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Biosphere 2, privately funded ecological research project in which eight people lived sealed in a 3.15-acre (1.28-hectare) structure for two years (Sept. 26, 1991–Sept. 26, 1993). Located in Oracle, Ariz., about 35 mi (56 km) north of Tucson, and designed to depend on the outside only for electricity and sunlight, Biosphere 2 was intended to test the feasibility of a self-sustaining space colony. It contained over 3,500 plant and animal species and attempted to reproduce five ecosystems (see ecology)—desert, grassland, marsh, ocean, and rain forest. The human inhabitants (four men and four women) were to grow all their food and recycle their wastes, but used some seed stocks as food. The project's validity was questioned by scientists who criticized the plan to use outside electricity, the presence of stores of food and animal feed, and other aspects. A decline in the oxygen level led to the pumping of oxygen into the complex in 1993. A second crew entered Biosphere in Mar., 1994, but various disagreements and allegations of mismanagement made by the chief financial backer, Edward Bass, finally led to the abandonment of attempts at self-sufficient living. From 1995 to 2003 the management of the project was taken over by Columbia Univ., which used the facility for education and scientific research on environmental issues.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
More on Biosphere 2 from Infoplease:
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Environmental Studies


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Climate Change: What Can Botanic Gardens Do to Help?
It's very hot in the office and we are wondering whether it's a sign that climate change is here to stay - it does seem to be a trend. If we accept that it is happening and that temperatures could rise several degrees over the next few decades, then what are we going to do about it? What are the likely problems, and how can botanic gardens help solve them for the well-being of people and the planet?
Let us know your thoughts - we will publish them (anonymously if you like) in the next issue of Cultivate.
Climate Change Responses
We asked Cultivate readers what they think about climate change and how botanic gardens can be - and are - involved in assessing and mitigating it's impacts. We have had a lot of very interesting responses some of which are published here.
Join BGCI in Protecting Plants for the Planet
BGCI is a membership organisation. We have more than 700 members, institutional and individual, in 118 countries. You too can join us in our global efforts to ensure plants are protected from the many threats facing them today and get some great benefits.
Challenges in Botanical Research and Climate Change
The 2nd World Botanic Gardens Scientific Congresswill be held in Delft, the Netherlands, on 29 June - 4 July 2008. The main themes are Conservation and Climate Change, Bionics, New Systematics and Future Issues. Registration for those wishing to contribute a paper is 15 December
Download the Gran Canaria Declaration on Climate Change as a PDF
In issuing its 'Gran Canaria Declaration on Climate Change and Plant Conservation' the Gran Canaria Group, whose membership is drawn from major biodiversity conservation organisations around the world, calls on the international community to take urgent action to protect global plant diversity.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Design of tailored response biomaterials for controlled release of bio-reagents in diagnostic devices
Date of Issue2017
School of Materials Science and Engineering
Chemical release kinetics from polymeric matrix can be modified by changing physical or chemical properties of polymers. However, it is pre-determined with the fabrication of the drug delivery system and cannot be modified further once launched. Herein polymer based release systems with tunable release kinetics adjusted via pulse width modified optical stimulation have been developed and satisfied following conditions :1) tunable release kinetics; 2) on demand release and 3) sustained controllable period. Polyesters (poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide)/PLGA, poly lactic acid/PLA) were fabricated into thin films (<50 µm) with additives of photocatalytic nanoparticles, LiYF4 upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP), or combination thereof and irradiated with either ultraviolet (UV) light (365 nm) light emitting diodes or near infrared (NIR) light (980 nm) laser diodes at varied duty cycles. Photocatalytic nanoparticles can generate free radicals under UV light irradiation. UCNP is feasible of converting NIR radiation to UV radiation. When compared to non-irradiated polyester (PLGA) thin film without photocatalytic nanoparticles, UV (2.6±0.3 mW/cm2) irradiated polyester thin film with photocatalytic nanoparticles showed 10 times higher release kinetics and NIR (42±3 mW/cm2) irradiated polyester thin film with both photoadditives had enhanced release kinetics up to 30 times for an extended release period of 28 days. Tunable release kinetics had been achieved via adjusting duty cycle applied. UV/NIR induced photocatalysis reaction had modified release kinetics. Polyester matrix had been changed to PLA and irradiated with 110±3 mW/cm2 NIR irradiation. Polyester films displayed a 500 times increase in drug release from the NIR irradiated polyester/photoadditive film compared to non-irradiated polyester films for 17 days with photocatalysis as primary degradation mechanism. Release kinetics had reduced to 1/20 upon removal of NIR irradiation afterwards for the subsequent 14 days. On-demand release over extend period of 31 days had been achieved. In-situ UV irradiation had been adjusted by control loading of UCNPs. However, release kinetics in synergistic system with UCNP and photocatalytic nanoparticles didn't correlate with In-situ UV generated. Transmission electron microscopy images showed coaggregation of neat photocatalytic nanoparticle and UCNP in polyester thin film. UV light were speculated to transit from UCNP to photocatalytic nanoparticle via two energy transfer mechanisms, Förster resonance energy transfer mechanism (FRET) and reabsorption, simultaneously. Colloidal photocatalytic nanoparticle was mixed with UCNP to isolate reabsorption from FRET as nanoparticles disperse homogeneously in polyester matrix. Result suggested FRET benefits photocatalysis efficiency. Meanwhile, colloidal photocatalytic nanoparticle can be used to optimize formulation.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


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When a group decides that a behavior is taboo, sometimes it is not because some genes are expressing themselves in the lower brain stem. Some taboos result from changing social conditions. For example, when we were hunter and gatherers and were running through the woods and it was time to relieve ourselves; we deposited excrement on the ground wherever we were. Overtime, as humans grouped together in villages, leaving excrement on walking paths became taboo.
Over thousands of years, as villages became cities, additional behaviors, previously thought to be benign, became taboo. For example letting your domesticated animal eat someone's garden or throwing your garbage over the fence, which is now your neighbor's yard.
Recently adopted taboos include driving 50 MPH through a school zone, skiing out of control, and using DDT to improve crop yields.
Some behaviors are in the process of becoming taboo. For example, harvesting decimated animal and fish species, or using fossil fuels in an SUV to pick up one's mail.
As an individual's behavior affects ever more people, either in distant places or distant times, that behavior changes from wonderful, to self-centered, to selfish, to politically incorrect, to taboo and eventually to a violation of law.
For example, personal procreative behaviors follow this trend. Before the turn of the century having 8 kids was wonderful. In the 40's having four was wonderful. In the 60's having three children was wonderful. In the 80's it became environmentally extravagant to have three children and 2 children became wonderful. In China only one child is wonderful. Having 2 children is taboo and in some instances against the law.
We in the United States feel the Chinese are wrong in making the "second-child-behavior" taboo or illegal. However, are we being like the hunter and gather who could not understand the, "don't excrete on the path" message?
As we learn that we are sharing one ocean, one atmosphere, one food chain, one forest, and one exhaustible oil supply, we should not be surprised by the brilliance and utility of a taboo against having a second child.
I just hope that our hunter and gather brains get the message before we destroy our civilization, our eco-system, and possibly the human experiment.


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ACLU: Police Brutality and Suppression of First Amendment Rights in Puerto Rico
Under the Constitution, Puerto Ricans are entitled to the same fundamental rights and protections as all U.S. citizens. But, over the last few years, police brutality and limitations on freedom of assembly and expression in Puerto Rico have escalated at an alarming rate.
First documented by the ACLU in 2004, instances of police brutality have increased both in their frequency and intensity since 2008. Since Governor Luis Fortuño came into power two years ago, peacefully protesting University of Puerto Rico students have been subjected to violent attacks and arrest, while female students have been inappropriately touched by police officers during their arrests. Legislative sessions have been closed to the public, and protesters at the legislature have been pepper sprayed, beaten and shot at with rubber bullets by police. Low-income, black and Dominican communities have suffered ongoing police brutality - including the use of lethal force - for years and rarely see abusive officers punished.


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psychological distress, physical disability, and financial troubles
- Any concerns that the victim may have for his/her safety, the safety of his/her family, or even the safety of the general community if the offender is released. In this section the victim should include information as to why the offender poses a risk if released
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WRITING VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTS AT HEARINGS?
Like with presenting a victim impact statement at sentencing, presenting a victim statement at a hearing can be beneficial to the victim in terms of having your voice heard, feeling as if you are a valued part of the process, and knowing that you have the power to make a difference.
Benefits of providing a victim statement during a hearing also extend past personal satisfaction. Relevant information provided in the statement can help the Parole Board of Canada assess numerous areas that can impact their decision regarding the release of the offender. Some of the points which the statement can help the Parole Board of Canada assess during the hearing are as follows:
- The nature and extent of the harm or loss suffered by the victim
- The offender's potential risk of re-offending
- The offender's potential risk of committing violent crime
- The offender's understanding of the impact that the offense had on others
- Any necessary conditions that may be needed to manage risk presented by the offender
- The offender's release plans, especially in situations in which the victim is a family member (possible repercussions).
For more information on providing a statement at a hearing, please call the Parole Board of Canada toll free at: _PHONE_.
Victim-offender mediation is a type of restorative justice in which the offender and victim meet with a mediator. The process is completely voluntary and may not be suitable in all cases; however some victims have found the process to be therapeutic. The process offers the victim a chance to fully and directly explain the impact that the crime had on their life. It is an opportunity to have questions answered about both the offense itself as well as the offender. Many victims have found that this opportunity provides some closure.
HOW DOES VICTIM-OFFENDER MEDIATION WORK?
Both the victim and the offender need to be agreeable to the meeting. Most commonly the meeting is face to face, with the presence of a trained mediator. However, the process can also be indirect. Either through letters, videos, or what is referred to as the 'shuffle exchange' in which the mediator acts as a go-between for the victim and offender and relays the messages between the two. There is follow up support available for both the offender and the victim if required.
To make a request for victim-offender mediation you can contact a victim services officer at: _PHONE_ or Correctional Service Canada restorative opportunities coordinator at _PHONE_, email: _EMAIL_
OTHER INPUT OPPORTUNITIES
Submitting a statement at a sentencing or parole hearing, and meeting with the offender may be the most obvious way that a victim's voice can be heard in the criminal justice system; however there are other means as well. The following list of examples may not be as personal as the options listed above, but they still provide an opportunity for a victims' voice to be heard:
- Sitting on a victim advisory committee
- Sitting on a citizen advisory committee for Correctional Service Canada
- Assisting with victim sensitivity training for Correctional Service Canada or Parole Board of Canada staff
- Assisting with victim awareness programs for offenders
- Providing input into policy development
If you are interested in opportunities such as these, contact the Parole Board of Canada or Correctional Service Canada. Contact information can be found at the end of this booklet.
The victims' voice is an integral part of the Canadian justice system. Not only does it allow the victim to be a participating member in the process, but it has the ability to influence courtroom decisions both at sentencing and during hearings. Victim participation can be a difficult and very emotional process, but can also be, in a way, therapeutic. By speaking up and participating, victims are not only fighting for themselves and their rights within their own case, but are also speaking up for future victims in an effort to better the process.
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES OF CANADA
Toll Free: _PHONE_
(NB, NS, PEI, NL & Labrador)
(East of Thunder Bay & Including Nunavut)
(Alberta, Sask., Manitoba, NWT, NW Ontario incl. Thunder Bay)
PAROLE BOARD OF CANADA
Fax: _PHONE_
Fax 306- _PHONE_
Feedback about our Victim Library is greatly appreciated.
Please vofv(at)victimsofviolence(dot)on.ca if you have any comments, or to report errors or omissions.


