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April 20, 1889/1999 -- Hitler Born / Columbine Shooting
From This Day in History April 20
On April 20
At first blush these appear to be unconnected incidents with purely coincidental dates. Unfortunately, video tape statements by Harris and Klebold stated it was no coincidence. They both idolized Hitler and planned for this specific date for their mayhem. They did not intend to survive from the onset. They targeted students they knew to be believers, in some cases asking their victims to recant and then they would be spared. Here they were unlike Hitler since he rarely even gave the illusion of being spared.
- 1889 - Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator of Germany who led his country into World War II and was responsible for persecuting and killing millions of Jews and many others, was born in Braunau, Austria.
- 1999 - Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves in the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado.
I have zero empathy for these two killers. I do however wonder how their sense of history and morality could be so skewed as to make Hitler a hero. My grandparents and parents all lived through World War 2. I never remember them expressing the least bit of approval for Hitler. Their revulsion was total and absolute. This is why my children know my views on Hitler. This is also why my views on the Shrub are so vehement.
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Numerical analysis of polymer composites for actuation
Shivashankar Hiremath, Vidyashree Sangappa, Sangamesh Rajole, Satyabodh Kulkarni
Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review
The design of a polymer composite actuator is essential for micro and nano applications. Thus, the composite material may deform or deflects as specific stimuli are applied, such as heat, electrical, light source, etc. The deformation of the composite material is caused by the type of stimulus applied. Hence, while it is heated, the expansion takes place quickly, and the heating is shut down, the material shrinks very slowly. In the present investigation, this phenomenon is mainly studied in the actuation of composite beams. Numerical analysis of carbon black filled polymer composite beam expansion, and contraction is being analyzed in this research. The structure of the beam has been created, and the composite properties are incorporated into the beam, and the uniform heat source is applied on to the surface of the beam. The heating and cooling of the composite material predict the increase and decrease in the temperature of the beam. The numerical analysis of the temperature-dependent expansion and contraction of the composite beam has been carried out successfully. An increase in temperature is observed to signify the slight expansion in the composite beam, whereas the contraction of the composite beam takes a longer time to reach room temperature. Also, the increase in the content of the filler leads to a decrease in the expansion of the composite beam. The numerical simulation of the polymer composite thus provides a solid platform for the experimental study of thermal actuators.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)211-216
Number of pages6
JournalRevue des Composites et des Materiaux Avances
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 12-2020
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
 - Materials Science(all)
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Cite this


Farhan Khashim Alswailmi, Mirza Zeeshan Sikandar, Syed Imran Ali Shah
Pakistan Journal of Medical & Health Sciences
Peer Reviewed
Previous Published Issues
Biological Roles of Vitamin D and Immunoglobulin E: Implications in Allergic Disorders
Farhan Khashim Alswailmi, Mirza Zeeshan Sikandar, Syed Imran Ali Shah
Many factors contribute to the development, progression and management of allergies. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) has a well-established role in allergic disorders and vitamin D has also been implicated in some forms of allergy. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble secosteroid hormone which is actively responsible for calcium balance and bone health. It also plays important roles in regulating neuromuscular function, cellular differentiation, insulin secretion and blood pressure. IgE, produced by the B-lymphocytes, is primarily involved in mediating hypersensitivity. It is associated with anaphylaxis and other forms of allergic reactions. It also plays several other vital roles in the immune system such as functional activation of T cells and wound healing. Low serum vitamin D is associated with the onset of asthma and atopic dermatitis by triggering IgE-mediated type-1 hypersensitivity but at the same time supra-normal serum vitamin D levels are also associated with the IgE hypersensitivity in allergic conditions including psoriasis, dermatitis and rhinitis. No clear association has been established between serum IgE and vitamin D levels in IgE-mediated allergies but has been suggested to maintain normal serum vitamin D levels for potential protection against the development of IgE-mediated allergic disorders. The current review summarizes the biological roles of vitamin D and IgE, particularly in the context of allergic disorders. The currently available evidence points to altered serum vitamin D levels and disturbed vitamin D signaling as a possible reason for IgE mediated allergies but more data needs to be gathered through future studies to ascertain definitive clinical impact.


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Everyone knows the importance of a school in a child's life. From preschool to secondary education, every moment of our learning is related to school. The activities we enjoy, the things we learn, and the new skills we learn are gained from the school.
However, are school activities limited to schools only? The answer to this question is No. One can carry out school activities outside the classroom as well. It is also important for a person to enjoy school activities outside the classroom. This statement stands true in the case of toddlers.
Toddlers are more excited to learn new activities either during the classroom or outside the classroom. Now, let's see why enjoying school activities outside the classroom is important for a toddler and what are the activities that a toddler should enjoy outside the classroom.
Why Enjoying School Activities Outside the classroom a must for a Toddler?
Learning outside the classroom is important for a toddler. The age of toddlers is the learning and exploring age which makes it important for them to explore different activities. When a school activity is carried out only in school it can make them skill to a limited extent but when it is again carried out outside the classroom, a toddler learns the skill and gets a good hold on it.
After school, a toddler may feel bored during the day. The best way to solve this problem is to carry out school activities. This will make them revise the things and entertainment also comes with it. It can develop the toddler's mind and keep him/her physically and mentally fit.
3 Activities that can be carried outside the Classroom
- Crazy Train Game
A crazy train game is a toddler's game that is played with a group of friends. Usually, toddlers play this game during school hours. But, when this activity or game is played outside the classroom, the mental and physical health of the child can be easily maintained. A parent can ask the friends of their child to play this game.
- Sentence Race
Sentence Race is an activity where a student is asked to pick up words from a box having numerous vocabulary words. Usually, it is carried out in the classroom between students and teachers. But, a parent can carry out this activity outside the classroom.
This activity will help the child to learn vocabulary words and to make sentences from them. However, this game is not meant for toddlers, but it can be best for a child of 7-8 years.
Mime is an activity where a person enacts the things that are written on a piece of paper. A small chit of papers having actions written on them is added to a big bag. It can be either running or singing or any activity.
A kid will pick a chit from the bag and will enact the actions mentioned on it. This activity will help the child to become active and skilled in many other activities. Mental development with this activity is more.
Learning outside the classroom is equally important as learning in the classroom. The activities which are done in the classroom should also be carried outside the classroom.
It is not only important for toddlers but the children of 9-10 years also need to do these activities outside the classroom. Enjoying school activities outside the classroom is fun to do.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


Classroom Management Monitoring
Good monitoring of the classroom is essential as many students find 'acting out' more interesting than a boring lesson plan. They also tend to misbehave when not involved in the activity, don't understand the task, or cannot get help when needed. These techniques help
- Scan the class frequently to notice & respond to any problems
- When dealing with a problem react in a clam manner in hopes of creating a positive ripple effect
- Make positive contact and praise students who display positive behavior that competes with the negative.
- Remind students of the rules of the classroom if they aren't demonstrating them
- Clearly state the rules and procedures and the consequences for violating them.
- Be clear that continued bad behavior will evoke these consequences.
- Inform students they are choosing the consequence of their behavior
- Use consequences that are educational in nature
- When one or a few students are misbehaving, focus the rest of the class on their task and find time to talk to the disruptive students quietly and away from the students focused on their task


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PROJECT GENERAL INFORMATION
Name: Mehrshahr Villa
Location: Mehrshahr, Alborz province, Iran
Architect in Charge: Hooman Balazadeh
Land Area: 4000 sqm
Built Area: 330 sqm
Project Manager: Mohsen Kazemian-Fard
Phase II: Dariush Ghorbani
Structural Consultant: Aptus Iran Company
Mechanical & Electrical Consultant: Mr. Etemadi
Supervisor: Aptus Iran Co.
Presentation: Parima Jahangard, Atousa Shiran, Pooyeh Nouryan
The Initial idea of this project was to design a 330 m2 villa in a 3 hectares private yard facing a lake. One of the main criteria was to create spaces that are closely engaged with the surrounding landscape, an uninterrupted connection between the interior and the exterior to form a structure which becomes a part of the site itself:
- A. A systematic organization of open and semi-open spaces was used to enhance the presence of nature in the interior spaces. The main semi-open space is a void on the first floor of the main cubical form. The strategic position of this void provides both physical connection to the private lounge and the master bedroom as well as visual connection to the lake. The semi-open space is also connected to the terrace on the lake side by the means of a bridge. This terrace is a perfect view point of the lake.
- B. The stones used on the façade are in harmony with the existing stones in the garden. These stones are used in their natural form but in a controlled horizontal pattern. The voids in the stone pattern provide a controlled overlook and a limited sunlight penetration to spaces such as washrooms and corridors which require less exterior exposure. Integration of the voids and solids not only creates a consistent exterior façade, but also provides the interior spaces with a view to the greenery. At nights these voids provide a lighter feeling of the solid exterior façade. These voids are also used to naturally ventilate the building as well as to implement the mechanical equipment.
- C. The existing trees between the open and semi open spaces were kept so that both spaces are surrounded by vegetation. The variation of sunlight penetration through the leafs during the day significantly enhances the quality of the atmosphere.
One of the main criteria in the design process was to maximize the amount of sunlight exposure. Two sets of skylights were implemented, one over the main staircase and the other at the vertical gap between the two roofs. Moreover, transparent dividers implemented parallel to the vertical skylight increase sunlight penetration to spaces not directly connected to the skylight. The main function of the horizontal skylight over the main staircase was to provide natural winter heating. This skylight could be shaded in summer to prevent excess sunlight exposure. In section, these systems enable sunlight penetration in three directions: vertical, horizontal, as well as diagonal.


