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These recommendations were originally prepared for the Health Research Council of NZ to support the assessment of HRC applications using IDI data. They are not part of the formal HRC assessment process.
6 September 2018, Version 1.0
Sheree Gibb1, Andrea Teng1, James Stanley1, Andrew Sporle2, Barry Milne2, Lucy Ashby3, Gabrielle Davie1, Nevil Pierse1, Colin Simpson4, Tony Blakely1, Jeroen Douwes5
- University of Otago
- University of Auckland
- Statistics New Zealand
- University of Victoria Wellington
- Massey University
- Executive summary.
- What is the VHIN?.
- What is the IDI?.
- Benefits of using IDI data.
- Things to look for in applications planning to use IDI data.
- Research Impact.
- Design and methods considerations.
- Practical issues with working in the IDI
- Responsiveness to Māori
- Expertise and track record.
- Further information.
This document is authored by expert members of Virtual Health Information Network (VHIN), and is intended to provide some background information about the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) for HRC assessing committees. It describes the VHIN, the IDI, highlights the benefits of the IDI for health research, and identifies some key elements that reviewers and/or assessing committees might want to know about the IDI when considering proposals that plan to use these data. Well-designed research in the IDI has the potential for high value health research output.
Committees assessing applications (either at full or Expression of Interest stage) that use IDI data will ideally include researchers experienced with the IDI. This document is intended to supplement (not replace) IDI expertise on the assessing committees.
In 2015, with the expansion of health data in the StatsNZ IDI, the VHIN was established to create and sustain an environment that captures value from health data collections and other social and economic data. The VHIN is a network of over two hundred researchers, analysts and other professionals who use health and social data to generate insights that support the health and wellness of all New Zealanders. The network facilitates sharing and collaboration amongst network members in order to enhance health research outputs and improve health service delivery and health outcomes in New Zealand. Funding for the network has come from the Healthier Lives National Science Challenge, Health Promotion Agency, University of Auckland, Massey University and University of Otago. The VHIN is led by an Executive comprising University, Māori, Ministry of Health, and Statistics New Zealand stakeholders (VHIN Executive). Further information available at: _URL_
The IDI is a large research database through which national health datasets are linked, using deterministic and probabilistic methods, to other government administrative data, survey data, census data and some NGO data. The IDI is managed by StatsNZ (formerly Statistics NZ) and protected under the 'five safes framework' where access is only allowed for trusted researchers and approved projects that are for the public good. Adding in data to the IDI is probably one of the highest priority areas to improve research quality in the IDI, especially if that data can be used for further research projects that follow. Further information on data available in the IDI is available here: _URL_
Benefits of using IDI data
Over the last few years there has been increasing interest from health researchers in using IDI data. The linking of whole population data across different sectors opens up avenues of research that were difficult or impossible previously. Many of the benefits of using the IDI are similar to the benefits of research using linked administrative health data (like the National Minimum Data Set of hospital discharges) with the addition of datasets from multiple agencies. Some of the major advantages of IDI data for health research include:
- Linking information across sectors. Many national health datasets are now linked to national longitudinal data on education, social service use, justice, income, housing, census, border movements, and several StatsNZ surveys.
- Whole population data analysis. Many datasets in the IDI have national coverage and contain service use data for the whole population of New Zealand. The large sample sizes allow for analysis of small groups and rare events in ways that are not possible in projects that are dependent on primary collection of new data for that study (including surveys and other observational studies).
- Longitudinal data. Many of the datasets in IDI have a natural longitudinal structure, allowing researchers to follow cohorts of individuals over time.
- No recall bias. Administrative data eliminates the risk of recall bias, which is a problem when reliant on self-reports of service use (e.g. hospitalisation or pharmaceutical dispensing).
- Linking children and mothers. Using birth records in IDI it is possible to link (New Zealand born) children to their mothers. This provides information about a child's early environment (including during gestation).
- Security and confidentiality of the underlying data are carefully considered and are managed by an experienced agency (StatsNZ).
Overall, the IDI is an important potential tool in health research and just like any other scientific tool knowledge and previous experience is the key factor for quality research. This section contains some suggested points to consider when assessing projects that plan to use IDI data.
There is a StatsNZ expectation that IDI users will share their code on the IDI Wiki (a Wiki-based platform for sharing information that is accessible to users with the StatsNZ Datalab system), and also externally to the Datalab (eg on the Virtual Health Information Network website). Transparency, code sharing and community building will support future IDI users in answering their research questions in a manner consistent with the public good requirements of StatsNZ data access.
Projects that will contribute to understanding the quality of IDI data are especially valuable. Information about data quality can be shared via IDI User forums, and through organisations like the Virtual Health Information Network.
It is a StatsNZ requirement that research from the IDI is published, and also made available to StatsNZ to share on their online research database. This is to maintain transparency and trust about how the IDI is being used, and so future researchers can see how they could use the IDI for their work.
Reviewers should be confident that the researchers understand the following study design issues. Many of these concerns are common to studies that (a) use administrative datasets, like the Ministry of Health's national collections; or (b) are reliant on secondary analysis of other existing datasets (e.g. analysis of data collected for longitudinal studies like the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Study, or Growing Up in New Zealand).
- A description of the datasets and variables that the study plans to use: Some datasets have good metadata available; others not so. Discussion of the project with key dataset providers is recommended to identify strengths and weaknesses of the data researchers plan to use.
- What time periods are available for analysis: Some datasets have a short time series as data is not available across the entire IDI time-frame and this will reduce follow-up length and sample size.
- How the study population will be defined: There is an estimated resident population that may be useful for identifying the general population. Other projects may select a population based on who accessed a particular service.
- How comparison/denominator populations will be defined: This includes either appropriate identification of a comparison group (e.g. unexposed people in a cohort study type design) or the appropriate population denominator (e.g. all people with a particular [health condition] or the StatsNZ supplied estimated resident population).
- How much missing data is expected and how it will be managed: Not all variables are available for all people in IDI. Many variables are incomplete or have missing values due to missing data in the source records, or incomplete linkage between different agency datasets.
- Approach to linkage bias: False positive and false negative linkages may bias study results, and furthermore linkage rates may differ between study groups. It is important researchers understand how their study datasets are linked together, ie probabilistically via the IDI spine. Further information on the IDI spine and linkage rates can be found here; _URL_
- Most of the health data in the IDI is originates from health service use data. Consequently the IDI only contains information about health conditions/states/injuries where people have engaged with and been recorded by health services. Information about health states or events that have not engaged with services is missing from the IDI. As such, careful interpretation is needed of time trends, sub-group differences, and associations between variables. For example, if an increase in the use of mental health medications is found, it is unclear whether this is because more people have mental problems, or more people with problems are seeking treatment. Similarly, ethnic differences could be due to ethnic differences in prevalence, or service barriers between ethnic groups; and association between putative risk factors and disease/disorder (as defined by service use) may be biased by the factors influencing service use.
- Researchers will need access to a secure Datalab. Researchers in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch can access StatsNZ Datalabs. Researchers in other places may be able to use an institutional Datalab (for example, at various government agencies in Wellington, and at the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, University of Waikato, University of Otago Wellington, University of Otago Dunedin, and Massey University, Wellington). Researchers should indicate how they are planning to access a Datalab. It is possible to set up a new Datalab but this is a long process and is subject to StatsNZ approval.
- If researchers


The German government is not in favour of allowing its former federal intelligence chief to publish his book, citing multiple reasons for blocking publication.
Germany is likely to ban the upcoming memoir written by former president of its foreign intelligence service Gerhard Schindler, according to an investigative report published by a government-run news website, Tagesschau.
The decision was reportedly made by the Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt), which is headed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
For the government, the book conflicts with the interests of Germany's intelligence services and sets the wrong precedent for other former spies to share their own experiences in the field, which can potentially impact the country's foreign policy.
Although the government maintains that Schindler's memoirs do not contain any state secrets, after nearly two years of examining the book, the Merkel administration refused to approve it for publication, keeping it under lock and key.
According to Tagesschau, the book carries some interesting insights into Schindler's time as the head of Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), the federal intelligence service. There are passages revealing how the German government had a meeting between Schindler and the Pakistani secret service ISI cancelled. And how he was happy to hand over gifts to leaders and influential people from the Arab states, gifts like small daggers forged from the steel of the Tirpitz, a battleship sunk during World War II.
The Merkel administration sees Schindler's memoirs as "a clear violation" of secrecy. It also fears, as per Tagesschau, that if Schindler's account is allowed to be made public, the other former domestic spy chief Hans-Georg Maassen, who was sacked from his job in November 2018, will feel emboldened to write his own book and use it as a political tool, since he has joined active politics.
Tagesschau's investigation is largely based on one source in the Merkel administration, who apparently has had access to the book's contents. The Federal Chancellery, headed by Merkel, criticised Shindler for giving away too much information about the inner working of the German intelligence agency, including "its methodology, and (foreign intelligence services), organisation and decision-making processes". The government has commented on the manuscript, highlighting some of the passages describing Schindler's meetings with other intelligence officers, while deleting other contentious parts.
The Chancellor's Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior are also said to have considered issuing a decree banning such publications from official life. In the end, it was decided that the practice can continue but only after a proper vetting.
Schindler's memoir was under the government's review for over two years. In August 2018, he formally asked Merkel-led Chancellery to have his book draft examined. First, it had to go through the BND to ensure there were no possible breaches of secrecy. Subsequently, the Chancellor's Office went through Schindler's manuscript under the criteria of the Civil Service Act and the confidentiality obligations anchored therein. By November 2019, the examination in the Chancellor's Office was completed. The results were reported to the former head of the BND in mid-December.
According to this information, Schindler himself then suggested to the Chancellor's Office that he would revise his book and present a more "strategic" work. Since the revised version is not yet available, the examination procedure continues.
According to media reports, the former head of the BND himself did not want to comment on the matter. "Oh, please, I don't want to comment," he said on the phone.
Schindler headed the BND from 2011 until his dismissal in June 2016. Against Schindler's will, the German Chancellery ordered him to take temporary retirement over the controversy that linked him with the worldwide data snooping by the US National Security Agency and his own bugging campaigns against friendly states.
Source: TRT World


