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Measuring environmental impact
Our approach in adopting a responsible attitude to climate change starts with the assessment of the environmental impact of each stage in our products' life by the means of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
As part of our internal environmental program, Ecophon has carried out LCAs on our products in collaboration with Ecobilan SA (Pricewaterhouse Coopers), and according to the international ISO 14040 to ISO 14044 series of standards.
To give you an overview of the process and an idea of our products' carbon footprint, we will consider a fictitious panel, the "Ecophon index sound-absorbing acoustic panel" based on the most common physical characteristics of Ecophon products:
Format: 1000 x 1000mm
Edge design: Edge E
Surface: Akutex FT
Weight: 1.5 kg/m2
Based on "cradle-to-grave" LCA calculations, the total carbon footprint of our fictitious panel is 2.7kg CO2/m2, from extraction of raw materials through to the end-of-life phase (landfill). Click on the links below to find out more about the various phases of our panel's life and its environmental impact.
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Characteristics | Technology
| Wonder Qualities| Natural
- Located in northwestern Arizona,
- The canon was cut by the Colorado
- The widths of the gorges range
from one-tenth of a mile to 18 mi.
- The Canon wall have a wide range
of colors, including red, gray, green, pink, brown, and violet.
- A wide assortments of plant
and animal life can be found in the canyon.
- The Colorado River flowing through
the high plateaus forms the mile-deep gorge we now call the Grand
- This remarkable depth was caused
by the fast speed, large amount of water, and large quantities of
mud, sand, and gravel of the Colorado River.
- The Colorado River carries rocks
at a speed of about a half a million tons a day.
- The Grand Canyon has the most
extensive geological records.
- The rocks at the bottom of the
canyon date back to 4 billion years ago.
- Fossils inside the rocky slopes
date back to primitive algae that predate the dinosaurs.
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The English Castle|
by David Dawson
This article is the first in a series which attempts to outline the development of the English Medieval castle and to describe its major features. Where possible, reference is made to existing castles within a comfortable day's journey of London so that the visitor who wishes to view a selection of English castles, but has limited time at his or her disposal, need not travel far from the capital
Perhaps the first issue to be dealt with is an answer to the question, "what is a castle?" The English Medieval castle, like its counterparts in Europe, is a unique phenomenon. Most buildings are created to fulfil a single, specific purpose: a church, a house, a factory, a school, a bank, a hotel etc. A castle, depending upon the status of the man who occupied it, could be variously, a military base, a seat of government, a court and a stronghold for the surrounding region. It could be any or all of the above but it was principally the private residence of its owner, his family and his dependents.
England had known fortifications before the advent of the castle. The Iron Age peoples of Ancient Britain fortified hilltops with massive earthworks, such as Maiden Castle in Dorset, for tribal defense. The Romans dotted the countryside with innumerable military encampments and built the impressive chain of fortresses, known as the Saxon Shore forts (e.g. Portchester Castle, below), to guard South-East England from Saxon raiders in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. The Normans later built castles within the walls of two of these Roman Saxon Shore forts, at Pevensey in Sussex and Portchester in Hampshire. The Anglo-Saxons and the Danes entrenched their towns behind earthen banks and timber palisades to create fortified towns, burhs, from which is derived the modern word "borough." Yet, all these structures were for, essentially, communal purposes. What distinguishes the castle from these and other, later fortifications is its function as a private residence.
Castles were the product of that period of Medieval history termed the Age of Feudalism. Feudalism is a much misused word. It is strictly applied to the military society which was created in Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries AD and which reached its most developed form in Normandy in the 11th century. Very simply put, feudal society resembled a pyramid. At its apex was the king who, in theory at least, owned all the land in his kingdom. Immediately below the king was a group of major landholders who held their land directly from him, his tenants-in-chief. These were the great lords and magnates of the kingdom. In return for their land, they swore to give the king military service; that is, they and their retainers would fight for the king whenever and whereever he chose.
The tenants-in-chief let out land to their tenants, the lesser barons and lords, on the same terms. This process was repeated all the way down the pyramid to the knight who was the local lord of the manor. The amount of land a man held was directly proportional to the amount of military service he could render. A knight might only be liable to appear at the muster with a horse, his weapons, a suit of chain mail and one or two servants as men-at-arms. A tenant-in-chief would be expected to provide scores of knights and several hundred men-at-arms.
This decentralisation of land-holding and power required that each landholder provide himself with a base from which to operate. This base should also be designed to afford protection to himself, his family and all those who lived on and worked his lands. The great magnates and many of the lesser barons would hold lands in different parts of the kingdom and require several bases.The landholdings of a knight, being much smaller, would usually be concentrated within a single locality and would require only one base. As Mediaeval government was frequently incapable of guaranteeing peace and order, such bases needed to be defensible. Thus the castle was born.
Although these articles deal with the development of the English Medieval castle by ascribing successive types and forms of castles to various periods in history, only a small number of castles assumed the form we see today in the course of one period of building. Most were the product of several centuries of modification and rebuilding, as new forms of defense were raised to counter new means of attack.
It should also be realized that life in a castle was predominantly a quiet, peaceful process. Castles were primarily the residences of the nobility and the gentry and the life lived in them was very much akin to that of the later country house. Indeed, we shall see that towards the close of the Medieval period, as society became more peaceful, castle design began to lay more stress on the comforts of life and less on the needs of defense. Contrary to the image portrayed by Hollywood, castles were not continuously in a state of siege, crowded with armed men and ringing with the clash of arms! In times of peace, the castle would contain the owner's family and servants. The owner might frequently be absent, in which case, the castle would be occupied by only the caretaker and a few servants. In time of war, the castle would be garrisoned by the lord's tenantry, fulfilling one of their feudal obligations; castle-guard. Once the crisis was past, the garrison would revert to being farmers and farm workers.
The Norman Conquest and the First Castles
The Norman conquest of England in 1066 introduced feudalism to England. We have already seen that castles were a feature of feudalism so it follows that the Normans introduced castles to England. In fact, castles were the means by which William the Conqueror and his followers secured their hold on England following their victory over the English army at the battle of Hastings. The chroniclers of the period frequently refer to the castle building activities of the Normans. Immediately after Hastings, according to Ordericus Vitalis, William ordered castles to be raised at Warwick, Nottingham, York , Lincoln, Cambridge and Huntingdon. The "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" tells us that in the following year, 1067, while William himself was away dealing with affairs in Normandy, his two co-regents in England, Bishop Odo of Bayeux and Earl William fitz Osborn wrought castles widely thoughout the kingdom and oppressed the poor people.
The practice of castle buiding was not confined to William and his chief ministers. Virtually every Norman baron must have felt the need to raise some sort of defensive structure (e.g. castle) to secure his newly acquired lands and to protect himself and his family from a sullen, resentful and potentially hostile Saxon populace.
"My son" said the Norman Baron, "I am dying and you will be heir
The Domesday Book, the great national land register which William commanded to be compiled and which was completed in 1087, records innumerable castles and "defensible houses" raised by every class of Norman overlord. What were these first castles like? They were most definitely not what we usually think of when visualizing a castle; a massive edifice of stone with towers and battlements. The first Norman castles were hurriedly constructed of earth and timber, in many cases using forced labour and most conformed to a basic plan; that of the motte and bailey.
To all the broad acres in England that William gave me for my share;
When we conquered the Saxon at Hastings, and a nice little handful it is.
But before you go over to rule it I want you to understand this;
"The Saxon is not like us Normans. His manners are not so polite.
But he never means anything serious till he talks about justice and right.
When he stands like an ox in the furrow with his sullen set eyes on your own, And grumbles, 'This isn't fair dealing', my son, leave the Saxon alone."
Norman and Saxon
The motte was a large conical mound with a flat top (at right, Launceston Castle in Cornwall, showing the motte). Where possible use was made of natural hillocks or outcrops of rock, but most mottes were raised by digging a deep ditch around its site and heaping up the result soil. Frequently more material was needed to produce the required size and height of mound and this was obtained elsewhere. Archeological evidence has revealed that on occasion, the Normans even made use of material from demolished Saxon houses in raising a motte.
The bailey was a simple enclosure with its own ditch. Motte and bailey castles came in a variety of configurations but the most common was a single mound and enclosure, with the motte at one end of the bailey and separated from it by its ditch. Both mound and enclosure were defended by the ditch and an earthen bank behind the ditch, topped with a timber stockade. Where practicable, the ditches were filled with water and in some instances had a raised bank in front as well as behind, known as a counterscarp which may have had a hedge of thorns or briars planted on it. A splendid example of this type of motte and bailey castle can be seen at Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire. Here, the later stonework has all but vanished revealing the original Norman earthworks (shown at left, outlined in red).
Within the stockade of the mound, there would have been a timber tower. Tower and motte formed the strongpoint of the castle; the last defense if attackers overran the bailey. The tower was also the residence of the castle's owner and had to be large enough to contain his family and their servants. Within the bailey were the buildings, also of timber, necessary for the running of the castle; the hall where everyone in the castle usually gathered for meals and other social events, the kitchens, barns, workshops, stables and the chapel. The entrance to the bailey was by means of a strongly defended gate, fronting a bridge over the ditch.
The primary advantage of motte and bailey castles was that they were quick and cheap to erect, particularly if you had forced labour at your disposal. Yet, in spite of its primitiveness, such a castle would have presented a formidable obstacle to attackers equipped with the weapons of the period. Mottes ranged from 25-30 feet to over 80 feet in height, with the timber tower giving the defenders a further advatange. The bailey could cover anywhere from one to three acres. It was usually laid out so that any point on its circumference would be within bowshot of the tower.
Many of England's existing castles began as motte and bailey castles. Windsor Castle, Berkshire, perhaps England's most famous castle and the favorite home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is in origin a motte and bailey castle. In fact, it has two baileys (see illus. at right), one on each side of its motte, as does Arundel Castle in Sussex, home of the Dukes of Norfolk, hereditary Earl Marshals of England. Today, the mottes in both of these castles are crowned with stone towers, known as shell keeps. The conversion of the timber defences of motte and bailey castles to walls and towers of stone forms the next article in this series.
The English Castle, Part #2
The English Castle, Part #3
©2007 Britannia.com Design and Development by SightLines, Inc.
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual report on union membership last week. Union density – the percentage of workers who belong to unions – is now down to 11.3%, far below its historic high of around 35% in 1955. This is bad news for workers – unions are still one of the only ways workers can get any job security or protection against ‘at-will’ employment. And despite unions’ losing power over the past several decades, unionized workers are still far more likely than non-unionized workers to receive health benefits, a pension, and paid days off. And on average, unionized workers make more than 27% more than non-union workers.
But falling union density is also bad for the economy overall. The labor movement was a major force behind winning many of the benefits union and non-union workers enjoy today, from public education to social security to overtime pay laws. Labor unions can stabilize labor markets, decrease inequality, and positively affect growth. Futhermore, as even conservatives have noted, labor unions represent a fundamental plank in a true democracy. As more states move to outlaw collective bargaining for public sector workers, we might remember the words of none other than Ronald Reagan, who remarked in 1980: “Where unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.”
There is no doubt that many unions have played a role in their own decline. The U.S. labor movement has suffered from racism, sexism, and nationalism – and many leaders have failed to recognize fundamental changes in the economy as they were happening. Some chose to have faith in an old way of doing things, either fearing change or unwilling to take risks. But much of the decline in union density comes from forces beyond the control of union members or leaders. “Union-avoidance” consulting has grown into a multi-billion international industry over a few decades, and employers now have a sophisticated arsenal of tools to break unions or keep them out. As trade policy and financial regulations have shifted, they have given more power to employers in place of workers. Labor law, weak to start with, is often not enforced – allowing employers to violate it frequently with little penalty. And now, the attacks that private sector unions saw in the 1980s and 1990s have come to the public sector. Given that the majority of all union members now work in the public sector, it is likely we could see an increasingly rapid decline in union density, as entire states wipe away worker freedoms with the stroke of a pen.
Are unions destined to become obsolete? For many reasons, the future seems bleak. But recently, we’ve seen more signs of life from workers who are willing to stand up to their employers to demand living wages, fair treatment and respect – from non-union Walmart workers to fast food workers to already-unionized but increasingly militant teachers in Chicago. Increasing union membership will take more than a small victory here and there, but despite the BLS numbers, it is too early to give up on the labor movement. As long as we live in an employment-at-will “free market,” unions – while flawed – are the best hope workers have.
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Each year, PSD is required by state law to create a Unified Improvement Plan that details how the school district is going to improve student achievement. This plan addresses state and federal requirements in Colorado's Accountability Act and the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Three task forces, that were created in the wake of the Comprehensive Assessment for District Improvement (full report) or (summary), continue to work to address the original academic improvement strategies approved by the Board of Education in January 2011.
The heart of the Unified Improvement Plan is the strategic actions the district will perform in order to educate students and reduce achievement gaps.
PSD's three task forces are:
1) Initiative Management (Task Force 1): Design and implement a collaborative process to prioritize, deploy, and monitor district initiatives. This Task Force concluded its work with the resurrection of the Site Based Decision Making Council in 2011. The council was disbanded with changes to the Site Based Decision Making policy in 2013.
2) Teaching and Learning Framework (Task Force 2): Establish a collaborative process for defining and adopting non-negotiable learning outcomes for all students based on new state standards in core content areas. Members from this Task Force are part of Strategy #1 for the 2013 UIP.
3) Best Practices (Task Force 3): Establish a process for identifying and implementing specific evidence-based strategies and resources to effectively address student achievement gaps and align intervention and support materials with universal expectations. Members from this Task Force now comprise the Strategy #2 team.
Unified Improvement Plan process began spring 2010
The process for developing the PSD Unified Improvement Plan begins each summer when the district receives the first wave of test results from the state. The District Accountability Committee (DAC) is a staff and community committee that represents the various stakeholders in the district improvement planning process. The DAC reviews and makes recommendations to the Unified Improvement Plan. The Board of Education approves the Unified improvement plan in January of each year.
Schools submit school improvement plans
Each winter, each building's School Accountability Committee works on a school improvement plan for their specific school. These plans are reviewed by the PSD assistant superintendents of elementary and secondary schools and then uploaded to the state each spring. The DAC helps review the school improvement plans to gain a deeper understanding of the performance trends of the schools.
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STEM to STEAM: The Importance of Arts in Science
- 9:30 AM
For this month’s Muse of Nerds, I quickly grabbed onto the STEM to STEAM movement (adding ‘arts’ to the technical.) Creativity is the foundation for advancement in all fields. The arts — writing, music, art, theater and dance — paired with science, technology, engineering and math, foster a relationship between both sides of the brain for maximum human innovation potential. Trying to place STEM at the top of the educational plant stifles growth.
In 1858, Friedrich Kekule published a paper that showed, visually, how atoms bond chemically. He continued to play with the design until in 1865, he put carbon as a six-sided ring (hexagon) with chains and links, which gave rise to organic chemistry. Kekule started out as an architect before switching to the new science of chemistry. The visualization of chemical bonding didn’t come out of experiments in the lab, but a daydream while riding the bus. His brain looked at chemistry with an architect’s eye.
Daniel Tammet holds the European world record for reciting pi from memory. Daniel can “sense” if a number is prime. I think it’s important to mention that Daniel has high-functioning autism because many educators tend to steer children on the Autism spectrum towards STEM fields. However, Daniel uses the arts to “see” numbers. He is a lucid writer with his book, Born on a Blue Day. The way he was able to memorize pi was by creating a visual landscape in his mind. Clearly, art and math are tied for him.
Science News had a special issue on August 14, 2010 devoted to our minds on music. It was a fascinating look at how music influences our growth emotionally and mentally. In it there was a quote from Istvan Molnar-Szakacs, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, “In terms of brain imaging, studies have shown listening to music lights up, or activates, more of the brain than any other stimulus we know.” That’s just listening! As Daniel Levitin, director of the music perception, cognition and expertise laboratory at McGill University in Montreal explained, “Music processing is distributed throughout the brain…and playing an instrument, in particular, is an ensemble activity. It involves paying attention, thinking ahead, remembering, coordinating movement and interpreting constant feedback to the ears, fingers and, in some cases, lips. It is one of the most complicated tasks that we have.”
How could that kind of thinking be considered extracurricula? That’s the saddest part. STEM in education is not just getting the funding for special programming, but amazing mental tasks like music aren’t even in the BASIC CURRICULUM!
This very morning I was teaching a creative writing class to some junior high students. The stories will be used to later design and program robots (based on challenges the writing students come up with). The writing students have to be creative to make their challenges cohesive with their story lines. The robotic students have to be creative in designing and programming robots. Tying the two endeavors together gives the project more weight.
Have you ever been to a science museum? Did you attend any of the fantastic theater shows? Watching a story unfold is basic human communication. Lecturing is not.
My children were taking a botany course and convinced their teacher to demonstrate their plant family identification ability using interpretive dance. Seriously. Their teacher was cool about it and let them try. They took all the information they knew about these plant families (memorizing), decided on what was the most important and distinguishable traits (critical thinking) and then came up with movements to convey the information in a clear way (innovation.) By using their full body to translate the concepts, more parts of their brain were used. Do you think they will remember the information better than if they wrote it out on a test? Can your fingers remember a song on the piano from when you were a child? Muscle memory is a powerful tool.
My husband teaches genetics and is frustrated at the lack of “creative and independent thought” the students portray. Students walk in the classroom lacking good reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. The scientists getting prizes don’t spit out what they were taught. They dream, they doodle, they hum, they dance their way to success.
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Welcome to the Dead Sea Scrolls LibGuide @SBTS. I hope you will find this site to be a helpful introduction to the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
This site is organized by tabs.
The tabs are categorized according to certain types of resources:
Texts: Under this tab you will find primary sources, in the original languages and in translation, for accesseing the scrolls.
