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If you're reading this, chances are you have enjoyed the sense of accomplishment that comes from driving an 8-foot long, mostly steel rod into the earth and connecting a ground wire to it. It's tough work. At the end of the day, you know that your effort was justified because you have installed a system that will protect people from electrical shock, help safeguard expensive electronic equipment, limit neutral-to-ground voltage and satisfy the NEC along the way. There is an increasing awareness in the electrical industry of the benefits of a low-resistance, high-quality grounding system. This article takes a nuts-and-bolts approach to examining one the most commonly installed components: the ground rod.
Copper-bonded, galvanized, and stainless steel ground rods are available in many different sizes. We will not focus on stainless steel rods as their high cost prohibits widespread use. More commonly used are copper-bonded and galvanized steel ground rods. Besides price, what really makes these rods different? Both rods are composed of a steel core with a tensile strength ranging from 58,000 psi for galvanized rods to >90,000 psi for copper-bonded steel rods. From a theoretical standpoint, the higher the tensile strength, the less likely the rod is to "mushroom" or spread when being driven. This is a concern when rods are being coupled or when connections are being made to the top of the rod. Practically speaking, we all know that any ground rod will mushroom if you hit it without using a drive sleeve specifically designed to prevent this. So, the steel used in a copper-bonded rod may give it a slight edge in "driveability," but not enough to classify it as a superior electrode.
The main difference between the two rods is the thickness and type of material used to cover the steel core. Galvanized ground rods are coated with zinc to a thickness of 3.9 mils or.0039 inches. Copper-bonded ground rods are coated with copper to a thickness of 10 mils or.010 inches. It is the thickness and type of material coating that primarily determines the rod's corrosion resistance and service life. In essence, we are comparing zinc to copper and 3.9 mils to 10.0 mils. I think everyone would agree that, regardless of the material, a thicker coating would provide better corrosion protection and, therefore, longer service life.
Perhaps a less intuitive leap is that copper is inherently more resistant to corrosion than zinc. We've all used galvanized steel products and paid a premium for them. Chances are, you didn't have any major corrosion problems with these items. Why should we expect anything different from a galvanized ground rod? The reason is that galvanized ground rods are exposed to the much harsher below-grade environment.
It is an entirely different corrosion ballgame when metals are buried. Aluminum illustrates this point perfectly. Aluminum displays good corrosion resistance above grade. In fact, many boats that are subject to corrosive saltwater are made using aluminum. However, aluminum is prohibited for below-grade use in Article 250 of the NEC due to its lack of corrosion resistance in this environment. While not as drastic as aluminum, galvanized metal experiences a similar drop off in corrosion resistance when placed underground.
Comprehensive direct burial studies done by the National Bureau of Standards showed that 3.9 mils of galvanizing could be expected to provide 10-13 years of protection in most soils. This same study showed that 10 mils of copper could be expected to last more than 40 years in most soil types and is the basis for the 10 mils of copper required for a rod to be UL listed. Furthermore, independent ground rod testing performed by the Navy and the National Electrical Grounding Research Project back up the data gathered by the National Bureau of Standards. Because of these studies, a service life of 10 to 15 years can be assigned to galvanized rods and 40-plus years for 10 mil copper-bonded rods in most soil types.
These results may lead you to believe that copper-bonded rods are better than galvanized rods. Sometimes this is true and sometimes not. I want to emphasize the importance of matching the appropriate ground rod to the application. If the facility being grounded has a life expectancy of less than 15 years, a galvanized ground rod is appropriate and will provide the most cost-effective solution. For installations with a longer service life, copper-bonded ground rods are the best fit. For many years, the copper cold water pipe has served as the primary grounding electrode for commercial & residential grounding.
With non-conductive PVC piping used more extensively these days, the supplemental ground rod is becoming the primary electrode. It only makes sense that it should be required to perform as long as the copper water pipe that came before it. As such, I strongly encourage the use of UL-listed copper-bonded ground rods on new home construction.
Galvanized ground rods
Recently, UL-listed galvanized ground rods have shown up in the market. You may have wondered why now and what does this mean? Underwriters Laboratories had never listed galvanized ground rods in the past and there are no listing requirements for galvanized rods in the existing UL 467 Standard, unlike copper-bonded and stainless steel rods which have clear listing requirements. These rods use the higher tensile strength steel found in copper-bonded rods, which is a plus, but we've already established that as a minor benefit. These galvanized rods have a smaller diameter than non-UL listed galvanized rods requiring special accessories and different exothermic welding equipment.
Most importantly, these rods are coated with the same amount of zinc as their non-UL listed cousins (3.9 mils). Since the coating is the same, there is no increase in service life. So what makes them better? It has been suggested that the UL listing will make the inspector's job easier by allowing them to visually inspect for the UL mark. Inspectors that had trouble qualifying galvanized rods in the past may appreciate this, but I believe this to be a small minority of the dedicated individuals in this profession.
While the initial inspection of the rod serves a purpose, the bigger issue is inspection of the rod 5, 10 or 30 years after it is buried. Who performs this important role? Nobody. UL marks are not helpful once the rod is buried. The long-term performance of the rod is more important than its initial inspection.
The length and diameter of the ground rod not only affect its resistance but also its driving characteristics. Although larger diameter ground rods do not have an appreciably lower ground resistance value, they do have a larger steel core that makes them easier to drive in harder soil by providing extra rigidity. It's probably no coincidence that most rods driven in Canada, with its harder soil, are 3/4 inch in diameter as opposed to 5/8-inch rods which dominate in the United States.
The length of a ground rod plays a much bigger role in its final ground resistance measurement, and it goes without saying that it takes longer to drive a longer ground rod. The NEC and UL require a ground rod to be at least 8 feet in length. This specification was obviously created by engineers that had never driven a ground rod or noticed that most people are not 8' tall. Longer rods are more dangerous to install and bow more when being driven. The more a rod bows or shudders, the less efficient the driving process is. Shorter rods are safer and easier to drive. In fact, I would love to see the industry standardize on using two 4-foot rods and a coupler to achieve the required 8 feet total length. Installations would be faster, easier, and safer not to mention that the logistics of transporting and storing a 4-foot rod are much simpler than longer 8- or 10-foot rods.
Hopefully, this article has given you a little more insight on a product that you use everyday—the ground rod. Not all ground rods are created equal nor are the techniques used to install them. Installing a grounding system is best-done right the first time as it is every expensive to rework, and failure of the grounding system puts people and expensive electronic equipment jeopardy. Understanding the functions of a grounding system and the characteristics of the various components used to implement it will allow the electrical contractor to make educated buying decisions. Exceptional contractors will understand that finding the cheapest way to meet code can end up costing more. EC
REMPE can be reached at _EMAIL_.


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Enhancing the access and use of forest resources data in Minnesota.
Using the Forest Information Needs Assessment report as a guide, detailed metadata records have been developed for many of the key forest information databases identified by the workshop participants. These metadata records were created using the Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines, developed by the GIS Standards Committee of the Minnesota Governor's Council on Geographic Information. Some of these metadata records have an online linkage to the database, allowing the data user to automatically retrieve the data free of charge. This initial inventory of metadata records is the result of a continuing effort to document forest information databases throughout the State of Minnesota.
The Natural Physical category consists of the following four themes:

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


5 Fourth Of July Activities
Celebrating the 4th of July with a backyard cookout? Don't forget to provide lots of things for the kids to do.
 We've rounded up five fun activities to keep them happy all day long.
1. Build a water wall. All you need is a peg board, some tubing, and a few up-cycled containers. You can find tons of inspiration here. Construct it before hand for little kids or fill up even more of the day by letting older kids get in on the building fun.
2. Paint with ice cubes. This couldn't be more simple. Just fill some ice cube trays with various colors of paint and water and, presto!, you've got homemade outdoor art supplies. For ideas on what to use as your canvas, see this post.
3. And while you're freezing things, put a bunch of treasures (along with some of those colored ice cubes) into a container in the freezer. Once frozen, bring it outside and invite the kiddos to get excavating. Click here for a list of materials to use when trying to free your treasures.
4. Sidewalk chalk is cool but sidewalk chalk paint is super cool. We love how the colors blend to make all sorts of beautiful creations.
5. And it's not a real backyard shin dig until you break out the water balloons. Go the extra mile and make these angry bird versions to really thrill the kids.
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|Use||Civil and state flag and ensign|
|Adopted||27 April 1994|
|Design||Rectangular flag in the proportion of two in the width to three in the length: per pall from the hoist, the upper band red (chilli) and the lower band blue, with a black triangle at the hoist; over the partition lines a green pall one fifth the width of the flag, fimbriated white against the red (chilli) and blue, and gold against the black triangle at the hoist; the width of the pall and its fimbriations is one third the width of the flag|
|Designed by||Frederick Brownell, former State Herald of South Africa|
|Adopted||29 September 1994|
|Design||Rectangular white flag, in the proportions of two to three; with a dark green cross that extends to the edge of the flag; and having in the upper hoist canton the national flag, with a white fimbriation.|
|Name||Air force ensign|
|Design||Rectangular air force blue flag, in the proportions of two to three; having in the upper hoist canton the national flag, with the South African Air Force roundel in the fly.|
The flag has horizontal bands of red (on the top) and blue (on the bottom), of equal width, separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal "Y" shape, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side (and follow the flag's diagonals). The Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes. The stripes at the fly end are in the 5:1:3:1:5 ratio.
In blazons (a vexillological description using flag terminology), the South African flag is described as "per pall fesswise gules, sable and azure, a fesswise pall vert fimbriated argent, Or and argent."
According to official South African government information, the South African flag is "a synopsis of principal elements of the country's flag history." Although different people may attribute personal symbolism to the individual colours or colour combinations, "no universal symbolism should be attached to any of the colours." The only symbolism in the flag is the V or Y shape, which can be interpreted as "the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity."
From time to time explanations of the meanings or symbolism of the flag's colours are published in various media, including official government publications and speeches by government officials.
Three of the colours — black, green and yellow — are found in the flag of the African National Congress. The other three — red, white and blue — are used in the modern flag of the Netherlands and the flag of the United Kingdom; the colours white and blue were also found in the old flag of South Africa. Former South African President F.W. de Klerk claimed in his autobiography, The Last Trek: a New Beginning, that chili red was chosen instead of plain red (which Anglo-Africans would have preferred) or orange (as Afrikaners would have preferred).
|Colour||Textile colour||Pantone equivalent||RGB ||RGB Sample|
|Green||CKS 42 c Spectrum green||3415 c||#007C59|
|Black||CKS 401 c Blue black||#000000|
|White||CKS 701 c National flag white||_TAG_|
|Gold||CKS 724 c Gold yellow||1235 c||_TAG_|
|Red||CKS 750 c Chilli red||179 c||_TAG_|
|Blue||CKS 762 c National flag blue||Reflex blue c||#0C1C8C|
After the Anglo-Boer War from 1899 to 1902 and the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the British Union Flag became the national flag of South Africa. As was the case throughout the British Empire, the Red and Blue Ensign with the Union coat of arms were granted by British Admiralty warrants in 1910 for use at sea.
These ensigns were not intended to be used as the Union's national flag, although they were used by some people as such, especially the Red Ensign. It was only after the first post-Union Afrikaner government took office in 1925 that a bill was introduced in Parliament to make provisions for a national flag for the Union; this action immediately prompted three years of near civil war, as the British thought that the Boers wanted to remove their cherished imperial symbols. Natal Province even threatened to secede from the Union.
Finally, a compromise was reached that resulted in the adoption of a separate flag for the Union in late 1927, and the design was first hoisted on 31 May 1928. The design was based on the so-called Van Riebeeck flag or Prinsevlag ("Prince's flag" in Afrikaans) which was originally the Dutch flag, and consisted of orange, white, and blue horizontal stripes. A version of this flag was used as the flag of the Dutch East India Company at the Cape (with the VOC logo in the centre) from 1652 until 1795. The South African addition to the design was three smaller flags centred in the white stripe. The smaller flags were the Union Flags towards the hoist, the flag of the Orange Free State hanging vertically and the Transvaal Vierkleur towards the fly.
The choice of the Prinsevlag as the basis upon which to design the South African flag had more to do with compromise than Afrikaner political desires, as the Prinsevlag was believed to be the first flag hoisted on South African soil and was politically neutral as it was no longer the national flag of any nation. A further element of this compromise was that the Union Flag would continue to fly alongside the new South African national flag over official buildings. This state of duality continued until 1957 when the Union Flag lost its official status as per an Act of Parliament; the Red Ensign had lost its status as South Africa's merchant flag in 1951.
Following a referendum, the country became a republic on 31 May 1961, but the design of the flag remained unchanged. However, there was intense pressure to change the flag, particularly from Afrikaners who resented the fact that the Union Flag was a part of the flag.
The former Prime Minister and architect of apartheid, Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, had a dream to hoist a "clean" flag over South Africa in the 1960s. The proposed design comprised three vertical stripes of the same colour of the Prinsevlag with a leaping Springbok Antelope over a wreath of six proteas in the centre. H.C. Blatt, then assistant secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister, designed the flag. Verwoerd's successor, John Vorster, raised the flag issue at a news conference on 30 March 1971 and said that in light of the impending 10th anniversary Republic Day celebrations, he preferred to "keep the affair in the background". This he said was done because he did not want the flag question to degenerate into a political football, as happened in the 1920s over the Union Flag, and that the matter would be considered again when circumstances would be "more normal". He also went on to say that "I only want to warn, and express hope, that no person should drag politics in any form into this matter, because the flag must, at all times, be raised above party politics in South Africa".
The present design of the South African national flag was first flown on 27 April 1994. However, the flag was first commissioned as an interim flag only, and was decided upon at the very last minute, barely making it onto the nation's flagpoles in time for the election.
The choice of a new flag was part of the negotiation process set in motion when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990. When a nationwide public competition was held in 1993, the National Symbols Commission received more than 7,000 designs. Six designs were drawn up and presented to the public and the Negotiating Council, but none elicited enthusiastic support. A number of design studios were contacted to submit further proposals, but they were again without success. Parliament went into recess at the end of 1993 without a suitable candidate for the new national flag.
None of the flag designs submitted by the public was supported by the committee charged to select the final design. An interim flag was designed by State Herald Frederick Brownell for the 27 April elections, the nation's first fully inclusive elections, and for Nelson Mandela's 10 May inauguration. Although the flag had mixed reception, the interim version was made the final, national flag in the South African Constitution. The new flag is seen as an enduring symbol of the modern South African state.
In February 1994, Cyril Ramaphosa and Roelf Meyer, chief negotiators of the African National Congress and the National Party government of the day respectively, were given the task of resolving the flag issue. A final design was adopted on 15 March 1994, derived from a design developed by Frederick Brownell who had also designed the Flag of Namibia. The proclamation of the new national flag was only published on 20 April 1994, a mere seven days before the flag was to be inaugurated, sparking


careertrend article image
Terry Vine/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Responsibilities of a Nursing Assistant for a Diabetic Patient
Growth Trends for Related Jobs
Nursing assistants work under the supervision of registered nurses and are often the person who is most involved in the day-to-day care of the patient. A nursing assistant may have contact with the diabetic patient in a clinic, in the community, or in a hospital. Much of his role involves monitoring the patient's condition, and helping her to manage it as effectively as possible. The nursing assistant can play a crucial part in helping the person with diabetes to maximize her quality of life.
The nursing assistant together with the RN helps educate and inform the patient about effective diet management. Diet, particularly carbohydrate control, is central to diabetes. Many diabetic patients struggle with this aspect of their condition. Some patients may instinctively reject some of this advice. The nursing assistant can often form a trusting relationship with the patient, where such issues can be discussed in a constructive way.
The nursing assistant monitors all aspects of the diabetic patient's care. She may carry out routine urinalysis, record the results, and immediately report any abnormailitie. The nursing assistant often carries out blood glucose monitoring and reports and records the results. Any changes in the patient's level of consciousness, or behavior will also be noted and reported by the care assistant. Some nursing assistants are trained to assist with insulin pump therapy.
The nursing assistant should be trained to recognize complications and to act immediately, informing the nurse in charge or the physician. The obvious acute complications occur when there is an imbalance between the glucose and insulin levels. Good care can help the patient avoid some of these complication. The nursing assistant should help the patient with hygiene needs, ensuring that he regularly attends the podiatry clinic and has regular eye tests.


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Participatory Video created by members of various indigenous communities in Itogon, Philippines, tracking the impacts of large-scale mining and now climate change on their environment and culture.
This film was created by members of various indigenous communities in the Cordillera region of the Philippines, during a Participatory Video project facilitated by InsightShare. The participants were taught to use video cameras during an intensive 9-day PV workshop in the barangay of Garrison, in Itogon, and created this 24-minute film to communicate the devastating impacts of large-scale mining wrought on their communities by various companies over the years, and now the increasingly alarming impacts of climate change.
This project was part of Conversations with the Earth project. Launched in April 2009, Conversations with the Earth is a collective opportunity to build a global movement for an indigenous-controlled community media network. CWE works with a growing network of indigenous groups and communities living in critical ecosystems around the world, from the Atlantic Rainforest to Central Asia, from the Philippines to the Andes, from the Arctic to Ethiopia. Through CWE, these indigenous communities are able to share their story of climate change. Through the creation of sustainable autonomous indigenous media hubs in these regions, CWE fosters a long-term relationship with these communities, based on principles of local control and supporting indigenous media capacity.


