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Abstract - Introduction of Prescribed Burning to Wind Cave National Park
Lovaas, Allan L. 1976. Introduction of Prescribed Burning to Wind Cave National Park. The Wildlife Society Bulletin 4. pp. 69-73.
Because of the poor fire control reputation at Wind Cave National Park, due to heavy fuels and past conflagrations, initiation of prescribed burning was prudently delayed until 3 years after prescribed burning was introduced into the Black Hills in 1970 by other agencies. The introduction provoked minimal negative public reaction, although a fire that escaped immediate control was widely publicized. The success of the introduction to the Black Hills and the park was attributed to the unity of the land management agencies, effective public relations, participation by ranchers, and control of the burns. Citation from J. Studdendieck & G. Wilson, "An Identification of Prairie in National Park Units in the Great Plains," p. 173, NPS 1986 (BEOL).
Did You Know?
The scientific name for the Stemless Hymenoxys is Hymemoxys acaulis. Acaulis means "stemless" and referes to the leafless stalks which bear the flower heads. More...


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Military - Overview
The Museum's superb military collections document the history of the men and women of the armed forces of the United States. The collections include ordnance, firearms, and swords; uniforms and insignia; national and military flags and banners; and many other objects.
The strength of the collections lies in their enormous depth. Some 3,000 military small arms and 2,400 civilian firearms document the mechanical and technological history of the infantryman's weapons from the beginning of the gunpowder era to the present. Among the 4,000 swords and knives in the collection are many spectacular presentation pieces. The collections also include Civil War era telegraph equipment, home front artifacts from both world wars, early computers such as ENIAC, Whirlwind, and Sage, and materials carried at antiwar demonstrations.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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Mesg controls the access to your terminal by others. Its typically used to
allow or disallow other users to write to your terminal (see write(1)).
Allow write access to your terminal.
Disallow write access to your terminal.
If no option is given, mesg prints out the current access state of your
Mesg assumes that its standard input is connected to your
terminal. That also means that if you are logged in multiple times,
you can get/set the mesg status of other sessions by using redirection.
For example "mesg n < /dev/pts/46".

