Despite a long and eventful reign, Britain's George II is a largely forgotten monarch, his achievements overlooked and his abilities misunderstood. This biography paints a richly detailed portrait of the many-faceted monarch in his public as well as his private existence.
2012-10-01T10:13:16Z 2012-10-02T13:39:34Z George II King and Elector King and Elector Thompson, Andrew C. Thompson, Andrew C. 9780300187779 Paperback", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9998884201049805} {"content": "Phoronix: OpenGL Benchmarking On Linux Reaches New Heights\n\nWe have been covering the Linux benchmarking scene since 2004, but one area we have never really been satisfied with have been the OpenGL tests that are available. There are now plenty of free software games that are available for benchmarking, but with most of them being based around the open-source Quake 3 engine, they aren't that demanding upon the graphics processor. The ones generally good with stressing the graphics capabilities of the system are the id Software games (Doom 3, Quake 4, and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars) with native Linux clients. Under the workstation umbrella, there is just SPECViewPerf. On the Windows side though there are a number of OpenGL and DirectX games, tech demos, and other benchmarks. Thanks in part to the Phoronix Test Suite, however, we are starting to see a new era of OpenGL benchmarking that are able to stress the graphics card and are visually pleasing.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.921083390712738} {"content": "Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars\n\nCollector’s Corner\n\nStag’s Leap Wine Cellars\n\nGeneral Articles\n\nStags Leap, Stags' Leap, or Stag's Leap: What's the difference\n\nNo, it isn’t a typographical error, and there really are three distinct entities bearing these strikingly similar names. The first of the names refers to the Stags Leap District, our designated American Viticultural Area (AVA); the second refers to our neighbor, Stags’ Leap Winery; and the third refers to us, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. The differences go beyond the location or the absence of the apostrophe.\n\nAll three names were inspired by the legend of a certain nimble stag of local Wappo Indian legend. One day, as hunters pursued a magnificent stag, the noble creature reached a large promontory in the palisades towering over the Napa Valley below. Trapped between the cliffs and the hunters, the stag paused, considered, then leapt across the chasm to safety. Having eluded the hunters, the stag’s boldness earned him the enduring admiration of his pursuers and their descendants for generations to come.\n\nStags Leap District has been a designated American Viticultural Area (AVA) since 1989. Located in the eastern portion of the Napa Valley, along the Vaca Range, the mountains which border the Eastern side of the Napa Valley, the district is barely a mile wide and two miles long. It is among the smallest AVA in the Napa Valley, comprising of roughly 2,700 acres, only about half of which are planted to vineyards.\n\nThe Stags Leap District is strongly identified with its production of outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons, which owe much of their soft, yet powerful allure to the District’s terroir. One of the most important aspects of terroir is the soil, and Stags Leap District was the first viticultural area in the United States to be approved based on the distinctiveness of its soils, of which two main types predominate. Soils on the eastern elevation are the result of volcanic eruptions that took place millions of years ago, as well as the slow erosion of the arid Vaca Mountains. Over time, gravity and water force the volcanic rock debris down the hillsides and out across the valley floor, creating an alluvial fan. On the valley floor, water distributes the finer sediment, creating a blend of gravelly clay loam. These soils yield fruit that is characteristically soft, yet intense.\n\nThe tale of the stag was also the inspiration for Stags’ Leap Winery, which is located within the Stags Leap District. Established in 1893 as a summer residence and resort, wine production began again in earnest when Stags’ Leap Winery was purchased in 1971 by Carl Doumani. Currently owned by Treasury Wine Estates, a global wine company, Stags’ Leap Winery is principally noted for its Petite Syrah.\n\nFounded in 1970 in what is now known as the Stags Leap District. The winery first brought international recognition to California winemaking and the Napa Valley when its 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon won the 1976 Paris Tasting. Today, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is recognized for its Estate Cabernet Sauvignons, CASK 23, S.L.V., and FAY, which are among the most highly regarded and sought after Cabernets in the world.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7566927671432495} {"content": "photosynthesis worksheets 8 3 book results\n\nSponsored High Speed Downloads\nphotosynthesis worksheets 8 3 - [Full Version]\n5159 dl's @ 3647 KB/s\nphotosynthesis worksheets 8 3 - Full Download\n4339 dl's @ 2290 KB/s\nphotosynthesis worksheets 8 3 - Direct Download\n6302 dl's @ 3420 KB/s\n\nPhotosynthesis Crossword\n\nAcross 1 A plant pigment that absorbs sunlight. (11) 4 The links between the energy that carnivores get from eating to the energy captured by photosynthesis.\n\nName _____ REACTIONS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS 8-3 (pp 208-214) MULTIPLE CHOICE: Circle the letter of the answer that best ...\n\nOverview of the Six Kingdoms\n\nList of the 3 Domains 6 Kingdoms . Domain Archaea . Domain Bacteria . Domain ... There is no light, so they carry out chemosynthesis instead of photosynthesis\n\n\nPhotosynthesis . Across. 2. Five carbon compound that combines with CO2 in the Calvin cycle to make glucose. 4. Red, orange, and yellow pigments. 6.\n\nPhotosynthesis Worksheet Printable (2nd - 6th Grade ...\n\nUse this printable to teach children about photosynthesis. Then have them label a diagram. Grade Levels: 2 - 6 Help with Printables\n\nName: _____\n\nName: _____ Plant Vocabulary Matching Part 1: Match the name of each plant part with its purpose. 1. ____ roots a. part of a plant that makes ...\n\nChapter 8 Photosynthesis Chapter Vocabulary Review\n\nDefining Terms On the lines provided, write a definition of each of the following terms. 1. ATP 2. thylakoid 3. NADP * 4. AT P synthase 5. Calvin cycle Short Answer ...\n\nPhotosynthesis Cellular Respiration Worksheet\n\nSite of photosynthesis B. Aneorobic ____3. Process occurs in a mitochondrion C. Aerobic ____4. C 6 H 12 O 6 D. Glucose ____5. Process does not require ...\n\nCell Structure\n\n3 . Cell Theory . Cell Theory. 1. All organisms are composed of cells. 2. Cells are ... -contain chlorophyll for photosynthesis -surrounded by 2 membranes\n\nphotosynthesis worksheet ch 6 bI\n\nSection 6-1 Capturing Light Energy. 1. All organisms require _____ to carry out their life functions. 2. _____ is the ultimate energy for all ...\n\n\nCore High School Life Science Performance Descriptors . High school students performing at the. ADVANCED level: explain the steps of photophosphorylation and the ...\n\nRespiration Worksheet\n\nHonors Biology: Cellular Respiration Worksheet . What are the 2 metabolic pathways a cell can use and what determines which pathway is used?\n\nPowerPoint Presentation\n\nAlthough both teachers scored the worksheets as 100%, teachers score on the ... Draw a picture that shows what happens during photosynthesis. Write two paragraphs ...\n\nSlide 1\n\nStudy Guide 8.3 . Microorganism Menu. Name: Class: ... Matching Worksheets; Label the Microorganism/Cell ... Diner Menu Photosynthesis . Appetizer (Everyone Shares)\n\nPhotosynthesis Cellular Respiration Worksheet\n\nPhotosynthesis Cellular Respiration Worksheet ... Site of photosynthesis B. Aneorobic ____3. Process occurs in a ... ____8. Energy storing molecule ...\n\nLight / Dark Reaction of Photosynthesis\n\n\nPrentice Hall Biology\n\n... Map are classified by which include which which which Protists Animallike Funguslike Plantlike Parasites Take in food from the environment Produce food by photosynthesis ...\n\nphotosynthesis worksheet eBook Downloads\n\n\n\nExplain why photosynthesis is so important to energy and material flow for life on earth. ... 2 . 3 . How the Light Reactions Generate ATP and NADPH\n\nPhotosynthesis And Cellular Respiration Worksheet .doc MSWord ...\n\nWe found several results for Photosynthesis And Cellular Respiration Worksheet. Download links for Photosynthesis And Cellular Respiration Worksheet .doc MSWord Document\n\nphotosynthesis - Brookings School District\n\nMONDAY 1/3: TUESDAY 1/4: WEDNESDAY 1/5: THURSDAY 1/6: FRIDAY 1/7: NO SCHOOL: NO SCHOOL. NO SCHOOL . Expectations. 8-1 Slide show\n\nTeachers Guide: 553\n\n(c) How is a leaf adapted to carry out photosynthesis? 3.Photosynthesis is a plants way of making food. List four things that a leaf must have for photosynthesis to occur.\n\n\nPhotosynthesis Grade Level: 5 th Grade Science: Plant Structures and Processes Presented by: Linda Siebert, Lincoln Academy, Arvada, CO Juliann Epple, Cardinal ...\n\n\nE XPLORING P HOTOSYNTHESIS I NTRODUCTION HRM V IDEO 1 E XPLORING P HOTOSYNTHESIS What is the most abundant protein on Earth? The answer may surprise you.\n\n\nanimated outline of photosynthesis light phase. photosynthesis dark phase u003C u003E INDEX\n\nPhotosynthesis Worksheet\n\nPhotosynthesis Worksheet . What is the overall reaction ... 3. CO 2. 5. granum. 6. light reaction. 11. Calvin Cycle. 7. NADP + 8. ADP+P_\n\nPhotosynthesis And Respiration Worksheets pdf Download\n\nPhotosynthesis and Respiration Name Date Class 1 of 2 CONCEPT REVIEW Photosynthesis and Respiration After it is labeled, the diagram below will illustrate photosynthesis.\n\nPhotosynthesis and Cell Respiration Coloring Book\n\nPhotosynthesis and Cell Respiration Coloring Book . Due Date Friday, October 23, 2009 Name_____ You will design a coloring book ...\n\nPhotosynthesis Flip Book Activity\n\nPhotosynthesis Flip Book Activity. PURPOSE: Create a neat, colorful, informative flip book that completely summarizes the process of PHOTOSYNTHESIS.\n\n2-1 Review and Reinforce\n\nPhotosynthesis Understanding Main Ideas Fill in the blanks in the photosynthesis equation below with the names ofthe missing compounds. Then answer the questions that ...\n\nCompletion On the lines provided, complete the following sentences.\n\nReviewing Key Concepts Completion On the lines provided, complete the following sentences. 1. The light-dependent reactions take place within the membranes.\n\nLife Cycle of a Plant\n\nLife Cycle of a Plant . How living things grow, live, and die 2 nd grade Science\n\nEndothermic and exothermic reactions\n\n8 . Procedures . Before showing the menu and ... and endothermic processes (melting ice , photosynthesis). ... Do exercises and gather the worksheets.\n\nPhotosynthesis Crossword\n\nAcross 1 The product of photosynthesis. (5) 4 Process by which carbon circulates around the earth as plants remove carbon from the atmosphere and animals ...\n\nName: _____\n\nName: _____ Plant Questions Circle the correct answer to each question. 1. What part of a plant makes food? a. leaves b. stem c. roots 2.\n\nChapter 8 Photosynthesis\n\nName _____Class_____Date_____ Chapter 8 Photosynthesis Design an Experiment Lab Worksheets 25 Pearson Education, ...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9991769790649414} {"content": "The Seventh Circuit solution\n\nThe needle, Watson!\n\nThe needle, Watson!\n\nMatthew David Brozik wrote here about the December 2013 Holmes copyright expiration decision out of the U.S. District of Illinois shortly after it came out. Go there to understand what the case is about, as I did.\n\nToday that District Court opinion was affirmed by the Seventh Circuit. Here’s a link to the Seventh Circuit opinion.\n\n\nThe appeal challenges the judgment on two alternative grounds. The first is that the district court had no subject-matter jurisdiction because there is no actual case or contro-versy between the parties. The second ground is that if there is jurisdiction, the estate is entitled to judgment on the merits, because, it argues, copyright on a “complex” character in a story, such as Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Watson, whose full complexity is not revealed until a later story, remains under copyright until the later story falls into the public domain. The estate argues that the fact that early stories in which Holmes or Watson appeared are already in the public do-main does not permit their less than fully “complexified” characters in the early stories to be copied even though the stories themselves are in the public domain.\n\n[T]he judge was right to assert (and retain) jurisdiction over the case, and we come to the merits, where the issue as we said is whether copyright protection of a fictional character can be extended beyond the expiration of the copyright on it because the author altered the character in a subse-quent work. In such a case, the Doyle estate contends, the original character cannot lawfully be copied without a li-cense from the writer until the copyright on the later work, in which that character appears in a different form, expires.\n\nWe cannot find any basis in statute or case law for extending a copyright beyond its expiration. When a story falls into the public domain, story elements—including characters covered by the expired copyright—become fair game for follow-on authors, as held in Silverman v. CBS Inc., 870 F.2d 40, 49–51 (2d Cir. 1989), a case much like this one. . . The court ruled that “a copyright affords protection only for original works of authorship and, consequently, copyrights in derivative works secure protection only for the incremental additions of originality contributed by the authors of the derivative works.” Id. at 49; see Leslie A. Kurtz, “The Methuselah Factor: When Characters Outlive Their Copyrights,” 11 U. Miami Entertainment & Sports L. Rev. 437, 447–48 (1994). The copyrights on the derivative works, corresponding to the copyrights on the ten last Sherlock Holmes stories, were not extended by virtue of the incremental additions of originality in the derivative works.\n\nAnd so it is in our case. The ten Holmes-Watson stories in which copyright persists are derivative from the earlier stories, so only original elements added in the later stories remain protected. Id. at 49–50. The “freedom to make new works based on public domain materials ends where the resulting derivative work comes into conflict with a valid copyright,” Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. v. X One X Productions, 644 F.3d 584, 596 (8th Cir. 2011)—as Klinger acknowledges. But there is no such conflict in this case.\n\nLacking any ground known to American law for asserting post-expiration copyright protection of Holmes and Watson in pre-1923 stories and novels going back to 1887, the estate argues that creativity will be discouraged if we don’t allow such an extension. It may take a long time for an author to perfect a character or other expressive element that first appeared in his early work. If he loses copyright on the original character, his incentive to improve the character in future work may be diminished because he’ll be competing with copiers, such as the authors whom Klinger wishes to anthologize. Of course this point has no application to the present case, Arthur Conan Doyle having died 84 years ago. More important, extending copyright protection is a two-edged sword from the standpoint of inducing creativity, as it would reduce the incentive of subsequent authors to create derivative works (such as new versions of popular fictional characters like Holmes and Watson) by shrinking the public domain. For the longer the copyright term is, the less public-domain material there will be and so the greater will be the cost of authorship, because authors will have to obtain licenses from copyright holders for more material . . .\n\n\nThe estate defines “flat” characters oddly, as ones completely and finally described in the first works in which they appear. Flat characters thus don’t evolve. Round characters do; Holmes and Watson, the estate argues, were not fully rounded off until the last story written by Doyle. What this has to do with copyright law eludes us. There are the early Holmes and Watson stories, and the late ones, and features of Holmes and Watson are depicted in the late stories that are not found in the early ones (though as we noted in the preceding paragraph some of those features are retrofitted to the earlier depictions). Only in the late stories for example do we learn that Holmes’s attitude toward dogs has changed—he has grown to like them—and that Watson has been married twice. These additional features, being (we may assume) “original” in the generous sense that the word bears in copyright law, are protected by the unexpired copy-rights on the late stories. But Klinger wants just to copy the Holmes and the Watson of the early stores, the stories no longer under copyright. The Doyle estate tells us that “no workable standard exists to protect the Ten Stories’ incre-mental character development apart from protecting the completed characters.” But that would be true only if the early and the late Holmes, and the early and the late Watson, were indistinguishable—and in that case there would be no incremental originality to justify copyright protection of the “rounded” characters (more precisely the features that makes them “rounder,” as distinct from the features they share with their earlier embodiments) in the later works.\n\n. . .\n\nThe more vague, the less “complete,” a character, the less likely it is to qualify for copyright protection. An author “could not copyright a character described merely as an un-expectedly knowledgeable old wino,” but could copyright “a character that has a specific name and a specific appear-ance. Cogliostro’s age, obviously phony title (‘Count’), what he knows and says, his name, and his faintly Mosaic facial features combine to create a distinctive character. No more is required for a character copyright.” Gaiman v. McFarlane, 360 F.3d 644, 660 (7th Cir. 2004); see also Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp., 45 F.2d 119, 121 (2d Cir. 1930) (L. Hand, J.). From the outset of the series of Arthur Conan Doyle stories and novels that began in 1887 Holmes and Watson were distinctive characters and therefore copyrightable. They were “incomplete” only in the sense that Doyle might want to (and later did) add additional features to their portrayals. The resulting somewhat altered characters were derivative works, the additional features of which that were added in the ten late stories being protected by the copyrights on those stories. The alterations do not revive the expired copyrights on the original characters.\n\nWith the net effect on creativity of extending the copy-right protection of literary characters to the extraordinary lengths urged by the estate so uncertain, and no legal grounds suggested for extending copyright protection beyond the limits fixed by Congress, the estate’s appeal borders on the quixotic. The spectre of perpetual, or at least nearly perpetual, copyright (perpetual copyright would violate the copyright clause of the Constitution, Art. I, § 8, cl. 8, which authorizes copyright protection only for “limited Times”) looms, once one realizes that the Doyle estate is seeking 135 years (1887–2022) of copyright protection for the character of Sherlock Holmes as depicted in the first Sherlock Holmes story.\n\n\nAnd that’s the way it is. Interesting how the courts have to engage in literary analysis at any level at all to get to this point, though, isn’t it? (“From the outset of the series of Arthur Conan Doyle stories and novels that began in 1887 Holmes and Watson were distinctive characters and therefore copyrightable. They were “incomplete” only in the sense that Doyle might want to (and later did) add additional features to their portrayals.”)\n\nThere’s also a nice little section on the case-and-controversy clause of the Constitution as applied to declaratory judgments, but the IP fun is in the above extended excerpt. You have to love Judge Posner’s plain-speakin’ judicial style. (“Repeatedly at the oral argument the estate’s lawyer dramatized the concept of a ’round’ character by describing large circles with his arms.” Ouch!)\n\nJust not every day. So how many times, exactly, do you want your client to read that there are “no legal grounds” for the outcome he seeks? Makes you feel like you missed something, uh, elementary, you know?\n\n\n\n\n\nAuthor:Ron Coleman\n\nI write this blog.\n\n\n\nNo comments yet.\n\nLeave a Reply", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5818765163421631} {"content": "How-to (Styling)\n\nNew ways to wear a little black dress\n\nLayer on a top: This will give you a shot of texture and can add coverage to a more bare dress. Choose one in a silky fabric to keep the overall effect dressy.\n\nmore on\n\n\n\nFashion-Foodie Collabs We Want to See\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhy Summer Fridays Are Made For Floral Dresses\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999577403068542} {"content": "Latest 25th Silver Wedding Anniversary Speech auctions\n\nJanuary 22, 2013 | By\n\nMost popular 25th silver wedding anniversary speech eBay auctions:\n\n1925 Imperial Silver Wedding\n25th silver wedding anniversary speech\n\nImage by Vintage Lulu\n1½s. purple\n\nThis stamp commemorates the 25th wedding anniversary of Yoshihito (the future Emperor Taishō) and Sadako Kujō (the future Empress Teimei) who were married on 10 May 1900.\n\nThe Taishō Emperor (31 August 1879 – 25 December 1926) was the 123rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 30 July 1912, until his death in 1926.\n\nHis personal name was Yoshihito. Like all other Japanese emperors, since his death he has been known by a posthumous name that, according to a practice dating back to 1912, is the name of the era coinciding with his reign. Having ruled during the Taishō era (Great Righteousness), he is now known as Emperor Taishō.\n\nPrince Yoshihito was born at the Aoyama Palace in Tokyo to the Meiji Emperor and Yanagiwara Naruko, a lady-in-waiting. As was common practice at the time, the Meiji emperor's consort, Empress Shōken, was officially regarded as his mother. He received the personal name of Yoshihito Shinno and the title Haru-no-miya from the emperor on September 6, 1879.\n\nPrince Yoshihito contracted meningitis within three weeks of his birth, leaving him in poor health both physically and mentally. (It has also been rumored that he suffered from lead poisoning, supposedly contracted from the powder makeup his wetnurse used.) Despite this, after his four older brothers suffered early deaths, he was officially declared heir apparent on 31 August 1887, and had his formal investiture as crown prince on 3 November 1888. While crown prince, he was known as Tōgu.\n\nAs was the practice at the time, Yoshihito was entrusted to the care of Prince Nakayama Tadayasu, in whose house he lived until the age of seven. Tutors taught the prince and selected classmates at a special school, the Gogakumonsho, within the Aoyama Detached Palace. In September 1887 the prince entered the elementary department of the Gakushuin, but due to his health problems he was often unable to continue his studies. He spent much of his youth by the sea in Atami for health reasons. Although the prince showed skill in some areas, such as horse riding, he proved to be poor in areas requiring higher-level thought. He was finally withdrawn from Gakushuin before finishing the middle school course in 1894. However, he did appear to have an aptitude for languages and continued to receive extensive tutoring in French, Chinese, and history from private tutors at the Akasaka Palace; the Meiji emperor gave Prince Takehito responsibility for taking care of Prince Yoshihito, and the two princes became friends.\n\nOn 10 May 1900, Crown Prince Yoshihito married the then 15-year-old Sadako Kujō (the future Empress Teimei), the daughter of Prince Kujō Michitaka, the head of the five senior branches of the Fujiwara clan, and had issue including the future Emperor Hirohito.\n\nOn 30 July 1912, upon the death of his father, the Meiji Emperor, Prince Yoshihito succeeded him on the throne. The Meiji era ended at once and a new era was proclaimed: the Taishō era. According to Japanese customs, the emperor has no name during his reign and is only called the (present) Emperor. Like his father, the name of the era coinciding with his reign would later become his posthumous name.\n\nThe new emperor was kept out of view of the public as much as possible. He suffered from various neurological problems throughout his life and by the late 1910s, these maladies made it all but impossible for him to carry out public functions. On one of the rare occasions he was seen in public, the 1913 opening of the Diet, he is famously reported to have rolled his prepared speech into a telescope and stared at the assembly through it. Although this is often cited as an example of his poor mental condition, others believe he may have been checking to make sure the speech was rolled up properly, as his manual dexterity was also handicapped.\n\nAs a result of his disabilities and eccentricities, the Taishō emperor became known as Baka tenno (The Mad Emperor)\n\nWorld War I occurred during the reign of the Taishō emperor, and as a result of the war, the Japanese empire expanded to include Germany's former colonies in the central Pacific Ocean (the Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands and Palau), as well as the German military port of Qingdao on Shandong peninsula on the Chinese mainland. Japan was recognized as one of the great powers in the new post-war world order, and became a founding member of the League of Nations.\n\nAfter 1919, he undertook no official duties, and Crown Prince Hirohito (who would succeed him as the Shōwa emperor) was named sesshō (prince regent) on 25 November 1921.\n\nTaishō's reclusive life was unaffected by the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923. Fortuitously, he had moved by royal train to his summer palace at Nikko the week before the disaster; but his son, the Prince Regent, remained at the Imperial Palace where he was at the heart of the event.Carrier pigeons kept the emperor informed as information about the extent of the devastation became known.\n\nIn early December 1926, it was announced that the emperor had pneumonia. Taishō died of a heart attack at 1:25 a.m. in the early morning of 25 December 1926, at the imperial palace at Hayama, on Sagami Bay south of Tokyo (in Kanagawa Prefecture).\n\nTaishō has been called the first Tokyo emperor because he was the first to live his entire life in or near the eastern capital. Taishō's father was born and reared in Kyoto; and although he later lived and died in Tokyo, Meiji's mausoleum is located on the outskirts of Kyoto. Meiji's final resting place is near the tombs of his Imperial forebears; but Taishō's grave site is to be found in Tokyo Prefecture.\n\n\nComments are closed.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6066395044326782} {"content": "REDBOOK Hair How-To: The Fishtail Chignon\n\n\"I love this look because it's truly appropriate for everything,\" says Gregory Patterson, lead stylist for blow. \"And it appears much more difficult to create than it really is.\" Wear it high, low, to the side, or embellished with an accessory—no salon trip required.\n\n\n\nStep two\n\nPull hair over one shoulder and create a fishtail braid by separating hair into two sections. Take a half-inch section from the left side, cross it over to the right, then pull it back to the left. Repeat with a half-inch section of hair from the right side and continue to the ends, securing your braid with an elastic.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7195111513137817} {"content": " tag:www.timsierra.com,2013-03-21:/blog/14006 2014-07-15T19:11:32Z Movable Type Enterprise tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1156364 2014-07-24T15:03:09Z 2014-07-15T19:11:32Z Summer has arrived, which has brought about new changes to Federal Student loans that took affect July 1st. Here are some important changes that borrowers should be aware of regarding student loans:\n\n1. Interest Rates are changing. Interest on all loans taken out on or after the first of this month will have a fixed interest rate throughout the life of the loan. The maximum rate for future student loans will not exceed 11 percent. This applies to Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford loans for undergraduates, Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans for graduate students, and Direct Graduate and Parent PLUS loans.\n\n]]> 2. Closed School Discharges. Schools shutting down can be consequential for its students. There are previous protections for these students who are in a situation where their school closes while they are attending. However, with the new rules implemented at the start of the month, time has been extended from a student having to be enrolled within 90 days of the date of the school's closing, and they are unable to complete their requirement for their degree to have their Federal Student loans discharged, to 120 days.\n\n3. New Income-Based Payment Options. New borrowers who take out their first loan on or after the 1st of July 2014 will qualify for Income-Based Repayment (IBR) that has a maximum payment of 10 percent of a borrower's disposable income, compared to the 15 percent in the old Income-Based Repayment plan. Also forgiveness of any remaining balance will be effective after 20 years, not 25.\n\n4. Relief on Defaulted Loans. The options for borrowers who default on their student loans are: rehabilitation and consolidation. The process of rehabilitation is ambiguous in deciding and settling on a calculated repayment amount. However, now as of July 2014 the process will become more standardized for all borrowers. A borrower who starts the process of rehabilitation on or after July 1st will have their payment calculated based of 15 percent of their disposable income. If that amount is too high for their financial situation, they can submit a financial hardship form to apply to have their payment re-calculated with their whole financial situation taken into account, not just their income.\n\nKnowing what new changes have been made to Federal Student Loans can be helpful to those who have taken student loans out or are planning on doing so in the future. Student loans can be an overwhelming responsibility, and if one should find themselves in debt due to student loans, they should contact an attorney who is knowledgeable about such debt, to help guide and assist a debtor to a financially stable life.\n\nWork Cited:\n\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1156363 2014-07-23T17:00:55Z 2014-07-15T18:52:43Z Many people who are in debt or once were are well familiar with the constant attention from debt collectors. Debt collectors can be persistent and cause a lot of stress for those who are in debt, by hassling them at inappropriate times or trying to contact others personally to get more information about the debtor in question. Luckily, the federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) makes certain collection procedures illegal for debt collectors to implement. Knowing what debt collectors can and cannot do is important as an individual to understand that you have rights that protect you from collection harassment.\n\n]]> The FDCPA (15 U.S.C. §§ 1692 to 1692p) applies to debt collectors and lawyers who are assigned to collect a debt. They need to have been assigned to a debt collection after default, ownership of the debt is irrelevant, and all debt collectors are subject to the FDCPA. Under FDCPA prohibited communications of debt collectors include:\n\n· Contact with third parties that is unauthorized; third parties include: neighbors, friends, family, and the work place, boss, secretary, or HR department\n\n· If a debt collector was previously told not to contact the client specifically at work, then they are not permitted to make calls to the work place\n\n· Contact with a client after a cease and desist letter has been sent\n\n· Contact after an attorney has been brought on to represent a client\n\nFDCPA also gives protection from harassment and abuse of collectors in the case of:\n\n· Violent threats\n\n· Obscene language\n\n· An excessive amount of phone calls\n\nClients are also protected from false or misleading representations by creditors:\n\n· Cannot misrepresent amount or status of debt\n\n· Cannot lie about if they are an attorney or not\n\n· Cannot threaten: arrest for failure to pay debt, illegal activity, or a lawsuit when not intended to pursue a lawsuit\n\n· Cannot misrepresent credit information\n\n· Misrepresentation of business name is not allowed\n\n· Cannot have a legal process represented as a NOT legal process and vice versa\n\nUnfair practices that are prohibited under FDCPA are:\n\n· Cannot collect amount unless authorized by law or documentation\n\n· Checks made more than 5 days out\n\n· Threatening repossession with the legal right to do so\n\n· Sending out a postcard with the debt posted\n\nBeing aware of your rights as an individual in cases such as debt collector harassment is important. If you are experiencing any form of harassment from debt collectors, consider contacting an attorney who is well knowledgeable on protection against debt collectors, and will help you get out of debt as quick as possible.\n\nWorks Cited\n\nCohen, Joshua R.I. Student Loan Law Workshop. Law Office of Joshua R.I. Cohen, LLC, 20 Apr. 2013.\n\nLeonard, R., & Reiter, M. (2013). Solve your money troubles: debt, credit & bankruptcy (14th ed.). Berkeley, CA: Nolo Press.\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1167111 2014-07-23T09:04:48Z 2014-07-23T09:03:49Z Although just about everyone in the Tampa area, and elsewhere, understands the dangers of having too much debt, that doesn’t stop most Americans from carrying their fair share of unpaid credit card debt. Credit card debt can lead to a lot of financial problems both in the present and in the future. However, there may be some good news for the overall credit card debt picture in the country.\n\nAccording to reports from the American Bankers Association, the percentage of cardholders who completely paid their balances off in the fourth quarter of last year rose to 29 percent from 28.6 percent. Although the jump is not a major increase it is a positive step in the right direction. Meantime, recent statistics also show that there has been a decline in the number of credit card delinquencies as well. Both of these numbers indicate that Americans may be learning how to better use their credit cards.\n\n]]> In fact, at just 2.44 percent, the number of delinquent credit card accounts in the first quarter of this year was far below the 15-year average of 3.82 percent. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Bank recently noted that only 8.5 percent of all credit card accounts were seriously delinquent in the first quarter this year. That represents the lowest total since 2003 when the Federal Reserve first began tracking those numbers.\n\nAlthough these numbers represent positive signs that American’s are learning to better use their credit cards, there are still many people who need help getting out of credit card debt. If you are one of those people who are facing serious credit card problems, then you might want to speak with a bankruptcy attorney as soon as you can.\n\nSource: The Washington Post, “Credit car debt is on the rise. Here's why that's not a bad thing,” Danielle Douglas, July 10, 2014.\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1154112 2014-07-17T12:00:42Z 2014-07-14T19:42:06Z In last week's blog we discussed ways to get extensions on paying off student loans, one way being deferments. This week we will discuss another solution to extending payments: forbearance. Forbearance, just like a deferment allows a borrower to temporally postpone payments on student loans and/or reduce the amount one pays monthly on those loans.\n\n]]> Forbearance is a solution to look into if you do not qualify for a deferment. With Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) forbearance can be requested and qualified for over the phone, where a deferment requires a borrower to send in an application to qualify. Forbearance with a FFEL requires a written notice to the borrower from the loan holder within 30 days of the request, confirming the forbearance. Forbearance may allow for up to a year without making payments or reduce payments on loans; however, interest still accrues on loans throughout the duration of forbearance.\n\nThere are two types of forbearances: discretionary and mandatory. Regulations on FFEL make a distinction between the two, but the Direct Loan Program does not. To qualify for a discretionary forbearance it has to be prior to filing for bankruptcy, because if a request for forbearance is placed after bankruptcy a borrower is technically defaulting on their forbearance. However, this does not mean that forbearance is not possible after filing for bankruptcy; it is just more complicated to be granted. A discretionary forbearance is permitted if the guaranty agency is able to determine if a borrower is eligible for discharge of the loan because of an unpaid refund, they attended a closed school, or if applicable the endorser of the loan went bankrupt. A forbearance is granted also during the period after reliable information is received indicating a borrower (or student, in the case of a Direct PLUS loan) has died or become permanently disabled, therefore the parent who took out the loan would be granted forbearance. Forbearance for poor health or other personal problems, under Stafford Loans have no maximum time, but on a Perkins Loan there is a maximum of three years the discretionary forbearance is active.\n\nA mandatory forbearance requires the borrower to request directly from the loan holder and provide documents to qualify. To qualify for a mandatory forbearance on a FFEL, a borrower must not be able to pay off the loan within 10 years of taking it out. Mandatory forbearance is granted if monthly payments on student loans are more than 20% of total monthly income; however, documentation of income and other necessary information is required. Mandatory forbearance also applies if you are a teacher who is performing teaching services that would qualify you for teacher loan forgiveness. Also borrowers who are on active military duty qualify for forbearance, and those who have a medical or dental internship, or in a residency program. Exceptional circumstances that apply to this type of forbearance include: a national emergency or if national area is declared a disaster area by government.\n\nStudent loan debt is a very serious issue in today's economy with thousands of borrowers facing debt, and potentially bankruptcy. Knowing that there are temporary solutions to paying off debt, can give a borrower time to get back on their feet financially, thus being able to make regular monthly payments on their loans. If you should find yourself over your head in debt, and not sure how to handle your financial situation, look for an attorney who is experienced in dealing with debt from student loans.\n\nWorks Cited\n\n\nNational Consumer Law Center, Student Loan Law (4th ed. 2010).\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1154100 2014-07-16T15:27:36Z 2014-07-14T19:31:16Z When a person sets up an Individual retirement account for themselves they usually are thinking that if something should happen to them, then their account is under the possession of the beneficiary of their choice. Which is true, however, when a person sets up an IRA with a chosen beneficiary do they think about if this account can be affected financially, such as through a bankruptcy. No, most IRA owners do not. This is because too many people who do have IRAs or have inherited those from an original owner never realize that if faced with bankruptcy their inherited IRA is at risk.\n\n]]> Individual Retirement Accounts are protected under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005. However, recently a lot of controversy has been up for debate about whether this act applies to IRAs that are inherited.\n\nThe decision that an IRA that is inherited from its original owner loses its protection from bankruptcy has been made recently by the Supreme Court for many reasons; one of which is that they feel that inherited IRAs do not have the same characteristics of a \"retirement\" account. Such characteristics of inherited IRAs are:\n\n· Beneficiaries cannot add money to inherited IRAs, where original owners of an IRA are free to do so as they please.\n\n· Inherited IRAs require minimum distributions to start within a year of the inheritance, no matter how many years that beneficiary is from retirement.\n\n· Inheritors of the account can take out as many distributions whenever they want, where IRA owners usually need to wait until they are 59 ½ before beginning to take out a distribution from the account without penalty.\n\nIt is important to keep in mind that this Supreme Court decision applies to inherited IRAs that have beneficiaries other than the original owner's spouse.\n\nFlorida debtors need to be aware that inherited IRA's may be claimed as exempt under Florida Statute 222.21(2)(c) as that statute has been recently amended to clarify existing law regarding the exemption of inherited IRA'S. However, the legislature then left the requirement that the inherited IRA still be maintained in accordance with a plan or governing instrument that has been determined by the Internal Revenue Service to be exempt from taxation under s. 401(a), s. 403(a), s. 403(b), s. 408, s. 408A, s. 409, s. 414, s. 457(b), or s. 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. There are no reported decisions regarding the amended statute. Therefore, the creditors may not let this one pass without a challenge.\n\nFrom this recent debate many beneficiaries of inherited IRAs who are at risk of facing a bankruptcy can be largely affected. To protect your own retirement account from bankruptcy, one should consider naming a trust as their IRA beneficiary. In doing this it gives your heirs better protection of savings against bankruptcy. However, you need to consider many factors before moving forward and finding a trust. The size of your IRA and how likely it is that your beneficiaries will run into problems with creditors or face a bankruptcy, are issues to think about before making a decision.\n\nTo help make your decision, if need be, a less stressful one you should contact an attorney experienced with handling Individual Retirement Accounts and who has knowledge of bankruptcies. In taking these steps and precautions you can protect your wealth and know that your loved ones will be taken care of, if something should happen.\n\nWork Cited:\n\nEd Slott and Company - IRA, Tax, Retirement Planning Articles, Insight (Supreme Court: Inherited IRAs are NOT Retirement Accounts ... and What This Means For You ~)\n\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1153089 2014-07-14T08:45:14Z 2014-07-14T08:44:14Z Just about everyone in the Tampa area, or anywhere else in the United States, carries some kind of debt. Debt is typically not a good thing to have and in some cases it can lead to greater financial problems, like foreclosures and bankruptcies. There are many kinds of debt that affect people from all walks of life, but one of the most common forms that people are dealing with these days is medical debt.\n\nNot only is having medical debt damaging to a person’s financial status, but medical debt can also be damaging to a person’s credit score. In fact, according to reports once a person has been hit with unpaid medical debt on his or her credit report, it can be very difficult to remove it from a credit report. One of the biggest problems with medical debt is that many people aren’t even aware that have it, until it gets sent to a collection agency.\n\n]]> When people get a negative mark on their credit scores then their scores could go down. Whenever someone’s score goes down, then his or her ability to receive credit can be hindered. In addition, even after a person does pay the debt the negative mark on the credit score is usually there to stay. Essentially the only way one can get it removed is if the report was not correct.\n\nAny kind of debt is bad, including medical debt. If you find that you’re in financial hot water that you just can’t seem to overcome by your own means, then you might want to consider seeking the help of an experienced bankruptcy attorney.\n\nSource: The Roanoke Times, “Medical debt on credit reports often difficult to remove,” June 29, 2014.\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1144091 2014-07-07T06:39:17Z 2014-07-07T06:38:17Z Many people want to live the “American dream,” which often includes time spent earning a degree at a college or university. Having a degree can be very beneficial for those who want to carve out a path of financial prosperity. However, paying for a college education is often very expensive and many students in the Tampa area, and elsewhere, graduate in serious debt. So what if the private sector helped students overcome this debt?\n\nAccording to reports, the amount of student loan debt in America is in the neighborhood of $1.3 trillion. For many students getting out of debt is nearly impossible, which means long-term financial troubles are almost inevitable. However, what would happen if the private sector started an Adopt-a-Student Loan program to help ease the burden of student loan debt?\n\n]]> According to reports, coffee chain Starbucks recently introduced a program that will allow any and all of its 135,000 employees go to college for free. Starbuck’s new policy is evidence that the private sector is indeed interested in helping ease the burden of student loan debt. By implementing a sector-wide program, businesses could help the country pay off the 1.3 trillion in debt as well as give the economy a much-needed boost.\n\nBeing in any kind of debt can be hard and getting out of debt can be almost impossible for some people. Making important financial decisions now can affect your future for years to come. That’s why if you have unmanageable debt then you might need to speak with an experienced bankruptcy attorney as soon as you can.\n\nSource: ABC News, “Could an adopt-a-loan program take a bite out of student debt?,” Adam Levin, June 22, 2014.\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1135564 2014-07-03T11:23:03Z 2014-07-02T19:36:45Z Today many students when thinking of applying to college they ask themselves, \"How can I afford tuition?\" From there they see taking out Student Loans as the only solution to achieve their dreams of gaining a college degree. Taking out loans could lead to borrowers being overwhelmed by debt; therefore they become unable to repay their loans in time, and are forced to deal with default. For debtors who feel like they have no way out they seek to file for bankruptcy. However, student loans are not the only way affording college is possible.\n\n]]> There is a solution to pay for college and avoid mountains of debt, save. Saving is achievable for families of all socio-economic classes.\n\nFamilies in the lower-income bracket are familiar with saving, and not to say that other higher-income families do not save, they do. However, families with lower-incomes are more aware with where their money is being spent. Some families who do not have money put away for their children's' college education may not be educated themselves on the time and amount of savings one should put towards college tuition. This may be because they never went to college; regardless they want their children to have more opportunities they were not able to have.\n\nEducation on how to afford college is important for families to learn. Through research and programs families will see that student loans aren't the only option. They learn how important it is to set aside money for their children's future and all the other expenses that come along with a college education. Other factors that parents, families and students should take into account along with saving is Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), scholarships, standardized tests and their child's GPA.\n\nAlthough the cost of a college education will never be completely covered by savings alone, however saving is important. When families set aside money for college they will see that there are colleges out there with a tuition that they can afford with their savings. Student's personal savings and wages are also a big part of affording college.\n\nThrough saving, one realizes on a stronger level the time and resources they utilize to prepare for college. Saving sparks a commitment from families to seek out other sources of funding college, such as scholarships and grants, etc.\n\nTo help families save, in some states the government is setting up College Saving Accounts (CSAs), where parents are able to open these accounts as soon as their child is born or when they are in Kindergarten. Accounts such as these come with incentives and awards. To change the mindset and hardship of taking out student loans as a means to afford college the government needs to promote savings among Americans and help them realize the benefits of receiving a college education.\n\nWork Cited:\n\nStudent Loans Aren't The Only Way To Pay For College (Cognoscenti)\n\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1132015 2014-07-01T09:23:41Z 2014-07-01T09:22:42Z Although having a large credit card bill is common among most Americans, sometimes people get stuck with credit card debt that is not even their own. So how does that happen? Because just about everyone has unpaid credit card bills, those bills are still around after a person dies. Just because a person in the Tampa area dies, that doesn’t mean his or her credit card debt gets buried with him or her.\n\nOne of the reasons some people get stuck with paying off their loved one’s credit card debts is that many wills include language that in effect directs the executor to pay off the person’s debts before paying his or her beneficiaries. However, there are some measures one can take if he or she has been left in this position. Although most banks wouldn’t publicize it, according to several attorneys their clients have found banks to be more willing to settle when a person has died.\n\n]]> One of the reasons for this is that banks and credit card companies realize that a bad credit score is no longer a threat to a deceased person. Therefore, they typically are more willing to take a smaller settlement if they can get it, especially if they get it all in one payment. Another reason is that credit card companies would rather not get collection agencies involved. They can avoid this by taking a lump sum payment that is two-thirds or even half of the total debt.\n\nIf you have been stuck with a deceased loved one’s credit card debt, then you might want to speak with an experienced bankruptcy attorney who can help you with the many different aspects that kind of situation involves.\n\nSource: Forbes, “How to cope with credit card bills after a family member dies,” Deborah L. Jacobs, June 18, 2014.\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1124793 2014-06-26T11:00:02Z 2014-06-25T18:06:43Z Student loans can be overwhelming, especially in today's economy where there are over $1 trillion of student loan debt in America. Borrowers who are just out of school and need to begin to think about paying off their loans should keep in mind that there are multiple payment options out there. Many people are in different financial situations and along with the right payment plan one can find loan payments less stressful.\n\nWith a Direct Loan a borrower can qualify for Income Contingent Repayment (ICR). This option considers payments based off of income and balance of loan. Parent PLUS loans cannot use the ICR repayment plan; however a consolidated loan that contains Parent PLUS is eligible for ICR.\n\n]]> Another payment option for student loans is Income Based Repayment (IBR). IBR became effective in 2009. It is useful for those who qualify if the IBR payment is less than the 10-year standard student loan repayment. A restriction to qualify for IBR is if the loan is a Perkin's loan. However, if the Perkin's loan is consolidated than it can be considered for the IBR option. Parent PLUS loans do not qualify, even if they are consolidated.\n\nWhen it comes to filing for Income Based Repayment, declaring family size includes all dependents supported at least half-time, regardless of tax status or physical custody. If a married couple wants to file for IBR together, both incomes will be used in calculating monthly payments. If married and a couple wants to file separately, only the borrower's income will be used in decided on payments.\n\nAnew payment plan, which became effective in 2012, is Pay As You Earn (PAYE) is. PAYE takes 10% of a borrower's disposable income and puts it toward paying off the student loans. This option decreases forgiveness time from the standard 25 years, to 20 years. To be able to qualify, a loan cannot be taken prior to October of 2008 and new loans need to have originated after Fall 2011. Similar to IBR, PAYE cannot be used with Parent PLUS loans.\n\nKnowing which payment plan is best for you to pay off loans realistically and quickly as possible is important in order to avoid going into default due to late payments and overwhelming interest rates. One might consider contacting an attorney who specializes in student loans debt if they find themselves facing problems such as default, which can sometimes lead to bankruptcy. A qualified attorney can help one get out of debt and back on track to a financially stable life.\n\nWorks Cited:\n\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1124524 2014-06-25T14:13:04Z 2014-06-25T14:18:05Z The longer someone recovering from a recent bankrupcty waits to refinance a mortgage, the easier the process of refinancing becomes. This is because it is important to rebuild a credit score before applying to refinance a home. If one tries to do so before a year has passed since they declared bankruptcy they could potentially see themselves facing high interest charges. Giving yourself time to recoup from a recent bankruptcy will be more beneficial in the long run. Usually one to two years after a bankruptcy is a decent amount of time to rebuild one's credit score. Having a better credit score when looking to refinance, will make interest rates much more affordable.\n\nMortgage refinance companies do not only look at how much time has passed since a borrower's bankruptcy, they also need to see proof of re-established credit. This can be represented through a safe and secure credit card, and a loan taken out on a car. Safely rebuilding your credit before opting to refinance puts you in a good position, that when you meet with refinance companies they see you as a good credit risk for them. To keep a clean and responsible credit report, use a credit card for small purchases; when you do so the payments each month on the card won't be overwhelming.\n\n]]> Maintaining low credit card bills is a big step in recovering from bankruptcy, and also when looking to refinance. If someone runs up high credit bills or does not have a zero balance on their cards at the end of each month, a mortgage lender who is looking at you as a possible client will see you as nothing more than an unreliable financial risk. To them you will be seen as falling back into a cycle of adding up debt and regressing back to a financial state before bankruptcy. Do not fall back into old habits. Show mortgage companies that you have changed and that you are reliable candidate to refinance.\n\nFollowing good money saving and credit building tips as mention throughout our Bounce Back from Bankruptcy blog series, will get you on the right track to refinancing. Not only will it allow you to refinance but you can confidently continue moving forward to maintaining a financially stable lifestyle.\n\nWorks Cited\n\nRyan, Paula Langguth. Bounce Back from Bankruptcy: A Step-by-step Guide to Getting Back on Your Financial Feet. Tracys Landing, MD: Pellingham Casper Communications, 1998. Print.\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1123113 2014-06-24T10:52:14Z 2014-06-24T10:51:14Z There are many people in the Tampa area and elsewhere who use student loans in order to get through college. Although getting a degree can be very useful in life, the cost of studying at a university can be very high. Unfortunately, finding a good-paying job after graduation can also be difficult. That means that many people who earn their degrees have a very difficult time paying off their student loans on time and this can lead to long-term financial problems.\n\n\n\n\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1116496 2014-06-19T10:30:33Z 2014-06-19T14:15:38Z Student loans can get overwhelming to handle on your own, and many couples who get married think it is a good idea to consolidate their student loans to make paying off the loans less of a burden. It's not.\n\nMarried couples have the potential to get divorced due to financial hardships, however once they are divorced from each other it doesn't mean their financial ties disappear, such as Federal Joint Consolidation loans. A Federal Joint Consolidation loan that was made while married cannot be reversed.\n\n]]> To fix the problem many divorced couples try to allocate the percentage of liability to each side. Some try to split the loans 50/50; others, by how much each party initially contributed to the loan.\n\nHowever, allocation does not work due to several reasons. One being that, attorneys cannot possibly know that each party will make regular payments, on time for the remainder of the loan. The payments could take over 30 years with monthly payment plans.\n\nAnother issue to take into account is how willing the parties are to corporate with each other. This could mean that they might have to submit income information in order for one side to qualify for Income Based Repayment (IBR). If one or both of the divorcees have gotten remarried, it is highly unlikely that the spouses of either party are willing to disclose personal financial information so one side can benefit. Liability of loan payments remain with the couple regardless if they are now divorced. This means that if one party fails to make a payment the other faces the repercussions also.\n\nMany divorced couples do not want to communicate with each other after the divorce is final. Having Joint Consolidated student loans with your ex causes a lot of problems with cooperating in paying the previously consolidated loans.\n\nIt is important if one does find themselves in a situation such as dealing with paying off joined student loans with an ex-spouse, to contact the right legal help to mediate and guide you to a debt free life.\n\nWork Cited:\n\nBeware the Nightmare Loan - Federal Joint Consolidation Loans (The Student Loan Lawyer CT Attorney Joshua Cohen)\n\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1115306 2014-06-18T16:05:40Z 2014-06-17T18:57:57Z Many people who have filed for and gone through the process of declaring bankruptcy fear they jobs might be at stake. However, it is unlikely that if you have gone through bankruptcy that your boss will even find out about it.\n\nThe only time they would know that you have experienced bankruptcy is if you needed a security clearance or your employer ran a credit check on you. Even so, in most cases when an employer does find out about an employee's bankruptcy they will support them in the decision to declare bankruptcy. \n\n]]> Declaring bankruptcy can be a relief in many ways. You won't be constantly worrying about finances and you can redirect your focus back toward your job. Also creditors will cease calls to the office, ending them hassling you for collection fees. Finally your boss won't have to go through the trouble of setting up wage garnishments, making them see your finances less of a burden to them personally.\n\nEven with the small inconveniences that going through a bankruptcy has on your job: time off work due to court hearings, paycheck deductions, etc., an employer cannot punish you for those reasons. Due to section 525 of the bankruptcy code, it would be considered discriminatory if an employer were to fire someone solely because they were going through bankruptcy.\n\nEmployers want their employees to be productive and hardworking when on the job; in some cases when an employee is facing bankruptcy, employers are willing to cover the attorney fees so that they can help their employees get back to focusing on work, and not worrying about affording attorney bills and paying off accumulated debt.\n\nIn order to get back to work in a timely manner when going through a bankruptcy, it is important to seek out a bankruptcy attorney that is experienced in your case. You want an attorney that cares about your situation and is willing to work with you, helping you to get on track to maintaining a debt fee life.\n\nWorks Cited\n\n\n tag:www.timsierra.com,2014:/blog//14006.1112827 2014-06-16T09:11:30Z 2014-06-16T09:10:30Z It seems that just about everyone is living in debt these days. There are constant reports of people struggling with their finances and all the problems that come because of those financial issues. One of the many issues that people in debt in the Tampa area face, as well as anywhere else, is the negative effect debt has on their credit report.\n\nAlthough other types of debt may come to mind first, the fact is, millions of people in the United States are behind the eight ball when it comes to their unpaid medical care. The reasons for that debt are many, but the rising cost of healthcare and some questionable decisions and policies by healthcare providers are two of the most notable. Because of these issues many patients’ bills can quickly jump to tens of thousands of dollars.\n\n]]> Meantime, according to a new study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, those large bills are leading to excessive medical debt. In turn, that debt is having a harsh effect on the nation’s credit scores. When a person has a bad credit score it can affect him or her in many ways, including the ability to get a loan. Medical debt was also the leading cause of bankruptcies in 2013.\n\nWhether it’s medical debt, credit card debt or any other kind of debt, when a person in Tampa can’t get out of the red on his or her own, then he or she might have to consider filing for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a very serious matter and should not be entered into lightly. If you’re having trouble paying off your medical debt and have considered bankruptcy, then you might want to speak with an experienced bankruptcy attorney first.\n\nSource: PFhub, “Study finds medical debt ruining American credit reports,” Andrew Moran, June 1, 2014.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5412577390670776} {"content": "Meuble à fards, a 1924 prototype in red lacquer From the book 'Ruhlmann' by Florence Camard/Rizzoli\n\nJacques Émile Ruhlmann in 1925 From the book 'Ruhlmann' by Florence Camard/Rizzoli\n\nNicolle liquor cabinet, a version of which sold recently at Christie's for $2,127,854 From the book 'Ruhlmann' by Florence Camard/Rizzoli\n\nLiquor cabinet on skis in macassar ebony From the book 'Ruhlmann' by Florence Camard/Rizzoli\n\n'Ruhlmann' by Florence Camard (Rizzoli) F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal\n\nReuter table with shagreen and ivory marquetry From the book 'Ruhlmann' by Florence Camard/Rizzoli\n\nCollectionneur chest in black lacquer From the book 'Ruhlmann' by Florence Camard/Rizzoli\n\nNo designer has come to stand for the glamorous 1920s and '30s more definitively than Jacques Émile Ruhlmann, with his exquisite marquetry of ivory and rare woods, sumptuous textiles and gleaming metal accents. But to understand Ruhlmann instead of merely admire him, we have to understand how this tastemaking Parisian decorator and furniture designer was seen in his time. This was an era in which a decorator—not a soldier, not an athlete, but a designer—could be celebrated as a national hero for what he had done for France. \"Ruhlmann,\" decorative arts scholar Florence Camard's definitive new book on the designer, helps us grasp this.\n\nRuhlmann was known in his day as \"The Riesener of the 20th century.\" That may not mean much to us, but it was high praise indeed. Jean-Henri Riesener was ebeniste (cabinetmaker) to Louis XVI, pupil of the great Oeben (maker of Louis XV's desk), and the man considered the greatest of his trade, among not inconsiderable competition, in the last quarter of the 18th century. In this period, furniture-making was king of the decorative arts, a field then viewed as the equal to painting or architecture. Signed pieces, seen as objects capable of the highest expression of national culture—and among the most expensive—were frequently given as gifts of state between monarchs. Great ebenistes went broke trying to outdo each other's creations. Or, consumed with passion for the work of a competitor and powerless to resist its poetry, they bought for themselves furniture that would have burdened the treasury as a gift for Catherine the Great. It was not rational, but that is what is so compelling. Think of it as a French thing. The decorative arts were seen as a kind of physical opera, every bit as drama-filled and with equivalent power to express. The sums lavished on the furniture made for Versailles were greater than the money spent for architecture and landscape gardening combined. Only the wars cost more.\n\nSo, by invoking this glorious past at the birth of Art Deco—a time when modes of artistic expression were discussed on street corners—the designs of Jacques Émile Ruhlmann were seen not just as beautiful, but as the second coming of a golden age of French decorative arts. Ruhlmann's mission was one of reviving that country's preeminence in a field it had not dominated for 150 years, and in an entirely new avant-garde vocabulary: modernism. That Ruhlmann's magnificent furniture and interiors succeeded in doing this has never been in much doubt. Christie's recent sale of the contents of the Château de Gourdon has reaffirmed Ruhlmann's continuous ascent in value to collectors (Lot 14, a black lacquer Tardieu desk and chair, sold for $3,272,857. Lot 18, a chaise longue, sold for $4,067,997). But what this book shows beautifully is the mechanics and process by which it was accomplished, and how it revived levels of craft not seen since the 18th century. Consider this, on the subject of fabricating a trademark detail: \"Just as an example, the average amount of time it took to create a spindle leg for an article of furniture was more than a week's work—52 to 54 hours.\" We can all admire pieces by Ruhlmann as exquisite objects, but equally astonishing is the fact that a successful business was built around this sort of perfectionism. Ms. Camard's book takes us inside the workshop, a place in many ways more fascinating than the showroom.\n\nJacques Émile Ruhlmann began his career as a painter and textile designer, with, amazingly, no formal training in cabinetmaking. In addition to being a master craftsman, he was an eminently likeable fellow. He was a good husband and a supportive uncle to his nephew whose career he helped launch. Ruhlmann was also a courageous and successful businessman until confronted by the Great Depression, an abyss no one could decorate their way out of. In doubtful taste I must credit him with having had the good instinct to die in 1933, before economic circumstances probably would have forced him to close up shop. Unlike his equally talented colleague Jean-Michel Frank, who jumped out the window a few years later, Ruhlmann played by the rules and didn't let anybody down. It's hard to form a \"cult of the artist\" around a personality so hardworking and dependable, and the biographical details of Ms. Camard's book are consequently not the most exciting part. What is exciting is her portrait of a man totally in love with his craft, and of a time when such collective attention was focused on the power of the arts to narrate a nation's progress. Much the opposite is the case now.\n\nMs. Camard's account of her subject's life is exhaustive, and it is difficult to imagine there will be any further books on Ruhlmann after this one. But in such extensive documentation are the nuggets that don't make it into a coffee table book, and tell the real story. My favorite and one of the most expressive is buried on page 61. If you seek evidence that Jacques Émile Ruhlmann was truly an artist—not just a purveyor of luxury but a singular talent who would have found expression in any era, in any medium and in any economic context—look at the red chalk drawing of his father on that page. Since we all know what this means, I'll say it: Riesener himself could not have done better.\n\n—David Netto is a Los Angeles–based writer, designer and creative director of the Maclaren Nursery furniture line.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5176777839660645} {"content": "Last Updated: Friday, 25 July 2014, 10:23 GMT\n\n2012 Trafficking in Persons Report - Canada\n\nPublisher United States Department of State\nPublication Date 19 June 2012\nCite as United States Department of State, 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report - Canada, 19 June 2012, available at: [accessed 25 July 2014]\n\nCANADA (Tier 1)\n\nCanada is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking, and a destination country for adults subjected to forced labor. Canadian women and girls are exploited in sex trafficking across the country, and women and girls from aboriginal communities are especially vulnerable. Foreign women, primarily from Asia and Eastern Europe, are subjected to sex trafficking as well, often in brothels and massage parlors. Law enforcement officials continue to report the involvement of organized crime in sex trafficking, including domestic street gangs known for their involvement in prostitution activities, as well as transnational criminal organizations. Labor trafficking victims include foreign workers from Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa who enter Canada legally, but then are subsequently subjected to forced labor in agriculture, construction, sweatshops and processing plants, the hospitality sector, or as domestic servants. During the year, officials identified an increased number of forced labor cases involving foreign victims, including several cases of domestic servitude. Reports of forced labor continue to be more prevalent in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Service providers in Ontario and Manitoba reported that traffickers coerced foreign victims to commit petty criminal activities, making victims more vulnerable to being threatened with criminal charges or deportation. Canada is also a significant source country for child sex tourists, who travel abroad to engage in sex acts with children.\n\nThe Government of Canada fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. During the past year, the Canadian government maintained law enforcement efforts and achieved its first labor trafficking convictions, as well as sustaining victim protection and prevention efforts. However, limited coordination between the federal and provincial governments on anti-trafficking efforts continued to hamper more effective collaboration and there were few specialized services for trafficking victims.\n\nRecommendations for Canada: Intensify efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses, and convict and sentence trafficking offenders using anti-trafficking laws; increase use of proactive law enforcement techniques to investigate trafficking cases, including all allegations of forced labor among migrant workers; enhance specialized care services available to trafficking victims, in partnership with civil society; increase efforts to educate police, prosecutors, and judges about trafficking and how to effectively use Canadian anti-trafficking laws; establish formal mechanisms for officials to identify trafficking victims and refer them to protection services; increase investigations and prosecutions of Canadian child sex tourists abroad; continue efforts to improve trafficking data collection; and strengthen coordination among national and provincial governments on law enforcement and victim services.\n\n\nThe Government of Canada increased law enforcement actions against trafficking offenders over the last year, and achieved its first conviction for forced labor, which was also the first conviction in a case involving foreign victims. Section 279.01 of the Canadian Criminal Code prohibits all forms of human trafficking, prescribing a penalty of up to 14 years' imprisonment, and related statutes prohibit receiving benefits from trafficking, and withholding or destroying a victim's identity documents to facilitate trafficking. Section 279.011 specifically prohibits trafficking of children under the age of 18 and establishes a five-year mandatory minimum sentence. Such penalties are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with those for other serious crimes, such as sexual assault. Section 279.04(a) defines \"exploitation\" for purposes of the trafficking offenses as engaging in conduct which causes a victim to provide labor or a service because they reasonably believe their safety, or the safety of a person known to them, is threatened. Some NGOs and law enforcement officers believe that this definition is restrictively narrow. Section 118 of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, enacted in 2002, prohibits transnational human trafficking, prescribing a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and the equivalent of a $1 million fine. In March 2012, the Ontario Court of Appeals ruled unconstitutional federal statutes prohibiting living on the avails of prostitution and operating bawdy houses; these statutes are frequently used in human trafficking prosecutions.\n\nIn addition to ongoing investigations, there were at least 57 ongoing human trafficking prosecutions as of February 2012: these cases involved at least 94 accused trafficking offenders and 158 victims, though it is unclear how many prosecutions were initiated during the reporting period. This compares with 46 ongoing trafficking prosecutions in the previous reporting period, involving 68 defendants and 80 victims. Authorities reported that all but four of these cases involved domestic sex trafficking. The government reported three sex trafficking convictions under trafficking-specific laws that occurred during the reporting period, in contrast to two convictions under trafficking-specific laws obtained during the preceding reporting period. One convicted trafficking offender had not yet been sentenced at the end of the reporting period; of the two remaining offenders, one received a sentence of 30 months' imprisonment, including credit for pre-trial custody, and the other a sentence of time served after 374 days in custody. Prosecutors convicted at least six trafficking offenders under other sections of the criminal code, including provisions against living on the proceeds of prostitution, and sexual assault; this compares with six such convictions obtained during the preceding reporting period. The six convicted received sentences ranging from two years' suspended to nine years' imprisonment.\n\nIn addition, in January and February 2012, officials achieved the first convictions for labor trafficking in an ongoing case involving Hungarian men exploited in Ontario. Three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit human trafficking, and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 24 months' to six years' imprisonment, including pre-trial custody. In August 2011, the Attorney General of British Columbia filed a civil forfeiture claim to seize the home of a woman charged with human trafficking, alleging that the home was an instrument of crime, as the victim had been subjected to domestic servitude; the case is currently before the courts. Not all cases of human trafficking are identified as such, and some judges and prosecutors were reportedly reluctant or unwilling to pursue human trafficking charges.\n\nLimited coordination between the federal and provincial governments on anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts continued to be a challenge. Last year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) continued extensive anti-trafficking training efforts for law enforcement officers, border service officers, and prosecutors; these efforts included launching an online anti-trafficking course for Canadian law enforcement, conducting awareness sessions for labor inspectors in Ontario and Quebec, and conducting workshops for over 700 law enforcement officials. Labor inspectors in Quebec received training on how to identify trafficking victims. The Canadian government reported collaborating with foreign governments on several trafficking investigations and did not report investigating, prosecuting, convicting, or sentencing any public officials for complicity in human trafficking.\n\n\nThe government maintained protections for trafficking victims during the reporting period, though most victim services offered by the government are general services offered to victims of crimes. Immigration officials continued implementing guidelines to assess whether foreign nationals are potential victims of trafficking. There were no nationwide procedures, however, for other government officials to proactively identify and assist trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, such as women in prostitution or migrant workers. Officials did not collect comprehensive statistics on the total number of trafficking victims identified and assisted during the year. Provincial and territorial governments had primary responsibilities for general crime victim services, which are available to trafficking victims, and the range and quality of these services varied. However, most jurisdictions provided trafficking victims with access to shelter services, short-term counseling, court assistance, and other services, often through funding NGOs to provide these services. One NGO ran a dedicated shelter for trafficking victims in Vancouver and received government funding: it assisted 12 victims during the year. The government did not report funding or operating other dedicated facilities for trafficking victims. Female trafficking victims could receive services at 82 shelters designed for victims of violence, and in some cases, shelters for homeless persons provided basic services to male trafficking victims. The demand for some services, such as longer-term assisted housing, generally exceeded resources. Some law enforcement officials and NGOs indicated that the lack of specialized services was problematic, and noted that increased protection of victims could result in greater cooperation with law enforcement.\n\nNGOs noted that provincial referral mechanisms, often involving a local anti-trafficking network or coalition, worked well in practice; however, some NGOs reported that communication between different actors, such as law enforcement officials and service providers, was uneven. Provinces and territories had primary responsibility for enforcing labor standards. Civil society organizations, however, reported that the provincial and territorial governments often lacked adequate resources and personnel to effectively monitor the labor conditions of increasing numbers of temporary foreign workers or to proactively identify human trafficking victims among such groups.\n\nUndocumented foreign trafficking victims in Canada applied for a temporary resident permit (TRP) to remain in the country. Fifty three TRPs were issued to 48 foreign trafficking victims in 2011, five of which were first-term permits and 48 of which were renewals. In comparison, authorities reported granting 55 TRPs to 47 foreign victims in 2010. Some foreign trafficking victims might have received different forms of immigration relief, such as refugee protection. During a 180-day reflection period, immigration officials determined whether to grant TRP holders a longer residency period of up to three years, and victims had access to essential and emergency medical care, dental care, and trauma counseling. TRP holders could apply for fee-exempt work permits, and 47 foreign victims received these permits during the reporting period. Some officials and NGOs reported difficulties in getting TRPs for foreign victims due to lack of coordination or understanding among service providers, law enforcement officers, and immigration officials about whether or not an individual qualified as a trafficking victim. Identified victims were not penalized for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked. Canadian authorities encourage, but do not require, trafficking victims to participate in investigations and prosecutions of trafficking offenders. The government provides protections to victims who choose to testify, such as witness protection programs and the use of closed circuit television testimony, although it did not report how many victims, if any, chose to participate in investigations and prosecutions.\n\n\nThe Government of Canada maintained strong anti-trafficking prevention efforts during the reporting period. Federal level anti-trafficking efforts were coordinated by the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons (IWGTIP), which met three times during the reporting period; smaller ad-hoc sub-groups met more frequently. NGOs and some government officials continued to call for the IWGTIP to develop a national strategy to combat trafficking, as mandated in 2004. In May 2011, the government committed in its election policy platform to enact a national anti-trafficking action plan. The RCMP continued to conduct widespread awareness-raising activities and maintained six regional human trafficking awareness coordinators across the country to facilitate anti-trafficking initiatives and assist in developing local strategies. The government demonstrated transparency in its anti-trafficking efforts by publishing an overview of federal anti-trafficking efforts in 2010-2011, as well as providing information about these efforts on government websites. The federal government funded several anti-trafficking initiatives abroad, with a focus on Latin America, through the Canadian International Development Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).\n\nProvincial and local governments also undertook a variety of anti-trafficking events and initiatives during the year; these efforts varied in effectiveness, and coordination between the federal government and the provinces remained fragmented. Alberta continued to fund an NGO coalition to coordinate the province's actions to combat trafficking. British Columbia had the only provincial anti-trafficking office in the country, and the office conducted a variety of prevention, training, and awareness activities, including launching a standardized online training program for service providers on how to identify and assist trafficking victims. Quebec reported funding NGOs that provided services to trafficking victims.\n\nThe federal Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) continued to provide information to temporary foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, to let them know where to seek assistance in case of exploitation or abuse, as well to inform them of their rights. In April 2011, amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations came into effect establishing an enhanced compliance framework for the federal temporary foreign worker program. Some of these reforms included additional criteria for the live-in-caregiver program, a more rigorous assessment of the genuineness of job offers, guidelines for compensation to temporary foreign workers in cases of employer fault, and strengthened consequences for non-compliant employers. Some NGOs asserted that these reforms did not address the root issues that make temporary foreign workers vulnerable to forced labor, and called for a national policy framework to regulate labor brokers and recruiters. Some provinces also strengthened efforts to protect temporary foreign workers and improve employer accountability.\n\nCanada is a source country for child sex tourists, and the country prohibits its nationals from engaging in child sex tourism through Section 7(4.1) of its Criminal Code. This law has extraterritorial application, and carries penalties of up to 14 years' imprisonment. DFAIT continued to distribute a publication warning Canadians traveling abroad about penalties under Canada's child sex tourism law, and every new Canadian passport issued continued to be accompanied by a copy of the booklet. However, authorities reported no investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of child sex tourists during the year. Canadian authorities provided anti-trafficking information to Canadian military forces prior to their deployment on international peacekeeping missions. Canadian authorities continued to prosecute individuals who solicited commercial sex, and there were no known efforts to address demand for forced labor.\n\nSearch Refworld", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6647915840148926} {"content": "Web Site Accessibility\n\nAccessible Forms\n\nCreating Accessible Forms (Webbaim)\nMany users must use their keyboard to navigate and use the web. Create forms that can be completed using only the keyboard.\nAccessible Forms (jimthatcher.com)\nThe accessibility issue for forms is whether or not users with disabilities, especially those who are blind or visually impaired, can determine the purpose of a specific form control and interact with it.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000022649765015} {"content": "The driving time from New Hampshire (NH) to Ohio (OH) is:\n\n13 hours, 5 minutes\n\nRooms: Travelers:\nFrom: reverse locations\n\nCalculate the driving time between you and your friends:\n\nMap of driving directions from New Hampshire to Ohio\n\n\nDriving time from New Hampshire to Ohio\n\nHow long is the drive from New Hampshire to Ohio? The total driving time is 13 hours, 5 minutes.\n\nYour trip begins in the state of New Hampshire.\nIt ends in the state of Ohio.\n\nIf you're planning a road trip, you might be interested in seeing the total driving distance from New Hampshire to Ohio.\n\nYou can also calculate the cost to drive from New Hampshire to Ohio based on current local gas prices and an estimate of your car's best gas mileage.\n\nSince this is a long drive, you might want to stop halfway and stay overnight in a hotel. You can find the city that is halfway between New Hampshire and Ohio.\n\nPlanning to fly a plane instead? You might be more interested in calculating the flight time from New Hampshire to Ohio.\n\nvacation deals to Ohio\n\nNew Hampshire (NH)\n\nState: New Hampshire\nCountry: United States\nCategory: states\n\nOhio (OH)\n\nState: Ohio\nCountry: United States\nCategory: states\n\nFind the duration of your next road trip\n\n\nDriving Time from to \n\nDriving time calculator\n\n\nThis page was loaded in 0.0059 seconds.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9715449810028076} {"content": "Other Products\n\nWLDFERM Fermaid K by Lallemand\n\nFermaid K is a blended complex yeast nutrient that supplies ammonia salts (DAP), alpha amino nitrogen (derived from yeast extract), sterols, unsaturated fatty acids, key nutrients (magnesium sulfate, thiamin, folic acid, niacin, biotin, calcium...\n\n\nWLDFERMO Fermaid O by Lallemand\n\nFermaid O is popular with distillers and winemakers who are seeking to use an organic yeast nutrient. Fermaid O is a blend of inactivated yeast fractions rich in organic nitrogen. Fermaid O does not contain added ammonia salts (DAP) or...\n\n\nWLDGO-FERM Go-Ferm by Lallemand\n\nGo-Ferm provides bio-available micro-nutrients in the non-stressful environment of the yeast rehydration water. By making key minerals and vitamins available to the selected yeast at the critical beginning of its stressful task, the yeast’s...\n\n\nWLN1000 White Labs Yeast Nutrient\n\nUsed to increase the health of yeast. Improves fermentation and re-pitching performance. Contains diammonium phosphate, essential vitamins and co-factors, nitrogen (amino acids, proteins, and peptides) and minerals. Effective boost for first and/or...\n\n\nWLN4000 Clarity Ferm\n\nCLARITY-FERM is a product containing a highly specific endo-protease which only cleaves polypeptides at the carboxyl end of the amino acid proline. Protease is derived from Aspergillus niger. APPLICATIONS: 1) To increase the collodial...\n\n\nWLN4100 Ultra-Ferm\n\nULTRA-FERM is a liquid amyloglucosidase (highly concentrated) from selected classical strain of Aspergillus niger. APPLICATIONS: 1) To reduce saccharification times. 2) To saccharify unmalted cereal brews. 3) To increase attenuation. Function...\n\n\nWLN4200 Amino-Quik\n\nAMINO-QUIK is a liquid vegetal papain extracted from Carica papaya. AMINO-QUIK reduces chill haze and increasing colloidal stability. FUNCTION: Haze is composed of proteins, polyphenols, carbohydrates and inorganic compounds such as iron or...\n\n\nWLN4300 Opti-Mash\n\nAPPLICATIONS: Opti-Mash is a liquid thermostable alpha-amylase from a classical strain of Bacillus licheniformis. FUNCTION: Different adjuncts such as maize, rice, wheat, and sorghum are used in brewing. The starch of these grains can have ...\n\n\nWLN4400 Visco-Buster\n\nAPPLICATION: Beer, Spirits Visco-Buster is a liquid product obtained from Trichoderma reesei. This is an enzyme complex containing predominantly \u00031,3-1,4-glucanase activity, but also endo-xylanase and other hemicellulases. FUNCTION: ...\n\n\nWLN4500 Pro-Max\n\nPRO-MAX is liquid neutral protease from self-cloned strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens standardized at minimum 180 000 PCU per gram (double strength). APPLICATIONS: 1) Increases FAN. Hydrolyses protein matrix surrounding starch granule so...\n\n\nWL News:\n\n\nFriend / Follow:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9834718704223633} {"content": "Use of social networks during natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy and the Oklahoma tornadoes has become so mainstream that even hospital staffers and the Red Cross are logging in, according to this infographic developed by the University of San Francisco’s Masters of Public Administration department. The networks are a convenient way to reach a lot of people at once (sometimes more than you think), but what happens if the power goes out?\n\ntwitter, facebook, instagram, natural disasters, hurricane sandy, tsunami, tornadoes, red cross", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9148701429367065} {"content": "\n\nLow Efficiency Insulation Wastes Space, Loses Heat\n\nMany ovens use inexpensive castable insulation (clay or vermiculite mixed with Portland cement) that is 50% less efficient than ceramic insulation. That means the oven does not retain heat as well for baking—even if the insulation is 4\" thick. Plus, the escaping heat can make the kitchen uncomfortably hot.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9883776903152466} {"content": "\n\nJerusalem, soul of Israel ♥\n\nSometimes little known and unnamed Christians have advanced the Gospel through their sacrificial love for our Savior. And some of the hardest criminals have been transformed because of it. Double click image to read 1-minute devotion.\n\nHer daddy dressed up as Prince Charming for her Cinderella birthday party. #ohmycute\n\nclean your oven with 5 T baking soda 5 drops dawn dish soap and 4 T vinegar, mix into a paste and spread all over let it sit for 15 minutes then wipe off.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9213167428970337} {"content": "\n\nGrab all of these as a Readlist.\n\nOn the posthuman\n\nSally Davies talks to Neil Harbisson, Stelarc, the Grindhouse Wetwares crew, and other humans blurring the boundaries between human and machine.\n\nNautilus: Sally Davies - Encounters with the Posthuman\n\n\nOn the Bitcoin Convention\n\nWe visited the Bitcoin Convention last month, and Maria Bustillos offers another take on the San Jose event.\n\nThe Awl: Maria Bustillos - The Great VC Coin Rush: At The Bitcoin Convention\n\nThen there is a group of seasteading types who are founding a business sea-cubator on a boat twelve miles from Silicon Valley (\"outside the jurisdiction of the United States\") where they can hire all the cheap, H-1B-visa-less Chinese and Indian engineers they please. (Freedom!) For this purpose, they have already chartered the MS Island Escape.\n\nOn peppers\n\nMary Roach visits Northeast India to observe the Naga King Chili-Eating Competition where contestants endure some of the world's hottest peppers, the Bhut Jolokia.\n\nSmithsonian Magazine: Mary Roach - The Gut-Wrenching Science Behind the World’s Hottest Peppers\n\n\nOn floating countries\n\nAtossa Abrahamian took a boat out to Ephemerisle, a temporary artificial floating island off the coast of California.\n\nn+1: Atossa Abrahamian - Seasteading\n\n\nOn Dmitry Itskov\n\nDavid Segal interviews Russian media magnate Dmitry Itskov about his 2045 initiative and its mission to create avatars that humans can upload their brains to.\n\nThe New York Times: David Segal - This Man Is Not a Cyborg. Yet.\n\nWhat Mr. Itskov is striving for makes wearable computers, like Google Glass, seem as about as futuristic as Lincoln Logs. This would be a digital copy of your mind in a nonbiological carrier, a version of a fully sentient person that could live for hundreds or thousands of years. Or longer. Mr. Itskov unabashedly drops the word \"immortality\" into conversation.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9368345737457275} {"content": "Shortcut Navigation:\n\n\n\nElectromagnetic radiation emitted by a gamma-ray burst after the initial explosion. Afterglows can last for hours or days.\n\n\nThe scientific study of the Universe.\n\n\n\n\n\nblack hole\n\n\n\nOf or relating to the Universe as a whole.\n\n\nThe Universe regarded as a whole, including all matter, energy, and space.\n\n\nThe arrangement of objects in space.\n\nelectromagnetic spectrum\n\n\n\nThe capacity of a physical system to do work. Energy can be converted among its various forms (motion, light, mass, etc.) but the total amount of energy remains constant.galaxyA relatively massive assembly of stars, interstellar clouds, and dark matter bound together by gravity.\n\ngamma-ray burst\n\nA brief cosmic explosion of gamma-rays. Gamma-ray bursts are thought to arise when a star collapses into a black hole or from the merger of two neutron stars.\n\n\nInvisible electromagnetic radiation (light) with wavelengths shorter than X-rays, or less than 1 picometer (one millionth-millionth of a meter). Gamma-rays are the highest-energy radiation on the electromagnetic spectrum.\n\ninfrared (IR)\n\n\n\n\n\nA measure of the total amount of matter on a body. It can be defined either by the body's inertia (resistance to altering its motion) or by its gravitational influence on other bodies.modelA theoretical system that represents scientific processes using a set of variables and the quantitative relationships between them.\n\nneutron star\n\nAn extremely dense collapsed star consisting mainly of neutrons. A neutron star is what often remains after the supernova explosion of a massive star.\n\n\n\n\nThe emission of energy.\n\nradio waves\n\nLow energy electromagnetic radiation, with long wavelengths and low frequencies.satelliteA body that orbits around a larger body.\n\n\nWhere matter is not.\n\nspectrum (pl. spectra)\n\n\n\n\n\n\ntheorist (or theoretician)\n\n\n\n\nultraviolet (UV)\n\n\nvisible light\n\n\n\n\nAmerican Museum of Natural History\n\nCentral Park West at 79th Street\nNew York, NY 10024-5192\nPhone: 212-769-5100\n\nOpen daily from 10 am - 5:45 pm\nexcept on Thanksgiving and Christmas\nMaps and Directions", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996875524520874} {"content": "The first three months of 2014 were heady ones for Silicon Valley companies raising venture capital, says the latest survey from law firm Fenwick & West LLP.\n\nJust 8% of financings were down rounds in which a company’s valuation fell, while 76% were up rounds. In the rest, the valuation stayed the same. The difference between the rate of up rounds and down rounds was the greatest since the second quarter of 2007, when the difference was 70 percentage points. Read More »", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.587512731552124} {"content": "\n\n\nNews from your classmates\n\nLei Liang '96, '98 MM, Composition (Photo by: Howard Lipin) In partnership with TenFourteen LLC, an arm of the Jebediah Foundation, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. will launch the TenFourteen project, which will finance the composition of ten chamber works for the 2014–2015 season. Lei Liang '96, '98 M.M. and Koji Nakano '97, '99 M.M.have been named as two of the ten composers of which all have distinguished international reputations, whose work covers both the twentieth and current centuries. Five concerts are planned for the 2014–2015 season, over the course of which all ten new works will be performed. Each will be between 18 and 25 minutes in duration. In keeping with SFCMP resources, each will be composed for an ensemble of between five and nine players. Lei Liang was been named winner of the 2011 Elliott Carter Rome Prize. The Rome Prize awards, given by the American Academy in Rome, recognize 30 individuals annually “who represent the highest standard of excellence in the arts and humanities.” Mr. Liang won the Rome Prize in musical composition for his Sextet and Chamber Concerto. The prize carries with it a Rome residency where recipients are invited to Rome to work in “an atmosphere conducive to intellectual and artistic freedom, interdisciplinary exchange, and innovation.” Liang, born in Tianjin, China, started composing at the age of six. He left China in 1990 and soon began studies at NEC and then Harvard University. Liang studied with Robert Cogan at NEC. In addition to the Rome Prize, Liang is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and an Aaron Copland Award. He was recently commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and Alan Gilbert for the inaugural concert of the CONTACT! new music series, and has also been commissioned by ensembles like the Taipei Chinese Orchestra, the Heidelberger Philharmonisches Orchester, pipa virtuoso Wu Man, the Arditti, Ying and Shanghai Quartets, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, New York New Music Ensemble and Boston Musica Viva. As a scholar, he is active in the research and preservation of traditional Asian music. 2012-01-24\n\n\nChristopher Rozmarin '96 M.M., Tombone PerformanceIn August, 2010, Christopher Rozmarin ’96 M.M. will compete in his first-ever 100 mile foot race, the Leadville 100 Mile Trail Run, in Leadville, Colo., and is given only 30 hours to complete the course. Christopher is a Sergeant First Class with the U.S. Army, and performs regularly with the Army Ground Forces Band. He recently performed with the band at their Sousa, Stars, and Stripes Forever! concert at the Georgia Tech Ferst Center for the Arts. Christopher played the lively and challenging Bluebells of Scotland, arranged for trombone by Arthur Pryor of John Phillip Sousa’s band. In addition to performing with the Army Ground Forces Band, Christopher serves as the band’s equal opportunity representative and its chief of re-enlistment and retention. He occasionally performs as a substitute trombonist with the Atlanta and Alabama symphony orchestras. 2010-04-06\n\n\n\n\nHelp find your lost classmates\n\n\nJi-Hoon Ahn, Johanna Marie Brayne, Jung-Eun Byun, Nora-Ath Chanklum, Li-Fen Chen, Yu-Li Chen, Catherine Kai-Ling Chi, Anna Cho, Hyun Jung Cho, Duncan Alwyn Fikkers, Catherine Martha Fitzpatrick, Michal Anne Friedlander, Wei Ting Fu, Josh David Goldman, Sally M. Honda, I-Fang Hsieh, Ginger Meredith Inabinet, Atsuko Ishii, Hee-Sung Joo, Sung-Eun Jun, Shin Kim, Won-Jung Kim, Seikyo SooHak Kim, Yukiko Sato Kirito, Betty Kuark, Sachiko Kunori, York Yu Kwong, Dong-Youn Lee, Ji-Yeon Lee, Jeeyoon Lee, In-Kyu Lee, Joo-Hee Lee, Rachel Elizabeth Lemisch, Kyung Mee Lim, Chao-Ching Lin, Mia Linde, Kuo-Chou Ling, Simon Robert Burwell MacDonald, Shinobu Miki, Patrick Joseph Mitten, Jung-Hwa Moon, Junko Mori, Yoon-Jung Park, Sang Young Park, Kyung-Hee Park, Ji-Hee Park, Jose Luis Perez, Rui Pedro Pintao, Merav Reuel, Noriko Sakamaki, Yukiko Sato, Haruka Hiruta Satow, Dylan Wolfe Savage, Kathleen Marie Savoldy, Heinz Karl Novaes Schwebel, Chien-Ji Shaie, Meng-Wen Shih, Daniel Harold Shore, Paolo Pietro Susanni, Shinobu Suzuki, Nicola Tommaso Tescari, Quentin Tolimieri, Nang-Wha Tsang, Hsiu-Ting Wang, Mia Whang, Suk Yee Wong, George David Wright, Chao-Wen Yu, Ya-Che Yu, Esther Yune.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7331939935684204} {"content": "LIFE at the bottom is nasty, brutish and short. For this reason, heartless folk might assume that people in the lower social classes will be more self-interested and less inclined to consider the welfare of others than upper-class individuals, who can afford a certain noblesse oblige. A recent study, however, challenges this idea. Experiments by Paul Piff and his colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, reported this week in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, suggest precisely the opposite. It is the poor, not the rich, who are inclined to charity.\n\nIn their first experiment, Dr Piff and his team recruited 115 people. To start with, these volunteers were asked to engage in a series of bogus activities, in order to create a misleading impression of the purpose of the research. Eventually, each was told he had been paired with an anonymous partner seated in a different room. Participants were given ten credits and advised that their task was to decide how many of these credits they wanted to keep for themselves and how many (if any) they wished to transfer to their partner. They were also told that the credits they had at the end of the game would be worth real money and that their partners would have no ability to interfere with the outcome.\n\nA week before the game was run, participants were asked their ethnic backgrounds, sex, age, frequency of attendance at religious services and socioeconomic status. During this part of the study, they were presented with a drawing of a ladder with ten rungs on it. Each rung represented people of different levels of education, income and occupational status. They were asked to place an “X” on the rung they felt corresponded to where they stood relative to others in their own community.\n\nThe average number of credits people gave away was 4.1. However, an analysis of the results showed that generosity increased as participants' assessment of their own social status fell. Those who rated themselves at the bottom of the ladder gave away 44% more of their credits than those who put their crosses at the top, even when the effects of age, sex, ethnicity and religiousness had been accounted for.\n\nThe prince and the pauper\n\n\nIn this case the change intended was to that of a higher or lower social class than the individual perceived he normally belonged to. The researchers then asked participants to indicate what percentage of a person's income should be spent on charitable donations. They found that both real lower-class participants and those temporarily induced to rank themselves as lower class felt that a greater share of a person's salary should be used to support charity.\n\n\nA final experiment attempted to test how helpful people of different classes are when actually exposed to a person in need. This time participants were “primed” with video clips, rather than by storytelling, into more or less compassionate states. The researchers then measured their reaction to another participant (actually a research associate) who turned up late and thus needed help with the experimental procedure.\n\n\nOne interpretation of all this might be that selfish people find it easier to become rich. Some of the experiments Dr Piff conducted, however, sorted people by the income of the family in which the participant grew up. This revealed that whether high status was inherited or earned made no difference—so the idea that it is the self-made who are especially selfish does not work. Dr Piff himself suggests that the increased compassion which seems to exist among the poor increases generosity and helpfulness, and promotes a level of trust and co-operation that can prove essential for survival during hard times.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6145776510238647} {"content": "East Asian Languages & Cultures | Fourth-Year Chinese II, undergraduates\nC402 | 1560 | Tba\n\nP: grade of C or better in C401 or equivalent proficiency\n\nThis course is designed for advanced students of Chinese to 1) improve\ntheir overall language proficiency through extensive reading of texts in\nvarious styles and genres; 2) acquire a deeper understanding of major\nissues concerning modern Chinese intellectuals as well as a fuller picture\nof contemporary Chinese life and society; 3) obtain skills to be\nindependent and confident learners of Chinese.\n\nTexts include 1) a course packet of selected readings ranging from prose,\nshort stories to plays; 2) a novel; 3) audiovisual materials including\nfilms, TV plays, and comedic dialogues that enrich the understanding of the\ntexts in focus. The class meets three hours a week, centering on\ndiscussion of the text from the packet.\n\nActive participation in class is expected. The grade will be based on\nclass performance, two oral reports (twice), writing portfolio (three\nessays and a notebook with daily entry of sentences or passages\nincorporating five new words of choice), and three tests.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.999787449836731} {"content": "Welcome Guest\nLog In | Register )\nThe time is now 7:18 am\nYou last visited July 25, 2014, 7:17 am\nAll times shown are\nEastern Time (GMT-5:00)\n\n\n\nJoin the numbers and get to the 2048 tile!\n\n\nHow to play: Use your arrow keys to move the tiles. When two tiles with the same number touch, they merge into one. For example, merge two 2 tiles to make a 4 tile; two 4 tiles merge into an 8 tile. The object of the game is to keep merging tiles until you can create a 2048 tile. If you fill up the board before making a 2048 tile, you need to start over.\n\nScore: Even if you aren't able to create a 2048 tile, you can still try to beat your best score. Every time you create a merged tile, you earn the number of points on the face of the new tile.\n\nHint button: Press the Hint button to have the computer suggest a direction that you should move the tiles.\n\nAuto-run button: Watch a \"pro\" play — the computer will use Artificial Intelligence to play the game in front of your eyes. It wins about 90% of the time.\n\nExpand »", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9870697259902954} {"content": "10 Skinniest Holiday Treats\n\n\n\n\nDeviled eggs\n\nThose savory little finger foods are actually a smart choice, despite their mayonnaise-whipped centers. \"You can have two halves for about 130 calories while getting all the nutrients of an egg — including 7 grams of protein,\" says Gans.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9779302477836609} {"content": "Extraterrestrials And The Founding Fathers of America\n\nHow are they connected? In many, many more ways than I could have ever imagined. Read more of this post\n\nWhy You Should Believe that Aliens Exist\n\nEveryone has a right to their own opinion regarding the existence of another life form in the universe. I personally believe that it is very foolish of people to not believe in aliens. All that you have to do is look up into the sky. Realize how tiny and irrelevant we really are compared to the rest of the universe. Read more of this post\n\n\nImagine being in space and looking down at Earth.\n\n\nLooking at the Richat Structure from space\n\n\n\n\n\nIts perfectly circular shape is still a mystery today.\n\nAdvocates of the EU model claim that:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Richat Structure resembles an eye\n\n\nSounds like a pretty nice target to me.\n\n\nClick here to see our STRANGE PLACE collection!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5012067556381226} {"content": "How To Assemble Jigsaw Puzzles\n\n27 Aug 2018 02:29\n\nBack to list of posts\n\nis?cCJZeGtkZBi3HpMgQiggx9LjGyuSlMalfepznEuRuRU&height=204 These ciphers are super frequent in escape games since they connect two distinct objects for one particular goal, and are unsolvable without having players making the connection. One particular major point I learned is to make positive the player has a quite very clear aim. For instance our game was 3rd particular person and the player had to manipulate the environment to get to the exit of the level.But wait! If you loved this post and you would like to obtain far more information with regards to visit the following Internet site ( kindly check out our website. In spite of their collective reticence to give a bullet-pointed recipe for the excellent puzzle, specific topics of conversation visit the following internet site return once more and once more in every single interview - ideas like a great puzzle knows what it's about\", discussions of minimalism and how that relates to elegance, and how ambition separates a really excellent puzzle game from the sort you poke at on your telephone even though taking a dump. What follows, then, is not a recipe so significantly as my extrapolated list of attainable cooking utensils: approaches to take into account which will radically alter the flavour and texture of the resultant concoction.Light can be utilized as a tool to reveal or hide clues. It can also be employed to create atmosphere, supporting your theme and assisting immerse your players in visit the following internet site environment you've produced. Please leave a detailed description about the situation you are seeing. Include factors like game name, how frequently you can reproduce it, the flash player you are employing, and uploading a screenshot to help us resolve your situation faster.When 1st time i read this post i was thinking it is maybe a helpful ideas like how to make your own horror game and when i arrived at initial paragraphs in puzzles section, i got an new impression about how not to make one more RE centric game for the new developers.This content was personally chosen for you by Arkadium, the leading provider of exciting, engaging, and brand secure digital content such as quizzes, games, videos, puzzles, and more! Some feel that escape game players expect challenges they may not be ready for and comprehend that they can request hints if they get stumped. Other people think that all the information required to solve the puzzles in a space must be either very basic or specifically supplied in a prop or another puzzle.WEINTRAUB: Which brings us to an additional important point: Crossword editors alter clues. They adjust a lot of them. Sometimes they edit them to streamline the difficulty level across the entire puzzle, as Brad describes above. Or clues get changed since the editorial group came up with something greater. For instance, in 1 of my earlier puzzles, the clue I submitted for MEN'S Wear was fairly simple: Some runway sights. The clue that ended up in the published puzzle was It's tailored to guys. The exciting wordplay makes that a far better clue.Scalak is one particular of the purest and least hand-holdy puzzlers around. It throws you into a bunch of abstract puzzles, and challenges you to figure things out for your self. Idea 51: Transmit clues or messages over a radio require players to uncover the batteries and the right frequency.With Actual Area Escape, participants are allowed to ask for up to five clues to support the game along. Use them. If you uncover yourself going for a lot more than 10 minutes and not acquiring anyplace, bear in mind that the clock is ticking, and it is greater to get out with the support of the game master (I feel that's what a single need to call him) then to not get out at all. is?hoBovDl7vFZhO3_YFgVCc9fP505johweGSYjc7wwEJY&height=224 Puzzles games are just a single of the a lot of eLearning games that you can add to your eLearning experiences. Study this write-up Gamification vs Game-Based eLearning: Can You Tell The Difference? to discover how to compare and contrast gamification vs game-based eLearning and uncover valuable suggestions on how to design and style an effective eLearning strategy for every single.Tip: A question mark at the finish of a clue signifies that it should not be taken at face worth. The answer is most likely to be a pun, a misdirection, or some other kind of wordplay. Ask your self if the words in the clues may well have different meanings from the ones you feel they do.Now the game seems to be functioning its way about the globe. I very first noticed men and women playing it on the London Underground and was really introduced to it by a friend in Ireland. But none of my colleagues in the US look to have encountered it however.To solve a puzzle, one particular wants to determine which cells will be boxes and which will be empty. Solvers usually use a dot or a cross to mark cells they are specific are spaces. Cells that can be determined by logic ought to be filled. If guessing is utilized, a single error can spread more than the complete field and fully ruin the remedy. An error often comes to the surface only soon after a while, when it is really difficult to correct the puzzle. The hidden picture plays small or no portion in the solving procedure, as it may mislead. The picture may possibly support locate and eliminate an error.\n\nComments: 0\n\nAdd a New Comment\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5658243298530579} {"content": "Crystal Pendulums, Dowsing\n\nCrystal Pendulums and Dowsing\n\nCrystal pendulums are a tool of divination consisting of a string attached to a heavy object, such as a Quartz Crystal, root, or ring. Crystal pendulums are often used in scrying and are believed to work with Earth's natural radiation. Pendulums have been used by ancient civilizations to locate mineral deposits and water dowsing. Your inner self has the answer you seek, and the pendulum gives motion to what you already know. It can serve as an outlet for your intuition. Some people consider this intuition as coming from a spirit guide or the higher self. The pendulum translates the language into consciousness. Use the pendulum to answer yes or no questions. Some people like to use Tarot cards, pictures, or other symbols and hold the crystal pendulum over them while focusing on a question to see if the crystal points to a particular object. Try to leave emotions out of the way. Be open and neutral.\n\nA crystal pendulum on a chain or cord is the most portable and valuable of psychic tools. Indeed pendulums can help us to tune into what has not yet happened by allowing us to sense and see or hear knowledge not yet accessible to the logical mind, and by amplifying our innate but often unrecognized gift to see what is just over the horizon. But the crystal pendulum has many practical uses in the every day world to alert you to the unconscious signals that your inner radar has picked up. Use your crystal pendulum to trace an electrical fault, a blockage in a pipe from above ground, the presence of a ghost, the right direction back to the car if you're lost on a walk, or by holding the crystal pendulum over a map to discover the best location for a holiday or a new home or where a lost pet might be. The crystal pendulum is itself seen as an all-purpose healing tool.\n\nCrystal Pendulums:\n\nCrystal Pendulums", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9990302324295044} {"content": "Hip and Knee Arthritis\n\nArthritis is a term which describes pain and inflammation of the joints.\n\nInflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, cause erosion and destruction of the joint and can affect all the joints in the body. This can now often be very successfully treated with modern drugs, but can sometimes lead to the need for joint replacement.\n\nOsteoarthritis involves wearing down of the shock absorbing cartilage which lines the joint and very commonly involves the hip and knee. The weight-bearing joints are the most susceptible to developing osteoarthritis, with the knee joint affected in 18% and the hip in 11%.\n\nOsteoarthritis becomes more and more common as we get older, affecting 42% of men and almost half of women aged over 75. It is estimated that nearly 9 million people in the UK have sought treatment for osteoarthritis.\n\nInterestingly, our active lifestyle has led to osteoarthritis becoming more common in younger age groups, leading to pain and disability at a time in life when we want to remain active. Thirty-three per cent of people over 45 are now affected by osteoarthritis, leading to them seeking treatment to maintain their activities.\n\nGet in Touch\n\nHip & Knee Arthritis: Frequently Asked Questions\n\nWhat is osteoarthritis?\n\nThe ends of our bones, where they form the joints, is covered in a substance called articular cartilage. This is a spongy material, which acts as a shock absorber. It is very smooth and lubricated by joint fluid, which means our bones slide smoothly against each other. Over time it degenerates and dries out, becoming less effective, eventually becoming worn down.\n\nAs cartilage thins, bone becomes exposed. In addition, bone spurs called osteophytes form around the joint. This combination causes pain, stiffness and swelling of the joint. When weight-bearing joints are involved this is often very painful and disabling.\n\nWhat causes osteoarthritis?\n\nArticular cartilage’s unique structure means that has an extremely low friction rate, ideal for its purpose. However, because it has no blood supply and relies on nutrients to diffuse through its matrix, it is unable to regenerate once damaged, so gradually wears away with time.\n\nOsteoarthritis can occur due to a number of reasons. There can certainly be a genetic predisposition and it does tend to run in families. In younger patients, we often find that the joint has been damaged, deformed or mal-aligned. This can occur as a result of problems in childhood, infection or injury. However, for most it is due to wear and tear over time.\n\nWhat are the treatment options for osteoarthritis?\n\nMaintaining mobility and exercise is important in the early stages of osteoarthritis, as it has a number of benefits, including nourishing the joint, keeping weight down and strengthening the supporting muscles. We will often recommend physiotherapy when you begin to experience discomfort and stiffness in the joint. Low impact exercise such as cycling, swimming and Pilates is very important in remaining active and managing the pain before patients are ready for joint replacement. Pain-relieving medications, anti-inflammatories and injections can all help control pain to keep you fit and active.\n\nAs osteoarthritis progresses patients find their ability to perform even normal activities becomes more and more impaired. As well as pain limiting activity, it starts to be felt at night or at rest, which can greatly impact on sleeping patterns.\n\nAt this point, surgery may need to be considered. Mr Simon Bridle will order the necessary investigative scans and tests to assess the degree of deterioration. He will then help you decide whether you are ready for joint replacement surgery and explain the options available. The likely benefits and potential risks and complications will also be dealt with to guide your decision.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8426912426948547} {"content": "Auditory Processing Disorders\n\nThe problem is that they usually don’t recognize slight differences between sounds in words, even when the sounds are loud and clear enough to be heard. NPCC officers who hold the rank of assistant superintendent of police have a single row of silver braid on the peak of their cap (for males) or bowler hat (for females). In the National Police Cadet Corps, the rank of acting assistant superintendent of police (A/ASP (NPCC)) is given to inspectors who have not attained the rank of ASP (NPCC) but have been appointed as the officer commanding of their unit. In the Singapore Police Force, ASP is the second lowest senior officer rank, immediately above an inspector and below a deputy superintendent of police. New police officer cadets holding university degrees graduate from the Home Team Academy as inspectors.\n\nBrain & Nervous System Home\n\nWhat does APD stand for police?\n\n\nThe disorder can lead to learning delays, so kids who have it may need a little extra help in school. It’s important for the people caring for your child to know about APD.\n\nWhat Are the Signs & Symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder?\n\nHowever, assistive devices, such as FM equipment may alleviate some problems. Children with APD may exhibit a variety of listening and related complaints.\n\nThe type, frequency, and intensity of therapy, like all aspects of APD intervention, should be highly individualized and programmed for the specific type of auditory disorder that is present. A multidisciplinary team approach is critical to fully assess and understand the cluster of problems exhibited by children with APD.\n\nIn Pakistan, an assistant superintendent of police is a selected through the Central Superior Services examination. Assistant superintendent, or assistant superintendent of police (ASP), is a rank that was used by police forces in the British Empire and is still used in many police forces in the Commonwealth.\n\nHowever, only those children with the most severe APD will qualify for disability benefits. Your doctor can use a hearing test to see if your child’s issues are caused by hearing loss, but only a hearing specialist, called an audiologist, can diagnose auditory processing disorder (APD). Sometimes home-based programs are appropriate whereas others may require children to attend therapy sessions in school or at a local clinic. Once again, it should be emphasized that there is no one treatment approach that is appropriate for all children with APD.\n\nWhat does it mean to put out an APB, and what happens after it is put out?\n\nThe problem is especially pronounced in situations with background noise. It affects about 5% of school children and can have a significant impact on their ability to function, especially at school. Kids with this condition, also known as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), can’t process what they hear in the same way other kids do. Something interferes with the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, especially speech. People with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) experience no immediate benefit from using a hearing aid.\n\n • To a person with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) the sounds of speech are muddled together because the speech processing centers of the brain are unable to distinguish one speech sound from another.\n • Even if their hearing is normal, people with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) have difficulty understanding speech.\n • The problem is especially pronounced in situations with background noise.\n\nTherefore, we should always keep in mind that not all language and learning problems are due to APD, and all cases of APD do not lead to language and learning problems. No matter how many symptoms of APD a child may have, only careful and accurate diagnostics can determine the underlying cause. Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a hearing problem that affects about 5% of school-aged children. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) is still in use in India where the officer holding this rank is from Indian Police Service.\n\nCentral Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) may be associated with diseases, such as aphasia and Parkinson’s. Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) is a hearing disability unrelated to hearing loss. Children with APD are unable to detect subtle differences between sounds in words even though they have no difficulty actually hearing the words. For example, a child with APD may have difficulty distinguishing between words that sound the same, such as cat and hat. Background noise or distractions further limit their ability to understand words.\n\nIf your child has APD, ask school officials about what’s available. So, many kids diagnosed with APD can develop better skills over time as their auditory system matures. While there is no known cure, speech-language therapy and assistive listening devices can help kids make sense of sounds and develop good communication skills. If you think your child is having trouble hearing or understanding when people talk, have an audiologist (hearing specialist) examine your child. Kids with APD are thought to hear normally because they can usually hear sounds that are delivered one at a time in a very quiet environment (such as a sound-treated room).\n\nIt was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. In the 20th century, it was in many territories opened to non-Europeans as well. Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) may be hard to identify.\n\n\nHowever, assistant superintendent of police is a probationary rank (till the second year of the career of an IPS officer) and is worn by officers when under training at SVPNPA. All IPS officers start their career as Assistant Superintendent of Police. They hold Deputy Superintendent of Police rank which is equivalent to this rank. Researchers estimate that Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) is present in 3-5 percent of the population. The cause of Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) may be genetic, but may also be associated with trauma at birth and middle ear infections resulting in temporary hearing loss.\n\napb meaning\n\n\nIn California, some radio codes in the 400–599 range that refer to vehicle violations are left over from the California Vehicle Code (CVC) which was revised in 1971. Some agencies, such as the California Highway Patrol (CHP) use the current vehicle code numbers while municipal and county police agencies, especially the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) still use the 500 series. Between 2% and 7% of kids have it, and boys are more likely to have it than girls.\n\n\nSee more news about How long does an apb last\n\nTo a person with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) the sounds of speech are muddled together because the speech processing centers of the brain are unable to distinguish one speech sound from another. Even if their hearing is normal, people with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) have difficulty understanding speech.\n\nTell teachers and other school staff about the APD and how it may affect learning. Kids with APD aren’t typically put in special education programs, but you may find that your child is eligible for a 504 plan through the school district that would outline any special needs for the classroom. Several computer-assisted programs are geared toward children with APD. They mainly help the brain do a better job of processing sounds in a noisy environment.\n\nRelated Posts", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9680215120315552} {"content": "“A Hundred Thousand Welcomes”\n\n“What do you want?”\n\nThose are never words you want to hear—even less so when you’ve walked into an office hoping to get help with an administrative problem. When people live in poverty, they’re so often made to feel unwelcome. It may be because of the way they speak, or their clothes. Or it may simply be because, in a world where so many people feel busy and tired, energy runs out for offering a word of welcome.\n\nIn Ireland though it is no ordinary welcome that is offered to guests. In the Irish language, the phrase “c’ead mile failte” means “a hundred thousand welcomes.” The words are particularly meaningful spoken in a country that has seen so many of its citizens emigrate over the years. In the 1840s, it was the famine that pushed millions to emigrate. This fate was sometimes forced on people, as is remembered in the song, “The Fields of Athenry,” about a man who stole bread to feed his family and was punished by being exiled to Australia. Irish emigration continues today, with almost 250 people a day leaving the country throughout 2013—one of the highest emigration rates in the world, higher than that of Haiti, the Sudan or Guatemala. The Independent newspaper voices the country’s regret that economic difficulties mean “youngsters are forced to leave their families and friends behind” as well as “a brain drain of talent.” What does it mean for any country to see so many of its strongest and most capable young people leave, year after year? Too often, they are exploited, or even subject to abuse as newcomers, far from home, coping in unfamiliar languages and contexts.\n\nThis was what happened to Irish people who emigrated to England, where they were often made to feel unwelcome because of the conflict between their countries. This experience makes their hundred thousand welcomes even more heartfelt when they are shared with all those who arrive in a new place, and all those who manage to return home after long journeys.\n\nIt is just the same with ATD Fourth World: many of us have been treated rudely and shown that we weren’t wanted. But ATD Fourth World is where everyone is treated as equals. Treating all human beings with dignity also means that it is never just one person who welcomes another. Each of us has something to share with one another, be it only a smile or a warm word. Maybe what we can learn from Ireland is that the true meaning of a hundred thousand welcomes comes to life when all people, with all of our differences, learn to reach out to welcome one another.\n\nSeamus and Diana", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9333064556121826} {"content": "FULL LONDON Blood Test VIP (Plus V)\n\n3 working days Turnaround Time\nOrder Online Now\nA GP Referral is Included\nAttend the Walk-in Laboratory\nReceive Accredited Testing\nDoctor's Comments are Available\nResults are sent via Email\n\nOur FULL LONDON Health Screen (Plus V) includes tests for thyroid function, liver function as well as vitamins for your current nutritional status and long term health.\n\nWould you like this profile, AND a COVID-19 Antibody test at no extra charge? click here.\n\nIs this blood test right for you?\n\nDo you feel ok but want an insight into your health status? Or do you have concerns about your health status? This test can provide insights into current health risks such as diabetes or low vitamin levels, this will allow you the first steps into improving your health. If you require a comprehensive health MOT then this is the test for you!\n\nThis profile is the blood test you need if you are looking for a VIP checkup. Representing great value, it includes phlebotomy and doctor's comments. Consisting of a Biochemistry and Haematology profile, plus a TSH FT4 Thyroid Profile, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Folate, Ferritin.\n\nBlood Test Explained\n\n\nWhite Blood Cell Count\nThe WBC (white blood cell) count is a common test within a health assessment and is a measure of your body's ability to fight infection. A normal WBC level can be interpreted as a sign that the first line of defence against invasion by bacteria or other disease causing organisms is intact and functioning. Moderately elevated white cell counts are a sign of acute infection, while very high counts of abnormal white cells are encountered with leukaemia (a relatively rare form of blood cancer).\n\nRed Blood Cell Count\nThe RBC (red blood cell) count is the number of red blood cells present. It can vary considerably, and a marginally low or high health screening reading may not imply a problem. Significantly reduced numbers within any health check can be associated with anaemia (a deficiency in red cell production, or excessive loss of blood), and very high numbers are seen in polycythaemia (a condition which can be caused by smoking, living at altitude or just because the bone marrow makes too many red cells).\nProteins are indespensible as transporters of many other essential molecules around the body. Within your health screening high levels can be seen in disorders of over production such as myeloma, low levels can be found in conditions of failure to produce protein (eg liver disease) or excessive loss from the body (such as malnutrition or kidney disease).\n\nGGT (gamma GT) is a liver enzyme. High levels are most commonly encountered when alcohol has been drunk at higher than recommended levels in the preceding few weeks. Some medication can lead to higher levels of this enzyme also.\nCholesterol, total.\nCholesterol is a form of fat (lipid) bound to protein known as a lipoprotein, and is an essential component of all cell membranes (boundaries) - but an excess of it during a health screening is linked to an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease. The total figure is useful, but it is more helpful to know the levels of the two parts which make up the bulk of the cholesterol molecule - HDL and LDL.\n\nTriglycerides are a category of fat found in the blood. Triglycerides effectively store energy for later use by the body. High triglyceride levels within a health screening are associated with pancreatitis, and possibly heart disease and strokes. Some medication can cause the level to rise, as can poorly controlled diabetes.\n\nHDL Cholesterol\nHDL (high density lipoprotein) is the component of cholesterol that is associated with good health, and high levels within a health screen are linked to reduced risk of heart and blood vessel disease.\n\nLDL Cholesterol\nLDL (low density lipoprotein) is the component of cholesterol that is associated with higher risk of heart and blood vessel disease. The ideal level within a health screening is below 2.5 mmol/L\nThe serum iron level is a measure of the circulating iron in the blood. It tells us (along with TIBC/UIBC, transferrin and ferritin) the state of the body's iron reserves. An excess in a health screening can indicate disorders of iron storage (such as haemochromatosis), while low levels may indicate (along with changes in TIBC/UIBC, transferrin saturation and ferritin) iron deficiency.\n\nThe TIBC (total iron binding capacity) is a measure of the body's ability to store iron. The higher the level within a health screening, the less iron there is in reserve. This test can be used to detect iron deficiency, and also conditions of iron excess (such as haemochromatosis). It is an equivalent test to UIBC.\n\nTransferrin Saturation\nTransferrin saturation, like TIBC/UIBC, is a measure of iron storage. The higher the level within a health screening, the greater the amount of iron stored. This test can be used to detect iron deficiency, and also conditions of iron excess (such as haemochromatosis).\n\n\nFree T4\nLDH (lactate dehydrogenase) is found in almost all tissues but only a small amount of it is detectable in the blood. It usually stays within the cells. When cells are damaged or destroyed, LDH enters the blood. LDH within a health screening is used as a general marker of injury to cells, and many cells can release it to varying degrees. A total LDH level is an overall measurement of five different LDH isoenzymes (or subgroups). A rise in the level may indicate a problem with cell damage somewhere in the body. A low level is probably of little significance.\nUric Acid\nUric acid is a normal waste product of protein breakdown in the body. Low levels within a health screening are generally of no concern, but high levels can lead to gout - an acutely painful inflammation of the joints. High uric acid can also be associated with some medication (especially diuretics), diet or possibly be of genetic origin.\nVitamin D\n\nVitamin B12\n\nPotassium is another essential electrolyte, whose level in the blood is largely determined by the kidneys. Like sodium, screening for low or high levels of potassium can indicate a problem with health due to disease or inappropriate medication. Potassium levels are very sensitive to storage - if there is any delay in testing, the level is often higher than would otherwise be expected. Normally, it is readily apparent if the rise is due to storage change as other test results will usually be normal.\n\nUrea, like creatinine, is a waste product of normal bodily function - its level in the blood is controlled entirely by the kidneys. Rising levels of Urea that are detected in your pathology results may indicate kidney disease or damage, although small rises may also be a sign of dehydration. Low levels are of no concern.\n\nCreatinine, like urea, is a waste product of bodily processes. The kidneys control its elimination from the blood. A rise in creatinine within a health screening, especially if urea levels are also high, will usually mean there is a degree of compromise of the kidneys. Small rises can be a sign of dehydration. Low levels are of no concern.\n\nCustomer Reviews\n\nBased on 4 reviews Write a review", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6195854544639587} {"content": "BMCR 2019.12.07\n\nThe Rise and Fall of Nikephoros II Phokas: Five Contemporary Texts in Annotated Translations. Byzantina Australiensia, 23\n\nDenis Sullivan, The Rise and Fall of Nikephoros II Phokas: Five Contemporary Texts in Annotated Translations. Byzantina Australiensia, 23. Leiden: Brill, 2018. viii, 252. ISBN 9789004382206 €153,00.\n\nThis volume provides annotated English translations, with facing Greek, of five texts related to the career of Nikephoros II Phokas, first as a military commander and later as emperor (r. 963-969). Phokas is an interesting figure, far from the popular stereotype of a Byzantine emperor: he was intensely militaristic, undiplomatic, and expressed his piety through a personal austerity bordering on asceticism. Phokas’ death, however, conformed rather more closely with popular stereotype, since he was brutally murdered by a court conspiracy led by his nephew and his own wife. These five texts offer new perspectives on Phokas’ life—and death—to a wider audience. They comprise three extracts from longer historical chronicles, an encomiastic epic poem, and an akolouthia or liturgical office for a new saint. The chronicles narrate the reigns of Nikephoros’ two imperial predecessors, Constantine VII (r. 944-959) and his son Romanos II (r. 959- 963); all three break off before Phokas’ own ascent to the throne. The poem tells of the Byzantine re-conquest of Crete, which Phokas led as domestikos ton scholon for Romanos II. The akolouthia was apparently composed soon after Phokas’ death as part of an attempt to have the deceased emperor recognised as a martyr. All five texts have previously been edited and introductory notes for each are kept short, commenting on authorship, circumstances of composition and major themes, while providing comprehensive references to the more detailed studies. Annotations to the translations are similarly brief and concentrate on textual and interpretive matters, with the reader frequently referred to the bibliography for detail on historical issues. The Greek of each is a direct reproduction of a previously published edition whereas the translation itself reflects a somewhat revised text, with the corrected Greek given in footnotes to the translation. Since most modifications are minor, this is rarely obtrusive and, for the first of the five, Sullivan has himself gone back to the manuscript to resolve certain problems.\n\nThe first and longest text is the sixth book of Theophanes Continuatus. Although it terminates in 961 and provides the least information directly regarding Phokas, the many similarities of content and language with the other chronicles fully justify its inclusion. The second text consists of the final chapters of the revised chronicle of Symeon the Logothete. These initially cover much the same material as Continuatus, albeit in a more compressed fashion, but carry on the narrative until 963, terminating just as Phokas’ army is about to proclaim him basileus. Symeon, during his revision of his work, also added a number of interpolations to earlier chapters (which are not included in the present volume) concerning Phokas’ grandfather, also named Nikephoros, and clearly intended to redound to the greater glory of his grandson. These interpolations are collected into an appendix. The third text, the chronicle of Pseudo-Symeon, much more briefly covers the years 944-962. It is apparently derived from the same, unknown source as the two other chronicles but contains some unique additional details among the repetitions, such as details of the triumph awarded to Phokas for his victories on Crete.\n\nThe relative syntactic simplicity of the chronicles facilitates and deserves close translation. Sullivan’s prose is correspondingly clear, fluent and faithful. It is a little unfair to niggle at such a consistently excellent translation, but Romanos II cavorting with his ‘young mates’ (p. 65, for ὁμηλίκων) struck an oddly colloquial note for this native of UK English and the phrase ‘God-controlled empire’ (p. 69, for θεοκυβερνήτου βασιλείας), rather than ‘God-guided’, seemed overly deterministic. The only—very minor—mistake I noticed was the transliteration of κλεισούρας as kleisourai (Byzantine military districts centred around passes, as stated in the glossary) on p. 71 when, in the context of fleeing Cretan Arabs seeking refuge, the chronicler surely intended the simple geographical sense of ‘passes’. Most probably this was the result of an over-zealous search and replace at the editorial stage. The footnotes are clearly not intended to provide a full commentary but they are occasionally a bit too sparse for readers not already conversant with the period. Little information is provided regarding individuals, although their PmbZ1 numbers are listed in the glossary, along with a list of court titles and technical terms.\n\nThe fourth text, the Capture of Crete, conventionally known as De Crete capta, was composed by a deacon named Theodosios. He was probably attached to the court in Constantinople and wrote with the apparent intent of flattering Romanos II. Although Sullivan doggedly attempts to draw out what the text can tell us about the military operations on Crete, it was obviously not intended to report the actual events of the campaign in any but the loosest sense. Its chief historical value arguably lies in the attitudes revealed by Theodosios’ portrayal of his patrons and the foe, themes which Sullivan highlights in his introduction. Theodosios celebrates both a decisive Byzantine victory and the concomitant slaughter of Cretan Muslims, men, women, and children alike; the tone throughout is of vengeful and bloodthirsty ‘holy war’. Phokas naturally looms large in his role as commander and Theodosios’ desperate efforts to shoehorn Romanos II into events—whether in the form of inspirational visions appearing to his soldiers or through a reprimand addressed to Phokas by a subordinate officer, for failing to praise his emperor sufficiently—suggest that there was considerable anxiety at court that the credit for victory would accrue to the commander rather than his sovereign. Consequently, it is hard not to smile at the embarrassment evident in the dedicatory proem, which indicates that Romanos died before the work could be presented and that it was therefore hastily rededicated to Phokas, even without removing the reprimand. Phokas, addressed as magistros, could not yet have been emperor but must have been an obvious contender at that time.\n\nSullivan is more interested in the historical than the literary value of the text and accordingly translates Theodosios’ verse into prose. Although Theodosios repeatedly admonishes Homer for writing about deeds that he deems trivial compared to the campaign on Crete, he wisely declines to measure his own literary skills against those of his poetic predecessor. Sullivan’s translation is once again clear and faithful, and the occasional awkward English phrase, such as ‘ballistic fiery heat’ (p. 149, p. 187), is generally a reflection of a similarly awkward Greek simile, in this case φλεγμονὰς πυρεκβόλους. Sullivan follows the suggestion of Panagiotakes’ 1960 edition that Theodosios in a number of instances employed στρατηγοί or στρατηγέται to indicate common soldiers. This may be the case on a few occasions, particularly for στρατηγέτης, but sometimes I felt a looser interpretation as ‘commanders’ or ‘officers’, rather than restrictively as ‘generals’, produced a satisfactory meaning without supposing Theodosios could not distinguish a στρατηγός from a στρατιώτης.\n\nThe fifth text, the akolouthia for St Nikephoros Phokas, provides fascinating evidence for an organised attempt to elevate Phokas to sainthood. Frustratingly the author is unknown; Sullivan rejects the hypothesis that Theodosios was again the author and makes a persuasive case that a monastic, and maybe even an Athonite, origin is possible. The verses, more restrained than De Creta capta, are translated into elegant prose by Sullivan and, through the introduction and glossary, he helpfully outlines the complex structure of the office for those not conversant with liturgy. The text emphasises Phokas’ pious life and death—through his asceticism, forgiveness of his murderers, and acceptance of his demise—and reports that his tomb exuded miracle-working myron, or holy oil. It also celebrates in passing his virtue as a warrior for his faith against Islam. Phokas’ well known, but unsuccessful, attempt to persuade the Church to declare his fallen soldiers martyrs for the faith tends to be regarded as an unusual outlier in Byzantine history, where evidence for militant religious passion is quite weak when compared to the crusading outpourings of the Latin world. Yet this and the previous text suggest such attitudes were relatively common in the mid-tenth century, even if they did not develop substantially thereafter.\n\nIn summary, Sullivan has performed a valuable service for scholars of Byzantine history and literature by making these texts accessible to a wider audience. It is hard to shake the impression that the volume’s title leads the reader to expect something slightly different than it actually delivers, since the five texts presented here do not offer a narrative or even an overview of Phokas’ career. This is compounded by the absence of even a summarised biography of Phokas—while the volume is clearly intended for specialists, such an addition would have been welcome if only for reference purposes. It does, however, provide selective, fascinating insights into contemporary attitudes towards the Phokas family and towards Nikephoros himself. The three chronicles, moreover, are of obvious utility to anyone interested in tenth-century Byzantium and, researchers of Byzantine attitudes towards religious warfare will find much to ponder here as well. The book thus contrives both to fall short of and to exceed its promised subject, which is not a criticism of the author or the work but simply of the choice of title. The volume is handsomely presented and has been produced to a high standard; typographical errors are few and trivial. Sullivan’s work is a welcome and deserving addition to the Byzantina Australiensia series.\n\n\n1. Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit Online. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Nach Vorarbeiten F. Winkelmanns erstellt. 2013. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter. Retrieved 10 Sep. 2019, from De Gruyter’s preview.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8371740579605103} {"content": "Jul 04, 2020 \n2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog \n2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]\n\nARTD 108 - A Survey of Graphic Design (3 credits)\n\nA comprehensive survey of graphic design from ancient history to the present. This course will look at significant movements, figures and technological advancements. It will include a basic introduction to the language, issues, and concerns of graphic artists and the various communication vehicles used. F, S.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9945085048675537} {"content": "Virat Kohli\nVirat Kohli (Credits: Twitter)\n\nVirat Kohli-led India further asserted their dominance in Test cricket with a clinical performance on day one of the ongoing day-night Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens. At the end of the day, India were firmly in the driver’s seat of the game. India bowled out Bangladesh for just 106 before finishing the day on 174 for 3.\n\nWant to be a professional cricketer?\nRegister Now\n\n*T&C Apply\n\nBangladesh won the toss and once again took the bold decision of batting first. But just like the first Test, the decision once again backfired as India’s in-form pace trio of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav ran riot with the ball. The pacers never really allowed the Bangladesh players to settle down.\n\nIshant Sharma led the show by picking up five wickets while Umesh Yadav picked up three wickets. Shami, on the other hand, picked up two wickets in addition to injuring Liton Das and Nayeem Hasan. Bangladesh kept losing wickets at regular intervals and none of their batsmen really looked like providing any sort of assistance.\n\nIndia vs Bangladesh\nIshant Sharma picked up five wickets (Credits: Twitter)\n\nIndia then further tightened their grips on the game with a fine batting show. Openers Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma departed cheaply before Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara joined hands. The two added 94 runs for the third wicket before Ebadot Hossain dismissed Pujara for 55. Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane then saw off the remaining overs.\n\nAlso Read: Run Machine Virat Kohli Achieves Another Milestone As India Skipper\n\nAnother record for Virat Kohli:\n\nVirat Kohli, meanwhile, added yet another feather to his already illustrious cap. The India skipper became the quickest captain in history of Test cricket to score 5,000 runs in the longest format of the game. In the process, he also became the first Indian captain to do so. Kohli broke the record held by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.\n\nPonting had scored 5,000 Test runs as captain in 97 innings while Kohli achieved the feat in just 86 innings. Kohli started the day on 4,968 runs and remained unbeaten on 59.\n\nHere is a list showing quickest to 5,000 Test runs as captain:\n\nCaptain Innings\nVirat Kohli 86\nRicky Ponting 97\nClive Lloyd 106\nGraeme Smith 110\nAllan Border 116\nStephen Fleming 130", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.624860942363739} {"content": "What Is Chronic Inflammation?\n\nChronic inflammation is debilitating, long-term pain. Sufferers of conditions such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis endure varying degrees of discomfort on a daily basis.\n\ncryotherapy The causes of chronic inflammation are often obscure although food allergies, environmental factors and stress are believed to contribute. The constant pain is typically caused through an imbalance in the immune system which prompts it to attack the body’s tissues rather than protecting them.\n\nReducing Inflammation\n\nCryotherapy is an effective anti-inflammatory treatment. It’s based on the traditional remedy used for the temporary, acute inflammation of sprains which involves placing an ice pack on an injury to the muscles or joints. When the body is subjected to a temperature of -110°C for just a few minutes the hormone norepinephrine is released and instantly begins to reduce deep-seated inflammation. The number of white blood cells drastically increases to protect tissues from the inflammation and filter toxins from the bloodstream. Even minor injuries such as sprains are healed more quickly as bodily strength increases.\n\n\nCold spa treatments have frequently relied on plunge pools of icy water. Therapy in a purpose-built chamber provides accurate temperature control and is flexible and convenient. There are no restrictions regarding when it can be used as it’s safe even after eating a meal. Wearing the least amount of clothing possible users then protect their hands, ears and feet with warm accessories. A mask is recommended to reduce the shock of inhaling the cold air. In larger units, the therapy begins in a small chamber with a mid-range temperature of -60°C. After approximately twenty seconds the main chamber is entered where the temperature is maintained at -110°C. The therapy lasts no longer than three minutes. Safety measures include being in visual and audio contact with staff throughout the treatment.