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1.5  Dialects and languages

1.5 Dialects and languages

Idiolects and dialects

Two Americans are talking about a couple they have just met.

  • She sounded English to me, but he doesn't seem to have any accent at all.

Two English people are talking about the same couple.

  • He sounded American to me, but she doesn't seem to have any accent at all.

What's going on here? Who has the accent?

What I know about my language and how to use it is called my idiolect.wikipedia It almost certainly varies in minor ways from the idiolects of all other speakers. But what is an idiolect? That is, what kinds of things do I know? In one sense, this whole book is an answer to that question, but we need to have a first cut at the answer here to help us get started.

  • I know words. I have a vocabulary, a set of words which I know how to pronounce and use appropriately. For example, I know how to say the word apple, I know that it refers to a particular type of fruit, I come up with this word when I want to refer to a particular apple, and I understand it when I hear it.
  • I know how to pronounce words and combinations of words more generally. That is, there are aspects of pronunciation that go beyond individual words. For example, I know to pronounce the ending that we spell -ed like /t/ in words like picked and watched but to pronounce it like /d/ in words like signed and burned.
  • I know how to put words together into sentences in meaningful ways. For example, I know that if I want to ask when a particular train leaves I can say when does the train leave?, but not when leaves the train?.
  • I know how to use language appropriately to achieve my goals. I know that if I want a friend to lend me $100, it is better to say I was wondering if you could lend me some money than to say give me $100.

I'll be much more careful later on about how each of these types of knowledge is described, but for now I'll say (informally) that my idiolect involves knowledge about vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and usage.

Of course no one is really interested in describing idiolects. Linguists and other language scientists study the speech of communities of people, not of individuals. More specifically, they study the knowledge of vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and usage that is shared by the members of a speech community. Because the members of the community agree on this knowledge, because it differs (at least in some ways) from the knowledge shared by other communities, and because it is mostly arbitrary, I will refer to the knowledge as linguistic conventions.wikipedia

But what is a speech community? I will use this term to refer to any group of people that shares a set of linguistic conventions differing in some noticeable way from the conventions found elsewhere. You may know that in the United States people in some cities have some characteristic features in their pronunciation, although they are easily understood by people elsewhere in the United States. For example, people native to Pittsburgh are known for using you uns (or yinz) to mean 'you plural'. Here's an example from the (partly tongue-in-cheek) "Pittsburghese" website: if yinz wants served, raise your hands. The number of conventions that distinguish Pittsburghers from other English speakers in the northeastern United States is actually pretty small, but because there is such a set of conventions, we can consider these people to be a speech community. The speech patterns, that is, conventions of vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and usage, of a speech community are called a dialect,wikipedia so we can speak of a "Pittsburgh dialect".wikipedia

Note that a dialect may not be defined entirely on the basis of its physical location. Cities often contain a variety of ethnic and social groups with different speech patterns. For example, the African-American population of many US cities (for example, Pittsburgh) often has a quite different dialect from the Euro-American population of the same cities.

Which dialect do you speak? There may be a number of possible answers.

What about larger communities? Pittsburghers share some speech conventions with speakers in other cities of the northeast and north midwest, for example, their pronunciation of the a in a word like hands, as in the example above (more on this pronunciation later on). And people in that larger region share some conventions with people in an even larger region encompassing speakers in most of the northern and western United States, for example, their pronunciation of the long English vowels (bite, beat, bait, boat, etc.). And people in that even larger region share many conventions with English speakers all over North America, including most of their grammar and usage conventions, as well as a number of pronunciation conventions, for example, the tendency to pronounce the words latter and ladder in roughly the same way.

This idea of larger and larger communities, each sharing fewer and fewer conventions, is an over-simplification in one sense. The fact is that the boundaries of the communities overlap in many ways. If we look at particular vocabulary, we may find a region with one boundary, whereas if we look at other vocabulary or at some pronunciation convention, we may find another boundary. For example, Pittsburghers tend to say pop (as opposed to soda or some other word) for carbonated drinks, and they share this convention with many speakers in the northern midwestern cities who also share their pronunciation of the vowel in hands, but not with speakers to the east of them, in New York City, for example, who share the pronunciation but not the word. (New Yorkers tend to say soda rather than pop.) Thus where we draw the boundaries around a dialect depends on which convention or set of conventions we're looking at. For more about soda vs. pop, see this interesting website.

Another way what I've said so far is an over-simplification is that there is great variation within any of these regions. Some of this variation has to do with the constant contact between dialects that is a fact of life in most communities. Some of the variation also has to do with the fact that people often know a range of ways to say things and they may sometimes avoid their local dialect in favor of a standard (see below) in certain situations.

Each of these shared sets of conventions, whether at the level of a small village, a subculture within a city, or a larger region, is a dialect. And a linguist can be interested in describing any level and any aspect of the dialect at any level (pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, usage). The pronunciation associated with a dialect is called an accent.wikipedia

What is a language? How would you tell someone (say, an alien with no knowledge of human culture) what English is, without using the word language?

We can of course extend the boundaries in our example even further, beyond North America to include England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, a number of Caribbean countries, and communities within many other countries. This large speech "community" is not really a community in the usual sense of the word, but it does share many conventions. For example, in all of these places, speakers make a question from a sentence like he ate potatoes by inserting the word did and changing the form of the verb ate: did he eat potatoes?, and of course speakers in all of these places share the word potato for referring to a class of tuberous vegetables. The conventions of this large "community" are what we refer to as "English", which we consider a language.wikipedia Thus in one sense a language is a set of dialects. In another sense it is (like a dialect) a set of conventions shared by a speech community.

Two dialects of one language or two separate languages?

But how do we decide when a collection of dialects is a language and not just another, more general dialect? As we've already seen, a dialect can also be a set of dialects (the North American English dialect consists of Southern dialect, New England dialect, Canadian dialect, etc.). What makes English a language and not just another very general dialect? What makes Canadian English a dialect of English and not a language in its own right?

The answer to this question is complicated. In fact there is no clear answer because the words dialect and language are used in different ways for different purposes. There are two completely different kinds of criteria related to the distinction between dialect and language, linguistic criteria and social or political criteria.

Linguistic criteria

Given two overlapping sets of linguistic conventions associated with two different speech communities, for example, Mexican Spanish and Argentine Spanish, how do we decide whether they should count as two dialects or two separate languages? One criterion is the degree of overlap: how similar are the vocabulary, the pronunciation, the grammar, and the usage? Unfortunately there's no simple wat to measure this overlap, at least no way that researchers would agree on. One way to have a sense of the overlap, though, is mutual intelligibility, the extent to which speakers from the two or more speech communities can understand each other. Mutual intelligibility is also not easy to measure, and it is often based on the impressions of speakers and hearers, how much they understand when they encounter members of the other group or how long it takes them to get accustomed to the speech of the other group. We also need to establish some sort of intelligibility threshold; no two speakers can be expected to understand each other all of the time. So none of this is precise at all. The idea is simply that if two sets of linguistic conventions are similar enough so that their speakers can usually understand each other, then the two sets of conventions should count as dialects of the same language rather than separate languages. On these grounds, we call Mexican Spanishwikipedia and Argentine Spanish dialects of the same language (Spanishwikipedia) because speakers of these dialects normally have little trouble understanding each other.

To find out what should count as a separate language on grounds of mutual intelligibility, a good resource is Ethnologue, an online database of all of the world's known languages, 6,912 according to their current listing. The Ethnologue compilers attempt to use mutual intelligibility to decide what should count as a language. While English is listed as a single language, both German and Italian are listed as multiple languages. Each of these languages, for example, the variety of Italian called Sicilian, is usually referred to as a "dialect", but, according to the Ethnologue compilers, these are distinct enough to be considered separate languages. Again, the criterion of mutual intelligibility is a rough one, and some of Ethnologue's claims are controversial.wikipedia

Social and political criteria

Another sort of criterion for what counts as a dialect is the social or political unity of the group in question. In Bavaria, a state in southern Germany, and in parts of Austria most people speak a dialect called Bavarian or Austro-Bavarian,wikipedia which on grounds of mutual intelligibility could be considered a language distinct from the speech of Germans and Austrians in other regions. Ethnologue calls Bavarian a language. But Bavarian is clearly closely related to those other dialects and not more closely related to dialects of some other language, and so for mainly political reasons, it is convenient to consider it a dialect of the German "language", rather than a language in its own right. Something similar can be said about the speaking conventions of the older generation in the Ryukyu Islandswikipedia in southern Japan (because these dialects are dying out, most young people do not speak them). On the basis of mutual intelligibility, we could divide the island dialects into several separate languages, each distinct from the Japanese language (as is done in Ethnologue and in the Wikipedia article on these languageswikipedia). But the Ryukyu Islands are politically part of Japan, and these dialects are clearly related to Japanese and not related at all to any other known language (unless we consider each of them to be a language). So for political reasons, it is convenient to consider them dialects of Japanese, just as the dialect of Osaka is considered a dialect of Japanese.wikipedia

Mutually intelligible "languages"

At the other extreme are examples like the languages spoken in the northern European countries Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.wikipedia These "languages" are all related to one another, and speakers from some pairs of countries within these have little difficulty understanding one another when they are speaking the standard dialects of their languages, despite the obvious differences, especially in pronunciation. Thus on grounds of mutual intelligibility, we might consider some of these "languages" to be dialects of a single language. But Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian are official "languages" of separate countries, and there are separate spelling conventions for some of the sounds in the languages.