Reference Tools: Here you will find lexicons, concordances, encyclopedias/dictionaries, and a couple seminal monographs devoted to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Weston Fields' Full History is a 'must-read' for those who want to understand the controversial history of the discovery and publication of the scrolls.
Journals and Bibliographies: The journals and bibliographies listed here are dedicated to Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship. You will need to search the standard biblical studies journals (e.g., JBL), but be
sure to look through the table of contents in the featured journals.
New to Dead Sea Scrolls studies?
Navigating the resources:
Be sure to check out Joseph Fitzmyer's Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature, which is featured in the bibliographies section of this site. This resource will help you navigate the major publications. You might also find Emanuel Tov's Revised List, featured on the Reference Tools page, helpful as well.
Understanding the issues:
Timothy Lim's Dead Sea Scrolls: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2005), featured on the Reference Tools page, provides a balanced, concise introduction to Scrolls studies.
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|The Survivor Tree, Summer 2016|
The March 2010 nor'easter impacted the Northeastern part of United States resulting in at least nine deaths. Winds of up to 70 miles per hour snapped power lines and trees . Among these trees was the Callery pear tree form 9-11 site. The tree was uprooted in powerful storm. Again, the tree survived, and caretakers righted the tree, examined roots, pruned branches and secured it with cables. December 2010 it was restored to Ground Zero.
“The presence of the Survivor Tree on the Memorial Plaza will symbolize New York City’s and this nation’s resilience after the attacks,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Like the thousands of courageous stories of survival that arose from the ashes of the World Trade Center, the story of this tree also will live on and inspire many.”
In late August 2011 hurricane Irene hit New York. Throughout its path, Irene caused widespread destruction and at least 56 deaths.
“The Memorial has weathered tropical storm Irene, and it remains as strong as the hundreds of men and women dedicated to building it,” 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels said in a statement. “And true to its name, the Survivor Tree is standing tall at the Memorial.”
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum was among the many New York cultural institutions that suffered severe damage from Hurricane Sandy. River surges caused serious flooding at the foundation level of the World Trade Center. Inside the visitor center and a private entrance room for victims' families, about 4 feet of water ruined the lower sections of the sheet-rock walls , In the unfinished museum, the water rose as high as 8 feet. It had taken about a week to drain the floodwaters — as high as 10 feet in some places — from the 16-acre site.
And the “Survivor Tree” continues to live up to its name and stands tall among the oak trees at the Memorial .
Aside from the Callery pear Survivor Tree, there are six other survivor of the 9/11 attack, all of which are now planted near New York City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge.
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The Iditarod dog sled race is an Alaskan and American institution, in which teams of dogs and people race over 1000 miles in the course of several days. It is considered a supreme challenge in endurance racing.
Most dogs I know love to work. Cattle dogs enjoy rounding up cattle. Shepherds enjoy herding sheep. My pal Buster enjoys playing fetch (which is the closest thing to work he experiences). I have always assumed that sled dogs involved in the Iditarod enjoy running the race. And perhaps most of them do.
However, two recent papers in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association have made made it clear that some dogs are not benefiting from their participation in the race. The first paper discusses autopsy results of 23 dogs that died while running the race between 1994-2006.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance–Unexpected death is a rare event among conditioned sled dogs during competition in endurance races. Potentially life-threatening conditions of dogs that are associated with periods of long-distance physical exertion include aspiration pneumonia, gastric mucosal lesions, and severe rhabdomyolysis. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2008;232:564-573)
Translated into English, the last sentence implies that prolonged heavy breathing may cause dogs to inhale foreign matter and develop pneumonia; stress from endurance running leads to stomach ulcers; and extreme prolonged exercise may cause muscles to break down.
I should emphasize that the vast majority of dogs that compete in the Iditarod do not suffer such serious consequences. (Although if 23 humans were to die in a dozen years during a similar sized sporting event, the event would certainly be banned.) However, the second paper points out that the stress of intense training may lead to stomach ulcers and reduced red blood cell counts in a much larger number of dogs.
[A]cute blood loss secondary to gastrointestinal tract bleeding was likely responsible for the decrease in [red blood cell count] associated with acute exercise. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2008;232:873-878)
Some people believe that running dogs in the Iditarod constitutes cruelty. I am not ready to go that far. But these articles have certainly given me something to think about.
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Socializing with other kids teaches children important life rules like cooperation and sharing, claims the website Child Development Info. The site adds that playing with others prepares children to function in the adult world. One of the best ways for children to socialize is to play games. Games with rules, especially, help children develop from thinking egocentrically to understanding the importance of people around them and socializing nicely.
A fun animal game to play with your toddler or preschooler is animal charades. You can play this alone with your child or invite her friends or siblings to play. For this game, Family Education suggests putting several stuffed animals in a pillow case. Have your toddler pick out one animal without showing it to you or the other players. Her challenge is to act out that animal so that someone can guess what the animal was. If several children are playing, the child who guessed correctly gets to pull out a stuffed animal next. Once someone has guessed the right animal, it is fun for all the children to walk around the room acting like that creature.
Toddlers are just learning the alphabet while 5 years old are learning how to read. One game that teaches your youngest his A-B-Cs and teaches your oldest how to spell involves cutout alphabet letters. Cut out every letter of the alphabet or use letters you may have from magnet sets or puzzles. Put all the letters in a bag. Pull out a letter. Your toddler must say what letter it is. The older child says a word that begins with that letter. The child who yells his answer first wins.
Throwing the Smile
Disney’s Family Fun website claims Throwing the Smile will have children of all ages giggling wildly. Tell the children to sit in a circle. Designate one child to be “it.” That child smiles while the other children sit solemnly. “It” uses her hand to pretend to wipe the smile off her face and throw it to another player. The designated catcher pretends to catch the smile and put it on her face. After smiling as long as she’d like, she then pretends to wipe the smile off of her face and throw it to another player. The object of the game is for nobody to smile or laugh except “it.” According to Family Fun, the youngest kids tend to laugh the hardest and enjoy this silly game the most.
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|Ceylon date palm|
Phoenix pusilla (pusilla, Latin, tiny or weak) or Ceylon date palm is a species of flowering plant in the palm family, endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), they are found in lowlands, ridges and hills. No taller than 5 m, this species is usually single-stemmed but clumps do occur naturally. At 25 cm in diameter, the trunks are covered with distinct leaf-base scars, forming a 'wicker' pattern. Their distinguishable trunks have made them popular in cultivation. They are drought tolerant and slow-growing.
In Sri Lanka, the plant is known as Indi-gaha, (ඉංදි ගහ). The name is most likely derived from "indo", meaning "of Indian origin". Its Malayalam, Telegu and Tamil names however also contain an intu or ita ending. In Hindi it is known as Palavat, and in Malayalam as Chiteental.
Plant pacifies vitiated vata, pitta, burning sensation, fever, cardiac debility, peptic ulcer and general weakness.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phoenix pusilla.|
- Riffle, Robert L. and Craft, Paul (2003) An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms. Portland: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-558-6 / ISBN 978-0-88192-558-6 (page 403)
- Nucleated succession by an endemic palm Phoenix pusilla enhances diversity of woody species in the arid Coromandel Coast of India
|This palm-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.|
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A compassionate approach.
Committed to caring for the whole person.
Regular hemodialysis to treat kidney failure, repeated blood draws or long-term infusions of medication can make it difficult to access the vascular system through the veins. This activity can make the veins and surrounding tissue painful and it can even damage the veins.
To prevent these problems a radiologist may insert an external catheter called a Permacath into the large central veins of the chest or upper arm. A Permacath can provide access to the vascular system for a year, or it can be used as a point of permanent access.
Permacaths allow for a patient who needs kidney dialysis to avoid multiple catheter insertions. It can also be used to administer caustic medication such as chemotherapy that cause injury to veins.
Preparation for the procedure
You may have blood drawn the day before the procedure.
You should not eat or drink 4 hours before the procedure.
Tell your doctor about any medications you are taking, especially blood thinners.
If you have had a Permacath inserted before, tell your doctor. Also mention any infections you may have had in the past, bleeding problems or allergies to medications.
After talking with your doctor you will be asked to sign a patient consent form.
How is it done?
You’ll change into a gown and lie on an imaging table.
You will be given a sedative intravenously.
An antiseptic will be used to clean the area where the Permacath will be inserted.
You will be given an anesthetic injection to relieve and prevent pain.
The radiologist will access the jugular vein and advance a guide wire into the superior vena cava where the catheter enters the skin and where the needle puncture is made. The radiologist is creating a kind of tunnel that the catheter can be threaded through under the skin. A few tiny stitches will be made to hold it in place for a short time.
The Permacath will have a kind of cuff attached that will help secure the catheter. Scar tissue builds up around the cuff which helps keep it in place and prevent infection. No one will be able to see the cuff which is under the skin. The visible portion of the catheter is a single catheter exiting the chest wall with two extensions.
A bandage will be placed over the site.
The procedure will take about 45 minutes.
You will have a chest X-ray or a recorded fluoroscopic image taken afterward to ensure that the Permacath has been properly placed.
What equipment is used?
The radiologist will use very small instruments to put the Permacath in place. The Permacath is larger than most catheters. There may be an X-ray machine used before, during or after treatment.
What are the risks and benefits?
The risks of having a Permacath inserted include:
- There is always the risk of infection when the Permacath is inserted or in the blood at a later time
- There is the possibility of bleeding from the catheter if it is pulled
- There is a minimal chance that the needle tip will puncture the lung wall but If you are short of breath or have pain in the chest in the time after your Permacath is fixed in place, call your physician as soon as you can
- Over time the Permacath can break or be accidentally moved out of place
- There can be a blockage in the vein where the Permacath is inserted, this can cause swelling in the arm or head and requires immediate medical attention
The benefits of having a Permacath inserted include:
- You will not have to have an IV placed every time you need medication such as chemotherapy
- It will allow kidney hemodialysis when there is no other access to your vascular system
Who interprets results and how will I get them?
The radiologist will review images of the Permacath in place and will talk to you about it after the procedure.
After the procedure
You will need someone to drive you home.
Nursing staff will teach you how to care for your catheter.
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The structure was known in Byzantium as the basilica Cistern, Justinian was the founder of the largest underground cistern, built after the Nika Revolt in 532.The number of the inhabitants of Constantinople increased and bring a problem of water supply. Basilica Cistern was used to store water for the Great Palace among the other buildings on the Firth Hill. During the Justinian time, After the Conquest the water in the Basilica Cistern were used for the garden of TopkapıPalace. It is 140 meters long and 70 meters wide. The twelve rows of 28 columns each, 336 altogether, capacityof having eight thousand cubic meters water. Basilica Cistern was restored in 1980.
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How is the Feldenkrais Method applied in the performing arts?
Our body is our instrument. We need to learn how to refine, tune and develop it, much as a musician does. Without freedom of movement we risk injury, stress, overuse syndrome (RSI) and diminished potential to express what we want to and how we want to.
Some of the many benefits gained from attending regular Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® classes or hands-on work, called Functional Integration® with a Feldenkrais practitioner are:
- Improved breathing
- Increased flexibility
- Greater stability and balance
- Learning how to recognize habitual patterns that may inhibit freedom of movement
- Finding different ways of performing the same function
- Better focus and attention
- Working without strain and tension
- Learning how to listen to the body’s signals to stop or change the way you move
These benefits can assist anyone, however, with students of the performing arts, the resulting learning is very specific. Feldenkrais assists students to learn more deeply and in many cases more quickly than they might otherwise. For example, with students of voice, whilst students are learning to develop their voices through learning new singing repertoire, they are also learning more about themselves, understanding more about how they do what they do. There is a refining of the kinaesthetic sense, the ability to sense oneself in action. The learning isn’t just about following a teacher’s instructions, but how the use of voice relates to the rest of the self.
Feldenkrais can assist students to:
- Experience more vocal freedom
- Increase the volume of their sound
- Learn how to find more comfort when singing
Additionally, the Feldenkrais Method interacts in a unique way with each individual enabling students to;
- Actualize something that didn’t exist before
- “Tell the story” by gaining a deeper understanding of the creative process
Sometimes, as you will read in the following testimonials, the learning takes place in a way that has huge ramifications for performing and experiencing music generally. In other cases (no less huge) it may be understood in relation to a particular problem or challenge that may have been an obstacle to enjoyment or further progress.
Helen, Professional Viola Player
I am a viola player working full time as a performer and teacher. I discovered the Feldenkrais Method about 7 years ago. It has totally transformed my approach to my playing and movement in general. I now have many new tools to explore habits in my own playing and that of my students, and strategies to break the habits that aren't useful. I also have a greatly intensified sensitivity in my playing and ability to stay grounded in performance. The Feldenkrais Method has benefitted me on many levels. There seems to be no limit of how long I can keep learning new things from working with it.
Tiriki, Classical Singer
I consider myself most fortunate to have been able to combine Feldenkrais Method classes with my study of classical singing. Not only has Feldenkrais made a truly dramatic impact on my quality of sound production and the comfort I experience in performing, but it has also given me the body awareness tools to be able to diagnose and move forward with my craft independently. I truly believe that by embracing Feldenkrais I have been able to progress much faster and with much greater quality than I would have without it. There is also the added bonus that it has made my day to day life so much more comfortable.
Amir, Concert Pianist
As a professional pianist, Feldenkrais has been an important key to unlocking flaws in my playing. The Feldenkrais Method has allowed me to create an awareness of muscular co-ordination and general movement, and to iron out the bad habits that were getting in the way. I now feel more comfortable at the instrument, and I am able to solve problems myself with ease, due to a deeper understanding of the mechanics of piano playing.
The Feldenkrais Method has been an invaluable tool for me in reducing the tension that caused so many problems in my playing. As the use of my body gets easier and easier, I find that new possibilities in breathing and tone production open up, and things continue to change and improve all the time. I'd recommend this Method, not only for musicians in pain, but also for anyone who wants to improve their playing or singing in a fundamental way.
Nat Grant, professional percussionist
I can easily see the benefits that The Feldenkrais Method would have for anyone and everyone. Who wouldn't like to be more in tune with their own body?
As a percussionist I have battled with sore wrists, arms, neck, back and shoulders. Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement classes as well as the hands-on lessons have helped me become a lot more aware of how my body works, so I can better use it to do what I want (and need) to do with a lot less pain and a lot more success!
Sonya, Concert Pianist
My Feldenkrais teacher has been an inexhaustible resource, both professionally and personally, in the time that I have worked with her. Her insight, wisdom and compassion are truly inspiring and her understanding of the human body and brain as well as the patterns that govern them, is truly remarkable!
Working with her gave a me a new and healthier way of looking and relating to my injury and has given me a strong believe that there is a path out of it – a real gift to be given.
She has taught me to explore and understand new and different ways of moving and organising my self to play the piano and I feel confident that in time, it’ll provide an invaluable key to a healthy and pain-free existence both on and off my instrument!
Sasha, Concert Pianist
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Total Organic Carbon in Water
The total organic carbon content is another measure of the organic matter present in water.
It seems likely a more comprehensive indication of organic pollution loads can be obtained in this way than any other. In this test, all the carbon in a sample is converted to carbon dioxide and then is measured by infra-red spectrscopy.
Useful information for deciding the nature of the water can be obtained by dividing the COD by both the BOD and the TOC value. In general, COD divided by BOD will be in the range of 1.5 to 3 for substances in water that are readily biodegradable, and from 4 up to as high as 12 to 15 for toxic or nonbiodegradable substances.
The COD/TOC data would be useful in determining whether the COD of a water was due to organic or inorganic reducing agents. If inorganic reducing agents were present, the COD/TOC ratio would be extremely high.
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Globally, 2.2 billion people are affected by poor eye health – and one billion of these cases could have been prevented. This is according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released in advance of World Sight Day, observed today. The observance offers an opportunity for India to take note of its own visually impaired population and what it can do to prevent and treat cases.
“In a world built on the ability to see, vision, the most dominant of our senses, is vital at every turn of our lives,” reads the opening of the World Report on Vision, the agency’s first report on the issue. “Yet,” it goes on to state, “as this report shows, eye conditions and vision impairment are widespread, and far too often they still go untreated.”
“Over sixty million people in India are blind and with some form of vision impairment or the other,” Vinod Daniel, chief executive officer and managing director of the not-for-profit trust India Vision Institute (IVI), told Health Issues India. However, he goes on to note, “the challenge is huge but not insurmountable.” India is home to twenty percent of the world’s visually impaired population.
Expanding on the work of the IVI in the field, Daniel adds “we are working across India in eighteen states and union territories to provide the less privileged access to vision screening and free eye glasses. This becomes important specially to prevent avoidable blindness. For people with uncorrected refractive errors, a simple pair of spectacles would in most cases suffice to address the issue.”
Indeed, as The Hindustan Times reported last year, 75 percent of blindness cases are preventable. Lack of access to treatment are major hindrances to those with visual impairment and can negatively affect outcomes to the extent that one is left with a lifelong disability – simply because of a lack of access to care.
“It is unacceptable that 65 million people are blind or have impaired sight when their vision could have been corrected overnight with a cataract operation, or that over 800 million struggle in everyday activities because they lack access to a pair of glasses,” says WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “People who need eye care must be able to receive quality interventions without suffering financial hardship. Including eye care in national health plans and essential packages of care is an important part of every country’s journey towards universal health coverage.”
As the WHO report notes, “eye conditions are remarkably common. Those who live long enough will experience at least one eye condition during their lifetime.” At a time of increasing urbanisation and ageing populations – both trends being witnessed in India – visual impairment will exert an even bigger footprint, making concerted action vital.
The causes of blindness vary. Of the one billion people worldwide with moderate to severe vision impairment or blindness, unaddressed refractive error accounted for 123.7 million cases; cataract for 65.2 million cases; glaucoma for 6.9 million cases; corneal opacities for 4.2 million; diabetic retinopathy for three million; and trachoma for two million. In low- and middle-income countries, cataract exerts a particular toll compared to high-income nations. Health Issues India has reported previously on commonplace conditions such as dry eye disease which can result in blindness if not treated.Diagnostics and access to treatment are key in preventing lasting sight-related disability. Yet in India, as with other conditions, there is a treatment gap.