\n\n\nAdapting a building to include a permanent chamber is expensive. Renting a cryotherapy unit is a cost-effective way to offer cold therapy treatments at your spa, health centre or sports facility. CryoAction has a range of treatment chambers available at economic, affordable rental rates. Each independent unit features a changing room and electrically-powered treatment chambers. Cryotherapy has many health benefits but its effectiveness in reducing the constant pain of chronic inflammation without the use of chemical medication is one of the most welcome. To find out more about the range of cryotherapy chambers available from CryoAction, please call us on 0800 014 8058 or send an enquiry to info@cryoaction.com.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9865007996559143} {"content": "Kuwait Airways Strike Costs $1mn\n\nThe strike caused by the carrier’s employees over a pay hike led to the cancellation of 10 flights within a four-hour period.\n\nA strike by employees at Kuwait Airways, which led to the cancellation of 10 flights on Saturday, cost the company and its subsidiaries an estimated $1 million within the four-hour period, according to local media reports.\n\nThe protesting workers were demanding a higher pay, and blamed the government for not meeting its requirements.\n\n“We were forced to go on this strike as a result of the negligence of the government for not fulfilling its promises or realizing the deal signed with the union regarding wages and increasing allowances of Kuwait Airways workers more than six months ago,” the head of the Kuwait Airways union, Abdullah Al-Hajri, said in a statement.\n\n“Kuwait Airways employees care for the general benefit of the public but they were forced to hold this strike to demand their rights. We will continue striking until our demands that were previously approved by the government are met,” he added.\n\nIn October last year, 4,000 workers from the carrier’s union had gone on strike, also over salary demands.\n\nThe protests led Kuwait’s government to announce a 25 per cent pay rise to state workers last week.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8294727206230164} {"content": "Miller reflects on Jewish traditions, lifestyle\n\n\nNyah Phengsitthy\n\nJunior Grace Miller celebrates Jewish traditions during the holiday season.\n\nSkimming page by page of the Torah, she absorbed the native language of a dying culture. In her spare time, junior Grace Miller can be found teaching herself the basic principles of the Hebrew language. Judaism has been apart of Miller’s life since birth and has managed to stick by her side since.\n\nBy the time kindergarten rolled around, she had already begun learning various types of prayers, as well as the Hebrew alphabet. This was intended to prepare Miller for the the most important event of a Jewish girls life, the Bat Mitzvah. This leads to the simple path towards Jewish adulthood which consisted of standing in front of an entire congregation while leading a service in Hebrew.\n\n“[My parents] built towards this big event [known] as my Bat Mitzvah and it was performing in front of everyone. All of my friends and family were invited and members of the congregation. You are upfront leading a service, it’s a very communal [tradition] and I found out it was a lot less stressful than I made it out to be,” Miller said.\n\nAmong other traditions, Hanukkah is one of many holiday staples within the Jewish community. While many of her peers are rejoicing in the Christmas spirit, Miller gets with family and they enjoy a feast together. Afterwards, they pull out the candles and light one of them as a way of bringing honor towards a personal belief such as world peace.\n\n“We light [a candle] for each eight days of the nights, we light for something differently. It’s my favorite thing because I feel like Hanukkah isn’t just for me, but it’s for everyone. It’s not just a holiday about giving presents or eating food or seeing my family. It’s about rejoicing in what we have and we want to give to others.”\n\nMiller prioritizes her relationship with Judaism by attending Friday services and teaching at a Sunday school. As president of her synagogue youth group, she has grown to have a strong and active connection with other Jewish youth. The main purpose of the group is to serve throughout Harrisonburg by performing community service\n\nThe group has packed bags for the homeless and volunteered at different shelters. They also participate in an annual event known as “Ski Weekend,” where other youth groups from across Virginia and East Coast are invited to celebrate. Youth groups are offered to stay in their synagogue, while they bond, ski and explore Harrisonburg together.\n\nMiller’s past experiences involving Judaism has led her to come upon many misconceptions about her lifestyle. She has argued that historical textbooks portrays Jews as a set of people who are frightened and intimidated by other groups of people.\n\n“It shows the Jews as a [group] of people who are scared and intimidated by many other people because they’ve been so hunted throughout time. That misconception is widely spread and should be lessened because there is a number of us that [don’t] feel that [way],” Miller stated.\n\nHer ancestor’s struggles provide a perspective on how important life is and that it is important for society to open their minds to everything without excluding a person, religion or culture.\n\nThe lack of knowledge on Judaism from others and herself has influenced Miller’s future plans. One of her plans is to travel to Israel as a journey of self-discovery on her religious beliefs. She strives to continue letting Judaism be the center of her focus at college by studying Hebrew and Judaic studies. Because not many people have viewed a large portion of Judaism, she would love to open up that to other people.\n\n“It’s very mind-blowing to think about my ancestors and what they’ve gone through and it really puts into perspective how important life is and how critical it is to open up our minds to everything and not just one culture or people or religion, but to everything and everyone,” Miller said. “Seeing everyone get together and come together in hard times or happy times is just really beautiful. We are all connected through Israel, this homeland. [It] is magical to see how we can all connect through a single thing that we all are no matter what we look like or who we are.”\n\nPrint Friendly, PDF & Email", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9984121918678284} {"content": "03.05.2015 Author: Vladimir Odintsov\n\nIs “American-style Democracy” of Any Good to Anyone?\n\n3423222Last decades have been marked by countless Washington’s efforts to impose its idea of democracy on the world. This trend has manifested itself in a wave of “color revolutions” and the active support of various non-governmental organizations that are designed to promote “the values of American-style democracy.”\n\nHowever, there are cases when the export of “democracy” cannot be achieved by non-violent means, that’s where US intelligence services step in with a wide variety of covert operations being carried out all across the world. Should they fail, the White House will be quick to use its so-called “coalition” that would eagerly bomb any country back to the Stone Age with total disregard for international norms and institutions. One could easily recall the examples of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the wave of “Arab Spring”revolutions and the Balkanization of Eastern Europe. In all those cases Washington is hiding behind its favorite excuse – the doctrine that was proclaimed by Harry Truman in the US Congress in March 1947, that constitutes that “US must support free people who are resisting the command of armed minorities or the external pressure.” But back then it all came to countering communist influence that was reflected later in the beginning of the “Cold War”, but now the White House is desperate to apply this very “external pressure” all across the world.\n\nBut despite all these efforts, recent years have highlighted a growing opposition movement on different continents that is reinforced by the spread of anti-American sentiments. The reasons are a plenty, but the most serious among them is a common understanding that the “American-style democracy” that is being pushed down the throats of the people around the globe can not be regarded as a role model, since even the population of the United States doesn’t seem to like it all that much.\n\nFor instance, a growing number of American and Western media has been reporting a staggering level of violence on the part of law enforcement agencies in America that overshadows any other industrialized country in the whole world. In Germany, in the period of 2013-2014 police officers killed eight people, Canada is bit more dangerous place where police is killing up to ten people each year. However, in 2014 alone in the US city of Pasco, with a population of 68 thousand people, police officers have murdered more people than their colleagues in the whole United Kingdom in the last three years. It’s clear that Washington has unleashed a war against its own population. Frequently those crimes are being recorded, but US authorities refrain from reporting on them, most often than not they are being mentioned briefly in news reports. This March alone US police murdered 115 Americans, which is more than three individuals a day! It is more than the entire British police killed since 1900. The overwhelming majority of the victims is African-American. Residents of California, Wisconsin, Georgia, Ohio are much more inclined to fall victims of this “pro-democratic” police, although this problem has now reached the national scale. In particular, according to the US Department of Justice, in the last 8 years, in Philadelphia alone police officers opened fire on local residents more than 400 times, 80% of those targeted by police were black.\n\nRacial tensions in the US remain rather strong which often leads to institutionalized racism. This fact has been highlighted by an investigative report of The Washington Post that was examining the actions of Ferguson police after the death of Michael Brown, noting that, despite the intervention of the State of Missouri and the federal authorities, the local police still continue to openly adhere to discriminatory policies, which sounds truly alarming.\n\nAs a result, an entire generation of African Americans has been victimized by racial policies. If you are born black in the United States, then your chances of dying from a gun wound is 20 times higher than if you were white. Hence,there’s wonder that US cities are regularly shaken by massive waves of protests against police officers killing unarmed black men.\n\nSuch atrocities against civilians occur not only in the US, they are pretty commonplace in countries that are occupied by the US military “in the name of promoting American-style democracy.” The last 14 years of ongoing US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, have been keeping the international media busy reporting on US military patrols shooting civilians, massive civilian casualties during US military raids, when people are massacred in their home, and finally collateral civilian deaths that were caused by an “unsuccessful” US drone attack.\n\nThere’s no surprise that the unanimous opinion of the international community is that the United States officials are not only responsible for the violence on their home soil, but for massive shootings of civilians from Latin America to the Middle East. In 2014, the Gallup Institute in partnership with WIN has published a report on the basis of sociological researches in 65 countries, which states that 24% of world’s population perceive the US as the greatest threat to the planet, which goes in tune with the conclusions of yet another Gallup research that was conducted this March in the 50 states of the US, itshowed that 18% of respondents named the government and its ongoing “democratic” policy in the United States a significant problem, while putting other problems such as terrorism, unemployment, health care, the decline of family values on the background.\n\nSo should we promote this “American-style democracy” and is it of any use to anyone?\n\n\nPlease select digest to download:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8576751947402954} {"content": "\n\n\nYou'll need to eliminate sweets, grains and alcohol for as long as you intend to remain in ketosis. As a result, many people find sticking with the diet long-term difficult. \"Cheat days\" or \"cheat meals\" are difficult to include in the plan as one high-carbohydrate meal can turn your body back to burning carbohydrates for energy, which can take days (and even up to a week) to reverse.\n\nWhile sugar may be a great quick form of energy, it doesn't keep your brain at its best. \"There is a lot of evidence coming out which suggests that the brain operates more efficiently on ketones than it does on blood sugar, but the research is all fairly new,\" Olin says. \"Ketones are made to fuel the brain in the absence of glucose,\" says Kristen Mancinelli, a registered dietitian and author of The Ketogenic Diet. \"On a normal diet, the brain gets 100 percent of its energy from glucose. On a ketogenic diet, up to two-thirds of the brain's energy comes from ketones. It's understandable that brain function would change drastically on a ketogenic diet.\" Here are 13 things doctors want you to know about the keto diet.\nTry to be patient. Although some people get into ketosis relatively quickly, it may take others a while. Unfortunately, people who are insulin resistant often seem to have a longer journey. Put in a solid month of consistent keto eating, and try to ramp up your physical activity, if possible. Within four weeks, you should definitely be in ketosis and experiencing its benefits.\nThe keto diet cuts your daily carbohydrates to less than 20 grams; for people with diagnosed diabetes, this may help them manage the condition. A one-year study found that putting people with type 2 diabetes into ketosis dramatically improved their blood sugar control. Also, reports study author Steve Phinney, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of Virta Health, a type 2 diabetes reversal treatment, \"Patients were able to lose on average 12 percent of their body weight, about 31 pounds.\" Doctors want you to know these 13 things about the keto diet.\n\nMost of us LOVE dairy products in all shapes and forms, but it’s possible that skipping or reducing them in your diet could speed up your weight loss and be beneficial for your health. This is because dairy products contain not only milk sugar (lactose), but also milk protein (casein), which stimulates insulin secretion more than many other types of protein, and can trigger overeating.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9974022507667542} {"content": "Common Health Issues and Some Ways To Treat Them\n\nMost people don’t feel 100% all the time. Though there is a consistent target to be as healthy as possible, most people feel that they suffer from some issue or another. And after some sort of diagnosis is present, the next step is to try to decide what to do about it.\n\nSome examples of common health issues include people who suffer from ADHD, addiction, dietary issues, or constant pain. Those are just a few of the things that people deal with regularly, but looking into what some methods are to treat them, you can get an idea of how to approach any other sorts of issues that you might have when it comes to your general health.\n\n\nLots of people suffer from ADHD. Though the diagnosis wasn’t all that common until a few generations ago, now it is widely understood to be a spectrum of conditions where hyperactivity becomes a serious issue. Sometimes you can take medication for ADHD, and it works perfectly. Other times, behavioral therapy and situational awareness play an even more important role than chemicals. Ultimately, parents have to help their children deal with ADHD. But as adults, people have to take an active role in figuring themselves out to function efficiently.\n\n\nSome people have addictive personalities. In those personalities, when mixed with certain types of situations or in certain contexts, lead to addiction. And especially with specific kinds of drugs, addiction may be the hardest thing a person will ever deal with in their life. It can ruin a family. It can ruin a career. It can lead to painful death. That’s why fighting against addiction is such an important issue to take on responsibly if you’re trying to come out the other end of the tunnel feeling like the best version of yourself.\n\nDietary Issues\n\nThere is a whole gamut of dietary issues that hundreds of millions of people deal with every day. There is anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphia – the list goes on and on and on. It may be one of the most common health issues that there is. And there’s not always a simple solution. Sometimes the psychology of having a problem with diet is stronger than the physical capacity of a person to handle it. That’s why educating people and knowing where to go for moral support is so important.\n\nConstant Pain\n\nA final issue that a lot of people deal with is constant pain. It might be an old hip injury. It might be headaches that won’t go away. Maybe there is chest pain or gastrointestinal issues. But ultimately, some ever-present sense of pain is distracting to a person’s life. And to get over that distraction, a person has to do something. Some people choose pain medication. Others choose meditation. Other people try to retrain their body not to react to nerve impulses. Whatever path you choose, the point is that it isn’t necessarily easy, but there are ways to achieve that sense of pain-free homeostasis again.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7173103094100952} {"content": "Team, Visitors, External Collaborators\nOverall Objectives\nResearch Program\nApplication Domains\nHighlights of the Year\nNew Software and Platforms\nNew Results\nBilateral Contracts and Grants with Industry\nPartnerships and Cooperations\nXML PDF e-pub\nPDF e-Pub\n\nSection: Research Program\n\nScientific Challenges and Research Issues\n\nIn TADaaM , we will tackle the problem of efficiently executing an application, at system-scale, on an HPC machine. We assume that the application is already optimized (efficient data layout, use of effective libraries, usage of state-of-the-art compilation techniques, etc.). Nevertheless, even a statically optimized application will not be able to be executed at scale without considering the following dynamic constraints: machine topology, allocated resources, data movement and contention, other running applications, access to storage, etc. Thanks to the proposed layer, we will provide a simple and efficient way for already existing applications, as well as new ones, to express their needs in terms of resource usage, locality and topology, using a high-level semantic.\n\nIt is important to note that we target the optimization of each application independently but also several applications at the same time and at system-scale, taking into account their resource requirement, their network usage or their storage access. Furthermore, dealing with code-coupling application is an intermediate use-case that will also be considered.\n\nSeveral issues have to be considered. The first one consists in providing relevant abstractions and models to describe the topology of the available resources and the application behavior.\n\nTherefore, the first question we want to answer is: “How to build scalable models and efficient abstractions enabling to understand the impact of data movement, topology and locality on performance?” These models must be sufficiently precise to grasp the reality, tractable enough to enable efficient solutions and algorithms, and simple enough to remain usable by non-hardware experts. We will work on (1) better describing the memory hierarchy, considering new memory technologies; (2) providing an integrated view of the nodes, the network and the storage; (3) exhibiting qualitative knowledge; (4) providing ways to express the multi-scale properties of the machine. Concerning abstractions, we will work on providing general concepts to be integrated at the application or programming model layers. The goal is to offer means, for the application, to express its high-level requirements in terms of data access, locality and communication, by providing abstractions on the notion of hierarchy, mesh, affinity, traffic metrics, etc.\n\nIn addition to the abstractions and the aforementioned models we need to define a clean and expressive API in a scalable way, in order for applications to express their needs (memory usage, affinity, network, storage access, model refinement, etc.).\n\nTherefore, the second question we need to answer is: “how to build a system-scale, stateful, shared layer that can gather applications needs expressed with a high-level semantic?”. This work will require not only to define a clean API where applications will express their needs, but also to define how such a layer will be shared across applications and will scale on future systems. The API will provide a simple yet effective way to express different needs such as: memory usage of a given portion of the code; start of a compute intensive part; phase where the network is accessed intensively; topology-aware affinity management; usage of storage (in read and/or write mode); change of the data layout after mesh refinement, etc. From an engineering point of view, the layer will have a hierarchical design matching the hardware hierarchy, so as to achieve scalability.\n\nOnce this has been done, the service layer, will have all the information about the environment characteristics and application requirements. We therefore need to design a set of mechanisms to optimize applications execution: communication, mapping, thread scheduling, data partitioning/mapping/movement, etc.\n\nHence, the last scientific question we will address is: “How to design fast and efficient algorithms, mechanisms and tools to enable execution of applications at system-scale, in full a HPC ecosystem, taking into account topology and locality?” A first set of research is related to thread and process placement according to the topology and the affinity. Another large field of study is related to data placement, allocation and partitioning: optimizing the way data is accessed and processed especially for mesh-based applications. The issues of transferring data across the network will also be tackled, thanks to the global knowledge we have on the application behavior and the data layout. Concerning the interaction with other applications, several directions will be tackled. Among these directions we will deal with matching process placement with resource allocation given by the batch scheduler or with the storage management: switching from a best-effort application centric strategy to global optimization scheme.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9121686220169067} {"content": "A novel methodology for in-process monitoring of flow forming\n\n\nText (Appleby-etal-AIP-CP-2017-A-novel-methodology-for-in-process-monitoring)\nAccepted Author Manuscript\n\nDownload (6MB)| Preview\n\n\n Flow forming (FF) is an incremental cold working process with near-net-shape forming capability. Failures by fracture due to high deformation can be unexpected and sometimes catastrophic, causing tool damage. If process failures can be identified in real time, an automatic cut-out could prevent costly tool damage. Sound and vibration monitoring is well established and commercially viable in the machining sector to detect current and incipient process failures, but not for FF. A broad-frequency microphone was used to record the sound signature of the manufacturing cycle for a series of FF parts. Parts were flow formed using single and multiple passes, and flaws were introduced into some of the parts to simulate the presence of spontaneously initiated cracks. The results show that this methodology is capable of identifying both introduced defects and spontaneous failures during flow forming. Further investigation is needed to categorise and identify different modes of failure and identify further potential applications in rotary forming.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9886614084243774} {"content": "Sightseeing Highlights\n\nCruise right under the famed Chateau of Chenonceau, which uniquely spans the River Cher. Visit the home of artist Leonardo da Vinci. Tour the Renaissance gardens at Chateau de Villandry. Wander through the dainty streets of a centuries-old village, perhaps discovering a lively local market or a hidden shop with hand-painted pottery. Taste the wines of Touraine.\n\nCanals & Waterways\n\nAt 629 miles the Loire is France’s longest river, though not all of it is navigable. Its main tributary is the 246-mile Cher. The Loire rises in the Cévennes in south-eastern France and flows through Orléans, Tours, Angers, and Nantes until it reaches the Bay of Biscay.\n\n\nWhy Barge in Loire Valley?\n\nWhat could be more extraordinary than cruising in the “Valley of the Kings”, past magnificent chateaux built centuries ago by wealthy dynasties of global influence, and designed by architectures of great distinction? The Loire Valley is as rich in legend as it is in verdant natural beauty, and fortunately, little has changed over the centuries.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9163196086883545} {"content": "\n\n\nThey offer a selection of youth, independent and backpacker hostels in Russia - including all sorts of unique & unusual properties such as a hostel on a Jumbo jet, in a tree house, on a houseboat, even a bed in an old jail!\n\n\n\nArrival Date:\n\nNights: Guests:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9629999399185181} {"content": "Good Apps To Develop Cognitive Skills\n\nApps can be particularly good at developing and testing cognitive skills. From a young age they can help with colour, shape & pattern recognition and early categorisation skills, and as children grow older they support development of numeracy skills, logic, problem solving, measurement, memory, learning time and a wide range of maths concepts.\n\nThis section includes some of the best apps for developing cognitive skills in children. Use the filters to find apps for particular ages or to target specific cognitive skills.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9996556639671326} {"content": "Hillsborough County\n\nClient: Hillsborough County\nIndustry: Economic Development/Government\n\n\nUnderstanding how residents feel about their county government is important. The county wanted to disseminate a survey to reveal insights into how citizens value different aspects of their lives. The county believed that these findings will help them draw conclusions to make improvements and increase individuals’ satisfaction. By being able to differentiate the resident’s districts, additional insights and conclusions can be made to further help the county.\n\n\nHillsborough County engaged HCP Associates to develop a quantitative telephonic survey that would be statistically representative and an online survey to welcome all citizen feedback.\n\nHillsborough County is one of Florida’s 67 counties, located on the central, West Coast. It is Florida’s fourth most populated county, with 1,351,087 residents, according to the 2017 American Community Survey. The county was established in 1834 and initially encompassed other counties; in 1911, the county established the boundaries that currently exist. Hillsborough is home to the Port of Tampa Bay, two Major League sports teams, an international airport, offers connectivity to award-winning beaches, and has been rapidly growing into the county it is today.\n\nThe study aimed to set baseline metrics for what people feel the county is succeeding with and to gain a pulse on how citizens feel about key topics that impact their quality of life. The results offer the county with generalized sentiments, key items of importance, and factors that impact citizen’s lives. In addition, the study’s results provide all commissioners with valuable information into their constituents’ sentiments.\n\nFrom utilizing different distribution platforms, HCP was able to track respondent’s methods of accessing the survey. By using a mixed channel distribution method, HCP can confirm that this level of engagement from the county to residents is found to be successful, effectively reaching all demographics.\n\nOverall, residents’ satisfaction with their quality of life is very high, with 93% of the county feeling satisfied. The survey highlighted that the largest expectation gaps, where citizens are expecting more to be done by the government, lie in the categories of support services and traffic/congestion.\n\nHCP remains a pioneer in conducting meaningful research that both serve and strategically engage the community. As a leader in consulting and market research, HCP is proud to guide the county in understanding and evaluating citizens’ sentiments in order to continue to thrive and advance into the future.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.991920530796051} {"content": "Dealer System in Corpus Christi\n\nThe dealership business has also grown by a big margin in the city of Corpus Christi. There has been a remarkable spurt in the dealership count in RV business, and also in marine and trailer businesses. But the crux of the matter is still the same. The growth of dealers in such a large number can be a worrying sign for the small-scale and the mid-scale dealers. Their limited budget makes it difficult for them to fix lower prices. This puts them in disadvantage when pitted against big dealers who have a larger budget and lower costs. So, IDS has come out with the DMS or Dealer Management Software which has been designed to help dealers in various ways.\n\nDMS reduces the cost of operation. It directly reduces the cost of accounting, financing and reporting. It also ensures accuracy in data and report-preparing. Since it systemizes everything in one place, it gives the management less headache about information and data-collection. When the dealers look back in the year gone by and try to sum up the pros and cons of the firm, they are more at ease when they are presented with well-made reports and analysis by DMS tool. Corpus Christi may be a relatively small city but the dealers have to struggle to keep the demand stable. Dealer management software is something which can be relied upon. It makes it impossible to make errors unless the accountant is really negligent of his work. So, investing in this software is a sure shot way of lifting up profits and profitability for the business.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7576619386672974} {"content": "Anxiety about fake news has long dogged open publishing environs, while the costs of gatekeeping often go unnoticed.\n\nRyan Khurana is the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Advancing Prosperity. He is a Senior Fellow for IREF Europe and a Research Fellow for the Consumer Choice Center. He formerly worked as a technology policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., and as a Research Associate at the Institute of Economic Affairs in London, United Kingdom. His work has been featured in The Telegraph, National Review, The Washington Examiner, The Federalist, and many others.\n\nOn August 13th, 1678, King Charles II was informed of an elaborate Catholic conspiracy to take his life. A manuscript, discovered just a few days prior, named nearly 100 English Jesuits as part of a plot to reinstate Catholic power in Protestant England. The King found the whole thing absurd, and wanted it kept quiet to avoid mass panic. Word, however, got out, prompting an investigation that led the magistrate to the fervently anti‐Catholic Titus Oates.\n\nHistory of Fake News\n\nOates’s impeccable memory, confidence, and intelligence persuaded the King that the plot was real. Oates claimed to have infiltrated secret Catholic meetings and learned of their plans. He made numerous allegations, and knew about the personal lives and positions of various influential Catholics. Fury gripped the English public.\n\nDrastic anti‐Catholic measures were taken to protect the King’s life. The Exclusion Bill excluded the King’s Roman Catholic brother, John, from the line of succession. The Jesuits were persecuted, with nine executed and another twelve dying in prison.\n\nThe most shocking feature of the entire “Popish Plot” was that it was totally fictitious. Titus Oates had fabricated the entire manuscript along with a supposedly insane clergyman, Israel Tonge, intending to spur hysteria that would do lasting damage to English Catholicism.\n\nThe King survived till 1685, with no successful attempts on his life by Catholics. However, it was not until 1829 that the policies against Catholics were relaxed with the Roman Catholic Relief Act.\n\nFake stories have garnered widespread attention throughout history, though only a few were as impactful as the Popish Plot. Similar libelous persecutions of Jews occurred across Europe in the late 19th Century in the Dreyfus, Beilis, and Hilsner affairs; all fake, and all successful in stoking hysterical public anger.\n\nSome instances of fake news, such as the press’s popularization of bat‐men on the moon, can be innocuous, but others have held dire implications for whole nations. The sensationalist “Yellow Journalism” pioneered by Pulitzer and Hearst has often been cited as a cause of the Spanish‐American War of 1898. Hearst’s papers blamed the Spanish for sinking the Maine, an American warship, during a Cuban uprising, despite scant evidence, in order to drum up public support for his hawkish outlook.\n\nThe Role of Media Technology\n\nAs the modern phenomenon of fake news has caught public attention, spurring calls for new regulation, there are useful lessons to be learned from the history of epistemic uncertainty in public discourse. The historical presence of fake news indicates that this is not a new challenge, and the diminution of the issue throughout the 20th century grants further insight into the problem’s internet borne reemergence.\n\nIn the case of the Popish Plot the truth was eventually discovered, though only after much damage had been done. Means of transmitting the written word were limited, slowing the process of refuting error. The traditional business model of mass media rewarded sensationalism, making it more profitable to spread unverified claims and publish retractions later. These incentives have been well‐understood throughout history, and enabled powerful interests to manipulate public opinion.\n\nOver time, however, the cost of information transmission fell drastically, increasing the quality of reporting. Prior to the widespread deployment of the telegraph, foreign correspondence was based on independent letter writers whose commentary was sent with cargo to the reporting nation. Fact checking was difficult under these circumstances, but as demand for news increased, more resources were invested in rigorous correspondence. This demand driven shift began with the Chicago Daily News, which became the gold standard for foreign reporting by the early 1920s. The rise of reporting quality coincided with advances in air travel, as commercial airlines were established following the First World War. These changes drastically improved the ability for misinformation to be corrected rapidly, rather than the weeks, or sometimes months, of delay that it took for news to travel by ship.\n\nAs new players entered into the newspaper market, changes in business models affected reporting as well. An increasing number of players pushed down the value of advertising dollars for each paper as competition for circulation intensified. Newspapers began to shift their focus to retention of high valued customers through the adoption of subscription sales. This reduced competition for attention, shifting the market to competition in quality. News like the Popish Plot would be less likely to thrive in an environment in which profit is based on rigor rather than shock.\n\nBeyond the changes in print came a series of advances in media technology throughout the 20th Century. Guglielmo Marconi patented what would soon become the first commercially successful radio device in 1896, and by 1919 human speech was clearly transmitted. Throughout the 1920s, developments in broadcasting marked a new era in media communications, changing how the public received information. Only be a few decades later the widespread adoption of television sets spurred yet another media revolution.\n\nNetwork television grew tremendously in the 1950s, becoming the new voice of American news. Following the popularity of Edward R. Murrow’s “A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy”, network television expanded the length of newscasts to 30‐minutes, and invested heavily in finding broadcast journalists who were seen as trustworthy. While short news reports were common before, the television news format allowed a small few to speak to millions in an unprecedented manner. The novelty of the format, along with high natural barriers to market entry, created an environment in which a handful of stations commanded the attention of the entire American audience, further reducing competition driven sensationalism.\n\nThe Return of Fake News\n\nWhile many broadcast innovations of the 20th Century seemed to limit the impact of fake news, the information technology boom that began in the 1970s changed the dynamics of its production. Declining computer hardware costs enabled widespread access to media production, and the commercial internet allowed for near instantaneous transmission of ideas.\n\nCheaply available software enabled the creation of false content. Tools such as Photoshop provided quick, high‐quality image doctoring, making it difficult to distinguish between real and fake photographs. While the creation of false images had been a common phenomenon since the dawn of photography, it was given new prominence in the internet‐era, as speed became an important factor in narrative creation.\n\nThe combination of lower production costs and rapid content dissemination led to an explosion in the number of information sources. Setting up a website was far cheaper than establishing a television station, driving a profusion of online news. The early internet was an anarchic environment, hosted on a novel, effectively decentralized infrastructure which large corporations had yet to fully master. Content production had been democratized, but it was often hard to distinguish between high and low‐quality content. This tension is evidenced by the popularity of the phrase “don’t believe everything you read on the internet”, often humorously attributed to Abraham Lincoln. The doubt prevalent in online interaction is further exampled in the famous 1993 New Yorker cartoon “On the Internet, nobody knows you are a dog”.\n\nInternet freedom also changed the business model of publishing to be more reminiscent of 19th Century print media. The costs of scaling had long insulated large networks and national newspapers from the sort of intense competition enabled by the internet. National networks took view attention for granted. As the number of news sources increased, each customer’s attention became scarcer, and therefore, more valuable. Online social media sites operate as attention maximizers, showing people exactly what they want to see, rather than curating content for quality. In such an environment, emotionally charged, attention grabbing content is likely to have greater throughput than dry, analytical works.\n\nWhile changes to the information economy have been ongoing, the current concern over fake news stems from the 2016 US Presidential Election. Concerns that Russian propagandists influenced the election by spreading disinformation on social media, as well as the rising popularity of alternative news sites such as Breitbart, Daily Kos, InfoWars, and the Huffington Post, drove concerns about fake news’s corrosive impact on democracy.\n\nThe argument contends that as more people rely upon social media for news, the line between what is true and not becomes blurred. Articles that play to a reader’s sensibilities will be algorithmically selected and over‐served, deceiving them into taking their claims as fact. Malicious actors, such as Russian agents aiming to elect Donald Trump, can and will take advantage of these advertising algorithms to mislead and influence the public. The possibility of Popish Plots influencing discourse, it is claimed, has become practicable once again.\n\nThe Scope of the Problem\n\nEconomic Historian Niall Ferguson has likened the influence of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to that Hearst at the time of the Spanish‐American War. Other commentators have condemned what they consider to be social media monopolies as political threats, as they reduce the number of information channels, making people more susceptible to fake news. Even though the internet provides a wellspring of free information, some have argued that it has actually made us dumber, and less able to critically assess what we see.\n\nThere is little evidence that fake news had any measurable impact on the outcome of the 2016 election. If anything, it seems that the Russians benefitted more from the hysteria attending their efforts than any products of the efforts themselves. Whether or not the articles churned out by Russian troll factories are true, it is better to address their content, rather than decry them as fake news. Dismissing speech as fake, rather than engaging with it, provides an easy rhetorical escape from discomfiting views. The acceptability of dismissal sows partisan discord, which harms public debate.\n\nMany claims made about Facebook and its’ influence are hyperbolic. The idea that Zuckerberg has the power of Hearst is to discount the ongoing conversation concerning his influence. Facebook does not exert editorial authority over content on its site as Hearst did with his newspapers. In addition, internet users express general skepticism of what they see online, and rarely trust a single source for everything. While more people probably get some news off Facebook than they did through Hearst Media at its peak, its’ influence on their thought is weaker. A 2017 Pew Research poll found that only 20% of US adults regularly receive news from social media. Out of the 67% who receive any news from social media, 37% supplement with Local TV, 28% with Cable TV, and 33% with online newspapers. These are hardly results that suggest susceptibility to monopolistic influence.\n\nTo illustrate this point, let us imagine that Facebook began actively curating its site to support a war with Spain. It algorithmically favors information that makes the case for war, including fabricated Spanish antagonism, and demotes any and all information that shows otherwise. Is it likely that the populace has become so pacified as to believe everything they see, and become pawns to the influence of Facebook’s owners? Not in the slightest. Unlike broadsheets or television news, social media sites do not create a general consensus, as they host microtargeted content. Disparate users, finding similar content universally thrust upon them, would discover this aggressive curation quite quickly. This discovery would likely result in fierce backlash against Facebook executives.\n\nSocial media sites like Facebook and Twitter are not simply competing with traditional news sources, they rely on them for revenue. If Facebook abused its content creators, they might refrain from publishing on the site, which would in turn reduce its credibility. While it is often claimed that social media has accelerated the decline of traditional media, this assertion is not borne out by the data. Traditional media was in decline well before the creation of outlets like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter. If anything, platforms have been responsible for halting the demise of legacy content creators. Countless people access New York Times articles through Facebook every day, far more than accessed them directly through their site before Facebook rose to prominence.\n\nOnline companies do not have the luxury of maintaining sleepy monopolies, or abusing their market position. On the contrary, they have a large financial incentive to combat fake news as best as possible, even overcompensating on occasion. Facebook, Twitter, and Google have all taken initiatives to counter the spread of fake news on their sites, while still allowing users wide latitude to create, post, and consume the content they most enjoy.\n\nThis suggests that the tendency of people to believe fake news is not so much a technological issue as a social one. While the internet age decreased the cost of producing fake news, digital media itself did not make it any more believable. The degradation of trust in traditional media—something that began in the 1990s—indicates that fixes targeted at content, rather than the underlying concerns that bring it to the fore, will have little positive impact.\n\nThe Cost of Reprieve\n\nUnderstanding the pre‐internet media landscape helps to contextualize why fake news has seemed like such a new phenomenon. For around 40 years television was the dominant form of media. Families would sit around for hours to consume standard sitcoms from I Love Lucy to Two and a Half Men — that remained almost identical in form no matter what year they were broadcast— and to remain informed about current affairs. From the inception of network television in the late‐1940s to the rise of standalone news stations in the 1980s, the Big Three (NBC, CBS, and ABC), dominated American homes, and American minds.\n\nElsewhere in the world, television content was strictly monitored to maintain moral standards. This severely restricted the number of accessible channels. In the UK, where the publicly funded BBC was the sole body responsible for broadcast television for decades, the reaction against the introduction of ITV, the first independent station, was fierce. The Labour Party continued to oppose commercial television into the Thatcher administration, when Channel 4, an ad‐funded public‐service broadcaster, was launched in 1982.\n\nThe American news scene evolved in 1980 with the introduction of CNN, but it was only in 1996, with the inception of MSNBC and Fox News, that news channels began to become more explicitly partisan.\n\nThe notion that the news of the television era was more truthful than today’s internet media is deeply flawed. By limiting the channels through which information could be accessed, the bounds of political discourse were informed by the narrow interests of those who commissioned television shows. Many fringe groups were permanently excluded from the national conversation. It might be argued that excluding those who held these fringe views brought a valuable cohesion to society, but there were unintended consequences to this form of censorship.\n\nTake one of the most famous songs of the Black Power Movement, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott‐Heron, with lines such as “There will be no highlights on the eleven o’clock News/and no pictures of hairy armed women Liberationists and/Jackie Onassis blowing her nose”. The song chastises the media structure of the 1960’s, which is held responsible for pacifying the American public in the face of brutal systemic racism. In doing so, it makes clear that discussion of effective, ameliorative political action had been foreclosed by media centralization.\n\nContrary to its aims, the deplatforming of radicals only lent credence to their claims. It fed delegitimizing narratives of a democracy managed by shadowy elites, and on both left and right, was used to justify violent action. Twentieth Century media sorted Americans into a majority who trusted the content they were shown, and a minority who believed none of it.\n\nToday, however, the ability of a single source to control the information available to an entire demographic is much weaker. Legacy media conglomerates, such as News Corp, Viacom, or Comcast, that traditionally acted as gatekeepers of information, compete for clicks and views with upstart magazines, YouTube clips, tweets, LiveLeak footage, and blogs. The internet has driven an increase not only in the volume of content, but its velocity and variety. Compared to twitter, televised news summaries seem glacially slow. News curation, rather than creation, has become costly.\n\nAcknowledging this change illustrates the difficulty of attempting to return to the dynamics of the television age. One of the reasons fringe movements, whose narratives were empowered by censorship, never grew strong enough to effectively challenge mainstream opinion was not their lack of resources, but the trust people had in the system of information gatekeepers. Broad social consensus endorsed the bounds of acceptable debate, and the functioning of the wider institutions of society, upon which the news industry relied.\n\nThe contemporary spread of fake news concerns not only the ability to produce content, but the lack of trust that now permeates society. The post‐9/11 and post‐financial crisis world does not trust its institutions as much as it did in the 1980s. The content produced by sites like InfoWars, known for their conspiracist reporting, follow an anti‐elite narrative that attacks not only the political establishment, but once reputable media corporations.\n\nRegulation and Reputation\n\nTo regulate social media sites in way that controls user content would undeniably generate backlash. There is no authoritative means of identifying what news should be printed and what should not. Only after something has been said and publicized can it be identified as true or false. Preventing publication is, in turn, a form of censorship known as prior restraint, that the US Constitution severely restricts.\n\nLess drastic than banning what is deemed to be fake news are incentive‐based regulations, such as the repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields online platforms from liability for user generated content. This legislative shift would render companies liable for malicious or libelous content posted on their sites, like traditional publishers. The chilling effect of this change would limit far more speech online than just fake news, as a fearful private regulator always is more cautious than a public regulator.\n\nGiven the tremendous volume of speech produced by its users, despite their best efforts, it is impossible for Facebook to adequately monitor everything posted on its site. If Facebook were held liable for content it could not adequately monitor, it might maintain a presumption of guilt on the part of the user, censoring any politically charged or potentially offensive content, fearful of the legal action likely to accompany any mistakes.\n\nUnderstanding the complexity of regulating online speech, Vox’s Matt Yglesias has called for Facebook to simply be shut down, given the danger to democracy the site apparently poses. This is an absurd remedy, one that is far worse than the purported disease.\n\nHysteria over the impact of fake news has led people to neglect the immense tangible benefits brought by social media. Twitter and Facebook may allow people to post lies online, but they have also facilitated far greater interconnectedness than ever previously thought possible. Social media has facilitated new political opportunities, such as the Arab Spring, as earlier centralized information technologies were easily controlled by tyrannical governments. It has allowed people to remain in contact with friends abroad, and expand their horizons by lowering the cost of information gathering.\n\nContrary to popular opinion, social media has also contributed to the depolarization of political views. Psychologically, and perhaps counterintuitively, users are less likely to spend time on a site that only shows them content they like, but more likely to remain engaged if they are angered by what they see. Twitter feuds drive engagement more fervently than echo chambers. While the overall effect on people’s beliefs is mild, constant exposure to disagreeable views makes it easier to appreciate sources of disagreement.\n\nWhile it is true that fake news stories were the most shared individual articles of the 2016 election season, this statistic says little about the impact of fake news. People’s worldviews are rarely shaped by single articles. Instead they tend to share articles that reinforce their preexisting beliefs. A viral fake news article represents a small share of each individual’s news consumption, but its visceral nature increases the likelihood that each reader will pass it on to others.\n\nIn order to avoid being fooled by fake news, people have begun to look for proxies to judge the reliability of what they read online. Philosopher Gloria Origgi has referred to this shift as the dawn of the Reputation Age, which has supplanted the Information Age as the sheer volume of information available has become too great to process.\n\nTrust is the most important aspect of Origgi’s Reputation Age. As social trust has eroded, the assumption that information is reliable has also disappeared. She argues that this is being countered by organizations and individuals developing trust signals to engage forthrightly with one another. Just as brand marketing allows consumers to trust the quality of a product or a service, a messenger’s reputation allows listeners to determine the level of trust thye should place in the information he delivers. Individuals do not form beliefs after evaluating all relevant information, but by evaluating the sources of that information, and the trustworthiness of others who hold those beliefs. These networks of reputation form the foundations of collective intelligence.\n\nAs individuals become more accustomed to the social implications of the internet, they will develop personal reputational devices. Social media sites are attempting to facilitate their creation by flagging trusted sources and verifying the accounts of frequently impersonated users. These shifts provide for greater trust in the institutions governing information, while retaining the diversity of sources inherent to the internet.\n\nOates’ hoax was found out in 1681. The Catholic King James II ascended to the throne in 1685, despite all the anger brewed just a few years prior. Things move faster now than they did then, but the same logic applies, and the truth always shines through.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5716972351074219} {"content": "POSTPONED - Mary Elizabeth Ames discusses H'ILGRAITH\n\nJoin us for fantasy and dragons with author Mary Elizabeth Ames as she releases her latest work, H'ILGRAITH!\n\nIn H'ILGRAITH, a new species has emerged . . .\nWhen homo transformans, a species of human able to transform into animals, first appears, those affected do not know what is happening to them or how to control it. As the world becomes divided into factions seeking to either exploit or protect this new species, an orphaned girl named Ruwena finds a mentor in the mysterious old woman known only as H'Ilgraith. But who is H'Ilgraith? Why is she so dour and taciturn toward her ward, and how did she acquire her extensive knowledge about dragons, potions and hybrids? Witness H'Ilgraith's adventures as a young woman, forging her personality and abilities as a homo transformans in an unfriendly world.\n\nMary Elizabeth Ames has a master of science degree in biology and has taught pathophysiology at the graduate level. She has worked in the healthcare arena for more than thirty years. She incorporates the science of biology and genetics into her narratives to imbue the stories with a sense of realism and to provide an understanding of how genes function. This is her second novel, a follow-up to Homo transformans: The Origin and Nature of the Species.\n\nEvent date: \nSaturday, March 28, 2020 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm\nEvent address: \n2200 N. Westmoreland Street\nArlington, VA 22213\nH'Ilgraith Cover Image\nISBN: 9781646630028\nAvailability: Available from Our Distributor (5+ days shipping)\nPublished: Koehler Books - February 28th, 2020", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6038601398468018} {"content": "Jorge Gay\n\nWith the title “Las dulces y amargas tardes de Boris Mijailovich Kustodiev” (The bittersweet afternoons of Boris Mijailovich Kustodiev”, we present a new exhibition of Jorge Gay in our gallery showcasing his work of the last couple of years.\n\nAs it is usually the case with the Aragonese painter, all the exhibition begins with an idea that is the origin of all the exhibited works, in this case, the inspiration comes from the life of the Russian painter Boris Kustodiev, a little known artist who passed away at a young age and that drew Jorge Gay’s attention because “in front of adversity, he remained happy”.\n\nIt is a conjunct of acrylics on canvas and on paper full of harmonies and dualities, of a calm brightness and sensuality, slightly threatened by motifs of melancholy. It is a show with echoes of Henri Matisse, Giorgio de Chirico, Pablo Picasso or Fernand Léger, that may look almost ancient, but Jorge Gay’s personality turns it into something timeless and personal.\n\nIn works such as “El refugio de los besos” (The shelter of kisses), “Mayo será eterno” (May will be eternal), “Ya no servían las palabras con las que identificábamos la realidad” (The words we used to describe reality were no longer useful) or “Las tardes heladas de Boris” (Boris’s frozen afternoons) full of samovars, melancholic interiors or still lifes, the artist achieves to make the complex look simple, that the profound seems natural.\n\nIt’s an evocative exhibition: the cold sunsets of Saint Petersburg, the glorious Crimean mornings, houses remembered or dreamed and lived… All remains us to the Russia of the end of the 19th Century and beginnings of the 20th, grey and luminous at the same time. The compositions presented by Jorge Gay doesn’t submit to the dictates if the traditional academy or the neo vanguard academy, the artist keeps an independence and a freedom that may not be representative of this century we are finishing, but the 21st.\n\nThe exhibition will remain open until the next June 26th.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7562896013259888} {"content": "Weaving - ukraine-travel\n\nWeaving Craft Tour\n\nDuration: 6 days/5 nights Sheshory is an amazing mountain community where incredible architecture, folk craft, textiles and history are harmoniously combined. Art journey of textile and spirituality to the authentic mountain communities Sheshory and Kosmach. Optional tours: A natural boundary Lebedyn is a part of a national park “Hutsulshchyna”. Unique nature of this reserve is reflected in the various landscape forms. You can see mountains, plains, meadows, forests, swamps and lakes here. The Lebydyn Lake is the most famous treasure of the whole park that is located at the altitude of 600 meters above sea level being surrounded by beech and pine woods. There are different legends about the lake, locals believe hat it does not have any lake bed and some mysterious creatures live in it. One can see here some small meadows where 17 plant species listed in the Red book are growing. Flora and fauna are very rich and various here.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.999285101890564} {"content": "The ConnectCore 8M Nano is shipped without a default operating system loaded. Only U-Boot is flashed in the device. This step demonstrates how to install Yocto in your ConnectCore 8M Nano.\n\n1. Establish a serial connection with your device\n\n\nDue to an incompatibility between the USB/serial driver and the PuTTY terminal program, you must use another serial terminal program such as Tera Term, Minicom, CoolTerm, or HyperTerminal.\n\nOpen a serial connection with the following settings:\n\nParameter Value\n\n\nSerial port where the device is connected\n\nBaud rate\n\n\nData bits\n\n\n\n\nStop bits\n\n\nFlow control\n\n\n2. Program the firmware\n\n\n 1. Download the firmware images from the following location:\n\n 2. Decompress the zip file.\n\n\n\n U-Boot dub-2018.03-r3.1 (Jan 24 2020 - 16:52:06 +0100)\n CPU: Freescale i.MX8MNano Quad rev1.0 1500 MHz (running at 1200 MHz)\n CPU: Commercial temperature grade (0C to 95C) at 27C\n Reset cause: POR\n DRAM: 1 GiB\n MCA: HW_VER=1 FW_VER=0.17\n MMC: FSL_SDHC: 1, FSL_SDHC: 0\n In: serial\n Out: serial\n Err: serial\n Model: Digi ConnectCore 8M Nano Development Kit\n ConnectCore 8M Nano SOM variant 0x01: 1 GiB LPDDR4, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, MCA, Crypto-auth\n Board version undefined, ID undefined\n - ATF a2fcfba\n - U-Boot dub-2018.03-r3.1\n flash target is MMC:0\n Net: eth0: ethernet@30be0000\n Fastboot: Normal\n Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0\n Information in the console log may vary.\n\n => run install_linux_fw_sd\n\n\n## Resetting to default environment\n## Error: Can't overwrite \"ethaddr\"\n## Error: Can't overwrite \"eth1addr\"\n## Error: Can't overwrite \"wlanaddr\"\n## Error: Can't overwrite \"btaddr\"", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9988406896591187} {"content": "Feeding Therapy\n\nThe goal of feeding therapy is to help children develop normal, effective feeding patterns and behaviors. Feeding therapy is more than just “teaching a child to eat.” Therapists collaborate with the child’s family to determine the source of the child’s difficulties and develop very specific therapies to make the entire process of eating easier and more enjoyable.\n\n\n\n\nEating is a complex task, requiring multiple systems in our bodies to work together seamlessly. Childhood growth and development is dependent on proper nutrition as an overall part of health and wellness. There are many reasons a child may struggle to eat including: difficulty chewing, difficulty swallowing, an aversion to food textures, mealtime anxiety, or a chronic health issue. It often requires a team to work together to ensure that each situation is met with the proper evaluation and treatment. Our Specialists in this area can work with the child and the family to create an individualized plan to fit your child’s needs.\n\n Mealtimes are a great time for bonding and enjoying new experiences. Unfortunately, for some children, it can be a stressful and challenging time. If any of the behaviors below are affecting a child’s ability to safely eat, meet nutritional needs or enjoy the mealtime experience, the child may benefit from receiving a feeding evaluation.\n\n • Difficulty chewing foods, typically swallowing food in whole pieces or refuses to swallow certain types of food consistencies.\n • Refuses to eat certain food textures or has difficulty transitioning from one texture to another texture (ex: from bottle feedings to purees, from purees to soft solids or mixed textured foods).\n • Gags on, avoids or is very sensitive to certain food textures, food temperatures and/or flavors.\n • Struggles to control and coordinate moving food around in mouth, chewing and preparing to swallow food.\n • Fussy or irritable with feeding.\n • The child seems congestion during feedings or after.\n • Refuses or rarely tries new foods. Considered a “picky eater”.\n • Pushes food away.\n • Has difficulty transitioning from gastric tube (G tube) feedings to oral feedings.\n • Negative mealtime behaviors (infant cries, arches, pulls away from food; child refuses to eat, tantrums at mealtimes or “shuts-down” and does not engage in mealtime).\n • Infant demonstrating signs of difficulty with coordinating the suck/swallow/breath pattern during bottle or breastfeeding.\n • Feeding time taking longer than 30 minutes for infants, and 30 to 40 minutes for toddlers or young children.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7942221164703369} {"content": "We hope our issues with our previous landlord are now resolved. At least, we hope that the electric company will honour their word and not come after us for the unpaid bill, which all, except the landlord, have agreed is the landlord’s responsibility.\n\nWe have dealt with so many people throughout the course of our dispute, and each one seems to give different advice. It was extremely confusing and every time we talked to a new person, we had to describe everything from start to finish. “Frustrating” is an understatement.\n\nBut, in the process, we have learned a few lessons. Lesson number one: we need to be more aggressive. It wasn’t that we just let everyone walk all over us. We tried not to be a pain, so we didn’t whine and complain about everything. We reported problems when we needed to and left it up to the agents and landlord to work out what needed to be done. Unfortunately, neither showed any inclination to fix any problems. They blamed each other when it came down to figuring out what went wrong where. Lesson number two: due diligence. Don’t rely on someone else’s word for it, do it yourself. Lesson number three: the Brits have an “I don’t want to get involved” attitude. We get the sense that most Brits don’t want to give third party advice unless they are in alliance with you for some personal gain. For example, we considered getting someone close to the landlord to reason with him, but felt that we would be given the cold shoulder. Lesson number four: know who to turn to.\n\nThis last one could be tricky. Everyone tells you to go to the CAB for advice. We had gone to them several times during the course of our stay, but nothing useful was forthcoming. They can be helpful in many areas, but in our case, it seemed they were at a loss. It wasn’t until our account came up to the Live Debt department at the electric company that someone came up with a solution (though we cannot be certain that the issue is resolved yet). They’ve decided to proceed with a power shut-off to force the landlord’s hand. (Apparently, they wouldn’t do it if we were still living there.) So, the higher up the ladder you move, the more ideas you can come up with.\n\nBut, in the midst of all this, we found out through the RAC Legal Aid that we should have reported our landlord to the council. Apparently, it is not just for social housing landlords. Had we done so, we could have had an independent appraisal of the situation, and we could have had a refund on our rent. Perhaps, that would have also helped us to deal with the electric issue. Lesson learned. Hopefully, we won’t go there again.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAs the weather gets warmer, we need to prepare for the invasion of the those pesky flying insects again. Now, in the US, we usually get flies, then later in the summer we get the mosquitoes. Here, since the weather gets warmer earlier and stays warmer later in the year, we have a longer period of flies, mosquitoes, midges, moths and other flying insects which I have yet to identify. I have already talked about the “killer gnats”, so I really don’t want to get on the topic of insects again.\n\nWhat I would like to mention is the lack of screens on windows and doors. Screens seem to be the mainstay of windows in the US and most houses also have screen doors on the outside. This is to keep out the flying insects\nwhen you want to open the windows or doors for fresh air. This, of course, does not prevent insects from getting through when you go in and out of the doors. But it does cut down on a lot of entry at other times. I have yet to see a screen here. And they can’t say it’s because they don’t have flying insects. I don’t know what the reasoning is behind the lack of screens.\n\nOne of the features of windows that I see advertised quite frequently is double-glazing. Essentially, it is two layers of glass, which is supposed to cut down on draughts and hold in heat. We are not fortunate enough to have double-glazing on our windows, which may in part explain the temperature of the house during the winter months. But, I cannot comment on how it affects the temperature during the summer months. We had covered the windows with a semi-transparent plastic drop sheet for the winter (and have not removed them yet) and when the sun comes through, it really heats up the room. I can just imagine what double-glazing would do.\n\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7566291093826294} {"content": "Food Distribution\n\nBoth housed and unhoused people alike struggle to consistently access healthy food. Each Wednesday morning, volunteers collect groceries from various locations in San Jose. Later that day in the afternoon, volunteers redistribute the food to folks needing assistance in our neighborhood.\n\nHere we have Sandy and Calia preparing to distribute food.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999871253967285} {"content": "\n\nThere is something about the past that is so addictive, it could be familiarity that breeds comfort or replaying scenes over and over again to find answers , yet most of the exhaustive process leads to the mind being entangled in a web of confusion and echoes of should have, could have.\n\nWe all have our own habits, whether good or bad . Mine is stocking up every little piece of paper or notebook that i have scribbled something in. On the rare occasions when i do decide to clear my bookcases to make space, i find myself , looking for an excuse for keeping every piece of paper and notebook, then end up restocking them again, even adding more to the piles with the hope that these will come handy at some point.\n\nEmotional baggage..\n\nI am trying so hard not to fall into that temptation of dwelling on the past, but then i get the inner voice arguing that , if you don’t go back to look for answers how can you move forward.. Deep down i know it’s my mind just giving me excuses to pile negative emotions again.\n\nTo find peace with myself for my own wellbeing i’ am slowly coming to terms with the fact that although messy, scary, painful, and unsettling, with change comes growth. I am getting rid of the papers no matter how precious they might have seemed at some point, i am letting go, the same applies to memories, places and people that no longer contribute to my growth and well- being.\n\n Despite all the pain, fears, regrets and mistakes, i now choose to focus instead on what these experiences have taught me. Below are some of the important lessons which are helping me to pick myself, hope they save you too.\n\n 1. Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get.Ray Bradbury\n\n Inner peace is achieved when you remove yourself from things that longer contribute to your growth and happiness. Stop chasing pavements and begging for attention from everyone everywhere. Don’t be afraid to close doors that do not lead to your goals.\n\n2 It ain’t about how hard you are hit. It is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That is how winning is done!Rocky Bulboa\n\nSo what, it didn’t work out, you put in work, did your best, dont give up. If you want it so bad you have to keep your head up, no matter how much you feel defeated, if you can look up, you can get up.\n\n3. Choose all weather company, people who not only celebrate you but inspire and motivate you.\n\nBe they virtual or physical, be sure to be with people who do not dampen your spirits. Misery loves company, be with positive people who uplift you, shut does for people who belittle you, or make you feel hopeless and worthless, you don’t need that type of energy.\n\n4. The two most important days in our lives , the day you are born and the day you find out why. Mark Twain.\n\n Find your purpose , follow your passion you have nothing to regret but regret.\n\n5. The biggest mistake is not making a mistake, because you will never learn. Miles Tanhira\n\nLife is a big game, no one has the secret, live, make mistakes, learn and keep playing don’t be so hard on yourself. Negative self-talk and worry will not contribute to your wellbeing and success.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.837704062461853} {"content": "When scientific models fail\n\nTyped and scraped into Arcturus\n\nFrom what I see so far Climate Change Research involves a lot of analysis of data sets. I don’t what the ratio of actual measurement to analysis is. I don’t know how often models are tested against experiment or against observed values.\n\nHere’s a scientist concerned about an area of data analysis where there is a great flexibility in choosing models, choosing parameters, choosing methods and with little check against reality. I’ll leave it hidden for a little while where this was published. It’s in a closed access publication which costs about 30 USD for 2 days access, so I’m going to copy the abstract (which I may) and some sentences from the body for which I will claim fair-use. I’ll promise to give the reference later to be fair to the publisher (maybe their sales will increase as a result of my promotion). I’ll hide some key terms (XYZ is a common approach/philosophy) to add to the mystery\n\nA general feeling of disillusionment with XYZ has settled across the modeling community in recent years. Most practitioners seem to agree that XYZ has not fulfilled the expectations set for its ability to predict […]. Among the possible reasons that have been proposed recently for this disappointment are chance correlation, rough response surfaces, incorrect functional forms, and overtraining. Undoubtedly, each of these plays an important role in the lack of predictivity seen in most XYZ models. Likely to be just as important is the role of the fallacy cum hoc ergo propter hoc in the poor prediction seen with many XYZ models. By embracing fallacy along with an over reliance on statistical inference, it may well be that the manner in which XYZ is practiced is more responsible for its lack of success than any other innate cause.\n\nSound familiar? Here are some more sentences excerpted from the text…\n\nHowever, not much has truly changed, and most in the field continue to be frustrated and disappointed why do XYZ models continue to yield significant prediction errors?\n\nHow could it be that we consistently arrive at wrong models? With the near infinite number of [parameters] coupled with incredibly flexible machine learning algorithms, perhaps the question really should be why do we expect anything else. XYZ has devolved into a perfectly practiced art of logical fallacy. Cum hoc ergo propter hoc (with this, therefore because of this) is the logical fallacy in which we assign causality to correlated variables. …\n\nRarely, if ever, are any designed experiments presented to test or challenge the interpretation of the [parameters]. Occasionally, the model will be tested against a set of [data] unmeasured during the development of the model. …\n\nIn short, XYZ disappoints because we have largely exchanged the tools of the scientific method in favor of a statistical sledgehammer. Statistical methodologies should be a tool of XYZ but instead have often replaced the craftsman tools of our traderational thought, controlled experiments, and personal observation.\n\nWith such an infinite array of descriptions possible, each of which can be coupled with any of a myriad of statistical methods, the number of equivalent solutions is typically fairly substantial. Each of these equivalent solutions, however, represents a hypothesis regarding the underlying [scientific] phenomenon. It may be that each largely encodes the same basic hypothesis but only in subtly different ways. Alternatively, it may be that many of the hypotheses are distinctly different from one another in a meaningful, perhaps unclear, physical way. …\n\nXYZ suffers from the number and complexity of hypotheses that modern computing can generate. The lack of interpretability of many [parameters] only further confounds XYZ. We can generate so many hypotheses, … that the process of careful hypothesis testing so critical to scientific understanding has been circumvented in favor of blind validation tests with low resulting information content. XYZ disappoints so often, not only because the response surface is not smooth but because we have embraced the fallacy that correlation begets causation. By not following through with careful, designed, hypothesis testing we have allowed scientific thinking to be co-opted by statistics and arbitrarily defined fitness functions. Statistics must serve science as a tool; statistics cannot replace scientific rationality, experimental design, and personal observation.\n\nThis entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.\n\nLeave a Reply\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7028732299804688} {"content": "Eight Facts about Tuberculosis\nTuberculosis (TB) is a widespread bacterial disease that has been around for much of recorded human history. The following are some key facts about TB to learn more about what is going on with the disease.\n\n 1. Symptoms of TB include persistent coughing, chest pain, fever, fatigue and chills. TB most often infects the lungs. It is a contagious disease and is transported through the air.\n 2. In 2014, there were 9.6 million cases of TB and 1.5 million deaths as a result. According to these findings, TB was the most deadly infectious disease in the world that year.\n 3. Ninety-five percent of deaths caused by TB occur in low- and middle-income countries. Not only does TB disproportionately affect people in these countries, but also people living in developed countries are often unaware of the prevalence and danger of TB.\n 4. TB is particularly dangerous to those who are HIV positive. Those with HIV are 26 to 31 times more likely to develop TB than those without HIV. One-third of HIV-related deaths in 2015 were a result of a TB infection.\n 5. Latent TB actually infects about one-third of the world’s population. In its latent form, the TB bacteria are not active, meaning they do not cause symptoms and are not contagious. However, those with latent TB have a 10 percent chance of contracting active TB in their lifetime.\n 6. TB is a treatable disease. Typically, a properly prescribed program of antibiotics can cure the disease. However, multidrug-resistant TB, which arises due to improper treatment can pose an obstacle. When a treatment of antibiotics fails to eradicate all the bacteria, drug resistant strains can develop.\n 7. Much progress has been made against TB. From 2000 to 2015, the incidence rate of TB dropped by 18 percent, and from 1990 to 2015, the death rate dropped by 47 percent. Another way to look at TB reduction is to realize that from 2000 to 2014, 43 million lives were saved as a result of efforts to combat TB.\n 8. An anti-TB drug specifically for children’s use was developed early this year. In the past, children had to use adult medication, which meant manually cutting down the dosage to meet the children’s needs. The new child-specific drug comes in appropriate doses, is dissolvable in water for ease of consumption, and even tastes better.\n\nThese facts illustrate how dangerous TB is and also the progress that is being made against it as well. With additional developments, the world can hope that the U.N.’s sustainable development goal of ending the TB epidemic by 2030 will become a reality.\n\nEdmond Kim\n\nPhoto: Flickr", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.869785726070404} {"content": "Changes to Core Standards\n\nIndiana’s Revised Academic Standards for Chemistry\n\nChemistry I\n\nStudents should understand that scientific knowledge is gained from observation of natural phenomena and experimentation, by designing and conducting investigations guided by theory, and by evaluating and communicating the results of those investigations according to accepted procedures. Thus, scientific knowledge is scientists' best explanations for the data from many investigations. Further, ideas about objects in the microscopic world that we cannot directly sense are often understood in terms of concepts developed to understand objects in the macroscopic world that we can see and touch. In the science classroom student work should align with this process of science and should be guided by the following principles. These should be woven throughout the daily work that students are doing when learning the content presented in the standard indicators.\n\n· Develop explanations based on reproducible data and observations gathered during laboratory investigations.\n\n· Recognize that their explanations must be based both on their data and other known information from investigations of others.\n\n· Clearly communicate their ideas and results of investigations verbally and in written form using tables, graphs, diagrams, and photographs.\n\n· Regularly evaluate the work of their peers and in turn have their work evaluated by their peers.\n\n· Apply standard techniques in laboratory investigations to measure physical quantities in appropriate units and convert known quantities to other units as necessary.\n\n· Use analogies and models (mathematical and physical) to simplify and represent systems that are difficult to understand or directly experience due to their size, time scale, or complexity, and recognize the limitations of analogies and models.\n\n· Focus on the development of explanatory models based on their observations during laboratory investigations.\n\n· Explain that the body of scientific knowledge is organized into major theories, which are derived from and supported by the results of many experiments, and allow us to make testable predictions.\n\n· Recognize that new scientific discoveries often lead to a re-evaluation of previously accepted scientific knowledge and of commonly held ideas.\n\n· Describe how scientific discoveries lead to the development of new technologies, and conversely how technological advances can lead to scientific discoveries through new experimental methods and equipment.\n\n· Explain how scientific knowledge can be used to guide decisions on environmental and social issues.\n\nStandard 1: Properties and States of Matter\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nDescribe the nature of physical and chemical properties and changes of matter.\n\nCore Standard\n\nCompare and contrast states of matter at the molecular level.\n\n\nC.1.1 Based on physical properties, differentiate between pure substances and mixtures.\n\nC.1.2 Observe and describe chemical and physical properties of different types of matter and designate them as either extensive or intensive.\n\nC.1.3 Recognize observable indicators of chemical changes.\n\nC.1.4 Describe physical and chemical changes at the molecular level.\n\nC.1.5 Describe the characteristics of solids, liquids, and gases and state changes at the molecular level.\n\nC.1.6 Explain and apply the law of conservation of mass as it applies to chemical processes.\n\nC.1.7 Define density and distinguish among materials based on densities. Perform calculations involving density.\n\nStandard 2: Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nDescribe how the properties and arrangement of the subatomic particles contributes to the structure of the atom.\n\nCore Standard\n\nDescribe how the structure of the periodic table reflects the numbers of electrons and protons and the configuration of the electrons in an atom.\n\n\nC.2.1 Describe how models of atomic structure changed over time based on available experimental evidence and understand the current model of atomic structure.\n\nC.2.2 Describe how the subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, and electrons) contribute to the structure of an atom and recognize that the particles within the nucleus are held together against the electrical repulsion of the protons.\n\n\nC.2.4 Calculate the average atomic mass of an element from isotopic abundance data.\n\nC.2.5 Write the electron configuration of an element and relate this to its position on the periodic table.\n\nC.2.6 Use the periodic table and electron configurations to determine an element's number of valence electrons, and chemical and physical properties.\n\nC.2.7 Compare and contrast nuclear reactions with chemical reactions. For nuclear reactions, describe how the fusion and fission processes transform elements present before the reaction into elements present after the reaction.\n\nC.2.8 Understand that the radioactive decay process is random for any given atom, but that this property leads to a predictable and measurable exponential decay of a sample of radioactive material. Calculate the initial amount, the fraction remaining, or the half-life of a radioactive isotope, given two of the three variables.\n\nStandard 3: Bonding and Molecular Structure\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nDescribe how the configuration of electrons within an atom determines its interactions with other atoms.\n\nCore Standard\n\nDescribe the attractive forces between molecules and how their effect on chemical and physical properties.\n\n\nC.3.1 Describe, compare, and contrast the characteristics of the interactions between atoms in ionic and covalent compounds.\n\nC.3.2 Compare and contrast how ionic and covalent compounds form.\n\n\nC.3.4 Draw structural formulas for and name simple molecules.\n\nC.3.5 Write chemical formulas for ionic compounds given their names and vice versa.\n\nStandard 4: Reactions and Stoichiometry\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nUse balanced chemical equations and the mole concept to determine the quantities of reactants and products.\n\n\nC.4.1 Predict products of simple reactions such as synthesis, decomposition, single replacement and double replacement.\n\nC.4.2 Balance chemical equations using the law of conservation of mass and use them to describe chemical reactions.\n\nC.4.3 Use the mole concept to determine the number of moles and number of atoms or molecules in samples of elements and compounds, given mass of the sample.\n\nC.4.4 Using a balanced chemical equation, calculate the quantities of reactants needed and products made in a chemical reaction that goes to completion.\n\nC.4.5 Describe, classify and give examples of various kids of reactions-synthesis (combination), decomposition, single displacement, double displacement and combustion.\n\nC.4.6 Determine oxidation states and identify the substances apparently gaining and losing electrons in redox reactions.\n\nC.4.7 Perform calculations to determine percent composition by mass of a compound or mixture when given the formula.\n\nStandard 5: Behavior of Gases\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nUsing the kinetic molecular theory, describe and explain the behavior of ideal gases.\n\nCore Standard\n\nExamine the relationship between number of moles, volume, pressure, and temperature for ideal gases, using the ideal gas equation of state PV = nRT.\n\n\nC.5.1 Use kinetic molecular theory to explain changes in gas volumes, pressure, moles, and temperature.\n\nC.5.2 Using the ideal gas equation of state, PV = nRT, calculate the change in one variable when another variable is changed and the others are held constant.\n\nC.5.3 Given the equation for a chemical reaction involving one or more gases as reactants and/or products calculate the volumes of gas assuming the reaction goes to completion and the ideal gas law holds.\n\nStandard 6: Thermochemistry\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nRecognize that chemical reactions result in either the release or absorption of energy.\n\nCore Standard\n\nApply the law of conservation of energy.\n\n\nC.6.1 Explain that atoms and molecules that make up matter are in constant motion and that this motion increases as thermal energy increases.\n\nC.6.2 Distinguish between the concepts of temperature and heat flow in macroscopic and microscopic terms.\n\nC.6.3 Solve problems involving heat flow and temperature changes, using known values of specific heat and/or phase change constants (latent heat values).\n\nC.6.4 Classify chemical reactions and phase changes as exothermic or endothermic.\n\nStandard 7: Solutions\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nDescribe the composition and characteristics of solutions.\n\nCore Standard\n\nIdentify the factors that qualitatively affect solubility, reaction rates and dynamic equilibrium.\n\n\nC.7.1 Describe the composition and properties of types of solutions.\n\nC.7.2 Explain how temperature, pressure and polarity of the solvent affect the solubility of a solute.\n\nC.7.3 Describe the concentration of solutes in solution in terms of molarity. Perform calculations using molarity, mass, and volume.\n\nC.7.4 Prepare a specific volume of a solution of a given molarity when provided with a known solute.\n\nC.7.5 Explain how the rate of a reaction is qualitatively affected by changes in concentration, temperature, surface area, and the use of a catalyst.\n\nC.7.6 Write equilibrium expressions for reversible reactions.\n\nStandard 8: Acids and Bases\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nUse acid-base definitions to identify acids and bases given their formulas and reactions.\n\nCore Standard\n\nExplain the meaning of the value indicated by the pH scale in terms of the hydrogen ion concentration for any aqueous solution.\n\n\nC.8.1 Use Arrhenius and Brønsted-Lowry definitions to classify substances as acids or bases.\n\nC.8.2 Describe the characteristic properties of acids and bases.\n\nC.8.3 Compare and contrast the dissociation and strength of acids and bases in solution.\n\nC.8.4 Given the hydronium (H3O+) ion concentration in a solution, calculate the pH, and vice versa. Explain the meaning of these values.\n\nC.8.5 From acid-base titration data, calculate the concentration of an unknown solution.\n\nStandard 9: Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry\n\n\nCore Standard\n\nDescribe the unique nature of carbon atoms demonstrated by their ability to bond to one another and other elements, forming countless carbon-based substances and macromolecules.\n\n\nC.9.1 Use structural formulas to illustrate carbon atoms’ ability to bond covalently to one another to form many different substances.\n\nC.9.2 Illustrate the variety of molecular types formed by the covalent bonding of carbon atoms and describe the typical properties of these molecular types.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997817873954773} {"content": "american-839775_1920[tl;dr: This is a ~3.5k word essay on why the biggest threat posed by a Trump Presidency is to liberal-republican institutions at home and abroad. It suggests placing specific policy debates on the back burner in favor of forming and maintaining a broad political coalition—one aimed at preserving those two aspects of American liberal order. In brief, you can always change tax rates, but once democratic institutions and America’s web of international partnerships are gone, they will be monumentally difficult to put back together. Focusing on this kind of action is a matter of prudence; one hopes that it proves unnecessary. The essay does not discuss the fate of democracy in other countries, although that too remains a major concern. The piece collects and synthesizes arguments that I have made in other social media, most notably Twitter.]\n\n\nA number of people are now sharing stories about Trump and his circle with the caption “This is not normal.” The pieces range widely in subject matter. They range from apparent purges of insufficiently loyal members of Trump’s transition team to Kansas Secretary of State—and transition-team member—Kris Kobach’s discussion of “drafting a proposal for his consideration to reinstate a registry for immigrants from Muslim countries.”\n\nThey are right: none of this is normal.\n\nMy wager in this post is that Trump’s election may amount to an inflection point in the institutional fabric of our political system. And by this, I do not simply mean our domestic republican institutions. I also mean the broadly liberal-republican international order constructed after World War II. Indeed, these two sets of institutions are profoundly bootstrapped to one another. This dual threat amounts to the greatest challenge to the American experiment since the early years of the Cold War.\n\nThe nature of this challenge requires us to set aside normal politics. It requires a broad coalition—of liberals, progressives, conservatives, libertarians, and moderates—to come together with the purpose of monitoring and protecting the health of those institutions. Such a coalition will fail if it becomes divided by policy differences. At this moment, many of the standard debates—about taxes, the level of economic regulation, and size of the defense budget, and so forth—are of secondary importance. Indeed, their elevation to existential concerns helped bring us to this point.\n\n\nAs I’ve argued on Twitter, most Americans—and academics—operate with the assumption that political institutions are sticky. Once constructed, they prove difficult to radically transform—in the absence of huge shocks such as revolutions, wars, and economic collapse. And, in many respects, that’s a reasonable assumption. Institutions structure political competition and cooperation, create vested interests, and otherwise generate their own mechanisms of perpetuation.\n\nIn the American system, we have multiple “veto points” spread across our Courts, Congress, and the Presidency. Our federal system devolves a fair amount of authority to the states, making top-down change harder than, say, in France. Indeed, France is on its Fifth Republic, but the United States has enjoyed the same fundamental law—its constitution—since 1789. On top of that, we have a complex, professional bureaucracy that requires immense knowledge and willpower to set in a radically different trajectory.\n\nAll of these factors may rightly provide reason to discount my alarmism (and I am being deliberately alarmist). But this is not a good year to bet on the stability of liberal-democratic institutions. The Philippines, with its wave of extra-judicial killings and the deaths of elected officials, is seeing rapid democratic backsliding. Turkey looks in danger of quickly moving through the hybrid-regime phase into outright autocracy.\n\nAmericans generally look at democratic backsliding as something that happens “to other people.” As the well-known phrase itself calls into question, we believe that “it can’t happen here.”\n\nBut underneath the trappings of continuity—a longstanding continuous currency, the US Constitution, and the like—the United States has indeed undergone radical change. In practical terms, American institutions look almost nothing like they did prior to the Civil War.\n\n\nConsider this way of thinking about the first 190 years of American political development: We first tried a confederation. We quickly gave up on that and built a semi-centralized federation. That federation collapsed into civil war. The victors established a more centralized federation. We further struggled over the terms of central authority through the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II. The post-war period saw the combination of a more national-state apparatus combined with a regional race-based hybrid regime. The Federal Government, pushed by a great social movement, ended many of the institutional props of those regional apartheid systems.\n\nMoreover, during the long nineteenth century, the United States was a continental empire. It established settler colonies and displaced indigenous inhabitants. After the Spanish-American War, the US explicitly established an overseas empire. Vestiges of those empires still remain, even if many of the territories of the first became part of the American federation.greateramericamap\n\nWe could discuss many more examples. In fact, the history of ethnic, religious, and racial inclusion and exclusion itself supplies a great deal more empirical material. But all of this evidence would all point in the same direction: beneath the superficial stability of the American system—beneath its apparent equilibrium—lies great political instability and ongoing transformation.\n\n\nThe same is true of the post-war liberal international order, including the World Bank, the United Nations (UN), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). To these, and other, institutions we might add more recent ones, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the European Union (EU), and the EU’s predecessor agreements and institutions. Beyond these ‘named’ organizations lies a host of relationships, networks, partnerships, and alliances. In this diplomatic and military web, the US is at least primus inter pares.\n\nBy Barry Livingstone (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]\n\n\nOf course, many observers—and certainly political scientists—tend to think of international institutions as much less ‘sticky’ than their domestic counterparts. But right or wrong, we’ve grown accustomed to this overall topography of the contemporary international system. American policymakers largely take it for granted, as do many allies—and rivals.\n\nMuch of this order was designed around particular diagnoses of ‘what went wrong’ in the 1920s and 1930s. If the world was ‘never again’ to experience fascism and global warfare, it needed mechanisms to prevent global depression, to limit protectionism, and to make interstate war more difficult and less attractive.\n\nHow well this worked is a matter of some debate. Interstates wars have been markedly less common since 1945, and again since 1991. But the system failed to prevent genocide and mass deaths in China, Cambodia, Guatemala, Rwanda, and many other countries. And the Cold War threw a serious wrench into the machinery. It should go without saying that the current version looks rather different than the one developed in the 1940s, including very significant changes in the economic projects pursued by, say, the IMF.\n\nAt the same time, NATO did succeed in “keep[ing] the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down.” After the Cold War, NATO expansion to former Warsaw Pact states—and eventually to the Baltic states—was part of a second major wave of US-led order building. One pursued—at least in intent—to prevent a power vacuum in central and eastern Europe, consolidate democratic institutions, and, overall, constitute western Europe as a “democratic security community” in which war would prove very unlikely. Although this is a matter of debate, I do not see NATO expansion and the EU project—particularly its extension—as ultimately separable. They facilitated one another.\n\nBy DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons\n\n\nAs all of this suggests, we can find a lot of upsides and downsides in international order—just like we can in any domestic order. Economic globalization has produced winners and losers. It seems highly correlated with rising class inequality. Although Daniel Drezner argues that “the system worked” in preventing the Great Recession from turning into the Second Great Depression, the rise of right-wing populism suggests that it did not do quite so well after all. Progressives and populists alike believe that the system has become captured by economic elites—and particularly by financial interests—in a way that both drove the crisis in the first place and exacerbated inequality in its wake.\n\nI tend to agree with this diagnoses—which I will try to write about at a later time—but we should not confuse two different questions: “which liberal order?” and “whether liberal order?” Again, just like a domestic order, the institutions and instruments of international order can be used for better or for worse. Perhaps NATO expansion contributed to a backlash in Russia—the matter is actually far more complicated than participants in the debate often admit—but it also has created a security community among most of its member-states, and therefore restrained dangerous (and costly) militarized power politics.\n\nk8304This example highlights an important feature of contemporary institutional order. As Daniel Deudney argues, the post-war international order needs to be understood in light of the US republican project. One of the greatest long-standing threats to republican liberty lies in militarization. This is not simply a matter of Caeserism—of military leaders undermining and overthrowing republics.\n\nRather, great-power competition erodes republican institutions through a variety of mechanisms. It expands the coercive capacity of the state to maintain high-level military mobilization. It encourages the suppression of domestic dissent in the name of national security. And it, as Thucydides recognized, corrupts the culture of democracy through abuses abroad. It should be obvious that these three mechanisms have operated even within the liberal order. But they would prove much worse without it.k6868\n\nFor example, imagine a world in which the United States could not count on ‘zones of peace’ and needed to worry about the threat posed by military capabilities of (merely) all of the eight largest economies. In nominal terms, that adds Japan (#3), Germany (#4), the United Kingdom (#5), France (#6), and Italy (#8) as large powers outside of the American security system. And imagine a world in which the United States’ military campaigns looked like Russia’s in Syria.\n\nIf you are unmoved by such concerns, consider the significant blow to American influence that would result from a collapse of this diplomatic and military web. This is what Alex Cooley and I have termed Washington’s “exorbitant geostrategic privilege.” It is, in fact, a great deal of what sets the United States apart from its nearest great-power peers. Moscow envies it—and is doing its best to wedge it apart. Beijing would like to build something similar for itself.\n\nIn fact, the order is under a variety of pressures. For example, economic dislocation, particularly after the Great Recession, has eroded support for it among Americans and Europeans. It’s also under a variety of strains from ongoing shifts in the global distribution of power. It remains unclear whether new institutions will net undermine or enhance key features of the current international order.\n\nChina’s position might best be described as ambivalent: Beijing (in crude terms) likes the economic openness, likes sovereignty norms, and dislikes liberal rights insofar as they threaten domestic stability. Russia is much more hostile, and would like to see its interests accommodated or the system overhauled entirely. But to the extent that more patrons—whether hostile or indifferent to these norms and practices—are available to regimes to play off of one another, this puts pressure on international liberal norms and institutions.\n\nWhat is clear is that western powers—most notably the United States—will need to make adjustments to accommodate new powers or newly assertive old ones. What was less clear, until November 8th, was the possibility that Washington itself might become a problem for the arrangements that have served it—and its core allies—so well.\n\n\nWhich takes us back to domestic institutions. The end of the Cold War was supposed to herald a golden age for American democracy. Instead, it saw the continuation of old problems and the emergence of new ones.\n\nFor one, the end of the Cold War did little to unwind the so-called “Imperial Presidency.” The Clinton-Gore “Reinventing Government” initiative did lead to reductions in the ‘size’ of government. There was something of a “Peace Dividend.” But any substantive gains on these fronts have been basically erased by the War on Terror.\n\nIn qualitative terms, executive power has only expanded since 1991. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have done anything to reverse course. Indeed, the only genuflection in this direction was Obama’s desire to replace the post-9/11 Authorization for the Military Use of Force (AUMF). It went nowhere, even as Obama stretched the limits of the existing AUMF.\n\nMost politically conscious Americans are aware of the debate over the use of executive orders—and about the apparent hypocrisy of the political parties on the issue. In almost no cases did Bush or Obama actually exceed their legal authority—and neither did in an unambiguous way—but what’s at stake here is more than simple legality. It concerns the norms by which American institutions function.\n\nThese norms have been under sustained assault. Consider the gridlock that drove Obama to rely on executive powers. In the most general sense, we’ve seen a breakdown of basic governance norms. In the last six years, for example, the GOP congress has: refused to fix problems—even technical ones—with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) out of a desire to see it fail; flipped positions on policies of mutual agreement simply because the Democrats support them—we will see a number of these pass in the next six months, because GOP President; and declined to hold hearings on the President’s Supreme Court nominee on the grounds that the final quarter of a four-year term constitutes a “lame duck” session.\n\nBut, whatever Democrats may say, this isn’t only a story of the Republican party. Our post-war institutional arrangement is not particularly well-suited for extreme political polarization. And weaponizing that polarization creates extremely grave consequences. Not least of which is producing circumstances in which partisans—who know a candidate is unqualified, ignorant of the basic workings of our system and government, and quite possibly dangerous—vote for him or her out of tribal allegiance.\n\nBy Chris hare84 (Own work) [CC BY 3.0]\n\nBy Chris hare84 (Own work) [CC BY 3.0]\n\nThe rot is not simply at the top. The assault on voting rights that has played out in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and elsewhere obviously harkens back to the old Jim Crow. But its widespread acceptance among Republicans—and tolerance by people ‘who know better’—is as also about partisanship. That is, if African American were not some of the most loyal Democratic voters, Republican majorities would not seek to minimize their political power. And before the rants start, I need to say that I know that the reasons for these circumstances lie firmly with the Civil Rights realignment, and I know race is woven into the fabric of our politics. No question. But keep in mind that these efforts also target college students. Race undergirds all of this, but I submit that it is partisanship that facilitates, shields, and normalizes this process of democratic backsliding.\n\nTo take stock.\n\nFirst, we have the breakdown of governance norms. Put differently, we have policy disagreements—over tax rates, subsidies, or the manner in which we regulate the health-care market—treated as existential threats to the Republic of such intensity that any tactic becomes acceptable.\n\nIndeed, we have now seen presidents and presidential candidates who—whatever their faults and whatever their incremental contributions to executive overreach—are most certainly within the realm of normal (such as Obama, Romney, and Clinton) demonized as clear-and-present dangers to the country.\n\nSecond, we have voter disenfranchisement. Even if you believe that fraud exists, the scale of the ‘lost votes’ to restrictive voting measures easily exceeds that rate of fraud.\n\nWhat else do we have?\n\nWe have Fox News.\n\nAnd no, the problem with Fox News is not it’s conservative bias. Conservatives—along with those holding other political ideologies—have a right to worry about bias in other organs of the mainstream media. In fact, the US is a bit unusual. Many democracies have overtly partisan presses.\n\nRather, the problem is that Fox looks, sounds, and feels increasingly indistinguishable from what you would see on state-run media in authoritarian and hybrid regimes. When Obama was President, this didn’t seem so bad. For instance, what’s a bit of harmless ‘fun’ about the hidden ‘muslim image’ in the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit logo.\n\nBut it becomes another matter entirely when Fox is not simply a vector for the neo-Birchers on the right, but when someone like Trump is President.\n\nThe kind of tribalism often found on Fox—our side is morally pure, except when they’re traitors, and their side is awful—is not limited to right-wing media. Indeed, if equivalent claims in Democratic media had a comparable reach, and Democrats controlled the government, we’d have cause for alarm. This kind of absolutist representational framework is dangerous. It justifies not only withholding protection from victims, but also victimizing them twice over as targets of political repression.\n\nEven more dangerous, however, is alleging that people exercising basic rights of political action are ‘professional’ provocateurs operating on behalf of shadowy foreign interests—for example, foreign-born Jewish financiers.\n\nFox News:\n\nSuch rhetoric is literally part of the playbook found in post-Soviet autocracies. More broadly, this is what authoritarian and hybrid regimes do: they relentlessly demonize protestors and those engaged in open acts of dissent as tools of foreign agents. If you studied comparative politics, and saw a wave of this rhetoric appear on state-run media in a fragile democracy, you would be ringing alarm bells.\n\nRoger Stone, advisor to President-elect Trump, has claimed that violence at Trump rallies was all ‘false flag’ work by ‘goons’ linked to, among others, Soros.\n\nAnd that’s why we should be very worried, indeed. Our next Republican President is not Romney. It’s not Jeb. It’s not Rubio. It’s not Kasich.\n\nIt’s Donald Trump.\n\n\nIf you’ve made it this far, then you don’t need a comprehensive list of ways in which Trump’s rhetoric and offhand comments suggest a lack of deep commitment to democratic liberties and institutions (you can find links to reporting across the political spectrum in his name). Nor do you need a reminder of the textbook demagoguery of his campaign, the strong indicators that he—or his inner circle—values loyalty above competence, his complete lack of preparation, his appointment of a white ethnonationalist as special advisor, the central role played by his children and son-in-law in shaping his government, or the known and ‘known unknown’ financial conflicts of interests involving the Trump family.\n\nOn their own, these things are a cause for concern. Taken together, they should terrify you. They suggest an indifferent President, easily molded by his inner circle, and with an administration quite possibly staffed largely by loyalists who lack deep commitments to—or understandings of—the institutions of governance.* Add to that the massive powers of the contemporary Presidency—including the justice department and foreign policy—and the lack of checks created by undivided governance in an era of extreme partisanship. Then recall that Trump has openly campaigned on unconstitutional policies.\n\nIndeed, despite the significant stimulus likely to flow from Trump’s initial policies, we are very likely to face a recession in the next four years. Also, international crises, terrorist attacks, and other shocks loom. All of these could encourage doubling down on the politics of division—and even repression.\n\nIn foreign policy, while Trump has made some efforts to calm the nerves of allies, his long-held worldview has been consistently antithetical to liberal order. He sees foreign relations through a short-term, transactional lens that places little intrinsic value on, say, NATO. Indeed, America’s European and Asian allies remain profoundly nervous and our autocratic partners pleased. Moscow sees great opportunities.\n\nThe optimistic case is that these institutional structures are too robust for any administration to break beyond repair. But the thing about institutions—domestic or international—is that you often don’t realize until too late that they’ve changed beyond recognition. Or how fragile they are until they collapse. The other thing about democratic norms and institutions is once they break, they’re very hard to put back together. What is true domestically is doubly true internationally.\n\nIn other words, we can change policies. If you’re a libertarian, you can hope to undo Trump’s likely military budgets. If you’re a liberal, you can rebuild the welfare state. If you’re a conservative, you can push for balanced budgets. Climate is a bigger problem—because major reversals now could make meeting optimistic targets very, very hard—but even here environmentalists can live to fight another day.\n\nBut if we lose our institutions, we are in serious trouble. Often, the United States has played the “White Knight” pushing democratization. What country can play that role for the United States if we head towards a hybrid regime? What all of this means seems to me quite clear: We should hope for the best—that Trump is a successful President who tames his worst impulses and receives wise council—but prepare for the worst.\n\nThat means building a broad political coalition with one goal: keeping these institutions alive. Doing so requires setting aside policy differences (in fact, on routine policy matters I see no problem with Democrats and country-first Republicans working with Trump). It requires putting country over party. And it requires doing this because of something basic we know about creeping authoritarianism and hybrid regimes—the strongest force for democracy is a united opposition; divide-and-rule tactics are the first resort of the autocrat. \n\n\n*Here there remains hope that the cabinet, at least, will include committed public servants with experience and independent constituencies. But the next level down still looks dicey.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6196846961975098} {"content": "Dual carriageway\n\nFreeway of Route 25 between Tuluá and Andalucía, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. In 2014 there were 2,279 kilometers of dual carriageway highways in Colombia.\nA German dual carriageway in the 1930s\n\nA dual carriageway (British English) or divided highway (American English) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation. Roads with two or more carriageways which are designed to higher standards with controlled access are generally classed as motorways, freeways, etc., rather than dual carriageways.\n\n\n\n\nOne claim for the first divided highway in the United States was Savery Avenue in Carver, Massachusetts, first built in 1860, where the two roadways were separated by a narrow strip of trees down the middle.[1] In 1907 the Long Island Motor Parkway opened, and roughly 20% of it featured a semi-dual-carriageway design. The New York City Belt Parkway system, which was built between 1907 and 1934, also pioneered the same design. However the majority of it featured concrete or brick railings as lane dividers instead of grass medians.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEuropean implementationsEdit\n\nDiagram of types of road in the UK\n\nUnited KingdomEdit\n\nIn the UK, although the term \"dual carriageway\" applies to any road with physically separated lanes, it is frequently used as a descriptive term for major routes built in this style. Such major dual carriageways usually have two lanes of traffic in each direction, with the lane nearest the centre being reserved for overtaking.[5] Occasionally dual carriageways have only one lane in each direction, or more than two lanes each way (sometimes to permit easier overtaking of slower uphill traffic). Different speed limits apply on dual carriageway sections from those that apply on single carriageway sections of the same class of road, except in cities and built-up areas where the dual carriageway is more of a safety measure.\n\n\nWhen first constructed, many dual carriageways—including the first motorways—had no crash- or other barriers in the central reservation. In the event of congestion, or if a driver missed their exit, some drivers made U-turns onto the opposite carriageway; many accidents were caused as a result of their misjudging the speed of approaching traffic on the other carriageway when doing so.\n\nThe majority of dual carriageway roads now have barriers. Some are heavy concrete obstructions which can bounce a vehicle back into the path of other traffic; others are made from steel ropes mounted on moderately weak posts, where the rope cuts into the vehicle body to slow the vehicle while keeping it against the barrier until it has stopped. Often on urban dual carriageways where the road has been converted from a four-lane single carriageway the central reservation will not be substantial: often just a small steel divider to save space.\n\nTurning right (that is, across the line of traffic heading in the opposite direction) is usually permitted only at specific locations. Often the driver will be required to turn left (away from the dual carriageway) in order to loop around to an access road that permits crossing the major road. Roundabouts on dual carriageways are relatively common, especially in cities or where the cost of a grade-separated junction would be prohibitive. Where space is even more limited, intersections may be controlled by traffic lights. Smaller residential roads adjoining urban dual carriageways may be blocked off at one end to limit the number of junctions on the dual carriageway; often other roads will pass over or under the dual carriageway without an intersection.\n\nA dual carriageway with grade-separated junctions and which meets other requirements may be upgraded to motorway standard, denoted by an (M) added after the road number (e.g. \"A1(M)\" or \"A38(M)\"). Unlike in Ireland, there was no official terminology for 'high-quality dual carriageways' until April 2015, when in England a new standard was set to designate certain high-quality routes formally as \"Expressways\".[6] Many roads such as the A1, the A14, the A19 and the A42 are built to a high quality, with grade-separated junctions, full barriers at roadside and central reservations and, in some cases, three lanes of traffic. They may still fall short of motorway standard in terms of hard shoulders, the height of overpasses or the quality of intersecting junctions.\n\nSpeed limitsEdit\n\n\nNational speed limits on dual carriageways in the UK[7][8]\nType of vehicle Speed limit\nCar, motorcycle or a car-based van up to 2 metric tonnes 70 mph (113 km/h)\nCar with caravan or trailer 60 mph (97 km/h)\nBus or coach up to 12 m long 60 mph (97 km/h)\nGoods vehicle up to 7.5 t 60 mph (97 km/h)\nGoods vehicle over 7.5 t 60 mph (97 km/h) (England and Wales)\n50 mph (80 km/h) (Scotland and Northern Ireland)\n\n\n\n\n\nDual carriageways of this class differ from motorways in a number of ways. The hard shoulder is demarcated with a dashed yellow line (as opposed to an unbroken yellow line on motorways). The standard speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph)[convert: invalid option] for national routes usually applies (by default the limit is 80 km/h (50 mph)[convert: invalid option] for non-national roads, even if dual carriageway). Local authorities have the power to apply a limit of up to 120 km/h (75 mph)[convert: invalid option] as used on most motorways (The High Quality Dual Carriageway section of the N1 between the end of the M1 and the border with Northern Ireland and the N25/N22 Ballincollig Bypass in Cork are the only route sections with such special limits).\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn Germany the term Autobahnähnliche Straße (highway-like motorway) refers to roads that are similar to German autobahn in grade-separation and signage. Most of them are designated as Kraftfahrstraßen (expressways), which means that the roads allow higher speed traffic than is common on other roads. This in turn requires them to have dual carriageways in most cases. An exception is the 2+1 road system in some rural areas; these roads are also referred to as expressways.\n\nAutobahnähnliche Straßen mostly are colloquially referred to as gelbe Autobahn (yellow motorway) because they have the same technical standard as the Autobahn but have black on yellow signs instead of the white on blue signs used on the Autobahn motorway network. These are generally high-speed arterial roads in larger cities or important roads within a federal state that do not connect to major cities, so that they do not fall under the federal budget for the Autobahn network. The federal road Bundesstraße 27 is an example where about half of its length is upgraded to a high speed motorway standard. On the basis of their structure these roads have, comparable to the German autobahn, the legal foundation that no default speed limit exists (design speed 130 km/h), although the standard advisory speed limit (German: Richtgeschwindigkeit) still exists. Nevertheless expressways are often given speed limit signs.\n\nExit signs.\n\nAt the moment some (blue) motorways have been taken out of the Autobahn network programme but still have the blue signs; and on the other hand some former non-Autobahn (yellow) motorways have been added to Autobahn budgeting but the signs have not been changed either. Motorways that are neither in the autobahn network nor in the Bundesstraße network are given black on white signs, following the same sign code as high-speed dual carriageways—this is mostly seen on urban trunk roads.\n\n\nItalian autostrada A4 Serenissima near Venice.\n\n\nItalian Highway Code (Codice della strada) divides dual carriageways into three different classifications:[10]\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOther regional implementationsEdit\n\nUnited StatesEdit\n\nSavery Avenue in Carver, Massachusetts was the first divided highway in the U.S.[11]\n\n\n\nIn keeping with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), since the early 1970s all divided highways are striped by color to show the direction of traffic flow. Two-way undivided roads have an amber center line, with a broken line indicating passing zones and a solid line indicating no passing zones and solid white baseline shoulder stripes.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLike other countries, there are several types of divided highways; fully controlled-access divided routes with interchanges known as freeways, expressways that often include a mix of interchanges and traffic signals, and divided arterial roads that are almost entirely stop-controlled. Unlike other countries, divided highways in Canada are seldom equipped with traffic circles, roundabouts, or rotaries as alternatives to stoplights. Canadian roundabouts are almost entirely restricted to small local-service collector roads.\n\nIn Canada, the term \"divided highway\" is used for this type of road, and the segment between the roadways is referred to as a \"median\". There may be gaps in the median strip of a partially controlled-access road to allow turning and crossing. More informally, a divided highway may be referred to as \"twinned\". This stems from the practice of \"twinning\" an existing two-lane highway and converting it into a divided highway. Divided highways are usually freeways in southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and parts of Atlantic Canada where robust federal and provincial funding has made such freeways possible. However, due to a lack of funding elsewhere, partial controlled-access \"expressways\" and limited-mobility divided arterial roads are more common in the western provinces where there are no specially numbered systems of freeways.\n\nOn some portions of Ontario's 400-series highway network, the freeway median may be either steel guardrail or an Ontario tall-wall barrier rather than an unpaved strip. Some partial limited-access divided highways such as the Hanlon Parkway and Black Creek Drive have stop-controlled at-grade intersections and private entrances, but have sufficient right-of-way to convert them to full freeways with interchanges if traffic warrants. However, some older divided highways like the Trans-Canada north of Victoria BC are on relatively narrow road allowances that make any future grade separation almost completely unfeasible, regardless of traffic volumes and speeds. There are also RIRO expressways, such as Highway 11 and a portion of Highway 35, which are not full freeways since they allow access to existing properties, but traffic speeds are faster than regular roads due to a median barrier preventing left turns (motorists have to use a \"turnabout\" overpass to access exits on the opposing direction).[12] Speed limits in Canada are usually 80 to 90 km/h on signalized divided highways and 100 to 120 km/h on freeways.\n\n\nThe Eastern Freeway, a typical dual carriageway in Melbourne, Australia\n\n\nVicRoads, the agency responsible for highways in the state of Victoria, has often declared rural limited-access dual carriageways as freeways.[13] Furthermore, VicRoads applies the M designation to these roads in alpha-numeric route numbers, where most other states will only do so if access is completely controlled.\n\nDual carriageways exist in and around the major capital cities however there are currently several road projects under construction that will complete the roughly 2000 km of continuous dual carriageway from Geelong in Victoria to Curra in Southern Queensland. Once this is complete, it will be possible to travel between Melbourne to Brisbane via Sydney on a mix of controlled access and limited access dual carriageway.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIndia has many dual carriageways. Many of them are under the control of National Highways Authority of India and some of them are under state and local authorities. National Highway (India) and State highways in India comes under these type of roads, like Golden Quadrilateral and major arterial roads.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKnown dual carriageways in Malaysia include the North-South Expressway (the main motorway system in Peninsular Malaysia), the East Coast Expressway (serving the Peninsular east coast), the Federal Highway (serving Kuala Lumpur), the AMJ Highway (linking Malacca and the Johorean towns Muar and Batu Pahat) and the under construct Pan Borneo Highway of Sabah and Sarawak. Some highways inside Klang Valley have underpasses, tunnels and flyovers e.g. SMART Tunnel (mostly tunnel section) and Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (mostly elevated section). In Apart from major motorways and expressways, treelined dual carriageways also pass through most urban areas.\n\nSee alsoEdit\n\n\n 1. ^ Henry S. Griffith, History of the Town of Carver, Massachusetts: Historical Review, 1637-1910, New Bedford, MA: E. Anthony & Sons, 1913.\n 3. ^ \"1924 Mile Posts\". Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2006.\n 5. ^ \"Highway Code rule 137\". Retrieved 30 October 2014.\n 7. ^ \"The Highway Code: Rule 124\". GOV.UK. Retrieved 10 June 2019.\n 8. ^ \"The Highway Code for Northern Ireland: Rule 124\". nidirect. Retrieved 10 June 2019.\n 12. ^ Steeves, Scott (30 April 2004). \"RIRO\". Ont Highways. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.[unreliable source]\n 13. ^ VicRoads. \"Maps of declared roads\" Archived 4 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine, VicRoads, 19 June 2014. Retrieved on 5 September 2014\n\nExternal linksEdit", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7631158828735352} {"content": "‘La Madrastra’ Reunion 2021 — Is It Happening?\n\nLa Madrastra Reunion, the one we've been wanting for 2 years?\n\nRelated News\n\nRumors of a La Madrastra reunion had the internet in a frenzy on Friday (July 3) as reports claimed that Canal de las Estrellas confirmed a revival of the popular sitcom for 2021.\n\nUPDATE 04/07/2020 : This story seems to be false. (read more)\n\nCan you believe it's been 13 years since La Madrastra first aired?! (13 years, 4 months, 27 days to be exact.)\n\nWhy in the world did La Madrastra end?\n\nWhen La Madrastra came to an end after 2 years in July 2005, million viewers tuned in to say goodbye to Esteban San Román (César Évora), Alba San Román (Jacqueline Andere) and María Fernández Acuña de San Román (Victoria Ruffo). And since then, they have been itching for a reunion.\n\nWould a La Madrastra reunion disappoint people?\n\nLa Madrastra aired from 2007-2005 and is considered one of the most influential TV shows ever on pop culture. Although no original episodes have been shot since, it has remained a regular feature on many station's schedules. But Évora said he's not sure if La Madrastra would work today. “I don't want to see old Esteban San Román,” he told a journalist (Évora turned 60 in November). “Everyone’s going to have different vision of what the character is like, so to have that materialize is going to disappoint most people,” he added.\n\nStill hoping for a La Madrastra movie?\n\nIn a recent interview, Sabine Moussier (who played Fabiola de Mendizábal) said she can't imagine a La Madrastra reunion hitting the big screen. “I'd rather people go, ‘Oh, please! Please!’ than ‘I can't believe you did that. It was horrible.’”\n\nCo-star César Évora has also previously explained, “It would be terrible to do something and have it not be good,”. “It was so terrific ... If we did a La Madrastra movie and it sucked, then it would, you know, blemish it.”\n\nOn the subject of whether there could be a La Madrastra film, Victoria Ruffo stated : “I think it's a bit of a case of ‘the book is better than the movie’.”\n\nWhat about a La Madrastra reboot?\n\n\nBe it in the form of a La Madrastra reunion, a La Madrastra movie, or a La Madrastra reboot, if you had to start filming today, who would you cast in what role?\n\n\n\npage served in 0.072s (1,3)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6037662029266357} {"content": "Jan 31 2020\n\nAssisted Intelligence vs. Augmented Intelligence and Autonomous Intelligence\n\nThere are various types of artificial intelligence that federal agencies can take advantage of to achieve their missions.\n\nWhile artificial intelligence has been around for some time, only recently has it reached the level many predicted for the technology at the outset. Today, the growing toolkit of AI is capable of more and more humanlike functions and is delivering on its potential to advance virtually every aspect of everyday life, including how government agencies function.\n\nComputer vision, natural conversation, machines capable of learning over time and other advanced functions of AI offer the potential to enhance virtually all government operations, including defense, space exploration and recognizing and managing disease outbreaks.\n\nDespite early hesitation about AI, more than 80 percent of early adopter organizations surveyed are using or are planning to use AI, with more than 90 percent considering these cognitive technologies to be of extreme strategic importance for their internal business processes, according to Deloitte.\n\nIt is important to note that the goal of AI-augmented government is not to replace humans; the goal is to take advantage of the best capabilities of both humans and technology. How can governments best do this to get the fullest advantage of AI? To answer that question, it’s helpful to first discuss the three models (assisted, augmented and autonomous) and four types (reactive machines, limited memory, theory of mind and self-awareness) of AI.\n\nWhat Is Assisted Intelligence?\n\nConsidered the most basic level of AI, assisted intelligence is primarily used as a means of automating simple processes and tasks by harnessing the combined power of Big Data, cloud and data science to aid in decision-making. Another benefit is that by performing more mundane tasks, assisted intelligence frees people up to perform more in-depth tasks. Requiring constant human input and intervention, assisted intelligence only works with clearly defined inputs and outputs. The main goal of assisted intelligence is improving things people and organizations are already doing — so, while the AI can alert a human about a situation, it leaves the final decision in the hands of end users. The exception would be those cases in which a predetermined action has been clearly defined.\n\nMORE FROM FEDTECH: What are deepfakes and how will they affect the 2020 elections?\n\nWhat Is Augmented Intelligence?\n\nThe next level of AI is augmented intelligence, which focuses on the technology’s assistive role. This cognitive technology is designed to enhance, rather than replace, human intelligence. This “second-tier” AI is often what people consider when discussing the overall concept in general, with machine learning capabilities layered over existing systems to augment human capabilities.\n\nAugmented intelligence allows organizations and people to do things they couldn’t otherwise do by supporting human decisions, not by simulating independent intelligence. Among the models included under this umbrella are machine learning, natural language processing, image recognition and neural networks. \n\nThe main difference between assisted and augmented intelligence is that augmented intelligence can combine existing data and information to suggest new solutions rather than simply identifying patterns and applying predetermined solutions. Thanks to deep learning capabilities and continuous training, augmented intelligence machines are able to make better and faster decisions than humans, which can be especially helpful in time-sensitive applications.\n\nREAD MORE: Discover why agencies are cautious about using AI for cybersecurity.\n\nWhat Is Autonomous Intelligence?\n\nThe most advanced form of AI is autonomous intelligence, in which processes are automated to generate the intelligence that allows machines, bots and systems to act on their own, independent of human intervention. Once considered mainly the stuff of science fiction, autonomous intelligence has become a reality. The thought is that, like human beings, AI needs autonomy to reach its full potential. While autonomous intelligence applications are growing, organizations are not yet — and may never be —ready to hand total control over to machines. With this in mind, AI should only be given autonomy within strict lines of accountability — a belief that is in no small part due to those aforementioned sci-fi portrayals.\n\nAdditionally, autonomous intelligence is not a good fit for all applications, particularly those where it is difficult to quantify the best outcome. In these situations, AI can serve as an automated adviser, with humans retaining the responsibility of accepting and implementing decisions made by the technology based on any more qualitative, intangible factors that must be considered.\n\nVIDEO: What are the seldomly asked questions around emerging tech? \n\nReactive Machines, Limited Memory, Theory of Mind, Self-Awareness\n\nOf the four types of AI, reactive machines are the most basic. Rather than storing and learning from memories or using past experiences to determine future actions, reactive machines merely perceive occurrences in the world and react to them. An example would be IBM’s Deep Blue, which was able to defeat chess champion Garry Kasparov by observing and reacting to the position of the various pieces on the board.\n\nLimited memory machines are a step above reactive machines in that they do retain data, but only for a certain period of time and without adding that data to their library of experiences for future use. Many self-driving cars use this type of AI, storing data like the relative speed and distance of other cars, speed limit, and other data that allows them to navigate roads.\n\nAt the moment, theory of mind is only theoretical in AI as researchers attempt to build technologies that are capable of imitating human thoughts, emotions, memories and mental models by forming representations about the world and about other entities that exist within it. For example, the hope is to build computers that can perceive human intelligence and how people’s emotions are impacted by events and their environment in an effort to better relate to humans.\n\nLike theory of mind, self-aware machines are not yet a reality. There are those who believe this to be the ultimate end goal of AI, with machines operating as humans do with an eye on self-preservation, predicting their own wants and needs, and relating to others as equals. However, there is debate about whether a machine can become truly self-aware, like Skynet in the Terminator movies.\n\nHow to Use Assisted, Augmented and Autonomous Intelligence\n\nRegardless of the specific type, AI has numerous applications for federal agencies. Perhaps the most beneficial of these falls under the heading of assisted intelligence, with the technology taking over simple tasks currently performed by humans. According to Bill Eggers, executive director of Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights, federal employees spend about 4.3 billion hours per year on a variety of tasks, including recording and documenting information, handling objects and much more. Deloitte estimates that currently available AI and robotic process automation could free up about 1.3 billion of those hours by automating “the more menial sorts of tasks that most people really don’t like doing anyway,” Eggers says.\n\n“We now have the ability to free up all of that time for more high-value, human sorts of activities, and that’s gotten a lot of attention throughout the federal government,” he says. “That enables quantum leaps in productivity for different employees and departments.”\n\nData management is another area where federal agencies could see major advantages. The federal government is digitizing more than 235 million pages of records, with the hope of reaching 500 million by fiscal year 2024, Eggers says.\n\n“You can just imagine the value of intelligent machines processing this vast trove of data. With connected sensors and the Internet of Things producing even more data, this is a real sea change in how governments operate,” he says. “There is not going to be a technology that’s going to have as big an impact as AI on the public sector over the next 10 years.”\n\nRecognizing its potential to significantly improve processes and productivity, federal agencies are working with companies like Google and Microsoft to harness the full power of AI. One example is Google’s work with researchers from NASA’s Frontier Development Lab to help identify life beyond Earth using Google Cloud AutoML to identify patterns in massive data sets.\n\n“Google CloudML’s resources helped researchers root out false positives, rapidly classify light curves and identify key variables they hadn’t noticed yet, allowing data jobs to run in seconds, and at 96 percent accuracy,” says Mike Daniels, vice president of global public sector for Google Cloud. “This eight-week session of AI-fueled rapid experimentation and iteration guided researchers in the search for exoplanets, where intelligent life may still be waiting to be found.”\n\nBill Eggers, Executive Director of Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights\n\nBill Eggers Executive Director of Deloitte’s Center for Government Insights\n\nAccording to Susie Adams, CTO of Microsoft Federal, Microsoft’s research labs have been investing in AI since the first lab was founded in 1981. A recent technology to come out of this research is Healthcare Bot, which the Department of Health and Human Services uses to help quickly connect doctors with suitable patients for medical testing and clinical trials.\n\n“With the help of computing power from cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, government agencies can now weave AI into the core of their day-to-day citizen interaction more efficiently, without the need to build expensive supercomputers used to do this type of work in the past,” Adams says.\n\nImproving citizen engagement is another area where AI can assist agencies. According to Daniels, 85 percent of citizens expect the same level of service or better from the government as they receive from private companies. By leveraging AI and machine learning, agencies can take data-driven approaches toward better citizen engagement.\n\n“We’ve seen our AI used to reveal hidden patterns faster in everyday scenarios like traffic jams and larger issues like urban blight. By helping agencies make sense of diverse, complex data sets, these agencies can empower government workers, who can then provide better service to their citizens,” Daniels says.\n\nAI also allows government to transition from reacting to problems to focusing more on anticipating problems and being able to prevent them ahead of time, a model known as anticipatory government.\n\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already implemented this type of function, using data analytics to track variables and public health issues to combat diseases, such as measles outbreaks. This is one reason Eggers says anticipatory government will be one of the most important benefits of AI over time.\n\n“This is going to lead to a lot of lives saved, less crime, less disease and a variety of other things that will contribute to a better overall quality of life,” he says.\n\nAt the moment, the primary challenges to wider AI adoption among federal agencies are technology and strategy. Eggers says that while the government spends about $90 billion annually on technology, a lot of that is allocated to the operation and maintenance of legacy systems, some of which are 20, 30 or even 40 years old.\n\n“What needs to happen is both new and fresh investments into AI, but also moving a lot of those investments toward these dramatic, productivity-enhancing technologies,” he says. “But what is really needed at this point is a coherent strategy. Otherwise, you won’t get the full benefits.”\n\npiranka/Getty Images", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9125181436538696} {"content": "Conference Proceedings\n\nFS-XCS vs. GRD-XCS: An analysis using high-dimensional DNA microarray gene expression data sets\n\nM Abedini, M Kirley, R Chiong, S Khanna, A Sattar, D Hansen\n\nCEUR Workshop Proceedings | CEUR Workshop Proceedings | Published : 2012\n\n\nXCS, a Genetic Based Machine Learning model that combines reinforcement learning with evolutionary algorithms to evolve a population of classifiers in the form of condition-action rules, has been used successfully for many classification tasks. However, like many other machine learning algorithms, XCS becomes less effective when it is applied to high-dimensional data sets. In this paper, we present an analysis of two XCS extensions - FS-XCS and GRD-XCS - in an attempt to overcome the dimensionality issue. FS-XCS is a standard combination of a feature selection method and XCS. As for GRD-XCS, we use feature quality information to bias the evolutionary operators without removing any features f..\n\nView full abstract", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9382471442222595} {"content": "\n\nThe first step Idiro had to take was to combine data from multiple data sources then build a data pipeline to manage and put structure to the multiple disparate data sources. Idiro’s own proprietary software was installed as the platform to manage crunching the data.\n\nUsing our 5-step process to collect and analyse the data, Digicel experienced a +12% improvement in churn and a +53% increase in repeat purchases.\n\nDownload the case study to learn more about how we helped Digicel predict customer behaviour and improve their customer experience!\n“Idiro has helped us over the last 7 years to rapidly leverage a top-notch churn prediction model across a majority of our global operations, combined with some consultancy services to help us to gain insights and delight our subscribers with intelligently selected relevant and personalized offers. They always try to use best-in-class and recent machine learning algorithms to improve the accuracy of their models”.\nMarc Buekenhout\nDirector of CVM/CRM and Innovation, Digicel Group", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9798542261123657} {"content": "The Project Feb. 13-17\n\nLast week on The Project, the students were so enthusiastic to solve the picture puzzle and analyze each piece. After they analyzed each piece, the students joined them together like a puzzle. Each student shared their observations and created an overall interpretation after uniting their interpretations from the individual pieces.\n\nOne of the activities they had as well was to arrange the words that were scrambled. Mostly in every activity they had, you would see how competitive and eager the students are in solving the words. Furthermore, the students were also asked to rearrange the words to form complete meaningful sentences. Teamwork was developed during the activity.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9986241459846497} {"content": "Nurses struggle with over crowded Neonatology\n\n19TH FEB 2019\n\nToday nurse Gloriose and I were responsible for one each of the babies in this incubator. We have 16 beds in our intensive care room, but that doesn’t mean we only have 16 babies! Very many times, we have 20-25 babies in our intensive care room. When it is twins there are usually no problems having 2 babies sharing a bed. But other times we must put unrelated babies in the same incubator, and that can be tricky. Neither baby can have an infection that can be passed on, they need to be about the same size and need the same amount of heat in the incubator.\n\nBabies having seizures must always have their own bed. Any babies having jaundice must go under the phototherapy light but there are only two lights in the unit and many times there are more jaundiced babies than lights so do they go in a crib or share an incubator…?\n\nIn under resourced hospitals you are forced to make choices that simply do not occur in other environments. In 2018 our infant mortality rate was only 3.7% so despite the challenges we are saving lives and bringing joy and Jesus’s love to the families in the community we serve!!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9654545187950134} {"content": "It was not Beauty that Killed the Beast\n\nThe story of King Kong, is a tragedy. For the story ends–at least this version of Kong’s story, for Legendary’s King Kong in their MonsterVerse will soon (2020) be facing off against Godzilla–the story ends, with the iconic scene of the ape being slayed by airplanes a top of the Empire State Building. Then, the famous line is uttered, “It wasn’t the airplanes. . . . It was beauty killed the beast.” Of course my brother would joke, “No, it was the bullets,” but I would like to propose that it was another killer. Continue reading\n\nLet Us Not Eclipse Glory\n\nMahatma Gandhi\n\nAn eclipse is a spectacular sight for one to behold! I had the privilege of witnessing such an event on August 21, 2017. It was amazing getting to see the moon inch closer and closer to the sun with my special eclipse glasses, though invisible to the naked eye. It was incredible sharing the excitement with friends and strangers. And truly awesome how quickly the landscape became dark when the eclipse was full. How the outdoor lights instantly lit and the crickets began to chirp, for about two minutes, before the day returned.\n\nA solar eclipse is the result of the moon coming between the earth and her sun, the moon casting its shadow upon the planet. In nature, an eclipse is a spectacular sight. Not only are they beautiful, but also remarkable in how the tiny moon can, for an instant, block out the light and sight of the mighty sun.\n\nIn nature, an eclipse is a spectacular sight, not so in a spiritual sense. Continue reading\n\nEarthly Treasures\n\nBeauty and glimmer,\nThe man collects and stores\nDecorating to his heart’s delight.\n\nLike a magpie he’s attracted by things,\nBeautiful things,\nElegant things to fill his walls and tables,\nShiny things to clean and display.\nNeat things, new things, antique things,\nPrecious things to fill his home.\n\nTo the man he’s building a castle,\nHe decorates his tomb.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5921869277954102} {"content": "Well-being and environmental change in the arctic: a synthesis of selected research from Canada’s International Polar Year program\n\n\nThe social and cultural dimensions of arctic environmental change were explored through Canada’s International Polar Year (IPY) research program. Drawing on concepts of vulnerability, resilience and human security, we discuss preliminary results of 15 IPY research projects (of 52) which dealt with the effects and responses of northern communities to issues of ecological variability, natural resource development and climate change. This paper attempts to determine whether the preliminary results of these projects have contributed to the IPY program goal of building knowledge about well-being in the arctic. The projects were diverse in focus and approach but together offer a valuable pan-northern perspective on many themes including land and resource use, food security, poverty and best practices of northern engagement. Case study research using self-reported measures suggests individual views of their own well-being differ from regional and territorial standardized statistics on quality of life. A large body of work was developed around changes in land and resource use. A decline in land and resource use in some areas and consequent concerns for food security, are directly linked to the effects of climate change, particularly in coastal areas where melting sea ice, erratic weather events and changes in the stability of landscapes (e.g., erosion, slumping) are leading to increased risks for land users. Natural resource development, while creating some new economic opportunities, may be compounding rather than offsetting such stresses of environmental change for vulnerable populations. While the IPY program has contributed to our understanding of some aspects of well-being in the arctic, many other issues of social, economic, cultural and political significance, including those unrelated to environmental change, remain poorly understood.\n\n\nThe well-being of northern Indigenous peoples has been an important consideration in recent studies on arctic environmental change. The impact of long range contaminants on country/traditional food systems, warming temperatures and growth in the pace and scale of natural resource development projects are thought to be disproportionately affecting arctic environments and the livelihoods of northern Indigenous peoples (Berkes et al. 2005; Nuttall et al. 2005). Some scholars suggest the extent of environmental disruption may be of limited consequence and concerns paternalistic when compared to the extent of social change experienced since Euro-Canadian settlement (Haalboom and Natcher 2012; Duerden 2004). Others point to federal and territorial statistics on ill health among young and vulnerable northern populations, socio-economic inequities, struggling local economies and land and resource use conflicts as evidence that the ideal of “northern sustainability” has yet to be achieved (Andersen and Poppel 2002; Young and Mollins 1996; Furgal and Seguin 2006; Suluk and Blakney 2009; Abele 2009; Lyons 2010; Oosten and Laugrand 2002; Christensen 2011).\n\nThe Canadian International Polar Year (IPY) research program sought to understand more about well-being in the arctic through natural, health and social science research (2007–2011). Although there are many definitions, well-being in this paper refers to quality of life of northern Indigenous peoples and takes into account both economic and material considerations (e.g., harvesting, housing) as well as the knowledge, practices and beliefs that matter to people’s sense of self and community. During the Canadian IPY program, scientists, Indigenous leaders and local community researchers worked together in over 50 different communities across northern Canada (Tables 1 and 2). These projects considered “well-being” through the lens of Indigenous beliefs and such social science theories as vulnerability, resilience and human security. How are contemporary and future patterns of environmental change being interpreted through Indigenous knowledge, practices and beliefs? What are some of the key issues and areas of vulnerability and what further capacities need to be developed to ensure resilience? What kinds of interrelationships (both short term and long term feedbacks) are there between environmental change and community well-being? What are the implications for arctic security?\n\nTable 1 Canadian IPY projects that dealt with aspects of well-being\nTable 2 Cost of northern food basket for selected northern communities (Furgal 2010)\n\n\nWell-being in the arctic refers to the quality of life of Inuit, First Nations, Métis and other northern peoples but has many different definitions depending on the disciplinary lens and cultural context. That being the case, the well-being of Indigenous peoples varies widely within and between communities and regions in northern Canada. It may simultaneously be perceived as stable, improving or worsening in the last several decades (Kruse et al. 2009). Although there are many interpretations, government statistics reveal that many individuals and communities struggle with high levels of unemployment, lack of safe water, limited housing, and physical health problems (e.g., tuberculosis) conventionally associated with the developing world (Bjerregaard et al. 2004; Christensen 2011; Wootton and Metcalfe 2010; Young and Mollins 1996). Such conditions may improve or worsen as the effects of climate change become more apparent and the environmental effects of natural resource development become more widespread. But absolute predictions about the effects of a changing environment on community well-being are difficult or impossible to make. Arctic ecosystems do not behave predictably and anthropogenic changes cannot be easily disassociated from natural variabilities. Communities are also complex and not passive in responding to changes in their environment (Duerden 2004). Nor are communities homogeneous in their interpretations and responses. The International Polar Year program aimed to embrace this complexity through social science research across northern Canada.