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A class action suit is a lawsuit that includes a group of people. The group can be suing an individual or another group of people. The idea of a class action is predominantly an American phenomenon, although, in other countries, consumer groups are bringing claims on behalf of consumers.
Most class action cases are filed in federal court, under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 23 and 28 USCA §1332(d). Federal courts have original jurisdiction in cases where the damages exceed $5,000,000 and meet any of the following requirements:
- The class of plaintiffs is citizen of a different state than the defendant
- The class of plaintiffs is a foreign state or citizen
- The class of plaintiffs is a citizen of a state and the defendant is a foreign state or citizen.
Class action suits are normally consolidated in pre-trial through a process called multidistrict litigation (MDL). Class action suits are very complex and require a team of attorneys. However, class action suits are possible on a national basis if there are common issues across states lines. In general, federal courts tend to favor defendants, while state courts are more sympatric to plaintiffs.
What is a "Class"
When filing a class action suit, one, or several of the plaintiffs in the class are named in the complaint, on behalf of the entire class. There can be thousands of plaintiffs in a class action suit. The class must be made up of people who have suffered a common injury due to a particular product defect, misrepresentation, or policy.
When the complaint is filed, the plaintiff must file a motion to certify the class. In most cases, this requires documentation through discovery to determine the size of the class and the requirements for the class. The defendant(s) will most likely oppose the class action by questioning if the plaintiffs named actually represent the class.
Advantages of Class Action Suits
One of the advantages is that one case represents a large number of plaintiffs lowering the cost of the lawsuit. It also avoids the repetitive nature of individual cases, forcing the witnesses to testify over and over again. Another advantage for the plaintiffs is that the compensation for the injuries is not piece meal; all plaintiffs receive some compensation, even if it is very little. In many ways, a class action suit is symbolic. If all of the cases were tried separately, some would be lost, creating conflicts with the court and case law. The real power in a class action suit is that it sends a resounding message to the defendant, that their activities need to change.
Class action suits are valuable in stopping abuse and injury to consumers. Consumers buy prescriptions drugs, imported products, and utilities. The companies that sell, distribute, and profit from consumers, need to be sent a message when they become exploitive. It requires attorneys that are highly skilled to successfully organize and succeed in class action cases. Plaintiffs in class action cases are comforted in the fact that they are changing the standards for the better for all consumers.


text: To improve the knowledge in chronophysiology we investigated the causal link between the most important physiological variable studied until now; ten Sarda ewes and ten Sarda goats, pluriparus not pregnant and no lactating, were used. Animals were housed under natural environmental conditions in a common stall, alfalfa hay and water were available ad libitum. Each animal was equipped with an Actiwatch-Mini® for recording total activity. Blood samples were collected every 4 h over a 48 h period for the assessment of melatonin concentration. Rectal temperature was recorded with a digital thermometer immediately before the blood sampling at each data point. Single cosinor method showed a daily rhythm of studied variables. Higher MESOR and amplitude values of melatonin and rectal temperature were observed in sheep than in goats. The diurnal acrophase of locomotor activity was statistically different from the nocturnal acrophase of melatonin and rectal temperature, with no differences between the two species. Robustness was statistically lower in total locomotor activity in comparison with the others two variables, with a differences due to species in melatonin daily rhythm. In conclusion, in small ruminants, melatonin and rectal temperature daily rhythms are strictly correlated, and are not associated with the locomotor activity rhythm.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Kaibara EkkenArticle Free Pass
Kaibara Ekken, Ekken also spelled Ekiken, original name Atsunobu (born Dec. 17, 1630, Fukuoka, Japan—died Oct. 5, 1714, Japan), neo-Confucian philosopher, travel writer, and pioneer botanist of the early Tokugawa period (1603–1867) who explicated the Confucian doctrines in simple language that could be understood by Japanese of all classes. He was the first to apply Confucian ethics to women and children and the Japanese lower classes.
He was originally trained as a physician but left the medical profession in 1657 to study the thought of the great Chinese neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi (1130–1200), under the teachers Yamazaki Ansai and Kinoshita Jun-an. He became a highly popular teacher who traveled widely and kept such detailed accounts of his journeys that they were used by others following his routes. He is also considered the father of botany in Japan. His Yamato honzō ("Japanese Plants") attracted the attention of many Westerners.
Kaibara wrote about 100 philosophical works in which he stressed Zhu Xi's neo-Confucian conception of the hierarchical structure of society. In his Taigi roku ("Grave Doubts"), however, he took issue with the apparent dualism in Zhu's work in favour of a single creative force. In his Dōji kun ("Instructions for Children"), Kaibara tells parents to severely discipline their children, who must blindly and respectfully accept all that parents tell them, whether it is right or wrong. To Kaibara is usually attributed Onna daigaku ("The Great Learning for Women"), long considered the most important ethical text for women in Japan, which advocates women's obedience to their parents, parents-in-law, husband, and, if widowed, to their eldest son. Kaibara, however, treated his wife, Tōken, to whom he was happily married for 45 years, on terms of equality. She was also a scholar, calligrapher, and poet, and it has been suggested that Tōken was the real author of his books.
What made you want to look up "Kaibara Ekken"? Please share what surprised you most...

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Sci-Fi: Arrival (Spoilers)
The written language of the Heptapods
Readers, please keep in mind the following has spoilers regarding the movie "Arrival"
"Arrival" is a science fiction film about aliens parking their mysterious UFOs all across the world. Government leaders across the planet are desperately trying to depict and decipher what the aliens' purpose is for being on Earth. The main character, Louise Banks, experiences constant flashbacks of her daughter who passed due to cancer while she tries to get through her daily life. She's a skilled linguistics professor who will lead Ian Donnelly, and a team of investigators to unravel the mysteries of these UFOs.
One of the first scenic views of the movie is a full shot of one of the spaceships. In order to grant access inside the spaceship, every day they wait until a certain time when the doors open. The special effects of the gravity shifting from horizontal to the team floating vertically inside the UFO is breathtaking. Bending reality to where it can almost seem realistic is very entertaining in Sci-Fi movies. The first shot of the aliens, which are known as Heptapods, is also very lifelike. It's enjoyable to see otherworldly creatures compared to humans to get an idea in your mind.
Another great aspect of movies in this genre is how deep they'll cause you to ponder. This movie does an excellent job of not being predictable or cliché. The second you think Louise Banks will crack the code and unravel the mysteries of the aliens' unknown language, another obstacle comes instantly. The acting also never falls short with stars such as Jeremy Renner and Amy Adams. Throughout the film, they keep it immersive and intense.
One slight problem with the film is that they showed the creatures too early. Keeping the antagonist and/or monsters of the film mostly unseen causes viewers to be more engaged. A great example of this is in the movie "Jaws". Although the effects in that movie are not the greatest, they kept the antagonist concealed to create suspense. The Heptapods in "Arrival" stayed hidden for a while amid their foggy atmosphere, but they became pretty much exposed when the group got closer to their glass barrier.
Towards the end of the film, Louise understands their language fluently and discovers that they needed help from Earth. The heptapods have the ability to time travel and know their consequences in the future, so they come to Earth in search of help. Louise's flashbacks ended up being visions with her future daughter who gets cancer. Whenever she started to understand their language, she gained the ability to time travel. It gets kind of confusing in the conclusion, but that's what makes the movie fun to think about. You can interpret the ending however you want, and you can gain different messages.
By: Bryce Nall


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cecke class of poverty indices: SEPOV. Stain Stain (microbiology)
Any colored, organic compound, usually called dye, used to stain tissues, cells, cell components, or cell contents. The dye may be natural or synthetic. The object stained is called the substrate. Technical Bulletin 51:34-6.
Kakwani, Nanak. 1993. Statistical inference Inferential statistics or statistical induction comprises the use of statistics to make inferences concerning some unknown aspect of a population. It is distinguished from descriptive statistics. in the measurement of poverty, Review of Economics and Statistics 75:632-9.
Kakwani, Nanak. 1980. On a class of poverty measures. Econometrica 48:437-46.
Kish, Leslie. 1965. Survey sampling. New York New York, state, United States
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : John Wiley John Wiley may refer to:
Nord, Mark. 1997. Rural poverty rate edges downward. Rural Conditions and Trends 8:31-4.
Office of Management and Budget. 2000. Standards for defining metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. Federal Register 65:82228-38.
Orshanksy, Mollie mollie or molly, New World fish of the genus Mollienesia, in the same family as the guppy (see killifish). Mollies are found from the E and central United States to Argentina.. 1965. Counting the poor: Another look at the poverty profile. Social Security Bulletin 28:3-29.
Quigley, John, Steven Raphael, and Eugene Smolensky. 2001. Homeless in America, homeless in California California (kăl'ĭfôr'nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W).. Review of Economics and Statistics 83:37-51.
Ravallion, Martin. 1998. Poverty lines in theory and practice. World Bank Living Standards living standards npl → nivel msg de vida
living standards living npl → niveau m de vie
living standards living npl Measurement Study Working Paper No. 113.
Ravallion, Martin, and Benu BidanL 1994. How robust is a poverty profile? World Bank Economic Review 8:75-102.
Ruggles, Patricia. 1990. Drawing the line: Alternative poverty measures and their implications for public policy, Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.
Sawhill, Isabel. 1988. Poverty in the U.S.: Why is it so persistent? Journal of Economic Literature 26:1073-119.
Sen, Amartya Sen, Amartya
(born Nov. 3, 1933, Santiniketan, India) Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his work in welfare economics and social choice.. 1976. Poverty: An ordinal (mathematics) ordinal - An isomorphism class of well-ordered sets. approach to measurement. Econometrica 44:219-31.
Slesnick, Daniel. 1993. Gaining ground: Poverty in the postwar post·war
Belonging to the period after a war: postwar resettlement; a postwar house.
occurring or existing after a war
Adj. 1. United Slates. Journal of Political Economy 101:1-38.
United States Bureau of Census. 2000. Current Population Survey: Annual demographic file, 2000. Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, city (1990 pop. 109,592), seat of Washtenaw co., S Mich., on the Huron River; inc. 1851. It is a research and educational center, with a large number of government and industrial research and development firms, many in high-technology fields such as, MI: Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research.
Urban Institute. 1999. Homelessness: Programs and the people they serve. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.
Zheng, Buhong. 2001. Statistical inference for poverty measures with relative poverty lines. Journal Of Econometrics econometrics, technique of economic analysis that expresses economic theory in terms of mathematical relationships and then tests it empirically through statistical research. 101:337-56.
Zheng, Buhong. 2002. Testing Lorenz curves with non-simple random samples. Econometrica 70:1235-43.
Zheng, Bubong, Brian Cushing Brian Cushing is a strongside linebacker for the University of Southern California Trojans football team. College career
Cushing shares the #10 with starting quarterback John David Booty., and Victor Chow. 1995. Statistical tests of changes in U.S. poverty, 1975 to 1990. Southern Economic Journal 62:334-47.
Dean Jolliffe, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room S-2059, 1800 M Street NW, Washington, DC, 20036-5831; E-mail: _EMAIL_.
Received June 2002; accepted December 2002.


