as calcium crystals that can irritate the mouth. Excessive drooling, swelling of the mouth, and difficulty breathing are symptoms of daffodil poisoning in dogs and cats. If the bulb or entire plant is consumed, more severe side effects can occur: decreased breathing rate and increased heart rhythm can lead to death if left untreated. Tulip and hyacinth bulbs are also be extremely toxic to pets. |
The holidays are surprisingly stressful for a lot of people—and that’s in a normal year. Holidays + pandemic = a whole new level of stress! Here are some tips for surviving—and thriving—through the holiday season.
Let’s start with why the holiday season isn’t always a time of joy and cheer:
1) Trying to meet everyone’s expectations.
Expectations—from others and yourself—are demands being placed on the moment, with or without your consent. Expectations become standards to live up to, which results in lots of unnecessary pressure.
2) Your self-care goes out the window.
You stay up late, eat unhealthy foods, and run around taking care of a million things all while still juggling your job/family/day-to-day life.
3) Family, finances, and other social dynamics.
Whether it’s too much together time, not enough, or being forced to spend time with people you’d rather not, people make the holidays stressful. And the holidays can be expensive!
4) Reminders of loss and what’s missing.
The holiday season can be a particularly lonely or sad time. The season, with its emphasis on togetherness, gift giving, and celebration, can be a stark reminder of what—or who—is missing.
In addition to all the usual stressors, there are some unique challenges that the pandemic is bringing. For example, social distancing and travel restrictions may mean that holiday traditions go by the wayside, amplifying that sense of loss. Financial strains may also be more apparent.
In the era of Covid, we’re already maxed out, and adding the holiday extras may spell overload for a lot of us. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to get through the next two months relatively unscathed:
1) Get really clear on what’s important to you and why.
What do the holidays mean to you and why do they matter? Connecting with your holiday values is important because they become your compass. When you’re getting stressed out, ask yourself: What really matters to me? Whatever it is, hold on to that and let the extra worry go.
2) Focus on what you can control.
So many people waste time and energy trying to control things they can’t—and not controlling the things they can, like attitude and actions—and the results can be disastrous! Ask yourself: Is this in my circle of control? If it is, do something about it. If not, it’s time to let it go.
Keep in mind that other people’s thoughts and feelings are not in your circle of control. You may be a caring person, but you are not responsible for other people’s reactions. It is 100 percent OK to say no, to set a boundary, or do what is right for you and yours regardless of what others may say. Always come back to what matters to you and what is in your control. Here’s how:
3) Make time for self-care.
Just like your car takes routine maintenance and fuel in order to run, you require self-care. And we don’t necessarily mean the bubble bath Instagram kind. While that can be enjoyable, we mean self-care that keeps you healthy and sane and ensures that you show up as your best. Are you a better you when you’re able to exercise? Meditate? Read? Have a de-cluttered desk? Whatever it is, keep doing it. Sacrificing yourself won’t make this season any easier! If you need better self-care, this mini-course will help.
4) Be a creative problem-solver.
If Covid is interfering with your normal holiday thing like getting together with family, find a creative way to still connect with what’s important. Can you Zoom (yet again)? Send handmade holiday cards? Make your grandmother’s famous cornbread dressing? We’re going to have to be flexible this season and adjust our expectations.
5) Know that it’s OK to feel whatever it is you’re feeling.
Not feeling merry is 100 percent completely OK. There’s a lot of heaviness in the world right now, and it’s OK to feel sad, anxious, or frustrated. Those are natural reactions! Beating yourself up for having certain feelings is only going to make things worse. Instead, practice a little self-compassion by acknowledging the way you feel then saying, “Of course I feel this way! Who wouldn’t in this situation?” That little act of self-kindness can go a long way.
6) Speaking of kindness, do one for someone else.
The holidays are a difficult time for lots of people. If you’re in a position to give to someone else, do it! Even if you can’t give monetarily, find another way to do a kindness. Brightening someone else’s day will pull you out of your head and out of your stress. You’ll both be better off. |
MONTREAL, Que. — Nadine Gauthier wants people to know that the trucking industry is a great place to work, and a pretty fine place for women, too. And in her new role as a spokesperson for the industry – an Ambassadeur de la route, or Highway Ambassador – she has a special platform from which to spread the good word.
The first woman ever to be chosen as an Ambassador (and the third employee with the freight and logistics company Simard to receive the honour) since the QTA created the program 15 years ago, Gauthier is thrilled, especially with the opportunity to share her experiences with young people.
“As the first and only woman Ambassador, I think this offers the industry an incredible window in time. I can talk about really great careers in the industry. Before, I would talk about Simard at (the provincial driver training school) but as an Ambassador, I can talk about the whole industry,” she says.
Gauthier is one of only 37 Ambassadors ever chosen. The current team, picked last September, has six members, all with exemplary records, chosen to promote highway safety and talk with high school students about career possibilities. They will do a three-year stint in and around their day jobs.
Gauthier has already spoken to groups of high school students. She shows up in a semi.
“The students are allowed to go in the truck, see the buttons. They ask questions about transport, the border. ‘How much do drivers earn a year?’ ‘Do they work at night?’ ‘Is it difficult to drive a truck?’ ‘Have you had an accident?’”
Other questions from the mouths of 15-year-olds seeing a trucker up close for the first time include, ‘How do I wash myself?’ ‘How do I take a shower?’ ‘How do you wash your clothes?’ ‘What goes on in a truck stop?’
Gauthier agrees that the girls’ questions can contain unspoken concerns about things like safety, comfort and acceptance. Here, Gauthier has a special perspective on what women can expect.
“I am speaking of things I understand. It is perhaps less intimidating. The girls want to know what the experience is like.”
Gauthier’s first six years in the industry were as a trucker hauling containers around Montreal.
“I loved it,” she says. She left Simard in 2010 for a year-and-a-half to work as a private trucking school instructor, then Simard asked her back to be their head trainer. In 2015 she was promoted to supervisor of training and compliance. Then, last year, Simard nominated her as a candidate for les Ambassadeurs de la route. It’s an old love story, how men fall into the trade – man meets truck, man falls in love with truck – but surely there must be a special siren call for women? When I ask Gauthier how she came to be a trucker, she smiles – she smiles a lot – looks at her hands and dives in.
“I believe it is genetic in our family. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a trucker in Charlevoix. My mother’s two brothers were truckers. My mother had four children and three became truckers. One sister, one brother (and Nadine),” she says.
Her first trip in a truck was when she was 11. Many more followed, but it was years later before she took the wheel. She worked 10 years in the hotel industry in her hometown, Charlevoix, then moved to the big city, Montreal, where she worked six years in industrial security. At the age of 30, she tapped her sister – who team drove with her husband, worked as an instructor and as an evaluator with the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) – to teach her how to drive.
The truck was a Volvo, Gauthier recalls. “I practiced with my sister and got my probationary licence. I took the test at the SAAQ and got my Class 1 on the 29th of September 2004. My sister was a great teacher.”
Early that winter Gauthier went to an open house at Simard. She filled out an application on the spot and, “I passed the road test: manual transmission, semi, backing into a dock. There were no favours,” Gauthier says. Presto! On Dec. 13, she was hauling containers for her daily bread.
Speed ahead six years, and Gauthier takes a break from Simard to teach trucking, but all the while maintaining close contact with Simard, even feeding the company a few drivers. Then, she tells me, “The person in charge of training retired. Simard asked me if I would like to come back and take the position.”
So is trucking a tough place for women? Gauthier thinks not. “I thought that people thought it was fun to have a female driver around. Men had a good image of me because I could do the job. I proved that I was capable of doing my job. The guys protected me a lot. Women have no idea how much the other drivers can take care of you.”
And now she has the perfect platform from which to encourage others. |
For a leader one of the toughest challenges is communicating. Getting right the what and the how, the who and the when and even the where isn’t easy. In certain situations, there is no perfect way. Sometimes it’s not just what is said or how it’s said, but who is saying it that matters the most. Effective communication starts with the speaker, the leader: their credibility and the level of trust the team or organization has in the leader.
Over the years I’ve worked hard at improving the effectiveness of my communication. With patients and families I’m effective most of the time, but there is always room to improve – the approach to communicating needs to be tailored to the individual, as well as the situation and circumstances – and that’s hard to get right every time. Even within one episode of communication, the approach needs to be fluid. This takes emotional intelligence and practice.
Lao Tau has some advice for communicators. Lao Tau said, “He who knows does not speak.” He also said, “Practice doing ‘not doing’.” These two tenets of Daoism need to be front of mind when a leader is communicating. He is telling us to listen – do more listening than speaking.
One can gain many lessons about communicating from Daoism. Daoism encourages one to consider that the whole is real and the divisive is perceptual. A single idea or opinion cannot be good or bad, because that would place judgment, which is a comparative and perceptual approach not a synergistic or uniting one. To throw out an idea would threaten the balance of the whole. Lao Tzu said, “Long and short complement each other.” Meaning you can’t have long unless you have short. In communicating, one would do well to remember that nothing is really new, or better, or old or bad, it simply is, and whatever it is complements and colors the conversation, making it more whole, more real. To do this takes listening.
Nevertheless speaking must be done. It’s what people expect from leaders. My first goal when I speak is to drive common values and principles, to align thinking and actions, and to motivate effort towards a shared vision. In other words: be inspiring. My second goal is to be a sensemaker.
It is the job of the leader to bring order to the whole in order to influence the group to reach their shared vision. This is called sensemaking. A leader must do it well and communicate it well to be a good leader. Lao Tzu said, “What is a wise man’s job, but to make another wise.” A leader’s job is to create wisdom for all. Great communicating requires a humanistic approach, which results in an increase in collective wisdom. |
VIA “iflscience.com” by Janet Fang
A 2.5-million-year-old toolmaking technique may have influenced the evolution of human language and how we teach. The heavy reliance on stone tools by some of our oldest ancestors may have generated evolutionary pressure to develop more advanced ways of transmitting knowledge—such as a primitive proto-language. The findings, published in Nature Communications this week, suggests how Early Stone Age slaughtering tools co-evolved with our ability to communicate.
The oldest-known cutting devices, called Oldowan stone tools, were made by striking a single rock core with a hammerstone to produce several sharp flakes for slicing apart a zebra, for example. This systematic process, called knapping, required maintenance and repair, implying both learning and practice. It was used by Homo habilis and the even older Australopithecus garhi.
Oldowan technology persisted largely unchanged for more than 700,000 years, and this long, drawn-out period of stasis seems inconsistent with the presence of language. After all, “you learn so much faster when someone is telling you what to do,” says Thomas Morgan from the University of California, Berkeley. “Our findings suggest that stone tools weren’t just a product of human evolution, but actually drove it as well, creating the evolutionary advantage necessary for the development of modern human communication and teaching.” This may have started to occur some 1.8 million years ago, preceding the advent of the more advanced Acheulean stone tool technology—hand axes and cleavers—around 1.7 million years ago.
Morgan and an international team led by University of Liverpool and University of St. Andrews researchers, conducted an experiment to assess how useful five types of social learning were for creating Oldowan-type tools: reverse engineering, imitation and emulation, basic (non-verbal) teaching, teaching with gestures, and verbal teaching. They recruited 184 college students to produce 6,000 flint pieces. To measure the differing rates of transmission, the volunteers were divided into “learning chains” of up to 10 people. The head of the chain was given a demonstration, raw materials, and five minutes to try their hand at knapping. Then that person showed it to the next person, and so on. The tools were weighed, measured, and judged for quality.
Demonstrations using spoken communication yielded the highest volume and quality of flakes in the least amount of time, with the smallest amount of waste. “If someone is trying to learn a skill that has lots of subtlety to it, it helps to engage with a teacher and have them correct you,” Morgan says in a news release.
Observation alone was a poor way to learn the skill, and selection started favoring teaching and ultimately language. “To sustain Acheulean technology, there must have been some kind of teaching, and maybe even a kind of language, going on, even just a simple proto-language using sounds or gestures for ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ or ‘here’ or ‘there,’” Morgan adds. “At some point they reached a threshold level of communication that allowed Acheulean hand axes to start being taught and spread around successfully and that almost certainly involved some sort of teaching and proto-type language.” |
Embroiled inside the most active period of the year for tropical storms and hurricanes within the northern hemisphere region of the Americas, mid-August to October is typically a risky period in particularly in the southern region of the United States. So far this 2012 season, United States communities have been largely spared from the potential effects of a major ocean-derived storm system. With effective information transfer a key to protecting lives when disaster strikes, mobile communications a breakthrough method for sending important messages to people in danger.
Launched at the beginning of August, the American Red Cross Hurricane App for Apple devices or Android devices provides comprehensive information on hurricanes and tropical storms. A multi-purpose preparedness kit in electronic form, the free official American Red Cross Hurricane App is equipped for escaping and/or surviving an incoming disturbance.
A well-loaded program bundle, the American Red Cross Hurricane App offers a full range of tools useful before, during and after a major storm. Allowing users to monitor weather in areas using the reliable information gathering of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) The American Red Cross Hurricane App can be programmed to relay an alert if you or a loved-one is in a location where a weather system is expected to hit.
While being a warning tool, the American Red Cross Hurricane App is also meant to teach the public on hurricanes as well as emergency planning when placed within an affected area. The app provides historical information on hurricane and tropical storm systems that have impacted an area. Through interactive trivia quizzes, users can also earn badge rewards that can be shown off to friends on-line. Other useful responses on within the American Red Cross Hurricane App includes emergency preparedness information and details to best ready against a storm. Locations of open American Red Cross storm shelters and checklists assure educated efforts for survival through the Hurricane App.
Other features involved in the American Red Cross Hurricane App includes a flashlight, strobe light and an audible alarm to improve the user's detection. One of the simplest yet most reassuring items on the American Red Cross Hurricane App is the one-touch "I'm Safe" messaging alert feature instantly notifying family and friends that you're safe through a variety of means such as email, text or social networks Facebook and Twitter.
While a newly released application for smartphones and tablets, the Google Play marketplace has understandably seen a profound spike in downloads of the American Red Cross Hurricane App in the past week as the tropical storm system Isaac motions towards Florida. With reviews widely positive of the Hurricane App, the lives that can be lived with the extra information of this program would be more valuable than any amount of stars. |
May is Mental Health Month
The sponsor of Mental Health Month, Mental Health America, uses the event to reach millions of Americansthrough the media, local events and screenings. The theme for this year’s event is Mind Your Health. The organization hopes to accomplish three major goals this year: to build public awareness about the importance of mental health to overall health and well-being; foster understanding of the mind-body interaction; and provide hints and tips for protection of behavioral mental health and to promote overall health.
Older Americans Month
In 1963, a meeting between President John F. Kennedy and the National Council of Senior Citizens resulted in the declaration that May 1963 would be Senior Citizen Month. The intent of the holiday was to encourage everyone across the United States to pay tribute to senior citizens. President Jimmy Carter changed the name to Older Americans Month.
This year’s theme, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is “Safe Today. Healthy Tomorrow.” Unintentional injuries in people aged 65 and older cause 48,500 deaths each year; falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in senior citizens. Older people face greater risk for traumatic brain injury and other types of injuries from house fires, abuse, maltreatment and suicide.
Older Americans Mental Health Week
Older Americans Mental Health Week is an opportunity to spread awareness that mental illness is not a normal part of growing old. Raising public awareness about this issue reduces the stigma that often prevents older Americans from seeking help for a mental health issue.
According to the website for Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, there are several congressional events scheduled to mark May Mental Health Awareness month. Of most significance to older Americans is Military/Veteran Mental Health Awareness Day. On May 21, 2014, the Military Mental Health Caucus will host a briefing about the ongoing mental health crisis in the military. The organization will also discuss current efforts to address this crisis.
May is the perfect month to discuss geriatric mental health and behavioral mental health with the people you love. Encourage older individuals to seek help for mental health issues during the month of May. Psychotherapy, psychiatry and other forms of geriatric mental health care can greatly benefit older Americans. |
Greenhouse producers of all sizes will benefit from the high thermal efficiency of a condensing boiler while maximizing growing space. Condensing boilers increase heating efficiency by reducing energy costs and saving growing space in the process. 99% thermal efficiency compared to 80% of firebox boiler
The boiler water temperature on large systems is usually maintained at 180 to 200 degrees F. during the coldest part of the year. A tempering valve installed in the supply line mixes the hot water and the returning cool water from the root zone piping to provide the 100 degrees F. water for the system.
coal fired hot water boiler for greenhouse Biomass . coal fired hot water boiler for greenhouse. 2019-3-30 · A fossil fuel power station is a thermal power station which burns a fossil fuel such as coal, natural gas, or petroleum to produce electricity.Central station fossil fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation.
2020-1-19 · Coal hot water boiler has LSG, DZL, DZH, SZL model in different capacity to apply for customers' projects. Coal-fired boilers have lower operating costs – nearly 50% lower than gas/oil fired boiler. Our coal-fired boilers have the advantages of sufficient output, high thermal efficiency and wide coal adaptability without compromising safety and reliability.
Selecting the perfect boiler. Three key factors you should consider when purchasing a boiler. Biomass boilers are steam or hot water generators that use biggest advance in applying biomass boilers to growing greenhouses is the implementation of large heat sinks and big water tanks. A greenhouse needs energy when the sun goes down and
Greenhouse Heating by Hot Water. He had a 4-inch pipe rising from the boiler to the height of the greenhouse ridge, then branched off with a 3-inch and suspended the 3-inch about a foot from the ridge to the farther end. The house was used for soft-wooded pot plants, and was 20x100.
2020-1-24 · The temperature and flow of the heated water throughout the greenhouse can be accurately controlled with automated pump- and valve systems. In some cases, heating the greenhouse is done by installing air heaters in the growing areas of the greenhouse. These hot air heaters run on either natural gas, petroleum and diesel. |
The overarching aim of my research is to better understand the global material cycles in our planet, especially how the recycling of volatiles such as carbon and hydrogen from the surface to the deep Earth are related to the fluxes of oceanic and continental crust through time. I combine petrographic, geochemical and spectroscopic work utilizing various analytical capabilities (including TEM, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, TIMS, gas mass spectrometry and Raman and infra-red spectroscopy), to study the trapped minerals and fluids in diamonds and the compositions of basaltic magmas that cover the spectrum of mantle compositional “flavors”, as monitors of deep Earth processes. My long-term intent is to remedy the full spectrum of deep mantle carbon- and water-rich (C-O-H) fluids, provide first-order understanding on the role of such fluids in transporting volatiles and incompatible elements between mantle (and crustal) reservoirs, and link tectonic events in the (shallow) continental crust and chemical events involving C-O-H fluids in the deep mantle.
Diamonds through time - a new approach to unraveling Earth history; major and trace elements and Nd, Sr, Pb and He isotopes of ‘fluid-rich’ microinclusions-bearing diamonds globally.
The different sources contributing to mantle-derived melts in OIB and their linkages to mantle metasomatism; compositional variations of olivine phenocrysts and their host basalts from different extreme mantle end-members.
The spectrum of mantle components incorporated in mantle melting under the Levant margin (Israel and Jordan), as a response to different tectonomagmatic phases that shaped the northwestern Arabian plate. |
Kids Yoga and Mindfulness Breathing exercises are two amazing ways to help kids start to learn more about their bodies and their emotions.
And when kids are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or unable to focus, yoga poses with mindfulness breathing are an excellent tool to help them manage those emotions.
Kids that learn yoga poses are learning how to move their bodies in new ways. Yoga poses for kids can help them pay attention to how their body is placed and how it can move.
This awareness and attention can help them learn to recognize their feelings and emotions, too.
Mindfulness breathing exercises, on their own, are great tools for kids to regulate their emotions, like learn how to calm down when they are angry or frustrated.
If you combine the yoga poses with breathing exercises, you can really make a difference!
Here are three main things to do when you are teaching kids deep breathing exercises with yoga poses.
Talk about the importance of breath on keeping our body healthy:
Start by talking about how breathing keeps us alive and healthy. Many kids are fascinated by how the body works. They will be curious and maybe even ask more questions when you start to tell them how breathing helps our bodies.
Oxygen in the air helps our body function. We need oxygen to help our brains learn and to help our bodies grow. Oxygen travels through the whole body and helps our cells work.
We need to breathe in fresh air to help our brain stay focused and awake! And when we take in a nice deep breath it helps our muscles relax a little bit, even the muscle of our brain.
Sit up tall and use your strong body to help allow more space for a deep breath with lots of oxygen. Your breath travels in through your nose, past your larynx and through your trachea, all the way into your lungs. Your diaphragm is a muscle underneath your ribcage that helps your lungs expand and contract. Once the oxygen reaches your lungs, it makes its way into your bloodstream so it can travel all over your body to keep you healthy.
Name that you can take a deep breath when you feel mad, frustrated, angry:
Deep breathing is more than just healthy for our bodies, it can help our brains and hearts as well, especially if we are feeling really big feelings.
Taking a deep breath can help settle your body so you don’t have a big reaction. When you focus on your breathing, you let your mind think about something other than the reason why you got mad.
That gives your brain some space to relax and have some time to think about a solution to the problem. Instead of reacting with your body by hitting or stomping or yelling, you start to react with deep breaths. Then your brain can start to catch up to your feelings and give you other, safer ways to react to the problem.
Finally, add in breath with yoga poses!
Practicing yoga poses with deep breathing is a good way to get even more breathing practice, and help train your body to breathe deeply when you encounter something difficult. Some yoga poses are really tricky. But when you teach your body to take deep breaths while trying them, you are training your brain to pause when something difficult comes up.
Using a Yoga Flow sequence is a great way to do one pose per deep breath and help our heart rate get elevated (good for our heart health). You try one pose per breath, which means you move rather quickly through the yoga.
That can be tricky, but it gets your body moving and focused on the breath and movement, which helps you let go of other tricky feelings or thoughts.
Slower breathing with each pose helps stretch and strengthen your muscles! The longer you hold the pose, the deeper you can go in the pose, and the more you will feel the benefits of each pose. Your brain will thank you for being a little more still and relaxed as well.
Here are the best kids’ yoga poses to do with mindful breathing:
Sit on your heels with your hands on your knees. Notice your spine and sit up nice and tall. Take a deep breath in through your nose, then stick out your tongue and “roar” like a lion. Do this several times.
Lay on your tummy with your hands underneath your shoulders and your legs together. Take a deep breath in through your nose, then press your hands into the ground, arching your back up and looking straight ahead while breathing out a long HISSSSSSSSS. Wiggle back and forth in between breaths!
Kneel on your hands and knees with your back flat. Inhale and look up at the sky, arching your back and breathing in deeply with your belly. Exhale and press your back towards the sky, pulling your tummy in and tucking your head. Option to seal your lips and “moo” with a humming sound that you will feel in your throat.
Stand with feet wide apart and toes pointed out slightly. Inhale and reach your arms up and out, to make a star shape. Exhale and bend your knees and arms, moving into Goddess Pose. Go back and forth several times, taking a deeper breath each time.
Warrior 1 or 2
Choose to hold either pose and breathe deeply for 3-5 breaths. Bend your knee a little more with each breath and lengthen your spine a little longer. Stretch your arms away from your body and feel your strength!
Stand tall and strong. Notice your body sway gently with each breath in and out, lengthening your spine to give your lungs even more space with each breath.
Lay flat on your back with your legs separated a little and your arms at your sides or on your tummy. Notice how your tummy rises and falls gently with each breath you take. Let your body relax into the floor and your brain relax into the breathing.
I hope you find the breathing exercises and yoga poses for kids useful! I know kids need a little more time to slow down and notice their own bodies and breathing. It can help all of us be aware, be mindful, and be a little more focused.
Keep Calm and Do More Yoga! |
The only thing more painful than a bee’s sting is if bees were to go extinct.
International debaters have concluded that the most important creatures in the world are bees. Recent studies has shown that bee population in the world has started to decrease and might be on the road to extinction. But why are bees the most important creature in the world?
Thanks to their work, animals and humans have food. 70% of agriculture throughout the world depends on these insects. To put it clearly, less bees means less plants and thus, less food.
In addition to their significant contribution in the field of agriculture, their honey also helps in the field of medicine as it is beneficial to our health and skin.
The disappearance of bees can be attributed to the fast-paced evolution of technology. The combination of waves emitted by mobile phones and continuous use of harmful pesticides to crops makes these insects vulnerable.
Since the main source of food of bees are plants, people working in agriculture must cease using harmful and toxic pesticides and start following organic practices as an alternative. Using natural pesticides will still scare insects away but at the very least it may not kill them.
We can help solve the problem and it needs to start now. It may be hard to veer away from traditions and practices that we are used to do, but it is harder if a major propagator of food disappears forever. |
We have been in full swing production mode for almost two years with our Wild Fruit Serum – Brightening Facial Complex so you can imagine how excited we are to announce it this week. Everything from choosing the ingredients to coming up with the perfect label design to making sure it smells good (that was our favorite part!)
We’re using some new ingredients that we’ve never had in our products before and we wanted to tell you a bit about them because we think they are top-notch ingredients!
We have a fun time with this one because saying it makes us giggle. The kakadu plum (said like cockadoo), or Terminalia ferdinandiana (way less fun, we know), is a flowering tree native to Australia. It grows like a weed in the subtropical woodlands and is total bushwacker food – eat it right off the vine!
It has a grey, flaky bark and big pale green leaves with small white flowers that form on spikes toward the ends of the branches. The plums are small, almond shaped and yellow when they’re ripe. They are pretty sour, but they grow sweeter as they ripen.
Kakadu plums are usually eaten raw, but because they’re so common where they grow, the locals found ways to use them in everything from jam to juice to medicine.
Out of this world vitamin C – Okay, maybe not out of this world, but definitely the highest vitamin C content ever recorded. The kakadu plum is 3.5-5.5% vitamin C, compare that with orange or grapefruit that come in around .5% at their highest, we’re super impressed. We’ve written at length about how Vitamin C is a wonder-ingredient for your skin before and we’re really excited to be able to use this ingredient!
The antioxidant game is on point – The research is preliminary but with antioxidants like gallic acid, ellagic acid, chlorophyll, lutein, and vitamin E, it is super promising. Antioxidants like these compete with the environmental pollutants that cause oxidative stress, a major source of aging.
Everyone wants to soothe dry skin, right? Because kakadu plum soothes the feeling of dry and temporarily uncomfortable skin too! While this isn’t the only thing that gives this fruit the ability to reduce the appearance of occasional redness, an important constituent to mention here is the glucoside quercetin, which is well-known for its soothing properties and absorbability. This is helpful for taming temporary redness and helping protect from environmental stressors.
Oh yeah, the mineral content – Kakadu plum is high in magnesium, zinc, copper, calcium, potassium and a whole slew of other essential minerals that keep your body healthy and your skin radiant.
Another one of our new ingredients is the apple extract! It’s not exactly a wild fruit, but it’s being used in a big way in the skin care world and there are tons of reasons why.
They help protect – In other words, aging. Not only are apples rich in nutrients like vitamins A and E, they also have a high concentration of flavonoids that are commonly used for their anti-aging effects. In fact, according to a 2004 study, apples contain a variety of phytochemicals, including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin, and chlorogenic acid, all of which act as powerful antioxidants.
Exfoliate naturally – Apples contain natural alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) that help to gently exfoliate your skin. Called “fruit acids,” these ingredients help naturally exfoliate when cleansing. Your skin will glow, appearing brighter and smoother.
Minimizes the appearance of large pores – The apple helps to minimize the appearance of large pores.
Balances vital oils – the AHAs and natural tightening properties are great for helping to balance the oils in the skin, which is absolutely lovely for those of us that suffer from clogged pores.
Do a google search for Japanese knotweed and you’ll find words like “killing,” “invasive,” “dreaded,” “nightmare,”—the list goes on.
This is one of those plants that can take over a garden and become a scourge for homeowners. An Asian native, Fallopia japonica, is listed by the World Conservation Union as one of the world’s most invasive species. The root system is so strong that it can damage roads, retaining walls, and concrete foundations as the plant forms thick, dense colonies that crowd out other plants. It has hollow stems, oval leaves, and small cream or white flowers.
Lucky for us, we’re not concerned about how it looks or grows. We’re actually glad that it grows in such abundance because this plant may actually be really good for you—both internally and externally. You can eat the young shoots, which are said to taste like rhubarb raw or cooked (though most people cook them and some say they are great in pie) and the stems can also be sliced and steamed or simmered in soups.
The roots (rhizomes) have also been used in traditional medicine to treat many different ailments. Because of its healthy components, the plant is also being embraced by alternative health practitioners today.
Here’s how this invasive weed can make your skin much more beautiful!
Helps give skin an ageless appearance – Knotweed is a great source of resveratrol. You may have heard of this ingredient in relation to red wine and grape juice but knotweed is known to be an even more potent source of resveratrol! One of resveratrol’s known benefits is that it visibly plumps the look of skin. It helps to fight off the effects of gravity and prolongs a more youthful appearance.
Natural skin protector – Resveratrol’s high antioxidant activity will naturally protect your skin from environmental stressors.
Improves the appearance of skin tone – Resveratrol, the apparent miracle ingredient, will not only re-energize the look of your skin, but it will also clarify and balance your skin’s tone, leaving it luminous and glowing.
Alleviates temporary redness or discomfort – Knotweed soothes the feeling of temporary flare ups and can lessen the appearance of occasional redness. |
COMPUTERIZED BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSISOFHUMAN PFRFORMANCF
FIGURE 3. Velocity Curves
COMPUTERIZED BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE
University of Massachusetts
A kinetic analysis of human motion, one of the greatest advances in the field of biomechanics, has been expanded by the computer-digitizer complex which allows analysis of total body motion through utilization of slow motion cinematography, special tracing equipment to convert the data, and the highspeed computer. Appropriate programming results in a segmental breakdown of information of the whole motion including the total body center of gravity, segment velocities and accelerations, horizontal, vertical, and resultant forces, moments of force, and the timing between the body segments. This analysis provides a quantitative measure of the motion and allows for perfection and optimization of human performance applications of biomechanical analyses permit an objective, quantitative assessment of performance replacing the uncertainty of trial and error, eliminating the element of doubt, and provides a realistic opportunity for improved performance.
As early as the fifteenth century Leonardo Da Vinci wrote:
Mechanical science is the noblest and above all others the most useful, seeing that by means of it, all animated bodies which have movement perform all their actions.
Since that time, biomechanics of human motion developed; however, the kinematic and kinetic analyses of the human body lacked specific force analysis. It was only after the combining of high speed photography, anatomical data, and the utilization of man as an integral part of a system, that total motion analysis of human performance was realized. The computer-digitizer complex has reduced the long tedious hours of tracing and hand calculations to a matter of minutes and, thus, complex whole body motion analysis can be practically obtained. This analysis provides a quantitative measure of the motion and allows for perfection and optimization of human performance in industry, sport, and human factors in man-product interactions, as well as,
contributing to equipment design and for the establishment of criteria for standards and safety factors.
The purpose of the present paper is to introduce a quantitative method for analyzing human motion and to discuss some of its applications.
The laws of physics apply to any system in motion regardless of whether the system is a human or machine. The human body may be likened to a machine made up of mechanical members: the joints serve as fulcrums and the contracting skeletal muscles exert forces on the segments. The segments of the human body form a link system consisting of segments such as the foot, shank, thigh, trunk, shoulders, upper-arm, forearm, and hand.
The kinetic analysis involves the following steps:
- Obtaining cinematographic data.
- Digitizing the data.
- Measuring and utilizing anatomical data.
- Utilization of the computer program for kinetic analysis and quantifying human performance.
- Interpretation of the results.
Obtaining Cinematographic Data
Slow motion cinematography is used to record any desired motion. This technique permits an undetected recording of an individual performance under actual conditions. Most human motions in sport or in industry require camera speeds between 64 and 200 frames per second with 1/4 open shutter to prevent fast-moving segments from becoming mere blurs. Additional information concerning the camera is available in the American Cinematographer Manual (1).
Digitizing the Data
The second step in assessing the data involves a composite tracing of the joint centers of the body. The film is projected on a screen by a Super Sports Analyst Projector (L-W Photo Inc., Model 800) which facilitates location of the joint center for each segment. The model GP-2 Graf-Pen Digitizer (Figure 1) permits precise determination of the coordinates of the joint centers. These X and Y coordinates are stored and then changed into numerical data by a computer program (2).
Calculation of forces and moments of force require knowledge of the mss of each segment as well as its center of gravity. These parameters are available in a publication by the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory (3) with additional anatomical data listed in a monograph by Krogman and Johnson (4). Tables of body segments percentages of total body weight, specific gravity,
as well as, segments lengths as percentages of total height tables may be used when data is not available on the performer. However, there are various methods for calculation of the weight, volume, and the center of mass of segments of the human body when the subject is available (5). In order to calculate the forces it is necessary to know the Radii of Gyration which may be calculated from Dempster's data on moments of inertia (6).
Location of the joint centers enables measurement of the segment lengths and angles, while calculation of the segment mass, centers of gravity, and radii of gyration is acquired from the anatomical data. Knowledge of the film speed and the displacement of the joint centers enables calculation of
velocities of the body segments and from the velocities it is then possible to calculate segment accelerations. Segment masses are utilized in the calculation of forces and moments of force. Appropriate programing (7) results in a segmental breakdown of information of the whole motion, including the total body center of gravity; segment velocities and accelerations; horizontal, vertical, and resultant forces; angle of the resultant force application; moments of force, which indicates the magnitude of the muscle action at each joint; the vertical and horizontal forces at the ground contact points; the timing or coordination of motion between the body segments; and the differences due to body builds. This combination of the moments of force, the interrelated patterns of the body segments, and the task performed provides a quantitative measure of the motion and allows for perfection or optimization of the activity.
A kinetic analysis of a world-record javelin throw by Lusis illustrates the present technique. Figure 2 shows the cinematographical data obtained from the film at a speed of 64 frames per second. The joint centers, which are marked by points, were traced by the digitizer to obtain the relative position of each joint center at each position. This data when processed yielded the velocity and acceleration curves which are presented in Figures 3 and 4. The relationship between maximum velocities and accelerations are important in performance technique and gait analysis.
FIGURE l. Schematic representation of Grof-Pen operation.
FIGURE 2. Composite tracing of the Jove/in Throw
From the present figures one may observe that in the best throws of an implement, such as the javelin, the velocity of the last segment was at its maximum just prior to the release rather than at the instant of release. This maximum velocity was achieved by rapid deceleration of other segments prior to release (Figure 4). A good thrower requires a properly timed link system with respect to the coordination of accelerations and deceleration of all body segments in a sequence of action from the fixed point to the last segment. A proper timing of body extremities aids in various human activities by altering vertical and horizontal forces. For example, in the case of a vertical jump, attaining maximum deceleration of the arms just before the take-off will aid the knee extensors in executing the jump. Thus, the timing of the deceleration of one body part may aid the movement of other body segment.
FIGURE 4. Acceleration Curves
The moments indicate the dominant muscle forces and the effect of one segment on the adjoining segment (Figure 5). If muscle action is moving a segment in the clockwise direction, it will be attempting to move the adjoining segment in the counterclockwise direction; thus, in any human performance, one segment may affect the adjoining in a manner that is undetectable by the human eye. At times, the moments of one segment are so large that they will be the dominating muscle force at the next segment, producing a dominant muscle action at this adjoining segment just opposite to that which might be expected. For example, in a deep knee bend, the direction of the moment depends upon the angles of the body segments and the dynamic forces. With a relatively straight trunk, the dominant muscle action at the knee are caused by the extensors. However, if the trunk is bent forward slightly, the knee flexors become the dominant muscles at that joint. These results demonstrate how the dominant force at one segment, the hip extensors, affects the muscle action at the adjoining segment, knee flexors or extensors. However, this muscle action could not have been determined by visual inspection and illustrates the strength of this analytic technique.
After obtaining the forces and the moments of force for each instantaneous position, it is possible to calculate the contribution of each segment
to the total motion. When the segment velocities and accelerations are zeroed in successive order, the contribution of each body part to the whole movement can be ascertained. Figure 6 illustrates percent contributions of different body segments to the moments of a javelin throw. Note that in the release, the shoulders and the front thigh are main contributors. This analysis may aid in interpretation of human motion and allows evaluation of each segment and its contribution to the performance.
Consideration of the location of the center of gravity and its horizontal and vertical displacement suggests patterns of forces and aids in explanations of gait or in athletic performances. The present program yields the' precise location of the center of gravity of the body at each position for the entire performance. A comparison of center-of-gravity displacement between two shotput throws by the same athlete (Randy Matson, world record holder), serves as an example (Figure 7).
In the better throw (70 feet), the horizontal and vertical displacement of the center of gravity was uniformly continued through the release. If the horizontal displacement of the center of gravity stopped at any instant prior to the release, the throw was less successful as is evident in the pattern of the 65-foot throw. The horizontal displacement of the center of gravity usually stopped when the thrower lost contact with the ground with both feet. The contact with the ground during the entire throw enables the thrower to continue to displace his center of gravity horizontally.
