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Our lab contributed a publication naming two new species of frogs from Manu National Park, further increasing the number of amphibian species of the park. Manu NP already boasts the highest number of amphibian species living inside a natural protected area. The two new species, Pristimantis antisuyu (in the image below) and Pristimantis erythroinguinis (in the image on the left), are closely related but their elevational distributions do not overlap.
Pristimantis antisuyu lives in the cloud forest (image on right with good old Shigella), while P. erythroinguinis is found the Andean foothills and adjacent Amazon lowlands. Both species share with P. cruciocularis the unique pattern of having an iris with a cruciform pattern. Our molecular analyses suggest that P. cruciocularis and the two new species are part of the P. platydactylus-P. llojsintuta species complex, which is likely to contain more cryptic species.
News from the lab


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Project: Historical Bremen, The History of Bremen as a Computer Model
The "Historical Bremen" project is a series of computer models that represent a replica of the city of Bremen at different time periods. With this project, ANYMOTION has expanded its field of expertise to include historical reconstructions. These computer-generated models project detailed images of history into the present. With the support of experts (including Mr. Günther Garbrecht), AnyMotion collected historical facts and turned them into computer models, which in turn serve as the basis for graphics, videos and multimedia products.
The "Historical Bremen" project was launched at the end of 2001 and has since been further developed through continuous supplementary work.
Pictures and videos from the project have already been used in several projects.
AnyMotion has created a modern website for the project, in which you can explore the old Bremen in several centuries in virtual 360 ° panoramic tours. Learn more at:
Overview of AnyMotion services:
- Projekt „Time Guide / City Guide"
In the course of expanding UMTS applications, a program was developed for the PDA by the Bremen agency i2dm. On a given route the user is guided on a historical route through the city. He has the possibility to view the build state of 300 or 500 years ago.
- Project "The History of Bremen, The Film"
Elaborate renderings and spectacular camera rides illustrate to the viewer the history of Bremen. The constructional development of Bremen is being followed over 5 centuries.
- Projekt „Hansestadt"
The subject of e-learning is also becoming more and more interesting for the mediation of historical knowledge. Hansestadt is a classic computer game in which the player has to perform several tasks. During this time, he becomes acquainted with numerous important events. The game is set in the 16th century in the time of Johann Dove.
- Creation of virtual 360 ° Panorma tours for the website ( 1800 n.Chr. / 1600 n.Chr. / 1400 n.Chr. / 1000 n.Chr. / 900 n.Chr. )

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


Discover and Explore with the Chandra Skymap
American Archives Month (each October) is an exciting time around here. We spend a lot of time working through the Chandra archive to bring you the best and most interesting objects in the X-ray Universe that have made their way across space and time (via photons) to Chandra's detectors.
It has been a personal goal of mine, since taking this job as Chandra science imager about four years ago, to create an interactive tool for the public to engage with the Chandra archive of released imagery in a new and innovative way. For this to work, a few pieces of the puzzle had to fall into place.
I've blogged about metadata before and -- as you might expect -- accurate, detailed and complete metadata for our entire archive of public images is the keystone to creating a tool such as the new Chandra Skymap. Metadata is what drives all of the content behind the application. Since there's no good way to automate the "retro-tagging" (that is, tagging images we've already released in the past) of our image archive, it took a few years to get through all of those images by hand. We finally completed that task at the end of last year and then set our sights upon creating the Skymap tool.
There were some false starts along the way, mainly due to limitations as a programmer, learning new languages and libraries. But as I was pulling my hair out trying to figure this out last summer, a colleague recommended utilizing javascript with the D3 (Data-Driven Documents) visualization library. I was vaguely familiar with D3, mainly from playing around with interactive data visualizations published by The New York Times and written by Mike Bostock (the creator of D3). D3 turned out to be the answer to the coding problems, but the new challenge was to learn javascript. Thankfully, the D3 documentation is extensive and Mike Bostock and many other programmers have provided a wealth of resources in the form of small bits of example code that could be utilized as part of a larger project. Through all of this, I developed two new skills: first, the ability to completely tax my computer by testing how many browser tabs I could hold open at once, and, second, honing the ability to construct the perfect Google query regarding a particular javascript or D3 question. Utilizing countless examples and answers to questions on StackExchange, I was able to build the Skymap I had pictured in my head years ago. This has been an extremely rewarding and fulfilling project and I'm very excited to share this new application with you today!
Here are some helpful tips to get you started using the new Chandra Skymap:
1. Everything about this tool is interactive. You can zoom into the map using your mouse scroll wheel, or by pinch-zoom, or using the buttons at the top left. You can also pan around by clicking and dragging while in zoom-mode.
2. You'll notice that as you hover over data points, the points are highlighted and a small information window pops up with a synopsis of the press release for that particular object. Each data point is also a link to the release for that object. Click on the point and you will go to its Photo Album page.
3. The controls at the bottom offer up various ways for you to filter the data to your liking. Also note that most of the text in the controls are actually links to more information -- click on them to find out more. If you're only interested in which distant galaxies Chandra has observed, de-select everything but "Galaxies & Galaxy Clusters" in the "Categories" panel and you'll only see distant galaxies in the Skymap.
4. If you would like to filter the data by the date of the release, click and drag to draw a box in the bottom panel "Release Date Filter" and then resize to your liking or drag it across the timeline to watch press releases pop into and out of the Skymap as you pan across time.
5. You might notice that some areas are clustered with overlapping data points. Some of these are multiple releases for the same object at different times, or closely spaced but separate objects. Careful use of the zoom feature and/or filters should allow you to uncover any data point. For example, if you happen to notice two data points from two different categories overlapping each other, you can toggle the category underneath off and then on to bring it to the front. Using the "Release Data Filter" can also help to uncover buried data points.
6. If you see a term on the map that you are unfamiliar with, click on the underlined link to find out more either from the Chandra site, or from Wikipedia.
Be sure to come back often, as the Chandra Skymap will instantly populate with new releases as they are published. We also envisioned some new features that will hopefully be added in the near future.
Enjoy discovering all that Chandra has to offer!
-Joe DePasquale, CXC
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When it comes to the underwater world, there are countless creatures that captivate our attention. One such creature is the Freshwater Tiger Moray Eel. With its striking appearance and unique characteristics, this eel is a true marvel of nature. In this blog post, we will explore the fascinating world of the Freshwater Tiger Moray Eel and uncover some interesting facts about this elusive species.
What is a Freshwater Tiger Moray Eel?
The Freshwater Tiger Moray Eel, scientifically known as Gymnothorax polyuranodon, is a species of eel that belongs to the Muraenidae family. Unlike its saltwater counterparts, this eel inhabits freshwater environments, such as rivers and lakes, in Southeast Asia. It is known for its vibrant coloration, which consists of dark green or brownish-black spots on a yellowish background, resembling the stripes of a tiger.
How Big Can They Grow?
The Freshwater Tiger Moray Eel is a relatively large species, with adults reaching an average length of 1.5 meters (5 feet). However, some individuals have been known to grow even larger, measuring up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length. These eels have a slender body shape, allowing them to navigate through narrow crevices and holes in their freshwater habitats.
What Do They Eat?
As carnivorous predators, Freshwater Tiger Moray Eels have a diverse diet. They primarily feed on small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. Using their strong jaws and sharp teeth, they are able to capture and swallow their prey whole. These eels are known for their voracious appetite, consuming a significant amount of food in a single feeding session.
How Do They Reproduce?
Reproduction in Freshwater Tiger Moray Eels is an intriguing process. They are oviparous, which means that they lay eggs. The female eel releases her eggs into the water, where they are fertilized by the male. The eggs then develop and hatch into larvae, which eventually transform into juvenile eels. It is worth noting that the reproductive behavior of these eels is still not fully understood, and further research is needed to uncover all the details.
Are They Dangerous to Humans?
While Freshwater Tiger Moray Eels possess sharp teeth and a powerful bite, they are generally not considered a threat to humans. These eels are shy and elusive, preferring to hide in crevices and only venturing out to hunt for food. However, if provoked or cornered, they may defend themselves by biting. It is important to exercise caution and respect their natural habitat when encountering these magnificent creatures.
The Freshwater Tiger Moray Eel is a truly remarkable species that showcases the diversity of life in our planet's freshwater ecosystems. With its striking appearance and unique behaviors, it continues to captivate the interest of researchers and nature enthusiasts alike. By understanding and appreciating these fascinating creatures, we can contribute to the conservation and preservation of their fragile habitats.


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Relational Aesthetics Glossary
Academism: 1. An attitude that involves clinging to the defunct signs and forms of one's day and rendering these aesthetic; 2. synonum: pompous (pompier) -And why wouldn't he do something pompous, if it pays off' (Samuel Beckett)
Aesthetics: An idea that sets humankind apart from other animal species. In the end of the day, burying the dead, laughter, and suicide are just the corollaries of a deep-seated hunch, that life is an aesthetic, ritualised, shaped form.
Art: 1. General term describing a set of objects presented as part of a narrative known as art history.This narrative draws up the critical genealogy and discusses the issues raised by these objects, by way of three sub-sets: painting,sculpture, architecture.
2. Nowadays, the word 'art' seems to be no more than a semantic leftover of this narrative, whose more accurate definition would read as follows: Art is an activity consisting in producing relationships with the world with the help of signs, forms, actions and objects.
Art (The end of): 'The end of art' only exists in an idealistic view of history. We can nevertheless, and not without irony, borrow Hegel's formula whereby 'art, for us, is a thing of the past' and turn it into a figure of style: let us remain open to what is happening in the present, which invariably exceeds, a priori, our capacities of understanding.


