Mental Floss

3 Scientific Suggestions for Living a Better Life

Shaunacy Ferro
iStock / iStock

Studies show that people who are happier tend to also be healthier and live longer [PDF]. But how do you become a happier person?

Over at Scientific American, psychologist and science writer Scott Barry Kaufman summarizes the main characteristics of “optimal” humans—that is, people who are the healthiest and happiest—using a 2004 textbook called Optimal Human Being by University of Missouri psychologist Kennon Sheldon, who studies well-being and positive psychology [PDF

Kaufman distills Sheldon’s research overview into rules for being an optimal person, based on recent studies. Here are three things he suggests that people should do to be as happy as possible:

In order to feel like you’re moving forward with your life, you need to have goals to work toward. However, they can’t be just any goals.

Goals that are pursued because they fit in with your overall values and interests, rather than because of some outside influence, are said to be self-concordant. For instance, you’re in medical school because you really want to join Doctors Without Borders, rather than because your parents want you to make a good living as a doctor or you feel it will help your social status. Or you spend all day at ice skating practice because you love the sport, not just because you’ve done it since you were a toddler and think you should.

In a 2004 study, Sheldon and his team found that self-concordant people reported higher subjective feelings of well-being across four different cultures, both in the Western world and in Asia. In other words, working toward goals that are based on genuine interest is an important part of happiness. And even if your goals don’t exactly align with your sense of self, they need to at least provide “regular experiences of autonomy, competence, relatedness, self-esteem, and security that all humans seem to need,” as Sheldon writes in his book.

How do you know whether you’re pursuing goals that are good for you? According to Sheldon, the key is listening to your “organismic valuing process” (OVP), or that innate sense of what is important to you and what is necessary for you lead a more fulfilling life [PDF]. This is the nagging little voice in your head that says that something doesn’t feel quite right. “Consult one's [organismic valuing process] when making goal choices, to try to determine what is best,” Sheldon advises in Optimal Human Being. “After making the decision, embrace the goal as thoroughly as possible (i.e., intentionally align one's sense of self with the goal). However, remain open to the OVP, so that as new information comes in, one is able to recognize any emerging necessity to make changes.”

While it’s important to seek personal fulfillment, helping others will make you feel good, too. Research has shown that being generous can make you healthier and happier. Volunteering and other acts of altruism are linked to maintenance of your psychological well-being. And linking your goals to something larger than yourself also impacts how connected you feel to the rest of society. “Pursue higher level (social, cultural) goals—that is, attempt to align your personal action system with the action systems of others or of cultural institutions,” Sheldon recommends. “In this way you will be expressing a healthy human impulse, namely, to integrate yourself into the larger systems in which you are embedded.”

Read the rest of Kaufman's seven rules for happiness at Scientific American


How a Diploma of Leadership and Management strengthens your job skills

Diplomas and further education are a fantastic way to advance your current career path, particularly if they build on your work based knowledge and skills. Regardless of the industry that you are working in, a Diploma of Leadership and Management is a guaranteed way to strengthen your skillset in your current employment. It is an incredibly flexible qualification that has the potential to open doors for to a wide range of career options in all industries.

With a focus towards business and human interaction, a Diploma of Leadership and Management provides you with a repertoire of tools, skills and knowledge that facilitates advancement in your career to a managerial position. The role of a manager in any organisation is equal parts challenging, exciting and lucrative, particularly the higher you go up the career ladder.

Prospects With a Diploma of Leadership and Management
A Diploma of Leadership and Management can gear you up to lead, inspire and build your own team. The core skills found within this diploma are extensive, but are very much centered around a career. Aspects of leadership and management that are usually touched on include accounting, lead, manage and motivate your team, process analysis and improvement, project management and information systems management.

A diploma like this is often undertaken by professionals to help advance their career even further. In that regard, a Diploma of Leadership and Management works incredibly well – so much, in fact, that esteemed managerial posts often look for this diploma when recruiting.

Why is a Diploma of Leadership and Management Good for you?
There are a lot of benefits to this type of diploma, which vary from vocational to personal reasons. For one, if you have a drive for business or a passion for a particular field, this diploma can catapult your career path to the next level. From a personal growth perspective, a Diploma of Leadership and Management offers you the opportunity to expand your own repertoire of skills and knowledge in leadership and management.

Why is it Good for Your Current Career?
If you are already content with your current industry, a Diploma of Leadership and Management can help you move forward within that field easily. Finding a good employee is hard work for a business, so retaining staff and advancing them is often the best course of action for employers. The knowledge that you, as an employee, can gain from this diploma can help almost any business with their management of staff, operating and streamlining business processes and implement the latest technology to improve the overall health of a company.

Better yet, diploma’s such as the one discussed here can be obtained in a very flexible course structure. That means that you might not have to leave your current employer, ensuring that you have a vocation that you can advance in.


Dataset Information

Identification and validation of p50 as the cellular target of eriocalyxin B.

ABSTRACT: As an ent-kaurene diterpenoid isolated from Isodon eriocalyx var. Laxiflora, Eriocalyxin B (EriB) possesses potent bioactivity of antitumor and anti-autoimmune inflammation, which has been suggested to work through inhibition of NF-kappaB (NF-?B) signaling. However, the direct target of EriB remains elusive. In this study, we showed that EriB induced apoptosis is associated with the inhibition of NF-?B signaling in SMMC-7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. With activity-based probe profiling, we identified p50 protein as the direct target of EriB. We showed that cysteine 62 is the critical residue of p50 for EriB binding through the ?, ?-unsaturated ketones. As the result, EriB selectively blocks the binding between p50 and the response elements, whereas having no effect on the dimerization or the nuclear translocation of p50 and p65. SiRNA mediated knockdown of p50 attenuated the apoptosis induced by EriB in SMMC-7721 cells. Taken together, our studies illustrated that EriB induces cancer cell apoptosis through interfering with the binding between NF-?B and the response elements by targeting the cysteine 62 of p50, which highlights its potential for the development of p50 targeted cancer therapeutic agents.

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4294364 | BioStudies |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies

Similar Datasets

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Remembering 9/11 in the Wake of Growing Threats

Remembering 9/11 in the Wake of Growing Threats

As the 21st commemoration of the September 11th terrorist attacks approaches, the solemn anniversary brings a new wave of urgency. It has been one year since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan.

Throughout the past year, the Taliban have worked to reinforce oppression by stripping women of their rights and indoctrinating young boys. Once again, the threat of terrorism is pervasive. After 21 years, we must ask ourselves: how much progress has been made in effective counterterrorism?

Last month, the United States  killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. While this is a victory for the United States, it may only be a short-term cause for celebration. The death of their leader will undoubtedly fuel the anti-Western hatred held by al-Qaeda.

In addition, the Taliban have created a friendly environment in Afghanistan for al-Qaeda, a UN report says. In fact, Ayman al Zawahiri was found in the heart of Kabul. The amicable relationship between the two terrorist groups is dangerous not only for the future of Afghanistan but also for the West who may see the Taliban’s war-ridden intentions in the coming years.

How can the United States prevent this? First and foremost, the U.S. should analyze its role in history. The Soviet War in Afghanistan from 1979 – 1989 provides insight into the mistakes made by the United States that ultimately played a part in the rise of terrorism in the 90s.

Throughout the Soviet War, the United States supported rebel groups in Afghanistan to defeat the Soviets and advance their anti-communist agenda. Soon after the defeat, the United States abandoned the country leaving an unstable Afghan government that was easily seized by the Taliban.

From the 1989 up until the attacks on 9/11, Afghanistan then became a safe haven for radical jihadists and terrorists. During that time, some of the most heinous attacks were carried out with 9/11 being the most catastrophic.

The United States could avoid the repetition lost of the past by engaging with Afghanistan to ensure that the upcoming generation of Afghans is not a product of radical, fundamentalist indoctrination to be used for a terrorist agenda.

The United States can further intervene by analyzing relationships with regional actors like Pakistan, who delayed accountability for the 9/11 attacks by providing refuge for Osama Bin Laden, and reconsider new allyships that will further the prospect of counterterrorism in the face of the growing threat. In doing so, the United States can learn from the lessons that came after the Soviet War and contribute to active counterterrorism efforts.

At the very least, it is crucial for the United States to maintain vigilance. The Taliban and al-Qaeda now occupy Afghanistan, however, their desire to exert influence will not stop there. The fundamental principles of these two groups are rooted in Western hatred and the desire to return to Islamic Sharia law of their own version, further perpetuating violence and oppression.

As we remember the events of September 11th, it is also important to remember the role that the United States has as a powerhouse in international relations. With this considered, the U.S. must exercise influence through the correction of its past mistakes. In doing so, the United States can play its part in reducing the expansion of terrorism.