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If you teach STEM subjects – or even if you used to teach and you want to continue by contributing both in your country and internationally – this booklet will give you an overview of what Scientix is and does, and how you can get involved and benefit.
As a current teacher, you will also learn how Scientix can assist with your classes and daily teaching, your students and even your professional career.
For a STEM researcher or project manager, Scientix is a ready-made community of teachers and other education professionals. This booklet will give detailed information on the opportunities that exist to engage and collaborate with them.
Policymakers will learn about the available resources, and get an overall picture of the state of affairs in STEM education in Europe, as well as in individual countries. Our network of National Contact Points supports Scientix at the national level. You will also gain insights into the results and outcomes stemming from hundreds of science education projects from the past, present and future.
If you are a career counsellor and you would like to know more about how to promote STEM studies, Scientix can support you. Our specific training activities and tools can also help encourage the uptake of relevant jobs in your schools. And finally, if you are a stakeholder in STEM education – as a parent, or a student or simply a contributing tax-payer – this booklet will give you a comprehensive insight into everything Scientix does and the reason why Scientix is important for science education.


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Despite significant differences between Harboe Flensburg's and Kath's paintings, both artists create stringently and carefully composed spaces that open up and invite the viewer into a unique universe. Both artists are familiar names at Trapholt. Harboe Flensburg is represented in the museum's collection with several works, and Kath is currently holding his first solo exhibition in a museum.
Extension of the existing space
Light an Infinite I is the title of Anette Harboe Flensburg's monumental painting and a powerful demonstration of her technical skills. In transparent tones and with no visible traces of brushstrokes Harboe Flensburg constructs a space that approaches photorealism in expression, broken up only by the textural treatment of the canvas. The distinction between painting and reality appears nearly dissolved, giving the viewer a sense of being able to step directly into the painting. Acting as an extension of the existing space, Light an Infinite I challenges the viewer's spatial perception.
Suspending the laws of nature
In Eske Kath's piece The Fundamental Uncertainty, which is included in the artist's similarly titled exhibition, the floating and clearly defined shapes and colours give rise to a chaotic space that opens up to the viewer. Sun and Moon appear in the sky in a landscape where the distinction between night and day has been erased, and the laws of nature appear to be completely suspended. The piece seems to capture a feeling of doubt and uncertainty about the state of nature that is widely felt today. The Fundamental Uncertainty appears as a kind of landscape painting. However, rather than referencing a specific location it seems to depict our global sense of nature, which is under transformation.


How to Create a Custom LinkedIn Profile URL
Close up of a laptop with the Linkedin homepage open.
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
 For home business owners and freelancers, LinkedIn offers a tremendous opportunity to promote your business, network with influencers, and build your professional online presence. However, when you initially join LinkedIn, you're given a long, difficult to remember profile URL. This can be a problem when trying to share it with others you want to network with. The solution is to create a custom URL for your LinkedIn Profile that can make it more recognizable and easier to use.
By customizing your URL, you'd change:
(The caps are to show you what you can change. Your Linkedin Profile URL doesn't require caps.)
Why You Might Want a Custom LinkedIn URL
There are several reasons to create a custom URL on LinkedIn. One is for search engine optimization (SEO). Search engines, including Google, use keywords within a URL to help it decide what web pages to deliver in search results. A URL of would have a better chance of ranking well in Google for a search using the keywords "freelance writer Ohio" than would the first URL of
Another reason to create a custom Linkedin URL is ease of use and recognition. Having a line of numbers at the end of a URL looks messy and difficult, and it's more likely to be ignored. Whereas, a URL with your or your business' name at the end will be clear what it's linking to. While LinkedIn URLs aren't as straightforward as they could be, the custom URL is still easier to remember than the default one.
Choosing Your Custom URL Profile Name
You have a few options in creating your custom URL. One is to use your given name, such as Joe Smith. The other option is to use your business name. Finally, you can use a combination of the two, such as Joe Smith Freelance Writer. Some things to consider when deciding what to use include:
 - What are you branding? Do you want you or your business name to be the focus of your endeavor? How do you want to be known in the professional world?
 - How easy is it to use? While combining your name and business allows you to use both, it also creates a long URL that can be difficult to use if people have to type it in (i.e. off of a business card).
 - Will your name change? Traditionally, this is more of a problem for single women who get married and decide to take their husband's name. However, I've seen many couples hyphenate both their names, in which case, it impacts men, as well. In this case, using your business name might be better.
You are allowed to change your LinkedIn customer URL up to five times in a 180-day period; however, this is not advised. First, changing your URL means you have to update it everywhere you used the old URL. Further, people with the old URL will have difficulty finding you. Finally, after 180 days, someone else can use your old URL, which could potentially lead your clients and customers to the other person instead of you. For this reason, pick a name you know you can live with for a long time.
How to Create a Custom URL for a LinkedIn Profile
The instructions below work on your public profile.
 1. Log into LinkedIn.
 2. On the main menu bar at the top of the page, hover over Profile with your mouse and select Edit Profile.
 3. Hover your cursor over the current profile URL under your profile picture. The settings icon will appear next to the URL. Click it.
 4. On the right-hand side of the page, you'll see a section that says, Your Public Profile URL. Click on the edit icon next to it.
 5. In the edit box, type the custom name you'd like in your URL. You can have five to 30 letters or numbers, but no symbols or special characters (i.e. you can't use "*" or "!"). Your custom name is NOT case sensitive, so JoeSmith and joesmith will both work in the URL. When you're done, click Save.
 6. If your custom URL isn't already in use, you're all set. If it is in use, you'll need to submit a new custom URL. You can add your middle initial or your business name or type to create a unique URL. For example, if JoeSmith is taken, you can use, "JoeQSmith," "JoeSmithSellingWords," or "JoeSmithCopywriter."
Be sure to update your new LinkedIn URL on your website, blog, and other marketing materials.


Christianity Failure sermons Spirituality Spirituality in the Ordinary Suffering
When we picture Jesus entering Jerusalem, do we imagine the whole of the city turning out to celebrate the arrival of the Messiah? Or is there something altogether stranger happening? What does it all mean?
Christianity Culture and Society Doubt Failure sermons Spirituality in the Ordinary Story Suffering
Suffering and Gratitude
As the lockdown drags on in Melbourne, gratitude just gets harder. Suffering becomes a kind of blindness as we are turned in on ourselves. But could suffering be an ironic teacher that knocks us out of our limited ways of seeing the world? Could gratitude be a way forward?
Christianity Failure Faith Suffering
Take Up Your Cross
Why does Jesus persist in saying such depressing things? Take up your cross? It sounds like a real downer. I would pass – except that, in fact, you can't actually avoid crosses. My choice appears to be: what do I do about it?
Failure Faith sermons Spirituality in the Ordinary Suffering
Abundant Life in the Time of COVID-19
What does it mean for Jesus to promise abundant life in a world beset by COVID-19? What does it have to tell us about abundance?
Christianity Failure Kingdom of God sermons Suffering
If we were writing the beatitudes today, what would we write? What does it mean to be _TAG_? Could the church to be a blessing? And what does it mean to be blessed in the midst of grief and suffering?
Christianity Doubt Failure Religion sermons
Practice Resurrection: Easter Morning Sermon
Christianity Failure Faith Spirituality Story Suffering
Jonah and The Whale
What I learned about suffering from the story of Jonah and his whale.
Culture and Society Entrepreneurship Failure Spirituality in the Ordinary
On Empty Seats
I recently listened to Rob Bell's podcast, the Robcast, and was struck by the story he told about his a very unsuccessful book tour which he made. The context was that he had recently written his very controversial book Love Wins – see here and here for a few sample reviews. In his previous book tours […]


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First, draw a slanted square for the box's body. This square will be where the face goes.
Next, draw the rest of the box. You should start seeing the box.
After, draw the handle of the box. Be very careful with this step because you need to draw it as even as possible.
Now, draw the lines according to the picture. These are the folds.
Then, draw the eyes,cheeks, and mouth.
Next, erase the extra lines. The only extra line should be the ones in the handle.
This step is optional. All you have to do is trace the picture. I traced the outside with a fat sharpie, and traces the rest with a thin sharpie. If you don't trace well and have lots a pencil showing, erase it. Do not trace the cheeks.
Finally, color the cheeks red/pink, and color the handle any color you want.