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Chewa, also known as Nyanja, is a language of the Bantu language family. The gender prefix chiis used for languages, so the language is also known as Chichewa and Chinyanja (spelled Cinyanja in Zambia), and locally Nyasa in Mozambique.
Chewa is the national language of Malawi. It is also one of the seven official African languages of Zambia, where it is spoken mostly in the Eastern Province. It is also spoken in Mozambique, especially in the provinces of Tete and Niassa, as well as in Zimbabwe where, according to some estimates, it ranks as the third-most widely used local language, after Shona and Northern Ndebele. It was one of the 55 languages featured on the Voyager.
An urban variety of Nyanja, sometimes called Town Nyanja, is the lingua franca of the Zambian capital Lusaka and is widely spoken as a second language throughout Zambia. This is a distinctive Nyanja dialect with some features of Nsenga, although the language also incorporates large numbers of English-derived words, as well as showing influence from other Zambian languages such as Bemba. Town Nyanja has no official status, and the presence of large numbers of loanwords and colloquial expressions has given rise to the misconception that it is an unstructured mixture of languages or a form of slang.
The fact that the standard Nyanja used in schools differs dramatically from the variety actually spoken in Lusaka has been identified as a barrier to the acquisition of literacy among Zambian children. iSchool.zm, which develops online educational content in Zambian languages, has begun making 'Lusaka Nyanja' available as a separate language of instruction after finding that schoolchildren in Lusaka do not understand standard Nyanja.
Chinyanja has its origin in the Eastern Province of Zambia from the 15th century to the 18th century. The language remained dominant despite the breakup of the empire and the Nguni invasions and was adopted by Christian missionaries at the beginning of the colonial period.
In Zambia, Chewa is spoken by other peoples like the Ngoni and the Kunda, so a more neutral name, Chinyanja "(language) of the lake" (referring to Lake Malawi), is used instead of Chewa.
The first grammar, A grammar of the Chinyanja language as spoken at Lake Nyasa with Chinyanja–English and English–Chinyanja vocabulary, was written by Alexander in 1880 and partial translations of the Bible were made at the end of 19th century. Further early grammars and vocabularies include A vocabulary of English–Chinyanja and Chinyanja–English: as spoken at Likoma, Lake Nyasa and A grammar of Chinyanja, a language spoken in British Central Africa, on and near the shores of Lake Nyasa, by George Henry (1891). The whole Bible was translated by William Percival Johnson and published as Buku Lopatulika ndilo Mau a Mulungu in 1912.
A strong historical link of the Nyanja, Bemba and Yao people to the Shona Empire, who can point their earlier origins to Mashonaland, proves linguistically evident today. The ancient Shonas who temporarily dwelt in Malambo, a place in the DRC, eventually shifted into northern Zambia, and then south and east into the highlands of Malawi.
||Town Nyanja (Lusaka)
|How are you?
||Nili bwino / Nili mushe
|What's your name?
||Dzina lanu ndani?
||Zina yanu ndimwe bandani?
|My name is...
||Dzina langa ndine...
||Zina yanga ndine...
|How many children do you have?
||Muli ndi ana angati?
||Muli na bana bangati?
|I have two children
||Ndili ndi ana awiri
||Nili na bana babili
|How much is it?
|See you tomorrow
- ^ Nationalencyklopedin "Världens 100 största språk 2007" The World's 100 Largest Languages in 2007
- ^ Jouni Filip Maho, 2009. New Updated Guthrie List Online
- ^ cf. Kiswahili for the Swahili language.
- ^ Williams, E (1998). Investigating bilingual literacy: Evidence from Malawi and Zambia (Education Research Paper No. 24). Department for International Development.
- ^ Woodward, M. E. 1895.
- ^ Henry, George. 1891.
- ^ The Umca in Malawi, p 126, James Tengatenga, 2010: "Two important pieces of work have been accomplished during these later years. First, the completion by Archdeacon Johnson of the Bible in Chinyanja, and secondly, the completed Chinyanja prayer book in 1908."
- Paas, Steven, 2012. 3rd edition. Dictionary / Mtanthauziramawu. English – Chichewa / Chinyanja // Chichewa / Chinyanja – English. VTR Publications. ISBN 978-3-941750-87-6
- Mchombo, Sam, 2004. The Syntax of Chichewa. Cambridge Syntax Guides
- Hetherwick, Alexander (1907). A Practical Manual of the Nyanja Language.... Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- Gray, Andrew; Lubasi, Brighton; Bwalya, Phallen (2013). Town Nyanja: a learner's guide to Zambia's emerging national language.
- Henry, George, 1904. A grammar of Chinyanja, a language spoken in British Central Africa, on and near the shores of Lake Nyasa.
- Laws, Robert (1894). An English–Nyanja dictionary of the Nyanja language spoken in British Central Africa. J. Thin. pp. 1–. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- Rebman, John; Church Missionary Society (1877). Dictionary of the Kiniassa language. Gregg. pp. 65–. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- Riddel, Alexander (1880). A Grammar of the Chinyanja Language as Spoken at Lake Nyassa: With Chinyanja–English and English–Chinyanja Vocabularies. J. Maclaren & Son. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
- Woodward, M. E., 1895. A vocabulary of English–Chinyanja and Chinyanja–English as spoken at Likoma, Lake Nyasa. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
- Missionários da Companhia de Jesus 1963. Dicionário Cinyanja–Português. Junta de Investigaçôes do Ultramar.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Oxuduğunuz məqalə
Housing and Wealth Inequality in Azerbaijan: A Statistical Analysis of Real Estate Prices in Baku
Bu yazını paylaşın:
Read the full research here.
Housing affordability is viewed by many as a way of assessing the socioeconomic stability of a country. Housing being one of, if not the largest expense for most households, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored its importance as many households lost part of their income, leading to unpaid rent and unstable living conditions in many countries. This situation further highlights the need for policymakers to discuss housing affordability.
However, there is another reason housing affordability is an issue not to ignore. As put forward by Thomas Piketty (2014), the return rates on capital (e.g. real estate) are higher than the rate of return on labor, reproducing a cycle of wealth inequalities. While many researchers have assessed housing wealth's effects on inequality in Western cities, none have discussed Baku's case.
In this study, we assess housing affordability for first-time apartment buyers corrected for the average household's savings rate. Results show that in the current situation, the average household cannot afford to buy an apartment during the course of their life as their monthly expenditures surpass their monthly net income by 514 AZN, and thus any real estate price is unattainable. After computing a simulation of increased wages, it has been assessed that even after a 250 AZN increase, most first-time buyers still could not afford housing.
1/ Low salaries, low savings rate
Table 4 shows the average monthly and yearly expenditures per person and household in Baku as of 2020. Per person, the average monthly expenditures are 897 AZN, while per household, these expenditures are 1,893.9 AZN.
At the current average salary of 326.1 AZN per capita, the average household of four, no matter the number of working individuals, cannot afford the average monthly consumption expenditures of 332.4 AZN per person. This is without considering non-consumption expenditures, such as rent, which averages 564 AZN in Baku, according to our August 2020 data.
Average expenditures. Based on 2019 official statistics and 2020 collected data.
Depending on the number of working individuals, the average household salary ranges from 326.1 to 1,304.4 AZN per month. However, the household consumption expenditure and average rent being 1,329.6 and 564 AZN, respectively, all household compositions suffer from a shortage of financial funds at the end of the month.
Average monthly salary and savings per household composition
The average household is thus 1,079 AZN short every month, making it impossible to save to buy housing later in life, be it with financing options or without. Even before rent payment, the average household is short 514 AZN.
As an experiment, we decided to compare savings rates at two different salary levels: at 476 and 576 AZN per person. As shown in table 5, the average household can still not afford all its expenditures and save at a salary level of 476 AZN, with an average savings level at –704 AZN.
Savings rate at salary of 476 AZN per person
Savings rate at salary of 576 AZN per person
As can be seen from the previous table, only after a 76% increase in salary at 576 AZN does one type of household with all four persons working start saving 4% of their monthly salary. Based on this analysis, results show that Baku's average household salary does not account for all monthly expenditures, including rent, even after an increase of 250 AZN in salary.
It also follows that this situation might affect petty corruption levels. As the salaries are too low compared to the expenditures, the moral costs of corruption decrease as these acts serve a compensatory role aiming at the increase of household financial funds.
It must be noted that the official average salary statistics might not be the closest to reality, as the shadow economy of Azerbaijan represented over 65% of GDP in 2010 (Bayramov 2012). This shadow economy includes informal employment that goes undeclared and informal payments such as small bribes paid to government officials in exchange for standard public services (Guliyev, 2015). As a result, official salary levels might be lower than the real financial funds that households receive monthly.
2/ No access to financing
Based on these findings, we analyzed the official statistics on mortgage and credit in Azerbaijan (MCGF, 2019). As of 2019, only 3% of mortgage borrowers had a salary of under 500 AZN, while 42% have a salary between 501 and 1000 AZN (inclusive), and over 53% had a salary of over 1001 AZN.
When calculating the largest amount borrowable by a household at the average salary via the MCGF website, it appears that neither ordinary nor social mortgages can be taken out by the household, even when the mortgage is joint. In all cases, because of the lack of savings, the average borrower cannot pay an initial down payment of 10% or 15% for an ordinary or social mortgage, respectively.
Options to finance housing are thus not only limited but also not accessible to the average household. Even when assessing the possibility of a "soft" mortgage intended for the poorer population, these social loans remain inaccessible for the lowto average-income households.
3/ Lack of housing affordability
Based on our collected data, the average housing sales price is 148,907 AZN, with a price per meter of 1,515 AZN. The following table estimates that the average sales price is 450 times the average salary per person.
Average sales price per size of apartment
Average price per district
As shown in the previous table, the highest housing price is in Nasimi district, with Yasamal following close behind at 185,174 and 152,562 AZN, respectively. The lowest real estate prices are recorded in the Garadagh and Pirallahi districts.
Building from these numbers, we compute the price-to-income ratio for the overall average real estate price before going ahead to the assessment of housing affordability:
Average price-to-income ratio with rating
Housing affordability rating
Results show that for all household compositions at the current savings level and price-to-income ratio, housing is, as expected, unaffordable.
As an experiment, we compute housing affordability, where the average salary per person would be 576 AZN.
Housing affordability rating at salary level of 576 AZN
It follows that even at a salary increase of 250 AZN per working person, the average household can still not afford real estate in Baku.
1/ Housing affordability and wealth inequalities
Housing is the most basic of human needs (shelter); its affordability is an essential factor in assessing a population's livelihood. Housing affordability has become problematic worldwide, putting the lower and lower-middle-income households further under strain. This lack of affordability has even been linked to poorer health as households tend to spend less on their health when housing costs represent a higher percentage of their income (Stud 2000). In a 2020 study, links between the deprivation of stable shelter and household health were assessed in Hong Kong, which has been suffering from housing unaffordability for many years. Due to the low disposable income post-housing costs, households suffer from increased stress levels, leading to overall poor physical and mental health (Chung et al. 2020).
The analysis done for this paper supports the hypothesis that housing inequality is related to wealth inequalities in Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku. The traditional way of explaining inequalities is the struggle between capital and labor, or the distribution of income between capital and labor. Piketty, in his work Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2014), shows how it is no longer possible for an individual to increase their income through their labor as capital's growth rate has exceeded that of labor. This means that labor returns have decreased while returns on capital, including real estate, have increased. A situation that further supports the idea that housing capital helps perpetuate social segregation and wealth inequalities.
The declining labor share of income has been documented worldwide (e.g., Karabarbounis, Neiman 2014; Chi Dao et al. 2017), further emphasizing the need for housing affordability policies. In Baku's case, despite the average household's housing costs being more than half of their monthly income, there are no policies targeted at creating more social housing. The data shows that housing is not affordable regardless of the size of the apartment or the district, but most households also cannot save since their total expenditures surpass their income. Even more surprising in our findings is that even after a hypothetical 250 AZN increase in individual income, the average household can still not afford to buy housing.
Access to housing finance is virtually non-existent for these households. Mortgage plans do not seem to have successfully penetrated the market. Social mortgages have only made housing purchases more affordable for households with higher salaries. This is just as much an issue in Baku as it is in London (UK). A 2017 London School of Economics report showed that despite the government targeting poorer households with its low-cost homeownership opportunities, the average person to benefit from this type of help already earned 1.5 times the median wage (LSE, 2017). [U1] Instead of promoting homeownership for average-income households, these schemes made housing purchases more affordable for households that could have bought without governmental help.
It is worth noting that despite having poor access to housing finance, microfinance is well established and offered by all banks.