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Use the Discussion page first before editing any bugs onto this page.
Bugs can be confirmed by checking into the discussion page and make sure other people reply to your report and have the same problem.
- [X] = Minor bugs.
- [!] = Major bugs.
- [!!] = Bugs that can crash Minecraft or a server.
- [?] = Possible bugs/features that you and the community (on the discussion page) are unsure about.
- [U] = Bugs that Jeb tested but was unable to reproduce.
- [F] = Bugs that have been fixed in the next update.
- [!] While making an entire stack of Wooden Planks, the game will Crash.
- [X] When a Water block is placed with empty space underneath, a column of source blocks are created under the original source block.
- [X] Lily Pads can be gathered by placing a block directly beneath them.
- [X] Lily Pads appear inside of Boats when you sail over them.
- [X] Two Glass Panes set beside each other will have a line dividing them on one side, but be clear on the other side.
- [X] If you build a Sand tower(≤ 12 blocks) on a Piston, connected to a clock, most of the Sand will disappear after a couple of pushes.
- [X] Using an Axe with the Silk Touch enchantment on a pine or birch Tree will only drop oak Wood (not pine or birch Wood). The same happens when mining Mossy and Cracked Stone Bricks with Silk Touch enchantment - you get normal Stone Bricks. It seems that dropped item doesn't remember durability of the block mined.
- [X] Diamond armour does not protect you from damage
- [X] Water and Lava drips through Glass if there is Water or Lava, respectively, above it.
- [X] Enchantment Tables break with a single hit and are destroyed permanently if not using a Pickaxe.
- [X] It is possible to place Sugar Cane in water.
- [F] While in the inventory screen, End Stone has a tooltip of "Unnamed".
- [F] Lily Pads are not affected by the Biome shades.
- [F] The End Portal blocks can be broken without the surrounding portal blocks disappearing. The expected result is either the portal block respawning, or the portal itself turning off.
- [U] Blocks are not always what they seem to be. For example, a Dirt block can look like a Stone block. If you destroy the said block, you get the Dirt block. Placing a Torch (or right clicking with a sword while aiming at the block) shows you the real block. Some details that may be important is that the chunk may need to be newly generated and running on SMP with some latency.
- [U] If a Pressure Plate is activated when joining a world, it will stay activated until you destroy it or quit.
- [U] Moving Water does not push ignited TNT blocks or Minecarts.
- [X] You can place blocks on fire even when you are in the fire. Video explaining:
- [!] After a Crash, Enchantments seem to disappear from all items in the Inventory.
- [!] After a few minutes of playing Minecraft, the game runs out of memory or freezes. This often happens while running 32-bit Java on a 64-bit OS. This can commonly be fixed by using the below line in a file ending in.bat or.batch.
This works with 64-bit OS machines:
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Java\jre6\bin\java.exe" -Xmx256m -Xms128m -cp Minecraft.exe net.minecraft.LauncherFrame
Use this line for 32-bit OS machines:
java -Xmx256m -Xms128m -cp Minecraft.exe net.minecraft.LauncherFrame
- [F] [!] Trying to access the "Video Settings..." menu in-game causes the game to crash with a "Saving Chunks" screen. Trying to access it from the beginning game menu gives a black screen.
- [?] When going into the Video Settings tab while paused, it crashes the game.
- [U][!] Sometimes, the game crashes when the Player attacks a Spider.
- [U][!] Occasionally, the game displays switching worlds then crashes.
- [U][!] Sometimes, when mining Gravel with an enchanted Pickaxe, the game Crashes with a "Saving Chunks" screen as opposed to the usual error report or black screen.
- This happens with an enchanted Shovel if the enchantment is Fortune and the level is larger than level 3 while dropping a piece of Flint.
[U][!] Sometimes, the game crashes when the Player attacks a creeper
- [X] My game cannot update minecraft 1.9 pre, it got stuck, when it shows:
Updating Minecraft Done loading
- [!] Clicking/right-clicking while moving the mouse may cause the screen to lose focus. Seems to happen in all OSs but it happens even more in Linux with the Fluxbox window manager. The cause is that whenever you click or right-click, the game loses cursor focus (you can even see the cursor blink over the screen). If the cursor is moving enough fast, it is not relocated in the center of the screen in time. Like the mouse locking does not work very well. Very easy to reproduce (easier in Linux&Fluxbox window manager): Just spam right-click while moving the mouse fast.
- [X] If you land on the bottom of the Void while in a Boat in The End, the Boat will disappear but may leave you perfectly safe to walk around. Any jumping will cause you to start taking damage normally.
- [X] When you place a block next to a Fence and stand directly in the space between the Fence and the new block and destroy the block next to it, you can walk inside the Fence.
- [X] Planting a Sapling on a Dirt block in The End will result in an invisible Tree once Bonemeal has been applied. This can be fixed by breaking one of the blocks, at which point the Tree will reappear.
- [X] You can only make Splash Potion of Regeneration II with the "correct" recipe.
- [X] If you sit in a Minecart on Rails and save and quit to the title and play your world again, the Minecart will duplicate.
- [X] Redstone-triggered mechanisms such as Sticky Piston Doors don't operate properly returning to The Overworld from the Nether until the Redstone Torches are removed and reset.
- [X] Critical hits are done to Minecarts when you punch one when your sitting in it.
- [X] The inside corner of a corner Fence block does not have the correct bounds like a normal Fence block or the outer corner of said block.
- [X] If you place a Fence block under tilled Farmland, the game registers you as walking on the Fence, and subsequently does not damage the Farmland because you are not walking on it.
- [X] Double tapping the crouch key (default ⇧ Shift) and releasing will cause the Player to Sprint with seemingly no effect on the Hunger meter.
- [X] Redstone does not detect when Redstone powered items are adjacent while it does detect Redstone Repeaters.
- [X] Note Blocks do not receive power from adjacent blocks that are powered by Redstone, while everything else does.
- [X] Creating anything on a Crafting Table using shift-clicking to move it to your Inventory does not add anything to your statistics.
- [F] When picking up all the lost Experience Orbs after death, you seem to get more points that you had before.
- [F] When Brewing, swapping the ingredient at the very last second before it is applied will apply the ingredient you changed it to rather than restarting the brewing timer for the new ingredient.
- [F] Mobs are not affected by the movement speed modifier of the Splash Potion of Swiftness levels 1 and 2; Players still function properly.
- [F] When you drink a Potion of Fire Resistance and try to swim in Lava, this does no damage to the Player, as intended, but when you jump into a Lava lake from a large height, the fall damage you would receive is saved up until you exit the lake. Death can probably be avoided with a Ladder.
- [F] If you place an enchanted item in a Chest or Storage Minecart and then break it, the enchantments will be gone.
- [F] After you enchant a Sword in SMP, when you try to block, the Sword will rapidly switch from the Blocking stance to the normal position. It does not happen for normal Swords.
- [?] It is possible to position the camera in such a way to view Cave systems.
- [?] When picking up Lava or Water with a Bucket, the Bucket will remain empty.
- [U] An Eye of Ender will not always point to the nearest Stronghold containing an End Portal. Probably occurs on maps generated with the debug Stronghold located at the coordinates (0, 0).
- [X] If facing parallel to a line of wooden fencing with a gap that you intend to place a fence gate in, and you place the fence gate, the gate will not attach in parallel with the fencing but perpendicular to it. That is, rotated 90 degrees and disconnected to the adjacent fencing.
- [X] A minecart with furnace does not push other minecart around, they just overlap
- [X] The armor bar in the tool bar doesn't seem to show the correct amount of armor. A full suit of iron only