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This article uses a structural model to show that foreclosures played a crucial role in exacerbating the recent housing bust and to analyse foreclosure mitigation policy. We consider a dynamic search model in which foreclosures freeze the market for non-foreclosures and reduce price and sales volume by eroding lender equity, destroying the credit of potential buyers, and making buyers more selective. These effects cause price-default spirals that amplify an initial shock and help the model fit both national and cross-sectional moments better than a model without foreclosure. When calibrated to the recent bust, the model reveals that the amplification generated by foreclosures is significant: ruined credit and choosey buyers account for 25.4% of the total decline in non-distressed prices and lender losses account for an additional 22.6%. For policy, we find that principal reduction is less cost-effective than lender equity injections or introducing a single seller that holds foreclosures off the market until demand rebounds. We also show that policies that slow down the pace of foreclosures can be counterproductive.
Guren, A. M., & McQuade, T. J. (2020). How do foreclosures exacerbate housing downturns? The Review of Economic Studies, 87(3), _PHONE_. _URL_


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Monitoring conformational dynamics of a single molecule by selective fluorescence spectroscopy.
Eggeling C., Fries JR., Brand L., Günther R., Seidel CA.
A recently developed, real-time spectroscopic technique, burst-integrated fluorescence lifetime (BIFL), is shown to be well suited for monitoring the individual molecular conformational dynamics of a single molecule diffusing through the microscopic, open measurement volume (approximately 10 fl) of a confocal epi-illuminated set-up. In a highly diluted aqueous solution of 20-mer oligonucleotide strand of DNA duplex labeled with the environment-sensitive fluorescent dye tetramethylrhodamine (TMR), fluorescence bursts indicating traces of individual molecules are registered and further subjected to selective burst analysis. The two-dimensional BIFL data allow the identification and detection of different temporally resolved conformational states. A complementary autocorrelation analysis was performed on the time-dependent fluctuations in fluorescence lifetime and intensity. The consistent results strongly support the hypothesized three-state model of the conformational dynamics of the TMR-DNA duplex with a polar, a nonpolar, and a quenching environment of TMR.


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The Patient Registry is an invaluable tool for researchers conducting observational studies about people with CF in the U.S. About 50,000 individuals have been followed in the Registry since its inception in 1986; many of them have been included for over 20 years.
People with cystic fibrosis continue to live longer and healthier lives, and the Patient Registry data support this general trend. To understand what this means for our community, however, it is important to understand how these numbers are calculated and what they represent.
Ever wonder about an aspect of cystic fibrosis that you would love someone to research? Find out how you can submit a question in our first community-driven research project.
In the third plenary, Dr. Wayne Morgan talked about the connection between cystic fibrosis care and the Patient Registry, and introduced a new way for people with CF, along with their families, to help shape the research conducted using the Registry.
The Cystic Fibrosis Lung Transplant Consortium Biorepository and Patient Registry, in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic, will provide critical clinical data and samples to support future research investigating complications of lung transplant.
Today, there are close to 40,000 people in the United States with CF due in large part to more people living longer into adulthood, signaling a shift in what it means to live with CF in the modern era.


Mathematics Colloquia and Seminars
Return to Colloquia & Seminar listing
Linear Programming orientations of Polyhedra
Algebra & Discrete Mathematics
Speaker: Mike Develin, UC Berkeley
Location: 693 Kerr
Start time: Thu, Oct 31 2002, 12:10PM
Given a combinatorial $d$-polytope $P$ and an orientation on its graph, we may ask the following question: Does there exist a realization of $P\subset \mathbb{R}^d$ and a linear functional $f$ such that $f$ induces the given orientation on the graph of $P$? Holt and Klee introduced a set of necessary conditions on the orientation for it to be a so-called LP-orientation; we show that for cubes, these conditions are very insufficient in the sense that the proportional of Holt-Klee orientations of the $d$-cube which are LP-orientations goes rapidly to 0 as $d$ gets large. For cross-polytopes, we give a strengthening of the Holt-Klee conditions which is both necessary and sufficient for an orientation to be LP.


Strict air pollution control in Jakarta
This week the administration of Jakarta city starts to provide the extension of the air pollution control policy in order to improve the poor air quality in the capital. The thing is that Jakarta is considered to be a city with one of the worst air quality in the world, thus, Jakarta and its satellite cities require stricter air pollution control measures, especially, to reduce the level of pollutants from the transportation sector, whose air pollution level accounts for 70-80%, according to surveys.
Thus, it is highly necessary to establish air pollution control restrictions not only to target cars but also motorcycles to greatly reduce emissions, because motorcycles amount for 75% of all vehicles, while cars only account for 23%. It should be noted that Jakarta is one of the first cities in Indonesia to have forced a law on air pollution into an application.
The first attempts of the Jakarta administration's air pollution control allow demonstrating that "efforts to ease traffic congestion were an integral part of improving air quality". Nevertheless, the restrictions in public transportation do not promote a crucial reduction in vehicular emissions because of insufficient enforcement of air pollution control measures.
For example, it was registered that the air quality of Jakarta was the worst in the world on Aug. 3 (with air pollution level of 174 AQI), while this week the level of air pollutants accounted for 135 Air Quality Index and it continues improving. In spite of the fact that Jakarta's air quality hesitates, it requires a lot of time until the residents of Jakarta could see blue skies. Therefore, the Central Jakarta District Court may force the city administration and the other defendants to enforce air pollution control regulations.
Finally, "a strong commitment by the people is the key to significant improvement of the city's air quality because any policies on air pollution control demand trade-offs from residents and commuters". It means that according to the air pollution control regulations it is required to change the convenience of riding private vehicles, pay more for environmentally friendly fuels and regularly monitor the vehicles to meet the emissions standards.
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Best answer: How long should cookies bake for?
How long does it take to bake cookies at 350?
How long should you bake cookies at 375?
Bake at 375 degrees F until golden and crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside, 10 to 12 minutes. For super-chewy cookies: Substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour.
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Is it better to bake cookies at 350 or 375?
350° is the standard temp for a cookie, and it's a great one. … Baking at 325° also results in an evenly baked cookie, but the slower cooking will help yield a chewier cookie. The outsides will be a little softer, too. If you love slightly underdone cookies, 375° is for you.
How do you know when cookies are done baking?
Open up the oven, pull out the rack a bit, and push the sides of the cookie very lightly with a spatula or your finger. If the edge stays firm and doesn't fall inwards, then your cookies are done. If you leave a noticeable indention, then your cookies likely need a few minutes more in the oven.
When should you take cookies out?
It is important to note that, most of the time, a cookie isn't completely done cooking until up to 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven: as it cools it firms up, sets, and finishes baking.
What oven setting is best for cookies?
Do you flip cookies when baking?
Not rotating the cookies during baking
Just as home oven temperature indicators are misleading, most oven temperatures vary from top to bottom and from side to side. So you want to rotate your cookie sheets halfway through to ensure an even bake.
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How long should I bake cookies at 325?
 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). …
What temperature should cookies be when done?
The eggs coagulate at certain temperatures, the starches gelatinize at certain temperatures, and the proteins from the flour are temperature dependent, too. Once you reach a temp where those things are accomplished, your cookie is done! Chocolate chip cookies are done between 175 and 185°F (79 and 85°C).
Will 350 degrees kill bacteria?
Temperatures Necessary for Killing Bacteria
Since the highest temperatures you need to kill the bacteria in eggs, casseroles and meats is 165 degrees Fahrenheit, oven temperatures of 300 F or 350 F for baking do a good job at killing both beneficial and dangerous bacteria.
What happens when you bake cookies at a lower temperature?
When baked at a lower temperature, the dough has more of a chance to spread out, leading to flatter, wider cookies. Conversely, cookies baked at higher temperatures spread less. Even a difference of as little as 50°F makes a big difference.
Can I bake cookies at 300 degrees?
One reason cookies spread: oven temperature
"For this practically perfect tray, we dropped the temperature to 300°F, and extended the baking time: 22 minutes for chewy, 30 minutes for crisp.
Why are cookies hard after baking?
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Why are my cookies raw in the middle?
What happens when you overbake cookies?
The cookies will continue to cook a bit on the hot cookie sheet if you leave them there for one or two minutes before transfering them to a cooling rack. Or if you think the cookies are perfectly baked straight from the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack immediately.
I'm cooking


