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A Fresh Look at Glasshouse Design
Celebrated as the most energy-efficient structure of its kind when it opened in 2006, the impressive 60-foot-high, 12,000-square-foot Tropical Forest Conservatory takes visitors from Pittsburgh and beyond on a colorful and inspiring journey through some of the most botanically rich regions of the world. Incorporating impactful ethnobotanic displays, cascading waterfalls and lush greenery, this state-of-the-art facility was intended to raise the bar for glasshouse design and construction, further proving how favoring a fresh approach over past conventions can provide solutions to nearly any sustainability challenge — in this case, eliminating many of the high costs associated with heating and cooling.
In sharp contrast to our 1893 glasshouse, which was designed with the prevailing technology of the time and relied upon limited passive ventilation systems that poorly regulate interior temperature, the resultant Tropical Forest Conservatory quickly revealed the fruits of its unconventional design, using 40 percent less energy than traditional glasshouses as it maintains more consistent temperatures all year round; in fact, there is no greenhouse effect at all in this structure, it is always cooler inside than out in the summer, and it uses practically no electricity — thanks to its unique shape and a number of other energy-saving strategies. Today, 100 percent of the building's energy needs, as well as those of the rest of the Phipps campus, are met with solar power and wind energy generated both onand off site.
Click the sections below for additional details on project features and more.
Vision: Rethinking Convention
- Unlike traditional glasshouses, the Tropical Forest Conservatory features a high south wall and a roof that slopes downwards from south to north, allowing for the use of energy-saving double-pane insulated glass on the roof, while still maintaining proper light levels for growing plants.
- Using the results of a tracking study that monitored the path the sun takes across the sky on winter days, our engineers designed the south-facing wall to be at an optimal height, ensuring that 100 percent of the winter sun permeates the conservatory interior. This wall contains single-pane glass, enabling the full spectrum of light that plants require to enter the structure.
- Since the roof is sloped, the sun never passes through it in winter, making it possible to install energy-saving double-pane glass that could otherwise not be used in a greenhouse due to its ability to block light and solar radiation. In cold weather, this type of glass maximizes heat gain and limits the escape of warm air through the roof. In the summer, solar heat gain is minimized.
- Further contributing to the effectiveness of the design, the Tropical Forest Conservatory also boasts a revolutionary open-roof system that facilitates the release of hot air, virtually eliminating the greenhouse effect and the need for costly exhaust fans often employed in traditional conservatories to manage heat build-up. These vents are controlled by an Argus computer system, which opens and closes them based upon internal and external conditions.
Sensibility: Energy-Saving Strategies
- Enhancing the efficiency of the Tropical Forest Conservatory even more are a number of energy blankets and shade cloths on the roof that provide shade in the summer and thermal insulation in the winter. Like the roof vents, these are controlled by the intelligent Argus Control System.
- Western and northern walls made from concrete are insulated on the outside to achieve thermal mass, collecting heat during the day and releasing it at night as temperatures fall.
- A root zone heating system installed in the plant beds consists of a series of underground tubes that use hot water to deliver radiant heat directly to the roots of plants, effectively promoting their growth and allowing Phipps to save energy by lowering ambient air temperature.
- Six 24-inch-diameter, 300-foot-long concrete earth tubes buried 15 feet below ground, where the temperature remains constant at 55 degrees, also help to eliminate the need for mechanical cooling. When the vents are open, a vacuum suction is created by hot air exiting the roof. The earth tubes then pull fresh air in from the outside, effectively cooling it as it passes through.
- While no longer on site, a solid oxide fuel cell prototype created by Siemens Power Generation to convert natural gas into electricity was the first to ever be used in a public garden.
Advanced Computer Control
- Anticipatory computer controlled weather and temperature reacting system
- Maximum energy efficiency
- Smoother, more uniform growing conditions
- Better plant quality and uniformity
- Precise equipment control and advanced data recording system
- Energy-saving double-pane roof glass insulates while maintaining proper light levels for growing plants.
- Special Events Hall adjacent to the Conservatory features the first commercial installation of Solarban 70 XL solar control low-emissivity glass, the most energy-efficient glass available at the time, designed and manufactured by PPG Industries, Inc.
Radical Roof Design
- Tall south-facing wall allows for insulated double-pane roof glass while still maintaining proper light levels for growing plants
- Half of the 12,000 sf roof opens to eliminate the "greenhouse effect"
- Vents are Argus computer controlled
Symbiotic Heating Systems
- Radiant floor heat for visitors
- Thermal massing interior concrete walls collect solar energy and release the heat at night
- Green roof over support facilities
- Fogging system for evaporative cooling
- Prevent convective and radiant heat loss
- Provide shade in summer and thermal insulation in winter
- Guided electronically by weather station link
- Argus computer controlled
- 100% passive cooling replaces need for HVAC
- Six 24" diameter, 300' long concrete tubes are installed at 15 feet below grade, where the temperature is a steady 55° F (13°C) year round
- Hot outside air cools as it travels through the underground tubes and into the conservatory
- Vacuum created by hot air exiting the roof vents pulls the cooled air into conservatory using no electricity
Photos © Denmarsh Photography, Inc.; Paul g. Wiegman; Lofty Views


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1 Supervision and Leadership
Motivating workers
3 Alfred Kadushin, the foremost authority in social work supervision, defines supervision as:
the responsibility of sustaining worker morale; helping the worker with job-related discouragements and discontents; giving workers a sense of: worth as professionals; belonging to the agency; security in their performance. What has been your experience with a supervisor?
4 What do supervisors do?
5 Supervisors: Translate the policies and objectives of the agency into specific work duties and timelines; Select the jobs to be completed; Assign workers who will complete the jobs; Determine when the jobs will be completed; Review whether or not the work is being completed and up to agency standards; Evaluate employees;
6 Educate workers on the goals and objectives of the agency;
Assure that employees behave in a manner as though they accept them; Resolve conflict: between workers; Between the agency and workers; Between units within the agency; The supervisor is the bridge between higher levels of administration and the worker.
7 Supervisors: Introduce new workers to the agency and help new workers find their place; Act as liaison between various agencies sharing policy and solving problems in terms of such things as client referral.
8 Leadership and Power What is leadership?
9 Leadership The ability to influence the behavior of individuals or groups. There are two types of overall leadership: formal and informal.
10 Empowerment-oriented leaders
In empowerment-oriented practice, it is important that the executive director establish a vision for the organization. The executive director must create an organizational culture in which staff members and volunteers are client-oriented and are committed to a set of values that supports power-sharing. The executive director must have the ability to inspire and motivate paid as well as unpaid workers. In addition, they must be able to facilitate group-oriented decision-making processes.
11 Formal Leaders Individuals who occupy organizational offices or positions which have power as part of the position.
12 Informal Leaders Individuals who have power with an organization because other personal charisma or other characteristics but do not hold an official position of power.
13 What is power?
14 Power: The force that allows an individual the ability to induce another person to carry out his/her directives or any other value(s) she/he supports.
15 Five Kinds of Power: Reward Power
Remunerative (money) What is the response? Or normative (a pat on the back). BEWARE OF NORMATIVE COMPLIANCE!
16 Coercive Power: The threat of harm or punishment; public humiliation.
What is the response?
17 Legitimate Power The power that comes from holding the position. The source of the powers in the position (formal power).
18 Earned Power The power that comes from earned respect.
What happens if you have legitimate power but no earned power? What happens if you have earned power but no legitimate power?
19 Expert Power Power that comes from having special knowledge and/or skills.
20 Why do people want to become supervisors?
21 Prestige and Status Increased Salaries A Desire to Be a Change Agent Increased Opportunity for Creativity Increased Capacity to Give A Desire to Control People
22 What is a good leader?
23 A good leader and supervisor:
Fosters trust; Builds people rather than tears them down; Is supportive; Is consistent; Is caring; Uses time wisely; Is persistent to their goals; Is willing to compromise; Allows as much freedom is possible; Is creative.
24 What kind of supervisor will you be?
25 Issues of Supervision in the Nonprofit Human Service Agency
Acceptance of the use of authority can be difficult. When you become a supervisor, you step over a boundary. You are no longer a line worker. You may not be loved because you will have to tell people to do things they may not like to do.
26 Quality supervision requires:
Clear and specific worker objectives. Awareness of worker's needs. Willingness to facilitate the step-by-step progression of workers. A willingness to accept the diversity of workers including differences in viewing the role of working, differences in motivation, differences in interest and differences in cultural perspectives.
27 Social service organizations typically use a number of different measures for performance assessment including: Narrative assessments by supervisors using previously established criteria. Management by objective systems in which the supervisor determines whether the employee has accomplished a predetermined set of objectives. Rating scales and checklists that require the supervisor to make an assessment of the worker's level of performance on a standardized scale. Comparisons of an individual worker's performance to those of other workers. For example, workers could be compared in terms of the number of successfully closed cases or the number of clients served on average. Multirater Assessment Systems in which more that one evaluator directly assesses the worker's skill or performance level.
28 Developing and Measuring Competency
Many organizations and professional associations are now evaluating performance by developing lists of specific skills or competencies that professionally trained workers should possess. Efforts have also been made to create tools or systems of measurement to determine if workers in certain job categories have actually acquired these skills or if they need additional training
29 Worker Empowerment and Supervision
According to Shera and Page (1995) a critical aspect of empowerment-oriented social service organization is that supervisors "promote positive relationships and images through the development of positive language, help staff focus on client strengths, and model appropriate behaviors and values to staff" (p. 4). Peer consultation for staff members who need assistance with workplace issues may also be an effective means to provide support and consequently increase a sense of personal empowerment and autonomy (Shera & Page, 1995). In a study of management practices in empowerment-oriented organizations, Gutierrez et al. (1995) found that the use of peer supervision techniques helped build relationships and support, building a sense of shared philosophy and psychological safety among staff members. Workers can be organized into teams or support groups can be established to facilitate peer consultation and information exchange.
30 Mentoring Another method used to provide peer support involves mentoring. Mentoring has been found to be an effective method of orienting new employees to the workplace and helping them to develop appropriate workplace skills (Dreher & Ash, 1990; Hardina & Shaw, 2001). Kaminski et al. (2000) studied the use of mentors to train workers to act as workplace advocates and leaders. They found that the best mentors repeatedly praised student performance, gave trainees new tasks that involved greater levels of responsibility, and encouraged them to develop their own goals and tactics for producing results. An additional benefit of the mentoring process is that mentors can help marginalized employees (for example, women and persons of color) navigate difficulties in workplace culture that could limit their ability to secure promotions or become administrators (Burke & McKeen, 1990; Ragins, Townsend, & Mattis, 1998).
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A 4,000-year-old skeleton discovered in India is the oldest known archaeological evidence of leprosy. The fact that the skeleton survived suggests the person was an outcast: Hindu tradition calls for cremation, and only those deemed unfit were buried.
Before this skeleton was found, there was a question where the disease originated.
The latter half of the third millennium B.C. was a period of social complexity in this civilization, characterized by urbanization, a system of writing, standardized weights and measures, monumental architecture, and trade networks that stretched to Mesopotamia and beyond.
The presence of leprosy in India toward the end of this period indicates that M. leprae existed in South Asia at least 4000 years ago, which lends support to the idea that the disease migrated between Africa and Asia during a period of urbanization, increasing population density, and regular inter-continental trade networks.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Vir Cotto's BDSM Blog
Woke Culture Jamming
There are many things about our community that I love, Woke Culture Jamming is one of them.
What do I mean by that? I mean that it's possible to see something for what it is, even if it's a dark or destructive impulse, acknowledge it, reject it and then use it.
For example, a person of color may be working on Black Lives Matter during the day, and then during play may want to integrate race play as part of their experience. Or a woman who is an argent feminist may want to be objectified during her play. Or a man who is a feminist may enjoy degradation as part of his play.
What makes them okay is their understanding of why. When we understand why something appeals to us, we can own it. Maybe our desires are an expression of some deep-seated dark impulse, or we just want to play with the idea of being evil, or being objectified/useless, of being the object of fear or being the monster.
Many of us live in a culture of repression. We do not express our desireswe often don't even allow them to rise to the surface.
But here we are safe. CEOs can be gimps. Doctors can be mindless fuckdolls. A poor grad student can be a queen, and a 65 year old grandpa can be a sissy dolly. This can and often does include some dark impulses, responses to our larger cultural forces. And that's not only okay... it's great.
Play is a place to be safe.