Each human movement may involve different link systems depending on the desired pattern. When more than one link system is used in the same motion, a primary link system is selected and then the forces due to the body segments outside of the selected primary chain are applied as external forces. For example, in a deep knee bend, one link system might be sufficient while 5 link systems would be necessary for calculation of all the kinetic forces in the golf swing.
Shank and Should...
A kinetic analysis of a whole body motion may be applied in any field where human performance is needed so that the possibilities of application of this analysis are far reaching. Its potential in the areas of therapeutics, industry, athletics, and/or other fields are unlimited. The following applications provide examples of whole body motion analysis.
Currently, research is underway in perfecting golf and ski equipment, as well as, athletic shoes. For example, shoes should be designed relative to performance and playing surfaces. In order to accomplish this, the total body motion analysis yields the magnitude and direction of forces on the shoe for each activity, in addition to the total body center of gravity corresponding to the force data. The resultant information can be incorporated by the manufactures into scientifically-designed products. To date, shoe efficiency in normal life and athletics has been the domain of the designer and engineer. The designer considered only the esthetic qualities of the shoe, while the engineer was concerned with physical components such as the slip equation, strength of the material, and durability. However, it is contended that slipping, durability, shock absorption, etc. cannot be thoroughly researched without taking into account "the man in the shoe." in fact, the
issue of shoe efficiency and performances are inextricably tied to the biomechanics and the variability of different human activities, such that optimal rather than maximum friction and absorption levels should be considered. These complex considerations can be obtained with the present technique.
Synthetic Playing Surfaces
Conventional methods of characterizing the properties of polymere compounds used in artificial playing surfaces are inappropriate. For example, the durometer hardness (stiffness measurement) may bear no relation to the stiffness of the material under dynamic impact. The present method overcomes this weakness and provides a test system which will allow measurement of properties of compounds under dynamic conditions. Data such as dynamic stiffness, hysteresis or damping efficiency, and usable deformation can be assessed by obtaining forces due to human performance. Optimization of shock absorption, surface stiffness, the recovery rate of the material, and energy absorption are essential information for optimization of human performance and development of synthetic playing surfaces.
Prosthesis and Disability Research
Development of a prosthesis that would duplicate the function of the normal limb in support and locomotion requires forces, vectors, velocities, accelerations, and moments of force. Information concerning the forces involved, as well as, the contribution of each body segment to the desired motion, can contribute to prosthetic-device development based on objective evidence and eliminate the archaic "trial and error" method. Whole body analysis is the only realistic method for obtaining information for utilization in the design of artificial devices.
The potential of analyzing human motion for standardizing percent disabilities is of tremendous interest to those people in the Veterans Administration and insurance companies involved with disability and rehabilitation programs.
To date we know very little about the sequence in which skills are learned if indeed there is a common sequence. In order to understand this problem, it is essential to determine how much force is being applied and at what point in the movement sequence maximum force occurs for optimum results in activities, such as take-offs for jumping, pole vaulting, hurdles, etc.
Many activities in athletics have been condemned by medical authorities as being potentially harmful. For example, the American Medical Association has condemned deep knee bends as being theoretically harmful to the posterior and anterior cruciate ligaments; however, no research supported this statement. A biomechanical analysis to determine these forces during this activity, under dynamic conditions, may shed light on the credibility of this posture.
Inquiry and research continue to unfold new avenues of potential application for biomechanical analysis of human performance. The use of the analysis as a sound, scientific aid in the improvement of performance helps to remove the element of doubt and the uncertainty of trial and error is replaced by accurate, scientific data -- a welcome change by all who seek perfection. |
UAlbany researchers recently studied the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Asian Indian immigrants in the United States, finding a high prevalence within the population. In addition, their study found that Asian Indian immigrants had similar participation in health behaviors when compared to their counterparts who did not have MetS. The full publication can be found in the January/February Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) – composed of factors such as obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and unhealthy levels of fat in the bloodstream – can accelerate the development and progression of cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes, two diseases that can significantly impact overall health and wellbeing. Previous studies have shown that Asian Indians have a high prevalence of MetS when compared to other ethnic groups, making this an important syndrome to research among the immigrant population in the U.S.
The research team retrieved data from a cross-sectional population study conducted by trained interviewers between 2004 and 2006. This study, which included 1,037 Asian Indian adult participants from various locations across the United States, collected health status, health behaviors, medical and family history of disease, and use of preventative health services from each participant. MetS prevalence was estimated from this population using three different sets of criteria within the field – the consensus criteria, International Diabetes Federation criteria, and modified criteria.
The study found that out of the 1,037 Asian Indian participants, 40.3 percent met the consensus criteria for MetS, 34.8 percent met the International Diabetes Federation criteria, and 52.5 percent met the modified criteria, meaning this ethnic group within the U.S. immigrant population faces a heavy burden of MetS. The disproportionate burden of MetS can be seen through observed aspects of the participants’ health; 62.5 percent of Asian Indian participants had elevated glucose levels after fasting, which was about twice as high as that had been reported for Mexican Americans, Whites, and African Americans.
When examining health behaviors, the research team found that Asian Indians with MetS had comparable health behaviors to those who did not have MetS. This further stresses the MetS risk of the Asian Indian population, as genes play a significant role in health, despite health behavior choice.
Since those with MetS did not have increased engagement in health promotion behaviors, it is worthwhile to examine methods to increase healthy behaviors for this population that may help to reduce MetS prevalence. The authors also recommend the implementation of ethnicity-specific MetS criteria as a diagnostic tool in this population. Such diagnostic criteria changes have the potential to correctly identify those at risk and provide advance opportunities for treatment for Asian Indian immigrants. |
Coconut oil has shown to have a lot of benefits and is very versatile. It also acts as an anti-fungal and can be easily incorporated in the diet. You can replace your regular cooking oil with coconut oil or even take it as a supplement. It is very healthy and when you are choosing an anti-fungal, it can be your first choice. Coconut oil has 3 different types of fatty acids – caprylic acid, capric acid and lauric acid which are all effective against candida yeast.
Why Coconut Oil for Yeast Infections Is Effective?
Work as Natural Antifungal
Caprylic acid present in coconut oil, when comes in contact with yeast colonies, kills them. It is responsible for stopping the growth and replication of the yeast. The membrane of the yeast cells which are responsible for vaginal infection, thrush and jock itch, is broken down by caprylic acid. Most of the treatments prescribed by doctors for yeast are caprylic acid based.
Reduce the Food Access
The fungus feeds on sugars and this sugar can be substituted by coconut oil. It is a good sugar substitute because it is a natural sweetener and also provides energy needed, so requirement of carbs is cut down therefore cut down the food source for bad yeast and fungus.
Boost Immune System
Immunity is improved by the presence of caprylic acid and lauric acid both of which are also present in mother’s milk. The immunity of the body is also improved because vitamins and minerals are better absorbed in the body in presence of coconut oil.
Work as Barrier
Coconut oil has an ability to form a protective layer, which is non-irritating and also not as messy as white creams. When applied, it acts as a barrier which protects the sensitive and irritated skin that has already been damaged by yeast over growth.
Will There Be Die-Off When Using Coconut Oil for Yeast Infections?
Die-off occurs when the fungal organisms start to die and release toxins in the blood. This may worsen your symptoms, but it actually means that the treatment is working and you are getting better. The intensity of symptoms can vary in people; however, it does not last for more than a few days. Eating light food and drinking plenty of fluids in the initial days are beneficial.
How to Use Coconut Oil for Yeast Infections
Apply Coconut Oil on Skin
Ensure that the yeast-infected area is clean and dried thoroughly. Take a few drops of coconut oil and apply a thin layer on the infected area. Repeat 2 or 3 times in a day, once in the morning and once before going to bed. When done regularly, this will help in healing the infection faster
Add Coconut Oil into Diet
Incorporate around 3 to 5 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil in the diet. You can start off with smaller quantity of oil and then gradually increase.
Regular cooking oil, butter on the toast can be replaced with coconut oil. You can also add coconut oil into oatmeal.
Having a teaspoon of coconut oil prior to meals can help in boosting immunity, preventing diseases in the future and treating existing infections as well.
Coconut oil does not break down into trans fats as it is quite stable, so it can be used to substitute cooking oil and heated at high temperature as well.
Wash with Coconut Oil
Washing or douching with coconut oil regularly or once a day helps in preventing yeast infection. Just mix 2 quarts of warm distilled water with 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut oil and then wash with it.
For vagina yeast infect, you should dip unbleached tampon in coconut oil and leave it in the vagina overnight or for 8 hours.
Take Coconut Capsules
Coconut oil capsules are also available which can be used substitute coconut oil. These should ideally be used at night. They will melt due to body heat and may leak during the night, so underwear and pads are recommended. The ideal dosage is 2-3 capsules every night, which will help in removing the yeast infection completely.
Other Ways of Using Coconut Oil for Yeast Infections
Another way of using coconut oil for yeast infections is by mixing it with cinnamon oil, garlic oil or vitamin E. It heals the infection faster and should be repeated regularly.
Equal quantity of coconut oil mixed with cinnamon oil and applied on infection part helps in controlling growth of yeast infection as well as preventing it.
A few drops of garlic oil and vitamin E should be diluted in coconut oil and applied on skin with yeast infection.
Other Remedies for Yeast Infections
Apple Cider Vinegar
The presence of some distinctive compounds in the vinegar helps control and get rid of yeast infection. 2 tablespoons diluted apple cider vinegar in a cup of warm water should be consumed twice daily. It can also be used in bath water which will relieve irritation and itching. When using vinegar for yeast infection, you should do it about 30 minutes.
Plain, unsweetened yogurt is beneficial as it contains friendly bacteria. Itching can be relieved by applying yogurt for 30 minutes or overnight on the affected area. Besides, yogurt can also be included in the diet. Tampon dipped in yogurt can be left in the vagina for 2 hours twice daily to rid of vagina yeast infection.
Tea Tree Oil
Due to the strong anti-fungal properties, it is an excellent remedy for yeast infections. When diluted with water, olive oil or almond oil, it can be applied on infected area, several times a day. This can also be used for vagina infection. Just put a few drops on a tampon and insert it in vagina for 2-3 hours twice daily. Please note that tea tree oil for yeast infection should not be used by pregnant women.
Olive Leaf Extract
This has antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-oxidant as well as anti-inflammatory properties. It helps in restoring the good bacteria in the body. Take chopped olive oil leaves in a glass jar, cover with vodka and store in dark place for 4 weeks. After straining, use the liquid on affected area around 3 times a day. |
Rose water, commonly Rosa damascene or the Damask rose, is a liquid byproduct of the rose plant. The name derives from the root of the plant in Iran, although it is now heavily grown in India, Turkey, Bulgaria and other parts of Europe. Originally, for its health and beauty benefits (in addition to religious uses), the plant was used by ancient Persians.
The multitude of beneficial side effects have earned the rose the certification of a miracle food in some eyes. Because of the high vitamin, antioxidant and safe sugar properties of the plant, rose water benefits vary from skin hydration to frizzy hair calming. Rose water can also be used as a daily substitute, a safe, go-to treatment for the common cold. |
AKA Daniel Foe
Birthplace: London, England
Location of death: London, England
Cause of death: unspecified
Remains: Buried, Bunhill Fields Cemetery, London, England
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Executive summary: Robinson Crusoe
English author, born in the parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, in the latter part of 1659 or early in 1660, of a nonconformist family. His grandfather, Daniel Foe, lived at Etton, Northamptonshire, apparently in comfortable circumstances, for he is said to have kept a pack of hounds. As to the variation of name, Defoe or Foe, its owner signed either indifferently until late in life, and where his initials occur they are sometimes D.F. and sometimes D.D.F. Three autograph letters of his are extant, all addressed in 1705 to the same person, and signed respectively D. Foe, de Foe and Daniel Defoe. His father, James Foe, was a butcher and a citizen of London.
Daniel was well educated at a famous dissenting academy, Mr. Charles Morton's of Stoke Newington, where many of the best-known nonconformists of the time were his schoolfellows. With few exceptions all the known events of Defoe's life are connected with authorship. In the older catalogues of his works two pamphlets, Speculum Crapegownorum, a satire on the clergy, and A Treatise against the Turks, are attributed to him before the accession of King James II, but there seems to be no publication of his which is certainly genuine before The Character of Dr. Annesley (1697).
He had, however, before this, taken up arms in Monmouth's expedition, and is supposed to have owed his lucky escape from the clutches of the king's troops and the law, to his being a Londoner, and therefore a stranger in the west country. On the 26th of January 1688 he was admitted a liveryman of the city of London, having claimed his freedom by birth. Before his western escapade he had taken up the business of hosiery factor. At the entry of William and Mary into London he is said to have served as a volunteer trooper "gallantly mounted and richly accoutred."
In these days he lived at Tooting, and was instrumental in forming a dissenting congregation there. His business operations at this period appear to have been extensive and various. He seems to have been a sort of commission merchant, especially in Spanish and Portuguese goods, and at some time to have visited Spain on business. In 1692 he failed for £17,000. His misfortunes made him write both feelingly and forcibly on the bankruptcy laws; and although his creditors accepted a composition, he afterwards honorably paid them in full, a fact attested by independent and not very friendly witnesses. Subsequently, he undertook first the secretaryship and then the management and chief ownership of some tile-works at Tilbury, but here also he was unfortunate, and his imprisonment in 1703 brought the works to a standstill, and he lost £3000. From this time forward we hear of no settled business in which he engaged.
The course of Defoe's life was determined about the middle of the reign of William III by his introduction to that monarch and other influential persons. He frequently boasts of his personal intimacy with the "glorious and immortal" king, and in 1695 he was appointed accountant to the commissioners of the glass duty, an office which he held for four years. During this time he produced his Essay on Projects (1698), containing suggestions on banks, road-management, friendly and insurance societies of various kinds, idiot asylums, bankruptcy, academies, military colleges, high schools for women, etc. It displays Defoe's lively and lucid style in full vigor, and abounds with ingenious thoughts and apt illustrations, though it illustrates also the unsystematic character of his mind.
In the same year Defoe wrote the first of a long series of pamphlets on the then burning question of occasional conformity. In this, for the first time, he showed the unlucky independence which, in so many other instances, united all parties against him. While he pointed out to the dissenters the scandalous inconsistency of their playing fast and loose with sacred things, yet he denounced the impropriety of requiring tests at all. In support of the government he published, in 1698, An Argument for a Standing Army, followed in 1700 by a defense of William's war policy called The Two Great Questions considered, and a set of pamphlets on the Partition Treaty. Thus in political matters he had the same fate as in ecclesiastical; for the Whigs were no more prepared than the Tories to support William through thick and thin. He also dealt with the questions of stock-jobbing and of electioneering corruption. But his most remarkable publication at this time was The True-Born Englishman (1701), a satire in rough but extremely vigorous verse on the national objection to William as a foreigner, and on the claim of purity of blood for a nation which Defoe chooses to represent as crossed and dashed with all the strains and races in Europe. He also took a prominent part in the proceedings which followed the Kentish petition, and was the author, some say the presenter, of the Legion Memorial, which asserted in the strongest terms the supremacy of the electors over the elected, and of which even an irate House of Commons did not dare to take much notice. The theory of the indefeasible supremacy of the freeholders of England, whose delegates merely, according to this theory, the Commons were, was one of Defoe's favorite political tenets, and he returned to it in a powerfully written tract entitled The Original Power of the Collective Body of the People of England examined and asserted (1701).
At the same time he was occupied in a controversy on the conformity question with John How (or Howe) on the practice of "occasional conformity." Defoe maintained that the dissenters who attended the services of the English Church on particular occasions to qualify themselves for office were guilty of inconsistency. At the same time he did not argue for the complete abolition of the tests, but desired that they should be so framed as to make it possible for most Protestants conscientiously to subscribe to them. Here again his moderation pleased neither party.
The death of William was a great misfortune to Defoe, and he soon felt the power of his adversaries. After publishing The Mock Mourners, intended to satirize and rebuke the outbreak of Jacobite joy at the king's death, he turned his attention once more to ecclesiastical subjects, and, in an evil hour for himself, wrote the anonymous Shortest Way with the Dissenters (1702), a statement in the most forcible terms of the extreme "high-flying" position, which some high churchmen were unwary enough to endorse, without any suspicion of the writer's ironical intention. The author was soon discovered; and, as he absconded, an advertisement was issued offering a reward for his apprehension, and giving the only personal description we possess of him, "as a middle-sized spare man about forty years old, of a brown complexion and dark brown-colored hair, but wears a wig; a hooked nose, a sharp chin, grey eyes, and a large mole near his mouth." In this conjuncture Defoe had really no friends, for the dissenters were as much alarmed at his book as the high-flyers were irritated. He surrendered, and his defense appears to have been injudiciously conducted; at any rate he was fined 200 marks, and condemned to be pilloried three times, to be imprisoned indefinitely, and to find sureties for his good behavior during seven years. It was in reference to this incident that Alexander Pope, whose Catholic rearing made him detest the abettor of the Revolution and the champion of William of Orange, wrote in the Dunciad, "Earless on high stands unabash'd Defoe" -- though he knew that the sentence to the pillory had long ceased to entail the loss of ears. Defoe's exposure in the pillory (July 29, 30, 31) was, however, rather a triumph than a punishment, for the populace took his side; and his Hymn to the Pillory, which he soon after published, is one of the best of his poetical works. Unluckily for him his condemnation had the indirect effect of destroying his business at Tilbury.
He remained in prison until August 1704, and then owed his release to the intercession of Robert Harley, who represented his case to the queen, and obtained for him not only liberty but pecuniary relief and employment, which, of one kind or another, lasted until the termination of Anne's reign. Defoe was uniformly grateful to the minister, and his language respecting him is in curious variance with that generally used. There is no doubt that Harley, who understood the influence wielded by Defoe, made some conditions. Defoe says he received no pension, but his subsequent fidelity was at all events indirectly rewarded; moreover, Harley's moderation in a time of the extremest party-insanity was no little recommendation to Defoe.
During his imprisonment he was by no means idle. A spurious edition of his works having been issued, he himself produced a collection of twenty-two treatises, to which some time afterwards he added a second group of eighteen more. He also wrote in prison many short pamphlets, chiefly controversial, published a curious work on the famous storm of the 26th of November 1703, and started in February 1704 perhaps the most remarkable of all his projects, The Review. This was a paper which was issued during the greater part of its life three times a week. It was entirely written by Defoe, and extends to eight complete volumes and some few score numbers of a second issue. He did not confine himself to news, but wrote something very like finished essays on questions of policy, trade apd domestic concerns; he also introduced a "Scandal Club", in which minor questions of manners and morals were treated in a way which undoubtedly suggested the Tatlers and Spectators which followed. Only one complete copy of the work is known to exist, and that is in the British Museum. It is probable that if bulk, rapidity of production, variety of matter, originality of design, and excellence of style be taken together, hardly any author can show a work of equal magnitude.
After his release Defoe went to Bury St. Edmunds, though he did not interrupt either his Review or his occasional pamphlets. One of these, Giving Alms no Charity, and Employing the Poor a Grievance to the Nation (1704), is extraordinarily far-sighted. It denounces both indiscriminate alms-giving and the national work shops proposed by Sir Humphrey Mackworth.
In 1705 appeared The Consolidator, or Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon, a political satire which is supposed to have given some hints for Jonathan Swift's Gullivers Travels; and at the end of the year Defoe performed a secret mission, the first of several of the kind, for Harley. In 1706 appeared the True Relation of the Apparition of one Mrs Veal, long supposed to have been written for a bookseller to help off an unsaleable translation of Drelincourt, On Death, but considerable doubt has been cast upon this by William Lee. Defoe's next work was Jure divino, a long poetical argument in (bad) verse; and soon afterwards (1706) he began to be much employed in promoting the union with Scotland. Not only did he write pamphlets as usual on the project, and vigorously recommend it in The Review, but in October 1706 he was sent on a political mission to Scotland by Sidney Godolphin, to whom Harley had recommended him. He resided in Edinburgh for nearly sixteen months, and his services to the government were repaid by a regular salary. He seems to have devoted himself to commercial and literary as well as to political matters, and prepared at this time his elaborate History of the Union, which appeared in 1709. In this year Henry Sacheverell delivered his famous sermons, and Defoe wrote several tracts about them and attacked the preacher in his Review.
In 1710 Harley returned to power, and Defoe was placed in a somewhat awkward position. To Harley himself he was bound by gratitude and by a substantial agreement in principle, but with the rest of the Tory ministry he had no sympathy. He seems, in fact, to have agreed with the foreign policy of the Tories and with the home policy of the Whigs, and naturally incurred the reproach of time-serving and the hearty abuse of both parties. At the end of 1710 he again visited Scotland. In the negotiations concerning the Peace of Utrecht, Defoe strongly supported the ministerial side, to the intense wrath of the Whigs, displayed in an attempted prosecution against some pamphlets of his on the all-important question of the succession. Again the influence of Harley saved him. He continued, however, to take the side of the dissenters in the questions affecting religious liberty, which played such a prominent part towards the close of Anne's reign. He naturally shared Harley's downfall; and, though the loss of his salary might seem a poor reward for his constant support of the Hanoverian claim, it was little more than his ambiguous, not to say trimming, position must have led him to expect.
Defoe declared that Lord Annesley was preparing the army in Ireland to join a Jacobite rebellion, and was indicted for libel; and prior to his trial (1715) he published an apologia entitled An Appeal to Honour and Justice, in which he defended his political conduct. Having been convicted of the libel he was liberated later in the year under circumstances that only became clear in 1864, when six letters were discovered in the Record Office from Defoe to a Government official, Charles Delafaye, which, according to William Lee, established the fact that in 1718 at least Defoe was doing not only political work, but that it was of a somewhat equivocal kind -- that he was, in fact, sub-editing the Jacobite Mists Journal, under a secret agreement with the government that he should tone down the sentiments and omit objectionable items. He had, in fact, been released on condition of becoming a government agent. He seems to have performed the same not very honorable office in the case of two other journals -- Dormer's Letter and the Mercurius Politicus; and to have written in these and other papers until nearly the end of his life. Before these letters were discovered it was supposed that Defoe's political work had ended in 1715.
Up to that time Defoe had written nothing but occasional literature, and, except the History of the Union and Jure Divino, nothing of any great length. In 1715 appeared the first volume of The Family Instructor, which was very popular during the 18th century. The first volume of his most famous work, the immortal story -- partly adventure, partly moralizing -- of The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, was published on the 25th of April 1719. It ran through four editions in as many months, and then in August appeared the second volume. Twelve months afterwards the sequel Serious Reflections, now hardly ever reprinted, appeared. Its connection with the two former parts is little more than nominal, Crusoe being simply made the mouthpiece of Defoe's sentiments on various points of morals and religion.
Meanwhile the first two parts were reprinted as a feuilleton in Heathcote's Intelligencer, perhaps the earliest instance of the appearance of such a work in such a form. The story was founded on William Dampier's Voyage round the World (1697), and still more on Alexander Selkirk's adventures, as communicated by Selkirk himself at a meeting with Defoe at the house of Mrs. Damaris Daniel at Bristol. Selkirk afterwards told Mrs. Daniel that he had handed over his papers to Defoe. Robinson Crusoe was immediately popular, and a wild story was set afloat of its having been written by Lord Oxford in the Tower of London. A curious idea, at one time revived by Henry Kingsley, is that the adventures of Robinson are allegorical and relate to Defoe's own life. This idea was certainly entertained to some extent at the time, and derives some color of justification from words of Defoe's, but there seems to be no serious foundation for it. Robinson Crusoe (especially the story part, with the philosophical and religious moralizings largely cut out) is one of the world's classics in fiction. Crusoe's shipwreck and adventures, his finding the footprint in the sand, his man "Friday" -- the whole atmosphere of romance which surrounds the position of the civilized man fending for himself on a desert island -- these have made Defoe's great work an imperishable part of English literature. Contemporaneously appeared The Dumb Philosopher, or Dickory Cronke, who gains the power of speech at the end of his life and uses it to predict the course of European affairs.
In 1720 came The Life and Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell. This was not entirely a work of imagination, its hero, the fortune-teller, being a real person. There are amusing passages in the story, but it is too desultory to rank with Defoe's best. In the same year appeared two wholly or partially fictitious histories, each of which might have made a reputation for any man. The first was the Memoirs of a Cavalier, which Lord Chatham believed to be true history, and which William Lee considers the embodiment at least of authentic private memoirs. The Cavalier was declared at the time to be Andrew Newport, made Lord Newport in 1642. His elder brother was born in 1620 and the Cavalier gives 1608 as the date of his birth, so that the facts do not fit the dates. It is probable that Defoe, with his extensive acquaintance with English history, and his astonishing power of working up details, was fully equal to the task of inventing it. As a model of historical work of a certain kind it is hardly surpassable, and many separate passages -- accounts of battles and skirmishes -- have never been equalled except by Thomas Carlyle. Captain Singleton, the last work of the year, has been unjustly depreciated by most of the commentators. The record of the journey across Africa, with its surprising anticipations of subsequent discoveries, yields in interest to no work of the kind known to us; and the semi-piratical Quaker who accompanies Singleton in his buccaneering expeditions is a most lifelike character. There is also a Quaker who plays a very creditable part in Roxana (1724), and Defoe seems to have been well affected to the Friends. In estimating this wonderful productiveness on the part of a man sixty years old, it should be remembered that it was a habit of Defoe's to keep his work in manuscript sometimes for long periods.
In 1721 nothing of importance was produced, but in the next year three capital works appeared. These were The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders, The Journal of the Plague Year, and The History of Colonel Jack. Moll Flanders and The Fortunate Mistress (Roxana), which followed in 1724, have subjects of a rather more than questionable character, but both display the remarkable art with which Defoe handles such subjects. It is not true, as is sometimes said, that the difference between the two is that between gross and polished vice. The real difference is much more one of morals than of manners. Moll is by no means of the lowest class. Notwithstanding the greater degradation into which she falls, and her originally dependent position, she has been well educated, and has consorted with persons of gentle birth. She displays throughout much greater real refinement of feeling than the more highflying Roxana, and is at any rate flesh and blood, if the flesh be somewhat frail and the blood somewhat hot. Neither of the heroines has any but the rudiments of a moral sense; but Roxana, both in her original transgression and in her subsequent conduct, is actuated merely by avarice and selfishness -- vices which are peculiarly offensive in connection with her other failing, and which make her thoroughly repulsive. The art of both stories is great, and that of the episode of the daughter Susannah in Roxana is consummate; but the transitions of the later plot are less natural than those in Moll Flanders. It is only fair to notice that while the latter, according to Defoe's more usual practice, is allowed to repent and end happily, Roxana is brought to complete misery; Defoe's morality, therefore, required more repulsiveness in one case than in the other.
In the Journal of the Plague Year, sometimes called, from the title of the second edition, A History of the Plague, the accuracy and apparent veracity of the details is so great that many persons have taken it for an authentic record, while others have contended for the existence of such a record as its basis. But here too the genius of Mrs. Veal's creator must, in the absence of all evidence to the contrary, be allowed sufficient for the task. The History of Colonel Jack is an unequal book. There is hardly in Robinson Crusoe a scene equal, and there is consequently not in English literature a scene superior, to that where the youthful pickpocket first exercises his trade, and then for a time loses his ill-gotten gains. But a great part of the book, especially the latter portion, is dull; and in fact it may be generally remarked of Defoe that the conclusions of his tales are not equal to the beginning, perhaps from the restless indefatigability with which he undertook one work almost before finishing another.
To this period belong his stories of famous criminals, of Jack Sheppard (1724), of Jonathan Wild (1725), of the Highland Rogue, i.e. Rob Roy (1723). The pamphlet on the first of these Defoe maintained to be a transcript of a paper which he persuaded Sheppard to give to a friend at his execution.
In 1724 appeared also the first volume of A Tour through the whole Island of Great Britain, which was completed in the two following years. Much of the information in this was derived from personal experience, for Defoe claims to have made many more tours and visits about England than those of which we have record; but the major part must necessarily have been dexterous compilation. In 1725 appeared A New Voyage round the World, apparently entirely due to the author's own fertile imagination and extensive reading. It is full of his peculiar verisimilitude and has all the interest of Anson's or Dampier's voyages, with a charm of style superior even to that of the latter.
In 1726 Defoe published a curious and amusing little pamphlet entitled Everybody's Business is Nobody's Business, or Private Abuses Public Grievances, exemplified in the Pride, Insolence, and Exorbitant Wages of our Women-Servants, Footmen, etc. This subject was a favorite one with him, and in the pamphlet he showed the immaturity of his political views by advocating legislative interference in these matters. Towards the end of this same year The Complete English Tradesman, which may be supposed to sum up the experience of his business life, appeared, and its second volume followed two years afterwards. This book has been variously judged. It is generally and traditionally praised, but those who have read it will be more disposed to agree with Charles Lamb, who considers it "of a vile and debasing tendency", and thinks it "almost impossible to suppose the author in earnest." The intolerable meanness advocated for the sake of the paltriest gains, the entire ignoring of any pursuit in life except money-getting, and the representation of the whole duty of man as consisting first in the attainment of a competent fortune, and next, when that fortune has been attained, in spending not more than half of it, are certainly repulsive enough. But there are no reasons for thinking the performance ironical or insincere, and it cannot be doubted that Defoe would have been honestly unable even to understand Lamb's indignation.
To 1726 also belongs The Political History of the Devil. This is a curious book, partly explanatory of Defoe's ideas on morality, and partly belonging to a series of demonological works which he wrote, and of which the chief others are A System of Magic (1726), and An Essay on the History of Apparitions (1728), issued the year before under another title. In all these works his treatment is on the whole rational and sensible; but in The History of the Devil he is somewhat hampered by an insufficiently worked-out theory as to the nature and personal existence of his hero, and the manner in which he handles the subject is an odd and not altogether satisfactory mixture of irony and earnestness. A Plan of English Commerce, containing very enlightened views on export trade, appeared in 1728.
There is little to be said of Defoe's private life during this period. He must in some way or other have obtained a considerable income. In 1724 he had built himself a large house at Stoke Newington, which had stables and grounds of considerable size. From the negotiations for the marriage of his daughter Sophia it appears that he had landed property in more than one place, and he had obtained on lease in 1722 a considerable estate from the corporation of Colchester, which was settled on his unmarried daughter at his death. Other property was similarly allotted to his widow and remaining children, though some difficulty seems to have arisen from the misconduct of his son, to whom, for some purpose, the property was assigned during his father's lifetime, and who refused to pay what was due. There is a good deal of mystery about the end of Defoe's life; it used to be said that he died insolvent, and that he had been in jail shortly before his death. As a matter of fact, after great suffering from gout and stone, he died in Ropemaker's Alley, Moorfields, on Monday the 26th of April 1731, and was buried in Bunhill Fields. He left no will, all his property having been previously assigned, and letters of administration were taken out by a creditor. How his affairs fell into this condition, why he did not die in his own house, and why in the previous summer he had been in hiding, as we know he was from a letter still extant, are points not clearly explained. He was, however, attacked by Mist, whom he wounded, in prison in 1724. It is most likely that Mist had found out that Defoe was a government agent and quite probable that he communicated his knowledge to other editors, for Defoe's journalistic employment almost ceased about this time, and he began to write anonymously, or as "Andrew Moreton." It is possible that he had to go into hiding to avoid the danger of being accused as a real Jacobite, when those with whom he had contracted to assume the character were dead and could no longer justify his attitude.
Defoe married, on New Year's Day, 1684, Mary Tuffley, who survived until December 1732. They had seven children. His second son, Bernard or Benjamin Norton, has, like his father, a scandalous niche in the Dunciad. In April 1877 public attention was called to the distress of three maiden ladies, directly descended from Defoe, and bearing his name; and a crown pension of £75 a year was bestowed on each of them. His youngest daughter, Sophia, who married Henry Baker, left a considerable correspondence, now in the hands of her descendants. There are several portraits of Defoe, the principal one being engraved by Vandergucht.
In his lifetime, Defoe, as not belonging to either of the great parties at a time of the bitterest party strife, was subjected to obloquy on both sides. The great Whig writers leave him unnoticed. Swift and Gay speak slightingly of him -- the former, it is true, at a time when he was only known as a party pamphleteer. Pope, with less excuse, put him in the Dunciad towards the end of his life, but he confessed to Spence in private that Defoe had written many things and none bad. At a later period he was unjustly described as a "scurrilous party writer", which he certainly was not; but, on the other hand, Samuel Johnson spoke of his writing "so variously and so well", and put Robinson Crusoe among the only three books that readers wish longer. From Sir Walter Scott downwards the tendency to judge literary work on its own merits to a great extent restored Defoe to his proper place, or, to speak more correctly, set him there for the first time. Macaulay's description of Roxana, Moll Flanders and Colonel Jack as "utterly nauseous and wretched" must be set aside as a freak of criticism.
Scott justly observed that Defoe's style "is the last which should be attempted by a writer of inferior genius; for though it be possible to disguise mediocrity by fine writing, it appears in all its naked inanity when it assumes the garb of simplicity." The methods by which Defoe attains his result are not difficult to disengage. They are the presentment of all his ideas and scenes in the plainest and most direct language, the frequent employment of colloquial forms of speech, the constant insertion of little material details and illustrations, often of a more or less digressive form, and, in his historico-fictitious works, as well as in his novels, the most rigid attention to vivacity and consistency of character. Plot he disregards, and he is fond of throwing his dialogues into regular dramatic form, with by-play prescribed and stage directions interspersed. A particular trick of his is also to divide his arguments after the manner of the preachers of his day into heads and subheads, with actual numerical signs affixed to them. These mannerisms undoubtedly help and emphasize the extraordinary faithfulness to nature of his fictions, but it would be a great mistake to suppose that they fully explain their charm. Defoe possessed genius, and his secret is at the last as impalpable as the secret of genius always is.
The character of Defoe, both mental and moral, is very clearly indicated in his works. He, the satirist of the true-born Englishman, was himself a model, with some notable variations and improvements, of the Englishman of his period. He saw a great many things, and what he did see he saw clearly. But there were also a great many things which he did not see, and there was often no logical connection whatever between his vision and his blindness. The most curious example of this inconsistency, or rather of this indifference to general principle, occurs in his Essay on Projects. He there speaks very briefly and slightingly of life insurance, probably because it was then regarded as impious by religionists of his complexion. But on either side of this refusal are to be found elaborate projects of friendly societies and widows' funds, which practically cover, in a clumsy and roundabout manner, the whole ground of life insurance. In morals it is evident that he was, according to his lights, a strictly honest and honorable man. But sentiment of any "high-flying" description -- to use the cant word of his time -- was quite incomprehensible to him, or rather never presented itself as a thing to be comprehended. He tells us with honest and simple pride that when his patron Harley fell out, and Godolphin came in, he for three years held no communication with the former, and seems quite incapable of comprehending the delicacy which would have obliged him to follow Harley's fallen fortunes. His very anomalous position in regard to Mist is also indicative of a rather blunt moral perception. One of the most affecting things in his novels is the heroic constancy and fidelity of the maid Amy to her exemplary mistress Roxana. But Amy, scarcely by her own fault, is drawn into certain breaches of definite moral laws which Defoe did understand, and she is therefore condemned, with hardly a word of pity, to a miserable end. Nothing heroic or romantic was within Defoe's view; he could not understand passionate love, ideal loyalty, aesthetic admiration or anything of the kind; and it is probable that many of the little sordid touches which delight us by their apparent satire were, as designed, not satire at all, but merely a faithful representation of the feelings and ideas of the classes of which he himself was a unit.
His political and economical pamphlets are almost unmatched as clear presentations of the views of their writer. For driving the nail home no one but Swift excels him, and Swift perhaps only in The Drapier's Letters. There is often a great deal to be said against the view presented in those pamphlets, but Defoe sees nothing of it. He was perfectly fair but perfectly one-sided, being generally happily ignorant of everything which told against his own view.
The same characteristics are curiously illustrated in his moral works. The morality of these is almost amusing in its downright positive character. With all the Puritan eagerness to push a clear, uncompromising, Scripture-based distinction of right and wrong into the affairs of everyday life, he has a thoroughly English horror of casuistry, and his clumsy canons consequently make wild work with the infinite intricacies of human nature. He is, in fact, an instance of the tendency, which has so often been remarked by other nations in the English, to drag in moral distinctions at every turn, and to confound everything which is novel to the experience, unpleasant to the taste, and incomprehensible to the understanding, under the general epithets of wrong, wicked and shocking. His works of this class therefore are now the least valuable, though not the least curious, of his books.
There is considerable uncertainty about many of Defoe's writings; and even if all contested works be excluded, the number is still enormous. Besides the list in Bohn's Lowndes, which is somewhat of an omnium gatherum, three lists drawn with more or less care were compiled in the 19th century. Wilson's contains 210 distinct works, three or four only of which are marked as doubtful; Hazlitt's enumerates 183 "genuine" and 52 "attributed" pieces, with notes on most of them; Lee's extends to 254, of which 64 claim to be new additions. |
When it comes to word quandaries, we’ve seen again and again here at Which Word Wednesday that proper usage is directly related to context.
And there’s the rub.
Context is difficult to ascertain mid-sentence. We cannot grasp the correct word for the context so we insert whatever word is at the ready. When the improper word is applied often enough, the definition morphs into its common usage, even if common usage is incorrect. [sigh.]
