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Cats come in a variety of sizes ranging from long and lean to short and chunky, but how do you know how skinny is too skinny? When do you start worrying about their weight and asking yourself, "Is my cat too skinny?"
We want you to be able to tell if your cat is at a good weight or not, and this is why we're going to give you ways to measure your cat that can do at home. We're also going to tell you what could cause your cat to be too skinny, different body styles, and more.
Two Different Cat Body Types
Although cats arguably come in many different shapes and sizes, you can put them in two broad categories based on how they look. Mixed-breed domestic shorthairs usually fall between the two body types, and the two different body types include:
- Cobby Build – The cobby build is for cats that have short bodies, a shorter and stouter tail, and heavy bones. This body type typically ranges between 7 to 12 pounds, and the Persian would be a good example of this build.
- Oriental Build – The oriental build is for cats that have long and slender limbs, svelte bodies with fine bones, and long slender tails. Their weight usually falls between 5 to 10 pounds, and the Siamese or Domestic Shorthair are good examples of this build.
It's important that you know which build your cat falls under because the weight range varies. It's easier to tell if a cat with an Oriental build is underweight than it is to tell if a cat with a Cobby build is underweight because they're more solid overall.
How to Check if Your Cat is Too Skinny
Fortunately, it's relatively easy to check and see if your cat is starting to hit the underweight mark just by using your hands. This will be slightly more difficult if your cat has a longer coat, but it's possible with a little patience.
You start by having your cat stand or sit in front of you before you take your hands and perform a gentle rubbing motion along your cat's ribs, spine, pelvic bones, and shoulder blades. You want to feel a light layer of fat that pads these areas from your fingers, and their bones should be sticking out or angular.
If you can feel these bony areas under your fingers and they're sharp or poking out, your cat is most likely under their target weight. Easily distinguishable rib and hip bones, a narrow waist, and visible shoulder blades are all common symptoms of an underweight cat.
Signs That Your Cat is Too Skinny
Most of these signs that indicate your cat may be too skinny relate to your cat's physical appearance, and it's much easier to tell in you have a cat with a shorter coat. However, they include:
- Your cat's waist looks very narrow compared to other cats
- You can see your cat's spine and ribs, and you can feel the bones
- The shoulder blades protrude, and the rib cage is visible
- Your cat's stomach is more tucked in
- There is a lack of fat along your cat's ribs and back.
- There aren't a lot of folds on your cat's body
- Your cat's body deviates from the traditional hourglass shape
- There is a thinning around your cat's neck area
9 Reasons Why Your Cat Is Too Skinny
There are several reasons why your cat is getting too skinny, and it's always best to check with your veterinarian if you have real concerns. Maybe it's something as simple as your cat not getting enough nutrients from their food, and your veterinarian will be able to rule out medical conditions.
Lacking Nutrients from Food
Take a look at your cat food's nutritional label, and pay close attention to the protein and nutrient levels. If your cat isn't getting enough of these nutrients, they could start to lose weight as a result and continue losing weight as their body tries to extract nutrients from your cat's body fat.
Maybe you just have a very active cat combined with a very fast metabolism that lets them burn through calories far faster than they're able to eat. If this is the case, you can give your cat a food that has a higher calorie and nutrient content to help them put on weight and keep it on.
Dental problems plague cats of all ages, and it's widely estimated that roughly half of all cats over the age of three have dental problems or dental disease. Things like absences, missing teeth, broken, teeth, or plaque can make it difficult for your cat to eat.
Scheduling routine cleaning is one way for your veterinarian to take care of any problem areas and address their dental problems. You can also practice brushing your cat's teeth or giving them dental chews to help reduce plaque buildup.
Not Enough Food
If you have other pets or even a multiple cat household, there could be competition over the food dish during mealtimes. If only one cat is getting skinny, maybe they're not able to compete with your other cats or animals for food.
You can try feeding the skinny cat in a room by themselves and see if it helps them gain weight. You should also set meal times at the same time every day to get your cat in a routine that ensures they eat when they're supposed to without letting them free feed.
Cats can develop a variety of gastrointestinal issues from sensitivities or allergies to ingredients in their foods. These issues can cause bloating, pain, gas, a loss of appetite, and trouble extracting nutrients from their food when they do eat.
If you think it's allergies or sensitives at work, you can try switching your cat to a limited ingredient food. Once you do, you want to monitor them to see if their digestive issues start to go away. If they do, you can keep them on the limited ingredient diet.
Many middle-aged or older cats develop hyperthyroidism that causes issues like vomiting, weight loss, increased urination, and increased appetite. The thyroid gland starts to produce too much thyroid hormone, and this throws off your cat's systems and causes weight loss.
Only your veterinarian can diagnose a case of hyperthyroidism by performing an exam and blood tests. If hyperthyroidism is causing your cat's weight loss, the weight loss should go away when you start your cat's treatment through medications, surgery, or diet therapy.
Another common health problem for cats is diabetes, and diabetes causes your cat to have a huge appetite while not being able to keep weight on. It directly impacts your cat's ability to extract and retain the nutrients from the food they eat, and this is why they want to eat more.
You want to take note on whether or not your cat has excessive thirst, excessive urination, or appetite changes and tell your veterinarian. They can do a blood test and discuss the best treatment routine based on the type of diabetes your cat gets diagnosed with.
Liver or Kidney Issues
Liver and kidney issues are common in cats, and they're more common in cats who are old and overweight because it puts stress on your cat's organs. As these organs continue to deteriorate, your cat can start to lose weight at a steady pace.
Again, blood tests will confirm or rule out problems with your cat's liver or kidney issues, and your veterinarian will set up a treatment plan based on their findings. This can include things like medications and changing your cat's diet to a renal one.
Parasites like ringworm or tapeworms are a treatable infection, but they can cause weight loss because they'll start to pull the nutrients from your cat's body when they're trying to digest their food. The worse the infection gets, the skinner your cat will get.
Deworming medications are the common course of treatment for a parasitic infection, and your veterinarian will require a stool sample to confirm the presence of these parasites. The parasites usually go away after a round or two of the medication, and your cat should start gaining weight.
Is my cat too skinny? Now you know how to find out which body style your cat falls in, how to check if they're skinny by looking at them and running your hands over them, and nine common causes of weight loss. You can help treat them to get your cat back to a healthy weight and happy.


text: As the Crossroads of the Pacific, Hawaii played a vital role in the development of both commercial and military air travel. The first flight in Hawaii occurred on December 31, 1910. It captured the imagination and hearts of residents who dreamed of traveling by air between islands and the Mainland, Asia and Australia.On this site you'll find the incredible story of the first trans-Pacific flight by Navy Commander John Rodgers in 1925. Inter-Island Airways made its first commercial interisland flight in 1929, and Pan American Airways entered the trans-Pacific market in 1935. You'll find hundreds of historical documents and publications, and the complete book Above the Pacific written by the late William J. Horvat and originally published in 1966. This website features more than 4,000 photos.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text: |'Violet', also known as 'Purple' is an heirloom variety from Afghanistan. The root is slender and spindle-shaped, growing about 9 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter. The skin is deep-purple in color, as is the flesh. The core is bright yellow, very pretty when sliced. This particular cultivar thrives in wet, heavy soil. Generally bolts the first year, flowering in October, and the flowers are variegated and beautiful. A hardy biennial grown as an annual, carrot tops are a rosette of fern-like foliage growing from a swollen tap root. A cool weather crop that is easily grown with few disease or pest problem, they should be planted in early spring with successive crops being planted every 2 to 3 weeks until early summer for a continuous crop.


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Fixing the Retirement Lottery
In this report we set out a range of policy options including:
- Greater urgency in implementing agreed reforms, such as the move to calculate pension contributions from the first pound of earnings.
- Bringing more low earners (notably women) into the pensions system by abolishing the £10,000 earnings trigger for automatic enrolment.
- The need for government to set out a route map to improve contribution rates over the long term.
- Changes to pensions regulation to make it easier for open defined benefit schemes to remain open.
- Introduction of regulations to allow Collective Defined Contribution pension schemes.
- A crackdown on costs in pension schemes by ensuring that charges are transparent and pension schemes have the scale and power to drive down prices.
- The introduction of default pathways at retirement, to make it easy for retirees to secure a good standard of living in old age
At the heart of the TUC's approach to pensions is the belief that what people seek more than anything for their retirement is security and stability. And that for most of today's workers, their ability to provide for themselves in their old age is a lottery.
This report began life as a series of blogs on the TUC website and has been informed by feedback from both within and without the trade union movement.
It focuses on our system of workplace provision. It is here where government policy is unfinished. And it is here that there is the greatest potential for improvement.
This reports sets out the flaws in the current system:
- The employment lottery that means that workers in some sectors have decent provision, while in many others large numbers are excluded from pensions or receive very little.
- The investment lottery that means that someone who retires in a good year for investment markets can be many thousands of pounds a year better off than an otherwise identical saver who leaves in a bad year.
- The risks for individuals of a retirement income system that provides no clear route for securing a lifetime income.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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|Caption: Tracing driver sources in the Boston area via the road usage network. The colour of a road segment represents the number of its Major Driver Sources (MDS) (red: >100, yellow: 61-100, green: 41-60, light blue: 21-40, dark blue: 1-20, purple: N/A) Credit: Pu Wang|
In a single year
, traffic increased commute time for urban Americans by 4.2 billion hours, used an additional 2.8 billion gallons of fuel, costing an additional $87.2 billion. And those numbers don't even include air pollution. Now, scientists report that they may have found a way to get us out of gridlock.
Previous research suggests that simply decreasing the number of cars on the road by encouraging carpools and public transportation would relieve rush-hour traffic. Now, a team of scientists are using locational data from drivers' cellphones to better understand traffic patterns and suggest new ways to relieve that rush-hour rage. The study
found that while canceling or delaying 1 percent of all drivers across a metropolitan area decreased traffic by about 3 percent, canceling or delaying the same number of drivers from specific neighborhoods would reduce traffic across the city by almost 20 percent.
The researchers,from MIT, Central South University in China, UC Berkeley, and the Austrian Institute of Technology, used three weeks of anonymous cellphone billing information of 360,000 San Francisco Bay Area users and 680,000 Boston Area users who had approximately hour-long commutes to compile an unprecedented data set of road statistics, commuter routes, and traffic.
In cellphone data, user location information is affixed to the nearest cellphone tower. The researchers settled on a home "source" neighborhood from the regularity of the route traveled and the location of towers that routed calls made between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. In metropolitan areas like Boston and San Francisco, cellphone towers are densely located, enabling the researchers to track the routes, traffic volume, and speed of hundreds of thousands of commuters from their home neighborhood to work.
The scientists identified which neighborhoods sent drivers on different routes by combining information about where drivers started their commute, the population densities, the location and capacity of roads, and how the road segments connected to form each city's network.
Surprisingly, the researchers found that in both cities, 98 percent of roads were operating well beneath capacity, and the bottleneck traffic could be tracked to drivers coming from only a handful of neighborhoods.
When the researchers built a model to reflect the road and commute networks of the two cities, they found that reducing the number of commuters from those specific neighborhoods by only 1 percent reduced traffic across Boston by 18 percent and across the San Francisco Bay Area by 14 percent.
As urban areas grow at an unparalleled rate and mobile phones become more widespread than ever, the data used in this study is increasingly available across the globe. The researchers hope to use this method in urban planning, with a particular focus on rapidly developing countries in Asia, South America, and Africa.


