text:
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwire - Nov. 15, 2012) - The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) is bringing to light new research into Stalin's secret-police files on the 1932-33 genocide in Ukraine, until recently shrouded in secrecy and denial.
The CMHR has organized a visit to Canada by world-renowned Ukrainian researchers, including historian Stanislav Kulchytskyi, who have worked to bring evidence of this genocide to public light. Secret state archives in Ukraine - including hundreds of thousands of Soviet secret-police orders and case files - have only come to light in the past few years. The documents, many still difficult to access, are adding hard proof about the deliberate nature of atrocities that survivors and their families (many in Canada) have long struggled to bring to public attention.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed this year with Ukraine's national Holodomor museum, and in collaboration with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (Manitoba), CMHR is hosting lectures and public events in Canada to coincide with Holodomor Awareness Week, November 19 to 25. The genocide was conducted to crush Ukrainian resistance as the Soviet Union moved to collectivize agriculture 80 years ago. Millions of Ukrainians died of starvation - a fact denied by Soviet authorities right into the 1980s. At the same time, thousands of scholars, journalists and teachers were thrown in jail.
"The Holodomor holds powerful human-rights lessons," said Stuart Murray, CMHR president and CEO. "It shows why we must remain vigilant against abuse of state power. It also highlights the nature of food as a basic human right, which is a topic that continues to be relevant around the world."
The CMHR, slated to open in Winnipeg in 2014, will become a unique educational hub to explore the nature and importance of human rights, using lessons from past and present to inspire Canadians and international visitors into action. The Holodomor will be an integral learning tool in the Museum's programming and exhibits.
The Holodomor has special importance for Canada, where Ukrainian Canadians, university researchers and many others have worked to raise awareness. Memorials to the genocide have been erected across the country, including the first public monument unveiled in Edmonton in 1983. Canada in 2008 officially recognized the Holodomor as genocide and designated the fourth Saturday in November as "Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day".
"The Museum will work to enlighten visitors about what the human-rights lessons from this genocide mean today for people in Canada - and its role in shaping our very Canadian identity," Murray said.
The CMHR's special guest lecturers from Ukraine are Stanislav Kulchytskyi, the Deputy Director of the Institute of History of Ukraine, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; and Lesya Onyshko, First Deputy of the General Director of Ukraine's National Memorial in Commemoration of Famines' Victims in Ukraine.
Dr. Clint Curle of the CMHR has organized the lecture series with the assistance of Canadian researchers such as Dr. Myroslav Shkandrij of the University of Manitoba and Dr. Bohdan Klid of the University of Alberta.
The events were planned with the help of many Canadian organizations, including the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (Manitoba Provincial Council), the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies, the Shevchenko Scientific Society of Canada, the Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre at the University of Alberta, the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre - Oseredok, the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Winnipeg, the University of Winnipeg's Global College, and the University of Manitoba's Central and East European Studies Program and Department of German and Slavic Studies.
A schedule of the upcoming public events can be found below.
Schedule of events
- Winnipeg - Tuesday, November 20: 1 p.m., St. John's College, Quiet Room, University of Manitoba: "The Holodomor (Great Famine) in Ukraine, 1932-33: Issues in research and commemoration".
- Edmonton - Wednesday, November 21: 2 p.m., Telus Centre, Room 1-34, University of Alberta: "Round table on the famines of Ukraine, 1928-33".
- Winnipeg - Thursday, November 22: 7 p.m., Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (Oseredok), 184 Alexander Avenue East. "New research on the Holodomor".
- Winnipeg - Friday, November 23: 12:30 p.m., Room 2M70, University of Winnipeg: "Interpreting the Holodomor".
- Winnipeg - Saturday, November 24: 1:30 p.m., Winnipeg City Hall, 610 Main Street: Holodomor memorial ceremony.
- Toronto - Thursday, November 29: 7:30 p.m., Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation, 2118-A Bloor Street West: "The Ukrainian Holodomor: the why and the how" and "The museum (in Ukraine) as a centre of commemoration of the victims of the Holodomor".


text:
uent, enhancing clause of purpose:
Roots, however, have root hairs on the outer surface, so that they can take up water.
If the congruent version had been used, this clause would have become a'message' in the macro-level development of the text and would also have given this status to the purpose of explaining. However, as has been said, the text characteristics described above operate at the local level and this suggests that the activities of reporting and explaining are certainly present in the text but are subsumed by the more macro-level activities of comparison. Thus, reporting is a lower level purpose
HELEN DRURY 115 of the text and exposition can be considered as its main purpose. When the above example is placed in the context of its stage in the schematic structure of the text as a whole, the additional structures which are necessary for the purpose of contrast can be seen (in bold).
(12) Other differences include the fact that only the stem is covered with an outer layer of waxy waterproof cuticle. (13) Its presence in a root would hinder water uptake. (14) Roots, however, have root hairs on the outer surface, which aid in water uptake.
The use of 'only' in clause 12 to intensify the meaning of contrast points towards an expository text. In addition, if the implicit conjunction of cause between clauses 12 and 13 and the condition that is implied within clause 13 are revealed, the writer can be seen to be developing an argument rather than merely providing biological information. If clause 13 is rewritten to show these relationships, it would be as follows:
(12) Other differences include the fact that only the stem is covered with an outer layer of waxy waterproof cuticle. This is because, if it were present in a root, it would hinder water uptake.
On the other hand, the lexical cohesion in the above extract can be considered as real-world or field contrasts — stem contrasted with root, waxy waterproof cuticle with root hair and hinder with aid — and such contrasts would support the classification of this text as a kind of report genre. There are other instances in the text of lexicogramrnatical resources being used for the purposes of writing a report, in particular, what has been labeled the 'embedded report' which decomposes the vascular tissues into two main parts and describes the composition and function of each part. However, this activity is clearly a sub-purpose of the text, although it is appropriate at the stage where it occurs and cannot be omitted. In general, the biological knowledge and accompanying technical terminology of this text is taken as already known. The main purpose of comparing and contrasting requires other lexicogramrnatical structures, as we have seen, which reflect the more analytical
116 ACADEMIC WRITING IN CONTEXT
and abstract nature of this task. An example of such resources can be found in the first clause of the text:
(1) The main similarity between the stem and root is the fact [[that they both contain the vascular tissues]]
This clause is characterized by complex nominal groups in both Theme and New (both in bold) which are linked by an identifying relational process. The Theme contains a nominalised conjunction of similarity which in turn is valued as the main similarity between the stem and root and this is identified as an abstraction, a 'fact' noun qualified by an embedded clause which attributes the common characteristic of stems and roots as containing the vascular tissues. These meanings, if written in a report genre, would probably appear as follows:
Stems contain vascular tissues.... Roots contain vascular tissues...
An analysis of conjunction in this text also tends to support its classification as an exposition rather than a report. This analysis is set out in Figure 3. The reticulum in Figure 3 displays internal conjunctions, those which organize rhetorical meanings, on the left-hand side, and external conjunctions, those which organize real-world experiential meanings, on the right hand side. Explicit external relations of addition are placed in the middle. The numbers refer to the'messages' in the text shown in Figure 1. The conjunctions themselves, both explicit and implicit (in brackets), are given on the far right-hand side of the figure. Arrows and lines show the direction and extent of each conjunctive relation (Martin 1992). The text displays a predominance of internal conjunction, which is indicative of an exposition genre. The resources of internal conjunction are needed to shape biological knowledge to the rhetorical purpose of a certain text type, in this case comparison. External conjunctions tend to predominate if the biological knowledge itself is to be described or explained as in a report genre. Internal conjunction develops the rhetorical structure of the text according to the writer's ordering of the similarities and differences, whereas external conjunctions of contrast are used in the last paragraph to develop the text in terms of real-world or field contrasts. The external status of the latter conjunctions is, however, debatable. It can be argued that the writer is
Although this analysis of internal conjunction lends support to identifying this text as exposition. once again this is not clear cut because of the realworld. need to be examined. it is impossible to come to a firm conclusion as to what kind of genre a comparative text is and more data from a number of disciplines.. not only science. field-based similarities and differences between stems and roots which are described in the text. If this is the case. these conjunctions would be considered to be internal and all conjunctions in the text would be of this kind (see Figure 4).HELEN DRURY 117 Figure 3 Analysis of conjunction in model short-answer text number 4 responsible for organizing these oppositions to develop the text. and is using linguistic rather than biological knowledge to do so. On the basis of the analysis of one sample text.
118 ACADEMIC WRITING IN CONTEXT Figure 4 Alternative analysis of conjunction in the last part of short-answer text number 4.
To illustrate this problem. the task appears a straightforward one of contrast. report or exposition.HELEN DRURY 119 In addition. it is not as unproblematic as it seems. It may also be more helpful to see this kind of comparative text as part of a genre continuum between a report and an exposition. on the surface.. Student answers are based on field observations they make in the Sydney Botanic Gardens and. as will be seen below.) Achieving mastery of exposition genres in first-year Biology Although the learning outcome of the first year may be expository writing. and knowledge about these texts in turn will enable them to write 'true' expositions as the learning outcome for writing short answers in firstyear Biology. although most likely as a kind of exposition genre. However. Due to lack of space. may also be useful from a pedagogical perspective especially as this type of text appears as a kind of 'transition' genre within the first year curriculum in the Biological Sciences Figure 5 Genre continuum in first-year short-answer writing in the biological sciences Beginning first semester report ^ comparative text >» End of second semester ^ exposition Students can recycle their knowledge about writing reports as they move through the first-year curriculum and use it to move on to writing comparative texts. in fact. this. The following extracts illustrate the range of student answers. more information on the context of situation and culture is needed to identify what counts as expository writing at first-year university level in the Biological Sciences. A genre continuum. it could be given generic status in its own right. such as that in Figure 5. on the basis of further research. examples of student writing from the last short-answer writing task in the first year will be given. is not achieved by all students and some appear to remain at the level of report writing with which they began the year. (See Veel 1997 and Coffin 1997 for discussion and exemplification of genre continua in secondary school science and history respectively. rather than attempting to allocate it to a specific type of genre. only the first paragraph in answer to the first question will be exemplified. Indeed. The question is as follows: 'Write a brief description of the field characteristics which you would use to distinguish the Cactaceae from species of Euphorbia'.
Text 2 One of the differences observed between Cactaceae and Euphorbia was the presence of leaves.120 ACADEMIC WRITING IN CONTEXT Textl In the species Euphorbia. students need to be able to make comparisons and contrasts within and among taxonomies and to account for variations and commonalities. the most highly valued of the three. but many of the Euphorbia species had leaves present. descriptions and comparisons. described and classified life forms and communicated this knowledge through reports. Having observed. It is only Text 3 which attempts to generalize from the field data. Euphorbia were woody shrubs and trees. unlike the thesis statements of the comparison text on stems and roots. Text 3 above. about the possibility of distinguishing between the Cactaceae and Euphorbia based on available field data. whereas in Euphorbia. However. spines were arranged in large clusters and were thickly distributed. there do not appear to be any characteristics that enable the family Cactaceae to be distinguished from the genus Euphorbia. In the Cactaceae species no leaves were observed. Text 1 is simply a written version of the student's own field records. Euphorbia millii was an exception with its spines scattered at random. This is in fact closer to a 'true' thesis because the writer is questioning the validity of the taxonomy. Since it does not generalize. they are simply described as they appeared on the day. could be said to represent the target genre for students graduating from first year.. No attempt is made