Remembering September 11th

Remembering September 11th: The Prevailing Memories of 9/11

Remembering September 11th

“The Black Swan Theory”, coined by Nassim Nicholas Caleb, describes sporadic, unforeseen, and highly significant events. These events are challenging to predict in the normal course of business and are unthinkable. The September 11th attacks portray the Black Swan theory. The tragic event was unexpected to the world, and its implications continue to affect the world 21 years later.

On September 11, 2001, a black swan event occurred when the deadliest terrorist strikes in American history resulted in 2,977 fatalities. On that Tuesday morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists deliberately crashed four American passenger airlines headed for the West Coast.

Both the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed as a result of the collision between American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, which took off from Boston. Flight 11 hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. and Flight 175 hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.

After passengers stormed the cockpit and attempted to subdue the hijackers, United Airlines Flight 93, leaving from Newark, New Jersey, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77, departing from Dulles International Airport in Virginia, crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m.

The attacks redefined how the United States views counterterrorism and national security. They also reinforced patriotic values, along with other defining principles of the United States. Furthermore, the aftermath saw a change in U.S. immigration laws and gave rise to an increase in discriminatory practices, prejudice, and hate crimes. All of this comes down to complex issues like economic reprisals, political and international tensions, abuses of human rights, and the escalation of unwarranted conflicts.

The Beginning of Everything

Sandra Crosby, a Boston University School of Medicine professor stated that the ongoing consequences of the US’s decisions to torture terror suspects have been profound – at their worst, inhumane.

Joseph Wippl, a Pardee School professor of the practice of international relations and a former Central Intelligence Agency officer expressed that beginning with 9/11, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) became more than ever a covert action agency.

Sarah Sherman-Stokes, a Boston University School of Law professor and associate director of LAW’s Immigrants’ Rights and Human Trafficking Program, has shared her perspective that the horrific events of September 11, 2001, forever altered the framework of United States immigration law and policy.

People may or may not have similar sentiments. The best and worst of what America had to showcase were in evidence as a result of the attacks, notwithstanding the wide range of emotions that have arisen since then; outrage, devastation, and hope. However, “the psychology of grieving” and the drumbeat of war soon overshadowed this opportunity for Americans to be drawn into the heart of mankind as a whole and experience the anguish of loss in locations far removed from their sensibilities yet within their military aircraft capability.

How Will This Be Remembered?

What would be the last remnant of 9/11 on its anniversary? Will this be depicted as a picturesque but consequentially irrelevant tragedy or as a pivotal juncture that fundamentally shaped the development of American and global politics? Will future generations view this day as a telling indicator of emerging themes, a politics of playing chess, the starting point for a string of disastrous foreign policy errors, or just a singular incident with only significant long-term effects?

Of course, it is difficult to predict with absolute certainty how 9/11 will be remembered as the years progressed; perhaps all we can say with certainty is that the interpretations made of it will differ depending on who is doing the interpreting. Moreover, the 9/11 attack may be a sentimental tragedy to remember, but this tragedy may also be considered a triumph to some. Americans will view 9/11 differently than Afghans, Iraqis, Saudis, Asians, or Europeans, and it is likely to be little more than a historical footnote for many people all across the world.

When time passes and more recent affairs take the stage, what is prominent in our minds today is frequently unimportant to others. Especially at a time when other societal challenges have surfaced, such as COVID-19, these are questions that will seem to arise. Will 9/11 still be remembered?

Furthermore, one of the most crucial lessons I’ve learned over the years as a Filipino counterterrorism practitioner is that the United States’ decisions and actions have a great impact on how the rest of the world views them: a powerhouse ally or an enemy. Furthermore, I observed a great deal of unity in the wake of 9/11, which shows that the bonds that unite Americans are stronger than any efforts to sever them.

May We Never Forget

Personally, I have worked with and for America. I was a counter-terrorism intern at American Counterterrorism Targeting & Resilience Institute, a qualifier at Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium, and am now a fellow at Rise to Peace, Middle East Forum, and Pacific Forum. During the 9/11 attacks, I was still a year-old baby and had absolutely nothing to do in these fields.

But today, as a third-year political science student in the Philippines, I am one of the few Filipinos who devote their time to studying, writing, and researching global terrorism. I’m not doing this because I have a thorough understanding of what happened on September 11, 2001, but rather because I genuinely believe that we can contribute significantly to the development of a better and wiser counterterrorism response, even in the smallest way, through constructive and research-based discussion and a productive and exchange of conversations.

Although we are aware of the lapses and loopholes in the aftermath of 9/11, we should be proud of the significant steps we have taken together, particularly in the fields of research, counterterrorism, law enforcement, and intelligence. Moving forward, I hope that the lessons learned during 9/11 will serve as a wake-up call to the United States about its decisions and their global consequences as a hegemonic actor in global politics. As we mourn the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and mark their 21st anniversary, may we always be reminded to never forget.

Kristian Rivera, Counter-Terrorism Fellow

Terrorism Southeast

Security and Counter-Terrorism Efforts in Southeast Asia

The Global Terrorism Index (GTI), a comprehensive study prepared by the Institute for Economics and Peace on the impact of terrorism in 163 countries, reports that since 2020, the Southasia region has recorded a higher fatality rate compared to other regions. According to GTI 2022, among Southeast Asian countries, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia top the list. On the other hand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, and Laos are least impacted by terrorism.

Although GTI is an ideal tool to assess the impact of terrorism on countries, the study is not without limitations. The countries are ranked based on four indicators: incidents, fatalities, injuries, and property damage. It means that the index relies only on the ensuing consequences of terrorism and fails to take into account the persisting threat of terrorism. For instance, according to the GTI 2022, Singapore is least impacted by terrorism. However, the Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2021, published by the Ministry of Home Affairs, acknowledges that the terrorism threat to Singapore remains high. The situation is similar to that of an active volcano. It means that a ‘zero score’ in GTI, as in the case of the majority of Southeast Asian countries, may not necessarily imply that the country is free from terrorism threats.

The terrorism activities reported in the Southeast Asia region reveal the changing dimension of international terrorism. In March 2021, a woman lone wolf attacker, inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), opened fire at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta. In the Philippines, two women ISIL terrorists staged suicide bombings to avenge the death of their terrorist leader. Dr. Rommel C. Banlaoi, the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence, and Terrorism Research chairman, warned of the increased active participation of women in terror attacks. Further, he stated that women also teach and encourage children to be their successors after martyrdom. The situations indicate the spread of female militancy in the region and the intergenerational succession of terrorism.

The Singapore ministry of home affairs cited self-radicalization, Islamist terrorism, and far-right extremism as a potential threat to its homeland security. The ministry confirms that within Southeast Asia, ISIL remains the primary terrorism threat actor. ISIL’s success in digitalization of radicalization has accelerated the spread of propaganda and lone wolf attacks in the region. The situation makes it challenging for law enforcement agencies to identify sleeper cells and prevent acts of terrorism.

The nexus between conflict and terrorism is apparent in Myanmar. Political turmoil fuelled violent conflict leading to terrorism has landed Myanmar on top of GTI 2022. Since the military coup in February 2021, there has been a significant rise in terrorist attacks, and the  Anti-junta armed groups are responsible for causing the majority of deaths. Terrorism continues to breed on push and pull factors or vulnerabilities born out of conflicts, such as political instability, violence, poverty, unemployment, forced displacement, and oppression.

Thailand continues to be a transit and facilitation hub for terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah, and Hezbollah. The country is facing political instability, which impedes the government’s efforts to implement a counter-terrorism strategy. Further, Bangkok has become a hub for global organized crime syndicates. A report of the Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime confirms that organized crime syndicates are targeting Southeast Asia to expand operations, and the profits generated by such groups have reached unprecedented and dangerous levels. There exist a nexus between organized crime and terrorism. Organized crime facilitates terrorism and vice versa. Organized crime breeds in areas with political instability and a weak law enforcement system. Terrorism creates fertile ground for organized crime to breed. On the other hand, organized crime aids terrorist organizations in recruitment, funding, and logistics. In short, this nexus is capable of eroding regional security, as is the case in Southeast Asia.

An analysis of the counter-terrorism efforts made by Southeast Asian countries evidences the success of regional cooperation in overcoming the challenges and threats posed by evolving terrorism. A joint declaration of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN)  to counterterrorism strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and declares terrorism as a direct challenge to the attainment of peace, progress, and prosperity. ASEAN has established a regional framework to control, prevent, and neutralize transnational crime. The ASEAN Convention on Counterterrorism aims to strengthen mutual legal assistance, cooperation, and rehabilitative programs to combat terrorism.

