text:
NGS Geodetic Toolkit, Part 7: Computing State Plane Coordinates
Professional Surveyor Magazine - January 2004
David R. Doyle
In 1933, the North Carolina Department of Transportation asked the Coast and Geodetic Survey to assist in creating a comprehensive method for converting curvilinear coordinates (latitude and longitude) to a user-friendly, 2-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. This request developed into the State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS), which is now the most widely used expression of coordinate information in local and regional surveying and mapping applications in the United States and its territories.
Originally computed by Dr. Oscar S. Adams, SPCS consists of 130 zones related to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27), Old Hawaiian, Puerto Rico, American Samoa 1962 and Guam 1963 datums, and 124 zones on the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) (Figure 1). Unlike the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid, that is defined by very rigorous geometric boundaries, the dimensions of SPCS zones are typically very irregular and are defined by international, state, and county boundaries to ensure that a zone does not cut through a county.
Those states or parts of states that are more north-south in orientation (e.g.
, Illinois, Indiana, eastern Florida) are defined using a Transverse Mercator map projection. Conversely, those states or parts of states that are more east-west in direction (e.g.
, Tennessee, Kentucky, the Florida panhandle) are computed using a Lambert Conformal Conic projection with two standard parallels. The only exceptions to this rule-of-thumb are the Alaska panhandle (Oblique Mercator projection), American Samoa (Lambert Conformal Conic with a single standard parallel), and Guam (Azimuthal Equidistant projection).
The equations and geometric parameters for each zone can be found in C&GS Special Publication 235 The State Coordinate Systems (A Manual for Surveyors)
and C&GS Publication 62-4 State Plane Coordinates
by Automatic Data Processing for NAD 27, and NOAA Manual NOS NGS 5 State Plane Coordinate System of 1983 for NAD 83.
All three publications are available in hard copy for a nominal fee from the NGS Information Center (_EMAIL_
, _PHONE_). Electronic copies are freely available online from the NGS website at _URL_
Users of coordinate information are often required to convert from one coordinate system to another, such as SPCS to geographic positions (GP) expressed in latitude and longitude, or vice versa. In addition, there is sometimes a misconception that representing data in SPCS is less accurate than in latitude and longitude. The process of converting coordinates between SPCS and GP has come a long way since the days of interpolating by hand from tables. Programs written by NGS can easily and accurately perform the conversions on both NAD 27 (GPPCGP) and NAD 83 (SPCS83). As part of the NGS Geodetic Toolkit (_URL_
), both of these programs can be run interactively online by selecting "State Plane Coordinates."
The programs can also be downloaded directly to the user's own computer from the NGS PC Software page (_URL_
). In addition, both programs are in public domain and users are free to download the source code for integration into their own systems.
Users should be aware that there were several significant changes to SPCS from NAD 27 to NAD 83. Specifically:
-- California zone 7 was removed and its area, Los Angeles County, was included in zone 5.
-- Michigan zones were changed from Transverse Mercator to Lambert zones.
-- Montana eliminated three zones in favor of a single zone system.
--Nebraska, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands eliminated two zones in favor of single zone systems.
-- American Samoa and Guam are not defined with NAD 83 SPC in NSRS.
In addition, with NAD 83, all states adopted new false easting and northing values for the origin, ensuring significant coordinate differences between the state plane coordinates derived from NAD 27 and those derived from NAD 83. These differences, in some cases, are tens of millions of feet to ensure detection of error when mixing SPCS types.
Performing computations with the Toolkit is very straightforward. After selecting "State Plane Coordinates," the Toolkit provides the user with three interactive options: (1) latitude and longitude to SPC, (2) SPC to latitude and longitude, and (3) find the SPC zone (Figure 2).
To convert a GP to SPC (Figure 3), the user is first prompted to select the appropriate datum, either NAD 27 or NAD 83. For Old Hawaiian, Puerto Rico, American Samoa 1962, and Guam 1963 datums, the user should select NAD 27. The user will then be prompted for the coordinate values in degrees, minutes, and seconds without separation between digits. The latitude must have a leading N or S (North or South) that is not case sensitive, and the longitude must have a leading W or E (West or East). In addition, both values must contain the decimal point following the seconds, and the longitude must have a leading 0 if it is less than 100 degrees.
The user is provided a block to input the appropriate SPC zone 4-digit identifier. If the identifier is unknown, it can be obtained from the "Find Zone" application listed under "Interactive Conversions," which will then prompt for either the county or the coordinate value. The user may opt to allow the program to select the most appropriate zone by leaving the prompt box empty. If the point is very close to a zone boundary, the program might have some difficulty in selecting the correct primary zone due to the many irregular geographic boundaries of states and counties in the United States.
The output (Figure 4) will be identical for both NAD 27 and NAD 83, except that the SPC derived from NAD 27 are always shown in U.S. Survey Feet (1200/3937 m = U.S. Survey Foot) while SPC derived for NAD 83 coordinates are provided in meters only. If the user wishes to convert from meters to feet, they should apply the appropriate conversion value as legislatively defined by the respective state (Figure 5). Users of coordinate data should always be sure to identify the appropriate coordinate units (e.g., meters, U.S. Survey Feet, or International Feet). The results of the conversion will include the input GP, datum and SPCS zone number, northing (Y) and easting (X) coordinates, SPCS zone (Area), convergence angle, and the grid scale factor. The sign of the convergence angle is always from grid azimuth to geodetic azimuth.
The conversion of SPC to GP can be accomplished by selecting the SPC -> Latitude/Longitude option under "Interactive Conversions," as shown in Figure 2. As in the previous description, the user will first need to select the appropriate datum, NAD 27 or NAD 83, then enter the northing (Y) and easting (X) coordinates values (in meters for NAD 83 and U.S. Survey Feet for NAD 27) and the appropriate SPCS zone in the boxes provided. Unlike GP, the SPCS coordinate values are not necessarily unique, so the program will be unable to determine which specific zone a point is in. The user will need to know the county and use the "Find Zone" application previously described (see Figure 2). The output elements from this computation will provide the GP as well as all the data elements mentioned in the SPCS conversion.
This process is strictly a conversion of mapping coordinates within a specific datum (e.g., NAD 27, NAD 83, Old Hawaiian, etc.) and does not include a datum transformation such as from NAD 27 to NAD 83. Transformations of latitude and longitude from one datum to another can be performed with the NGS-developed NADCON program, which is also available through the Geodetic Toolkit.
The subroutines GPPCGP and SPCS83 that have been integrated into this tool constitute the de facto standard for SPCS conversions and have been implemented into many surveying and mapping software packages by commercial developers. Users of commercially available conversion software should check with the software developer to ensure the correct programs are integrated for the appropriate applications.
is a Senior Geodesist, Spatial Reference System Division, NGS and provides leadership in the development of geodetic technology transfer programs.
» Back to our January 2004 Issue


text:
GTIP 2008 Interns
Allisa Pack, Glasgow, KY
Debbie Sherfey, Temple Hill Elementary School, Glasgow, KY
This year we received from each teacher intern a final report and evaluation of the program as well as three trail guides to be used for self-study by classroom teachers, homeschool groups and other interested visitors. The final reports included five to ten digital photographs. Additional images will be provided as their students use the park's resources. Each teacher has scheduled and will present two public programs / presentations that will help community members understand the park, park resources, and types of geoscience jobs/careers available. Each of our 2008 intern teachers has also submitted photographs of their work in the park as well as with their students. They have agreed to supply additional photographs as the school year progresses.
In addition, the 2008 intern teachers will work with future Intern teachers as well as those teachers who completed the program in 2006 and 2007 to expand the growing teacher network that will educate local and regional peers, students, and parents on park resources and types of geoscience jobs/careers available, among other topics.
What activities occurred this summer?
During the summer of 2008, the Geoscience-Teachers-in-the-Park worked on a variety of projects. These projects included:
- Working closely with projects initiated and conducted by the 2008 Geoscientist-in-the-Park
- Obtained and documented GPS coordinates for newly discovered cave entrances located within Mammoth Cave National Park
- Developed three (3) self-guided trail guides for homeschool teachers and others who want both an educational experience on the park's trails and the flexibility of going at one's own pace. Trail guides focused on the area's karst surface features (geology) and connected those features to the park's biology and history.
- Assisted in water monitoring project within Mammoth Cave.
- Participated in a geomorphology class to learn more about how the caves formed.
- Participated in a long-term cave cricket monitoring program (comparison of cave population numbers to temperatures and humidity levels, as well as man-made vs. environmental influences on populations).
- Participated in a long-term Allegheny woodrat monitoring program (compares woodrat use of managed cave entrances versus natural cave entrances)
- Assisted in a national bird banding project
- Assisted with bat roost monitoring project.
- Attended several training programs (Project WILD, citizen science workshop, etc.) to increase knowledge of programs and associated skills that could be incorporated into the classroom.
What activities are planned for the academic year?
2008 Teacher Intern Debra Sherfey has:
- engaged her students in a month-long unit of study that examined the local karst landscape. As a culminating activity, all 48 students participated in an off-trail cave tour on September 4th or 5th to: 1) observe cave developments that are a direct result of karst features on the surface, 2) explore un-developed cave passages, 3) examine fossil remains in sito, and 4) appreciate the difficulties experience by early visitors to the cave system. This trip was led by our 2007 Geoscience Teacher-in-the-Park Intern, Sarah Talley.
Some of the ways that the teachers plan to share their experiences with their students include:
- The use of personal experiences and locally based, on-going scientific studies as real-world examples for their students.
- Working with Mammoth Cave (MACA) and Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning (MCICSL) staff to provide hands-on learning and volunteer opportunities for their students.
- One of the teachers stated, "Mammoth Cave offers so many different aspects that can be offered to every child, no matter what their learning style, and broaden their knowledge of an area that is readily accessible to them. As a teacher it is my job to utilize this park and give each student the opportunity to become involved in different projects that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in."
- Use the "What is a scientist?" lesson plan that was developed by the 2007 interns to show students that scientists are not necessarily the stereotypical "old guy in a lab coat with a chemistry set." They hope the lesson plan will ignite an interest in science among their students and encourage them to pursue scientific careers.
- Present a professional development session on Mammoth Cave National Park and the GTIP program to pre-service teachers at each of the Western Kentucky University's campuses (in Bowling Green, Glasgow, Owensboro, and Elizabethtown, Kentucky). This will allow new teachers to learn about the opportunities available at Mammoth Cave prior to beginning their careers.
- Additional community presentations planned