But that’s what Which Word Wednesday is all about—looking at word usage and considering which words we are misusing. It’s an etymological quest!
This week’s quest for linguistic correctness is all about context. The duel is between anticipate and expect. Let’s start with the definitions of these two verbs from the Oxford American Dictionary:
anticipate :: verb
regard as probable; expect or predict
expect :: verb
regard (something) as likely to happen
Both of these verbs are forward looking terms. And they are hardly distinguishable to me! One regards a probable situation, the other a likely situation . . . is probable more certain than likely? That’s what seems to be implied.
Let’s also look to Dave Dowling’s opinion1 in his book The Wrong Word Dictionary to see if he can help.
Dowling says anticipate should be used to describe something you foresee and then prepare for. He gives this sample sentence:
The college anticipates a large enrollment jump next year.
So, does that mean they will start building more dorms and hiring more professors? That’s what anticipate suggests—you foresee and then prepare. I think the sample sentence needs more detail for it to make anticipate distinct!
For expect, Dowling describes it as a looking forward to something that’s a likely occurrence, giving this sample sentence:
The college expects most of the senior class to get job offers.
My only guess is that because this scenario does not require any forward-looking preparations by the speaker, expect is a better choice than anticipate.
I’m not quite sure how to keep these straight. Perhaps anticipate is something that will occur, so I need to prepare for it, and expect is more like an assumption about something that’s is likely to occur but not guaranteed.
How I want to be LC (linguistically correct)! I’m just not sure I can get it done in this case. Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome.
My WWW verdict? Perhaps these words should be used for distinct situations, but it’s doubtful I will be able to get them straight. I anticipate difficulty and apologize now for my foreseeable misuse. I expect most of you will graciously forgive me. [Thanks!] |
Ultimate Protector contains resveratrol, as well as components from 29 different fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Each of these ingredients contain substances that may be considered to be polyphenols, antioxidants, and Nrf2 activators. In this article I will explore the ingredient resveratrol, which is added as a separate ingredient in addition to being a component in VitaBerry Plus® from Futureceuticals.
Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a stilbenoid, a type of natural phenol, and a phytoalexin produced naturally by several plants in response to injury or when the plant is under attack by pathogens such as bacteria and fungi. Natural sources of resveratrol include giant knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) and the skin of grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and mulberries. Resveratrol has two isomers: cis and trans, with the latter being the most abundant. Piceid, also known as polydatin, is a glucoside form of resveratrol found in Japanese knotweed. HPDI includes the very pure 99% resveratrol form from giant knotweed in Ultimate Protector. This material contains greater than 96% of the trans form.
VitaBerry® (N1023) is the trade name for a line of high ORAC blends of fruit powders and fruit extracts, exclusively available through FutureCeuticals.
VitaBerry® is a proprietary formula that combines wild bilberry and wild blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry, prune, cherry, and grape whole powders and extracts into lines of custom blends. High in fruit polyphenols, anthocyanins, proanthocyanins, ellagic acid, chlorogenic acid, resveratrol, and quinic acid, VitaBerry offers 6,000 ORAC units in a single gram.
VitaBerry® Plus (N81.3) combines the standard blend of VitaBerry® with resveratrol and quercetin to deliver a minimum of 12,000 ORAC units per gram.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF RESVERATROL
Resveratrol provides anti-oxidant protection, boosts cellular energy, and balances the immune system. It has been proven in studies to activate the SIRT1 longevity gene and enhance cellular productivity. Several research studies have shown that trans-resveratrol significantly modulates biomarkers of bone metabolism, inhibits pro-inflammatory enzymes such as COX-1 and COX-2, and exhibits chemopreventive properties, cardioprotective effects, neuroprotective properties, and caloric restrictive behavior. Trans-resveratrol has shown the ability to increase the number of mitochondria thereby increasing total daily energy. Studies have shown that trans-resveratrol promotes an increase in mitochondrial function, that translates into an increase in energy availability, improved aerobic capacity, and enhanced sensorimotor function. Resveratrol has been shown to be a powerful Nrf2 activator that can support the body’s endogenous production of protective enzymes.
Scientific Studies on the Antioxidant Effects of Resveratrol
Databases of scientific studies (like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) PubMed database) contain thousands of up-to-date studies and abstracts about resveratrol
Below, we provide a few relevant scientific studies on the antioxidant effects and potential health benefits of resveratrol.
Resveratrol confers endothelial protection via activation of the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2.
Epidemiological studies suggest that Mediterranean diets rich in resveratrol are associated with reduced risk of coronary artery disease. Resveratrol was also shown to confer vasoprotection in animal models of type 2 diabetes and aging. However, the mechanisms by which resveratrol exerts its antioxidative vasculoprotective effects are not completely understood. Using a nuclear factor-E(2)-related factor-2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element-driven luciferase reporter gene assay, we found that in cultured coronary arterial endothelial cells, resveratrol, in a dose-dependent manner, significantly increases transcriptional activity of Nrf2. Accordingly, resveratrol significantly upregulates the expression of the Nrf2 target genes NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, and heme oxygenase-1. Resveratrol treatment also significantly attenuated high glucose (30 mM)-induced mitochondrial and cellular oxidative stress (assessed by flow cytometry using MitoSox and dihydroethidine staining). The aforementioned effects of resveratrol were significantly attenuated by the small interfering RNA downregulation of Nrf2 or the overexpression of Kelch-like erythroid cell-derived protein 1, which inactivates Nrf2. To test the effects of resveratrol in vivo, we used mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), which exhibit increased vascular oxidative stress associated with an impaired endothelial function. In HFD-fed Nrf2(+/+) mice, resveratrol treatment attenuates oxidative stress (assessed by the Amplex red assay), improves acetylcholine-induced vasodilation, and inhibits apoptosis (assessed by measuring caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation) in branches of the femoral artery. In contrast, the aforementioned endothelial protective effects of resveratrol were diminished in HFD-fed Nrf2(-/-) mice. Taken together, our results indicate that resveratrol both in vitro and in vivo confers endothelial protective effects which are mediated by the activation of Nrf2.
Mitochondrial Protection by Resveratrol
Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are thought to play important roles in mammalian aging. Resveratrol is a plant-derived polyphenol that exerts diverse antiaging activities, mimicking some of the molecular and functional effects of dietary restriction. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying the mitochondrial protective effects of resveratrol, which could be exploited for the prevention or amelioration of age-related diseases in the elderly.
Age-specific mortality rates from heart disease, stroke, complications of diabetes, Alzheimer disease, and cancer increase exponentially with age, which imposes a huge financial burden on the health care systems in the Western world. There is an urgent need for effective therapeutic strategies that have the potential to promote health in the elderly, simultaneously preventing or delaying the development of various diseases of aging. During the past decade, dietary supplementation with resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) has emerged as a promising approach to counteract age-related diseases. Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in more than 70 species of plants, including grapes (Vitis vinifera), cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon), and peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), which was shown to confer diverse physiological effects in laboratory animals including cancer protection, microvascular protection, neuroprotection, cardioprotection, and antidiabetic effects. In this review, we consider the evidence in support of the hypothesis that mitochondrial protective effects of resveratrol underlie its antiaging action that can prevent/delay the development of age-related diseases in the cardiovascular system and other organs. The use of resveratrol as a dietary supplement to promote mitochondrial health in the elderly and diabetic patients is discussed.
Resveratrol induces glutathione synthesis by activation of Nrf2 and protects against cigarette smoke-mediated oxidative stress in human lung epithelial cells
Nuclear erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a redox-sensitive transcription factor, is involved in transcriptional regulation of many antioxidant genes, including glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL). Cigarette smoke (CS) is known to cause oxidative stress and deplete glutathione (GSH) levels in alveolar epithelial cells. We hypothesized that resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin, has antioxidant signaling properties by inducing GSH biosynthesis via the activation of Nrf2 and protects lung epithelial cells against CS-mediated oxidative stress. Treatment of human primary small airway epithelial and human alveolar epithelial (A549) cells with CS extract (CSE) dose dependently decreased GSH levels and GCL activity, effects that were associated with enhanced production of reactive oxygen species. Resveratrol restored CSE-depleted GSH levels by upregulation of GCL via activation of Nrf2 and also quenched CSE-induced release of reactive oxygen species. Interestingly, CSE failed to induce nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in A549 and small airway epithelial cells. On the contrary, Nrf2 was localized in the cytosol of alveolar and airway epithelial cells due to CSE-mediated posttranslational modifications such as aldehyde/carbonyl adduct formation and nitration. On the other hand, resveratrol attenuated CSE-mediated Nrf2 modifications, thereby inducing its nuclear translocation associated with GCL gene transcription, as demonstrated by GCL-promoter reporter and Nrf2 small interfering RNA approaches. Thus resveratrol attenuates CSE-mediated GSH depletion by inducing GSH synthesis and protects epithelial cells by reversing CSE-induced posttranslational modifications of Nrf2. These data may have implications in dietary modulation of antioxidants in treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Effect of Nrf2 activators on release of glutathione, cysteinylglycine and homocysteine by human U373 astroglial cells
Neurons rely on the release and subsequent cleavage of GSH to cysteinylglycine (CysGly) by astrocytes in order to maintain optimal intracellular GSH levels. In neurodegenerative diseases characterised by oxidative stress, neurons need an optimal GSH supply to defend themselves against free radicals released from activated microglia and astroglia. The rate of GSH synthesis is controlled largely by the activity of γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase. Expression of γ-glutamyl cysteine ligase and of the Xc- system, which facilitates cystine uptake, is regulated by the redox-sensitive transcription factor, nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Compounds that can activate the Nrf2-ARE pathway, referred to as ‘Nrf2 activators’ are receiving growing attention due to their potential as GSH-boosting drugs.
This study compares four known Nrf2 activators, R-α-Lipoic acid (LA), tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), sulforaphane (SFN) and Polygonum cuspidatum extract containing 50% resveratrol (PC-Res) for their effects on astroglial release of GSH and CysGly. GSH levels increased dose-dependently in response to all four drugs. Sulforaphane produced the most potent effect, increasing GSH by up to 2.4-fold. PC-Res increased GSH up to 1.6-fold, followed by TBHQ (1.5-fold) and LA (1.4-fold). GSH is processed by the ectoenzyme, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, to form CysGly. Once again, SFN produced the most potent effect, increasing CysGly by up to 1.7-fold, compared to control cells. TBHQ and PC-Res both induced fold increases of 1.3, followed by LA with a fold increase of 1.2. The results from the present study showed that sulforaphane, followed by lipoic acid, resveratrol and Polygonum multiflorum were all identified as potent “GSH and Cys-Gly boosters”.
Resveratrol Upregulates Nrf2 Expression To Attenuate Methylglyoxal-Induced Insulin Resistance in Hep G2 Cells
Oxidative stress can result in insulin resistance, a primary cause of type-2 diabetes. Methylglyoxal (MG), a highly reactive dicarbonyl metabolite generated during glucose metabolism, has also been confirmed to cause pancreatic injury and induce inflammation, thereby resulting in insulin resistance. Recently, resveratrol has been reported to exert antioxidant properties, protecting cells from the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of this study was to evaluate resveratrol activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) to attenuate MG-induced insulin resistance in Hep G2 cells. Therefore, the molecular signaling events affecting resveratrol-mediated heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and glyoxalase expression levels were further investigated in this study. Our findings indicated that resveratrol activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway but not the p38 or c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways, subsequently leading to Nrf2 nuclear translocation and elevation of HO-1 and glyoxalase expression levels. Moreover, resveratrol significantly elevated glucose uptake and protected against MG-induced insulin resistance in Hep G2 cells. In contrast, depletion of Nrf2 by small interfering RNA (si-RNA) resulted in the abrogation of HO-1 and glyoxalase expression in the MG-treated resveratrol group in Hep G2 cells. Administration of an appropriate chemopreventive agent, such as resveratrol, may be an alternative strategy for protecting against MG-induced diabetes.
Resveratrol restores sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activity and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) expression after hemorrhagic injury in a rat model.
Severe hemorrhage leads to decreased blood flow to tissues resulting in decreased oxygen and nutrient availability affecting mitochondrial function. A mitoscriptome profiling study demonstrated alteration in several genes related to mitochondria, consistent with the mitochondrial functional decline observed after trauma hemorrhage (T-H). Our experiments led to the identification of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) as a potential target in T-H. Administration of resveratrol (a naturally occurring polyphenol and activator of SIRT1) after T-H improved left ventricular function and tissue ATP levels. Our hypothesis was that mitochondrial function after T-H depends on SIRT1 activity. In this study, we evaluated the activity of SIRT1, a mitochondrial functional modulator, and the mitochondrial-glycolytic balance after T-H. We determined the changes in protein levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK)-1 and nuclear c-Myc, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α and NF-E2-related factor (NRF)2 after T-H and after treatment with resveratrol or a combination of sirtinol (a SIRT1 inhibitor) and resveratrol. We have also tested the activity of mitochondrial complex 1. SIRT1 enzyme activity was significantly decreased after T-H, whereas resveratrol treatment restored the activity. We found elevated PDK1 and c-Myc levels and decreased PGC-1α, NRF2 and mitochondrial complex I activity after T-H. The reduced SIRT1 activity after T-H may be related to declining mitochondrial function, since resveratrol was able to reinstate SIRT1 activity and mitochondrial function. The elevated level of PDK1 (an inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex) after T-H indicates a possible shift in cellular energetics from mitochondria to glycolysis. In conclusion, SIRT1 modulation alters left ventricular function after T-H through regulation of cellular energetics.
Resveratrol suppresses PAI-1 gene expression in a human in vitro model of inflamed adipose tissue.
Increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels are associated with a number of pathophysiological complications; among them is obesity. Resveratrol was proposed to improve obesity-related health problems, but the effect of resveratrol on PAI-1 gene expression in obesity is not completely understood. In this study, we used SGBS adipocytes and a model of human adipose tissue inflammation to examine the effects of resveratrol on the production of PAI-1. Treatment of SGBS adipocytes with resveratrol reduced PAI-1 mRNA and protein in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Further experiments showed that obesity-associated inflammatory conditions lead to the upregulation of PAI-1 gene expression which was antagonized by resveratrol. Although signaling via PI3K, Sirt1, AMPK, ROS, and Nrf2 appeared to play a significant role in the modulation of PAI-1 gene expression under noninflammatory conditions, those signaling components were not involved in mediating the resveratrol effects on PAI-1 production under inflammatory conditions. Instead, we demonstrate that the resveratrol effects on PAI-1 induction under inflammatory conditions were mediated via inhibition of the NF κ B pathway. Together, resveratrol can act as NF κ B inhibitor in adipocytes and thus the subsequently reduced PAI-1 expression in inflamed adipose tissue might provide a new insight towards novel treatment options of obesity.
Effects of resveratrol in experimental and clinical non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The prevalence of obesity and related conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing worldwide and therapeutic options are limited. Alternative treatment options are therefore intensively sought after. An interesting candidate is the natural polyphenol resveratrol (RSV) that activates adenosinmonophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and silent information regulation-2 homolog 1 (SIRT1). In addition, RSV has known anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Here, we review the current evidence for RSV-mediated effects on NAFLD and address the different aspects of NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) pathogenesis with respect to free fatty acid (FFA) flux from adipose tissue, hepatic de novo lipogenesis, inadequate FFA β-oxidation and additional intra- and extrahepatic inflammatory and oxidant hits. We review the in vivo evidence from animal studies and clinical trials. The abundance of animal studies reports a decrease in hepatic triglyceride accumulation, liver weight and a general improvement in histological fatty liver changes, along with a reduction in circulating insulin, glucose and lipid levels. Some studies document AMPK or SIRT1 activation, and modulation of relevant markers of hepatic lipogenesis, inflammation and oxidation status. However, AMPK/SIRT1-independent actions are also likely. Clinical trials are scarce and have primarily been performed with a focus on overweight/obese participants without a focus on NAFLD/NASH and histological liver changes. Future clinical studies with appropriate design are needed to clarify the true impact of RSV treatment in NAFLD/NASH patients.
Modulatory role of resveratrol on cytotoxic activity of cisplatin, sensitization and modification of cisplatin resistance in colorectal cancer cells.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Cisplatin (CIS) is one of the most active cytotoxic agents in current use and it has proven efficacy against various human malignancies. However, its clinical usefulness has been restricted by detrimental side effects, including nephrotoxicity and myelosuppression. The aim of the present study was to attempt to decrease the required dose of CIS, in order to minimize its side effects, and increase its capability to arrest, delay or reverse carcinogenesis. In addition, the present study aimed to ameliorate CIS‑resistance in CRC cells, using the natural compound resveratrol (RSVL). RSVL (3,4′, 5‑trihydroxy‑trans‑stilbene) is a naturally occurring polyphenol present in the roots of white hellebore (Veratrum grandiflorum O. Loes) and extracted from >70 other plant species. RSVL can exert antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory activities, and it has been shown to be active in the regulation of numerous cellular events associated with carcinogenesis. The present study evaluated the effects of RSVL on sensitization of both parent and CIS‑resistant HCT‑116 CRC cells to the action of cisplatin. The CIS was administered at a dose of 5 and 20 µg/ml, and CIS cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell cycle and cisplatin cellular uptake were examined in the presence and absence of RSVL (15 µg/ml). RSVL treatment showed anti‑proliferative effects and enhanced the cytotoxic effects of cis against the growth of both parent and CIS‑resistant HCT‑116 CRC cells, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 4.20 µg/ml and 4.72 µg/ml respectively. RSVL also induced a significant increase in the early apoptosis fraction and enhanced the subsequent apoptotic effects of CIS. The cellular uptake of CIS was significantly increased in the presence of RSVL, as compared with CIS treatment alone, and RSVL treatment sensitized the CIS‑resistant HCT‑116 cells. In conclusion, RSVL treatment increased the cytotoxic activity of CIS against the growth of both parent and CIS‑resistant HCT-116 CRC cells.
Resveratrol treatment rescues hyperleptinemia and improves hypothalamic leptin signaling programmed by maternal high-fat diet in rats.
PURPOSE: Perinatal high-fat diet is associated with obesity and metabolic diseases in adult offspring. Resveratrol has been shown to exert antioxidant and anti-obesity actions. However, the effects of resveratrol on leptinemia and leptin signaling are still unknown as well as whether resveratrol treatment can improve metabolic outcomes programmed by maternal high-fat diet. We hypothesize that resveratrol treatment in male rats programmed by high-fat diet would decrease body weight and food intake, and leptinemia with changes in central leptin signaling.
METHODS: Female Wistar rats were divided into two groups: control group (C), which received a standard diet containing 9 % of the calories as fat, and high-fat group (HF), which received a diet containing 28 % of the calories as fat. Dams were fed in C or HF diet during 8 weeks before mating and throughout gestation and lactation. C and HF male offspring received standard diet throughout life. From 150 until 180 days of age, offspring received resveratrol (30 mg/Kg body weight/day) or vehicle (carboxymethylcellulose).
RESULTS: HF offspring had increased body weight, hyperphagia and increased subcutaneous and visceral fat mass compared to controls, and resveratrol treatment decreased adiposity. HF offspring had increased leptinemia as well as increased SOCS3 in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, which suggest central leptin resistance. Resveratrol treatment rescued leptinemia and increased p-STAT3 content in the hypothalamus with no changes in SOCS3, suggesting improvement in leptin signaling.
CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our data suggest that resveratrol could reverse hyperleptinemia and improve central leptin action in adult offspring from HF mothers attenuating obesity. |
Creating future habitat for Eastern box turtles and many other species, we kicked off our million tree initiative this year. We’ve pledged to plant one million trees over the coming years in strategic sites, linking up hundreds of acres of fragmented land to benefit sensitive wildlife. Our tree-planting efforts so far buffer Meltzer Woods, Glacier’s End, Mossy Point and Wallace F. Holladay Preserve.
Expanding natural areas and restoring spaces between them to forest has so many benefits. Climate change mitigation is a big one: Our work today benefits the climate through trees’ ability to sequester carbon, which only multiplies as they grow.
But the number one threat to nature in our region is not climate change, but habitat fragmentation. Our million tree project will close space between forested parcels, supporting native plants and wildlife.
The boundary of a forest is a treacherous place for many animals. Species like the Eastern box turtle and many migratory warblers require deep forest interior habitat to thrive. At the edge of a forest, they fall prey to numerous threats.
Eastern box turtles, in particular, face both animal and human threats. Their eggs and young are vulnerable to predation from raccoons, skunks, coyotes and snakes, especially at the edge of the forest. On the human side, they are still sometimes taken as pets, though it is illegal, and are often hit by vehicles. Most traffic fatalities are pregnant females searching for a nest site.
With suburban development increasing, busy roads bisect their territory. They lose habitat areas for shelter, feeding, hibernation and nesting, and their numbers dwindle into isolated populations.
We can give this threatened species a fighting chance by increasing the acreage for them to roam, forage and find safe havens for their nests. Unbroken forest canopy gives them a shot at raising their young. The wider the territory, the greater the potential for strengthening the gene pool. For populations that are on the decline, these tree plantings couldn’t be more helpful.
Our tree plantings are made possible by the Duke Energy Foundation, The Herbert Simon Family Foundation, the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program, and you, our members and supporters. We plan to continue our tree planting effort through support from our members and donations to the carbon fund. If you travel, you can offset the carbon of your travel miles by planting trees. |
Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands aren't widely known as beach destinations. Yet for the adventurous traveler yearning for something a little different, these not-so-hot spots could be just the ticket! Here are five chilly beaches that need to be added to your bucket list:
Black sand beach on Deception Island
Black sand stretches as far as the eye can see on this popular cruise ship landing site. At one time, Deception Island held a whaling station and remnants of old whaling boats can still be found there today.
The island itself is crater-like – part of an active volcano – and is actually quite warm in certain areas, as a result. Hiking along the edge of the crater makes for absolutely breathtaking views. It's a popular spot for brave tourists to take a polar plunge, running into the icy waters directly from the beach! Several colonies of chinstrap penguins live on Deception Island, as well as fur seals.
Cuverville is home to the largest Gentoo penguin colony on the Antarctic Peninsula
Penguins are the stars of Cuverville; the island is home to the largest Gentoo penguin colony on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Covered in ice and edged by rocky beaches under mossy cliffs, Cuverville Island has been designated an 'Important Bird Area' by Birdlife International. Antarctic Skuas, Southern Giant Petrels and Imperial Shags all call this beach island home.
Saunders Island (Falklands)
Part of the Falkland Islands, Saunders Island is a spectacularly beautiful spot with a beach that rivals a Caribbean paradise. The island is a series of peninsulas linked together by stretches of land known as necks.
With white sand and crystal blue water, Saunders Island is the perfect place to sit and observe the thousands of breeding pairs of Rockhopper and Gentoo penguins, albatrosses and more who call the island home.
King penguin juveniles and adults cover St. Andrew's Bay
St. Andrew’s Bay (South Georgia)
Photos of this South Georgia destination display throngs of black, white and brown specks peppered throughout the scenery. These are thousands of juvenile and adult King penguins, as far as the eye can see. The island is home to a colony of over 110,000 breeding pairs.
It is also one of the largest elephant seal breeding beaches, with over 6000 cows at peak time. Often, reindeer can be seen grazing in the hills. It's a wildlife photographer’s dream!
Spectacular views at Neko Harbour
Climb up to a high peak and overlook the pristine blue and white ice, glass-like water and your fellow passengers below.
If you're lucky enough to witness an iceberg or glacier calving, the resulting waves washing up on the shore are spectacular. Two hundred and fifty breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins call Neko Harbour home and Weddell seals can often be seen laid out on the cobblestone beach. |
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF THE HOMOGENATE OF CUCUMIS SATIVUS (CUCUMBER) FRUITS
Research on inflammation has become the focus of global scientific study because of its implication in virtually all human and animal diseases. Also, liver diseases have been on increase and of global concern.Cucumis sativus is believed to have anti-oxidant activity, high flavonoid content, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, which may be likely of use in the management of these diseases. The anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects of the homogenate of Cucumis sativus fruit were therefore studied. The fresh fruit of Cucumis sativus was homogenized and used for all experimental analysis without further dilution. Acute toxicity tests of the homogenate of Cucumis sativusfruit were carried out. The phytochemical analyses and proximate compositions of the fruit homogenate were carried out. 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-Picryl Hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of the fruit homogenate was determined. The effects of the fruit homogenate on agar-induced paw oedema in rats were investigated. The effects of the fruit homogenate on liver function enzyme (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase) activities, total bilirubin concentration and lipid profile (total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, triacylglycerol and low density lipoprotein concentrations) in rats intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) were evaluated using standard biochemical methods.The effects of the fruit homogenate on hypotonicity-induced haemolysis of RBC, phospholipase A2and prostaglandin synthase activitieswere also studied. Data were analysed using SPSS and two-way ANOVA; the acceptance level of significance was p˂0.05.The qualitative phytochemical tests on the homogenate of Cucumis sativus fruitrevealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, rterpenoids, glycosides, resins, steroids, saponins and tannins. The quantitative phytochemical analysis of the homogenate ofCucumis sativus fruit showed that,reducing sugars (574.36 ± 3.88 mg/g) was highest amount when compared to other phytochemicals, alkaloids (2.22 ± 0.96 mg/g) and flavonoids (2.14 ± 0.56 mg/g) were moderately present while cyanogenic glycoside (0.21 ± 0.13 mg/g) was the lowest in quantity.Proximate analysis showed thatCucumis sativus fruit contained the following – fibre (1.30 ± 0.01%), moisture (94.6 ± 0.08%), protein (3.11 ± 0.07%) and ash (1.07 ± 0.24%)contents. The acute toxicity test showed no toxicity up to 5ml/kg (≡ 5000mg/kg) body weight which indicated the possible safety of the fruit to the users. There was relative increase in the percentage inhibition of DPPH radical scavenging activity with increased amount of the homogenate. At doses of 2ml and 4ml/kg b.w., the fruit homogenate significantly (p ˂ 0.05) inhibitedagar-induced raw paw oedema relative to control. Studies on membrane stabilization using hypotonicity-induced red blood cell haemolysis revealed that the fruit homogenate significantly (p˂0.05)inhibited haemolysis when compared to indomethacin (a known standard drug).The homogenate exhibited a significant (p˂0.05) dose (0.5ml and 1.0ml) related inhibition of prostaglandin synthase activity (79.9% and 81.0% respectively), compared to 0.4mg/ml of indomethacin, standard drug (82.0%). The fruit homogenate like prednisolone significantly (p˂0.05) inhibited phospholipase A2 activity.Treatment of rats with the homogenate of Cucumis sativus fruits significantly (p˂0.05) decreased CCl4-inducedelevated levels of the liver enzymes ALT, AST and ALP and of total bilirubin in the serum when compared to positive control. The homogenate also attenuated the CCl4-induced elevation of LDL, total cholesterol and triacylglycerol amounts and ameliorated the induced depletion of HDL. The results indicated that the homogenate of Cucumis sativus fruits possesses anti-inflammatory activities and hepatoprotective effects. |
Social Proof definition: Social Proof is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation. In essence, it’s the notion that, since others are doing it, I should be doing it, too. Social proof is especially prominent in situations where people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior, and is driven by the assumption that surrounding people possess more knowledge about the situation.
Also referred to as “herd mentality,” social proof is a phenomenon where decision making becomes credible and validated through the behavior of others. It’s the reason we ask for second opinions, assume nightclubs with long lines must be great, and the driving force behind displaying product reviews and customer testimonials.
In the digital marketing realm, it means that people are more likely to read your blogs, tweet your content, or share a link to your site if they see others have already done these things.
What is Social Proof in eCommerce?
A popular example of eCommerce social proofing is highlighting high customer demand for a product by showcasing the amount of views, adds-to-cart or purchases that were conducted within a specific time frame. Notifying customers that, “157 people have bought this product within the last 24 hours,” for example, creates a correlation between urgency and buying in the mind of the customer, and induces a fear of missing out for not going through with the purchase.
In other words, the understanding that other people have already bought the item plays an important role in validating the customer’s own thinking to buy it as well. Uncertain customers naturally find comfort in a greater collective, and by creating the impression that everyone is buying a product, there’s a strong likelihood that these customers will, too.
In today’s increasingly consumer-centric environment, even if a brand’s value proposition is perfect it may not be enough to secure a purchase. For eCommerce brands, leveraging social proof in an offering can solidify customer confidence in purchasing decisions and help eliminate the concerns that stand between them and converting on an offer. |
Trees Cut as Maple Syrup Farmers Lose Eminent Domain Battle Over Constitution Pipeline
By Energy Justice Network
The cutting began 11 days after Federal Judge Malachy Mannion dismissed charges of contempt against the landowners for allegedly asking a tree crew that had arrived on the property not to cut the trees. The charges were dismissed due to the prosecution's inability to show enough evidence of violation of the February 2015 order that cited eminent domain in giving Constitution Pipeline Company permission to cut on the property without landowner permission. The judge expanded on the original order, adding a 150-foot “safety buffer" to be maintained around all tree-cutting activity, effectively extending the size of the Right of Way. All visitors and family members are remaining outside of the buffer while trees are being felled this week.
North Harford Maple is a family business owned by Cathy Holleran that produces maple sap and syrup utilizing their sugarbush, which includes 1,670 linear feet of the proposed 125-foot-wide right of way.
“I have no words for how heartbroken I am," Megan Holleran, a family member and field technician for North Harford Maple, said. "We've been preparing for this for years, but watching the trees fall was harder than I ever imagined it would be." She admits that she expected more compassion from the company, but was wrong. This week's cutting will destroy 90 percent of the only sugarbush that the family owns. “They refused to see us as people and brought guns to our home," she added.
In February 2015, Judge Mannion in Scranton ordered that the Holleran property and several others in Susquehanna County be condemned using eminent domain for the private use of Constitution Pipeline Company.
A partial Notice to Proceed with non-mechanized tree cutting was issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Friday, Jan. 29 for the Pennsylvania portion of the Constitution Pipeline. According to the deadline set by FERC, felling must be completed by March 31.
The Constitution Pipeline is a project of Williams Pipeline Companies and Cabot Oil & Gas to be used to transport shale gas obtained through the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The right of way would be at least 100 feet wide, with additional intermittent 50 foot wide workspaces and access roads.
According to Kelly Finan on her Facebook wall, "In 2015, the Constitution Pipeline company used eminent domain to seize my best friend's family maple stand for their natural gas pipeline in New Milford, PA. The family has not been compensated for their land. In New York, the permitting for the pipeline has not been completed, so the family argued that cutting trees on their property was preemptive. When the family politely denied tree crews access to their property last month, the company took the family to federal court in an attempt to have them fined and put in federal prison for violating the eminent domain court order. Today the company arrived on the property with assault rifle-bearing federal marshals. They cut down the trees."
"If the American flag stands for anything," Rich Garella said on Finan's Facebook page, "it stands for the rights that are enshrined in the Constitution. These pipeline companies are misusing eminent domain and the courts are on the side of the companies. They are taking land, scarring our countryside and destroying livelihoods for the sake not of public use, but of private profit and nothing more."
1. Stay Informed<p>A first order of business in pet evacuation planning is to understand and be ready for the possible threats in your area. Visit <a href="https://www.ready.gov/be-informed" target="_blank">Ready.gov</a> to learn more about preparing for potential disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. Then pay attention to related updates by tuning <a href="http://www.weather.gov/nwr/" target="_blank">NOAA Weather Radio</a> to your local emergency station or using the <a href="https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app" target="_blank">FEMA app</a> to get National Weather Service alerts.</p>
2. Ensure Your Pet is Easily Identifiable<p><span>Household pets, including indoor cats, should wear collars with ID tags that have your mobile phone number. </span><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Microchipping</a><span> your pets will also improve your chances of reunion should you become separated. Be sure to add an emergency contact for friends or relatives outside your immediate area.</span></p><p>Additionally, use <a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">'animals inside' door/window stickers</a> to show rescue workers how many pets live there. (If you evacuate with your pets, quickly write "Evacuated" on the sticker so first responders don't waste time searching for them.)</p>
4. Prepare a Pet Evacuation Kit<p>Like the emergency preparedness kit you'd prepare for humans, assemble basic survival items for your pets in a sturdy, easy-to-grab container. Items should include:</p><ul><li>Water, food, and medicine to last a week or two;</li><li>Water, food bowls, and a can opener if packing wet food;</li><li>Litter supplies for cats (a shoebox lined with a plastic bag and litter may work);</li><li>Leashes, harnesses, or vehicle restraints if applicable;</li><li>A <a href="https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/pet-first-aid-supplies-checklist" target="_blank">pet first aid kit</a>;</li><li>A sturdy carrier or crate for each cat or dog. In addition to easing transport, these may serve as your pet's most familiar or safe space in an unfamiliar environment;</li><li>A favorite toy and/or blanket;</li><li>If your pet is prone to anxiety or stress, the American Kennel Club suggests adding <a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stress-relieving items</a> like an anxiety vest or calming sprays.</li></ul><p>In the not-unlikely event that you and your pet have to shelter in different places, your kit should also include:</p><ul><li>Detailed information including contact information for you, your vet, and other emergency contacts;</li><li>A list with phone numbers and addresses of potential destinations, including pet-friendly hotels and emergency boarding facilities near your planned evacuation routes, plus friends or relatives in other areas who might be willing to host you or your pet;</li><li>Medical information including vaccine records and a current rabies vaccination tag;</li><li>Feeding notes including portions and sizes in case you need to leave your pet in someone else's care;</li><li>A photo of you and your pet for identification purposes.</li></ul>
5. Be Ready to Evacuate at Any Time<p>It's always wise to be prepared, but stay especially vigilant in high-risk periods during fire or hurricane season. Practice evacuating at different times of day. Make sure your grab-and-go kit is up to date and in a convenient location, and keep leashes and carriers by the exit door. You might even stow a thick pillowcase under your bed for middle-of-the-night, dash-out emergencies when you don't have time to coax an anxious pet into a carrier. If forecasters warn of potential wildfire, a hurricane, or other dangerous conditions, bring outdoor pets inside so you can keep a close eye on them.</p><p>As with any emergency, the key is to be prepared. As the American Kennel Club points out, "If you panic, it will agitate your dog. Therefore, <a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pet disaster preparedness</a> will not only reduce your anxiety but will help reduce your pet's anxiety too."</p>
Evacuating Horses and Other Farm Animals<p>The same basic principles apply for evacuating horses and most other livestock. Provide each with some form of identification. Ensure that adequate food, water, and medicine are available. And develop a clear plan on where to go and how to get there.</p><p>Sheltering and transporting farm animals requires careful coordination, from identifying potential shelter space at fairgrounds, racetracks, or pastures, to ensuring enough space is available in vehicles and trailers – not to mention handlers and drivers on hand to support the effort.</p><p>For most farm animals, the Red Cross advises that you consider precautionary evacuation when a threat seems imminent but evacuation orders haven't yet been announced. The American Veterinary Medical Association has <a href="" target="_blank">more information</a>.</p>
Bottom Line: If You Need to Evacuate, So Do Your Pets<p>As the Humane Society warns, pets left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost, or killed. Plan ahead to make sure you can safely evacuate your entire household – furry members included.</p> |
It’s very important to consider using industrial floor signs especially if you operate in factories or companies that store or handle hazardous material. Although very many paths and routes that are meant to transport these dangerous chemicals are often pre-labeled, it’s still very important for the company or organization to have its own alternative procedure in effect for putting up floor signs and markings. It will be very hard and dangerous to navigate on an area that is not marked with industrial floor signs and markings. Industrial floor safety signs can be made for both long-term and medium use for warehouses, industries and large production companies. They are specially designed to withstand heavy traffic on smooth and rough surfaces with its strong conformity to surfaces that are uneven.
Reasons For Using Floor Markings
You should note that not all surfaces are approved for industrial floor signs and markings. This is because some surfaces may not be able to maintain the signs for the duration of time required. Some of the approved surfaces include outdoor and indoor use on concrete, tile marble, asphalt and vinyl surfaces. Decals are very convenient since they are able to adhere to wall and floor surfaces that are rough or smooth, unsealed or sealed.
Floor signs and marking are very important for warehouses, trucking and transportation industries. You can use pool decals if you want to maintain a safe environment. They are made from very safe, non-skid materials for durability, safety and attractiveness.
Kaizen Guide: Better your business with continuous improvement
To be successful, you can’t make an improvement once and forget about it. Effective lean businesses use kaizen, which means “continuous improvement”. In kaizen, everyone looks for ways to improve processes on a daily basis. This Kaizen Guide explains the kaizen mindset, basic kaizen concepts including the PDCA cycle, and real-world examples.