At the national level, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia are pioneers in counter-terrorism efforts. Indonesia is effectively implementing the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counterterrorism Strategy. It means that the country is making an effort to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, prevent and counter-terrorism, support member states and the UN to combat terrorism, and promote the rule of law and human rights. Indonesia has sought the support of the international comity in addressing the issues of terrorism financing and foreign terrorist fighters. The Singapore government has initiated the ‘SGSecure movement’ to empower its citizens to effectively identify radicalization signs and report suspicious activity. The programme is spread through educational institutions, civic societies, workplaces, etc. The government acknowledges the importance of people’s participation in countering self-radicalization and terrorism. Similarly, Malaysia has established specialized institutions, including the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counterterrorism (SEARCCT), to counter terrorism and extremism through partnerships for goals, capacity building, and research.

Varun VM, Counter-Terrorism Research Fellow

Sexual repression of Afghan women: a Taliban’s state-building strategy

Sexual Repression of Afghan Women: a Taliban’s State-Building Strategy

“Women’s security in the home is a reflection of the security in the country. If women cannot be safe at home, they’re not safe at all. And if women are not safe, then no one is safe,” Lina Abi Rafeh wrote.

In just a year, Afghan women have lost most of the rights they had fought for over the last two decades. Women cannot study past primary school, can no longer work unless they are nurses or teachers, and are constrained to the domestic sphere as their support systems collapse. Reports show that most women’s shelters have stopped taking in new women as they are forced to operate in total secrecy or have been shut down completely, including the Ministry for Women’s Affairs

But what do all these restrictions have in common? They are making women “prisoners in their own home,” as Human Rights Watch stated, and are symptomatic of one of the Taliban’s state-building strategies: utilization of sexual capital.

The Taliban, who rose back to power in August 2021, are rooting their state-building strategy in the private, the intimate, and the goal of destroying and reshaping women’s identities through strict, gendered, and repressive norms.

School curricula have been modified to focus more on religious studies and norms. “They dictate what women must wear, how they should travel, workplace segregation by sex, and even what kind of cell phones women should have. They enforce these rules through intimidation and inspections,” Human Rights Watch said.

The Taliban enforce a collective identity based on common –and imposed– norms and morals (women’s rights but “within Islamic law”). They are institutionalizing repression, or in other words, ideals of feminine purity, through the Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which replaced the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

The regulations focus on women’s bodies and most importantly relate to the Muslimwoman archetype coined by Fatima Mernissi. Characterized by modesty, chastity, and motherhood, this identity being forced upon women is primordial in creating collective cohesion in a context of local division and conflict.

“State building is the insurgent’s central goal,” Stathis Kalyvas, author of The Logic of Violence in Civil War, writes. And as a proto-state –in a perpetual power struggle with domestic and international actors– the Taliban ultimately strives for control and will enter people’s homes to exert that control. Controlling sexual capital, or the way women dress, if they’re allowed to wear makeup, and refusing them any support for sexual violence, is merely a reflection of how the Taliban use the intimate to impose its state.

Over the last year, the Taliban freed more than 3 000 prisoners, many of whom are perpetrators of gender-based violence. For women who were abused by their husbands, members of their families, or their communities, this means further insecurity and a reduction of their allocated space in society.

“We don’t leave our home much,” a government worker told Human Rights Watch. “When we leave, we leave with a mahram [male guardian]. Some things like sanitary pads must be purchased by women themselves, but it’s hard to do it with a man accompanying us. …Women can’t take transport, they either must go out with a mahram or walk. They should walk with burqa, no heels, no makeup.”

By locking women into roles of mothers and wives, the Taliban seek to use their sexual capital to breed new generations of individuals who belong to a definitive collective identity.

Furthermore, this increased polarization between the righteous Muslimwoman and the glorious militant man further brings the Taliban culture of political extremism and violence into the home. These norms already have –and will continue– to lead to increased domestic violence and sexual violence. It is a perpetual cycle; locking women in their homes, making them more prone to domestic and sexual violence and patriarchy-rooted masculinity, which serves the Taliban’s collective identity and thus, its state.

Overall, there should be a greater focus on gendered analyses of Taliban state-building to better understand the group’s motive and strategy, going beyond the sole ideological and religious factors. In doing so, the long-term implications of a forced collective identity will be revealed and provide insight into the future for Afghan women in society.

Emma Beilouny, Counter-Terrorism Fellow

the US had assassinated al-Qaeda commander Ayman al-Zawahiri

US Assassinate Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda’s Number Two

After months of meticulous planning and geographic calculations, President Joe Biden announced that the US had assassinated al-Qaeda commander Ayman al-Zawahiri, also known as Al-Qaeda number 2 in Osama Bin Laden’s leadership, in a drone strike in Afghanistan. Al-Zawahiri, together with the attackers of 9/11, were then labelled as the most wanted after the tragedy back in 2001.

He was assassinated on Sunday during a CIA counterterrorism operation in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The strike was finally called off at 9:48 p.m. ET (0148 GMT) on July 30 by an unmanned aerial strike launching alleged “hellfire” missiles.

The drone reportedly fired two missiles at Zawahiri as he was on the balcony of a safe house, according to officials. Other members of the family were nearby, but they were unharmed, and they added that Zawahiri was the only victim of the incident. “Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” Joe Biden added.

A senior administration official told reporters that Zawahiri had been in hiding for years and had not been traced easily due to his remote activities, obviously trying to live his life in the shadows, as the CIA had been eyeing him in the areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The operation to locate and kill him was the result of “careful, patient, and persistent” work by the counter-terrorism and intelligence community.

CIA’s Effort to Trace Zawahiri

The United States government had been cognizant of a network that it believed backed Zawahiri for a number of years, and for the last year, following the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, officials had been on the lookout for signs of Al Qaeda’s presence in that nation.

CIA officials discovered this year that Zawahiri’s family—his wife, his daughter, and her children—had moved to a secure home in Kabul and later traced Zawahiri there.

In early April, intelligence officers began alerting senior government officials after emerging more certain over several months that they had accurately identified Zawahiri inside the Kabul safe house. President Joe Biden was subsequently briefed by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

The official said that to guarantee that the United States could cogently carry out an operation to kill Zawahiri without impeding the structural integrity of the building and with the least amount of risk to bystanders and Zawahiri’s family, officials probed the construction and condition of the safe house and closely examined its inhabitants. They have also discussed the potential legal repercussions of this strike, particularly given that it will take place in Afghanistan.

The administration also made sure that the severity of the attacks on civilians was kept to a minimum, if not none. Finally, the attack took place on July 30 and killed Zawahiri.

The Taliban Condemns the Drone Strike

According to a statement from the Taliban’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, the incident happened on Sunday. The ruling Islamist radicals severely criticized it as a violation of “international values” and the 2020 agreement on the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

However, US officials insisted that the operation was legal nevertheless because the killing of Zawahiri comes nearly a year after US troops completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on the orders of Mr. Biden, bringing an end to a 20-year military presence there.

The Taliban vowed not to permit al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in regions they control as part of a 2020 peace agreement with the US, but the US believes that the Taliban knew all along about Zawahiri’s presence and they have provided shelter. From there, the violation of the Taliban’s peace agreement with the US has been visibly infringed.

Netizens’ Reaction to the US air strike

Many reactions surfaced after the announcement by Biden on the killing of Zawahiri. People have been debating whether the US should no longer intervene in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops because it risks more indiscriminate killings and human rights violations. It seems that other people have also been comparing the US’ proactive efforts to counter terrorism in vulnerable states and yet no actions were taken against Russia; some have remarked that the issue is long overdue and the US has double standards on so-called justice.

Moreover, Canada’s Prime Minister expressed his support for the counterterrorism effort, saying: “The death of Ayman al-Zawahiri is a step toward a safer world. Canada will keep working with our global partners to counter terrorist threats, promote peace and security, and keep people here at home and around the world safe.” Furthermore, we should never underestimate the officers who have gone above and beyond their mission to eliminate the threat not only in America, but globally.

Kristian Rivera, Counter-Terrorism Research Fellow

Rise to Peace


Company Director Pays High Price for Gambling With Creditors' Money

Directors who cause insolvent companies to trade when there is no reasonable prospect of creditors being paid put not just their livelihoods but their careers on the line. That was certainly so in the case of a media company director who was disqualified from taking a managerial role in any company for seven years.

The company depended entirely on working capital being provided by members of the same group in Nigeria. Financial difficulties arose when the Nigerian Central Bank imposed restrictions on foreign currency exchange in response to a collapse in oil prices. Starved of funds, the company ran up seven-figure debts in its final months of trading before it entered insolvent liquidation and was wound up.

The company's demise prompted the Official Receiver to launch proceedings against its director under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. In imposing the disqualification, a judge found that he had not acted dishonestly and that he genuinely believed that funds would at some point become available to meet the company's increasing debts. However, she went on to find that his belief was irrational and unjustified and that he had gambled with sums owing to creditors without regard for or compliance with proper standards.

Dismissing his challenge to that outcome, the High Court noted that the judge rightly directed herself that ordinary commercial misjudgment is, by itself, not enough to demonstrate that a person is unfit to act as a director. She made no error of law in criticising the cavalier manner in which he treated the company's creditors or in finding that he took unwarranted risks with their money.