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During January, its first month of operations, Knox Company accumulated the following manufacturing costs: raw materials $4000 on account, factory labor $6000 of which $5200 relates to factory wages payable and $800 relates to payroll taxes payable and utilities payable $2000. Prepare journal entries for each type of manufacturing cost.
In January, Knox Company requisitions raw materials for production as follows: job 1 $900, job 2 $1400, job 3 $700, and general factory use $600. Prepare a summary journal entry to record raw materials used.
Recently Asked Questions
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- Consider a local market for strawberries in California and assume that the supply and demand functions are given by Qd = 15 − 9p Qs = 5 + p. Due to the

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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||This article has an unclear citation style. (May 2010)|
In engineering, electromechanics combines electrical and mechanical processes and procedures drawn from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Electrical engineering in this context also encompasses electronics engineering.
Devices which carry out electrical operations by using moving parts are known as electromechanical. Strictly speaking, a manually operated switch is an electromechanical component, but the term is usually understood to refer to devices such as relays, which allow a voltage or current to control other, isolated voltages and currents by mechanically switching sets of contacts, solenoids, by which a voltage can actuate a moving linkage, vibrators, which convert DC to AC with vibrating sets of contacts, etc.
Before the development of modern electronics, electromechanical devices were widely used in complicated systems subsystems, including electric typewriters, teletypes, very early television systems, and the very early electromechanical digital computers.
History of electromechanics
The Strowger switch, the Panel switch, and similar ones were widely used in early automated telephone exchanges. Crossbar switches were first widely installed in the middle 20th century in Sweden, the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, and these quickly spread to the rest of the world - especially to Japan. The electromechanical television systems of the late 19th century were less successful.
Electric typewriters developed, up to the 1980s, as "power-assisted typewriters". They contained a single electrical component, the motor. Where the keystroke had previously moved a typebar directly, now it engaged mechanical linkages that directed mechanical power from the motor into the typebar. This was also true of the later IBM Selectric. At Bell Labs, in the 1940s, the Bell Model V computer was developed. It was an electromechanical relay-based device; cycles took seconds. In 1968 electromechanical systems were still under serious consideration for an aircraft flight control computer, until a device based on large scale integration electronics was adopted in the Central Air Data Computer.
Modern practice
Beginning in the last third of the century, much equipment which for most of the 20th century would have used electromechanical devices for control, has come to use less expensive and more reliable integrated microcontroller circuits containing ultimately a few million transistors, and a program to carry out the same task through logic, with electromechanical components only where moving parts, such as mechanical electric actuators, are a requirement. Such chips have replaced most electromechanical devices, are used in most simple feedback control systems, and appear in huge numbers in everything from traffic lights to washing machines.
See also
- Adding machine
- Automatic transmission system
- Electric power conversion
- Electricity meter
- Enigma machine
- Kerrison Predictor
- Power engineering
- SAW filter
- Stepping switch
- Solenoid valve
- Torpedo Data Computer
- Unit record equipment
- Davim, J. Paulo, editor (2011) Mechatronics, John Wiley & Sons ISBN 978-1-84821-308-1.
- Furlani, Edward P. (August 15, 2001). Permanent Magnet and Electromechanical Devices: Materials, Analysis and Applications. Academic Press Series in Electromagnetism. San Diego: Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-269951-3. OCLC 47726317.
- Krause, Paul C.; Wasynczuk, Oleg (1989). Electromechanical Motion Devices. McGraw-Hill Series in Electrical and Computer Engineering. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-035494-4. OCLC _PHONE_.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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The Saints: St. David of Wales
c. 520 - 589 / Feast - March 1
Known in Welsh as Dewi, this abbot-bishop is the patron of Wales. According to legend, he was born to a Cardigan chieftan and St. Non, and founded 12 monasteries. Community life was austere, with monks doing manual labor, speaking only when necessary, eating bread and vegetables and drinking water. David's nickname was "man of water." He participated in two Welsh councils, was recognized as primate of Wales and moved the see to Mynyw. His story comes entirely from a single biography written in 1090.


Artificial Intelligence in Human Resources Management: Challenges and a Path Forward
We consider the gap between the promise and reality of artificial intelligence in human resource management and suggest how progress might be made. We identify four challenges in using data science techniques for HR tasks: 1) complexity of HR phenomena, 2) constraints imposed by small data sets, 3) accountability questions associated with fairness and other ethical and legal constraints, and 4) possible adverse employee reactions to management decisions via data-based algorithms. We propose practical responses to these challenges and converge on three overlapping principles - causal reasoning, randomization and experiments, and employee contribution—that could be both economically efficient and socially appropriate for using data science in the management of employees.


Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the site chosen to build the garden?
As the geographical formation of the terrain and the rocks made it ideal to replicate the landscape of Japan, in particular the existence of two rocks at the top of the hill, these large rocks are called Yogoseike and Shugoseike.
Why are the hedges pruned and shaped the way they are?
They are pruned and shaped to represent the rolling hills of Japan. The landscape design includes trimmed hedges and pine trees which are symbolic of the hills, reaching from the mountains to the ocean.
Why does the garden design include so many rocks?
Rocks formed an integral part of the first Japanese Landscape Garden
Why are the buildings designed without gutters?
In order to prevent the build up of snow on the roof.
What is the purpose of the white raked stones?
This is what is known as a Japanese rock garden ( karesansui) or "dry landscape" garden, often called a Zen garden. It is the creation of a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks and uses gravel that is raked to represent ripples in water.
These Zen gardens existed in Japan at least since the Heian Period (_PHONE_).
How is the movable cultural heritage items in the Cultural Centre maintained?
All of the 300 movable cultural heritage items in the Cultural Centre are maintained by the staff.
Who designed the garden?
In 1977 world renowned architect Ken Nakajima was commissioned to design the garden. Mr. Nakajima was selected because of his work throughout the world designing Japanese gardens in Montreal, San Diego, Moscow and Houston. His company Consolidated Garden Research Inc. of Japan had a reputation second to none in all corners of the globe.
The design of the garden is a copy of the first Japanese landscape garden (Strolling garden) built by the first Shogun Tokugawa in the 16th century A.D, the Edo period of Japan in what is now called Tokyo (Edo).
What is the roof on the Cultural Centre made from?
The roofing material was originally hardwood shingles however that was replaced with Japanese clay tiles in 2019/2020.
How often are lectures on Landscape design, the built form design of Japanese Architecture and the movable cultural heritage contained within the Cultural Centre conducts?
Lectures are carried out throughout the year subject to availability of the lecturer's (refer to Events page)
What is the main reason for the large bath (FURO) in the EDO cottage?
Generally Japanese bathrooms are quite small compared to western standards, so the bathroom is set up much like a walk-in shower area but containing the furo. The water is hot, usually approximately 38 to 42 degrees Celsius.
How often are Japanese Crafts performed at the garden?
At various times throughout the year (refer to Events page)
When is the best time to visit the garden?
Any time of year is a good time to visit the Cowra Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre. Japanese gardens are created with imagination and designed to display nature's beauty in all seasons.
Spring is the time for fresh greenery and subtle blossoms. Cherry blossoms appear in late September/Early October, while late spring flowers include azalea, camellia, and wisteria.
Summer's sunlit shades of green yield an unbroken, calming visual experience.
The vibrant colors of autumn are a popular visiting time. Autumn is a celebration of nature's gift of life in the past year, and a transition to the peacefulness of winter.
Winter reveals the pure essence of the garden, when all has been stripped away to expose its fundamental structure, spirit, and quiet beauty.
How often is the tea ceremony (Chadothe way of tea) performed?
These are performed by Kumiko Suzuki at various intervals throughout the year (refer to Events page).
Who designed the Japanese building throughout the garden?
These building were designed by world renowned Japanese architects Takeo Adachi and Tatsushi Aono.


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Leaving home to start your education in the United States is a major life change. The more you prepare for leaving, the easier your adjustment will be. However, CSM will provide you with any assistance you may need once you arrive.
When you first arrive in the U.S., you will need to have some essential items for your first few weeks. Here is what we suggest you bring:
- A small amount of cash in U.S. dollars to purchase items such as snacks, drinks, and transportation fare. When you arrive, we will give you information on how to open a bank account using cash, money orders, or travelers checks.
- A variety of clothing that will be comfortable during the day when it may be hot but also warm clothing for cold nights. San Mateo has an average high temperature of 77° Fahrenheit/25° Celsius from April—September, and 63°Fahrenheit/17° Celsius from October—March with over 160 sunny days.
- A few toiletries and personal hygiene items such as soap, contact lens solution, and deodorant for your first few days. Once you find out where you can purchase these items, you can buy more.
- A few items from home that will make you feel good when you are homesick. Some students bring photos, cultural items, and music or DVDs.
When moving to any new area you can expect a time of adjustment. Culture shock is defined as the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration. There tend to be four phases to culture shock. It is important to remember that even when you might be feeling lonely or frustrated that this will pass into another phase of your experience!
- Honeymoon: You're very excited about your new experience.
- Culture shock: You start to miss home and question why things are not like they are back home.
- Adjustment: You begin to feel better and start appreciating your new environment.
- Mastery: You appreciate your new home and may also excel in personal achievements.


