Silver City Elementary history teachers bring lesson alive
SilverCity HistoricFigures 2
Teacher transformations
Silver City Elementary School third grade teachers dressed up as the following American historical figures:
* Mary Jane McLeod Bethune
* Paul Revere
* Susan B. Anthony
* Lyndon B. Johnson
* Franklin Roosevelt
* Eleanor Roosevelt
* Frederick Douglas
* Caesar Chavez
* Theodore Roosevelt
NORTH FORSYTH -- Paul Revere galloped from class to class as Caesar Chavez talked about crops and a Silver City Elementary School student pushed Teddy Roosevelt down the hall.
Nine third-grade teachers dressed up as famous Americans from the history curriculum taught in Forsyth County Schools Wednesday to get their students excited and engaged about their lessons.
"We made timelines, just small snippets, and then they'll go back and do their research," said Gina Eigenauer, who was clad in an outfit to emulate Mary Jane McLeod Bethune.
An entire hall in the third-grade wing at the school on Dahlonega Highway (Hwy. 9) in north Forsyth had sheets of paper with timelines of American historical events centered around the figures.
Inside the classrooms, the teachers rotated to each group, some showing slideshows, others answering questions, all – female teachers – wearing suits, or wigs, or glasses, or long dresses.
John-Hartley Glude's favorite historical figure and lesson was Susan B. Anthony, he said, "because she got votes for woman, and I think that's fairer."
The third grader said seeing his teachers dress up was fun and he likes that they "do cool events for it and making little slides that we've learned."
Eigenauer said the teachers spent time Tuesday night setting up, which included hanging streamers and American flags in the hallways' openings and over doors.
"When they walked through the halls, their faces were like, 'What are we doing, what are we doing?'" she said. "Then they saw us all dressed up, they're trying to figure out who we were, and they're taking notes as we go along, so they're really excited."


text:
Family History Lesson Series
Several short lessons covering a variety of Family History topics are available within FamilySearch and FamilySearch Wiki for download in convenient pdf format. The lessons may be used as self-study guides or as class supplements for Family History instructors.
To VIEW the lessons: left click the link.
To DOWNLOAD the lessons: right click the link and select "Save Target As."
Lesson 1: Perform Descendancy Research
Lesson 2: Conduct Family History Interviews
Lesson 3: Involve Children and Youth in Family History
Lesson 4: Write a Personal History
Lesson 5: Create a Family History
Lesson 6: Involve Your Extended Family in Family History
Lesson 7: Use the Internet for Family History Research

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
General Knowledge Questions and Answers - 7578
Questions and Answers
When did sauropods live?
Sauropods were plentiful during the Triassic and Jurassic periods. Very few of these gigantic creatures survived into the Cretaceous period.
Rock formed by deposition andconsolidation of mineral and organic material and from precipitation ofminerals from solution is called?
More Questions :

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
National Wildlife Refuges May Receive
Help from Congress in Battle Against Invasive Species
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 11, 2002
Serena Rinker, 561/_PHONE_, ext.109
Bert Byers, cell: 772/_PHONE_
Congressmen, U.S. Department of Interior officials, and refuge partners
will announce proposed legislation to provide funds to combat invasive
species on national wildlife refuges. This event is one of several across
the U.S. to celebrate National
Wildlife Refuge Week and kick-off the centennial of the refuge
Fran Mainella, Director, National Park Service/Dept. of Interior,
Congressman Mark Foley, 16th District (Tentative)
Congressman Clay Shaw, 22nd District
Evan Hirsche, President, National Wildlife Refuge Association, Washington,
Phil McCullem, President, Loxahatchee Natural History Association
Mark Musaus, Manager, A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Lou Hinds, Florida Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge,
10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach (See _URL_
"Visitor Information" for detailed directions to the North/
Headquarters entrance; refuge is.3 miles west of U.S. 441). Meet at
boat ramp, at the end of Lee Road, ¼ mile past Administration
Saturday, October 19, 2002; Noon – 1:00
Press availability, featuring photo and interview opportunities. Boy Scout
Troop Number 325 will join officials and volunteers to remove invasive
species by pulling and chopping at plants.
- Legislation being considered in Congress will provide an additional
$2 million to national wildlife refuges to train and mobilize refuge
volunteer Friends groups in early identification and control of invasive
- Invasive species control is one of the biggest challenges facing our
nation's wildlife refuges, affecting approximately eight million
acres of refuge lands. At Loxahatchee NWR, melaluca, Old World climbing
fern (lygodium), and Brazilian pepper consume more than 25 acres per
day, making these lands unsuitable for wildlife.
- The public can help prevent the spread of invasive species by planting
only native species in their backyards.
- October 13-19 is National Wildlife Refuge Week. The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service manages the nearly 95-million-acre
refuge system, the only system of public lands where wildlife comes
first. There are 540 national wildlife refuges across the country, with
at least one in each state.
- In March 2003, the National Wildlife Refuge System will celebrate
its 100th anniversary. The refuge system was established by President
Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 when he set aside Pelican Island, Florida
as a federal bird reserve.
- As the refuge system's 100th anniversary approaches, Secretary
of Interior Gale Norton and President Bush recognize that national wildlife
refuges are an American treasure. The President's 2003 budget
requests an increase of $56 million -- the largest budget increase ever
Pepper Fact Sheet
For more information of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National
Wildlife Refuges, go to _URL_
NOTE: You can view our releases or subscribe to receive them -- via e-mail
-- at the Service's Southeast Regional home page at _URL_.
Our national home page is at: _URL_
Atlanta, GA 30345
Phone: 404/_PHONE_ Fax: 404/_PHONE_


text:
Elephant Talk: The Surprising Science of Elephant Communication by Ann Downer is a comprehensive look at elephant social behavior, including a detailed overview of exciting recent findings about how elephants communicate. This book has been nominated for a Cybils award in the MG/YA nonfiction category.
In the first chapter Downer explores many aspects of elephant biology, laying a firm foundation for the chapters on elephant communication that follow. She discusses the three species of elephant found in the world today, the African, Asian and forest elephants, as well as their distribution.
Once the groundwork is laid, she reveals many amazing new scientific findings. Did you know that elephants regularly make sounds that humans can't hear? Did you know that elephants can "talk" to one another via their feet? How about that some "chirp" and other "shake hands"? It turns out that elephants are incredibly intelligent social creatures.
In one example not found in the book, a scientist tested elephants tendency to cooperate by creating a rigging that gives a reward of a banana snack only if two elephants work together to pull on ropes. An article in Wired Science discusses how one elephant not only learned to cooperate to get a snack, but it also learned a shortcut by standing on the rope instead of tugging it. Wow!
In the final chapter of her book, Downer examines some of the complex relationships between humans and elephants throughout the world. Although some of the facts are grim, there are reasons for hope that elephants will be able to survive to be a source of wonder for future generations.
Simply Science has another great review and several related links and activities.
This has been a good year for elephant books. We also reviewed The Elephant Scientist by Caitlin O'Connell and Donna M. Jackson, and Beco's Big Year: A Baby Elephant Turns One by Linda Stanek with related activities at Growing With Science.
Reading level: Ages 8 and up
Library Binding: 112 pages
Publisher: Twenty First Century Books (January 2011)
Stem Friday is at Booktalking. Click through for links to more excellent STEM books.
If you would like to participate in STEM Friday in the future, go to Booktalking blog for more information.


text:
Two vowels. List of 20845 words that have 2 vowels. Find 2 vowels by vowels, syllables, origin and more.
Two vowels. List of 35,013 words that have 2 vowels in a row. Add length, consonants, vowels, syllables, origin, spelling and more. View word search examples.
Nine letter words, and two vowels. List of 1132 words that are 9 letter words and 2 vowels.. Show with prefix and suffix options, only if it has a root word.
Words (found in major English dictionaries) consisting entirely of vowels include AA (a type of lava), AE, AI, AIEEE, IAO, OII, EAU, EUOUAE, OE, OO, I, O, A, IO, and UOIAUAI, the last of these being the longest vowel–only word (seven letters).
There are many cases in which two vowels regularly â€œgo walking,â€ including ai, au, ea, ee, ei, ie, oa, eo, oi, oo, ou, and ui. And the first vowel is often the one that â€œdoes the talking,â€ as represented in words like green, sea, hair, coat, clean, rain, and peach.
The word "came" has 2 vowels, but the "e" is silent, leaving one vowel sound andone syllable. The word "outside" has 4 vowels, but the "e" is silent and the "ou" is a diphthong which counts as only one sound, so this word has only two vowels sounds and therefore, two syllables.
(see addenda* for longer words with more vowels). Addenda: fairly long words with only a few vowels: two vowels, three vowels, four, five. first-class.
Words Without Vowels. 2-Letter Words (5 found). by · hm · mm · my · sh. 3-Letter Words (34 found). brr · bys · cry · cwm · dry · fly · fry · grr · gym · gyp · hmm · hyp.


text:
Could you help us to review the character of the Parish?
The historic environment makes an important contribution to the character of the Parish as a distinctive, interesting and special place. The buildings, spaces, associations and history that combine to create places mean different things to different people. Using the Character Assessment toolkit should help you to analyse the character of areas, spaces and buildings in a structured way. This should help to identify, define and understand the significance and value of different features of the environment that contribute to its character and distinctiveness.
While there is an accepted need for some change to occur within the Parish, proposals for change should be measured against their existing significance to ensure that their present values are not eroded. This should help to ensure that change enhances and sustains the value of the historic and rural environment of the Parish for ourselves and future generations. The evidence and understanding provided by the process will enable management of change in an effective and positive manner.


