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Mahler and Schoenberg
- Extra Reading
Mahler was a huge inspiration for Schoenberg and an early champion of his music. We will explore the influence Mahler had on Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School, and the arrangements of Mahler for the Private Music Society, at the cutting edge of music from 1918-21.
Concert: Mahler, Kindertontenlieder: Webern, Concerto for Nine Instruments, Op.24; Berg, Piano Sonata Op.1; Schoenberg, Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op.16.
16 December 2010
Mahler and Schoenberg
Today’s concert does not feature any Schoenberg, but my lecture concerns Schoenberg and Mahler, and Mahler’s influence on the Second Viennese School. Much of today’s programme comprises Second Viennese School music by Berg and Webern, as well as the wonderful settings of Rückert’s Kindertotenlieder, which Mahler completed in 1904.
Between 1900 and 1910, Schoenberg wrote Gurre-Lieder, a piece that represented something of a synthesis of the two polemics that dominated German music in the 19th Century: the ideas of Brahms, particularly with regard to harmonic rhythm and structure, with the musical aesthetic and language of Wagner. It is a hugely influential work. It was incredibly popular. At the first performance, he received a fifteen minute ovation, which was very unusual for Schoenberg. But this is an interesting piece because, by the time Schoenberg had completed it (he actually finished the orchestration in 1911), he had moved so far away from its origins in 1900 that he actually hated the performance, even although it was a great success. The crowds were hysterical, shouting and cheering. He refused to bow to the audience. He only bowed to the orchestra. Many of his friends thought he was actually insane because he obviously did not realise the significance of what he had done. Many of his performances between writing this piece and its premiere in 1913 had often caused riots. In fact, Mahler, who was a great supporter of Schoenberg, had to be restrained by the police for trying to thump a heckler at the premiere of Schoenberg’s first string quartet in 1907. Schoenberg was the bête noire of music in Vienna at that time. Mahler very much appreciated his ability and talent and supported him financially, as well as championing his cause.
Schoenberg, on the other hand, only really began to realise the significance of Mahler’s music when he heard a performance of the Third Symphony; his enjoyment of Mahler is reflected in Gurre-Lieder. I think Schoenberg learned a lot from him, particularly with regards to orchestration and balancing instruments and being able to use very spare lines, single lines, very simple accompaniments. In the Webern featured in today’s programme, the influence of Mahler really comes into play – especially considering the spareness of Das Lied von der Erde or the finale of the Fourth Symphony. However, because of other issues, it does not sound very much like Mahler, but I shall come to that later.
Mahler really supported Schoenberg, physically, financially, but also spiritually. Mahler encouraged Schoenberg to keep going, which was important for Schoenberg, because Mahler was probably the most famous Viennese/Austrian musician of his day.
I would like you to now listen to an extract from Gurre-Lieder. This piece was premiered with Franz Schreker conducting, and it has a Wagnerian plot. It is based on a Danish tale about a king who murders his wife and ends up with his lover. It is a distinctly Wagnerian topic, a little bit like Tristan and Isolde. This is the very beginning of the piece, which we shall come back to at the end of this lecture.
It is fantastic music! It is very much of its time, late-Romantic in style. The rest of Gurre-Lieder moves away from this kind of Romanticism. Indeed, in the third act of this piece, Schoenberg uses sprechstimme, which is speech melody, and a great feature of his revolutionary piece, Pierrot Lunaire (1912). It is an incredible piece. It is a culmination of an entire century of Romantic ideas. One of the things that Mahler and Schoenberg had in common was a belief that Austro-German music was, spiritually and philosophically, the greatest music in the world. Indeed, when, in 1910, Schoenberg wrote his famous book, Harmonielehre (Theory of Harmony), he told a friend that he was the musical equivalent of Albert Einstein, because his ideas would transform the history of music. He said, “It will make German music the greatest music for another 100 years.” Both Mahler and Schoenberg think that their music is something really special and for everybody, but it comes from a Germanic Romantic tradition that really starts with Beethoven – in particular, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Schoenberg is really the person – and Mahler recognised this – that brought together the two conflicting poles of the German tradition: the Brahmsian side (academic, structured, baroque, a feeling for harmonic rhythm) with the Wagnerian side (philosophy, psychological torment, very short, light motifs strung out over unheard of lengths of time).
It is important to see this musical tradition, at the beginning of the 20th Century, in terms of nationalism. As I said in my previous talk, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was the second biggest land mass in Europe, second only to Russia. People really felt they were part of an enormous cultural unit, and when you add Germany, you are talking about an even greater philosophical unit. It is important to take this into consideration when listening to this music, because this is not just a matter of chromatic scales, which I shall talk about in a minute; it is also about a philosophy underpinning the whole period since Beethoven, through to the time we are talking about now, with Mahler, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern.
When Mahler died in 1911, Strauss wrote to Alma Mahler: “The only person that can help Schoenberg now is a psychiatrist.” Strauss, who had started out as a very revolutionary, modernist composer with his operas Elektra and Salome, ultimately became a neoclassical, late-Romantic composer (albeit a glorious one), and he basically maintained that style throughout the rest of his life, from 1907/08 onwards. Schoenberg, on the other hand, went in a completely different direction. I shall now talk about why this is special, what makes it different to other music.
I would like to welcome three of our musicians: Anna, on the flute, Matthew Ward, playing the violin, and Bruce, on the trumpet.
This is a bit like going back to school in the 1960s. They probably do not teach notes in most schools these days. Here we have a chromatic scale, with all the notes numbered, one to twelve.
Could you play that on the flute, backwards?
Schoenberg wanted to move away from conventional harmony, i.e. harmony based around tonal centres, like C Major or G Minor. Brahms and all the composers before him were very much in this mould. He tried to create a method in Harmonielehre where each of these pitches is equal. This is incredibly democratic for notes, but not so much for players because this music is very hard!
Schoenberg said that you could order any of these notes, up to twelve, in any order. As it is Christmas, we are going to do a Gresham tone row. Would someone please call out a number?
Audience Member: Seven.
Number seven is an F Sharp… Next?
Audience Member: Three.
Three is D… Next?
Audience Member: Nine.
Nine, G Sharp… Next one?
Audience Member: One.
A nice C for number one… Next one?
Audience Member: Five.
We have got an E at five. Next?
Audience Member: Eight.
G natural at eight. Next one?
Audience Member: Ten.
Ten is an A. Next one?
Audience Member: Twelve.
We have got a B natural at twelve. Next one?
Audience Member: Eleven.
Eleven is A Sharp.
Audience Member: Two.
Audience Member: Four.
And four, we have got a D Sharp. Great. This is what Schoenberg called a tone row. Anna, could you play that on the flute?
Marvellous! Very well done – a great composition!
Now, if we do this backwards, it is called a retrograde...
Bruce, do you think you could do an inversion? We have done the tone row, and we have done it backwards, but there are two other versions. Basically, instead of going down a major third, from F Sharp to D, you go up a major third from F Sharp to A - everything is kind of in reverse. Do you think you can do it? Have a go!
Bruce: No – I can’t do it!
Well, that is actually what most people felt when they first saw this music on the page!
So, you have four versions of this row. This is a very simplified version of how these composers composed. To give you an example, in Webern’s Opus 24, written for Schoenberg’s 60th birthday, he put these groups of notes into groups of three notes. This gives you four different sets of notes within the twelve notes, and you have a minor third and a minor second in each group of notes. Webern thus creates something like a grid, enabling you to do retrogrades, retrograde inversions, inversions of the theme; you can take these groups of three notes and turn them into a single motif. It is not dissimilar to what Beethoven does in the Fifth Symphony, or what Brahms does in the Second Symphony, where you start with maybe two ideas in the opening two bars, and these preoccupy the whole piece. The difference is this does not sound so tonal, although most of the composers that you will hear today use this not just for making things as dissonant as possible, but also with the possibility for consonance and harmony.
We are now going to take our piece and add some articulation and dynamics. Anna, could you make this a happy motif? Shall we do it fast and short, or long and sustained? Let’s have long and sustained for the flute.
Then we shall take these three notes, which happen to be C Major – Bruce, maybe you could do that bit, and the retrograde?
Any takers for that nice C Major triad?
Audience Member: Angry.
What has it ever done to you? Okay, we shall make it angry. That is Bruce, on the trumpet. What about a dynamic? Angry? Strong? Yeah! Fortissimo!
How about the violin?
Audience Member: Triumphant.
Triumphant – great! Actually, we shall make this more and more triumphant as it goes along. We shall start sad and build to triumphant.
Now, in this tradition of music, this can become like a motivic cell: any of these things can be, but you cannot repeat notes once you have played them. So, you could not do F Sharp and a D and then another F Sharp. You could do a thousand notes on F Sharp and one on D, but you cannot go back.
We are now going to play these three different motifs, and then we shall combine them together, so you can start to see how Schoenberg, Webern and Berg worked at their music. First, the flute: happy, long and sustained.
Marvellous! A round of applause for that!
We shall now overlap these elements, and see how that works. If you all just come in, as and when – but just once.
You can already see that something is developing. Thank you very much – fantastic!
We have talked a little about the pitch structure of the Webern that you are going to hear, but in Brahms’ Fourth Symphony, we have this melody [sings]: a beautiful beginning to a symphony. In the Webern second movement, we have exactly the same gesture, on the piano, but because the pitch is all arranged in this way, it is much harder to hear the connection between it and the Brahms. However, I am suggesting that you should listen to this music like it is connected to the musical past. It is not something completely abstract.
After the performance of Gurre-Lieder, Schoenberg said that he wanted to write music where the audience deliberately would not know where it had come from. This is perhaps arrogant on his part, but it is also connected to the Romantic concept of the artist being against everybody, or everyone being against the artist. This takes us back to Beethoven and people not really understanding his later music. Schoenberg felt this very keenly, and I think it is no accident that he tried to copy this idea. Mahler said, “My time will come when people will understand my symphonies.” Now, he is one of the most popular composers. In fact, I recently looked in a catalogue and saw that he has nearly as many recordings of his symphonies as Beethoven, which just about says it all.
For tonight’s repertoire, I have included the Webern cello pieces that you heard last time, partly because they are fantastic, but also because you can directly hear the difference between late-Romantic style and the three modernist pieces that follow them. You can hear a beautiful sense of line and sound in the cello pieces, written in 1899. They are like “little Lieder,” songs without words. The three small pieces following that are very tightly constructed and atmospheric. Their silences are as important as their notes. The texture of the sound, the dynamics, the gestures, are all as important as anything else. It is almost atomic in the way that it is constructed because you could not add or subtract a single note. Indeed, in the Opus 24 concerto, which will start tonight’s concert, there are only a few places where all or some of the instruments actually play together. Webern has pared down the music to its absolute minimum, so you have lots of counterpoint; there is very little confluence between the different elements vertically, but lots of confluence between motifs. It is basically an extension of the German tradition that Bach established, of fugue and counterpoint. Indeed, one of Webern’s most famous early pieces is a passacaglia, a 17th Century form, where you repeat the same base over and over again.
The Webern concerto may sound quite abstract. If you take, for example, the opening notes of our tone row… [plays] …it is totally possible. They are the same notes, but because they are played in different octaves, it is very hard to recognise that they are the same pitches. This opens up a whole new range of possibilities, exploited by these composers.
Webern had quite a sad but interesting life. He was very nationalistic. He actually wrote an article criticising the Nazis, which never got published, and it actually saved his life. Most of his music was not written to commission, he just wrote it. Opus 24 was a present to Schoenberg. He had to earn his living working for Universal Edition as an editor. His death is a tragedy, a double tragedy in fact. During the curfew in February 1945, he went outside to have a cigar, and was shot dead by an American soldier. The soldier was so traumatised when told what he had done that he became an alcoholic and died of alcohol poisoning in the early 1950s. Some wits, mainly people like Thomas Beecham, said it was “Americans’ greatest contribution to Western culture”. A comment from Stravinsky says it all:
“He was doomed to a total failure in a deaf world of ignorance and indifference. He inexorably kept on creating his dazzling diamonds, the likes of which are so perfect and show so much knowledge about music.”
He was a huge influence on many composers that followed in the post-war period, and his music is great. It is very distinctive; there is nothing else quite like it.
Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder is a very special set of songs, sung by Wendy, a fantastic mezzo-soprano. Rückert wrote 428 poems between 1833 and 1834. His two children died from scarlet fever, and he tried to recreate his children through these poems, so they are very special. When Mahler was writing these songs, between 1901 and 1904, he had just married Alma Mahler and fathered two children. He was attempting to get inside the mind of the poet when he was writing these songs, and he even wrote that he wanted to feel like his daughters had died. The tragedy was that, in 1908, his daughter actually died of scarlet fever. He said at the time he could never have written Kindertotenlieder after that. The idea of getting inside a character’s mind is quite interesting from the point of view of cultural history. Compare Mahler to the Austrian writer, Stefan Zweig, and his book Marie Antoinette, which is written in the first person. It is quite a Freudian thing to do, to actually assume the mantle of another person and try and understand their point of view, in this very profound music.
To conclude, we have here a very special concert. It is very unusual to hear to hear these works juxtaposed, but I hope you will remember the beginning of Gurre-Lieder. Schoenberg ended up in Los Angeles as a refugee; he was asked to compose a film and he never did. He lived one block away from Stravinsky. A lot of his music and ideas are misunderstood. Towards the end of his life, he started to talk about how his music related to Brahms and Schubert and the earlier composers, but I just want you to listen to these two extracts. One is the opening of Gurre-Lieder, and then the other is something that you all know and love…
This event was on Thu, 16 Dec 2010
Gresham College has offered an outstanding education to the public free of charge for over 400 years. Today, Gresham plays an important role in fostering a love of learning and a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Your donation will help to widen our reach and to broaden our audience, allowing more people to benefit from a high-quality education from some of the brightest minds.
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The amount of space junk around Earth has hit a critical point where it now poses risks to other spacecraft and satellites and has started to trigger human efforts to combat the security threat in outer space.
Space exploration and exploitation has traditionally been the domain of the Americans and Russians. But Europe is in the mix too, from building the machines that put satellites in orbit to harbouring dreams of mining asteroids. Here’s what the future holds.
Last spring marked 40 years since Czechoslovakian astronaut Vladimir Remek's flight to space and this year marks another anniversary. In November, the Czech Republic celebrated ten years since joining the European Space Agency (ESA). EURACTIV Czech Republic's media partner Aktuálně.cz reports.
There are few signs that the European Commission could change its 'business as usual' space strategy focusing on satellite services. Vidvuds Beldavs explains why the Commission should look to the Moon and raise its space ambitions.
2018 will be a crucial year to shape a stimulating new narrative for EU space policy. Jean-Loic Galle lists a couple of key points ahead of the 10th EU space policy conference taking place in Brussels on 23 and 24 January.
Europe’s leaders need to set forth the threats to Europe that could come from failure to exercise space leadership. Vidvuds Beldavs suggests what Emmanuel Macron or Jean-Claude Juncker could say to take Europe to the forefront of space exploration.
Brexit negotiations with the UK are forcing the European Commission to postpone funding for reusable rockets until after 2020, despite the importance of the technology for the future of European space policy.
The Jason-3 satellite has finally been put into Low Earth orbit, after several delays, and will now provide European scientists with essential data regarding the state of the planet’s oceans. EURACTIV Italy reports.
The European Space Agency landed a probe on a comet yesterday (12 November), a first in space exploration and the climax of a 10-year-odyssey, but an anchoring system problem may hamper planned investigations into the origins of Earth and the solar system.
Sea ice in the Arctic is disappearing at a far greater rate than previously expected, according to data from the first purpose-built satellite launched to study the thickness of the Earth's polar caps.
The trademarks of the Galileo satellite system are under sustained legal challenge from a US headquartered company and the Commission is considering renaming the project’s commercial arms as a result, EURACTIV has learned.
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Talks about elephants
The immense species of wild elephants in our country is elephants. Even though we like to see elephants from the infant, the awareness of them is not enough. The more elephants we need, the more we console the elephant and the conservation of their wildlife.
Elephant is a mammalian animal. That is, the Malamia Mammalia (Proboscidea) Proboscidea tribe. It means the nostrils and the upper extremities. The elephants are dominated by two main species. Elephant in Elephant Elephas Maximus is an Asian elephant, and elephant Loxodonta Africana is an African elephant in Africa. In-depth search for elephants distributes more species (special) to several. The Asian elephant is ahead of the elephant than an African elephant.
But the female elephant and the male elephant are naturally inherited. Therefore, the males are furrowed and the females are called. The Asian elephant’s stamp is only for males. Also, only a generation of genetic treasures are in place. Therefore, when the Asian elephant is named, it is said: If the males are male, elephant, male losing male tigers, and both of them are female.
The elephant is a herbaceous creature. They have sixteen teeth in their lifetime. But its mouth always has only one active teeth. When a finger dies, another pair of teeth comes in. An elephant’s life span is 65 to 75 years. An elephant will die after all the teeth have passed. Therefore, there is a well-known saying that an elephant is killed, not because of aging, but because of the result of teething.
It is said that the toothpaste of elephants can be delayed for nearly ten years. For example, the story of Kandy Raja, which lived for 85 years, is continued. The tooth of an elephant is like a small bricks. It grows steadily, with two steady incisive teeth.
There is a sharp, sensuous piece of elephant’s trunk. Let’s call it the finger. This sensitive part receives food and recognizes certain things. The fingertips are one of the Asian elephants and two of the African elephants. Most of the elephant’s meats are grasses. There are also some varieties of birch and bark.
More than 150 kilograms a day. Drink 60 to 120 liters of water. Finding food and water for 10 to 12 miles or even further. Dry environment is enriched by man’s intervention during the time of the forest. Water and food, this is a simple idea.
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The sperm of male fruit flies are coated with a chemical 'sex peptide' which inhibits the female's usual afternoon siesta and compels her into an intense period of foraging activity.
The surprise discovery was made by Professor Elwyn Isaac from the University of Leeds' Faculty of Biological Sciences when investigating the marked differences in sleeping patterns between virgin and mated females.
Both male and female fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) - commonly seen hovering around rotting fruit and vegetables - are active at dawn and dusk, and have a deep sleep at night. They also exhibit a marked 'resting state' during the afternoon, which Professor Isaac likens to a siesta that conserves the fly's energy and reduces damaging exposure to the sun during hot afternoons.
"However, we noted that after mating, females still slept deeply at night, but ditched the usual siesta in favour of extra foraging and searching for places to lay her eggs," he says. "This behaviour lasts for around eight days - and our research findings suggest that this change is not by choice. Females who mated with males that produced sperm without the sex peptide continued to take their siesta. So we're certain that this change of behaviour is chemically induced by the male."
"Sleep is an ancient and essential mechanism in living creatures from worms to humans, so to inhibit this for such a long period and replace it with extra activity that exposes the female to environmental hazards and danger from predators must require a powerful mechanism," he says.