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Genes that are active are located mainly in the central region of the nucleus, while inactive genes are at the periphery. But scientists have had no way to track chromosome movement inside the nucleus or to determine whether the location of the chromosomes was the result of random diffusion or if they are moved around by molecular motors.
In a study published in the April 17 issue of Current Biology, UIC and UIUC researchers show that chromosomes in the cell nucleus are capable of directed, long-range movement that depends on actin and myosin, the major molecular motor complex in the cytoplasm.
Developing a system for observing nuclear motion was difficult because chromosome movement is extremely light-sensitive. One exposure to light, and the chromosome would not move, even though the cell appeared undamaged. After extensive experimentation, researchers at UIUC developed a method that allowed them to take pictures without killing the movement.
Using this system, UIUC graduate student Chien-Hui Chuang studied a chromosome that is normally found in an inactive state near the nuclear periphery and moves to the interior of the nucleus when it receives an activating signal.
"The movement following activation was radically different from the rapid, but short-range, diffuse movement previously observed in these nuclei," said Dr. Andrew Belmont, professor of cell and developmental biology at UIUC, principle investigator and co-author of the study. It was clear that this was directed movement that required a motor, Belmont said, because the chromosome was moving in a nearly straight line perpend
Source:University of Illinois at Chicago


Concepts Of Simple Interest
Simple interest concepts also helps in solving the problems related to that of compound interest also. All questions based on Simple interest can be solved using only one basic formula.
simple interest
Some Important Terms In Simple Interest
It is the borrowed money and is denoted by P.
Interest or Simple Interest
The additional amount paid for only borrowed money is Interest and is represented by I or SI
Money is borrowed for a certain time period, this time period is taken as interest time and is denoted by T or t.
Principle along with SI becomes amount and is denoted by A.
Amount =Principle + SI
It is the amount charged on principle by the lender for using the money.
Basic Formulas Of Simple Interest Concepts
SI \ =\dfrac {Principle\times Time\times Rate}{100} \\ \\ =\dfrac {P\times T\times R}{100}
 - If SI is payable half-yearly then,
 consider the rate of SI as half and time as twice
 - If SI is payable quarterly then, consider R=R/4 and T=4 times
Some Important Formulas in Concepts of Simple Interest
 - If SI is n times of principle then RT=(n-1) x 100.
 - If an amount is n times of certain sum then RT=(n-1) x 100
 - If there are different rates R1%,R2%, R3%…..for different time periods t1,t2,t3……then,
\begin{align*} SI=\dfrac {P\left( R_{1}t_{1}+R_{2}t_{2}+R_{3}t_{3}+\ldots \right) }{100}
 - The difference between two SI for a sum of P1, time period T1 at rate R1 and another sum P2, time period T2, rate R3 is \begin{align*}
 SI =\dfrac {P_{2}T_{2}R_{2}-P_{1}T_{1}R_{1}}{100} \end{align*}
 - When difference between two SI at different rates and times is given as x then,
 Principle (P) is
\dfrac {x\times 100}{\begin{pmatrix}
Difference \\ in \ rate \end{pmatrix} \times \begin{pmatrix} Difference \\ in \ time
 - If a principle amounts to x1 in t years at some rate and the resultant new sum now as principle amounts to x2 in t years at another rate then
Principle ( P) is
\dfrac {\begin{pmatrix}
Difference \\ in \ amount\end{pmatrix}\times 100}
Difference \\ in \ SI \ rate \end{pmatrix} \times t}
Read More: Simple Interest Questions
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Languages Spoken in Each Country of the World
The table below lists the official language of each country as well as other languages spoken. In selected countries, the percent of the population that speaks each language is also given.
Afghanistan Dari Persian, Pashtu (both official), other Turkic and minor languages
Albania Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek
Algeria Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Andorra Catalán (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese
Angola Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages
Antigua and Barbuda English (official), local dialects
Armenia Armenian 98%, Yezidi, Russian
Australia English 79%, native and other languages
Austria German (official nationwide); Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian (each official in one region)
Bahamas English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Bahrain Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Bangladesh Bangla (official), English
Barbados English
Belarus Belorussian (White Russian), Russian, other
Benin French (official), Fon, Yoruba, tribal languages
Bolivia Spanish, Quechua, Aymara (all official)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Brazil Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French
Brunei Malay (official), English, Chinese
Bulgaria Bulgarian 85%, Turkish 10%, Roma 4%
Burundi Kirundi and French (official), Swahili
Cambodia Khmer 95% (official), French, English
Cape Verde Portuguese, Criuolo
Chile Spanish
Colombia Spanish
Costa Rica Spanish (official), English
Côte d'Ivoire French (official) and African languages (Dioula esp.)
Cuba Spanish
Cyprus Greek, Turkish (both official); English
Czech Republic Czech
Djibouti French and Arabic (both official), Somali, Afar
Dominica English (official) and French patois
Dominican Republic Spanish
Ecuador Spanish (official), Quechua, other Amerindian languages
El Salvador Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians)
Estonia Estonian 67% (official), Russian 30%, other (2000)
Fiji English (official), Fijian, Hindustani
Finland Finnish 92%, Swedish 6% (both official); small Sami- (Lapp) and Russian-speaking minorities
Gambia English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous
Germany German
Greece Greek 99% (official), English, French
Grenada English (official), French patois
Guinea-Bissau Portuguese (official), Criolo, African languages
Haiti Creole and French (both official)
Hungary Magyar (Hungarian) 94%, other 6%
Iceland Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
India Hindi 30%, English, Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Assamese, Sanskrit, Sindhi (all official); Hindi/Urdu; 1,600+ dialects
Ireland English, Irish (Gaelic) (both official)
Israel Hebrew (official), Arabic, English
Jamaica English, Jamaican Creole
Japan Japanese
Jordan Arabic (official), English
Kenya English (official), Swahili (national), and numerous indigenous languages
Kiribati English (official), I-Kiribati (Gilbertese)
Korea, North Korean
Korea, South Korean, English widely taught
KosovoAlbanian (official), Serbian (official), Bosnian, Turkish, Roma
Kuwait Arabic (official), English
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz, Russian (both official)
Lebanon Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Lesotho English, Sesotho (both official); Zulu, Xhosa
Libya Arabic, Italian, and English widely understood in major cities
Liechtenstein German (official), Alemannic dialect
Luxembourg Luxermbourgish (national) French, German (both administrative)
Macedonia Macedonian 67%, Albanian 25% (both official); Turkish 4%, Roma 2%, Serbian 1% (2002)
Madagascar Malagasy and French (both official)
Malta Maltese and English (both official)
Marshall Islands Marshallese 98% (two major dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family), English widely spoken as a second language (both official); Japanese
Mauritania Hassaniya Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Wolof
Monaco French (official), English, Italian, Monégasque
Montenegro Serbian/Montenegrin (Ijekavian dialect—official)
Mozambique Portuguese 9% (official; second language of 27%), Emakhuwa 26%, Xichangana 11%, Elomwe 8%, Cisena 7%, Echuwabo 6%, other Mozambican languages 32% (1997)
Myanmar Burmese, minority languages
Nauru Nauruan (official), English
Nepal Nepali 48% (official), Maithali 12%, Bhojpuri 7%, Tharu 6%, Tamang 5%, others. English spoken by many in government and business (2001)
Netherlands Dutch, Frisian (both official)
New Zealand English, Maori (both official)
Nicaragua Spanish 98% (official); English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast (1995)
Niger French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Norway Bokmål Norwegian, Nynorsk Norwegian (both official); small Samiand Finnish-speaking minorities (Sami is official in six municipalities)
Palau Palauan 64.7%, English 9.4%, Sonsoralese, Tobi, Angaur (each official on some islands), Filipino 13.5%, Chinese 5.7%, Carolinian 1.5%, Japanese 1.5%, other Asian 2.3%, other languages 1.5% (2000)
Palestinian State (proposed) Arabic, Hebrew, English
Panama Spanish (official), English 14%, many bilingual
Paraguay Spanish, Guaraní (both official)
Poland Polish 98% (2002)
Qatar Arabic (official); English a common second language
Romania Romanian (official), Hungarian, German
Russia Russian, others
St. Kitts and Nevis English
St. Lucia English (official), French patois
St. Vincent and the Grenadines English, French patois
Samoa Samoan, English
San Marino Italian
São Tomé and Príncipe Portuguese (official)
Saudi Arabia Arabic
Serbia Serbian (official); Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak, and Croatian (all official in Vojvodina); Albanian (official in Kosovo)
Seychelles Seselwa Creole 92%, English 5%, French (all official) (2002)
Slovenia Slovenian 91%, Serbo-Croatian 5% (2002)
Somalia Somali (official), Arabic, English, Italian
Swaziland English, siSwati (both official)
Sweden Swedish, small Samiand Finnish-speaking minorities
Switzerland German 64%, French 20%, Italian 7% (all official); Romansch 0.5% (national)
Togo French (official, commerce); Ewé, Mina (south); Kabyé, Dagomba (north); and many dialects
Tonga Tongan (an Austronesian language), English
Tunisia Arabic (official, commerce), French (commerce)
Turkey Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli, Azeri, Kabardian
Ukraine Ukrainian 67%, Russian 24%, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian
United Kingdom English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic
United States English 82%, Spanish 11% (2000)
Uruguay Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero
Vanuatu Bislama 23% (a Melanesian pidgin English), English 2%, French 1% (all 3 official); more than 100 local languages 73%
Venezuela Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Western Sahara (proposed state) Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Yemen Arabic
World CapitalsCountriesEthnicity and Race by Countries


