Technology Musings
Super Fuzzy Searching on PostgreSQL
I have been working on doing some fuzzy searching on PostgreSQL for a while, and thought I'd share some of my experiences here. Many people are not yet aware of the incredible fuzzy search capabilities of PostgreSQL, especially that were added in the 9.1 release.
Most people use an external engine such as Lucene to do fuzzy searches. While, as you will see, there are still reasons to do so, they are much fewer now than they used to be.
Fuzzy Search Using Trigrams
While PostgreSQL has lots of different fuzzy search options (soundex, levenshtein, etc.), the one which has the most support is trigram searching. What is a trigram? Trigrams break a word up into 3-letter sequences, which can then be used to do similarity matches. Think of the word "hello". It has the following trigrams: "h", "he", "hel", "ell", "llo", "lo", and "o". Now look at the word "hallo". It has the following trigrams: "h", "ha", "hal", "all", "llo", "lo", and "o". You can see that there are several trigrams that match, and several that don't match. Similarity is computed via cosine similarity (which I don't totally understand), but, basically, the more trigrams you have in common the closer the match. In the present case, 'hallo' and 'hello' have a similarity of 0.333333. You can see this in PostgreSQL by saying:
select similarity('hello', 'hallo')
PostgreSQL also has two other relevant operators that use similarity - the "<->" operator and the "%" operator. "<->" is the "distance" operator, which is simply one minus the similarity (i.e. if the similarity is 0.2 the distance will be 0.8). For text searching, "%" is the "similar" operator, which returns true if two strings are similar, or false if they are not. Two strings are defined as "similar" if their similarity is 0.3 or greater. This can be set with set_limit(), but it is not usually useful to do so (we will deal with custom similarities later). The "%" operator is important, because of its heavy use in indexing.
Installing Trigrams
The trigram module (pg_trgm) is not installed by default in PostgreSQL, but is one of their standard (and supported!) extensions. To install, you need to make sure you build the module in the source code. To do this, go into the contrib/pg_trgm directory of the source code and do a "make; make install". This will install the plugin, but will not activate it. Then, in any database you want to use this plugin, put in the command:
This will load the necessary SQL to install the functions and operators needed to make trigrams work. If you type that command in the template1 database, then all future databases created on that system will have the extension installed.
Using Trigrams Without an Index
The simplest use of trigrams would be to have a table with a name column, and do a search like this:
SELECT * FROM people WHERE lastname % 'Schmoe'
This will return a list of people where the trigram similarity is greater than the default threshold. If you want to specify the similarity you are looking for, you can change that to:
SELECT * FROM people WHERE similarity(lastname, 'Schmoe') > 0.5
This will give a less-tolerant match than the default.
The problem with doing this is that it takes a lot of processing power. The reason people usually use databases is because they have a huge number of records and need to be able to search them quickly. If we have 10,000 records, manually doing trigram matches will take quite a bit of time.
So, one of the best features of PostgreSQL 9.1 is the ability for PostgreSQL to incorporate trigrams into an index. So, to make an index to speed up our search, do:
CREATE INDEX people_lastname_trigram_idx ON people USING gist(lastname gist_trgm_ops);
This will create a "gist" index, which is a special type of index which is often used in spacial and other vector-oriented matching. The "gist_trgm_ops" is a little bit of magic that tells gist how to use a text field as a vector of trigrams.
Now, your query will use the index, provided you have enough rows to make it worthwhile. HOWEVER, it is not yet using the index efficiently. While PostgreSQL can (and will) use the index for this query, it doesn't actually check the condition until a later step (I believe, but am not sure, that it is using the index to get everything in the right order, and then at a later stage doing filtering). For large tables, this can still be several orders of magnitude worse than you want. To fix this, you MUST use the "%" operator. This will cause the index to have an "index condition", which it will use to limit the results that it puts out. So, if you have:
SELECT * FROM people WHERE lastname % 'Schmoe';
This will use the index AND the index condition, and will be super-fast (except in extremely large datasets - see next section). However, this uses the built-in cutoff point of 0.3 similarity. What if I want my results to be tighter than that? The best way is to combine % with similarity(), like this:
SELECT * FROM people WHERE lastname % 'Schmoe' AND similarity(lastname, 'Schmoe') > 0.5;
In this case, the database will use the "%" condition for the index, which will be incredibly fast, and the "similarity()" call as a post-index filter, which, since there is a much smaller dataset, will still be pretty fast.
Working With Larger Datasets
I had trouble working with trigrams because my main dataset is about 14 million titles. At this size, trigram searching is really slow. With the whole database loaded in-memory (either in PG's cache or in the filesystem cache - I have many, many gigs of memory), a trigram search of the database USING THE INDEX took between 3 and 12 seconds, depending on the string. Poking around, I came out with the following basic results for a database on an Amazon EC2 4XL instance without any other load:
 - 100,000 records: 40 milliseconds
 - 1,000,000 records: 0.4 seconds
 - 14,000,000 records: 7 seconds
So, as you can see, the useful limit to these queries is about 1 million records. Therefore, if you have more than 14 million rows, if you want to do trigrams, you need to find a way to boost performance. I've found there are two basic methods you can use to speed up trigrams on large datasets:
 1. Create specialized indexes with subsets of your data
 2. Create a separate wordlist table with unique words
#1 is much preferred if you can do it, because it is an entirely database-oriented method. Basically, what I did, is I figured out that on my queries I only needed to trigram search on about 1 million of my 14 million records. Therefore, I specialized the index by adding a "WHERE" clause to the index itself. On my database, I have a "type" field, and I'm only searching certain types of records. Therefore, I changed my index to the following:
CREATE INDEX people_lastname_restricted_trigram_idx ON people USING gist(lastname gist_trgm_ops) WHERE type IN ('my_type1','my_type2');
This meant that only about a million records were being stored in the index, which brought down my search time considerably. Another search that I was doing was based on the person's "popularity", in which case, I added another index for popularity being greater than 20. This restricted the set down to about 100,000 records, which made it blazingly fast.
The other alternative (#2) I mentioned is to create a separate table of words which is searched. The idea is that while you may have 14 million records, there probably aren't 14 million words. Therefore, you create a table using unique words from the database, and then add a trigram index on that. The problem, though, is that this takes either (a) a lot of manual work, or (b) a lot of triggers, none of which is the way I like to administer databases. Nonetheless, it can work if you are merely wanting to use trigrams to fuzzy-match individual words. It can be especially helpful in conjunction with PostgreSQL's full-text search (previously known as tsearch2), which still operates blazingly-fast on 14 million records. Fuzzy string matching on words can be combined with full-text search on records to present a powerful and fast method of searching. The wordlist can be fuzzy-matched to provide better hints at what words are in the fulltext.
To create a wordlist, do something like this:
CREATE TABLE search_words (word text);
CREATE INDEX search_words_word_trigram_idx ON search_words USING gist(word gist_trgm_ops);
Then, every time you need to


text:
Larnaca, meet the MOOCs; MOOC's, meet Lamarca. I almost forgot about this post/share, "Quick review of the Larnaca Learning Design Declaration," from OLDaily in drafts. Forgetting about drafts happens way too often but could be serendipity this time, pairing up for comparison with Geof Cain's Brainstorm in Progress post, "MOOCs: Why Do We need Instructional Design?", recently shared on et tu mooc?
OK, I have to admit, my first thought on encountering this was to wonder why there would need to be a declaration on learning design. But the Larnaca Declaration is just that (though you'll need to click on a link to an MS-Word document to read it (PDF here)). It suggests an analogy by which we should understand learning design: musical notation. "The purpose of creating musical notation was not simply the abstract concept of music representation; rather, it was a vehicle for conveying great musical ideas to others."
Part 2 offers a good history of learning design (there's a 'clip-and-save' table on page 7) while part 3 looks at the problem "that the foundational ideas and definitions are not sufficiently clear" in the field, including the bugbear of "pedagogical neutrality". The Declaration then turns to the 'Learning Design Conceptual Map', which is an attempt to extablish a common framework for describing learning designs. I'm thinking maybe they should call it 'teaching design', since the focus is on the teacher as, if you will, maestro
from Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily via Quick review of the Larnaca Learning Design Declaration.
PS the other lesson was a reminder to keep comments shorter since link blogging on Tumblr is always an automatic redirect

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
|DONALD JACOBS, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1116, USA|
|Graph rigidity: applications to material science and proteins|
The mechanical stability of network glasses and proteins can be effectively studied by modeling the microstructure as a generic bar-joint framework. Graph rigidity for bar-joint frameworks in two dimensions is completely characterized by Laman's theorem. Recently, an efficient algorithm has been constructed to study generic rigidity percolation in two dimensions. The desire to construct a similar algorithm in three dimensions is impeded by the lack of an analogous theorem. It has been proposed that an all subgraph constraint counting characterization of generic rigidity is recovered in three-dimensional bar-joint networks having no implied hinge joints. Based on this proposition, an efficient combinatorial algorithm has been constructed for bond-bending networks, which have no implied-hinge joints. Complete agreement is found with exact calculations involving diagonalization of dynamical matrices, for systems up to 1000degrees of freedom.
1. G. Laman, J. Engrg. Math. 4(1970), 331. 2. D.J. Jacobs and B. Hendrickson, J. Comput. Phys. 137(1997), 346.
3. D.J. Jacobs, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 31(1998), 6653.