Actually the situation is even more complex than this because Norway has two official dialects,wikipedia and a fourth related language, Faroese,wikipedia is spoken in the Faroe Islands,wikipedia which are administered by Denmark.

So for mainly political reasons, they are considered separate languages rather than dialects of a single language.

To summarize, the line between dialects of one language and separate languages is somewhat arbitrary. However, wherever we draw the line, three points should be clear.

  • Every language has multiple dialects.
  • Every speaker of every language is also a speaker of at least one dialect of that language.
  • Since the pronunciation conventions of a dialect constitute an accent, every speaker of every language speaks with some accent. There is no such thing as "speaking without an accent".

Standard dialects

The following appears on the website of a person who spent some time in Pittsburgh: "probably relating to the rest of Pittsburgh's terrible dialect, which I, fortunately, did not pick up". Why would some dialects be thought of as "terrible"?

Some dialects within a language may be singled out for special status. When we're dealing with a political unit, such as a nation, in which related dialects are spoken by most people, one dialect is often treated as the standard dialect.wikipedia You know something about this already from the last section of the book. The standard dialect is often the only dialect that is written, and it is the one that is taught in schools and (with some exceptions) used in the media. Thus in Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking part of Switzerland, it is Standard Germanwikipedia that is taught in the schools and used in broadcasting, even though most people in this region are not native speakers of the Standard German dialect. This means that most people in the German-speaking countries end up bidialectal. The same situation holds in Japan, where it is Standard Japanese, based on Tokyo dialect, that is taught in the schools and used in the media. Note how this makes it possible to speak of a German or Japanese speech community, even when the native dialects of people in these communities are very different from one another, because all educated speakers in these communities share the standard dialect, often as a second dialect.

So what do we mean when we say "German" or "Japanese"? There are two possibilities. "German" could mean Standard German, that is, one of the set of dialects spoken in Germany and also the basis of written German. Or it could mean the collection of related dialects, some mutually unintelligible, which are spoken in Germany and other countries where Standard German is the official language (Austria) or one of the official languages (Switzerland). When linguists refer to "German" or "Japanese", without specifying the dialect, they normally mean the standard dialect.

Dialects of English in the US and England

In the United States, the situation is somewhat simpler than in Germany or Japan because the differences among most of the dialects are not nearly as great; native speakers of English in the United States have little trouble understanding each other. (An important exception is African-American Vernacular English (AAVE),wikipedia spoken mainly by many African-Americans.) As in Germany and Japan, we have an (informal) standard dialect, for vocabulary, grammar, and usage, if not for pronunciation. Thus children in Pittsburgh learn in school to write sentences like the school needs to be renovated rather than the school needs renovated, which would be grammatical in their local dialect. Americans tend to be relatively tolerant of differences in accent, however. Teachers in schools throughout the country teach the standard grammar but use their own local pronunciation. If we have a standard accent, it is the one people associate with television announcers, the accent characteristic of much of the Midwest and the West. This accent is called General American;wikipedia I will have more to say about it later.

The situation in England is similar to that in the United States, and the standard vocabulary, grammar, and usage that children learn to write in English schools are very similar to the American standard. However, in England, there is a stronger idea of a standard accent than in the United States and more pressure for children to learn this accent if it differs from their home accent. This accent is referred to as Received Pronunciation (RP);wikipedia it is based on the speech of educated speakers in southern England. (Note that RP is standard English English pronunciation, not British English; in Scotland, there is a quite different standard accent.wikipedia) I'll have more to say about RP and how it differs from General American and other English accents in this section.

"Just" a "dialect" or a full-blown "language"

The existence of a single standard dialect among a set of non-standard dialects has important social implications. The non-standard dialects have less prestige, and their use may be discouraged in formal situations, not just situations in which writing is called for. Sometimes, as in the Ryukyu Islands in Japan or in some regions of France and Spain, this leads to the decline and possible death of the non-standard "dialects" (which would be considered languages by the mutual intelligibility criterion). In other situations, speakers of non-standard dialects retain pride in their local speech patterns, while recognizing that they are not appropriate in certain situations. Finally, this pride, along with other cultural differences separating the speakers of the non-standard dialect from the speakers of other dialects (non-standard or standard), may lead to pressure to have non-standard dialects given official status, especially if they differ significantly from the standard. At this point the words dialect and language become politically charged terms because the supporters of official status for the non-standard dialect may feel the need to argue that it is not "just" a dialect of the larger language but rather a language in its own right. This has happened in the United States with AAVE (here is an essay on this topic by the sociolinguist John Rickford) and in Europe with many languages that are normally considered "dialects" of other languages (this website includes many of them as well as links to other sites concerned with the "minority language" question in Europe and elsewhere).

Language families

Why some languages resemble each other

We've seen how as we extend the boundaries of speech communities, we get fewer and fewer shared conventions. When we reach the level of a language such as English, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese, we have a speech community which shares a set of conventions (in some cases a standard dialect) which allows people in the community to communicate with one another despite dialect differences. But we can go beyond a language. So for English, we could extend the boundaries to include the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, and some other regions in western Europe. We'd now find a much smaller set of shared conventions. All speakers in this large "community", for example, share a word meaning 'all' which is similar in pronunciation to the English word all. But there would be no reason to call this set of conventions a "language" since the speakers obviously do not understand each other and do not belong to a single political unit with a single standard dialect. Instead we refer to this set of conventions, or set of languages, as a language family,wikipedia in this case, the Germanic languages.wikipedia The members of a language family resemble each other because they are genetically related; that is, historically they derived from a common ancestor language. (Note that this use of the word genetic differs somewhat from its use in biology; the speakers of Germanic languages are not necessarily genetically closer to one another than they are to the speakers of other languages.) The ancestor of the modern Germanic languages was not a written language, so we can only infer what it was like.

In most cases we can go even further back; the ancestor languages of two or more families themselves may have had a common ancestor language. Thus the modern Romance languages,wikipedia including Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, and Romanian; the modern Germanic languages; and many other languages spoken today in Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia, apparently descended from a much older (and also unwritten) language. This means we can group all of these languages into a single family, in this case the one we call Indo-European.wikipedia Sometimes, to distinguish the lower from the higher levels within a family tree of languages, we use "language family" only for the largest grouping (for example, Indo-European) and "branch" to refer to groupings within this (for example, Germanic and Romance). Note that there may be many intermediate levels in the family tree of languages. Within Germanic, for example, there is North, including the Scandinavian languages, and West, including English, Dutch, and German.

Note also that languages may resemble each other in one way or another for reasons other than a genetic relationship. The main non-genetic source of similarity is language contact;wikipedia when the speech communities for two language are in close cultural contact, their languages often influence one another. So modern Japanese vocabulary includes thousands of words borrowed from Chinese and uses the Chinese writing system (as well as writing systems specific to Japanese). But, except in the sense that all human languages may be ultimately related to one another, there is no evidence that Japanese is genetically related to Chinese. A more complicated situation occurred in Western Asia with the complicated cultural influences among people speaking Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. These three languages belong to separate language families (Afro-Asiatic, Indo-European, and Altaic, respectively), which are either unrelated to one another or only very distantly related, but Turkish and Persian have borrowed many words from Arabic, Turkish has also borrowed many words from Persian, and Persian borrowed its writing system from Arabic.

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Russian Superstitions

Superstition is a very big part of Russian and Ukrainian culture. While many superstitions are largely ignored, many more are so common that they have become an inseparable part of everyday Russian etiquette. So while Russian friends may joke about them, it may be courteous to be aware of common superstitions and show respect for them just the same. After all, do you really want look disrespectful, or worse, risk bad fortune on yourself?

Origin of Russian Superstition

While Russians and Ukrainians are predominantly Christian, its important to remember that Kievan Rus' didn't turn to Christianity until the end of the 10th century. As such, pagan tradition and beliefs remained entrenched in Russian culture. The remnants of these pagan beliefs form the foundation of superstitions so prevalent in Russia and Ukraine today.

  • Its also important to point out that superstitions often vary region to region. Russia, after all, absorbed many pagan cultures over the centuries, all of which had their own unique traditions and beliefs. Local traditions are so varied that they even produced a popular Russian television program that traveled around the country exploring the diverse range of unique, often humorous, superstitions.

Below are the most widespread Russian superstitions, those that transcend the borders of Russia, Ukraine and former states of the Soviet Union.

Love and Relationship Superstitions

yellow flowersOdd Number of Flowers - Always give your wife or girlfriend an odd number of flowers. An even number of flowers is for funerals and sympathy.

Yellow Flowers - Don't give your lover yellow flowers. Doing so is a sign of bad luck and signifies the end of a relationship.

Step on Foot - If you accidently step on your partner's foot, let them gently step on yours. If you don't you risk a future conflict.

Same Towel - A couple should not use the same towel to dry their hands or bodies. Doing so will bring about a conflict.

Marriage Superstitions

rain on wedding dayTable Corners - A single girl should not sit at the corner of a table. Doing so means she will not marry for at least 7 more years.

Breaking Wedding Date - Really bad omen for future of the couple's union.

On the Way to Church  - A bride and groom should never look back - "literally". Looking backwards towards their previous lives means their future life won't be happy together.

Ceremony Hand Holding - The bride holds the grooms hand during the wedding ceremony in order to form a closed, unbreakable bond between the two.