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December 3, 2007 By News Report
Photo: Gov. Riley
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley last week unveiled Virtual Alabama, a comprehensive database of satellite imagery and aerial photography designed to assemble, display, evaluate and share critical data for emergency responders. Riley was joined by Google Earth Chief Technology Officer Michael T. Jones and Alabama Homeland Security Director Jim Walker to demonstrate the uses and capabilities of the new tool for state officials.
At Riley's direction, the Alabama Department of Homeland Security and Google Earth have been working to create a visualization tool that provides a common operational picture across the state that first responders, county planners and other officials can use to get detailed geographic views overlaid with pertinent information.
Equipped with the Google Earth platform, the state's Department of Homeland Security can model hazardous explosions with plume threat measurements and build three-dimensional models of schools, bridges and other critical structures. Virtual Alabama can overlay those models and satellite/aerial imagery with the locations of fire hydrants, gas pipelines, hazardous chemical data, and other important information that can help emergency personnel.
With such data, Homeland Security officials can plan more effective disaster response scenarios and prepare emergency teams to be better equipped to respond to crises. For example, this information can be shared with local firefighters before they enter a burning building.
You may use or reference this story with attribution and a link to


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MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS FOR DETERMINATION OF VITAMINS IN FOODS AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
Location: Food Composition and Methods Development Lab
Title: Ultraviolet and mass spectrometric analysis of vitamin D in retail fortified orange juice
Submitted to: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 10, 2010
Publication Date: December 7, 2010
Citation: Byrdwell, W.C., Exler, J., Gebhardt, S.E., Harnly, J.M., Holden, J.M., Horst, R., Patterson, K.K., Phillips, K., Wolf, W.R. 2010. Ultraviolet and mass spectrometric analysis of vitamin D in retail fortified orange juice. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 24:299-306.
Interpretive Summary: Vitamin D is important for maintaining bone health, and adequate levels have been shown to lower the risk of some cancers and other diseases. The American public gets much of its requirement for vitamin D from dietary sources, primarily in foods that are fortified with the nutrient. One such source is orange juice that is fortified with vitamin D3 and calcium. The FDA has approved fortification of orange juice at a level of 100 IU/240 mL (2.5 µg/8 oz.), and many producers now make a retail fortified product available. This study describes the analysis of retail orange samples from half-gallon cartons purchased across the United States. An example is given to demonstrate how problematic vitamin D analysis can be, and to show that our analytical approach used multiple techniques to confirm that our data were reliable. The results indicated that that the average content of retail orange juice that a consumer might buy was 3.4 ± 0.3 µg (136 ± 12 IU) per 8 oz. glass. All samples except one contained more than the amount stipulated by the FDA, indicating that under-fortification was not a widespread problem, and that orange juice represents a generally reliable source of vitamin D3 in the diet.
Samples of vitamin D fortified orange juice obtained from retail food stores were analyzed for vitamin D3 content using a method developed by combining the best features of two AOAC officially approved methods. The ether/petroleum ether extraction from AOAC 992.26 was combined with the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods and internal standard from AOAC 2002.05. Detection by ultraviolet absorption at 265 nm was compared to detection by selected ion monitoring (SIM) using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry (MS). Furthermore, an ion trap (IT) mass spectrometer was employed in a 'dual parallel MS' arrangement to simultaneously obtain qualitative APCI-ITMS data. The method was applied to 33 samples of 3 national orange juice brands and 7 samples of 5 other brands collected using a statistically designed national sampling plan as part of the National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program to provide values for the USDA National Nutrient Databank for Standard Reference. The levels determined were compared to the label values, which corresponded to FDA allowed levels. There was a high degree of compliance with all but one brand exceeding the label amounts. Vitamin D3 values ranged from 1.075 µg (43 IU)/100g to 1.675 (67 IU)/100g, with an average value across 55 samples analyzed, including duplicates, of 1.433 ± 0.114 µg (57.31 ± 4.58) IU/100g. The average content of the 38 uniquely identified samples, using the averages of duplicate sets, was 1.416 ± 0.122 µg (56.62 ± 4.88 IU)/100g, indicating that a typical 8 oz. glass of orange juice provided 3.4 ± 0.3 µg (136 ± 12 IU) vitamin D3. Only one store brand out of 39 fortified retail samples was labeled as fortified, but found not to contain vitamin D3.


How does Smartcat handle repetitions?
During the project word count analysis, Smartcat identifies segments that are repeated both inside individual documents but also across all the documents in a project. Smartcat offers multiple options to deal with these repetitions. These options can be selected by the project manager in which case they will apply to all project participants. If no option is selected by the PM, the translation team will be free to choose how to deal with the repetitions individually. That last option might not be ideal as it might lead to uneven workloads since some users might choose not to share repetitions with the rest of the team.
The project manager can choose the repetition options in the Files tab of the project page:
This will bring up the following dialog box:
Option (1) is the main option - this will tell Smartcat that repeated segments are to be propagated automatically throughout the project when checked. Option (2) indicates how to deal with repetitions are using a different case (lower or upper): Use the original case - When inserting the repetition, Smartcat will match the case of the new segment. For example if the previous segment was "continued" but the new segment is "Continued", the text will be replaced automatically because it's a text repetition, but the translation will start with an upper case letter to match the new segment. Use the match case - Smartcat will ignore the capitalization of the new segment and use what was used in the segment that was previously translated. In our last example, the translation would now start with a lower case letter.
Option (3) instructs Smartcat to propagate translation to segments even if they have been confirmed already. This is helpful if for example the translators goes back to a repeated segments and makes a change.
And finally option (4) instructs Smartcat to apply the status of the current segment to all the other repeated segments. So once the translator marks the segment confirmed for one stage, all other repetitions will be confirmed as well for that stage.
In the editor, the translation team can change the auto-propagation options if the PM has not selected any.
Inside the editor, there is also an option to exclude segments from repetitions. Repetitions are indicated by a down arrow under the segment number:
By clicking on the arrow, we can mark the segment as being excluded from repetitions:
This can be useful when dealing with titles or picture caption where sentence can be cut in half and we don't want these segments to be repeated.
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Earth Friendly: Scoop on biodegradable cat litter
Meridith Byrd
By Meridith Byrd
A trip down the pet aisle might leave you wondering: what is the difference between all the types and brands of cat litter?
Clumping, flushable, natural clay, dust-free and environmentally friendly are some of the phrases you might see on the packaging.
Seeing "environmentally friendly" on a container of cat litter might leave you with the question, "Why wouldn't cat litter be good for the environment?" The answer lies in the way litters are manufactured.
Most brand-name cat litters are comprised of a type of clay called sodium bentonite. This mineral, which also contains silica, is known for its excellent absorbency. The clay is extracted from the earth by a process known as strip mining, defined by Wikipedia as "the practice of mining a seam of mineral by first removing a long strip of overlying soil and rock." Strip mining is extremely destructive to the environment and can impact the water resources of the surrounding area.
Many conventional litters can also produce a dust because of the silica contained in the bentonite; breathing in the silica dust can cause respiratory problems in cats.
An alternative is to buy an environmentally-friendly cat litter, often made of pine wood pellets, recycled newspaper, corn kernels, wheat or even sawdust. Unlike clay, these materials are renewable and will break down in a landfill. Feline Pine, World's Best Cat Litter and Swheat Scoop are among the brands available here in Victoria.
Feline Pine is made from reclaimed Southern yellow pine pellets, meaning that no new trees are cut down, and comes in original and clumping versions. The original type contains larger pellets that absorb liquid and then break down into smaller particles. The clumping type contains added guar gum to aid in clumping for easier scooping. The pine naturally absorbs and neutralizes the ammonia to control odor.
World's Best Cat Litter is another popular, biodegradable brand and is made of whole-kernel corn, grown in the U.S. The kernels are porous, absorbing moisture and odor when they clump. Litter can get trapped in a cat's paws and ultimately ingested during grooming, but since this litter is made of corn it is not toxic to animals and passes through the body without being digested.
Swheat Scoop is also biodegradable and nontoxic, made of U.S.-grown, non-food grade wheat. Naturally-occurring enzymes in the wheat control odors, while the starches promote clumping. The unused litter can actually be composted or used as mulch in flower gardens (not in vegetable gardens), once it has been scooped carefully.
All three are popular, highly-rated brands that avoid the use of silica.


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OPINION: Women teachers are our unsung heroes
As a past high school educator for many years, I cannot add much more information than what is already well known regarding the difficulties in handling senior learners in so far as discipline as well as transmitting subject matter are concerned.
There are still marginally more male teachers than women, generally in secondary schools. However, female educators still continue to be in the majority in the early-learning areas, like kindergarten, pre-primary, and Grades up to 5. Comparison between different areas of teaching on close examination reveals that it's far easier to get across to senior learners than very young children who are about to, for the first time, cut their teeth into strange, mysterious, worlds of alphabet, words and numbers.
These are concepts that are taken for granted by high school teachers. I have had experience in both areas and have reached the conclusion that educators in the lower grades require more patience, empathy, sympathy towards young learners.
And it seems mainly women educators have the acumen to handle our children in their formative years.
I pay tribute to them.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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Managing Evolutionary Change by Small
How can you reconcile changes with the fear of
change and natural resistance to change?
Overcome Resistance to Change:
Kore 10 Tips
evolutionary changes are
led from behind
and managed by small steps.
Below are the three characteristics of
successful evolutionary changes:
1. They are voluntary – people see them as
People follow early adopters
People adopt changes when they are
motivated and ready.
human currents moving
creatively in the
So don impose a
big change from above. Don't demand people to jump over a high
wall, give them a stairway instead.
Make the change viral.
Let the change occur
as a sum of many small
individual decisions that together support and feed off each other.