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carnage /kάɚnɪdʒ/ : 大量虐殺
原義はラテン語のcarnaticum (動物を屠ること)です。同義語はmassacre, genocide, mass murderです。
Carnage means "killing many people during war". The etymology comes from carnem (meat). The original meaning is Latin carnaticum (slaughter of animals). Its synonyms are massacre, genocide and mass murder. Let's see examples of carnage.
In the Middle Ages, Europeans carried out carnage to Native Americans and Indigenous Australians. During WW2, Nazis carried out carnage to Jewish people.
carnal /kάɚnl/ : 肉体の
Carnal means "relating to one's body". The etymology comes from carnis (of the meat). The original meaning is Latin carnalis (natural). Its synonym is sensual. Let's see example sentences of carnal.
All human has carnal desire for species preservation (or conservation). Female's plump body excite male's carnal desire. It is unwise to live only for carnal pleasure.
carnation /kɑɚnéɪʃən/ : カーネーション
Carnation means "a red flower". The etymology comes from caro (meat). The original meaning is Latin carnationem (meat).
Carnation is the perennial plant which makes bright red flowers. It is indigenous to from Southern Europe to Mediterranean coasts in Western Asia. In Islamic countries where the worship of idols are banned, they use a carnation as Arabesque's patterns. The red carnation's flower language is "the love for mother", and so Japan has the culture where children gives red carnation to their mother in Mother's Day.
carnival /kάɚnəv(ə)l/ : 謝肉祭・カーニバル
carnivalは「謝肉祭」を意味し、語源はcaro(肉)とlavare(離れる)に由来します。原義はラテン語のcarne vale (肉よ、さらば！)です。
Carnival means "a kind of festival". The etymology comes from caro (meat) and lavera (to leave). The original meaning is Latin carne vale (meat, farewell!).
Carnival is a festival hold before Lent (click here for more detail of Lent). During Lent, people should have an abstemious diet, so they eat meat as they like in Carnival. Carnival literally means festival to "say farewell to meat". During carnival, people have a fancy dress parade or events of throwing sweets and flowers. After carnival, Lent begins, and people have a simple meal until the Easter after 40 days.
carnivore /kάɚnəv'ɔɚ/ : 肉食動物
Carnivore means "animals which feed on other animals". The etymology comes from caro (meat) and vorare (devour).
Carnivore is an animal that feed on other animals. Carnivorous animals eat meat and organs, which is easily digested, and so their digestive organs have more simpler structure than those of herbivorous animals. Carnivores eat animals similar to themselves, so they can take enough nourishment and salt.
However, carnivores have difficulty with getting their foods. Animals preyed by carnivores are always running away, so they have to maintain an ability to catch them. Otherwise, carnivores will starve to death.
incarnation /ìnkɑɚnéɪʃən/ : 受肉
Incarnation means "the act of God forming into a human". The etymology comes from in (within) and caro (meat). The original meaning is Latin incarnationem (the act of being made flesh).
Incarnation is the act of God coming in the form of human. Especially in Christianity, incarnation means that the God's child, Christ appear as human named Jesus.
reincarnation /rìːìnkɑɚnéɪʃən/ : 転生・輪廻
Reincarnation means "living again after one's death". The etymology comes from re (again) and incarnation (forming into flesh).
Reincarnation means to living things died live again after their death. The idea of reincarnation exist not only in Buddhism, but also in Hindu and Jainism. Buddhism regard reincarnation as suffering, and their goal is to be liberated from it.
In recent Japan, reincarnation is used in fantasy novels. Reincarnation to another world is the popular genre in a certain novel-sharing website. It is common story that uncool NEET or shut-in people are suddenly hit by a truck, reincarnate into cool and competent guy, and get popular with many young women.


Home Manual Tutorials Examples Gallery SVG Models Documents Simdem Download
simfit logo The Simfit package
Simfit is a completetly free, open-source package, distributed as 32-bit or 64-bit binaries. The source code can be downloaded from _URL_ so that programmers can edit the drivers for their own needs or compile individual subroutines.
Simfit is a computer package for simulation, statistical analysis, curve fitting and graph plotting, using models from a compiled library or from ASCII text files supplied by the user. It can be used for teaching the principles of curve fitting, simulation and statistical analysis to students, but it will be found most useful by those interested in serious data analysis and creating professional, publication quality, scientific graphs.
Simfit is a collection of forty separate programs, each dedicated to a particular area of data analysis, but the package is run seamlessly from a program manager (w_simfit.exe in 32-bit versions or x64_simfit.exe in 64-bit versions) that has facilities for browsing and printing files. Data can be formatted by dedicated editors that can check for positive values, values in increasing order, sensible weighting factors, etc. or you can copy tables to the clipboard from any Windows application, then paste them into any Simfit program. Macros are provided to create correctly formatted data files from data held in Microsoft Office Excel format.
In order to introduce first-time users to Simfit functionality, each time a procedure is selected a default data set is installed to demonstrate the data format required and the sort of results anticipated. Further, at any stage while using Simfit, the file-open dialogue has a button labeled [Demo] which lists typical data files for browsing or analysis. There is also a button labeled [Keyboard] for users who want to type in small data samples from the console and a button labeled [Paste] to input rectangular data matrices from the clipboard.
Many advisory messages are displayed to help when using a procedure for the first time, but there is a speedup option to toggle these on or off as required.
After each analysis the results are written to archives for retrospective use.
There is a comprehensive reference manual (w_manual.pdf) compete with hyperlinks and an index as well as individual tutorials explaining each Simfit procedure. These are also distributed as a collected set (w_examples.pdf) with the Simfit package.
Simfit menu, Simfit home page
All the usual descriptive statistics (bar charts, histograms, best-fit distributions on sample cdfs, dendrograms, box and whisker or cluster plots), multivariate statistics (distance matrices and dendrograms, principal components and scree plots), time series (ACF, PACF, ARIMA) and frequently used tests (mostly with exact p values not the normal approximations), such as:
Simfit menu, Simfit home page
Curve fitting
Simfit menu, Simfit home page
Graph plotting
Simfit menu, Simfit home page
Simfit menu, Simfit home page
Special functions
These can all be called by 1-line commands as described in the documentation for user-defined models. Some of them have equivalent NAG library versions as indicated below.
 Command NAG Description
 arctanh(x) S11AAF Inverse hyperbolic tangent
 arcsinh(x) S11AAF Inverse hyperbolic sine
 arccosh(x) S11AAF Inverse hyperbolic cosine
 ai(x) S17AGF Airy function Ai(x)
 dai(x) S17AJF Derivative of Ai(x)
 bi(x) S17AHF Airy function Bi(x)
 dbi(x) S17AKF Derivative of Bi(x)
 besj0(x) S17AEF Bessel function J0
 besj1(x) S17AFF Bessel function J1
 besy0(x) S17ACF Bessel function Y0
 besy1(x) S17ADF Bessel function Y1
 besi0(x) S18ADF Bessel function I0
 besi1(x) S18AFF Bessel function I1
 besk0(x) S18ACF Bessel function K0
 besk1(x) S18ADF Bessel function K1
 phi(x) S15ABF Normal cdf
 phic(x) S15ACF Normal cdf complement
 erf(x) S15AEF Error function
 erfc(x) S15ADF Error function complement
 dawson(x) S15AFF Dawson integral
 ci(x) S13ACF Cosine integral Ci(x)
 si(x) S13ADF Sine integral Si(x)
 e1(x) S13AAF Exponential integral E1(x)
 ei(x) ...... Exponential integral Ei(x)
 rc(x,y) S21BAF Elliptic integral RC
 rf(x,y,z) S21BBF Elliptic integral RF
 rd(x,y,z) S21BCF Elliptic integral RD
 rj(x,y,z,r) S21BDF Elliptic integral RJ
 sn(x,m) S21CAF Jacobi elliptic function SN
 cn(x,m) S21CAF Jacobi elliptic function CN
 dn(x,m) S21CAF Jacobi elliptic function DN
 ln(1+x) S01BAF ln(1 + x) for x near zero
 mchoosen(m,n)...... Binomial coefficient
 gamma(x) S13AAF Gamma function
 lngamma(x) S14ABF log Gamma function
 psi(x) S14ADF Digamma function, (d/dx)log(Gamma(x))
 dpsi(x) S14ADF Trigamma function, (d^2/dx^2)log(Gamma(x))
 igamma(x,a) S14BAF Incomplete Gamma function
 igammac(x,a) S14BAF Complement of Incomplete Gamma function
 fresnelc(x) S20ADF Fresnel C function
 fresnels(x) S20ACF Fresnel S function
 bei(x) S19ABF Kelvin bei function
 ber(x) S19AAF Kelvin ber function
 kei(x) S19ADF Kelvin kei function
 ker(x) S19ACF Kelvin ker function
 cdft(x,m) G01EBF cdf for t distribution
 cdfc(x,m) G01ECF cdf for chi-square distribution
 cdff(x,m,n) G01EDF cdf for F distribution (m = num, n = denom)
 cdfb(x,a,b) G01EEF cdf for beta distribution
 cdfg(x,a,b) G01EFF cdf for gamma distribution
 invn(x) G01FAF inverse normal
 invt(x,m) G01FBF inverse t
 invc(x,m) G01FCF inverse chi-square
 invb(x,a,b) G01FEF inverse beta
 invg(x,a,b) G01FFF inverse gamma
 spence(x) ...... Spence integral: 0 to x of -(1/y)log|(1-y)|
 clausen(x) ...... Clausen integral: 0 to x of -log(2*sin(t/2))
 struveh(x,m) ...... Struve H function order m (m = 0, 1)
 struvel(x,m) ...... Struve L function order m (m = 0, 1)
 kummerm(x,a,b)...... Confluent hypergeometric function M(a,b,x)
 kummeru(x,a,b)...... U(a,b,x), b = 1 + n, the logarithmic solution
 lpol(x,m,n) ...... Legendre polynomial of the 1st kind, P_n^m(x),
 -1 =< x =< 1, 0 =< m =< n
 abram(x,m) ...... Abramovitz function order m (m = 0, 1, 2), x > 0,
 integral: 0 to infinity of t^m exp( - t^2 - x/t)
 debye(x,m) ...... Debye function of order m (m = 1, 2, 3, 4)
 (m/x^m)[integral: 0 to x of t^m/(exp(t) - 1)]
 fermi(x,a) ...... Fermi-Dirac integral (1/Gamma(1 + a))[integral:
 0 to infinity t^a/(1 + exp(t - x))]
 heaviside(x,a)...... Heaviside unit function h(x - a)
 delta(i,j) ...... Kronecker delta function
 impulse(x,a,b)...... Unit impulse function (small b for Dirac delta)
 spike(x,a,b) ...... Unit triangular spike function
 gauss(x,a,b) ...... Gauss pdf
 sqwave(x,a) ...... Square wave amplitude 1, period 2a
 rtwave(x,a) ...... Rectified triangular wave amplitude 1, period 2a
 mdwave(x,a) ...... Morse dot wave amplitude 1, period 2a
 stwave(x,a) ...... Sawtooth wave amplitude 1, period a
 rswave(x,a) ...... Rectified sine wave amplitude 1, period pi/a
 shwave(x,a) ...... Sine half-wave amplitude 1, period 2*pi/a
 uiwave(x,a,b)...... Unit impulse wave area


