survey tools used in previous studies.13,14 Core questions assessed: 1) parental/other relative smoking [Does your father/mother/brother(s)/other(s) family member(s) smoke? Answer: no, sometimes, yes]; 2- children's SHS exposure in the family car [Does your father/mother/brother(s)/other(s) smoke in the family car? Answer: always, sometimes and never]. The questionnaire was piloted among a small group of 4thgrade children and reviewed according to their feedback.
The survey was approved by the Portuguese Ministry of Education. Schools' principals received guidelines regarding parents'/carers' informed consent and the questionnaire application. Trained teachers and research fellows administrated the questionnaires in the classroom following a standardized procedure.
Prevalence rates were computed and chi-square tests were performed using the statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.
Of the participants, 52.0% reported at least one smoking parent. Overall exposure in the car was 28.9%. Children's exposure was 46.9% among those reporting smoking parents and 8.6% among those reporting non-smoking parents, (χ2 = 547.9; p<.001). Considering the total sample, SHS exposure was more than five times likely to be higher among children with smoking parents. This trend was observed in all regions, ranging from 2.32 in Azores to 7.12 in Madeira (Table 1).
Table 1. Prevalence of children's exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke in the family
car by parental smoking and region (Portugal, 2011).
a Exposure prevalence ratio calculated for each region and for Portugal by taking the result of
participants with non smoking parents as reference.
Portugal corresponds to the total sample, including the 7 main Portuguese Regions:
Alentejo, Algarve, Azores, Centre, Lisbon, Madeira and North.
n: number of exposed or non-exposed; N: sample; SHS: second-hand smoke.
The results show that for this sample of Portuguese 4th school grade school children, more than half has at least one smoker parent and, therefore, being at high risk of SHS and third hand smoke (THS) exposure in the family car. This is caused by their parents' smoking or by their parents' permissiveness to others' smoking in the family car.
The results also suggest than over one quarter of this group of Portuguese children was regularly exposed to SHS in the family car. Almost half of the subgroup with at least one smoker parent was exposed. Almost ten per cent of the children with both non-smokers parents was exposed. SHS exposure was more than five times more frequent in children with at least one parent who smokes when compared with children with no smoking parents. No statistically significant differences were observed amongst the various regions of Portugal included in this study. These findings suggest that Portuguese families are not aware of children vulnerability to SHS and are rather permissive to indoor car smoking.
These results are in line with those reported by other studies, confirming that children's exposure to SHS in the family car is high and strongly related with parental smoking behaviour.11
Nevertheless, the current study has some limitations. Firstly, the study used a narrow age range children sample (9-11 years old). This was justified by the need of a compromise between the participants' ages being as low as possible and their capacity to answer accurately to a self-administrated questionnaire. Another limitation is that data is based on perceived self-reported SHS exposure, without parental and/or biological validation. Nevertheless, research indicates that children' self-report SHS exposure is accurate.15 Thirdly, the sample representativeness at regional and at national level was limited by the sampling method and the small sample size in some regions. All these limitations are explained by budget constraints. Finally, there is no information on participants that do not have or do not use a family car. It is expectable that this information will potentially increase SHS exposure prevalence rates. Despite these limitations, we believe that this is the first study that evaluates Portuguese children's SHS exposure in the family car showing that this prevalence exposure is very high.
These results should be considered unacceptable regarding SHS hazards for children. This risk is totally avoidable since parents and public opinion are aware of its severity.1-6 The findings support the need for implementing comprehensive tobacco control policies to prevent children's SHS exposure, such as public health campaigns raising awareness on SHS health hazards and promoting smoke-free environments, as well as parental smoking cessation support. Banning smoking in cars, particularly when carrying children, has been considered in several countries. This tobacco control measure should be implemented to prevent children's exposure to SHS.
Editor in charge
Ma José López.
Contributions of authorship
All authors significantly contributed to this research project. JP, PDV, JCM, SBR, CS, HA and EB conceived the questionnaire and the study design. PDV, SBR, ACA, MR and JP gathered the data. Data analyses were conducted by JCM, and, to a lesser extent, by PDV. EB and JP supervised data analysis. All authors analysed and interpreted the data. PDV drafted the manuscript with the input of all authors. All authors have contributed to and approved the final manuscript.
Conflicts of interests
None declared.
The authors would like to thank the schools' board, the teachers and students that have participated in the study.
1. Oberg M, Jaakkola S, Woodward A, et al. Worldwide burden of disease from exposure to second-hand smoke: A retrospective analysis of data from 192 countries. Lancet. 2011;377:139-46. [ Links ]
2. World Health, Organization. Air Quality Guidelines for Europe. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2000. [ Links ]
3. International Agency for Research on, Cancer. Tobacco Smoke and Involuntary, Smoking., IARC. Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Lyon: IARC; 2004. [ Links ]
4. US., Environmental Protection, Agency. Respiratory health effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders. Washington, DC: US Environmental Protection Agency; 1992. [ Links ]
6. Oberg M, Jaakkola MS, Pruss-Ustun A, et al. Second-hand smoke-Assessing the Burden of Disease at National and Local Levels. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010. [ Links ]
7. Bogdanovica I, Szatkowski L, Britton J, et al. Smoking in cars in England: a study of school students in an English city. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:559. [ Links ]
8. Glover M, Scragg R, Min S, et al. Driving kids to smoke? Children's reported exposure to smoke in cars and early smoking initiation. Addict Behav. 2011;36:1027-31. [ Links ]
9. Jones MR, Navas-Acien A, Yuan J, et al. Secondhand tobacco smoke concentrations in motor vehicles: a pilot study. Tob Control. 2009;18:399-404. [ Links ]
10. Matt GE, Fortmann AL, Quintana PJ, et al. Towards smoke-free rental cars: an evaluation of voluntary smoking restrictions in California. Tob Control. 2013;22:201-7. [ Links ]
11. Sendzik T, Fong GT, Travers MJ, et al. An experimental investigation of tobacco smoke pollution in cars. Nicotine Tob Res. 2009;11:627-34. [ Links ]
12. Winickoff J, Friebely J, Tanski S, et al. Beliefs about the health effects of thirdhand smoke and home smoking bans. Pediatrics. 2009;123:e74-9. [ Links ]
13. Vitória PD, Cunha-Machado J, Araújo AC, et al. Children's exposure to tobacco smoke pollution at home by region: A cross-sectional study. Rev Port Pneumol. In press. [ Links ]
14. Precioso J, Samorinha C, Calheiros J, et al. Exposição das crianças ao fumo ambiental de tabaco (FAT). Avaliação de uma intervenção preventiva. Rev Port Pneumol. 2010;16:57-72. [ Links ]
15. Avila-Tang E, Elf JL, Cummings KM, et al. Assessing secondhand smoke exposure with reported measures. Tob Control. 2013;22:156-63. [ Links ]
Dirección para correspondencia:
Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde,
Universidade da Beira Interior
Av. Infante D. Henrique,
6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
E-mail addresses:,
(P.D. Vitória)
Received: 22 June 2014
Accepted: 27 October 2014


text:
Residues in fingerprints hold clues to their age
Police have long relied on the unique whorls, loops or arches encoded in fingerprints to identify suspects. However, they have no way to tell how long ago those prints were left behind—information that could be crucial to a case. A preliminary new study in ACS' Analytical Chemistry suggests that could change. Researchers report that they could link compounds contained in fingerprints with their age.
By determining the age of fingerprints, police could get an idea of who might have been present around the time a crime was committed. This information could, for example, contradict a suspect's explanation that he or she had visited earlier. Scientists have already begun mining fingerprint residues for clues to the identity of the person who made them, but timing has proven more difficult to reliably pin down. Notably, past research has shown that a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method succeeded in determining if prints were more or less than eight days old; however, investigators often need more precision. To get a better idea of when prints were deposited, Young Jin Lee and colleagues looked to reactions already suspected to take place in these residues, when ozone in air reacts with unsaturated triacylglycerols left by a fingertip.
Using prints collected from three donors, the researchers tracked shifting levels of triacylglycerols using mass spectrometry imaging, a technique that leaves the evidence intact. They found they could reliably determine the triacylglycerol degradation rate for each person over the course of seven days. But the rate differed among individuals, with one person's triacylglycerols declining more gradually than the others. The researchers attribute this difference to higher levels of lipids in that individual's fingerprints. The method also worked on residues that had been dusted with forensic powder. The researchers say that although a large-scale study is needed to better understand how lipid levels affect triacylglycerol degradation, this analysis is a first step toward developing a better fingerprint aging test.
More information: Paige Hinners et al. Determining Fingerprint Age with Mass Spectrometry Imaging via Ozonolysis of Triacylglycerols, Analytical Chemistry (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b04765
Journal information: Analytical Chemistry
Provided by American Chemical Society

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
.... and what to look for
Notice the difference in how flat these primers are.
Examining the flatness of your fired primers is the best way to read
chamber pressure. It's important to keep an eye on this when you're reloading. These 4 fired cases clearly show the different degrees
of chamber pressure, and this is an accurate representation when reloading any caliber. If you pay close attention to your fired cases, and
you slowly work your way to hotter loads, you'll avoid seeing any of the "serious" pressure signs.
Some brands of primers have a noticeably harder cup than others. This difference in hardness can cause a slight
variation in your pressure readings. Seating bullets too short or too long will affect chamber pressure considerably, and some types of powder
will increase pressure as the outside temperature increases. When you develop maximum loads in the winter, beware of the pressure increase
when using those handloads in the heat of summer.
- Very mild load (this is too mild).
- Mild load.
- This is an ideal load (could go just a bit hotter).
- Absolute Maximum load (approach this pressure very carefully).