loader image
MVV Environment – SVB Range
Generating usable power from a renewable source is an integral part of a new and sustainable energy supply. One way to produce environmentally friendly energy is using old and waste wood as fuel to generate electricity and usable heat
At Ridham Dock, MVV commissioned a highly modern and very efficient, combined heat and power (CHP) biomass power plant. CHP means the simultaneous production of electrical energy and usable heat. The heat energy from the CHP process is typically used in district heating systems and/or as process steam for industrial purposes. CHP uses a very high degree of the energy content of the fuel. The Ridham Dock plant, MVV will use about 172,000 tonnes of waste wood per year to generate almost 188 million kilowatt-hours of electrical energy. The plant has a net electrical capacity of 23 megawatts.
Crest Pumps provided its SVB pumps made from stainless steel construction – ensuring maximum corrosion resistance and capable of processing high temperature liquids at 85% efficiency. The pumps provided to MVV are manufactured with a vortex impeller, allowing for a high concentration of solid transfer.
Find out more
Enter Details belowWe will send you over the white paper


text:
Water: Beach Grants
Appendix 4E1: Training
This appendix provides supplemental discussions, examples, and additional references that may be helpful to beach program managers. It does not create additional requirements beyond those in the main guidance document.
Training volunteers to do their jobs properly is an essential component of a successful monitoring program. Training is a dynamic process and does not simply begin and end with a kickoff classroom session. For example, follow-up training should occur to resolve specific operating problems discovered in an ongoing program. Even experienced staff benefit from occasional continuing education sessions, which help everyone stay in touch with the program and foster the ideal of team effort.
According to USEPA (1991), training should be planned from three basic perspectives:
- Training new staff
- Training experienced staff (teaching the use of new equipment or improved methods)
- Solving specific operating problems
Each of the three training perspectives should include the presentation of unique material. The training processes involved in presenting this material, however, are similar and consist of the following components:
- Creating a Job Analysis
- Planning the Training
- Presenting the Training
- Evaluating the Training
- Providing Follow-up Coaching, Motivation, and Feedback
Additional sections include:
1. Creating a Job Analysis
The job analysis phase can be the hardest but most important part of training development. The outcome of the job analysis is a list of all the tasks staff should accomplish when sampling a parameter. The tasks should be identified to ensure that procedures are performed consistently throughout the program. This list should include a list of sampling tasks, the required quality level for each task, the job elements that compose each task, and a sampling protocol (standard operating procedure) or job description handout that will be referred to and followed by staff members each time they collect water samples or perform laboratory analyses.
2. Planning the Training
Once the job analysis has been completed and the job description prepared, the actual training session should be planned. Training might take place in a group setting or individually. Group training saves money and time, especially when many staff are trained simultaneously. For extensive water sampling efforts throughout a county, however, this approach has drawbacks. Each beach has unique characteristics, and certain circumstances or problems can be addressed only on an individual basis. In practice, it is often best to structure the training program so that there are group sessions as well as individual follow-up sessions.
The training should stress the importance of samples being representative of the waterbody from which they are taken, including the theory behind indicator organisms and quality samples, QA/QC activities and following the protocols specified in SOPs and the monitoring program plan. Ensuring that staff understand how to carry out the protocols to meet those requirements is the primary concern. Training to collect water samples, for example, should also include how to plan sampling activities, how to make field notes describing the sampling site and station, and how to perform on-site inspections. The safety aspects of field sampling and laboratory analysis are an important component as well.
3. Presenting the Training
A well-organized, well-paced training session is essential to facilitate understanding and motivate staff. The lesson planning phase provides the trainer with the basic agenda for the session. The trainer, however, is responsible for adapting the lesson to the expectations, knowledge, and experience of the audience. The person presenting the training should know the material and should be organized. Lectures, activities, and discussions should be planned and kept to a timetable. Similarly, demonstration materials, audiovisual equipment, and handouts should be accessible and easily incorporated into the presentation. The trainer should be able to anticipate and respond to problems and questions that might occur during an actual training session. A relaxed presentation that fulfills the education objectives is the basic goal. Although trainers will bring their own styles to the training session, they should incorporate basic public speaking techniques, such as establishing rapport with the audience, enunciating clearly and distinctly, using effective body language and eye contact, and encouraging questions and comments.
Whether in the classroom or in the field, staff should be allowed to demonstrate what they have learned. The trainer should observe closely and offer immediate feedback in the form of positive reinforcement or corrective assistance. This portion of the session is usually when the real learning takes place. During the review portion of the training session, the trainer should summarize what was learned and the staff have an opportunity to ask questions. The session should close with the reassurance that staff will continue to receive training throughout their tenure with the monitoring program.
4. Evaluating the Training
Training evaluation should encompass the entire training process. It includes the trainee's perspective, as well as that of the training program designer and trainer, on how effective the session has been. To gain immediate feedback about training, staff should fill out evaluation forms at the end of the session. Volunteer Beach Monitoring Programs Across the Nation.
Alabama Coastal Foundation volunteers data are used for trend research by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and Mobile Bay National Estuary Program.
Alabama Water Watch is a statewide citizen volunteer water quality monitoring program. More than 50 active groups monitor about 250 sites on 100 waterbodies in 20 to 30 counties in Alabama and Georgia. Six chemical parameters are measured, and several groups are beginning to test for pathogen indicators. The program is coordinated from Auburn University, where the central database is maintained.
The Surfrider Foundation is an environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the world's waves and beaches through conservation, research, education, and local activism. The Blue Water Task Force, particularly chapters from Southern California coastal counties, analyzes water samples collected at beaches for bacteria and posts results on the Internet.
The Citizen Stewards Program trains volunteers to assist the Casco Bay Keeper in monitoring the water quality of Casco Bay, Maine. Volunteers gather data at more than 100 selected sites along the 500-mile shoreline, collecting surface water and performing tests monthly from April through October. The data are entered into a comprehensive computer database for management and interpretation. Water column profile data are also collected from the BayKeeper's boat at offshore sites, and water is sampled at closed clam flats to test for bacteria.
The Environmental Quality Laboratory at Coastal Carolina University monitors water and sediment quality in the Waccamaw River and 45 sites from the North Carolina state line to Bucksports, South Carolina, using EPA-approved methods. Monthly physical, chemical, and biological analyses are performed, and occasional measurements of nutrients and heavy metals are taken. Results are interpreted using in situ instantaneous U.S. Geological Survey data on water stage and flow. The sampling plan is designed to identify nonpoint pollution sources. Results are shared with South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The Salt Pond Watchers currently monitor fecal coliform bacteria levels in approximately 30 stations in seven coastal salt ponds on Rhode Island's Atlantic coast. Data are provided to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and local communities to help determine areas unsuitable for fishing and swimming.
In Maine the Clean Water/Partners in Monitoring program provides coordination, information, support, and technical assistance to groups of volunteers and students who want to monitor their local waters. Active programs include water quality, phytoplankton, and marine intertidal diversity monitoring. Training is also provided to certify volunteers to monitor water quality in shellfish-growing areas.
In Hawaii the Hanalei Heritage River Program uses volunteers from the community help take a "snapshot" of the Hanalei's waters by simultaneous sampling all along the bay, up the river, and in its tributaries. This sampling has identified "hotspots" where bacteria counts far exceed standards. The volunteer program provides these data to the Department of Health, which then conducts its own bacterial sampling. If possible, it is often effective if a 'hands-on' session can be included where trainees can observe staff in action as they collect or process samples. If there are problems or if techniques are not performed according to the desired protocol, trainers might need to apply new methods in subsequent training sessions.
5. Providing Follow-up Coaching, Motivation, and Feedback
As stated previously, training should be conducted throughout the life of the monitoring program. Follow-up coaching is an integral part of the training process. Coaching usually occurs on a one-on-one basis to maintain communication between team members, resolve problems, instill motivation, and implement new or improved techniques. The key to follow-up coaching is personal contact to increase staff satisfaction. That personal contact should be maintained throughout the life of the program.
6. Volunteer Monitoring Programs
EPA acknowledges that citizen volunteers often can be used to perform some beach monitoring program functions. Using volunteers to collect water samples and transport them to a laboratory for analysis is one way to save on program monitoring costs and, at the same time, establish a partnership with local citizens. Some citizen monitoring programs also perform water quality analyses, and a few determine bacterial indicator levels. Program planning officials, however, need to be aware that establishing a volunteer monitoring program requires a commitment of time and resources to ensure that volunteers are properly trained and managed and that data quality objectives are met. Officials should not view citizen volunteers as unpaid adjunct staff. Typically, their motivation to participate in a monitoring program is not based on a desire to help reduce agency costs; rather, they donate their time and energy to serve as guardians and stewards of their local waters. This recognition should be considered in every aspect of the volunteer monitoring program development process.
The EPA document Volunteer Water Monitoring: A Guide for State Managers (USEPA, 1990) lists seven "basic ingredients" for developing a successful volunteer program:
- Develop and articulate a clear purpose for the use of the data.
- Produce "data of known quality" that meet the stated data quality objectives.
- Be aware that volunteer monitoring is cost-effective, but not free.
- Thoroughly train and retrain volunteers.
- Give