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
It pays to be progressive. Just ask the city officials of Mankato, Minnesota. This forward-thinking southern Minnesota city of 32,000 was the first municipality in the state to purchase a television system for assessing the internal condition of its sewer lines.
It is now one of the first cities in the country to use the video documentation to secure federal funds for the repair of a flood-damaged storm sewer. In addition, it is using those funds for a long-term solution that will better protect the storm sewer system the next time the Minnesota River overruns its banks.
Getting FEMA's Attention
As the waters from the Great Flood of '93 receeded, the City of Mankato quickly began investigating soil problems occurring around River Front Drive, a major thoroughfare located near the river. The City retained MSA Consulting Engineers, Minneapolis/St. Paul, to evaluate the storm sewer lines running under the street. These pipelines carried storm water runoff from the city's underground pipeline system to the Minnesota River.
"When the river rises, its elevation is higher than the storm sewers in parts of the city. Therefore, sewer outlet gates must be closed and all stormwater pumped into the river," explained Tom Roushar, vice president and project engineer for MSA.
"During the flood, pump station operation caused fluctuating water levels and pressures in the storm sewers, which contributed to soil migration and resulted in the formation of voids in the older storm sewers with cracked or bad joints. Additional pressure from the water-saturated soil surrounding the pipe also may have caused problems."
"Some of the damage showed up as sink holes on the surface," said Dale Tranter, MSA vice president. "For example, the foundation of a recently restored historic railroad depot on River Front Drive started to sink."
Below ground, video taken inside the sewer lines showed a significant number of leaking joints.
"To obtain FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) funding for renovations to the sewer system, we needed to be able to document that the flood had actually caused the damage," explained Mankato Public Works Director Paul Baker. "Fortunately, we had televised the storm sewer the year before the flood, when the line was intact. When you compare the tape with the deterioration shown in the video shot after the flood, the conclusion is obvious."
The Engineer's Challenge
Not quite so obvious, however, was how the city was going to repair the damage. The storm sewer was very difficult to access.
MSA's evaluation pinpointed a three-block-long section of pipeline originating at a storm drain on Walnut Street and extending under River Front Drive as the primary trouble spot. The pipeline was buried deep, averaging 15 ft below the surface.
The line ran under a railroad depot and train tracks, a ramp for a 480-car parking garage, a four-lane city street and a significant amount of electrical and telephone conduit. Any repairs needed to be coordinated so as not to disturb the adjacent construction of a $25 million civic center, part of Mankato's Riverfront 2000 urban renewal program.
Complicating matters further were the area's high water table and fine sand soil that require sheeting and dewatering for excavation. These conditions placed severe limitations on the city's repair options.
"For most sewer renovation proj-ects, engineers have several alternatives to choose from," said Tranter. "We didn't have that luxury."
"Both the risks and the costs associated with replacing the pipe through a traditional open-cut solution were unacceptable," said Roushar.
Under these conditions, two approaches were considered, cured-in-place (CIPP) and sliplining. Both of these approaches are trenchless processes for reconstructing damaged pipeline. With CIPP, a seamless custom-made felt tube injected with resin is inverted (turned inside out) through a manhole into an existing damaged pipe. The tube later cures into a structurally sound "pipe-within-a-pipe."
With sliplining, a high density, polyethylene material is pulled through an existing pipe. The sliplining process usually requires two access pits. However, on this project, access could have been achieved without the use of pits by going in through the flood wall where the pipe empties into the river.
When analyzing the approaches, the City of Mankato looked at some immediate concerns:
Levels of Risk-"When you're working around major utilities, there's always a chance for a mishap," said Tranter. "We also had some fears of building foundations settling if we excavated the unstable soil. So we were really leaning toward a solution that didn't require digging, that could leave everything in place."
Suitability of Application-In addition to alleviating safety concerns, the solution had to be installed within a short time frame, because of the amount of traffic and other activity along Walnut Street.
Value-It is impossible to calculate the savings achieved by not disrupting business. It is also difficult to assess what other unforeseen costs might surface when you start digging trenches around utility lines.
These short-term savings were important to Mankato officials. However, they still were second in priority to the city's long-term objectives.
"We were looking at the long-term and what was best for the city," said Baker. That is why Mankato officials were most interested in a solution that would stand up through the next great flood.
Made of non-woven polyester material laminated to a layer of polyurethane, CIPP material is designed as an independent replacement pipe. This material adds strength to a partially deteriorated sewer line. In addition, with CIPP the storm's line would gain flow.
"The installed product is jointless and has a smooth finished surface,which normally increases the flow capacity of the line," said Brad Mirkovick of Insituform Central, Inc., (ICI) a wholly owned subsidiary of Insituform Mid-America.
The design and installation of this technology are not as simple as they may sound. The installer needs the design and construction knowledge to adapt the technology to specific site conditions.
While sliplining is also a jointless process, and hydraulically smoother than the existing pipe, its use results in a smaller pipe than CIPP. However, this was not of particular concern in Mankato.
MSA continued with the development of project specifications for rehabilitating 842 ft of 36 in. pipe, 62 ft of 24 in. pipe and associated manholes, and restoring sidewalks and streets where sinkholes had caused deterioration. With all the documentation in place, FEMA committed to paying 90 percent of the project's costs.
The specifications called for either CIPP or HDPE sliplining. The contractor, Mankato Plumbing and Heating, elected to use CIPP furnished and installed by ICI.
Completing the Inversion
Almost exactly one year after the flood, ICI, MSA, the city engineer and contractor assembled at the Walnut Street site. ICI brought the custom-made polyester felt tube and boiler trucks needed to complete the inversion.
As if to remind everyone of the reason they had all gathered there that day, a steady rain began and fell for most of the day.
"We don't like it to be raining when we're completing an inversion on a storm sewer because the line can fill up," said Mirkovick. On sanitary sewers, where flow is continuous, ICI creates a bypass for the line while the inversion is being completed. The bypass is omitted on storm sewers, which become active only during inclement weather.
After the rain had stopped, workers began by closing the flood wall at the Minnesota River where the storm sewer drained into the river. They had already coordinated closely with Mankato City Engineer Ken Saffert and Utility Superintendent George Rosati to make sure no utilities would be inadvertently disturbed.
Enhanced polyester resin and dye-treated catalyst had already been used to saturate the polyester felt tube. The clear, polyurethane laminate and light-blue dye allowed every square inch of the material to be visually inspected to make sure the tube was thoroughly saturated with resin before the tube was inverted into the pipeline.
With everything in place, the force of water was used to invert the tube through an existing manhole and into the pipe being reconstructed. Water pressure kept the tube pressed tightly against the walls of the old pipe.
After the entire tube was inverted through the pipeline, hoses were connected to the boiler trucks, and the water was continuously recirculated until it reached a temperature to trigger the catalyst. The heat starts the exothermic reaction that changes the resin into a thermoset pipe.
When the material had cured into a finished pipe, the water was allowed to cool before it was drained. The construction crew cut and sealed the ends of the new structural pipe at the manholes and the job had been completed-quietly, safely and without disruption.
Exactly what awaits Mankato once its renewal project is complete is uncertain. However, the leaders of this forward-thinking city know one thing: it pays to be progressive.
This article was prepared by the City of Mankato, Minnesota.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