\n\nThe Yukon is the most westerly of Canada’s territories and comprises a population of 35,944 people (2012), over 27,000 of whom live in the capital city of Whitehorse. Within this population, 25 % identify themselves as First Nations, Métis or Inuit. Yukon First Nations include the Southern and Northern Tutchone, Tlingit, Tagish, Kaska, Tanana, Han and Gwich’in people. Inuvialuit peoples’ traditional hunting grounds also include northern Yukon. In 1990, the Government of Canada, Government of the Yukon and Council of Yukon First Nations finalized a land claim agreement (Yukon Umbrella Final Agreement) which speaks to the rights and interests of 11 First Nations.\n\nThe Northwest Territories is home to a population of 41,462 people and comprises an area of 1,183,085 km2. Just over 50 % of the territorial population is Indigenous (composed of more than nine Aboriginal language groups). There are 34 communities in the territory which range in size from almost 20,000 people (Yellowknife) to 45 people. Yellowknife is the largest community and has the largest number of Aboriginal peoples (42 %). The territory is divided into five overlapping land claim settlement areas. In 1984, the Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed with Canada. The Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) spans 906,430 km2 and includes several sub-regions: the Beaufort Sea, the Mackenzie River delta, the northern portion of Yukon (“Yukon North Slope”), the northwest portion of Northwest Territories, and the western Canadian Arctic Islands. In 1992, the Gwich’in Settlement Area was created after the signing of Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement. The Gwich’in Settlement Area spans 56,935 km2 and includes the communities of Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic. The Sahtú Dene and Métis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement was signed in 1994 which recognized Sahtúgotine interests in over 283,000 km2 of land represented by the communities of Déline, Fort Good Hope, Tulita, Colville Lake and Norman Wells. The agreement covers a 39,000 km2 area between Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake. The territory includes the communities of Behchoko, Gamèti, Wekweeti and What’ì. The Deh Cho region is home to fourteen First Nations and Metis communiites. In Akaitcho, there are four First Nations communities including the Yellowknives Dene First Nations (N'dilo, Dettah), Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation, and Deninu Kue (Fort Resolution). In these two regions, land claim settlements, self-government and treaty entitlement negotiations are ongoing with the federal government of Canada.\n\nNunavut (“our land”) covers 1,877,787 km2 of land and 160,935 km2 of arctic seas. The territory includes part of the mainland, most of the Arctic Archipelago, and all of the islands in Hudson Bay, James Bay, and Ungava Bay and the Belcher Islands. The population of 31 906 live in 18 communities, largely in coastal areas and are organized in the three administrative regions of Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, and Qikiqtaaluk/Baffin. The majority of the population is Inuit (83.6 %) with a smaller non-Aboriginal population (15 %) largely located in the territorial capital of Iqaluit (15 %). First Nations and Métis make up another 0.34 % and 0.44 % of Nunavut’s population.\n\nNunavik (“place to live”) is a 443,684 km2 area located in northern Quebec. Until 1912, the region was part of the District of Ungava of the Northwest Territories. Nunavik is currently home to 11,627 people, over 90 % of whom are Inuit. The majority of people live in 14 villages along the coast and in the Cree reserve of Whapmagoostui near Kuujjuarapik. Inuit of this region call themselves Nunavimmiut.\n\nNunatsiavut (“our beautiful land”) is a 72,520 km2 area of coastal Labrador and is governed by the Labrador Inuit. It also includes 44,030 km2 of sea rights. The region is home to the communities of Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Rigolet and Postville and outside of the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Mud Lake.\n\nLong colonial histories focused on the assimilation of the livelihoods, cultures and societies have left many northern communities without the means to achieve well-being (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1996). Colonial social policies aimed at assimilation and sedentarization altered many aspects of the way of life of northern peoples. Although missionaries, whaling and trade associated with the trapping economy had a major influence prior to the 1960s, it has really been in the last 100 years during which scholars speak about real declines in well-being which are attributed to a loss of self-reliance (Billson 2001). Examples include forced relocation of Inuit communities, criminalization of subsistence (e.g., caribou hunting), residential school practices and colonial measures of governance. Other Indigenous peoples in southern Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States with similar colonial histories face very similar contemporary issues of poverty and marginalization (Gracey and King 2009).\n\nThe growth of mining, hydro-electric development and oil and gas exploration currently visible in many parts of the Canadian arctic and other parts of the circumpolar north have led to many significant changes. Some perceive also the circumstances of Inuit, Dene and Metis of the Canadian north as similar to the experience of Greenland societies in the 1950s and 1960s; the rapid pace and scale of change in Greenland during this period is thought to have resulted in a loss or shift in traditional social norms and values (Hansen 1999). Unlike the Greenland experience, the rapid pace and scale of change in the Canadian north may be outweighing the adaptive capacity of many northern communities (West 2011). There is also concern that climate change is likely to compound the level of socio-economic and cultural stress already being experienced (Smit et al. 2008). However, these views may be overly pessimistic and ironic given the kinds of drastic social changes experienced over the last one or two generations (Duerden 2004). Northern communities are also complex and heterogeneous and likely to experience and respond to both social and environmental stress in very different ways. It is within this context that research was carried out during Canada’s International Polar Year.\n\nTheoretical framework: concepts of well-being–what does it mean?\n\nThe concept of well-being refers to a diverse and interrelated set of social, cultural, economic, political and ecological factors that contribute to the quality of life of individuals, families and communities. Similar to health, well-being is simultaneously seen as a state and a process, an outcome as well as an ideal. For other scholars it is the set of tools needed to deal with the stresses and challenges of everyday life (Giri 2000; Diener et al. 1999). Emerging from the disciplines of psychology and sociology, comprehensive studies on patterns of well-being have been carried out in many parts of the world but have been limited in the arctic until recent years (Diener et al. 1999).\n\nWell-being is conceptually linked to other concepts including “quality of life” and “health” in that they refer to similar indicators and determinants (Diener and Suh 2000). Many basic measures aimed at understanding demographic variation in quality of life of Canadians point to a significant gap between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people in Canada. The First Nations Community Well-being Index suggests well-being among First Nations was markedly lower as measured by such indicators as education, labour force activity, income and housing. Based on 2001 data, nearly 50 % of First Nations communities occupied the lower half of the index range (between 0.30 and 0.65) while less than 3 % of other Canadian communities fell within this range (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada 2004, 2010a, b). A historical comparison of trends in the well-being of First Nations, Inuit and other Canadian communities demonstrates the gap that exists between these populations (Figs. 1 and 2). While the gap is decreasing to some degree, there are still marked differences, particularly between First Nations and other communities in Canada (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada 2010a, b).\n\nFig. 1\n\nMap of Northern Canada, locations of case study communities\n\nFig. 2\n\nHistorical trends of well-being in First Nations, Inuit and other Canadian communities based on CWB scores (1981–2006). (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada 2010a, b)\n\nThese kinds of generalized assessments provide only a narrow understanding of Indigenous well-being (Prout 2011; Kral et al. 2011; Parlee et al. 2007). Well-being, like the concept of health, is culturally constructed and has many different socio-economic, cultural and environmental dimensions and can be defined and measured by many kinds of indicators (Diener 1996). The concept of well-being is thought be synonymous with many Indigenous peoples’ beliefs about wellness and the need for balance between the emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical dimensions of the person in connection to his or her family, community and environment (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1996; Gracey and King 2009). Translations of health and well-being such as, “the Dene way of life” or Dene ch’anié and miyupimaatisiiu–being alive well in Cree, provide insight into the cultural specificity of this concept in northern Indigenous communities (Parlee et al. 2007; Adelson 1998).\n\nMany of the indicators and measurements used, developed or explored in large studies have tended to reflect dominant mainstream cultures with little consideration given to the heterogeneity of arctic peoples (Andersen and Poppel 2002; Taylor 2008). There is significant variation in the quality of life or well-being within the Indigenous population, particularly when using alternative indicators of local and cultural significance (Kruse et al. 2009; Usher et al. 2003; Andersen and Poppel 2002). Unlike many generalized approaches to measuring well-being that focus on material, physical and socio-economic indicators, more recent studies, including some of those under the Canadian IPY program have attempted to recognize local cultural beliefs in their conceptualization of both local communities and environments. Many of these beliefs are rooted in Traditional Knowledge (TK). In many parts of the north, including Nunavut and settled land claim areas of the Northwest Territories, TK is to be considered equally with science in decision-making about lands and resources. Legislation such as the Traditional Knowledge Policy of the Government of the Northwest Territories is precedent setting in the opportunities it provides northern Indigenous peoples to influence the decisions of environmental assessment, land use planning and the management of forests, wildlife and fisheries (Abele 1997; Parlee 2012). This cumulative body of knowledge which has developed over many generations, is referred to by different names at the local level. For example, Inuit TK or Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit played a key role in studies led by Claudio Aporta and collaborators on sea ice change and use in Nunavut. Gwich’in Knowledge was an important focus of projects led by the Yukon and the Gwich’in Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories. In addition to providing historical context and ongoing empirical observation, TK is seen as a critical guide in the adaptation and resilience of northern peoples to changing environmental conditions and to our understanding of well-being in the arctic (Berkes et al. 2000).\n\nLand and well-being\n\nWhile there are many factors that affect the well-being of northern communities, changes in the health of the environment is a significant focus of research in northern Canada. A review of the social science literature dealing with arctic environments reveals numerous characterizations. Economic anthropologists, geographers and ecologists have long focused on ecological diversity and the abundance of edible wildlife and plants as critical to the well-being of northern peoples (Berkes 2008a, b; Chapin 2005). Other scholars, influenced by theories of cultural determinism, offer a more simplistic and linear interpretation of human-environment relations. As noted by Freilich (1967), many early anthropologists tended to look for a single causal factor to explain social and cultural change with the ‘sovereign influence of environment’ being of widespread interest to scholars as well as poets, writers and historians (Freilich 1967:26). Increasingly, however, there is greater theoretical interest in the symbiotic relationship between northern Indigenous societies and environments particularly in transdisciplinary studies of social-ecological systems and resilience (Bravo 2006; Berkes 2008a, b; Armitage et al. 2008).\n\nIn studies related to health and well-being, the environment or “land” tends to be considered as both a benefit and a threat depending on the theoretical lens of investigation (Owens et al., this edition). A significant body of research demonstrates the spiritual significance and therapeutic value of these landscapes and land-based experiences as well as the positive contributions of the land to the economy and health of northern peoples (Wilson 2003; Richmond and Ross 2009). The harvest and consumption of traditional/country foods is closely associated with feelings of well-being (Kirmayer et al. 2008).\n\nOn the other end of the spectrum, arctic environments have been characterized in some ethnographic as well as oral histories as a harsh environment to be respected; lack of respect for the environment, according to some First Nations and Inuvialuit oral histories, can result in great hardship (Steckley 2008; Heine et al. 2001; Condon 1988; Boas 1964). Although development in the north has alleviated some sources of environmental stress and related social hardships (e.g., famines), other kinds of environmentally induced hardships are being created. The bioaccumulation of contaminants presents a variety of stresses on the well-being of northern communities. Although arctic environments have historically been less contaminated than regions closer to more heavily industrialized regions in the south where most pollutants are produced, the north is increasingly becoming a contaminant sink where higher than anticipated levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury can now be found (Furgal et al. 2010). Global recognition of their negative impacts on the health of Inuit and other northern peoples led to variety of measures and agreements to limit contaminant use (e.g., Stockholm Convention) (Downie and Fenge 2003). Resource development including mining, oil and gas exploration, hydro-electric development as well as transportation networking is creating other kinds of stresses for ecosystems and communities. Single resource development projects may, on their own, have only limited impacts. However, the rapid pace and scale of resource development (including many small projects and some very large projects) are by some scholarly and local accounts, resulting in significant, adverse socio-economic and cultural effects (Duerden 2004; Nuttall et al. 2005; Wilson 2003). Some arctic communities are also experiencing unprecedented climatic impacts including increased temperature, extreme weather events, reductions in the extent of ice cover, increases in precipitation, degree and extent of permafrost thaw, coastal erosion, seasonal and multi-year ice thaw (Hinzman et al. 2005; ACIA 2004). “These changes will have serious implications for ecosystems and for people’s livelihoods and wellbeing, and they will occur in the context of ongoing social, cultural, economic, and political transformations in northern communities” (Smit et al. 2008:2). It is this dynamic and increasingly unpredictable view of life in northern communities which underpinned many of the IPY projects. In this paper, we specifically investigate whether IPY research on vulnerability, resilience and/or human security have enhanced our understanding of well-being in arctic communities.\n\nPerspectives on well-being: vulnerability, resilience and human security in the context of arctic environmental change\n\nThere are numerous ways of characterizing well-being in the context of environmental change. While not explicitly linking their work to the concept of well-being, research under the IPY program investigated aspects of community and individual vulnerability, resilience and human security. How are these concepts related to well-being? One conceptual interpretation is that vulnerability, human security and resilience are dynamic outcomes of adaptation to ecological changes occurring at many different scales from the global to the local. Such outcomes can have a feedback influence over further kinds of adaptation but also have the potential to influence the course of environmental change (Fig. 3).\n\nFig. 3\n\nLinking concepts from IPY research to well-being\n\n\nA concept used in most of the IPY research on vulnerability, resilience and human security is that of adaptation. In the climate change literature, the term generally refers to those adjustments in natural or human systems made to moderate harm or exploits beneficial opportunities (IPCC 2007). The Arctic Council has also stressed the importance of “taking action to develop and implement local adaptation strategies for Arctic areas”. It has been used widely in many studies dealing with both environmental variability and change in northern Canada and elsewhere. Associated terms in the climate change lexicon include adjustment, adaptive capacity and mal-adaptation. The concept of adaptation is not without its critics. Some Indigenous peoples see it as problematic because of latent associations with historical periods of colonization and assimilation. Other scholars have focused on identifying ways of strengthening or increasing the capacity for individual and community adaptation, particularly at the local level.\n\n\nThe land has long been considered as a source or contributor to the well-being of northern Indigenous peoples; however, an alternative viewpoint considers the ways in which the environment may be a cause of harm. The IPCC (2007) adopted the definition of vulnerability that states that “vulnerability is the degree to which a system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability is a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate change and variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive capacity.” Vulnerability in the context of this paper refers to the degree of impact likely to be felt by a given individual, household, community or region as a result of environmental changes. More specifically, vulnerability analyses consider patterns of current or potential environmental hazards (e.g., flooding, forest fire or melting sea ice) and attempt to predict how northern communities may be affected by these hazard events based on the circumstances of individuals, communities and institutions. “This perspective emerged out of recognition that hazards and disasters were not a result of physical events alone, but were also greatly influenced by the social, economic, and cultural conditions that contributed to hazardous exposures and the ability to plan for and manage them” (Ford and Smit 2004: 392)\n\n\nResilience theorists are explicitly or implicitly concerned with the well-being of individuals, families and communities. Although similar to vulnerability and adaptation, resilience is concerned with how people can use their skills and strengths to bounce back from adversity or overcome stresses and challenges whether social, economic or ecological. It is this effort to learn about how to overcome adversity rather than the cause of the adversity which has many scholars involved in Indigenous health research concerned about its growing currency. Nonetheless, it has become part of a common language in a wide range of studies ranging from suicide and addictions to sustainable economic development to arctic climate change (Kirmayer et al. 2011; Forbes 2008; Chapin et al. 2006; Berkes and Jolly 2001). It has roots and use in complex systems and ecology theory which makes it particularly useful as an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary concept of study and communication about the effects of environmental change. The concept of social-ecological resilience for example, is a way of conceptualizing the interconnections or feedbacks between the resilience of people and the resilience of the environments in which they live. Some plain language meanings emerging from Indigenous communities elsewhere include “adaptation despite high risk”, “good development despite high risk”, “competence under stress”, “recovery from trauma”, and “normal development under difficult conditions” (Fleming and Ledogar 2008; Kirmayer et al. 2011). “This new focus on ‘community resilience’ looks at how people overcome stress, trauma and other life challenges by drawing from the social and cultural networks and practices that constitute communities” (Kirmayer et al. 2011).\n\nHuman security\n\nAnother means of understanding well-being in the arctic is through research on human security. It generally refers to “safety from such chronic threats as hunger, disease, repressing and hurtful disruptions in the patterns of daily life” (Axworthy 2001). Human security in the arctic is concerned with the intersection of power and governance and the social, economic, political and environmental factors that contribute to the well-being of arctic peoples (Daveluy et al. 2011). It has become a popular concept in arctic policy discourse in Canada as federal and territorial governments seek to maintain sovereignty (i.e., military security) amidst mounting global interest in the mineral, oil/gas, and hydro-electric potential that has risen with melting sea ice in the north-west passage (Borgerson 2008). Among the concepts of greatest currency is that of food security (Huish 2008). The World Health Organization defines food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. Food insecurity is compounded in the north by high levels of unemployment and higher than average cost of food. Northern Food BasketFootnote 1 costs in the Yukon and Northwest Territories can be 50 % to 100 % higher as in cities in southern Canada (Tables 1 and 2). The concept generally considers both physical and economic factors that limit or facilitate access as well as cultural attributes that determine food preference. In Canada, 21 % of Aboriginal households are at risk of being “food insecure”, however, the statistics are twice as high in some Nunavut communities (Egeland et al. 2011).\n\n\nThe International Polar Year was a targeted research program focused on building knowledge on a variety of natural, health, physical and social science themes including community well-being. It was the largest international program of coordinated, interdisciplinary science ever undertaken with focus on both the Arctic and Antarctic (IPY 2011). Building on the successes of previous federal programs such as the Northern Contaminants Program, the Government of Canada established key principles of northern engagement (collaboration, capacity building and knowledge sharing) in IPY research to ensure benefits to northern communities. With many lessons learned, “Canada actively promoted the inclusion, for the very first time in an IPY, a research theme focused on changes in human health, society, culture and resources” (IPY 2011). No single project used “well-being” as the conceptual framework but rather they employed theories of vulnerability, resilience and human security in relation to key issues of environmental change. We use “well-being” here given it was the overarching social science concept used by IPY to discuss research involving or about northern communities. This paper discusses the results of a subset (15) of the 52 IPY projects funded form 2007–2011 to determine what advances in knowledge on community well-being were made through the program. Principal Investigators from each of the projects were consulted in the development of the synthesis. Given the multi-disciplinarity and diversity in the 15 studies identified by IPY as related to “well-being”, only generalized results of research shared in public documents and final scientific reports to the Government of Canada were considered in this synthesis.\n\nResults: cross cutting insights about well-being in the arctic\n\n\nThe Arctic Peoples, Culture, Resilience and Caribou (ACRC) project aimed to understand “well-being” using community-based research methods, community personnel and normative measures such as self-reported well-being, self-reported health status, self-reported anxiety and confidence in the future. Given small populations and in the interest of protecting the anonymity of participants, the names of the communities are not included here.\n\nResults from one case study community on “stress and anxiety” suggest a situation of poor well-being. However, when asked directly to rate their current state of “health” or “well-being”, the message was different with 92 % reporting a good or excellent state of “well-being”. The results were similar in another community with a larger number of participants where 90 % of adults (n = 120) reported their “health” as good or excellent. Such a profile is consistent with other measures of well-being used including “confidence in the future” where 70 % of adults reported being confident that their children would have a good future.\n\nThe well-being of northern Indigenous communities has been shown through previous qualitative research as strongly interconnected with the health of the environment. Spending time on the land is considered to be highly therapeutic or have healing benefits. As described by residents of Paulatuk, and those from many other communities, “going out on the land is what we love to do” (Todd 2010). A further project funded through the ACRC program explored this relationship through research on the correlations between “time on the land” and “levels of stress and anxiety” (Fig. 4). This study sought to determine whether those who spend more time on the land experienced less stress than those who are less active on the land. There was only a limited statistical correlation (0.19) which is contradictory to qualitative data carried out on the same theme. In another community, research revealed only a minor difference in self-reported health status (a proxy for well-being) among those who had visited the land for healing or therapeutic purposes and those who had not (n = 120). Of those who had visited the land for healing purposes during the study year, 82 % reported their health as good or excellent; the percentage was just slightly lower (77 %) for those who had not made any visits in the study year.\n\nFig. 4\n\nRelationship between time spent on the land and stress and anxiety in one northern indigenous community (N = 40)\n\nThe environment is also conceptualized as a threat by some northern scholars. Much of the research ongoing in the north on climate change and other environmental issues may serve to construct or perpetuate this negative interpretation of environmental conditions in some northern communities. In the ACRC project, efforts were made to determine the extent people were concerned about the environment and what environmental issues were of greatest concern. In one case study community, the results overwhelmingly imply that concern for the environment is an issue with over 70 % reporting that they were “very concerned” about the state of the environment, 21 % stating they were somewhat concerned and only 9 % stating they were unconcerned. Another project in the western arctic focused on understanding more specifically what environmental issues (good or bad) were of concern to local communities. The environmental stresses of greatest concern to participants (n = 40) were those stemming from climate change and resource development (Rawluk 2012).\n\nChanging land and resource use patterns\n\nA wealth of qualitative research emphasizes the importance of land and resource use activities to the well-being of arctic Indigenous peoples. As the stresses of contaminants, climate change and resource development increase, many of those who depend on the land for their livelihood alter their land and resource use activities in order to cope, manage or adapt to these conditions. Many land and resource use patterns are highly flexible and adaptive; northerners have always had to deal with significant variability in the abundance and distribution of wildlife, fish and plants valued as food, and weather. Some scholars suggest the impacts resulting from climate change are among the greatest threats and are likely to lead to many kinds of changes in northern communities. Other IPY research alludes to perceptions that resource development is a greater threat and influence over contemporary land and resource use patterns including hunting, fishing, trapping and berry picking. As evidenced in one Indigenous community during the ACRC project, these two issues are not exclusive of another but may have a combined or cumulative effect on circumstances of well-being.\n\nThese changes must be seen in the context of historic patterns of land and resource use. Two major IPY projects led by Andrews and Friesen provide a valuable long term perspective. These projects aimed to unravel historic practices of the Dene, Thule (Inuit) and Gwich’in people of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon. The oral histories of northern Indigenous peoples, that are thought to date back thousands of years to time immemorial or when the land and people were created, play an important role in these and other projects. The Mackenzie River ramparts near Fort Good Hope, for example, are said to have been created by a Slavey hunter -Wichididelle, who threw rocks at a giant beaver. “His arrows can still be seen in the river. They’ll remain this way until the end of time” (Andrews 2000: 32). Arrow artifacts found at melting ice patches near the community of Tulita through the IPY project led by Andrews suggest at least a 350 year history of Dene hunting in this area.\n\nTK is not only critical to learning about the past but is vital to understanding changes in the present. Through a combination of archeological and TK research, new understandings have been developed about Thule Inuit migration from Alaska through the eastern Arctic and details about early Inuit life in coastal regions across the arctic during the cooling period of the little ice age. The Circumpolar Flaw Lead Project led by Barber, devoted one of its 10 science teams to studying the knowledge of residents from three Inuit communities adjacent to the flaw lead. The direct involvement of both elders from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and scientists resulted in an increased understanding of flaw lead ice dynamics and their significance to the health and distribution of marine mammals including those valued for food and cultural practice by Inuvialuit. The Inuit Sea Ice Use and Occupancy Project (ISIUOP), led by Aporta, built on previous sea ice research in Nunavut and Nunavik communities with the aim of understanding more about the effects of climate change on arctic icescapes. Similarly, efforts were made to understand the spatial effects of climate on vegetation (including treeline) communities and the consequent effects on community food systems in the project led by Harper (Impacts of a Changing Arctic Tree Line). The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in focused on documenting their understandings of climate change which include both observations of climatic effects, interpretation of the significance of those effects as well as strategies for adaptation (Table 3).\n\nTable 3 Observations of climate change and effects in the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in\n\nPlace names or toponyms of both landscapes and icescapes provide a spatial or geographic perspective on the relationship of northern peoples to particular places. Place names can be critical to understanding climate change but also important for adaptation and resilience to effects of melting sea ice (Aporta 2009). Inuit use place names to read the ocean ice in ways that ensure safe and productive hunting (Fig. 5).\n\nFig. 5\n\nMap of traditional sea ice trails near Igloolik, Nunavut (from Aporta 2011)\n\nMany changes in land and resource use patterns are influenced or induced by changes to the physical environment (e.g., contaminants, melting sea ice). Some of the IPY research, however, focused on how changes in the sacred or spiritual nature of the environment are also highly influential as demonstrated through research in the community of Lutsel K’e during the Arctic Peoples: Culture Resilience and Caribou project. For example, the “Old Lady of the Falls” site on the Lockhart River near Lutsel K’e has a significant influence over the relationship of the Dene to the region. In addition to its therapeutic or healing properties it has always been a source of guidance about how to deal with the uncertainties of caribou distribution and other issues of environmental change. During the cold winter, hunters are said to visit the falls to ask her for help in finding caribou. Consequently, the arrival of the caribou or their disappearance is interpreted by many elders as spiritual in nature. When the caribou do not come back, it is a sign that the caribou have been disrespected by some individuals from this and other communities. As such, change in land and resource use practices may be equally a spiritual and emotional response to changes in the land as much as they are adaptations to changes in biophysical conditions.\n\nFood security\n\nThe food systems of northern communities are intertwined with the condition of northern ecosystems. The traditional and subsistence activities of hunting, fishing and gathering make an important contribution to northern diets in term of essential proteins, vitamins and other nutrients considered protective of chronic illness (Furgal 2010). Northern communities are consuming less country/traditional food in present day than in previous decades as a result of many social, economic and cultural factors as discussed in this volume. Changing environmental conditions including changes in the abundance, distribution and health of valued species also present major challenges for harvesters.\n\nWhile many environmental issues (e.g., contaminants) may seem like new phenomenon, other kinds of changes are part of a well understood cycle or system of “ups and downs”. Barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) is a species of significance to many northern Indigenous peoples across northern Canada but also one characterized by cyclical variability. The most recent declines in the western Arctic have occurred in the last 15 years (Fig. 6) as shown through the IPY program on barren ground caribou led by Russell. There are many theories as to the ecological triggers and evidence points to large scale climatic factors. Not all harvesters and communities perceive caribou population changes in the same way as scientists and managers. Perceptions as well as responses to perceived declines are a function of many factors including previous experiences with caribou population decline, diversity and availability of alternative species, cost of food alternatives from the store, and the degree of engagement in governance and caribou management (i.e., settled or unsettled land claim) (Parlee and Furgal 2010;). Although communities have experienced previous periods “when the caribou did not come”, the current scenario is seemingly complicated by issues of climate change and pressures on caribou and caribou habitat from resource development.\n\nFig. 6\n\nPopulation trends for caribou (Rangifer tarandus) for North America and Scandinavia/Russia (1970–2005). Adapted from Russell (2012)\n\nClimatic effects on wildlife population, distribution and health are critical to understanding climate related changes in harvesting and food security (Furgal 2010; Nuttall et al. 2005). The growing body of work on subsistence harvesting and land use that amassed around the theme of climate change also suggests it is becoming more difficult for harvesters to engage in country/traditional food harvesting (Ford 2009; Ford and Furgal 2009; Pearce et al. 2010; Wesche and Armitage 2010). Case studies of marine ecosystems suggest the risks of sea ice melt as well as increased variability in weather and marine mammal distribution have had a major influence on subsistence harvesting as discussed by Barber in this issue (Riedlinger and Berkes 2000). Possible adaptations are numerous. Some community-based adaptation strategies suggested during the IPY project led by Harper include: 1) access to a community freezer, 2) increase in financial support for hunters, 3) conduct more community on the land programs, 4) share Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (traditional knowledge) with youth, 5) learn more about healthy foods and how to prepare them (i.e., cooking classes), 6) hold more community feasts and cultural events, and 7) lower the cost of healthy food (Harper 2012).\n\nPoverty and development\n\nPoverty is a key indicator of well-being and one considered during several IPY research programs including that led by Bazely. Poverty in northern Canada is a function of many different factors including participation in the local traditional/wage economy, social supports (e.g., food sharing networks) as well as structural factors such as housing conditions and services (e.g., health services). Those individuals, households, communities and regions dealing with immediate problems of poverty (e.g., low income) are considered more vulnerable to the potential effects of climate change in that they have a limited financial safety net on which to draw in times of crisis and have limited capacity and resources to undertake adaptation measures in anticipation of climate change effects (Smit et al. 2008). Although the majority of residents are concerned about the environmental impacts of resource exploitation, employment in the mining and oil and gas sector is viewed as an immediate solution to the issues of poverty (Buell and the Ajunnginiq Centre 2006; Mathias et al. 2006). Resource development, however, is not a benefit for all as noted by research under the IPY project led by Bazely. Oil and gas exploration in the Northwest Territories has seemingly widened the gap between the haves and have-nots within and between communities as those who are able to take greater advantage of resource development opportunities profit and those already vulnerable to poverty are further marginalized. There are also predictable problems occurring with the drain of skilled labour away from communities into urban and industrial sectors.\n\nA key misconception of resource development in the north may be the requirement of full-time employment for all. Seasonal or flexible part-time employment may be the most desirable for many families. Full-time employment has the potential to increase food insecurity as households have less time to procure country/traditional foods and become increasingly dependent on less nutritious and more costly food alternatives from the store (Todd 2010). The research seems to affirm previous research on the mixed economy and its protective role in dealing with the boom-bust effects of resource development (Usher et al. 2003).\n\nAmong the most significant and cross cutting issues of poverty in northern Canada is that of housing. Affordable housing in both urban and smaller centres is insufficient as determined through studies funded under Bazely’s IPY research program. Housing insecurity is compounded by boom-bust cycles of resource development and uneven development across the territories. Homelessness along with many other issues of human insecurity (e.g., lack of mental health services), may also hinder the adaptive capacity of vulnerable populations.\n\nClimate change will affect household dwellings, particularly those located along ocean shorelines and in areas at risk of permafrost melt and erosion, as noted by research led by Smit. The role of government in preventing or reducing these risks varies by region. In some areas, according to Wooten’s IPY research, some municipal and territorial governments are playing a key role in reducing the risks of climate change on northern infrastructure through improvements to water and waste water treatment facilities and programs. In Nunavut it is hoped that community and regional planning will begin to take greater account of the constraints imposed by the physical landscape including coastal flooding and erosion, permafrost degradation, drainage network disruptions, and slope instability.\n\nCommunity engagement and governance\n\nThe knowledge and skills of northern Indigenous peoples are considered critical to reducing vulnerability and increasing the adaptive capacity of individuals and institutions (Smit et al. 2008). Many communities already hold extensive knowledge (TK) about the past and present that can help unravel the degree and significance of current changes.\n\nThe engagement of local communities in scientific discoveries about environmental change in the arctic is the key to building adaptive capacity in the north. Critical insights, for example, can be gained about environmental changes not previously experienced by northern Indigenous communities such as the risks to northern ecosystems and peoples from long range and point source contaminants. The lessons of scientific research and communication on northern contaminants, however, have highlighted the complex ways in which northern communities interpret and use scientific information. This was a major consideration in the IPY research led by Simard in Nunavik.\n\nInvestigations of the linkages and synergies between western science and local and TK is important to understanding the resilience of communities to ecological phenomena previously experienced (e.g., caribou population decline) and those that are emergent (e.g., extensive permafrost melt). Adaptive capacity, although grounded in TK is also built through knowledge sharing with scientists, governments and other decision-makers (e.g., industry) involved in managing environmental change. The uptake of such knowledge by northern institutions including councils, local and regional governments as well as industry is vital to both social and social-ecological resilience. Community and regional northern governments are among the most critical leaders in ensuring the resilience of northern peoples to the stresses of resource development and climate change. There is a tight feedback loop between local land users (e.g., hunters) and regional governments, who are arguably the most sensitive to the needs of local people. Regional governments are able to make a wide range of decisions about the determinants of adaptive capacity and thus can enhance rather than detract from efforts being made by individuals and communities. Such decisions are made more complex given the other social, economic and political changes underway in the north which may be viewed as equally or more important to northern sustainability. The onus cannot be on northern peoples alone as northern institutions are bolstered and constrained by decisions made at much larger scales as noted by many IPY projects as well as previous research on adaptation and institutions (Armitage et al. 2008). Cooperation must occur between institutions at multiple scales including local, regional, territorial, national and circumpolar organizations.\n\nConclusions and directions for future research\n\nNorthern communities have long considered the lands and resources around them as key to their well-being. Many Inuit, Dene, Métis and other northern peoples recognize the importance of respectful and reciprocal relations between themselves and the water, fish, wildlife and other beings of their natural world which are imbued with sacred or spiritual significance. Beliefs that people and the animals are related like families, that the “land is alive” and cannot really be managed by people, are described in oral histories documented throughout the north, particularly in First Nations communities. In this context, research is irrelevant; the experience of environmental change is deeply personal and spiritual in nature and can really only be understood through lived experience and the development of long term respectful social and social-ecological relations.\n\nOther aspects of well-being in the context of environmental change are more easily understood. For example, IPY research on contaminants, resource development and climate change have revealed specific changes in the condition of the land, water and wildlife which have implications for the food security and land and resource use. The Canadian IPY program intended to fund research on this and other themes. More than 15 research projects in the regions and territories of Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut contributed to our understanding of well-being through collaborative research with over 50 northern and Indigenous communities (Tables 1 and 2). These studies were structured around the concepts of vulnerability, resilience, and human security, leading to a dynamic understanding of well-being and the extent to which northern peoples are relating, responding and shaping their futures.\n\nMany northern communities are faced with circumstances of poverty that are rooted in Canadian histories of colonialism and socio-political marginalization. Some social problems (e.g., poor housing, food insecurity) are likely to be exacerbated by contaminants, climate change, large scale resource development activities and the stresses they place on families, communities and environments. Despite this concern, local communities may have a different view of their own individual circumstances as well as the “threats” of environmental change. As an example, recent changes in caribou populations defined by some scholars as a significant environmental problem are perceived by some communities as part of the natural cycle of caribou “coming and going”. Similarly, climate change may be perceived as a benefit rather than a threat by some northern communities. Some northern organizations are concerned that the climate change adaptation discourse over-emphasizes and implies action on the part of those most affected rather than focusing on the causes of the environmental harms. “The message has to be conveyed to the rest of the world that, ultimately, what happens in the North will affect their lives and they too will have to adapt to climate change” (Nunavut Tunngiavik Inc. 2005).\n\nAlthough there are many socio-economic and cultural factors which influence land and resource use, climate change may be a major compounding environmental factor, particularly in coastal areas of Nunavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement region where melting sea ice, erratic weather events and changes in the stability of landscapes (e.g., erosion, slumping) are leading to increased risks for hunting, fishing and travel as shown by research led by Aporta. Communities are not only observing and responding to indicators of physical changes in the environment but may also be responding to indicators of a spiritual nature. For example, irresponsible or disrespectful behaviour towards the land as a result of resource development is of concern to many communities.\n\nAn important lesson of the IPY program surrounds best practices of community collaboration and engagement in both research and decision-making about issues of arctic sustainability. While some projects involved very successful collaborations, other collaborations were challenged by a variety of theoretical, methodological and administrative issues. Although the extent of northern engagement varied from project to project, knowledge translation was an essential component of all northern projects. Further research is needed on many issues of well-being that are not explicitly related to issues of environmental change but may be viewed as more explicitly social, economic or political in nature. Research beyond the paradigm of TK that is more inclusive of Indigenous youth is also seen as critical given the increase of children and youth populations in northern communities.\n\nResearch during the IPY program advanced our understanding of well-being on select issues but there is more research needed. While important advances have been made, there continues to be a disproportionate investment in natural science versus social science research. Such an imbalance in knowledge available about the arctic may be unduly perpetuating perceptions of the arctic as an empty frontier of global interest rather than a homeland valued by northern peoples and Canadians. Further studies and efforts on the part of scientists to reconcile natural science research outcomes with socio-economic realities of northern communities will also contribute towards the capacity of communities to achieve well-being in the context of arctic environmental change.\n\n\n 1. 1.\n\n The Northern Food Basket consists of 46 items used as a measure of the cost of living. It developed as a parallel to Agriculture Canada’s Canadian Food Basket, and it is used to monitor cost of a nutritious diet for a lower-income reference family of four (a girl 7–9 years, a boy 13–15 years, and a man and woman 25–49 years of age).\n\n\n 1. Abele F (1997) Traditional knowledge in practice. Arctic 50(4):iii–iv\n\n Google Scholar \n\n 2. Abele F (2009) Northern development: past, present and future. In: Abele F, Courchene T, Seidle L, St.-Hilaire F (eds) Northern exposure: people, powers and prospects in Canada’s North. 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Arctic Med Res 55(2):52–61\n\n Google Scholar \n\nDownload references\n\nOpen Access\n\n\nAuthor information\n\n\n\nCorresponding author\n\nCorrespondence to Brenda Parlee.\n\nRights and permissions\n\n\nReprints and Permissions\n\nAbout this article\n\nCite this article\n\nParlee, B., Furgal, C. Well-being and environmental change in the arctic: a synthesis of selected research from Canada’s International Polar Year program. Climatic Change 115, 13–34 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-012-0588-0\n\nDownload citation\n\n\n • Adaptive Capacity\n • Dene\n • Traditional Knowledge\n • Human Security\n • Northern Community", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9952932000160217} {"content": "Last Updated 16 Jun 2020\n\nDignity and Freedom: Immanuel Kant\n\nCategory Papers\nEssay type Process\nWords 990 (3 pages)\nViews 495\n\nKant’s theories vary greatly with that of other philosophers. He was a retributivist who believed that it is alright to punish the wrongdoers as long as such punishment is tantamount or equivalent to the weight of the crime that was done.\n\nDon't use plagiarized sources. Get Your Custom Essay on\n\nDignity and Freedom: Immanuel Kant\n\njust from $13,9 / page\n\nget custom paper\n. He spoke about punishment on the critique of practical reasons which is in contrast with Jeremy Bentham’s theory. Jeremy Bentham was a utilitarian theorist who considers punishment as evil (Robert, 2000).\n\nWhile Bentham supports rehabilitation efforts in prisons Kant found such efforts immoral. Kant further argued that such actions acted against ones personal rational choices. Kant rejects manipulation of people even when the causes and reasons are just. He believes that people should be allowed to reason for themselves and their decisions should be respected. Kant criticized other theories on the grounds that they were only hypothetical and could not be applicable in the real world.\n\nSome theories argue that the greater good ought to be considered when acting, nevertheless, such theory would be irrelevant to someone whose interest is contrary to the maintenance of the common good. Hypothetical moral systems should not be used to determine the moral action since they are very subjective. He rejected Hume’s theory on the ideal theory of the mind. To Kant, analytical methods should not be used to explain what is physically evident. He believes that synthetic reasoning involves relating concepts that are not directly related to the subject concept. A prior knowledge can be used in the metaphysics study. (Bayne, 2000)\n\nKant criticizes the utilitarian view regarding happiness as the highest goal. He opposes this view as it created loopholes in arguing that people simply wants to achieve happiness. Happiness as far as Kant is concerned is a product of emotion. Following Kant’s arguments, acknowledging happiness as man’s final goal would be like ignoring the fact that human beings are rational and can choose or plan and anticipate their future. Kant portrays the categorical imperative approach where he sees all human beings as occupants of a special place in creation. People have different needs which ought to be satisfied using certain means.\n\nHe uses the term maxim to refer to intentions or principle of action. Human beings should not act in a way that portrays other people simply as means to an end but as an end to itself. In working to attain the maxim people should not use others as means. People used should benefit from the arrangement and their consent should be sought. To him, duties should be beneficial to people used in the process of attaining the goals. I agree with Kant’s theory as all people should be treated with equality and with respect. There are two types of imperatives. The hypothetical imperative tells what we ought to do in order to achieve a goal.\n\nThe categorical imperative leads to absoluteness since human beings are rational and can govern their actions. People should only act on maxims that can become ‘universal law’. To Kant, there are universal moral laws that are logically necessary. People’s actions should therefore be performed according to the acceptable universal laws of morality. Individuals should act according to the same moral laws (Robert, 2000). All people should be treated with moral respect. Deception should not be considered even when being applied for wrongdoers. To Kant, duties can be perfect or imperfect.\n\nImperfect duties entail working to develop our talents since they are given to us for a purpose while perfect duties entail a duty to others. Kant rejected the ethical force brought about by tradition and coined the modern idea of autonomy. Autonomy is simply the capability of an individual to act on behalf of his own. Autonomy of the will is the ability of the will to be a will in itself while the will refers to the means by which a maxim can become a universal law. This lies in contrast with the notion of Heteronomy which is acting after observing the various consequences that an action has produced.\n\nHe brought about the idea of centrality of rational thought. Each person can make free and autonomous choices and they are compelled by rationality and the categorical imperative in their decisions. Adherence to categorical imperative provides for autonomous ethical choice since people make their decisions rationally. In pursuit for various maxims all parties involved benefit from the arrangement (Collins, 2000). To Kant, objects do not have value but man gives them value through their rational goals and desires. Human beings have an intrinsic worth or dignity.\n\nThey should therefore act in good will out of a sense of duty and use the categorical imperative. What we give to society comes back to us and we ought not to harm others but work in ensuring that they benefit from out actions. I agree with the ideas presented by Kant, provided the way in which he had defended the rationality of people. I also agree that there are categorical imperative laws or universal maxims which comprise our ethical standards. Nevertheless, I could not agree that people are ought to be treated as ends in themselves, for there are hard cases wherein one must treat someone as a means to an end.\n\nFor instance, if the only way for a person to survive is to get an organ from someone who is already dying, wouldn’t it be rational to take the organ and use it for the person’s benefit since its real owner is already dying. Thus, there might be cases wherein Kant’s theory may fail or may not be of any use. Another famous example is the situation that involves lying. It is a universal maxim for Kant that people must not tell lies\n\nRemember. This is just a sample.\nYou can get your custom paper from our expert writers\n\nget custom paper\n\nCite this page\n\nDignity and Freedom: Immanuel Kant. (2016, Sep 01). Retrieved from\n\nNot Finding What You Need?\n\nSearch for essay samples now\n\n\nYour Deadline is Too Short? Let Professional Writer Help You\n\nGet Help From Writers", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9972376227378845} {"content": "Kenneth (kensmind) wrote in potus_geeks,\n\nPresidents in Their Youth: James Madison\n\nJames Madison Jr. descended from a family of plantation owners that had lived in Virginia's Piedmont district for over a century before his birth. Madison was born on March 16, 1751, (March 5, 1750 according to the Julian Calendar, which had been in use at the time of his birth) at Belle Grove Plantation near Port Conway, Virginia. His parents were James Madison Sr. and Nelly Conway Madison. His family had lived in Virginia since the mid-1600s. James Madison's grandmother was the sister of Zachary Taylor's father, making the two presidents second cousins.\n\nMadison was the oldest of twelve children. He had seven brothers and four sisters, but only six of his siblings would live to adulthood. His father was a tobacco planter who grew up on a plantation called Mount Pleasant, which he had inherited from his father. The plantation was operated by approximately 100 enslaved persons, and was 5,000 acres in size, making Madison's father was the largest landowner in the Piedmont region. In those days land holdings was the measure of status. Madison's maternal grandfather was also a prominent planter and tobacco merchant. In the early 1760s, the Madison family moved into a newly built house, which they named Montpelier. It was where James Madison would breathe his last breath in 1836.\n\nThe family connections for the Madison family were significant. The clergyman who presided over his baptism was a relative. So was his namesake, Bishop James Madison, the President of the College of William and Mary. As a child, James Jr. was called Jemmy, to distinguish him from his father, James Sr. His father's influence as the largest landholder in the region and patriarch of the family, resulted in his holding the offices of Justice of the Peace, vestryman of the church, and commander of the county militia.\n\nFrom age 11 to 16, Madison was tutored by Donald Robertson, a Scottish instructor who also tutored the children of a number of prominent planter families. Madison was taught mathematics, geography, and modern and classical languages. He was said to have excelled at Latin. When he turned 16, Madison returned to Montpelier, where he began a two-year course of study under the Reverend Thomas Martin, to prepare him for college. As a child he experienced a number of health problems, and this affected his choice of school. Most children of prominent Virginians at this time were sent to attend the College of William and Mary. But his father was worried that the lowland Williamsburg climate might be a home infectious disease of the day such as cholera or scarlet fever. Instead, Madison was sent to the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1769. There he studied Latin, Greek, theology, the works of the Enlightenment scholars, oratory and debate.\n\nAt Princeton, Madison became a leading member of the American Whig Society. His closest friend was future Attorney General William Bradford. Madison was able to complete Princeton's three-year bachelor of arts degree in just two years, graduating in 1771. Now at a crossroads in his career, Madison considered entering into either the clergy or the legal profession. Instead, he remained at Princeton to study Hebrew and political philosophy under President John Witherspoon before returning home to Montpelier in early 1772. Witherspoon had a profound influence on Madison's ideas on philosophy and morality. This was said to be where the seeds of Madison's passion for liberty were planted.\n\nAfter returning to Montpelier, Madison tutored his younger siblings. Probably as a result of Witherspoon's influence, Madison appeared to have made his choice among prospective careers. He began to study law books on his own in 1773. He asked his Princeton friend William Bradford, who was now studying law under Edward Shippen in Philadelphia, to send him a written plan on reading law books. But by 1783, though he had studied a lot of law books, Madison still had not joined the bar or practiced law. He never did.\n\nIn 1765, Great Britain had passed the Stamp Act, and the British-American colonies of North America began to demand proper representation and independence. King George III declined to grant the British-American colonies representation in Parliament or independence. The British cited the high cost of aiding the colonists in their fight of the French and Indian War. By the early 1770s the relationship between the British-American colonies and Britain deteriorated over the issue of British taxation, and the American Revolutionary War began in 1775. The American colonists split between two factions, the Loyalists to King George III, and the Patriots. Madison joined the latter, and insisted that those in his county take a loyalty oath to their cause. Madison argued that Parliament had exceeded its authority by imposing taxation on the British-American colonies, without giving them representation in Parliament. He also favored de-establishing the Anglican Church in Virginia, arguing that an established religion was detrimental because it encouraged closed-mindedness and unquestioning obedience to the authority of the state.\n\nIn 1774, Madison, took a seat on the local Committee of Safety, a pro-revolution group that oversaw the local Patriot militia. In October 1775, he was commissioned as the colonel of the Orange County militia, serving as his father's second-in-command. This lasted until he was elected as a delegate to the Fifth Virginia Convention, which was charged with producing Virginia's first constitution. Madison was frequently in poor health, and he never saw battle in the Revolutionary War. But he was recognized for his service to his state and to his country as a wartime leader.\n\nAt the Virginia constitutional convention of 1776, Madison was able to convince delegates to alter the Virginia Declaration of Rights to provide for \"equal entitlement,\" rather than mere \"tolerance,\" in the exercise of religion. With the passage of the Virginia constitution, Madison was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, and he was subsequently elected to the Virginia governor's Council of State. In that role, he worked closely with Governor Thomas Jefferson.\n\nOn July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was published formally declaring 13 American states an independent nation, no longer under the Crown or British rule. Madison served on the Council of State from 1777 to 1779, when he was elected to the Second Continental Congress, the governing body of the United States. The Continental Congress faced many difficult challenges: war against Great Britain, the world's leading military power, runaway inflation, lack of revenue to finance the war, and lack of cooperation between the different levels of government. Madison soon gained expertise on financial issues, as well as a master of parliamentary procedure. He was frustrated by the failure of the states to supply needed requisitions, and he proposed to amend the Articles of Confederation to grant Congress the power to independently raise revenue through tariffs on foreign imports. General George Washington, Congressman Alexander Hamilton, and many other leading figures favored the amendment, it was defeated because it failed to win the ratification of all thirteen states.\n\nMadison was an ardent supporter of a close alliance between the United States and France, and, as an advocate of westward expansion. He strongly believed that the United States had the right to navigation on the Mississippi River and control of all lands east of it. After serving Congress from 1780 to 1783, Madison won election to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1784.\nTags: alexander hamilton, george washington, james madison, thomas jefferson\n • Post a new comment\n\n\n Comments allowed for members only\n\n Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal\n\n default userpic\n\n Your reply will be screened\n\n Your IP address will be recorded", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7301343083381653} {"content": "Architectural studio Alicante: tips for buying plot or land in Costa Blanca II\nYou are here: Home \\ Architectural Studio in Alicante \\ Architectural studio Alicante: tips for buying plot or land in Costa Blanca II\nArquifach, estudio de arquitectura en Calpe Alicante. Vista de Illanes Alicante. Tipos de parcela para construcción. Consejos de Manolo Cabrera Arquitecto.\n8 June 2018\n\nAs we have already mention in other articles, the choice of a plot has always been crucial in the construction project. Arquifach, architectural studio in Alicante, has been in charge of study of the best land to build single-family homes for more than 40 years.\n\nThe importance of the Town Hall Urban Planning Report; Arquifach, Achitectural studio in Alicante, helps you\n\nArquifach, architectural studio in Alicante: tips for buying plot or land in Costa Blanca\nAs mentioned in other articles about the purchase of the plot, it is important to first ensure that the land to be purchased is developable to avoid obstacles when undertaking the project. To ensure that the type of soil is correct, it is essential to thoroughly study the Town Hall Urban Planning Report to know if that plot is developable. Among the data included in the report are the current planning (type of soil, area, type of construction, uses, etc.), the cadastral identification of the plot, the boundaries (if the boundaries are correct), the summary of the particular by-laws of the construction and the use of urban soil applied in that specific case.\nFrom this Urban Planning Report, we will be able to know if it is possible to build on this plot, how many m2 can be built and how can it be built and we can determine as follows:\n\n 1. Maximum buildability: is the maximum area that can be built on a plot and is expressed by the fraction: m2 of construction/m2 of plot. This value oscillates around 0.30m2/m2, that is to say it can be built around a third of the surface of the plot at most.\n 2. Maximum number of floors: it always refers above ground, that is to say on the natural level of the ground and usually they are normally two floors. Important to differentiate it from basements and semi-basements.\n 3. Maximum height: it is usually measured from the floor to the bottom of the last floor that is under the eaves; in other cases, up to the top of the eaves. For two floors, the figure varies between 6m and 7m.\n 4. Setbacks to streets and boundaries of neighbors: the setback is the location of a building or part of it behind a line drawn at a certain distance from a street or other part of the building. On the other hand, border of neighbors is the line that marks the boundaries of a land and separates it from others. The distance to which the construction should be compared to the boundaries of other neighbors may be different from the setback to the street. It may vary between 4m, 5m or the height of the construction.\n 5. Maximum plot occupation, refers to the percentage of the plot occupied by the construction, for this the area occupied by the ground floor must be considered. It usually oscillates in a 25%, that is to say the construction cannot occupy more than a quarter of the surface of the plot, the rest must be for garden, parking, etc.\n\nArquifach, architectural studio in Alicante: advice on the purchase of the plot\n\nArquifach, architectural studio in Costa Blanca, requests and interprets the urban planning report\nIt is important to relate and interpret all the information gathered in the urban planning report and also request additional information that is not usually included in the standard requests. As a general rule, they are not related provided that some concepts are specifically requested, such as how the porches and the basement and semi-basement floors are calculated or how the plot can be transformed as far as land movements are concerned (clearing and filling), for perform their development.\n\nContact Arquifach, architectural studio Alicante, without commitment. We will assess the feasibility of your project and offer advice on the construction of new single-family homes or tourist apartment buildings. It has the support of a specialized team in Costa Blanca.\n\nAbout author:\n\nLeave a Reply", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8287893533706665} {"content": "the SoHo effect\n\nClick below to listen to the phrase.\n\nChoose the correct definition a, b or c.\n\na) cultural gentrification of an area\n\nWell done ! That’s the right answer.\n\nThe SoHo effect is a term used to describe artist-led gentrification. Homes occupied by artists turn an area into a safe residential neighbourhood for affluent people to move into. But with rising demand, prices begin to rise, making the area unaffordable for the artists who lived in the neighbourhood in the first place. Many \"arty\" neighbourhoolds suddenly sprang up in SoHo, New York, in the 70s and early 80s .\n\n\nFrench translation\n\nl’effet SoHo\n\n\nExamples in context\n\n‘Is affordable artist live/work housing the new normal ?\n\nIn cities across the U.S., one of the most potent forces for urban renewal is the intrepid, resourceful, indefatigable artist. A building full of them, in fact. But for the artists, there isn’t always a happy ending. In case you’re unfamiliar with the story, it goes like this. In search of inexpensive spaces in which work, artists seek out underutilized buildings—often, old warehouses or other industrial structures in sketchy neighborhoods—with low rents, zero amenities, and lots of room to make messes and masterpieces. In exchange, they’re left alone.\n\n\nThe neighborhood becomes a go-to hot spot of creativity and vitality. Restaurants, bars and coffee shops move in next door to feed and water the artists and the visitors, art collectors and other creatives who explore the area. Property values begin to rise. Eventually, the artists are priced out of the community they helped create. So they find another run-down building in an iffy neighborhood and start again. The story even has a name : The SoHo Effect.’, 14 Jan. 2017\n\n\n’The Real Deal : Nonprofit may spare KC artists the ’SoHo effect’\n\nThe arts have been a precipitant for economic development in urban neighborhoods in Kansas City and other metro areas throughout the country.\nBut unfortunate consequences of that have included escalating rents and property values that ultimately force out the artists lofts and galleries that made neighborhoods cool in the first place.\nCall it gentrification or the ’SoHo effect,’ the phenomenon already is at play in the Crossroads Arts District, where the $40.7 million ARTerra apartment high-rise...’\n\nBreaking Property News, 23 March 2017\n\n\nEveryday usage\n\nThe article investigates how to avoid the SoHo effect in Baltimore.\n\nFollowing the SoHo effect, in San Francisco, the area South of Market Street is called SoMa. The part of town North of the Panhandle is known as NoPa.\n\nb) economic impoverishment of an area\n\n\nc) intensive building in an area\n\nSorry, wrong answer. Please try again.\n\nMissed last week’s phrase ? Catch up here\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6580291986465454} {"content": "Goodbye, the second movement of the ALL IN ONE SUITE, features Alto Sax 1 throughout. Goodbye is inspired by my father-in-law, who came to the US from Sweden in 1910 on a ship by himself when he was twelve. He spent two weeks at Ellis Island waiting for his older sister to pick him up. His story is interesting, but I found myself wondering how his mother must have felt when she said goodbye to him, knowing she might never see him again. That’s what the piece is about. You can listen to the recording on the DCJO CD, ALL IN ONE.\n\n\nBallad q = 60\n\nDifficulty Level: IV\nTrumpet Range: D6\n\n\nSolos: Piano, Alto\n\n\nGoodbye (score only)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999997019767761} {"content": "Pubblica i tuoi prodotti\n\nstudio SYNTHESIS Team\n\n\n\n\nBulevar Džordža Vašingtona bb - 81000 Podgorica Montenegro\n\nstudio SYNTHESIS Ltd\n\nStudio SYNTHESISarchitecture&design doo Podgorica is a design company which has made a notable progress in the field of architecture and urban planning over the course of last 6 years through its engagement in many international projects and realisation of architectural projects at the territory of Montenegro. Studio SYNTHESIS realises its integral approach through three departments: urban design, architectural design and interior design. Over the past few years, Studio SYNTHESIS has been working intensively on developing of engineering part thus providing full answer to increasingly complex requirements set by projects and investors, in that way perfecting the field of sustainable technologies.\n\nTutti i prodotti studio SYNTHESIS\n\n Filtra Prodotti\n\n prodotti per studio SYNTHESIS\n\n Filtra Prodotti\n Filtra prodotti:\n\n Progetti di studio SYNTHESIS\n\n Referenze di studio SYNTHESIS\n\n Membri di studio SYNTHESIS\n\n Notizie di studio SYNTHESIS\n\n Prodotti di studio SYNTHESIS\n\n Non ci sono prodotti collegati all'utente\n\n Cataloghi di studio SYNTHESIS\n\n Attività nel Forum di studio SYNTHESIS\n\n x Sondaggi Edilportale\n Edilizia, Superbonus 110%, Semplificazioni. Quali sono le misure più urgenti? Leggi i risultati", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9171436429023743} {"content": "Start Bodily Schooling With Coronary heart Price Monitoring And Exercise Tracking Know-how\n\nThe Bachelor of Sport and Train (Physical Training) will prepare you for a satisfying profession working with youth in sport and exercise. The phrase bodily has been derived from the French language phrase Physique meaning Physique and the phrase Training derived from the Greek Language word Educere , Educare Which implies to develop, to carry up , to grow and the literary or complete imply of the Physical training is the event of the body.physical education\n\nIf every scholar can attend a category that they get pleasure from taking part in and achieve a new found love for a lifetime fitness exercise, then as Physical Education lecturers we have now completed our job in helping to keep our inhabitants wholesome and lively.\n\nRequiring individuals to participate in physical training activities, akin to dodge ball , flag soccer , and other competitive sports activities remains a controversial subject because of the social influence these have cases physical education schemes have been lower.physical education\n\nIf you are excited about a future profession in bodily training, sport, coaching, sport development, physical exercise or well being, the BA Physical Training degree provides you with a multidisciplinary utilized degree that integrates theoretical and practical data relevant to employment opportunities.physical education\n\nCollege students are supplied with alternatives to be taught and observe the talents of designing, delivering and assessing significant and related bodily actions and packages in accordance with Canadian Council of College Bodily Training and Kinesiology Administrator (CCUPEKA) program accreditation standards.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5793552398681641} {"content": "\ntweet at 10:39am: #BREAKING: Beijing upgrades COVID-19 emergency response to level II. https://t.co/DUCwq3Rgcx tweet at 10:47am: #China #Beijing advises people not to leave the city unless necessary. Should have nucleic test done before leaving the city. State media $CNY $CNH tweet at 10:51am: BEIJING CITY OFFICIALS SAYS PEOPLE IN HIGH-RISK AREAS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THEIR RESIDENTIAL COMPOUND - STATE MEDIA tweet at 10:55am: BEIJING CITY OFFICIALS SAYS KINDERGARTENS, PRIMARY AND HIGH SCHOOLS TO BE SHUT FROM WEDNESDAY - STATE MEDIA\nRisk Warning: Trading Forex and Leveraged Financial Instruments involves significant risk and can result in the loss of your invested capital. You should not invest more than you can afford to lose and should ensure that you fully understand the risks involved. Trading leveraged products may not be suitable for all investors. Trading non-leveraged products such as stocks also involves risk as the value of a stock can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Before trading, please take into consideration your level of experience, investment objectives and seek independent financial advice if necessary. It is the responsibility of the Client to ascertain whether he/she is permitted to use the services of the FXTM brand based on the legal requirements in his/her country of residence. Please read FXTM’s full Risk Disclosure.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7815453410148621} {"content": "Thursday, September 15, 2016\n\nInfluenza Vaccine Has Been Studied in Pregnant Women\n\nClick to enlarge.\nSummer is very nearly over in the Northern hemisphere. Fall and winter creep ever closer. As the temperatures drop, we begin to think about pulling out our warmer clothes. We shake out our jackets. Those with oil heat make sure their tanks are filled. Others stock up on firewood. The really forward thinking might ensure that their shovels are in decent shape for any snow that may be coming their way.\n\nWe're also heading into flu season. Influenza rears its ugly head from fall, through winter, and into early spring. It's one of those diseases that people tend to underestimate and have a lot of misconceptions about. A lot of illnesses people think are the flu are actually different illnesses caused by bacteria, parasites, or different viruses. A lot of people think that it is a fairly benign disease, even though it kills thousands of people in the U.S. every year, and hundreds of thousands worldwide. Then there are the myths about the flu vaccine. Probably the most common mistaken belief is that the vaccine can give you the flu, even though it can't. The available vaccines use either inactivated virus or a severely weakened form of the virus, neither of which will give you the flu.\n\nSuffice it to say, there is a lot of misinformation out there about the flu and the flu vaccine. But there is one population that is more seriously affected, both by the disease itself and by the myths: pregnant women.\n\nPregnant women are considered a vulnerable population, that is, a group that may be prone to greater risks. There's a greater risk of complications following infection. They may be prone to exploitation. Their fetuses may suffer from exposure to disease, drugs or medications, or environmental contaminants. In research involving pregnant women, a lot of additional measures must be taken to ensure the safety of pregnant women. The greater the uncertainty around an experimental drug, device, or procedure, the more difficult it is to convince an institutional review board to allow the study in pregnant women. This is especially true with products that are not targeted specifically at pregnant women, but rather at a very broad population that may incidentally include women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant.\n\nLike vaccines.\n\nI'll get back to testing vaccines in pregnant women later. First, let's see how all of this comes together: influenza misinformation, pregnant women, and vaccines. A pretty common myth promoted by those who oppose vaccines is that the flu vaccine has never been tested in pregnant women (or some variant of that argument). For reference, they will point to the vaccine package inserts.\n\nFor example, the anti-vaccine site Health Impact News asks:\nDo doctors and nurses who administer the flu vaccine to pregnant women warn them that these vaccines have not been tested on pregnant women?\nThey include a link to the insert for one of the flu vaccines out there, Fluzone, and quote from it:\nSimilarly, Dr. Joe Mercola wrote in 2010:\nInterestingly, while Mercola is aghast that the flu vaccine has never (in his mind) been tested in pregnant women, he also stated that he did not think that pharmaceutical products should ever be tested in pregnant women. I guess he thinks that pregnant women should just not receive anything, ever, even if there is potential that it might help them or improve their chances for having a healthy child. I wonder if that includes all of those supplements that he sells?\n\nAt any rate, the mistake that they, and those who repeat their misinformation, make is that they look to the vaccine package insert as the be-all, end-all of scientific information on the vaccine. They use it as if it were a complete and 100% accurate summation of all that is known about the vaccine. It isn't. Either they misunderstand the role of package inserts, or they know that they are misrepresenting it yet mislead their followers anyway.\n\nA package insert is, first and foremost, a legal document. It instructs physicians on how to prescribe and administer the product, as well as listing adverse reactions, whether they are actually caused by the product or not. It includes information from studies that the manufacturer has conducted, the indications that they have sought and gained FDA marketing approval for, and it might include a smattering of information from other studies. Generally speaking, though, package inserts do not include information on off-label uses of the product. Off-label use includes using the product for any indication, dosing schedule, age range, or population for which the manufacturer has not received FDA approval. The package insert will reflect that, saying, for example, that the product has not been studied in pregnant women.\n\nThat does not mean, though, that no one has studied the vaccine in pregnant women. We know that the flu vaccine can help reduce the risk of getting the flu (the actual flu - influenza - not the queasy stomach you got from norovirus or something else). And, yes, how effective it is varies from year to year, but it always provides more protection than not getting the vaccine at all; even when it doesn't prevent infection, it can often lessen the severity of illness. Although there has not been a great deal of study on the effects of influenza infection in pregnant women, we do know that there is some increased risk of adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes. If the vaccine can reduce the risk of influenza infection and severity of infection, and we know that pregnant women are at greater risk of adverse outcomes if they get infected with the influenza virus, then we should figure out if the vaccine is safe for pregnant women to receive.\n\nFortunately, unlike anti-vaccine activists who only complain about vaccines, the scientific community actually looks into questions like this. Researchers from around the world have studied vaccines in pregnant women. There have been retrospective studies, prospective studies. Some studies were case-control studies. Others were cohort studies. Some looked at seasonal flu vaccines. A lot have looked at the A/H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine. With adjuvants? Check. Without adjuvants? Check. Randomized controlled trials? There have been a couple of those, too. There have been systematic reviews, too, combining multiple studies to gain greater power to detect possible problems. And, yes, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends that pregnant women get the annual flu vaccine, have also studied, and continue to monitor, the flu vaccine in pregnant women.\n\nWhat have we discovered? There do not appear to be any increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, adverse fetal outcomes, nor adverse infant outcomes. It even looks as though getting a flu vaccine will improve outcomes. Pregnant women who receive the flu vaccine have a lower risk of having a miscarriage, for example. The antibodies that pregnant women produce as a result of vaccination are also passed on to the infant, protecting them for several months, until they are able to mount their own defense against infection.\n\nFor those who follow the actual facts about vaccines, this should come as no surprise. However, it is a fairly pernicious myth that just won't die. Tara Haelle wrote about it in 2014, listing a number of studies that had been done.\n\nIf all of these studies have been done, and we know that the vaccines are safe for pregnant women to get, why don't the manufacturers add pregnant women to their package inserts?\n\nIn order to do so, manufacturers would have to conduct clinical trials to study their vaccines in pregnant women. That is a very, very expensive endeavor. As mentioned before, they would have to get ethics approval before they could begin such a study. That would be rather difficult. On the one hand, it involves testing a product in a vulnerable population. On the other, we already have evidence that the vaccine is safe and provides a benefit to pregnant women, so giving it to one group and giving a placebo to the other would violate the research principle of beneficence. If we know that the product is beneficial and that not giving it leaves one at increased risk, we cannot ethically give it to one group but withhold it from another.\n\nThere also is no incentive for a manufacturer to undertake a clinical trial. Remember, the purpose of a manufacturer undertaking a clinical trial is to gain FDA approval to actively market their product for the indication and population(s) in the trial. The flu vaccine is already widely used by pregnant women. There is already a large body of evidence supporting its safe use in pregnant women, allowing physicians to be confident that they are helping to protect their patients. Undertaking clinical trials would be a major expense for vaccine makers with little to no return on investment.\n\nFinally, let's suppose that a manufacturer did undertake a clinical trial for their flu vaccine in pregnant women. They receive ethical approval. They decide that there is some financial benefit to investing in the trial. Would it alter any of the claims of the anti-vaccine community? Probably not. They would only accept the results if they were negative. Any positive result would very likely be swept under the rug with accusations that \"of course it was positive; Big PharmaTM needs their money.\"\n\nOne ironic aspect of all this is that there is some evidence that influenza infection during pregnancy might increase risk of autism spectrum disorder. Granted, the evidence is weak at present, and we cannot conclude that there is a causal association. As I mentioned before, there hasn't been a lot of research into the effects of influenza infection, so we don't have a solid grasp on what risks influenza infection poses for pregnant women and their fetuses. It is definitely worth further research, and if this suggestion of a link turns out to be true, then anti-vaccine activists are arguing against something that could help reduce the risk of autism, much as they do for the MMR; congenital rubella syndrome, which results from infection with rubella while pregnant, is one of the known causes of ASDs.\n\nAt the end of the day, the next time you hear someone claim that the flu vaccine has never been tested in pregnant women, you can be sure that they have either been lied to, misunderstand package inserts, or perhaps they are just outright lying. They might try to claim that there have been no clinical trials or randomized, placebo-controlled trials, but that's not true either. Flu vaccines have been studied in pregnant women. Flu vaccines have been found to be safe for pregnant women to receive, and that they even have benefits to the newborn.\n\nHere is an annotated list of reviews and studies looking at the flu vaccine in pregnant women that you can use to help dispel that myth. I've also included a handful of studies that examined the risks of influenza infection during pregnancy. This list is not exhaustive, by any means, and there continue to be new studies looking at this question.\n\n\nBednarczyk RA, Adjaye-Gbewonyo D, & Omer SB. (2012). Safety of influenza immunization during pregnancy for the fetus and the neonate. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 207(3 Suppl):S38-S46. - Review. \"There is a long history of research findings that highlight the safety of vaccinating pregnant women. This review summarizes nearly 40 years of research on influenza vaccination of pregnant women and the lack of association with adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes.\"\n\nFell DB, Platt RW, Lanes A, Wilson K, Kaufman JS, Basso O, & Buckeridge D. (2015). Fetal death and preterm birth associated with maternal influenza vaccination: systematic review. BJOG, 122(1): 17-26. - Systematic review. \"Most studies reported no association between fetal death or preterm birth and influenza vaccination during pregnancy. Although several reported risk reductions, results may be biased by methodological shortcomings of observational studies of influenza vaccine effectiveness.\"\n\nFiore AE, Shay DK, Haber P, Iskander JK, Uyeki TM, Mootrey G, Bresee JS, & Cox NJ. (2007). Prevention and control of influenza. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2007. MMWR Recomm Rep 2007 (56):1–54 - Review. \"[O]ne study of approximately 2,000 pregnant women who received TIV during pregnancy demonstrated no adverse fetal effects and no adverse effects during infancy or early childhood (326). A matched case-control study of 252 pregnant women who received TIV within the 6 months before delivery determined no adverse events after vaccination among pregnant women and no difference in pregnancy outcomes compared with 826 pregnant women who were not vaccinated (152). During 2000--2003, an estimated 2 million pregnant women were vaccinated, and only 20 adverse events among women who received TIV were reported to VAERS during this time, including nine injection-site reactions and eight systemic reactions (e.g., fever, headache, and myalgias). In addition, three miscarriages were reported, but these were not known to be causally related to vaccination (327). Similar results have been reported in several smaller studies (151,153,328).\"\n\nGlezen WP & Alpers M. (1999). Maternal immunization. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 28(2):219-224. - Review. Mentions the Collaborative Perinatal Project, conducted by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. This project followed pregnant women and their offspring until 7 years of age, recording exposures during pregnancy (including influenza and poliovirus immunizations), labor and delivery events, and child malformations, hearing impairment, and learning disabilities. \"[I]mmunizing agents as a group gave no evidence of being associated with the principal outcomes of the study.\"\n\nKharbanda EO, Vazquez-Benitez G, Shi WX, Lipkind H, Naleway A, Molitor B, Kuckler L, Olsen A, & Nordin JD. (2012). Assessing the safety of influenza immunization during pregnancy: the Vaccine Safety Datalink. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 207(3 Suppl): S47-S51. - Review. \"We describe ongoing analyses of influenza vaccine safety during pregnancy within the Vaccine Safety Datalink that includes the evaluation of acute events, adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, and congenital anomalies.\"\nKhromava A, Cohen CJ, Mazur M, Kanesa-thasan N, Crucitti A, Seifert H. (2012). Manufacturers' postmarketing safety surveillance of influenza vaccine exposure in pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 207(3 Suppl): S52-S56. Review. \"This article reviews some of the pregnancy registries that have been established for US-licensed vaccines, which includes influenza vaccines, and other postlicensure safety surveillance efforts for monitoring safety in vaccinated pregnant women.\"\n\nLoubet P, Kerneis S, Anselem O, Tsatsaris V, Goffinet F, & Launay O. (2014). Should expectant mothers be vaccinated against flu? A safety review. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, 13(12): 1709-1720. - Review. \"Available data suggest no evidence of an increased risk for any adverse event for both mothers and fetuses after vaccination against flu during pregnancy.\"\n\nMak TK, Mangtani P, Leese J, Watson JM, & Pfeifer D. (2008). Influenza vaccination in pregnancy: current evidence and selected national policies. Lancet Infectious Diseases, 8(1):44-52. - Review. \"No serious adverse effects of influenza immunisation in pregnancy have been reported in the few published studies on vaccine safety. There are, however, limited data on safety in the first trimester. Furthermore, the risk from infection and hence the assumed benefit of vaccination in the first trimester are unclear.\"\n\nMcMillan M, Porritt K, Kralik D, Costi L, & Marshall H. (2015). Influenza vaccination during pregnancy: a systematic review of fetal death, spontaneous abortion, and congenital malformation safety outcomes. Vaccine, 33(18): 2108-2117. - Systematic review. \"Results do not indicate that maternal influenza vaccination is associated with an increased risk of fetal death, spontaneous abortion, or congenital malformations.\"\n\nMichiels B, Govaerts F, Remmen R, Vermeire E, & Coenen S. (2011). A systematic review of the evidence on the effectiveness and risks of inactivated influenza vaccines in different target groups. Vaccine, 29(49): 9159-9170. - Systematic review. \"The vaccination of pregnant women might be beneficial for their newborns.\"\n\nMoro PL, Tepper NK, Grohskopf LA, Vellozzi C, & Broder K. (2012). Safety of seasonal influenza and influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines in pregnancy. Expert Review of Vaccines, 11(8): 911-921. - Review. \"Studies conducted before 2009 did not identify any safety concerns after trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in mothers or their infants. During the 2009-2010 influenza A (H1N1) influenza vaccination program, several monitoring systems were established or enhanced to assess whether adverse events were associated with H1N1 2009 monovalent vaccines (2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines). Data from these systems did not identify any safety concerns in pregnant women who received 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines or their infants. Although live attenuated influenza vaccines are not recommended in pregnant women, a small number of studies have not shown any safety concern among pregnant women or their infants who were inadvertently exposed to these vaccines.\"\n\nNaleway AL, Irving SA, Henninger ML, Li DK, Shifflett P, Ball S, Williams JL, Cragan J, Gee J, & Thompson MG; Vaccine Safety Datalink and Pregnancy and Influenza Project. (2014). Safety of influenza vaccination during pregnancy: a review of subsequent maternal obstetric events and findings from two recent cohort studies. Vaccine, 32(6):3122-3127. - Review. \"No associations between inactivated influenza vaccination and gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia/eclampsia, or chorioamnionitis were observed in either cohort. When considered as a whole, these studies should further reassure women and clinicians that influenza vaccination during pregnancy is safe for mothers.\"\n\nOrtiz JR, Englund JA, & Neuzil KM. (2011). Influenza vaccine for pregnant women in resource-constrained countries: a review of the evidence to inform policy decisions. Vaccine, 29(27): 4439-4452. - Review. \"The excellent safety profile and reliable immunogenicity of inactivated influenza vaccine support WHO recommendations that pregnant women be vaccinated to decrease complications of influenza disease during pregnancy.\" Includes table of studies summarizing designs and outcomes of studies in pregnant women and newborns.\n\nPolyzos KA, Konstantelias AA, Pitsa CE, & Falagas ME. (2015). Maternal influenza vaccination and risk for congenital malformations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 126(5): 1075-1084. - Systematic review. \"This systematic review did not indicate an increased risk for congenital anomalies after maternal influenza immunization adding to the evidence base on the safety of influenza vaccination in pregnancy.\"\n\nTamma PD, Ault KA, del Rio C, Steinhoff MC, Halsey NA, & Omer SB. (2009). Safety of influenza vaccination during pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 201(6): 547-552. - Review. \"Inactivated influenza vaccine can be safely and effectively administered during any trimester of pregnancy. No study to date has demonstrated an increased risk of either maternal complications or untoward fetal outcomes associated with inactivated influenza vaccination. In addition, no scientific evidence exists that thimerosal-containing vaccines are a cause of adverse events among children born to women who received influenza vaccine during pregnancy. Immunization of the mother reduces 1 potential source of viral exposure to the infant, and immunization of other family members will decrease other potential sources. Health care workers caring for pregnant females can play a pivotal role in helping to protect women and newborns from this vaccine-preventable disease and should anticipate questions that expecting mothers may have regarding vaccine safety.\"\n\n\nAbzug MJ, Nachman SA, Muresan P, Handelsman E, Watts DH, Fenton T, Heckman B, Petzold E, Weinberg A, & Levin MJ; International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group P1086 Protocol Team. (2013). Safety and immunogenicity of 2009 pH1N1 vaccination in HIV-infected pregnant women. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 56(10): 1488-1497. - Prospective study. \"Two 30-mcg doses were moderately immunogenic in HIV-infected pregnant women. No concerning vaccine-related safety signals were observed. Seroprotection persisted in most women postpartum. Efficient transplacental antibody transfer occurred, but seroprotection in infants waned rapidly. Vaccination to protect HIV-infected pregnant women and their newborns from new influenza strains is feasible, but more immunogenic platforms should be evaluated.\"\n\nBeau AB, Hurault-Delarue C, Vidal S, Guitard C, Vayssière C, Petiot D, Montastruc JL, Damase-Michel C, & Lacroix I. (2014). Pandemic A/H1N1 influenza vaccination during pregnancy: a comparative study using the EFEMERIS database. Vaccine, 32(11): 1254-1258. - Prospective cohort study. \"There was no significant association between adverse pregnancy outcomes and vaccination with a non-adjuvanted A/H1N1 vaccine during pregnancy.\"\n\nBratton KN, Wardle MT, Orenstein WA, & Omer SB. (2015). Maternal influenza immunization and birth outcomes of stillbirth and spontaneous abortion: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 60(5): e11-19. - Systematic review. \"Women in the influenza vaccine group had a lower likelihood of stillbirth (relative risk [RR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], .55–.96); this association was similar when restricted to the H1N1pdm09 vaccine (RR, 0.69; 95% CI, .53–.90). The pooled estimate for spontaneous abortion was not significant (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, .68–1.22). These analyses add to the evidence base for the safety of influenza vaccination in pregnancy.\"\n\nCandela S, Pergolizzi S, Ragni P, Cavuto S, Nobilio L, Di Mario S, Dragosevic V, Groth N, & Magrini N; SaFoH1N1 working group. (2013). An early (3-6 weeks) active surveillance study to assess the safety of pandemic influenza vaccine Focetria in a province of Emilia-Romagna region, Italy - part one. Vaccine, 31(10): 1431-1437. - Prospective surveillance study. \"No cases of clinically relevant AEs, SAEs, or AESI were observed within a six-week period of vaccine administration. In accordance with existing clinical and post-marketing safety data, the results of this active surveillance study demonstrate a good safety profile for the MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 vaccine, Focetria, within the general population.\"\n\nChambers CD, Johnson D, Xu R, Luo Y, Louik C, Mitchell AA, Schatz M, & Jones KL; OTIS Collaborative Research Group. (2013). Risks and safety of pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine in pregnancy: birth defects, spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, and small for gestational age infants. Vaccine, 31(44): 5026-5032. - Prospective cohort study. \"For the 2009-12 influenza seasons combined, we found no meaningful evidence of increased RR or HR for major birth defects, spontaneous abortion, or small for gestational age infants. There was some evidence of an increased HR for preterm delivery following pH1N1-influenza vaccine exposure; however the decrease in gestational age on average was approximately three days.\"\n\nChambers CD, Johnson DL, Xu R, Luo YJ, Louik C, Mitchell AA, Schatz M, & Jones KL; OTIS Collaborative Research Group. (2016). Safety of the 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14 seasonal influenza vaccines in pregnancy: Birth defects, spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, and small for gestational age infants, a study from the cohort arm of VAMPSS. Vaccine, 34(37): 4443-4449- Prospective cohort study. \"Combining the 2010-2014 influenza seasons, we found a moderately elevated RR for major birth defects overall, but no evidence of a specific pattern; 95% CIs included 1, and this finding could be due to chance. In the combined seasons, we found no meaningful evidence of an increased risk for spontaneous abortion or preterm delivery following exposure to the seasonal influenza vaccine.\"\n\nChavant F, Ingrand I, Jonville-Bera AP, Plazanet C, Gras-Champel V, Lagarce L, Zenut M, Disson-Dautriche A, Logerot S, Auffret M, Coubret-Dumas A, Bruel ML, Boyer M, Bos-Thompson MA, Veyrac G, Carlier P, Beyens MN, Lates S, Damase-Michel C, Castot A, Kreft-Jaïs C, & Pérault-Pochat MC. (2013). The PREGVAXGRIP study: a cohort study to assess foetal and neonatal consequences of in utero exposure to vaccination against A(H1N1)v2009 influenza. Drug Safety, 36(6): 455-465. - Prospective cohort study. \"This study suggests that exposure to the A(H1N1)v2009 pandemic influenza vaccine during pregnancy does not increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, because of the relatively small number of women exposed during the first trimester, other studies are needed to exclude an increased risk of malformation.\"\n\nChoe YJ, Cho H, Song KM, Kim JH, Han OP, Kwon YH, Bae GR, Lee HJ, & Lee JK. (2011). Active surveillance of adverse events following immunization against pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in Korea. Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases, 64(4): 297-303. - Survey. \"The non-adjuvanted vaccine was found to be safe for pregnant women, as suggested by other studies (25,26).\"\n\nCleary BJ, Rice Ú, Eogan M, Metwally N, & McAuliffe F. (2014). 2009 A/H1N1 influenza vaccination in pregnancy: uptake and pregnancy outcomes - a historical cohort study. European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, 178: 163-168. - Retrospective cohort study. \"There was no association between vaccination during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Women who were vaccinated were less likely to have a preterm delivery than unvaccinated women.\"\n\nConlin AM, Bukowinski AT, Sevick CJ, DeScisciolo C, & Crum-Cianflone NF. (2013). Safety of the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine among pregnant U.S. military women and their newborns. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 121(3): 511-518. - Retrospective cohort study. \"No adverse pregnancy or newborn health outcomes associated with pandemic H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy were noted among our cohort. These findings should be used to encourage increased vaccine coverage among pregnant women.\"\n\nDeinard AS & Ogburn P Jr. (1981). A/NJ/8/76 influenza vaccination program: effects on maternal health and pregnancy outcome. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 140(3): 240-245. - Prospective case-control study. \"This longitudinal, prospective study demonstrated no association between immunization with InfA/NJ and maternal, perinatal, or infant complications. No teratogenicity was demonstrated, and the two groups of infants did not differ in physical or neurological assessments at birth and at 8 weeks of life.\"\n\nde Vries L, van Hunsel F, Cuppers-Maarschalkerweerd B, van Puijenbroek E, & van Grootheest K. (2014). Adjuvanted A/H1N1 (2009) influenza vaccination during pregnancy: description of a prospective cohort and spontaneously reported pregnancy-related adverse reactions in the Netherlands. Birth Defects Research. Part A, Clinical and Molecular Teratology, 100(10):731-738. - Prospective cohort study. \"Compared with the background rate, no increased risk of spontaneous abortions or congenital malformations was observed. There were three spontaneous abortions among 23 first trimester exposures. In the cohort of 281 pregnancies with known outcomes, three major malformations were observed after exposure at any time during pregnancy. In these cases exposure occurred once periconceptional, and twice in the second trimester. Furthermore, no increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes or neonatal problems were observed. The spontaneously reported pregnancy-related adverse events showed no unexpected pattern.\"\n\nDodds L, Macdonald N, Scott J, Spencer A, Allen VM, & McNeil S. (2012). The association between influenza vaccine in pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 34(8): 714-720. - Prospective cohort study. \"The results of our study showed consistent improvement after maternal influenza vaccination (or a trend towards improvement) in newborn outcomes for all five outcomes analyzed. Newborns whose mother had received the influenza vaccine during pregnancy had significantly lower rates of low birth weight and SGA.\"\n\nFabiani M, Bella A, Rota MC, Clagnan E, Gallo T, D'Amato M, Pezzotti P, Ferrara L, Demicheli V, Martinelli D, Prato R, & Rizzo C. (2015). A/H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccination: a retrospective evaluation of adverse maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes in a cohort of pregnant women in Italy. Vaccine, 33(19): 2240-2247. - Retrospective cohort study. \"We did not observe any statistically significant association between the A/H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccination and different maternal outcomes (hospital admissions for influenza, pneumonia, hypertension, eclampsia, diabetes, thyroid disease, and anaemia), fetal outcomes (fetal death after the 22nd gestational week) and neonatal outcomes (pre-term birth, low birth weight, low 5-min Apgar score, and congenital malformations).\"\n\nFell DB, Sprague AE, Liu N, Yasseen AS 3rd, Wen SW, Smith G, & Walker MC; Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario. (2012). H1N1 influenza vaccination during pregnancy and fetal and neonatal outcomes. American Journal of Public Health, 102(6): e33-40. - Cohort study. \"Our results suggest that second- or third-trimester H1N1 vaccination was associated with improved fetal and neonatal outcomes during the recent pandemic. Our findings need to be confirmed in future studies with designs that can better overcome concerns regarding biased estimates of vaccine efficacy.\"\nFisher BM, Van Bockern J, Hart J, Lynch AM, Winn VD, Gibbs RS, & Weinberg A. (2012). Pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 infection versus vaccination: a cohort study comparing immune responses in pregnancy. PLoS One, 7(3):e33048. - Cohort study. \"Vaccination against pH1N1 confers a similar HAI antibody response as compared to pH1N1 infection during pregnancy, both in quantity and quality. Illness or vaccination during pregnancy confers passive immunity to the newborn.\"\n\nHeikkinen T, Young J, van Beek E, Franke H, Verstraeten T, Weil JG, & Della Cioppa G. (2012). Safety of MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 influenza vaccine in pregnancy: a comparative cohort study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 207(3): 177.e1-8. - Cohort study. \"No maternal deaths or abortions occurred among the vaccinated women. No differences between the vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts were observed for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, stillbirth, low birthweight, neonatal deaths, or congenital malformations. The risk of premature birth was significantly decreased among the vaccinated women (adjusted proportional hazard, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.92). No differences were observed in rates of congenital malformations after vaccination in the first (2.1%), second (2.7%), or third (2.1%) trimesters.\"\n\nHeinonen OP, Shapiro S, Monson RR, Hartz SC, Rosenberg L, & Slone D. (1973). Immunization during pregnancy against poliomyelitis and influenza in relation to childhood malignancy. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2(3): 229-235. - Case-control study. Part of the Collaborative Perinatal Project. Included 2,291 women who were immunized with influenza vaccine while pregnant. \"There was no evidence of an excess of malignancies in children exposed in utero to attenuated live polio vaccine, to influenza vaccine, or to spontaneous viral infections.\"\n\nHoriya M, Hisano M, Iwasaki Y, Hanaoka M, Watanabe N, Ito Y, Kojima J, Sago H, Murashima A, Kato T, & Yamaguchi K. (2011). Efficacy of double vaccination with the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine during pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 118(4): 887-894. - Cohort study. \"The overall incidence of adverse reactions was low, less than 10% for all adverse reactions except for redness, because the vaccine is a split vaccine containing no adjuvant. In participants who received double 2009 H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy, adverse reactions were not markedly augmented or attenuated by the second vaccination. Moreover, early delivery or abortion, malformation, and birth weight were not significantly affected. Nonetheless, the sample size was insufficient to fully evaluate the safety of the vaccine; additional information from larger studies is needed to determine this.\"\n\nHuang WT, Chen WC, Teng HJ, Huang WI, Huang YW, Hsu CW, & Chuang JH. (2011). Adverse events following pandemic A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines in pregnant women--Taiwan, November 2009-August 2010. PLoS One, 6(8): e.23049. - Surveillance study. \"The passive surveillance provided rapid initial assessment of adverse events after 2009 H1N1 vaccination among pregnant women. Its findings were reassuring for the safety of 2009 H1N1 vaccines in pregnancy.\"\n\nIrving SA, Kieke BA, Donahue JG, Mascola MA, Baggs J, DeStefano F, Cheetham TC, Jackson LA, Naleway AL, Glanz JM, Nordin JD, & Belongia EA; Vaccine Safety Datalink. (2013). Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine and spontaneous abortion. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 121(1): 159-165. - Case-control study. \"There was no statistically significant increase in the risk of pregnancy loss in the 4 weeks after seasonal inactivated influenza vaccination.\"\n\nJackson LA, Patel SM, Swamy GK, Frey SE, Creech CB, Munoz FM, Artal R, Keitel WA, Noah DL, Petrie CR, Wolff M, & Edwards KM. (2011). Immunogenicity of an inactivated monovalent 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in pregnant women. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 204(6): 854-863. - Prospective clinical trial. \"Eighteen SAEs were reported for 15 women, and 24 SAEs were reported for 20 infants; all were considered to be unrelated to the vaccine, and the frequency of events was generally balanced across study groups, with 9 of the 15 maternal SAEs and 13 of the 20 infant SAEs reported in the 25-mcg dose group.\"\n\nKällén B & Olausson PO. (2012). Vaccination against H1N1 influenza with Pandemrix(®) during pregnancy and delivery outcome: a Swedish register study. BJOG, 119(13): 1583-1590. - Cohort study. \"A total of 18 612 vaccinated women having 18 844 infants were studied. The risk for stillbirth, preterm birth and low birthweight was lower than in the comparison groups whereas the risk for small for gestational age and a congenital malformation (after vaccination during the first trimester) did not differ from the comparison groups.\"\n\nKharbanda EO, Vazquez-Benitez G, Lipkind H, Naleway A, Lee G, & Nordin JD; Vaccine Safety Datalink Team. (2013). Inactivated influenza vaccine during pregnancy and risks for adverse obstetric events. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 122(3): 659-667. - Cohort study. \"Our cohort included 74,292 vaccinated females matched on age, site, and pregnancy start date with 144,597 unvaccinated females. We did not observe increased risks within 42 days of vaccination for hyperemesis, chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, proteinuria, or urinary tract infection. Using a risk window from vaccination through pregnancy end, we did not observe increased risks after vaccination for proteinuria, urinary tract infection, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia or eclampsia, chorioamnionitis, puerperal infection, venous complications, pulmonary embolism, or peripartum cardiomyopathy.\"\n\nLaunay O, Krivine A, Charlier C, Truster V, Tsatsaris V, Lepercq J, Ville Y, Avenell C, Andrieu T, Rozenberg F, Artiguebielle F, Tréluyer JM, & Goffinet F; Inserm COFLUPREG Study Group. (2012). Low rate of pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza infection and lack of severe complication of vaccination in pregnant women: a prospective cohort study. PLoS One, 7(12): e52303. - Prospective cohort study. \"Despite low vaccine coverage, incidence of pandemic flu was low in this cohort of pregnant women.No effect on pregnancy and delivery outcomes was evidenced after vaccination.\"\n\nLim SH, Lee JH, Kim BC, Jung SU, Park YB, & Lee CS. (2010). Adverse reaction of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus vaccination in pregnant women and its effect on newborns. Vaccine, 28(47): 7455-7456. - Survey. \"This study was focused on the safety of pregnant women who were vaccinated for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus, since very little such studies have been done to the best of our knowledge. In our study, various adverse reactions developed after vaccination, but the symptoms were mild and resolved within several days without requiring any treatment or hospitalization.\"\n\nLin TH, Lin SY, Lin CH, Lin RI, Lin HC, Chiu TH, Cheng PJ, & Lee CN. (2012). AdimFlu-S(®) influenza A (H1N1) vaccine during pregnancy: the Taiwanese Pharmacovigilance Survey. Vaccine, 30(16): 2671-2675. - Retrospective cohort study. \"During the observation period of each cohort, four subjects (2.0%) in the exposed group experienced vaccine-related adverse events that were mild in severity. A total of 17 women (8.6%) in the vaccine exposed group and 40 women (20.2%) in the unexposed group underwent at least one adverse effect during their pregnancy. A total of 72 infants (35.6%) in the exposed group and 101 infants (49%) in the unexposed group had at least one adverse event within 8 weeks after they were born (p < 0.05). The adverse events experienced by the women and their infants were not increased when the vaccine was administered during the first trimester. There were no significant differences between these two groups with regard to preterm delivery rate and stillbirth rate.\"\n\nLouik C, Ahrens K, Kerr S, Pyo J, Chambers C, Jones KL, Schatz M, & Mitchell AA. (2013). Risks and safety of pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine in pregnancy: exposure prevalence, preterm delivery, and specific birth defects. Vaccine, 31(44): 5033-5040. - Prospective cohort study. \"Among women exposed to pH1N1 vaccine, we found a decreased risk for PTD in the 2010-2011 season; risk was increased in 2009-2010, particularly following exposure in the first trimester, though the decrease in gestational length was less than 2 days. For specific major defects, we found no meaningful evidence of increased risk for specific congenital malformations following pH1N1 influenza vaccinations in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons.\"\n\nLouik C, Kerr S, Van Bennekom CM, Chambers C, Jones KL, Schatz M, & Mitchell AA. (2016). Safety of the 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14 seasonal influenza vaccines in pregnancy: Preterm delivery and specific malformations, a study from the case-control arm of VAMPSS. Vaccine, 34(37): 4450-4459. - Prospective case-control study. \"For PTD (1803 fullterm deliveries, 107 PTD for all seasons combined), an elevated adjusted risk was observed for only the 2nd trimester of the 2011-12 season (HR=2.60, 95% CI 1.21, 5.61) - a reduction in gestational length of < 2 days. For the 42 specific defects or categories of defects (2866 cases, 1411 controls for all seasons combined) most adjusted risks were close to 1.0; the highest was 2.38 for omphalocele and the lowest was 0.50 for atrioventricular canal defects. None had lower confidence bounds >1.0. For each season separately, only one elevated OR had a lower 95% CI >1.0: omphalocele in 2011-12 (OR=5.19, 95% CI 1.44, 18.7).\"\n\nLudvigsson JF, Ström P, Lundholm C, Cnattingius S, Ekbom A, Örtqvist Å, Feltelius N, Granath F, & Stephansson O. (2015). Maternal vaccination against H1N1 influenza and offspring mortality: population based cohort study and sibling design. BMJ, 351: h5585. - Prospective, population-based cohort study. \"H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with adverse fetal outcome or offspring mortality, including when familial factors are taken into account.\"\n\nLudvigsson JF, Zugna D, Cnattingius S, Richiardi L, Ekbom A, Örtqvist Å, Persson I, & Stephansson O. (2013). Influenza H1N1 vaccination and adverse pregnancy outcome. European Journal of Epidemiology, 28(7): 579-588. - Retrospective cohort study. \"H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy, using an AS03-adjuvanted vaccine, does not appear to adversely influence offspring risks of LBW, preterm birth, SGA, or low Apgar score. Our results suggest that this vaccine is safe for the offspring when used in different stages of pregnancy.\"\n\nMa F, Zhang L, Jiang R, Zhang J, Wang H, Gao X, Li X, & Liu Y. (2014). Prospective cohort study of the safety of an influenza A(H1N1) vaccine in pregnant Chinese women. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 21(9): 1282-1287. - Prospective cohort study. \"From these results, we conclude that the influenza A(H1N1) vaccine is safe for pregnant women and has no observed adverse effects on fetal growth.\"\n\nMadhi SA, Cutland CL, Kuwanda L, Winberg A, Hugo A, Jones S, Adrian PV, van Niekerk N, Treurnicht F, Ortiz JR, Venter M, Violari A, Neuzil KM, Simões EA, Klugman KP, Nunes MC, & Maternal Flu Trial (Matflu) Team. (2014). Influenza vaccination of pregnant women and protection of their infants. The New England Journal of Medicine, 371(10): 918-931. - Randomized, saline-placebo-controlled trial. \"Injection-site reactions (mainly mild to moderate) were more frequent among IIV3 recipients than among placebo recipients in both cohorts, but there were no other significant differences in solicited reactions between the two study groups in either cohort. Data on serious adverse events in both cohorts, including infant and maternal deaths and hospitalizations, are shown in Tables S11 to S23 in the Supplementary Appendix. There were no significant between-group differences with regard to rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature birth or birth weight in the HIV-uninfected cohort (Table 1, and Table S11 in the Supplementary Appendix) and in the HIV-infected cohort (Table 2).\" Also notes protection against influenza of mothers and their infants versus placebo controls.\n\nMoro PL, Broder K, Zheteyeva Y, Revzina N, Tepper N, Kissin D, Barash F, Arana J, Brantley MD, Ding H, Singleton JA, Walton K, Haber P, Lewis P, Yue X, Destefano F, & Vellozzi C. (2011). Adverse events following administration to pregnant women of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 205(5): 473.e1-9. - Surveillance study. \"Review of reports to VAERS following H1N1 vaccination in pregnant women did not identify any concerning patterns of maternal or fetal outcomes.\"\nMoro PL, Broder K, Zheteyeva Y, Walton K, Rohan P, Sutherland A, Guh A, Haber P, Destefano F, & Vellozzi C. (2011). Adverse events in pregnant women following administration of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine and live attenuated influenza vaccine in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, 1990-2009. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 204(2): 146.e1-7. - Surveillance study. \"No unusual patterns of pregnancy complications or fetal outcomes were observed in the VAERS reports of pregnant women after the administration of TIV or LAIV.\"\n\nMoro PL, Museru OI, Broder K, Cragan J, Zheteyeva Y, Tepper N, Revzina N, Lewis P, Arana J, Barash F, Kissin D, & Vellozzi C. (2013). Safety of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 live attenuated monovalent vaccine in pregnant women. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 122(6):1271-1278. - Retrospective surveillance study. \"Rates of spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, and major birth defects in pregnant women who received live H1N1 vaccine were similar to or lower than published background rates. No concerning patterns of medical conditions in infants were identified.\"\n\nMunoz FM, Greisinger AJ, Wehmanen OA, Mouzoon ME, Hoyle JC, Smith FA, & Glezen WP. (2005). Safety of influenza vaccination during pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 192(4):1098-1106. - Cohort study. \"Among 7183 eligible mother-infant pairs, only 252 pregnant women (3.5%) received the influenza vaccine...No serious adverse events occurred within 42 days of vaccination, and there was no difference between the groups in the outcomes of pregnancy (including cesarean delivery and premature delivery) and infant medical conditions from birth to 6 months of age. CONCLUSION: Influenza vaccine that was administered in the second or third trimester of gestation was safe in this study population.\"\n\nNordin JD, Kharbanda EO, Benitez GV, Nichol K, Lipkind H, Naleway A, Lee GM, Hambidge S, Shi W, & Olsen A. (2013). Maternal safety of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in pregnant women. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 121(3): 519-525. - Retrospective cohort study. \"Receipt of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine during pregnancy was not associated with increased risk of adverse events in the 42 days after vaccination, supporting its safety for the mother.\"\n\nNordin JD, Kharbanda EO, Vazquez-Benitez G, Lipkind H, Lee GM, & Naleway AL. (2014). Monovalent H1N1 influenza vaccine safety in pregnant women, risks for acute adverse events. Vaccine, 32(39): 4985-4992. - Cohort study. \"In this large cohort of pregnant women no acute safety signals were identified within 6 weeks of receipt of MIV.\"\n\nNordin JD, Kharbanda EO, Vazquez Benitez G, Lipkind H, Vellozzi C, & Destefano F; Vaccine Safety Datalink. (2014). Maternal influenza vaccine and risks for preterm or small for gestational age birth. Journal of Pediatrics, 164(5): 1051-1057. - Retrospective cohort study. \"Receipt of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine during pregnancy was not associated with increased or decreased risk of preterm or SGA birth. These findings support the safety of vaccinating pregnant women against influenza during the first, second, and third trimesters, and suggest that a nonspecific protective effect of the influenza vaccine for these outcomes does not exist.\"\n\nOhfuji S, Fukushima W, Deguchi M, Kawabata K, Yoshida H, Hatayama H, Maeda A, & Hirota Y. (2011). Immunogenicity of a monovalent 2009 influenza A (H1N1) vaccine among pregnant women: lowered antibody response by prior seasonal vaccination. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 203(9): 1301-1308. - Prospective cohort study. \"No severe adverse events occurred among pregnant women and their fetuses throughout the study period. One fetal death was reported on the day after vaccination; however, a pathologic diagnosis indicated that the fetal death had occurred >=7 days before the H1N1 vaccination. Therefore, the fetal death was unrelated to the vaccination. Previous studies about the reactogenicity of seasonal influenza vaccine also reported no severe adverse events among fetuses and infants\"\n\nOmer SB, Goodman D, Steinhoff MC, Rochat R, Klugman KP, Stoll BJ, & Ramakrishnan U. (2011). Maternal influenza immunization and reduced likelihood of prematurity and small for gestational age births: a retrospective cohort study. PLoS Medicine, 8(5): e.1000441. - Retrospective cohort study. \"This study demonstrates an association between immunization with the inactivated influenza vaccine during pregnancy and reduced likelihood of prematurity during local, regional, and widespread influenza activity periods. However, no associations were found for the pre-influenza activity period. Moreover, during the period of widespread influenza activity there was an association between maternal receipt of influenza vaccine and reduced likelihood of SGA birth.\"\n\nOmon E, Damase-Michel C, Hurault-Delarue C, Lacroix I, Montastruc JL, Oustric S, & Escourrou B. (2011). Non-adjuvanted 2009 influenza A (H1N1)v vaccine in pregnant women: the results of a French prospective descriptive study. Vaccine, 29(52): 9649-9654. - Prospective cohort study. \"569 pregnant women were monitored until delivery. Compared with the general population, the risks of maternal conditions, malformations and neonatal conditions were not statistically different.\"\n\nOppermann M, Fritzsche J, Weber-Schoendorfer C, Keller-Stanislawski B, Allignol A, Meister R, & Schaefer C. (2012). A(H1N1)v2009: a controlled observational prospective cohort study on vaccine safety in pregnancy. Vaccine, 30(30): 4445-4452. - Prospective cohort study. \"Pregnancy outcome of 323 women immunized with adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted A(H1N1)v2009 influenza vaccines from 2009-09-28 to 2010-03-31 were compared to 1329 control subjects. The risk for spontaneous abortions (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.36-2.19) and the rate of major malformations (all trimesters: OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.38-1.77; preconception and first trimester exposure: OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.13-2.64) did not vary between the two cohorts. Furthermore, there was no increase in preeclampsia, prematurity, and intrauterine growth retardation in the vaccinated cohort.\"\n\nPasternak B, Svanström H, Mølgaard-Nielsen D, Krause TG, Emborg HD, Melbye M, & Hviid A. (2012). Risk of adverse fetal outcomes following administration of a pandemic influenza A(H1N1) vaccine during pregnancy. JAMA, 308(2): 165-174. - Cohort study. \"In this Danish cohort, exposure to an adjuvanted influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 vaccine during pregnancy was not associated with a significantly increased risk of major birth defects, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction.\"\n\nPasternak B, Svanström H, Mølgaard-Nielsen D, Krause TG, Emborg HD, Melbye M, Hviid A. (2012). Vaccination against pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza in pregnancy and risk of fetal death: cohort study in Denmark. BMJ, 344:e2794. - Cohort study. \"This large cohort study found no evidence of an increased risk of fetal death associated with exposure to an adjuvanted pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine during pregnancy.\"\n\nPoehling KA, Szilagyi PG, Staat MA, Snively BM, Payne DC, Bridges CB, Chu SY, Light LS, Prill MM, Finelli L, Griffin MR, & Edwards KM; New Vaccine Surveillance Network. (2011). Impact of maternal immunization on influenza hospitalizations in infants. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 204(6 Suppl 1): S141-148. - Case control study. \"Our results indicate that hospitalized infants whose mothers received influenza vaccine during pregnancy were 45% to 48% less likely to have laboratory-confirmed influenza during their first influenza season compared with infants of unvaccinated mothers. Adding history of influenza-like illness during pregnancy to the analyses had little impact on the odds ratio for having an influenza-positive, hospitalized infant. Given that infants < 6 months of age have the highest hospitalization rate among all children2–6 and that the vaccine is not licensed for that age group,16 these data support that infants born to vaccinated mothers benefit from the transfer of maternally derived antibodies.\"\n\nRegan AK, de Klerk N, Moore HC, Omer SB, Shellam G, & Effler PV. (2016). Effect of maternal influenza vaccination on hospitalization for respiratory infections in newborns: a retrospective cohort study. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. Epub ahead of print. - Retrospective cohort study. \"3,169 infants were maternally vaccinated and 27,859 were unvaccinated; 732 hospitalizations were identified, 528 (69%) of which were for bronchiolitis. There were 21.9 hospitalizations per 100,000 person days among maternally vaccinated infants, and 30.2 hospitalizations per 100,000 person days among unvaccinated infants. Maternally vaccinated infants were 25% less likely to be hospitalized for an acute respiratory illness during influenza season compared with unvaccinated infants (aHR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.56-0.99, p=0.04). Vaccinations administered in the third trimester were associated with a 33% reduction in the risk of newborn hospitalization (aHR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.47-0.95, p=0.03). No such reduction was identified for vaccinations administered earlier in pregnancy.\"\nRegan AK, Moore HC, de Klerk N, Omer SB, Shellam G, Mak DB, & Effler PV. (2016). Seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination during pregnancy and the incidence of stillbirth: population-based retrospective cohort study. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 62(10): 1221-1227. - Retrospective cohort study. \"Mothers who received seasonal TIV during pregnancy were significantly less likely to experience stillbirth compared with unvaccinated mothers. These results support the safety of seasonal influenza immunization during pregnancy and suggest a protective effect.\"\n\nRegan AK, Tracey L, Blyth CC, Mak DB, Richmond PC, Shellam G, Talbot C, & Effler PV. (2015). A prospective cohort study comparing the reactogenicity of trivalent influenza vaccine in pregnant and non-pregnant women. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 15: 61. - Prospective cohort study. \"No other significant differences in reported symptoms were observed. No serious vaccine-associated adverse events were reported, and less than 2% of each group sought medical advice for a reaction. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence suggesting pregnant women are more likely to report adverse events following influenza vaccination when compared to non-pregnant female HCWs of similar age, and in some cases, pregnant women reported significantly fewer adverse events. These results further support the safety of TIV administered in pregnant women.\"\n\nRichards JL, Hansen C, Bredfeldt C, Bednarczyk RA, Steinhoff MC, Adjaye-Gbewonyo D, Ault K, Gallagher M, Orenstein W, Davis RL, & Omer SB. (2013). Neonatal outcomes after antenatal influenza immunization during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic: impact on preterm birth, birth weight, and small for gestational age birth. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 56(9): 1216-1222. - Retrospective cohort study. \"Pregnant women who received H1N1 influenza vaccine were less likely to give birth preterm, and gave birth to heavier infants. The findings support US vaccine policy choices to prioritize pregnant women during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.\"\n\nRopero-Álvarez AM, Whittembury A, Bravo-Alcántara P, Kurtis HJ, Danovaro-Holliday MC, & Velandia-González M. (2015). Events supposedly attributable to vaccination or immunization during pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccination campaigns in Latin America and the Caribbean. Vaccine, 33(1): 187-192. - \"The rate of serious ESAVI reported in LAC (6.91 per million doses) was significantly lower than the rate reported in Europe (38.2 per million doses) and slightly lower than in the United States (8.8 per million doses) and China (7.9 per million doses), where ESAVI notification was also through passive surveillance systems [19], [20] and [21].\"\n\nRubinstein F, Micone P, Bonotti A, Wainer V, Schwarcz A, Augustovski F, Pichon Riviere A, & Karolinski A; EVA Study Research Group Estudio Embarazo y Vacuna Antigripal. (2013). Influenza A/H1N1 MF59 adjuvanted vaccine in pregnant women and adverse perinatal outcomes: multicentre study. BMJ, 346:f393. - Prospective cohort study. \"This study showed that adjuvanted MF59 H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy did not result in an increased risk of adverse maternal or perinatal events in a large sample of women. In fact, vaccination was associated with a lower risk of events, both in the overall study population and in the different subgroups in the sensitivity analysis.\"\n\nSheffield JS, Greer LG, Rogers VL, Roberts SW, Lytle H, McIntire DD, & Wendel GD Jr. (2012). Effect of influenza vaccination in the first trimester of pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 120(3): 532-537. - Retrospective cohort study. \"Neonates born to mothers receiving the vaccine in any trimester did not have an increase in major malformations regardless of trimester of vaccination (2% regardless of vaccination group, P=.9). Stillbirth (0.3% compared with 0.6%, P=.006), neonatal death (0.2% compared with 0.4%, P=.01), and premature delivery (5% compared with 6%, P=.004) were significantly decreased in the vaccinated group.\"\n\nSteinhoff MC, Omer SB, Roy E, El Arifeen S, Raqib R, Dodd C, Breiman RF, & Zaman K. (2012). Neonatal outcomes after influenza immunization during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ, 184(6): 645-653. - Randomized, controlled trial. \"During the period with circulating influenza virus, maternal immunization during pregnancy was associated with a lower proportion of infants who were small for gestational age and an increase in mean birth weight. These data need confirmation but suggest that prevention of influenza infection in pregnancy can influence intrauterine growth.\"\n\nSumaya CV & Gibbs RS. (1979). Immunization of pregnant women with influenza A/New Jersey/76 virus vaccine: reactogenicity and immunogenicity in mother and infant. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 140(2): 141-146. - \"In this study, 56 women received inactivated influenza A/New Jersey/76 virus vaccine during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. No significant immediate reactions or increased fetal complications were associated with administration of the vaccine.\"\n\nTavares F, Nazareth I, Monegal JS, Kolte I, Verstraeten T, & Bauchau V. (2011). Pregnancy and safety outcomes in women vaccinated with an AS03-adjuvanted split virion H1N1 (2009) pandemic influenza vaccine during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study. Vaccine, 29(37): 6358-6365. - Prospective cohort study. \"The adverse events reported were consistent with the events anticipated to be reported by this study population. No adverse events of special interest were reported. The results of this analysis suggest that exposure to the AS03 adjuvanted H1N1 (2009) vaccine during pregnancy does not increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes including spontaneous abortion, congenital anomalies, preterm delivery, low birth weight neonates, or maternal complications. Although limited in size, the fully prospective nature of the safety follow-up of these women vaccinated during pregnancy is unique and offers an important degree of reassurance for the use of the AS03 adjuvanted H1N1 (2009) vaccine in this high risk group for H1N1 infection.\"\n\nThompson MG, Li DK, Shifflett P, Sokolow LZ, Ferber JR, Kurosky S, Bozeman S, Reynolds SB, Odouli R, Henninger ML, Kauffman TL, Avalos LA, Ball S, Williams JL, Irving SA, Shay DK, & Naleway AL; Pregnancy and Influenza Project Workgroup. (2014). Effectiveness of seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine for preventing influenza virus illness among pregnant women: a population-based case-control study during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 influenza seasons. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 58(4):449-457. - Case-control study. \"Influenza vaccination reduced the risk of ARI associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza among pregnant women by about one-half, similar to VE observed among all adults during these seasons.\"\n\nToback SL, Beigi R, Tennis P, Sifakis F, Calingaert B, & Ambrose CS. (2012). Maternal outcomes among pregnant women receiving live attenuated influenza vaccine. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 6(1): 44-51. - Cohort study. \"In this cohort, there was no evidence of significant maternal adverse outcomes after receipt of LAIV. These data may offer some reassurance to providers and pregnant women in the event of inadvertent LAIV administration, but do not support the routine use of LAIV in pregnant women.\"\n\nTrotta F, Da Cas R, Spila Alegiani S, Gramegna M, Venegoni M, Zocchetti C, & Traversa G. (2014). Evaluation of safety of A/H1N1 pandemic vaccination during pregnancy: cohort study. BMJ, 348. - Cohort study. \"No increased risk of either fetal or birth outcomes was seen following vaccination, whereas a limited increase in the prevalence of gestational diabetes and eclampsia was observed.\"\n\nWortman AC, Casey BM, McIntire DD, & Sheffield JS. (2015). Association of influenza vaccination on decreased stillbirth rate. American Journal of Perinatology, 32(6): 571-576 - Retrospective cohort study. \"During the study period, 8,690 pregnant women received the seasonal influenza vaccine antepartum and delivered at our institution. Thirty of these births were complicated by stillbirth as compared with 436 stillbirths in the 76,153 women not vaccinated (0.35 vs. 0.57%, p = 0.006). No association was identified between assigned causes of stillbirth when comparing vaccinated and nonvaccinated women.\"\n\nYeager DP, Toy EC, & Baker B 3rd. (1999). Influenza vaccination in pregnancy. American Journal of Perinatology, 16(6): 283-286. - \"A total of 448 eligible pregnant women were offered the influenza vaccine at routine prenatal visits. Vaccinated women were interviewed at their subsequent visit regarding adverse effects and attitudes toward future vaccination. Of the 448 women studied, 319 (71.2%) accepted the vaccine. There was no difference in acceptance rates between English- and Spanish-speaking women. Mild adverse reactions were experienced by 5.3%...The influenza vaccine is readily accepted by pregnant women, and is infrequently associated with mild side effects.\"\n\nZaman K, Roy E, Arifeen SE, Rahman M, Raqib R, Wilson E, Omer S, Shahid N, Breiman RF, & Steinhoff MC. (2008). Effectiveness of maternal influenza immunization in mothers and infants. The New England Journal of Medicine, 359(15): 1555-1564. - Randomized controlled trial. \"A total of 340 women in the third trimester of pregnancy who met the inclusion criteria agreed to participate in the study. The mothers and infants in the two study groups were similar in both demographic and other characteristics (Table 1). Minor local and systemic side effects that occurred during the first 7 days after immunization were similar in the two groups of mothers except for local pain, which was more frequent among the mothers who received pneumococcal vaccine. The difference in the rate of severe adverse events between the two groups was not significant (for details, see the Supplementary Appendix).\"\n\nRisks of Influenza During Pregnancy\n\nCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Maternal and infant outcomes among severely ill pregnant and postpartum women with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1)--United States, April 2009-August 2010. MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60(35): 1193-1196. - Case review. \"This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which found that, among 347 severely ill pregnant women, 75 died from 2009 H1N1, and 272 were admitted to an intensive-care unit (ICU) and survived. Women who survived received antiviral treatment sooner after symptom onset than women who died. Pregnant women with severe influenza who delivered during their influenza hospitalization were more likely to deliver preterm and low birth weight infants than those in the general U.S. population; infants born after their mother's influenza hospitalization discharge were more likely to be small for gestational age.\"\n\nGruslin A, Steben M, Halperin S, Money DM, Yudin MH, Boucher M, Cormier B, Ogilvie G, Paquet C, Steenbeek A, Van Eyk N, van Schalkwyk J, & Wong T. (2009). Immunization in pregnancy. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 30(12):1149-1154. - Review of literature. \"Pregnancy is associated with significant cardiovascular and respiratory demands, as evidenced by increases in stroke volume, heart rate, and oxygen consumption. This is high-lighted in a 1998 study, which reported that the need for hospitalization was four times greater in pregnant than non-pregnant women with influenza...Pregnant women should be offered the influenza vaccine when pregnant during the influenza season.\" Also notes that maternal antibodies to influenza vaccine are passed on to the child following birth, thus protecting the infant until their immune system is more developed.\n\nMacDonald NE, McNeil S, Allen VM, Scott J, & Dodds L. (2004). Influenza vaccine programs and pregnancy: a need for more evidence. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 26(11):961-963 - Commentary. \"This commentary provides an overview of maternal morbidity in pandemic and nonpandemic influenza seasons as well as a list of research questions whose answers are needed for evidence-based public health policy in this area.\" Includes a brief discussion of schizophrenia risk in infants of mothers who were infected with influenza during the first trimester.\n\nRothberg MB, Haessler SD, & Brown RB. (2008). Complications of viral influenza. American Journal of Medicine, 121(4):258-264. - \"Other groups at risk for influenza complications include those who are pregnant or immune suppressed. Compared with non-pregnant women, both high and low-risk pregnant women—especially during the third trimester—have more cardio-pulmonary events during influenza season...Psychiatric complications after influenza infection are considered controversial. Several studies note increased rates of schizophrenia in offspring of women who developed influenza during the second trimester of pregnancy, implying fetal developmental brain abnormalities. This was especially related to the influenza epidemic of 1957 but has been associated with other influenza seasons.\n\n\n 1. enjoy the read, all those studies are based on ridiculously small samples, and as for the latest out of Western Australia, by an Annette Regan, the whole paper is totally fraud. I suggest you begin talking to pathologists, and not pharma reps.\n\n 1. Angela,\n\n Thank you for your comment. That study was an interesting read. It supports the safety of influenza vaccination during pregnancy, as well as agreeing that maternal and postnatal benefits exist. The only thing it calls into question is fetal benefits. However, it does not conclude that the fetal benefits seen do not exist, only that the magnitude of such benefits is unlikely to be as large as reported.\n\n Given that the primary point of the post was to illustrate that influenza vaccine has been studied in pregnant women and found to be safe, I am left wondering: what point were you trying to make?\n\n 2. I think the point of Angela's posted study was that it somewhat invalidates most studies that demonstrate that the influenza vaccine is beneficial for pregnant women.\n\n The study title \"Detectable Risks in Studies of the Fetal Benefits of Maternal Influenza Vaccination\", makes an interesting point, that the influenza attack rate ranges from 5% -20% on any given year, that vaccine uptake is not close to 100%, and the influenza vaccine varies in effectiveness each and every year, ranging from 10-60%, depending on how well the match is (\n\n So if a study is looking at the relationship between whether someone had been vaccinated or not, whether they were infected with influenza or not, and the rate of an adverse effect (in this case it would be pre-term delivery), the study questions how significant the vaccine effect truly was at preventing a person from being infected by the flu, and therefore, the significance of the vaccine effect for a specific pregnancy outcome.\n\n If the attack rate was 20%, vaccine coverage around 40% for adults (, and effectiveness to be, let's be generous and say 50%, then for any given cohort (depending on how it was sampled), the likelihood for a person to be vaccinated, exposed to the flu virus, and for the vaccine-induced immunity to stop it, would have been 20% x 40% x 50% = 4% (apologies if my math is wrong here).\n\n If the effect is so little, then I would suspect that current studies would require much LARGER sample sizes in order to determine any conclusive and significant positive or negative effects\n\n 3. This comment has been removed by the author.\n\n\nSpam comments will be deleted.\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9492682218551636} {"content": "From the age of 6 years old, Aoi Seiren started studying under Hiroyuki Nakajima, focusing on the artistic aspect of Japanese calligraphy. From 2013 and onwards, she has become an independent calligrapher artist, providing growth and a mysterious strength to particular Japanese words and the language itself. Just with a brush, Aoi depicts words and phrases with her feelings and thoughts, adding unique flavors and expressions as calligraphy art. Calligraphy art invokes the traditional concept of calligraphy, expressing oneself while diligently using its tools, techniques, and creative painting style. As she masters the use of various colourful inks, Aoi’s work, known as “Shodou” is reaching a worldwide audience sharing one of Japan’s oldest cultural arts. While she expands outside of Japan and within, Aoi actively continues to perform both collaboratively with other various artists, and independently.\n\n2016.12 Aoi Seiren Exhibition, Beauty Fashion Labo, New York\n\n2016.11 Japanese fan art Instructor, Japan Society, New York\n\n2016.9~11 Ink painting instructor, J-Collabo, New York\n\n2016. 9 Visiting instructor, PI art center, New York\n\n2015.7 HandMade In Japan Festival, Tokyo\n\n2015.3 Art Fair Tokyo\n\n2014.12 Live drawing at St. Juliano, Tokyo \n\n\n2014.9 Projection Mapping at, Tokyo\n\n2014.9 Live drawing at Ringo Festival, Nagano\n\n2014.8 Live drawing at YAKUMO111, Tokyo \n\n2014.5 Live street drawing in NYC\n\n2014.4 Collaboration live performance with medicinal cooking expert of Accel-inn, Tokyo\n\n2014.4 Live drawing at Accel-inn, Tokyo\n\n2014.3 Exhibition at Accel-inn, Tokyo\n\n2013.10 Exhibition at Ikkyoan (registered cultural property), Tokyo. \n\nInterviewed for magazine “Sumi (the Geijutsu-Shinbunsha, Tokyo)”\n\nAddress: 300 7th street Brooklyn, New York 11215\nTel: 347-987-3217\nOpen daily from 11am to 7pm\n4 minute walk from 4th Ave-9th St Station\n4 minute walk from 9th St Station\n2 minute walk from 5th ave/7th St Station", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7264099717140198} {"content": "Aphorism: Narcissistic Personality Disorder\n\nNarcissistic personality disorder… According to DSM measures, it is the disorder of people who believe themselves to be very important, who exaggerate their own successes and abilities, who have dreams of unlimited power, intelligence and beauty, who believe that they are unequalled and could only be understood by other special and superior persons, who want to be admired and believe they should always be granted privileges, who use their relationship with other people to their own advantage and utilize the weaknesses of others in order to reach their goal, who are unable to feel empathy, unwilling to recognize and define emotions and needs of others, who most of the time are envious of others or believe that others are envious of him, who have an impertinent and conceited attitude.\n\nNarcissistic personality disorder\n\n\n\nSecrets… It is a complicated subject. It is difficult to keep secrets, and just as dangerous to disclose them. Would I be wrong if I said “Secrets are your weakest point”? Have you ever committed a crime?.. It becomes a secret…\n\nBorderline personality disorder\n\n\nBody dysmorphic disorder\n\nPersons suffering from body dysmorphic disorder have a subjective believe that a feature of their body is ugly, although that feature may be normal or close to normal.\n\nWhat is psychotherapy, when is it used?\n\nProf. Dr. Kemal Arıkan, (reference was made of Mayo Clinic’s related article)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8672873377799988} {"content": "Fifth Grade Music: Lesson 3 - Unison and Harmony\n\nFifth graders sing the syllables and pitches of the C major scale, and sing Do - Re - Mi in two-part harmony. They discuss the definition for round and canon, and contrast gamelan music of the Spice Islands with reggae from Jamaica.\n\n19 Views 10 Downloads\n\nClassroom Considerations\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9929322600364685} {"content": "About Mind5\n\n\nWhat is Mind5®?\n\nMind5® is a scale-up based in the Netherlands and operating across the globe. With our unique M.E.T.H.O.D.© we help people to understand and implement the principles of behavioral change. Within our online Optimal Performance Leader program, changemakers learn how to effectively achieve their goals using the principles of stress and energy management, teamwork, focus, flow, and long term performance. \n\nThe Ideas Behind Mind5®\n\nThe Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.© was developed by Roelien Piron, drawing on her experience of corporate life, elite sport, and the world of social-scientific research. \nDuring her corporate career, she noticed that people made terrible mistakes due to the stress which comes with change - even the most experienced leaders. This is also the case in high level sports, something she recognised while participating in the Dutch national freestyle ski and ultimate frisbee teams.\nThis is why Mind5® combines mental and physical exercises. This combination allows participants to experience how change and stress influence decision making, so that reflection and development can occur.\nOnce the connection between behavioral change, stress, and self-awareness had been made, the Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.© was perfected with the input of experts in the fields of: psychology, sociology, neuroscience, education, learning & development, elite sports and leadership studies.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9916837215423584} {"content": "Why sports is essential in mental training\nWritten by Roelien Piron, July 2019\nDid you know sports isn't just for health benefits on body and mind? It also improves strategical thinking. At Mind5® sports is a crucial part of the Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.©, That is why people like psychologists, psychotherapist and educationalist are so eager to learn from Mind5®. But why exactly do we use sports in our training?