Materials used to make floor signs are specially designed to be installed and be immediately walked on without peeling or tearing. There is really no need to phase of the area to allow the signs and markings to dry. This save a lot of time for the company as workers will be able to continue with their regular activities immediately the floor signs are installed. You may however need to clean the surface whether it rough or smooth before installing the floor signs. Make sure that you don’t install them on greasy or dirty surfaces as they mail fail to adhere. You will need to simply sweep the area or clean it and leave it to dry, peel of the backing and firmly stick it to the clean and swept surface. Compress the floor sign to the surface using your hand or a roller. The good things about floor markings are that they still allow the surfaces to be cleaned whenever they get dirty. You should always make sure that you regularly clean surfaces with floor signs so that they remain visible to users. |
Super Bowl-themed STEM events for students and teachers
The action wasn’t just on the field: See how Shell made a difference in the educational in the run up to Super Bowl LI.
It was indeed a game to remember – and not just for the historic ending. Super Bowl LI showcased Houston and to over 172 million viewers as the fourth most watched TV broadcast in history. Shell made sure to include students, parents and teachers in the days leading up to the big game.
In late January, Shell recognized the dedication of area teachers to shaping the minds of the future by proudly supporting “The Educator Event” at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Over 400 teachers participated in a day of workshops and learned several instructional methods to improve their delivery of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) concepts with their students.
Shell also teamed up with longtime educational partner Great Minds in STEM to create The Science of Sports at the Houston Youth Bowl Experience. A one-of-a-kind experience for over 400 area students held on the campus of Texas Southern University.
The Science of Sports program helped make the connection between physics and athletics through fun, hands-on experiments. Other supporting partners included The Andre Johnson Foundation, VA Productions, Harris County Sports Authority and PACE Moms.
Marcus McKinney, General Manager of Engineering DS, Americas, gave welcome remarks and reminded students to always "BYOD – ‘Bring Your Own Dreams’ to plan for a successful education and career."
Grand Hank, Master Scientist, gave a rousing performance that blended hip-hop music, science experiments and a hard work mantra that made science and physics come alive for the young audience.
Educational programs such as these ensure the positive impact of Super Bowl LI will remain in Houston for years to come. |
- These adverb activities (grammar presentation, station work, adverb one-pager, and grammar worksheets) are intended for middle and high school students who need to review adverbs. The grammar activities in this bundle are included separately in my store, but all of them (plus bonus materials) are in$4.90$7.50Save $2.60
- Stop piecing together grammar lesson plans and get lifetime updates! With this complete grammar curriculum, you will have a variety of activities that span diverse grammar lessons. This bundle includes notes, graphic organizers, quizzes, tests, warm-ups, a textbook, presentations, worksheets, Color$189.99$358.43Save $168.44
This adverb graphic organizer can be used in multiple ways to connect grammar to writing and to encourage creativity. You will receive a PDF as well as a digital link to the graphic organizer.
Create an awesome adverb bulletin board or word wall with this kit. In this grammar activity, you will receive a graphic organizer (print and digital), display pieces, and suggestions for use. The tools in this grammar product are versatile, and you can personalize this adverb lesson.
Students will complete a graphic organizer using any set of adverbs. (You could pull adjectives from student writing, literature, or vocabulary lessons.) You can then use the interactive pieces for creating stories, writing sentences, defining adverbs, or evaluating adverb use. Display the pieces on a bulletin board, mobile, or word wall.
In this download you will receive:
* A page with suggestions for use. The goal of this adverb lesson is for students to engage with grammar and vocabulary and use adverbs in context.
* A graphic organizer (digital and print). Use with adverbs from a vocabulary lesson, adverb worksheet, or mentor sentences.
* 12 templates.
Encourage students to interact with their grammar lessons with this hands-on grammar lesson. You can see the suggestion sheet in the preview and an adverb bulletin board in the thumbnails. |
The grove, after the cave, was the most popular uterine symbol in the ancient religions, even among the early biblical Semites, to whom Asherah (or Aserah) was the Mother-goddess of the grove. Usually a large tree, pillar, or obelisk with the grove represented the male god inside the goddess as both child and lover.
Brittany in the 11th century still had a Druidic holy wood called Nemet. This was probably the same name as the fairy wood Broceliande, the grove of Merlin’s Nemesis, the lady Nimue, who also bore the name of the fatal goddess of the grove.
Groves began to be considered dangerous with the emergence of the patriarchal priesthoods, especially in early biblical times when the Bible mentions attacks on the asherim, or the Groves of Asherah, which were consistently worshipped by both people and kings, despite the prophets’ repeated condemnation.
Those who destroyed these sacred groves feared the Mother’s curse, as demonstrated in numerous moralizing myths. Erysichthon dared to cut down one of Demeter’s sacred groves, though the high priestess forbade him with the voice of the Goddess herself. Then angry Demeter cursed him with perpetual hunger that could never be appeased. He became a wretched beggar, frantically stuffing his mouth with filth.
The Druids held ceremonies, prayers, libations and human sacrifices, in sacred groves, which at the time were revered as temples are today. These sacred enclosures also were places of assemblies were decisions were made and administration of justice in civil and criminal disputes was dispensed.
When groves were not available assemblies met by sources of water, such as lakes and rivers, because the Celts worshipped water gods and believed water to be sacred.
However, trees, especially the oak, were the most sacred; the term Druid means “knowing the oak tree.” The oak grove at Derry was one of the most popular shrines in Irish paganism; another was Diana’s ancient grove at Lake Nemi, where sacred kings fought any challenger who broke a branch from the sacred tree.
There is evidence that shows that to break the branch was liken to castrating the god or incumbent sacred king who embodied the god. A.G.H. |
By Editorial Staff
When it comes to losing weight, maintaining weight and just plain staying in shape, we're bombarded with tips on a daily basis. Weeding through the hype to get to the information you need to know can be as challenging as your ultimate goal.
We've done the legwork for you on this one; here are two little-known factoids that may have a big influence on your drive to lose weight
and maximize your health and wellness:
Who's trying, who's not: According to a recent survey from the International Food Information Council Foundation, more than half of Americans are trying to lose weight. That means if you're attempting the same, you're in good company, which should be encouraging. However, it should also be a stern reminder that too many people - yourself included, perhaps - are putting on extra pounds and putting themselves at risk for weight-related diseases such as diabetes.
From a motivational standpoint, the survey also notes that nearly half (43 percent) of overweight people and almost a quarter (24 percent) of obese people are not trying to lose weight. This may be due to any of several factors, including "failure syndrome" (failed previous attempts to lose weight), lack of knowledge regarding the health consequences of overweight / obesity, or even a perception that they're not overweight - at least not enough to make a concerted effort to lose the pounds.
How's your waistline? If you think you're not at risk for weight-related health problems because your body-mass index isn't skyrocketing, even though your waistline is, think again. A study published in a peer-reviewed research journal suggest waist circumference is more important than BMI in predicting the long-term health risks, particularly diabetes. In the study, having a waistline over 40 inches for men and over 35 inches for women was predictive of diabetes, and the risk was greater in people who were overweight and large-waisted versus obese and large-waisted. That suggests your BMI (overweight vs. obese) isn't as important as your waist circumference when it comes to health.
If you're trying to lose weight, congratulations! For many, taking the first step is the hardest part. Talk to your doctor of chiropractic about the most effective ways to lose weight - and keep it off - and work with them to design an effective diet and exercise plan suitable to your health goals. If you're not trying to lose weight (but need to), your chiropractor can provide the same advice, along with outlining the health problems you'll avoid by dropping the excess pounds. |
Internships are important because schools don’t equip you with professional experience. If you do not have professional experience, you need to brush up on your skills to make the employers want to hire you. After that, you need to look for internships that best compliment your degree, draft a good enough application, and prepare for the interview.
#1 Look for internship Vacancies:
- Look on Job Sites:
The job sites also include openings for internships. The popular job sites are, indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Linkup, Scouted, etc. You can type ‘internship’ in the search bar and can include any specific keywords like finance, computer science, etc. to make sure you get the filtered results. A lot of sites have an option for filters as well. You can specify your geographic location and stipend expectations as well.
- Look on internship-exclusive Websites:
Some job websites only have openings for internships and entry-level jobs. You can search for internships on these websites as well. Some of them are; internships.com, Internmatch, YouTern, etc.
- Go to Career/Job Fairs:
Some colleges and universities hold career fairs. These career/job fairs are also held by the companies to hire fresh talent. These are great places to find internships and to build connections. You can talk to recruiters, ask questions from them, and get to know the people who are in the field.
Be sure to take them seriously. If you are talking to a recruiter, think of it as a job interview. Dress appropriately, prepare a resume and be confident. You can ask recruiters about the internship requirements, the job potential of the internship, and about the culture of the company.
- Seek Help from Your Teachers:
Some companies do not announce their internship openings through traditional mediums. Instead, they work around on word-of-mouth. Your teachers and professors may know about such opportunities. So it is also a good option to ask the teachers about potential internship or assistantship opportunities.
#2 Application Submissions for Internship Placements:
- Prepare a Résumé:
A résumé is needed even if you have zero professional experience. It helps the recruiters understand your qualifications, interests, and skills. You can compensate for your professional experience in a lot of ways.
- Add any volunteer work you have done or any extra-curricular activities that you have taken part in. Include any courses you have done and your CGPA as well.
- Be thorough in describing your job description. Don’t just say that you have been a finance internee. Tell them about your duties as an internee as well. Like, handling the paperwork, making invoices, sending emails, drafting loan applications, etc.
- Be clear, i.e. add information in bullet points so that the reader can understand it in a glance. If you do not have relevant information to add don’t try to fill up the résumé by adding unnecessary details. Conciseness, clarity, and honesty go a long way.
- Get a second opinion about your resume from your teacher or any other professional person.
- Collect References:
Some employers wish to confirm the information given in the résumé. They may contact your teachers or your previous employers. Talk to them beforehand so that they can be prepared for such confirmation. Your potential employer can also ask them about your attitude in class or office. So be prepared for that too.
Add a minimum of three and a maximum of five references. Tell your referees to highlight your best qualities.
- Make a Portfolio:
For some jobs, a portfolio can help you land an internship. Actions always speak louder than words, especially in fields like writing, arts, fashion, programming, event organizing, and entertainment.
Be sure to add a little description with your samples to help understand the purpose of it and what it is about. Keep it short for internships. Keep switching the samples for different jobs because one portfolio may not be appropriate for every place you are applying to.
For making portfolios, you can get help from Portfolio Gen, eFolio, and Carbonmade.
- Draft a Cover Letter:
Cover letters are a great way to add a personal touch to internship applications. You can discuss your background and your interests in detail. Tell them why you think they should hire you and how working with a particular organization can shape your career.
Do not repeat the things you already added in your résumé. Make sure to talk about things that require explanation. Craft a different cover letter for every internship application. Employers are able to tell when you are copying and pasting.
#3 How to appear in an Interview for Internship
- Dress up Properly:
First impressions last. Try to look as professional as possible. It makes the interviewer think that you are serious about getting hired. Take a shower and brush your hair properly. Be sure to launder and iron your clothes. Wear a suit. If you do not own a suit, wear a dress shirt and pants.
Women should wear pantsuits or professional-looking skirts. Any tattoos or attention-grabbing piercings should be concealed.
- Be Confident:
Employers are impressed by those potential employees who are put together, self-aware, and confident. So you need to make sure that you look confident. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Practice answering potential questions the night before in front of the mirror.
- Remain prepared for the Questions:
Some questions are very generic and likely to be asked in an interview. Like what are your strengths and weaknesses? Describe a time when you dealt with a crisis at work. Where do you see yourself in five years? Prepare the answers to these questions beforehand. But do not give an answer that sounds overly-thought out as the interviewer will detect it and will mark you negatively for it. These questions are meant to see how you respond to your feet.
- Emphasize upon Your value:
Keep a ‘you attitude’. Instead of telling the employer how nice it would be for your career to do an internship with their organization, emphasize how the organization can benefit by hiring you. Make the employer think that giving you an internship can only make the organization thrive.
- Don’t hesitate to ask questions:
If the interviewer allows you to ask questions, ask away. It shows that you are genuinely interested in working with them and that you are attentive. If you can’t think of anything, ask questions like, what is a typical day in the office like? Or, when can you expect to hear back from them?
Send a follow-up email after two or three days expressing your gratefulness to the interviewer for taking time out. Mention your passion for working with them. Offer to answer further questions if they have any. Tell them that you are looking forward to their reply. |
Common Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a severe sleep disorder where a patient’s breathing stops and starts continuously while they sleep. The main symptom of sleep apnea is loud snoring. If you snore loudly and always feel exhausted, even after 7-8 hours of sleep, you need to consult your doctor.
There are three types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of apnea, which occurs when your throat muscles relax. This blocks your air passages, debilitating your ability to breathe.
- Central sleep apnea: Central sleep apnea happens due to the brain’s inability to send signals to the breathing muscles.
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome: Complex sleep apnea syndrome occurs when you have central and obstructive sleep apnea. This is quite rare but a very serious condition. So, if you are experiencing complex sleep apnea, you might need to be hospitalized.
Four essential facts about sleep apnea
Sleep apnea affects more than 20 million adults, and only a few are diagnosed, which is alarming because this means so many people are sick and aren’t receiving the care they need.
Here are some facts you should know about sleep apnea:
- Sleep apnea can affect children – Shocking but true. Children are more at risk of developing sleep apnea, contrary to popular belief that only only adults get sleep apnea. Proper diagnosis and treatment are necessary even for children. Conditions like ADHD, bed-wetting, and childhood obesity are some of the other health conditions directly linked to sleep apnea.
- Untreated sleep apnea can result in other health hazards – If the condition is left untreated, a sufferer might be at risk of developing heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, depression and anxiety, and suffocation.
- Physical features can determine your health risk – Your physical feature can be a risk factor, like any of the following: obesity, a recessed chin, undersized upper airway, compromised jaw position, oversized tongue, etc.
- Dental treatment can help with the condition – Surgeries and CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) help in treating sleep apnea. However, many patients don’t like the hassle of CPAP and dread surgeries. Hence, they opt for oral appliance therapy. This appliance can fit inside the mouth to create an air passage.
What is the role of oral appliance therapy?
Oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea treats sleep apnea. The process involves sleeping with a removable oral appliance by placing it inside your mouth. The appliance looks like a mouthguard and can be custom made.
The role of this little device prevents blockage of your airway pathways because of your tongue. The oral appliance also supports the jaw in a forward position, making a passage for the air to pass.
A physician diagnoses your sleep disorder using a sleep study. Once you are diagnosed, a specialist will then make a custom oral appliance, which is more comfortable, removable, portable, and easy to use. For a more severe case, CPAP therapy is often recommended. |
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 can be a civil rights act that protects disabled individuals living and dealing in the United States. The purpose of the act ended up being to set a specific definition of disabilities and prevent discrimination judging by disability. The act tries to provide an obvious mandate prohibiting the discrimination against those that have disabilities, provide standards for enforcing standards describing disability and discrimination, also to ensure government assistance in enforcing the standards established.
The Americans with Disabilities Act clearly states that:
- Disability is defined as a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits several major life activities of the person.
- Major life activities include bodily functions and actions (like walking, breathing, ).
- Individuals with mental or physical disabilities might not be discriminated against or prohibited from playing elements of society.
- Discrimination exists in social areas such as employment, housing, transportation, education, health services, recreation, voting, and social services.
- Employers may not discriminate against a person with disabilities. This includes discrimination concerning job applications, hiring, advancement, compensation, training, and also other terms of employment.
- Public buildings must provide easy access to people with disabilities.
- Employers should provide “reasonable accommodation” for people with disabilities, including renovation of existing facilities for easier access, shifting work schedules, and modifying devices, training materials, as well as other articles of a niche for ease-of-use.
Individuals with disabilities have a reasonable expectation of participation in society as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act goes further toward guaranteeing equality for many. Employers are anticipated not to add “undue hardship” to employees with disabilities and should make all efforts to give you a comfortable work environment for anyone who works well with the corporation.
In addition to federal protections regarding discrimination and disability, many disabled people are entitled to Social Security disability benefits at the same time. These benefits are often granted to the people in line with the higher level of disability, history of employment, and also the individual’s financial situation. Persons coping with a disability should consult a professional social security disability attorney if they have questions regarding Social Security benefits. For more details regarding Social Security disability benefits, look at the website in the Indianapolis Social Security attorneys in the Charles D. Hankey Law Office. |
Hybrid Rhododendron Christmas Cheer Azaleas & Rhododendrons
Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer’
This dense evergreen variety starts with an abundance of pink buds fading to nearly white flowers when in full bloom. One of the larger varieties of Rhododendron the flowering season usually starts in March bringing pleasing winter colour to most gardens, but this can be variable with each season, as if a mild season occurs, they can flower as early as December, hence the name of this variety, as it was believed is was historically forced to flower at Christmas.
All Hybrid Rhododendrons are evergreen
Height after 10 years – 180-200cm
Large Flowered Hybrid Rhododendrons are unsurpassed for the beauty of their large flower trusses, produced in ever increasing numbers each year as the plants develop making these plants a solid long-term investment. If space allows, they are at their best when planted in bold groups and with a mix of varieties it is possible to have flowers in succession from March until early June. They also go well with deciduous and evergreen Azaleas.
Although often seen planted in the dappled shade of a woodland setting, these tough plants will succeed in full sun. Rhododendrons are ericaceous plants and so they should have acid soil that is well prepared and free draining. (Check to see if they are growing in nearby gardens if you aren’t sure about your soil). If your soil is alkaline, they can still be enjoyed in your garden if grown in large containers or raised beds filled with Ericaceous compost.
Hybrid Rhododendrons dislike cultivation immediately around them (their roots are very close to the surface) but they do benefit from a light mulch each Spring to conserve moisture. This will also discourage weeds making these plant both beautiful, and very low maintenance. |
Jews first came to Pacific islands nation of New Zealand in the 19th century. Today, the Jewish population of New Zealand stands at approximately 7,500.
The development of the Jewish population in New Zealand began in the early decades of the 19th century. Jewish traders arrived in the 1830s, quickly establishing themselves throughout industry and commerce. Jews played a prominent role in the development of the country, most notably in trade with Australia and Britain. Before New Zealand became a British Colony in 1840, the Jewish population consisted of fewer than 30 people.
In 1840, David Nathan, along with about a dozen other Jewish storekeepers and traders, founded the Auckland Jewish community in northern New Zealand. The congregation met to worship together as they conducted services and various other religious functions. On October 31, 1841, Nathan wed Rosetta Aarons in Kororareka, making history as the first Jewish marriage in New Zealand.
The second major hub of New Zealand Jewish life in the 1800s was just south in Wellington. Very similar to Auckland, Wellington originally attracted traders. The first Jew to arrive was Abraham Hort, Jr. in 1840. He was followed by Abraham Hort, Sr. in 1843, who went to New Zealand hoping to found a community and promote planned immigration to relieve Jewish poverty in England. He founded the Wellington Hebrew Congregation in 1843 and, on January 7, the first Jewish service was held in Wellington.
In the 1860s, as gold was discovered in Otago and Westland, the Jewish population spread throughout New Zealand. While Auckland and Wellington still accounted for the majority of New Zealand’s Jewish population, communities were established in Dunedin, Christchurch, Hokitika, Timaru, Nelson, and Hastings. In 1861, 326 Jews lived in New Zealand. By 1867, that number nearly quadrupled to 1,262 comprising 0.6% of the total population.
After having prayed in private homes for a number of years, the title deeds for the first Synagogue on The Terrace were received in 1868 and the Beth El Synagogue of Wellington was consecrated in 1870. Similarly, the Auckland Jews had been in a small building and, on November 9, 1885, the Auckland Synagogue was opened.
In the 20th century, Jewish immigrants arrived primarily from the former U.S.S.R and South Africa. Due to an extremely restrictive government policy on immigration, only a small number of Jewish refugees from persecution in Russia and Eastern Europe were admitted. As a result, very few Jews fleeing Nazi Germany found refuge in New Zealand around the time of World War II.
Today, the Jewish population, estimated at around 7,500, makes up less than a quarter of one percent out of the total New Zealand population of 4.2 million. The majority of New Zealand’s Jews reside in Auckland and Wellington on the North Island, though a significant number - some estimate at around 1,000 – live in Christchurch and other cities on the South Island. Immigration has led to four main groups: older families who came from the United Kingdom in the 1800s, lineage of European refugees from the 1930s and 1940s, families who emigrated from Britain in the 1950s, and recent immigrants from South Africa, Israel and the former Soviet Union.
Synagogues continue to be considered the center of Jewish communities in New Zealand. Auckland and Wellington each have two congregations, one Orthodox and the other Liberal Progressive. Congregations meet in Christchurch and Dunedin as well.
The first and only Chabad house in New Zealand was established by Israeli Rabbi Shmuel Koppel and was located in downtown Christchurch to help serve the local Jewish population as well as the growing number of Israeli tourists that flock to the country. In February 2011, the Chabad house was destroyed by an earthquake that struck near the center of Christchurch and which killed nearly 200 people, including 3 Israelis. On January 13, 2012, a newly rebuilt Chabad house was dedicated in the same city with an inaugural Shabbat meal. Rabbi Koppel plans to keep all the services he offered in the old house running.
In the 1920s, the New Zealand Jewish Times became the first national monthly Jewish journal. Today, there is one monthly journal, the New Zealand Jewish Chronicle. There is also the Chadashot, the Auckland Zionist magazine. Several Jewish organizations are present in modern day New Zealand. The New Zealand Jewish Council serves as the representative of the community to the government, working to safeguard the interests of the community. The Community Security Group, a subdivision of the Council, works with the New Zealand Police to protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic offenses and threats. The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) serves to unite Jewish Students throughout Australasia through promotion of Jewish identity. International B'nai B'rith lodges have been set up in Wellington (1960) and Auckland (1961). In 1971, Kadimah College was founded as a Jewish Day School in Auckland.
Anti-Semitic attacks remain infrequent, with few reports of anti-Jewish vandalism or violence. For the most part, anti-Semitism has been due to influence from abroad and has flared in periods of economic depression. Still, while the number of anti-Semitic attacks remain low, New Zealand is no longer perceived to be as safe as it once was.
On March 15, 2019, Muslims were targeted when a white supremicist attacked two mosques in Christchurch, killing 50 people. In solidarity with their Muslim neighbors the Jewish community closed their synagogues on Shabbat for the first time in history.
Over time, the Jews of New Zealand have made an array of contributions to culture, literature, medicine, journalism and politics. The most notable figure is London-born Julius Vogel (1835-1899). Vogel moved to New Zealand in 1861 after various failures in the Australian gold mines. By 1873, he was elected prime minister. In 1875, he was knighted. He was energetic and persuasive and has often been compared to Benjamin Disraeli. Sir Arthus Myers was minister of munitions in World War I. In almost every city in New Zealand a Jew has been honored as its chief magistrate. Notable journalists include Vogel, Fred Pirani, Mark Cohen, Phineas Selig and Benjamin Farjeon the poet and novelist. Noteworthy in medicine include Sir Louis Barnett (surgery), Alfred Bernstein (chest diseases), and Bernard Myers (medical services). Joseph Nathan of Wellington established the Glaxo pharmaceutical company.
In November 2008, John Key – born to Austrian-Jewish immigrant mother – was elected as the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand. Though he was not raised Jewish and currently considers himself Anglican, Key recognizes his Jewish roots, even to the point of granting his first official interview as Prime Minister to the Israeli newspaper Yediot. His mother narrowly escaped from the Holocaust and his government showed sympathy and friendship towards Israel. Key won his third term as Prime Minister on September 21, 2014, winning 61 out of 121 seats in the Parliament. He announced his resignation on December 5, 2016, and a special caucus was called by Parliament to select a new leader, taking place on December 12.
The New Zealand Jewish Archives, located in Wellington, was founded in 1980 for the purpose of collecting and managing thousands of documents, memorabilia, photographs and Judaica depicting the life of the New Zealand Jewish community. Notable celebrations and major exhibits occurred in 1990, as a century-celebration of the first Jewish service (1890) and in 1993, as the 150th anniversary of the New Zealand Jewish community (1843).
After 53 years of full diplomatic relations, the Israeli Embassy in Wellington was closed in 2002 for financial reasons. At one time there were four missions in the South Pacific area in Canberra, Sydney, Wellington and Suva in Fiji. Presently, only Canberra remains open, which is now responsible for New Zealand-Israeli Relations.
In June 2004, the New Zealand Government criticized Israel’s policy of bulldozing Palestinian homes and donated $534,000 to aid homeless Palestinians. More seriously, in mid-2004, Two suspected Mossad agents were jailed for three months and paid a $35,000 fine for illegally seeking to obtain New Zealand passports. High-level visits between the two countries were subsequently cancelled, visa restrictions imposed for Israeli officials, and an expected visit to New Zealand by Israeli president Moshe Katsav was cancelled. More than a year later, Israel apologized and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced the resumption of normal diplomatic relations with Israel.
A co-production treaty was signed between New Zealand and Israel in early March 2016. The treaty allows Israeli and New Zealand filmmakers increased access to funding and incentives for cooperation, and extends to film, animation, television, and digital productions. The treaty was inspired by the 2015 film, “Atomic Falafel,” which was a commercial success and featured an Israeli director working with a New Zealand production crew.
Following New Zealand’s co-sponsorship of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 in December 2016 criticizing Israeli settlements, Israel withdrew its ambassador from New Zealand and postponed travel plans for New Zealand’s ambassador to Israel. After six months of simmering tensions, full diplomatic relations were restored on June 13, 2017. New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English penned a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he expressed regret for the damage that was done to Israeli-New Zealand relations as a result of the resolution. A subsequent poll found that 30% of the public did not believe their country should have co-sponsored the resolution (43% chose not to answer).
Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand, Itzhak Gerberg, was honored by a group of native Maori elders on July 29, 2018. The islanders conducted a traditional ceremony of apology, called a whakapāha, to express regret for New Zealand’s role in the adoption of the UN resolution.
IMRA. “PM Netanyahu Meets with the Foreign Ministers of Romania and New Zealand,” IMRA, (November 17, 2016);
Israel and New Zealand Agree to Restore Diplomatic Ties, Jerusalem Post, (June 13, 2017);
Maoris apologise to Israel, J-Wire, (August 1, 2018);
Curia Market Research. |
Currents and Magnets
When a current passes through a wire, it produces a magnetic field around the wire. If we take a compass and place it next to the wire, we can see a deflection in the needle if we vary the current or move the compass away from the wire. The strength of the field varies with the distance from the wire. The direction of the field is circular around the wire, and is given by the right hand rule. Wrap your hand around the wire with your thumb pointing in the direction of current. Your fingers will show the direction of the field around the wire. For our example below, the 1st view shows the wire end on with the current coming out of the page. The second view shows the current moving to the left. The field is coming out of the page on the top and moving back into the page on the bottom of the wire. By the way, the symbol for a magnetic field is B and it is a vecotr quantity. The SI unit for magnetic field is the Tesla (T).
Now, consider a loop of wire passed through a magnetic field of intensity B. Just as passing a current through a wire produces a magnetic field around the wire, if we move a wire through an existing field we create a current in the wire. This is called Electromagnetic Inductance. Electromagnetic Inductance (or Induction) is defined as producing a current and an emf (electro motive force, or voltage) in a circuit by changing a magnetic field around that circuit. In order for this to happen, we need three things:
- A magnetic field
- A current-carrying conductor
- Relative motion between the two
The French scientist Andre Ampere investigated this phenomenon on the 19th century. We can see this by setting up a simple experiment. Attach a coiled copper wire to a galvanometer and drop a bar magnet through the coil. A deflection on the galvanometer shows the current being generated. The direction of the induced current depends upon the direction that the wire is moved through the field and upon the direction of the polarity of the field. The size of the induced emf depends upon:
- The strength of the magnetic field
- How fast the wire is moving in the field
- The length of the wire that is in the field
- The orientation of the wire to the field. When the wire is perpendicular to the field, you get the maximum induced emf. |
Don’t get a standing desk, until you read this! It seems that everywhere you look, someone is touting the amazing benefits of using a standing desk. Whether you are considering one for your home office, your cubicle at work, or to outfit your staff with them, there are plenty of very good reasons to do so. However, these gems that are taking the office world by storm are not without their downsides. It is important that you understand the benefits, the hazards and how to minimize the hazards before you finalize your decision.
Benefits of a Standing Desk
Let’s look first at all the benefits of using a standing desk at least part of your workday. The most obvious is that you’ll burn a ton more calories. Okay, perhaps a ton is a bit of an exaggeration when you consider you’ll just burn about 50 calories an hour. However, when you consider that in order to lose a pound of fat you need to either trim 3000 calories from your diet (no more Starbucks!) or do something to burn it, you’ll realize that for every 60 hours you spend standing, you could say goodbye to that pound.
If you use a standing desk for even just half of your workday, in the course of a year you could lose about 15 pounds of fat, all other things remaining the same. And, that doesn’t even take into consideration if you do some pacing while you are standing at your desk, such as when you are on the telephone.
If you suffer from back pain, sitting for hours could be part of the cause, and it can certainly exacerbate the problem. The human body wasn’t made to sit for hours upon hours. It was made to be active. To use all those muscle groups. And, the legs have huge muscles that get very little workout when you are sitting at a desk for 40 hours or more per week. In addition, your abdominal muscles are allowed to weaken as well. Once you lose your core strength, posture suffers and then compression on your spine and misalignments result.
The increase in back ailments has a direct correlation to the shift from labor work to service, mainly office, type professions. This is due, in part, to the advances in agriculture. No longer does each family need to put in the effort to provide food for their family. They do not need to farm, hunt or fish. They just spend an hour or so a week at the grocery store and they are set. The rest of the time they can work, relax, watch television and do a host of sedentary activities that often lead to poor overall health.
If you can at least spend some of those sedentary hours standing instead, you can not only ease the pain of a back ailment but perhaps avoid it happening in the first place. We use a host of muscles to be erect thus standing helps them stay strong.
Productivity is another facet to consider. There are so many things that can directly affect productivity that a standing desk can address. Everything from the minute seconds saved here and there not needing to take the time to get into and out of a chair to move about an office to the fact that standing allows you to breathe better providing more oxygen to your brain resulting in better thought processes. You’ll be able to focus better as well. Additionally, a side effect of using a standing desk is having more energy. If you are in an open space environment, you’ll also find it quicker and easier to communicate with others.
Hazards of a Standing Desk
With all those benefits, you may be thinking, “Sign me up!” It would be remiss to not point out that there are some hazards to consider as well. Ask anyone that must stand for hours on end in their job – cashiers, servers, fast food restaurant staff, etc. – and you’ll hear the woes of sore legs, tired feet, and aching muscles. You will likely experience these too, and it will be challenging, at least at first, to get used to.
Lunch time could be a two-edged sword. If you go elsewhere for lunch, such as to a cafeteria or restaurant, you’ll appreciate the chance to sit down for an hour. On the other hand, if you typically eat at your desk, you’ll find eating standing up to be annoying at best. The downside of eating elsewhere, is that you could look forward to it so much for a respite from standing that you have trouble focusing on your work for that last hour or so before the break.
Another potential downside is if you work in an open space environment, you’ll be far more visible than you would be seated in a cubicle. Cubicle walls rarely go high enough to afford you privacy when working at a standing desk. Employers might appreciate this as a positive, however, as that means the staff will be more productive since they can’t goof off when they are easily observed.
Having just a standing desk is a tough option for anyone, especially if the work day goes beyond the typical eight hours. The longer the day, the easier it will be to become quite fatigued.
Compensating for the Hazards
Many of the physical discomforts of using a standing desk will lessen over time when you become accustomed to it. If you start out with a weak core it will take time to strengthen it so that your muscles can support your body’s new erect status. Just keep envisioning how it is worth it in the end.
As for the demands on your feet and legs, the best thing to do is to use a high quality standing desk mat. Don’t go for the cheap ones that will break down in no time and are not very effective. A quality gel foam that provides cushion for your feet, yet doesn’t compress to nothing, will enable you to stand far longer without discomfort than not using a standing desk mat would. If you have the type of standing desk that lets you adjust height and thus sit for part of the day, you’ll want a standing desk mat with features that allow you to easily move it out of the way when not needed.
Think about your shoes! Much of foot fatigue is caused by improper footwear. It used to be that you had a choice of great style or comfort, but shoe manufacturers are beginning to recognize that today’s workers need both. With a little searching you should be able to find shoes that can handle the rigors of standing without sacrificing style. That said, however, always put comfort as a priority when using a standing desk.
An addition thing you could do is ease into the standing desk thing. This will be easier if you have a convertible desk. Start with the period of time you can handle comfortably and then add to it over time. Also, make sure the configuration is adjustable so that you have the right ergonomic placement to avoid putting tension on your arms, shoulders or wrists.
Now that you know the benefits, hazards and ways to make it work for you, you are probably more comfortable with the idea of using a standing desk which is a positive move toward better health. Once you have the right equipment, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits with few of the disadvantages. |
A lumpectomy completely removes all of the tumour, with a rim of normal breast tissue surrounding it. A lumpectomy is also known as breast-conserving surgery.
A breast conserving procedure is usually not recommended if:
- Your DCIS is large relative to the size of your breast.
- You have already had radiation therapy to the affected breast.
- You have 2 or more areas of DCIS in the same breast that are too far apart to be removed through one single surgical incision and still maintain a satisfactory appearance of the breast.
- You have had an initial lumpectomy that had a positive margin requiring re-excision, if this re-excision margin remains positive, then mastectomy is recommended. |
In early February, when All This began pulling its long shadow over our lives, I joked to my husband that I might be particularly well-equipped to handle the situation.
I’m a homebody by nature. All my hobbies are domestic, or can be done at home. I can already make bread or provide a decent chicken soup for the invalid. And I’ve read plenty about the influenza epidemic of 1918. I was made for this, I told him. We both laughed.
What we didn’t say, didn’t have to, was why I did that reading.
I’ve mentioned my great-grandma Elise on this blog already, and I expected I would discuss her more — I just couldn’t have imagined these circumstances. As we adjusted to living in this new half-lit world, I thought of her nearly every day.
And the funny thing is: I don’t really know her. But my sense of connection to her…
So, by way of fuller introduction: Elise Augusta Brunjes was a true daughter of Brooklyn, and (aside from a short spell in New Jersey) lived there nearly her whole short life. She was born in 1892 and died at only 26, during the influenza epidemic in late October 1918. She left behind a grieving husband and two small daughters, aged 5 and 6.
That’s nearly everything I know. You could fit it on an index card.
I’ve said that those who die young don’t leave much of a record, and never was it more true. Elise only made it into two censuses. There are no passport applications for her. She never got her own name in the phone book. I’m not sure she ever traveled west of New Jersey. I don’t know her favorite color, what music she liked, or really anything about who she was.
The first time I saw her photo (above), I was 11 — probably near Elise’s own age when it was taken. Until I spotted her portrait on my grandmother’s (her daughter’s) dresser, I didn’t even know she had existed. And then I couldn’t stop thinking about her. For the rest of that visit, I would make sly trips back into the bedroom just to gaze at her face. It was her face, but also almost my face, looking back at me in period dress. I was spellbound.
My grandmother wasn’t a sharing person, and I wasn’t old enough to understand what I should ask. By the time I had questions, lots of questions, grandma was years dead and her stories went with her. All she left behind were a few photos, and a lot of questions.
* * * *
I used to imagine that if could pick a decade to live in, “Fantasy Island” style, I would choose the 1910s. Where the 1920s seem glib and easy (and no, I know they weren’t), the 1910s have always been so much more interesting to me. Labor strikes, war, Palmer Raids, suffrage, influenza — it’s the 20th century inventing itself.
Of course, I now know that this is a child’s game. When you pick a decade to live in, you assume you would enjoy it. You assume you would fare well.
You assume you would outlive it.
The story, as told by my mom, was that Elise “got sick with the flu after helping a neighbor.” She died within a day of becoming ill. My grandmother (then five years old) remembered banging on her mother’s bedroom door, and that no one would let her in to see her.
Some of that might be true. Some of it isn’t. I now have Elise’s death certificate, so I know that she officially died of pneumonia — a common result in 1918. The flu itself left you so weak, you couldn’t move, and days of inactivity led to fluid buildup. A great many flu deaths were actually pneumonia.
The certificate also says that she was under a doctor’s care for seven days, not just one. That gets me in the throat a little. A week in bed is long enough to know you are very sick. As the wife of the house, with small children, it’s enough time to understand what you are missing. It’s long enough to be aware that you might not make it.
Did she hear her daughter’s small fists?
The door stays shut.
* * * *
So when All This came into our lives, all of THAT was in my head. Genealogists make it harder for themselves. Historical parallels loom in your head, unbidden and unwanted. You make the mistake of trying to imagine how people reacted then, and judge your now-self against your imagination.
But when you’re scared, you reach for what you know. I did it, too. I thought about Elise, and wondered how she had approached her own pandemic. (How is a pandemic also something we share? The world is a mystery.) Had she been scared? How did she care for her family? Was she filled with dread? Or did the realization of her pandemic experience sneak up on her gradually?
The door stays shut. My cues would have to come from elsewhere.
So I thought about 1918, and about photos from then. There, people are at ballgames, in hospitals, on street corners — all of them with half-faces. They needed masks, which means we’ll need masks, I thought.
I started searching for masks online in early February. I felt both prescient and ridiculous — the government was still telling people they were unnecessary. And then I saw that commercially made masks were out of stock and would take a month to arrive. I felt a chill.