1. Introduction
Scala has several data structures to support lazy operations: StreamIterator, and ViewThese collections are non-strict because all computations on them are deferred. In this tutorial, we'll discuss the use cases and features of these collections.
2. Lazy and Strict Collections
When we're dealing with strict collections (such as ListSetMap), all transformations of the elements are computed at once we can verify it by the assertion:
val list = List(1, 2, 3)
list.map(_ * 2) shouldBe List(2, 4, 6))
On the other hand, there are lazy collections (such as Stream) that allow transformations of the elements without immediate computations:
val stream = Stream(1, 2, 3)
stream.map(_ * 2) // scala.collection.immutable.Stream[Int] = Stream(2, )
In this case, the tail of the stream is not yet computed until we reference it.
3. Iterator
Iterator is a trait in Scala to access sequential elements one by one. We can obtain an iterator for any collection since all Scala collections extend the IterableOnce trait which defines an abstract method iterator: Iterator[A]:
val list = List(1, 2, 3)
val it: Iterator[Int] = list.iterator
The main methods of the Iterator are hasNext and next which shifts the value of the iterator to the next value. There are also a few methods of collections available for Iterator, such as foreachmapflatMapfilter. However, it's important that in some cases, Iterator will behave differently. For example, applying of foreach to the Iterator will change it, and the call itr.next will lead to NoSuchElementException because the iterator is empty:
val itr = Iterator(1, 2, 3)
itr foreach println
Meanwhile, we don't change an Iterator when we transform it:
val itr = Iterator(1, 2, 3)
val itrUpdated = itr.map(_ * 5)
itr.next shouldBe 5
We get the value of Iterator above only when we reference it (lazy execution):
val itrUpdated: Iterator[Int] =
We can access only subsequent values of the Iterator via next, and we can't access values which Iterator has already traversed.
4. Stream (LazyList)
Unlike IteratorStream (deprecated since 2.13.0 in favor of LazyList) is a collection. Actually, Stream is a List whose tail is a lazy val:
val stream: Stream[Int] = Stream(1, 2, 3)
stream.head shouldBe 1
In the example above, only the head of the Stream is computed.
Unlike the Iterator Stream allows to access previously computed values and coming values via index:
stream(0) shouldBe 1
stream(1) shouldBe 2
We can also construct a Stream via the #:: operator in a way similar to the construction of a List via the :: operator:
val stream = 1 #:: 2 #:: 3 #:: Stream.empty
Unless we iterate through the Stream, the elements of that Stream will never be computed. For example, we can safely implement recursive algorithms which cause a stack overflow in case of strict collections, such as in the factorial example:
def factorial(a: Int, b: Int): Stream[Int] = a #:: factorial(a*(b+1), b+1)
val factorials7: Stream[Int] = factorial(1, 1).take(7)
val factorialsList = factorials7.toList // List(1, 2, 6, 24, 120, 720, 5040)
We will get a stack overflow error if we implement the same factorial method for strict collection, such as List. It's important to note that the Stream's laziness doesn't matter when we need to access all elements of the Stream immediately (unlike applying of mapflatMapfilter methods):
stream.size shouldBe 3
5. View
The View is a special kind of collection in Scala that takes a base collection and executes transformer methods on that collection lazily. We can turn every Scala collection into a lazy representation and back via the view method.
Here's how we apply view on the List to get scala.collection.SeqView[Int]:
val list = List(1, 2, 3)
val listView = list.view
In this instance, calling list.view creates a new collection of type SeqView[Int]. We usually use Views when we need to avoid overhead with intermediate collections to increase performance. It is especially important when operations on collection cannot be combined at once. In the example above, we're not interested in the result of mapping the collection by (_ * 2), and we need only the final collection of strings:
(list.view.map(_ * 2).map(_.toString)).force
The call of force will create a collection back from View.
When we're dealing with some large set of data, we can consider using the collection view. For example, we want to check if the data set of strings contains some word:
val listOfWords = loadListOfWords("myList.txt")
val occurence = "Scala"
val hasOccurence = (listOfWords: Iterable[String]) => listOfWords.exists(_ == occurrence)
Then if we call hasOccurence on the listOfWords.view, we don't operate with the whole list of words and stop when the occurrence is found:
val res = hasOccurence(listOfWords.view)
It's also important to note that we should be careful when we use views with side effects because side effects will not be computed until we force it:
def printer = println(System.currentTimeMillis())
val printView: SeqView[Unit, Seq[_]] = List.range(0, 10).view.map(_ => printer)
6. Conclusion
In this article, we met IteratorStream, and View to deal with lazy calculations in Scala.
As usual, these examples are available over on GitHub.
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments


text:
Study suggests potential to predict peanut allergy immunotherapy outcomes
Oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy induces early, distinct changes in immune T-cell populations that potentially may help researchers determine which people will respond well to the therapy and which immune mechanisms are involved in the response, a new study suggests. The work was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by scientists at Stanford University.
The researchers examined blood samples taken from peanut-allergic volunteers enrolled in an oral immunotherapy study. Participants consumed small, gradually increasing daily doses of peanut protein for 24 months with the ultimate goal of inducing long-term tolerance to peanut. Using advanced laboratory techniques, the scientists tracked changes in peanut-specific T cells in five participants during the first 18 months of peanut immunotherapy. They compared these results with those from blood samples taken before the start of immunotherapy and from healthy, non-allergic volunteers. Immunotherapy caused an increase in peanut-specific T cells, accompanied by a change in the distribution of T-cell subtypes over time. With treatment, T-cell subtypes normally associated with allergic responses diminished, while a novel T-cell population that likely would not mount an allergic response expanded.
These preliminary findings show the power of this approach to analyze and monitor allergen-specific immune cell changes during immunotherapy. Future studies with more patients will help determine whether this type of detailed T-cell analysis is useful for predicting which peanut-allergic individuals are most likely to benefit from this investigational therapy.


TY - JOUR T1 - Perioperative medicine: Managing for outcome AU - Shafer A AU - Lighthall GK Y1 - 2009/10/14 N1 - 10.1001/jama.2009.1473 JO - JAMA SP - 1597 EP - 1598 VL - 302 IS - 14 N2 - Surgical complexity and risk, along with the burden of acute and chronic disease, combine to define a patient's perioperative risk. Despite the increasing number of extremely sick operative candidates, advances in anesthetic techniques and monitoring have led to an expectation of operative survival in all but the most extreme situations. Thus, a key challenge to the profession of anesthesiology must shift from simply getting the patient out of the operating room alive to maximizing longer-term goals of survival and optimal function. This broader view provides the inspiration for Perioperative Medicine: Managing for Outcome. Drawing from the expertise of 82 anesthesiologists, surgeons, internists, and intensivists, the book provides a comprehensive overview of perioperative morbidity and its prevention. SN - 0098-7484 M3 - doi: 10.1001/jama.2009.1473 UR - _URL_ ER -


text:
In this lesson, we will walk through correcting some of the types of errors that might cause MIRCal to reject your data.
Before you start making corrections, you need to:
- Log on to MIRCal (see Accessing MIRCal in Module 2: Basics for All Users).
- Create the same reporting profile you used when you submitted your data (see Create a Reporting Profile in this module, Lesson 1).
- Determine which edit programs your data failed (see View an Error Summary in this module, Lesson 3).
- Print the edit program Error Reports for the programs your data failed (see View and Print Error Reports in this module, Lesson 3).
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Identify the errors in your data and determine the best way to correct them
- Correct errors online in MIRCal
- Submit your corrections to OSHPD
Jane works at CBT2, a large hospital in Central California. Following
the submission process described in Lesson 1, she submitted an ED data
file to OSHPD as a test submission. In Lesson 3, she retrieved her
submission results and found that her data was rejected because it
failed the Standard Edit program and there is a record with a
blank or invalid Principal Diagnosis. She printed the Standard Edit error report,
and that is where this lesson begins.


text:
Making an Herb Path Through a Wildflower Meadow
Many herbs withstand the odd footstep and thrive in the warmth reflected from pavers. Plant creeping thymes for the best effect; they will soon blur the sharp edges of the paving.
- Excerpted from Simple Steps: Herbs
E-mail This Page to Your Friendsx
A link to %this page% was e-mailed
Tip for Success
Place gravel around the base of the thymes. Keep this topped up, especially after pruning or trimming, when some gravel always ends up in the soil with the offcuts.
After thoroughly digging the ground and incorporating plenty of coarse sand, rake the soil level and remove any roots or large stones. Use long draws of the rake and follow the rough contours of the ground.
Firm the ground by repeatedly treading in both directions or use a well-weighted piece of timber. Scrape the timber over the soil to level out any extreme undulations. Do this from side to side and end to end.
Excerpted from Simple Steps: Herbs
©Dorling Kindersley Limited 2009
There's hardly an herb that master gardener Paul James hasn't met and liked, but even he sometimes gets dazzled at the choices.
Herbs are naturally aromatic and many are highly favored by honeybees and other insects. Learn how you can have your own garden...
Herbs have been grown all over the world for centuries for their flavor and goodness. Used in a variety of ways, such as our...