The sex peptide is produced in the males' accessory glands (the equivalent of the human prostate gland) and attaches itself to the surface of the sperm's tail. Previous research studies have shown that the sex peptide encourages females to increase egg production - a mated female will lay up to 100 eggs a day compared with 1-2 eggs laid by a virgin female. It also inhibits her from mating with other males for around a week to ten days.
"It would appear that preventing sleep and inducing extra domestic-type duties to prepare for the birth of offspring in females is a further tactic used by the male to ensure successful paternity after mating," says Professor Isaac.
Professor Isaac says that the discovery sheds further light on the role of signalling molecules in the brain. "If we can work out exactly how this natural molecular switch can disrupt sleep behaviour, we may be able to apply this knowledge to neurological disorders relating to human sleep such as narcolepsy, which we think is caused by a fault in the neuropeptide signalling pathway in the brain."
Fruit flies are a good model for looking at sleep behaviour in humans as they exhibit many of the hallmarks of mammalian sleep. For example they sleep deeply at night from which they're difficult to rouse and they have a preferred sleeping posture. If kept awake through the night, they exhibit tiredness the next day; if fed caffeine, they stay awake, and they become drowsy if given antihistamines. The fruit fly's genome has also been fully mapped, so wide ranging genetic studies are possible.
The study is published online today in the Royal Society journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Professor Isaac is available for interview.
A copy of the paper is available on request.
For further information:
Please contact the University of Leeds Press Office on +44 (0)113 343 4031 or email email@example.com
Notes for editors
1. Elwyn Isaac is Professor of Comparative Biochemistry at the University of Leeds. His research investigates the role and properties of neuropeptides and peptidases in controlling the behaviour, development and sex-life of insects and nematode worms. His laboratory also works with invertebrates that are of economic and medical importance, such as mosquitoes and parasitic worms, ticks and mites, as their signaling systems and transporter proteins are prime targets for vaccines and inhibitors in pest and parasite control.
2. The Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds is one of the largest in the UK, with over 150 academic staff and over 400 postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate students. The Faculty is ranked 4th in the UK (Nature Journal, 457 (2009) doi:10.1038/457013a) based on results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). The RAE feedback noted that "virtually all outputs were assessed as being recognized internationally, with many (60%) being internationally excellent or world-leading" in quality. The Faculty's research grant portfolio totals some £60M and funders include charities, research councils, the European Union and industry. http://www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/
3. The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise showed the University of Leeds to be the UK's eighth biggest research powerhouse. The University is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. The University's vision is to secure a place among the world's top 50 by 2015.
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Well-known English composers wrote these four charming sonatinas during the late 1700s and early 1800s, when music was changing from the Baroque to Classical style. Each sonatina consists of two or three short movements, with every movement presenting a complete although simple work, with much delightful contrast. The editor has included brief biographical information on the featured composers, Attwood, Latour, Berg and Camidge, and has provided helpful performance notes.
|Sonata I||Matthew Camidge (composer)|
|Sonatina I||Thomas Attwood (composer)|
|Sonatina II||Theodore Latour (composer)|
|Sonatina IV||George Berg (composer)|
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New Study Suggests Genetic Factors May Increase Sleep Problems in Autistic People
Sleep disturbances in autistic children may be related to rare variants in insomnia risk genes.
According to a recent study, autistic (ASD) children seem more likely to have rare variations in genes linked to circadian rhythms and insomnia than their non-autistic siblings.
It has been noted that 40-80% of children on the spectrum suffer from sleep problems which can exacerbate other challenges associated with ASD. In fact, in previous studies that highlighted a genetic link for sleep issues in autisic subjects, it was noted that mice who were missing BMAL1—a significant circadian clock gene—have symptoms similar to those that often develop in autistic children such as atypical social behaviors and motor difficulties. It has even been found that autistic people who sleep well are two times as likely as non-autisic people to carry mutations in genes that regulate their circadian clocks.
This new study took a unique approach compared to previous studies in that it focused on copy number variants (CNVs) which are deletions or duplications of considerable portions of DNA. The researchers hypothesized that variants of genes that disrupt the pathways involved in circadian rhythms and insomnia are connected to ASD. Their goal was to “understand the relationship between autism risk, sleep disturbances, circadian pathways, and insomnia-risk genes.”
In order to test this hypothesis, they studied 5,860 ASD probands (individuals who are affected by a genetic condition) and 2,092 non-ASD siblings from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) and MSSNG database, along with 7,509 individuals from two unselected populations (IMAGEN and Generation Scotland). For SSC probands, both sleep duration and insomnia symptoms were based on reports by their parents.
Through this study, the researchers found 335 and 616 rare CNVs contained circadian and insomnia risk genes respectively. Deletions and duplications with circadian genes were disproportionately larger in ASD probands compared to siblings and unselected controls.
Further analysis demonstrated that deletions containing circadian and insomnia risk genes were better predictors of ASD risk compared to deletions containing other genes.
While their findings provide evidence for the contribution of circadian pathway dysfunction and its connection to ASD, how these genes increase ASD risk remain unknown. Rackeb Tesfaye, a graduate student in Mayada Elsabbagh’s lab at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, notes that since circadian rhythms guide multiple physiological processes such as cognition and hormone secretion, “It might be that circadian disruption at the gene level might be phenotypically linked to something that isn’t sleep.”
While these findings are important in better understanding genetic factors and the multiple complexities of the autistic experience, hopefully researchers can improve their methods in future studies. While their reports were not overrepresented in this study, it has been noted by other researchers that the use of parent reports can still be problematic as they can be subjective and lack accuracy. For example, even though a parent may observe and record when their child went to bed and woke up at specific times, they cannot accurately capture how long it took their child to fall asleep and how fragmented their sleep is. It’s possible that future studies could include the use of devices such as actigraphy (motion detecting wristwatches), but this could also prove to be too much of a sensory issue for autistic subjects. Be that as it may, these findings are extremely important and researchers have high hopes for similar future studies.
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A few weeks ago I wrote about the 'mystery stone' in a field near Kilchoman between the old and ruined Kilchoman church and the graveyard for the soldiers from the Tuscania and Otranto, who died in 1918 during a terrible tragedy. Someone pointed out that it was a sanctuary stone but I still had some other questions regarding this stone and possible other sanctuary stones. Questions like where are the other three stones? Who put these stones there and when? In the meanwhile I dug up some more information and contacted Malcolm Ogilvie from the Islay Museum for information.
First of all, what is a sanctuary or an area of sanctuary? A sanctuary is an area around a church marked by 4 sanctuary stones or cross slabs on each corner. A sanctuary stone in the kirkyard marks the centre of an 'area of sanctuary' that once extended one Scots Mile around (A Scottish mile was the same length as the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, i.e. from the castle down to the Holyrood Abbey which is 1.8km.) These sanctuaries date back to medieval times. In a sanctuary in medieval law the Church acted as a place of refuge. Sanctuary was also a right to be safe from arrest in the sanctuary of a church or temple, recognised by English law from the fourth to the seventeenth century.
A sanctuary as a sacred place. In Europe, Christian churches were usually built on a holy spot, generally where a miracle or martyrdom had taken place or where a holy person was buried. Examples are St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and St. Albans Cathedral in England, which commemorate the martyrdom of Saint Peter and Saint Alban, respectively. The place, and therefore the church built there, was considered to have been sanctified (made holy) by what happened there.
Back to the sanctuary stone at Kilchoman, what follows is Malcolm Ogilvie's answer for which I'm very grateful. Malcolm: Certainly two sanctuary stones have been identified near the Kilchoman Church. The still standing one out in the field towards the sea is, according to the Inventory of Monuments in Argyll (vol. 5), 330m SW of the Church and marked on the Ordnance Survey maps. The second stone, according to the Inventory, lay beside a track on a hillside 380m ESE of the church and this is the one which is at the Museum.
The Inventory says that the presence of the two cross-slabs 'suggests an Early Christian church of some importance' and goes on to make comments about a Medieval parish church with dependent chapels elsewhere on the Rhinns, so one has to assume the stones date from the same period.
There is no suggestion in the book whether there should have been more, but I know that some early Christian churches marked their sanctuary areas with four stones. I've not heard of a case where the church would have been a sanctuary marker itself, because the sanctuary would be all round the church, with the stones at about the same distances from it and at four equi-distant points of the compass. At Kilchoman, the most likely arrangement would be two more cross-slabs at, roughly, 350 m to the NE and NW. One can imagine one to the NW being overwhelmed by sand, while the one to the NE could have been moved by a farmer, or even incorporated into a stone wall.
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A new survey of US teens found that nearly 23 percent of 12th graders used marijuana over the last month, compared with 18.7 percent who said they smoked cigarettes.
US teenagers are turning away from cigarettes and alcohol in favor of marijuana according to an annual study released Wednesday by the University of Michigan.
The abuse of marijuana is at its highest level in 30 years, reports the “Monitoring the Future” survey, an authoritative snapshot of drug and alcohol use among US teenagers in grades 8, 10, and 12.
Nearly 23 percent of 12th graders polled said they used marijuana over the last month, compared with 18.7 percent who said they smoked cigarettes.
Cigarette use is down among all three grades, dropping 60 percent during the last 15 years, according to the survey. Among 12th graders, 18.7 percent reported they smoked a cigarette during the past month, compared with 36.5 percent in 1997 – the most recent peak.
Binge drinking is also at a historic low among the combined grades surveyed, down from 41 percent five years ago to 22 percent this year. Binge drinking is defined as four drinks in one sitting for women, five for men.
But researchers speaking at the National Press Club in Washington Wednesday said that teenagers are turning to alternate tobacco products, such as hookahs, small cigars, and smokeless tobacco. Marijuana and prescription-drug use is also on the rise.
Findings among 12th graders show that 36.4 percent used marijuana in the past year while 6.6 percent used it daily, up from 31.5 and 5 percent, respectively, from five years ago.
The reason why marijuana is becoming so popular is that “the perceived risk is down” which creates “the norms against its use to weaken,” says Lloyd Johnson, the survey’s principal investigator at the University of Michigan.
And fewer "kids view smoking marijuana regularly as having a harmful affect,” says Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Corresponding to the rise in marijuana use is the increased use of synthetic marijuana, which is often sold in drug paraphernalia shops, gas stations, or online. The drugs, also known as "spice" or "K2," contain chemical compounds that produce a high similar to marijuana when smoked.
This is the first survey that tracked synthetic marijuana; 11.4 percent of 12th graders reported abusing the drug during the past year. Mr. Johnson says that typical users of synthetic marijuana are abusing other drugs.
“They’re quite a drug-experienced group that is probably looking around for a cheaper alternative to get a marijuana high,” he says.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration issued an emergency order March 1 to ban the sale of five chemicals used in synthetic marijuana, and the US House passed a bill banning their sale in early December.
Thirty-eight states also took action in banning the sale of the drugs, which he says illustrates a new trend in government getting ahead of the problem before it gets out of control, according to Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy,
“That’s what it takes,” Mr. Kerlikowske says.
He also warned of lobbying efforts of behalf of companies linked to the sale of synthetic and medicinal marijuana as the presidential election season kicks off next year.
The survey polled 46,773 students from 400 public and private schools across the US. The survey is in its 36th year and is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.
By Mark Guarino, Staff writer
December 14, 2011
NOTE: I couldn't find a copy of the full study- but the press release from this morning and various charts/tables from the report can be found on the "Monitoring the future" site HERE
Dear Drugs-Forum readers: We are a small non-profit that runs one of the most read drug information & addiction help websites in the world. We serve over 4 million readers per month, and have costs like all popular websites: servers, hosting, licenses and software. To protect our independence we do not run ads. We take no government funds. We run on donations which average $25. If everyone reading this would donate $5 then this fund raiser would be done in an hour. If Drugs-Forum is useful to you, take one minute to keep it online another year by donating whatever you can today. Donations are currently not sufficient to pay our bills and keep the site up. Your help is most welcome. Thank you.
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One of the most difficult aspects of parents having to teach their children from home is finding the right learning resources to teach them with. The Complete Guide to Geometric Shapes is not only a reliable math resource to use, it makes learning about shapes easy and fun. It’s a simple layout and bright colors will keep them captive while they learn the names of the shapes, as well as learn about the number of sides and angles found within each shape.
See which pairs of sides are equal or parallel, as well as the angles that are equal to one another. The inclusion of the total sum of the angles is beneficial to students learning how to find the measure of an angle in algebra. As an added bonus, the infographic even includes a section on 10 common polyhedrons, for those looking to learn about the faces, edges, and vertices of three-dimensional shapes.
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Yesterday, we noted the drop in global surface temperature from HadCRUT data. Today, we have this report from the UAH dataset that points out the heat has not left the lower troposphere (about 14,000 feet altitude) based on this report from the University on Huntsville’s Dr. John Christy.
Lower troposphere dataset has warmest October in satellite temperature record
By Phillip Gentry, UAH
Global Temperature Report: October 2017
Global climate trend since Nov. 16, 1978: +0.13 C per decade
Notes on data released Nov. 2, 2017:
Apparently boosted by warmer than normal water in the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean that peaked in June and July, global average temperatures in the atmosphere rose to record levels in October, according to Dr. John Christy, director of the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. October 2017 was the seventh warmest month in the 39-year satellite temperature record. It joins September 2017 as the warmest months on record not associated with a typical El Niño Pacific Ocean warming event.
Of the 20 warmest monthly global average temperatures in the satellite record, only October and September 2017 were not during a normal El Niño. Compared to seasonal norms, the global average temperature in October made it the seventh warmest month in the satellite record.
October temperatures (preliminary)
Global composite temp.: +0.63 C (about 1.13 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for October.
Northern Hemisphere: +0.67 C (about 1.21 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for October.
Southern Hemisphere: +0.59 C (about 1.06 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for October.
Tropics: +0.47 C (about 0.85 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for October.
September temperatures (revised):
Global Composite: +0.54 C above 30-year average
Northern Hemisphere: +0.51 C above 30-year average
Southern Hemisphere: +0.57 C above 30-year average
Tropics: +0.53 C above 30-year average
(All temperature anomalies are based on a 30-year average (1981-2010) for the month reported.)
Warmest months (global average)
(degrees C warmer than 30-year October average)
- Feb. 2016 +0.85 C
- March 2016 +0.76 C
- April 1998 +0.74 C
- April 2016 +0.72 C
- Feb. 1998 +0.65 C
- May 1998 +0.64 C
- Oct. 2017 +0.63 C
- June 1998 +0.57 C
- Jan. 2016 +0.55 C
- Sept. 2017 +0.54 C
Among the 39 Octobers in the satellite temperature dataset, October 2017 was the warmest for both the globe and the southern hemisphere by statistically significant amounts: Globally, at 0.63 C warmer than seasonal norms, October 2017 was 0.20 C warmer than October 2015 (+0.43 C). In the southern hemisphere, October 2017 was 0.59 warmer than seasonal norms. The second warmest southern hemisphere October was in 2016, with an average temperature that was 0.42 warmer than seasonal norms.
October 2017 was also the warmest October in the northern hemisphere, but by a smaller amount: +0.67 C in 2017 compared to +0.63 in 2015.
In the tropics, October 2017 was tied as the second warmest October in the temperature record. October 2015 was the warmest tropical October on record with an average temperature +0.54 C warmer than seasonal norms. Octobers in 2016 and 2017 tied for second at +0.47 C warmer than seasonal norms.
Warmest Octobers (global average)
(degrees C warmer than 30-year September average)
- 2017 +0.63 C
- 2015 +0.43 C
- 2016 +0.42 C
- 1998 +0.40 C
- 2003 +0.28 C
- 2005 +0.27 C
- 2014 +0.25 C
- 2012 +0.24 C
- 2006 +0.22 C
- 2010 +0.20 C
Compared to seasonal norms, the coldest spot on the globe in October was in eastern Russian, near the town of Omtschak. Temperatures there were 1.97 C (about 3.55 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than seasonal norms.
Compared to seasonal norms, the warmest place on Earth in October was over the Northeast Greenland National Park. Temperatures there averaged 4.61 C (about 8.30 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than seasonal norms.
As part of an ongoing joint project between UAH, NOAA and NASA, Christy and Dr. Roy Spencer, an ESSC principal scientist, use data gathered by advanced microwave sounding units on NOAA and NASA satellites to get accurate temperature readings for almost all regions of the Earth. This includes remote desert, ocean and rain forest areas where reliable climate data are not otherwise available.
The satellite-based instruments measure the temperature of the atmosphere from the surface up to an altitude of about eight kilometers above sea level. Once the monthly temperature data are collected and processed, they are placed in a “public” computer file for immediate access by atmospheric scientists in the U.S. and abroad.
The complete version 6 lower troposphere dataset is available here:
Archived color maps of local temperature anomalies are available on-line at:
Neither Christy nor Spencer receives any research support or funding from oil, coal or industrial companies or organizations, or from any private or special interest groups. All of their climate research funding comes from federal and state grants or contracts.
— 30 —
Dr. Roy Spencer adds from his website:
The Version 6.0 global average lower tropospheric temperature (LT) anomaly for October, 2017 was +0.63 deg. C, up from the September, 2017 value of +0.54 deg. C (click for full size version):
Global area-averaged lower tropospheric temperature anomalies (departures from 30-year calendar monthly means, 1981-2010). The 13-month centered average is meant to give an indication of the lower frequency variations in the data; the choice of 13 months is somewhat arbitrary… an odd number of months allows centered plotting on months with no time lag between the two plotted time series. The inclusion of two of the same calendar months on the ends of the 13 month averaging period causes no issues with interpretation because the seasonal temperature cycle has been removed as has the distinction between calendar months.
The global, hemispheric, and tropical LT anomalies from the 30-year (1981-2010) average for the last 22 months are:
YEAR MO GLOBE NHEM. SHEM. TROPICS
2016 01 +0.55 +0.72 +0.38 +0.85
2016 02 +0.85 +1.18 +0.53 +1.00
2016 03 +0.76 +0.98 +0.54 +1.10
2016 04 +0.72 +0.85 +0.58 +0.93
2016 05 +0.53 +0.61 +0.44 +0.70
2016 06 +0.33 +0.48 +0.17 +0.37
2016 07 +0.37 +0.44 +0.30 +0.47
2016 08 +0.43 +0.54 +0.32 +0.49
2016 09 +0.45 +0.51 +0.39 +0.37
2016 10 +0.42 +0.43 +0.42 +0.47
2016 11 +0.46 +0.43 +0.49 +0.38
2016 12 +0.26 +0.26 +0.27 +0.24
2017 01 +0.32 +0.31 +0.34 +0.10
2017 02 +0.38 +0.57 +0.19 +0.07
2017 03 +0.22 +0.36 +0.09 +0.05
2017 04 +0.27 +0.28 +0.26 +0.21
2017 05 +0.44 +0.39 +0.49 +0.41
2017 06 +0.21 +0.33 +0.10 +0.39
2017 07 +0.29 +0.30 +0.27 +0.51
2017 08 +0.41 +0.40 +0.41 +0.46
2017 09 +0.54 +0.51 +0.57 +0.53
2017 10 +0.63 +0.67 +0.59 +0.47
The linear temperature trend of the global average lower tropospheric temperature anomalies from January 1979 through October 2017 remains at +0.13 C/decade.