What is Isoclast™ active?
Discovered by and proprietary to Dow AgroSciences, Isoclast™ active is a new insecticide developed to manage hard-to-control and economically important sap-feeding insect pests. Isoclast provides excellent knockdown and residual control and is highly effective at low use rates.
How it works?
Because of its translaminar action, Isoclast™ active protects the entire plant leaf (not just the side sprayed), which helps control pests hidden in the crop canopy or on the undersides of leaves. Isoclast is also an excellent rotation partner within insect resistance management programmes.
Available data on Isoclast indicates a broad lack of cross-resistance in many sap-feeding insect strains resistant to other insecticides. In the field, Isoclast controls insect populations known to be resistant to older types of insecticides such as neonicotinoids, carbamates, organophosphates and pyrethroids.
Good fit with IPM programmes
When applied at proposed field-use rates, Isoclast™ active causes no harm to natural enemy populations, such as assassin bugs, big-eyed bugs, braconid wasps, green lacewings, lady beetles, minute pirate bugs and spiders. No evidence of outbreaks of secondary insect or mite pests (often called "flaring") has been observed. Isoclast is a valuable rotation partner with other chemistries and has a robust lack of cross resistance with existing insecticides.
Isoclast has been used in millions of hectares worldwide over several growing seasons with no reported harm to honey bees.
Discover the Isoclast™ active Story
Why Isoclast™ active is a vital part of the farmer's toolkit.
Key Features
Effective at low use rates
Excellent knockdown and residual control
Excellent translaminar and systemic activity
Effective against insect pest populations resistant to other insecticides
Valuable rotation partner with other chemistries
Minimal impact on beneficial insects, including bees and natural enemies, when applicators follow label directions for use


1. Keystone Security Monitor
The security monitor (SM) is trusted software that runs in M-mode, and forms the trusted computing base (TCB) in Keystone system. The SM is the most important software in Keystone as it provides most of the security guarantees. The SM provides the following functionality:
 1. Memory Isolation using RISC-V PMP
 2. Remote Attestation (Signatures and measurement)
 3. Enclave Thread Management
 4. System PMP Synchronization
 5. Side-Channel Defenses
Version 0.1 only implements 1, 2, and 3, supporting single-threaded enclave.
The security monitor must be verified by the root of trust in hardware before being trusted. After the root of trust measures the SM it generates a keypair for remote attestation, signs the public key, and then continues booting. See Chain of Trust for details.
The OS and enclaves may call SM functions using the supervisor binary interface (SBI), which is implemented in RISC-V environment calls (i.e., ecall instruction). See SBI Documentation for details.
1.1. Specific platforms
1.2. PMP Internals
PMP allows for N (platform defined) entries, which are configured using a config (cfg) and address (addr) register each. There are further details available in the RISC-V specification section 3.6.
In Keystone we refer to the section of memory that an enclave uses as a region and each region is defined by a PMP entry.
1.3. Memory Isolation using RISC-V PMP
The SM currently consumes two PMP entries for its own uses (i.e., security monitor memory and untrusted memory). Each of the remaining PMP entries may be consumed by one active enclave each.
To understand how the SM utilizes PMP, we need to know several properties of RISC-V PMP:
 1. Prioritized by Index
 PMP entries are statically priortized by their index, with a check stopping at the highest priority matching. Indices run from 0..N (where N is platform defined), with 0 having the highest priority, and N having the lowest. Thus, the access permissions to a physical address should be of the lowest-index PMP entry among the matched ones.
 2. Default Deny
 If no PMP entry matches with an address, the memory access will be rejected by default.
 3. Dynamically Configurable by M-mode
 M-mode can write to PMP CSRs during runtime to define PMP entries dynamically. A TLB flush is required after reconfiguration.
 4. Addressing Modes
 PMP supports two addressing modes: naturally-aligned power of two (NAPOT), or top-of-range (TOR). TOR consumes adjacent PMP entry's address register for the bound address to allow shared boundaries efficiently. Ex: Two ranges of 0-2048 and 2048-4096 uses 3 entries, 0, 2048, 4096.
At the very beginning of the boot process, physical memory is not accessible by U- or S-modes because of property 2 as shown in the diagram below.
For ease of understanding, we denote PMP entries as pmp[i] where i is an index.
There are N PMP entries.
-: inaccessible (NO_PERM), =: accessible (ALL_PERM)
pmp[1:N] | | : undefined
The SM sets the first PMP entry to cover the address range containing itself (0x80000000-0x80200000), and sets all permission bits to 0. The SM then sets the last PMP entry to cover the entire DRAM and sets all permission bits to 1, allowing the OS to access the rest of the memory and start booting. Because of the property 1, the net result will be as follows:
pmp[0] |-------| | : SM memory
pmp[others] | | : undefined
When the SM creates an enclave, it will assign a PMP entry to the enclave to protect its memory from other U-/S-mode software.
pmp[1] | |---------| | : enclave memory
pmp[others] | | : undefined
net result |-------|======|---------|===============|
When the SM enters the enclave (executes the enclave), it flips the permission bits of the enclave's PMP entry and the last PMP entry. In addition, Keystone allows the OS to allocate an additional contiguous memory region in the OS memory space so that the enclave can use it as a communication buffer. The buffer is called untrusted shared buffer.
pmp[1] | |=========| | : enclave memory
pmp[others] | | : undefined
pmp[N] | |==| | : untrusted shared buffer
net result |-------|------|=========|-------|==|----|
When the SM exits the enclave, it simply flips the permission bits back. When the SM destroys an enclave, it clears the PMP entry so that other enclaves can use it.
1.4. Remote Attestation
The goal of remote attestation is to prove to a remote client that the enclave contains the program expected, and is running on hardware that is trusted. In Keystone this involves a few cryptographic operations including ECDSA signature and SHA-3 hash.
For more detail about the remote attestation process, see Remote Attestation.
1.5. Enclave Context Management
The Keystone SM manages enclave context (e.g., general purpose registers, trap vector, etc) and the status of each hardware thread. When an enclave enters and exits, the SM performs the following steps to switch between trusted and untrusted contexts:
 1. Update thread status
 2. Save the previous context
 3. Restore the next context
 4. Flip PMP permissions
 5. Flush TLB
1.6. Building platform specific modules
You can re-configure and re-build the bbl in the build directory:
../configure \
 --enable-sm \
 --with-target-platform= \
 --host=riscv64-unknown-linux-gnu \
 --with-payload=
Each platform directory contains a top-level C file that handles the module.
For example, --with-target-platform=fu540 will include sm/platform/fu540/fu540.c in the SM. Each of the directories contains the hooks for each platform.
The platform directory sm/platform contains all current platform specific supports.
Currently that is: default and fu540 directories.
1.7. System PMP Synchronization
System PMP is not supported yet.
1.8. Side-Channel Defense
The FU540 module supports cache side-channel defenses.
1.9. Current Enclave Lifecycle
digraph G {
 node [color=gray]
 Invalid -> Allocated [color=blue,label="allocate_eid\n(create_enclave)"];
 node [color=orange]
 Allocated -> Fresh [color=orange,label="create_enclave\nafter\nvalidate and hash"];
 node [color=red]
 Allocated -> Destroying [color=red,label="destory_enclave\n(first step)"];
 node [color=green]
 Fresh -> Running [color=green,label="run_enclave"];
 Running -> Stopped [color=yellow1,label="exit/stop_enclave"];
 Stopped -> Running [color=green,label="resume_enclave"];
 Destroying -> Invalid [color=gray,label="free_eid\n(destory_enclave\nlast step)"];


text:
Canto general is an expression of intercultural rhetoric in Latin American and unfolds at four defined levels: 1) the one of language, 2) of literary structure, 3) of figurative and symbolic structures and 3) of world vision. The poet displays an ample register, from the formal to the colloquial, while framing his work within the parameters of epic genre. His metaphoric spectrum is wide and pays tribute to the various pre-Columbian cultures. Furthermore, in Canto general we find the displaced individual, the decentered one that moves from one place to the other in a dynamic manner, and one whose memory is fragmented besides. Thus, Neruda traces Latin American history back from its origins to present day.
|Original language||American English|
|State||Published - 1 Jan 2017|


text:
Calf thymus DNA characterization and its adsorption on different silica surfaces
MetadataShow full item record
DNA adsorption is the initial stage of gene therapy for drug delivery systems and solid phase extraction methods of DNA purification. High pore volume and high adsorption capacity are simple requirements not only for producing'smart' drug delivery systems but also the development of purification kits. Silica is the most used material for this purpose. The present study aimed at elucidating the calf thymus DNA biosorption process by the characterization of calf thymus DNA and silica to increase the efficiency of the currently used silica material. Mesoporous silica has long been used for DNA adsorption and silica aerogel is the new adsorbent investigated in the present study. When DNA solution was freeze dried on a silica wafer, self-assembled super helices formed as shown by atomic microscopy (AFM). Thus DNA existed not as single molecules but as large sized agglomerates in water. Thus it could be adsorbed in the macropores and on the external surface of adsorbents. Adsorption of calf thymus DNA to a silica aerogel, a mesoporous silica gel and a silica wafer was investigated in the present study. Silica aerogel was synthesized from TEOS by a supercritical ethanol drying process. The DNA adsorption capacity of the silica aerogel was nearly two times that of the mesoporous silica gel due to its macroporous structure and its higher silanol content. Silica aerogel was found to be a very promising material for DNA adsorption. Therefore silica aerogel can be considered as a good candidate for the delivery of DNA.