Rain at the Wedding - If it rains at your wedding, don't feel bad, it means you will be rich.

Money and Luck Superstitions

broken mirrorBirthday Parties - Birthdays should not be celebrated early. Therefore, when your birthday falls on a weekday (and you want to celebrate on a weekend), you should celebrate on the following weekend versus the preceding weekend.

Sitting in Silence - Before leaving on a long journey, all travelers and all of those seeing the travelers off, must sit together for a moment in silence.

Forgetting Something and Returning When you return for something you've forgotten this means "nothing will come of your trip". To mitigate this, look into a mirror at your own reflection before you leave again.

Breaking a Mirror - Seven years of bad luck (as in America).

Black Cat - Another common superstition, black cats are bad luck when they cross your path (can signify failure in business). If you see one, bless yourself with a sign of the cross and try to avoid crossing its path (or let someone else do so first).

Itchy Hand - If your right hand itches you'll be receiving money soon. If your left hand itches, you'll soon be paying someone money.

Whistling Indoors - Whistle inside and you are whistling away your money. If you forget, you are sure to be reminded immediately by your Russian friend(s) - especially if it is in their home.

Not Recognized - If a person is not recognized when seen or heard by a familiar acquaintance, it means he or she will be rich.

Doorways - Never greet or say goodbye on the threshold of a doorway. Doing so, according to some, forms a bridge to let bad spirits in. According to others - this is the area where the house's spirit resides. Regardless, it is bad luck.

Knock on Wood - If someone praises you, avoid a jinx by knocking on wood and spitting three times over your left shoulder. Throwing salt over your left shoulder won't work since Russian superstition considers it bad luck to spill salt.

Bus Tickets - If the 3 numbers on the right add up to the same total as the 3 numbers on the left its good luck. (Its especially good luck if you eat the ticket)

Same Name - Its good luck to sit between two people with the same name. This is not as hard as it sounds, since Russians and Ukrainians often have common first names.

Presenting Knives or Sharp Objects - Its bad luck to present knives or sharp objects as a gift. If you do so, expect to receive a small amount of money in return. This way its more of an "exchange" than a gift.

Presenting Wallets or Purses - If you present someone a wallet or purse, put a little money in it first for financial luck.

Baby Gifts - Its bad luck to buy (or accept) baby gifts before the child is born.

Drinking Superstitions

Russian vodkaItchy Nose - If your nose itches it means you'll be drinking soon.

Full glass - One should not put a full shot glass of alcohol back on the table.

Empty Bottle - Never leave an empty bottle on the table. On the flip side, if an open bottle sits on the table, "empty" it.

Toast - Traditionally, drinking should be preceded by a toast. The only time there isn't a toast is for funerals and commemoration (including Easter).

Interval between 1st & 2nd Shots - There should not be a long interval between the first and second shots.

na pososhok (на посошок) - Departing guests must drink one last shot for good luck.

Miscellaneous Superstitions

sneezeHiccups - If you get hiccups it means someone has just thought about you.

Sneezing - If someone sneezes while telling you something, it means they're telling the truth.

Eyelash - If an eyelash falls out you will receive a gift. If you find an fallen eyelash on someone, take it and let the person blow it away and make a wish.

Falling Utensils - If a fork or a spoon fall off the table it means a female guest will soon arrive. If a knife falls off the table it means a male guest will soon arrive.

Cat Washing its Face - If the cat is washing its face, you can expect guests soon.

Rain upon Departure - If its raining when leaving someplace it means you'll return.


Coach’s challenge on docket for NHL general managers meeting

Damien Cox and Elliotte Friedman breaks down how Evgeni Malkin’s injury affects the Pittsburgh Penguins and how the flagging Canadian dollar may end the dreams of NHL expansion into Quebec City.

At their annual March meeting this week in Boca Raton, Florida, NHL general managers will debate changes to the coach’s challenge system that has gotten some calls right but caused plenty of problems in its first season.

The coach’s challenge for goals on potential goaltender interference situations or offside plays has come under fire for inconclusive results, long video reviews and delay tactics. Ideas to tweak the system include allowing the league situation room to decide the reviews, making an unsuccessful challenge a penalty and even simply adding more cameras for more replay angles.

“I think there’s challenges with the challenge,” New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero said. “I don’t know what needs to change. I’m looking forward to hearing all the different opinions from the GMs and certainly from the league on what the challenges have been.”

Unlike 3-on-3 overtime, which is drawing rave reviews for its entertainment value and reduction in shootouts, the coach’s challenge hasn’t been a flawless addition to games. Through the first 1,029 games, just 55 of 216 coach’s challenges were overturned.

Most are well-intentioned, and those upheld cost a coach his timeout. But the notion that some coaches are challenging goals just to give their teams a longer breather led to the idea of making an unsuccessful one a delay of game penalty.

Shero said he likes that idea in concept but added that the lingering grey area over goaltender interference could make it a problem. Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is more concerned about getting offside plays right by having some more camera angles.

``The hard part for me is that I think a lot of the challenges at least that we've been a part of, there's been an inconclusive type of remedy to it,'' Cheveldayoff said. ``If a foot's lifted, a foot's not lifted and it literally just depends on do you have enough camera angles or not to make that right ruling.''

The NHL is trying to get it right, but many video reviews this season have taken several minutes. Those lengthy delays have been the subject of criticism, but Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland is of the opinion that it's better to take time than be wrong.

``Which is worse, taking 6 minutes to come to the conclusion or making it in 2 minutes and finding out today that the decision that they made on video review was the wrong one because they didn't take the time to look at it close enough, there was an angle that maybe the TV hadn't shown?'' Holland said. ``You can't just say we want to have a video review and you got 2 minutes and the guys are whipping through it and then they find out a certain percentage of the decisions that they're making are wrong decisions.''

That's why some GMs would like the situation room in Toronto to take over coach's challenges from the on-ice officials. The goal would be to standardize goalie interference, which is inherently subjective.

One complaint from coaches on offside plays is that goals have been disallowed that came well after a team entered the zone. Holland said he'd be open to discussing changes to that rule.

``An offside that you miss by a fraction of an inch that caused the goal that had nothing really do with being offside, that's not what the rule's about,'' Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. ``Does it matter? I don't know if it matters.''

Among the other topics expected to be discussed are inadvertent hits to the head, goaltending equipment and 3-on-3 overtime. Intentional head shots are already penalties and come with further discipline, but as the NHL tries to cut down on concussions it's possible the rules are expanded to include accidental ones.

With shootouts down and plenty of back-and-forth hockey, 3-on-3 overtime is a smash hit that Cheveldayoff said has ``gotten the desired result.'' Holland, who long pushed for 3-on-3, is pleased by how it has gone.

``I think it's incredibly entertaining ... and the players are enjoying the 3-on-3 because even if you did go to a shootout, it's 5 minutes of scoring chances, plays around the net, breakdowns and the players get an opportunity to showcase their skill,'' Holland said. ``It couldn't have been any better.''


Adventure Building: Part 3 – Backstory, Setting and Hooks

In the first article in this series I looked at what you should consider when getting started creating your own adventure. This second article in the series continues the adventure building by looking at Creating a Threat. In the Getting Started article, I listed a bunch of questions to consider. Here are the three related to this article again:

  • What is the backstory for the adventure? What is the history?
  • Where is this adventure going to be set in your world? Where are your players in relation to that setting?
  • How will the players hear about this adventure? What are some hooks you can provide to interest each player?


Northside Hospital RN House Supervisor in Canton, Georgia

RN House Supervisor

Facility:Northside Hospital CherokeeDepartment:601C PATIENT CARE ADMIN

Job ID #:69998Location:Canton, GA

Job Category:RN-Intensive Care UnitEducation Required:Associates Degree

Employment Type:ResourceExperience Required:3 - 5 Years

Apply withLinkedIn

Position Description: The House Coordinator coordinates patient care activities within the hospital on an assigned shift (7p - 7a). In the absence of the CNO and/or his designated representative, the House Coordinator serves as the highest official on duty, and is responsible for ensuring the continuity of patient care services and other administrative activities.

Position Requirements: Graduate of an accredited school of Nursing. Seven years nursing experience, with at least two years in critical care nursing. Prior supervisory experience strongly preferred. Good written and oral communication skills. Demonstrated knowledge of general nursing theory and practice, management principles and methods, and hospital policies and procedures.