Tents of the Central Asian Nomads
The tents of the Central Asian nomads are an essential part of nomadic life and provide the sole form of formalized housing for the peoples. They are
The tents of the Central Asian nomads are an essential part of nomadic life and provide the sole form of formalized housing for the peoples. They are incredibly durable and perfectly fitted to use in the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Each tent itself is a work of art and takes almost 12 months to construct using yak wool that's hand spun into yarn.
Creating a Central Asian Nomadic Tent
The tents built by Central Asian nomadic tribes are generally mid-sized and are organized by handmade yak wool rope, and eight to twelve (depending on how big is the tent) treated wooden poles. The hand-spun fabric used to cover the canopy is relatively thin and does let in a specific amount of light during daylight hours. The canvas is created to include a sizable opening at the top of the tent that's used as a chimney or smoke hole release a smoke form a central dung fire stove situated in the tent. During warmer months of the season, these holes are also used to allow oxygen and warm sunshine into the living area within the canvas. Numerous Buddhist prayer flags are also attached to the outside the tent.
The within of most Central Asian nomadic tents are relatively basic with Spartan features and few belongings. However, there are always a few basics which are generally present in all nomadic tents of Central Asia and these include typically sleeping mats, warm woolen blankets, a dung fired stove, a wooden table of some sort, clothing and food storage areas and religious symbols including an image of the Dalai Lama and a Buddhist art thangka painting.
Directly outside the tent, traditional Central Asian nomads keep yaks and dogs tied up. The dogs are used as an application of security along with companionship, and the yaks are employed for their wool and their dung as a fuel source that's burnt in the ovens found in the _URL_
Central Asian Nomadic Tents in the Modern World
The use of traditional nomadic tents in Central Asia is declining rapidly due merely to the urbanization of elements of the traditionally nomadic peoples of the region, but besides, because more and more of the Central Asian tribesman are starting to live in mud-brick homes. Currently, the single aspects of Central Asia that still have an abundance of traditional nomadic tents that people use as a residence is found in the prefectures of Nagchu and Ngari in Tibet (known in China since the Tibet Autonomous Region) and in the Yushu and Ganzi prefectures of China proper.
The writer is a nomadic tent events coordinator who works in the South African corporate events market. He is closely associated with several events tents manufacturers in South Africa, including well-known brands such as Nomadik Tents and Touareg Tents.
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 I like the valuable information you provide in your articles.
 I'll bookmark your blog and check again here frequently.
 here! Good luck for the next!


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Responding to Local Poverty (completed)
The project investigates the moral significance and practical implications of the principle of association in relation to poverty in India.
About the project
The Norwegian Programme for Research Cooperation with India (INDNOR) is part of the government's broader "Opportunities in Diversity" strategy. That strategy recognizes that cooperation with India presents rich opportunities for both countries. However, cooperation also presents real and difficult challenges, including complex ethical questions about poverty and its eradication. Responding to Local Poverty is a collaborative project, involving experts from both countries, designed to tackle these challenges head on.
Three types of moral reasons are often invoked to support the claim that particular agents have responsibilities to address poverty.
First, if the agents are able to assist the poor at relatively moderate cost they have a duty to do so—the principle of assistance. Second, if the agents have contributed to the poverty they have a responsibility to address it—the principle of contribution. A third moral reason is the presence of special associative ties between moral agents—the principle of association.
It is often thought that people do not generally have associative responsibilities to unrelated foreigners. However, the significant and expanding cooperation between the two countries may well give rise to such responsibilities. Responding to Local Poverty investigates the moral significance and practical implications of the principle of association in relation to poverty in India. The project will examine the nature of association-based responsibilities to alleviate poverty, their relation to contribution-based and assistance-based responsibilities, and discuss practical issues of particular importance for India and Norway.
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, New Delhi
- Research and Information System for Developing Countries, New Delhi
In 2010, the Norwegian Research Council called for proposals for "pre-projects", projects whose raison-d'etre is to design and plan a full project. Responding to Local Poverty is funded as such a pre-project, taking place in 2011. An application for a full project, running from 2012 – 2015 is being planned. The project is hosted by Centre for the study of Mind in Nature.