text:
Order - Pristiformes
Family - Pristidae
Genus - Pristis
Species - microdon
The freshwater sawfish was first described in 1794 by John Latham in his article An essay on the various species
of sawfish in the journal Transactions of the Linnaean Society of London. Latham described the species based
only on a rostrum. Unfortunately, the type specimen (the rostrum) was later destroyed in a fire at the Royal
College of Surgeon's Hunterian Museum. Synonyms for the freshwater sawfish include Pristis perotteti
Müller & Henle, 1841 and the misspelling Pristis perrotteti. Invalid synonyms of the freshwater sawfish
include Pristis antiquorum Latham, 1794; Pristis canaliculata Bloch & Schneider, 1801; Pristiopsis leichhardti Whitley, 1945; Pristis typica Poey, 1861; Pristis zephyreus Jordan & Starks, 1895; and Squalus pristis Linnaeus, 1758. Similarly, the name Pristis pristis (Linnaeus, 1758) does not appear to be a valid synonym of either Pristis microdon or Pristis perotteti, pending further taxonomic review. The current valid scientific name for the freshwater sawfish is Pristis microdon Latham, 1794. Pristis microdon and Pristis perotteti may be one and the same species, and these names have even been used interchangeably by various authors. Taxonomic study is badly needed to shed light on this naming uncertainty. The generic name Pristis is Greek for "saw." The specific name microdon is derived from the Greek word mikros meaning "small." The scientific name Pristis microdon refers to the shorter rostrum of the freshwater sawfish compared to that of most other sawfishes.
Common English names for the freshwater sawfish include: common sawfish, greattooth sawfish, largetooth sawfish,
Leichthardts sawfish, and wide snouted saw fish. Other common names for the freshwater sawfish include: Araguaguá,
peixe-serra, & tubarão-serra (Portuguese), barabad (Kuyunon), barasan & pakangan (Bikol), barasan & tag-an (Tagalog),
buntok lagari (Kapampangan), cá dao (Vietnamese), caixaô (Sena), catanuda, dienton, pejesierra, pez peine, pez
rastrillo, & seirra (Spanish), chinyabanga & kashua (Zimbabwe-local dialects), cucut gergaji, cucut pedang, panprang,
parampang, pemperang, & prampran (Malay), cucut krakas, mungsing, panprang, parampang, pemperang, prampang, & prampran
(Javanese), ferskvandssavrokke (Danish), galwanyi (Bunuba & Gooniyandi Aboriginals), groottand-saagvis (Afrikaans), khandere & shinshi (Marathi), kleingezahnter
sägefisch & Leichthardts sägefisch (German), krarin (Sranan), kumben-sorah & makarasravu (Malayalam), kundah (Oriya),
nga-man-swethi (Burmese), nokogiriei (Japanese), palangan (Pangasinan), papa upanga (Swahili), pial pial & wirridanyniny (Nyikina Aboriginal), poisson-scie grandent
(French), serra (Creole dialect of Portuguese), taghan (Visayan), trey thka & trey thkaw (Khmer), valameen (Tamil), wirrdani (Walmajarri Aboriginal), and zoetwaterzaagrog (Dutch).
In Africa, the freshwater sawfish occurs along the eastern coastline from at least as far south as Port Alfred
(south of Durban), commonly ascends the Zambezi River, is found off Madagascar, occurs at Zanzibar and probably
ranges north to Somalia. The presence of the freshwater sawfish in the Red Sea and as far north as the Mediterranean
Sea needs confirmation. This species is found off Pakistan and India, where it has been recorded far upriver in
freshwater. In the eastern Indian Ocean, the species ranges from the East Indies and Thailand to Indonesia and
Australia (from western Australia to the northern territory and Queensland). The freshwater sawfish occurs off
Vietnam in the South China Sea, throughout the Philippines (where the local population appears to have greatly
declined), south through Borneo and east to Papua New Guinea.
Examples of inland water bodies where it has been documented include the Zambezi River (east Africa), 40 miles
(64.4 km) up the Mahanudde River (India), 38.5 miles (62.0 km) up the Menam Chao Phya River (Thailand), Mekong
River below Khone Falls (Thailand and Laos), the Fly River and Lake Murray (Papua New Guinea), and the Daly,
Gilbert, and Sepik rivers (northern Australia).
World distribution map for the freshwater sawfish.
This species is well known to occur far up river systems, including contiguous lakes and ephemeral ponds
(Australia), where it lives in freshwater conditions. Freshwater sawfish in northern Australia seem to
prefer these freshwater habitats during the wet season (December-March). During the dry season (May-October),
Australian freshwater sawfish seem to prefer estuaries and bays, along with coastal marine habitats. The
freshwater sawfish shares similar habitat preferences with the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), and these
two species can often be found occupying the same water bodies. Mature individuals may, at least seasonally,
utilize deeper offshore marine habitats.
- · Distinctive Features
All sawfishes are highly modified and elongate rays having a shark-like body and a blade-like snout (termed 'rostrum')
that has lateral, tooth-like denticles (termed 'rostral teeth') set into sockets. The presence of a rostrum having
laterally protruding teeth separates sawfishes from all other skates and rays.
The freshwater sawfish can be distinguished from sawsharks (Pristiophorus spp.) by its lack of barbels, dorso-laterally
compressed body, ventrally located gills (not laterally), large size, preference for shallow water habitats, and its
similarly-sized rostral teeth.
The rostral teeth of the freshwater sawfish are particularly massive compared to those of other sawfishes, except
that of the largetooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti). The rostral tooth count for freshwater sawfish varies between
14 and 23 (typically 18-20) per side. The rostral teeth may number more on one side of the rostrum than the opposing
side in this species, the left side usually having the greater number. In two separate studies, researchers found a significant difference in the numbers of
rostral teeth per side in males compared with that of females (termed'sexual dimorphism'). In both studies, males
appeared to have a greater average tooth count per side than did females (males average 20.9, females average 18.9),
regardless of geographic area. Male freshwater sawfish may have slightly longer rostra than do females of the same
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the knifetooth sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata) by its sharply
pointed rostral teeth (versus blade-like), the first pair of rostral teeth being located near the rostral base,
its tapering and broad rostrum, and a less developed lower caudal fin lobe.
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata) by the more anterior first
dorsal fin position, the presence of a lower caudal fin lobe, and the rostral teeth being evenly towards the
rostral tip (versus slightly closer to each other). In addition, the freshwater sawfish reaches a larger maximum
size (6.0 m or larger versus 3.1 m total length) than does the dwarf sawfish.
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) by the fewer average
number of rostral teeth per side (14-23, versus 20-34), the broad and tapered rostrum, the presence of a
lower caudal fin lobe, greater width of the pectoral fins, more robust body, and the position of the first
dorsal fin origin anterior to the pelvic fins.
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the largetooth sawfish by its geographic range. The morphology of
these two species is indistinguishable.
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the green sawfish (Pristis zijsron) by the fewer number of rostral
teeth per side (14-23, versus 23-37), the position of the first dorsal fin origin anterior


MNN Galleries
7 green things our grandparents did
Bucket for collecting rain water
Photo: Chrysaora/Flickr
5 of 9
'Rain, rain, don't go away'
Here's another commonsense green lesson to take away from our grandparents' time. Rain is free. We pay for water. Why not collect free rainwater and slash the water bill? A rain barrel will save most homeowners about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months. Also, diverting water from storm drains can alleviate stressed water systems and conserve limited resources, especially if you live in an arid climate. For an easy primer on rain barrels and how to make your own, check this out.


text:
Employers place a strong emphasis on essential skills in the workplace. Essential skills are used in nearly every occupation, and are seen as 'building blocks' because people build on them to learn all other skills.
Each profile contains a list of example tasks that illustrate how each of the 9 essential skill is generally performed by the majority of workers in an occupation. The estimated complexity levels for each task, between 1 (basic) and 5 (advanced), may vary based on the requirements of the workplace.
Supervisors in this unit group supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers engaged in logging operations and silvicultural operations. They are employed by logging companies, contractors and government agencies.
- Encounter bad weather which causes production delays. For example, strong winds may make it too dangerous to conduct aerial surveying of harvest, plantation and fire sites. Supervisors use alternative methods such as reviewing maps and other support materials to survey sites and develop work plans. (2)
- Experience difficulty contacting crews working in isolated areas. Supervisors may test their radio equipment and ask other crews working in nearby areas to make contact either by radio or by travelling to the sites. Supervisors try to establish contact quickly since maintaining close contact is a safety requirement. (2)
- Receive supplies and equipment that don't meet specifications and job needs. For example, a silviculture supervisor finds that the seedlings delivered to a remote planting block are inconsistent with contract specifications. The supervisor checks all the boxes to determine which seedlings are suitable and then calls the supplier to arrange for delivery of any available stock. (2)
- Discover that accidents have resulted in crew injuries. They ensure first aid and other needed medical attention are provided, take measures to correct unsafe work conditions, gather information for the completion of accident reports and locate alternate crew members to maintain production schedules. (3)
- Experience conflicts among crew members and resistance from workers to assigned tasks or procedures. They try to listen to the workers' points of view, deal fairly with them and apply union rules where applicable. They offer logical arguments and technical guidance such as suggesting safer ways to fall hazardous trees and easier ways to dig seedling holes. (3)
- Deploy workers and machinery for efficient production. For example, a silviculture supervisor assigns more capable crew members to plant rough areas of a block. A firefighting crew leader decides not to send inexperienced recruits to look for an elusive water source. (2)
- Choose times and locations for inspection, employee monitoring and data collection activities. They consider the type of work being performed at various sites and the challenges crews may encounter. They also follow regulated inspection frequencies for work rated at various risk levels. (2)
- May choose woodlots to buy and select sawmills to offer logs for sale. They consider factors such as the locations of the woodlots, the species of harvestable trees, the difficulty of getting the logs out of the woodlots and transporting them to buyers and the conditions owners place on contracts. (3)
- Decide to allow small variations from silviculture prescriptions and logging contract stipulations. For example, a logging supervisor may allow workers to fall trees beyond harvest boundaries; not doing so would create a hazard for the crew. (3)
- Decide to suspend work because of poor weather or other hazardous conditions. They analyze weather reports, terrain and ground conditions, the type of work planned and safety regulations to determine if it is safe and productive for crew to continue working. For example, supervisors may decide to call in crews during severe windstorms that may topple dead trees and bring down 'widow makers.' They may decide that road conditions are too unstable to allow transportation of crew and equipment into work areas. (3)
Job Task Planning and Organizing
- Assess the quality of production. They monitor production records, conduct inspections and take measurements. For example, boom supervisors check that booms are constructed to specifications and examine booms to ensure gear is applied securely. Silviculture supervisors measure the depth of seedling holes dug by planters and calculate the density of plantings to judge if the seedlings are planted correctly and will become viable plantations. (2)
- Evaluate the effectiveness of work plans and strategies both during and at the completion of jobs. For example, a firefighting crew leader observes fire behaviour in response to the crew's containment strategies to assess if their efforts are effective or should be adjusted. A silviculture supervisor reviews each step at the completion of a job to analyze what worked well, what did not and what actions could improve the crew's experience on the next assignment. (3)
- Assess the feasibility of work contracts and harvest prescriptions. For example, they analyze the topography, locations of trees and conditions of roads to assess if contracted work will be feasible within specified times and costs. (3)
- Evaluate the suitability of candidates when participating in hiring processes. They review resumes and observe candidates during interviews and training sessions to judge experience, physical skills, knowledge, stamina, attitude and temperament. Supervisors' evaluations are critical for the building of crews that are skillful, safety-conscious, motivated and cohesive. (3)
- Evaluate the safety of work conditions and procedures. Safety is the highest priority for supervisors of crews working in this highly dangerous industry. Supervisors take measurements and follow safety regulations, but they also rely on their own observations, experience and intuition. For example, a logging supervisor judges the degree of safety with which a dangerous tree can be felled by considering the location, condition and lean of the tree and surrounding trees. The supervisor also considers the direction and velocity of winds, the steepness of slope, how wet the ground is, the adequacy of escape routes and the skill levels of the faller. (3)
Own Job Planning and Organizing
Supervisors in logging and forestry generally organize their own tasks to ensure their crews complete logging and silviculture jobs efficiently and according to specifications. Some supervisors, such as logging contractors, are self-employed; they set their own production targets and schedules through purchasing timber lots and negotiating work contracts. Supervisors who work for organizations receive job assignments from their managers. For example, they may be assigned to clear lengths of right of ways, replant specified logged off areas, and harvest specified cut blocks. Regardless of their employment status, supervisors organize their own tasks to survey work sites, deploy crew members and equipment, carry out inspections, conduct worker training sessions, and attend meetings with managers and land owners. They frequently adjust their schedules to accommodate problems such as poor weather, equipment breakdowns and crew injuries. (3)
Planning and Organizing for Others
Supervisors in logging and forestry plan the work of their crews. They create work schedules, allocate duties and ensure that tasks are coordinated with the schedules of other crews and service providers. They also contribute to strategic planning decisions such as purchasing new equipment, changing work procedures and training employees. (3)
Significant Use of Memory
- Remember the skills and aptitudes of crew members. For example, they remember which workers know how to use global positioning equipment and which can fall hazardous trees safely.
- Remember commonly-applied safety and forest management regulations. For example, they remember the numbers of workers with first aid certifications required for crews of given sizes and the procedures required when working near riparian and other sensitive zones.
- Remember topographical features of work sites and routes to and within worksites. For example, a boom foreperson remembers the water depths at various parts of a bay to plan positioning of anchor lines. A firefighting crew leader remembers routes and distances to water sources to plan pump and hose requirements.
- Find information about supplies, equipment and services by searching suppliers' web sites and talking to salespeople, reading industry publications and speaking with co-workers, colleagues and managers. (2)
- Find information about work assignments and procedures. They consult documents such as forest management plans and contracts. They also speak with managers, land owners, engineers and government agency personnel. For example, a forest fighting crew leader consults an Incident Action Plan and attends briefings by fire management leaders to find information such as the major objectives of a firefighting operation, medical procedures, communications plans and latest developments in the operation. (3)
- Find information about accidents and incidents. They examine the sites of accidents and incidents and talk with the people directly involved and other witnesses to investigate the circumstances surrounding the events to prepare accurate reports. (3)
Other Essential Skills:
Working with Others
Supervisors in forestry and logging lead and supervise work crews in carrying out logging and silviculture operations. They coordinate crews in performing work such as road construction, tree falling, log yarding and loading and tree planting. They integrate their own activities closely with those of crew members to monitor the work performance and help solve problems. They also communicate with other supervisors, managers and contractors to coordinate job tasks for efficient and safe production. (3)
Supervisors in logging and forestry engage in continuous learning to stay abreast of changes in practices and regulations. They learn continuously through day-to-day work experience, reading industry publications and by talking with co-workers and colleagues. They are required by government regulations to maintain certifications in skill areas such as first aid, firefighting and the operation of chainsaws and mechanical harvesting equipment. Supervisors may take training in supervisory skills such as conflict management, accounting and computer use. Supervisors may also choose to expand their knowledge by attending seminars and taking courses in logging and forestry regulations, woodlot management and identification of tree diseases and insect pests offered by government agencies, industry associations, colleges and universities. (3)