4 best practices for handling intercompany transactions
Published on: May 18, 2021
Intercompany transactions often result in cumbersome workloads for accounting teams. A fact that is as true for smaller organizations as it is for global corporations. Rarely does the size of your company dictate the level of complexity faced once intercompany transactions enter the equation. The best practices presented below are essential for companies of all sizes and help teams reduce the complications of transactions across any number of entities.
This blog focuses on the best practices companies can utilize to solve the challenges of intercompany transactions for financial consolidation. You can use these practices to enable the smoother flow of transactions, save time spent on month-end reporting and reduce the number of errors in your reports. By implementing the four simple practices covered, you can quickly deal with reconciliations and eliminations and take pressure off teams trying to coordinate consolidated financial statements.
1. Create global policies that include the nitty-gritty of intercompany transactions
For companies that operate globally, intercompany transactions can present a whole range of challenges from different currencies and exchange rates to varying compliance standards. To meet the financial requirements of global governing bodies, your organization needs to establish policies that account for these variations across all entities.
Most companies can present several pages of high-level policies that cover intercompany accounting. These policies often fail to provide the detail needed to ensure smooth transactions. This level of detail is essential for proving compliance with global accounting standards like IFRS 10 and ASC 810.
Ensure your policies are comprehensive enough by establishing a common chart of accounts and standardizing reporting capabilities across all entities (so that reports require little manual intervention). One of the easiest ways to do this is to implement software that quickly identifies and isolates intercompany transactions.
2. Set up a master data management solution to implement standardized global policies across all intercompany transactions
Set up a master data management solution to standardize intercompany
Having standardized global policies that include intercompany transactions in their scope is only the first step. As anyone can tell you, the best-laid plans are rarely enough to achieve the desired results. Implement policies in a controlled, centralized environment that reduces the likelihood of human error.
These policies are often rigorous and challenging to implement across various entities. It's best to consider the value added by a centralized ERP system, allowing you to create standardized charts of accounts that ensure consistency across all transactions and accounting.
Invariably, using appropriate software saves teams from spending many hours figuring out intercompany transactions and making adjustments in consolidated reports. It also helps with creating standard processes and calculations, which makes accounting for month-ends more efficient.
3. Automate transaction matching to speed up reconciliations and eliminations
Ask any team that deals with multiple entities where they sink the most time, and you'll find that eliminations and reconciliations for intercompany transactions will be pretty high on the list. Reconciling transactions across various systems can be an administrative nightmare that can take days (if not weeks) to solve each month.
There are plenty of software solutions that automate this process by matching transactions between entities. It's also vital that it identifies issues as they arise, allowing your team to allocate resources to investigate problematic transactions rather than every single one.
Automate transaction matching to speed up reconciliations and eliminations
4. Implement continuous close accounting practices
Accounting for intercompany transactions is one of the most time-consuming and cumbersome tasks that accounting teams face at the end of a period. Most companies require this task either monthly or quarterly, leading to hectic period ends, with all-hands-on-deck scrambling to consolidated financials from each entity into one comprehensive financial statement.
The problem is that teams are querying intercompany transactions that may have occurred four weeks ago. In most companies, a lot happens in a month, and the older a transaction is, the more time-consuming it can be to query.
The best practice is to introduce continuous close accounting practices that turn your usual period-end closing tasks into daily activities throughout the month or quarter. This allows your team to match, reconcile and eliminate transactions on an ongoing basis, spreading the workload across the period and removing the need to scramble to account for all intercompany transactions at month-end.
Consolidation best practices - starboard group case study
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Three important geoengineering research projects supported by EU funds have recently been gaining ground. The first is known as Implications and Risks of Novel Options to Limit Climate Change, or IMPLICC. IMPLICC is an SRM modeling collaboration involving five research centers in France, Germany, and Norway, led by the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg. The project is funded by the EU Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) Seventh Framework Program (FP7). At a May meeting in Mainz, project participants reported on modeling results, notably the apparent nonuniformity of global temperature reductions resulting from stratospheric aerosol injections.
The second project, the European Trans-disciplinary Assessment of Climate Engineering or EuTRACE, is also supported by FP7 funds. EuTRACE is intended to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary assessment of geoengineering, focusing in particular on "the long-absent European perspective, examining how CE [climate engineering] relates to the ambitious climate targets of the EU and its member states." The project, coordinated by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam, will bring together natural and social scientists from fourteen institutions spanning five European countries, who will conclude their work in 2014.
Lastly, the "Biochar as Option for Sustainable Resource Management" project is supported by the EU Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program. This project aims to strengthen coordination among disparate European biochar research efforts through enhanced training, increased engagement, and improved network capabilities. The project will entail participation by researchers and other stakeholders from several non-EU countries, including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Israel.