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Ultrasound Imaging Possible with Smartphone
|Associate Professor William D. Richard (left) takes an ultrasound probe of colleague David Zar's carotid artery with a low-power imaging device he designed. (Photo: David Kilper)
Computer engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are bringing the minimalist approach to medical care and computing. They are coupling USB-based ultrasound probe technology with a smartphone, enabling a compact, mobile computational platform and a medical imaging device that fits in the palm of a hand. This device will alter both medicine and global computer use.
These smartphone-compatible USB ultrasound probes can image the kidney, liver, bladder, and eyes; endocavity probes can be used for prostate and uterine screenings and biopsies; and vascular probes can image veins and arteries for starting IVs and central lines.
|This portable ultrasound probe technology, manufactured by Interson Corporation, can be used by doctors in remote areas of the developing world. (Photo: Courtesy World Mission Possible)
"You can carry around a probe and cell phone and image on the fly now," says William D. Richard, associate professor in computer science and engineering at the School of Engineering & Applied Science. "Imagine having these smartphones in ambulances and emergency rooms. On a larger scale, this kind of cell phone is a complete computer that runs Windows. It could become the essential computer of the developing world, where trained medical personnel are scarce, but most of the population, as much as 90 percent, has access to a cell phone tower."
Richard and David Zar, research associate in computer
science and engineering, worked on the device. Zar wrote the phone software and firmware for the probes; Richard came up with the low-power probe electronics design.
"Twenty-first century medicine is defined by medical imaging," says Zar. "Yet 70 percent of the world's population has no access to medical imaging. It's hard to take an MRI or CT scanner to a rural community without power."
Further visions for the product include training people in remote areas of the developing world on the basics of gathering data with the phones. They then could send the data to a centralized unit across the globe, where specialists could analyze the images and make diagnoses, says Zar.
Autism Risk Factors Investigated
Autism researchers at the School of Medicine are joining other scientists to image the brains of infants and attempt to identify anatomical and behavioral changes that may be linked to the onset of autism.
The $10 million, NIH-funded Infant Brain Imaging Study allows investigators to analyze early brain development in children at risk for autism spectrum disorders by virtue of having an autistic sibling.
"We're recruiting infants as young as possible—even during the mother's pregnancy—for interviews and screenings, and then they come to see us for brief testing and to have MRI scans at six months," says Kelly N. Botteron, associate professor of psychiatry, principal investigator at the Washington University study site, and a child psychiatrist at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
At the University, researchers are using MRI imaging to get a very detailed look at the brain's anatomy. The investigators also perform what's called resting-state, functional MRI imaging, which provides information about how the various structures in the brain connect to one another while the baby is resting. A third imaging technique, called diffusion tensor imaging, allows Botteron's team to analyze characteristics of the brain's gray matter and white matter.
The five-year study will allow researchers to follow the infants over time to identify which infants develop autism and whether the brain scans can help predict that risk.
Mediation Team Takes Second in Nationals
The ABA Representation in Mediation Team
at the School of Law won second place at
the 2009 national competition. The team is among a growing number of Washington University Law teams with success stories
this year at the regional, national, and
Having won the regional round of the competition in New York City, team members Gordon Spring and Sadena Thevarajah advanced to nationals. The team took second place, after a narrow defeat (one point) by the University of Richmond. Other members are Kalila Jackson and Nate Stein (regional competitors), and McCall Carter, Marc Goldstein, and Douglas Peterson. The team is coached by Mike Geigerman, adjunct professor and managing director and mediator of the U.S. Arbitration & Mediation Midwest, and C.J. Larkin, senior lecturer and administrative director of the Alternative Dispute Resolution program at the law school.
An unprecedented number of schools participated in the ABA Representation in Mediation Competition this year with 104 teams represented by 57 law schools. The competition
requires each team to participate in a mock mediation, with one student playing the role of client and the other acting as the attorney for the client.
|(AP Photos/Riccardo De Luca)
Professor Emerita, Nobel Laureate Turns 100
Rita Levi-Montalcini, Washington University professor emerita of biology and Nobel Prize winner, turned 100 on April 22, 2009, making her the oldest living Nobel laureate and the first to reach her centenary.
Famous for her groundbreaking discovery of growth factors that further impacted understanding of diseases such as cancer, birth defects, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, Levi-Montalcini is an acting member of the Italian Senate, where she became a senator for life in 2001.
WUSTL Graduate Programs Rank in
Twenty WUSTL schools, departments, and academic areas at the graduate and professional levels currently hold top-10 rankings in U.S. News & World Report's 2009 rankings of graduate and professional programs.
- The School of Medicine is tied for No. 3 among research-oriented medical schools. Within the School, the Internal Medicine program ranks No. 6, and the Pediatrics program is tied for No. 8.
- The Department of Biomedical
Engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science is tied for No. 10.
- The Olin Business School's MBA program is tied for No. 22.
- The departments of Political Science and of Psychology, both in Arts & Sciences, are tied for No. 13 in their areas. Both departments have specialties that rank among the top 10—political methodology ranks No. 7, and cognitive psychology ranks No. 9.
- The School of Law ranks No. 19. The Trial and Advocacy program is tied for No. 4, and the Clinical Affairs program ranks No. 5.
Many other University programs rank in U.S. News' top 25. The complete list of rankings is available at usnews.com.
Spring Athletics at a Glance
2:23:57 Time it took Zac Freudenburg, a doctoral candidate at Washington University, to break the course record at the GO! St. Louis marathon on April 19, 2009. Despite muddy course conditions and intermittent rain, he eclipsed the former record set the previous year by almost a minute.
19 Number of consecutive wins by the men's tennis team in 2009, a school record. The defending national champions made their third-straight appearance in the NCAA quarterfinal round and finished fourth in 2009.
5 Final ranking of the women's outdoor track and field team in the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This was the team's highest finish ever.
2 Number of times Roger Follmer, head coach for men's tennis, was named the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year (2006 and 2009).
.373 Career batting average of Zander Lehmann of the men's baseball team. Lehmann was selected to the 2009 ESPN the Magazine Baseball Academic All-America First-Team. He is the first student-athlete in University history to earn the honor in baseball.
(Photo: David Kilper)
Olin Donates to Military Women
On March 27, 2009, members of the Olin Business School community organized care packages for the
University's special collection for military women.
Earlier that month, the care package group, which sends donated items to U.S. troops serving overseas, asked the Washington University community to donate objects requested by female soldiers serving in Iraq, such as brightly colored towels, fuzzy socks, and lights. The group collected 549 pounds of donations for its largest mailing yet.
Experience Corps Tutors Improve Reading Skills
Tutoring children in and after school isn't new, but how much does it really help in critical areas like reading? Rigorous new research from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University shows significant gains from a national service program that trains experienced Americans to help low-income children one-on-one in urban public schools.
Over a single school year, students working with Experience Corps tutors made over 60 percent more progress in learning two critical reading skills—sounding out new words and reading comprehension—than similar students not served by the program.
Researchers at the University conducted a study of Experience Corps, a national program that engages Americans over 55 in helping struggling students to learn to read, to assess its effectiveness. The two-year, $2 million study, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies, is one of the largest of its kind, involving more than 800 first-, second-, and third-graders (half with Experience Corps tutors, half without) at 23 elementary schools in three cities.
"The difference in reading ability between kids who worked with Experience Corps tutors and those who did not is substantial and statistically significant," says Nancy Morrow-Howell, the lead researcher and the Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work at the Brown School.
In addition to the educational and social benefit received by the students, studies by researchers at Washington University and Johns Hopkins University have shown that working with young students improves the health and well-being of the adults themselves.
"


Tag Archives: focus
Six tips for centering yourself in a noisy world
I went to my business coach's self-improvement seminar a few months ago, and picked up some great advice for improving daily habits. Here are six tips I gathered for improving your concentration, gaining focus and centering yourself in a noisy world. Enjoy!
 - Do some form of meditation at least 15 mins., and some form of exercises, daily. If she cannot meditate, Trine bows 108 times, a Buddhist focusing technique.
 - Anastasia does 2-10 minutes of deep breathing when she has busy thoughts.
 - Schedule time to drink water every few hours, such as at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, etc.
 - Come up with three positive self-affirmations, and say them to yourself daily when you get up.
 - Decide on three primary goals you want to accomplished today, and do as many as you can. Carry over any undone ones for tomorrow.
 - Create artificial deadlines when you have unspecified completion goals, and keep them.
To find out more, go here:
Trine Jensen, Success On My Own Terms
Anastasia Chopelas, Diamond Healing Radio


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Agrofavela is a project that cultivates selfsustainable ecosystems in the slum community of Vidigal focused on organic agriculture, nutritional education, and health. This initiative will help boost the local economy with green jobs, disrupt current pesticide filled food supply chains and improve the quality of life of local residents. Brazil today is one of the most voracious consumers of pesticides and is the largest user in the developing world, This puts low income families at a significant risk of being exposed to dangerous chemicals that cause severe disease and lower immunity
HOW IT WORKS
- Provide vulnerable favela residents recovering from the COVID-19 crisis with access to high quality, organic fruits and vegetables.
- Educate favela residents about health, nutrition, gastronomy, agriculture, and waste management.
- Generate revenue for local organic farmers in the periphery of the city
- Form new urban agricultural hubs in favela communities to create jobs, increase supply of available organic goods, and promote sustainability.
Module 1- From survival to sustainability
- Environmental Conservation
- Why eat organic?
- Reuse and Recycling
- Garbage: What is it, how to separate and how to reuse it?
Module 2- What is "to be healthy"?
- What is diet?
- Healthy eating
- What can't be missing on the plate?
Module 3- Sharing spaceRelationship with microorganisms: benefits and harms
- Food hygiene
- Why does food spoil?
- Intestinal microbiota, the bacteria that save our lives.
- Live foods