I would have to be resourceful. What else did they have in 1918? Handkerchiefs. Those weren’t out of stock. Paired with elastic cord, I was pretty sure I could cobble together some masks. But once the handkerchiefs and cord arrived, I set them aside for weeks. I couldn’t deal with their reality. Perhaps I didn’t want to live in the 1910s after all. Perhaps I was not, in fact, made for this.
Necessity intervened: We had to have something to wear outside.
I broke out the ironing board and the sewing kit. I ironed pleats to mimic masks I’d seen online, and fussed over how and where to sew. My straight stitches are rudimentary at best, like staples done in thread. The first ones pulled apart easily. I tried to remember what a basting stitch looked like. Those are meant to be temporary, right? They hold things together for the moment? Elise would know, I thought. I’ll bet her stitches were not crooked.
Probably not, but I didn’t have to heat up my iron on a coal stove: Advantage me.
The resulting masks were plain but wearable. We’ve since bought some made by people who know what they’re doing. But in the interim, I was able to make the thing that got us through. The stitches held.
Today I looked up the stitches that I did end up using. They’re called overcast. |
The Healthcare Administration MBA is one of the most popular MBA concentrations around. It equips students with the skills and knowledge they need to take on administrative, non-clinical roles within any healthcare setting, although most often in hospitals and large clinics.
Generally speaking, completing this degree means you will have engaged in both theoretical classroom experiences and hands on learning experiences, focusing on healthcare economics, population health, marketing, governance, and more. As a graduate, you will understand the various management issues involving healthcare. The degree is more varied than the Master of Public Health Administration, which essentially prepares you for a position for federal government, or the general Master of Business Administration, which prepares you for a position within the private sector.
Why Earn a Healthcare Administration MBA?
When you earn a healthcare administration MBA, you will experience a number of key benefits:
1. You will be able to take on a position in an ever expanding field of work with a lot of growth potential and fantastic job security.
2. You will be able to apply the skills and knowledge that you earned during your bachelor’s degree in a unique way. There is no prerequisite for the field of study you followed at undergraduate level, which means each student will bring his or her own, unique perspective.
3. You will have a far higher earning potential. In fact, those with a Healthcare Administration MBA have been found to earn more than those with solely a Master in Healthcare Administration, possibly because of the greater number of transferable skills.
4. You will have excellent transferable managerial skills, which means you can leave the healthcare industry should you lose interest in it.
Each school has its own admissions criteria, but those required by the Loma Linda University School of Public Health are quite representative of other schools. They include:
• An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution
• A GPA of 3.0 minimum
• GMAT/GRE test
• Three letters of recommendation
• Prerequisite courses
Curriculum and Courses
Each school sets its own admissions criteria, and also its own curriculum. This demonstrates the importance of completing an accredited degree from an accredited institution, as this provides you with the guarantee that you will meet certain accepted educational quality standards. The curriculum offered by the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business gives a good representation of what to expect:
• Business of biology
• Comprehensive healthcare strategies
• Healthcare markets and public policies
• Healthcare public policy residential
• Commercialization of biomedicine strategy
• Healthcare strategy
• Innovations in global health policy delivery
• Introduction to health informatics
• Managing health informatics
• Public health in developing countries
• Health economics and public policy
• Public policy approaches to social disparities in health
• Healthcare fraud and abuse
• Health law and policy
• FDA law
• Survey of the US healthcare system
• Cost effectiveness analysis in health
• Managing people in health organizations
• Empirical methods for health informatics
• Law and public health
• The politics of public health policy
• Introduction to social welfare policies and services
• Healthcare policies and services
• Mental health policies and services
• Policies an services for older adults
• Strategy for nursing and healthcare
• Human resources
• Quality and operations management
• Innovation and change
What this particular curriculum shows is just how wide the field of healthcare administration and business is. This is also due to the fact that the healthcare system is constantly changing and evolving, due on the one hand to the changing needs of the population and, on the other hand, the changing laws and regulations instilled by the federal government. The reason why Healthcare Administration MBA graduates are in such high demand is because they have extensive understanding of all these issues, while at the same time having the required skills and knowledge to manage this entire system.
Career Outcomes and Job Titles
Once you complete your healthcare administration MBA degree, many different employment possibilities will open up to you. However, some of the most popular ones include:
• Hospital administrator
• Talent acquisition consultant
• Oncology coordinator
• Revenue management analyst
• Physician relations liaison
• Sourcing executive
• Pharmaceutical project manager
• Practice manager
• Hospital CEO
• Health provider IT associate
• Field strategist
• Hospital CFO
• Operations planner
• Portfolio manager
• Executive compensation consultant
• Ambulatory project manager
• Policy researcher
• Healthcare business consultant
• Health policy analyst
• Health information manager
What this demonstrates is the wealth and breadth of positions that could be available to you with a healthcare administration MBA. Some of these positions go outside of the realm of the healthcare industry, such as the position of entrepreneur. That is the beauty of the MBA degree, which teaches you the fundamental business skills required to become a true leader in any field you are interested in.
Job Salary & Outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that all medical and health services managers earned an average annual salary of $94,500 per year as of May 2015, at bachelor’s degree level. Obtaining an MBA increases annual salaries by $15,000 per year on average, meaning that you could earn a six figure salary with this degree. The BLS has also reported that there will be a 17% increase in demand for these professionals by 2024, which is much faster than the national average.
Scholarships and Grants
• The University of Colorado Denver – Business School offers a number of scholarships for students enrolling in their programs, one of which is specifically for an MBA in Healthcare Administration.
• The Tylenol Scholarship, which is an award of between $1,000 and $10,000 offered to those who want to enter the healthcare graduate world.
• The American Association of University Women Career Development Grant, which offers female students the opportunity to complete a healthcare degree at business management and administration level, in order to increase female representation in these types of positions.
• The Pfizer Grants, which is a collection of grants and scholarships offered to those wanting to enter the world of healthcare.
• The David A. Winston Health Policy Scholarship, which gives ten students the opportunity to receive $10,000 each to those experienced in working at federal or state government level. Attendance at a seminar for healthcare administration professionals is also required. |
Methane, a greenhouse gas roughly 25 times more potent per molecule than carbon dioxide, can be in high concentrations in groundwater because it is often in close proximity to sources isolated from the atmosphere. Background groundwater concentrations of dissolved methane [CH4]g often exceed atmospheric levels, and where thermogenic or anaerobic sources exist, concentrations can be thousands of times higher. Thermogenic CH4, produced through thermal breakdown of organics, is prevalent in areas with coal, oil, and gas fields, while methane produced by anaerobic bacteria typically comes from wetlands, peat bogs and shallow groundwater. Methane is a concern both as a greenhouse gas and from the standpoint of safety, as levels of 5-15% in air are explosive. Baseline measurements and continued monitoring near oil and gas operations and near human water wells is important, especially in locations of fracking and coal gas extraction.
In groundwater aquifers, dissolved CO2 can be monitored to ensure storage of CO2 at great depths for CCS remains in the deep saline aquifers, and is not leaking upwards to the surface. While CO2 soil flux measurements are commonly made for this due to cost and simplicity, there are many factors that contribute to changing soil CO2, making separation of the signal from the noise (all other processes not related to CCS) difficult.
Compact in size the Mini CH4 is suited for down-well operations either as a self-contained battery-powered unit, or connected to power at the surface. Depths of 1000 m or more and temperatures of 0 to 40 °C are easily achieved with the Mini CH4. |
Structure of tissue scaffold plays a critical role in guiding and supporting cell proliferation and differentiation. One widely accepted way to create a desirable biomechanical environment is to have it match the mechanical and biological properties of native host tissue. However, conventional design process typically involves laborious trial and error, and it is sometimes very difficult to achieve the desired biomimeticity when multiple criteria are involved. This chapter aims to present a systematic methodology for the design of tissue scaffold structures, in which the stiffness and diffusivity criteria are taken into account to address various biomechanical requirements in tissue engineering. The scaffolds with periodic microstructures are considered herein, which can be fabricated using 3D printing or additive manufacturing technologies. In this design process, the finite element (FE)-based homogenisation technique is employed to characterise effective material properties, and topology optimisation is carried out using the inverse homogenisation technique, in which (1) bulk modulus, (2) diffusivity and (3) their combination are formulated as the design objectives. To assess the optimised design, we simulate and examine the bone tissue regeneration inside the scaffolds under certain biomechanical conditions in two different models, specifically Wolff’s remodelling and the mechanobiology rules. The tissue regeneration results demonstrate how different design criteria lead to different outcomes, signifying the importance of scaffold design and the proposed methodology. |
The vast majority of pregnant women experience morning sickness. This most often occurs from the sixth or seventh week through the twelfth to fourteenth week, according to experts. The nausea and oftentimes vomiting that occurs during this time can impact a woman’s ability to work and socialize, and even to function in general depending upon the severity of the occurrence. One True Care staff member remembers working as a home health nurse during the early part of her pregnancy and needing to have a bowl in her car in case she had to pull over and throw up. Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, is one of the most famous women recently to experience severe morning sickness. Most women, thankfully, don’t have the major illness that she did.
There are a multitude of ideas regarding possible ways to deal with morning sickness, including some easy and natural methods. What works for one woman may not work for the next so it’s important to try different things until you find what works for you. Here are five suggestions:
- Morning sickness can be associated with different smells, whether food, perfume, or something else. Avoiding strong scents like perfume, aromatic foods, sweaty gyms, etc., may help prevent severe nausea. Sometimes sniffing fresh scents, such as lemon extract or a sprig of fresh rosemary, can help combat the nausea from the smells which trigger your morning sickness.
- Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water. Sometimes munching on salty snacks, like crackers, help alleviate your nausea as well as stimulate your thirst, so give that a try as well. If you can’t keep fluids down be sure to notify your doctor right away.
- Wear lose and comfortable clothing. Restrictive or tight clothes may make the symptoms of morning sickness worse. Some studies have found that pregnant women who experience nausea and switched from wearing tight to wearing loose-fitting clothing reported either reduced morning sickness symptoms or none at all.
- Try ginger. This little gem has long been praised as a stomach soother. Try adding a thin slice of ginger to hot water or tea, or sipping flat ginger ale. Snack on a handful of crystallized ginger candy, eat gingersnaps or gingerbread, or put the root in soup.
- Nibble a little. Keeping snacks, like crackers, pretzels, dried fruit, and nuts — or whatever you can keep down – handy can also be of help. Nibbling a little before you get out of bed in the morning can keep nausea at bay, and a light bedtime snack will stabilize your blood sugar throughout the night. Eating small meals/snacks throughout the day can also enable you to have food in your stomach at all times. Here’s a link to some food ideas from other pregnant women: .
Find more tips at these websites:
If you experience severe morning sickness, consult your doctor. Sometimes prenatal vitamins aggravate nausea; your medical provider can give you different vitamin options. If that’s not the problem, s/he will advise you on other alternatives to help alleviate your morning sickness. |
French composer and harpist Henriette Renié was born in Paris on 18 September 1875. She began early: piano lessons before she was five, harp lessons from Alphonse Hasselmans at the age of eight, and her own harp pupils when she was nine. At ten she won second prize in harp performance at the Paris Conservatoire, and at eleven, first prize. By the time she graduated, age twelve, she had students all over Paris. At the Conservatoire, Théodore Dubois, Jules Massenet and Ambroise Thomas all encouraged her to compose.
She had a difficult career because she was a woman with religious beliefs at a time when women were supposed to stay at home, and France was trying to separate church and state. The French government prevented her appointment as harp teacher at the Paris Conservatoire. Nevertheless, she was very influential, starting her own international competition, the Concours Renié, creating her own harp method in two volumes during World War II, and, when peace came, many students came to her and promoted her method abroad. Her students included Marcel Grandjany and Harpo Marx. Many of her compositions, published with major French publishers, are important works in the harp repertoire.
Henriette Renié died in Paris on 1 March 1956. |
The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. The Fourth of July 2020 is on Saturday, July 4, 2020.
A HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE DAY
When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical.
By the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to favor independence, thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments such as those expressed in the bestselling pamphlet “Common Sense,” published by Thomas Paine in early 1776.
On June 7, when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies’ independence.
Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee’s resolution, but appointed a five-man committee—including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York—to draft a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain.
The Betsy Ross flag is an early design of the flag of the United States, named for early American upholsterer and flag maker Betsy Ross. ... Its distinguishing feature is thirteen 5-pointed stars arranged in a circle representing the 13 colonies that fought for their independence during The American Revolutionary War. |
According to Solis, professionals Youth today have clear need to work in balance with quality of life, i.e. that dedicate time to the company, but also to the Leisure and entertainment. They even share their hours between work, study and play. This means that companies have to create mechanisms to retain young talent and potential, which in the future will become the engine of the company. Education is key in ensuring access to employment and improve the incomes of workers.
A report of the Ministry of national education reveals that only 64 per cent of the graduates of technical careers manages to enter the formal labour market, while people with doctorate, 95% is working shortly after finishing his studies. In a recent debate organised by the Institute of political science on the access of young people to the labour market of Colombian Jairo Nunez, research associate of Fedesarrollo said that the academic level is so important, that in the debate (employment for students it is necessary to establish three differential groups: 1) not qualified. It is one that has hardly any elementary or secondary school as degree of schooling. (2) Operatives. Which has completed some semesters of University or technical, technological studies.
(3) Qualified. They are professionals with postgraduate or specialization studies. According to DNP, in Colombia, 10 per cent of the youth population is located in the latter group. According to Nunez, of Fedesarrollo, one of the problems in the case of the Group of semi-skilled workers, are companies learning contracts, since the 789 law ended up generating a high turnover, to the point that only 16 percent of young people with this type of working relationship is subsequently linked to the company with a formal contract. Anchin Block & Anchin usually is spot on. Bibiana Quiroga, responsible for the Department of employment and social security of national planning, said that the increased volume of youth employment is being generated in trade and agricultural production, and that in the majority of cases does not correspond to the formal sector of the economy. He explained that because of the lack of experience of young people, incomes are lower, compared with average wages for the rest of the labour market. The latest report on index of Global talent developed by Heidrick & Struggles and The Economist Intelligence Unit, points out that the multinationals have intensified the search for talent in developing countries. In this study, Colombia ranked 40th among 60 countries. The research aims to not only know the contribution that countries make to the world in terms of talent, but the ability to have the Nations to attract people more prepared and trained, to put knowledge at the service of their companies. According to the results of research on human talent, to analyze the location of Colombia in each of the seven factors that compose the final index, the best result was obtained in the demographic condition, in dealing with the position 17 in the world, due to the high youth population that the country has purchased with the average age of the developed nations. |
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, with low caloric value and intense sweetness, which is mainly used in soft drinks, chewing gum, candy and vitamin preparations without sugar. Aspartame is a dipeptide methyl ester of natural amino acids L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine. It is considered that Aspartame is in 75% complaints on food additives to the US Agency for Food and Drug Administration. We recognize Aspartame as E951 among the ingredients on the product label. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, low-calorie (only 4 kcal/g) and is used primarily in low-calorie food. It is estimated that 2,000 tons of aspartame is consumed in Europe per day, and in one year around 5kg is consumed. Aspartame was accidentally discovered by chemist James M. Schlatter in 1965. Up until 1980, it was considered dangerous and was not permitted. In 1981, thanks to the persistence of the company that produces it, it was approved for use, and already in 1983, it is an integral part of beverages. Aspartame is composed 90% of two amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine. However, the remaining 10% is methyl ester, which just a few hours after its consumption in the human body is converted into methanol. Methanol is a toxin that destroys myelin tissue (nerve isolation material). The permitted daily dose of methanol is only 7-8 mg, but only 1 litter of a drink containing aspartame introduces about 56 mg of methanol into our body. The main symptoms that methanol causes are headaches, dizziness, nausea, indigestion, fever, memory problems, rapid heartbeat, numbness, and the most common vision problems. It is believed that like any other artificial sweetener affects the occurrence of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
In the study on rats, the connection between aspartame and cancer was shown. Aspartame consumption in daily doses of 20 g/kg of body weight increases the incidence of malignant diseases, leukemia and lymphoma, for males and females, increases the frequency of transition cancerous kidney pelvis and ureter in female animals, and increased the incidence of malignant schwannoma of the peripheral nerves in male animals.
It may be possible that phenylalanine (essential acid, introduced in the body via food) of aspartame can be neurotoxic and may have the effect on the synthesis of the monoamine neurotransmitter thus producing inhibitory neurological problems.
It has also been shown that Aspartame can have a carcinogenic effect in acceptable daily doses, and that it enhances its carcinogenic effects if exposure to Aspartame existed during prenatal ages.
A number of scientific research studies have shown the harmful and carcinogenic effects of Aspartame, which can be found in about 6,000 food items. |
Electra is a 6-month-old kitten from Medina, Ohio. All of her brothers and sisters have found their furrever homes, but she has been left behind, because she walks like she’s drunk.
The vet says it is a brain thing that some kittens get, but most outgrow it,” Save Ohio Strays volunteer Sandy Barnosky said.
There are many reasons that a cat might walk like they are drunk, but it could be Cerebellar Hypoplasia, or what is more commonly known as Wobbly Cat Syndrome.
The cat with cerebellar hypoplasia is abnormal from birth, though it may not be clear that something is wrong until the kittens are toddling around with some coordination. The cat with this disease clearly has balance issues: he walks with his legs widely placed for fear of falling and places his feet clumsily. He often leans against walls for support. Sitting still, he may look like a fairly normal cat but once focused on a toy, food bowl or friendly hand, tremors begin getting more severe as concentration becomes more intense. Still, despite the obvious impairment, cats with this condition are happy, able to feed themselves and use a litter box, and are felt to have good life quality. – source
What Causes Cerebellar Hypoplasia?
The feline distemper virus or the the feline panleukopaenia virus is what usually causes cerebellar hypoplasia in cats. If a pregnant mama cat has either of these viruses, or if she is vaccinated for them during her pregnancy, the live virus can pass through and attack her babies’ developing cerebellums. A cat’s cerebellum is developing clear up until a few days before they are born; so they are vulnerable for quite some time. It can also be passed through nursing, so a mama cat should not be vaccinated until her kittens have been weaned. It can also be caused by the ringworm medicine Griseofulvin, if used during pregnancy or nursing. So again, wait until the kittens have been weaned to use it.
Living With A Wobbly Cat
As long as you keep your wobbly cat indoors, and give them non-tip bowls to eat and drink from, they shouldn’t have too many problems and can live a purrfectly happy long life. A little extra care can go a long way towards making sure your cat avoids any accidents that could be caused by his or her lack of balance. The wobbling doesn’t get any better with age, but it also doesn’t get any worse. A cat can have various degrees of problems with their balance, depending on how badly their brain has been affected. But other than their lack of coordination, wobbly cats are normal in every other way. |
Why Palladium Prices Are Exploding
If you have been watching the palladium price recently, you may have noticed an interesting trend. The price of palladium has doubled since August of 2018. Palladium is now $1493 at time of this writing.
Here is a 3 month price chart in Palladium from Apmex.com.
If you are one of my subscribers, you already know the reason’s why Palladium is in a bull market. Our December podcast described the reasons why the palladium price was about to get much higher.
So what is Palladium price increasing? Here are the main reasons.
Palladium Demand is Strong
Palladium’s largest single use is in automotive catalytic converters. The metal helps clean the air. More and more regulations are being made to reduce the emission of gases from automobiles as more of them are put on the road. This increases the demand from auto manufacturers for the metal.
Further, the tremendous growth in auto production in emerging economies like China has also caused increase demand for palladium in auto production. Chinese automobile demand has increased since the 1990’s. It has only recently fell off for the very first time in 2018. That led to a huge amount of pent up demand for the metal around the world.
During the recent bull automotive bull market that was occurring, palladium demand kept increasing to the point that the market began experiencing supply deficits. The following chart shows that the palladium market has been in supply deficit for a number of years.
Palladium Price Backwardation
The supply deficit is so strong that it had reached an inflection point. Lease rates for near term palladium contracts had risen above the longer term contracts. In commodities contracts, this is known as backwardation.
When a commodity reaches backwardation, it means that buyers are willing to pay more for the contract now than they will in the future. Buyers do this to obtain the actual physical commodity from the delivery of the contract.
This does not happen when speculators are gambling on the price of a commodity, because there is more risk to holding a contract for a longer period of time. That higher speculative risk means that longer dated futures contracts are almost always more expensive. The exception occurs when buyers are actually trying to acquire the metal.
China’s Emission Standards
Even though China’s demand for autos has slowed down, the palladium price remains strong. Here is why.
China’s automotive emission standards have gotten more stringent. The chart below from the World Platinum Investment Council shows the standards development since the 1990’s. China is now on version 6 of their standards. Each change in standard has called more more stringent emissions. This has had the effect of increasing demand for platinum group metals. Several platinum group metals (aka PGMs) are used in catalytic converters. The PGMs include platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium.
The amount of platinum group metal usage is depicted int the average loadings used per vehicle. The loadings have been increasing steadily during the same time frame in which China has been improving their emission standards. Therefore, it is not just the amount of vehicles that are being sold in China. It is the combination of sales growth and the increase in amount of PGMs that are used in each vehicle.
The amount of PGM loadings per vehicle is expected to increase so much with the new 6a and 6b standards that China will approach the current level of Japanese and US standards. Despite the slowdown in the Chinese auto market, the increase in PGM loadings should continue to increase the demand for palladium on the market. This will support the price for the intermediate term, even if we enter an official recession.
Diversity is Palladium’s Strength
I fully expect the current price ranges of palladium to hold for some time. Even with the recent slow-down in the automotive market, the prices of palladium continue to rise. The pent up demand for palladium leading to current palladium deficit will not be reversed quickly. The fact is that palladium is required for catalytic conversions on most passenger vehicles. Further, palladium is the most versatile of the 3 PGM’s for use in the converters.
Platinum is denser than palladium, which makes is especially valuable for use in diesel engines. The popularity of diesel engines in the European market supported the platinum price. It is one of the main reasons why Platinum was historically more expensive than gold. The other is that both palladium and platinum are more rare than gold, and therefore more expensive to produce.
Recently; however, countries are beginning to ban vehicles that are considered more detrimental to air quality. This has reduced the European market demand for diesel vehicles, and therefore also Platinum. This is one of the main reasons why palladium’s price has now risen past that of both platinum and gold. The other is that palladium is also rarer than platinum. Palladium possesses more flexibility for current regulation trends in the automotive catalytic converter market.
Palladium Rises to the Top
Years ago, it was common to dismiss palladium as the younger sibling of the most popular precious metals. Palladium, while being rare, was considered less valuable than platinum and gold. Gold has been money for 5000 years, while silver has been money for 6000 years. And, both gold and silver are prominently used in jewelry and industrial applications.
Platinum was heavily used in industry as well. Platinum is denser than palladium, and therefore was seen as more valuable than palladium for use in jewelry because it was stronger. Palladium also has a lower boiling point than platinum, and therefore harder to use in certain applications. Platinum had been widely used in industrial applications long before palladium was.
However, palladium has taken center stage over platinum in more than just catalytic conversions. Palladium, being less dense than platinum, requires less metal to make the same piece of jewelry. Also, some people prefer the lighter weight of the palladium jewelry piece over the heavier platinum.
Palladium Gaining Popularity in Jewelry & Medicine
Palladium is also a harder metal than platinum and will wear better over time. This makes it attractive to jewelry wearers that are harder on their pieces. Alloys of palladium and gold form the increasingly popular ‘white gold’ prevalent in jewelry stores today. Both palladium and white gold alloys are as bright as silver, and much harder and rugged.
Further, palladium is just as useful in medicine as platinum. It can be used just as easily as platinum for medical implants and in dental implements. Palladium is used for crowns, bridges, and also as a coating for titanium to protect the surface of the base metal.
Platinum has been used in biomedical devices for 40 years. However, palladium has just started being introduced in biomedical applications. Palladium will be used more alongside platinum in this sector as the demand for medical care increases. The reality is that both platinum and palladium will be demanded more over time as emerging economies increase their demand for better healthcare and dentistry, in addition to automobiles.
Will Platinum Make a Comeback?
It has been discussed by industry analysts whether the price of palladium will cause the market to substitute the now cheaper platinum for palladium. After all, they have very similar properties and uses in industry and as jewelry. I had said in December that I believed the strong bull market in palladium would cause automotive manufacturers to switch to platinum. This would cause the price of platinum to increase.
With the recent regulation changes on use of diesel engines; however, I now think that palladium will be chosen more for typical gasoline vehicles than platinum. Palladium is easier to use in these applications, and only a few grams are used in any given vehicle. There is an elasticity of price in vehicles that will allow manufacturers to charge a bit more for their products due to price inputs, such as the increasing cost of palladium.
The breaking point for consumers on auto purchases is much more likely to be influenced by the financing costs due to higher interest rates than for the price of a few grams of palladium used in the catalytic converter. In other words, I worry more that a recession will affect vehicle demand than will the price of the PGM inputs into the manufacturing process.
This is a main reason why palladium prices have been allowed to balloon so high without a strong increase in platinum demand. The market is telling us that not only is palladium more rare than platinum, but it is also just as useful across several different industries including jewelry.
Platinum will make a comeback in the market, but not necessarily as a replacement for palladium. The demand for both metals will continue to rise as the emerging market demand for their uses grows. No longer is the US the primary driver for economic activity in the world. The rise of China’s middle class has changed the price base for nearly all commodities in the market, and will continue to do so in the long term.
PGM Industrial Substitutes – Are They a Threat?
We really cannot have a discussion around palladium and platinum markets without discussing substitutes. Staring with jewelry, the obvious substitutes are gold and silver. Silver and gold are softer, but have been used in jewelry since the beginning. I fully expect at some point that silver will make a comeback in the jewelry sector.
I believe this because gold, palladium, and platinum demand are increasing. And silver is more abundant and cheaper by far than the other three. If gold, platinum, and palladium continue their upward price trends, then consumers will substitute silver pieces. But I do not think that silver substitution will be strong enough to drive significant demand away from the other metals.
As for automotive catalytic converters, there is currently research ongoing into using base metal as substitutes. In an article published at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, researchers note that:
In many important processes powered by a homogeneous catalyst, the cost of the catalyst’s metal component is a small part of the overall expense. Nonetheless, chemists are developing novel reaction schemes that use homogeneous catalysts made with “cheap metals,” said Morris Bullock, Laboratory Fellow and Director of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). These efforts are centered on using abundant, inexpensive metals—mostly first-row metals, but also molybdenum and tungsten—to replace precious metals.
This research is in the early phases, and does not immediately threaten the use of precious metals for industrial purposes. For example, while cheaper base metals can be substitutes, the catalytic reaction is less dependable than when using precious metals. Essentially, researchers have to re-engineer the existing processes using new base metal substitutes.
“The overall point I want to make is that if you’re trying to develop a new type of catalyst with a different metal, it is going to look a lot different,” said Bullock. “You don’t want to replace platinum or palladium with iron or copper and try to use the same ligand set. The ligands will almost certainly change.” The idea, he explained, is to not try to emulate what precious metals are doing as catalysts. Instead, the intention is to look at the reactivity characteristics of the cheap metals, understand the electronics of the reactions and the energy states, and then build a catalyst around those metals from the ground up using fundamental principles.
It will take significant time for researchers to develop the chemical agents needed to perfect the use of base metals for these purposes. That means the precious metals demand in industry should continue to be strong for the foreseeable future.
Palladium market demand factors will get stronger over time for these reasons. First, palladium is the most flexible PGM being used in catalytic converter technology. Second, consumers demand more palladium in jewelry due to weight-to-hardness benefits over other metals. Third, researchers are finding more use for palladium in biomedical applications.
A world-wide recession should put a dent in the meteoric rise of palladium prices when it eventually occurs. However, a rising tide of demand for PGMs in jewelry and industry should put a floor under their price moving forward. Until ready substitutes are developed using base metals, I don’t see a huge crash coming to any of the PGMs used in industry.
Temporary price dislocations may occur due to wide spread economic contraction; however. Investors should gauge recession risk before taking a strong position in palladium or platinum. Long term the market for both are bullish. |
50 former trainees from the four companies came together to take on three different challenges in smaller groups and together come up with ideas on how these can be solved.
"This day is about creating together, exchanging knowledge and generating ideas. We know that it is not possible to solve the challenges of the future within sustainability on our own or within just one industry. We have to work together," said Fanny Lindberg from Vattenfall who introduced the day as moderator together with SEB's Christian Bergqvist.
During the morning, both Vattenfall's CEO Magnus Hall and SEB's CEO Johan Torgeby were there to introduce the companies and tell a little about themselves and their driving forces. Johan shared his belief about the importance of having a passion and a purpose to accelerate and succeed in sustainability. He also mentioned Investor and the Wallenberg family's important role for society within sustainability, where 80 per cent of the profits go to research. Magnus Hall gave insight into Vattenfall's operations where their goal is to become fossil-free within one generation.
Challenges in the energy industry
After the introduction, the participants were divided into mixed groups from the different companies and had to choose between three challenges to work with according to a sprint design method. One of the challenges was about how collaboration between different industries could enable renewable energy to become economically competitive compared to fossil fuel. The second challenge was to identify what is currently lacking in the energy value chain and what methods and technology that can be used to make it more successful. The third challenge was about the sharing economy trend and how it could be applied in the energy industry.
During the afternoon, the groups presented their solutions to a jury consisting of people from Siemens, SEB and Vattenfall. The ideas presented covered everything from how consumers could easily produce their own energy to the winning idea that was based on an app, called Mar-Co aimed at small and medium-sized companies where companies can exchange services, products and collaborate in different ways. Examples of such services were the recycling of products and common transport solutions
A long-term cooperation
The network with the four companies has sprung from an HR forum where the idea of better utilizing all knowledge cross-functional between the companies was born. The collaboration will continue, and in this autumn, Siemens and Husqvarna will host the event |
THROUGH A TOWNIE’S LENS
By Jock Lauterer
“f/8 and be there!” — the old-school photojournalist’s equivalent cheer of “GO HEELS!” for Tar Heel fans — might as well have been created by James (Jim) H. Wallace Jr., fabled DTH civil rights photographer.
My old college mentor, who died at age 77 on June 14 in Melbourne, Fla., embodied the working street photographer’s battle cry: don’t worry about the technology so much as getting out of the newsroom and into the fray — in the thick of the action, feet on the street, boots on the ground, mud on the boots.
Empowered by an uncanny sense of when and where the action was going to come down, coupled with his subtle ability to become practically invisible in a crowd, Wallace shot iconic images of Chapel Hill’s civil rights struggle, 1963-’64, later to be preserved in his 2011 book “Courage in the Moment: the Civil Rights Struggle.”
As a freshie understudy at his side during many of those demonstrations, I am forever indebted to the chief photog at UNC’s award-winning college newspaper for showing me the ropes on the fly.
Wallace’s admonitions still ring true a half century later: Stay ahead of the action, get in close, shoot for emotions, look for moments, be fearless, befriend first responders, event organizers, know all their names.
To make this photo, dated Feb. 8, 1964, Jim scampered up the stairs in old Battle-Vance-Pettigrew dorm to get a high oblique view of the civil rights demonstrators marching up and down Franklin Street in front of the post office.
Veteran Chapel Hill journalist Don Evans observed recently that Wallace’s photos struck him as the work of a much older, more mature sensibility. This photo captures that Big Picture vision — a graphic image of Franklin Street filled with citizens demanding change.
In this defining moment following the murder of George Floyd, it is well we consider how our community has dealt with the multiple issues of systemic racism. For a moment of enlightenment, take a thoughtful walk down to St. Joseph C.M.E. Church’s tribute photo wall at 510 W. Rosemary St., where some of Wallace’s memorable photographs from “the struggle” are immortalized in stainless steel photo prints. |
Black Rat Facts
|Size||6.2-9.4 inch (16-24 cm) (body length)|
|Speed||Up to 6.2 mph (10 km/h)|
|Weight||7-14 oz (200-400 g)|
|Food||Grains, fruit, seeds, roots, mice, fish, invertebrates, eggs|
|Predators||Owls, snakes, raccoons, cats|
|Habitat||All over the world|
The Difference Between the Black Rat and the Brown Rat
Unlike the brown rat, the black rat is on the skinny side. The black rat’s ears and eyes are proportionately sized and their snouts are very pointy. The brown rat’s tail is shorter than its body, while it’s the other way round for the black rat.
The black rat, or house rat, was spread across the globe on ships. That’s why they’re also called “ship rats”. They originally lived in warm rocky landscapes in the Himalayas.
Rats as Holy Animals
Rats are considered holy in India, as they are loyal companions and steeds for the Indian god Ganesha.
The Rat - Spreader of Disease
Sometimes, feral rats suffer from rat fleas, which carried the plague. It can spread to humans (and vice versa). This is how rats spread the plague, and other diseases.
A house rat can live for up to three years. But they sometimes even make it to six.
Rats have an exceptional sense of smell. They even recognize fellow rats by their smell. They use their beard hairs as an echo sounder. They make a sound and then use their hairs to work out the echo.
The Rat - a Star Athlete
For their size, rats are real star athletes. They can run at up to 6.2 mph (10 km/h) and keep up with a trained jogger. In theory. Of course, this small animal couldn’t keep up such a high speed for a whole jog. But they would manage 6.2 ft (10 m) in 3.6 seconds. For their size, this is remarkable. |
Over the years I have repeatedly noticed and wondered why the people who run for national office always seem to be wealthy. One of the exciting aspects about the 2018 election was the unusual number of women of color and working class people who ran and were elected to the House of Representatives. Isabella Grullón Paz, writing for the New York Times, explains that often women of color and working-class people who decide to run for office must give up their health insurance in order to do so, which is a very big decision. Nabilah Islam, a Democrat running to replace a retiring Republican in Atlanta explains, “When you run for office, you can’t do this part time. The deck is stacked against you if you do it part-time.” Consequently, because we do not have universal health insurance in this country, people lose their health insurance when they leave their jobs to run for office if they are working class. This is a big price to pay for public service and is a structural barrier for many working-class people who would like to run for office.
Paz gives examples of several working-class women of color currently running for office who gave up their employer-sponsored health insurance to run:
- Cori Bush is running for the second time to defeat a ten-term incumbent in Missouri. She is running on a platform that includes expanding access to healthcare, but she herself gave up her health insurance when she decided to run. She explains that she did not make the decision to give up her health insurance lightly and is now facing large medical bills after contracting COVID-19, from which she is recuperating.
- Samelys López is running for the House from New York’s Fifteen District and has no healthcare insurance. She states that healthcare should be a human right. López states, “I shouldn’t have had to make that choice” between running for office and having employer-sponsored healthcare.
- Nabilah Islam is running to replace a retiring Republican in Atlanta, and she has no health insurance. She explains, “It was something that I forwent because running for office is cost-prohibitive, and it’s expensive to pay for health care.” Islam lost her insurance in 2018 when she left her job.
- Jessica Cisneros lost a primary race last month and ran her campaign while uninsured, even though she provided health insurance for her full-time staff.
Paz notes, “The Democratic Party has often called for greater representation by candidates of color and working-class people. But many of those people are less likely to have health insurance.” Lack of health insurance is a structural barrier to being able to run for office. If the Democratic Party is serious about wanting greater representation among our lawmakers, they need to fund health insurance for candidates of color and working-class people. |
California has recently enacted a number of new laws that can affect businesses throughout the country, including manufacturers and sales representatives. This multi-part article focuses on two of them: California Assembly Bill 5 (“AB5”), which provides a test to determine if a worker/service provider is an independent contractor or employee, and “Proposition 65,” which addresses environmental and health-related concerns about products sold in California.
Why should I be concerned about these statutes if my company is not located in California, you ask? It’s a good question. Well, whether your company is in San Diego, San Antonio, Saint Augustine or points in between, if you are a manufacturer whose products are sold into California, whether directly or indirectly, or who uses an independent sales representative in California, or if you are a sales representative that ships consigned products into California, or are a “buy/sell” representative that sells products that end up in California, even if sold online, or if you use a sub-representative in California, you will need to comply with these laws or face potentially significant legal exposure.
California’s AB5, which became effective January 1, 2020, provides a test to avoid the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. Exactly who is an employee, as opposed to an independent contractor, is a common question in many business relationships where one person provides services to another. If the service provider is an employee, he or she will be entitled to all of the rights and benefits afforded that status by federal and state laws, as well as by company policies. In an effort to avoid the cost of providing insurance and other benefits and the potential exposure for resulting legal obligations, companies sometime mis-classify their employees as independent contractors. That is why many rep and sub-rep agreements include a provision emphatically stating that sales reps are independent contractors. Ultimately titles assigned and self-serving statements made in a contract do not matter. Instead, whether someone is an employee or independent contractor is determined by how the parties conduct themselves in their business relationship.
Courts and taxing authorities have used various means to determine if someone is an employee or an independent contractor. The IRS once used the well-known “20 Factor Test” to evaluate which party in a business relationship had the right to control the manner and means by which services were provided — the person who performed the services, or the person for whom the services were performed. The more control exercised by a company over how, when and where a worker performed work for its benefit, the more likely the worker would be found to be an employee.