Why Are the Satellite and Surface Data Recently Diverging?
John Christy and I are a little surprised that the satellite deep-layer temperature anomaly has been rising for the last several months, given the cool La Nina currently attempting to form in the Pacific Ocean.
Furthermore, the satellite and surface temperatures seem to be recently diverging. For the surface temperatures, I usually track the monthly NCEP CFSv2 Tsfc averages computed by WeatherBell.com to get some idea of how the most recent month is shaping up for global temperatures. The CFSv2 Tsfc anomaly usually gives a rough approximation of what the satellite shows… but sometimes it differs significantly. For October 2017 the difference is now +0.23 deg. C (UAH LT warmer than Tsfc).
The following charts show how these two global temperature measures have compared for every month since 1997 (except that September, 2017 is missing at the WeatherBell.com website):
Monthly comparison since 1979 of global average temperature anomalies (relative to the monthly 1981-2010 averages) between UAH LT deep-layer lower tropospheric temperature and the surface temperatures in the CFSv2 reanalysis dataset at WeatherBell.com.
As can be seen, there have been considerably larger departures between the two measures in the past, especially during the 1997-1998 El Nino. Our UAH LT product is currently using 3 satellites (NOAA-18, NOAA-19, and Metop-B) which provide independent monthly global averages, and the disagreement between them is usually very small.
While we can expect individual months to have rather large differences between surface and tropospheric temperature anomalies (due to the time lag involved in excess surface warming to lead to increased convection and tropospheric heating), some of the differences in the above plot are disturbingly large and persistent. The 1997-98 El Nino discrepancy is pretty amazing. As I understand it, the NCEP CFS reanalysis dataset is the result of collaboration between NOAA/NCEP and NCAR, and uses a wide range of data types in a physically consistent fashion. I probably need to bring in one of the dedicated surface-only datasets for further comparison…I don’t recall the HadCRUT4 Tsfc dataset having this large of disagreements with our satellite deep-layer temperatures. Unfortunately, these other datasets usually take a few weeks before they are updated with the most recent month.
…the 2nd of the following two plots has been fixed)…
Here’s the comparison between UAH LT and Tsfc from the HadCRUT4 dataset, through September 2017. Note that the difference with the satellite temperatures isn’t as pronounced as with CFSv2 Tsfc data, but the HadCRUT4 data has more of an upward trend:
As in the previous figure, but now CFSv2 Tsfc data has been replaced by HadCRUT4 surface data (with the latter having anomalies recalculated relative to the 1981-2010 base period).
The UAH LT global anomaly image for October, 2017 should be available in the next few days here.
The new Version 6 files should also be updated in the coming days, and are located here:
Lower Troposphere: http://vortex.nsstc.uah.edu/data/msu/v6.0/tlt/uahncdc_lt_6.0.txt
Lower Stratosphere: http://vortex.nsstc.uah.edu/data/msu/v6.0/tls/uahncdc_ls_6.0.txt
Massive Snow Accumulation Records U.S & Canada & Greenland All Time Ice Gain
Record snows blanket western USA and Canada, its not only the depth of the snowfall, but the record early start for such depths. Additionally record early melt season end in the Arctic, rebounding sea ice growth and record Greenland ice growth especially on the western edge which used to be the IPCC favorite area to prove global warming. Its her, time is up, welcome to the grand solar minimum intensification.
Earth’s ‘ozone hole’ shrinks to lowest since 1988
From NASA Goddard:
Warm Air Helped Make 2017 Ozone Hole Smallest Since 1988
Measurements from satellites this year showed the hole in Earth’s ozone layer that forms over Antarctica each September was the smallest observed since 1988, scientists from NASA and NOAA announced Friday.
According to NASA, the ozone hole reached its peak extent on Sept. 11, covering an area about two and a half times the size of the United States – 7.6 million square miles in extent – and then declined through the remainder of September and into October. NOAA ground- and balloon-based measurements also showed the least amount of ozone depletion above the continent during the peak of the ozone depletion cycle since 1988. NOAA and NASA collaborate to monitor the growth and recovery of the ozone hole every year.
“The Antarctic ozone hole was exceptionally weak this year,” said Paul A. Newman, chief scientist for Earth Sciences at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “This is what we would expect to see given the weather conditions in the Antarctic stratosphere.”
The smaller ozone hole in 2017 was strongly influenced by an unstable and warmer Antarctic vortex – the stratospheric low pressure system that rotates clockwise in the atmosphere above Antarctica. This helped minimize polar stratospheric cloud formation in the lower stratosphere. The formation and persistence of these clouds are important first steps leading to the chlorine- and bromine-catalyzed reactions that destroy ozone, scientists said. These Antarctic conditions resemble those found in the Arctic, where ozone depletion is much less severe.
In 2016, warmer stratospheric temperatures also constrained the growth of the ozone hole. Last year, the ozone hole reached a maximum 8.9 million square miles, 2 million square miles less than in 2015. The average area of these daily ozone hole maximums observed since 1991 has been roughly 10 million square miles.
Although warmer-than-average stratospheric weather conditions have reduced ozone depletion during the past two years, the current ozone hole area is still large because levels of ozone-depleting substances like chlorine and bromine remain high enough to produce significant ozone loss.
Scientists said the smaller ozone hole extent in 2016 and 2017 is due to natural variability and not a signal of rapid healing.
First detected in 1985, the Antarctic ozone hole forms during the Southern Hemisphere’s late winter as the returning sun’s rays catalyze reactions involving man-made, chemically active forms of chlorine and bromine. These reactions destroy ozone molecules.
Thirty years ago, the international community signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and began regulating ozone-depleting compounds. The ozone hole over Antarctica is expected to gradually become less severe as chlorofluorocarbons—chlorine-containing synthetic compounds once frequently used as refrigerants – continue to decline. Scientists expect the Antarctic ozone hole to recover back to 1980 levels around 2070.
Ozone is a molecule comprised of three oxygen atoms that occurs naturally in small amounts. In the stratosphere, roughly 7 to 25 miles above Earth’s surface, the ozone layer acts like sunscreen, shielding the planet from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer and cataracts, suppress immune systems and also damage plants. Closer to the ground, ozone can also be created by photochemical reactions between the sun and pollution from vehicle emissions and other sources, forming harmful smog.
Although warmer-than-average stratospheric weather conditions have reduced ozone depletion during the past two years, the current ozone hole area is still large compared to the 1980s, when the depletion of the ozone layer above Antarctica was first detected. This is because levels of ozone-depleting substances like chlorine and bromine remain high enough to produce significant ozone loss.
NASA and NOAA monitor the ozone hole via three complementary instrumental methods. Satellites, like NASA’s Aura satellite and NASA-NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite measure ozone from space. The Aura satellite’s Microwave Limb Sounder also measures certain chlorine-containing gases, providing estimates of total chlorine levels.
NOAA scientists monitor the thickness of the ozone layer and its vertical distribution above the South Pole station by regularly releasing weather balloons carrying ozone-measuring “sondes” up to 21 miles in altitude, and with a ground-based instrument called a Dobson spectrophotometer.
The Dobson spectrophotometer measures the total amount of ozone in a column extending from Earth’s surface to the edge of space in Dobson Units, defined as the number of ozone molecules that would be required to create a layer of pure ozone 0.01 millimeters thick at a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit at an atmospheric pressure equivalent to Earth’s surface.
This year, the ozone concentration reached a minimum over the South Pole of 136 Dobson Units on September 25— the highest minimum seen since 1988. During the 1960s, before the Antarctic ozone hole occurred, average ozone concentrations above the South Pole ranged from 250 to 350 Dobson units. Earth’s ozone layer averages 300 to 500 Dobson units, which is equivalent to about 3 millimeters, or about the same as two pennies stacked one on top of the other.
“In the past, we’ve always seen ozone at some stratospheric altitudes go to zero by the end of September,” said Bryan Johnson, NOAA atmospheric chemist. “This year our balloon measurements showed the ozone loss rate stalled by the middle of September and ozone levels never reached zero.”
Anthony’s thoughts on the issue:
While this is good news, it may not be related to the CFC reductions from the Montreal Protocol.
While there are claims that the shrinking ozone hole is due entirely to CFC reductions, it has been suggested that the ozone hole has been a permanent feature of Antarctica for millennia, and that it is a product of cold, wind patterns, and lack of sunlight in Antarctica’s deep freeze dark winter. Ozone in the upper atmosphere is manufactured by the interaction of sunlight, specifically the ultraviolet spectrum:
Stratospheric ozone. Stratospheric ozone is formed naturally by chemical reactions involving solar ultraviolet radiation (sunlight) and oxygen molecules, which make up 21% of the atmosphere. In the first step, solar ultraviolet radiation breaks apart one oxygen molecule (O2) to produce two oxygen atoms (2 O) (see Figure Q2-1). In the second step, each of these highly reactive atoms combines with an oxygen molecule to produce an ozone molecule (O3). These reactions occur continually whenever solar ultraviolet radiation is present in the stratosphere. As a result, the largest ozone production occurs in the tropical stratosphere.
The production of stratospheric ozone is balanced by its destruction in chemical reactions. Ozone reacts continually with sunlight and a wide variety of natural and human produced chemicals in the stratosphere. In each reaction, an ozone molecule is lost and other chemical compounds are produced. Important reactive gases that destroy ozone are hydrogen and nitrogen oxides and those containing chlorine and bromine. Source: https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/csd/assessments/ozone/2010/twentyquestions/Q2.pdf
Yes, and without sunlight, ozone production stops, and the chemical reactions take over. Cold is also a big factor in the atmospheric chemistry process. This is why the ozone hole over Antarctica is a seasonal phenomenon.
Low polar temperatures. The severe ozone destruction represented by the ozone hole requires that low temperatures be present over a range of stratospheric altitudes, over large geographical regions, and for extended time periods. Low temperatures are important because they allow liquid and solid PSCs to form. Reactions on the surfaces of these PSCs initiate a remarkable increase in the most reactive chlorine gas, chlorine monoxide (ClO) (see below and Q8). Stratospheric temperatures are lowest in both polar regions in winter. In the Antarctic winter, minimum daily temperatures are generally much lower and less variable than in the Arctic winter (see Figure Q10-1). Antarctic temperatures also remain below the PSC formation temperature for much longer periods during winter. These and other meteorological differences occur because of the unequal distribution among land, ocean, and mountains between the hemispheres at middle and high latitudes. The winter temperatures are low enough for PSCs to form somewhere in the Antarctic for nearly the entire winter (about 5 months) and in the Arctic for only limited periods (10–60 days) in most winters. Source: https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/csd/assessments/ozone/2010/twentyquestions/Q10.pdf
While there is evidence that the worst posited offenders (CFC-11, and CFC-12) are in fact purging from the atmosphere, the question remains over whether the ozone hole would ever go away, since we have no data prior to the 1980’s, we just don’t have much data history on it.
We are worried about it now because we can observe it for the first time in human history. The fact that NASA now says a mild winter made the ozone hole the smallest observed since 1988, suggests that it truly is just a seasonal feature of the region and reliant mostly on weather patterns for its year-to-year intensity, rather than being driven entirely by chlorofluorocarbon catalytic depletion. Even the American Geophysical Union admits that the Montreal Protocol seems to have no effect on the change in size of the ozone hole.
Time will tell, the jury is still out on this one.
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Tamil Nadu(The Land of Tamils or Tamil Country) is one of the 29 states of India. Its capital is Chennai (formerly known as Madras), the largest city. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Puducherry and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It is bounded by the Eastern Ghats on the north, by the Nilgiri, the Anamalai Hills, and Kerala on the west, by the Bay of Bengal in the east, by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait on the southeast, and by the Indian Ocean on the south. It also shares maritime border with the country of Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area and the sixth most populous state in India. The state was ranked sixth among states in India according to the Human Development Index in 2011.It was the second largest state economy in India in 2012.The state has the highest number (10.56 per cent) of business enterprises and stands second in total employment (9.97 per cent) in India,compared to the population share of about 6 per cent. In the 2013 Raghuram Rajan panel report, Tamil Nadu was ranked as the third most developed state in India based on a \"Multidimensional Development Index\".The region has been the home of the Tamil people since at least 1500 BC.Its official language is Tamil, which holds a status of being a classical language. Tamil has been in use in inscriptions and literature for over 2500 years. Tamil Nadu is home to many natural resources, classical arts, classical music, classical literature, Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture, hill stations, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites, and eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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How would it feel if women were the ones under obligation to earn, and not men? What would we think if there were special quotas for men in companies and the political arena? How would it be if women had to leave their seats for men, and seats on public transport were reserved for men? How would it appear if lifeboats were reserved for men? How would it feel if news readers announced the deaths of ‘men and children’ on every channel? How would we react if all the world’s most dangerous jobs were worked by women? How would it have come across if, after the Titanic wreck, it was announced ‘men and children first’. Can we imagine armies consisting of women only, whose dead bodies would be returned from war daily, torn to shreds? How would it feel if women had to pay alimony and child support? How would it be if, instead of men, it was women taking their own lives due to financial, economic, and marital stress? – It is certain that we would never hear the end of it.
8th March is celebrated as ‘International Women’s Day’ all over the world. Below are a few key points, which, if followed, can result in matrimonial bliss, and reduce the skyrocketing divorce rates all over the world.
This Women’s Day, women must learn to be grateful to their husbands. A man suffers from extreme anxiety and distress to put food on the table, add to it the apathetic attitude of wives, who know that they are under no obligation to earn, while they needlessly and endlessly nag their husbands over financial matters, habits, expect perfection, clearly knowing that they are not perfect themselves. Women must stop belittling men and be grateful for their painstaking efforts.
This Women’s Day, women must learn to respect men for who they are, and not what they have. Women (and their parents) should stop behaving like gold diggers. Even in matrimonial advertisements, only those men are desired who earn a fabulous salary, have a house and a car, and questions from in-laws also target men’s bank accounts, reemphasizing societal norms which have turned men into ATMs and financial slaves. Women should realize that men are not money-earning machines, and show men the respect that they richly deserve.
This Women’s Day, women must learn to treat men like human beings. At the present moment, domestic violence against men (here and here) and false accusations (here and here) are rising like their is no tomorrow. Women indulge in what is known as ‘legal terrorism’. Men are abused at home, and by the deliberate misuse of the law. Women should treat men like human beings, not objects to be toyed with. Men have the same feelings and emotions as women. Men are human beings too.
This Women’s Day, women should learn that motherhood is a full-time job. Simply having children and then dumping them in day care centres while women go to work in a frivolous pursuit of gender equality does no one any good, least of all children, who are forced to grow up without learning values and morals, resulting in ruined childhoods following malignant feminist theories. Motherhood is a woman’s job, and the most important job in the world. It requires a ton of time in nurturing and caring, which cannot be substituted in a day care centre.
We can never achieve gender equality until the feminist movement gets rid of all the hypocrisy, double standards, and hatred for men. It is all the more evident in the fact that ‘International Men’s Day’, on November 19, is rarely talked about or celebrated. I am not sure most people even know it exists.
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The difference between a travel charger and an adapter is rooted in their function.
Travel Chargers or Converter
A travel charger is also known as a converter. Typically a travel charger or converter converts, that is steps down, the local electricity to a lower voltage. The US and Canada use lower voltage electricity than most parts of the world. The problem is if you plug in an appliance like your US hairdryer which is made for lower voltage into a higher voltage plug (even when using a plug adapter) it will send too high of an electrical current to your appliance. If this happens you’ll “fry” your hairdryer or whatever other appliance you plugged in and ruin it.
You may only need a travel adapter. Many of today’s devices like newer laptops, apple products like iPhones and iPads are dual voltage, so you don’t need a travel converter or charger to use charge and use them in foreign countries. Most of the time, you will need just adapter plugs when traveling however in some cases, you may need a voltage converter (also known as a travel charger) and it’s smart to buy whatever you need here before you travel internationally and take it with you.
Universal Travel Adapter/Converter
Read on to the bottom of the article which explains what universal travel chargers and adapters are. Many savvy globe trotters pack a universal travel charger and adapter as it’s an all in one device. If you’re not sure what you need, read on for a better understanding.
Electrical Appliances work at:
>110/120 volts = USA/Canada
>220/240 volts = Vast Majority of the Rest of the World
Converters change the voltage from one level to another, usually from 220/240V to 110/120V. If your device only operates at 110/120 volts (American devices) you will need a converter to step down (or convert) the power supply in your destination country for it to work safely. Your device must be plugged into a converter to change the voltage to avoid overheating or frying. For example, if you are traveling to France from the USA, your American curling iron will need a converter to step down the power voltage in France from 220/240V to 110/120V, for the appliance to work.
Converters should only be used with electric appliances, such as hairdryers, irons, small fans, or any appliance that has a mechanical motor. If the appliance is electronic, which contains a computer chip, like a laptop, a converter is usually not required.
Many new electronics are designed to work at both 110 volts and 240 volts. Most devices that are intended for travel, devices such as laptops, cameras, cell phone chargers, and other battery chargers usually do not require a converter. Look for an indications panel on your electronics to verify what power level is compatible.
We recommend checking the label, owner’s manual, or contacting the manufacturer to be certain!
Is My Device Dual Voltage?
If the electrical appliance has a dual voltage (which means it can run on 110/120 volts or 220/240 volts), make sure the switch is on the correct voltage pertaining to your location. Some electrical items are made to operate at one voltage only. Most laptops, phones, and cameras, however, are dual voltage and don’t even require that you flip a switch. You just need a simple plug adapter to power them up.
Dual Voltage appliances will say 110-220 VAC, or INPUT AC120/240V 50-60Hz 1300W
Single Voltage appliances will say 110 VAC. 120 VAC or INPUT AC120Vac 60Hz 200W
Note: If your appliance is dual voltage, you do NOT have to worry about a converter. All you need is a plug adapter for the country you will be visiting. It is our recommendation if your appliance is not dual voltage and you depend on it buy one that is for travel.
Wattage is the amount of power required to operate an electrical appliance or device. You need to know the wattage of the device in order to get the right converter. You want a converter that can handle the wattage required by appliance plus about 25% more just to be sure. So read the specifications.
Most devices have a label showing the wattage. If the wattage is not listed on the label, the voltage and amperage are usually listed and can be used to figure out the wattage using a simple formula.