What would you use a pressure-sensitive keyboard for?
This prototype keyboard from Microsoft might change keyboards as we know them. Or it might go over like a Segway running Vista. It all depends on the answer to this question: Is a pressure-sensitive keyboard useful?
The video above demonstrates the potential of the technology, showing practical uses like pushing harder on a key in a game to make a character run faster. It can also use the amount of force to determine whether you want to write in lower case or all-caps. My favorite: How hard you hit the Delete key determines whether you want to delete a character or a word. Presumably slamming it as hard as you can will wipe your entire drive.
Whether or not that sounds sexy to you, the idea is much closer to reality than most concepts for a few reasons: 1) A working prototype exists. 2) This is Microsoft. 3) The keyboard uses existing tech, with rubber domes underneath every key pushing three flexible membranes. Because of the design, the harder you push, the greater the area of electrical contact, which can be easily measured.
Want one of these? What would you use it for? Let us — and Microsoft — know in the comments, and look below for pictures of the prototype.
UIST 2009 Student Innovation Contest, via YouTube


Imagine you are receiving a message over and over via a lossy data path. The path causes bit errors but does not affect the length of the message (or shift any bits). You don't know the actual message but you will get many copies of it so you can reconstruct it (e.g. with a median filter). You want to estimate the error rate of the channel by observing the sequence of messages.
I solved this problem a while ago by "learning" the expected message and counting errors as $\text{population}(\text{learned} \oplus \text{current})$. Today it struck me that the learning component may be unnecessary: For low error rates you could approximate the rate as $\frac{\text{population}(\text{previous} \oplus \text{current})}{2}$. That is effectively measuring the previous frame against the current and vice versa simultaneously. At low error rates half of the errors can be expected to be due to $\text{previous}$ and half due to $\text{current}$.
My assumption about the independence of the errors in $\text{previous}$ and $\text{current}$ breaks down as the error rate increases and repeated errors become more likely. How does the actual error rate impact the rate given by my estimation?
 - $\begingroup$ Can you explain the definition of your notation please? It sounds like you're discussing something a little related to a well-known result but your notation is unfamiliar to me (and I expect to most people here), so I can't be sure what you're actually saying. $\endgroup$ – Glen_b Aug 17 '13 at 21:10
 - $\begingroup$ Messages are sequences of bits. The XOR operation $\oplus$ is 1 where bits differ and 0 where they are the same. The population of a set of bits is the count of 1 bits. $\endgroup$ – Ben Jackson Aug 17 '13 at 22:05
 - $\begingroup$ Thanks; useful. Actually, I knew what a XOR was, I just didn't know that's what the $\oplus$ symbol was in this case (it has a variety of possible meanings). What does the operator "$\text{population}(.)$ do? $\endgroup$ – Glen_b Aug 17 '13 at 22:29
 - $\begingroup$ The population of a set of bits is the count of 1 bits. Also "popcnt" and the bitwise Hamming weight. Lots of applications in Chess AI programming have explored population count algorithms. $\endgroup$ – Ben Jackson Aug 17 '13 at 22:38
 - $\begingroup$ Oh, okay. I now understand that you had already answered that, but I didn't understand the explanation before because the word population means something utterly different to us here, and I misunderstood what you were even saying the first time (that is, this: 'The population of a set of bits is the count of 1 bits' didn't mean to me what you hoped it did. I got it now.) $\endgroup$ – Glen_b Aug 17 '13 at 22:42
I believe I now follow enough to understand that your alternative estimate is wrong, because if the two messages are independent (in the probability sense), then the expected number of observed differences in two messages won't be twice the expected difference between the learned message and the current one.
It won't even be twice the expected difference between the actual message and the current one.
That's because both the current and previous message can flip the same bit. You have to subtract that off the sum.
If we assume that the probability that a bit gets flipped is always $p$ (here $p$ is a population - in the statistical sense - parameter) and all flips are mutually independent, then the expected probability two corresponding bits differ between two messages is
\begin{eqnarray} P(\text{two messages disagree on a given bit}) &=& 1-P(\text{two messages agree there}) \\ &=& 1- P(\text{both unflipped or both flipped}) \\ &=& 1-[(1-p)^2 + p^2] \\ &=& 1-[1 - 2p +2p^2]\\ &=& 2p-2p^2 \end{eqnarray}
So you have to solve a quadratic: $2p^2 - 2p +q = 0$
which implies that $p = \frac{1}{2} \pm \sqrt{\frac{1}{4}-\frac{q}{2}}$.
Your question implies the error rate is low. If you know it's below 0.5, you take the smaller answer:
$p = \frac{1}{2} - \sqrt{\frac{1}{4}-\frac{q}{2}}$
bit error / message difference relationship
That in turn suggests the MLE
$\hat p = \frac{1}{2} - \sqrt{\frac{1}{4}-\frac{\hat q}{2}}$
Let me see if I can translate that into your terms:
$\frac{1}{2}-\sqrt{\frac{1}{4}-\frac{\text{population}(\text{previous} \oplus \text{current})}{2\text{size}(\text{current})}}$
is the estimate of the per bit error rate. You'd then multiply the whole expression by $\text{size}(\text{current})$ to estimate $\text{population}(\text{actual} \oplus \text{current})$.
Incidentally, it should be possible to put standard errors on/give confidence intervals for the various estimates of quantities if you need them. (As $q$ gets anywhere twoard 0.5, the uncertainty in $p$ grows rapidly.)
 - $\begingroup$ Your first three paragraphs accurately reflect the flaw I perceive and tried to describe in my question. The remainder of your answer takes the form I'd expect (higher $p$ makes the estimate worse) but I'll have to study it to understand what you're saying. $\endgroup$ – Ben Jackson Aug 17 '13 at 23:06
 - $\begingroup$ I believe your translation is exactly what I was looking for! Better, even, because I assumed that higher $p$ would describe an increasingly poor error bound for the estimate. I didn't expect it could "feed back" and be used to correct the estimate. $\endgroup$ – Ben Jackson Aug 17 '13 at 23:13
 - $\begingroup$ Thanks for the attempted edit. It didn't work because I was already editing the answer to include the plot (which took longer than it ought for me to get right), but I had noticed the problem already. $\endgroup$ – Glen_b Aug 17 '13 at 23:27
Your Answer


text:
Keywords: bioceramics, irradiation, surface modification
Summary:Synthesis of nano-HAp by various routes such as sol-gel, microwave and hydrothermal, will be discussed. The method of preparation of the samples influenced the bioactivity in a significant way. The surface roughness and wettability properties of the HAP incorporated composites were enhanced when compared to the pristine samples. Some of the fabricated composites exhibited better stability, mechanical property and haemocompatibility and hence could be used as a composite for tissue engineering and drug delivery. The nitrogen implantation significantly enhanced permittivity, ac conductivity, photoluminescence and pore size. In addition, discussion on the irradiation studies using swift heavy ions on HAp will be presented. The surface was modified in most of the cases leading to considerable changes in surface properties. The ion implantation/irradiation could be used to modify the surface and tailor the properties to fabricate multifunctional materials.