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When applying a constraint to HibernateGridDataSource which reduces the number of rows an java.lang.IndexOutOfBoundsException is thrown because getAvailableRows() does not take into account the number of rows with the additional criteria applied.
Lets say we have a table named foo with 10 entries in it and we extend the datagrid like so:
// for simplicity this would only return only 1 record in the table
protected void applyAdditionalConstraints(Criteria criteria)
criteria.add( Property.forName("id").equals(new Integer(1) );
so we end up with getAvilableRows() returning a value of 10 and the results of prepare() retrieving only 1 row.


Article ID : 00099202 / Last Modified : 18/12/2020
Does Blu-ray Disc media have region codes?
 Blu-ray Disc media does have region codes, but unlike DVD players, the region codes for Blu-ray Disc media use letters instead of numbers to indicate a particular zone or region where the discs can be played.
 The Blu-ray Disc region codes are as follows:
 - Region A: North America, South America, U.S. Territories, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and other areas of Southeast Asia
 - Region B: Europe, Africa, Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
 - Region C: Asia (except for Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and other areas of Southeast Asia)
 - Region FREE: This is not an official setting, but discs that have the region FREE symbol either have no flag set or have all region flags (A, B & C) set.
 NOTE: The region codes for commercial Blu-ray Disc movies can be found on the back of the Blu-ray Disc case.
 The Blu-ray Disc device or drive will support playback of Blu-ray Disc purchased in the same region, unless otherwise specified in the player or computer documentation. In other words, computers and Blu-ray Disc players purchased in countries / regions corresponding to region A can play back Blu-ray Discs for region A, but cannot play back Blu-ray Discs for region B or region C. (The exception is a disc, player or drive coded as Region FREE.) The same will be true for a computer or Blu-ray Disc player purchased in another region.
 Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs are region-free and can be played back using a player that supports Ultra HD Blu-ray, regardless of the region where they were purchased.
 - The region code settings for a Blu-ray Disc player device cannot be changed.
 - The region code settings for a computer Blu-ray Disc optical drive can only be changed within computers that have software capable of effecting that change, and can only be changed a total of five times. Refer to the Blu-ray Disc player software documentation for instructions on how to change the optical drive region code settings.
 - For most Blu-ray Disc optical drives, whatever the region code the software is set to upon the fifth region code setting change will become the permanent setting. Once this occurs the region code setting cannot be changed again.
 - If the region code of the Blu-ray Disc optical drive has been permanently set to an undesirable region, and you wish to use Blu-ray Discs with a different region code setting, the drive will need to be replaced.


Nomkhubulwane Zulu Goddess of Rain
Nomkhubulwane, Zulu Goddess of Rain
Nomkhubulwane is the Zulu Goddess of rain, nature, and fertility, and is regarded as the Mother Earth. She is believed to be capable of changing into different types of animals. The name Nomkhubulwane means "she who chooses the state of an animal".
In the olden days the Zulus would plough their fields and have a special one which was ploughed by the whole village collectively and was never weeded or harvested right up to the next ploughing season and the cycle would resume again. I believe there were Nomkhubulwane festivals that were held I am not sure though if it was during ploughing or harvest times.
1 thought on "Nomkhubulwane Zulu Goddess of Rain"
 1. What would the relationship be with "Makobolwane" – a mountain peak in the Mpumalanga Drakensberg. Would this be referring to a AmaSwazi or maPulana name for the same rain / fertility goddess?
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Computer giant, International Business Machines (IBM) yesterday unveiled details about the microprocessor in a new version of its mainframe, which Big Blue claims is the world's fastest computer chip that can process information at a record breaking speed of 5.2 GHz.
IBM says it spent over $1.5 billion in research and development on the zEnterprise line, and spent more than three years collaborating with some of its top clients around the world.
The z196 processor is a four-core chip that contains 1.4 billion transistors on a 512-square millimeter (mm) surface. The chip was designed by IBM engineers and was manufactured using IBM's 45 nanometer (nm) SOI processor technology in the company's 300mm fab in New York.
The Armonk, New York-based IBM said IBM labs in Austin, Texas, Germany, Israel and India also made major contributions to the z196 processor development.
The mainframe processor makes use of IBM's patented embedded DRAM (eDRAM) technology, which allows IBM to place dense DRAM caches, or components, on the same chips as high-speed microprocessors, resulting in improved performance.
From a performance standpoint, the zEnterprise System is the most powerful commercial IBM system ever. The core server in the zEnterprise System -- called zEnterprise 196 -- contains 96 of the world's fastest, most powerful microprocessors, capable of executing more than 50 billion instructions per second.


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Gender Distribution of Advanced Degrees in the Humanities
NOTE TO READERS: Please include the following reference when citing data
from this page: "American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Humanities Indicators,
Updated (3/11/2013) with data for academic year 2010 (July 1, 2009–June 30, 2010).
Note on the Data Used to Construct Degree-Related Indicators
Note on the Definition of Advanced Degrees.
Although master's degrees in the humanities were awarded somewhat more often to
men than women in the mid-1960s, by 1970 gender parity had been achieved. Women
subsequently went on to become the majority of humanities master's recipients, garnering
60% of all degrees awarded in 2010 (a slight decline from 2004's record high of
62%; Figure II-13a). In 2010, only education/social service professions and the
health sciences awarded a substantially greater percentage of master's degrees to
women than did the humanities. Business, engineering, law, and physical sciences
awarded considerably smaller shares. At the master's level, as at the bachelor's, the percentage
of humanities degrees awarded to women has traditionally been higher than that for
all fields combined, although the gap narrowed steadily over time, almost disappearing
in the early years of the new century.
In the mid-1960s, the humanities, like all other academic disciplines, awarded only
a small minority of doctoral degrees to women. Though they fared better in the humanities
than in nearly all other fields, women still received only 19% of humanities doctorates
at that time (Figure II-13b). Throughout the 1970s, however, this percentage increased
steadily, and by the mid-1980s women represented approximately 45% of all new humanities
doctoral degree recipients.
As the 1980s continued, growth of women's share of humanities degrees slowed, and
gender parity was not reached until the mid-1990s. Thereafter, doctoral degrees
continued to be distributed quite evenly between men and women, in contrast to the
lower degree levels where the share of female degree recipients continued to grow.
Nonetheless, the percentage of humanities doctorates awarded to women has traditionally
been greater than that for all fields combined. By the mid-2000s, however, the situation
was similar to that at the master's level: the share of humanities doctorates awarded
to women was approximately the same as that for all fields considered together.
(For information regarding the gender distribution of advanced degree completions
in particular humanities disciplines, please see Part II, Section C, Undergraduate
and Graduate Degree Information for Specific Humanities Disciplines).
Note on the Definition of Advanced Degrees
According to the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES)
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Glossary, master's degrees are "awards that require
the successful completion of a program of study of at least the full-time equivalent
of 1 academic year, but not more than 2 academic years of work beyond the bachelor's
The NCES, which collects the degree completion data presented as part of the Humanities
Indicators, defines first professional degrees as those awards that require completion
of a program that meets all the following criteria: (1) completion of the academic
requirements to begin practice in a profession; (2) at least two years of college
work prior to entering the program; and (3) a total of at least six academic years
of college work to complete the degree program, including prior required college
work plus the length of the professional program itself. According to NCES, the
following ten fields award first professional degrees:
Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)
Although some fields (e.g., library science, hospital administration, and social
work) require specialized degrees for employment at the professional level, NCES
does not count degrees in these fields as first professional degrees; instead, they
are treated as master's degrees.
Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
Law (LL.B. or J.D.)
Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)
Theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D., or Ordination)
Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M. or V.M.D.)
Whereas all doctorates had previously been included in a single category, for academic
years 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 NCES gave schools the option of employing a new classification
system that distinguishes among three types of doctoral degrees:
Research/Scholarship—A Ph.D. or other doctoral degree that requires advanced
work beyond the master's level, including the preparation and defense of a dissertation
based on original research, or the planning and execution of an original project
demonstrating scholarly achievement;
Schools could classify certain degrees that had historically been treated as first
professional degrees as either "Professional Practice" doctoral degrees (as in the
case of medical degrees, for example) or master's degrees (as in the case of advanced,
nondoctoral degrees in theology).
Professional Practice—A doctoral degree conferred upon completion of a program
providing the knowledge and skills for the recognition, credentialing, or licensing
required for professional practice; or
Other—A doctoral degree that does not meet the definition of the research/scholarship
or professional practice doctorate.
To ensure comparability with previous years, for 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 the Humanities
Indicators counted as doctorates all of those degrees classified by postsecondary
institutions as "Doctorate Degree," "Doctorate Degree—Research/Scholarship," or
"Doctorate Degree—Other." The HI treated as "master's and professional degrees"
those degrees classified by schools as "Doctorate Degree—Professional Practice,"
"First Professional Degree," or "Master's Degree."
For academic year 2010–2011, NCES eliminated the "first professional degree" category.
The agency now requires schools to use the three-category system described above
to classify all advanced degrees other than master's degrees.
Back to Content
Note on the Data Used to Construct Degree-Related Indicators
The data that form the basis of these indicators are drawn from the U.S. Department
of Education's National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Higher Education
General Information System (HEGIS) and its successor, the Integrated Postsecondary
Educational Data System (IPEDS), through which institutions of higher learning report
on the numbers and characteristics of students completing degree programs (as well
as a variety of other topics; for more on this major data collection program, see
_URL_ The HEGIS/IPEDS
degree-completion data going back to 1966 have been made accessible to decision-makers,
researchers, and the general public by the National Science Foundation (NSF) via
its online data analysis tool
WebCASPAR. The NSF has traditionally
used the NCES data to tabulate science and engineering degree awards as part of
Science and Engineering Indicators Program, which since 1973 has issued a biennial report
designed to provide public and private policymakers with a broad base of quantitative
information about the U.S. science, engineering, and technology enterprise.
The NSF has developed a set of standardized disciplinary categories that can be
used across the various data sources it relies upon to construct its indicators.
Because the NSF focuses on trends in science and engineering education, its disciplinary
classification is most detailed in these areas. The utility of the NSF system for
the purposes of the Humanities Indicators (HI) is limited. For example, the NSF
scheme does not distinguish between the academic study of the arts, considered by
the HI to be part of the humanities, and art performance. The HI thus cannot include
in its tally those degrees conferred in the areas of musicology, art history, film
studies, and drama history/criticism. Moreover, while the HI considers such disciplines
as archeology, women's studies, gay and lesbian studies, and Holocaust studies to
be part of the humanities field, NSF categorizes them as social sciences. Additionally,
NSF places interdisciplinary degrees in areas such as general humanities and liberal
studies in a broad "Other" category that includes degrees for many disciplines that
are not within the purview of the humanities as conceptualized by the HI. Consequently,
such interdisciplinary degrees, along with those mentioned above, cannot be captured
in humanities degree counts from 1966 to 1986.
For 1987 and later years (1995 and later for data on the race/ethnicity of degree
recipients), however, NSF also categorizes earned degrees according to the more
detailed Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), which permits a more precise
count of humanities degrees; that is, a count that includes degrees in all those
programs that are part of academic disciplines included within the scope of the
humanities for the purposes of the HI. (For an inventory of the disciplines and
activities treated as part of the humanities by the HI, see the Statement on the Scope of the "Humanities"
for Purposes of the Humanities Indicators.) The CIP was first developed
by NCES in 1980 as a way to account for the tremendous variety of degree programs
offered by American institutions of higher learning and has been revised three times
since its introduction, most recently in 2009 (this version is referred to as


