text:
|| Checking for direct PDF access through Ovid
The vestibular center of the brainstem contains afferent and efferent vestibular neurons, which play an important role in information perception, processing, and sensory integration. Vestibular efferent neurons (VENs) can receive changes in vestibular afferent information and regulate peripheral vestibular function; however, it remains unclear how VENs change after vestibular afferent information increases or weakens. In this study, we used animal models with altered vestibular afferent information by electrically stimulating or destroying the vestibular medial nucleus (MVe). We confirmed the location of VENs in the brainstem by injecting five adult male Wistar rats in the vestibular region with a retrograde tracer. Following this, the MVe was stimulated electrically for 30 min in 20 naive rats. Rats were anesthetized and euthanized 1, 3, 6, and 12 h after stimulation. The MVe was electrolytically lesioned in another group (n=20); then, the rats were anesthetized and euthanized 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after lesioning. VENs were clearly identified dorsolateral to the genu of the facial nerve (g7) in coronal brainstem sections using choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) staining. The number of ChAT-positive VENs dorsolateral to g7 increased significantly on both sides compared with the control group 3 and 6 h after electrical stimulation. The number of ChAT-positive VENs dorsolateral to g7 was significantly greater on both sides compared with controls 3 and 5 days after electrolytic lesion. In summary, we found that the number of ChAT-positive VENs was significantly increased following a change in the excitability of MVe neurons. This suggests that VENs can respond to changes in afferent vestibular information and feedback, and regulate the peripheral vestibule. In addition, this shows that acetylcholine is an important neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the perception and fine regulation of the vestibular system.


text:
What is the Children's Trust?
Bradford Children's Trust is a local partnership of organisations responsible for the strategic framework and delivery of services to children, young people and families.
What is the Role of the Trust?
Our vision is that every child and young person should be supported to have the best possible start in life, and be given active help and encouragement towards achieving the outcomes identified in the following themes:
By working with children, young people and families, the Trust sets strategic direction, establishes priorities, monitors progress and identifies resources to develop services.
Children and Young People's Plan
The Children and Young People's Plan sets out how our services will work on behalf of the growing young population of the district to improve their future life chances.
We aim to support children at the earliest opportunity and at the earliest age when they are most vulnerable. We have put in place a preventative framework which will enable services to intervene early at the point where things first start to go wrong in their lives. This is part of the Big Idea, to which partners have signed up: "local joined-up services focused on prevention".
Stronger Partnerships Deliver Stronger Services
As a Children's Trust, we recognise that stronger partnerships, greater integration of services and a shared purpose lead to better services for children, young people and families – especially the most vulnerable. The core principle of a shared commitment to improve the lives of children, young people and families – enshrined in the 'duty to co-operate'– remains as important as it ever was. The Trust's Statement of Intent underpins our commitment as an ongoing partnership.
We look forward to working with you all on this.
Cllr Ralph Berry
Executive Member for Children's Services
Strategic Director of Children's Services

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


Monday, 13 October 2008
Artificial Life Software Review
There seems to be some useful artificial life software. Artificial life software is useful because they include neural network, genetic and artificial world components.
Wikipedia separates artificial life software into four categories: program-based, module-based, parameter-based and neural net-based.
Program-based artificial life uses DNA which resembles computer programs more than biological DNA.
Module-based artificial life software uses modules to specify creature behaviour. The focus is more on user creation and less on evolution.
Parameter-based artificial life software uses parameters to modify pre-defined creature behaviour. It is the parameters which mutate over time.
Neural net-based artificial software have creatures that have neural networks for learning.
Program based artificial life software includes:
Avida is similar to Tierra which simultes an evolutionary system in which computer programs compete for computer resources. In Tierra, organisms share and compete for one "brain." In Avida, each organism has its own brain.
breve looks interesting because it has a 3D world and physics. It handles agent communication, 3D space representation, graphical rendering and physical simulation.
Does it have neural network and genetic components? It looks like breve does have a genetic component but it seems that if it focuses more as a virtual world and requires neural network components from other software libraries.
A page on breve's homepage references a few other popular agent environments:
Swarm somehow does not seem to be what I am looking for.
Mason looks quite powerful and it seems like I can mould it into what I am looking for. I do prefer real time grapics. I don't think it has neural network and genetic algorithm components.
NetLogo seems to have support for neural networks and genetic algorithms but I feel a bit unsure about it.
Darwinbots, has simple graphics. I think I have been spoiled by the other software packages.
 - [N] Neural network components? It has a finite state machine like system.
 - [Y] Genetic algorithm components? Life-like forces shape evolution.
 - [N] 3D environment? It has a 2D world.
Evolve 4.0
 - [N] Neural network components?
 - [?] Genetic algorithm components? It simulates things a cellular level.
Framsticks looks good. Can Framsticks simulate communication?
Micropond is similar to Nanopond. Nanopond in turm is similar to Avida and Tierra.
Tierra is kind of like Avida.
Module-based artificial life software includes:
 - TechnoSphere
TechnoSphere looks interesting but I feel that it lacks the control I need. I need to be able to program neural networks and communication systems. It looks like TechnoSphere is more about letting users pick and choose physical
Parameter-based artificial life software includes:
 - Kyresoo Plants
Kyresoo Plants does not seem to be what I am looking for. From an online encylopedia, "Most Alife software such as Avida, Darwinbots, Polyworld, focus on the collective behaviour of a large number of simulated organisms. Kyresoo Plants focuses on the collective behaviour of multiple cells in a single organism."
The same page mentions something about the biomorph model describe by Richard Dawkins in the book, "The Blind Watchmaker." This is interesting because of I am a fan of Dawkins' work.
Neural network based artificial life software includes:
Creatures looks interesting but it is a commercial product and I don't know how much I can extend it. There seems to some developer support. It doesn't look like it allows me to get to the nitty gritty such as setting up actual neural networks and communication pathways.
Noble Ape looks very interesting. It holds similar ideals as this project does. Is it easy to set up a small number of creatures with neural networks in Noble Ape?
Polyworld looks almost exactly like what I am looking for. It has neural network components, genetic algorithm components and a world. It looks kind of old.
NationMaster, an online encyclopedia also has a number of other artificial life software.
Program Based
Physis seems to be at a cellular level and seems similar to Tierra.
Archis seems similar to Nanopond.
Neural Net Based
NERO looks quite interesting. It simulates teams of agents engaged in battle. It has neural network components but no genetic algorithm components although the environment itself provided evolutionary pressures. Unfortunately it seems like it is not open source. According to the AI algorithms are open source but the rest of the package is not open source because it uses a commercial game engine.
Okay, so after all that, the following is my short list for artificial life environments:
 - breve
 - Framsticks
 - Noble Ape
 - Polyworld
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text:
Corneria novoguineensis (Gibbs) A.V.Bobrov & Melikyan
Dacrydium novoguineense is an evergreen tree with ascending branches and numerous branchlets producing a dense rounded crown; it usually grows 20 - 30 metres tall, though some specimens can be as small as 1.5 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 30 - 50cm in diameter, free of branches for 15 - 20 metres[
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of wood and materials.
The widespread but scattered known occurrence of this species, with the subpopulations in part occurring on remote mountain ridges and summits, seems to preclude a threatened status. It is not a commercial timber tree and cutting occurs only locally and on a small scale. There is no indication of overall decline of the population. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
Australasia - New Guinea
A canopy or emergent tree in open forest especially on mountain ridges, becoming a small tree amongst other scrub and tree ferns at the higher limits of its range; at elevations from 1,300 - 2,200 metres[
|Conservation Status||Least Concern
|Other Uses Rating||
Dacrydium novoguineense is able to tolerate occasional, short-lived temperatures falling to around -1°c to +4.4°c[
This species is indifferent to soil types and occurs on clay, sand, quartzite and other rock debris as well as on peat[
The plant often regenerates abundantly from seed after disturbance by fire, when it can become temporarily dominant in an area. Numbers are reduced later by competing trees and shrubs. There is in this respect a natural fluctuation in the numbers of individuals in the population[
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required.
The bark is used for insulating the walls of traditional houses[
The timber of this species is used for building[
The wood of the various Dacrydium species is jointly known as'sempilor'. The basic description is as follows:-
The heartwood is buff in colour, sometimes with a pink tinge or golden brown; it is not differentiated from the sapwood. The texture is very fine and even; the grain straight. The wood is reputed to be weak; it is light to moderately heavy in weight; it is not durable and is subject to drywood termite attacks. It seasons well without serious degrade; shrinkage is very high; a slight to moderate twisting may occasionally occur. The wood works very easily; it produces a smooth and somewhat lustrous surface; gluing, nailing and peeling properties are satisfactory. A softwood, it should be suitable for decorative works and can be used for panelling, partitioning, veneers, plywood, joinery and furniture making[
The seed can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil in a warm greenhouse, though it is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe[
]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out.
Cuttings of half-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long[
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