Multiply the voltage by the amperage (amps or A) to calculate the wattage. Example: An appliance labeled with a voltage of 110 and amperage of 1.5 is 165 watts (110 x 1.5 = 165 Watts)
Please Note: Converters are NOT meant for long time use. Converters are meant to change the electrical voltage for small electrical items, (such as hair dryers, irons, etc) for travelers for a short amount of time. We recommend no longer than 30 minutes.
Adapters are simply connectors that change the plug shape to match the electrical outlet. Adapters allow you to use your device by connecting pieces of equipment that cannot be directly connected to the standard plug. They act as a go-between. You plug your device into the adapter and the adapter into the electrical socket. Throughout the world, there are about 15 types of electrical outlets so chances are that if you travel outside of the US you’ll need a plug adapter.
Adapters allow a dual-voltage appliance or a converter from one country to be plugged into the wall outlet of another country.
There are many different wall outlet shapes and configurations. Even if two countries operate on the same voltage, their electrical outlets might have a different shape plug. Adapters will allow you to interchange the plugs, depending upon the outlets in various countries; however, they do NOT change the electrical voltage.
We highly suggest taking a variety of adapters when traveling because of how many different shaped plugs there are! An adapter kit or an all in one device that offers multiple plugs does not take up much room so it is best to buy one before you go. I keep my all in one charger and adapter unit, known as a universal adapter/converter with my carry on bag so I’ll never forget to pack it.
Universal Travel Adapter/Converters
A universal travel adapter/converter is an all in one device. It’s a travel charger and an adapter all in one. For most people, this is the best option to travel with because you’ll be prepared for whatever charging or electrical need you may have. These universal products handle both jobs and keep your tech gear powered up, These are our favorites from Amazon and all are competitively priced.
- – Pack travel adapters and phone chargers in your carry-on luggage. If your suitcase is lost, you will still be able to charge your cell phone &
- Surprisingly, adapters are difficult to find in other countries. We recommend purchasing an adapter kit before traveling, to keep your
electronics charged and ready for action! Research which adapters you may need based on electronics prior to your trip, so you have time to purchase
the right one. The best solution is to invest in a universal charger/converter device that converts voltage and offers adapter plugs that fit most countries.
- – Bring an external battery for your phone in your carry-on luggage as well.
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If you have read any gardening magazines or websites lately, you are probably well-aware of the latest trend in raised garden beds. While many home gardeners have been using raised beds for many years to provide protected space to grow flowers, shrubs and other plants, the new idea is to use them for growing fruits and vegetables. Raised garden beds allow for easier control over growing conditions and are used as a means of providing easy access to plants, especially for gardeners with bad backs and knees.
What is a Raised Garden Bed?
Raised garden beds are traditionally made out of wood materials, however many homeowners are choosing new materials to construct these valuable growing areas in both their front and backyard areas. Cinder blocks are another popular material, as they are cheap and easy to stack, however in recent years the use of patio stone ideas and pavers has caught on because they look better, last longer and work better at keeping out weeds and other undesirable conditions.
Combine the benefits of raised beds for easier access and control with traditional vegetable and fruit gardening materials, such as quality garden mulch, soil and other essential ingredients, and you have a recipe for some really excellent home gardening. Raised garden beds also protect vulnerable plants from gophers and other pests, allowing for easy covering and other protective materials to be used. Better control over soil conditions means less chance of tomatoes rotting on the vine and other issues that can be caused by poor nutrition in the soil.
Some of the other benefits associated with using raised garden beds include:
- better drainage
- lower maintenance
- better soil quality control
- easier access to gardening – built in seating if the walls are wide enough
- higher productivity, bigger crop yield
- reduced weeding due to better soil and mulching
- better control over pests – insects, rodents and other vermin
Are Raised Garden Beds Right for You?
One of the reasons why raised garden beds are an ideal solution to local Brockton gardening ideas is that it allows home gardeners to grow a lot of produce in a small amount of space. The typical Brockton residential property doesn’t allow for a huge garden, so these patio stone ideas that provide gardeners with raised, protected areas for growing their own food are the perfect answer. When done right, garden beds made from natural stone or even manufactured stone and concrete pavers, will look as good in the front yard as they would in the backyard, allowing homeowners to increase their growing space.
Because raised garden beds have so many advantages that reduce the challenges that many gardeners in Southeastern Massachusetts face due to soil conditions, the range of season changes that affect the growing period and pests that have the potential to completely decimate entire summer crops, they are sure to continue growing in popularity. Gardening pros recommend that homeowners build their garden beds with a north to south orientation for the best lighting conditions. Another excellent tip for local Brockton gardening ideas is to situate your garden beds close to the kitchen for easy harvesting of fresh herbs and vegetables for cooking.
How to Build Raised Garden Beds
The size of the garden beds should be based upon the amount of space that you have in a given area. For example, if you have four feet of free space, then go ahead and make the garden four feet wide. However, if you will need to access the garden from all sides you might want to make it more narrow so you can get to the other sides. Another option is to make the width 3 feet across of less so you can reach across easily if you don’t have access to all four sides due to space constraints.
The height should be comfortable for you as well – somewhere between twelve to eighteen inches in height or more, depending on your unique needs. A minimum of twelve inches is required in order to have enough height to create good soil conditions. Most gardeners build rectangular beds, but you can also create raised garden beds that are in a circular design to create a nice looking garden area. Automatic drip irrigation or bubbler systems can be used to have more control over watering and reduce waste.
Where to Get Materials for Gardening in Southeastern Massachusetts
If you are looking for more local Brockton gardening ideas that can be used all throughout the South Coast region, look no further than J&J Materials. In addition to having a wide variety of natural stone and manufactured stone materials that can be used to create raised garden beds, quality garden mulch that will protect your soil and plants from pests and a wide variety of other landscaping materials, they also have patio stone ideas and a full video library of installation tips and plans that can be used to create gorgeous gardens and relaxing outdoor living spaces. Call J&J Materials or stop by one of their locations in Bourne or Seekonk to find out more about all of the materials and ideas available for area homeowners.
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|The right triangle ABC with right angle at A is rotated about the side AC to produce a cone. The axis of the cone is AC, and its base is the circle with center at A and radius AB.
The three different kinds of cone are not used by Euclid in the Elements, but they were important in the theory of conic sections until Apollonius’ work Conics. In Euclid’s time conic sections were taken as the intersections of a plane at right angles to an edge (straight line from the vertex) of a cone. When the cone is acute-angled, the section is an ellipse; when right-angled, a parabola; and when obtuse-angle, a hyperbola. Even the names of these three curves were given by the kind of angle, so, for instance, Euclid knew a parabola as a “section of a right-angled cone.” It was Apollonius who named them ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola.
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General Surgery Abroad
Coronary Angioplasty is a surgical procedure to open up blocked or narrowed coronary arteries (blood vessels leading to the heart). It is used to treat coronary artery disease and is a fairly straightforward, minimally invasive (keyhole) procedure.
Coronary Angioplasty is most commonly used to treat angina, which is pain coming from the heart. It may also be carried out as emergency treatment after a heart attack.
Angioplasty involves using a catheter (a flexible tube) to insert a stent (a piece of stainless-steel mesh tubing) into the artery. A small balloon is inflated to open the stent, which pushes against the artery walls. This widens the artery and squashes the fatty plaques against the artery wall so that blood can flow through it more freely.
The medical name for a bunion is Hallux Valgus. A bunion is a bony swelling at the base of the big toe.
Sometimes, the big toe can become angled inwards, towards the middle of the foot and the second toe. This can force the top of the first metatarsal to protrude (stick out) from the side of the foot, at the base of the big toe. If this happens, a painful, swollen bunion forms.
A bunion can cause discomfort, pain, swelling and redness in and around the big toe. If left untreated, it can make walking difficult. The exact surgery procedure will vary depending on the type and size of the bunion being treated. Often your surgeon will shave off the bone that is sticking out. The foot bone (the metatarsal) may be cut and repositioned, setting it in a better position. The ligaments and tendons in your foot may also be repositioned.
Cataracts are cloudy patches in the lens of the eye that can make your vision blurry. They may eventually lead to blindness if they are left untreated.
Cataracts can develop in one or both eyes, and over time the size of the cataract can get bigger until the whole lens is covered. If you have a Cataract, it will continue to develop.
The only way to restore your vision is by having the Cataract removed by surgery.
Cataract surgery is one of the most common and quickest surgeries performed, and many people are able to return to their usual daily routine after 24 hours.
There are three types of replacement lens available:
- Fixed strength lenses (monofocal) - set for one level of vision, usually distance vision.
- Multifocal lenses - allow two or more different strengths, such as near and distance vision.
- Accommodating lenses - allow the eye to focus on both near and distant objects, in a similar way to the natural human lens.
Circumcision is a procedure to remove the foreskin. The foreskin is a flap of skin that covers the head of the penis and can usually be pulled back over it.
Sometimes, Circumcision has to be done for a medical reason. This may be because the foreskin is damaged or infected and will not slide back over the head of the penis. A tight foreskin can make it painful for you to have an erection or sexual intercourse.
Circumcision may also be done for cosmetic, religious or social reasons.
During surgery the foreskin is pulled forward and trimmed away. The skin edges are closed using dissolvable stitches and/or special glue.
Gastric banding is a surgical procedure that involves fitting a band around the upper part of your stomach.
Once the Gastric Band is in place it can be adjusted externally (outside the body) at any time by a surgeon. This means the band can be made either tighter or looser, depending on the amount of food your surgeon wants to restrict you from eating.
Your surgeon can make the band tighter by adding salt water (saline) into the band. This slows down the amount of food that can pass through your stomach - meaning your stay feeling full for longer.
To loosen the band, some of the salt water fluid is removed, meaning food passes through quicker to your digestive system.
Generally, a Gastric Band is loose to start and then tightened when you are used to eating less food.
A Gastric Band is designed to remain permanently within your stomach. However, it can be removed, and in the majority of cases leaves you with no permanent changes to your stomach.
It is usually recommended as a last resort for people who are morbidly obese (those with a BMI of over 40), or those with a BMI of between 30-40 who also have a condition that poses a serious health risk, such as diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), or heart disease.
Gallbladder Removal / Cholecystectomy
The Gallbladder is the small, pear-shaped pouch in the upper-right part of your abdomen that stores the bile produced by the liver. Bile, the digestive fluid that helps to break down fatty food, is carried from the gallbladder to the intestine through a tube called the bile duct.
There are two ways of performing a cholecystectomy:
- Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (Keyhole Surgery). This is the most common way of having your gallbladder removed. Keyhole surgery means the surgeon can remove your gallbladder without having to make a large incision on your abdomen
- Open Cholecystectomy During this procedure the surgeon removes the gallbladder through a five- to eight-inch incision in your abdomen.
Gamma Knife / Radiosurgery
Radiosurgery (also known as Gamma Knife treatment) is a very highly focused type of radiotherapy.
Radiotherapy is usually used either after surgery to kill any tumour cells that were not removed, or as an alternative to surgery.
It is a painless procedure.
Radiotherapy uses radiation (powerful X-rays) to destroy cancer cells. Cancer cells are more sensitive to radiation than non-cancerous cells, which can recover from treatment.
The patient wears a specialized helmet that is surgically fixed to their skull so that the brain tumour remains stationary at target point of the gamma radiation rays. An ablative dose of radiation is thereby sent through the tumour in one treatment session, while surrounding brain tissues are relatively spared.
A Gastrectomy is a medical procedure that involves surgically removing the stomach.
Gastrectomies are often used to treat stomach cancer (also known as gastric cancer). Less commonly, the procedure may be used to treat stomach ulcers, non-cancerous (benign) tumours, and obesity.
There are two different techniques that can be used to carry out a partial or total Gastrectomy:
- Open Gastrectomy - where the surgeon makes a large incision in your abdomen in order to remove some, or all, of your stomach.
- Laparoscopic or ‘Keyhole’ Gastrectomy - where the surgeon makes a number of smaller cuts in your abdomen, before using a special telescope and small surgical instruments to remove some, or all, of your stomach.
A Gastric Bypass is a similar procedure to a gastric band as a band is used to create a smaller stomach pouch from the upper part of your stomach, separating it from the rest.
A section of your small intestine is then bypassed and re-connected to the pouch. Food takes a shorter route through your digestive system, and so less food is absorbed by your body. This means that you can only eat small meals and your body absorbs less food.
Gastric Bypass can be done using keyhole (laparoscopic) or open surgery.
Gastric Bypasses have a higher risk of complications that gastric band surgery and are only recommended for people who have a BMI of 45 or above.
Haemorrhoids, also known as piles, are enlarged and swollen blood vessels in or around the lower rectum and back passage (anus).
When the pressure inside these blood vessels is increased, they swell and form small lumps.
Haemorrhoids vary in size and can occur internally (inside) or externally (outside) the anus.
Haemorrhoidectomy simply means removal of the haemorrhoids.
Heart Bypass (CABG)
A coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is a surgical procedure used to divert blood around narrow or clogged arteries (blood vessels). This improves blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart.
CABG involves taking a blood vessel from another part of the body, usually the chest or leg, to use as a graft which replaces any hardened or narrowed arteries in the heart.
CABG is often used to treat coronary artery disease and can reduce the risk of having a heart attack.
The operation can also be done using keyhole (or minimally invasive) surgery. Instead of a large cut down the sternum, the operation is done through small cuts. Special instruments are passed through the cuts and the surgeon looks at a monitor to see inside your chest.
Heart Valve Replacement
Heart valve replacement is surgery to treat heart valve disease. It can replace a diseased or damaged heart valve.
Aortic valve replacement is a type of open heart surgery designed to treat problems affecting your aortic valve, which lets the blood flow from the left ventricle of the heart to the aorta, the body’s main artery. Your chest is opened, allowing the surgeon to operate on your heart. During surgery, your heart is stopped and your circulation is taken over by a heart-lung machine.
Your surgeon will remove your diseased valve and sew in a prosthetic (artificial) valve. There are two types:
- Mechanical valves are artificial valves made from carbon fibre. They can last for a lifetime.
- Biological valves are made from human or animal tissue. They wear out faster than mechanical valves so the surgery may need to be repeated every eight to 10 years.
After your valve has been replaced, your surgeon will restart your heart and blood will be allowed to flow back through your heart. Your sternum will be rejoined using wires and the skin on your chest will be closed with dissolvable stitches.
The operation can also be done using keyhole (or minimally invasive) surgery.
There is also a new technique called Percutaneous Valve Replacement. In this procedure a tube is passed through an artery or in your groin or a vein in your leg to reach your heart.
A hernia is when an internal part of the body, such as an organ, pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall.
Usually your muscles are strong and tight enough to keep your intestines and organs in place, but sometimes they aren’t which results in a hernia.
A hernia can occur anywhere in the abdomen region. The most common types are:
- Inguinal Hernia - This occurs when tissue (usually part of the intestines) pokes through your lower abdomen.
- Femoral Hernia - This occurs when tissue pokes through into your groin, or the top of your inner thigh.
- Incisional Hernia - This occurs when tissue pokes through a surgical wound or incision that has not fully healed.
- Umbilical Hernia - This occurs when tissue pokes through the part of the abdomen near to the navel (belly button).
During surgery, the surgeon will place the protruding intestine or tissue back into the abdominal wall. The muscles of the abdominal wall will then be strengthened by fixing a synthetic mesh to the muscles.
There are two ways that a hernia repair can be carried out:
- Open Surgery - where the surgeon will make a large incision in your abdomen.
- Laparoscopic (Keyhole) Surgery - where the surgeon will only make a very small incision in your abdomen.
A Hiatus Hernia is when the upper part of your stomach pushes upwards into the opening in your diaphragm through which the gullet (oesophagus) passes. The oesophagus is the tube that carries food to your stomach.
The opening in your diaphragm is called the Hiatus and the part of the body that pushes through the hiatus is called a hernia. The hernia pokes through the hiatus, preventing the muscle fibres of the diaphragm from closing the lower end of the oesophagus.
The result is that the sphincter that normally stops acid entering your gullet from your stomach can't work properly. The sphincter is designed to prevent stomach contents from flowing upwards, functioning as a one-way valve.
Due to the hiatus hernia, highly irritating stomach contents, like acid, are able to move up into the oesophagus.
The surgery involves the stomach being put back in the correct position and tightening the diaphragm around the lower part of the oesophagus.
A Hysterectomy is an operation to remove your womb (uterus).
After the operation you will no longer be able to have children.
Hysterectomies are performed to treat conditions that affect the female reproductive system, such as heavy periods (menorrhagia), non-cancerous tumours (fibroids) and types of cancer.
There are three methods that can be used to perform Hysterectomies which are described below.
- A Vaginal Hysterectomy – where the uterus is removed through the vagina.
- An Abdominal Hysterectomy – where the uterus is removed through a cut in your abdomen.
- A Laparoscopic Hysterectomy – in this technique the surgeon will make a number of small incisions in your abdomen, through which a small tube that contains a light and a tiny video camera (a laparoscope) is inserted. This allows the surgeon to see the inside of your abdomen in great detail without having to make a large incision (cut). The uterus can then be removed through the incisions.
There are three types of hysterectomy.
- Subtotal Hysterectomy - the womb is removed but the cervix is left in place.
- Total Hysterectomy - the womb and the cervix are removed.
- Radical Hysterectomy - the womb, part of the vagina and the fallopian tubes are removed.
Gastric Balloons (sometimes called Intragastric Balloons) are one of the newer forms of weight loss surgery.
An intra-gastric balloon is a soft silicone balloon that is surgically implanted in your stomach. This can help reduce your weight as it then takes less food to stop you feeling hungry.
The balloon itself is made of silicone and is inserted via the mouth into the stomach using an endoscopic procedure. It is then filled with air or saline solution. With a saline filled balloon the fluid is actually coloured blue so that if it springs a leak and starts to deflate the patient will know as their urine will be green.
The inflated gastric balloon works by partially filling your stomach so that you'll feel fuller more quickly when eating. It also reduces your ability to consume large amounts of food or fluids in one go. With the balloon in place a weight loss diet should be followed to retrain your eating habits so that you don't put the weight back on once the balloon is removed.
Patients can expect their BMI to drop up to 10 points in the six months following the surgery.
The balloon is usually removed after six months.
If you have a BMI of 30 or more, Gastric Balloon surgery could be the solution for you
In Vitro Fertilization, often referred to as IVF, is a highly successful assisted reproductive technology.
The term in vitro literally means “in glass.” It refers to the process by which a woman’s eggs are fertilized outside her body.
It involves an egg being surgically removed from the ovary and fertilised outside the body. The woman is then given hormones to prepare her uterus for pregnancy, while the eggs are fertilised with the sperm in a laboratory. The embryos are then implanted into the woman's uterus, and if all goes well, a normal pregnancy is achieved.