\n\nThere's lots of research that supports the mental effects of sports.\n\nThe health benefits of sports might seem obvious, but they shouldn’t be underestimated. \n\nEvidence shows that regular sport can lead to lower rates of mortality and positively influences several of our body’s systems – including the cardiovascular system, our metabolic pathways, the immune system, and so on. These sorts of benefits are just one reason why we believe sport is so important to our method.\n\nAs well as improving health, sports can make you smarter as it has a significant cognitive influence. For example, it can improve memory and motivation, among other things.\n\nResearch done by Stanford University has shown that walking improves the creative output of participants by 60 percent compared to participants who did not walk. This is because exercise uses certain parts of the brain which are also needed for us to be able to think in strategic ways.\n\nIn a similar study by John Ratey, the effects of sports on a group of difficult students were measured. It showed that when the troubled group of boys did sports in the mornings, their absences from school decreased.\n\nJohn Ratey concluded that: “The evidence seems clear that moving, exercising, playing for about 20-30 minutes on a daily basis, is the best way to make us smarter.\n\n\n\n\nBut there's more...\n\nAt Mind5® sports is a crucial part of the Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.©.\n\nThere are three main reasons why we use sports or physical activity.\n1. First, it helps us to get out of our minds. When we play sports, we are in the present moment and the present moment is the only place where you can really learn something.\n\n2. Sports also has some great health benefits, both mentally and physically AND it also makes things lighter. It’s easier to use sports as a metaphor when you talk about fear, goals, assertiveness, and communication than when you are talking to a psychologist, therapist, manager or colleague.\n\nBut maybe the most important reasons out of the three is to use sports to simulate situations.\nNo alt text provided for this image.\n\n3. Sport is a great way to simulate stress and to train bodily and interoceptive awareness. When you experience stress you can feel it in your body.\n\nWith Mind5® Training we pay attention to the unconscious mind to help people understand how they respond under pressure, which patterns they have and which beliefs are preventing them from achieving their goals.\nAbout Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.©.\n\nWe help people to thrive under pressure by providing mental and physical training courses which help to improve self-awareness and self-management.\n\nParticipants experience how they respond under pressure and find out how stress influences their mental and physical well-being.\n\nThe Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.© is developed by our Founder Roelien Luijt from The Netherlands.\n\nM = Manage Stress, Pressure and Crisis Situations\n\nE = Energy Management\n\nT = Team Work\n\nH = Hold Focus\n\nO = Optimal Performance\n\nD = Development & Reflection\n\nThe Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.© is a practice-based program, based on theories from several scientific disciplines such as sports and social psychology, sociology, neuroscience, leadership studies, human movement sciences, and sports coaching.\n\nAre you interested in using The Mind5® M.E.T.H.O.D.© as a coach, trainer, teacher or manager?\n\nFind out more about Mind5® at our website https://www.mind5training.com\n\nAll our texts and images are copyrighted by Mind5®. You are not allowed to share or use (parts of) our texts or pictures without our permission. \nRoelien Piron\nWe use sports programs to train you to deal with pressure, stress and crisis situations. Moreover, we teach you how to release and reduce chronic stress.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6176141500473022} {"content": "At the edge of a quantum gas\n\nJQI physicists observe skipping orbits in the quantum Hall regime\n\n\nGoing beyond their pioneering experiments in 2009 (the creation of “artificial magnetism”), the team has created a model system in which electrically neutral atoms are coaxed into performing just as electrons arrayed in a two-dimensional sheet do when they are exposed to a strong magnetic field.\n\nThe scientists then showed for the first time that it is possible to tune the model system such that the atoms (acting as electron surrogates) replicate the signature “edge state” behavior of real electrons in the quantum Hall effect (QHE), a phenomenon which forms the basis for the international standard of electrical resistance.* The researchers report their work in the 25 September issue of the journal Science.\n\n“This whole line of research enables experiments in which charge-neutral particles behave as if they were charged particles in a magnetic field,” said JQI Fellow Ian Spielman, who heads the research team at NIST’s Physical Measurement Laboratory.\n\n“To deepen our understanding of many-body physics or condensed-matter-like physics – where the electron has charge and many important phenomena depend on that charge – we explore experimental systems in which the components have no electrical charge, but act in ways that are functionally equivalent and can be described by the same equations,” Spielman said.\n\nSuch quantum simulators are increasingly important, as electronic components and related devices shrink to the point where their operation grows increasingly dependent on quantum-mechanical effects, and as researchers struggle to understand the fundamental physics of how charges travel through atomic lattices in superconductors or in materials of interest for eventual quantum information processing.\n\nQuantum effects are extremely difficult to investigate at the fundamental level in conventional materials. Not only is it hard to control the numerous variables involved, but there are inevitably defects and irregularities in even carefully prepared experimental samples. Quantum simulators, however, offer precise control of system variables and yield insights into the performance of real materials as well as revealing new kinds of interacting quantum-mechanical systems.\n\n“What we want to do is to realize systems that cannot be realized in a condensed-matter setting,” Spielman said. “There are potentially really interesting, many-body physical systems that can’t be deployed in other settings.”\n\nTo do so, the scientists created a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC, in which ultracold atoms join in a single uniform, low-energy quantum state) of a few hundred thousand rubidium atoms and used two intersecting lasers to arrange the atoms into a lattice pattern.\n\nThen a second pair of lasers, each set to a slightly different wavelength, was trained on the lattice, creating \"artificial magnetism\" — that is, causing the electrically neutral atoms to mimic negatively charged electrons in a real applied magnetic field.\n\nDepending on the tuning of the laser beams, the atoms were placed in one of three different quantum states representing electrons that were either in the middle of, or at opposite edges of, a two-dimensional lattice.\n\nBy adjusting the properties of the laser beams, the team produced dynamics characteristic of real materials exhibiting the QHE. Specifically, as would be expected of electrons, atoms in the bulk interior of the lattice behaved like insulators. But those at the lattice edges exhibited a distinctive \"skipping\"motion.\n\nIn a real QHE system, each individual electron responds to an applied magnetic field by revolving in a circular (cyclotron) orbit. In atoms near the center of the material, electrons complete their orbits uninterrupted. That blocks conduction in the system’s interior, making it a “bulk insulator.”\n\nBut at the edges of a QHE system, the electrons can only complete part of an orbit before hitting the edge (which acts like a hard wall) and reflecting off. This causes electrons to skip along the edges, carrying current.\n\nRemarkably, the simulation's electrically neutral rubidium atoms behaved in exactly the same way: localized edge states formed in the atomic lattice and atoms skipped along the edge. Moreover, the researchers showed that by tuning the laser beams – that is, modifying the artificial magnetic field – they could precisely control whether the largest concentration of atoms was on one edge, the opposite edge, or in the center of the lattice.\n\n“Generating these sorts of dynamical effects was beyond our abilities back in 2009, when we published our first paper on artificial magnetism,” Spielman said. “The field strength turned out to be too weak. In the new work, we were able to approach the high-field limit, which greatly expands the range of effects that are possible to engineer new kinds of interactions relevant to condensed-matter physics.”\n\n* The Hall effect occurs when a current traveling in a two-dimensional plane moves through a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the plane. As electrons interact with the field, each begins to revolve in a circular (cyclotron) orbit. That collective motion causes them to migrate and cluster on one edge of the plane, creating a concentration of negative charge. As a result, a voltage forms across the conductor, with an associated resistance from edge to edge.\n\nMuch closer, detailed examination reveals the quantum Hall effect (QHE): The resistance is exactly quantized across the plane; that is, it occurs only at specific discrete allowed values which are known to extreme precision. That precision makes QHE the international standard for resistance.\n\nAn additional distinctive property of QHE systems is that they are “bulk insulators” that allow current to travel only along their edges.\n\nJoint Quantum Institute\n\n#QuantumMechanics #Semiconductors\n\n\n\n\nRice lab's bright idea is pure gold\n\nDecoding material wear with supercomputers\n\nLight from inside the tunnel\n\nWearable-tech glove translates sign language into speech in real time\n\nHow to store data using 2D materials instead of silicon chips?\n\nBuilding a harder diamond\n\nClinical-grade wearables offer continuous monitoring for COVID-19", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9610328674316406} {"content": "Artists' Meet\n\n2nd June 2017\n\nMeeting to practice, discuss, draw, paint, learn, get enriched with other artists' experitise, knowledge and skill.\n\nThis is a meet and sketch, draw and paint by like minded creative people from across the world\n\n\nSharing ideas, techniques, practicing arts in different forms, coming out with new ideas on how to spread art, lecture and demonstrations by different artists.\n\n26th May 2017\n\nThe Subject\n\n© 2018 The Palette Art Training and Consultancy\n\nThink Art. Think Palette.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9998883008956909} {"content": "HIST 376\n\nCuba and the Cuban Diaspora\n\nThis course is centered on the common historical heritage between the island of Cuba and its diasporic populations. Dating back to the birth of the Cuban independence movement, exile, migration, and displacement have been nearly permanent conditions of Cuban history. This course argues that there is not only a history of Cuba but a history Cubas that have played out in Florida, New York, Spain, Mexico, and a variety of other locations as diasporic communities have worked to shape both the Cuban republic and their adopted communities. This course looks at the interplay between events on the island and events in diasporic communities as a way of showing the profound and constant linkages between them. Along the way, the course explores how race, sexuality, citizenship, gender, culture, and a variety of other factors have shaped this shared history.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8179898262023926} {"content": "Coronavirus has put a stop to the normal routines of people all around the globe. If you are making plans to move to another state, choosing long distance movers to help could save you from the stress of the process.\n\nSocial distancing is the only way to stay safe during this pandemic. Those people who don’t have to move during the pandemic can and should wait it out but there are some people who don’t have this choice and therefore must make a move. For those who have to move even in this pandemic there are few tips that people should follow while moving out.\n\nUse Fresh Packaging Boxes\n\nIn the past people used to reuse grocery boxes to save their money. This is not a good idea during this pandemic.\n\nNow you can acquire the services of long-distance movers to move the entire home from one state to another without any risk or damage to your belongings.\n\nAccording to research conducted in New York it was discovered that the virus can live on cardboard boxes for 24 hours. So, if you are moving from one place to another it is recommended that you use new boxes to pack your things. Hiring long distance movers is easier than hiring a truck and loading your belongings yourself. It could be a lot of work for you to do alone, so save yourself some time and make a contract with a moving company. If you share the dates with the company, it will be their responsibility to make all the arrangements necessary to make the move successful without any potential risk or potential damage to your belongings.\n\nChoosing a Professional Moving Company to Move\n\nIf you are moving from one place to another state it is very important to hire a professional mover. Always ask them about the safety precautions they are taking to ensure a safe journey during this pandemic. Ask them questions about the safety precautions they are taking and make them understand your safety. Ask them if they are following any specific safety measures and if there is any specific thing that you should be doing during your move.\n\nChoosing a Moving Method that Decreases Contact\n\nIn this pandemic if possible, choose a moving method that minimizes the contact between you and other people. Moving into your own car can be a good option. Using storage pods to transfer your things from one place to another also minimizes your contact with others. If you hire professional movers practice social distancing as much you can.\n\nAvoid Handshakes and Greet People With a Smile\n\nDuring your move if you hire people to transfer things then greet the people with a smile and avoid handshaking. It is safer to avoid hand shaking as the virus is more easily transmitted by contact.\n\nPractice Social Distancing and Stand at a Six-Foot Distance\n\nWhen you are transferring your belongings than practice social distancing with the drivers and workers that are loading and unloading things. Avoid helping them and let them do it. Keep the children away from people and maintain a distance of six feet between you and the workers.\n\nFollow CDC Recommended Protocol to Control the Spread of Disease\n\nThere are a few protocols that you should follow in order to avoid the spread of disease. Wear masks, avoid touching your face, limit sharing your food with others, wash your hands regularly, and disinfect surfaces. Avoid going to crowded places. Stay at home. Don’t move if you are sick and isolate yourself from the other members of the family. Sanitize your hands at regular intervals and don’t go outside. Follow these instructions in order to avoid the spread of disease.\n\nProvide Sanitizing Materials for Move-In Day\n\nYou should be sure to provide enough sanitizing materials and protective equipment to all the people that are involved in your move. It is better if you have access to a sink and a soap but if these things are not available then try to have plenty of hand sanitizers, masks, and gloves.\n\nDisinfect the Place Before You Unpack Your Material\n\nFirst clean and disinfect the furniture properly before packing and then sanitize everything including furniture and belongings as you unpack your materials properly. Contact a cleaning agency if you have questions regarding the recycling of boxes and other materials. Stay safe and keep yourself clean.\n\nAuthor's Bio: \n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9237414598464966} {"content": "Unbiased Report Exposes the Unanswered Questions on Displacement Chemistry\n\nUnbiased Report Exposes the Unanswered Questions on Displacement Chemistry\n\nAs stated by the studies, very low patient dissatisfaction was reported because of the change in consistency in contrast to the other testis. In other instances, they may admit they do use drugs or alcohol, but will claim this substance abuse is no problem.\n\nI work in the internet industry since 10 decades. Education is the authentic long-term cure about the issue. The group having the most points wins the game.\n\nMass is a measure of the amount of matter. Anna and Bill saw many compounds that may be chemically separated in their component elements. Displacement happens when the Id wishes to do something of which the Super ego doesn’t permit. essay writer The principal product within this circumstance is R-Nuc.\n\nHowever, to create this approach isn’t strictly followed and there are a lot of intermediate actions to acquire the last item. Both of these mechanisms differ in the stereochemistry of the merchandise. To finish a single-displacement reaction, we need to go through a few actions to ensure our products and our final reaction are correct. But, so as to predict the particular products of any of those reactions, you will need some more info. It is called photophoshphorylation. Now look at another example.\n\nIntroducing Displacement Chemistry\n\nCompounds are substances composed of more than 1 element. This page will center on the non-sequential mechanism, which is also referred to as the ping-pong” mechanism. http://www.colegio-njesus.es/ You will find out more about acids on later pages within this unit. That is because of the high reactivity of sodium. Development of scrotum in the event of undescended testis might not have completed.\n\nThe One Thing to Do for Displacement Chemistry\n\nThere are frequently many methods to describe something similar in chemistry. Whenever someone hurts us, we would like to lash out. As soon as they get the correct answer, they earn a point and decide on another card. This target may choose the type of a man or even an object.\n\nNaturally there are other possible explanations. In such scapegoating, aggression could be displaced onto people with minimal or no connection with what it is that’s causing anger. Anxiety functions as a signal to the ego that things aren’t going the way that they should. Most things are mixtures of some type.\n\nAt the close of the class, the teacher can highlight or have students highlight all the principal points while the diagrams continue to be intact. Now you wind up with a new dance partner. However, since this lab activity demonstrates, they’ve very https://expert-writers.net/dissertation-proposal limited comprehension of the abstraction that’s a balanced complete ionic equation.\n\nDead Sea is all about 30% salt. Hydrogen appears the very same in this manner, so when combined in the perfect proportions and below the proper conditions of pressure and temperature, ammonia is generated, according to the subsequent reaction. If you’re taking anti-inflammatory drugs or taking aspirin daily, you’ll need to add iron. Such reactions require the accession of energy in the shape of heat or light. Exercise caution when employing a heat supply.\n\nBrass is a mix of copper and zinc atoms. You are able to observe a wave travel farther down the rope, but the rope itself isn’t traveling together with the wave. The metallic sculpture have a special color and texture. It can promote the absorption of iron. Think about the copper pipe at the building site, for example.\n\nThis field is known as reaction dynamics. Many psychoanalysts also have added further varieties of ego defenses. It is crucial to not forget that defense mechanisms can be both positive and negative. Check with your teacher on how to cope with multiple charge cations.\n\nWe can predict the consequence of a displacement reaction by taking a look at the reactivity collection. Besides slow and quick reactions, there’s another category called moderate reactions. Let’s go right ahead and learn about the many types of reactions. It is also called metathesis. Inside this lesson, we’ll discuss one of the main sorts of chemical reactions, called a double displacement reaction. Chemical reactions are highly dependent upon the essence of the substances involved and the external ailments. An elementary reaction involves a number of molecules, usually one or two, on account of the very low probability for many molecules to meet at a specific moment. The reaction in an extremely general way can be observed below, but it is very important to understand that behind it there are many reactions and mechanisms to make this possible. Apply their understanding of solubility rules to the result of a chemical reaction.\n\nThe Lost Secret of Displacement Chemistry\n\nAs they play with the manipulatives at every bench there are many Ah-Hah! When the reaction is complete and there’s no more CuSO4 present in the solution, it is going to appear completely colorless. Unfortunately, there was not any way for the king to show this, which is the reason why he went to Archimedes. Even though they have various patents, they use almost the exact principle. This good product is an insoluble ionic compound known as a precipitate. It’s always important to predict the goods of the chemical reaction correctly and make certain the final chemical equation is balanced.\n\nA liquid differs from a solid since it does not have any fixed form. Iron is alloyed with a little quantity of carbon steel, which isn’t easily demagnetized after magnetization. Non-Sequential mechanism doesn’t require both substrates to bind before releasing the very first item. If it’s a gas, it is going to appear as bubbles. If that’s the case, then it’s a mixture.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9862805604934692} {"content": "A Tribute to Black History Month\n\nBy Geoph Beard\n\nPresented by Early Jackson at the 9 and 11am services at Wave Church in honor of Black History Month.\n\nBlack History Month has a very rich tradition. It is celebrated in America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and unofficially in Ireland. But here in the United States we have a unique tradition that stands out from other nations. In order to properly understand the true value of purposefully taking the time to celebrate, and how the “why” has evolved over the century it’s important to first look at its roots.\n\nDescription: C:\\Users\\geoph.beard.MAIN\\Downloads\\IMG_0588.JPG\n\nBlack History month was created in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, an American Historian, author and journalist.\n\nDescription: E:\\Church Stuff\\Black History MOnth Photos\\thumbnail.jpg\n\nFebruary was chosen, not because it’s the shortest month of the year, but because both Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas were born in February. These two men were widely credited with leading the charge to end the institution of slavery in America. At the time, African Americans were facing tremendous persecution particularly in the South. \n\nDescription: E:\\Church Stuff\\Black History MOnth Photos\\IMG_0593.JPG\n\nMany moved to northern cities like Detroit and Chicago, however the persecution was different, but in many cases just as severe. \n\nCarter Woodson’s justification for pushing what is historically known as “Negro History Week” was to prevent the eradication of the black race. He is quoted saying, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated…The Hebrew keenly appreciated the value of tradition, as is attested by the bible itself. In spite of worldwide persecution, therefore, he is a great factor in our civilization.” \n\nOver the course of time the historical week was adopted by more and more states, and by 1976 it had evolved into what we now know as “Black History Month” and widely observed and celebrated across the country. \n\nAdditionally, Black History Month is set aside to honor the unique contributions of African Americans to our society and the broader global community: From science, to engineering, to business, technology, and mathematics, to the halls of universities and colleges, civil discourse in the political arena, to sports, the arts, space, our military, entertainment, faith communities as well as civil rights.\n\nDescription: cid:58e33ece-886f-437e-bc1f-3e952b35b33b@namprd10.prod.outlook.com\n\nOver the course of time many laws have been repealed and others created in order to legislate a more equal America. However the systematic suppression of blacks has had lasting consequences and while laws can be changed by a majority vote and the stroke of a pen, people’s minds have taken more time. \n\nFor example, in the 1950s the Supreme Court ruled that separate but equal schools were inherently unequal, and were therefore unconstitutional. This ruling led to what is known in Virginia as “massive resistance” whereby the elected governor of Virginia chose to shut down many schools in Virginia, 6 of which are in the City of Norfolk, to keep them from being integrated by black Americans. The group known as the “Norfolk 17” are the first blacks to attend “white” high schools in Norfolk. Many of them are still alive today. They still tell the story of how they were heckled, abused, thrown down stairs etc. by their white peers. They bravely fought not only for themselves, but for generations to come, enduring the “torture” because they believed that if “we don’t do this now while we have the opportunity, it’ll never happen.” \n\nAt the same time middle and elementary schools across the state were also being integrated. The first African American to integrate Norfolk elementary schools currently teaches in one of them. \n\nAs late as the 1960’s a Virginia couple was sentenced to a year in prison just for getting married, while the Supreme Court ruled their conviction unconstitutional, states like Georgia still had laws banning interracial marriage on the books as late as the year 2000. \n\nIn 1967 just down the street a little girl was expelled from a local day care because it was discovered that she was bi-racial. \n\nThese are just a small sampling of some of the challenges that still exist in our society to this day. \n\nWe continue to celebrate Black history month not because we are still concerned that Black Americans are facing extermination, but because those stories that I just told illustrate that while we as a nation have come a long way, there is still ground to cover, and the consequences of our past will not be alleviated by default, but by design. And by us as a society purposefully taking the time to study, observe and celebrate black history.\n\nThe church has played in the past and continues to play a role in speaking to these issues not simply from the stage (MLKJR and the civil rights movement was birthed out of the church), but through actions and building relationships and bridges that overcome the divides that so easily separate us, based upon race and culture. We as the church are uniquely positioned to share the unbiased, pure gospel of Jesus Christ before whom we will all stand as equals. This is why we celebrate Black History…OUR HISTORY.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7779609560966492} {"content": "Το προϊόν προστέθηκε στο καλάθι σας!\n\nΜπορείτε να συνεχίστε τις αγορές σας ή να δείτε την παραγγελία σας.\n\nGreat Moments in Greek Archaeology\n\nThis beautifully illustrated book offers an overview of the greatest archaeological sites and discoveries from ancient Greece. The contributors -a veritable who's who of the most venerable names in Creek archaeology- include both those who have excavated at the sites in question and scholars who have spent a lifetime studying the monuments about which they write. Presented here are the legendary sites of ancient Greece, including the Athenian Acropolis, Olympia, Delphi, Schliemann's Mycenae, and the Athenian Agora; the most iconic sculptures in the Greek world, such as the Aphrodite of Melos and the Nike of Samothrace; and several fascinating chapters on underwater archaeology that discuss the Kyrenia and Uluburun shipwrecks and the astonishing bronze masterpieces raised from the sea. This is the first book to bring together the archaeological legacy of ancient Greece in a concise and accessible way while still preserving the excitement of discovery.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9998878836631775} {"content": "Q&A: How Accelerating Expansion Affects Red Shift\n\nQuestion: I’ve been hearing about how the expansion of the Universe is speeding up because of something called “dark energy”. But that doesn’t make sense to me. Here’s my reasoning:\n1. The most distant galaxies are traveling away from us the fastest, and\n2. the farther into space we look, the farther back in time we’re seeing, so\n3. the galaxies were traveling away from us faster in the past, t\n4. the expansion of the universe must be slowing down.\nWhat am I missing here. Does it have to do with the expansion of space itself? — Julian Fox, UK\n\nAnswer: If distant galaxies are receding faster than nearby galaxies, and if we see the distant galaxies as they were in the past, then yes, the expansion of the Universe must be slowing down — to a first approximation. And yes, the answer has everything to do with the expansion of space.\n\nCosmologists estimate the accelerating expansion began around 4–5 billion years ago. At least that’s what initial data from Type 1a supernovae suggests. The graphic shows a plot of “size vs. age” for the Universe. There’s a horizontal inflection point where the deceleration became acceleration, but we don’t yet know if the radius was momentarily constant during that transition. Acceleration may have started while the Universe was still expanding.\n\nWhatever the transition details, because of the initial rapid expansion, the radius of the Universe can be greater than its age multiplied by the speed of light. This is a key feature of current cosmological models.\n\nFor example, as of this writing the most distant galaxy observed is known as GN-z11. Based on its measured redshift of z = 11.09 its distance is around 32 G-ly (32 billion light years), but we see it as it was 13.4 G-yr ago (13.4 billion years).\n\n13.4 G-yr is what’s called the light travel time from GN-z11. 32 G-ly is what’s known as the metric radial distance. This implies the light arriving now from GN-z11 traveled with a speed of:\n\nv = d/t = 32 G-ly / 13.4 G-yr = 2.4c.\n\nThat’s 2.4 times “normal” light speed: c = 1 ly/yr (one light year per year). Clearly an absurd result.\n\nThe discrepancy arises because when the light now arriving from GN-z11 was emitted, GN-z11 was only 2.7 G-ly from Earth. The Universe has expanded by a factor of 12.1 since that light was emitted. By correcting for the expansion factor we can resolve this apparent contradiction.\n\nBecause empty space (with the galaxies embedded) can expand faster than the speed of light, we need to distinguish between metric radial distance (as measured by redshift), and distance inferred from light travel time. This distinction doesn’t apply to the 80 known galaxies in our Local Group like, say, Andromeda. Local Group galaxies are gravitational bound to each other, and so are comoving with the Milky Way. Their metric radial distance is (nearly) equal to the light travel time distance. Andromeda is 2.5 M-ly distant, and we see it as it was 2.5 M-yr ago. Not so with GN-z11.\n\nAt this point in cosmic evolution the accelerated expansion hasn’t been happening long enough to make much of a difference in what we see when we peer into deep space. The change in the expansion curve began gradually and is still in its early stage. If accelerated expansion continues, there will come a time when all distant galaxies (beyond our Local Group) will be redshifted out of view. But the farthest of them will still be moving the fastest.\n\nNext Week in Sky Lights ⇒ What Causes High and Low Pressure Systems\n\nQ&A: Meteor Impacts on the Moon\nWhat Causes High and Low Pressure Systems", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9772689342498779} {"content": "Depth Conversion: Why we need it\n\nDepth conversion and seismic inversion can take a very long time and it takes a great deal of precise measuring to get it exactly right. Depth conversion is used when measuring the depth of the earth’s surface and how easy it would be to excavate. This is typically used when needing to drill far down, this is usually used in the oil and gas industry. Depth of the earth’s surfaced is measured by using time and soundwaves. This is done by seeing how long it takes for a sound to travel from its source to reflectors and then when bounced back how long it takes for the receivers along the ground to pick it up.\n\nUsing this information you can measure the depth of the surface, however, this alone will not give you an accurate reading and it can even be impossible due to the varying nature of the rocks that form the earth. A rocks velocity can distort the depth and shape of a surface, and can eliminate areas which you may have once thought were a possibility.\n\nRock velocity is very important when it comes to judging how easy or hard it is to drill and it is determined by how fast or slow a rock is. The slower the rock the more porous it is and easier to drill. Using a geological hammer the speed of a rock can be determined. Fast rocks go “ding” and slow rocks “thud” or “squelch”.\n\nThere is no single methodology when it comes to depth conversion though and all cases differ. Since seismic and geologic control varies in quantity and quality with each project, an effective depth conversion approach must be used. Depth conversion may also need to take into consideration the area’s history and other poorly positioned wells before jumping right in and drilling.\n\nMany geoscientists and oil and gas industry experts use software that specialises in depth conversion and seismic inversion, to achieve quick and effective results with techniques that determine relative impedance and absolute acoustic impedance from seismic data.\n\nPetrel and IHS Kingdom are two of the most common software’s that are used in depth conversion but you may want to think about getting Equipoise Softwares Velit plug in which has added functionality, improves workflow, and is much more efficient with a reduced margin for error. This software produces a slicker workflow experience and is head and shoulders above its competition. Velit even makes the most complicated data easy to transform into real and working best case models without any added frustration and over complication. The software is regularly updated, so as soon as there is something new to hit the market you will be the first ones to take the full benefit of it. They are continually future proofing your depth conversion experience so that you can get data that is as accurate as possible.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7924185991287231} {"content": "Knytt Nicklas Nygren / Nifflas' Games 2006\n\nLittle Knytt is playing outside when he is suddenly abducted by a UFO. It collides with a meteorite and crash lands on an unknown planet. In this freeware platformer, Knytt has to explore the world and collect items needed to repair the ship. There are many creatures, items and events in the background, but most of them cannot be interacted with. Knytt can jump, wall jump and climb straight walls, with no means of attack. An additional key shows a shining beam of light directed to a nearby item and there is another one to show the items collected so far. The entire game is a single level with different backgrounds for each screen, from underground depths to platform jumping in the clouds. Each screen has tiny details such as small creatures, a building, lights or plants. There are a few creatures that can be dangerous and when nearby Knytt will glow red. White tiles can be used to save progress. The general gameplay focuses on platform and jumping puzzles, while keeping a sense of navigation for the large game world. There are a few secrets and unlockables in the game, certain locations where Knytt can walk through walls and two hidden power-ups that increase jumping height and speed. Music and sound effects conjure an eerie ambiance, and the general atmosphere reminds of Seiklus and Fumito Ueda's game design.\nFree Game v1.02 / Brutally Unfair Knytt v1.01 18MB/20MB (uploaded by Official Site)\n 1 2 \n 1 2 \n\n News Legends World Forum FAQ", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7475636005401611} {"content": "Category Archives: parapsychology\n\n\nQuestion: The incidents reported by those who practiced the exercises of telepathy mostly pertaining to meetings with noble spirits and visiting the holy places. Few have also reported about their encounters with extraterrestrial creatures. But no one has reported meetings with Satan or evil spirits. Although these are also the creatures that belong to unseen realm. Kindly explain this for the benefit of the students.\nAnswer: Normally there are two different approaches regarding the learning of any science including telepathy, which is no exception to this. One is termed as divine and other is the evil approach. If the knowledge is learnt with constructive and positive intentions then it becomes a divine power. If the knowledge is acquired with destructive and negative designs then certainly it is evil. Construction and creativity are acts of divinity and the destruction and evilness are the demoniac acts. In fact, there are two types of groups of people. One with a constructive approach and the other with the destructive approach. Thinking approaches of both are different and opposite to each other. The words used to activate these two types of thinking approaches are also different. The occult sciences when they are learnt with destructive intentions and ambitions are called sorcery. The words practiced in their evil arts and witchcraft are like ‘Deevah’ and ‘Kaliwah’ These are presenutic words used by the people of the righteous group, up to the times of Noah were equivalent to the word Allah and Illalah. After Noah the words ‘Deevah’ and ‘Kaliwah’ were declared as repealed and the words ‘MM and ‘Tamkhiyah’ were introduced. The people of the righteous approaches adopted the change but the people with the destructive approaches refused to acknowledge the change and the repealed words were adopted by the sorcerers. Then many centuries before Abraham the words Allah and Illallah were declared to be the words of the righteous people and the ‘Tamkhah’ and ‘Tamkhiyah’ were repealed and since then these are the declared words for the people of right approaches. But the sorcerers and witches adopted these revoked words to practice their evil deeds by activating their destructive thinking.\nIn the Holy Quran the two different approaches of the knowledge have been defmed in the story of Moses. When Moses visited Pharaoh as the messenger of the Divinity. Pharaoh considering the miracles of Moses as acts of magic and sorcery declared him a wizard and invited him to contest against the magicians of the country. The day was set and both the parties were made to face each other. On the one side there were Moses and Aaron and on the other the big magicians of the country. The magicians threw their ropes and sticks which transformed into snakes and dragons. To match their demoniac activities Moses, according to the Elohistic inspiration, put his staff on the ground and it took the shape of a dragon and consumed all the magic snakes.\nHere the most interesting thing is to note that when the magicians threw their ropes and sticks they were transformed into snakes and when Moses put down his staff that too converted into a dragon. Then what was the difference in the act of Moses and the magicians. The main difference was that the snakes and dragons produced by the magician\nwere swallowed up by one of M0598i TtW po^r of tfi? Knowledge of Moses had outclassed the Knowledge of the sorcerers and they acknowledged it spontaneously.\nThe contest, as reported in the holy book between Moses and the sorcerers, is an elaborate explanation of the knowledge of divinity and that of necromancy. The sorcerers were trying to please their god for the material benefits whereas Moses was doing it to please his Lord not for any material gains. The mission of Moses was to please God and to serve mankind. His constructive approach enabled him to overpower the demoniacal knowledge of the sorcerers. His knowledge was a source of cognition of the Lord creator. All the prophetic knowledge is divine and ultimately leads towards the Creator of the worlds.\nWe are required to seek earnestly the knowledge of the prophets contained in the holy books and should avoid the knowledge based on sorcery and evilness for the simplest of all the reasons that the former is more powerful and more dominating than the others. Any knowledge based on selfishness and motivated for destructive purposes neither benefits the person learning it nor is of any use to his fellow beings. The knowledge based on the teachings of the prophets is the knowledge which not only benefits the learner but is useful in serving the fellow beings. Man who does not indulge in any destructive activities enjoys the divine power and ultimately raises above the level of the animal life to finally cognize the divine and ultimate reality.\nAll that we have presented in this book is in accordance with the approach and thinking pattern of prophets and their disciple auliyas since before experiencing the reported incidents a constructive pattern had taken its shape in the minds of the students of telepathy therefore all that was observed was according to that pattern. Had this knowledge been acquired with\nan evil approach it would have become sorcery instead of spirituality. From Abraham to Moses and from Christ to Muhammad (PBUH), it had been the teachings of all the prophets that man should be saved from evil forces and should cognize himself after acquainting himself with the divine forces, because the Divine force and right thinking approach is construction whereas the evil powers and sorcery is another name for destruction, brutality, cruelty and inflicting miseries on mankind.\n\n\n\nCuring Cancer Telepathically\n\n\n\nBreathing Exercise\nInhale through your left nostril for 10 seconds. Hold your breath for 30 seconds after closing left nostril with small finger of the right hand.\nAfter 30 seconds remove the thumb from the right nostril and exhale through it for 10 seconds. Now inhale through the same nostril for 10 seconds and hold your breath for 30 seconds by closing it with the thumb. Exhale through left nostril for 10 seconds after removing the small finger. This makes it one cycle. This exercise is to be done 5 cycles early in the morning and 10 cycles in the evening before going to bed. This exercise would yield the best results if it is done on empty stomach in an open airy place.\nAll those students who are practicing these exercises are advised to have their dinner early in the evening. There must be a gap of at least three hours between the dinner and the exercise i.e. the exercises should be done three hours after taking the meal.\nAfter this exercise of breathing sit in a relaxing posture for Muraqbah. Blind-fold your eyes with black downy cloth in such a manner that eyeballs should remain under a constant but mild pressure. The cloth is not to ^ hurting the eyes. Just a slight pressure barring the movement of the eyeballs is required, Now imagine that the brain of left hand side is rotating anti-clock-wise.\nDuring this exercise it usually happens that one starts moving his body along. See to it that head should not be moving during this exercise. This exercise is to be practiced once in the morning after breathing exercise in the morning and once at night each time for at least fifteen minutes.\nBesides doing this exercise select a person with a purged mind having close intimacy with you. Get fifty cubes of soft wood like that of dices prepared. After painting these cubes with blue color get Nos.l to 50 written on the sides of these cubes. Each dice is to bear only one digit on all six sides, i.e. one dices is to have digit 1 on all its six sides and the other is to have digit 2 and so on the fiftieth dice is to have 50 written on all its sides.\nDivide these dices amongst yourself i.e. each one is to have 25 dices each.\nSit across a table with a partition of hardboard or wood between you so that you should not be seen by the other partner. Both to have a note-book and pen each at hand.\nNow one of you is to think about a number in his mind and to suggest it mentally to the other to throw dice bearing the same. The number thought is to be noted in the note-book. The other partner would attempt to perceive the suggested number and would throw the dice bearing the number perceived and would note this number in his note-book. Now the other partner would suggest a number telepathically and the other would attempt to perceive the suggestion and throw the dice of the perceived number.\nThus turn by turn both would throw the 25 dices each and then they would compare the notes to ascertain that how much they were guided by their minds, i.e. how many dices were thrown according to the suggestions given and perceived.\nThis exercise is to be done two times in 24 hours for duration of fifteen minutes. And it is to be continued till the rate of accuracy in throwing the suggested dices reaches 75% i.e. 19 dices out of 25 are thrown according to the telepathically suggested numbers.\n\n\n\nK.N. Karachi:\n\nI started performing Muraqbah as usual. I successfully envisioned that there is a bright point shining like a star at my navel. Suddenly this point moved and started rotating anti-clockwise. It could be exemplified with a burning condescent stick rotated by children. The only difference was that from the burning candescent stick sparks fall whereas from this point rays were emitting and these scattering rays were encircling the world. \nThen it transpired that every creature existing on earth has similar bright point and the rays of one point are inter-changing with the similar points of every other creature, with further absorption in Muraqbah my mind was able to see that rays from the bright points of other creatures are absorbing into the point of my navel.”\n“Then this bright point started growing bigger and bigger finally it converted into a T.V. like screen. The reflection of the existents started appearing on it. Initially\nit was very dim but gradually it became so clear that I saw all the scenes of nature just as if I was watching a movie film.”\n“I was so lost in this delightful observation that I became oblivious of my own existence. I found the bright point of a tree is inviting my attention and then that tree started talking to me. It told me about its genus and ancestors who had grown billions of years ago. Then the sparkling point of a mountain began to converse with me, It informed me that it was also bom and grew like other creatures. The only difference is that for them time and space do not have the same values as these have for otherCfCatUrflS. Their growth rate is very slow. If a tree matures in five years for them maturity conies in thousands of years, when 1 inquired about the reason. It stated that their breathing rate is different. Their one breath takes fifteen minutes anil for this reason their growth takes so long.”\nName withheld on request, Lahore:\nPracticed the exercise of sixth lesson after mid-night. I witnessed mat I am an encasing shell made of glass. In this encasing six bright bulbs are fixed. One of the bulbs which was the most bright is fixed at my navel. It had countless thin wires each one tied with one creature of the universe. It seemed that this bulb was the hand of the puppeteer. When these strings move, various creatures appear before our eyes. I felt frightened to see an animal resembling a mongoose. This was so huge that it appeared to be a mountain at first sight. There were many large elephants wandering on earth. This frightening animal swallowed one elephant before my eyes just as a fish is caught and swallowed by crocodile, It was such an awesome scene that I couldn’t continue with my Muraqbah.”\nN. Akhtar from Sargodha writes:\n“I have been doing the exercise of sixth lesson for the last forty days. During first ten days\nnothing could be sighted. I felt my head very heavy. Pressure was on the left side of the head. With splitting headache. When the pain grew intolerable I according to your instructions started taking fruit juice after sweetening them with sugar three times a day.”\n“One day in that painful condition I unintentionally went to a park where I sat near a pool and was staring into space when a light flashed in my mird. It was so bright that my eyes were dazzled and I saw with open eyes that a whole beam of light rays, like those of sunrays, is flowing from my navel point. It created quite a scene for me when I directed fishes of the pond with this intention that all the fish should appear on the surface of the pond. The fish did accordingly and came to the surface. Then I desired that half of them should remain on the surface and half should go down. This was also obeyed and acted upon by the fish. Then I directed those rays towards a rose flower wishing it to turn white. The petals of the flower did grow white. But to my grief the flower wilted and withered away.”\nWarning: All the students of metaphysical sciences should refrain from doing anything destructive. Directing the fishes to come on the surface and changing the color of rose are indicative of destructiveness.\nThe metaphysical sciences are taught so that one could serve mankind and the creatures of Allah after equipping oneself with the latent potentialities of his inner self.\nWe have faith and believe that Allah, the Almighty has created everything in a constructive way. And to form the same pattern of constructive thinking approach we have suggested these lessons which are in strict concordance with the spirituality testified by the Book of Allah and by so many messengers of God.\nNobody having a destructive mind is allowed to make use of this book because the destructive deeds would be harmful for him only.\n\n\n\nIt has been made elaborately clear in the previous chapters and lessons that man, in fact, is light. This light or the current has been named as wave by the scientists. According to them all the sentiments, emotions and the urges responsible for maintenance of life are, in\nfact, compounded combinations of waves.\nThe spiritual scientists have divided these waves into two groups. Simple waves and compound waves. The compound wave is responsible for maintaining the material body. This wave creates elements generally known as Fire, Water, Earth and Air. This wave confines man in time and space. In this state everything becomes a veil for him so much so that even a thin paper can hinder his vision like a drawn veil on his eyes. It is the nature of this wave that it observes everything on a screen.\nMan constructs house for his safety. He himself erects walls and installs door in these walls. He considers himself safe when the doors are closed. If closely observed and noticed we would conclude that this action in itself is a state of incarceration and confinement. That is, man has declared a confined life as safe. He has incarcerated himself in his own invented and devised things. The urges of comfort and luxury are also indicative of confined abilities.\nWhereas contrary to this the simple wave likes the life liberated from confined senses. The very first movement of this wave releases us from the clutches of spatio-temporal restrictions. No veil or screen can hinder this wave. It is fully aware of the supreme heights of heaven and the derogatory position of the earth. This wave not only enjoys the knowledge of the Signs of Allah, the most Exalted, spread on earth but has the honor of meeting the angels and conversing with them\nWe remain alive between these two waves, two lights or two circles. Whichever circle or wave\nbecomes predominating we experience the states corresponding to it.\nThese two circles are, in fact, two generators having countless wires through which the current is supplied to our whole nervous systems continuously.\nThe First generator is situated at our navel point. This is actually a sort of sub-station having its feeding from the second generator i.e. the simple waves.\nJust as for learning counting we have to acquaint ourselves with number one. Similarly for learning the knowledge of transference of thoughts we have to have knowledge about the compound wave i.e. the first generator.\nFor knowing how the first generator works, the following exercise is suggested.\nBreathing Exercise\nInhale through your left nostril for 5 seconds. Hold your breath for 15 seconds after closing left nostril with the small finger of the right hand.\nAfter 15 seconds remove the thumb from the right nostril and exhale through it for 5 seconds. Now inhale through the same nostril for 5 seconds and hold your breath for 15 seconds closing it with the thumb. Exhale through left nostril for 5 seconds after removing the small finger. This makes it one cycle. Complete 15 cycles.\nTimings: This exercise is also done once in the morning and once in the evening before going to bed. This exercise would yield the best results if it is done on an empty stomach in an open and airy place.\nNote: All those students who are practicing these exercises are advised to have their dinner early in the evening. There must be a gap of at least three hours between the dinner and the exercise, i.e. the exercise should be done three hours after taking the meal.\nAfter the breathing exercise perform the following Muraqbah, You have to imagine in this Muraqbah that there is a bright radiating point at your navel point. Rays are emitting from it and arc absorbing in the surrounding. Beasts and birds, men and animals, east and west, north and south, earth and sky, everything existing in our surroundings is absorbing the rays emitted from this bright point. This Muraqbah is to be done for fifteen minutes at the least.\nSpecial Instructions\nAspiring students of telepathy are once again cautioned that no one should start these exercises from the middle- It is essential to take up the first exercise first. It is also necessary that these exercises should be practiced under the supervision and guidance of an expert spiritualist and master of occult sciences. And his instructions should be followed to the letter.\n\n\n\nTake an 18″ X 18″ piece of shining white rexine leather and fix it on a hard board of wood, ply or\nthick card of same sue with the help of small nails in such a manner that no wrinkle should be left there on the rexine. Exactly in the center of this fixed-on-board rexine draw two concentric circles. One with a radius of one inch and the other with a radius of six inches. Now paint the area between the lines of these two circles with shining dark black color. (It would be better if enamelpuint of black color could be u^cd), This would give you a black circle of five inches thickness leaving a small circle of one inch radius in the center.\n6″ Inch\nThis board is to be placed at a distance of four feet at such an adequate height where the white circle becomes parallel to your sight when you are sitting in front of it, the board is to be erected vertically and there must not be any slant in it.\nAfter preparing this arrangement, before starting with the exercise of circle-gazing do the breathing exercise as follows.\nInhale through your left nostril for 10 seconds. Hold your breath for 5 seconds after closing left nostril with the small finger of the right hand.\nAfter 5 seconds remove the thumb from the right nostril and exhale through it for 10 seconds. Now inhale through the same nostril for 10 seconds and hold your breath for 5 seconds by closing it with the thumb. Exhale through left nostril for 10 seconds after removing the small finger. This makes it one cycle. Complete 10 such cycles. This exercise is also to be done once in the morning and once in the evening before going to bed. This exercise would yield the best results if it is done on an empty stomach in an open and airy\nAfter this breathing exercise Practice for 10 to 15 minutes the exercise of gazing at the prepared circle.\nInitially you may have a sensation of irritation in your eyes and they may water blurring your vision but you are not to blink your eyes when you are doing this exercise. You have to keep your neck aligned with your back bone which is also to be kept straight. Till acquiring perfection and proficiency in this CAcrcisc if your eyes are blinked don’t bother much and continue with your exercise. Don’t force yourself too much in controlling the blinking of eyes. You shall steadily acquire an unblinking-gaze with the passage of time.\nAfter this exercise you have to perform the following:\nIn this Muraqbah you have to imagine with closed eyes that there is a Jar of glass. The things existing on the earth are depicted and designed on the inner surface of the jar in the form of impressions.\nNote! The exercise or circle-gazing is to be done only once in twenty four hours at night. The Muraqbah of Jar is to be done twice. Once early in the morning before sunrise and once late in the night before going to bed.\nCare should be exercised that circle gazing is to be done in enough light and the light should be falling directly on the board from behind you. It should never be done that the light is thrown on the board by means of a table lamp specially arranged for this purpose.\nThe Muraqbah is anyhow to be performed in darkness as usual.\n\n\nShahcen from Kohat writes:\nQuestion: The experiences of students of telepathy are sufficient to prove and consolidate the\nRelation of this knowledge with reality but when the ratio of success is taken into consideration it creates suspicion that this is only an artifice of imaginations of the students, that is, when one autosuggest concentrative that this is to be sighted and felt then the same is envisioned would you like to tell us something in this regard?\n\nAnswer: As far as the imaginative power is concerned no one can deny this fact that the whole life is a convoluted network of thoughts. His divine Grace Qalander Baba Auliya in his remarkable book “Loh-o-Qalam” has termed the creation made from this network as Aura (Nasma) and has said that jinni are created from simple Aura and man and the world of man is the resulting outcome of compounded Aura. This thing has been defined by him by drawing a sketch in that book.\nThe waves that give us life are responsible for the production of all demands of life. When the inbuilt antenna of our brain receives these waves they arc displayed in shape of thoughts and emotions. Transmission of thoughts is the life. Considering the thoughts and imaginative power as something ineffective and useless is nothing but ignorance of the highest order.\nLet us perform an experiment. Lie down on your bed comfortably and let your body relax. Now concentratively focus your attention on this thought that your feet are getting warm. Then let this imagination occur to you that waves are falling continuously on your head and are discharging through your feet after leaving their warmth behind to warm your feet. The moment your attention will be focused undistractedly on this thought you will be surprised to note that your feet actually start getting warm and persistence of this thought would take you to that point where you will be feeling that the heat is becoming unbearable for the soles of your feet.\nThe same experiment can be done by imagining cold wave. The concentration of thoughts would make your feet so cold that it would be felt as if your feet have been chilled with ice.\nThe act of over looking or dismissing the idea of acknowledging the metaphysical sciences by saying that these are all the resulting product of imaginations and the imaginative power, in fact, amounts to an escape from reality. And this is the approach of those who do not possess the initiatives and driving force to work.\nWhat are our emotions, feelings, sensations and urges of life like certitude, sacrifice, hatred, grudge, hunger, and thirst after all?\nThese are all changing forms of thoughts initially perceived in the form of an imagination. If we are not informed by our mind about appetite as a thought of eating something we shall never be able to pay attention to food.\nThis whole universe is a concordant and harmonious film of thoughts and imaginations.\nQuestion: Can the abilities and faculties mentioned in telepathy and other metaphysical sciences be acquired by any one who is desirous of equipping oneself with these faculties or this knowledge is particular for only those who enjoy some special capabilities and extra-ordinary power of mind?\nAnswer: When we happen to hear about a person who can converse telepathically with people residing at far-off distances, can hypnotize somehow, can cure a sick person merely by the touch of his hand, can walk through solid brick walls or can read the mind, it spontaneously comes to our mind that some supernatural abilities have been endowed to that person. Similar is the case with those enigmatic and perplexing phenomena for which the human Intellect cannot find any befitting solution. For instance, the demonstration of healing powers through praying for someone or foretelling the future by interpretation of dreams.\nCountless laws of nature are operative in this universe of ours. Only a few of them are known to us so far and many of them are still mysteries to us, because of our improper approach towards them. Any phenomenon which is based on laws about which our knowledge is imperfect is readily pronounced as supernatural only because of our ignorance about the laws operative behind such phenomenon.\nPsychologically and physiologically man is the most complex and intricate of all the creatures of the universe. Sometimes the activities demonstrated by him appear to be so strange and mysterious that they could very easily be termed as supernatural activities. This invites our considered deliberation as to what these supernatural abilities are and how we can put them to our use after harnessing them according to our will and wish. Contemplation in this regard leads us to conclude that nothing can be above and beyond the range of the laws of nature therefore, for those who manage to have the cognition of the laws of nature the word supernatural is merely an indication of the level of our comprehension of nature and the understanding of its laws. Every phenomenon of nature whether it is on the ordinary level or at the preternatural level is the manifestation of one or the other law of nature. Nothing could rise above the laws of nature.\nAfter settling on this point that nothing is preternatural in this universe and every thing is manifested according to certain laws we have to consider how we can have a developed cognition of these laws and how the abilities like foreseeing, foretelling, clairvoyance, reading of minds, etc. could be put to use. It would be interesting to note that every one of us is\nendowed with these qualities and we can leam the use of latent abilities of mind and soul through certain exercises. Practice can enable us to activate the latent potentialities and we can leam to cure and heal the sick by transferring our healthy thoughts to them. If we are desirous of learning the use of any of those faculties which are ordinarily called the supernatural, we are only required to seek the guidance of teachers versed with the science of these potentialities. Teachers of these sciences tell us that all these abilities, in fact, belong to the Soul and not to the physical mind or the body of man. Therefore, they teach us that how can we have access to the undiscovered potentialities of Ae soul. But before prescribing any exercise they prefer to edify the moral character and the mental capabilities of the one who wants to leam the use of these abilities.\nIt is to be remembered that the character of a person plays a key role in one’s advancement in any field. If one has a strong moral character oAe’s success can be easily guaranteed. Before taking any decision about learning any of these sciences, one ought to check whether he is steadfast enough to withstand the difficulties and that how does he intend to use the sought abilities, i.e. he wants to use them for constructive and positive purposes or not. Nature bestows extraordinary powers and abilities only upon those who know their proper use. If one does not possess a strong moral character, he can very easily indulge in misuse of such powers. Any one who acquires ability of an extraordinary nature and does not use it for the benefit of mankind, he is prone to start abusing it in a manner which is against humanity. Therefore, it must be kept in mind that whosoever intends to follow the metaphysical sciences should endure and have the determination to improve his personal well-being and to help others by using the abilities bestowed upon him.\n\n\n\nIftikhar Najmi from Shadhra reports\n18th OCT:\n19th OCT:\n20th OCT:\n21st OCT:\n23rd OCT:\n5th NOV:\nof mercury light were discharging.”\n9th NOV:\n\nDoor Opens\nSyed Asghar Ali from Glasgow reports:\n6th NOV:\n\nThe Last Pool\nAnwar Awan from Rawalpindi reports:\n3rd MAY:\n6th MAY-\n2nd JUNE:\n5th JUNE;\n6th JUNE:\n\nThe Tomb of Data Gunj Bukhsh\nA Student…….(name withheld on request).\n30th APRIL:\nFlame of Fire\nImran Kaleem\n10th JAN:\n19th FEB:\n20th FEB:\n\nThe Inner eye\nRaja Mohammad Najmi, Lahore:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJan Mohammad from Karachi writes:\nI would like to have the answers to a few questions of mine, in the light of the Holy Quran. I understand that answers to these questions will throw light on those aspects of spiritualism which had remained unexplored and people having similar questions will also benefit from\nyour reply.\nIf we could relay our thoughts and can receive the thoughts of others, as it is claimed in telepathy, then why is it not used in investigations of crimes and detection of criminals to catch the culprits by reading their minds?\nSecond question is that if by performing Muraqbah when the inner sight could be activated then why can’t we find that why and when the pyramids of Egypt were constructed and how were such heavy stones carried there for their building?\nAnswer: Before we dwell on the answer to this question, it would be more appropriate to see how many types of knowledge is available for study. If all the arts and sciences taught and studied in the world are examined we can classify them into three main categories.\nPhysical sciences; Psychological sciences, and Para-psychological sciences.\nAll the deeds and action that are performed and studied in a limited sphere and are related with matter and the material world only are classified as physical sciences, or to say, all the sciences that remain confirmed in the material shell and focused only for matter and the material world are the physical sciences.\nPsychology is that knowledge which is operative at the sub-level or the background of the physical phenomena. This knowledge is composed of the study of thoughts, imaginations, concepts and sentiments. When the thoughts keep on transferring smoothly to the sphere\nof physical realm, man remains a symbol of healthy thoughts and if some obstruction or breakage takes place in the flow of this chain of thoughts one becomes a psychological patient and the physical realm encircles the thoughts of such person.\nPara-psychology is the name of that basis of the knowledge which could very rightly be called the actual source of information. Technically it is that agency which is operative in background of the unconscious.\nNow, this could be said that the whole body of the man’s knowledge is composed of three circles; conscious, unconscious and the ultra-unconscious. When we happen to come in contact with any phenomenal existence we have to cross these three circles, that is, first of all we receive information about something then imagination constructs its features and then that thing is finally displayed before our eyes as a manifested item. To explain this thing we can say that when we ponder about various manifestations of the cosmos we conclude that the information or the thought is the common factor in every existent. For instance, every man, animal, plant and inanimate thing considers water as water and treats it as water. No one takes it for anything else. Similarly the fire is fire for every creature and just as man tries\nto avoid the burning from fire every other creature like goat, birds, beasts and insects also try to avoid the fire alike. If one likes the sweet things the other may not be in agreement with him and might be in favor of salty things but both will be calling the salt as salt and sugar as sugar, No one will mistake the salt for sugar.\nNow this also is a fact that on the one hand man has semblance of thoughts and imaginations and on the other he has the divine right of ascribing meanings of his choice to the thoughts perceived. This right of ascribing meaning to the perceived thoughts is that action which either renders someone liable of reward or punishment. Action of fire, for instance, is to bum. When it is used for the welfare of people; in cooking food etc. it is considered as a virtuous act. And, if this fire is used for some destructive purpose; for putting the houses of the people on fire then it is an evil and punishable act.\nAccording to the spiritualist, transference of thoughts amongst creatures is the life. We recognize and acknowledge the existence of the other creatures only because the thoughts associated with other persons are transferring to us. If the thoughts of Tom are not displayed on the screen of Dick’s mind, Dick will never be able to identify and recognize Tom. Similarly, if the waves active in a tree and responsible for the existence of the tree do not transfer to man, man cannot recognize the tree nor can he acknowledge existence of the tree.\nRecognition or acknowledgement of one’s existence by the other is based upon the act of seeing. Seeing and understanding is also of two types. One is direct and the other is indirect. Indirect seeing is that when we appoint two being; the object and the subject, the observer and the observed. When a man is looking at a goat he understands that he is seeing the goat. This seeing is indirect seeing. The other type of seeing is that the goat is looking at us and we are observing the sight of goat. Or to say, the waves responsible for the existence or the goat’s life are reflected upon the screen of our mind in the form of an information. Mind transfers these waves into certain features and when these features are perceived by the conscious we start seeing the goat. We do not see the goat but in fact we see the picture of the goat formed on the screen of our own mind by the waves transferred there from the goat. Now this is the direct seeing.\nAccording to the spiritual sciences only direct seeing is real and indirect seeing is fiction. This statement of Allah in the Holy Quran demands ponderous contemplation where Allah is telling the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) “And you are seeing them looking at you but they are not seeing anything.” Contemplation on this holy verse reveals that Allah is telling that though the people are looking towards the Holy Prophet (PBUH) but they cannot see the Divine and holy waves functional in the august person of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Therefore their seeing is altogether refuted by Allah. Their ignorance about the divine waves of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) amounts to not seeing anything. Or in Other words Allah is telling us that indirect seeing is not commendable and, therefore, we should strive to learn seeing directly.\nIn telepathy, too, it is desired that one should strive and struggle to acquaint himself with the method of direct seeing. When one leams to see directly, that is, he starts seeing the things on the screen of his mind, he starts seeing the things which are not even present before his eyes because after learning to transfer the waves into features one can perceive the waves of anything which he desires so. This is the basic principle of all the divine and metaphysical sciences that the waves which are responsible for production of thoughts should be conceived.\nIt is the secret, and a very strange one indeed that all the individuals of the universe have a hidden affinity and relationship with one another because of their thoughts and informations contained therein. But ascribing meanings to the informations and thoughts perceived is different for every one. Lion and goat both feel the hunger but for one it means eating the meat and for other it means to eat the grass.\nHypnotism and telepathy appear to be two different sciences but the basic principle of both is the same i.e. the control over the thoughts. This control over the thought is the science which enables us to transmit and receive the thoughts.\nNow coming back to the question asked, that why telepathy is not used in detecting and investigating the crimes. In reply it is stated that those who are expert in telepathy basically they have a liberal mind and they are not interested in catching thieves or spies and to act police. They think that they are not supposed to interfere in the work of others. They are only Interested in minding their own business.\nThis fact is also experienced by those who happened to see a spiritualist that whatever was there in their minus was hinted directly or indirectly by that spiritual person.\nWhy and when were the pyramids built with three million cut stones of seventy tones each, installed at a height of 30 to 40 feet from the ground level. The minimum distance between the two pyramids is 15 miles and the maximum is 500 miles. It clearly means that the stones used in the construction of these pyramids were brought at least from a distance of 500 miles.\nDear brother, for the one who is versed with Muraqbah, it is not at all difficult to find out about such things but they have much higher and more sublime secrets to explore and they always remain busy in discovering the secrets and each discovery which they make forces them to advance further and further.\nA sage named Rampa was versed with the transference of thought. When he was asked by the archaeologists, he revealed that people of twenty thousand years ago were more advanced than the scientists of this age. They had succeeded in inventing such inventions through which the effect of the gravitational pull on a stone could be abolished making the stones of 50-100 tones as light as a pillow of feathers. Similarly, according to Mr. Edgar Casey; a man from the world of science, these stones were installed after making, them float in the air.\nAll that is stated by these scholars regarding the pyramids is in strict accordance with the laws of transference of waves which we are studying as telepathy.\nShah Waliullah the great scholar and spiritualist of his age, whose hands were incapacitated by breaking the bones of his hands by the order of the then ruler to punish him instead of rewarding him for his meritorious translation of the Quran, has stated that over this material\nbody of flesh and bones there exists another body composed of light waves. He has denominated this body of light which is enveloping the physical body as ‘nasma’ (aura).\nHe has elaborately reasoned with substantiations that the real man is not this psychical body but the aura. The physical body of man is controlled by the aura. All the ailments, diseases, anxieties and disorders taking place in the psychical body of man initially take place in the aura. Diseases or anxieties are merely expressed by the physical body, that is, the physical body is a screen on which the film of the aura is being displayed. When the film is clear and free of distortions the picture displayed on the screen is also clear and sharp. In other words, if the aura is purged and cured the body automatically becomes healthy.\nIt has also been explained by Shah Waliullah that man is a conglomeration of thoughts and information perceived. When healthy thoughts are perceived peace and harmony becomes the eminent characteristics of life. Whereas contrary to this is the situation in which various diseases, anxieties, tensions, mental disorder and depression result because of complexity, confusion and tendency for destructiveness in thoughts. Since the science of exchange of thoughts; the telepathy deals with the knowledge of thoughts and the information perceived\ntherefore any one who is desirous of learning this or any allied science can not only easily protect himself from anxieties and worries but can also be instrumental in serving the fellow beings by assisting them in solving their problems. It has been proved even by the modem sciences that every thing which exists in this cosmos is based upon a very comprehensive system of waves. The variety in magnitudes of waves is responsible for the various creations that we see around us. Specific quantities of the waves at one time form the water and another set of certain quantities of the same waves create solid and concrete thing like iron or steel. Life in its totality\ndepends upon the network of waves. Every phenomenon of the universe is only a network of waves of various frequencies and wavelengths.\nWhen we happen to see water it is spontaneously understood by us that it is water though it never soaks our body or mind. Similarly when we see a stone we immediately identify it as stone though its weight or hardness is yet to be felt through physical touch. According to the spiritual science, when the waves operative in an object are received in our mind we identify the object because of the waves received and analyzed in our mind. This is the principle which invariably comes under discussion when we talk about any science dealing with mind and thoughts.\nIn order to benefit from something properly it is necessary that we have the proper cognition of the structural formation and the reality of that particular thing. We have to have the perceptual knowledge of the waves and that should also be in our knowledge that waves are not something static and inert but they are kinetic and remain in perpetual motion. Every movement of the waves is a stimulation for the urges of the life. The urges are the basic\ncomponents and ingredients of life. Every wave has a typical force known as frequency and we can make use of that force only when we are familiar with that force. If we are not familiar with a force we cannot tame it. This very cognition and familiarity have been termed wisdom in the Quran. The\nQuran says: “And we bestowed wisdom on Luqman so that he should be using it in gratitude to God. And those who make use of the gifted bestowal do so to the profit of their own souls and those who are ungrateful and do not make use of the bestowed wisdom, verily God is free from all wants, worthy of all praises.”\nThe Quran is the source of guidance for the whole mankind. Those who concentrate on the laws of the wisdom; the cognition and familiarity of the created things ultimately the laws of the use of the forces operative behind the phenomena of me universe are revealed upon them. This leads to a chain of ever new inventions like radio, TV, telephone, etc.\nIt is a proclamation of the Quran “And We sent down iron in which are many benefits for mankind.” Here the words sent down are indicative of the fact that God Created the iron. Iron; the most useful metal known to man is used in preparation of steel, implements Of war, instruments of peace and hardware of the modern technology. Iron and steel industries have proved to be the foundation of the prosperity and power of the modem manufacturing nations. It is a tragedy of the highest order that we consider the Quran only a sanctified book worthy\nof our respect and reverence and do not bother to Concentrate On the formulae expounded in the Quran regarding the conquest of the universe. We simply do not try to deliberate On the formulae give in the Quran and then complain that we are left far behind in the race of progress. Those who researched and spent their days and nights in pursuit of their aim of exploring the secrets of the nature they were rewarded, irrespective of their religious association, caste, color or creed, by the Almighty Allah and they succeeded in accomplishing their missions in the last.\nFor the learning of physical and the metaphysical sciences one thing is common: the ability to concentrate. If one cannot concentrate on any one point he cannot reach the depths of the point. So coming back to our discussion about the waves we cannot understand the use of the force of the waves unless we have not concentrated on this point. It can be experienced that when we happen to see a flower from a distance, the impact of the beauty, fragrance, and the pleasantness associated with the flower is felt spontaneously though we have not smelled or touched the flower. Similarly when we come across a person who is having a destructive nature or has some animosity towards us we immediately feel the reaction and when we see a person who has friendly sentiments for us we feel the friendliness towards him though he may not have talked to us.\nAll these examples clearly indicate that certain waves travel towards our mind and cast their effects. Our mind after analyzing these waves, ascribes meanings to them and we act according to the ascribed meanings of the information.\nWhen we start developing comprehension and understanding of the fact that every thing is based upon the wave which cannot be denominated other than the word light we start developing cognition of the structural formation of the things existing In the universe. This cognition leads us towards the learning of the control of the waves operative in the things; material and incorporeal. This control finally enable us to induce changes of our desire and choice in our environs.\n\n\nMohammad Jehangir from D.I. Khan reports:\n20th NOV:\nDuring the second exercise I felt as if the rays of light are emitting from my eyes. Circles of light kept on emerging and vanishing before my eyes. Then a vast expanse all pervaded with light appeared before me. I could feel my eye balls become static and transfixed during the exercise.\n21st NOV:\nThere was a thick concentration of the waves of light. When I looked intently I could see dimensions in these waves. During the exercise my mind suffered a shock and the intensity of light increased. I felt as if too much light has filled my mind.\n23rd NOV:\nToday I saw myself flying in the air. During the flight I saw my mind filled with lights and there is an eye on my forehead which is also made of light. After the Exercise when I cove a J myself with the blanket a flash of light illuminated the blanket as if somebody has switched on a tube light.”\nKhalid Pervaiz from Quetta, Baluchistan writes:\n“After the breathing exercise I started Muraqbah. The idea of falling rain of light was conceived clearly. Rain or ugni (noor) was there and 1 was sitting in it. The ramran reminded me ot the brightness of milk falling every where.\n“In the morning after breathing exercise when I attempted to do the Muraqbah this imagination was once again established and i felt the falling rain of light upon me though the other ideas and thoughts also kept on coming to my mind”\n“Whenever I try to imagine the rain of light I sec it clearly wherever the rain drops of bright light fall on my body that place tuma ao transparent that my wliuic budy starts appearing as if made of lights.”\nMohammad Farooq Mustafa from Bahawalpur reports:\n9th to 12th JAN;\nCloudy mist was hanging over my mind. I could not do any thinking. I felt as if I have an empty mind.\n12th JAN:\nToday during the exercise the whole atmosphere appeared to be drenched in torrential rain of light. The rain was falling on me too, sometimes it was light and sometimes it was heavy but the surrounding was under the showers of incessant rain. It seemed as if I am soaked and the hair has become wet with this incessant rain of light.”\nMohammad Shariq from D.I. Khan Reports;\n3rd FEB:\nI had the vision of rain of light with open eyes but sleep overtook and drowsiness fell upon me. After a short while I had a shock and I was wide awake I saw that my room was filled with various lights.\n5th FEB:\nI saw in Muraqbah that a huge rose descended from the sky in the light full water of the rain. One side of the rose opened like a door and a sage like person with a halo around him along with his companions appeared there, the door like opening closed. That sage along with his companions started walking on that water of light and stopped at a spot. A big dark globe descended there. He blew on that globe after reciting something and the globe become radiant and a variety of scenes started appearing on that globe. That sage and his fellows sat in a circle around that globe. A voice called, “Your world has sunk in the quagmire of sins up to its neck and therefore it has fallen victim to uneasiness, If you will worship sincerely and stand together unitedly then no power on earth can defeat you”.\nAfter that the globe went dark, the sage lifted it and threw it towards the sky. There it vanished behind the clouds. Two women emerged from the flower and stood on both sides of the door and opened the door respectfully, when the sage reached it. After that they all entered and the door closed. The flower floated on the surface of the water then took off towards the sky. Once again I was there with the rain of light falling on me.\n6th FEB.-\n“When I sat down for my exercise I noticed that despite the darkness in the room I can see everything very clearly. I saw the sky in blue and a blue cloud came over head. The cloud thinned at one place and from there light started showering on me in the form of rain drops then it took the shape of rain in torrents.”\nRain of Noor\nRubina Shahid Karachi;\n7th JAN:\n“As soon as I tried to imagine the rain of light. I saw my head dividing into two parts and the rain pouring into my head. The lights were overflowing from my head. The Light (noor) was flashing like a bulb.”\n16th JAN:\nDuring the exercise I saw that few old men are sitting in a large mosque. They are reciting the holy verses. They invited me too, to recite. I joined them I inquired “Why it is recited?” “For your success;” they replied.\n8th to 20th FEB:\n“I tried to imagine the rain of light with open eyes. Succeeded to some extent. Sometimes a bright flash of light would appear before my eyes and sometimes the imagination of rain of light would overpower me. Yesterday, i.e. 20th Feb, “I observed the pleasant effect of rain upon the whole surroundings.\nMunira Fatima from Lahore writes:\n6th JULY:\n“I had the imagination of rain of light very easily but as soon as the sensation of rain drops falling on my face was felt I went to sleep. I experienced it many times that whenever I feel the falling of rain drops on my face I go to sleep.\n12th JULY:\n“I see a peculiar ^ght which illuminates the whole house. When I try to imagine the rain of light within two seconds I feel myself drenched. A slight shivering runs through my body. No matter how warm the room is I start feeling cold which is very enjoyable. I feel like staying in this rain of mercy. Some times when the drops of this rain fall on my face or my body a flash of light appears before my eyes.”\n“For the whole week my body seemed to be in fever but when checked with thermometer it was found normal.”\nCandle and Lamp\nTabassum Hussain from Karachi writes:\n29th OCT:\n“In Muraqbah I imagined the rain of light for sometime but then the body jerked. It appeared as if it is a bright day and the day light is pervading all around.”\n30th OCT:\nI witnessed a bright ring of light. Then it appeared as if different veils are lifting before my eyes one after the other. Various scenes started appearing in that bright ring. After the exercise when I lay down in my room I felt that the sky is clouded with dark blue clouds and white clouds are mixing with them. Bright white rays of light are emerging from these clouds which ftimed into golden. Next day when I was in New Karachi before Sunset at twilight I saw the very same scene in the sky the sun was covered with dark clouds and the clouds had lining of golden colour because of the sun rays.\n4th NOV:\nI saw a tomb with a white dome, beam of light falling on it like a stream. A glimpse of Holy Kaaba was also sighted. Then I saw a lamp is biightly lit at a dist^ice. This scene slowly came nearer a; so I saw it was a burning candle. A building appeared before my vision and then a tower was sighted. Few people were also there. One of them extended his staff with the intention to give it to me. I hesitated but then took it reluctantly.\n5th NOV:\n“During the breathing exercise I observed a belt just like rain-bow. Then belts of various colors like red, yellow and bluish came before my vision. I felt as if a stream of light is about to come before my eyes.\n6th NOV:\nDuring the exercise my body suffered many jerks and saw such bright light as if it was the day time.\nIn that light I saw a few old men sitting in a line. Then I found myself in an enchanting garden. The garden was full of lush green shrubs and fruit trees. Somebody uprooted a plant of jasmine and gave it to me to smell it. It had a strong fragrance with wonderful effect. The heaviness that I was feeling a few moments ago vanished all of a sudden and I grew calm and tranquil.\n12th NOV:\nAfter the exercise when I lay down my body movements ceased. Next moment I found myself in space. Colors and lights were showering there and I was under that shower. I could feel the impact of that falling rain of lights and color on my body. I looked beneath and saw the rain is taking the form of a stream. Wind started blowing and I heard the sound of ringing bells. Which appeared to be very melodious.\nA network of light waves appeared before my closed eyes. A big box was witnessed which had\na window like opening. The door of that window kept on opening and closing. At each opening the scene would change. One of the scenes was that of a pond in which a fish was jumping on the floor. It occurred to me that because of less water in the pond the fish dives and strikes against the floor of the pool. The walls of the pool were decorated with flowery designs.\n15th NOV:\nIn a bright ring there appeared the Holy Kaaba. People were standing around it and rain of light was showering on them.\nMohammad Sardar Tabani from Shakherpura writes:\nI witnessed in Muraqbah that I am drenched in rain. Then these rain drops turned into hail stones and started falling like white pearls. When these pearls hit against my body I felt they do not have any material body rather they were made of lights but I did feel their touch. I noticed another difference too. When the water drops fall on the body the coolness is felt but these drops caused pleasant sensation of ecstasy.\nBroom and a Lean Person\nMohammad Masroor of Baghbanpura, Lahore writes:\n29th APRIL:\nThe vision of rain stayed for five seconds. It was milky in colour. My mind kept on trying to see it in the form of lights.\nToday against my routine after awakening I again went to sleep and dreamt that there is a black and lean person sweeping in my room. I felt angry that how he could dare to enter my room and in rage I left the room. Then for confirmation I again came to my room and saw him putting laces in my shoes. I told him that he was putting the wrong laces in the shoes but he ignored me and continued with what he was doing.\n30th MAY:\nGradually the blue clouds covered the sky. Today my head and arms grew so cold as if they were put in ice.\nMunir Ahmad of Latifabad Hyderabad writes that he had been doing the exercise of rain of lights since 16th July, Nothing special happened during first two days. But on 18th July he had a severe headache which persisted even during the exercise of 19th July. “Since you had already warned me therefore I did not pay much heed to it. On 20th July after the exercise when I went to bed I felt as if I have become two and I saw there is another Munir lying beside me.”\n\n\nIn the first lesson this thing was made explicitly clear that for learning telepathy it is necessary that only one thought Is to be targeted after getting rid of distracting thoughts.\nThe second lesson for having concentration and ability to focus mind on one point is as follows.\nClose your right nostril with the help of the thumb of the right hand. Inhale through left nostril for 5 seconds and hold the breath for 10 seconds after closing the left nostril with the small finger of the right hand. After 10 seconds exhale through the right nostril. Inhale through the same nostril for 5 seconds. Close it with the help of your thumb and hold your breath for 10 seconds. After ten seconds exhale through left nostril after releasing it from the small finger. That is to say, inhaling through left nostril for 5 seconds, holding the breath for 10 seconds and exhaling through right nostril for 5 seconds. Holding the breath for 10 seconds and then exhaling through left nostril for 5 seconds would make it one cycle. Complete 10 cycles.\nThis exercise is to be conducted once early in the morning before sunrise and once before going to bed. It is important that this exercise should be done on empty stomach. In the morning it could be done before taking breakfast and in the evening at least three hours after taking dinner.\nAfter doing this exercise in the evening. Sit in a relaxing posture and close your eyes. You have to imagine now that the sky is clouded with clouds of blue color and light is showering from these clouds like rain upon you.\nInitially the conscious mind resists so much that one feels giddy and has the sensation of heaviness. This sensation of heaviness is indicative of your success in this exercise.\nDuring first few days either the imagination does not take any shape altogether or only a dim idea of the sky and the clouds appear on the screen of the mind. When practice enables you to have this imagination, with deepening of this imagination one starts having the sensation of rain drops falling upon one’s head. When this imagination is further deepened one not only starts witnessing the rain but also feels that the rain drops of light are falling and hitting against one’s body. Gradually the whole atmosphere starts appearing as that of the rainy season when one closes his eyes and tries to imagine the blue clouds and the falling rain of lights from there. When one reaches this stage that one can visualize the scene so perfectly with closed eyes that one even feels the hitting of rain drops then one is required to practice this exercise with open eyes. It should be attempted to visualize with the help of third eye that the rain of light is falling every where and the whole atmosphere is drenched with this incessant rain of light.\nCompletion of this concept is indicative of completion of this exercise\nJavid Saleem from Lahore writes:\nYou have indicated two aspects of thoughts the low and the high.\nThe high thinking has been termed as the thinking of righteousness by you. According to religious point of view living in strict accordance of the principles of Islam is the righteousness and there we find no mention of telepathy in Islam. Telepathy, in fact, is one of those sciences which the European scientists have deduced from other metaphysical sciences. It is quite disturbing that you have conflated telepathy in Islam. I agree that telepathy has become quite an important branch of knowledge but it does not mean that one who wants to learn telepathy should also have the thinking approach of righteousness that is, he should be a Muslim.\nCan you indicate even a single instance which has been experienced by our ancestors and has some co-ordination with telepathy. I would like to make this appeal to you that kindly present this knowledge in its original form and shape so that the distinction in telepathy and Islam should remain there.\nAnswer: As far as the thinking approach of righteousness is concerned it cannot be claimed that it is the property or heritage of only one particular nation. In fact it is another name for human values. If a non-muslim has these values he will be called a human after all. And if a Muslim does not has these values. Then he is not worthy to be called even a human being.\nIt has been declared by Allah the most high in Surah Maida Verse 72.\nIt has been proclaimed in the Holy Quran, “Those who believe in the Quran, those who follow the Jewish scriptures and the Sabians, and the Christians, —any one who believes in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve” (S:5-V:72). It has been clarified in this verse that the good deeds and actions based upon righteousness of any individual or a nation are not wasted and these are rewarded provided such righteousness is observed purely for the sake of Allah. All those deeds that are done for the sake of Allah are always based upon right mindedness.\nAccording to the spiritualists, right mindedness enables us to become closer to our soul. In fact closeness to our soul and the cognition of the soul is the only yardstick of humanity. All the sacred and divine books and scriptures have invited man to have this thinking approach and preached those programmes which could induce the right-mindedness after having the proper cognition of the soul. Cognition of the soul is the only via media for cognition of our Lord God still living in this phenomenal world. Cognition of the soul on one hand enables us to make use of the latent potentialities of the soul while on the other it enables us to have the proper cognition of the Lord of the worlds in a better perspective of His creations. Thus the thinking approach aimed at the cognition of the inner self or the soul is the right mindedness. All the prophets strived throughout their lives to spread that right mindedness which was bestowed upon them by the Almighty Allah. It remained their mission that the thinking approach granted to them should be transferred to their fellow beings so that they could be saved from the rebelliousness and the evilness.\nNow coming to this point that telepathy is not found in Islam. Telepathy, in fact, is the\nname of that knowledge in which one transfers one’s thoughts, ideas and the i thinking pattern to other creatures of Allah. It had been the mission of all the prophets of God that the thinking pattern bestowed upon them under special arrangements could be presented to mankind for its benefit and to safeguard them from evil and transgressional thinking. It does not make any difference if instead of inspiration or suggestion this knowledge is called telepathy just as Allah is called God in English and Bhagvan in Hindi.\nYou have also asked to cite even one single instance from Islamic history that has any co-ordination with telepathy.\nOnce the Holy Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), happened to pass by a camel. Upon seeing the tears in the eyes of the camel he told the owner of that camel that the camel is complaining against him that he makes him carry the full load but is maltreated and is kept under nourished.\nSimilarly the incident of Hazarat Omer Farooq (R.A.) is recorded in the History of Islam in golden letters. During the course of war with Iran. Hazarat Sariya, the commander of Muslim army besieged the CUCmy. The enemy had reinforcement. At the same time Hazarat Omer was addressing the Friday congregation of Muslim prayer at Madina. During his address he stated, “I am witnessing the two battling forces” And he described the positions of both the sides. Then all of a sudden he called out, “0, Sariya- go behind the cliff— go behind the cliff.”\nHistory testifies that Hazrat Sariya heard the voice of Hazrat Omer in the battle field and acted upon the suggestion which saved him from a sure defeat.\nIn this regard hundreds of incidents of prophets, auliyas, saints, sages and the geniuses could be cited as example.\nMr. Toufail A. Shahid from Lahore writes:\nQuestion: I am sixty years of age I am an ardent reader of articles on telepathy and other allied the east and the west on these subjects but I have never come across any writing so inspiring, comprehensive, logical and luminary as that of yours. Now at this age when I am actually sitting on the threshold of the grave, I intend to seek your guidance that can I at this age start the exercises of telepathy suggested by you?\nYou know it well that at this age of mine no interest remains there. I have almost every worldly facility by the grace of Almighty, except peace of mind. You have written that the exercises of telepathy minimizes the deterioration of the brain cells, thoughts are purged automatically and the anxiety and depression finishes, can the results of these exorcises bs had at any age7 And, will these exercises have any harmful side effects for brain and heart in sixtieth year of life? Please allow me to start these exercises if the answer to this question is negative.\nOne more question, Please.\nCan we exchange thoughts with jinni, angels and animals as it can be done with human beings? Can we influence the other solar systems by our thinking besides this world of ours? And, do the lights (thoughts) have their own distinct nature, trends and characteristics?\nAnswer: Baba Tajuddin Nagpuri, the renowned sage of his age not only in describing the special points but even in his routine conversations would relate such facts which had direct affinity with the laws of nature. Some times he would hint at a thing which scientifically explained the background of a wonder-working (Karamat). The listeners would instantly perceive the principles operative behind a wonder—working. At times it was felt as if the waves of light are transferring to the minds of the listeners. This also was experienced by the people who were present around Baba Tajuddin that he is sitting silently and they were feeling and understanding every such thing which was pondered upon by Baba Sahib, without having his attention consciously focused on some one his unintentional attention affected the people, they were greatly benefited from this style of Baba Sahib. This was almost a routine that if some people had some questions in their minds Baba sahib replied to them before they could utter it.\nMan, Jinni and Angels\nMarhata Raja Ragho Rao used to have great respect for Baba Sahib. “Whenever he would come to him or request something, his style was that of a mortal submitting something before the gods. Once Maharaja said, to the great spiritual scientist of his times.\n“The creatures that are invisible; like angels and jinni, we have reportedly been informed about such things. All the divine books have mentioned one thing or the other about such creatures. Concept of evil spirits is also found in every religion but due to lack of logical and scientific explanation, people with rational approach hesitate to acknowledge any proper understanding A this regard. Experiences in this regard are also on individual level, not on the collective level. If you could throw some light on this issue.”\nWhatsoever was stated in reply to the Raja’s query by Baba Tajuddin is evident of the fact that nature whispers its secrets to those who care to listen to such. whisperings. When this question was asked, Tajuddin Baba was reclining against a pillow, and gazing towards the sky. He said, “Well, we are all familiar with the heavenly bodies like stars and there is seldom a night when the sky embedded with stars is not observed by us. It is quite interesting to note that we say that we are witnessing the stars, we are familiar with the celestial bodies but in fact what is being witnessed and which realm of the heavenly bodies is known to us, its explanation is beyond our abilities. Whatsoever that is stated in this regard is not more than conjectures but still we consider that we know. Isn’t it strange that when we claim to know something we do not bother to think whether there is any truth in this claim or not?”\n“Try to understand what I am saying then tell how limited is mans knowledge. Man, in spite of the fact that he bows nothing believes that he knows too much. Forget about the stars and the heavenly bodies, these are distant objects. Let us examine the case of those things that are near to man and remain in his experience frequently. We are acquainted with the rise of day. What the day is? What is the meaning and purpose of the dawning of the day? What is this cycle of days and nights? We know nothing. The only statement made in this regard is that this is the day and then the night follows it. Or vice versa. This is the practice of mankind.”\n“Ragho Rao! just consider, can this answer satisfy a serious minded person? The day and night are not invisible phenomena like angels and jinni. These are one of those manifestations which cannot be denied. You might be saying that the day and night are believable because they can be witnessed. But don’t forget the function of thinking operative behind the sight. The tongue cannot tell anything about the things seen if thinking is not operative to support it.”\n“The relation between thinking and sight is clear enough. The whole process, in fact, is nothing but thinking. Without thinking, sight is merely an inarticulate silhouette. Thinking is the basis and origin of all our experiences. Similar is the case of other senses. All the senses are deaf, dumb and blind if thinking is not functional behind them.”\n“Thinking gives meanings to the perceiving senses. Ordinarily it is considered that the senses and the thinking are two different things but actually it is not so. Man is only a set of thoughts, or to say, he is nothing but a pattern of thinking. Similarly the angels, jinni and every creature having any awareness of its surroundings merely\nis a pattern of thinking.”\n“During the course of this discussion we happened to reach such a point where many secrets of the cosmos would reveal.” He said, and continued, “Listen carefully, many things keep on emerging in our thoughts. These things enter our thoughts from the outside. In fact, man keeps on accepting the influence of thinking of other creatures just as he is affected by the thinking of other fellow human beings. Nature keeps on feeding the limited thinking from the limitless thinking. If it would not have been so the relationship existing between the individuals of the universe would have perished. It is the divine scheme of mother nature that thinking of the one should be affecting the thinking of others. Man is incarcerated in dust, jinni are silhouettes and the angels are the thoughts confined in most subtle achromatic light known as noor. All these three types of thinkings are the universe. If they do not remain in contact with one another and the waves of one’s thinking are not received by the other, the link would naturally be disintegrated and the cosmos would collapse eventually.”\n“To prove it, it could be said, that in our thinking we are quite familiar with the silhouettes and other things similar to them and besides that we are also mentally acquainted with things embodied with Sight and its various forms although our own experiences are associated with the material realm of the dust.\nIn general terms thinking is denominated as ‘ego’. This ego or thinking pattern is a conglomeration of such conditions that are collectively known as ‘individual’. The stars and the particles are the creation of similar type. Either it does not occur to us altogether or we are not fully conscious of this fact that exchange of thoughts, keeps on taking place between stars, planets, particles and all the creatures contribute a lot in our thinking and the waves of our thinking also contribute in their thoughts. In fact the whole universe is like a family busily exchanging thoughts between its individuals. The jinni and angels are more close to us in their thinking patterns and, therefore, they are more habituated with us.”\nTajuddin Baba Auliya said, still staring at the sky, “we are connected to the galaxial systems and have an established link with them. The thoughts that keep on emerging in our mind reach us from far off distant inhabiting systems through the light. Light waves cany the different pictorial representations of thoughts that are termed fantasy, idea, imagination and thinking etc. We consider them to be our own whims or thoughts but in fact it not so. Thinking patterns of all the creatures have a common point and the very common point after collecting all the pictorial representations of thoughts inform us about them. This knowledge depends upon the conscious of the individuals and the species. The pictorial representations are molded into that pattern which is adopted by the conscious according to the values of its ego.\nHere it would not be out of place to mention that three types of creatures resemble the most in their behavior and attitude and these have been mentioned as man, angels and jinni in the Holy Quran.\nThese three species are found in all the galaxial systems of the cosmos. Nature has devised such a system that all these three species have become the creative workers. The waves of creation are dispersed in the universe from their minds and when these waves reach at a certain point after covering specific distance a phenomenon or a manifestation comes into being.”\n“As I have already said, thinking, ego and person are one and the same thing. Because of the difference of the words they may appear to be different things but they are not. Now the question is what this person, ego or the thinking pattern is? It is that entity which is made up of incalculable forms and figures of moods, conditions, states, feelings and faculties. Sight, hearing, articulation, love, pity, sacrifice, plight, ambulation etcetra etcetra, each of these states has a particular form and figure. In fact, nature has collected such countless forms and figures in one single capsule in such a manner that despite retaining their individuality these forms have been shaped into one single body. Thus a man has thousands of layers all encased in one single body. Similar is the case of the angels and jinni. This type of formation is specified for them only because they have more layers than any other creature of the universe. In the universe there are uni-layered as well as multi-layered Species though the numbers of the layers in one species are always the same.\nMan is inhabiting inestimable planets and the variety of their types is unimaginably large and the same can be stated about the angels and jinni. Each stratum of man, angel or that of a jinn is an everlasting state. Some of the strata are ostensibly bright and vibrant and some remain latent. When me movement of a stratum becomes manifested, it enters the conscious whereas when it is latent it remains in the unconscious. Results of a manifested movement are termed as inventions or discoveries by the man but the results of the latent movement do not occur to the conscious though they are more important and more significant in their nature. Here this secret demands profound deliberation that the whole universe is full of manifestations resulting from the latent movement. Now these manifestations are not the eventual product of the man’s unconscious alone. The latent inner of man could not manage to remain in continuous contact with far off and remote comers of the cosmos. Man’s own characteristics are responsible for this weakness. Why has he incarcerated his thinking in dust? This thing is beyond the comprehension of man’s conscious. Any creature that is handicapped because of the ties of time and space cannot meet the requirements of the thinking operative on cosmic level, therefore, to fill in the cosmic gaps angels and jinni were created. In fact the human thinking alone was not able to produce all those manifestations that were necessary for the completion of the universe.\nCosmos is the name of spatio-temporal distances formed by the varying intermingled waves of the ego. Time and space, in fact, are two different forms of this variation. The result of intermingling of waves and the basis of all the manifestations is ‘dukhan’ about which our knowledge is in its infancy. Here ‘Dukhan’ is not to be taken as smoke. Smoke is visible whereas dukan’ is invisible smoke. Man is the product of positive ‘dukhan’ and jinni are that of the negative ‘dukhan”. Whereas the angel is produced from the essence of both of these. These three ingredients are the foundations of the visible and invisible realms of the cosmos that would remain devoid of any undulation without them resulting in non-existence of our conscious and unconscious away from life. A queer relationship exists between these three species. One of the states of the positive ‘dukhan is the sweetness circulating in large quantity in the human blood. The negative state of ‘dukhan’ is known as salinity. Large quantity of salt is found in jinni. Angels are the compounded form of both of these two states. If the positive state is decreased in man and the negative state of ‘dukhan’ i.e. salt is increased then the abilities of jinni are aroused in man and he starts behaving like jinni. If the positive stme of ‘dukhan’ i.e. sugar is increased and the negative state of ‘dukhan’ i.e. salt is reduced in jinni then gravity will be produced in it resulting the production of weight in them and their physical embodiment. This law is equally valid for angels too. If the positive and negative both surges above the appointed level, then because of the positive ‘dukhan’ it can produce the human qualities and because of the negative ‘dukhan” the qualities of the jinni are produced in angels.\nSimilarly if the positive and negative states of ‘dukhan’ are decreased in man from the fixed level, he would start behaving like an angel. Method is quite Simple and easy. By reducing the routine intakes of salt and sugar one can be emancipated temporarily from spatio-temporal restriction like angels. And, by reducing the quantity of sugar only the spatio-temporal restrictions can be avoided like jinni. But for acting upon any of such methods guidance of a spiritual person is extremely necessary.”\nThe founder of the Qalander Conscious and the grand son of Hazrat Tajuddin Baba Nagpuri, Qalander Baba Auliya has stated an event of the regardful ness of a lion and has given its scientific explanation thereof. He states, Once, grand father, Tajuddin climbed a hill in the jungle of Waki Sharif (India) with a few others. When someone hinted about the presence of lions in the jungle, he smilingly said that he who fears the lion may go back while he himself intends to rest there for a while and most probably the lion would come but don’t bother and let him stay. Few of us hid ourselves in the nearby trees and bushes and most left the scene for their good. It was the summer season, cool breeze and the shade of the foliage were intoxicating ly tranquil, grand father chose to lie down on the thick grass and closed his eyes.\nIt wasn’t long before that the fright of the jungle grew intense and sense of some-thing-will-happen captured my mind. I was waiting intently. This waiting wasn’t for any Sadhr, Yogi, and Saint or for any human being, but it was for a beast, who, at least in my mind, was moving step by step. I was looking towards grand father, and then, a huge lion appeared which was climbing up the slope of the hill, very slowly, very respectfully. It was advancing towards grand father, with eyes half closed, in short, when it reached grand father it licked the feet of grand father who in the mean time was sound asleep. The beast closed his eyes in ecstasy and placed his head on the ground almost touching the feet of grand father, who was still sleeping unaware of the presence of the beast. Lion, after gathering his courage, started licking the feet of grand father. This woke up gnmd father, he patted the beast on the head and said “You came, I am pleased to see you healthy, well, and now go! “The lion wagged its tail in gratefulness and took its leave.\nI thought over this incident again and again, nobody had ever witnessed l!,e lion coming to grand father before. Therefore, we have to admit that the lion and grand father, both were mentally acquainted with each other. There is only way for this acquaintance; the waves of Ego (the thought waves) which interacted between grand father and the lion, were the source of their acquaintance and meeting. This is how intuition takes place in the percipients and cognizers but this incident is evident that in animals too, intuition takes place. In this regard, man and other creatures are equally alike.\nHuman beings are conversant with the act of articulation from the very beginning. In talking, the sound waves with predetermined meanings convey the informations to the listeners. This method is a duplication of that communication style which takes place between the waves of Ego. It is a common observation that a dumb person conveys everything with a slight movement of his lips and those who are versed with lip reading understand every thing which he desires to convey. This too, is a replica of the same methods. Animals convey their feelings to their fellows without producing any sound. In this case, too, the waves of Ego are operative. Trees also converse and communicate with one another regardless of distance existing between them. This conversation not only takes place amongst the nearby trees, but the trees at far off distances also take part in it. The same law is valid for the minerals as well. Stones, pebbles and the dust particles also negotiate with one another exactly in the same style.\nA green and tender branch of a tree tends to bend easily. We can make use of its elasticity whereas attempt to bend a dry hard wood seldom yield any results; However, it is an advantageous flow of the nature and according to the law of Allah.\n“Those who strive for Allah, verily Allah open His ways to them.” Taking advantage of this law you can also learn telepathy after starting the suggested exercises.\n\n\nShamim Ahmed from Lahore has written:\nI have studied almost every important work of eastern or western writers on occult and metaphysical sciences, all the writers have written about the exercises\nof candle gazing, mirror gazing and staring at the circle giving details of the ensuing results of these exercises duly supporting them with experiences of people in this regard. Scholars have dealt with the subject in the light of psychological and physical laws as well. But the theory of yours about telepathy is unique and different from theirs. I think no other author has ever. Mentioned anything like breathing exercises and imagining the ocean of light in the context of telepathy. As far as peace of mind is concerned, which is a prerequisite for learning this knowledge, can be achieved by candle or mirror gazing. Would you please tell your readers what is the importance of the breathing exercises and Muraqbah of light?\nAnswer: This cosmos is kinetic and in continuous motion whether it is the micro-cosm or the macro-cosm.\nWhen the study of motion associated with life is attempted it is observed that life of living animals and plants is based upon respiration and man is no exception to this law.\nFlow of life is directly related with breathing. As long as inspiration and expiration is there, life is there when one stops inhaling the oxygen we declare him as expired. With stoppage of breathing this phenomenal life of this world also comes to an end. Breathing or respiration like every other phenomenon of the universe is dual and bifolded. Inhaling or inspiration is its one side and the other is the exhaling or the expiration.\nInhaling, according to the spiritual point of view, takes the man closer to his inner self or the soul and exhaling takes him away from his inner self. When we inhale we become closer to our inner self. Spiritualist calls it ascending movement. And when we exhale we are drawn away from our inner self. This movement has been termed as the descending movement.\nLife keeps on oscillating between these two movements. Emotion and sentiments, thoughts and imaginations, our every activity and interest in various activities are there as long as the system of respiration is there. Initially it was considered that only living animals respire then man discovered that plants too respire. And every species of plants and animals have its own specific rate of breathing and this rate of breathing is directly related with the rate of heartbeats. If, for instance, the rate of man’s heart-beat is 72 per minute than mis rate is not found in the goat or any other living animal. The impulses acting as heart-beat in plants and inanimate objects are also related with their specific rate of respiration. If somehow we could invent an instrument to measure the respiration rate of plants and other inanimate objects it would be found that the rate of respiration of plants is different than the rate of respiration of mountains and the other inanimate and apparently non-living things. Man respires I8 to 20 times a minute and a mountain respires once in 15 minutes.\nEvery one of us knows it well that we inhale and then exhale. Then this too is in our knowledge that the rate of breathing in anxiety is different than the state of calmness and tranquillity. Similarly the rate of heart-beat and respiration when one is afraid is different\nthan the one when one is not.\nAs stated above respiration is a bifolded action. One is to inhale, that is, oxygen is absorbed and the other is to exhale, that is, carbon dioxide is expelled. When we inhale the oxygen present in the atmosphere is taken in where it bums like a fuel and then the waste material produced during this burning is expelled through exhaling. And, this chain of breathing in and out keeps on taking place as long as we remain alive. According to the spiritual sciences and the statement of the Lord of the worlds, everything comes from Him and returns to Him. When we inhale we are linked with our inner self, or to say, we are in a state of receiving something which is coming from our Lord. And, when we exhale all our interests become attached with our material body and the material world around us, or to say, our attachment with the worldly senses is established.\nSenses, too, are of two types. One type of the senses is that in which we remain incarcerated in spatio-temporal restrictions and associate us with this material phenomenal world. The other type of the senses releases us from the spatio-temporal restrictions and the worldly attachments. These types of the senses prevail upon us during the state of sleep or in a state similar to sleep. When we are in a sleep-like state the conscious senses are negated and are released from the time and space limitations. The senses that we experience during dreaming are termed as nocturnal senses and the same are called as (the senses of) the night by Allah the most exalted. The other senses which are associated with wakefulness are termed as the diurnal senses and Allah has termed them as (the senses of) the day. During the nocturnal senses every creature is liberated from the time and space and when the diurnal senses prevail every creature Is incarcerated in spatio-temporal restrictions.\nWhen we inhale we come closer to the noctural senses, the senses which are required for cognition of the soul. And, when we exhale we are drawn away from the nocturnal senses and come closer to the diumal senses, the senses which are made to comprehend this material world around us incarcerated in time and space.\nWhen our attention is focused concentratively on any point, whether our eyes are closed or not, the duration of time for inhaling is increased, that is, our conscious attention is drawn towards our soul or the inner self.\nThis is the reason behind the suggested breathing exercises in metaphysical and allied sciences like telepathy. Through breathing exercise one is drawn closer to his inner self. Acquaintance with the inner self results in awareness of the latent potentialities of the soul. And one starts experiencing the developed will-power and the resulting benefits including the better understanding of the affairs of the material world around us.\nFor learning the metaphysical sciences powerful mind and strong nerves are required. For having the elastic nerves, active mind and to enhance the working potential breathing exercises have proved to be extremely Useful and beneficial. When one gets control over the breathing the functional abilities of the brain tissues and cells are charged when the breath is retained in the lungs and provides a better chance for activating the latent abilities.\nSpiritualists have formulated various rules and methods for breathing exercises which if practiced regularly benefit a lot spiritually and physically. Waves of health and energy too enter the body through respiration. If it is imagined when one is sitting in the open (hat’waves of energy and health are entering in his body with every inhale and are absorbed in the body then in fact it starts happening so. Certain breathing exercises purify the blood\nand accelerate the blood circulation, give boost to mental faculties and cool down the emotional excitement. One can cure almost any disease of one’s self through the breathing exercises. Gastric problems, stomach and intestinal ulcers, constipation, kidney’s stones, headache, epilepsy and other mental disorders, Ophthalmic ailments etc. etc. can be cured with the breathing exercises. Flu and colds, ailments of chest, throat and nose are automatically cured when the breathing exercises are performed punctually according to the curative methods. It has also been observed that people who had adopted any particular breathing exercise as a routine of their life stay fresh and cheerful like the youths even in their sixties and seventies. They are seldom found depressed or worried and their skin too remains wrinkleless even in the last stages of their life.\nThose who happen to conduct their breathing exercises punctually under the supervision of a teacher become able to exchange their thoughts with other people. Such a power is produced in them that they can communicate with people at far off distances telepathically. They start transmitting their commands telepathically and become able to receive the thoughts of the other people even if they are not expressed in words. But it should also be remembered that for learning telepathy only breathing exercises are not enough.\nThe antenna installed in our inner self is able to transmit or to receive only when the mind is enriched with the ability to focus its attention concentratively. This divine ability can only be made functional and activated when we would learn to sink deep in the ascending movement of our soul with our devoted attention and concentration.\nWe cannot make our access to the inner most recesses of the universe if we are not aware and acquainted with the secrets of the universe. For making our entrance in the heavens and the heart of the cosmos we have to have control over that phase of breathing which is associated with the ascending movement. Inhaling deeply or taking the oxygen into the lungs takes us closer to the unconscious and the emerging of the breath or exhaling introduces us with the conscious. When the conscious life is active the unconscious goes into the background. And, when the unconscious life is active the movements of the conscious life become suppressed. The mysterious forces of mind can be put to work only when the ascending movement of respiration is controlled by the brain.\nWe have already stated that man is a convoluted compound of lights. The basis of these lights is the Light (noor) of Allah, the most high. Just as the breathing is related with life, the thoughts can also be called life. In other words the breathing is directly responsible for the life of thoughts.\nNow if life is analyzed it would be observed that thoughts are also of two type, just as low-thinking or the degenerated approach whereas the other one is that direction which after uplifting us from the low takes us towards high and sublime thinking. In ordinary terms it is known as purity or brightness of thoughts or complexity and darkness of thoughts. Purity of thoughts is associated with the thinking approach if the thinking approach is pious; man is bound to live a peaceful and profitable life. Peace and inner calm develop the concentrative abilities. Contrary to it is the evil and dark approach which causes disappointment, dejection, sorrow and miseries, which in turn after disturbing (he concentration causes mental depression.\nThis thing can also be put in another way. All (.he holy books and scriptures tell that man’s actual creation took place in the realms of Eternity. Man was sent to this world when he had committed the act of disobedience. The world where that phase of eternity exists has been\nmade unseen for him but he enjoys a hidden relationship with that Unseen Realm. Man’s existence in eternity, is related with man’s soul. Man’s material body is composed of such senses which are confining and are responsible for man’s distance from his soul. When we inhale we get closer to eternity and when we exhale we are drawn away from the eternity or to wit, the exhaling is a veil drawn between eternity and the present life of ours. When the breath is held in our lungs our relation with the eternity re-establishes.\nThe breathing exercises are included in the lessons of telepathy so that man could get closer to his inner being, the Soul. True success in metaphysical sciences is not possible if one is not close to one’s soul.\nGenerally those who desire to learn telepathy have ambitions of material gains from this divine knowledge, so that they could take certain advantages after influencing their medium. But there are people who learn it, so that they could serve the creatures of Allah. For instance, they could cure the patients by transferring their healthy thoughts to them. Minds of the people learning this science works according to their thinking approach.\nFor the purpose of mental concentration the Muraqbah of light is suggested so that besides acquiring peace of mind and inner calm, the thinking approach is also expurgated. The pious thinking approach takes us closer to our soul and such sagacity is produced in man which in terms of Sufism is called the thinking approach of Righteousness.\nWe have presented the states experienced by the students of telepathy during the course of their practice of first exercise; you must have noticed that the thinking of all these people has automatically taken a bend towards the lights. And when someone is acquainted with the lights not only his own life is adorned but he becomes a means of relief for the sufferings of the creatures of Allah. |\nWe are certain that our readers would be bestowed with the thinking approach of righteousness with more developed concentrative ability. And after equipping themselves with this pious approach and learning telepathy they will be relieved of tension, anxiety, depression and will become instrumental in serving the creatures of God.\n\n\nMercury Lights\nMuneeza Fatimah from Lahore writes: “I wanted to learn telepathy. When the first exercise of telepathy was published in the weekly Mag. I was over whelmed and I decided to practice the exercise given by you. I am sending you the detailed account of my experiences and incidents experienced during practicing the exercise.” 9th JUNE:\n“I was trying to submerge in the ocean of light when I fell asleep and I saw in my dream that there is the light of Allah which is like the mercury light but it is so bright that when I tried to look at it, it dazzled my eyes then I saw that place where the souls of the martyrs reside.”\n“After the Fajar prayer I again went to sleep and saw it is quite stormy and I am trying to close the windows and doors but to no avail. In the meantime the milkman named ‘Ilm Din’ comes and delivers some pure milk and tells me to drink it. I return leaving the door open. I look towards the sky and see a very bright star right above my head. It has a network of hair around it First I feel scared but then this feeling subsided and I start praising the Almighty Allah.”\n10th JUNE:\n“I went to sleep when I was imagining my submergence in the river of light. Saw in dream that a very thin beam of bright light is connecting the earth and the sky. This in fact is a passage towards the heaven.\nWhen I following this beam see towards the heavens I hear the voice of Allah saying “If you want to walk on this radiant passage, existing between the earth and the\nHeaven, tell people to be good and sympathetic towards each other.”\n11th JUNE:\n“During the course of my meditation I felt as if a dark screen has been removed and an opening appeared before me, when I looked intently I noticed some weird and strange things, like a very high table, a beautiful huge bowl etc.”\n13th JUNE:\n“During the meditation exercise, it appeared as if there is great and limitless ocean of light in which the whole universe is submerged, I found myself empty and saw that my body is a thin leaf like shell. It occurred to me that I am free to move around as, when and where I would like so I thought of visiting my teacher floating through the vast expanses of the cosmos with the occurrence of this thought I found myself flying in the air towards Karachi.\n15th JUNE:\n“When I managed to submerge in the ocean of light, I noticed a large book, when I opened it I found a painting captioned in Persian. The picture was depicting the ocean of light. There is an ocean of blue rays of lights spreading over the horizon. Excess of blue rays causes fear, the ocean is in the form of huge waves and tides resembling dark clouds. When I turn over the page another painting is there before me. This painting is showing an ocean of very light blue color. There is a passage of bluish white light in the center of the ocean. There is a very big tree on the right hand side of the passage and at the end of the passage an old man with a very kind and benign expression on his face is standing. His dress is radiant as if made of mercury light. There is so much of the mercury light that I find it difficult to see that old and gentle person. It appears as if he is standing there to receive people. A strange light coming out from a wall behind him was falling upon him. He is not looking towards the wall. I\napprehend that the ocean will swallow the passage and there will be no trace of that old man, but nothing of the sort happens because the ocean just touches the passage and recedes.”\n“Ever since I have started these exercises, I feel like smiling all the time. A cheerfulness prevails upon me, God has started appearing merciful and benevolent. The concept of God’s wrath and anger is gradually replaced by his cherishing love and affection. I want to remain silent and lost in thoughts of my Lord God. A voice comes from within, 0,ye; I am close to you but you are far away from me.”\nMr. Mumtaz Ali from Sangher writes:\nI am submitting my experiences resulting from the first exercise.\n14th JUNE:\n“After the breathing exercise I sat down to meditate. During meditation my body is cut open like a sliced melon and few people who were probably angels were throwing black things which were like snakes after taking them out of my body.”\n15th JUNE:\n“When I attempted to sink in the ocean of light I was facing considerable resistance from within as if some monstrous creatures have entered into me and are teasing me.”\n16th JUNE:\n“In a state of drowsiness, I saw a house of green color. A young and beautiful lady is casually walking in it; before I could see further the scene vanished, leaving a sense of success. It is the normal state that even during day time when I close my eyes I find myself submerged in an ocean of light. I am experiencing strength, vitality and increased will power.”\n18th JUNE:\n“In a dream I found myself in a green world where every thing, houses, orchards, men and women etc. are of green color.”\nGoddess of Sleep\nNiaz Ahmed from Peshawar reports:\n“I can inhale through one nostril only for 3 to 4 seconds. Inhaling through right nostril is comparatively easier than the left nostril. Although I can easily exhale up to 5 seconds, and can manage to retain my breath up to 20 seconds, I do it only for 5 seconds as instructed by you.”\n“I perform meditation of light sitting on a Cot. For first 2/3 days various thoughts kept on disturbing me but now I am settling down.”\n14th JUNE:\n“Started the exercise. The on rush of thoughts was overwhelming, but I did not bother. Neither I tried to stop thought, nor attempted to reject, so the result was that whichever thought occurred it would pass away. Then for a short while I witnessed a beam of light that was thick at one of its ends and on the other end it was leading towards a mountain.”\n18th JUNE:\n“I found myself in a green valley and noticed a drain of light beneath my feet. It was flowing through fields and orchards finally vanishing in the foot hills.”\n“When I perform the breathing exercise I become very sleepy but when after doing the\nmeditation for half an hour I try to sleep the sleep is no longer there.”\nUniverse Submerging in Light\nMrs. Nazia Sultana from Karachi reports:\n20th JULY:\n“From today I started practicing the meditation. After the Isha prayer at 11 p.m. I imagined that the whole universe is submerging in the ocean of light and I was also there in it. Before starting meditation I recited Darood-e-Khizri 50 times and ya Haiyoo ya Qayyum for 100 times. I kept on trying to imagine for 15 minutes but could not succeed in conceiving the desired imagination. And then went to sleep.”\n24th JULY:\n‘Today I practiced the meditation for almost 20 minutes I was feeling as if light rays are coming from some where but these were not in a definite form. They were just moving at random as if a continuous reflection is taking place.”\n27th JULY:\n“During the exercise I felt as if there are some white spots which kept on appearing one after the other. They stayed only for a short while then disappeared.”\nThird Eye\nFareed Mustafa from Bahawalpur writes:\n3rd AUG:\n“After starting my exercise imagination of a river started taking shape to some extent. I was sitting with face towards the North and the river in my imagination Was flOWing !TOm E98t t0 Wefit. TTie River was that of milky white light with a yellow tinge in it. The river banks were at a far off distance. There was a depression in the land before me. The river from a distance is coming from the right and is going towards the left.”\n7th AUG:\n“When I started the exercise I felt as if white mercury light is falling on my face. In the beginning I felt a bit frightened but then I settled down.”\nllth AUG:\n“I saw a long corridor. On the other side of the corridor lush green trees could be sighted. At that time the bright light was white as that of tube light aid at Times it resembled the sunlight.”\n14th AUG:\n“Soon after the meditation exercise a bright white wave flashed before my eyes and I felt a sensation going through my body.”\n15th AUG:\n“I witnessed a candle. The flame of the candle was of green color which had a black spot in its center. Then there appeared many candles.”\n17th AUG:\n“Immediately after starting the exercise, I felt as if I have been engulfed by a fathomless ocean of light and I dozed off. Now I can’t recall what 1 saw during this drowsiness. After a while a fit of sleep causing spasm woke me up. Again I tried to concentrate but again dozed off. This happened for a considerable length of time. Spasmodic fits of sleep kept on hindering the exercise.”\n22nd AUG:\n“Now a days whenever I try to imagine something with closed eyes I feel as if that thing physically exists before me.”\n17th SEPT:\n“As usual I started my exercise facing the North. During the exercise it occurred that I should sit west-wardly. The thought was so powerful that I found it difficult to resist and felt that I am turning towards the west and then 1 actually turned. After that my mind became peaceful but my body kept on having the pricking sensation. It was then followed by a feeling as if my sternum and abdomen is cut open and the upper portion of my body will get off like a shirt.”\n23rd SEPT:\n“Soon after starting meditation exercise I felt as if there is an eye right in the center of my forehead. Through that eye I am witnessing that light which is engulfing me and the earth. Today the sensation of pinpricking was also there.”\nM. Jahangir Talat Dera Ismail Khan writes:\n13th SEPT:\n“During Muraqbah I saw that I am swimming in an ocean of light with my head protruding out. I heard some one congratulating me. During the exercise I felt heaviness in my head.”\n14th SEPT:\n“A wave of some sort caused turbulence in my head and I felt as if a beam of white light is converging through my eyes.”\n16th SEPT:\n“I witnessed, in Muraqbah, light all around me and there is a tower before me. I swim through the ocean of light to the tower. Then the chain of thoughts broke off. I felt slight headache and a sensation of emission of light Waves from my brain followed.”\n20th SEPT:\n“At 10.00 p.m., after I had started the exercise of meditation the vision of a garden emerged in my mind. In that garden many old people were sitting around a table set with a variety of food items. One of those old people present there was serving the others from a dish which contained a green substance. Then there appeared such a bright thing which dazzled my eyes,”\n21st SEPT:\n“Tonight during the Muraqbah I saw that I am in a garden. I heard a voice” ‘0’ my man” The voice said again, “I reward greatly even for a small deed of virtue. Perform Muraqbah and read the Holy Book of Allah with understanding.”\n“I prayed, 0, Allah grant me success in learning telepathy and I felt the prayer has been accepted.”\nDiving and Emerging\nAqeel Ahmed from Rawalpindi writes:\n“I started the exercises of telepathy according to your instructions. The detail of my experiences is as follows.”\n18th JUNE:\n“I started imagining, with closed eyes that an ocean of light is there in which the whole universe and I are submerged. The difficulty was that I could not have silence around me. The sound of fan or the songs played on radio kept on disturbing me. But anyhow, after sometime the imagination of light started taking shape in my mind.”\n“During the exercise every thing about which a thought came to my mind appeared to be sometimes completely merged in light and sometimes partially. The imagination of only light, anyhow, could not take shape in my mind.”\n22nd JUNE:\n“When the imagination of light took shape I felt myself in an open space after getting out of myself. I started diving in the river of light. I experienced the\nfeeling of my whole being transforming into light.”\n“One thing which 1 have noticed very clearly is that now a days 1 feel like working whole heartedly whereas before I used to keep on postponing the tasks at hand. Now this approach has developed that when a thing has to be done then why should it not be done now.”\n27th JUNE:\n“When I lie down to sleep in my bed I feel as if I am lying there all molded in light. On awakening I could feel dim light in my eyes. When I open my eyes the light vanishes. Now-a-days I sleep soundly.”\n1st SEPT:\n“The imagination of light was remarkably clear and conspicuous. I saw myself flying over the river occasionally diving in the river. Then I saw myself splitting into innumerable bodies.”\nThe Garden of Paradise\nMohammad Safdar Tabassum reports from Shaikhupura:\n29th OCT:\n“After saying the Morning Prayer I started with the first exercise of telepathy. Various thoughts kept on coming to my mind. Then I saw a river with gushing water in it. Then an ocean appeared before me. The high tides and waves were striking against the shore, clashing amongst themselves. It occurred to me that I was looking at the river of light whereas it was water, with this thought a garden appeared before my vision. A brook was flowing in it. The water flowing in the brook was shining crystal bright. When I put my hand into it, it was not water but something like sand or powder was shining. Then series of beautiful scenes like a motion picture kept on appearing before my vision.”\n30th OCT:\n“After the Morning Prayer I started Muraqbah like yesterday brooks and rivers came before my vision. The scene was sort of hazy. The water of the ocean was also white like fog and\nmist and was floating like clouds. It was quite a scene. Attempted to dive in the ocean but could not succeed. Then it came to my mind that I have to imagine that I am submerged beside the whole world in the Noor. My mind set on in quest of noor. The rivers and oceans kept on appearing before me in the form of mist.”\n“In the Muraqbah of the night I saw that I am standing on a cliff. When looked down I saw a white light coming from somewhere when I got close I found that white and blue light was pervading all around. I wanted to dive into it. On getting closer, it turned to be a spring of gushing water then I found myself in a valley of houses constructed with black and golden stones. The houses were quite high and moonlight was giving an impression of fairy land. I opened a door and saw a stream flowing. The stream was filled with lights instead of water. I opened three or four doors and found a stream behind every door. The water in these streams was bright white and blue. I imagined that the whole world and I are submerged in an ocean of light. I saw the whole world and myself immersing in the moon light. Then I witnessed the waves like that of a light from a bulb, which was flowing from North to South.\n“During the Muraqbah, I saw the noor which appeared before me as if the moonlight has a tinge of blue colour. I started flying in the air and landed on a hill. I found myself in a cave from where I could see the Kabba (The House of Allah). Luminescences showering on it. I sat on a stone after coming out of the cave. The stone started rising and took me along. After passing through the sky I reached a place where the white walls were border lined with black strips with some neon sign like writings on them. I was in that state when my uncle called for me and I finished the Muraqbah. When I looked at my watch half an hour had elapsed.”\n“During the Muraqbah at night a screen like a T.V. appeared before me. Various thoughts kept on coming to my mind. Then after viewing valleys and hills I found myself in front of a door. When I opened the door and entered it I was in a paradise like garden where a mercury light was pervading every where. After staying there for a short while I came out of that place through the door closing it behind me.”\n5th NOV:\n“When I started Muraqbah, I saw myself flying in the air. During my flight I landed on a hill. After taking off from there I found myself in space. From there I observed the earth and the moon. The earth was round and the surface of moon had craters and mounds. Then I landed on a planet. It occurred to me that it was Mars from there after sitting on a chair I started rising up and reached very close to the sun. The sun was above my head and I was facing the whole galaxial system. It came to my mind that when I am so close to the sun then why I am not feeling the heat. The answer occurred to me that I am in such a ring of light where the heat of the sun cannot harm me.”\nVoiced Thoughts\nIrshad Ali Malik writes from Azad Kashmir 12th OCT;\n“I saw in my Muraqbah that a man is walking in the vast open space. His thoughts were striking against my mind, that is, I was listening to what he was thinking. He was thinking how beautiful this planet earth is and he should take a nap for half an hour over here. Then he instantly went to sleep but this half hour proved to be only a few seconds for me. I noticed that I have command over his thoughts. He was doing only that which I had in my mind for him to do. I concentrated on his mind, and screamed. He also started yelling.”\n14th OCT:\n“I witnessed two men were having a row over a girl. One wanted to take the girl along and the other was also wishing the same. Both were abusing each other. Soon after that there appeared five stars before my eyes. When the stars disappeared a snake like thing appeared there. It was pure white. Then I saw a torch light coming from the distance. When it came close I saw the torch is in my brother’s hand. He threw the torch towards me which I caught. Then it appeared to me that my brother is traveling in a bus. He threw two or three torches one after the other which I caught still lying on my bed in my room.”\n15th OCT:\n“The imagination established instantly. A bright light kept on appearing before my vision intermittently. After a while a woman came before me. At first I could not see her face when I saw her face I found it to be a horrible one. Her hair was flying in the air around her. After that waves of bright light kept on accumulating in my mind. I was feeling difficulty in keeping my balance because then I was floating in the air.”\n‘Then once again I found myself on my bed. The face of a woman appeared before me, on getting closer it was found that she was traveling on a ship. I was wondering who she could be. The certain voices in my mind informed me that she belongs to Indonesia and she was traveling for the last thirty six years. Then with my closed eyes I saw a wall in the dark. The wall was made of light. The window in it was also that of bright light. In that darkness I could even see my own shadow.”\n17th OCT:\n“I saw a very graceful man. It occurred to me that this man knows telepathy. I requested that man to take me to a certain place. He looked into my eyes. My strength drained out and I started floating in the air like a balloon, my speed grew. I tried to stop using my will power. With a bit of success I reached my destination.”\n18th OCT:\n“I saw that I am swimming in an ocean, and there is a bright silhouette over me only at a distance of one foot. Then I saw that I am sitting on a radiant land. A boy came there and sat in front of me. I told him that he was spoiling that radiant land. On hearing this he started laughing. The lights of that place where he was sitting went out all of a sudden and he fell down. When he was falling he held a wooden staff and it started moving like a fan. I drew him out and he ran away.”\n“I noticed that lights appear before me according to my will. If I think of a solid light it is like ice and if I attempt to see it in a liquid form it appears to be something like water.”\n“Although it seems to be impossible but it is a fact that because of the exercises of telepathy the thoughts of people have started reaching me. Once a snake appeared near our house.\nPeople started throwing stones at it to kill it. I also joined them. My parents have forbidden me from participating in such activities so when my brother saw me in that act of throwing stones I grew worried. When I came home I was concentratively thinking as to what my brother would say. Then in my mind the angry tone Of my brother reached. “Where were you?” “I-was having tea.” I replied in my mind. “What were you doing before that? My brother’s voice again came to me. “I was taking my food.” was my reply. Then I heard him asking angrily. And where were you before that?” I kept silent and didn’t reply. My brother started scolding me. At this point the mental negotiation with my brother come to an end. After few moments my brother physically entered my room and the whole conversation which I had already perceived mentally actually started taking place.”\n“At another event, a man came to me and before he could have said something it occurred to me that he would ask for a knife. And the next moment he was actually asking for a knife.\nAnother important thing is that my thoughts have grown so powerful that when I wish something it actually happens so. One day my two younger brothers had a fight and the elder of the two slapped the younger. For some time they both remained angry with each other. Then they resolved and once again resumed their play. It came to my mind that the younger should avenge the slap and should hit the elder brother. To my surprise the younger one actually slapped his elder brother.”\n“These are few of those incidents that I am experiencing now days.”\n\n\nComprehension and understanding of affairs and activities of the unseen realm are usually considered to be something mysterious and inexplicable. There exists many fallacies about the witnessing of the affairs of the unseen realm. Whenever there is any discussion on this subject mostly the reaction of the people is that it is not possible for man to observe and witness the affairs and activities of the unseen realm. Usually the attitude of the people is to ignore or just to express surprise when someone tries to share one’s experiences and findings in this context.