9 Ways to Live Longer and Look Better Naked
1 – Drink Coffee
Have 3-4 cups per day, regular or decaf, and you might live longer.
Coffee is a little mysterious in that we're not really sure how it does some of the things it does. One thing seems for certain, though: the more you drink, the better off you are. In fact, the more you drink, the longer you live.
In a 2012 mortality study of 400,000 people printed in The New England Journal of Medicine, coffee drinkers had between 6 and 16 percent fewer deaths. Likewise, in a Japanese study printed in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, coffee drinkers were 24 percent less likely to die during a 19-year follow-up.
The sweet spot seems to be three to four cups a day of regular or decaf, but one study involving six cups a day saw a 33 percent reduction in diabetes diagnoses. Other maladies positively affected by coffee include liver cancers, fatty livers, alcoholic liver disease, heart disease, stroke, depression, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.
2 – Keep Testosterone Levels High
You know that testosterone plays a role in muscle size and strength, libido, energy, and keeping body fat low, but high testosterone is also important to just plain staying alive. Contrary to what late-night TV ambulance-chasin' lawyer commercials spout about high testosterone killing people, it's low testosterone that's the real concern.
Low testosterone levels correlate strongly with:
 - Higher risk of cardiovascular disease
 - Narrowing of carotid arteries
 - Abnormal EKG
 - More frequent congestive heart failure
 - Increased incidence of angina
 - Increased body mass index
 - Type II diabetes
 - Metabolic syndrome
 - Insulin resistance
 - Higher death rate from all causes, including cardiac mortality
Maybe you did a double take at the last item in the list. You should've. One study involving 858 male service veterans found that low testosterone individuals had an 88 percent greater chance of dying, for any reason, even after variables like age, other illnesses, and body mass index were accounted for.
Are you immune to low testosterone because you're a big-time weight lifter? Nope. Male athletes often have lower testosterone than untrained men. One study found that weight lifters (along with rowers, cyclists, and swimmers) had testosterone levels that were 60-85 percent of untrained men.
Some of the researchers attributed that disparity in alterations of hepatic (liver) and extrahepatic (muscles, skin) metabolism of testosterone that can't be compensated for by the athletes' gonads, but I suspect it might have to do with some yet-unexplained exercise-related increase in steroid hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which makes less testosterone available to tissues. Low testosterone levels seem to be epidemic among lifters. True, testosterone levels usually go up after an intense workout, but the rise is short-lived and levels often drop to below baseline soon after.
So keep testosterone high. Use herbal testosterone boosters (we like Alpha Male®), and if your levels are seriously deficient, consider physician-monitored testosterone replacement therapy.
3 – Keep Estrogen in Check
High estrogen can increase degenerative diseases and early death.
If you're an athlete, higher levels of estrogen also affect your ability to build strength or grow muscle, and it also makes it harder to get lean. Clearly, estrogen needs to be kept in check. Consider natural estrogen-fighting supplements such as Rez-V™ or, if the problem is really severe, consult with a progressive doctor and get on an estrogen-lowering drug like Arimidex.
4 – Stop Cooking Yourself Internally
Too many frequent meals throughout the day keeps blood sugar high all day long leading to a variety of complications.
Subjecting meat to heat causes it to brown. It's simply the result of binding sugars to protein, called the Maillard Reaction. It's good when you do it to a pork chop, but not so good when you do it to your internal organs. Cooking yourself sounds like an unlikely scenario.
However, it's exactly what's happening when you habitually keep your blood sugar levels above 85mg/dl. Cook yourself long enough and you get kidney diseases, joint deterioration, stiffening of connective tissues, atherosclerosis, and insulin resistance, which might eventually lead to type II diabetes. You'll also get pudgy.
Scientists estimate that between one in three and one in five Americans will end up either rare, medium rare, or well done by mid-century. This is just the logical progression of our current lifestyle that includes dietary excess in general, eating too many fast-digesting carbs over too long a period, and a lack of exercise. Surprisingly, the very act of eating multiple small meals a day might itself lead to insulin resistance and problematically high blood sugar levels.
Those multiple meals, contrary to what most people think, cause multiple insulin surges throughout the day, which in turn makes cells more insulin resistant. As time goes by, more and more insulin is released to compensate for the insulin resistance, until finally it starts losing the battle. Blood sugar elevates and stays elevated.
Most docs tell you to keep fasting blood sugar below 100, as anything higher than that (up to 126 mg/dl) marks you as pre-diabetic. Once you start testing at anything much further north than 126, you're considered full-blown diabetic. However, the Maillard Reaction starts kicking in at or above 85 mg/dl.
There are a couple of courses of action to take. You can either start eating fewer daily meals (3 or 4 instead of 6), making sure the meals are glycemically correct (high in protein and healthy fats while low in carbs, or at least simple, fast-digesting carbs), or you can start using cyanidin-3 glucoside (Indigo 3G®) to increase insulin sensitivity.
C3G makes your body handle carbs better, even preferentially shuttling carbohydrates to muscle storage instead of fat storage and keeping blood sugar levels in the optimum range so that you don't cook yourself.
5 – Take Curcumin Every Day
Curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory but its other effects range from pain management to benefits that affect nearly every organ system in the body.
Curcumin can:
 - Enhance cardiovascular health
 - Reduce body fat
 - Support healthy cholesterol
 - Alleviate cognitive decline
 - Act as an anti-aromatase (thus increasing testosterone)
 - Reduce plaque levels in arteries
 - Reduce risk of diabetes
And like anything else that comes from a plant, it has antioxidant capabilities. Curcumin is found in the spice turmeric, and Indians probably use more of it, per capita, than anyone in the world. Given its seemingly endless health benefits, you'd think that Indians would be the healthiest people in the world, but that's not the case. Unfortunately, the body doesn't absorb curcumin very well. Simply ingesting it as a main constituent of curry powder, regardless of the amount eaten, isn't going to have much of an effect.
As such, you need to ingest curcumin as part of a formula that contains piperine, such as this curcumin, which enhances absorption by up to 2000 percent. Take a couple of grams a day. It's one of the few substances that you'll be consciously aware of making you feel better.
6 – Eat Nutrient-Dense Chili
Cook and eat things that are dense in nutrition.
Most of us eat the same crap every week, so we might as well make sure that at least some of the same crap we eat contains a ton of nutrients. This chili of the nutritional gods is high in protein, has a low glycemic index, and it contains several foods that rank high on the ANDI scale (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index).
It's so nutritious that you could probably live off it and nothing else for a considerable amount of time. Oh, it also tastes incredibly good. The following recipe should make enough meals to last you most of the week.
Nutrient-Dense Chili Recipe
 - 3 pounds grass-fed ground beef or turkey
 - 1-2 medium onions, chopped
 - 2 red peppers, chopped
 - 5 carrots, chopped
 - 2 cups spinach
 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
 - 28 ounces Italian peeled tomatoes with juice
 - 46 ounces Spicy Hot V8 Juice
 - 16 ounces red kidney beans, drained
 - 16 ounces white northern beans, drained
 - 2 tsp iodized salt (to protect you from all-too-common iodine deficiencies)
 - 2 tsp oregano
 - 5 tsp. chili powder
 - three-fourth tsp red pepper flakes
 - 1 cup raw cashews, ground until almost butter
 - Optional: one-fourth pound grass-fed liver, ground to itty-bitty bits (this small of an amount won't affect the taste)
 1. Brown burger (and liver, if so desired) in large soup kettle and remove when cooked.
 2. Brown onions, red peppers, carrots, and garlic in olive oil in the same kettle.
 3. Add tomatoes, V8 juice, beans, all the spices, and the ground cashews and stir.
 4. Cover and simmer for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. Add spinach about 10 minutes before eating.
7 – Moderate Your Anti-Oxidant Intake
The theory offered up in 1972


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Sculptural form finding with bending action
Paper in proceedings, 2017
This paper demonstrates a method development for integration of bending action into the form finding process. The aim has been to facilitate the designer with means to compromise between structural efficiency and sculptural freedom for grid shell type of structures.
The analysis is carried out using Dynamic Relaxation (DR) and to achieve bending capability, the base element implementation is a 12 degrees of freedom beam where the DR is solving for both translations and rotations. For purpose of validation, stress based utilization is calculated based on Eurocode 3 equations which are simplified to allow for separation of axial and bending utilization. A stress based sizer is also implemented to enable comparison based on tonnage.
The methods presented are derived from the principles behind stiffness control and force-density control form finding, commonly applied for compression and tension structures respectively. The common denominator being that they are all driven by a form finding load case, where the user can specify various combinations of axialand bending utilization limits for the elements, to which the form adapts as it tries to find equilibrium of internal and external forces and moments.
None of the methods was found to satisfy all requirements for a useful general purpose shell design tool. The main issue was found to be wrinkling of the initial geometry when the need for drastic change in element length, required for a structurally unsound free form surface changing shape in the form finding process, is being opposed by the relatively high axial stiffness of a beam. This is not usually an issue when form finding with elastic springs that undergo large deformations in the process.
Conclusively there might be merit for a form finding element that allows for large axial deformation to avoid the wrinkling problem but has the bending properties of a beam. From a workflow point of view, the implementation of elements with bending capability was demonstrated to be useful for form exploration, particularly when combined with automatic sizing. The separation of bending and axial utilization was also found useful from a form evaluation point of view.


text: Shaula, bright star in the constellation Scorpius; Bayer designation Lambda Scorpii; 1992 position R.A. 17h33.7m, Dec. - 37°06−. A bluish-white star of spectral class B1 V, its apparent magnitude of 1.62 makes it one of the 25 brightest stars in the sky. Shaula is a spectroscopic binary star. Its distance from the earth is about 300 light-years. Its name is from the Arabic, meaning "raised part of the scorpion's tail."