Books tagged: the scarlet letter
Found 2 results
Aprenda Ingles! Learn Spanish! LA LETRA ESCARLATA: En Ingles y Espanol
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 139,320. Language: English. Published: April 21, 2012 by Kryptic Books. Category: Fiction » Historical » USA
THE SCARLET LETTER/LA LETRA ESCARLATA: This unique book features paragraph by paragraph translations from English to Spanish, allowing the reader to learn Spanish vocabulary and sentence structure while enjoying a classic. This is a fun and affordable way to learn a second language. Previous experience with Spanish is recommended, but ambitious beginners are welcome to give it a try.
The Scarlet Letter: Review Guide
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 5,110. Language: English. Published: February 17, 2013. Category: Nonfiction » Education and Study Guides » Study guides - Literature
This eBook is a short and concise review guide of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The review includes a short summary of the whole novel, major themes in the novel and explanations of those themes relations to the book, a character guide with brief details on the characters, and chapter reviews written in bullet point that go into more detail than the book summary.


text:
CGI::Pretty - module to produce nicely formatted HTML code
CGI::Pretty is a module that derives from CGI. It's sole function is to allow users of CGI to output nicely formatted HTML code.
When using the CGI module, the following code: print table( TR( td( "foo" ) ) );
produces the following output: foo
If a user were to create a table consisting of many rows and many columns, the resultant HTML code would be quite difficult to read since it has no carriage returns or indentation.
CGI::Pretty fixes this problem. What it does is add a carriage return and indentation to the HTML code so that one can easily read it.
- print table( TR( td( "foo" ) ) );
now produces the following output: foo
CGI::Pretty is far slower than using CGI.pm directly. A benchmark showed that it could be about 10 times slower. Adding newlines and spaces may alter the rendered appearance of HTML. Also, the extra newlines and spaces also make the file size larger, making the files take longer to download.
With all those considerations, it is recommended that CGI::Pretty be used primarily for debugging.
The following tags are not formatted: , , ,

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Verbal autopsy of 80,000 adult deaths in Tamilnadu, South India.
Gajalakshmi V., Peto R.
BACKGROUND: Registration of the fact of death is almost complete in the city of Chennai and not so in the rural Villupuram district in Tamilnadu, India. The cause of death is often inadequately recorded on the death certificate in developing countries like India. A special verbal autopsy (VA) study of 48,000 adult (aged >or= 25 yrs) deaths in the city of Chennai (urban) during 1995-97 and 32,000 in rural Villupuram during 1997-98 was conducted to arrive at the probable underlying cause of death to estimate cause specific mortality. METHODS: A ten day training on writing verbal autopsy (VA) report for adult deaths was given to non-medical graduates with at least 15 years of formal education. They interviewed surviving spouse/close associates of the deceased to write a verbal autopsy report in local language (Tamil) on the complaints, symptoms, signs, duration and treatment details of illness prior to death. Each report was reviewed centrally by two physicians independently. Random re-interviewing of 5% of the VA reports was done to check the reliability and reproducibility of the VA report. The validity of VA diagnosis was assessed only for cancer deaths. RESULTS: Verbal autopsy reduced the proportion of deaths attributed to unspecified and unknown causes from 54% to 23% (p < 0.0001) in urban and from 41% to 26% (p < 0.0001) in rural areas in Tamilnadu for adult deaths (>or= 25). The sensitivity of VA to identify cancer was 95% in the age group 25-69. CONCLUSION: A ten day training programme to write verbal autopsy report with adequate feed back sessions and random sampling of 5% of the verbal autopsy reports for re-interview worked very well in Tamilnadu, to arrive at the probable underlying cause of death reliably for deaths in early adult life or middle age (25-69 years) and less reliably for older ages (70+). Thus VA is practicable for deaths in early adult life or middle age and is of more limited value in old age.


text:
Manufacturing Methods for Sulfur Concrete Sewer Pipe
This Phase I research is intended to evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing low-cost, acid-resistant sanitary sewer pipe from sulfur concrete. Sulfur is an abundant mineral recovered from coking, natural gas processing, and petroleum refining. Secondary recovery of sulfur, resulting from environmental regulation, produces more material than is needed by U.S. industry. The U.S. Bureau of Mines developed a process by which elemental sulfur can be used as a thermal cement with aggregate fillers to make concrete. Sulfur concrete appears to be a good solution to solve the problem of deteriorating sewerage structures made from Portland cement. Portland cement is alkaline and has been found to perform poorly in the acid environment in most sanitary sewer systems. Alternative materials that can solve the problem of premature failure of concrete pipe are expensive. The purpose of this Phase I project is to develop a low-cost alternative to traditional concrete pipe.
Small Business Information at Submission:
Principal Investigator:Dr. D.Y. Lee
Business Contact:Mr. William E. Shook
Brimstone Pipe Company
Brenton Bank Building, P.o. Box 555 Johnston, IA 50131
Number of Employees:


text:
cloth
- Place and utensils you can boil the Parsley leaves in
- Boil the parsley leaves on water
- Allow them to cool down
- Then once they are warm, take the leaves and wrap them in a piece of cloth round use it as a poultice on and around the boil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has acetic acid that helps kill the bacteria causing the boil, it soothes the boil, reduces pain and it also helps balance the pH levels thus preventing the bacteria from thriving. The best time to use is overnight
- Apple cider vinegar
- A Cotton ball or buds
- Use the cotton buds to soak in the vinegar
- Rub the cotton buds gently on and around the boil
- Then cover it with a bandage
- Repeat this once a day until the boil ripens
Cornmeal will help relieve you from the discomfort of boils and can also be used as a natural absorbent in helping to treat boils.
- Half Cup of boiled water
- Piece of clean cloth
- Add cornmeal to the half cup of boiled water to make it a paste
- Apply the paste around and on the boil
- Then cover with the piece of cloth
- Repeat this once daily until the boil softens and the infection drains
Best for boils on buttocks or inner thighs because it has natural antiseptic and antibacterial qualities
- Take a handful of Neem leaves wash to clean and crush them to make a paste
- Apply it on the boil and let it be for at least 30 minutes before washing off
- Repeat this once or twice a day
The boil should be kept clean, dry, and protected. As a result, the boil will heal in a few days or weeks depending on its location or size.
How to Pop a Boil
Sometimes if the boil isn't that big or there are limited risks, popping your boil is possible. Most people would like to wait for the boil to burst by itself but you can do this by yourself if the boil has ripened thus avoiding chances of getting a secondary infection.
A ripe boil has a softened lump head with yellow pus that can be seen through the skin.
- A Bandage
- A safety pin
- Clean piece of cloth
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Antiseptic Soap
- Antibiotics soap
- Antibiotic cream
What to do;
- You need washed hands. So scrubbed them with the antiseptic soap then dry them with the fresh piece of cloth
- Place a warm part of fabric gently on the boil then leave it for about 10 minutes
- Use the candle to heat up the safety pins pointy side "this is to cleanse it." Then let the safety pin cool down. Some people like to use thorns because they are easier to get and can't cause tetanus, but it isn't advisable because some thorns can be poisonous "unless you know ones that are not" and the safety pin will be heated so it will be purified.
- Gently prick the head of the boil with the pointy cleansed side of the safety pin
- Use your finger to squeeze the boil from the sides. If it's in a position you can't do so you may need assistance from a trusted friend, and he or she must have clean hands.
- Although it's a painful process, you need to harder and harder so that you can eliminate all the pus. You will know all the discharge is out when you see only blood coming out from the boil, but it's good to feel the sides of the boil too.
- After removing pus from the boil. Clean it using hydrogen peroxide to avoid secondary infections and kill any germs in the area.
- Apply the antibiotic cream on the open boil; it will help heal and protect the boil from further infection
- After all of this cover the field with a bandage. The bandage should be changed once or twice a day while checking if the affected area is healing properly.
If it's a big boil or if the boil has a hard head that is difficult to pop you need to seek medical attention from a doctor.
Possible Complications of Boils
On infrequent occasions, boils may bring about difficulties in the human body.
- Permanent scarring after healing
- Spread of Staphylococcus to other parts of the skin
- Sepsis infection of the tissues or blood
- Boils forming in a cluster form
- Swelling and disease of the heart valve tissues
- Abscess of the spinal cord, skin, kidneys, brain or other organs
When to Seek Medical Care for Boil
- If the boil last more than three weeks
- The pain becomes severe
- If the original boil comes back
- High levels of Fever
- Other boils start appearing
- If you have swollen lymph nodes
- The boil doesn't drain
- Repeated outbreak of oil
- If the boil doesn't ripen
- If the boil is too big
Prevention Measures for Boils
- Make sure to practice good hygiene
- Use antibacterial soap and bath regularly. It will help prevent infection
- Clean minor wounds and treat them
- Wash clothes, towels and bed linen
- Regular skin exfoliation. It reduces chances of boils by unclogging sweat ducts.
- Stay hydrated and eats nutritional meals to improve your immune system


text:
10 Essential Steps to a Successful Building Project
Embarking on a building project with KD Building Company, whether it's a new home, a commercial space, or a renovation, can be an exciting endeavor. However, it also comes with a host of challenges and complexities that require careful planning and execution. To ensure your building project is a resounding success, it's essential to follow a structured approach. In this blog post, we'll walk you through the ten essential steps to guarantee a successful building project, from the initial concept to the final finishing touches.
1. Define Your Goals and Objectives:
The first step in any building project is to define your goals and objectives. What is the purpose of the building? What are your specific requirements and desires? Clearly articulating your objectives will guide all subsequent decisions and actions.
2. Develop a Realistic Budget:
Creating a budget is one of the most critical aspects of a building project. Determine how much you are willing to invest in the project and be realistic about your financial capabilities. Factor in not only construction costs but also contingencies for unexpected expenses.
3. Assemble Your Project Team:
A successful building project relies on a capable and cohesive team. This team typically includes architects, engineers, contractors, and subcontractors. Ensure that you choose experienced and qualified professionals who understand your vision.
4. Obtain Necessary Permits and Approvals:
Navigating the legal and regulatory aspects of construction can be a complex process. Ensure that you acquire all the required permits, licenses, and approvals from local authorities before commencing work to avoid costly delays and legal issues.
5. Design and Plan:
Work closely with your architects and designers to create detailed blueprints and plans for your project. This stage involves making critical decisions about layout, materials, and aesthetics, so take your time to get it right.
6. Select Quality Materials:
The choice of materials can greatly influence the longevity and sustainability of your building. Invest in high-quality, durable materials that align with your budget and design goals.
7. Hire a Reliable Contractor:
Choosing a reputable and reliable general contractor is pivotal to your project's success. Look for a contractor with a track record of delivering on time and within budget.
8. Monitor Progress Closely:
Throughout the construction phase, maintain regular communication with your project team. Frequent site visits and updates will help you address issues promptly and ensure the project stays on track.
9. Quality Control and Inspections:
Never compromise on quality. Regular inspections and quality control measures will help identify and rectify issues before they become costly problems.
10. Finish with Care:
The final step involves putting the finishing touches on your building. Pay attention to detail, aesthetics, and functionality. Ensure all systems are fully operational, and the space is ready for occupancy.
Successfully completing a building project is a complex undertaking, but by following these ten essential steps, you can significantly increase your chances of a positive outcome. Remember that patience, careful planning, and a dedicated project team are key to achieving your vision and creating a building that meets your objectives and expectations. Whether it's your dream home, a new business space, or a renovation project, these steps will guide you toward a successful building project.