the field collapses, the stored energy can not go back to the battery, so it enters the load. Since an inductive field collapse forces the continuation of current flow, which forces the voltage to rise to the point the load will accept by starting to operate (= normal operation draws current).
 Now a battery is built with a known amount of Zinc and Manganese, with less manganese than zinc so at the end the zinc container will stay together when the manganese runs out. With too much manganese the cell will eat out all the zinc container and fill the equipment with battery electrolyte = damaged equipment.
 As these operate, they produce a steady 1.5 volts. As it runs out, there are local shortages = less voltage = higher internal resistance.
 So no batteriser will make 800% more milliampere hours. What it can do is extend the battery life, AT VERY LOW CURRENT, for a lot longer.
 The break in described is a fake set up by the owner of the batterizer. Battery makers can easily make cells last longer = more manganese and more zinc = more money for the cells. Whey do you thing cheap chinese batteries do not last long and corrode – less zinc and less manganese = thinner walls that corrode sooner.
 The new joule thief charges 4 capacitors from the battery in parallel. It then disconnects the 4 capacitors and re-connects them in series. It uses fet switches to do this with a controller that controls the connection times to give 1.5 volts out. At first, when the voltage is 1.3 volts, it draws less, and can make 1.5 volts all the way down to 0.375 volts. fets, when on have near zero volttage drop
 1. Hi Bill, Just a quick question. You use the term 'Flyback' and I am interested to know what this term means and if it is commonly used. Where I am the only time this term is used if for 'Flyback Transformer' and this term specificity relates to the line output transformer (LOPT) in old glass tube screens. This tern is not used here for anything else. So I guess I am asking – what specificly about a transformer makes it a flyback transformer and what's the reason for the name 'Flyback'?
 1. Hi,
 When they refer to flyback, it refers to how the transformer is driven. As the name implies, transformers in televions are usually driven in a flyback topology. For comparison, other common driving methods can be seen here.
 2. OK, I think I have this sorted.
 What is called a flyback transformer here in my country is specificity the line output transformer (LOPT) of an old glass tube TV.
 What you (I assume America) call a flyback is any transformer that dumps primary current to magnet flux and then separately dumps the magnetic flux to the secondary load in such a way that the secondary is *not* loaded while the primary is driven.
 We call the above a Buck-Boost transformer where you reserve the term Buck-Boost for a specific type of circuit that uses an inductor rather than a transformer.
 2. Actually based on the curve I have posted below, it would do poorly for a light load. It is probably best when your load is moderate where the regulator is near its peak efficiency and not drawing more current than than the battery could delivery. (i.e. if your power supply impedance is smaller than the battery internal resistance.)
 These days high tech battery operated electronics if they are designed with battery life in mind. If they could get more battery life with a boost converter, they would have one already. Most them them are using Li-ion anyways.
 3. I was hoping someone would mention the Joule Thief. The idea that only 20% of the battery has been used at the time that equipment drops out sounded pretty suspect to me but I thought there was some potentially usable energy in those 'dead' batteries because I remember the Joule Thief.
 Of course that doesn't say anything about the fact that it only works at low amperages and that it increases the likelihood of a leaky battery.
 4. The Joule Thief, by its nature, is only capable of producing periodic pulses, not a continuous output. It's only related to the batteriser insofar as both of them are boost converters.
 4. FYI: the patent document you linked to is for a published patent application, not an actual patent. The published application hasn't gone through any kind of review; inventors can put anything they want into the application. My guess is when the USPTO actually does pick this up for examination, they'll reach the same conclusion [Dave Jones] did: "You guys are full of shit."
 5. Quote: "The positive terminal of a battery is also the metal can, while the negative terminal is just a tiny nib of metal seperated from the rest of the battery by a gasket".
 Back to front. The metal can is negative and the nib is positive for the common sizes like AA, AAA, C, D etc.
 Button cells and the like are the other way around.
 6. This is like the skit based on the story of a poor scholar who could afford candles, so he studies at night from the light of fireflies.
 "It is great that you study hard at night, but what do you do all day?"
 "I was collecting the fireflies…"
 The circuit is active all the time and cannot be a 100% efficient, so it chews up juice at all times. Let's be generous that it consume close to zero quiescent current when your electronic device is off.
 When the battery is running low, its internal resistance increases quite a lot. Since a boost converter actually try to delivery a constant voltage output, essentially it'll need to delivery constant power. At low voltage, it has to draw more current to maintain constant power output.
 Energizer has detail datasheets for their alkaline battery. Look under the curves "Constant Power Performance" to see how much more battery life you can get from 0.9V vs 1.2V. To use the graph, draw a vertical line where the X axis is your power consumption. The intersection points of that vertical line and the 1.2V and 0.9V curve are the respective battery life.
 Now also take a look at the voltage discharge curve at how sharply the battery voltage drops under 0.8V. Essentially they are telling you at 250mW, there is no difference in battery life whether you are draw down to 0.8V or 0.9V.
 tl;dr summary:
 At no point, the battery life shows 800% difference. You might get slight 130% more depending on your load. Heavier loads gets a bit more. Now that's without taken the efficiency of the boost converter which tends to get less efficient as you draw more load. The PMOS/NMOS have horrible r(on) when you only have 1.5V or so vgs to work with.
 I have work with switch mode power supply a bit to say this: (ref: my projects)
 The simple Joule Thief circuits are crap when you compare them to chip based designs as they do not have good inductor current control or use more efficiency PFM during low load. Further more, they use bipolar transistor that have high saturated voltage.
 1. Good summary. Joule thief type circuits are indeed not great for this kind of application in general, and they also tend to get worse and worse as the size of the inductor is shrunk – so I think we're all being very generous with how good their tiny device will be :)
 1. "Erik,
 This isn't a capacitor manufacturer selling me their prototype. This is a capacitor manufacturer, making MY prototype. I made the graphene and they built the capacitor. Need details? Online you'll find people who are making graphene in their blender. I use a ball mill with 6, 1/4″ ceramic balls, running for a week. Then the graphene is placed on a film that is electrostatically neutral and the graphene is give time to dry, in which I'm left with very long chains of carbon nano tubes"
 Yah this guy was full of it, you dont get CNT's from ground up graphite, you dont even get graphene. Just using buzzwords to swindle hipsters, eh I digress
 2. I love it how they talk about suing the developer. Take responsibility for your own actions backers!
 Kickstarter is just that, crowd investment. It carries the same risk that comes from any form of investment. If you don't have the foresight to see something is infeasible, don't back it or wear the consequence. Don't blame the developer.
 I almost hope the batteriser is successfully funded, just to see the backlash afterwards. "The damn thing wears out mah batteries faster dang nammit!"
 1. There's a big difference between fraud and an inability to deliver. Kickstarter is risky, but it's not a license to defraud your customers with no consequences.
 2. Why did you bother writing something that seems so full of misdirection and strange logic?
 1) Investors sue all the time if they are DEFRAUDED
 2) As others said, its not a investment in a corporation – it is a pre-order. For unestablished companies it also acts as "an investment" – but really we start to strain the


text:
Title: Enriching the AR(p) process with skewed generalised normal innovations
Authors: JT Ferreira - University of Pretoria (South Africa) [presenting]
Ane Neethling - University of Pretoria (South Africa)
Andriette Bekker - University of Pretoria (South Africa)
Mehrdad Naderi - University of Pretoria (South Africa)
Abstract: The autoregressive (AR) process of order $p$ is of common value in many areas of research, not necessarily only in a time series environment. Usually, innovations are assumed to be iid normally distributed; this assumption may not characterise some true processes adequately due to the normal distributions restrictions regarding asymmetry. A skew generalised normal distribution is presented as an alternative to the usual normal assumption. It can account for not only skewness but also heavier tails that innovations might exhibit. This model is compared to previously proposed models, and its position as a valid contender as the choice of innovation process discussed via some simulation studies and data analysis.


News Communities Irving
The last of its kind in Irving, a children's kingdom falls
Avi Selk/Staff Photo
The steel jaws of a fearsome monster, also known as an excavator, attacked and brought down one of the towers at Castle Kingdom on Monday. A generation of children grew up among the maze of forts and bridges. Plans are to replace Irving's least safe playground.
Castle Kingdom stood guard for 25 years against lava monsters, pirate raids and all imagined dangers of Victoria Park.
The vastest playground in Irving, it sheltered countless hide n' seekers in its tunnels. A generation of princesses and princes reigned from its steepled towers.
The children were gone on Monday, when a wrecking machine with dragon-sized jaws ripped those towers from the sand.
Grownups watched the kingdom's demolition—city officials with plans to finally replace the oldest, most troublesome playground in Irving.
Because, through an era of wild imagination and rising safety standards, Castle Kingdom could protect children from every danger but its own.
It took less than an hour to knock a maze of forts and bridges into a heap of sun-greyed wood. In 1989, it took five days and more than 1,000 volunteers to build the playground.
The mayor proclaimed it Castle Kingdom month when they raised that forest of beams in central Irving. Children helped screw the planks on, mugging for photos with electric drills.
"It was the Taj Mahal of playgrounds," said Chuck Majors, who oversaw both its construction and demolition for the city. "You could go all through the playground and never touch the ground."
Despite its name, Castle Kingdom could have served as a jungle fort, or a pirate ship, or a tunnel city. To the thousands of children who crawled across it, hid inside it and dug beneath it, it was all those things and more.
But for every child who took home sand in her shoes (one grandmother collected it in a bucket across two generations) another got a splinter in his toe. As the years passed, boards began to rot and towers sometimes swayed.
Once a national craze, wooden playgrounds fell from favor with safety-minded cities.
Castle Kingdom's climbing beam and balance bar were taken out in the late 1990s. When standards tightened, the tire bridge had to go to clear a safety zone in front of the swings.
Eventually, even the chemical preservative soaked into the playground's wood was outlawed.
Before it fell, a city inspector had to walk the kingdom at least three days a week—early in the morning to avoid the mobs of kids—to spot loose nails or rotting planks. The binder of Castle Kingdom service calls is so full it won't shut anymore.
"This is the only wooden one left in the city," said playground inspector Nathan Frettoloso as he watched the wrecker swipe a tower down. "It's a maintenance nightmare."
Earlier this year, Frettoloso helped a committee of children decide what they'd like to replace the kingdom.
They'll get Castle Kingdom 2.0— with brightly colored towers and a smiling cartoon dragon. Plastic instead of wood, and wheelchair-accessible rubber instead of sand.
It will be shipped from Minnesota and assembled in the fall.
"It will be safe and maintenance-friendly," Frettoloso said. But it won't be the same.
"You're not going to be able to replace the tunnels and the wood and the play value," the inspector said, waving towards the old kingdom's rubble. "Here, it's left open to the imagination."
There's treasure hidden under Castle Kingdom. On the night before it opened, its founders buried a time capsule stuffed with memories from the 1980s.
Majors was fresh out of college then, in his first job as assistant parks supervisor. He marked the burial spot on a map and took it back to City Hall.
Decades passed. Majors had children of his own, got promoted and placed over other parks and playgrounds. Now he can't find the map, or remember what was in the capsule.
So in Castle Kingdom's final week, just before it fell, Majors led a search crew through the playground. With shovels and machines, they dug deeper than any child had managed in a quarter century, straight through the sand to the gravel beneath.
They stared into the pit they'd made, pored over scrapbook photos and wracked their memories, but they couldn't find the capsule.
Majors said he'd keep looking—into the playground's second era, if he had to.
Castle Kingdom has fallen. Long may it live.
top picks