Right-hand point breaks and natural harbors are the stuff of wet dreams for surfers and real-estate developers in Baja California. So when former pro surfer turned cartographer Zach Plopper of WildCoast wants to survey the rugged terrain of the 850-mile peninsula, he turns to Google Earth to get the rundown.
According to Plopper, Google Earth is rapidly becoming an essential tool in the conservationist's arsenal. WildCoast, a nonprofit environmental group focused on Baja's coastal zone, is among those leading the charge.
Google Earth 5.0 has the potential to make Wild Coast's job easier. Its tiny staff of 12 has many miles to cover, providing technical assistance to Mexican conservation groups and wilderness advocates in Baja's hinterland.
Baja is about the length of California, but without the U.S. state's vast number of people, cities and cars. Remote lagoons and beaches lie at the end of bone-jarring dirt roads, which carve through a desert wilderness leading to isolated fishing camps and villages.
The region appears to be devoid of people, but Google Earth 5.0 reveals otherwise. Dotting the landscape are signs of human habitation, roads, fishing camps and signs of bigger things to come. Much of it is built far from the prying eyes of environmental groups and agencies entrusted to protect the landscape. A biological hotspot, Baja has six natural parks designated as federally protected habitat, though in reality large sections of the region are open for business.
Developers, government officials and conservationists have been in conflict recently over Baja's fate. At issue is whether the peninsula should remain in desolate isolation, home to hardy settlers and wintering gray whales, or become a hub for affluent vacationers in search of beachfront property.
Access to the ocean is considered a birthright in an arid region inhabited by Mexican ranchers, farmers and fishermen who look to the sea for their sustenance and the cooler weather it provides. Some fear that resource-based lifestyle would be compromised if developers are given free reign.
So when Plopper wants to influence policymakers about Baja's future, he fires up Google Earth. Idle speculation is put aside. Plopper can zoom over contested hotspots, providing glaring examples of the impact development has had on the landscape. "We have a bird's eye view of the coastline," he says.
A high-speed data network has additional benefits. WildCoast staffers can confer with Mexican colleagues hundreds of miles away. Using online chatting and teleconferencing in tandem with Google Earth makes it a powerful and convenient tool for collaboration. "So we're all on the same page," Plopper says.
Due to its remoteness, accurate information on Baja has been hard to obtain and even more expensive to acquire. "The program represents a significant savings to us," Plopper says, adding that time and money spent flying overland to obtain aerial images had put a dent in the organization's finances.
Instead, resources can now be directed toward building an accurate inventory of natural resources and land-use patterns. The communal boundaries of traditional fishing villages, for example, or the flora and fauna contained within watersheds, seldom appear on conventional maps.
Google Earth 5.0 began as a joke, when the renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earl quipped the program ought to be dubbed "Google Dirt" for excluding three-quarters of the planet's surface. Google engineers took the jab to heart, though, and sprung into action.
Google joined forces with NASA, NOAA and the Scripps Oceanographic Institute, among others, to simulate the Earth's vast ocean depths, says Google Earth program manager Steve Miller.
According to Miller, Google Earth is "democratizing data," or making information readily available to ordinary users. Information that took decades to compile can now be viewed from the desktop within minutes.
Browsers can now dive below the ocean surface without getting wet, virtually visiting locations like the Mariana Trench or reading captions uploaded by research scientists. And since of much of the underwater realm remains unknown and unmapped, with less than 1 percent set aside for marine conservation, Google hopes the program will inspire browsers to further explore the ocean's uncharted depths.
Related on MNN: Google Earth and environmental activism.
MNN homepage photo: narvikk/iStockphoto


Enabling the Monitoring API
Before you can use the Monitoring API, you must enable it and authorize users to access it.
This page describes how to enable and authorize use of the Monitoring API v3.
Enabling the API
The Monitoring API must be enabled before it can be used. You can check the status and enable the API if necessary by using either the Cloud SDK gcloud command-line tool or the Google Cloud Console.
Cloud SDK
 1. If you have not already installed the Cloud SDK on your workstation, see Cloud SDK.
 2. To see if the Monitoring API is enabled, run the following command on your workstation:
 gcloud services list
 If monitoring.googleapis.com appears in the output, the API is enabled.
 3. If the API is not enabled, run the following command to enable it:
 gcloud services enable monitoring
For more information, see gcloud services.
Cloud Console
Go to APIs & services
 1. Select the project you will use to access the API.
 2. Click the Enable APIs and Service button.
 3. Search for "Monitoring".
 4. In the search results, click through to "Stackdriver Monitoring API".
 5. If "API enabled" is displayed, then the API is already enabled. If not, click the Enable button.
Authorizing use of the API
Access to the API is controlled by Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles and permissions. There is a permission associated with each method, and permissions for related methods are clustered into roles, which can then be granted to users. See Access control for more information.
Once access to the API is authorized, the API can be used from anywhere. For example, you can use the timeSeries.list method from your local workstation. You can also use the API to send metrics against any entity that can be represented as a monitored resource. See Choosing a monitored-resource type for the list of available types. However, the Cloud Monitoring agent is designed to run on a cloud VM and does not work on a local workstation.
If you are writing an application that uses the Monitoring API, the recommended client libraries authorize your application using Application Default Credentials. This hides authorization details from your application code.
You might also be able to use API keys in some situations, but service accounts are generally recommended. API keys are useful in clients like browsers and mobile applications that don't have a backend server. For more information, see Using API Keys.
You can find out more about authentication and authorization for Cloud APIs in our Authentication guide.
Using client libraries
After you have enabled and authorized the use of the API, you are ready to start writing code. See Client libraries to get started using the Monitoring client libraries.


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Phase Retrieval of Bandlimited Functions for the Wavelet Transform
Francesca Bartolucci - ETH Zürich
We study the problem of phase retrieval in which one aims to recover a function from the magnitude of its wavelet transform. It is already known that if the wavelet is a Cauchy wavelet, then the modulus of the wavelet transform uniquely determines the analytic part of any square-integrable function. We consider bandlimited functions and derive new uniqueness results for phase retrieval, where the wavelet itself can be complex-valued. In particular, we prove the first uniqueness result for the case that the wavelet has a finite number of vanishing moments. In addition, we establish the first result on unique reconstruction from samples of the wavelet transform magnitude when the wavelet coefficients are complex-valued.
Francesca Bartolucci is a Postdoc at the Department of Mathematics at ETH Zürich. She received her PhD at the University of Genova under the supervision of Filippo De Mari and Ernesto De Vito with the thesis entitled "Radon transforms: Unitarization, Inversion and Wavefront sets". Her research interests include phase retrieval problems, group representations theory, wavelet analysis, shearlet analysis, microlocal analysis and Radon transforms.
2020-11-10 at 3:00 pm


text:
Molecular configuration of the optimal BBP of the 1, 2-sigmatropic H-shift rearrangement of cyclopentadiene. The arrows correspond to the components of the gradient at this point.
In this potential-surface picture, the red curve is a reaction pathway. The pink points are the optimal BBPs, and the black points are the minima and transition states. Green lines are the BBP points for all possible Newton trajectories.
Recent developments in atomic-force microscopy have enabled researchers to apply mechanical forces to individual molecules to induce chemical reactions.
A research team from Spain and Germany has now developed a first-of-its-kind algorithm that determines the minimal force it takes to reach the optimal bond breaking point (BBP) at the molecular level to mechanically induce a chemical reaction.
The algorithm can be applied to any molecule, including biological molecules like proteins as well as inorganic molecules. Their research has implications for numerous applications, including molecular machines, mechanically resilient and self-healing polymers, stress-responsive materials and catalyst design. The algorithm can also be used to explore how external electric fields can catalyze and control chemical reactions.
When studying mechano-chemical processes, researchers look for the mechanical response of the reactant molecule's minimum-energy structure. As the external force increases, the minimum energy and transition state structures on the force-modified potential energy surface become identical and the structure where this occurs is the sought-after BBP.
"Our work highlights that there exists another set of important points on the potential energy surface of a given system, namely the BBP, which needs to be taken into consideration for mechano-chemistry applications," said Wolfgang Quapp, a co-author of the paper who added that BBP is a new concept in mechano-chemistry.
The optimal BBPs of a potential energy surface are crucial, according to Quapp, because they provide information about the way in which tensile forces should be applied to trigger chemical transformations with the highest possible efficiency using the least amount of force.
The bond, bending and torsion of a molecule have varying stiffness. Therefore, determining the force-bearing scaffold of a molecule, to predict, for example, the point of bond rupture in an overstretched molecule, means that different directions of the external force should be tested.
"Our algorithm allows researchers to identify which part of a molecule is most susceptible to mechanical stress, and thus the algorithm is a significant step in the design of more efficient ways of harnessing mechanical energy to activate chemical reactions," Quapp said. "The importance of the optimal BBP resides in that it gives the optimal direction and magnitude of the pulling force. This necessitates an algorithm to easily find these types of points."
The algorithm is based on Newton trajectories, which come from the mathematical method of calculating zeros of a function. In the case of BBPs, the Newton trajectories are located near the reaction path of the chemical reaction under consideration.


text:
How do I properly terminate my RT CAN equipment?
In order to ensure that reflection does not cause communication failure, the transmission line must be terminated. This cannot be done in the RT hardware itself, as it depends on the installation as to whether it is required or not. If this is not done correctly, then it is likely that CAN interface will not work, or will have erratic behaviour.
Both ends of the pair of signal wires (CAN_H and CAN_L) must be terminated. This is because communication flows both ways on the CAN bus. CAN_L is pin 2, and CAN_H is pin 7 on the standard 9-Pin D-Sub connector. The termination resistors on a cable should match the nominal impedance of the cable. ISO 11898 requires a cable with a nominal impedance of 120 ohms, and therefore 120 ohm resistors should be used for termination. If multiple devices are placed along the cable, only the devices on the ends of the cable need termination resistors. The diagram below gives an example of how to terminate a high-speed network.


text:
Two easy ways to try Conceptua Math! "Try a Lesson" by reviewing two Lesson Sequences or "Do a Classroom Pilot" with your students. See how Lesson Openers and Closers give the teacher the right tools to facilitate rich classroom discussions. Discover how Guided Lessons use visual models to develop student thinking as student practice progresses from concrete to abstract representations.
Review two Conceptua Fractions Lesson Sequences complete with Lesson Opener, Guided Lesson, and Lesson Closer. When finished, do a Classroom
Pilot by completing a topic with your students.
Select from 4 topics taken from within Conceptua Fractions or Conceptua Math Grades 3-5 Curriculum. Each topic includes 3-5 Lesson Sequences. Preview them first, then register to add students and use with your class. Includes formative assessment and data reporting.