Manage Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.
Remove Exchange 2003 from Active Directory to install Exchange 2010
A clean Active Directory is vital for an Exchange Server 2010 migration. If you still have Exchange 2003 remnants hanging around, use the ADSI Edit tool to remove them.
When installing Exchange 2010, one area that you can overlook is the state of Active Directory. When you install...
Exchange 2010, Setup assumes that the Active Directory database is in pristine condition. However, organizations that have been using Exchange for many years often have Exchange 2003 remnants in AD. These remnants can halt an Exchange 2010 installation. The method described in this article should remove the server in question from Active Directory to the point where you're able to install Exchange 2010.
Warning! Any mistakes made during implementation can damage Exchange servers or you're the Active Directory forest. Back up domain controllers before attempting any of these techniques.
These procedures are only intended for situations in which a server no longer exists in your organization, but some fragments have been left behind in AD. If the server still exists in your Exchange organization, you should remove it.
To remove any lingering portions of an old Exchange 2003 server from Active Directory, use the Windows Support Tool ADSI Edit.
The Windows Support Tools are included with Windows Server, but are not installed by default. The exact method to install these tools varies depending on the version of Windows you're using. If you're having trouble locating it, look for an installer in the \Support\Tools folder on the Windows installation DVD.
Next, open ADSI Edit, which is located in the \Program Files\Support Tools folder, and connect it to a domain controller, if necessary. Then navigate through the console tree to:
CN=Configuration, DC=, DC=com
CN=Microsoft Exchange
CN=
CN=Administrative Groups
CN= Note: This could also be an Exchange 5.5 site name
These container names may not exactly match those in your organization. For example, the first node of the hierarchy that I've listed is Configuration. Although this is technically the node's name, ADSI Edit also displays the name of your domain controller in brackets. For example, on my server this container is listed as Configuration [] (Figure 1.).
Here's an example of an ADSI Edit Hierarchy
Figure 1. Here's an example of an ADSI Edit hierarchy.
Selecting the CN=Servers container lists Exchange servers within the administrative group that you've selected. If you need to eliminate references to a specific server, right-click on the server object (not the CN=Servers container) and select Delete. A confirmation will ask if you want to delete that server. Verify that you've selected the correct server and click Yes.
In some situations, there may be a few stray objects, such as routing group connectors, that must be manually removed. Use Exchange management tools to manually remove these objects.
Do you have comments on this tip? Let us know.
Dig Deeper on Exchange Server setup and troubleshooting


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Weight loss and active lifestyle can help to counteract the effects of obesity, a new study has suggested.
Our skin secretes an antibiotic called dermcidin, which could act as a potent weapon against tuberculosis (TB) and dangerous bugs, says a study.
A natural antibiotic created from human sweat could fend off deadly strains of tuberculosis and other dangerous superbugs, researchers claim. Dermcidin is produced by our skin when we sweat, and it fights off germs when skin is injured by a cut, scratch or bug bite.
An international team of scientists has discovered how an important natural antibiotic called dermcidin, produced by our skin when we sweat, is a highly efficient tool to fight tuberculosis germs and other dangerous bugs.


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What is Three-Sigma Limits
Three-sigma limits (3-sigma limits) is a statistical calculation that refers to data within three standard deviations from a mean. In business applications, three-sigma refers to processes that operate efficiently and produce items of the highest quality.
Three-sigma limits are used to set the upper and lower control limits in statistical quality control charts. Control charts are used to establish limits for a manufacturing or business process that is in a state of statistical control.
BREAKING DOWN Three-Sigma Limits
Control charts are also known as Shewhart charts, named after Walter A. Shewhart, an American physicist, engineer and statistician (1891–1967). Control charts are based on the theory that even in perfectly designed processes, a certain amount of variability in output measurements is inherent. Control charts determine if there is controlled or uncontrolled variation in a process. Variations in process quality due to random causes are said to be in-control; out-of-control processes include both random and special causes of variation. Control charts are intended to determine the presence of special causes.
To measure variations, statisticians and analysts use a metric known as the standard deviation, also called sigma. Sigma is a statistical measurement of variability, showing how much variation exists from a statistical average. In other words, it measures how far an observed data deviates from the mean or average. Investors use standard deviation to gauge expected volatility — this is known as historical volatility. To understand this measurement, consider the normal bell curve which has a normal distribution. The farther to the right or left a data is recorded on the bell curve, the higher or lower, respectively, the data is than the mean. From another point of view, low values indicate that the data points fall close to the mean; high values indicate the data is widespread and not close to the average.
The term "three-sigma" points to three standard deviations. Shewhart set three standard deviation (3-sigma) limits as "a rational and economic guide to minimum economic loss." Three-sigma limits set a range for the process parameter at 0.27% control limits. Three-sigma control limits is used to check data from a process and if it is within statistical control. This is done by checking if data points are within three standard deviations from the mean. The Upper Control Limit (UCL) is set three sigma levels above the mean and the Lower Control Limit (LCL) is set at three sigma levels below mean. Since around 99.99% of a controlled process will take place within plus or minus three sigmas, the data from a process ought to approximate a general distribution around the mean and within the pre-defined limits. On a bell curve, data that lie above the average and beyond the three-sigma line represent less than one percent of all data points.
Calculating Three-Sigma Limit
Let's consider a manufacturing firm that runs a series of 10 tests to determine whether there is a variation in the quality of its products. The data points for the 10 tests are: 8.4, 8.5, 9.1, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.7, 9.7, 9.9, and 9.9.
First — Calculate the average of the observed data. (8.4 + 8.5 + 9.1 + 9.3 + 9.4 + 9.5 + 9.7 + 9.7 + 9.9 + 9.9) / 10 which equals 93.4 / 10 = 9.34.
Second — Calculate the variance of the set. Variance is the spread between data points and is calculated as the sum of the squares of the difference between each data point and the mean divided by the number of observations. The first difference square will be calculated as (8.4 – 9.34)2 = 0.8836, the second square of difference will be (8.5 – 9.34)2 = 0.7056, third can be calculated as (9.1 – 9.34)2 = 0.0576, and so on. The sum of the difference squares of all 10 data points is 2.564. The variance is, therefore, 2.564 / 10 = 0.2564.
Third — Calculate the standard deviation, which is simply the square root of the variance. So, standard deviation = √0.2564 = 0.5064.
Fourth — Calculate three-sigma, which is three standard deviations above the mean. In numerical format, this is (3 x 0.5064) + 9.34 = 10.9. Since none of the data is at such a high point, the manufacturing testing process has not yet reached three-sigma quality levels.


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Racial Differences in the Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment for Adolescent and Young Adult Depression, Heavy Drinking, and Violence
Journal of Adolescent Health, 02/24/2012
Lee C et al. – Childhood maltreatment has similar negative consequences for black and white male youth during adolescence. Extending intervention efforts through adolescence is important to alleviate these problems among victims.Methods
- Data were obtained from the Pittsburgh Youth Study, a prospective longitudinal study of urban males (N = 971, 56% black).
- Childhood maltreatment was defined as substantiated physical or sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional maltreatment, or moral/legal/educational maltreatment, with the first referral before 12 years of age.
- Self-reports of depressive symptoms and heavy drinking (consuming more than six drinks on a single occasion) and official, parent, and self-reports of violent offending were assessed between 12 and 17 years of age (adolescence) and at 24/25 years of age (young adulthood).
- Regression analyses were conducted to examine childhood maltreatment and race, as well as maltreatment-by-race interactions, as predictors of the three outcomes.
- Prevalence of childhood maltreatment was higher for black than for white boys; however, there were no racial differences in timing, type, severity, and chronicity of maltreatment.
- When socioeconomic status and cohort were controlled, childhood maltreatment significantly predicted depressive symptoms and violence in adolescence but none of the outcomes in young adulthood.
- Race was a significant predictor of heavy drinking and violence during adolescence, and of all three outcomes in young adulthood. No significant race-by-maltreatment interaction effects were found.


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Volume 37, Issue 2 (March 1992)
Big Game Species Identification by Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Probes
Species identification is important in many big game forensic science cases but cannot always be accomplished because of the lack of adequate techniques. The authors have developed deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probes for elk, deer, and antelope by isolating highly repeated satellite sequences. These DNA probes distinguish among deer, elk, and antelope, although not between different species of deer. Because of the high number of sequence copies per genome, these probes are extremely sensitive, requiring less than 10 ng of total genomic DNA. The developmental protocol for these probes is relatively simple and is applicable to many other species.