In the absence of a finding of dishonesty, or that he knew or should have known that there was no reasonable prospect of the company avoiding insolvent liquidation, the Court acknowledged that the length of the disqualification was at the upper limit of what was reasonable. It was a serious case, however, and the judge made no error of principle in fixing a term that was not grossly disproportionate.


MA Public Opinion and Political Behaviour
BSc Statistics options

Year 2, Component 06

MA209-5-SP or MA205-5-SP or MA214-5-SP
Optimisation (Linear Programming)

Are you able to solve a small linear programming problem using an appropriate version of the Simplex Algorithm? Learn to formulate an appropriate linear programming model and use the MATLAB computer package to solve linear programming problems. Understand the methods of linear programming, including both theoretical and computational aspects.

Numerical Methods

How can we solve a problem that does not have a nice pen-and-paper solution? How do we ensure our computers use the available data efficiently to deliver accurate and reliable results? Understand the practical techniques for carrying out numerical computations on a range of mathematical problems. Build your knowledge of mathematical computing. Learn how to implement and execute algorithms in Matlab.

Network Analysis

Everything in the world is linked together. This module introduces you to the knowledge of “networks” to disclose the mystery behind these links. An introduction to networks, the most common types of networks, and their mathematical properties, as well as typical network models, will be delivered in this module. You will also learn programming skills using Python/R to create and analyse real-world networks.

Find out more


June 21, 2021

08 Episiotomy: Who really needs one?

08 Episiotomy: Who really needs one?

This fad is one everyone was glad to see go but why is it still performed?

Episiotomy, which literally means surgical cutting "tomy" and epis "pubic region" is a practice that largely fell out of favor after this 2005 JAMA study.   Even though this practice was railed against for years by midwives and several concerned OB/GYNs it took a while for the research to catch up with the truth that a natural tear is better than a surgical cut when childbirth is concerned.  This is a perfect example of how often the research lags behind truths in medicine and the importance of the opinions of experts who are at the bedside everyday.  Especially in childbirth.

With all this great knowledge about why this surgical opening to enhance the birth outlet and facilitate or expedite delivery of the fetus is inferior to a natural tear, why is it still utilized in the labor and delivery room?  In this delightful episode Dr. Abdelahk will answer this questions and more like:

Why is a natural tear better than an episiotomy for birth?
Why is episiotomy still performed today in labor?
What type of episiotomy is best?
What can a pregnant woman do to educate herself about how to avoid an episiotomy or reduce her chance of having an unnecessary episiotomy in her own birth?

We also have a great Youtube Video about this very topic. Don't miss this!  We linked the video here.  Dr. Abdelhak sits down and explains all about episiotomy and birth. Its a must see for any woman about to have a baby or anyone who cares for her.

We would love to hear from you and you can reach out to us on our podcast page at truebirthpodcast.com

We are putting together a follow-up episode to this one about tips and tricks to minimize tearing and we would love to hear from you, doulas, labor coaches, OB/GYNs, women, midwives and nurses about what you have seen work.  We are compiling everything that works and dispelling what doesn't.  We will of course divulge our own secrets and truths about what works to minimize tearing in childbirth.

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The effect of thermal treatment on sterility, molecular and mechanical properties of various polylactides. I. Poly(L-lactide).

Resorbable pins for the treatment of osteochondral defects produced by injection-moulding from poly(L-lactide) were subjected to the action of heat at 105-150 degrees C under a low moisture and low oxygen atmosphere for a predetermined time. Standard procedures were used to evaluate the sterility, mechanical properties, molecular weight, polydisperity and crystallinity of the heat-treated samples. All of the heat-treated samples were sterile after 2 h of exposure to heat. There was an 10% increase in the shearing strength of the samples treated thermally for up to 10 h. This was attributed to the increase in overall crystallinity and crystal dimensions in the samples which enhanced the propagation of cracks formed upon testing through areas of high ductility. There was, however, a 20-35% drop in flexural strength which might result from the decreased concentration of the amorphous regions in the heat-treated implants. A 20% increase in molecular weight of the heat-treated implants was assigned to the transesterification process between the -OH and -COOH groups present initially in the polymer and/or formed due to chain scission upon exposure of the material to heat.[1]

WikiGenes - Universities


Thyroid-stimulating hormone
Thyrotrophin-stimulating hormone (also known as TSH or thyrotropin) is a peptide hormone
Peptide hormone
Peptide hormones are a class of peptides that are secreted into the blood stream and have endocrine functions in living animals.Like other proteins, peptide hormones are synthesized in cells from amino acids according to an mRNA template, which is itself synthesized from a DNA template inside the...

 synthesized and secreted by thyrotrope
Thyrotropes are endocrine cells in the anterior pituitary which produce thyroid stimulating hormone in response to thyrotropin releasing hormone .Thyrotropes appear basophilic in histological preparations....

 cells in the anterior pituitary gland, which regulates the endocrine function of the thyroid gland.
TSH stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete the hormones thyroxine
Thyroxine, or 3,5,3',5'-tetraiodothyronine , a form of thyroid hormones, is the major hormone secreted by the follicular cells of the thyroid gland.-Synthesis and regulation:...

 (T4) and triiodothyronine
Triiodothyronine, C15H12I3NO4, also known as T3, is a thyroid hormone. It affects almost every physiological process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate....

 (T3). TSH production is controlled by thyrotropin-releasing hormone
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone , also called thyrotropin-releasing factor , thyroliberin or protirelin, is a tropic tripeptide hormone that stimulates the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone and prolactin by the anterior pituitary...

 (TRH), which is manufactured in the hypothalamus
The Hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions...

 and transported to the anterior pituitary gland via the hypothalamo-hypophyseal portal system, where it increases TSH production and release.


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2016-12-10 / Posted in


Adolescence and Drug Use

Adolescents have to make many choices, including forming a certain view of self and life. A cultural message often sent to them is that they cannot be trusted to make good decisions for themselves and act responsibly. This paper examines the issue of adolescent substance use and abuse amidst this cultural climate. Various risk factors and prevention programs are investigated and understood in the context of a society that still views some drugs, such as alcohol, to be acceptable and appealing; the double standards regarding drug laws are also examined. Finally, the treatment approach of family therapy and an emphasis on profound philosophical changes, entailing rational values for adolescents, offer ways to deal with problematic drug use and abuse.

Adolescent Substance Use and Abuse: An Issue of Choice

Adolescence, like later life stages, is a time characterized by many choices. It lies somewhere between childhood and adulthood, which can be tough for those searching for a coherent philosophy to guide them through this period. They typically lack the necessary knowledge to make more adult choices, and they still retain the carefree energy from the lesser responsibilities of childhood. Thus, a metamorphosis is required that entails restructuring not only relationships to others of various ages, but also of one’s own values and goals.

Oftentimes the philosophy that adolescents accept is somewhat sketchy; there may be blind spots and undeciphered meanings. Many of their ideas and beliefs about self, others, and the world are held implicitly, and therefore only exposed indirectly through behavior. Other influences—such as edicts from parents, suggestions (or taunting) from peers, images and portrayals from the media, instructions and advice from teachers, and so on—tend to pull the adolescent in different directions.

Oftentimes the person’s own inner voice gets drowned in a flood of new experiences and points of view. In turn, it can be difficult to make one’s fundamental assumptions about life explicit and to really understand the meaning and implications of one’s behavior. The adolescent person may just go with the flow most of the time, and the cultural osmosis effect may guide many of his or her choices.

A Harmful Cultural Message

Certainly one of the worst cultural messages sent to adolescents is that they are incapable of making proper choices for themselves: They must be controlled by adults and punished if they break the adult-formulated rules. This lack of trust in adolescent functioning can only have harmful consequences for both adolescents and society. Adolescents are told to properly obey the commands and laws of society while being told that they are incapable of making the right decisions (i.e., until they reach a certain age).

Paradoxically, adults expect adolescents to exercise proper judgment not to break the rules, even though many of the rules are designed because adolescents supposedly lack the proper judgment in the first place. This obviously presents a severe double bind, in which some may conclude that they need not be very responsible and make good choices for themselves. A range of the moment, pleasure-seeking mentality may even arise. Thoughtless, careless, and reckless behavior sometimes occurs among those who have been told in so many ways that they are not to be trusted and will be penalized for “misbehaving.”

Dealing with Substance Use and Abuse

Probably the most salient example of this cultural situation concerns the topic of this paper: Adolescent substance use and abuse. Some researchers in this area (Thomas & Schandler, 1996) have stated that “it is important to differentiate experimental and recreational use from problem usage and to determine problem severity; i.e., use, abuse, misuse, or dependence” (p. 3). This is done in order to ascertain the proper assessment and, hence, treatment requirements, because use, misuse, abuse, and dependence have different behavioral outcomes. Thomas and Schandler (1996) outlined various risk factors involved in the process of substance abuse. In general they encompass the biological, the psychological, and the sociocultural.