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Directly on the equator lies Ecuador, a small country bordering Colombia and Peru. This small country in South America offers three distinct climates as well the Galapagos islands. Expatriates looking to move abroad are realizing the beauty that Ecuador offers for such a low cost.
Officially named the Republic of Ecuador, the country was home to Amerindian groups that incorporated into the Incan Empire in the 15th century. In the 16th century the country was colonized by Spain and later gained independence in 1820, but as part of Gran Colombia. It left ten years later as a sovereign state. In 2008, the country put in place the current constitution.
- Population: 16 million
- Official language: Spanish
- Capital: Quito
- Largest City: Guayaquil
- Size:109,480 sq miles
- Currency: U.S. Dollar
Expats traveling abroad in Ecuador will have access to a completely different cultural experience than they are used to. Many popular expat destinations, such as Belize and Costa Rica, offer a Western civilization in the tropics, but Ecuador is still developing and still holds many of its own traditions, untouched by visiting North Americans. The culture of Ecuador is mostly centered around its Spanish heritage and Amerindian traditions as well as some African Elements.
The population is quite diverse with 13 different indigenous groups. The official language of the country is Spanish, but many locals are realizing the advantages of knowing English. Many locals also speak an Amerindian language such as Quichua, a Quechuan language, spoken by almost 2.5 million people.
There are many residency options to choose from for expats looking to live abroad in Ecuador, or even just visit as tourists.
- Tourist Visa: This visa is good for 90 days for U.S., Canadian, and most European country citizens. You must present a passport that is valid for at least 6 months and proof that you will be leaving the country after the 90 days.
- Pensioner Visa: This is available for retirees who receive a pension of $800 or more from their home country, plus $100 a month for each dependent.
- Investment Visa: With a real estate investment of $25,000 or industry investment of $30,000, you can obtain residency.
- Professional Visa: You can obtain residency if you have a college degree and would like to use your skills in an industry in Ecuador. This visa is also available to technical experts looking to work abroad in Ecuador under contract for a company based in the country.
- Economic Dependence: This visa is for those who are financially dependent on residence, holding any type of visa or a citizen. This includes children, spouses, parents, grandparents, and siblings.
Cost of Living
A typical couple can comfortably live abroad in Ecuador for around $1,600 to $2,400 USD a month, depending on your lifestyle and where in Ecuador you choose to live. Many expats take advantage of the low cost of living and own a main home in the city and own a second home in the countryside or on the beach.
Each city is going to have a different cost of living, understandably so. In the capital city of Quito, you can expect to pay around $1,800 a month as a couple.
Cuenca is a city that is located in the valley of the highlands and offers ideal climate, making it a popular area for foreigners so set up a home abroad. Living in a city like Cuenca, the monthly expenses for a couple could look similar to the following:
- $500 to $600 dollars a month for a large, three-bedroom home
- $155 for utilities, including phone, water, electricity, internet, and satellite TV
- $75 for a maid
- $450 for groceries
- $140 for maintenance and fuel for a car (many expats use public transportation, roughly $25 a month)
- $100 for miscellaneous personal items
- $200 for entertainment for two people
- $80 for healthcare
- Total: $1,700 per month or $20,400 a year
Geography and Climate
Because there are distinct geographical regions of the country, climate ranges depending on the location, mostly depending on the altitude. This allows for many options for those looking to live or retire abroad in Ecuador.
- La Costa (Coastal)– The Pacific coast of the country consists of the provinces west of the Andean mountains. The land is fertile and is the most productive region in the country. The climate here is a humid subtropical one. Temperatures range from 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit daily. There is also a severely rainy season in this region from December to April.
- La Sierra (Highlands)- This region is comprised of the Andean and Inter-Andean provinces. This is where most of Ecuador's volcanoes and snow-capped peaks reside. In the residential areas of this region, people tend to enjoy the temperate weather. It often stays around 75 degrees during the day and hits 50 degrees during the night.
- La Amazonía (Amazon)- Also known as El Oriente, or "the east," this area holds the Amazon jungle regions. It's largely made up of Amazon national parks and land set aside for Amazon Amerindian tribes to live their traditional lives. Adventurous tourists flock to this region for the river activities, like rafting and kayaking, and witnessing the various plants and animals, many of which are of rare species. The region is quite humid and temperatures hit highs of 80 and 90 degrees daily.
- Galapagos IslandsLocated roughly 620 miles off of the mainland in the Pacific Ocean. The volcanic islands are home to a fragile ecosystem that showcases a large array of biodiversity.
If you would like to explore a new place that takes pride in its indigenous people and culture, consider moving abroad to Ecuador. Even though the country is small, the location and various altitudes gives visitors a lot to choose from. The low cost of living only makes the country more attractive.


Mi'kmaq language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 (Redirected from Míkmaq language)
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Native to Canada, United States
Region Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Gaspe Peninsula (Quebec), Newfoundland, northern Maine, Boston (Massachusetts)
Ethnicity Mi'kmaq people
Native speakers
8,300 (2010 & 2011 censuses)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-2 mic
ISO 639-3 mic
Glottolog mikm1235[2]
The Mi'kmaq language (spelled and pronounced Micmac historically and now often Migmaw or Mikmaw in English, and Míkmaq, Míkmaw or Mìgmao in Mi'kmaq) is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 11,000 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000.[3][4] The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning'my friends' (singular Míkm[5]); the adjectival form is Míkmaw.[6] The language's native name is Lnuismk, Míkmawísimk[7] or Míkmwei[5] (in some dialects).
The phonemic inventory of Mi'kmaq is shown below.
Front Central Back
short long short long short long
Close i u
Mid e ə o
Open a
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
plain lab.
Plosive p t k
Affricate t͡ʃ
Fricative s x
Nasal m n
Approximant w l j
The obstruents (/p, t, k, kʷ, t͡ʃ, s, x, xʷ/) are voiceless initially or next to another obstruent, but allophonically voiced [b], [d], [ɡ], [ɡʷ], [d͡ʒ], [z], [ɣ], [ɣʷ] between sonorants (vowels or the voiced consonants /m, n, w, l, j/). Thus Mi'kmaq, phonemically /miːkmax/, is pronounced [miːɡmax].
Mi'kmaq distinguishes not only between long and short vowels, but between long and short consonants, symbolized orthographically in Listuguj by doubling the consonant. Beyond expanding in length, long consonants add a schwa when preceding other consonants. For instance, compare /en.mitk/, written in Listuguj as enmitg ("flow away") with /en.nə.mit/, written in Listuguj as ennmit ("stick into"); or, /tox.tʃu.pi.la.wek/, written in Listuguj as toqju'pilaweg ("hoist"), with /ge.si.gaw.wek/, written in Listuguj as gesigawweg ("loud").
Listuguj orthography occasionally begins words with consonant clusters, such as with gta'n ("ocean") or mgumi ("ice"). However, such clusters are pronounced over separate syllables, with a schwa preceding the cluster: for instance, gta'n is pronounced /ək.ta:n/ while mgumi is pronounced /əm.ku.mi/. On the other hand, word-final clusters, such as in asigetg ("investigate") are pronounced over a single syllable: compare the pronunciation of asigetg, /a.si.getk/, with mest'g ("taste"), /mes.tək/.
Mi'kmaq uses free word order, based on emphasis rather than a traditionally fixed order of subjects, objects and verbs[clarification needed]. For instance, the sentence "I saw a moose standing right there on the hill" could be stated "sapmi'k ala nemaqt'k na tett ti'am kaqamit" (I saw him/there/on the hill/right-there/a moose/he was standing) or "sapmi'k ala ti'am nemaqt'k na tett kaqamit" (I saw him/there/a moose/on the hill/right-there/he was standing); the latter sentence puts emphasis on the moose by placing ti'am (moose) earlier in the utterance. Further complicating matters is the fact that Mi'kmaq, as a polysynthetic language, has verbs which usually contain the sentence's subject and object: for instance, the aforementioned sapmi'k translates to "I saw him".
While it is thus difficult to classify Mi'kmaq under traditional word-order categories such as SVO or SOV, a more fixed aspect in the language comes in the morphology of its verbs. Certain areas of internal morphology of verbs in Mi'kmaq have regular placement: for instance, when the aspect of a verb is included, it appears as the first prefix, while the negative marker always appears directly after the verb root. An example for both of these instances can be seen in the Mi'kmaq verb kisipawnatqa'ti'w (kisi-paw-natq-a'ti-w), translated as "they cannot get out": the prefix kisi marks the verb as being in the completive aspect, whereas the negative marker, w, appears directly after the verb root a'ti ("the two move"). Unfortunately these solidly-placed elements of verbs are paired with markers that can appear throughout the word, depending again on emphasis; animacy in particular can appear fluidly throughout verbs. In short, while a few specific aspects of Mi'kmaq can be predicted, its syntax in general is largely free and dependent on context.
Writing system[edit]
Mi'kmaq-language stop sign in Elsipogtog First Nation
Mi'kmaq is written using a number of Latin alphabets based on ones devised by missionaries in the 19th century. Previously, the language was written in Mi'kmaq hieroglyphic writing, a script of partially native origin. The Francis-Smith orthography used here was developed in 1974, and adopted as the official orthography of the Míkmaq Nation in 1980. It is the most widely used orthography, used by Nova Scotian Mikmaq and by the Míkmaq Grand Council. It is quite similar to the "Lexicon" orthography, differing from it only in its use of the straight apostrophe'or acute accent ' instead of the colon : to mark vowel length. When the Francis-Smith orthography was first developed, the straight apostrophe (often called a "tick") was the designated symbol for vowel length, however due to software applications incorrectly auto-correcting the tick to a curly apostrophe, a secondary means of indicating vowel length was formally accepted: the acute accent. The barred-i ɨ is sometimes replaced by the more common circumflex-i î. In Listuguj orthography, an apostrophe marks long vowels, and the letter g is used instead of the letter k. The 19th-century Pacifique orthography omits w and y, using o and i for these. It also ignores vowel length. The 19th-century orthography of Silas Tertius Rand is also given in the table below; this orthography is more complex than the table suggests, particularly as far as vowel quantity and quality is concerned.
Mi'kmaq orthographies
IPA a e i ə k l m n o p x s t u w j
Francis-Smith a a'/á e e'/é i i'/í ɨ j k l m n o o'/ó p q s t u u'/ú w y
Listuguj a a' e e' i i''j g l m n o o' p q s t u u' w y
Lexicon a a: e e: i i: ɨ j k l m n o o: p q s t u u: w y
Pacifique a e i tj g l m n ô p s t o
Rand ă a â ĕ ā ĭ e ŭ ch c k l m n ŏ o ō b h s d t ŏŏ oo u w y
Number system[edit]
1 newt
2 ta'pu
3 si'st
4 ne'w
5 na'n
6 as'gom
7 lluigneg
8 ugumuljin
9 pesgunateg
10 ne'wtisga'q
Mi'kmaq uses a decimal numeral system. Every multiple-digit number is formed by using one of the first nine numerals as a prefix or a preceding word, as seen in the number for ten, ne'wtisgaq, a combination of the prefix ne'wt - (derived from newt) and the root isga'q meaning ten (the pattern can be seen in tapuisga'q for 20, nesisga'q for 30, etc.) While 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 all use a single word containing a prefix, the tens between 60 and 90 use the numeral as a preceding word to a separate word meaning ten, te'sisga'q: for instance, 60 is written