Licensure/Certification Requirements: Yes

Work Hours: 7p-7a

Weekend Requirements: Yes

On-Call Requirements: No


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Molecular Biology of the Cell  2015;26(13):2475-2490.
Tropomyosin Tm5NM1 regulates cell proliferation and organ size. It mediates this effect by regulating the interaction of pERK and Imp7, leading to the regulation of pERK nuclear translocation. This demonstrates a role for a specific population of actin filaments in regulating a critical step in the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.
PMCID: PMC4571302  PMID: 25971798
2.  Cell Elasticity Is Regulated by the Tropomyosin Isoform Composition of the Actin Cytoskeleton
PLoS ONE  2015;10(5):e0126214.
The actin cytoskeleton is the primary polymer system within cells responsible for regulating cellular stiffness. While various actin binding proteins regulate the organization and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton, the proteins responsible for regulating the mechanical properties of cells are still not fully understood. In the present study, we have addressed the significance of the actin associated protein, tropomyosin (Tpm), in influencing the mechanical properties of cells. Tpms belong to a multi-gene family that form a co-polymer with actin filaments and differentially regulate actin filament stability, function and organization. Tpm isoform expression is highly regulated and together with the ability to sort to specific intracellular sites, result in the generation of distinct Tpm isoform-containing actin filament populations. Nanomechanical measurements conducted with an Atomic Force Microscope using indentation in Peak Force Tapping in indentation/ramping mode, demonstrated that Tpm impacts on cell stiffness and the observed effect occurred in a Tpm isoform-specific manner. Quantitative analysis of the cellular filamentous actin (F-actin) pool conducted both biochemically and with the use of a linear detection algorithm to evaluate actin structures revealed that an altered F-actin pool does not absolutely predict changes in cell stiffness. Inhibition of non-muscle myosin II revealed that intracellular tension generated by myosin II is required for the observed increase in cell stiffness. Lastly, we show that the observed increase in cell stiffness is partially recapitulated in vivo as detected in epididymal fat pads isolated from a Tpm3.1 transgenic mouse line. Together these data are consistent with a role for Tpm in regulating cell stiffness via the generation of specific populations of Tpm isoform-containing actin filaments.
PMCID: PMC4433179  PMID: 25978408
3.  Tropomyosin isoforms and reagents
Bioarchitecture  2011;1(4):135-164.
Tropomyosins are rod-like dimers which form head-to-tail polymers along the length of actin filaments and regulate the access of actin binding proteins to the filaments.1 The diversity of tropomyosin isoforms, over 40 in mammals, and their role in an increasing number of biological processes presents a challenge both to experienced researchers and those new to this field. The increased appreciation that the role of these isoforms expands beyond that of simply stabilizing actin filaments has lead to a surge of reagents and techniques to study their function and mechanisms of action. This report is designed to provide a basic guide to the genes and proteins and the availability of reagents which allow effective study of this family of proteins. We highlight the value of combining multiple techniques to better evaluate the function of different tm isoforms and discuss the limitations of selected reagents. Brief background material is included to demystify some of the unfortunate complexity regarding this multi-gene family of proteins including the unconventional nomenclature of the isoforms and the evolutionary relationships of isoforms between species. Additionally, we present step-by-step detailed experimental protocols used in our laboratory to assist new comers to the field and experts alike.
PMCID: PMC3210517  PMID: 22069507
tropomyosin; isoforms; cytoskeleton; reagents; antibodies; multi-gene family
4.  Tropomodulins are negative regulators of neurite outgrowth
European journal of cell biology  2010;90(4):291-300.
Regulation of the actin cytoskeleton is critical for neurite formation. Tropomodulins (Tmods) regulate polymerization at actin filament pointed ends. Previous experiments using a mouse model deficient for the neuron specific isoform Tmod2 suggested a role for Tmods in neuronal function by impacting processes underlying learning and memory. However, the role of Tmods in neuronal function on the cellular level remains unknown. Immunofluorescence localization of the neuronal isoforms Tmod1 and Tmod2 in cultured rat primary hippocampal neurons revealed that Tmod1 is enriched along the proximal part of F-actin bundles in lamellipodia of spreading cells and in growth cones of extending neurites, while Tmod2 appears largely cytoplasmic. Functional analysis of these Tmod isoforms in a mouse neuroblastoma N2a cell line showed that knockdown of Tmod2 resulted in a significant increase in number of neurite-forming cells and in neurite length. While N2a cells compensated for Tmod2 knockdown by increasing Tmod1 levels, over-expression of exogenous Tmod1 had no effect on neurite outgrowth. Moreover, knockdown of Tmod1 increased the number of neurites formed per cell, without effect on number of neurite-forming cells or neurite length. Taken together, these results indicate that Tmod1 and Tmod2 have mechanistically distinct inhibitory roles in neurite formation, likely mediated via different effects on F-actin dynamics and via differential localizations during early neuritogenesis.
PMCID: PMC3042488  PMID: 21146252
Tropomodulin; F-actin; neurite outgrowth; N2a mouse neuroblastoma cells; cultured hippocampal neurons
5.  TPM3 and TPM4 gene products segregate to the postsynaptic region of central nervous system synapses
Bioarchitecture  2011;1(6):284-289.
Synaptic function in the central nervous system (CNS) is highly dependent on a dynamic actin cytoskeleton in both the pre- and the postsynaptic compartment. Remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton is controlled by tropomyosins, a family of actin-associated proteins which define distinct actin filament populations. Here we show that TPM3 and TPM4 gene products localize to the postsynaptic region in mouse hippocampal neurons. Furthermore our data confirm previous findings of isoform segregation to the pre- and postsynaptic compartments at CNS synapses. These data provide fundamental insights in the formation of functionally distinct actin filament populations at the pre- and post-synapse.
PMCID: PMC3337131  PMID: 22545181
actin cytoskeleton; central nervous system; postsynapse; tropomyosin
6.  Functional identity of the gamma tropomyosin gene
Bioarchitecture  2011;1(1):49-59.
The actin filament system is fundamental to cellular functions including regulation of shape, motility, cytokinesis, intracellular trafficking and tissue organization. Tropomyosins (Tm) are highly conserved components of actin filaments which differentially regulate filament stability and function. The mammalian Tm family consists of four genes; αTm, βTm, γTm and δTm. Multiple Tm isoforms (>40) are generated by alternative splicing and expression of these isoforms is highly regulated during development. In order to further identify the role of Tm isoforms during development, we tested the specificity of function of products from the γTm gene family in mice using a series of gene knockouts. Ablation of all γTm gene cytoskeletal products results in embryonic lethality. Elimination of just two cytoskeletal products from the γTm gene (NM1,2) resulted in a 50% reduction in embryo viability. It was also not possible to generate homozygous knockout ES cells for the targets which eliminated or reduced embryo viability in mice. In contrast, homozygous knockout ES cells were generated for a different set of isoforms (NM3,5,6,8,9,11) which were not required for embryogenesis. We also observed that males hemizygous for the knockout of all cytoskeletal products from the γTm gene preferentially transmitted the minus allele with 80–100% transmission. Since all four Tm genes are expressed in early embryos, ES cells and sperm, we conclude that isoforms of the γTm gene are functionally unique in their role in embryogenesis, ES cell viability and sperm function.
PMCID: PMC3158640  PMID: 21866263
cytoskeleton; actin; tropomyosin; redundancy; isoforms

Results 1-6 (6)


Including diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Xem 1-15 trên 15 kết quả Including diabetes and cardiovascular disease

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  • Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ made up of adipocytes, various stro-mal cells, resident and infiltrating immune cells, and an extensive endo-thelial network. Adipose secretory products, collectively referred to as adipokines, have been identified as contributors to the negative conse-quences of adipose tissue expansion that include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

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  • Oxidative stress state is involved in the aging process as well as in a vast array of pathological conditions, including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular complications, diabetes, cancer, and neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.

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  • To begin, at the left of the figure, trends in risk factors or biological markers such as cholesterol and other lipids, weight, and indicators of insulin regulation are separate markers of underlying health and population propensity to disease. At the population level, the age of onset of these factors generally precedes the onset of related diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The second box includes diseases, conditions, and impairments.

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  • Published results from the UKPDS were included in this review if they specifically reported results on the relationship between HbA1c and microvascular and/or macrovascular complications. One prospective observational study28 was identified which analysed the UKPDS glucose control results in terms of both macrovascular and microvascular complications. A meta-analysis29 was also identified which assessed the association between glycosylated haemoglobin and cardiovascular (CV) disease in people with diabetes. This included an analysis of 10 studies specifically of people with Type 2 diabetes.

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  • Patients with diabetes mellitus suffer from an increased incidence of complications including cardiovascular disease and cataracts; the mechanisms responsible for this are not fully understood. One characteristic of such complications is an accumulation of advanced glycation end-products formed by the adduction of glucose or species derived from glucose, such as low-molecular mass aldehydes, to proteins.

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One step closer to shipping, unless your charge was declined.

HTC is now one step closer to putting Vive headsets on the faces of early adopters around the world. Users the world over are seeing the $800+ charge for the Vive hit their payment method of choice today, and that's causing a not-so-unique problem for some financial institutions. In some cases those charges are being immediately declined by fraud protection systems, and that means you're going to have to call HTC and sort it out.

If you are a Vive early adopter who pre-ordered on day one, check your account and make sure you were actually charged for the equipment. Shipping is expected to start next week, and making sure HTC knows you'd still like to pay for yours is the only way to guarantee it gets to you on time.


On Fortune's Wheel Quiz

Directions: Click on the correct answer.

Questions 1-5 of 25:

What does the Lord think is the truth about his father's death? (from Chapter 7)

What item has Orien lost, which was proof of his true identity? (from Chapter 8)

What does Birle end up doing as she and the Lord are hiding under their cloaks on the boat? (from Chapter 6)

What does the Lord finally reveal to Birle as they are talking during the period of being stranded? (from Chapter 7)

Why does Orien apologize to Birle? (from Chapter 8)

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Continuing the table for higher values of h k l we will see that the integers 7 and 15 are absent for h2 k2 l 2 because the sums of squares of three integers can not be 7 or 15. Of course, there are other higher missing integers for the sums too.