In 2000, a report noted issues such as uptake of treatment and access to facilities owing to a disproportionate clustering of medical facilities in urban areas as opposed to rural environments were impediments in the treatment of eye disorders in 2000. In the almost twenty years since, the situation is familiar.
As reported last year by CBMUK – The Overseas Christian Disability Charity noted that “for many people in India, particularly those living in poorer rural areas, sight-saving health services are out of reach.” As Devex reported last year “India itself still has a way to go, say many — from staffing to better use of data, ensuring access to care, and moving to a more comprehensive system.”
Staffing levels in the field of eye care are a major issue. “There are only an estimated 15,000 ophthalmologists in India and only 45,000 optometrists against a required 125,000,” Sandeep Bothra wrote in ExpressHealthcare earlier this year, with significant disparities between rural and urban areas. “This means,” he added, “a serious shortage of medical professionals leading to severe handicap in both screening and treatment of eye ailments in the country.”
The same is true globally. According to the WHO, “the burden of eye conditions and vision impairment is not borne equally: it is often far greater in people living in rural areas, those with low incomes, women, older people, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and indigenous populations.”
The IVI has engaged in efforts to expand access to eye disorder treatment across India, including in underserved populations. “IVI has, to date, undertaken 588 vision screening programs in and around Chennai and other cities in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram, New Delhi, Odisha, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal,” Daniel told Health Issues India. “Over 244,509 individuals from the underprivileged communities (including over 187,030 children) were screened and free spectacles distributed to 37,704 individuals (including 20,148 children).”
Bridging the accessibility gap, the WHO report notes, ought to form a key component of the route to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) – a goal India aims to achieve, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirming his administration’s commitment to UHC at last month’s United Nations General Assembly. As such, it recommends that countries “implement integrated people-centred eye care in health systems; promote high-quality implementation and health systems research complementing existing evidence for effective eye care interventions; monitor trends and evaluate progress towards implementing integrated people-centred eye care; raise awareness and engage and empower people and communities about eye care needs.”
It is clear that India has work to do in this field but, as Daniel reminds us, “the challenge is huge but not insurmountable.” Indeed, India has made progress in this field. The WHO report credits the “concerted efforts” of the government’s National Programme for the Control of Blindness with effecting “an overall reduction in prevalence of blindness was reported from 1.1 percent in 2001-02 to 0.45 percent during the years 2015–18.” Going forward, implementing robust, targeted strategies and expanding access to screening are needed to improve standards and accessibility of eye care. World Sight Day is an opportunity to remind ourselves of this need, and to build momentum towards achieving it.
“As we commemorate World Sight Day to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment on the theme ‘Vision First’,” says Vinod Daniel, “it is imperative that we continue with our work towards achieving vision care with access to all, especially the unreached and communities in far-flung and remote corners.”
The World Report on Vision can be accessed here.
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The goal of training is to improve performance. This typically involves skirting a very thin line between maximizing performance and overtraining. However, training isn’t the only stress that our bodies undergo throughout the day. Stress can present itself through things like work, home, relationships, and pretty much every other aspect of life. And a huge challenge when training for high performance is balancing stress and workload with proper recovery. There have been many attempts to monitor all stress levels, to get an idea of how hard to push the body during a training session, and while things like heart rate, and power output, seem to do a decent job at monitoring training stress, there is still a general lack of guidelines of when to terminate a workout early based on these factors. Monitoring skeletal muscle oxygenation (SmO2) offers a more objective means of monitoring how the muscle is responding to the stress of training. Arguably, one of the largest benefits of monitoring SmO2 during workouts is the ability to autoregulate workouts. While this is an extremely powerful tool to monitor the acute effects of exercise and tailor workouts to an individuals’ physiology. It’s been shown that heart rate at the same power output improves over time, the highest maintainable power output during an endurance event increases and VO2max increases with proper training, yet, very little has been done to monitor how training effects SmO2. In the next few posts I want to walk through a case study to detail changes to an athletes’ physiology over the course of 5 weeks of training. This first post will detail the set-up and give proper background information, the second post will look at the acute effects of each workout, and the final post will detail the patterns of change throughout the 5 weeks.
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) devices have seen growing popularity in research and sporting application over the last decade because of their ability to non-invasively determine muscle oxygen saturation changes during real-time activities. These devices have the potential to change the way exercise is prescribed. However, most NIRS devices are too expensive for consumer use and/or require large power sources and cords, relegating athletes and coaches to only using these devices in a laboratory setting. NIRS devices use a few different methods to determine changes in muscle oxygenation, which I won’t go into detail in this post, but the least cost prohibitive is a method called continuous-wave NIRS. This involves emitting 2 to 4 different wavelengths of light into the tissue of interest and measuring changes in the intensity of light to determine how tissue oxygenation is changing. One major drawback of using most CW-NIRS devices is that they use 2 wavelengths of light while assuming that the tissue the light is passing through remains constant which limits these devices to ONLY reporting changes in muscle oxygenation. Indeed, these devices can estimate percent changes in oxygenation, but only after a calibration step is completed and applied to the data after tests are finished.
Introduction. In the last post how to complete a repeat desaturation protocol was discussed. This protocol is especially useful for multimodal and team sport athletes. Briefly, using a sport specific exercise modality, have an athlete complete repeated sprint intervals (~20s) until they can no longer desaturate or recover SmO2 to the same extent as the start of the workout. Using this data, coaches and athletes can get an idea of sprint endurance capacity which will inform substitution patterns in team sports activities and pacing strategies for other sports. In this blog post I want to walk through an example of a repeated desaturation protocol completed by a cyclist to get an idea of his capacity for accelerations/attacks during a race.
Introduction. The last few posts have covered the topic of assessments, and how Moxy/NIRS devices can be used to gain insight into how the muscle is responding to different loads in real-time. The most common assessment that uses Moxy is the 5-1-5 assessment. Through a progressive increase in exercise intensity with dispersed rest periods this assessment is designed to determined which system (cardiac, pulmonary, and/or skeletal muscle) is most limiting to performance. The second assessment used is a progressive strength test. The goal of this test is to evaluate the blood flow/volume response (tHb) during progressively harder weight-lifting. Upon completion the athlete gains insight to the rep ranges necessary to best elicit different adaptations (strength, hypertrophy, endurance). The above two tests are designed to evaluate endurance and strength limitations, however, the major drawback to these assessments is that they are not very sport specific. Therefore, this post will discuss a repeat desaturation protocol which can be used to evaluate team sport athletes whose sports require repeated sprints. While this style of assessment is best suited for sport specific evaluation, it can still be used for sports that do not use repeated sprints in competition (e.g. many endurance sports). This assessment is useful because it provides insights to how well an athlete responds and recovers to high intensity bouts.
Skeletal muscle oxygenation response during training/assessments can give great insights to how the body is responding to the stimulus it is encountering. Over the past posts I have outlined how Moxy can be used to Autoregulate Sprint Interval Training and Strength Training, in this post I want to detail a Strength Assessment used/created by Evan Peikon at Training Think Tank to determine the best rep ranges for strength and hypertrophy based on your individual physiology using Moxy. The goal. The goal of the strength assessment is to evaluate where different occlusion trends are occurring. By honing in on what intensity an athletes’ body shifts from compression, to venous, and venous to arterial occlusion, you can better understand which weight ranges will most likely provide the physiologic adaptations that are being pursued.
Topics: strength training
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a powerful non-invasive tool that allows researchers to measure, in real-time, the changes in oxygen dynamics in a myriad of tissues during a variety of interventions from sitting to exercising. One of them most useful functions of NIRS is its utility in measuring skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. This technique has even been validated against phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (P-MRS) and high resolution respirometry (HRR) which are considered the gold-standard measurements for mitochondrial function. In both of the above studies the NIRS technique, described in detail below, was shown to be significantly correlated to each gold-standard measure (r > .88, p < 0.0001) and (r = 0.61 – 0.74, p < 0.01), respectively. Very briefly, to measure skeletal muscle oxidative capacity, a seated participant contracts their muscle (to provide a metabolic stimulus), then undergoes a series of 5-15 rapid cuff inflations, from a blood pressure cuff located proximal to the area of interrogation. Upon completion the cuff/s are inflated above systolic blood pressure for 3-5 minutes in order to normalize the NIRS signal. Finally, the slope of each cuff is measured, plotted, and fit to a monoexponential curve allowing for the determination of the NIRS rate constant, k, which is the value used as a surrogate for skeletal muscle oxidative capacity.
NIRS in Research. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a relatively new technology that has shown utility for many different non-invasive protocols for physiologic experimentation. Essentially, NIRS technology monitors changes in capillary oxygenation values by measuring the intensity of light (600-1000nm) after it passes through biological tissue, (i.e. skeletal muscle). The amount of light that is absorbed by a tissue depends mainly on the amount of oxygen that is bound to the chromophores, hemoglobin and myoglobin, underneath the sensor. Therefore, by measuring dynamic changes in the amount of light that passes through a tissue, researchers are able to get an idea of oxygen consumption within the tissue underneath the sensor.
While science does a great job of measuring the statistical norms of a population, the individual physiologic response to training must be taken into account in order to maximize an athlete’s performance potential. Training autoregulation is the concept that training should be monitored and manipulated on a daily basis, based on the individual physiologic responses of the athlete. In the last blog post I introduced the concept of autoregulation and how monitoring skeletal muscle oxygenation levels via NIRS could provide useful insights to how an athlete is coping with a workout. In the next couple of posts I want to walk through the analysis/real-time monitoring of an athlete completing a repeated sprint style workout, and a lunge based body weight strength circuit.
Scientists and coaches have long been searching for the perfect interval workout that pushes the athlete hard enough to elicit a specific adaptation while keeping them healthy enough to continue to train consistently. Such studies have resulted in the creation of guidelines for set and rep schemes for both strength and endurance training aimed at targeting specific adaptations. While this research has gleaned many generalizable rules, these rules have a tendency to fall apart when applied purely on an individual basis. Even something as simple as hypertrophy training (3-5 sets of 8-12 reps) does not always elicit the mass gain it promises. Speaking from experience, it’s extremely frustrating to complete prescribed workouts, with what seems like adequate stimulus, without gaining the benefits that are touted.
Over the last few blog posts, I have outlined how to Complete and Analyze a 5-1-5 Assessment. Briefly, a 5-1-5 assessment consists of progressively harder load steps where 5 minutes of work are followed by 1 minute of complete rest, then repeated. After the load is repeated twice it is increased until the athlete cannot finish a load or has completed sufficient work to gain enough information about their physiology. Using this data one of three major physiological limiters can be identified.
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Global Assessment of Agricultural System Redesign for Sustainable Intensification
The sustainable intensification (SI) of agricultural systems offers synergistic opportunities for the co-production of agricultural and natural capital outcomes. We show global progress towards SI by farms and hectares, using seven SI sub-types: integrated pest management, conservation agriculture, integrated crop and biodiversity, pasture and forage, trees, irrigation management, and small/patch systems. From 47 SI initiatives at scale (each >10,000 farms or hectares), we estimate 163M farms (29% of all worldwide) have crossed a redesign threshold, practising forms of SI on 453Mha of agricultural land (9% of worldwide total). conclude that SI may be approaching a tipping point where it could be transformative.
The paper in Nature Sustainability is here: go.nature.com/2vSh0Pr
Think of this. Half of all children you know now will live to the 22nd century. They will have adopted sufficient components of healthy living to see them live a hundred years. Their life journeys will take them past the point where world population will stabilise, then start to fall in some places, for the first time in human history. They will know a world where agriculture, the work of producing food, improves the natural capital of the planet rather than depleting it. This will happen in the temperates and tropics and across all continents.
Surely, you may say, other pressing problems will intervene: political disturbance, climate change, pest and disease, drought and flood. Some of these will be serious, many will result in greater temporary hunger and ill-health. But inexorably, year on year, the world’s farmers will produce the food, fuel and fibre we need, from no more agricultural land. They will do it with responsibility and care for our environments and people. They will be part of redesigned food systems in which healthy food is grown with respect for nature, and is distributed more evenly. There have been many agricultural revolutions across the last ten thousand years of human history. We are now amidst another – and it could be the most important.
Previous agricultural revolutions brought considerable harm to environments, and often also to people’s health. It did not seem possible, at the time, to conceive of a productive agriculture that did not trade off valuable services from the environment. You want food? Well, stop worrying about the birds and bees, the clean atmosphere and pristine waters, the diverse forests and swamps. Losses are simply the price you must pay to eat. This was the narrative.
In this new global assessment, the 17 lead authors show that the sustainable intensification (SI) of agricultural systems offers synergistic opportunities for the co-production of agricultural and natural capital outcomes. We offer a model of change, suggesting that that Efficiency and Substitution can be helpful steps towards SI, but the need now is for system Redesign.
This is essential to deliver optimum outcomes as ecological and economic conditions change. We assess global progress towards SI by farms and hectares using seven SI sub-types: integrated pest management, conservation agriculture, integrated crop and biodiversity, pasture and forage systems, trees and agroforestry, irrigation management, and on small and patch systems.
We presented data from 47 large SI initiatives (each with more than 104 farms or hectares), and have estimated that some 163M farms (29% of all worldwide) have crossed a redesign threshold, with forms of SI now being practised on 453Mha of agricultural land (9% of worldwide total). The greatest advances have been made in developing countries.
Our analysis shows that the expansion of SI has begun to occur at scale across a wide range of agroecosystems. The benefits of both scientific and farmer input into technologies and practices that combine crops and animals with appropriate agro-ecological and agronomic management are increasingly evident.
But it will not be easy. We focused on the sustainable production of chiefly food crops. This is one part of the puzzle. But there are many deep challenges associated with food production and consumption. Much today is wasted, lost to pests post-harvest, through cosmetic choices by retailers, left on plates or too long in a fridge. In the past generation or so, the proportion of people in affluent parts of the world who are overweight or obese has dramatically increased. We do not address the pull of consumption choices, though we do wrap up with observations on how redesigned agriculture can contribute to greener economies where all consumption patterns are very different to those of today.
Our focus here is on redesign of farming systems that can help shape those individual choices and behaviours. We currently feed more than 6 billion people well, yet the system is broken. Our hope is that system redesign can begin. We conclude our paper with an observation that SI may be approaching a tipping point where it could be transformative. This, though, will need supportive national and international policies.
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Over the past two decades, there have been significant increases in the access and use of technology in U. S. schools. While one instructional computer was available for every 20 students at the start of 1990s, currently most schools possess more than one instructional computer for every five students in primary and secondary schools in the U.S. (Kleiner & Farris, 2002; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2005). However, access is not equal for all students to be prepared effectively for the information-rich world (Coley, Cradler, & Engel, 1997). Although all students are expected to develop technological fluency, if students come from school and home backgrounds where technology is not widely accessible or used, they will be at a disadvantage for technology-based tasks and miss out on tremendous educational opportunities with technology resources. Historically, students in rural areas have had limited access to computers compared to urban or suburban communities. According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration report (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2002), between 1998 and 2001, people living in urban areas were significantly more likely to have Internet access than were people living in rural areas. In most of the 50 states, the poor and minority students in rural areas are already falling behind their counterparts in wealthier schools, although “the ratio of students to instructional computers with Internet access was higher in schools with the highest poverty concentration than in schools with the lowest poverty concentration (5.1 to 1 compared with 4.2 to 1)” (NCES, 2005, p. 7). Students from families who do not have access to today’s computer technology will have a hard time catching up in tomorrow’s technological job market.
The U.S. Department of Commerce referred to this gap between people who have access to computer technology and people who do not as the “digital divide.” The digital divide is also often mentioned as the gap between those who are able to participate fully in the technology agenda and those who are not (Bracey, 2000). The gap in type of technology usage has been revealed in different groups of students by gender, ethnic status, and socioeconomic level. Inequity in student experiences with technology can be seen in schools across the district (Kleiman, 2000), within the school, and among the students themselves (Haugland, 2000).
Many educators have pointed out that the major issues in the digital divide are related to a lack of interest in technology as well as a lack of access to technology. For example, although computers are available to schools or classrooms, many teachers or students do not sufficiently utilize them. Even when access to technology and connectivity exists, students may have unequal learning experiences. If their teachers choose not to use technology in their teaching, students cannot be equally prepared to become knowledgeable workers and to function well in society. According to the Department of Education report (Kleiner & Farris, 2002), computer usage in schools primarily populated with underserved students is limited to teaching of basic skills, as contrasted with affluent schools where computers are likely to be used to teach higher order literacy and cognitive skills.
On the other hand, many prior studies have shown that disparities exist by gender, as well as socioeconomic backgrounds in both the use and proficiency with computers (Huber & Schofield, 1998; Kelly, 2000). Some literature concerning gender equity indicates that there is no significant difference in the amount of time spent at computers between boys and girls at the early ages of 4 and 5 years (NCES, 2001, 2004). However, when children reach fourth grade, there is a significant difference: boys spend more time at computers than girls do (Haugland, 2000). Armitage (1993) reported that in the elementary grades there is not much evidence of a gender gap in mathematics, science, and technology. Yet, girls start to avoid the computer when they reach the middle school level, and the gender gap widens as students enter high school and increases further into college and graduate school (Gehring, 2001). According to a report of gender inequity by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation (2000), girls are significantly underrepresented in computer science and technology fields.
Previous studies on the “digital divide” have utilized either students (Becker, 2000) or teachers (Bracey, 2000) as units of analysis. However, research that examines the role that school, classroom, and teachers play on the digital divide in student technology access and usage is still scarce. It is important for institutions to identify some of the school/classroom infrastructural characteristics, as well as teacher practices, that may minimize the disparities in access and usage of technology among students.