text:
- frangible •
Pronunciation: fræn-jê-bêl • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Breakable, capable of being broken.
Notes: Frangible objects are breakable though not necessarily fragile, which implies delicacy and fineness. The difference between breakable and frangible is one of context: ordinary things tend to be breakable (breakable toys) while museum pieces tend to be frangible. The noun for this word is frangibility. Anything that is unbreakable is infrangible.
In Play: It always helps in avoiding chores to impress your parents with your vocabulary. Try this sometime: "Dad, I said I'd clean the garage if I had time Saturday; I didn't sign an infrangible contract." I would have happily cleaned the garage in exchange for knowing that my teenage son had mastered infrangible. However, today's Good Word is not just for joking; it can be used sternly, too: "Lionel, be careful; that vase is sturdy but still quite frangible."
Word History: Today's Good Word first appeared in 1391, a borrowing from Latin frangibilis "breakable" from frangere "to break". The root of this word is a piece of PIE: bhre(n)g- "break" with our old friend, the Fickle N, which comes and goes as it pleases. It doesn't show up in English break or Lithuanian brasketi "crash, crack". Fickle N came and went in Latin, for the past participle of frangere is fractus, the origin of English fraction. (Initial PIE [bh] became [f] in Latin; compare English burn with Latin borrowing furnace.) Sassafras, a plant whose root provides the flavor of root beer, comes from the same root (word root, that is). Sassafras is a reduction of Latin saxifragus "rock-breaking", a name it earned from its ability to grow in the cracks of rocks. (Rather than break our tradition of recognizing those who suggest our Good Words, let's thank Chris Berry for sending in this one.)


text:
The Muppets' entertaining and hilarious skits have helped children (and adults) for over 30 years learn about culture, science, art, history, music, life and many other things — but today the Muppets are going to teach us grammar! (Because who doesn't love the Muppets?!)
In particular, Kermit and crew will be used in examples to explain when to use who, that or which.
Here are the three main rules to determine when you should use who, that or which:
Rule 1: Who always refers to people (or Muppet characters), while that and which refer to groups or things.
- Kermit is the cautious frog who loves Miss Piggy. (No, wait — Miss Piggy is the sassy swine who loves Kermit.)
- Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem is the band that plays rock music on the show.
- Jim Henson created "The Muppet Show," which premiered in 1976.
Rule 2: Use that in essential clauses and which in nonessential clauses.
- I love Muppet movies that include Fozzie Bear (wocka wocka wocka!)
- "The Muppets Take Manhattan," which included Fozzie Bear, was the best.
- Fozzie Bear wears a hat, which is brown.
Essential clauses are never surrounded by commas, but non-essential clauses are usually surrounded by commas or preceded by a comma.
Another way to tell if a clause is essential or non-essential is to remove it and see if the meaning of the sentence has changed significantly. Here are the same examples with the clause removed:
- I love Muppet movies. (different, essential)
- "The Muppets Take Manhattan" was the best. (same, non-essential)
- Fozzie Bear wears a hat. (same, non-essential)
Rule 3: If this, that, these or those is already introducing an essential clause, start the next clause with which, regardless of whether it is essential or not
- That is an experiment which only Dr. Bunsen Honeydew can handle.
- Those daredevil performances, which always made me afraid for Gonzo, were still very artistic.
Or you can just drop the which entirely to make it sound more concise:
- That is a drumline which only Animal knows.
- That is a drumline only Animal knows.
Written by Grace Lavigne, senior editor of ProfNet, a service that helps journalists connect with expert sources. Grammar Hammer is published weekly on ProfNet Connect, a free social networking site for communicators. To read more from Grace, check out her blog on ProfNet Connect.


text:
"One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul."
- Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Art, music, dance, theater, creative writing, photography and film are engaging and powerful ways to express our thoughts, emotions and visions about peace. Art has the power to affect us deeply, whether we are in the role of creator or viewer, and to connect us to our common humanity. The arts give creative voice to our human experience and can connect us in ways dialogue sometimes cannot.
The arts can also explore themes of intercultural, interracial, interfaith and interpersonal tension and discord. Greater understanding and respect across races, religions and cultures is integral to peace, and arts activities that forward constructive dialogue can have impact far beyond one day.
For Peace Day activity ideas related to THE ARTS and other areas, go to the CHILDREN & YOUTH PAGE (many ideas can be adapted for adults!)
Emmanuel Jal: "We Want Peace" Music Video
(For more about Jal, go to the MUSIC section of the page)
GLOBAL PEACE CRANE PROJECT
Create and share peace cranes as a reminder that PEACE is our unifying goal!
Global Peace Crane Project
PEACE PALS INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION – "May Peace Prevail on Earth"
This year's theme is the International Day of Peace!Submissions due JUNE 30, 2013!
THE PEACE FLAG PROJECTCreate Flags with images and messages of Peace!
Create and display PINWHEELS FOR PEACE!
Make and fly PEACE DOVES inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall and the Roots and Shoots Program!
To explore photography as a process of social consciousness, and ideas and themes for photography projects related to peace, visit the International Guild for Visual Peacemakers website. Watch IGVP's "Take the Journey" video HERE
Peace is a Haiku Song Project, Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
Poet Laureate Sonia Sanchez is leading this inspired project with the city's Mural Arts Program, which will culminate in a Peace Mural dedication at Broad and Christian in Spring 2013.
DOWNLOAD PEACE POETRY ACTIVITY
To request this image as a PDF for printing, posting and sharing, contact us: _EMAIL_
SHARON KATZ is a South African musician and humanitarian who now resides in Philadelphia. After the fall of Apartheid, Ms. Katz brought together children from diverse cultural groups to form Sharon Katz & the Peace Train, a 500 person performing ensemble. Ms. Katz continues her humanitarian work in S. Africa, raising funds for schools, basic children's needs and HIV/AIDS treatment, as well as to support music workshops in Philadelphia schools.
INTERCULTURAL JOURNEYS: BRIDGING CULTURAL DIVIDES THROUGH MUSIC
IJ promotes understanding in the pursuit of peace through intercultural music, dialogue, spoken word and dance. IJ hosts it's 2nd annual Peace Day Philly Concert on September 19th: CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS. For "Prayer for Peace" Performed by Udi Bar-David, Co-Founder of IJ and cellist with the Phila. Orchestra, CLICK HERE. For highlights of Intercultural Journeys work, CLICK HERE
EMMANUEL JAL is a South Sudanese music performer and former child soldier. Jal uses music to build peace in his home country and throughout the world. For Peace Day 2012, Jal will perform in Juba, S. Sudan in one of several events, part of his 2012 We Want Peace campaign. For more information, click here
2011 Common Ground Awardee Interview
PLAYING FOR CHANGE DAY – SEPTEMBER 21, 2013
Playing For Change Day is a creative day of action that uses the universal power of music to create positive social change. Musicians from all over the world perform on stages, street corners, schools, etc. to bring music into the lives of young people. The 1st PFC Day in Sept. 2011 inspired 225 events happening in 41 countries and raised funds for children's programs in Nepal and Africa. For a video overview of Playing for Change Day 2012, CLICK HERE
For more info on Playing for Change Day, CLICK HERE
DOWNLOAD STUDENT ACTIVITY USING SHORT FILMS
"Catch a Dreamer"
"Catch a Dreamer" is a visually stunning 30-minute documentary composed around the UN declaration of the United Nations, the Ten Rights of the Child. The film dramatizes, through art and photography, the jeopardy under which these rights exist for millions of children. The premise of Catch a Dreamer is that all the world's children deserve and have the right to love, health, food, shelter, education. And peace. Available in DVD format to community and educational organizations. To learn more and watch the trailer, CLICK HERE for the New Earth Songs Website
Global Awareness In the Classroom: "RU-Water Is Life" Film
For more about this 20 minute film about access to water in S. Sudan and its impact on education for girls, including the trailer, CLICK HERE
This film can be screened for free thanks to the producers as part of Peace Day Philly 2013. Question and fact sheets for grades K-12 are available to help facilitate discussion. Please contact us at _EMAIL_ if you would like to show this movie in your classroom the week of September 16th.
Documentary, "Soldiers of Peace"
Narrated by U.N. Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas, this film that examines different ways individuals can address today's challenges through peaceful means, rather than through armed conflict.
To watch the trailer, CLICK HERE
To watch interview with Steve Killelea, Executive Producer about the film and Founder the Institute for Economics & Peace, CLICK HERE
Documentary, "The Day After Peace"
By Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day, tells Gilley's story of building support for a second UN Resolution giving Peace Day a fixed calendar date and specifying the day as one of global ceasefire. The film also documents Jeremy Gilley and Peace One Day Ambassador Jude Law traveling to Afghanistan and working with WHO and UNICEF to spearhead a massive polio vaccination campaign with the cooperation of the Taliban.
VIdeo Clip -"The Day After Peace" Premiere at Cannes Film Festival
The full film: "The Day After Peace"
Documentary, "Within the Eye of the Storm"
Bassam and Rami, a Palestinian and Israeli, were once dedicated fighters willing to kill and be killed by one another for the sake of their nations. Yet each one of them came face to face with the price of war when their daughters were killed in the conflict. Left with the excruciating pain of bereavement, they chose to do the unexpected. They set out on a joint journey to humanize the very enemy, which took the dearest thing from them and prevent the vicious cycle of retaliation in themselves and their societies. Sundance Institute Documentary Fund quote: "The film is a unique portrait of two men, whose conviction and friendship triumph in the face of personal sacrifice! It is a unique, beautiful story filled with love and hope."
For the trailer, CLICK HERE
For Sundance website with more information, CLICK HERE