text:
Since water is essential for survival, it's important to know what to do in the event of a water supply emergency. Water main breaks, drought, and water contamination can affect both water quality and use in New York City.
Water Main Breaks
In 2012, there were 347 breaks in the City's network of nearly 7,000 miles of water mains, down from a high of 632 in 2003. This year, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) averaged less than six breaks per 100 miles of pipe, well below the accepted industry average of roughly 23-25 breaks per 100 miles annually. Water main breaks may temporarily halt water supply to households and businesses in the surrounding areas. Breaks can also result in property damage, street and sidewalk closures, and traffic and business disruptions.
Temperature change causes most water main breaks. A 10-degree change in air or water temperature can cause pipes to contract or expand, making them fragile. When water or ground temperatures dip near the freezing point, it creates tremendous stress inside and outside the pipe. Additionally, some water pipes installed before World War II are made of cast iron — a brittle material susceptible to breakage.
If you see water coming up from the ground or roadway, or suspect a water main break, call 311 to reach DEP. If water is causing a dangerous condition, such as street or sidewalk collapse or severe indoor or outdoor flooding, call 911. Be prepared to provide:
- A description of the condition
- What is being affected (street, cellar, basement, subways, etc.)
- The exact location of the problem
- Your name, address and telephone number
You may also contact DEP via 311 if you lose water service, experience low water pressure or your home is flooded due to a water main break.
If you own a small business and your business facility sustains damage due to a water main break, contact the Department of Small Business Services to see what type of assistance may be available to you.
Urban droughts generally affect areas dependent on reservoirs for water, such as New York City. Droughts usually lead to restrictions on water use, such as bans on lawn watering and car washing.
A Drought Emergency is declared when there is a reasonable probability that continued dry periods could cause reservoirs to be severely strained.
DEP Drought Terms
- DROUGHT WATCH: Declared when there is less than a 50 percent probability that either of the two largest reservoir systems, the Delaware (Cannonsville, Neversink, Pepacton, and Rondout Reservoirs) or the Catskill (Ashokan, and Schoharie Reservoirs), will fill by June 1 — the start of the water year.
- DROUGHT WARNING: Declared when there is less than a 33 percent probability that either the Catskill or Delaware Systems will fill by June 1.
- DROUGHT EMERGENCY: Declared when there is a reasonable probability that, without the implementation of stringent measures to reduce consumption, a protracted dry period would cause the City's reservoirs to be drained.
If there is a drought, authorities will advise you to conserve water. Please restrict your water use as much as possible. If the drought worsens, mandatory drought restrictions can be imposed. Conservation measures can slow the depletion rate of the stored waters and potentially postpone or eliminate the threat of serious water shortages.
Water Conservation Tips
- Report open fire hydrants and street leaks to DEP via 311. An open hydrant can waste one million gallons of drinking water per day.
- Take shorter showers or fill the tub only halfway and save water.
- Don't run the tap while shaving or brushing your teeth.
- Fix leaks. Leaky faucets alone can waste up to 1,000 gallons each week.
- Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when full. Or use short cycles if available.
- Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket. Each unnecessary flush can waste two to five gallons.
- Install water-saving fixtures including showerheads and faucet aerators.
- Sweep driveways and sidewalks clean rather than washing them down with a hose.
For more water-saving tips, see DEP's Dos and Don'ts of Water Conservation and NYC Water Use Restrictions.
Water supply contamination has not been a significant hazard in New York City in the last century. Contaminated water supply can lead to illness and possibly death. If the contamination leads to an epidemic, it could severely tax the health care system.
If authorities determine that there is a concern about drinking water quality, you will be advised of what actions to take. In some cases, you may be told not to use water for cooking for drinking purposes unless it is boiled, treated with bleach or disinfected by other means. In an extreme case, you may be told not to use the water for cooking, drinking, hand-washing, or bathing purposes.


, type safe, easy to maintain and elegant Java 8 streams based application without any query language or cumbersome boilerplate for the UI.
I thoroughly enjoyed being there to see this application appear on my screen. It gave me some insight into the Vaadin framework and I took with me new knowledge of how to give a quick visual presentation of the power of the Speedment framework. For a back end tool provider, demonstrating end user value is often an indirect exercise. To show a relevant example of how to use our tool, we need to add some front end presentation and Vaadin is a great match for doing so in the future.
The two frameworks seamlessly interacting to create a solution to a toy representation of a real use case, in this case a web application using a relational database, is a sign of relevancy and maturity of both frameworks.
What you have seen here is a starting point of more to come, a proof of concept if you will. Since the two frameworks complement each other so well to create a self contained complete example, we will build on this to create more elaborate Speedment web applications using Vaadin. For a developer new to the field, it is very easy to see that the frameworks solve and abstract away the domain specifics and allows the developer of the business logic to create her application using modern standard Java code with minimal concern for boilerplate or framework specific constructs.
As described in more detail in for example this blog post, Speedment allows a developer to access the relational database in a declarative way without explicitly creating SQL queries, which allows for very elegant code with low maintenance cost. The proof of concept described here shows how nicely Vaadin provides a web front end that works with Speedment out of the box.
Appendix: How to Run the Application
The code shown above is all the Java code needed for the application to run. To get the frameworks configured and running, clearly some dependencies are needed in the pom file and the Speedment framework needs proper database credentials. The following steps will get it running by using this github repository as a starting point.
 1. Create the database table.
 CREATE TABLE 'hare' (
 'id' int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
 'name' varchar(45) NOT NULL,
 'color' varchar(45) NOT NULL,
 'age' int(11) NOT NULL,
 PRIMARY KEY ('id')
 2. Populate the database with some data to make the application result interesting.
 3. Clone the github skeleton containing a pom.xml file and the java code from this blog post.
 git clone _URL_
 4. Change directory to the newly created git repo.
 cd speedment-vaadin-demo
 5. Run the Speedment code generation tool.
 mvn speedment:tool
 6. Enter database credentials in the UI, fill in the schema hares and press the Generate button without changing any defaults to create Speedment code.
 7. Run the application. Substitute pwd and user with proper database credentials.
 mvn -Djdbc.password=pwd -Djdbc.username=user compile exec:java
 8. With the application running, point a browser to the Vaadin rendered UI located at http://localhost:8080.
 9. Optionally, add some more hares in the table and reload the browser page to see the data filtered by your application.
Edit: Since this post was originally published, Matti Tahvonen of Vaadin has provided valuable feedback and a pull request to the git repo bringing the example code up to speed with the latest advances of Vaadin technology.
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In the developing world, disease caused by poor sanitation is the second largest cause of death in children under five years old, and according to the World Health Organization, 1.5 million lives are lost each year to diarrhea and contaminated drinking water. Now a group of undergraduate students from Arizona State University participating in the 2012 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition have developed an inexpensive biosensor that can detect major pathogens.
Nine undergraduates from Arizona State University have made major strides in creating a low-cost biosensor capable of identifying dangerous waterborne pathogens. Their efforts adressed the iGEM challenge to create a device for use in the field that could be made from standard, interchangeable parts. The team currently has two designs in development. The first recognizes pathogens by creating complementary of DNA strands to match those of dangerous organisms. The second introduces proteins that turn samples blue if they come into contact with the membranes of harmful bacteria.
Later this month, the team will introduce their final product at the iGEM regional competitions held at Standford University. If chosen, they will move to the global level in November at MIT.


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AAA is an access control framework. The three As stand for Authentication, Authorization and Accounting.
Authentication verifies the person's (or machine's) identity: that is, confirms that the entity seeking access is who or what it claims to be.
Authorization involves a set of rules that defines what the authenticated entity is able to do once access is granted.
Accounting produces a record of the resources used and the actions taken by the identity after access.