All sorts of contextual factors are involved in utilizing substances too, and they are typically taken into account when implementing methods of primary prevention (reducing the chances of use and abuse beforehand) and secondary prevention (minimizing the damage already done and halting further maladaptive behavior). A variety of community-based programs and projects have been initiated to deal with targeted risk factors such as academic failure, antisocial behavior (and alienation, rebelliousness, and lack of social bonding), family management problems, and community laws and norms partial to drug use (Harachi, Ayers, Hawkins, Catalano, & Cushing, 1996). Wodarski and Feit (1995) outlined a comprehensive program of education through concrete tasks and exercises involving students and parents; they advocate a multifaceted approach that gets adolescents thinking about the reasons and consequences for drug use.

Despite these extensive efforts, some have criticized the various prevention programs that emphasize education of adolescents. Jones (1992) stated:

…the ‘theory’ that drives knowledge-based prevention approaches postulates that participants, when exposed to information and fact concerning the possibility of legal sanctions, known health risks, and so on, will be less likely to consume illicit substances when given a choice. To the contrary, many information-based prevention programs have actually been shown to increase substance use among participants (the ‘boomerang’ effect). (p. 216)

Isolating Reasons for Drug Use

Many have often noted that peer influence plays an important role in drug use (although it is not necessarily a strong predictor (Weinberg, Rahdert, Colliver, & Glantz, 1998)); they have also noted that acceptance by peers especially and fear of rejection are key factors in the choice to do drugs (Beman, 1995). However, the very choice of one’s peers and why that choice was made is rarely addressed. To say that peers influenced the adolescent’s decision to use, tends to deny the initial motivations to befriend those who engage in and encourage drug use in the first place.

The literature reveals that poorer family relationships, lower self-esteem, and general deviant personality characteristics are more common in those who use substances on a more frequent basis (Andrews & Duncan, 1997). The genesis of the trait of deviance is a vast topic; numerous factors of family and culture affect the choices of some adolescents to pursue self-destructive, and other-destructive, activities.

Related to the idea of self-esteem is self-efficacy, which entails a personal belief in one’s own competence and coping skills in particular life areas. Measures such as the Situational Confidence Questionnaire have shown that ratings of self-efficacy tend to be lower for those adolescents who abuse substances; additionally, these ratings tend to be good predictors of substance use leading to abuse (Kirisci & Moss, 1997).

In various studies reviewed by Jones (1992), it was found that the status of an adolescent’s identity formation yielded strong probabilities of whether he or she was motivated to experiment with drugs, and continue using them. Adolescents formulate identities by way of different combinations of their degree of exploration and level (or lack) of commitment to certain ideologies and styles of behavior. While this is an interesting perspective to take, it still falls short of discovering how different identities are formed and how that affects the desire to use drugs.

Yet another correlation has caught the interest of researchers: A consistent link has been found between academic motivation and substance use—an inverse relation. The higher the academic motivation the lower the rate of substance use (and conversely, the lower the academic motivation, the higher the rate of substance use). However, this finding does not hold for alcohol use, which seems to be a reflection of its social acceptability (Andrews & Duncan, 1997).

A Specific Substance of Interest

Alcohol is unique in our culture in terms of general expectations and acceptability. People usually talk about drugs and alcohol, implying that alcohol is in a class by itself—while drugs are those more mysterious substances that really alter a person’s mind, behavior, and basic lifestyle. (A similar case can be made about cigarettes because, albeit recognized as harmful in many ways, they still are not commonly seen as a drug.)

Alcohol—though being by far the most destructive type of drug—is still legal to use and sell (although not for adolescents). The amount of hypocrisy concerning this societal situation cannot be overstated. Adolescents are shown in myriad ways that consuming alcohol is a valuable way to pass one’s time—in order to get a “buzz” (euphemistically called “social drinking”) or even to get drunk (i.e., high). The main reason given as to why they should not partake in this activity immediately is that they have not reached the “proper” age. By this standard, what better way is there to prove that one is older than one’s years than to start using alcohol?

From the media, festivals and celebrations, sporting events, college campuses, bars, and dinner parties, to the actual people who make, distribute, and advertise the numerous kinds of alcoholic drinks, the acceptable nature of alcohol consumption is continually stressed. Certain caveats are provided for the uninitiated though—for example, “Don’t drink and drive” (just drink) and “Know your limit.”

A curious person might ask why alcohol is legal and other drugs are not. Further, since the laws ostensibly preventing illicit drugs from being used and sold are enacted for the “public’s” good, why are not lawmakers (in concert with their lobbyists) also passing laws to prevent alcohol from harming the public? As Wodarski and Feit (1995) stated, little light can be shed on this issue by politicians and their supporters: “To explain the rationale behind the schedule of drugs and the determination of drugs which are illicit and licit often defies logic and credibility” (p. 204). To be sure, there are vested interests in keeping such socio-legal double standards intact.

Yet a deeper question concerns why adults do not trust adolescents with any type of drug by allowing free access to them. In this regard adults might be falsely attributing the main problem. Rather than the problem being with the person deciding to consume the substance, drugs themselves such as alcohol are blamed (Davies, 1997). In other words if drugs were legalized, adolescents might succumb to the evil effects of them (and drug pushers) and become mindless robots whose lives are then run by drugs.

On the other hand, those who lack belief in adolescents’ capacity for self-responsibility cannot even keep drugs a safe distance from them. Most teenagers have ready access to an assortment of mind-altering substances. This merely confirms the principle that it is futile to make a product in the free market illegal, specifically drugs (which of course have no clear and present danger issue like nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons). People—including adolescents—will seek out alternative ways to acquire the product they desire.

Legalizing drugs necessarily would lead us to focusing on why drugs—including alcohol—are seen as desirable and supposedly useful for living. We also could determine how individuals and society can reevaluate such desires, yielding beneficial outcomes.

Determining Proper Treatment

As discussed, many factors surround the issue of substance abuse in adolescence. Before much headway can be made in substantially reducing the high rates of drug use and abuse, our culture needs to rid itself of all the contradictory messages sent to adolescents. Trying to develop and embrace a philosophy that leads to a healthy, happy, and productive life becomes much more difficult when adults are unsure of their stance on using substances that alter one’s mental functioning and perception of reality, and their stance on the particularly “pleasurable” feelings associated with these practices. Harboring a covert notion that drugs are a forbidden fruit definitely undermines the current mantra of educators, “Just say no.” Furthermore, the “Do as I say, and not as I do” phrase (implied in drinking age laws) has worn pretty thin in a society with adolescents as cynical and wary of authority (and as astute) as ours.

In a review of the literature and meta-analysis, Stanton & Shadish (1997) stated the superiority of family therapy (not support groups or psychoeducation of the family) over other treatment modalities for adolescent substance abuse disorders. Family treatment approaches that include wider and surrounding ecological systems should prove even more useful, because they deal with more influences.

Regardless of all the factors that are seen as contributors to substance use and abuse, the primary one in prevention inevitably lies within the adolescent’s own mind—specifically in the values adopted and the philosophy of life entailed in those values. A hypothesis that the degree of belief in self—that is, one’s level of confidence and self-respect, as well as the feeling of being worthy of happiness—directly affects one’s choice to use and abuse drugs could be explored in research. Additionally, when a rational philosophical outlook that is in service of one’s own life and well being is recognized, it should reveal that adolescents who are taught and shown this perspective, and as a consequence strive to maintain it, also avoid substances that ultimately serve little benefit.

A rational philosophy upholds comprehending and functioning in objective reality, not reality as perceived through the distorted lens of a particular drug’s influence. Long-term, life-giving values are certainly not facilitated through lowering one’s awareness of self and reality or escaping from it. Each adolescent knows, at least on some level, that short-term “pleasures” are no substitute for happiness and self-esteem. Our task as adults is to encourage the transformation of this knowledge into action.

Andrews, J. A., & Duncan, S. C. (1997). Examining the reciprocal relation between academic motivation and substance use: Effects of family relationships, self-esteem, and general deviance. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 20(6), 523-549.

Beman, D. S. (1995). Risk factors leading to adolescent substance abuse. Adolescence, 30(117), 201-208.

Davies, J. B. (1997). The Myth of Addiction. The Netherlands: Harwood Academic Publishers.

Harachi, T. W., Ayers, C. D., Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Cushing, J. (1996). Empowering communities to prevent adolescent substance abuse: Process evaluation results from a risk- and protection-focused community mobilization effort. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 16(3), 233-254.