Jun. 23, 2006
To Jane: The Keen Stars Were Twinkling
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
FRIDAY, 23 JUNE, 2006
Listen (RealAudio) | How to listen
Poem: "To Jane: The Keen Stars Were Twinkling" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Public domain (buy now)
To Jane: The Keen Stars Were Twinkling
 The keen stars were twinkling,
And the fair moon was rising among them,
 Dear Jane!
 The guitar was tinkling,
But the notes were not sweet till you sung them
 As the moon's soft splendour
O'er the faint cold starlight of Heaven
 Is thrown,
 So your voice most tender
To the strings without soul had then given
 Its own.
 The stars will awaken,
Though the moon sleep a full hour later,
 No leaf will be shaken
Whilst the dews of your melody scatter
 Though the sound overpowers,
Sing again, with your dear voice revealing
 A tone
 Of some world far from ours,
Where music and moonlight and feeling
 Are one.
Literary and Historical Notes:
It's the birthday of the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, (books by this author) born in a suburb of Odessa in 1889. She was a beautiful, fashionable, twenty-two-year-old woman when she published her first collection of poetry in 1912, and it became a sensation. The book was filled with love poems inspired by her affair with the then-unknown Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani, and no Russian woman had ever written so frankly about love. Akhmatova became a celebrity overnight.
But within a few years, life in Russia became much more complicated, and Akhmatova had a lot more to write about than love affairs. In her poem "In Memoriam July 19, 1914," about the start of World War I, she wrote, "We grew a hundred years older in a single hour."
After the Bolshevik Revolution, most writers and intellectuals tried to flee the country, but Akhmatova and her husband decided to stay. She wrote, "No, not under an alien sky, / Not protected by alien wings,— / I was with my people then, / There, where my people, unfortunately, were." Her husband was shot in 1921 for allegedly participating in an anti-Bolshevik plot, and the following year, the government informed her that she would no longer be able to publish her poetry. She began working on translations, and more or less stopped writing her own poems.
Then Akhmatova's son was arrested by the government. She was horrified. For seventeen months, she went to the prison in Leningrad every day to try to get news about her son's well-being. There were crowds of other women there, doing the same thing, and one day a woman recognized Akhmatova as the formerly famous poet. Akhmatova later described the incident, writing, "A woman with bluish lips standing behind me... woke up from the stupor to which everyone had succumbed and whispered in my ear, 'Can you describe this?'"
That woman's question helped inspire Akhmatova to begin writing her ten-poem cycle, "Requiem," which many Russians consider the greatest piece of literature ever written about Stalinist Russia.
Even though she wasn't allowed to publish her poetry, the government remained suspicious of her activities, and government agents eventually installed a microphone in her house. To take precautions that her poetry would be preserved, she developed a system: Whenever she wrote a new poem, she would invite a friend over to read and memorize it. Then, she would burn the only copy.
By the end of her life, she had gained more freedom, and she'd become one of the most renowned poets in the world. She died on the thirteenth anniversary of Stalin's death, on March 5, 1966. A complete collection of her poetry didn't come out in the Soviet Union until the late 1980s.
It's the birthday of playwright Jean Anouilh, (books by this author) born in Bordeaux, France (1910). His work spanned five decades, and his plays include The Lark (1953), The Waltz of the Toreadors (1952), and Becket (1961).
Jean Anouilh said, "Life is very nice, but it lacks form. It's the aim of art to give it some."
 - "Writing is my dharma." —Raja Rao
The Writer's Almanac on Facebook
The Writer's Almanac on Twitter
An interview with Jeffrey Harrison at The Writer's Almanac Bookshelf
Current Faves - Learn more about poets featured frequently on the show
O, What a Luxury


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Background: Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) remains the gold standard for detecting rejection episodes in orthotopic heart transplant (OTH) patients. Follow-up protocols vary widely between transplant centers. At our center, we have implemented a conservative strategy protocol and here we report our outcomes. Methods: Patients from 2 cohorts were used for comparison analysis. OHT recipients from 1990 to 1995 comprised the standard strategy group, and those from 2004 to 2009 comprised the conservative strategy group. Survival outcomes and rejection episodes were compared between groups. Results: Mean age at OHT was 56 ± 10 years in the standard strategy group and 53 ± 10 years in the conservative strategy group. Both groups were predominantly composed of white men. The etiology of congestive heart failure was ischemic cardiomyopathy in more than 50% of the patients in both groups. From 6 to 12 months after OHT, we found that the number of episodes of rejection/total number of EMBs was 4.9% (8/163) in the standard group vs 2.0% (1/50) in the conservative group. From 12 to 24 months after transplant, the rate was 2.5% (8/320) in the standard group vs 11.9% (5/42) in the conservative group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Surveillance EMB after 6 months post-OHT in patients receiving contemporary immunosuppression is associated with a low yield of EMB-confirmed rejection in the absence of a clinical indication or echocardiographic findings that support clinical rejection. Most episodes of cellular rejection are mild and do not warrant treatment or a change in immunosuppression. The frequency of EMBs did not correlate with an increased risk of cardiac allograft vasculopathy or death.
- endomyocardial biopsy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine


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The Daily Times recently published a three-part series on the history of trading posts on the Navajo Nation and the viability of the trading industry in today's economy.
The stories explored the sometimes tumultuous relationship between American Indian artists and Anglo traders, but they also uncovered deep relationships between the two cultures that continue today.
Looking to the past can be an educational or nostalgic experience. It also can help people learn from past errors.
Trading posts, though never perfect, provided a way for early settlers to make a living and for American Indians to get necessities to live and progress in a modern world.
Traders often learned the language and endured long periods of isolation on the reservation before automobiles became popular. Some made profits, but others struggled for years to make ends meet.
American Indians used the posts to sell their wares and trade livestock and handicrafts for groceries, hardware and other basic necessities.
The relationships worked because each party had something to offer the other, and because there was a mutual trust and respect that most times preceded profits.
Both groups are nostalgic for the trading post era, which lasted from the late 1860s through the early 1970s when federal regulations forced most traders off the reservation.
Traders and American Indians remember those days with fondness: the smell of saddle leather, the taste of ice cold soda or the long hours
Much about those relationships — the give and take that came hand-in-hand with trading and doing business on credit — is relevant today. As trading posts have gone by the wayside, some of that mutual respect has disappeared.
Many cultures coexist here in the Farmington area, and much can be learned about living together by studying past successes and failures.
The trading post era is an important part of history that should not be forgotten.