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|A VC-25 over Mount Rushmore.|
|Introduction||August 23, 1990 (No. 28000)
December 23, 1990 (No. 29000)
|Primary user||United States Air Force|
|Unit cost||US$325 million|
|Developed from||Boeing 747-200|
The Boeing VC-25 is the designation of a United States Air Force passenger transportation aircraft, a military version of the Boeing 747 airliner. The A-model (VC-25A) is the only variant of the VC-25.
The VC-25 is most famous for its role as Air Force One, the call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. The two aircraft currently in U.S. service are highly modified versions of Boeing's 747-200B, with tail numbers 28000 and 29000. Although the Air Force One designation technically applies to the aircraft only while the President is aboard, the term is commonly applied to the VC-25s more generally. They often operate in conjunction with Marine One helicopters that ferry the President to airports in circumstances where a vehicle motorcade would be inappropriate.
By 1985, the pair of Boeing 707-based VC-137s used as the Presidential aircraft had been in service for 23 and 13 years respectively, and the USAF began searching for an eventual replacement. The Request for Proposal issued stated that the aircraft to be selected should have at least three engines and an unrefueled range of at least 6,000 miles (9,700 km). Both Boeing with its 747 and McDonnell Douglas with the DC-10 were in competition to be selected, with the Boeing entry eventually selected. The fabrication of the current 747s began during the presidency of Ronald Reagan (1981–1989). Reagan ordered two identical Boeing 747s to replace the Boeing 707s that he used for transport.
The VC-25s were completed in 1986 and first flew in 1987. The interior designs were created by First Lady Nancy Reagan, who used designs reminiscent of the American Southwest. Problems with interior wiring for communication systems delayed delivery of the two aircraft until 1990, during the administration of George H.W. Bush.
Design and configuration
While the VC-25 has three decks, like a regular Boeing 747, its 4,000 square feet (370 m²) of floor space has been reconfigured for presidential duties. Its lowest deck is mostly cargo space, carrying luggage and the onboard food supply.
The main passenger area is on the second floor or main deck. There are three entrances on board, two on the lower and one on the main deck. Typically the president boards and deplanes from the front, main deck entrance via an airstair, while journalists and other passengers enter at the lower rear door. Facilities for the press and other passengers are configured like an ordinary airliner's first-class cabin.
"The White House"
The front of the aircraft is referred to as the "White House" of the aircraft. The president's executive suite includes sleeping quarters with two couches that can be converted into beds, lavatory and shower, vanity, double sink, and a private office, or the president's "Oval Office aboard Air Force One". If necessary, the president can address the nation from the office. This capability was added after the September 11 attacks, during which the aircraft had to land at Barksdale Air Force Base in order for President George W. Bush to address the nation. These offices, including the president's suite, are mostly located on the starboard (right) side, and a long corridor runs along the port (left) side. There is an area along the corridor for two Secret Service agents. The aircraft also contains a conference room, originally designed as a situation room but now used for meeting with staff while traveling. This room includes a 50-inch plasma screen television which can be used for teleconferencing. The aircraft has fully equipped office areas with telecommunication systems (including 87 telephones and 19 televisions).
On board the VC-25 is a medical annex, which includes a fold-out operating table, emergency medical supplies, and a well-stocked pharmacy; George W. Bush had a treadmill added to Air Force One during his term in office. Every flight is staffed by a doctor and nurse. The aircraft is self-sufficient, such as carrying all the food it will need. Meals are prepared in two galleys, which together are equipped to feed up to 100 people at a time. The President gets his own menu. An area where guests sit is near the center of the aircraft, outside of the "White House".
There are separate quarters for guests, senior staff, Secret Service and security personnel, and the news media located in the aft area of the main deck. Protocol states that one may wander aft of wherever one's assigned seat is, but not forward. Communications equipment and the cockpit are on the upper deck. There are also secure and non-secure voice, fax and data communications facilities. While the aircraft's luggage capacity is adequate to carry the belongings of the passengers, the logistics train of the President means that the aircraft must fly preceded by an aerial convoy of several cargo transports, which carry the helicopters, motorcade vehicles, and other equipment required by the presidential entourage.
The VC-25 is capable of flying 7,800 miles (12,600 km)—roughly one-third the distance around the world—without refueling. It can be refuelled during flight from a tanker aircraft. The VC-25A can accommodate more than 70 passengers. Each VC-25A cost approximately US$325 million. When a VC-25 taxis to an airport's ramp for events, it stops with the port side of the aircraft facing gathered onlookers.
Operational history
The VC-25 replaced the VC-137C (a military version of the Boeing 707) as the mainstay of the Air Force One fleet. On some occasions, the VC-25s are used to transport the Vice President of the United States, for which service they adopt the callsign Air Force Two. These aircraft are maintained and operated as military operations by the Presidential Airlift Group, part of Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland.
The aircraft can also be operated as a military command center in the event of an incident such as a nuclear attack. Operational modifications include aerial refueling capability and anti-aircraft missile countermeasures. The electronics on board are connected with approximately 238 miles (383 km) of wiring, twice that of a regular 747. All wiring is covered with heavy shielding for protection from an electromagnetic pulse in the event of a nuclear attack. The aircraft also has electronic countermeasures (ECMs) to jam enemy radar, flares to avoid heat-seeking missiles, and chaff to avoid radar-guided missiles. All small arms and ammunition stores not under the physical possession of the Secret Service on board the VC-25s are stowed and secured by the Secret Service in separate locked compartments, each with a different locking mechanism for added security. Many of the VC-25's other capabilities are classified for security reasons.
After a Presidential inauguration in which there is a change in office, the outgoing President is provided a flight aboard one of the VC-25 aircraft to their home destination. The aircraft is not known as Air Force One for this flight because it is not carrying the President in office. For both Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, the flight was known as Special Air Mission 28000, with 28000 representing the aircraft's tail number.
The VC-25A has also been used to transport deceased former presidents. The guest area aft of "the White House" has chairs and tables that can be removed and the casket laid in their place. The remains of both Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford were transported by SAM 28000 and 29000 respectively to Washington for their state funerals, and then onto their final resting places. Colonel Mark Tillman, pilot for President George W. Bush, said, "We'll take care of the president from basically when he's in office to when he lays in state." For the funeral of President Ronald Reagan in 2004, Tillman said that the crew converted the front of the aircraft to look the way it would have appeared when Reagan was president; President and Nancy Reagan's Air Force One jackets were placed on the chairs to "make them feel at home". A specially designed hydraulic lifter (similar to the type used by airline catering) with the presidential seal affixed to the sides lifts the casket up to the portside aft door to enter the VC-25A. The tradition of placing the caskets inside the passenger cabin dates back to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, when the crew refused to allow the president's body to be placed in the cargo hold, and again during the state funeral of Lyndon B. Johnson.
These aircraft are expected to be replaced as they have become less cost-effective to operate. The USAF Air Mobility Command is looking into possible replacements and press coverage suggested that the USAF would consider the Boeing 747-8 and the Airbus A380 from the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS). On January 7, 2009, the USAF Materiel Command issued a new Sources Sought notice for a replacement aircraft to enter service by 2017 with an additional two aircraft to follow in 2019 and 2021. As of January 2009[update], Boeing is the only aircraft manufacturer interested in supplying the replacement aircraft, and is reported to be exploring a


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Water is essential for all life on Earth, and our children must understand the importance of water conservation. Teaching kids about the value of water can help them develop a sense of responsibility towards nature, while also giving them an appreciation for how much they have access to it. Not only will this knowledge benefit them in their day-to-day lives, but it could also shape their future decisions when it comes to protecting our planet's resources. We'll discuss six methods you can use to teach your kids about the importance of water and how they can use that knowledge in their daily lives.
Table of Contents
Why Teaching Them about Water Is Crucial
Not only does water make up 70% of the human body, but it's also essential for all physical and biological processes. By teaching them about the importance of water we can help our children understand why it is so vital that they use resources responsibly. Water plays an important role in keeping us healthy – from providing us with clean drinking water to helping us grow food and sustaining whole ecosystems – so kids must learn how to use this resource sustainably. The video lessons from Generation Genius about water and ecosystems can be a great starting point. Ecosystems and food webs rely heavily on water, so teaching kids about this concept is key to developing an understanding of how they can protect the environment.
How Kids Can Use this Knowledge in Their Lives
There are several ways that kids can make use of their knowledge about water when it comes to their day-to-day lives. First and foremost, they should be encouraged to conserve wherever possible by turning off the tap when brushing their teeth or taking shorter showers than normal. Additionally, kids can take what they've learned and put it into action by getting involved in local cleanup projects or lobbying for changes that will help protect our planet's waters. By engaging in these activities, they'll not only feel empowered but also understand the importance of using resources responsibly.
1. Interactive Lessons
An interactive lesson about water can help your kids make the connection between what they're learning and how it affects their own lives. Try out a few online lessons or have them create their own 'water wheel' to demonstrate how water cycles through the environment. You can also use games to teach them about the importance of water conservation and its impact on our environment. Additionally, make sure to emphasize the role of water in keeping us healthy.
2. Field Trips and Community Service
Nothing gets kids more invested than being out in the field or doing something hands-on. Take them on a field trip to a local park, lake, or river and explain how different organisms rely on water for survival – you can even organize something in your own garden. You can also look into ways they can give back to their community by volunteering in organizations that protect our watersheds, such as beach clean-ups or planting trees near rivers. Some of these activities can be done while social distancing too. Keep in mind that sometimes, even a small act can make a big impact on our environment.
3. Art Projects
Any type of project is an excellent way to get your kids to think more deeply about the importance of water and how it impacts our lives. Have them create collages, drawings, or paintings that represent different aspects of the water cycle and its importance in nature. This can also include writing stories or poems about the world's most precious resource. In some schools, they may even have the opportunity to create installations or sculptures that portray their understanding of water conservation. Additionally, art projects can be a great way to explore the history of human's relationship with water. By looking at artwork from different periods and cultures, your kids can gain a better appreciation for how water has been used in past societies. Not only will this increase their understanding of the importance of water, but also help them appreciate its value as a resource.
4. Reading and Discussion
Encourage your kids to read books and articles about water conservation and its impact on our environment. Ask them questions afterward to get them thinking more critically, such as what other areas require water protection. Or, why is fresh drinking water so important? You can also use educational videos, documentaries, and podcasts to help deepen the kids' understanding of the topic – this will help foster their interest in the issue. For example, the National Geographic Kids channel has an entire section devoted to water conservation.
5. Make a Water Conservation Plan
Help your kids come up with a plan for conserving water in their daily lives. Have them consider what activities use the most water, like showering or washing dishes, and how they can reduce their consumption of this resource. Discuss simple ways to cut back on water usage such as using shorter showers, turning off the tap while brushing teeth, collecting rainwater, and reusing bath water to flush the toilet. This will help turn knowledge into actionable steps that kids can take to protect our environment.
6. Teach Them about Marine Life
Explain to your kids the importance of water in preserving marine life. Have them learn about different species that depend on clean and healthy water ecosystems, such as coral reefs. They might even have the chance to virtually explore a reef or watch videos about these habitats online. This will teach them about how humans can also play an active role in protecting our oceans by reducing plastic waste and conserving energy usage. You might even get your kids interested in joining an ocean conservation club to get more involved and make a real difference.
Teaching your kids about the importance of water is a great way to instill in them an appreciation for our planet and its environment. With this knowledge, they can learn to be responsible citizens so that future generations may enjoy healthy oceans and clean drinking water as much as we do now. So don't forget to include lessons about the importance of water in your child's education! It just might make all the difference.