Project Terra Nation Simulation Game
Project Terra is an advanced, complex, and free online nation simulation game that aims for total realism through continuous development and improvements. This game presents the player with thousands of options. Choose from among various government systems, which laws you wish to propose, a mega-city's worth of buildings to construct, what resources to trade (and which resources you will keep), all while managing your population and workforce, and building, researching, and deploying numerous military units. With over 50 complex, interactive nation variables allowing you to lead a revolution, form a new nation, and rule it as you choose!
Create a leader and forge a powerful nation reflecting your goals and values, from a military superpower to an industrial powerhouse. Your population, resources, and income all grow in real time and make use of some advanced coding features. The best way to find out about the game is to register and play for free!
Follow Us
Or Share Us


Quick Answer: Who Killed Mozart?
What illness did Mozart die of?
The many modern medical diagnoses explaining Mozart's death include tuberculosis, mercury poisoning, syphilis, rheumatic fever, kidney failure due to chronic glomerulonephritis, Henoch–Schönlein purpura (a syndrome of bruising, arthritis, and abdominal pain, often accompanied by kidney problems), scarlet fever, and ….
Did Mozart die poor?
Mozart was a hedonist who was incapable of saving for bad times. He spent money when he had it and suffered when he did not. However, Mozart's life was not marked by poverty.
Who was the greatest composer of all time?
Ludwig van BeethovenThe German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven is widely regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived.
Who is better Mozart or Beethoven?
Who was Mozart's rival?
Antonio Salieri" In case you are living in Ch'pyangong and missed the news, the Shaffer play is about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his rival Antonio Salieri, and much of it is based on fact. Salieri was the court composer in the Vienna of Mozart's day, internationally famous, a prominent teacher, a man universally respected.
Who killed Mozart due to jealousy?
SalieriThis gripping though somewhat long-winded drama is not a musical, yet it's often underscored with music by the prolific and influential classical composer who died penniless at age 35. Amadeus is a work of imagination based on historical gossip that intensely envious Salieri actually poisoned Mozart.
Was Salieri responsible for the death of Mozart?
Salieri suffered a physical and mental breakdown in the autumn of 1823, was admitted to the Vienna general hospital, and in a deranged state of mind, accused himself of having killed Mozart. Quickly rumors spread throughout Vienna. … In the long run it was not Mozart, but Antonio Salieri who had been poisoned.
Did Mozart and Salieri ever meet?
Weber, Mozart's father-in-law, had heard it by 1803, and cold-shouldered Salieri ever after. And 20 years later it was still doing the rounds; Rossini joked about it when he met Salieri in 1822. … Then, in 1823, Salieri – hospitalised, terminally ill and deranged – is said to have accused himself of poisoning Mozart.
Did Mozart and Beethoven know each other?
Some historians, however, are skeptical that Mozart and Beethoven met at all. … Moreover, Mozart already had a pupil living in his home, the nine-year-old Johann Nepomuk Hummel. While it cannot be determined whether Beethoven actually met Mozart, it is more probable that he heard Mozart play.
At what age did Beethoven die?
56 years (1770–1827)Ludwig van Beethoven/Age at death
Did Mozart know Bach?
Mozart loved Bach's music. He made arrangements for strings of several fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier and composed original preludes to go with each.
Where is Mozart buried today?
Where was Mozart buried? The trouble all started because after Mozart died (December 5th, 1791), they buried him in a standard, unmarked plot in the St. Marx cemetery (now a park) in Vienna's third district.
Who Poisoned Beethoven?
Andreas WawruchFour months before his death in March 1827, Beethoven began suffering from excessive abdominal swelling, possibly due to cirrhosis. To drain the fluid, his physician, Andreas Wawruch, punctured his abdomen with a needle. Researchers have known since 2005 that Beethoven also suffered from severe lead poisoning.
Where is Mozart buried?
St. Marx Cemetery, Vienna, AustriaWolfgang Amadeus Mozart/Place of burial
What was Beethoven's IQ?
The IQs of 301 Eminent Geniuses according to Cox (1926) along with their Flynn Effect corrections.Alphabetical NameAdult IQIQ with Flynn EffectBayle165143Beaumarchais165143Beethoven165143Bentham18015866 more rows
Did Mozart hate the flute?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (_PHONE_) didn't play the flute, and once suggested he didn't even like it. But as WRTI's Susan Lewis reports, he went on to write music that makes the instrument sing…and dance!
Why did Mozart die at the age of 35 years?
In November 1791 the composer fell ill with a serious disease and died two weeks later at the age of 35. … The death certificate states he died of "severe miliary fever". Exactly which disease led to Mozart's death has been a mystery for the last 200 years.
Who hated Mozart?
SalieriGossip that Salieri hated Mozart or even tried to poison him seems to have originated after Mozart's death in 1791. Though Salieri mourned Mozart at his funeral and even later taught Mozart's son, he was soon linked with ugly accusations that he had caused the composer's demise.
At what age Mozart died?
35 years (1756–1791)Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/Age at deathMozart died 225 years ago today. He was only 35. The cause of Mozart's death is a medical question that has endured as long as his music.
Who is older Bach or Mozart?
Bach was born in 1685 and died in 1750. Mozart (1756 –1791) was not even born until after Bach had died. Bach was 50 when he fashioned the Christmas Oratorio. A man at the height of his powers, he had two more decades of fruitful work ahead of him.
Is Mozart deaf?
Beethoven's disability: He was blind… Mozart went deaf though.