The purpose of this study is twofold: First, to examine the inequities in access and utilization of technology among students in elementary schools in northeastern Ohio and, second, to examine school contextual, classroom, and teacher characteristics that may be related to the disparities in student access and usage of technology. Specifically, the following research questions were addressed in the study:
- Do significant differences exist in the students’ access to technology tools by school location?
- Do significant differences exist in the students’ usage of technology tools between those who have access to computers at home and those who do not?
- Do significant differences in the students’ usage of technology tools exist by school locations, student’s gender, and grade level?
- To what extent do teacher and classroom characteristics such as teacher’s gender, teaching experience, percent of minority students, and computer access in the classrooms, significantly predict inequities in the type of technology usage among fourth and fifth graders?
The student participants were 1,027 fourth and fifth grade students from 48 classrooms in northeastern Ohio. Fifty one percent (n = 523) of the students were from the 24 suburban classrooms, 18% of the students (n = 180) were from the nine rural classrooms, and 31% (n = 320) of the students were from the 15 urban classrooms. On average, 59% of the urban students were minority, compared to 28% of the suburban students and less than 1% of the rural students. The fourth- and fifth-grade teachers who participated in the study consisted of 15 males and 33 females, with teaching experience raging from 1 to 39 years and a mean teaching experience of 10.35 years. Those who agreed to participate were mailed a package containing one teacher and 25 student questionnaires, together with a self-addressed, stamped, return envelope. The participating teachers were asked to complete the teacher questionnaire and administer student surveys in their classroom. Forty-eight out of a total of 75 survey packages (or 64%) were returned.
Two surveys were used to collect data for the study. The student survey assessed the frequency of students’ usage of computer technology tools per week (1 = none, 1-3 times, 4-5 times, 6-10 times, 11 or more times), computer access at home, hours spent on computers at home and in school, and types of computer tools used. The teachers’ survey questions focused on (a) individual characteristics such as gender, teaching experience, beliefs about technology, and type/level of computer usage, (b) classroom characteristics such as class size, number of computers in the classroom, and percentage of minority students in the classroom, and (c) school contextual characteristics such as school location (urban, suburban, or rural).
In the development of the students’ questionnaire, three classroom teachers, knowledgeable in the field of technology and experienced in classroom teaching reviewed the instrument. Each teacher reviewed the instruments for clarity and gave specific suggestions on how to improve each of the items. Based on these suggestions, items in the survey instruments were revised or eliminated. A pilot study of 65 students in three classrooms from one private and two public schools was also utilized to refine the students’ questionnaire.
Variables and Measures
Two levels of variables (student-level and teacher-level) corresponding to the units of analysis were identified for the study. The student-level variables provided information about the students’ use of the following computer tools: word processing, drawing, presentation/PowerPoint, spreadsheet, typing practice, games, reading software, encyclopedia, computer test, Web searching, and e-mail. Through principal component factor analysis, the following four groups of computer tool usage and their Cronbach’s reliability alpha (α) were identified: (a) individual tools consisting of typing practice, reading software, and encyclopedia (α = .63, mean = 2.26); (b) interactive tools consisting of drawing, Web searching, computer games, and email (α = .62, mean = 2.91); (c) productivity tools consisting of PowerPoint and spreadsheet (α = .52, mean = 1.83); and (d) word processing (mean = 2.43). These four groupings of computer tool usage were utilized as the primary dependent variables of the study. Other student characteristics, such as gender, grade level, and home computer access, were also utilized as independent variables of the study.
The teacher/classroom-level variables provided information about the teachers’ instructional and personal usage of computer technological tools. Other teacher variables, such as teaching experience and teachers’ technological beliefs, were also collected in addition to classroom and school characteristics, such as percentage of minority students, classroom computer access, and school location. In order to use school location in the regression model, the variable was dummy coded into two groups (urban/rural = 0, suburban = 1). Since data shows that students in urban and rural schools are economically disadvantaged compared to those in suburban schools (NTIA, 2002), by combining rural and urban locations, these variables may also capture aspects of school social economic characteristics.
Data analysis in this study followed two phases. In Phase 1, the analysis of variance model (ANOVA) was used to determine the extent to which students’ usage of computer technology tools vary by students’ characteristics such as gender, access to computers at home, grade level, and school location. In Phase 2, a two-level hierarchical linear model (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002) was used to explain variation in students’ usage of various computer tools as a function of teachers’ characteristics, as well as school contextual variables. Through this model, we are able to access the role teacher, classroom, and school variables play in the students’ computer tools usage-gap, which may exist by student’s access to a computer at home, student’s gender, and student’s school location. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) can explain the between- and within-classroom variances simultaneously (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002). The HLM™, version 5.04 was used in conjunction with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-11.0) in the Windows XP Environment for data analysis in this study.
Difference in the number of hours students spend on computers at home and school and their level of usage of specific computer tools by their individual characteristics such as gender and home computer access was examined using analysis of variance. The results for these analyses are presented in Table 1 through Table 4.
Analysis of Variance Results for the Differences in Students’ Access to Computer Resources by School Location
Variable Suburban Rural/Urban F M SD M SD Average # of hours per week students’ spent on computers
* p < .05. ** p < .01.
Table 1 presents ANOVA results for the differences in students’ level of usage of computer resources by their school location. From these results, it is evident that the average number of hours per week students spend on computers in school (F = 16.50, p < .01) and at home (F = 11.30, p < .01) were significantly different by school location. Students in schools located in suburban communities, on average, spent more hours on computers both at home and in school than did their rural/urban counterparts.
In terms of student usage of specific computer tools, the data revealed that statistically significant differences exist by school location in student usage of word processing (F = 9.28, p < .01), interactive tools (F = 8.93, p < .01), and productivity tools (F = 26.29, p < .01). In each of these tools, students in schools located in suburban communities had significantly greater usage of each of these three computer tools than did those students in schools located in urban or rural communities.
Table 2 presents ANOVA results for the differences in students’ usage of computer resources by gender. Although boys were found to spend significantly more time on computers at home than did girls (F = 15.44, p < .01), no statistically significant differences were observed in students’ usage of specific computer tools by gender, nor the average number of hours they spend on computers at school.
Analysis of Variance Results for the Differences in Students’ Access to Computer Resources by Gender
Boys Girls F M SD M SD Average # of hours per week students’ spent on computers
* p < .05. ** p < .01.
Table 3 presents ANOVA results for the differences in students’ usage of computer resources between those with and without access to computers at home. As expected, students with access to computers at home, on average spent significantly more time on computers at home than did those without (F = 17.22, p < .01). However, similar significant variations were observed in the average number of hours they spend on computers in school (F = 14.70, p < .01).
Without With F M SD M SD Average No. of hours per week students’ spent on computers
* p < .05. ** p < .01.
Statistically significant differences were observed between students with access to computers at home and those without access in the usage of word processing (F = 23.20, p <.01), interactive tools (F = 42.81, p < .01), individual tools (F = 15.52, p < .01), and productivity tools (F = 19.99, p < .01). In each case, students who have access to computers at home had a significantly greater usage of all four tools than did those who have no access to computers at home.
Analysis of Variance Results for the Differences in Students’ Access to Computer Resources by Grade Level
4th grade 5th grade F M SD M SD Average No. of hours per week students’ spent on computers
* p < .05. ** p < .01.
Differences in students’ usage of computer tools and the average number of hours per week they spend on computer at home and at school were examined by grade level (see Table 4). From these findings, it is evident that fifth-grade students have a significantly greater usage of word processing (F = 80.80, p < .01) and interactive tools (F = 56.30, p < .01) and spend significantly more hours per week on computers at home (F = 11.30, p < .01) and at school (F = 16.50, p < .01) compared to their fourth-grade counterparts. However, no significant differences were observed between fourth- and fifth-grade student’s usage of productivity (F = 0.40, p >. 05) and individual tools (F = 3.41, p > .05).
In Phase 2, a two-level hierarchical linear model (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002) was used to explain variation in students’ usage of each of the four computer tools as a function of teachers’ characteristics and practices, as well as school contextual variables. By using hierarchical linear modeling, parameters estimated at the student-level (level-1) model are allowed to vary for each classroom. Each of these parameter estimates serve as outcome variables at the classroom-level (level-2) model. Of particular interest are the parameter estimates for the intercept (ß0j) and the coefficients associated with the student-level predictor variables, access to computer at home (ß1j). The estimate for the parameter ß0j represents the adjusted average computer tools usage for classroom j. The estimates for the parameter associated with the dummy coded predictor, access to computer at home (1 = yes, 0 = no) represent the predicted usage-gap between those students with access to computers at home and those without. Level-2 of the HLM will then serve two purposes. First, to determine the extent to which teacher characteristics and practices, as well as school contextual variables, can predict the adjusted classroom average computer tools usage. Second, the model will be used to access the role teacher characteristics and practices, as well as school contextual variables, play on the student computer tools usage gap (digital divide) between those students with and those without access to computers at home.
Table 5 presents the hierarchical linear model results for the prediction of the adjusted classroom average students’ usage of computer tools by various teacher/classroom variables and school location.
Two-Level HLM Results for the Prediction of the Adjusted Classroom Average Student Computer Tools Usage by Teacher Practices, Characteristics and Schools Contextual Variables
Productivity Tools Interactive Tools Individual Tools Word Processing Teacher gender (1=female, 0=male) ns ns ns ns Teaching experience 0.021** ns ns ns Beliefs in technology ns ns ns ns Technology support ns ns 0.177** ns Instructional use ns ns ns ns Personal use ns ns ns ns % minority students in the classroom -0.005* ns ns ns No. of computers per 10 students -0.332** ns ns ns School location (1 = suburban, 0 = other) -0.349* ns ns ns
* p < .05. ** p < .01.
The results showed that students’ classroom adjusted average student usage of productivity tools was significantly predicted by teachers’ years of experience (γ = 0.021, p < .01), number of computers per 10 students in the classroom (γ = -0.332, p < .01), school location (γ = -0.349, p < .05), and percentage of minority students in the classroom (γ = -0.005, p < .05). The adjusted classroom average usage of productivity tools was positively related to teachers’ years of experience, but negatively related to number of computers in the classroom and percentage of minority students in the classroom. In addition, students in schools located in urban and rural communities were predicted to use productivity tools less often than those whose schools are in suburban communities.
In this study, the coefficient associated with the dummy predictor, access to computer at home, represents a measure of the “digital divide” in student computer tools usage between students with and those without access to computers at home. This coefficient was significantly positive across all four types of computer tools (see Table 3). The digital divide across the 48 classrooms for each type of computer tools was then treated as dependent variable, with teacher practices and characteristics, together with school contextual variables as independent variables.
Table 6 presents the HLM results for the prediction of the digital divide in student computer tools usage by teacher practices and characteristics, as well as certain school variables.
Prediction of the Classroom Computer Usage-Gap Between Students Who Own and Those Who Do Not Have Access to Computer at Home by Teacher and Classroom Variables
Productivity Tools Interactive Tools Individual Tools Word Processing Teacher gender (1 = female, 0 = male) ns ns ns ns Teaching experience ns ns ns -0.019* Beliefs in technology -0.306* ns ns ns Technology support 0.160* ns ns -0.197** Instructional use ns ns 0.227* ns Personal use ns ns -0.234* -0.259** % minority students in the classroom ns ns 0.004* 0.005* No. of computers per 10 students ns ns ns ns School location (1 = suburban, 0 = other) 0.324* ns ns ns
* p < .05. ** p < .01.
Different patterns emerged for the four tools. School location (γ = 0.324, p < .01), school technological support (γ = 0.160, p < .05), and teachers’ beliefs in technology (γ = -0.306, p < .05) were significant predictors of the classroom student usage-gap of productivity tools between those who have and those who have no access to computers at home. In classrooms where teachers had more positive beliefs in technology, the digital divide tended to be narrower than in those classrooms where teachers had less positive beliefs about technology. The data also showed that the gap in the usage of productivity tools was significantly wider in the suburban classrooms than in either the rural or urban classrooms. Teachers’ personal usage of computers significantly narrows the students’ usage gap in both individual tools (γ = -0.234, p < .05) and word processing tools (γ = -0.259, p < .01). An increased percentage of minority students in the classroom was also found to widen the classroom student usage gap significantly in individual tools (γ = 0.004, p < .05) and word processing tools (γ = 0.005, p < .05). In addition, teachers’ level of experience was found to narrow the classroom student usage gap significantly in word processing tools (γ = -0.019, p <.05).
The study revealed that while the digital divide in physical access to computers in schools was not significantly different by school location, students in suburban schools had significantly greater access to computers at home than did their rural/urban counterparts. Students in suburban classrooms spent significantly more time on computers both at home and in school than did the rural/urban students. Data analysis in this study by specific type of computer tools showed that, in general, students tended to use technology tools for individual/personal practices rather than for instructional activities. Students’ usage of word processing, interactive, and productivity tools was significantly lower in schools located in urban and rural than in those in suburban communities. These findings suggest that access to computers at home is an important factor in students’ utilization of computer resources. Moreover, providing physical access to computers in schools may be insufficient to close the digital divide in computer technology by school location. Even when schools provide equal access to computers for all students, the digital divide in students’ usage of technology tools still remains, due to differing students’ home environments. This phenomenon is a reality that research has identified for several decades. For instance, Sutton (1991) indicated that computer technology exaggerated existing inequalities in educational input and output, particularly by social economic status, minority status, and gender. In order to interrupt these trends, school districts, teachers, and teacher education programs should be more deliberate and innovative in their attempt to reduce such handicaps that children face as a function of factors beyond their control (Coleman, 1977).
Although the study found no statistically significant evidence of a gender gap among students in fourth- and fifth-grade levels in usage of computer tools in the classroom, boys on average spend more hours on computers at home than do girls. The findings of this study also indicated that a significant digital divide exists in students’ usage of technology tools between those who have access to computers at home and those who do not. This difference in home usage of computers by gender, if unchecked, may lead to a gender digital divide later on in their school life. Educators should make an effort to identify more institutional and societal factors that may lead to the widening of this gender digital divide, as well as incorporating gender equity strategies in the curriculum of teacher training programs.
The role of teacher and institutional variables such as a teacher’s level of experience, their beliefs, and their practices in closing this gap should be of paramount importance to educational researchers. Therefore, the higher education community, including teacher education programs, should establish a partnership with school districts that show limited practice with technology tools to ensure equal opportunities for all students. In this collaborative relationship, professors and teachers could tailor teacher education courses to integrate technology tools into specific subject areas and develop an effective teacher training program that can be implemented in each subject area. Teacher training should focus on educational applications or innovative uses of technology tools for each subject area rather than on technology proficiency skills in isolation.
Other findings in the study revealed the importance of teachers’ beliefs and practices in technology in relation to the digital divide in students’ usage of specific computer tools. Specifically, teachers’ positive beliefs about technology, their teaching experience, and their personal usage of computers were all found to narrow significantly the digital divide between students who have access to computers at home and those who do not. In addition, teaching experience was positively related to students’ usage of productivity tools that are often integrated into the curriculum, but not with interactive or individual tools that are typically used in isolation. This finding may imply that when teachers are more proficient in technology and have more experience, they integrate technology tools into their teaching. As a result, their students are given the opportunities to use technology, regardless of their technological environment at home.
Limitations of the Study
Although some students’ characteristics and practices were found to be significant predictors of student usage of technology tools, the proportion of variance in student usage accounted for by these factors was rather low, ranging from 2.5% in productivity tools to 8.1% in interactive tools. Other factors not considered in the present study need to be identified.
The study also focused on the quantitative rather than qualitative measures of technology usage. The study attempted to determine how often students used computer tools in school and at home without accounting for the length of time spent each time. Due to the age of student participants in the study, it was difficult to determine the level of sophistication in their usage of computer tools.
The study utilized a nonrandom sample of 48 teachers/classrooms in the second level of a hierarchical linear model. A larger sample of teachers/classrooms in a wider U. S. region could provide a more robust estimate of teacher and classroom effects on the digital divide. However, the study utilized an instrument that focused on typical tools used in a wide range of schools in the U.S. The findings in this study would benefit teachers and teacher educators to identify factors that may reduce the digital divide in students’ usage of specific types of computer tools by gender, school location, or social economic background.
American Association of University Women Educational Foundation. (2000). Tech-savvy: Educating girls in the new Computer Age, Retrieved October 20, 2005, from http://www.aauw.org/member_center/publications/TechSavvy/TechSavvy.pdf
Armitage, D. (1993). Where are the girls? Increasing female participation in computer, math, and science education. In D. Carey, R. Carey, D.A. Willis, & J. Willis (Eds.), Technology and teacher education annual. (pp. 14-18). Charlottesville, VA: Association for Advancement of Computing in Education.
Becker, H. J. (2000). Findings from the teaching, learning, and computing survey: Is Larry Cuban right? Education Policy Analysis Archives [Online], 8(51), Retrieved Sept. 28, 2005, from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v8n51/
Bracey, B. (2000, Spring). A different divide: Teachers and other professionals. Edutopia, 4-5.
Coleman, J. S. (1977). What is meant by ‘an equal educational opportunity’? Oxford Review of Education, 1(1), 27-29.
Coley, R., Cradler, J., & Engel, P. K. (1997). Computers and classrooms: The status of technology in U.S. Schools (Policy Information Report). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED412893)
Gehring, J. (2001). Not enough girls. Education Week, 20(35), 18-19. Retrieved October 20, 2005, from http://counts.edweek.org/sreports/tc01/tc01article.cfm?slug=35girls.h20
Haugland, S. W. (2000). Early childhood classrooms in the 21st century: Using computers to maximize learning. Young Children, 55(1), 12-18.