Laser Eye Surgery
Laser Eye surgery involves reshaping the cornea – the transparent surface at the front of the eye – using a type of laser known as an Excimer laser.
Different techniques are used to correct short sight (myopia), long sight (hypermetropia) and astigmatism.
LASIK (Laser In Situ Keratomileusis)
LASIK is the most common procedure. Most types of refractive error can be corrected with LASIK, but it may not be suitable for correcting high prescriptions (high degree of short-sightedness). Surgeons cut across the cornea and raise a flap of tissue. The exposed surface is then reshaped using the excimer laser, and the flap is replaced.
PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy)
PRK is mainly used for correcting low prescriptions (low degree of short-sightedness). The cornea is reshaped by the excimer laser without cutting a flap.
LASEK (Laser Epithelial Keratomileusis)
LASEK is similar to PRK but the surface layer (epithelium) of the cornea is retained as a flap. Retaining the epithelium is thought to prevent complications and speed up healing.
Wavefront-guided LASIK reduces the natural irregularities of the eye (which can cause light rays to focus incorrectly), and improve the visual result of the surgery.
Kidney Stone Removal
You normally have two kidneys which clean your blood, and filter out water and waste products to make urine.
Small, solid masses called kidney stones may form when salts or minerals, normally found in urine, become solid crystals inside the kidney. Normally, these crystals are too small to be noticed, and pass harmlessly out of your body. However, they can build up inside your kidney and form much larger stones.
If a stone becomes large enough, it may begin to move out of your kidney and progress through the ureter - a tube that carries urine from the kidney to your bladder. A kidney stone can become stuck at various parts of the ureter causing pain, infection and occasionally kidney damage.
Ureteroscopic Stone Removal
If your stone is lodged in the ureter, your surgeon will pass a narrow, flexible instrument called a Cystoscope up through your urethra and your bladder. A laser beam or shock waves generated by a device attached at the end of the Cystoscope removes or breaks up the stone. This procedure is usually done under general anaesthetic.
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
Large stones can be surgically removed from the kidney. Your surgeon makes a small cut in your back and uses a telescopic instrument called a Nephroscope to pull the stone out or break it up using a laser beam or shock waves. PCNL is performed under general anaesthesia.
Pelvic Floor Repair / Prolapse
When an organ drops from its normal position it is called a Prolapse. Your bladder, urethra, uterus and rectum can all prolapse through your pelvic floor. If they do, they will press against some part of the wall of your vagina causing a swelling. Any or all of these organs can prolapse at the same time.
The different types of prolapse are:
- Cystocele - A prolapse of the bladder into the front wall of the vagina.
- Hysterocele - A prolapse of the uterus into the back, front or top of the vagina.
- Rectocele - A prolapse of the rectum into the back wall of the vagina.
- Urethrocele - A prolapse of the urethra into the lower front wall of the vagina.
- Enterocele - A prolapse that contains loops of bowel.
A pelvic floor repair will remove the swelling in your vagina. It will stop any bleeding, pain or leak of urine. A cut in the wall of your vagina is normally made and your prolapsed organs will be pushed back into their normal positions above your pelvic floor. Then a repair operation is done, where the surrounding ligaments are tightened to hold your organs in place.
Everybody will notice that reading becomes increasingly difficult as they age, even those with normal vision. This usually begins at about 40 -45 years of age and is known as ‘prebyopia’. The solution for this is reading glasses or distance glasses.
Today’s technology makes it possible to produce a lens which give good vision both from a distance and for reading. Now there’s a revolutionary new way to potentially leave your glasses behind – introducing the AcrySof® ReSTOR® intraocular lens (IOL), a breakthrough in vision surgery.
AcrySof® ReSTOR® has been uniquely designed to improve vision at all distances – up close, far away and everything in-between – giving patients their best chance ever to live free of glasses. The ability to quickly change focus throughout this range of vision is called accommodation (The ability of the eye’s lens to change shape to focus on objects at various distances). Unfortunately, this ability diminishes as we grow older1, causing us to become dependent on bifocals or reading glasses.
If you are suffering from Cataracts or are far-sighted this operation will suit you. The surgical technique is the same as used for Cataract surgery.
According to articles in major international journals, 90% of people operated manage completely without glasses after the Restore operation.
TURP – Prostate Surgery
TURP is the most common operation for an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH). BPH is an overgrowth of cells of the prostate that blocks the flow of urine, making it difficult to pass urine.
TURP is performed using a narrow, flexible, tube-like telescopic camera called an Endoscope. The endoscope is inserted into your urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder and out through the penis). The surgeon will then cut out and remove the middle of your enlarged prostate using specially adapted surgical instruments.
Varicose veins are swollen and enlarged veins which are usually a blue or dark purple. They may also be lumpy, bulging or twisted in appearance.
Varicose veins develop when the small valves inside the veins stop working properly. In a healthy vein, blood flows smoothly to the heart, and is prevented from flowing backwards by a series of tiny valves, which open and close to let blood through. If these valves weaken or are damaged, the blood can flow backwards and can collect in the vein, eventually causing it to be varicose.
Large varicose veins may sometimes have to be surgically removed.
The most common techniques are:-
- Endothermal ablation – this is where heat is used to seal the affected veins
- Sclerotherapy – this uses a special foam to close the veins
- Ligation and stripping – this involves surgery to remove the affected veins
A Vasectomy or 'male sterilisation' is a simple and reliable method of contraception. It is usually considered a permanent form of contraception, although in some cases the procedure can be reversed, if necessary, e.g. if you decide to have children later on in life.
It works by preventing sperm from reaching the semen that is ejaculated from the man's penis during sex. It is a quick and painless surgical procedure.
The 'conventional' and most widely used type of vasectomy involves making two small incisions in the scrotum (the pouch of skin that surrounds your testicles). The other type uses a newer 'no scalpel' technique.Contact Us
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The question started innocently enough. An assignment for a class I am taking offered through The Critical Thinking Community required that I integrate one of the elements of reasoning in a lesson. I chose the element of purpose and decided to ask my 9th grade students what was the purpose of reading a non-fiction essay ,”My Mother”, by Amy Tan. Several students dutifully raised their hands.
“To know about her mother?”
“It’s a memory?”
“To remember what her mom said?”
Their responses were predictable and did not sound thoughtful; they sounded like they were guessing. I hate playing “Guess What the Teacher Wants to Hear”, so I shifted the question: “What is the purpose of reading an essay?”
Hesitation. Some disconcerted looks. A few timid hands.
“To understand what’s a good essay?”
I must have looked a little frustrated. “Why are you here?” I demanded.
“Well, what is the purpose of English class? Why are you here?”
Then it hit me. They really had not given a thought as to why they were in English. I mean, they know what English class is, they have been in English every year they have attended school-nine years to date. They looked perplexed.
“Because, we are forced to come,” said Chris.
“Yes, we have to come,” agreed Mike.
They shifted nervously in their seats.
“That’s not purpose. That’s a result of someone else’s purpose,” I replied.
“To learn….(student voice trails off)…English?”
So, I took the cup of popsicle sticks labeled with each student’s name. “What is the purpose of English Class?” I asked each student after I called out a name. One by one they offered suggestions:
- “….to learn…how to…write”
- “…to learn how… to read?”
- “…to learn about the comma?”
- “…so we can go to college.”
- “…to learn what is in a book…characters.”
After each response, I asked the next student “Do you agree with that reason?” before I asked “What is the purpose of English class?”
As we went around the room, I explained there could be “no repeats“; the responders had to think more critically about what I was asking. Slowly, their responses became more sophisticated. Their responses did not have the sound of a question. They were answering my repeated question as a statement. They began to stir and leaned forward in interest trying to see who could come up with the “answer”.
- “To learn about how characters are like people”
- “To experience stories that we cannot really be in”
- “To read and write about how we are all connected.”
- “To be able to write so that other people can understand what we are saying and maybe believe what we write.”
They started to raise their hands to adding new ideas to this brainstorming sessions. They wanted to give the correct answer….to stop my interrogation. Honestly, I did not have an answer. I had no idea where this exercise was going, I was simply letting them critically think about why they came into my class day after day. They were suddenly engaged and eager to answer. At some level, they understood the importance of English class, they just had not thought about the purpose. In defining the purpose, they suddenly understood the purpose of my original question. I went back and asked, “What was the purpose of Amy Tan’s essay?”
- “She is feeling guilty and she wants to make it up to her mom.”
- “Her mother was important to her, and now that her mother has dies, she wants to tell others about how they should appreciate their mother.”
- “Regret is hard, and she is living in regret like so many people who make mistakes when they are young…this is a confession.”
My spontaneous shift from asking about an essay to the larger topic of why they were in English demonstrated how important the element of purpose is to teaching. My next step will be to have students internalize the question, “What is the purpose of this _______(book, essay, poem, article, assignment, class)?” on their own, every day, semester after semester.
In the courtroom, the saying is “Never ask a question if you don’t know the answer.” But in education, we ask questions as a means to discover the answer. The Critical Thinking Community website states, “We must continually remind ourselves that thinking begins with respect to some content only when questions are generated by both teachers and students. No questions equals no understanding.”
So go ahead and ask, “What’s the purpose of English class?” Get the students thinking.
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|Format: PDF Download|
Vendor: Master Books
Publication Date: 2006
Physics is a branch of science that many people consider to be too complicated to understand. In this exciting addition to the ?Exploring? series, John Hudson Tiner puts this myth to rest as he explains the fascinating world of physics in a way that students from elementary to high school can comprehend.
Did you know that a feather and a lump of lead will fall at the same rate in a vacuum? Learn about the history of physics from Aristotle to Galileo to Isaac Newton to the latest advances. Discover how the laws of motion and gravity affect everything from the normal activities of everyday life to launching rockets into space. Learn about the effects of inertia firsthand during fun and informative experiments.
Exploring the World of Physicsis a great tool for students of all ages who want to have a deeper understanding of the important and interesting ways that physics affects our lives and is complete with illustrations, chapter questions, and an index.
John Hudson Tiner received five National Science Foundation teaching fellowships during his 12 years as a teacher of mathematics and science that allowed him to study graduate chemistry, astronomy, and mathematics. He also worked as a mathematician and cartographer for the Defense Mapping Agency, Aerospace Center in St. Louis, MO.
Tiner has received numerous honors for his writing, including the Missouri Writers Guild award for best juvenile book for Exploring the World of Chemistry. He and his wife, Jeanene, live in Missouri.
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A patient-Centered Approach to Medicine – Functional Medicine Looks for the Root Cause of Imbalance
Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease and loss of wellness, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease.
Functional medicine is anchored by an examination of the core clinical imbalances that underlie various disease conditions. Those imbalances arise as environmental inputs such as diet; nutrients (including air and water), exercise, and trauma are processed by one’s body, mind, and spirit through a unique set of genetic predispositions, attitudes, and beliefs. The fundamental physiological processes include communication, both outside and inside the cell; bioenergetics, or the transformation of food into energy; replication, repair, and maintenance of structural integrity, from the cellular to the whole body level; elimination of waste; protection and defense; and transport and circulation. The core clinical imbalances that arise from malfunctions within this complex system include:
- Nutritional Imbalances
- Hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances
- Oxidation-reduction imbalances and mitochondropathy
- Detoxification and biotransformational imbalances
- Immune imbalances
- Inflammatory imbalances
- Digestive, absorptive, and microbiological imbalances
- Structural imbalances from cellular membrane function to the musculoskeletal system
Functional medicine emphasizes a definable and teachable process of integrating multiple knowledge bases within a pragmatic intellectual matrix that focuses on functionality at many levels, rather than a single treatment for a single problem. Functional medicine uses the patient’s story as a key tool for integrating diagnosis, signs and symptoms, and evidence of clinical imbalances into a comprehensive approach to improve both the patient’s environmental inputs and his or her physiological function. It is a clinician’s discipline, and it directly addresses the need to transform the practice of primary care.
Ayama Yoga Healing Arts is proud to partner with Holistic Specialists to bring to our community the most advanced holistic integrative therapy. Combining cutting edge XXI century diagnostics with natural and organic healing therapy that considers always the patient’s individual needs, goals and risks, as main dynamic powers of any therapy.
Holistic Specialists are a team of highly experienced health care practitioners mastering natural healing therapies. Our holistic specialists include acupuncturists, herbalists, functional medicine practitioners, nutritionists, and health educators all working together in their own area of expertise to help their patients achieve optimal health.
Holistic Specialists Clinic director, Acupuncturist and Herbologist
Diego F. Rutenberg L. Ac, Dipl. O.M.D., FDM, RYT
Diego Rutenberg is a licensed acupuncturist in Florida and certified at the highest level by the NCCAOM. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the National Institute of Physical Education in Buenos Aires. He has more than twenty years of experience as a health and wellness practitioner, yoga teacher and fitness consultant and trainer. His deep understanding of how the body functions give him a unique ability to recognize and treat all kinds of illnesses specializing in pain and sports therapy.
- Licensed Acupuncture Physician, Diplomat of Oriental Medicine
- Bachelors in Physical Education, Physical Education National Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Certified Functional Medicine University practitioner.
- Registered certified yoga teacher
- Former Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center Fitness Director. North Miami Beach, Florida 2005
- More than twenty years of experience as a health and wellness practitioner, yoga teacher and fitness consultant and trainer
- Dedicated to Complementary/Alternative Medicine and the Integrated Health Care Practitioners Model.
Holistic Specialists Director of Functional Medicine and Integrative Nutrition
Shantih Coro CMTA, FDM
Shantih Coro originally from Italy, went to University to study dietetics to pursuit a career in the sport and healthcare field. After graduation he spent one year in a farm to learn about agriculture, farming and food preparation. Shantih is an expert in digestive problems, wellness and sports performance enhancement and will work tirelessly to help his patients to achieve performance, optimal and balanced health. He educates his patients towards proper lifestyle changes, supplementation, exercise, stress reduction and nutrition. Shantih has over 15 years of experience working with patients for weight loss, digestive problems, medical conditions, amateur and professional athletes, fitness professionals and optimal wellness.
- Registered dietitian in Italy, he is working through transferring his credentials through Eastern Michigan University, which has one of the top dietetic programs in the USA
- Extensive training in functional medicine
- Certified in Sports Nutrition
- Professional mentorship in Clinical Nutrition with best seller author of “Digestive Wellness” Dr. Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN
- Certified Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Holistic Specialists Associated Medical Practice – Urology Specialists
Dr. Edward Gheiler
Dr. Edward Gheiler founded Urology Specialists LLC. (2001 – Present).
Dr. Gheiler performs many types of procedures as a urological surgeon at Palmetto General Hospital and is involved in clinical research projects.
- Mount Sinai Medical Center oncology urologist, Miami Beach Florida.
- Chief of the urology service at Miami Veterans’ Administration Medical Center.
- University of Miami, Department of Urology, Assistant Professor.
- Wayne State Department of Urology, Assistant Professor.
- Completed his general surgery and urological surgery at Wayne State University of Detroit, Michigan.
- Dr. Edward Gheiler received his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine NYC, NY.
Dr. Edward Gheiler’s Current and Past Hospital affiliations
- Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida.
- Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida.
- Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, Aventura, Florida.
- Hialeah Hospital Hialeah, Florida.
- Cedars Medical Center, Miami, Florida.
- Palm Springs General Hospital, Hialeah, Florida.
- Larkin Community Hospital, Miami, Hospital
Dr. Fernando Bianco
- Director of the Prostate Program for the George Washington Cancer Institute (GWCI).
- Urology oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
- Dr. Bianco completed his residency at Wayne State University in Detroit.
- MD degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela.
- BS degree from the Colegio Santiago de Leon in Caracas, Venezuela.
- Urology Specialists Robotic surgeon of the prostate, kidney and bladder and oncology urologist.
- Chief of Robotic Surgery, Columbia University
- Division of Urology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida.
- Chief of Urology Oncology, George Washington University Hospital.
Dr. Fernando Bianco’s Current and Past Hospital affiliations
- Mount Sinai Medical Center.
- Palmetto General Hospital, Hialeah, Florida.
- Palm Springs General Hospital, Hialeah, Florida.
- George Washington University Hospital.
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Holistic Specialists, the premiere natural medicine wellness center, is composed of the best holistic specialists from around the world.
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He’s the first from his country, his continent, his hemisphere. He’s the first from his order and the first of his name. He also followed the first resignation in centuries. Francis I election to the papacy last Wednesday evidently marked a series of changes for the Catholic Church. What, however, is the impact and importance of these changes? Do they represent a true ideological shift or merely a cosmetic makeover? The answers to these questions rely entirely on how the new Bishop of Rome chooses to lead his people.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 74, became the first Argentinian pope in history. His career has been impressive and unique in many ways. There are two issues that have animated his career, that seem especially well to represent the manner in which he will live out his papacy. The first is of a spiritual nature; the second of a practical nature.
First, he has called for a push towards Evangelization. He has explained that Catholics cannot fully serve Jesus without proclaiming his name and message.
Second, the issue that seems most likely to define his papacy is evident in his name. The Jesuit took the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, in order to remember the poor. From the first moment of his papacy, it became clear that Pope Francis I would be fully embrace humility. A closer look at his history and teachings demonstrates that this is in fact the case. As a priest, Bishop, and Cardinal, he has spoken of the inequality found especially in Latin America. Some theologians say Pope Francis is currently is in a position to teach and explain Catholic Social Teaching in light of this injustice.
Humility and care for the poor are certainly not unique to the Catholic Church. However, the specific focus by a pope is a shift from the papacy of Benedict XVI, who was principally focused on Catholic tradition throughout his papacy.
Thus, Francis I appears to be taking the church down a relatively new path. With a renewed focus on Charity and Love, the Catholic Church might be heading towards an identity more akin to the church of the time of St. Augustine. At that time, the Christian faith was unique in the way its people chose to care for their neighbors. Already, the Vatican has begun to become more accessible through social media (including the Twitter account created by Villanova Communications interns). With a new way of teaching that is understanding and appreciated universally, Francis I may be able to reverse the trends occurring in the Catholic church of diminishing practice of the faith.
It is also important to note that Pope Francis is, unsurprising, theologically conservative, maintaining his predecessors’ stance on homosexuality, the ordination of women, celibacy of the clergy, and abortion. However, these controversial issues have thus far not appeared at the center of Francis’ teaching, replaced instead with the aforementioned spirituality and social justice.
As Nova students, especially those who have just returned from service break trips, the initiative to emphasize service and charity may strike a chord. Perhaps the emphasis on the poor will reignite the religious interest of young Catholics within this community and within others. In time, the true course of Pope Francis I’s papacy will be visible. At the moment, all that is clear is that new horizons seem closer than they have before.