text:
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
Acute buttock muscle strain: Acute injury or damage to the muscles in the buttock (gluteal) area. See detailed information below for a list of 6 causes of Acute buttock muscle strain, Symptom Checker, including diseases and drug side effect causes.
The following medical conditions are some of the possible
causes of Acute buttock muscle strain.
There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor
about your symptoms.
Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Acute buttock muscle strain, as listed in our database. Visit the Symptom Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.
Review further information on Acute buttock muscle strain Treatments.
Some of the comorbid or associated medical symptoms for Acute buttock muscle strain may include these symptoms:
Research the causes of related medical symptoms such as:
The list below shows some of the causes of Acute buttock muscle strain mentioned in various sources:
This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Acute buttock muscle strain. Of the 6 causes of Acute buttock muscle strain that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:
The following list of conditions have 'Acute buttock muscle strain' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.
Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Acute buttock muscle strain or choose View All.
Ask or answer a question about symptoms or diseases at one of our free interactive user forums.
Medical story forums: If you have a medical story then we want to hear it.
Doctor-patient articles related to symptoms and diagnosis:
These general medical articles may be of interest:
Search Specialists by State and City


To Top
How Parenthood Can Affect Your Romance
The transition into parenthood is a psychological process and a huge period in a couple's life. For most people, having their first child and becoming a parent is one of the best moments in their life. However, parenthood may affect a couple's romantic relationship. This is because you have to deal with the needs and demands of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. According to research, parenthood can affect the marital happiness of a couple either positively or negatively.
Every couple's experience after the birth of their first child is different. For some, the transition to parenthood is smooth and strengthens their relationship. On the other hand, for other couples, it can be tedious and stressful, making them more distant from each other. Becoming a parent also brings more duties and responsibilities, hence couples having less time for each other. According to studies, couples who become parents are less likely to share romantic moments, unlike before they had their first child.
Factors that may affect new parents' romantic relationship.
Factors such as age and how stable you are in life will affect your transition into parenthood. For example, older parents are less likely to become depressed compared to younger parents. This means that parents who are in their early 20s seem to have a harder time, usually as they are struggling to change from adolescents to full-blown adults. At the same time, having their first child; they are learning how to be parents.
Was the Pregnancy Planned?
Another factor that may affect the relationship between partners is whether the pregnancy was planned or not. If the pregnancy was unexpected, the couples will naturally face challenges in keeping their relationship healthy. Experts recommend that couples should agree on the best time to have their first child and share in the pregnancy by talking to each other about how they feel. During pregnancy, couples must discuss their plans and their emotional changes.
Number of Children
Couples who have two or more children tend to experience a huge workload both at home and outside, compared to those who only have one child. Several studies have confirmed that marital quality declines as couples have more children.
Relationship Tips for New Parents
Here are some tips on how new parents can keep their relationship romantic. Other than the tips given below, check out Happymatches for excellent first-date ideas that will help you keep your relationship healthy and romantic.
Get Enough Sleep
For new parents, a baby crying during the night makes sleeping unbearable. Lack of sufficient sleep may result in hostile behavior among couples, which may lead to conflicts and fights. Moreover, studies show that sleep debt results in poor mental performance due to fatigue.
Finding some time to sleep during the day will relax your mind, which makes you more efficient in your day-to-day tasks. Furthermore, a night of good sleep helps you control your emotions, thus avoiding unnecessary conflicts with your partner.
Be Appreciative
With the presence of a newborn who needs attention, along with several roles and responsibilities to undertake, most couples forget to appreciate each other for the little things. Lack of appreciation makes a romantic relationship boring. Despite acquiring added responsibilities as new parents, couples should appreciate each other to make the relationship enjoyable and fun.
 - Save
More in More
Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap


text:
1622; Oil on copper, 13-1/8 x 8 in.; The Saint Louis Art Museum
Still life was a frequent subject for Dutch and Flemish artists painting on a copper support, in part because copper facilitated the accurate depiction of flowers and other objects included in these highly detailed pictures. Van der Ast was renowned as a still life painter: an Amsterdam doctor of the time remarked of the artist, "In flowers, shells, and lizards, Beautiful." Van der Ast was led to painting on copper by his teacher and brother-in-law, Ambrosius Bosschaert I (Flemish, _PHONE_), the founder of a dynasty of flower and fruit still life painters, all of whom painted on this metal support.
The flowers shown in Van der Ast's painting bloom at different times of year, suggesting he made drawings or water color studies of individual flowers that he combined and varied in the studio within a single composition. The colors and textures of the shells in his paintings, including this one, are so explicitly rendered that they can be identified by modern conchologists. Here he has depicted a yellow picta (land snail) and a brown-and-white connus victoriae. Shells like these were brought to the Netherlands on the trading vessels of the East and West India Company and soon became prized collector's items, so much so that over-zealous collectors were satirized in the early seventeenth century as "shell fools."


Stephen F. Austin State University
Student Career Advocates
What is a Student Career Advocate?
Student Career Advocates (SCAs) wear many hats. They are, first and foremost, students. But they are also advisors, interview coaches, researchers and resource developers. They are mentors, presenters, program organizers and instructors. They are student leaders. In a nutshell, Student Career Advocates are the initial liaisons between students and the Career Services professional staff, and often the first point of contact when interacting with Career Services. But they are so much more than just that. We set our expectations high for our Student Career Advocates... and they exceed them every day.
So, what do SCAs do?
Why should I apply to be a SCA?
There are many reasons to be a Student Career Advocate; these are just a few:
What does Career Services look for in a potential SCA?
Career Services seeks out the highest of qualities when considering an applicant as a potential Student Career Advocate:
Are there any requirements to become an SCA?


text:
Digital PortfolioPoster Promotional Poster for a brand new course; Digital Portfolio
The poster merges computer programming with a concept of a Voronoi Diagram. In mathematics, a Voronoi diagram is a partition of a plane into regions close to each of a given set of objects. In the simplest case, these objects are just finitely many points in the plane (called seeds, sites, or generators). For each seed, there is a corresponding region consisting of all points of the plane closer to that seed than to any other. These regions are called Voronoi cells. The program code was built to generate different compositions each time it runs. Instead of a single point (seed) within partitions, each region creates a corresponding region within their Voronoi cells.


Sign up ×
I have a trivial question, but I hope that you don't mind helping. I often get confused with basic definitions.
Let F be a p-adic field. Then (from what I understand) $C_c^{\infty}(F)$ is the set of functions $f: F \to \mathbb{C}$ such that $f$ is locally constant and $f$ has compact support. Is the locally constant part the same as smooth or continuous (the $\infty$)? What exactly does smooth mean in this case?
Thanks, Tom
share|cite|improve this question
In the $p$-adic setting, smooth = locally constant. This is not the same as continuous. – Kevin Ventullo May 7 '11 at 23:27
If $F$ is a local field, then there is a continuous surjective map from $F$ to the Cantor set, but such a map can't be smooth. – S. Carnahan May 8 '11 at 1:51
4 Answers 4
up vote 8 down vote accepted
A function $f : F \to \mathbb{C}$ is said to be smooth provided that $f$ is invariant under translation by some open subgroup of $F$ (hence by some compact open subgroup). Notice that when $f$ has compact support, this is equivalent to requiring that $f$ be locally constant. I don't have time to cook up a counterexample at the moment (nor do I have one readily available, which I suppose is a problem), but without the compact support assumption this is definitely a stronger condition than locally constant.
More generally, if $\pi : F \to GL(V)$ is a complex representation of the additive (topological) group of $F$, a vector $v \in V$ is called smooth provided that there exists an open subgroup of $F$ which fixes $v$. Taking $V$ to be the space of all functions $f : F \to \mathbb{C}$ with the action of $F$ given by translations, one arrives at the definition above.
This is relevant when, for example, one studies induced representations of $p$-adic groups.
share|cite|improve this answer
Yes, you're right about the distinction between invariant by an open subset and locally constant. Sorry for my mistake. – Joël Cohen May 8 '11 at 4:23
Justin, for a locally constant but not uniformly locally constant function, just consider a sum of characteristic functions of balls with radii tending to 0, and centres wandering around (i.e., no cluster points). – L Spice May 8 '11 at 18:06
_USER_ Spice: Yes, I was picturing something like this but didn't want to trust my intuition in this non-Archimedean setting... – Justin Campbell May 8 '11 at 21:22
Actually I was rather sloppy: "wandering around" doesn't suggest the need to go very far, but the local compactness of $\mathbb Q_p$ means that I should have said that we were considering balls with centres tending to $\infty$. (I have at least avoided referring to the centre of a ball, that being an eminently Archimedean concept.) – L Spice May 9 '11 at 2:21
Smooth in this setting by definition means locally constant.
share|cite|improve this answer
So if differentiable means that $f'(x)$ exists, does it imply that infinitely differentiable = locally constant? – Ho Chung Siu May 8 '11 at 3:26
Actually, f′(x) does not make much sense since $f(x) \in \mathbb{C}$ and $x \in \mathbb{Q}_p$. – Joël Cohen May 8 '11 at 4:14
Yes :
smooth + compactly supported = locally constant + compactly supported
In this context, smooth means continuous with regards to the discrete topology on $\mathbb{C}$, meaning we just look at the algebraic structure of $\mathbb{C}$ (and we could just as well use $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$ instead). This is why smooth representations are sometimes also called algebraic in old litterature.
And as to why this is denoted $\mathcal{C}^{\infty}$, the only plausible explanation I could think of is an analogy with the case of real groups. I'd be glad if someone could provide an explanation.
share|cite|improve this answer
To acquire some sense of differential calculus over fields other than the standard real or complex (topological) fields, one might start by getting acquainted with this paper or other similar contributions of the same authors. Every topological field can be considered as a "topologized" module over the discrete topological ring $\mathbb Z$. So it is meaningfull to speak of differentiability and smoothness of maps between any topological fields in the BGN−sense. However, then the important determination axiom (see iii, p. 8 in the referred paper) is not satisfied, and so there need not be any uniquely determined derivatives.
The basic definition goes as follows. Consider a map $f:E\supseteq U\to F$ where $E,F$ are topologized modules over the topological ring $\boldsymbol R$ and $U$ is open in $E$. Writing $g^{[0]}=f$ and $U^{[0]}=U$ and $E^{[0]}=E$, recursively define $U^{[i+1]}=(U^{[i]})^{[1]}$ where $V^{[1]}=\{(w,z,t):w,w+tz\in V\}$, and $E^{[i+1]}=(E^{[i]})^{[1]}$ where $G^{[1]}=G\times G\times\boldsymbol R$ and the operation "$\times$" refers to the particular topologized module product inherent in the BGN−axioms. Then $f$ is smooth if there exists a sequence $g^{[i]}:E^{[i]}\supseteq U^{[i]}\to F$ of maps satisfying the property that $g^{[i]}(w+tz)=g^{[i]}(w)+tg^{[i+1]}(w,z,t)$ holds for $(w,z,t)\in U^{[i+1]}$. The maps $g^{[i]}$ need not be unique when the determination axiom is not satisfied.
share|cite|improve this answer
But the point here is that $\mathbb{C}$ is not an $F$-algebra. So there's no calculus involved when studying smooth complex (or $l$-adic) representations of a $p$-adic group. Now when you're interested in $p$-adic representations of $p$-adic groups, that a whole different story (and your paper is indeed useful for that case). – Joël Cohen May 8 '11 at 12:46
"So there's no calculus involved when studying smooth complex (or $l$-adic) representations of a $p$-adic group." Why then use such misleading phrases as $C^\infty$, "smooth"? You already referred to this in you answer. $C^\infty$ and "smooth" in the sense of some kind of differentiability are meaningfull only when basically speaking of a map $f:X\supseteq U\to Y$ where $X,Y$ are (topological or otherwise suitably structured) modules over the same (structured) ring, or more specifically, a field. – TaQ May 8 '11 at 17:56
TaQ: The word "smooth" does not mean anything about differentiability in the context of functions from p-adic fields to the complex numbers. Why use such a misleading term? The functions one cares about in the classical setting (complex domain, complex codomain) are genuinely smooth, so we simply adopt the word smooth to refer to the relevant class of functions in the new setting (p-adic domain, complex codomain) even though it really is not as calculus-like as you might wish. As von Neumann would say, you just get used to it. – KConrad May 8 '11 at 23:31
I edited my answer to explain that it is meaningfull to speak of differentiability of maps between $p$-adic and the complex field. (Unfortunately, the latex server did not manage to do its job properly although I checked that the code is correct!) So the language "one is used to" really is confusing. – TaQ May 9 '11 at 7:55
TaQ: where has the notion of differentiability of maps from Q_p to C which you are advertising been used in applications (i.e., not in papers just about definitions)? Continuous homomorphisms from the additive group Q_p to C* are locally constant, and this illustrates why continuous locally constant functions are the basic functions of interest from p-adic domains to archimedean domains. Look at Tate's thesis for a nontrivial application of these concepts. You're not going to get people to change terminology at this point. – KConrad May 9 '11 at 12:47
Your Answer