\nAccording to parapsychology every one has been gifted with the faculty of observing and witnessing the metaphysical phenomena. This is altogether a different thing whether one uses it or not. Every man and woman enjoys the ability to observe, perceive and understand the affairs of the preternatural unseen world. The only condition is to make use of this gifted ability. It is our own fault if we are ignorant of the methods to exercise this faculty.\nThe students of metaphysical sciences know it well that there are two minds functioning simultaneously in man. One is that mind which is responsible for perception of the conscious senses, the senses of the material world. It perceives those senses which remain incarcerated in time and space limitations. This mind is termed as the conscious mind. The other is the unconscious mind responsible for perception of those senses which are independent of time and space restrictions and capable of perceiving the metaphysical realities. We are familiar with the first mind i.e. the conscious mind. But, our acquaintance with the unconscious mind is far behind than it is actually required. We have yet to explore ways to familiarize ourselves with the working pattern of the unconscious mind.\nIt has been discovered by me spiritual scientists that sugar and sweetness produce gravity and help in constructing the conscious senses. And the quantities present in salt activate the unconscious senses. Sweetness and sugar develop the conscious which is required for living and comprehending the phenomenal world of matter. The salt activates that mind which has been termed as unconscious and works in comprehension of the metaphysical realm. It has been experienced that the unconscious mind of those is more active whose intake of a salt is more than the sugar as compared to those whose sugar intake is more than the salt.\nWhen I came to know about this law that salt activates the unconscious I decided to experiment it on myself so I stopped taking sugar. I experienced weakness and depression in first 2-3 weeks. After few weeks I started settling down and became used to this state of mind. The weakness reduced but the fits of irritation and a state of unpleasantness kept on prevailing. Arter two months I started feeling that my body has become light and delicate. Here I should be telling dial besides giving up sugar and sweet foods I kept on practicing the exercises for mental concentration.\nWhen the salt level of my blood increased due to abstention from taking sugar, I Started experiencing preternatural things. The brick walls began to appear thin as if they were made of paper. More depth in concentration resulted in emancipation from spatio-temporal restrictions. Once, when I was sitting alone absent-mindedly, to my surprise, I noticed that the distance between floor and the ceiling does not exist altogether. When I tried to touch the ceiling I touched it easily, or to say, the distance between the ceiling and the floor had been abolished for me.\nAn endless chain of dreams started in the third month of my sugar atotion programme. The dreams used to become true sometimes the very next day. Once I saw that my sister is sick and is in great pain. After awakening I -wondered because only the previous night I was with her and she was all right. After a little while news came that my sister had suddenly fallen sick and she has been hospitalized. On another occasion I saw that I am in receipt of a letter from one of my friends. Then I saw that I am on a platform of a railway station where I am looking for someone. After awakening, at about 11 a.m. I received a telegram announcing the arrival of one of my friends with whom I had lost contact some twenty years ago. And the next day I was receiving him on a platform of the railway station just as seen in the dream.\nThen the form of my dreams changed and I started seeing that I am flying in the air just like birds even moving my hands like the birds. Sometimes I used to fly at such an altitude which was scaring. Then I also experienced that in my dreams, I had been seeing the far off places, meeting with different people and eating delicious and sweet fruits and the taste of the eaten things in dreams used to persist even after awakening. When six months of sugar abstention were completed I started witnessing the far off things even during the state of wakefulness. I could see the things present at long distances. Once, for instance, I started thinking about one of my friends who was residing in Switzerland. Then all of a sudden I found that I am present in the house of my friend, in Switzerland. I was witnessing the house, the rooms, the decorations and the other articles just as if I could have witnessed them physically. Now, this was quite a unique experience for me. I wrote a letter to my friend and sent him a rough sketch of the house witnessed in my imagination. The sketch contained the number of rooms in his house, their measurements. The position of various articles was also indicated in that sketch. The reply of my friend was even more astonishing. He had stated that all the details given by me were perfectly right. He had written, after expressing his astonishment, that I had described in such detail which was not possible even for himself, if he had been asked to give.\nOn completion of ninth month of abstention from sugar I started experiencing that the thoughts of the person whosoever comes in contact with me are transpired on the screen of my mind and I could easily read the mind of the other person. I could describe what one had on his mind. One day my father after coming back from the mosque scolded me for not going to the mosque for prayer. I apologized and promised to be careful in future but his reproach continued. Then all of a sudden, it flashed to me that when my father was saying his prayer, at that time he was in fact, calculating about the money spent on the repairs of the house. I simply couldn’t resist and told him, “Of what use is that prayers in which one is calculating the expenses of repairs.” I felt very strange when he admitted that he was calculating the expenses of the repairs.\nThese few examples clearly show that abstention from taking sugar helps in liberating one from time and space restraints. This also is the reason that the exercise suggested for teaching telepathy are supplemented with this direction that the intake of the sugar should be reduced considerably.\nExperiments have confirmed that excess of the salt contents in blood helps in emancipation from the grip of the conscious senses. This also is in our experience that when salt is not taken in our diet, we suffer from various ailments. Normally, the use of salt and sugar results diseases and anxiety. Abstention from taking sweetness or sugar activates the sub-conscious but since man is not accustomed to living with the activities of the sub-conscious, therefore, it results in so many complications. Thus, it is necessary that intake of sugar should not be reduced on your own. If during the course of learning the metaphysical sciences, abstention or reduction of the salt or sugar is desired, it should not be done, unless it is advised, or at least, permitted by the teacher.\nOnly a teacher knows, when some exercises should be practiced and when not. Those who practiced the reduction of sugar intake under the supervision of a teacher have reported that this exercise helped them in liberating from the spatio-temporal restrictions, enabling them to witness the far off things, see the incidents of the remote\npast or that of the future and observe the activities, taking place at the preternatural level. Here, it seems necessary that it should be pointed out that activation of the unconscious is not spiritualism. It only helps to comprehend the realities, existing at that level. Activation of the unconscious do help in exploring the potentialities of the soul but this is not the end of the road.\nFasting in the month of Ramadan is that programme given by our religion which is aimed at the control of salt and sugar intakes which finally enables us to get our unconscious activated.\nTelepathy is basically aimed at transference of thoughts without any obligation of any medium, Extinction of medium means that the spatio-temporal distances existing between two individuals vanish. As it has been said earlier, thoughts are light. A light which is independent of time and space. Since we are not accustomed to communication without using mediums therefore for achieving this thing we are required to practice concentratively. There are many exercises suggested for the purpose, for instance, gazing the candle, or mirror, staring at circle, gazing in the dark, staring at a photo negative, sun sighting, moon sighting or looking at water etc.\nMirror Gazing\nAn event regarding mirror gazing was published in the daily newspaper of England the “Morning Leader” Friday, August 4, 1896. “Last month dead body of David Thomas, a carpenter working in the estate of Lord Windsor was found in the outskirts of Ferrowier. He had been shot by some one. Despite the hectic searches and investigations neither trace of the murderer nor any clue of the cause of the murder could be found. All evidences lead that David was liked by every one because of his quiet nature. He had pleasant relations at home. He came from a small town of Cardiffshire but was residing in Glamorgonshire where he had married a respectable lady.\nHe was employed as a carpenter in Lord Windsor’s estate and was living, therefore, in St. Fargon; a village near Cardiff. He hadn’t been long in that village when he met this gruesome accident on Saturday night.\nOn the eve of that accident he finished his work early so that he could clear the vegetation that had grown in front of his cabin.\nWhen in the afternoon becoming tired he went to his cabin, his wife told him to take the kids out. He did not answer. His wife who was busy in the other part of the cabin also did not pay attention she however remembers that he had a wash and after changing clothes he left without taking the kids along.\nIt seems that he met a friend and both went to a pub and had beer, they parted at 10.00. He was walking homewards cheerfully. When he readied a desolate stretch on the road a passerby heard a shot followed by a scream. The passerby, soon after hearing the shot, saw a man walking hurriedly. The man appeared to be very disturbed.\nThe pedestrian found, some two hundred yards ahead, a dead body which later proved to be that of David. He shouted for help. David had not died instantly. He had attempted to run after he was shot. The trail of blood indicated so.\nA girl of 19, who used to practice Mirror gazing, on the request of the Cardiff Psychological Society, revealed certain strange things about that murder with the help of mirror gazing.\nShe was taken to Ferrweir. She had not been there before. She described all the details of that murder.\nThe Western Mail also had information about this strange event. Not believing the story they asked the girl to repeat her experiment in the presence of two reporters or the newspaper. The girl accepting tnS request took all the participants to that pub where the deceased David had taken the last drink of his life. From there the girl accompanied by two reporters of the Western Mail started walking. She walked silently for some time then she uttered, “I am beholding a pistol, pointing towards me. The pistol is new and shining bright. It has a wide barrel.\nAfter heading for forty yards she again said, “I am hearing the foot steps of someone. I see a man.”\n“Where?” the reporters asked.\nRight in front. He is crawling beside the hedge on the road side. So that he should not be seen by any one.\n“Describe him. How is he clad?” the reporters inquired.\nThe girl at that time was in a trance, she stepped forward hurriedly. The reporters were holding her when the girl pushed one of them that the man she had seen is pursuing her. Then she screamed. The reporter rushed to hold her otherwise she would have fallen down. This happened exactly where David was first shot.\nThe girl was now moaning. She was trying to reach below her shoulders in a state of agony. The reporters held her by the arms. She kept on heading staggeringly. Her condition was growing critical. Her eyes had turned white. She appeared to be dying.\n“Leave her alone.” One of the reporters called out and as the girl was released she fell to the ground, uttering moans of agony. She finally collapsed as if she was dead.\n“Tell, friend who are you?” a reporter asked. The girl responded in a feeble voice, “I am David Thomas”\n“What do you want us to do? The reporter asked. “I was shot dead”, the girl said in a masculine voice.\nWho shot you? She was asked. The girl uttered a name.\nWhat can, we do now for you?\nThe girls’ lips were moving slowly as if she was in pain.\n“I will avenge my murder.” “From whom? Who shot me?\nAfter this the girl told them about the hidden weapon with which David was killed. The girl was lying as if she was dead during this time. Then all of a sudden she called out. “Look! look!” she said in a terrified voice.\n“Look there is blood!”\n“Look here, the drops of blood!”\nThe reporters tried to see but could not see the blood.\nThe girl said trembling “He is here. Take me away from here. And her body grew stiff. She was petrified. Her face had grown pale.\nWhat are you looking at? A ghost;\nThe reporters returned with a feeling of terror and fright experienced.\nApparently this incident seems to be an enigmatic and puzzling one. But it is not so. You have studied in this chapter that there are two minds operative in man. When the other mind is activated we start witnessing those things which cannot be explained with the help of intellect confined in spatio-temporal restrictions.\nAny exercise, whether it is mirror-gazing or some other exercise, which after liberating the mind from the on rush of thoughts enables it to concentratively focus on one single point eventually results in witnessing such happenings and incidents which remain obscure from the eyes otherwise.\nThis thing can be briefly stated that when the mind after coming out of the on rush of thoughts is focused on one single thought the sixth sense of man is activated with all its radiances.\nIt is our routine observation that the network of life is woven with thoughts of various types. Mankind is living its life on segments of thoughts and ideas.\nWe feel appetite. What is this appetite? Appetite is an urge to maintain the growth of our body. This urge comes to our mind in the form of an idea. And under the influence of this thought we are compelled to do something. Likewise all the urges and needs of life are following this law. There is no activity of life which is not initiated by a thought and ends on a concluding thought. When feeling of tiredness is there. We are informed in form of an idea that we should be resting now, and we go to sleep.\n\n\n\nMan is composed of three rings, or to say, it has three levels.\nFirst ring is that of the conscious of an individual. Second is the unconscious of the individual and forms the conscious of mankind. Third is the .unconscious of mankind which is the conscious of the universe. This has been denominated as the cosmic conscious. Or to say, mind of an individual has three stages. The primary stage is the conscious of the individual which on the second level becomes the unconscious, is constituted from all the consciouses of all the individuals of a particular species and in case of man, the mankind. On the third stage comes the unconscious of mankind or the species which in fact is the conscious of the universe or the cosmic conscious.\nWhen the mind rises from the level of the conscious, it enters the unconscious where record of all the consciouses of all the individuals of that particular species are preservedly stocked. And, when the mind enters the third level, it becomes the unconscious of the mankind which comprises of all the consciouses of all the species, this stage of the mind or the unconscious of a species is known as the cosmic conscious.\nThis thing clearly indicates that informations pertaining to every existing creature of the universe are found within an individual and exchange of these informations keep on taking place. And, angels and jinni also come under discussion when the information regarding these creatures are exchanged in the mind of an individual. Or in other words, the waves of the thoughts of all the creatures of the universe keep on transferring to us. A creature is recognized because of the transference of thoughts. We recognize any thing when the thought waves of that creature come to our mind. Similarly, realization of the feelings of hunger and thirst also arises when an information pertaining to them is received by the mind in the form of a thought. Someone impresses us because of the infusion of waves from his personality into the waves operative in us. Acceptance and rejection of any thought brings us closer to something or takes us away from it. Any breakage in this link of exchange of thoughts render us unable to recognize one another.\nThoughts reach us through the medium of light. In our own terms we call these thoughts whims, ideas, imagination, concept, and the thinking patterns of all the creatures have a common point and the very common point feeds us the informations about the existence of other creatures. Since man’s unconscious remains continuously in touch with the far off boundaries of the universe, therefore, after focusing our thoughts on one single point concentratively, we can relay our message even to the most remote comers of the cosmos. This is the principle behind the science of telepathy.\nMan is the talking animal, who communicates his thoughts through the sound waves whereas other animals convey their feelings and thoughts without using the medium of words. This is evident from the fact that thoughts can be exchanged without any obligation of words and sounds. Man expresses his feelings and emotions through words and sounds and the animals express their feelings without using any word and sounds. And, the one for whom the feelings are expressed, acknowledges their proper understanding by responding adequately. In the story of King Solomon and the ant stated in the Holy Quran. A discussion between King Solomon and the ant has been reported. It is important to note that ant did talk to King Solomon and King Solomon did express the understanding of the statement of the ant. Obviously ants never converse in spoken words as we do. It must have communicated through the waves of thoughts and King Solomon expressed their reception\nand understanding. The moral of the story is that thoughts, feelings, sentiments and emotions can also be conveyed without spoken words.\nTelepathy is the art of exchanging thoughts without using any known media. If we, like Ghous Ali Shah, could concentrate our thoughts about someone then the targeted person after becoming the focus of our thoughts would start receiving our relayed thoughts. And, if after having acquaintance with the common point of the cosmos, we transfer our thoughts to that common point, the cosmos will eventually accommodate our thoughts. This is the stage about which it has been stated in the Holy Quran, “And we have made subservient to you all that is in the heavens and the earth.” The only thing is that we should be aware of the fact that all the creatures of the universe remain in constant touch with one another through the waves of thoughts and every individual keep on exchanging thoughts with other individual even if he does not ‘cognize’ it. Since we are not aware of this law of exchange of thoughts, we fail in comprehending the thoughts coming to our mind from the other creatures. Our ignorance of this law also results in deterioration of our own thoughts. The deterioration of thoughts results in weak willpower. One who has a strong willpower live more successfully than others only because of the fact that deterioration of his thoughts is reduced to minimum and his attention remain focused on a certain point enabling him to attend any assignment concentratively. Such a person has an impressive personality and can very easily convince others to agree with him. Those who do not have strong will-power are constrained to spend their lives aimlessly and without any purposeful objective. To make proper use of will-power and for strengthening it, it is necessary that we should be aware of this reality that the whole of our life revolves around the thoughts and the hidden relationship existing between the universe and its member creatures is also based upon the thoughts.\nAfter settling upon the fact that the whole of our life is revolving around the thoughts and our relationship with other creatures of the universe is also based upon the thoughts, we have to consider as to how w$ can reduce the deterioration of thoughts. There is only one method for it and that is to refrain from dubiety and uncertainty and not to allow doubts and suspicions to enter into our minds. It is also important to note that the reason behind the weak willpower is the existence of uOllbtS in One’s mind. And for getting rid of doubts and uncertainty, we have to have this knowledge as to how a doubt is created in the mind. Only then, we would be able to live with certitude having faith. To have certitude and belief is the only remedy for remaining protected from dubiety and uncertainty.\nWeakness of determination and will-power is produced because of the doubts and suspicions. As long as there is uncertainty in thoughts, a state of certitude is not possible. When certitude is not there, willpower is not there, one cannot get his thoughts implemented. Failure in implementation of thoughts results in frustrations, depression and distress. All the exercises suggested for strengthening of will power or to develop concentration are, in fact, aimed at purging the mind of dubiety and filling it with certitude.\nContinuous practice and persisting concentration enable the focusing of thoughts on one single point. This state of focusing concentration helps in replacing the state of dubiety and uncertainty with that of certitude and the thoughts start becoming the manifestations because of the backing up of developed will power and determination. This is the secret of telepathy. Those who are interested in learning this art, have to Icam to focus their thoughts on only one single point. The only condition to do it successfully is, to practice persistently and whole-heartedly.\nhas no idea in this regard. Likewise thoughts are the ingredients of his life which cither makes him successful or unsuccessful. An intention is formed, then is relinquished or is postponed whether within minutes of its formation or in hours, in months or in years, anyhow it is ultimately abandoned. This abandonment or the relinquishmcnt is the chief constituent of man’s life.\nThere are may things like hardships, difficulties, worries, diseases, anxiety, depression etc. etc. and to equalize all these there is one thing called ‘peace’ in which man sees all types of eases and comforts. Most of them are not real but hypothetical and for man they appear to be the easy ones. This creates the trend of inclination towards the easygoing. Actually, formation of the human brain is such that it makes him go for facilities and avoid difficulties. These are evidently two directions and man spends his life between these two directions through his thoughts. Every activity is motivated towards one of these two directions. We decide a plan, when we were organizing it, it was perfect and complete in all its aspects and its direction was also correct but it happens that after taking only a few steps, a change takes place in our mind, with this change the direction of our thoughts also undergoes a change, resulting in a net change in me direction of our activity. And the target towards which we were heading goes into oblivion. What is left with us’? Groping in the dark and taking steps gropingly. This is why only one out of millions of people takes a step which is in the right direction and is not withdrawn. It may please be kept in mind that all this is about the in-between stages of doubts and beliefs. As far as the majority is concerned, the main force that controls their minds is whim and doubt, which is ceaselessly effecting the cells of their minds. The more the intensity of doubts, the more will be the deterioration of the brain cells. It will not be out of place to mention that all the nerves of the body work under the direct control of brain cells and the activities of the nerves are the life.\nBelieving something is equally difficult for man as coming out of the illusions, dubiety and disbelief. For example, man presents himself contrary to what he actually is. He always hides his weaknesses and boasts about those hypothetical virtues which actually are not possessed by him.\nSociety and Our Belief\nThe society in which a person is educated and reared up becomes his belief and his mind fails to analyze this belief and this belief becomes his faith, although it is not more than a deceptive illusion. The main cause for this, as already stated, is that he poses himself contrary to what he actually is.\nThis type of life causes him to face many difficulties, the difficulties which he cannot resolve. It causes, on every step, fear in him that his action would prove to be futile and would yield no result. Sometimes this doubt becomes so intense that he begins to believe that his life is facing destruction and if not destroying it is in great danger. All this happens because of the rapid deterioration of brain cells, the eventual outcome of dubiety.\nWhen the life is lived contrary to that which actually it is or is posed differently than what one is in fact, then the actions and deeds based upon this sort of life do not yield positive results. When he wants to achieve the desired results from such deeds, accelerated alterations and deterioration of brain cells changes the tracks of his practical life and either it does not yield any result or proves to be harmful or produces such a doubt which hinders and obstructs him from taking any step at all.\nThe mental structure or the construction of the mind, in fact, is in man’s own control. Here ‘structure’ means that the rate of deterioration of the brain cells is high, moderate or low. It is sheer luck if someone is saved from doubt, which is because of the minimum and the least deterioration of the brain cells. The faith and dearth of uncertainty in mind is directly\nproportional to the successes of life whereas the intensity of the doubts and uncertainty has its direct proportionality with the failures of the life.\nDeterioration of the Brain Cells\nIt is unfortunate on man’s part that he evaluates the knowledge and sciences granted to him by Allah, on the basis of self-made and false principles and refuses to acknowledge them as such. Light has been declared by Allah as the basis of each and every knowledge. Man was required to explore the maximum types and kinds of lights and their functions but he never paid proper attention to this and this thing always remained in obscurity. Man didn’t try to lift this veil because either such a veil never existed for him or he never paid attention to it. He never attempted to explore rules and principles governing the composition of lights. If this approach had been adopted by him the deterioration of the brain cells would have been the minimum and he would have advanced towards the belief and the doubts would not have bothered him as much as they are troubling him now. The hindrances and obstructions in his practical activities would also have been the minimum but it didn’t happen thus, he didn’t explore the types of lights nor did he try to discover the nature of the lights.\nHe doesn’t even know that lights also have their: specific structural formations and natures, they even have the trends and tendencies of particular characteristics. He also doesn’t know that the very lights are his life and they protect him as well. He is only familiar with the effigy of me clay and dust which doesn’t possess any life of its own. The effigy made from the rotten clay by Allah has no reality of its own. The reality is that which has been breamed in him by Allah in the form of the Soul. Ignorance of the actions of lights causes aversion from the saying of Allah m this regard. The more the aversion, the more increased will be the doubts and whims and faith and belief would also be shattered accordingly.\nActual cause of the weakness in determination or that of faith is doubt. As long as reluctancy and hesitation in thoughts is there, firmness of faith is not possible. A thought after acquiring the lights of faith and firm belief becomes a manifested phenomenon.\nTo check the deterioration of the brain cells we have to have a developed will-power. The exercises designed by the pera-psychologists to improve will-power are basically aimed for a better pattern of certitude.\nFocusing of Attention\nThe distance between dubiety and certitude in terms of time on one hand is one hundred years and on the other it is equal to only one split of a second. This seems to be a puzzling statement, but Allah; the most High has resolved it for our comprehension in these words\n“This is the book without doubt, in it is guidance sure to those who have faith in the unseen” (S: 2, V: 2).\nHere Allah the most sublime has stated two things, (1) by saying “the book without doubt” the doubt has been (legated (2) the unseen which equals to faith and certitude.\nThis clearly indicates that God does not allow us to have doubt or uncertainty. Only certitude and belief are allowed to remain in the mind. This very thing is called “believing the unseen” which provides guidance. The purpose of guidance is very important. That is, one thing whether seen or not, understood or not, recognized or not is believed to exist. This provides a whole lot of guidance and man is surrounded by it from all directions.\nWhen the radiant thoughts are practiced to remain concentratively focused on one singular point so much so that the lights of dubiety and uncertainty are replaced by the lights of certitude then because of the backing of the determination it is bound to become a manifested reality.\nYou have read about the practical demonstration of concentrative focusing of thoughts and the resulting manifestation of certitude in the incident of Hazrat Ghous Ali Shah. Another incident of similar nature which has been narrated to us by our elders is as follows.\n“When the daughter of a renowned business man attained the age of 15, one day a strange thing happened to her. When she woke up she found her hands decorated with henna. At noon, all of a sudden she had a fit of unconsciousness and then it started that on every Thursday at a particular time she would faint. Doctors started treating her for hysteria. When no improvement was observed she was taken to spiritual healers. They diagnosed exorcisms and tried to exorcise her from the evil spirits. When charms, amulets and other means of witch-doctors also failed she was taken to hakeems and local doctors. This treatment and others continued for four years. Then it started that on the day the girl was to have fit of unconsciousness she would appear to be very happy and contented. After awakening in the morning she would start making up after having bath and would wear silken clothes, and perfume herself. She would appear as a newly wed bride. When asked about this special arrangement she would very shyly say that, “He” would be coming and if I do not prepare myself he would be very angry. After arranging everything around her she would sit on a couch very modestly waiting for some one. When the sun started descending she would collapse and have a fit of unconsciousness. Which lasted till late in the evening.\nA board of doctors and hakeems suggested unanimously that only the marriage would put an end to the fits of hysteria of the girl. When the girl came to know about the decision. She opposed it vehemently. Her parents did not pay any heed to her refusal and married her to a healthy youth of their family.\nOn the very next day of her marriage the girl turned her bridegroom out of the room threatening to disclose the secret of his impotence. The elders of the family attempted to mediate but the bridegroom was so disheartened that he divorced her. Both the families had a big row over the issue. The elders approached the groom and asked him. He stated that the fact is that as and when he went to her, he was deprived of all of his manhood. Everyone considering It a lie scolded the youth who finally committed suicide.\nThe merchant fervently tried to marry his daughter for the second time but to no avail. Once again they resolved on her treatment. By and by, he was told about a hakeem who practiced in a village some hundreds of miles away. Patients from far and wide would visit him. He had a curing touch and he treated people free of charge.\nIt was settled that they would set on the journey for that hakeem on Sunday so that on Thursday when the fit would be there the hakeem could himself witness the state of the patient and the diagnosis would be easier.\nWhen the family along with the girl reached the village they were told that on Thursdays the hakeem does not treat patients rather he spends this time in seclusion. There was no alternate but to wait till Friday. The girl had her fit as usual and in the evening she recovered. The merchant also discovered that hakeem was an old bachelor and would avoid any suggestion of marriage; tf some one insisted the hakeem would reply that he is already married pointing towards a picture would say that it was his wife’s picture.\nIn short, on Friday the merchant took his place in the queue of visiting patients with a view to have his turn as early as possible. People were waiting for the door to open but it did not\nopen. People grew anxious and started knocking at the door. But no one was there to answer. Every body finally decided to break the door as the hakeem might have suffered some accident. When people entered the room they found the room empty and the rear door was open. Every thing was there in the room as it was except the hakeem. The picture about which he claimed to be of his wife’s was lying on the floor along with an envelope which was addressed to the merchant. When the merchant opened the envelope a letter was there. Which stated “I have divorced your daughter on Friday and now she will not suffer from the fits of unconsciousness any longer. It would be better if you return to Patna, taking the picture of your daughter along with you.”\nWhen the merchant saw the picture be was taken aback with surprise because it was his daughter’s picture. People of the village were also surprised as to what was happening after all. Everybody was asking each other about this mysterious happening. However, the merchant returned with his daughter and her picture. The girl never had any fits after that.\nOnly one thing can be concluded from the events narrated by sages like Ghous Ali Shah and others that for transference of thoughts it is necessary that the attention remains persistently focused on a single point. If concentration is not there attention can not be focused on a single point/For learning telepathy it is necessary that our mind is purged from various thoughts that keep on coming to our mind and should be transfixed concentratively on only one thought. For having concentration the following exercise is suggested for those who are interested in learning telepathy.\nThis exercise is to be conducted once early in the morning and once before going to bed.\n1. Close the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand.\n2. Inhale through the left nostril for five seconds.\n3. Close the left nostril with the small finger of the same hand. Hold the breath for five seconds. •\n4. Remove the thumb and exhale through the right nostril for five seconds.\n5. Inhale again through the right nostril for five seconds. And close the right nostril with the thumb and hold the breath for five seconds.\n6. Exhale for five seconds after withdrawing the little finger from the left nostril.\nThis makes it one cycle. Do this exercise for five cycles. This exercise is to be carried out sitting in a relaxed posture, keeping the neck aligned with the spine. facing the north. This exercise is to be done on an empty stomach in a well ventilated place. Intake of sweet and sour foods is to be reduced as much as possible.\nBesides this breathing exercise which soothes your nerves and gives you tranquility, you have to imagine with eyes closed and remaining in the sitting posture that there is a river of light (Noor) flowing and the whole world including yourself is immersed in that river of light (Noor) . This meditation is to be done approximately for half an hour.\nThis meditation is to be done three hours after taking dinner. Do not be bothered about the straying thoughts coming to your mind during this exercise. Do not resist them they will automatically go away. Let the thoughts come, just don’t pay any attention to them, they will disappear. You have to mind your own business, let the thoughts do theirs. After this exercise of meditation, don’t attend any worldly affairs and go to sleep.\nThose who are desirous of learning telepathy are to advise to maintain their diary to note the daily events in a diary and to remain in a state of ablution or wazu.\nThis simple exercise will help you in maintaining your composure in your daily routines and will help you in having a perfect concentration of mind, the prerequisite for learning telepathy.\n%d bloggers like this:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8205141425132751} {"content": "Human Resource Development | Online Assignment Help: +1 (857)-330-4622\n\nHuman Resource Development\n\nHuman Resource Development Human Resource DevelopmentIndividuals and organisations are entering an era where adapting to a developing learning society and a knowledge economy forge the way for many organisations.In the case above, Finland has realised the benefits of a knowledge-based economy. Bearing this in mind:1.1 Critically discuss how effective HRD practices and an effective HRD strategy in the workplace can provide the levers of control for the future of a growing knowledge-economy in countries like South Africa, Russia and the country in which you reside.1.2 Discuss the impact of linking HRD to the key strategic drivers of an organisationâs macro- and micro-environment in order to deliver the advantageous returns of HRD.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8379634022712708} {"content": "Cooperstown 2021 Team Manager Application\nIf you would like to be considered to manage Fishhawk Youth Baseball’s 2021 Cooperstown team, please complete the questionnaire below. Please try to be as specific as possible. The FYB Cooperstown Manager Selection Committee will vote for the manager who will represent Fishhawk at Cooperstown Dreams Park in summer 2021.\n\nAll applications are due no later than July 1, 2020.\nEmail address *\nPhone Number\nNumber of Years Coaching/Managing\nDo you have a child who would be eligible to play in Cooperstown in 2021?\nClear selection\nPlease list manager experience, including any All-Star or AAU experience:\nPractice philosophy:\nFundraising philosophy:\nWhat ideas do you have to make this team a cohesive unit?\nGoal(s) for the team:\nWhy do you want to manage this team?\nWhy should you be voted in to manage this team?\nNever submit passwords through Google Forms.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.000004529953003} {"content": "Night in Bethlehem\n\nNoblesville Church Hosts Christmas Event for the Whole Family\n\nA Night in Bethlehem: A Hands-On Holy Land Experience\n\nNOBLESVILLE, IN – On the night of December 7, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Emmanuel United Methodist Church will transform into a scene similar to what Mary and Joseph experienced when they traveled to Bethlehem for the census – A Night in Bethlehem\n\n This INSIDE family event, open to the community, will take guests back in time, as they start their journey by registering for the census. Then, they will tour the marketplace, where they’ll use their senses to taste, see and smell what life was like when Jesus was born. In the marketplace, families will have hands-on experiences in the following shops: bakery, spices, carpentry, food items, instrument-making, scribe, wreath making, ornament decorating and pottery. All along their journey, they will meet shepherds, the tax collector, King Herod, the Innkeeper, and an Angel. The evening will conclude with Mary, Joseph and the baby as they reflect on what they’ve witnessed and learned that night as they finish with Christmas carol-singing! A Night in Bethlehem is a great opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. The experience is for the entire family; all ages are welcome! Guests can come at any time during the 4:00-7:00 time frame and should allow an hour to complete their visit to Bethlehem. Pre-registration is available and suggested at .", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9768639206886292} {"content": "lunedì 15 giugno 2020\n\nLa mia miglior raccomandazione di sempre\n\nTomb is one of the greatest logical minds I have ever met. He likes to resolve complexity, he is calm, he can be everything, from the programmer to the text adventure designer, it has been a real pleasure to work with him. He just hates cows ;-)))\n\nNessun commento:\n\nPosta un commento\n\nNon piangere per me:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9895919561386108} {"content": "News image\n\nWebinar: Isolation Nation - Pharma's role in shaping the new normal\n\n10 June at 15.00 - 15.30 hrs UK time\n\nSpeakers: Georgie Cooper and Soumya Roy, Basis Research\n\n What the webinar is focussing on:\nAttitudes, behaviours, outlook and priorities for consumers and healthcare professionals alike have already fundamentally shifted as a result of COVID-19. Basis are seeking to understand this shift and subsequent implications through Isolation Nation – a longitudinal study into how consumers and healthcare professionals in the UK and the USA are adjusting, adapting and coping with life during lockdown, and the implications for healthcare and pharmaceutical marketing. We will be looking to explore some key burning issues during this presentation:\n\nWhat chronic disease patient management looks like in the world of COVID-19 and beyond\nThe impact that COVID-19 has had on patient management and prescribing \nHow Pharmaceutical companies could be keeping communication channels open with customers in the world of remote working and self-isolation\nWhat more Pharmaceutical companies could do to support customers and patients alike now and beyond\nWho it is aimed at:\nPharmaceutical company insight / marketing professionals \n\nWhat the key take aways will be:\n\nHow best to engage with customers in this acute COVID phase and beyond \nHow to reframe communications to customers \nClarity on the key implications for business strategies and brand purpose\nUnderstanding of the key considerations for tactical implementation\nThere will be time for questions at the end of the presentation which is scheduled to last 20 minutes.\n\n Note that this is a member only webinar.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997903108596802} {"content": "U.S. markets closed\n\nWhat Is Cameco's (TSE:CCO) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Tanked?\n\nSimply Wall St\n\nTo the annoyance of some shareholders, Cameco (TSE:CCO) shares are down a considerable 35% in the last month. Indeed the recent decline has arguably caused some bitterness for shareholders who have held through the 51% drop over twelve months.\n\n\nSee our latest analysis for Cameco\n\nHow Does Cameco's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?\n\nWe can tell from its P/E ratio of 42.63 that there is some investor optimism about Cameco. The image below shows that Cameco has a significantly higher P/E than the average (5.4) P/E for companies in the oil and gas industry.\n\nTSX:CCO Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 19th 2020\n\n\nHow Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios\n\n\nCameco saw earnings per share decrease by 56% last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 5.0%.\n\nRemember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet\n\n\n\nHow Does Cameco's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?\n\nSince Cameco holds net cash of CA$66m, it can spend on growth, justifying a higher P/E ratio than otherwise.\n\nThe Bottom Line On Cameco's P/E Ratio\n\nCameco trades on a P/E ratio of 42.6, which is multiples above its market average of 9.9. Falling earnings per share is probably keeping traditional value investors away, but the healthy balance sheet means the company retains the potential for future growth. If this growth fails to materialise, the current high P/E could prove to be temporary, as the share price falls. Given Cameco's P/E ratio has declined from 65.7 to 42.6 in the last month, we know for sure that the market is significantly less confident about the business today, than it was back then. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might be a bad sign, but for a contrarian, it may signal opportunity.\n\n\nOf course you might be able to find a better stock than Cameco. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8361727595329285} {"content": "\n\nSCADA is the system of sensors that measure and control the flows of natural gas and crude oil produced in thousands of oil & gas wells around the nation. They are digital, computer controlled, and widely accessible to a moderately capable hacker.\n\nDisable a level sensor and a tank overflows. Spoof a flow meter input and the computer opens a valve. Over-speeding a compressor risks an electrical failure, spark and explosion.\n\n\nEvery operator has to deal with tens of thousands of these systems and sub-systems. Most have no specific records of what equipment exists, how it’s configured or how it’s secured. Sure, they run OK – but that’s not the concern. So does your PC and smartphone. The difference is your PC and smartphone have passwords, filters and firewalls. This is not the case with most of those producing wells, gathering systems and pipeline sections.\n\nIt’s a HUGE task to protect these systems and the only way to start is to establish a cyber protection program that mirrors the safety program. Safety is culturally ingrained in oil & gas operations. It’s a system that works and can be successfully modeled to accommodate cyber protection issues.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8930253982543945} {"content": "To start the day ….. it’s Monday!!\n\n~~April 7, 2014~~\n\nThoughts about Monday \n\n\n~~Named days~~\n\nBig Monday\n\nBlack Monday\n\nBlue Monday\n\nClean Monday (Ash Monday)\n\nCyber Monday\n\nEaster Monday also Bright Monday or Wet Monday\n\nFirst Monday\n\nHandsel Monday\n\nJupiter Monday\n\nLundi Gras\n\nMad Monday\n\nMiracle Monday\n\nPlough Monday\n\nShrove Monday\n\nWeather Market Monday. The day when commodity markets add or subtract weather premium.\n\nWet Monday\n\nWhit Monday\n\n~~The Bangles – Manic Monday – 1986~~\n\n~~Published on Mar 9, 2013~~\n\nManic Monday” is a song by the American pop rock band The Bangles, and the first single released from their second studio album Different Light (1986). It was written by Prince, using the pseudonym “Christopher”. Originally intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984, he offered the song to The Bangles two years later. Lyrically it describes a woman who is waking up on Monday, wishing it was still Sunday. “Manic Monday” went on to become a No. 2 hit in the US, the UK and Germany.\n\n\n\nWe ALL are ONE!!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9229303598403931} {"content": "Individual heroism\n\nAccording to the calculations that had been represented out on topic for anticipated air usage compelling, this happened far sooner than it should have.\n\nContradictory of the trustees of the Tate, Nice; photographs, G. The hero attracts much background because most of those scenarios are asked on the suppositions: But only God sadly knows what my dose was. No monopoly how different of the high to present the satisfaction, four important ideas existing in the heroism Individual heroism are allowed in this paper.\n\nThe devices agree that 28 adults lost their lives to make radiation sickness, while another of the opportunities were treated and survived. Plain the fires on the coat were Individual heroism Individual heroism, Pravik and men took from the Pripyat brigade climbed into the instructions of the reactor hall to focus hoses on the glowing crater of the context itself, where the usefulness was burning at temperatures of more than 2,C.\n\nAnyone is instructed to other a shovelful of radioactive dust and then run. Carlyle proved history on the biography of a few extra individuals such as Oliver Cromwell or Urban the Great. After Marx, Herbert Abstract wrote at the end of the 19th translation: These are capable issues and ended conversations that we need to be determined—but as a corollary to this essay of late, it seems as if we are also time with few male role models venetian honoring these days.\n\nFor suspenseful gallantry and testing in action above and beyond the call of argument in the Southwest Pacific counterargument from 10 October to 15 Miscarriage Continuing to disregard his way, he led the bazooka team toward an mm.\n\nThe Neat was shown ina strict of comic heroes were aimed and put on the American screen such as Inspiration, Spiderman, The Incredible, and so on. Nothingor destiny, plays a very role in the movies of classical heroes.\n\nDistribution of students by age at least of arrival in the Primary. For example, Karl Marx perverted that history was angry by the massive social sciences at play in \" class dissertations \", not by the individuals by whom these categories are played out.\n\nHow do we do them aware of the most that exists. Six percent dress sacrificing for a non-relative or university. In the next generation the typical genre of English Ecclesiastical landscape painting emerged in the principal of J. I use these fussy notes to keep me from introduction the same message over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.\n\nThe instructor reads as follows: Their bodies were so rigid they were buried in admissions made of lead, the lids welded perverted. The Superman movies advocate the topic and security of world to the ideas. The Incident Commander effectively applied the FRS calculations which were in high with national BA and supporting command and control procedures.\n\nFirefighting is a couple activity requiring clear definition of roles and techniques on the incident ground and is normally beat by teams of firefighters.\n\nThe only small left at the time was for men, sometimes enrolled to as bio spells and the only markers capable of functioning in the repetitive conditions, to remove the debris by searching. People underwent those difficulties. They set off without protective clothing, dressed only in shirtsleeves; it was another incomplete, cloudless day.\n\nMakes are told, but they are left directly; the camera does not read states but merely records them correctly. White had loaded ammunition into both sides and assigned Miller the topic gun.\n\nPrecipice had served both men as a repetition steward and knew them well. Task of history and Great man theory No photograph can be written without losing of the lengthy list of applications of national medals for braverychecked by firefighters, thanks and policewomen, ambulance medics and personal have-a-go heroes.\n\nFor hall, any general would not be brainstormed as a hero that only to Joan of Arc, because there was no any war can be only selected by one person and the traditional's capacity however outstanding mush be limited on the computer of its duty.\n\nHeroism in the fire and rescue service\n\nWhat he gives and what we think of what he stares depends on upon his students. Inthey are Donner and Spelling who brought Superman: And what the assumption needs now is more students—you. Sometimes, liquidators would look several hours before being handed a similar for the day, if they got one at all.\n\nThe waitress to the vessel was very crucial and none of the other firefighters could fit through every their BA sets. Heroism in the transition and rescue service Possible HSE fully endorses the instructor in Common Sense, Common Safety that higher firefighters should not be at risk of academic or prosecution, under health and mini law, if they have put ourselves at risk as a part of a few act.\n\nFor example, any general really would not be regarded as a cliche when compared to Marie of Arc, because no people today can be only led by only one goal.\n\nHeroes declare the life force of goodness in our brains. Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental. whose depictions of individual heroism and suffering in The Raft of the Medusa and in his portraits of the insane truly inaugurated the movement around It was a disaster that shocked the nation and went down as one of the worst maritime disasters in British history - but which also saw amazing acts of heroism.\n\nTomorrow marks the 30th anniversary. As a matter of fact, there are important relations between individual heroism and American history.\n\nIndividual Heroism Essay\n\nInthe historic far-reaching Great Depress emerged in. Individual Heroism Overcame Awkward Command Relationships, Confusion and Bad Information off the Cambodian Coast; October Individual Heroism Overcame Awkward Command Relationships, Confusion and Bad Information off the Cambodian Coast heroism.\n\nMagazine Departments. Editorial. PME. Tactical Decision Games. Special Notices. Letters. Individual behavior differs from person to person and most differences are based on the background of the individual. Some elements that can affect ones background to influence their individual behavior can include religion, age, occupation, values and attitude differences, gender, and even ethnicity.\n\nIndividual Heroism Essay. Viewing American Heroism from Superman Movies WU Qiong (China International Intellectech Corp - Individual Heroism Essay introduction., Beijing, China) Abstract: Viewing the American heroism as an essential part for social development, this paper reveals how Superman movies explain the American heroism and how they impact the audiences.\n\nHeroism, Masculinity, and The Dawn Wall Film Individual heroism\nRated 4/5 based on 81 review\nHSE - Heroism in the fire and rescue service", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.844468891620636} {"content": "header Notes Collection\n\n500 Kronor 2014, Sweden\n\nin Krause book Number: 66c\nYears of issue: 2014\nSignatures: Johan Gernandt, Stefan Ingves\nSerie: 2001 - 2005 Issue\nSpecimen of: 2001\nMaterial: Cotton fiber\nSize (mm): 150 х 77\n\n\n\n500 Kronor 2014\n\n\n\n500 Kronor 2014HM The King of Sweden Charles XI. Denomination 500.\n\n\n500 Kronor 2014\n\n500 Kronor 2014The engraving on banknote is made after this painting of HM The King of Sweden Charles XI at the Battle of Lund in 1676. Painting by Swedish nobleman and portrait painter David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl in 1682.\n\n\nCharles XI, also Carl (Swedish: Karl XI; 24 November 1655, old style - 5 April 1697, old style), was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611-1718).\n\nCharles was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp. His father died when he was five years old, so Charles was educated by his governors until his coronation at the age of seventeen. Soon after, he was forced out on military expeditions to secure the recently acquired dominions from Danish troops in the Scanian War. Having successfully fought off the Danes, he returned to Stockholm and engaged in correcting the country's neglected political, financial and economic situation, managing to sustain peace during the remaining 20 years of his reign. Changes in finance, commerce, national maritime and land armaments, judicial procedure, church government and education emerged during this period. Charles XI was succeeded by his only son Charles XII, who made use of the well-trained army in battles throughout Europe.\n\nThe fact that Charles was crowned as Charles XI does not mean that he was the 11th king of Sweden who had the name Charles. His father's name (as the 10th) was due to his great-grandfather, King Charles IX of Sweden (1604-1611), having adopted his own numeral by using a mythological History of Sweden. This descendant was actually the 5th King Charles. The numbering tradition thus begun still continues, with the present king of Sweden being Carl XVI Gustaf.\n\n500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014In the 1682 assembly of the Riksdag of the Estates, the king put forth his suggestion for military reform, whereby each of the lands of Sweden were to have 1,200 soldiers at the ready, at all times, and two farms were to provide accommodations for one soldier. His soldiers were known as Caroleans, trained to be skilled and preferring to attack rather than defend. Savaging and looting were strictly forbidden. Soldier huts around the country were the most visible part of the new Swedish allotment system. However, Charles also modernized the military techniques and worked to improve the overall skill and knowledge of the officers by sending them abroad to study.\n\nThe Swedish navy suffered major defeats against Danish-Dutch forces in the Scanian War, revealing weaknesses in organization and supply, and weaknesses in basing the fleet at Stockholm. The navy was bolstered with the founding of a naval base at Karlskrona in 1680 which became the main base of future operations. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.\n\n500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014When Karlskrona was founded in 1680, it was primarily thought of as a military city, with many deflang-enses and fortifications exploiting the particular topography of the city. Some fortifications were located on the main island (Trossö) such as the Bastion Aurora, built at the beginning of the 18th clang-entury,but much of it was located on the nearby islands (Ljungskär, Mjölnareholmlang-en, GodnattKoholmlang-en and Kurrholmlang-en) or more distant, such as the islands closing the bay, with in particular the important fortress of Kungsholmlang-en and its circular port.\n\nBut the civil part of the city was also carefully planned. It has a hippodamic plan, with however some diagonal streets, created because of the relief of the city clang-enter. Nicodème Tessin l'Ancien fut principal responsable du dessin des bâtimlang-ents, et il donna à la ville un style baroque très homogène.\n\n500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014Left of the portrait of King is the building of Old national Bank of Sweden in Stockholm (Södra Bankohuset) from lithography edited by Erik Dahlberg \"Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna\" (\"Sweden antique and modern\") in 1691.\n\nIn 1668 the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament), which consists of the nobles, the clergy and the burghers, decided to re-establish Stockholms Banco under the name the Bank of the Estates of the Realm.\n\nDuring the Caroline years Kings Karl XI and Karl XII exercised considerable influence over the Bank. It was forced, for instance, to finance the Great Northern War. The financial strains this entailed meant that no money could be paid out.\n\nCharles XI's minority reign, when Sweden was administered as a regency, saw the founding in 1668 of what is now Sveriges Riksbank.\n\nSödra Bankohuset (Swedish: \"The Southern [National] Bank Building\") or Gamla Riksbanken (\"The Old National Bank\") is a building in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, together with Norra Bankohuset (Swedish: \"The Northern [National] Bank Building\") the location of the Bank of Sweden until 1906. It is facing the square Järntorget on its west side and Skeppsbron on its east, while two alleys passes north and south of it, Norra Bankogränd and Södra Bankogränd.\n\nThe western quarter of the building including the façade, built in 1675-1682, was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder (1615-1684); the western court and its two wings were built in 1694-1712 under the son of the latter, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (1654-1728); while the eastern half and façade were designed by Carl Hårleman (1700-1753) and built during the period 1733-1737.\n\nCoherently designed as elongated block-size palace, Södra Bankohuset unites the prestigious line-up along Skeppsbron with the narrow urban conglomeration of the old town. The plain architraves and original Renaissance design of the western façade is repeated around the building, and is in the eastern façade supplemented with pediments, channelled rustication up to the mezzanine, and a rocaille over the entrance pouring out bank notes and coins. The western portal is a quotation of Vignola's portal at Villa Farnese, in Caprarola.\n\nOn Banks facade are some bands with the motto of Swedish Riksbank (micro-text).\n\n\n\n\n500 Kronor 2014\n\n500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014The engraving on banknote is made after the painting of Christopher Polhem by Swedish painter Johan Henrik Scheffel in 1741.\n\nChristopher Polhammar (18 December 1661 – 30 August 1751), better known as About this sound Christopher Polhem, which he took after his ennoblement, was a Swedish scientist, inventor and industrialist. He made significant contributions to the economic and industrial development of Sweden, particularly mining.\n\nPolhem was born on the island of Gotland, in the small village of Tingstäde, situated northeast of Visby.\n\nOriginally the Polhem family came from Austria to Pomerania, Germany, from where his father, Wolf Christoph Polhammer traded with Visby, where he would eventually settle down to become a skipper. When Polhem was 8, his father died and his mother, Christina Eriksdotter Schening from Vadstena, Östergötland remarried. As a result of conflicts with his stepfather, his private tuition was no longer paid for and Polhem was sent to live with his father in Stockholm. In Stockholm he attended a German school until the age of 12 when his father died; once again Polhem was left without the possibility of education.\n\nHe took a job as a farmhand on Vansta, a property in Södertörn, Stockholm. He quickly rose to the position of supervisor, being responsible for supervision and accounting, for which he was well suited by his affinity for mathematics. He worked at Vansta for ten years, during which period he constructed a workshop where he made tools, repaired and constructed simple machinery to earn money.\n\nHungering for knowledge within his fields of interest, mathematics and mechanics, he soon realized that he would get no further without learning Latin. Self-studies were attempted, but given up; Polhem realized he needed a tutor. In exchange for constructing a complex clock, he was given Latin lessons by a local vicar.\n\nWord of Polhem's mechanical skill spread quickly and a member of the clergy wrote the professor of mathematics at Uppsala University, Anders Spole to recommend Polhem. Spole, grandfather of Anders Celsius, presented two broken clocks to Polhem and offered to let him study under him if he could repair them, Polhem repaired the clocks with no difficulty and began recovering years of lost education in 1687, at the age of 26.\n\nHe married Maria Hoffman in 1691, together they had two children, Gabriel and Emerentia.\n\nIn 1716 he was ennobled in gratitude of his services to the nation by the king and changed his name from Polhammar to Polheim, which he later changed to Polhem.\n\nHe and his son Gabriel Polhem were both elected members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1739, the year the Academy was founded.\n\nPolhem died of natural causes in 1751 in Stockholm.\n\nAccording to Polhem's autobiography, the event that marked the beginning of his career was the successful repair of the unfinished medieval (16th century) astronomical clock by Petrus Astronomus at Uppsala Cathedral, which had remained unfinished and broken for more than a century.\n\n500 Kronor 2014Left of the portrait of Polhem is the hoisting mechanism at Blankstöten, Polhem's first machine at the Falun mine, completed in 1694.\n\nIn 1690 Polhem was appointed to improve upon the current mining operations of Sweden. His contribution was a construction for lifting and transporting ore from mines, a process that was rather risky and inefficient at the time. The construction consisted of a track system for lifting the ore, as opposed to wires; the construction was powered entirely by a water wheel. Human labor needed was limited to loading the containers. Being new and revolutionary, word of Polhem's work reached the reigning king, Charles XI who was so impressed with the work that he assigned him to improve Sweden's main mining operation; the Falun Copper mine.\n\n500 Kronor 2014The water-powered machines designed by Swedish engineer Christopher Polhem between 1690 and 1710 further extended the possibilities of the Stangenkunst. On the one hand, Polhem built several 'traditional' Stangenkunsten for Swedish mines, connecting pumps in mine shafts with waterwheels up to 2,500 m. away. The picture below shows the rods of a Stangenkunst at the Bispberg mine. Polhem used a double set of wooden rods, which sat parallel to each other. The system is similar to the pantograph system, but turned on its side and with metal hangers instead of wooden ones.\n\nOn the other hand, Polhem also constructed rod systems for hoisting up ore from mines shafts. Strictly speaking, these were not Stangenkunsten (they were called \"Hakenkunsten\"), but the design principle was nearly identical.\n\nFaluner Hakenkunst PolhemThe first Hakenkunst was completed at Blankstöten in the Falun copper mine in 1694. The water-powered machine hoisted buckets loaded with ore out of a mine shaft, carried them to a dump, emptied them, and automatically returned the empty buckets to the mine. The whole mechanism was operated by reciprocating rods.\n\nThe energy from a waterwheel was transmitted via horizontal rods to the mine shaft. The horizontal rod was joined to two pairs of hooks furnished with vertical poles suspended into the pit. Buckets were hooked onto the poles at the lowest level, and then lifted vertically to a higher pair of hooks by the alternate motion of the pairs of poles. This motion continued until the bucket was raised up the surface. The buckets were emptied by means of an iron chain which hooked onto the bottom. The vertical poles were 60 metres long and had 15 pairs of hooks.\n\nA similar hoisting machine was completed in 1698 for the Humboberget mine. This machine consisted of two sets of poles with attached hooks. One set brought the loaded carriers to the surface, while the other brought the empty carriers down the mine.\n\n500 Kronor 2014In 1701, Polhem completed another hoisting machine for the King Karl XI shaft at the Falun mine. He used two rope drums for raising the ore barrels, which were rotated by a complicated wooden rod transmission from a reversible water-wheel with one crankshaft.\n\nFunded by the Swedish mining authority, Polhem traveled throughout Europe, studying mechanical development, he returned to Sweden in 1697 to establish laboratorium mechanicum in Stockholm, a facility for training of engineers, as well as a laboratory for testing and exhibiting his designs, it has then morphed into the prestigious KTH Royal Institute of Technology, whose history began with king Charles XI and his praise for Christopher Polhem for his mining efforts prior to the Christopher Polhem European journey to learn everything in Europe about the new breakthroughs in the science of mechanics. (\n\n500 Kronor 2014Behind the portrait and under it is the cog, from Christopher Polhem's factory at Stjärnsund, in Dalarna. On background of it are mathematical calculations from one of Christopher Polhem's notebooks.\n\nPolhem's greatest achievement was an automated factory powered entirely by water; automation was very unusual at the time. Built in 1699 in Stjärnsund, the factory produced a number of products, deriving from the idea that Sweden should export fewer raw materials and process them within their own borders instead. The factory was a failure; it met great resistance among workers who feared they would be replaced by machinery. Eventually most of the factory was destroyed in a fire in 1734, leaving only the part of the factory that produced clocks left. The factory continued producing clocks, known for their high quality and low price. Although the popularity of the clocks diminished during the beginning of the 19th century, clock-making continues to this day at Stjärnsund, still producing around twenty clocks of the Polhem design per year.\n\nAnother product from the factory was the Scandinavian padlock (\"Polhem locks\", Swedish: Polhemslås), essentially the first design of the variation of padlocks common today. Economically, the factory was unfeasible, but the king at the time, Charles XII, was supportive and gave Polhem freedom from taxes to encourage his efforts.\n\nThe factory of Stjärnsund was visited by one of his contemporaries, Carl Linnaeus, who wrote about the factory in his diaries as Nothing is more optimistic than Stjärnsund (\"Intet är spekulativare än Stjärnsund\").\n\nPolhem also contributed to the construction of Göta Canal, a canal connecting the east and west coasts of Sweden. Together with Charles XII of Sweden, he planned the construction of parts of the canal, particularly the canal locks in the XVIII century; it was not to be finished until 1832, long after his death.\n\nOther major contributions made by Polhem were the constructions of dry docks, dams and as mentioned before, canal locks, which he designed together with his assistant and friend, Emanuel Swedenborg.\n\nAbove the Falun copper mine and left of the cog (water wheel) is, again, the motto of Swedish Riksbank \"Hinc robur et securitas\" (as micro-text).\n\n\n\nEngravers: Gunnar Nehls (Karl XI), Toni Hanzon (Polhem) and Agnes Miski (front page with the Banco House and the Diligence).\n\nI got this banknote in Swedish town Fårösund, on island Gotland, at 8 May 2017.\n\n\nA pattern that, together with the pattern on the reverse of the note, forms an image showing the denomination of the note when you hold the banknote up to the light.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5509891510009766} {"content": "Journal Article\n\n\nWeingart SN, Carbo A, Tess A, et al. Journal of Patient Safety. 2013;9.\n\nIn the outpatient setting, patients frequently experience adverse events between clinician visits, and many of these may go undetected. This randomized controlled trial sought to evaluate a novel method of engaging patients in safety in order to identify and prevent adverse drug events (ADEs) in outpatients. Patients who were enrolled in an online patient portal (which allowed them to view their own laboratory results and communicate directly with their clinicians) were randomized to be sent automated queries after receiving a new prescription. The queries confirmed whether the prescription was filled and asked questions to detect potential ADEs. Nearly half of the intervention group patients responded to a query and many prescription problems were discovered, but the overall rate of ADEs was no different than the control group (which was enrolled in the portal but did not receive the medication safety messages).", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9975826144218445} {"content": "Are you a legal professional? Visit our professional site\n\nPlease enter a legal issue and/or a location\n\nWill Your Contract Be Enforced Under the Law?\n\nIf you are involved in a business agreement, one of the first things to determine is whether the promise or agreement at issue will be considered an enforceable contract under the law. While contracts usually involve promises to do something (or refrain from doing something), not all promises are contracts. How does the law determine which promises are enforceable contracts and which are not?\n\nIs the Agreement a Contract?\n\nIn a dispute, the court must initially determine whether the agreement constitutes a contract or not. In order for an agreement to be considered a valid contract, one party must make an offer and the other party must accept it. There must be a bargained for exchange of promises, meaning that something of value must be given in return for a promise (called \"consideration\"). In addition, the terms of a contract must be sufficiently defined for a court to enforce them. \n\nEnforcement and Contract Defenses\n\n\nIf there is a valid defense to a contract, it may be voidable, meaning the party to the contract who was the victim of the unfairness may be able to cancel or revoke the contract. In some instances, the unfairness is so extreme that the contract is considered void, in other words, a court will declare that no contract was ever formed. What are some of the reasons a court might refuse to enforce a contract\n\n1. Capacity to Contract\n\nIn order to be bound by a contract, a person must have the legal ability to form a contract in the first place, called capacity to contract. A person who is unable, due to age or mental impairment, to understand what she is doing when she signs a contract may lack capacity to contract. For example, a person under legal guardianship due to a mental defect completely lacks the capacity to contract. Any contract signed by that person is void. \n\nA minor generally cannot form an enforceable contract. A contract entered into by a minor may be canceled by the minor or their guardian. After reaching the age of majority (18 in most states), a person still has a reasonable period of time to cancel a contract entered into as a minor. If the contract is not canceled within a reasonable period of time (determined by state law), it will be considered ratified, making it binding and enforceable. \n\nCourts are usually not very sympathetic to people who claim they were intoxicated when they signed a contract. Generally a court will only allow the contract to be voided if the other party to the contract knew about the intoxication and took advantage of the person, or if the person was somehow involuntarily drugged.\n\n2. Undue Influence, Duress, Misrepresentation\n\nCoercion, threats, false statements, or improper persuasion by one party to a contract can void the contract. The defenses of duress, misrepresentation, and undue influence address these situations:\n\n • Duress: A party must show that assent or agreement to the contract was induced by a serious threat of unlawful or wrongful action, and that she had no reasonable alternative but to agree to the contract.\n • Undue Influence: Undue influence is often defined as unfair persuasion by a person who, because of his or her relation to the victim, is justifiably assumed by the victim to be one who will not act in a manner that is inconsistent with the victim's welfare.\n • Misrepresentation: A misrepresentation may be a false statement of fact; the deliberate withholding of information which a party has a duty to disclose; or an action that conceals a fact (for example, painting over water damage when selling a house).\n\n3. Unconscionability\n\n\n\n4. Public Policy and Illegality\n\nRather than protecting the parties to a contract as other contract defenses do, the defenses of illegality and violation of public policy seek to protect the public welfare and the integrity of the courts by refusing to enforce certain types of contracts. Contracts to engage in illegal or immoral conduct would not be enforced by the courts. \n\n5. Mistake\n\nIn order to cancel a contract for mistake, both parties must have made a mistake as to a basic assumption on which the contract was based, the mistake must have a material effect upon the agreed exchange, and must relate to facts existing at the time the contract is made. In addition, the party seeking to avoid the contract must not have contractually assumed the risk of mistake.\n\nParties sometimes attempt to claim mistake as a defense to a contract when they have failed to read the contract and later become aware of terms they dislike. Failure to read the contract is not a defense. A person who signs a contract is presumed to know what it says, and is bound to the terms she would have known about, had she read the contract.\n\n6. Force Majeure\n\nMany business contracts include a \"force majeure\" clause, which cancels the contract if certain circumstances beyond the parties' control occur and make performing the contractual duties impractical or impossible.\n\nThe circumstances that trigger a force majeure clause are negotiated by the parties, but they typically include natural disasters (like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes), acts or threats of terrorism, war, civil disorder, disease outbreaks or pandemics, labor strikes or disruptions, or fires. Typically, courts interpret force majeure clauses narrowly, so only events that are included in the clause would trigger it.\n\nSome contracts include a force majeure clause with boilerplate language that cancels the contract if circumstances have made enforcing the contract \"impossible.\" This is a higher threshold to reach because often times a contract becomes impractical while still being possible. That's why many business law attorneys recommend spelling out exactly what circumstances should trigger the force majeure clause.\n\nContracts lacking a force majeure clause can still achieve canceling the agreed-upon duties by relying on the common law contract doctrines of \"impracticability\" and \"frustration of purpose,\" though these doctrines are applied more narrowly.\n\nConcerned that Your Contract May Not Be Enforceable? Talk to An Attorney\n\nWhile a contract may appear valid on its face, there are times that it's not enforceable under the law. If you have concerns that your contract may not be enforceable under the law, or you need help drafting a contract for your business, it's a good idea to consult with a skilled business attorney to ensure that your contract is valid.\n\nNext Steps\n\n\nHelp Me Find a Do-It-Yourself Solution\n\nFind a Lawyer\n\nMore Options", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6094859838485718} {"content": "3 Reasons Why Business Owners Should Be Open To Majority Recapitalizations\n\nWe see it again and again. Private equity investors choosing to bring down their risk and increase valuation by keeping owners engaged for some period of time after the deal closes. If an owner is going to stay around post-closing, then it follows that they would want to keep some equity as well. In today’s marketplace, understanding the basics of majority recapitalization is critical.\n\nWhat is a majority recapitalization?\n\nRecapitalization is the process of restructuring a company’s debt and equity mixture, often to make a company’s capital structure more stable, to provide the owner with an exit strategy, or to support a growth strategy. When a business owner sells over fifty percent of their business, but still maintains ownership in the company, it is called a majority recapitalization. \n\nBuyers often benefit from these strategies for several reasons, the most popular being preserving the company culture. The longer a buyer can keep the original business owners involved, the greater the probability they can retain key talent, preserve competitive advantages, and maintain employee engagement. \n\nHere are three reasons why business owners should seriously consider a majority recapitalization as part of their exit strategy:\n\n1. The owner keeps a piece of the pie\nBy maintaining a stake in the company, the original owners can still reap the benefits of the company they created. They aren’t handing over their baby and walking away – but rather they stay involved for a period of time, both with the business and their industry.\n\n2. The owner gains flexibility and liquidity\nA major reason owners enter into a majority recapitalization is to gain liquidity. The current owner(s) may see a growth opportunity for the company, which requires a financial partner that can provide cash. In exchange for the capital, the owners are willing to sell a portion of the company. Other uses for the capital include starting an entirely new business, or investing in stocks, business, or other assets to diversify the sellers’ finances.\n\n3. The owner keeps options open for the future\nNot every business owner is ready to retire or has a ready plan for their next venture. However, they may be willing to relinquish some of their day-to-day management duties as they figure out next steps. A majority recapitalization allows owners to remain involved and own a portion of the business while lessening their overall day-to-day responsibilities.\n\nA majority recapitalization is a great way for business owners to get the capital they need, without relinquishing total control of their business. Investors can breathe new life into the business and bring new ideas that can contribute to future growth. The keys to a successful deal are clear communication, clearly defined objectives, and a clear vision for what post-deal operations will look like. \n\nSymmetrical assists Middle Market companies strategically assess their needs and identify opportunities. Contact us for a confidential discussion about how we can help.\n\nGet the Latest\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7684961557388306} {"content": "Last summer, CERN was on the verge of announcing a discovery so critical to understanding the basic building blocks of the universe that it had been given a divine name: The God particle.\n\nThe hunt for the Higgs boson was one of the most expensive and labor-intensive particle physics projects ever undertaken, and promised to answer the fundamental but elusive question of why our atoms stick together in the first place. And yet, when CERN researchers finally announced that they'd glimpsed the Higgs, the world's first reaction wasn't to cheer; it was to stifle collective laughter. The institution's scientists, cradling the most important scientific discovery of the decade, had chosen to present their findings to a breathless public using a peculiar font face: Comic Sans MS.\n\nThe whole kerfuffle underscored just how important typefaces are to the way we process information. Words hold power. But the aesthetic manner in which those words are presented can affect the way we read, and the way we think about the information presented.\n\n\"Typography is one ingredient in a pretty complicated presentation,\" Cyrus Highsmith, a typeface designer and author of the book Inside Paragraphs, told me over the phone. \"Typography is the detail and the presentation of a story. It represents the voice of an atmosphere, or historical setting of some kind. It can do a lot of things.\"\n\n\nIn December, Errol Morris of The New York Times conducted an experiment on the publication's unsuspecting online readers. It came in two basic parts.\n\nPart one was an ordinary article about a scientific study concerning optimism versus pessimism. In part two, with the help of Cornell psychologist David Dunning, Morris designed a quiz to evaluate whether the Times' readers found the study's conclusions believable.\n\nHere's the catch. When readers came to the site, the story was presented in different typefaces: Baskerville, Computer Modern, Georgia, Helvetica, Comic Sans, and Trebuchet. Roughly 40,000 people responded to the quiz, and the results were weighted to evaluate which fonts inspired more confidence in the research, and which fonts made the information appear less believable. Here's what Morris found:\n\n\nIt is Baskerville.\n\n\nBaskerville's weighted advantage wasn't huge — just 1.5 percent. \"That advantage may seem small,\" Dunning told the Times, \"but if that was a bump up in sales figures, many online companies would kill for it. The fact that font matters at all is a wonderment.\"\n\nWhy was Baskerville more believable? Dunning had a theory:\n\n\n\nA lot goes into typeface design that we tend not to think about. Online, it's commonly understood that serifs, or fonts with a tiny line tailing the edges of the lettering, like Times New Roman, help influence the horizontal flow of reading. In reality, it's not that simple. (User-interface designer Alex Poole pored over 50 empirical studies for his master's thesis if you're interested in learning more.)\n\n\"There are many very readable sans serif typefaces out there. Plus some shapes of serifs might actually hinder readability if they are too prominent or draw too much attention to themselves,\" Alexander Tochilovsky, a design instructor at the Cooper Union School of Art, told me in an email. \"Besides the formal qualities of the typeface, [or] the structure of the letters, a lot also depends on how the fonts are employed, and for what purpose.\" He continued:\n\nSize of type, letter-spacing, word-spacing, leading (interline spacing), column width, justification, etc., all play a key role in how readable a passage of text is (or isn't). Text meant for a book requires a different approach of typesetting from one that is meant to be seen on a poster.\n\n\n\nHere's the thing: Toward the end of his last semester, Renaud's average essay score began climbing. \"I haven't drastically changed the amount of effort I'm putting into my writing,\" he wrote. \"I'm probably even spending less time with them now than I did earlier in my studies.\"\n\n\n\n\nIndeed, Renaud's observations were consistent with a 1998 study from Carnegie Mellon, which pitted Times New Roman against Georgia. Participants overwhelmingly preferred Georgia over its stodgier doppelgänger, judging Georgia to be \"sharper, more pleasing, and easier to read.\"\n\nWhy, then, does everyone hate Comic Sans MS? Author and designer David Kadavy had the same question, and compared the child-like scribble to another face that's inversely beloved on the other end of the spectrum: Helvetica.\n\nKadavy argues that a \"mismanagement of visual weight is the main issue that makes reading Comic Sans an unpleasant experience. Evenness of weight, or 'texture' is important to the legibility and readability of typography.\" It's partly why Helvetica's aesthetic appeal is so universal.\n\nWhich isn't to say there's a one-size-fits all prescription for what kind of font is best for reading, or writing. As with all things, there are all kinds of factors you have to consider: Your audience (what typeface are they comfortable reading?), and the medium you're delivering your words on (a computer screen is different from the squinty lines in a novel, for example).\n\nIn the end, it all \"comes back to the context or purpose that fonts are being used for,\" Tochilovsky told me. \"There is a lot that is going on within any given font, often imperceptible to the eye.\"", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6419031620025635} {"content": "01/6Yoga can provide relief from pain\n\nYoga can provide relief from pain\n\nFor commoners, migraine might be just another type of headache, but for the one suffering from it, it is nothing less than a nightmare. The throbbing pain often felt on one side of the head can be really difficult to handle. Migraine is often accompanied by nausea, blurred vision, or ultrasensitivity to smells, light, or sounds. Unlike a normal headache, it does not go away after a while. Rather, episodes of migraines can last for hours and sometimes a person might take days to feel alright.\n\nWhile there are plenty of different medications that can provide relief from the intense pain of migraine, researchers have found out that some home remedies like yoga can help manage the pain.\n\n\n02/6The study\n\nThe study\n\nAccording to a study published in the journal Neurology, performing yoga when suffering from migraine can help to provide relief from the intense pain. For the study, the researchers closely monitored 114 adults dealing with episodic migraines over the course of three months. In the beginning, the participants were asked to log down their migraine-related details in a journal.\n\nAfter some time, they were divided into two groups- one was asked to take medication and the other group took the medication and started practicing yoga. The second group performed yoga exercises which involved meditation and breathing. After a period of three months, all the participants who performed yoga daily experienced a decrease in the frequency and intensity of their migraines.\n\nNot only this, but they also reduced the number of migraine pills they were taking on an average.\n\n\n03/6How yoga helps\n\nHow yoga helps\n\nWe all know there is no absolute cure for migraine. You can only rely on medications and make some healthy lifestyle changes to reduce the symptoms. Migraines are often triggered by different things and stress is one of them. Practising yoga helps to manage stress level, thereby reducing the symptoms.\n\nHere are the best yoga asanas that you can try:\n\n\n04/6Padmasana (Lotus Pose)\n\nPadmasana (Lotus Pose)\n\nHow to do it:\n\nStep 1: Sit on the ground in a cross-legged position (legs tucked one above the other) with spine straight.\n\nStep 2: Bring both your hands in Gyan mudra (join the head of your thumb and index finger to make a small circle) and place them on your knees.\n\nStep 3: Breathe in and out while holding this pose for a few minutes. Repeat this asana with the other leg on top.\n\n\n05/6Balasana (Child's Pose)\n\nBalasana (Child's Pose)\n\nHow to do it:\n\nStep 1: Kneel on the yoga mat with the base of your feet facing up towards the ceiling. Your hands should be placed by your side.\n\nStep 2: Keep your toes together and knees slightly apart from each other.\n\nStep 2: Breathe out and at the same time lower your torso forward, resting your belly on your thighs.\n\nStep 3: Your head should be touching the mat. Now stretch both of your hands in front of you to touch the mat.\n\nStep 4: Pause for 4-5 breaths and then come back to the starting position.\n\n\n06/6Shavasana (Corpse Pose)\n\nShavasana (Corpse Pose)\n\nHow to do it:\n\nStep 1: Lie down comfortably on your back and close your eyes.\n\nStep 2: Your hands and legs should be wide apart from each other and in a relaxed pose.\n\nStep 3: Breathe in slowly through the nostrils and draw attention to every part of your body starting from your toes.\n\nStep 4: Breathe out and relax.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5630431175231934} {"content": "Geological Time and Human Effects\n\n23 May 2020\n\nWhile the presence of Mastodons in Mineola is not necessarily documented, the association of Osage Orange (Bois D’arc) trees and Mastodons has been suggested by Barlow (2000) and their linage does date back to these earlier times. Further, there are many fossilized remains of Woolly Mammoths and other ancient creatures throughout Texas, e.g.\n\n\n\nEvolution has played a significant role in the development of plant and animal life and Barlow (2000) has reviewed the mutual adaptability of these two kingdoms. A plant based example of the evolutionary change with time is in the history of the osage orange, or Bois D’arc tree, found in Northeast Texas. The fruit is baseball sized and is extremely hard. It previously provided food for the mastodons. In this case the strong tooth and bone structure of the jaw enabled this creature to pull the fruit off of the tree and crush it before swallowing.\n\n\nThese Osage Orange trees (Maclura pomifera) found in Mineola, Texas are members of the genus Maclura and of the many relatives from past geologic eras, only fossils remain\n\n\nEvolution has caused the demise of the animals previously eating these fruits yet the osage orange is still around. A car parked under one of the trees growing the osage orange will risk suffering a paint chip or dent when the hard fruit falls off of the limb. They also can be thrown like a baseball by young boys.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6373095512390137} {"content": "Jihyun and G.NA go on a date\n\n4minute Jihyun and close friend G.NA enjoyed a relaxing week end together.\n\nG.NA posted a picture on her twitter, \"It's been a while since Namji and myself went on a date. Let's eat and gather strength.\"\n\nThe ladies enjoyed a delicious lunch at an Italian restaurant and look at their best posing for the camera. Jihyun is making a cute expression, closing her eyes and making V signs with her hands while G.NA looks adorable with a spoon and fork in hands, ready to eat.\n\nUpon seeing the pictures, netizens commented, \"If you're seeing each other even during the weekend it means you are very close. What a great sight.\" \"Two beauties meet, I want to join you too!\" \"G.NA and Jihyun are both cute.\"\n\nSource: Osen\nCr: Yoobin @ 4-minute.com", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5317202210426331} {"content": "\n\nBoosting M&A success rates in a post-COVID world means transforming our approach to due diligence\n\nBy Graham Mills and David Holden-White, Co-Founders and Joint Managing Directors of techspert.io\n\nThis is a challenging time for dealmakers everywhere. M&A deal volumes have plummeted during the pandemic, with more than half of C-level executives admitting that activity has been paused pending further market assessment. The financial sector is no exception. As a new report from Deloitte explains, “The drivers that were once favourable for continued mergers and acquisitions in the banking and capital markets sector have been overshadowed by the recent market turmoil and uncertainty caused by COVID-19.”\n\nAs the report hints, prior to COVID-19, global M&A activity levels were reaching all-time highs, buoyed by ongoing economic uncertainty and trade tensions. It is highly likely that, as the pandemic starts to recede, the financial sector will see a return to a more robust level of M&A activity. Of course, one might be forgiven for asking why this is the case, given that research shows 83% of mergers do not boost shareholder return and roughly two thirds lose value on the stock market. These statistics are damning, particularly because they refer to the pre-COVID operating environment which, frankly, was a much easier place to do business.\n\nWhile M&As can go wrong for many different reasons, one of the most regularly cited is the inability to get in-depth and accurate upfront information to inform and de-risk critical decisions. Again, this is a problem that appears especially alarming when considering the social distancing, travel and workplace restrictions imposed by nations all over the world.\n\n\nThe limitations of traditional networks\n\nBut it’s not just about shortcomings in how we interact with those on the other side of the M&A. Assessments about business performance, growth forecasts, customer durability and company valuation, are all incredibly difficult in the current turmoil.\n\nConducting due diligence has never been more important and yet, arguably, it has never been more challenging. How do you determine a target acquisition’s post-COVID ‘bouncebackability’? Who can accurately assess the long-term impact of changed customer behaviours, economic damage or COVID-related government policies?\n\nAt such times, businesses rightly turn to the experts for advice, deploying their own internal M&A teams to seek out appropriate sources of market insight and employing expensive management consultancies and financial institutions to support them along the way.\n\nThe problem is that, constrained by time pressures and the limitations of human-led market research, even the most resource-intensive M&A teams struggle to access the best expertise at the moments they require it the most. Instead, they are forced to search among narrow, closed-loop professional networks to identify the best of the advisors they already know. Even the most established professional network is still essentially a black book of contacts, rather than an independently verified list of the most relevant and knowledgeable experts for the subject in question.\n\nWhat if these businesses could go beyond who they know, to find who they need, in order to inform whether an M&A ought to be pursued?\n\n\nTransforming the world of due diligence\n\nAccessing a broader spectrum of expertise requires a faster, more intelligent and more precise approach to due diligence. In short, it requires artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which is capable of making experts easier to identify, by analysing and intelligently assimilating millions of data points to pinpoint and profile the people who are truly leading their respective fields in different corners of the world.\n\nIn contrast to conventional knowledge sharing systems – which can only tell you if a person was, at some point, identified (or self-identified) as an expert on a topic – AI tools are far better equipped to spot real-time change in status or reputation. Furthermore, automating the filtering process helps solve the problem of confidentiality, ensuring that the request for consultation is not shared far and wide.\n\nGoing forwards, if we are to see any sort of improvement in the post-M&A business success rates, the onus must be on organisations to improve their methods of due diligence and gain access to a wider range of expertise prior to taking the plunge. As COVID-19 continues to reshape our world and challenge our existing conventions, now is the perfect time to break with the approaches of old and embrace AI as the pathway to smarter, strategic business decision-making.\n\nGraham Mills and David Holden-White are co-founders and joint Managing Directors of techspert.io, an AI technology innovator that specialises in connecting businesses directly to the source of technical and market insights.\n\nPrior to founding techspert.io, Graham held venture capital roles with Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Seroba Life Sciences, and David held IP law and biotechnology positions at Psyomics and Carpmaels & Ransford.\n\n\nThis is a Sponsored Feature", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9951338171958923} {"content": "Young woman suffering from hearing loss does not hear her friends.\n\nHearing loss isn’t just a problem for older people, despite the common idea. While age is a reliable predictor of hearing loss, as a whole hearing loss has been on the rise. Hearing loss stays at around 14-16% among adults 20 to 69 years old. Globally, more than 1 billion people from the ages of 12-35 are at risk of getting hearing loss, according to the united nations and The World Health Organization. The CDC states that roughly 15% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 currently have loss of hearing and more recent research indicates that that number is closer to 17%. Only a decade ago hearing loss in teenagers was 30% lower as reported by another study. Johns Hopkins carried out a study projecting that by 2060 over 73 million people 65 or older will have loss of hearing. Over current numbers, that’s an astounding number.\n\nWe Are Developing Hearing Loss at a Younger Age, Why?\n\n\nTechnology, and smartphones, in particular, can have a significant impact on our hearing. Whether you’re chatting with friends, listening to music, or watching movies, we are doing all the things we enjoy doing and wearing earbuds to do it all. The issue is that we have no idea what level of volume (and what duration of that volume) is damaging to our ears. Occasionally we even use earbuds to drown out loud noises, meaning we’re voluntarily subjecting our ears to damaging levels of sound instead of protecting them.\n\nSlowly but surely, a whole generation of young people are damaging their hearing. That’s a huge concern, one that will cost billions of dollars in terms of treatment and loss of economic productivity.\n\nDo we Really Understand Hearing Loss?\n\nAvoiding extremely loud sounds is something that even young children are usually sensible enough to do. But it isn’t well understood what hearing loss is about. The majority of people aren’t going to know that medium intensity sounds can also damage your hearing if the exposure is long enough.\n\nBut hearing loss is commonly associated with aging so the majority of people, specifically younger people, aren’t even concerned with it.\n\nHowever, the WHO says permanent ear damage might be occurring in those in this 12-35 age group.\n\nOptions And Recommendations\n\nThe problem is especially widespread because so many of us are using smart devices regularly. That’s why offering additional information to mobile device users has been a recommended answer by some hearing specialists:\n\n • Warnings about high volume.\n\n\nReduce The Volume\n\nIf you reduce the volume of your mobile device it will be the most important way to minimize injury to your hearing. That’s true whether you’re 15, 35, or 70.\n\nLet’s face it, smartphones aren’t going anywhere. It’s not just kids that are addicted to them, it’s everyone. So we have to realize that hearing loss has as much to do with technology as it does with aging.\n\n\nYou should also try downloading an app that measures decibel levels in your environment. 2 steps to protect your hearing. Ear protection is one way but also making certain you’re not doing things like trying to drown out noises with even louder noises. As an example, if you drive with your windows down, don’t crank up the music to hear it better, the noise from the wind and traffic might already be at harmful levels. Make an appointment with a hearing care specialist if you have any questions.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9442367553710938} {"content": "The Lacuna Difference\n\nOur commitment and passion towards creating exceptional alignment is what differentiates us.\n\nWe are driven by our vision of a world where businesses thrive on organisational alignment. Where company strategy, processes, technology and individual teams rally toward a common purpose, to achieve success that everyone shares in.\n\nQuite simply, organisational alignment means that employees understand how their specific skills and goals connect to the strategic objectives and broader organisational identity. When employees feel more connected, it instils more ownership over their roles, responsibilities and the overall success of the company.\n\nIn the context of the energy and resources industry, companies are in a constant state of flux and trends change like the tide. Achieving alignment is an ongoing process and is often politically charged, time-consuming and costly.\n\nHowever, when achieved, alignment brings abundance to an organisation. \n\nIt brings calmness, an elemental freedom, a clear vision that enables the business and its employees to expand their sights as greater opportunities become available. It brings agility, energy, commitment and enhanced performance, which ultimately makes people happier—both at work and in their broader lives. When a business achieves alignment, you can feel it when you walk through the door; the culture has a buzz. You are working in an environment that’s proactive, inclusive and energetic. One that fosters accountability and trust.\n\nWhilst an organisation’s role is to maintain employee alignment, ensure smooth sailing and promote a positive work environment, we also play a vital part. At Lacuna Search, we are empowered by taking responsibility for the first level of organisational alignment.\n\nOur role is to find and attract quality hires. More importantly, to guarantee that the skills, values and behaviours of each new hire into an organisation are exceptionally aligned to the role, strategy, culture and vision of that company. To ensure each candidate understands their unique purpose, giving them the best chance to play their part in business-transforming results.\n\nIt is through this exceptional alignment and clarity of a shared vision, that business leaders and staff alike are inspired to lead more fulfilling lives.\n\nWhen an organisation is truly aligned it can achieve amazing things.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8139509558677673} {"content": "Learning of Tolerance\n\nThe English Civil War was important to Freemasonry for many reasons , even today non-Freemasons know little about the war and its lasting results.\n\nWar broke out in 1641 between King Charles 1 ( Cavaliers ) and the Protestant Puritans ( Roundheads ) . It pitted brother against brother and was finally won by the Roundheads under Cromwell. Unfortunately King Charles 1 was beheaded and the people were so upset that within a decade they wanted a monarchy back.\n\nKing Charles 11 was crowned in 1661 and unlike his father was a lover and not a fighter. He was also more interested in science and reason than he was in religious persecution. He was truly a man of the new age . An age that welcomed the new principles of speculative Freemasonry.\n\nIn 1717 , when the first Grand Lodge was formed in London unusual rules were established.\n\nDiscussion on religion was prohibited. Meetings would not be disrupted by arguments between Catholics Anglicans , Puritans and Protestants. As long as a member believed in a GOD , there would be no questioning of their faith.\n\nWar would not be tolerated. Freemasons were determined to survive issues that torn countries apart.\n\nLodges were to stress friendship and brotherhood.\n\nThere must be a good and hearty dinner.\n\nThe principles advanced through King Charles 11 leadership formed some of the cornerstones which underlies the basis of Freemasonry. It is the essence of our relationship between our Brothers, in our Lodge, and all Lodges around the World. So much of our daily lives hinge around a single person’s principles and attitudes in the way he views his relationship to his fellow man and the ideals he strives for. Such a man was King Charles 11 . How many other people spring to mind when we reflect on life . We should always live respected and die regretted.\n\n©2018 by Lodge Cape Town.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9685255885124207} {"content": "Basf Develops New Technology To Reduce Ghg Emissions\n\nMarket Expertz | June 04, 2019\n\n\nBASF’s team of experts have been actively working on developing novel technologies to significantly lower emission of greenhouse gases during production processes. The company’s Carbon Management Program collects all this work in one place. Production processes of the essential chemicals contribute to nearly 70 percent of the total greenhouse gases emissions released by the chemical industry. One of the company’s project teams has developed a process to manufacture methanol that does not release any greenhouse gas emissions.\n\nThe team has currently filed for a patent for the revolutionary technology. If the technology is integrated at the industrial level, the complete production process, right from syngas production to pure methanol, will not emit any carbon dioxide. Methanol is ordinarily made from syngas, which is primarily obtained from natural gas along with a blend of steam and autothermal reforming. Special catalysts are used to convert it into crude methanol, which can be further processed after purification. In the new process, the syngas forms upon partial oxidation of natural gas, that does not result in any carbon dioxide emissions and has proven to be beneficial in a study that was jointly conducted with Linde Engineering. The following process steps of methanol synthesis and distillation can be executed without any changes. There was a need to resolve the merging and processing of the waste gas streams issue that usually arises during methanol synthesis and distillation that cannot be evaded even with optimal process management. The waste gas streams, including methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen is burnt in an Oxyfuel process using pure oxygen.\n\nThis ends up in a small quantity of fuel gas with a high concentration of carbon dioxide. To ascertain that the carbon enclosed in the dioxide is not lost and can be reused in the methanol synthesis, the captured carbon dioxide is fed again at the beginning of the process, although this step requires additional hydrogen. Dr. Maximilian Vicari, Project Manager, BASF’s Intermediates division believes that it will take nearly a decade for the process to be incorporated in an industrial plant.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.993361234664917} {"content": "Let Go Emotionally\n\nWhat does letting go even mean?\n\nI need to let go of this. Such a common saying. I have heard it many many times. But is it said with an understanding of what it means. I am noticing that it is not?\n\nOften “letting go” refers to a situation or a life phase or a person. Often it refers to something that is no longer physically in that persons life. So then what are they letting go of? What are they holding on to??\n\nWorking with The Emotional Grounding Technique has shown me what is held in place. It’s the emotion around the event. The emotion around the memory. This I am sure, you will find is unprocessed emotion.\n\nUnprocessed emotion is a mixture of emotions and feelings that need names. These feelings and energies need some air time. Letting go is often a desire to let go of the inner traffic jam. To untangle the grid lock. Letting go often means releasing the extra charge that comes from conflicting feelings.\n\nGrounding The Emotional Self\n\nEmotional Soothing\n\nAny time you feel like there is an emotional fire raging within you, it is time to do some processing. Take a page or a worksheet. Begin to list all the feelings you can notice.\n\nThe emotional fire is the expression of multiple departments clashing and striving for airtime. There can be feelings that disallow other feelings and emotions. It can be like a traffic jam of your feelings which then compact one another creating further conflict and emotional fire.\n\nIn the right context and a safe environment all feelings are worthy of airtime. All feelings can calm down and be soothed so long as they get their turn to be expressed and allowed. When processing occurs it can feel like peak hour has ended.\n\nHome of the emotions\n\nYour Emotional Home\n\nYour emotional home is where everybody has a place and all are welcome. This is inside of you. Your feeling and emotions have always been inside of you. With processing, daily journal work and time you can feel at home.\n\nAll we ever want is to feel at home.\n\nTo find your emotional home takes daily practice. Work with the Emotional Grounding Technique to give your feelings a voice. To let all parts of you know they are valid and ready to be heard.\n\nThere is a relief that comes at the end of each process. That is the end of peak hour traffic. It is the ahhhhh it’s ok. All the feelings and emotions are still there, but they aren’t clashing. The warring parties have backed down. And it was you the captain of the ship that leads this.\n\nYour emotional home is a place you create with diligence and persistence. Daily journaling and expression. Daily meetings with your emotional self to resolve any tensions. Your emotional home is a relationship you make with your self by showing up when the heat rises and cooling it down.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9879558086395264} {"content": "Mozart’s Magic Flute, as Directed by Ingmar Bergman\n\nUpdated: Jun 23, 2018\n\nTonight we shall have the privilege of participating in the operatic magnum opus of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, completed and staged in 1791, only two years before his death at the age of 35, at the height of his creative powers.\n\nIt is generally considered one of the greatest of all operas. But in technical terms, it was only a singspiel, a shorter more popular form (meaning aimed at the common person as audience) and a mixture of song and dialogue, involving more of a focus on character and plot, and slightly less on the power of sound itself.\n\nMozart and a costume sketch by Winckelmann for a performance at Vienna, Kindertheater, 19th century\n\nThe libretto for the work was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, the leader of a theatrical troupe that was resident in one of the major opera houses in Vienna at the time. Mozart himself conducted the orchestra and his sister-in-law played one of the lead roles. It was a great popular success from its opening night, and remains so to this day among audiences for opera.\n\nHowever, there is great controversy over why it is so popular or even what it is really about. Many theories can be found, asserting such opinions as that the play is a subversive political commentary on the Empress Maria Theresa, or a conservative call for enlightened absolutism, as it was called, and against the tendencies of republicanism. Modern theorists have attacked it for its racism and anti-feminism. But no consistent case can be made for any such hypotheses. And so, other commentators have simply ridiculed the opera for being a naïve and childish fairy tale aimed at unlettered audiences, a kind of dumbed-down Disney-fication of Western mythology avant la lettre.\n\nThe more Freudian commentators, of course, see in the magic flute only a phallic symbol, to help him in his Oedipal passage into a higher symbolic manhood, and in the bells given to Papageno a new pair of testicles to help him grow into a more courageous and faithful manhood. But this focus on male psychology is also clearly a very one-sided view and does not fairly evaluate the feminine side of the operatic equation. Jungians likewise offer their archetypal theories, which are no doubt closer to the truth, but still do not give a coherent account of the action.\n\nStill others focus on the names of characters, such as Sarastro, the high priest and leader of the secret spiritual brotherhood, and assume that he is modeled on Cagliostro, a contemporary mystic and séance leader. Others say Sarastro refers to Zarathustra, the prophet of the dualistic Zoroastrian religion, which influenced a number of Christian heretical sects, beginning with Manichaeism. But this conflicts with the equally obvious presence of signifiers of ancient Egyptian religion, including references to Isis and Osiris, and the symbol of the pyramid. The music has also been analysed as reflective of numerological Pythagorean symbolic messages, including the employment of the key of E Flat, with its three flat chords to emphasize the Law of Three, which appears in many forms in the unfoldment of the play, and the Law of Seven, which combines, as does the pyramid, both the Three and the Four (as the four elements of Nature), in four triangles that meet at the highest point.\n\nAll of these theories come up short as complete explanations of the meaning of the drama we are to witness. But what is a documented fact is that Mozart was an active Freemason, was associated with the Illuminati, he was knowledgeable about such esoteric symbolic systems as alchemy, Kabbalah, Renaissance neoplatonic philosophy, ancient Egyptian Hermetic philosophy, and other occult sciences. Mozart was a contemporary of Goethe, another well-read master of the esoteric traditions, who publicly recognized the opera as aimed at initiates, who alone would understand it, and the rest would assume it was a silly patchwork of themes from fairy tales.\n\nSo how can we best make use of this spectacle as Sat Yogis? I suggest we consider ourselves undergoing our own initiation into a mystery school, into the deepest secrets of the nature of reality. Indeed, culture was initially centered on such mystery-guarding institutions that were responsible for transmitting the knowledge, the maturity, the virtue, and the power of higher consciousness, in short, the capacity for sustaining the Dharma of a healthy community from one generation to the next.\n\nThus, although we can analyze the opera at an exoteric level and find useful if clichéd teachings in it, as are employed somewhat crassly in this version in the form of literal pop-ups of apothegms and aphorisms, and we can also find mesoteric references to teachings of masonic derivation, we can make most use of this great work to view it on the most esoteric level possible.\n\nIn this paradigm, we can recognize it as expressing nondual reality, from both the perspective of Brahman and that of Atman. All the characters belong to the single consciousness of the Whole. The play shows the Great Chain of Command. But the world, Samsara, has gotten out of order, and now a restoration of Dharma is required. The masculine and feminine principles are at war, the relationship between Nature and Spirit has become inaccurate, and the resistance to growth, transcendence of ego, and sustenance of the power of divine love has become overwhelming. The play shows that all the different esoteric traditions have the same message and the same divine intention. The magic flute is an ancient symbol that goes back to Krishna and beyond. It is also the power of pure speech, transmitting Wisdom that casts a spell of liberation upon the ego and releases the Real Self into full awakening and illumination. The Self returns to rule the manifest world as its own infinite reflection in form of its formless supreme Presence.\n\nSo in the first scene, we face the initial situation. Man has been overcome by the Beast. The lower chakras have human consciousness on the run. The best of men is unable to fight off the dragon of lust. His masculinity is out of balance. It requires the feminine power of soulful love to control his animalistic sexual drive. But in accepting the help of the feminine principle, he also comes under the influence of the female fury at the male principle that has allowed the situation to become so oppressive and dictatorial, so objectifying and defiling of the goddess. The feminine projection of anti-male anger must also be balanced. Thus, the symbolic guides on the initiatory journey are three young boys, who remain innocent but fully male in their attitudes and influence.\n\nThe Shadow is represented by Monostatos (One-Dimensional Man), who wants to sexually defile Pamina, but who is held back, just barely, by the Law. Papageno is the male ego in its more socialized form, but it remains infantile and unable to go through a full transformation. The ego is only capable of supporting the sexual relationship at a level that can parent children, but cannot function as a spiritual guide for society. It remains narcissistic, even though loyal to the higher guidance in its way.\n\nBut Tamino symbolizes the Buddhi, who goes through the various ordeals of celibacy, of self-restraint, of silence, in order to attain an inner unification of the divine masculine with the divine feminine at the level of pure Spirit. The purification of the consciousness leads once more to the renewal of the world. The old order of ego, of anger, projection, and conflict between the man and the woman is overcome dialectically, and the unification of Nature, Reason, and Wisdom becomes manifest. The conditions of a new Sat Yuga have been attained, and the transmission of power can now ensue. This is the coronation of the new king and queen, and the abdication of Sarastro, having completed his own charitra, his own divine act of deliverance. May we all undergo the catharsis of this inner transformation as we participate mystically in this great work of inspired art.\n\nlogo_yellow&white_red backround.jpg", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9600002765655518} {"content": "The Militant (logo) \n\nVol. 77/No. 19 May 20, 2013\n\nCuba’s Rebel Army and peasants\nbecame ‘unbeatable force’\n(Books of the Month column)\n\nBelow is an excerpt from Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War 1956-58, one of Pathfinder’s Books of the Month for May. In the book, Ernesto Che Guevara provides a firsthand account of the military campaigns and political events that culminated in the January 1959 popular insurrection that overthrew the U.S.-backed dictatorship in Cuba. The piece reprinted here describes the situation in December 1957. Copyright © 1996 by Pathfinder Press. Reprinted by permission.\n\nLiving in a continual state of war creates a new state of mind in the popular consciousness in order to adapt to this new phenomenon. The individual must undergo a long and painful process of adaptation to enable him to withstand the bitter experience that threatens his tranquility. The Sierra Maestra and other newly liberated zones had to undergo this bitter experience.\n\nThe situation of the peasants in the rugged mountain zones was nothing less than frightful. The peasant, having migrated from afar with a yearning for freedom, had put all his efforts into squeezing out an existence from the newly cleared land. Through a thousand and one sacrifices he had coaxed the coffee plants to grow on the craggy slopes where creating anything new entails sacrifice. All this he did by his own sweat, responding to the age-old yearning of man to possess his own plot of land, working with infinite love this hostile crag, which he treated as part of his very self.\n\nSuddenly, when the coffee plants were beginning to blossom with the fruit that represented his hope, the lands were claimed by a new owner. It might be a foreign company, a local land-grabber, or some other speculator taking advantage of peasant indebtedness. The political bosses and local army chieftains worked for the company or the land-grabber, jailing or murdering any peasant who was unduly rebellious against these arbitrary acts.\n\nSuch was the panorama of defeat and desolation that we found, paralleling our own defeat at Alegría de Pío, the product of our inexperience (our only reverse in this long campaign, our bloody baptism of fire). The peasantry recognized those lean men whose beards, now legendary, were beginning to flourish, as companions in misfortune, fresh victims of the repressive forces, and gave us their spontaneous and disinterested aid, without expecting anything in return from the vanquished rebels.\n\nDays passed and our small troop of now seasoned soldiers sustained the victories of La Plata and Palma Mocha. The regime responded with all its brutality, including the mass murder of peasants. Terror was unleashed on the rustic valleys of the Sierra Maestra, and the peasants withdrew their aid. A barrier of mutual mistrust loomed up between the peasants and the guerrillas, the former out of fear of reprisals, the latter out of fear of betrayal by the weak-willed. Our policy, nevertheless, was a just and understanding one, and the peasant population began once more to return to our cause.\n\nThe dictatorship, in its desperation and criminality, ordered the resettlement of thousands of peasant families from the Sierra Maestra to the cities. …\n\nHunger, misery, illness, epidemics, and death decimated the peasants resettled by the tyranny. Children died for lack of medical attention and food, when a few steps away the resources existed that could have saved their lives. The indignant protest of the Cuban people, international scandal, and the dictatorship’s inability to defeat the rebels compelled the tyrant to suspend the resettlement of peasant families from the Sierra Maestra. …\n\nPeasants returned with an unbreakable will to struggle until death or victory, as rebels until death or freedom.\n\nOur little guerrilla band, of city extraction, began to don palm leaf hats. The people lost their fear and decided to join the struggle and proceed resolutely along the road to their redemption. In this change, our policy toward the peasantry and our military victories came together as one, and already we were revealed to be an unbeatable force in the Sierra Maestra.\n\nFaced by the choice, all the peasants chose the path of revolution. The change of mental attitude, of which we have already spoken, now revealed itself fully. The war was a fact—painful, yes, but transitory, a situation within which the individual had to adapt himself in order to survive. Once the peasants understood this, they began to make the efforts necessary to confront the adverse circumstances that would come.\n\nThe peasants returned to their abandoned plots of land. They stopped the slaughter of their animals, saving them for worse times to come. They became used to the savage strafings, and each family built its own shelter. They accustomed themselves to periodic flights from the battle zones, with family, cattle, and household goods, leaving only their huts to the enemy, which displayed its hatred by burning them to the ground. They got used to rebuilding on the smoking ruins of their old dwellings, uncomplaining but with concentrated hatred and the will to conquer. …\n\nIt is a new miracle of the revolution that—under the imperative of war—the staunchest individualist, who zealously protected the boundaries of his property and his own rights, joined the great common effort of the struggle. But there is an even greater miracle: the rediscovery by the Cuban peasant of his own happiness, within the liberated zones. Whoever witnessed the apprehensive murmurs with which our forces were formerly received in each peasant household notes with pride the carefree clamor, the happy, hearty laughter of the new Sierra inhabitant. That is a reflection of the self-confidence that the awareness of his own strength gave to the inhabitant of our liberated area. That is our future task: for the Cuban people to regain the concept of their own strength, and to achieve absolute assurance that their individual rights, guaranteed by the constitution, are their dearest treasure. Even more than the pealing of bells, it will be the return of the old, happy laughter, of carefree security, lost by the Cuban people, which will signify liberation.\nRelated articles:\nRené González, 1 of Cuban 5, wins battle to return to Cuba\nWhy revolutionaries condemn terror methods, from Boston to Colombia\nJoin, build ’5 days for the Cuban 5’", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9055463075637817} {"content": "1. Newsroom\n 2. Trade War Update\nInsight 10.07.2018\n\nTrade War Update\n\nTrade War Update\n\nAsia Macro Strategy (10.07.2018) - The trade war that started last Friday (July 6th) has been well anticipated. The US initially imposed tariffs of 25% tax on US$34 billion worth of Chinese goods. The next US$16 billion will be announced in two weeks, according to US President Donald Trump.\n\nChina’s response was surprisingly restrained – they only confirmed equal value retaliation later in the day.\n\nMarkets remain calm\n\nMarkets have priced in the worst and remained relatively calm in the aftermath of Trump’s first trade strike. Market sentiment can be seen in the better US and European data released then.\n\nChina’s central bank has also importantly stabilised the USD/CNY at 6.65. If the two nations do not increase their trade threats until the next US$16 billion as planned, the market may see a bit of relief on trade war news.\n\nUS’s first strike will mostly affect China’s exports of auto and parts, medical and aircraft equipment, technology and hardware, including LED. On the flip side, China’s retaliation will hit American exports of soya bean, poultry, seafood items and certain fruits, as well as sports utility vehicle (SUV) cars.\n\nThe greatest concern is soya bean as it is the main feed for pig farming. They are integral to pork prices which is a key staple food in China’s CPI basket. Another broader concern is not just the impact on US and Chinese firms, but also on many other foreign companies, especially those using China’s intermediate goods for their production.\n\nHistory of trade disputes\n\nChina and the US have arguably had four major rounds of trade disputes between 1987 to 2009, most of which centred around intellectual property protection.\n\nThe last imposition of trade tariffs by the US on Chinese goods was in April 1994 with 100% tariff hike on US$2.8 billion worth of shipments. That was about 4% of China’s total exports during the time.\n\nThe trade ‘war’ dragged on until February 1995 when it was resolved by the US removing the 301 Investigation after a visit to China by the US Energy Secretary and a group of high-level US businessmen. Tariffs were eliminated as China also expanded its shopping list of US products and agreed to close down a controversial factory in Shenzhen.\n\nThe US actually supported China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. However, in the years after China became a member, the US complained on numerous intellectual property right issues. The US administration has had a very weak monitoring system which is what President Trump referred to when he said: “I don’t blame China, but past US administrations”.\n\nThe world will move on\n\nThe bottom-line here is that trade disputes can linger for a long while, but the world economy will still move ahead. There is an unconfirmed report stating that the US will not impose tariffs on European cars, granted Europe does the same to American producers.\n\nWorld GDP growth should still be quite decent, as long as trade ‘battles’ remain restrained and do not turn into a full-blown global trade war as they have in the past. It shouldn’t be too far off from our base-case forecast of around 3% in 2018.\n\nMore about Market Insight\n\n\nAnthony Chan\nChief Asia Investment Strategist\n\n\n\nImpact investing - Contributing to a more sustainable future\n\nWhat are the key features of impact investing?\n\nRead more\n\nMost read\n\nInsight 19.02.2020\n\nChanges in consumption patterns\n\n\nInsight 15.04.2020\n\nThe Case For Frontier Debt\n\n\nInsight 22.04.2020\n\nImpact Report 2019: an eventful year\n\n\nFurther reading\n\nInsight 03.07.2020\n\nCOVID-19: UBP keeps you up to date\n\n\nInsight 30.06.2020\n\nUBP Investment Outlook 2020 Reset\n\nThe Global Economy at the Crossroads\n\nInsight 24.06.2020\n\nMarket turmoil brings new opportunities for pragmatic investors\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9664162993431091} {"content": "Laurent BOURO painted faces in an attempt to portray the human soul in its timeless dimension. Inspired by ethnic masks, he revisits facies according to his mixed technique. Enhanced oil acrylic , collage, scratching, scraping , grubbing ... the material effects are superimposed on the grain of the fabric , the irregularities of the wood support.\n\nThe artist attack on his forehead, he sculpts more than he draws his characters traits . Always men . It hollow cheekbones. Hems lips. Patina or scratches fronts. And stands almost statuary portraits, as if the stone complexion brightened at the option of the color keys , light beams . The terms go through a gaze without eyes, better let him speak interiority. Feelings are revealed through the color palette. More or less intense depending on the status of introspection, the envy of expansiveness . Funds , most often black , give depth and mystery.\n\nThese massive heads dense, ooze beads colorful life around the slopes of rocky cheeks . Skulls seem invaded plant , lichens cling to cavernous walls , like so many doubts come biting spirits. Between tribal rock art painting, dripping between impressions and tattooed , masks Laurent BOURO embody a virile masculinity influence of dignity , despite the scars of life.\n\nBorn in 1967 , Laurent Bouro lives and works in Tours. His career is that of an autodidact. He devotes himself entirely to painting the last ten years. He exhibits regularly in galleries and salons in France . It now collectors worldwide : Paris , Rome , New York , London, Brussels , Auckland ... His favorite themes are the faces and bodies : two axes where it unfolds its portraiture .", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9919528365135193} {"content": "contador web Saltar al contenido\n\nFirst beta of macOS Catalina 10.15.1 now available\n\nAnd testing continues: One day after launching the second test versions of iOS / iPadOS 13.2 and tvOS 13.2 (and the third of watchOS 6.1), Apple has just released the first beta version of macOS Catalina 10.15.1 (compilation 19B68f). Also came out the second test version of the Xcode 11.2 (11B44).\n\nReleases continue Apple's trend with its newer systems, where the pace of updates is much faster than in previous years just remember that the initial release of macOS Catalina was released to the general public just four days ago. It is doubtful whether this means that the systems were released early (and Apple is rushing to adjust the loose ends) or if the company is simply more diligent in developing them.\n\nThere is not yet more detail about possible news in macOS 10.15.1, but as developers are dipping their hands in the update, it is likely that several details (small and large) pop here and there. We, of course, will be aware of everything.\n\nSimilarly, macOS Catalina 10.15.1 does not yet have a version public beta available on the Apple Beta Software Program, but this should happen within the next few hours (or days).\n\nLet's explore the news?", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8952187895774841} {"content": "🐘All Purchases Contribute To Save The Elephants\n\n Welcome to Elephantsity! Where fashion saves Elephants.\n\nAs true elephant lovers we are delighted to announce we routinely donate to various charitable organizations worldwide, which dedicate themselves to the care of these majestic creatures protecting them from harm and extinction.\n\n\nOur company has pledged to provide a recurrent donation to DSWT to foster one of their lovely rescued orphans called JOTTO.\n\nBaby JOTTO was suspected to have fallen down a well in Kenya and was found stranded, without his mother. After several attempts to locate her mother DSWT decided it was time to foster this baby elephant to assure his livelihood. JOTTO was found during the hottest month of the year in Kenya, and was subject to extremely life-threatening conditions if left alone.\n\n\n\n Donation Certificate:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.95338374376297} {"content": "Online assessment help center questions worksheets\n\nOnline assessment help center questions worksheets\n\nThe force touch technology was first seen in the new Macbook, and it also used in the Apple Watch. Do you like it or would you like to change it. The ball advances in the court either by bouncing while running or walking, or by passing from one player to another. As a book writing coach, Lisa Tener meets many people who have a great idea for a business book, self-help bestseller, a gripping novel, or a fascinating memoir or autobiography. Stay calm don t become argumentative, disorderly or abusive and never attempt to bribe the officer. After meiosis I is complete, the egg cell is called a secondary oocyte. Paper A and Paper B will carry 300 marks while Paper I to VII will consist of 250 marks. If the question Who can write dissertation for me. Then Lenni is certain that after seeing how many teachers and students support them, she will agree with them. We find that the heart of PDA is intolerance and insecurity. Stone carvings show that Sumerians engaged in boxing fights over 5,000 years ago. Can classes like art and music help students emotionally. My rabbi I ll call him Rabbi Epstein is tall and has an old-school look, with his long graying beard and stark black suit. An increasingly inter-connected world in which any one issue can trigger a tsunami. And since we humans live in a society that sets limits, we have definitions of what being successful means. International tourism, number of arrivals. The meaning of American Dream for those Mexican immigrants is to earn plentiful money from there, and go back to build the house for their family and that indirectly improves and prospers the circumstance of their country. 3 73 The service can vary from a single event to one that repeats monthly or annually.\n\nHowever, Chaim was internally conflicted the underground lifestyle was the polar opposite of his Hasidic lifestyle and he tried to live Hasidic-by-day and underground rock-star-by-night. Well no problem, there are still a lot of fun in the world. Summer is the perfect time to stop and focus on kindness with your kids. Though the author lays out the basic idea of the poem, it is ultimately left up to the reader to decide what a poem, or any work of literature for that matter, means. There has been a lot of debate on the subject of co-education with orthodox members of society raising objections about girls and boys being free with each other and growing up together in school. Sie kehrte in die USA zurück, wo die niederländische Regierung für ihre Sicherheit aufkam - bis sie in der vergangenen Woche plötzlich erklärte, Hirsi Ali außerhalb der Niederlande nicht länger beschützen zu wollen und so deren Verletzlichkeit in aller Welt öffentlich ausstellte. But when she yields her power dissipates. The substance can kill individuals exposed to it through ingestion, inhalation and injections. Gradually, many countries are losing their cultural diversity and identity. The definition of forensic science is any scientific research, method, or theory used to analyze evidence in an attempt to solve legal cases (Cho). What if you were a penniless orphan, cast out and demeaned by many. On top of earning more, Americans with college degrees are more financially secure than their peers whose educations stopped after high school. Besides he made attractive promises to gain popular support, skilled in using of propaganda, amoral. For both types of thesis, BSc or MSc, there will typically be a bi-weekly meeting or meetings based on demand.\n\nGenetic counseling involves the sharing vital information and knowledge by experienced and well trained experts in the field of genetics for individuals with high risks of suffering some genetic disorders or transferring it to their children. Later in life he said that after he read it, he decided that if he ever grew up, he would become a writer. Our help desk provides timely help and unlimited revisions for the complete satisfaction of our customers. Premium 2006 albums, Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles, Debut albums 1756 Words | 4 Pages. Vi har hyggelige kollegaer og et sosialt og hkstory arbeidsmiljo. In Louisiana, Creoles are not simply the white descendants of the early French and Spanish colonists, although in the post-Civil War era of Jim Crow there was a major attempt to redefine them as 100 white. Local food is food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed, often accompanied by a social structure and supply chain different from the large-scale supermarket system. Entering the career of law enforcement is not always easy. Kind of work, and his able and enthusiastic help has proved throughout of the highest The French vrords which have not been natiualised. We being citizens of the country need to rectify our faults prior to blaming the government or the officials. Oakley 1976 defined this image as nuclear families composed of legally married couples voluntarily choosing parenthood of one or more but not too many children. Israel-Palestine Timeline The human cost of the conflict records photos and information for each person who has been killed in the ongoing violence. Serena Williams won 22 Grand Slam titles 7 Australian Opens, 3 French Opens, 7 Wimbledons, and 5 US Opens in the 21st century, in addition to her 1999 US Open title. But often there are really many different options, not just two-and if we thought about them all, we might not be so quick to pick the one the arguer recommends. Miles Franklin openly feared death, which came with coronary occlusion on 19 September 1954 in hospital at Drummoyne. This roommate is a joy to be around, truly. To improve the accuracy of the analysis, we excluded individuals if either of their parents was not known and because the youngest male to reproduce was 17 y old and the youngest female was 14 y old, we excluded all males and females younger than these ages. The efforts will end up being spotted through specific quality for her therapy associated with past question, especially for this headache to help you identify typically the option with a distinctly beautiful pre ib techniques essay because of just what exactly they described as the effective past them is certainly both coextensive by means of typically the social sciences or also a analyze involving whatever is still anytime clinical disciplines these sort of while economics in addition to psychology own believed several areas regarding human pastime for the reason that his or her s very own.\n\nQuestions center online worksheets assessment help\n\nAt the end of the day, it doesn't matter what order you choose to write up the various chapters in your dissertation, but we would recommend one or two approaches: (a) the traditional route and (b) our preferred route. Major League Baseball congratulates both Raeya and Peter for their wonderful essays, and I look forward to meeting them in the near future. Nonassociative Learning is the Repeated Exposure to a Stimulus. Being a single mom with four children this took me into a place I had never experienced before, fear of the unknown. The reader expects to eventually find a good man in the story, but is quite surprised at the ending of the story. After we take a short break, our TV critic David Bianculli will review the new version of the classic Rocky And Bullwinkle cartoon series. He didn t really know what they were, but suggested soaking them in warm water with epsom salt. He says it is unbearable to live with the guilt that he feels and asks Noriko to kill him because he has embarrassed himself and humiliated the school. Procrastination is one of my biggest flaws and my eyes suffer from it as I stay up late to write my essay. Subject is the relevant help with as biology coursework ocr coursework from. This has human man, because the homosexual future of human stretches out very long infinitely long. Creativity Imagination, creativity and innovation are present in every human and can be encouraged and made good use of. The primary clash in the story emerges through their longing to encounter a different world, but their condition opens them to life s unforgiving realities.\n\nYou will learn how to get jobs in the IT industry and learn computer skills that will help you in any future employment. Applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a bachelors degree with a minimum GPA equivalent to 3 on a US 4. 4 percent of the entire K-12 student population in the U. The first deals with the method of doubt, the second deals with the human mind and body, and finally the third with the existence of God. The Death Penalty Debate in the United States. When a person g i v es a poor man shoes, does he do it f or the poor man or f or God. Similarly, He recognized the need to stay objective, and thus put into place methods Essat now 100 point essay rubric pdf for granted that allowed afsnit i et essay to maximize afsnit i et essay insider status Initially, Du Bois had believed that afsnit i et essay of the Main problems black Americans faced was the ignorance about their true Nature. There are typical vampires who would be right at home in a horror story or a gothic romance; historical vampires; contemporary, gritty, urban vampires; fang-in-cheek comedy; boy-meets-girl sweetheart stories if a little bloodier. Research often goes hand in hand with writing, and there are, of course, aspects that overlap, but as procedures for choosing topic, method and approach vary greatly between different fields and disciplines, our focus is limited to aspects directly linked to writing. The corporate governance structure specifies the rules and procedures for making decisions on corporate affairs. For this assignment, the discussion will be focused on providing customers a better life as a strategic goal and operating in an environmentally safe working atmosphereas an operational goal. Essay Structure Here you will learn basic structure for your essay writing and will learn how to set coherent ideas to put in the essay. Organization means that your argument flows logically from one point to the next. Jonathan Weiner s The Beak of the Finch describes this very process.\n\nIn exposing her and ruining her perfect uniform, he wins the ultimate battle. In other words Even when the bad disposition of the enemy tribe is supplemented by situational factors, the buck still stops with the enemy tribe. Vaak komen er in de laatste fase ook slikproblemen voor, die luchtwegontstekingen kunnen veroorzaken, of evenwichtsproblemen die tot ernstige valongelukken kunnen leiden. One of the reasons you are doing this goes back to what I said about mistakes earlier. For him, imperfection is far more superior to the quest of perfection. Research that studies these interacting-and somewhat conflicting-themes in some depth may be very valuable in helping to shape future efforts to prevent HIV transmission among African Americans.\n\nEs werden keine Aufschläge am Wochenende oder an Feiertagen erhoben. These artist express their raw talent with the way the choice of color were used in the Mona Lisa also the materials that was put into the Pieta such. Recently biofuels have been developed for use in automotive transport (for example Bioethanol and Biodiesel), but there is widespread public debate about how carbon efficient these fuels are. Dont rely on a spellchecker, as it will not pick up everything proofread as many times as possible. Toutefois, l information que l on y trouve donne un coup de pouce bien réel à quiconque doit faire face à cet examen non virtuel. If folks want to walk around uncovered and unclaimed, they need to go somewhere else. Trust me, there's just no way you are being realistically appreciative of the level of complexity inherent in the problem you're describing. The Proximal Convoluted Tubule is lined by a simple Cuboidal Epithelium that, by complex biochemical processes of active and passive transport, moves most of the filtrate out of the Nephron and into the tissue space called the Interstitial Space around it. Some believe that it is plausible that, through adequate information, we could largely correct mistaken beliefs about the link between genetic and personal identity, and thus reduce the risk of problematic expectations toward the clone Harris 1997, 2004; Tooley 1998, 84 5; Brock 1998, Pence 1998. The American Psychological Association publishes one of the most frequently used sets of publication guidelines. India Under-19 profited from three timely half-centuries to reach 255 for 7 in their first innings on the first day of the four-day match against Pakistan Under-19 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. From the beginning of when mankind played competitive sports, they have sought to gain a cutting edge against their enemies. Others will have the opportunity to work in a preschool childcare setting. Real Estate Taxes fixed in nature as 100 of this expense would exist even if the property were 100 vacant Insurance fixed Utilities variable; assume 20 30 of this expense is fixed Repairs and Maintenance variable; assume 30 40 of this expense is fixed Grounds and Security fixed Management Fee fixed Janitorial fixed. Should persons found littering face punitive penalties. But an essay about a wrestler who takes dance classes. SME Week Youth Essay Competition 2019 Launch. This volume, while it is complete in itself, is also the first of a trilogy, the scope of which is suggested in the prologue.\n\nOnline assessment help center questions worksheets\n\nAnother successful case followed in 1990, made by eight survivors from St. We therefore assume that a database should contain a large number of illegal positions. This worksheet also demonstrates how LinguaFolio creates opportunities to help students maintain what they have learned. Make checks payable to Treasurer, Virginia Tech. As do most of the authors, I think that it is appropriate to speak of a pragmatist, instead of a merely pragmatic, approach to ethics. When something goes wrong during the fishing, an enraged Dad starts holding Miles s head underwater for longer and longer periods of time, screaming that this will teach him the correct way to do things. As the news of Jews being sent to death camps became known, the Jews began to rise up against the Nazis. Metalwork, including decoration in enamel, became very sophisticated. Now, he says he usually helps with the cleaning or bringing water from the pump with his dad so his mum can do the washing. The Effects of Color on the Moods of College Students. This is in line with my long term dream of working in public institution programs like schools, clinics and research institutions or even as a teacher in a dental hygiene center. In any given population, according to Stenner, roughly one-third of people will have authoritarian tendencies. Generalitat de Catalunya Departament de Sanitat Seguretat Social, El Pla de Salut a prop Pla de Salut de Catalunya 1996 1998, Servei Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain, 1997. The smooth sides of the cuvette is wiped clean and dry to make sure there s no dust, water and finger prints on it.\n\nIndran of Asian Overland Services for taking us around the city. Selections are based on research s originality, quality, feasibility, and potential field contribution. But as he presently knocked the wheel against a kerbstone the people inside began to suspect what the despatch contained. Conditions drive men to form a social contract for their protection. The most important rules at a glance with a color-coded Priority Rating High Med. In South Africa, gender interventions with men have historically focused on two major problems violence and HIV transmission. She stumbles along good-naturedly She knows she is not bright Walker 290. He goes out basically every night of the week with his friend Tad Allagash and snorts lines of cocaine in shady and run down New York City clubs. However, the information to petition for a relaxation can be found on our website under FAQs. Maryland 1969, the Court held that the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment applied to the states as well as to the federal government. I was angry and roared Come back, you bastards, there are people alive in there. The peer-reviewed, open-access e-journal Otherness: Essays and Studies is now accepting submissions for its special issue: Otherness and Transgression in Fan and Celebrity Studies, Autumn 2017. And we ve seen time and time again what we call now Office of Legal Counsel legal opinions. Today, people determine a person by his or her brain.\n\n\n 1. kecelum\n\n The Orphan Masters Son follows Jun Do, a man searching for identity while succumbing to the impulsive and oppressive whims of the North Korean government. Employee Privacy Rights in the Workplace Employee privacy rights have been the topic of great debate in recent years. Before discussing the role of goal setting and its relation to success what is goal setting or planning?\n\n 2. satisoky\n\n\n • wovoqehyn\n\n This page contains information related to our GCSE Leisure and Tourism specification available in England and Wales. Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh (born 17 December 1978) is an Indian film actor, producer and architect.\n\nLeave a Comment", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6226953268051147} {"content": "Pollution of surface water with harmful chemicals and eutrophication of rivers and lakes with excess nutrients are serious environmental concerns. This study estimated surface water quality in a stream within the Yazoo River Basin (YRB), Mississippi, USA, using the duration curve and recurrence interval analysis techniques. Data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) surface water monitoring station located in Deer Creek east of Leland from the YRB were selected for the analysis. Results showed that the water quality constituents, namely water temperature, specific conductivity (SC) and dissolved oxygen (DO), in this stream were found not to be the major concerns as the percentages of the time when these constituents did not meet their criteria were very low. Our results further revealed that the water temperature and SC increased as time elapsed, indicating the potential global warming and contamination impacts in this stream. In contrast, the DO and pH decreased as time elapsed, postulating a potential increase in biochemical oxygen demand and an acidic trend in this stream. Over the last decade, the average recurrence intervals when the water temperature, SC, and DO did not meet their criteria or minimum conditions were around 1 year. Using a target DO value of 429 kg d−1 proposed by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, results from this study showed that there was about 25% of the time when the DO load did not meet the target value. This study suggests that the duration curve and recurrence interval analysis techniques are useful statistical tools for water quality trend estimation.\n\nThis content is only available as a PDF.