text:
May 5, 2000 GC-019
United Methodists repent for racism
CLEVELAND (UMNS) -- In a May 4 service that included the symbolic wearing of sackcloth and ashes, United Methodists confessed to the sin of racism within the denomination.
The act of repentance, together with a call for reconciliation, is an attempt to recapture the spirit of Methodism lost when some African Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries felt compelled to leave the churchs predecessor bodies and form their own congregations.
Representatives of the three historically black Methodist denominations were present when a silver triangular plumb-line, as symbolized in the Book of Amos, was lowered before General Conference delegates and other participants as a constant reminder that we must pass Gods test for righteousness.
Bishop William Boyd Grove compared the lingering racism to a malignancy in the bone marrow of the church and called for an official apology.
Its high time to say were sorry, and only the General Conference can do it, he said. Only the General Conference speaks for the church.
In words and dramatic imagery, the Rev. Anthony Alexander, a Central Pennsylvania delegate, and the Rev. William B. McClain, a professor at Wesley Theological Seminary, told the stories of the discriminatory acts that led to the formation of the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion and Christian Methodist Episcopal churches.
But racism remained for African Americans who stayed. When the Methodist Episcopal Church North, Methodist Episcopal Church South and Methodist Protestant Church united in 1939, a separate jurisdiction the Central Jurisdiction was created for black members. Retired Bishop James S. Thomas, who remembered the sorrow of that period, noted that God has now given the church the opportunity to climb a higher mountain than weve ever climbed before.
To drive home a point about racism today, Bishop Woodie White performed a miracle and pronounced that all white people in the audience had become persons of color. He predicted that some of them might lose pastoral appointments or church leadership positions as a result of the change in their skin tone.
Responding to the call for confession, participants received a strip of sackcloth to pin onto their clothes and a rubbing of ashes on the wrist as signs of penance.
Bishop McKinley Young of the African Methodist Episcopal Church responded that he couldnt speak for his grandparents but added, I wish they could hear your confession tonight. I believe that there is a balcony in heaven, and that there are clouds of witnesses who bend their ears to hear.
Bishop Clarence Carr, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, said he hoped United Methodists would move from the symbolism of the service to substance. Redemption demands restitution and reparation, he noted, and a new sense of freedom both for the victim and the victimizer.
It is my hope that we will be deeply committed to making this symbolic act a reality, added Bishop Nathaniel Lindsey, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.
The service was sponsored jointly by the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns and the denominations Council of Bishops. A study guide also has been developed to explore the historical roots of racism in the division of the church and to prepare United Methodists for acts of repentance.
# # #


text:
Hawai'i P-20 Partnerships for Education
Hawaiʻi P-20 is a statewide partnership led by the Executive Office on Early Learning, the Hawai'i State Department of Education and the University of Hawai'i System works to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through postsecondary education and training with data-informed decision making, advocacy, policy coordination and shared action. Our work is focused on high expectations and equitable access, so all students can thrive in school, career and life.
- Increase 3rd Grade English Language Arts and Math Proficiency
- Increase Number of 9th Grade Students on Track to Graduate
- Increase High School Graduates Enrolling Directly into Postsecondary
- Align, Integrate and Sustain College and Career Pathways for All Students
Who We Are
Hawaiʻi P-20 Leadership & Partners
Hawaiʻi P-20 Council Members
Hawai'i P-20 convenes a Hawai'i Hawai'i P-20 Advisory Council which is a group of leaders from education, business, labor, government and community who share a common vision and mission of improving educational outcomes for the state. Through the unique knowledge and perspective of its members, the council provides support, information and guidance to the Hawai'i P-20 leadership and staff, and advocates for statewide educational planning and policy.
Hawaiʻi P-20 is thankful to our many supporters who help us advance our work in strengthening the educational pipeline.


program evaluation
Technical papers detailing the results of analysis: the first-year cohort analysis and the-second year cohort analysis. Texas House Bill 5 introduced requirements that school districts partner with institutions of higher education to provide college preparatory courses in mathematics and English for high school seniors who are not yet college ready. As districts and college partners begin to respond to these provisions, there is a need for empirical research on the effects of different approaches to implementing the college preparatory courses.


text: Climate change and socioeconomic factors have increased the complexity of urban water supply systems. Thus, fresh water sources are being gradually diversified to improve the reliability and resilience of the systems. However, as the number of source blending options grows, optimization tools are needed to design drinking water supply systems that comply with indicators of cost, resilience, and water quality. This paper proposes a pioneering methodological approach, based on an ant-colony-optimization (ACO) algorithm, to optimize the blending of drinking water from different sources to minimize operational costs of a given system originating from a number of impaired water sources while complying with water quality standards. To evidence the potential of the ACO algorithm to solve such a system, a virtual case study was designed that considers eight fresh water sources, including seawater desalination and potable reuse. Seven scenarios were developed with different weightings to service outage, water conveyance and treatment costs while complying with water quality goals in regard to total organic carbon, nitrates, and total dissolved solids. It was shown that the cost per volumetric unit of water can vary considerably depending on the weightings of the three cost items. This paper provides a rigorous scientific approach to propose a methodology supporting the decision-making process of selecting a mixture of different sources to achieve the overall lowest system cost. Hence, this work contributes to improving the resilience and sustainability of urban water supplies.


text:
Count Me In! Campaign
The Spring 2020 Count Me In! Challenge
As part of ECC's Count Me In! Campaign, faculty are challenged to tie one of their lessons during the Spring 2020 semester to the 2020 Census. Faculty are encouraged to find a way to tie the skills/content/knowledge of one of their lessons to some facet or element of the United States Census and to mention the Count Me In! Campaign to their students.
This does not mean that you have to be an expert on the census or American governmental policies. Possible entry points are topics like surveys, government funding, the connection between local communities and federal government, what defines a region, misinformation, civic duties, and more. Be as creative as you like in trying to somehow connect one class to data, discussion, questions, practices, or something tied to the census.
Then, post your name, the date of your post, and a short (2-3 sentence) summary of the lesson on the Googledoc below. Feel free to take inspiration from others as you work, and ask your colleagues or Tyler Roeger, Director of CETL, _EMAIL_ for ideas.


text:
The ability of an aquatic organism to tolerate wide salinity variations without compromising life processes is termed euryhalinity. This capability requires physiological, biochemical and ecological adaptations. Strategies permitting euryhaline decapods to inhabit aquatic environments with variable salinities have been studied almost exclusively in adults. Although also larval stages have recently received an increasing attention, the salinity tolerance of embryonic stages has remained little known (1). Embryos, larvae and adults of the shrimp Palaemonetes argentinus tolerate a wide range of salinities (1-~25), but osmoregulatory capacities have been demonstrated only in post-embryonic developmental stages (2; 3). As in most other crustaceans, little has been known about osmoregulation during the embryonic phase.
Helmholtz Research Programs > MARCOPOLI (2004-2008) > CO2-Coastal diversity - key species and food webs


Less Bills for Pills
March 2, 2012
Written By
Written By:
Do you pay outrageous amounts of money for your medications? The FDA just issued guidelines that will allow drug companies to make duplicates of certain medications called biotech drugs. The result of this will be increased market competition and decreased cost for medications. Biotech drugs are expensive, injectable medications. Prior to the recently developed FDA guidelines, biotech companies claimed that their drugs could not be duplicated due to their high-tech nature. Since they are made from living cells, it would be impossible to create an effective duplicate, they argued. However, under Obama's administration, the FDA was required to develop a system for approving the efficacy of "biosimilar" drugs. The guidelines allow biotech industries to have new biotech drugs on the market for only 12 years without any market competition. Then, after 12 years other companies can produce a similar product. However, the biosimilar drugs must pass certain requirements. The most important qualification is that rival medications will need to be proven through testing to function the same way as the original medication.
It is estimated that with competition for medications on the market, the US government will save $25 billion dollars in health care costs over the course of the next 10 years. Roche's Avastin is one specific example of a biotech drug that could be potentially duplicated. It currently costs over $100,000 dollars for a year's supply of this cancer drug. It is unknown exactly how much a biosimilar counterpart drug would cost, but competition in the market would certainly facilitate decreased cost. In Europe, where biosimilar drugs have been allowed for several years, they are usually 20-30% cheaper than the original medication. This increase in market competition is a positive development for the US populace because it will keep our medications reasonably priced.
Bookmark and Share
Add comment
Recent Posts
Walk Your Way Right Into A Healthier Life!
Do You Have High Blood Pressure?


text:
Beavers Dam Good for Songbirds
October 15, 2008
The songbird has a friend in the beaver. According to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the busy beaver's signature dams provide critical habitat for a variety of migratory songbirds, particularly in the semi-arid interior of the West.
Researchers found that through dam building, beavers create ponds and stimulate growth of diverse streamside vegetation. The study found that the more dams beavers build, the more abundant and diverse local songbirds become. The study appears in the October 2008 issue of the journal Western North American Naturalist.
Beaver populations once numbered in the millions in the American West but dramatically collapsed in the 1800s due to the fur trade. Today, beavers are often considered pests when they take down trees and flood property. Their influence is still missing on most watersheds in the West, yet this study and others suggest that beavers are very important to wildlife and to reviving the natural function of streams.
"Beavers are an essential ecosystem engineer," said Steve Zack, the study's co-author and a WCS conservation scientist. "[They] help repair degraded stream habitats and their dams and associated ponds recharge local water tables and create wetlands."
Zack added that because climate change is likely to cause increasing droughts in the West, beavers may become especially helpful in allowing watersheds to act more like sponges.
The researchers conducted their study in Wyoming, where beaver reintroductions have occurred on both private and public lands with owner consent and interest. The study was part of a larger effort by WCS to identify how to restore wildlife to streamside habitats in the western U.S.
In 2007, WCS made history with other beaver news when an active beaver lodge was discovered in the Bronx River on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo—the first one spotted in New York City in at least two centuries.


<< back
BIO-499 Senior Comprehensive Examination0 credits
A written comprehensive examination designed to measure the full range of students' understanding of biology. To pass BIO-499, a student must pass the written exam according to the criteria set by the biology department. Students failing to score a passing grade must pass an Oral Comprehensive exam given by the biology faculty in the following Winter or Spring term.