text:
Daisy chaining is the process of combining multiple extension leads or power leads.
Ashley Boyce, our in-house appliance safety testing expert, explains this in more detail in a previous article. However in summary there are two issues:
1 - Combining multiple extension cables and multi-socket adaptors increases resistance and
2 - Using multiple appliances simultaneously can very easily to overload the circuit.
Both of these issues cause heat which in turns creates a fire risk.
Some adaptors, such as many block or cube adaptors don't actually contain a fuse. Even when they do, a fuse can sustain a higher than rated current for a short time without blowing, which can also can lead to excessive heat build up within the plug, lead or appliance itself.
1. Where possible, desks or appliances should be moved close enough to a socket outlet that extension leads are not required.
2. If you do need an extension cable, use one that is the correct length – a 5m cable is better than 2 x 2.5m cables, as each plug-socket connection increases resistance. Equally, failing to unroll a longer cable also creates a risk of fire, as heat builds up in the unwound lead and can't dissipate naturally through the air.
4. Never overload the maximum capacity of a socket. A typical socket can handle 13A or approximately 3000W. Add up the current of each appliance you plan to plug in, to check that it doesn't exceed the maximum. Every appliance should have a sticker or label identifying the usage values.
Here are the average values for some typical office appliances:
So, you could safely charge 4 mobile phones simultaneously from a 4-way power bar (4 x 1A = 4A which is less than 13A), but a radiator or kettle should not share current from a socket with any other appliance.
Electrical Safety First offer a handy socket calculator. It is aimed at domestic users, but gives a great visual representation of how much power each item uses.
5. Regularly check for danger or signs of fire. Check cables, adaptors and unplug the appliance to check the underside of the plug. If adaptors, cables or plugs start to feel hot, if you smell burning or see signs of melting – stop using the appliances and unplug the extension leads or adaptors immediately. In addition, ensure that the adaptors are kept away from water and don't present a trip hazard.
6. Regular electrical testing will check the safety of your appliances, extension cables and assess sockets for damage. This will ensure you meet your obligations as an employer to provide a safe working environment (electricity at Work Regulations 1989). If you need advice on electrical testing, please contact Intersafe.
7. If you regularly rely on extension cables, consider using an approved electrical contractor to add more permanent sockets to your circuits. Don't forget to gain a minor works certificate which confirms that the modified circuits are safe and compliant with electrical regulations.


text:
These insectoid aliens were found on accident when the USS Dauntless accidentally jumped into thier home system. While intially alarmed, as we would be, the first contact protocul was used but to no avail. Despite being space fairing and having higher levels of technology there was no way to communitcate. the diffrences between the two of us simply made it impossible. We have the theory that part of thier communications are based on pheramones so humans are unable to sense and exude the same things. We did however exchange computers or at least small computers to attempt to learn thier language and they ours.
Right now they are not considered hostile, but as we cannot communicate they should be considered unpredictable.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I have a XML doc that is transformed to HTML but I want the result HTML to be as small as possible. So I must remove all white spaces and line endings. How can I do that?
share|improve this question
4 Answers 4
up vote 1 down vote accepted
is a good idea.
So is specifying the details of the output:
If the above still are not good enough, you can try altering the processing of text() nodes (thinking along the lines of DocBook's schema, where any text you explicitly wanted would be in tags, or similar):
You can use just match="text()" but that might be too aggressive as it is very vague--it will not necessarily kill the text you want (again, in your tags, or similar) as those text nodes will probably be processed implicitly by XSLT's built in templates.
share|improve this answer
You should be able to use strip-space:
share|improve this answer
xsl:strip-space will let you strip out whitespace from the result tree. Also make sure you don't generate extra whitespace in the stylesheet. That is, make sure instead of something like
use xsl:text
:
share|improve this answer
You should go with
share|improve this answer
Your Answer


text:
- Coccinia grandis is a perennial herbaceous vine. Also known as baby watermelon, it can grow up to 9 ft. (2.7 m) in length. In one day, it can grow up to 4 in. (10.2 cm).
- The stems are mostly glabrous and produced annually from a tuberous rootstock. The tendrils are simple and axillary. The alternate leaves are simple with the blade broadly ovate, 5-lobed, 2-3.5 in. (5-9 cm) x 1.6-3.5 in. (4-9 cm). Foliar surfaces are glabrous or scaly.
- The five petaled white flowers are about 1.2-1.8 in. (3-4.5 cm) long. They bloom from August-September.
- The fruit are smooth, bright red and ovoid to ellipsoid berries about 1-2.4 in. (2.5-6 cm) long.
- Ecological Threat
- Coccinia grandis vines grow over and smother vegetation, and cover fences and power lines. Infestations of Coccinia grandis threatens both natural and managed areas. It is difficult to control because plants regrow from deep roots, even after treatment with herbicide. It is native to Africa and Asia.
- Global Invasive Species Database. 2011. Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission
- Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Flora of China, _URL_
- USDA NRCS PLANTS
- USDA ARS GRIN


text:
(il-ee-oh-SEE-kul valv) A valve that connects the lower part of the small intestine and the upper part of the large intestine (ileum and cecum). Controls the flow of fluid in the intestines and prevents backflow.
(n) a sphincter muscle located between the small intestine (ileum) and the colon (cecum).
The valve-like structure formed by the flaps of the ileocecal opening. May prevent reflux of colonic contents into the small intestine. image
A fold of mucous membrane that guards the connection between the ileum and the cecum.
valve between the ileum of the small intestine and the cecum of the large intestine; prevents material from flowing back from the large to the small intestine
circular musculature in the ileum separating the small intestine from the large intestine
a valve that connects the bottom end of the small intestine (ileum) and the upper part of the large intestine (cecum). This valve controls the flow of fluid in the intestines and prevents backflow.
The ileocecal valve is situated at the junction of the small intestine (ileum) and the large intestine. It regulates the flow of chyme into the bowels.