Huber, B. R., & Schofield, J. W. (1998). “I like computers, but many girls don’t”: Gender and the sociocultural contexts of computing. In H. Brornley & M. W. Apple (Eds.), Education/technology/power. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Kelly, K. (2000). The gender gap: Why do girls get turned off to technology? In D. T. Gordon (Ed.), The digital classroom. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Letter.
Kleiman, G. M. (2000). Myths and realities about technology in K-12 schools. In D. T. Gordon (Ed.), The digital classroom. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Letter.
Kleiner, A., & Farris, E. (2002). Internet access in U.S. public schools and classrooms, 1994-2001. Retrieved September 29, 2005, from National Center for Education Statistics Web site: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/2002018.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics. (2001). Computer and Internet use by children and adolescents in 2001. Washington, DC: Author.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2004). Trends in educational equity of girls and women: 2004. Washington, DC: Author.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2005). Internet access in U.S. public schools and classrooms: 1994–2003. Washington, DC: Author.
Raudenbush, S. W., & Bryk, A. S. (2002). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Sutton, R. E. (1991). Equity and computers in the schools: A decade of research. Review of Educational Research, 61(4), 475-503.
U.S. Department of Commerce. (2002, February). How Americans are expanding their use of the Internet. Retrieved October 20, 2005, from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Web site: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/anationonline2.pdf
Seung H. Kim
College of Education
Curriculum and Foundations
Cleveland State University
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What are the orbitals and the hybridization of the #["O"_2"NO"]^"- "# ion?
I think you are asking about the hybridization and the orbitals involved in [O₁—O₂—N—O]⁻.
You first have to draw the Lewis structure. There are three possibilities (sorry, they are difficult to draw in this editor):
The third structure is the most stable, but the actual structure is a resonance hybrid of them all.
All the atoms have a double bond in at least one of the contributors. That means they must be sp² hybridized with the left-over p orbitals participating in the π system.
O₁ and O₂ are each sp² hybridized. The O₁—O₂ σ bond involves overlap of sp² orbitals from O₁ and O₂.
O₂ and N are each sp² hybridized. The O₂—N σ bond involves overlap of sp² orbitals from O₂ and N.
The p orbitals from O₁, O₂, N, and O all overlap to form an extended π orbital system over the whole ion.
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With proper reference to the story discuss ‘Journey by Night’ by Ruskin Bond as a tale of triumph of human courage.
Journey by Night by Norah Burke is a tale of human determination and human courage where the protagonist, Sher Singh, a boy of twelve, took his younger brother Kunwar to the hospital and saved his life crossing many adversities on the way.
It was a poor family of four living in a jungle. Sher Singh’s father Sher Singh Bahadur was a brave shikari (hunter) and was away from home on a photographic expedition. The two boys were left home with their mother. But the yonger boy had a severe stomach ache that day and they feared that the boy was dying and must be taken to the hospital in time. Not to mention, the other children of the family had died of cholera, influenza and by jungle accidents. So, Sher Singh felt the illness inside himself and was determined to save his young brother.
The mother had to stay home to mind the cattles and work the land without which they would all starve. So, Sher Singh was the only person there to take the responsibility and he was eager too.
Now his mother tied the little boy to Sher Singh’s back with a sari. He set off through the jungle ways. The hospital was at Kalaghat fifty miles away from there. The load of his brother on his back was getting heavier. Suddenly the daylight went off and he continued his journey in the night. He faced dangerous animals like snakes and tuskers. He could not rest long on the way, as he had to reach his destination in time.
Then he had to cross two rivers, one without bridge. He crossed the clod and flooded river on the wreck of the bridge tying his brother with him. The author has provided a great deal of descriptions of the river and how he made a rope with the grass and cut his finger. He also brought his brother water to drink. After crossing the rivers with great difficulty, he somehow stumbled on. He had lost all his strength by walking a long distance and his knees bent and trembled in pain.
But finally they could get a lift in a bullock cart and then in a truck. They reached the hospital and the doctors started their treatment. They could save the child from dying. And it was only possible for the courage and effort Sher Singh has shown.
It was made possible by his love for his brother and his sense of responsibility and the dogged determination he has inerited from his father, the Bahadur. The doctors all realized his achievement and called him Sher Singh Bahadur (Courageous). The boy deserved the title just like his father did.
This story has been a touchy and inspiring account of the power of determination and human courage.
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nursing essay help on breast cancer
Breast Cancer in Women
In recent times, the mortality rate of breast cancer was ranked second to lung cancer. According to DeSantis et al. institutes that there is about 2.6% chance for every woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer to survive (2014). Since 1989 to 2007, the death rate attributed to breast cancer showed a significant decline followed by a steady increase since 2007 mainly in women between fifty and seventy-four years. Therefore, it is highly recommended that the women in the said age bracket be screened after every two years. According to Siegel, Miller & Jemal’s report (2016), about seventy-seven percent of women with breast cancer are diagnosed after they have attained the age of fifty and above indicating that the risk increases with age.
As the United States’ Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) institutes, the screening of breast cancer in women can be done either through the use of mammogram or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which shows the structures within the breast. The MRI technique is recommended for patients who are at high risk of developing the disease such as persons with a family history regarding the breast cancer disease.
Age and gender are some of the factors that can affect the decisions that health care providers make when choosing preventive services of breast cancer in women (Ruddy & Winer, 2013). For instance, the use of mammogram as a screening test among women who are above 40 years can be harmful because the technique is invasive and involves repeated exposure. Additionally, more harm can be caused due to false positive test results that can prompt clinicians to conduct more tests which are more time-consuming and costly hence triggering unnecessary anxiety among patients.
United States’ Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) revealed that gender is a vital patient factor which has a significant contribution to the risk of evolving breast cancer (Anderson, Schwab & Martinez, 2014). For instance, the task force outlines that women are more likely to advance breast cancer contrary to the males. As a result, regular screening should be conducted in women who are age and of the Caucasian or Afro-American ethnicity since they are more susceptible to breast cancer. Conversely, men are less vulnerable hence their risk assessment requires proper consultation with a doctor.
Drug treatment options:
Some of the agents that indicated in patients with breast cancer are the Selective Estrogen Modulators (SERMs). Estrogen has been implicated highly in the pathophysiology of breast cancer (Arcangelo et al., 2017). Therefore, the SERMs act by binding to the estrogen receptors hence preventing estrogen from binding to its receptors. Tamoxifen is an example of a SERM that is FDA approved. It has been noted that some of the short-term implications of tamoxifen include early development of menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness, hot flashes, nausea, low libido, and mood swings (Burstein et al. 2016). The long-term implications include the risk of blood clotting as well as endometrial cancer due to prolonged exposure.
Bevacizumab is another anticancer agent whose molecular target is the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). Uncontrolled angiogenesis is a common phenomenon in breast cancer, just like other cancers. The said process above is significantly determined by VEGF. Administration of bevacizumab prevents the blood vessels growth thereby reducing oxygen supply and other nutrients to cancerous cells leading to necrosis. However, it is imperative to note that this drug causes fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea. It also increases the risk of stroke and development of heart attack. Radiotherapy is another important technique for treating breast cancer.
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The Shirak region of Armenia historically was the first region of the country to become a part of the Russian Empire. This happened in the year 1804 during the Russo-Persian war.
In 1837, when the emperor Nochilas I of Russia arrived in Gyumri, he renamed the city in honor of his wife, Princess Charlotte of Prussia, who had changed her name to Alexandra Feodorovna after converting to Orthodox Christianity. Gyumri became Alexandropol. A major Russian fortress was built on the site in the same year, the Black Fortress.
Circular in shape, the Black Fortress sits on the top of a hill overlooking the city of Gyumri. It’s a great place to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. The fortress was build to protect the Russian Empire from one of its neighbors, the Ottoman Empire, following the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829.
Nearby is the large statue of Mother Armenia is located.
Featured image by: Armine Aghayan / wikimedia
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10% of women around the world are affected by endometriosis. Does it just happen to them? The good news is that there are efficient ways to successfully alleviate or at least deal with the discomfort, intense pain and sexual trauma that endometriosis can cause.
What is endometriosis?
Endometrial cells form the lining of a female womb. When patches of these cells develop elsewhere in the body, we call the condition endometriosis. Normally if menstrual blood or endometrial cells should accidentally escape from the womb and land up in the pelvic cavity or lymphatic system, they are immediately detected and removed, broken down or reabsorbed. This is a natural safety measure, undertaken by a healthy immune system. But now an increased load of toxic chemicals, wayward hormones and especially solvents present in our food, cosmetics and the air we breathe seems to be affecting the spread of endometriosis. Masses of endometrial tissue develops into cysts, growths and lesions around the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the bladder, bowel wall and perineum. This causes intense pelvic pain, but not predominantly uterine pain or even intense menstrual bleeding. For some, sex or even going to the toilet becomes unbearably painful, due to growths on the inner wall of the perineum (pelvic floor). This condition affects mostly fertile women of any age but may be responsible for over 30% of the infertility statistics.
Are there different causes of endometriosis?
There are more theories than facts but according to research and results, the two most plausible and treatable types of endometriosis are: a condition you are born with or one that you can acquire from a parasitic infestation of flukes. Others claim that is can be caused by misplaced cells from leaking of menstrual blood into the fallopian tubes and out into the pelvic cavity or from cells into the lymphatic system. There is also the possibility that cells mutate when DNA is damaged by toxins, infections or hormone imbalances. But whether implanted or mutated; endometriosis is certainly not a form of cancer.
1 The congenital endometriosis theory: Doctor Redwine of Oregon Medical Centre has been successfully treating hundreds of women suffering from endometriosis with Near-contact laproscopy since 1979. He calls it “a congenital birth defect”. His high success rate proves that a thorough removal of all types of growths within the pelvic cavity clears up the condition or at least alleviates pain and discomfort in over 95% of the cases. If only the very dark patches and the chocolate cysts that are filled with old blood are treated, then all the remaining material will still cause a lot of pain because fibrous tissue affects the function and structure of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, vagina, bladder, etc. He believes the predominant symptom of endometriosis to be pelvic pain and not menstrual problems, bleeding or infertility. This is because the problem is outside of the uterus! The fault begins before birth: endometrial cells that are destined for lining the womb often find their way into the pelvic area and attach to developing ovaries, fallopian tubes and the inner side of the perineum. Because they are rapidly dividing cells, they develop into cysts or patches of endometrial tissue resulting in painful ovulation or bowel habits and sex becomes a nightmare if the perineum is involved.
Although people believe all this wayward tissue actually performs monthly menstrual bleeds, it is a matter of opinion. But oestrogenic activity goes on, no matter where the patches are situated. This causes cell proliferation due to the stimulation of the endometrial receptors. They respond to changes in the menstrual cycle and are affected by swelling and the premenstrual build up. Women on birth control pills, IUD devices or HRT can be severely affected due to imbalances of the 2/16 oestrogen ratio. We can use hormone balancing protocols to deal with this type of oestrogen overload.*
2 The parasite invasion: Cases of endometriosis that clear up successfully after an intensive parasite treatment and result in successful pregnancies are proof enough that even if you do not have a birth defect, you certainly can be the victim of parasites like flukes! This is a very plausible theory put forward by Hulda Regher Clark. By treating the fluke problem and avoiding the solvents involved, she has helped to clear up many cases of endometriosis. A lady who had undergone 7 laproscopic surgical treatments was only finally cured once the flukes had been removed.
Why does this happen? In our world we are exposed to many solvents. When fluke eggs are present: and they are in just about every area of or bodies, they will hatch in the presence of a solvent we have been exposed to. In the case of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and methyl butane ketone (MBK) the uterus becomes a secondary host to flukes. They reach adult stage by feeding on endometrial cells. They travel to other areas of the body, taking along their endometrial load to cause havoc in your lungs, brain or just about anywhere they please and the immune system is helpless against an invader of such a size. At best, a cyst may form around it over a period of time.
Symptoms of endometriosis caused by parasites:
Menstrual difficulties with pain and heavy bleeding. Painful intercourse and perineal involvement is not as evident as are uterine problems and infertility issues. The uterine wall may also have patches of endometrial cells embedded in it.
Nuke the flukes!
If you are trying to fall pregnant: the safest and quickest option is vibrational medicine and therapists using the BEST system excel at this. The frequency of the fluke can be detected and temporarily destroyed. You will then receive a bottle of tincture for follow up treatment of flukes. You can keep taking it to keep flukes and their thousands of offspring at bay. I personally recommend this form of consultation to help root out other obstacles to your ability to conceive! Alternatively, QX, Scio or Rife practitioners can help you. A zapper, as recommended by Hulda Regher Clark is a sure way to eliminate microbes and parasites on a continuous basis. This inexpensive home device resonates to all the frequencies common to most offending microbes and parasites that affect us from day to day without affecting one's ability to fall pregnant.
For general use: Herbal parasite treatments used on a regular basis will get rid of flukes. You can make your own out of artemesia and olive leaves or use recipes containing walnut husk, etc. Common de-worming remedies from the chemist may not be adequate against flukes. Drugs like praziquantel are a quick one-off treatment, but remember that eggs will still hatch a few days later. Consider side effects of using toxic pharmaceutical drugs and their safety and efficacy should be discussed with a qualified expert.
A simple way to control the fluke and worm egg stage is to take a knife-tip of clove powder mixed in a little honey a few times a week. Try to avoid exposure to solvents as far as possible. Endometriosis caused by flukes results from exposure to methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and methyl butane ketone (MBK), making your uterus a secondary host.
Fumes come from: paraffin wax candles, household cleaning agents: window and tile sprays stain removers, pesticides, paint thinners and especially something ladies use: acetone for removing nail varnish! Wear a mask or run a mile from these fumes. People living near industrial sites that convert coal into oil and gas are especially vulnerable to fumes. But all of us are exposed to solvents that contaminate our air, food, water and cosmetics.
3 Other theories and treatments:
Menstrual leakage up the fallopian tubes? Retrograde menstruation, said to be caused by tampons among other things. Even yoga instructors warn ladies not to do inverted poses when they are menstruating, so it is possible for blood to exit the uterus via the fallopian tubes. If you have a gynaecologist that insists this is the case, look at their success rate in treating endometriosis and work out a suitable strategy. (This occurrence is usually handled by the immune system.) For women who no longer wish to conceive, there is the option of using hormones to produce the cessation of menstruation and bring on an early menopause. Some believe that removing all the reproductive bits will get rid of your misery, but it has to be a well informed decision before you resort to surgery or hormonal intervention. Purveyors of natural progesterone claim a very effective rate in treating endometriosis. There is a danger that it can convert to even more of the potent types of oestrogen should the liver be congested and you are not controlling your 2/16 oestrogen ratio.* Meanwhile, all the parasites are adding to the burden of growing cysts and thickening of connective and scar tissue in the pelvic cavity, so consider the hormonal route very cautiously and try to find somebody who has conquered endometriosis in this way.
1 Prescription for nutritional healing by Balch & Balch. Publisher: Avery publishing group. ISBN 0-89529-429-X
2 The well woman's self help directory by N Bradford. Publisher: PARRAGON ISBN 0-75251-821-6
3 The cure for all diseases by Hulda Regher Clark. Publisher: Promotion Publishing ISBN 1-887314-02-4
4 Passage to Power by Leslie Kenton. Publisher: Random house ISBN 0 09 181594 0
5 The chemotherapy of human parasitic disease by V Bozdech & P Mason. Publisher: University of Zimbabwe ISBN 0-908307-26-8
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It’s not looking good for hydraulic fracturing on the PR front. Also known as the unfortunate-sounding sobriquet “fracking,” it’s the practice of sending superpressurized water down wellbores to fracture deep-bed rock formations and release natural gas.
A recent report in the journal Ground Water concludes that benzene and other toxic chemicals injected into the ground during fracking operations could migrate toward the aquifer level much faster than previously predicted. Experts had assumed that impermeable layers of rock would keep the chemicals trapped deep underground. Not so, according to the report’s author, Tom Myers, an independent hydrogeologist who used computer modelling to examine the safety of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, where more than 5,000 wells have been drilled between 2009 and 2010. According to his modelling, the toxic chemicals could reach the surface in “just a few years.”
Whatever the predictive powers of Myer’s study—the map is not the territory, and computer models are not ancient deposits of rock—it follows on the heels of a report from U.S. Geological Survey that a “remarkable” increase of quakes in the U.S. mid-continent since 2001 is “almost certainly manmade,” perhaps linked to the deep underground injection of drilling waste from fracking operations. However, the study’s lead author later told reporters that there is no evidence that fracking had any direct connection to the increased seismicity.
So what does that have to do with us in B.C.? Plenty. The northeast corner of our province is home to immense hydraulic fracturing operations, notes Ben Parfitt, a resource policy analyst with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. At a public meeting two weeks ago at the Vancouver Public Library, Parfitt and other speakers painted a sobering scenario for B.C.’s wilderness, energy independence, and corporate accountability.
B.C.’s shale gas production is comparable to Alberta’s tar sands project. Both require immense amounts of water and energy in their operations; hence their tag as “unconventional” fossil fuel extraction. In a November 2011 report for the CCPA, “Fracking Up Our Water, Hydro Power and Climate,” Parfitt notes a recent B.C. Hydro assessment that the projected power needs of the province’s shale gas sector would require to three times the power produced at the proposed Site C dam on the Peace River.
“Currently, much of the gas produced in B.C. moves by pipeline to Alberta, where the biggest industrial user of natural gas is the tar sands industry. We are literally exporting the world’s most energy-intensive natural gas to help produce some of our planet’s most energy-intensive oil,” writes Parfitt.
In other words, the natural gas extracted in B.C. is going in one pipeline direction to Alberta, to heat water for separating bitumen from sand. In the other direction, synthetic oil created by this process will (Harper willing) soon be flowing in the opposite direction toward the projected supertanker port in Kitimat, which will also have liquid natural gas facilities for the export of gas to China. That nation’s explosive growth, now cooling, has been fuelling this megaproject mania in Canada.