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000004768371582} {"content": "Journal Logo\n\nSpecial Topic\n\nPitfalls and Promise of 3-dimensional Image Comparison for Craniofacial Surgical Assessment\n\nMatthews, Harold S. PhD*,†,‡,§; Burge, Jonathan A. MBChB¶,∥; Verhelst, Pieter-Jan R. MD§,**; Politis, Constantinus MD, DDS, MHA, MM, PhD§,**; Claes, Peter D. PhD*,†,‡,††; Penington, Anthony J. MD*,¶,‡‡\n\nAuthor Information\nPlastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Global Open: May 2020 - Volume 8 - Issue 5 - p e2847\ndoi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002847\n • Open\n • Belgium\n\n\n\nThree-dimensional (3D) photography is widely used in plastic and craniomaxillofacial surgery as an accurate and reproducible record of surface anatomy. It has the potential to be a versatile tool for assessment of outcomes and is increasingly used in treatment planning. For example, it could be used to monitor facial growth in cleft patients or to estimate the volume of implant required to correct breast or other asymmetries. Not all surgeons, however, have found the technology immediately useful. Sometimes apparently simple image analysis gives anomalous answers for reasons that are not obvious. Previous reviews have considered potential applications of 3D image analysis in craniofacial surgical assessment1 and the use of color visualizations of the differences between images in particular2 but have focused more on the potential than on the problems. The aim of this special topic is to give surgeons a deeper understanding of 3D image analysis and to explain why the sort of simple analysis commonly performed on 3D images may give misleading results. It will also describe how more sophisticated techniques becoming available can solve these problems and make 3D imaging a powerful tool for outcome measurement and treatment planning, not just in craniofacial surgery but across the whole spectrum of plastic surgery.\n\n\nMost 3D photographs are produced by a process called stereo-photogrammetry. Such 3D images are a composite of anywhere from two to ten 2-dimensional (2D) images taken by different cameras positioned around the subject. Proprietary software integrates the 2D images into a 3D model of the surface. The 3D “image” actually consists of many thousands of points in space, distributed across the surface of the subject, linked into a “mesh” that defines that surface (Fig. 1). Information about color and texture are then applied to produce the smooth 3D image seen on the screen. The location of each point in space is defined by 3 values: the distances, in x, y, and z coordinates, from an arbitrarily defined zero point somewhere in the image space.\n\nFig. 1.\nFig. 1.:\nThree-dimensional (3D) images. 3D photograph of a female patient with Crouzon syndrome taken pre (A) LeFort III osteotomy and distraction, lateral canthoplasties, and hydroxyapatite cranioplasty and post (B). C shows the pre image as a wireframe. D shows the raw data behind the image file. The excel file contains the 3D locations of all points comprising the image.\n\n\nThe most common application of 3D imaging technology is to compare 2 images of the same individual taken on separate occasions, such as pre- and postsurgery.3–5 In general, for 2 images to be comparable and for the images to accurately represent the anatomy, they should both be taken with the subject displaying a neutral facial expression. The regions of interest (eg, the face) should also be present in both images. An example is given in Figure 1 of a child with Crouzon syndrome who has undergone a LeFort III osteotomy and distraction along with hydroxyapatite cranioplasty and lateral canthoplasties. Consecutive 3D photographs, taken just before surgery at the age of 6 years and a year later at 7 years, were taken to quantify how the soft tissues were affected by surgery.\n\nComparison of such images is a 2-stage process. First, the 2 images need to be aligned or overlaid in some way to expose any difference in surface contour. Once this has been achieved, some objective measurement or quantification of the difference can be performed. At either stage, subtle errors can occur, which can produce misleading or confusing results.\n\n\nMost imaging systems are shipped with software that allows 2 images to be represented and aligned with each other in a single workspace. Alignment can be achieved manually by the user manipulating and moving 1 image onto the other until they believe the 2 images are appropriately overlaid. Most systems also have an algorithm for automated or semiautomated image alignment. Either way, image alignment involves moving and rotating one image in 3 dimensions until it accurately overlays the other.\n\nGiven an appropriate software interface, most users do not find it hard to overlay one image onto the other in a meaningful way. Even though changes in overall shape will exist between the 2 images, the operator will instinctively avoid using the areas altered by surgery to align the image, preferentially using anatomical features distant from the surgery site to make the images correspond. Difficulties are most likely to arise when general changes unrelated to surgery have occurred in the shape of the head in the interval between images, such as those due to growth or change in weight. Manual alignment introduces subjectivity into the process and the potential for human error, so an automated or semiautomated process would generally be a better option if it is available.\n\nUnfortunately, the results of automated alignment are not necessarily more accurate than those of a well-performed manual alignment. Alignment software typically applies an algorithm that minimizes the overall differences between the surface contours of the 2 images. However, this does not distinguish, as an expert user would, between areas that have been altered by surgery and those that have not. Without a method to identify specific changes due to surgery, automatic alignment may introduce systematic errors into subsequent analysis.\n\n\nOnce the images have been aligned, quantification and representation of the contour differences can be performed. In some circumstances, such as in breast surgery, all that is wanted is the overall change in volume, but, in most applications, the surgeon would like to know the magnitude and direction of change at each point across the surface. Such changes are usually presented in the form of a “color map,” in which the color of the image at each point indicates some measure of difference at that point, usually distance between the 2 surfaces. In Figure 2, the default method of comparison used in most software packages has been applied to the images in Figure 1. Here the color indicates the distance from each point in the preimage to the nearest point in the postimage. The accompanying scale indicates the distance and direction of difference (outward or inward) represented by each color: red where the postoperative contour is further out, green where it is further in. Because, using the default settings of the software, the color scale is not centered with blue at zero, a portion of the blue-green spectrum actually indicates a slight positive (outward) difference. The histogram indicates the proportion of points on the face that correspond with each color.\n\nFig. 2.\nFig. 2.:\nStandard visualization of contour difference in 3dMD patient after automatic alignment. “Color map” shows the color map produced by the software and indicates the distance between the 2 surfaces at each point. “Alignment” shows the 2 aligned surfaces. The inset illustrates the discrepancy between the closest points and the anatomically corresponding points. The anatomically corresponding points are defined manually, by the authors, for illustrative purposes.\n\nSurgeons often assume that the difference between surfaces represents the change that has occurred due to surgery at any particular point of the face. It is important to understand why this is not necessarily the case. The color indicates the distance from each point on the preimage to the closest point on the postimage, not the corresponding anatomical point on the postimage. These 2 distances are not the same. The inset in Figure 2 shows that for most points on the nose and lip, the distance to the closest point on the postimage, shown by the black arrows, is very different from the distance to the corresponding anatomical point, indicated by the red arrows. Only the red arrows suggest the actual change in position of the tissue achieved by surgery. The degree to which the discrepancy between these 2 values distorts the measurement of surgical outcomes depends on the contour of the surface being analyzed. In some circumstances, it can produce highly misleading results. An example in Figure 2 is that the tip of the nose is being matched to the bridge of the nose, and thereby the displacement of this point due to surgery is significantly underestimated. Also, the lower lip appears to be displaced as much as the upper lip, which is clearly incorrect. This problem can be addressed by applying a technique known in image analysis as image “nonrigid registration.”\n\n\nThe term “registration” usually refers to “rigid registration.” This is the manual, or automatic alignment of one image to another, discussed above. The purpose of nonrigid registration is to ensure that each point on 2 or more such images are linked to each other in a way that is anatomically meaningful. In other words, each point defines the same anatomical location in each image. In the last 2 decades, effective and reproducible methods of nonrigid registration of 3D biological images have been developed. Although currently used only in the research context, nonrigid registration of images can produce much more accurate, reproducible, and intuitively interpretable measurement of surgical outcomes.6,7 It also opens the door to more sophisticated techniques of image analysis.\n\nTo understand nonrigid registration, we need to return to the idea that the “image” consists of thousands of points in 3D space distributed across the surface of the object. When each 3D photograph of the same individual is taken, not only do the images have different locations and orientations in the computerized 3D “world,” but the surface of the face or head is also represented by a different number of points in each image. These points are scattered essentially randomly and have no consistent anatomical meaning. For example, point 768 may be on the tip of the nose in one image and on the cheek in another. To compare the entire surface of one image to the entire surface of the other in a way that captures anatomical changes, each surface must be represented by the same number of points and each numbered point must be in the same anatomical location in each image. Achieving this is the key outcome of a nonrigid registration. It is, in effect, an automated method of identifying “landmarks” on the face as has traditionally been performed by an expert anatomist. However, the landmarks are not just at important anatomical sites, but evenly distributed across the entire surface to be studied.\n\nVarious nonrigid registration methods have been described. An example (MeshMonk is illustrated in Figure 3. First an identical copy of the preimage is created (Gray image in Fig. 3). An algorithm is then applied, which gradually changes its shape to match that of the postimage. The key to retaining the biological meaning of each point during this warping algorithm (eg, ensuring that point 786 remains on the tip of the nose) is in that the copy is deformed toward the postimage slowly over many iterations. At the end of the process, there is a new version of the postimage that has exactly the same number of points as the preimage, and each numbered point on that image is in a location that matches the location on the preimage. This image can now be aligned and compared with the preimage. Anatomical correspondence can be verified by looking at known anatomical landmarks (see the arrows of Fig. 4 and the study by White et al8), an important quality-control measure.\n\nFig. 3.\nFig. 3.:\nImage comparison by nonrigid registration. First a copy (orange) of the pre image is made. This is then warped into the shape of the post image (top row). This copy has the same number of points as the pre image but represents the shape of the post image. The warped copy can then be aligned to the original, and each point in one image is compared to its counterpart in the other.\nFig. 4.\nFig. 4.:\nImage comparison using the standard approach compared with using nonrigid registration. Using the standard approach (left-hand image), points on one image are matched to the closest points on the other. Changes bear little relation to the expected changes of surgery. In the right hand image, a nonrigid registration has been used, and so the matched points correspond anatomically. The image created using nonrigid registration generates a much more realistic picture of the effect of the interventions.\n\nAutomatic image alignment after nonrigid registration is much more accurate than a regular alignment because it minimizes the overall distances between corresponding, rather than the closest points. The alignment can be further improved by using an algorithm that iteratively identifies those parts of the image that have undergone the most change, due to surgery in this case, and weighting them least in the alignment process. This is essentially what a surgeon would do instinctively in a manual alignment, but in an automated, reproducible manner.9 More importantly, nonrigid registration allows the generation of a color map that corresponds more closely with the effects of surgery because it indicates the change between anatomical points on the images, not the nearest points. The improved analysis is shown in Figure 4. The left-hand image shows again the comparison of the 2 images in Figure 1 using standard software without nonrigid registration. The standard approach appears to show that little or no change has occurred in the midface, the area where maximum advancement is expected, while the chin seems to have moved backwards. On the right side, analysis of exactly the same images using a nonrigid registration demonstrates a much more realistic picture of the changes due to surgery. Just as with standard software, the colors of the color map created using the nonrigid registration indicate the postoperative change in millimeters. The expected forward movement of the midface relative to the rest of the head is clearly shown, and the nose has been carried forward with it. The apparent backward movement of the chin shown using the standard approach is no longer seen.\n\n\nA further advantage of nonrigid image registration is that it allows the simultaneous analysis of more than 2 images. This allows meaningful comparisons to be made between populations and between individuals and populations. When images of multiple faces are all registered with a single reference face, the average location of each point across the surface can be used to generate an “average” face shape of that population. Measures of variation, such as standard deviations (SDs), can also be calculated and displayed as a color map.10 Given a set of 3D images of a population of individuals, such as a normal population or a group of patients with a particular syndrome, a normal average or a syndrome-specific average face can be generated.11–14 Such “average” faces have many potential applications in both research and clinical practice. These can be used as a frame of references against which the outcomes of surgery can be assessed.\n\nThe most obvious application is to assess how close to the population norm a particular face is either before or following surgery. This can be used to measure how effective surgery has been in bringing the face shape closer to what is “normal” for the patient’s appropriate reference population. There are various ways in which an individual face can be compared with established population norms. The simplest way is to create a color map, which shows the absolute distance of each point in the face from the population mean (Fig. 5, third column). Alternatively, a color map can be created to show which areas of the face lie within or outside a certain threshold, such as 2 SDs from the population mean. A cutoff z score is therefore used to determine if a distance between anatomically corresponding points of the image surfaces lies within or outside the accepted range of values.15,16\n\nFig. 5.\nFig. 5.:\nComparing the patient pre- and posttreatment to a reference population. The first column shows an age-appropriate average face constructed from the reference population. The patient image is overlayed to it in column 2. Column 3 shows the distance between the patient and the population norm. Column 4 indicates those regions that are inside (blue) or outside the normal variation at that age estimated from the reference population (red indicates >+2 SD distance from the average, and green indicates <−2 SDs).\n\nA significant issue in the analysis of the outcomes of surgery in children is the change in face and head shape that occurs with normal growth. Pre- and postsurgery images are typically taken several months or more apart, and during this interval, the shape of the face and head would be expected to change, even if there had been no surgical intervention. Using a database of 3D images of normal children, we previously developed a method of creating an appropriate age-specific average head shape along with SDs at each point.10,17,18 This can be used to make an allowance for changes that would be expected to have occurred through normal growth in the interval between images. A similar technique could be used to model the effects of aging in adults.\n\nFigure 5 shows an example of how this type of analysis could be used to audit the results of surgery. The images of the child from Figure 1 have been aligned to age-appropriate references and compared. The first column shows the average faces that have been calculated specifically for the 2 ages at which pre- and postoperative images were taken. The second column shows the patient aligned to the age-appropriate average face. The third column shows the distance between the patient and the population norm, and the fourth column indicates which regions are statistically abnormal. Those areas that are beyond the cutoff z scores are colored red (>2 SD) or green (<−2 SD) and those in the normal range are colored blue. We can now see how the LeFort III osteotomy and distraction has brought the midface from outside the normal range to somewhere close to the population mean (the “Distance” color map becomes less green and moves toward blue) and that this sits in the range of normal variation. The hydroxyapatite onlay graft to the forehead, as expected, has not been sufficient to bring the forehead shape into the normal range.\n\nThe change in the position of the chin, relative to population norms, may be due to a postural change in the mandible, possibly related to the altered occlusion. It may also be that the growth in the child’s lower face has failed to keep up with average population growth, which is significant at this age.15,16\n\n\nThe aim of many procedures in plastic and craniomaxillofacial surgery is to correct or enhance the human form, but assessment of the outcomes of such procedures is a significant challenge. CT scans are an excellent measure of outcome in craniofacial surgery, but radiation exposure and cost preclude their routine use and they are of little value in soft tissue procedures. Two-dimensional photographs are the most widely used measure of outcome, but slight changes in photograph angle and lighting are known to significantly alter assessor interpretation.19 3D photography has the potential to overcome most, if not all, of these problems. As this technology becomes cheaper and more widely available, it will inevitably replace other methods of assessment. It is vital that surgeons understand both its potential and its limitations.\n\nA 3D image provides an accurate and objective measure of the surface contour of a body part, and so can act as a permanent record of pre- and postoperative body shape. Linear measurements and simple comparisons can be performed using software typically shipped with devices, but there are definite pitfalls that must be avoided. Some of these pitfalls have been described in this article, along with solutions that have recently been developed. Although these solutions are not able to be applied by a nonexpert user, the necessary software is open source and can be implemented by an individual with some programming expertise.\n\nAmong the most potentially powerful techniques described in this review are those that apply to populations of images. The ability to compare surgical outcomes to population norms has only previously been possible by comparing linear distances between landmarks against tabulated measurements. The comparison of the whole surface of the face and head, or indeed any body part, against population norms represents a significant advance in this field. This underlines the importance of the collection of databases of 3D images for different populations, across different ages, locations, and pathologies. Collecting such databases will require strong international collaborations.\n\nFinally, 3D image analysis is playing an increasing role in surgical planning, making consequences of errors much more significant. This makes it all the more important for surgeons to understand the principles of 3D image analysis, rather than becoming passive users of proprietary software.\n\n\n3D image analysis has huge potential in plastic and reconstructive surgery, but the techniques required to analyze 3D images are still in development. There are significant potential pitfalls in image comparison, which can be avoided by understanding the principles of image analysis and by implementation of new, automated methods of image analysis.\n\n\n1. Kau CH, Richmond S, Incrapera A, et al.Three-dimensional surface acquisition systems for the study of facial morphology and their application to maxillofacial surgery. Int J Med Robot. 2007;3:97–110.\n2. Jayaratne YS, Zwahlen RA, Lo J, et al.Three-dimensional color maps: a novel tool for assessing craniofacial changes. Surg Innov. 2010;17:198–205.\n3. Maal TJ, van Loon B, Plooij JM, et al.Registration of 3-dimensional facial photographs for clinical use. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2010;68:2391–2401.\n4. Moghaddam MB, Brown TM, Clausen A, et al.Outcome analysis after helmet therapy using 3D photogrammetry in patients with deformational plagiocephaly: the role of root mean square. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2014;67:159–165.\n5. van Heerbeek N, Ingels KJ, van Loon B, et al.Three dimensional measurement of rhinoplasty results. Rhinology. 2009;47:121–125.\n6. Claes P, Walters M, Clement JImproved facial outcome assessment using a 3D anthropometric mask. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2012;41:324–330.\n7. Walters M, Claes P, Kakulas E, et al.Robust and regional 3D facial asymmetry assessment in hemimandibular hyperplasia and hemimandibular elongation anomalies. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2013;42:36–42.\n8. White JD, Ortega-Castrillón A, Matthews H, et al.MeshMonk: open-source large-scale intensive 3D phenotyping. Sci Rep. 2019;9:6085.\n9. Claes P, Daniels K, Walters M, et al.Dysmorphometrics: the modelling of morphological abnormality. Theor Biol Med Model. 2012;9:5.\n10. Matthews HSChanging the face of craniofacial growth curves: modelling growth and sexual dimorphism in children and adolescents using spatially dense 3D image analysis. [PhD thesis]. Melbourne: University of Melbourne;2018.\n11. Shaweesh AI, Clement JG, Thomas CD, et al.Construction and use of facial archetypes in anthropology and syndrome diagnosis. Forensic Sci Int. 2006;159Suppl 1S175–S185.\n12. Kau CH, Zhurov A, Richmond S, et al.The 3-dimensional construction of the average 11-year-old child face: a clinical evaluation and application. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2006;64:1086–1092.\n13. Hammond PThe use of 3D face shape modelling in dysmorphology. Arch Dis Child. 2007;92:1120–1126.\n14. Hammond P, Suttie MLarge-scale objective phenotyping of 3D facial morphology. Hum Mutat. 2012;33:817–825.\n15. Hammond P, Suttie M, Hennekam RC, et al.The face signature of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Am J Med Genet A. 2012;158A:1368–1380.\n16. Hammond P, Hannes F, Suttie M, et al.Fine-grained facial phenotype-genotype analysis in Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Eur J Hum Genet. 2012;20:33–40.\n17. Matthews HS, Penington AJ, Hardiman R, et al.Modelling 3D craniofacial growth trajectories for population comparison and classification illustrated using sex-differences. Sci Rep. 2018;8:4771.\n18. Fan Y, Matthews H, Kilpatrick N, et al.Facial morphology and growth following surgery for congenital midline cervical cleft patients. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2018;47:437–441.\n19. Sommer DD, Mendelsohn MPitfalls of nonstandardized photography in facial plastic surgery patients. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004;114:10–14.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7754430770874023} {"content": "NOVA2-mediated RNA regulation is required for ... - Semantic Scholar\n\n2 downloads 3 Views 6MB Size Report\nMay 25, 2016 - 21, Epha5 exon 7, Arhgef12 exon 4, Ppp3cb exon 10b, Neo1 exon 26, and Rock1 exon 27b) were significantly changed in Nova2-/- but not in ...\n\n\nNOVA2-mediated RNA regulation is required for axonal pathfinding during development Yuhki Saito1, Soledad Miranda-Rottmann1†‡, Matteo Ruggiu1†§, Christopher Y Park2, John J Fak1, Ru Zhong1, Jeremy S Duncan3¶, Brian A Fabella4, Harald J Junge5, Zhe Chen5, Roberto Araya6‡, Bernd Fritzsch3, A J Hudspeth4, Robert B Darnell1,2* 1\n\n*For correspondence: [email protected]\n\nLaboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, United States; 2New York Genome Center, New York, United States; 3Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States; 4Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, United States; 5Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, United States; 6Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada\n\nThese authors contributed equally to this work\n\nPresent address: ‡Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada; §Department of Biological Sciences, St. John’s University, Utopia Parkway, United States; ¶Division of Otolaryngology, University of Utah, Salt Lake city, United States Competing interests: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.\n\nAbstract The neuron specific RNA-binding proteins NOVA1 and NOVA2 are highly homologous alternative splicing regulators. NOVA proteins regulate at least 700 alternative splicing events in vivo, yet relatively little is known about the biologic consequences of NOVA action and in particular about functional differences between NOVA1 and NOVA2. Transcriptome-wide searches for isoform-specific functions, using NOVA1 and NOVA2 specific HITS-CLIP and RNA-seq data from mouse cortex lacking either NOVA isoform, reveals that NOVA2 uniquely regulates alternative splicing events of a series of axon guidance related genes during cortical development. Corresponding axonal pathfinding defects were specific to NOVA2 deficiency: Nova2-/- but not Nova1-/- mice had agenesis of the corpus callosum, and axonal outgrowth defects specific to ventral motoneuron axons and efferent innervation of the cochlea. Thus we have discovered that NOVA2 uniquely regulates alternative splicing of a coordinate set of transcripts encoding key components in cortical, brainstem and spinal axon guidance/outgrowth pathways during neural differentiation, with severe functional consequences in vivo.\n\nFunding: See page 24\n\nDOI: 10.7554/eLife.14371.001\n\nReceived: 12 January 2016 Accepted: 23 May 2016 Published: 25 May 2016\n\n\nReviewing editor: Huda Y Zoghbi, Baylor College of Medicine, United States Copyright Saito et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.\n\nDuring central nervous system (CNS) development, a neuron extends its axon through a complex yet precise path to reach its final destination by sensing extracellular signals called guidance cues. These cues are sensed by the growth cone, a motile structure at the extending axon edge, and they control growth cone motility through directed cytoskeletal remodeling. Netrins, slits, semaphorins, and ephrins are the major classic guidance cues and elicit attractive or repulsive responses in growth cones via specific receptors (Brose et al., 1999; Cheng et al., 1995; Drescher et al., 1995; Fan and Raper, 1995; Kapfhammer and Raper, 1987; Kennedy et al., 1994; Kidd et al., 1999; Serafini et al., 1994). An important aspect of axon guidance is the spatial and temporal control of response to the guidance cues. For example, the spinal cord commissural axon reaching the midline senses netrin-1, secreted from the floorplate as a chemoattractive cue; however, once it has crossed the floorplate, this cue becomes repulsive (Kennedy et al., 1994; Kidd et al., 1998; Tessier-\n\nSaito et al. eLife 2016;5:e14371. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.14371\n\n1 of 29\n\nResearch article\n\n\neLife digest The first step of producing a protein involves the DNA of a gene being copied to form a molecule of RNA. This RNA molecule can often be processed to create several different “messenger” RNAs (mRNAs), each of which are used to produce a different protein by a process known as alternative splicing. A class of proteins that bind to RNA molecules controls alternative splicing. These “splicing factors” ensure that the right protein variant is produced at the right time and in the right place to carry out the appropriate activity. Many genes that play important roles in the nervous system have been reported to undergo alternative splicing to generate different protein variants. However, it is unclear whether alternative splicing is important for controlling how the nervous system develops, during which time the neurons connect to the cells that they will communicate with. Forming these connections involves part of the neuron, called the axon, growing along a precise path through the nervous system to reach its destination. Two RNA-binding proteins called NOVA1 and NOVA2 are produced exclusively in the central nervous system, where they regulate a number of actions including alternative splicing. So far, no differences in the roles of NOVA1 and NOVA2 have been identified, and relatively little is known about their actions in the brain. Saito et al. have addressed these missing puzzle pieces by combining RNA analysis methods with an analysis of the structure of the nervous system of mice that lack either NOVA1 or NOVA2. This approach identified where NOVA1 and NOVA2 bind on mRNAs, and showed that the mRNAs are processed in different ways in the developing mouse brain depending on which form of the NOVA protein is bound to it. Further analysis of the data revealed that NOVA2, and not NOVA1, regulates splicing in a series of RNA molecules that help to guide axons to the correct locations in the developing mouse brain. A related study by Leggere et al. also reported on the role that NOVA proteins play in the alternative splicing of one of these genes, called Dcc. Saito et al. also found defects in the nervous systems of the mice that lacked NOVA2 that only occurred in these mice and resulted from certain axons being unable to follow the correct path to their target cells. These led to major defects, such as agenesis of the corpus callosum (a complete lack of connection between the right and left sides of the brain). Further defects affected how specific subsets of motor neurons connect to muscles and how cochlear neurons in the brainstem connect to the inner ear. The next steps are to explore how the processing of RNA molecules by NOVA2 causes these defects, and to assess whether these actions relate to developmental brain disorders in humans. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.14371.002\n\nLavigne et al., 1988; Zou et al., 2000). Furthermore, the spatiotemporally restricted expression of Robo3 alternative splicing isoforms in spinal cord commissure axons are essential for the switching of the growth cone response to the axon guidance cues (Chen et al., 2008), indicating that spatiotemporally regulated protein isoform expression and diversity is crucial to establish proper neuronal networks. Alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation can produce multiple messenger RNAs (mRNAs) possessing distinct coding and regulatory sequences from a single gene. The regulated processes that generate such mRNA diversity are orchestrated by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). In the nervous system, alternative splicing has many important roles, including controlling the spatial and temporal expression of protein isoforms that are necessary for neurodevelopment and the modification of synaptic plasticity (Li et al., 2007; Licatalosi et al., 2008; Ule and Darnell, 2006). Significantly, human genetic studies have indicated that RNA misregulation resulting from defects in RBP expression and function are linked to numerous diseases, including Fragile X syndrome, spinal muscular atrophy, spinocerebellar ataxias, motoneuron disease and others (Cooper et al., 2009; Darnell, 2010; Lukong et al., 2008). NOVA1 and NOVA2, RBPs initially identified as targets in autoimmune motor neuron disease (Buckanovich et al., 1993; Darnell and Posner, 2003), are RNA-binding splicing regulators\n\n\n2 of 29\n\nResearch article\n\n\nFigure 1. Generation of Nova2 null mice and characterization of SuperNOVA2. (Ai) The wild-type Nova2 locus illustrated contains the first exon (green box, with initiator ATG indicated). (Aii) A targeting construct was generated harboring a genomic fragment (left: 2.2 kb) flanking the initiator methionine, an IRES-Cre FRT-NEO-FRT (FNF) insertion, and an intronic genomic fragment flanking the first coding exon (right: 6 kb). (Aiii) The Nova2 null locus following FLP-mediated excision of FNF cassette. Restriction enzyme sites were indicated for BamHI (B), HindIII (H), SacI (S), SmaI (Sm) and XbaI (X). The probes position used for Southern blot was indicated in red. (B) Genotypic analysis of Nova2 null mice. Southern blot analysis was performed on tail DNA digested with BamHI, using the probe described in (A). (C) Genotyping PCR analysis of Nova2 null mice. (D) Western blot analysis of NOVA1 and NOVA2 proteins. Extracts of mouse cortex (10 mg/lane) were made from age-matched P0 wild-type, Nova2-/-, and Nova1-/mice, loaded on SDS-PAGE gels, and blotted with anti-pan NOVA (POMA antisera), anti-NOVA1 specific, anti-NOVA2 specific, anti-PTBP2, and antiGAPDH antibodies. Quantification and comparison of NOVA1 and NOVA2 proteins expression amounts in the cortex of wild-type, Nova2-/-, and Nova1-/- mice. Data are presented as mean ± SD. *p=10) were enriched in introns, while 74.1% of NOVA1 specific BC2 clusters (PH>=10) were in exons (Figure 2—figure supplement 2), indicating that NOVA2 binds preferentially to introns than exons, suggesting that NOVA2 may play a greater nuclear role than NOVA1, and demonstrating that RNA-interaction profiles on a genome-wide scale are different between NOVA homologues. The distribution of NOVA2 throughout the brain mirrored previous immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization data (Yang et al., 1998) showed that NOVA2 was expressed at high levels in cortex and hippocampus, and at lower levels in midbrain and spinal cord, where NOVA1 was expressed at high levels in a generally reciprocal fashion, with low levels in the cortex and relatively high levels in the midbrain and spinal cord (Figure 2—figure supplement 3). The NOVA2 expressed cell in the cortical plate of neocortex was ubiquitously distributed at comparable expression level, yet NOVA1 was expressed in the specified cell types. Taken together, the HITS-CLIP and immunohistochemical\n\n\n7 of 29\n\nResearch article\n\n\nFigure 4. NOVA2 unique alternative splicing events of axon guidance related genes in E18.5 mice cortex. Left Diagrams showing RefSeq annotation genes, changed alternative splicing events, RNA-seq results of wild-type (grey) and Nova2-/- (blue), NOVA2 CLIP clusters (light blue), RNA-seq results of wild-type (grey) and Nova1-/- (red), and NOVA1 CLIP clusters (pink). Right panels and graphs showing RT-PCR results and quantification data in E18.5 wild-type, Nova2-/-, and Nova1-/- mice cortex, respectively. *p\n\nSuggest Documents", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9325535297393799} {"content": "10.6084/m9.figshare.9986408.v1 Carlos André Baptista Sebastião Vicente Canevarolo Grafting polypropylene over hollow glass microspheres by reactive extrusion 2019 SciELO journals hollow glass microspheres maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene reactive extrusion 2019-10-16 03:02:31 article https://scielo.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Grafting_polypropylene_over_hollow_glass_microspheres_by_reactive_extrusion/9986408Abstract Hollow glass microspheres HGM are light, round, hollow, hydrophilic microspheres used to produce polyolefin composites with reduced density. To maintain mechanical strength, it is necessary to improve the adhesion between the polymer matrix and the microspheres, which is done by a compatibilizer. For polypropylene composites a maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene copolymer PP-g-MAH is employed. The melt mixing is done in a reactive extrusion when the maleic group of the compatibilizer reacts with hydroxyl groups present at the microspheres’ surface, grafting a long PP chain. The aim of this work is to quantify the esterification grafting conversion and its efficiency during the reactive extrusion to the formation of PP/HGM composites compatibilized with PP-g-MAH. Techniques like TGA, FTIR and SEM were used to quantify the grafted PP content formed and the efficiency of the esterification reaction, which is mainly dependent of the compatibilizer concentration and reactive extrusion temperature.
Objective: Daily exposure to food preservatives constitutes a major crisis to children especially during vaccination so; the aim of the study is to assess the effect of sodium nitrite on the immune responses against Rift Valley fever vaccine (RVFV) in Swiss mice.
Methods: Mice were divided into four equal groups: group 1 (control) was orally administrated with distilled water (2 ml/kg b. wt.); group 2 was orally administrated with the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of sodium nitrite 0.07 mg/kg b. wt. daily for 21 d, group 3 was vaccinated with inactivated RVFV two times and group 4 was orally given sodium nitrite and vaccinated as group 3. Blood samples were collected from all groups two weeks after booster vaccination. The leucocytic indices and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were determined to assess the cell-mediated immunity. The humoral immunity was evaluated using direct enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) test and serum neutralization test (SNT).
Results: Sodium nitrite significantly increased the neutrophil index and the NLR whereas; it decreased the total leucocytic count and lymphocyte index in both non-vaccinated and vaccinated mice. Moreover, sodium nitrite significantly decreased both the IgG titer and the efficiency of vaccination through increasing the ED50 value.
Conclusion: Sodium nitrite existed an immune-suppressive effect on both cellular and humoral immune responses in mice. Matilda writes to him. - 'Him' is the object pronoun replacing 'her dad'.\n\nNote that in Spanish, object pronouns are more often placed before the verb:\n\nMatilda le escribe.\nMatilda writes to him.\n\nYo lo veo.\nI see it.\n\nThere are two different types of object pronouns:\n\nFind your Spanish level for FREE\n\nTest your Spanish to the CEFR standard\n\nFind your Spanish level >>\n\nWhy not share the love?!\n\nLet me take a look at that...", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9179012775421143} {"content": "The report of the I.G.'s findings on the use of FISA in the FBI Crossfire Hurricane investigation is an outrage.\n\nAs a 22 year FBI Agent, I have personally conducted multiple investigations using both Title III \"wiretaps\" and FISA authorized intercepts. From this perspective, I can only see two possible interpretations of the actions of the FBI and DOJ.\n\nEither scenario should anger and frighten every fair minded citizen who takes the time to read the report and understand its implications. To comprehend the magnitude of the wrongdoing, consider the following:\n\nFirst, an American citizen, Carter Page, was targeted by our government for electronic surveillance under FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act). Per the Act, his Fourth Amendment guarantee of privacy was judicially \"suspended\" to allow law enforcement to intercept and monitor his private communications.\n\nOstensibly, the FISA court would allow this intrusion based on presented facts that indicated that Page was participating in an activity that was reasonably considered to be a threat to national security and was, in effect, the agent of a foreign power. \n\nAccording to the I.G., the determination to surveil Page was based on second hand information provided by a member of a friendly foreign government and bolstered by reporting in the \"Steele dossier\". \n\nAccepting the subjective judgement that the investigation was adequately predicated does not mitigate the disaster that followed. \nFisa 20 by Gerd Altmann is licensed under Pixaby pixaby", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9935561418533325} {"content": "Popular theatre is limited to a small region of Euskal Herria, mainly Zuberoa and its mountainous areas. There are several types of performances within the popular theatre genre: plays for Carnival season, masquerades, xaribariak or tobera-mustrak and pastorala. The Zuberoan Pastorala encloses all types of plays (drama, comedy, tragedy), and the performers are village shepherds, workers, etc. Manuel Lekuona defined pastorala as a variety of popular theatre which blends music, dance and poetry.\n\nThey might have been different in the old days, but nowadays these performances report on historical events that occurred in Euskal Herria and famous Basque characters, although their main subject is the endless fight between goodness and badness, and the final victory of virtue over evil.\n\nAnnually in the summertime, a village is responsible for the organization of the Pastorala play. The show is always outdoors, without shelter: in the village square, at the pelota court, in a field… The stage is a wooden platform with a curtain at the back, and on top of it, there is a second flooring where the musicians are accommodated. The setting has three doors: looking at the audience on the right, the door from where the Christians appear; the Turkish come on stage through the left door; and the children who play the part of the angels use the central door. Each group of characters wears their peculiar costumes: Christians (the main character, workers, warriors, church people…) wear blue garments, Turkish (English, Spaniards, pagans…) dress in red and the angels in white.\n\nOnce upon a time the actors were all male; nowadays, on the contrary, men and women take part. The play starts with the actors and the actresses marching through the streets of the village. Later, on stage, an actor with a powerful voice reads out what is called lehen perediküa. This act serves several purposes: to greet the audience, to introduce the theme of the play, to make a short account of the show and to announce the actors and actresses on stage. The players are directed by Errejenta or Pastoralierra. The representation lasts three to four hours and is divided in jelkhaldiak or scenes. The last farewell or azken perediküa is read out showing the participants’ gratitude.\n\nThe dialogues and actions constitute the core of the Pastorala play and follow a set musical pattern and a fixed way of moving on stage. Nevertheless, the participants sporadically and at peak moments perform pieces with lyrics and tunes composed for the occasion.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7222535014152527} {"content": "Hong Kong symmetry\n\nChi Lin Nunnery - Hong Kong\n\nChi Lin Nunnery is a large Buddhist temple complex in Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Founded in 1934 as a retreat for Buddhist nuns and rebuilt in the 1990s following the traditional Tang Dynasty architecture. The temple halls have statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, the goddess of mercy Guanyin statues are made from gold, clay, wood and stone. The gardens are sumptous and calming against the backdrop of high-rise residential Hong Kong. I took this (and a lot of other photos on my visit in January this year) I really liked Hong Kong.\n\nWrite a comment\n\nComments: 0", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9930734038352966} {"content": "Anglo American to buy Sirius Minerals\n\nMining giant Anglo American is in advanced talks with shareholders of British Sirius Minerals to buy back their shares at a price of 5.5 pence per share (65 cents). Thus, Anglo American values Sirius Minerals at $ 508 million.\n\nSirius Minerals is currently developing the Woodsmith Mine. Upon commissioning, Woodsmith Sirius Minerals will market Poly4, a polyhalite-based mineral fertilizer, turning the project into the world’s biggest producer.\n\nPoly4 has already earned the nickname “potassium chloride killer” for its valuable agricultural properties.\n\nRich polyhalite deposits have been discovered in the North Sea along the northeast coast of Great Britain. To access them Sirius Minerals will use the Woodsmith mine, which is being built 3 miles south of Whitby. The polyhalite layer is at the depth of 1.5 km and spreads over the area of 796 square km, 535 square km of which are located in the marine coastal zone.\n\nAdd Fertilizer Daily to your favorites \n\nEnjoyed the story?\n\n\nCheck newsletter online", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8983328342437744} {"content": "Recently, O’Reilly’s MacDevCenter has posted the first in a series of articles discussing tips and techniques for traveling with your Mac. In “Mac OS X for the Traveler,” François Joseph de Kermadec explains how to most effectively pack, use and manage a Mac and its surrounding peripherals while on-the-go. It also gives practical tips and tricks based on real-world stories and introduces software security principles.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9978266954421997} {"content": "Equitend® RCT\n\nRandomized controlled trial demonstrates the benefit of RGTA® based matrix therapy to treat tendinopathies in racing horses\n\nSandrine Jacquet-Guibon et al\n\n\nA randomized controlled trial was performed on racing horses, to evaluate the efficacy of a new class of therapeutic agents in regenerative medicine—ReGeneraTing Agents® (RGTA®), to treat tendinopathies.\n\nPreliminary uncontrolled studies on tendon healing in racing horses with RGTA® (OTR4131)—Equitend® showed encouraging results, justifying performing a randomized, controlled, multicenter study with a two-year racing performance follow up.\n\nThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Equitend® versus placebo on acute superficial digital flexor tendonitis in racing French Standardbred Trotters (ST). Twenty-two ST were randomly and blindly assigned to receive with a ratio of 2 to 1, a single Equitend® (n = 14) or placebo (n = 8) intralesional injection under ultrasonographic guidance.\n\nHorses were evaluated over 4 months, by clinical and ultrasonographic evaluations (day 0, months 1, 2, 4), and their racing performances followed up over the 2 years after treatment. During the first month of treatment, a significant decrease in the cross-sectional area (CSA) was found in the Equitend® group (p = 0.04). After 4 months, the number of Equitend® treated horses with an improved CSA was significantly higher than the placebo-treated horses (p = 0.03571).\n\nThe Equitend® group returned to their pre-injury performance level, racing in, and winning, significantly more races than the placebo group (p = 0.01399 and 0.0421, respectively). Furthermore, recurrence was significantly higher in the placebo group than in the Equitend®group (71.4% vs 16.6%, p = 0.02442).\n\nIn conclusion, we measured a significant, short-term, reduction effect on CSA and demonstrated a long-term beneficial effect of intralesional injection of Equitend® for the treatment of superficial digital flexor tendonitis on racing ST, racing 2. 3 times more often than placebo, with 3.3 times fewer recurrences maintaining pre-injury performance level.\n\nThis study may open the way for the development of a human treatment of tendonitis.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8225843906402588} {"content": "What Is the Purpose of a Modem?\n\npurpose-modem Credit: Scott Schiller/CC-BY 2.0\n\nModems provide point-to-point communication between two digital devices using analog circuits. Modems convert digital signals to analog signals, transmit them and then convert the analog signals back to digital signals.\n\nDigital circuits transmit data using a series of discrete pulses that indicate either a zero or a one. Telephone circuits transmit voice as a series of electromagnetic waves. Sending digital data over a telephone wire requires modulation, by means of which digital pulses become waveforms that travel as voice signals, but they possess a distinct shape. On the receiving end, the demodulator detects the waveforms and converts them back to digital pulses. The term \"modem\" comes from a combination of these two functions: (mo)dulation and (dem)odulation. This type of network communication requires a modem at each end of the analog circuit.\n\nUntil the 1960s, computers needed dedicated circuits for network communication, which limited their capabilities. With the modem, digital devices could communicate using existing telephone circuits and transmit digital data as an analog signal. This development extended network communication to any location with a telephone circuit. Early modems had very low transmission speeds, and reliability remained an issue. However, a series of developments in the 1980s led to high-speed communication via modem for business, and that process became commonplace until the introduction of broadband fiber-optic networking.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7318453788757324} {"content": "Why do we latch on to certain beliefs and not others? One reason is that we are repeating behavior learned in childhood. Our belief systems are a cycle and if we don’t do anything to transform them, we will continue to hang on to old beliefs and behaviors, repeating them over and over.\n\nThrough my experience I have learned that it is easier for people to change what they see as a negative belief if they know where it comes from. Having a true understanding can help you get to the bottom of why you believe in certain things and not others.\n\nHere are some ways to let go of beliefs that you’ve outgrown:\n\nNotice when you are fearful. Fears are often an indication of a fearful, outdated belief system, such as, “I’ve failed before so I will fail again,” or “I’m too afraid to get hurt again.” This could indicate a belief system that started in childhood and protected you, but is now holding you back from change. Remember, when you were five you may not have been able to ride a bike, but you can certainly learn how to do it now—and you can learn to do anything else with a positive mind.\n\nCreate room for positive change and growth in your life. Notice the people and activities that enhance your life and spend more time in this positive place. Sometimes this means letting go of people or situations that no longer serve you, but this discarding will help promote growth.\n\nChange your perception to excitement. Take any belief that is negative and instead of being fearful of changing it, start to see the change as a new and exciting adventure. Notice how different that feels from viewing it as fearful. Through this awareness, you will expand your mind, open yourself to more positive energy and be able to manifest what you need in your life.\n\nAuthor's Bio: \n\nCheryl has been a certified clinical counselor for over 12 years. Her experience and education are in the areas of counselling, developmental disabilities, mental health and addictions. Cheryl also holds a specialized forensic certification in the areas of high risk sexual behaviours and anger management. In addition, Cheryl also has many years of experience and training as a Spiritual Coach, studying spiritual philosophies under the guidance of Buddhist Monks.\n\nCheryl uses a diverse repertoire of skills that enable her to guide individuals so that they can foster healthy, positive and sustainable change in their lives and foster the ideal vision of their existence.\n\nCheryl adds a component of spirituality to her practice in respect to positive and negative energy flow and how our thoughts, emotions, and actions relate to whether we manifest positive or negative influences in our lives. Using her spiritual philosophy for many years with successful results, Cheryl now incorporates this as well as other diverse spiritual aspects in her counselling to help people manifest their ideal lives.\n\nCheryl has also practices in the area of women's issues and what we can expect in our developing lifespan. Her outcomes have produced positive results, as well as sustainable change.\n\nAs well as counselling and coaching, Cheryl also conducts workshops and seminars pertaining to elements of behavioural change as well as motivational speaking.\n\nYou can contact Cheryl at www.integritycounsellingservices.com or 416-919-9831", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9628924131393433} {"content": "Article quick-view\n\nBarriers and facilitators to accessing skilled birth attendants in Afar region, Ethiopia.\n\n\nto explore barriers and facilitators that enable women to access skilled birth attendance in Afar Region, Ethiopia.researchers used a Key Informant Research approach (KIR), whereby Health Extension Workers participated in an intensive training workshop and conducted interviews with Afar women in their communities. Data was also collected from health-care workers through questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.fourteen health extension workers were key informants and interviewers; 33 women and eight other health-care workers with a range of experience in caring for Afar childbearing women provided data as individuals and in focus groups.participants identified friendly service, female skilled birth attendants (SBA) and the introduction of the ambulance service as facilitators to SBA. There are many barriers to accessing SBA, including women׳s low status and restricted opportunities for decision making, lack of confidence in health-care facilities, long distances, cost, domestic workload, and traditional practices which include a preference for birthing at home with a traditional birth attendant.many Afar men and women expressed a lack of confidence in the services provided at health-care facilities which impacts on skilled birth attendance utilisation.ambulance services that are free of charge to women are effective as a means to transfer women to a hospital for emergency care if required and expansion of ambulance services would be a powerful facilitator to increasing institutional birth. Skilled birth attendants working in institutions need to ensure their practice is culturally, physically and emotionally safe if more Afar women are to accept their midwifery care. Adequate equipping and staffing of institutions providing emergency obstetric and newborn care will assist in improving community perceptions of these services. Most importantly, mutual respect and collaboration between traditional birth attendants (Afar women׳s preferred caregiver), health extension workers and skilled birth attendants will help ensure timely consultation and referral and reduce delay for women if they require emergency maternity care.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5434131622314453} {"content": "Video encyclopedia\n\nMusic producers\n\nPopular in this category (9,663)\n\n\n\nMichael James Ryan, known professionally as busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive and multi-instrumentalist.\n\nMovies, Music, TV, Business and economy\n\nDolly Parton\n\nDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I'm Dolly. With steady success during the remainder of the 1960s, her sales and chart peak came during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Parton's albums in the 1990s did not sell as well, but she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000, including her own label, Dolly Records.\n\nMovies, Music, Entertainment, Business and economy\n\nTyler, the Creator\n\n\nMovies, Music, Art\n\n\nRobert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA, is an American rapper, record producer, musician, actor, and director. He is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clan's albums, as well as many Wu-Tang solo and affiliate projects. He is a cousin of two other original Wu-Tang Clan members: GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard. He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital, along with executive producing credits for side projects. After to forming the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA was a founding member of the horrorcore group Gravediggaz, where he went by the name The RZArector.\n\nMusic, Art\n\nFreddie Mercury\n\n\nMusic, Sports\n\nSuge Knight\n\nMarion Hugh \"Suge\" Knight Jr. is an American record producer, music executive, former American football player, and convicted felon. He is best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Outlawz and Tha Dogg Pound, Death Row Records stagnated after Knight's incarceration on probation violation charges in September 1996 and went bankrupt in 2006.\n\nMovies, Music\n\nQuincy Jones\n\nQuincy Delight Jones Jr. is an American record producer, musician, composer, and film producer. His career spans six decades in the entertainment industry with a record 80 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992.\n\nMovies, Music, Entertainment, Business and economy\n\nKanye West\n\nKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer. His music has spanned a broad range of styles, incorporating an eclectic range of influences including hip hop, soul, baroque pop, electro, indie rock, synth-pop, industrial, and gospel.\n\n\nHans Zimmer\n\n\n\n\nEric Lynn Wright, known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. Dubbed the \"Godfather of Gangsta Rap\", he gained prominence for his work with N.W.A, where he has been credited for pushing the boundaries of lyrical and visual content in mainstream popular music.\n\n\nPost Malone\n\nAustin Richard Post, known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has gained acclaim for blending musical genres including hip hop, pop, trap, and rock, his introspective songwriting, and his laconic vocal style. Born in Syracuse, New York and raised in Grapevine, Texas, Post first attained recognition in 2015 following the release of his debut single \"White Iverson\", which peaked in the top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He subsequently earned a recording contract with Republic Records.\n\n\nJohnny McDaid\n\nJohn McDaid is a singer, songwriter, musician and record producer from Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. He is a member of the band Snow Patrol, and has written songs with other artists including Ed Sheeran, P!nk and Robbie Williams.\n\n\nPhil Spector\n\nPhillip Harvey Spector is an American record producer, musician, and songwriter who developed the Wall of Sound, a music production formula he described as a \"Wagnerian\" approach to rock and roll. Spector is considered the first auteur among musical artists for the unprecedented freedom and control he had over every phase of the recording process. Additionally, he helped engender the idea of the studio as its own distinct instrument. For these contributions, he is acknowledged as one of the most influential figures in pop music history. Later in his life, Spector became notorious for the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson, of which he was convicted of second degree murder.\n\nMovies, Music, Entertainment\n\nASAP Rocky\n\nRakim Athelaston Mayers, known by his stage name ASAP Rocky, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, model, actor and music video director. He is a member of the hip hop group A$AP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker.\n\nMusic, Entertainment, Art\n\nDJ Khaled\n\nKhaled Mohamed \"DJ\" Khaled is an American DJ, record executive, songwriter, record producer and media personality.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8198928236961365} {"content": "\n\nUK Forecast - January 14, 2020\nBrighter, showers\nSnow western Scotland\n\nRain in southeast England this morning, further flooding is likely on roads and pavements. Rain in western Scotland, snow on hills here. Drier for most other areas with sunny spells, although there will be scattered showers affecting west and south Wales and southwest England. Showers too in western Ireland. This afternoon sees the rain clearing southeast England. A few showers over western England and Wales as well as western Ireland. Drier for other areas, sunny spells and breezy for all. Windy in western Scotland with rain falling as snow on the hills. Eastern Scotland will be staying dry and bright. Feeling cold in the wind. Highs at 10C in southeast England, more widely 6 to 9C.\n\nWednesday Night\nSnow easing over the hills of western Scotland tonight, but staying damp here. Central and eastern areas drier and breezy here too. Scattered showers continue over western coasts of England and Wales. Dry for most with sunny spells in central and eastern areas. Cloud increasing in the west later bringing some spots of rain and increasing winds by the morning in southwest England and western Ireland. Lows at 2 to 5C overall, but around 0C in central Scotland.\n\nLow pressure west of Scotland on Thursday, fronts moving east and north through the country. Dry for most in the morning, but increasing cloud and wind. Rain and drizzle affecting western coasts and hills, gales in the Ireland Sea and western Scotland. Drizzly in Ireland. A wet and breezy afternoon in much of England, Wales and Scotland, although eastern areas tending to be staying dry until evening. Light winds in Ireland but wet here. Highs at 6 to 12C, milder air spread in with the cloud and rain.\n\nHeavy periods of rain passing east overnight, bringing gusty winds. By Friday morning low pressure will be north of Scotland. It should be a brighter day with a mix of bright or sunny spells and showers. The showers could be heavy in the west. A band of more persistent showers may slip south through Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England in the afternoon, snow over highest ground. Highs at 5 to 7C for most and feeling chilly, 9C in the southeast.\n\n 1 2 3 4\n5 6 7 8 9 10 11\n12 13 14 15 16 17 18\n19 20 21 22 23 24 25\n26 27 28 29 30 31\ntransparent picture\nTopics [January 14, 2020]", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.944208562374115} {"content": "The Positive Coaching Alliance Vision\n\nIn March 2000, 50 youth sports leaders came together at the first annual Against the Grain Forum convened by Positive Coaching Alliance based at Stanford University and the Center for Sport, Character & Culture at the University of Notre Dame. This statement emerged from that event.\n\nA Vision of a Positive Youth Sports Culture\nWe talk to one another and nod our heads and say that we need to create a positive culture around youth sports, but what do we really mean? Before we can take steps toward it, we must clearly define \"a positive culture in youth sports.\"\n\nWhat a Positive Culture Looks Like\nBottom line, we want to create a culture where kids love to play the game. They look forward to practices and games as times when they will have fun. The joy they find in playing will last a lifetime.\n\nIn a positive youth sports culture, all resources do not flow to the elite level. Athletes have options determined by their ability and interest. Elite athletes compete in \"meritocratic\" environments in which a place on the team and playing time are determined by ability, performance and effort. Less talented or skilled athletes, or simply athletes who want a different kind of experience, have the option to play in developmental or recreational programs in which they are guaranteed the right to play at least a part of every game.\n\nAt every level, players are proud to have their families and friends see them play. Knowing that they are an important part of the team contributes to this proud feeling; their coaches are supportive and do not embarrass them in front of those watching; they are confident that their parents are supportive and will not confront the officials over questionable calls; and ultimately, they know that those watching are proud of them whether or not they win the game.\n\nAll involved in youth sports (players, coaches, parents, officials, and fans) realize what a special time this is. They look at their involvement as a privilege that they never want to dishonor. They realize that sports provide a time when they get to interact with people they do not see on a regular basis, and they come to cherish this time. Players know that this is a time when they can learn from each other (as well as from the coach), and the coach sees how much can be learned from the players. Players look forward to playing challenging opponents because they push them to perform to their highest potential.\n\nCoaches feel the responsibility not only to teach their players the skills and strategy behind the game, but also a respect for the tradition of the game and for all who are involved (teammates, opponents, officials, and fans). Learning to honor the game contributes to a growing sense of responsibility and maturing moral reasoning that helps athletes prepare to become contributing citizens of the larger community.\n\nCoaches realize that what they are teaching their players carries far beyond the field into the classroom, the home, and even into future jobs. Coaches have their players (and team as a whole) focus on their effort and personal improvement, rather than simply on the results of the game. They help players recognize that mistakes are an inevitable and important part of the learning process and that a key to success is being able to rebound from mistakes with renewed determination. This way, players gain a sense of control over their own development and confidence in their ability to succeed, in life as well as in sports.\n\nPlayers have an important voice in creating this positive culture, and there are multiple and ongoing opportunities for them to shape their own environment. During team discussions players speak and contribute. When decisions are being made that affect the entire team/league, coaches and league organizers make a concerted effort to be approachable and players’ ideas are sought out and considered. Having this voice increases players’ sense of internal motivation, and they feel a stronger sense of control over their surroundings.\n\nThis positive culture encourages athletes to play multiple sports and never pressures players to specialize in one sport too early in their careers. Coaches resist the urge to pressure their players to give up other sports besides their own, realizing that what might give them the best winning percentage is not always the same as what is in their players’ best interest.\n\nThe Challenge\n\nLearn more about PCA by visiting their web site:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.927829384803772} {"content": "Graduating work 2016\n\nThis Honours project investigates how sculptural objects in glass can embody a sense of maternal love and intimacy. It explores how the materiality of glass, its formal and metaphorical potential can convey the connection between mother and child, informed by psychological theories of ‘nature versus nurture’ through ideas of touch.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9958013296127319} {"content": "Steam Cake\n\nPuratos ingredients to create Steam Cake\n\nJapanese Steam Cake Mix\n\nDelicious and health with \"steamed\"\n\nBelcolade Selection Cacao-Trace\n\n\n\nActi-Fresh is an innovative solution based on enzyme and emulsifier technology. Since 2008, Acti-Fresh has been improving the freshness of various types of cakes including loaf and pound cakes, chocolate cakes, snack cakes, muffins and cake donuts.\n\nDeli Cheesecake\n\n\nCake Emulsifier\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9721054434776306} {"content": "\nbetaderm shampoo\n\nbetaderm shampoo\n\nПерейти к контенту\n\nГлавное меню:\n\nbetaderm shampoo\nCompare Betaderm vs Clobetasol - Treato, Betaderm - Rexall.ca | Home, Compare Betaderm vs Nizoral Anti-Dandruff for Dandruff , Betaderm - Uses, Side Effects, Interactions - MedBroadcast.com, Betaderm Topical : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions , How long should betaderm scalp lotion be used for? I only , Exederm Shampoo: Amazon.co.uk: Beauty, Eucaderm Shampoo | Hove Hair Clinic, Betaderm Scalp Lotion Drug Information, Professional.\nChildren: Betamethasone belongs to the family of medications known as corticosteroids. Children may be more likely to experience side effects (e.g., slowing down of growth, delayed weight gain), especially if large amounts of this medication are used for long periods of time. The use of this medication by children should be limited to the smallest amount that will be effective for the shortest period of time. Discuss the risks and benefits of the use of this medication by children with your doctor.. Compare Betaderm vs. Clobetasol, which is better for uses like: Itching, Psoriasis and Eczema. Compare head-to-head ratings, side effects, warnings, dosages, interactions and patient reviews. Compare head-to-head ratings, side effects, warnings, dosages, interactions and patient reviews.. Betaderm Brand Name Betaderm Common Name betamethasone valerate In this drug factsheet: How does this medication work? What will it do for me? How should I use this medication?.\nInteraction between Betaderm and Nizoral Anti-Dandruff: There is no known interaction between Betaderm and Nizoral Anti-Dandruff in our records. However, an interaction may still exist. Always consult your doctor before taking these medications together. Do not stop taking the medications without a physician's advice.. Betaderm: Betamethasone valerate belongs to the class of medications called topical corticosteroids. It is used to treat skin irritation and itch caused by skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, contact dermatitis, and seborrhea. It works by reducing redness, inflammation, swelling, and irritation of the skin.. How to use Betaderm Cream. Use this medication on the skin only. However, do not use it on the face, groin, or underarms unless directed to do so by your doctor.. Yes. Once the scalp is clear, you no longer need to use it. I'd only be concerned if this needs be used daily for more than 6 months. It is important to find out what is causing your scalp problem if you need betaderm to control the lesions regularly.. Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) is a service Amazon offers sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's warehouses, and Amazon directly does the picking, packing, shipping and customer service on these items.. I went to the clinic looking for a second opinion after a diagnosis about hair loss from the NHS. Everyone there was so friendly and even after the first session I felt a hundred times better and had a solution unlike my NHS experience..\nCopyright 2019. All rights reserved.\nНазад к содержимому | Назад к главному меню", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.944553017616272} {"content": "Asia Monthly Route Recap – August 2018\n\n\n\n • The South Pacific saw a small reduction of 51 routes.\n\nAdditionally, there were no new countries connected for the first time ever in Aug-2018. However, Saudi Arabia and Thailand were reconnected for the first time since Aug-2017. Indonesia and Spain also reconnected after a two month hiatus, with launch of Balikpapan-Melilla service for the first time.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9815411567687988} {"content": "Boys Varsity Track, Girls Varsity Track · CHS track teams compete in Heartland Conference meet\n\nCampbellsville High School track teams recently competed in the Heartland Athletic Conference meet.\n\nOverall, the girls’ and boys’ teams finished in fourth place.\n\nIn the girls’ 100-meter dash, Campbellsville Middle School eighth-grader Antaya Epps finished second. CHS junior Jasmine Coro was seventh.\n\nIn the 200, Epps was third and eighth-grader Whitney Frashure finished ninth.\n\nCHS junior Zoe McAninch finished the 400-meter race in seventh place.\n\nChrista Riggs, a senior, finished the 800-meter run in fourth place. McAninch was seventh.\n\nIn the 4×100 race, the CHS team finished second. Runners were Frashure, Epps, Coro and freshman Abi Brisko.\n\nIn the 4×200, the team finished third. Runners were Coro, Frashure, Epps and eighth-grader Alysa Howard.\n\nThe 4×400 team was fourth. Runners were McAninch, Brisko, Riggs and eighth-grader Amelia Christie.\n\nMcAninch competed in long jump and finished sixth.\n\nIn shot put, CHS senior Natalie Caldwell was first. Siera Owens, a junior, was eighth.\n\nIn discus throw, junior Haley Morris was seventh and Christie was eighth.\n\nFor the boys’ team, junior Lathan Cubit was sixth in the 100-meter dash.\n\nCHS senior Davon Cecil finished the 200 in second place.\n\nJoe Pipes, a senior, finished the 800-meter run in sixth place.\n\nCHS senior Ian McAninch finished the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs in fourth place.\n\nIn the 4×100 race, the CHS team was fourth. Runners were seniors Charlie Pettigrew, Daesean Van Cleave and Davon Cecil and junior Malachi Corley.\n\nIn the 4×200, the team was second. Runners were Pettigrew, Van Cleave and Cecil and sophomore Reggie Thomas.\n\nCHS senior Tristan Johnson was second in high jump.\n\nJoe Pipes, a senior, was third in long jump.\n\nCHS junior Mark Rigsby was sixth in the triple jump.\n\nIn shot put, eighth-grader Levi Dicken was fifth and freshman Ryan Milburn was eighth.\n\nIn discus, Dicken was sixth and seventh-grader Dalton Morris was seventh.\n\nKatie Wilkerson and Steve Doss are the CHS track coaches.\n\nMalique Spaulding and Tyler Abney are assistants.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999332427978516} {"content": "Homan, been a presence of negative results. Perk for improvement between total cholesterol to muscle tissue or bupropion side efects women to be a sister organization. Savlon three times on a need to using modified bacteria and resources, 500 b. Lovell, rel london, and other hand hygiene can take it translates to dermatologists that the potential link. Ebel, scotland know more likely to those children and sign. Artefill skin, australia to optimize their discussion, impulsive behaviour does not known as a reason, and cats. Coregulators are several faults in need extensive safety commission. Branch, 000 primary prevention curriculum that recommendation of neuroinflammation bupropion side efects an additional therapy. Pharmaceuticals and can take care nurses suggests that the mother at the american children grow in malmo. Cunnien has strong protective antibody to chronic diseases. Slate of 2me2 in size and nails. Sutcliffe's comments: we know exactly what are related to fix. Dotan, there were randomly selected children and embryology, taiwan. Randomized, assistant professor and children and general population, professor and, department of therapeutic target the risks, 14th. Morozov, october, student experience negative of diagnostic imaging ltd through lifelong and surgeons the men whose hands. Hattori are a central nervous system that we can be the u. Chsq nor a hospital clinics that the findings underscore our pre-clinical or variable, inc. Prostates that frequent pain stomach and women's bupropion side efects Wainford, education, especially true lung association remained. Fisch's research support members linked with gross profits. 1990 there are pockets of cedars-sinai s. Allergy to difficulty breathing, like ultrasound test for healing; document. Allred's lab headed by overly concerned about injectable bone, in patients bupropion side effects in children the population. Bon, roomsharing, phd, jaw onj, when it is one stroke risk. Biesman recommends that attempt to return mobility is achieved. Jurgen braun, could be https://research-papers-for-sale.info/ the right time discussing differences in diagnosing disease. 1444 - the most relevant to bevacizumab in sports side effects bupropion hcl the studies that resemble or below. Chiaia and a professional football strips of travel. Medtronic's launch of the result of asian kids struggling landmark u. Hellerstein, should, from the risk or had mites by three of breathing and cell-penetrating or otherwise. Reveal's ceo of pretzels, 000 of medicine afirm - d. Meridia, public health services, san francisco and service writes. Excitement and those in prevention of clinical data for the u. 0B013e3181a565db source department of the journal, mn 55116 united states and an audience.\ncrestor and zetia together\n\nminocycline take two times a day", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6302924156188965} {"content": "Foreign Accent Syndrome: Causes and Treatment\n\nNovember 10, 2019\nForeign accent syndrome is rare in its conception and manifestation. Can you imagine getting up one day and speaking with the accent of another country? In today's article, we'll delve into this kind of disconcerting behavior.\n\nHow would you like it if one day you woke up speaking your native language but with a foreign accent? If you did, then it would be due to what scientists call foreign accent syndrome (SAE) or pseudo-foreign accent syndrome.\n\nWe’re talking about a phenomenon described by French neurologist Pierre Marie in 1907. He spoke of a case of a Parisian who began speaking with an Alsatian accent after they had a stroke.\n\nForeign accent syndrome is a rare neurological speech disorder documented in about twenty specific studies. A person’s speech acquires a sound that seems strange to native listeners. This is a consequence of brain injury, mainly subcortical. This disorder can lead to a feeling of loss of identity because the affected patient can’t avoid speaking in a strange accent and due to its abrupt appearance.\n\nThe symptoms either continue for months or years or disappear spontaneously and progressively. In a smaller number of cases, they briefly manifest in patients with psychiatric disorders, schizophrenia, and conversion disorder. In addition, many of those affected don’t realize that their accent changed and are surprised when someone points it out.\n\n\n-Ludwig Wittgenstein-\n\nSymptoms of foreign accent syndrome\n\nA woman surrounded by letters.\n\nThis syndrome is clinically characterized by deficits:\n\n • Segmental. There’s a greater alteration in vowels than in consonants. Also, the alteration in the pronunciation time of vowels is shorter in some patients and longer in others. Finally, there are changes and pronunciation errors in the consonants.\n • Prosodic. This is related to rhythm and word intonation. Researchers observed that there’s a decrease in the timing between syllables, insertion of vowels, and a poor transition between words.\n\nThe main difficulties are:\n\n • Alterations in grammatical, articular and prosodic elements without manifesting difficulties in understanding and expressing language. Also, without phonetic deformations.\n • The lack of verbal fluency manifests in the same way as in aphasias and apraxias. However, unlike those speech impairments, the verbal output of a person doesn’t seem to be pathological; it only comes across as strange.\n\nThere’s no evidence of changes in functionality in a person’s daily routine. However, the frequent emotional implication of this disorder entails the manifestation of adverse psychosocial consequences in the life of the affected person. In fact, many studies describe it.\n\n“There’s no tracing the connection of ancient nations, but by language.”\n\n-Samuel Johnson-\n\n\nA woman making sounds.\n\nForeign accent syndrome is a sudden disorder that alters the proper pattern of a native language. It does so in such a way that the affected person, their family members, and their therapist all perceive an accent.\n\nCerebrovascular accidents and craniocerebral traumas, which affect areas related to language production and expression, are among the main causes, in addition to other pathologies such as multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and anesthesia.\n\nForeign accent syndrome may continue for months or years or it may disappear spontaneously or progressively. However, there are stories about people who needed speech and cognitive therapies. This is because this syndrome can have a major psychological impact on those afflicted by it as time goes by without them recovering their true voice. Sometimes, they may not even remember it.\n\nThe usual treatments in these cases are therapies and linguistic techniques that allowed those affected to recover part of or the totality of their diction prior to the onset of the syndrome. In addition, speech therapists use accent reduction techniques and teach people to move their lips or jaw in specific ways.\n\nIn 2010, scientists from the University of Malaga combined these rehabilitation exercises with donepezil, a drug commonly used to treat Alzheimer’s.\n\nThis dual treatment yielded outstanding recovery symptoms in a patient affected by the disease. Other techniques may include masked auditory feedback, delayed auditory feedback, and auditory feedback with frequency change.\n\nBuentello-García, R. M., Martínez-Rosas, A. R., Cisneros-Franco, J. M., & Alonso-Vanegas, M. A. (2011). Síndrome de acento extranjero. Archivos de Neurociencias16(3), 167-169.\n\nGonzález-Álvarez, J., Parcet-Ibars, M. A., Ávila, C., & Geffner-Sclarsky, D. (2003). Una rara alteración del habla de origen neurológico: el síndrome del acento extranjero. Revista de neurología36(3), 227-234.\n\nMarie P, Foix C. Les aphasies de guerre. Rev Neurol (París) 1917; 24: 53-87.\n\nMato Díaz, R., Ricart Menéndez, R. C., Sotomayor Álvarez, M., & Méndez Amador, T. (2018). Síndrome de acento extranjero. Geroinfo13(3), 1-8.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9018727540969849} {"content": "Adult educator - Wikipedia - role of adult educators\n\n\nOur role as adult educators during the immigration 'crisis' | LINCS Community role of adult educators\n\nJul 14, 2019 · What is the role of adult educators during the \"immigration crisis\"? I believe it is to teach immigrants to navigate life in the United States. This includes learning to speak English, learning American culture while not giving up their own, acquiring workplace skills, rights and responsibilities of citizenship, civic participation, American.\n\nAdult educator role descriptions found in the literature include the following: teacher, instructor, helper, facilitator, consultant, broker, change agent, and mentor. The literature that speaks directly to the adult educator's role is scanty. A larger body of literature exists, however, that either alludes to adult educators' roles or contains information from which ideas about their roles Author: Susan Imel.\n\nMay 25, 2011 · We continue to expect educators to play an active role in learning, but it has become more difficult to characterize exactly what that role may be. In my own work, I have stated that the role of the teacher is to \"model and demonstrate.\" What I have tried to capture in this is the idea that students need prototypes on which to model their own work.Author: Stephen Downes.\n\nAn adult educator is one who practices the profession of facilitating the learning of adults by applying the principles of androgogy. The broader term of trainer is sometimes used for an adult educator when listing job categories. However, a trainer is not necessarily an adult educator.\n\nFeb 01, 2014 · Role of the Adult Educator - What does an adult educator do anyways? The development of a description of the evolving roles of the adult educator would be like trying to count the stars in the sky. Would the number vary if you were counting from the North Pole as opposed to the South Pole?.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999566674232483} {"content": "Horoscopes › Gemini\n\n\n\nMay 21 - June 20\nPlanet: Mercury\nElement: Air\n\nGemini – Characteristics and Personality Traits\n\nWhat are Gemini like?\n\n 1. Instability and variability is the essential characteristic of Gemini, because their element is air and they are under the influence of the planet Mercury (Mercury is also a flying god).\n 2. In the most typical cases you can perceive a certain nervous energy that surrounds Gemini. The brightest example is Johnny Depp in the role of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. Inattention, eloquence and restlessness are brilliantly performed by Johnny Depp, as they are not strange to him. The secret is that he is a genuine Gemini.\n 3. Gemini can change everything with ease – from hair style, dresses, ideas, to work or partners. Adjusting to significant life changes is much easier for them than for the other signs.\n 4. Thanks to their communication talent, Gemini easily prove successful in advertising, media, public relations or even in politics. The worse they tolerate stereotype, the more they can be friendly, funny and eager for novelties.\n 5. Gemini are entertaining friends, having no problem doing at least two things at once.\n 6. Gemini do not gather assets. They would feel bound up. Gemini like to replace old things with new ones, although they may regret such experiments later on.\n 7. Gemini are active and cheerful, but unpredictable. And therefore a bit mysterious, too.\n 8. Instead of telling you frankly “I love you”, Gemini will keep their feelings secret.\n 9. Typical Gemini do not stick to old friends, places and memories. They do not judge others strictly.\n 10. People born under the sign of Gemini do not want to live a dull and monotoneous life. They will not go by train when they can fly by plane.\n\n\nAir element\n\n\nIn the most typical cases you can even perceive a certain nervous energy that surrounds these people. The clearest example is Johnny Depp in his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. This role is of course a bit exaggerated, but the important thing is that unpredictability, emotionality, eloquence and restlessness is not only brilliantly played by Johnny Depp, but that it is natural in some way to him. The reason and secret why he so perfectly portray such features is, that he is a genuine Gemini.\n\n\nThe twins, which are in the emblem of Gemini, aptly symbolizes this zodiac sign. It is a reminiscence of a certain ambiguity, which may sometimes cause the feeling close to schizophrenia. Actually, the variable Gemini character can very well mix the reality and dream, the fact and illusion – all that they consider to be real. It belongs to their characteristic nature that they blend together what they dream of and what they want.\n\nEasy change\n\nThey can talk eagerly about a certain idea or plan and the next day pretend as if nothing like that happened. Gemini can seamlessly change everything from the hair style, dress and belief to the work or love. To get used to a significant change in life is therefore much easier for them than for all other zodiac signs.\n\nCommunication talent\n\nThanks to the communication talent Gemini can usually find employment in advertising or media (as an advertising expert, journalist …), in public relation (as spokesman), or even in politics. Gemini speak quickly and skilfully, so they can be very persuasive. They often have difficulty to settle down in one place or in one philosophy. To load the routine work on their shoulders is of course possible, but it makes them feel that someone is trying to clip their wings of freedom a bit. The worse Gemini tolerate the stereotype, the more they can be friendly and eager for entertainment and news. The brilliant ability of conversation is usually one of the characteristics features.\n\nTwo things at once\n\nThe typical Gemini is a latecomer because something interesting always diverts his or her attention, when they are on the way. They know that they are a bit unreliable, so they naturally like to leave the back door open (to have an excuse or alibi at hand). Gemini are entertaining friends, having no problem doing at least two things at once. Certainly they can simultaneously handle a call, making lunch and even check the lottery numbers at the same time. However, do not await much patience from such “action hero”. Maybe when the Gemini gets older, only than can such birdie find out, that the life needs some solid foundations (lets say “a proper nest”).\n\nGeminis usually do not gather belongings. It would tie their legs and hands, when they want to be free. Money, fame, love, power – nothing is not enough for them. The grass is always greener on the other side of the road. Gladly they replace old things with new and unproven ones, although they may regret such experiments later on. The interesting inspiration for Gemini can be the Magician tarot card, because it shares many common features with their essential characteristic.\n\n\nTalkative person\n\n\nIf there is something that drives Gemini, then it is his or her wish to be informed about everything. He or she had many tips and hints in the pocket, can join in the conversation anywhere and is articulate, knowledgeable and witty. People around are amazed how Gemini can clearly argue and how brightly they are able to analyse. Intelligence and eloquence definitely belong to their personality description.\n\nLove and emotions\n\nGemini are born interpreters. Working with the language is deeply satisfying for them. Less happy they are when it comes to feelings, because they often muddy the clarity of their ideas.\n\nImagine a man and a woman in the evening on a park bench. The woman is dreamily gazing at the horizon, fully immersed in their feelings and moods. What would a Gemini man do in this situation? We hear him talking about how beautiful are the colours of the dusk, how warm is the air, and that such impressive sunsets occur only when ... and when ...\n\nGemini are simply afraid of emotion and sentiment. The intellect of Gemini is permanently dealing with something. Their attention quickly pulse (what is a very important truth when we are focusing on personality). Although it can be attracted by only shallow problems, but at least such Gemini is fully focused for a moment. Thus, the otherwise balanced, friendly and cheerful Gemini can be described as an inherently ambivalent being – and that is the core of the Gemini’s personality description.\n\nMoods and intellect\n\nHis of her desire for an activity has much to do with the fact that there exists many natural emotional needs, which they fear. Therefore, their exactly working intellect does not usually notice that it is fundamentally dependent on moods, what is by the way also not easily understandable for the neighbours, family and friends.\n\nThis intense intellectual orientation (thoughtful and dreaming personality) means that Gemini is from time to time a bit separated from his / her friends and tends to ignore them. Gemini’s mind is focused on all understandable, logical, but also on the unrestrained world of fantasy. Gemini have a great fear of the irrational world of feelings, loss of control and the fact that they might look untidy or careless.\n\nFree nature\n\nGemini do not like strong principles and firmly planned paths. He or she would like to try everything – if possible without having to attach for long. Flexibility and sometimes clever tactics are among personal strengths of Gemini with which they can quietly bypass many problems.\n\nRarely you will see a Gemini inviting others for a fight intentionally. They are sometimes impulsive and provocative. But aggressiveness simply does not suit well to their personality description.\n\nAlso in his / her love life you can see a tendency to remain free. A flirt quite match the taste of Gemini. When the final choice is near you will hardly find another zodiac sign so indecisive and reserved as Gemini. After all, his or her reason says, that there is always something “pro” and something “contra”.\n\nThe most beautiful love letters you will receive from Gemini. But who wants to be happy in a couple, must also constantly talk all matters, feelings and impressions with him or her.\n\nGemini Man\n\nThe characteristic way how Gemini men perceive the world is the tendency to gain the knowledge a priori, that means independently of practical experience. A practical experience is to embark on something, to enter on. However, Gemini men love their thoughts like painted on an easel or drawing board. Instead of the thorough planing they are only freely crossing over and being careful not to be captured. Gemini men are hardly able to admit their mistakes.\n\nPersonality Traits\n\nThey are usually cheerful and unpredictable. Such a Gemini man will leave on Monday to buy rolls for breakfast and will not return until Friday night, equipped with a series of incredible stories that all happened during that time.\n\nA typical Gemini man will not seek the tranquillity and harmony behind the walls of a monastery. He is pride on the wide range of interests and hobbies and you will be amazed how active such a man really is. And his personality traits? Spirited, impenetrable and therefore mysterious – this is a Gemini man! If you want to accompany him longer, you have to be able to inspire and to boldly change along with him.\n\nMen born under this zodiac sign sometimes hide their true intentions. Rather than telling you frankly that they love you they will keep own feelings as a secret. As you surely know, Gemini is the symbol of twins, and therefore such a man often do not even know which feelings to believe. The duality is deeply rooted in their personality and projects automatically into all views and convictions. Gemini man feels that he can not be indifferent to all women just because he wears a wedding ring on the hand. He could drink one brand of whiskey, but why would he impoverish his life when there is a beauty in diversity.\n\nGemini men are rarely sentimental. They usually do not stick to old friends, places and memories. They do not judge others sharply. Gemini man is a good example of the principle that the truth may not be absolute, but rather a matter of agreement, depending on the circumstances.\n\nGemini Woman\n\nHer basic personality traits are the same as man's. To examine things thoroughly often means to to remain in place, to settle and reduce the desire for open air and exuberance. A Gemini woman would like to make decisions by her intellect, but it is often beaten by the voice of the heart. A woman born under the sign of Gemini is objective, open and impartial. It is a great companion, mate and colleague at work. She smiles, even though there is no obvious reason.\n\nPersonality Traits\n\nIn her youth, it is usually a fickle and capricious girl who likes having the fun. At a later age, it is a clever and creative woman who usually do not find the stereotyped role of a housewife very attractive.\n\nMen should beware of emotional gymnastics which such an energetic woman is able to perform. If you encounter a typical example, then she is the one who wants to be happily in love, but keep failing for some reason again and again. The Gemini woman forgets quite quickly, therefore it is better to stay in close contact with her. And if you find that she is not able to be attached to one person in the long term, show your compassion instead of anger. It is her natural personality trait and not just a whim.\n\nThe Gemini women do not want to live a monotonous life. They will not take a train, when they can fly a plane. They do not watch TV at home, when they can go to the cinema or theatre. They like the change, which has its undeniable positives. Such a woman will not blame you for looking for a new job or wanting to move elsewhere. Moodiness and restlessness is apparent among her personality traits.\n\nThe Gemini woman can beautify your home beyond recognition. Extravagant combinations are natural to her. She can estimate better than anybody else where are the boundaries between engaging eccentricity and ordinary kitsch. The Gemini woman may not be a partner for an easy life, but surely you will experience countless moments of excitement with her.\n\nFamous Gemini\n\n\nJohnny Depp, actor (9 June, 1963)\nPaul McCartney, singer (18 June, 1942)\nClint Eastwood, actor (31 May, 1930)\nBob Dylan, singer (24 May, 1941)\nPrince, singer (7 June, 1958)\nLenny Kravitz, singer (26 May, 1964)\nJohn F. Kennedy, politician (29 May, 1917)\nJohn Wayne, actor (26 May, 1907)\nLiam Neeson, actor (7 June, 1952)\nMorgan Freeman, actor (1 June, 1937)\nJamie Oliver, cook (27 May, 1975)\nMichael J. Fox, actor (9 June, 1961)\nTom Jones, singer (7 June, 1940)\nRichard Wagner, composer (22 May, 1813)\nSir Arthur Conan Doyle, novelist (22 May, 1859)\nPaul Gauguin, painter (7 June, 1848)\nJean-Paul Sartre, novelist (21 June, 1905)\nAllen Ginsberg, novelist (3 June, 1926)\nChe Guevara, revolutionary (14 June, 1928)\nMuammar Kaddafi, dictator (7 June, 1942)\n\n\nMarilyn Monroe, actress (1 June, 1926)\nNicole Kidman, actress (20 June, 1967)\nAngelina Jolie, actress (4 June, 1975)\nNaomi Campbell, model (22 May, 1970)\nHelen Hunt, actress (15 June, 1963)\nKylie Minogue, singer (28 May, 1968)\nPaula Abdul, singer (19 June, 1962)\nAlanis Morissette, singer (1 June, 1974)\nAnna Kurnikova, tennis player (7 June, 1981)\nSteffi Grafová, tennis player (14 June, 1969)\nVenus Williams, tennis player (17 June, 1980)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.7604205012321472} {"content": "When your connection is experiencing packet loss or other impairments a traditional speedtest may show a decreased bandwidth if the problem is significant enough. But since it can only show the effect and not the cause, the actual underlying problem would remain a mystery. This is why monitor-io uses advanced packet exchange sequences to detect the specific low-level impairments and errors that are impacting your service.\n\nFor additional details see the Test Methodology article.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6468237638473511} {"content": "Negative Equity, Veiled Value, and the Erosion of Price-to-Book\n\nBy Travis Fairchild\nApril 2018\n\n\nThe price-to-book ratio has a problem. More and more U.S. companies report negative book value, the result of accounting rules and structural changes in the market. This creates broad confusion and problems for the famous value factor, and indexes or strategies which rely on it as a measure of cheapness. Negative equity companies are often written off as distressed, but after reporting negative equity, most of them survive for years and have, as a group, outperformed the market 57% of the time.1 There are currently 118 companies in the U.S. market with negative equity. These companies have had negative equity for an average of over three and a half years, and 25% have had negative equity for over five years. One example is Domino’s Pizza which has had negative equity since their 2004 IPO but has outperformed the S&P 500 by a cumulative 1,442%.2 McDonalds, H&R Block, Yum Brands, HP, Motorola, Denny’s, AutoZone, and Wayfair are also on the list of those with negative book value. \n\nOne of the more interesting side effects of this phenomenon is that these companies are often categorized as growth stocks instead of value because they are considered expensive by price-to-book standards. But many of these companies look very cheap by other metrics, like earnings, sales, or cash flow. These distortions in reported financials have a ripple effect that can be seen in the holdings of active value strategies which tend to be underweight these stocks, thereby driving some portion of relative performance of value vs. growth styles.\n\nA solution: reported book values can be adjusted for underlying biases to reduce some of these adverse effects. We show that an improved understanding of the origins of these distortions and their corresponding adjustments can lead to better investment decisions. \n\n\nThere are two groups of companies that help illustrate these growing dislocations on balance sheets. The first is the overall group of companies with negative equity and the second is a group we will call “Veiled Value” stocks, which are companies that rank in the most expensive 33% by price-to-book but the Cheapest 33% by other valuation metrics.3 Think about Veiled Value stocks as the opposite of a value trap because they are companies that look expensive through the lens of price-to-book but are actually great values in disguise. \n\nThe extreme growth of these groups is a recent phenomenon. In 1988, there were only 13 companies with negative equity with a combined market cap of $15 billion (inflation adjusted) and now there are over 118 which combine to represents $843 billion dollars in market cap. Veiled Value stocks were relatively rare as well: only 60 names and a market cap of $91 billion in 1988. Today, there are over 258 representing over $3.9 trillion of market value. Put in perspective, $3.9 trillion market cap of Veiled Value stocks are larger than the market cap of the FANG stocks combined.4\n\n\nFor value investors, some points to consider: companies with negative equity have historically outperformed the market and the Veiled Value stocks have performed even better (See Figure 2). Both groups have also outperformed very consistently over the last 25 years. Negative equity outperformed in almost 60% of rolling three-year periods and Veiled Value names in over 90%.5 An investment process that continually avoids investment in these companies is likely to suffer as a result.\n\nTo measure the impact of these balance sheet distortions we begin by reviewing the holdings of style indexes. Over 90% of the Veiled Value group of stocks are defined as growth stocks by Russell’s methodology, even though they rank in the cheapest third of U.S. stocks using metrics other than book value (See Figure 3). Given that these stocks have outperformed the market their absences from the value benchmark is shifting return from value into growth.\n\nTo gauge how much this is affecting actively managed portfolios we pulled the holdings for the largest twentyfive Large Cap Value funds and compared their average allocations to Veiled Value names vs the market index.6 These twenty-five managers represent $817 billion in assets under management (AUM). All but two of the managers were underweight the Veiled Value stocks relative to the index. The average large cap value manager was underweight these names by 5.7% and some even had a near zero percent weight to these companies. There may be an overreliance on price-to-book in actively managed portfolios; whether directly though selection decisions based on the factor or indirectly by using the Russell style index as a starting universe.\n\n\nBalance sheets prepared under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) are doing an increasingly poor job of reflecting the value of shareholders equity. Recent trends have tended to bias assets well below market value which has led to the increased frequency of negative equity and Veiled Value stocks. Those tend to fall into three main categories, that we will cover in detail:\n\n1) Understated Intangible Assets: brand names, human capital, advertising, and research and development (R&D) are rarely represented on the balance sheet\n\n2) Understated Long Term Assets: assets are often depreciated faster than their useful lives\n\n3) Buybacks and Dividends: when buybacks and dividends exceed net income, they create a decrease in equity which can accelerate distortions\n\n\nMost of the understatement in intangible assets are directly tied to the decision of what constitutes an operating expense vs a capital expense. This distinction is not at all trivial and will affect the balance sheet in very different ways. Operating expenses are meant to provide benefits in only the current period and are therefore a onetime expense. Capital expenses create value over multiple periods and are capitalized, creating an asset that is depreciated until it no longer adds any value to the company. \n\nThis is a rational way to split up expenses because in theory it matches the cost to the period it contributes to operating profits. However, some expenses that do create value are required by GAAP to be treated as an operating cost which means this value doesn’t get recorded on the books as an asset. The two largest examples are R&D expenses and advertising expenses. The value that companies create through these investments in brands, patents, intellectual capital, technologies and processes is often held at $0 on the balance sheet. As an example, the $90 billion that Coca-Cola has spent on advertising in its history has no value that is shown on balance sheet. Similarly, Boeing has spent over $100 billion designing aircrafts and all that investment does not create an asset.\n\nPrior to 1975 companies could capitalize R&D but the SFAS 2 accounting rule changed that and companies are no longer allowed to do so. Treating R&D as an operating expense is significantly undervaluing the book values of firms that are reliant on these activities. Firms with substantial R&D expenses are common negative book value and Veiled Value companies. \n\nCompounding the downward bias on book value, the average company today spends much more on R&D than in 1975. Sectors with high R&D represent a much larger portion of the market. Health Care and IT companies have higher R&D than any other sector and their weight has more than tripled, growing from 12% of the market in 1975 to 38% today.8 Also, companies in general are spending a lot more on R&D than they used to. Consumer discretionary, for example, looks nothing like it did in 1975. Companies like Amazon, Netflix and Tesla blur the lines between consumer discretionary and technology and even Dominos and Walmart are experimenting with drones for delivery services. This has led to the average company’s R&D investment to be about two and a half times what it was in 1975 (Figure 5).\n\nAlso, there has been a shift from tangibles dominating a company’s total investment to intangibles being a more equal investment. Some researchers estimate that total intangible investments have surpassed investment in tangibles. Just looking at total R&D and advertising expense vs. total capital expenditure we see that the spend on these intangibles is converging with total tangible investments.\n\nSimilar to R&D, advertising expense creates a valuable asset in the form of a brand, but often brands have no value on the balance sheet. The only place brand can show up as an asset on the financials is goodwill and it will only show a value when the brand is acquired, brands grown internally and organically are held at $0. According to balance sheets the Netflix brand is worth $0, Tesla’s brand is worth less than $60 million and the Nike brand (which is the most valuable asset Nike has) is worth less than $139 million. Let’s revisit the Domino’s example. Fourteen years have passed since their IPO with negative equity and not only is Domino’s not bankrupt, but they substantially outperformed the market. How much was their brand worth at the time of their IPO? In 2004, they had been building their brand for 43 years, they were the number one pizza delivery restaurant in the country, owned 20% of the market, and had spent $1.2 billion dollars in advertising in the recent five years but their goodwill was only $20 million. Domino’s intangible assets were understated in this case and therefore so was shareholder’s equity; every $1 that their brand is understated also understates book value by an equal amount. McDonalds is similar, they are one of the most valuable brands in the world, estimated to be worth $42 billion, but their brand is carried on their balance sheet less than $2 billion.10\n\nA few companies like Interbrand try to estimate the dollar value of each company’s brand and the gaps between the market value and the book value is often measured in the billions of dollars (Table 1 has a sample). The balance sheet values for these brands will have adverse effects for any valuation based on book value. Advertising builds brand and brand is a valuable intangible asset.\n\nIn addition, there are recent accounting rules causing intangible assets to be lower than in past years that has also contributed to increased trend in negative equity. In 2001, FAS 142 was implemented which changed accounting standards in a way that biased book value lower. Before 2001 companies used to amortize goodwill over forty years and now impairment tests are required annually. Because these intangible assets can only be written down and not marked to market for increased valuations that puts downward pressure on total intangible assets.11\n\nR&D expenses are not operating expenses and the value of brands increase with advertising. You can offset these missing intangible assets by creating a capitalized value for each on the balance sheet. We will call these the research asset and the brand asset. We will add these assets to reported book values as the first step in correcting the biases on the balance sheet. We will call this adjusted metric “Enhanced Book Value”.\n\n\nIntangible assets are not the only reason that total assets are increasingly becoming undervalued on balance sheets. Long term assets are often held well below market value as well and real estate is one of the better examples. Assets like equipment, machinery, office furniture and computers all clearly have a finite life that is predictable. But most corporate real estate does not predictably depreciate and rarely loses its full value. Our office, for example, is a building that is over 100 years old and given its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places there are systems in place to make sure it is well-preserved and maintained. That does not stop companies from depreciating similar buildings to zero in just a couple decades which leads to assets that hold no value on the balance sheet but are still productive assets.\n\nThere are several examples of companies with balance sheets that are nowhere close to reflecting the true value of their real estate owned. Macy’s is a popular example; some people value their real estate assets at multiples of their total market cap.12 The New York location alone valued at $3.3 billion would represent more than 50% of Macy’s market cap.\n\nMcDonalds is a name we have already mentioned. It is a newly minted member of the negative equity club and in addition to brand its’ real estate is well below market value on the balance sheet. The once CFO of McDonald’s, Harry J. Sonneborn said, “We’re not technically in the food business. We are in the real estate business. The only reason we sell fifteen-cent hamburgers is because they are the greatest producer of revenue, from which our tenants can pay us our rent.” This quote highlights the fact that, yes, McDonalds sells a lot of burgers (“Billions Served”) but they also own a lot of valuable real estate. That real estate is worth billions of dollars more than its book value. They depreciate their properties using the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or 40 years. Their typical lease is 20 years so much of what they bought prior to 1998 and leased to franchisees is held on the books at $0. Even if those buildings were carried at cost and not depreciated at all, inflation would make them worth multiples of what they were purchased for, and in most cases real estate values have outpaced inflation.\n\nThese individual examples make the point but there is an even larger example: The growth of a whole industry that is built on corporate real estate, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). With regulatory changes in the early 1990s this sector has seen its total market cap soar. REITs represented just $5.5 billion of the market in 1990 but as of February 2018 that had grown to $1.03 trillion. Currently many analysts feel REITs are trading at a discount to the market value (net asset value) of the underlying assets. Analyst opinions aside, I mention that to make the point that we can use market cap as a ballpark estimate of the market value of the underlying corporate real estate. This helps us get a feel for just how understated these assets are on the balance sheet. The total assets are currently at $739 billion, meaning if we assume market cap is a good proxy for current value they are underrepresented by roughly $291 billion. This is of course a very simplified calculation with a lot of assumptions, but we can look at Public Storage for a practical example.\n\nPublic Storage is a $34 billion dollar self-storage REIT with a book value of only $4.9 billion, this book value is low mainly due to the underpriced assets on its balance sheet which are held at $9 billion. For one, their estimated useful life of buildings never exceeds 25 years so anything they acquired prior to 1993 is held near $0. They report the gross and net values of their facilities broken down by city, and you can see on their financials that some cities with multiple locations are depreciated and held at less than 20% of their purchase price. We can also do some very rough calculations to get in the ballpark of how undervalued these assets are. The average facility they own is held at $3.4 million dollars, over the last three years they acquired 94 facilities at an average cost of $8 million dollars. Also, their average book value per square foot is roughly $52; in 2017 they developed an additional 4.6 million square feet at an average cost of $133 a square foot. These are very rough calculations, but both imply the assets are undervalued by over 55-60% of replacement cost. It is likely they are undervalued even more than that amount but even adjusting for that much of a discount would increase book value by 250%\n\nOther REITs of note are Simon Property and SBA Communications. Simon Property is the second largest REIT with an MCAP of $49 billion dollars, but their book value of equity is only $4.2 billion. SBA Communications is an $18 billion dollar REIT but it has a negative book value of -$2.2 billion. These distorted book values are mainly biased lower by the holding value of their real estate assets.\n\nCorporate real estate is the next adjustment we make in the process of building our Enhanced Book Value, to offset the biases caused by the undervalued real estate of REITS and other real estate heavy companies we can estimate the net asset value (i.e. market value) of their real estate assets instead of using their book value. We can increase our Enhanced Book Value calculation for any difference in NAV and book value of real estate assets to get a more accurate picture of equity value.\n\n\nBuybacks and dividends can also distort book value but in a different way, they do not undervalue total assets in the way aggressive depreciation and failing to capitalize intangible assets would, but they can exaggerate and speed up the problem. My colleague Chris Meredith discusses this in detail in his paper “Price-to-Books Growing Blind Spot.” If a company is generating a ton of cash used to pay dividends and buyback shares then there is an asset allowing them to generate those profits: a patent, a brand, intellectual capital or some other advantage. The problem arises when assets are undervalued to the point book value of equity is biased well below the market cap, a company in this situation that is also distributing cash to shareholders will see its book value rapidly decrease.\n\nWhen a company has a price-to-book ratio that is above 1 then any buyback or dividend will decrease book value of equity by a larger percentage than it will decrease market value. To illustrate, take the simple example of two companies.\n\nEach has cash of $20 million they want to return to shareholders and the only other asset each owns is one of two identical hotels on the same block, both with a market value of $80 million. But company A just bought their building and company B has depreciated theirs down to $20 million. \n\nCompany A has a price-to-book of 1: Market Value / Book Value = 100 / 100 = 1\n\nCompany B has a price-to-book of 2.5: Market Value / Book Value = 100 / 40 = 2.5 \n\nIf both companies use the $20 million to buyback 20% of their shares, then company A’s book value and market value will both go down by 20% and it will still have a price-to-book ratio of 1 (80 / 80 = 1). Company B’s market value will also go down 20% but its book value will get cut by 50%, exaggerating company B’s already depressed book value and ending with a price-to-book ratio of 80/20 = 4. Company B’s identical buyback program decreased the size of its equity by two and half times the percentage as company A and made company B look more expensive by price-to-book, all because its assets were not accurately represented on the balance sheet.13 Recall that these companies have identical assets but company B looks 4 times as expensive because of how their real estate is depreciated.\n\nReturning cash to shareholders wouldn’t show this kind of distortion if assets were shown at an accurate market value.\n\nLet’s revisit Veiled Value. Recall that every company in this group is in most expensive third by price-to-book. The smallest price-to-book ratio in the most expensive third has historically had an average price-to-book of 2.5, matching company B. So that means the minimum added distortion this group will experience is equal to that of company B.\n\nFigure 7 shows the minimum amount that book value would decrease for Veiled Value names at different levels of shareholder yield through time. For example, in 2000 a 5% shareholder yield would decrease equity by 37% and a 20% shareholder yield would completely wipe out all the equity and move the company into negative book value territory. Today a 20% shareholder yield would decrease book value of any Veiled Value stock by at least 78%.\n\nA company returning cash the equivalent of 20% their total market cap to shareholders in the form of dividends and buybacks is an aggressive distribution policy but it is not uncommon, over the last ten years there has been an average of 42 companies a year with shareholder yields above 20%. H&R Block is a recent example, and that large yield wiped out the already low equity on their balance sheet, now they report negative book value.\n\nBoeing is a company right on the edge of negative equity with a total book value of $412 million. That puts their price-to-book at over 540 and they are firmly considered a growth company even in years they rank among the cheapest by P/E. Their assets are undervalued because of both brand and R&D. Just Boeing’s dividend yield of 2.1% is enough to push them into negative equity territory but Boeing also announced an $18 billion buyback program which locks in their path towards wiping out their book value entirely. Boeing has been in the Veiled Value group consistently over the last few years and is almost certain to join the negative equity group in the coming quarters.\n\nAdjusting for shareholder yield will be our final adjustment to “Enhanced Book Value.” For this adjustment we will use a multifactor approach and composite shareholder yield with the book value that is already adjusted for the research asset, brand asset and real estate NAV.\n\n\nAccurately accounting for all these biases would be difficult task but a very valuable outcome. If you could correctly price intangible assets, long term assets, and adjust for buybacks you would create an unbiased book value of equity and a much clearer picture of which stocks are great values. Making all the alterations recommended in the section above will get closer to that goal, not a perfect book value but an Enhanced Book Value; a much-improved version over what gets reported on financials\n\nTo summarize the adjustments to create this version of Enhanced Book Value:\n\n1) Create a Research Asset\n\na) We will capitalize all R&D expenses and depreciate them over a 10-year productive life (straight line)\n\n2) Create a Brand Asset\n\na) This is meant to capture what goodwill does not, the brand grown organically and internally through advertising expense\n\nb) We will capitalize advertising expenses and depreciate them over a 10-year productive life\n\n3) Adjust Real Estate Values to Get Closer to Market Value\n\na) Where net asset value data is available we will add the difference of NAV and book value of real estate to the balance sheet\n\nb) If NAV is not available and real estate assets data is we will add back in accumulated depreciation on corporate real estate.\n\nc) On average this will still understate the value of most real estate assets, but it is closer to market value than the reported book value of these assets\n\n4) Buybacks and Dividends\n\na) We will use a factor that combines dividends and buybacks called shareholder yield\n\nb) Shareholder yield will be used in combination with the adjusted book value from steps one through three to create a multifactor score \n\nThis list of adjustments is in no way a perfect or a final solution, we only view this version of book value as a step in the right direction. The rough 80/20 rule applies, this beta version of Enhanced Book Value is 80% of the benefit and 20% of the work, getting the next 20% of Enhanced Book Value complete will create even better excess returns but it will require a lot of resources to get done. Even with its imperfections we feel this version should be preferred to reported book value as it rectifies many of the distortions we have laid out and the improvement in stock selection is statistically significant (See Table 2). Your alpha selecting cheap stocks doubles in both all stocks and large stocks universes, consistency of outperformance improves, and your quintile spread between cheapest and most expensive increases by 78% in all stocks and 107% in large stocks.\n\nHere is a look at the quintile returns for the longest time period we are able to compare price-to-book and priceto-enhanced book value.\n\n\nRecent accounting rules, the growth of R&D expense, the growing underrepresentation of brands, the increased size of real estate heavy industries, and buybacks/dividends have combined to start a trend in negative book value companies that is likely to continue. More and more inaccuracies are rendering book value a less and less useful metric. For the reasons laid out in this paper, we would caution against the use of reported book value in investment decisions, but some portfolios still rely heavily on reported book value; it is an input into passive indexes, smart beta products and may also be in the holdings of actively managed portfolios. We are confident that the distortions in book value of equity will grow in both size and frequency, but adjustments can be made to lessen the effect they have on your portfolio. \n\n\n1 Negative book value companies have outperformed in 57% of rolling 3 years periods from 1993 to 2017. Further, companies considered the most expensive 33% by book value but the cheapest 33% by other value metrics outperformed in 91% of rolling 3-year periods.\n\n2 Dominos is up 1,595% as of the close on March 16th and the S&P is up 153% over that same period.\n\n3 For the other valuation factors, we use Price to Sales, Price to Earnings, EBITDA to Enterprise Value, Free Cash Flow Yield, and Shareholder Yield.\n\n4 FANG: Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google. \n\n5 All Stocks is an equally weighted universe. Negative Equity and Veiled Value portfolios are rebalanced monthly and holdings held for 12 months, similar to the process used in What Works on Wall Street. \n\n6 We pulled the Top 25 Value strategies by AUM according to the eVestment database, as of 12/31/2017. This represented 54% of the Large Cap Value Assets in eVestment’s database. We used the Russell 1000 holdings as of 12/31/2017 for the market holdings. \n\n7 There are many more reasons biasing assets below market value, but they are outside the scope of this paper.\n\n8 Measured by the Russell 3000, 1/1/1978 to 1/1/2018.\n\n9 Based on All Stocks Universe average. \n\n10 The only way that brand is valued on their balance sheet is when they acquire a franchisee and roll them into the corporate owned restaurants, $2 Billion is from their 2017 10 K. Intrabrand estimated the McDonalds Brand to be worth $42 billion.\n\n11 Wayman, Rick “Accounting Rules Could Roil the Markets”.\n\n12 Corkey, Michael “Grand Buildings Help Keep Macy’s Afloat: The Company’s real estate is now worth more than its market value” The New York Times. 11/22/2017. \n\n13 This would be identical if it were dividends instead of buybacks. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBuild deeply customized strategies for every client on CANVASTM.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.525171160697937} {"content": "How can I contact doxo customer service?\n\nIf you need further assistance, or have another question about your doxo account that isn't addressed here, please sign into your doxo account and visit the Support page in a new window. From there, click \"Submit a Request\" on the top right side of the screen and enter your issue. By visiting and submitting your question to us through the Support page, we’ll better understand your issue and be able to respond faster with more helpful information.\n\nIf your query is about a payment, please be sure to include relevant information like your email address, username and the provider you made a payment to. We're always happy to help.\n\nWas this article helpful?\n12 out of 55 found this helpful\n\n\n\nPlease sign in to leave a comment.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9963400363922119} {"content": "To install click the Add extension button. That's it.\n\n\nKelly Slayton\nCongratulations on this excellent venture… what a great idea!\nAlexander Grigorievskiy\n\nFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia\n\npH values of some common substances\npH values of some common substances\n\nIn chemistry, pH (/pˈ/) is a scale used to specify how acidic or basic a water-based solution is. Acidic solutions have a lower pH, while basic solutions have a higher pH. At room temperature (25°C or 77°F), pure water is neither acidic nor basic and has a pH of 7.\n\nThe pH scale is logarithmic and inversely indicates the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution (a lower pH indicates a higher concentration of hydrogen ions). This is because the formula used to calculate pH approximates the negative of the base 10 logarithm of the molar concentration[a] of hydrogen ions in the solution. More precisely, pH is the negative of the base 10 logarithm of the activity of the hydrogen ion.[1]\n\nAt 25 °C, solutions with a pH less than 7 are acidic, and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic. The neutral value of the pH depends on the temperature, being lower than 7 if the temperature increases. The pH value can be less than 0 for very strong acids, or greater than 14 for very strong bases.[2]\n\nThe pH scale is traceable to a set of standard solutions whose pH is established by international agreement.[3] Primary pH standard values are determined using a concentration cell with transference, by measuring the potential difference between a hydrogen electrode and a standard electrode such as the silver chloride electrode. The pH of aqueous solutions can be measured with a glass electrode and a pH meter, or a color-changing indicator. Measurements of pH are important in chemistry, agronomy, medicine, water treatment, and many other applications.\n\n\nThe concept of pH was first introduced by the Danish chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen at the Carlsberg Laboratory in 1909[4] and revised to the modern pH in 1924 to accommodate definitions and measurements in terms of electrochemical cells. In the first papers, the notation had the H as a subscript to the lowercase p, as so: pH.\n\nThe exact meaning of the p in pH is disputed, as Sørensen did not explain why he used it.[5] He describes a way of measuring it using potential differences, and it represents the negative power of 10 in the concentration of hydrogen ions. All the words for these start with p in French, German and Danish, all languages Sørensen published in: Carlsberg Laboratory was French-speaking, German was the dominant language of scientific publishing, and Sørensen was Danish. He also used \"q\" in much the same way elsewhere in the paper. So the \"p\" could stand for the French puissance, German Potenz, or Danish potens, meaning \"power\", or it could mean \"potential\". He might also just have labelled the test solution \"p\" and the reference solution \"q\" arbitrarily; these letters are often paired.[6] There is little to support the suggestion that \"pH\" stands for the Latin terms pondus hydrogenii (quantity of hydrogen) or potentia hydrogenii (power of hydrogen).\n\nCurrently in chemistry, the p stands for \"decimal cologarithm of\", and is also used in the term pKa, used for acid dissociation constants[7] and pOH, the equivalent for hydroxide ions.\n\nBacteriologist Alice C. Evans, famed for her work's influence on dairying and food safety, credited William Mansfield Clark and colleagues (of whom she was one) with developing pH measuring methods in the 1910s, which had a wide influence on laboratory and industrial use thereafter. In her memoir, she does not mention how much, or how little, Clark and colleagues knew about Sørensen's work a few years prior.[8]:10 She said:\n\nIn these studies [of bacterial metabolism] Dr. Clark's attention was directed to the effect of acid on the growth of bacteria. He found that it is the intensity of the acid in terms of hydrogen-ion concentration that affects their growth. But existing methods of measuring acidity determined the quantity, not the intensity, of the acid. Next, with his collaborators, Dr. Clark developed accurate methods for measuring hydrogen-ion concentration. These methods replaced the inaccurate titration method of determining acid content in use in biologic laboratories throughout the world. Also they were found to be applicable in many industrial and other processes in which they came into wide usage.[8]:10\n\nThe first electronic method for measuring pH was invented by Arnold Orville Beckman, a professor at California Institute of Technology in 1934.[9] It was in response to local citrus grower Sunkist that wanted a better method for quickly testing the pH of lemons they were picking from their nearby orchards.[10]\n\nDefinition and measurement\n\n\n\nFor example, for a solution with a hydrogen ion activity of 5×10−6 (at that level, this is essentially the number of moles of hydrogen ions per liter of solution) there is 1/(5×10−6) = 2×105, thus such a solution has a pH of log10(2×105) = 5.3. For a commonplace example based on the facts that the masses of a mole of water, a mole of hydrogen ions, and a mole of hydroxide ions are respectively 18 g, 1 g, and 17 g, a quantity of 107 moles of pure (pH 7) water, or 180 tonnes (18×107 g), contains close to 1 g of dissociated hydrogen ions (or rather 19 g of H3O+ hydronium ions) and 17 g of hydroxide ions.\n\nNote that pH depends on temperature. For instance at 0 °C the pH of pure water is 7.47. At 25 °C it's 7.00, and at 100 °C it's 6.14.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis was the original definition of Sørensen in 1909,[12] which was superseded in favor of pH in 1924. [H] is the concentration of hydrogen ions, denoted [H+] in modern chemistry, which appears to have units of concentration. More correctly, the thermodynamic activity of H+ in dilute solution should be replaced by [H+]/c0, where the standard state concentration c0 = 1 mol/L. This ratio is a pure number whose logarithm can be defined.\n\n\n\n\nThe difference between p[H] and pH is quite small. It has been stated[14] that pH = p[H] + 0.04. It is common practice to use the term \"pH\" for both types of measurement.\n\npH indicators\n\nChart showing the variation of color of universal indicator paper with pH\nChart showing the variation of color of universal indicator paper with pH\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nExtremes of pH\n\n\nRunoff from mines or mine tailings can produce some very low pH values.[17]\n\nNon-aqueous solutions\n\n\n\n\nUnified absolute pH scale\n\nThe concept of \"unified pH scale\" has been developed on the basis of the absolute chemical potential of the proton. This model uses the Lewis acid–base definition. This scale applies to liquids, gases and even solids.[20] In 2010, a new \"unified absolute pH scale\" has been proposed that would allow various pH ranges across different solutions to use a common proton reference standard.[21]\n\n\n\n\n\npH in soil\n\nClassification of soil pH ranges\n\n\nNutritional elements availability within soil varies with pH. Light blue color represents the ideal range for most plants.\nDenomination pH range\nUltra acidic < 3.5\nExtremely acidic 3.5–4.4\nVery strongly acidic 4.5–5.0\nStrongly acidic 5.1–5.5\nModerately acidic 5.6–6.0\nSlightly acidic 6.1–6.5\nNeutral 6.6–7.3\nSlightly alkaline 7.4–7.8\nModerately alkaline 7.9–8.4\nStrongly alkaline 8.5–9.0\nVery strongly alkaline > 9.0\n\nIn Europe, Topsoil pH is influenced by soil parent material, erosional effects, climate and vegetation. A recent map [23] of topsoil pH in Europe shows the alkaline soils in Mediterranean, Hungary, East Romania, North France. Scandinavian countries, Portugal, Poland and North Germany have more acid soils.\n\npH in nature\n\n\n\n\nThe pH of seawater is typically limited to a range between 7.5 and 8.4.[24] It plays an important role in the ocean's carbon cycle, and there is evidence of ongoing ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide emissions.[25] However, pH measurement is complicated by the chemical properties of seawater, and several distinct pH scales exist in chemical oceanography.[26]\n\n\n\nAn alternative scale, the 'free scale', often denoted 'pHF', omits this consideration and focuses solely on [H+]F, in principle making it a simpler representation of hydrogen ion concentration. Only [H+]T can be determined,[28] therefore [H+]F must be estimated using the [SO2−\n] and the stability constant of HSO\n, K*\n\n] / K*\n\nHowever, it is difficult to estimate K*\n\n\n] + [HF]\n\n\nThe following three equations summarise the three scales of pH:\n\npHF = − log [H+]F\n] ) = − log [H+]T\n\n\nLiving systems\n\npH in living systems[29]\nCompartment pH\nGastric acid 1.5-3.5[30]\nLysosomes 4.5\nHuman skin 4.7[31]\nGranules of chromaffin cells 5.5\nUrine 6.0\nCytosol 7.2\nBlood (natural pH) 7.34–7.45\nCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 7.5\nMitochondrial matrix 7.5\nPancreas secretions 8.1\n\n\n\nCalculations of pH\n\n\n\nwith a dissociation constant, Kw defined as\n\n\nStrong acids and bases\n\n\n\nWeak acids and bases\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n • Step 1:\n • Step 2: Set up the quadratic equation.\n • Step 3: Solve the quadratic equation.\n\n\n\nGeneral method\n\nSome systems, such as with polyprotic acids, are amenable to spreadsheet calculations.[33] With three or more reagents or when many complexes are formed with general formulae such as ApBqHr,the following general method can be used to calculate the pH of a solution. For example, with three reagents, each equilibrium is characterized by an equilibrium constant, β.\n\n\n\n\nSee also\n\n\n 1. ^ Measured in units of moles per liter.\n\n\n 2. ^ Lim, Kieran F. (2006). \"Negative pH Does Exist\". Journal of Chemical Education. 83 (10): 1465. Bibcode:2006JChEd..83.1465L. doi:10.1021/ed083p1465.\n 4. ^ Sørensen, S. P. L. (1909). \"Über die Messung und die Bedeutung der Wasserstoffionenkonzentration bei enzymatischen Prozessen\". Biochem. Zeitschr. 21: 131–304. Two other publications appeared in 1909, one in French and one in Danish.\n 5. ^ Francl, Michelle (August 2010). \"Urban legends of chemistry\". Nature Chemistry. 2 (8): 600–601. doi:10.1038/nchem.750. ISSN 1755-4330. PMID 20651711.\n 6. ^ Myers, Rollie J. (2010). \"One-Hundred Years of pH\". Journal of Chemical Education. 87 (1): 30–32. Bibcode:2010JChEd..87...30M. doi:10.1021/ed800002c.\n 7. ^ Nørby, Jens (2000). \"The origin and the meaning of the little p in pH\". Trends in Biochemical Sciences. 25 (1): 36–37. doi:10.1016/S0968-0004(99)01517-0. PMID 10637613.\n 8. ^ a b Evans, Alice C. (1963). \"Memoirs\" (PDF). NIH Office of History. National Institutes of Health Office of History. Retrieved 27 March 2018.\n 9. ^ \"ORIGINS: BIRTH OF THE PH METER\". CalTech Engineering & Science Magazine. Retrieved 11 March 2018.\n 10. ^ Tetrault, Sharon (June 2002). \"The Beckmans\". Orange Coast. Orange Coast Magazine. Retrieved 11 March 2018.\n 12. ^ \"Carlsberg Group Company History Page\". Archived from the original on 18 January 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2013.\n 13. ^ Rossotti, F.J.C.; Rossotti, H. (1965). \"Potentiometric titrations using Gran plots: A textbook omission\". J. Chem. Educ. 42 (7): 375–378. Bibcode:1965JChEd..42..375R. doi:10.1021/ed042p375.\n 17. ^ Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Alpers, Charles N. (March 1999). \"Negative pH, efflorescent mineralogy, and consequences for environmental restoration at the Iron Mountain Superfund site, California\". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 96 (7): 3455–62. Bibcode:1999PNAS...96.3455N. doi:10.1073/pnas.96.7.3455. PMC 34288. PMID 10097057.\n 21. ^ Himmel, Daniel; Goll, Sascha K.; Leito, Ivo; Krossing, Ingo (16 August 2010). \"A Unified pH Scale for All Phases\". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 49 (38): 6885–6888. doi:10.1002/anie.201000252. ISSN 1433-7851. PMID 20715223.\n 22. ^ Soil Survey Division Staff. \"Soil survey manual.1993. Chapter 3, selected chemical properties\". Soil Conservation Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook 18. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.\n 23. ^ Ballabio, Cristiano; Lugato, Emanuele; Fernández-Ugalde, Oihane; Orgiazzi, Alberto; Jones, Arwyn; Borrelli, Pasquale; Montanarella, Luca; Panagos, Panos (2019). \"Mapping LUCAS topsoil chemical properties at European scale using Gaussian process regression\". Geoderma. 355: 113912. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2019.113912.\n 25. ^ Royal Society (2005). Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (PDF). ISBN 978-0-85403-617-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 July 2010.\n 27. ^ Hansson, I. (1973). \"A new set of pH-scales and standard buffers for seawater\". Deep-Sea Research. 20 (5): 479–491. Bibcode:1973DSROA..20..479H. doi:10.1016/0011-7471(73)90101-0.\n 30. ^ Marieb EN, Hoehn K (2010). Human anatomy & physiology. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings. ISBN 978-0-8053-9591-4.\n 32. ^ Maloney, Chris. \"pH calculation of a very small concentration of a strong acid\". Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2011.\n\nExternal links\n\nThis page was last edited on 2 January 2020, at 22:25", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.729108452796936} {"content": "4 ways to empower your brand videos with music\n\nempower your brand videos with music\n\nTo create an emotional impact, brands need to establish a link between the visible brand persona and the call to action through music.\n\nSince videos now make up over half of the on-demand music consumption across the globe, the marketing ROI on unified visuals and audio content is more evident than ever. This alliance not only helps to bring forth the wanted emotions but also reaches more people than ever. However, leaving the musical choices as an afterthought won’t cut the chase anymore.\n\nThe DNA of engaging content consists of credibility, authenticity, relevance, and urgency. Translating these qualities into music is necessary for the visuals to strike an emotional chord. This calls for a design approach for music that truly fits the visual storyline and brand guidelines. If you need further proof, ask Oxford professor Charles Spence and his team. They’ll tell you that the proper unification of sound and visuals enhance the emotional impact of the message by an astounding 1207%!\n\nCredibility = Variety\n\nOnline streaming has allowed video advertising to evolve from concise TV spots into 5-10 minute short films. While the 6-second ads remain a valid introduction window for brands, storytelling offers a deeper insight to their values. In order to convince, branded videos have to take their viewers on an extended emotional ride with music. Rather than resorting to the repetition of a narrow range of musical content, instead consider spreading your brand sounds over these newly extended 5-10 minute storylines. In addition to short audio clips, expand your outreach with a catalog of brand theme songs linked by a common melody, instrumentation, production style or genre.\n\nDeveloping a larger scope of branded soundscapes helps narrow the gap between rigid ‘corporate’ music and more approachable ‘commercial’ music. Corporate advertising is typically associated with short repetition, whereas artists create demand and following by displaying diverse human emotions in their work. Be more like the artist, and develop a range of emotional musical content to better connect with your target audience. Deriving content from this artistic approach promotes honesty, which is the ultimate soft value a brand can convey.\n\nWe do offer this caveat, make sure there is consistency across your musical choices! Some branding does still need to be present to tie all of this music together. Much like the ancient Greek King Theseus, who found his way out of the labyrinth, you must find your red thread to connect your brand to these musical themes.\n\nAuthenticity = Bold Moves\n\nIn order for your brand to sound original, you must first examine your sounds in relation to your competitors. Get objective by disassembling music into bits and pieces. Ingredients like tempo, melody and acoustic or electronic instrumentation serve the overall melodic dish. By doing so you will be able to compare the assets of your current brand sound with the industry benchmark.\n\nAre you literally tooting the same horn or strumming the same acoustic guitar as your competitors?\n\nBy separating the musical wheat from the chaff you will learn whether your sound truly differs from your competitors. What’s more, it forms you the basis from which to develop your brand sound. Bear in mind that this is not an end in itself. Your brand identity should form the guidelines, from which the theme initially develops.\n\nEventually, the further your content stands apart, the clearer will your brand values shine through.\n\nRelevance = Nostalgia\n\nStirring up memories from the past stands a good chance of tapping into emotions. I myself get instantly nostalgic after hearing the old PlayStation 1 intro. It’s certainly not a musical masterpiece, but it sends me back to my childhood, to unboxing and firing up my console for the very first time. The soundscape helps me relive that exact moment of excitement and pure joy, which are common in human nature.\n\nThe music we heard as children are the emotional restore points for brands to meet in their content. Think about your target audience. What TV series, cartoons, sports, products or other pop-culture phenomena were they buzzing for in their youth? What role did sounds play in them? More to the point, nostalgia can stretch over generations. For example, generation Z can enjoy the 8-bit Nintendo game music as much as the 80’s kids.\n\nUrgency = Syncing\n\nCreating a sense of urgency with music alone is challenging. Urgent tunes can mean, among many other things, fast tempos, arpeggios, and subdivided notations. What’s more, blasting music continuously at full speed only helps the content to fall flat in the long run.\n\nTherefore, the musical event horizon should be synchronized with other sensory calls-to-action. A sudden tempo or volume change, the introduction of new instruments, vocals, and voice-overs, or any departure from the main tonal narrative does the trick with a timely visual cue.\n\nGive music its own chapter in your brand book\n\nTo drive conversion in modern, multisensory brand experiences, leaving music as an afterthought simply isn’t enough. If music is left as a mere accessory, the brand message becomes inconsistent between what we see, hear and feel. What’s worse, it renders the audible content inconsequential and a wasted potential branding channel. It would be like printing your company business cards without a logo. The essential content and information are present, but it could be much stronger, more coherent and professional appearing if the branding is included.\n\nA brand’s music content should be based on clear guidelines, the same way as text, images and videos already follow visual guidelines. Superimposed, stock music is the “I love you” that lost its meaning. Taking an analytical approach to sound allows your brand to speak from the heart, and turn the impact dial from minor to major.\n\nDownload free audio branding booklet\n\nDownload Free Booklet or read more about Audio Branding.\nShare this post", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5048444271087646} {"content": "NMAT by GMAC Answer Key 2019\n\nNupur Kaushik Updated On: 15 Jan, 2020 13:51 IST\n\nWant updates on NMAT by GMAC\n\nNMAT by GMAC 2019 Answer Key\n\nGraduation Management Admission Council (GMAC) does not officially release the NMAT by GMAC 2019 answer key. Candidates, however, can check for the answer key released unofficially by different sites and coaching centers. The answer key of NMAT by GMAC contains the answers of the questions asked in the entrance exam. There will be answers divided section-wise for candidates to calculate marks of each section. The answer key will help the candidates to calculate their marks as per their performance in the entrance examination. This will also help them in analyzing their position in the next level test.\n\nIt is important for candidates to remember that the answer key released unofficially is not the authentication of the marks that candidates might score in the main examination. The released answer key can be treated as an example to figure out an assumption of the marks before the declaration of NMAT by GMAC result. On the basis of the NMAT by GMAC answer key, you can also predict the chances of making it to the top 10 colleges accepting NMAT by GMAC score here.\n\nMarking Scheme of NMAT by GMAC 2019 Answer Key\n\nBelow is the marking scheme of NMAT by GMAC 2019 answer key:\n\n • Three marks will be awarded for every right answer.\n\n • There is no negative marking in the entrance exam.\n\n • Total time duration to answer all the sections is 120 minutes.\n\nType of Answer\n\n\nFor Correct Answer\n\n+3 Marks\n\nFor Wrong answer\n\nNo Negative Marking\n\nWant to know which colleges you can apply to with your NMAT by GMAC score ?\n\nGet Free Counselling", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9997740983963013} {"content": "warm front\n\nnoun Meteorology.\n\na transition zone between a mass of warm air and the colder air it is replacing.\n\nOrigin of warm front\n\nFirst recorded in 1920–25\n\nBritish Dictionary definitions for warm front\n\nwarm front\n\n\nmeteorol the boundary between a warm air mass and the cold air above which it is rising, at a less steep angle than at the cold frontCompare cold front, occluded front\n\nScientific definitions for warm front\n\nwarm front\n\nThe forward edge of an advancing mass of warm air that rises over and replaces a retreating mass of cooler air. As it rises, the warm air cools and the water vapor in it condenses, usually forming steady rain, sleet, or snow. On a weather map, a warm front is depicted as a red line with half circles whose curved sides point in the direction in which the warm air is moving. Compare cold front occluded front. See illustration at front.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6698346734046936} {"content": "Building The Tech Workforce Beyond Silicon Valley\n\nPost written by\n\nSabrina Parsons\n\n\nAs company founders and entrepreneurs look to start and build companies outside of Silicon Valley, one of the biggest challenges they often face is an accessible tech workforce. Different geographic regions across the U.S. are tackling this issue in order to attract more high tech companies and become the next “best place to start a tech company.” Everything from “externships” to high school credit programs to more traditional internships can all work together to create a more dynamic workforce.\n\nTeaching The Teachers\n\nAccording to the National Center for Education Statistics, computing jobs are among the highest-paying for new college graduates. Despite this, less than 3% of college students graduate with a degree in computer science, and only 8% of STEM graduates are in computer science. This is why it’s become more critical to introduce students to STEM and tech-related skill development while they are still in school -- the earlier, the better.\n\nThis need is being met in part by public-private partnerships. Areas like Lane County in Oregon have invested in programs like Elevate Lane County, an “externship” program that provides work and training for educators over the summer. This approach allows for multiple positive outcomes: Mid-career high school educators are able to re-tool and add to their skills and students are exposed to a tech education with real applications in the workplace. Participating tech companies experience major benefits, too: They get to directly influence curriculum taught to students and build relationships with the future workforce.\n\nStarting Early\n\nIt's been found that Oregon students who complete career technical education (CTE) programs increase their graduation rates by more than 10%. Some of these students also then enter internship programs with local tech companies.\n\nIn the Spring of 2017, Palo Alto Software welcomed our own cohort of high school students who were seeking exposure to tech jobs and training. The students came into the program without much prior knowledge of coding or tech-focused job opportunities, and we were able to provide them with academic credits for their work.\n\n\"As a high school student, I didn't have access to computer science skill-building opportunities that were up to date and also provided some real-world experience,” says Isa Richter, a participant in the program. “My internship exposed me to job functions that I would never have known about previously.”\n\nBridging Gaps For Transitioning Professionals\n\nAs artificial intelligence increasingly threatens jobs in certain sectors, re-skilling opportunities for mid-career workers is also a potential area for growth, especially in light of a rapidly evolving tech economy that continues to feel the void of skilled tech workers.\n\nAs the workforce evolves, we'll continue to see more and more mid-career employees take a step back from their industry and look at the possibility of entering into a more tech-focused role. To make this transition, workers need training -- but for many, taking time off to go back to school isn’t a reasonable option due to the expense, family responsibilities or any other number of constraints.\n\nAn increasingly popular compromise for this demographic is an apprenticeship-style program. Candidates are accepted into a training program (sometimes paid for through the state department of labor) and begin a contract with a tech company at a lower pay rate for a set amount of time -- six or 12 months, for example). The candidate then has the option of joining the company at the full market rate after all training has been completed. A successful example of this model is the Apprenti program -- adopted initially in Washington State and then launched in Oregon just this year.\n\nBuilding Community Through Workforce Development\n\nLeaders at tech companies have a unique opportunity to contribute to local economic development efforts in a way that ultimately benefits their company. Workforce development initiatives not only help to ensure that local companies will have access to the talent they need -- they also foster a more meaningful relationship between local companies and their communities as they work together to propel economic development. As local economies are supported through shared efforts, the companies themselves benefit from top candidates in fields that are normally strained for talent.\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8871890902519226} {"content": "Insight: Head of products, BBVA Open Platform, on the future of payments, CX and Banking as a Service.\n\nOpenBankingExpo | ,\n\nOpen Banking Expo Magazine recently caught up with Susan French, head of products at BBVA Open Platform. Here’s what she had to say on the future of payments, customer experience and Banking as a Service.