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The General Assembly of 1933 created the State School Commission to be the fiscal agency for the state's public school fund, succeeding the State Board of Equalization. Membership on the commission was composed of the governor as ex officio chairman, the lieutenant governor, the state treasurer, the state superintendent of public instruction, and one member appointed by the governor from each of what were then North Carolina's 11 congressional districts-for a total of 15 persons. The commission was given broad and plenary powers over the administration of the public schools and the distribution of state funds to schools. The State School Commission continued until 1943, when the General Assembly abolished it and reassigned its powers and duties to the State Board of Education.
E. Michael Latta, The Constitutional and Statutory Development of the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (1989).
1 January 2006 | Latta, E. Michael


LANGUAGE TAG REGISTRATION FORM (last updated 2003-05-30) Name of requester : Mark Davis E-mail address of requester: or Tag to be registered : az-Cyrl English name of language : Azerbaijani in Cyrillic script Native name of language (transcribed into ASCII): Azerbaycan dili Reference to published description of the language (book or article): Azerbaijani is customarily written in multiple scripts. It is often required, when matching languages, to select a subset of documents written in a particular script. When looking up language resources, this is even more important, so that text in different scripts is not mixed. References: (created 2003-05-30) []


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Empowerment for Learning
If you are interested in becoming a teacher, the courses, field experiences, student teaching and all other program experiences in teacher preparation will provide a strong foundation to prepare you to impact student learning positively.
Empowerment for learning is one of the special joys and outcomes of becoming a teacher. As a result of program experiences, you will be equipped with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to create a classroom climate in which your students can learn. The education program has a distinguished record of preparing students to become caring teachers.
Request for third party comments:
The School of Education at Campbellsville University is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on October 27-29, 2019. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the site team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the party's relationship to the provider (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).
We invite you to submit written testimony to:
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036
Or by email to: _EMAIL_
Such comments must be submitted no later than September 14, 2019 and based on the core tenets of CAEP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:
- In CAEP's performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.
- A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development; ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
- Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent's relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all
correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review. No anonymous testimony will be considered.
The mission of the teacher education program at the Campbellsville University School of Education is to prepare teachers for their respective fields by providing an academic infrastructure based on scholarship, service and Christian leadership. The primary goal of the program is to advance scholars who are competent, caring and qualified, who can positively impact student learning, and who are committed to life-long learning in a global society.
- Early Childhood: Interdisciplinary, Certification, Montessori
- P-12 Art, Health, Music, Physical Education, Learning Behavior Disorders
- P-5 Elementary
- 5-9 English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
- 8-12 Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, Social Studies
- Special Education: Learning Behavior Disorders, P-12
Graduate - Initial Certification Programs
- Special Education
- MAT: Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
- MAT: Middle Grades (5-9) - English, Math, Science, Social Studies
- MAT: Grades 8-12 - Biology, Chemistry, English, Math, Social Studies
Graduate - Advanced Degree Programs
- Teacher Leader: Education - Rank II
- Teacher Leader: Special Education: Rank II, Rank 1
- School Guidance Counseling P-12 - Rank II, Rank I
- School Improvement - Rank I
- Educational Administration (Principal P-12) - Rank I
- M.Ed. Montessori Teacher Education
Graduate - Certificates
- School Counseling - Rank I
- DOSE: Director of Special Education - Rank I
- MSD: Moderate and Severe Disabilities


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Most of the InterProcess Communication parameters are reported by
sysdef -i.
Other parameters can be checked on a running system using
adb -k :
adb -k /dev/ksyms /dev/mem (to exit)
In Solaris 10, most of the shared memory, semaphore and message queue
parameters have been removed and the remaining controls moved to
project-based resource controls.
man pages for detailed information.)
Many of the maximum parameter values discussed below represent 32-bit
limits on integer size for Solaris 2.6 and 2.5.1. In Solaris 7+,
these limits have been lifted somewhat. In theory, the maximums for
Solaris 7+ would be in the 16 EB (exabytes) range rather than 2 GB
(for Solaris 2.6 and 2.5.1). In practice, implementation details
limit the range to something like 16 TB (terabytes). Due to the memory
used by the kernel to set up space for the structures governed by
these parameters, it is important to think about the useage of the
resource before tuning it. In most cases, the 32-bit limits provide
more than adequate head room for growth.
Shared memory, semaphores
queues are only enabled if the appropriate kernel modules are
loaded. These are automatically loaded if certain IPC functions are
called, but they can also be forced to load via
forceload commands or root
Each of these three facilities runs on top of the
/kernel/misc/ipc module. Shared memory connects to the
ipc module via
/kernel/sys/semsys and message queues connect
For Solaris 2.5.1-9, the module names will need to be included
when setting these parameters in the
file. For example:
Solaris 10 sets the parameters for these facilities via the
Other IPC mechanisms exist (such as named pipes), but they are not
tuneable in the sense of this discussion.
Each IPC resource has at least these attributes: key (identifies this
instance of the resource), creator (UID/GID of the creating process),
owner (UID/GID of the resource owner), and permissions (similar to
filesystem read/write/execute owner/group/other permissions).
Each object is created by calling the appropriate *get function
shmget / semget / msgget ) with the desired key. If no objects of that
type with that key exist, it is created and a resource ID is passed
back to the caller.
Once created, the IPC objects can be controlled with the
appropriate *ctl function (
shmctl / semctl / msgctl ).
ipcs command presents information on IPC services that
are currently loaded. It presents a "
facility not in
system" message if a given module has not been loaded yet.
Shared memory provides the fastest way for processes to pass large
amounts of data to one another. As the name implies, shared memory
refers to physical pages of memory that are shared by more than one
Of particular interest is the "Intimate Shared Memory" facility, where
the translation tables are shared as well as the memory. This enhances
the effectiveness of the TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer), which is a
CPU-based cache of translation table information. Since the same
information is used for several processes, available buffer space can be
used much more efficiently. In addition, ISM-designated memory cannot
be paged out, which can be used to keep frequently-used data and
binaries in memory.
Database applications are the heaviest users of shared memory.
Vendor recommendations should be consulted when tuning the shared
Solaris 10 only uses the
(Other parameters are set dynamically within
the Solaris 10 IPC model.)
- shmmax (max-shm-memory in Solaris 10+):
This is the maximum size of a shared memory segment
(ie the largest value that can be used by
Its theoretical maximum value is _PHONE_ (4GB), but practical
considerations usually limit it to less than this. There is no reason
not to tune this value as high as possible, since no kernel resources
are allocated based on this parameter. Solaris 10 sets
to 1/4 physical memory by default, vs 512k for previous versions.
- shmmin: This is the smallest possible shared memory segment
size. The default is 1 byte; this parameter should probably not be tuned.
- shmmni (max-shm-ids in Solaris 10+): Maximum number of shared
memory identifiers at any given time. This parameter is used by
kernel memory allocation to determine how much size to put aside for
shmid_ds structures. Each of these is 112 bytes and
requires an additional 8 bytes for a mutex lock; if it
is set too high, memory useage can be a problem. The maximum setting
for this variable in Solaris 2.5.1 and 2.6 is _PHONE_ (2GB), and the
default is 100. For Solaris 10, the default is 128 and the maximum
- shmseg: Maximum number of segments per process. It is usually
shmmni, but it should always be less than 65535.
Sun documentations suggests a maximum for this parameter of 32767 and a
default of 8 for Solaris 2.5.1 and 2.6.
Semaphores are a shareable resource that take on a non-negative integer
value. They are manipulted by the P (wait) and V (signal) functions,
which decrement and increment the semaphore, respectively. When a
process needs a resource, a "wait" is issued and the semaphore is
decremented. When the semaphore contains a value of zero, the resources
are not available and the calling process spins or blocks (as
appropriate) until resources are available. When a process releases a
resource controlled by a semaphore, it increments the semaphore and the
waiting processes are notified.
Solaris 10 only uses the
(Other parameters are dynamic within the Solaris 10 IPC model.)
Unix uses message queues for asynchronous message passing between
processes. Each message has a type field, which can be used for
priority messaging or directing a message to a chosen recipient.
- semmap: This sets the number of entries in the semaphore map.
This should never be greater than semmni. If the number of semaphores
per semaphore set used by the application is "n" then set
semmap = ((semmni + n - 1)/n)+1
or more. Alternatively, we can set
semmni x semmsl. An undersized
semmap leads to
"WARNING: rmfree map overflow" errors. The default setting is 10; the maximum for
Solaris 2.6 is 2GB. The default for Solaris 9 was 25; Solaris 10 increased
the default to 512. The limit is SHRT_MAX.
- semmni (max-sem-ids in Solaris 10+): Maximum number of systemwide
semaphore sets. Each
control structure consumes 84 bytes. For Solaris 2.5.1-9, the default setting
is 10; for Solaris 10, the default setting is 128. The maximum is 65535
- semmns: Maximum number of semaphores in the system. Each
structure uses 16 bytes. This parameter should be set to
semmni x semmsl. The default is 60; the maximum is 2GB.
- semmnu: Maximum number of undo structures in the system.
This should be set to
semmni so that each control structure
has an undo structure. The default is 30, the maximum is 2 GB.
- semmsl (max-sem-nsems in Solaris 10+): Maximum number of
semaphores per semaphore set. The default is 25, the maximum is 65535.
- semopm (max-sem-ops in Solaris 10+): Maximum number of
semaphore operations that can be performed in each
The default in Solaris 2.5.1-9 is 10, the maximum is 2 GB. Solaris 10
increased the default to 512.
- semume: Maximum number of undo structures per process.
This should be set to
semopm times the number of processes
that will be using semaphores at any one time. The default is 10; the
maximum is 2 GB.
- semusz: Number of bytes required for
undo structures. This should not be tuned; it is set to
semume x (1 + sizeof(undo)). The default is 96; the
maximum is 2 GB.
- semvmx: Maximum value of a semaphore. This should never
exceed 32767 (default value) unless
SEM_UNDO is never
used. The default is 32767; the maximum is 65535.
- semaem: Maximum adjust-on-exit value. This should almost
always be left alone. The default is 16384; the maximum is 32767.
Message queues are implemented as FIFO (first-in first-out) mechanisms.
They consist of a header pointing to a linked list.
Solaris 2.5.1 and before used very coarse-grained mutex locking for
message queues, which resulted in uneccessary contention as compared
to 2.6 and later versions.
Solaris 10