University of Cambridge > Talks.cam > DAMTP Astro Mondays > Internally-driven inertial waves in geodynamo simulations
Internally-driven inertial waves in geodynamo simulations
If you have a question about this talk, please contact Robert Teed.
Inertial waves are oscillations in a rotating fluid, such as the Earth's outer core, which result from the restoring action of the Coriolis force and conservation of angular momentum. Particularly important are the low-frequency inertial waves that are known to create Taylor columns above a moving body in a rotating tank. They also create columnar flow structures above/below a localized layer of buoyancy.
We report, for the first time, internally-driven inertial waves triggered by buoyant anomalies near the equator in a strongly-forced geodynamo simulation at Ra/Ra_c=42 and E=3×10^{-5}. Using the vertical acceleration as a diagnostic for wave-fronts, we find that a horizontal movement of buoyant anomalies near the equator is well-correlated with a corresponding movement far from the equator. Moreover, we find that the slopes observed in the time-series of vertical acceleration match closely with those expected from the group speed of low-frequency inertial waves. The azimuthally-averaged spectrum of vertical acceleration lies in the inertial wave frequency range. Our results suggest that the columnar flow in the rotation-dominated core, an important ingredient for the maintenance of a dipolar magnetic field, is maintained on a fast-time scale by internally-driven inertial waves, and not by boundary-driven Busse rolls as previously thought. The dynamical role of inertial waves, particularly with regards to their helicity segregation characteristic, is under investigation.
This talk is part of the DAMTP Astro Mondays series.
Tell a friend about this talk:
This talk is included in these lists:
Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.


text:
|European Robin in Toulouse, France.|
7-10, see text.
Summer Resident Winter
The European Robin (Erithacus rubecula), most commonly known in Anglophone Europe simply as the Robin, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now considered to be a chat. Around 12.5–14.0 cm (5.0–5.5 in) in length, the male and female are similar in colouration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upperparts and a whitish belly. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.
The term Robin is also applied to some birds in other families with red or orange breasts. These include the American Robin (Turdus migratorius), which is a thrush, and the Australian red robins of the genus Petroica, members of a family whose relationships are unclear.
Taxonomy and systematics
The European Robin was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae, under the name of Motacilla rubecula. Its specific epithet rubecula is a diminutive derived from the Latin ruber'red'. The genus Erithacus was created by French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1800, giving the bird its current binomial name of E. rubecula.
The distinctive orange breast of both sexes contributed to the European Robin's original name of redbreast (orange as the name of a colour was unknown in English until the sixteenth century, by which time the fruit of that name had been introduced). In the fifteenth century, when it became popular to give human names to familiar species, the bird came to be known as Robin redbreast, which was eventually shortened to Robin. Other older English names for the bird include Ruddock and Robinet. In American literature of the late 19th century, this robin was frequently called the English Robin. The Frisian robyntsje or robynderke is similar to the English name, while Dutch Roodborstje and French Rouge-gorge both refer to the distinctively coloured front.
The Robin belongs to a group of mainly insectivorous birds that have been variously assigned to the thrushes or "flycatchers", depending on how these groups were perceived taxonomically. Eventually, the flycatcher-thrush assemblage was re-analysed and the genus Erithacus assigned to a group of thrush-like true flycatchers, the tribe Saxicolini, that also includes the Common Nightingale and the Old World chats.
Two Eastern Palearctic species are usually placed in the genus Erithacus, the Japanese Robin (E. akahige) and the Ryūkyū Robin (E. komadori), the latter being a restricted-range island species. Biogeography and mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data indicate that these might better be classified with some Far Eastern "nightingales", leaving only the European species in Erithacus.
In its large continental Eurasian range, Robins vary somewhat, but do not form discrete populations that might be considered subspecies. Thus, Robin subspecies are mainly distinguished by forming resident populations on islands and in mountainous areas. The Robin found in the British Isles and most of western Europe, Erithacus rubecula melophilus, also occurs as a vagrant in adjacent regions. E. r. witherbyi from Northwestern Africa, Corsica, and Sardinia closely resembles melophilus but for a shorter wing length. The northeasternmost birds, large and fairly washed-out in colour are E. r. tataricus. In the southeast of its range, E. r. valens of the Crimean Peninsula, E. r. caucasicus of the Caucasus and N Transcaucasia, and E. r. hyrcanus southeastwards into Iran are generally accepted as significantly distinct.
On Madeira and the Azores, the local population has been described as E. r. microrhynchos, and although not distinct in morphology, its isolation seems to suggests the subspecies is valid (but see below).
Canary Islands robin
The most distinct birds are those of Gran Canaria (E. r. marionae) and Tenerife (E. r. superbus), which may be considered two distinct species or at least two different subspecies. It is readily distinguished by a white eye-ring, an intensely coloured breast, and a grey line that separates the orange-red from the brown colouration. Its belly is entirely white.
While cytochrome b sequence data and vocalisations indicate that the Gran Canaria/Tenerife Robins are indeed very distinct and probably derived from colonisation by mainland birds some 2 million years ago. In addition, Gran Canaria and Tenerife birds are well distinct genetically between each other.
Christian Dietzen, Hans-Hinrich Witt and Michael Wink published in 2003 in Avian Science a study called "The phylogeographic differentiation of the European robin Erithacus rubecula on the Canary Islands revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequence data and morphometrics: evidence for a new robin taxon on Gran Canaria?". In it they concluded that Gran Canaria's Robin diverged genetically from their European relatives as far back as 2.3 million years, while the Tenerife ones took half a million years to make this leap, 1.8 million years ago. The reason would be a different colonization of the Canaries by this bird, which arrived to the oldest island first (Gran Canaria) and subsequently passed to the neighboring island (Tenerife).
A thorough comparison between marionae and superbus is pending to confirm that the first one is effectively a different subspecies. Initial results suggest that birds from Gran Canaria have wings about 10% shorter than those on Tenerife.
The west Canary Islands populations are younger (Middle Pleistocene) and only beginning to diverge genetically. Robins from the western Canary Islands: El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera (E. (r.) microrhynchus) are similar to the European (Erithacus rubecula).
Finally, the Robins which can be found in Fuerteventura are the European ones, which is not surprising as the species does not breed either in this island or in the nearby Lanzarote, they are wintering exemplaries or just passing through during their long migrations between Africa and Europe.
Other robins
The larger American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is named for its similarity to the European Robin, but the two birds are not closely related. The similarity lies largely in the orange chest patch in both species. This American species was incorrectly shown "feathering its nest" in London in the film Mary Poppins, but it only occurs in the UK as a very rare vagrant. Some South and Middle American Turdus thrushes are also named as robins such as the Rufous-collared Robin. The Australian "robin redbreast", more correctly the Scarlet Robin (Petroica multicolor), is more closely related to the crows and jays than it is to the European Robin. It belongs to the family Petroicidae, commonly called "Australasian robins". The Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) is sometimes named "Pekin Robin" by aviculturalists. Yet another group of Old World Flycatchers, this time from Africa and Asia is the genus Copsychus; its members are known as Magpie-robins, one of which, the Oriental Magpie Robin (C. saularis), is the national bird of Bangladesh.
The adult European Robin is 12.5–14.0 cm (5.0–5.5 in) long and weighs 16–22 g (9/16–13/16 oz), with a wingspan of 20–22 cm (8–9 in). The male and female bear similar plumage; an orange breast and face (more strongly coloured in the otherwise similar British subspecies E. r. mesophilus), lined by a bluish grey on the sides of the neck and chest. The upperparts are brownish, or olive-tinged in British birds, and the belly whitish, while the legs and feet are brown. The bill and eyes are black. Juveniles are a spotted brown and white in colouration, with patches of orange gradually appearing.
Distribution and habitat
The Robin occurs in Eurasia east to Western Siberia, south to Algeria and on the Atlantic islands as far west as the Azores and Madeira. It is not found in Iceland. In the south east, it reaches the Caucasus range. British Robins are largely resident but a small minority, usually female, migrate to southern Europe during winter, a few as far as Spain. Scandinavian and Russian Robins migrate to Britain and western Europe to escape the harsher winters. These migrants can be recognised by the greyer tone of the upper parts of their bodies and duller orange breast. The European Robin prefers spruce woods in northern Europe, contrasting with its preference for parks and gardens in the British Isles.
Attempts to introduce the European Robin into Australia and New Zealand in the latter part of the 19th century were unsuccessful. Birds were released around Melbourne, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin by various local Acclimatisation


text:
On May 13, 2012, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives will present the Second ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism, in the amount of $100,000, to Fredy Peccerelli, Executive Director of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation, and Kate Doyle, Senior Analyst of U.S. policy in Latin America at the National Security Archive. The award ceremony will take place at the Museum of the City of New York.
"Both Doyle and Peccerelli are indefatigable defenders of human rights who have played a seminal role in the fight against impunity in Latin America," said Sebastiaan Faber, Chair of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA).
A determined and creative researcher-activist, Doyle has spent twenty years working tirelessly with Latin American human rights organizations and truth commissions – in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Peruto obtain the declassification of U.S. government archives in support of their investigations.
Peccerelli is an innovative forensic anthropologist whose work has been instrumental to the first-ever conviction of Guatemalan military forces for crimes against humanity. As founding director of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG), Peccerelli leads a team that, over the past fifteen years, has exhumed hundreds of mass graves filled with victims of Guatemala's civil war.
The ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism, one of the largest human rights awards in the world, is granted annually by ALBA and the Puffin Foundation.
"The award is designed," said Puffin Foundation President Perry Rosenstein, "to give public recognition, support, and encouragement to individuals or groups whose work has an exceptionally positive impact on the advancement and/or defense of human rights. It is intended to help educate students and the general public about the importance of defending human rights against arbitrary powers that violate democratic principles."
The ALBA/Puffin Award is part of a program connecting the inspiring legacy of the International Brigades – the 40,000 volunteers who helped fight fascism during the Spanish Civil War – to international activist causes of today. Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón received the first ALBA/Puffin Award in May 2011.
Filed under: Advocacy Tagged: | Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, ALBA, ALBA/Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism, Committee for Human Rights, Fredy Peccerelli, Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation, Puffin Foundation