6.1.1 The Origins: Bagging Predictors
Breiman introduced the term bagging as an acronym for Bootstrap AGGregatING [46]. The idea of bagging is simple and appealing: the ensemble is made of classifiers built on bootstrap replicates of the training set. The classifier outputs are combined by the plurality vote [47].
The diversity necessary to make the ensemble work is created by using different training sets. Ideally, the training sets should be generated randomly from the distribution of the problem. In practice, we can only afford one labeled training set, Z = {z1, …, zN}, and have to imitate the process or random generation of L training sets. We sample with replacement from the original training set (bootstrap sampling [115]) to create a new training set of length N. To make use of the variations of the training set, the base classifier should be unstable. In other words, small changes in the training set should lead to large changes in the classifier output. Otherwise, the resultant ensemble will be a collection of almost identical classifiers, therefore unlikely to improve on a single classifier's performance. Figure 6.1 shows the training and operation of bagging.
Training: Given is a labeled data set Z = {z1, …, zN}.
 1. Choose the ensemble size L and the base classifier model.
 2. Take L bootstrap samples from Z and train classifiers D1, …, DL, one classifier on each sample.
Operation: For each new object
 1. Classify the...
Get Combining Pattern Classifiers: Methods and Algorithms, 2nd Edition now with O'Reilly online learning.


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Activity 10A (Lab Activity)
Changing the Starch in "Yams" to Sugar
|Lesson Overview||This lab activity provides students with the experience of using their own enzymes to convert starch to sugar (a disaccharide called maltose), then testing to see if the conversion has taken place.|
|Learning Objectives||Students will learn how to set up an experiment that includes a control, apply lab data to test the concept that starch can be changed (converted) to a sugar, and to determine if that conversion has taken place.|
This activity includes chemical reactions with an enzyme (amylase), establishing standards for detecting the existence of reactants or product(s)starch and sugar (maltose)and for utilizing a control.
|Skills Required||Students should be able follow printed instructions and respect safety guidelines while working.|
This exercise will require two 40-45 minute periods, the student's time to complete the homework assignment, and class time to discuss the homework assignment.
|Student Ability Level and Grouping||Students of all abilities can work in groups of pairs through a maximum of 4 students.|
|Pre-lab||Students should be instructed in the purpose of using reference standards (starch and sugar tests) and a control. Also, students should be instructed in the safe removal of test tubes from a water bath.|
|Post-lab||It is important that the class come together to compare results and to make sure that students understand what was going on in the test tubes. Ask them why they were asked to wait 30 minutes before testing for starch and sugar. Also, what does a negative test for starch in test tube #3 mean? Why would there be less or no starch in test tube #3 after 30 minutes? If test tube #5, the control (no saliva), shows a positive test for sugar, how would you explain this? (There may be some starch that breaks down with out an enzyme.)|
Students should respond in writing to the questions posed in the lab exercise as homework, and the class as a whole should discuss the responses of individual groups the following day.
|Student Resources for Further Study||
This lab exercise relates to many different topics, including digestive enzymes (in the broader category of catalysts) and agriculture involving the production of tuber crops, including both yams and sweet potatoes. This lab is also related to the work of Percy Julian in the sense that he worked with yams from Guatemala and Mexico to extract the toxin called diosgenin. This chemical was then used as a base chemical to be converted to cortisone and several important hormones including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone at a price that made these pharmaceuticals available to most people.
This activity meets the following National Science Education Standards (Grades 5-8) and Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.
National Science Education Standards (Grades 5-8)
Science as Inquiry
Science and Technology
History and Nature of Science
Curriculum Standards for Social Studies

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Submitted to: Veterinary Clinics of North America
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: July 16, 2001
Publication Date: N/A
Interpretive Summary: Intestinal diseases of livestock result in serious economic losses for producers. In addition, several intestinal diseases of livestock may be transmitted to humans. In this review article, specific mechanisms of inflammation induced by intestinal pathogens of livestock are discussed with a special emphasis on immune-mediated pathways. A review of recent developments in alternative treatment modalities of intestinal inflammation is also provided. Information provided in this review will provide veterinarians with basic and applied information concerning inflammatory disorders of the bowel of food-producing animals.
Technical Abstract: Inflammation is the progression of vascular changes in response to injury leading to accumulation of fluids and leukocytes in the extracellular space. Endothelial cell activation leads to an increased permeability of capillaries and venules resulting in leakage of fluids and leukocytes from these small vessels. Trauma, toxins, or chemical mediators such as cytokines, histamine, leukotrienes, bradykinins elicit activation of endothelial cells. While inflammation is fundamentally a protective response, excessive inflammation may result in hypersensitivity, fibrosis, or other harmful reactions. Within the intestinal mucosa, a physiologic steady state between reactivity to luminal antigens and down regulation of inflammation provides protection and gut homeostasis, respectively. Stimulation with certain microbes and/or their toxins may alter this balance resulting in inflammatory diseases of the bowel.


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- Kids and Gardening, in Classrooms and Outdoors
- These book recommendations from Education World can help green-thumbed kids grow schoolyard gardens, victory gardens, salsa gardens, and more.
- Bug Books
- Six elementary-level insect books receive high ratings from Education World.
- Environmental Books
- Education World recommends books for students about the environment.
- At Home on the Prairie
- This activity invites students to use their artistic talents to represent an ecosystem.


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test light.
Whats the point of hooking up the test light then measuring the voltage across it when you could have just hooked up the DMM to begin with?
Monday, May 23, 2011 7:15 AM
The point of this article is to make electrical troubleshooing easy for beginners. Now whats easier to explain: using a test light, or taking multiple ambiguous readings with a DMM?
Now go troll someone elses article.
Thursday, May 26, 2011 2:41 AM
I am sensing that I may have offended you... If this is true, please accept my apology. I thought we were simply debating over your choice of how you diagnosed your fuel pump circuit.
Honestly, I think the article is great up until the last page; I think its a good thing what you are trying to do. A lot of people can benefit from learning electrical. But, electrical diagnosis is not an easy concept to grasp (at least it wasn't for me).
Maybe diagnosing a fuel pump is not a good example to use for a beginner level. One of the main reasons I like electrical work is because most of the diagnosing happens in your brain or on a diagram. Hopefully, by the time you get to taking readings with a DMM you know what you are looking at or know what the readings mean; so there is nothing ambiguous about it.
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If it's a non-affine transformation, then you're going to have trouble with line segments staying straight when they should be curved in the image's space. This is a general problem with transforming vectors, and with sufficiently small line segments, isn't usually too much of a problem.
If you don't know ahead of time what the projection parameters are for the image, or if they cannot be represented by standard map-projection parameters - if the image hasn't been rectified for instance - then you really have one course open to you: manual rasterization. If you're on 3D-accelerated hardware, it would be a fairly simple fragment shader to map from one space to another, given that you have the function already. However, if you're working on a headless server or similar, you'll need to roll your own polygon rasterizer, transforming points from one space to the other as you go. This isn't too difficult, and much has been written on it in the past, but it is mostly just time-consuming to write.
A simple, if not very efficient, method would be to scan over each pixel in the satellite image, transform the coordinate into your polygons' space, and do a simple inside/outside test of that point on your polygons. If it's inside, then colour your pixel appropriately. Lines are a bit harder with this method, but you essentially have to measre the cross-track error of your point against the line, and colour it if it is within some distance, but this won't be very pretty. You could use an alpha value based on the CTE, which would smooth the lines out somewhat, but it's hardly the cutting edge of anti-aliasing.