text:
NEW YORK, NY.-
In 1953, six years before the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
opened to the public, two of his structuresa pavilion and model Usonian housewere built on the future site of the museum to house a temporary exhibition displaying the architects lifelong work. From July 27, 2012, to February 13, 2013, the Sackler Center for Arts Education at the Guggenheim Museum will present A Long-Awaited Tribute: Frank Lloyd Wrights Usonian House and Pavilion, an exhibition comprised of selected materials from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Archives, highlighting the first Wright buildings erected in New York City.
This exhibition is organized by Francine Snyder, Director of Library and Archives, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
Constructed to adjoin the museum, then located in a townhouse on Fifth Avenue near East 88th Street, Wrights temporary pavilion was made of glass, fiberboard, and pipe columns, measuring 145 feet long and covering nearly 10,000 square feet with a roof that was over 20 feet at its peaked ridge. Inside the pavilion, a traveling exhibition entitled Sixty Years of Living Architecture: The Work of Frank Lloyd Wright featured sixteen models of Wrights renowned buildings, accompanied by photographs, floor plans, and drawings. Also featured with the exhibition was a full-scale model of Wrights Usonian house, built to the northeast of the pavilion and accessible through a courtyard and garden. The 1,700-square-foot, fully furnished, two-bedroom house represented a concept first developed by Wright in the mid-1930s, during the midst of the economic depression. The modest, distinctively American, middle-class dwelling featured seven rooms that were fully equipped with everything from pots and pans to cosmetics. Additionally, the model Usonian house was outfitted with furniture designed by Wright and decorated with various artworks, including mobiles created by Alexander Calder. The two structures, whose construction was organized by Wright, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museums second director James Johnson Sweeney, and former Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation president Harry Guggenheim, were open to the public from October 22 to December 13, 1953, after which they were disassembled in early 1954. Aware of his lack of architectural recognition in New York City prior to the opening of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1959, Wright declared: this house and the pavilion alongside it... represent a long-awaited tribute: the first Wright building[s] erected in New York City.
A Long-Awaited Tribute: Frank Lloyd Wrights Usonian House and Pavilion highlights these two buildings through a rich selection of over thirty archival objectsincluding correspondence about planning, sketches, blueprints, and a plot model, as well as films with Wright and general contractor David Henken (a former apprentice at Taliesin, Wrights estate, and founding member of the planned community Usonia, located in Mount Pleasant, New York), depicting the construction site and views of the models in the pavilion. Newspaper and magazine clippings give a sense of the public reception of Wrights buildings, and several photographs range from documentation of constructionWright and Henken reviewing architectural drawings or Taliesin apprentices on-siteto those taken at the opening of the two buildings, such as crowds at the exhibition and interiors of the Usonian house.


text:
organizer> Jewish Community
procedure> international competition
text> With this project we do not pretend to teach or explain what Shoah is and was. We want to create question mark as a place. The goal is to design that place to make people getting closer; to keep sensations and memory alive.
The project is a big spiral to where going through. A place to imagine and feel into that void (clockwise) that becomes tight and anguish till the center, and get back (counterclockwise) to life. Along the path chimneys (makeover existing ventilation tower) and cuts (like wagons high windows) in the wall (near the trains rails) will help to get deep in feelings. From the entrance gate to the center of the spiral the walls are high and cold just with one inscription: π number. Close linked to Jewish Kabbalah, can represent within it every number, everything referable to a number (dates, periods, people, relations, prison id etc). So everyone (the grandfather to his grandchild) can find and trace back to a particular fact or person to remember, write it down and share it. Make other people sympathetic and building this place with memories.
topics> spiral, Kabbalah, labyrinth, numbers, memory.
exhib> 'Tzachor-ricorda' exposition of Shoah memorial projects, Bologna 2015


text:
Research Applied: FBR Précis for the Practitioner
We continue our series of Research Applied with summaries and practical applications of two articles on philanthropy from the September Special Issue of FBR: Social Issues in the Family Enterprise
- Does Family Involvement Make Firms Donate More? Empirical Evidence from Chinese Private Firms
- Firm Philanthropy in Small and Medium-Sized Family Firms: The Effects of Family Involvement in Ownership and Management
Summary 1: Does Family Involvement Make Firms Donate More? Empirical Evidence From Chinese Private Firms
Junsheng Dou, Zhongyuan Zhang and Emma Su
This article's research question is: Whether and under what condition family involvement positively impacts firms' charitable donations?
The authors studied 2,921 private Chinese firms' charitable donations, which are seen as a main part of firms' proactive stakeholder engagement (PSE). Donations are a discretionary responsibility, which means that firms make their own decisions on whether and how much to donate. Donations also put pressure on firms' flow of cash and other resources, and thus are short-term sacrifices for the potential long-term advantages of enhancing firms' reputations and public images and accumulating moral and social capital for the firm.
The authors define family involvement as composed of three dimensions:
- Family ownership describes the ownership percentage of the family
- Family management describes how many family members are practically involved in management
- Family duration of control describes how long the family has control over the firm
The authors argue that these three dimensions of family involvement positively influence the level of donations. They further tested whether or not the willingness of the next generation to assume control of the firm altered these relationships.
The importance of measuring the influence of family involvement on charitable donations lies in its theoretical implications since it demonstrates the different logic attributed to family firm owners as compared to nonfamily ones. An empirical validation like this study could help researchers and practitioners answer questions such as:
- Do family firms really have a different decision making process?
- Do family owners really sacrifice economic short-term gains for the long-term ones?
- What dimension of family involvement influences the social initiative at the firm level?
- What is the negative influence of the next generation's unwillingness to assume control of the firm on charitable donations?
This study found that family ownership and duration of control were positively associated with charitable giving. The study further shows that family percentage of ownership and a longer duration of family control have a significant positive influence on charitable donations.
However, the next generation's unwillingness to assume control of the firm weakened the positive family ownership-charitable giving relationship. This study reinforces the role of the next generation of family business leaders on the long-term orientation and pro-social behavior of family firms.
Practitioners will find that this study continues the stream of recent family business research which demonstrates the power of non-financial pursuits in family firms. Practitioners need to continue to be cognizant of the strength of the non-financial pursuits of their clients.
Summary 2: Firm Philanthropy in Small and Medium-Sized Family Firms: The Effects of Family Involvement in Ownership and Management
Giovanna Campopiano, Alfredo De Massis and Francesco Chirico
This study of 130 small and medium sized firms in northern Italy was conducted with the purpose of learning about the effects of family involvement in ownership and management on firm philanthropy. (Small and medium-sized firms are defined as having an annual turnover of between 2 and 50 million Euros.) The authors describe "firm philanthropy" as:
- altruistic activities intended to serve others
- the act of donating money, goods and services to support a socially beneficial or humanitarian cause
- a discretionary wealth transfer of net income to stakeholders
The study draws on stewardship theory, which considers the family as a source of competitive advantage based upon three main aspects:
- significant investment in the business and its future
- virtually unconditional funding of this investment
- a strong willingness to pursue long-term goals even at the expense of short-term gains
Social networks and reputational capital, which can be fueled by philanthropy, are key resources to maintain competitive advantages.
The authors describe the study results as supporting the propositions that the propensity for philanthropic activity in a family firm:
- increases with the degree of family ownership
- increases as ownership becomes more dispersed among family members
Reasons for this propensity include the higher motivation in family owned businesses to create a multi-generational family enterprise which, in turn, depends upon a number of factors, some of which are strengthened through firm philanthropy, such as:
- building the reputation of the firm
- helping to build a working environment that rewards support and collaboration
- fostering and developing a skilled workforce
- making connections to stakeholders in the community
As the number of family owners involved in the business increases, their social networks are likely to expand as well.
In a somewhat counterintuitive perspective, the authors interpret some mixed survey data to conclude that a greater concentration of family members as managers, in proportion to all family members involved in the company, reduces the propensity for firm philanthropy. They argue that a significant number of family managers leads to more conflict, more divergent views of priorities, less stewardship behavior and more allocation of resources inwardly toward business needs. Further studies are needed to determine whether these propositions apply to larger family firms or might change with a larger sample size across countries and cultures.
Practitioners should consider some useful lessons that arise from the authors' work. To maximize the positive impact of firm philanthropy on the long-term success of a family firm, efforts are needed to help family firms understand the benefits of firm philanthropy and its relationship to business sustainability. Governance efforts are important to help align family managers, family employees and family ownership goals for firm philanthropy. The larger the number of family managers in the firm, the more challenging the governance process to focus and sustain firm philanthropy commitment.
About the Contributor:
Karen L. Vinton, Ph.D. is a 1999 Barbara Hollander Award winner and Professor Emeritus of Business at the College of Business at Montana State University, where she founded the University's Family Business Program. An FFI Fellow, she has served on the FFI board of directors and chaired the Body of Knowledge committee. From 1997 through 2011, Vinton served on the editorial board of Family Business Review and is the current assistant editor. Karen can be reached at [email protected].
Yours in Practice,


text:
"Follow the Money" is a video summarizing the results from the project by Northwestern University grad students Daniel Grady and Christian Thiemann. Using data from the website Where's George?, they have been able to track the movement of U.S. paper currency. What can you learn from this? That there are natural borders within the U.S. that don't necessarily follow state borders, and it can also be used to predict the spread of disease because it maps movement of people within the U.S.
From Maria Popova on BrainPickings.org: This may sound like dry statistical uninterestingness, but the video visualization of the results is rather eye-opening, revealing how money — not state borders, not political maps, not ethnic clusters — is the real cartographer drawing our cultural geography. The project was a winner at the 2009 Visualization Challenge sponsored by the National Science Foundation and AAA.
From Manuel Lima on VisualComplexity.com: Some places, such as Los Angeles, California, have many bills passing through it from across the nation, while others, such as Anderson County in Tennessee - Grady's home - have bills circulating mainly within a more local neighborhood. Shown here are images from the video. The data from the Where's George? project is in fact so pertinent that is also being used by researchers to predict the spread of flu across the United States.
You can see the Northwest project site, which has a much more adademic title "Community Structure in Multi-Scale Transportation Networks".