text:
United Nations Operation in Somalia I
||This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2008)|
United Nations Operation in Somalia I (UNOSOM I) was the first part of a United Nations (UN) sponsored effort to provide, facilitate, and secure humanitarian relief in Somalia, as well as to monitor the first UN-brokered ceasefire of the Somali Civil War conflict in the early 1990s.
The operation was established in April 1992 and ran until its duties were assumed by the UNITAF mission in December 1992. Following the dissolution of UNITAF in May 1993, the subsequent UN mission in Somalia was known as UNOSOM II.
Following the eruption and escalation of the civil war in Somalia in 1991, the UN and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) strived to abate the suffering that was caused as a result of the high-intensity conflict. Of the Somali population of 4.5 million people, over half were in severe danger of starvation and malnutrition-related disease, mostly in the drought-stricken rural areas.
Another 1.5 million were judged at moderate risk of malnutrition. Three hundred thousand people died outright in the early months of 1992 and another million fled the country as refugees.
The UN was engaged in Somalia from early in 1991 when the civil strife began. UN personnel were withdrawn on several occasions during sporadic flare-ups of violence. A series of Security Council resolutions (733, 746) and diplomatic visits eventually helped impose a ceasefire between the two key factions, signed at the end of March 1992. These efforts were aided by other international bodies, such as the Organisation for African Unity, the League of Arab States and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
Creation of UNOSOM I
The UN, with the active support of all rebel faction leaders, felt that some sort of peackeeping force would be required to uphold the ceasefire and assist the humanitarian relief effort, in conjunction with other relief agencies and NGOs. By the end of April 1992, the Security Council adopted Resolution 751.
This provided for the establishment of a security force of 50 UN troops in Somalia to monitor the ceasefire. This detachment would be known as the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM) and it existed at the consent of those parties who had been represented in the ceasefire.
The resolution also allowed for an expansion of the security force, with a number of around 500 troops initially discussed. The first group of ceasefire observers arrived in Mogadishu in early July 1992.
Ineffectiveness of UNOSOM I
Despite the UN's efforts, all over Somalia the ceasefire was ignored, fighting continued, and continued to increase, putting the relief operations at great risk. The main parties to the ceasefire, General Mohamed Farrah Aidid and "President" Ali Mahdi Muhammad, once again showing the difficult and troubled relations between the warlords, proved to be difficult negotiating partners and continually frustrated attempts to move the peacekeepers and supplies.
In August 1992 the Security Council endorsed sending of another 3,000 troops to the region to protect relief efforts. However, most of these troops were never sent.
Over the final quarter of 1992, the situation in Somalia continued to get worse. Factions in Somalia were splintering into smaller factions and splintering again. Agreements for food distribution with one party were worthless when the stores had to be shipped through the territory of another.
Some elements were actively opposing the UNOSOM intervention. Troops were shot at, aid ships attacked and prevented from docking, cargo aircraft were fired upon and aid agencies, public and private, were subject to threats, robbery and extortion. Meanwhile, hundreds, if not thousands of poverty stricken refugees were starving to death every day.
By November 1992, General Mohamed Farrah Aidid had grown confident enough to formally defy the Security Council and demand the withdrawal of peace keepers, as well as declaring hostile intent against any further UN deployments..
Transition to UNITAF and UNOSOM II
In November 1992, the United States of America offered to establish a multinational force under its own leadership to secure the humanitarian operation. This offer was accepted by the Security Council, and what became known as the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was authorized to utilize "all necessary means" to ensure the protection of the relief efforts.
Accordingly, the Security Council suspended any further significant strengthening of UNOSOM as UN affairs in Somalia were subsumed by UNITAF (also known to Americans as Operation Restore Hope). With only a handful of the 3,000 plus troops envisaged for UNOSOM ever put in place, the Security Council left it to "the discretion of the Secretary General" as to what should be done with the abortive mission.
UNITAF was composed of forces from 24 different countries, with the vast bulk contributed by the United States. UNITAF soon secured the relief operations which were being coordinated and carried out by UNOSOM, which was also attempting to negotiate a political end to the conflict. Indeed, although UNOSOM had been replaced by UNITAF, it was technically still in operation and would remain ready to resume its function when UNITAF had met its goals of creating a secure environment for humanitarian relief.
The Secretary-General convened a meeting in early 1993 in which 14 important Somalia political and rebel factions agreed to hand over all of their weapons to UNITAF and UNOSOM, and over $130 million was pledged by donors at an aid conference that year to assist in reconstruction. However, Somalia continued the stumble, and in March the UN decided to transform the UNITAF mission into what came to be known as UNOSOM II. The mandate of UNOSOM II stipulated that the operation was to secure continued relief efforts and, more significantly, to restore peace and rebuild the Somali state and economy.
In the few months of its operation, 54 military observers and 893 military personnel served with UNOSOM I, supported by international civilian and local staff. The mission suffered six fatalities. Contributing nations were: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
See also
- United Nations, 2003, United Nations Operations in Somalia (UNSOM 1) Background (Full Text)
- United Nations, 1992, Letter dated 92/11/24 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council.
- United Nations, Security Council resolution 794 (1992), 24/4/92, para. 3.
- United Nations Operation in Somalia I: facts and figures
Further reading
- Allard, Colonel Kenneth, Somalia Operations: Lessons Learned, National Defense University Press (1995).


Translation is the process of translating words or text from one language into another. More specifically a written or spoken rendering of the meaning of a word or text in another language is known as Translation. When we think for global world as a 'family' a rock barrier is came that is language problem, in India people speaks Gujarati and regional languages like Gujarati, Gujarati, Marathi and etc, but all works and jobs are available for persons we knows English.
So overcoming such a problem we are providing free translator for English to Gujarati translation and also Gujarati to English translation. We are providing online tool for translating sentences and text from global languages English (The most usable language) and to Gujarati and vice versa. While you are using the translation software keep in mind input accurate without grammatical mistake so the software will produce accurate translation. The software dictionary and database is continuously updates so it produces more accurate results. The software has self learning facility have learned from the result it produces.
The software works upon the rules of grammar and produces result according to that, so to get accurate result you have to input accurate sentence in terms of grammar.
1. English to Gujarati Translation
2. Gujarati to English Translation
Click Here for English to Gujarati Typing known as transliteration


text:
How Much Does the OPV Vaccine Cost?
In India, the OPV vaccine price ranges from around ₹187 to ₹275 per oral shot. The first dose of the OPV vaccine is given to a child at birth, followed by 3 more doses at 6, 10, and 14 weeks after birth. 2 booster doses are also administered to a child, one at 16-24 months, and the second at 5 years of age.
Why is the OPV Vaccine Important?
Poliomyelitis is contracted predominantly by kids that could lead to permanent paralysis of their body parts and ultimately cause death due to immobilisation of breathing muscles. Almost 1 in every 200 persons affected by polio suffers from irreversible paralysis of the legs.
Among those paralysed, 5-10 percent suffer death when their breathing muscles are immobilised by the poliovirus. As poliomyelitis has no cure, immunisation is the only way to prevent it and the polio vaccine has been instrumental in the eradication of polio cases across the globe.
Is the OPV Vaccine Really Effective?
On March 27, 2014, India was declared 'Polio Free'. The OPV vaccine played an instrumental role in this achievement. The Oral Polio Vaccine has proven to be very effective in preventing poliomyelitis. The OPV vaccine helps the immune system to produce antibodies against types 1,2, and 3 of the poliovirus.
How is the OPV Vaccine Administered in India?
National Immunisation Programme
The Oral Polio Vaccine schedule for all children needs to be in sync with their National Immunisation Programme.
The OPV vaccine is easy to administer even without a trained health worker and is designed to be given multiple times to ensure complete protection from poliovirus.
Usually, after being given 4 doses of OPV vaccine as per the OPV vaccine schedule, a child secures protection against polio.
Additional Doses for Children in Tropical Areas
In tropical areas and areas with poor sanitation and hygiene conducive to the spread of the poliovirus, additional doses of Oral Polio Vaccine are administered to the children in line with the OPV vaccine schedule. Each additional dose provides enhanced protection and strengthens the immunity of the child against polio.
Is There More Than One Type of OPV Vaccine Available?
Yes, as per WHO data, there are three main categories of OPV vaccine - Monovalent OPVs, Bivalent OPVs, and Trivalent OPVs. Many countries use the trivalent OPV (tOPV) for routine and supplemental vaccination. The Monovalent and Bivalent OPVs against type 1 and type 3 are licensed for use in endemic countries.
Who Should Get the OPV Vaccine?
OPV vaccine dosage can be given to the below-stated categories of population:
The Oral Polio Vaccine dose is usually given to newborns and children up to 5 years of age.
A zero dose of OPV vaccine should be administered to the newborns within the 15 days of their birth, with the day of birth considered as zero.
A zero dose is deemed as an extra dose that boosts the low immunity of newborns.
A zero dose of OPV vaccine is followed by three primary doses at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 14 weeks to the newborns as per the Oral Polio Vaccine schedule.
OPV vaccine dosage can also be safely administered to sick newborns and infants.
Even if the child has received the age-specific and recommended vaccines as part of routine immunisation programmes, additional doses should be administered as part of national immunisation programmes and pulse polio campaigns.
Who Should Not Get the OPV Vaccine?
OPV Vaccine Dosage cannot be administered to the following categories of people:
Adults and Immunosuppressed children
The Oral Polio Vaccine dose should not be given to adults and also to children with severe immunosuppression.
Cases of Severe Acute Febrile Illness and Diarrhoea
The OPV vaccine dose must be delayed in the event of severe acute febrile illness. In case of diarrhoea or vomiting when OPV vaccine is given to the child, administer the usual dose along with an extra dose once the gastrointestinal trouble is gone.
Are There Any OPV Side Effects?
Largely Zero Side Effects
There are no common side effects of taking the OPV vaccine among children in general, and over the last two decades, it has saved 5 million children from permanent paralysis caused by polio.
Vaccine-Related Paralytic Polio
However, an extremely small risk associated primarily with the first dose of the OPV vaccine is that the live attenuated virus can cause paralytic polio cases.
Aseptic Meningitis or Encephalitis
After administering the OPV vaccine, cases of Aseptic Meningitis or Encephalitis have been reported in immunodeficient infants on rare occasions.
The OPV vaccine has proved to be a boon for children under the age of 5 years who are under a constant threat of polio infections. Besides, the success of the Global Polio Eradication Programme has re-emphasised the importance of vaccination from an early age. In addition, opting for a good health insurance policy that covers the cost of expensive medical treatments is important to be fully secured. So, if you still haven't opted for a health insurance plan, do it now! Browse through the health insurance plans available at Bajaj Markets that offer various benefits such as cashless claim settlements, reinstatement benefits in case you exhaust your sum assured amount, extensive coverage, and so much more.


text:
Department of Energy
- Land is essential for all types of economic activity - every business has a footprint.
- At the height of the 2006 real estate boom, land in the US is estimated to have been worth more than $17 trillion.
- Research presented by _USER_'s Stephen Oliner suggests that land is indeed a high-risk investment.
Land is essential for all types of economic activity. Every business — whether it's General Motors or the corner grocery store — has a footprint. The same is true for the homes and apartments in which people live.
Land also constitutes a major part of wealth. At the height of the real estate boom in 2006, land in the United States (excluding farmland and land held by the government) is estimated to have been worth more than $17 trillion. This figure represents about 40 percent of the value of commercial real estate and housing in the United States.1 Of course, much of that wealth dissolved over the next few years as real estate markets crashed. The new research presented in this Letter documents the huge swing in land value over the recent cycle, showing that land is indeed a high-risk investment.
Read the full text of the letter here.