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Integrating Selected Web 2.0 Tools into the High School Curriculum to Enhance Student Engagement and Promote Learning Among the Millennial Generation
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This annotated bibliography explores the unique learning style of the Millennial generation and examines how Web 2.0 tools can be used by high school teachers to enhance student engagement. The bibliography is based on literature published from 1996 to 2012. Conclusions describe examples of using video sharing websites and social networking technologies in the classroom as well as some of the challenges that an educator might face when incorporating these tools into the curriculum.


text: This comprehensive volume will serve as a complete guide to the clinical application of computer assisted systems in monitoring central nervous functions both in the OR and ICU. It presents practical guidelines and therapeutic indications for computerized EEG and Somatosensory Evoked Potential (SSEP) monitoring for the experienced user as well as the novice, leading the newcomer step-by-step to a level of advanced monitoring. Basic procedures and data handling are explained in a user-friendly and practical way. The book also describes what cerebral monitoring can do and what its limitations are. In addition, proper selection of the available monitoring devices, set-up procedures, the technique of electrode placement, trouble shooting and data interpretation are fully covered. Various typical cases underline how EEG power spectra and evoked potential changes are interpreted, how they are used in the light of other variables being measured how they can serve to get a deeper insight into the underlying clinical situation. In this respect representative and color illustrated examples further emphasize the link between this book and clinical practice.


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Chemistry LibreTexts
5. Examples of Other Catalytic Reactions in Organic Chemistry
 - Page ID
 - This page looks a few odds and ends of examples of catalysts used in organic chemistry. It includes the formation of epoxyethane from ethene, and several reactions from benzene chemistry - Friedel-Crafts reactions and halogenation.
 The manufacture of epoxyethane from ethene
 Epoxyethane is manufactured by reacting ethene with a limited amount of oxygen in the presence of a silver catalyst at a temperature of about 250 - 300°C and a pressure of less than 15 atmospheres. Because the solid silver is catalysing a gas reaction, this is an example of heterogeneous catalysis.
 The reaction is exothermic and the temperature has to be carefully controlled to prevent further oxidation of the ethene to carbon dioxide and water.
 The halogenation of benzene
 Benzene reacts with chlorine or bromine in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst is either aluminium chloride (or aluminium bromide if you are reacting benzene with bromine) or iron.
 Strictly speaking iron isn't a catalyst, because it gets permanently changed during the reaction. It reacts with some of the chlorine or bromine to form iron(III) chloride, FeCl3, or iron(III) bromide, FeBr3.
 These compounds act as the catalyst and behave exactly like aluminium chloride in these reactions.
 The reaction with chlorine
 The reaction with bromine
 The reaction between benzene and bromine in the presence of either aluminium bromide or iron gives bromobenzene. Iron is usually used because it is cheaper and more readily available.
 The Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzene
 Alkylation involves replacing a hydrogen atom on a benzene ring by an alkyl group like methyl or ethyl. This is another example of the use of aluminium chloride as a catalyst. Benzene is treated with a chloroalkane (for example, chloromethane or chloroethane) in the presence of aluminium chloride as a catalyst. The equation shows the reaction using a methyl group, but any other alkyl group could be used in the same way.
 Substituting a methyl group gives methylbenzene - once known as toluene.
 The Friedel-Crafts acylation of benzene
 An acyl group is an alkyl group attached to a carbon-oxygen double bond. Acylation means substituting an acyl group into something - in this case, into a benzene ring. The most commonly used acyl group is CH3CO-. This is called the ethanoyl group. In the example which follows we are substituting a CH3COgroup into the ring, but you could equally well use any other alkyl group instead of the CH3.
 The most reactive substance containing an acyl group is an acyl chloride (also known as an acid chloride). Benzene is treated with a mixture of ethanoyl chloride, CH3COCl, and aluminium chloride as the catalyst. A ketone called phenylethanone is formed.
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Wouldn't it be great if your child came with an owner's manual? A how-to book on how to raise your child? And if your child came with such a manual, wouldn't it be helpful to have someone walk you through it, making that owner's manual come alive?
Michael Gurian and Tim Wright serve as your guides through what they believe is the owner's manual for your child: Your child's brain. While the brain doesn't tell the whole story, it does offer a treasure trove of insights into your son or daughter. Michael and Tim each have over 30 years of experience using brain science research, best-practices, and their own experiences as dads in helping parents read, understand, and implement the gift of your child's brain, the built-in how-to manual that will help you enjoy the wonder of parenting.


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|SARAR is an education/training methodology for working with stakeholders at different levels to engage their creative capacities in planning, problem solving and evaluation. The acronym SARAR stands for the five attributes and capacities that are considered the minimum essentials for participation to be a dynamic and self-sustaining process:
Self-esteem: a sense of self-worth as a person as well as a valuable resource for development.
Associative strength: the capacity to define and work toward a common vision through mutual respect, trust, and collaborative effort.
Resourcefulness: the capacity to visualize new solutions to problems even against the odds, and the willingness to be challenged and take risks.
Action planning: combining critical thinking and creativity to come up with new, effective, and reality-based plans in which each participant has a useful and fulfilling role.
Responsibility: for follow-through until the commitments made are fully discharged and the hoped-for benefits achieved.
SARAR is based on the principle of fostering and strengthening these five attributes among the stakeholders involved in the evaluation. Such a process will enable the development of those people's own capacities for self-direction and management and will enhance the quality of participation among all of the stakeholders.
The various SARAR techniques can be grouped into five categories according to how they are most commonly used. While there is no set order in which these techniques are used, the five types of techniques are often applied progressively, having a cumulative effect.
Creative techniques involve the use of open-ended visual tools such as mapping and non-serial posters to encourage participants to break out of conventional ideas and routine ways of thinking
Investigative techniques such as pocket charts are designed to help participants do their own needs assessment by collecting and compiling data on problems and situations in their community
Analytical techniques including three pile sorting and gender analysis tools enable participants to prioritize problems and opportunities and to examine a problem in depth, allowing them to better understand its causes and identify alternative solutions
Planning techniques are used to simplify the planning process so decisions can be made, not only by the more prestigious and articulate participants (such as community leaders or senior staff), but also by the less powerful, including non-literate community members. Planning techniques include story with a gap, force-field analysis and software-hardware exercise.
Informative techniques help gather information and use it for better decision-making.
At the outset, participants are involved in using their creativity to look at situations in new ways and to build their capacity for self-expression. Then, they gain tools for investigating and analyzing reality in more detail. Finally, they develop skills in gathering information, making decisions, and planning initiatives.
Less successful applications of SARAR have usually been traced to insufficient training of the SARAR facilitators. Without adequate preparation, facilitators will not feel comfortable experimenting with the different techniques, and may be more inclined to adopt a blueprint approach, that is, always using the same set of techniques in a predetermined way and not being responsive to the differences among communities or the various groups of stakeholders.
In other cases, problems have arisen when the use of SARAR techniques has been considered an end in itself, rather than a means to support the development and implementation of project activities. This problem can occur when SARAR activities are not linked to concrete follow-up activities. In such cases communities eventually see no benefit in being involved in the SARAR sessions and the whole process begins to break down.
The effectiveness of SARAR, like that of similar participatory techniques, can also be limited by a general resistance-usually by higher level managers and decision-makers rather than field workers or community members-to the use of qualitative, informal, and visual-based techniques. This can lead to problems if these skeptics obstruct the SARAR process by dismissing the results as unscientific or the participatory process itself as inefficient.


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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on 'Energy poverty in the context of liberalisation and the economic crisis' (exploratory opinion)
The prices of electricity, gas and other fuels such as coal are still rising, and this trend looks set to continue in the coming years, which means that, unless swift and effective action is taken, the number of vulnerable energy consumers could also increase markedly. The purpose of this opinion is not to consider the causes of energy price increases but to highlight the need to protect vulnerable consumers, in order to prevent situations of energy poverty.


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- Ideal for room temperature electron tomography
- High tilt angles
- Maximized field of view
- Optimized specimen clamping
- Easy, accurate specimen loading and centering
Advances in microstructural characterization require the ability to analyze structure and chemistry in three dimensions. However, most TEM techniques are limited to producing two-dimensional information. Tomography, on the other hand, combines two-dimensional data sets taken at various tilt angles to produce three-dimensional information.
Biological research has benefited from the use of electron tomography for many years; however, the physical sciences have been limited by the inability to tilt the specimen to high angles within the confines of the narrow-gap pole pieces necessary for atomic resolution imaging. In addition, there was an increasing desire to use high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF‑STEM) to reduce diffraction contrast in physical science applications. Now, Fischione Instruments' advanced specimen holder technology enables room temperature tomography for both the life and the physical sciences.
Maximized field of view at tilt angles above 65° with no shadowing
The Model 2022 Compact Advanced Tomography Holder for transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) features high tilt (±65°) and extended field of view (1.4 mm at 65°).* The revolutionary holder allows room temperature data collection over wide tilt and translation ranges even in restrictive pole-piece-gap geometries.
Based on the Model 2020 Advanced Tomography Holder, the Model 2022 Compact Advanced Tomography Holder has a shorter tip; the minimal holder volume allows optimal tilt and field of view.
The Compact Advanced Tomography Holder is for life sciences and physical sciences, as well as any other applications requiring high specimen tilt and simultaneous large field of view. The Compact Advanced Tomography Holder's streamlined specimen clamping mechanism eliminates the shadowing associated with most holders at high‑tilt angles.
Specimen thicknesses of up to 250 µm
The Compact Advanced Tomography Holder's clamping mechanism accepts specimen grids, standard 3 mm diameter TEM specimens, or focused ion beam (FIB) lamella. The Compact Advanced Tomography Holder accommodates specimen thicknesses of up to 250 µm.
Clamp design eliminates chance of specimen damage
Specimens are secured with a three-prong clamp. For convenience during loading and unloading, the clamp is spring-loaded to lift it off the specimen surface; the clamp can then be fully retracted.
Positioning the clamp is done without contacting the specimen, eliminating the possibility of specimen damage. This is far superior to typical clamping mechanisms that limit the specimen size or interfere with viewing at high-tilt angles.
Self-centering specimen positioning
The tapered, self-centering specimen receptacle guides the specimen into position. The fully retractable clamp makes it easy to rotate the specimen manually for a dual-axis tilt series.
Fischione Instruments' Compact Advanced Tomography Holders are compatible with the TEM's touch alarm, which stops goniometer movement in the event that a pole touch occurs. Always be aware of the TEM's pole piece configuration and follow the microscope manufacturer's recommendations for operating the goniometer at high-tilt angles.
Model 2022 Compact Advanced Tomography Holders come with a dedicated loading station for secure specimen handling, tools to assist in specimen clamping, and a Model 9010 Vacuum Storage Container for storing the holder in a clean, vacuum environment.
*All specifications depend on the microscope model, pole-piece type, and aperture position. For ultimate resolution and drift performance, the TEM must meet the manufacturer's specifications.