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You may be exposed to endrin in air, water, or soil if you live near a hazardous waste site, where endrin is concentrated. Children living near hazardous waste sites could be exposed to endrin in contaminated soils, if they eat dirt. This compound has been detected in human breast milk and this may be a route of exposure for nursing infants.
Since endrin may still be used as a pesticide agent in some countries, residues on imported food items are still of some concern and are the main source of potential human exposure in food. Endrin levels can build up (bioaccumulate) in the tissues of organisms that live in water. When endrin enters the body, by eating foods or drinking beverages or breathing air that contain this substance or by contact with the skin, it is rapidly changed into other substances. Endrin and its metabolic breakdown products are rapidly removed from the body, usually within a few days, through the urine and faeces. There is some evidence that small amounts of endrin may remain in the fatty tissue of your body when you are exposed to high levels.
|NOTE! PREVENT DISPERSION OF DUST! STRICT HYGIENE!||General First Aid: IN ALL CASES CONSULT A DOCTOR!|
|Route of Exposure||Symptoms||First Aid|
|Inhalation||(See Ingestion)||Fresh air rest. Refer for medical attention.|
|Skin||MAY BE ABSORBED!||Remove contaminated clothes. Rinse and then wash skin with water and soap. Refer for medical attention.|
|Eyes||First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible) then take to a doctor.|
|Ingestion||Confusion. Convulsions. Nausea. Vomiting.||Give a slurry of activated charcoal in water to drink. Rest. Refer for medical attention.|
Notes for ICSC Information
If the substance is formulated with solvent(s) also consult the card(s) (ICSC) of the solvent(s). Carrier solvents used in commercial formulations may change physical and toxicological properties. Do NOT take working clothes home.


Mom with a Plate of Oysters on the Half Shell
Mom with a plate of oysters
My Mom's favorite part of a meal is usually the free bread and butter at the beginning.
I have never been able to convince her to eat anything raw of the kingdom Animalia. Artful presentations of hamachi sashimi, lamb tartare, and oysters on the half shell have yet to tempt her into betraying the exclusive relationship she keeps with cooked meat dishes.
Of course we've all met many people like this, and I've recently noticed that most of them have right-wing political leanings*. Can anyone else confirm these findings, and if so, what new insight can this give us into the nature of human beings?
Humans are the only species that cook their food, as far as my research has told me:
Is this unique process of food preparation something to be embraced and championed, or used with modesty and restraint?
Does the cooking of the skin and flesh of fellow animals represent a measure of safety against bacteria, or a comfortable layer of abstraction from the formerly breathing entity we are now dipping in tangy sauce and putting into our mouths?
Is a person who eats raw meat more or less likely to help you out when times are tough? And who's more likely to recycle their glass, papers and plastics?
These are some of the unanswered questions I have.
*However, I would characterize my mother's location on the political compass as Authoritarian Left.


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Ape & Primate Watch
Aaron Steffen, 9, enjoys the Primates of the World building
at the Milwaukee County Zoo during winter.
Become a scientist when you visit the Milwaukee County Zoo this winter. Stay inside and keep warm as you go through the Primates of the World building and observe the animals. The building connects with the Stearns Family Apes of Africa Pavilion. There you can view the bonobos and western lowland gorillas. The Zoo is not crowded in winter. So it's the perfect time to spend several minutes watching each of the primates. Like a scientist, you can make careful observations and write down what primates eat, how they play, if they bite or fight. See the Be a Scientist: Animal Watch activity below.
The two buildings have monkeys and apes. Can you tell the difference between an ape and a monkey? One difference is that apes don't have tails. What other differences do you notice? Find the answers to these questions in the two buildings:
A. List the FOUR apes in the buildings:*
B. List all the monkeys in the two buildings:*
C. What kind of a primate is the mandrill?*
Be a Scientist: Animal Watch
Have you ever watched primates at play? Aaron Steffen
watches a female mandrill "groom" a male. Groom means
to pick through the hair to clean it or look for insects. See
what other behaviors you can spot primates doing at the Zoo.
Print out 10 of the following lists and take them with you to the Zoo with a clipboard. Stand in front of each ape or monkey exhibit for five minutes. For every exhibit, list how many times you see each of the activities below. Then move to the next exhibit and use another check-off sheet. When you're done, you can compare which animals chased a lot or groomed more, etc.
Type of animal __________________________
(spider monkey, gorilla, etc.)
___ Climbed on ropes.
___ Climbed treelike structures or in branches
___ Played with another animal by cuddling or rolling around.
___ Ate some food. List what kinds? ________________
___ Groomed another primate. (Picked through its hair).
___ Was groomed by another primate.
___ Groomed itself. ___ Scratched its body.
___ Walked on four limbs. ___ Walked on two legs.
___ Chased another primate.
___ Communicated with another primate through grunts or high-pitched yells.
Other observations you made: ______________________________________
Activities by Noelle Steffen


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Sessions refers to the number of concurrent connections allowed to a SQL database at a time. Workers can be thought of as the processes in the SQL database that are processing queries. The maximum number of sessions and workers allowed depends on your databases's service tier. Blue Matador monitors the sessions_percent and workers_percent metrics so you can know when you've hit the limit.
When the sessions limit is reached, additional connections to the database will be rejected. When the worker limit is reached, clients will receive an error message and will be unable to query your database.
The two possible fixes for reaching the maximum number of sessions: reduce the amount of sessions used by your application, or increase the service tier for your database so there is a higher limit. If your application is using connection pooling, you can configure it so that idle connections are terminated, and limit the number of connections allowed by your application to prevent hitting the limit.
The number of used workers is harder to control since it is not directly tied to the number of sessions. Worker usage can go up during high-usage periods since backed-up queries will consume workers. If you have high worker usage but not session usage, you can use Query Store to analyze your queries to see if specific ones are causing high worker usage.
If you decide to upgrade your database, consult the service tier limits can be found on the following pages to choose an appropriate tier for your session and worker requirements:

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


ings algorithm is as following:
The proposal variance σ τ 2 is tuned to ensure that the acceptance probability is between 20% - 40%. We also propose a similar Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to sample from the conditional distribution of ψ l j |.
5. Variable Selection and Interaction Recovery for Selected Variables
In this section, we first state a generic algorithm to select important variables based on the samples of the parameter vector γ. This algorithm is independent of the prior for γ and unlike other variable selection algorithms, it requires few tuning parameters making it suitable for practical purposes. The idea is based on finding the most probable set of variables in the median of the γ samples. Since the distribution for the number of important variables is more stable and largely unaffected by the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, we find the mode H of the distribution for the number of important variables. Then, we select the H largest coefficients from the posterior mean of γ.
In this algorithm, we use k-means algorithm [44] [45] with k = 2 at each iteration to form two clusters, corresponding to signal and noise variables respectively. One cluster contains values concentrating around zero, corresponding to the noise variables. The other cluster contains values concentrating away from zeros, corresponding to the signals. At the tth iteration, the number of non-zero signals h ( t ) is estimated by the smaller cluster size out of the two clusters. We take the mode over all the iterations to obtain the final estimate H for the number of non-zero signals i.e. H = mode ( h ( t ) ). The H largest entries of the posterior median of | γ | are identified as the non-zero signals.
We run the algorithm for 5000 iterations with a burn-in of 2000 to ensure convergence. Based on the remaining iterates, we apply the algorithm to κ j l for each component f l to select important variables within each f l for l = 1,, k. Using this approach, we select the important variables within each function. We define the inclusion score of a variable as the proportion of functions (out of k) which contains that variable. Next, we apply the algorithm to ϕ and select the important functions. Let us denote by A f the set of active functions, obtained from the LASSO algorithm as discussed in Section 3.2. The interaction score between a pair of selected variables is defined as the proportion of functions within A f in which the selected pair appears together. Using these interaction scores, we can find the interaction between important variables with optimal number of active components. Observe that the inclusion and interaction scores are not a functional of the posterior distribution and is purely a property of the additive representation. Hence, we do not require the sampler to converge to the posterior distribution. As illustrated in Section 6, these inclusion and the interaction scores provide an excellent representation of a variable or an interaction being present or absent in the model. An illustratfor both variable selection and interaction will be displayed in Section 6.
6. Simulation Examples
In this section, we consider eight different simulation settings with 50 replicated datasets each and test the performance of our algorithm with respect to variable selection, interaction recovery, and prediction. To generate the simulated data, we draw x i j ~ Unif ( 0,1 ), and y i ~ N ( f ( x i ), σ 2 ), where 1 i n, 1 j p and σ 2 = 0.02. Table 1 and Table 2 summary the result and signal to noise ratio (SNR) for the eight different datasets with different combinations of p and n for both non-interaction and interaction cases, respectively.
6.1. Variable Selection
We compute the Inclusion score for each variable in each simulated dataset, then provide the bar plots as in Figures 1-4 below.
Table 1. Non-interaction simulated datasets.
Table 2. Interaction simulated datasets.
Figure 1. Inclusion score for dataset 1. (a) Non-interaction Case; (b) Interaction Case.
Figure 2. Inclusion score for dataset 2. (a) Non-interaction Case; (b) Interaction Case.
Figure 3. Inclusion score for dataset 3. (a) Non-interaction Case; (b) Interaction Case.
Figure 4. Inclusion score for dataset 4. (a) Non-interaction Case; (b) Interaction Case.
From these histograms, we rank the Inclusion score value. Based on our ranking, we select a threshold value to identify the signal based on the top Inclusion score values. From our ranking, the selected threshold value is 0.1. The ranking of variables selection has been mentioned in Guyon and Elisseeff [46], Forman [47], Stoppiglia et al. [48]. The choice of the threshold variable based upon the data has been mentioned in Genuer et al. [49]. When we obtain selected variables, we compute the false positive rate (FPR), which is the proportion of true signals not detected by our algorithm, and false negative rate (FNR), which is the proportion of false signals detected by our algorithm. Both values are recorded in Table 3 to assess the quantitative performance of our algorithm.
Based on the results in Table 3, it is immediate that the algorithm is very successful in delivering accurate variable selection for both non-interaction and interaction cases.
6.2. Interaction Recovery
In order to capture the interaction network, we compute the probability of interaction between two variables by calculating the proportion of functions in which both the variables jointly appear. Since we are interested in capturing the interaction between selected variables, we plot interaction heat map for selected variables with their probability of interaction values, for each dataset for both the non-interaction and interaction cases.
Based on Figures 5-8, it is evident that the estimated interaction probabilities for the non-interacting variables are less than the corresponding number for interacting variables. With these heat map values, we plot the interaction
Table 3. The average false positive (FPR) and false negative (FNR) for replicated datasets.
Figure 5. Interaction heat map for dataset 1. (a) Non-interaction Case; (b) Interaction Case.
Figure 6. Interaction heat map for dataset 2. (a) Non-interaction Case; (b) Interaction Case.
Figure 7. Interaction heat map for dataset 3. (a) Non-interaction Case; (b) Interaction Case.
Figure 8. Interaction heat map for dataset 4. (a) Non-interaction Case; (b) Interaction Case.
network in Figure 9 & Figure 10 for selected variables.
Based on the interaction network in Figure 9 & Figure 10, we observe that edges for interaction cases are thicker than edges for non-interaction cases. In interaction cases, interacted variables are connected in the network, while every variables is connected in non-interaction cases. Therefore, our algorithm successfully captures the interaction network in all the datasets for selected variables according to the Inclusion score.
6.3. Predictive Performance
We randomly partition each dataset into training (50%) and test (50%) observations. We apply our algorithm on the training data and compare the performance on the test dataset. For the sake of brevity we plot the predicted vs. the observed test observations only for a few cases in Figure 11.
From Figure 11, the predicted observations and the true observations fall very closely along the y = x line demonstrating a good predictive performance. We compare our results with [27]. However, their additive model was not able to capture higher order interaction and thus have a poor predictive performance compared to our method.
Figure 9. Interaction network for dataset 1 and 2, respectively. (a) Non-interaction 1; (b) Interaction 1; (c) Non-interaction 2; (d) Interaction 2.
Figure 10. Interaction network for dataset 3 and 4, respectively. (a) Non-interaction 3; (b) Interaction 3; (c) Non-interaction 4; (d) Interaction 4]
Figure 11. Prediction versus Response for Simulated Data. (a) Prediction for Noninteraction 1; (b) Prediction for Non-interaction 3; (c) Prediction for Interaction 1; (d) Prediction for Interaction 3.
6.4. Comparison with BART
Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART; [50] ) is a state of the art method for variable selection in nonparametric regression problems. BART is a Bayesian "sum of tree" framework which fits and infers the data through an iterative back-fitting MCMC algorithm to generate samples from a posterior. Each tree in BART [50] is constrained by a regularization prior. Hence BART is similar to our method which also resorts to back-fitting MCMC to generate samples from a posterior.
Since BART is well-known to deliver excellent prediction results, its performance in terms of variable selection and interaction recovery in highdimensional setting is worth investigating. In this section, we compare our method with BART in all the three aspects: variable selection, interaction recovery and predictive performance. For comparison, with BART, we used the same simulation settings as in Table 1 with all combinations of (n, p), where n = 100 and p = 10, 20, 100, 150, 200.
We used 50 replicated datasets and compute average inclusion probabilities for each variable. Similar to §6.1, we ranked the Inclusion score, and chose the threshold value equal to 0.1 in order to find selected variables