The Ensbridge pipes will also require natural gas “condensate” to smooth the transfer of the heavy oil from Alberta. This energy extraction back and forth reminds me of the Jazz Age cartoons by Rube Goldberg, where a profusion of gears and pulleys perform a straightforward task, like cooking a piece of toast or patting a cat. I asked Parfitt if there’s been a reliable study of the sum energy inputs and outputs of the fracking/tar sands dynamic, without even factoring in environmental impact and water use. Is this the royal road to energy independence, or are we talking about the Tweedledum and Tweedledumber of fossil fuelishness? Or a necessary response to “peak oil?”
Parfitt knows of no reputable study on the net gains and losses, but suggested there are reasons for doubt (a June 2011 report in the New York Times points to Wall Street speculation as a prime mover in shale gas exploration and drilling, comparing the latter to previous financial bubbles). Yet surely technocrats would conduct a proper risk/benefit analysis of such megaprojects, including thorough environmental assessments, well before a reflexive gold rush toward unconventional energy sources, no? It’s not as if the U.S. and Canada are ruled by beancounting boneheads, Ponzi-minded greedheads, and political opportunists, right?
More on this next week.
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In its broadest sense, fermentation refers to any process by which large organic molecules are broken down to simpler molecules as the result of the action of microorganisms (organisms so small they can be seen only with the aid of a microscope). The most familiar type of fermentation is the process by which sugars and starches are converted to alcohol by enzymes in yeasts. (Enzymes are chemicals that act as catalysts, which spark reactions.) To distinguish this reaction from other kinds of fermentation, the process is sometimes known as alcoholic or ethanolic fermentation.
Ethanolic fermentation was one of the first chemical reactions observed by humans. In nature, various types of food "go bad" as a result of bacterial action. Early in history, humans discovered that this kind of change could result in the formation of products that were actually enjoyable to consume. The "spoilage" (fermentation) of fruit juices, for example, resulted in the formation of primitive forms of wine.
The mechanism by which fermentation occurs was the subject of extensive debate in the early 1800s. It was a key issue among those arguing over the concept of vitalism, the notion that living organisms are in some way essentially different from nonliving objects. One aspect in this debate centered on the role of so-called "ferments" in the conversion of sugars and starches to alcohol. Vitalists argued that ferments (what we now know as enzymes) are linked to a living cell. Destroy a cell, they said, and ferments can no longer cause fermentation.
A crucial experiment on this issue was carried out in 1896 by the German chemist Eduard Buchner (1860–1917). Buchner ground up a group of cells with sand until they were totally destroyed. He then extracted the liquid that remained and added it to a sugar solution. His assumption was that fermentation could no longer occur since the cells that had held the ferments were dead. Thus, they no longer carried the "life-force" needed to bring about fermentation. He was amazed to discover that the cell-free liquid did indeed cause fermentation. It was obvious that the ferments themselves, distinct from any living organism, could cause fermentation.
Words to Know
Enzyme: An organic compound that speeds up the rate of chemical reactions in living organisms.
Ferment: An early term used to describe the substances we now know as enzymes.
Gasohol: A synthetic fuel consisting of a mixture of about 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent alcohol.
Vitalism: The concept that compounds found within living organisms are somehow essentially different from those found in nonliving objects.
Wastewater: Water that carries away the waste products of personal, municipal, and industrial operations.
Wild yeast: A naturally occurring yeast.
The chemical reaction that occurs in fermentation can be described quite easily. Starch is converted to simple sugars such as sucrose and glucose. Those sugars are then converted to alcohol (ethyl alcohol) and carbon dioxide:
This description does not really provide an idea as to how complex the fermentation process really is. During the 1930s, two German biochemists, Gustav Embden (1874–1933) and Otto Meyerhof (1884–1951), worked out the sequence of reactions by which glucose ferments. Embden and Meyerhof found that it required a sequence of 12 reactions in order to accomplish the "simple" change from glucose to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. A number of enzymes are needed to carry out this sequence of reactions, the most important of which is zymase, found in yeast cells. These enzymes are sensitive to environmental conditions in which they live. When the concentration of alcohol in a liquid reaches about 14 percent, they are inactivated. For this reason, no fermentation product (such as wine) can have an alcoholic concentration of more than about 14 percent.
The alcoholic beverages that can be produced by fermentation vary widely, depending primarily on two factors, the plant that is fermented and the enzymes used for fermentation. Human societies use, of course, the materials that are available to them. Thus, various peoples have used grapes, berries, corn, rice, wheat, honey, potatoes, barley, hops, cactus juice, cassava roots, and other plant materials for fermentation. The products of such reactions are various forms of beer, wine, or distilled liquors, which may be given specific names depending on the source from which they come. In Japan, for example, rice wine is known as sake. Wine prepared from honey is known as mead. Beer is the fermentation product of barley, hops, and/or malt sugar.
Early in human history, people used naturally occurring yeasts for fermentation. The products of such reactions depended on whatever enzymes might occur in those "wild" yeasts. Today, wine-makers are able to select from a variety of specially cultured (grown) yeasts that control the precise direction that fermentation will take.
Ethyl alcohol is not the only useful product of fermentation. The carbon dioxide generated during fermentation is also an important component of many baked goods. When the batter for bread is mixed, for example, a small amount of sugar and yeast are added. During the rising period, sugar is fermented by enzymes in the yeast, with the formation of carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide gives the batter bulkiness and texture that would be lacking without the fermentation process.
Fermentation has a number of commercial applications beyond those described thus far. Many occur in the food preparation and processing industry. A variety of bacteria are used in the production of olives, cucumber pickles, and sauerkraut from raw olives, cucumbers, and cabbage, respectively. The selection of exactly the right bacteria and the right conditions (for example, acidity and salt concentration) is an art in producing food products with exactly the desired flavors. An interesting line of research in the food sciences is aimed at the production of edible food products by the fermentation of petroleum.
In some cases, antibiotics and other drugs can be prepared by fermentation if no other commercially efficient method is available. For example, the important drug cortisone can be prepared by the fermentation of a plant steroid known as diosgenin. The enzymes used in the reaction are provided by the mold Rhizopus nigricans.
One of the most successful commercial applications of fermentation has been the production of ethyl alcohol for use in gasohol. Gasohol is a mixture of about 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent alcohol. The alcohol needed for this product can be obtained from the fermentation of agricultural and municipal wastes. The use of gasohol provides a promising method for using renewable resources (plant material) to extend the availability of a nonrenewable resource (gasoline).
Another application of the fermentation process is in the treatment of wastewater. In the activated sludge process, aerobic bacteria (bacteria that can live without oxygen) are used to ferment organic material in wastewater. Solid wastes are converted to carbon dioxide, water, and mineral salts.
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(Update June 2005)
As of this writing, the federal government (including the military) and 36 states have statutes authorizing the use of the death penalty down from one year ago, when there were 38 states. Recent legal challenges in the states of New York and Kansas have forced those two states to either fix badly written laws or to simply join the other twelve states that have chosen not to use the death penalty at all. Currently, there are 3,471 inmates on death row across the United States. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, there have been approximately 948 inmates put to death. In that same time period, 117 people have been released from death row in 25 states with evidence of their innocence, and 220 death row inmates have been granted clemency because of doubts about their guilt or concerns about the death penalty process.
On October 30, 2004, the President signed into law the final version of H.R. 5107, the Justice for All Act of 2004. This anti-crime bill included provisions from the Innocence Protection Act (IPA) which the USCCB supported since its inception in March of 2001.
The Justice For All Act ensures access to post-conviction DNA testing for those currently serving time in prison or on death row, and provides much-needed funds to test a nationwide backlog of more than 300,000 rape kits and other crime scene evidence. A strategic move by the House led to a dramatic improvement in H.R. 5107 with the addition of victims’ provisions including funding for victims' services through grants to prosecutor and defender offices, as well as assistance to families of murder victims. In the end, the legislation enjoyed the broad support of leaders from the victims' rights community, criminal justice reform advocates and even those who support the use of the death penalty.
Cardinal McCarrick, while Chairman of the Domestic Social Policy Committee, wrote numerous letters to Congress urging passage of this legislation. Then President of the USCCB Bishop Gregory also called on President Bush to sign the bill once it had reached the President’s desk. The passage of the Justice for All Act of 2004 is the result of three years of steady advocacy and negotiation. It is not only an important step in criminal justice reform and victims’ rights but also could lead to a significant reduction in the use of the death penalty.
As part of the Catholic Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Conference staff will continue to look for other legislative opportunities that could lead to a reduction and the eventual elimination of the use of the death penalty in the United States. We will also be monitoring any Congressional bills that seek to expand the use of the death penalty.
Supreme Court Action
On October 13, 2004, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments in a Missouri case, Roper v. Simmons, involving a juvenile. The USCCB and 29 other religious organizations urged the High Court to affirm a lower court ruling that the execution of persons for crimes committed as juveniles violates the constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. In a statement concerning the brief, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington and Chairman of the USCCB Domestic Policy Committee, expressed the hope that the Supreme Court would now extend the same moral wisdom and legal reasoning to the use of the death penalty against those who committed capital crimes as juveniles as it did two years ago when it concluded that the execution of persons with mental retardation could not be squared with the constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. The list of religious groups that joined the USCCB on the Simmons brief represent a wide faith spectrum including Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Mennonite, Buddhist, Jewish and Greek Orthodox organizations. As of this writing, the Supreme Court had still not issued an opinion but one could be forthcoming soon.
Since 1980, the USCCB has taken a strong and principled position against the use of the death penalty in the United States. We oppose the use of the death penalty not just for what it does to those guilty of horrible crimes, but for how it affects society; moreover, Pope John Paul II, in both The Gospel of Life and the revised Catechism of the Catholic Church, states that our society has adequate alternative means today to protect society from violent crime without resorting to capital punishment.
“Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty”: On March 21, the USCCB launched the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty in the United States. Speaking to an overflowing room of reporters at the National Press Club on behalf of Bishop DiMarzio, who could not attend, Cardinal McCarrick said, “The Catholic campaign will work to change the debate and decisions on the use of the death penalty: building a constituency for life, not death; calling on our lawmakers to lead, not follow; to defend life, not take it away. . . . This cause is not new. Our bishops’ conference has opposed the death penalty for 25 years. But this campaign is new. It brings greater urgency and unity, increased energy and advocacy, and a renewed call to our people and to our leaders to end the use of the death penalty in our nation.”
At the press conference, noted pollster John Zogby reported that support for the use of the death penalty has plunged from as high as 68% to less than half of Catholics (48%), according to a November 2004 survey of Catholic attitudes on the death penalty. Another 47% oppose it. The percentage of Catholics who are intensely supportive of the death penalty has been halved, from a high of 40% to 20% according to the survey.
The other participants in the press conference were: Mr. Bud Welch, whose daughter Julie Marie was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing; and Mr. Kirk Bloodsworth, who came into the Church while living on death row, and spent over eight behind bars before DNA testing proved his innocence. This event generated widespread publicity in the media, including press coverage by the Washington Post, New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, AP, UPI, Reuters, etc.
The campaign’s website, www.ccedp.org, includes a basic brochure, a clear explanation of the Church’s teaching, and resources for education and action. The site also includes the many statements of bishops around the country (e.g., Archbishop Chaput of Denver and Bishop Wuerl of Pittsburgh). Staff is currently developing educational materials and other tools to help Catholics get involved with the campaign. The response so far has been very encouraging.
Court Action: On March 1, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roper v. Simmons, a Missouri case on the juvenile death penalty. The High Court announced that executing juvenile offenders, those who committed capital murder under the age of 18, was unconstitutional because it violated the Eighth Amendment’s cruel and unusual punishment standard. The decision immediately removed approximately 72 men on 12 state death rows across the country, including 29 in Texas, (40%) of all the juvenile offenders. Bishop DiMarzio, Chairman of the Domestic Policy Committee, issued a statement praising the Roper decision.
The USCCB and 29 other religious organizations had submitted an Amicus Brief urging the Court to affirm the lower court ruling that the execution of persons for crimes committed as juveniles violates the constitutional guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. The list of religious groups that joined the USCCB on the Simmons brief represented a wide spectrum of faiths including Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Mennonite, Buddhist, Jewish and Greek Orthodox.
Legislation: USCCB staff is currently in dialogue with Senator Feingold’s (D-WI) staff regarding a bill that would create a National Commission on the Death Penalty to determine if it is being imposed fairly. The hope is the proposed legislation will have bipartisan support and will be introduced by Senator Feingold by the end of June. While most of the activity on the death penalty is at the state level, it is also important to pursue federal legislation which can help keep the focus on problems with the application of the death penalty as a means to its eventual end.
What You Can Do
- Look for more information, resources and materials on our website, www.usccb.org/sdwp/, under “Ending the Death Penalty” or go to the web site for Catholics Against Capital Punishment, www.cacp.org.
- Join the Catholic Campaign to End the Death Penalty!
For More Information
Andy Rivas 202-541-3190; (fax) 202-541-3339; email@example.com or Frank McNierney (DSD Consultant on the death penalty) firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Living in a country with a 70 percent youth unemployment rate, fishing along the long Atlantic Coast is one of the few options left for Sierra Leonian youth in terms of work. But pirate fishers and an uninterested government are threatening their livelihood.
By Damon van der Linde, Freetown
Albert Johnson helps unload a net full of shimmering silver herring from his fishing boat, a 25-foot wooden canoe painted bright red, bobbing on the water in front of the rocky beach. He untangles the small fish from the net while market sellers crowd the shore, waiting to purchase the catch. "I've been working as a fisherman for a few years now. For us, it is the only means of livelihood," says Johnson, who lives in the fishing community of Goderich, a suburb of Sierra Leone's capital city, Freetown.
He says it is hard work, but making a living from fishing has been made even more difficult in recent years, because foreign trawlers have been terrorising these communities by poaching in the Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ), an area reserved for artisanal fishermen with small boats, like Johnson's.
Fishing gear destroyed
The pirate fishers would cut nets, occasionally ram boats, and frequently damage the marine environment. "When we’d go out to fish, we sometimes saw trawlers destroy fishing gear and run off. Their boats are bigger and faster [than ours]," says Johnson.
Although a recently released report by UK-based NGO Environmental Justice Foundation says that foreign poaching in the IEZ has dropped to zero, West Africa is still the region that is most affected by piracy fishing, losing more than a third of the total catch to foreign poachers.
In a country where youth unemployment is almost 70 percent, fishing along the long Atlantic Coast is one of the few options left for Sierra Leonian youth in terms of work. The population of Sierra Leone is growing, and with it, is a need for food, particularly protein-rich food like fish.
Fish represents 64 percent of the total animal protein consumed in the country, and an estimated 230,000 people are directly employed in the fishing industry. The long coastline, however, means it is hard to patrol and monitor fishing activity. The Sierra Leone navy has four small patrol boats, but none of them are currently in operation.
Patrol boat robbed
The government claims it has difficulties providing the resources necessary to efficiently monitor the fishing waters. At the beginning of October, the Isle of Man in the UK donated a patrol boat for monitoring fishing boat activity. But as it turned out at the launching, the boat had been robbed of its equipment including gauges, flat screens and life jackets.
This effectively means it is largely up to the fishing communities themselves to secure the livelihood for the younger generation. Al Haaji Sesay, who leads the union of small-scale fishermen in Sierra Leone, says that the fishermen need to be empowered to do so, since the government is not doing enough to protect them.
But fisherman Saidu Tacuru doesn’t see it happen. “[The government] will never give us the authority to monitor [...] our territorial waters,” he says. “They never say anything when damage has been done to us. It’s our fate to remain silent and continue fishing.” Like Tacuru, others in the Goderich fishing community also feel that the government has lost interest in the well-being of small-scale fishers, and is now only concerned with the more lucrative industrial fishing operations.
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Citizen science helps unlock European genetic heritage
A University of Sheffield academic is helping a team of citizen scientists to carry out crucial research into European genetic heritage.
Citizen Scientists are not required to have a scientific background or training, but instead they possess a passion for the subject and are increasingly being empowered by the scientific community to get involved in research.
Dr Andy Grierson, from the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), has helped a team of citizen scientists from Europe and North America to identify vital new clues to tell the story of Europe’s genetic history.
Dr Grierson explained: “Understanding European history since man first arrived on the continent is a huge challenge for archaeologists and historians.
“One way that scientists can help is by studying the genetics of European men. All men carry a Y chromosome that they inherit from their father, which has been passed down the generations from father to son for thousands of years. So most men in Europe will share common ancestry at some point in the past, and we are able to investigate this shared ancestry using genetic studies of the Y chromosome.
“However, up until recently, there have not been many genetic clues on the Y chromosome to allow scientists to be certain about identifying different populations.”
The team has addressed this problem by downloading human genome data obtained by the 1000 Genomes Project from the Sanger Centre in Cambridge. Then, working on their home computers, they managed to extract 200 novel genetic variants from Y chromosomes of the most numerous group of western European men.
By determining the patterns of these markers in each of the 1000 Genomes Project samples, the team was able to draw up a new family tree for the majority of men in Western Europe.
The group hopes that this resource will allow a much more detailed analysis of migration and expansion of populations in Europe. For example, some of the new genetic markers may help to study the origins and movements of different historical and cultural groups such as the Celts.
Dr Grierson added: “This community-led approach to genetic research could easily be adopted by other research areas. In particular, the 1000 Genomes Project has made the whole genome sequence of more than 2,000 individuals freely available for research purposes. These sequences potentially contain new information that will give important insight in diverse disciplines such as clinical medicine and evolutionary biology.
“One problem is that the amount of data analysis involved is huge, so working in partnership with citizen scientists allows us to move forward far more rapidly. There are thousands of science graduates, who for one reason or another have pursued non-scientific careers. Getting involved in citizen science projects is one way that these people can re-engage with research. Likewise many people with careers in IT and computing already have the sorts of skills required for analysing whole genome sequences in projects like ours.”