text:
Just added to the Printables page: "The Listen & Sign Game."
This printable corresponds to the game originally described in this post – a game I used in a Piano Mini-Camp held about a month ago.
This game is a nice and quiet game – but still loads of fun! – for students to play. This game may be best for small groups of students (3-5), simply because you need to print and assemble enough signs so that each student has their own pair of signs (one Different/Same sign, and one Major/Minor sign).
Directions for playing the game follow the assembling instructions below.
- To develop the students' aural skills for discriminating "different" and "same" musical examples as well as "major" and "minor" musical examples.
Instructions for Assembly
- Print the pdf file.
- Cut out each sign. Be careful not to cut on the line the long vertical line on the page – that is the folding line! Only cut along the line that separates the Major/Minor sign from the Same/Different sign. (See photo at the right to see correct cut-out of the Major/Minor sign.) Laminating the signs at this step is recommended.
- Using large wooden sticks, create handles using craft glue or super glue. If you find wooden sticks that are large enough (sometimes called "puppet sticks"), all you will need to do is glue each stick inside the fold of the sign. Because I was unable to find large enough wooden sticks to do this, I had to get creative. =/ To get a better idea of how I created my handles, take a look at the collage picture below. To create each handle, I used three-and-a-half wooden sticks, layered in the manner pictured in order to increase durability. It's not ideal, but it works. Edit: A better solution is to use wooden paint stirrers!
"Listen & Sign" Game Directions
These directions might seem rather complicated, but actual gameplay is pretty easy:
- Give each student a two-sided sign that read, "Same" and "Different."
- At the piano, play two examples of a melody, rhythm, or succession of chords.
- Instruct the students to identify whether the two examples were the same or different by holding up their sign with the correct side facing you.
- Continue playing pairs of examples for the students. Sometimes play the examples the same, and sometimes make them different in some way. Instead of always making the examples different by changing the notes you play, you may also variate the examples in other ways, such as: forte vs. piano; staccato vs. legato; high vs. low register on the piano; etc. After the students correctly identify each example as same or different using their signs, you may wish to ask the students to explain how the examples they heard were different.
- After 5-7 minutes, swap out the Same/Different signs for the Major/Minor signs.
- As described in steps 2 and 4, play musical examples on the piano for the students – but this time, students only have to identify whether they are major or minor. Examples can be melodies, chords, five-finger patterns, scales, arpeggios, etc.
To download the pdf, visit the Printables > Games page and scroll down to the L's for "Listen & Sign Game." I hope you enjoy it!


Heart of Palm
To identify a list of farms or exporting companies that specialize in exporting freshly peeled hearts of palm to the US by air. The list will only include primary growers or exporters of the produce from host countries.
Early Findings
 - Heart of palm is also commonly known as "palmetto," a local name for the product.
 - The world's largest producer of palmetto is DEMASA, which controls 20 percent of the world's production. However, DAMASA only offers the canned variant of the product and does not export freshly cut produce to the US.
 - Other top producers of palmetto include Conservas del Valle, Palmitos of Costa Rica, Ticochaal, Palmitos del Norte, Palmitos Amador, Corpa S.A., Tucurrique, and El Hogar.
 - Due to their extremely short life span, fresh palmettos are mostly sold in the local food markets of their host countries, while those meant for export are often canned.
Summary of Findings
In our initial hour of research, we were able to identify the top producing countries and top producers of the "heart of palm" across the globe. Although we were not able to identify any farms or exporters outside the US that facilitate the delivery of fresh palmettos to the US, we believe it is possible to identify a number of businesses that provide the required services based on the insights already garnered in the preliminary research.
Proposed next steps:


Within the international field, a group of experts reviews, analyzes and discusses the morphological terms of the structures of the human body, forming today's Terminology Committee (FICAT) from the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA).[5][6] It deals with the anatomical, histological and embryologic terminology.
In the Latin American field, there are meetings called Iberian Latin American Symposium Terminology (SILAT), where a group of experts of the Pan American Association of Anatomy (PAA)[7] that speak Spanish and Portuguese, disseminates and studies the international morphological terminology.
Additional images[edit]
See also[edit]
 1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Anatomy & Physiology". Openstax college at Connexions. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
Further reading[edit]


Long Integer type values. Here, we are not going to bother about what is Long Integer or Short Integer and their range of values that we can store in them, etc.
Next line Apple_Box1 = 10, value 10 is stored in Apple_Box1.
The next three lines are remarks explaining what we are doing in the next line.
We are calling Test_1B() Function and passing the value of Apple_Box1 to the function to do something with the value received in a Variable (ByVal Apple_Box2). The ByVal before Apple_Box2 given in Test_1B() function states that take a copy of the value from Apple_Box1. The 'As Long' appearing after the closing parenthesis indicates that the second function does some calculations with the received value and returns the result to the first function. The new value received is stored in ApplesReceived Variable.
Next line MsgBox() function displays the Apple_Box1 contents and the result value (after modification done to the original copy of value) received from Test_1B() function.
The Test_1B Function.
Public Function Test_1B(ByVal Apple_Box2 As Long) As Long
'Take Note of the Key-Word 'ByVal' (says take a Copy of the Passed Value)
'Return the value back into the first function Test_1A
'After adding 15 to the original value of 10
'copied into Apple_Box2
Test_1B = Apple_Box2 + 15
End Function
There is only one executable statement in the above function. Immediately after the function definition four lines of remarks indicating what happens in the function.
We will take a closer look at the next line of the statement. This statement has two parts – the first part appears left of the = sign and the second part is on the right side of the equal sign.
In this expression, the left side of the equal sign will be a Variable or a Function name. By now you will be asking yourself as to why a function name there. That will be explained in a moment.
The computer always evaluates the expression given at the right side of the equal sign first and arrives at a single value and moves that result in the Variable given at the left side of the equal sign. Any existing value in the variable will be lost. You can write that expression in two lines to arrive at the same result as below:
Apple_Box2 = Apple_Box2 + 15
Test_1B = Apple_Box2
In the first expression, you can see that we have used the Apple_Box2 variable to the left side and right side of the = sign. As I said earlier the expression at the right side of the equal sign is evaluated first. So it takes the existing value of 10 from Apple_Box2 for calculations and Adds 15 to it, arriving at the single result value of 25, and moves that value into Variable Apple_Box2, replacing earlier value 10.
If the Function name (the function name given at the first line of Code) appears at the left side of equal sign then the meaning of the statement is that the final result of the expression must be returned to the Calling Function. Here, the Function Name acts as a Variable with the Data Type (As Long) specified immediately after the closing brackets on the first line.
This function name appears on the calling statement in the calling function to the right side of the = sign and a Variable Name on the left side of the = sign that saves the received result value (ApplesReceived = Test_1B(Apple_Box1).
Method-2 Examples:
In this method, we have defined only one variable Apple_Box1 as Long Integer Type. In the next line, the Variable is loaded with an initial value of 10. The next two lines are remarks explaining what is happening in the next line that calls the second function Test_1D().
Compare this statement with the statement that calls Test_1B. Unlike the statement that calls Test_1B() the Function Name Test_1D and the function parameter, Variable Apple_Box1 only appear here. The opening and closing brackets are omitted from the function name. The parameter variable is the second item. Test_1D() function is not returning any value back into the calling function Test_1C. Therefore we don't need to write this line of code in the form of an expression as we did in Test_1A Function. But, you cannot write the statement as:
Once we use the parenthesis (normally used with the function name) around the parameter variable then VBA assumes that some value is returned from the called function and you are forced to write it like we did it in Function Test_1A:
x = Test_1D(Apple_Box1) 'Expression
'OR use Call statement
Call Test_1D(Apple_Box1)
There will not be any value in the variable x because no value is returned from the called function.
If you feel comfortable with this method then you may do so. You will be defining one more variable for this purpose and your program takes up more memory.
The usage of the Call statement requires the parenthesis around the parameter variable. If no parameters to pass to the called function even then you should use the opening and closing parenthesis at the end of Function Name like Call Test_1D().
When control returns from Test_1D() the next line displays the changed value in Apple_Box1 Variable.
Public Function Test_1C()
Dim Apple_Box1 As Long
'put 10 into Variable
Apple_Box1 = 10
'here Test_1D function takes the
'location address of Apple_Box1
Test_1D Apple_Box1 'compare this statement with Test_1A function
End Function
Test_1D() function takes the location address of the parameter variable passed to it. It works directly with the value stored in the variable Apple_Box1's own location.
Public Function Test_1D(ByRef Apple_Box2 As Long)
Apple_Box2 = Apple_Box2 + 15
End Function
 Test_1D() takes the location address (this is the memory location number of the variable) of variable Apple_Box1 into variable Apple_Box2, defined in the parameter area of Test_1D() function.
Now, look at the expression:
Apple_Box2 = Apple_Box2 + 15
Apple_Box2 contains the location address, not the contents of the Apple_Box1 variable. But, no need to make any change in the expression to do any kind of calculations. The computer uses the location address to pick the value from there and use the value in calculations.
Even though we have used ByRef to the Parameter Variable, to accept the location address of the variable passed to it (always a number irrespective of different variable types), the rest of the parameter definition is like any other variable with variable Type (as Long) specification. Compare Test_1D() function definition with the Test_1B(). Test_1D doesn't have the As Long at the end of the line because it is not returning any value from the function but it changes the original value at its location directly.
You may omit the usage ByRef from the Function declaration. By default, VBA assumes that the Function Parameter declaration is ByRef (By Reference) if you have not explicitly defined the parameter as ByVal like:
Public Function Test_1D(Apple_Box2 As Long)
Each Variable Type, like Byte, Integer, Long (integer), Double, String, etc. gets allocated with enough memory cells, besides its own address, to hold their maximum range of values. This is different among Programming Languages: VBA, C, C++, C#, etc.
In Conclusion.
We don't have to bother about going too deep into all those things but it does no harm to have a basic understanding of them.
If you get in touch with the C language and its variants, like the examples given above, you need to deal with these things, sooner or later.
Our discussion here was on a single variable and it's value. How we can work with an Array of Variables and Values. We will explore its methods in the coming weeks.
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Our teams have been working to develop tools to make it easier for people to track election-related information. A few months back, YouTube encouraged everyone to participate in the discussion process through the CNN/YouTube debates, Google Checkout offered an easy and fast way for individuals to make contributions to political candidates, and the Geo team created maps and layers to inform voters during elections.
Today, the Google speech team (part of Google Research) is launching the Google Elections Video Search gadget, our modest contribution to the electoral process. With the help of our speech recognition technologies, videos from YouTube's Politicians channels are automatically transcribed from speech to text and indexed. Using the gadget you can search not only the titles and descriptions of the videos, but also their spoken content. Additionally, since speech recognition tells us exactly when words are spoken in the video, you can jump right to the most relevant parts of the videos you find. Here's a look:
In addition to providing voters with election information, we also hope to find out more about how people use speech technology to search and consume videos, and to learn what works and what doesn't, to help us improve our products.
The gadget only searches videos uploaded to YouTube's Politicians channels, which include videos from Senator Obama's and Senator McCain's campaigns, as well as those from dozens of other candidates and politicians. It usually takes less than a few hours for a video to appear in the index after it has been published on YouTube. Candidates can control the videos that appear in the gadget by managing the content they upload to YouTube. While some of the transcript snippets you see may not be 100% accurate, we hope that you'll find the product useful for most purposes. Speech recognition is a difficult problem that hasn't yet been completely solved, but we're constantly working to refine our algorithms and improve the accuracy and relevance of these transcribed results.
To try it out, just visit our iGoogle gadget page. We welcome your feedback, so please feel free to leave a comment while you're there.