text:
You can use the math Modulo node on mapping vectors to create tilling for procedural textures:
To tile them seamlessly you need to flip tiles in X and Y axis:
For the Tilling X and Y nodes use values between 0 and 1. And to tile them in 3D just copy the setup into Z channel.
Why Mapping node does not add tilling to procedural textures:
Mapping node does adjust tilling for Image textures. This is because image has finite dimensions and repeats itself - the tilling is already "build-in". The Mapping node only zooms, translates and rotates this tilled image.
Since procedural textures are infinite, they have no borders and are not tilled. The Mapping node will just transform them but not tile them.
How and why the math nodes work:
Texture mapping does transform texture space to object space - you can visualize it like this:
This is for Generated mapping, other types will be mapped differently. Generated mapping will map the <0,1> interval to object bounding box. Therefore it stretches with scaling the mesh, but it does not rotate with mesh rotating (edit mode). It does rotate with object since generated mapping will be always aligned with object's local coords. To bind the texture to mesh UV mapping must be chosen and mesh unwrapped to tangent space.
When we split the mapping vectors into XYZ channels, we get access to each axis and can manipulate it:
Lets focus only on single channel (all apply the same principles). Now we output what we get (in the marked rectangle). This can be visualized with a graph function:
What we need for tilling though is this graph:
This is a graph of a modulo function (precisely modulo 0.33..) and will create 3 tiles on each axis. It is mapping the output to the same input locations repeatedly.
To have it tile seamlessly and flip every odd tile lower the graph of half the curve height and make the values absolute:
You get double the tiles naturally.
There are many effects you can do with this:
Texture pixelation with rounding node: How to pixelate a texture in Cycles?
Image blurring with noising the vectors: Motion blur on texture
Staggered mapping with rounding and offsetting: Staggered Texture Mapping


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Komplekis on karp, plaat ja manuaal.
Tegemist on kasutatud tootega!
Tutvuge piltide abil olevate vigadega (kui on) enne kui ostu sooritate.
Lisainfo (inglise keeles):
God of War: Chains of Olympus is a third-person single-player video game viewed from a fixed camera perspective. The player controls the character Kratos in combo-based combat, platforming, and puzzle game elements, and battles foes who primarily stem from Greek mythology, including cyclopes, Gorgons, satyrs, harpies, minotaurs, hoplites, and sphinxes. Morpheus beasts, shades, banshees, fireguards, fire sentries, Hyperion guards, and death knights were created specifically for the game. Platforming elements require the player to climb walls, jump across chasms, swing on ropes, and balance across beams to proceed through sections of the game. Some puzzles are simple, such as moving a box so that the player can use it as a jumping-off point to access a pathway unreachable with normal jumping, but others are more complex, such as finding several items across different areas of the game to unlock one door.


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The Imaginative Treatment of Geometry in Waldorf Education
A. Renwick Sheen, Ms.C. (Tech.)
edited by David Mitchell Newly revised edition
Geometry was my favorite of all math subjects – in large part because I was taught through drawing and proofs, not through the formulaic method that seems to be so popular right now. Mr. Sheen bases his exploration of geometry on the tenet that experience through drawing is of great value to a student, and I couldn't agree more. His method of presentation is concerned with experience through drawing, which leads to a stimulation of the child's imagination and understanding of logical relationships. This book is particularly valuable for teachers of grades 6-8 and is richly illustrated. New revised edition.


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Characteristics of the Muscle fatigue program: Muscle fatigue after exercise, heavy physical work and when exhausted limits further physical activities and if the muscles are not regenerated sufficiently, this results in microtrauma and chronic problems.
Purpose of magnetic therapy application in muscle fatigue
The purpose of the application in muscle fatigue is to reduce pain and create metabolic conditions to accelerate muscle recovery.
Description of muscle fatigue
Muscles require a supply of oxygen to function but are limited by energetic glycogen resources. In case the intensity of aerobic exercise increases, which requires a faster supply of oxygen than the transport system is able to provide, the exercising muscle tissue switches to the anaerobic extraction of energy. This leads to the overproduction of lactate and the development of metabolic acidosis. The lactate decreases mobilisation of fat reserves and leads to greater utilisation of glycogen as an energy source. The limiting factor is a critical decrease in glycogen reserves and subsequent hypoglycaemia, especially in CNS. The result is decreased glycolysis with reduced formation of ATP and CP. Acidosis worsens conditions for the formation and use of muscle potential, thus worsening the contractility of muscles. This leads to physiological muscle fatigue, which is sensed as a heaviness, weakness or pain or stiffness of the skeletal muscles. Fatigued and exhausted muscles tend to tremble and suffer from spasms. In muscle fatigue, the following insufficiencies occur: decrease in muscle strength, loss of speed and fine motorics (Nauza). In repetitive locomotor activities, when breaks are not sufficient for full recovery, acute pathological fatigue occurs (Máček, Vávra), which can end in blood circulation failure and death, or, in chronic pathological fatigue, it can lead to a reduction and atrophy of muscle fibres and their substitution by ligament tissue.
Using magnetic therapy in muscle fatigue
In muscle fatigue, Biomag low-frequency pulsed magnetic therapy is an optimal rehabilitation method that leads to immediate vasodilatation, increases the oxygen and nutrient supply to the treated muscles, accelerates the removal of acid metabolites, reduces pain, relaxes spasms and contractions. This will reduce muscle fatigue. Treatment is applied to the given area via a flat applicator using vasodilatory and stimulation frequencies to support regeneration, and can be combined with a fluid intake programme, including magnetised water.
Patented 3D Biomag pulsed therapy. How does it work?
The basic principle of 3D Biomag magnetotherapy is generating electromagnetic pulses. The generated pulses penetrate through layers of clothing and even body tissues to the place of application. These pulses have specially developed biotropic parameters (e.g. frequency, profile, intensity), thanks to which the pulsed magnetotherapy affects various health conditions.
The term pulse magnetotherapy is most commonly used for physiotherapy using the principle of electromagnetic pulses. The abbreviation PEMF is used in order to be concise.
Patented 3D Biomag technology ensures more precise and uninterrupted pulse profiles, enhances output, and allows pulses to come from various angles. This makes it a completely new and unique medical technology on the market.
3D Biomag therapy and its effects – as explained by MUDr. Peter Bednarčík, CSc.
The effects of pulsed therapy - clinical studies
Positive effects of pulse magnetic field (PEMF) are evidenced by clinical studies by authorities on the subject and renowned institutions. The newest list of these clinical studies can be found on this page. Contact us and we will gladly help to familiarize yourself with this expert data.
Our department uses pulse magnetic field application very well. We appreciate that not only is there an option to used numbered programmes, but also to set up our own programmes. The device is small and easy to operate with good output.
University hospital Na Bulovce, Prague – Physiotherapy department
We have been utilising pulse magnetic field treatment in our spa for more than 10 years. We use Biomag devices for both physiotherapy and spa treatment. It is very advantageous to combine magnetotherapy with other physiotherapy methods because the effect of magnetotherapy potentiates with other methods (analgesic, anti-oedematous, recovery and myorelaxing).
Bělohrad Peat Spa – Lázně Bělohrad
We are happy with the device. The applicators are also easy to operate, and treatment results are satisfying. Feedback from patients is positive. Average number of applications is 50 per week.
Masaryk hospital, Jilemnice
I purchased the device to relieve the calf muscle pain, which occurred with increased physical exertion. I supported the treatment by other means. My health conditions have gradually improved, the rehabilitation period was shortened and the pain has disappeared.Evžen Kraus, Doksy
I would recommend the Biomag device to athletes. In combination with other means of rehabilitation can be pulsed magnetic fields very effectively used both for prevention and for the treatment of symptoms associated with the workout.Ludmila Formanová, Čáslav
We use doctor prescribed drugs and we use your device for the evening. Especially with increased physical exertion during work in the garden. With fatigue growth, we are more likely to use repeat treatment cycles.Stanislav Košvanec, Křinec
Addendum: The results of the therapy may be individual and may not always correspond to the experience disclosed herein.
Doctors and our other clients use Biomag pulse therapy for these conditions and issues:
- Spinal pain
- Varicose ulcers
- High blood pressure
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Other issues
Book a test run of 3D Biomag pulse therapy – now for a special price
Biomag Medical s.r.o. offers the opportunity to try 3D Biomag pulse therapy all over the the world via certified partners.
The goal is for everyone to personally test and acquaint themselves with the devices and therapy. The price of this service is usually about 70 €, depending on the distance from the closest Biomag partner.
Take up on this offer and try the patented 3D pulse therapy at home or the closest Biomag partner. Now free of charge!