Richard Rocca from Saddle Brook in New Jersey, USA, a community scientist involved in the project, said: “By searching through vital records such as birth certificates, many of us can trace our ancestry back several generations. The task is very time consuming, especially for those, like me, whose ancestors left Europe many generations ago. As gratifying as the results may be, once the paper trail ends, we are left to wonder about our deep ancestry. By working together, we were able to add many levels of detail to the genetic tree. I have no doubt that this new information will help some of us trace our individual ancestries back into pre-history.”
Greg Magoon, from Manchester in Connecticut, USA, another community scientist involved in the project said, "It's a very exciting time for this field. The development and use of new genome sequencing technologies over the last few years along with the public availability of data obtained with these technologies, particularly from initiatives like the 1000 Genomes Project, are enabling us to make rapid progress in our understanding of historical human migrations and paternal lineages. We’ve tried to show how such progress can be facilitated by an engaged community of individuals, with varied and complementary skills, connected via the Internet."
The research is due to be published in PlosONE at 11pm BST, 5pm EST on 24 July 2012 and will be available at: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041634
The University of Sheffield
With nearly 25,000 students from 125 countries, the University of Sheffield is one of the UK´s leading and largest universities. A member of the Russell Group, it has a reputation for world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.
The University of Sheffield has been named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards for its exceptional performance in research, teaching, access and business performance. In addition, the University has won four Queen´s Anniversary Prizes (1998, 2000, 2002, 2007). These prestigious awards recognise outstanding contributions by universities and colleges to the United Kingdom´s intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. Sheffield also boasts five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and many of its alumni have gone on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence around the world.
The University´s research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls Royce, Unilever, Boots, AstraZeneca, GSK, ICI, Slazenger, and many more household names, as well as UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.
The University has well-established partnerships with a number of universities and major corporations, both in the UK and abroad. Its partnership with Leeds and York Universities in the White Rose Consortium has a combined research power greater than that of either Oxford or Cambridge.
For further information please contact:
Media Relations Officer
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0114 222 1046
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ILO Working Paper Forced labour and trafficking in Eu
Mar 07 2010
Download right click "save as"
The paper is based on ILO research carried out between 2003 and 2007. It summarizes largely qualitative research from ten European source, transit and destination countries. It is therefore the result of a collective effort of researchers from many countries. The purpose of this project was to close a gap in current research that exists up to today: Most trafficking-related research, in particular primary research, focuses on trafficking of women for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Other forms of trafficking, such as those linked to forced labour in labour-intensive economic sectors, are still under-researched and under-theorized.More information about human trafficking on the website of ILO.
- ILO Special Action Programme to combat forced labour January 2013 Newsletter
- ILO 2012 Global Estimate on Forced Labour - Results and Methodology
- ILO 2012 Global Estimate of Forced Labour - Fact Sheet
- ILO 2012 Global Estimate of Forced Labour - Executive Summary Francais
- ILO 2012 Global Estimate of Forced Labour - Executive Summary Espanol
- ILO Global Estimate of Forced Labour - Executive Summary English
- ILO: 2012 Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations
- ILO: Giving globalisation a human face
- ILO: Fundamental principles and rights at work
- ILO: Eradicating forced labour from supply chains
- Migration and Child Labour
- Hidden Faces of the Gulf Miracle
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Worthy of Trust
Text: Psalm 15
I. I’m sure you heard Aesop’s story of the little boy who cried “Wolf!” but I would tell it to you again:
There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself he took a great breath and sang out, "Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!"
The villagers came running up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces.
"Don't cry 'wolf', shepherd boy," said the villagers, "when there's no wolf!" They went grumbling back down the hill.
Later, the boy sang out again, "Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!" To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away.
When the villagers saw no wolf they sternly said, "Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don't cry 'wolf' when there is NO wolf!"
But the boy just grinned and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more.
Later, he saw a REAL wolf prowling about his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, "Wolf! Wolf!"
But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn't come.
At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn't returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping.
"There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out, "Wolf!" Why didn't you come?"
An old man tried to comfort the boy as they walked back to the village.
"We'll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning," he said, putting his arm around the youth, "Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!"
A. Samuel Johnson once pointed out, "We are inclined to believe those whom we do not know because they have never deceived us."
1. In a way its truth is a sad commentary that people tend to disappoint us.
2. The longer we know someone, the more distrustful we become because of what they have done or not done.
B. The principle is trustworthiness - Luke 16:10-12
1. Being trusted isn’t a matter of accuracy at this moment, but the reliability you accumulated during the past.
2. Too many expect trust as a right
a. “Don’t you trust me?” is commonly asked by teenagers
b. The answer most often is “No,” but we’re too polite to put it so bluntly
3. Have you shown yourself reliable in the past?
a. Why would I expect a person who is often late to be on time for a critical meeting?
b. Why would I expect the truth from someone willing to lie if he thinks it will benefit him?
c. Or, worse, how can I trust someone who lies because it’s “fun” to manipulate others?
4. Are you undertaking something new for which you have not established a record?
a. This is always the issue with teens who want to go to a late night party or who demand the right to spend time alone with someone of the opposite sex
b. They want trust for something they haven’t dealt with, sexual urges.
II. The character of a Christian is one worthy of trust
A. In business
1. Stewards are required to be faithful - I Corinthians 4:2
2. Not just when someone is looking - Ephesians 6:5-8
3. God cannot tolerate a dishonest business man - Proverbs 11:1
B. In marriage
1. A component of love is a love for truth - I Corinthians 13:4-8
2. Marriage is covenant to be kept - Malachi 2:13-16
C. In conversation
1. Faithful in word, in conversation - I Timothy 4:12
2. Letting your yes and no mean what you say - James 5:12
3. Does not change - Psalm 15
D. In service to God
1. Faithful men - II Timothy 2:2
2. Another name for Christian is the faithful - Colossians 1:2
3. The faithful servant - Matthew 24:45-47
4. Jesus rules over the faithful - Revelation 17:14
III. The Lord your God is faithful
A. He proved His faithfulness in keeping His promises - Hebrews 10:23
B. He has shown us His steadfastness - Hebrews 6:17-19
C. We can commit our lives to Him - I Peter 4:19
D. His children should do the same
1. Be faithful in all things - III John 5
2. Be faithful for life - Revelation 2:10
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Note: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site.
Teaching ideas based on New York Times content.
Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students consider the purpose of a constitution and research Iraq’s five major population groups. They then write a letter to the Iraqi Governing Council from the perspective of a member of one of these Iraqi population groups that evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the interim Iraqi constitution and offers suggestions for improvement.
Sierra Prasada Millman, The New York Times Learning Network
Javaid Khan, The Bank Street College of Education in New York City
Suggested Time Allowance: Two 1-hour class periods
1. Consider the purpose of a constitution and its necessary provisions.
2. Discuss the endorsement of and challenges to the recently signed interim Iraqi constitution by reading and discussing “Iraq Council, With Reluctant Shiites, Signs Charter.”
3. Work in small groups to research the experiences, hopes and fears of Iraq’s five major population groups (Shiites, Sunni Muslims, ethnic Kurds, Assyrian Christians and women).
4. Read and analyze the preamble and the first two chapters of the Iraqi constitution.
5. Synthesize their research by taking the perspective of a member of their assigned Iraqi population group and writing a letter to the Iraqi Governing Council that eval
Resources / Materials:
–copies of the article “Iraq Council With Reluctant Shiites, Signs Charter” (one per student)
–resources about Iraqi history and population (library resources, computers with Internet access)
–copies of the preamble and first two chapters of the Iraqi Interim Constitution, as published on the official Web site of the Coalition Provisional Authority (http://www.cpa-iraq.org/government/TAL.html) (one per student)
Activities / Procedures:
1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Prior to class, arrange desks into five small groups. Upon entering class, ask each group to complete the following assignment, written on the board prior to class: “Imagine that your group represents a fictional country and the members of your group are some of its citizens. Choose a name for your country and consider the unique qualities and needs of its population (your group). If you had to draw up a constitution to shape the government of your country, what provisions would that constitution include? Make a list of at least eight provisions. Let the following questions serve as a guide:
–What purpose(s) do the framers intend a constitution to serve?
–What principles, rights, and freedoms are particularly important to the citizens (group members) of your country?
–What institutions does the constitution establish to protect those rights and freedoms?
–By what process may the constitution be revised?”
When students finish, ask them to share their ideas with the class. Discuss similarities and differences in their responses.
2. As a class, read and discuss “Iraq Council, With Reluctant Shiites, Signs Charter,” focusing on the following questions:
a. What “dampened” the “celebratory mood” evoked by the signing of the Iraqi interim constitution, according to the article?
b. What events previously delayed the signing of the constitution by Iraqi leaders?
c. How many members does the Iraqi governing council have? How many of them signed the charter?
d. What kind of “milestone” does the constitution represent, according to American and Iraqi leaders?
e. Did all thirteen of the Shiite leaders represented on the Iraqi Governing Council unite to demand amendments to the constitution? Why or why not?
f. Why, according to the Shiite council member Ibrahim Jafari, did Shiite council members endorse the interim constitution?
g. When do the Americans plan to transfer sovereignty to the Iraqi people?
h. To what specific provisions in the constitution do Shiite council members object?
i. What stance did Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani take regarding the constitution?
j. What “fundamental elements of a modern state” does the interim constitution include?
k. Why does Adnan Pachachi, a member of the Governing Council, call the signing day a “great and historic day for Iraq”?
l. When did Iraq emerge from the “ruins of the Ottoman Empire”?
m. Why, according to the article, did Massoud Barzani, the Kurdish Democratic Party’s leader, switch from Arabic to Kurdish in the middle of his speech?
n. What do American officials quoted in the article identify as their greatest challenge in the coming months?
o. What, according to the article, is the most recent evidence of that challenge?
p. How did the ceremony in Baghdad open?
3. Ask students to return to their original small groups. Assign each group one of Iraq’s five major population groups: Shiites, Sunni Muslims, ethnic Kurds, Assyrian Christians, and women. Using all available resources, students should investigate the answers to the following questions as applicable to their assigned population group (written on the board for easier student access):
–What percentage of Iraq’s population does this group represent?
–What qualities, beliefs and rituals distinguish this group from other Iraqi groups?
–What historical events have shaped this group’s culture, religion and contemporary identity?
–Did this group suffer under Saddam Hussein’s rule? If so, how? If not, why not?
–How will the installation of a new constitution and a democratic government in Iraq change this group’s daily life and practice?
–What expectations does your population group have of the constitution?
–What aspects of the constitution does or might your group challenge?
4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Each student should prepare a summary of his or her group’s research that answers all of the preceding questions.
1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Prior to class, rearrange desks into the five groups from the previous day. Upon entering class, students should share their summaries with their group members and clear up any inconsistencies or misunderstandings in information that may have arisen.
2. Distribute to each student a copy of the preamble and first two chapters of the Iraqi interim constitution, as published on the official Web site of the Coalition Provisional Authority (http://www.cpa-iraq.org/government/TAL.html). Read the text aloud as a class or in groups, and answer the following questions (if students are reading and discussing in groups, provide the questions on a hand-out or on the classroom board for easier student access):
–What is the purpose of the preamble?
–What role does Iraqi history play in the preamble?
–What provision does the Constitution include to address Iraqi citizens, in particular men and women, as equals? Is this provision sufficient? Why or why not?
–What is the Iraqi “transitional period”? What distinguishes the first and second phases of the transitional period?
–Who can amend the constitution? How?
–What is the relationship between the interim and the permanent constitution?
–What kind of government does the Iraqi constitution establish?
–What does it mean to say that “the federal system shall be based upon geographic and historical realities and the separation of powers, and not upon origin, race, ethnicity, nationality, or confession”?
–What kind of steps will the Iraqi Transitional Government take to “end the vestiges of the oppressive acts of the previous regime…”? Do you think they are specific enough? Why or why not?
–What kind of religious freedom does the interim constitution offer?
–What are the two official languages of Iraq? What does it mean that they are “official languages”?
–Who is an Iraqi citizen? May an Iraqi have dual citizenship?
–What kind of provisions against discrimination does the constitution include?
–For what other rights and freedoms does the constitution provide?
–How does the constitution restrict the actions of “police, investigators, or other governmental authorities”?
–What are the rights of political refugees?
–What kind of rights do non-Iraqis enjoy while in Iraq?
3. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: To synthesize the previous day’s activities and their understanding of the potential impact of Iraq’s interim constitution on the country’s citizens, each student should take the perspective of a member of his or her assigned Iraqi population group and write a letter to the Iraqi Governing Council. In the letter, the Iraqi citizen should evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the interim Iraqi constitution as written and pose suggestions for its amendment. Students may draw upon these letters in a later class to stage a round-table negotiation in which representatives of each group gather to revise the constitution.
Further Questions for Discussion:
–What are the major obstacles to the constitution’s success, according to the article? Does the article offer any strategies to overcoming these challenges, and if so, what are they?
–What evidence does the article present that Iraqis share a sense of nationalism?
–According to the article, the “permanent constitution” will be written after “national elections are held.” What role will voters play in determining the content of this permanent constitution?
–The article notes that “in his statement, Ayatollah Sistani said the interim constitution would lack legitimacy until it was approved by a democratically elected national assembly.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
–The author of the article suggests that Shiite leaders may not be able to amend the interim constitution before it takes effect because the “12 who endorsed Mr. Jafari’s statement form less than a majority of the 25-member council.” Considering this example, do you think that minorities can receive equal treatment under a majority-rule system? Why or why not?
–Why is it significant that the constitution identifies Islam as “the official religion” yet only “a source” of legislation?
–According to the article, the 25 leaders sat at an “antique table once used by King Feisal, Iraq’s first monarch” in order to sign the charter. What do you think is the purpose of such a gesture?
Evaluation / Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on participation in class and group discussions, contribution to group research, individual summaries of the research, and thoughtful completion of the assigned letter to the Iraqi Governing Council.
council, reluctant, interim, embark, deadlock, hitch, fortified, confines, milestone, implant, viability, amend, endorsed, sovereignty, mechanism, ratified, provision, veto, decree, legitimacy, sects, portend, fundamental, electoral, quarrels, enshrines, embodiment, ruins, dictatorship, tormented, mortars
1. Prepare a brief summary of the first two chapters of the interim Iraqi constitution, and use those summaries to revise your class’s estimation of the provisions necessary to a constitution proposed in the first activity in the lesson plan.
2. Create a poster board display on the state of women’s rights in the Middle East. Compare and contrast the laws – identifying them as protective, oppressive or ambiguous – in two or three countries, providing specific examples and, if possible, quotations from experts or women residents of the countries selected. Consider the application of these laws. Include a list of lessons that Iraq’s future government might learn from studying the treatment of women in other Middle Eastern countries.
3. Drawing upon the preamble and the first two chapters of the Iraqi constitution, create a chart that compares and contrasts the life of an Iraqi citizen under the regime of Saddam Hussein and under the developing Iraqi leadership. When relevant, highlight the differing experiences of Shiites, Sunni Muslims, ethnic Kurds, Assyrian Christians and women.
4. Imagine that a new museum that intends to document the history of Iraq’s emerging democracy commissions you to design a special exhibit on the development of the Iraqi constitution. Write a plan or prepare a model of your single-room or multi-room display, including a list of artifacts, a timeline of major events, brief biographies of principal figures and an outline for an informational brochure to serve as a guide to visitors.
American History- Write an essay that compares and contrasts the preambles of the United States and Iraqi interim constitutions, analyzes the differences among the two documents as suggested by the preamble, and presents and contextualizes five examples of such differences as found in the bodies of the two documents. You may want to consult the United States Constitution online: www.usconstitution.net.
Fine Arts- Draw and write the caption of a one-panel or multi-panel satirical cartoon about the Iraqi struggle to create a constitution. Students may want to consult examples of political cartoons while brainstorming.
Health- Create an informational poster that depicts the nation of Iraq as the body of an ill person. Identify the “diseases” that plague this “patient” and the “medicines” that the Iraqi constitution will administer in order to cure them. Provide text, where relevant, to support your comparison of an individual’s health with that of a nation’s.
Language Arts- What might Saddam Hussein have to say about the Iraqi interim constitution, the American role in helping to draft it, the signing ceremony and the constitution’s chances for success? Compose a brief letter that gives him a chance to weigh in. For extra credit, students may also pen a commentary on the letter as written by a journalist or scholar.
Other Information on the Web:
For more information on the new government in Iraq, visit the official Web site for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq (http://www.cpa-iraq.org).
Renewal in Iraq (http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/index.html) is a section of the official White House Web site devoted to news and information about Iraq.
The Struggle For Iraq (http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/worldspecial/index.html) is the place on NYTimes.com to find the latest news about developments in Iraq.