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for (Christian) marrying, it is essential that I should not be already married with a wife living, sane and "undivorced", and so on (Austin, 1962)
If "undivorced" implies married, what does that sentence mean?
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Undivorced does not simply mean'married'. It means never having been divorced.
To clarify, the following people are "undivorced":
 - A person who has never married.
 - A person still married to their first spouse.
 - A person who had once been married, but who had that marriage annulled.
 - A person who had once been married, but whose spouse died while they were still married.
 - A person currently married to someone, after a previous annulment or widowing.
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The sentence refers to all the impediments to marriage which Christians must avoid for the marriage to be legal and binding. It gives illustrative examples (already having a wife, having an ex-wife, and being of sound mind).
There are two kinds of impediments to marriage. The examples in the sentence are all of the more serious kind, diriment (separating) impediments, which cause a marriage to be null and void in the view of the church. The other kind, prohibitory impediments, are those which do not nullify a marriage, but cause it to violate church law.
Diriment impediments
A marriage is null and void in the view of the church if, at the time of marriage, one of the parties is:
 - a child or permanently impotent
 - bound by an unbreakable religious obligation of chastity
 - unbaptized
 - already married (even if divorced)
 - a close relative
 - unconsenting (e.g., forced, insane, confused, mistaken)
 - guilty of the murder of the other party's spouse or of adultery with the promise of marriage
A marriage is also null and void if contracted without the blessing of the church or without witnesses, or if the marriage contract includes conditions which are incompatible with marriage (such as a promise of divorce).
Prohibitory impediments
A marriage violates church law if it violates:
 - a betrothal
 - a simple vow of chastity
 - ecclesiastical prohibition
 - the ecclesiastical calendar
A marriage also violates church law if one of the parties is a baptized Christian of a different denomination.
Basis in Semitic and Roman law
In brief, these impediments go back to Semitic and Roman law. Many can be considered social custom, but some arise from the Jewish religious view of marriage as an irreversible union of flesh:
[A] man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.
Genesis 2:24 (NAB)
Any union of the flesh creates a valid marriage in the eyes of God. This is why the Jewish law obliges a rapist to pay the bride price and treat the victim as his wife:
Deuteronomy 22:28–29 (NAB)
Denominational differences
Denominational differences render some of these impediments moot. For example, some Protestant denominations do not sanction vows of chastity, establish an ecclesiastical calendar which prohibits marriage at certain times of the year, or prohibit interdenominational unions.
The Catholic Encyclopedia. Entries I consulted: "Canonical Impediments", "Clandestinity", "Council of Trent", "Espousals", "Ligamen", "Vows".
Webster's Online Dictionary. Entries I consulted: "diriment", "dirempt".
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"prohibits marriage at certain times of the year": like Labor day? – Mitch Aug 21 '12 at 17:14
_USER_: "Forbidden times (tempus clausum, tempus feriatum). […] These forbidden periods, though formerly much longer, were reduced by the Council of Trent (Sess. XXIV, cap. x, 'De Reform. Matrim.') to the two following times: from Advent to the Epiphany, and from Ash Wednesday to Low Sunday." —The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Canonical Impediments". – MετάEd Aug 21 '12 at 17:17
For the Roman Catholic Church, certain of those impediments are no longer in effect, or not to the extent stated above, e.g. regarding interfaith marriage. – Mark Beadles Aug 21 '12 at 18:19
_USER_ Yes, from personal experience I can confirm that the church often turns a blind eye to impediments. Due to my Quaker upbringing I was never baptized. Regardless, I was not considered an infidel and was married by a priest. – MετάEd Aug 21 '12 at 18:28
Even what the Council of Trent stated must have been modified in practice; I know more than one couple who got married (according to Catholic faith and church) on December 26 or similar dates. – Paola Sep 6 '12 at 18:12
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In The Bible Jesus at one point (Matthew 19:9) basically says that marrying a divorced person is no different than adultery. Based on this, many devout Christians don't (and particularly 50 years ago didn't) believe in the validity of divorce. As far as they are concerned, once you are married you are married until one of the pair dies, no matter what the state says.
So what this is saying is that the person in question would not be an acceptable person if they've been divorced.
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+1 For the contextvery interesting – ngmiceli Aug 21 '12 at 16:27
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The word undivorced here refers not to'me' but to 'a wife'. After a wedding, the (hypothetical) person Austin married remains his wife lifelong. However, both civil and church law in 1962 allowed in certain circumstances for divorce, and for a marriage to be annulled in the case of incurable insanity (in which case of course she could not consent to a divorce). So it appears that Austin is drawing a distinction between married in the sense of 'having taken part in a wedding' (which might include widowers, those married to the insane, "and so on") and in the sense of 'in a state of Christian marriage'.
Without reading the book, I'm unsure whether he puts inverted commas round undivorced because the validity of divorce is questionable (as T.E.D. says), or simply because it was a neologism in the 1960s.
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Standing at the east end of Cathedral Street in Glasgow, and not far from where Castle Street becomes High Street is Glasgow Cathedral. One of the few Scottish medieval churches to have survived the Reformation unscathed, Glasgow Cathedral is truly magnificent, full of beauty and wonder. Yet any visit to Glasgow Cathedral is also tinged with sadness, for it brings home just how much was forever lost to the nation in the orgy of vandalism that destroyed or defaced so many other Scottish churches in the period from 1560.
It's worth starting the story of Glasgow Cathedral in the middle. The reforming mobs in the years after 1560 were no less zealous in Glasgow than elsewhere in the country. But the affection of the ordinary people of Glasgow for their cathedral was such that the organised trades of the city took up arms to protect it.
Perhaps what saved Glasgow Cathedral more than anything else was simply the size of the city's population: when the crisis arose, enough collective sanity remained to allow the defenders to outnumber the attackers. Elsewhere the story all too often had a different outcome.
Had Glasgow Cathedral fallen in the Reformation, a thousand years of history would have been lost. The Cathedral's origins date back to about AD550 when St Mungo, also known as St Kentigern, founded a religious community here around a small church. Today this church is the site of the Blacader Aisle in the Lower Church of the cathedral, the structure that extends beyond the very short South Transept.
During St Mungo's time the church was visited by St Columba (see our Historical Timeline), and St Mungo himself travelled widely, preaching in both Cumbria and North Wales, and going on pilgrimage to Rome. After his death on 13 January 614, St Mungo was buried close to his church. His tomb today lies in the centre of the Lower Choir, probably on the actual site of his grave.
St Mungo's original church was built of wood, and was probably changed and enlarged over the following five centuries. The first stone church on the site was consecrated in the presence of King David I in 1136 and occupied the area now covered by the nave, with part of the earlier church probably surviving off to one side. This first stone church was destroyed or badly damaged by fire within a very short time, and its replacement was consecrated in 1197 by Bishop Jocelin.
The earliest significant parts of what you can see today are the walls of the nave, up to the level of the bottoms of the windows. These date back to the next round of rebuilding, in the early 1200s. In the mid 1200s much of the rest of the cathedral appeared: in particular the upper and lower choirs were added to the east end of the nave.
In the 1400s a tower was built above the crossing, and two more at the western corners of the nave. At the same time the Blacader Aisle was built on the site of St Mungo's original church and the chapter house was added at the north east corner of the choir.
In the 1800s major repairs included the removal of the two western towers, sadly before it was realised that the available funds wouldn't cover their rebuilding. At around the same time alterations made since the Reformation to allow the cathedral to serve three congregations were reversed, leaving the cathedral much as you see it today.
Though not quite, because one of the joys of Glasgow Cathedral is the way it is continually changing and adapting. There are many examples of this, but the most striking is the beautiful Millennium Window (see below left) in the north wall of the nave. This was officially unveiled by HRH Princess Anne on 3 June 1999. It was commissioned by the thee schools holding annual services in the Cathedral, Glasgow Academy, Hutcheson's Academy and the High School of Glasgow.
It was produced by John Clark and is widely recognised as one of the most technically demanding stained glass windows ever produced. A range of complex traditional techniques were employed including multiple layer etching, painting and silverstaining.
As a result the window is true to the spirit of others in the Cathedral produced as far back as the 1400s. Although the methods of production used in the Millennium Window were traditional in origin, the imagery and overall appearance are a highly distinctive symphony of multiple shades of blue.
Today's visitor to Glasgow Cathedral finds an awe inspiring place. It is overlooked from the east by the Glasgow Necropolis and has a fine precinct resulting from the building in 1993 of the St Mungo Museum, which doubles as a Cathedral Visitor Centre.
The site on which the cathedral was built slopes down from west to east. This allowed the building of its most unique feature, a lower church effectively occupying the whole of the area under the choir. This is a beautifully vaulted space. At its heart lies the tomb of St Kentigern or St Mungo, while at its east end are a series of chapels.
These include the Chapel of St John the Evangelist, still containing part of what is believed to be the well used by St Kentigern in the late 500s. These chapels were particularly well used after 1451, when the Pope declared that a pilgrimage to Glasgow Cathedral would carry the same merit as one to Rome. In the same year he approved the foundation by the cathedral of the University of Glasgow.
The upper parts of the church are divided by the choir screen or pulpitum into the separate spaces of the nave and the choir. Despite this division, and despite the cathedral's relatively modest proportions, the overwhelming impression is one of great size and in particular of great height. Glasgow Cathedral is some 285ft (87m) long by 63ft (20m) wide, and the nave roof is 105ft (32m) high.
The towering internal spaces are enhanced by the apparent narrowness of the central potions of the nave and the choir, and by the very short transepts, which don't extend beyond the nave and choir walls.
Glasgow Cathedral deserves to be better known than it is: and would be if it were not to be found in Scotland's largest city, alongside many other competing attractions. But if you are coming to Glasgow, you really should add the cathedral to your must see list.