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text: A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than 400 millimetres. Deserts can also be described as areas where more water is lost by evapotranspiration than falls as precipitation. Celestia has several regions of desert that were created by orbital bombardment and actually get more water than the above suggests, but cannot support plant life making them look the same. Celestia is actually a very temperate world and had relatively few natural deserts.


text:
Climate change is directly related to the building of urban areas and cities. As the city scapes apply materials that are not environmentally friendly, it reverses the compatibility of the city. An effect that many urban areas experience is the heat island effect. This is related directly to the development of the streets and buildings. Using different landscape supply materials alters the outcome of the heat that is held within city limits.
The heat island effect takes place because of the materials used with the cities. Chemicals used to create pathways and incompatible building materials absorbs heat from the sun. As it absorbs and holds the heat, it creates a climatic effect in the region, developing a heat island effect. The landscape supply and materials are unable to respond to the heat. Instead, it reflects on other buildings and absorbs in the pathways and unnatural materials. Unusual levels of heat are developed specifically from this phenomena.
As cities begin to build sustainability in urban areas, is also the need to have landscape supply that is compatible with nature. Porous materials are able to respond to heat differently. Instead of reacting, absorbing or reflecting the materials, it works with nature to balance the heat. Using organic materials and items that respond with a porous approach also reduces the heat island effect that is within the city.
Landscape architects not only need to look at the basic approaches for their materials and development. Calculating the heat island effect with their landscape supply will alter the quality results that take place. More important, it will assist with balancing nature and urban areas to reduce the problematic environmental issues that are now at hand.
Changing the urban development through different approaches will alter the outcome of the climate and nature. Using a landscape supply that balances with the environment will also reduce the impact of the heat island effect. With natural materials, lower amounts of maintenance and less heat absorption will take place in city scapes.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


Hawaii Entry Requirements
Double Lines
Please note the following entry requirements for travel to the United States:
 - You must hold a passport valid for at least six months from the date you enter the US.
 - You must be on a short and temporary visit.
 - You must agree to leave the US before the expiration of your visa.
 - You must hold a valid passport for the intended period of stay.
 - You must hold a valid visa issued by the US Embassy or Consulate.
 - You must maintain your identity as a foreigner during your stay.
 - You must comply with all requirements on visa issuance.
 - For more information, please contact the US Embassy or Consulate in your country.
Citizens of the following countries; the United Kingdom, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland may be eligible to travel to the United States visa-free under the Visa Waiver Program if they are travelling for business, pleasure or are in transit, and they meet all of the following requirements.
When your plane arrives in Hawaii, airline staff will direct you to Immigration Review where you will wait in line for your turn. During the review, hand your passport, a completed entry or exit record card and your customs declaration to the examiner (these will be distributed on the plane). The inspector will ask you some simple questions about your reasons for staying in the United States, the length of your intended stay and may ask you for your return ticket for reference. After the review has been completed, the reviewer will stamp your passport and issue a formal 1-94 form to you. This form will clearly indicate to US Customs the type of entry and potential duration of stay. Once this is finished, you may move on to Customs Declaration.
The natural beauty of Hawaii's fragile environment comes from its geographical isolation from other ecosystems. It's important to know that bringing plants, produce or animals can introduce pests and non-endemic species that could be destructive to Hawaii's environment.


Whole Farm > Other > Strategic Planning
External Scannng -- Industry Analysis
File C6-44
Written June, 2007
download in pdf format pdf format
An industry is a group of firms or businesses that produce the same or similar products. The term can be used broadly to include an entire class of products such as the food industry or the energy industry. Or it can be used more narrowly as the cattle industry or the hog industry. This would include the production, processing and marketing aspects of the industry and may be called the beef industry or the pork industry. We may describe the industry even more narrowly as the beef processing industry. Or we may select an aspect of the beef industry such as the grass-fed beef industry or the organic beef industry.
The outline below can be used for most agricultural related industries. However, the outline should be modified to fit the unique characteristics of a specific industry.
Background and current status of the industry
 1. Carefully define the industry. Are you describing an industry such as the cattle industry or a segment such as the organic beef industry. Or are you defining just a stage such as the beef processing industry.
 2. Describe the size of the industry in dollars of sales per year. What has been the trend in the size of the industry in recent years?
 3. What is the growth forecast for the industry?
 4. Describe the historic profitability of the industry. Also, the historic profitability of the industry segments (i.e. production, processing, manufacturing, etc.).
 5. Describe the stage of the product life cycle of the industry's product(s) (rapid growth, mature, etc.).
 6. or processing and manufacturing industries, list the total processing capacity and the amount of processing capacity being utilized. Show this for the current period and previous years.
 7. List and describe inventory (unsold product) levels in the industry. Do this for the current period and previous years.
 8. Is the industry stable or going through a period of restructuring?
 9. Describe any developments or problems the industry is currently experiencing.
 10. Is the industry dominated by supply chains or open markets?
 - Which parts of the supply chain are commodities and which are differentiated products?
 - Describe the supply chain relationships that may exist in this industry and describe the role of your business within the supply chain.
 - How do participants create or extract value at different points in the supply chain?
 11. Describe how distribution works in the industry (i.e. direct sales to customers or sales force, retail, wholesale)?
 12. If you are targeting a niche market, identify the relevant industry segments and how they are defined.
Product(s) and product usage
 1. Describe the product(s) being produced by the industry.
 2. What are the overall consumption trends of the product(s).
 3. Describe consumption trends by consumer group such as milk consumption of teenagers.
 4. Describe the per capita (per person) consumption trends to (i.e. pounds of pork consumed per person).
 5. Usage rates - i.e. annual usage of ethanol (not annual production of ethanol - i.e. when production of a product (supply) is larger than usage (demand), inventories increase and prices fall - and vice versa).
 6. Describe usage by specific markets (e.g. ethanol usage in the Denver market).
 7. Trends in usage or consumption - i.e. per capita beef consumption over the last ten years.
Provide data on the current price levels in the industry and price levels over previous years. This includes prices for final products, intermediate products in the supply chain and raw materials.
Provide data on the profit margins for the various segments of the industry segments.
 1. Industry concentration - This is a measure of the number of firms in an industry and the size of the predominant firms in the industry. It provides an indication of who you are up against.
 - Identify the most important players in the industry.
 - What percent of the market is controlled by the largest companies (i.e. four largest firms)?
 - What is the market share of each major firm?
 - What is the number of firms over a certain size (e.g. number of egg producers over one million birds)?
 - Is there a dominant industry leader? Who is it?
 2. Competition from other products - The more similar a competitive product is to your product, the more competitive it will be (i.e. beef competes with pork, natural gas competes with ethanol). Branding is an effort to differentiate your product from competitive products in the eyes of the consumer.
 3. Barriers to entry/ease of entry - Is the industry easy to enter or difficult to enter? If entry is easy, competitors enter the market during periods of high profitability and expand production capacity. This drives down prices and profit margins. Barriers to entry make it more difficult for competitors to enter so profit margins remain favorable. Barriers to entry include:
 - Limited access to markets - If the market is dominated by well established branded products, a new entrant will need to spend the time, money and effort to establish a successful branded product.
 - Large-scale production - If large scale production requires substantial financial investment, the financial requirements will be to limit entry.
 - Limited access to technology or production processes - Patented technology and other intellectual property will limit entry.
 4. Concentration within the supply chain - When many firms buy from or sell to a few firms, the segment with the highest concentration (fewest firms) usually has an advantage. What is the relative concentration of input suppliers, producers, processors, etc.?
 5. Industry Rivalry - Describe the intensity of the rivalry among industry participants.
Industry Drivers
Outline the factors that are currently driving the industry and expected to drive it in the future. Examples of potential agricultural industry drivers are described below.
 1. Consumer tastes and preferences - Consumers preferences for food.
 2. Population and age distribution - A growing population will drive demand upward. An aging population will affect the types of food demanded.
 3. Dietary recommendations - Emerging dietary recommendations (low carbohydrate, low fat) will change consumers buying habits for food products.
 4. Package labeling requirements - For example the mandated labeling for trans-fats on food products has the potential to change consumer preferences.
 5. Food safety issues - For example the organic food market has its basis in the issue of food safety.
 6. Functional foods - Scientists are discovering certain health aspects of different types of foods. For example, isoflavones in soybeans may prevent cancer.
 7. Legislation designed to stimulate demandFor example the mandated use of renewable fuels drives that industry. Tax incentives will affect the price.
 8. New regulations - Is there new or pending legislation on regulations at the state or national level that will impact the industry.
 9. Environmental concerns - For example, global warming will have a significant impact on the energy industry.
 10. International trade tariffs and barriers - For example, does the industry have access to foreign markets?
 11. Emerging technologies - For example, new technologies in the production of renewable fuels will impact the ethanol industry.
 12. Other factors that affect the development of the industry.