I had purchased some land as an investment and then planned to clear all trees on the land to do some business, but now feeling bad about cutting down the trees.
Is cutting trees really a sin? I am ready to sow new trees for every tree cut at some other place - will this work as atonement?
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 Does this answer your question : What does Hinduism say about protection of nature?? – Pandya Jul 27 '20 at 17:16
 - pretty much everything we do every day involves hurting another living being. there is a pancha-maha-yagna (5 sacrifices) that a householder has to do daily - One of these is called Bhuta Yagna - helping animals. Why? When we cook food to eat, many beings, including microscopic ones get killed in the process. Does that mean we should starve ourselves to death? No. We can eat, but we must eat with a feeling of guilt, and do necessary prayaschitta (repentance) for it - One way is to offer food to God. Similarly, when you do business/tree-cutting - you can repent for it – mar Jul 28 '20 at 4:47
 - How? By checking if any birds have made nests in those trees, and relocating them before cutting down the tree. Take some seeds of that tree and plant it elsewhere. Plant more trees in a different are to compensate for cutting this one. – mar Jul 28 '20 at 4:48
When you destroy life-forms, whether plants or animals, for entirely your own needs, then then that is regarded as a sin or bad karma in Hinduism.
Manu Smriti also asks the ruler (or King) to impose fines when some trees are destroyed or even injured, based on their usefulness.
8.285. According to the usefulness of the several (kinds of) trees a fine must be inflicted for injuring them; that is the settled rule.
When we destroy life-forms, for the sake of Deva or Pitru Yajnas, only then there is no bad karma involved in it because scriptures say that those life-forms will reach higher states of existence.
5.40. Herbs, trees, cattle, birds, and (other) animals that have been destroyed for sacrifices, receive (being reborn) higher existences.
But in every other circumstance, when we kill animals or plants for our own needs, outside scripture-approved rites, then some amount of bad karma is always involved in it.
That's why Lord Shiva says the following:
Trinam vApya-vidhAnena chedayenna kadAchana |
VidhinA gvAm dvijam vApi hatvA pApair na lipyate ||
One must not tear even a piece of grass if that is contrary to scriptural injunctions; But if a cow or a Dvija is killed, in accordance with scriptural injunctions, then there is no sin involved.
KulArnava Tantram 2.137
The purport of this verse is, that even a seemingly insignificant act like tearing a grass, is a bad karma, if done outside Deva or Pitru Yajnas.
There is also one verse that provides a slightly different opinion in this matter. It is found among Dharma Sutras Of Vashishta 19.11-12:
11 He should not damage trees that produce flowers and fruits, 12 but may cut them down to facilitate cultivation or for household needs.
And, on the verse 19.12 there is a commentary available and is given below:
or for household needs: Führer's edition of Va joins this phrase with sutra 13. I follow Laksmidhara, Krtyakalpataru, Vyavaharakanda, 504, and Candesvara, Vivadaratnakara, 284, in joining the phrase with sutra 12. Their reading clearly makes better sense. I also adopt their reading garhastyange (or amse) in place of this edition's garhastyanangam. Candesvara explains this phrase as grihastakarma ('householder's activities') or grihastaopakarana ('householder's implements'). The meaning appears to be that trees may be cut down to provide wood for household needs. Given the first provision allowing trees to be cut down for cultivation, the meaning also may be that they can be cut down to build houses.
From this commentary it appears that it is okay to cut trees in order to clear grounds where houses are to be built. But it is apparently contradictory with what other scriptures (generally) have to say on cutting trees.
[The commentary is taken from the book "Dharmasutras -- The Law Codes of Apasthambha, Gautama, Baudhayana and Vashishta (translated by Patrick Olivelle).]
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 I wasn't expecting there would be so much information for this case i.e. cutting trees. Good findings! – TheLittleNaruto Jul 28 '20 at 12:29
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 Trees have life (according to Hindu scriptures).. more over by cutting trees we disturb the balance of nature or eco-system. So, we can expect scriptures to treat the issue with seriousness _USER_ – Rickross Jul 28 '20 at 13:04
Manusmṛti considers cutting down trees a minor offense and prescribes a simple prāyaścitta (expiation):
When one cuts fruit-bearing trees, shrubs, creepers, branches of trees or flowering plants, he should recite one hundred Ṛk verses.—(11.142)
If one needlessly cuts plants grown by cultivation, or those that spontaneously grow in the forest, he shall attend on the cow for one day, subsisting on milk only.—(11.144)
 - What is "Ṛk verses"? – TheLittleNaruto Jul 28 '20 at 7:28
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 Vedas are comprised of three types of mantras --- Rk (Rik or Richa), Yajus and Saman. You can see wiki on this or other sources on this _USER_ So, Rk or Rik is one type of Vedic mantra – Rickross Jul 28 '20 at 7:43
 - Thanks _USER_ – TheLittleNaruto Jul 28 '20 at 8:01
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IPv4 addresses used for pods are typically allocated from RFC1918 private address blocks and thus, not publicly routable. Cilium will automatically masquerade the source IP address of all traffic that is leaving the cluster to the IPv4 address of the node as the node's IP address is already routable on the network.
For IPv6 addresses masquerading is performed only when using iptables implementation mode.
This behavior can be disabled with the option enable-ipv4-masquerade: false for IPv4 and enable-ipv6-masquerade: false for IPv6 traffic leaving the host.
Setting the routable CIDR
The default behavior is to exclude any destination within the IP allocation CIDR of the local node. If the pod IPs are routable across a wider network, that network can be specified with the option: native-routing-cidr: in which case all destinations within that CIDR will not be masqueraded.
Setting the masquerading interface
See Implementation Modes for configuring the masquerading interfaces.
Implementation Modes
The eBPF-based implementation is the most efficient implementation. It requires Linux kernel 4.19 and can be enabled with the bpf.masquerade=true helm option (enabled by default).
The current implementation depends on the BPF NodePort feature. The dependency will be removed in the future (GitHub issue 13732).
Masquerading can take place only on those devices which run the eBPF masquerading program. This means that a packet sent from a pod to an outside will be masqueraded (to an output device IPv4 address), if the output device runs the program. If not specified, the program will be automatically attached to the devices selected by the BPF NodePort device detection metchanism. To manually change this, use the devices helm option. Use cilium status to determine which devices the program is running on:
$ kubectl exec -it -n kube-system cilium-xxxxx -- cilium status | grep Masquerading
Masquerading: BPF (ip-masq-agent) [eth0, eth1]
From the output above, the program is running on the eth0 and eth1 devices.
The eBPF-based masquerading can masquerade packets of the following IPv4 L4 protocols:
 - TCP
 - UDP
 - ICMP (only Echo request and Echo reply)
By default, any packet from a pod destined to an IP address outside of the native-routing-cidr range is masqueraded. The exclusion CIDR is shown in the above output of cilium status ( To allow more fine-grained control, Cilium implements ip-masq-agent in eBPF which can be enabled with the ipMasqAgent.enabled=true helm option.
The eBPF-based ip-masq-agent supports the nonMasqueradeCIDRs and masqLinkLocal options set in a configuration file. A packet sent from a pod to a destination which belongs to any CIDR from the nonMasqueradeCIDRs is not going to be masqueraded. If the configuration file is empty, the agent will provision the following non-masquerade CIDRs:
In addition, if the masqLinkLocal is not set or set to false, then is appended to the non-masquerade CIDRs list.
The agent uses Fsnotify to track updates to the configuration file, so the original resyncInterval option is unnecessary.
The example below shows how to configure the agent via ConfigMap and to verify it:
$ cat agent-config/config
masqLinkLocal: false
$ kubectl create configmap ip-masq-agent --from-file=agent-config --namespace=kube-system
$ # Wait ~60s until the ConfigMap is mounted into a cilium pod
$ kubectl -n kube-system exec -ti cilium-xxxxx -- cilium bpf ipmasq list
eBPF based masquerading is currently not supported for IPv6 traffic.
This is the legacy implementation that will work on all kernel versions.
The default behavior will masquerade all traffic leaving on a non-Cilium network device. This typically leads to the correct behavior. In order to limit the network interface on which masquerading should be performed, the option egress-masquerade-interfaces: eth0 can be used.
It is possible to specify an interface prefix as well, by specifying eth+, all interfaces matching the prefix eth will be used for masquerading.