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A V12 engine often just called a V12 is an internal combustion engine with 12 cylinders. The engine has six cylinders on each side called banks. The two banks form a "V" shaped angle. In most engines, the two banks are at a 60° angle to each other. All twelve pistons turn a common crankshaft. It can be powered by different types of fuels, including gasoline, diesel and natural gas.
Each cylinder bank is basically a straight-6. This set-up has perfect balance no matter which V angle is used. A V12 engine does not need balance shafts. A V12 angled at 45°, 60°, 120°, or 180° from each other has even firing and is smoother than a straight-6. This provides a smooth running engine for a luxury car. In a racing car, the engine can be made much lighter. This makes the engine more responsive and smoother. In a large heavy-duty engine, a V12 can run slower, and prolonging engine life.
The Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 powered the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire fighters that played a vital role in Britain's victory in the Battle of Britain. The long, narrow configuration of the V12 contributed to good aerodynamics, while its exceptional smoothness allowed its use with relatively light and fragile airframes.
Road cars [change]
In cars, V12 engines are not common because of their complexity and cost. They are normally found only in high-end sports cars and luxury cars. For these cars, they are desired for their power, low vibration, and distinctive sound.
Before World War II, V12 engines were found in many luxury cars. In the 1930s, V8 engines started to replace the V12s. The V8 engine design was improved to make it lighter and produce more power than the V12. Since World War II, only a few car manufactures have used V12 engines.
In 1997, Toyota equipped their Century Limousine with a 5.0 L V12, making it the first Japanese production passenger car with a V12. In 2009, China FAW Group Corporation equipped their Hongqi HQE with a 6.0 L V12, making it the first Chinese production passenger car so equipped.
Auto racing [change]
In the past, V12 engines were common in Formula One and endurance racing. Ferrari used V12 engines in 1950, the first year of Formula One. Several factors made teams stop using the V12 engine. Improvements to the V8 engine, in particular Ford Cosworth engine. Small, lightweight turbocharged engines were developed that produced more power for the weight. And finally rule changes that limited the size of engines and the power they could produce.


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Cleveland researchers use natural and artificial sheaths to mend traumatic bone loss
Inside, the body's own stem cells switched on to close gap
A husband and wife research team has found a way to use the sleeve-like cover on bone to heal serious bone injuries faster and more simply than current methods. And they've developed an artificial sleeve that spurs fast healing when a car wreck, bomb blast or disease leaves too little cover.
Melissa Knothe Tate, a joint professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical & aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve University, and Ulf Knothe, an orthopedic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, announce their work at the annual meeting of the Orthopedic Research Society in New Orleans this week.
Knothe used the technique on a wheelchair-bound patient who suffered from cerebral palsy, hip dysplasia and a curved spine exacerbated by legs of differing length. To lengthen her shorter leg while correcting her hip dysplasia, he replaced the hip joint with a long-stemmed prosthesis, in the process cutting and spreading the femur to match the length of its mate. Around the newly-created gap in the femur he left a section of the periosteum, the bone's sleeve-like cover, intact to envelop and heal the gap.
Inside the sleeve, bone grew and matured around the prosthesis stem. The patient has since learned to walk again.
Why does the sleeve work?
"The sock-like sheath on the outside of the bone is a habitat for stem cells," Knothe Tate explained.
In testing on sheep in Switzerland, animals that had the periosteum operation to bridge a 1-inch gap in their leg stood within 24 hours and had substantial bone filling the gap within two weeks. In the lab, Knothe Tate and fellow researchers found that direct and angular pressure on stem cells from periosteum stimulated the cells to develop into bone. They believe the pressure of standing and shifting weight drove the bone growth in the sheep.
"Just like in the embryo, given the right trigger, the cells build bone like crazy," Knothe Tate said.
She tested the periosteum process against the standard bone graft technique of packing the gap with spongy bone taken from the pelvis and included a third model in which the gap was packed with spongy bone and covered with periosteum. The results showed the periosteum alone healed fastest and with the greatest density. "Surprisingly, including the bone graft slowed the healing process." she said.
In addition to better results, the surgical procedure is simpler for the doctor and patient, the couple says. That's no small matter: of the nearly 8 million bone fractures that occur in the U.S. annually, about 1.5 million result in bone grafting operations.
Compared to the process called distraction osteogenesis, which uses pins inserted through the skin and into two lengths of bone to pull them together and bridge a large gap, the perisoteum procedure is far less invasive and less likely to result in infection and other complications.
Knothe, who has worked with patients suffering bone cancer or bone loss from traumatic injuries, knows that sometimes there is not enough periosteum to make a sleeve. With support from the Case-Coulter Translational Research Program, the couple designed an artificial periosteum and Knothe Tate produced the novel implant, a sleeve made of materials approved by the Food & Drug Administration for other treatments. In sheep testing, collagen, collagen and cells scraped from periosteum, and pieces of periosteum were tucked into the artificial sleeves. Sheep treated with pieces of periosteum healed fastest, followed by those with collagen and cells.
"The next step is to bring the technology to the clinic, to broaden its access to the general public beyond the top clinics, for example for patients relying on hospitals in rural areas, as well as for soldiers injured on the battlefield," Knothe said. "You can sterilize the membrane in an autoclave, along with the surgical tools. Its modular design makes it easily adaptable to a variety of clinical situations."
The couple has filed for a patent on the artificial periosteum and is now working with other researchers to develop optimum materials to speed healing.


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Background Central Americahas seen a dramatic increase of chronic kidney disease, unexplained by conventional risk factors (CKDu), primarily affecting adult male agricultural labourers. Increases of CKDu are also reported from Sri Lanka and India. Alleged risk factors include environmental toxins. However, observations from Nicaragua and El Salvadorindicate that repeated dehydration due to strenuous work in tropical climate may be a major risk factor that urgently needs to be explored using epidemiologic, experimental and interventional approaches. If heat stress and dehydration prove to be risk factors in themselves, or in combination with others, climate change will dramatically increase the population under risk in the near future. CKD increase in developing countries, regardless of conventional or unconventional origin, is overwhelming the healthcare systems.
Objectives Collaborative efforts are needed to identify the aetiology of CKDu, and its prevention. To identify current knowledge and gaps, and to propose future research, the university-based program Salud, Trabajo y Ambiente en América Central (SALTRA) sponsored a workshop in Costa Rica, November 2012.
Method Over 50 researchers from 15 countries participated, with expertise in epidemiology, occupational health, clinical and experimental nephrology and nephropathology, environmental and social sciences. Recent findings were reported, including the first biopsy study in CKDu cases from the region, demonstrating an unexpected mixed pattern of glomerular and tubular sclerosis. A mechanistically plausible link between concomitant dehydration and high NSAID consumption, driven by extreme ergonomic work load and musculoskeletal strain, leading to kidney damage was also proposed.
Results Papers summarising current knowledge, and working group reports and recommendations are made openly available on a website. Summary presentations will be published in international peer-review journals. A Research Consortium (SALTRA coordinating) was initiated.
A Statement was issued noting the high prevalence of CKDu in Central America, poverty and deplorable work conditions as driving forces, and the lack of treatment. Urgent actions are demanded.
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Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator. Helms, inspired by compassion for people with disabilities and disadvantaging conditions, sought a way to improve their quality of life.
Helms took a burlap sack and began traveling to the affluent areas of the city, asking for unwanted garments and other goods. Underprivileged or indigent men and women were then offered work at the Morgan Memorial Chapel restoring the collected items, learning trades and acquiring skills as they worked.
Once the items were repaired, they were resold and the money was used to pay the wages of the workers. This cycle of donating, repairing, selling and paying wages was the beginning of Goodwill Industries. Times have changed, but Helm's vision remains constant.
More than 118 years later, Goodwill remains a household name and leading nonprofit provider of educational and workforce-related services.