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Cynanchum rossicum (Kleopov) Barbarich
Milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae)
Download PDF version formatted for print (119 KB)
Pale or European swallow-wort (previously Vincetoxicum rossicum) is a long-lived perennial, twining herbaceous vine. The leaves are oval shaped with pointed tips, 3-4 in. long by 2-3 in. wide, and occur in pairs along the stem. The small five-petaled, star shaped flowers are creamy pink to reddish brown, about ¼ in. across, and are borne in clusters. The fruits are slender tapered pods, 2-3 in. long by about ¼ in. wide, that turn from green to light brown as they mature. When ripe, the fruits open along a seam and release flattened seeds equipped with a downy parachute that aids in wind dispersal. In contrast to its invasive relative the black swallow-wort (C. louiseae), pale swallow-wort does not have rhizomes. Plants tend to grow in clumps of several to many stems, forming extensive patches.
NOTE: There are many native species of Cynanchum, including honeyvine (Cynanchum laeve) which occurs throughout the eastern U.S. and could be confused with pale swallow-wort. Honeyvine has white flowers, and its leaves have a distinct heart-shaped base.
Pale swallow-wort can form extensive patches that crowd out native plant species and have various impacts on native wildlife. In some instances old-field habitats occupied by goldenrods and grasses are replaced almost exclusively by swallow-wort, disrupting natural succession and completely altering the physical structure of those habitats. A New York study on grassland birds indicated that as swallow-wort cover increases, grassland bird presence declines. In a study of ground and stem-dwelling insects in Ottawa, Ontario, diversity of these insects was found to be lower in pale swallow-wort infestated areas than in non-invaded old-field sites and gall-makers and miners were completely absent. In New York, pale swallow-wort is displacing the federally listed Hart's tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) at one site and poses a threat to additional populations in the state. Globally rare alvar habitats (limestone pavement barrens supporting unique plant communities) in New York are also threatened by expanding swallow-wort populations. Research indicates that pale swallow-wort modifies the soil microbial community, displacing native plant species that are adapted to the unique microbial associations of alvar.
IN THE UNITED STATES
Pale swallow-wort has been reported to be invasive in natural areas in New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Small occurrences or infestations have been also been reported for urban areas in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Indiana, presumably due to escapes from backyards and landscaped areas.
HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES
Pale swallow-wort is associated exclusively with upland areas and is tolerant of a range of light and moisture conditions. Typical habitats include old fields, hedgerows, brushy areas and woodlands. Both natural and human-caused disturbance including ice-scoured river banks, talus slopes, transportation corridors, quarries and abandoned agricultural fields provide acceptable habitats. Pale swallow-wort is particularly competitive in areas with shallow soils over limestone bedrock that can be prone to summer droughts. There appears to be a distinct association with limestone soils. Pale swallow-wort can be a serious problem in perennial cropping systems such as pastures and Christmas tree plantations and has been noted in no-till corn fields in central New York State. It is not a weed of turf or annual crops.
Pale swallow-wort was likely introduced for ornamental purposes and was first collected in Monroe and Nassau counties in New York State in 1897. Subsequent records of occurrences include: Massachusetts (1919), Pennsylvania (1927), New Jersey (1938), Connecticut (1942), Indiana (1961), New Hampshire (1979) and Michigan (1985). Indications of naturalized populations include records of collections from roadsides (1897, 1917) and natural areas (1918, 1919 and 1921) in New York State.
BIOLOGY & SPREAD
Pale swallow-wort emerges in spring and flower from June to July followed by production of fruits (pods) which is directly related to the level of light available. The flowers are self-pollinating and it spreads primarily by seed. Thick infestations in full sun can produce up to 2,000 seeds per square meter. The seeds are polyembryonic (i.e., having one to four embryos per seed) which greatly increases the potential for establishment. Wind dispersal of seed occurs from late July and continues into the fall. Populations growing under dense wooded canopy may have inadequate resources to produce flowers or seeds. Pale swallow-wort dies back to the ground every winter. Pale swallow-wort root crown fragments support dormant buds that readily sprout if not destroyed.
As with all invasive species, early detection and removal is the best approach for preventing the establishment and spread of this plant. If you find some black swallow-wort, look for more, and aim to remove all plants at a site. Stay out of patches that are actively dispersing seeds, unless you plan to collect and dispose of the seeds carefully. Clean all machinery that has traveled through swallow-wort patches that have maturing or dispersing pods. For large established infestations, chemical control is the most effective means.
There are no biological controls available for this plant.
Two systemic herbicides - Garlon® 4 (triclopyr ester) and Roundup Pro® (glyphosate) – have been found to be effective in controlling pale swallow-wort. These herbicides should be applied when plants are actively growing, after flowering has begun. DO NOT SPRAY TOO SOON. Avoid the temptation to spray the plants as soon as they emerge in May. Only when the plants flower will they be large enough to receive enough spray on the exposed leaf surface to deliver a killing dose to the roots. Plants that are sprayed before pods form will probably not produce a viable seed crop that season. Be patient. Systemic herbicides do not cause a "burn down" of plants like contact herbicides do. Within 1-2 weeks the plants will look sick. There may be dead tissue spots on most leaves many yellowing leaves. Do not waste herbicide, money or effort by spraying plants twice. Sick plants cannot effectively absorb the herbicide through the leaf surface or move the herbicide to the roots. Swallow-wort control may take a few years and it is important not to use more herbicide than is necessary.
Cut stem application
For cut stem applications use a 50 to 100% solution of herbicide concentrate. Roundup Pro® is much more effective than Garlon® 4 for cut stem application. Apply the herbicide solution immediately to cut stem surfaces. As mentioned above with foliar applications, if treated plants have mature pods the seeds may ripen after treatment and disperse, leading to new infestations. If possible, cut plants low and bag and dispose of the portions with pods.
Experience shows that foliar sprays of systemic herbicides (i.e., herbicides absorbed into the plant and carried internally) only kill plants in the upper layers of the infestation, requiring repeated applications to effectively control the entire mass. It is important to treat plants before pods begin to form to ensure that viable seeds are not produced. If that is not possible, plants with pods should be cut or mowed first and then sprayed once they regrow. Regrowth will be rapid in summer. Herbicide application to the new growth should be conducted from August through early September. If mowing is not possible, for example in wooded areas, cut plants by hand just below the lowest pods, and spray the new growth. In situations where foliar sprays are undesirable, for example when desirable native plants or other non-targets would be harmed, sponging the herbicide on individual plants, using the same concentration as foliar sprays is an option.
Remove pod-bearing plants from the site and destroy them. Eradication on a small scale must be very thorough and requires dedication. The complete root crown must be dug out before the seeds ripen. Plants bearing seeds should be burned or bagged and disposed of in a landfill. Infested land might be brought under control by plowing and planting an annual crop until the seed soil bank is depleted, possibly as long as five years.
Mowing, even several times a year, will not eradicate swallow-wort however, it can be employed to prevent a seed crop. Cutting is most effective at preventing a mature seed crop if done in early to mid-July, when there are small, immature pods on the plants. Cutting during the flowering period but before pod formation will allow plants to recover and still produce a viable seed crop. Monitor mowed areas and mow a second time if pods reach mature size in late summer or early fall. Hay cutters can contribute to the spread of swallow-wort if cutting is not timed correctly. Hay crops infested with swallow-wort and then sold elsewhere can be a means of introducing swallow-wort to new areas.
USE PESTICIDES WISELY: ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE PESTICIDE LABEL CAREFULLY, FOLLOW ALL MIXING AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND WEAR ALL RECOMMENDED PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR AND CLOTHING. CONTACT YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL PESTICIDE USE REQUIREMENTS, RESTRICTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
NOTICE: MENTION OF P


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Childhood & Early Life
Gary Rich Burghoff was born on May 24, 1943, in Bristol, Connecticut, to Rodney and Ann Burghoff. He was raised in a Victorian house in Forestville, where he shared a room with his brother, David, who was 6 years elder to him.
Even at age 6, young Gary was inspired by nature and the environment. His tender mind, despite all its innocence, knew the difference between progress and destroying nature in the wake of it. He spent his early childhood in the midst of brooks and meadows, with turtles, wild plants, rabbits, squirrels, and pheasants.
In 1949, on his way to 'Greenhills School,' he moved seven fully grown geese, who appeared to be thirsty, from a neighbor's house to another neighbor's fish pond, only to ensure that the birds had water to drink.
Burghoff became aware of his mother's talents and accompanied her to rehearsals quite early in life. He was fascinated by singers, tap dancers, musicians, and other stage performers. This fascination made him overcome whatever physical shortcomings he had. He studied tap dance despite being born with a club foot. Similarly, he learned jazz drumming despite having several deformed fingers in his left hand.
His family decided to move to Delavan, Wisconsin, during his sophomore year, and in 1962, he graduated from 'Delavan-Darien High School.' While in high school, he was already making rounds of the Milwaukee night clubs as a drummer with the 'Bud Wilber Orchestra.'
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He moved to New York after his graduation. There, he joined 'HB Studios,' one of the city's original acting studios. He trained under great teachers such as Sanford Meisner, James Tuttle, and Charles Nelson Reilly. He worked at 'Saks Fifth Avenue' and played at jazz clubs with his band 'The We Three.'
During the early 1960s, Burghoff performed with various theater groups in New York. He performed as 'Og' in 'Finian's Rainbow' at the 'Long Wharf Theatre.' He worked in stage productions such as 'Babes in Arms,' 'Bells Are Ringing,' 'The Sound of Music,' 'Tea and Sympathy,' and 'Look Homeward, Angel.'
On March 7, 1967, Charles Schulz's comic strip characters came to life at 'Theatre 80' in East Village. Burghoff played the title character, 'Charlie Brown,' in the musical comedy 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.' It became a phenomenon. The show witnessed more than 1,500 performances in two different locations: New York and Los Angeles.
In the next couple of years, Burghoff made his TV debut and appeared as a guest performer in shows such as 'NET Playhouse' (1967) and 'The Good Guys' (1969). In 1968, he went back to playing the drums for a band he had formed with Lynda Carter, 'Relatives,' in Las Vegas. He performed with the band for a brief period of 3 months.
Director Robert Altman noticed Burghoff in Los Angeles during one of his performances as 'Charlie Brown.' Altman immediately offered him a screen test and altered Burghoff's life forever. In 1970, he made his debut in Altman's 'Academy Award'-winning black comedy 'M*A*S*H,' as 'Corporal Walter Eugene O'Reilly. 'The film won the 'Palme d'Or' at the 1970 'Cannes Film Festival.' The film also received five nominations and won the award for the 'Best Adapted Screenplay' at the 'Academy Awards.' Even though it missed the 'Best Film' award at the 'Academy Awards,' the film received the 'Golden Globe' for the 'Best Motion Picture' in 1971.
Inspired by the success of the film, director Larry Gelbart and '20th Century Fox' created one of the highest-rated TV shows in the US. Despite the fact that the original star-studded cast included Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, and Robert Duvall, Burghoff was the only one Gelbert asked to join as a series regular.
The series '*M*A*S*H' ran on 'CBS' from 1972 to 1983, but Burghoff wanted to leave the show after its seventh season, as he was completely burned out as an actor by then. The last episode of the seventh season, 'Goodbye Radar,' was initially conceptualized as Radar O'Reilly's final appearance on the show. However, 'CBS' later requested Burghoff to return for a two-part series farewell.
Burghoff received accolades for his nuanced performance in 'M*A*S*H' over the years. He received 'Emmy' nominations for 6 consecutive years, between 1973 and 1979, in the 'Best Supporting Actor' category. Unfortunately, he was not present at the ceremony to receive the award in 1977. Alan Alda accepted the award on his behalf.
Contrary to what his co-stars from the show believed, his life on TV was far from over. He appeared in a number of game shows such as 'Match Game' (for 140 episodes), 'Buzzer' 'Tattletales,' 'Hollywood Squares,' and 'Showoffs.' He also made a few guest appearances on TV shows such as 'Fantasy Island' (1980), 'The Love Boat' (1981), and 'Tales of the Unexpected' (1981). He also appeared in the M*A*S*H spin-offs 'AfterMash' (1984) and 'W*A*L*T*E*R' (1984).
In 1999, he became the obvious choice for the 'PBS' series 'Pets: Part of the Family,' due his unconditional love for animals. He remained active in regional theater, too, and toured 120 theaters in the US and Canada, performing Neil Simon's 'Last of the Red Hot Lovers,' between September 1999 and May 2000.
He wrote his autobiography, 'To M*A*S*H and Back: My Life in Poems and Songs.'
Family & Personal Life
Burgoff got married to Janet Gayle in 1971. Their daughter, Gena, was born in 1975. His family life suffered a lot due to his busy schedule, and by the time he decided to leave M*A*S*H, it was too late for any kind of reconciliation. The marriage ended in 1979, and Burgoff returned to his childhood home with his 4-year-old daughter.
He turned to his spiritual side after leaving the show in 1979. He married Elisabeth Bostrom in 1985 and had two sons with her. However, Elisabeth and Burghoff grew apart because of his overpowering religious beliefs. They divorced in 2005, and Elisabeth moved to California with their children.
He spent a lot of time making oil paintings. His first creation was a painting called 'Eye to Eye,' based on a childhood encounter with a red fox in a forest, in which they were not afraid of each other and sat with their eyes locked in a gaze.
He invented the "Chum Magic," a fishing equipment that attracts fish toward the user's boat.
He is also an amateur wildlife painter and a philatelist.