Privacy and permission
Does the Central Registry of Rare Diseases have permission from the Belgian Privacy Commission to gather data?
Yes. The Privacy Commission has deliberated on this project. Approval (authorisation granted in deliberations
no.13/105 of 22/10/2013 and modification of 16/06/2015 of the Sectoral Committee of Health) has been obtained from the Sectoral Committee for Social Security and Health.
Does the patient need to give permission for registration in this registry?
No. The Privacy Commission has ruled that the patient's permission is not required for registration in the Central Registry of Rare Diseases. Before your data can be registered, however, the physician is obliged to inform the patient about the registry. One way physicians can do this is by providing the patient with a copy of this leaflet. If a patient has questions about this, he or she can contact the physician at any time.
Although the patient's permission is not required for data entry in the registry, patients can still object to the inclusion of data in the registry by explicit request. To do this, the patient can contact his or her physician.
Who has access to the registered data?
At the genetic centres all data is available because it is registered in the electronic patient record. The data is then sent to Sciensano, where a small number of researchers, under the supervision of a physician, have access to the (encoded) data.
What measures are taken to protect the patient's privacy?
The patient's first name and surname will never be sent to the Central Registry of Rare Diseases.
His or her national register number will be used as a unique identification number, however this will be converted to a unique code during transmission to Sciensano. The eHealth platform carries out this encoding as a Trusted Third Party and stores the unique key to the code.
Only a small number of scientific staff at Sciensano will have access to the encoded data. They are bound to secrecy under their employment contract.
Reports about the Central Registry of Rare Diseases will only contain anonymised data.
What is a Trusted Third Party?
A Trusted Third Party is an independent third party that guarantees the reliability of privacy protection measures during the gathering, exchange or processing of data.
The eHealth-Platform is a federal government institution, and is the Trusted Third Party that guarantees the encoding of patients' national register number for the Central Registry of Rare Diseases.
As this registry concerns rare diseases and contains only a limited number of patients for a specific disease, patients might easily be recognised, even when their personal information is coded. How can I be certain that personal data cannot be inferred?
A "Small Cell Analysis" has been carried out. This analysis set out the necessary measures that need to be taken to ensure that individuals can no longer be identified based on the data. For example results will always be grouped, for instance over a larger geographical area, or certain diseases will be arranged into groups of diseases.


Teneo/Hibernate/Dynamic EMF Tutorial
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EMF allows you to dynamically change the in-memory ecore model by adding EPackages, EClasses and EStructuralFeatures. Teneo supports persisting dynamically created models. It is for example possible to read an ecore model from an ecore file (without generating code) and create the relational database schema. There are however some (practical) limitations, see the last section on this page.
The source code of this tutorial is available in the example project which you can download here.
This tutorial assumes some basic knowledge of EMF. If you are new to EMF then it can make sense to first try one of the core EMF tutorials which you can find here.
Before starting this tutorial
Before starting this tutorial there are a number of things which you need to take into account:
 - It uses the QuickStart tutorial class described in the quick start tutorial to create a database for the Library example and some content.
 - The initial setup of the quick start tutorial also applies here.
 - When using a non-in-memory database: the tutorial assumes that there is an empty database with the name DynamicLibrary. When you rerun this tutorial you should make sure that this database is empty again (otherwise one of the smaller tests in the tutorial will fail).
 - In this tutorial the Library example is extended with two new types: SchoolBook (which inherits from Book) and Course which refers to a SchoolBook.
Running the tutorial
After downloading the examples project from cvs you can directly run the quick start program. Open the project and navigate to the Dynamic.java file and right click and select 'Run As > Java Application'. You will see several things getting printed to the console (one of them is the generated Hibernate mapping).
This run takes the following steps:
 - reads the EPackage model from the generated EPackage file.
 - generate a hibernate mapping for the EPackage
 - create the database (on hsqldb)
 - create EMF objects and persist them
 - change the model
 - re-initialize the datastore and update the relational database schema
 - create and persist EMF objects adhering to the changed model
 - query for these objects
 - retrieve the EMF objects using an Hibernate EMF resource
Now let's walk through the code.
Quick start steps
The tutorial first calls the same code as described in the quick start tutorial, so it can make sense to first walk-through the quick start example. Further here only the additional steps are described.
Adapt the model
The following code extends the model with new types. It creates the SchoolBook EClass and sets the Book from the LibraryPackage as the supertype:
final EcoreFactory efactory = EcoreFactory.eINSTANCE;
final EcorePackage epackage = EcorePackage.eINSTANCE;
// create the SchoolBook EClass
EClass schoolBookEClass = efactory.createEClass();
// create a new attribute for this EClass
EAttribute level = efactory.createEAttribute();
// Set the supertype of SchoolBook to the Book
Create a new EClass with a reference to the new SchoolBook EClass:
// create a course
EClass courseEClass = efactory.createEClass();
// give the Course a name
EAttribute courseName = efactory.createEAttribute();
// A course always uses one SchoolBook
EReference courseBook = efactory.createEReference();
Create an EPackage and add the SchoolBook and Course EClass:
// Create a new EPackage and add the new EClasses
EPackage schoolPackage = efactory.createEPackage();
EPackage.Registry.INSTANCE.put(schoolPackage.getNsURI(), schoolPackage);
Reconfigure Hibernate and the Relational Database Schema
The EPackage has been created now Hibernate should be reconfigured and the database schema should be updated.
// Now reset the epackages in the datastore, only required if you add an EPackage
hbds.setEPackages(new EPackage[]{LibraryPackage.eINSTANCE, schoolPackage});
// reinitialize hibernate and update the database schema
// print the new hibernate.hbm.xml
At this point the database schema should have been updated.
Create and persist Dynamic EObject
The dynamic EMF objects can now be created. Because SchoolBook inherits from Book a real Book object is created:
// Now create an author, is used below
Writer writer = LibraryFactory.eINSTANCE.createWriter();
// now create a schoolBook
// NOTE: because schoolBook inherits from Book, the create method will return a Book
Book bk = (Book)schoolPackage.getEFactoryInstance().create(schoolBookEClass);
bk.setTitle("Biografie van Multatuli");
bk.eSet(level, new Integer(1));
// and create a course
EObject course = schoolPackage.getEFactoryInstance().create(courseEClass);
course.eSet(courseName, "Dutch Literature Level 1");
course.eSet(courseBook, bk);
// now persist them all
Session session = hbds.getSession();
Transaction tx = session.getTransaction();
Query for dynamic EMF objects
The SchoolBook can be retrieved using a polymorphic query, for a Course the dynamic EAttribute can be used in the where clause.
// Now query for the books, one of them should be a SchoolBook
Query qry = session.createQuery("from Book");
List list = qry.list();
Book schoolBook = null;
for (Iterator it = list.iterator(); it.hasNext();) {
 Book book = (Book)it.next();
 if (book.eClass() == schoolBookEClass) {
 if (schoolBook!= null) {
 throw new Error("More than one schoolbook? Was the database not empty?");
 schoolBook = book;
if (schoolBook == null) {
 throw new Error("No schoolbook??");
// now query for all courses with the right name
qry = session.createQuery("from Course where courseName='Dutch Literature Level 1'");
list = qry.list();
EObject eobject = (EObject)list.get(0);
if (eobject.eClass()!= courseEClass) {
 throw new Error("No Course?");
// the schoolBook should be the book of the course
Book courseBk = (Book)eobject.eGet(courseBook);
if (courseBk!= schoolBook) {
 throw new Error("No schoolbook?");
// and the dynamic feature level should be 1
if (((Integer)courseBk.eGet(level)).intValue()!= 1) {
 throw new Error("Incorrect level?");
 - It is not possible to create a containment relation between a dynamic model and a static model part. With static we mean the model for which java code has been generated.
 - When the model is dynamically changed it is required to update the database schema. To change the database schema database servers can lock the whole database. This is probably not practical in a live production environment.


Call _PHONE_ or 1-866-LIFEBIO
Wellness Trend -- Reminiscence
I'm at the ICAA Conference in San Diego today (speaking in about 2 hours). I'm going to talk about how wellness impacts ALL dimensions of wellness. With wellness directors especially looking for ways to address emotional and spiritual wellness in wellness programming, it is key to know that capturing life stories and bringing people together in GROUPS to share memories and experiences is a very powerful idea.
Reminiscence: An innovative wellness and health care approach
Reminiscence has been found to lower depression, improve attitudes of people toward caregivers, and increase self esteem. That's why health care companies and hospitals are taking notice of LifeBio's innovative reminiscence programming for individuals and communities. This is cognitive fitness at its finest without all the expense of other brain fitness programs.
4 reasons to incorporate autobiography in your brain fitness program for retirement communities
Brain fitness is a key focus for senior living communities, but providing cognitive challenges is much more than crossword puzzles and trivia. It doesn't have to just be using a computer program. Today, brain fitness programs should incorporate autobiography programming for these 4 reasons.


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- One of the flasks holds an oily liquid approximating to coffee while the other holds almost-boiling water that might nearly brew a half-strength cup of extra-weak tea.
- With a few gurgling noises created from his throat, and, evidently, some mucus, he filled the glass to a quarter inch below the brim with the liquid in the flask.
- He uncorked it, and poured the clear liquid into the flask.
- Levengood tested the metal fragment for the presence of hydrogen by putting a sample in a flask with a weak solution of acetic acid.
- The GA solution was dried in a rotor evaporator and then incubated under vacuum overnight in a reagent flask.
- They put methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide in a flask with some water, sparked some electricity through it, and after a week they got a brown sludge which contained amino acids.
- At the summit, while taking celebratory sips of whiskey from my Kansas City Chiefs flask, we were approached by an athletic couple from Colorado.
- Cleo had wandered to the sofa and was pulling a flask from her small silver shoulder purse.
- Between the folds of the bottom towel in the linen closet, he retrieved a silver flask and took several greedy swallows.
- The Tuscan origins of this fiaschetteria (where wine in straw flasks was sold) are honoured in a range of Chianina steak dishes and in a wine list which is strong on Chiantis and Brunellos.
- When there's no more wine in the flask at my table my friends are happy to drink my water.
- One parcel, wrapped in cloth, contained bread, cheese, and a small flask of wine.
- He got up at six, packed his car with hot-water bottle, shovel, flask and blanket, and took three hours to drive 12 miles.
- This time the modern-day Lady workers were enjoying a string concert and a glass or two of wine (though I suspect some people smuggled in flasks of rosehip tea).
- At 8.45 I shall make flasks of strong, black coffee and also have chilled mineral water on hand in case of dehydration.
- We have even found a hot flask of coffee there, so the person certainly wasn't far away.
- Sitting alone on the stage with only his trademark flask of tea and his pipe for company, the old boy positively exudes optimism.
- And behind any club at night you will find gangs of sophisticated and gorgeous thirty-somethings swigging guiltily from an illicit flask of vodka.
Middle English (in the sense 'cask'): from medieval Latin flasca. From the mid 16th century the word denoted a case of horn, leather, or metal for carrying gunpowder. The sense 'glass container' (late 17th century) was influenced by Italian fiasco, from medieval Latin flasco. Compare with flagon.
fiasco from mid 19th century:
A fiasco is a ridiculous or humiliating failure. The word was borrowed from Italian in the 19th century. In that language it meant originally 'a bottle', but the phrase far fiasco, literally 'make a bottle', was used in the theatre to mean 'fail in a performance'. In medieval English a flask (Middle English) was a cask or skin for holding liquor. The word came from medieval Latin flasca (along with LME flagon) but the 17th-century sense 'glass container' was influenced by Italian fiasco.
Words that rhyme with flaskask, bask, cask, Krasnoyarsk, mask, masque, task
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.