Industrial Controller
To create a complete vision system, explore other?vision system components, such as lighting, lenses, and cables.
Industrial Controllers are high-performance, fanless controllers that provide connectivity for communication and synchronization to EtherCAT and Ethernet CompactRIO chassis, EtherCAT motion drives, GigE Vision and USB3 Vision cameras, and other automation equipment. Controllers also have onboard isolated, transistor‐transistor logic?(TTL), and differential digital?I/O. You can use LabVIEW system design software to create, debug, and deploy logic to both the onboard FPGA and the processor. LabVIEW contains over 950?signal processing, analysis, control, and mathematics functions to accelerate development.


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Spring has sprung (almost), and it's time to give that dull winter skin the TLC it needs to face the sunnier days ahead. In a cheap and easy beauty treatment that is also good enough to eat, a DIY banana face mask can help to calm and clean skin for the change of the seasons.
Before the how, let's start with the why. Wandering into your kitchen and putting a little fresh fruit on your face is not as crazy as it sounds, according to Dr. Kathryn A. Boling, M.D., a primary care provider of Family Medicine at Maryland's Lutherville Personal Physicians. "Bananas contain many beneficial vitamins, including manganese, vitamin C, potassium, biotin and copper. Some of these vitamins are proven to be beneficial to skin," says Dr. Boling.
But this still raises the question: Why the face mask versus eating your favorite fruit? Dr. Boling explains, "Most nutrients are delivered to the skin via the bloodstream, but some can be applied topically. However, the top layer of the skin — called the stratum corneum — is made up of dead skin cells (about 15 – 20 layers) and acts as a barrier to protect the underlying skin from infection and harmful chemicals. Also, it makes absorption of topical vitamins difficult.
Therefore, exfoliation should be the first step prior to using a natural banana mask. Secondly, studies in animals show that vitamin C can be absorbed by the skin in an acidic environment. It may be beneficial to add in an acid (like lemon or citrus of some sort) to encourage vitamin C absorption."
Whether you eat them or put them on your skin, you're bound to see a big change in your complexion when you make bananas your new best friend. When used in a handy DIY mask, bananas can nourish the skin, along with the help of honey to absorb and retain moisture, to deeply hydrate and enhance your natural glow. And as Dr. Boling suggests, just a touch of lemon juice can help to exfoliate and improve vitamin C absorption.
What you will need:
- Small bowl
- Measuring spoon
- Metal spoon for mashing and mixing
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 10 drops lemon juice
1. Cut or break a banana into small pieces, and place into a mixing bowl. Mash up the banana with a metal spoon.
2. Add honey and lemon juice to the mashed banana. Mix well.
3. Apply the mask to the entire face, and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse well using a warm washcloth.
For those who don't have time to whip up an entire DIY banana mask, a fresh banana against inflamed skin might do the trick. Dr. Boling reminds us that bananas have medicinal properties that can be used to soothe a number of inflammatory skin conditions, including acne. Dr. Boling says, "According to a 2012 article in the Journal of Pharmacology and Phytochemistry, bananas have been used to treat burns or wounds due to their soothing properties. Thus, using a banana peel against the skin to decrease inflammation could also be very beneficial."