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Ashtanga Primary Series
When we start an Ashtanga Practice, we usually begin with the Ashtanga Primary Series. The standing sequence of the Ashtanga Primary Series initiates weaving of one asana into the next form which K. Parrabhi Jois called "a garland of asanas." Think of this as a sandwich; our first piece of bread is Surya Namaskara, the peanut butter is the standing sequence, the jelly is the seated sequence, and the last piece of bread the finishing sequence.
Ashtanga Primary Series creates Balance
In the Asthanga Primary Series standing sequence, we challenge our balance and learn to understand how the forces of gravity work on our body. In all the asanas there is an "equality of opposition where we find the greatest sense of stability and comfort." (David Swenson (paid link)) We equally root to the ground and energize upward. Our feet establish our base and we root them deep. From there, we can grow and expand to lengthen and lift through each asana. Practice the asanas along with me:
The practice of yoga is a place to explore the balance in all areas of our life. Balance is not just the ability to stay standing. It is self awareness of where our life needs focus and structure. Yoga can help us to create balance in a physical plane which we can then expand to our mental scope.
Apply Ashtanga Primary Series to Life
In my life, I am constantly trying to balance my yoga teaching and practice, my family life with my kids and husband, my household chores, and my duties to God. Some days I do better than others. I do know that I can always return to my my mat to renew my sense of balance. Let me know how you feel balance, both through yoga and beyond.
Don't miss this great resource for the Ashtanga Primary Series, 8 Tips for Thriving with Ashtanga Yoga!
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Category: Jellies, Anemones and kin view all from this category
Description Aequorea victoria, also sometimes called the crystal jelly, is a bioluminescent hydrozoan jellyfish, or hydromedusa, that is found off the west coast of North America. This species is thought to be synonymous with Aequorea aequorea of Osamu Shimomura, the discoverer of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Shimomura together with Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien were awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery and development of this protein as an important biological research tool. Originally the victoria species was supposed to designate the variant found in the Pacific, and the aequorea designation was used for specimens found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The species name used in GFP purification was later disputed by M.N. Arai and A. Brinckmann-Voss (1980), who decided to separate them on the basis of 40 specimens collected from around Vancouver Island. Osamu Shimomura notes that this species in general shows great variation: from 1961 to 1988 he collected around 1 million individuals in the waters surrounding the Friday Harbor Laboratories of University of Washington, and in many cases there were pronounced variations in the form of the jellyfish. In September 2009, Aequorea victoria was spotted in the Moray Firth, an unusual occurrence, as crystal jellies had never been seen or reported in British waters. The specimen is now on display in Macduff Marine Aquarium in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Habitat Open ocean.
Range California, Texas, Western Canada, Alaska, Florida, New England, Northwest, Mid-Atlantic.