へようこそ Hotel Galileo Paris, Hôtel Galileo is located 140 metres from Avenue des Champs Élysées and 450 凱旋門から数メートル. It offers comfortable and stylish accommodation, と無料のWi-Fi回線. Each air-conditioned and soundproofed room has a simple but classic décor. They are equipped with a TV and a private marble bathroom. 全室にエレベーターでアクセスできます. Galileo Hôtel serves breakfast in the cosy dining area. After a day exploring guests can relax in one of the 2 ラウンジ, one by the fireplace and the other opens out onto a garden. Bicycle rental is provided to allow guests to ride around Paris visiting famous monuments such as Concorde and Jardin des Tuileries 2 km down the road. Metro station George V is 230 metres from Hôtel Galileo giving access to the rest of Paris. (Hotel Galileo パリのホテル 予約).


Reuters - In the UK, numbers seen over the last four days have done nothing to allay concerns about the outlook for the economy. The Bank of England is in something of a bind, the econony is slowing but it's not in a position to cut interest rates because of high inflation. The mix of low growth and high inflation is undermining sterling.


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I need to know the conversion equation to convert jet fuel

This answer was rated:

I need to know the conversion equation to convert jet fuel from liters to kilograms.
What is the difference between the 2 fractions 1.77 L/1kg. and 1L/1.77kg when it comes to conversions?
Lastly, 22,300 kg equals how many Liters

Thank you for using the site.

To convert from liters to kilograms you would need to know the density of the fuel. There are several different types of jet fuel though, and the densities vary by type. Is there a particular type that you are interested in?

Hi again,

As an example, Jet-A fuel is used in the US and has a density of 0.820 kg/L.

To convert a volume of this fuel in liters to a mass in kilograms, you would multiply the volume by the density:

mass = volume * density

So let's say that you need 1000 L of this fuel. The mass would then be:

mass = (1000 L)(0.820 kg/L) = 820 kg

So, in general, you would only need to multiply the volume (in liters) by the density (in kg per liter) to get the mass in kilograms.

The fraction 1.77 L/1 kg implies that each kilogram occupies 1.77 liters, or that it takes 1.77 L to equal 1 kg in mass.

The fraction 1L / 1.77 kg implies that each liter has a mass of 1.77 kg.

Neither of those fractions is in the form that you need if you wish to convert from liters to kilograms. (Actually, you could do it by dividing by the fraction instead of multiplying, but that tends to get complicated and invites mistakes. It's better to have the proper units on the conversion factor so that you can just multiply values together directly.)

Assuming that we are still considering Jet-A fuel, then converting 22,300 kg into liters would look like this (and here we will divide by the conversion factor):

(22,300 kg) / (0.820 kg/L) = 27,195.12 L

You could also do this conversion by using the reciprocal of the density:

(22,300 kg)(1.219512 L/kg) = 27,195.12 L

I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask if you have any additional questions about this.

Ryan and 2 other Math Homework Specialists are ready to help you
Customer: replied 8 months ago.

The problem didnt say, just that it was fuel placed in the fuel tanks. I have to show my work. Jet fuel placed in 767 jetliners. I have to show the mistake in calculationa by the ground crew who measured 7,682 liters in tank, and were trying to find how many mire liters needed to get 22,300 kilograms. The crew felt that yoy multiply the numbers of liters the weight of the liter. With the conversion being 1.77. I had to explain the difference in the two equations I gave you. I hope this helps.

Ok, I didn't realize that this was a problem from a textbook, as opposed to a general interest question.

Can you take a picture or screenshot of the problem and send that so that I can read exactly what the problem statement gives?

A little bit of research has revealed that this seems to be in reference to the "Gimli Glider" incident in 1983.

In that incident, the issue was that the 1.77 conversion factor was in units of pounds per liter, instead of kilograms per liter. As a result, the crew had about half as much fuel as they thought they had: 10,115 kg, instead of 22,300 kg. This is because their calculations provided them with 22,300 pounds of fuel, instead of 22,300 kilograms.

Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured (miraculously, since they were forced to land at an airfield that was hosting drag races at the time and was full of spectators). Still, the incident serves as an important reminder of how important math can be, and how a relatively simple mistake can have potentially disastrous consequences.

Customer: replied 8 months ago.

Yes. The assignment is based on Flight 143.

One of the questions was to calculate the amount of fuel in liters and kilograms that should have been added to ensure the plane was safe.

Also, how would the two fractions 1.77L/1Kg and 1L/1.77kg differ in making a conversion?

Thank you so much, I was so confused. I have no mathematical abilities.

Ok, no problem.

The error made when fueling Flight 143 was that the conversion factor used was in units of pounds/liter, when it should have been in kg/liter. The correct conversion factor would have been:

(1.77 pounds/L)(0.45359 kg/pound) = 0.803 kg/L

Assuming that the measurement of 7,682 liters was correct, the mass of fuel in the tanks at that time would have been:

(7682 L)(0.803 kg/L) = 6,168.646 kg

The amount that would need to be added to get the plane's fuel load up to 22,300 kg is then:

22,300 kg - 6,168.646 kg = 16,131.354 kg

The volume (in liters) that should have been added at that point is then:

(16,131.354 kg) / (0.803 kg/L) = 20,088.86 L

Regarding the two fractions, both 1.77 L / 1 kg and 1 L / 1.77 kg would have been the incorrect factor to use, because the 1.77 value is part of the conversion from pounds to liters, instead of from kg to liters. Ignoring the value and instead just focusing on the units of the two fractions, the fraction 1.77 L / 1 kg would mean that each kilogram of fuel occupied a volume of 1.77 liters. The fraction 1 L / 1.77 kg means that each liter has a mass of 1.77 kg.

To look at the fractions another way, 1.77 L / 1 kg is equivalent to 1.77 L/kg, while 1 L / 1.77 kg is equivalent to 0.565 L/kg. Clearly the two factors are very different values.

Both fractions could be used to convert from kg to liters, so it would just be a matter of which value was the correct factor. In the case of Flight 143 though, neither of those factors would have been correct.

I hope this helps.


It Happened This Summer: July 16 through August 8, 1998

The Return of a Stolen Cultural Treasure to Peru
An Exhibition of a Moche Gold Artifact
at the University of Pennsylvania Museum

The Gold Backflap

. . . and its Remarkable Odyssey:

* stolen from an ancient royal Peruvian tomb at the site of Sipan

* circulated through a complex network of international smuggling

* recovered by the FBI in Philadelphia and held as evidence

* presented to Peruvian Ambassador Ricardo Luna

* loaned to the University of Pennsylvania Museum for special temporary exhibition

* returned to Peru after exhibition

Gold backflaps were an important part of the royal costumes of the Moche elite and were worn suspended from the waist, covering the backside. Backflaps have been found by archaeologists in the tombs of several Warrior-Priests, who wore them as armor during hand-to-hand combat and as a symbol of power during rituals.

The Moche culture flourished on the dry deserts of the North Coast of Peru between 200 BC and AD 700. Archaeological study of Moche cities has shown that the society was made up of Warrior-Priest rulers, weavers, metalsmiths, potters, farmers, and fishermen.

Looting of ancient sites to obtain objects for sale has a major impact on archaeological sites, because important knowledge about ancient civilizations is lost forever once the tombs, houses, murals, and temples are disturbed and the associated objects are removed from their original location.

In the case of the gold backflap now showing at the Museum, two of the looters were found and sentenced, but one smuggler is still at large. Though the backflap has been recovered, archaeological evidence originally associated with it is gone forever.

MocheHomepage | MocheWebsite


GRE Math : How to multiply rational expressions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Math

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : How To Multiply Rational Expressions

Possible Answers:

x/(x – 2)2

4/(x – 2)2

4/(x + 2)2

x/(x + 2)

(4x+ 8x)/(x+ 8x)

Correct answer:

4/(x – 2)2

Example Question #56 : Expressions

what is 6/8 X 20/3

Possible Answers:
Correct answer: 5

1/1 X 5/1 = 5

Example Question #2 : How To Multiply Rational Expressions

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

When multiplying two binomials, it's best to remember the mnemonic FOIL, which stands for First, Outer, Inner, and Last. Going in the order of FOIL, we multiply the first term of each binomial, then the outer terms of the expression, then the inner terms of the expression, and finally the last term of each binomial. For this question we get:  Now that we have 'FOILed' our expression, we simply add our results to get the final answer.

Example Question #3 : How To Multiply Rational Expressions

Express the following as a single rational expression, make sure you simplify your answer:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

To do this problem, simply multiply as you would with any fraction, combining like terms whenever possible:

When multiplying, make sure to distribute through to all terms in the polynomial.

Then you can factor out a six to simplify for your final answer:

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Filing 56

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING 52 MOTION to Dismiss and plaintiff's claims are DISMISSED without prejudice, as further set out in order. Signed by Honorable Judge Mark E. Fuller on 9/5/13. (djy, )

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Me & Isaac Newton

Released November 3, 2000

A feature-length documentary about seven scientist who have solved mysteries that are centuries old. Ranging in occupation from theoretical physicist to wildlife expert, the scientists discuss their inspirations and the importance of their work. From their earliest scientific questions in childhood to their most personal ponderings, they reveal their histories and professional obligations that affect the world."

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Sentence Examples with the word Actinula

The parasitic actinula is found attached to the proboscis of the medusa; it thrusts its greatly elongated hypostome into the mouth of the medusa and nourishes itself upon the food in the digestive cavity of its host.

The actinula stage is usually suppressed or not set free, but it is seen in Tubularia (fig.