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Learn and review Italian grammar at a glance
Of all the obstacles you face while learning a new language, grammar is one of the toughest. But now there's a way to learn the subtleties of grammar without all the headaches. Side by Side Italian & English Grammar is the perfect tool to help you understand the similarities and differences between English and Italian grammar.
By learning Italian grammar through comparisons to your native English language, you are able to build on what you already know. You will be better able to understand and remember Italian grammar while writing, speaking, and being tested on Italian usage. This innovative grammar guide includes:
- Clear and comprehensive introductions to the parts of speech, explaining their functions and answering common questions about them
- Quick Check sections that summarize main ideas
- Appendices that identify possible grammar trouble spots, such as interrogative pronouns and adjectives, familiar and formal commands, and the use of determiners
- Numerous verb charts with side-by-side Italian and English translations for easy understanding of each tense's meaning
- An exercise section with answer key to test and review your knowledge
Side by Side Italian and English Grammar gives you a firm grasp of the structure of both languages andsets the stage for true language mastery.


text:
What Legwork and Stride Mean to Running
Most runners naturally land on the heel and then "roll up" to push off with the ball of the foot or toes. Midfoot strikers push off with the ball of the foot, and those rare forefoot strikers push off with their toes.
Ideally, runners should land lightly on the heel, with the lead leg just slightly bent at the knee (the best method to absorb shock), immediately roll up to the forefoot or toes, and push off powerfully into the next stride.
Here's a form checklist for the legs:
- Land lightly on the heel or midfoot, preferably with your lead leg bent slightly at the knee to help absorb shock. Avoid "reaching" with your lead leg.
- Knee lift should be minimal (except on very steep hills) because too much up-and-down movement results in wasted energy.
- When the leg swings back, you should feel a "flicking" sensation with the heel and ankle. But the flick should not be so much that you are close to kicking yourself in the buttocks.
- Run in a straight line. Make sure that your feet land in parallel paths and do not cross over. Crossover foot strikes are a sure sign of too much twisting and wasted motion.
- After each foot strike, drive into your next stride with a good push off the toes or forefoot.
Avoid overstriding when lengthening your running stride
Novices are often tempted to lengthen their running stride in an attempt to cover more ground. Although increasing your running stride length is one way to run faster, it more often than not results in overstriding. Overstriding, in fact, slows a runner down because it increases impact (and, because of that, injury risk) and takes you longer to get back to your center of gravity and begin the next stride.
You are overstriding if you habitually "reach" with your lead leg in a virtually straight position. When your leg is straight, the first contact with the ground occurs hard on the heel. The result is a lot of shock shimmering up through the lower leg and shins, possibly affecting even your hips and back.
So what's the trick? The way to effectively increase running stride length — without falling into the trap of overstriding — is to improve overall flexibility and muscle strength. It's not a quick fix, requiring a modest (but consistent) stretching program and some strength-enhancing running sessions, such as a weekly hill session.
A good weight-training program, one that addresses the specific needs of runners, can improve overall muscle strength, too. But some renowned coaches, most notably Arthur Lydiard of New Zealand (often called the father of modern distance running methods), believe that hill workouts are the best way to build muscle strength that runners need.
The goal to increase natural running stride length without overstriding requires the following:
- Creating muscles that have a greater range of motion — in effect, increased flexibility.
- Developing stronger muscles capable of pushing off with greater power.
The result should be a slight increase in running stride length that is still within your natural gait. (Overstriding is the enemy of progress!) The gain may be so gradual and small that the average runner may have difficulty noticing. The increased stride length is simply a fringe benefit of your increased flexibility and muscle strength.
Increase your running stride rate
When you start running, increasing stride frequency is easier to achieve than increasing stride length. Some of the increased running stride rate will just come naturally as you get in shape, but you can make major gains by performing high-quality workouts, including even modest speed sessions on the track. Some specific drills, incorporated into your warm-up several times a week, can lay a foundation for an increase in your stride rate.
Some coaches refer to stride frequency or stride rate as leg turnover. The average recreational runner takes about 80 to 85 strides per minute, but most Olympic-class runners can crank out a stride rate of over 180 strides a minute.
An easy drill to add to your running program is "striders" of about 100 yards in length — the length of your basic football field. You should run these briskly, with smooth running form, but not "all out." (For example, if it takes you 15 seconds to run the length of a football field as fast as you can, then run your strider drill closer to 20 seconds per 100 yards.) Try the strider drill two or three times a week, either before or after your easy distance run.
Practice proper mechanics for both your upper and lower body, and include form drills as part of your warm-up. Knowing that your arm action can dictate your running stride length and influence stride rate, you should try to keep focused on your arms in particular.
Another good drill to improve stride frequency is called hot coals. Envision that you are running on a bed of hot coals and you want to "quick step" your way over them. Practice this routine for about 50 yards (perhaps 10 seconds in duration for each hot coal rep) — just long enough so that your feet don't get burned. As with striders, this drill can be part of your warm-up or cool-down.
Running up short flights of stairs, landing on each step, is another drill that can boost your stride frequency. Hit every step as quickly as you can and then walk down for rest. (Try this in small doses — no more than once or twice a week, perhaps for as little as 5 minutes' worth to start — and try alternative workouts, such as hill running, if you experience knee pain.)
If you run five or six days per week, consider taking one day as a "form day." The session shouldn't be a killer in a physical sense, but it can be a day to tune into proper running form and try some running drills.


text:
Pay PDA! You can easily pay us and have our services or products without any delay. Select the suitable method and follow the instructions.
Method 1 – Pay PDA through a local bank
Just visit nearest National Saving Bank (NSB in Sri Lanka) and deposit or transfer your payment directly to our account.
- Owner – P D Abeywickrama
- Account Number – 100 53 80 72 73 6
- Branch – Maharagama NSB
Then send us an e-mail or SMS included information below. Or call us and inform.
- Product or Service Name – [example – Game Potha 1.0]
- Payment – [example – Rs. 1500/=]
- Date and Time – [example – 04-feb-2013 3.20pm]
- Paid branch – [example – Kandy]
Method 2 – Pay PDA through the internet
We accept your payments via Internet. PayPal, Master Card, Visa or any type of bank transfers are always acceptable. Just contact us and take the secured web page to pay PDA. Do not type any detail anywhere before accessing our secured web page.
Safety tips for online payments
- Remember that paying by credit card offers greater protection than with other methods.
- Double check all details of your payment before confirming.
- Before entering payment details on a website, ensure that the link is secure, in three ways:
- There should be a padlock symbol in the browser window frame, which appears when you attempt to log in or register. Be sure that the padlock is not on the page itself … this will probably indicate a fraudulent site.
- The web address should begin with 'https://'. The 's' stands for 'secure'.
- If using the latest version of your browser, the address bar or the name of the site owner will turn green.
- When making a payment to an individual use a secure payment site such as PayPal – never transfer the money directly into their bank account.
- Always log out of sites into which you have logged in or registered details. Simply closing your browser is not enough to ensure privacy.
- Keep receipts – electronic or otherwise.
- Check credit card and bank statements carefully after payment to ensure that the correct amount has been debited, and also that no fraud has taken place as a result of the transaction.
- Ensure you have effective and updated antivirus/antispyware software and firewall running before you go online.


CUSIP is a 9 character long identifier. The last digit is a check sum checking the first 8 previous characters. This seems to me that it is not possible for two securities to have the same 8 characters and different check sum. I know this is not exactly quantitative, but I haven't found a forum where I could ask.
Source: _URL_
 - 2
 $\begingroup$ No, for exactly the reasons you state, two CUSIPs cannot differ in inly the last digit. The last digit is a function of the first 8 digits, and any ordered set of 8 digits has only one proper checksum. If two CUSIPs are the same except for rhe last digit, one of them is not a CUSIP, and in fact making that determination is the very purpose of the checksum digit $\endgroup$ – Dan Bron Nov 21 '14 at 12:16
No, 9th character is computed using deterministic algorithm described here: _URL_
Your Answer


Jambolan Information | Evidenced-Based Supplement Guide on MedicineNet.com - How does Jambolan work?
How does Jambolan work?
Jambolan seed and bark contains chemicals that might lower blood sugar, but extracts from jambolan leaf and fruit don't seem to affect blood sugar. Jambolan also contains chemicals that might have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Are there safety concerns?
Jambolan is possibly safe for most people, but the potential side effects are not known.
Do not use jambolan if:
 - You are pregnant or breast-feeding.
 - You are scheduled for surgery in the next two weeks.
Therapeutic Research Faculty copyright
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration


text:
- Present participle of cultivate.
Variant of cultivate
transitive verbcultivated, cultivating
- to prepare and use (soil or land) for growing crops; till
- to break up the surface soil around (plants) in order to destroy weeds, prevent crusting, and preserve moisture
- to grow (plants, crops, fish, etc.) from seeds, bulbs, shoots, etc.
- to improve or develop (plants) by various horticultural techniques
- to improve by care, training, or study; refine: to cultivate one's mind
- to promote the development or growth of; acquire and develop: to cultivate a taste for music
- to seek to develop familiarity with; give one's attention to; pursue
Origin of cultivate; from Medieval Latin cultivatus, past participle of cultivare ; from Late Latin cultivus, tilled ; from Classical Latin cultus: see cult