text: The vine can grow to two meters or more in length, the green pods are edible whole before they become fibrous, and the seeds can be used fresh or as dried beans. The starchy roots are still eaten by Central American Indians. In the UK, the flowers are often ignored, or treated as an attractive bonus to cultivating the plant for the beans, whereas in the US the scarlet runner is widely grown for its attractive flowers by people who would never think of eating it. The flower is known as a favourite of Hummingbirds. Runner beans contain traces of the poisonous lectin, Phytohaemagglutinin, found in common beans and hence must be thoroughly cooked before consumption.


text:
New method for testing solar sensitivity of commercial formulations of the granulovirus of codling moth (Cydia pomonella, Tortricidae: Lepidoptera)
A method for screening codling moth granulovirus (CpGV) formulation sensitivity to sunlight using specially prepared half apples and a solar simulator is described. The half apple preparation allows an even coverage of virus over the surface of the fruit that would not be possible using whole apples. Leaves and artificial medium were not usable for extended periods of exposure in the solar simulator due to excess drying. Fruit was sprayed with 10−3and 10−5 dilutions of three commercial formulations of CpGV (Carpovirusine, Cyd-X, and Virosoft) and infested with codling moth neonates. Half of the sprayed fruit was exposed to 650 W/m2 for 4 h in an Atlas Suntest CPS solar simulator resulting in an accumulated radiant energy of 9.36 × 106 J/m2 before they were infested with neonate codling moth larvae. Spraying non-irradiated fruit with the 10−3 dilution of Cyd-X and Virosoft resulted in nearly 100% mortality of neonate larvae. Irradiation reduced viral activity by 71–98% at the 10−3 dilution and by up to 32% at the 10−5 dilution relative to non-irradiated fruit. The procedures utilized enabled good preservation of the fruit throughout the incubation period and minimized invasion of the fruit by plant pathogens and saprophytic organisms. This laboratory method for screening candidate formulations and potential UV protectants could conserve time and resources by eliminating adjuvants with less potential in laboratory tests and field testing only the most promising candidates. It also enables year-round testing.
_URL_ REVIEW, Field evaluation of commercial formulations of the codling moth granulovirus: Persistence of activity and success of seasonal applications against natural infestations of codling moth in Pacific Northwest apple orchards, November 2004, Biological Control 31(3):388-397, DOI: 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2004.05.004,Steve Arthurs, Lawrence A Lacey.


text:
So you upgraded your Android phone or tablet to Android 4.1.2 or higher and now you get a "Please enable Google apps location access" error whenever accessing Google Maps or Google Now. What is this damn error and how do you get rid of it? This article spills the beans!
Prior to Android 4.1.2, to find your location in Google Maps all you had to do was enable GPS. Starting in Android 4.1.2, however, Google has made a change. You still need to enable GPS. However, in addition to enabling GPS, you need to explicitly give access to all Google apps to allow them to find your location. If you don't do this second step then you will get a "Please enable Google apps location access" error in Google Maps, Google Now, and any other Google app that tries to use your location.
Why did Google make this change? I'm not sure.
How to enable Google apps location access
As I just mentioned, before you can proceed further, you need to make sure you have GPS enabled. To enable GPS, go to 'System settings' -> 'Location access' -> flip 'Access to my location' to on -> check the box for 'GPS satellites'; you will also have to agree or disagree to send Google anonymous location data. Once you have GPS enabled, you need to do the following to give Google apps access to your location so you can start using Google Maps, Google Now, etc.:
- Go to 'System settings' -> 'Accounts' -> 'Google'
- Scroll to the bottom and tap on 'Location settings'
- Flip the switch for 'Let Google apps access your location' to 'On'
Once you do the above, you will no longer get the "Please enable Google apps location access" error in Google Maps, Google Now, or any other Google app.
If you ever want to revoke location access for Google apps, simply repeat the same process mentioned above except flip the switch for 'Let Google apps access your location' to 'Off'
Google definitely made this whole process a lot more confusing than it needs to be. However, it is a one-time thing — you set it once and you never have to worry about it again. Enjoy!


text:
Jasper sweetmeat basket, about 1790
Many of the 'ornamental' wares had uses also, including this single vase (see below) and sweetmeat basket. The three-colour vase has a pierced cover and a solid cover below it, both of them removable. It could be used for pot pourri, with the solid cover left in place when it was not required to scent the room. Containers for pot pourri and burners for scented pastilles were both popular products, presumably because standards of personal hygiene were not high.
The vase is of three-colour jasper, which may have been introduced about 1786. The basket has piercings made painstakingly by hand through the solid blue jasper. It is one of a pair in the collection. Baskets were often used in fours, piled high with fruit or confectionary, in the symmetrical setting of the table for dessert. It was the custom to use more fanciful and decorative tableware for dessert than for the main courses.
This pair of black and white jasper pots are for plants and have removable pierced grates. This design served equally well, however, for pedestals to support vases. Each of the four sides has a figure of a Cupid representing a different season.
The vases imitating bamboo show that the same shape was often made in different materials. The green and lilac versions are in jasper, but the most suitably coloured one is in caneware, a type of body which Wedgwood developed in the late 1770s. Lilac jasper, one of the less common colours, is particularly sought after by modern collectors. Wedgwood mentioned to Bentley that it was available in 1777.
The lilac wares shown here are not of solid jasper but jasper dip. It was expensive and usually unnecessary to colour right through the jasper body of a piece, and from about 1785 Wedgwood was able to achieve an even colour in most shades of jasper by applying a surface layer of the required tint to a white body.
Jasper teaware does not seem to have been much made before the death of Bentley in 1780. Its expensive nature made it especially popular for the little sets for one or two people known in the eighteenth century as 'dejeuners' and nowadays as 'cabaret' services. They were used particularly in ladies' dressing-rooms, and were an accepted vehicle for delicate extravagance. For wares of this kind Wedgwood realised that scenes from classical mythology would not be sufficiently informal and intimate. Domestic groups and scenes from popular novels like Laurence Sterne's 'A Sentimental Journey' and Goethe's 'The Sorrows of the Young Werther' were the answer.
Their designers were women: Lady Elizabeth Templetown (_PHONE_), Miss Emma Crewe (active 1787 - 1818), and Lady Diana Beauclerk (_PHONE_) who had been born Lady Diana Spencer and was an ancestress of Diana, Princess of Wales. These were Society ladies - Lady Templetown was one of the ladies of the Queen's Bed Chamber - and their drawings were translated into relief models by Wedgwood's resident modeller William Hackwood (_PHONE_).


text:
Climbing our aerial adventure park is an extremely safe activity as long as all of the Course Rules are followed. All climbers must follow the safety instructions from our expert park monitors and guides.
TreeHoppers set the gold standard for aerial adventure park course construction and management in Central Florida, with the following:
- Our course was engineered to adhere to all industry standards for maximum loads and forces.
- TreeHoppers was constructed by an expert team of fabricators, meeting or exceeding industry standard construction.
- Each of our park monitors and guides receive a rigorous, ACCT-derived training program to fully prepare them for any scenario they may encounter.
- Daily inspections of both aerial and ground elements take place before a single customer climbs in the park.
- Climbing harnesses are provided to each participant. These are the same types of harnesses used by professional climbers throughout the world. Each customer is personally fitted by our expert park monitors and guides to ensure a snug, safe fit.
- We use the proprietary Bornack safety lanyards with all of our climbing harnesses. While the cost of this safety system is several times more than what some of our competitors use, it is a nearly error proof system that even small children can use with ease. Simply put, the system is nearly impossible to unhook the Bornack safety lanyard from our lifeline cable system, even if attempted intentionally.
Trust TreeHoppers for a safe, adventurous day of fun!


brownish/red spot on a dwarf albera spruce
Hi, I live in Michigan and after the snow melted our Dwarf Alberta Spruce had a brownish/red spot on the front of it. What is this caused from? There is new growth starting but I would like know what, if anything I can do differently in the future to protect it. Thank you!!
Submitted by BHGPhotoContest
This sounds like winter burn on your Dwarf Alberta spruce. I suspect that it's on the south or southwest side of the tree. During winter when the ground is frozen, the tree can't readily pull moisture out of the ground. Yet, on warm days it is transpiring and losing water. So essentially the plant is under mid-winter drought stress. It helps to make certain the soil is saturated going into winter. And if the tree is exposed, you may need to put up a temporary shade barrier of burlap or similar material to keep the browning from recurring.
Community Answers 0
Answer this Question
Enter an Answer to this Question
500 characters left


text:
The Engagement Equation: Leadership Strategies for an Inspired Workforce
December 17, 2012
Posted by on
In The Engagement Equation: Leadership Strategies for an Inspired Workforce, authors Christopher Rice, Fraser Marlow, and Mary Ann Masarech provide a thorough guide for organizational leaders interested in improving work engagement. At the outset, they establish that engagement is a unique construct that is distinguishable from satisfaction, motivation, and commitment. Furthermore, employee engagement is an individualized equation expressed as the combination of maximum satisfaction for the individual and maximum contribution for the organization. From there, they discuss particular industries (e.g., where there is a high degree of interaction with customers) in which employee engagement particularly impacts results. Additionally, the authors caution against assuming measures that have increased engagement in one geographic region would similarly increase engagement in another.
A discussion about building a culture that supports engagement follows. The importance of helping employees identify their strengths, weaknesses, and needs in order to ensure job-fit, culture-fit, and suitable working conditions is highlighted. Providing career coaching and development services also goes a long way to help employees envision a career that mutually addresses the needs of both individuals and the organization.
Finally, The Engagement Equation covers possible pitfalls of implementing strategies to increase engagement. First, the authors warn that maintaining a high engagement culture is an ongoing effort. In other words, sporadic interventions here and there will not create the results desired. Secondly, organizational leaders, managers, down to everyone in the organization must be on board and responsible for their own engagement level. It takes engaged individuals to foster a culture of engagement. Finally, leaders must be prepared to follow through with an action plan in a timely manner once the initial engagement level assessment is taken. The authors caution against utilizing an engagement survey and not following-up with action as the interest in increasing engagement may then come across as disingenuous leading to even higher levels of employee disengagement. Alternative means of making the initial engagement assessment are provided.
It is difficult to provide an adequate summary of all the useful points made in this book. It provides a clear, comprehensive, and practical guideline for beginning and continuing an action plan to foster a culture of engagement. Furthermore, it will dispel some preconceived notions of how implementation of such a program should proceed (e.g., the assumption that it is most beneficial to start assessment with an employee engagement survey).