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Karacan et al. an apparatus is disclosed for recording minute variations in mercury strain-gauge transducers positioned at the base and the tip of the penis.
The above-referenced materials relate to nocturnal penile tumescence activity and not to the measurement of penile rigidity or hardness during the tumescent event. While it is recognized that nocturnal penile tumescence activity is important to the evaluation of organic impotence, another significant aspect in evaluating organic impotence is the quality or rigidity/hardness achieved during the penile tumescent event.
The mercury strain-gauges described by Ismet Karacan provide a measurement of the changes in penile size during a penile tumescent event by changing their impedance as they expand and contract with variations in the penis circumference. The mercury strain-gauges do not, however, provide for measurement of penile rigidity or hardness since the strain-gauges are very elastomeric. A very slight amount of force will fully expand the strain-gauges just as would a larger amount of force.
In addition, the mercury strain-gauge necessitates a rather elaborate monitoring mechanism. The monitoring normally must occur in a health care facility under the supervision of trained professionals. This requires that the patient may be in the health care facility overnight and be subjected to fairly elaborate testing. In addition to creating a substantial imposition on the patient's daily routine, substantial expense is associated with the support facilities and support personnel required to obtain valid test results.
In an article entitled "Nocturnal Penile Tumescence Monitoring with Stamps", Urology, Volume 15, pages 171-172, 1980, a stamp technique is described for detecting complete nocturnal erection for the evaluation of impotence. In this technique, a strip of four postage type stamps is wrapped snuggly around the penis, and the overlapping stamp is moistened to provide a one half to one stamp overlapping seal. The nocturnal penile tumescent stamps, each one and one quarter by one inch, are made on ten by eight inch sheets of paper having water base glue on the opposite side. The patients or subjects are able to perform the evaluations at home rather than go to the hospital, resulting in substantial financial savings. The article indicated that three nights of inhospital nocturnal penile tumescence testing including direct observation of indicated erections and physicians professional fee, currently cost roughly $500. The stamp testing method costs 30 cents for three nights of outpatient testing.
The stamps have a tendency to release after being wetted and stuck together. In addition, the force required to break the perforations between adjacent stamps varies substantially. Thus, the above described stamp technique does not provide a method for accurately detecting a predetermined penile rigidity or hardness.
In Ser. Nos. 318,373 and 378,709, there is disclosed threshold penile rigidity measuring devices which provide for accurate measurement of a predetermined penile rigidity during a penis tumescence event. However, while these devices provide a safe, simple, accurate and reproducible test which can be used at home to provide a very effective tool in the evaluation of impotence, they do not provide for measuring and recording of penile rigidity at various times throughout the tumescence events and accordingly do not provide any record or indication of the duration which the rigidity is maintained. These devices included a ring-like structure having an attachment mechanism for releasably attaching the ring-like structure to a penis. Associated with the ring-like structure is an apparatus for detecting a predetermined force in the penile tumescent event.
The present invention overcomes these and many other problems associated with currently available devices.
The present invention relates to a penile rigidity and tumescence monitor apparatus comprising transducer means for providing output signals indicative of penile rigidity and tumescence. Operatively associated with the transducer means is control means for providing control of the transducer means. The control means provides further for the acquisition of the output signals and storage of penile rigidity and tumescence data represented by said output signals.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus includes a portable housing having an elongated, non-distensible, flexible member extending therefrom. The elongated member is constructed and arranged for forming a loop-like portion at a first end. The loop-like portion is adapted for releasably encircling a penis about the circumference thereof. The elongated member is slideably enclosed within a flexible, non-compressible conduit between the loop-like portion and the housing, the non-compressible conduit being suitably attached to the housing. The preferred embodiment further includes biasing means positioned within the housing and operatively interconnected to a second end of the elongated member within the housing for maintaining the elongated member in a tensioned condition. The elongated member is further slideably enclosed in a collapsible, soft sheath along the loop-like portion whereby changes in the penile circumference result in a displacement of the elongated member within the conduit and the sheath. The apparatus further includes means operatively interconnected to the elongated member for sensing displacement of the elongated member in response to changes in penile circumference or tumescent activity, the sensing means providing an output signal indicative of the displacement and accordingly the change in penile circumference. Additionally, the preferred embodiment includes means operatively interconnected to the elongated member for exerting a predetermined force on the elongated member by pulling on the elongated member, the force tending to reduce the size of the loop-like portion. The sensing means senses displacement of the elongated member caused by exertion of the above-mentioned force and provides an output signal indicative of the displacement and accordingly the penile rigidity, as the penile rigidity will affect the amount of displacement which occurs when the force is exerted on the elongated member. Control means operatively interconnected to the sensing means provides for acquiring the output signals and storing penile rigidity and tumescence data represented by the output signals, the control means also providing for activation of the force means at predetermined intervals.
In the preferred embodiment, the biasing means is a constant force spring attached to the chain or belt of a sprocket drive mechanism. The elongated member is also suitably attached to the chain or belt of the sprocket drive. The constant force spring maintains a slight tension in the cable, sufficient to overcome bearing and cable/conduit friction, but not enough to compress a flaccid penis.
In yet another embodiments of the invention, the constant force spring might be replaced by periodically exerting a force on the elongated member sufficient to place the elongated member in tension.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the sensing means includes an angular potentiometer operatively interconnected to an idler sprocket of the sprocket drive mechanism. Accordingly, as the elongated member is displaced, the potentiometer wiper voltage changes in direct relation to the displacement of the elongated member.
The predetermined force means in one embodiment of the present invention includes a torque motor operatively interconnected to a drive sprocket of the sprocket drive mechanism. By passing a fixed, predetermined current through the torque motor, a calibrated force is exerted on the loop like portion encircling the penis. The elongated member displacement in response to this calibrated force is a function of the compressibility or rigidity of the penis.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the transducer means monitors penile tumescence only.
In yet other embodiments of the present invention, a second transducer might be mounted within the housing to permit concurrent testing of penile base and tip portion rigidities.
The present invention is particularly advantageous in that in the preferred embodiment it provides for continuous monitoring of penile tumescence and further provides for measurement of penile rigidity throughout the penile tumescent events. Accordingly, the present invention provides a trace or record of the tumescence and rigidity at various times throughout the penile tumescent events and provides for measurement of rigidity duration.
Furthermore, the present invention is ambulatory, enabling its use at a remote site, such as a patient's home, away from the hospital. Accordingly, the testing or screening can be performed with very little impact on a person's daily routine or schedule by not requiring that the subject stay overnight in a health care facility. Additionally, the present invention in its simplest form requires little support equipment, special facilities or support personnel. Thus, the present invention provides a simple but effective and accurate technique for monitoring penile rigidity and tumescence during penile tumescent events while a person is sleeping at home. Additionally, since there is no tape or other complicated attachments to the body, there is no discomfort to the patient, thereby allowing the patient to attain a restful night's sleep while the testing is performed.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention further includes a control processor unit programmed with an algorithm so as to be capable of detecting patient tampering thereby greatly increasing the integrity of the data obtained.
In yet other embodiments of the present invention, the penile tumescence and rigidity monitor includes a data communications link capability so as to permit repetitive nightly testing at home (or at a remote, familiar site) without necessitating personally bringing the collected data to the hospital/clinic for interpretation.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.
In the drawings,


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Spark Shell with Scala
With Spark Shell with Scala, we can execute different commands of RDD transformation /action to process the data,is explained below.
1.Open Spark Shell
The following command is used to open Spark shell in scala.
2.Different ways of creating New RDD
2.1 create RDD by Reading File from local filesystem
In this method data is already available in the external systems like a local filesystem i.e HDFS, HBase etc.
|scala> val inputfile = sc.textFile("input.txt")|
Note: Here input.txt file present in Home directory.
2.2 Create RDD through Parallelized Collection
This method can be used with the existing collections of data.
|scala> val no = Array(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)|
scala> val noData = sc.parallelize(no)
2.3 Create RDD from Existing RDDs
In this method creating new RDD by using the existing one.
|scala> val newRDD = no.map(data => (data * 2))|
3. Counting number of Items in the RDD
Here count the number of items available in the RDD. To count the items need to call an Action.
Here Filter the RDD and create new RDD of items which contain word "BeyondCorner". To filter, need to call transformation filter, which will return a new RDD with subset of items.
|scala> val DFData = data.filter(line => line.contains("BeyondCorner"))|
5. Perform Transformation and Action together
Here will perform multiple operations together like filter transformation and count action together for complex requirements.
|scala> data.filter(line => line.contains("BeyondCorner")).count()|
6. Read the First item from the RDD
To read the first item from the file, use the below command.
7. Read the First 7 item from the RDD
To read the first 7 item from the file, use the below command
An RDD is made up of multiple partitions, to count the number of partitions, use the below command.
9. Caching the Transformations
Below command used to store the intermediate transformations in memory.
10. Exit from Spark shell
Below command used to exit from the shell.
From the above Spark Shell with Scala topic we conclude that, using Spark Shell commands we can create RDD, read from RDD, and partition RDD. We can perform various operation on the data using the Spark Shell commands.


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The greatest way to experience the MNRI Method is at a Family Education Conference. Conferences are held around the world and are offered in 4, 5, and 8-day formats. While attending the Conferences, parents and caregivers are taught specific techniques that will most benefit their child/adult. These techniques are taught through a direct, hands-on method with their child/adult. At the Conference, client's receive 6 hours a day of this direct hands-on training plus optional evening programs for additional practice.
Modalities Taught at Every Conference:
- Reflex Repatterning
- Neuro Tactile
- Neuro Structural
- Oral Facial/Visual
- Proprioception Cognition
Additional Modalities May Include:
- Deep Neurostructural
- Stress Hormones
Support Materials Included:
- A Training Manual - Written and graphic descriptions of each technique.
- Online Recordings – Instructional recordings of each modality.
- Access to MNRI Camp Alumni Facebook Page
- 6+ hours of daily hands-on education
- 30-minute Assessment
- Video of Assessment
- Personalized Home Program
- Lunch for each day the Conference is in session (excluding day off)
- Healthy snacks during break time on each day of Conference
- Celebratory Medal and Certificate of Completion
What's NOT included:
- Lodging (group rate available through host hotel)
- Breakfast and Dinner
Please visit our FAQ page where we address some common questions regarding Family Conferences.
Download the Participant Welome and Instruction Letter to learn more.
What Parents are saying:
"We are so happy we made the decision to attend a Family Educational Conference. Learning the techniques that we could personally do to help our child was so empowering." S.O.
"The Specialists that were assigned to us were fantastic at teaching us what our child needed. We are now able to give our son more therapy at home, while spending less money travelling to see specialists." K.O.
"I had no idea how valuable the experience of going to a Family Conference would be. The unexpected value, was the immediate acceptance I felt among the other families. Instant friendships were formed." T.S.
"Watching my child interact with the other children during break time was such a great bonus. Now my daughter is asking when we are going back." C.C.