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Without a hydroid phase; the medusa develops directly from the actinula larva, which may, however, multiply by budding.

In the spring the embryo bursts its shell and is set free as a minute actinula which becomes a Hydra.

The gastrula has now become an actinula, which may be termed the distinctive larva of the Cnidaria, and doubtless represents in a transitory manner the common ancestor of the group. In no case known, however, does the actinula become the adult, sexually mature individual, but always undergoes further modifications, whereby it develops into either a polyp or a medusa.

The actinula, when free, may multiply by larval budding, but in all cases both the original actinula and all its descendants become converted into medusae, so that there is no alter nation of generations.

Thus in Cunina octonaria, the ovum develops into an actinula which buds daughteractinulae; all of them, both parent and offspring, develop into medusae, so that there is no alternation of generations, but only larval multiplication.


CFD Online Discussion Forums

CFD Online Discussion Forums (
-   FLUENT (
-   -   Unsteady computation using sliding mesh (

Ales Skotak September 7, 2000 07:03

Unsteady computation using sliding mesh
In solver Fluent 5.3 I am trying to use the multiple rotating frames of reference or the sliding mesh. In my rotor-draft tube interaction the back flow passes through the rotating-stationary interface. If I computed this task as a steady, no problem occurred, convergence facilities were good. When I switch on the unsteady computation, the solution start to diverge after five time steps. The behavior is independent on the time step size. This unsteady computation converged well in turbine operation point, where the back flow did not appear in the rotor-draft tube interface. Is there any solution or advice?


Anatomic Registration based on Medial Axis Parametrizations

November 20, 2015 at 11:00 am by

Thesis supervisor: Dr. Debora Gil.
Place: Computer Vision Centre at Lecture Room.

Dr. Olivier Coulon. Laboratoire de Sciences d’Iformation et de Systèmes, Aix-Marseille University, France.
Dr. Aura Hernández. Departament de Ciències de la Computació – UAB, Centre de Visió per Computador. Spain.
Dr. Vicente Grau. Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Oxford University, U.K.

Image registration has been for many years the gold standard method to bring two images into correspondence. It has been used extensively in the field of medical imaging in order to put images of different patients into a common overlapping spatial position. However, medical image registration is a slow, iterative optimization process, where many variables and prone to fall into the pit traps local minima.

A coordinate system parameterizing the interior of organs is a powerful tool for a systematic localization of injured tissue. If the same coordinate values are assigned to specific anatomical sites, parameterizations ensure integration of data across different medical image modalities. Harmonic mappings have been used to produce parametric meshes over the surface of anatomical shapes, given their ability to set values at specific locations through boundary conditions. However, most of the existing implementations in medical imaging restrict to either anatomical surfaces, or the depth coordinate with boundary conditions is given at discrete sites of limited geometric diversity.

The medial surface of the shape can be used to provide a continuous basis for the definition of a depth coordinate. However, given that different methods for generation of medial surfaces generate different manifolds, not all of them are equally suited to be the basis of radial coordinate for a parameterization. It would be desirable that the medial surface will be smooth, and robust to surface shape noise, with low number of spurious branches or surfaces.

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MasterCard security breach puts 40 million cards at risk

Posted on Saturday, June 18 2005 @ 18:50:04 CEST by

Through the use of MasterCard fraud-fighting tools that proactively monitor for fraud, MasterCard was able to identify the processor that was breached. Working with all parties, including issuing banks, acquiring banks, the processor and law enforcement, MasterCard immediately launched an investigation into the breach, and worked with CardSystems to remediate the security vulnerabilities in the processor's systems. These vulnerabilities allowed an unauthorized individual to infiltrate their network and access the cardholder data.

CardSystems has already taken steps to improve the security of its system. However, MasterCard is giving it a limited amount of time to demonstrate compliance with MasterCard security requirements.

Importantly, in keeping with its standards that focus on consumer protection and the safeguarding of sensitive information, MasterCard immediately notified its customer banks of specific card accounts that may have been subject to compromise so they can take the appropriate measures to protect their cardholders.

In the event of a cardholder data breach, MasterCard always takes this precaution regardless of whether there is any indication that fraud has resulted and whether or not there has been a final determination that a security breach has or has not occurred. Upon receiving notice from MasterCard, banks are able to take the appropriate steps to protect their cardholders from potential fraud. No highly sensitive information, such as social security numbers or dates of birth or the like, are stored on MasterCard cards.

Consumers have strong protection if unauthorized charges are made on their MasterCard cards. In the U.S., MasterCard cardholders are protected by MasterCard's Zero Liability policy for unauthorized transactions on their accounts. If MasterCard cardholders have any reason to believe that their cards were used fraudulently, they should contact their issuing bank.

Protecting cardholders, preventing fraud, and safeguarding financial information are top priorities at MasterCard. The company maintains a global team of experts devoted to maintaining the integrity and security of its payment systems and who work closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to help in the apprehension of fraudsters and other criminals.

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This piece is about 5 printed pages long. It is copyright © Stephen Vincent and Jacket magazine 2008.See our [»»] Copyright notice. The Internet address of this page is

Stephen Vincent

Ocean Beach

photo of the ocean

paragraph 1

This ocean, humiliating in its disguises
Tougher than anything.
No one listens to poetry. The ocean
Does not mean to be listened to. A drop
Or crash of water. It means
Is bread and butter
Pepper and salt. The death
That young men hope for. Aimlessly
It pounds the shore. White and aimless signals. No
One listens to poetry.

          —from Language, Jack Spicer (untitled, first poem)

Dear Jack,

I took you at your word. I wanted to test your proposition. What would happen when I went to listen to the ocean? On twelve days in late November and early December, I took a blue, felt-tip pen and blank accordion-fold book with twenty-four panels to face the Pacific along Ocean Beach in San Francisco. From the south end, a little below Fort Funston, to Land’s End at the far north, I sat down among the sand and rocks: next to the cliffs at Fort Funston; off Highway One at Sloat Boulevard, Taraval Street and Beach Chalet; then down among the burnt brick and cement ruins of Sutro Baths.

At ebb, flood and low tides, as if a man possessed and/or in prayer, I put the open accordion-fold across my lap and listened as closely as possible to the slippery wash of waves retreating north, south and west; the chiseled, variable pounding of the breaking white caps; the resonance — from a loud roar to a bare hush — of a constant sound that seemed to radiate from beyond the outer horizon of incoming swells. Ocean sounds, on top of which were those of the winds — some gentle, some with quick, stabbing edges — while the air itself unpredictably splintered into the shrill calls and squawks of airborne gulls, crows, pelicans and so many birds I cannot name.

With the pen, I began to register the pulse, shape and duration of the multiplicity of sounds. Dots combined with jagged and smooth lines mirrored the motions of waves breaking, the curves of their shapes, the rhythm of their rise, thrust, collapse and retreat. Day by day, each page filled with a fabric of marks, layer upon layer, in the way an ocean is a multiple series of visual and acoustic shapes, filigrees, lace, bird calls, crow caws, gentle push and/or cutting slashes of wind. Each day, each panel carried its own signature:

folded text

As the days passed, I grew more taken by an increasing sense and measure of the ocean’s intensity, its weight, its veritable power. Had I put myself in a unique dialog with this totally other being or — unmediated — had I let my senses become the ocean’s visual channel? Occasionally, in a way that I appreciate, spontaneous streams of sounds emerged from my chest through throat, mouth and into the air, as if the ocean and I had united into a wailing wall. Any current of ancient grief or love — including the recent death of a poet — was drawn out into profound release; simultaneously, the pen exploded, or so it seemed, into an intense ascent and descent of dots, curves and shapes.

At other times, there was no wisp of individual consciousness, just the ocean’s sound, rhythm and force taking its presence while the marks made a dauntless mirror of the ocean’s voice, each day unfolding ever so variously:

Humiliating”? That would not be my word, Jack. “Disguises”? Yes, its surfaces kept changing. But one rolls with that. Today during floodtide at noon, I looked up from the panel to watch many surfers mount the liquid planes behind and below each rising wave. The good surfer constantly reads the changes, glides his or her board up onto the oncoming wave, reads the moment to rise up on the feet, then reads the wave’s shape, gliding down, cutting back and forth against the long spiral roll of its falling crest, and, by accident or choice, taking a fall before gripping the board once again to kick it back out into the ocean, to choose to catch the rising volume of another wave. Yes, the vain might say it is humiliating to get thrown off by a misread wave, but I suspect, for any surfer, such falls come with the territory. One wave’s disguise and deception is the transparent accessibility of another — a process that happens, often enough, when one makes one poem and then another.

Tougher than anything.

Whether anyone is listening to the poem and/or the ocean may not be the question. Whether not listening to one or the other is a major loss is another question. The inability to be heard no doubt can be read as one source of the poem’s lament, or the lament for any great poem that goes publicly ignored, like an ocean without a port, a city without a landing dock, a place to take it in–Pepper and salt–the poem’s bread, the goods.

Perhaps from a contrary angle, my friend, the poet Beverly Dahlen,quoting the photographer William Eggleston, tells me “It has nothing to do with words.” Neither ocean nor stars have any intentionality. Words are something we writers do. It has nothing to do with words,” she repeats. Nature, this ocean — whatever we call it — is absolutely oblivious to whatever language may attempt. Poetry takes place in a stone cold universe, a universe that was here before us, now with us, and after us. As blind to us as a doorknocker.