Workshop #1
Intro to Producing
Learn from an industry professional. How to take your concept to reality and what to do with it once it's there.
4 hours
$175 + tx
Maximum: 10
Register Here
 Workshop #2
Audition Lab
Weekly reserved sessions to step up your monologue game. Develop your strengths and address your weaknesses.
2 hours Mondays 8:00 PM
$30 / Session
Maximum: 7
Register Here
 Workshop #3
Youth Theatre Development
Ages 8 - 12. Learn from an industry professional to write and mount a play from the ground up.
Saturdays & Sundays
5:00pm - 7:00pm
7 Weeks
$910 + tx
Maximum: 8
Register Here
9am - 10am Weekends
Interactive Storytime
Classic stories read out loud by seasoned actors for the whole family to enjoy.
10:45 - 11:20 Weekends
Music for the kids
Join us for an early afternoon of sing-alongs
12pm - 2pm Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays
Family Movie Screenings
Now screening:
11am - 4pm Weekends
Weekly kids shows
Now showing:
What is a land acknowledgement and why do we do it?
A land acknowledgement is a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous people(s) who called the land home before the arrival of settlers, and in many cases still do call it home. Indigenous peoples have been acknowledging the land at the start of gatherings, ceremonies and events for time immemorial.
Providing a land acknowledgement at the beginning of an event or meeting gives time for reflection and demonstrates recognition of Indigenous lands, treaties and peoples. It involves thinking about what happened in the past and what changes can be made going forward in order to further the reconciliation process. Land acknowledgements mark a small and important step in the process of reconciliation and building a positive relationship with Indigenous peoples. By making a land acknowledgement you are taking part in an act of reconciliation, honouring the land and Indigenous presence which dates back over 10,000 years.
Using and participating in a land acknowledgement is a way to recognize the enduring presence and resilience of Indigenous peoples in this area for time immemorial. They are also a reminder that we are all accountable to these relationships.
History of Toronto Youth Theatre
TYT Theatre was formed in 2019 as a new company that would engage youth and families in interactive, original theatrical experiences. We do not opperate alongside Toronto Youth Theatre, but acknowledge them as our parent organization.
Since 2005 Toronto Youth Theatre has provided a cutting edge theatre program that empowers youth, regardless of their background, gender, or age, to explore and reach their creative potential
Today, with more than 25 productions from traditional musicals plus Toronto Youth Theatre has developed and workshopped original plays/musicals the company has positioned itself as one of Toronto's premiere youth theatre companies.
Rehearsing and performing in the professional theatre company space such as The Lower Ossington theatre, The Annex and Randolph Theatres and participating in events like We Day Toronto Youth Theatre provides a professional experience to young actors in all aspects of production.


Learn How To Cook Oha Soup In Easy Steps
Oha soup - Happenings
Learn How To Cook Oha Soup In Easy Steps
Cooking Oha soup is fun and easy. Learn the steps here!
Titilayo Ilori
Oha soup is a traditional dish mostly eaten by the Igbos. The method of cooking this soup is similar to that of cooking Bitterleaf soup. It is one of the most special delicacies there are in Nigeria because of the Oha leaves used to prepare it.
Ingredients needed to prepare Oha soup include:
1. Vegetables.
2. Oha leaves.
3. Cocoyam.
4. Palm oil.
6. Assorted beef.
7. Shaki (cow tripe).
8. Dry fish, stock fish, crayfish.
9. Chili pepper.
10. Seasoning cube (s).
Method of cooking:
1. Grind your crayfish and pepper
Make sure you grind your crayfish and pepper.
2. Wash your cocoyam
Wash the body of the cocoyam to get rid of sand, and boil it till it is soft. When it is cooked, peel the skin and pound using a mortar and pestle till it is smooth.
3. Cut your Oha leaves
After you have separated each leaf from its stick, use your hand to cut it into pieces. If you cut your leaves with a knife, it will make the soup dark in colour
4. Boil your stock
Boil your meat, shaki, cow tripe, stock fish and dry fish. Make sure they are all soft before moving on to the next step.
5. Add Maggi, pepper and ground crayfish
Add maggi cubes, pepper and ground crayfish to the boiling stock and let it cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add your cocoyam paste
Add your cocoyam paste to your mixture and add palm oil. Cover the pot and let it cook for about 15 minutes. Once the cocoyam paste is dissolved and you notice the soup is too thick, pour some water.
7. Add your Oha leaves
Your next step is to add your Oha leaves and leave to cook for another five minutes.
8. Add some salt to taste
Remember to add some salt to taste at this point and leave your pot of soup to cook for another five minutes. You can eat Oha soup with Eba, Fufu, Semolina, and Amala.
Happenings Media


text:
In 2019, Emelie Havemo of the University of Linköping conducted a research project on the impact of digitizing boards for daily meetings in organizations working with Lean Management. MEVISIO provided access to associates within a select number of organizations to support Emilie's research project. Emelie has written the report in Swedish and given MEVISIO permission to translate into English to publish on our blog. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, we will be publishing excerpts from the report. You can download the full report here (in Swedish).
Digital transformation can change the role of the lean board – or not.
Digital boards can change the role of traditional whiteboards in daily management. The most significant differentiator is the new way to interact during meetings and access to real-time data on the board. A digital board raises several questions; one being 'is a physical board needed?'. Can managers and teams collaborate without meeting physically? Is everyone required to be in the same room, let alone at the same facility? At the same time, a real value-add when using a board during the daily meeting is that it forms part of a system and a process where individual parts cannot be changed immediately. Digital boards have many shapes and forms.
Digital boards can be configured in different ways, depending on the purpose they serve and what the users want to achieve. This report discusses two different approaches to handling the digital transformation for daily management boards. The report is based on the literature used regarding digitalization. 1) Digitizing the flow of information (making analog boards digital) and 2) Digitalizing the infrastructure used to support daily meetings by using customizability and access to more data. Organizations considering these two options should align their choice with information and co-ordination needs as both approaches have pros and cons.
Tips for implementing and using digital lean boards
By interviewing and researching three organizations, this report identifies tips and success factors for implementing digital lean boards. The tips and recommendations take into account that user needs, interest, knowledge, know-how, and experience have a significant impact on results. The recommendations are for influencers and decision-makers for lean management within an organization. This can be managers, lean specialists, and lean consultants.
Get started with digital lean boards – 6 recommendations and success factors.
- Identify the needs of the organization
- Review the organization's digital competencies
- Conduct a risk analysis and weigh these against expected benefits
- Create a culture of learning and development before, during and after implementation
- Find the 'low-hanging fruits' (quick and easy improvements) to start with
- Start with testing in a smaller environment and use insights gained


text:
ChristianAnswers.Net WebBible Encyclopedia
The name of a man and a place…
A descendant of Judah, of whom it is recorded that "God granted him that which he requested" after he called on Him. He was apparently an honorable head of a family in the tribe of Judah. He was given this name by his mother, "Because I bare him with sorrow." Jabez only appears in these two verses:
"And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested" (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
A place inhabited by several families of the scribes (1 Chr. 2:55).


text:
Application Deadline: 30 April 2016
The Centre of African Studies offers 3 MSc scholarships to African residents as part of the Governance for Development in Africa Initiative funded by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.
- Domicile/Residency: Applicants must be domiciled (or permanent residents) in an African country. Preference will be given to scholarship candidates living in Sub‐Saharan Africa.
- Eligible Programmes: MSc (Full‐time) undertaken by scholarship applicants must directly address or be applicable to the issue of Governance in Africa.
- Assessment: Scholarship candidates will be assessed based on their academic merit and references. SOAS is committed to accepting only those scholarship candidates who can demonstrate an ability to complete a MSc in one year.
- You should print out the Application Form, sign and scan it and email this along withCV and Supporting Statement in a single email to:
Ms Angelica Baschiera at [email protected]
- Email applications are preferable, but if you are unable to send your application by email,please post it to:
Once the place is secured, the applicants can apply for the scholarship. Candidates will be assessed on academic merit by a panel consisting of SOAS academic members. The assessment of your application will be based on the information in your scholarship application. Selectors will be looking at the following:
- academic achievement and evidence of critical analytical capabilities;
- supporting statement;
- evidence of interest in and knowledge of linkages between governance and development
FOR MORE INFORMATION:


text: AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the dimensional stability of oriented strand boards (OSBs) with the core layer made of fine wood chips when the boards were exposed to air of variable relative humidity (30%, 65%, and 85%). The share of fine wood chips, intended for the particleboard core layer or originating from comminution of unrefined particleboards, accounted for 50% or 100% of the core layer mass. This study revealed much greater changes in the length of the board's shorter axis, regardless of the type of fine wood chips in the core layer. These changes increased with an increasing share of this type of chips in the core layer. More pronounced changes in thickness were observed for particleboards containing 50% of the fine chips. The research also showed that the relative changes in linear dimensions were slightly smaller in OSBs containing 50% of wood chips from the comminution of unrefined particleboards than in the boards with a core layer made from wood chips designed for this purpose.


text: Department of Mechanical Engineering OIST, Bhopal organized a one-day industrial visit to Centre for Research and Industrial Staff Performance (CRISP), Bhopal, for fourth semester students on 10th March 2016, under the supervision of Mr. Govind Sharma (Manager, Mechanical). He explained the various operations and components of the CNC Machine required in manufacturing of complex machine components. Students visited the Production Unit, and various advance labs such as Hydraulic lab, Metallurgy lab CAD/CAM/CAE lab etc. They understood the importance of hydraulic power, measurement techniques, and CNC operations. This visit was quite useful to all the students, in planning & building their future career in the field of production and research.