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This raised bog shows the extensive impact of human activity. Drainage, rural peat-cutting and buckwheat cultivation have considerably altered the area. By means of EU funds, partial areas have been subject to rewetting since 1996. The bog regeneration process can be witnessed on the accumulated peat-cuttings which are becoming overgrown with sphagnum moss. Other areas are being reconquered by open and semi-open heather moorlands or beech forests. The border areas are mostly extensively used grasslands. Numerous endangered species such as the Yellow-Spotted Whiteface, Coronella austriaca (Smooth Snake), Southern Grey Shrike, and the European Nightjar can be found.
The area has been designated as a NR and is registered as a protectorate of the Habitat Directive. A bog trail provides good insight into the area.
A small number of Moor Frogs spawn in areas of the raised bog that have been subject to rewetting. Successful reproduction, however, cannot be assured because the sphagnum growth results in water acidification. In order to secure and increase the Moor Frog population, spawning grounds free of acidification will be created at the border areas as part of the project.
Area size: 459 ha
On-site contact Person: BSH im Naturschutzring Dümmer e.V.
Link: Agenda 21 Diepholz


featured insight
featured insight
Pollsters and Psychology_Meeting Street Insights_Unsplash2
How Pollsters Use Psychology to Get More Accurate Results
Jill Pellicano
The questionnaire drafting process is one of the most critical parts of a project.
Before a (good) polling firm fields any survey, they will review and revise the survey questionnaire multiple times, until the final version is a carefully crafted instrument. The questionnaire drafting process is one of the most critical parts to the success of the project. It's when pollsters decide not only what to test, but also who, where, when, and how to test.
The "how" covers the type of survey used, the order of the questions, the specific wording of each question, and the order of the responses. These factors are especially important for accuracy — and they tend to be the hardest to get exactly right. Our team goes through each questionnaire with a fine-tooth comb, assessing every word on the page. This may sound like an exaggeration, but we really have spent hours debating a single word. And for good reason. Developing a questionnaire is a science, and psychology plays a profound role. Understanding how people think and answer questions is imperative to developing a questionnaire that avoids the weaknesses and biases of our brains to arrive at meaningful, accurate survey data.
How People Think
In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, renowned psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains that when people process the world around them (or when people think), there are two distinct systems at work. The process he calls "system 1" is "fast, intuitive, and emotional."1 Think of this as your gut reaction. It's what you use if you want to solve 2+2 or read this simple sentence. "System 2" is "slower, more deliberative, and more logical."2 It's what you use when you fill out your taxes or drive your car during rush hour on a busy highway (or at least it is if you drive safely). Our system 1 operates automatically without intentional thought, while our system 2 requires effort and attention. These two systems work together, but there's sometimes a conflict between which system dominates. Because our system 1 is automatic, it's usually first up to bat when we think. System 2 is only called on when deemed necessary. To put it bluntly, our brains are inherently lazy, seeking the easiest answers to the most complex questions. And often this laziness leaves our brains susceptible to biases and prone to errors.
How Pollsters Think
Being aware of these weaknesses of our brains is important when we consider the ways we ask questions in our surveys; or if you will, we must activate our system 2 brain when considering how our system 1 brain might improperly apply itself in answering our survey questions. We'll look at two examples: priming and the halo effect.
The first example is understanding the ways our thoughts can be unconsciously primed. That's what happens if I present the word EAT to you and then I ask you to complete the word fragment SO_P. Psychologists have found that you are more likely to have thought the word was SOUP rather than SOAP because the idea of the word EAT temporarily primes the idea of SOUP. As Kahneman explains, "psychologists think of ideas as nodes in a vast network, called associative memory, in which each idea is linked to many others. There are different types of links: causes are linked to their effects (virus -> cold); things to their properties (lime -> green); things to the categories to which they belong (banana -> fruit)."3
As survey researchers, we are hyper-aware of the unconscious priming that can occur throughout the course of a survey and put many safeguards in place to counteract this issue. For example, if we're trying to gauge the audience's opinions of a candidate, we test that in the beginning of the survey, before any other question about an issue or ballot. Doing this ensures that reactions to the candidate are not merely an ancillary reaction to another issue we had mentioned moments before. Another example is when we want to know how many people know the date of an election. In this case, we don't give any indication of the election's timeframe at any point in the survey before that question is asked.
The associative memory mechanism that causes unconscious priming can't always be avoided; in fact it informs all our opinions about everything. But we can lean into the associative memory mechanism and turn it into a useful tool in our research. To this end, we often start out focus group discussions by asking participants to independently map out on a sheet of paper a word cloud of all the thoughts and reactions that first come to their minds on a given issue. This activity forces the participants to think deliberately about a topic, encouraging system 2 thought and helping uncover the unconscious priming effects at play. Acknowledging the important role of associative memory and priming is a critical step in understanding reasons behind audiences' opinions.
The Halo Effect
Another common bias our unconscious (system 1) brains fall victim to is placing an increased weight on first impressions, which is called the halo effect by psychologists. To illustrate the halo effect, here's an example Kahneman uses in his book. Read the following descriptions of two people and think about what sort of personalities these people might have:
Alan: Intelligent—Industrious—Impulsive—Critical—Stubborn—Envious
Ben: Envious—Stubborn—Critical—Impulsive—Industrious—Intelligent
After those descriptions, what do you think of Alan and Ben? Psychologists have found that most people will view Alan much more favorably than Ben. In fact, they've found that "the initial traits in the list change the very meaning of the traits that appear later. The stubbornness of an intelligent person is seen as likely to be justified and may actually evoke respect, but intelligence in an envious and stubborn person makes him more dangerous."4
The takeaway for survey research here is that sequence matters. When we test, for example, a series of messages, we want to ensure that the order that participants hear the messages don't influence their reactions to it. So we rotate whether the respondent hears positive messages or negative messages first and we randomize every single message. Or, if we're testing the ballot for a political race, we randomize the order that candidates' names are given. These randomization and rotating measures create a level playing field between the topics we're testing and reduce any undue weight given to what's read first.
Better Questionnaires = Better Results
There are many important and hidden ways a survey questionnaire can impact the results. If it's not done properly or with an appreciation for how we think and answer questions, it can lead to inaccurate results or misleading findings. Understanding the myriad ways our psyches can be influenced is key to ensuring biases do not show up in our final data. As survey researchers, we are keenly aware of these factors because we want our surveys to give a voice to the populations we're researching and to give everyone a clear picture of public opinion untouched by any researchers' fingerprints.
 1. Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking Fast and Slow. 1st ed. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2011. Page 20-28.
 3. Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking Fast and Slow. 1st ed. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2011. Page 52.
 4. Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking Fast and Slow. 1st ed. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2011. Page 82.
know the winning issues,
targets, and positioning
know the winning issues,
targets, and positioning


text:
Anti-obesity drugs may help treat flu, hepatitis and HIVSeptember 29th, 2008 - 1:13 pm ICT by ANI
London, Sept 29 (ANI): A team of researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Centre and Princeton University has discovered that existing anti-obesity drugs can be used to treat infections like flu, hepatitis or HIV.
Metabolism refers to a process by which living things break down nutrients to produce energy. For instance, the breakdown glucose and its conversation via chain reactions into adenosine triphosphate, the energy-storing currency of cellular life.
Glucose can also be converted into fatty acids the lipid building blocks of human hormones and cell membranes that are used by influenza, HIV and hepatitis viruses to build their viral cover and hijack human cells.
During the study, the researchers developed a new technique to analyse the mechanisms regarding how such viruses penetrate the metabolic building blocks from their cellular hosts.
They also studied the fluxes or concentration and turnover, of interchangeable molecules within the metabolic reactions that convert sugars into fatty acids.
"Using new fluxomic techniques, our study reveals that viral infection takes control of cellular metabolism and drives, among other things, marked increases in fatty acid synthesis," Nature magazine quoted Dr. Joshua Munger, assistant professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Rochester Medical Centre, and a study author, as saying.
"We also found that if you target these increases in fatty acid metabolism using existing anti-obesity and anti-metabolism drugs, you inhibit viral replication," Munger added.
The new technique enabled the researchers to measure the changes in metabolic flux in human cells as they became infected by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), an enveloped virus of the b-herpes family that infects most human adults and that causes severe disease in those with weakened immune systems.
The team used drugs known to inhibit enzymes that build fatty acids, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), used in the treatment of obesity and high cholesterol, to determine whether HCMV-induced fatty acid production was necessary for enveloped viruses to make copies of themselves.
They found that treatment with TOFA, an ACC inhibitor, led to a more than thousand-fold reduction in HCMV replication, while C75, an inhibitor of FAS, resulted in a more than 100-fold reduction.
The study has been published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. (ANI)
Tags: adenosine triphosphate, carboxylase, cellular life, cellular metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, fatty acids, herpes family, human adults, human cells, human cytomegalovirus, human hormones, joshua munger, metabolic flux, metabolic reactions, obesity drugs, princeton university, rochester medical, viral replication, weakened immune systems


text: Hemera is the Greek goddess of day. She was born from Erebus, darkness, and Nyx, night. Nyx was the daughter of Chaos, and sister of Erebus. Erebus was among the first beings, dwelling in Hades. He sprang from Chaos at the beginning of time. Erebus' name was given to the gloomy underground cavern which the dead walk through on their way to the Underworld. Hemera emerged from Tartarus as Nyx left it and returned to as she was emerging from it. Thalassa, the sea, is the daughter of Hemera and her brother Aether, light.


text:
Mentoring Warm Up Activities
1, 2, 3, TY, 5, 6, LCA
Communicating, Working With Others
Each activity takes from 5 to 10 minutes and involves minimal set-up.
Two Truths & One Lie
Some activities need resources or pre-meeting set up which are outlined at the start of the activity.