What a comforting thought! Poetry alters nothing. Language a kind of wallpaper on the whorehouse wall.

It is also true, Jack, that — except for those surfers, when the waves are right, and the folks walking their dogs, and maybe the odd family or a Chinese tourist with a camera looking to the East — this City ignores the ocean, ignores your poems. Pounding the shore. Wake us, or we drown. What arrives, appears, disappears. Infinite in its disguises. Those poems.

Occasionally, one listens, closely. One by one, wave upon wave, century upon century, relentless. That’s about as good as it gets, Jack.

Who knows if God is the ocean or if we make the ocean into God — and we have to go there to listen? Those waves bearing messages. Each wave a lip, the serrated edge of which is an uncurling form of script, a ledger’s force, a signature momentarily and variously in-scripted, unfolding again and again. Who knows the translation? Elusive, yet its force compels us through our days.
Maybe that’s all dumb romanticism, Jack.
Poems listen to poems.
Poems contest poems. Poems contest poems for love.
Like arm wrestlers in the dark, this is a contest.
Let’s leave it at that.
Listen, Jack.

 — Stephen

You are not what you were. You
Still, inordinately, convulsively
Slip into the grammar whatever
The point. To be in love with the pointless
Cancels the master's grid. We muck up
Magenta to find the mother still home
Though she insists you are the tear
In the flowered wallpaper once gummed up
As a sample by Oscar Wilde (1890)
To train the American woman to be
A good housekeeper, no matter
The terrible weather, its incidents
Flailing the upper coasts of Lake Superior:
No doubt most, if not all, cave down
Behind the ‘Vanity Curtain’, age forming
Holes and bends in the flesh. The old underwear
No manner how well folded and ironed
Slips off the wilting body. What we adjoin
Is a mystery to most: naked, quivering
A slight dance before the final lamppost.

From After Language/Letters to Jack Spicer, a book length manuscript of letters to the poet somewhat in the manner of Spicer’s After Lorca including poems improvised or ‘transversed’ directly from poems in Spicer’s Language. Other work from the manuscript appears in the magazines, New American Writing, and MimeoMimeo. The drawings will appear in an exhibit of the poet’s haptics (drawings by sound) in January-February 2009 at the Brauntstein Gallery, San Francisco.

Stephen Vincent

Stephen Vincent

Stephen Vincent’s most recent books include Walking Theory (Junction Press), and the ebooks, Sleeping With Sappho (faux), and Triggers, (Shearsman Press). His blog of poems, commentary, photographs and haptics may be found at:


Zac Efron

That Awkward Moment

31 Jan, 2014

Efron co-produces and stars in this romantic comedy directed by Tom Gormican. He plays Jason, one of three roommates who make a pact to remain single in support of their friend going through a divorce. All three of them eventually fail at keeping their promise when they fall in love. He co-stars with Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, and Imogen Poots.

Jason is a bit more of a player than I am. I am not as cavalier or as suave. I am not so much of a smooth player. But I know that guy. I know that guy really well. And I have had moments where I have dipped into him in real life and wake up from that and say, “Wow, that was a different guy.” I’ve had moments like Jason, and kind of made that character out of those experiences and people I knew and made him. I think the most similar thing about us is what happens at the end — that he learns that being there for your friends when it’s most important is what makes a friend.


What happened in the Cambrian Period?
Quatr.us answers questions

Cambrian Period

Mossy rocks

At the beginning of the Cambrian Period, about 542 million years ago, there were sea creatures like hydras, jellyfish, sponges and seaweed living in the oceans, but only one-celled algae on land yet. Small arthropods like beetles were beginning to appear, and by 540 million years ago the first land plants evolved from the land algae. These plants were like modern moss.

By about 530 million years ago, some of the small beetles may have been walking around on land, mainly on beaches when the tide had gone out. We find their tracks in sandstone from this time. These would be the first land animals.

Fossil tracks
Tracks of a small beetle. The lines are from it
dragging its tail between its legs. Cambrian period sandstone.

Earth's land was broken up into smaller continents, but they were drifting closer together, and about 500 million years ago plate tectonics brought all of the land on Earth together to make a new supercontinent called Pannotia. During the Cambrian period, there don't seem to have been any more Ice Ages. Earth was probably a little warmer than it is today, and there were no glaciers at the North or South Pole.

Around this same time, evolution seems to have speeded up, so that suddenly many new kinds of animals and plants appeared on earth, evolving from the earlier ones. This is probably because meiosis allows more mutations and diversity in creatures' genetics. Mollusks like snails and squid appeared for the first time. A few animals even had spinal cords, and were something like eels. But most animals still lived in the oceans. On land, there was still just moss, and a few beetles close to the shore.

At the end of the Cambrian Period, about 488 million years ago, most of the animals and plants on Earth died out. This is probably because of a global climate change or a lack of oxygen in the ocean, but nobody knows much about it. After this mass extinction, we begin a new period called the Ordovician Period.

Learn by doing: grow some moss
Go on to the Ordovician Era

Bibliography and further reading about the Archaean era and geology:

List of Geological Eras
Quatr.us home

Professor Carr

Karen Eva Carr, PhD.
Assoc. Professor Emerita, History
Portland State University

Professor Carr's PSU page

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2 Quantum Gravity: Where are Loop Quantum GravityLoop Quantum Gravity

1 Introduction

The loop approach to quantum gravity is ten years old. The first announcement of this approach was given at a conference in India in 1987 [182Jump To The Next Citation Point In The Article]. This tenth anniversary is a good opportunity to attempt an assessment of what has and what has not been accomplished in these ten years of research and enthusiasm.

During these ten years, loop quantum gravity has grown into a wide research area and into a solid and rather well-defined tentative theory of the quantum gravitational field. The approach provides a candidate theory of quantum gravity. It provides a physical picture of Planck scale quantum geometry, calculation techniques, definite quantitative predictions, and a tool for discussing classical problems such as black hole thermodynamics.

We do not know whether this theory is physically correct or not. Direct or indirect experimental corroboration of the theory is lacking. This is the case, unfortunately, for all present approaches to quantum gravity, due, of course, to the minuteness of the scale at which quantum properties of spacetime (presumably) manifest themselves. In the absence of direct experimental guidance, we can evaluate a theory and compare it with alternative theories only in terms of internal consistency and consistency with what we do know about Nature.

Long standing open problems within the theory (such as the lack of a scalar product, the incompleteness of the loop basis and the related difficulty of dealing with identities between states, or the difficulty of implementing the reality conditions in the quantum theory) have been solidly and satisfactorily solved. But while it is fairly well developed, loop quantum gravity is not yet a complete theory. Nor has its consistency with classical general relativity been firmly established yet. The sector of the theory which has not yet solidified is the dynamics, which exists in several variants presently under intense scrutiny. On the other hand, in my opinion the strength of the theory is its compelling capacity to describe quantum spacetime in a background independent nonperturbative manner, and its genuine attempt to synthesize the conceptual novelties introduced by quantum mechanics with the ones introduced by general relativity.

The other large research program for a quantum theory of gravity, besides loop quantum gravity, is string theory, which is a tentative theory as well. String theory is more ambitious than loop gravity, since it also aims at unifying all known fundamental physics into a single theory. In section 2.3, I will compare strengths and weaknesses of these two competing approaches to quantum gravity.

This ``living review'' is intended to be a tool for orienting the reader to the field of loop gravity. Here is the plan for the review:

At the cost of several repetitions, the structure of this review is very modular: Sections are to a large extent independent of each other, have different styles, and can be combined according to the interest of the reader. A reader interested only in a very brief overview of the theory and its results can find this in section 9 . Graduate students or persons of general culture may get a general idea of what goes on in this field and its main ideas from sections 2 and 7 . If interested only in the technical aspects of the theory and its physical results, one can read sections 6 and 7 alone. Scientists working in this field can use sections 6 and 7 as a reference, and I hope they will find sections 2, 3, 5 and 8 stimulating.

I will not enter into technical details. However, I will point to the literature where these details are discussed. I have tried to be as complete as possible in indicating all relevant aspects and potential difficulties of the issues discussed.

The literature in this field is vast, and I am sure that there are works whose existence or relevance I have failed to recognize. I sincerely apologize to the authors whose contributions I have neglected or under-emphasized, and I strongly urge them to contact me to help me make this review more complete. The ``living reviews'' are constantly updated, and I will be able to correct errors and omissions in the future.

2 Quantum Gravity: Where are Loop Quantum GravityLoop Quantum Gravity

image Loop Quantum Gravity
Carlo Rovelli
© Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. ISSN 1433-8351
Problems/Comments to livrev@aei-potsdam.mpg.de


Economic effect of nationalization, International Economics

Research about the effects of the Nationalization in terms of:

Economic effect of nationalization

-What is happening to FDI? How it has affected other international Companies?

- Taxes on imports into country

- How have ties with Spain changed?

- Brief history of economy and its growth in the 50's

- Post 1983 Military Dictatorship

-  Social effects

- How has the nationalization affected society in Argentina?

- How has the nationalization affected Mercosur and other countries, specifically Spain?

- Legal Battle with Repsol

- Brief overview of International Law

 - How has Repsol reacted?

- How is Repsol supported by Spanish Government?

- Previous cases of nationalization, specifically petroleum.