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Special offer original Price £10.95 Now £2.50.
Seven meditations on the creation narrative of Genesis 1-2.3 use the text as a starting point for the developing life of prayer. Each chapter concludes with a summary and seven suggestions for ways of praying. These meditations are suitable for individuals or groups as a lent course.
Let There Be Light
- Author: Angela Tilby
- Publisher: D.L.T


beer cans and cigarette packs, though she often contradicts her age by acting childish to her students and ending her sentences with desu, something a child usually does.[3] This irony means that she is often regarded as one of the seven great mysteries of Academy City. As a teacher, she doesn't have any esper abilities and is capable of assisting in magic spells, assisting Index when healing herself and assisting Stiyl when Aisa gets injured by Oriana. Her name is an aptronym as the character "" means "small" and the character "" means "moe".
Aiho Yomikawa (黄泉川 愛穂 Yomikawa Aiho?)
Voiced by: Yūko Kaida (Japanese), Martha Harms (English)
A teacher at Tōma's school and a friend of Komoe. A beautiful woman with glamorous proportions, she is always seen with a green jersey and is known to end her sentences with "Jan". As a member of the Anti-Skills, she is an active peacekeeper and cares deeply for the students of Academy City. As a favor to her old friend, Yomikawa is asked by Kikyō to take care of Accelerator and Last Order after they are released from the hospital.
Tsuzuri Tessō (鉄装 綴里 Tessō Tsuzuri?)
Voiced by: Aya Endō (Japanese), Kara Edwards (English)
A grade school teacher who wears glasses with a rather panicky personality and also a member of the Anti-Skills, where she normally partners with Yomikawa. Her lack of confidence makes her prone to messing up on the field. She enjoys beat-em-up games.
Suama Oyafune (親船 素甘 Oyafune Suama?)
One of the teachers at Tōma's school and also the daughter of Director Oyafune.
Kikyō Yoshikawa (芳川 桔梗 Yoshikawa Kikyō?)
Voiced by: Yumi Tōma (Japanese), Caitlin Glass (English)
Academy City's researcher. She was in charge of Project Level 6 Shift. Even after the project was put to a stop, she kept herself in the laboratory, creating a vaccine for the virus program that Ao put in Last Order. She is shot by Ao while trying to protect Accelerator and Last Order but recovers and is later released from the hospital along with Accelerator and Last Order. Kikyō is the first adult Accelerator has ever respected due to a fact years ago, he was almost killed in an illegal experiment along with other children but was saved by the Anti-Skills led by Kikyō who raided the lab that perform the experiment. Since that incident, Accelerator owes his life to Kikyō.
Ao Amai (天井 亜雄 Amai Ao?)
Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Japanese), Kent Williams (English)
A former researcher for Project Radio Noise (or Project Sisters). His specialty is creating personality data with self-learning capabilities. During Project Level 6 Shift, he was assigned to direct the experiments. Ao hoped the project was a success as he invested a lot of money into it but the project fails due to Tōma and Mikoto's intervention which left him with a large debt. In desperation, he agrees to join a rival organization outside of Academy City by giving them top secret data and as an act loyalty to his new benefactors, he plants a virus upon Last Order. However he plans are foiled by Accelerator but manages to shoot the esper in the head while the latter was busy saving Last Order. Before he gets the chance to finish Accelerator, he is shot by Kikyō. After a long conversation, Kikyo kills him.
Kites Knockraven (カイツ＝ノックレーベン Kaitsu Nokkurēben?)
Voiced by: Kazuyoshi Hayashi (Japanese), Mark Stoddard (English)
Kites was Ao's assistant during Project Level 6 Shift. Kites later appears with Misaki during the Daihasei Festival.
Harumi Kiyama (木山 春生 Kiyama Harumi?)
Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese), Anastasia Munoz (English)
A scientist with disheveled hair and little regard for modesty, which is demonstrated when she strips in front of others without thinking about it, a result of her years being a researcher. In Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, she is revealed to be the creator of the Level Upper, which functions as a network to connect the minds of espers who use it. This is also revealed to be the source of her powers, because as the administrator of the Level Upper, she is able to access and control the powers of all the espers linked to the network. Kiyama's intention is to use the network to save her students, a group of Child Errors that were used in an inhumane experiment that left them in a coma; she has resorted to such extreme measures because the city's administration refuses to allow her to use Tree Diagram to find a cure. However, when the network goes out of control, it creates a fetus-like creature known as AIM Burst; feeling responsible for creating it, she decide to sacrifice herself to stop it. Uiharu and Mikoto manages to convince her not to for the sake of her students and Mikoto defeats AIM Burst. After Kiyama is arrested by the Anti-Skills, she promises Mikoto to find another way to saved her students but gives Mikoto a hint regarding the existence of the Sisters. She reappears later in the Railgun anime where she works with Heaven Canceller to find a cure for her students. However, whenever they are close to waking up, their powers overload and cause Poltergeist attacks throughout the city. With the help of Mikoto and her friends, she eventually finds a cure and reawakens her students.
Administration officials[edit]
Heaven Canceller (冥土帰し (ヘヴンキャンセラー) Hevun Kyanserā?)
Voiced by: Yutaka Nakano (Japanese), Cole Brown (English)
Often called "the Frog-Faced Doctor" by Tōma, he is an exceptionally gifted and benevolent physician who can cure any illness and heal any injury, even if it is terminal. He is only unable to heal specific brain-related injuries, such as the Tōma's destroyed memories and Accelerator's computation ability; however, in the latter case, he was able to configure Accelerator to control his powers with support from the Misaka Network. While he may seem just like any other normal doctor, this medical genius has influences in Academy City politics as he happens to be an acquaintance of the General Director of Academy City, Aleister Crowley, as he manages the machines that extends Aleister's life span, while still supporting the foundation of the city itself. The doctor has followed the Hippocratic Oath faithfully and helps anyone no matter who they are and which side they come from. His name is written as "Meido-Gaeshi", meaning "Afterlife Returner".
Tokiwadai Dorm Supervisor (常盤台の寮監 Tokiwadai no Ryōkan?)
Voiced by: Shizuka Okohira (Index), Hitomi Nabatame (Railgun) (Japanese), Cynthia Cranz (English)
The unnamed supervisor of the Tokiwadai Dorms who is very strict with the girls of the Tokiwadai dorms who in turn fear her greatly. She often punishes Mikoto and Kuroko for breaking the dorm rules (usually by snapping Kuroko's neck) and shows herself as a scary and fearsome women who does not tolerate rule breakers. Outside of the dorms, however, she helps Child Errors at an orphanage home, where she shows a much more friendly face.
Board of Directors[edit]
The Board of Directors consists of twelve people who hold absolute authority in Academy City, with only the thirteenth director, the General Superintendent, above them. Under their administration, they govern the city's everyday activities from funding scientific projects and research to the welfare of its citizens.
Aleister Crowley (アレイスター・クロウリー Areisutā Kurourī?)
Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), Chuck Huber (English)
Based on Aleister Crowley. He was once the greatest magician in modern magic history, where more than half of all modern magicians are affected by this man's established theories, and two-fifths of them are direct followers of his ways. Aleister stretched the boundaries of sorcery farther than the advances made in the last few millennia alone and written many top-class spellbooks like The Book of the Law. His death in 1947 shocked many but it was not the last the world had heard of him. In reality he faked his death to stop his obsessed fanatics following him and secretly went to Japan where during his journey, he met a doctor who he would later call Heaven Canceller. Years later, Aleister, Heaven Canceller and several powerful individuals combined their resources and influences to create one of the most technologically advanced city on Earth at western Tokyo, Academy City. By this time, rumors of Aleister still being alive led some mages to discover the truth. At first they were happy to see that he was alive but were immediately shocked as that not only Aleister abandoned using magic but was more interested in the study and development of espers.
To this day, only a few magicians know Aleister is still alive who are mostly the leaders of powerful magical organizations and their trusted followers and those that do know him view him with skepticism, curiosity on what he's doing or outraged for


Exploring the Hot Universe and Understanding Comic Feedback (EHU)
Kód projektu
Období řešení
1/2021 - 12/2025
Investor / Programový rámec / typ projektu
Grantová agentura ČR
Fakulta / Pracoviště MU
Přírodovědecká fakulta
The Lambda Cold Dark Matter (Λ CDM) model has been shown to be remarkably successful in describing many aspects of our Universe, which is dominated by dark energy and dark matter. However, the physical processes associated with the evolution of the baryonic matter are complex and still poorly understood. In the course of structure formation, only a small fraction of the baryons turned into stars - most remain in a diffuse intergalactic medium (IGM). The growth of galaxies is regulated by feedback processes, such as energy and momentum input from supernovae, and jets and winds of accreting supermassive black holes. These processes, collectively called galactic feedback, can limit or even inhibit further gravitational collapse, and thus a detailed knowledge of how they work is essential for our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. Here, I propose to take advantage of new observational opportunities to study the intimate connection between the IGM, star formation and the growth of supermassive black holes in the most massive galaxies.


text:
R is the lingua franca of Statistics: R code and R packages is the means by which statisticians communicate ideas and methods for statistical analysis. The reasons why are discussed in this article, but it also begs the question: what's wrong with the spoken or written word?
How Statistics and Probability relate to the English language is the subject of a great op-ed article in last week's New York Times, Stories vs Statistics. In particular, it talks about how some of the famous thought experiments and puzzles in statistics and probability (such as the Monty Hall problem, the Birthday paradox, and the Two Boys problem) are heavily dependent on language: the solution depends not only on how the problem is described, but on how the reader interprets the story around the puzzle. It's a great read: check out the link below.
New York Times: Stories vs Statistics