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"NSBA encourages local school boards to recognize that health and learning are integrally linked and that schools are a critical link in community-wide efforts to promote life-long health and prevent health-risk behaviors."
Working with and through its state school boards association partners, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) helps school board leaders and educators make informed decisions about issues that affect students' academic achievement and healthy development. We do this by providing relevant and up-to-date information, technical assistance, and professional development on evidence-based policies, programs, and practices.
NSBA's school health activities have been conducted in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 1987. The school health program was founded and led by the tireless Brenda Z. Greene until her retirement in 2011.
See Publications for a list of resources and journal articles produced by NSBA on various school health topics. Visit NSBA's bookstore to order hard copies.
Healthy Students are Better Learners
Students' health status affects their academic achievement in many ways
. For example:
- students who do not smoke, drink alcohol, have sex, or engage in other health risk behaviors receive higher grades than their classmates who do engage in these health-risk behaviors (see chart below; CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2009)
- there is substantial evidence that physical activity can help improve academic achievement, including grades and standardized test scores (CDC physical activity report, 2010)
- providing breakfast at school reduces tardiness and absenteeism--nutritional status influences students' cognitive performance, alertness, attention, memory, problem-solving skills, and social behavior (Basch, 2010)
- managing asthma can reduce school absenteeism caused by acute symptoms; hospitalizations, doctor visits, sleep deprivation due to nocturnal asthma attacks, the need to avoid environmental triggers at school, and other reasons (Basch, 2010)
For more information contact Jim Bogden or Kathryn Wege at _EMAIL_.


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The black famine is in their mouths.... This month is now called Hungry July. Bumhsë (yellow month) is its proper name in Irish. It is a suitable name, for the fields are yellow....-Amhlaoibh Suilleabhin
Desperate Highlanders took to poaching food. The starving cattle some had been alloted at eviction wandered off and died. Those that were stolen by landowners had to be repurchased with silver rent money called Maol. The process was called Black Maol.
Cholera spread and became an epidemic in Inverness in 1832. Whole families were found dead on the rotten straw of their beds. The people turned to the church for help, but the Church of Scotland had ministers appointed by the land owners. The Free Church of Scotland was formed in 1843 and landlords forbid Highlanders to attend. Some of those that did were sold into slavery in the Southern United States. Large sums of money were sent as kickbacks to the Free Church. (4, 3, 10, 55, 61, 118)


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Step-by-step plan towards more impact
An important question being asked, both in the academic world and in society, concerns the impact of our research and education. By providing a well-supported answer, we not only create a strong position for our research, we also increase our chances of success in applying for research grants and retaining our current sources of finding. The University offers different forms of support to help you achieve maximum impact. Below is a step-by-step plan to help you map your impact.
Step 1: What is your vision?
Achieving impact begins with a vision. How will you make sure that your knowledge will reach society? Or that your research remains in line with society's needs? In formulating your vision, try to answer the following questions: For what purpose? What is it? Towards what? For whom? With whom? And how? If you would like to know more, the Rathenau Institute produces publications on the social effects of new technologies and has written a very good article on how to develop an impact strategy.
Step 2: Which forms of impact fit you and your vision?
You can achieve impact in a myriad of ways. Each researcher will have his or her own way. In order to help you discover which form of impact best matches your research, we have created the Leiden Impact Matrix. Or you can follow one of the Luris training programmes or consult various experts within and outside the University:
- The Leiden University Knowledge Exchange Office
Luris can help you formulate or improve your impact strategy for research at individual, institute or Faculty level. Please contact the Knowledge Partnering team or the Grant Development team.
- For impact at institute and Faculty level, you can also seek advice from the Department of Academic Affairs.
- If you are looking for an experienced fellow researcher or lecturer within the University to brainstorm on the impact of your research, Luris can help you find the right person.
- The Leiden Centre for Science and Technology Studies has its own research programme entitled 'societal impact of research group'.
- Leiden also has a Chair in Science Communication and the Faculty of Science conducts research on Science, Communication and Society.
- Consult the self-assessments conducted in the context of external research assessments. These also devote attention to impact.
Step 3: Learn from good examples
Impact is already visible in many forms. The examples below may help you formulate your own impact:
- Get to know us: Files on Leiden researchers
- Academic files on the Leiden University website
- Blogs by Leiden staff members on research and education
- Faculty of Science: Science for Society
- Aspects of Globalisation (publication)
- Focus on Valorisation (publication)
- Articles on Leiden research, education and impact in the NRC supplement 'Leiden Knowledge City'
- Leiden Science: Our Talents & Discoveries in 2015
- Consult case studies in Luris' annual report
- Examples of impact in the research of the Faculty of Law
- Looking forward to the future with Leiden science (2015) (pdf)
Step 4: Use the University network
There are many initiatives that help strengthen the impact of Leiden University. Find out how to increase your scientific and societal impact. We would be very interested to hear about the steps you take in this area, so that we can share your knowledge and experience with other researchers.
If you have any questions, the Department of Academic Affairs will gladly help you.


text:
Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Invitation to World Literature
This course invites viewers to appreciate great epics, plays, poetry, and other literary texts that have made their way around the world through time and translation, and are still captivating audiences today.
Through fieldwork and lab work, archaeologists have been piecing together what happened to bring about the collapse of Copán, once a thriving center of Maya civilization. In this activity, you'll be following in the steps of the archaeologists who studied Copán, looking for clues to how it collapsed. You'll be trying to answer two questions:
1. Why did Copán collapse?
2. Was the end a gradual decline or a rapid fall?


text:
Financial and Organizational Structures
Users should familiarize themselves with the financial and organizational structures used in Oracle Cloud, particularly if they will create and/or submit expense reports, make purchases, manage grants and/or analyze financial data.
- The Chart of Accounts (COA), which is used in all areas to track financial activity in our general ledger and subledgers;
- Our Organizational Structure, which is used to identify our work areas; and
Project information (i.e., POET), which is used to gather data and report specifically on financial activity for the following project types:
- Grants and Contracts;
- Faculty Funds and Student Organizations;
- Gifts and Endowments;
- Cores; and
- Capital Projects.
Click here to open and complete the Oracle Cloud: Introduction to our Financial and Organizational Structures training course in Oracle Learning.
Transaction Review and Approval
Transactions are generally reviewed first within the area that created the transaction and then routed to central Finance or Human Resources. For example, transactions such as the following are typically reviewed by the following roles within the business unit:
- Time and absence transactions are reviewed by the employee's Line Manager;
- Purchasing and expense transactions are reviewed by the Financial Unit Manager(s) of the related financial unit(s) and, if greater than $10,000, by the Business Unit/Entity Approver(s); and
- Human Resources transactions are reviewed by the Business Unit/Entity Approver of the related business unit.
Instructions for identifying your local resources are available here.
Additional information about the COA, including the current list of segment values, is available on the Financial Accounting page of the Finance website, and reference materials are also available within Oracle Cloud in the Help Center.