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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Origin of ensiform
Words nearby ensiform
Example sentences from the Web for ensiform
The seventh vertebra articulates laterally at the point at which the ensiform process is attached to the corpus of the sternum.Pedagogical Anthropology|Maria Montessori
We have now entered among the typical species, where every form occurs between a round and an ensiform shape.
The manubrium is thickened and drawn inward, the ensiform process protuberant, the sternum often swelled and painful to the touch.
The situation of the localized pain is usually at or a little below the ensiform cartilage.
Gastralgia is more frequent than enteralgia, and the pain is located about the ensiform cartilage.


Tonight's Sky
Tonight's Sky — Change location
Tonight's Sky — Select location
Tonight's Sky — Enter coordinates
° '
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Could an astronaut's corpse bring new life to another world?
A poor soul adrift in the void could bring the genesis on a place like Mars
One day, it's bound to happen. An astronaut dies in space.
Microbial Wayfarers
There are roughly two ways you could imagine a human corpse seeding life across the cosmos. Either by delivering living microbes, or — if all those viruses, bacteria, and other germs died in route — sparking the genesis of entirely new life entirely. Both, it seems, are possible.
"If the question is, 'Are there a set of possible circumstances by which a corpse could deliver microbes to a planet that could survive the space environment?' well, then I would say the answer is yes," says Gary King, a microbial biologist at Louisiana State University who studies microbes that survive in extreme environments.
King argues that our bodies are riddled with microbes we already know can survive vast periods of time in stasis; even in cold, dry environments similar to space.
"We've pulled microbes out of permafrost, and there we're talking about organisms surviving around one million years in suspended animation. Especially if the trip is somewhere close, like to Mars, bacterial spores in the human body will survive for sure," says King. "It's also possible that other, non-sporing bacteria could survive as well. I'm thinking about microbes like Deinococcus radiodurans, which we know can survive low levels of water and high amounts of ionizing radiation."
As King sees it, there are three major factors that influence whether or not a corpse could FedEx its microbial life to another planet. The corpse's container, its storage environment, and its flight time.
First, if your corpse has been jettisoned, you're outta luck. "If you're imagining a corpse in a spacesuit floating out in space, I can tell you right now that if it's pulled in by some Planet X's gravity, any surviving microbes would just incinerate in the atmosphere. The corpse would definitely have to be inside something like a spacecraft to survive, and even then the reentry could be pretty destructive," says King. As well, the corpse's spacecraft would have to crack open during or after the landing, if any surviving microbes had any hope of spreading.
Secondly, you have to consider the storage of the corpse. If the corpse is floating inside a spacecraft that's somehow maintaining an above-freezing temperature—allowing for liquid water—that could be ideal. "Bacteria also have real limits regarding how quickly they can decay big chunks of organic matter," says King, "without the presence of animals like worms or beetles helping along the decaying process, the human body could provide fuel for countless generations of bacteria, for many thousands of years."
But this unlikely environment may not even be necessary. "Interestingly enough, when researchers want to maintain microbial cultures for long periods of time, they basically freeze dry the suckers. You take your culture, freeze it, dehydrate it, and end up with a pellet you can send out to people to re-hydrate and grow. Given that space is kind of the ultimate freeze-dryer. It's not hard to imagine why the ambient environment might not be so bad to store microorganisms," he says.
The biggest factor of all might be the corpse's flight time. "So, travel within the solar system is certainly within the realm of microbial survival, assuming the corpse is traveling at the rate of something like you're typical satellite," says King. "But if you want to talk about timescales beyond that, to the millions of years it might take to get to another star system," like our closest stellar neighbor Proxima Centauri, 4.2 light years away, "then the limiting factor becomes radiation," says King.
The longer your corpse is floating in space, the more ambient cosmic radiation it's absorbing. Enough radiation will scramble an organism's DNA and RNA with mutations, "and unless those mutations can be repaired during the transit, at a rate equal to the mutations you're accumulating, well then survival becomes questionable," King says. "When you talk about one-million-plus years with little radiation shielding, then I'd say we're talking about a very limited possibility of microbial survival. But I won't say impossible, if you only need one of the vast number of microbes on the human body to survive the trip."
Bodily Chemistry
Ok, let's assume our corpse makes the trip, but every last one of its microbial cling-ons perish en route. Perhaps the timescale was simply too vast. Perhaps our corpse had been floating for several billion years, outlasting not just its last, hopelessly irradiated microbe, but Earth itself.
Could our corpse — lifeless but loaded with its amino acids and fats, its proteins and carbohydrates—kick-start an entirely new form of life?
Both Jack Szostak, a Nobel winning geneticist at Harvard Medical School, and Lee Cronin, a chemist who studies the genesis of life at the University of Glasgow, are in agreement. The corpse just might, but the conditions would have to be ideal.
"The molecules released from the decaying astronaut could potentially provide a boost to a new origin [of life] if the environmental conditions were almost perfect for life to begin, but just a few ingredients were missing or present in too low concentrations," writes Szostak in an email to Astronomy Magazine. In other words, the corpse would be a bit like a match—not the whole bonfire.
Szostak is sure to mentions that "if we're talking about a very simple cell, along the lines of the proto-cells that [arose at] the beginning of life on earth, the astronaut's molecules" alone would be hopelessly insufficient. In other words, the corpse's molecules alone couldn't just recombine to form a living organism.
Why? Szostak argues that there are certain types of molecules, like DNA building blocks called triphosphates, that he thinks are absolutely essential for creating new Earth-like life, and we know these fragile molecules would have chemically decayed in our astronaut given enough time. Instead, such molecules would need to be present on whatever planet the corpse's ship crash landed on.
Cronin agrees that a human corpse could almost be viewed "as a sort of starter-pack of chemistry to bootstrap the [genesis] of new life," he says. "But you'd need to consider a few factors."
"First, how many corpses would you actually need to get onto a planet to make sure you statistically have enough organics to get things moving?" he asks. "Imagine a huge planet with an ocean, if you have just a single corpse that gets dissolved in a second or two and that chemistry gets spread very, very thinly. Well, it's very difficult to imagine that corpse might help the process along," he says. Better, Cronin argues, would be multiple corpses. Perhaps something like an entire, doomed crew. One which somehow managed to land somewhere like a shallow pool where when corpses' would be ejected, the chemistry could stay together.
But it is possible. "And who knows," says Cronin, who muses that "hypothetically speaking, it's not impossible to imagine that life on Earth could have started through a similar process."
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7 30 Example 35 68 8 14 10 8 30 only was6 68 8 14 10 7 30 carried out in7 8 92 9 30 argon gas and8 46 8 23 23 8 30 the calcining9 8 46 46 9 30 temperature10 8 68 14 10 8 30 was 1,100° C.11 46 8 46 4 3012 42 16 42 100 6 3013 16 70 14 220 7 3014 8 78 50 7 3015 42 8 42 300 6 3016 32 34 900 4 3017 16 84 2 1218 84 16 5 1219 16 84 5 1220 16 42 42 8 3021 68 32 4 1222 32 68 6 1223 50 50 4 1224 50 50 0 12__________________________________________________________________________
Since these oxides have an equilibrium oxygen partial pressure higher than aluminum, there was a themite reaction between aluminum and these oxides, it being recognized that the composites were formed by reaction sintering.
Examples 12 through 16 were mixed in proportions of 100 wt % of oxide powder and from 50 to 900 wt % of nitrides and carbides, and they were in a state of being distributed in the composite as aggregate.
Table 2 gives measurements of physical properties of composites obtained by examples in Table 1.
TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________ Water Bending Wear Bulk AbsorpOxidant (wt %) Strength K.C. Volume Density tion FeO NiO Cr2 O2 MgO kg/cm2 MP√m cm2 g/cm2 % Notes__________________________________________________________________________8 46 23 23 8 40.939 16.028 0.0457 3.789 0.0067 Fe, Cr and Mg contained in composite9 -- 46 46 8 40.375 8.587 0.0083 3.832 0.0061 Ni and Mg contained in compositeReference Example 1 Oxygen gas 14.01 5.799 0.0122 3.293 0.0118 Composite contained over 70% silicon carbide as aggregateReference Example 2 Oxygen gas 36.90 6.531 0.5131 3.647 0.0123 Composite only Wear Test Conditions Projection pressure 1 kg/cm2 Projection time 15 minutes Projection material 60 μm silicon Projection distance 50 mm Projection angle 45 degrees__________________________________________________________________________
Measured by the SENB Method
Reference Example 1 shown in Table 2 is a composite made by the gas phase oxide method, which is wear resistant material with SiC as an aggregate dispersed at over 70 wt %. Reference Example 2 is also a composite made by the gas phase oxidation method but was grown by blowing oxygen gas onto it, being a composite of pure alumina and aluminum only. Accordingly, the wear resistance of Reference Example 1 is markedly higher than that of Reference Example 2 Only there was a marked drop in bending strength. Example 8 of the present invention also had high bending strength but this shows a destruction toughness value of 16 MP m and that it was raised by alloy element additions of Fe, Ni, Cr and Mg. On the other hand, Example 9 of the present invention had only Ni, Cr and Mg in the composite, and in spite of the fact that it does not contain SiC which raises wear resistance as an aggregate, its wear resistance rises to nearly five times that of Reference Example 1. Also, its bending strength and resistance to destruction values were also high, showing that the various physical properties are raised when alloy elements are included.
The following effects are offered by following the present invention as described above.
(1) Introduction of gaseous oxidizers and the attendant supply apparatus are unnecessary. That is, supply tubes from outside the furnace to inside the furnace and oxygen supply containers around the preformed member are absolutely unnecessary. Except for bondings with metal, the treatment can be done in conventional heating furnaces, there is no need for special technology or apparatus, and since it is possible to carry out calcining and bonding of the composite simultaneously, cheaply and simply, it has an expanded application and utilization for ceramics and metals.
Also, under prior methods it is necessary to supply gaseous oxidizers precisely at the reaction interface where the composite is growing, special furnaces with complex apparatus outside them are required, and performing and barriers on the preforms are also required. However, the present invention requires airtightness for maintaining the atmosphere only when inert atmospheres are required, and there are no special requirements for calcining furnaces and apparatus.
(2) The equipment is simple. That is, when using pressed powder forms with aluminum as the material, the calcining temperature and the powder oxide films preserve the shape of the pressed form and there is no meltdown, so that a melt sink for the mother material melt of prior methods is not required, and from this standpoint also there is no special equipment required.
(3) Atmospheric controls are unnecessary. That is, the method of making composites following the present invention makes it possible to use atmospheres that are oxidizing or inert or just air. Other than calcining together with metal, it is sufficient to have an air atmosphere without atmospheric control (without introducing oxygen or air into the furnace).
(4) It is not necessary to make preforms when using pressed aluminum powder forms. That is, while prior methods had to make preforms because the aluminum material melted, with the present invention it is also possible to use powdered aluminum pressed products, so that oxides can be filled adjoining and in contact with these pressed products so that there is no need to make preforms.
(5) By adding any desired alloy elements to the composite, it is possible to improve bending strength, resistance to deterioration, wear resistance and other physical properties.
(6) It is possible to bond metals and ceramics. That is, when seeking to bond metal and ceramics under prior methods, the growth direction of the composite advances in a direction where it shields gaseous oxidizers, and in the final stage the oxygen that is the driving force for growing and bonding cannot be supplied at the boundary of the growth interface of a composite of metal and ceramic, and bonding becomes impossible. Especially in the case of metals, while with prior methods it is impossible to bond by oxidizing the bond surface, with the present invention all or a portion of the preform or filler is a source of oxygen supply. Thus as long as there is gaseous oxidizer the oxygen can be prearranged in the form of oxides even at the difficult-to-supply bonding interface, so that a themite reaction occurs. Further the heat of reaction causes diffusion and melting so that the ceramic or metal bonds. At this time, when the object of bonding is metal, it will be bonded as long as there is an inert atmosphere. Also, when the object of bonding is ceramic, even if the atmosphere is oxidizing, the composite and iron do not separate so that the iron is not oxidized. Thus bonding is done with the bonding interface maintained in an active state.
(7) The oxidation structure is made fine by solid phase oxidizers. That is, when we compare the microstructures of composites made by simple oxidation reactions in gas phase oxidizers under prior methods with the microstructures of composites made by themite reactions of solid phase oxidizers of the present invention, the structures of the present invention have a finer aluminum three-dimensional network structure than those of prior methods, and strength and toughness are higher.
(8) It is possible to lower heating temperatures. That is, with the method of making composites by themite reactions of solid phase oxidizers of the present invention, compared to methods using oxygen gas oxidation, the calcining temperatures are lower by 100° to 350° C., and it is possible to maintain the temperatures for calcining together with metal at 950° to 1,200° C. This drop in heating temperatures plays a role in preventing quality deterioration of metals such as facet fracture and burning at grain boundaries in crystal grains of carbide steel and stainless steel, offering a wider choice of metal materials that can be calcined simultaneously.