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You are here:Home » Antibodies » Abs to Coagulation Factors » Anti -Ceruloplasmin (Cp, Ferroxidase, Iron (II) Oxygen Oxidoreductase)
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Polyclonal Rabbit Serum E B
Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is a plasma metalloprotein synthesized and secreted by the liver. Cp (also known as ferroxidase; iron (II):oxygen oxidoreductase, EC is a blue alpha-2-glycoprotein that binds 90 to 95% of plasma copper and has 6 or 7 cupric ions per molecule. It is involved in peroxidation of Fe(II) transferrin to form Fe(III) transferrin. Human Cp is a single polypeptide chain (1065 aa, 135kD; chromosome 8q21.13-q23.1) structurally similar to factors V and VIII. Cp also has abundant expression in specific populations of glial cells within the brain. Hereditary Cp deficiency have profound iron accumulation in most tissues. Cp -/- mice showed no abnormalities in cellular iron uptake but a striking impairment in the movement of iron out of reticuloendothelial cells and hepatocytes. Cp may play an essential physiologic role in determining the rate of iron efflux from cells with mobilizable iron stores.
Catalog _TAG_-10
Recommended DilutionWestern Blot: 1:1000-1:5000 using ECL. Cp is ~135kD. Control antigen (C2900-15) should be run to identify the appropriate B2M band and find optimum antibody dilutions.
ELISA: 1:100,000 using 50-100ng control antigen/well.
Optimal dilutions to be determined by the researcher.
Clone TypePolyclonal
ConcentrationNot determined.
ImmunogenPurified human Ceruloplasmin (Cp)
SpecificityRecognizes human ceruloplasmin. Species sequence homology: mouse and rat Cp.
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text:
Stimulated emission is the process by which an incoming photon of a specific frequency can interact with an excited atomic electron (or other excited molecular state), causing it to drop to a lower energy level. The liberated energy transfers to the electromagnetic field, creating a new photon with identical phase, frequency, polarization, and direction of travel as the photons of the incident wave. This is in contrast to spontaneous emission which occurs at random intervals without regard to the ambient electromagnetic field.
However, the process is identical in form to atomic absorption in which the energy of an absorbed photon causes an identical but opposite atomic transition: from the lower level to a higher energy level. In normal media at thermal equilibrium, absorption exceeds stimulated emission because there are more electrons in the lower energy states than in the higher energy states. However, when a population inversion is present the rate of stimulated emission exceeds that of absorption, and a net optical amplification can be achieved. Such a gain medium, along with an optical resonator, is at the heart of a laser or maser. Lacking a feedback mechanism, laser amplifiers and superluminescent sources also function on the basis of stimulated emission.
Stimulated emission was a theoretical discovery by Einstein within the framework of the old quantum theory, wherein the emission is described in terms of photons that are the quanta of the EM field. Stimulated emission can also occur in classical models, without reference to photons or quantum-mechanics.
Electrons and how they interact with electromagnetic fields are important in our understanding of chemistry and physics. In the classical view, the energy of an electron orbiting an atomic nucleus is larger for orbits further from the nucleus of an atom. However, quantum mechanical effects force electrons to take on discrete positions in orbitals. Thus, electrons are found in specific energy levels of an atom, two of which are shown below:
When an electron absorbs energy either from light (photons) or heat (phonons), it receives that incident quanta of energy. But transitions are only allowed between discrete energy levels such as the two shown above. This leads to emission lines and absorption lines.
When an electron is excited from a lower to a higher energy level, it will not stay that way forever. An electron in an excited state may decay to a lower energy state which is not occupied, according to a particular time constant characterizing that transition. When such an electron decays without external influence, emitting a photon, that is called "spontaneous emission". The phase associated with the photon that is emitted is random. A material with many atoms in such an excited state may thus result in radiation which is very spectrally limited (centered around one wavelength of light), but the individual photons would have no common phase relationship and would emanate in random directions. This is the mechanism of fluorescence and thermal emission.
An external electromagnetic field at a frequency associated with a transition can affect the quantum mechanical state of the atom. As the electron in the atom makes a transition between two stationary states (neither of which shows a dipole field), it enters a transition state which does have a dipole field, and which acts like a small electric dipole, and this dipole oscillates at a characteristic frequency. In response to the external electric field at this frequency, the probability of the electron entering this transition state is greatly increased. Thus, the rate of transitions between two stationary states is enhanced beyond that due to spontaneous emission. Such a transition to the higher state is called absorption, and it destroys an incident photon (the photon's energy goes into powering the increased energy of the higher state). A transition from the higher to a lower energy state, however, produces an additional photon; this is the process of stimulated emission.
Stimulated emission can be modelled mathematically by considering an atom that may be in one of two electronic energy states, a lower level state (possibly the ground state) (1) and an excited state (2), with energies E1 and E2 respectively.
If the atom is in the excited state, it may decay into the lower state by the process of spontaneous emission, releasing the difference in energies between the two states as a photon. The photon will have frequency ν and energy hν, given by:
where h is Planck's constant.
Alternatively, if the excited-state atom is perturbed by an electric field of frequency, it may emit an additional photon of the same frequency and in phase, thus augmenting the external field, leaving the atom in the lower energy state. This process is known as stimulated emission.
In a group of such atoms, if the number of atoms in the excited state is given by N2, the rate at which stimulated emission occurs is given by:
where the proportionality constant B21 is known as the Einstein B coefficient for that particular transition, and ρ(ν) is the radiation density of the incident field at frequency ν. The rate of emission is thus proportional to the number of atoms in the excited state N2, and to the density of incident photons.
At the same time, there will be a process of atomic absorption which removes energy from the field while raising electrons from the lower state to the upper state. Its rate is given by an essentially identical equation:
The rate of absorption is thus proportional to the number of atoms in the lower state, N1. Einstein showed that the coefficient for this transition must be identical to that for stimulated emission:
Thus absorption and stimulated emission are reverse processes proceeding at somewhat different rates. Another way of viewing this is to look at the net stimulated emission or absorption viewing it as a single process. The net rate of transitions from E2 to E1 due to this combined process can be found by adding their respective rates, given above:
Thus a net power is released into the electric field equal to the photon energy hν times this net transition rate. In order for this to be a positive number, indicating net stimulated emission, there must be more atoms in the excited state than in the lower level:. Otherwise there is net absorption and the power of the wave is reduced during passage through the medium. The special condition is known as a population inversion, a rather unusual condition that must be effected in the gain medium of a laser.
The notable characteristic of stimulated emission compared to everyday light sources (which depend on spontaneous emission) is that the emitted photons have the same frequency, phase, polarization, and direction of propagation as the incident photons. The photons involved are thus mutually coherent. When a population inversion () is present, therefore, optical amplification of incident radiation will take place.
Although energy generated by stimulated emission is always at the exact frequency of the field which has stimulated it, the above rate equation refers only to excitation at the particular optical frequency corresponding to the energy of the transition. At frequencies offset from the strength of stimulated (or spontaneous) emission will be decreased according to the so-called line shape. Considering only homogeneous broadening affecting an atomic or molecular resonance, the spectral line shape function is described as a Lorentzian distribution:
where is the full width at half maximum or FWHM bandwidth.
The peak value of the Lorentzian line shape occurs at the line center,. A line shape function can be normalized so that its value at is unity; in the case of a Lorentzian we obtain:
Thus stimulated emission at frequencies away from is reduced by this factor. In practice there may also be broadening of the line shape due to inhomogeneous broadening, most notably due to the Doppler effect resulting from the distribution of velocities in a gas at a certain temperature. This has a Gaussian shape and reduces the peak strength of the line shape function. In a practical problem the full line shape function can be computed through a convolution of the individual line shape functions involved. Therefore optical amplification will add power to an incident optical field at frequency at a rate given by:
Stimulated emission cross section
The stimulated emission cross section (in square meters) is
- A21 is the Einstein A coefficient (in radians per second),
- λ is the wavelength in the void(in meters),
- n is the refractive index of the medium (dimensionless), and
- g(ν) is the spectral line shape function (in seconds).
Under certain conditions, stimulated emission can provide a physical mechanism for optical amplification. An external source of energy stimulates atoms in the ground state to transition to the excited state, creating what is called a population inversion. When light of the appropriate frequency passes through the inverted medium, the photons stimulate the excited atoms to emit additional photons of the same frequency, phase, and direction, resulting in an amplification of the input intensity.
The population inversion, in units of atoms per cubic meter, is
where g1 and g2 are the degeneracies of energy levels 1 and 2, respectively.
Small signal gain equation
The intensity (in watts per square meter) of the stimulated emission is governed by the following differential equation:
as long as the intensity I(z) is small enough so that it does not have a significant effect on the magnitude of the population inversion. Grouping the first two factors together, this equation simplifies as
is the small-signal gain coefficient (in units of radians per meter). We can solve the differential equation using separation of variables:
Integrating, we find:
- is the optical intensity of the input signal (in watts per square meter).
The saturation intensity IS is defined as the input intensity at which the gain of the optical amplifier drops to exactly half of the small-signal gain. We can compute the saturation intensity as
- h is Planck's constant, and
- τS is the saturation time constant, which depends on the spontaneous emission lifetimes of the various transitions between the energy levels related to the amplification.
- is the frequency in Hz
General gain equation
The general form of the gain equation