Dough You Love Me: A Laminated Pastry Dough FAQ and a Daring Bakers Challenge
Danish Pastry Time
It's late June, and high time for another Daring Bakers Challenge. This month's challenge? A Danish Braid. What, never heard of Danish Braid? Well, neither had we, but let us tell you, it's one doozy of a recipe (check it out here), prominently featuring laminated dough--a component which can strike fear into the hearts of even accomplished bakers. OK, to be fair though, perhaps it's not so much difficult as it is time consuming and trying on one's patience, what with its multiple between-step chillings and wait periods. However, rather than using these lag times to say, watch Law & Order or to read In Touch Weekly we instead took it upon ourselves to become better acquainted with the world of laminated doughs--here's a bit of what we learned:
You say that Danish Dough is a laminated dough. What precisely does that mean?
According to, "Laminated Dough" is made by encasing butter in dough, and taking it through a series of folds, rolling and turns to produce layers of butter in between sheets of dough. The leavening in these doughs is mainly derived from the steam generated by the moisture from the butter--the laminated fat traps water vapor and carbon dioxide formed during baking, and as steam expands in the oven, it lifts and separates the individual layers.
One of the more famous types of laminated dough is Puff Pastry (which makes mille-fueilles), which rises solely on the steam and has a bit more butter; however, Danish dough, its close laminated cousin, gets an added lift (literally) from yeast.
Additionally, as smart and cute Cakespy reader E-Dizzle clarifies:
There are three basic laminated doughs: Puff pastry has no yeast, and is used to make yummy things like palmiers, cheese twists and any sort of super-flaky tart or crust. The dough itself isn't sweet, so it can be used for sweet or savory pastries.
Croissant dough and danish dough are very similar, both containing yeast. But croissant doughs are considered very "lean" (crazy, I know) because the detrempe (which I just call "the doughy bit") has only flour, salt, water and yeast. Danish dough, however, is considered "rich" because it contains eggs and dairy, and sometimes sugar.
In the recipe, there's a term called "détrempe". What is that?
We think we figured it out though: détrempe refers to the dough part of the pastry, before the second part, the "beurrage"--the butter part--is added, which is what "laminates" it (in shiny buttery deliciousness).
Croissants at Belle Epicurean at their stand in the University MarketHello, Carbohydrates! layman's terms, what is the difference between Danish Dough and Puff Pastry (two of the laminated doughs cited above)?
Puff Pastry has more butter and no yeast--the resulting pastry is flaky and melt-in-your-mouth buttery. Danish dough contains yeast, which we find gives it a slightly chewier and less flaky texture.
Carbohydrates!If they were to have a faceoff, which would win--puff pastry or danish dough?
Really, would you ask us to choose between a flaky puff pastry or a delicious Danish? Apples and oranges, we tell you. Surely here's enough room in the world for all sorts of dough. Vive le carbohydrate!
What are some examples of pastries made with Danish Dough?
Well, the Danish, naturally--but pinwheels, envelopes and turnovers are frequently made using this type of dough. Also, though not always, a lot of kolache recipes call for a Danish-y dough.
Kolaches, Great Harvest Bread, Ballard, SeattleWhoa, sidebar: what's a kolache?
According to Wikipedia, Kolache (also spelled kolace, kolach, or kolacky, from the Czech and Slovak plural koláče) are a type of pastry consisting of fillings ranging from fruits to cheeses inside a bread roll. Originally only a sweet dessert from Central Europe, they have become popular in parts of the United States (strangely, they seem to have a big concentration in the American midwest, with kolache havens occurring in Oklahoma and Texas, which both boast annual Kolache festivals; however, Montgomery MN cites itself as the "Kolacky Capital of the World". Fighting words, anyone?). A picture of a kolache we found in Seattle at the Great Harvest Bread Company's Ballard location, is pictured left.
Can puff pastry and Danish Dough be used interchangeably?Columbia City Bakery Fruit and Cream Danish
We can't say for sure since we haven't tried, and really there would be nothing wrong with the flavor combinations per se--in fact, we've even seen Danish that has had the distinct look of puff pastry (see left, photo of a cream-and-fruit Danish from the Columbia City Bakery in Seattle). Will we be making this leap in the future though? Don't look out for it--our fear of ruining a delicious recipe is too great. Though perhaps this just means we're pastry prudes who badly need to take a walk on the wild side.
Why does it take so long to make my own dough?
Well, they say that Rome wasn't built in a day, and similarly, good Danish Dough must not be rushed. While the waiting periods (a half hour here to chill, another half hour there) may seem fussy, we advise that you wait it out--the taste of your baked goods will reward you at the end. And plus, all of those waiting periods leave you so much time to find cool stuff on the internet or even to drop by the nearest bakery to pick up an appetizer sweet.
Why are so many laminated doughs braided, slit or otherwise disfigured on top?
Though this can add visual appeal, it is mainly to let excess steam out while baking.
...speaking of which, shouldn't you be checking on your Danish braid about now?
#$%! Be right back.
Pastry Time!
(Several moments pass; we return to our questioning, with the slightest bit of sugary glaze and fruit filling still clinging around the corners of our mouths--see left).
It's clear your mind is on other things now. So...where can I learn more about laminated doughs?
Well, we recently saw a great show by Alton Brown explaining all about Puff Pastry (and boy is he cute!), or you could also turn to, a site operated by Pepperidge Farms which has recipes, forums and information on laminated doughs; for more information on all things laminated dough (both Puff Pastry and Danish Dough), also visit!
Postscript: The chewing resumes, the light dims, and yes--our spies realize that really and truly, homemade Danish Dough--especially when filled with fresh preserves (we chose cherry)--is a thing of beauty.