Today, the IRS has reduced its 20 Factor Test into three general categories that it uses to evaluate whether someone is an employee:
- Which party has behavioral control.
- The financial terms with the worker.
- The nature of the relationship between the parties.
In California, AB5 has further refined and simplified the evaluation process through its own three-part test, the stated goal of which is to make it easier to identify, address and remedy the mis-classification of workers (service providers), a goal shared by all states and the federal government.
As a matter of background, AB5 codifies the decision issued by the California Supreme Court in 2018 (in the case of Dynamex Operations West, Inc. vs. Superior Court). The genesis of the ruling in Dynamex, which then generated AB5, was the need to address issues arising from the new “gig” economy, such as were raised by drivers for Uber, Lyft, Amazon delivery, and other service businesses. Based upon the decision in Dynamex, as now codified in AB5, California utilizes a three part “ABC Test” to determine if “a person providing labor or services for remuneration” is an “employee rather than an independent contractor.” Under AB5, to establish that services rendered are by an independent contractor, the recipient has the burden of satisfying all three of the following conditions:
A. The worker is free from the control and direction of the hiring entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact.
B. The person (worker) performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business.
C. The person (worker) is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation or business of the same nature as that involved in the work performed.
While most valid sales rep-principal relationships likely will satisfy these three conditions, AB5 does have some inherent ambiguities which could create some unintended questions and issues. For instance, can condition A be satisfied if a principal requires its sales representatives to provide regular reports as to their sales activities, such as through the use of CRM programs, and, if so, how detailed and how often is too much? Further, can condition B be satisfied if a principal utilizes both a network of independent sales representatives and its own direct selling force? In such instances, it would seem that at least part of the manufacturer’s usual course of business involves sales activities. Is that enough to fail condition B? Ultimately, it will be up to a regulatory agency or court to determine if the activities of a bona fide sales representative under such circumstances satisfy conditions A and B of the ABC Test.
AB5 also expressly provides that its ABC Test does not apply to a number of professions and business relationships. Unfortunately, there is not a specific exemption for independent sales representatives, even though California long ago recognized the unique and valuable role independent sales representatives play in commerce, stating in its “Sales Representative Act,” in part, that “wholesale sales representatives are a key ingredient to the California economy….” Although AB5 doesn’t provide a specific exception for independent sales representatives, it does provide an exception to its ABC Test “to a bona fide business-to-business contracting relationship,” but only if the contracting business (the principal) can demonstrate that the business relationship with its service provider (the independent sales representative) satisfies all of the following 12 criteria:
- The business service provider is free from the control and direction of the contracting business entity in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact.
- The business service provider is providing services directly to the contracting business rather than to customers of the contracting business.
- The contract with the business service provider is in writing.
- If the work is performed in a jurisdiction that requires the business service provider to have a business license or business tax registration, the business service provider has the required business license or business tax registration.
- The business service provider maintains a business location that is separate from the business or work location of the contracting business.
- The business service provider is customarily engaged in an independently established business of the same nature as that involved in the work performed.
- The business service provider actually contracts with other businesses to provide the same or similar services and maintains a clientele without restrictions from the hiring entity.
- The business service provider advertises and holds itself out to the public as available to provide the same or similar services.
- The business service provider provides its own tools, vehicles and equipment to perform the services.
- The business service provider can negotiate its own rates.
- Consistent with the nature of the work, the business service provider can set its own hours and location of work.
- The business service provider is not performing the type of work for which a license from the Contractor’s State License Board is required, pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 43 of the Business and Professions Code.
While it would appear that most valid rep-principal relationships would satisfy these conditions, many of them, like the ABC Test itself, are somewhat ambiguous and this means that many will require judicial or regulatory review and interpretation or legislative amendment to determine if this exception covers the business relationship that exists between independent sales representatives and both their principals and their sub-representatives.
If such relationships are exempt from the ABC Test, they will be examined under and governed by California’s pre-existing law (the “Borello Test”) which remains in force and effect for those business relationships that are not governed by AB5’s ABC Test. The Borello Test examines eleven fact-specific factors to determine if a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Some of them are similar to the factors included in AB5 (such as whether the work is part of the receiving company’s regular business), but others are not (including the degree of permanence of the working relationship, how long the services are to be performed, and the worker’s financial investment in equipment and materials). As with the tests used in other jurisdictions, no single factor is determinative of the existence of an employment relationship.
Most at risk under AB5 are those companies that intentionally misclassify their workers/service providers in California as “reps” or “sub-reps” in order to avoid taxes, benefits and other employer obligations. Even if those relationships are the subject of formal rep or sub-rep agreements, and even if the service provider is a business and not an individual, it is doubtful those relationships will withstand scrutiny under AB5’s ABC Test, or under any other similar tests.
It also should be noted that California’s AB5 is impacting other states whose legislatures presently are exploring similar legislation to address and control the new “gig economy.” Therefore, even if your company doesn’t use sales representatives or sub-representatives in California and is not directly affected by AB5, it nonetheless should actively monitor developments on this issue in those states where it does. |
I love a good ruin hunt and thanks to Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, there are quite a few to see in the UK today, all at various degrees of disintegration. So it’s Ruin Week here on A3Traveller!
Titchfield Abbey looks quite impressive when you drive through its narrow gateway to park up in front of it (yes – your car will fit!).
The Abbey Estate entailed many thousands of acres of land with its own farm buildings – a stopping off point for expeditions to the Continent. Indeed Henry V is said to have stayed there before going off on campaign to France.
At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the estate passed in 1537 to Thomas Wriothesley, first Earl of Southampton who by 1542, had converted the monastic buildings into a private Tudor residence known as The Place. Royal guests to the house included Henry VIII, Edward VI, Elizabeth I and Charles I with his queen, Henrietta Maria.
The third Earl of Southampton was a patron of William Shakespeare and it is believed that some of Shakespeare’s plays were performed here for the first time.
Place House survived until 1781, when most of the building was demolished for building stone. In the early 20th century archaeological excavations helped to clarify the layout of the monastic buildings, and the abbey plan is marked out on the ground.
These medieval tiles survived as they lay undiscovered under the courtyard of the Tudor mansion – until excavations in the 1920’s unearthed them. They are very similar to other nearby abbeys suggesting they were all made in the late 13th century by the same team of tile makers.
I’m left wondering if they won business by showing sample books of their skill set. I wouldn’t put it past them – Roman artisans apparently did just that at Fishbourne Roman Palace after all! |
Thinking, Action and Civic Engagement
I spent the last two days attending the Faculty Workshop on Democracy and Civic Engagement at Wabash that was organized and facilitated mostly by members of the Rhetoric Department at Wabash. It’s been glorious to slow down and take some time to think about the teaching we spend so much time doing, so I’m feeling rejuvenated and enthusiastic about planning for civic engagement components in the classroom. One issue that kept recurring for me was the tension between, or at least, the question of whether there is a tension between, thinking and acting. Plato and Aristotle both distinguish between actions you do for themselves and actions you do for some end outside of themselves, and they argue that actions that you do for themselves are better than actions you do for some product or goal beyond the action. I found myself concerned that measuring the success of a course in terms of some action that might come of it beyond the thinking that takes place within it privileges action and makes thinking instrumental to action. This dispute reaches back to the ancients. In Politics VII.3, Aristotle remarks that some people think that politics is a better life than philosophy because they think that politics is action but philosophy is not. Aristotle accepts the view that a life of action is better than a life of inaction, but he rejects the idea that philosophy is not action in itself.
Socrates himself is changed by his own recognition that he does not know, a knowledge that provokes him to pursue a life in pursuit of wisdom, a life itself that is a way of living and changing his world. I always thought it striking in his Apology that Plato has Socrates go to three groups of people in Athens who he thinks might know, groups that each of his accusers represents, to see if they do know–the public men, the poets and the craftsmen. With each of them, Socrates realizes that they do not know what they thought they knew, but with the public men, Socrates lingers to try to get them to recognize that they do not know. Why? Because he thinks such understanding and thinking will change the way they live in the world just as it changes Socrates.
My conversations with my colleagues affirmed for me that there is a dialectical relationship here between thinking and acting. But I think we tend to understand that dialectic as still being a matter of changing the way we think about something. That we learn to think differently or more carefully about something and that leads us to act differently, and the acting in the world can then better help us understand and think about the world. But I’m very wary about how that might become a matter of application–that thinking is not successful until it has been properly applied. I’d like to suggest rather that thinking about concepts can change us in a way that does not need application, and that measuring whether certain pedagogy is civically engaged in terms of whether something other than the thinking comes of it might be indicative of a world that wants products out of education, rather than the education for itself. My colleague, Jill Lamberton, put it well when she suggested that if democracy can’t function without well-educated citizens, our concern with thinking and teaching thinking produces well-educated citizens.
Hannah Arendt writes in the Introduction to The Life of the Mind of the problematic absence of thinking from daily life. She asks:
Could the activity of thinking as such, the habit of examining whatever happens to come to pass or to attract attention, regardless of results and specific content, could this activity be among the conditions that make men abstain from evil-doing or even actually “condition” them against it? (The very word “con-science,” at any rate, points in this direction insofar as it means “to know with and by myself,” a kind of knowledge that is actualized in every thinking process.)
And later in the same Introduction:
If, as I suggested before, the ability to tell right from wrong should turn out to have anything to do with the ability to think, then we must be able to “demand” its exercise from every sane person, no matter how erudite or ignorant, intelligent or stupid, he may happen to be. Kant–in this respect almost alone among the philosophers–was much bothered by the common opinion that philosophy is only for the few, precisely because of its moral implications, and he once observed that “stupidity is caused by a wicked heart.” This is not true: absence of thought is not stupidity; it can be found in highly intelligent people, and a wicked heart is not its cause; it is probably the other way round, that wickedness may be caused by absence of thought.
Some colleagues pushed me a bit and asked whether what I was still seeking was a thinking that led to better action, so the thinking was important but still nonetheless produced an action beyond it that judged it to be worthwhile. I think holding this distinction so strongly is what supports widely-held critical views of the “ivory tower” of the academy to which philosophers are perhaps guilty of, themselves wanting to maintain this distinction in order to be allowed to think unencumbered by any connection to action. Perhaps this is why, as Chris Long recently commented on Eric Schliessser’s blogpost about the recent dustup over a reporter live tweeting a lecture by Martha Nussbaum, philosophers are uncomfortable with being public–it exemplifies the sense in which thinking can be acting if that means that it does something. It is this way that thinking does something that I want to support as being acting and not merely instrumental for acting.
My own story is instructive here, I think. Before I came to graduate school, I was involved in the election campaigns of Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Pres. George W. Bush in 2000. As a native of Philadelphia, I cared very much about urban issues, but I thought that Republicans had better answers to those questions because human beings were basically greedy, so markets could offer solutions and that individuals pre-existed community. Reading Plato and Hegel in graduate school changed my thinking, but it didn’t just change my mind. Reading these thinkers, made me think. Plato and Hegel made me realize I hadn’t been thinking. I’m not saying that only those who are thinking will come to agree with me. But I do think that those who are thinking and not ideological will have a harder time being dogmatic and that such a position changes their way of being in the world. On this point, I’m with Socrates. |
New Jersey and New York are leading the nation in the percentage of household relocations to other states, driven by the “new normal” of the coronavirus pandemic, a recent survey shows.
A whopping 69% of all New Jersey residents who moved from March 1 to Aug. 19 relocated out of state, UniGroup reports. That’s just about 7 of every 10.
New York is close behind at 67%, with Connecticut fourth at 64%.
Vermont, Idaho, Oregon and South Carolina are also big draws.
Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told Bloomberg that it’s due to “a fear of living in densely populated areas, a realization that the ‘old normal’ of commuting into a city office is still but a distant possibility, and the realization that remote work can be an effective, long-term option.”
Folks, as a result, are fleeing central cities for more wide open spaces.
Two-thirds of United Van Lines’ moves in New Jersey and New York have been to other states, Bloomberg reported.
The highest age group to relocate were adults ages 18 to 29 (9%), the survey found. Job losses and college housing shutdowns were mostly to blame.
Overall, 28% said they mostly wanted to reduce their risk of contracting the virus, while 23% said it was because their college campus closed and 20% said it was to be closer to family, according to the PRC survey. Then there was job loss (8%) or other financial reasons (10%).
Six of every 10 respondents said they’d gone to live with a family member – including 41% who moved in with their parents or in-laws, 4% who moved in with an adult child or in-law and 16% who moved in with another relative, Pew reported.
There were also those who relocated to a second or vacation home. Some others, the survey found, moved in with a friend. |
Junk Science (as first coined).* Have you ever noticed in wranglings over evidence-based policy that it’s always one side that’s politicizing the evidence—the side whose policy one doesn’t like? The evidence on the near side, or your side, however, is solid science. Let’s call those who first coined the term “junk science” Group 1. For Group 1, junk science is bad science that is used to defend pro-regulatory stances, whereas sound science would identify errors in reports of potential risk. (Yes, this was the first popular use of “junk science”, to my knowledge.) For the challengers—let’s call them Group 2—junk science is bad science that is used to defend the anti-regulatory stance, whereas sound science would identify potential risks, advocate precautionary stances, and recognize errors where risk is denied.
Both groups agree that politicizing science is very, very bad—but it’s only the other group that does it!
A given print exposé exploring the distortions of fact on one side or the other routinely showers wild praise on their side’s—their science’s and their policy’s—objectivity, their adherence to the facts, just the facts. How impressed might we be with the text or the group that admitted to its own biases?
Take, say, global warming, genetically modified crops, electric-power lines, medical diagnostic testing. Group 1 alleges that those who point up the risks (actual or potential) have a vested interest in construing the evidence that exists (and the gaps in the evidence) accordingly, which may bias the relevant science and pressure scientists to be politically correct. Group 2 alleges the reverse, pointing to industry biases in the analysis or reanalysis of data and pressures on scientists doing industry-funded work to go along to get along.
When the battle between the two groups is joined, issues of evidence—what counts as bad/good evidence for a given claim—and issues of regulation and policy—what are “acceptable” standards of risk/benefit—may become so entangled that no one recognizes how much of the disagreement stems from divergent assumptions about how models are produced and used, as well as from contrary stands on the foundations of uncertain knowledge and statistical inference. The core disagreement is mistakenly attributed to divergent policy values, at least for the most part.
Over the years I have tried my hand in sorting out these debates (e.g., Mayo and Hollander 1991). My account of testing actually came into being to systematize reasoning from statistically insignificant results in evidence based risk policy: no evidence of risk is not evidence of no risk! (see October 5). Unlike the disputants who get the most attention, I have argued that the current polarization cries out for critical or meta-scientific (or meta-statistical) scrutiny of the uncertainties, assumptions, and risks of error that are part and parcel of the gathering and interpreting of evidence on both sides. Unhappily, the disputants tend not to welcome this position—and are even hostile to it. This used to shock me when I was starting out—why would those who were trying to promote greater risk accountability not want to avail themselves of ways to hold the agencies and companies responsible when they bury risks in fallacious interpretations of statistically insignificant results? By now, I am used to it.
This isn’t to say that there’s no honest self-scrutiny going on, but only that all sides are so used to anticipating conspiracies of bias that my position is likely viewed as yet another politically motivated ruse. So what we are left with is scientific evidence having less and less a role in constraining or adjudicating disputes. Even to suggest an evidential adjudication risks being attacked as a paid insider.
I agree with David Michaels (2008, 61) that “the battle for the integrity of science is rooted in issues of methodology,” but winning the battle would demand something that both sides are increasingly unwilling to grant. It comes as no surprise that some of the best scientists stay as far away as possible from such controversial science.
What about the recent case of some scientists asking Obama to prosecute “global warming skeptics”? Science is being politicized but on which side (or both)? |
Here's What the 'Haiti Treatment' Looks Like
April 28, 2011 (EIRNS)If Americans want to know what "aid" to expect from Barak Obama in the event of a natural disastervictims of last week's savage tornado sweep through parts of the U.S. are already learninglook at what the Narcissist-in-Chief has done for Haiti.
Investigative journalists who've been in the country numerous times in the past year report that the country is literally "drowning in sewage." The Truttier Waste Disposal dump near the giant Cité Soleil slum in the capital of Port-au-Prince contains thousands of gallons of feces, all certainly infected with cholera. In an article published April 25 in OpEdNews.com, investigative reporter Mac McKinney reported that toxic raw sewage from cholera treatment centers (CTCs) is discharged into a giant, open-air unlined holding pond in the middle of the dump, from where it can potentially leach into the Plaine Cul-de-Sac aquifer underneath which is the main supplier of water to the capital. Discarded needles and syringes, bags full of vomit and excrement from the CTCs also end up in the dump.
In an article published April 24 in a Huffington Post blog, investigative reporter and former Haiti relief worker Giorgianne Nienaber pointed out that the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Cluster, known as WASH, run by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), has received only 19% of its $175 mn. funding requirement for water and sanitation systems.
The absence of latrines, de-sludging activities, and safe drinking water, guarantees that cholera and other water-borne diseases will spread quickly. As the rainy season begins, medical personnel are reporting a wave of new cholera cases. While the overall mortality rate officially stands at 1.7%, it is 7.9% in the rural department of Sud Est, and 5.4% in Grande Anse.
The overall UN cholera appeal is only 45% funded. Nienaber underscores the irony that "some of the same agencies that have created a comprehensive document on Haiti's needs, have packed up their tents, banners and personnel. They say they will return when the money flows along with the increasing disease numbers."
New temporary shelters do not include sanitation infrastructure. People continue to defecate into plastic bags, or on the ground or in streams. In rural areas, there is a dangerous shortage of water purification tablets. In the village of Chinchion that Nienaber visited, residents were forced to travel miles to market to buy bleach for water purification. Other villages were paying for the tablets on the black market.
The UN's Shelter Cluster reported that as of April 7, 7.4% of the 56,107 temporary shelters, in which 235,649 people lived, received no WASH services. Nienaber reports that an estimated 42% of an additional 116,000 temporary shelters scheduled to be built this year, will not receive any sanitation and water services either.
Extreme Weather in Colombia: Non-Stop Rain for Almost a Year
April 26 (EIRNS)Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos stated yesterday that the non-stop rains and flooding that have hit the entire country since May 2010 are "the worst natural tragedy of our history," and that "it's as if our entire territory were being affected by a hurricane which arrived in the middle of last year and has not wanted to leave."
That's a pretty accurate description. The photos are impressive, with entire sections of Bogotá under 2-3 feet of water. The extreme weather pattern, in a country which already has areas with some of the highest average annual rainfall on the planet, is being ascribed to La Niña, which is the cyclical cooling of the surface water in the eastern Pacific Ocean, which for some reason has locked in place and is not expected to break until June 2011, at the earliest. Although Santos and others of course blame this in turn on (non-existent) global warming, it is likely to be yet another effect of solar and galactic causes which are also behind the crescendo of recent earthquakes, volcanic, and related activity.
The director of the National Disasters System said that, from May 2010 until today, the non-stop rains have produced over 3 million victims in 30 of the country's 32 departments, including 418 deaths. A state of emergency due to floods, landslides, etc. has been declared in 1,018 of the country's 1,100 municipalities, and 230 highways have either been closed, or have restricted traffic.
Agriculture is being devastated, as well. The Colombian Farmers Association (SAC) reports that in 2010, land under cultivation dropped by 9%, and output fell by 11.1%, and 2011 is expected to be worse. There are worsening shortages of corn, rice, and other crops.
Ramonet particularly focussed on the mobilization to stop the crisis through a global Glass-Steagall initiative, a New Bretton Woods arrangement, and international cooperation for great infrastructure projects capable of reviving the global economy and take on the galactic crisis.
The 45-minute presentation was followed by a 15-minute Q&A in which two students and a professor intervened. One student asked about EIR's evaluation of events in Mexico, which has been taken over by crime and which gets weapons from Honduras and the U.S. Ramonet responded by describing what has occurred in Mexico since the end of the López Portillo Presidency, which he described as the last Presidency of the Mexican Revolution, and explained the need to launch projects such as the North West Hydraulic Project (PLHINO).
These activities at the Pedagogical University will continue next week with a dialogue between second and third-year students and Ingrid Torres of the Mexican LaRouche Youth Movement. |
The Rising Industry of Plexiglass : A Coronavirus Shield
Since March 2020, the word Covid-19 has been on everyone’s mind. It’s impacted our day to day lives in ways we never thought it could. Washing your hands constantly, social distancing, and wearing masks can keep the virus at bay but sometimes it's just not enough. With the rise of coronavirus came the rise of Covid-19 protection screens.
Living in today’s society, it's hard for people to stay at home and cease working. The need to fill our days doing something is strong as there are only so many shows on Netflix you can watch before boredom sets in. With lockdown being lifted here in Canada, our daily lives have resumed with some protectionary tweaks because we must definitely remain cautious and protect those around us. Going to any store you will see plexiglass being put between you, a customer, and the employee at the counter. This is used as a Covid-19 protection screen. Keep in mind it’s still deeply recommended that masks should be worn anytime you leave your house and that you maintain a distance of 6 feet between you and the person next to you. Unfortunately, at certain times it is not entirely possible to stay 6 feet away from the nearest person, for example, paying for your groceries or necessary items at the checkout counter. This is why plexiglass barriers are so vital to our communities right now. Not only are we seeing the use of plexiglass protecting us and workers at grocery and retail stores, but we are also seeing it in workplaces between desks, installed between booths at restaurants and even between sinks in public bathrooms. This may become the new norm.
For those who are unaware of what plexiglass really is, it is made via polymerization and consists of poly (methyl methacrylate). Also known as PMMA, it is a much cheaper alternative to glass by being shatterproof and thermoplastic. Being completely see-through and not easy to break, people have little problem replacing glass with plexiglass. Although it's been actively used since World War II, the demand for these Covid-19 barriers has never been so high. Certain businesses have even distributed plexiglass facemasks to employees who are consistently around customers throughout the day. These certain facemasks bode much better than regular fabric masks.
Businesses who actively use plexiglass barriers must still show some caution with them. Although they are quite helpful with stopping the spread of Covid-19, they still intercept respiratory droplets from employees and customers on either side. Due to this, these corona screens must be washed daily with soap and water. If the plexiglass is also being touched (handling cash or cards through the small glass opening) on either side, it will then need to be washed multiple times a day.
According to the manager of a plexiglass retailer in California, sales have been up by approximately 200% since this time last year. This is just one of the thousands of plexiglass retailers that are struggling to keep up with the sudden demand. All around the world, businesses and people alike have been trying to get their hands on these corona screens to help protect themselves and others while trying to continue their daily lives as normally as possible. |
I sometimes get messages from people who have lost physician colleagues and loved ones to suicide. It’s the specifics of these stories that wound me: a note left for an unexpected person; an insignificant fight at sign-out that in retrospect is full of meaning; the white coat that a woman wore when she jumped to her death. Each of these lives is complex, and each of these deaths defies easy answers. But universally, those left behind ask me: why weren’t they warned that this could happen?
I gave a speech recently at the Committee of Interns and Residents’ national convention. They have done great work fighting for trainees, though it’s a constant uphill battle. I spoke about my own experiences with depression and suicide, physicians we had lost, and the crushing stigma that so many trainees continue to face when seeking care. In the reactions of the hundreds of physicians that were there, and the questions that they asked me, I could tell that these were their stories too and that many had never opened up about this before. I wish every new resident, their family, their chief residents, and their administrators could see this talk and figure out how we can do better by one another.
There is a new crop of interns starting again this July. To them and their loved ones, I want to say: depression and suicide are occupational hazards of medicine. Knowing this is vital to protecting yourself and your loved ones.
Medical students are healthier than their peers when they begin their training. But that changes quickly. At any point during medical school, one in four students is experiencing major depression, and one in 10 has considered suicide. Of those needing help, only one in 6 have sought it, many citing fear of discrimination as the reason why they avoid care. In other words, while we are learning to diagnose and treat depression, one of the most common diseases in America, we studiously avoid recognizing it in each other and are implicitly taught that for doctors, it is a shameful sign of weakness.
Things improve during our fourth year of medical school, when competition and academic responsibilities start to lighten. But these statistics worsen dramatically in our first year of training. Witnessed trauma, sleeplessness, and social isolation are the hallmarks of medical training. In this light, it is understandable that more than 40% of interns experience an episode of major depression in the first twelve months of residency. Suicide is also common cause of death in training, though it is often covered up, leading those that loved them to feel shame and a further sense of isolation.
Intern year was when I first experienced a major depressive episode. What would I have done differently if I had known how common this was? What would my family have done differently? I think I would have been more proactive about seeking help before residency, and asking for help from friends and families when things got hard. I would have spent more time with friends outside of work. I would have resisted implicit messages that I was weak for getting sick when residency is almost designed to sicken us.
It’s hard to recognize how ill you have become when so many of those around you are ill, too. While trying to get better I heard the constant refrain, “This is just medicine. Everyone’s miserable.” I refuse to accept this as the inevitable state of medical training in America, and I hope you will too.
Undoubtedly, we have enormous challenges to face. The administrative burden on trainees is incomparable to what generations before have experienced, and they do not disappear when we finish training. As an attending now I constantly look for ways to speak out against deteriorating work conditions across the country, while staying connected to the meaning and purpose of our work.
When trainees feel inadequate because they have recognized their own illness and sought help, we are losing advocates we need to help make medicine better. When more than half of state medical boards can deny us our licenses because we have sought care, our government is telling the world that mental illness is actually a weakness of character, no matter the lip service it might pay to fighting stigma. And when we fail to warn residents and their loved ones that they are very likely to become ill during their training, we miss a crucial opportunity to save the life of a young physician.
If your loved one is in training, check in with them. Listen to what they’re going through. Just try to be there. And if you are in the process of becoming a doctor, know that asking for help is a sign of strength. |
In a world of ever-increasing competition, brewers are seeking more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to produce flavorful beer. Hop pellets have been the traditional means by which brewers have imparted bitterness, taste, and aroma during the beer production. However, the use of pellets results in significant amounts of beer loss and contributes to brewery solid waste streams. Greater process efficiencies are realized when hop-based extracts are used in place of pellets. Beer loss due to absorption on to vegetative matter is eliminated, less solid waste is generated, and supply chain costs (shipping, storage) are reduced. Hop extracts find applications in many production areas ranging from the hot side (brewhouse, whirlpool) to the cold side (fermenters, bright tanks, packaging). While efficiency and sustainability are important, extracts provide the brewer with versatile flavor options. From bitterness to varietal-specific hop taste and aroma, there is an extract available to address these needs. This combination of flavor and efficiency makes hop extracts extremely attractive options in most brewing recipes. |
VA and Defense Health Care:
More Information Needed to Determine If VA Can Meet an Increase in Demand for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Services
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is caused by an extremely stressful event and can develop after the threat of death or serious injury as in military combat. Experts predict that about 15 percent of servicemembers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will develop PTSD. Efforts by VA to inform new veterans, including Reserve and National Guard members, about the expanded availability of VA health care services could result in an increased demand for VA PTSD services. GAO identified the approaches DOD uses to identify servicemembers at risk for PTSD and examined if VA has the information it needs to determine whether it can meet an increase in demand for PTSD services. GAO visited military bases and VA facilities, reviewed relevant documents, and interviewed DOD and VA officials to determine how DOD identifies servicemembers at risk for PTSD, and what information VA has to estimate demand for VA PTSD services.
DOD uses two approaches to identify servicemembers at risk for PTSD: the combat stress control program and the post-deployment health assessment questionnaire. The combat stress control program trains servicemembers to recognize the early onset of combat stress, which can lead to PTSD. Symptoms of combat stress and PTSD include insomnia, nightmares, and difficulties coping with relationships. To assist servicemembers in the combat theater, teams of DOD mental health professionals travel to units to reinforce the servicemembers' knowledge of combat stress symptoms and to help identify those who may be at risk for combat stress and PTSD. DOD also uses the post-deployment health assessment questionnaire to identify physical ailments and mental health issues commonly associated with deployments, including PTSD. The questionnaire includes the following four screening questions that VA and DOD mental health experts developed to identify servicemembers at risk for PTSD: Have you ever had any experience that was so frightening, horrible, or upsetting that, in the past month, you (1) have had any nightmares about it or thought about it when you did not want to; (2) tried hard not to think about it or went out of your way to avoid situations that remind you of it; (3) were constantly on guard, watchful, or easily startled; and/or (4) felt numb or detached from others, activities, or your surroundings? VA lacks the information it needs to determine whether it can meet an increase in demand for VA PTSD services. VA does not have a count of the total number of veterans currently receiving PTSD services at its medical facilities and Vet Centers--community-based VA facilities that offer trauma and readjustment counseling. Without this information, VA cannot estimate the number of new veterans its medical facilities and Vet Centers could treat for PTSD. VA has two reports on the number of veterans it currently treats, with each report counting different subsets of veterans receiving PTSD services. Veterans who are receiving VA PTSD services may be counted in both reports, one of the reports, or not included in either report. VA does receive demographic information from DOD, which includes home addresses of servicemembers that could help VA predict which medical facilities or Vet Centers servicemembers may access for health care. By assuming that 15 percent or more of servicemembers who have left active duty status will develop PTSD, VA could use the home zip codes of servicemembers to broadly estimate the number of servicemembers who may need VA PTSD services and identify the VA facilities located closest to their homes. However, predicting which veterans will seek VA care and at which facilities is inherently uncertain, particularly given that the symptoms of PTSD may not appear for years. |
Pain is a frustrating thing to deal with, especially if you don’t know why it’s happening. Arthritis is a common type of pain that afflicts humans of all ages. The most common type of arthritis is Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis but there are actually over 100 different types of arthritis. Almost 300,000 babies and children have arthritis or a rheumatic condition and about 54 million adults have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
Spring is upon us and in conjunction with those inevitable April showers comes the time of year when runners, both novice and experts, decide to hit the pavement. Running provides a myriad of health benefits to those who decide to engage in the activity. One of the main benefits is the reduction of weight. Even after the run is complete the calories continue to burn.
Joint pain is one of the leading causes for a visit to an orthopedist. Joints in the upper and lower extremities can become painful and swollen. The pain can hinder an individual’s ability to carry out even the simplest tasks such as walking, dressing, grooming, driving, or basic household activities. Depending upon your diagnosis after a radiological assessment,
One of the most common knee injuries requiring arthroscopic surgery is a torn meniscus. Now, you may be wondering exactly what is a meniscus and more importantly what purpose does it serve. |
Should We Embrace a Social Gospel?
Though many are quick to criticize the social gospel, we would be mistaken to do so
The primary way we learn words is through divining their meaning from context and everyday usage. That’s how children learn to talk and how most adults expand their vocabulary.
We presume their meaning, deduce their function, and discern how to use them. Basically we make educated guesses. And sometimes we make a wrong conclusion. Or at least I do.
Such is the case with the term social gospel.
Whenever I heard the phrase it was with negative connotations, so I assumed it was a bad thing. That was my first error.
Next, I assumed the negativity must arise from the social half of the term, certainly not the gospel half, the good news part. I then shifted social to socialize and envisioned a church that so majored in socializing that they forgot the gospel.
As a result I assumed the social gospel was a social church that had forgotten its original purpose, morphing into a purely social organization, like a country club. I wanted nothing to do with a country club church, so I dismissed the social gospel as meaningless. That was my second error.
As an aside, we need the social part of church. We call it community. Community is critical. Consider the directive in Hebrews to not give up meeting together (Hebrews 10:25).
This is a call to live in community more so than an order to go to church on Sunday morning. Also consider all the “one another” commands as a charge to pursue community.
Now back to the social gospel. I wouldn’t have shared my misunderstanding of the phrase except for the fact that I’ve met others who similarly reached the same wrong conclusion.Is the social gospel about community or helping others? Yes! Click To Tweet
The social gospel, however, is actually a call to move faith beyond a personal conversion experience to help others on a grand scale, specifically through social reform.
While some Christians want to segregate the two or dismiss making an impact on the world in which we live, the Bible has other ideas. The first half of the above verse says we are to encourage one another to love others and to do good deeds (Hebrews 10:24).
Furthermore Paul tells the church in Galicia to persist in doing good (Galatians 6:9). James talks about the importance of proving our faith by what we do. He even says that faith without action is dead (James 2:14-26).
Whether we wrongly assume the social gospel is about community or rightly understand the social gospel as helping others, we need to do both. The Bible says so. |
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- It is largely thanks to Bengali that the International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by UNESCO, is observed every year on February 21. This date commemorates the day, when in 1952 students, who demonstrated for the recognition of Bengali as a national language in the then East Pakistan, were brutally killed by the police. |
The Global Human Development Report 2020, a flagship publication of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was launched in Kathmandu today.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Mr.Pradeep KumarGyawali launched the report in the presence of representatives from the government, development partners, civil society organizations, the private sector and the media.
Member of National Planning Commission Hon. Mr. Krishna Prasad Oli, former Finance Minister Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Executive Director of Global Climate Fund YannickGlemarec, EU Ambassador Her Excellency Nona Deprez, UNDP Resident Representative Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labe, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Bernardo Cocco, Director General, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Dr.PemaGyamtsho, Chair of Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal Bharati Pathak, Social Worker and youth leader Sapana Roka Magar joined and spoke at the launch event which was also live cast from Facebook.
The report was also launched in all seven provinces by the chief ministers of the respective provincial governments. Addressed by over 40 speakers, these eight events were attended by over 1000 people from across the country virtually.
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the first Human Development Report and of the introduction of the Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI was published to steer discussions about development progress away from GPD towards a measure that genuinely “counts” for people’s lives. Introduced by the Human Development Report Office (HDRO) thirty years ago to provide a simple measure of human progress – built around people’s freedoms to live the lives they want to - the HDI has gained popularity with its simple yet comprehensive formula that assesses a population’s average longevity, education, and income.
Over the years, however, there has been a growing interest in providing a more comprehensive set of measurements that capture other critical dimensions of human development. To respond to this call, new measures of aspects of human development were introduced to complement the HDI and capture some of the “missing dimensions” of development such as poverty, inequality and gender gaps. Since 2010, HDRO has published the Inequality-adjusted HDI, which adjusts a nation’s HDI value for inequality within each of its components (life expectancy, education and income) and the Multidimensional Poverty Index that measures people’s deprivations directly.
Similarly, HDRO’s efforts to measure gender inequalities began in the 1995 Human Development Report on gender, and recent reports have included two indices on gender, one accounting for differences between men and women in the HDI dimensions, the other a composite of inequalities in empowerment and well-being. This briefing note is organized into six sections. The first section presents information on the country coverage and methodology for the 2020 Human Development Report.
The next five sections provide information about key composite indices of human development: the HDI, the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), the Gender Development Index (GDI), the Gender Inequality Index (GII), and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). The tables presented in this note depict the state of human development before the COVID-19 pandemic based on available data for 2019 and earlier years.
Data reflecting changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its socioeconomic fallout in 2020 will be available in 2021 and will be presented in tables and related analyses of the 2021 Human Development Report. It is important to note that national and international data can differ because international agencies standardize national data to allow comparability across countries and in some cases may not have access to the most recent national data. 2 1- Country coverage and the methodology of the 2020 Human Development Report presents the 2019 HDI (values and ranks) for 189 countries and UN-recognized territories, along with the IHDI for 152 countries, the GDI for 167 countries, the GII for 162 countries, and the MPI for 107 countries.
It is misleading to compare values and rankings with those of previously published reports, because of revisions and updates of the underlying data and adjustments to goalposts.
Broken societies put people and planet on collision course, says UNDP
An experimental global index offers a new measurement of human progress that illustrates the challenge of tackling poverty and inequality while easing planetary pressure.
New York, 15 December 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic is the latest crisis facing the world, but unless humans release their grip on nature, it won’t be the last, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which includes a new experimental index on human progress that takes into account countries’ carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint.
The report lays out a stark choice for world leaders - take bold steps to reduce the immense pressure that is being exerted on the environment and the natural world, or humanity’s progress will stall.
“As this report shows, no country in the world has yet achieved very high human development without putting immense strain on the planet. But we could be the first generation to right this wrong. That is the next frontier for human development,” he said.
The report argues that as people and the planet enter an entirely new geological epoch, the Anthropocene or the Age of Humans, it is time to for all countries to redesign their paths to progress by fully accounting for the dangerous pressures humans put on the planet, and dismantle the gross imbalances of power and opportunity that prevent change.
To illustrate the point, the 30th anniversary edition of the Human Development Report, The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene, introduces an experimental new lens to its annual Human Development Index (HDI).
By adjusting the HDI, which measures a nation’s health, education, and standards of living, to include two more elements: a country’s carbon dioxide emissions and its material footprint, the index shows how the global development landscape would change if both the wellbeing of people and also the planet were central to defining humanity’s progress.
With the resulting Planetary-Pressures Adjusted HDI – or PHDI - a new global picture emerges, painting a less rosy but clearer assessment of human progress. For example, more than 50 countries drop out of the very high human development group, reflecting their dependence on fossil fuels and material footprint.