Question: Is Kissing In Public Allowed In South Korea?
What happens when u kiss a girl's neck?
While the neck is generally sensitive, the area where the neck meets the collarbone is especially sensitive to touch.
This is a really great spot to kiss her if you want her to feel pleasure.
You can also kiss her neck near her jawline as well..
Is hugging a PDA?
As many people know, PDA is 'Public Display of Affection' which is showing affection to someone else in a public area. PDA can be hugging, kissing, holding hands, touching, and many more ways of showing affection. It also can be performed with any type of relationship like dating or married, friendships, and much more.
When a guy kisses your neck meaning?
The Neck Kiss When a guy's kissing your neck without biting, it means that he wants you – and that he wants you right now. Men who prefer neck kisses to typical mouth kisses may be afraid of actual emotional intimacy, though, so take note if he does this more than actual French kisses.
Is it permissible to kiss in public?
A kiss can mean absolutely anything. Some kisses can be pious and filled with respect while others can be absolutely vulgar. The vulgar sort of a kiss in public is absolutely forbidden. It is only for behind the closed doors in absolute privacy.
What is considered rude in South Korea?
What is PDA sexually?
Public displays of affection (P.D.A.) are acts of physical intimacy in the view of others. … Physical affection has been defined as "any touch intended to arouse feelings of love in the giver and/or the recipient."
But (as far as I'm aware), there are no laws against kissing in public and it's not unusual by any means. … If by "kissing in public" you meant kissing others cheek-to-cheek as a common form of greeting (as is customary in some other countries), then no, the cheek kiss is not a typical way to greet others in the USA.
Is it rude to cross your legs in Korea?
4. Don't cross your legs. It is considered rude and disrespectful to cross your legs when seated across from a superior—whether that be a supervisor or just someone who is older than you.
Why is tattoo illegal in Korea?
What should you not wear in South Korea?
If you go out wearing sweat pants or a sloppy outfit Koreans will think that you have just about given up on life. DO take the extra time to put on something nice. For girls, don't wear low cut shirts or expose your shoulders. This is considered very provocative.
What countries is it illegal to kiss in public?
You definitely don't want to mess around in Dubai, where kissing in public is illegal….According to Chinese custom, public displays of affection (PDA) are not the norm and are generally considered taboo.University of Zimbabwe. … Catholic Mass around the world. … Qatar. … India. … Indonesia. … Thailand.


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|Commenced in January 1999||Frequency: Monthly||Edition: International||Paper Count: 509|
Fresnel Zone Plates (FZPs) are widely used in many areas, such as optics, microwaves or acoustics. On the design of FZPs, plane wave incidence is typically considered, but that is not usually the case in ultrasounds, especially in applications where a piston emitter is placed at a certain distance from the lens. In these cases, having control of the focal distance is very important, and with the usual Fresnel equation a focal displacement from the theoretical distance is observed due to the plane wave supposition. In this work, a comparison between FZP with plane wave incidence design and FZP with point source design in the case of piston emitter is presented. Influence of the main parameters of the piston in the final focalization profile has been studied. Numerical models and experimental results are shown, and they prove that when spherical wave incidence is considered for the piston case, it is possible to have a fine control of the focal distance in comparison with the classical design method.
Obesity is a low-grade inflammatory disease and may lead to health problems such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes. It is also associated with important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. This requires the detailed evaluation of obesity, particularly in children. The aim of this study is to enlighten the potential associations between lipid ratios and obesity indices and to introduce those with discriminating features among children with obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). A total of 408 children (aged between six and eighteen years) participated in the scope of the study. Informed consent forms were taken from the participants and their parents. Ethical Committee approval was obtained. Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height as well as waist, hip, head, neck circumferences and body fat mass were taken. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were recorded. Body mass index (BMI), diagnostic obesity notation model assessment index-II (D2 index), waist-to-hip, head-to-neck ratios were calculated. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLChol), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLChol) analyses were performed in blood samples drawn from 110 children with normal body weight, 164 morbid obese (MO) children and 134 children with MetS. Ageand sex-adjusted BMI percentiles tabulated by World Health Organization were used to classify groups; normal body weight, MO and MetS. 15th-to-85th percentiles were used to define normal body weight children. Children, whose values were above the 99th percentile, were described as MO. MetS criteria were defined. Data were evaluated statistically by SPSS Version 20. The degree of statistical significance was accepted as p≤0.05. Mean±standard deviation values of BMI for normal body weight children, MO children and those with MetS were 15.7±1.1, 27.1±3.8 and 29.1±5.3 kg/m2, respectively. Corresponding values for the D2 index were calculated as 3.4±0.9, 14.3±4.9 and 16.4±6.7. Both BMI and D2 index were capable of discriminating the groups from one another (p≤0.01). As far as other obesity indices were considered, waist-to hip and head-to-neck ratios did not exhibit any statistically significant difference between MO and MetS groups (p≥0.05). Diagnostic obesity notation model assessment index-II was correlated with the triglycerides-to-HDL-C ratio in normal body weight and MO (r=0.413, p≤0.01 and r=0.261, (p≤0.05, respectively). Total cholesterol-to-HDL-C and LDL-C-to-HDL-C showed statistically significant differences between normal body weight and MO as well as MO and MetS (p≤0.05). The only group in which these two ratios were significantly correlated with waist-to-hip ratio was MetS group (r=0.332 and r=0.334, p≤0.01, respectively). Lack of correlation between the D2 index and the triglycerides-to-HDL-C ratio was another important finding in MetS group. In this study, parameters and ratios, whose associations were defined previously with increased cardiovascular risk or cardiac death have been evaluated along with obesity indices in children with morbid obesity and MetS. Their profiles during childhood have been investigated. Aside from the nature of the correlation between the D2 index and triglycerides-to-HDL-C ratio, total cholesterol-to-HDL-C as well as LDL-C-toHDL-C ratios along with their correlations with waist-to-hip ratio showed that the combination of obesity-related parameters predicts better than one parameter and appears to be helpful for discriminating MO children from MetS group.
Obesity, a disease associated with a low-grade inflammation, is a risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS). So far, MetS risk factors such as parameters related to glucose and lipid metabolisms as well as blood pressure were considered for the evaluation of this disease. There are still some ambiguities related to the characteristic features of MetS observed particularly in pediatric population. Hormonal imbalance is also important, and quite a lot information exists about the behaviour of some hormones in adults. However, the hormonal profiles in pediatric metabolism have not been cleared yet. The aim of this study is to investigate the profiles of cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones in children with MetS. The study population was composed of morbid obese (MO) children without (Group 1) and with (Group 2) MetS components. WHO BMI-for age and sex percentiles were used for the classification of obesity. The values above 99 percentile were defined as morbid obesity. Components of MetS (central obesity, glucose intolerance, high blood pressure, high triacylglycerol levels, low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol) were determined. Anthropometric measurements were performed. Ratios as well as obesity indices were calculated. Insulin, cortisol, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free T3 and free T4 analyses were performed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Data were evaluated by statistical package for social sciences program. p<0.05 was accepted as the degree for statistical significance. The mean ages±SD values of Group 1 and Group 2 were 9.9±3.1 years and 10.8±3.2 years, respectively. Body mass index (BMI) values were calculated as 27.4±5.9 kg/m2 and 30.6±8.1 kg/m2, successively. There were no statistically significant differences between the ages and BMI values of the groups. Insulin levels were statistically significantly increased in MetS in comparison with the levels measured in MO children. There was not any difference between MO children and those with MetS in terms of cortisol, T3, T4 and TSH. However, T4 levels were positively correlated with cortisol and negatively correlated with insulin. None of these correlations were observed in MO children. Cortisol levels in both MO as well as MetS group were significantly correlated. Cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones are essential for life. Cortisol, called the control system for hormones, orchestrates the performance of other key hormones. It seems to establish a connection between hormone imbalance and inflammation. During an inflammatory state, more cortisol is produced to fight inflammation. High cortisol levels prevent the conversion of the inactive form of the thyroid hormone T4 into active form T3. Insulin is reduced due to low thyroid hormone. T3, which is essential for blood sugar controlrequires cortisol levels within the normal range. Positive association of T4 with cortisol and negative association of it with insulin are the indicators of such a delicate balance among these hormones also in children with MetS.
Obesity is an abnormal physical condition where an increased and undesirable fat accumulates in the human body. Obesity is an international phenomenon. In the present study, 12 schools were randomly selected from each district considering the areas i.e. Elite Private Schools in the private sector, Government schools in urban areas and Government schools in rural areas. Interviews were conducted with male students studying in grade 5 to grade 9 in each school. The sample size was 600 students; 300 from Faisalabad district and 300 from Rawalpindi district in Pakistan. A well-structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection. The calibrated scales were used to attain the heights and weights of the respondents. Obesity of school-going children depends on family types, family size, family history, junk food consumption, mother's education, weekly time spent in walking, and sports facility at school levels. Academic performance, physical health and psychological health of school going children are affected with obesity. Concrete steps and policies could minimize the incidence of obesity in children in Pakistan.
Medical, social, and economic relevance of osteoporosis is caused by reducing quality of life, increasing disability and mortality of the patients as a result of fractures due to the low-energy trauma. This study is aimed to examine the associations of metabolic syndrome components, bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) in menopausal women with non-vertebral fractures. 1161 menopausal women aged 50-79 year-old were examined and divided into three groups: A included 419 women with increased body weight (BMI - 25.0-29.9 kg/m2), B – 442 females with obesity (BMI >29.9 kg/m2)i and C –


text:
Changes in motor planning of feedforward postural responses of the trunk muscles in low back pain
- Cite this article as:
- Hodges, P.W. Exp Brain Res (2001) 141: 261. doi:10.1007/s002210100873
Changes in trunk muscle recruitment have been identified in people with low-back pain (LBP). These differences may be due to changes in the planning of the motor response or due to delayed transmission of the descending motor command in the nervous system. These two possibilities were investigated by comparison of the effect of task complexity on the feedforward postural response of the trunk muscles associated with rapid arm movement in people with and without LBP. Task complexity was increased by variation of the expectation for a command to either abduct or flex the upper limb. The onsets of electromyographic activity (EMG) of the abdominal and deltoid muscles were measured. In control subjects, while the reaction time of deltoid and the superficial abdominal muscles increased with task complexity, the reaction time of transversus abdominis (TrA) was constant. However, in subjects with LBP, the reaction time of TrA increased along with the other muscles as task complexity was increased. While inhibition of the descending motor command cannot be excluded, it is more likely that the change in recruitment of TrA represents a more complex change in organisation of the postural response.