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Crops Between Fruit Trees
Categories: Fruit Growing
What would be best to grow between fruit trees, while the trees are
growing, and what to alternate each season, so as not to use up the soil
without putting back into it?
Where one is bringing along a young orchard, without irrigation, it is
doubtful whether it is not better policy to give the trees all the
advantage of clean cultivation and ample moisture than to undertake
intercropping. If
you live on the place and wish to grow vegetables
between the rows, the thorough cultivation to bring the vegetables along
satisfactorily would help to preserve moisture enough both for the
vegetables and for the trees, but this is very different from growing a
field crop by ordinary methods of cultivation. Select a crop which will
require summer cultivation, like corn, potatoes, squashes, and beans,
and never a hay or grain crop which takes up moisture without working
the soil for the greater moisture conversation which hoed crops require.
In choice of hoed crops be governed by what you can use to advantage,
either for house or the feeding of animals, or what you can grow that is
salable with least loss of moisture in the soil. The choice is governed
entirely by local conditions, except that leguminous plants - peas,
beans, vetches, clovers, etc. - do take nitrogen from the atmosphere and
can thus be grown with least injury and sometimes with a positive
benefit to the fertility of the soil.


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The Nuclear Weapons Complex stores radioactive nuclear materials known as "pits". At the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, several stockpile inspection, evaluation, and maintenance programs require the handling and measurement of pits from a wide variety of weapons systems. These measurements are performed to ensure stockpile integrity. Historically, pit-handling operations were performed manually, resulting in accumulations of radiation doses for workers. With the Weigh and Leak Check System (WALS), that is no longer the case.
WALS was a joint effort by Intelligent Systems, Robotics, & Cybernetics (ISRC) who developed the robotic automation system and by Pantex who developed the weigh and leak check stations. Pantex is currently using WALS to perform remote weigh and leak check operations on its nuclear weapon pits. WALS is the first robot system ever to handle such stockpile pits.
The handling of stockpile pits is a high-consequence task as any system failure could result in significant and catastrophic consequences. Having a robot system that has the necessary capabilities to safely, precisely, and gently handle the pits is critical. In addition, having a robotic system that is not only designed to be robust to a wide variety of potential failure modes, but is also able to fail in a safe manner in the event of a failure is extremely critical. Finally the system has to be at least as efficient and effective as the current standard process to ensure there are no negative impacts to current and future operations.
WALS uses a 6-axis robotic arm on a 25 ft. linear track. The robotic arm is programmed to move pits to custom tooling and automation stations, where the pits are unpacked from their containers, removed from their shipping fixtures, weighed, leak-checked, and repacked. WALS also has a suite of sensors and safety features necessary to operate the robot safely and reliably. Other features include:
- Computer vision to determine the position of objects in the workcell, eliminating the need for large numbers of precise fixtures.
- Force feedback control allows the robot system to sense forces on the payload, thereby protecting the payload and providing an automated means to precisely and gently place pits in the workcell.
- Mechanical locks and sensors that ensure a sequence of events occurs before a pit can be moved.
- A redundant computer to independently monitor forces on the pit during robot motion.
As an upgrade, Sandia has also modified the robot's pit-handling tools so the system can accommodate new sealed insert (SI) containers, in addition to the several containers already used in the WALS system.
The primary benefit was a significant reduction in operator exposure to radiation by eliminating manual handling of pits. Another important ergonomic benefit is the elimination of many of the manual lifting tasks that are required for unpacking and repacking the pits. Furthermore, the automation process enforces qualified, validated procedures, that will be executed the same each time ensuring a high quality operation. This sequence of performed operations automatically generates a log that can be retained and audited, thus improving overall quality.
The automation technologies developed for WALS can be employed in a wide variety of areas where pits are handled. This will dramatically extend the scope of these technologies well beyond their original use in the weigh and leak check facility.


What Are the 3 Types of Leaf Arrangements?
-•• Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
One of the most important steps when learning how to identifying trees and plants is understanding phyllotaxy, or the arrangement of the leaves around the stem. The purpose of these arrangements are often to optimize exposure to the sun. Most plants fall into one of three main leaf arrangements which are easy to distinguish from each other.
Alternate (Spiral)
In an alternate or spiral leaf arrangement, only a single leaf is attached to a particle node on a stem. These types of plants have leaves spread up the stem in a spiral pattern, forming an invisible helix. A plant with an alternate arrangement consistently has a symmetrical pattern with the exact same number of leaves for each turn around the plant's limb. Ivy is one example of a species with an alternative leaf arrangement.
A plant with pairs of leaves attached at each node opposite to each other has an opposite leaf arrangement. This leaf arrangement has two types, decussate and distichous. If the pairs of leaves are rotated 90 degrees as they advance up the stem, the opposite leaf arrangement is considered descussate. Alternately, if the pairs are not rotated, they are called distichous. Plant species with opposite leaf arrangement include maples, periwinkle, most viburnums and chestnut.
Whorled leaf arrangements are identified by three or more leaves attached at a single node. Like opposite leaf arrangements, whorled plants can be decussate if there is a rotation in the leaves as they progress along the twig. Examples of this arrangement can be seen in the catalpa and sweet woodruff.
Other Leaf Arrangements
Although less common than the alternate, opposite and whorled leaf arrangements, there are several other leaf arrangements that happen in nature. Basal is one, characterized by a circular distribution of leaves around the base of the plant, as seen in dandelions. In another, equitant, leaves overlap. This is standard in some iris species.
About the Author
Photo Credits
 - Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images