Athletic Dept. needs to dispel nepotism
Athletic Dept. needs to dispel nepotism
Eli Hartman-Seeskin, Sports Columnist
The Athletic Dept. and Boosters claim to provide teams with proportionally equitable funding, but the current system leaves athletes feeling disadvantaged and needs to be adjusted for greater transparency and equity.
Currently, every team is allocated a flat amount from the athletic department supply account. According to athletic director Chris Livatino, this amount ranges from $500 to $3,800, to cover the basic needs of each sport, regardless of gender. On top of that, teams can fundraise and coaches can make up to two special allocation requests per year from Boosters. The Boosters decide which equipment and programs they can fund each year, based on those requests.
The issue arises when students perceive a bias in how funds are distributed. Some student athletes believe that their sport gets less money if they have fewer spectators or if they do not have a family member on Boosters to vouch for them.
While Livatino vehemently denied any nepotism in funding, the fact remains that some teams get more money than others, and some athletes justifiably feel their sports are being slighted.
From the Athletic Dept. and Boosters' perspectives, each sport has different needs that need to be accounted for in funding. It is logical to give football more money than cross country, because football equipment is far more expensive than running uniforms. At the same time, if certain coaches never make special allocation requests, their team will never get the extra equipment that the same sports receive at other schools.
While it is not the athletic department's fault if coaches do not ask for the gear players want or need, it is a sign that the current system needs to be fixed.
There needs to be better communication directly between athletes and the athletic department. If a coach does not believe in requesting additional equipment, players should be able to make a request directly to the school.
The current system leaves athletes in the dark and breeds jealousy between teams. As long as some sports get more money than others and as long as parents on Boosters have the opportunity to provide special allocations to their own child's sport, the possibility for and perception of corruption will remain.
The solution is greater transparency. Making information available on how teams use their funding and why they need more or less than other teams would show athletes where the money is going. It will help student-athletes realize how much more the school is investing in their sport than they know, or provide an explanation of why another team needs more money than they do.
Publishing the equipment and operational costs of each sport is one measure the Athletic Dept. can take to reassure students. Further, allowing players to submit special allocation requests to their coaches and the Boosters would help athletes understand if it is their coach who is denying their request rather than the Boosters. Finally, if the Boosters want to dispel perceptions of nepotism, publishing their responses to each special allocation requests can show students whether Boosters gives more attention to certain sports.


42] oomycetes,[43] brown algae,[44] yellow-green algae,[45] excavates (e.g., euglenids).[46] Some of these have been found preserved in amber (fossilized tree resin) or under unusual conditions (e.g., Paleoleishmania, a kinetoplastid).
Others are relatively common in the fossil record,[47] as the diatoms,[48] golden algae,[49] haptophytes (coccoliths),[50] silicoflagellates, tintinnids (ciliates), dinoflagellates,[51] green algae,[52] red algae,[53] heliozoans, radiolarians,[54] foraminiferans,[55] ebriids and testate amoebae (euglyphids, arcellaceans).[56] Some are even used as paleoecological indicators to reconstruct ancient environments.
More probable eukaryote fossils begin to appear at about 1.8 billion years ago, the acritarchs, spherical fossils of likely algal protists.[57] Another possible representant of early fossil eukaryotes are the Gabonionta.
See also[edit]
 1. ^ Gooday, A. J. (2003). "Benthic foraminifera (Protista) as tools in deep-water palaeoceanography: Environmental influences on faunal characteristics". Advances in marine biology 46: 1–90. doi:10.1016/s0065-2881(03)46002-1. PMID _PHONE_. edit
 2. ^ Kirk, N. L.; Ritson-Williams, R.; Coffroth, M. A.; Miller, M. W.; Fogarty, N. D.; Santos, S. R. (2013). "Tracking Transmission of Apicomplexan Symbionts in Diverse Caribbean Corals". PLoS ONE 8 (11): e80618. doi:10.1371/journal.pone._PHONE_. PMC _PHONE_. PMID 24260438. edit
 3. ^ Zhao, Y.; Gentekaki, E.; Yi, Z.; Lin, X. (2013). "Genetic Differentiation of the Mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase c Subunit I Gene in Genus Paramecium (Protista, Ciliophora)". PLoS ONE 8 (10): e77044. doi:10.1371/journal.pone._PHONE_. PMC _PHONE_. PMID 24204730. edit
 4. ^ Miloslavich, P.; Díaz, J. M.; Klein, E.; Alvarado, J. J.; Díaz, C.; Gobin, J.; Escobar-Briones, E.; Cruz-Motta, J. J.; Weil, E.; Cortés, J.; Bastidas, A. C.; Robertson, R.; Zapata, F.; Martín, A.; Castillo, J.; Kazandjian, A.; Ortiz, M. (2010). "Marine Biodiversity in the Caribbean: Regional Estimates and Distribution Patterns". PLoS ONE 5 (8): e11916. doi:10.1371/journal.pone._PHONE_. PMC _PHONE_. PMID 20689856. edit
 5. ^ Martínez-Girón, R; Ribas-Barceló, A (2007). "Pitfall in sputum cytology: Protoctista resembling adenocarcinoma cells". Diagnostic Cytopathology 35 (1): 32–3. doi:10.1002/dc.20584. PMID _PHONE_. edit
 6. ^ Osaka, T; Beika, A; Hattori, A; Kohno, Y; Kato, K. H.; Mizutani, T (2003). "The protozoa dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina contains selenoproteins and the relevant translation apparatus". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 300 (1): 236–40. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(02)02806-1. PMID _PHONE_. edit
 7. ^ Simonite T (November 2005). "Protists push animals aside in rule revamp". Nature 438 (7064): 8–9. doi:10.1038/438008b. PMID _PHONE_.
 8. ^ Harper, David; Benton, Michael (2009). Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 207. ISBN 1-4051-4157-3.
 9. ^ "Systematics of the Eukaryota". Retrieved 2009-05-31.
 13. ^ Copeland, H. F. (1938). "The Kingdoms of Organisms". Quarterly Review of Biology 13 (4): 383. doi:10.1086/394568. JSTOR _PHONE_.
 14. ^ Whittaker, R. H. (1959). "On the Broad Classification of Organisms". Quarterly Review of Biology 34 (3): 210. doi:10.1086/402733. JSTOR _PHONE_.
 15. ^ Whittaker RH (January 1969). "New concepts of kingdoms or organisms. Evolutionary relations are better represented by new classifications than by the traditional two kingdoms". Science 163 (3863): 150–60. doi:10.1126/science._PHONE_.150. PMID _PHONE_.
 16. ^ Stechmann, Alexandra; Thomas Cavalier-Smith (2003). "The root of the eukaryote tree pinpointed". Current Biology 13 (17): R665–R666. doi:10.1016/S0960-9822(03)00602-X. PMID _PHONE_. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
 19. ^ O'Malley MA, Simpson AGB, and Roger AJ (2013). The other eukaryotes in light of evolutionary protistology. Biology and Philosophy 28(2): 299–330.
 20. ^ a b Adl SM, Simpson AG, Farmer MA, et al. (2005). "The new higher level classification of eukaryotes with emphasis on the taxonomy of protists". J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 52 (5): 399–451. doi:10.1111/j._PHONE_.2005.00053.x. PMID _PHONE_.
 23. ^ Talman AM, Domarle O, McKenzie FE, Ariey F, Robert V (July 2004). "Gametocytogenesis: the puberty of Plasmodium falciparum". Malar. J. 3: 24. doi:10.1186/_PHONE_-3-24. PMC 497046. PMID _PHONE_.
 24. ^ Tibayrenc M, Kjellberg F, Arnaud J, et al. (June 1991). "Are eukaryotic microorganisms clonal or sexual? A population genetics vantage". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88 (12): 5129–33. doi:10.1073/pnas.88.12.5129. PMC 51825. PMID _PHONE_.
 25. ^ Javaux EJ, Knoll AH, Walter MR (July 2001). "Morphological and ecological complexity in early eukaryotic ecosystems". Nature 412 (6842): 66–9. doi:10.1038/35083562. PMID _PHONE_.
 27. ^ Cooper MA, Adam RD, Worobey M, Sterling CR (November 2007). "Population genetics provides evidence for recombination in Giardia". Curr. Biol. 17 (22): 1984–8. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.020. PMID _PHONE_.
 28. ^ Akopyants NS, Kimblin N, Secundino N, et al. (April 2009). "Demonstration of genetic exchange during cyclical development of Leishmania in the sand fly vector". Science 324 (5924): 265–8. doi:10.1126/science._PHONE_. PMC _PHONE_. PMID _PHONE_.
 29. ^ a b Malik SB, Pightling AW, Stefaniak LM, Schurko AM, Logsdon JM (2008). Hahn, Matthew W, ed. "An expanded inventory of conserved meiotic genes provides evidence for sex in Trichomonas vaginalis". PLoS ONE 3 (8): e2879. doi:10.1371/journal.pone._PHONE_. PMC _PHONE_. PMID _PHONE_.
 30. ^ Dacks J, Roger AJ (1999). "The