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the subdivisions of the Ottoman Empire, see Vilayet. For the Spanish movie, see Wilaya (film).
A wilayah (Arabic: ولاية) or ولایت (velâyat) in Persian, vilayet in Turkish or vilayat in Urdu, is an administrative division, usually translated as "province", rarely as "governorate". The word comes from the Arabic "w-l-y", "to govern": a wāli—"governor"—governs a wilayah, "that which is governed". Under the Caliphate, the term referred to any constituent near-sovereign state.
Use in specific countries[edit]
In Arabic, wilayah is used to refer to the states of the United States, and the United States of America as a whole is called "الولايات المتّحدة الأمريكية" (al-Wilāyāt al-Muttaḥidah al-Amrīkīyah) literally meaning "the American United States".
Arab World[edit]
For Morocco which is divided into provinces and wilāyas the translation "province" would cause the distinction to cease. For Sudan the term state, and for Mauritania the term region is used.
The governorates of Iraq (muhafazah) are sometimes translated as province, in contrast to official Iraqi documents and the general use for other Arab countries. This conflicts somehow with the general translation for muhafazah (governorate) and wilāyah (province).
In the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, 9 prefectures take the name Wilayit (Uyghur Language) which is rendered as Diqu (地區) in Chinese. Thereby demoting the term to a prefectural level, which is one level lower than the provincial level.
ئالتاي ۋىلايىتى
Altay Wilayiti 阿勒泰地区
تارباغاتاي ۋىلايىتى
Tarbaghatay Wilayiti 塔城地区
تۇرپان ۋىلايىتى
Turpan Wilayiti 吐鲁番地区
قۇمۇل ۋىلايىتى
Qumul Wilayiti 哈密地区
قەشقەر ۋىلايىتى
Qeshqer Wilayiti 喀什地区
ئاقسۇ ۋىلايىتى
Aqsu Wilayiti 阿克苏地区
خوتەن ۋىلايىتى
Xoten Wilayiti 和田地区
Kenya and Tanzania[edit]
In Kenya, the term wilaya is a Swahili term which refers to the administrative districts into which provinces are divided.
Malaysia and Indonesia[edit]
In both Malaysian and Indonesian, wilayah is a general word meaning "territory", "area" or "region".
In Malaysia, the term
Ottoman Empire[edit]
Traditionally the provinces of the Ottoman Empire were known as eyâlets, but beginning in 1864, they were gradually restructured as smaller vilâyets—the Turkish pronunciation of the Arabic word wilāyah. Most were subdivided into sanjaks.
The current provinces of Turkey are called il in Turkish.
Central Asia and Caucasus[edit]
The Persian word for province (velâyat) is still used in several similar forms in Central Asian countries:
During the Soviet period the divisions of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were called oblasts and raions, using Russian terminology.
In the Tsez language, the districts of Dagestan are also referred to as "вилайат" (wilayat), plural "вилайатйоби" (wilayatyobi). But the term "район" (rayon), plural "районйаби" (rayonyabi) is also used.
Caucasus Emirate, a self-proclaimed successor state to the unrecognized Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, is divided into vilayats.
In Iran, the word is also used unofficially.
South Asia[edit]
In Urdu, the term Vilayat is used to refer to any foreign country. As an adjective Vilayati is used to indicate an imported article or good. In Bengali, the term Vilayat and Vilayati further change to bilet and bileti (archaic bilaiti), referring exclusively to Britain and British-made. The British slang term blighty derives from this word, via the fact that the foreign British were referred to using this word during the time of the British Raj.[1]
 1. ^ Stuart Thompson, Andrew (2005). The Empire Strikes Back? The Impact Of Imperialism on Britain from the Mid-Nineteenth Century. Pearson Education. p. 180. Other Indian words include blighty ('one's home country', from the Hindi word 'bilayati' meaning 'foreign', whence 'British')


text: Cross-borehole geophysical data can provide valuable information concerning hydrologic properties of the unsaturated zone. Such data are most often used sequentially, where images of soil physical properties are obtained through numerical inversion and then converted to hydrologic state properties using petrophysical relationships. If not accounted for, inversion artifacts are transferred to the resulting hydrologic images. We propose a framework in which multiple geophysical data sets can be incorporated using an integrated data fusion approach. The geophysical data collected are integrated in a forward modeling approach to evaluate a series of plausible hydrologic models. The approach permits an evaluation of the sensitivity of geophysical data for constraining hydrologic model parameters. We illustrate the approach using geophysical data collected during a dual water and solute tracer experiment in the unsaturated zone. Cross-borehole ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography, measuring electromagnetic travel time and electrical transfer resistances, respectively, were collected during a 20-d period. As a first approximation, one-dimensional flow was considered and three models (one, two, and five layers) of the subsurface were evaluated. The five-layered model was found to be the only model capable of mimicking the infiltration pattern satisfactorily. The results showed that only the hydraulic conductivity and one of the parameters (empirical parameter n) describing the soil moisture release curve for three of the five layers could be constrained by the data, illustrating the nonuniqueness of the problem. The data fusion approach proved, however, that application of multiple geophysical methods may reduce hydraulic parameter uncertainty.


text:
Hammerhead sharks are a species of shark found in tropical oceans worldwide. Their name is derived from the unusual shape of their head which gives them increased sensory ability to detect prey.
In the early 18th century, hammerhead sharks were hunted by various individuals, such as the pirates Edward Kenway and Adéwalé. The bones they collected from the sharks were profitable in this era of the West Indies, and Edward used them as crafting material for his second ammunition pouch and his shark hunter outfit.
During the Peloponnesian War, a heavy hammer that was inspired by and dedicated to the hammerhead sharks was made available to the Spartan misthios Kassandra through an Animus modification by Layla Hassan, an Assassin who relieved her memories.
Behind the scenes
In Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, hammerhead sharks can be hunted for "hammerhead shark bones". In reality, sharks do not have mineralized bones, only cartilage and connective tissue. These "hammerhead shark bones" are required materials for crafting two items: the pistol ammo pouch II and the shark hunter outfit. Two are needed for the pouch while one bone and one pelt of bull shark skin is needed for the outfit.
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed: Pirates
- Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (mentioned only)


text:
The Keris Bali Surapati is an extraordinary keris made in the nineteenth century in Bali, Indonesia. This ancient Balinese keris features the dapur Surapati, which in Java is called 'Pasopati'. It has a straight blade that still is in excellent condition considering the fact that it was made almost two hundred years ago.
On the surface of the blade, we can see the distinctive pamor pattern named 'Gubet Udan Mas'. This pamor motif represents golden rain drops, which symbolize the upcoming change of events that will bring windfall luck and fortune. A keris which has a pamor pattern of the 'udan mas' variety, is often classed as a top range pusaka item worth a lot of money. Moreover, the esoteric powers of this type of pamor are believed to be extremely powerful. Hence, the magical aspects of a keris featuring pamor Udan Mas are known to bestow upon the owner numerous blessings of good luck, and will provide the opportunities for increasing one's riches.
The hilt of this keris is made in traditional Balinese style; the word 'danganan' is used for the name of this kind of hilt. It is the original danganan hilt, and is carved in the form of the Hindu Monkey God Hanoman. Also, there are traces of the aging process visible on the surface of the hilt, indicating its authenticity.
Thus, the Keris Bali Surapati is an invaluable collector's item for one who seeks an ancient Balinese heirloom keris ('pusaka'), which, at the same time, serves as a mystical means to increase one's financial status and wealth.


Holiday Travel Tips
Holiday Travel Tips for Families with Disabilities
Holiday travel tips are necessary, especially if you are traveling with a disabled family member. Whether you are traveling by plane, train, automobile or even ship, implement special strategies beforehand so that the trips runs as smoothly as possible. Keep in mind that suprises always occur during travel, no matter how well defined your preparation. However, if you keep an open, relaxed mind throughout the process, you'll sail through the trip like a champ.
1. Plan Ahead
Eighty percent of your travel success depends on how well you plan beforehand. If you plan to fly or travel by train, call the carrier ahead of time, explain your situation, and ask the representative how you can accommodate your family member and eliminate disruptions to other passengers. Ask the representative to identify bathroom and wheelchair accessible facilities along with suggestions on where you can go with your family member should they become uncomfortable or uneasy.
Additionally, contact the hotel and request a wheelchair accessible room or one that permits for easy entrance and exit. For example, if your family member is autistic, they may not feel comfortable on elevators or having to make a long trip to the room. Get in touch with attractions such as museums, theme parks or theatres to ensure your family member has special accomodations when you arrive.
2. Stick to routines
One of the most important steps that you can take to keep your disabled family member comfortable is to stick to their routine before the trip. Those who have disabilities thrive on routine because it is one area of their day that they know will always be the same.
Also, try to add pieces of your family member's daily routine into the holiday trip as often as possible. If your disabled family member always takes a nap between 2:00pm and 4:00pm, forgo sightseeing between those times ad return to the hotel for nap time. Pack favourite foods and familar items from home to make your family member feel comfortable and more at ease with unfamiliar surroundings.
3. Dress appropriately
Arm your disabled family member with an identification tag that includes vital information as it pertains to their disability as well as contact information such are your cell phone number. In the unlikely event that you become seperated from your loved one, you will at least have a way to find him/her easier then without identification especially if a communication issue is part of the disability.
Additionally, pack comfortable, familiar clothing for your family member. Select outfits and pieces that you know they enjoy wearing and avoid introducing new items during the trip.
4. Have a back-up plan
If the perfectly planned day doesn't go as hoped, have a back-up plan so all isn't lost. For example, if you plan to visit a museum that doesn't turn out to be wheelchair accessible (even though you were given information that it was), have *plan B* ready for execution. You could instead hit a local park or the zoo that day instead of the museum. Identify attractions that are within close proximity to your original destination so you don't lose time traveling from one part of the city or area to the other.
When staying at a hotel, consult with your concierge to identify alternative attractions. Your hotel concierge is an excellent resource for helping guests find appropriate activities and entertainment in the area.
Overall, allow yourself time to let go and accept that some days during your holiday trip may not go as planned. Keep in mind that the reason you took the trip was to be together as a family and to appreciate one another during this wonderous time of the year.
Source: Gina Ragusa, a freelance writer and mother from South Florida. Her 15 year experience ranges from writing about banking to tattoo parlours. Read more about her adventures at Thanks to Disability Information Services (DIS) for this information. December 2014


text:
- During World War II, some United States soldiers in the Pacific theater used the word lollapalooza as a shibboleth to challenge unidentified persons, on the premise that Japanese people often pronounce the letter L as R or confuse Rs with Ls. In Oliver Gramling's Free Men are Fighting: The Story of World War II (1942) the author notes that, in the war, Japanese spies would often approach checkpoints posing as American or Filipino military personnel. A shibboleth such as "lollapalooza" would be used by the sentry, who, if the first two syllables come back as rorra, would "open fire without waiting to hear the remainder".
- During the Allied breakout from the Normandy beachheads in 1944, hand-to-hand fighting occurred throughout the hedgerows and thick undergrowth of the Norman countryside. British and American troops were told to use the word "Thunderer" as a countersign through the thick foliage. Given the number of syllables and the leading "th" sound, it was believed that the word would invariably be mispronounced by native German speakers.
(MANY others on the linked page)
For those interested in the french definition + spelling :


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This diagram shows the effect of the 'collapse' value of the 'border-collapse' property.
The diagram shows three cells in the same row and the grid lines that separate them. The left and right content, padding, border, and margin areas of each cell are labeled by rotated text above each of the areas. Each (red, dotted) grid line bisects the border between two cells.
The table width is indicated below the cells as encompassing all the left and right content, padding, border, and margin areas of the cells, except for the cells that touch the sides of the table. In this case, only half the exterior border widths are counted in the table's width.
Return to image.