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Gibbons: Voyager still carries our hopes of finding that we're not alone
Journey of Voyager 1 through space has been marked by milestones in scientific exploration and learning
Updated 4:57 pm, Saturday, October 26, 2013
On Sept. 5, 1977, humanity stood at the shoreline of the ancient cosmic ocean that had been beckoning for generations, and with a massive, rocket-propelled heave, we hurled a kind of message in a bottle out into the vast sea of space. That "bottle" was Voyager 1.
Within its spindly metal framework was a gold-plated audio-visual disc filled with photos, music and messages from the people of Earth. Although its primary mission was to conduct a scientific reconnaissance of Jupiter and Saturn, scientists also knew there was a good chance that the probe would eventually leave our solar system someday and enter the great void of interstellar space.
Consequently, a team of scientists and engineers, led by Carl Sagan, viewed Voyager as a unique opportunity for humanity to send a greeting card into space - a cosmic message in a bottle.
And, like children on a beach, we have patiently watched our bottle slowly drift farther and farther from shore. Last month, we learned that it finally has dipped below the horizon, and we can do nothing more now than simply hope that, someday, our bottle may be found.
Voyager 1 is one of the most successful and remarkable space probes ever launched. It conducted the first detailed studies of Jupiter and Saturn, and its discoveries electrified planetary scientists. As Voyager 1 encountered the Jovian moon Io, it discovered the first active volcano outside of the Earth. It also revealed the ice-covered surface of Jupiter's enigmatic moon Europa, as well as the complex structure of Saturn's rings.
Scientists spent years poring over the trove of data transmitted back to Earth by the probe. And although they initially thought that Voyager would cease providing any valuable scientific information after its Saturn encounter in 1980, the rugged probe soldiered on.
Ten years later, Voyager took its final photo - the first "family portrait" ever of the solar system - from a record distance of 6 billion kilometers. The image became famous because the Earth appeared as nothing more than a small "pale blue dot," inspiring the title of the seminal book by Sagan.
In 1998, Voyager passed another milestone as it surpassed the distance traveled by Pioneer 10, and last month, NASA confirmed that the intrepid probe has become the first man-made object to enter interstellar space.
Voyager 1 is now heading in the general direction of the star Gliese 445 and will pass within 1.6 light years of it in about 40,000 years.
The likelihood that another space-faring civilization will someday retrieve Voyager 1 is truly remote. In that extremely unlikely event, it will probably be millions of years from now, when humanity is long gone.
But if Voyager 1 is ever found, we can only hope that those who come upon it will somehow decipher the messages we've placed within our bottle. Perhaps they will conclude that on a blue planet orbiting a very ordinary star, there once lived a society of sentient beings whose curiosity and innate desire to explore eventually led them to wade into the mysterious cosmic ocean that surrounded their home.
Perhaps they will also decipher that although the beings from the blue planet recognized that they were a deeply flawed species, one that was prone to violence and a dangerous embrace of superstition, they were also determined to overcome their demons by trying to understand the cosmos and their place within it.
What the retrievers of Voyager 1 could never comprehend is that one of humanity's primary motivations in sending this message in a bottle was something that couldn't be placed on a gold-plated disc or etched into the metal chassis of our robot emissary. It is a certain longing that has been troubling us for decades, and it chills our souls whenever we contemplate the size of the universe and the incredible number of stars and planets contained within it.
For each time we have shouted out into the deep, infinite expanse of space and listened for a reply, the only response we've received has been a disturbing silence. The bottle couldn't possibly convey that we have always felt so very alone and desperately hoped that we were not.
Gibbons is a freelance writer and a Philadelphia-based member of The Planetary Society.
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Growing Your Own Food is Like Printing Your Own Money (Video)
In this moving and heartwarming TED Talk, listen to Rod Finley share his experience about why he started planting urban gardens in South Central Los Angeles and how it impacted the local community.
Ron Finley is a successful clothing designer and artist from Los Angeles whose life got a little dirtier when he realized something strange about his neighborhood.
He found that South Central, Los Angeles was overwhelmingly filled with "Liquor stores. Fast food. Vacant lots," but had no great place to get fresh, affordable produce. "People are losing their homes, they're hungry, they're unemployed, and this area is so underserved with nutritional food." Finley was quoted as saying.
Since he'd just taken a course on gardening at the Natural History Museum, he decided to put his newfound knowledge to good use and planted a garden in a small strip of grass by his house with the help of his teacher, Florence Nishida and some friends.
Even though Finley used a small plot of land, about 10 feet wide, 150 feet long, the city still gave him a citation, which eventually turned into a warrant. His garden, filled with tomatoes, peppers and chard, celery, kale and herbs, had been deemed illegal.
Luckily with the help of LA Green Grounds, a charity he co-founded to help spread gardens throughout Los Angeles, Finley managed to overcome the citation, with the additional encouragement of his councilman, Herb Wesson. LA Green Grounds continues to help communities acquire gardening skills and grow their own produce, "And it always amazes me how planting a bunch of seeds or plants really can change someone's life as they watch it grow, and then harvest it. I've seen people light up and literally change before my eyes." Finley explains.
"Growing your own food is like printing your own money," Finley said in his TED talk. He has educated his community in the importance of gardening as a sustainable, cost-effective and healthy activity in the hopes the can help turn these "food deserts" into "food forests."
Finley perfectly sums up the significance of his gardening movement with this very promising observation: "If kids grow kale, kids eat kale!"
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In the 1860s, William Little, an English physician, wrote the first medical descriptions of a disorder that affected young children which caused stiff, contracted muscles primarily in their legs and to a lesser degree in their arms. They had difficulty holding objects, crawling, and walking. Their condition which neither improved or deteriorated as they grew which was originally called Little’s disease is now known as spastic diplegia (Paraplegia) cerebral palsy.
Spastic cerebral palsy is caused when the brain damage occurs in the outer layer of the brain, the cerebral cortex. (This is distinguished from Ataxic C.P. which occurs in approximately 10% of the cases, caused by damage to the cerebellum which results in tremors and low muscle strength and affects motor skills like writing, typing, and balance while walking.) Spastic is the most common form of cerebral palsy which affects 70 to 80 percent of patients. Spastic cerebral palsy symptoms include increased tension in a muscle. Normally, muscles coordinate in pairs; when one group of muscles contract (tighten), the other group relaxes. This allows free movement. When complications in brain-to-nerve-to-muscle communication occur, the balanced degree of muscle tension is disrupted. Muscles affected by spastic cerebral palsy become active together which effectively blocks coordinated movement. Thus, the muscles in spastic cerebral palsy patients are constantly stiff, or spastic.
Spastic diplegia CP generally affects the legs of a patient more than the arms. Patients have more extensive involvement of the lower extremity than the upper extremity which allows most patients to eventually walk. The gait of a person with spastic diplegia (Paraplegia) CP is typically characterized by a crouched gait. As a person walks one leg typically provides support while the other leg advances in preparation for its role of support limb in advance of the next step. The gait cycle (GS) describes this pattern of alternate limb support and advance. A crouched gait is where the knee is excessively flexed (bent) during stance and at the onset of push–off, which can make walking impossible without the aid of a walker. Both toe walking and flexed knees are common attributes and can be corrected with proper surgical treatment and gait analysis.
Many victims of spastic diplegia cerebral palsy have normal intelligence. However side effects like strabismus which is the turning in or out of one eye, otherwise known as cross-eye, affects 75% of this population which is caused by a weakness of the muscles controling eye movement. These people are also often nearsighted. If left unattended, strabismus can eventually lead to severe vision problems.
Experienced treatment teams for individuals with spastic diplegia CP can help determine the treatments which are best suited for them. Leg braces, gait analysis, medications like botox , hyperbaric oxygen treatment, and several other treatment methods can help remedy some of the symptoms. These teams normally include a physical therapist, pediatrician, physiatrist, neurologist and neurosurgeon, and an orthopedic surgeon.
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Positive Effects of Immigration
This paper handles the costs and positive effects of the migration on the upcoming economies in the world. The paper will start by first giving the meaning of migration and development. An in depth discussion on the positive and negative effects of migration shall be covered. A conclusion will come at the end of this paper giving a preview of what the paper covers. Migration is the movement of people from one locality to another over a long distance. This movement is normally in search of favorable conditions in their lifestyle, thus, the movement from developing to developed economies of the world. Development is the practice of cost-effective and collective change heavily in reliance of structured and environmental issues and interactions.
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Human population is never static. This is because of advancement in the level of technology. Over the recent past, people have been able to move from one location to another. Though this migration has been difficult, improved technology such as airplanes and electric trains has made it possible. Developing countries has benefitted because of this. High technologies advanced in developed countries penetrate to developing countries and thus giving them an equal chance to develop just as developed countries.
Among the first major benefit of migration is creation of employment opportunity. Developing countries has a variety of skills but it is often unutilized because lack of opportunity. Migration has therefore enabled the skilled labor from developing countries to access job market thus earning them a living. Apart from creating employment, the income earned is remitted back home and therefore as a result of this, the living standards in developing countries is improved.
Apart from the case above, migration has also led to improved and skilled labor in developing countries. This is because individual from developing countries move to developed countries and acquire skills in developed countries institutions such as universities and colleges. An individual for example who migrates from a less developed country such as Africa to America will be able to advance their human capital since they will get advance course, which never existed in their country. On the return back to their motherland, they will be able to express what they learn and in this way developing their country (Spencer, 2011).
Secondly, migration has reduced the level of competition for job opportunities. People who move from developing countries to developed countries reduce the labor supply and thus ensuring that the little available is fully utilized. This therefore enable them to earn a living which can letter be re-invested therefore improving less developed countries economic level. In addition, the people who migrated to developed countries will continuously remit some amount back home, which will improve further the country’s economic level.
Thirdly, though indirectly, as people from developing countries migrated to developing country there will be exchange of culture which may eventually force the citizens of developed countries to tour the developing countries and learn about this. This will earn developing countries a lot of income, as these people from developed countries will be coming as tourist. This will boost tourism and the money received goes to viable projects, which will lead to transition of these countries from developing to developed countries.
Fourthly and most important is that migration will enable transfer of technology from develop to developing countries. This is so certain as the migrants will return home at one point in time. This will therefore enable a technology developed in developed countries to spread all the way to the mother country of these migrants. They will set a base from which the developing countries can pick from. A good example of this is the use of computers. Initially this was developed in developing countries but as the emigrants return home, majority of them brought the laptops and went back home with them and in the process, this light was seen in the initial country of the migrants, that is the less developed countries.
Migration also benefits the developing countries in the sense that it will open up market for their produced. Citizens of developing countries who migrates to developed countries helps identify a gap which they later communicate back home as a newly target market for developing countries produced. Since they know the customers at the ground level, they can easily persuade them to use this product thus strengthening the market area covered.
Business will also come up because of migration. As the number of migrating residence increases, the transport sector will nourished. This is because developing countries will felt the need of increasing the number of airplane to transport these passengers. Since it is not always the case that foreigners manage the transport sector, it will enable the local investors managing this business and therefore earning foreign exchange.
At times, developing countries could have had a chance to developed but its resources is been outstretch because of the high number of residence. These exact a lot of pressure on factors of production such as land, capital and rent. Because of migration, therefore, some citizens will move elsewhere and thus the few remaining can optimize on the resources available. This benefits the developing countries and therefore giving them a chance to develop just as the developed countries (Brettell & Hollifield, 2000). Most countries remain underdeveloped because of lack of ideas. They do have the necessary resources to invest in yet they do not have any viable investment opportunity. Residence of developing countries that have had a chance to migrate abroad can come together and identify a business plan for their country. Since they are in a better position as compared to residence back home, they can formulate a good plan, which may see developing countries growing to be a developed country.
New business ideas developed above could also facilitate foreign direct investment, which in turn could increase the gross domestic product for the developing country. This generates employment giving a number of residences at least a chance to earn a living at the end of the day. The increased links of different cultures also leads to increased trade. This benefit the developing counties more as they share the products they have hence giving rise to new opportunities once two different people meet with different background. Despite the number of cost to developing countries because of migration, it is still beneficial and serves as a reason behind the industrialization and development of developing countries.
The drawbacks of migration from the developing countries are many as shall be discussed herein. The brain drain is experience. This is the movement of highly skilled personnel to other counties where the labor demanded there has adequate measure and policies well covered. This deprives the home country the ability to utilize the expertise it has engineered through the strainers exercise of education and training. There is loss of remittances from these persons’ who move to other countries. The level of innovation also expected from these highly skilled emigrants is lost to other nations. Investment in the health and education sector as well is lost significantly due to the continued brain drain. The brain overflow in the accepting countries of the migrants, may lead to inappropriate use of these highly skilled personnel. Their skills may be degraded. Generally, brain drain leads to poverty and highly affects the economy of the developing countries (Samers, 2010).
The second disadvantage for the developing county is the demographics. This is where the migrants are young and energetic who are highly productive and should be taking care of the old and retired. This causes the shrinking number of the productive citizens worsening the conditions on the developing countries. There is also social effect on the young people who will have to grow in absence of the entire family. The issue of effect on the gender roles is experienced heavily in the developing countries. The people here have challenges coming to terms when the migrants are more of one gender than the other. This mostly happens where the male have migrated leaving the women o say the mothers to head their homes. This means the responsibilities will have changed and the mothers have to play two roles in decision making. The roles played by the gender heavily affected will be reversed. This means that the societal norms will be changed and takes time to adapt hence resulting in stagnant growth in economies of the developing country.
Racial discrimination is what the migrants face in the developed counties. This is where the host countries’ population feels that their jobs have been taken by the emigrants hence causes trouble for them. There is always a feeling that emigrants come from a poo society, lack knowledge of the culture where he has been hosted, knows nothing of the language spoken, and this is dangerous since they fall prey to the migrants who will take advantage. They will be accused of being thieves when they are seen anywhere, and being labeled as criminals just because of their color of country of origin. This makes others feel alienated (Guild, 2009).
Familiarity is another issue for the emigrants. When they moved from their developing counties, they are not familiar with the developed country. This makes them lonely since there is no one to visit or to share in form of communication. There is no visit to the family and friends in the country. Many will argue that there are many advantages of people migrating, but there is a hidden feeling of the migrants of what they underwent in order to adapt to the environment. Getting a job also in the host country is not such an easy task. People are not always friendly to visitors; hence, one may be killed. Many others get imprisoned just because of a misunderstanding bought about by language barriers. It has been heavily criticized that migrants have more challenges adapting to the host counties surroundings than adapting to the wok environment in their host countries.
The main issues covered here is on the movement of the people. This means that there is a difference in the labor reward mainly to the skilled labor. This implies that the resources I the world have been heavily miss-allocated. The global production is increased as a result of migration. The big issue is the allocation of the profits derived from such migrations especially to the uplifting of upcoming world economies mainly in the developing counties. The migration may be due to lack of good institutions o poo geography in the developing countries, hence the need to use this as a mechanism to address the problems in their home country and make a return migration. This means that the newly acquired skills, finances, new outlooks, assist in changing the institutions in their home nations. This though may not heavily help eliminate the initial causes of migration but helps in boosting the economy of their home country. The opportunities are increased for the residents and hence helps reduce the number of people moving to other economies but assist in the development in their home countries.
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|People's Climate March, NYC (Photo from Twitter)|
There was a time when science, the television media, government, and the public all came together to address environmental issues and make a positive change in the way we do things – but that time rests in the past as a dim memory. That time needs to be resurrected. I am thinking of that time when I was growing up in the 1960s. Environmental pollution was becoming a problem. I can remember public service ads on television warning of the effects of pollution and educating the public on things that we could do to avoid dying in a polluted land. I recall seeing on the nightly news well-known news reporters speaking from the hills somewhere outside Los Angeles California where trees were dying on the mountainsides as a result of heavy automobile pollution. “Smog” was a new word that entered into our vocabulary to describe conditions in the city in which fog combined with air pollution to create health hazards for city dwellers.
As a result of the science of the day, the media attention, and a concerned public, legislation was passed in Washington, D.C. that resulted in the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Regulations came into place that restricted the pollutants being emitted by industry. We saw in a relatively short time a reduction in pollution that allowed trees to begin to grow again outside of Los Angeles. The air and water became cleaner, reducing health risks to people in urban areas. The nation was confronted with a problem, and we came together to make some positive improvements.
The Current State of Affairs
Fast forward to present day, and we see a confounding social circumstance in which many are not believing the best science of the day, elected government officials are paralyzed and ineffectual having become pawns of big corporations and servants to Wall Street. The television media has become a balkanized industry catering to the whims of advertisers and public consumers and demonstrating no investment in or commitment to the common good. This was particularly evident last Sunday when hundreds of thousands gathered in New York City to demonstrate their concern about climate change. The huge event received very little television coverage (see “Sunday News Shows Ignore Historic Climate March”).
By some estimates, there were 300,000 people participating in the People’s Climate March. The streets were filled with protesters calling attention to our failures to address the significant negative impact we are having upon the environment. It was a huge event, but barely even noticed – much less heeded – by the television media. Compare this to past events in our recent history. In 1964, approximately 250,000 people participated in the march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom to hear Martin Luther King's “I Have A Dream” speech. On April 15, 1967, 300,000 marched in New York in the "Spring Mobilization" to protest the Viet Nam War. These events rocked the nation with television coverage on the nightly news.
The silence on TV regarding the People's Climate March last Sunday was perhaps indicative that TV is now controlled by a few corporations which don't want to be bothered with real news, especially news that calls for effective change. When corporations are calling the shots, and when those corporations are where significant change must happen if we are to reduce environmental damage, you can be sure that those corporations will stand in the way of any changes or legislative action. Some say we have already passed the tipping point and that the reversal of the effects of climate change is no longer possible. There is still time, however, to make some progress toward sustainability, yet few in power want to hear or do anything that would challenge the status quo.
Time of Reckoning
We can pay now, or we can pay later. There was a time when we paid attention to the science that warned us of the destruction we were causing to the environment. There was also a time when legislation could effectively regulate industries to reduce environmental degradation. Moreover, there was a time when the people’s voice could eventually be heard. Today we see how corporations are controlling both the government and the media more and more. The corporation changes the way we address matters of injustice, health, and safety. When government was effective, changes could be made through legislation. That is how we historically made improvements in the workplace, in the environment, and in civil rights. Without effective government, however, we do not know how to stand up to the ever-growing corporation. Unfortunately, our best hope now may be in catastrophe. It may take a true catastrophe to convince us that change is necessary.
For anyone wanting more information about climate change, here is an article addressing some of the top issues and questions: Eight Pseudoscientific ClimateClaims Debunked by Real Scientists
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Analysis: Writing Style
Third-person: Didactic, Moralizing, Poetic; First-person: Matter-of-Fact, Reportage
In most of his novels, Dickens uses a few repeated tricks and touches. Because his style is so easily identifiable, he's the kind of writer that's called a "stylist" – meaning that the style of his prose is really important to him and he enjoys playing with language in a way that many otherwise talented writers do not.