text:
This slideshowpage is to help you write the conclusion section of a business report.
On this page: Explanation,
This section of the report has two parts:
- It reviews the main findings and results, and expresses them in general terms.
- It draws a main conclusion and links to the recommendations by showing a need for action.
It reviews the main findings and results, and expresses them in general
This part is also for busy readers who don't have time to read all of your
findings, and for readers who want to read an overview of the findings
before deciding whether to read the findings in detail.
Example from a report on developing tourism in Hong Kong:
The findings indicate that tourists are now looking for more than just a
shopping trip; they are seeking a complete experience with plenty of
attractions to visit, good service and a pleasant environment. Our market
research has shown, however, that Hong Kong simply does not have enough
attractions. The average visitor to Hong Kong stays here for just 3.5 days
and a shopping trip to Stanley market and a visit to Ocean Park are still
the main attractions for them.
Although findings are usually discussed in the Findings section, or in a
Discussion section after the findings, in some reports the conclusion also contains some discussion of the main
findings, in which the writer discusses possible reasons for them.
This may be because Hong Kong is seen as a small place,
that people can see in only a few days. Also, tourists may only be
interested in a few of the attractions offered in brochures. In
addition Hong Kong is expensive compared to other south-east Asian
destinations, and so is not suitable for an extended holiday.
It draws a main conclusion and links to the recommendations by showing a
need for action.
It can be concluded that to encourage visitors to stay longer (and hence
spend more money) and to get greater numbers to come here, Hong Kong must
develop a new and less polluted tourist-friendly infrastructure with new and
It is important not to give detailed recommendations in the conclusion
section. In the above example, the sentence 'Hong Kong must develop a new
and less polluted tourist-friendly infrastructure with new and exciting
attractions' is a general recommendation that leads into more detailed ones
which will be written in the Recommendations section.
- The Conclusion should give the main cause(s) of the problem or opportunity
that is the topic of the report.
- The section should summarise the main findings and link to the
- It should not include findings that are not related to the
- The Conclusion section comes after the Findings and any Discussion
- It comes before the Recommendations.
- Generally uses past tense to summarise the Findings, but you can use
present tense or the present perfect if you think that the Findings are still true now.
- The first part should be objective, in that pronouns such as'I '
should not be used.
To do this you can:
change the subject of the sentences; e.g. 'I
found that...' changes to'The findings indicate that...'; or
voice; e.g. 'I conclude that...' becomes'It can be concluded that...'
- In the second part, the lead-in to the recommendations, it is acceptable
to refer to your organisation as 'We', or by its name; e.g.'The PolyU
should address these issues.'
- Matching Nouns and Verbs for Reports
- an exercise in choosing the right vocabulary for reports.
- Business reports are often about staff. More information about how to use
the word staff
correctly is available.
Style and Tone
- This section should be formal.
- Like most formal business writing, it should be clear, concise, and
- The conclusion is usually shorter than the Findings and the
- The conclusions of business reports tend to be less tentative than those
of academic reports.
The fire was caused by an electrical fault in the 30-year-old wiring of the building, which was installed by an unregistered
contractor and had not been maintained or inspected for 5 years. The
incident was made worse by the lack of safety training for the building
occupants, the blocked fire exits and the non-functioning fire-fighting
In order to prevent future fires, ensure safety, reduce insurance
premiums, and avoid legal liability, the building management company must
improve facilities and training.
Please close this window to return to the web page containing the exercise.
Choose the correct option from the drop-down boxes, then click the 'Show
Answers' button below:
If you have any suggestions or questions, please e-mail us at
hits since 2 April 2008.


the database, place it in session, and populate the chart data passed to Flash with some default data. On successive calls to updateChart with updated chartParams, ChartData returns different slices of the dataSet.
Some auxiliary functions filter the dataSet and create the topology that will allow the client to drill down and summarize. Among the class variables is the database connection information; you may have to change these to match your local environment. In a Nutshell
As external ActionScript 2.0 scripts, much like Java class files, may only implement classes and import other classes, a wrapper class defines the behaviors the movie should exhibit. From the perspective of code reuse and change control, this pattern is preferable to spreading little bits of code across a Flash movie.
One exception is animation effect-specific code; such code is usually brief and drives purely aesthetic functions of the movie. In our example, the movieClip "bar" has some attached ActionScript to produce the "growing bars" effect. The wrapper class in the example, chartExampleActions, has the following important points:
PHPObject.defaultGatewayKey = "secret";
PHPObject.defaultGatewayUrl = "http://localhost/oclflash/Gateway.php";
_root.chartData = new PHPObject("ChartData");
This sets the "secret key" and the location of the gateway and creates an instance of ChartData, making it available to the Flash movie. As soon as the constructor successfully completes in PHP, it will trigger the onInit method you define for your instance:
_root.chartData.onInit = function() {
 chart.throbber._visible = false;
 chart.chartTitle.text = this.valueColumn;
 for(var a in this.axes){
Similarly, on successive calls to updateChart, ChartData fires the onResult method:
_root.chartData.onResult = function() {
 _root.chart.throbber._visible = false;
The other important function, drawChart, does the work of actually building the chart, adding logic and interactivity. With the chart.fla file open in the Flash environment, choosing File->Publish... will create an updated version of the swf in in your application directory. This will be necessary if you wish to serve application from a different location than the sample code is expecting.
On a Need-to-Know Basis
As I mentioned previously, PHPObject passes a synchronized copy of an object between Flash and PHP. Since many queries can result in large datasets, it is not always desirable to make these available to Flash. As you are only showing a slice of the results at a time, you can store the rest of data in the PHP session after retrieving it from Oracle. It will be available when next the server processes the object, but won't be passed to the client. Make sure you either have session_autostart enabled on your server or specify session_register() within your classfile—a more precise method and the one used here.
Furthermore, you can hide class functions from Flash (they won't be callable by the client) by setting an explicit list of client-visible functions. In our example, you only want to expose updateChart:
public $classMethods = array("updateChart");
By the way, remember that any remoting solution introduces some security risk to an application. No exhaustive checking is performed of the serialized object returned to PHP by Flash, an advantage of AMFPHP. A PHPObject class, like any regular PHP script, should never implement a means of executing arbitrary SQL on your database.
Flash provides a compelling means of deploying interactive Web elements, and using PHP with PHPObject serves as an efficient means of integrating Oracle data into an interactive component. Before immediately jumping on another interactivity bandwagon, try this one; it offers a great balance of development ease and browser support. Nick Bollweg [] is a Senior Programmer at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.
Send us your comments


Add to Cart
Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada
William Johnson was the first to write a book about Stephen Harper, and he has become the authority on Harper.
Who is this man? Everyone knows that he became leader of the Alliance Party and, against all odds, gathered in the old Conservative Party to create a force designed to win power. Yet what are his core beliefs? Where will he takes us now that he has gained power?
William Johnson has researched the Harper family background and the historical context that shaped Harper's political career. He paints a fascinating picture of a man who, like Pierre Trudeau, trained mentally for political power like an athlete training for the Olympics, yet is not a natural politician and never really wanted the political leader's life. By studying Harper's approach to the main issues in Canadian politics, he shows that Harper is a sophisticated political operative, far more complex and intellectual than the right-wing Republican image that has been created for him.
For the paperback edition, Johnson has updated this serious, objective biography with several new chapters taking us right up through Harper's early days in power.
Author Information
Richard LischerNotify me of new titles added by this author
Customer Reviews
Product Details
 - Published by
 Douglas Gibson Books
 - Publish Date
 September 18, 2006
 - Print ISBN
 - eBook ISBN
 - Filesize
 583.60 KB
 - Number of Print Pages*
 - Format
 Adobe DRM EPUB
Excerpt from Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada by Richard Lischer
Chapter 4
POLITICS WAS NOT FOR him. He did not want to be part of the politics he'd seen practised in Ottawa. But was there any other kind? He would find out.
Stephen Harper's year in Ottawa had not been wasted. Before his involvement in the 1984 elections, he had no interest in a career centred on Canada and Canadian issues. He was attracted to the world. He'd wanted to be a diplomat, representing Canada abroad. But now that he had seen Parliament in action, he had observed how the politicians failed to deal with the country's most pressing problems. He wanted to understand those problems and find their solution. The career path to fit his obsessions was the academic life. So, in June 1986, he was back in Calgary to work on a master's degree and then a Ph.D. in economics. Eventually, from a position in a university, he would develop and disseminate his own proposals on public policy.
The last thing on his mind was to become a member of Parliament. So says Jim Hawkes: "At that age I think he would have said very clearly he �wouldn't ever want to be an elected member. I think he saw up close the kind of lifestyle that it was, the kinds of things that you had to do -- sit for hours, sometimes months at a time, for people to reach consensus. It was a much clearer path, something he knew more about, being a university academic. It was something that he could do and do well, and you could still have influence from that kind of a platform. That's really what he came back to Calgary to do."
Cynthia Williams is equally certain. "I �don't think he ever wanted to be on camera. I'm sure of it. He liked being behind the scenes. I think he always believed that he could find the candidate that he could get behind, and work for that person. I think he saw himself as an economist. There's a problem, now here's an answer, nothing to whine about, and let's just get it done. And you �can't do that in Ottawa. All kinds of people have to be talked to, and feelings worked out -- he would have just wanted to get it done."
Harper was at heart a political economist, as Cynthia Williams con�firms. "His interests were economics. He's always believed that if you have strong financial management, then you can do all those other things that you want to do. With a good economy, you have more money for the arts, more money for social programs. I think he has always believed in the individual, too. He's always believed, get out of the way of the individual, �don't take so much off their cheques with taxes, and let society make the right choices."
So, at the age of twenty-�seven, Stephen began the life of a graduate student. But he would not wait until the end of his studies to develop his own views. He'd worked in the real world for three years after high school before returning to university for his first degree. He had then seen real politics from the inside. He was a mature student in every sense, and a quick study. He could not be content to absorb what his professors told him, read what they recommended, write papers, and get good marks, then get a good job in a good university. He was beyond that. Compulsively analytical, his character made him unable simply to play the game by the rules set by others. He had to know why and why not.
And so he now set off on a personal pursuit that was parallel to his studies. He began a vision quest that would soon lead him far from where he began. He deliberately entered into the labyrinth of human thought, down through the ages, on the human and political condition. He enrolled in a course on the history of philosophy and began systematically reading his way through the works of the great philosophers. Then, in one economics course, he asked his professor to recommend the great classical works in the field, the ones he should read to form a solid foundation. He was shocked when he was told, with a wink: "Steve, no one really reads the classic texts any more. We may talk about them, but we �don't actually read them." In fact, Stephen set about reading Adam Smith, the exponent of the "invisible hand" that guides the marketplace. He read David Ricardo's Principles of Economics and Taxation, in which the economist argued that international free trade was the best policy because all would be best served when each specialized in the products where each enjoyed a comparative advantage. He read the classical economists, but also the social and political philosophers David Hume, Edmund Burke, and Jeremy Bentham.
He was on his own journey.