text:
SPADE is a powerful tool for the representation of an entire dataset as a two-dimensional clustered tree. This article overviews how to analyze a completed SPADE analysis and work with the tree visualization.
Click the links below to jump to the relevant section in this article:
- Discussion on SPADE Tree Structure
- SPADE Trees are Random but Results are Consistent
- Interpreting Structure and Arrangement of the Tree
- Color Clusters by Channel to Find Phenotypes
- Consolidate Similar Clusters into Bubbles
- Dynamically Visualize SPADE Clusters on 2D Dot Plot
- Set SPADE Tree Statistics with "Metric"
- Tree Visualization Controls
- Global / Local Coloring Range and Coloring Symmetry
- Tree Color Scheme and Background Color
- Cluster Size Range
- Merge Clusters Together
- Analyze SPADE Statistics
- Export SPADE Tree Images
- The Significance of Empty Clusters
- Next Steps: Export Bubbles as New FCS Files for Bulk Statistics and Visualization
It is often noted that SPADE trees "turn out different every time", and this observation is correct. The actual presentation of a SPADE tree will change between runs, and the structure and arrangement of two SPADE trees can't be directly compared across runs. Despite this situation, however, the results of a SPADE run will be consistent between runs. For example, if the goal is to phenotype and characterize cell types within the blood, 10 SPADE runs on the same data set will produce highly similar results. I.e., the relative event counts and signaling profiles of bubbled populations will be comparable for each run. The trees will look different, but after analyzing each one, the takeaway results will be the same.
Three components can be considered for SPADE tree structure: clusters, edges, and cluster location. Edges are what connect clusters. In SPADE, the location of individual clusters cannot be used to draw conclusions about similarity between clusters. Only the connections (via edges) between clusters can be used for this purpose. In such analysis, edge length is meaningless. Only the number of edges, or "steps", on a path between any two clusters is of consequence. When two clusters have fewer steps between them on a SPADE tree, this means that these two clusters contain events that are similar to each other as analyzed across all the channels included in the SPADE run. Conversely, more steps between two clusters on a SPADE tree indicates underlying differences between the events within those clusters.
(these two arrangements of the same snippet of a SPADE tree are completely equivalent, though the left is certainly easier to interpret. In line with the concepts above, cluster 7 is more similar to cluster 81 than cluster 81 is to cluster 85, and on the right, cluster 85 is not similar to cluster 37 simply because of their proximal location.)
One thing to consider when applying the concepts discussed above is that SPADE trees go from a multidimensional data distribution down to two dimensions, and certain sacrifices have to be made during this process that might render similar populations further apart from each other on the SPADE tree than one might expect, much like Alaska and Russia are close together on a three-dimensional globe, but might be rendered far apart on a two dimensional map.
The core workflow to analyze the SPADE tree is to color it by channel. To color the tree by channel, simply use the up/down arrows on the keyboard or find the Node Color Parameter drop-down menu within the SPADE interface. This menu is populated with channels from within the sample file currently being viewed:
When a channel is selected in this menu, each cluster in the SPADE tree will color itself according to a summary statistic of the events within the cluster on the channel selected. The color/statistic will depend on the selected metric, but in the default case, the clusters will be colored by the median expression level of the events within the cluster on the selected channel. Here is an example SPADE tree for a four-color dataset:
(example SPADE tree for a four-color fluorescent dataset colored by each channel that contributed to clustering. Classical phenotypes emerge and can be bubbled to consolidate them)
Bubbles serve as a way to assign human-decided population thresholds to the various computational populations (clusters) found by SPADE.
The example SPADE tree directly above could be bubbled in this fashion to organize the numerous computational clusters into major classes of phenotype for analysis and summary reporting:
(example SPADE tree bubbled according to major phenotype categories - note that the SPADE tree can only be colored by one channel at a time but bubbles help track previously established groups)
Bubbles can be applied to any group of clusters. Interaction tips:
- Use the mouse to select clusters to group together. Click the Add Bubble button. You'll be prompted to enter the name for that grouping of clusters.
- To add other clusters into the bubble, simply drag and drop them into the bubble.
- To remove clusters from a bubble, select the clusters, hold down the shift key, and drag them out of the bubble.
- Multiple individual clusters can be selected in succession by clicking on them individually while pressing the shift key, or by serially highlighting groups of clusters by clicking and dragging across them with the shift key held down.
- Groups of selected clusters can be rotated by clicking the Rotate Selected Nodes button or by pressing the 'Z' key on the keyboard.
(click to begin - animation example of adding and interacting with bubbles and clusters)
SPADE is a great way to analyze data, but sometimes it is necessary to get a view back to the raw data while analyzing to get an understanding of what events are in each cluster. This workflow is supported with the biaxial dot plot located to the left of the SPADE interface. Anytime a cluster or group of clusters is highlighted within the SPADE tree, the events within these clusters will be displayed on the biaxial plot. Multiple biaxial plots can be open at a time by pressing the button to pop out additional plots. Different plot types can be selected on the plot. Contour - Color by Density is a useful plot type because it shows outlines of events that aren't currently selected. See the example below:
(click to expand - example of using the 2D dot plot to analyze events within clusters)
There are two components to setting the coloring range of the SPADE tree, which is shown in the top left of the SPADE interface.
Coloring Range (called "Scale Range" in the SPADE interface) can be set to Global or Local. In global mode, the range of the color bar is standardized across all files. In local mode, the range of the color bar is tailored to the file being currently viewed. In both cases, the minimum and maximum bounds of the color bar are set to be the 2nd and 98th percentile values in the channel being analyzed, but the scope of the data from which these percentile values are drawn changes depending on the global/local setting. Global is recommended in most cases since local scaling can be misleading when comparing multiple samples to each other.
At this time, the coloring range cannot be set manually by the researcher.
Coloring Range Symmetry (called "Scale Symmetry" in the SPADE interface) can be set to Asymmetric or Symmetric. In asymmetric mode, the range of the color bar will be set as defined directly above by the 2nd and 98th percentile. In symmetric mode, the color bar min and max will be set to the same value in the positive and negative, depending on which the greater of the absolute values of the 2nd and 98th percentile. Asymmetric is generally recommended.
(asymmetric versus symmetric color bar range)
The SPADE tree itself can be colored in a variety of ways, including different backgrounds:
(the dropdown menus for tree and background color)
(example animation of various combinations of tree color and background color)
The size of a SPADE tree cluster is proportional to the number of events in each cluster. The dynamic range of cluster size can be configured using the slider. This size range can be set uniquely per sample file (Local) or to be the same across all sample files (Global) using the range selector below the range slider:
(example animation of altering cluster size range)
In addition to or instead of using bubbles it might be desired to simply merge clusters together. This can simplify visualization and reporting. Unfortunately, this functionality is not currently available.
SPADE produces a large amount of statistics and metadata. Read the dedicated article: Download SPADE Data and Statistics.
Read the dedicated article: How to Export Images of a SPADE Tree
When visualizing or analyzing statistics for a SPADE tree, empty clusters are sometimes observed. This means that the sample being observed is missing a population of cells that a different sample in the SPADE run has. Put another way, there are events in the n-dimensional space of a sample in this dataset that are not present in the sample currently being viewed. Empty clusters can only occur when multiple samples are being analyzed in the same SPADE run. This is potentially an interesting finding if it is unexpected! Try navigating through the samples in the analysis and finding the sample(s) where the cluster is not empty. The events within the cluster can then be analyzed to see why they are unique in this sample compared to other samples.
After a SPADE tree has been analyzed it can be useful to export the bubbles into new FCS files. This worfklow has various uses to help with downstream visualization of results (e.g. with heatmaps and dot plots) and export of batch statistics for bubbles instead of for each cluster alone. Read the dedicated article: How to Export SPADE Bubbles to FCS Files for Statistics and Visualization


text:
Results from National Institute of Mental Health's Largest, Most Recent Pediatric Bipolar Study
Funded and conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Illness in Youth (COBY) is being called the largest pediatric bipolar population to date. It followed the treatments and outcomes of 263 children and adolescents, aged 7-17. Like other, smaller studies, this study found that:
- bipolar disorder appears to affect children and adolescents more severely than adults
- children with bipolar disorder exhibit longer symptomatic stages
- children shift from one mood to another (high and low) more frequently and drastically than adults.
- children and teens are more likely to progress from a mild bipolar disorder to a severe form more often than adults
These findings were published in the February 2006 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
If you're having trouble convincing a friend, relative or even healthcare professional about the validity of pediatric bipolar disorder, you can generously offer to email them the NIMH's findings. The link is ridiculously long, but maybe the title itself will convince the skeptical.
To keep up to date on any other study or studies you may be interested in, you can go to _URL_ the governments clearing house and searchable database of federally funded biomedical research projects conducted at universities, hospitals, and other research institutions. CRISP is the acronym for Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects. Once you hit the landing page, you'll find on the left hand side a rectangle sporting a microscope. The text in the rectangle reads: "Go to CRISP query form." That means SEARCH HERE. You can search by state, date, institution, as well as topic. Once again, your tax dollars at work! You may as well get your money's worth.


text:
Places in Middle-earth
Type: Forests, Fields, Plains
Region: Beleriand & North
With the aid of Círdan Eärendil built Vingilot, the Foam-flower, fairest of the ships of song; golden were its oars and white its timbers, hewn in the birchwoods of Nimbrethil, and its sails were as the argent moon.
The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch 24, Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath
Eärendil was a mariner
that tarried in Arvernien;
he built a boat of timber felled
in Nimbrethil to journey in;
her sails he wove of silver fair,
of silver were her lanterns made,
her prow was fashioned like a swan,
and light upon her banners laid.
from Eärendil was a mariner
The Fellowship of the Ring, LoTR Book 2, Ch 1, Many Meetings
Contributors: Elena Tiriel 10Dec07