Montessori Renaissance Academy
A nonprofit organization
78% complete
$5,000 Goal
Formerly Minnesota Renaissance School, Montessori Renaissance Academy is a private, nonprofit Montessori school located in the north metropolitan suburb of Anoka, MN. For more than 22 years, we have been providing children from 16 months through 8th grade with an alternative to more traditional schools. Our students flourish, testing 25-30% better on required standardized testing than the national average.
Organization Data
Organization name
Montessori Renaissance Academy
Tax id (EIN)
Education Environment Health Children & Family Community Volunteer
Significantly impacted by pandemic
Significantly impacted by pandemic
1333 5TH AVE
ANOKA, MN 55303
How can we help?
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The Complex Call of the Carolina Chickadee
What can the chick-a-dee call teach us about communication and language?
If you live in North America, Europe or Asia near a forest, suburban open woodlands or even an urban city park, chances are you have heard a member of the avian family Paridae—the chickadees, tits and titmice. Birds use calls to communicate with their flockmates, and most parids share a unique call system, the chick-a-dee call. The call has multiple notes that are arranged in diverse ways. The resulting variation is extraordinary: The chick-a-dee call is one of the most complex signaling systems documented in nonhuman animal species.
Much research on the chick-a-dee call has considered Carolina chickadees, Poecile carolinensis, a species common in the southeastern United States. We focus on this species here, but we also compare findings from other parids. We discuss how the production and reception of these calls may be shaped over individual development, and also how ecological and evolutionary processes may affect call use. Finally, we raise some key questions that must be addressed to unravel some of the complexities of this intriguing signaling system. Increased understanding of the processes and pressures affecting chick-a-dee calls might tell us something important about what drives signaling complexity in animals, and it may also help us understand the evolution of that most complex vocal system, human language.
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Indian Blanket Flower
Victoria Frietze, AGRO/HORT 100G Spring 2002
What a beautiful flower the Gaillardia or Indian Blanket Flower is. This remarkable flower first originated in North America. It got its name Indian Blanket Flower from the resemblance of its red, gold and bronze shades to the traditional colors of Indian crafts in the southwestern U.S. The Blanket Flower is a plant that grows very bushy and it is most likely round. The daisy-like flower has a single, double, or semi-double form and it terminals on a long stem. Its leaves are oblanceolate, lobed, and hairy. The flower has a large center that is rose-purple in color. The petals are orange, crimson or copper scarlet with an out line of yellow.
This plant blooms from early summer to fall. It can grow to be about 8" to 12" and space apart about 15". In order to get the plant to grow, one must keep it in the sunlight, because it loves sunny areas and well-drained soil. However, one must be careful because soggy soil can cause root rot in the winter.
This ravishing flower can be cut after blooming is completed and can be displayed for about a week as long as it is kept in water. Due to the brilliant and bright colors of the flower, the Indian Blanket Flower makes a great decorative display.
RaeLynn Dunlap, AGRO/HORT 100G Spring 2002
These flowers are easy to spot with their bright colors consisting of shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. The colorful flowers are three-pronged at the tips of each petal, with a wide base. The pollen is a brown shade. Leaves are a light green and to a grayish green and are usually eight to ten inches. They are usually opposite.
These easy growing plants do best in low to moderate soil and have high organic matter content. Textures of these plants, on the petals they are smooth, and the leaves are somewhat rough. The smell is not that delightful. However, they do make a beautiful flower arrangement.
To promote more flowering you should remove the earliest faded flowers. This is a popular plant because of its long season of flowering. It makes a good attention to a garden.


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Document Type : Research Paper
School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
Background: The utilization of methane for production of Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) not only cuts the emissions of greenhouse gases but also greatly reduces PHB production cost.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of gas-phase conditions on PHB production by Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b.
Materials and Methods: Bacterial cultivation and PHB production were conducted in a series of sealed serum bottles. Nitrogen-free mineral salts medium was used to induce PHB production in the presence or absence of N2 in the headspace.
Results: In the absence of N2, the highest PHB content (i.e., 52.9% of the dry cell weight with a PHB concentration of 814.3 mg.L-1) was obtained at a ratio of CH4:O2=2:1. Further study at different O2 concentrations with a fixed CH4 partial pressure in absence of N2 showed that PHB accumulation by methanotroph could be tolerated high oxygen partial pressure and its respond to the variation of the oxygen concentration depends on the methane partial pressure. In presence of N2, with headspace gas replenished only when oxygen was almost depleted, the degradation of intracellular PHB has appeared. In the regimen of updating headspace gas at the point when the PHB content began to decrease, the highest PHB content (i.e., 55.5% of the dry cell weight with 901.8 mg.L-1 PHB concentration and 12.5 mg.L-1.h-1PHB productivity) was obtained at 0.2 atm O2 and PHB accumulation was depressed with an oxygen concentration greater than 0.3 atm.
Conclusions: The methanotroph responses differentially to the increase in the oxygen partial pressure with regard to PHB accumulation either in the presence or in the absence of N2.