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Unilateral mechanical asymmetry. Positional effects on lung volumes and transpulmonary pressure
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Background: Ventilated patients with asymmetry of lung or chest wall mechanics may be vulnerable to differing lung stresses or strains dependent on body position. Our purpose was to examine transpulmonary pressure (PTP) and end-expiratory lung volume (functional residual capacity (FRC)) during body positioning changes in an animal model under the influence of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) or experimental pleural effusion (PLEF).
Methods: Fourteen deeply anesthetized swine were studied including tracheostomy, thoracostomy, and esophageal catheter placement. Animals were ventilated at VT = 10 ml/kg, frequency of 15, I/E = 1:2, and FIO2 = 0.5. The animals were randomized to supine, prone, right lateral, left lateral, and semi-Fowler positions with a PEEP of 1 cm H2O (PEEP1) or a PEEP of 10 cm H2O (PEEP10) applied. Experimental PLEF was generated by 10 ml/kg saline instilled into either pleural space. PTP and FRC were determined in each condition.
Results: No significant differences in FRC were found among the four horizontal positions. Compared to horizontal positioning, semi-Fowler's increased FRC (p < 0.001) by 56% at PEEP1 and 54% at PEEP10 without PLEF and by 131% at PEEP1 and 98% at PEEP10 with PLEF. Inspiratory or expiratory PTP showed insignificant differences across positions at both levels of PEEP. Consistently negative end-expiratory PTP at PEEP1 increased to positive values with PEEP10.
Conclusions: FRC did not differ among horizontal positions; however, semi-Fowler's positioning significantly raised FRC. PTP proved insensitive to mechanical asymmetry. While end-expiratory PTP was negative at PEEP1, applying PEEP10 caused a transition to positive Ptp, suggestive of re-opening of initially compressed lung units.
Link to Article


text: There has been a growing need in recent years to further improve vehicle fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. JATCO began mass production of a transmission for rear-wheel-drive (RWD) hybrid vehicle with Nissan in 2010, which was followed by the development of a front-wheel-drive (FWD) hybrid system (JATCO CVT8 HYBRID) for use on a midsize SUV in the U.S. market. While various types of hybrid systems have been proposed, the FWD system adopts a one-motor two-clutch parallel hybrid topology which is also used on the RWD hybrid. This high-efficiency system incorporates a clutch for decoupling the transmission of power between the engine and the motor.The hybrid system was substantially downsized from that used on the RWD vehicle in order to mount it on the FWD vehicle. This paper describes various seal technologies developed for housing the dry multi-plate clutch inside the motor, which was a key packaging technology for achieving the FWD hybrid system.


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CSS Buttons: Tutorials and examples
Creating buttons with CSS is one of the most experimented-with web design techniques around. Examples and tutorials abound.
The biggest recent trend in CSS button design seems to be eliminating images, especially background images, from buttons. But there are plenty of other things designers are doing with buttons, some that do include images.
Below we've collected more than twenty tutorials, examples, and tools for creating CSS buttons, most of which use CSS3.
Included are buttons to suit virtually every design style. We've tried to focus on newer techniques here, leaving out the long-standing techniques (like the sliding door method for creating rounded corners) that most designers are already familiar with.
If you have other tutorials or examples you'd like to share, please do so in the comments!
Tutorials and articles
Rediscovering the button element
A really helpful article discussing the
button element in CSS, which is often overlooked by designers. It's a bit older, but still has tons of useful information on creating more stylish buttons with CSS.
Beautiful CSS buttons with icon set
Here's another article that talks about how to create buttons with icons, though using
span classes rather than the
Build kick-ass practical CSS3 buttons
This video tutorial from Nettuts+ shows how to create practical CSS3 buttons that even include what appears to be a Twitter bird icon image, but is in fact created entirely with CSS3.
Beautiful Photoshop-like buttons with CSS3
While the buttons here aren't particularly forward-thinking in terms of look, what is amazing is that they were created entirely using CSS3, without using an images, and were only based on buttons created in Photoshop.
Better button and navigation interactions
This is a great, simple tutorial from Darren Hoyt on creating better behaviors for your buttons that encourage visitors to interact with your site.
Super awesome buttons with CSS3 and RGBA
This tutorial from Zurb covers using CSS3 and alpha-blending using RGBA to create scalable buttons with only a single PNG image.
Building beautiful buttons with CSS gradients
A tutorial for building a button using CSS gradients similar to those used by Mozilla for Firefox Personas.
How to design a sexy button using CSS
This tutorial shows how to create a big, vibrant button without using images.
Realistic looking CSS3 buttons
These are simple buttons, created entirely with CSS3, including some pseudo-elements.
Pretty CSS3 buttons
This tutorial shows how to create a simple, slightly glossy-style button that's scalable and can be created in any color without images.
CSS3 buttons without any images
A simple tutorial for creating dynamic buttons that use only CSS3 and no images. There are four states for each button, including disabled, hovered, and clicked states.
5 different tutorials of dynamic CSS round corners link buttons
This is a collection of five different tutorials for creating CSS buttons with rounded corners. Two include the use of images, but the other three don't.
Create a CSS3 button that degrades nicely
Until all browsers properly support CSS3, we're going to run into issues when using it to create things like buttons. This tutorial shows how to create great CSS3 buttons that also look fine in older browsers, like IE6 and 7.
Apple's navigation bar using only CSS
This tutorial shows how to recreate the button-style navigation menu on Apple's website. It works best in Safari 3+, but still looks fine in other browsers.
Create a CSS3 call to action button
This tutorial shows how to create a call to action button entirely with CSS that includes different default and hover states.
Sexy buttons with CSS3
This simple tutorial shows how to create nicely-styled buttons with unique hover and active states. The buttons can be scaled and their color can be changed easily.
Glossy buttons without images using only CSS3
Looking at these buttons, it's hard to believe they're made without images unless you look very closely. The code is complicated, but the end result looks great, complete with hover effect.
CSS3 buttons with icons
This tutorial shows how to create CSS3 buttons with gradients that also include icon images and are cross-browser compatible.
Roll your own Google buttons
This tutorial shows how to make scalable Google-style buttons with colored borders. The end results are minimalist and clean.
Examples and tools
10 awesome CSS3 buttons to use on your website
Here's a collection of ten buttons you can use on your website. They're all pretty basic but are created using just CSS3 with no images.
CSS3 gradient buttons
This is a huge collection of CSS3 buttons from Web Designer Wall. Included are a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, all with gradients. One of the best parts about them, though, is how gracefully these buttons degrade in browsers that don't have full CSS3 support.
CSS-Tricks offers this free CSS3 button creator. Just define the background colors for each state of the button, the size, and the text attributes, and it will create the CSS code for you.
These buttons use CSS animations in Safari to create a pulsing, glowing effect. In other browsers that support CSS3, they're still perfectly functional and look just fine.
Written exclusively for WDD by Cameron Chapman.
Know other techniques for creating awesome CSS buttons that weren't mentioned here? Or have a favorite example? Please share them in the comments!


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The Torah tells of the Jews desperation and anguish when hope seemed lost:
וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל הֹ – Pharaoh drew near, and the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold! the Egyptians were advancing after them. They were very frightened, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. (14:10)
Rashi remarks that תפשו אומנות אבותם – They seized the craft of their ancestors.
The seems to praise the Jews. But why identify it as something their ancestors would have done? At the beginning of the slavery we find that they cry out and the ancestral heritage is not mentioned: וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם, וַיָּמָת מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן-הָעֲבֹדָה, וַיִּזְעָקוּ; וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים, מִן-הָעֲבֹדָה – Now it came to pass in those many days that the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed from the labor, and they cried out, and their cry ascended to God from the labor.
Rashi does not explain that their cry was prayer – it obviously was – the tradition of prayer that dates back to the Patriarchs.
Perhaps it isn't a praise at all. An insight into the people praying: וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל מֹשֶׁה הַמִבְּלִי אֵין קְבָרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם לְקַחְתָּנוּ לָמוּת בַּמִּדְבָּר מַה זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ לָּנוּ לְהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם. הֲלֹא זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְנוּ אֵלֶיךָ בְמִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר חֲדַל מִמֶּנּוּ וְנַעַבְדָה אֶת מִצְרָיִם כִּי טוֹב לָנוּ עֲבֹד אֶת מִצְרַיִם מִמֻּתֵנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר – They said to Moses, "Were there no graves in Egypt that you have taken us to die in the desert? What have you done to us by taking us out of Egypt?! Isn't this what we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone, and we will serve the Egyptians, because we would rather serve the Egyptians than die in the desert?!'". (14:11-12)
These people are clearly not the most righteous people; they go from prayer to wishing themselves back into slavery and rejecting G-d and Moshe in a heartbeat.
That is the point Rashi illustrates here. They did not pray because it was the right thing to do; they prayed because it was what their fathers would have done. תפשו אומנות אבותם – They seized the craft of their ancestors – not עבודה – service, but craftsmanship; it was work!
R' Yitzchok Hutner queries that morning prayers before Az Yashir detail how Hashem listened to our cries. But these cries were hardly noble, so why are mention this in our prayers?
He answers with a parable, about a king who is friends with a nobleman, whose son is close to the prince. One day, whilst visiting the prince in the palace, the nobleman's son bursts into the king's chamber and starts shouting at the workers, and the king tells them to do as he says.
It's not because of what the nobleman's son said or deserved: it's because his father is the king's friend.
This is why we mention Zchus Avos in the opening paragraph of Shemona Esrei; in spite of our lack of merit, our lineage should stand us in good stead.