Posted Date: 3/21/2013 6:34:31 AM | Location : United States

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Salman Al-Farsi

salman-al-farisiMehreen Ganny introduces an outstanding Muslim scholar, who was the first person to translate the Quran into a foreign language (Persian) and who contributed immensely towards the development of a Muslim state

The Imam, the flag of flags, the inheritor of Islam, the wise judge, the knowledgeable scholar, and one from the house of the Prophet (sa) are the titles given to Salman Al-Farsi (rta) by our Prophet (sa).

Salman Al-Farsi (rta), born in an influential family of Persia, was raised following the Magian religion. He was truly devoted to his religion, until the day he passed by a church and heard some men praying. He got drawn to the way the Christians worshiped and realized that Christianity was better then the religion of his forefathers. He left home with a group of Arabs to search for the origin of Christianity, which was in Syria.

On the way to Syria, he was sold to a Jewish man, who later sold him to his nephew from the tribe of Banu Qurayzah in Yathrib. Because of being imposed with harsh duties of slavery, he did not know about the call to Islam going on in Makkah, until the day, when he overheard his master talking to his nephew about a person claiming to be the last prophet.

When our Prophet (sa) migrated from Makkah and reached Yathrib, Salman offered him some dates as Sadaqah. Our Prophet (sa) gave them to his companions, not leaving any for himself. Then again Salman went with more dates and said that this was a gift. Our Prophet (sa) ate the dates himself and gave also to his companions. The strict honesty of our Prophet (sa) led Salman to accept Islam.

Salman played an important role in the struggles of the Muslim State. At the battle of the Trench (Khandaq), using his Persian skills, he came up with a brilliant military strategy of digging a ditch around Madinah to keep out the Quraish army. This led Muslims to victory and saved Madinah.

Salman became known as ‘Salman the good.’ He was a great scholar, who lived a rough and harsh life. He wore only one cloak and lived under a tree. He used to say that he was surprised to observe so many people spending all their life for the lower world, without a thought about the inevitable death, which one day will take them from this world. At night, Salman prayed. If he would get tired, he would start making Dhikr by tongue. When his tongue would get tired, he would reflect and ponder on Allah’s power and greatness in creation. He would then say to himself: “Oh, my ego, you took your rest; now get up and pray.” He would continue this cycle all night long.

He was known for his vast knowledge and wisdom. Kab Al-Ahbar said: “Salman is stuffed with knowledge and wisdom like an ocean that does not dry up.” During the lifetime of our Prophet (sa), Salman Al-Farsi (rta) translated the Quran into Persian. He was the first person to translate the Quran into a foreign language.

Being raised in an influential family let Salman (rta) to be a major figure in the expansion of Persian Empire of his time. His thirst for truth, even before the appearance of our Prophet (sa), led him to give up his comfortable life and even suffer the humiliation of slavery.

Learning to Manage Time

Many of us would agree that today time seems to be slipping through our fingers much faster than a year ago. Mehreen Ganny has summarized for you a unique approach to time management that has changed lives.

Do you leave your work to pile up till the very last night before the deadline? Stressed and exhausted, keeping awake by drowning in endless cups of coffee. . . I can surely put myself in this category. But my attitude towards organizing time, changed the day I began attending “Strategic Time Management” course by Suleman Ahmer. His approach to this topic is unique, for it combines worldly and Islamic knowledge.

Mr. Ahmer began the course by making us realize the difference between ‘important’ and ‘urgent’ tasks. In defining ‘urgent’, most of us tend to include ‘important’ with it.  When I was asked to define ‘urgent’, I said: “Something important, which has to be done instantly’. However, the correct definition of ‘urgent’ is: “Any action of ours that cannot wait and, if delayed, will lose its relevance”.

‘Important’ on the other hand is “Any action of ours that takes us towards our goal or objective” Similarly “Any action that takes us away from our goal or does not take us towards our goal is called ‘not important’”.

Time Quadrants

Once we understood the difference between ‘important’ and ‘urgent’, we broke down our activities into four quadrants:

Q1: Urgent and Important Q2: Urgent and Not Important
Q3: Not Urgent and Important Q4: Not Urgent and Not Important

All our activities can be categorized according to these four quadrants.

Q1 Activities

These activities are ‘important’ and ‘urgent’. Breathing, responding to a heart attack, or reaching an airport for a flight – all of these are Q1 activities.

Q1 activities are important, because they lead to an urgent goal. If these activities are not done at their due time, they lose their relevance. If we will not respond immediately to somebody having a heart attack, the person will die, and we will not complete our goal of saving his/her life.

We should avoid creating Q1 activities for ourselves, by leaving our tasks till the very last moment. Suppose, your report is due on the 10th of June and you have the whole month of May for completing it. Nevertheless, you start your work only on the 9th of June. Your report has now become urgent, which has increased the level of your stress unnecessarily. Remember, all activities of Q1 happen under high level of stress.

Q2 Activities

Q2 activities include tasks, which are ‘not important’ but ‘urgent’. This is a tricky category. Going to a concert, checking your horoscope, or celebrating a birthday all are Q2 activities. At first, I could not understand, why going to a concert fits in Q2, if it does not concern me at all – since I do not participate in concerts, they do not affect my life. The reason turned out to be that although concerts do not affect my life, they still take place. If a concert is scheduled for the 14th of August, it will happen on this date, no matter if I attend it or not. Therefore, it becomes urgent, but since it does not lead to any goal, it is not important.

Q3 Activities

This is the category, in which true Muslims should spend their whole life. Activities of this quadrant are ‘important’ but not ‘urgent’, and there is no stress involved in carrying out these tasks. If Q3 activities are not done in their due time, they end up becoming Q1 activities. Take, for example, Fajr Salah. The time of the Adhan is 5:15 am, the sun rises at 6:30 am, and the average time needed for the prayer is 10 minutes. If you wake up for prayer at 5:30 am, it is a Q3 activity; however, if you wake up only at 6:25 am, it becomes a Q1 activity.

Doing Q3 activities makes one relaxed. Since you have ample time you focus better, maximize your potential and produce best results. Looking at the Salah example, if I were to leave it for the last second I would rush to finish it and not have any value in my prayer. To avoid urgency, we must complete our activities on time. This can only happen if we do not give priority to wasteful activities that eat up on our valuable time.

Q4 Activities

This quadrant is my favourite one – ‘not important’ and ‘not urgent’. Daydreaming, slouching before the TV, reading comics, and gossiping! By leaving out these activities, we instantly gain lots of extra time for focusing on what is truly important. Remember – Q4 activities are those that have no significance at all. They may be pleasing to our desires and aroused by Satan, since he wants us to be losers, but in reality they only take us far away not only from Allah but also our goal in life.

Keeping a Notebook and a Scheduler

Start out by getting organized. In the morning, wake up 45 minutes early and plan your day. Have a proper scheduler with a detailed time frame. Write down all your appointments, plan the time for studies, and do not forget about the time you wish to spend with your kids. If you will check your scheduler every morning, you will not miss any of your activities.

Also, clear your mind from unnecessary information like recipes, phone numbers or new e-mail addresses. Record all of these in a mini-notebook as soon as you hear them. Later, transfer this information into its proper place, for example, your recipes book or telephone directory etc.

Saying NO!

Learning to say no is a big relief! However, when requested something, most of us face the problem of saying ‘no’. If a friend or a family member needs you when you already are in a Q1 situation with your own responsibilities, it is better to say ‘no’, followed by a brief explanation. If the request is urgent and cannot wait and you obviously are unable to help, guide the person requesting to a dependable source that can help him/her instead. This way you give the person another option and not hurt their feelings.

Similarly the phrase “Insha’Allah” is nowadays being used as an escape from saying ‘no’. Use this expression only with your sincere intentions. If someone invites you for a visit, do not commit, knowing that later you will cancel the plan. Always keep your promises and make honest commitments.

Cure for Tardiness

How can you avoid being late? The answer is simple: ‘Keep a buffer time’. Suppose, you need twenty minutes for reaching the place of your destination. Before setting off, consider all the hurdles that might come in your way – a flat tire, stopping at a gas station, rush time traffic, etc. Calculate the time you might need for these activities (your ‘buffer time’) and add it to your twenty minutes. Leave your house according to your new calculation and you will avoid being late!

What if your ‘hurdle activities’ do not occur and you reach your destination early? Take along a Q3 activity like carrying a book, in case if there is a little time left over here and there. This way, the time does not get wasted.

By attending Mr. Ahmer’s course, many people have made radical changes in their lives. Family relationships have improved and environments within companies have changed. Do YOU want a change in your life too? Start following the above tips and believe it or not you will be a more organized and happier person Insha’Allah!


2nd shipwreck from 13th century Mongolian invasion

2nd shipwreck confirmed from 13th century Mongolian invasion

By Sunao Gushiken and Sei Iwanami - Asahi Shimbun

Chinese ceramic wares dating from the 12th to 13th centuries were discovered in and around the wreck, backing up their conclusion, they said.

The research team, which is surveying around the Takashima Kozaki underwater archaeological site, discovered the shipwreck last autumn around 200 meters off the southern coast of Takashima island and 15 meters below the surface.

The remains of the ship measure 12 meters long and maximum 3 meters wide. The wreck was lying on the seabed apparently with its bow pointing southward.

Yoshifumi Ikeda, a professor of archaeology at the University of the Ryukyus who is leading the research project, said his team has found potential shipwrecks from the Mongolian invasion at three other locations.

Full story...

japan shipwreck Mongolian invasion 13th century