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Fourteen Latin American and Caribbean countries adopted an ambitious Plan of Action to improve access rights in the region, including access to information, public participation, and access to justice.
More than 300 representatives from government, multilateral institutions, and civil society came together today to push for more action and commitments to support stronger governance around environmental issues.
On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, more than 300 representatives from governments, UN agencies, and civil society will gather to express their support for action and make commitments around open and transparent government and environmental issues.
Environmental democracy is about government being transparent, accountable, and involving people in decisions that affect their environment. 20 countries in The Access Initiative (TAI) network are expanding their work to promote environmental democracy. Here is a summary of what's ahead in 2008 and beyond.
Laws alone are not enough to ensure environmental protection. Civil society organizations often play a critical role in bringing those laws to life. In Uganda, Greenwatch has done exactly that for the country's laws on access to environmental information, the first of which passed in 1998.
The Access Initiative (TAI) and its partners are launching the first of its kind assessment of environmental governance in China. It is the first step towards engaging civil society organizations and government agencies to promote the public transparency, participation, and accountability that are essential foundations for sustainable development.
The Access Initiative is the largest network in the world dedicated to ensuring that citizens have the right and ability to influence decisions about the natural resources that sustain their communities.


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A Brief History
In 1891, with the election coming up and with President Kruger facing strong opposition, he was anxious to bring the Republics new coins into circulation. The new Mint was not yet operating so the President placed an order for coins dated 1892 with the Kaisermunt in Berlin. The first consignment of pounds, half pounds and crowns arrived with two shafts on the wagon and similar size front and rear wheels in the coat of arms. (The traditional Voortrekker wagon had a single shaft and rear wheels larger than the front wheels.) To add insult to injury the designer, Otto Schultz, had followed custom and placed his initials below Kruger's' bust - which is Afrikaans for ox. This mistake almost cost Kruger the election. Subsequently, new coins with the appropriate correction were brought into circulation. The 'offensive' coins had received so much publicity that many were kept as mementos. This is why they can still be found in mint condition, though very scarce.
Among the first issues of all the coins minted in Berlin in 1892 were a number of complimentary proof sets, which are exceedingly rare today.
Did you know?
The 1898 Single "9" is the most important African coin. Sold by South Cape CoinsRead more »
Understanding "No Grade"
Don't get caught out!
A guide to the states of condition that can cause a coin to be rejected for NGC certification.


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Delivering confidence in the performance of materials
We undertake cutting-edge measurement research to help industry grow, enhance competitiveness and increase productivity. Our research is aimed at developing new and improved, validated measurement and instrument technology which will improve the understanding and reliability of the measurement techniques used by industry and academia. These in turn help organisations to understand and use materials and processes to increase their output, reduce costs and waste.
We work closely with the instrument makers, instrument users and end users of the data to ensure that the research we carry out is relevant, useful and will provide the information end users require.
A lack of standards can be a barrier to the uptake of new materials and processes, so NPL is leading the development of best practice and standards across the world. The outcomes of our research, in the form of new and improved measurement methods, are made available to industry through commercial measurement services and consultancies.


I am looking for some help on rk4 and coulomb repulsion.
It is a technical question but one has to go through the story to understand what I am tyring to achieve. Thank you already.
I am trying to simulate the Coulomb repulsion between charged particles. I am using RK4 to do this which requires a function. The physics formula of the function is:
dx/dt = k*qi*(xi-xj)/sqrt((xi-xj)^2+(yi-yj)^2+(zi-zj)^2)
where qi is the charge of the i-th particle, xi, yi, zi are the
coordinates of the i-th particle and xj, yj,zj are the coordinates of the j-th
As an input for the initial values of the positions and charge for each particle, I am using arrays (currently only for 4 particles):
q[4] = { 1.0, 1.0, -1.0, 1.0 } charge
x0[4] = { 1.0, 2.3, 3.2, 4.0 } init posn x
y0[4] = { 1.0, 2.4, 3.0, 4.0 } init posn y
z0[4] = { 1.0, 2.5, 3.3, 4.2 } init posn z
and by using two "for" loops I can loop through each particle and compute the value of the total effect of all the particles on eachother. My question is: since there are two values for each coordinate (i and j), how can I write the function in an acceptable form for RK4?
I did try the following:
int func (double t, const double y[], double f[], void *params){
 double mu = *(double *)params;
 double dx = (y[0]-y[1])/r;
 double dy = (y[2]-y[3])/r;
 double dz = (y[4]-y[5])/r;
 f[0] = mu*y[6]*dx/(r*r);
 f[1] = mu*y[6]*dy/(r*r);
 f[2] = mu*y[6]*dz/(r*r);
 return GSL_SUCCESS;
however, I am not convinced this is correct (at all).
I would appreciate any feedback.