Rawalpindi راولپݨڈى, commonly known as Pindi پݨڈى,, is a city and capital of Rawalpindi Division located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Rawalpindi is the fourth-largest city proper in Pakistan, while the larger Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area is also the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area. Rawalpindi is adjacent to Pakistan's capital of Islamabad, and the two are jointly known as the "twin cities" on account of strong social and economic links between the cities.
The 16th century Rawat Fort offered military protection to Rawalpindi.
During the Mughal era, Rawalpindi remained under the rule of the Ghakhar clan, who in turn pledged allegiance to the Mughal Empire. The city was developed as an important outpost in order to guard the frontiers of the Mughal realm.Gakhars fortified a nearby caravanserai, in the 16th century, transforming it into the Rawat Fort in order to defend the Pothohar plateau from Sher Shah Suri's forces. Construction of the Attock Fort in 1581 after Akbar led a campaign against his brother Mirza Muhammad Hakim, further securing Rawalpindi's environs. In December 1585, the Emperor Akbar arrived in Rawalpindi, and remained in and around Rawalpindi for 13 years as he extended the frontiers of the empire, in an era described as a "glorious period" in his career as Emperor.
Sikh Misl
Sikh Empire
Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh allowed the son of Sardar Milkha Singh to continue as Governor of Rawalpindi, after Ranjit Singh seized the district in 1810. Sikh rule over Rawalpindi was consolidated by defeat of the Afghans at Haidaran in July 1813 The Sikh rulers allied themselves with some of the local Gakhar tribes, and jointly defeated Syed Ahmad Barelvi at Akora Khattak in 1827, and again in 1831 in Balakot. Jews first arrived in Rawalpindi's Babu Mohallah neighbourhood from Mashhad, Persia in 1839, in order to flee from anti-Jewish laws instituted by the Qajar dynasty. In 1841, Diwan Kishan Kaur was appointed Sardar of Rawalpindi.
Rawalpindi's Fatima Jinnah Women University is housed in a Victorian mansion.
Following Rawalpindi's capture by the British East India company, 53rd Regiment of the company army took quarters in the newly captured city. The decision to man a permanent military cantonment in the city was made in 1851 by the Marquess of Dalhousie. The city saw its first telegraph office in the early 1850s. The city's Garrison Church was built shortly after in 1854, and is the site where Robert Milman, Bishop of Calcutta, was buried following his death in Rawalpindi in 1876. The city was home to 15,913 people in the 1855 census. During the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, the area's Gakhars and Janjua tribes remained loyal to the British.
Rawalpindi and its environs, 1923.
Numerous civil and military buildings were built during the British era, and the Municipality of Rawalpindi was constituted in 1867,while the city's population as per the 1868 census was 19,228, with another 9,358 people residing in the city's cantonment. The city was also connected to railways that offered connection to India and the northwest frontier in Peshawar in the 1880s. The Commissariat Steam Flour Mills were the first such mills in Punjab, and supplied most of the needs of British cantonments throughout Punjab. Rawalpindi's cantonment served as a feeder to other cantonments throughout the region.
Rawalpindi's cantonment became a major center of military power of the Raj after an arsenal was established in 1883. Britain's army elevated the city from a small town, to the third largest city in Punjab by 1921. In 1868, 9,358 people lived in the city's cantonment – by 1891, the number rose to 37,870. In 1891, the city's population excluding the Cantonment was 34,153. The city was considered to be a favourite first posting for newly arrived soldiers from England, owing to the city's agreeable climate, and nearby hill station at nearby Murree. In 1901, Rawalpindi was made the winter headquarters of the Northern Command and of the Rawalpindi military division. Riots broke out against British rule in 1905, following a famine in Punjab that peasants were led to believe was a deliberate act.
During World War 1, Rawalpindi District "stood first" among districts in recruiting for the British war effort, with greater financial assistance from the British government channeled into the area in return. By 1921, Rawalpindi's cantonment had overshadowed the city – Rawalpindi was one of seven cities of Punjab in which over half the population lived in the cantonment district. Communal riots erupted between Rawalpindi's Sikh and Muslim communities in 1926 after Sikhs refused to silence music from a procession that was passing in front of a mosque.
On 5 March 1947, members of Rawalpindi's Hindu and Sikh communities took out a procession against the formation of a Muslim ministry within the Government of Punjab. Policemen fired upon protestors, while Hindus and Sikhs fought against weaker Muslim counter-protestors. The area's first Partition riots erupted the next day on 6 March 1947, when the city's Muslims, angered by the actions of Hindus and Sikhs and encouraged by the Pir of Golra Sharif, raided nearby villages after they were unable to do so in the city on account of Rawalpindi's heavily armed Sikhs.
At the dawn of Pakistan's independence in 1947 following the success of the Pakistan Movement, Rawalpindi was a 43.79% Muslim, while Rawalpindi District as a whole was 80% Muslim. The region, on account of its large Muslim majority, was thus awarded to Pakistan. Rawalpindi's Hindu and Sikh population, who had made up 33.72% and 17.32% of the city, migrated en masse to the newly independent Dominion of India after communal riots in western Punjab, while Muslim refugees from India settled in the city following anti-Muslim pogroms in eastern Punjab and northern India.
In the years following independence, Rawalpindi saw an influx of Muslim refugees, Pashtun and Kashmiri settlers. Having been the largest British Cantonment in the region at the dawn of Pakistan's independence, Rawalpindi was chosen as headquarters for the Pakistani Army, despite the fact that Karachi had been selected as the first capital.
In 1951, the Rawalpindi conspiracy took place in which leftist army officers conspired to depose the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan. Rawalpindi later became the site of the Liaquat Ali Khan's assassination, in what is now known as Liaquat Bagh Park. In 1958, Field Marshal Ayub Khan launched his coup d'etat from Rawalpindi. In 1959, the city became the interim capital of the country under Ayub Khan, who had sought the creation of a new planned capital of Islamabad in the vicinity of Rawalpindi. As a result, Rawalpindi saw most major central government offices and institutions relocate to nearby territory, and its population rapidly expand.
Construction of Pakistan's new capital city of Islamabad in 1961 led to greater investment in Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi remained the headquarters of the Pakistani Army after the capital shifted to Islamabad in 1969, while the Pakistan Air Force continues to maintain an airbase in the Chaklala district of Rawalpindi. The military dictatorship of General Zia ul Haq hanged Pakistan's deposed Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, in Rawalpindi in 1979.


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The archives of the Museum of English Rural Life are the leading resource for anyone studying the history of British agriculture, the countryside and rural society.
Caring for millions of individual documents, photographs and volumes, we are an Accredited Archive Service and a Place of Deposit for Public Records. The MERL Collections as a whole are Designated as outstanding by Arts Council England.
These include substantial archives of agricultural engineering firms such as Ransomes, seed producers such as Suttons, and trade literature. The records of many landscape architecture businesses are also in our collections.
Records of organisations / societies
Our records of hundreds of individual farms across the UK, recording day to day farming routine, date back to the 17th century. There are particular strengths in smaller farms, the southern parts of England and the period after 1850. We hold the records of some larger estates such as the Wellington Estate in Hampshire.
In addition to the above, we hold collections of documents – large and small – relating to rural crafts, research and innovation, and individuals from authors to collectors. Examples include the memoirs of children evacuated to the countryside during the Second World War; research papers of scientists Hugh Macdonald Sinclair and R.G. Stapledon, and the historian W.E. Tate; and documents from the author H.E. Bates and the poultry expert David Scrivener.
Photographic and film collections
With more than a million images and hundreds of motion picture films, we are one of Britain's largest specialist sources for images and footage of farming and rural life.
- Search the collection via the catalogue
- This collection for consultation via the Reading Room
- Please contact us about your research.
- For digital access services see: _URL_