In Bleak House, this playful and often poetic style is used only for the third-person narrator. To create contrast, Esther's voice is straightforward and normal, without the crazy flights of verbal fancy that are the Dickensian trademark. A good way to see the differences is to compare the two narrators describing the same thing. Let's go with the Jarndyce court case, shall we?
Here's how the third-person narrator sees it:
Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. This scarecrow of a suit has, in course of time, become so complicated that no man alive knows what it means. The parties to it understand it least, but it has been observed that no two Chancery lawyers can talk about it for five minutes without coming to a total disagreement as to all the premises. Innumerable children have been born into the cause; innumerable young people have married into it; innumerable old people have died out of it. Scores of persons have deliriously found themselves made parties in Jarndyce and Jarndyce without knowing how or why; whole families have inherited legendary hatreds with the suit. [...] Jarndyce and Jarndyce has passed into a joke. That is the only good that has ever come of it. It has been death to many, but it is a joke in the profession. [...] The last Lord Chancellor handled it neatly, when, correcting Mr. Blowers, the eminent silk gown who said that such a thing might happen when the sky rained potatoes, he observed, "or when we get through Jarndyce and Jarndyce, Mr. Blowers"--a pleasantry that particularly tickled the maces, bags, and purses. [...] How many people out of the suit Jarndyce and Jarndyce has stretched forth its unwholesome hand to spoil and corrupt would be a very wide question. From the master upon whose impaling files reams of dusty warrants in Jarndyce and Jarndyce have grimly writhed into many shapes, down to the copying-clerk in the Six Clerks' Office who has copied his tens of thousands of Chancery folio-pages under that eternal heading, no man's nature has been made better by it. (1.7-10)
Here we see all the stylistic tricks Dickens typically has up his sleeve. There's the repetition of key words and phrases (a technique called "anaphora." Use this in your next English paper for an instant grade bump!): "innumerable children"/"innumerable young people"/"innumerable old people." There is the making of long lists: maces, bags, purses (all jokey references to the various kinds of lawyers involved). There are the self-defining names: the eminent Mr. Blowers is clearly a guy who blows a lot of hot air. And of course, let's not forget the hyperbole (exaggeration): the number of people involved with the suit is not just large, but actually uncountable; the lawsuit creates not just hostility, but epic feuds between families.
What is the point of all of these tactics? Maybe it's a way to give the Jarndyce lawsuit a kind of magical, ominous, world-defining quality – to take it out of reality and put it in some kind of mythical realm.
Meanwhile, here is Esther talking about the same thing:
When we came to Westminster Hall we found that the day's business was begun. Worse than that, we found such an unusual crowd in the Court of Chancery that it was full to the door, and we could neither see nor hear what was passing within. It appeared to be something droll, for occasionally there was a laugh and a cry of "Silence!" It appeared to be something interesting, for every one was pushing and striving to get nearer. It appeared to be something that made the professional gentlemen very merry, for there were several young counsellors in wigs and whiskers on the outside of the crowd, and when one of them told the others about it, they put their hands in their pockets, and quite doubled themselves up with laughter, and went stamping about the pavement of the Hall. [...] The people came streaming out looking flushed and hot and bringing a quantity of bad air with them. [...] Presently great bundles of paper began to be carried out--bundles in bags, bundles too large to be got into any bags, immense masses of papers of all shapes and no shapes, which the bearers staggered under, and threw down for the time being, anyhow, on the Hall pavement, while they went back to bring out more. Even these clerks were laughing. We glanced at the papers, and seeing Jarndyce and Jarndyce everywhere, asked an official-looking person who was standing in the midst of them whether the cause was over. Yes, he said, it was all up with it at last, and burst out laughing too. (65.5-9)
Wow, talk about deflation. The details are much the same: people are laughing at the ridiculousness of this lawsuit, there's a whole bunch of paperwork associated with it, and it's hard to imagine that Jarndyce and Jarndyce might actually come to an end. But check out the difference in delivery: no repetition, no funny lists – it's "just the facts ma'am." Esther doesn't exaggerate anything she sees – she just tells it like it is, noting whatever details pop out at her.
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Chimps use spears to hunt other primates
Chimpanzees have been seen using spears to hunt bushbabies, US researchers say in a study that demonstrates a whole new level of tool use and planning by our closest living relatives.
Perhaps even more intriguing, it was only the females who made and used the wooden spears to hunt the tiny nocturnal primates, report Assistant Professor Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani of Iowa State University.
Bertolani saw an adolescent female chimp use a spear to stab a bushbaby as it slept in a tree hollow, pull it out and eat it.
Pruetz and Bertolani, now at the University of Cambridge, had been watching the Fongoli community of savanna-dwelling chimpanzees in southeastern Senegal.
The chimps apparently had to invent new ways to gather food because they live in an unusual area for their species, the researchers report online in the journal Current Biology.
"This is just an innovative way of having to make up for a pretty harsh environment," Pruetz says.
The chimps must come down from trees to gather food and rest in dry caves during the hot season.
"It is similar to what we say about early hominids that lived maybe 6 million years ago and were basically the precursors to humans."
Chimpanzees are genetically the closest living relatives to human beings, sharing more than 98% of our DNA. Scientists believe the precursors to chimps and humans split off from a common ancestor about 7 million years ago.
Chimps are known to use tools to crack open nuts and fish for termites. Some birds use tools, as do other animals such as gorillas, orangutans and even naked mole rats.
But the sophisticated use of a tool to hunt with has never been seen.
Pruetz thinks it was a fluke when Bertolani saw the adolescent female hunt and kill the bushbaby.
But then she saw almost the same thing. "I saw the behaviour over the course of 19 days almost daily," she says.
Planning and foresight
The chimps choose a branch, strip it of leaves and twigs, trim it down to a stable size and then chew the ends to a point. Then they use it to stab into holes where bushbabies might be sleeping.
It is not a highly successful method of hunting. They only ever saw one chimpanzee succeed in getting a bushbaby once. The apes mostly eat fruit, bark and legumes.
Part of the problem is this group of chimps is shy of humans, and the females, who seem to do most of this type of hunting, are especially wary.
"I am willing to bet the females do it even more than we have seen," she says.
Pruetz notes that male chimps never use the spears. She believes the males use their greater strength and size to grab food and kill prey more easily, so the females must come up with other methods.
"That to me was just as intriguing if not even more so," Pruetz says.
The spear-hunting occurred when the group was foraging together, again unchimplike behaviour that might produce more competition between males and females, she says.
Maybe females invented weapons for hunting, Pruetz says.
"The observation that individuals hunting with tools include females and immature chimpanzees suggests that we should rethink traditional explanations for the evolution of such behaviour in our own lineage," she concludes.
"The multiple steps taken by Fongoli chimpanzees in making tools to dispatch mammalian prey involve the kind of foresight and intellectual complexity that most likely typified early human relatives."
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What are 'Economic Conditions'
Economic conditions refer to the state of the economy in a country or region. They change over time in line with the economic and business cycles, as an economy goes through expansion and contraction. Economic conditions are considered to be sound or positive when an economy is expanding and are considered to be adverse or negative when an economy is contracting.
!--break--A country's economic conditions are influenced by numerous macroeconomic and microeconomic factors, including monetary and fiscal policy, the state of the global economy, unemployment levels, productivity, exchange rates, inflation and many others.
How Economic Conditions Are Measured
Economic data is released on a regular basis, generally weekly or monthly and sometimes quarterly. Some economic indicators like the unemployment rate and GDP growth rate are watched closely by market participants, as they help to make an assessment of economic conditions and potential changes in them. There is a plethora of economic indicators, which can be used to define the state of the economy or economic conditions. Some of these are the unemployment rate, levels of current account and budget surpluses or deficits, GDP growth rates and inflation rates.
Generally speaking, economic indicators can be categorized as leading, coincident or lagging. That is, they describe likely future economic conditions, current economic conditions or conditions of the recent past. Economists are typically most interested in leading indicators as a way to understand what economic conditions will be like in the next three to six months. For example, indicators like new orders for manufactured goods and new housing permits indicate the pace of future economic activity as it relates to the rate of manufacturing output and housing construction.
Why Economic Conditions Matter for Investors and Businesses
Indicators of economic conditions provide important insights to investors and businesses. Investors use indicators of economic conditions to adjust their views on economic growth and profitability. An improvement in economic conditions would lead investors to be more optimistic about the future and potentially invest more as they expect positive returns. The opposite could be true if economic conditions worsen. Similarly, businesses monitor economic conditions to gain insight into their own sales growth and profitability. For example, a fairly typical way of forecasting growth would be to use the previous year's trend as a baseline and augment it with the latest economic data and projections that are most relevant to their products and services. For example, a construction company would look at economic conditions in the housing sector to understand whether momentum is improving or slowing and adjust its business strategy accordingly.
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Last Updated on October 26, 2018, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 1149
Don Juan (JEW-awn), the young son of Donna Inez and Don Jose, a hidalgo of Seville. He is a handsome, mischief-making boy whose education, after his father’s death, is carefully supervised by his mother, who insists that he read only classics expurgated in the text but with all the obscenities collected in an appendix. He is allowed to associate only with old or ugly women. At the age of sixteen, he learns the art of love from Donna Julia, a young matron. The ensuing scandal causes Donna Inez to send her son to Cadiz, and from there to take ship for a trip abroad. The vessel on which he is a passenger sinks after a storm. He experiences a romantic interlude with the daughter of a Greek pirate and slave trader. He is sold to the Turks and takes part in the siege of Ismail, a Turkish fort on the Danube River. He becomes the favorite of Empress Catherine of Russia, and he is sent on a diplomatic mission to England, where he becomes a critical observer of English society.
Donna Inez (I-nehz), Don Juan’s mother, a domineering and short-sighted woman who first tries to protect her son from the facts of life but later rejoices in his good fortune and advancement when he becomes the favorite of Empress Catherine of Russia.
Don Jose (hoh-SEH), Don Juan’s father, a gallant man often unfaithful to his wife, with whom he quarrels constantly. He dies while his son is still a small boy.
Donna Julia, Don Juan’s first love, a woman of twenty-three married to the fifty-year-old Don Alfonso. She is forced to enter a convent after her irate husband discovers his wife and her young lover in her bedchamber. In a long letter, written on the eve of Don Juan’s departure from Spain, she professes her undying love for him.
Don Alfonso, the cuckold husband who discovers Don Juan hiding in a closet in his wife’s bedroom.
Haidée (HI-dee), the second love of Don Juan. A tall, lovely child of nature and passion, she finds him unconscious on the seashore following the sinking of the ship on which he had sailed from Spain. Filled with love and sympathy, she hides and protects him. This idyllic island romance ends when Lambro, her pirate father, returns from one of his expeditions and finds the two sleeping together after a great feast that Lambro has watched from a distance. Don Juan, wounded in a scuffle with Lambro’s men, is bound and put aboard one of the pirate’s ships. Shortly afterward, Haidée dies, lamenting her vanished lover, and his child dies with her.
Lambro (LAM-broh), Haidée’s father, “the mildest-manner’d man that ever scuttled ship or cut a throat.” Returning from one of his piratical expeditions, he surprises the young lovers and sends Don Juan, wounded in a fight with Lambro’s men, away on a slave ship. Later, he regrets his hasty action when he watches his only child die of illness and grief.
Gulbeyaz (GEWL-beh-yaz), the sultana of Turkey. Having seen Don Juan in the slave market where he is offered for sale, along with an Italian opera troupe sold into captivity by their disgusted impresario, she orders one of the palace eunuchs to buy the young man. She has him taken to the palace and dressed in women’s clothes. Even though she brings her strongest weapon, her tears, to bear, she is unable to make Don Juan her lover.
The sultan of Turkey
The sultan of Turkey, the father of fifty daughters and four dozen sons. Seeing the disguised Don Juan in his wife’s apartments, he orders the supposed female slave to be taken to the palace harem.
Baba, the African eunuch who buys Don Juan at the sultana’s command. He later flees with Don Juan and John Johnson from Constantinople.
Dudu, three girls in the sultan’s harem. Dudu, lovely and languishing, has the disguised Don Juan for her bed fellow. Late in the night, she awakes screaming after a dream in which she reached for a golden apple and was stung by a bee. The next morning, jealous Gulbeyaz orders Dudu and Don Juan executed, but they escape in the company of Johnson and Baba.
John Johnson, a worldly Englishman fighting with the Russians in the war against the Turks. Captured, he is bought in the slave market along with Don Juan. The two escape and make their way to the Turkish lines before Ismail. Johnson is recognized by General Suwarrow, who welcomes him and Don Juan as allies in the attack on Ismail.
Leila, a ten-year-old Muslim girl whose life Don Juan saves during the capture of Ismail. He becomes her protector.
General Suwarrow, the leader of the Russian forces at the siege and taking of Ismail.
Catherine, the empress of Russia, to whose court Don Juan is sent with news of the Turkish victory at Ismail. Voluptuous and rapacious in love, she receives the young man with great favor and he becomes her favorite. After he becomes ill, she reluctantly decides to send him on a diplomatic mission to England.
Lord Henry Amundeville
Lord Henry Amundeville, an English politician and the owner of Norman Abbey. Don Juan meets the nobleman in London, and the two become friends.
Lady Adeline Amundeville
Lady Adeline Amundeville, his wife, who also becomes Don Juan’s friend and mentor. She advises him to marry because she is afraid that he will become seriously involved with the notorious duchess of Fitz-Fulke. During a house party at Norman Abbey, she sings a song telling of the Black Friar, a ghost often seen wandering the halls of the abbey.
The duchess of Fitz-Fulke
The duchess of Fitz-Fulke, a woman of fashion notorious for her amorous intrigues. She pursues Don Juan after his arrival in England and finally, disguised as the ghostly Black Friar of Norman Abbey, succeeds in making him her lover.
Miss Aurora Raby
Miss Aurora Raby, a young Englishwoman with whom Don Juan contemplates matrimony. She seems completely unimpressed by his attentions, and he is piqued by her lack of interest.
Pedrillo (peh-DRIHL-oh), Don Juan’s tutor. When the ship on which he and his master sail from Cadiz sinks after a storm, they are among those set adrift in a longboat. When the food runs out, the unlucky pedagogue is eaten by his famished companions. Although Don Juan considers the man an ass, he is unable to eat the hapless fellow.
Zoe (ZOH-ee), Haidée’s maid.
Lady Pinchbeck, a woman of fashion who, after Don Juan’s arrival in London, takes Leila under her protection.
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Accountability is key in bringing an end to violence against women
We live in challenging times. The world is confronted by a threat of genocide in the form of the brutal ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Myanmar on the one hand and the threat of a nuclear war spearheaded by two crazy men – Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump – on the other. Meanwhile, violence against women remains rife in India, South Africa and in many other countries of the world.
The kind of behaviour referred to above is largely influenced by dangerous norms embedded in patriarchy. These norms produce toxic masculinities which fuel and in many instances celebrate violent behaviour. These harmful attitudes play themselves out in homes in the form of what we have (strangely) come to call “intimate partner violence”. They are also seen in situations of open conflict in civil strife where the powerful abuse those they consider weak.
Any attempt to turn the tide against wanton violence requires careful plans that are focused not only on reacting to the scourge but, more important, focus must include prevention strategies.
Gender-based violence is a human rights violation, a public health challenge and a barrier to civic, social, political and economic participation. Gender-based violence cuts across ethnicity, race, class, religion, education level and international borders. An estimated one in three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Gender-based violence does not only affect women and girls, but increasingly affects men and boys as well, especially when it occurs in the context of conflict, and in communities and societies where boys and men are increasingly becoming violent towards one another. Although statistics on the prevalence of violence vary, the scale is tremendous, the scope is vast, and the consequences for individuals, families, communities and countries are devastating.
According to a 2013 WHO report on violence against women, about 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetimes. The reports indicate that 45.6% of women 15 years and older in Africa have experienced intimate partner violence (physical and/or sexual) or non-partner sexual violence or both, the highest prevalence in the world. In South Africa, official police statistics show that during the period April-December 2016, there were 109 rapes reported each day in South Africa, which does not take into account the number of unreported cases that happen daily.
Studies indicate that very few women report rape to the police – depending on which study, either only one in nine or as few as one in 25. Other studies provide a sense of the extent of men’s violence against women; a 2009 study by South Africa’s Medical Research Council indicated that 45% of men reported physically assault an intimate partner and 27% self-reported that they had raped a woman in their lifetime. A more recent and widely reported 2016 Sonke-Wits study in Diepsloot, the informal settlement outside of Johannesburg, revealed that 56% of men reported using violence against a woman in the last 12 months.
Although significant progress has been made to respond to violence, in particular violence against women, much needs to be done to prevent violence from occurring in the first place. In spite of the developments in violence prevention theory, in practice policies and programmes tend to focus solely on women and girls. As a result, the dynamics of power and privilege as well as how gender plays out in the lives of men and boys are neglected. This comes at a cost to women and girls, and men and boys.
So, where to from here?
We need evidence, action and accountability. First we need evidence on the state of violence, its effects on communities and impact on the health outcomes. Evidence is important in informing programming. It is crucial that plans are premised on actual evidence on the root causes of the problem. Many practitioners within the sector are involved in various forms of research on the subject of violence. It is vital that the outcomes of these studies are put to good use. Additionally, we know that there are numerous research projects on the subject. It is crucial that outcomes of these studies don’t simply end up in libraries for use by academics but that they are available to practitioners to inform real-time interventions.
Second, the challenge of violence requires more than just understanding and analysis of the facts. Action is required in order to make a difference. Violence will not stop by itself. Concerted efforts in prevention will be required to turn things around. This requires leadership to ensure that appropriate policies are put in place to encourage the elimination of violence in communities.
But as we know, policies do not implement themselves, people do. Action is required mainly by duty bearers to ensure that developed policies are implemented. However, current evidence in relation to violence in many communities shows poor implementation of agreed policies by governments at national level, even though many of these countries have signed on to international protocols that speak to these issues.
This leads to the third point, accountability. Many of our governments have a poor record of implementation of policies that they have developed. It is for this reason that we require continuous engagement by civil society to hold duty bearers accountable to their commitments. This requires vigilance and focus.
It is for this reason that Sonke Gender Justice in partnership with UNWomen and several other civil society partners are convening the Five Days of Violence Prevention Conference from today until 6 October in Johannesburg. Researchers, activists, policy-makers, donors and programmers from civil society organisations, UN agencies, government ministries, faith-based organisations, academic institutions and multilateral organisations from around the world will convene to discuss emerging issues in the violence field and strengthen the development of prevention strategies that can be adapted to regional and national contexts. The conference, which is part of the many interventions by the MenEngage Alliance, seeks to strengthen the accountability aspect of violence prevention at all levels.
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pointerdown | onpointerdown event
Dispatched when a pointer enters the state of having a non-zero value for the buttons property.