Options Clinic News & Updates
Waterloo Options Clinic News
The Waterloo OPTIONS Clinic is pleased to offer innovative and accessible sexual health services to those in need. To learn more about Abortion, Medical Abortions, STI Testing and STI Treatment, read our Blog posts for updated information and services offered at the Waterloo OPTIONS Clinic.
June 28, 2018 Uncategorized
Can I Get Pregnant If…
Our healthcare team receives lots of questions from people wondering "can I get pregnant if…." Here you'll find answers to common questions about how a pregnancy can occur. If you have any other questions, you can visit our clinic at 280 Lester St during regular operating hours.
Can I Get Pregnant If…
We've never had intercourse (sex)?
Yes, but it is rare. If semen or pre-ejaculate (pre-cum) comes into contact with the opening of the vagina or the vulva, the sperm may survive and travel up the vaginal canal, through the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes. If a person is ovulating, or about to ovulate, there is a possibility that the sperm can fertilize an egg in the fallopian tubes, resulting in pregnancy. The best way to keep sperm from fertilizing an egg cell is to make sure that no semen comes in contact with the genitals (vulva and vaginal opening). For more information about various methods of preventing pregnancy (birth control options), click here.
We have anal sex?
The anus is part of the digestive system. This system begins in a person's mouth, and ends with the anus. Since the reproductive system and the digestive system are not connected, sperm that enters the anus cannot swim through the body to reach an egg cell in the reproductive system.
It is possible to get pregnant if someone has anal intercourse and the semen or ejaculate leaks out of the anus and into the vagina; or if ejaculated semen is near the opening of the vagina and that semen happens to work its way deep into the vaginal opening. So if the person who ejaculates does not wear a condom, or it slips off, or is worn incorrectly, there is a chance that some sperm may get into the vagina and a pregnancy could occur.
We have oral sex?
There is no risk of pregnancy associated with oral sex. This is because when semen enters the mouth and is swallowed (which is not a necessary step), it enters the digestive system. The digestive system is completely separate from the reproductive system, which is the part of the body responsible for pregnancy. For some tips on safer oral sex, click here.
When the person is having their period/monthly bleed?
Yes, this is technically possible, and has to do with the life cycle of the sperm and egg cells. The egg cell can live for about 24 hours after it has been released from the ovary (this is called ovulation). On the other hand, sperm can live from five to seven days inside of a vagina, particularly in the presence of fertile cervical fluid (this looks like egg-white).
Sometimes, fertile cervical fluid can be present towards the end of someone's period. Since sperm can live up to seven days in this fluid, it is possible for pregnancy to occur if they ovulate within that time frame. For example, if someone has unprotected sex on Sunday and still has their period with some fertile cervical mucous present, sperm can live in their body until the following Saturday. If they ovulate during that week, there could be sperm available to fertilize the egg, which could result in pregnancy.
From sitting in a hot tub?
Sometimes people are worried that they could possibly get pregnant from sitting in a hot tub that someone may have ejaculated in. The good news is that sperm die once they hit the hot tub water, before they could reach someone's vulva and vagina.
However, having actual intercourse in a hot tub, hot shower, or in any kind of watery environment does not protect against pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections.
Even if I have used the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP)?
Yes; emergency contraception lowers the risk, but does not completely eliminate it.
The Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP) usually refers to a progestin pill like Plan B, Contingency 1, Norlevo, Next Choice, or Option 2. These pills can prevent a pregnancy from occurring if taken within five days after having unprotected sex (or any other incident that might result in sperm entering the vagina), but the sooner someone takes them after sex the more likely they are to work.
Plan B and other pills like it can reduce the risk of pregnancy by approximately 50%. They will not work if someone is already pregnant or if too much time went by after unprotected intercourse.
A prescription is not needed to purchase emergency pills like Plan B. They are available for free at youth clinics, or at low cost at Options for Sexual Health clinics, walk in clinics, and doctor's offices. They are also available from a pharmacy without a prescription for approximately $40.
There is also a new kind of emergency contraceptive pill available in Canada called Ella. It is available by prescription and can also be taken up to 5 days after sex. It is approximately 60% effective and does not lose effectiveness as quickly over time as progestin based emergency pills like Plan B.
If someone has had unprotected sex, and is concerned about the risk of pregnancy, an emergency insertion of a copper IUD is the most effective method of emergency contraception (99% effective when inserted up to 7 days after unprotected intercourse). For more information on emergency IUD insertion click here.
It's the first time we have sex?
Yes, it is absolutely possible to become pregnant after having vaginal sex for the first time. It has been a long standing myth that someone cannot get pregnant the first time they have sex, and this has led to many unplanned pregnancies.
Anytime a person with sperm and person with an ovum (egg cell) have penis-vagina intercourse, it is possible for pregnancy to occur – all that needs to happen is for a sperm to get to an egg cell. The risk of pregnancy is greatly reduced through the use of birth control.
If the partner pulls out before they ejaculate?
Yes. This is called the withdrawal method of birth control, but it is only ~73% effective in actual use because the person with a penis may not pull out in time before ejaculating; also, there may be sperm in the drops of fluid that comes out of the penis before ejaculation (pre-cum).
It is more likely that sperm will be present in pre-ejaculate if a man has ejaculated in the last few hours. This is because leftover sperm may still be present in the urethra. If ejaculation has occurred prior to intercourse, the person who ejaculated should urinate and wipe off the tip of their penis before intercourse to remove any sperm from the previous ejaculation, as sperm could have been trapped in the urethral lining or folds of skin and can therefore be present when subsequent acts of intercourse take place.
The person with a vulva is on top?
No matter what position a couple is having sex in, if ejaculate enters into the vagina, there is the possibility of pregnancy. The effect of gravity will not affect a person's risk of pregnancy. However, couples can enjoy sex in any position that feels good for them and use condoms and other methods of birth control to prevent a pregnancy from occurring.
From masturbating?
Thankfully, no! Pregnancy can only occur if there is sperm to meet the egg cell. By touching genitals for pleasure with hands or toys, someone is not at risk for becoming pregnant (unless there is fresh wet ejaculate that has been recently ejaculated onto their hand or toy).
June 28, 2018 Uncategorized
What Are the Different Types of Birth Control?
Advancements in birth control have skyrocketed with recent technology and research and today, there are many options available for both men and women. With all of these choices, it may be hard to decide which is best for you. Some factors to consider when choosing a birth control method include:
 - Your lifestyle (i.e. how often will you remember to take your birth control?)
 - It's level of effectiveness
 - How long the birth control method takes to kick in
 - What happens when you stop taking birth control
 - Possible side effects of that form of birth control
This article will explain some of the different types of birth control methods and some pros and cons for each. We will separate birth control into three categories – hormonal birth control methods, barrier protection, and natural birth control methods.
Hormonal Birth Control Methods
Hormonal birth control methods are the ones we hear about most because they come in many forms and hormone levels. Let's look at some of the most common types of hormonal birth control methods and the pros and cons for each.
Birth Control Patch
A birth control patch is a thin piece of plastic that adheres to skin, usually your upper arm, and release hormones that way. The hormones usually include both estrogen and progestin. The patch does require a prescription from a medical professional or gynecologist, and is covered under many insurances.
 - Pros of the Birth Control Patch:
 - One of the main benefits of the birth control patch is that it is easy to use and only needs to be changed once a week. Compared to taking a daily pill, the patch is a little easier to remember to apply. All you really have to do to have a high rate of effectiveness is change it at the right time every week and wear it as it's intended.
 - Another benefit of the birth control patch is that it doesn't interfere with sex and protects you 24/7. This can be good for "in the moment"


text:
Did you know?
Exciting, and sometimes bizarre, Landsat factoids!
- Engineering the Future By Building on the Landsat Legacy, 04.27.2012
- Learn more about the engineering that goes into building a satellite and meet some of LDCM's engineers.
- NASA's Newest Map of the World
- NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey have a new collection of mapped images covering the entire land surface of the Earth available to anyone, anywhere in the world, absolutely free.
- Landsat Island Named After Satellite
- Off the northeastern coast of Labrador, in the northern most reaches of the Newfoundland & Labrador province lies Landsat Island, an icy isle inhabited only by polar bears.


text:
Studying Industrial Organizational Psychology? Check out these 3 organizations.
Learn more about the following 3 leading industrial-organizational psychology organizations:
1. The Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
Mission Statement: The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology is a division within the American Psychological Association (APA) that is also an organizational affiliate of the Association for Psychological Sciences (APS). The Society's mission is to enhance human well-being and performance in organizational and work settings by promoting the science, practice, and teaching of industrial-organizational psychology. Towards this end, SIOP:
- Supports SIOP members in their efforts to study, apply, and teach the principles, findings, and methods of industrial-organizational psychology.
- Provides forums for industrial-organizational psychologists to exchange research, insights, and information related to the science, practice, and teaching of industrial-organizational psychology.
- Identifies opportunities for expanding and developing the science and practice of industrial-organizational psychology.
- Monitors and addresses challenges to the understanding and practice of industrial-organizational psychology in organizational and work settings.
- Promotes the education of current and future industrial-organizational psychologists.
- Promotes public awareness of the field of industrial-organizational psychology.
Division 14 of the American Psychological Association (APA) usually hosts an annual spring conference.
2. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Mission Statement: The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a global human resources professional organization that exists to:
- Build and sustain partnerships with human resource professionals, media, governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic institutions to address people management challenges that influence the effectiveness and sustainability of their organizations and communities.
- Provide a community for human resource professionals, media, governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic institutions to share expertise and create innovative solutions on people management issues.
- Proactively provide thought leadership, education and research to human resource professionals, media, governments, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic institutions.
- Serve as an advocate to ensure that policy makers, law makers and regulators are aware of key people concerns facing organizations and the human resource profession.
SHRM usually hosts an annual conference during the summer months. For information about our SHRM Student Chapter, visit our site on Connections or contact Faculty Advisor Dr. Catherine Gillies at _EMAIL_.
3. The Society of Consulting Psychology (SCP)
SCP Goals and Objectives: Society of Consulting Psychology members are contributing to the definition of consulting psychology and the methods used by consultants. Former CE Chair DeWayne Kurpius explained that consultation helps individuals and organizations "become more efficient and effective." Consultants develop a climate for interdependent problem-solving, or they share their expertise in solving a specific problem. Later, Edgar Schein elaborated the process and systemic approach: "As the relationship between the consultant and organization evolves, the concept of who is the client comes gradually to be broadened so that the consultant may be working with individuals, groups, and organizational units at different times."
- Stimulating the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and consulting experience among psychologists.
- Encouraging high standards of consultation.
- Promoting psychological research and professional development in the area of consulting.
- Fostering cooperative relations with allied associations and with all APA divisions.
- Supporting the advancement of consulting psychology as a science and profession.
- Advancing multiculturalism, internationalism and diversity (e.g., ethnicity, race, disability status, age, sexual orientation, students, career stage, gender and international affiliates) in all matters within the Society, particularly as they relate to practice, training, and research in consulting psychology.
Division 13 of the APA has a variety of events and summit meetings, and usually hosts a mid-winter conference.