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2.5 miles west of Savannah, corroborating Doesticks account of 1859. The Blandford map even shows a fence around the site, and other building structures in addition to the grandstand. The level of engineering detail suggests that this is a very accurate map, and one that our composite map can borrow from in confidence.
The composite map shows a race track, grandstand, buildings and entrance pathway copied after the 1890 Blandford map, superimposed on a recent (2007) aerial photo of the contemporary site, along with the 1907 plat. The re-imaged, angled buildings at the northwest corner of the track are located in reference to the 1872 Platen map, which was closest in time to the 1859 slave sale. This composite most likely approximates the Ten Broeck Race Course site of 1859. The composite image without the 1907 plat shows the race course site from 1859 in juxtaposition to the contemporary site, the approximate location of the former race course, and its accompanying grandstand where the slaves were sold in 1859.
Identifying the location of the grandstands at the former Ten Broeck Race Course with as much specificity as possible allowed the sale of the Butler slaves to be tied to an almost exact location. Doesticks was clear that the slave sale was conducted from the long room of the grandstand at the Ten Broeck Race Course. He wrote that the sale room was open on one side, allowing views to the race track. The composite map allows an almost exact location of the slave sale to be identified in the contemporary landscape — on the Bradley Plywood Corporation's property, a quarter-mile away from the GHS marker.
Prior to re-imaging the Ten Broeck Race Course grandstand of 1859, historic images of race track grandstands were investigated, and distinctive characteristics borrowed. The 1870 image of the grandstand at Long Branch, Monmouth County, New Jersey, shows some seating covered, and some open to the elements. This image also shows windows, suggesting rooms, mostly used for concessions, underneath the grandstands. It is likely that such rooms existed underneath the Ten Broeck grandstand that Doesticks referred to as the slave holding, and sale, rooms. It also shows the cone-roofed judges' booths astride the race track. An 1865 Winslow Homer sketch of Saratoga, NY's race course and grandstand shows a tarp-topped grandstand, and racing enthusiasts, some under, and others outside, the covered area. A postcard image, likely from the early 1900s, of a race track in Maxwellton, St. Louis, Missouri shows clearly the judges' booths, the fencing that kept spectators off the horse track, and spectators standing in the open. A 1973 image from Ak-Sr-Ben Race Track in Omaha shows a grandstand with a sloping roof. Comparing the Winslow Homer sketch of 1865 to this more contemporary image, it appears that the general structure of horse race grandstands have not changed much; they are open air structures, partially covered, and may have rooms below the stands.
Based on the reviewed images of horse tracks and grandstands, and on Doesticks's description that there were rooms in the grandstand, at least one measuring a hundred by twenty feet, an image of a grandstand was created using Lightwave, a computer software. All views show a grandstand with partially covered seating, the horse racing track, and judges booths adjacent the track. The location of the re-imaged grandstand in juxtaposition to the current landscape and buildings is telling. Behind the re-imaged grandstand is the entrance drive into the current Bradley Plywood Corporation property, suggesting that the former grandstand (the actual slave sale) site is to a visitor's immediate left upon entry into the Bradley compound from the north entrance gate. The actual site of memory, the grandstand, the lieu de memoire, should be marked. Its approximate coordinates are: Latitude: N 32° 5' 12.4332" Longitude: W 81° 7' 49.5444". The dark, shadowed area on the ground floor underneath the grandstand in the three-dimensional images of the re-imaged site suggests the room that Doesticks mentioned: "The room in which the sale actually took place immediately adjoined the room of the Negroes, and communicated with it by two large doors. The sale room was open to the air on one side, commanding a view of the entire course..."
A final trip to Savannah, in January 2010 in search of the deed of sale from Ebenezer Jencks to Charles Lamar, referred to in the deed of sale between Lamar's widow Caroline and the Agricultural and Mechanical Association of Georgia yielded the deed, replete with a sketch of the Ten Broeck race track site. The sketch map shows bearings and distances which help confirm the site's location. The south boundary of the site has a bearing: S 76 ¾ E. 40.34. This means that the direction of the line which represents this edge of the property is 76 degrees and 45 minutes (3/4 of 60mins) east from true South, at a distance of 4034 feet. Surveyors of that era used 100 foot-long chains as standard units of measurement, so a distance of 4034 feet would be recorded as 40.34 chains. The west boundary had a bearing of S 14 ½ W, at 1576 feet. The north boundary's bearing was N 76 E at 40.30 (4030 feet). The east boundary's bearing was N 14 ½ E, at 1543 feet.
Michel Foucault writes that if we listen, we will hear the abundance of history trapped or wedged in the spaces of "words without language"—spaces "peopled and empty at the same time." The search for the Ten Broeck Race Course attempts to "lend an ear" to the "dull sound[s] from beneath history," the hidden history of one landscape of slavery.69 Research led through archives and onto the landscape. The site of perhaps the largest sale of enslaved persons in North America, although erased, hidden, and silent, endures in the narratives and historical memories of some Savannah residents. The Ten Broeck slave sale site is one of many silent, erased, or hidden landscapes of slavery—tangible places to be rediscovered, re-narrated, re-imaged, and recreated for their historical importance. In listening, I have heard the murmurs of the landscape, empty and peopled at the same time, haunted by those who were sold here.70
Kwesi DeGraft-Hanson, Michael Page, and Kyle Thayer, Detail showing room under grandstands where 1859 slave sale was conducted, re-imaged Ten Broeck Race Course grandstand on 2007 aerial photo of site, Savannah, Georgia, 2010.
This work has benefited from numerous people. The author would like to acknowledge especially the following that helped in diverse ways with this essay: Dr. Allen Tullos, editor, and the editors at Southern Spaces—Sarah Toton, Katie Rawson, Franky Abbott, and Mary Battle; the anonymous readers for Southern Spaces; Dr. Michael Moon, Emory University Professor, and my fall, 2007 cohort in Dr. Moon's Foundations course; Naomi Nelson, Kathy Shoemaker, Lloyd Busch, Betsy Patterson and Michael Page, Emory Libraries; Dr. Martha Keber; Allynne Tosca Owens, City of Savannah Department of Economic Planning; Monifa Johnson; David Anderson and Derrick Hillery, Chatham County Department of Engineering; Tom Hardaway, UGA Map Library; all the staff of the Georgia Historical Society, and Kyle Thayer.
Aiken, Charles S. The Cotton Plantation South Since the Civil War. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.
Anquandah, K. J. Castles and Forts of Ghana. Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. Paris: Atalante, 1999.
Bancroft, Frederick. Slave Trading in the Old South. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1996.
Basso, Keith H. Wisdom Sits in Places: Landscape And Language Among The Western Apache. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1996.
Beardsley, John (with contributions by Roberta Kefalos and Theodore Rosengarten, principal photography by Len Jenshel). Art and Landscape in Charleston and the Low Country: A Project of Spoleto Festival USA. Washington, D.C.: Spacemaker Press, 1998.
Bell, Malcolm Jr. Major Butler's Legacy; Five Generations of a Slaveholding Family. Athens & London: The University of Georgia Press, 1987.
Berry, Daina Ramey. "'We'm Fus' Rate Bargain;' Value, Labor and Price in a Georgia Slave Community." The Chattel Principle: Internal Slave Trades in the Americas, (Ed.) Walter Johnson. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2004.
Blight, David W. Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2001.
Brundage, W. Fitzhugh. The Southern Past: A Clash of Race and Memory. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2005.
Calonius, Erik. The Wanderer: The Last American Slave Ship and the Conspiracy That Set Its Sails. New York: St. Martin


text:
is a true picture of
nature's bounty-landscapes dotted with waterfalls, swaying palms and
lush paddy fields make for picturesque locales.
almost central on the Karnataka map is the rice bowl of the State. The rivers Tungabhadra,
Sharavathi, Varada and Kumudavathi inundate the luxuriant greens of
the region.Shimoga was ruled by the great Indian dynasties of the
Kadambas, Gangas, Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, Keladi and Vijaynagar
Kings. Shimoga (
Face of Shiva),
was established by the Keladi rulers. It reached its pinnacle during
the rule of Shivappa Nayaka around 1600 A.D.
ranges,part of the Western Ghats, feed the rivers round the year,
and inundate the fertile alluvial soil, this nature's blessing makes
it the bread
basket of Karnataka. The Sharavathi Hydel Project and Varahi Project provide a
substantial portion of the state's power needs.
Shimoga is more than just a tourist destination. Its rich tradition
in education, fine arts and culture remain deeply etched in its
people and place. The enchanting natural scenery of hills, hillocks
and green dales, rivers and streams, dense forests, flora &
fauna, forts, temples and historical places, sandalwood and spices,
add to this mouth-watering cuisine and touching hospitality and you
know you've got - HEAVEN ON EARTH