Note As of Internet Explorer 11, the Microsoft vendor prefixed version of this event (MSPointerDown) is no longer supported and may be removed in a future release. Instead, use the non-prefixed lowercase name, pointerdown, which is better for standards compliance and future compatibility.
|HTML Attribute||<element onpointerdown = "handler(event)">|
|addEventListener Method||object.addEventListener("pointerdown", handler, useCapture)|
Event handler parameters
- handler [in]
Function to execute when the event is dispatched
- Pointer Events, Section 5.2.2
For mouse, this is when the device has at least one button depressed. For touch, this is when there is physical contact with the digitizer. For pen, this is when the pen has physical contact with the digitizer. For input devices that do not support hover, thepointerover event is fired immediately before the pointerdown event.
Pointer Events do not fire overlapping pointerdown and pointerup events when an additional button is depressed while another button on the pointer device is already depressed. For detecting these cases, see Chorded Button Interactions in the W3C Pointer Events specification.
Build date: 11/17/2013
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The effect of shearing ewes at mid-gestation on reproduction and performance : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at Massey University
This study tested the hypothesis that shearing ewes in mid-gestation causes an increase in lamb birth weight. Growth rates of lambs were calculated to test for any additional trade-off between investment at gestation limiting investment at lactation. Liveweights and growth rates of lambs were analysed for a difference between the sexes with the expectation that sheep may put extra investment into male lambs, compared to female lambs. Experiments were conducted with mixed-sex twin pairs to determine if the male lamb was able to receive more milk than the female lamb. Sixty ewes were selected after synchronised mating and pregnancy diagnosis: 30 were twin-bearing and 30 were single-bearing. Half of each group (twin- and single-bearing) were shorn at mid-gestation (approximately 77 days before lambing) and observations of their behaviour and estimations of their food intake were made. Shorn ewes adjusted rapidly to shearing, exhibiting no apparent difference in behaviour one week after shearing. Shearing led to an increase in ewe weight and lamb birth weight. Rearing twins was costly for the twin-bearing ewes: they were lighter, had lower condition scores and less wool growth than ewes with singletons during late-gestation and lactation. Twin lambs were born lighter and grew slower than single lambs. There was no evidence of sex-biased investment in this study. A slight trade-off between gestation and lactation was apparent for shorn, single-bearing ewes. There was no difference between twin lambs born to shorn or full fleece dams. Shearing ewes at mid-gestation appears to be a useful tool for increasing the birth weight of lambs which could lead to an increase in survival of newborn lambs.
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The species has long been considered polytypic and has been divided into three subspecies: M. a. austroriparius, M. a. gatesi, and M. a. mumfordi. There has been research done however to show that this species should be considered monotypic. (La Val, 1970; Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)
Total length of these bats ranges from 77 to 89 mm for males, and 80 to 97 mm for females. Forearms are between 33 and 40 mm, with males averaging slightly smaller forearms than females giving the species an average wingspread is about 238 to 270 mm. The tail is between 26 and 44 mm. Males of this species weigh between 5.1 and 6.8 g. Females weigh between 5.2 and 8.1 g. (Mauk-Cunningham and Jones, 1999)
The southeastern bat is distinguished from other myotis bats by its unusually long toe-hairs, which extend past the ends of its claws. It has a large hind foot (10 to 12 mm long). Its calcar is not keeled and its tragus is short and blunt. It has a bare, pinkish nose. It has a low sagittal crest that can be felt through the skin. (La Val, 1970; Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)
The tooth formula in this species is: 2/3 1/1 3/3 3/3 = 38 (La Val, 1970)
As in most Myotis species, the mating system of this bat is poorly documented.
In Florida, mating is from mid-February to mid-April. Nursery colonies begin to form in mid-March. Myotis austroriparious is the only species of Myotis known to give birth to twin young. Ninety percent of females in this species produce twins (one from each uterus). Delayed fertilization does not occur in southeastern bats in Florida. There is not much known about the reproduction of the northern populations of the southeastern bat. Only a couple small maternity colonies have been found, such as one in a tree cavity in Illinois. (Sherman, 1930; Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)colonies are usually between 2,000 and 90,000 individuals. These colonies tend to roost in caves that contain water. In late April to mid-May the altricial young are born.
During birth, the mother forms a receptacle to catch the young. The placenta does not appear until several hours after birth, the mother pulls it out with her teeth, and proceeds to devour it. Partuition occurs generally during the day. (Sherman, 1930; Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)
The young are born naked, with their eyes and ears closed, and weigh slightly more than 1 gram each. Baby bats are large enough to fly in 5 or 6 weeks. They grow rapidly and sexual maturity is reached in both sexes before the bats are a year old. (Sherman, 1930; Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)
The lifespan in the wild may be no more than 4 to 8 years for most individuals, but there are records of banded individuals more than 21 years old and captives are known to have lived more than 20 years. (Nowak, 1999)
The size of the home range in this species has not been reported.
As do all Vespertilionids, or mouse-eared bats, (Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)has a well-developed sense of oral echolocation. They have plain noses and their earlobes form a tragus which is used for foraging. However, this echolocation is probably not used much in communication with conspecifics.
In communicating with conspecifics, it is likely that these bats are much like other members of the genus. They probably use audible vocal signals, as well as some tactile communication. Visual communication is probably not very important for this species. (Nowak, 1999)
The most common predators of southeastern bats appear to be rat snakes and corn snakes, which are common in caves. Other enemies also include climbing mammals, such as opossums, and some species of owls. Large cockroaches can prey on newborns that fall to the ground. Some ectoparasites such as the streblid fly (Trichobius major), the nycteribiid fly (Basilia boardmani) and chiggers (Euschoengastia pipistrelli) have been found on . (Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)
Similar to other insectivorous animals, southeastern bats play an important ecosystem role in controlling insect populations. (Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)
Just like other insectivores, this bat is highly beneficial to humans because they feed on a variety of nocturnal insects such as mosquitoes. (Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)
Like other members of the genus, (Whitaker and Hamilton, 1998)can come into conflict with humans by occupying buildings. It is also a common concern that bats can spread rabies, but incidence of rabies in bats is quite low. There is currently no evidence of being involved in the transmission of any particular case of rabies, so human concerns about this species as a vector of the disease are more theorhetical than pratical.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently list southeastern bats as a Species of Concern. The population of these animals has declined across much of its range for several reasons. Alteration of their critical cave habitat is the most likely cause. The closing off of their entrances, flooding by dams, vandalism and campfires, has altered caves. Clear cutting of forest surrounding the caves is also known to affect southeastern bats. Hibernating bats can be awakened by excessive human visitation, causing the bats to use important fat reserves. If maternal colonies are disturbed, female bats may abandon young. Populations of up to 250,000 individuals have been documented in caves in northern Florida and the species appears to be rare in the rest of its range. This apparent rarity could be an artifact of lack of knowledge about the species and its locations. Enforcement of cave protection is often difficult and impractical but Florida's maternity caves urgently need protection. (Gore and Hovis, 1992)
Temperate North American bats are now threatened by a fungal disease called “white-nose syndrome.” This disease has devastated eastern North American bat populations at hibernation sites since 2007. The fungus, Geomyces destructans, grows best in cold, humid conditions that are typical of many bat hibernacula. The fungus grows on, and in some cases invades, the bodies of hibernating bats and seems to result in disturbance from hibernation, causing a debilitating loss of important metabolic resources and mass deaths. Mortality rates at some hibernation sites have been as high as 90%. While there are currently no reports of mortalities as a result of white-nose syndrome, the disease continues to expand its range in North America. (Cryan, 2010)
Nancy Shefferly (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Sarah Gomoll (author), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Chris Yahnke (editor, instructor), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
uses sound to communicate
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
an animal that mainly eats meat
either directly causes, or indirectly transmits, a disease to a domestic animal
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
used loosely to describe any group of organisms living together or in close proximity to each other - for example nesting shorebirds that live in large colonies. More specifically refers to a group of organisms in which members act as specialized subunits (a continuous, modular society) - as in clonal organisms.
The process by which an animal locates itself with respect to other animals and objects by emitting sound waves and sensing the pattern of the reflected sound waves.
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
union of egg and spermatozoan
the state that some animals enter during winter in which normal physiological processes are significantly reduced, thus lowering the animal's energy requirements. The act or condition of passing winter in a torpid or resting state, typically involving the abandonment of homoiothermy in mammals.
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
makes seasonal movements between breeding and wintering grounds
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
active during the night
breeding is confined to a particular season
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
uses touch to communicate
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
uses sound above the range of human hearing for either navigation or communication or both
uses sight to communicate
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
Cryan, P. 2010. "White-nose syndrome threatens the survival of hibernating bats in North America" (On-line). U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center. Accessed September 16, 2010 at http://www.fort.usgs.gov/WNS/.
Gore, J., J. Hovis. 1992. The Southeastern Bat: Another Cave-roosting Species in Peril. Bats, Summer: 10-12.
Hermanson, J., K. Wilkins. 1986. Pre-weaning mortality in a Florida maternity roost of Tadarida brasiliensis . Journal of Mammalogy, 67: 751-754.and
La Val, R. 1970. Infraspecific relationships of bats of the species Journal of Mammalogy, 51: 542-552..
Mauk-Cunningham, C., C. Jones. 1999. Southeastern myotis (The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Washington, D.C. and London: The Smithsonian Insitution Press.). Pp. 83-85 in D Wilson, S Ruff, eds.
National Park Service, Wildlife Health Center, 2010. "White-nose syndrome" (On-line). National Park Service, Wildlife Health. Accessed September 16, 2010 at http://www.nature.nps.gov/biology/wildlifehealth/White_Nose_Syndrome.cfm.
Nowak, R. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Sherman, H. 1930. Birth of the young of Journal of Mammalogy, 11: 495-503..
Whitaker, J., W. Hamilton. 1998. Mammals of the Eastern United States. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.
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Advantages of Object Oriented Programming
As discussed in my previous post, Object Oriented Programming enables you to reuse various components of a program across programs. Reusability of codes not only saves time but also the effort of the programming team.
Some of the advantages of Object Oriented Programming include:
- Real world programming
- Reusability of codes
- Modularity of codes
- Information hiding
Let’s try and discuss each of these advantages in details.
- Real World Programming.
Consider the scenario to setup a business establishment with a basic structure. Over a period of time, you keep adding the various object required to extend the entire establishment. Similarly in OOP, you create a basic structure of a program and keep extending the functionality of the program as per the requirements. OOP approach models the real world more accurately than the conventional approach.
- Reusability of Codes
In OOP approach, you build classes that can be used by several applications. For example you are asked to develop two applications namely Hotel Management System and Hospital Management System. One of the modules in the Hotel Management System includes the Login and Authentication Process, because of the reusability capability of OOP, that same Login and Authentication module of the Hotel Management System can also be reused in the Hospital Management System as both applications require users to login before using the application. The reusability capability of OOP not only reduces the effort of recreating the components but also reduces the chances of introduction of errors in the various modules.
The benefit of reusability translates to saving time and effort, which in turn results in cost effectiveness.
- Modularity of Code
Another advantage of Object Oriented Programming is its Modularity. It means an object can be maintained independently of other objects. All these objects are independent of each other and are maintained separately. You can make modifications in the required object without affecting the functionality of other objects.
- information Hiding
Object provides the benefit of information hiding. Only a limited access to information is provided to the user. Information hiding ensures data security in a program. For example, when you log in to an e-mail application on the Internet, you can only access the login screen to provide the login ID and password. However, how the application authenticates your login ID and provides the access is completely hidden from you.
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200,000 yr old flaked flint hints at existence of Paleolithic man in IrelandJuly 28th, 2008 - 12:39 pm ICT by ANI
London, July 28 (ANI): A flaked flint dating to about 200,000 years ago, found in Co Down in Ireland, hints at existence of Paleolithic man in the country.
According to a report in The Times, the discovery was at Ballycullen, ten miles east of Belfast in Ireland.
The flake is 68mm long and wide and 31mm thick, and though it seems like that it is certainly of human workmanship, its ultimate origin remains uncertain.
Its originally dark surface is heavily patinated to a yellowish shade, and the lack of sharpness in its edges suggests that it has been rolled around by water or ice, Jon Stirland reports in Archaeology Ireland.
Dr Farina Sternke from the University of Glasgow, has identified it as a classic Levallois-type flake from the rejuvenation of a flint core.
Such flakes are characteristic of stone-tool industries made by archaic humans of the pre-Neanderthal era, as technology moved towards making multiple flakes from one core and then trimming them into a variety of different tool types.
The date assigned of between 240,000 and 180,000 years to this new find, matches a similar flake discovered by the late Professor Frank Mitchell near Drogheda, Co Louth, 40 years ago, which has until now been the only uncontested Palaeolithic tool from Ireland.
The problem, as with the Drogheda flake, lies in the context: the Ballycullen specimen was shown to have come from a drumlin mound, deposited by glacial activity.
The last such activity in Co Down was about 16,000 years ago, and the ice sheet had spread west from Scotland.
Other materials in the drumlin led Dr Ian Mitchell, of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, to suggest that the flake could have been transported a significant distance, from eastern Antrim, from the sea bed in the North Channel, or even from the West Coast of Scotland. (ANI)
Tags: archaeology ireland, dark surface, dr ian, drogheda, drumlin, farina, flake, frank mitchell, glacial activity, levallois, northern ireland, professor frank, rejuvenation, sea bed, sharpness, stone tool, tool industries, tool types, university of glasgow, yellowish shade
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Lightning Protection Installation
A Lightning Protection System is comprised of several components: Air Terminals (Lightning Rods), Roof Conductors, Downlead Conductors, Ground Electrodes (Ground Rod, Ground Plate, Etc.) and Surge Suppression.
There are rules in the standards for each of these components. Air Terminals must be spaced a particular distance apart based on total length of the ridge or parapet wall. They must be a certain distance above what they are protecting and a certain distance from outside corners. They must be spaced so that no portion of the structure is outside of a zone of protection. Roof conductors must be sized according to the Class (I or II) of the structure and must be fastened 3'-0" on center maximum. Roof conductors may be installed either exposed on the roof or concealed below the roof. Downlead conductors may be installed concealed within wall construction, within conduit, or exposed. Exposed downlead conductors located at driveways or anywhere that it could become damaged must be protected up to 6'-0" above grade. Ground Electrodes must be installed minimum 2'-0" out from the foundation wall.
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Tonkean macaque (Macaca tonkeana)
|Also known as:||Tonkean black macaque|
|Synonyms:||Macaca hypomelanus, Macaca togeanus, Macaca tonsus|
|French:||Macaque De Tonkea|
|Spanish:||Macaca De Tonkean|
|Size||Average male weight: 14.9 kg (2)|
Average female weight: 9 kg (2)
Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).
Of all the non-human primate groups, none is more widely distributed than the macaques, a genus of heavy-built, old-world monkeys (4). The Indonesia island of Sulawesi is home to several closely related macaque species, one of which is the Tonkean macaque (1) (2) (4). In common with the other Sulawesi macaques, the Tonkean macaque has strong limbs, a moderately long snout, and a short, inconspicuous tail (2) (5) (6). The pelage of this species is predominately black, with areas of lighter brown on the cheeks and rump (2). On the edges of its range, the Tonkean macaque is known to hybridise with several other Sulawesi macaques, including the booted macaque (Macaca ochreata), the Celebes macaque (M. maura) and Heck’s macaque (M. hecki) (1).
The Tonkean macaque is found throughout central Sulawesi and the nearby Togian Islands, Indonesia (1) (2) (4).
Inhabits rainforest, from sea level up to 2,000 metres (1).
Except for a handful of recent studies, there has been very little research focusing on the ecology of the Tonkean macaque (1) (4) (7). As a result, there is scant information on this species’ group behaviour, but troops of 10 to 30 individuals, comprising multiple sexually mature adults of both sexes, have been documented (7). Although the Sulawesi macaques are generally considered to be semi-terrestrial (5), the Tonkean macaque appears to spend most of its time moving around in the tree canopy (7). Active during the day, it feeds primarily on fruit, but will also consume leaves, flower-stalks, insects and other invertebrates. In the vicinity of farmland, this species is also known to raid crop plantations for maize, fruit and vegetables, bringing it into direct conflict with human activities (1) (7).
Despite still being common in areas of suitable habitat, the continuous conversion of rainforest into agricultural land, especially for oil palm and cocoa plantations, is having a notable negative impact on the overall population of the Tonkean macaque (1). Furthermore, as the amount of natural habitat diminishes, the Tonkean macaque has become increasingly dependent on crops for survival, resulting in conflict with local farmers, who treat this species as an agricultural pest (1) (7). Other threats include hunting for food and the trapping of wild macaques to keep as pets (1).
In addition to being listed on CITES Appendix II, which prohibits trade in this species without a permit, the Tonkean macaque occurs within several protected areas across it range (1) (3). In order to tackle wildlife crime in Sulawesi, a Wildlife Crimes Unit was established in 2001 by the Indonesian Department of Forestry and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The unit has been highly effective at reducing trade in some protected mammals and is working with local communities to strengthen conservation awareness (8) (9).
For further information on conservation in Sulawesi, visit:
Wildlife Conservation Society:
IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group:
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
- Invertebrates: animals with no backbone.
- Pelage: the coat of a mammal, composed of fur, hair or wool, covering the bare skin.
IUCN Red List (November, 2009)
- Macdonald, D.W. (2006) The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
CITES (November, 2009)
- Riley, E.P. (2008) Ranging Patterns and Habitat Use of Sulawesi Tonkean Macaques (Macaca tonkeana) in a Human-Modified Habitat. American Journal of Primatology, 70: 670-679.
- Priston, N.E.C. (2005) Crop-Raiding by Macaca ochreata brunnescens in Sulawesi: Reality, Perceptions and Outcomes for Conservation, PhD thesis. University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
- Bynum, E. L., Bynum, D.Z. and Supriatna, J. (1997) Confirmation and location of the hybrid zone between wild populations of Macaca tonkeana and Macaca hecki in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. American Journal of Primatology, 43: 181-209.
- Pombo, A., Waltert, M., Mansjoer, S.S., Mardiastuti, A. and Muhlenberg, M. (2005) Home range, diet and behaviour of the Tonkean macaque (Macaca tonkeana) in Lore Lindu National Park, Sulawesi. In: Gerold, G., Fremerey, M. and Guhardja, E. (Eds) Land Use, Nature Conservation and the Stability of Rainforest Margins in Southeast Asia. Springer, Berlin.
- Lee, R.J., Gorog, A.J., Dwiyahreni, A., Siwu, S., Riley, J., Alexander, H., Paoli, G.D. and Ramono, W. (2005) Wildlife trade and implications for law enforcement in Indonesia: A case study from North Sulawesi. Biological Conservation, 123: 477-488.
Wildlife Conservation Society (November, 2009)
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