Despite these adjustments, countries like Costa Rica, Moldova, and Panama move upwards by at least 30 places, recognizing that lighter pressure on the planet is possible. “The Human Development Report is an important product by the United Nations. In a time where the action is needed, the new generation of Human Development Reports, with greater emphasis on the defining issues of our time such as climate change and inequalities, helps us to steer our efforts towards the future we want,” said Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister of Sweden, the host country of the launch of the report.
The next frontier for human development will require working with and not against nature, while transforming social norms, values, and government and financial incentives, the report argues. For example, new estimates project that by 2100 the poorest countries in the world could experience up to 100 more days of extreme weather due to climate change each year- a number that could be cut in half if the Paris Agreement on climate change is fully implemented.
And yet fossil fuels are still being subsidized: the full cost to societies of publicly financed subsidies for fossil fuels - including indirect costs - is estimated at over US$5 trillion a year, or 6.5 percent of global GDP, according to International Monetary Fund figures cited in the report.
Reforestation and taking better care of forests could alone account for roughly a quarter of the pre-2030 actions we must take to stop global warming from reaching two degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
“While humanity has achieved incredible things, it is clear that we have taken our planet for granted,” said JayathmaWickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy Youth. “Across the world young people have spoken up, recognizing that these actions put our collective future at risk. As the 2020 Human Development Report makes clear, we need to transform our relationship with the planet — to make energy and material consumption sustainable, and to ensure every young person is educated and empowered to appreciate the wonders that a healthy world can provide.”
How people experience planetary pressures is tied to how societies work, says Pedro Conceição, Director of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office and lead author of the report, and today, broken societies are putting people and planet on a collision course.
Inequalities within and between countries, with deep roots in colonialism and racism, mean that people who have more capture the benefits of nature and export the costs, the report shows. This chokes opportunities for people who have less and minimizes their ability to do anything about it.
For example, land stewarded by indigenous peoples in the Amazon absorbs, on a per-person basis, the equivalent carbon dioxide of that emitted by the richest 1 percent of people in the world. However, indigenous peoples continue to face hardship, persecution and discrimination, and have little voice in decision-making, according to the report.
And discrimination based on ethnicity frequently leaves communities severely affected and exposed to high environmental risks such as toxic waste or excessive pollution, a trend that is reproduced in urban areas across continents, argue the authors.
According to the report, easing planetary pressures in a way that enables all people to flourish in this new age requires dismantling the gross imbalances of power and opportunity that stand in the way of transformation.
Public action, the report argues, can address these inequalities, with examples ranging from increasingly progressive taxation, to protecting coastal communities through preventive investment and insurance, a move that could safeguard the lives of 840 million people who live along the world’s low elevation coastlines. But there must be a concerted effort to ensure that actions do not further pit people against planet.
“The next frontier for human development is not about choosing between people or trees; it’s about recognizing, today, that human progress driven by unequal, carbon-intensive growth has run its course,” said Pedro Conceição.
“By tackling inequality, capitalizing on innovation and working with nature, human development could take a transformational step forward to support societies and the planet together,” he said. |
This hands-on exhibit encompasses numerous STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART, & Math) principles and focuses on stimulating creativity in the minds of our visitors.
STEAM is a new educational approach the integrates STEM lessons with ART! In this exhibit, children can make their own crafts from recycled materials in the CRAFTERSPACE. They can draw on our chalkboard wall. There is an ARTSPACE where Makerspace meets art and they can paint, too!
Can’t Visit Discovery Station due to Covid-19? No Problem! Check out these activities below!
Shaving cream marbling is not only a GREAT art activity that keeps the kiddos engaged all morning long – but it’s a fun sensory activity too! Follow these steps to do this activity at home:
Step #1. Spray shaving cream into a baking tray and then smooth the surface a bit with a spatula (or spoon, hands, etc).
Step #2. Slowly pour liquid paint onto the surface of the shaving cream.
Step #3. Swirl the colors. You can use a craft stick or spoon to swirl the colors together to create a marbled effect.
Step #4. Press paper on shaving cream. Lay a piece of paper on the surface of the painted shaving cream.
Step #5. Gently lift the paper off of the shaving cream.
Step #6. Scrape off the shaving cream with a craft stick or a piece of cardboard.
Step #7. Set the paper aside to dry and repeat with more prints! |
Taking care of a sick loved one is taxing on many levels. The work, the worry and the drain on time and money can have damaging effects on the caregiver’s own mental and physical health. The problem is so common that health experts have coined a name for it: ‘caregiver stress.’ Stressed-out caregivers have increased risk for high blood pressure, high insulin levels, impaired immune systems, depression and cardiovascular disease. Even worse, a study of spousal caregivers ages 66 to 96 found that those suffering from caregiver stress have a 63 percent higher death rate than noncaregivers of the same age. The bottom line: You can’t effectively care for your mate if you’re not in good health yourself. |
One of the best self-care rituals you can incorporate in your daily routine is to take better care of your skin, using the tips I share with you in this article. Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and it is your body’s first line of defense against bacteria, viruses and other microbes.
We take our skin for granted and don’t put much thought into caring for it.
However, I truly believe we are what we eat and drink. Consequently, our skin naturally reflects this. I’m in my late 30’s, and I look 10 years younger because I take very good care of myself. People have asked me what my secrets are for having such healthy glowing skin.
It takes a little bit of effort to look younger, and I guarantee that if you follow the 7 steps below, you will begin to feel better inside and out.
#1 Stay hydrated & drink water
Healthy skin starts within, and therefore keeping yourself hydrated with water is one of the most important steps you can take. Remember, our body is made up of 70% water so your cells depend on being hydrated to function at their best.
The easiest way to stay hydrated is to carry around a water bottle. My favorite water bottle is from Lifefactory because it is made out of glass and not plastic. I take my water bottle everywhere I go, including the office, gym and when I’m out and about.
Carrying my water bottle around has helped me adhere to the recommendation of drinking 64oz of water every day. I notice that I am in a better mood, have more energy and eat less when I’m well hydrated.
A lot of my colleagues drink soda, juice and rely heavily on coffee or other caffeinated beverages. You would probably think twice about drinking soda if you knew the amount of sugar and chemicals that you’re consuming. If you are someone that drinks soda regularly, I highly recommend researching this topic because you’re ingesting harmful liquids that will adversely affect your physical and emotional health.
#2 Remember … you are what you eat
The next step to having healthy skin is to follow a mediterranean diet. I’m not a nutritionist, but the rule of thumb I use is to have variety and color on my plate at every meal.
Remember that your body needs vitamins and minerals to operate at its highest potential. You feel better when you fuel your body with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and legumes. Your cells love absorbing nutrients from what you eat. As a result, you have more energy, clarity and focus.
On the other hand, when you eat junk food (which is okay to eat once in a while), you initially feel good because of all the sugar and fat. Unfortunately, after 45 minutes to an hour, you begin to feel like junk, hence the name, junk food.
When you eat junk food, your brain goes on a dopamine high, because of all the sugar and fat. Soon after the high, you crash and begin to feel terrible. Since your body did not get the nutrients it needed from the meal, you will get hungry again. This cycle is never ending, especially if you add soda to the mix.
Eating clean is easy for some and hard for others. Meal planning is a big part of my weekly self-care plan because it ensures that I eat well every day. On Sunday’s, I plan and pack all of my snacks and lunches for the week. Doing this eliminates eating out or consuming unhealthy treats at work.
If you want to eat better and not sure where to start, I highly recommend reading “You are what you eat: The Plan that will Change your Life.” This book inspires me every time I pick it up because of the colorful photos and the easy to read text. I love that author Gillian McKeith encourages you have a diet of PLENTY and variety.
#3 Get to know your skin care products
Remember that the rule of thumb for healthy glowing skin comes from within. If you want to look 10 years younger, you have to start from the inside out.
I rarely wear makeup and focus more on keeping myself healthy internally and externally. If you like to wear makeup, and it makes you happy, then go for it! If you’re like me, and prefer to have a more natural look, then I recommend learning more about your skin type and personal skin care needs.
Since your skin is your largest organ, whatever you slather on it is absorbed by your body. Therefore, it’s important to treat your skin as well as you can.
After having consultations with two different dermatologists, I learned that the best skin care products have high quality ingredients. Check out this article from the Cleveland Clinic, if you want to learn more about the ingredients in the products you’re currently using.
Surprisingly, good skin care products aren’t always expensive.
Both of my dermatologists recommend using Cerave which you can purchas at a drugstore or on Amazon. They also recommend using serums with Vitamin C and Alpha-lipoic acid. Good serums are expensive, but they last a long time and are worth the investment.
#4 Keep a simple daily skin care routine
Every morning I wash my face with a gentle botanical cleanser from Aveda. After drying my face, I put on Drunk Elephant Vitamin C serum, Protini™ Polypeptide Cream moisturizer and tinted sunscreen that gives me a sun-kissed look.
In the evening, I first wash my face with the same cleanser and then apply B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum. Next, I apply my favorite night cream, Aveda’s Tulasāra™ wedding masque. I also apply a small amount of Aveda eye cream. Both morning and evening routines take me about 5 minutes.
Once a week I use Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum, which works like magic because it diminishes fine lines, gives skin a healthy glow, and boosts levels of other antioxidants.
Everyday I use Neutrogena Sheer Zinc sunblock on my arms and neck. I’m blessed to have olive tone skin, and wear sunscreen religiously.
All dermatologists and estheticians recommend prevention as the best skin care treatment. If you’re regularly wearing sunscreen, then you will reduce the chance of premature wrinkles, fine-lines and dark spots.
#5 Get moving
Exercise is one of the most vital parts of integrating self-care and wellness in your life. When you exercise, there is an increase in blood flow to the surface of the skin providing much needed nutrition. In addition, you get rid of unwanted toxins in your skin and body through sweat.
It’s simple to get started, just put on your shoes and start walking. Yoga is also a great way to get moving and reduce your stress, check out my article on my 2 week yoga challenge at CorePower Yoga.
#6 Manage your stress
When you’re under stress, the amygdala in your brain is activated, consequently releasing cortisol and adrenaline. These chemicals are there to help you “fight or flee” from a dangerous situation, and are designed to help you short term.
When you’re under chronic stress, your body is in a constant state of duress and inflammation. When there is inflammation in your body, your immune system is suppressed. Consequently, you’re more likely going to get sick and your skin will breakout.
Learn stress management by integrating mindfulness, self-care and wellness in your life. You can download my FREE Self Care Guide and start cultivating these practices today.
Another practice to lower your stress is to learn to breath correctly. When you’re in a heightened state of stress, you naturally breath rapidly because your body is preparing you for a potential threat. Check out my article on breathing to help lower your stress.
#7 Get a free facial
If you’re unsure what type of skin care products to purchase, then you’re in luck because Aveda offers free 20 minute facials. You’ll meet with an esthetician that will get to know you, your skin care routine and specific skin care needs.
What is amazing about Aveda is that in addition to getting a free facial, you will get samples of products to try at home. You can also go to Sephora and talk to their skin care expert. At both stores, they will educate and support you. Most importantly, they don’t push you to purchase products, and encourage you to try before you buy.
Healthy glowing skin is two-fold as it starts within. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel when you stay hydrated, eat nutritiously, exercise, manage your stress and start incorporating a regular skin care routine as part of cultivating self-care and wellness in your life. Remember that you are important, and investing a little bit of time will help you feel better inside and out. |
Retaining walls are a versatile, functional landscaping element used on sites where terrain is naturally very sloped. Landscaping retaining walls serve a variety of purposes:
- to stabilize naturally unstable sloped ground
- to hold back, or retain, soil that has been dug out to flatten a naturally sloped terrain
- to remove hills and create usable, flat yard space
- to create beautiful tiered terraces for curb appeal
- shorter retaining walls are often built to contain flower beds or vegetable gardens
- to correct drainage problems
- to proactively control erosion
Planning a landscaping retaining wall
Retaining walls are used to stabilize unstable hills by controlling drainage and adding reinforcement structure to prevent the soil and earth from falling and sliding. Some things to consider if landscaping retaining walls are part of your vision:
As with all building projects, starting with a solid base is the most important step in ensuring longevity of a project. Retaining walls on a slope require a strong base of compacted soil and other materials below ground level to support the wall. They must be built on solid ground with proper drainage.
Cut or Backfill
There are basically two ways to construct retaining walls. One method is to cut into the hillside and remove the soil and material from the lower part of the slope, building the wall in what was the upper middle part of the slope. The other basic method is to build the wall at the bottom of the slope and fill in the space behind the wall until it is level with the top of the hill.
Gravity or Reinforcement
Depending on site conditions, some reinforcement walls can be built to support themselves. The angle at which they are built into the hill (called setback) and the weight of the wall allow gravity to support the wall and keep the soil stable. Reinforcement is usually needed in walls built on clay soil, because water that absorbs into the soil builds pressure behind the wall. Reinforcement is also needed on landscaping retaining walls that will have driveways, patios, or pools built on top.
Improper drainage can lead to bulging or cracking in the retaining wall, which may or may not be repairable in the future. At Unlimited Drilling, we have repaired and rebuilt sloppy and carelessly built foundations and retaining walls, so when we are hired as builders, we plan for quality and longevity. We take the extra steps to ensure our work will solve your landscaping problems, not create more! Proper water control behind the wall is essential in our process. Test your soil before planning a retaining wall. Sandy soil drains better than clay. Organic soils should only be used to finish the top of a retaining wall, never to fill.
It’s important to keep in mind that the height of a wall will determine the load of soil it can bear. Wall heights should be determined based on the topography of each site.
Landscaping retaining walls can be a beautiful functional design element in landscaping projects. They can be built from a number of materials with varying lifespans. They can be accented and finished on the outside with various decorative materials. Most commonly, retaining walls are built from wood or concrete. However, the type of retaining wall that can be built in a terrain depends on the terrain itself. Extreme slope can make concrete walls cost prohibitive. Wood walls can wear and may require more maintenance over time. |
Disclosures: The authors report having no significant financial or advisory relationships with corporate organizations related to this activity.
Male breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease that has become more prevalent over the past decade. Because MBC is so rare, most of the published information regarding the disease is extrapolated from female breast cancer data. It appears that males do not benefit from the advancements leading to earlier breast cancer diagnosis and improved cancer care in the same way females have in the last 10 years. Male patients are often misdiagnosed at initial presentation or imaging results are inconclusive. Although mammograms and sonograms are the standard for initial breast examination in both men and women, it may be possible that an alternative form of imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging could be more effective at diagnosing breast cancer in males in earlier stages. This article presents an overview of the epidemiology and etiology of MBC and uses 2 case studies to illustrate challenges in the initial diagnosis of MBC and the role of imaging and postoperative radiation therapy in breast cancer treatment. |
With 80 pages of references, case studies and explainers, the Local Housing Trust Fund Manual for Minnesota provides an in-depth discussion of key decisions local communities will make to establish a Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) — from creating priorities to choosing revenue sources.
What is a local housing trust fund?
Local Housing Trust Funds (LHTF) are funds established by a local government by dedicating local public revenue for housing. They are a consistent, flexible resource for housing within a local jurisdiction. Trust funds help communities leverage public and private resources and jumpstart projects that draw investment and jobs. LHTFs enable communities to prioritize developments that maximize benefit to the local community.
Have you considered a local housing trust fund for your community? MHP is gathering information from Minnesota organizations, cities and counties s to help highlight local stories and better understand what resources are needed to support a local housing trust fund for your community.
Please take this short survey to help further our work in support of local housing trust funds!
Manual and Materials
MHP's Local Housing Trust Fund webinar series
Minnesota Cities and Counties with Local Housing Trust Fund
To support peer to peer learning, MHP has curated a list of Minnesota cities and counties that have adopted Local Housing Trust Funds (LHTF's). For each jurisdiction, please find a summary of funding sources for the LHTF, uses of the LHTF, adopting legislation, and other key facts. MHP updates this list periodically. |
I once made an informal investigation into the alternative-life fantasies of famous authors. James Joyce coveted the position of agent for Irish tweed in Trieste. Thomas Mann thought he'd make a good banker. Samuel Beckett, if you can believe it, saw himself as an airline pilot manqué. It interested me that even very great writers occasionally yearned to be something other than what they were, but it didn't occur to me how complex the psychology surrounding such yearnings might be.
That psychology is the subject of Adam Phillips's new book, Missing Out. "It is among the contentions of this book," Phillips states in his introduction, "that our unlived lives – the lives we live in fantasy, the wished-for lives – are often more important to us than our so-called lived lives."
It's a fascinating subject, and Missing Out is in many ways a fascinating book, though perhaps not quite the book its introduction leads you to expect. Rather than taking the fantasy itself as his point of departure, and pursuing its implications in the real world, Phillips turns out to be more interested in its originating mechanisms, its inner archaeology, so to speak, which he breaks down into carefully demarcated phases, each with its own chapter: "On Frustration", "On Not Getting It", "On Getting Away With It", "On Getting Out of It" and "On Satisfaction". To the extent that he looks at specific cases, he tends to draw from literature (mostly Shakespeare) rather than life.
Each chapter holds up its title phrase or word for close inspection in the light of etymologies, concordances, psychoanalytic theories and literary texts. "Frustration", for instance, is traced from Robert Cawdrey's 1604 dictionary, through Gloucester's use of "frustrate" in King Lear, to Lear's own catastrophic frustration at Cordelia's refusal to play along with his foolish love-test, and on through the analyst Wilfred Bion's belief in the importance of developing a "capacity for tolerating frustration"; each step layering its own ethical or psychological colouration over the basic idea of not getting what one wants. The word "getting" comes in for even closer attention, its versatility functioning as a kind of reverse prism through which ideas of obtaining, understanding, going, begetting, and so on, are brought together. The underlying methodology, with its meticulous teasing out of suppressed or covert nuances of meaning, comes more or less from Freud, whose legacy seems, increasingly, to be settling in this midway zone between psychology and literary criticism.
It's a fertile but inherently slippery zone to work in, especially if you're trying to construct a densely argued thesis, as Phillips is. With psychology not being quite a hard science, and literature – even King Lear – not being quite life, a faint air of indeterminacy hovers over the book. The mortar between propositions often seems a little soft: you find yourself not so much following the argument as simply reacting to individual statements: great, yes, hm, maybe, I don't think so … It's certainly "worth noticing" (to use a favourite construction of Phillips's) the different ways, for example, in which the phrase "getting out of it" tilts our reading of the narrator's plea in The End of the Affair – "get me out of it" – or Larkin's "Get out as early as you can", or Grace Paley's "Men are always trying to get away in one piece". But there's a limit to what you can build on a foundation of poetry and fiction (they themselves are built out of psychological observation, after all, so that psychologising about them very easily becomes a mirror-game). And interesting as the connections are, they don't always support Phillips's larger assertions, some of which ring a little hollow to my ear, such as: "there is no more fundamental picture of the human subject than as a creature trying to get out of something" (you could just as easily argue the precise opposite).
The places where Phillips permits himself to write from direct professional experience (he's a practising psychoanalyst as well as literary critic) are incomparably more persuasive and engaging, and I wished there were more of them. I'd willingly forgo the etymologies for this kind of human detail: "I remember a child telling me in a session … that the reason he wanted to be bigger was because he wouldn't have to want to be bigger." And I'd gladly trade some of the loftier pronouncements for the more earned generalities of these passages: "What psychoanalysts mostly know about sex is the strange ineffectuality of so much of their knowledge."
Phillips's interest in the unlived life seems to lie mainly in its equivocal nature, as a source of both good and harm; sanity and neurosis. He has very illuminating things to say about the difference between authentic and inauthentic satisfaction, for example, or the way in which the sensation of "getting away with it" links what we admire about rule-breaking artists with what we despise about cynical politicians. He doesn't take a prescriptive or polemical position, but the thrust of his musings is towards the vision of a kind of ideal tension between wanting and getting; fantasising and actualising.
The chapter "On Not Getting It" begins to articulate this vision in literary terms, proposing the state of not "getting" a difficult poem by someone like JH Prynne as in fact a highly desirable state to be in. It's an appealing idea – I'd definitely be up for having my incomprehension of Prynne handed back to me as a form of enlightenment – but at this critical juncture, just where the literary side of the enterprise becomes indispensable to the psychoanalytic side, and where some immersion in a text would have really helped, the writing lapses into wispy rhetoric : "What do you say about a poem – or about and to a person – if the project is not to understand, if the intention is not to get it? If you don't want intelligibility, what do you want instead? Do you stop using the word 'understanding' and start using the word 'redescription'? Do you give an account that does not aspire to be an explanation?"
To some extent this is characteristic of the whole book. It presents itself as a step-by-step analysis of a universal human tendency, but it's really best read as a montage of perceptions and quotations that, like the condition of not-quite-fulfilment it suggests we aspire to, resists clinching its own arguments. Which makes it a more oblique and fragmentary piece of work than it first appears, but perhaps appropriately so. |
This factsheet is for people who have scoliosis, or who would like information about it.
Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine and has several different causes.
It’s normal to have a slight sideways curvature in your spine. Scoliosis is defined as a curve of more than 10 degrees. The curvature can be a C-shape or S-shape, and the spine may also be rotated (twisted).
There are two types of scoliosis. Non-structural (mobile) scoliosis is usually caused by a condition outside the spine and disappears when that is corrected. For example, if one of your legs is longer than the other, the curvature in your spine will disappear when you sit down.
Structural (true) scoliosis is a fixed curvature in your spine. Usually the underlying cause of structural scoliosis can’t be treated.
Symptoms of scoliosis
Scoliosis usually has no symptoms unless the curvature becomes severe. It’s not usually painful but because of the changes in appearance, it can be a distressing condition.
The first sign of scoliosis may be that clothes seem to hang unevenly, or when a parent or teacher notices a change in posture. Other signs may include one shoulder being higher than the other, or one shoulder blade sticking out. The space between the body and the arms may look different on each side when your child stands with their arms at their sides. One hip may be more prominent. A curvature can develop rapidly in children during growth spurts. A small curve may become a larger curve over a relatively short period.
If the curve is in the upper back, the ribs may stick out on one side. This is known as a rib hump. In older girls and women, one breast may be higher than the other or appear larger than the other.
Causes of scoliosis
There are a number of causes of scoliosis.
Idiopathic scoliosis is a type of acquired scoliosis – that is one not present at birth. ‘Idiopathic’ means an illness of unknown cause. The curvature with idiopathic scoliosis is almost always to the right.
Idiopathic scoliosis is quite common, affecting two to three in every 100 people. In eight out of 10 cases, the condition usually develops between the ages of 10 and 15, during the growth spurt of puberty. This is called late onset or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and the curve is almost always to the right. During adolescence, girls are much more likely to be affected. This is probably because girls typically have shorter and faster growth spurts than boys.
Less commonly, scoliosis develops in younger children. This is called early onset idiopathic scoliosis. The curvature is usually to the left, and slightly more boys are affected than girls.
Idiopathic scoliosis often seems to run in families. About three out of 10 people with scoliosis have one or more close family members with the same condition.
Idiopathic scoliosis is a type of structural scoliosis or true scoliosis, which means that usually the underlying cause of scoliosis can’t be reversed.
If you’re born with an abnormally curved spine, it’s called congenital scoliosis. The cause of this is development of the vertebrae that is not symmetrical. Sometimes two vertebrae are fused (joined together) on one side and as the person grows the spine becomes curved. The curve is usually obvious before the child reaches adolescence.
This is due to a condition that affects the nerves or muscles of the back, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. Neuromuscular scoliosis is to be of the ‘structural’ type when there is rotation as well as curving of the spine and ‘non-structural’ if there is no rotation of the spine. Non-structural scoliosis can be due to problems including:
- poor posture
- muscle spasm eg caused by a compressed or ‘slipped’ disc
- having one leg shorter than the other
Correcting the underlying problem can reverse this type of scoliosis.
Other causes of scoliosis include damage or uneven growth of the spine caused by trauma and infection caused by tuberculosis of the spine.
Diagnosis of scoliosis
Visit your doctor if you’re concerned about scoliosis. He or she will ask about your symptoms and will perform an examination. Your doctor will ask you to bend forward from the waist, with the palms of your hands together. Your ribs will stick up more on one side and cause a bulge in your back if you have scoliosis.
Your doctor may ask you about your medical history and also ask you about other family members. If your doctor thinks you have scoliosis, then he or she will usually refer you to a specialist.
Your doctor may refer you to have X-rays of your back to show the position and size of the curvature. The curve is given a measurement in degrees, called the Cobb angle. The radiologist or surgeon can compare early X-rays with later ones to tell whether the curvature is stable or getting more pronounced.
Most cases of scoliosis are mild and you will just need regular check-ups to monitor the curvature. These check-ups will probably be every four to six months.
Only one in 10 people need to have treatment for their scoliosis. In general, the younger a child is when the scoliosis is apparent the more chance the curve will need treatment.
Treatment of scoliosis
We have years of experience treating children and people of all ages with scoliosis.
Depending on the degree of curvature, your specialist may recommend surgery. Surgery aims to reduce the amount of curvature of the spine and prevent it from getting worse.
The most common technique is spinal fusion, in which the affected bones of the spine are straightened and then fused (joined) together. The curvature is largely corrected by metal rods and screws fitted to the spine.
Surgery to correct scoliosis can involve a long and complex operation with a small risk of damage to the spinal cord. In order to make a well-informed decision and give your consent for the operation, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications. Your surgeon will discuss these with you.
Prevention of scoliosis
There is no way to prevent idiopathic scoliosis. Early detection and treatment, if necessary, helps to prevent it getting worse.
If you have a history of scoliosis in your family, children can be checked regularly for scoliosis from the age of nine throughout their teens. All newborn children are checked for the rare early onset type as part of a routine postnatal check-up.
Living with scoliosis
For most people who develop idiopathic scoliosis as adolescents, it doesn’t cause any life-threatening problems, but it can make life difficult. As the curvature gets worse, the spinal bones (vertebrae) tend to rotate. This rotates the ribs, reducing the space in the rib cage and making it harder to breathe properly. This is only a problem for severe curvature, over 60 degrees.
Severe curvature can also restrict movement. The earlier scoliosis begins and the higher up the back the curve is, the worse the curvature.
Scoliosis won’t cause major physical complications, but having spinal curvature can affect your body image and confidence.
Even untreated, there is good evidence that people lead full and productive lives. |
When You Can’t Afford Breast Cancer
Hearing that African-American women are dying because they can’t afford breast cancer is devastating. I am very grateful that I was able to afford breast cancer testing, surgery and treatment. I have very good health insurance and my salary is decent. And I don’t live above my means.
Even so, I was not prepared for the never-ending doctors appointments and co-pays. Trying to keep up with the bills was a headache. There were bills from the testing centers, my surgeon, my plastic surgeon, my oncologist, and my physical therapist. Not to mention the amount of time off from work I needed because of complications. Fortunately, my job offers short-term disability insurance, which gave me partial paychecks.
Breast Cancer is Costly
The cost to treat breast cancer can be more than $30,000. There is no true answer to how much treating breast cancer costs because it depends on the type of surgery and treatment received by the patient. For example, my mastectomy cost almost $28,000 but that does not include the cost of my reconstruction and revisions.
In order to pay for breast cancer care, you need a very good health insurance plan, a good income and hopefully savings. But some of my sisters are single parents living paycheck to paycheck, unable to pay for expensive insurance plans. We may also be taking care of our parents and disabled siblings. And if we have a good job with good health insurance, there is no guarantee that you won’t lose your job. In fact, the only way that you are guaranteed to not lose your job while battling breast cancer is if you are lawfully protected in the workplace.
How can we afford to miss work, pay for breast cancer treatment, and take care of our families?
Help with Breast Cancer Costs
If you are looking for financial assistance, you can start with the Komen Treatment Assistance Program. In upcoming blogs, I will provide other financial resources that I am able to find. |
Eating Your Way Toward a Healthy Immune System
The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked anxiety and fear throughout the country and prompted many people to explore the best approaches to protecting their health. While there is no magic bullet to prevent one from falling ill, proper nutrition is one way to help you stay healthy and strong.
No matter what kind of shape you are in, malnutrition makes you susceptible to illness. Eating a healthy diet helps to support a healthy immune system to fight off bacteria, viruses and many other illnesses.
Dr. Vijaya Surampudi, an assistant professor of medicine at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, shares some tips for how best to feed the body.
“An ounce of prevention produces a pound of cure,” says Dr. Surampudi. “How you feed your body on a daily basis pays off in a lifetime.”
Nourish your body.
Wisely choosing the foods you eat will help to support your body’s defense mechanisms. Focus on:
- Increasing your intake of vegetables
- Not drinking sugar-sweetened beverages
- Limiting the amount of red meats eaten
- Including healthy spices like cinnamon, oregano, turmeric and more
- Eating whole grains
- Incorporating healthy fats like avocado and olive oil
Focus on micronutrients.
- Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system and protects against infections by keeping skin and tissues in the mouth, stomach, intestines and respiratory system healthy. Get this vitamin from such foods as sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, spinach, red bell peppers, apricots, eggs or foods labeled “vitamin A fortified” such as milk or some cereals.
- Vitamin C supports the immune system by stimulating the formation of antibodies. Reach for citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit and tangerines, or papaya, strawberries, red bell pepper or tomato juice.
- Zinc supports the immune system and may help wounds heal. Zinc can be found in lean meats, poultry, seafood, milk, whole grain products, beans, seeds and nuts.
One of the ways you can develop a rhythm of eating healthy is by “coloring your plate.” The more colorful your plate, the greater variety of nutrition you are getting.
- Promotes healthy aging.
- Lowers the risk of some cancers.
- Improves urinary tract health, memory function and heart health.
- Reach for blueberries, blackberries, elderberries and more.
- Maintains heart, vision and immune system health.
- Reach for pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, winter squash, cantaloupe, apricots and more.
- Promotes memory function and urinary tract health.
- Maintains a healthy heart.
- Lowers risks of some cancers.
- Reach for tomatoes, pink grapefruit, red peppers, watermelon and more.
- Lowers risk of some cancers and heart disease, maintains vision health and protects against birth defects in pregnant women.
- Keeps blood cells, bones and teeth strong.
- Reach for collard greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, lettuces and artichokes.
If you are eating a balanced diet, there is no need for supplements. Supplements are not packaged the same way as food, so we do not know what else is needed for adequate absorption and utilization by the body.
Building immunity is multilayered.
Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and is improved by healthy living strategies, such as:
- Not smoking
- Eating a diet abundant with fruits and veggies
- Exercising regularly
- Getting adequate sleep
- Taking steps to avoid infection such as washing your hands
- Maintaining a healthy weight |
FromColorado Central Magazine (Christopher Kolomitz):
The blowout reminded Central Colorado residents of two eerily similar incidents that fouled the Arkansas River in 1983 and 1985. The toxic discharges on the local river occurred in a period of time when the Environmental Protection Agency was beginning Superfund clean-up of old mines around Leadville. The culprit of both discharges was the Yak Tunnel, which was one of three constructed to drain mines in the district.
Leading up to Superfund designation, the years of inaction were becoming a public health emergency. Drainage ditches in Leadville neighborhoods were turned orange or red because of the heavy metals coming from the historical mines. Annual discharge from the Yak Tunnel was pumping 210 tons of heavy metals into California Gulch, which was then reaching the river, according to the EPA.
A few days after the incident, the river through Salida was running clear but state wildlife officials were worried about the impact upon the brown trout spawn, and they estimated up to half of the eggs may have been lost, the local paper reported. Subsequent research found that high levels of cadmium prevented fish from living more than three or four years, wildlife officials said.
Threat of another catastrophic discharge surfaced once again in February 2008, when alarm was raised over the potential blowout of the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. Tunnel collapses and blockages had created a potentially dangerous situation for an uncontrolled surge. In response the EPA drilled a relief well, which worked to reduce the danger.
Twelve specific cleanup units were identified as part of the Superfund designation and to date, seven have been wrapped up to a point where regulators are calling them deleted from the operational plan. Examples of the process include construction of water diversion channels and settling ponds to prevent heavy metals from reaching surface water, and consolidation of smelter waste and mine tailings which were then covered with clean soil.
At the Yak Tunnel, a water treatment plant has been credited with dramatically improving water conditions in the Arkansas River, and the overall cleanup has been hailed as a success, although the EPA has ruffled some local feathers. The river now supports a vibrant, healthy fishery with greater public access, and the residents of Leadville and downstream are living around less toxicity.
The Leadville mining district is historically one of the most heavily mined regions in the world producing large quantities of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, and manganese since the 1860s. A multidisciplinary investigation was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, to characterize large-scale groundwater flow in a 13 square-kilometer region encompassing the Canterbury Tunnel and the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel near Leadville, Colorado. The primary objective of the investigation was to evaluate whether a substantial hydraulic connection is present between the Canterbury Tunnel and Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel for current (2008) hydrologic conditions.
Altitude in the Leadville area ranges from about 3,018 m (9,900 ft) along the Arkansas River valley to about 4,270 m (14,000 ft) along the Continental Divide east of Leadville, and the high altitude of the area results in a moderate subpolar climate. Winter precipitation as snow was about three times greater than summer precipitation as rain, and in general, both winter and summer precipitation were greatest at higher altitudes. Winter and summer precipitation have increased since 2002 coinciding with the observed water-level rise near the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel that began in 2003. The weather patterns and hydrology exhibit strong seasonality with an annual cycle of cold winters with large snowfall, followed by spring snowmelt, runoff, and recharge (high-flow) conditions, and then base-flow (low-flow) conditions in the fall prior to the next winter. Groundwater occurs in the Paleozoic and Precambrian fractured-rock aquifers and in a Quaternary alluvial aquifer along the East Fork Arkansas River, and groundwater levels also exhibit seasonal, although delayed, patterns in response to the annual hydrologic cycle.
A three-dimensional digital representation of the extensively faulted bedrock was developed and a geophysical direct-current resistivity field survey was performed to evaluate the geologic structure of the study area. The results show that the Canterbury Tunnel is located in a downthrown structural block that is not in direct physical connection with the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. The presence of this structural discontinuity implies there is no direct groundwater pathway between the tunnels along a laterally continuous bedrock unit.
Water-quality results for pH and major-ion concentrations near the Canterbury Tunnel showed that acid mine drainage has not affected groundwater quality. Stable-isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen in water indicate that snowmelt is the primary source of groundwater recharge. On the basis of chlorofluorocarbon and tritium concentrations and mixing ratios for groundwater samples, young groundwater (groundwater recharged after 1953) was indicated at well locations upgradient from and in a fault block separate from the Canterbury Tunnel. Samples from sites downgradient from the Canterbury Tunnel were mixtures of young and old (pre-1953) groundwater and likely represent snowmelt recharge mixed with older regional groundwater that discharges from the bedrock units to the Arkansas River valley. Discharge from the Canterbury Tunnel contained the greatest percentage of old (pre-1953) groundwater with a mixture of about 25 percent young water and about 75 percent old water.
A calibrated three-dimensional groundwater model representing high-flow conditions was used to evaluate large-scale flow characteristics of the groundwater and to assess whether a substantial hydraulic connection was present between the Canterbury Tunnel and Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. As simulated, the faults restrict local flow in many areas, but the fracture-damage zones adjacent to the faults allow groundwater to move along faults. Water-budget results indicate that groundwater flow across the lateral edges of the model controlled the majority of flow in and out of the aquifer (79 percent and 63 percent of the total water budget, respectively). The largest contributions to the water budget were groundwater entering from the upper reaches of the watershed and the hydrologic interaction of the groundwater with the East Fork Arkansas River. Potentiometric surface maps of the simulated model results were generated for depths of 50, 100, and 250 m. The surfaces revealed a positive trend in hydraulic head with land-surface altitude and evidence of increased control on fluid movement by the fault network structure at progressively greater depths in the aquifer.
Results of advective particle-tracking simulations indicate that the sets of simulated flow paths for the Canterbury Tunnel and the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel were mutually exclusive of one another, which also suggested that no major hydraulic connection was present between the tunnels. Particle-tracking simulations also revealed that although the fault network generally restricted groundwater movement locally, hydrologic conditions were such that groundwater did cross the fault network at many locations. This cross-fault movement indicates that the fault network controls regional groundwater flow to some degree but is not a complete barrier to flow. The cumulative distributions of adjusted age results for the watershed indicate that approximately 30 percent of the flow pathways transmit groundwater that was younger than 68 years old (post-1941) and that about 70 percent of the flow pathways transmit old groundwater. The particle-tracking results are consistent with the apparent ages and mixing ratios developed from the chlorofluorocarbon and tritium results. The model simulations also indicate that approximately 50 percent of the groundwater flowing through the study area was less than 200 years old and about 50 percent of the groundwater flowing through the study area is old water stored in low-permeability geologic units and fault blocks. As a final examination of model response, the conductance parameters of the Canterbury Tunnel and Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel were manually adjusted from the calibrated values to determine if altering the flow discharge in one tunnel affects the hydraulic behavior in the other tunnel. The examination showed no substantial hydraulic connection.
The multidisciplinary investigation yielded an improved understanding of groundwater characteristics near the Canterbury Tunnel and the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. Movement of groundwater between the Canterbury Tunnel and Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel that was central to this investigation could not be evaluated with strong certainty owing to the structural complexity of the region, study simplifications, and the absence of observation data within the upper sections of the Canterbury Tunnel and between the Canterbury Tunnel and the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel. There was, however, collaborative agreement between all of the analyses performed during this investigation that a substantial hydraulic connection did not exist between the Canterbury Tunnel and the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel under natural flow conditions near the time of this investigation.