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Misconception Mayhem: Separating Pregnancy and Pregnancy Risk Myths from Facts
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Ever feel like there's a mass market for wrong information about pregnancy and pregnancy risks? Do you leave a conversation with a friend or finish reading an article or website and wonder if what you've learned is the truth or one of those nasty myths? Just about any subject you'd hear about has them … and pregnancy and pregnancy risks are no different. Now Scarleteen's taking the time to debunk some of the most common misconceptions.
We believe that all sex should be something anyone chooses for themselves, based on sound, realistic information. In order to do this, it is vitally important to be able to distinguish between the facts and the myths about what is safe. All of us, at one point or another, has firmly believed that something is true or real, only to find out later that it just isn't anywhere close to the truth. Here we present some of the most common myths about pregnancy risks, and the truths lying behind them.
MYTH: A girl can't get pregnant if you have unprotected anal sex because it's the "wrong hole"
FACT: While it's true that pregnancy cannot occur from the act of anal sex by itself, and that the risk of pregnancy from anal sex is considerably less than the risk from vaginal intercourse, the anus and the vaginal opening are right next to each other and it's easy enough for ejaculate (even when ejaculation occurs inside during anal sex) to run down and into contact with the vulva.
This presents a pregnancy risk. It's also worth noting that anal sex can pose STI transmission risks higher than those with many other sexual activities. Condoms and lubricant should ideally be used for all anal sex play to reduce the risk of pregnancy and STI transmission.
Check the research:
MYTH: Drinking a lot of Mountain Dew will decrease your sperm count and prevent pregnancy because of the color agent yellow dye 5m and caffeine.
FACT: Years ago the FDA tested and determined that yellow dye 5m is not a health threat of any kind to people unless they are allergic to it.
Caffeine studies have actually shown reputable evidence of increasing the mobility and effectiveness of sperm (much to the opposite of this classic myth. Actually, when the myth first started to circulate, neither the workers of the FDA nor Pepsi Co. the manufacturer of Mountain Dew knew where this myth had originated or why.
We know here at Scarleteen that there are pletny of rumours out there. The only things we know for sure about Mountain Dew is that it looks like radiator fluid and is good for using in wasp traps!
Please stick to reliable forms of birth control!
Check the research: With All Dew Respect
MYTH: If a girl has sex when she's menstruating she cannot become pregnant.
FACT: The pattern of ovulation and menstruation is individual, and for some women ovulation can occur soon after menstruation. The bodies of people who have vulvas are built in a way that allows pregnancy to occur, and thus sperm can live for days in the female reproductive tract. So, it's certainly possible for a woman to become pregnant if she has sex during her period.
Check the research: Kids Health: Can a Girl Get Pregnant if She Has Her Period?, Kotex: FAQs Menstruation,Scarleteen: What do you want to know about periods and sex?.
MYTH: If you ejaculate three times in a row then you've gotten rid of all of your sperm and can't get someone pregnant.
FACT: People who have penises and testicles produce millions of sperm each and every day. Just as any sperm that isn't used is reabsorbed into the body, men aren't likely to "run out" of sperm after ejaculating three times – nor does it take away enough sperm to take away the viable pregnancy risk. On average about 50 sperm will be able to reach the egg from one ejaculation, and it only takes one sperm to actually fertilize an egg, though that sperm needs the help of those other sperm to do that. When sperm is released with semen, the man's body continues to do its job in replenishing the supply.
Check the research:
Scarleteen: Can men have too many orgasms? Can you run out of semen?
MYTH: If you have sex, you'll start to notice the first pregnancy symptoms a day or two after.
FACT: If someone becomes pregnant, implantation of a fertilized egg usually occurs around a week after intercourse. When this happens, the pregnancy hormone HCG begins to be secreted to protect the fertilized egg from the mother's immune cells. This hormone change is usually what causes any noticeable early symptoms, if it does at all.
These same symptoms are often things that occur for women before menstruation or the beginning of an illness, so it's not uncommon for a woman to think she's pregnant based on a symptom and find out that she's not. For most women, the first sign of pregnancy is just a missed period.
Check the research:
MYTH: It's impossible to get pregnant before ever having your first period.
FACT: Ovulation and menstruation are not one in the same, but two parts of one cycle. Young women generally don't find out that they've ovulated for the first time until their first period arrives. Because there is time between ovulation and menstruation, a girl who hasn't gotten her first period yet could still be taking a huge risk with unprotected sex and not even know it. Additionally, because most women first suspect a pregnancy because of a missed period, a girl not expecting to get one could not know about a pregnancy until months after conception.
Check the research:
MYTH: Manual sex presents a high pregnancy risk if your hand may have touched pre-ejaculate or after wiping or washing your hands.
FACT: If after touching pre-ejaculate or ejaculate your hands were washed before touching your own vulva or someone else's, then there's no risk of pregnancy. If you wiped your hands off after touching ejaculate or pre-ejaculate then there was no risk or an exceptionally low risk of pregnancy. To have a viable pregnancy risk with manual sex, your hand would have to be literally dripping with semen.
Check the research:
MYTH: Swallowing after oral sex then kissing before switching partners presents a pregnancy risk as the sperm can be passed from mouth to mouth to genitals.
FACT: Because there's no direct connection between your mouth and your genitals, women swallowing semen aren't at a risk for pregnancy – though they are at risk of contracting an STI. Sperm tend to be pretty delicate as well, so they would not survive a trip from one person's mouth to another and still be able to present a pregnancy risk by then being passed to the genitals through oral sex.
Check the research:
MYTH: Douching after sex is a good idea because you can wash away sperm and bacteria.
FACT: This method of "freshening" the vagina and preventing pregnancy is one method that has been proven a bad idea again and again. The vagina has its own way of cleaning out bacteria – vaginal secretions. There is a natural acidic ph balance maintained in the vagina, and the good bacteria help to ward off infections. Douching as a method of preventing pregnancy is more to the effect of closing the barn door after the horses have already run away – another words a little too late.
Check the research:
MYTH: When having penis-in-vagina intercourse, if the guy doesn't ejaculate at all then the girl can't get pregnant.
FACT: Usually not, but it still can happen. Withdrawal ("pulling out" or a person with a penis not ejaculating at all), used perfectly, which means a guy doesn't ejaculate at all, or does, but only outside and away from a woman's vagina or genitals, presents around a 4% risk of pregnancy per year of use. To give you a comparison, a method like the birth control patch presents a.3% risk of pregnancy per year of use. Sometimes sperm may be present in pre-ejaculate, which is likely why 4% of perfect withdrawal users become pregnant. The likeliness of sperm being present in pre-ejaculate is higher if the man has ejaculated recently or has not urinated before intercourse.
Check the research:
MYTH: Withdrawal is a safe and reliable method to use, especially when you're very young.
FACT: Withdrawal certainly can be a reliable method of birth control for some people. But it is generally less effective for young adults than it is for older adults, primarily because it can be harder for young people to use it perfectly.
Perfect use of withdrawal requires the person with the penis to have very good ejaculatory control and a very keen, learned awareness of what it feels like when he is near ejaculation: this is relatively uncommon in younger men. Younger men tend to ejaculate faster (making pulling out in time more difficult), partnered sex is newer making it more difficult to anticipate when orgasm will happen (or has started happening), and of course younger people can tend to be more fertile than older people. This method also requires trust and respect between partners; the partner with the vulva needs to trust that the partner with the penis is committed to using the withdrawal method as accurately as possible and isn't going to sabotage the birth control method they've decided on together.
Check the research: Children Hospital (Boston): Withdrawal,Scarleteen: Birth Control Bingo: Withdrawal.
Take a Look At the Scarleteen Misconception Series:
written 08 Jun 2014. updated 08 Jun 2014


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Main-group Chemistry on a Metal Framework: Preparation and Characterization of B₂H₆Fe₂(CO)₆ and Its Conjugate Base [B₂H₅Fe₂(CO)₆]⁻
The preparation and spectroscopic characterization of B2H6Fe2(CO)6 and the anion [B2H5Fe2(CO)6]- are described. The proposed structures of both compounds contain diboron-bridged diiron hexacarbonyl cores. The static structure of the former has two terminal, one B-B bridging, and three Fe-B bridging hydrogens while the latter has two terminal, one B-B bridging, and two Fe-B bridging hydrogens. Both compounds exhibit fluxional processes involving terminal and bridging hydrogens via mechanisms involving correlated hydrogen movements of a type that depends on the number of bridging hydrogens. The neutral and anionic compounds react with Fe2(CO)9 to produce HFe4(CO)12BH2 and [HFe4(CO)12BH]- plus [Fe3(CO)10BH2]-, respectively. These reactions are viewed as cluster expansion by the addition of Fe(CO)3 fragments and formal replacement of a BH fragment by a Fe(CO)3 fragment. Fenske-Hall calculations are used to explore some of the consequences of different hydrogen atom arrangements on a two-boron-two-iron framework. © 1987 American Chemical Society.
G. B. Jacobsen et al., "Main-group Chemistry on a Metal Framework: Preparation and Characterization of B₂H₆Fe₂(CO)₆ and Its Conjugate Base [B₂H₅Fe₂(CO)₆]⁻," Inorganic Chemistry, American Chemical Society (ACS), Jan 1987.
The definitive version is available at _URL_
Article - Journal
© 1987 American Chemical Society (ACS), All rights reserved.


text:
there's no big up front worldbuilding in Hunter.
Instead, the flavor of what it's like to play Hunter, and what the world of Hunter is like, is presented in two antagonist chapters. Of course, the primary antagonists in Hunter are their supernatural quarry. Their secondary antagonists are 'orgs' – larger-scale, organized groups of hunters. These might be law enforcement, corporations, religious groups, or less defined groups. Cell Hunters view these groups as compromised, always looking out for some agenda other than the Hunt itself (never mind plenty of Hunters, including an entire creed, are 'compromised' in exactly the same way).
The primary antagonists – the supernatural threats – is probably the best part of the book. These aren't entries like 'vampire' or 'werewolf' or 'ghost.' Instead each is a specific, named antagonist, complete with backstory, stats, objectives, and advice on using the antagonists. Basically, each one is its own story, ready to be plucked and dropped into a chronicle. This is really valuable to the storyteller because Hunter is so driven by these monsters-of-the-month (or however long it takes your group to deal with one of them). The most important part of each of these write-ups might be the suggestions on how a threat might be used in a chronicle. There are 2-4 each each in the categories of vampires, werewolves, sorcerers (and their creations), ghosts, and fair folk (and stranger things). These categories are used loosely. For example, not everything in the vampire section is a traditional vampire, much less the sort of vampire you could create in Vampire: The Masquerade. The monsters use generic-sounding powers so they can be attached to a variety of threats. A vampire written up this way might, for example, have Command and Charm and Resilience, vaguely mimicking Dominate and Presence and the way that vampires can shrug off gunshot wounds – but then those same powers can represent other threats who use other means of mental influence and who are also tough to kill. One downside of these is that several of them are location-specific, and thus requiring some level of modification for most games (unless you set your game in the Philippines, in which case you are good to go) – and I expect a lot of Hunter games to just start with these threats. For the same reason, I also wish there were just more threats presented, and a few that were more generic. Sure, it's interesting to have the "vampire" who likes fire or vampires and werewolves who might be allies against other supernaturals, but it would be helpful to have a bit more information on run-of-the-mill antagonists.
The secondary antagonists – organizations – are the closest thing to a setting guide in Hunter, because they speak to something about the world as a whole. Most, but not all, of them will be familiar from Second Inquisition and older Vampire books. Orgs are broken up into categories, depending on what their motivations are – academic (Arcanum), government (the FBI, U.S. military, BOES), corporate (Monster-X, Orpheus, Re:Venge), and religious (Society of St. Leopold, Nails of Christ, Order of the Rose). Thankfully there are several ideas given for how to use each org in the game, because I think it's going to be a lot less intuitive how to work the orgs into a game than it is how to add another supernatural threat. There's a very "holier than thou" vibe from the Hunters towards the org. Sometimes that's justified. Sometimes it isn't. But main difference is that orgs are bigger, better organized, and better resourced.
Chronicle Tenets and Touchstones
In discussing the above, there are some elements of character creation that I just skipped over – Chronicle Tenets and Touchstones. Players of V5 will recognize the concepts, because they play an important role in that game as part of the Humanity system. They appear in Hunter as well, but they don't do anything. At least, they don't do anything mechanical. Touchstones are just people who are important to the characters. And it's not that having background for player characters can't be important, but they're presented in a more formalized way that's at odds with their mechanical irrelevance. This is even more so with Chronicle Tenets, which features text lifted from V5 about how tenets are important because it carries a cost when characters violate them … except those violations don't carry any cost in Hunter.
Chronicle Tenets and Touchstones also appear in the "Advice for Considerate Play" appendix under the concept of "consequence systems." When, again, these concepts have no consequences at all. Indeed, it seems problematic to present Chronicle Tenets as a "safety tool" or a way to define what is our isn't acceptable conduct for characters. Lines drawn as a safety tool aren't supposed to be crossed at all. Chronicle Tenets, on the other hand, are typically made to be broken – in Vampire it is expected that the characters will cross these lines. There doesn't appear to be any good reason for Chronicle Tenets or Touchstones to appear in Hunter, except that they were also in Vampire. The other carryover text from Vampire is mostly updated as needed (although there are some amusing things like a copy/paste holdover in the Adversaries background that refers to "1-dot elders" as a possible type of Hunter who might be antagonistic to the character). But the inclusion of Chronicle Tenets and Touchstones isn't that sort of proof-reading goof, and I find their inclusion in Hunter frustrating. They've got a very square-peg-in-a-round-hole feel to them.
Hunter uses the same basic mechanics as Vampire, and is set in the same world, but is otherwise a very different game. The characters in Hunter are human and (mostly) don't have powers, so there are no extended discussions of how the player characters work or what supernatural tricks they can get up to. There's no morality system or hunger dice. Hunters operate in isolated cells; there's no elaborate system of international organizations that the characters are members of. The book doesn't spend dozens of pages up front laying out to the world for the reader. The book is also physically stripped down, coming it at under 300 pages (V5 was over 400).
Hunter is just more straightforward than the traditional World of Darkness fare, focusing on discrete missions without elaborate power sets and extensive social networking. It probably leans towards shorter Chronicles; maybe a single story, maybe the ST picking their favorite threats from the book and running the characters through those. Ongoing social elements outside the Hunter cell can be worked in by the ST, but they're less integral to the style and setting in Hunter. Most of the interaction will probably be between the player characters while they're on the hunt, or with NPCs who are being used as resources in pursuit of that goal. There's still the same advice about making a relationship map, but without the same sort of social backdrop there are fewer PC-NPC-PC triangles around and it's more of a hub-and-spokes diagram.
Whether this is good or bad is up to your taste. Players who are looking for something like Vampire or the new edition of Werewolf (announced before Hunter, but still in development) – with all of its tribes and transformation forms and extensive mythology about what werewolves are and what they fight for – may be disappointed (I imagine that the very absence of such things is what enabled Hunter to be released so much more quickly than Werewolf). But, as much as I like Vampire and Mage and Changeling and such … we already have those games (although mostly not yet in a 5E version). So I think that it's a good design decision to take Hunter in a very different direction.
Promotional consideration was provided in the form of a review copy. Strange Assembly may earn commissions from affiliate links in this article.