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The large granite boulder in the right background of Photo 6 designates the approximate takeoff spot of the first flight on December 17, 1903. The marker in the right foreground designates the approximate landing spot of that first 120-foot flight. The Wright brothers' monument atop Big Kill Devil Hill is visible in the distance.
Photo 7 shows the Wright brothers' monument today. The inscription along the base of the monument reads:
In Commemoration of the Conquest of the Air
By the Brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright
Conceived By Genius
Achieved by Dauntless Resolution and Unconquerable Faith
Questions for Photos 6 & 7
1. Windy and sandy conditions brought the Wright brothers to the Outer Banks in the first place. According to Reading 3, what impact did these conditions have on the site in the years after their experiments?
2. Based on information in Reading 3, how accurate do you think the placement of the marker stones might be? Do you think they contribute to our understanding of what the Wright brothers accomplished at this site? Explain your answer.
3. Do you agree or disagree with the decision to stabilize Big Kill Devil Hill sand dune with grass and plantings to prevent it from further shifting? Explain your answer.
4. Do you think the memorial's design is an appropriate tribute to the Wright brothers? Why or why not?
* The photos on this screen have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 6 & Photo 7, but be aware that each file will take as much as 25 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


Baylor > Mathematics > Research > Representation Theory
Representation Theory
Mathematics has enjoyed truly remarkable success in describing the universe in which we live. The fundamental laws often display a wonderful elegance and symmetry. The area of mathematics that studies this amazing symmetry is called Lie theory or representation theory. Loosely speaking, the objects possessing symmetry are called Lie groups and the ways in which they manifest themselves are called representations. Baylor has an active group working in this area.
Representation Theory Group: Markus Hunziker, Mark Sepanski, Ron Stanke
Rep Theory
From left to right: Ron Stanke, Markus Hunziker, Mark Sepanski


West Jordan
Are you looking for a West Jordan excavation company? If you are planning to construct a new building on a piece of land, it is important for you to hire only the best excavators at Utah Excavation.
The process of land excavation can be quite cumbersome. This is the reason why you have to ensure that you work only with the most skilled and experienced contractors because the life of your building or structure all depends on this particular process.
You Might Be Surprised with the Soil When You Start to Excavate
Don't think that the soil that your eyes see is also the same soil you will find underneath. There are some areas where you wouldn't even have to dig that deep before hitting muddy soil, rocky soil or even sand.
It can be very tricky to try digging through these different types of dirt. For instance, breaking up rocky soil can be difficult and lifting it can also be burdensome. Overly wet or muddy soil might just flow out the bucket attached to the equipment. Sandy and muddy walls can collapse as well while digging that can make the task hard or even impossible to do.
As professional excavators, Utah Excavation is familiar with testing the soil that is going to be dug up in order to understand its composition much better. They also know the correct equipment to bring, how a pit should be braced up, how the soil should be treated to make digging easier and all the rest required ensuring that they won't have a hard time drilling through the dirt.
west jordan excavation
Reduce Risks of Property Damage
Prior to digging on any land, you might be aware of the importance of calling the public utilities and the authorities so they can mark off the places where pipes and lines are buried. But these buried lines are not just the things that can be damaged during excavation projects.
For instance, you might completely forget about the overhead lines as you try to lift the bobcat's bucket or when you move the bobcat with an already elevated bucket. You might even accidentally swing or turn the bobcat or bucket to something nearby. Even an unintentional bumping of exterior walls with a bobcat or any other similar equipment may cause chips on the outside brick, dents on the aluminum siding, snapped decking posts and more.
Experienced operators of excavation equipment might make it jerk backward or forward as they try to move it. In case dirt is already filling up the bucket, the soil might spill and create an enormous mess and damage the things that the dirt will end up covering.
Our professional excavators know the right way of clearing away obstacles from a dig site and will also take extra care as they turn or move. They will also know the right way of operating the equipment efficiently and smoothly to avoid spilled dirt and similar hazards.
A West Jordan excavation company like Utah Excavation will give you the assurance that these problems above won't be a concern once your project officially starts.


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From The Plant Encyclopedia
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|Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)|
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Euonymus alatus, known variously as Winged Spindle, Winged Euonymus or Burning Bush, is a deciduous shrub native to eastern Asia, in central and northern China, Japan, and Korea. The shrub grows to 2.5 m tall (8.2 feet), often wider than tall. The stems are notable for their four corky ridges or "wings." The word alatus (or alata, used formerly) is Latin for winged, in reference to the winged branches. These unique structures develop from a cork cambium deposited in longitudinal grooves in the twigs' first year, unlike similar wings in other plants.Bowen, R. A. 1963. Botanical Gazette 124 (4): 256-261. The leaves are 2-7 cm long and 1-4 cm broad, ovate-elliptic, with an acute apex. The flowers are greenish, borne over a long period in the spring. The fruit is a red aril enclosed by a four-lobed pink, yellow or orange capsule.
The common name "burning bush" comes from the bright red fall color.
It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and parks due to its bright pink or orange fruit and attractive fall color. This plant is an invasive species of woodlands in eastern North America,Swearingen, J., K. Reshetiloff, B. Slattery, and S. Zwicker. (2002). "Winged Burning Bush". Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas. National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. _URL_ and its importation and sale is prohibited in the states of MassachusettsMassachusetts Prohibited Plant List. Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Retrieved on 2009-03-28. and New Hampshire.. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. Retrieved on 2009-08-06.
- Ann Fouler Rhoads and Timothy A. Block. The Plants of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8122-3535-5


Born c. 1170
Died c. 1250 (around age 80)
Nationality Italian
While Greek and Egyptian antiquity along with the Age of Enlightenment were known for producing legendary mathematicians, the Middle Ages was also able to produce some of note. Fibonacci is considered by historians to be among the greatest of all mathematicians during that time period. Thanks to his work and effort, the Hindu–Arabic numeral system was able to be spread throughout Europe.
Fibonacci's Early Years
Fibonacci was born Leonardo Pisano Bigollo sometime in 1170 A.D. The exact date of his birth is not known. He was born into privilege as his father was a wellto- do merchant. His father did a great deal of work in North Africa and young Fibonacci would travel with him. The travels exposed the young man to the Hindu–Arabic numeral system that he later brought to Europe.
Not all of the records associated with the life of Fibonacci are clear and accurate. In fact, there is an alternative biography for the man which states that his father was nothing more than a low-level shipping clerk whose name was Bonaccio. Bonaccio, in Italian, means 'simpleton.' The nickname Fibonacci means 'son of simpleton.' Whether true or not, this nickname is the one Leonardo Pisano Bigollo has become known for throughout time. The nickname is bizarrely ironic since it refers to a lack of intelligence and bestows such a moniker on a brilliant man.
Contributions to Mathematics
Fibonacci did have a very strong love for math and he studied it religiously. He also realized that the Hindu–Arabic numeral system was easier to work with than the cumbersome Roman numeral system. To gain greater insight into the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, Fibonacci traveled throughout the Arabic regions to study from math scholars. The travels he undertook lasted about two years from 1200 to 1202 A.D.
The Liber Abaci
Among the major works he created was the Book of Abacus, or Book of Calculation, which is known as the Liber Abaci. This is among the most important of all texts on the subject of mathematics produced during the Middle Ages. was first published in 1202, which was right after Fibonacci completed his travels in the Arabic world. The work established what he called the Indian method (Arabic numerals) and focused on numbers ranging from 0 to 9 and place value. Also known as positional notation, place value refers to numerical representation and value encoding.
Liber AbaciThe Liber AbaciFibonacci did not advocate this numbering system merely because he personally preferred it. He was an advocate because he truly knew the amazing simplicity of the system made it much more practical to employ. Since he was exposed to merchants, he knew that bookkeeping was critically important to their profession.
To say the Roman numbering system made for extremely complicated and burdensome bookkeeping would be an incredible understatement. The arrival of the Liber Abaci finally offered a viable alternative that may have forever changed the way commerce was to be conducted.
The book also had an intellectual value to it. Mathematics was often rooted in philosophy and critical thinking. The publication of this book did have a tremendous effect on intellectual thought in Europe as it was many years ahead of its time.
Fibonacci's Other Works
Fibonacci also published other works on mathematics including the problem solving book Flos; Practica Geometriae, a work dealing with areas and volume; Liber Quadratorum, which dealt with Diophantine equations; and two lost texts. The lost texts were a commercial arithmetic text Di Minor Guisa and the Commentary on Book X of Euclid's Elements.
The Fibonacci Sequence
The Fibonacci sequence was an equation its namesake had crafted. The sequence centered on a series of numbers where the value of each number in the sequence was equivalent to the value of the two numbers that came before it. An example of this would be 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 and so on. Strangely, Fibonacci developed the sequence after pondering the birth of rabbits over a series of generations.
Fibonacci's Last Years
The details surrounding the passing of the Leonardo Fibonacci are lost to history. We do know the Republic of Pisa honored him with a salary in 1240 and this is where he lived. He passed away sometime between 1240 and 1250.
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Joint WMATA Governance Review Task Force Met With Frustration
How can a task force get input from the public if not enough people show up? Photo by Daquella manera.
How can a task force get input from the public if not enough people are able to show up? Photo by Daquella manera.
This morning's Board of Trade/Council of Governments task force meeting to gain public input on Metro governance and best practices was a disappointment, expressed many participants.
Here are some of the complaints that resonated among most of the 12 speakers who signed up to offer their input to the task force:
Timing: The meeting was held at 9 a.m., when most people need to be at the office. This made it difficult for the task force to get input from a diverse group of D.C. residents, especially workers, students and families who are unable to leave their commitments to attend a 9:00 a.m. meeting on public transit. As a result, only about 20 people from the general public showed up. David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington was the first to point out this incongruity, and other speakers echoed his complaint. Probably largely because of this timing problem, most participants who came to speak were involved in public transit professionally. In addition, there was an unpublicized three-minute time limit for each speaker. Many speakers had carefully prepared observations and suggestions, unaware that they would be limited to three minutes, and did not have a chance to make their points.
Task Force Composition: The composition of the task force represents just one interest group: business. As many speakers pointed out, this prevents the task force from truly representing a broad range of stakeholders in their final recommendations.
Issues Addressed: Most participants pointed to funding – not governance – as the "elephant in the room," saying that an independent review of WMATA governance is merely a distraction from the deeper problem of underfunding. In response, the task force said they hoped to get more input about how governance structure can affect funding in the future.
As far as recommendations are concerned, the most common point was that elected WMATA board members (currently from Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, and D.C.) have consistently shown more accountability to stakeholders and greater transparency in their work than appointed board members (from Maryland).
WMATA board composition: More (or all) elected officials, fewer appointees. This came at a moment when Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell was threatening to withhold $50 million in funding unless he could appoint two of Virginia's four board members. (Many participants expressed concern that the business lobby behind the task force had the ulterior motive of removing elected officials from the WMATA board.) TCRP Report 85 highlights the effectiveness and responsiveness of elected boards for transit agencies, which in turn reinforce the public's trust in the system, creating a virtuous cycle of higher ridership and revenues.
Equal access to information: David Alpert pointed out that all board members must be regular riders in order to understand the issues they control, and that presently, the board chairman has too much control over the information available to the rest of the board, which causes information bottlenecks within the board.
Culture of safety: Metro has had an inordinately high number of safety issues over the past year, and several participants expressed concern about a lacking "culture of safety" within WMATA. Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, emphasized this issue, saying that WMATA must hire a top-notch General Manager who prioritizes a safety culture.
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Insulin injections are no fun for diabetics and they have to be taken as needed by the body, not by the patient's pesonal schedule. This means if you have diabetes, you can't just pre-inject yourself and go worry-free throughout the day. A nanotechnoly developed at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill may end all that thanks to a self-assembling network that can release insulin whenever the patient wants.
The system consists of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles filled with insulin and coated with either negatively or positively charged substances. These stick to each other when mixed, so when injected into the body the solution remains together and when you want some insulin released, you simply hold an ultrasound transducer to the injection site and shake up the substance to release the insulin.
From NC State:
The researchers believe the technique works because the ultrasound waves excite microscopic gas bubbles in the tissue, temporarily disrupting nano-network in the subcutaneous layer of the skin. That disruption pushes the nanoparticles apart, relaxing the electrostatic force being exerted on the insulin in the reservoir. This allows the insulin to begin entering the bloodstream – a process hastened by the effect of the ultrasound waves pushing on the insulin.
"We know this technique works, and we think this is how it works, but we are still trying to determine the precise details," says Dr. Yun Jing, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at NC State and co-corresponding author of the paper.
When the ultrasound is removed, the electrostatic force reasserts itself and pulls the nanoparticles in the nano-network back together. The nanoparticles then diffuse more insulin, refilling the reservoir.
Advanced Healthcare Materials: Ultrasound-Triggered Regulation of Blood Glucose Levels Using Injectable Nano-Network…