Can Vegans Eat Tortilla Chips?
Can Vegans Eat Tortilla Chips?
A tortilla chip is a snack food made from corn tortillas and the majority of the fat on this snack is unsaturated which is the healthy kind and this is one homemade chip that is loved by a lot of people and there are varieties of chips that can be used in making tortilla chips however vegans tend to wonder if they can eat this tasty snacks without guilt.
A vegan diet involves eating foods comprising of only plants and exclude all animal products including meat, dairy, and eggs, a vegan diet may help keep your heart healthy however there are accidentally vegan junk foods to make this diet plan easier.
Nutritional planning is vital whether you are vegan or not particularly when you are making dietary changes and healthy eating as a vegan will not only help you lose weight but reduce the risk of some certain cancers, lower risk of heart disease, and appears to lower blood sugar level and improve kidney function.
You should definitely not eat junk food every day, vegan or not however if you choose to eat junk food, we suggest picking from options that do not contain any animal products, and if you are wondering if tortilla chips are on the list of accidentally vegan food, here is what you should know.
Table of Contents
Can Vegans Eat Tortilla Chips?
Can Vegans Eat Tortilla Chips?
Yes, vegans can definitely stock up their pantry with tortilla chips, for the most part, these chips are made out of plant-based ingredients made from corn tortillas which are cut into triangles and then fried or baked. There are lots of brands making tortilla chips however you should read through the ingredients list to help you choose the right vegan tortilla chips.
Can vegans eat chips and salsa?
Yes, vegans can eat chips and salsa as long as the chips are fried in vegetable oil which is usually the oil used by most restaurants then it's vegan.
Are tortilla chips junk foods?
Yes, tortilla chips might be lower in fat and calories compared to some chips but they are still unhealthy because they are usually fried hence you should avoid eating way too many of them if you are trying to burn calories.
These chips may somehow be a better choice to potatoes chips though as it contains fewer calories and is more satisfying crunchy snacks to go for if you are looking to replace potato chips.
A tortilla chip is a snack you can enjoy any time of the day and the nutrients to derive from eating tortilla chips includes, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc however the frying process may damage some of these nutrients but they do have less saturated fat compared to potatoes chips and makes a delicious vegan snack to munch on.
Vegans wanting to improve their health and lose weight should stick to minimally processed foods and limit the intake of junk foods though there is no wrong time to eat chips, ensure you do not consume them regularly and when in doubt, read the label.
Read next: Is Pringles Vegan? Are Hot Fries Vegan?


text:
Isolation of Genomic DNA from Plant using Magnetic Beads—NucleoMag 96 Plant
NucleoMag 96 Plant is designed for the rapid parallel purification of genomic DNA from plant tissues in a 96-well format. After lysis of the sample, genomic DNA is selectively bound to the NucleoMag Beads. Contaminants are washed away and the DNA can be eluted from the beads under low-salt conditions. Since the magnetic bead technology provides a closed system (no transfer of sample from one well to another is necessary during the preparation), the risk of cross-contamination is greatly reduced. The NucleoMag technology can be easily adapted to common laboratory automation platforms. It can be used either with static-pin separators (e.g., NucleoMag SEP) or magnetic separators integrated into robotic workstations.


text:
It's possible to trace the earliest indigo pea cultivation–like the cultivation of Buddhist wisdom– back to India. But the word "indigo" is derived from the Greek word bapto, meaning "to immerse." Through mindfulness practice, we intentionally immerse ourselves in the reality of the present moment in order to be clear-sited and know better how to respond to daily life challenges.
The indigo dyeing process is one of transformation. To start, a garment absorbs "white indigo" (a clear liquid). Then, the indigo oxidizes in the air. The garment turns green-to-blue as it dries. This transformation takes some time, not unlike personal transformation through mindfulness study and practice.
Indigo production is a source of both beauty and suffering. The first European cash crop in Charleston was indigo peas. However, plantation profits soared because landowners enslaved laborers. Indigo production was marked by violence and revolt. What's more, synthetic and natural dyeing processes produce environmental toxins. Proper handling requires mindfulness and care.
By choosing indigo as our namesake, we acknowledge the whole of our local heritage–that which is wholesome and unwholesome, beautiful and ugly, joyful and painful. As a spiritual community, we aspire to live in such a way that a peaceful, healing, and happy continuation is possible for the Lowcountry people and land.


text:
Structural stability and robustness to bounded rationality
Luca Anderlini and
David Canning ()
Discussion Paper Series In Economics And Econometrics from University of Southampton, Economics Division, School of Social Sciences
The introduction of a small amount of bounded rationality into a model sometimes has little effect, and sometimes has a dramatic impact on predicted behavior. We call a model robust to bounded rationality if small deviations from rationality result only in small changes in the equilibrium set. We also say that a model is structurally stable if the equilibrium set (given fully rational agents) varies continuously with the parameter values of the model. Our notions of a model and of rationality are quite broad, allowing us to cover cases in which bounded rationality refers to imperfect optimization, non-rational expectations, or arbitrary behavior by a subset of agents. We show that a model is robust to bounded rationality if and only if it is structurally stable. Thus, we can characterize which models will be robust to bounded rationality and which ones will not, independently of the exact form that bounded rationality takes. In addition, from our characterization it follows that introducing a small amount of bounded rationality will have large effects on predicted outcomes if and only if parameters are near a critical point where the equilibrium set changes in a discontinuous way JEL classification: C69, C79, D51, E19
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations Track citations by RSS feed
Downloads: (external link)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
Persistent link: _URL_
Access Statistics for this paper
More papers in Discussion Paper Series In Economics And Econometrics from University of Southampton, Economics Division, School of Social Sciences
Contact information at EDIRC.
Series data maintained by Chris Thorn ().


text:
After you click on Lessons… or after you enter a new teacher in wizard, the following dialog will appear:
The same dialog appears when you are editing lessons of certain Class.
Each line represents one lesson. Displayed data: subject, class(or classes in the case when he/she teaches joint classes), lesson duration, number per week, groups in a specific class, classroom, cycle and more teachers.
Double click on each line to edit the lessons properties.
At the bottom there are buttons for adding, editing, or deleting a contract.
As in other lists you have the option of sorting the list by clicking on the column headers. Using the maximize icon at the right upper corner you can maximize the window to full screen.
Using CTRL or SHIFT you can select more lessons and delete them or copy to another class/teacher.
This article was viewed 119877 times.48504 / 119877


text:
Aura strong abjuration; CL 17th
Slot —; Price 200,000 gp; Weight 50 lbs.
This crystal device is usually about 4 feet square and framed in metal or wood. The frame typically depicts dragons, demons, devils, genies, coiling nagas, or other powerful creatures that are well known for their magical powers. It can be hung or placed on a surface and then activated by giving a command word. The same command word deactivates the mirror. A mirror of life trapping has 15 extradimensional compartments within it. Any creature coming within 30 feet of the device and looking at its own reflection must make a DC 23 Will save or be trapped within the mirror in one of the cells. A creature not aware of the nature of the device always sees its own reflection. The probability of a creature seeing its reflection, and thus needing to make the saving throw, drops to 50% if the creature is aware that the mirror traps life and seeks to avoid looking at it (treat as a gaze attack).
When a creature is trapped, it is taken bodily into the mirror. Size is not a factor, but constructs and undead are not trapped, nor are inanimate objects and other nonliving matter. A victim's equipment (including clothing and anything being carried) remains behind. If the mirror's owner knows the right command word, he can call the reflection of any creature trapped within to its surface and engage his powerless prisoner in conversation. Another command word frees the trapped creature. Each pair of command words is specific to each prisoner.
If the mirror's capacity is exceeded, one victim (determined randomly) is set free in order to accommodate the latest one. If the mirror is destroyed (Hardness 1, 5 hit points), all victims currently trapped in it are freed.


text:
- deer (n.)
- Old English deor "animal, beast," from Proto-Germanic *deuzam, the general Germanic word for "animal" (as opposed to man), but often restricted to "wild animal" (cf. Old Frisian diar, Dutch dier, Old Norse dyr, Old High German tior, German Tier "animal," Gothic dius "wild animal," also cf. reindeer), from PIE *dheusom "creature that breathes," from root *dheu- (1) "cloud, breath" (cf. Lithuanian dusti "gasp," dvesti "gasp, perish;" Old Church Slavonic dychati "breathe").
For prehistoric sense development, cf. Latin animal from anima "breath"). Sense specialization to a specific animal began in Old English (usual Old English for what we now call a deer was heorot; see hart), common by 15c., now complete. Probably via hunting, deer being the favorite animal of the chase (cf. Sanskrit mrga- "wild animal," used especially for "deer"). Deer-lick is first attested 1778, in an American context.


text:
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
clay and fire,
This review is from: Alternative Kilns and Firing Techniques: Raku - Saggar - Pit - Barrel (Lark Ceramics Books) (Paperback)
This book offers the enthusiastic amateur ways of direct involvement in the firing processes using living flame, be it from gas, wood or sawdust. For the experienced ceramist it suggests ways out of established working methods with the chance of finding new and unexpected surfaces and colours by playing with fire. Commonsense precautions are given throughout,
with intriguing examples of work by many ceramists. You will need some sort of yard or garden, this is outdoor stuff!