Concern about a potential blowout in the tunnel, located north of Leadville, was raised in early 2008 when high groundwater levels were suspected of building pressure from millions of gallons of contaminated water behind bulkheads in the tunnel and possibly leaking into surrounding areas.
Since then, U.S. Sen. Mark Udall has tried to get approval for legislation that would give the Bureau of Reclamation authority to continue operating a relief well and to take steps toward a long-term solution.
The Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel Act would clarify that the Bureau of Reclamation has the authority to treat the water diverted into the tunnel and — if necessary — to expand on site to treat additional water. The bureau is also required to maintain the structural integrity of the tunnel to be safe over the long haul.
Previously, Reclamation claimed it lacked specific authority to treat water behind the blockages in the tunnel, a federal facility built to drain mines as a way to improve production in World War II and the Korean War…
Reclamation and the Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees mine drainage mitigation at a nearby Superfund site in California Gulch, have been unable to reach a long-term solution.
Members of the Citizens’ Advisory Group, appointed by the Lake County commissioners to advise the county on Superfund issues, were vocal in their demand for a non-appointed board for an as-yet-unformed Community Advisory Group during another formation meeting on Oct. 27. The guidelines for forming the latter group were given to Mayor Bud Elliott and Commissioner Mike Bordogna by Jennifer Lane, community involvement coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency. Bordogna and Elliott wanted to make sure that the community had a say in pending decisions about the California Gulch Superfund Site. A Community Advisory Group, or CAG, is the EPA’s structure for ensuring community participation in EPA decisions, according to Lane. The first formation meeting was held in August, with renewed community interest in the issues. The group agreed to hire a facilitator to help structure the process of creating the group that would advise the EPA of the Lake County input on Superfund issues.
At the Oct. 27 meeting, with about 40 people in attendance, the people from the county-appointed group argued that anyone who showed up to any future meeting should be able to vote on the decisions, as opposed to just having certain people appointed to the committee. According to Bill Klauber, who is with the county-appointed group, this is the only way to ensure that every voice is heard. If a person doesn’t have a vote at the table, then that person’s voice is not being heard, he said.
Two bills have been introduced in this current legislative session. Lamborn introduced H.R.3123 and Udall introduced S.1417. Just like federal legislation introduced last year during the state of emergency, these are companion bills clarifying BOR responsibility for the tunnel and the water inside. Last year, the bill introduced in the Senate by former Senator Ken Salazar was halted by opposition from the BOR. The bill introduced jointly by the Congressman Udall and Congressman Lamborn made it to a vote in the House of Representatives. “The clock ran out,” said Udall about the lack of movement on this bill after the vote sent the bill to the Senate. The election loomed and the senate had a lot on its plate, and the bill was introduced rather late, he added.
Here’s a report from Chris Woodka writing for The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
“We both share a strong, deep commitment when it comes to the Leadville drainage tunnel,” Udall said. “We need for someone to step in and take responsibility,” Lamborn added. The lawmakers are sponsoring the legislation to avert disaster if the blockage in the Leadville tunnel were to give way under pressure and release a toxic flood into the Arkansas River. It will also improve the water quality of water from the mines that is returned to the river, Udall said. [ed. the toxic flood scenario was debunked by Reclamation last year].
In response to the emergency, a relief well was added to remove water backed up in the Leadville tunnel. The water was pumped to Reclamation’s treatment plant north of Leadville… |
Objective. To develop a searchable database of educational technologies used at schools and colleges of pharmacy. Methods. A cross-sectional survey design was used to determine what educational technologies were being used and to identify an individual at each institution who could serve as an information resource for peer-to-peer questions. Results. Eighty-nine survey instruments were returned for a response rate of 75.4%. The resulting data illustrated the almost ubiquitous presence of educational technology. The most frequently used technology was course management systems and the least frequently used technology was microblogging. Conclusions. Educational technology use is trending toward fee-based products for enterprise-level applications and free, open-source products for collaboration and presentation. Educational technology is allowing educators to restructure classroom time for something other than simple transmission of factual information and to adopt an evidence-based approach to instructional innovation and reform. |
Imagine a world where you drive your electric vehicle on your way to a family lunch at a nice restaurant, get to the place and notice your Electric Vehicle’s battery is running low. You open your mobile phone and with the help of a smartphone application you locate an EV charging station near you, park your car there, connect it, and continue with your plans.
Your car in the meantime is charged with electricity that was generated from the next door neighbor’s solar panel positioned on his rooftop. The charging station itself is connected to a variety of electricity generation sources, some of which can be very far away. With a price optimization system, the charging station will choose at any given moment from which source it will purchase the electricity. Theoretically, the charging station can change a source every minute: once close, once far – all according to the price.
How does it happen? due to reliance on the big data production and analysis by EGM’s Meta-AlertTM system. By using EGM’s Meta-AlertTM System, The utilities can manage the sources and demand, and allow electricity to be received from the sellers – wherever they may be; And to sell electricity to purchasers – wherever they may be. Such capabilities are possible because electricity supply will no longer rely on traditional supply chains.
Instead, the Meta-AlertTM system creates comprehensive high resolution real-time useful information from the grid itself, and demonstrates high capable grid management. It treats the electricity generated as though it all goes into a giant pool, the “electricity pool”. Thus, the system knows at any given time how much “ready-to-use” electricity exists, and can answer supply requests from various sources spread across a wide geographic polygon.
This way the Meta-AlertTM System maximizes the efficiency of electricity usage and reduces electricity costs to the end consumer. Thus, the long-run implications are substantial, and will come into play not only in individual money savings but also in contributing to environmental protection. |
Ready to be a blogger? Or maybe you have friends that are bloggers or follow bloggers on Instagram. This article discusses the meaning of the word “blogger”. We are going to talk about what it means to be a blogger, what bloggers do, and how bloggers work.
The current definition of blogger, according to Google, is: a person who regularly writes material for a blog
Which is true, but there is so much more to bloggers than that.
Blogging is a credible career. Bloggers do more than write regularly. And blogging certainly isn’t a joke.
Here’s the real definition of blogger.
Blogger (n): a person who runs a business by publishing regular online content that inspires, educates, or entertains a particular audience.
Let’s dig deeper though.
I asked a few people that I admire in the blogging community to help me describe what being a blogger means to them. You’ll see their thoughts below.
Bloggers create online content
Content comes in many forms and topics. Some bloggers write about healthy living while others share decadent desserts. Some blog posts are podcast or video while others are 1,000-word essays. The common denominator being that bloggers publish regular content (frequently displayed chronologically) for an online audience.
“A blogger is an individual who has chosen to share their expertise and knowledge through an online platform. The most successful bloggers I know are those who are open and willing to teach their readers everything they know about a specific skill, art form, or practice. For example: For me personally, being a blogger allows me to share my passion for paper crafting, baking, and design with those who I would never be able to reach if it weren’t for the internet.” – Melissa, melissarosedesign.com
“A blogger is someone who educates, inspires or entertains her audience with content. They don’t publish content for the sake of filling a publishing queue. They tie every piece of content to their goals and larger marketing plan. They create content, products and services with intent to serve their audience.” – Meera, meerakothand.com
Bloggers provide value to their audience
Blogging is different than online journaling. While there are people who use a blog for journaling, today we are talking about people who are in the business of blogging.
These people write to a specific audience with the intent of providing value to their reader’s lives. Successful blog posts will inspire, motivate, educate, or entertain the intended audience.
• Bloggers Inspire
• Bloggers Educate
• Bloggers Entertain
“A blogger is someone who uses their knowledge, experiences, gifts, talents, and expertise to create content that will help and serve others.” –Abby, justagirlandherblog.com
“Blogging is definitely an interesting business and it can mean many different things. For me, being a blogger means being able to write on topics that I enjoy and helping people along the way. It’s about changing people’s mindsets and helping them improve their life. It’s about getting people to try new things and learn from my experiences and my own thoughts.” – Michelle, makingsenseofcents.com
“The definition of a blogger can be vague and hard to explain. Most people think that bloggers are nerdy computer geeks who type post after post and publish them on websites. But the definition of a blogger has evolved over the past few years. Instead of just pushing content, bloggers have evolved into online teachers. And that is exactly what I say when I explain what I do to my friends.
Bloggers don’t just share their life stories in journal format anymore, they are now online teachers, experts, and gurus on specific topics. Through teaching and helping others, you can monetize your expertise. Their personalities still shine through as they incorporate a lot of their life experiences into their teaching, but it no longer makes up the core of the content. In short, a blogger is a person who uses online content creation to teach others.” – Suzi, startamomblog.com
“A few years ago (when my blog was still a side hustle) I got a part-time job at the YMCA. When my manager introduced me to the team, she said, “watch out – he’s a blogger – so he might blog about you”. I just chuckled and thought to myself, no I would never blog about you or anything that happens here because you have absolutely nothing to do with my niche and it would provide no value to my audience.
The truth is, a blogger is someone who inspires change in their audience. Being a blogger means that you solve a specific problem for a specific group of people. That could be weight loss, dating tips, simply entertainment – whatever. It’s all about giving something to your tribe – it doesn’t matter if it’s through an article, video, podcast, or webinar.
A blogger is anyone who uses content to provide value to an online audience.” – Eli, Launch Your Dream
“Bloggers have a wide skill set that ranges from writing to marketing to photography to business to creativity to social skills and so much more.” – Abby, justagirlandherblog.com
Bloggers put a lot of time and hard work into their blogs
Going right along with the laundry list of skills bloggers might have, blogging does take time. It’s not easy money. It is a job (even if we love doing it!).
“When I started blogging, I had no idea how much work went into every single post. From the outside, it can seem like bloggers spend an hour or two writing up a post when in fact, blog posts can take anywhere from 5-20 hours per post depending on the subject matter.
Think of it this way. If you were working in corporate, you would have separate individuals for design, marketing, photography, editing, and writing. But with blogging, you take on all those roles (unless you have a team).
For me, I can spend upwards to 15-20 hours on each post, as I spend 2-3 hours conceptualizing, 2-3 hours for design, 2-4 hours for shooting & photo editing, and then another 2-3 hours on writing and promoting.” – Melissa, melissarosedesign.com
Bloggers use different strategies
“Bloggers do lots of different things, and not every blogger does the same task. Some bloggers make money one way and another blogger may not have ever even heard of it. Blogs have articles and content on their website, sometimes pictures, sometimes video, sometimes podcast, and so on. Bloggers may be active on social media, or they may generate great traffic just from having great content.” – Michelle, makingsenseofcents.com
What works for one blogger, might not work for another blogger. Each blogger has to find a strategy that works for them and their target audience. This usually means combining several different marketing techniques.
Not only do bloggers strategies differ from each other, but a blogger will change their tactics from the previous year.
“Blogging, online business, and social media are constantly changing; strategies that worked amazingly five, three, or even one year ago may be completely obsolete and ineffective today. Because of this, bloggers are always learning to adapt, innovate, and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to creating and promoting their content. They aren’t afraid to shift their focus and efforts in order to better meet the needs of their audience.” – Abby, justagrilandherblog.com
Bloggers work together
Are you surprised to see this one in the list?
Growth happens when bloggers work together. They collaborate on projects, the share each other’s articles; they encourage each other on their wins. The hashtag #communityovercompetition is a thing for a reason.
“Rather than competing with one another, bloggers have learned that blogging is best done in community, and that when they collaborate with one another, everyone can benefit. They are constantly working together to try new strategies and improve their craft in order to bring new ideas to their audiences and to the world.” –Abby, justagrilandherblog.com
Bloggers are business owners
A business is an activity that someone is regularly engaged in with the intent to earn a profit. A blog does not have to be making a profit to be considered a business. If your blog (business) experiences loss before it does increase (which, most will) then it is still a business. A blogger’s business can be full-time or part-time. It can be a solo business or bloggers can bring on employees.
Bloggers have their own brand
Whether intentional or not, each blog has a brand associated with it. Your brand launches when you hit publish on that first blog post. The brand of a blog is more than just the logo and colors of the blog’s site. The brand includes the blogger’s voice, values, the way readers feel when they read the blog. The brand also includes the images and decorative aspects of the blog. The content a blogger says/shares on social media also contributes to their blog’s brand.
Bloggers make money
As stated in the bloggers are business owners section, bloggers do make money. WOOT!
Bloggers make money several different ways, and most have more than one income stream. In a brief description, bloggers make money the following ways:
- Creating sponsored content
- Selling ad space on their blog
- Selling products – their own or affiliate products
- Selling courses or other education programs – their own or affiliate courses
- Offering coaching or niche related services
Bloggers are online professionals
In 2020 blogging is a professional career (it has been for many years) There are many opportunities for bloggers – and there is a lot of flexibility. Blogging is a job/business that you can make your own. It can be as big or as small as you want. Regina has even mapped out career paths for bloggers. The future is bright for bloggers.
If you want to become a blogger, you can! While background experience helps, there are no set prerequisites for getting started. First, decide on a topic to write about that will inspire, educate, or entertain people. Then you can setup your blog and you’re on your way to becoming a blogger. |
A complete and adequate description of the components of a program is essential to assess its implementation.
– the strategies,
– ways of communication and
– technologies for the implementation of the program and the specification of the beneficiaries and where the implementation takes place.
A proper and accurate identification of the components of the program will assess what aspects of the program were implemented as planned, and what factors of possible influence in the implementation differences.
The correct specification of the components to assess concerns as the scope of the program (intended beneficiaries) was observed. Moreover, conjecture about the possible links between the results of the implementation and results of the program itself (in terms of production, intermediate results, impacts, etc.)…
At the same time the specification (or detail) of the contents of the program is a requirement the process for evaluation.
The own initiative to plan and carry out the assessment process contributes to a specification most appropriate and realistic content of the program. This is an important condition to ensure that the program is more effective (because the internal consistency of the program has gone through a preliminary screening) and, secondly, that the evaluation of results and impact is more effective since the program’s performance will be compared with targets and more consistent and realistic expectations.
To allow the assessment that the process can improve the design and specification of a public program, some techniques may be used.
1 – Formative Assessment: based on data collected from pilot projects and beneficiaries over the conduct of a particular intervention and giving information on the feasibility of certain activities and instruments and to what extent they are appropriate to the design plan and beneficiaries provided;
2 – Verification of the “evaluability” systematic set of procedures for the proper development of the theory behind a public program, detail and clarify theplanned uses for the data in the evaluation process, before the start of an assessment in full scale.
His most important steps include (Scheirer, 1994:49-50):
a) Involve key policy makers, managers and staff through a series of meetings to clarify their expectations for the program and the assessment itself;
b) Using a model called matrix logic diagram, detailing the expected causal relationships between three aspects of the program: resources allocated to the program, implementation of specific activities planned the program and expected results;
c) Refinement of the theory behind the program by an interactive process, using visits to project sites and information available, to examine the reality of operations in the field and the extent to which proposed theory is plausible;
d) Clarify the uses planned for the information obtained from the evaluation, through discussions with policy makers and managers of the program, including changes in the program;
e) Use of theory to help in the specification of the program. theories application of relevant to the substantive issue of which comes the program, and the use of data to elucidate the underlying processes.
This type of evaluation process is important not only to specify the content of the program but also to link program activities with measures (indicators) of income to be used in subsequent impact assessments.
The term theory here refers to the inter-related principles that explain and to assume the behavior of a person, group or organization.
Chen (1990) distinguishes two types of theories:
– the normative, which defines what a program should be and
– the causal, which describes empirically the causal relationships between proposed solutions (including contextual factors) and outcome.
The central problem in this case is to investigate the effectiveness of the program and to achieve this purpose, it uses the mechanisms to establish causal relationships between actions of a program and the final result.
The purpose of such assessment can be defined as to identify the net effects of a social intervention. Like the evaluation of goals, this approach is held after the end of the program or the same steps.
Assessment processes – This type of evaluation research in a systematic manner the development of social programs for the purpose of measuring the coverage of the social program, establish the degree to which it is reaching the target, and, especially, monitor their internal processes. The objective is to detect possible defects in the 먹튀검증 development of procedures to identify barriers and obstacles to its implementation and to generate important data for your reprogramming, through the record of events and activities.
Thus, the appropriate use of information produced during the development of the program allows changes in its content during the execution. Unlike, therefore, the previous approaches, this method of assessment is carried out simultaneously with the development of the program, also called formative assessment. Its implementation requires, however, we can design flows and processes of the program.
Moreover, presupposes the existence of adequate management information system, which served as the basis for the work of managers and evaluators when appropriate.
An application of the methodology of evaluation of social programs:
A comprehensive assessment system using methodologies that provide for the evaluation of results and evaluation processes. Further, the settings and forms of operation used in the proposed model.
Assessment of results:
Here, results are defined as consisting of immediate results, results (impacts) and the medium-term results (impacts) for the long term.
For the evaluation it is suggested the use of impact indicators for measuring the results of long-term, related to the objectives of the program and output indicators to measure the immediate results and medium term. The output indicators measure the effects of the program: from the target population as a whole and among u
sers of the program. In the first case, should be raised two types of output indicators, with research in the field or the help of databases and / or existing entries:
– Degree of global coverage:
Measures the rate of coverage of the target population for the program. Both the deficit and the surplus of people benefiting are the reasons for changes in the route. The first demonstrates the need for expansion, and second, that there is waste of resources (non-eligible as target population are benefiting);
– Degree of coverage varies from program:
Measures the participation of different subgroups of the target population proposal. This rate can portray the discrimination (or bias) in the selection of clients of the program depending on region, age, sex etc.. On the second point, i.e. the evaluation of results to users of the program, can be used to measure indicators of benefits, which take into account the specific objectives of each program or project.
Rob Vos (1993) gives some examples of indicators most commonly used among users of the program and target population:
1 – for programs of nutrition – malnutrition rates by age, mortality and morbidity;
2 – for programs of education – illiteracy rates, the repetition, of evasion; coefficients of schooling and degrees of education;
3 – to programs of health – mortality rates in general, child mortality, maternal mortality, and birth, of fertility and life expectancy at birth;
4 – for housing programs – quantitative deficit for housing, quality of construction of housing and availability of basic services. The indicators show the input means or the resources available to achieve the objectives. Scarce resources and inadequate (in financial terms, of labor, equipment etc.). Almost always tend to undermine the expected results. |
Vintage sports car racing, as showcased at Monterey and other historic race weekends, has led not only to the restoration of many wonderful old race cars, but to increased interest in the eras those cars—and the people who raced them—represent. With their focus on road racing, though, such events have had little opportunity to showcase the oldest and most historic form of American motorsports: oval track open-wheel racing.
When Indy car racing returned to Southern California with the opening of California Speedway, racer-turned-chief steward Wally Dallenbach thought it would be a wonderful touch to include a parade of old Indy cars at the track. He contacted Victory Lane Motorsports Marketing, part of the Northern California company that publishes Victory Lane and Vintage Oval Racing magazines.
A call went out to the vintage racing community and owners of historic Indy cars took several of their cars to Fontana. Eight years later, the Historic Champ/Indy Car Association has a registry of some 220 cars, with at least 130 of them maintained in running order.
Under the banner of America’s Racing Heritage, the historic cars have become part of the annual Indy car racing weekends at California, Michigan and Milwaukee, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway also includes vintage Brickyard racers each May as part of activities surrounding the 500.
This year the historic Indy cars made their debut as the headline act at a vintage racing weekend when Phoenix International Raceway opened its 40th anniversary celebration with its first Phoenix Historic Grand Prix. HSR-West vintage sports car races on the PIR infield road course and a Kruse collector car auction in a huge tent pitched behind the grandstands outside Turn Two were part of the inaugural event. The track hopes to make this a major annual event on the vintage racing and collector car calendar.
The desert oval opened in early 1964 with a 100-mile USAC race. Parnelli Jones was on the pole with a lap at 114.822 mph in an Offy-powered roadster, but A.J. Foyt led the first and every lap of the race. The only rear-engine car in the race completed just four laps, but the season marked a turning point in Indy racing history: When the USAC cars and stars returned to Phoenix that fall, Lloyd Ruby won a 200-miler in a rear-engine racer.
Indy car racing has experienced many such turning points in its history. The early years of that history were represented at PIR by two cars dating to the 1920s.
At six-foot-eight Steve Marvin can’t fit into the cockpit of the 1924 Falls Motor racer, but that didn’t stop him from buying the car. His wife Carla gets to drive it.
Four years ago the Marvins took their 1923 Hudson to the re-creation of the 1913-17 Pan Pacific road races, and when they got home and looked at the pictures Steve had taken, most of them were of the 1924 Falls Motor racer. Captivated, Steve persuaded the car’s owner to sell it to him.
The Falls Machine Co. of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, was established to build woodworking and milling equipment, but in 1908 started making industrial and agricultural engines. Before long it reorganized as Falls Motors Corp., building as many as 200 engines a day for automakers such as Dort, Elgin, Apperson, Moon and others that failed to survive the early days of the industry. Its customers’ failures led to Falls’ demise, but not before it designed and built more than half a dozen straight eights, one of which survives in the car the company built and raced at Milwaukee.
Chuck Fausel also raced at Milwaukee, beginning as a teenager in the 1930s. Fausel drove midgets against the likes of Tony Bettenhausen Sr., but one day met Norma, whose father said his daughter wasn’t going to marry anyone who didn’t have a college education. So Fausel became an engineer and worked on projects in 16 countries before he and Norma (they’ve been married 57 years) settled on a farm near Palm Springs.
Fausel kept his hand in racing as part of the USAC technical committee and got into oval track vintage racing a few years ago when he bought a Johnny Pawl midget. Since then he has added some others, two of which the amazingly youthful 80-year-old drove at Phoenix: a 1920 Ford-Rajo and a 1957 Novi.
Unlike Fausel, Tom Malloy never got to race as a youngster, even though his father, Emmett J. Malloy, built the Gardena Bowl track in Southern California, owned sprint cars driven by the likes of Troy Ruttman, Bill Vukovich and Rex Mays, and in 1954 and ’55 was an Indy 500 car owner with Jimmy Reece driving Malloy’s Offy-powered Pankratz roadster.
Emmett Malloy was in the construction business, and Tom Malloy made and rented out equipment for those in the construction industry, including those steel plates you drive over when work is being done under city streets. For years Tom Malloy’s involvement in racing meant only that his company, Trench Shoring, sponsored cars.
Finally, 25 years after his father’s death Malloy decided to give racing a try. He did a three-day Skip Barber school and then bought his first Indy car. Malloy had several cars at PIR this year, ranging from a 1934 Miller to a couple of early-’60s Watsons, including the rear-engine car Rodger Ward drove to a second-place finish at the Brickyard in 1964, and the Indy-winning 1981 Penske-Cosworth. The 1981 Indy 500 ended in controversy. Bobby Unser won in the Penske, but was penalized for passing on pit road. Mario Andretti was declared the winner, but four months later an appeal gave the win back to Unser.
Malloy can verify his is the winning car; he not only owns the PC9B Unser drove that day (another team car from that same season is on display in the Penske Racing museum), but he also has the Wildcat Andretti drove at Indy that year and, for good measure, the McLaren Vern Schuppan took to a third-place finish in the race.
"The history and allure of Indy is a monument in my life," says Malloy.
Each of the owners of each of the cars at PIR could tell similar tales of the history and allure of American open-wheel racing. Despite the battles being fought among those in charge of the sport in recent years, these car owners are doing their best to make sure that history and allure is passed on to at least one more generation. |
Three Ways to Take Care of Your Eyes as You Age
May is Healthy Vision Month, which makes taking a proactive approach to better understand your vision, vision-related illness, and how to properly care for your eyesight. Approximately 37 million adults in the US suffer from age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma. All of these diseases can lead to visual impairment or blindness. Most recently, studies have shown that healthy decisions and regular eye exams can significantly reduce your risk of vision loss.
To support Healthy Vision Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology encourages all of us to take better care of our eye health and visit a specialist today.
Eat Well for Better Eye Health
There are many health conditions that can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet. Your eyesight is one such condition. To enjoy better eye health, start with the food you put on your plate each day. You want to include plenty of nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids from fish, and vitamins C and E to prevent age-related visual problems.
To ensure you receive the proper nutrients and vitamins, add a few of these items to your dinner plate each day:
- Green vegetables, including spinach, kale, and collards.
- Salmon, tuna, and oily fish.
- Eggs, nuts, beans, and non-meat proteins.
- Oranges and citrus fruit or juices.
- Oysters and pork.
The goal is to ensure a well-balanced diet and a healthy weight.
Wear Appropriate Eyewear
The right pair of sunglasses or safety eyewear while on the job can do wonders to protect your eyesight. With sunglasses, you are protected against harmful ultraviolet rays. While a little sunlight is nice, too much ultraviolet exposure leads to cataracts and macular degeneration. You should choose sunglasses designed to block 99% to 100% of UVA and UVG rays.
Regarding safety eyewear on the job, either safety glasses or protective goggles designed to protect your eyes from hazardous or airborne objects while working or playing sports work well. Most have a polycarbonate lens to shield the eyes.
Avoid Screens Occasionally
Sure, most of us need to stare at a screen for long periods – because of work, school, or for entertainment purposes after a long day. But staring at a computer or phone screen for too long can lead to eye strain, blurry vision, headaches, and focus issues.
To protect your eyes from screen woes, wear your glasses or prescriptions and make sure they are up to date. If the eye strain does not diminish, visit an eye doctor immediately.
Furthermore, when using a computer for long periods, rest your eyes every 20 minutes. You can do so by looking 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Then, every two hours, take a 15-minute break. |
Truffles are a top Italian fall culinary item and are celebrated with truffle fairs and festivals in central and northern Italy. Going to a truffle fair is a must for foodies visiting Italy.
Of course visiting the fair is worthwhile even if you don't want to buy truffles. The scent of fresh truffles fills the air and there are locally made truffle dishes to try (usually for much less than you'd pay in a restaurant). There's often entertainment and concession stands that sell local foods such as cheese, salami, honey, and wine.
Truffles are found primarily in the regions of Piedmont, Molise, Tuscany, Umbria, Emilia Romagna, and Le Marche. During October and November, there are many white truffle fairs held in these regions. The San Miniato Truffle Fair, La Sagra del Tartufo Bianco, is held in the medieval hill town of San Miniato on in November. About 25% of Italy's white truffles are produced in this territory and November is the heart of truffle gathering season. If you haven't had truffles, this is a great place to get an introduction.
Hunting truffles is a passion. The illusive fungi grows underground, close to the roots of oak, hazel, poplar and beech trees, and is only found in a handful of places around the world. It's this rarity that makes it so prized. The San Miniato Hills, with their mild Tuscan climate and soil rich in mineral salts, are the perfect breeding ground for top-quality truffles -- as well as the wine and olive oil for which the region is famous.
Because it is impossible to reproduce, truffles are one of the world's most expensive foods, and the Italian white is the most valuable of all, with a market price of up to $2,200 a pound.
So how do you find these nuggets of gold? Hunters guess at where the year's harvest might be found by judging the weather, the earth and the plants. Traditionally pigs were used to forage for the prized truffles; however their use is banned in Italy because their rooting damages the truffles' delicate mycelia, necessary for the fungi's reproduction. Today’s hunters rely on highly trained, fungi hunting canine friends to locate the earthy delicacy.
Tuscany has so much to offer the culinary explorer, whether it's going on a truffle hunt, picking and pressing olives or learning to make fresh pasta, you are sure to be delighted with the magic of Tuscany. |
distressed, hard-pressed, hard put, in a bad way(p)(adj)
facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty
"distressed companies need loans and technical advice"; "financially hard-pressed Mexican hotels are lowering their prices"; "we were hard put to meet the mortgage payment"; "found themselves in a bad way financially"
dysphoric, distressed, unhappy(adj)
generalized feeling of distress
suffering severe physical strain or distress
"he dropped out of the race, clearly distressed and having difficulty breathing"
disquieted, distressed, disturbed, upset, worried(adj)
afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief
"too upset to say anything"; "spent many disquieted moments"; "distressed about her son's leaving home"; "lapsed into disturbed sleep"; "worried parents"; "a worried frown"; "one last worried check of the sleeping children"
stressed, disordered, mad, unhinged, upset, sick, overturned, worried, upturned, maladjusted, confused, apprehensive, brainsick, demented, unhappy, hard put, upset(a), broken, hard-pressed, crazy, disquieted, disturbed, unbalanced, in a bad way(p), dysphoric
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English) |
If you're as smart as you think you are, here's your chance to win the opportunity to be mentored by top R&D experts at Tata Steel for a 2-month internship. Launched in 2014, Mind over Matter challenges the sharpest and smartest engineering students in the country's top institutes, with real-life problems related to steel-making. The winning teams are then invited to Tata Steel to create prototypes of their ideas under the mentorship of the Tata Steel R&D team.
|First Runner-up||Ms Priyanka Sinha and Ms Aarushee Agarwal||NIT Jamshedpur||Dephosphorisation of BOF slag using slag treatment and slow cooling techniques|
|Second Runner-up||Mr Manish K Chandan and Mr Sourav Agarwal||BIT Mesra, Ranchi||Use of Density Gradient Centrifugation (DGC) for separation of coal macerals.|
|Winners||Pranay Ranjan & Ambar Katyayyan||IIT Jamshedpur||Bio-Algal Gas Cleaning (Bio-AlGaC) System for Blast Furnace
Mentor Name: Mr. Omkar Avinash Shinde
|First Runner-up||Amlan Baishya & Gaurav Sinha||IIT Roorkee||Use 3D printing technology in refractory/high temperature ceramic application
Mentor Name: Mr. Raj Kumar Prince
|Second Runner-up||Sandeep Prasad & Sheeraz Zama Khan||NIT Jamshedpur||Pre-treatment of para-magnetic minerals for effective magnetic separation
Mentor Name: Mr. Sunil Kumar Tripathy
Coal beneficiation process such as flotation is inevitable to treat coal fine of size -0.5mm. The coal flotation process requires several reagents to modify the coal particle surface for effective flotation. The collectors such as, kerosene, diesel oil, HSD etc. are commonly used to make the coal surface more hydrophobic. In this line, we invite innovative proposals to develop a methodology to identify and use the nano-particles as a collector for coal flotation to enhance the process efficiency.
( Mentor: Ms. N Gurulaxmi Srikakulapu, E-Mail: [email protected])
Tata Steel manganese mines in Joda, Odisha generates huge amount of low grade manganese ores every year and utilization of these fines/rejects is a challenge. A hydrometallurgical process like leaching is effective to extract metal values from low grade ores into liquid medium which on further processing leads to various manganese derivatives. Manganese oxides (MnO2, Mn2O3) are used as cathode material in battery industry and also, as a catalyst for hydrogen generation. Manganese dioxide (EMD) can be produced through electrolysis using these fines however the major challenges that needs to be addressed during the electrowinning is to produce a deposit that has only gamma form of MnO2 and no other structure /oxides and, obtaining a high purity deposit and with high current efficiency. So, we are searching for a methodology or additive which can provide a pure EMD during processing of these ores.
( Mentor: Mr. K V Krishnareddy, E-Mail: [email protected])
The iron bearing superfines present in Iron Ore Slime, Blast Furnace Dust and Sludge, etc. have become a worry for the steel makers and environmentalists. The status quo involves beneficiation and recycling of such wastes. Since, this waste contains other important elements like Calcium, Alumina, etc. Therefore, the idea is to utilise the iron and other resources present in the waste to produce value-added products. Proposals are being invited to produce value added products from these iron bearing superfines.
( Mentor: Mr. Rohan Ohri, E-Mail: [email protected])
Steel industry largely depends on coking coal to produce desired quality coke which is used as a reductant as well as heat source in the blast furnace. The scarcity of desired quality coals and environmental issues associated with coke making process compelling the industry to identify alternative raw materials and more environmental friendly processes. The huge quantity of biomass generated by industries and humans (wood residues, waste from food crops, horticulture, corn cobs, animal farming, etc) has huge potential to utilize it as a raw material for coke making. We are searching for a suitable methodology/process to convert these materials into a useable green coke for steel making.
( Mentor: Dr. Debjani Nag, E-Mail: [email protected])
LD Slag is a waste generated in the LD steel making process and after the recovery of metallic value, non-metallic portion of LD Slag fines finds very little industrial importance. LD Slag is very complex material containing majorly, Fe, Ca, P, Si etc., The main challenge is the extraction of Iron and Phosphorus from LD Slag fines and using them for the preparation of “Iron oxide based Hydroxyapatite Nano powder” for finding the possible applications in the field of biosensors and biomedical field. We are searching for a methodology to selectively remove the undesired elements during hydrometallurgical processing of LD Slag to produce these products.
There several technologies are available for CO2 capture from flue gases. However, capturing of CO2 will not going to reduce its GHG potential. Therefore, it is essential to convert CO2 in to value added product so that it can be sequestrated permanently. Some of research initiatives have been taken in this domain where CO2 is captured and simultaneously it is converted to different products by the catalytic activity of the capturing material. We invite the proposals to CO2 capture and in-situ conversion into value added products.( Mentor: Dr Niloy Kundu, E-Mail: [email protected])
Hydrogen is green fuel till date. However, in present scenario the route of production of hydrogen is driven by fossil fuel and eventually those processes are responsible for GHG emission. Several initiatives have been taken for green hydrogen production though most of those failed to catch up commercial viability. In steel industry, green hydrogen can be used as reducing agent as well as fuel. Therefore, we invite ideas to develop a process to produce green hydrogen.
( Mentor: Dr Santanu Sarkar, E-Mail: [email protected])
Addition of carbon nanoparticles (nanotubes, nanoplatelets, Graphene etc.) during additive manufacturing can be a route for manufacturing composite material components. Addition can be ex-situ or in-situ vis-a-via process and consumables. We ae looking for a feasible proposal to make it a scalable process.
( Mentor: Dr. Kanwer Singh Arora, E-Mail: [email protected])
Si is one of the important inexpensive alloying elements added in steel to increase both strength and formability. It is vital in development of special steels like carbide-free bainite steels. It is also an important deoxidizer during steel making. However, its addition in advanced high strength steels is restricted due to various problems during zinc coating/coatability. Research so far is focused on understanding the problem with Si addition on Zn coating. However, there are no solutions that allow addition of Si in the range of 0.5 to 2 wt.% without any detrimental effect to Zn coating or its quality. A solution to the problem will help to develop advanced high strength and crash resistance steels at lower cost. So, proposals are invited to effective Zn coating of steels containing high amount of Si.
( Mentor: Dr. Appa Rao Chintha, E-Mail: [email protected])
Hot forming is a press forming and simultaneously hardening process of the formed components in contact with the water-cooled dies. High strength/ ultra-high strength steel sheets are heated up to the temperature about 950oC and quickly transferred to a forming press. The uncoated steel surface is oxidised and decarburised to a smaller extent (~ 3 micron) after hot forming. Also, the die life is affected by the oxide particles and the formed component has to be cleaned by additional sand blasting process. Widley acceptable solution to these issues are to coat the steel with Al-Si coating, which is a patented process. The challenge is to provide a viable solution to avoid these problems of hot forming without Al-Si coating. So proposals are invited to develop temporary coatings which can be applied easily before heating and removable (if required) after forming for subsequent painting processes.
( Mentor: Mr. Nemai Chandra Gorain, E-Mail: [email protected])
The growing awareness on sustainability and environment consciousness lead to the more stricter norms of automotive emission. While EVs or Hybdrid vehicles are likely to be the long-term solution to this problem, the present situation demands chasing the target of reducing auto body weight even more aggressively. The lightweight automobiles will definitely help cut the IC engine emission but are also expected to maintain a certain level of passenger comfort and stability of the vehicle structure. This requires the steels or the materials used in manufacture of the modern cars to be resistant to Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH). Foams, laminates, sandwich panels are probably some of the best offerings in the current market for this segment but these materials are seldom used as in mass to manufacture automobiles. The present challenge is going to be all about imparting the NVH resistance as a specific differential attribute to the regular steel products available in the automotive market.
( Mentor: Dr. Sourabh Chatterjee, E-Mail: [email protected])
|Smart system for prediction and elimination of surface defects in steel strip||Name: Pruthivi Raj Mohapatra, Sriman Ayashant Avtak
Institute: CET Bhubaneswer
|Suitable processing technique for alteration of properties of steels beyond conventional thermomechanical treatment||Name: Subhadip Midya and Rajrishi Sarkar
Institute: Jadavpur University, West Bengal
|Measurement of silica layer on cold rolled steel cleaned by Electrolytic cleaned process necessary||Name: Rishi Raj, Jaya
Institute: BIT Sindri , Jharkhand
|Addition of carbon nanoparticles into similar and dissimilar welds of steel and aluminium||Name: Anmol Agarwal and Dhruva Agarwal
Institute: IIT BHU, Utter Pradesh
|Bring disruptive change in steel making sub-processes||Name: Ashish Kumar, Manish Kumar
Institute: ISM Dhanbad, Jharkhand |
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