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I'm studying Weil pairing and its applications in cryptography. I already know that it can be defined like this:
$$w(P, Q) = (-1)^n\frac{f_P(Q)}{f_Q(P)}\frac{f_Q}{f_P}(\mathcal{O})$$
$\textrm{div}(f_P) = n(P) - n(\mathcal{O})$ and $\textrm{div}(f_Q) = n(Q) - n(\mathcal{O})$.
This is not suitable for computation, so we shift the numerator by $R$ and the denominator by $S$ and we obtain:
$$w(P, Q) = (-1)^n\frac{g_P(Q+S)}{g_Q(P+R)}\frac{g_Q(R)}{g_P(S)}$$
$\textrm{div}(g_P) = n(P+R) - n(\mathcal{R})$ and $\textrm{div}(g_Q) = n(Q+S) - n(\mathcal{S})$.
Enter Miller's algorithm. In order to calculate $g_P(A)$ we define $h_k$ for $k = 0,\ldots,n$ as:
$$\textrm{div}(h_k) = k(P+R) - k(R) - (kP) + \mathcal{O}$$
Now, $h_n = g_P$ and we can calculate $h_{k+l}(A)$ from $h_k(A)$ and $h_l(A)$. So we construct a "double-and-add" algorithm similar to fast exponentiation.
Although $g_P(A)$ is never zero or infinity (for $A = Q+S$ or $A = S$), it can happen that during the execution of "double-and-add" algorithm we can encounter some $h_k(A)$ equal to zero or infinity. The solution is to randomly select new $Q$ and $S$ and start over.
How do I prove that there exist such $Q$ and $S$ that I will be able to calculate the Weil pairing of $P$ and $Q$?
If possible, I'd like to see some simple argument that does not refer to algebraic geometry, as I don't know anything about it - I come from cryptography.
share|improve this question
I fear that any legitimate proof that the algorithm succeeds after relatively few re-starts, or even that there exists a choice that would succeed, will require a little serious consideration of how elliptic curves work. Not "algebraic geometry", really. Ed Silverman has several books about elliptic curves addressing a range of audiences, starting with one with minimal prerequisites. – paul garrett Jun 27 '11 at 18:30
Argh. Of course it's Joe Silverman. I'm an idiot. – paul garrett Jun 27 '11 at 19:31
I think I recall that the additive group is the direct product of two cyclic groups or something similar. So you choose points in the "other half" (for the algorithm probabilistically they have high enough order, for the proof one exists with high enough order) so that no collisions/interactions happen. – Aeryk Jun 27 '11 at 19:40
2 Answers 2
I had thought that if suitably formulated, Miller's algorithm works without having to go back and recompute if some intermediate point turns out to be the point at infinity. Miller's algorithm is described in many books, but I'll point for example to the 2nd edition of my Arithmetic of Elliptic Curves (Springer GTM 106, 2009). The algorithm is described in Figure 11.6 on page 394, where note that the formula for $h_{P,Q}$ on that page depends on whether the relevant slope is finite or infinite. I'm not really an algorithms person, so there are likely to be ways to make the computation more efficient than what I described. And as a final note, there's an alternative way to compute the Weil and Tate pairings using elliptic divisibility sequences (nets) due to Kate Stange, The Tate pairing via elliptic nets, Pairing-Based Cryptography -- PAIRING 2007, Springer LNCS 4575 (2007), 329-348 [_URL_
_USER_ Garrett: Who is "Ed" Silverman?
share|improve this answer
_USER_... Argh... Sorry! In fact, there really was Ed Silverman, a professor at Purdue. – paul garrett Jun 27 '11 at 19:29
(Actually, Ed Silverman was a math prof at Purdue some decades ago, is how the name got into my head... But, still, sorry!) – paul garrett Jun 27 '11 at 19:32
Thank's, I'll definitely look into that. Meanwhile, I think I found a simple argument, see my answer below. – Jasiu Jun 27 '11 at 20:20
_USER_: Not a problem, I figured it was a slip of the keyboard. So Edward Silverman (Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley 1948) had two PhD students at Purdue in the 1970s. (The math genealogy project is such fun!) – Joe Silverman Jun 27 '11 at 21:04
In order to calculate $h_{k+l}(A)$ from $h_k(A)$ and $h_l(B)$ you have to evaluate lines $l_1$ and $l_2$ at point $A$, where $l_1$ passes through $kP$ and $lP$ and $l_2$ is a vertical line through $(k+l)P$. The "double-and-add" algorithm takes $log_2(n)$ steps to compute $h_n(A)$, so only $O(log_2(n))$ points of form $mP$ are involved when determining lines $l_1$ and $l_2$ at various steps of the algorithm. There are certainly more points on an elliptic curve than that.
share|improve this answer
Your Answer


Mail Accounts
How do I create an email account?
An account is needed for email, chat, VPN and the help desk.
In order to create an account you will need an invite:
 1. Obtain an Invite Code from a friend who trusts you. Invites Codes can be created by logging into
 2. Use the Invite Code by visiting to create your account.
Some remarks:
 - You only need one Invite.
 - Newly created accounts are not able to create Invite Codes.
 - Due to the numerous requests by spammers and scammers to get Riseup accounts, we are forced to use Invite Codes for all new accounts. We know that this sucks. Because we do not require a phone number or billing information, we need some alternate way to prevent abuse.
 - Invite codes are connected to the person who invited you, for a period of time. The person who invited you is responsible for inviting you.
How do I change my username?
 1. Login to
 2. Click My Settings
 3. Change your username
 4. Click Save
There are some important things to consider before you change your username:
 - Your roundcube and squirrelmail addressbooks will be lost. If you want to keep your addressbooks for these web based email interfaces, then you must do this:
 1. export the addressebook to a file from within roundcube or squirrelmail.
 2. change your username
 3. import the file of addresses back into roundcube or squirrelmail.
 - After you have changed your username, you should probably add the old username as an alias for your account. This way, you won't miss any email. If you are changing your username to avoid spam, however, then skip this step.
 - Once your username is changed, use that new username to login at
How can I delete my account?
Simply follow these steps:
 1. Login to
 2. Click on the Close my email account link.
How do I change or delete my alternate email address?
We would prefer not to store an alternate email address for you. However, the alternate email is currently the only way to reset a forgotten password.
To change this:
 1. Login to
 2. Click My Settings
 3. You can remove or change what is in the 'Alternate Email' field


text:
Motorways see many tens of thousands of vehicle movements every day; congestion is almost inevitable. It leads to significant delays, disruption and driver frustration, and can even reduce productivity in a given area.
Motorway Incident Detection and Automated Signalling (MIDAS) systems keep highways managers aware of traffic flow with constant monitoring across these vital routes. MIDAS spots early warning signs of traffic build-up and intervenes early to reduce the risk of serious congestion.
Journey predictability is vital to the British economy, any action highways managers can take to improve flow provides both direct and indirect return on investment.
Since so much of our daily commercial traffic relies on the country's major highways, highways managers do everything they can to keep the network running smoothly. Every hour of delay on the motorway network reduces productivity and costs a significant amount of money to individuals, businesses and the economy of the area.
Our wireless detection solution is a durable and reliable way to detect vehicles in the carriageway. The detector delivers real-time traffic flow intelligence to the MIDAS system, resolving issues automatically. The result: reduced congestion and better predictability for the UK's commercial road users.
Safety is the primary concern on the UK's motorway network. Vehicles travel at high speeds and it only takes a single vehicle to behave erratically or lose control to bring part of that network to a halt. Empowering highways managers with prior intelligence, when traffic starts to build up or behave abnormally, kickstarts preventative action before a major or minor incident occurs.
Our wireless detection solution feeds traffic flow data directly into existing MIDAS control systems, so you can analyse continuously and monitor when the "normal" flow of traffic changes. When abnormal behaviour is detected, highways managers can deploy traffic officers or use local cameras to determine the cause and assess what further action is needed to ensure road users' safety. By acting on this intelligence promptly, you can smooth the flow of traffic in the area, offer alternative routes or change phasing patterns as traffic is injected into the network.
Jump to a specific application


text:
Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
Print version ISSN _PHONE_
HO, Gloria Y. F. et al. Cancer disparities between mainland and island Puerto Ricans. Rev Panam Salud Publica [online]. 2009, vol.25, n.5, pp. 394-400. ISSN _PHONE_. _URL_
OBJECTIVES: Examination of cancer rates in a single Hispanic subgroup-Puerto Ricans-and comparison of incidence rates among mainland Puerto Ricans living in the United States, island Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico, and U.S. non-Hispanic whites to reveal ethnic-specific cancer patterns and disparities in Puerto Ricans. METHODS: Incidence data were obtained from the cancer registries of Puerto Rico and three U.S. northeastern states (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut) with a high density of mainland Puerto Ricans. Age-adjusted rates were compared by standardized rate ratios (SRRs). RESULTS: Total cancer incidence was the lowest in island Puerto Ricans, intermediate for mainland Puerto Ricans, and highest in U.S. non-Hispanic whites. Compared to mainland Puerto Ricans, islanders had significantly lower rates (p < 0.05) for major cancers-lung (SRRs = 0.36 in males and 0.29 in females), prostate (SRR = 0.71), female breast (SRR = 0.73), and colon-rectum (SRRs = 0.74 in males and 0.65 in females)-as well as several less common cancers (urinary bladder; non-Hodgkin lymphoma; liver; kidney and renal pelvis; pancreas; thyroid; leukemia; and skin melanoma). Overall cancer rates in mainland Puerto Ricans were modestly lower than those in U.S. non-Hispanic whites, but mainland Puerto Ricans had the highest rates for stomach, liver, and cervical cancers among the three populations. CONCLUSION: Despite socioeconomic disadvantages, island Puerto Ricans have relatively low cancer incidence. Identifying contributing factors would be informative for cancer research, and understanding the reasons for increased cancer risk in their mainland counterparts would facilitate the development of ethnic-specific intervention programs.
Keywords : Hispanic Americans; neoplasms; incidence; Puerto Rico; United States.