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Dictionary Meaning and Definition on 'Classic'
- characteristic of the classical artistic and literary traditions
- adhering to established standards and principles; "a classic proof" n
- a creation of the highest excellence
- an artist who has created classic works
- Classic \Clas"sic\, Classical \Clas"sic*al\, a. [L. classicus
relating to the classes of the Roman people, and especially
to the frist class; hence, of the first rank, superior, from
classis class: cf. F. classique. See Class, n.]
- Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art. Give, as thy last memorial to the age, One classic drama, and reform the stage. --Byron. Mr. Greaves may justly be reckoned a classical author on this subject [Roman weights and coins]. --Arbuthnot.
- Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, esp. to Greek or Roman authors of the highest rank, or of the period when their best literature was produced; of or pertaining to places inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, or rendered famous by their deeds. Though throned midst Latium's classic plains. --Mrs. Hemans. The epithet classical, as applied to ancient authors, is determined less by the purity of their style than by the period at which they wrote. --Brande & C. He [Atterbury] directed the classical studies of the undergraduates of his college. --Macaulay.
- Conforming to the best authority in literature and art; chaste; pure; refined; as, a classical style. Classical, provincial, and national synods. --Macaulay. Classicals orders. (Arch.) See under Order.
- Classic \Clas"sic\, n.
- A work of acknowledged excellence and authority, or its author; -- originally used of Greek and Latin works or authors, but now applied to authors and works of a like character in any language. In is once raised him to the rank of a legitimate English classic. --Macaulay.
- One learned in the literature of Greece and Rome, or a student of classical literature.
Wikipedia Meaning and Definition on 'Classic'
The word classic means something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality. The word can be an adjective (a classic car) or a noun (a classic of english literature). It denotes a particular quality in art, architecture, literature and other cultural artifacts. In commerce, products are named 'classic' to denote a long standing popular version or model, to distinguish it from a newer variety. Classic is used to describe many major, long-standing sporting events. Colloquially, an everyday occurrence (e.g. a joke or mishap) may be described as 'an absolute classic'.
"Classic" should not be confused with classical, which refers specifically to certain cultural styles, especially in music and architecture.
The classics are the literature of ancient Greece and Rome, known as classical antiquity. Classics (without the definite article) can refer to the study of the humanities: philosophy, literature, history and the arts, as distinct from technical subjects.[See more about Classic at Dictionary 3.0 Encyclopedia]
Words and phrases related to 'Classic'
'Classic' in famous quotation sentence
* A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read. - Mark Twain
* It could be said that the AIDS pandemic is a classic own-goal scored by the human race against itself. - Anne
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Classic Sample Sentences in News
- Cardinal Bank Charity Classic Raises $250,000 for Local Charities
Cardinal Bank announced today that its annual Charity Classic has raised $250,000, bringing its eleven-year fundraising total to more than $2,785,000. Held on Monday Read more on this news related to 'Classic'
Byline: Sussex classic car show rallies up support for lifesaving charity Page Content: A classic car show which is celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year has chosen to commemorate the milestone by raising money to help save lives at sea. Organisers of the 20 th Ardingly Vintage and Classic Vehicle Show have pledged to support the Royal National Lifeboat Ins Read more on this news related to 'Classic'
- Revisit Alfred Hitchcock's classic films in screenings around L.A.
Classic Hollywood: The director's various silent and sound films will be screening at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, LACMA and Cinefamily. Think of it as a Hitchcock-a-palooza. It may be the summer of such blockbuster spectacles as "Man of Steel," "The Lone Ranger" and "World War Z," but it's also the summer of movies by a real-life legend: Alfred Hitchcock. Read more on this news related to 'Classic'


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Message is one of the greatest poems in the whole of Portuguese literature. It was also Fernando Pessoa's only book written in Portuguese to be published during his lifetime. At the time of its release, in October of 1934 (just over a year before the author's death), Europe of the Enlightenment and freedom was succumbing to the advance of modern dictatorships, the escalation of expansionary nationalisms and a brand of imperialism based on atheistic materialism which, half a decade later, would trigger the Second World War.
It is out of this atmosphere of general European decline, and with unwavering focus on his own country in particular, that Pessoa orchestrates his Message: a telling of the great events and protagonists behind the genesis of Portugal, of the golden age of maritime discovery and of subsequent national entropy, all of it predictive and flowing towards the future construction of a new and different empire: the Fifth Empire, which, in the author's vision, would be a matrix of spirituality, messianism and millenarianism.
Introduced and annotated by António Apolinário Lourenço, the present bilingual edition of Message offers to its readers both a guide for understanding and an interpretation of the poem in light of the history of Portugal and the doctrines of esoteric and heterodox Christianity, all of which played a central role in the intellectual education of Fernando Pessoa.
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Livros > Livros em Português > Literatura > Poesia


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For the first time, scientists have identified fresh produce as the source of an outbreak of human Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections, according to an article published in the March 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online. The outbreak was identified in Finland and traced epidemiologically to farms producing lettuce.
Y. pseudotuberculosis, first identified in 1883, causes infections characterized by fever and abdominal pain that are often confused with acute appendicitis. The microbe is well known in veterinary medicine as the cause of illnesses in hares, deer, and sheep, among other animals. Y. pseudotuberculosis infections in humans are relatively rare, and while foodborne transmission has long been suspected, attempts to trace the pathogen to a concrete source of contamination in the past have been unsuccessful.
In October of 1998, two microbiology laboratories in southern Finland discovered an alarming increase in infections during routine surveillance of laboratory-diagnosed infections. J. Pekka Nuorti, of the National Public Health Institute of Finland, and colleagues from the University of Helsinki, the National Public Health Institute of Finland, and the National Food Agency of Finland initiated epidemiological and environmental investigations that would eventually reveal the source as contaminated iceberg lettuce.
In a case-control study, 38 patients with confirmed infections were questioned about what and where they ate in the two weeks before the onset of their symptoms. The investigation led to four lunch cafeterias where the patients reported eating iceberg lettuce. The lettuce served in those cafeterias was traced to four farms in the southwest archipelago region of Finland. While no lettuce remained from the shipments identified from the cafeterias, Y. pseudotuberculosis was discovered in soil, irrigation water, and lettuce samples from one of those farms. The investigators suspect that the pathogen was spread by the feces of roe deer, which have been carriers of the pathogen in the past. Deer feces were found in and around the open, unfenced fields where the lettuce was grown.
In an accompanying editorial, Robert V. Tauxe, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, notes that the next step in preventing future outbreaks of this kind might begin with studying the behavior of Y. pseudotuberculosis in lettuce plants and attempting to define whether deer or other animals are the specific reservoir of the pathogen. Such investigations may lead to better methods of prevention--from fenced-in fields to vaccinations of implicated animal populations or the use of disinfecting strategies such as irradiation--and give those who enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables more security about what they eat.
Source: Eurekalert & othersLast reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 21 Feb 2009
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
People ask for criticism, but they only want praise.
-- W. Somerset Maugham