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Well, there's already a question like this here so that my question could be considered duplicate, but I'll try to make my point clear. Is there a way to derive Biot-Savart law from the Lorentz' Force law or just from Maxwell's Equations? The point is that we usually defined based on experiments that the force felt by a moving charge on the presence of a magnetic field is $F = qv\times B$, now can this be used in some way to obtain Biot-Savart law like we obtain the equation for the electric field directly from Coulomb's Force law?
And I wanted to know that because as pointed out in the question I've mentioned, although Maxwell's Equations can be considered more fundamental, those equations are obtained after we know Coulomb's and Biot-Savart's laws, so if we start with Maxwell's Equations to obtain Biot-Savart's having use it to find Maxwell's Equations then I think we'll fall into a circular argument. In that case, without recoursing to Maxwell's Equations the only way to obtain Biot-Savart's law is through observations or can it be derived somehow?
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Neither Maxwell nor Biot-Savart are fundamental - all such formulas follow from Coulomb and a well-chosen definition of $B$, as mentioned tangentially in this short rant. – Chris White Jun 8 '13 at 20:13
2 Answers 2
$\def\VA{{\bf A}} \def\VB{{\bf B}} \def\VJ{{\bf J}} \def\VE{{\bf E}} \def\vr{{\bf r}}$The Biot-Savart law is a consequence of Maxwell's equations.
We assume Maxwell's equations and choose the Coulomb gauge, $\nabla\cdot\VA = 0$. Then $$\nabla\times\VB = \nabla\times(\nabla\times\VA) = \nabla(\nabla\cdot\VA) - \nabla^2\VA = -\nabla^2\VA.$$ But $$\nabla\times\VB - \frac{1}{c^2}\frac{\partial\VE}{\partial t} = \mu_0 \VJ.$$ In the steady state this implies $$\nabla^2\VA = -\mu_0 \VJ.$$ Thus, we have Poisson's equation for each component of the above equation. The solution is $$\VA(\vr) = \frac{\mu_0}{4\pi}\int \frac{\VJ(\vr')}{|\vr-\vr'|}d^3 r'.$$ Now we need only calculate $\VB = \nabla\times\VA$. But $$\nabla\times\frac{\VJ(\vr')}{|\vr-\vr'|} = \frac{\VJ(\vr')\times(\vr-\vr')}{|\vr-\vr'|^3}$$ and so $$\VB(\vr) = \frac{\mu_0}{4\pi}\int \frac{\VJ(\vr')\times(\vr-\vr')}{|\vr-\vr'|^3} d^3 r'.$$ This is the Biot-Savart law for a wire of finite thickness. For a thin wire this reduces to $$\VB(\vr) = \frac{\mu_0}{4\pi}\int \frac{I d{\bf l}\times(\vr-\vr')}{|\vr-\vr'|^3}.$$
Addendum: In mathematics and science it is important to keep in mind the distinction between the historical and the logical development of a subject. Knowing the history of a subject can be useful to get a sense of the personalities involved and sometimes to develop an intuition about the subject. The logical presentation of the subject is the way practitioners think about it. It encapsulates the main ideas in the most complete and simple fashion. From this standpoint, electromagnetism is the study of Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz force law. Everything else is secondary, including the Biot-Savart law.
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But how I've seen it done, Maxwell's equations are derived from the biot-savart law, which would make this circular. – JLA Jun 8 '13 at 20:24
_USER_: I've added something to address the "circularity" you refer to. – user26872 Jun 8 '13 at 23:00
It may be true that in days of yore people measured the force resulting from a filamentary current, discovering the Biot-Savart law, and then in turn used that as inspiration to construct Maxwell's equations. If that's how it actually happened historically, fine.
But this is analogous to some alien archaeologist 10 million years from now finding a skeletal hand and foot in the Earth. From the hand, the archaeologist comes to understand what the animal who had that hand liked to do with it: that it could grasp and use tools and so on. From the foot, the archaeologist it comes to understand that the animal it belonged to walked on two legs and that it typically weighed in adulthood around 100-300 pounds.
Only later does the archaeologist that the hand and the foot both belonged to the same animal--a human being. But the nature of the work means that the puzzle of what a human being was has to be broken down into chunks that can be individually understood before the whole picture can come together. That said, it would be backwards to suggest the hand and the foot are more fundamental than the human being itself.
The Maxwell equations have been constructed to be consistent with the Biot-Savart law and other pieces of information, like Coulomb's law. Thus, you can derive Biot-Savart from Maxwell, but not the other way around, for Maxwell is more general and all-encompassing.
If you already know the Lorentz force law, you can infer the strength of the magnetic field from a wire just by shooting charged test particles near the wire and observing their motion. But this calls into question how you already know the Lorentz force law, and so on.
You can go in circles all day over what is or is not fundamental, over what must be based on experimental observation and what is merely constructed to be consistent with those observations, but often there's a preference for "simple" experimental observations being considered fundamental vs. theoretical constructs that incorporate many such observations--see Chris White's comment that Maxwell's equations can be derived from Coulomb's law and some other stuff.
To me, this is silly. Maxwell's equations incorporate the sum total of our observations (those that fit the classical regime, at least). To me, it is what we know about classical electromagnetism. To say that you can derive Maxwell's equation with only one result plus a few assumptions...well, it misses the point that those assumptions also had to be tested and verified in the first place. To me, it is very very backwards to single out special cases (pure electric, pure magnetic, static or dynamic fields) and treat them as "fundamental".
Edit: but really, a physicist needs to work in both directions. To create new theory, we often have special cases that we don't know are connected and must bridge them together. That's building Maxwell's equations from Coulomb's law and Biot-Savart. To analyze a particular problem most easily, one we're not sure there is a special-case formula for, we must resort to the most general description (Maxwell) and try to reduce it down to something simpler and easier to solve (in the case of no current and no time-dependence, you can get back to Coulomb's law). Both approaches are necessary to be as flexible as possible.
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The BBC reports that scientists at Columbia University have devised a plan for interior skyscraper farms for New Yorkers.
Columbia University Professor Dickson Despommier and his students took existing greenhouse technology as a starting point and are now convinced that vertical farms within city skyscrapers are a practical suggestion.
In their design, energy is generated from a giant solar panel, with incinerators which use the farm's waste products for fuel. All the water in the entire system is recycled, and the plan's whole complex sustainable.
This project parallels the fresh foods from urban wastes pilot project currently being undertaken by Central Queensland University, led by Professor David Midmore.
Columbia University's Professor Despommier told the BBC that advantages of this CBD agriculture include year-round crop production in a controlled environment; minimal exposure to pests (and therefore organic produce); elimination of dangerous agricultural runoff into river systems; and zero food miles, as produce would be conusmed locally.
This is a practical way to address climate change, the report says. The BBC's Jeremy Cooke reports of a design that incorporates:
a 30-storey building with glass walls, topped off with a huge solar panel. On each floor there would be giant planting beds, indoor fields in effect. There would be a sophisticated irrigation system.
Even if it's not quite natural…you're going to get back the rest of the earth
Professor Dickson Despommier
And so crops of all kinds and small livestock could all be grown in a controlled environment in the most urban of settings.
That means there would be no shipping costs, and no pollution caused by moving produce around the country.
The report says these types of city farms would free up cleared farmland to be reforested.
June 5, 2007: "Green roofs have really captured many people's imagination as a beautiful way to fight climate change and save money." The words come from Steven Peck, Founder and President of Toronto-based Green Roofs for Healthy Cities-North America, which has more than 1,300 members among North American municipal governments and green roof businesses.
"Green roofs deliver more public and private benefits than any other green building technology. This is why we anticipate continued strong growth of the North American green roof industry", he said.
According to Mr Peck there was 25% expansion in 2006 of the green roof industry of Canada and the United States. In the intensive green roof sector (where larger plants are incorporated into rooftop designs) the expansion was 110% in 2006, he said.
"The green roof industry is growing rapidly in response to the pressing need for cleaner air, better storm-water management, improved energy efficiency an more usable green space in our communities," Steven Peck said.
Strong growth of North America's rapidly expanding green roof industry is expected to stimulate similar growth in Australia.
- Pictured: A lack of green urban spaces prompted a group from Dalhousie School of Architecture — Asher deGroot, David Gallaugher, Kevin James, and Jacob Jebailey — to create a whimsical artistic response: a grassed walking-wheel, which hints at sculptural possibilities for turf on every angle. This (and other marvellous photos) was taken by photojournalist André Forget. Pic sourced from Inhabitat.
- February 25 and 26, 2008: First biennial "Introduction to Green Roofs" course at Brisbane Technology Park, Eight Mile Plains, Queensland. Register interest with Geoff_AT-nettworx.info
- February 27 and 28 2008: Second annual "Green Roofs for Australia" conference, at Brisbane Technology Park, Eight Mile Plains, Queensland. Register interest with Geoff_AT-nettworx.info
- April 30- May 2, 2008: Sixth Annual "Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities" conference in Baltimore, United States – at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel and Baltimore Convention Center. Information here.
Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) is the first city in the world to include both urban agriculture and green roofs in an action plan to meet predicted global climate change challenges.
This is expected to develop the City of Brisbane as a centre of excellence in both technologies.
The Brisbane City Council (BCC) this week adopted, unanimously, an action plan based on commissioned reports and its own sustainability studies over the last two years.
Major parts of the action plan are aimed at reducing Brisbane's use of energy derived from fossil fuels and encouragement of more efficient use of water. But sensible, practical ways to mesh these aims with creating a new style of built-environment attracted enthusiastic votes for:
- Urban agriculture for greater food security and reduced cost of living.
- Green roofs that provide a built-environment attuned to climate change responses.
Both urban agriculture and green roof developments in their widest context were foreseen by BCC councillors as important for improving both living conditions for people during climate change, and to maintain and develop businesses and employment.
Brisbane City Council comprises 25 councillors led by Lord Mayor, Cr Campbell Newman. It is the largest municipal government in Australia. As such it provides considerable leadership to all municipal government in Australia.
BCC's adoption of urban agriculture and green roof technologies in its climate change action plan is expected to trigger similar interest around Australia.
In August 2006 Brisbane City Council appointed a Climate Change and Energy Taskforce to ensure that Brisbane is adequately prepared to respond to and address the challenges of climate change, increasing energy consumption, rising petrol prices and peak oil.
On 12 March 2007, its Climate Change and Energy Taskforce, led by Professor Ian Lowe, presented its independent report titled 'A Call For Action' to Council. The Taskforce considered comments from an earlier discussion forum last December. Councilors were wellbackgrounded on urban agriculture and green roofs (BCC councilors and staff were a major part of the Green Roofs for Australia conference on February 22 and 23, 2007).
A debate on Monday, 30 April, has produced an action plan the BCC will take to its ratepayers for one month of comment before adoption in its final form, probably by June 30, 2007.
Further information: Geoff Wilson, President, Green Roofs for Healthy Australian Cities, and President, Urban Agriculture Network Australia. Phone: +61 7 3411 4524 or +61 (0)412 622 779. Email: Geoff _USER_.info. Address: 32 David Rd. Holland Park, Queensland 4121, Australia
One of the interesting consequences of Google Earth satellite viewing has been bird's-eye critiques of architecture. Google Earth, reports the Los Angeles Times, has enabled people to look at cities with "a new kind of architectural tourism… What's changing most radically, in other words, is not how buildings look but how we look at buildings."
From the crow's-eye view a tangle of urban problems are apparent: a paucity of aesthetic considerations, poorly-planned physical infrastructure, density, congestion, wasted spaces. Most urban issues are invisible: water and waste management, effects of climate change, energy conservation, air quality, and loss of native habitat. Not so in many European and north American cities, where architects, town planners and landscapers are using very visible, simple and profitable solutions to all these problems in what is known as the "fifth façade" and the "forgotten façade": the rooftop.
These issues were all discussed at the recent Green Roofs for Healthy Australian Cities (GRHAC) conference in Brisbane, where attendees considered ways to merge the 'black arts' (engineering) with the 'green arts' (landscaping). Another consideration is, of course, the 'muddy-grey arts': bureacracy. Luckily, foundation members of GRHAC include urban planners, landscape architects, horticulture experts and engineers. Pictured above is the new committee.
- Back row: Raylene Mibus (Vic, landscape design, horticulture), Sidonie Carpenter (Qld, landscape architect), Josh Kidd (Qld, engineer), Robyn Shaw (NT, landscape architect). Front row: Ben Nicholson (Vic, urban planner), Paul Downton (SA, architect), Geoff Wilson (Qld, founder & president).
Crosss-posted at greenroofs.wordpress.com
See Geoff Wilson's article in Online Opinion.
Queensland's future green roof businesses can expect to produce healthy fresh food from recycled organic wastes. (more…)
Green roofs represent a goldmine business opportunity for Australian architects, urban planners, developers, builders, horticulturalists and building owners – but it will require some quick local footwork. (more…)