text:
In most of the projects the XBee modules appear as interfaces, serving only for the wireless connection, but the they can do much more, they have seven analog input channels, nine digital I/O channels and two PWM outputs, it is almost like a micro controller the difference is that you can't actually load your own control firmware, this needs to run on the PC, but this can be taken as a feature used in your advance since you can make complicated applications in any language and communicate over the serial port. The USB to serial converter should be a problem because the operating system will use it as a virtual serial port, no USB programming required.
With this advanced inputs and outputs you could make complicated robotics applications, smart sensors, and even closed loop systems, not being limited by the code size and speed only your imagination is the limit.
These features of the XBee are available only with the latest firmware version 10A1, if your module is older than you need to update the firmware.
Standalone XBee: [Link]
This is a popular and simple breakout board for XBee, optimized for breadboard mounting and gateway applications, in other ways when you use it only as an interface. It can be directly connected to the FTDI cable or to a de-chipped Arduino board, the breakout board has all the components needed to interface with 5V boards, don't forget that the XBee needs 3,3V.
There is also a detailed tutorial how to install and use the usb to serial converter and how to configure and test the XBee module, where you can set the XBee parameters which are also explained in details.
Great guide, you can't go wrong using it.
XBee breakout board: [Link]
More and more applications are emerging with the XBee module, and the Arduino developers are the most dynamic users, but most of the projects take some basic things as granted, like connecting the two boards. Since the XBee needs 3,3V and all the inputs must be limited to 3,3V otherwise you can damage the XBee module and the outputs will deliver no more then 3,3V which can lead to communication problems. The project presented here solve this problem and gives you two solutions one with voltage level translators and one with a simple resistive divider.
Beside the schematics you will find a step by step tutorial how to make the connections and the configurations, and ideas for future improvements, like using a switching regulator or a rechargeable Li-ION cell.
Before you make any XBee project, my advise is to read trough this interfacing tutorial.
XBee with Arduino: [Link]
The XBee devices are based on the ZigBee protocol, which was developed for short range wireless communication, especially for home automation systems, this project is a perfect example for its designed purpose. The device is a smart socket, which measures the momentary power consumption and sends it to a host or server, which logs the data for further use. Although the measuring device used is bought as is, and doesn't has any switching element so you can't switch off the load remotely.
The real potential of XBee isn't even scratched with this project, so feel free to improve the original idea, the smart outlet is a great idea, but beside the monitoring some control functions should be added.
With the analog inputs and digital outputs including two PWM channels of the XBee it would be easy to build more advanced loggers or home automation systems without micro controller, the software runs on the PC and the XBee acts like hardware interface.
XBee power monitor: [Link]
Have you ever been annoyed by the fact that you mounted the pcb and needed to update the firmware? Dismantle everything, connect to the programmer or just to the serial cable if you have bootloader installed already, not to mention if your hardware controls some power device like a motor, then you need to be careful not to fry your PC's serial interface or the motherboard, the solution is simple and available, use a wireless connection.
The guys from Sparkfun made a robust and yet compact communication protocol which can be used via wireless link to download the firmware, they use the XBee module which is a Zigbee to serial converter, they mounted the XBee on to the usb to serial converter board and there you have it, simple and robust wireless link which can be used also for debug purposes. The bootloader is written in C, and the PC program in visual basic, the XBee modules can be replaced with any wireless solution, I will most certainly try it with some bluetooth modules.
Wireless bootloader for AVR: [Link]


text:
All statisticians in academia are constantly confronted with the question of where to publish their papers. Sometimes it's obvious: A theoretical paper might go to the Annals of Statistics orJASA Theory & Methods or Biometrika. A more "methods-y" paper might go to JASA or JRSS-B orBiometrics or maybe even Biostatistics (where all three of us are or have been associate editors).
But where should the applied papers go? I think this is an increasingly large category of papers being produced by statisticians. These are papers that do not necessarily develop a brand new method or uncover any new theory, but apply statistical methods to an interesting dataset in a not-so-obvious way. Some papers might combine a set of existing methods that have never been combined before in order to solve an important scientific problem.
Well, there are some official applied statistics journals: JASA Applications & Case Studies or JRSS-C or Annals of Applied Statistics. At least they have the word "application" or "applied" in their title. But the question we should be asking is if a paper is published in one of those journals, will it reach the right audience?
What is the audience for an applied stat paper? Perhaps it depends on the subject matter. If the application is biology, then maybe biologists. If it's an air pollution and health application, maybe environmental epidemiologists. My point is that the key audience is probably not a bunch of other statisticians.
The fundamental conundrum of applied stat papers comes down to this question:If your application of statistical methods is truly addressing an important scientific question, then shouldn't the scientists in the relevant field want to hear about it? If the answer is yes, then we have two options: Force other scientists to read our applied stat journals, or publish our papers in their journals. There doesn't seem to be much momentum for the former, but the latter is already being done rather frequently.
Across a variety of fields we see statisticians making direct contributions to science by publishing in non-statistics journals. Some examples are this recent paper in Nature Genetics or a paper I published a few years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association. I think there are two key features that these papers (and many others like them) have in common:
There was an important scientific question addressed. The first paper investigates variability of methylated regions of the genome and its relation to cancer tissue and the second paper addresses the problem of whether ambient coarse particles have an acute health effect. In both cases, scientists in the respective substantive areas were interested in the problem and so it was natural to publish the "answer" in their journals. The problem was well-suited to be addressed by statisticians. Both papers involved large and complex datasets for which training in data analysis and statistics was important. In the analysis of coarse particles and hospitalizations, we used a national database of air pollution concentrations and obtained health status data from Medicare. Linking these two databases together and conducting the analysis required enormous computational effort and statistical sophistication. While I doubt we were the only people who could have done that analysis, we were very well-positioned to do so.
So when statisticians are confronted by a scientific problems that are both (1) important and (2) well-suited for statisticians, what should we do? My feeling is we should skip the applied statistics journals and bring the message straight to the people who want/need to hear it.
There are two problems that come to mind immediately. First, sometimes the paper ends up being so statistically technical that a scientific journal won't accept it. And of course, in academia, there is the sticky problem of how do you get promoted in a statistics department when your CV is filled with papers in non-statistics journals. This entry is already long enough so I'll address these issues in a future post.comments powered by Disqus


Qumis, Iran
 (Redirected from Hekatompylos)
Qumis (Persian: قومس; Middle Persian 𐭪𐭥𐭬𐭩𐭮 Kōmis), also known as Hecatompylos (Ancient Greek: Ἑκατόμπυλος, in Persian: صددروازه, Saddarvazeh) was an ancient city which was the capital of the Arsacid dynasty by 200 BCE. The Greek name Hekatompylos means "one hundred gates" and the Persian term has the same meaning. The title was commonly used for cities which had more than the traditional four gates. It may be understood better as the "Many Gated". Most scholars locate it at Sahr -e Qumis, in the Qumis region in west Khurasan, Iran.[1]
Šahr-e Qumis
شهر قومس
Qumis, Iran is located in Iran
Qumis, Iran
Shown within Iran
Alternative nameSaddarvazeh
LocationSemnan Province, Iran
RegionQumis region
CulturesParthian, Persian
Site notes
ConditionIn ruins
Alexander the Great stopped here in the summer of 330 BCE and it became part of the Seleucid Empire after his death. The Parni tribe took the city around 237 BCE and made it one of the first capitals of their Parthian Empire. It was mentioned as the royal city of the Parthians by a number of classical writers including Strabo, Pliny, and Ptolemy, although the Parthians seemed to have used a number of cities as their "capital" at different periods.
Qumis was destroyed by an earthquake in 856 AD, and it was probably abandoned afterwards. The site of this ancient city is now called Šahr-e Qumis (Persian: شهر قومس), between Semnan and Damqan in the Semnan Province.
 2. ^ "Hecatompilos/Intro". web.archive.org. 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
 - Goodarzi, P., Dehpahlavan, M., Sołtysiak, A. (2018). "Human remains from Shahr-i Qumis, Iran, _PHONE_", Bioarchaeology of the Near East 12:89-94.
External linksEdit


text:
Feb. 15, 2013
Display of old books and maps show the inaccurate roots of old stereotypes.Wanda Laukkanen | Writer
Stereotypical views of Africa and its inhabitants as mysterious, dangerous and conquerable are currently on display at the Pacific University Library in Forest Grove as part of Black History Month.
Titled The Dark Continent: Western Images and Maps of Africa, the display is on the main floor of the library and is open to the public.
Books in the exhibit date from 1542 to 1909 and display images — shocking to those of us in the 21st century — that portray Africans, in the words of the books, as "devilish, bloodthirsty natives" who are considered "idolaters or pagans and show little signs of intelligence."
"I hope it might prompt people to think about how their ideas of Africa and Africans are connected to very old stereotypes that we may not even be consciously aware of," said Eva Guggemos, university archivist.
Included in the exhibit is an original 1542 map of Africa. Though the coastlines are fairly accurate, the interior is not. The map draws from noted ancient Greek-Roman mapmaker and geographer Ptolemy's 2nd century Geographia Universalis, noted Guggemos. The mapmaker showed "Man-eaters" and "Cave-Dwellers" living in central Africa, leaving everything south of the Sahara blank.
A later map from 1802 in the exhibit shows that knowledge of Sub-Saharan Africa was not much better by then — as a note explains: "Westerners were scarcely more familiar with the center of the content than Ptolemy had been in 150 A.D."
Famous explorer Henry M. Stanley also has a part in the exhibit. His two-volume book of 1890, "In Darkest Africa: or, the quest, rescue, and retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria"is displayed with two maps that were originally hidden in the back of the books. Both maps have been mounted and displayed with the other items.
All of the display is of items from the library. Guggemos said she is happy to answer questions or give a mini-tour of the display. She can be reached at the University Archives, _EMAIL_.