Jones, R. M. (1992). Ego identity and adolescent problem behavior. In G. R. Adams, T. P. Gullotta, & R. Montemayor (Eds.), Adolescent Identity Formation (pp. 216-230). Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Kirisci, L., & Moss, H. B. (1997). Reliability and validity of the situational confidence questionnaire in an adolescent sample: Confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 30(3), 146-155.

Stanton, M. D., & Shadish, W. R. (1997). Outcome, attrition, and family/couples treatment for drug abuse: A meta-analysis and review of the controlled, comparative studies. Psychological Bulletin, 122, 170-191.

Thomas, C. S., & Schandler, S. L. (1996). Risk factors in adolescent substance abuse: Treatment and management implications. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 5(2), 1-16.

Weinberg, N. Z., Rahdert, E., Colliver, J. D., & Glantz, M. D. (1998). Adolescent substance abuse: A review of the past 10 years. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37(3), 252-261.

Wodarski, J. S., & Feit, M. D. (1995). Adolescent substance abuse, an empirical-based group preventive health paradigm. New York: The Haworth Press.


Registration Zone

This feature is designed mainly to create a registration mark on the solid triangle mark (three to four in numbers) in the base form, which can be created with your favorite word processor such as Microsoft© Word® or Excel®.

Acting as sort of the anchors of the base form, these marks significantly help TestAnyTime® V3.7 detect and rectify minor skews, if any, made during scanning.

Please follow the instructions below:

  1. Click the Registration Zone button:

  2. Select the triangle on each corner of the base form in the window, which acts as a Registration Zone:

Please see the interactive instructions below for details:


Category Archives: Traditional Chinese Medicine

Numbness, pain or tingling- try acupuncture ASAP

As I go further with Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture practice, I learn more and more about the benefits. Once a person starts to feel a difference, the most common question is- How does this work? This is a question that is both easy and difficult to answer at the same time. Acupuncture affects the nervous system. The needles stimulate the nervous system and from there a variety of responses can occur- the release of neurotransmitters with cascading effects on the digestive system and hormones, changes in the level of stimulus in muscle (activation or inhibition), and improving nerve signals (activation or inhibition), as a few examples. Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture serves to support the body and maintain optimal health through acupuncture points that bring balance to the function of the organs and the body as a whole.

Whenever you have a health condition, it is best to address it sooner than later. In the case of neurological symptoms like numbness, pain, paralysis or tingling, acupuncture as soon as possible is especially helpful. In the event of any of these symptoms, there is some level of impediment to the nerve signals- acupuncture can help resolve the issue of impediment by providing stimulus for the nerve to improve function. Neurons may degenerate and creating new signals with existing nerve tissue is always possible.

What can cause neurological symptoms like numbness, pain, paralysis or tingling? Injury- acute or chronic, infection can cause Bell’s Palsy (facial paralysis), transient ischemic attack or stroke, diseases that cause nerve degeneration such as multiple sclerosis, and neuropathy as a result of other conditions. No matter the cause of the neurological symptoms, Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture is a complementary therapy that is ideally applied as soon as possible.

Bay Street Shoulder

Over the years I’ve seen a few complaints of neck, shoulder and upper back discomfort. Through assessment of a person’s range of motion, a pattern appeared among accountants, lawyers, and finance professionals, many had an inability to bring their arm behind their back comfortably. I gathered the symptoms, made up a diagnosis and called it Bay Street shoulder. The purpose was to inject a little practical humour into coping with a condition that builds up over time due to posture. Being chained to a desk for an indeterminate amount of time starts to a change a person’s posture and breathing.

When we look at elderly people, many are more stooped, slower and possibly shuffle. Is that diminished posture a ‘natural’ occurrence of older age or is it habit? I would argue that habit plays a major role and there is much we can do to maintain our height and posture as we age. This requires being mindful of our daily habits and tasks then making appropriate adjustments.

A regular strength training program with a focus on the core and posture is required to stand tall for as long as possible. Regular posture breaks if you work at a desk is essential in addition to specific mobility exercises. A few easy ideas are included in the video:

What to look for in a health and wellness professional

At this uncertain time in the world maintaining our health is more important than ever and in some ways it has become increasingly difficult to sort through the limitless amount of information coming through at our fingertips. One can use the internet to learn about almost any topic. When it comes to health, is internet research the best course of action? The short answer is no, it is not a good idea play Dr Google and become an overnight expert on your own condition. There is a lot of individuality in health and we all need guidance.

We all need good health and wellness professionals to help us take care of ourselves. Some of us are more privileged and can invest more in these services. In Canada, we have universal health care and it remains important to advocate for ourselves. We can better advocate for our own health and empower ourselves with knowledge by developing good relationships with health professionals.

Having been in the field of health and wellness for over 20 years, here are my recommendations on what to look for when you are seeking professional health related services:

Client/patient centred care: The professional prioritizes your needs and is dedicated to serving to your best interests. If a professional comes recommended by a friend, ask them about their experience with that professional. There are new professionals that are amazing right off the bat, so a long history in practice is not necessary. It is always about your comfort level with the professional.

Education: There are many forms of ‘alternative/natural’ health service offerings where the professional is trained with courses, certifications, degrees, diplomas and seminars of varying standards. More formal education for a professional in the field of health, shows a commitment to learning, which promotes improvement in practice. In an ideal world, we would have more integrated health care- a professional with education in science can help you receive the best of care in alternative health and conventional medicine. Most health services have a price range for that field, and generally speaking, the slightly higher investment in the more educated professional is an excellent value for the level of expertise they bring.

Communication and relational skills: The professional is an excellent listener, is able to understand your needs and concerns AND educate you on best practices to improve your condition. You need to feel comfortable with the professional and how they relate with you. A sense of humour always helps!

Integrity: Does this professional practice what they preach and lead by example? Adhering to ethical standards shows integrity- how does the professional handle various situations and potential conflicts of interest?

Empowerment and motivation: A great health and wellness professional is able to educate and advise you so that you gain an understanding on how to improve your health and feel motivated to do so for your own well being. Having been in the field of fitness for so long, I have heard many times, a trainer needs to look the part. I have never fully embraced this concept, as health cannot be judged by appearances alone. While there may be some short term motivation in seeing an ideal you wish to become, remember that our bodies are always changing. Learning ways to manage your own well being at any stage in life are lasting life skills, while looking great for a few months (especially if it involves a diet) is quite transient.

These are guidelines I have used myself in choosing various health professionals to work with to my great satisfaction, as I have worked with some wonderful people. As you may know, I have been studying Traditional Chinese Medicine the past 4 years and have recently started practicing acupuncture. Choosing a professional to give you acupuncture needs further guidance-although it may be a bit biased coming from me, since I am very sensitive to and afraid of needles! Acupuncture is a form of therapy where needles are inserted into specific sites to elicit some form of change in the body. Yes, a needle (hopefully fine and gently inserted) goes into your body(!) To me, this is a big deal, so I have been very picky about allowing needles to be inserted into my body. I have experienced a few mishaps with being needled and it took some time along with great beneficial effects before I became a believer in acupuncture. I actually went from being quite skeptical of acupuncture to being a believer, which amazes me. Many classmates learning of my aversion to needles asked why are you even studying acupuncture? I was interested in traditional chinese medicine first and foremost, herbs were the priority and acupuncture was part of the program. A young lady who is also afraid of needles mentioned acupuncture was recommended for her and she decided she needed to seek out a practitioner that specialized in giving acupuncture, which is an excellent plan in general and especially if you are nervous. Quite a few licensed health professionals are free to give acupuncture after weekend courses for training. This goes back to my recommendation above for education. Someone who has studied acupuncture for 4 years is different than someone who studied for 3 weeks. Feel free to ask questions. Your body is being ‘punctured’, so feeling comfortable with a practitioner takes on even more importance. If you are at all nervous or afraid of needles, it is imperative that the practitioner is empathetic and helps you feel comfortable. If you get the feeling they don’t really care about your concerns- run fast!

At this time of high stress, we really need to take care of our physical, mental and emotional health. There is a health and wellness professional around you that can help you feel better.

Cheers to your journey towards making life good with maintaining your optimal health


The Quantum Revolution is Coming. Here are 3 Ways Your Business Can Prepare

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Technology has continually evolved rapidly to meet business needs. However, the rapid pace of evolution often leaves companies dealing with new risks, some of which they fail to anticipate. Quantum computing is the next technological frontier offering massive potential and risks.

McKinsey and Company believe that the value at stake for quantum computing use cases is worth over $80 billion. The size of the industry could surpass that within the next few years. However, quantum computing is incompatible with current cybersecurity postures.

Quantum tech processes information differently from today’s computers. These processes can handle more data and deliver insights at blazing speed. As a result, companies must upgrade their infrastructure and the security processes guarding them.

Here are three ways enterprises can execute right now to prepare for the quantum future.

Related: Cybersecurity Is No Longer An Option. Your Money Is in Immediate Danger.