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As Mary Ward envisaged:
Her ideal was that "we should be such as we appear and appear such as we are".
Felicity is a natural gift of youth and an essential element of the Loreto spirit.
Loreto Sport creates an environment and atmosphere, which fosters a student's social, emotional, personal and physical development. In today's society there is an increasing awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles and a growing recognition of the need for students to be active, responsible and informed decision makers.
Sport can assist girls to develop self-respect and self-discipline. Through their participation, girls can develop an appreciation of sport, recreation and exercise as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. All students should be given the opportunity to develop and appreciate a sense of sporting conduct and a spirit of fairness, respect, graciousness and generosity towards others. Sport should provide an opportunity of enjoyment, and a feeling of well being and relaxation. All these benefits can be gained whether one wins or loses.
The following should be observed when taking part in Sport at Loreto:
Three important Principles of Participation in Sport at Loreto
- Sport should be played because of its enjoyment.
- Students need to take pride in their sport and their participation in it.
- Students are to respect the members of their team.
- Students are to respect their opponents and treat them courteously.
- Students are to arrive in good time for events.
- Students are to dress in the correct uniform.
- Students are never to discourage or disparage any player, whether from the opposing team or from their own school team.
- Students are to be prepared to applaud good play, whether by their team or by their opponents.
- Students are to be gracious at all times, whether they have won or lost.
- Students are to be modest in success and if they have been defeated, to acknowledge their opponents' performance.
- Students are to treat everybody the way they would like to be treated.
- Students must honour their commitment to their sport. This includes attendance at all meetings and training sessions and matches.
- Students/Parents must sign a Sports contract for each sport.
- Students may not withdraw from any sport except for medical reasons.
- Students must attend all selection dates.
- School sport is well worth playing at any ability, level and in any grade.
- The benefits of playing sport are available to girls whether they win or lose. Loreto sees winning games, events, meets and competitions as less important and less valuable than the benefits of participating.
- Students should remember that it is a privilege to be selected for a sport at Loreto and have the experience to represent their school.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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International comparisons need to be treated with caution
Commenting on the report released by the Sutton Trust on achievement by young people in maths in international tests, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers' union, said:
"Teachers across the country want to ensure that all pupils are achieving. There is more that can be done and no-one is complacent.
"However, this daily denigration of our education system by one self-promoting organisation after another is corrosive and demoralising for pupils and teachers alike, particularly when simplistic conclusions are drawn from highly complex information.
"The maths tests to which the Sutton Trust refers are one-off tests and those responsible for devising the tests caution against using them to make such hard-and-fast comparisons between countries.
"Their conclusions raise more questions than they answer. They are not comparing like with like.
"The education systems are different. The pupils taking the tests are selected differently. Some countries do nothing but prepare for the tests for months. Some, like Shanghai, may not enter a pupil sample generally reflective of the student population and use crammer sessions to prepare.
"Such comparisons, therefore, need to be viewed with extreme caution.
"We can always learn lessons from international comparators but they should not be used as a stick to beat an education system which day-in day-out is delivering for all children, not just an elite."


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Where do you begin when you want to move an entire studio, including the walls, and everything in the room? In some ways Francis Bacon's studio was like a jigsaw puzzle. A specially trained team of people, including archaeologists, noted the exact location of everything in the studio by making drawings and maps of the studio. There were over 7000 items in Francis Bacon's studio and these included his brushes, paint tubes, drawings, canvases, music records, photographs, books and letters he had written and received from his friends. When drawings and photographs of their location were made, all Francis Bacon's belongings were carefully placed in boxes and brought to Dublin.
In Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane each item was studied and the information gathered was put onto a computer database so more can be learned about how Francis Bacon painted and what his inspirations were. The studio was reconstructed and each item was carefully replaced piece by piece exactly where it was.


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Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided (UG) versus fluoroscopy-guided (FG) percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Methods: A systematic search of PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials that compared UG-PCNL with FG-PCNL, and a meta-analysis of those studies was completed. The primary outcomes assessed were stone-free rate (SFR) and complication rate. Secondary outcomes assessed were the successful access-creation rate, time necessary for entrance into the target calyx, auxiliary procedure rate, transfusion rate, hemoglobin decrease after surgery, surgery duration, and hospital stay. Results: Eight studies comprising 966 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with FG-PCNL, UG-PCNL had comparable stone-free rates [odds ratio (OR) 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67–1.35; p = 0.79] irrespective of the patient's position, and a favorable safety profile resulting in a lower complication rate (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.36–0.86; p = 0.009). No statistical difference was found between UG and FG groups in secondary outcomes. Conclusions: UG-PCNL is as effective as FG-PCNL and has the advantage of lower complication rates. In addition, UG-PCNL could be performed with patients in the supine position without compromising its efficacy.
ASJC Scopus subject areas


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The Two Sides Of The Brain
On this date in 1913, Nobel Prize winner Roger Sperry was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He won a Nobel Prize in 1981 in physiology or medicine, for his more than four decades-long study of the human brain. Sperry found that the two cerebral hemispheres of the brain have separate functions, linked by the corpus callosum, the nerve bundle that connects them. He also discovered that the left side is usually the more dominant; it controls reasoning, language, writing and reading. The typically less-dominant right side controls such non-verbal pursuits as art, music and other creative activities. Sperry received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He first studied cats and later studied epileptic patients, especially those whose corpus callosum was cut to block seizures.
Copyright Aetna InteliHealth, Inc., 2012. All rights reserved.


Planetary Chronology
from Geoto AtmoSoil is between spheres; between biosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, visible only at high resolution. The metrics of soil sample analysis afford perspectives of soil as it relates to atmosphere and geology in a system, as well as to political and economic processes; how permeable it is, what it originates from by identifying parent material and geologic formations, how it relates to geology by depth to lithic and paralithic bedrock, adjacencies to ecology in what natural habitat it facilitates, relationship to climate in how much precipitation and temperature a soil unit experiences, its natural resource potential; how fertile it is for cultivation or forestry or extraction. Core samples seek valuable deposits of the past deep within the rock. Cores measure stratigraphy, at a resolution for sensing rock formations the size of states or continents. Soil samples also measure stratigraphy, with a resolution fine enough to detect the intricacies of material. Both sampling methods encode the biosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere as media. [1]
Using the soil sample, borrowed from environmental science for architectural analysis, we adopt methods of sampling to divorce sectional geologic data from extractive economies. Sampling in this way relates the material realities of the anthropocene to their relationship to geo-to-atmo at the scale of the individual.
Geologists take core samples to study geology with high oil potential to verify the presence of oil. The path of study follows an apparently erratic path, connecting a variety of samples across geographies.
Geologic data is funded, researched, and drawn only in those areas where fossil capital is sought. This means that our planetary section is - in more ways than one - beholden to petroculture. We could only draw, at the planetary scale, those geologies which had data - those that had the promise of oil.
Soil scientists take samples in intentionally arbitrary paths to gather samples from unremarkable areas, to get a representative sample.
This path zigs and zags like the oil-seeking path, but rather than the exceptional, this path seeks the unremarkable. In order to analyze the material realities of the anthropocene with data that is collected free from the fossil economy, we have taken our own samples.
We use the methods of soil sampling, but we are sampling our own material realities, not the necessarily soil as in, surface geology. These material realities tell a story of the mundane recent past. These are intentionally arbitrarily gathered samples from our lives. This is anthropocene at the scale of Mary and Meg. In doing sampling at the scale of ourselves, we break our own rule, we do not follow the section cut or the antipode, but we reveal what the planetary section forecloses. The haptic scale can only be measured at ourselves.
Soil systems are often viewed as open systems. From a soil-only perspective, soil can change states with additions or subtractions of minerals, water, nutrients. Soil processes these materials in and out. In doing so, soil participates as a part of a more complex closed system at the scale of the planet, a system of climate, hydrology, ecology, geology. The nature of this closed system, the sum of all -spheres related to our home planet, is that it retains all energy which is exhausted. The energy simply changes forms: from its origin as a fossil, to a zap of power, to a simple comfort, and into the atmosphere. [2] The atmosphere retains every particle emitted on Earth, and geology records every piece of matter existing on Earth. Soil science acknowledges the relationships between the closed system of earth and how soil is imprinted with information of the globe, a media of surface geology.
The planetary section is austere in its loyalty to data. To draw cores and write of samples from distant places in the anthropocene, we must rely solely on data, reports, and digital media. With soil sampling, we take samples of the unremarkable and ordinary at the scale of the individual, at the scale of ourselves within the planetary chronology. This information can help support research in the Archive of the Recent Past.
If you would like to sample at the scale of yourself, write and we will send you a vial and log.