Archive:Cleaning Up Database
From Kodi
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This page is only kept incase someone wants to try updating it.
After some months (or even years) of using XBMC it is very likely that the database is filled with entries that one cannot get rid of easily. Apart from cleaning up the database with XBMC's own menu entry ([Video|Music] - Library - clean library) there seems to be no way to reset some entries without losing valuable information about existing items.
Also there seems to be no way to move files in a comfortable way without making XBMC throw away the old entries and regard the moved files as new ones.
This is going to be a compilation of Tips & Tricks concerning editing the database directly to get rid of old, orphaned or erroneous entries. Additions are welcome! All entries should be generalized in a way that every user may follow the steps; i.e.: no absolute paths, no exact software to use, no self-edited scripts except there is a link to the script included. If a tip presumes a special environment like "Linux Live" or "XBOX" this must be remarked in the title.
1 Preliminary to all tips
 - Make a backup of your databases. Better: make a backup of your whole xbmc-directory.
 - If you don't really understand what to do: don't do it, ask first
 - if you can't reckon the actual effect of a tip: try it with a copy of the database. Using a copy you can do anything without risk.
 - It's advised to use a graphical sqlite-frontend. Editing the database using a commandline is for experienced users only, as queries and updates may fail silently.
 - It is presumed that you know about the structure of your installation of xbmc. Especially where to find which file or at least how to search for it.
2 Change or reset the scraper for a path or a complete directory hierarchy
Change or reset the scraper for a directory (hierarchy) without editing each path's properties within XBMC.
 1. Open database "MyVideos34.db"
 2. Open table "path"
 3. search for columns "strPath" and "strScraper"
The first column contains the path, the latter column contains the used scraper for this path.
Don't delete a complete row! If you do so, you will mangle your database as the table "files" links to the entries in the table "path"! If you want to savely delete a complete path from the database do it within XBMC.
Have a look at the column "strPath" and search for the path(s) you want to modify. Edit or delete the corresponding value in the column "strScraper". Deleting the value results in setting this path back to the value of the next upper level path (i.e. deleting value for myfiles/myvideos/ makes XBMC use the same value as for myfiles/). When editing the value you need to make sure that the new value represents a valid scraper for this mediatype. Either have a look at the other entries or search for the exact scraper's name in the accordingly directory. Follow the exact notation of the scraper's xml-file (no preceeding path!) and use this name (including '.xml') as the new value. Example: "imdb tv.xml"
This should work with the database "MyMusic7.db" too, but I didn't test it. Try at your own risk!
3 Change the scraper for various paths at once
You want to completely change to a new / alternate scraper but have lots of paths, every one with it's own scraper settings? Here we go:
 1. Open database "MyVideos34.db"
 2. Open table "path"
 3. check for the actual settings in column "strScraper"; this is your
 4. get to know the exact filename of the new scraper; this is your
Next step depends on the abilities of your sqlite frontend.
A: you can enter SQL commands directly
Open the SQL editor and make sure that you are working with the correct database. Formulate a query like this and only replace the values inside the brackets with your values, everything else is already correct (don't delete the single quotation marks):
UPDATE path SET strScraper = '' where strScraper = '';
This one replaces each occurrence of with . If you just want to modify a directory and all of its subtree, you have to extend the query with another restriction like this one (additional to the above, but delete it's semicolon):
AND strPath LIKE '%';
Bear in mind that the LIKE operator is case sensitiv. As a result you should either see a message telling you how many rows were affected (i.e. updated) or you can update your database browser and look at the corresponding rows.
B: you can enter a query using a form
If your sqlite-frontend offers some kind of a form-based, graphical editor, be sure to select the correct database and table. Either change the value for the field "strScraper" in every row seperately or formulate a query and a replacement string so that the values reflect the old and the new scraper's name.
4 UNTESTED: change the path for moved items
This is still untested. It should work but there is no guarantee. It would be fine if some of the XMBC developers could verify that there are no other dependencies within the database structure concerning the path of a file
You have a directory tree containing media items in several subdirectories. Now you want to move all items into one directory but of course don't want to lose all of the information XBMC already collected. If you'd just move the items and rerun the library update within XBMC, all previous settings would get lost and all the media would be recognized as new. To prevent XBMC from doing that try this one (it is assumed that you either dind't move the files already or at least didn't run XBMC's library update after moving the files):
 1. Open database "MyVideos34.db"
 2. Open table "path"
 3. Open table "files"
In table "path" search for the paths you want to get rid of. For each path note the value of the correpsonding entry in column "idPath". This is your .
In table "files" search for all entries which have as entry in column "idPath". Cross-check the results with the content of the actual directory. All entries really should reside in the path you want to delete. Double ckeck the results! Changing the wrong entries would lead to exact that point that you wanted to avoid: newly added items instead of moved ones. When everything looks fine, search for the entry representing the target path. The value of this entry's field "idPath" is your .
Now open an SQL editor and formulate a query like this one:
UPDATE files SET idPath = '' where idPath = '';
If everything was correct, XBMC should use your old files in the new path without rescraping them.
5 [VIEW] Recently seen
This tip doesn't clean up the database but might help in keeping an eye on the already seen items. Proceeding the steps below you may add a VIEW to your library that displays the already watched items sorted by date. This view doesn't show up in XBMC at all, except for some skinner implements a special page in his skin. But you can always read this virtual table with an appropriate application. There might be skins that already offer this functionality but I don't know any. And this little hack offers the ability to see the "playlist" from outside of XBMC too. Alternatively there is a ((linux-)shell-)script that simply queries the library without any modifications to it and puts the result into a textfile.
Some words on VIEWS in a database: A VIEW is a special kind of table which is more or less a kind of a saved database-query (in fact, it's not a table, it's a VIEW). Think of it as a shortcut to a long and complicated query. Once it's set up, instead of handling different tables, fields, comparisons or even JOINS or other fuzzy stuff you can just do a SELECT * FROM and you're done. This saves a lot of time! But not only you can shorten an often needed query, you also can just define an alternate listing for the stuff in a single table. And the best of all: once a view is set up, it doesn't change the database at all (OK, many database-eninges offer the ability to make a VIEW updatable, but sqlite doesn't). Last not least, you can use a VIEW in nearly every query you set on the database, you can combine the data with other VIEWS or select a subset of the VIEW based on standard criteria. After all, it is a quite powerful method for working with databases. I love VIEWS! :)
This view offers three simple datafields representing the path, the filename and the date of last playing of the item. The latter one might be emtpy as it is a quite new feature and old entries in the database might not have an appropriate timestamp set. But you can be sure that every item listed by the VIEW is already played (or seen or whatever you may call it), i.e. has a playcount of one or more.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I making a small program to animate the astar algorithm. If you look at the image, there are lots of yellow cars moving around. Those can collide at any moment, could be just one or all of them could just stupidly crash into each other.
How do I detect all of those collisions? How do I find out which specific car has crash into which other car?
I understand that pygame has collision function, but it only detects one collision at a time and I'd have to specify which sprites.
Right now I am just trying to iterate through each sprite to see if there is collision:
for car1 in carlist:
 for car2 in carlist:
 collide(car1, car2);
This can't be the proper way to do it, if the car list goes to a huge number, a double loop will be too slow.
enter image description here
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up vote 3 down vote accepted
There is no 'proper' way, just different approaches that vary from simple-but-slow to complex-but-fast.
You can stick with that method, if your car list is small enough. However, there is a bug in your basic algorithm, as it will compare each pair of cars twice. To fix that, your second loop should start the value of car2 from the position in the list after car1.
Most faster methods of detecting collisions like this use spatial properties of the objects so that the objects can be ordered in such a way that 1 comparison might reject multiple pairings.
Probably the simplest approach using this is to sort the objects along one axis (x or y) and use that knowledge to exit the loop early. eg. Sort cars by x ascending, and when you find a car2 with an x value greater than the right-hand side of the current car1, you know you no longer need to compare it against any more possible car2 objects as they must be even further away.
A more complex approach is to divide the world in 2 dimensions using a grid of squares that are bigger than the objects inside them. You track which grid square each object is in, and conversely which objects are in that grid square. So each object only needs to check for collision against other objects in that square (and maybe the 8 adjacent squares). Technically it's a 'bin' data structure.
Beyond that, there are other ways to partition the world that change as the objects move. A common example is a quadtree which subdivides the space to keep a similar number of objects in each square. Others can be found under the general term of spatial partitioning but as with any data structure, some are optimised for quick lookup while being expensive to add or change data within them.
In your particular case... I would probably just stick with the 2 loops, and upgrade to the coordinate-sorted approach later if necessary.
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thanks for the input. i think i'll just use the 2 loops since the number of sprites will be kept under 50 for now. – yao jiang Dec 11 '12 at 21:42
The grid approach would probably be very good for this case since there is already an inherent street grid. – Kevin Reid Dec 12 '12 at 2:21
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I see that this is an older question, but I'd like to share my own solution to this problem, as it's part of a recent project of mine and I just cleared out some collision detection that was exactly like yours, more or less. I had two queues of 'good-guys' and 'bad-guys' and every frame I would do this:
_TAG_ code!! not great!! :(
for goodguy in goodqueue:
 for badguy in badqueue:
 if goodguy.rect.colliderect(badguy.rect):
_TAG_ don't recommend this approach!! :(
Even with my simple game, which might have one Player object, 3 - 4 'good guy' Bullets it fired, comparing it against the 3/5/7 bad guys in the badqueue and their Bullets they fire at random intervals… that is a lot of iterations that we don't need!
This is the current state of my project's hit detection: it's a little more code, but it will scale so much better and flat out ignores collisions that aren't happening.
for obj in GAME.allqueue:
 hit_list = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(obj, GAME.allqueue, False)
 if not hit_list:
 elif obj in GAME.goodqueue:
 for otherobj in hit_list:
 if otherobj in GAME.badqueue:
I'll explain what's going on here.
First, the loop calls obj.update(), which does normal game logic-type stuff; moves sprites, determines if they're fired, etc etc.
The next line, hit_list = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(obj, GAME.allqueue, False), tells PyGame to generate a list of all the things that obj is colliding with in GAME.allqueue, which is an instance of pygame.sprite.Group (as I would imagine your carlist is). This is fantastic, because now we just have a list of what's actually colliding with that object.
The next two lines: if not hit_list: pass basically tell the game if the hit_list is empty, don't do anything collision-related and continue on with the game loop. The line if not a_list is a Pythonic idiom which is basically the same as if len(a_list) == 0, or "if this list is empty", or whatever you want to call it. Basically - this is where the game decides if it should even bother with collision detection, or move on to the next important step.
The rest of the code may be a bit situational and not apply to your game/simulation, as my game basically works to avoid 'friendly fire' between both good guys AND bad guys. (It basically makes sure two colliding objects are in separate queues, so only 'good guy meets bad guy' collisions are processed) However -- In your situation, I believe you'd be able to make use of pygame.sprite.spritecollide in a similar fashion.
for car in carlist: _TAG_'s get a list of everything THIS car is colliding with!
 cars_hit_list = pygame.sprite.spritecollide(car, carlist, False) _TAG_ tells PyGame NOT to auto-kill the whole list of results!
 if not cars_hit_list:
 pass _TAG_ the cars_hit_list has no length, do nothing!
 else: _TAG_ is assuming you just want all cars to crash…
 for crashedcar in cars_hit_list:
 handle_the_crashes() _TAG_ you actually do to crash the cars
In my humble opinion -- as long as you're using the pygame.Sprite objects to handle your sprites and the various Groups they belong to, using the list you get back from pygame.sprite.spritecollide will be more satisfying than just iterating over every possible combination of potential collisions to see if they are occurring.
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text:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has made public the final regulations aimed at cutting pollution from taconite plants that causes haze over northern Minnesota wild areas.
Included in the regulations is the Northshore Mining Co. operation in Silver Bay.
The regulations come after months of delay and will force some taconite operations to add expensive new pollution control equipment to curb nitrogen oxides, or NOx, and sulfur dioxides, SO2.
According to a Duluth News Tribune report Thursday morning, environmental and public-health groups, and now the EPA, say that pollution causes haze over pristine areas like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Isle Royale and Voyageurs national parks. The groups and the EPA say it also can cause lung ailments in people.
The plan "will reduce pollutants that are harmful to people's health and impair visibility in national parks and wilderness areas," the EPA said in announcing the final rule. The agency said the pollution controls are expected to reduce NOx emissions by about 22,000 tons per year and SO2 emissions by about 2,000 tons per year.
The News Tribune reports the rules affect all six taconite operations in Minnesota as well as the lone taconite operation on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. New plants also would be expected to meet the standards. Many coal-fired power plants already have been required to make similar upgrades.
The federal government stepped in after regulators concluded that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency didn't go far enough to limit haze from taconite plants. The state in April essentially said the industry was doing all it could within reason to control haze pollution.
The feds issued their own rule last summer that said taconite plants must go further and do it faster including installing low-NOx burners to bake their taconite pellets — a so-called best available retrofit technology. The regulations go as far as setting specific limits on how much haze-causing air pollution each plant can emit.
The technology to reduce haze already has been tested at U.S. Steel Minntac operations in Mountain Iron and apparently worked well, state officials have said.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
We know that each person received an Omer daily. Does this include for instance little children who wouldnt be able to eat up all of it and would have to leave some over which was not allowed.
Or is the Omer not the same for everyone like the Amoh, which depends on a persons arm size.
Or wasnt it a 'physical' type of food and everyone could eat the same amount whatever their size and age.
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Shach al ha-Torah (to Ex. 16:17) states that the figure of one omer per person was actually averaged out per family. In other words, he says, adults might end up with more than an omer apiece (since one omer wouldn't be enough for them), while the children would get less - but in aggregate, there were as many omerim as members of the family.
Ibn Ezra (to Ex. 16:15) says that "it is reasonable to say the figure of one omer per person is only for adults, while children would receive according to what they could eat."
Chasam Sofer (Orach Chaim 181) also argues that indeed the size was proportional to the person, so that an infant would get a smaller omer than an adult, and indeed that the size of it would grow along with him from day to day.
On the other hand, Noda Biyehudah (Kamma, Orach Chaim 38) states that indeed it was the same for everyone. Presumably, according to him the babies and others who couldn't eat a full omer would have had some left over. (They weren't allowed to leave any over with the intention of eating it the next day - Ex. 16:19 - but that doesn't mean that there couldn't be some that didn't get eaten and had to be discarded.)
The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Likkutei Sichos 26:103ff) explains that the man in fact had two different qualities in it. One one hand, it related to the essence of the soul, which is the same for all Jews, and therefore from that point of view it was the same amount (an omer) for everyone. On the other hand, the omer is "one-tenth of an ephah" (Ex. 16:36), implying that it's not an absolute measurement but a relative one (just as the omer varies with the size of the ephah), and in that sense it therefore varied with the abilities of the person eating it. (He notes, also, that this is why the Torah leaves that definition of the omer until the end of the passage, after describing how they ate the man at the borders of Eretz Yisrael: because it's only then that this second, individualized aspect of it became the primary one - when they were preparing for their individualized service of Hashem each in their own homestead.)
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text:
CHRISTMAS LECTURES 2010: Mark Miodownik - Why Chocolate Melts and Jet Planes Don't
About this video
Mark Miodownik journeys from little to large in the second of his Christmas Lectures.
As we zoom into the microscopically small realm beneath our fingertips to explore the tiny world we have created inside mobile phones, jet planes and chocolate, curious things start to happen. Gravity becomes less and less important, while stickiness and quantum mechanics start to dominate.
This is the wild west of science, where anything and everything seems possible, but is it? Can we create invisibility cloaks, self-healing phones and super-strong jet planes just by controlling the scale of things? Journey into the inner space of the things around us to find out how the very small affects the very large.
Mark shows that even the taste of chocolate depends on the size of extraordinary crystals which are designed to only melt in your mouth. Moving up in scale he then reveals how sperm whales – one of the world's biggest animals – use a unique material called spermaceti to increase and decrease their body density and adjust their buoyancy.
- Christmas Lecture
- Professor Mark Miodownik
- London, UK
- Filmed in:
- The Theatre
Royal Institution, BBC
- Collections with this video:
- CHRISTMAS LECTURES 2010 - Size Matters
Licence: Courtesy of BBC
Collections containing this video:
From the very large to the very small, discover why size matters.