Circular Dichroism, software for
J Cort jcort at
Sat Mar 13 18:45:47 EST 1993
In J. Org. Chem 54, 6047-6055 (1989), S. Wilson and W.Cui discuss two
programs they developed which are used to predict CD (Circular Dichroism)
behavior of molecules based on their structure, including molecules with
conformational mobility. The article saya theat these programs were to
be included with a larger package of molecular modeling software called
MODEL. MODEL is said to be the creation of a Dr. Kosta Steliou at the
University of Montreal, and the two CD modules of this package are called
CDexpert and Relate.
I have the following questions:
1. Is MODEL a piece of commercially available software, and if so who
distributes it, or is it in the public domain and if so can it be obtained
by anonymous ftp? Does anyone have any comments regarding this software,
particularly these CD modules?
2. By any chance are the two CD programs available individually, or do they
require input from a program in the MODEL package?
3. Has anyone had any experience using other CD prediction programs or
data processing software (such as the calculation of the relative structural
content--helix, beta-sheet, random coil, etc.--of proteins and peptides
from their CD spectra) which is more-or-less in the public domain? How
about commercial software?
Replies are appreciatied either by e-mail or posting to this group for
information of general interest. Thankyou.
More information about the Bio-soft mailing list


Is Cenote diving for Me?
You are planning a dive trip to the Yucatan Penninsula in Mexico? Then you might have come accross some amazing pictures of the beautiful Cenotes. Once stunned by these pictures you probably want to see it with your own eyes and live the experience.
But this question keeps popping up: is Cenote diving for me?
 - What are Cenotes?
Deep Cave diving in the Cenotes of Yucatan, Mexico
Deep Cave diving in the Cenotes of Yucatan, Mexico
Cenotes are sinkholes distributed all over the Yucatan Peninsula. They are the window to the underwater caves and caverns. And they are one of the main dive attraction in the area and one of the top dive destination in the world.
Those caves are highly decorated with stunning formations such as stalagmites and stalactites which makes them very unique.
Your first Cenote diving experience will probably be a cavern tour. You are not required to have a cave diving certification as you will not be technically entering the cave.
 - What is a cavern dive?
A cavern dive is the exploration of a natural overhead environment while remaining within sight of natural light.
When diving in the Cenotes you will always see natural light and have a sight of a direct way out of the cavern. However do not underestimate safety by thinking it is an easy dive. And here are some thoughts to consider before going for a cavern dive.
 - Will I be swimming in tight places?
Gran Cenote - Cavern diving in Tulum
Gran Cenote – Cavern diving
No you won't!
It is a requirement for all cavern dive in the Cenotes to go through areas where two divers can fit side by side at all time. You will not swim in any tight areas.
Should any problem arrize you will be able to swim side by side with your guide to exit the cavern.
 - Can accidents happen while Cenote diving?
Yes, it can happen…
Your cavern guide should be a qualified divemaster or instructor in teaching status and a certified cave diver. Of course the more experienced the better the guide can react to a bad situation. And the more he/she knows the site, the better he/she can handle the situation.
Cavern diving by the book, is really safe. The conditions are optimal: shallow dives, no current, great visibility, group size limited to 4 divers maximum per guide and all divers should be experienced.
We recommend you to choose carefully your dive operator or guide. And remember the most experienced the guide the better he/she can show you around and yet commit to safety and conservation.
 - Is it dark down there?
Yes it is!
Safety Rules for Cavern diving in the Cenotes
Basic safety rules
Some parts in the Cenotes are very dark and darkness can alter your sense of orientation, and you a feeling you could get lost easily. This is why everyone is diving with a dive light.
Your guide should be carrying all his/her full cave gear that includes a bright and long lasting primary light used for showing you around and for communication as well as 2 back up lights. And yourself should carry at least one dive light.
The waters in the Cenotes are crystal clear, and will stay that way if all divers follow the basic rules: maintain good buoyancy, swim using non silting kicking techniques and follow the guideline.
 - Will I be able to find my way?
Yes, as long as you follow the Guide Lines
Full Cave Diver course - deploy a guideline
Installing a guideline
One of the main safety rule in cavern diving in the Cenotes is referencing the guideline at all time. Your guide will explain how to identify it, how to use it and where to position yourself at all time. The same guideline will show you the way out. You should also be able to rely on your guide to follow them at all time.
We strongly recommend to dive the Cenotes. It is a unique and magical experience. Always make sure you dive well within your limits and remember the golden rule: anyone can call the dive, at any time, for any reason. So, do not hesitate to do so whenever you don't feel comfortable.
When comes the time for you to book your dive tour to the Cenotes, remember that safety is important. Cenote diving is for advanced divers and you should be sharp on your dive skills, so don't hesitate to refresh them by a couple ocean dives before you head for the cenotes.
Enjoy your Cenote dive 🙂
Contact us for some private guiding or personalized group packages: CONTACT
Cenote Kukulkan, cavern dive in the winter morning light
Cenote Kukulkan, cavern dive in the winter morning light


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TAIPEI, TAIWAN -Taiwanese researchers Hui-Mei Chen, Hung-Ming Tu, and Chaang-Iuan Ho published a study in HortScience that explored an array of attitudes toward horticultural activities. The results showed that people engage in gardening and related activities for both psychological and environmental reasons.
The researchers used qualitative and quantitative methods to explore participants' attitudes toward horticultural activities. In the first study, seven themes and several subthemes of attitudes were induced from open-ended interviews with participants. Based on interview results, a questionnaire was designed and a quantitative survey was conducted to identify the dimensions of attitudes toward horticultural activities. The researchers extracted five critical "dimensions of attitudes" toward horticultural activities: increasing positive mood, improving the environment, leisure belief, improving social relationships, and an attitude the researchers label 'escaping'.Respondents rated the dimension of 'increasing positive mood' highest, indicating an emphasis on psychological benefits such as feeling glad, pleased, optimistic, relaxed, tranquil, and comfortable as the essence of their attitudes toward horticultural activities. The researchers also found that that engaging in horticultural activities can provide people opportunities to forget worries, transfer attention, or experience another way of life, or 'escape'. That the respondents rated the dimension of 'escaping' so high emphasizes the importance of the restorative benefits of contact with nature, observed the scientists.
Participants also rated 'improving the environment' as a critical dimension of their attitudes toward horticultural activities. This is a notable change from the well-known Leisure Attitude Scale (LAS), a 1982 model widely used by researchers in the leisure field; the LAS does not include 'improving the environment'.
"To further promote horticultural activity as a form of leisure, it is crucial to first ascertain participants' attitudes about it. Our research shows that horticultural activities are beneficial not only for individuals, but also for the environment", the researchers wrote.
The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.
Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application. More information at ashs.org