Monday, December 11, 2017
Homophobia at American Library Association Again
Homophobia rears again at the American Library Association [ALA]. When one fakes claims of homophobia so as to promote oneself, that results in increased real discrimination against the LGBT community, real gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, really being harmed. And ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom [OIF] is at it again, implying the crux of whistleblower action against a West Bend, WI, library was 80 LGBT books:
Valerie Nye: You experienced a challenge eight years ago, to a large number of books when you were working at the public library. Can you describe the challenge?
Kristin Pekoll:
It was a six-month challenge that shoved me hard into the spotlight. The parent wanted over 80 LGBT books removed from the library.
The truth is that claim about the 80 LGBT books was withdrawn, thus it was not the crux of the matter. But ALA OIF is at it again with the false or misleading claims of discrimination, and resultant harm, against the LGBT community.
So I commented as follows, and the comment is currently "awaiting moderation":
"The parent wanted over 80 LGBT books removed from the library." That is highly misleading and harms the LGBT community since fake claims of LGBT discrimination results in actual increased discrimination. The complaint about the LGBT books was withdrawn because the claimant realized the request was inappropriate. So OIF saying that was the main issue means OIF is simply faking more discrimination against the LGBT community. It follows a pattern of OIF faking claims about LGBT discrimination so as to raise its own profile for its own reasons. I even recorded an author admitting ALA OIF fakes its annual lists, in this case 2010, to place LGBT books on the list of "banned books" even though other books had been challenged more often. Indeed, after I exposed this, LGBT books fell off the annual hoax list for two years. But the fakery started again and is continuing to this day with the resultant harm to the LGBT community.
"Organizations like this use superiority and self-righteousness to knock others down. Their goal is to convince librarians and teachers and parents and readers that there is something shameful in reading and learning about ideas that they consider wrong." I did not do that (and we all know you are talking about SafeLibraries). Point to a single instance where I did that, in West Bend or anywhere. Reading is not the issue. Writing is not the issue. The issue is ALA OIF misleading communities to promote its own interests. Faking claims about LGBT discrimination is just one of many examples of ALA faking claims to mislead communities, and people are being harmed as a result, especially in the LGBT community. ALA even lost a major case in the US Supreme Court in 2003 but misleads people about the results of that case to this very day.
"My colleague, Deborah Caldwell Stone, has a great quote in her office that I have great fondness for: 'Dance like no one is watching. Email like it may one day be read aloud in a deposition.'" This very same person used her personal email to order librarians to destroy evidence ALA OIF gave training featuring a trainer who asked why a women would let small children around a gay man, precisely to avoid FOIA disclosures. ALA rehired that trainer who dropped out after being exposed--if I recall Deborah Caldwell Stone did the rehiring. More homophobia at ALA. It's like a group thing at ALA OIF.
So I'm saddened to see OIF continuing with the same false information that uses the LGBT community to give itself a bump. If ALA OIF were a private company, your group homophobia would have result[ed] in the lot of you being fired long ago.
There's so much more I could say about how ALA OIF's homophobia makes me angry because of the harm it likely causes. But I might get sued again with another settlement offer that I delete this current reporting, like when I wrote Gay Hate @ Your Library. It's still up, go read what ALA wanted censored, and it's staying up.
Librarians, this homophobia is never going to stop so long as ALA OIF continues on unabated, without even a single challenge, without even a single peep.
By the way,
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text:
This book presents fundamentals and the latest techniques of electrical spectrum analysis. It focuses on instruments and techniques used on spectrum and network analysis, rather than theory. The book covers the use of spectrum analyzers, tracking generators, and network analyzers. Filled with practical examples, the book presents techniques that are widely used in signal processing and communications applications, yet are difficult to find in most literature.
- Presents numerous practical examples, including actual spectrum analyzer circuits
- Instruction on how to use spectrum analyzers, tracking generators, and network analyzers
- End-of-chapter questions, which make the book suitable as a college-level text earthquakes
Electrical engineers and high-level electronics technicians
Spectrum and Spectrum Analysis. Methods of Spectrum Analysis. Frequency Control: Phase Lock and Microprocessor Controlled Spectrum Analyzers. Spectrum Analyzer Applications. Advanced Spectrum Analyzer Applications. The Tracking Generator and Scalar Network Analysis. A Practical Spectrum Analyzer. Spectrum Analyzer Performance Determination. The Network Analyzer. Bibliography. Index.
- No. of pages:
- © Academic Press 1991
- 2nd December 2012
- Academic Press
- eBook ISBN:
- Hardcover ISBN:


text:
JIRWE, Maria, GERRISH, Kate, KEENEY, Sinead and EMAMI, Azita (2009). Identifying the core components of cultural competence: findings from a Delphi study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 18 (18), 2622-2634.Full text not available from this repository.
Aims. To identify the core components of cultural competence from a Swedish perspective.
Background. The cultural diversity of Swedish society raises challenges for nursing practice. Nurses need to be culturally competent, i.e. demonstrate the effective application of knowledge, skills and attitudes to practice safely and effectively in a multi-cultural society. Existing frameworks of cultural competence reflect the socio-cultural, historical and political context in which they were developed. To date, there has been no research examining cultural competence within a Swedish context.
Design. A Delphi survey.
Methods. A purposive sample of 24 experts; (8 nurses, 8 researchers, 8 lecturers) knowledgeable in multicultural issues, was recruited. Interviews were undertaken to identify the knowledge, skills and attitudes that formed the components of cultural competence. Content analysis yielded statements which were developed into a questionnaire. Respondents scored questionnaire items in terms of perceived importance. Statements which reached consensus were removed from questionnaires used in subsequent rounds. Three rounds of questionnaires were distributed during 2006.
Results. 118 out of 137 components reached a consensus level of 75%. The components were categorized into five areas; cultural sensitivity, cultural understanding, cultural encounters, understanding of health, ill-health and healthcare, and social and cultural contexts with 17 associated sub-categories.
Conclusions. There are some similarities between the issues raised in the current study and existing frameworks of cultural competence from the USA and the UK. However, Swedish experts placed less emphasis on ethnohistory and on developing skills to challenge discrimination and racism.
Relevance to clinical practice. This study identified the core components of cultural competence important to nurses practising within a multi-cultural society such as Sweden. Acquisition of the knowledge, skills and attitudes identified should enable nurses to meet the needs of patients from different cultural backgrounds. The components of cultural competence can form the basis of nursing curricula.
|Research Institute, Centre or Group:||Centre for Health and Social Care Research|
|Depositing User:||Kate Gerrish|
|Date Deposited:||17 Mar 2011 12:23|
|Last Modified:||17 Mar 2011 12:23|
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DEC2BIN function
This article describes the formula syntax and usage of the DEC2BIN function (function: A prewritten formula that takes a value or values, performs an operation, and returns a value or values. Use functions to simplify and shorten formulas on a worksheet, especially those that perform lengthy or complex calculations.) in Microsoft Excel.
Converts a decimal number to binary.
DEC2BIN(number, [places])
 - Number Required. The decimal integer you want to convert. If number is negative, valid place values are ignored and DEC2BIN returns a 10-character (10-bit) binary number in which the most significant bit is the sign bit. The remaining 9 bits are magnitude bits. Negative numbers are represented using two's-complement notation.
 - Places Optional. The number of characters to use. If places is omitted, DEC2BIN uses the minimum number of characters necessary. Places is useful for padding the return value with leading 0s (zeros).
 - If number < -512 or if number > 511, DEC2BIN returns the _TAG_! error value.
 - If number is nonnumeric, DEC2BIN returns the _TAG_! error value.
 - If DEC2BIN requires more than places characters, it returns the _TAG_! error value.
 - If places is not an integer, it is truncated.
 - If places is nonnumeric, DEC2BIN returns the _TAG_! error value.
 - If places is zero or negative, DEC2BIN returns the _TAG_! error value.
ShowHow do I copy an example?
Selecting an example from Help
Selecting an example from Help
 1. Press CTRL+C.
 2. Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
Formula Description (Result)
=DEC2BIN(9, 4) Converts decimal 9 to binary with 4 characters (1001)
=DEC2BIN(-100) Converts decimal -100 to binary _PHONE_)
Applies to:


Extended Bolus: How, When & Why
Pizza Night and Beyond: extended bolus can reduce bg spikes (and your stress!)
Michelle MacPhee
D-Mom, Creator/Co-Founder of Waltzing the Dragon
Frustrated by blood sugar spikes after pizza, pasta, burgers and ice cream? We'll share some practical tips on how and when to use an Extended Bolus (also known as a Combo Bolus or Dual-Wave Bolus), as well as some practical strategies for taming those blood sugar spikes.
But first the theory behind this handy insulin pump feature...
pizza slices on white background
Insulin pumps allow you to alter how much of a bolus is delivered and when, resulting in different bolus shapes:
Normal Bolus
delivers the entire dose immediately. For example, if 6 units (U) of insulin is the desired dose, all 6U will be delivered within moments of pressing the "Okay" button. This is most similar to giving insulin by injection; the insulin acts as quickly as possible for its type, because the entire dose is being delivered at once, and so will return high blood sugar to target more quickly than the other bolus shapes (below).
When should I use a Normal Bolus?
For most people, a Normal Bolus will be used most often. It may be helpful for carb-containing snacks/meals with low amounts of protein and fat. As a correction for high blood glucose, it's the only logical choice, since you want your blood sugar to return to target as quickly as possible.
Extended Bolus (a.k.a. Square Wave Bolus)
spreads the dose out over a specified period of time with 0.0 U given up front; there is no initial "dump" of insulin which may lead to a low if the insulin gets in before the food is digested. For example, if 6U is the desired dose, you could choose to extend the bolus delivery over 3 hours, meaning that equal fractions of the total dose will be delivered every few minutes so that the 6U of insulin will be delivered over the 3-hour period.
When should I use an Extended/Square Wave Bolus?
An Extended Bolus may be helpful for snacks/meals that contain low amounts of carbohydrate, with moderate to high amounts of protein and/or fat, such as steak and a salad alone. It can also be helpful when your child comes into mealtime with a blood glucose reading that is on the lower side, and you want to ease into the insulin action to allow blood sugar to rise before insulin affects it. It also may be appropriate for individuals who have a medical condition that causes slow or delayed digestion (such as gastroparesis).
Tips from the Trenches
If Paul has a blood glucose that is on the lower side (and he doesn't want to eat extra, high-GI carbs to bring his blood glucose up), if we give an extended bolus over 0.5hrs for a moderate GI meal, most times his blood sugar will balance out nicely without going low first. ~Danielle
Combination: Normal + Extended Bolus (a.k.a. Combo Bolus, Dual Wave Bolus, or Multi-wave Bolus)
(Omnipod, Tandem t:slim and Ypsomed use the same "Extended Bolus" term as above)
is a hybrid of the first two insulin delivery modes: some specified portion of the total insulin bolus is delivered upfront, as a normal/straight bolus, while the rest is delivered over a specified period of time as an extended/square wave bolus. For example, given a 6U dose delivered as a 60/40 combination/square wave bolus over 3 hours: 60% of the total dose (or 3.6U) will be delivered within seconds of pressing the "Okay" button; the remaining 40% (or 2.4U) will be delivered (in equal fractions) every few minutes over the next 3-hour time period. The result is an initial dose to deal with faster-digesting foods, plus an extended tail of insulin action to deal with the slower-digesting foods.
When should I use a Combination Bolus?
For snacks/meals that are predominantly low on the glycemic index (such as plain pasta, spaghetti with tomato sauce, barley, or pulses like chick peas or black beans) OR for foods that contain a mix of a moderate to high amount of carbs plus moderate to high amounts of protein and/or fat (such as pizza, pasta with a heavy cream or cheese sauce including home-made macaroni and cheese, a burger with fries, cheesy / meaty / deep-fried Mexican food, popcorn with butter). A combination bolus may also be helpful for "grazing", when the person with diabetes may be eating small amounts of food over a few hours (for example, movie night at a friend's house; a cocktail party; a kids' birthday party with a free-access snack table).
More info on how different foods digest at different rates:
Why Use an Extended Bolus?
The benefit of having options in terms of the shape of the bolus is that the rate of insulin delivery can be better matched to how quickly or slowly certain foods are digested: quick delivery can be used to deal with quickly-digested foods, mediating the blood glucose spike that may strike after eating starch and carbs; a prolonged delivery can be used for slower digesting foods, avoiding the lows that often set in when insulin acts more quickly than the slowly digested foods do. As a result, we can even out the blood sugar peaks and valleys that may follow certain meals, leading to more successful blood glucose management... better feeling, lower A1C's, better health!
How Do I Know If I Should Extend the Bolus?
Keeping in mind the above examples (and those in the Glycemic Index Explained and Choosing the Right GI for the Job pages), check your child's blood sugar before eating and 1 hour after eating a meal like pasta / spaghetti, pizza, burgers, fries, steak and baked potato, rich cheesecake, full-fat ice cream, chickpeas, buttery popcorn...). If your child's blood glucose has dropped as of the 1-hour point, this may be an indication that the meal she has just eaten is appropriate for an extended bolus. Now have her check her blood glucose a few hours later... if the reading has sky-rocketed, this makes the need for an extended/dual-wave bolus even more likely.
A Real-life Example:
Before my son had an insulin pump, and before I learned anything about the glycemic index, these were his blood sugar readings (in mmol/L) one evening after fast-food chicken nuggets and fries (a high carb, high-fat meal):
5:00 PM (before eating): 8.2
6:30 PM (1-hour after he finished eating): 5.1
9:00 PM: 13.2
1:00 AM: 18.7 (despite the usual correction 4 hours earlier)
7:00 AM: 15.6 (despite previous corrections at 9 PM and 1 AM)
This Is What Happens:
There is too much insulin early into the slowly-digesting meal, so blood glucose drops. Then there is not enough insulin available later, when the majority of the food digests and enters the blood stream as glucose - that is, the insulin "tail" is too short, leaving much of the glucose in the bloodstream long after the meal, so an extra bolus of insulin is needed* to get this excess glucose out of the blood and into the cells. However, if the insulin is delivered as an Extended or Combination Bolus, then less insulin is given up front, and the insulin tail is extended, better matching the slower rate of digestion of the food. (*Plus the fat leads to insulin resistance, a pesky problem for adults and children with diabetes... but that's another story!)
Notes About the Extended Bolus:
 - This typical blood glucose pattern (a drop followed by highs) indicates use of an extended bolus if, and only if, the basal rates have previously been confirmed. Otherwise, it's possible that the early drop in blood glucose was due to excess basal insulin, while the steady climb post-meal could coincide with insufficient basal insulin.
 - An accurate carb count and correct insulin:carb (I:C) ratio should also be confirmed. If too much insulin was given for the meal (either because the carbs were over-estimated, or the I:C ratio is too strong) then it's possible that the early low blood sugar was simply due to excess insulin; the persistent highs that followed could then be due to the Symogi effect, or a "low rebound".
 - To help sort all this out, gather the clues together to look at the whole picture: Are the basal rates, I:C ratios, carb content confirmed? Was the meal low glycemic index, high protein*, and/or high fat? Was there an initial drop in blood glucose followed by later high blood glucose? If so, you could try an extended bolus, note the results, and make adjustments from there.
 - A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a particularly useful way of visualizing the effect of problem foods on blood glucose - and can be a very efficient way of perceiving the need for an extended bolus.
 - If you plan to use an extended bolus at a given meal, and your child's blood glucose is above


text:
ite Church, 64.5 percent (58 percent in 1989). However, only six percent of the married couples were still members of different denominations at the time of the survey, indicating that sometime subsequent to the wedding, in most cases, one spouse joined the other's church. In 1989 this increased to nine percent. The rate of intermarriage between Mennonites of any branch and non-Mennonites was not determined in either survey.
Reflecting chronological trends, younger persons had higher rates of intermarriage than older members. Slightly higher intermarriage rates were observed among urban than rural residents, among women than men, and among lay people than ministers. Farmers had lower rates of intermarriage than other occupational groups.
Substantially higher intermarriage rates were found among those who do not attend church regularly, and among those who are nonresident members of their local congregations. Those of mixed marriage background scored somewhat lower on scales measuring doctrinal orthodoxy, adherence to Anabaptist principles, religious practices, and moral attitudes. Thus intermarriage appears to be associated with weaker support of church doctrines and practices.
Driedger, Vogt, and Reimer (1983) investigated intermarriage among Mennonites in Canada, defining intermarriage more broadly as the marriage of a Mennonite (of any branch) to a non-Mennonite. Among 13 religious groups reported in the 1981 Canadian census, only Jews had lower rates of intermarriage than Mennonites. The rate of endogamy (Mennonites marrying Mennonites) declined from 93 percent in 1921 to 61 percent in 1981. The reported rate may be too low, however, since the census definition of Mennonite includes some persons who are not actually members of a Mennonite church.
Several surveys by Driedger and his associates support several generalizations. (1) In general, the more conservative the Mennonite body, the lower the rate of intermarriage. Hutterites have virtually none. (2) Intermarriage rates were considerably lower in rural than in urban areas. (3) The younger generation is much more accepting of intermarriage than older generations. (4) Whereas Mennonite intermarriage in Manitoba was almost nonexistent prior to the 1950s, by the 1970s one-fourth married outsiders. (5) Although in the past intermarried couples often left the Mennonite church, intermarriage is increasingly a form of recruitment and possible revitalization.
Although there may be some positive aspects associated with the marriage of Mennonites to those of other backgrounds, in terms of recruitment and stimulation, most of the indicators are negative. In the larger society, higher divorce rates are associated with mixed marriage. There is some evidence that this is true among Mennonites, but the question needs further investigation. in general, the empirical evidence assembled thus far tends to support the traditional view that endogamy is best. -- JHK
Driedger, Leo and Jacob Peters. "Ethnic Identity: a Comparison of Mennonite and Other Students." Mennonite Quarterly Review 47 (1973): 225-44.
Driedger, Leo, Roy Vogt and Mavis Reimer. "Mennonite Intermarriage: National, Regional and Intergenerational Trends." Mennonite Quarterly Review 41 (1983): 132-144.
Hege, Christian. Die Taufer in der Kurpfalz. Karlsruhe, 1908.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon., 4 v. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, _PHONE_: III, 139 f.
Hostetler, John A. The Sociology of Mennonite Evangelism. Scottdale, PA, 1954: 195-197.
Hunzinger, A. Das Religions-, Kirchenund Schulwesen der Mennoniten oder Taufgesinnten. Speyer, 1830.
Kauffman, J. Howard and Leland Harder, eds. Anabaptists Four Centuries Later: a Profile of Five Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Denominations. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1975: 172-177.
Kauffman, J. Howard and Leo Driedger. The Mennonite Mosaic: Identity and Modernization. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1991: 110-111.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 720-721, 5, pp. 444-445. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.
©_PHONE_ by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
MLA style: Neff, Christian and J. Howard Kauffman. "Intermarriage." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1989. Web. 19 June 2013. _URL_
APA style: Neff, Christian and J. Howard Kauffman. (1989). Intermarriage. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 June 2013, from _URL_


1. Activists Cheer BlackRock's Landmark Climate Move But Call for Vigilance
 Activists Cheer BlackRock's Landmark Climate Move But Call for Vigilance
 Divestment decision by the world's biggest fund manager called a breakthrough – but only a first step. In recent decades, environmentalists have grown used to disappointment when big companies and Wall Street pay lip service to concern over the climate crisis. On Tuesday, it looked like something might have changed...
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 1. Categories
 1. BoardProspects Features:
 2. The steps BlackRock is taking are baby steps, and we will have to watch and push hard for them to begin striding at the pace we need to go. But in some sense, the first step is often the hardest.
 3. Coal is part of the problem, but not the biggest part of the problem – oil and gas are.
 4. We have the largest investment stewardship team in the industry and engage with companies even in the absence of shareholder proposals.
 5. Either you commit to the science-based targets of the Paris climate agreement and align you operations, governance, political spending, lobby and trade association activities to achieve that target or we will vote against you and your directors.
 6. Think about how passive that sentence is, then think about the behavior of ExxonMobil or Marathon petroleum, who through their capital expenditures and policy influence have actively undermined our ability to protect long-term investors and meet the goals of the Paris agreement.
 7. For all of us that have been campaigning for years around climate finances, this is an historic moment. From today, it's going to be harder to go sink of load of money in Exxon, because the biggest financial firm in the world has said.
 3. Topics Mentioned
 4. Authors


The mass spectrometer measurement section is a region of uniform magnetic?eld B= ˆxBms for z > 0. Ions enter the magnetic?eld (which exists for z > 0) at the origin with a known velocity +ˆz vz. Find the point at which the ion exits the magnetic?eld as a function of its initial velocity, Bms, and its mass.


text:
One of the geography terms activities for fifth grade listed here is a geography dictionary. Additional activities can be found online and those will be referenced later on.
To make a geography dictionary, you will need to cut white copy paper in half, and have some construction paper also cut in half for the cover. Students will need scissors, glue, pencils or pens, crayons, markers, or colored pencils.
Instructions: Print the word at the top of the page and write the definition of it underneath with a pencil or pen. Look in magazines to find pictures to illustrate the word, cut it out and glue underneath the definition. When you are finished, decorate two pieces of construction paper and staple your dictionary together.
Make a Physical Geography Dictionary using the following 15 terms:
There are a few sites that have ideas to help with geography terms activities for fifth grade:
There are many word games to help students learn definitions of words.
One fun one is a twist on the Snowman game. It is like Hangman in reverse. You have two teams and you draw two stick figures, or snowmen, or whatever on the board, with each having the same number of parts. You need between 12 and 15 parts. You can call this game Invisible Man or Melting Snowman. Anyway, when a team gets the answer right, they erase one part of the opposing team's man or snowman. When the man or snowman is gone, the other team wins.
Another way to review definitions of geography words is to play Jeopardy. Make a simple game board with five or six categories, with point values ranging from 100 to 500 for Jeopardy and 200 to 1000 for Double Jeopardy. Save a really hard question for Final Jeopardy.
At Puzzlemaker you can make your own crossword puzzles. Just pick the size of puzzle, put in the words and definitions, and it will create a puzzle for you to print out and use. You can also make crossword puzzles at Crossword Puzzle Games.