Explore process flexibility

Quantum computing’s power comes from its building block: a Qubit. Traditional computers process information in binary code, a string of zeros and ones, to decode and create output. Quantum computers ditch binary strings for the much more volatile Qubit, a string of information that allows the processor to explore several paths to a solution. In addition, the Qubit frees the computer to deal with several inputs at once.

The upshot of this fundamental change is that the current security infrastructure will soon become outdated. Most organizations currently use a hybrid of cloud and on-premise apps to enforce security. However, these solutions move at speed limited by hardware. They process information at an infinitesimally slow pace compared to the rates at which quantum processors move.

An attack on a system executed by a quantum computer will likely cripple most hardware infrastructure. Solutions providers are currently grappling with this issue by upgrading their technology and installing quantum tech.

However, given quantum technology’s nascent condition, experts struggle to predict the final form a solution will take. Enterprises must begin rethinking the flexibility in their infrastructure since they’ll have to adapt to new conditions quickly once quantum computing fully arrives.

Aside from researching the threats quantum computing poses, companies must also rethink their security models. For instance, most systems are secured by passwords backed by 2FA authentication. Password or key-centric access is vulnerable to quantum computing power despite multiple security layers.

Currently, secret vaults store keys and assign new ones based on a processor’s ability to break them. As a result, most keys to securing company secrets are tricky for existing processors but a cakewalk for quantum processors.

Implementing password-less access via FIDO protocols is a possible solution. Keeping up to date with NIST’s recommendations is another option companies should explore.

Related: Quantum Computing Threatens Everything — Could it be Worse Than the Apocalypse?

Invest in talent

Cybersecurity It is challenging, and companies are hard-pressed to find the right talent. Most developers lack a security background, choosing to specialize in application development aligned with agile practices. As a result, security talent is short.

The arrival of quantum computing adds another layer to the challenge. Quantity computing talent is low, and quantum security talent is challenging to find. One solution for enterprises is to invest in educating existing talent and upskilling employees.

Offering grants and other incentives to rising talent is another way for companies to adopt a robust stance. Companies following this path have the chance to pioneer the field of quantum cybersecurity, something that will stand them in good stead in the future.

Aside from developing talent pipelines, companies must also use analytics to plug holes in their security postures. Using what-if scenarios, corporations can create a matrix that identifies potential breaches if a quantum threat ever occurs. For instance, they can identify which systems are most at risk and which data will likely suffer an impact.

Analytics cannot fully comprehend the speed of quantum processors currently. However, by modeling extreme scenarios on these platforms, companies can check the impact on their processes and create recovery plans.

Recognize the opportunity

Quantum computers’ abilities currently fall short of traditional computing power. However, the technology has an overwhelming runway. Transitioning to a fully quantum model will take time, and companies must begin preparing immediately.

Much like how VR and AI technologies suffered phases of low interest, quantum computing will experience periods where investment and enthusiasm will diminish. However, companies must not mistake this natural phenomenon as an excuse to stop preparing for a quantum future.

Despite the so-called AI winter, AI is present in almost every platform and process in several industries. Similarly, quantum computing is bound to make its way into several applications. To successfully transition, companies must evaluate their business goals and define the scope of their adoption projects.

For instance, algorithms that are currently too sophisticated to execute via traditional computing must be defined and stored safely. Their infrastructure needs must be specified. Most importantly, the security processes they will need must be identified. Working backward from these needs, companies can identify the steps they must take to get there.

Preparation is the key because when quantum computing fully arrives, those left behind will find it tough to make up lost ground.

A promising future

Quantum computing is set to relegate current technology to the level of the abacus. While the technology still has a ways to go before it is widely used, there’s undoubtedly colossal potential. Only time will tell what the future will look like. However, enterprises must seize the opportunity to secure their risks and map development plans to match quantum needs right now.

Related: What Small Businesses Need to Know About the Future of Cybersecurity and Hackers

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Ohio 9-12 Advanced Standards Framework

31 Standards in this Framework

Standard Description
CS.D.9-12.A.a Evaluate the function of various devices to formulate a human interaction solution.
CS.D.9-12.A.b Integrate multifunctional computing devices to solve a problem.
CS.D.9-12.A.c Identify the functionality of various categories of hardware components and the communication between them, and use that information to build a system virtually or physically for a specific task.
CS.HS.9-12.A.a Categorize types of operating systems and how they will be used.
CS.T.9-12.A.a Evaluate and revise a systematic process to identify the source of a problem and the steps to correct it within individual and connected devices.
NI.N.9-12.A.a Construct a networking devices map solution for a realworld scenario to establish communication between distant devices.
NI.N.9-12.A.b Develop a solution to a real-world scenario using networking protocols to establish network communication.
NI.N.9-12.A.c Improve scalability and reliability of networks to describe the relationships and effects of how the different types of networks work together.
NI.C.9-12.A.a Identify cybersecurity ethics and law
NI.C.9-12.A.b Implement a devised solution to counter a security threat.
DA.DCS.9-12.A.a Create multidimensional data collections that can be utilized through various methods to solve complex data problems.
DA.DCS.9-12.A.b Investigate data storage and collection tools to analyze tradeoffs and limitations.
DA.VC.9-12.A.a Create visualization or multisensory artifacts to communicate insights and knowledge gained from complex data analysis that answers real-world questions.
DA.IM.9-12.A.a Create a model that simulates a complex system and uses extracted data to hypothesize, test and refine the model to discover connections or trends.
ATP.A.9-12.A.a Define and explain recursive algorithms to understand how and when to apply them.
ATP.A.9-12.A.b Use recursion to effectively solve problems.
ATP.A.9-12.A.c Define and explain sorting and searching algorithms to understand how and when to apply them.
ATP.A.9-12.A.d Use sorting and searching to analyze and organize data.
ATP.VDR.9-12.A.a Utilize different data storage structures to store larger and more complex data than variables can contain.
ATP.VDR.9-12.A.b Identify the appropriate data structures or variables to use to design a solution to a complex problem.
ATP.CS.9-12.A.a Write programs that use library methods and control structures and methods to solve a problem.
ATP.CS.9-12.A.b Refactor a program to be smaller and more efficient.
ATP.M.9-12.A.a Construct solutions to problems using student-created components (e.g., procedures, modules, objects).
ATP.M.9-12.A.b Design or redesign a solution to a large-scale computational problem by identifying generalizable patterns.
ATP.M.9-12.A.c Create programming solutions by reusing existing code (e.g., libraries, Application Programming Interface (APIs), code repositories).
ATP.PD.9-12.A.a Fully implement the most appropriate software methodology to complete a team programming project.
IC.Cu.9-12.A.a Evaluate an alternative solution where a current tool does not exist due to limited resources.
IC.Cu.9-12.A.b Analyze the equity, access and influence of the distribution of computing resources to see their global impact.
IC.Cu.9-12.A.c Design a study to predict how computers will revolutionize an aspect of our culture.
IC.SLE.9-12.A.a Create a scenario to demonstrate typical tradeoffs between usability and security and recommend security measures based on these or other tradeoffs.
IC.SLE.9-12.A.b Investigate intellectual property laws, including copyright, trademarks and patents, to identify some of the practical, business and ethical impacts.


Are you allowed to cycle on the pavement UK?

Bicycles are considered vehicles under British law and is illegal to ride a bike on a pavement which has not been designated as a cycle way. The maximum penalty is £500, but it is often dealt with by a £50 fixed penalty notice. However, the law is not always enforced by police.

Is it illegal to cycle on the pavement UK?

Is there legislation for pavement cycling? The simple answer to this is yes. … The Highway Code also states: “You must not cycle on a pavement.” The offence of riding a bike on the pavement is punishable by an on-the-spot fine, a fixed penalty notice of £30.

Is it okay to cycle on the pavement?

However, the legal interpretation is generally that pavements are considered pedestrian footpaths, meaning that cyclists should not ride on the pavement. … It also advises that cyclists “take care when passing pedestrians, especially children, older or disabled people, and allow them plenty of room”.

Can I cycle on footpaths?

In general it is not an offence to cycle on these, except where individual paths are subject to local bye-laws or traffic regulation orders. There do not appear to be any decided cases to suggest that cycling along a footpath is a public nuisance and hence a criminal offence.

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Can you ride a mountain bike on pavement?

You can ride your mountain bike on pavement. Just keep in mind that it will be harder to pedal (i.e. slower), and the pavement is hard on traditional knobby mountain bike tires.

Can a child cycle on the pavement?

In short, it is illegal to cycle on a pavement alongside a road, unless it has been marked as a cycle track. However, children under the age of 10 are below the age of criminal responsibility. … This is sensible, as young children should not be expected to cycle on the road.

What roads are cyclists not allowed on?

The worst roads are: busy, narrow ones with a 60mph speed limit and poor sight-lines; and ring roads, which have lots of junctions and drivers jostling for position as they change lanes. In urban areas, main road traffic becomes congested. Average speeds are low.