Russian Residents Given Bullets To Combat Polar Bear Attacks
The Worldwide Fund for Nature and Russian authorities are working together to provide rubber bullets to residents of a remote part of Russia, namely Yamalo-Nenets, to help protect them from polar bears. The special bullets will only work to try to persuade the bears to leave an area rather than cause them any real harm, as the animals are a protected species in Russia.
Polar bears are a serious threat to humans in the arctic region due to their sheer size and power. They are the largest carnivore that lives on land and can typically reach weights of up to 1,200 lbs and heights of around 5 feet. They can also run surprisingly fast, reaching speeds of almost 19 mph.
The animals will often approach small towns or human habitats as they can offer easy access to food and shelter, especially if waste is left outside. They can then attack humans if they feel threatened or are particularly hungry.
Igor Koshin, the governor of the area, explained that some of the residents forget the threat posed by the animals and do not help themselves. "Unfortunately, people sometimes forget that they live on the Arctic coast, not in a megalopolis," he said.
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Everyone loves their children – but when they get that gloriously long break from school that they love and cherish, Michigan parents give up on any sort of break for themselves until January 7th rolls around. As a former nanny, I have discovered that the best way to slice up the day (thereby making it seem shorter and much more manageable) is to plan one big activity, craft or field trip per day. This gives you something to plan, the kids something to look forward to, and everyone a memorable three weeks off together. Particularly as the snow has decided to hold out on us, here's a few things to keep the family busy.
1. Throwback crafts
Every Christmas, as my mom pulls out the ornaments, I can't help but marvel at my own creative genius at such a young age – I made some truly gorgeous pieces to adorn our tree. Encourage family of all ages to get crafty: take the family for a walk, a long one that will require naps afterwards. Carry a basket and hunt for craft supplies: pine cones, cool rocks, fallen branches, forgotten coins, pine needles, etc. – you could even make it a scavenger hunt! Obviously, try to tailor your list to your Michigan region. If you live in Petoskey, make sure Petoskey stones are on the list. In Canton, take them to a park and make pine cones a must. Let the older kids take pics of the family with a cell phone and print them so that they can be part of the crafting also. When everyone has enough "treasures", give them glue, popsicle sticks, glitter and beads and let them go to town. If the result clashes with your decor, let them make stuff for their own rooms. Doing this after Christmas? Let them decorate a winter poster to hang up.
2. Prepare your kids for the New Year
Get everyone psyched for the Michigan New Year in 2013! Make a family time capsule and encourage everyone to put one thing they love in it. Bury it on New Year's Eve, and make sure you include a family photo. You could even let them make a count down contraption, so they can look forward to digging it up next year. If the ground is frozen when you go to bury it, make your kids dig it themselves. That way, this festivity guarantees a nap also.
3. Feed the Birds
Since Jack Frost has been a real trickster this year, the poor birds are going mad with confusion. Help your kids identify what birds live around your house, and then cut apples and oranges in half, slather generously with peanut butter, and let them roll it around on a plate full of birdseed. Even if you don't have a place to hang them, lay them in your yard and watch the aviators descend. It's terrifying!
4. Ice Skate
Whether you live on a frozen lake or near some form of artificially frozen water, bundle everyone up and make an ice skating outing. Especially if you have family from out of town, reveal why Michigan is potentially even more fun in winter than it is in the summer. If that backfires and they hate it, take the family out to eat local somewhere and restore Mitten love from inside a warm restaurant.
5. Get Food Happy
Speaking of eating, your kids can have just as much fun cooking at home with you as going out to somewhere new. Assign kids a day (or just one meal if you're nervous) and let them pick whatever they want to make for the family. Help them make it, obviously – they could even make a menu and present it to the other family members, just so everyone knows what they're getting into. Or, take week one of break to read some Michigan authors. For instance, read Gloria Whelan's "The Indian School", and then try to re-create some of the foods they mention in the book. Do not attempt with books like the Harry Potter series. It's never as easy to make butterbeer as it sounds. Trust me.
I know these five things won't last you two weeks but enjoy your kids over break. If the roads stay nice, take a Michigan road tour to somewhere you wanted to see all summer but didn't have time to go. The Taquahmenon Falls are just as beautiful frozen as they are when they rush down in the other seasons. Write Santa, grandparents, and teachers a long thank you note. Find petting zoos, free movies, fireworks displays, and Christmas clearance sales – help your kids realize that living in Michigan means great breaks with tons of options. And one day, when they're not so tired from shoveling the frozen ground for two hours, they'll thank you for it.
Lyndsay Israel – Feature Writer


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How it works
· Spamkiss for users
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What is Spamkiss?
Spamkiss is a system that drastically reduces spam working after a very new principle. It does its work where spam arises, with the Spammer himself. The Spamkiss System offers the decisive difference from the widespread use of filters, which essentially deal with filtering spam already mailed. It relieves those who now pay for spam - the provider and the recipient.
Spamkiss is server-based and consists of a database in which each user has a so-called 'Kisslist'. This list contains the sender's addresses of his communication partners. An intelligent concept and an additional mechanism, the Spamkiss Token, provide for simple administration of the 'Kisslist'. Spamkiss is an uncomplicated system for the user but offers the experienced user a process that permits a quick and effective solution for even complicated application problems.
How does Spamkiss work?
If a actively uses Spamkiss mail will only be put through to his mailbox if
 - The mailadress is known and listed on his Kisslist
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Do both mail partners have to be Spamkiss Users to be able to communicate with each other?
No, Spamkiss works whether or not the mail partner uses the system.
What is the main difference between Spamkiss and Filter based systems?
Mails are no longer placed in the filters - the rejection occurs at the earliest point, even before the data load has been transferred to the mailbox. This reduces transfer volume and thus Internet costs.
Does Spamkiss only work in connection with a Token or are there other possibilities?
Once Spamkiss is activated every new mail partner -who is not jet listed on the Kisslisthas to have a valid Token to get his email transferred to the recipient using Spamkiss.
How can I become a Spamkiss user?
To become a Spamkiss user you do not need to do anything. Just get in touch with your Email provider /employer and ask whether he has implemented the Spamkiss system. Than you are able to use Spamkiss without having to do a thing.
I have a private Email address with a well-known provider and another one at my work place. My employer uses Spamkiss - does that mean that my private Email address now is protected too?
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I have more than one address with one provider. Can I use the same Token for all of them if my provider uses Spamkiss?
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Is Spamkiss a solution for the Virus problem too?
Spamkiss is not an anti virus system. Nevertheless most of the viruses are distributed from unknown senders. This is why the risk of getting a virus is getting far smaller using Spamkiss.
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The mixing of free-flowing powders is a necessity in many industries. An effective mixing geometry is the starting point for many of these processes. Some geometries mix well; others do not.
To judge mixing effectiveness, the number of revolutions to mix (NRM) becomes important. The NRM is obtained by multiplying the processing time by the rotational speed. No magical formula to calculate NRM exists because equipment, batch volumes and feeding methods vary so much from plant to plant. Therefore, NRM must be determined from process data and typically ranges from 5 to 3,000 in total for effective mixing.
The right equipment
Two equipment geometries that provide effective mixing of powders are the helical-ribbon blender and the slant-cone tumbler. Both provide the 3-D motion necessary for effective mixing.
The slant-cone tumbler is a version of the more common double cone mixer. The helical-ribbon blender is touted as the better of the two, but this could be a matter of operation. Any equipment used improperly will perform poorly.
Another geometry is the V mixer. A straight V mixer without modification does not provide good cross mixing between the two chambers that make up the V. However, baffles can be added to improve mixing by causing cross flows between the two chambers.
Plants can take a number of steps to help minimize powder,"powder mixing problems. One process guideline is to feed the mixer in an appropriate manner. Minor ingredients should not be added first to a completely empty vessel. This precaution prevents the material from getting into the nooks and crannies of the vessel, which are difficult to reach by mixing. Different feeds should be layered in to avoid this problem.
Mixing during the addition of material is always a good idea if it can be executed because it prevents stratification. Tumbler mixers should be filled to only 45 percent to 55 percent by volume to allow mixing of the material. Tumblers will not mix at all if filled to 100 percent.
Agglomeration, demixing and static cling are processes that oppose mixing. Agglomeration prevents the spread of materials.
Demixing can occur through a number of different mechanisms. Differences in size can lead to demixing," smaller particles sieve through larger particles. In a box of cereal, fines go to the bottom of the box by this mechanism.
Fines with very large particles might require the addition of a binder to keep the material mixed. Static cling can prevent material from flowing into the process to begin with and can cause dust explosions. By changing the material of construction, adding a liner or increasing the humidity, plants could minimize static cling.
Two true stories come to mind in the powder,"powder mixing area. One involves two competing pharmaceutical companies. One company knew about the NRM concept. It validated its powder," powder mixing step with a half-hour mix time," i.e., NRM of its equipment and batch volume divided by the rotational speed. The company's competitor, which was not familiar with the NRM concept, cycled its powder,"powder mixing step over 18 hours. Many mixing and demixing cycles occurred during that time. Unfortunately, whether the company's mix/demix cycle lengths remain constant during processing could not be guaranteed. As a result, the batch might be in an unmixed state after 18 hours, creating bad product from time to time.
The other story involves demixing upon emptying and transport. In this case, a small-sized active material was added to large chips. The material was mixed well in a helical-ribbon trough blender. Unfortunately, the material demixed as it was conveyed pneumatically to a bagging plant. The much smaller particles sieved through the much larger particles.
The problem was discovered much later when the bags were sampled again, and no active material was found on the chips. To prevent this from happening in the future, a binder was added during the mixing step, gluing the particles together.
Sometimes, powder,"powder mixing becomes really difficult using mixing equipment. For example, 0.05 percent or less active material in a large batch might never get mixed in uniformly. In these cases, mixing could be performed in stages. Another option is to dissolve the active material in liquid, add in the carrier solid and spray dry.
The mixing of free-flowing powders can be very tricky. However, the guidelines above should help. If you have an interesting case history on this subject, write to me at _EMAIL_.
Tatterson is a technical editor for Chemical Processing. He is a professor at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. Contact him at _EMAIL_. He also teaches short courses for the Center for Professional Advancement, _URL_.


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We analyze the collective behavior of a set of coupled damped driven pendula with finite (large) inertia, and show that the synchronization of the oscillators exhibits a first order phase transition synchronization onset, substantially different from the second order transition obtained in the case of no inertia. There is hysteresis between two macroscopic states, a weakly and a strongly coherent synchronized state, depending on the coupling and the initial state of the oscillators. A self-consistent theory is shown to determine these cooperative phenomena and to predict the observed numerical data in specific examples.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)