AskQ logo
(A) When 600 cm3 of air is pumped into flask A,what will happen to the balance?
(B) What is the volume of tbe air is flask A now? (C) What properties of air do this set-up illustrated?
Related Link
I have seen long explanation for this type of questions and I understood them all. The problem is, how can you put that into simple words for the student? Is there a shortcut to do it? How can I solve this question in 5 seconds?
I'll leave the scientific explanation to others but if you want to look for a short cut for this type of question, i did a youtube video to explain how you get the answer in just one look.
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(A) When 600cm3 of air is pumped into Flask A, the balance will tip in favor of Flask A. This is because the additional 600cm3 of air has added to the overall mass of air in Flask A.
(B) The volume of air in Flask A is unchanged at 1000cm3. This is because the Flask is made of solid glass that cannot expand easily even as the pressure of air in the flask increases.
(C) The experiment demonstrates that air (i) has mass and (ii) can be compressed.
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My 2-cents inputs…
(A) Same observation (but I think there is no need write explanation in the answer since not asked "why", correct?)
(B) 1000 cm3 (same thing no need explain because no "why"?) But if asked, it is because air has no definite volume and can be compressed to take up the same volume in the flask, rather than due to the material of the glass. [consider another experiment if we pump air into a flask and into a balloon in comparison.]
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Creature type
(Subtype for creature/tribal cards)
Statistics 10 cards
{C} 10% {U} 80% {G/U} 10%
as of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Scryfall Search
Octopus is a creature type used on cards that depict tentacled sea creatures.
Description[edit | edit source]
The octopus is a venomous cephalopod that prefers a solitary nature in the sea. Their most notable features are eight tentacular arms that symmetrically radiate around a hard beak. Their primary defense mechanism is to flee while ejecting an ink cloud into the water. Many octopuses are known to employ natural camouflage to help elude intruders. They are not to be confused with the closely related nautili, squids or kraken. Octopuses are intelligent creatures but lack the sapience of their humanoid versions the cephalids.
The first creature to bear the type was Giant Octopus from Portal and Starter 1999. It was followed by Lorthos, the Tidemaker from Zendikar, Sealock Monster and Godhunter Octopus from the Theros block, and Elder Deep-Fiend from Eldritch Moon. Since then, other octopuses have seen print. Not much mechanically or flavourfully separate octopi from squids or kraken, with the average octopus being mid-sized in cost and body, larger than squid and smaller than kraken.
Notable Octopuses[edit | edit source]
Tokens[edit | edit source]
Token Name Color Type Line P/T Text Box Source Printings
Octopus Blue Creature — Octopus 8/8
Gallery[edit | edit source]


text: Understanding recolonization processes of intertidal fish assemblages is integral for predicting the consequences of significant natural or anthropogenic impacts on the intertidal zone. Recolonization of experimentally defaunated intertidal rockpools by fishes at Bass Point, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, was assessed quantitatively by using one long-term and two short-term studies. Rockpools of similar size and position at four sites within the intertidal zone were repeatedly defaunated of their fish fauna after one week, one month, and three months during two short-term studies in spring and autumn (5 months each), and every six months for the long-term study (12 months). Fish assemblages were highly resilient to experimental perturbations— recolonizing to initial fish assemblage structure within 1−3 months. This recolonization was primarily due to subadults (30−40 mm TL) and adults (>40 mm TL) moving in from adjacent rockpools and presumably to abundant species competing for access to vacant habitat. The main recolonizers were those species found in highest numbers in initial samples, such as Bathygobius cocosensis, Enneapterygius rufopileus, and Girella elevata. Defaunation did not affect the size composition of fishes, except during autumn and winter when juveniles (<30 mm TL) recruited to rockpools. It appears that Bass Point rockpool fish assemblages are largely controlled by postrecruitment density-dependent mechanisms that indicate that recolonization may be driven by deterministic mechanisms.


text:
Geometric Shapes Building Set
A "Sea" and Build Geometry Set. Combine sticks in 3 sizes, along with curves for making circles and cylinders, with 2 different types of connecters to build 2-D shapes. Then, combine them to make new 2-D shapes or even 3-D shapes! Child-friendly set features durable sticks, curves, and connectors. Geometric Shapes Building Set. Includes 90 sticks, 32 curves, and 48 connectors.


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Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas (GHG) with a global warming potential of 28 CO2 equivalents. The livestock sector was estimated to emit 7.1 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalents, which is approximately 14.5% of total global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Enteric CH4 production is the main source of GHG emissions from dairy cattle, representing 46% of the global GHG emissions in dairy supply chains. Dairy production has great value in view of the ability of ruminants to effectively turn human inedible biomass into human edible food and to produce food from non-arable land. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop strategies to decrease dairy cattle enteric CH4 emission. Evaluation of these strategies requires meticulous quantification and increased understanding of anaerobic fermentation and methanogenesis in the rumen ecosystem. The overall aim of this PhD research was, therefore, to quantitatively evaluate enteric CH4 emission from dairy cows as affected by feeding and rumen microbial metabolism.
A meta-analysis was performed to quantify relationships between enteric CH4 yield (per unit of feed and unit of milk) and milk FA profile in dairy cattle and to develop equations to predict CH4 yield based on milk FA profile of cows fed a wide variety of diets. Various milk FA concentrations were significantly or tended to be positively or negatively related to CH4 yield per unit of feed or milk. Mixed model multiple regression resulted in various milk FA included in optimal equations to predict CH4 yield per unit of feed and per unit of milk. These regression equations indicated a moderate potential for using milk FA profile to predict CH4 yield.
For the development of a mechanistic model of CH4 production in the rumen, the thermodynamic control of pH2 on reaction rates of specific fermentation pathways, NADH oxidation and methanogenesis was theoretically explored. This control was determined using the thermodynamic potential factor (FT), which is a dimensionless factor that corrects a predicted kinetic reaction rate for the thermodynamic control exerted. The thermodynamic feasibility of these microbial conversions showed that the control of pH2 on individual VFA produced and associated yield of H2 and CH4 cannot be explained without considering NADH oxidation, with a considerable effect of pH.
For obtaining experimental support of the conclusions drawn from the theoretical exploration, diurnal patterns of gaseous and dissolved metabolite concentrations in the bovine rumen, H2 and CH4 emitted, and the rumen microbiota were monitored. In addition, the effect of dietary inclusion of linseed oil on these patterns was assessed. An in vivo experiment with rumen cannulated dairy cows was performed to study the anaerobic metabolism and the microbiota composition in the rumen. A 100-fold increase in pH2 in the rumen headspace was observed at 0.5 h after feeding, followed by a decline. Qualitatively similar patterns after feeding were observed for H2 and CH4 emission, ethanol and lactate concentrations, and propionate molar proportion, whereas an opposite pattern was seen for acetate molar proportion. Associated with these patterns, a temporal biphasic change in the microbial composition was observed as based on 16S ribosomal RNA with certain taxa specifically associated with each phase. Bacterial concentrations were affected by time and increased by linseed oil supplementation. Archaeal concentrations tended to be affected by time and were not affected by diet, despite linseed oil supplementation tending to decrease the partial pressure and emission of CH4 and tending to increase propionate molar proportion. The various diurnal profiles that were monitored support the key role of the NAD+ to NADH ratio in rumen fermentation and the importance of diurnal dynamics when understanding VFA, H2 and CH4 production.
A dynamic mechanistic model was developed, in which the thermodynamic control of pH2 on VFA fermentation pathways, and methanogenesis in the bovine rumen are incorporated. The model represents substrate degradation, microbial fermentation and methanogenesis in the rumen, with the type of VFA formed to be controlled by the NAD+ to NADH ratio, which in turn is controlled by pH2. Feed composition and feed intake rate representing a twice daily feeding regime were used as model input. The model predicted a marked peak in pH2 after feeding that rapidly declined in time. This peak in pH2 caused a decrease in NAD+ to NADH ratio followed by an increased propionate molar proportion at the expense of acetate molar proportion. In response to feeding, the model predicted a sudden increase and a steady decrease in CH4 production in time. The pattern of CH4 emission rate followed the patterns of pH2 and H2 emission rate, but its magnitude of increase in response to feeding was less pronounced. A global sensitivity analysis indicated the parameter that determines the NADH oxidation rate to explain the most substantial part of the variation of predicted daily CH4 emission. The modeling effort provides the integration of more detailed knowledge than accomplished in previous rumen fermentation models and enables assessment of diurnal dynamics of rumen metabolic pathways yielding VFA, H2 and CH4.
For assessing the general value of the research reported in this thesis, the potential for predicting enteric CH4 emission from dairy cattle based on milk FA profile was discussed in the light of published studies and compared with empirical modeling of enteric CH4 based on feed input. Moreover, the concept of NAD-controlled fermentation was considered in a more general perspective by comparing the rumen ecosystem with bioreactor systems. Furthermore, the feasibility of the developed models as an alternative for IPCC tiered approaches was explored. In conclusion, the research reported in this thesis contributes to an increased understanding of rumen fermentation and microbial metabolism, and has provides a basis to further improve prediction models of enteric CH4 emissions from dairy cattle.
|Qualification||Doctor of Philosophy|
|Award date||28 Apr 2017|
|Place of Publication||Wageningen|
|Publication status||Published - 2017|
- dairy cows
- microbial degradation
- rumen metabolism
- rumen fermentation
- fatty acids
- biochemical pathways
- animal nutrition
- nutrition physiology