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Spidernaut: Overcoming New Challenges
The upcoming generation of space science platforms and vehicles are too large and too fragile to launch and deploy as self-contained payloads. Constructing and maintaining these structures on orbit presents unique challenges which may be overcome by Extra-Vehicular Robotics (EVR) using gentler methods of locomotion and manipulation. New EVR robot archetypes are needed to fill this role.
An arachnid climber is a prime candidate for such operations. The multipoint stance of an arachnid's eight legs, with as many as 7 down during a step, allows simply-supported footholds that spread climbing loads more evenly across a space structure and impart no torques.
Such a system could carry large payloads, transporting structural materials across an extensive solar array or mirrors across a telescope without significant structural loading. This archetype could also exploit hybrid forms of locomotion such as routing and deploying a "web" of space tethers to cross structural spans where even light forces are unacceptable. A spider-like robot prototype, Spidernaut, under development at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), forms the basis for a series of new arachnid class EVR robots.


text:
Mark Nozzle Orientation on Dish Fabrication:
I would like to explain in this post how to mark the nozzle on the dishes or heads through the use of fabrication methods and terms. By using AutoCAD software how to mark the nozzles on the exact position with proper angles and radius as follows.
Nozzle Orientation process in AutoCAD:
- First, observe the dish or head outer diameter with measurement tape or with any other types of equipment as your wish.
- After that plan, the elevation and how many nozzles are required for the dish. I already mention the all the details in the below AutoCAD drawing tutorial you can check the video.
- Then after mark the centre point on the top of dish with a marker by measuring the four parts. That means to divide the 360 degrees into four parts then you get each part 90 degrees.
- Draw one of the horizontal and vertical lines to form a centre point of the top dish.
- consider how many nozzles are required for example in this I am taking 8 nozzles. divide this by 360 degrees then you get each nozzle angle.
- 360 degrees/8 nozzles are equal to 45 degrees.
- Then you get each degree angle of all eight nozzles are 45 degrees
- This is easy to draw in AutoCAD with exact angles coming to fabrication terms it is somewhat difficult the process as follows:
- Mark the dish centre by using a dot-punch
- Check the OCF of the dish
- Example: 5232 mm OCF of the dish
= 5232 mm/360 degrees
= 14.81 degrees (each degree)
4. Example: The radius of the nozzle orientation is 645 mm
5. Mark the radius on the top of the dish with a large divider with the exact measurement and you can also adjust the measurements.
6. At the end of the dish measure the OCF of the dish after that list out all the angles where you want to place the angles for example:
0 to 60 degrees x 14.81 degrees = 888.6 mm
60 to 90 degrees x 14.81 degrees = 444.3 mm
90 to 120 degrees x 14.81 degrees = 444.3 mm
Like this, you can measure the all the angles with this process.
7. After getting the all the angles mark the distance at the bottom end of the circular dish with measuring tape and marker or dot punch.
8. after intersecting the all the dots with the centre point of the top dish then you can observe the angles on the Radius of the orientation and place the nozzles.
- Check the actual Radius (R)
- Check the pipe sizes equal or not
- Measure the lengths and angles properly with measurement tape
- Maintain the pipe cutting gap should be 10 mm
- After cut the orientation by the plasma torch.
- Fabricate the all the nozzles as per standards sch40, sch80 and ASA 150# SORF flanges Table-E PCD or normal as per client requirements.
Watch Full video:


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UNESCO Sites on the Atlantic Coast
You'll find the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Atlantic Coast Region as dramatic as the tempestuous ocean that sweeps the shores of Iceland, the British Isles, France, Portugal, and Spain.
New: Discover the UNESCO sites of the Atlantic Coast with our interactive map!
The Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley in France are world-famous and listed with UNESCO for good reason: discovered only in 1940 – by some young boys looking for their dog! - this cave complex had been untouched for thousands of years, and thus revealed to our modern eyes the full color, detail and beauty of our prehistoric art. These paintings, some of the oldest paintings we know of, date back to 15,000 B.C.. Deer, horses, and bison just about just about leap off the walls, giving the distinct impression that beauty and art were not at all lost on these ancient people. The Lascaux cave has been replicated in order to protect the original one from damage caused by even the most cautious visits, but there are other Paleolithic sites and caves in the valley to visit as well.
If you're mesmerized by the mystery of ancient northern cultures, you must visit the Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne when you travel to Ireland. Located on a bend of the Boyne River, not far from Dublin, this is the largest and most important collection of Stone Age megalithic art that you can find in Europe. The ruins predate the pyramids and yet demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of astronomy. The site has constructions used for social, religious, and burial purposes, many with the beautiful swirls, whorls, and geometric designs typical of megalithic art. Of the three largest passage tombs, the one at Newgrange is especially noted for its orientation, which on the summer and winter solstices allows the chamber to fill with sunlight.
Variety is the spice of life
The Cultural Landscape of Sintra on the Atlantic coast of Portugal is a fairytale of European Romantic architecture. This town is of World Heritage value because it was one of the first and most influential expressions of European Romantic architecture, inspiring many other cities to emulate the style. Here is an eclectic combination of much that came before: Egyptian, Moorish, Renaissance and Gothic styles, ensconced in lush and more naturalistic landscaping than had been popular before. The entire city is cited, including an Iron Age burial site and the fantastic medieval National Palace, an especially intriguing royal residence.
Built to last
The Tower of Hercules; the name alone makes you want to visit. When you consider that it was the Romans who built this lighthouse on the northwest coast of Spain in the first century AD and that it is the oldest functioning lighthouse anywhere, you can understand why it's a World Heritage site. A cornerstone still shows Latin inscriptions that name the able architect who built the tower. It features in the coat of arms of Coruna, the city established nearby according to local legend: When Hercules subdued the awful giant Geryon and buried his head, he decreed that a city should be built on the site. It may not be entirely true, but it's a great story!
Inventive and determined
In northeastern Wales is Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, cited by UNESCO because it is, in their own words, " a work of creative genius". Synthesizing techniques that were very new in the early 19th century, Thomas Telfod designed a lockless canal and aqueduct that cover a distance 18 km. The construction defied the difficulties of the landscape and combined cast and wrought iron in such a way as to produce long, elegant arches that are very easy on the eye. The aqueduct could easily accommodate both a narrow boat and, on a protected walkway, pedestrian traffic. Enjoy viewing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct from above and below, so you can enjoy the fantastic views from its 126 foot height above the River Dee.
Birthplace of a nation
Thingvellir National Park in Iceland is essential to Icelandic history: this is where Iceland became a nation. In the 10th century settlers needed to establish a general assembly so that no single family had too much power. The land was taken away from a convicted murderer and has served the public ever since, as a governmental and social hub. The Althing, or parliament, stayed in this location until the 18th century, when it moved to Reykjavik. You can see turf and stone remains of the Althing, examples of 18-19th century farming techniques, and enjoy the unparalleled natural beauty of this national park.