Do I have to ride my bike on the road?

Cyclists do not have to ride on the road – it may be possible to construct a journey entirely from cycle tracks or trails. However, in the process of getting from A to B most will find it necessary to use the road at times.

Can I cycle on a bridleway?

Technically, the right to cycle on bridleways only applies to bicycles, not tricycles. As a non-mechanically propelled vehicle, tricycles can be used on restricted byways, byways open to all traffic, and cycle tracks. However, if the tricycle is an adapted cycle for disabled use, it can be used more widely.

Can you cycle on the Severn Way?

The Severn and Thames Way follows along the majestic River Severn, the River Avon and along the Kennet & Avon Canal before reaching the River Thames in Reading. As such, families and leisure cyclists will love this route – you will only climb 1500 meters (4921 feet) in total.

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Can you push a motorbike on a public footpath?

Pushing a motorcycle across the pavement is illegal.

Is it OK to ride MTB on road?

The quick and simple answer is: Yes, you can ride your mountain bike on the street. Mountain bikes are primarily designed for bike trails, and won’t perform nearly as well when ridden on the road, but you can definitely do it.

Are mountain bikes slow on pavement?

Mountain bikes are harder to pedal and slower on pavement. But they have a cushy ride, an upright riding position, and can travel easily on a wide variety of surfaces. Hybrid or cross bikes are almost as fast and easy to pedal as a road bike, while being almost as comfortable and versatile as a mountain bike.

Is it illegal to wear headphones while riding a bike UK?

In the United Kingdom it is currently not illegal to wear headphones whilst cycling on public roads or cycle paths. One would think that listening to music may distract you from your surroundings. It may also prevent you from hearing other vehicles approach and thus jeopardise your own safety.


601 Southwest 2nd Ave Portland, OR 97204
Portland, Oregon 97204

As an early stage entrepreneur looking for the first round of funding, one of the most daunting tasks may be determining the valuation of your company. In this workshop, we will cover the basics of valuing a seed or launch stage company, and answer some questions, such as:

Who sets the valuation - the company or the investor?
What does pre-money and post-money valuation mean? How do I calculate it?
How do I value my company if we don’t yet have revenues?
How do investors determine the valuation?
How have valuations changed in the economic downturn?

We'll explain the terminology, demystify the math and explain some of the ways that valuation is set during the funding process. There will be plenty of time for Q&A, so come armed with your questions and be ready to participate in a lively discussion about valuing early stage companies.

Speaker: Naomi Derner
Naomi Derner, CFA is the founder and managing director of Derner Valuation Consulting. Prior to 2008, she was a Vice President in the San Francisco office of Houlihan Lokey Howard and Zukin. After joining Houlihan Lokey in 1999, she performed and managed fairness opinions and the valuations of public and private securities as well as intangible assets for a wide variety of purposes including financial reporting purposes, tax reporting purposes, transactions, IPO planning, litigation, stock and stock option grants, recapitalizations, gift and estate tax planning, ESOP updates and general corporate planning purposes. Ms. Derner has valuation experience across a wide variety of industries, with specific expertise in technology and life sciences companies at all stages of development.

Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Where: Lane Powell, 601 Southwest 2nd Avenue #2100 Portland, OR 97204

OEN Member Registration: $30.00
Non-member Registration: $70.00

[email protected]

Added by Oregon Entrepreneurs Network on July 30, 2010


What You See is What You Get: Methods of Observation in Clinical Supervision

Mark A. Sanders, LCSW, CADC; Illinois State Program Manager, Great Lakes ATTC, MHTTC, and PTTC
Publication Date: Jun 30, 2021

What happens in counseling?

William Glasser was in training to be a classical psychoanalyst in the spirit of Sigmund Freud. Glasser worked in the Vienna School for Girls (similar to a juvenile detention center in the U.S.). A 13-year-old girl was having a tantrum, and her behavior was having a negative impact on the entire facility. Traditional psychoanalysis would ask the girl the why question: "Why are you acting up?" Or "Why are you having a tantrum?"  Instead, Glasser said to the girl, "Your behavior needs to stop. Your being in pain does not give you the right to negatively affect other people."

Glasser's statement was the beginning of his development of Reality Therapy (Corey, 2016). Reality therapy avoids the why questions and works to hold clients responsible for their behavior. Glasser would document client’s charts progress notes in alignment with psychoanalysis, but he was actually developing Reality Therapy. While the Glasser example is an outlier, supervisors have no idea of what's happening in counseling without observation and feedback.

Evidence-Based Practices and observations in clinical supervision

We are in the era of Evidence-Based Practices. Yet, approximately one-third of Substance Use Disorder counselors across the country receive no clinical supervision at all (Newby, 2018). Therefore, it is close to impossible to implement Evidence-Based Practices without observation and feedback from clinical supervisors.

Not so fast! Trust and rapport before observations and feedback

Supervisor observation and feedback can lead counselors to feel uncomfortable and defensive. It is essential to build trust and rapport first. Below is a list of things you can do as a supervisor to build trust and rapport before observation and feedback.

  1. First, demonstrate that you care. There is a famous quote. "No one cares how much you know unless they know how much you care." When counselors know that you care, safety is created.
  2. Lead with imperfection. Share some of your clinical mistakes when you were a counselor. This can help counselors be more comfortable with their mistakes as you make observations. When supervisors appear Perfect, counselors can fear the consequences when you make observations and give feedback.
  3. Not making a big deal about every mistake. This sends the message that it’s OK to make mistakes.
  4. Be vulnerable. This makes it easier for the counselors you supervise to be vulnerable.
  5. Create an atmosphere of identification. Share stories about experiences you had when you were a counselor, letting counselors know that you identify with their challenges. Include some of your clinical challenges.
  6. Periodically ask for feedback. "How am I doing as your supervisor?" Modeling openness to feedback can be instrumental in helping counselors be more open to feedback.
  7. Transparency, predictability, and calmness. Being transparent, consistently predictable, and calm can build trust in clinical supervision before observations and feedback.

Observations and feedback

Once trust and rapport have been established, it is time to observe. Supervisor observation requires client approval. It is recommended that the agency create a form that clients voluntarily sign, giving permission for the supervisor to observe the session. The counselor should tell the client that the purpose of the supervisor observing the session is to provide feedback to the counselor to improve their work with clients. It is amazing how little most clients focus on the presence of the supervisor once the session begins.  Below is a list of 7 methods of observation.

  1. Observe office sessions.
  2. Shadowing. This method is used with staff whose work involves movement, walking, or home visits. Individuals whose work involves movement and home visits include case managers, peer specialists, and recovery coaches. As a supervisor, you can accompany the staff member on visits and give feedback on the spot following sessions.
  3. Live Supervision. Agencies that utilize live supervision often have a room with a one-way mirror. The supervisor and sometimes your peers are behind a one-way mirror while the counselor and client are in a room on the other side of the mirror. The supervisor can view the session, and the counselor and client cannot see the supervisor. There is a phone on the counselor's side of the room. At some point in the session, the supervisor will call the counselor with immediate feedback and clinical recommendations for the remainder of the session.
  4. The use of actors. A supervisor taught counselors seven skills of Motivational Interviewing. Then, they hired seven university theater majors to play the role of a client in each of the seven skill areas. Each actor was in a separate room with a script. The counselor would go from room to room, role play with the actor, and demonstrate the skill. Then they would receive feedback from their supervisor, who observed each roleplay.
  5. Audio and Video takes. The counselor periodically tapes a session and brings the tape to supervision for feedback.
  6. Practice. The supervisor and counselor role play clinical situations in supervision followed by feedback.
  7. Co-facilitation. Another method of observation is co-facilitation of group, couples, or family therapy sessions. If the supervisor is the "Michael Jordan" of clinical practice, the counselor might be intimidated or in awe of the supervisor’s work. It might not be co-facilitation in the beginning. It might be 75% to 25%, with an eventual expectation of 50% to 50% of facilitation.

How to give feedback

After observations, it's time for feedback.

You can ask the individual you supervise:

  1. How do you like to receive praise?
  2. How do you prefer to receive feedback?

According to behaviorists, in giving feedback it’s often helpful to begin with the positive. Then couch the remainder of the feedback in recommendations to improve the session in the future.

Quality supervision mirrors good counseling. Just as it is helpful for counselors to incorporate timely client feedback into clinical practice, it’s also helpful for observation and feedback to be incorporated into clinical supervision. Also, just as counseling sessions are frequent, usually once a week, we recommend weekly clinical supervision sessions.

Corey, G. Theory and Practice of Counseling of Counseling and Psychotherapy. (2016). Cengage Learning. Boston, MA.

Newby, M. H. (2018). Addiction counselor's Perceptions of Clinical Supervision Practices. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) dissertation, Counseling, and Human Services, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/979e-me-65 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/chs_etds/20