text:
Feature Engineering for Machine Learning: Principles and Techniques for Data Scientists
Feature Engineering for Machine Learning: The following is a review of the book Feature Engineering for Machine Learning: Principles and Techniques for Data Scientists by Amanda Casari and Alice Zheng (Twitter here), senior Data Scientists at Google and Amazon respectively.
Review of Feature Engineering for Machine Learning
You've probably heard the phrase a million times:
'In a Machine Learning project 80% is cleaning and transforming the data and 20% is model building and training'. This book speaks about the first 80%.
Feature engineering for Machine Learning is a crucial step in any Data Science/ML Pipeline, however most texts are dedicated to model building and training (the 20% of the previous paragraph), rarely covering the topic of feature engineering on its own.
With this very practical book, you'll learn techniques for extracting and creating features out of raw data, so that your machine learning models can better understand them and therefore achieve better results.
Feature engineering for Machine learning covers the main techniques of today's Data Science toolkit, as well as some hints on how to optimally apply them. The book uses the best Python packages including numpy, Pandas, Scikit-learn, and Matplotlib, featuring them in the wide variety of examples it includes.
In the text you will learn about the following topics:
- Feature engineering for numeric data: filtering, binning, scaling, log transforms, and power transforms.
- Natural text techniques: bag-of-words, n-grams, and phrase detection (check out our awesome NLP posts)
- Frequency-based filtering and feature scaling for eliminating uninformative features
- Encoding techniques of categorical variables, including feature hashing and bin-counting
- Model-based feature engineering with Principal Component Analysis
- The concept of model stacking, using k-means as a featurization technique
- Image feature extraction with manual and deep-learning techniques
This book tries to teach the intuition first, and the mathematics second. Instead of only discussing how something is done, it tries to teach the why, with the goal of providing the intuition behind the ideas, so that the reader may understand how and when to apply them.
Contents of Feature Engineering for Machine Learning
The contents of the book are the following:
- The Machine Learning Pipeline: Data, Tasks, Models and Features.
- Fancy Tricks with Simple Numbers: scalars, vectors, binarization, log transforms, feature scaling and normalization.
- Text Data: Flattening, Filtering, and Chunking: N-grams and bag of words.
- The Effects of Feature Scaling: From Bag-of-Words to Tf-Idf
- Categorical Variables: Counting Eggs in the Age of Robotic Chickens: one hot and dummies, categorical variable encoding types, and feature hashing.
- Dimensionality Reduction: Squashing the Data Pancake with PCA: PCA, its uses, advantages, and limitations.
- Nonlinear Featurization via K-Means Model Stacking: K means clustering and how to use the results as features for machine learning models.
- Automating the Featurizer: Image Feature Extraction and Deep Learning: a full chapter on how to extract awesome features out of our image data.
- Back to the Feature: Building an Academic Paper Recommender: a very interesting final project to finish the book with.
You can find the official website of the book here.
Summary of Feature Engineering for Machine Learning
This is a very easy to read book that covers an essential and many times overseen part of a Machine Learning Pipeline. It contains very clear Python coding examples, and we suggest that you try them yourself and play around with the code, exploring what you can do with it.
You can find it on Amazon at the best price here:
- Zheng, Alice (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 218 Pages - 04/14/2018 (Publication Date) - O'Reilly Media (Publisher)
It is pretty short and can be digested fairly quickly, so we recommend reading it after books like Python Machine Learning or Hands on Machine Learning with Python, Tensorflow and Keras. You best have some Python knowledge when tackling Feature Engineering for Machine learning, so if you don't we recommend texts like Python Crash Course or our awesome list of Python Programming online courses.
Once you've read it, you might want to further down your statistical knowledge with texts like Practical Statistics for Data Scientist or to start grasping some coding architecture patterns with amazing books like Architecture Patterns with Python. Check out our reviews!
Thanks for reading How to Learn Machine Learning and have an awesome day!
Tags: Feature Engineering, Feature Engineering Python, Feature Engineering for Machine Learning, Feature Selection.


text:
Montezuma quail () are found primarily in Mexico along the Sierra Madre mountains, however, their range extends briefly into the southwestern United States. States that have populations of montezuma quail are Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Populations are scattered along mountain ranges at elevations of 1000 m and above in eastern and southeastern Arizona, extending into western and southern New Mexico. Texas has a few isolated populations in the western portion of the state at similar elevations. Montezuma quail have been observed in Arizona at elevations as high as 3050 m on Escudilla Mountain, Green's Peak and Mt. Baldy. (Brown, 1989; Sibley and Monroe, 1990)
Typical habitats of montezuma quail are oak savannas or oak-pine woodlands. These vegetative communities coincide with the species elevational distribution. Although rare, small populations have been recorded in pinion-juniper woodlands, mesquite grasslands, and mixed conifer forests. (Brown, 1989; Russel and Monson, 1998; Stromberg, 2000)
Montezuma quail are plump, stocky birds resembling other new world quails. Adults are 205 to 230 mm long, slightly shorter than the other western quails. The species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism in plumage coloration, although markings are very intricate in both sexes. Males have a distinct black and white face pattern. The contour feathers on the male's ventral side are black with spots, except for a central patch of dark cinnamon feathers extending posteriorly from the breast. Females lack the black and brilliant white on their faces found in males. Females are also more brown overall. Montezuma quail can be distinguished from Gambel's quail (Callipepla gambelii) by their lack of a prominent "top-knot" as well as other color differences. Other quail that may co-occur in areas with montezuma quail are northern bobwhite (Collinus virginianus) in east Texas. These more closely resemble montezuma quail, but the species can be differentiated relatively easy upon close inspection. (Stromberg, 2000)
Nesting occurs from late June thru August, however, newly hatched young have been found as late as September in Sonora Mexico. Montezuma Quail nest on the ground in areas with adequate protection. Nests are covered structures usually woven with grass. Both males and females participate in incubation of the eggs and brooding of the young for the first few days after hatching. The average clutch size is 10 and double brooding in the wild has not been reported. Reproductive success is thought to be correlated with summer precipitation. Summer rains increase abundance and growth of food plants and increase the biomass of native perennial bunchgrasses which provide critical cover and protection for the quail. (Brown 1989, Albers and Gehlbach 1990, Stromberg 2000)
Montezuma quail young are precocial and are usually out of the nest foraging for food soon after hatching. When born, the young are fully feathered and capable of quick sprints to the nearest cover. During the first week, parents teach the young which food sources are palatable and often expose bulbs and insects to the chicks. Within 1 week, the chicks forage independently. Like many other species in the avian world, growth of the young follows a sigmoid curve. Juveniles reach adult weight between 10 and 11 weeks. After this time, the young are well developed and fully capable of flight comparable to that of adults. Juveniles will attempt to reproduce in their first year of life. (Stromberg 2000)
In captivity, montezuma quail may live up to 7 years but the lifespan of free-ranging birds is much lower due to less than optimal conditions and predation. (Stromberg, 2000)
Montezuma quail spend all of their time foraging and roosting on the ground in coveys, or small flocks. Flight is typical of other North American quail, consisting of a loud and powerful take off with rapid wing beats, quickly giving way to gliding flight. Distances flown are generally very short. Montezuma quail generally fly only as a last resort, preferring to run and "freeze". The typical behavior of montezuma quail when a predator is detected is to run to the nearest cover. The quail then remain crouched and rely on their amazingly effective cryptic coloration and motionless posture to elude the predator. Montezuma quail are renowned for their tendency to hold tight in thick cover. This trait gives the species a very low detectability in surveys. Because of this, the Arizona Game and Fish Department uses hunting dogs to assist in finding quail during surveys. This behavior of montezuma quail has also earned it the name "Fool's Quail" because many a hunter has had a humbling experience when pursuing the elusive birds.
Coveys forage strictly on the ground. After the covey leaves the roost, usually near a creek bed, the birds feed uphill staying close together. Their diet consist primarily of bulbs from wood sorrel (Oxalis spp.) and flat sedges (Cyperus spp.). Consequently, the birds are often seen digging in moist soil with their elongated claws adapted for exposing roots and tubers. Montezuma quail will also consume mast during years of productive crops. Insects and their pupa are another important food source when available. The birds generally shift their diet toward higher consumption of insects during the summer months when the prey are more abundant. Insects, however, may be eaten year round. A male harvested in November near the Buenos Aries National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona had parts from 8 large grasshoppers in its crop (P. Greer, pers. obsv.). Seeds from various grasses and forbs can also be an important food source for Montezuma Quail. Like other species of quail in the southwest, drinking water is not required to maintain internal water balance. (Albers and Gehlbach, 1990; Russel and Monson, 1998; Stromberg, 2000)
Montezuma quail are preyed upon most commonly by avian predators such as Cooper's hawks, (Accipiter cooperii) northern goshawks, (Accipiter gentilis) and northern harriers (Circus cyaneus). The elusive quail are more of a challenge for terrestrial predators but are occasionally killed by coyotes (Canis latrans). When nests are found, the eggs would likely be consumed by an array of carnivorous animals such as skunks (Mephitis) and various snakes. Montezuma quail are also considered a gamebird and hunted in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. (Stromberg, 2000)
Montezuma quail are highly dependant on the dense understory grass cover of native annual and perennial plants characteristic of a healthy evergreen oak woodland community. Thus, the status of montezuma quail populations may reflect the health of the ecosystem.
Montezuma quail are considered game birds and hunted in Arizona, New Mexico, and to some degree in Mexico. The popularity of montezuma quail has steadily increased over the past two decades. Hunters in pursuit of these unique galliforms travel across the country each fall to search for montezuma quail in Arizona and New Mexico. The tendency of the birds to hold tight before flushing is also a desirable trait in a game bird which allows the use of various pointing breeds of bird dogs. This popularity among hunters brings substantial income to local guiding services and communities in montezuma quail country each hunting season.
Conservation efforts directed at improving montezuma quail habitat may indirectly affect livestock grazing permittees in these areas. (See Conservation Section)
Montezuma Quail are directly dependent upon a thick ground cover of native perennial bunchgrasses for nesting habitat and escape cover. Consequently, the species is vulnerable to habitat alteration from overgrazing by livestock, change in weather patterns, and the spread of non-native plant species. Brown (1982) showed quail numbers declined in allotments where heavy grazing occurred although these areas did experience an increase in abundance of forage species. The negative effects of cover removal, however, outweighed the increase in forage. Stromberg (2000) stated that habitats subjected to reduction of greater than 50% of the annual grass production could not support viable populations of Montezuma Quail. Consequently, management objectives should be directed at maintaining the natural biomass of ground cover in these habitats. The most effective means of accomplishing this would be reducing livestock grazing permits. This alternative would likely be met with opposition from the ranching community. (See Economic Importance for Humans Section) (Brown 1982, Albers and Gehlbach 1990, Stromberg 2000)
Other common names of montezuma quail are: Mearn's quail, fool's quail, and harlequin quail.
Paul Greer (author), University of Arizona, Todd McWhorter (editor), University of Arizona.
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
uses sound to communicate
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as