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Updated: November 17, 2011
A land use plan for the Great Western Woodlands – stage 1 scoping study complete
A report has been produced for use by the 'Woodlands Initiative' to scope out a land use planning process for the Great Western Woodlands.
The Great Western Woodlands is the largest remaining intact temperate woodland on Earth. It is also home to around 40,000 people, has at least 350 mines, thousands of exploration tenements and is under increasing pressure from the mining boom and a growing tourism industry.
Managing this pressure together with conservation means considering a really wide range of stakeholders in any management plan.
The report produced by Ironbark Environmental to scope out a land use plan, is based on the views and preferences of those that have financial, environmental, social, or cultural interests in the land represented on the 'Woodlands Initiative' community group.
This group was convened for broad community involvement in determining the future of the Great Western Woodlands and is independent of the ministerially appointed stakeholder reference group. The Wilderness Society is a member of this community group representing the interests of conservation.
The Woodlands Initiative has advantages over the ministerially appointed stakeholder reference group in that it is not constrained by a timeline or a strict budget, and can remain politically neutral. This allows them to focus on the long term management needed to keep the Woodlands healthy.
The independent assessment by Ironbark found moderate to high level stakeholder support for the adoption of a landuse plan over the Great Western Woodlands. They found that a plan would:
- Provide an overarching management structure
- Enable greater support for collaborative initiatives involving a diversity of stakeholders
- Provide all stakeholders with the confidence of participating in a process that recognises a broad range of values and uses
The report recommends a three phased approach to any development of a land use plan and provides recommended next steps for the group to consider.
Download the summary report here (pdf 2.1 mb).
For more information, please contact:
The Wilderness Society WA Inc GWW
City West Lotteries House
2 Delhi St
West Perth, WA, 6005
Phone: 08 6460 4936


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How many signs of spring have you spotted? Record your sightings on our survey
Completely bare except for shrivelled leaves
- Use mature trees (30 years old or more), as young trees show different responses.
Even trees of the same species, close to each other can behave very differently.
Record the trendsetters
- If you are finding it difficult to decide when to record, wait until the event is occurring in three trees of the same species in close proximity to each other. Record the trendsetters rather than the extraordinary.
- Leaves may fall off before you have recorded any significant colour change. This may be the species or the weather conditions. Don't worry! Just record when the tree is bare.


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This precious glass frame is hand painted 🎨 by Rebecca Fritz with lots of details to create a lifelike depiction of your furry friends.
5×7 Glass Frame
👩🏻About Rebecca Fritz
💡Did You Know?
1⃣Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure.
2⃣ Animals can serve as a source of comfort and support. Therapy dogs can help reduce patients' stress and anxiety.
3⃣ Kids who read to the real animals showed better social skills and more sharing, cooperation, and volunteering.
Source:News in Health


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Chinese Acne Medicine
All acne begins with one basic lesion: the comedo, an enlarged
hair follicle plugged with oil, dead skin cells and bacteria.
Chinese medicine looks upon acne generally as a result of the
environmental force of heat. The typical name for acne in Chinese
medicine is "fei feng fen ci", or "lesion of the lung wind."
In the theory of Chinese medicine, skin is closely related to the lung organ as it depends upon the lungs to supply the "essential substances of water and grains." The skin in turn can affect the normal process of respiration, as in the case when feng (evil wind) and cold gaining access into the body through the sweat-pores.
Chinese medicine generally categorizes acne into three types: the blood-heat type, the phlegm-accumulation type, and the toxic-heat type. The main symptoms and signs of the blood-heat-type are: There are red papules, tubercles, acnes and inflammatory infiltration around them, accompanied with burning sensation, red tip of the tongue with thin and yellow fur and slippery and rapid pulse. The main symptoms and signs of the phlegm type are: Skin lesion is mainly characterized by acne, indurative acne and cystic acne, accompanied with white and greasy fur on the tongue and slippery pulse. The main symptoms and signs of toxic heat type are: Malar flush, scattered inflammatory nodules, acne, abscesses and furuncles on the face, accompanied with red tongue with yellow fur and slippery and rapid pulse.
At the beginning, diseases were cured by individual herbs. As time progressed, formulas developed. The Acne Formula is an herbal formula. The formula of Chinese medicine consists of two parts: prescription of ingredients and preparation. Preparations refer to the forms of herbs prepared according to the prescription, such as soup, pills, powder, jelly, pellets, etc. Acne can be treated by the application of a well-prepared medicine.
About the Author:


text:
in this reporter's opinion could go a long way towards fixing the problems created by captive supplies. Here's a sampling of the professors' almost laughable conclusions.
- The proposed legislation would constrain the ability of packers to accomplish the coordination and quality control they need for new branded products and put these important investments at risk.
- The new legislation would block independent livestock producers from access to new branded product lines that offer producers a larger share of the consumer's food dollar and better profit opportunities. If contracts that specify genetics, weight ranges, feeding regime, slaughter intervals, etc. would be banned because they constitute packer "control", producers would have less access to these developing product lines and the added margins coming from them.
- The bill would limit the role and diminish the gains carcass merit pricing has made. Carcass merit pricing is possible without contracts and marketing agreements. However, part of the benefit of carcass merit pricing for buyers and sellers is having supplies of known quality committed well in advance of harvest. Gains in product development and consistency, meeting consumer demands, are clearly related to the use of carcass merit pricing.
- Johnson's legislation would threaten the viability of current and future investments in areas that produce fewer cattle or hogs than needed to maintain efficient and viable packing-processing operations. In deficit producing areas, packers attempt to control supplies of cattle or hogs to keep stable flows of the correct raw material through the plant. This legislation could threaten the future of processing operations in the very areas where producers have access to fewer buyers.
- The bill would make it more difficult for producers to obtain financing for their operations. Many financial institutions require a marketing contract for a producer to acquire financing to grow and become more efficient.
- The bill would restrict producer access to packer contracts and other risk management tools. By partnering with processors, producers can diversify their risk and share in the processor's return.
- The professors say prices for cattle would not increase as a result of passage of the bill. They say "There is almost no scientific research concluding packer ownership of cattle or packer actions through forward contracting and control of ownership of cattle hurts producers. It is a popular belief that concentrated processing industries have market power enabling processors to reduce livestock prices. But there is almost no evidence of this in the output from a broad and comprehensive research review on this subject." (Whose review, we wonder?)
Pat Goggins, President of the LMA and one of the men bringing a class action suit against IBP says, these professors all have something else in common besides their opposition to banning feeders from owning cattle just prior to slaughter. According to Goggins all of these professors, and 30 more, were on a list as to receiving grants from the various packers. They could not testify in the IBP case, says Goggins, because "They had already been purchased."
I'm not saying these are evil people. No, not at all. But I am saying they are reacting to current market forces within the university system. Anyone reading their comments would be well advised to remember the old adage: You get what you pay for.


SOC 2 Report Header
1. What is a SOC 2 Report
SOC 2 is a reporting framework developed and maintained by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The goal of a SOC 2 report is to help organizations demonstrate their security posture to relevant stakeholders such as customers, prospective customers, other auditors, or internal stakeholders.
If you are an organization that provides a service (e.g, SaaS, Cloud Service Providers, Managed Services Providers, etc.) SOC 2 is likely relevant to your organization.
2. Who does SOC 2 apply to?
A SOC 2 examination is a relevant consideration for any services organization with a hosted or cloud-based service, whereby their service is impacting the operations and compliance of their customers.
In reviewing risk3sixty's SOC 2 customer base, nearly all of the clients deliver a traditional Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), or Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution.
3. Do I need a SOC 2 report?
There are no regulatory requirements to perform a SOC 2 examination; however, many organizations may be required to obtain a SOC 2 report due to contractual requirements. Traditionally, a service organization elects to pursue SOC 2 for one or more of the following reasons:
 - Reason 1: An organization desires to improve its security posture.
 - Reason 2: A prospect or client mandates it in a contractual agreement.
 - Reason 3: Prospective clients are asking about security or official certification during the sales cycle.
 - Reason 4: Your team is over-burdened with security questionnaires or customer audits.
If you are working with executives to communicate why your organization needs SOC 2, you can read our whitepaper on the business case for SOC 2 adoption.
4. What are Trust Service Criteria (TSC) and which apply?
There are five TSCs, and as a service organization you can elect which of the five (5) to incorporate into your SOC 2 examination. The TSCs are criteria that evaluate and report on controls operating effectiveness, and include:
Security (mandatory): Security refers to the protection of data creation, processing, transmission and storage, as well as the systems that enable each activity.
Availability: Generally speaking, if you're making 'up-time' guarantees within your SLAs, the Availability TSC should be a consideration.
Processing Integrity: Stated simply, if you have a system that 'inputs' and 'outputs' data, Processing Integrity is intended to ensure the alignment and integrity of the systems to process the inputs and outputs.
Confidentiality: If you maintain data that is designated as 'confidential' through contracts, laws or regulations, the Confidentiality TSC should be a consideration.
Privacy: The distinction between Privacy and Confidentiality is, Privacy only applies to personal information. If you're a service organization that handles consumer data, such as that of a healthcare patient, Privacy may be a consideration.
5. How often are SOC 2 reports required?
SOC 2 reports are most frequently done annually. However, some service organizations elect to do them twice-annually, with six month reporting periods.
6. Who performs SOC 2 audits?
You must be a CPA firm, such as risk3sixty, to perform and issue a SOC 2 report.
7. What's the difference between SOC 1 and a SOC 2?
SOC 1 and SOC 2 are both audits of a service organization's controls. SOC 1 is appropriate for service organizations whose controls impact their end customers' financial reporting. SOC 2 is appropriate for service organizations whose controls impact their end customers' operations and compliance.
8. What's the difference between SOC 2 Type 1 and SOC 2 Type 2?
A SOC 2 Type 1 is a report on the fairness and presentation of the service organization's control design at a point in time, but without testing of historical operating effectiveness.
A SOC 2 Type 2 includes testing of operating effectiveness over a period of time. Most service organizations first do a Type 1, and then after a period of six to 12 months, have their first annual Type 2 performed.
9. How long does it take to get a SOC 2 audit?
A tricky answer as no two service organizations are identical, but on average, it takes a service organization somewhere from three to six months to get a Type 1.
With the Type 1 complete, the AICPA suggests you wait at least six months prior to performance of the Type 2, as that allows for a suitable amount of time for the controls to be in place and operating effectively. As such, the Type 2 generally follows the Type 1 by six to 12 months.
10. How much does SOC 2 cost?
Also a tricky question, as no two service organizations are identical, and in the case of the SOC 2, there are any combination of the five TSCs that also impact the fees. In general, we suggest an organization budget somewhere between $40,000 – $80,000 for the performance of the SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2.
SOC 2 Basics Webinar
Phalanx GRC