Academic Content Standards:
World History Standard 44- Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world. Benchmarks: Understands influences on economic development around the world; Understands in stances of political conflict and terrorism in modern society; Understands the emergence of a global culture
(CTSS – ‘social’, ’6-8’, ‘wh10’)
Geography Standard 13- Understands the forces of cooperation and conflict that shape the divisions of Earth’s surface. Benchmarks: Understands factors that contribute to cooperation or conflict; Knows the social, political, and economic divisions on Earth’s surface at the local, state, national, and international levels; Understands the factors that affect the cohesiveness and integration of countries
(CTSS – ‘social’, ’6-8’, ‘geo4’)
Civics Standard 22- Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy. Benchmarks: Knows various means used to attain the ends of United States foreign policy (e.g., diplomacy; economic, military, and humanitarian aid; treaties; trade agreements; incentives; sanctions; military intervention; covert action); Knows examples of important current foreign policy issues and the means the United States is using to deal with them; Knows the purposes and functions of major governmental international organizations (e.g., UN, NATO, OAS, World Court) and nongovernmental international organizations (e.g., International Red Cross, World Council of Churches, Amnesty International)
(CTSS – ‘social’, ’6-8’, ‘civ4’)
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Uses style and structure appropriate for specific audiences and purposes; Writes persuasive compositions; Writes in response to literature
(CTSS – ‘english’, ’6-8’, ’1’)
Language Arts Standard 8- Demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning. Benchmarks: Plays a variety of roles in group discussions; Asks questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas; Listens in order to understand a speaker’s topic, purpose, and perspective; Conveys a clear main point when speaking to others and stays on the topic being discussed
(CTSS – ‘english’, ’6-8’, ’8’)
World History Standard 44- Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world. Benchmarks: Understands rates of economic development and the emergence of different economic systems around the globe; Understands the role of political ideology, religion, and ethnicity in shaping modern governments; Understands the role of ethnicity, cultural identity, and religious beliefs in shaping economic and political conflicts across the globe; Understands the effectiveness of United Nations programs
(CTSS – ‘social’, ’9-12’, ‘wh10’)
Geography Standard 13- Understands the forces of cooperation and conflict that shape the divisions of Earth’s surface. Benchmarks: Understands how cooperation and/or conflict can lead to the allocation of control of Earth’s surface; Knows the causes of boundary conflicts and internal disputes between culture groups; Understands the changes that occur in the extent and organization of social, political, and economic entities on Earth’s surface
(CTSS – ‘social’, ’9-12’, ‘geo4’)
Civics Standard 22- Understands how the world is organized politically into nation-states, how nation-states interact with one another, and issues surrounding U.S. foreign policy. Benchmarks: Understands the significance of principal foreign policies and events in the United States’ relations with the world; Understands how and why the United States assumed the role of world leader after World War II and what its current leadership role is in the world; Understands the major foreign policy positions that have characterized the United States’ relations with the world; Knows how the powers over foreign affairs that the Constitution gives to the president, Congress, and the federal judiciary have been used over time; and understands the tension between constitutional provisions and the requirements of foreign policy; Understands the process by which United States foreign policy is made, including the roles of federal agencies, domestic interest groups, the media, and the public, and knows the ways in which Americans can influence foreign policy; Understands the idea of the national interest and how it is used as a criterion for shaping American foreign policy; Understands the current role of the United States in peacemaking and peacekeeping; Understands the role of the United States in establishing and maintaining principal international organizations
(CTSS – ‘social’, ’9-12’, ‘civ4’)
Language Arts Standard 1- Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process. Benchmarks: Writes compositions that fulfill different purposes; Writes persuasive compositions that evaluate, interpret, and speculate about problems/solutions and causes and effects; Writes reflective compositions; Writes in response to literature
(CTSS – ‘english’, ’9-12’, ’1’)
Language Arts Standard 8- Demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning. Benchmarks: Asks questions as a way to broaden and enrich classroom discussions; Adjusts message wording and delivery to particular audiences and for particular purposes
(CTSS – ‘english’, ’9-12’, ’8’)
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Anno Domini is Medieval Latin, translated as “In the year of the Lord” or “In the year of our Lord”. It is sometimes specified more fully as Anno Domini Nostri Iesu meaning “In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Each year people of all nations around the world celebrate the coming of a new year based on the birth of Jesus Christ. The world has used this method of defining the year since 525 AD or in other words for the past 1487 years. The world basically has accepted the birth of Jesus Christ as such a major event in history of mankind that time should be measured by it. Therefore, I have one simple question. If the previous is true, why is our nations leaders so set on being “politically correct” to the point of attempting to take Jesus Christ, God and prayer out of everything! Think about it.
Happy 2012 “in the year of our Lord”!
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The first week of this course introduces the students into multiple techniques
for jewelry design, jewelry making and repairing.
During the weeks that follow, you will complete tasks that will allow you to
repair and restore the pieces that you create. From
repairing chains, making rings, ring sizing, soldering settings, setting stones,
replacing prongs, installing clasps, plating as well as basic jewelry
assembly and designing. This class was designed with the hobbyist in mind
and for those who are already in the business and want to obtain education to
prepare for the Jewelers of America 1st level of certification.
precious metals: Platinum, Gold, and Silver.
Learn how to obtain the different Karats and Colors of
FTC rules and
regulations, Trading of precious metals. Units of weight.
Testing of metals:
hands-on. Learn how to use acid testing techniques for separating the different
karats of metal. Metals and oxidation.
Handling of shop
sweeps, fillings and scraps for maximum recovery.
Preparation and cleaning of metals for soldering. Soldering is immediately
introduced into the program. Students practice a wide variety of exercises
and filing: explanation and practice for the making of nameplates. Hand made
letters, piercing. Designing theory. Layout. Completion and finishing
of bails and jump rings. Using round nose pliers and dowels. Single production
and mass production. Methods explained and practiced.
and assemble a solitaire ring. Making of a shank. Preparation of a finding.
Attachment of setting.
Practice of single and multiple ring sizing. Hardening and annealing techniques
explained and applied. Rings sizing of rings with stones, channel set and with
low tolerance heat.
multiple stones: Multiple exercises in rings: sizing rings up, down and
re-shank of finished jewelry. Setting and tightening stones
replacement: Replacement of shanks in single rings. Shank replacement in
wedding engagement rings.
Gold melting and
milling: explanation and adjustment of the torch. Use of mold for making
ingots. Use of the rolling mill for producing metal wires and plates.
Chains: Learn to make bracelets and chains starting from an idea. Replacing
end caps. Installation and replacement of spring rings and lobster claws.
Practice on fixing different types of chains. Curb link, box link, rope, figaro,
anchor, s link.
bezel project: students make a bezel by utilizing the sweat soldering
technique. This bezel is worked into a custom made pendant in which the student
has to hand fabricate the décor and bail. The bezel setting technique is also
taught and practiced.
plates, initials: learn the proper techniques to apply designs to plates.
You will create a project in which you will learn to plan, make, properly
prepare and solder identification initials.
Techniques for setting stones in different setting styles. Replacement of
existing stones. Learn to provide a seat for round stones. Prong setting.
procedures: Working with hollow jewelry, general explanation of jewelry
repairs. Findings, tools and other supplies and suppliers. Repair friendly and
Castings: Introduction and explanation of castings and the most common tools
used for finishing the pieces.
Rough castings will
be cleaned, sanded, pre finished and polished ready for final delivery.
and hinges: Explanation of inner workings of clasps.
Making of hinges for
bracelets. Mechanics and placement of a figure 8. Final assembly and high luster
polishing for final presentation and delivery to the customer.
Practice for fixing, soldering and placing posts, creating a pair of earrings.
Hollow bangle, different repairs to be performed: Fixing dents, installing a
safety chain. The student will learn how to solder a jump ring unto a hollow
ball. Different ways of fixing a hollow bracelet or necklace will be practiced
and a box clasp will be installed
This bracelet will be constructed by making a plate, attaching it to a chain
using tubing and installing a hidden clasp and figure 8. The student will then
learn the best way to solder initials on top of an identification plate.
Use of forming and shaping dies. Die cutting. Hollow earring project.
Installation of posts.
on watchbands and batteries replacement.
Cleaning, electro stripping and plating with rhodium, copper, nickel and/or
gold, will be explained. Plating demonstrated.
stone ring: Practical demonstration to size rings with semi precious stones
without removal of the stones.
T-bar CZ studs:
T-bars. Assembly and replacement of posts. Stone setting with stud vise.
Solder bail onto a setting and set stone. Repair bail with stone in place.
Exercises for prong replacement and re-tipping.
Polishing: Finishing and marking jewelry in preparation for polishing.
Polishing techniques, common tools, tumblers, chemicals and general use of
equipment. Polishing with tripoli and rouge. Finishes and Textures.
Ultrasonic and steam
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Meaning of sol
Pronunciation: (sōl), [key]
— n. Music.
- the syllable used for the fifth tone of a diatonic scale.
- (in the fixed system of solmization) the tone G.
Pronunciation: (sōl, sol), [key]
- a former coin and money of account of France, the 20th part of a livre and equal to 12 deniers: originally gold, later silver, finally copper, it was discontinued in 1794.
Pronunciation: (sōl, sol Sp. sôl), [key]
— pl. sols, so•les
- a bronze coin and monetary unit of Peru, equal to 100 centavos. Abbr.: S.
- Also calleda former gold coin of Peru.
Pronunciation: (sôl, sol), [key]
— n. Physical Chem.
- a fluid colloidal solution. Cf.
Pronunciation: (sol), [key]
- an ancient Roman god personifying the sun.
- the sun, personified by the Romans as a god.
- a male given name, form of
- a combining form meaning “soil” of the kind specified by the initial element: spodosol.
— Slang. Slang.
- strictly out (of&hasp;) luck.
- shit out (of&hasp;) luck.
- sol (Thesaurus)
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Cultural Heritage can be defined as monuments, buildings, or landscapes of "outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science." These sites are often under threat from environmental conditions, structural instability, increased tourism and development, and they are most likely under-funded, and hence, inadequately documented and maintained. Laser scanning, in combination with other digital documentation techniques and traditional survey, provides an extremely useful way to document the spatial characteristics of these sites. This spatial information forms not only an accurate record of these rapidly deteriorating sites, which can be saved for posterity, but also provides a comprehensive base dataset by which site managers, archaeologists, and conservators can monitor sites and perform necessary restoration work to ensure their physical integrity. A digital record of these sites also facilitates their accessibility to a broader audience via the Internet. CyArk, a non-profit located in the San Francisco Bay Area, is constructing an archive and associated Web portal which will allow this data to be accessed by site managers, researchers, students, and the general public.
Cultural Heritage Documentation Projects
These two case studies show the potential for the use of digital documentation tools in the cultural heritage field for activities including general site management, conservation, restoration, and archaeological analysis. The digital datasets for these sites are both available through the CyArk portal (www.cyark.org).
Chavin de Huantar, Peru
Chavin de Huantar is located in the north-central Peruvian highlands at an elevation of 3,150 meters. It is a pre-Hispanic structure developed progressively from 1200 BC to 200 BC. The site consists of a number of "buildings," large platform mounds housing a complex underground gallery network which surround a number of sunken plazas. The site is one of the most significant early Andean civilizations and has been given UNESCO World Heritage status. It is under threat from both urban encroachment and from the general instability of the surrounding mountainsides, which has led to a number of landslides.
The documentation project was conducted by the University of California at Berkeley in conjunction with the Stanford University archaeological project and supported by the Kacyra Family Foundation. Two field seasons have resulted in a comprehensive documentation of the site using both long and close range laser scanning techniques. A Leica HDS 2500 scanner was used to document all exterior surfaces of the complex and a number of underground gallery segments. A comprehensive control network was placed throughout the site and extended into the gallery network. This facilitated the registration of above ground and below ground scans to produce an accurate model of the site.
This dataset was used to calculate the depth of parts of the gallery network to assess the overburden as part of an ongoing analysis of the structural stability of the galleries. In the Rocas Gallery, parts of which have suffered collapse, scan data was used to predict the location of new perforations, which were being dug by the archaeologists to help clear the collapsed section of the galleries. Scans were also taken of the excavated
Circular Plaza Atrium, an excavation which revealed pre-Chavin structures where the intention was to expose and record and then re-cover the structures. Extensive close range scan data was also collected. The Minolta Vivid 910 was used to scan the Lanzon, a 4.5 meter high, elaborately carved stone monolith in addition to a large number of elaborately carved plaques. This dataset will be the basis for producing the spatial products needed to perform an initial condition assessment, an important part of developing an overall conservation plan for the site. In addition the data will also be used for ongoing monitoring of the site.
Mesa Verde, United States
Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwestern Colorado and contains some of the most impressive standing architecture in North America. It is best known for its unique cliff dwellings, adobe buildings constructed within recessed cliff alcoves. Spruce Tree House was the focus of a pilot digital documentation project to test the applicability of digital documentation techniques to replicate the traditional mapping and survey methods used by the National Park Service. Spruce Tree House is a large complex containing about 130 rooms and 8 kivas (circular ceremonial chambers) and is built into a recess 66 meters wide and 27 meters deep. The project was a collaborative effort between the University of California at Berkeley, Texas Tech University, the National Park Service, Insight Digital, and CyArk.
The project utilized three scanners, two long-range scanning systems, the Leica HDS 3000 and 2500, and a close-range scanning system, the Minolta Vivid 910. The long-range scanners were used to document the standing architecture and surroundings while the close-range scanning system was used for the documentation of wall details and artifacts. A Leica total station and Trimble differential GPS unit were used to geo-reference the point-clouds and provide additional survey control. In conjunction with the scanning, high resolution panoramic imagery was collected using a Nikon D70 camera and a custom-built panoramic photography rig.
The data was used to construct a high resolution photo-textured model. From this model, plans, sections, and detailed elevation drawings were produced to support the condition assessment activities of the Park Service. The existing process includes very detailed wall elevations which show features down to a centimeter in size. These features are often embedded within the mud-brick walls and exhibit very little relief in comparison to the wall. To facilitate the recording of these features the high resolution panoramic images were registered to the point cloud or mesh and ortho-rectified images of wall segments were produced to enable the mapping of these features. Based on this pilot project, time savings using these new techniques are estimated at around 80 percent.
Archiving and Dissemination
CyArk is dedicated to the preservation of World Heritage Sites through the CyArk 3D Heritage Archive, www.cyark.org, an internet archive which is a repository for heritage site data, obtained through laser scanning, digital modeling, and other state-of-the-art spatial technologies. This archive serves both education and historic preservation, and exists now in a prototype stage. In its fully developed state, the 3D heritage archive website will be an accessible, global collaborative network of servers working off a common database architecture and storing dimensionally precise and visually rich 3D point cloud data wrapped with high definition, high dynamic range photography, representing heritage sites from around the world. The CyArk portal provides a Web interface that will enable users to search the archive spatially, locating media (including photography, scan data, text, CAD drawings, 3D models, and animations) that relate to specific parts of a site. Users can view this data dynamically and download high resolution versions of these data products. Most importantly, each media item is attached with essential metadata that will facilitate the reuse of this information. This metadata includes the "who, what, where, when, and why" information that users require to be able to understand, interpret, and make use of the data. The archive will also ensure, through a migration program, that these datasets are accessible into the future.
An integrated method that utilizes a range of tools from laser scanning to traditional survey and high-resolution digital photography are highly valuable in the field of cultural heritage where high accuracy and comprehensive documentation of sites are needed on a regular basis. These techniques can often result in significant time and cost savings compared to traditional survey methods, and provide a much more accurate and more detailed record of the site. Through organizations such as CyArk, this data can be made accessible to a much wider audience, enabling not only site managers and archaeologists access, but also facilitating educational use of this data and opening up these sites to the general public through virtual tourism.
About the Author
John Ristevski directs the research and development activities of CyArk, a project of the Kacyra Family Foundation dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage through high definition documentation. He is also a lecturer at Stanford University in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department where he teaches surveying and geomatics.
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Getting kids to eat healthy starts with the first spoonful of food or sippy cup of drink. But if you are having problems later down the road, there is still hope to get back on track. There are so many reasons that kids can give as to why they don’t want to, should not and quite possibly will die if they even take a single bite of this “healthy” food. Spanning from not tasting good – even though they have never tried it – to the fact they think they may be allergic to the food in question, kids are masters at dodging the proverbial ball of good food.
There are, however, a few ways to get your kids to try new foods. After all, they have an arsenal of reasons why not to eat it, why not keep your own stockpile of weaponry to get them to eat the food they don’t want to.
Be a Role Model
Children’s minds are like a piece of bread, soaking up all of the oil surrounding it. Being a role model and continually trying new foods in front of and with your child shapes their ideas about trying new things. It is important to let your kids see that it is okay, and even fun, to try new things from time to time. Demonstrating the adventure and intrigue of trying new foods will stick in your child’s memory for the rest of their life.
Don’t be afraid to laugh over weird new foods that none of you like. It’s going to happen and just proves that yes, you do understand that everyone is not going to like every food. But that we should try it every once in a while to see if our tastes change.
Meal Plan Together
Kids are more apt to eat something they made, or at least planned to make. Letting your kids help cook the meals increases the chance they will try and like foods you are preparing.
Children are stimulated and become completely engrossed when they have the opportunity to get into a hands-on position. By allowing them to help plan the meals and to prepare and cook the food, children see exactly what goes in to the pot and there are fewer surprises for them to come up with the excuse they don’t like what is in it.
For members of the once a week cooking club this becomes easy. Just have them start cutting vegetables on your cooking day. Then when you have the master list on the fridge of the meals they helped create, ask them which meal they want to eat the next day. Now they helped make it AND they chose when you are eating it. That allure of power is heady to them. They’ll be excited to tell everyone at the table what part of the meal they helped with and possibly even tell the whole recipe to the family.
Keep Healthy Options
Nothing is worse than watching your kid look for a snack, finding nothing healthy and heading right for the ice cream with chocolate sauce and whip cream. Children learn from, and rely heavily on the ability to make their own decisions, whether it is on what clothes they want to wear to the types of foods they want to eat. It is important to offer a wide variety of choices to your kids. Just remember to respect their likes and dislikes and change the different options up frequently so they don’t get bored.
Apples and celery sticks become a whole new ballgame when you add dipping in peanut or almond butter to the mix.
Getting your children to eat healthy is as simple as letting them get involved. Interacting with all of their senses, suddenly trying new foods becomes fun.
Allowing children to help out in preparing the meal builds a sense of pride and accomplishment. If all else fails, throw some new fruits and veggies in the blender with a little honey and they will never know the delicious smoothie they are drinking is actually good for them. Hiding the foods they don’t like, inside of foods they love, is a great fail-safe weapon to keep locked and loaded.
Never worry about what's for dinner again. I've got you covered with the meal plans in the Once a Week Cooking Club. Cook once, eat all week.
Please be aware that some links used are to affiliates. They are almost always to products I use and love.
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