Scientists Make Temperature-Regulating Coffee Mug
[via physorg] Researchers Klaus Sedlbauer and Herbert Sinnesbichler from the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics have created the temperature-regulating mug using phase change material (PCM). PCM is capable of storing and releasing large amounts of heat by changing its phase, such as changing from a solid to a liquid.
To design the new mug, the researchers first created a hollow porcelain shell filled with ribbons of highly conductive aluminum. The formed a honeycomb structure, which the researchers filled with solid PCM. When the mug is filled with a hot beverage, the PCM absorbs the heat and melts like wax into a liquid. This process cools the beverage down to the optimal temperature. As the beverage cools over time, the PCM slowly releases the stored heat back into the drink, maintaining the optimal temperature for up to 30 minutes.
As the scientists note, different drinks have different optimal temperatures. Warm drinks such as and are best enjoyed at 58° C (136.4° F), beer tastes best at 7° C (44.6° F), and ice-cold drinks are best at -12° C (10.4° F). Since different types of PCM have different chemical properties and melting temperatures, the scientists can make different mugs for different. The downside for the consumer is that there is not a single mug for hot and cold drinks.
The researchers hope that, if they can find a business partner, the PCM mugs could be on sale by the end of the year. However, despite the fact that PCM is relatively inexpensive, the mugs will still probably cost significantly more than most mugs.
Besides mugs, PCM could have other interesting applications. For instance, researchers are investigating the possibility of using it to keep perishable foods from spoiling, and even putting it on museum walls to protect paintings in the case of a fire, since PCM is non-flammable. PCM already has commercial uses in construction materials, where it is embedded in walls and ceilings to maintain a comfortable room temperature. Some winter jackets also contain PCM for providing greater warmth. In addition, due to their long-term memory capabilities, PCM could be used for storing computer data without the need for an electric current.
Did you like this post? Leave your comments below!
More Post From The Web


text:
Fire, water, air and earth are at the heart of Crazy Machines Elements. Not only are these element experiments appearing in this amateur inventor game for the first time, but this title is also making its debut on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.
Players can also use lots of new parts besides the elements, including cloud machines, pinwheels and flamethrowers.
Crazy Machines Elements has three game modes. In Puzzle mode, players must finish 100 partially-built chain reaction machines using the parts specified to accomplish the various tasks. Inventors can create true chain reaction marvels that obey the laws of physics and not only satisfy the requirements of the task, but also demand some serious brain power, inventiveness and physical out-of-the-box thinking.
An example of the fun: A ball knocks a candle over which then heats the water in a steam boiler, which in turn slowly starts moving a rope attached to it. The action of the rope rotates a grindstone tied to the other end, which rubs against another stone to generate a spark which lights the fireworks. Players can tinker with a variety of other crazy machines awaiting them in each chapter.
Budding inventors can unlock numerous challenges by solving puzzles where they complete tasks using the fewest number of parts in the shortest time; there are as many ways to achieve a particular task as there are parts available. Crazy Machines also has an editor in which players can build and try out their own crazy machines!
More articles about Crazy Machines Elements


text:
Category: Cultural Diversity / Vulnerable Populations
Research over the last twenty years has documented a strong link between experiences of discrimination and psychopathology, however there are few measures specifically designed to capture symptoms that may emerge as a result of perceived discrimination. The Anxiety Symptoms of Discrimination Scale (ASDS) is a 21-item self-report measure that asks respondents about trauma, socially avoidant, and anxiety symptoms based on "past experiences of discrimination." Respondents can be of any race or ethnicity and describe any form of discrimination. Each item is rated on a scale of 1-4 ("Never," "Rarely," "Sometimes," and "Often"), and summed for a total score. We gave the ASDS to a racially diverse group of students (N=212) that was 53.1% White, 34.6% Black, 5.2% Asian, and 7.1% Biracial/Other. Of these, 2.4% identified as Hispanic and 75% were female, with a mean age of 21.5 (SD 4.04). Reliability of the ASDS was excellent (alpha=.97). We conducted a principal components analysis on the ASDS with a Varimax rotation, and two components emerged that explained 71.4% of the variance. One component focused on worry and avoidance (12 items), and the other focused on loss of emotional control (9 items). We then compared Black and White participants on the ASDS and found significant differences in total scores (t=5.0, p <.001), with Blacks scoring higher (mean 41.7, SD=15.4) than Whites (mean 30.7, SD=13.0). Total ASDS scores were also significantly correlated to existing measures of racial microaggressions (RMAS), general ethnic discrimination frequency and stress (GEDS), anxiety (BAI), and negative affectivity (PANAS) in both Black and White students, although these correlations were stronger in Black students. When allocating percentages to the various types of discrimination experienced, Black participants attributed 51.1% to racism, whereas White participants attributed 6.9% to racism. Implications of findings and future directions will be discussed.


text:
What types of stereotypes are based on your eye color?
Eyes are the window to the soul. Shape and size are factors into how others perceive your eyes, but the first thing people notice about your eyes is their color. Eye colors are classifies into just a few groups: brown, blue, green, and hazel. No two people have the exact same eye color but no matter which eye color group you fit into, your eye color says a lot about you.
Brown eyes say that you are sweet, conservative, and trustworthy. Brown eyes are typically thought of as plain and less desirable than a lighter eye color, but brown eyes are deep and loving. People look at brown eyes and think of stability and security. The darker your brown eyes, the sexier. Think of a sweet and loyal puppy's big brown eyes.
Blue eyes say that you are carefree and innocent. Blue eyes are the most desirable eye color. Blue eyes are a recessive gene so natural baby blues are becoming scarce. The most popular contact color is blue. Since blue eyes are lighter than other eye colors, they attract more attention. People look at blue eyes and think of eternal youth. The term baby blues came about from the fact that all babies are born with dark blue eyes. They change color within a few weeks.
Green eyes say that you are sexy, mysterious, and feisty. Green eyes are very rare and instantly hypnotize anyone who gazes into them. People look at green eyed individuals as untrustworthy and sly. Green eyes are classified as a feline feature. Felines are sleek, sexy, and sneaky. Green eyes are definitely the sexiest of all eye colors. Every eye color typically has just a hint of green mixed in with their main eye color, but having green eyes is extra special.
Hazel eyes are a mixture of brown and green. Hazel eyes say that you are spontaneous, fun loving, and friendly. If there is more brown your hazel eyes are, the more approachable you seem to others. The more green they are, the more mischievous you will seem. Hazel eyes are a real treat because they tend to change color depending on your mood. People look at hazel eyes and think of unpredictability and fun.
No matter what your eye color is, you will have stereotypes that come along with them. Eye color stereotypes are much more subtle than stereotypes about hair color but exist all the same. Instead of buying colored contact lenses, just remember how much your eye color says about you. You were born with your natural eye color for a reason. Your eye color is unique and fits your personality so don't change a thing.
The most common eye color is Brown with over half of the worlds population having them. Brown eyes are great for absorbing light. Green is the least common eye color and the sexiest which is why most models are using green colored contacts now. The most rare eye color is green, found among only 2% of the population. Blue eyes are found among 8% of the world's population. The most common eye color is brown, found among 90% of the world's population.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I have some noisy audio files, which are voice recordings or lectures. There is no music, but the recordings are noisy.
Sometimes, the voice is not clear. Is there any software that can extract the clear voice out of those audio files? It would be better to have automated processing and batch processing supports.
I'm using Windows 7.
share|improve this question
2 Answers 2
Regardless of OS, Audacity can do this just fine. So says Wikipedia:
Noise Removal based on sampling the noise to be removed. Surface noise from records, for example, can be removed with hardly any discernable effect on the music.
See this Audacity Wiki entry for Noise Removal.
As for batch, see the manual page.
share|improve this answer
just a short comment. Sometimes the recording is so bad, that it is almost impossible to extract the voice. And human ear is much more capable to filter out the voice, than any SW. I tried Audacity for some school lessons recordings and in many cases got only terribly sounding distorted voice like from cheap chinese radio in metal barrel - in fact not much better, than the source file. – Juhele Feb 5 '12 at 17:29
A generic noise removal program manipulating the sound will never ever reach the human brain understanding speech. It's not your ear, it's the brain using the redundancy of the human language, the likely context of the speech and so on. Try to understand random words in a made up language on a noisy track. – chx Feb 5 '12 at 18:07
You might want to try the expertise of _URL_
Here you have an example of what they can do:
share|improve this answer
Your Answer


Cyberchase Wiki
"How It All Started: Webisode 1" is the first Cyberchase webisode, and the first part of the How It All Started prequel series that was later expanded into Web Adventures. It was originally published in December 2001. The included browser minigame is titled "Hacker's Safe"[1].
Aside from early versions of episodes that were test-screened or evaluated with limited audiences ("The Poddleville Case", "Bridge", "Lost My Marbles", "Snow Day to be Exact", and "Castleblanca"), this webisode may be the debut appearance of each character and location that it includes.
The narration gives an introductory explanation of Cyberspace[2] and its cybersites[3].
At the Cyber Grand Council Building, the heads of several cybersites are in a meeting with Motherboard to discuss the future[4], demonstrating her benevolent and optimistic leadership[5].
The narration then explains that Motherboard exists as the brain of Control Central[6], which oversees Cyberspace[7], and is maintained by Dr. Marbles[8]. Dr. Marbles creates a cyborg who calls himself The Hacker and wants to take over Cyberspace[9]. Hacker, in turn, creates Digit[10].
One night, while Dr. Marbles is away, Hacker removes Motherboard's Encryptor Chip and locks it in a secret vault[11]. Digit needs to figure out the combination and return the chip to Motherboard before it's too late[12], which is presented in the form of a minigame where the player must complete 3 patterns[1].
Motherboard chides Hacker and exiles him from Control Central[13]. Dr. Marbles drains his power and places him in a cyberpod[14] that flies to the farthest reaches of the Northern Frontier[15]. However, unbeknownst to Motherboard or Dr. Marbles, Hacker also brought Digit into the pod against his will[16].
 - In this webisode, Hacker is depicted as being power-hungry from his creation[9], whereas in later flashbacks in Cyberchase, he sincerely wanted to help Motherboard for some time, and only later became evil[17][18].