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Objective: To analyze the association between prediagnostic prostate-specific antigen kinetics and the risk of biopsy progression in prostate cancer patients on active surveillance, and to study the effect of prediagnostic prostate-specific antigen values on the predictive performance of prostate-specific antigen velocity and prostate-specific antigen doubling time. Methods: The study included 137 active surveillance patients with two or more prediagnostic prostate-specific antigen levels measured over a period of at least 3 months. Two sets of analyses were carried out. First, the association between prostate-specific antigen kinetics calculated using only the prediagnostic prostate-specific antigen values and the risk of biopsy progression was studied. Second, using the same cohort of patients, the predictive value of prostate-specific antigen kinetics calculated using only post-diagnostic prostate-specific antigens and compared with that of prostate-specific antigen kinetics based on both preand post-diagnostic prostate-specific antigen levels was analyzed. Results: Of 137 patients included in the analysis, 37 (27%) had biopsy progression over a median follow-up period of 3.2 years. Prediagnostic prostate-specific antigen velocity of more than 2 ng/mL/year and 3 ng/mL/year was statistically significantly associated with the risk of future biopsy progression. However, after adjustment for baseline prostate-specific antigen density, these associations were no longer significant. None of the tested prostate-specific antigen kinetics based on combined preand post-diagnostic prostate-specific antigen values were statistically significantly associated with the risk of biopsy progression. Conclusions: Historical prediagnostic prostate-specific antigens seems to be not clinically useful in patients diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer on active surveillance.
- Active surveillance
- Prostate biopsy
- Prostate cancer
- Prostate-specific antigen doubling time
- Prostate-specific antigen velocity
ASJC Scopus subject areas


I am using a switching voltage regulator to go from 5V to 3.3V, 1A of output current. The datasheet specifies 22uF ceramic capacitors for the input and output. Can I use 2 10uF capacitors instead of one 22uF capacitor?
Besides the difference in frequency response (10uF has a higher resonant frequency), is there a reason why one 22uF would be better than using two 10uF?
 - \$\begingroup\$ Normally, that would be ok. 22 uF ceramic? Or electrolytic? \$\endgroup\$ – Mike Waters Jan 12 '17 at 0:43
 - \$\begingroup\$ Its close enough so you should be OK. Keep the two caps electrically close together. And since it is a switcher, remember to pay attention to the type of capacitor the manufacturer recommends. The wrong type of capacitor could effect the longevity and reliability of the circuit more than the 2uF difference from the recommended value. \$\endgroup\$ – Randy Jan 12 '17 at 0:44
 - \$\begingroup\$ _USER_, it specifies "Low ESR Ceramic (MLCC)". \$\endgroup\$ – Adam B Jan 12 '17 at 0:50
 - \$\begingroup\$ _USER_ To get a really concrete answer, please post the part numbers for: your switching voltage regulator, the 22uF capacitor, the 10uF capacitor. \$\endgroup\$ – Nick Alexeev Jan 12 '17 at 1:11
Two is usually better than one for ceramic.
In a non-electrolytic capacitor and electrolytic capacitors with solid electrolyte the metallic resistance of the leads and electrodes and losses in the dielectric cause the ESR. Typically quoted values of ESR for ceramic capacitors are between 0.01 and 0.1 ohms. ESR of non-electrolytic capacitors tends to be fairly stable over time; for most purposes real non-electrolytic capacitors can be treated as ideal components. (Wikipedia on ESR)
The ESR for the capacitors are limited by the manufacturing process and related more to physical size than value. Depending on the type of capacitor being used, the ESR of two in parallel will be less than a single capacitor of twice the value.
If you look at this Murata catalog you will see that the ESR is defined for a range of physical sizes rather than per capacitance value.
Two 10uF would probably be better, due to them likely having lower ESR or equivalent series resistance. If it calls for ceramic, stick to ceramic. Don't change type of capacitor, as the different types can have drastically different ESR. The only reason one 22uF would be better is because there is one less component to place on the PCB and might cost slightly less.
 - \$\begingroup\$ Thanks! The datasheet specifies "Low ESR Ceramics". The 22uF are 9x more expensive (probably due to the size), so using 2 10uF seems like a better option. \$\endgroup\$ – Adam B Jan 12 '17 at 0:49
 - 1
 \$\begingroup\$ Yes, the very high capacitance ceramic caps in a small package can get very expensive since it's pushing the limits of the technology. I also use several parallel caps when I need low profile height. \$\endgroup\$ – Vince Patron Jan 12 '17 at 0:57
 - \$\begingroup\$ Yes the larger value ceramics can get more expensive, however consider the larger footprint of two components, the added cost of a second component, and setup/tooling and placement fees for automated assembly. It probably would be less overall for two components, but due dilligence is a good idea here. PS make sure the cap's voltage rating is double the maximum peak ripple voltage (and don't overshoot RMS current) for best reliability. \$\endgroup\$ – rdtsc Jan 12 '17 at 12:19
Your Answer


- Visit 'Mars' in Space.com's new 'Space Traveler' mini-documentary - Watch here! 🚀
Can a Black Hole "star" commit fusion, would the photons collect inside the star, would the photons degrade into something else?
Mar 6, 2021
Universe (U), universe(s) (u). ('1') ('1:1:1:1....') Mirror mirroring to infinity of..... points. Infinite / Infinitesimal. Infinite(s) / finite(s). Infinity of point infinitesimal(s) / infinity of finite (bubble) universes. Tractable bubbles (points) (dimensions) ('1') ('1:1:1:1....'). Dead center position of infinite, 0-point (a real point of space (not a history, not a ghost)) (a real point of time (not a history, not a ghost)). The infinity of 0-points broad and deep. How many particles in a particle? How many points in a point? How many points in a point infinitesimal? How many points in a (tractable) bubble universe? How many points to each end of the wormhole corridor (not all would have to be bi-directional) of any blackhole you can circumnavigate the event horizon of completely? Distant points "entangled." "Spooky action at a distance."
This definitely looks like some kind of sci-fi literature. It's simply too good my friend.


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Obs via Google Maps
Oil & Gas ADCP
Ship Obs Report
Obs Web Widget
NDBC on Facebook
NDBC DQC Handbook
Hurricane Data Plots
Handbook No. 1
See recent photos from TAO buoy 8N 110W
How can I compute the distance from a buoy to shore, an inlet, or another reference location?
Often, when you ask us how far a buoy is away from a location, we don't know the exact location of the jetty, inlet, or the point on shore that you are referring to. We'd hate to guess and give you the wrong information. However, it's fairly easy to determine this yourself if you can find the latitude and longitude of your reference position.
Copy the station's latitude and longitude from the station page. Next, look up the latitude and longitude of the inlet, lighthouse, town, or other geographic feature you are interested in. You can find these on NOAA nautical charts: _URL_ provides a listing of these charts which you can purchase.
When you have this information, do an Internet search for a "Great Circle Calculator" and go to one of the web sites featuring this type of calculator.
Here's a Great Circle Calculator offered by NOAA's National Hurricane Center: _URL_
Then, enter the latitude and longitude of our buoy and the position of your reference location. The calculator will provide the distance in in your choice of units.


What is a Foodie and What Does it Actually Mean?
Foodie is a term that gets a bit of a bad rap. That's actually an understatement. It seems like the term is likely to produce a visceral reaction. So, what exactly is a foodie? It really depends on who you ask. Here's a look at what the term actually means, where it derives from, and what it's turned into.
What Is a Foodie?
The term foodie is official, it is in the dictionary. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, foodie is a noun and refers to "a person who loves food and is very interested in different types of food". Comparatively, Merriam-Webster largely defines a foodie as a person interested in popular food fads. Again, it really depends on who you ask. But, where did the term come from?
The Roots of Foodie
Foodie is a relatively new term, being first used in the early 1980s. It was originally coined by a writer in New York City, Gael Greene, but it became popularized by Ann Barr and Paul Levy, who wrote The Official Foodie Handbook. This piece was of the opinion that a foodie eats for pleasure, not sustenance. This person is not snobby, not a professional, and not concerned with anything being gourmet. They don't even necessarily have a large appetite. They eat for their soul.
The authors of this article knew the handbook would strike a nerve, as it spoke to a shared interest in food that hadn't been previously written about. They knew it would help people feel heard. Then, once the term was recognized and put into existence, it became hard to unsee. With this description and basic definition, what happened to the term to cause all the controversy?
Foodie and Commercialization
Foodie, when created, was a term used sparingly. It wasn't necessarily a good or a bad thing, it was just a description'. However, as the term became more and more popular, it fell into the inevitable trap of being commercialized and completely overused. It's used in commercials, magazines, email threads, television shows, books, pretty much everywhere. With overuse, terms become entirely unambiguous and, sometimes, annoying.
Once something becomes commercially popular, it also becomes popular to hate it. Additionally, the term has gained meaning in political conversations as well as class division due to the reality of the profession being predominately working-class, with expensive dining being sometimes reserved for the rich. Long story short, it gets complicated!
Where It is Today?
So, what is a foodie today? It really depends on who you ask, and what day you happen to ask. Accounts on Instagram celebrate the term, with influencers making their income documenting meals at popular restaurants and using the term with pride and absolutely no restraint. Chefs, however, often don't care for the term. They think it has become a way for people who don't know much about the culinary world to pretend they know everything. It empowers a person to complain about and critic something without necessarily having any merit.
What seems to be the common thread here is, if you actually know a lot about the culinary world, chances are you don't describe yourself as a foodie. But, if you do, we're not judging. After all, the term and movement have helped the food industry grow exponentially. All the restaurants you know and love, with unique recipes and incredible flavors, might just have the term to thank. At least in part.
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Unit 2 – Individual Project/345, management homework help
Your organization is building a new plant in the southwestern United States. This is the first time that a human resources professional will be part of the design team that is establishing the new personnel systems for the plant. You expect your candidates to be very diverse in their backgrounds and experience levels.
The plant director has asked you to focus on how you will develop the newly hired personnel into a strong team that crosses organizational boundaries within the plant. Prepare a presentation that addresses the following elements of a diverse workforce:
 - How will you determine whether the candidates are a fit for the team?
 - Discuss your design for a cross-functional training program that aligns strategic plant goals with each work group.
 - Identify the training topics that you will use to foster diversity, intergroup relationships, and productivity within the plant.
You must include a minimum of 2 scholarly references.