Congressional Considerations for a US–Saudi Nuclear Agreement
November 16, 2018
Joy Nasr
The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies held a luncheon panel at the US Senate on Friday, October 26, 2018, to discuss the status of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)'s nuclear-energy program, prospects for a US–Saudi nuclear cooperation, and the considerations for Congress in assessing a nuclear-cooperation agreement with the Kingdom. The panel included Dr. Chen Kane, director of the Middle East Nonproliferation program at CNS, Ambassador Robert Einhorn, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Ms. Corey Hinderstein, vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Speakers discussed the drivers behind the Saudi nuclear program, the different possible outcomes of the US–KSA negotiations, and their implications for US nuclear and foreign policy. Ms. Hinderstein also shared observations from her recent trip to Saudi Arabia to meet with officials involved with the Saudi nuclear program.
Dr. Kane discussed three main areas of concern with the Saudi nuclear program. First is the possibility of Saudi Arabia developing a nuclear-weapon capability. This concern is based on Saudi statements of their intent to develop nuclear weapons if Iran were to acquire them, which signals a hedging strategy. Saudi Arabia has also refused to adopt basic nonproliferation agreements such as a modified small quantity protocol (known as SQPs) safeguards agreement, the Additional Protocol (AP), or the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, raising questions about Saudi Arabia's nuclear intentions.
(L-R): Dr. Chen Kane, Amb. Robert Einhorn, Ms. Corey Hinderstein
The second concern relates to Saudi Arabia's professionalism, politicization of the program, and unrealistic judgment of its own human, industrial, and economic capabilities. For example, Saudi officials have publicly discussed plans to geographically isolate Qatar by creating a canal and using it as a nuclear-waste disposal site. Although this plan is unlikely to materialize, it demonstrates a willingness to politicize the program at the expense of professionalism and credibility. It also reveals the Saudis' failure to understand how such a stunt has further undermined their program's credibility in the eyes of outsiders. Saudi officials have also exaggerated the economic attractiveness and competitive advantage offered by local Saudi industry, which they claim they intend to use in producing sensitive or advanced technologies such as fuel fabrication, valves, pipes, enrichment, and reprocessing. Third, there is a mismatch between KSA's declared intent for the program and its recent statements and actions. Saudi Arabia has argued that nuclear power will offset increasing domestic energy consumption as part of their massive economic reform campaign known as Vision 2030. However, both sites identified for the nuclear-power plants are on the country's industry-heavy east coast, which consumes only 19 percent of the Kingdom's annual energy consumption. The more sensible economic decision would be to locate the new plants to meet household energy needs, which constitutes about 49 percent of the annual energy consumption.
Ambassador Einhorn pointed out that if the United States insists Saudi Arabia forgo domestic enrichment and reprocessing capabilities—the so-called "gold standard" of US nuclearcooperation agreements—the Saudis will pursue cooperation with other suppliers with lower nonproliferation standards. Besides the obvious alternatives of Russia or China, Saudi Arabia may likely cooperate with South Korea, which, under its nuclear-cooperation agreement with the Kingdom, allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium up to 20 percent, without prior consent. The United States should pursue an agreement that would be palatable to the Saudis while also preventing them from attaining an enrichment capability. The current US proposal falls short of the gold standard but still requires Saudi Arabia sign the Additional Protocol and to forgo the pursuit of enrichment technology for a set number of years. The Kingdom has agreed to renounce domestic enrichment for a specific period of time but maintains its refusal to adopt the AP, which Ambassador Einhorn noted was of concern, considering Iran has been provisionally implementing the AP under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The next round of US–KSA negotiations is expected to start in early 2019. Despite the continued impasse, Ambassador Einhorn argued that, even with the gold standard out of reach, the United States should continue to pursue an agreement that requires more nonproliferation restrictions and oversight than would other suppliers. He referred to his article in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which proposed an agreement that includes a domestic prohibition on enrichment and reprocessing for 15 years, as well as a bilateral US–Saudi commission on fuel-cycle options to discuss the future supply of nuclear fuel and alternatives to a domestic fuel cycle. Saudi adherence to the AP should be included in any agreement. In addition, he suggested establishing a common understanding on export-control policy among the suppliers on exporting nuclear technologies to the Middle East, which could include a prohibition on exporting enrichment and reprocessing technologies; AP as a condition of supply; requiring prior consent rights on any enrichment and reprocessing; and a commitment of spent-fuel take back.
Ms. Hinderstein outlined four observations from her recent trip to the Kingdom to meet with officials involved in the Saudi nuclear program. First, the Saudi nuclear-power program is very much "real and alive," despite international skepticism. Saudi Arabia does have an increasing energy demand: it has the same petroleum consumption as India, a country with more than 40 times its population, and its need for water desalination is rising rapidly. To that end, Ms. Hinderstein noted that the Saudis are looking at two large-scale reactors and multiple small modular reactors (SMRs) to meet their needs, a significant scaling back from its original plan for 16 nuclear-power plants. On the regulatory front, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), the Saudi nuclear-energy promoter and regulatory "incubator," is in the process of setting up an independent (though government-controlled) Saudi nuclear regulator that is expected to be functional by the end of 2018.
Second, Ms. Hinderstein noted that while energy needs and rationale are real, hedging is real as well. The program is first and foremost strategic, and decisions will not be made solely based on an economic rationale. Third, Ms. Hinderstein remarked that the Saudis require plenty of support, especially on safeguards, safety, and security issues. Their focus so far on these fronts was external, and Saudis have a long way to go on building internal capacity. Fourth, Ms. Hinderstein found that Iran is a ubiquitous topic in all conversations with Saudi officials. The Kingdom is adamant against accepting any constraints that Iran has not accepted. She observed that Saudis seem to hold two contradictory beliefs with regard to Iran: while they believe a better Iran deal can and should be negotiated, they also see in Tehran a revolutionary, ideological regime whose malevolent regional ambitions cannot be constrained or controlled. These opposing beliefs are hard to reconcile, and indicate that, if the United States hopes to manage KSA nuclear prospects, it should go hand in hand with an Iran strategy. Lastly, Ms. Hinderstein found that the Saudi nuclear community is small, and it is difficult to find institutional or national champions advocating for nonproliferation.
In closing, the speakers agreed that the Saudi nuclear program is fundamentally strategic in its nature, and decisions by the Saudi leadership will likely be politically motivated.
Comments Are Closed


Take the 2-minute tour ×
Hello everyone,
I would like to know whether, assuming Selberg's orthonormality conjecture, it would be possible to establish a "natural" correspondence between abelian varieties and functions belonging to the Selberg class S in such a way: 1) One associates to a simple abelian variety a primitive function of S, 2) One associates to an abelian variety of dimension d a function of S of degree d, 3) If V is an abelian variety isogenous to a product of abelian varieties of lower dimensions V_1, V_2,... V_n, then the function F of S related to V is the product of the F_i where F_i is the function of S related to V_i.
Thank you in advance.
share|improve this question
This is an interesting question, though I know little about Selberg's class S. One comment though: when you say "natural correspondence between", it makes it sound like you mean a bijection. (That seems unlikely in this case, because there are uncountably many functions in Selberg's class and only countably many abelian varieties over number fields.) But anyway reading more carefully it looks like you are not suggesting a correspondence, but rather a mapping (functor?) from abelian varieties into Selberg's class. – Pete L. Clark Dec 13 '10 at 19:55
Indeed the word "correspondence" may not fit exactly what I have on my mind, but my English is far from being perfect (I'm French). I didn't know that there were uncountably many functions in S, would you have some reference? By the way, still assuming Selberg's orthonormality conjecture, do both abelian varieties and Selberg's class form semi-simple categories? If so, the concept of functor from abelian varieties into Selberg's class, as you suggested, may be the good way to express my idea. – Sylvain JULIEN Dec 13 '10 at 22:49
I think you need to assume the Hasse-Weil conjecture (an L-function of every abelian variety over ${\mathbb Q}$ is entire with the expected functional equation), so get this map; if I am not mistaken, this does not obviously follow just from Selberg orthonormality. Also, as Pete remarks, the image is not the whole Selberg class. I do not know about uncountability, but e.g. you won't get non self-dual $L$-functions, like those of Dirichlet characters of order $\gt 2$. And, even restricting to the self-dual ones, $L$-functions of all etale cohomology groups of all algebraic varieties... – Tim Dokchitser Dec 20 '10 at 1:22
...are supposed to be in the Selberg class. I am not an expert, but I thought there are motives (e.g. cohomology groups of some Calabi-Yaus?) that are not realizable inside abelian varieties because the weights are wrong. But otherwise that that, I think it is expected that there is a map like this. – Tim Dokchitser Dec 20 '10 at 1:23
Sorry, I know almost nothing about the Selberg Class and was using the wikipedia article on the subject as a reference. But worse than that, I wasn't reading it carefully. My thought was as simple as the following: if you scale an element of the Selberg class by a nonzero real number you get another element of the Selberg class. But actually this is not true: the Dirichlet series needs to be "normalized": $a_1 = 1$. So I retract my comment about uncountability! – Pete L. Clark Dec 20 '10 at 2:10
1 Answer 1
(Assuming the abelian varieties are supposed to be defined over $\mathbf{Q}$). For every dimension $d\geq 1$, select a cuspidal automorphic representation $f_d$ of $GL(d)$ over the rationals. Then map any simple $A$ of dimension $d$ to $L(f_d,s)$, and extend by multiplicativity using the simple factors of a general $A$ up to isogeny.
(Of course this question is utterly artificial; it seems reasonable to think that the only natural $L$-function associated to an abelian variety is its Hasse-Weil $L$-function, which has degree $2\dim(A)$.)
share|improve this answer
Your Answer