Orihimechan no Hoppeta (Hand-made Bakery aLzo)
Orihimechan no Hoppeta means Orihimechan's cheek. Orihimechan is the Katano's industrial promotion character. The concept of the character comes from the Tale of Tanabata. In the story, Orihime is a female deity of weaving.
She fell in love with a deity of cowherd – Hikoboshi. As a result, people's lives were gradually decayed due to the fact that they didn't take their responsibilities as deity. Orihime's father who was very upset about the situation decided their separation. Although people's lives returned to normal, Orihime really missed Hikoboshi every night. In the end, her father allowed Orihime to meet up with Hikoboshi at Amanogawa River (the Milky Way) once a year.
Katano is deeply relating to the Tale of Tanabata. For example, in Katano, there are a lot of Tanabata's spots such as Hatamono Shrine, Hoshida Myokengu Shrine, Amanogawa River, and Aiai Bridge. The reason is that the landscape of Katano is quite similar to that of the tale of Tanabata. Hence, in the Heian period, the Heian nobles who used Katano as a vacation place put Tanabata-related names to each place.
The Hand-made Bakery aLzo started to make very soft bread using Katano's local produce. aLzo is one of Katano's unique bakeries which make original breads.


Valdeorras (DO)
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Valdeorras DO in the province of Ourense, region of Galicia, (Spain)
Valdeorras is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominación de Orixe in Galician) for wines located on the banks of the river Sil in the south of the province of Ourense, (Galicia, Spain).
Valdeorras, whose name means "Valley of Gold", may have been the first grape growing and wine producing region in Galicia. After the ancient Romans had finished mining the area for gold, they planted vines and the wines produced were mentioned in several inscriptions in Latin.
During the Middle Ages the vineyards were taken over and managed by the religious orders. After a centuries long period of decline, the 19th century saw the area take off again. In the 20th century, in the 1970s experiments were conducted to reintroduce the native Godello grape variety.
The area acquired its official DO status in 1945.
The vineyards of the Valdeorras DO are on the banks of the river Sil, which flows westwards from Castile and León to the province of Ourense. In general the landscape is flat or gently rolling.
As most of the vineyards are on the river Sil valley floor, the soils are alluvial and quite fertile, with good moisture retaining properties.
The vines are planted at a height of between 240 m and 320 m above sea level.
The climate in Valdeorras is a combination of Atlantic, continental and a specific micro-climate in the Sil valley. These factors ensure that the vines receive enough sunlight and heat during the short summer. Rainfall is high, between 850 mm and 1,000 mm per year. Temperatures can drop to below zero during the winter.
In addition to this, there are also risks of late frosts and hailstones in spring, excessive heat in summer, and violent storms caused by the mixture of the sea breezes and the dry air of the Castilian plain.
The Recommended white grapes are Godello and Dona Branca; also authorized is Palomino Fino.
The Recommended red grapes are Mencia, Merenzao, Sousón, Brancellao; also authorized are Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Gran Negro, Tempranillo and Negreda. [1]
See also[edit]
External links[edit]


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Gender indicators for follow-up and evaluation of the regional programme of action for the women of Latin America and the Caribbean, _PHONE_, and the Beijing platform for action
Thelma Gálvez Pérez
The proposals for indicators were developed by Thelma Gálvez Pérez, a consultant with the Women and Development Unit of ECLAC. Review and cross-matching by subject of the Regional Programme of Action for the Women of Latin America and the Caribbean, _PHONE_, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas, and the selection of objectives and declared aims, were carried out by the Women and Development Unit of ECLAC. Abstract In response to the need, expressed by the member countries of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, for accurate instruments to identify progress and reverses in the situation of women in the countries of the region, ECLAC has been carrying out work, of which the present study forms a part, to produce a system of indicators that can be used to follow up and evaluate regional and international agreements concerned with improving the situation of women and promoting gender equity. It is also intended that the indicators should facilitate and orient the work of collecting quantitative data on both women and men and then analysing these data as they relate to the gender aspects of development. To this end, the present document provides a set of indicators devised on the basis of the measures recommended to Governments in the Beijing Platform for Action, the Regional Programme of Action for the Women of Latin America and the Caribbean, _PHONE_, and the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas. Given the scope of these recommendations, we have selected those aspects that are the easiest to measure with the statistics available in most of the countries, while remaining mindful of the variety of issues covered by the documents. When the indicators proposed here were designed, the objective was that they should provide accurate measurements of changes occurring over time and enable comparisons to be drawn between countries. Wherever relevant, they are formulated for both sexes, and in some cases the emphasis is on the gap between the two, rather than on the actual level of one or the other. Some of the indicators measure developments in the situation that gave rise to the corresponding recommendations, while others show how much progress has been achieved by implementing the suggested actions. Finally, this work forms part of regional preparations for the eighth Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean and the special session of the General Assembly of the United Nations entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century", both of which are to be held in the first half of the year 2000.


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Fort Chambly is located at the edge of the Richelieu River, at the foot of the Chambly rapids. Built in 1711, this imposing stone fortification protected New France from a potential British invasion.
During the War of 1812, the British Army built an important military complex on the site. The fort has resisted the upheavals of history and remains a valued reminder of the French presence in North America.
Restored by Parks Canada, Fort Chambly now houses exhibitions showcasing key moments in the history of New France.
A Fort at the Foot of the Rapids
Watch the video in the Multimedia Gallery


Employing a right mix of two or more of the aforementioned types of training can promote well-rounded physical fitness. For example, a combination of agility training and eccentric training is useful in sports that require strength, endurance, and coordination such as basketball and football. A combination of strength training and continuous training benefits individuals who want to maintain a certain type of physique.


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Learning stochastic models generating sequences has many applications in natural language processing, speech recognitions or bioinformatics. Multiplicity Automata (MA) are graphical latent variable models that encompass a wide variety of linear systems. In particular, they can model stochastic languages, stochastic processes and controlled processes. Traditional learning algorithms such as the one of Baum-Welch are iterative, slow and may converge to local optima. A recent alternative is to use the Method of Moments (MoM) to design consistent and fast algorithms with pseudo-PAC guarantees. However, MoM-based algorithms have two main disadvantages. First, the PAC guarantees hold only if the size of the learned model corresponds to the size of the target model. Second, although these algorithms learn a function close to the target distribution, most do not ensure it will be a distribution. Thus, a model learned from a finite number of examples may return negative values or values that do not sum to one. This thesis addresses both problems. First, we extend the theoretical guarantees for compressed models, and propose a regularized spectral algorithm that adjusts the size of the model to the data. Then, an application in electronic warfare is proposed to sequence of the dwells of a superheterodyne receiver. Finally, we design new learning algorithms based on the MoM that do not suffer the problem of negative probabilities. We show for one of them pseudo-PAC guarantees.
Directeur de Thèse : Olivier PIETQUIN Rapporteurs : Joëlle PINEAU, François DENIS Examinateurs : Cyrille ENDERLI, Odalric-Ambrym MAILLARD, Marc TOMMASI


text: Hello, I'm here looking for some peer guidance on what electives are more appropriate for a sound (and full-range) background in a physics undergraduate program. My hopes are to attend Graduate school in about two academic years. As of now I'm a junior and just getting into the upper level electro, quantum, thermo, etc, courses. My technical/physics electives as of now include: Solid State Physics, Atomic Physics, Electronics 1 (+ lab), Nuclear/Particle Physics, Complex Analysis, PDE, and a research sequence which includes 3 units of 3 credit hours each (spanning 3 semesters). At this rate in my academic career, these are all the electives I can include but was thinking about switching some; basically this is where I need some advice. The other courses I was thinking about would be Classical Mechanics II (Lagrangian & Hamiltonian Mechanics) and Stellar Astrophysics. I know graduate school should be a research-topic based choice for me but well I don't want to be generally unprepared by not having learned something like basic astrophysical principles or lagrangian mechanics and the like. I've always been interested in astrophysics but can't seem to choose this Stellar Astrophysics junior class over the Atomic Physics senior class or the other ones aforementioned. At this point I can still switch my elective pics but would like to have an idea on what to take. Help? Thanks! Quick Course Descriptions for extra information: Stellar Astrophysics Develops a working knowledge of stellar and extra-stellar galactic astronomy. Includes stellar structure, nucleosynthesis, stellar evolution, and degenerate objects Atomic Physics Course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of atomic physics, the structure of atoms, and their interaction with static and radiation fields. Nuclei,Particles&Fields An introduction to nuclear and subnuclear systems. Topics include nuclear models, radioactive decay, nuclear reactions, quarks, accelerators, reactors, and stellar nucleosynthesis. Classical Mechanics II A continuation of PHYS 3201. Topics include Lagrangians and Hamiltonian techniques, and many body mechanics.


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In future military operations, aircraft and submarines may be able to stay in contact by firing up the laser comm. Researchers have devised a new way to communicate with submarines by using high-energy laser beams to create bubbles of steam in the water, which then pop in little explosions that generate a 220-decibel pulse of sound. By controlling the frequency of explosions, researchers could make a kind of underwater Morse code.
According to a press release from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, one of the peculiar effects of high-intensity laser beams is that they can actually focus themselves when passing through some materials, like water. As the laser focuses, it rips electrons off water molecules, which then become superheated and create a powerful "pop". Because different colours of light travel at markedly different speeds underwater, the precise location where different colours focus together could be manipulated by the suitable design of a many-coloured input pulse [BBC News].
Researchers also noted that the laser beam could travel "many hundreds of meters through air" before generating its acoustic effects in the water. This would allow a aircraft high above the sea to fire a laser downwards, generating sound pulses which could be received by underwater telephone gear aboard a submerged submarine [The Register]. This could be of great use to the navy, since submarines currently have to surface for most forms of communication, leaving them more vulnerable to detection and attack.
80beats: Laser Transistors Could Usher in Super-Fast "Photonic" Computers
80beats: "Laser Avenger" Shoots Down Unmanned Plane in a Test of Future Weaponry
80beats: Military Tests New Missile Defense System: Lasers Mounted on Jumbo Jets
Image: Naval Research Laboratory


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Project OspreyTrack: Technology
OVERVIEW * TECHNOLOGY * BIOGRAPHIES * MAPS * OSPREYCAM * OSPREY LINKS
Satellite Tracking Technology
The new wave of miniature GPS-enabled satellite transmitter technology is revolutionizing how we study the migrations of birds and other animals. The first transmitters that were used in studies of animal migration were so large that they could only be put on things like bears and caribou. Within the past two decades, the transmitters have been miniaturized to the point where we can use them on birds of prey. Because we now get data with accuracy measured in meters, rather than kilometers, we can now answer ecological questions -- where are the birds hunting, how big are their home ranges? -- that we could only wonder about before.
With a GPS-enabled satellite transmitter, we can access hourly locations, altitude, speed, and direction of each Osprey. Every three days the data are downloaded via satellite. The transmitters we use on Ospreys weigh 30 grams/ 1 ounce and are attached like a backpack on the bird. They are solar powered and should last up to three years.