Marketplace: Doing Business in Afghanistan
This lesson printed from:
Posted February 26, 2009
Standards: 2, 4, 14, 15, 16
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Author: Council for Economic Education Technology Staff
Posted: February 26, 2009
Updated: April 10, 2014
Benefit, Choice, Costs, Costs of Production, Economic Growth, Entrepreneur, Externalities, Incentive, Investment, Public Goods, Role of Government, Trade-off
 - Describe devastated infrastructure of Afghanistan.
 - Explain the role of infrastructure in fostering economic growth.
 - Explain why entrepreneurs may choose not to do business in Afghanistan, despite the many opportunities it offers.
 - Assess prospects for reconstruction in Afghanistan by reference to the role of stable government, rule of law, private property and infrastructure.
[Note to teacher: The following link requires RealPlayer _URL_
Activity 1
(Have the students listen to the Marketplace audio file about doing business in Afghanistan. As they listen they will complete an outline of important information presented in the audio. Then they will use their outlines to answer both factual and evaluative questions about economic concepts addressed in the audio.)
Provide the following instructions: Listen to the Marketplace audio file about doing business in Afghanistan: _URL_ timestamp 8:39. While you are listening, use the note-taker to find supporting details about main ideas. These are the four main ideas you will focus on today:
 1. Devastated Infrastructure in Afghanistan
 2. Foreign Investment Obstacles
 3. Local Investment Obstacles
 4. Traveler and Visitor Obstacles
As you listen to the audio, make a note of any words which you don't know, or words that may be important economic terms. Then listen to the audio file again to gather additional supporting details and possible definitions of the vocabulary words you have noted, using context clues, and record the additional information in your note-taker. Finally, you will be asked a series of questions related to the audio.
Marketplace Questions and Answers: Outline: Using the note-taker, students will identify:
 - Devastated Infrastructure in Afghanistan
 - Foreign Investment Obstacles
 - Local Investment Obstacles
 - Traveler and Visitor Obstacles
 1. What is the commercial capital of Afghanistan?
 a) Kabul
 b) Mazar-e-Shariff
 c) Kandahar
 d) Herat [correct]
 2. The audio states that New York City is the commercial capital of the United States. How do you think New York earned that title?
 [Possible answers: New York has one of the largest natural ports in the country, it has been a trading center since the Colonial era, it has one of the largest stock markets, etc.]
 3. How much money is collected daily in the form of import taxes in Herat?
 a) $250
 b) $2,500
 c) $25,000
 d) $250,000 [correct]
 4. Which improvement in the infrastructure would be most effective in improving the economy of Afghanistan? Why?
 [Possible answers: the development of utilities; unless these basic needs can be met, investors will not come to Afghanistan and businesses will not be able to thrive there.]
 5. Based on the experience of Borzou Daragahi, do you think now is a good time to travel to Afghanistan? How would you describe traveling in Afghanistan to a friend who was considering taking a trip there?
 a) Afghanistan is incredibly dangerous and travel there should be illegal.
 b) Afghanistan is economically devastated and travel is unpleasant and somewhat dangerous, at best. [correct]
 c) Travel in Afghanistan is no worse than travel to New York.
 d) Now is an excellent time to travel to Afghanistan because you can find some excellent travel bargains.
 6. Would you consider establishing a business in Herat? Why or why not?
 [Possible answers: No, because the standard of living is too extreme-- no utilities, no night life, security concerns. Yes, because there is such a need for businesses that success is probable; one can survive under such conditions with the hope of improving them. Much would depend upon circumstances related to the rule of law, legal contracts, stable currency, and private property.]
Activity 2
capitalWould you do business in Afghanistan? Because of the great need, there are many business opportunities in Afghanistanfor example, in education, construction, telecommunications, security, transportation services, and many other private goods and services.
1. What type of business do you think might have the best chance of success? [Security: this may attract future investors to come to Afghanistan; construction: with better roads and bridges it will be easier for foreigners to travel within the country; education: this is essential for Afghanistan's long-term improvement.]
2. What are the major economic risks of doing business in Afghanistan? [Business contracts mean nothing; fraud is rampant; you and your business are not safe; working conditions are poor; investors are hard to find.]
3. What are the major personal risks of doing business in Afghanistan? [Lack of security; lack of amenities; particular difficulties for women because of traditional Afghan culture.]
4. What or who would you need to help you start a business there? [Translators, security, advisors, assurances about contracts, the rule of law, private property, etc.]
5. Why would an entrepreneur choose to start a business in Afghanistan? [There is so much need in Afghanistan that there would be very little competition.]
6. Entrepreneurs always weigh risks and potential profits. Do the risks outweigh the profits in this case? [Answers will vary.]
1. Have the students hand in their note-takers. Student work in the note-takers should reflect an understanding of the decisions that entrepreneurs must make in order to weigh risks and potential profits.
2. Have the students discuss their ideas for Activity 2, working in groups, and hand in what they have recorded. Move around the room while the students are discussing Activity 2. Listen for an understanding of business decisions and how investors might weigh the risks and potential profits that would come with starting businesses.
The students also should be able to identify at least three obstacles preventing foreign investors from helping the economy in Afghanistan.
1. Have the students further explore the role of the entrepreneur in Business Ownership: How Sweet It Can Be and The Entrepreneur In You


Raku Land
A file-rename tool inspired by Perl's File::Rename.
If you have zef, there are a number of options:
Additionally, since all there is here, really, is the executable bin/rrnm, you can just download that and use it.
The distribution only provides the rrnm binary. In general:
Some usage examples follow, all of which are to be run in a terminal where you have access to zef-installed binaries.
rrnm's/^a/b/' /a*
will rename every file / directory of the form /a to /b.
On the other hand,
rrnm -c='cp''s/^a/b/' /a*
will take every file of the form /a and copy it to /b. It will complain about not being able to copy directories among those (because the cp command behaves this way), but you can fix that with
rrnm -c='cp -r''s/^a/b/' /a*
You can even do the following in a git repo, to effect a regex-based git-mv:
rrnm -c='git mv''s/^(\d)/0$0/' [0-9]*
or equivalently, using lookahead assertions,
rrnm -c='git mv''s/^/0/' [0-9]*
That will perform a git mv on every file whose name starts with a digit, prepending a 0 (if you wanted to do this for some reason).
The --dry option just shows you the command that would be run. So in a git repo that contains files 1.txt and 2.txt (and nothing else starting with a digit),
would simply show you
git mv 1.txt./01.txt
git mv 2.txt./02.txt
in the terminal.
I use this all the time: first run what you think will work with --dry, then recall the last command and remove the --dry option.


Show Details
Color Categories
November 22, 2006
Despite dramatic differences in the number of categories and color names, people categorize colors in universal ways.
Cross-cultural color categories. I'm Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Gertrude Stein said "a rose is a rose is a rose." Now, psychologists Delwin Lindsey and Angela Brown of Ohio State University have proven that red is red is red. Using the World Color Survey, they found that people universally classify a color according to its position on the rainbow. In other words, Lindsey says any non-English speaker's word for "red" would also include shades like burgundy, brick, and cherry.
DELWIN LINDSEY (The Ohio State University):
But they certainly would not have a color name that would span two entirely different categories.
He says even cultures with only two color names don't lump together clashing colors, but split the spectrum into warm and cool hues, showing that basic color distinctions arise from our brains and not our cultures. I'm Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.


text:
About the Main Monument
When was it dedicated? Oct. 3, 1889.
What is it made out of? Sculpture: Gettysburg granite; Base: granite.
What size is it? Sculpture: approx. 9 ft. x 3 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 6 in.; Base: approx. 5 in. x 4 ft. 7 in. x 4 ft. 7 in.
Who made it? Hallowell Granite Company, fabricator.
What does it depict? Rectangular marker with an apexed top and a 12th Corps star insignia affixed on the front face. Monument is a monolithic granite shaft with a pyramidal cap set on a 4.6 foot square smooth cut base. The shaft contains incised inscriptions and an excised corps symbol. Overall height is ten feet.
What does it honor? Monument indicates the position taken by the 10 Maine Battalion on July 2, 1863 after their arrival and before their four companies were scattered on sundry duties as part of the 12th Corps Provost Guard.
How is it inscribed? 10th Maine Battalion, Provost Guard. 12th Corps Hd.qrs. Maj. Genl. Slocum.
When was this photograph taken? September 20, 2009.
Where is it located? Located Gettysburg National Military Park, Baltimore Pike, between Granite Schoolhouse Lane & Hunt Avenue, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325.
Is this monument located along the NPS Auto Tour route? No.
Has this monument been moved or changed? This monument has not been moved or materially altered.
The 10th Maine Infantry served as Provost Guard for the Twelfth Corps, Army of the Potomac.
Commander: Captain John Davis Beardsley (_PHONE_). Owned a sawmill in Woodstock.
Number Engaged: Provost Guard Duty with the 12th Corps.
Casualties: No loss.
Regimental History ~ Dyer's Compendium of the War of the Rebellion:
Organized at Portland and mustered in October 4, 1861. Left State for Baltimore, Md., October 6. Attached to Dix's Division to November, 1861. Railroad Brigade, Army Potomac, to April, 1862. 1st Brigade, Williams' Division, Dept. of the Shenandoah, to June, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 2nd Army Corps, Army of Virginia, to September, 1862. 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 12th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, to April, 1863. Headquarters 12th Army Corps, Armies of the Potomac and Cumberland, to November, 1863.
SERVICE.–Duty at Baltimore, Md., until November 4, 1861. At Relay House until November 27, and at Baltimore until February 27, 1862. Guard duty by detachments along Baltimore & Ohio Railroad between Martinsburg and Charleston, W. Va., until May. Company "D" at Harper's Ferry until May 24, then moved to Winchester. Company "F" at Harper's Ferry until May 9, then moved to Winchester. Company "H" at Duffield's until May 24, then moved to Winchester. Company "K" at Kearneysville until May 24, then moved to Winchester. Company "C" at Van Obeiseville until May 9, then moved to Winchester. Company "A" at Opequan Bridge until May 24, then moved to Winchester. Company "B" at Martinsburg until May 24, then moved to Winchester. Company "E" at Halitown until May 9, then moved to Winchester. Companies "G" and "I" at Charleston until May 9, then moved to Winchester. All Companies at their stations from March 28. Operations in Shenandoah Valley May 15-June 17. Middletown May 24. Winchester May 25. Retreat to Williamsport May 25-27. Reconnaissance toward Martinsburg May 28. Reconnaissance to Luray C. H. June 29-30. Battle of Cedar Mountain August 9. Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia August 16-September 2. Guarding trains during Bull Run Battles. Battle of Antietam, Md., September 16-17. Duty at Berlin, Md., October 3-December 10. March to Fairfax Station December 10-14, and duty there until January 19, 1863. March to Stafford C. H. January 19-23, and duty there until April 27. Ordered to rear for muster out April 27. Three-year men formed into a Battalion of three Companies and assigned to duty at Headquarters 12th Army Corps April 26. Old members mustered out May 8, 1863. Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6. Battle of Chancellorsville May 1-5. Gettysburg (Pa.) Campaign June 13-July 24. Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3. Along the Rapidan August 1-September 24. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., September 24-October 2; to Murfreesboro, Tenn., October 5, thence to Shelbyville and Wartrace. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29. Provost duty at Headquarters 12th Corps until November. Transferred to 29th Maine Infantry November 1, 1863.
Regiment lost during service 8 Officers and 74 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 53 Enlisted men by disease. Total 136.