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Natural gas cooling
A natural choice!
Over the last decade, manufacturers made significant advances in developing and producing a new generation of natural gas refrigeration, cooling, and humidity control equipment. As a result, today's natural gas cooling options can offer:
- Lower operating costs
- Reduced demand charges
- Quick payback on equipment purchases
- Improved indoor air quality
- A plentiful, domestic energy source
- Innovative financing plans and rebates from manufacturers, local gas companies and government entities
- Improved reliability of the electric grid, especially during the high summer demand period
- A cleaner, healthier environment
As deregulation and new temperature-based electric utility pricing mechanisms such as "real-time pricing?become more prevalent, natural gas will likely prove to be an even more economical choice, particularly for hybrid cooling systems.
Manufacturers offer a variety of sizes, types and configurations of cooling equipment for comfort cooling to the coldest refrigeration temperatures.
All major categories of gas cooling equipment are discussed in this site. Additionally, we look at combined heat and power (CHP) systems for the highly efficient on-site joint production of electricity and thermal energy. We examine how and where the technologies work, provide equipment specifications and available vendors, and share the stories of real-world applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
click here to learn about issues impacting the energy industries and what you need to know.
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Gas Cooling Guide
Clearing the Air


According to a new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, researchers analyzed the oldest bedbug ancestors found to date, fragments ranging from 5,000 to 11,000 years of age.
The remains were found in a cave in southern Oregon, where the oldest evidence of human activity in North America was recorded, near Paisley, Oregon.
Bedbug origins
The bugs are the oldest specimens of the Cimex genus ever found, classified as relatives to the common bedbug Cimex lectularius. Image credit: Quest Pest Control.
Bats, bedbugs, and humans living together
Apparently, the bedbugs discovered in the cave did not latch themselves onto people but instead were bat parasites. The discovery consists of the remains of 14 cimicids, found in the Paisley Five Mile Point Cave, dating from the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Nine of the specimens were correctly identified with the more modern species of bedbugs, while the remaining five could not be identified.
What's interesting is that through the discovery, a new gap was found in the evolution of the cimicids. The other significant bedbug remains are just over 50 years old, providing background for only 16 recognized species of the Cimex genus.
The Paisley Caves are over 13,000 years old, a compound consisting of eight caves where thousands of insect remains have been recovered, alongside remains of other animal species, such as camels and horses, these being the first remains discovered in the compound back in 1940. Those early discoveries were made by Luther Cressman, who also found evidence of human occupation in the area. The issue was that, at the time, there was no radiocarbon dating, so his observations were temporarily dismissed until artifact collectors looted the place.
The site was reinvestigated in 2002, trying to preserve what Cressman had found concerning human remains on the site. Over the years, more cimicids were recovered and documented for future study.
Researchers appear to be confident that the bedbugs necessarily had to be bat parasites, although the cave's skeletal remains of bats are yet to be identified. It also appears that humans and bats coexisted in Cave 2 for over 11,000 years, although human may have resided in the cave in a sporadic manner.
"Recent molecular research on Cimex lectularius supports this notion, and it suggested there are both humanand bat-associated lineages within the same species. As there are many instances where non-lectularius cimicids have fed on humans when the opportunity presented itself, it is probable that similar occurrences befell the human occupants of Paisley Caves," reads the study.
The research team wondered why the cimicid could not establish themselves outside the caves, maybe because host populations were too small, or perhaps because humans did not settle in a single location, only temporarily residing in caves.
Also, identifying the bedbugs allows having an idea of the climate in the area. For instance, Cimex antennatus prefers warmer climates such as in Nevada and California. Cimex antennatus, being one of the most climate-tolerant bedbugs found in the caves, serves as evidence to suggest that the Paisley Caves had a similar weather 5,100 years ago to what it sees today.
Source: EurekAlert


Featured Profile
Stan Brock
Remote Area Medical
Remembered by many as the co-star of the television series Wild Kingdom, Stan Brock grew up with the Wapishana Indians in the Central Amazon Basin. "We were 25-35 day's march to the nearest town with no health care," reports Stan, who eventually cut the trip to two hours by becoming a pilot.
Before founding Remote Area MedicalÂ® and coming to Knoxville, TN where he now lives, Stan Brock spent 15 years as general manager of the Rupununi Development Company Dadanawa Ranch (Guyana), the world's largest tropical cattle ranch (area 4,000 square miles, 40,000 cattle, 2,000 horses, 1,200 sheep); with extensive range management, beef marketing, and veterinary experience; was fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and Wapishana.
Stan Brock has a rich background in exploration and discovery - he was a pioneer Amazon bush-pilot ; a noted authority on wildlife conservation and management; and an expert on rainforests and their inhabitants. He became a Research Associate of the Royal Ontario Museum, Department of Mammalogy and is the discoverer of the new species of bat now known to science as Vampyresa brockii, in the northern Amazon Basin.
Known to millions throughout the world as co-host and associate producer of NBC's Wild Kingdom, the most popular weekly wildlife series ever broadcast on American television. He was director, writer, and narrator of another television series Stan Brock's Expedition Danger, and starred in the motion pictures Forgotten Wilderness, Galyon, The Indestructable Man, and Escape from Angola. Brock is an Airline Transport Pilot with Flight Instructor certificates, a skilled writer on a variety of subjects; publishedauthor of five books in hard-cover and numerous articles in Reader's Digest and other publications, and a physical fitness
expert.; 1st Cho Dan Black Belt Tae Kwon Do Karate.
Recent Contributions by Stan Brock


text: This report provides an overview of prevention efforts under the Steps to a HealthierUS initiative. First, it highlights the problems and challenges in preventing chronic disease. Then, based on a series of roundtable discussions between the Secretary and various interested stakeholders, it delineates specific action steps that individuals, communities, insurers, employers, healthcare providers, and other public and private entities can take. Finally, it profiles HHS activities that address these challenges, reports on progress and accomplishments, and identifies opportunities for additional action. This Blueprint for Action will create a template for collaborative efforts to improve the health and well-being of all Americans.


numbers which have explictly been registered by people not wishing to receive marketing communications. There are paid services which offer APIs to check a number against this register, such as this one.
Usability Considerations
It's very common to request up to three different telephone numbers in a single form; for example daytime, evening and mobile.
It's also worth remembering that asking for telephone numbers over the internet can come across as rather intrusive. If someone is unwilling to provide that information despite you having made it a required field, they will probably do one of two things:
 - Attempt to "fool" the validation. Depending on the approach, they may type something like "ex directory", or enter an invalid number – such as one which contains only numbers.
 - Walk away.
Combining the jQuery Plugin with libphonenumber
You might remember that the jQuery plugin has a rather cryptically named option called utilsScript
This option allows us to take advantage of the validation and formatting features of libphonenumber. Having selected a country – either using the drop-down or by typing the dialing code – it will transform the textfield into a masked input which reflects that country's numbering format.
The plugin contains a packaged version of libphonenumber; pass the path to this file to the constructor as follows:
 utilsScript : '/bower_components/intl-tel-input/lib/libphonenumber/build/utils.js'
As I've previously mentioned, do bear in mind that this approach should be used with caution, owing to the file size of the libphonenumber library. Referencing it here in the constructor does however mean that it can be loaded on demand.
Displaying Telephone Numbers
We've looked at how we can format numbers when displaying them to be more "friendly", using formats such as PNF.INTERNATIONAL and PNF.NATIONAL.
We can also use the tel and callto protocols to add hyperlinks to telephone numbers, which are particulary useful on mobile sites – allowing users to dial a number direct from a web page.
To do this, we need the E.164 format for the link itself – for example:
_PHONE_
Of course, you could use the libphonenumber library's format() method to render both the E.164 version ( PNF.E164 ) and the more user-friendly display version.
We can also use Microdata to mark up telephone numbers semantically. Here's an example; note the use of itemprop="telephone" to mark-up the link:
Acme Corp, Inc.
Phone: _PHONE_
In this article, we've opened up the hornets nest that is telephone numbers. It should be pretty apparent by now that there are all sorts of complexities, subtleties and gotchas you need to be aware of if you need to collect, validate and display them.
We've looked at a few methods for collecting numbers – the "tel" input type, masked inputs and finally the intl-tel-input jQuery plugin.
We then looked at some of the issues around validation, and why common approaches such as regular expressions are often inadequate, particularly when you go international.
We took a look at Google's libphonenumber library; using it to parse, validate, display and determine the type of telephone numbers.
We combined the intl-tel-input plugin with libphonenumber for an even better user experience, albeit one which comes at a cost in terms of performance.
There are a few recommendations I would make for dealing with telephone numbers:
 - Unless you only operate in a single country, be aware of the international differences. Use masked inputs with caution.
 - Be very careful with regular expression-based validation.
 - Where possible, use E.164 for storage.
 - Use Google's libphonenumber library.
 - When displaying numbers, format them where possible, use the tel: or callto: link type, and use Microdata.
Thank you Praveen Kumar for the blog!
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