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My Pipeline's Corroded
But I thought oil prevented rust.
Severely corroded pipelines will force BP to shut down its oil field at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, company officials said on Sunday. After a major spill in March, the company discovered stretches where the pipe had lost more than 70 percent of its mass to corrosion. Why does oil corrode a pipeline?
It has water in it. The crude oil that flows from Prudhoe Bay isn't the pure stuff we might use to stave off rust in our cars. When an oil company pumps crude out of the ground, it can also pump out a hot mixture of water, carbon dioxide, sulfur, and microorganisms. (Crude oil with lots of sulfur in it is called "sour," as opposed to "sweet.") If enough of these contaminants collect in a steel pipe, they'll work together to eat away at its inner surface.
Water is the main concern. If there's only a little bit of water in the oil, or if the oil is flowing fast enough, you generally won't have a problem. That's because the water will be dispersed in tiny droplets that are suspended in the flow. These suspended droplets won't react much with the steel surface of the pipes.
Problems can arise in stretches of pipeline that run at lower pressures. In these spots, water droplets can coalesce and fall out of the oil flow. They might inundate globs of sand or dirt that have also fallen out of the crude-oil mix and form a watery sludge on the edge of the pipe. Once a watery muck forms in one part of the pipe, the natural process of corrosion speeds up. The crude can also serve as a breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria, which form slimy, sulfur-producing colonies on the inside of the pipe.
To make matters worse, crude oil comes out of the ground hot, and the pipelines are insulated to maintain those high temperatures. Oil flows better when it's hot, but heat also exacerbates corrosion within the pipes.
Sometimes the oil companies introduce corrosive bacteria, water, or gas into reservoirs themselves. When an oil field gets old, it starts to lose pressure, and it becomes harder to draw out the remaining crude. Engineers can try to add pressure underground by putting in seawater or carbon dioxide. While this increases the field's output, it also sours the product and leads to more pipeline corrosion.
Bonus Explainer: What can the oil companies do to stave off internal pipe corrosion? Very little. It would be far too expensive to build pipelines out of stainless steel, and there's not much you can do to protect the inner surface of a carbon steel tube from water damage. The companies can paint the outer surface with a protective coating, but there's no way to do that on the inside. (You could paint the inner surface of pipe sections before welding them together, but the assembly process would destroy the coating.) Companies can flush their pipelines with various chemicals that create a mildly protective film on the inner surfaces. They can also wash them with a biocide to kill off the sulfur-producing bacteria.
Bonus Bonus Explainer: How do the oil companies test for corrosion in the pipes? They can use ultrasound to measure the thickness of the pipe walls. They can also run corrosion tests by inserting "coupons," or 3-inch strips of metal, into the pipe at various points. After six months or so, they remove the coupons and check to see how much they've corroded. The best way to measure corrosion is with a "smart pig," a bullet-shaped sensor that flies through the pipe measuring the shape of its inner surface.
Got a question about today's news? Ask the Explainer.
Explainer thanks Srdjan Nesic of the Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Flow Technology at Ohio University, Steve Nikolakakos of Russell Corrosion Consultants Inc., and Van Cosby and Dennis Gerson of IBM. Thanks also to reader Lee Goodman for asking the question.


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In recent years, a process involving the Senate's "amendment tree" has been increasingly wielded by Senate leadership as a means to limit opportunity for Senators to offer amendments on measures on the Senate floor. For many observers of the Senate's legislative process, the act of "filling" the amendment tree is a controversial – yet powerful – tactic by which the Majority Leader can control the content of bills and the legislative process.
The Senate is unique in often offering its members significant opportunity and flexibility to amend a measure on the floor. Generally, a measure being considered on the floor is open to amendment in two degrees – amendments to the text of the measure (an amendment in the first degree), and an amendment to that amendment (an amendment in the second degree). The amendments that can be in order at any one time depend on the form of the first amendment, and then the type and degree of subsequent amendments. The series of these amendments and "amendments to amendments" are the "limbs" on the amendment "tree."
The amendment tree is "filled" when all amendments permitted by orders of precedence have been offered and are simultaneously pending. By precedent set by the Senate, once the "tree" is filled, further amendments cannot be offered until those which are pending are voted on.
How and why can a Majority Leader "fill" the amendment tree? Technically, any Senator – or group of Senators, should they be working together – may offer amendments in such a way to fill the tree. After all, Senate Rule XIX stipulates that the Senate's presiding officer recognize the "Senator who shall first address him" – as such, Senators may offer amendments in the order that they obtain recognition, which in turn is the order they address the chair. It is conceivable that a single determined Senator could monopolize the amendment-offering process. However, as has become tradition through practice throughout much of the 20th century, priority of recognition is afforded to the Majority Leader if they seek recognition simultaneous to other Senators.
Because of this, a Majority Leader is guaranteed the ability and opportunity to fill an amendment tree if they repeatedly get recognized in turn to offer amendments to a pending measure. As a practical matter, because of the custom of granting the Majority Leader (or their designee) priority recognition, no other Senator can fill the amendment tree. To fill the tree, the Majority Leader offers first degree and second degree amendments until the amendment tree is full and their amendments must be voted on. Before that vote, however, the Majority Leader may file cloture pursuant to Rule XXII. If cloture is agreed upon, it locks the amendments in place, closes further debate on them, and forces non-germane amendments away.
There are several reasons why a majority leader might pursue the strategy of "filling the amendment tree," to include:
- Expediting Senate consideration of legislation by limiting the total number of amendments offered;
- Instituting a measure of control over the sequence or subject of floor amendments offered;
- Gaining advantage in negotiations of a unanimous consent request for further consideration of a measure;
- Protecting vulnerable members of the same party from having to vote on controversial or politically challenging amendments.
The tactic has significant implications for Senate deliberations. First, it increases the power of the Committees and Committee leadership in deciding the content and scope of a piece of legislation. It can moderate Senators from the process of filing amendments in protest, or attaching "poison pills" to a measure in an attempt to defeat it. For Senators who wish to offer amendments in good faith, they must secure the buy-in of the Majority Leader, lest they "fill the tree" before the amendment may be made. This entails significant negotiation and back-room agreement between leadership and a Senator for the Senator to substantively contribute in the process of Senate floor action.
Yet, conversely, the Majority Leader must assess risk in deciding to fill the amendment tree – as Senators may reject a bill if they feel they have not been given an adequate opportunity, as is their Senatorial prerogative, to offer amendment to a measure.
There have been both successful and unsuccessful attempts to circumvent a "filled" amendment tree. In 2009, Senator DeMint of South Carolina successfully suspended the provisions of rule XXII, including germaneness requirements, so that his amendment could be proposed and considered after Majority Leader Reid had filled the amendment tree and filed cloture. This move became routine procedure in the Senate until October 2011.
In October 2011, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attempted to use DeMint's procedure to offer the "American Jobs Act" as an amendment to the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Bill – on which Senator Reid had filled the amendment tree. Senator Reid, however, raised a point of order against motions to suspend the rules after cloture is invoked. To do so, he called up Senator Coburn's suspension of the rules amendment and then made a point of order that such suspension was a "dilatory motion" under Rule XXII – the rule states that "no dilatory motions… shall be in order."
Senator Begich of Arkansas, presiding in the chair, held that the point of order was no sustained. Senator Reid appealed the ruling. The vote on upholding the ruling went to the Senate, which voted 48 to 51 – thereby setting a new precedent that motions to suspend the rules are not in order after cloture, pursuant to Rule XXII. Thus, Senator McConnell's attempt to circumvent the filled amendment tree was unsuccessful – and any further attempts by Senators to use the suspension of the rules for such a purpose will fail, as well.


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How to Gain Power
Power is the most relatively objective measure of your account's strength, and as a result, gaining power is one of the primary goals while playing Mobile Strike.
Gaining power can be done in multiple different ways.
Methods of permanently increasing your power include:
Base missions are completed when the player completes some sort of assigned task, such as building an oil well and leveling it up for the first time. A base mission is awarded each time you complete something assigned by Mobile Strike, including constructing buildings, completing research, and so on. They can be claimed, or completed in the lower left of your base view. Each one adds commander XP and power, typically according to the difficulty of the mission. Players often wait until they level up their Headquarters to claim the missions so that they can maximize the XP bonus from each one once they have a higher level Hall of Heroes. This is done because the XP bonus conferred rises as the Hall of Heroes rises in level.
-Increasing Your Commander Level
Increasing your commander level can be done by earning experience points (XP). XP can be earned by battling with your commander present (either attacking or defending), completing research, base missions as mentioned above, completing research, attacking rebel targets, and completing base missions. The power from your commander can be taken away if he or she is eliminated, but this loss can be negated if you resuscitate him or her using a Medical Kit. Using a Medical Kit will save your power, and all of your Commander XP. So in a way, it is permanent power gained, but also could be considered temporary if you're splitting hairs.
Completing research adds power and can unlock more troops, traps, increase resource production, and many other things. It cannot be reduced or taken away. As mentioned above, completing research also awards XP for your commander.
Methods of temporarily increasing your power include:
Once built, buildings add power on their own, as well as triggering the completion of a base mission the first time you construct them. The power awarded (aside from the completed base mission) can be removed by deconstructing the building, however.
-Training Troops and Traps
Sort of self-explanatory. The more troops and traps you train, the more your power will rise. If the troops are killed or injured, or your traps are destroyed, your power will drop accordingly. If you heal any injured troops, your power will rise according to how many/what type you heal.