text:
Rethinking Transit Migration: Precarity, Mobility, and Self-Making in Mexico
Questioning the notion of transit migration, the authors analyze mobility and immobility among Central American migrants within the transnational space comprised of Central American countries, Mexico, and the US. They examine how mobility and immobility are shaped by the experiences of precarity in specific places, such as international borders, vertical borders, and humanitarian places. The book vividly illustrates various techniques migrants employ to counteract the paralyzing effects of precarity on mobility, while situating the analysis of migrants' precarity within the context of the US biopolitics of citizenship and the corresponding migration control policies and practices in the US and Mexico. At the same time, it scrutinizes the impact on migrants' precarity and mobility of three types of actors within the migration industry: those who facilitate the movement, those who prey on migrants, and those who assist them. Based on migrants' narratives, collected in five different locations in Mexico, the volume provides an insightful, analytically rigorous and moving depiction of migrants' tangled, dangerous, and uncertain journeys.


4" Begonia 'Harmony's Fire Woman'
Rex Begonias enjoy lots of bright indirect light, but no direct sun. These can grow in artificial light like fluorescents, although experiences vary. Let the top of the soil dry before watering again. They enjoy a good soak, but need to dry out mostly between watering. They like warmer temperatures and should not be subjected to under 60 degrees. Although Rex Begonias like humidity, they do not like being misted. Because of their textured surface, molds and mildew can form if the plant leaves are overly wet.
General Begonia Care Tips:
Light: Foliage Begonias prefer bright, indirect sunlight, whereas blooming begonias' light needs vary.
Water: Begonias prefer moist but not soggy soil so make sure the soil and pot are well draining.
Always Growing More™


text: You probably saw some rising happen in the straws containing Control dough. This is because flour is a starch. Starches contain glucose, a form of sugar (this is why a saltine cracker tastes a little sweet if you let it sit on your tongue for a while; the enzymes in your saliva break the cracker starch down into glucose and other simpler molecules). So even though you didn't add any sugar to the Control dough, it already contained some for the yeast to munch on. However, because the amount of sugar in this dough was much less than in the others, less carbon dioxide could be made by the yeast in this batch and the dough couldn't rise as much in comparison.


Is it necessary to warm up the car engine in winter before driving?
Motorists are divided into three camps. The first ones assert, that warming up to working temperatures is necessary at idling. The second are sure – it is necessary to warm up for 2-3 minutes. The third ones are sure, that it is not necessary to warm up. But everyone is sure of one thing: if the car is badly broken, it should be recycled rather than repaired:
In the past, most cars were equipped with carburetor engines. Heating was necessary for several reasons. For instance, the engine could not regulate the fuel supply, and there was no electronic adjustment system, which was done manually.
The oil composition was different from the current one, so starting without warming up was detrimental to the mechanisms. In addition, there was a question of comfort – the car had no window heating and air conditioning.
Manufacturers of modern cars with injection power system explicitly indicate in the instruction manual that the engine should not be warmed up when the car is stationary. Engines of new cars are equipped with a fuel injection system and process controllers. The additives in automotive fluids ensure efficient operation at all temperatures, and air conditioning and all sorts of heating systems allow you to start on the road immediately.
Advocates of a quick start, who are familiar with mechanics, claim that long warming up at idling speed leads to formation of soot on spark plugs and in the combustion chamber. It happens due to the inflow of over-enriched fuel-air mixture.
The main argument of the manufacturers is an appeal not to waste fuel and not to pollute the air with exhaust gases.
It is worth remembering that cars made abroad, are designed to operate in conditions, far from Russian. The manual also takes into account the realities of the country of manufacture. Including the laws, according to which, in many European countries, it is forbidden to park the engine while it is running.
What happens to the engine when starting it cold
To understand whether it is necessary to warm up the car engine in winter, let's understand in more detail the processes that occur in the mechanism when starting it in the cold.
It is known that the engine consists of metal parts, and metals, when heated, tend to expand. Mechanisms are fitted with a minimum gap. This is necessary to reduce the loss of energy released from the combustion of the fuel-air mixture.
Before the metal elements of the system are heated up to operating temperature, the motor runs under high load conditions.
Even in summer it takes half a minute for the grease to disperse into the mechanisms and start working. In the cold season even the use of additives does not save oil from thickening. It takes much longer for the oil to reach operating temperature and lubricate evenly.
Thickened oil cannot pass through the filter, which is designed to clean the fluid from sludge and other wear elements. The bypass valve opens and oil enters the engine without going through the filter. The engine is under-lubricated plus there are debris particles coming in along with the thick lubricant. By starting to drive, the driver accelerates the wear and tear and risks serious damage to the engine.
Specialists believe that to reduce oil viscosity, you should warm up the car for at least 10 minutes, if the air temperature reaches minus 10 and below.
Piston rings, hydro-compensators and tensioners experience an increased load at driving with unheated motor. Uniform lubrication and heating of the metal to working temperatures is necessary for the operation of these mechanisms.
In addition, motorists often encounter oil sensor failure, which deforms under the pressure of thickened oil.
Thus, warming up is the key to long and trouble-free operation.
How to warm up the engine properly?
Warm-up time depends on the air temperature.
From plus 10: requires a minimum warming time of 1 to 3 minutes.
Plus 10 – minus 10: requires 5-7 minutes.
At minus 10 to 30 degrees, the engine should be warmed up for 8 to 10 minutes.
Below 30: requires a long warm-up for 10-15 minutes.
If for some reason there is no time for a long warm-up, stick to the rules:
Start driving after 2-3 minutes when RPMs start to drop.
Do not overload the engine, watch the level of revolutions.
Drive slowly, remember that the oil in the gearbox, transmission also requires warming up. Insufficient warming up is symptomatic in mechanics – difficult shifting, cars with automatic transmission shift jerks.
Increase speed gradually as the engine reaches operating temperature.
Warming up the diesel engine
The main difference between a diesel engine and a gasoline engine is the smaller gap between the cylinder and piston. Therefore, it is important for the oil to be at operating temperature for proper functioning. Uniform lubrication is even more important for turbocharged engines. Therefore, it is necessary to warm up the diesel at idle speed.
The recommended warm-up time is a couple of minutes in summer and 5-10 minutes in winter.
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text:
The ECJ was called upon by the Irish Labour Court to interpret Directive 1999/70 which put into effect the framework agreement on fixed term work concluded in 1999 between ETUC, Businesseurope and CEEP. The framework agreement establishes the principle of equal treatment of fixed term workers with comparable full time workers, and obliges Member States to take measures to prevent abusive use of successive fixed term employment contracts.
The dispute arose between IMPACT, a trade union representing the interests of civil servants in Ireland, and the Irish public authorities. They refused to apply the terms of the Directive to a group of public servants who were employed on fixed term contracts, while Ireland was two years late in transposing the Directive properly in its national legislation. The workers involved had been employed for long periods on chains of fixed term contracts, and had been denied a range of benefits that permanent civil servants enjoy such as pay increases and pensions.
In a very welcome judgement today, the European judges ruled that the non-discrimination clause in the Directive is sufficiently precise and unconditional for workers to rely upon it directly before a national court, and that it applies directly also when countries are late in transposing the Directive. Furthermore, equal treatment constitutes a principle of Community law which cannot be interpreted restrictively and clearly covers issues related to pay and pensions, which the Irish authorities had contested.
The ECJ also ruled that the fixed term work Directive must be implemented and enforced by the national authorities, having regard to the principle of effectiveness. In particular, the Court found that national authorities acting as public employers are not authorised to adopt measures contrary to the objective of the Directive from the moment the Directive enters into force. Irish authorities had taken advantage of the delay in the adoption of national legislation transposing the Directive to renew contracts just before the transposition date for an unusually long period (up to eight years), thereby depriving the workers concerned for an unreasonable period of time of the rights introduced by the Directive.
John Monks, General Secretary of the ETUC, said: "Following the very negative rulings in Laval, Viking and Rüffert, the IMPACT judgement is a bit of good news from the ECJ at last! The interpretation of the European judges of the equal treatment provision to include pay and pension and the liability of national authorities acting as public employers is exactly as we intended it to be. This judgement, in particular the direct effect of the non-discrimination clause and the message that the Directive must be implemented effectively, will help to secure a better protection for fixed term workers around Europe, which was the aim of our agreement. We explicitly said in the agreement that indefinite contracts are the general form of employment relationship. Fixed term contracts can only be accepted as a way to respond to specific and temporary needs of both employers and workers, not to create second class workers who would for long periods of time be denied the benefit of stable employment."