text:
Staghorn sumac and smooth sumac (Rhus typhina and Rhus glabra, respectively) are reliable edibles from summer through winter. The plant is easy to identify, but consult a good field guide or someone who knows their plants to make sure the plant you're looking at is an edible sumac and not poison sumac. Once you see the plants side-by-side, though, you will see there is a big difference between the two.
The edible part of our sumac is the distinctive fruit cluster, which is prominent from summer through winter. The individual fruits are small, but the large heads make gathering them a breeze! Once you gather the heads you make a liquid concentrate from them, which can be used in beverages and in cooking. In winter, when the fruit clusters have seen better days, you'll need more clusters to get the same effect as the clusters you collected in September, but the results will still be tasty and reminiscent of lemons!
There are two ways to make the concentrate but make sure you don't use hot or boiling water in either method as hot water will release tannins, which are not so tasty:
In the kitchen, take several of the fruit clusters and put them in a blender filled with water. Zip the fruits with the water for a minute or so, then let it all sit for awhile (say 15 to 30 minutes). Strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and the resulting concentrate can then be used in beverages, pies, and jams!
In the wild, you can still enjoy this plant. Take the fruit clusters and place them in a container full of cool water. Use your hands and rub the fruits vigorously to release the juice. Then you just need to strain out the debris and you have a tasty beverage when needed. You can warm the beverage and sweeten it if you desire, but many people like it unsweetened, too.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
In the paper "The Riemann Hypothesis" by J. Brian Conrey in figure 6 there is a plot of the Fourier transform of the error term in the prime number theorem. See the plot to the left in the image below:
Plots from Conrey's paper on the Riemann hypothesis
In a blog post called Primes out of Thin Air written by Chris King there is a Matlab program that plots the spectrum. See the plot to the right at the beginning of the post. A translation into Mathematica is possible:
 scale = 10^6;
 start = 1;
 fin = 50;
 its = 490;
 xres = 600;
 y = N[Accumulate[Table[MangoldtLambda[i], {i, 1, scale}]], 10];
 x = scale;
 a = 1;
 myspan = 800;
 xres = 4000;
 xx = N[Range[a, myspan, (myspan - a)/(xres - 1)]];
 stpval = 10^4;
 F = Range[1, xres]*0;
For[t = 1, t <= xres, t++,
 For[yy=0, yy<=Log[x], yy+=1/stpval,
 F[[t]] =
 F[[t]] +
 Sin[t*myspan/xres*yy]*(y[[Floor[Exp[yy]]]] - Exp[yy])/Exp[yy/2];
 F = F/Log[x];
However, this is as I understand it the matrix formulation of the Fourier sine transform and it is therefore very costly to compute. I do NOT recommend running it because it already crashed my computer once.
Is there a way in Mathematica utilising the Fast Fourier Transform, to plot the spectrum with spikes at x-values equal to imaginary part of Riemann zeta zeros?
I have tried the commands FourierDST and Fourier without success. The problem seems to be that the variable yy in the code is included in both Sin[t*myspan/xres*yy] and (y[[Floor[Exp[yy]]]] - Exp[yy])/Exp[yy/2].
EDIT: 20.1.2012, I changed the line:
For[yy = 0, yy <= Log[x], 1/stpval++,
into the following:
For[yy = 0, yy/stpval <= Log[x], yy++,
EDIT: 22.1.2012, From Heike's comment, changed:
share|improve this question
You get an infinite loop because your inner For loop is stuck at yy=0. You probably need to increment yy rather than stepval in the third argument of the For loop. – kguler Jan 20 '12 at 2:31
Thank you for the correction! The problem still persists though. This time the program runs without freezing my desktop computer but it ends with the output: No more memory available. Mathematica kernel has shut down. Try quitting other applications and then retry. – Mats Granvik Jan 20 '12 at 12:22
_USER_: Just so you know, it's bad form to have the same question posted on two sites. You should have flagged it for moderator attention and asked to be migrated, or just deleted the question yourself before reposting over here. – Simon Jan 20 '12 at 12:56
In the matlab code in the blog post, yy runs from 0 to log(X) with increments of 1/stpval whereas in your code yy runs from 0 to stpval Log[x] with increments of 1. You probably want to do something like For[yy=0, yy<=Log[x], yy+=1/stpval,... ]. – Heike Jan 20 '12 at 17:42
add comment
1 Answer
up vote 6 down vote accepted
What about this? I've rewritten the sine transform slightly using the identity Exp[a Log[x]]==x^a
scale = _PHONE_;
f = ConstantArray[0, scale];
f[[1]] = N@MangoldtLambda[1];
Monitor[Do[f[[i]] = N@MangoldtLambda[i] + f[[i - 1]], {i, 2, scale}], i]
xres =.002;
tmax = 60;
tres =.015;
 {t, Range[0, 60, tres]}];, t]
ListLinePlot[Im[errList]/Length[xlist], DataRange -> {0, 60},
 PlotRange -> {-.09,.02}, Frame -> True, Axes -> False]
which produces
Mathematica graphics
share|improve this answer
Great! This fills a gap in my education. Just one detail, the value of the variable span should be 20000 or more, with the line span = 20000; included before xlist. Many thanks. – Mats Granvik Jan 24 '12 at 14:17
_USER_ span and scale are the same. I used span in my notebook but forgot to replace all occurrences of span with scale when copy-pasting the code here. I'll correct it to make it consistent. – Heike Jan 24 '12 at 14:26
I could not have done this myself. – Mats Granvik Jan 24 '12 at 14:39
I posted a question on math se using your code: math.stackexchange.com/questions/105628/… – Mats Granvik Feb 5 '12 at 9:41
add comment
Your Answer


text:
It is widely acknowledged that the purity of a carrier gas is critical for the performance, longevity and maintenance of analytical instruments - "contaminants in gases can significantly impact your analysis. Oxygen, hydrocarbons, and moisture can cause loss of sensitivity and accuracy of the GC and damage your column." (1) Variations in the sensitivities of samples may cause high baseline noise in analytical results due to water moisture and oxygen, which could distort the sample results.
To identify the appropriate hydrogen source for the operation, it is essential to understand the purity of different hydrogen supply methods, this will have a significant impact on the performance of analysis conducted.
In addition to stable results, the use of research grade (or better) high purity hydrogen can provide various other benefits. "Oxygen is known for causing column stationary phase and inlet liner degradation in analytical instruments, further damaging the decomposition of labile analytes." (2)
Removing contaminants like oxygen is vital to GC performance because "as the column is heated, very rapid degradation of the stationary phase occurs. This results in the premature onset of excessive column bleed, peak tailing for active compounds and/or loss of efficiency (resolution) by the time oxygen damage is discovered, significant column damage has already occurred. In less severe cases, the column may still be functional but at a reduced performance level. In more severe cases, the column is irreversibly damaged." (3)
The purity of the carrier gas is a critical factor to consider to obtain stable results and to extend the service life of the GC column. Understanding the supply of a carrier gas and the variability that is introduced into a process is critical.
In general, there are two methods to supply hydrogen to laboratories:
- Bulk hydrogen delivery usually sourced from large natural gas reformation plants and stored in cylinders or tube trailers for easier delivery
- On-site hydrogen generation via water electrolysis
The bulk delivery method has been in practice for decades, and has proven to be a reliable hydrogen source for the laboratory market. The purity content of bulk hydrogen and the cost for guaranteed high purity are the key factors to consider when choosing a hydrogen source for gas chromatography applications.
Water moisture, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbon are some of the most common contaminants present in bulk hydrogen delivery, negatively affecting analyses. (4)
It is necessary to take appropriate measures to mitigate these contaminants to control the performance of analytical instruments and ensure accurate results. Packaging, distribution, and purification methods all affect the purity of the gas supplied to the customer.
The variability of purity, and in certain cases the reliability of supply, has prompted several lab managers and chemists to consider generating their own hydrogen via water electrolysis. On-site hydrogen generation via water electrolysis delivers a research grade pure hydrogen source for use as a carrier gas, providing users with complete control over cost and supply.
Hydrogen generated via Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis technology is free from impurities other than oxygen, nitrogen, and water moisture in trace amounts that are well below levels that have a negative impact on the sample results or column life. As a result, the hydrogen is allowed to maintain a consistent level of purity.
Testing was performed by two third-party laboratories to examine the output of a hydrogen gas generator producing 99.99999% pure hydrogen to be employed as a carrier gas for GC analysis. As mentioned earlier, the carrier gas purity is a key factor as it not only impacts the sample results in analytical testing but also the longevity of analytical instruments employed.
Water moisture and oxygen output levels were the target contaminants in the analysis. A Proton OnSite® model G600-HP was the hydrogen generator used. A Delta-F DF-550 Nanotrace Oxygen Analyzer, with a detection level down to 0.2 ppb and resolution of 0.1 ppb, was used to measure the oxygen and a GE Moisture Monitor Series 35 IS was used to measure the water moisture output.
Guaranteed Ultra High Purity and Consistent Results
Proton's water electrolysis system's enabling feature is the proton exchange membrane (PEM), which allows only positive ions and water to cross between compartments. As the membrane also acts as the electrolyte in the cell, the system does not require harmful liquid electrolytes such as concentrated potassium hydroxide.
During PEM water electrolysis, pure deionized water (H2O) is split into its components, hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2), on either side of this membrane. When a DC voltage is applied to the electrolyzer, water fed to the anode or oxygen electrode are oxidized to oxygen and protons, while electrons are released.
The protons (H+ ions) then pass through the PEM to the cathode, or hydrogen electrode, where they are reduced to hydrogen gas upon reaction with the electrons from the other side of the circuit.
The two reactions that occur in the cell are as follows:
2H2O → 4H+ + 4e- +O2
4H+ + 4e- → 2H2
The only possible components of the streams are hydrogen, oxygen and water moisture (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Illustration
The hydrogen generator used in this experiment utilizes Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technology with a high differential pressure design, generating hydrogen at 8 barg and oxygen at ambient pressure in a safe and efficient manner. This significant pressure difference eliminates the chance of oxygen entering the hydrogen stream, ensuring superior unity safety and producing ultra high pure hydrogen for analytical applications.
Figure 2 shows that the average oxygen levels measured from the output of the hydrogen gas generator was less than 0.55 ppb after achieving a stable baseline. Figure 3 displays the water content testing results, showing the hydrogen gas generator performance at approximately 20 ppb.
With oxygen below 1 ppb and water moisture content below 20 ppb, the total impurities are less than 50 ppb. Therefore, the hydrogen gas purity of the G600-HP is around 99.999995%, approaching 99.999999%.
Figure 2. O2 output results from G600-HP
Figure 3. Water content results from G600-HP
Efficiency is a critical factor for laboratories when testing a sample. High purity hydrogen can benefit analysis. Based on the ability to reduce band broadening, high purity carrier gas enables lower detection limits. Sharp peaks can be obtained with high purity hydrogen, simplifying the process and improving the performance.
When performing trace analysis on samples with extremely low concentrations, a high purity carrier gas must be relied on to ensure a stable reading. There are many advantages when introducing a high purity carrier gas into GC testing.
In addition to high sensitivity, faster analysis, and lowered baseline noise, hydrogen generated on-site with a high purity hydrogen generator offers additional benefits. "Ensuring gas hygiene is one of the most important steps you can take to optimize GC system performance. Impure gases can introduce contaminants, or cause installation delays, premature instrument failure, and flawed results." (5)
"All but the 6.0 grades of gas are qualified by statistical quality control. Generally, 10% or fewer of the cylinders in a fill batch will be analyzed to verify gas quality....The problem with per cylinder guarantees is that the analytical costs incurred by the gas supplier to ensure the gas quality of each cylinder are passed along to the customer." (4)
When it is determined that certified high purity gas is required for a lab, the cost associated with this requirement becomes an issue. "The inefficient use of increasingly expensive and rare gas can go right to your bottom line." (5) Alternatively, many labs prefer to purchase uncertified cylinder gases.
In doing so, gas chromatography manufacturers often suggest that laboratories purchase gas traps, such as moisture traps, oxygen traps, and hydrocarbon traps and contamination traps, as a final line of defense, to filter impurities and purify the inlet carrier gas, resulting in additional consumable expenses.
Laboratory professionals can benefit from producing high purity hydrogen on-site in both certified and uncertified gas cylinder sourcing, achieving better control over their gas purity and costs associated with hydrogen supply to their GC analyses.
"The general principle is that your GC gases should be free of the impurities that would interfere with your specific analysis or would degrade your chromatographic equipment." (4) On-site hydrogen generators that employ PEM technology use only DI water and electricity, so their output does not contain any impurities except trace amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, and water moisture.
The G600-HP produces research grade hydrogen with less than 20 ppb water moisture and less than 1 ppb oxygen, eliminating the need for laboratories to purchase purification tools, such as gas traps, which further increase the cost of their processes. "This reduces the risks of column damage, sensitivity loss, and instrument downtime." (1)
Extended Column Life
Using hydrogen as a carrier gas for gas chromatographs can be very beneficial, especially in extending the service life of the column as it enables a faster analysis due to the higher linear velocity of hydrogen. Using hydrogen also keeps the column temperature low due to the speed of the separations.
Column life is a quintessential aspect of maintaining sound analytical instruments and ensuring stable readings. The use of inappropriate carrier gas makes columns susceptible to many contaminants. The presence of contaminants not only threaten the condition of the analytical instruments, but also the testing results.
"With extended use, columns may accumulate absorptive debris or experience a loss of surface deactivation that leads to increased polar peak tailing and subsequent loss of resolution as well as compromised minimum detectable levels," (6) making it vital for laboratory professionals to secure a safe and dependable high purity carrier gas for analytical testing.
The purity of the carrier gas