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DALLAS (AP) — Nearly two-thirds of the state's 254 counties have been declared federal primary natural disaster areas from drought and heat in a step toward providing help.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday included 157 Texas counties in the 2013 designation. Qualified farm operators are eligible for low-interest emergency loans.
National Climate Data Center numbers released Tuesday indicated 2011 and 2012 were the state's warmest two-year span in more than 100 years. Texas had its driest year ever in 2011.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack overall designated 597 counties in 14 states as primary natural disaster areas due to lingering drought and hot weather.


Sister Cities of the World
Sister cities of La Bazoge, Sarthe
La Bazoge is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France. It is twinned with the village of Bardney in Lincolnshire.
Content on this page is licensed under CC-BY-SA from the authors of the following Wikipedia pages: List of twin towns and sister cities in France, La Bazoge, Sarthe. Note that the data on Wikipedia is highly unreliable. In many cases, sister cities are missing or wrongly listed. Some cities also have different levels of partnership. If you find an error, please make a correction on the relevant Wikipedia pages and cite your sources.


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Products from Amazon.com
Price: $78.31Was: $119.00
Botanical Name : Pilocarpus jaborandi
Synonym: Pilocarpus cearensis, P. officinalis
Common Name :Jaborandi, indian hemp, jaborandi-do-norte, catai-guacu, ibiratai, pimenta-de-cachorro, arruda do mato, arruda brava, jamguarandi, juarandi
Habitat: Pilocarpus jaborandi is native to the neotropics of South America. Various species are important pharmacologically. Many of the species have the common name Jaborandi.(There are about 13 species of plants belonging to the family Rutaceae)
Selected species are:
*Pilocarpus jaborandi (Pernambuco Jaborandi)
*Pilocarpus microphyllus (Maranham Jaborandi)
*Pilocarpus racemosus (Guadeloupe Jaborandi)
*Pilocarpus pennatifolius (Paraguay Jaborandi)
*Pilocarpus spicatus (Aracati Jaborandi)
Jaborandi refers to a three to seven meter high shrubby tree with smooth grey bark, large leathery leaves and thick, small, reddish-purple flowers. The leaves contain an essential oil which gives off an aromatic balsam smell when they are crushed. Jaborandi is native to South and Central America and to the West Indies. Several Pilocarpus species are called jaborandi and used interchangeably in commerce and herbal medicine, including the main Brazilian species of commerce: P. jaborandi, and P. microphyllus, and the Paraguay species P. pennatifolius. All three tree species are very similar in appearance, chemical constituents and traditional herbal medicine uses. The word jaborandi comes from the Tupi Indians and it means "what causes slobbering" describing its ancient use in their rainforest herbal pharmacopeia.
Constituents: Pilocarpine, jaborine, volatile oil, tannic acid, volatile acid, potassium chloride.
Jaborandi is a perfect example of a plant which made the transition from Amazonian indigenous tribal use, to folklore use, and then into modern medicine based upon natural chemicals found in the plant. In 1875, two researchers independently discovered an alkaloid in jaborandi leaves which was named pilocarpine. Tests revealed that pilocarpine was responsible for much of the biological activity of the plant-especially it's ability to induce sweating and salivation, as well as to lower intraocular pressure in the eyes (making it an effective treatment in certain types of glaucoma). In 1876, the isolated pilocarpine alkaloid was introduced into conventional ophthalmology for the treatment of glaucoma. The mixture of pilocarpine and another natural product, physostigmine, remains to this day one of the mainstay drugs in ophthalmology. Interestingly, scientists have never been able to fully synthesize the pilocarpine alkaloid in the laboratory; the majority of all pilocarpine drugs sold today are derived from the natural alkaloid extracted from jaborandi leaves produced in Brazil.
Pilocarpine eye drops are still sold as a prescription drug worldwide for the treatment of glaucoma and as an agent to cause constriction of the pupil of the eye (useful in some eye surgeries and procedures). In the treatment of glaucoma, pilocarpine causes the iris of the eye to contract, which leads to the opening of the space between the iris and the cornea and, in effect, relieves narrow-angle glaucoma. It is even being used as a tool for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in early stages; the eye constriction response to pilocarpine was found to be greater in Alzheimer's patients than in controls. Tablets of pilocarpine are also manufactured and prescribed to cancer patients to treat dryness of the mouth and throat caused by radiation therapy as well as to patients with Sjogren's syndrome (an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the moisture-producing glands causing dry mouth and eyes). So as history shows; the Indian's "slobber-mouth" plant made it out of the jungles of the Amazon and into mainstream medicine and pharmaceutical use (for the identical uses the Indians employed it for). As usual, however, the Indians never realized any profits from the resulting manufacture and sales of several drugs over the last 50 years that made use of their plant knowledge.
In addition to pilocarpine, jaborandi leaves contain terpenes, tannic acids and other alkaloids. The natural leaf contains an average of 0.5% pilocarpine, plus similar amounts of other alkaloids such as isopilocarpine, jaborine, jaboridine and pilocarpidine. The alkaloids in jaborandi (including pilocarpine) are a rather rare and unique type of alkaloid that are derived from histidine (an amino acid) and classified as imidazole alkaloids. The main chemicals found in jaborandi include: 2-undecanone, alpha-pinene, isopilocarpidine, isopilocarpine, isopilosine, jaborine, jaborandine, jaboric, limonene, myrcene, pilocarbic acid, pilocarpidine, pilocarpine, pilosine, sandaracopimaradiene, and vinyl-dodecanoate.
There are well over a thousand clinical studies published on pilocarpine. As with most plant-based drugs, however, the use of the whole natural plant fell out of use as a natural remedy (and failed to attract further research efforts) in favor of the single isolated active ingredient that was turned into a prescription drug. The PDR for Herbal Medicines indicates that the effects of jaborandi leaves are as follows: increases the secretion of saliva, sweat, gastric juices and tears, and stimulates the smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract, bronchi, bile duct and bladder. Herbalists and natural health practitioners attribute the same biological activities for the plant as the main activities clinically validated for pilocarpine, but there is no actual clinical research on leaf extracts to support them or qualify them. Another problem is trying to determine effective dosages of leaf extracts (in the absence of clinical research). The pilocarpine content of the leaf can vary – between different "jaborandi" tree species, as well as when different harvesting methods, growth habitats, and even storage, handling and drying methods of the harvested leaves are used. The pilocarpine chemical is fragile; dried jaborandi leaves have shown to lose as much as 50% of their pilocarpine content in as little as a year of storage. Another alkaloid in the leaf, jaborine, has shown to counteract or decrease the effects of pilocarpine, which means that one cannot simply relate the effective dosage of a leaf extract based solely upon the pilocarpine content of the extract.
Finally, one must consider that the longstanding documented use of pilocarpine is not with side effects, toxicity or contraindications. Knowing at least an approximate amount of such an active chemical in a leaf extract is certainly necessary to help determine the extract's efficacy and safety. The lethal dose of pilocarpine is reportedly 60 mg, which could correspond to as little as 5-10 grams of the leaves. Individuals with cardiac and circulatory problems may even have a lower lethal dosage. Reported side effects for non-lethal dosages of pilocarpine include vomiting, nausea, sweating, convulsions, increased heart rate, difficulty in breathing, and bronchial spasms. Interestingly, a positive side effect of reported use of the pilocarpine eye solution drug was an improvement in sleep apnea and snoring in glaucoma patients using the drug.
Current Practical Uses:
The use of jaborandi is best left in the hands of experienced herbalists and health practitioners since pilocarpine has such pronounced biological activities and it occurs in significant amounts in the natural leaf. (The oral pilocarpine prescription drug, Salagen® is only 5 mg of pilocarpine, so very little is required for a pharmacological effect.) In recent years demand by U.S. consumers for the natural leaf has been increasing, mainly fueled by the high cost of pilocarpine drugs and the rather new uses of it in cancer therapy (as a saliva enhancement agent). However, it still is not recommended to be used by the average lay-person. The natural leaf is not widely available in the U.S. today and importation of it as a natural product is a bit in the grey area since pilocarpine is sold as a regulated prescription drug. In fact, Brazil is the largest producer today of jaborandi leaves. However, 100% of Brazil's jaborandi leaf production goes into drug manufacture, including Merck Pharmaceuticals who located a manufacturing plant in Brazil specifically for the processing and manufacture their pilocarpine prescription drugs. Current laws in Brazil prohibit the export of jaborandi leaves as a natural product, as they regulate even the leaves as a drug.
Used internally for psoriasis, itching of the skin, syphilis, chronic excess mucus, and dropsy (leaf extracts). Internally and externally used for glaucoma and as an antidote to atropine; externally for hair gloss (leaf extracts).
Clinical research is still ongoing today on the isolated alkaloid of Jaborandi leaves, pil