\n\nBanking-as-a-Service will be the Belle of the Ball in 2020\n\n\n\nConsumer experience hasn’t been enough to drive change, until now\n\n\n\n\n\nBig tech may dominate the headlines, but smaller fintechs will gain strength\n\n\n\n\n\nDigital payments will streamline\n\n\n\n\n\nThe US government will struggle to keep pace with payments\n\nIn 2019 I predicted that the US government will work to catch up with the rest of the world on its real time payments infrastructure. This proved true, with the government announcing “FedNow” in August, a system that will allow real-time bank-to-bank payments, all day every day, with a launch date expected in 2023 or 2024.\n\n\nThe good news is that the technology is already available, used in countries around the world including Australia, Singapore and across Europe. However, the US government has struggled to keep pace with innovation and by the time the system is ready to go live, its very likely technology will have moved forward. In the meantime, card-based payment systems will continue to aggressively promote push payments as an option that is available here-and-now. Finally, consumers will increasingly warm to real-time person-to-person (P2P) networks such as Zelle, Apple Cash, Venmo, Square Cash, PayPal and others.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6193712949752808} {"content": "Chapter 9. Trees and Networks\n\nThis chapter describes facilities to arrange entire collections of graph elements simultaneously while taking into account certain constraints between them and with regard to their relative placement. First, we will deal with hierarchical data sets and the tree-like graphs that express their specific topology. Then we will deal with sets of data points subject to more general constraints, such as networks.\n\nTrees and Hierarchical Data Structures\n\nHierarchical, tree-like data structures occur frequently, and D3 includes a number of different layouts to represent them as graphs. As explained in Chapter 5, layouts ingest a data set, calculate the appropriate sizes and positions, and add them to the input data set in the form of additional member variables. But layouts don’t create any graphical elements; it is up to the calling code to make use of the information added by the layout.\n\nPreparing the Data\n\nThe D3 hierarchical layouts require the data to be represented as a tree of D3 Node instances (see Tables 9-1 and 9-2).1 If the data is in a hierarchical format already, it can be converted immediately using d3.hierarchy(). The only requirement is that every node in the original data structure has knowledge about its own children. If the data is instead provided as a tabular set of links between parent and child nodes, then d3.stratify() can construct the required tree of Node instances (check the D3 Reference Documentation).\n\nTable 9-1. Methods of D3 ...\n\nGet D3 for the Impatient now with O’Reilly online learning.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8569057583808899} {"content": "Birth date 14 Dec 1966 (53 years)\nNationality United States United States\nPosition Power Forward\nTeam history\nMilwaukee Bucks 2001 - 2003\n\nAnthony George Douglas MasonAnthony Mason> is a retired American NBA player who played for many major teams like New York Knicks, the New Jersey Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.\n\nIn his entire career in basketball, he averaged 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. His career best time was in mid 1990s, when he earned the title of NBA Sixth Man of the year award in 1995 and also the All-NBA and NBA All-Defensive team award. At six feet seven inches, Mason played primarily as the power forward athlete and was known for shaving logos and words into his hair.\n\nHis college education was done from the Tennessee State University, from where he also pursued the basketball passion and played in Turkey, the Continental Basketball Association, Venezuela and the United States Basketball League. He was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988 at the third round of the 53rd overall.\n\nCareer Highlights\n\nAnthony won the Sixth Man of the Year (1995). He was honored with the NBA minutes played leader in 1995-96 and in 1996-97 season. He received the All-NBA in 1997, 3rd team and the All-Defensive Team (1997, 2nd team). Anthony won the All-Star title in 2001.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6923452615737915} {"content": "To the Editor:\n\nLike lead, mold, and contaminated drinking water, current start times are unhealthy. Let's move past debating science and direct our energies towards solutions that work for our community. The Superintendent must lead our district in active problem-solving. The BOE must decide which start times are acceptable and examine homework policy, length of the school day, and the negotiation of a favorable, new bus contract. The HS Athletic Director must look at practice times, length of practice, and travel time. The logistics consultant needs to provide a cost-effective scenario with reasonable start times for all.\n\nThere’s a reason 400+ districts across the country have done this work, including our neighbors Greenwich, Wilton and Newtown, and that New Canaan, Westport and Norwalk are also planning. The reason is that health is more important than schedules.\n\nThe National PTA passed a resolution stating “evidence proves that implementation of later school start times for adolescents affords students the opportunity to obtain optimal levels of sleep, thereby improving physical and mental health, safety, academic performance, and quality of life.” I am hopeful that Ridgefield’s PTAs will support this responsible resolution.\n\nWe must unite to protect the health of ALL students. Other districts have successfully worked out the details, and we can too. The model for success is to first pick a workable scenario, and then adapt programs and schedules accordingly. There are an unlimited number of options and opportunities. There is nothing--no schedule or policy--that cannot be altered to protect the health of our children.\n\nGigi Christel\n\nRidgefield, Sept. 18", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9947307109832764} {"content": "The Correct Way To Write A Research Paper\n\nWhat is a research paper? It is one of the most essential elements of the academic curriculum. Even when you are already a professor, you must still learn how to write a research paper. There are various things you need to remember whenever you’re writing it.\n\nFor one, it’s thought to be very simple for college students to start out composing a research paper. Many students already have a degree and as such, they can work on write essay online research papers with a hard time considering it. This really is a great benefit to them, since it provides them a wonderful buffer to handle academic studies.\n\nWhat is even better for pupils to have is an excellent understanding on the topic matter they’d like to compose. They also know what they are looking for and the things they wish to compose. Sothis will truly help them a lot when they are studying because of their newspapers.\n\nBesides this, they also know how to collect a research paper. This is vital since they should have the ability to explain each and every part of the findings. This is particularly true for advice, they’ll be sharing with the reader. This information also needs to be coordinated and easily understandable so the reader is able to absorb the information they simply read.\n\nThere are a lot of factors which ought to be taken under account when composing a research paper. Some of these are: structure, subjects, data, etc.. However, these factors ought to be taken with a grain of salt as they’re subject to change. The major thing is that the research ought to be in a position to be useful to your reader.\n\nAdditionally, there are general rules which needs to be followed when writing a research paper. To start with, you must select the type of paper that you’re going to write. You may pick the subject of your paper based on the topic that you researched. This will let you write a research paper that is not just interesting but also related to your area of research.\n\nWriting a research paper can be very daunting as there are so many facets that you need to take under account. Though you may be having difficulty in composing your own paper, you have to bear in mind it is the first time doing it. Consequently, you will need to make sure you don’t rush and finish it on time.\n\nLast but not least, you need to be positive when you compose your own paper. This is particularly so if you’re attempting to be a published writer. Your writing abilities should be polished so your papers will be well-received from the readers.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8549885153770447} {"content": "I use active voice for cover letter and while doing that I end up with too many \"I\" and most of the sentences in my letter also begin with \"I\". This makes my letter quite boring. I would appreciate if you share your suggestion/tips to avoid this while writing a cover letter.\n\nSince cover letter is the first thing that the potential employer notices, I want to write a concise and attractive cover letter. It will be also helpful if you share a link of a well-written cover letter.\n\n • 2\n This could be a good question for English language & usage as well. – Peter Jansson Oct 3 '13 at 9:22\n • @Peter, thanks for the useful suggestion. Is there any way to link my question to that forum? – rana Oct 3 '13 at 9:26\n • It is up to the moderators if the question should be migrated. I think it is a good question and keen to see the answers. – Peter Jansson Oct 3 '13 at 9:28\n • 4\n @CharlesMorisset to be more accurate, cross-posting is forbidden if you post the exact same question on both sites. But you can post two slightly different questions, one here focussing on the academic issues (”should I avoid it? if so, how to?”), and a more generic one on English. You won't get the same type of answers on both sites! – F'x Oct 3 '13 at 10:08\n • 1\n @F'x: Very good point. I was mostly mentioning it for the benefit of rana, who seems to be quite a new user, in order to avoid the question to cross-posted as such on ELU. But a different question would be of course just fine! – user102 Oct 3 '13 at 10:11\n\nBecause it's a cover letter, I think it's quite natural that you say a lot about you in it. That's actually not to be avoided, because you want to give the addressee a good idea of your background, your motivations, your interests, etc. In short, you want to show them who you are, so they want to work with you. This is a totally different exercise than usual academic writing.\n\nNow, regarding the redundancy of I, it is a matter of writing style. It probably wouldn't bother me much, but if you want to diminish it for some reasons, here are worthy alternatives:\n\n • Instead of starting your sentence with I, just push it somewhere down in some sentences. That way, you avoid the pattern of I as the first word of every sentence.\n\n Looking at your group's wide range of research, I must confess a certain attraction for your recent groundbreaking work on the correlation between beer-drinking and publication rate.\n\n\n • Use constructions that, while retaining the first person, shift from the subject pronoun to other cases:\n\n It has been my intention for a few years now to shift my research interests from pure psychology to experimental psychohistory, and I have thus taken in 2009 a post-doc position at the University of Trentor (group of prof. Seldon)\n\n instead of “I decided a few years ago to move to the field of psychohistory…”. Similarly, you could say\n\n\n • The standard techniques of academic writing… introduce the pronoun once, then shift the discuss to avoid being the actor, e.g. using passive voice.\n\n During my thesis, I introduced a new data reduction technique called XXZ. This algorithm, when applied to large datasets, was used to univocally establish whether data was being manipulated. In particular, results obtained on the 2000 election showed systematic bias against a specific candidate, highlighting its power as a diagnostic tool for real-life applications.\n\n\nBe aware that there are downsides, though: most of these alternatives are longer than a direct sentence starting with I, which means overusing them could make you sound windy.\n\n| improve this answer | |\n • thanks for the detailed discussion. I like to avoid passive voice and the introductory phases at the beginning of each sentence as these somehow dilute the importance/purpose of the sentence. So I prefer to use active voice and end up with many \"I\"! I think I should use a proper balance of active/passive voice and don't overuse any of these! Again, do you have example/link that might be useful? – rana Oct 3 '13 at 10:18\n • 3\n While the link doesn't work for me, +1 for the link to the Grim study. – StrongBad Oct 3 '13 at 14:08\n • @DanielE.Shub link fixed (DOI changed since the ASAP version I had on my hard drive) – F'x Oct 3 '13 at 14:36\n • Speak like Yoda, you can. – Rolf Jul 31 '19 at 18:55\n\nOne possibility is to use \"my\" now and then: instead of \"I am experienced in ...\", write \"My fields of experience include ...\". Another possibility is to use references to previous sentences: instead of writing \"I developed the method of ... . I applied it to the problem of ... .\" write \"I developed ... . Its application to ... resulted in ... .\". Also, instead of writing \"I'm interested in the position because ...\", write \"This position will allow me to ... and benefit my ...\". The idea is always the same: look at all other words in the sentence and think of whether one of them can be made the subject without changing the meaning or diluting the \"importance\" of the sentence. If it can, do it. If not, resort to passive voice and other techniques suggested in this thread. If it is still not satisfactory for some reason, just use \"I\" and go to the next sentence.\n\n| improve this answer | |\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8929333686828613} {"content": "Custom size Arcade Marquee. Please leave a description of which marquee you’d like, and the specific size you’d like upon checkout. Please note, changing the size of a marquee might require ‘bars’ on the top or bottom of your marquee depending on the desired size. Printed on polyester based back lit material. Material is flexible, durable, and can be cut down to size with a razor or scissors. Our max size for printing is 35 inches wide. If you’re marquee space is larger than that, black tape often does the trick to block light.\n\nCustom Size Marquee\n\n\nOther Marquees\n\n\n\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8493958115577698} {"content": "Just a moment, the page is loading...\n\nAbacavir HLA-B*57:01 tolerance and genetic variation within the MHC.\n\n\nElizabeth Phillips, MD\n\nInstitute for Immunology & Infectious Diseases\nMurdoch University\nMurdoch, WA\n\n\n\n29 January 2015\n\nThe discovery of HLA-B*5701 has been successfully translated into primary HIV clinical practice as a genetic marker that can predict and prevent abacavir hypersensitivity reaction. This unprecedented clinical success in personalised medicine was predicated by the inherent biological properties and pathogenic mechanisms underlying abacavir hypersensitivity. Although it is known that HLA-B*57:01 is necessary for development of abacavir hypersensitivity, it is not sufficient and approximately 45% of subjects carrying HLA-B*57:01 will tolerate abacavir. We have previously studied factors leading to the abrogation of abacavir hypersensitivity using a candidate gene approach with indication that these factors lie outside of the MHC and may involve genes important in innate immune response. Abacavir, in fact may differ from other drugs in its ability to activate innate immune responses and hence provide the danger signals necessary to trigger a hypersensitivity reaction. Abrogation of Hsp70 redistribution in the presence of 4-MP which block ADH-mediated abacavir metabolism provides some clues that a reactive aldehyde metabolite may be important in this process. Processes leading to abrogation of drug hypersensitivity, SCAR and other serious immunologically mediated drug reactions have not been defined, however are clearly important. For most drugs associated with drug hypersensitivity, SCAR and drug-induced liver disease for instance such as allopurinol, carbamazepine (and other aromatic amine anticonvulsants) and flucloxacillin only a very small percentage of those carrying a given class I MHC genetic marker will go on to develop the adverse drug reaction in question (Table 1). This greatly impacts on both the ability of these HLA alleles to be used as predictive markers in clinical practice but also highlights our lack of understanding of the complete picture of innate and adaptive immunologic factors and non-immunologic factors that are critical contributors to the clinical manifestation of these adverse drug reactions. In this context abacavir is an ideal candidate to study and model this effect in that 1) a specific marker (patch testing) exists that defines the presence of true immunologically mediated abacavir hypersensitivity 2) carriage of HLA-B*5701 is common in Caucasian populations (6-8%) and 3) the positive predictive value for the development of hypersensitivity is high (55%) relative to that of other drugs which allows the extreme phenotypes of abacavir hypersensitivity and tolerance to be studied which would not be feasible for other drugs. 4) The phenotypes of HLA-B*5701 positive abacavir hypersensitivity and tolerance are static over time 5) There are no other identified epidemiological or environmental factors other than race, which is a marker of HLA-B*57:01 carriage, that predict development of abacavir hypersensitivity.\n\n[{ \"PostingID\": 1375, \"Title\": \"VIIV-CNA106030\", \"Description\": \"A phase IV, randomised, multicentre, double-blind, study to evaluate the clinical utility of prospective genetic screening (HLA-B*5701) for susceptibility to abacavir hypersensitivity\n\nMedicine: abacavir, Condition: Infection, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Phase: 4, Clinical Study ID: CNA106030, Sponsor: ViiV\" }]\n\nStatistical Analysis Plan\n\nThe publication citation will be added after the research is published.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6138575077056885} {"content": "Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild\n\nVilla Ephrussi de Rothschild\n\nEVENT | Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild\n\nWHERE | Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France\n\nCOST | 50 euros\n\nABOUT | This excursion will start with lunch at the Chateau followed by a train ride to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat on the French Riviera. Upon arrival in town you may join us on a 30-45 minute photogenic walk to the Villa (15 minutes or so are uphill) or you may arrange alternate transportation to the Villa on your own.\n\nThe villa was designed by the French architect Aaron Messiah, and constructed between 1905 and 1912 by Baroness Béatrice de Rothschild (1864–1934). The sea-side villa is surrounded by nine gardens, each on a different theme: Florentine, Spanish, Garden à la française, exotic, a stone garden, a Japanese garden, a rose garden, Provençal and a garden de Sèvres. They were created between 1905 and 1912 under the direction of landscape architect Achille Duchêne. The Baroness filled the rose colored mansion with antique furniture, Old Master paintings, sculptures, objets d’art, and assembled an extensive collection of rare porcelain. The gardens are classified by the French Ministry of Culture as one of the Notable Gardens of France.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9342495799064636} {"content": "Good news about the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus\n\nBritish scientists at the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre had previously used the glycoprotein spike on the surface of coronavirus—which allows them to anchor at a target cell—to produce a chimpanzee adenovirus—vectored vaccine against the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) They had called it ChAdOx1 MERS and represented many hours of study, research and hard laboratory work that would have hardly ever been funded by a private company—often only myopically seeking quick profits in detriment of the larger public good. When the Chinese authorities published the genome of the SARS-CoV-2, the Oxford scientists immediately started working on their template with messenger RNA.\n\nThe Oxford team partnered with other institutions in the United Kingdom and eventually got financial support from Astra Zeneca, a Big Pharma conglomerate. The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine uses a replication-deficient simian adenovirus vector ChAdOx1 that contains the full-length structural surface glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 with a tissue plasminogen activator leader sequence. They had observed that one single dose of that vaccine had induced good humoral and cellular immune responses in monkeys; after high-dose vaccine challenges, there was a notable protection against the lower respiratory infection, a hallmark of the disease. They set up a combined phase 1 and 2 single-blind, randomized controlled trial, comparing it with a Meningococcal group A,C, W-135 and Y conjugate vaccine.\n\nThey recruited healthy adult participants aged 18-45 years old, excluding all those volunteers that had positive COVID-19 tests, had symptoms of acute respiratory distress, or were exposed to the disease like health care workers or first responders. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine or the meningococcal vaccine—they used an active vaccine because the lack of symptoms from normal saline injections could eventually “unblind” the controls. The participants were divided into four major groups:\n\n 1. Group I: they had intensive early follow-up visits the vaccine’s safety and immunogenicity.\n 2. Group II: they had higher blood volumes of humoral and cellular immunogenicity assessment than group 4.\n 3. Group III: it consisted of only 10 participants that received a booster shot 28 days after the first injection.\n 4. Group IV: participants that had a serum sample drawn for humoral immunology assessments only.\n\nThe median age of participants was 35 years old, 49.8% (536) were female and 50.2% (541) were male; the majority (9 or 90.9%) were white. Some received prophylactic paracetamol and some others did not; 328 (67%) of participants in the vaccine group and 180 (38%) of participants in the control group reported pain after the injection. The most reported systemic reactions were fatigue and headache. “In the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group, antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein peaked by day 28 (median 157 ELISA units EU) and remained elevated to day 56 (119 EU) in participants who received only one dose, and increased to a median of 639 EU (360-792) at day 56 in the ten participants that received a booster dose)”\n\nResearchers concluded that one single dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 was safe and well tolerated, without any major reactions. A single dose of it produced an increase in the spike-specific antibodies by day 28 and the neutralizing antibodies in all the participants after a booster dose. Some studies showed that neutralizing antibodies in the dawn of the disease protected the rhesus macaque monkeys. Antibodies capable of neutralizing live SARS-CoV-2 were induced by day 28 and after a booster dose. T-Cell responses—considered essential for the ultimate defeat of the virus—were evident by day 7 after the dosage and peaked at Day 14. However, the booster dosages did not elicit a similar immunological response.\n\nThe researchers admitted that this study had serious limitations, foremost of all that it involved all healthy individuals that were not fully representative of their society. They designed Phase 2 and 3 trials that include older individuals and those at high risk of infection for the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of ChAdOx1 NCoV-19 given at a single or two-dosages in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and South Africa. Once they have enough data with adults, they will set up a study with children too.\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.\n\nGeorge Orwell’s relevance for us—part II\n\nRight in the middle of your biologically needed pause of sleep, in the intimacy of your bedroom, some savvy operators are scurrying into all your digital devices—especially the infamous little screens—to carry on their dubious task: data mining. They are actively spying on all your lifestyle, buying and entertainment choices to gather critical information that they will sell to vendors for targeted advertisement. And what is worse, it is facilitated by the trust you put on some companies to handle your personal information for an e-mail address, shop, contact other people, etc.\n\nIn his novel 1984, George Orwell narrated the story of Winston Smith, a wretched middle-age bureaucrat from the imaginary nation of Oceania where its governance is assured by the constant surveillance of all its citizenry at all times, everywhere. In order to achieve this logistics nightmare, the authorities count on a technological marvel: the telescreen. It is a device where citizens get their news and entertainment but that also actively spies on them , sending their private information back to the authorities. We have to remember that Orwell wrote his novel in the late 40s, when the television was just an experimental device used in exclusive circles of USA, Great Britain, and France.\n\nWinston Smith works in the Ministry of Truth where all the previous day’s news is being daily re-written to conform to the authorities’ political discourse. The actual facts are mendaciously manipulated to design a lot of fake news for the gullible; the bureaucrats use newspeak to conceal the true facts from the common citizenry and create “alternate realities” for the social, political and economic developments of their repressive State. There is a constant disinformation campaign that leaves the citizenry fully confused; Winston Smith knows that his nation has been in constant war with Eurasia but he has doubts if the nation of Eastasia, a former foe, is now really his nation’s ally. The police finally arrest Smith and torture him to get a confession of a non-existent crime.\n\nIn a 1984 article, Mark Crispin Miller argued that the famous slogan “Big Brother is watching You” had been really turned into “Big Brother is you, watching television.” Contrary to the role of TV in 1984—where it abets a total conformity with the ruling party—Miller argued that television in our modern societies is used to promote an unrestrained consumerism through aggressive advertising and focus on celebrities. At the same time, he argued, it transmits a message of “material success” to the larger masses, duping them into believing only hard work and civic virtues matter. The viewers derive their “satisfaction” by measuring themselves against what they see on TV, such as dress, relationships, and conduct—the standard of habitual self-scrutiny. Aware that any “faux paus” will not pass unnoticed by the authorities, prods the viewers to take a very passive attitude while watching their telescreens.\n\nMiller stated that the same paranoid obsession about not conforming to “the official story” in Orwell’s novel has mutated into our present-day infatuation with the social messages being peddled in our “little screens” (Not even Orwell could imagine this) Joshua Meyrowitz showed that the majority of the network programming in the USA is based on the premise that people like to engage in a scandalous voyeurism; it is a rational explanation why many millions of people spend hours watching Reality TV. Meyrovitz argued that television has totally changed the very nature of our social interaction by pushing some hitherto private behavior out of the backstage into the very center of the stage, which exposes our intimate truths to tough public scrutiny. The video surveillance of strangers was “commoditized” by commercial television to render that snooping “acceptable” for the whole family to gawk at it, guilt-free.\n\nThere were multiple Social Psychology experiments during and after World War II—conducted by the Allied and the Axis nations as well—to study crowd control. The “internalization” of TV images that makes us copy attitudes and acts alien to our feelings/thoughts might be the ultimate success of those intent on controlling us.\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.\n\n\n\n\nDoes the BCG vaccination protect against Covid-19?\n\nThe incidence and mortality rates of the COVID-19 infections vary widely across the countries, depending on their availability of human and material resources, level of Public Health preparedness and the authorities’ local and national responses. Also there might be differences in ethnic composition, dietary habits, climate differences, social determinants, genetic material, and civic institutions to consider. One of the latest influencing factors that caught the scientific attention is the degree of anti-tuberculosis immunization of the population with the BCG vaccine.\n\nThe Bacille Calmette—Guérin vaccine was prepared with a Mycobacterium bovis strain of the TB producing organism in the famous Institut Pasteur of Paris in 1921. Since then several variants have been produced in the developed and developing world. Those of us not born in the USA, still harbor the memory of the painful injection given in our primary school years that left a little scar on our right shoulder. The initial strain was distributed to several laboratories of the world and six major variants were produced: Pasteur 1173 P2, Danish 1331, Glaxo 1077, Tokyo 172-1, Russia BCG.I and Moreau RDJ. At present almost 100 million children are still been vaccinated worldwide; as the vaccine provides little immunity for adult pulmonary tuberculosis, it has been largely discontinued in most fairly developed countries.\n\nThe examples of Spain and Portugal are relevant for the vaccine’s importance. Spain, which never adopted the BCG vaccination nationwide, has a mortality rate of 336 people per million inhabitants. Portugal—a neighboring country that shares many of the Spanish societal and cultural features—adopted the BCG vaccination in 1965 and only has a mortality rate of 56 people per million inhabitants.\n\nAbhibhav Shama et al., mathematical researchers from the School of Computer and System Sciences of Jawaharlal Nehru University of New Delhi, studied the COVID-19 data from countries that had either had vaccination or discontinued schedules or never had any vaccination. They said that: “disease incidence and morbidity are reduced in countries with universal BCG immunization compared with those that have not adopted the vaccine. The finding also applies to countries in which variables such as climate, dietary habits, and genetic origin essentially coincide.”\n\nDuring its long utility, the BCG vaccine has shown protective benefits for patients with other diseases associated with mycobacteria like Leprosy. Being a strong immunomodulator, it has been used to treat bladder cancer and other neoplasias.\n\nThe researchers divided their morbidity results according to the BCG penetration:\n\n 1. Countries without a universal BCG policy (Belgium, Italy, the United States and the Netherlands) have an increased incidence of 9 +- 497.1.\n 2. Countries with an ongoing BCG policy have an incidence of 9+-155.6.\n 3. Countries that discontinued the BCG policy have an intermediate value of67 +-509.89.\n\nThe mortality results were divided as follows:\n\n 1. Countries with an active BCG policy have 4 +- deaths per million people.\n 2. Countries that discontinued the BCG policy have 5+- 33.6 deaths per mil.\n 3. Countries with no BCG policy had 1 +- 56.8 deaths per million people.\n\nConsidering that the COVID.19 infection affects the older individuals more than the younger ones, the researchers studied its incidence among different age groups. They found that: “The results indicate three significant features as follows: (i) the disease incidence is very low for subjects less than 15 years of age and does not show significant dependence on the presence or absence of universal BCG vaccination policies. (II) The number of infected cases across the age groups is always higher for countries without universal BCG vaccination policy. (III) The differences between countries with universal BCG vaccine policy and countries without such a policy increase and reach their peak for age groups 45-64 and 65-79 years old.”\n\nThe researchers found significant differences in countries that had used different variants of the vaccine or combinations of them. The Brazilian and Russian variants of the BCG vaccine were not deemed to work effectively against the coronavirus; in contrast the Australian variant of the vaccine seemed to confer more protection.\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.\n\nA morfar una buena raviolada con salmón en un tuco de tomates San Marzano, avocado y nueces\n\nDear readers and fellow bloggers:\n\nGood evening. We were firmly determined to follow the much needed diet to lose a lot of weight (don’t even ask how much) that we had started this week-end (didn’t you notice that we did not upload any photos of sizzling meats or delicious pasta this week-end?) However the passing away of Alan Parker shook us deeply and we decided to take a break in his honor, besides lifting our spirits. what better choice than a raviolada?\n\nWe just prepared a sauté Alaskan Sockeye salmon with spinach ravioli in a tomato sauce with the original San Marzano tomatoes (which grow in the ashy soil at the foot of Mount Vesuvius in Campania) plenty of veggies, avocado and walnuts. If this does not lift our spirits, well then…What do you think?\n\nRaviolada con salmon\n\nWe will now lift a glass of wine in honor of Alan Parker, thanking him for all the great cinematic moments he provided us and to beg God Almighty for his soul’s salvation.\n\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThank you very much, Sir Alan Parker\n\nDear readers and fellow bloggers:\n\nGood afternoon. One of the strongest sensory experiences of our life happened when we watched together with Mary (the “mother of our children”, mind our delicate naming) the film Midnight Express in the small cinema of her native city of General Belgrano, in Buenos Aires state. It happened in the 1980 Southern Hemisphere’s winter, under the military dictatorship that had taken power in 1975, cowering everybody into submission.\n\n\nThe epic escape of Willy Hayes, an American college student condemned for drug smuggling in Turkey, from that hellish prison had an outstanding surrogate effect on us. Watching him outsmart his captors and elope to the street made us all very happy; we were enjoying by proxy the collective dream of escaping our “Ottoman-like prison.”\n\nWe know that we should not be mentioning this…But we have always been so un-PC. When Billy managed to unlock the embrace of the sadistic prison warden, who was intent on raping him, and he pushed him against a mounted wall hanger, where he died, many in the audience rose to their feet, stomping their feet and wildly applauding. Did we participate in that spontaneous outburst of contained primal rage…We can’t remember.\n\nParker worked in many diverse genres, including the great musical Fame, with the New York’s School of Performing Arts, Mississippi Burning, the fictionalized exposé of the murder of three civil rights activists in 1964 and Evita, the film adaptation of the Broadway musical. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Director’s Guild in 1998 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2002. Even though he was twice nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Director, he never won an Oscar.\n\nAlan Parker receives an award\n\nThe super-acrobatic dance sequences in New York City’s streets, the playback singing of Madonna at the balcony of La Casa Rosada and the big jump of Willy after he checked over his shoulder that the incoming police jeep had passed by him, will stay in our retinas to relish again and again. He passed away last Friday at the age of 76 years old.\n\nThank you very much, Sir Alan Parker, for so many moments of cinematic ecstasy.\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.\n\nUne belle soupe campagnarde pour épouvanter tous les mauvais esprits\n\nDear readers and fellow bloggers:\n\nGood afternoon. As if we did not have enough human tragedy and worries in this battered region of Florida, last night they announced that Isaias, a tropical storm-hurricane category 1 entity, would pass by our shores, with the always present threat of making landfall. Luckily we were spared the worst scenario, but it has been raining since the wee hours with some occasional gales of wind. Only now has the sun timidly appeared. In honor of that deliverance, we did what our ancestors (poor sharecroppers and sheep herdsmen that toiled in the fields of absentee landlords from Paris or Roma) would have certainly done to celebrate with their families and thank God Almighty.\n\nAnd to scare away the ghosts and maleficent spirits that they felt came out in the storm. \n\nWe prepared a thick soup with plenty of vegetables, some alphabet pasta, potatoes and two scrambled eggs (any kind of meat was an unaffordable luxury for any of them) We could count on all the healthy and well-priced ingredients from “our” Whole Foods.\n\nSoupe campagnarde II\n\nOf course you are all invited to share a healthy bowl with us. Let’s sit at the table now.\n\nSoupe campagnarde I\n\nThe only concession to our modernity is that big dollop of Parmesan cheese on top of it.\n\nBon apétit!\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.\n\nGeorge Orwell’s relevance for us—part I\n\nIn 1949, Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith, an influential American sportswriter that won a Pulitzer Prize, was asked if doing a daily column was exhausting. “Why, no,” he said. “You simply sit down at the typewriter, open your veins, and bleed.”\n\nRecently someone asked us if, even though we have always wanted to write, we only seriously sat down to carry it on at the supposedly “late age” of 55 years old. We paused for a few seconds to rummage through the dark attics of our Subconscious, clandestinely peeking at the long litany of emotions that tough circumstances provoked in our spirit. “Well,” we replied, “it was the inevitable moment…Memories finally got the best of me.”\n\nEric Arthur Blair—better known for his pen name of George Orwell—was born on June 25th 1903 in Moltihari, Bihar, British India, as his father worked in the Opium Department of the Indian Civil Service and passed away on January 21st 1950 in University College of London, a victim of Chronic Tuberculosis. He had a very tumultuous and exciting life that spanned several countries and political realities. As he could not afford to continue studying at the prestigious Eton School, he joined the Indian Imperial Police force in Burma—now the country is called Myanmar. While he was still very young, he had multiple policing responsibilities in the Burmese countryside, and he got a firsthand exposure to the exploitation of farmers. He had a reputation of “a loner” that preferred the company of books and church services.\n\nAfter returning to England in 1927, he lived in the city of London where he continued his writings; in 1928 he moved to Paris where he settled in a working-class quarter. He contracted tuberculosis and was admitted to the Hôpital Cochin where medical students received clinical training—still operational to this day. Like Jack London, his hero, he liked to explore the down-trodden sections of the cities. He returned to England in 1929. Based on these experiences he published The Spike, an essay, and his first book titled Down and Out in Paris and London in 1933. He wrote reviews for Adelphi and he worked as a private tutor for children. In 1932 he became a teacher at The Hawthorns High School, a preparatory school for boys. After finishing A Clergyman’s Daughter—based on his experience as a rural teacher—he moved to London and took up a job as an assistant in the Booklovers’ Corner, a second-hand bookshop. He traveled to Northern England to study the working people’s plight and in 1937 he published a book on the subject titled The Road to Wigan Pier.\n\nBlair sympathized with the Socialist cause but abhorred the excesses of Stalinism. In June 1936 he married Eileen O’Shaughnessy and when the Spanish Civil War broke out, he traveled to Barcelona as an international volunteer against Fascism. There he saw first-hand the bitter divisions of the leftist organizations and how they manipulated the information to justify their violent methods and sectarism; he was incensed at the strong elbowing of the Communist Party against the P.O.U.M.—the acronym of Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista—a more moderate formation. They were falsely accused of collaborating with the Fascists by the Communist press. Caught in the middle of that factional fighting, he retreated to a roof to read . He was sent to the relatively quiet Aragón front but, in May a sniper’s bullet almost killed him; with a serious wound to the throat, he was referred to a Lérida hospital. He returned to England in July 1937 and published Homage to Catalonia in 1938.\n\nAt the beginning of the Second World War, his wife Eileen started to work in the Censorship Department of the Ministry of Information; Blair applied for a similar position, but he was rebuffed to his delicate medical condition. In 1939 he wrote Inside the Whale, a collection of essays, and collaborated with several publications by reviewing plays, books, and films. The death of Lawrence, Eileen’s brother, in France, shocked them both. He joined the Home Guard, a people’s militia that started civilian training for a possible Nazi invasion of the island. In 1941 he started writing for the Partisan Review, an American magazine of like-minded socialists that became anti-Stalinists after the Molotov-Ribbentrop (or Hitler-Stalin) pact.\n\nIn 1941, Blair was finally accepted in the Eastern Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to do what he actually was longing for: “war work.” The Joseph Goebbel’s Propaganda Ministry in Berlin was actively broadcasting to India to sow dissent in the civic institutions against the British occupation; he supervised the counter-Nazi propaganda cultural programs, committed to its military mission. He became active in leftist intellectual circles and started writing for The Tribune—a leftist weekly publication, directed by the Labour MPs Aneurin Brevan and George Strauss; Brevan was the mastermind of the National Health Service (NHS)\n\nThe Blair couple moved to a better apartment with a basement in a middle-class neighborhood; unfortunately, a few months later, a V-I flying bomb totally destroyed it. Blair resigned to the BBC in 1943 in order to have more time to focus on writing his new book, Animal Farm, which became ready in April 1944. As the Communists considered that book an open attack on the repressive Soviet regime, they pressured the British government—allied in the fight against Hitler—to block its publication. In March 1945, Eileen was surreptitiously admitted for a hysterectomy in a London hospital and she did not give proper notice to her husband due to financial worries. She did not survive the anesthesia and Blair was devastated by the abrupt loss.\n\nBlair continued to take care of Richard Horatio, the child they adopted in May 1944. After the war ended, Animal Farm: a fairy story was published on August 17, 1945.\n\nThe publishing success of Animal Farm opened the doors of the English literary establishment for Blair, which enabled him to contribute to several newspapers and magazines. He started to write Nineteen Eighty-Four but felt distracted by the city bustle. His friend David Astor helped him secure a farmhouse in the isolated island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides (Scotland) where he settled down with his young son. Before Christmas 194 he became seriously ill and was admitted to Hairmyres Hospital in the outskirts of Glasgow where they made the clinical diagnoses of tuberculosis. His physicians secured the help of Aneuris Bevan, then UK’s Minister of Health, to obtain a much-prized schedule of streptomycin to treat his infection. In July 1948 he was able to return to his seclusion in Jura and finished the manuscript of 1984 by December. Extremely weakened, he was escorted by his friends for an extended admission to a hospital in Cranham, Gloucestershire, in January 1949.\n\nIn June 1949, Nineteen Eighty-Four was finally published, becoming a great success. In mid-1949 he announced his engagement to Sonia Brownell before entering University College Hospital in London for further treatment. On January 21st ,1950, a small artery burst in his chest and he passed away at age 46. Following his wishes, he was interred following the Anglican Rite in the churchyard of All Saints’ in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire. His gravestone has the following simple epitaph:\n\n“Here lies Eric Arthur Blair, born June 25th 1903, died January 21st 1950.”\n\nIn a follow-up article, we will discuss the precious literary legacy of George Orwell.\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.\n\n\n\n\n\nGood news about the Moderna/NIAID vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus\n\nIn a previous blog we discussed the ongoing clinical studies about the development of a safe and effective vaccine against the virus producing the Covid-19 infection. Thanks to the decades-old research efforts to design and develop a vaccine against AIDS—so far without results due to the complexity and mutations of that virus—there was a significant body of scientific work by the time the SARS-CoV-2 genome was published on March 16, 2020. Immediately several groups started working on the vaccine development and a few of them—counting on the “generous” pockets of Big Pharma and Uncle Sam—could even develop the industrial capacity in a parallel way to make the process faster.\n\nThe biotechnology company Moderna, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, teamed up with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to create a novel vaccine candidate that uses a tiny bit of messenger RNA from the infecting virus to provoke an immunological response in the host. The researchers recently published an initial report in the New England Journal of Medicine. They said that: “The candidate vaccine mRNA-1273 is a lipid nonparticle-encapsulated, nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccine that encodes the SARS-VoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein stabilized in its prefusion conformation.” The basic idea is to safely get a tiny amount of highly coated virus mRNA inside a living being to elicit an immunological response without triggering symptoms like respiratory distress. “The mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate, manufactured by Moderna, encodes the S-2P antigen, consisting of the SARS-CoV-2 glycoprotein with a transmembrane anchor and an intact S1-S2 cleavage site.”\n\nThe researchers have developed a phase 1-dose escalation-open clinical trial in the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle and Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. The 45 participants were healthy adults whose age ranged from 18 to 55 years of age that received two injections of trial vaccine 28 days apart at dosages of 25 ug, 100 ug or 250 ug; they were not previously vetted for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2. The deltoid muscle was injected with 0.% ml on days 1 and 29; follow-up visits were scheduled at days 7 and 14, after each vaccination plus four other appointments, being 394 the last one. For safety reasons there were four sentinel participants in the 25-ug group followed by four others in the 100-ug group. The participants were charged with recording any local and systemic symptoms and could not use acetaminophen or similar drugs.\n\nThere were no serious adverse effects in all the participants except in one of them who developed a transient urticaria after the first vaccination and had to withdraw. None of them reported fever after the first dose; after the second dose, none of the participants in the 25-ug reported feverish symptoms. In the 100-ug group, 6 participants had fever and in the 250-ug group 8 did—only one had severe fever. “Binding antibody IgG geometric mean titers (GMTs) to S-2p increased rapidly after the first vaccination, with seroconversion in all participants by day 15. Dose-dependent responses were evident. For both assays, the median magnitude of antibody responses after the first vaccination in the 100-ug and 250-ug dose groups was similar to the median magnitude in convalescent serum specimens, and in all dose groups the median magnitude after the second vaccination was in the upper quartile of values in the convalescent serum specimens.” The titers of both binding and neutralizing antibodies produced by the vaccine were similar to the ones found in the convalescent serum of patients that had been infected by the SARS-CoV-2. They found that S-P2—the antigen inside the vaccine—induced the activation of high-quality functional antibody responses and Th1-biased T-cells that block the replication of the virus in the respiratory system—one of the leading causes of death.\n\nThe researchers considered that the 100-ug dose of the mRNA-1273 vaccine is the best shot to neutralize the virus and at the same time promote the activation of the immunological system. In a CNN interview, Dr. Tal Zaks, Moderna‘s Chief Medical Officer, said that they need to make sure that the benefit/risk ratio of the vaccine candidate warrants its deployment in a population that is still largely free of the virus. They have recruited thousands of volunteers for a big phase 3 efficacy trial this month.\n\nLast April Moderna received U$ 472 million from the U.S. government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to contribute financially for the development of their promising vaccine. On July 26 the company announced that it had received an additional U$ 472 million to prop their project. As we said in a previous blog, the governments of the richest countries are already positioning themselves for the pole position to claim priority for the precious vials of a functioning vaccine. Less financially endowed countries (like Argentina, Brazil and South Africa) that also have a significant pool of qualified scientists and a basic Public Health infrastructure became enthusiastic hosts of the trials (providing volunteers and services) to leapfrog to the queue’s front.\n\nOn July 27, both Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. announced the start of their decisive and separate clinical trials that will involve thousands of participants in many countries.\n\nMay God Almighty grant wisdom and determination to these researchers and volunteers.\n\nNote. The featured image is a reproduction of the oil painting of William Jenner, the English physician that designed the smallpox vaccine in the early 19th century.\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.\n\nBuona Domenica con una bravissima fettuccineada alla Mare ed Terra\n\nDear readers and fellow bloggers:\n\nGood afternoon and Happy Sunday. We hope that you are doing well, following the Public Health guidelines of Social Distancing for the sake of everybody’s health. Today we woke up with a lot of fiacca (Italian word that means “unwillingness to do anything”) but we still wanted to follow our family tradition and prepare a pasta dish for our family. What to do? Remember that last Sunday we prepared a fettuccineada alla Dotta? Remember that we prepared a saumon fumée á la Croix de Lorraine last Wednesday? We still had remnants of the two sauces in the refrigerator and the temptation was big…\n\nFettuccineada Mare ed Terra\n\nHow about if we mixed the two leftovers to produce a “pink sauce” with added shrimp and scallops (it’s never too much) to produce a combination of earthly and sea savors? This awful Social Isolation has sparked many crazy ideas in our mind and this might be one of the worst ones so far. We will let you to be the judge of it…\n\nBuon apetitto! \n\nFettuccineada Mare ed Terra II\n\nAs you can see this crazy idea has turned our head (and this picture) upside down. To crown this invention, we placed a big ball of Buratta cheese to regal its creaminess.\n\nStay distant. Stay safe. Stay beautiful.\n\nWhat do you think? Please tell us.\n\nDon’t leave me alone.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5836669206619263} {"content": "Past Games\n\nOceanic wishing well or endless labyrinth? Abyss is a meditative game about what lies below the surface. Lead a wandering coin on its swaying journey through the depths.\nGather energy to embody different creatures and progress through the inkarmation ritual starting as a primal soul and becoming a rabbit, a wolf, and a hunter.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9943431615829468} {"content": "A winter tale\n\n\nThis post is also available in: Bulgarian\n\nThe winterish mountain in February is unimaginably wonderful. The snow has piled up but the sun is shining brightly. You can basically smell and feel the atmosphere of spring. Breathing the clean mountain air and feeling the nature around you are unmatched experiences. It is rare for people to think about the natural treasure which they can reach in a 30-minute drive out of the city. This week we decided to take a walk to Vitosha in order to escape from the traffic, cell phones and the crowds of the capital. This place cleanses my body. I cannot give reasons for this feeling but I felt loaded with fresh energy after this walk. Beauty is everywhere around us if you have the eyes to see it.\n\nFor this lazy walk I chose a matching outfit. The long coat by Mango is in the modern beige colour. Even when we fear the downfall of beige, it always finds a way to remind us of itself because it matches everything else. The most important thing is the coat to be made of good materials: Kashmir or wool. Mine is woolen and it follows me in the coldest of days. The deep external pockets are an undeniable advantage. You can match it with high shoes or more sporty ones, use it in a more elegant or casual way, you can wear it anyhow in order to make your day brighter and merrier.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNo Comments Yet.\n\nWhat do you think?\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9581144452095032} {"content": "8 Inventions You Probably Didn't Know Were Created by Indigenous Peoples\n\nBelieve it or not, many of the tools and items we use in our everyday lives originated at the hands of indigenous tribes. It’s not something commonly taught in schools but in fact, we owe some of our most important modern-day inventions to their creativity and ancient wisdom.\n\nBecause indigenous people had to adapt to some of the most difficult environments on the planet with very limited resources, they developed exceptional skills that led them to design utensils, machinery, hunting and gathering systems, medicines and much more in order to enable their survival.\n\nExtremely advanced for their time, society today would be very different without these 8 indigenous inventions from tribes around the world:\n\n\nThe Alaskan Inuit people were the first to build and use kayaks, at least 4,000 years ago.\n\nKayaks were small, narrow boats made of wood, with a sealed sealskin cabin to prevent the rower from sinking should the boat capsize.\n\nThe word kayak means \"hunter's boat\", as they were originally built for hunting and used to drag animals — seals, caribou, even whales — to shore.\n\nNowadays, kayaks are used all over the world for recreational activities and their design has not changed, although they are now made using different materials, such as plastic and carbon fiber.\n\n\nNative Americans made the first syringes to inject medicines in pre-Columbian times. These hypodermic needles were originally made from animal bladders attached to a sharp, hollow cylindrical bone — such as the leg of a prairie chicken, turkey, goose or other bird — which served as the tube.\n\nTheir invention was later attributed to Scotsman Alexander Wood in 1853, but our American ancestors had already developed them many centuries before.\n\nToday, the practice of medicine is unimaginable without the use of these vital utensils.\n\n\nAboriginal boomerang\n\nAboriginal boomerang\n\n\nThe boomerang was invented by Australian Aborigines and — contrary to popular belief — never used for hunting, but in rituals and celebrations.\n\nIt is said that the first tribe the English encountered in New South Wales in the 18th century were the Turuwals, who shouted \"Boom-ma-rang!\" as they launched and then caught a curved wooden object. This expression means \"Come back cane!\", although according to some historians the word comes from the aboriginal term \"boomari\", which means wind.\n\nNowadays, the boomerang is used to practice sports and play games, or as a decorative object.\n\n\nHandmade drawing of Ginger roots\n\nHandmade drawing of Ginger roots\n\n\nThe Amazonian and Andean indigenous peoples of South America pioneered the use of a variety of medicinal plants (leaves, roots, barks, flowers, seeds, resins, and oils) to manage ailments, and their combination to prepare infusions, syrups, plasters and powders that relieved pain and treated disease.\n\nAn example of this is ginger: a tubercle we currently use to flavor dishes, which indigenous healers prepared as a medicinal drink to relieve pain or reduce inflammation.\n\nTraditional medicine is part of the cultural legacy of indigenous peoples like the Tacana and Leco, who used quinine, cat's claw and evanta: all plants now recognised by the modern pharmaceutical industry.\n\nChewing gum\n\nChewing gum can be traced back to Southeast Mexico and Northern Central America, where it originated as part of Mayan culture over two thousand years ago.\n\nThe Mayans made incisions in the bark of the Chicozapote — one of the most abundant trees in the area — so that the sap flowed into containers placed at the base of the trunk. After drying the tree's nectar, a chewy gum was obtained and used to clean the teeth and mouth or curb hunger in fasting rituals.\n\nToday, the habit of chewing gum is widespread throughout the world.\n\nPiercing and Tattoos\n\nMayan warrior\n\nMayan warrior\n\niStock.com/Oleg Elkov\n\nThe indigenous Colombians were pioneers in hair removal techniques, hair extensions, 'piercing' and tattoos. From pre-Hispanic times to the present day, the tribes in Colombia have used the body as a canvas; an artistic expression of their culture.\n\nIn many different parts of the world, other cultures — such as the Maoris in New Zealand — also used tattooing as a statement of identity.\n\nIn some Borneo tribes, perforations were made in different parts of the body to implant piercings that marked the transition from adolescence to maturity.\n\nNowadays, piercings and tattoos are common across the world for aesthetic reasons, and as an affirmation of individual identity.\n\nBaby bottles\n\nAlthough some baby feeding utensils were already used by the ancient Egyptians and other cultures, the Native Americans invented the first baby bottle.\n\nUsing syringe-like technology, the Indians used bear intestines, which they washed, dried, and greased before attaching a feather as a form of nipple. The mothers then filled them with a mixture of nuts, meat, and water.\n\nToday the baby bottle is an essential item for families all over the world.\n\n\nInuit Googles\n\nInuit Googles\n\n\nThe very first piece of equipment attached to the eyes in order to protect them from the sun’s rays can also be attributed to the creativity of the Inuit people, who manage to survive one of the most extreme climates on the planet.\n\nMade of wood, bone, or ivory, they were originally fastened with strips of whale skin and designed to avoid snow blindness: a frequent and serious problem for the Inuit people that occurred when the snow’s strong reflective power directed damaging ultraviolet rays into the eyes.\n\nToday, all around the world, who doesn't wear sunglasses?\n\n\nCover photo: (CC BY 2.0) Inuit kayaker", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9931467771530151} {"content": "Società editrice il Mulino it 1120-9496 Dalla ripartizione alla capitalizzazione: una transizione possibile per il sistema pensionistico italiano? Italy is characterized by a mature PAYG social security (SS) system and by particularly adverse population projections. Given these trends, the contribution rate to the SS system is deemed to increase above the current high level. This hinders the development of employer provided pension funds and introduces a relevant wedge between labor cost and earnings that discourages both labor demand and labor supply. However, any proposal to reduce payroll taxes has to cope with the state of Italian public finances. Italy has to comply with the Stability and Growth Pact that imposes constraints on budget deficit and debt trends. We show that the replacement rate guaranteed by the PAYG system to a newly insured worker, contributing for 40 years, ranges between 44 and 88 percent, depending on his career profile, and between 56 and 113 percent if, as envisaged by current legislation, severance-pay contributions are fully used to finance a funded occupational scheme. We thus argue that a payroll tax reduction of 10 percentage points can still guarantee replacement rates in line with the European average: about 70 percent for a worker with an average career profile, working 40 years and retiring at age 65. Using micro-data from the Bank of Italy's Survey of Household Income and Wealth and official population projections, we estimate future employment trends under different demographic and macroeconomic scenarios and compute the cost of the transition. We show that the cost of the transition would be substantially reduced if positive effects on employment were induced by the payroll tax reduction. In particular, under the hypothesis that the pension reform had no impact on total employment, we estimate that the net cost for the PAYG system induced by a 10 percentage point reduction in the contribution rate would range between 0.02 and 1.8 percent of GDP in the first year, depending on how gradually the reform will be phased in. If the payroll tax reduction increased employment (by approximately 120,000 units a year until 2025), then savings would start offsetting costs as early as in 2030 and the reform would be entirely self financing. Lorenzo Forni, Raffaella Giordano 2001 10.1429/1568 10.1429/1568 1 3 46 I vincoli al licenziamento come \"commitment device\" nei contratti impliciti incentivanti Labor contracts establishing performance related pay incur on a firm's moral hazard problem when there are no verifiable measures of performance. Some models have explored the possibility that such contracts can be enforced through a mechanism of firm's reputation. MacLeod and Malcomson (1998) show alternatively how these contracts can be enforced thanks to the existence of an excess of demand (job vacancy) on the labor markets. However, when reputation is difficult to establish and when labor markets are in excess of supply (involuntary unemployment), these mechanisms cannot be activated. In this paper, through a simple model an alternative enforcement mechanism is proposed for performance-related pay contracts based on a widely diffused form of labor market institutional rigidity: the employment protection legislation, that is, the combination of just-cause and firing costs imposed on the firms who dismiss workers. In a game theoretical structure with repeated prisoner's dilemma, these institutional rigidities combined with intrafirm reputation act as commitment devices for the firm and allow the enforcement of implicit contracts. The market equilibrium achieved is compared with an efficiency wage equilibrium and it is showed that the latter is Pareto-dominated. The model in this way shows an efficiency-enhancing role for job security provisions in asymmetric information contexts. Vincenzo Scoppa 2001 10.1429/1569 10.1429/1569 2 47 72 Durata della disoccupazione e probabilità di reimpiego in presenza di incentivi all'assunzione: l'evidenza empirica della lista di mobilità della regione Umbria Under an important scheme in the Italian system of income support for the unemployed, the \"indennità di mobilità\" (introduced in 1991), this benefit is transerable to any employer who would hire the beneficiary. This is the core of the benefit transfer program proposed by Snower, which has received much attention in the debate on reforming unemployment insurance in Europe. We use survival analysis to estimate the effect of such a scheme on unemployment duration and re-employment probabilities, for a sample of unemployed workers enrolled in the mobility list in the Region of Umbria. We find that the benefit transfer does not seem to be effective in redistributing employment opportunities. In particular, re-employment probabilities are lower for older workers, who are entitled to a benefit of longer duration: apparently the effect of a higher reservation wage dominates the incentive of a larger subsidy for potential employers. Enza Caruso 2001 10.1429/1570 10.1429/1570 3 73 96 La convergenza dei salari dell'industria manifatturiera in Europa In a recent document OECD has suggested that the monetary union could bring about a convergence of wages' level in Europe. Such a convergence could be rather harmful for some country's competitiveness and for the conduct of monetary policy, unless it is fully matched by a consistent equalisation in the levels of labour productivity. This paper contributes to this debate by proving an evaluation of the actual magnitude of the dispersion of manufacturing wages across of Europe. Results suggest that from the early seventies labour costs in European manufacturing sectors have been converging; thus in the '90 actual dispersion of labour costs is rather low. The equalisation of wages is entirely due to the reduction of the between countries component of wage dispersion that has been driven by the levelling off of the labour productivity among European countries. The sectoral component of dispersion did not decline because inter industry wage differentials are stable over time and similar across countries, as they reflect aggregations of workers with different level of skill. However EMU could play a role in reducing wages dispersion across Europe by fostering a change in the national wage bargaining system, leading to more egalitarian paradigma, and by reducing firms' rents on product markets by increasing competition. Piero Cipollone 2001 10.1429/1571 10.1429/1571 4 97 125", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5853153467178345} {"content": "Monday, January 05, 2015\n\n\nNumber 1993 is a compilation of the energies of number 1, the vibrations of number 9 appearing twice, amplifying its influences, and the attributes of number 3. Number 1 brings its qualities of creation and creativity, motivation and progress, insight and inspiration, self-leadership and assertiveness, new beginnings and starting afresh. Number 1 encourages us to step forward in our chosen direction and reminds us that we create our own realities with our thoughts, beliefs and actions. Number 9 resonates with leading by positive example, lightworkers and lightworking, philanthropy and humanitarianism, generosity and benevolence, strength of character, a higher perspective, and endings and conclusions. Number 9 also relates to the concepts of karma and dharma and the Universal Spiritual LawsNumber 3 relates to self-expression and communication, optimism and enthusiasm, friendliness and sociability, growth and expansion and manifesting. Number 3 relates to the Ascended Masters, who act as mentors, teaching you the ancient wisdom and help you to find peace, clarity and love within and focus on the Divine spark within yourself and others.\n\nAngel Number 1993 encourages you to release and let go of any situations in your life that are no longer positively serving you, and do not cling to situations (or people) out of habit or a fear of lack or loss. There is a time to discard old ideas that have fulfilled their function in your life. Hold a positive viewpoint and high expectations about yourself and your future as your thoughts create your experiences and you create your own realities. Trust your intuition and gut feelings and know that the angels are overseeing your life plan and path and are encouraging you to maintain a positive attitude and mind-set in regards to yourself, your life path and your future. All is going to Divine plan.\n\nAngel Number 1993 is a message encouraging you to listen to your soul’s urgings and intuition in regards to your career, lifestyle and/or spiritual pursuits. Your natural lightworking abilities are much needed by the world and your angels want you to use your positive personality traits and communication skills to help, assist and serve others humanity. Have trust in yourself and your path, and use your natural creativity to bring inspiration through any means of your choosing. Remember that you make a valuable contribution to the development of humanity by being who you truly are and by using your natural gifts and abilities to uplift and enlighten others.\n\nYou are encouraged to use your natural skills and talents to make the world a better place.\n\nNumber 1993 relates to the Master Number 22 (1+9+9+3=22, 2+2=4) and Angel Number 22 on the higher plane, and number 4 and Angel Number 4 on the lower plane.\n\nJoanne Walmsley\nSacred Scribes\n\nNUMEROLOGY - The Vibration and Energy of Numbers\n\n\n\n 1. very accurate assessment. i am born on 3~3~1993@13~37. yall add me on facebook, we need to link up. I was an Angel as a child,then i met \"theanti~way\" and \"wayed\" all the way through. Now we have time to enjoy our rebound as Saints. Love All Wayz, Devin Cowart\n\n 2. This is Amazing, even though it could be fake.\n\n Let's just say Im considered universally open minded.\n\n thats me", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8744959831237793} {"content": "Wisdom Teeth and Pain\n\nSometimes wisdom teeth can be impacted -- they are enclosed within the soft tissue and/or the jawbone or only partially break through or erupt through the gum.\n\nPartial eruption of the wisdom teeth allows an opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection, which results in pain, swelling, jaw stiffness, and general illness.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9950829148292542} {"content": "Amnesty wanted to challenge biases, confound expectations and highlight the inequality still faced by LGBT people across the world. Why is it still illegal to feel what you feel?\n\nThe film is directed by Marius Holst and produced by Fantefilm.\n\n\n2019 Eurobest - Gold - Film Craft\n2019 Gullbranson - Best Non-Commercial Film\n2019 Gullblyanten - Shortlist - Non-commercial\n2020 The One Show - Merit - Direction\n2020 Gulltaggen - Shortlist - Online Video", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 1.0000100135803223} {"content": "Clinical Outcome of Arthroscopic Internal Drainage of Popliteal Cysts With or Without Cyst Wall Resection\n\nBackground: This study aimed to compare the arthroscopic internal drainage of popliteal cysts alone or in combination with cyst wall resection in terms of clinical outcomes.\n\nMethods: Forty-two consecutive patients with symptomatic popliteal cysts received arthroscopic treatment. Specifically, 20 of them received arthroscopic internal drainage (AI group) alone and 22 received arthroscopic internal drainage combined with cyst wall resection (AICR group) through double posteromedial portals. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to identify recurrence of popliteal cysts. The Lysholm score and Rauschning-Lindgren grade were used to assess the clinical outcomes. The median of the follow-up period was 24 months (12-48 months).\n\nResults: The two groups (AI group and AICR group) were similar in age, gender, cyst diameter, associated joint disorder, preoperative Lysholm score, preoperative Rauschning-Lindgren grade and follow-up period (P > 0.05). Relative to the AI group, the AICR group had a significantly prolonged operation time (P < 0.05) and a higher incidence of complications (P < 0.05). In both groups, the Rauschning-Lindgren grade at the last follow-up significantly differed from the preoperative grade (P < 0.05) and the Lysholm knee score remarkably increased compared to the preoperative score (P < 0.05); however, there were no differences between the two groups at the last follow-up (P > 0.05). According to the MRI results, the cyst disappeared in 11 (55%), shrank in size in 6 (30%) and existed in 3 (15%) patients in the AI group, and was absent in 18 (81.8%) and shrank in size in 4 (18.2%) patients in the AICR group, suggesting a significant difference between the two (P < 0.05).\n\nConclusion: Additional resection of cyst wall can result in a lower recurrence rate of cysts but extend the operation time and increase the incidence of perioperative complications compared with arthroscopic internal drainage of popliteal cysts alone.\n\nKeywords: Arthroscopy; Cyst wall; Cystectomy; Knee; Popliteal cyst.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9931190013885498} {"content": "Working with Udemy, Dublin, Mortar and more were engaged at the early stages of their project assisting with feasibility studies on potential new locations.\n\nTaking the project from concept through to detail, tender and construction stages, Mortar and more developed a design that would reflect the Udemy ethos and provide a space that would function for their current team size whilst future proofing them for continued expansion and growth.\n\nA key element to providing a successful design for Udemy was our process. Our design teams spend time with our clients to understand how their teams work. We analyse existing spaces, which then helps form part of the client brief. This time on site helps identify the optimum size and quantity of zones required for increased team productivity.\n\n\nWindmill Lane, Dublin \n\nc 15,100 Sq Ft", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9980974793434143} {"content": "PDF Archive\n\n\nShare a file Manage my documents Convert Recover PDF Search Help Contact\n\ntips on how to compose1878 .pdf\n\nOriginal filename: tips on how to compose1878.pdf\n\nThis PDF 1.4 document has been generated by / iTextSharp™ 5.4.1 ©2000-2012 1T3XT BVBA (AGPL-version), and has been sent on pdf-archive.com on 12/09/2015 at 21:29, from IP address 79.113.x.x. The current document download page has been viewed 426 times.\nFile size: 3 KB (1 page).\nPrivacy: public file\n\nDownload original PDF file\n\nDocument preview\n\ntips on how to compose\nWhy do some ghosts tales sustain you up all evening, staring at your closet and examining\nbeneath your mattress?\nHow come other aliens tales develop giggles or entire boredom?\nBelow are ideas on what would make the right ghost tale.\n1) Environment\nYou can find no bigfoot tale worthy of a particular goose bump devoid of environment. Viewers\nhave got to be steadily faraway from their cozy environment and introduced into the spooky\nsociety with the ghost. The writer needs to involve many of the senses together with sight, smell,\nseem and contact. A talented creator can evoke other 'senses' for example premonition or\n'women's intuition'. The ghost story usually requires the reader to always be demonstrated the\natmosphere, not advised. Out of every one of the elements that develop a impressive monsters\ntale, the environment is most likely essentially the most notable.\nExactly where should a ghost tale choose area? A ghost tale doesn't have to occur in a decrepit\nmansion or a graveyard. Professional ghost authors just like Ambrose Bierce or Peter Straub use\na number of settings for their ghost tales including cabins within the woods, or perhaps a\nespresso store. It is usually how the authors make use of the options to create the willies that\ntwo) Emotion\nYou can not have a frightening browse free of the characters feeling escalating amounts of fright.\nThe reader will detect considering the gradual feeling of dread and start to think the exact same.\nThe top stories creep up relating to the reader with gentle nudges into panic. Today's reader will\neither giggle or go to sleep if introduced that has a bludgeoning method of a ghost story. The\nreader entails a modicum of belief to get absolutely frightened.\nA ghost tale demands a plot. The reader craves a good reason to continue to peruse the web\npages. An eye-catching starting, a breathless middle, along with a fulfilling ending are paramount.\nBe authentic. Nothing will unfastened the interest of the reader a great deal more than the usual\nrehashed plot. If I read through an alternative story a few team of adolescents abandoned in an\noutdated house in the rain, I'll put on a dress. And that will likely be certain to make the neighbors\nProduce a secret. All superb witches stories have got a thriller at the rear of them. The reader\nturns into associated when using the characters in resolving the story powering the haunting. Do\nnot existing a ghost with no a background. Remember the ghost certainly is the major character\nbelonging to the ghost tale, and wishes to become a dwelling aspect on the story. Not accurately\nliving, even so...\nSo obtain your quills out, attract the curtains, light-weight your candle and start to write your ghost\nstory...I dare you!\n\nDocument preview tips on how to compose1878.pdf - page 1/1\n\nRelated documents\n\ntips on how to compose1878\nbook critique\n\nRelated keywords", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9011620283126831} {"content": "How to Choose Translation Services in Vancouver\n\nWhen you need some work to be translated from one language to another, the first step is to choose the best company or agency to do the job. This is most cases is a difficult decision to make since we have many agencies offering these services, and you may not know who the best is.\n\nIf you choose a competent translation company, you’re sure you get accurate translations. On the other hand, if you pick a poor translator, you may suffer embarrassment, compliance issues, or even lose some customers.\n\nLook for an Agency Specialized In Your Field\n\nlanguage translationOne way of getting accurate translations is by working with translators who are experts in your field. For example, if you want a legal document to be translated, it’s essential to work with a linguist who has some legal background; this ensures they are versed with common terminologies used in the professional; thus, they can translate the text accurately.\n\nSome of the common specializations in translation include financial translation, legal translation, and medical translation, among others. Alternatively, you can rely on translation agencies that handle translations in various fields.\n\nOther Services on Offer\n\nWhen selecting a translation agency, it’s crucial to know about other services the company offers. For example, do they provide sworn translations, testing of software; translation of websites, subject-matter experts, or desktop publishing, etc. besides the agency must adhere to confidentiality, since some of the translations may involve sensitive information.\n\n\nIf you want your translation to be handled urgently, it’s essential to inquire about the turnaround times for the particular agency. You should know if the agency works with a translator in your time zone and if they outsource their work. One way of gauging a trustworthy translating agency is to see if they work with translators all over the world. This means they can tap into a large pool of translators; thus, you’ll get your work in time besides getting quality services.\n\nWhen searching for translations services in Vancouver, it’s essential to consider the above points to ensure you get accurate translations that are delivered in time.\n\n\ntestimonials If you have doubts about the translation agency to choose from, you can rely on testimonials. Visit their websites or ask for contacts of their past clients and get to know if their translation services are accurate. In this regard, you should not look for testimonials displayed on the website only; checking customer feedback or contacting the clients directly is the best way to ensure the testimonials are authentic.\n\nYou can lasso judge the translation services offered by the translation agency which other client are working with. For example, if the agency has worked for renowned organizations, private companies, and large government institutions, then you can trust their translation services are incredible.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8079864382743835} {"content": " Abby Sen - A Film On Time Travel\n\n14 August 2020 10:24 AM\n\n\n\nAbby Sen - A Film On Time Travel\n\nAtanu Ghosh\n\nTime travel remains one of the biggest mysteries of science. Indian filmmakers who have ventured into sci-fi films such as the Krish series of films and Shahrukh Khan who ventured to make Ra-One which have surrealistic features and futuristic visions. But not really time travel as we understand it – when a person can journey through time – past and in the future. In this environment, Atanu Ghosh, a filmmaker who has the talent of exploring subjects few even think of, has made a film on time travel called Abby Sen. Though the film is in Bengali, it has an universal reach because of the issue it deals with. It will be theatrically released across the state on October 30 2015.\n\nIn 1961, Buster Keaton, one of the most outstanding comedians and stunt masters who successfully make the transition from silent to sound and from Black-and-White to colour, was seen in three-minute silent clip in Black-and-White entitled Buster Keaton’s Time Travel. Keaton, then nearing 70, discovers a strange helmet in a scientist’s laboratory and during his absence, wears it without knowing that it will take him on a journey through time into the past. The film does not mention anything about time travel but it is evident that once Keaton dons the helmet, he finds himself in a world that belongs to the 1920s when he began his career in feature films. He is surrounded by cars, gramophone records, a big clock, all of which belonged to the 1920s. Then someone takes off his helmet and the film clip ends.\n\nIn 1960, a film called The Time Machine directed by George Pal, was made in Metrocolor based on the novel by H.G. Wells based on the same name in 1895. The film narrates the experiences of an inventor in Victorian England who constructs a machine that enables him to travel into the distant future and what he discovers there makes the story of the film. Another much more contemporized version of the same story was made in 2002 which added commercial elements like a romantic angle and so on.\n\nAbby Sen however, will make a difference to the concept of time travel from many films made in the past because Abby, the protagonist, travels back in time from 2013 to 1980 within the city of Kolkata when the name of the city was also different – Calcutta. Director Atanu Ghosh says, “The scientific origin on time travel based on the concept of time dilation was provided by Albert Einstein in his Theory of Relativity and Special Theory of Relativity. But the theory and the subsequent implications in accepting it were complicated and hence yet to be conclusive. However this concept of traveling in time has been an interesting tenet in much of the fiction and the films of the science-fiction genre.” Ghosh adds that time travel may not remain a distant dream for long because Dr. Ronald Mallet is presently working on time travel in the USA.\n\n“Recreating the Calcutta of 1980 was one of the biggest challenges for me as director. My cinematographer Madhu Shi and my art director Indranil Ghosh who is a National Award-winner, shared the challenge. We did some recreation through CGI. It was extremely expensive but my subject did not leave an alternative,” says Ghosh.\n\nIn the story, Abby is obsessed with science fiction films and no sooner he lands up a hero in such a story, his apprehensions and expectations bother him all the more. He analyses his own experiences with those happening in classic films like Back to the future and Alien and that lends a curious angle to the story. Abir Chatterjee, who plays the title role in the film says he could relate very closely to the time travel aspect because though he was not born around the time he travels back to in the film, he understands it through the films he has seen, and through his parents who are actors themselves, through books and stories and through his involved interest in cricket.\n\n“I had the good fortune to interact with three noted actresses who play different roles in the life of Abby Sen. One of them is actress Arunima Ghosh who plays Abby’s wife in 2013. The second woman is played by Raima Sen who provides a soft romantic angle in 1980 as a sari-wearing singer of Tagore songs. The third is Priyanka Sarkar whose role in the film I am not supposed to give out,” says Abir, laughing heartily.\n\nAbby Sen is a time travel story which starts off from reality and then takes a voyage into fantasy. But time travel and fantasy serve only as a medium in the film. Actually, the curious pathways of life, the joy of laughter and the magic of love take turns to drive the story along a very unconventional path. Science serves just as a catalytic agent to take the story and its protagonist on a strange journey. I think Abby Sen is a new genre altogether for a Bangla film. In the story, Abby is obsessed with science fiction films. When he lands up as a hero in just such a story, his apprehensions and expectations bother him all the more. He analyses his own experiences with those happening in classic films like Back to the future and Alien and that lends a curious angle to the story.\n\n“I have been reading up on time travel and it has intrigued me enough to create a story around it and make a full-length feature film. The world’s first science fiction, named Somnium (Latin for The Dream) was authored by Johannes Kepler in 1608 which was published only in 1634 by Kepler’s son Ludwig Kepler. Somnium is the first ever novel that offers a detailed, imaginative and hypothetical description of how the Earth will look when viewed from the Moon, becoming the first serious scientific treatise on lunar astronomy. Carl Segal and Isaac Asimov referred to it as the first work of science fiction,” Ghosh sums up.\n\nTranslate this page:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9156396985054016} {"content": "Forming 'Fast And Furious' Planets Around Tiny Stars\n\nSurface density plots for a selection of discs at the time of fragmentation (i.e. when a density of 10−9 g cm−3 is reached). The fragments are shown by the white points\n\nNew astronomy research from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) suggests giant planets could form around small stars much faster than previously thought.\n\nAs published in today's Astronomy and Astrophysics journal, Dr. Anthony Mercer and Dr. Dimitris Stamatellos' new planet formation research challenges our understanding of planet formation.\n\nRed dwarfs, the most common type of stars in our galaxy, are small stars, 10% to 50% the size of our Sun. Despite their small mass, they are found to host giant planets up to 10 times bigger than Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.\n\nThe formation mechanism of these big planets remains an unsolved mystery. Giant planets around stars like our Sun are thought to have formed by the gradual build-up of dust particles to progressively bigger bodies. However, red dwarfs are tiny when compared to the Sun, and they do not seem to have enough material around them to form such big planets.\n\nThe research team used the UK Distributed Research using Advanced Computing (DiRAC) supercomputing facility to simulate the evolution of protoplanetary discs around red dwarf stars. Protoplanetary discs are rotating structures of dense gas and dust found around all newly born stars. The researchers found that if these young discs are big enough they can fragment, i.e., break up into pieces, forming gas giant planets. This theory predicts that the formation of giant planets happens within a few thousand years, a timescale which is extremely fast in astrophysical terms.\n\nDr. Mercer, who led the research, said: \"The fact that planets may be able to form on such a short timescale around tiny stars is incredibly exciting. Our work shows that planet formation is particularly robust: other worlds can form even around small stars in a variety of ways, and therefore planets may be more diverse than we previously thought.\"\n\nThe researchers also found these planets are extremely hot when they form, with temperatures at their cores reaching thousands of degrees. Such hot planets would be relatively easy to observe when they are still young. They do not have an internal energy source, so they become fainter with time, and the window of opportunity to directly observe them is very small. Nevertheless, they can still be indirectly observed by their effect on their host star. Many planets like these have been discovered so far around small stars.\n\nCo-author of the research Dr. Stamatellos, astrophysicist in UCLan's Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, added: \"This was the first time that we were able not only to see planets forming in computer simulations but also to determine their initial properties with great detail. It was fascinating to find that these planets are of the 'fast and furious' kind -- they form quickly and they are unexpectedly hot.\"\n\nFuture observations of planets around very young red dwarf stars will test the predictions of this new theory.\n\nReference: \"Planet Formation Around M Dwarfs via Disc Instability: Fragmentation Conditions and Protoplanet Properties,\" Anthony Mercer & Dimitris Stamatellos, 2020 Jan. 22, Astronomy & Astrophysics [https://www.aanda.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201936954]. Simulations were performed using the UK's DiRAC High Performance Computing facility. The research was funded by a PhD studentship from the Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC).\n\nPlanet formation around M dwarfs via disc instability, Astronomy & Astrophysics\n\nPlease follow Astrobiology on Twitter.\n\n • submit to reddit", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9524182677268982} {"content": "Man: The Master or Caretaker of Nature\n\nBoth Lynn White Jr. and Pope Francesco have extremely passionate views on the ecological dilemma that the world faces today. However, they differ vastly and are complete opposites to one another when it comes to the solution to this issue. While White believes that religion, or more specifically Christianity, is to blame, the current Pope is convinced that religion is the answer.\n\nWhite thinks that threats of the destruction of our ecosystem wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the creation of the Christian religion. He argues that the belief that God created the Earth: Adam and Eve, and then animals, has led humans to determine that they are more important than nature and are therefore nature’s masters. He justifies his claim by explaining that many great inventors, mathematicians, physicists, have all utilized religion as their reasoning as to why they worked so tirelessly to create new technology, theories, etcetera. So, although technology played a vital part in the disruption and damage to our planet, White still insists that the underlying cause was Christianity and people’s goals to please God.\n\nPope Francesco on the other hand, is adamant that religion is what will save the ecosystem. He not only thought it vital to clarify that maiming, disrespecting, and destroying the Earth are sins, but also reinforcing the idea that humans are a part of nature and as a result, have a duty to protect and take care of the natural world. He refers to the Earth as a “sister” to solidify his point and appeal to people’s emotional connections to family due to his whole aim being based on uniting people as one through common beliefs, while also spreading awareness to the ignorant of the crisis in order to combat the current issue plaguing the world.\n\nAt one pole, you have someone declaring that Christianity is the sole purpose of ecological despair, but on the other, you have a Christian leader declaring the opposite. I personally don’t believe either due to a lack of connection to any sort of religion and therefore see no problem or solution in religious views; which leads me to think about what the actual reason for the obstacles that nature is facing today and whether the cause is because of humans or some other greater idea that hasn’t yet been discovered or discussed.\n\nA Distant Examination of a Dialectic Regarding Religions’ Relationship to Environmental Catastrophe — or — I Have No Idea Who’s Correct, So Let’s Try to Find Out\n\nLynn White and Pope Francis, through their combined (unintentional) efforts, have managed to turn my brain into applesauce by arguing viewpoints which require that I have adequate biblical literacy, a comprehensive historical knowledge of the so-called West, and a mindset which allows me to actually come to a firm conclusion about anything. But I’m going to give it a shot anyway.\n\nLynn White, in his essay “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis”, argues that a person’s view of ecology is determined through how they view themselves in relation to nature. He also argues that the primary underlying reason for the destruction of our environment is not only the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and the advent of contemporary science, but also a view of humanity which White believes came from Christian theology: the belief that humans are separate from nature, and that they have supremacy over nature. At some point in history, humankind made a dramatic switch from having a symbiotic relationship with nature to exploiting nature. White says, “…to use the new and more efficient plow, peasants pooled their oxen to form large plow-teams, originally receiving (it would appear) plowed strips in proportion to their contribution. Thus, distribution of land was based no longer on the needs of a family but, rather, on the capacity of a power machine to till the earth,” (White 4). White thinks that this change directly links to the advent of Christianity in Europe (specifically the Protestant and Catholic denominations). He states, “Is it coincidence that modern technology, with its ruthlessness toward nature, has so largely been produced by descendants of these peasants of northern Europe?” (White 4). Ultimately, when Lynn White argues that “What people do about their ecology depends on what they think about themselves in relation to things around them” (White 4), he is more or less correct. Holding the viewpoint that one is related genetically to a fish or a bacterium, for instance, is often going to result in a much more connected and mutual relationship to the environment, whereas the viewpoint that one is separated from and above nature is likely going to result in a more distanced relationship from our ecology. But is Western Christianity to blame, as Lynn White suggests? To say that Western Christianity is the one true answer would be a stretch, but as a general direction to point to, he makes a pretty convincing argument. People practicing pagan religions, as noted by White and based on what I’ve read in other Climate Change literature, historically have a much more mutual relationship with the environment, and view humans and nature as equally important (White 4). It would seem that it was not until the emergence of monotheistic religions that people began to have the influential belief that human beings exist outside of nature and control it. But I haven’t found any compelling alternative theories to contrast White’s argument. Oh, except for this one:\n\nIn “Laudato Si”, Pope Francis approaches a similar question with a far different answer. He states that Christianity itself is not the problem, but instead, people have been misinterpreting God’s well-meaning words over the course of history. The Bible’s innumerable translations have led to centuries of misinterpretation, where different religious denominations took pieces that they saw fit and either changed or discarded pieces that didn’t fit into their narrative. Pope Francis knows this, and points out where these misconceptions are located in the Bible, and how God never intended for humanity to view the world in such a dangerous way (Francis 49). But despite the examples Pope Francis provides, the interpretation that man is separate from nature persists throughout the world anyway, thanks to the poor usage of the word “dominion”. But through some further investigation, I found that the book of Genesis (King James Version) contains a passage which presents us with what appears to be another questionable word: “…and God said unto [humanity], Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…” (Gen 1:28). Subdue is synonymous with conquer, defeat, and master. It’s no wonder that so many people have misinterpreted this concept. But if Pope Francis is sure that this was a misinterpretation at all, why were the words “dominion” and “subdued” chosen for the Bible in the first place? Was there a decision made in an early translation of the Bible where the overseer(s) weren’t satisfied with God merely granting them “stewardship” or something or other, and thanks to some already established cultural desire for superiority over nature, they made a covert switch? If so, when did that begin to take place? Who knows? \n\nThough studying the reasons and origins behind the exploitation of the earth’s resources is crucial for understanding how we got to this dangerous point as a civilization and how we can prevent something similar from happening down the line (if there is a ‘down the line’), at least we’re discussing articles by two people who agree that Climate Change is an anthropogenic issue. It is becoming clear to more and more humans—albeit quite slowly—that human impacts are in fact real, and are a problem.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8558059334754944} {"content": "Back To: Home : Featured Technology : Reagents/Proteins\n\n\nMolecular proofreading mistakes drive rare autoimmune diseases\nby DDNews Staff | Email the author\n\n\nJUPITER, FL—A team from Scripps Research has found a molecular cause of a group of rare autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells, detailed in the study, “HDX-MS reveals dysregulated checkpoints that compromise discrimination against self RNA during RIG-I mediated autoimmunity.”\nThe discovery, published today in Nature Communications, improves understanding of a protein’s role in several autoimmune disorders, including Singleton–Merten syndrome (SMS), Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, familial chilblain lupus, proteasome associated autoinflammatory syndromes and many others which involve improper stimulation of interferon, noted Patrick Griffin, Ph.D., professor and co-chair of the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research’s Florida campus.\nInterferon is a key component of our frontline defense against pathogens, interfering with viruses’ ability to make copies of themselves. The immune system relies on a gene called RIG-I, short for retinoic acid inducible gene-I, to signal for the release of interferon whenever certain viral markers are encountered. RIG-I determines if the markers are of foreign origin or are from its own body. The team demonstrated precisely how mistakes in a molecular proofreading system can lead to confusion and generate out-of-control interferon signaling, leading to the development of autoimmune disease.\n“This dysregulated molecular mechanism of RIG-I mediated RNA proofreading that we identified may help us understand and treat SMS and other autoimmune disorders,” said Jie Zheng, Ph.D., a postdoctoral associate and the first author and co-corresponding author of the study.\nThat is true for SMS, which is so rare that only a few cases have been described in the medical literature. Patients develop serious bone, heart, muscle and skin problems starting in early childhood, largely due to chronic inflammation from an overactive immune system. The scientists’ aim was to understand how two RIG-I mutations linked to SMS end up triggering the autoimmunity.\nRIG-I is a big protein with flexible elements, and is hard to study with standard techniques. But Griffin has helped pioneer the use of an advanced technology called hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), which enables scientists to analyze the structures and dynamics of proteins such as RIG-I. For the study, he and his team applied HDX-MS to normal and mutant RIG-I, and discovered how these mutations cause a failure of discrimination between self and viral RNA.\nThe Scripps researchers are now using their data to try to find a way to target mutant RIG-I, to block its inappropriate signaling to MAVS and thus alleviate the autoimmunity it causes. According to Griffin, this new, detailed understanding of RIG-I’s dysfunction may not only provide insights into the origins of more common autoimmune disorders, but also clarify how RIG-I works normally to detect viruses, a discovery that may enable development of new antiviral drugs.\nCode: E12181801\n\n\n\n1000 N West Street, Suite 1200,\nWilmington, Delaware, 19801", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9287898540496826} {"content": "Materials such as expanded polypropylene (EPP) or polystyrene (EPS) are used more and more because of their good insulating properties, low specific gravity, shock-absorbing properties and relatively low price. EPP has better properties on a few aspects compared to EPS, in particular the elasticity and temperature resistance.These materials are frequently used in packaging applications, but there are certainly good possibilities for lightweight constructions or impact protection applications", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.791964590549469} {"content": "\n\n\nMake a statement with your new staircase! The times when dark stairs were hidden between two walls are long gone. Beautiful metal staircase can become a real focal point in your home. We create unique staircases for your project, combining different materials; such as industrial style staircases, glass and steel staircases, and steel and oak staircases.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999423027038574} {"content": "Religious scepticism about the teleological argument essay\n\nThere has been one thing monograph devoted necessarily to the analysis of cultural arguments: This deity is holey of the traits that short the design analogy weak, and is further enraged of human passions as, for Philo, it would be relevant to think that the deity has impacted emotions, especially a fresh to be praised.\n\nIn argument, Peter van Inwagen maintains that this year can be spread by contending that for all we do, in every possible world which societies a high degree of complexity such as ours with adversity, intelligent life the prospects of nature are the same or have the same basic features as the actual laws.\n\nThird this integration, she sounds, all human beings, even those who have written the most important evils on earth, will in the eschaton be pursued and thus find ultimate meaning and punctuation in their tasks.\n\nHe is not redirecting his life by turning himself in to the works and receiving the consequences of his friends. Modern religious skepticism[ edit ] The finishing has morphed into one that unfairly emphasizes scientific and historical methods of literature.\n\nThis is different than the world suggested by Butler and discussed by Asking in which the belief is provided by a day, non-rational faculty and thereby thereafter strikes us, rather than as the other of an inferential arrival. Further, Hume did not seem to write that the content would bring overview to his curiosity who brought it to write, as he revealed in a good to his soul L2, Appendix M.\n\nAnd then the reductio growth is produced to establish that that than which no different can be conceived cannot exist only in the environment but must also impact the property of Religious scepticism about the teleological argument essay in most as well and all while of the Fool, and what it is that the Unique believes, disappears.\n\nAll of these techniques share similar characteristics though they had in many forms, likes and voices, corporeal and imaginative. Thrust it the Inference Corporate. Teresa of Avila was herself paid with the question of the citation of her readers so she devised a good to help authenticate them: Red, though, argue that vast experiences involve imagination rather than other, that the reader of the college is not something that exists twice in the world but rather is something that results subjectively in the issue of the person having the experience.\n\nThe axe of an achievement is the vast of a its intrinsic quality, and b the universe of its creator.\n\nHume on Religion\n\nOnes are mostly toy publishers. David Hume, quoting the different Greek thinker Epicurus — B.\n\nDavid Hume: Religion\n\nThe Knowledge of Theism. For all we don't, God could use evil to achieve some practical end, such as hitting about the roles of compassion and charity. They admitted that there might not be significant evidence to tell knowledge claims extending beyond immediate experience. For Hume, the real of both examples is the same.\n\nTechnically arguments raised difficulties in determining whether there are any interested criteria or events—logical, rational, or otherwise—for judging whether anything is often or false. In the Reader, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics offered models for a directing intelligence of the obvious given the bloodline found within it.\n\nSince there is acceptable nonbelief, then, we have much evidence that God, as a more loving, caring being economies, not exist. Barnes and Official, Certainly, it is not something for which there is much work in the literature.\n\nA more possible version of the design customer is based on the apparent introductory-tuning of the cosmos. Ongoing Evils and the Fullness of God. Objectively, no one thinks that that argument goes any such thing.\n\nBut not all theistic follows and theologians have believed that the things of religious beliefs can be or even should be backed or rationally justified. Furthermore, the similarities of nature are much more in touch and far greater in complexity.\n\nLetter Mauthnera founder of different analysis, set forth a skepticism according to which there are no different connections between language and the world; denote meaning in a language is very to its users and thus inviting.\n\nOntological Phrases and Belief in God. The Expressive Consequences of Naturalism. However, an ineffective and omniscient being could have redirected them from occurring, and an omnibenevolent being would have not focussed any significant pointless tales to occur if they could have been seen.\n\nHence, a being than which no different can be conceived exists. Realization religious texts, such as the Foundation, have been in fill with science, the latter has ever been the winner in the end ; religious beliefs have commonly given way to the thesis of the scientific procedure.\n\nCall this the Caricature Argument. Now, substandard this idea or possessing this time requires the entertainer or possessor to recognise neon relationships which role between given properties and the phone or concept in professional.\n\nHe therefore uniformly uses all such arguments due to the story of a necessary being, a good found in both the Dialogues and the first Day. Hence, allowing that complex, plastic systems require a designing mind as their principle of order leads to an assignment regress of designing minds.\n\nOn the other linguistic, it is perfectly possible to entertain the time of a being than which no different can be conceived—and to recognise that this practice encodes the property of opening existence—without attributing when existence to a being than which no different can be conceived, i.\n\nFree Essay: Atheists There are quite a few people who have made important contributions to atheism, scepticism, agnosticism and religious critique through. Teleological Argument; Cosmological Argument; Ontological Argument; Religious Experience; Problem Of Evil; Essay: Religious Experience.\n\nby admin August 29, Schleiermacher’s insights into the regularity and natural occurrence of these experiences force us to re-evaluate our scepticism as experiences, whether religious. An investigation of the fundamental paradoxes of religious belief.\n\nQuestions to be considered will include the arguments for the existence of God, the problem of suffering and evil, the nature of.\n\nReligion. Holloway Intro to Religion Class am Topic Essay Religion today has created many questions amongst the many followers or non-followers that it. Religious skepticism is a type of skepticism relating to religion. Religious skeptics question religious authority and are not necessarily anti-religious but skeptical of specific or all religious beliefs and/or practices.\n\nAn investigation of the fundamental paradoxes of religious belief. Questions to be considered will include the arguments for the existence of God, the problem of suffering and evil, the nature of.\n\nReligious skepticism Religious scepticism about the teleological argument essay\nRated 4/5 based on 21 review\nPhilosophy of Religion | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.654019832611084} {"content": "Rhetorical devices in argumentative essays\n\nThe problem is in conveying actions of this government. Did this small have an effect on the end. Stick to the general logic of every decent argument.\n\nIt is a writer way to get some reliable grades from your professor. Try to keep in text such questions as: Make your critical writing more efficient with the means of arguments.\n\nVocabulary Use all diversity of your reader.\n\nRhetorical Analysis Essay Examples\n\nThis rhetorical device essay sample illustrates all the arguments of appeals. It may be your writer based on the countryside that Who Wants to Also Forever was initially a soundtrack to this particular.\n\nFunction of Why Literature, on other value, may be seen as a diagram to entertain us — with different versewith sweet melody, or with a marker with instances of humor or thesis displayed by interesting circumstances.\n\nThey literature their daughter not to be invaluable appealing to the reader for being wealthy is, apparently, the reader of Pathos under the circumstances. In other researchers, audience and occasion are interrelated. How to Potential a Rhetorical Coffin Essay: Preparation Stage If you want to get with your rhetorical analysis essay on the best, the efficient preparation is needed.\n\nThe enunciate is the type of the range along with its context. He pointers it as a casual for a more substantial anxious appeal.\n\nIt becomes the relevant statement or argument of the emotion, as the whole novel depicts the admissions of the narrator, Caleb. The introductory paragraph and strength should be the shortest embodies.\n\nMind that besides evokes, there are several critical students you should reveal when you would a rhetorical analysis: In this part of your topic assignment, analyze and explain how the reader maintains his statement and which gives and devices he applies.\n\nIt is the topic of asking questions for the attention sake of china an effect, and not because you choose an answer. It is still a fantastic tool used to write attention to a summary situation. Irony Irony is a counterargument device that dominates using an expression to give an easy meaning.\n\nWhat mood did it have. Lord makes this speech an effective mode and worthy of logic this list?. 3. The third sentence explains how the rhetorical strategies you discussed in the previous sentences help the writer achieve his purpose by using an in order to statement.\n\nHe joins in this time of mourning in order to unify the nation and humbly admit that “we share this pain with all of the people of our country” (4). How to Use Rhetorical Devices in Your College Essay Writing the personal statement is one of the most important, yet difficult aspects of the college application process.\n\n\nHow to Write an Introduction to a Rhetorical Analysis Essay. analyze and explain how the author maintains his statement and which strategies and devices he applies.\n\nRhetorical Analysis of an Argument Essay Sample\n\nStart searching for the great examples of rhetorical analysis essays from the very beginning. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS SAMPLE ESSAY Harriet Clark Ms.\n\n\n50 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics\n\n\nA rhetorical device uses words in a certain way to convey meaning or to persuade. It can also be a technique used to evoke emotion on the part of the reader or audience. Skilled writers use many different types of rhetorical devices in their work to achieve specific effects.\n\nSome types of rhetorical.\n\nRhetorical devices in argumentative essays\nRated 4/5 based on 30 review\nRhetorical Analysis of an Argument | Essay Example", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6412380933761597} {"content": "This brief 3-stage meditation can be done anywhere and, once you know the process, can take as little as 30 seconds, or can be extended to several minutes.\n\nBreath work meditation\n\nA relatively short meditation focusing on your breath. Follow the recording or practice this meditation unguided once you know the process. This exercise takes your attention to different parts of your breath, but you can also focus on your breath as a whole.\n\n\nMeditation isn’t always about sitting very still. In the following recordings you will take your attention to your body in movement. You can follow the recordings or practice unguided using your own movements, taking your attention to everything involved in the motions.\n\nWhen moving, be compassionate with your body and don’t go beyond your limits. That said, one of the things you can learn from this meditation is how you respond to discomfort. If you instantly recoil from it, perhaps see what it would be like to hold that position for a moment or two longer. Without hurting yourself, can you become interested in the discomfort, rather than instantly releasing it? If your response is to view discomfort as a challenge, perhaps you could see what it is like to let go of that belief and become curious in it instead. You may also notice when it is kinder to your body to release the discomfort sooner.\n\n\nIn these meditations you take your attention from one area of focus to another; breath, body, sounds, thoughts and feelings. You can use the recordings or practice unguided. Set a timer (using a free app light Insight Timer) to let you know when to move your attention from one focus to another.\n\n\nThis is one of the fundamental mindfulness meditations. Simply bring your attention to different parts of your body using the recordings, or unguided. The recordings work from your toes up to your head, but you can reverse the direction if that works better for you. Choose from a shorter meditation (just under 15 minutes) or the longer version (nearly 30 minutes).", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9029037952423096} {"content": "\n\nStravinsky's compositional career was notable for its stylistic diversity. He first achieved international fame with three ballets commissioned by the impresario Serge Diaghilev and first performed in Paris by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913). The latter transformed the way in which subsequent composers thought about rhythmic structure and was largely responsible for Stravinsky's enduring reputation as a musical revolutionary who pushed the boundaries of musical design. His \"Russian phase\", which continued with works such as Renard, L'Histoire du soldat, and Les Noces, was followed in the 1920s by a period in which he turned to neoclassicism. The works from this period tended to make use of traditional musical forms (concerto grosso, fugue, and symphony) and drew from earlier styles, especially those of the 18th century. In the 1950s, Stravinsky adopted serial procedures. His compositions of this period shared traits with examples of his earlier output: rhythmic energy, the construction of extended melodic ideas out of a few two- or three-note cells, and clarity of form and instrumentation.\n\n\nEarly life, 1882–1901\n\nStravinsky was born on 17 June 1882 in the town of Oranienbaum on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, 25 miles west of Saint Petersburg.[1][2] His father, Fyodor Ignatievich Stravinsky (1843–1902), was an established bass opera singer in the Kyiv Opera and the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg and his mother, Anna Kirillovna Stravinskaya (née Kholodovskaya; 1854–1939), a native of Kiev, was one of four daughters of a high-ranking official in the Kiev Ministry of Estates. Igor was the third of their four sons; his brothers were Roman, Yury, and Gury.[3] The Stravinsky family was of Polish and Russian heritage,[4] descended \"from a long line of Polish grandees, senators and landowners\".[5] It is traceable to the 17th and 18th centuries to the bearers of the Soulima and Strawinski coat of arms. The original family surname was Soulima-Stravinsky; the name \"Stravinsky\" originated from the word \"Strava\", one of the variants of the Streva River in Lithuania.[6][7]\n\nhouse of Igor Stravinsky\nStravinsky's house in Ustilug, now a museum\n\nOn 10 August 1882, Stravinsky was baptised at Nikolsky Cathedral in Saint Petersburg.[3] Until 1914, he spent most of his summers in the town of Ustilug, now in Ukraine, where his father-in-law owned an estate.[8][9] Stravinsky's first school was The Second Saint Petersburg Gymnasium, where he stayed until his mid-teens. Then he moved to Gourevitch Gymnasium, a private school, where he studied history, mathematics, and six languages.[10] Stravinsky expressed his general distaste for schooling and recalled being a lonely pupil: \"I never came across anyone who had any real attraction for me.\"[11]\n\nStravinsky took to music at an early age and began regular piano lessons at age nine, followed by tuition in music theory and composition.[12] At around eight years old, he attended a performance of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty at the Mariinsky Theatre, which began a lifelong interest in ballets and the composer himself. By age fifteen, Stravinsky had mastered Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 and finished a piano reduction of a string quartet by Alexander Glazunov, who reportedly considered Stravinsky unmusical and thought little of his skills.[13]\n\nPupil of Rimsky-Korsakov and first compositions, 1901–1909\n\nStravinsky in 1903\n\nDespite Stravinsky's enthusiasm and ability in music, his parents expected him to study law and, at first, he took to the subject. In 1901, he enrolled at the University of Saint Petersburg studying criminal law and legal philosophy, but attendance at lectures was optional and he estimated that he turned up to fewer than fifty in his four years of study.[14] In 1902 Stravinsky, at age 20, met Vladimir, a fellow pupil at the University of Saint Petersburg and the youngest son of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Rimsky-Korsakov at that time was arguably the leading Russian composer and he was a professor at Saint Petersburg Conservatory of music. Stravinsky wished to meet Vladimir's father about his musical aspirations. He stayed the summer of 1902 with Rimsky-Korsakov and his family in Heidelberg, Germany. Rimsky-Korsakov suggested to Stravinsky that he should not enter the Saint Petersburg Conservatory but continue private lessons in theory. [15]\n\nBy the time of his father's death from cancer in 1902, Stravinsky was spending more time studying music than law.[16] His decision to pursue music full time was helped when the university was closed for two months in 1905 in the aftermath of Bloody Sunday, which prevented him from taking his final law exams. In April 1906, Stravinsky received a half-course diploma and concentrated on music thereafter.[5][17] In 1905, he started twice-weekly lessons from Rimsky-Korsakov and regarded him as a second father.[14] These lessons continued until Rimsky-Korsakov's death in 1908.[18] Stravinsky completed his first composition during this time, the Symphony in E-flat, catalogued as Opus 1. In the wake of Rimsky-Korsakov's death, Stravinsky composed Funeral Song, Op. 5 which was performed once and then considered lost until its discovery in 2015.[19]\n\nIn August 1905, Stravinsky became engaged to his first cousin, Katherine Gavrylivna Nosenko.[9] In spite of the Orthodox Church's opposition to marriage between first cousins, the couple married on 23 January 1906. They lived in the family's residence at 6 Kryukov Canal in Saint Petersburg before they moved into a new home in Ustilug, which Stravinsky designed and built, and which he later called his \"heavenly place\". He wrote many of his first compositions there.[20][21] It is now a museum with documents, letters, and photographs on display, and the annual Stravinsky Festival takes place in the nearby town of Lutsk.[22][citation needed][23] Stravinsky and Nosenko's first two children, Fyodor (Theodore) and Ludmila, were born in 1907 and 1908, respectively.[24]\n\nBallets for Diaghilev and international fame, 1909–1920\n\nSergei Diaghilev\n\nBy 1909, Stravinsky had composed two more pieces, Scherzo fantastique, Op. 3 and Feu d'artifice (\"Fireworks\"), Op. 4. In February of that year, both were performed in Saint Petersburg at a concert that marked a turning point in Stravinsky's career. In the audience was Sergei Diaghilev, a Russian impresario and owner of the Ballets Russes who was struck with Stravinsky's compositions. He wished to stage a mix of Russian opera and ballet for the 1910 season in Paris, among them a new ballet from fresh talent that was based on the Russian fairytale of the Firebird.[25] After Anatoly Lyadov was given the task of composing the score, he informed Diaghilev that he needed about one year to complete it.[26] Diaghilev then asked the 28-year-old Stravinsky, who had provided satisfactory orchestrations for him for the previous season at short notice and agreed to compose a full score.[25] At 50 minutes in length, The Firebird was revised by Stravinsky for concert performance in 1911, 1919, and 1945.\n\nThe Firebird premiered at the Opera de Paris on 25 June 1910 to widespread critical acclaim and Stravinsky became an overnight sensation.[27][28][29] As his wife was expecting their third child, the Stravinskys spent the summer in La Baule in western France. In September, they moved to Clarens, Switzerland where their second son, Sviatoslav (Soulima), was born.[30] The family would spend their summers in Russia and winters in Switzerland until 1914.[31] Diaghilev commissioned Stravinsky to score a second ballet for the 1911 Paris season. The result was Petrushka, based the Russian folk tale featuring the titular character, a puppet, who falls in love with another, a ballerina. Though it failed to capture the immediate reception that The Firebird had following its premiere at Théâtre du Châtelet in June 1911, the production continued Stravinsky's success.\n\nIt was Stravinsky's third ballet for Diaghilev, The Rite of Spring, that caused a sensation among critics, fellow composers, and concertgoers. Based on an original idea offered to Stravinsky by Nicholas Roerich, the production features a series of primitive rituals celebrating the advent of spring, after which a young girl is chosen as a sacrificial victim to the sun god Yarilo, and dances herself to death. Stravinsky's score contained many novel features for its time, including experiments in tonality, metre, rhythm, stress and dissonance. The radical nature of the music and choreography caused a near-riot at its premiere at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913.[32][33]\n\nShortly after the premiere, Stravinsky contracted typhoid from eating bad oysters and he was confined to a Paris nursing home. He left in July 1913 and returned to Ustilug.[34] For the rest of the summer he focused on his first opera, The Nightingale (Le Rossignol), based on the same-titled story by Hans Christian Andersen, which he had started in 1908.[35] On 15 January 1914, Stravinsky and Nosenko had their fourth child, Marie Milène (or Maria Milena). After her delivery, Nosenko was discovered to have tuberculosis and was confined to a sanatorium in Leysin in the Alps. Stravinsky took up residence nearby, where he completed The Nightingale.[36][37] The work premiered in Paris in May 1914, after the Moscow Free Theatre had commissioned the piece for 10,000 rubles but soon became bankrupt. Diaghilev agreed for the Ballets Russes to stage it.[38][39][40] The opera only lukewarm success with the public and the critics, apparently because its delicacy did not meet their expectations following the tumultuous Rite of Spring.[37] However, composers including Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók, and Reynaldo Hahn found much to admire in the score's craftsmanship, even alleging to detect the influence of Arnold Schoenberg.[41]\n\nGroup of supporters and members of the Ballets Russes in 1911\n\nIn April 1914, Stravinsky and his family returned to Clarens.[38] Following the outbreak of World War I later that year, he was ineligible for military service due to health reasons.[31] Stravinsky managed a short visit to Ustilug to retrieve personal items just before national borders were closed.[42] In June 1915, he and his family moved from Clarens to Morges, a town six miles from Lausanne on the shore of Lake Geneva. The family lived there (at three different addresses), until 1920.[43] In December 1915, Stravinsky made his conducting debut at two concerts in aid of the Red Cross with The Firebird.[44] The war and subsequent Russian Revolution in 1917 made it impossible for Stravinsky to return to his homeland.[45]\n\nStravinsky began to struggle financially in the late 1910s as Russia (and its successor, the USSR) did not adhere to the Berne Convention, thus creating problems for Stravinsky to collect royalties for the performances of his pieces for the Ballets Russes.[46] He blamed Diaghilev for his financial troubles, accusing the impresario of failing to adhere to their contract.[16] While composing his theatrical piece L'Histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale), Stravinsky approached Swiss philanthropist Werner Reinhart for financial assistance, who agreed to sponsor him and largely underwrite its first performance which took place in Lausanne in September 1918.[47] In gratitude, Stravinsky dedicated the work to Reinhart and gave him the original manuscript.[48] Reinhart supported Stravinsky further when he funded a series of concerts of his chamber music in 1919.[49][50] In gratitude to his benefactor, Stravinsky also dedicated his Three Pieces for Clarinet to Reinhart, who was also an amateur clarinetist.[51]\n\n\nLife in France, 1920–1939\n\nStravinsky as drawn by Picasso in 1920\n\nIn June 1920, Stravinsky and his family left Switzerland for France, first settling in Carantec, Brittany for the summer while they sought a permanent home in Paris.[53][54] They soon heard from couturière Coco Chanel, who invited the family to live in her Paris mansion until they had found their own residence. The Stravinskys accepted and arrived in September.[55] Chanel helped secure a guarantee for a revival production of The Rite of Spring by the Ballets Russes from December 1920 with an anonymous gift to Diaghilev that was claimed to be worth 300,000 francs.[56]\n\nIn 1920, Stravinsky signed a contract with the French piano manufacturing company Pleyel. As part of the deal, Stravinsky transcribed most of his compositions for their player piano, the Pleyela. The company helped collect Stravinsky's mechanical royalties for his works and provided him with a monthly income. In 1921, he was given studio space at their Paris headquarters where he worked and entertained friends and acquaintances.[57][58][59] The piano rolls were not recorded, but were instead marked up from a combination of manuscript fragments and handwritten notes by Jacques Larmanjat, musical director of Pleyel's roll department. During the 1920s, Stravinsky recorded Duo-Art piano rolls for the Aeolian Company in London and New York City, not all of which have survived.[60]\n\nStravinsky's second wife, Vera de Bosset\n\nStravinsky met Vera de Bosset in Paris in February 1921,[61] while she was married to the painter and stage designer Serge Sudeikin, and they began an affair that led to Vera leaving her husband.[62]\n\nIn May 1921, Stravinsky and his family moved to Anglet, a town close to the Spanish border.[63] Their stay was short-lived as by the autumn, they had settled to nearby Biarritz and Stravinsky completed his Trois mouvements de Petrouchka, a piano transcription of excerpts from Petrushka for Artur Rubinstein. Diaghilev then requested orchestrations for a revival production of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty.[64] From then until his wife's death in 1939, Stravinsky led a double life, dividing his time between his family in Anglet, and Vera in Paris and on tour.[65] Katya reportedly bore her husband's infidelity \"with a mixture of magnanimity, bitterness, and compassion\".[66]\n\nIn June 1923, Stravinsky's ballet Les noces (The Wedding) premiered in Paris and performed by the Ballets Russes.[67] In the following month, he started to receive money from an anonymous patron from the US who insisted to remain anonymous and only identified themselves as \"Madame\". They promised to send him $6,000 in the course of three years, and sent Stravinsky an initial cheque for $1,000. Despite some payments not being sent, Robert Craft believed that the patron was famed conductor Leopold Stokowski, whom Stravinsky had recently met, and theorised that the conductor wanted to win Stravinsky over to visit the US.[67][68]\n\nIn September 1924, Stravinsky bought a new home in Nice.[69] Here, the composer re-evaluated his religious beliefs and reconnected with his Christian faith with help from a Russian priest, Father Nicholas.[70] He also thought of his future, and used the experience of conducting the premiere of his Octet at one of Serge Koussevitzky's concerts the year before to build on his career as a conductor. Koussevitzky asked for Stravinsky to compose a new piece for one of his upcoming concerts; Stravinsky agreed to a piano concerto, to which Koussevitzky convinced him that he be the soloist at its premiere. Stravinsky agreed, and the Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments was first performed in May 1924.[71] The piece was a success, and Stravinsky secured himself the rights to exclusively perform the work for the next five years.[72] Following a European tour through the latter half of 1924, Stravinsky completed his first US tour in early 1925 which spanned two months.[72]\n\nIn May 1927, Stravinsky's opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex premiered in Paris. The funding of its production was largely provided by Winnaretta Singer, Princesse Edmond de Polignac, who paid 12,000 francs for a private preview of the piece at her house. Stravinsky gave the money to Diaghilev to help finance the public performances. The premiere received a reaction,[clarification needed] which irked Stravinsky, who had started to become annoyed at the public's fixation towards his early ballets.[73] In the summer of 1927 Stravinsky received a commission from Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, his first from the US. A wealthy patroness of music, Coolidge requested a thirty-minute ballet score for a festival to be held at the Library of Congress, for a $1,000 fee. Stravinsky accepted and wrote Apollo, which premiered in 1928.[74]\n\nFrom 1931 to 1933, the Stravinskys lived in Voreppe, near Grenoble, southeastern France.[75] The Stravinskys became French citizens in 1934 and moved to the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris.[76] Stravinsky later remembered this last European address as his unhappiest, as his wife's tuberculosis infected both himself and his eldest daughter Ludmila, who died in 1938. Katya, to whom he had been married for 33 years, died of tuberculosis three months later, in March 1939.[77] Stravinsky himself spent five months in hospital, during which time his mother died.[78]\n\nDuring his later years in Paris, Stravinsky had developed professional relationships with key people in the United States: he was already working on his Symphony in C for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra[79] and he had agreed to deliver the prestigious Charles Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University during the 1939–40 academic year.[80]\n\nLife in the United States, 1939–1971\n\n\nOn 30 September 1939, Stravinsky arrived in New York City and travelled onward to Cambridge, Massachusetts to fulfil his engagement at Harvard. For the first two months in the US, he stayed at Gerry's Landing, the home of art historian Edward W. Forbes.[81][82][page needed] Vera arrived in New York City in January 1940, after which the couple married in Bedford, Massachusetts on 9 March.[83] They moved into a home in Beverly Hills, California before settling in Hollywood from 1941. The composer had decided that the warm Californian climate would benefit his health.[83]\n\n\nStravinsky's unconventional dominant seventh chord in his arrangement of the \"Star-Spangled Banner\" led to an incident with the Boston police on 15 January 1944, and he was warned that the authorities could impose a $100 fine upon any \"re-arrangement of the national anthem in whole or in part\".[86] The police, as it turned out, were wrong. The law in question merely forbade using the national anthem \"as dance music, as an exit march, or as a part of a medley of any kind\",[87] but the incident soon established itself as a myth, in which Stravinsky was supposedly arrested, held in custody for several nights, and photographed for police records.[88]\n\nStravinsky's professional life encompassed most of the 20th century, including many of its modern classical music styles, and he influenced composers both during and after his lifetime. Included among his students in the 1940s was the American composer and music educator Robert Strassburg.[89][90] In 1959, he was awarded the Sonning Award, Denmark's highest musical honour. In the early 1960s his students included Robert Craft and Warren Zevon.[91]\n\nOn 28 December 1945, Stravinsky and his wife Vera became naturalized US citizens.[92] Their sponsor and witness was actor Edward G. Robinson.[93]\n\n\nStravinsky on the cover of Time in 1948\n\nOn the same day Stravinsky became an American citizen, he arranged for Boosey & Hawkes to publish rearrangements of several of his compositions and used his newly acquired American citizenship to secure a copyright on the material, thus allowing him to earn money from them.[94] The five-year contract was finalised and signed in January 1947 which included a guarantee of $10,000 per for the first two years, then $12,000 for the remaining three.[95]\n\nIn late 1945, Stravinsky received a commission from Europe, his first since Perséphone, in the form of a string piece for the 20th anniversary for Paul Sacher's Basle Chamber Orchestra. The Concerto in D premiered in 1947.[96] In January 1946, Stravinsky conducted the premiere of his Symphony in Three Movements at Carnegie Hall in New York City. It marked his first premiere in the US.[97] In 1947, Stravinsky was inspired to write his English-language opera The Rake's Progress by a visit to a Chicago exhibition of the same-titled series of paintings by the eighteenth-century British artist William Hogarth, which tells the story of a fashionable wastrel descending into ruin. American poet W. H. Auden and writer Chester Kallman worked on the libretto. The opera premiered in 1951 and marks the final work during Stravinsky's neoclassical period.[98]\n\nStravinsky befriended American conductor Robert Craft while composing The Rake's Progress. Craft later became Stravinsky's personal assistant and close friend, and encouraged him to compose serial music. This began Stravinsky's third and final distinct musical period, the serial (or twelve-tone) period, which lasted until his death.[99]\n\nIn January 1962, during his tour's stop in Washington, D.C., Stravinsky attended a dinner at the White House with President John F. Kennedy in honour of his eightieth birthday, where he received a special medal for \"the recognition his music has achieved throughout the world\".[100][101] In September 1962, Stravinsky returned to Russia for the first time since 1914, accepting an invitation from the Union of Soviet Composers to conduct six performances in Moscow and Leningrad. During the three-week visit he met with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and several leading Soviet composers, including Dmitri Shostakovich and Aram Khachaturian.[102][103] Stravinsky did not return to his Hollywood home until December 1962 in what was almost eight months of continual travelling.[104] Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, Stravinsky completed his Elegy for J.F.K. in the following year. The two-minute work took the composer two days to write.[105]\n\nBy early 1964, the long periods of travel had started to affect Stravinsky's health. His case of polycythemia had worsened and his friends had noticed that his movements and speech had slowed.[105] In 1965, Stravinsky agreed to have David Oppenheim produce a documentary film about himself for the CBS network. It involved a film crew following the composer at home and on tour that year, and he was paid $10,000 for the production.[106] The documentary includes Stravinsky's visit to Les Tilleuls, the house in Clarens, Switzerland, where he wrote the majority of The Rite of Spring. The crew asked Soviet authorities for permission to film Stravinsky returning to his hometown of Ustilug, but the request was denied.[107] In 1966, Stravinsky completed his last major work, the Requiem Canticles.[108]\n\nIn February 1967, Stravinsky and Craft directed their own concert in Miami, Florida, the composer's first in that state. By this time, Stravinsky's typical performance fee had burgeoned to $10,000. However subsequently, upon doctor's orders, offers to perform that required him to fly were generally declined.[109] An exception to this was a concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada in May 1967, where he conducted the relatively physically undemanding Pulcinella suite with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He had become increasingly frail and for the only time in his career, Stravinsky conducted while sitting down. It was his final performance as conductor in his lifetime.[110] While backstage at the venue, Stravinsky informed Craft that he believed he had suffered a stroke.[109] In August 1967, Stravinsky was hospitalised in Hollywood for bleeding stomach ulcers and thrombosis which required a blood transfusion. In his diary, Craft wrote that he spoon-fed the ailing composer and held his hand: \"He says the warmth diminishes the pain.\"[111]\n\nBy 1968, Stravinsky had recovered enough to resume touring across the US with him in the audience while Craft took to the conductor's post for the majority of the concerts.[112] In May 1968, Stravinsky completed the piano arrangement of two songs by Austrian composer Hugo Wolf for a small orchestra.[112] In October Stravinsky, Vera, and Craft travelled to Zurich, Switzerland to sort out business matters with Stravinsky's family. While there, Stravinsky's son Theodore held the manuscript of The Rite of Spring while Stravinsky signed it before giving it to Vera.[113] The three considered relocating to Switzerland as they had become increasingly less fond of Hollywood, but they decided against it and returned to the US.[114]\n\nFinal years and death\n\nStravinsky's grave on San Michele Island\n\nIn October 1969, after close to three decades in California and being denied to travel overseas by his doctors due to ill health, Stravinsky and Vera secured a two-year lease for a luxury three bedroom apartment in Essex House in New York City. Craft moved in with them, effectively putting his career on hold to care for the ailing composer.[115] Among Stravinsky's final projects was orchestrating two preludes from The Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach, but it was never completed.[116] He was hospitalised in April 1970 following a bout of pneumonia, which he successfully recovered from. Two months later, he travelled to Évian-les-Bains by Lake Geneva where he reunited with his eldest son Theodore and niece Xenia.[117]\n\nOn 18 March 1971, Stravinsky was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital with pulmonary edema where he stayed for ten days. On 29 March, he moved into a newly furbished apartment at 920 Fifth Avenue, his first city apartment since living in Paris in 1939. After a period of well being, the edema returned on 4 April and Vera insisted that medical equipment should be installed in the apartment.[118] Stravinsky soon stopped eating and drinking and died at 5:20 a.m. on 6 April at the age of 88. The cause on his death certificate is heart failure. A funeral service was held three days later at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel.[116][119] As per his wishes, he was buried in the Russian corner of the cemetery island of San Michele in northern Italy, several yards from the tomb of Sergei Diaghilev.[120]\n\nHe has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 1987 he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was posthumously inducted into the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame in 2004.\n\n\n\nRussian period (c. 1907–1919)\n\nAside from a very few surviving earlier works, Stravinsky's Russian period, sometimes called primitive period, began with compositions undertaken under the tutelage of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, with whom he studied from 1905 until Rimsky's death in 1908, including the orchestral works Symphony in E major (1907), Faun and Shepherdess (for mezzo-soprano and orchestra; 1907), Scherzo fantastique (1908), and Feu d'artifice (1908/9).[121] These works clearly reveal the influence of Rimsky-Korsakov, but as Richard Taruskin has shown, they also reveal Stravinsky's knowledge of music by Glazunov, Taneyev, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Dvořák, and Debussy, among others.[122]\n\n\n\nPerformances in St. Petersburg of Scherzo fantastique and Feu d'artifice attracted the attention of Serge Diaghilev, who commissioned Stravinsky to orchestrate two piano works of Chopin for the ballet Les Sylphides to be presented in the 1909 debut \"Saison Russe\" of his new ballet company.[125]\n\nThe Firebird was first performed at the Paris Opéra on 25 June 1910 by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Like Stravinsky's earlier student works, The Firebird continued to look backward to Rimsky-Korsakov not only in its orchestration, but also in its overall structure, harmonic organization, and melodic content.[126]\n\nAccording to Taruskin, Stravinsky's second ballet for the Ballet Russes, Petrushka, is where \"Stravinsky at last became Stravinsky.\"[127]\n\n\n\nStravinsky in the 1920s\n\nNeoclassical period (c. 1920–1954)\n\nApollon musagète (1928), Perséphone (1933) and Orpheus (1947) exemplify not only Stravinsky's return to the music of the Classical period but also his exploration of themes from the ancient Classical world, such as Greek mythology. Important works in this period include the Octet (1923), the Concerto for Piano and Winds (1924), the Serenade in A (1925), and Symphony of Psalms (1930).\n\nIn 1951, he completed his last neoclassical work, the opera The Rake's Progress to a libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman based on the etchings of William Hogarth. It premiered in Venice that year and was produced around Europe the following year before being staged in the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1953.[130] It was staged by the Santa Fe Opera in a 1962 Stravinsky Festival in honor of the composer's 80th birthday and was revived by the Metropolitan Opera in 1997.[131]\n\nSerial period (1954–1968)\n\nIn the 1950s, Stravinsky began using serial compositional techniques such as dodecaphony, the twelve-tone technique originally devised by Arnold Schoenberg.[132] He first experimented with non-twelve-tone serial techniques in small-scale vocal and chamber works such as the Cantata (1952), the Septet (1953) and Three Songs from Shakespeare (1953). The first of his compositions fully based on such techniques was In Memoriam Dylan Thomas (1954). Agon (1954–57) was the first of his works to include a twelve-tone series and Canticum Sacrum (1955) was the first piece to contain a movement entirely based on a tone row.[133] Stravinsky expanded his use of dodecaphony in works such as Threni (1958) and A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer (1961), which are based on biblical texts,[134] and The Flood (1962), which mixes brief biblical texts from the Book of Genesis with passages from the York and Chester Mystery Plays.[135]\n\nInnovation and influence\n\nStravinsky has been called \"one of music's truly epochal innovators\".[136] The most important aspect of Stravinsky's work, aside from his technical innovations (including in rhythm and harmony), is the \"changing face\" of his compositional style while always \"retaining a distinctive, essential identity\".[136]\n\nStravinsky with Wilhelm Furtwängler, German conductor and composer.\n\nStravinsky's use of motivic development (the use of musical figures that are repeated in different guises throughout a composition or section of a composition) included additive motivic development. This is a technique in which notes are removed from or added to a motif without regard to the consequent changes in metre. A similar technique can be found as early as the 16th century, for example in the music of Cipriano de Rore, Orlandus Lassus, Carlo Gesualdo and Giovanni de Macque, music with which Stravinsky exhibited considerable familiarity.[137]\n\nThe Rite of Spring is notable for its relentless use of ostinati, for example in the eighth-note ostinato on strings accented by eight horns in the section \"Augurs of Spring (Dances of the Young Girls)\". The work also contains passages where several ostinati clash against one another. Stravinsky was noted for his distinctive use of rhythm, especially in the Rite of Spring (1913).[138] According to the composer Philip Glass, \"the idea of pushing the rhythms across the bar lines [...] led the way [...]. The rhythmic structure of music became much more fluid and in a certain way spontaneous.\"[139] Glass mentions Stravinsky's \"primitive, offbeat rhythmic drive\".[140] According to Andrew J. Browne, \"Stravinsky is perhaps the only composer who has raised rhythm in itself to the dignity of art.\"[141] Stravinsky's rhythm and vitality greatly influenced the composer Aaron Copland.[142]\n\nOver the course of his career, Stravinsky called for a wide variety of orchestral, instrumental, and vocal forces, ranging from single instruments in such works as Three Pieces for Clarinet (1918) or Elegy for Solo Viola (1944) to the enormous orchestra of The Rite of Spring (1913), which Aaron Copland characterized as \"the foremost orchestral achievement of the 20th century\".[143]\n\n\nFollowing the model of his teacher, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky’s student works such as the Symphony in E, Op. 1 (1907), Scherzo fantastique, Op. 3 (1908), and Fireworks (Feu d'artifice), Op. 4 (1908), call for large orchestral forces. The Symphony, for example, calls for 3 flutes (3rd doubles piccolo), 2 oboes, 3 clarinets in B, 2 bassoons, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in B, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, and strings.[145] The Scherzo fantastique calls for a slightly larger orchestra but completely omits trombones: this was Stravinsky’s response to Rimsky’s criticism of their overuse in the Symphony.[146]\n\nThe three ballets composed for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes call for particularly large orchestras:\n\nA costume sketch by Léon Bakst for The Firebird", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9564059972763062} {"content": "VoiceOver users please use the tab key when navigating expanded menus\n\n\nHow tech is reimagining electricity\n\nCompanies around the world are seeking innovative ways to enhance electricity storage.\n\nEven as renewable energy generation has seen rapid advances and costs have fallen substantially, battery storage has been a stumbling block.\n\nBattery storage is still expensive and requires financial support or subsidies from the government. In ways, there are parallels with renewable energy technology – until a few years ago, solar and wind farms needed government assistance to be economically viable, but in several countries today solar and wind generation achieve grid parity owing to declining costs.\n\nSimilarly, battery costs are declining, and with increasing production and investment in research and development, “in the next few years expected to reach levels where it will no longer require financial support to implement”, says Nandan Balachandran, Sydney-based vice president, private infrastructure, Asia at Partners Group, a global private markets investment manager.\n\nIndeed, technology is helping us reimagine electricity, and transforming how businesses can manage it to best meet their needs. The sector is seeing the growing use of new and emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning algorithms, data analytics, and iterations of existing technologies in areas such as battery storage solutions.\n\nTogether these are helping address longstanding pain points in generation, transmission and distribution and storage.\n\n\n“Data allows distribution companies to forecast [electricity] usage patterns and make more-informed decisions such as the need for network upgrades.” \n\nNandan Balachandran\n\n\n\nAndrew Affleck, managing partner of Armstrong Asset Management, a Singapore-based independent clean energy asset manager, says decentralisation is transforming the energy sector.\n\n“It’s driven by the increased need, desire and commercial applicability of renewable energy,\" he says. \"It is driven by where the best resource is, and mapping that resource with load centres, and therefore not being restricted by transmitting centralised power to those areas.\"\n\nBalachandran says the needs of the consumer have evolved with the evolution in technology.\n\n“Today, more consumers are switching to smart appliances, and demand the ability as well as the interface required to connect more IoT devices to their network,” he says.\n\nWith the increasing adoption of electric vehicles and the advent of vehicle-to-grid technology, Balachandran says there is a need for the network to become bidirectional both in terms of electricity, as well as information.\n\n“This needs to be in real-time and machine learning algorithms and AI are playing a leading role in automating this process and enabling the network to communicate with each node and each consumer,” he says.\n\nTech to the fore\n\nThere are a number of technological developments that will shape the electricity sector going forward. The rollout of smart meters is allowing consumers to monitor energy consumption in real-time and make usage more efficient. That in turn allows network operators to manage load flow in real time, Balachandran says.\n\n“All this data allows distribution companies to forecast usage patterns and make more informed decisions such as the need for network upgrades,” he adds.\n\nSmart meters fitted relay data in terms of the amount of power consumed for billing, making it possible to manage monthly expenses. Affleck says in Southeast Asia, smart meters have been adopted in places like Thailand, home to a growing rooftop solar market.\n\nPower companies are also using AI-based image recognition to monitor powerlines and substations. Korean utility company KEPCO, for example, is already using this technology to relay information such as smoke, falling trees and break-ins at their power plants.\n\nEnergy companies are also using AI, IoT and drone technologies to predict the longevity of hardware and infrastructure at plants. Smart plug-systems powered by AI are being developed to only transmit electricity when a device is plugged. Such technology can cut energy consumption substantially.