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Definition of Angiomatosis, bacillary
Angiomatosis, bacillary: A bacterial infection due to a cat scratch most often seen today in people with HIV. The disease characteristically presents with swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenitis), sore throat, fatigue, and fever, chills, sweats, vomiting, loss of appetite, and weight loss. There is usually a little bump (a papule) which may be pus-filled (a pustule) at the site of the scratch. Then more nodules appear on and under the skin. As the number of nodules increases, patients get sicker.
In normal people the disease is self-limited and usually goes away by itself in a few weeks. It can also be treated with antibiotics.
In persons with HIV/AIDS the disease can cause severe inflammation of the brain, bone marrow, lymph nodes, lungs, spleen and liver. The disease can be fatal in persons with HIV. It can be easily treated with antibiotics such as erythromycin and doxycycline. Treatment is given until the skin lesions resolve, usually in 3 to 4 weeks.
Bacillary angiomatosis is so characteristic today of AIDS that it is an AIDS defining disease, according to the CDC (Centers For Disease Control).
A cat carrying the microbe does not show symptoms. It is not necessary to get rid of the cat. If someone in the household is at high risk, a test to detect the infection can be done and the cat can be treated.
The disease is caused by a bacterium called Rochalimaea henselae, which was reclassified as Bartonella henselae, named for Diane Hensel, a microbiologist. Bacillary angiomatosis has also been called cat scratch disease, cat scratch fever, regional lymphadenitis, and benign lymphoreticulosis.Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionary
Last Editorial Review: 6/14/2012
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Chimney Swifts have declined by over 50% in just the last 40 years. Chimney Swifts can be helped by making chimneys accessible for the birds or by building Chimney Swift Towers -- specially designed nesting/roosting towers.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
- Plant native trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses that attract more insects than non-native plants. Chimney Swifts feed exclusively on flying insects which are crucial during the breeding season.
- Investigate an alternative venting system if you are converting a furnace or hot water heater to gas, leaving the chimney unlined and uncapped for the swifts.
- Work with an experienced chimney sweep company that can speak to the issue of Chimney Swift conservation and chimney maintenance.
- Encourage your neighborhood parks, schools, and businesses to build chimney swift towers.
- Work with local conservation groups to raise awareness of the need for uncapped chimneys for Chimney Swift conservation.
CHIMNEY SWIFT FACTS
- Chimney swifts have declined by over 50% in just the last 40 years
- Small, agile, fast-flying bird that is readily identified by its "flying cigar" profile
- Breeds across much of eastern North America
- Historically nested and roosted in hollow trees
- Readily adapted to the insides of masonry chimneys
- Winters in the Amazon Basin
IN THE NEWS
October, 2011. KARE-11 Simply Science video with Sven Sundgaard on Audubon Minnesota's Chimney Swift Conservation Project about a Boy Scout building a tower for his Eagle Project.
July 2011. Chimney swift conservation is highlighted in the July–August Audubon magazine, including a sidebar "Tower Power" with Audubon Minnesota's Chimney Swift conservation project noted.
June 30, 2011. "This knowledge has stopped conversation about putting a cap on the chimney," said Roger Storms following participation in a Community Chimney Swift Sit. "Education is a wonderful thing." _URL_
April 2011. Volunteers needed to help restore chimney swift habitat at the Minneapolis American Indian Center – See page 3 of Ojibwe Innaajimowin at _URL_
Dec. 9, 2010. Star-Tribune. Chimney swifts, which have declined 50 percent in the last 40 years, will be given new nesting sites.
Sept. 16, 2010. KARE-11 Simply Science video with Sven Sundgaard on Audubon Minnesota's Chimney Swift Conservation Project. "It is called the flying cigar because of their short, stubby bodies, long wing span," explains Ron.
Aug. 19, 2010. Watch Jon Smithers' video of Chimney Swifts at St. Anne's School in Le Sueur, Minnesota.
July 31, 2010. Star Tribune. As chimney swifts continue to lose habitat, Newport Elementary in Newport and Hillside Elementary in Cottage Grove are helping to save the species.
June 11, 2010. The Daily Reporter. Contractor's work is for the birds. Kraus-Anderson
May 2, 2010. Finding homes for Chimney Swifts. Stephanie Hemphill reports on Audubon Minnesota's efforts to raise awareness about Chimney Swifts and their special habitat needs.
Nov. 16, 2009. KARE-11 story on unique young chimney swifts that have to learn the skills of the swift thanks to the help of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I tell if I have chimney swifts and not bats in my chimney?
Swifts like large openings at the top and closed at the bottom unlike bats that like tight openings at the bottom and closed at top. If you see birds entering the chimney at dusk they are most likely chimney swifts. Bats on the other hand are leaving their small roosts at that time.
Should I be concerned about swifts interfering with my use of my fireplace? Swifts are generally gone before the colder temperatures arrive as they spend winter in the Amazon.
I have heard that chimney swifts pose a fire hazard, is that true?
Only one pair of swifts nest in a chimney so matter how many non-breeding swifts might be using it. The nest is so small that it poses a very minimal fire hazard, and certainly is small enough to not block even the smallest of flues. Routine cleaning (when the swifts are gone south for the winter is the best time) will eliminate any potential risk.
The chimney swifts are really noisy, what is going on?
Swifts will make swooshing noises as they enter and leave the chimney and will often chirp. If you are lucky enough to have a nest with young you won't have any problem knowing as they will make some loud, high pitched yips when the parents return with food. This vocalization by the young doesn't last but two to two and a half weeks until the young fledge. You can put a sheet of Styrofoam or something that softens the noise in the flue to reduce the noise during the nesting period.
Some chimney sweeps have told me that swifts cause Histoplasmosis, should I be concerned?
Histoplasma, an organism that can grow in the soil is associated primarily with large scale poultry operations or large amounts of bird or bat droppings. Having you chimney cleaned periodically (while the swifts are not nesting) will prevent any appreciable accumulations of droppings. The chimney sweep will take necessary precautions if there are any accumulated materials at the bottom.
How much difference does it make if I cap my chimney?
Capping of chimneys is undoubtedly a major factor in the decline of the chimney swift (a 50% decline in just the last 40 years. One less chimney means one less family of young that can reproduce in the years ahead. Rather than capping your chimney or installing metal vents when installing a new gas furnace of hot water heater consider alternative venting methods other than running it up an existing brick chimney.


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1. Form a comprehensive, descriptive sedimentary analysis of Jurassic and Early Cretaceous units in the Carpentaria basin by analysing drill cores and log data
2. Determine the sedimentary provenance, paleoenvironment, paleogeography and form more robust age constraints based on detailed facies analysis, paleocurrent data (where available), sandstone petrography and detrital zircon geochronology.
Further, the project will test the nature of the arc volcanic material to support positive evidence in a previous study:
The sedimentary provenance analysis will be focused by the following questions:


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Denture adhesive is a non-toxic, water-soluble material that is placed between the denture and the tissues in your mouth to enhance the normal physiological forces that hold dentures in place. It can come in both cream and powder form and reduces movement and slippage when you do things like eat, speak, laugh, cough or sneeze.
Dentures "adhere" to tissues because saliva adheres to both the denture and the tissue. Denture adhesive does a superior job of adhering to both surfaces, thereby, improving retention. Dentures also "cohere" to tissues, because the film of saliva between tissue and denture resists being pulled apart. The coherence of denture adhesive is far greater than the coherence of saliva. Commercially available denture adhesive formulas vary by product, but all exhibit dramatically enhanced coherence and adherence in the presence of saliva or water.
Do not use denture adhesive if:
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What does Boxing Day have to do with boxing?
[ney-thuh nz] /ˈneɪ θənz/
Daniel, 1928–1999, U.S. biologist: Nobel Prize in medicine 1978. Unabridged
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d nathans in Medicine
Nathans Na·thans (nā'thənz), Daniel. Born 1928.
American microbiologist. He shared a 1978 Nobel Prize for the discovery of restriction enzymes and their application to molecular genetics.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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d nathans in Science
American microbiologist who pioneered the use of restriction enzymes—enzymes that break DNA molecules down into manageable fragments—to create the first genetic map on which the location of specific genes on the DNA could be identified. For this work, which revolutionized genetic engineering, Nathans shared the 1978 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine with Werner Arber and Hamilton Smith.
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We've written about tardigrades before - the microscopic water bears that defy all odds and are quite possibly the toughest multi-cellular microorganisms out there. Now, they've broken the record for something which shouldn't even have a record to be broken (if that makes any sense) - a tardigrade has been brought to life after being frozen solid for 30 years. Soon after that, it gave birth to 14 healthy babies.
Tardigrades are waterborne micro-animals also called water bears or moss piglets. Their name literally means "slow stepper." They can survive anywhere from mountaintops to the deep sea, from tropical rain forests to the Antarctic. They can withstand temperatures from 1 K (−458 °F; −272 °C) to about 420 K (300 °F; 150 °C), pressures six times greater than those found in the deepest ocean trenches, ionizing radiation at doses hundreds of times higher than the lethal dose for a human, and the vacuum of outer space.
Still not impressed?
They can survive without food for more than 10 years, and as has already been shown a couple of times, they can freeze solid, then thaw and come back to life. Researchers in Japan brought back such a tardigrade frozen in 1983, and not only did a healthy baby hatch from it six days later, but it went on to produce offspring shortly after.
Being frozen caused the tardigrades and eggs to undergo a process known as cryptobiosis. Cryptobiosis is a state in which the body shuts down virtually all metabolic functions. An organism in a perfect cryptobiotic state can essentially live indefinitely until environmental conditions return to being hospitable. Of course, there are no perfect states, but the tardigrades got pretty damn close to it.
"We recorded recovery of two individuals and development of a separate egg of the Antarctic tardigrade, Acutuncus antarcticus, providing the longest records of survival for tardigrades as animals or eggs," the researchers report.
The researchers have reported their findings in the journal Cryobiology:
"SB-1 first showed slight movement in its fourth pair of legs on the first day after re-hydration. This progressed to twisting of the body from day 5 along with movement in its first and second pairs of legs, but the movements remained slow.
After starting to attempt to lift itself on day 6, SB-1 started to slowly crawl on the agar surface of the culture well on day 9, and started to eat the algal food provided... in the culture plate on day 13."
Now, researchers are following closely to see how their metabolic processes return to life one after one.


Skip to definition.
Adjective: alloyed 'a,loyd
 1. (used of metals) debased by mixture with an inferior element
 2. (used of metals) blended to obtain a desired property
Verb: alloy 'a,loy
 1. (metallurgy) lower in value by increasing the base-metal content
 - debase
 2. (metallurgy) make an alloy of
See also: blended, impure
Type of: blend, coalesce, combine, commingle, conflate, devalue, flux, fuse, immix, meld, merge, mix
Encyclopedia: Alloyed
Alloy, West Virginia


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SUSNET (Sustainability Network) is the project's web-based environment. This provides a workspace for schools to document their GNH work and share resources. SUSNET can also be used a tool for collaborative work between schools, within and outside Bhutan.
SUSNET has a wealth of resources on sustainability issues, including teaching material, project and lesson ideas for GNH and sustainable development. There are also resources on action research, transformative pedagogy, distance education, media literacy and documentary filmmaking, including a space for uploading films produced by teachers and students.
Whilst some of the workspaces are only available for project members, the resources can be accessed by visitors. To view the resources click on the SUSNET link and then enter the user account and password given below.