text:
A Finnish study found that having many boys shaves months off a mom's life. (Photo: Getty Images)Parents often quip that their kids—especially their rambunctious little boys—are "going to be the death of me," and new research shows that they may be right: Having sons can shave an average of eight and a half months off of a mom's life.
(The affect on dads? None, apparently.)
Also on Shine: A Dad's Time-Lapse Video of his Son, from Birth to Age 21
The study, by evolutionary ecologist Dr. Samuli Helle of the University of Turku in Finland and Dr. Virpi Lummaa of the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, was published this week in the journal Biology Letters. He and his team looked at the post-childbirth survival rates of 11,166 mothers and 6,360 fathers in pre-industrial Finland, using records kept by the Lutheran Church there.
"Irrespective of access to resources, mothers, but not fathers, with many sons suffered from reduced post-reproductive survival," they wrote in the study.
The subjects were born in eight different parts of Finland during the 17th to 20th centuries—a time period when the mostly agricultural society did not have access to modern medical care or birth control. After crunching the numbers, the researchers found that a mother who bore six sons would live on average another 32.4 years after the youngest son's birth, while a mother who gave birth to girls would live approximately 33.1 years after her youngest daughter came along.
The shorter life expectancy was the same regardless of the mom's social or financial status, though Helle said that "societal and cultural reasons could also play a factor."
"Adult sons may be beneficial for their parental well-being and thus survival in some countries, but girls may be beneficial in other countries," he told Livescience. In Finland during the 1700s and 1800s, a girl helped her mother by shouldering many of the household responsibilities, which could have increased the mother's life span slightly. Dads weren't affect, probably because reproduction takes far less of a toll on a man's body than it does on a woman's.
Still, Helle said in a statement: "The research shows the more sons you have the lower post-reproductive survival was. Biologically, there is a bigger cost associated with having a boy than a girl, so that is one explanation for the shorter lifespan." Male babies are usually bigger than female babies, which may have meant that they required more nutrients from the mother's body during gestation, researchers suggest.
But modern moms with boys shouldn't worry too much: The study shows correlation, not cause (that is, it shows a link between having sons and dying earlier, but doesn't prove that one causes the other). Besides, Helle points out, life these days is very different from that experienced by the mothers in the study, the vast majority of whom were born before 1960. Twenty-first century families are smaller than they were in the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s, and better nutrition, medical care, and birth control options mean that women are far healthier now than they used to be.
"One could speculate that owing to modern medical care, smaller family size and more abundant resources, the biological costs of reproduction might not play that important role in modern societies anymore," Helle said.
Also on Shine:
Date Night: 7 Ways for Moms to Bond with Their Sons
Why My Sons Aren't Involved in Sports
Girls vs. Boys: Which Toddler is Easier to Raise?


de la Montanya Mausoleum
Dark and brooding, the de la Montanya mausoleum is in a state of arrested decay. The mausoleum, designed in 1909 by noted funerary architect Bernard J.S. Cahill, is constructed of red sandstone and originally contained three Tiffany stained glass windows. Cahill modeled his three stage Spanish Gothic Tower on a cathedral in Burgos, Spain. Pinnacles, crockets, sprockets and gargoyles protrude from every surface making the mausoleum look more like an elaborate confection than a home for the dead.
Like many sandstone structures, it seems to attract ivy like a magnet. The ivy grows into the cracks and crevices of the stone and slowly forces the joints apart. The problem is compounded in structures like this, which have a variety of surfaces for the ivy to attach itself.
As if the damage from the ivy wasn't enough, an earthquake in the late 1950's destroyed the Tiffany windows and seriously damaged the structure itself.
James de la Montanya (_PHONE_) was one of many men who struck it rich during the California Gold Rush. Like most of the men who made their fortune during that time he made his money not by digging for gold, but by selling supplies to the men who did the digging. In addition to supplying the 49er's with hardware and other materials de la Montanya had a prosperous horse breeding business.
Photo and text © Douglas Keister Visit Doug's Author Page
[address cemetery="Cypress Lawn Memorial Park" street="1370 El Camino Real" city="Colma" state="California" zip="94014″]
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