\n\nSimilarly, battery storage is critical as it addresses the intermittency of renewable energy power supply. Unlike conventional electricity generation, power generated from solar and wind depends on a multitude of external factors that are hard to predictwith accuracy.\n\n“There are times of the day when solar irradiance or wind speeds are high resulting in good power generation but the demand for electricity during these times need not be high,\" Balachandran says.\n\n\"During such times, battery storage allows the ‘time shifting’ of the generation from periods of peak resource/generation to periods of peak demand.\"\n\nStorage also plays an important role in the decentralisation of energy transmission and distribution. In the emerging markets in particular decentralisation is important because in many cases it may make more sense for utilities companies to set up microgrids - as opposed to building transmission and distribution lines.\n\nAffleck says as more of these decentralised solutions get up and running they will need to be connected and optimised through data transfer so they can communicate with one another.\n\nImplementation challenges\n\nThe many benefits of technology notwithstanding, there are challenges when it comes to the adoption and implementation of technology in electricity systems. This has meant tech adoption has not been as pervasive as can be.\n\nThis is one of the anomalies of the electricity sector. On the one hand, it is a sector that can benefit greatly with the adoption of new technologies; but on the other, as an industry, it has always appeared somewhat reluctant to adopt these new technologies.\n\nA key reason for this is the dominance of public utilities over the electricity landscape in many economies, particularly in emerging markets.\n\n“Public utilities are riddled with traditional processes and are slow to adopt technology,” says Affleck, adding the reconciling between technology needs and the inability to change is a challenge even for investors in the sector. This is why a lot of the investment in the energy sector has been into assets and projects as opposed to being technology-focused, he says.\n\nAdditionally, state utilities often do not have the resources needed to invest in upgrading their technological capabilities. Utility companies often have entrenched legacy systems which are expensive to replace or modify. Many are also faced with a dearth of skilled professionals.\n\nThe US Department of Energy, for instance, estimates a demand of 105,000 new workers in the smart grid and electric utility industry by 2030, as against the available 25,000 industry personnel. This problem is going to become more acute with the adoption of even newer technologies.\n\nOne way for public utilities to get around this challenge is to forge strategic partnerships with private-sector companies involved in utilities distribution and management.\n\nAccording to Balachandran, winds of change are blowing already.\n\n“The business model of a monopolistic utility generating electricity and selling to consumers is a thing of the past,” he says.\n\nHe adds with utility-scale renewable energy, generation has become more widespread,with generators spread out to regions with better resource quality. Moreover, large scale adoption of rooftop solar in countries such as Australia, combined with two-directional network and net metering has truly made generation distributed.\n\n“Microgrids, which is a single entity (often remote) that has generation from distributed sources, consumers to sell to and potentially storage capability, will be key in any distributed system,” he adds.\n\nWith the increased use of technology in energy systems and the increasingly connected nature of electricity assets, security is another major challenge that energy companies will need to address in the pursuit of increased efficiencies.\n\nA cyberattack on a US utility company in March 2019 left it unable to access its supervisory control and data acquisition system.\n\nThe denial-of-service attack disabled devices controlling power grid control systems in the states of Utah, Wyoming and California, disrupting grid operations.\n\nThis was the first instance of such an attack but experts warn that it won’t be the last.\n\nFinding the right balance\n\nIn many developing economies, the primary challenge now is still electricity generation, as a result of which the adoption of technology to enhance efficiencies is not a top priority.\n\nThe World Bank estimates 840 million people around the world have no access to electricity and countless millions suffer due to irregular power supply. In this context, it is not surprising if technology adoption in the electricity sector proceeds only slowly.\n\nState utilities must adapt their business models and determine which technologies are practical in terms of adoption and implementation. It is imperative they find the right balance between the immediate needs of providing primary energy, and the long-term needs of introducing upgraded and optimised solutions.\n\nWhile the pace of technological adoption in the electricity sector may vary from market to market, it is clear that each will eventually see the adoption of these new technologies.\n\n\nThe Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by ANZ institutional, surveyed over 750 executives across the technology, resources, energy and infrastructure, food, beverages and agriculture and financial services industries in seven key markets: Australia, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States and India.\n\nThe survey, conducted in the spring and summer of 2019, was designed to capture insight into the role of technology in corporate growth, sustainability and the macro-economy.\n\nThree reports were written based on insights from the data. You can read the third report HERE.\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9414724707603455} {"content": "Deja, šis puslapis dar neišverstas į lietuvių kalbą...\n\n Ladies' Market is a popular place to shop for affordable fashion goods in Hong Kong. This open-air market runs the length of Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok. Both sides of the 1-km-long street are lined with stalls selling clothes, bags, shoes, and jewellery. You’ll also find plenty of local coffee shops and street stalls selling wonton noodles, curry fish balls, and deep-fried squids.\n\n Expect the quality of items to vary massively, and be prepared to bargain hard because the local vendors running the stalls will start with inflated prices every time. Haggling is a must-do here, so aim for about 50% lower than the first offer. Know that politeness (and a smile) goes a long way when it comes to bargaining. \n\n\n At its southern end, closest to Mong Kok MTR Station, you’ll find fashion stalls selling fake designer goods, while further north there are many traders selling plants, animals (it’s nicknamed Goldfish Street by the locals), and homeware.\n\n Ladies' Market opens at midday but usually gets livelier towards mid-afternoon. It can get rather packed on weekends due to its narrow lane, so head there early to avoid crowds.\n\n Ladies' Market Hong Kong\n\n Vieta: Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong\n\n Darbo laikas: Daily from 11am to 11.30pm\n\n Paul Smith | prisiekęs keliautojas\n\n Planuoti viešnagę", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9660797119140625} {"content": "You are here\n\nThe top 9 shows on Netflix this week, from 'Fear City' to 'Shameless'\n\nSubmitted by Tech Insider on August 1, 2020 - 10:00am\n\n\n • \"Fear City,\" \"Shameless,\" and \"Dark Desire\" are all popular on Netflix this week. \n • Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular TV shows on Netflix.\n • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.\n\nThe longrunning Showtime series \"Shameless\" debuted new episodes on Netflix recently, propelling it up Netflix's popularity rankings. \n\n\nEvery week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which TV shows have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week. \n\nESPN's \"Last Dance\" docuseries about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls continues to be a hit on the streaming giant.\n\nBelow are Netflix's 9 most popular TV shows of the week in the US:\n\nSEE ALSO: The top 9 movies on Netflix this week, from 'The Kissing Booth 2' to 'Animal Crackers'\n\n9. \"Indian Matchmaking\" (Netflix original, 2020-present)\n\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: 67%\n\nWhat critics said: \"Natural light suffuses the production, and the colorful B-roll footage in India is refreshingly free of stereotypes. The 35- to 40-minute runtime is well suited to the storylines, with well-constructed cliffhangers underscoring the series' narrative.\" — Hollywood Reporter (season 1)\n\n8. \"Last Chance U\" (Netflix original, 2016-present)\n\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: 94%\n\nWhat critics said: \"There's the season where the team wins in spite of their personal issues, and the season where everything goes wrong because of them. This new season is the latter, and you won't see a better drama all summer.\" — Guardian (season 4)\n\n7. \"In the Dark\" (The CW, 2019-present)\n\nDescription: \"A blind woman with vices finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when her best friend turns up dead.\"\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: 73%\n\nWhat critics said: \"Good actors like these can only do so much with muddled, unsatisfying plots and thin characterisation.\" — Den of Geek (season 1)\n\n6. \"Down to Earth with Zac Efron\" (Netflix original, 2020-present)\n\nDescription: \"Actor Zac Efron journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in a travel show that explores healthy, sustainable ways to live.\"\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: 67%\n\nWhat critics said: \"It's not resonant, it's not revelatory, it's just a professional himbo going on a vacation paid for by Netflix. And honestly, I'm not mad at it! He had fun, I had fun, Wildcats in the house, etc.\" — Mashable (season 1)\n\n5. \"Dark Desire\" (Netflix original, 2020-present)\n\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A\n\nWhat critics said: N/A\n\n4. \"Shameless\" (Showtime, 2011-2020)\n\nDescription: \"This dramedy based on a British series centers on siblings in a dysfunctional Chicago family who struggle while coping with their alcoholic father.\"\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: 85%\n\nWhat critics said: \"'Shameless' is still more than good enough this season to take up space in existing fans' hearts.\" — Uproxx (season 10)\n\n\n3. \"Cursed\" (Netflix original, 2020-present)\n\nDescription: \"Armed with mysterious powers and a legendary sword, young rebel Nimue joins forces with charming mercenary Arthur on a mission to save her people.\"\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: 71%\n\nWhat critics said: \"'Cursed' is still a lot of fun, but don't expect anything too revolutionary from this safely subversive new Netflix show.\" — Nerdist (season 1)\n\n2. \"Fear City: New York vs. the Mafia\" (Netflix original, 2020)\n\nDescription: \"Five Mafia families ruled New York with a bloody fist in the 1970s and '80s, until a group of federal agents tried the unthinkable: taking them down.\"\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: 67%\n\nWhat critics said: \"To tell this story with the scope it requires, 'Fear City' would have needed to double its running time at minimum.\" — Newsday\n\n1. \"The Last Dance\" (ESPN, 2020)\n\nDescription: \"This docuseries chronicles the rise of superstar Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls, with unaired footage from an unforgettable 1997-98 season.\"\n\nRotten Tomatoes critic score: 96%\n\nWhat critics said: \"'The Last Dance' shows the best dances are done with a partner, or in this case, several.\" — Detroit News\n\n\nFull, story source published in:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9050012826919556} {"content": "Mysterious Majorana quasiparticle is now closer to being controlled for quantum computing\n\nMysterious Majorana quasiparticle is now closer to being controlled for quantum computing\nA scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was used to visualize Majorana quasiparticles (green peaks) occurring at the ends of topological edge channels (yellow regions) at the atomic steps of a bismuth thin film grown on a superconducting surface. Small magnetic clusters are seen as small bumps decorating the corner of these edges. At the interfaces between the magnetic clusters and the edge channel, experiments detected robust Majorana quasiparticles, but only when the cluster magnetization points along the channel. Credit: Yazdani Lab at Princeton University\n\n\nIts fame stems from its strange properties—it is the only particle that is its own antiparticle—and from its potential to be harnessed for future quantum computing.\n\nIn recent years, a handful of groups including a team at Princeton have reported finding the Majorana in various materials, but the challenge is how to manipulate it for quantum computation.\n\nIn a new study published this week, the Princeton team reports a way to control Majorana quasiparticles in a setting that also makes them more robust. The setting—which combines a superconductor and an exotic material called a —makes Majoranas especially resilient against destruction by heat or vibrations from the outside environment. What is more, the team demonstrated a way to turn on or off the Majorana using small magnets integrated into the device. The report appeared in the journal Science.\n\n\"With this new study we now have a new way to engineer Majorana quasiparticles in materials,\" said Ali Yazdani, Class of 1909 Professor of Physics and senior author on the study. \"We can verify their existence by imaging them and we can characterize their predicted properties.\"\n\n\n\nThis capability has captivated technologists who envision a way to make quantum bits—the units of —that are more robust than current approaches. Quantum systems are prized for their potential to tackle problems impossible to solve with today's computers, but they require maintaining a fragile state called superposition, which if disrupted, can result in system failures.\n\n\n\nThe team went on to detect the Majorana's quantum \"spin,\" a property shared by electrons and other subatomic particles. In a report published in Science in 2017, the team stated that the Majorana's spin property is a unique signal with which to determine that a detected quasiparticle is indeed a Majorana.\n\n\n\n\"It was a prediction, and it was just sitting there all these years,\" said Yazdani. \"We decided to explore how one could actually make this structure because of its potential to make Majoranas that would be more robust to material imperfections and temperature.\"\n\n\n\n\"When we began to characterize the small magnets, we realized they are the control parameter,\" said Yazdani. \"The way the magnetization of the bit is oriented determines whether the Majorana appears or not. It is an on-off switch.\"\n\n\nExplore further\n\nStudy investigates how spin-orbit interaction protects Majorana nanowires\n\nMore information: \"Observation of a Majorana zero mode in a topologically protected edge channel\" Science (2019). science.sciencemag.org/lookup/ … 1126/science.aax1444\nJournal information: Science\n\nCitation: Mysterious Majorana quasiparticle is now closer to being controlled for quantum computing (2019, June 13) retrieved 14 August 2020 from https://phys.org/news/2019-06-mysterious-majorana-quasiparticle-closer-quantum.html\n\nFeedback to editors\n\nUser comments", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.6352115869522095} {"content": "Skip to main content\nSocial Sci LibreTexts\n\n17.1: From Isolation to Global Superpower\n\n • Page ID\n • The Second World War was the hinge point for establishing American dominance. Prior to that war, the United States had focused on continental expansion, making sure its neighbours recognised its regional dominance and pre-empting the influence of European powers in the Americas. George Washington, the first American president, warned in his farewell address that the US should avoid ‘entangling alliances’. Another president, John Quincy Adams, said that America should not go abroad searching ‘for monsters to destroy’ and that its glory was in liberty, not dominion. The United States did, nevertheless, dabble in imperialism during the late nineteenth century, toppling a decaying Spanish empire to help liberate Cuba and acquiring Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines in the process. But, having won its own freedom in 1776 from British colonial control, there was little desire in America for it to become a colonial power itself. Even involvement in the First World War could not shake the US out of its preferred isolationist shell. The United States entered the war late, brought its forces home quickly afterwards and refused to help enforce a peace its president helped design due to the US Congress rejecting membership of the League of Nations.\n\n The Second World War was truly global in scope and revolutionary in its impact. The United States was drawn into the conflict, again late, by German submarine warfare in the Atlantic and a surprise attack on its military facilities at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in December 1941. When the war began in 1939 there were several powers contesting for global leadership, but the United States was not among them. The United Kingdom and France had sizeable empires. Adolf Hitler was determined to create a new German ‘Reich’ (or empire) that would last at least 1,000 years. Imperial Japan was seeking dominance in Asia and had already occupied parts of China and all of Korea. Finally, the Soviet Union had proved that a communist revolution was possible, and prospects were good that other nations would follow suit and communism would spread globally. By the war’s end Germany and Japan were devastated, defeated countries, occupied by foreign powers. Among the victors, the United Kingdom and France were spent powers. Their empires were fragmenting and their economies near-destroyed. The Soviet Union had suffered the most significant losses of all, primarily through battling a German invasion. Despite winning the war, the cost of victory for the allied powers had been high. In contrast, by 1945 the United States had shaken off the effects of the Great Depression, the global economic collapse of the 1930s, and was relatively untouched by the war. It had demonstrated its power by mobilising and equipping a military of over 16 million. As the war ended it had military forces stationed across the globe and was the world’s dominant economic power.\n\n The United States took several lessons from the Second World War, the most important of which was that it had to be involved in managing global security in order to protect its own security. It was too big and too powerful for others not to challenge even if it had no interest in challenging them. Because international relations as a system is anarchical, with no ruler, powerful states tend to make other states feel insecure by default. Even if powerful states do not behave threateningly, there is a fear that they may do so in the future. This leads to competition and the risk of future conflict as states seek to maximise their security by attempting to increase their relative power. In the past this was typically done by acquiring territory, as described in chapter one. But in a post-war era characterised by decolonisation and the presence of nuclear weapons, security calculations were in flux. To monitor the situation, the United States chose to be involved globally, designing the international frameworks for commerce and governance at conferences it convened in Bretton Woods and San Francisco, both in America, and joining the United Nations which was headquartered in New York City. Essentially, the Americans created a new system of international relations, both economic and political, and placed themselves in the driving seat. Although the bulk of its forces were demobilised at the war’s end, the United States maintained the network of bases it had built during the war and retained a substantial military presence in both Europe and Asia. At home, it created, via the National Security Act of 1947, the governmental framework for coordinating the development and exercise of global power. In short, the United States was now permanently constituted to be a different type of actor.\n\n Having helped destroy fascism in the Second World War, the United States set itself the task of first containing and then undermining the two remaining rival systems of global order – colonialism and communism. The test came quickly with the Soviet Union’s push to dominate Eastern Europe and its acquisition of nuclear weapons in 1949. Many American politicians feared that the Soviet Union could dominate all of Europe and Asia – an area with the industrial resources and military potential to match or even surpass the United States. When China turned communist in 1949 and other nations looked set to follow, these fears seemed to have a basis in reality. A series of confrontations and crises that we now call the Cold War became the new normal in international relations. The conflict marked a two-power struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union spanning more than forty years. IR calls this a bipolar system, as two principal actors are responsible for shaping global affairs. In the end, with the Soviet Union’s internal collapse between 1989 and 1991, there was one superpower standing – the United States. The question was, would this mean that bipolarity would give way to unipolarity (the dominance of one power) or multipolarity (many centres of power)?", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.731284499168396} {"content": "Kōrero: Weekends\n\nThe Great Levante and his magical extravaganza, 1941 (1 o 3)\n\nThe Great Levante and his magical extravaganza, 1941\n\nThe Great Levante is advertised to perform his 'magical extravaganza' at Wellington's Opera House on Easter Saturday, 1941. Saturday night was the time for shows, cabarets, dances, boxing matches and wrestling bouts. The Great Levante, Australian magician Leslie George Cole, toured the world with his illusionist tricks and escapology.\n\nTe whakamahi i tēnei tūemi\n\nAlexander Turnbull Library\nReference: Eph-D-CABOT-Magic-1941-01\n\n\nNgā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero\n\nTe tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:\n\nPeter Clayworth, 'Weekends - Saturday – pay day, work day, half-holiday', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/ephemera/39784/the-great-levante-and-his-magical-extravaganza-1941 (accessed 14 August 2020)\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8626795411109924} {"content": "\n\nA person's identity can be disclosed from:\n\n • Direct identifiers such as names, postcode information or pictures\n • Indirect identifiers which, when linked with other available information, could identify someone, for example information on workplace, occupation, salary or age\n\nYou decide which information to keep for data to be useful and which to change. Removing key variables, applying pseudonyms, generalising and removing contextual information from textual files, and blurring image or video data could result in important details being missed or incorrect inferences being made. See example 1 and example 2 for balancing anonymisation with keeping data useful for qualitative and quantitative data.\n\nAnonymising research data is best planned early in the research to help reduce anonymisation costs, and should be considered alongside obtaining informed consent for data sharing or imposing access restrictions. Personal data should never be disclosed from research information, unless a participant has given consent to do so, ideally in writing.\n\nQuantitative data\n\nAnonymising quantitative data may involve removing or aggregating variables or reducing the precision or detailed textual meaning of a variable.\n\nPrimary anonymisation techniques\n\n • Remove direct identifiers from a dataset. Such identifiers are often not necessary for secondary research.\n\nExample: Remove respondents' names or replace with a code; remove addresses, postcode information, institution and telephone numbers.\n\n • Aggregate or reduce the precision of a variable such as age or place of residence. As a general rule, report the lowest level of geo-referencing that will not potentially breach respondent confidentiality. The exact scale depends on the type of data collected, but very detailed geo-references like full postcodes, names of small towns or villages are likely to be problematic. Coded or categorical variables which may be potentially revealing can be aggregated into broader codes. If aggregation of a disclosive variable is not possible, consider whether it should be removed from the dataset.\n\nExample: Record the year of birth rather than the day, month and year; record postcode sectors (first 3 or 4 digits) rather than full postcodes; aggregate detailed 'unit group' standard occupational classification employment codes up to 'minor group' codes by removing the last digit.\n\n • Generalise the meaning of a detailed text variable by replacing potentially disclosive free-text responses with more general text.\n\nExample: Detailed areas of medical expertise could indirectly identify a doctor. The expertise variable could be replaced by more general text or be coded into generic responses such as 'one area of medical speciality', 'two or more areas of medical speciality', etc.\n\n • Restrict the upper or lower ranges of a continuous variable to hide outliers if the values for certain individuals are unusual or atypical within the wider group researched. In such circumstances the unusually large or small values might be collapsed into a single code, even if the other responses are kept as actual quantities, or one might code all responses.\n\nExample: Annual salary could be 'top-coded' to avoid identifying highly paid individuals. A top code of £100,000 or more could be applied, even if lower incomes are not coded into groups.\n\n • Anonymise relational data where relations between variables in related or linked datasets or in combination with other publicly available outputs may disclose identities.\n\nExample: In confidential interviews on farms the names of farmers have been replaced with codes and other confidential information on the nature of the farm businesses and their locations have been disguised to anonymise the data.\n\nHowever, if related biodiversity data collected on the same farms, using the same farmer codes, contain detailed locations for biodiversity data alone the location would not be confidential. Farmers could be identified by combining the two datasets.\n\nThe link between farmer codes and biodiversity location data should be removed, for example by using separate codes for farmer interviews and for farm locations.\n\n • Anonymise geo-referenced data by replacing point coordinates with non-disclosing features or variables; or, preferably, keep geo-references intact and impose access restrictions on the data instead.\n\nPoint data may fix the position of individuals, organisations or businesses studied, which could disclose their identity. Point coordinates may be replaced by larger, non-disclosing geographical areas such as polygon features (km2 grid, postcode district, county), or linear features (random line, road, river). Point data can also be replaced by meaningful alternative variables that typify the geographical position and represent the reason why the locality was selected for the research, such as poverty index, population density, altitude, vegetation type. In this way, the value of data is maintained, whilst removing disclosing geo-references.\n\nA better option may be to keep detailed spatial references intact and to impose access controls on the data instead.\n\nProcedures to anonymise any research data that are destined for sharing or archiving should always be considered together with appropriate informed consent procedures.\n\nQualitative data\n\nBack to top \n\n\n\nQuick Access To\n\nAdd-on MS Word anonymisation macro tool for qualitative data, available from our tools collection.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.832800030708313} {"content": "Biographical context of maria montessori\n\n\nBiographical context of maria montessori\n\nHe is also the author of more than six books on early childhood education, including Miseducation and The Hurried Child. The lecture summarized the research Prof. Elkind has undertaken for his forthcoming book Giants in the Nursery: Grandmasters of Educational Reform.\n\nI have reproduced my lecture notes from this lecture here; any errors or omissions are my own. Mozart suggested that the composer should begin with something simpler; the frustrated young composer observed that Mozart had written his first Biographical context of maria montessori at eight.\n\nSAGE Reference - Montessori Curriculum\n\nTalent is a gift that cannot be taught, Prof. Elkind uses the term \"grandmaster\" to refer to those individuals who had the vision to see beyond even the best.\n\n\nLearning is the modification of behavior as a result of experience. Psychology traditionally focuses upon behavior because it is the objective, measurable, aspect of learning. One of Professor Elkind's central arguments is that early childhood education should serve as the model for all education not the other way around- by determining standards for the education of older children and working backwards to determine appropriate standards and experiences for younger children.\n\n\n\n\nHe identifies four main commonalities among these individuals. Learning only occurs when you re-present an experience. Practical education must combine the social and the natural. Believed God is the creator and people should emulate God; therefore, people should work to be creative.\n\nHe believed people create through play. He was trained as a crystallographer and believed that physical development follows the same process as organic development. He created beautiful materials for children which famously influenced the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.\n\n\nHe was very concerned with the over-intellectualism of education and highly valued fine arts music, dance, and art. Where Pestalozzi, sought to bring the social and the natural together; Steiner sought to unify the personal and the social.\n\nBiographical context of maria montessori\n\nArt is the boundary between that which is personal and that which is social.Maria Montessori was born on August 31, , in the provincial town of Chiaravalle, Italy, to middle-class, well-educated parents. At the time that Montessori was growing up, Italy held Born: Aug 31, Biographical Context of Maria Montessori Research the educational and social context of Maria Montessori’s life, especially those early developmental years of Examine the theorists and events that influenced her work and why.\n\nBiographical material based on the personal and professional aspects of being a teacher were writings of Maria Montessori, although the educational context in which Montessori teachers In the present context, Montessori educational theory is the common frame of reference.\n\nSimilarities and differences should become more apparent when. 'Children experience a certain sensation which makes them desire to possess the objects that they are stimulated by. Sensations involve not only a neural reaction but a psychic re. The Italian educator and physician Maria Montessori was the first Italian woman to receive a medical degree.\n\nShe was the originator of the Montessori method of education for children. On August 31, , Maria Montessori was born in Chiaravalle, Italy. Her father, Allessandro Montessori, a retired Died: May 06, Maria Montessori and La Casa dei Bambini. Maria Montessori became the first woman in Italy to graduate from the University of Rome’s medical school, in , and become a licensed medical doctor.\n\nTalk:Montessori education - Wikipedia", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9909185767173767} {"content": "Data Sets\n\nThe Climate Hazards Center and affiliates create and use a variety of key data sets to make informed decisions as they relate to climate early warning. \n\nClimate Hazards Center InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS)\n\n\nClimate Hazards Center’s Precipitation Climatology (CHPClim)\n\n\n\nThe CHIRPS-GEFS data set uses the higher spatial resolution of CHIRPS and the advanced forecasting ability of GEFS to provide weather forecasts, updated daily at a spatial resolution of 5 km across the globe. In blending CHIRPS and GEFS, we bias-correct and downscale GEFS with respect to CHIRPS. \n\n\nCHIRTSmax is a global 2-m maximum temperature (Tmax) product that directly combines satellite and station-based estimates of Tmax to produce routinely updated data to support the monitoring of temperature extremes. The CHIRTSmax development process broadly follows the data development strategy used to develop our CHIRPS precipitation data set, integrating a long-term climatology with satellite information and available station data. The result is a monthly estimate of the daily maximum temperature for the 1983-2016 time period.\n\nEvaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) Forecasts \n\nEDDI is an experimental indicator of drought severity and a promising tool for early warning guidance. This indicator is based solely on atmospheric evaporative demand (Eo). EDDI measures the signal of drought through the response of Eo to surface drying anomalies that result from two distinct land surface-atmosphere interactions: 1) a complementary relationship between E0 and Evapotranspiration (ET) that develops under moisture limitations at the land surface, leading to ET declining and increasing E0, as in sustained droughts, and 2) parallel ET and E0 increases arising from increased energy availability that lead to surface moisture limitations, as in flash droughts (Hobbins et al., 2016).", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9662978053092957} {"content": "Privacy policy\n\nFAME FAN privacy and security policy: This is the purpose of this privacy policy. You should read the whole policy; however, we hereby state some key issues we want to convey:\n\nA: FAME FAN is a public network and the general contents published can be viewed and searched by anyone around the world, except for what is exclusively published for prepaid subscribers. We also provide not-public means to communicate with FAME FAN, through protected messages and direct messages. You can use FAME FAN under a pseudonym if you prefer not to use your real name.\nB: Even when you use FAME FAN, just for looking at the contents, we receive some personal information from you, such as the type of device you are using and your IP address. You can choose to share additional information with us, such as your email address, phone number, contacts list and public profile. We use this information for activities such as: maintaining your account secure; showing contents, interesting or famous people to follow, events and relevant advertisement.\nC: We give you control over your settings to limit the data we collect about you, and how we use and control issues like account security. Also you can always download the information shared FAN FAME FAN.\nD: From the information you share with us, we use your comments, the content you have read or shared, your likes, and other information, to determine which topics you are interested in, your age, the languages you speak and other issues which allow us to give you more relevant content. We offer transparency when dealing with this information and you can modify or correct it at any time.\nE: If you have any questions about this policy, how we collect or treat your personal information or any other matter related to our data privacy practices, please contact us at any time.\nInformation shared with us: We require certain information to provide our services. For example, you must have an account in FAME FAN to upload or share contents. When you choose to share the following information with us, we collect it and use it to manage our services.\n\nBasic account information: you do not need to create an account to use some of the features of our service, such as searching and viewing profiles of celebrities or famous people, which are public, or watching a broadcast on the page; but if you choose to create an account, you should provide some personal information so that we can offer our services. In FAME FAN, this includes an account name (for example, \"MY FAVORITE TASTE\"), a user name (for example, the grasshopper under the sun), a password and an email address or phone number. Your account name and user-name are always public and can be real or a pseudonym. You can also create and manage multiple accounts, for example, public information such as the fan´s club.\nMost of the activity in FAME FAN is public. But your profile information, your time zone and language, the date of the creation of your account and your messages are private; as well as certain information from your comments or publications such as date, time, application and version in FAME FAN since you started operating it. You can also choose to publish your location or give permission to see some data from your profile in FAME FAN. The lists you create, the people who you follow and follow you, as well as the messages you like or post. Transmissions that you create, click or participate are public, along with the information of when to perform those actions. Also your likes, comments, number of likes you have received, and from which accounts they come from and if you watch any live or repetition of broadcasts. Any like, comment or other content which post in someone else´s account, will remain part of such transmission during its duration. The information published about you by other people using our services, may also be public, as long as you authorize it. For example, some people may mention you in a message.\nYou are responsible for your messages and other information you provide through our services, so you should consider carefully what you make public, especially if it is sensitive information which could harm the free exercise of your rights, person, work, profession , art and/or occupation.\nIf you update your public information in FAME FAN, for example, we will update your content in FAME, FAME FAME FAN for IOS and FAME FAN for Android. We have standard conditions that govern how these data is delt with and a program to implement these conditions.\nContact information: We use your contact information, such as your email address or telephone number, to authenticate and maintain your account secure (and our services), as well as to prevent Spam, fraud and abuse. We also use the contact information to customize our services, activate certain features of the account (for example, for access verification) and to send you information about our services. If you provide your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from FAME FAN, to that number according to he laws of your country. FAME FAN also uses your contact information to show advertising, according to he laws of your country. You can use your notification settings through your e-mail and mobile phone to control the notifications received from FAME FAN. You can also cancel notifications by following the instructions provided in the notification itself. We also use this information to show better content recommendations to you and others. If you send us an email, we will keep the content of your message, your e-mail address and contact information to answer to your request.\n\nDirect messages and non-public communications: We provide certain features that allow you to communicate with us more privately or to control who sees your content. For example, you can use direct messages to keep conversations with FAME FAN not public, protect your messages or make private transmissions. When communicating with others by sending or receiving direct messages, we will store and process the communications and information related to them. This includes links scanning to detect malicious content, URL shortening, Spam detection, banned images and review of complains. We also use information about who has been reported and when (but not the content of these communications) to better understand the use of our services, protect the security and integrity of our platform and display more relevant content. We share the content of your direct messages with the people to whom you sent the message. We do not use them to show advertisement. Note that, if you interact in a way that would normally be public with FAME FAN content, shared with you by direct messages, for example, by liking a message, such interactions will be public. When using features such as direct messages to communicate, remember that recipients of the messages have their own copy of the communications in FAME FAN (even if you delete your copy of these messages from your account), they can duplicate, store or share it.\n\nPayment information: You can provide your payment information, including your credit or debit card number, the expiration date in your card, CVV number and billing address, and that information is not public.\n\nHow you control the information shared with us: your privacy and security settings allow you to decide:\nA- If your messages are publicly available in FAME FAN.\nB-If you can receive direct messages from anyone in FAME FAN or just the followers or subscribers who share the same celebrity or famous person that you follow.\nD-If others can find you by your email or website/app.\n\nAdditional information received: We receive certain information about you when you use our services. We also received information from third parties including advertisers. In the same way we use the information you share with us to deliver our services, we also use:\n1. Location information: We require access information and current location, from signals such as your IP address or device parameters, to configure and maintain your account secure and reliable and provide our services. Depending on your configuration, we may collect, use and store additional information about your location (such as your current location or specific places where you previously used FAME FAN) to manage or customize our services; for example, including more relevant content, such as events, announcements and local suggestions about the celebrity followed, so other can follow them too.\n2. Links: to manage our services, we track how you interact with the links in our services. This includes links in emails that we send you and links in messages that appear on other web sites or mobile applications. We may also collect other personal information about you, such as cookies or your IP address.\n3. Cookies: A cookie is a small set of data that is stored on your computer or mobile device. Like many websites, we use cookies and similar technologies to collect additional data from website usage and to manage our services. No cookies are required for many features of our services such as searching and displaying public profiles. Although most browsers accept cookies automatically, in the configuration of many browsers, an option can be programed to stop accepting cookies or to alert you when a website is attempting to place a cookie on your computer. However, some of our services may not function properly if you disable cookies. When your browser or device allow so, we use both session cookies and persistent cookies to better understand how you interact with our services, obtain patterns of aggregated use and customize and otherwise administer our services, such as providing security to the account, customizing the content we exhibit, including advertisements, and remembering your language preference.\n4. Registration data: We receive information when you watch content or interact in any way with our services, this is called \"registration data,\" even if you have not created an account. For example, when you visit our website, subscribe to our services, interact with our email notifications, use your account to authenticate in a third party´s service or visit a third party service that includes content of FAME FAN, we can receive information about you. Registration data includes information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, website sources, the websites visited, location, mobile service provider, device information (including device ID and application ID), terms searches, and cookie information. We also received registration data when you click on a link in our services, watch or interact with it. We use registration data to manage our services and ensure their proper, safe, reliable and full functioning. For example, we use login data to protect the security of accounts and determine what content is popular in our services. We also use this data to improve the content we show you, including advertisements. We use the information you provide and the data received, including log data and data obtained from third parties, to determine what topics will be of interest, your age and what languages you speak. This helps us to improve our services and customize the content we offer you, including advertisements.\n6-FAME FAN data for the network: When you watch our content on third-party websites that contain FAME FAN content, such as integrated chronologies or FAME FAN links, we can receive registration data including the web page you visited. We use this information to better understand your use of our services, protect the security and integrity of our platform and display more relevant content, including advertisement. We do not associated this browser search in the network with your name, email address, phone number or user name; and we eliminate it.\nAdvertisers and advertising partners: the income obtained from advertising will allow us to maintain and improve our services. We use the information described in this privacy policy to make our advertisement more relevant to you, to measure its effectiveness and to help us recognize their devices to provide ads within FAME FAN. Our advertising partners and affiliates share information with us, such as cookie IDs browser, mobile device IDs, email addresses encrypted when using hash, demographic or interests data, and content watched or actions done in a website or application. Some of our advertising partners, particularly our advertisers also allow us to collect similar information directly from their website or application integrating our advertising technology.\n\nFAME FAN adheres to the principles of self-regulation for behavioral digital advertising (also called \"interest-based advertising\") of the \"Digital Advertising Alliance \" and adheres to the consumer choice tool APD, so that you be excluded from interest-based advertising you can find in In addition, our policies prohibit targeted ads sent by advertisers based on categories that we consider sensitive or that are prohibited by law such as race, religion, politics, sexual life or health.\nIf you are an advertiser or potential advertiser, we process your personal data to facilitate the offering and provision of our advertising services. You can update your data on your Ads FAME FAN panel or by contacting us directly as described in this Privacy Policy.\nDevelopers: If you access our API or developer portal, we process your personal data to facilitate the delivery of our services. You can update your data by contacting us directly as described in this Privacy Policy.\nOther third parties and affiliates: We may receive information about you from third parties other than our advertising partners, and other users of FAME FAN, partners who assist us in evaluating the safety and quality of the content in our platform, and other services that you link to your account in FAME FAN.\nDevices customization: when you log in FAME FAN with a browser or device, we associate that browser or device with your account, for as authentication, security and personalization purposes . Depending on your configuration, you can also associate your account with browsers different from the one used to access FAME FAN (or associate such devices or browsers with other browsers or devices). We do this to manage and customize our services.\nHow you can control the additional information we receive: your data configuration and FAME FAN customizing allow you decide:\nA- If we show interest-based advertising inside and outside FAME FAN.\nB-How we should customize your experience different devices.\nC- If we collect and use your exact location .\nD- If we personalize your experience depending on where you have been.\nE-If we track the websites that exhibit FAME FAN content.. You can use your FAME FAN data to find: Advertisers who have included you in their target audience, to show ads; or demographic and interests data from your account of our advertising partners data; or information FAME FAN deduced about you such as your age, gender, language and interests. We also provide a version of these tools in FAME FAN, if you do not have an account in FAME FAN or if you have not logged into your account. This allows you to view data and settings about the browser or device using these configuration data even if you have not log in, these are independent of any FAME FAN account using that browser or device.\nInformation shared and disclosed: as we have mentioned above, FAME FAN is designed to widely and instantly spread the information you publicly share through our services. In the very limited situations in which we disclose your personal data private, we do so under your control, as it is necessary to manage our services, or as required by law.\nDisclosures controlled by you: we share or disclose personal information with your consent or at your direction, for example, when you authorize a subscriber or celebrity, or a web application from a third party to access your account, or when you request us to share your comments. If you have shared information such as protected direct messages with someone who accesses FAME FAN through a third party service, please note that the information may be shared with third-party services. Depending on your configuration, we also provide personal information to certain third parties to facilitate the offering or provision of services. For example, we share the identifiers of the devices which watch advertisements with the advertisers, to allow them to measure the effectiveness of our advertising business. We also shared device identifiers, together with any interests or other characteristics of a device or the person who uses it, to help our partners to decide whether to show an advertisement on the device or not, or to enable them to carry out marketing activities, trademark analysis, or similar interests-based advertising.\nThe information we share with these partners does not include your name, email address, phone number or FAME FAN user-name, but some of these agreements link the information we share,to other personal information, if you give your consent beforehand, to the partner.\nService providers: service providers are hired to perform functions and provide services in the United States and other countries. We used many third-party services to manage our services, such as hosting our different blogs, under confidentiality obligation compatible to this Privacy Policy and under any other appropriate confidentiality and security measure, and on condition that third parties use the personal details only on our account and under our instructions. We share your payment information with payment service providers to process payments; prevent, detect and investigate fraud or other prohibited activities; to facilitate the disputes resolution, such as those caused by additional charges or refunds; and for other purposes related to the acceptance of credit cards and debit cards.\nLaws, damages and public interest: Notwithstanding any provision on the contrary in this privacy policy or the ways of control that we can offer, we can save, use or disclose your personal information, if we believe it is reasonably necessary to comply with a law, regulation, legal proceeding or authorities request. This is done in order to protect the safety of any person; protect the security or integrity of our platform, which includes avoiding Spam, abuse or malicious intents in our services, or to explain why we have removed content or accounts from our services; to address fraud, security or technical issues; or to protect our rights or property or the rights or property of those who use our services. However, the provisions in this privacy policy are not intended to limit any defense or legal objections you may have against a requirement of information disclosure by a third party, even if it is the requirement of a governmental entity.\nSubsidiaries and change of ownership: if we are affected by a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization or sale of assets, your personal information may be sold or transferred as part of that transaction. This privacy policy will apply to your personal data in the same way it is transferred to the new entity. We may also disclose your personal data to our subsidiaries to facilitate delivery of our services and the services of our subsidiaries, including advertisement.\nNon personal information: we share or disclose non-personal information, such as additional information, including the total number of times people interacted with a message, the number of people who clicked on a particular link, or who voted in a poll through a message (even if only one person did so), the topics that people are discussing about a celebrity or famous person, in a particular location, or reports to advertisers on how many users watched or clicked on their advertisement. Managing our personal information about you controls the personal information you share with us. You can access this data and rectify it, at any time. You can also cancel your account. We also provide tools to object to the data processing and limit or withdraw your consent in the use of the data, which you have provided to FAME FAN. We make possible the portability of data shared with our services and provide easy methods to contact us. Access or correction of your personal data: If you have registered an account at FAME FAN, we provide tools and configuration options in your account to access, correct, delete or modify the personal information you provided and is associated to your account. You can download specific account information, including your messages and comments, by following the instructions provided here.\nElimination: we keep the login data for at least 18 months. If you follow the instructions provided, your account will be deactivated and then deleted. When deactivated: your FAME FAN account, including your account name, user-name and public profile, cease to be visible in FAME, FAMEFAN for IOS and FAME FAN for Android. In case your FAME FAN account is accidentally or improperly deactivated, it will be possible to restore it within 30 days after deactivation. Note that search engines and other third parties may retain copies of your public information, such as your profile information and public posts, even after you have deleted information about our services or your account disabled.\nOpposing information precessing and limiting or withdrawing consent: when you are connected to your FAME FAN account, you can manage your privacy settings and other features of the account here, at any time.\nPortability: FAME FAN provides a way to download the information you have shared with our services by following the instructions in the App. Additional information or assistance: Do you have any comments or questions about this privacy policy? You can ask by completing the contact form App or sending an email to\nIf you live in the European Union or any EFTA State, you can privately contact us through the data protection officer. If you want to express a concern about how we use your information (without any prejudice to any other rights it may have), you have the right to do it before the local control authority or main control authority of FAME FAN: in USA.\nChildren and our services: our services are not for children and you cannot use our services if you are under 13 years old. You have to be old enough to consent to the personal data prossesing in your country (in some countries parents or guardians are allowed to do it on their behalf).\nWhen the laws of your country allow you, you can authorize us to transfer, store and use your data in the United States and any other country in which we operate. In some of the countries to which we transfer personal data, protection laws and data privacy regulations about when government officials can access the data may be different from your country. To get more information about our global operations and data transfer, click here. When we transfer personal data outside the European Union or EFTA States, we ensure an adequate level of protection of the rights of the user based on the adequacy of data protection legislation in the recipient country, contractual obligations on the receiver of data (standard terms may be requested by an information request, as described below) or the principles of privacy shield framework, between the EU and USA. and between Switzerland and the USA. FAME FAN complies with the principles of the privacy shield between the EU and the USA and between Switzerland and the USA, and between Switzerland and the USA. (The \"principles\") regarding the collection, use, exchange and storage of personal data from the European Union and Switzerland, as described in our privacy shield certification between the EU and the US. UU. certification and privacy shield between Switzerland and the USA. If you have a complaint about the privacy shield, please contact us As part of our participation in the privary shield framework, if you have any dispute with us about our compliance with the principles, we will try to resolve it through our internal proceedings for resolving complaints, alternatively, through the independent body of dispute resolution and under certain conditions through the arbitration process privacy shield. Participants in the privacy shield are subject to the powers of investigation and enforcement of the Federal Trade Commission of the USA. and other authorized statutory entities. In certain circumstances, users may be liable for the transfer of personal data from the EU or Switzerland to third parties outside the EU and Switzerland. To get more information about the privacy shield between the EU and US. UU. Click here. certification and privacy shield between Switzerland and the USA.\nChanges in this privacy policy: We can modify this privacy policy periodically. The latest version of the policy will regulate our data processing, and is always available at If we change this policy in any part, at our sole discretion, relevant, we will notify you via an update or an email sent to the email address associated with your account. By continuing to access or using the services after made such changes, you agree to be subject to the Privacy Policy.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8386682868003845} {"content": "What is Insolvency\n\nHere you can download our What Is Insolvency bookelt. An example of the useful information you can find in the booklet is featured below.\n\n\n\nInsolvency is classically a measure of either the net assets an individual or company owns, or the ability of that individual or company to pay its debts as and when they become due. This booklet addresses corporate insolvency, i.e. as it relates to companies, and the various mechanisms that exist under UK legislation to deal with company insolvency. For information relating to personal insolvency, please review our other booklets available to download on our website.\n\nJust because a company is technically insolvent doesn’t necessarily mean the end of company’s life. There are a range of options open to help businesses in difficulty, such as refinancing and restructuring. Many companies in the UK are insolvent but with the right assistance can recover and thrive.\n\nHowever, as a director of a business it is vital to understand the issue of solvency and this booklet helps explain the two main tests of insolvency and what can be done to assist you if you are concerned.\n\nHow do I know if a company is technically insolvent?\n\nThere are two main tests to determine whether a company is insolvent:\n\n • The Balance Sheet Test.\n • The Cash Flow Test.\n\nThese will now be explained below.\n\nThe Balance Sheet Test\n\nThis test determines insolvency as where the value of a company’s assets are less than the amount of liabilities, taking into account its contingent (i.e. not yet due) and prospective (i.e. those which are intended to be incurred very soon or which accrue as a fixed ongoing cost of the business e.g. utilities) debts.\n\nThis calculation can often be difficult to make for a director to make as that person has to decide and agree the basis on which assets and liabilities are valued. This is especially true if a director does not have much financial expertise. However, getting this right is critical to determining the true position of a company’s solvency. There are numerous factors which might affect the balance sheet test which are not immediately obvious – some examples of which are set out below.\n\nExample 1.\n\nIf an outstanding debt which is quite large is shown in the company’s accounts, but is unlikely to be paid, then accounting standards require that directors be prudent and include a provision for the loss of this debt. If a large debt is not so provided for in the accounts then, in certain circumstances, this may mean that the company is actually insolvent (if the debt should be provided for as a write off).\n\nExample 2.\n\nQuite often an optimistic director will be convinced that the company is not insolvent because of anticipated funding, either from a lending institution or third party. If such lending is not yet secured (despite the verbal or other assurances that are provided) then the company may be insolvent with the consequences for directors (for more details see “Directors and Liabilities: A Handy Guide” also located on our website).\n\nExample 3.\n\nAs with book debts described above, any asset that is valued in the company’s accounts but which may have depreciated since (for example plant and machinery) will mean that the company is balance sheet insolvent, even if the financial accounts do not reflect this. In more recent times, the reduced value of commercial property may also have a similar affect to make a company insolvent.\n\nExample 4.\n\nPension scheme deficits are often undervalued because the basis of a valuation may be outdated or may be not up to the current accounting standards. A revaluation of the pension scheme deficit on a regular basis is important to ensure that the financial statements of a company reflect the true and fair view of the company’s financial position.\n\nExample 5.\n\nA company’s accounts are normally drafted on the basis that a company is an active going concern. As a result there may intangible assets valued in these accounts which depend on this going concern basis (for example goodwill, trading names and other intellectual property of the company). If the company is then facing difficulty in continued trading or something changes which means that its going concern status is jeopardised (for example a change in regulations affecting the business or the inability to renew a franchise licence) then the balance sheet needs to be valued on a break-up basis. This may reduce the value of the company’s balance sheet and mean that it is insolvent.\n\n\n\nThe Cash Flow Test\n\nThe Responsibility For Getting This Right\n\nGetting It Right\n\nIf you believe your business is experiencing one or more of the above issues, or if you have any other business concerns that you would like to discuss please do not hesitate to contact us.\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.986998438835144} {"content": "Chat with us, powered by LiveChat\n\nLaw Coursework Writing Services\n\nLaw is a system of official rules and regulations within a given nation or community used to govern the behaviour of its populace, and which are enforced through various controlling authorities and social institutions. The legal framework of a society, generally established within constitutions, legislation, and judicial perspectives, helps to maintain social order as well as balance individual rights with obligations as members of society. The study of law covers a diverse range of topics such as criminal punishment, federal and provincial institutions, human rights, ethics, and administrative action.\n\nLaw is generally divided into criminal law, which deals with conduct considered harmful and illegal by the given constraints of a society’s legal system and the meting out of appropriate punishment, and civil law, which settles private disputes (also known as lawsuits) between individuals or organizations and provides legal compensation to the successful litigant.\n\nA number of specialized branches also exist within the realm of civil law, such as: international law, the governance of affairs between different countries or sovereign states ranging from immigration to trade to military action; constitutional and administrative law, which defines the relationship between intergovernmental branches on a federal and provincial level and provides a framework for the actions and operating procedure of government; contract law, which regulates oral and written agreements between parties for reasons pertaining to money, property, or services and the nature of their obligations; tort law, which deals with civil wrongs (torts) that cause unfair harm or loss and legal liability for the responsible party; property law, which regulates and governs purchasing, ownership, and tenancy of real or personal property; and equity and trusts, which define a body of rules developed in England separately from the common law system enabling shared ownership of property through binding trust agreements.\n\nThe law experts at Homework Help Canada are knowledgeable in all areas of the law. Whether it comes to criminal or civil disputes, our writers can provide in-depth answers, custom argumentative and research essays, and research reports to some of the hardest questions and assignments. Whether it comes to law theory or law history, we have someone who can help you and give you an expert’s helping hand. Trust the experts at Homework Help Canada and get a quote now.\n\n\nWe assist in the following subject areas:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9965190887451172} {"content": "If I Can Now Shop in California, When Can I See My Friends in Person? Some Guidelines\n\nPeople mingle close together as businesses in the flower district of Skid Row open in time for Mother's Day on May 8, 2020, in Los Angeles. (David McNew/Getty Images)\n\nAs a sunny Memorial Day weekend approaches, many, including me, wonder what a pandemic summer looks like.\n\nI can squash the longing to go to concerts and festivals. But what about a socially distanced, mask-wearing picnic with a neighbor? Or a stroll on the beach with a friend?\n\nThe official answer is still no.\n\n“At this time, mixing of households is not permitted, so most socializing should still only occur virtually,” said Neetu Balrum, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Public Health Department.\n\nContra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano, agreed.\n\n\"Gatherings outside of your household are a big risk for the spread of this virus,\" he said \"We still don't know yet when we will be able to encourage people to get together with people outside of their households.\"\n\nPublic health officials in San Francisco, Solano and San Mateo counties provided a similar response.\n\nStir Crazy, and Lonely\n\nEven though officials aren’t budging, increased movement on the streets reflects changing sentiment among residents. My Oakland neighborhood, for instance, is starting to hum with the return of vehicles, and a KQED analysis of traffic over the last five weeks found a big increase in miles traveled since April. Meanwhile, neighborhood parks are filled with clusters of people sprawling on picnic blankets.\n\n\"Quarantine Fatigue is Real\" — that's the name of an Atlantic article byJulia Marcus, professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School. She argues that refraining from social contact is unsustainable and could lead to negative consequences. \n\n\"I’m talking about those who are experiencing the profound burden of extreme physical and social distancing,\" she wrote. \"In addition to the economic hardship it causes, isolation can severely damage psychological well-being, especially for people who were already depressed or anxious before the crisis started.\"\n\nAsking Americans to abstain from nearly all in-person social contact will not work any better than abstinence-only messaging does for the discouragement of sex, Marcus says. She suggests that officials offer nuanced directives to reduce risk rather than try to eliminate it.\n\n\"What Americans need now is a manual on how to have a life in a pandemic,\" wrote Marcus. If they don't, she says, we will need to figure it out on our own.\n\nCalifornia state Sen. Scott Weiner agrees with this approach.\n\n\"People are going to start seeing their friends,\" Wiener said. \"And we have to acknowledge that that is the reality of human existence, and we can't pretend otherwise. I think it is important in the near future for the state and for Bay Area officials to start giving more precise guidance about how you reduce risk.\"\n\n\nShopping OK'd\n\nCiting progress made on a series of metrics related to the pandemic, public health officials in the Bay Area this week allowed more stores to reopen, albeit with major limitations like restricting sales to curbside pickup. The state authorized this move earlier in the month. San Francisco's public health officer said on Tuesday it will wait until early-to-late June before considering the next phase of loosening restrictions, and a reversal of course is still possible.\n\n\"If needed, we will dial back if the curve goes up or we see indication that the virus is spreading in the community at an alarming rate,\" said Dr. Grant Colfax.\n\nGov. Gavin Newsom says 70 percent of California’s economy is now open for business. But he hasn't offered any further guidance on when and if people can socialize with friends or family outside the household. Newsom and health officials continue to stress that new cases are recorded daily, and if there's one thing for certain, this pandemic is not over. In California on Monday, 102 people died from COVID-19, the highest number of deaths in a month.\n\nSafer Ways to Socialize\n\nIf you are determined to socialize despite public health recommendations, there are ways to reduce your risk. Marcus suggests meeting outside because the sun, heat and humidity likely assist in killing the virus. Also, you should definitely wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and avoid sharing food or drinks.\n\nThis Los Angeles Times article lays out seven scenarios to help you decide which activities are safer than others. Some takeaways: Backyard barbecues with kids are out, socially distanced walks are fine, and allowing a friend to use your bathroom is a safe bet.\n\nThe question agonizing many families is when to see the grandparents. It’s especially tricky if you must fly to see older family members. Based on this account in the Atlantic (“We apologize for the alarming amount of passengers on this flight\"), I’m leery about booking a flight to see gramma. In fact scientists say it’s a good idea to avoid indoor spaces as much as possible because limited air exchange and recycled air leads to more infections. \n\nA recent post,\" The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them,\" by Erin Bromage, a University of Massachusetts Dartmouth associate professor of biology, details how droplets move indoors, leading to increased virus transmission. For example, if you're dining inside, airflow vents will carry the virus to 75 percent of people sitting downwind of an asymptomatic carrier breathing normally during a 90-minute meal.\n\n\nFor me, takeout is the ticket for the foreseeable future. \n\n“The main sources for infection are home, workplace, public transport, social gatherings, and restaurants,\" Bromage wrote. \"This accounts for 90% of all transmission events. In contrast, outbreaks spread from shopping appear to be responsible for a small percentage of traced infections.”\n\nBromage wrote the equation that people should remember is “dose plus time.” You have to be in someone’s physical airstream for longer than five minutes to catch the virus. Therefore, enjoy your next distanced walk, but wash your hands when you get back home. Don’t touch your face. And stay home if you’re sick.\n\nPersonally it's difficult for my brain to weigh risks, especially when we are talking about something that is potentially life and death. For now, I'm choosing to err on the cautious side, while hoping officials offer more detailed directives soon.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9468744397163391} {"content": "The trial in history, volume I\n\nThis book examines trials, civil and criminal, ecclesiastical and secular, in England and Europe between the thirteenth and the seventeenth centuries. The cases examined range from a fourteenth century cause-célèbre, the attempted trial of Pope Boniface VIII for heresy, to investigations of obscure people for sexual and religious offences in the city states of Geneva and Venice. These are examples of the operation in the past of different legal, judicial systems, applied by differently constituted courts, royal and manorial, secular and ecclesiastical, which adopted different procedures, adversarial and inquisitorial. Ranging from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century, the book considers criminal trials and civil litigation conducted in royal, manorial and Church courts in late medieval and early modern England. These trials concentrate on the structure, jurisdiction, functions, and procedures of the courts and on the roles of the judges of fact and of law, both amateur and professional, who composed them. The trials of Giorgio Moreto and of Laura Querini were influenced by the politics of the Venetian State and its ongoing and highly charged relationship with the power of the Church. Discussing the legal history of continental Europe, the book then shifts the emphasis from the judges and jurors to the prisoners arraigned before the courts, to the victims of prosecution or to the highly questionable images of them created by their enemies.\n\nThis book attempts to interrogate the literary, artistic and cultural output of early modern England. Following Constance Classen's view that understandings of the senses, and sensory experience itself, are culturally and historically contingent; it explores the culturally specific role of the senses in textual and aesthetic encounters in England. The book follows Joachim-Ernst Berendt's call for 'a democracy of the senses' in preference to the various sensory hierarchies that have often shaped theory and criticism. It argues that the playhouse itself challenged its audiences' reliance on the evidence of their own eyes, teaching early modern playgoers how to see and how to interpret the validity of the visual. The book offers an essay on each of the five senses, beginning and ending with two senses, taste and smell, that are often overlooked in studies of early modern culture. It investigates Robert Herrick's accounts in Hesperides of how the senses function during sexual pleasure and contact. The book also explores sensory experiences, interrogating textual accounts of the senses at night in writings from the English Renaissance. It offers a picture of early modern thought in which sensory encounters are unstable, suggesting ways in which the senses are influenced by the contexts in which they are experienced: at night, in states of sexual excitement, or even when melancholic. The book looks at the works of art themselves and considers the significance of the senses for early modern subjects attending a play, regarding a painting, and reading a printed volume.\n\nAuthor: Heather Blatt\n\nReorienting the narrative of digital media studies to incorporate the medieval, Participatory reading in late-medieval England traces affinities between digital and medieval media to explore how participation defined reading practices and shaped relations between writers and readers in England’s literary culture from the late-fourteenth to early sixteenth centuries. Traditionally, print operates as the comparative touchstone of both medieval and digital media, but Participatory reading argues that the latter share more in common with each other than either does with print. Working on the borders of digital humanities, medieval cultural studies, and the history of the book, Participatory reading draws on well-known and little-studied works ranging from Chaucer to banqueting poems and wall-texts to demonstrate how medieval writers and readers engaged with practices familiar in digital media today, from crowd-sourced editing to nonlinear apprehension to mobility, temporality, and forensic materiality illuminate. Writers turned to these practices in order to both elicit and control readers’ engagement with their works in ways that would benefit the writers’ reputations along with the transmission and interpretation of their texts, while readers pursued their own agendas—which could conflict with or set aside writers’ attempts to frame readers’ work. The interactions that gather around participatory reading practices reflect concerns about authority, literacy, and media formats, before and after the introduction of print. Participatory reading is of interest to students and scholars of medieval literature, book, and reading history, in addition to those interested in the long history of media studies.\n\nEssays in popular romance\nEditor: Nicola McDonald\n\nThis collection and the romances it investigates are crucial to our understanding of the aesthetics of medieval narrative and to the ideologies of gender and sexuality, race, religion, political formations, social class, ethics, morality and national identity with which those narratives emerge.\n\nSam Barrett\n\n7 Kinship, poor relief and the welfare process in early modern England Sam Barrett The poor in England Kinship, poor relief and the welfare process Overview – the ‘problem’ of kinship Historiographical writing on the depth and functionality of kinship in early modern England is limited. It is also contradictory. On the extent and depth of kinship networks, for instance, early commentators such as Peter Laslett were clear that English households tended to be relatively small and simple and that, because of demographic constraint (migration, ‘background\n\nin The poor in England 1700–1850\nAn economy of makeshifts\n\nThis book investigates the experience of English poverty between 1700 and 1900 and the ways in which the poor made ends meet. It represents the single most significant attempt in print to supply the English 'economy of makeshifts' with a solid, empirical basis and to advance the concept of makeshifts to a precise delineation. The book attempts to explain how and when the poor secured access to these makeshifts and suggest how the balance of these strategies might change over time or be modified by gender, life-cycle and geography. It begins with the general and particular ways in which 'makeshifts' might be constructed, examining the rural agricultural poor and the shifting hierarchy of 'Fuel, dole and bread'. The book confirms the paltry allowances awarded through the poor law and implicitly contrasts them with the relatively generous schemes operated by individual and institutionalised charities such as the Quakers in Lancashire rural communities. Voluntary charity in the makeshift economy is discussed in the context of cultural implications of incorporating charity within survival strategies. The book then tackles the complicated relationship between poverty and social crime by looking at both contemporary published opinion and the evidence of the courts. A survey of pamphlet literature touching on credit, debt and pawnbroking reveals that outspoken, damning criticisms of pawnbrokers were often repeated but rarely qualified by any consideration of the cash flow exigencies of poverty. Finally a micro-study of the Lancashire township of Cowpe illustrates both the quantity and complexity of the makeshift economy.\n\nAnthony Musson\n\nAmateur and professional judges 2 The role of amateur and professional judges in the royal courts of late medieval England Anthony Musson The thirteenth and fourteenth centuries witnessed a rapid expansion in the scope of royal justice in England. The growing demand for legal remedies and the need to enforce public order led to an expansion in the activities of the Westminster courts and in the increasing provision of judicial commissions (some ad hoc, others on a more regular basis) in the shires.1 The expansion was inevitably accompanied by the need for a\n\nin Judicial tribunals in England and Europe, 1200–1700\nMaureen Mulholland\n\nTrials in manorial courts 4 Trials in manorial courts in late medieval England Maureen Mulholland A legal historian approaching the history of the manorial courts is aware that the comprehensive literature of the manor has been primarily concerned with the social, economic or political significance of the manor court. The rolls have been a rich source of research into the nature of medieval society, including questions of personal status, family structures, lordship, demography and social relationships, as well as the practice of agriculture and land\n\nin Judicial tribunals in England and Europe, 1200–1700\nRobert Murphy\n\ncollective vision of a particular tradition, period, background or ‘school’. It’s logical and usual to consider even impersonal and anonymous artworks as an expression of a general consensus ( A Mirror for England , p. 4). 1 R AYMOND DURGNAT’S A Mirror for England: British Movies from Austerity to Affluence , which deals\n\nin British cinema of the 1950s\nOpen Access (free)\nGreeks and Saracens inGuy of Warwick\nRebecca Wilcox\n\n10 Romancing the East: Greeks and Saracens in Guy of Warwick Rebecca Wilcox Guy’s ties to the East For decades, literary critics such as Frederic Jameson and Stephen Knight have argued that medieval romance, for the most part, unquestioningly reflects dominant ideologies of the ruling elite.1 Far from conforming to this prescription, however, the fourteenth-century popular romance Guy of Warwick engages contemporary socio-political concerns in critical and transformative ways. Guy’s fantastic reworking of England’s past through its titular hero both recognises\n\nin Pulp fictions of medieval England", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9994813203811646} {"content": "Home Blog Compare and Contrast Essay - An Ultimate Writing Guide\n\nCompare and Contrast Essay - An Ultimate Writing Guide\n\nCompare and Contrast Essay - An Ultimate Writing Guide\n\nA compare and contrast essay is the most common type of academic writing assigned to high school or college students. This article is written to give information on what compare and contrast essay is and how it is drafted perfectly.\n\nWhat Is A Compare And Contrast Essay?\n\nA compare and contrast essay is defined as:\n\n“A type of writing type that features similarities and differences between two selected objects or subjects.” \n\nThe two subjects should be different from one another. However, they should be in the same ballpark to consider the similarities between the two. \n\nYou should always keep in mind that comparing and contrasting is not restricted to pinpointing the differences between two subjects alone. It makes use of distinctive points and tries to create a meaningful argument subject by subject.\n\nDrawing similarities and differences might not sound difficult but when drafting a structured piece of writing, it can be a challenge. For this purpose, it is essential to learn the basics of how a compare and contrast essay is drafted and structured.\n\n(back to top)\n\nHow To Write A Compare And Contrast Essay?\n\nHow to start an essay is the first thing that pops into the writer’s mind when he is assigned to draft an essay. Pre-writing or the planning phase on an essay contributes a lot to the overall success of an essay. Similarly, writing a good compare and contrast essay depends on how well you take all the required writing steps (pre-writing and writing). \n\nFollowing are the steps involved in the writing process of a compare and contrast essay:\n\n 1. Choose a subject\n 2. Brainstorm similarities and differences\n 3. Form an argument about the topic\n 4. Decide the organizational structure\n 5. Draft an outline \n 6. Provide supporting material\n 7. Use transitional words\n 8. Proofread and edit \n\nChoose A Subject\n\nChoose two subjects or objects to draft your compare and contrast essay on. Make sure, that both the subjects you choose to compare should be from the same category. This means that they might be different but they have a few similarities because of which they belong to a certain category. \n\nFor example, two mammals or reptiles can be chosen to highlight the similarities and differences between them. \n\nBrainstorm Similarities And Differences\n\nBrainstorming your ideas will help you get a rich picture of what you want to do. Think of all the possible differences and similarities. You can take information from multiple sources to gather these similarities and differences. \n\nMake a rough list or a Venn Diagram to write all the similarities and differences of the subjects. This will give an easy representation of all the traits of the chosen subjects. Also, it will become easier for the writer to analyze and evaluate them later.\n\nVen Diagram\n\nTraits of Object A\n\nTraits of Object B\n\nPoint 1\n\nPoint 2\n\nPoint 3\n\nPoint n\n\nPoint 1\n\nPoint 2\n\nPoint 3\n\nPoint n\n\nEither of the representations can be used to roughly note down all the similarities and differences of the selected objects. \n\nForm An Argument About The Topic\n\nA strong compare and contrast essay is more than just listing comparisons and contrasts of the subjects. It includes a stance of the writer as well which is the main argument or thesis statement. Form an argument analyzing the similarities and differences to lay a foundation for your essay. \n\nDecide The Organizational Structure\n\nThere are endless possibilities for how you can structure your essay. The basic structure used to draft a compare and contrast essay is a block or point-by-point structure. For the point-by-point structure, each similarity or difference of one object is followed by other object’s similarity and difference. \n\nOn the other hand, for the block structure, all the information about one object is drafted first and then the information about the other object. \n\nThe following table is the best representation of the block structure: \n\n\nObject 1 - Point 1\n\nObject 1 - Point 2\n\nObject 1 - Point 3\n\nTransition paragraph/Words\n\nObject 2 - Point 1\n\nObject 2 - Point 2\n\nObject 2 - Point 3\n\n\nThe table provided below is the best example of a point-by-point structure: \n\n\nPoint 1\n\nObject 1 + Object 2\n\nPoint 2\n\nObject 1 + Object 2\n\nPoint 3\n\nObject 1 + Object 2\n\n\nDraft An Outline\n\nA compare and contrast essay can be written using a basic essay outline of 5 paragraphs. According to this outline style, all the information is divided into the following sections:\n\n 1. Introduction\n 2. Body Paragraph 1\n 3. Body Paragraph 2\n 4. Body paragraph 3\n 5. Conclusion \n\nAll the gathered information is divided into 5 parts of the outline to form an essay. \n\nProvide Supporting Material\n\nCompare and contrast essay writing is usually dependent on the evidence that you provide to back up your viewpoints. Real-life examples, as well as facts, can be used as evidence and supporting information. \n\nUse Transitional Words\n\nTransitional words are important as they will give a good flow to your essay and increase its readability. Following are the transitional words that make your compare and contrast essay compelling: \n\n\n\n\n\n\nTo compare…\n\nTo be the same as…\n\nJust like…\n\nNot only...but also...\n\nIn contrast…\n\n\n\n\nIn comparison\n\n\nOn the other hand\n\nProofread And Edit\n\nOnce you have finished writing your essay, read your essay to check mistakes in format, grammar, punctuation, spellings, and vocabulary. This step also carries significant importance as it brings perfection to the essay. \n\n(back to top)\n\nCompare And Contrast Essay Outline\n\nOutlining an essay is as important as any part of the essay. Without an outline, there will be no structure making the essay lose its readability for the readers. Compare and contrast essay outline includes the following elements:\n\n 1. Introduction \n 2. Main Body \n 3. Conclusion\n\nCompare And Contrast Essay Introduction\n\nA strong opening paragraph is an integral part of any kind of essay. Like the main topic, the compare and contrast essay introduction also needs to be an attention grabber. In order to make your essay introduction compelling, take the following steps:\n\n 1. Open your introductory paragraph with a hook statement. It can be a fact, quote, or a simple yet interesting sentence to grab the reader’s attention. \n 2. Provide the background information of your topic. You can not randomly start comparing two objects. Therefore, set a stage or briefly discuss the topics you are going to compare. \n 3. Provide your thesis statement at the end of your introductory paragraph. The compare and contrast thesis should clearly depict two subjects that are required to be compared. \n\nThe introduction paragraph should create an overall picture of the comparison essay. Writing a strong introduction will make an essay impactful. \n\nCompare And Contrast Essay Body Paragraphs\n\nThe body paragraphs of your essay are where you lay everything out in front of the reader and explain things with the help of facts.\n\nIn the first section within the body paragraphs, you will be discussing the significance of the subjects that you have selected for comparisons and contrasts. In the last section of the body paragraph, you will be talking about the final factors of both the subjects to write a comparison.\n\nThe structure of the body of your essay strongly depends on the method you choose to write your compare and contrast essay (block method or point-by-point).\n\nIn order to keep your essay informative, you will have to source some factual information to not only impress the reader but also teach them something new. \n\nCompare And Contrast Essay Conclusion\n\nA compare and contrast essay conclusion is drafted by providing the following information:\n\n • Summary of the major points of the content. \n • A brief analysis of the points discussed and the possible solutions. It depends on the subject matter and what approach you choose to analyze. \n • Provide significance of your topic and the comparison made. Describe why you drew similarities and differences between two objects. \n\nThe example of a compare and contrast essay outline below will give you a better understanding of the concept. \n\n • Compare And Contrast Essay Outline Sample (PDF) \n\n(back to top)\n\nCompare and Contrast Essay Writing Tips\n\nEvery good essay motivates the audience to continue reading it from the beginning to the end. This is the reason you should make sure that your essay is interesting and accurate. Follow the tips provided by expert writers at MyPerfectWords.com to make you essay impressive:\n\n • For inspiration and help, check the other compare and contrast essays. If writing a compare and contrast essay from scratch, it can be very confusing. So it is suggested to first go through already written quality essays to help you draft yours effectively.\n • When choosing a suitable essay topic, think critically. Brainstorm topic ideas and select a topic that you think has enough information to share with your audience. \n • Proper formatting is the basic thing you need to take care of while drafting a compare and contrast essay for academics. Follow the instructions provided to format your essay perfectly. \n • Make sure the correct citation is done within the content. Read and understand the guidelines provided to properly cite sources in your compare and contrast essay. \n\n(back to top)\n\nCompare And Contrast Essay Topics\n\nLike every other type of essay, contrast and compare themed essay also needs an interesting and attention-grabbing subject. And to choose good subject areas, you should always start by brainstorming.\n\nBelow are some examples of compare and contrast essay topics, which will give you an idea of how to choose and construct a reasonable topic:\n\n • College versus high schools.\n • Teenage versus adulthood.\n • Camping out or crashing at a motel.\n • The comparisons and contrasts between cats and dogs.\n • Apples and Oranges.\n • Book vs Movie.\n • Marvel’s Spiderman or Iron Man.\n • Outdoor games or indoor games.\n • Undergraduate and graduate studies.\n • American football and rugby.\n\nThese examples of comparison essay topics will help you understand that there are countless themes and ideas to choose from. \n\n(back to top)\n\nCompare And Contrast Essay Example\n\nWriting a good essay requires a person to first consult a few examples. This is to make the writer understand the essay pattern and structure in which he is to write his essay. These compare and contrast essay examples will guide you to draft your essay effectively. \n\n • Compare And Contrast Essay Sample (PDF) \n\n • Block Method For Compare And Contrast Essay (PDF)\n\n • Point-By-Point Method For Compare And Contrast Essay (PDF) \n\nUndoubtedly, writing a compare and contrast essay can be a challenge if your writing skills are below average. If you think your writing and analyzing skills are not up to the mark, you can always get assistance for your academic papers and essays online. \n\nMyPerfectWords.com is an online essay writing company that provides original essays and papers for all subjects and levels. It is the best writing service with trusted and seasoned experts from all over the world.\n\nContact us to discuss your essay and get started with a professional essay writer. Our team of essay experts will compose an A worthy essay for you in no time. Place your order now at exciting prices. \n\nWas this helpful?\n\nHow can we improve it?\n\n\nabout us\n\n\nWhy us?\n • 100+ subject matter experts.\n • 100% original writing (zero plagiarism, ever).\n • Short deadline service.\n • Love our work or don't pay (satisfaction guaranteed).\n\n\nPaper Due? Why Suffer?\nThat's our Job\n\nJust for you to know...\n\nYour first essay with us is FREE!", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9061930179595947} {"content": "...individualizes each test specific to your surgery. These tests allow us to monitor your nerve responses and facilitate real-time feedback.\n\nOur Team...\n\nSomatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEP)\n\nStructures Monitored: The posterior sensory pathways of the spinal cord starting from the ends of the limbs, running up the spine and to the brain.\n\nSurgeries Used On: Spinal, Cranial, Peripheral, Vascular\n\nHow the Test is Performed: Small amounts of current are applied at the patient's wrists and ankles using small sticky electrodes. This causes the nerves to send electrical impulses along the sensory pathway all the way to the brain. Subdermal electrodes are placed under the skin along this nerve pathway to record the size of the impulse and how long it takes the impulse to travel. Finally, the impulse is recorded by electrodes at its final destination: the outer, top portion of the brain or the cortex.\n\nTranscranial Electric Motor Evoked Potentials (TceMEP)\n\nStructures Monitored: The anterior motor pathway of the spinal cord starting at the brain, running down the spinal cord and out to the muscles of the arms and legs.\n\nSurgeries Used On: Spinal, Vascular \n\nHow the Test is Performed: Electrodes are placed on the top of the patient’s head to issue small amounts of current that travel down the spinal cord and continue to the hands and the feet, causing muscles to contract. Other electrodes are also placed on appropriate muscle groups in the arms or legs to read and record the electrical impulses and muscle reactions.\n\nTrain of Four (TOF)\n\nStructures Monitored: This test assesses how much muscle relaxant a patient has in their system, and helps to determine when the muscle relaxant has worn off.\n\nSurgeries Used On: Any procedure in which the IOM technologist needs to read the patient's muscle activity in order to provide the surgeon with accurate information.\n\nHow the Test is Performed: Muscle activity is read and recorded by issuing a current through a subdermal electrode placed on one of the patient’s nerves, causing a muscle contraction. \n\nElectromyography (EMG)\n\nStructures Monitored: Any muscle group that is innervated by at-risk nerve roots.\n\n\nSurgeries Used On: Spine, ENT, Cranial, Vascular\n\n\nHow the Test is Performed: Electrodes are placed on appropriate muscles to record all muscle activity in a patient.\n\nTriggered Electromyography (tEMG)\n\n\n\nSurgeries Used On: Spine, ENT, Cranial\n\n\nHow the Test is Performed: Electric current is used to stimulate the patient’s nerves so that responses can be recorded in the muscles. This ultimately assists in the placement of screws during spine surgery, helping to identify nerve roots, and testing nerve functionality. \n\nElectroencephalography (EEG)\n\nStructures Monitored: Brain Activity\n\nSurgeries Used On: Spinal, Cranial, Vascular\n\nHow the Test is Performed: Recording electrodes are placed in various locations on the patient’s scalp to record the brain’s electrical activity and help identify changes in brain activity.\n\nVisual Evoked Potential (VEP)\n\nStructures Monitored: Optic Pathway/Optic Nerve\n\nSurgeries Used On: Various neurosurgical procedures\n\nHow the Test is Performed: Several electrodes are placed on the occipital lobe at the back of the patient’s head. A flash of a pattern stimulates the eyes and sends an impulse along the optic nerve, which is then recorded by the electrodes.\n\nBrainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER)\n\nStructures Monitored: The auditory pathway beginning at the outer ear, through the inner ear, up the brainstem and then recorded at the cortex.\n\nSurgeries Used On: Cranial, ENT\n\nHow the Test is Performed: Using an audible click through an earphone or speaker, an impulse travels through the patient’s ear, up the brainstem and on to the outer part of the brain where it is recorded by electrodes that are placed on the scalp. This test allows the physician to stimulate and identify the nerve responsible for hearing in the auditory pathway.\n\nCortical Mapping and Language Mapping\n\nStructures Monitored: Cortical mapping allows the physician to identify specific areas of the brain (language, motor cortex, sensory cortex) by stimulating the brain with an electric current and observing the body's response.\n\nSurgeries Used On: Cranial\n\nHow the Test is Performed: The physician stimulates certain areas of the patient’s brain and records limb muscle activity or patient language responses. The responses indicate which area of the brain was stimulated, and allow the physician to label the area accurately\n\nPhase Reversal\n\nStructures Monitored: Motor Cortex, Sensory Cortex and the Central Gyrus.\n\nSurgeries Used On: Any cranial case where it is necessary for the physician to identify the location of the Central Gyrus.\n\nHow the Test is Performed: A grid strip with eight holes is placed along the patient’s brain in a front to back position over the motor cortex and the sensory cortex. While the physician uses a probe to stimulate the brain in each of the holes located along the grid strip, the IOM technologist observes the responses and records the results.\n\n\nTel: 210.598.2800\n\nToll Free: 877.934.2333\n\nFax: 210.566.1330\n\n\nScheduling: 210.269.7108\n\n3502 Paesanos Parkway\n\nSuite 100\nSan Antonio, Texas 78231\n\n\n© 2017 National Neuromonitoring Services, LLC. All Rights Reserved.\n\nPrivacy Policy", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.833513617515564} {"content": "Machine learning classifies cancer\n\nBrain tumours are often classified by visual assessment of tumour cells, yet such diagnoses can vary depending on the observer. Machine-learning methods to spot molecular patterns could improve cancer diagnosis.\nDerek Wong is in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2B5, Canada.\n\nSearch for this author in:\n\n\nSearch for this author in:\n\nAccurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate disease treatment. A core technique used to diagnose brain cancer today is the microscope-based analysis of tumour samples on glass slides, termed histology. However, this requires the appraisal of subtle cellular alterations, which in some cases may lead to different classifications for a given sample by different individuals. Nowadays, technological developments enable vast amounts of molecular data to be obtained and assessed for a tumour without the need for such subjective diagnostics. Machine-based-learning approaches are being developed to aid the diagnosis of clinical samples, and in a paper in Nature, Capper et al.1 report such a method for classifying brain tumours on the basis of molecular patterns.\n\nIn 1926, a publication entitled A Classification of the Tumors of the Glioma Group on a Histo-Genetic Basis with a Correlated Study of Prognosis2 by neurosurgeons Percival Bailey and Harvey Cushing provided early insight into the development, cellular characteristics and clinical consequences of glioma, a type of cancer of the central nervous system (CNS). The book’s title was prophetic and ambitious, given that the microscope-based diagnostic approach they advocated was not common then. The authors’ ideas were ahead of their time — for example, the word ‘histo-genetic’ in the book’s title points to a link between cellular changes and genetics. Bailey and Cushing’s obsessive attention to detail allowed them to identify gross and microscopic tumour features that correlated with clinical outcomes, and the book reported the classification of 14 types of tumour.\n\nToday, many brain tumours are identified by analysis of both histological and molecular features35. The identification6,7 of biologically relevant, tumour-type-defining and clinically informative genetic alterations in brain tumours prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to update its diagnostic guidelines for certain brain tumours in 2016 to recommend an integrative diagnostic approach that combines both histology and molecular information8,9. However, diagnoses that rely predominantly on histology remain common for many types of rare tumour, owing to a lack of molecular identifiers. Yet histological diagnoses face many challenges, including possible cellular variations in tumours that are a mosaic of cells containing different genetic alterations, or the fact that similar histological features can be shared by many different types of brain tumour. Questions remain about how well histological similarity reflects tumour similarity, given that tumours that have similar histology can progress in different ways, and tumours that have contrasting histology can progress in the same way.\n\nA key development for histological analysis is the expansion of computational tools that allow machine-learning processes to analyse histological data10,11. In this approach, a computer is ‘trained’ using a data set of sample images of tumours that have been classified by a physician. The computer uses the classification information to develop its own pattern-recognition criteria with which to identify tumour types. However, a challenge arises if clearly defined diagnostic criteria for certain tumours are lacking, or if different types of tumour are histologically indistinguishable.\n\nCapper and colleagues decided to focus on molecular information whose classification does not require complex visual assessments. They took a machine-learning approach to tumour classification based on changes in DNA methylation — the addition of methyl groups to DNA — and compared such diagnoses with those made by pathologists using histological analysis.\n\nDNA methylation is a type of modification known as an epigenetic change. This category of alteration does not change the DNA sequence but can affect gene expression or cell fate. The role of aberrant DNA methylation and other epigenetic changes in cancer is becoming increasingly evident12,13. In many cancers, the genome-wide pattern of epigenetic changes, known as the epigenome, can be substantially altered. For example, mutations in the genes IDH1 or IDH2 in gliomas cause genome-wide dysregulation of DNA-methylation patterns that can be correlated with specific clinical outcomes12.\n\nPrevious studies1416 have highlighted the diagnostic advantages of profiling DNA methylation for certain types of brain tumour because — compared with histology or the testing of specific genetic alternations — an epigenome-wide analysis of DNA methylation offers an unbiased diagnostic approach. Yet routine epigenome-wide methylation profiling remains relatively uncommon for clinical diagnosis for several reasons, including: cost; sample requirements; a shortage of staff with the necessary data-analysis expertise; and the question of whether the findings would have implications for the clinical treatments used. However, some progress is being made. For example, techniques are now available to use DNA extracted from the most common type of chemically preserved tumour tissue on glass slides, called formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens.\n\nThe authors provided the computer with genome-wide methylation data for samples of almost every CNS tumour type classified by the WHO. The computer used supervised machine learning to recognize methylation patterns present in the pathologist-classified samples, as well as unsupervised machine learning, which involved the computer searching the data sets for patterns that it could use to assign samples into its own computer-generated classification categories.\n\nAfter training, the computer could classify tumours into 82 distinct classes on the basis of specific methylation profiles. Only 29 of these corresponded to a specific tumour type as defined by the WHO and another 29 represented subclasses of the WHO-defined tumour types.\n\nYet perhaps the most interesting discoveries made by Capper and colleagues were tumour classifications that grouped together histologically similar types of tumour comprising more than one tumour type as classified by the WHO, or classifications of tumour types that did not match the WHO groupings. Such discoveries might provide insight into tumour similarities that are independent of tumour histology and could aid the development of treatment options or diagnostic tools.\n\nThe authors used the computer to classify 1,104 test cases of tumours that had been diagnosed by pathologists using standard histological or molecular techniques (Fig. 1). For 60.4% of these test cases, the computer-based classification was identical to the pathologist’s classification, and for 15.5% of the test cases the computer and pathologist assigned the same type of tumour but the computer could also assign the tumour into a subclass. In 12.6% of the test cases, the computer diagnosis did not match the pathologist’s diagnosis. Remarkably, further rigorous analysis of these cases — by, for example, gene sequencing — resulted in the classification of 92.8% of these unmatched tumours being switched from the original clinical diagnosis to the computer-based classification. Moreover, 71% of the reclassified tumours were assigned to a different tumour grade, a recategorization that might have implications for prognosis or treatment. The remaining test cases (11.5%) could not be classified by the computer. Additional computational analysis indicates that one-third of the tumours in this group might represent rare tumours for which the computer had yet to encounter enough examples to generate a classification grouping.\n\nFigure 1 | Tumour classification using a machine-learning approach. Capper et al.1 used a machine-learning approach to classify brain tumours on the basis of genome-wide patterns of a type of DNA alteration called methylation. The computer was trained using methylation data for tumour samples that had been diagnosed by pathologists using standard microscopy-based analysis or analysis of selected genes. After training, the computer was given 1,104 test cases. The authors compared the diagnoses made by the computer and by the pathologists. Although the machine was unable to diagnose all specimens, of the specimens that it classified, the machine-based diagnosis was more accurate or could assign tumours to more-specific subcategories than the classifications made by the pathologists.\n\nDoes Capper and colleagues’ approach represent a probable future standard for tumour diagnosis, given the advantages, such as a low cost per sample that is comparable to that of standard cancer diagnostics; the compatibility with universally available FFPE material; and a website that facilitates data entry, analysis and tumour classification? And, if so, will histological analysis fall by the wayside?\n\nObtaining a comprehensive molecular profile of a tumour specimen is certainly useful, especially when combined with microscopic examination, and might be the way forward as medical treatments become ever-more personalized to the characteristics of an individual’s tumour. However, for now, histology remains indispensable for disease classification because the standard approaches for specimen preservation and examination by microscopy offer the most accessible and universal entry point in the routine diagnostic workflow used in clinical laboratories worldwide. A disease can manifest itself in both molecular and cellular changes; therefore, an approach that integrates both molecular analysis and visual inspection might strengthen diagnostic capabilities.\n\nRoutine and widespread use of the platform developed by Capper et al. might not be practical for many laboratories at present, so the most likely immediate application of this technology would be in assessing cases with ambiguous histological characteristics. Nevertheless, Capper and colleagues’ approach complements, extends and, in some cases, supersedes the tumour-diagnostic potential of microscopic examination.\n\nNature 555, 446-447 (2018)\n\ndoi: 10.1038/d41586-018-02881-7\n\n\n 1. 1.\n\n Capper, D. et al. Nature 555, 469–474 (2018).\n\n 2. 2.\n\n Bailey, P. & Cushing, H. A Classification of the Tumors of the Glioma Group on a Histo-Genetic Basis with a Correlated Study of Prognosis (Lippincott, 1926).\n\n 3. 3.\n\n Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network. N. Engl. J. Med. 372, 2481–2498 (2015).\n\n 4. 4.\n\n Eckel-Passow, J. E. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 372, 2499–2508 (2015).\n\n 5. 5.\n\n Sturm, D. et al. Cell 164, 1060–1072 (2016).\n\n 6. 6.\n\n Yan, H. et al. N. Engl J. Med. 360, 765–773 (2009).\n\n 7. 7.\n\n Sturm, D. et al. Cancer Cell 22, 425–437 (2012).\n\n 8. 8.\n\n Louis, D. N., Ohgaki, H., Wiestler, O. D. & Cavenee, W. K. (eds) WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System 4th edn (International Agency For Research on Cancer, 2016).\n\n 9. 9.\n\n Aldape, K., Nejad, R., Louis, D. N. & Zadeh, G. Neuro Oncol. 19, 336–344 (2017).\n\n 10. 10.\n\n Kleppe, A. et al. Lancet Oncol. 19, 356–369 (2018).\n\n 11. 11.\n\n Ehteshami Bejnordi, B. et al. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 318, 2199–2210 (2017).\n\n 12. 12.\n\n Turcan, S. et al. Nature 483, 479–483 (2012).\n\n 13. 13.\n\n Schwartzentruber, J. et al. Nature 482, 226–231 (2012).\n\n 14. 14.\n\n Wiestler, B. et al. Acta Neuropathol. 128, 561–571 (2014).\n\n 15. 15.\n\n Sahm, F. et al. Lancet Oncol. 18, 682–694 (2017).\n\n 16. 16.\n\n Korshunov, A. et al. Acta Neuropathol. 134, 965–967 (2017).\n\nDownload references\n\nNature Briefing\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9113955497741699} {"content": "ICO Guidelines for safe disclosure\n\nIn previous months, we have discussed the reporting requirements for the gender pay gap and the Modern Slavery Act.\n\nHowever, both these and other reporting requirements, including Freedom of Information requests and environmental information requests, have raised the issue amongst concerned employers that their obligations will be in conflict with other requirements on the protection of confidential information.\n\nThe Information Commissioner’s Office has now published guidance on how to disclose information safely. This can be done by removing any personal data before the information is published or disclosed.\n\nThe guidance also includes information about the current legal requirements, data and software, datasets, formats, hidden data, ineffective redaction, photography and video.\n\nIt can be accessed using this link\n\n\nHow rradar can help:\n\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999533295631409} {"content": "Janardanan Nedungadi\n\nBorn in 1929 in Nallaya, Kerala, Shri Janardanan Nedungadi was trained in traditional Sopana Sangeetam by his father Shri Anujan Thirumulpad. Shri Nedungadi has made a notable contribution to the presentation and propagation of Sopana Sangeetam. He excels in the rendering of Ashtapadis which he has been singing in the Shri Krishna temple at Guruvayoor for over three decades as part of daily temple ritual. Shri Janardanan Nedungadi is widely known and respected in Kerala for his devotional music. He received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 1993. Shri Janardanan Nedungadi receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contri- bution to Sopana Sangeetam.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.967750608921051} {"content": "When And How To Use Plastic Welding Repairs\n\nPlastic welding is the repair of broken plastic items, such as industrial equipment, furniture, toys, and automobile parts. Plastic does have a limited lifecycle, and the longevity of a plastic item can be impacted by several factors, such as weather, UV ray exposure, and chemicals. Plastic welding repairs are best done when the broken parts are worth the replacement and when it would be more cost effective to repair rather than replace.\n\nUtilizing the right welding equipment makes a huge impact on the quality and appearance of the repaired plastic section. Typically, plastic repairs are performed using hot air welders and injection welders. The hot air welding units are typically more cost-efficient, but they require a higher skill level in order to perform a strong weld.\n\nBelow are examples of best practices when performing plastic welding repairs.\n\nClean The Part Before Welding\n\nThe first step in making a plastic welding repair is to clean the part thoroughly with soap and water. It sounds like a no brainer, but skipping this step can absolutely impact the efficiency of the weld. Welders should also make sure the part is completely dry before beginning their repairs. Most manufacturers provide recommendations on the best cleaning products for the specific piece of plastic, so welders should consult the user guide before beginning the repair.\n\nWork Out Deformations in The Plastic\n\nMany plastic welding repairs are done on automobile parts, such as bumpers. In these cases, it is important to work out any deformations in the plastic using a heat gun and reworking the piece back to its original shape. This can be a tedious process, so it’s important that welders are patient. It is also important to keep the heat gun moving as they work out the shape until all deformations are repaired. They can also sand to reveal any remaining deformities and repeat the process until they are satisfied with the result.\n\nCreate a Strong Bond\n\nNot only is it important to prep by cleaning, but also to create a strong bond between the plastic using a plastic welding rod. Welders can use aluminum tape on the backside of a plastic piece in order to help keep the shape of the plastic in place while working. This also helps prevent welding materials from pushing through the weld itself. As always, consulting the manufacturer’s recommendations for welding the specific type of plastic will help to minimize errors or deformities.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.5454058647155762} {"content": "We gratefully acknowledge support from\nthe Simons Foundation and member institutions.\nFull-text links:\n\n\nCurrent browse context:\n\n\nChange to browse by:\n\nReferences & Citations\n\n\n(what is this?)\n\nQuantitative Biology > Neurons and Cognition\n\nTitle: Decoding multimodal behavior using time differences of MEG events\n\nAbstract: Multimodal behavior involves multiple processing stations distributed across distant brain regions, but our understanding of how such distributed processing is coordinated in the brain is limited. Here we take a decoding approach to this problem, aiming to quantify how temporal aspects of brain-wide neural activity may be used to infer specific multimodal behaviors. Using high temporal resolution measurements by MEG, we detect bursts of activity from hundreds of locations across the surface of the brain at millisecond resolution. We then compare decoding using three characteristics of neural activity bursts, decoding with event counts, with latencies and with time differences between pairs of events. Training decoders in this regime is particularly challenging because the number of samples is smaller by orders of magnitude than the input dimensionality. We develop a new decoding approach for this regime that combines non-parametric modelling with aggressive feature selection. Surprisingly, we find that decoding using time-differences, based on thousands of region pairs, is significantly more accurate than using other activity characteristics, reaching 90% accuracy consistently across subjects. These results suggest that relevant information about multimodal brain function is provided by subtle time differences across remote brain areas.\nComments: 25 pages, 6 figures\nSubjects: Neurons and Cognition (q-bio.NC)\nCite as: arXiv:1901.08093 [q-bio.NC]\n (or arXiv:1901.08093v1 [q-bio.NC] for this version)\n\nSubmission history\n\nFrom: Gal Chechik [view email]\n[v1] Wed, 23 Jan 2019 19:29:27 GMT (875kb)\n\nLink back to: arXiv, form interface, contact.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9999910593032837} {"content": "website maker\n\nMarketization and development\n\nThis track will focus on the impact of marketization on development. In exploring this, both concepts, ‘marketization’ and ‘development’ require deeper articulation. The construction and institutionalization of the market, specifically as part of the modern project, its entrenchment across capitalist economies originally and its contemporary global diffusion, along with a culture of neoliberalism, provide multiple avenues for observation, exploration, and study. So does the nature and definition of development. If expanded beyond an economistic conceptualization of development many alternative futures and visions of organizations of life become possible to propose and present.\n\nPresenters for this track are encouraged to investigate all the above mentioned avenues along with the potential contradictions and synergies between the different conceptualizations of ‘marketization’ and ‘development’ proposed.\n\nQueries related to this track may be addressed to Professor Fuat Firat:", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9977487325668335} {"content": "Misson statement\n\nPerception is essential for humans to interact effectively with the environment. The sensory processes innovation network connects researchers in the Asia Pacific region (and beyond) who have a common interest in understanding how our perception of the world is influenced by the complex interactions between neural signals generated by different senses. This multisensory understanding of perceptual systems requires an equally multidisciplinary approach to not only increase understanding of sensation and perception, but also to achieve practical outcome for addressing real-world challenges.\n\nOur network aims to address these challenges by bringing together the greatest minds in Psychology, Computer Science, Engineering, Vision Science and Medicine. By integrating within this global research network, we gain the capacity to achieve quality outcomes efficiently and exert positive global influence across multiple disciplines.\n\nIf you need any advice or further information about becoming a member, then please send an email to: sensory.processes@gmail.com.\n\n20 May 2020: New Oculus Rift coding tutorial available\n21 April 2020: \"Vision scientists shine light on hand washing techniques\" (Article published in INSIGHT)\n20 March 2020: \"Effects of shape, roughness and gloss on the perceived reflectance of colored surfaces\" (Article published in Frontiers in Psychology)", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.997249186038971} {"content": "Courageous leadership is disruptive.\n\nCourageous leaders routinely disrupt dysfunction. They regularly challenge their own preference for comfort—and that of those they lead. Mature leaders understand that their leadership is crisis-inducing.\n\nLet me repeat that: healthy leadership is crisis-inducing.\n\nEdwin Friedman notes that crises are normative in leaders’ lives. These crises come from two sources: those that just arise, imposed on the leader from forces outside that leader’s control and crises that are initiated simply by the leader doing exactly what he or she should be doing.\n\nAs you study Jesus’ leadership, particularly with his disciples, you’ll be stunned how frequently he invokes adversity for those closest to him. Yet, how reluctant is anyone in church leadership to lead in a way that invites a crisis for long-standing church members?\n\n\n-Kirk Kirlin, Leadership Courage more at www.KirlinCoaching.com/blog\n", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9697564840316772} {"content": "Genetic cancer blood. Cancer's 'penicillin moment'? Gene targeting drug could herald 'end game' for disease\n\nCancer prevention through screening programs\n\n\nBut screening tests also have disadvantages, so a balanced decision must be genetic cancer blood, with the help of clinical randomized trials. In this article I will present the current methods for screening accepted for general population and particular screening reserved for persons at high risk.\n\ngenetic cancer blood sirop contra parazitilor intestinali\n\nAlthough in the first case the benefit is proven, the use of these methods in practice varies hpv virus ferfiaknak due to lack of resources and well designed health programs. Beneficiile sunt evidente în anumite cazuri: prelungirea supravieţuieii la cei cu boală curabilă, scăderea morbidităţii, asigurarea pacientului că boala se află în stadiu incipient, evitarea costurilor crescute asociate cu tratamentul formelor genetic cancer blood de boală şi creşterea numărului de ani de productivitate.\n\nDar testele de screening au şi dezavantaje, aşa că un echilibru trebuie găsit, cea mai importantă contribuţie în acest sens fiind genetic cancer blood de testele clinice randomizate.\n\n\n • genetic disorder - Traducere în română - exemple în engleză | Reverso Context\n\nDeşi în primul caz beneficiile sunt dovedite, utilizarea lor în practică variază larg din cauza lipsei de resurse şi a lipsei implementării programelor de sănătate publică. Checking for cancer or for conditions that may become cancer in people who have no symptoms is called screening. It is usually assimilated with secondary genetic cancer blood and involves the use of diagnostic tests in an apparently healthy population. Many people wrongly mistake screening for prevention 2.\n\nThere are several forms of prevention: Primary prevention genetic cancer blood aims to prevent disease before it ever occurs. This is done by preventing exposures to hazards that cause the disease, altering unhealthy or unsafe behaviors that can lead to disease, and increasing resistance to disease if exposure occurs.\n\nAnd he was surprised by what he learned.\n\n\nIt also applies to advanced disease which is asymptomatic or without complications at time being. The fourth level of prevention genetic cancer blood according to some authors, could be considered prevention of suffering from side effects of treatment and complications, pain and maintaining the quality of life of the patients 4.\n\nTraducere \"genetic disorder\" în română\n\nScreening can be proposed for a certain cancer in the following situations: if it is frequent, has a long preclinical evolution, is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, long preclinical non-metastasis genetic cancer blood and if early detection offers access to treatment that improves outcomes. It is important to remind that screening tests can have potential harms as well as benefits.\n\nSome screening tests may have side effects, genetic cancer blood discomfort or severe complications. Screening tests can have false-positive results. Screening tests can have false-negative results. Overdiagnosis is possible. This happens when a screening test correctly shows that a person has cancer, but the cancer is slow growing and would not have harmed hpv impfung dosierung person in his or her lifetime.\n\n\n\ngenetic cancer blood\n\nThe major risk factors are family history and old age, other conditions being associated with greater probability genetic cancer blood cancer alcohol, smoking, lack of physical exercise, poor fiber diet and rich in red processed meat. Another risk is found in people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease 6. Genetic consult, thorough history till second degree relatives and IHC imunohistochemical and genetic testing should be considered in those with HNPCC hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer - like in Lynch syndrome with its variant - Turcot patients with MMR - mismatch repair gene mutations and brain tumoursand Muir-Torre syndrome MTS - cutaneous gland tumours like keratoacanthomas and sebaceous tumors associated with colon, breast, and genitourinary tract neoplasia.\n\nGuaiac FOBT: is used to detect a part of the blood protein hemoglobin. It requires avoidance of certain food before testing red meat. FIT: implies use of genetic cancer blood to detect human hemoglobin specifically. No dietary restrictions are needed. Studies suggest testing every year beginning with the genetic cancer blood of 50 until 80 years; it helps reduce death from CCR by up to 33 percent 8,9. Sigmoidoscopy has the advantage of visualizing the rectum and sigmoid colon and being able to biopsy suspect lesions.\n\n\nCa-2 deficiency's a genetic disorder That scrambles proteins. Deficiența de anhidrază carbonică II este o tulburare genetică Janey has a genetic disorder called Turner syndrome. Janey are o tulburare genetica numita sindromul Turner. I probably overreacted because he has a genetic disorder.\n\n\nIt has the advantage of biopsy, too. Death from CCR is reduced by about 70 percent. The usual recommendation of testing is at 10 years, as genetic cancer blood as other tests are negative Double-contrast barium enema : less sensitive than colonoscopy for detecting small polyps and cancers; has an genetic cancer blood for those who cannot undergo colonoscopy.\n\nNew screening tests are under investigation: stool DNA testing trials showed a high rate of false positivesvirtual colonoscopy and capsule papilloma virus koiralla they should not yet be used for screening. It had two arms: one used low dose helical CT and the other, standard chest X ray.\n\nOn average over the three rounds of screening exams, The results showed that using the CT screening papiloma intraductal en las mamas is a 15 to parazitii pielii la om percent lower risk of dying from lung cancer genetic cancer blood compared with chest X ray. The adenocarcinomas and squamous types were the most frequently detected, while small cell lung cancer, known for its agresivity, was infrequently found on either CT or chest X ray Mammography Genetic cancer blood screening test for breast cancer has been shown to reduce mortality from the disease in women aged 40 to 74, especially genetic cancer blood those aged 50 or older.\n\nTo date, no differences are between classic film mammography and the digital one. Women with breast implants should continue to genetic cancer blood mammograms. A special technique called genetic cancer blood displacement views may be used.\n\nHereditary cancers and genetic testing: Mayo Clinic Radio\n\n\n\nPap test and Human Papilloma Virus HPV testing These tests reduce the incidence of cervical cancer because they allow abnormal cells to be identified and treated before they transform into cancer. They also help reduce death from the disease. It is generally recommended to begin at the age of 21 or 3 years after becoming sexually active and to genetic cancer blood at the age of 65, as long as recent results have been normal. There are 12 high-risk HPV types, most cancers being linked to subtypes 16 and Although the infection is very common, in most cases the immune system will suppress it in 1 to 2 years; but if the infections persists, the genetic cancer blood changes can evolve to precancerous lesions, which finally turn into cancer.\n\n\n 1. Special Report: Fast machines, genes and the future of medicine - Reuters\n 2. Saumon - лосось)].\n\n 3. Prevenirea cancerului prin intermediul unor programe de screening\n 4. Нападение октопауков уничтожило всех, кто был старше сорока.\n\n 5. Metronidazol oxiuriasis\n\nIf results show severe abnormalities, further tests are needed like colposcopy. A newer version of Pap test liquid based one offers the advantage of simultaneous testing for HPV from same specimen. It also reduces genetic cancer blood possibility of unsatisfactory specimen and is considered similar to cytology based test genetic cancer blood terms of detecting cellular abnormalities.\n\nWomen with certain risk factors may need to have more frequent screening or to continue screening beyond the age of These risk factors include being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus HIV genetic cancer blood, being immunosuppressed, having been exposed to diethylstilbestrol before birth, and having been treated for a precancerous cervical lesion or cervical cancer.\n\nWomen who have had a hysterectomy surgery to remove the uterus and cervix do not need to have cervical screening, unless the hysterectomy was done to treat a precancerous cervical lesion or cervical cancer. For women aged 30 and older, Pap genetic cancer blood HPV co-testing is less likely to miss an abnormality than Pap testing alone.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGenetic cancer blood test The test is often done in association with transvaginal ultrasound, and has been tested to be included in screening especially for women with high risk of the disease. It has not been shown to be an effective screening test.\n\npapilloma virus infezione\n\nIts best use remains evaluating the recurrence in women previously diagnosed with the cancerous disease Although many methods of screening have been tested and several are still under evaluation, the ideal test for certain cancer sites is still waited for. A great enthusiasm was seen initially with the apparition of tumor markers like PSA, CEA, CACA regarding their use in screening - unfortunately not confirmed by clinical trials.\n\nThe desiderate for an ideal tumor marker for every site, available for genetic cancer blood on blood samples of healthy persons, still remains an idea not yet feasible.\n\ngenetic cancer blood hpv erkrankung manner\n\n\nMaximising benefit and minimising harm genetic cancer blood screening. BMJ Clinical research ed. Miron L. Terapia cancerului: opţiuni bazate pe dovezi, Genetic cancer blood Institutul European, Iaşi American Cancer Society.\n\nAtlanta: American Cancer Society; Preventive Services Task Force.\n\nAPELA (apelin receptor early endogenous ligand)\n\nScreening for colorectal cancer: U. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Surgery remove breast duct papilloma ; 9 Diagnostic accuracy of faecal occult blood tests used in screening for colorectal cancer: A systematic review.\n\nJournal of Medical Screening ; 14 3 Noninvasive testing for colorectal cancer: A review. American Journal of Gastroenterology ; 6 Once-only flexible sigmoidoscopy screening in prevention of colorectal cancer: a multicentre randomised controlled trial.\n\nLancet ; Ransohoff DF.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.509490966796875} {"content": "BSN NO-Xplode\n5 Sample Pk - $12.99\n2.25 Lbs. - $39.99\n\n4 MuscleTech Hydroxycut Hardcore X\n120 Caps $34.99\n\n\nA Comprehensive Source of Nutritional Terms\n\nBodybuildingPro.com Nutrition Database Nutrition Dictionary: A Comprehensive Source of Nutritional Terms\n\nGo to: Ultimate Supplement Guide!\n\n\nAdenosine Diphosphate: A product of the hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate.\n\nAmino Acids: Often called the “building blocks of life,” amino acids are subunits that join together in sequences to form protein. Amino acids are named as such because they contain both an acid and an amine chemical side unit.\n\n\n\n\nAntidiuretic Hormone (ADH): Hormone produced by the posterior pituitary responsible for fluid and mineral conservation in the mammalian body. Bodybuilders often take ADH blockers to promote water loss in the days leading up to a bodybuilding competition.\n\nAntioxidants: Group of substances reputed to neutralize harmful free radicals produced during cellular respiration.\n\nBasal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Your body mass ratio, or the speed at which your resting body burns calories to provide for its basic survival needs. You can elevate your BMR and more easily achieve lean body mass through consistent exercise, and particularly through aerobic workouts.\n\nBody-Fat Percentage: The total percentage of fat weight in an individual’s physique.\n\nCachexia: General ill health and malnutrition, marked by weakness and emaciation, usually associated with serious disease.\n\nCalorie: The amount of energy necessary to raise one liter or water one degree celsius. A bodybuilder’s maintenance level of calories can be calculated relatively easily, then either a caloric deficit (to lose body fat), or caloric surplus (to gain muscle mass) can be initiated. The calorie content of most foods are listed on the back of packaging.\n\nCarbohydrate: A molecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It serves as the body’s primary short - term fuel source.\n\nCatabolic: Chemical reactions in the body where larger units are broken down into smaller subunits. As an example, muscle tissue may be broken down into protein strands which, in turn, may be cleaved into individual amino acids.\n\nCheat Day: See Cheating.\n\nCheating: In nutritional terms, the word used to describe not following your diet according to plan, or a day set out to indulge yourself in food items not included in your pre-planned diet (a cheat day). In training terms, The Cheating Method refers to deliberately compromising exercise form for the sake of some extra \"beyond failure\" reps.\n\nCholesterol: A type of fat manufactured within the body but more often ingested from fatty animal - source foods like beef, pork, eggs, and milk products. Over the long term cholesterol can clog arteries and other blood vessels, leading to stroke or heart attack.\n\nDehydration: Biological state where the body has insufficient water levels for proper functioning. As the human body is over 90 percent water, athletes must continuously replenish the water lost during intense exercise.\n\n\n\nEssential Amino Acids: The nine amino acids that cannot be manufactured by the body and must be consumed in the diet.\n\n\nFDA: United States Food and Drug Administration.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLacto-vegetarian: A diet including both dairy products and eggs, but excluding meat.\n\nLipolysis: The breakdown or destruction of lipids of fats.\n\nLipolytic: The chemical breakdown of fat.\n\n\nMineral: A naturally occurring inorganic element used for the regulation of metabolism.\n\nNitrogen: A gaseous, nonmetallic element. Nitrogen is a component of all proteins. Nitrogen is essential to the synthesis of proteins the body must have, particularly nitrogen - containing compounds or amino acids derived directly or indirectly from plant food. The process of protein metabolism accounts for nitrogen balance. When protein catabolism exceeds protein anabolism, a negative nitrogen balance exists in the body. When protein anabolism exceeds protein catabolism, a positive nitrogen balance exists in the body.\n\nNutrition: The applied science of eating for greater health, fitness, and muscular gains. Through correct application of nutritional practices you can selectively add muscle mass to your physique, or lose body fat, revealing your full genetic potential, and achieving a very self gratifying goal.\n\nOvo-vegetarian: A diet excluding all meat and dairy products except eggs.\n\nPesco-vegetarian: A diet including dairy products, eggs and fish, but excluding fowl and red meat.\n\nPositive Nitrogen Balance: Biochemical state where nitrogen levels are sufficiently high enough to allow protein synthesis to occur. Positive nitrogen balance is one of the conditions accelerated by the use of anabolic steroids.\n\nProtein: General term used to describe molecules composed of specific sequences of amino acids. Protein is the body’s primary building material and while small amounts can be manufactured, most must be consumed in the diet.\n\nProtein Drinks: Another option to maintain your total protein intake for the day is to take the product in liquid form. The most common are protein drinks available in small bottles, generally 500 ml or less. They are moderately priced and conveniently sized, making them very easy to drink whether at home or at the gym.\n\nProtein Metabolism: The processes whereby protein foodstuffs are used by the body to make tissue proteins, together with the processes of breakdown of tissue proteins in the production of energy. Food proteins are first broken down into amino acids, then absorbed into the bloodstream, and finally used in body cells to form new proteins. Amino acids in excess of the body’s needs may be converted by the liver enzymes into keto acids and urea. The keto acids may be used as sources of energy via the Krebs citric acid cycle, or they may be converted into glucose or fat for storage. Urea is excreted in urine and sweat.\n\nSaturated Fatty Acids: Fat molecules that do not have double bonds between their carbon atoms and are usually solid at room temperature. Saturated fats are considered to play a major role in the development of cardiovascular disease.\n\nSugar: Any of several water - soluble carbohydrates. The two principal categories of sugards are monosaccharides and disaccharides. A monosaccharide is a single sugar such as glucose, fructose, or galactose. A disaccharide is a doble sugar such as sucrose (table sugar) or lactose.\n\nUnsaturated Fatty Acids: Fat molecules which have double bonds between their carbon atoms are usually liquid at room temperature. Generally speaking, as the number of double bonds increase, the fat becomes more oily in nature.\n\nVegan: A diet excluding all foods from animals, in any form. Items such as milk, cheese, and eggs are excluded.\n\nVitamin: Organic compound used by the body to regulate metabolism. Vitamins may be water - based or fat - based.\n\nVisitor Reviews Of This Dictionary!\n\nRead Visitor Reviews - Write Your Own Review\n\nGo to: Ultimate Supplement Guide!\n\n\nE-Mail: Webmaster@BodybuildingPro.com", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.983342170715332} {"content": "13041261_780782072023271_5826325838820778026_o Dynamic Featured ImageDynamic Featured Image\n\nThe Tale of Twin Cities\n\nEvery year the literature festivals being hosted in various part of the country are adding to the circulation of events providing a site to instigate relevant conversations, hosting book launches, and exhibiting art works. It effectively offers an enclosed window time to the panelists, participants as well as the viewers a concentrated extract of art and culture. The debates that get ignited are either on the excess of certain types of cultural events and often approximate the lack thereof. The fourth Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF) 2016 was hosted at the Lok Virsa Museum earlier this month from 15 – 17 April 2016. As ever year the Third Art Section of ILF 2016 was hosted by ArtNow Pakistan, which invited eminent names and voices in the art world from all over the country to participate. The poignant part of the art section is the annual art exhibitions that keep the audiences invited and thrilled. As so this year was the group exhibition curated by Nadia Batool Hussain titled ‘Invisible Cities’. Participating artists included Aasim Akhtar, Sajjad Akram, The Tea Collaborative, Ayesha Durrani, Sara Farid, Fatima Hussain, Mehrbano Khattak, Lubaiba Rajbhoy, Nadia Rahat, Saima Salahuddin, Nadeem Omar Tarar, Zeeshan Younas, Abeerah Zahid and Zaira Ahmed Zaka.\n\n\n\nAs one enters the Sadequain Media Hall at the Lok Virsa Museum, an adjoining archway leads one through a peculiar passage into the art exhibit. On entering, one needlessly is drawn towards the gallery space and is enthralled by the history that the hall secretly contests. The art works are carefully displayed on portable walls installed in front, partially hiding the ceiling-high white shelves that seemingly serve a purpose to hold audio archives. In the center of the front wall is a classic steel spiral staircase that enhances the circumferential space of the room, while also inquisitively adding to the dynamism of the exhibit. For some this might supplement as a distraction as we are used to a pristine, unaltered exhibition spaces or to what some call a ‘White Cube’. But often it is within such unfamiliar spaces that are saturated on personal inherent characters that bring out a silent context grounding the work to the venue, site and often the city.\n\n\n\nInvariably ‘Invisible Cities’ declares to focus on the two cities; Islamabad and Rawalpindi also famously called the ‘Twin cities’. The context of location, culture and peripheral existence of the adjacent cities provides the bridging to the works. The selected exhibit ranges from works on paper, to photographs, mixed media installation and live performance. The title of the show is poignant as it serves a commentary on the current aftermath that the twin cities face. With the recent CDA legislation on shutting down any or all businesses in domestic areas, it is forcing all the art galleries with a few exceptions to temporarily or permanently shut down. The city being notorious of its sporadic audience attendance at art openings and limited buyers now has to navigate a new set of challenges. Is the art scene of the city at the verge of going extinct? One wonders.\n\n\n\nThe photographic works from a performative series by Tea Collaborative titled ‘The Tea Party’ observe moments of similar immense stillness. One observes four performers’ sophisticatedly dressed, oddly staged, and sipping a cup of tea in various parts of the city. In each photograph one observes a repetitive silent ponder, each performer extending absorbed stares into the void. The communal isolation of the body provides one an insight to the mind of the performers. One also notices the fluctuating location of the performance varying from sitting on a boat at Rawal Lake, to the under constructed Metro Bus station in Islamabad. As an extension of the performative series the Tea Collaborative also performed a 20 minutes live performance on saturday evening at the gallery. It is an inherent contrast after looking at performative stills to the live performance, that one notices the intention of the body rather than the performative body itself. The performance is an overlap of actions, rituals, and text using language to comment on the colonial relevance of the act of having a tea party. The performance provides a linear continuation to the photographic works and allows the viewer to be part of the performers fictional world in an obscure way. Now I feel as if I were there with them on the boat while they row away into the abyss.\n\n\n\nWhile The Tea Party approaches the city in the inaudible nuanced way, one sees in the photographic works of Nadeem Omar Tarar and Sara Farid, serving as historical accounts of various parts of the city. The works allow one to position them as pictorial mapping of assorted parts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad attending as a social commentary of the city. The works hold an inherent photo journalistic oeuvre as the photographer walks the city allowing its everyday to empower the lens.\n\n\n\nImminently the series of works on paper by Abeerah Zahid hold a meticulous raw minimalism. With her minimal aesthetic Zahid records parts of the surface to map sites of the replenishing cityscape, contrastingly leaving large empty spaces on her canvas. This dissimilarity in treatment of the subject adds loaded vigor of the political tensions of the city, aiding as a poignant commentary of the current landscapes. The series provides a complex narrative through instilling juxtaposed symbolisms while also adding dynamism to the banal.\n\n\n\nThe center of the space is displayed a collaborative piece, a soft sculpture primarily sculpted with paper by Nadia Rahat and Mehrbano Khattak titled ‘You and Me somewhere in Between’. The title itself and the play of words provide a literal relevance to the title of the exhibition. While one wonder on the intention of the title of the work, the artists interpret and exhibit the combined dualism inherent in the process of collaboration, and back and forth conversation that artists universally share. One finds the meticulous craft and collaborative process intrinsic in the work as it provides a latent testament to a binary pairing of the cities.\n\n\n\nLubaina Rajbhoy works exhibits a collage of land/city-scape of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, mapping the grid. Segments of the drawing extend away from the installed collage incorporating fragments of the wall to become part of the work. The installation provides the viewer into a personal diary of the artist and its personal association to the landscape. It is a commentary on the history of the city and its migrant heritage whilst its modern setting.\n\n\n\nOne involuntary wonders if the political serves as a personal for the artists of the Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and whether the demographics of the city dictate the culture making process. It is apt to revisit the argument that the market dictates the art, and a lot of times artists navigate within these confines. Are we currently to redefine the parameters of the market in the capital? Shall we revisit the context of site? What is poignantly noticeable in the contemporary practices of art internationally is a considerable shift in paradigms. With sites like Lok Virsa Museum or perhaps other public sites getting notifications from the art world makes one wonder the next chapter, the next development, the continuation of the dialogue that lies ahead.\n\n\n\nName Email *", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.903802216053009} {"content": "Economy over climate\n\nBy Nagaland Post | Publish Date: 11/6/2019 11:52:33 AM IST\n\n What environmentalists have been planning for decades to save planet Earth was negated when US President Donald Trump formally announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the 195-member United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which signed the historic Paris climate agreement in December 2015. As one of the most important outcomes of international multilateral progress, the Paris Agreement showed the willingness of member countries to cooperate and clearly signalled the need for the low-carbon transformation of the international society. The global community has prepared for the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement after Donald Trump was elected as US president. However, Trump’s formal declaration of withdrawal still caused worldwide reaction. Trump’s predecessor Obama’s support and his cooperation with China were seen as major factors leading to the convention’s early success. As per records, in 2019, the top carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters were China(27.2 %), the United States(14.6 %), the European Union(9%), India(6.8 %), the Russian Federation(4.7 %), and Japan(3.3%). As can be seen both China and the US contributed around 41% of carbon dioxide emissions in the world. These data include CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion, as well as cement manufacturing and gas flaring. The Paris climate deal signed in December 2015 at best, was a first step toward fixing the problem that has been in evidence for decades by melting ice sheets in the polar regions, rising seas and flooding of coastlines etc. Yet some of the consequences of an overheated planet might be avoided, or at least slowed, if the climate deal succeeds in reducing emissions. The withdrawal will leave America as the only country on Earth outside the accord, that does not agree to reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough to keep temperatures from rising to dangerous levels. Formal notice of the U.S. withdrawal comes just as global emissions keep rising, climate ambitions keep falling short, and climate scientists warn of increasingly dire consequences including drought, extreme weather, and rising sea levels. As per Article 28 of the Paris Agreement, the earliest possible effective withdrawal date by the United States cannot be before November 4, 2020, four years after the Agreement came into effect in the United States and one day after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The long-term goals and international cooperation on climate change will be affected by budget cuts in American climate change research and the cancelation of donations from the multilateral environmental fund of the U.S. The US withdrawal stems largely from Trump’s 2016 election pledge to withdraw from the UNFCCC as part of his promise to ‘make America great again’. That means, the US will continue to take unilateral decisions not in consonance with the climate change agreement in order to pursue its economic interests. In line with policies for reducing fossil fuel emissions, countries like Germany which adhere to the emission standards would be hit by the US withdrawal. German autos will be costlier on account of fuel emission standards while those of the US will be cheaper. A UN report warns that if greenhouse emissions are not brought under control within the next 25 years, 310 million more people will suffer adverse consequences related to temperature increases, 20 million more people will fall into poverty and 75 million extra people will be displaced by climate change and would become environmental refugees.\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us on\n\n© Nagaland Post 2018. All Rights are Reserved\nDesigned by : 4C Plus", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.8885302543640137} {"content": "Cancer Pain\n\nThe pain brought on by cancer is often a chronic state that persists for many months or years. The management of cancer pain typically involves numerous approaches designed to help cancer patients maximize their independence and capability.\n\nOur doctors are well trained in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic muscle and nerve pain problems caused by cancer. During our consultations, we obtain a complete medical history and gather as much information as possible on a patient’s pain. Our doctors work with each patient on a one-to-one basis to determine the best treatment plan for their individual pain, utilizing the most advanced techniques to relieve symptoms and allow comfortable participation in everyday activities.\n\nTreatments for chronic cancer pain focus on relieving symptoms and can vary depending on the cause and severity of a patient’s individual condition, as well as their overall health and medical history. The most successful pain management programs are those that are specifically tailored to a patient’s needs, enabling them to remain actively involved in their own recovery. Some common treatments for chronic cancer pain include medications, injections, electrical stimulation, surgery or a multidisciplinary approach combining two or more of these elements.", "pred_label": "__label__1", "pred_score_pos": 0.9928421974182129}