Students at PHAA range in grade from kindergarten to high school senior. Elementary students are in the care of caring, understanding teachers. They are instructed using new approaches to standard education and cooperative work. The students are blessed every Friday with a chapel, giving them opportunities to sing and hear encouraging talks. Field trips are an integral part of the learning experience, giving the students practical learning experiences.


text:
Major Section: ACL2 Documentation
Ordered binary decision diagrams (OBDDs, often simply called BDDs) are a technique, originally published by Randy Bryant, for the efficient simplification of Boolean expressions. In ACL2 we combine this technique with rewriting to handle arbitrary ACL2 terms that can represent not only Boolean values, but non-Boolean values as well. In particular, we provide a setting for deciding equality of bit vectors (lists of Boolean values).
Further information about BDDs in ACL2 can be found in the subtopics of this documentation section. In particular, see bdd-introduction for a good starting place that provides a number of examples.
See hints for a description of
:bdd hints. For quick
reference, here is an example; but only the
:vars part of the
hint is required, as explained in the documentation for hints.
The values shown are the defaults.
(:vars nil :bdd-constructors (cons) :prove t :literal :all)We suggest that you next visit the documentation topic BDD-INTRODUCTION.


text:
Decrypt a symmetric key and makes it available for use.
Syntax: OPEN SYMMETRIC KEY Key DECRYPTION BY decrypt_option decrypt_options: CERTIFICATE certificate [WITH PASSWORD = 'password'] ASYMMETRIC KEY asym_key [WITH PASSWORD = 'password'] SYMMETRIC KEY decrypting_Key PASSWORD = 'decryption_password' Key: certificate Certificate whose private key will be used to decrypt the symmetric key. asym_key An asymmetric key whose private key will be used to decrypt the symmetric key. password Password that was used to encrypt the private key of the certificate or asymmetric key. decrypting_key Key that will be used to decrypt the key being opened. decryption_password The password that was used to protect the symmetric key.
An open key will continue to be available until it is either explicitly closed or the session is terminated.
If the symmetric key was encrypted with another key, that key must be opened first.
OPEN SYMMETRIC KEY SymKeySS64
DECRYPTION BY CERTIFICATE Cert02;
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful" ~ Herman Cain
CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY
CLOSE SYMMETRIC KEY
ALTER SYMMETRIC KEY
DROP SYMMETRIC KEY


text:
Source Newsroom: American Psychological Association (APA)
Reduced mortality risk not seen in people motivated by self-centered reasons
Newswise — WASHINGTON – People who volunteer may live longer than those who don't, as long as their reasons for volunteering are to help others rather than themselves, suggests new research published by the American Psychological Association.
This was the first time research has shown volunteers' motives can have a significant impact on life span. Volunteers lived longer than people who didn't volunteer if they reported altruistic values or a desire for social connections as the main reasons for wanting to volunteer, according to the study, published online in the APA journal Health Psychology. People who said they volunteered for their own personal satisfaction had the same mortality rate four years later as people who did not volunteer at all, according to the study.
"This could mean that people who volunteer with other people as their main motivation may be buffered from potential stressors associated with volunteering, such as time constraints and lack of pay," said the study's lead author, Sara Konrath, PhD, of the University of Michigan.
Researchers examined data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which has followed a random sample of 10,317 Wisconsin high school students from their graduation in 1957 until the present. The sample is 51.6 percent female, with an average age of 69.16 years in 2008.
In 2004, respondents reported whether they had volunteered within the past 10 years and how regularly. They reported their reasons for volunteering (or the reasons they would volunteer, for those who had not done so) by answering 10 questions. Some motives were more oriented toward others (e.g., "I feel it is important to help others," or "Volunteering is an important activity to the people I know best") and some that were more self-oriented (e.g., "Volunteering is a good escape from my own troubles," or "Volunteering makes me feel better about myself").
The researchers also considered the respondents' physical health, socioeconomic status, marital status, health risk factors (i.e., smoking, body mass index and alcohol use), mental health and social support. Much of this information was collected in 1992, 12 years before the respondents were asked about their volunteering experience. The researchers then determined how many of the respondents were still alive in 2008.
Overall, 4.3 percent of 2,384 non-volunteers were deceased four years later, which was similar to the proportion of deceased volunteers who reported more self-oriented motives for volunteering (4 percent). However, only 1.6 percent of those volunteers whose motivations were more focused on others were dead four years later. This effect remained significant even when controlling for all the variables. Additionally, respondents who listed social connection or altruistic values as their predominant motive were more likely to be alive compared with non-volunteers.
"It is reasonable for people to volunteer in part because of benefits to the self; however, our research implies that, ironically, should these benefits to the self become the main motive for volunteering, they may not see those benefits," said the paper's co-author, Andrea Fuhrel-Forbis, MA.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 154,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.
# # #
Article: "Motives for Volunteering Are Associated With Mortality Risk in Older Adults," Sara Konrath, PhD, University of Michigan and University of Rochester Medical Center; Andrea Fuhrel-Forbis, MA, and Alina Lou, BA, University of Michigan; Stephanie Brown, PhD, University of Michigan and Stony Brook University Medical Center; Health Psychology, published online, Aug. 17, 2011.
Full text of the article is available from the APA Public Affairs Office and at _URL_


text:
Date of Award
Bachelor of Arts
Dr. A. F. Newcomb
The development of the Child and Adolescent Coping Inventory (Cobb, Gwanter, & Newcomb, 1987) is described and reliability and validity statistics are reported. The inventory consists of a parent form and a child form. The parent form contains 91 descriptions of children's behaviors when faced with difficulties. The child form is in interview format and asks children to describe seven positive and negative events and their reactions to them.The Inventory in both forms is capable of obtaining both observable and subjective reactions of children to stress. Reliability and validity is stronger for the child form. Suggestions are made for possible modifications to the Inventory.
McGraw, Laura K., "The development of the child and adolescent coping inventory" (1988). Honors Theses. 666.


text:
AM'AZON, noun [This is said to be formed of a neg and breast. History informs us, that the Amazons cut off their right breast, that it might not incommode them in shooting and hurling the javelin. This is doubtless a fable.]
1. The Amazons are said by historians, to have been a race of female warriors, who founded an empire on the river Thermodon, in Asia Minor, on the coast of the Euxine. They are said to have excluded men from their society; and by their warlike enterprises, to have conquered and alarmed surrounding nations. Some writers treat these accounts as fables.
2. By analogy, a warlike or masculine woman; a virago.
3. This name has been given to some American females, on the banks of the largest river in the world, who joined their husbands in attacking the Spaniards that first visited the country. This trivial occurrence gave the name amazon to that river, whose real name is Maranon.