How To Spot A Trend Versus A Fad
How To Spot A Trend Versus A Fad
Nils Vesk (pictured below) is an innovation architect who's delivered programs for some of the most prestigious organisations in the world, including Microsoft, IBM, Commonwealth Bank and Nestle. In this guest post for B&T, he shows you how to spot a lasting trend that's not merely just another passing fad…
The importance behind learning to differentiate a trend from a fad is that no business wants to waste time and energy developing a new product, just for it to reveal itself further down the line as a short-lived fad. As such, a key skill any innovator must learn is how to identify the difference between the two early on.
Screen Shot 2018-05-22 at 3.32.12 pm
First things first, a fad can be defined as something that people believed would be a long-term trend, but that then disappeared as people quickly lost interest.
So, what is a trend? And why are they so important in business? Often when people hear of trends, they think of a something that appears overnight, becoming instantly popular, before disappearing in the same manner. In actual fact, trends can be longer-term, in some cases sticking around for many years.
In business in particular, it's crucial to be able to identify trends that will disrupt your industry and capitalise on them before your competition. The ability to do this will give you the head start, allowing you the opportunity to create new products and services and even create a new market by spotting a gap before others.
When it comes to trends, we can break them down into three compartments: uncertainties, disruptors and trends. In business, it's important to identify the key uncertainties that could impact our customers and industries as a whole. Following this, it is key to then be able to identify is what disruptors are arising, the impacts that they might have and then finally the specific trends that are emerging around or from these drivers and uncertainties.
Here are the five phases of a trend:
 1. Dawning – an emerging trend
 2. Developing – a trend that is gaining momentum and is being developed by various parties
 3. Developed – a trend that is fully fledged and has hit mainstream interest
 4. Decaying – a trend that has done it's time and is becoming 'old' in the mind of users or customers
 5. Discarded – a trend that is no longer in demand and has been superseded by something more exciting, superior, different or by adding new value
Clearly, it makes no sense to begin working on a developed, decaying or discarded trend, but instead to succeed it's imperative to jump on a dawning or even early stage developing trends. To become an innovator, we must learn how to scan the business world to discover these dawning trends and potential disruptors.
A number of determinants can affect a trend's duration, including:
 - Differentiation – This refers to how unique and memorable the new trending product or service may be. Differentiation is more important for some industries than others, and can be critical to their success. Essentially, when assessing an emerging trend ask yourself "Is this unique or really different to what currently exists?" as well as "Is this product/ service remarkable i.e. does it give me something to remark about?"
 - Superiority – How well does the product or service compare to its competitors? It's important to understand how effective and efficient a product is, whether it could be of more value to your audience, and whether it is more affordable than other similar products on the market.
 - Newness – How long has the product or service been on the market? Do your research and see if there are existing similar products on the market. If similar products do exist, when did they first come onto the scene?
 - Performance – How well does the product perform in relation to customer expectations? Does it do what it is advertised to do? Does this satisfy customer needs or desires?
 - Customer community – How does the user or customer community interact with and use the new product or service? How large is the potential audience of this trend? Communities can play a big part in the success of a product or service, and part of this can sometimes be made up by the 'why' of the product. Having a cause creates bigger community participation and trend duration and creates purpose for the product. Also ask yourself "Does the trend exclude a crowd?" Some trends are successful simply because they exclude people and therefore appeals a nice/specific customer group and caters to their specific needs/wants which in turn increases the loyalty of the trending product or service.
 - Aesthetics – This refers to how timeless the design of the product or service experience may be. Will the service and its design still be relevant in a few years?
 - Ground-breaking – Does the product cause a total revolution or a simple evolution? Does it solve/alleviate a problem? Will it change peoples' life in some way? Will this signal the end of an era or create a new one?
 - Market category – Does the trend, product or service create a new market category? Does it extend on current products and services and take a portion of market share, or does it create an entirely new category?
Once you've assessed the trend according to the above criteria, you can use a polar chart to map out the impact that a certain trend may have, which is crucial for businesses when deciding whether a trend is worth pursuing.
Vesk will be hosting 'The Next Big Thing' Masterclasses throughout May and June in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane where business leaders will discover the trends that will impact their industry, their team and their customers, and how they can capitalise on them.
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Nils Vesk
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Kalanga rock art, Zimbabwe
This art tradition is painted using the finger and in white. It found at a number of rock art sites in and around the Matobo Hills of Zimbabwe.
Like most other rock arts of Bantu-language speakers this art was made for mnemonic purposes during an initiation ceremony, in this case a boy's initiation ceremony.
Each image was a symbol that could be recognised only by the initiated. Outsiders could see the painted subjects such as giraffe and elephant, but they could not penetrate the secret symbolic meanings and teachings encoded in the subjects.
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text:
A limiting factor in the development of reading skills in students and an impediment to classroom management for teachers is the ability of children to read independently for significant periods of time. A valuable strategy to deal with both issues is increasing reading stamina.
Building reading stamina supports students to read for an extended time, trains muscle memory and supports an increased attention.
Teaching a procedure for independent reading enables students to read without direct supervision, enabling the teacher to work with a group (teach), or work with a student (teach, monitor or assess). Roles and responsibilities of the teacher and students can be clearly outlined for students on a T-Chart.
Both the student and teacher have responsibilities in the process. Students:
- Collect enough books
- Sit … (at my desk/on my own/etc.)
- Start reading right away
- Read the whole time
- Think about what I'm reading
Teacher responsibilities include:
That is, working with a student or working with a group.
How to build reading stamina
- Set a purpose for the reading. Explain how practice reading helps us to become better readers. Support students to make a chart which may contain some or all of the following prompts for improving reading:
- My phrasing and fluency supports meaning making and sounds like talking.
- I use the punctuation to regulate reading phrasing and fluency.
- I adapt the pitch, tone, stress and volume of my voice to match meaning.
- I problem solve quickly and efficiently.
- I self-correct if needed.
- I think about meaning.
- Teach for a procedure (above) which outlines student and teacher responsibilities.
- Start with a manageable time for all students (i.e. a time which can be achieved by all students).
- Instruct students to follow the procedure for independent reading for the designated time. Monitor.
- Gather students together. Invite discussion (paired/group/class) about the reading. Provide feedback on the application of the procedure. Troubleshoot where needed.
- Gradually extend the reading time and continue to monitor.
- Continue to share, provide feedback and troubleshoot as reading time continues to increase and reading stamina grows. Begin to gradually withdraw perceived supervision to build independence.
- When students are able to sustain the reading for the desired time, begin taking guided reading or guided reading/reciprocal teaching. Independent reading then provides another option for supporting independent learning.
Immediate benefits for students and teachers
Feedback from a teacher at one of our recent workshops demonstrates the quick and valuable gains that can be made using this strategy.
I attended your Toowoomba session last Thursday (26 April) and yesterday tried stamina reading with my 2/3 class. I did as you suggested and discussed the importance of reading and used that verse about the more you read the better you get etc, talked about what good readers do and then did the T chart 'my job your job'. I allowed them to choose 2 books – their home reader and a guided reader from their box.
When I asked the children how long they thought that they could do it for 1 child said half an hour (and he probably could have) and some others said 10 or 15 minutes. They were really confident about being able to do it. We settled on 5 minutes to start with.
It was lovely to see every head down reading for the whole time. We shared something we read with a partner at the end. After complimenting the class on their great reading with stamina I asked them if they had enjoyed it and all said they had because it was so easy to concentrate on their reading.
Thank you for this great idea for making the most of independent reading time.
Regards Donna (Donna Gray, Highfields State School, 3rd May)
Fact sheet and workshops
The Reading Stamina Fact Sheet can be downloaded and used as a guide to the implementation of Reading Stamina in the classroom. A more in-depth examination and discussion of this topic is a component of the following professional development workshops.
- Reading Stamina (online short course)
- P-3 Reading in the Australian Curriculum
- Prep Reading & Writing
Have you implemented reading stamina in your classroom / school? What was the impact? We'd love to hear your comments!


text:
The Tale of Bausis & Philemon
A Tale from Greece
Zeus, the king of Mount. Olympus, came down to visit the country folk disguised as a beggar. People turned him away until he came to the house of a poor elderly couple, Bausis and Philemon. Bausis and Philemon shared their simple meal of bread and wine with their guest. Oddly enough, the wine jug never emptied and there was more bread after each slice was cut. It was then that Bausis and Philemon realized that this was no ordinary visitor, but a god from Mount Olympus.
They bowed low and apologized for the simple food they had to offer. Zeus replied, "When you have shared your best, there is never a need to apologize."
In return for their generosity, Zeus granted them their only wish: to remain together always. and so when Bausis and Philemon died, an oak and a linden tree grew with their trunks entwined around each other, on the spot where the couple was buried.
Storytelling in the Classroom | Lesson Plans & Activities
Copyright © 2000 Story Arts


text:
The Economic Impact of Montana's Renewable Portfolio Standard
Montana's renewable power mandates will force state electricity consumers to pay an extra $225 million in 2015 versus baseline figures. In addition, the mandate will bring few environmental benefits, as it is unclear whether the use of renewable power sources such as wind and solar actually reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions. Wind and solar power require significant fossil fuel-based backup power to accommodate variability in the availability of wind and sunlight for power conversion. A recent study published by the Bentek energy market analytics company found wind power can actually increase pollution and greenhouse gas emissions because the constant ramping up and ramping down of fossil-fuel backup systems is less efficient than running them at a steady pace.


text:
We screen several thousand young individuals per year and our current practice is to inform the individuals screened, or his or her parents if they're aged under 16, about the test that was performed and the result. 96% of people that are screened have nothing to worry about and are reassured and this is put in writing to the family of the individual concerned. In 4% of cases, we do identify an abnormality and those abnormalities and planned investigations are relayed to the GP within two weeks of the investigation.
Subsequent investigation of that athlete or that young individual and the results are then further relayed to the GP and if we make a diagnosis or plan treatments, they are also relayed to the GP at a later date. So in summary, if we identify a problem, the GP is kept fully informed throughout the process.