TIME LAPSE: Veraison
veraison timelapse
Veraison, pronounced "ver-AY-zhun", is a French term that is used to describe the the onset of ripening, signaled by a change in color of the grapes. Veraison represents the transition from fruit growth to fruit ripening. Many changes in berry development happen during veraison, some very visible, as you can see in this time lapse video. Others are happening inside the grape berries, such as increased sugar levels.
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Sn-117 Isotope Applications:
 - Sn-117 isotope is used for research on chemical reactions and chemical synthesis;
Sn-117 isotope is available to order from in Sn-117 metal (Sn) chemical form. Please contact us via request a Sn-117 quote to order Sn-117 isotope, to get Sn-117 price and to buy Sn-117 isotope.
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Sn-117 Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in metal form - Download pdf file
Download Sn-117 SDS in metal form
Properties of Sn-117 Isotope:
Properties of Sn-117 Isotope:SN-117
Natural Abundance (%)7.68
Atomic Mass (Da)116.902952
Relative Isotopic Mass116.902952
Neutron Number (N)67
Atomic Number (Z)50
Mass Number (A)117
Nucleon Number (A)117
Proton Number (Z)50
Quadrupole Moment0
g-factor (g value)-2.00208
Electron Configuration Blockp
Melting Point (K)505.08
Boiling Point (K)2875
Specific Heat0.227
Heat of Formation301.2
Thermal Conductivity66.8
Dipole Polarizability 53
Electron Affinity (kJ/mole)1.11207
Electronegativity (Pauling scale)1.96
Atomic Radius (pm)0
Covalent Radius (pm)145
VDW Radius (pm)217
Lattice Constant5.82
Crystal StructureBCT (white) / FCC (grey)
Jmol color#668080
Sn-117 Information
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FAQ about Sn-117 Isotope:
What is Sn-117 isotope natural abundance?
Answer: 7.680 %
What is atomic mass for Sn-117 isotope?
Answer: 116.90295 Da
What is isotopic mass for Sn-117 isotope?
Answer: 116.90295
How many neutrons does Sn-117 isotope have?
Answer: 67
How many protons does Sn-117 isotope have?
Answer: 50
How many electrons does Sn-117 isotope have?
Answer: 50
What is atomic number for Sn-117 isotope?
Answer: 50
Is Sn-117 isotope stable?
Answer: Yes
Is Sn-117 isotope radioactive?
Answer: No
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text: Ni is the most frequent cause of contact allergy induced by metals. However, the underlying mechanism of this induction is unknown. Our previous research demonstrates that activation of dendritic cells (DCs) through p38MAPK/MKK6 is required for Ni-induced allergy in mice. In the current study, we investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying Ni-induced allergy using a mouse model that involves injecting Ni into the ear, with or without Freund's incomplete or complete adjuvants. Nickel had greater potential to cause allergic reactions compared with palladium and gold. Among the proteins expressed at higher levels in mice with Ni-induced allergy, we focused on thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), which is produced in abundance by keratinocytes. We detected increased expression of the TSLP receptor (TSLPR) in DCs from cervical lymph nodes of mice with Ni-induced allergy, suggesting that DCs in ear tissues were activated through TSLPR signaling induced by keratinocyte-derived TSLP. Furthermore, delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions in mice with Ni-induced allergy were decreased significantly by injection of a Tslp-short interfering RNA along with atelocollagen in the ear skin. These results suggest that Ni allergy may be triggered by a TSLP/TSLPR-mediated interaction between epithelial and immune cells.


Agility Drill Demonstration
This is a fun warm up and really improves movement.
 1. Step out to your right side on your right foot. The left leg crossed behind the right foot to place the left foot on the ground.
 2. Step out to the right again with the right foot and bring the left foot this time in front of the right leg.
 3. Repeat in the opposite direction so that the left leg leads.
Coaching points
Add arm movements up and down to add intensity to the grapevine step.
Ensure you have a safe amount of space around you before starting this exercise.
Average rating
The Drill is often used with
GrapevineSpeed FootworkAgility Drills Coaching


text:
Or in other words, are there differences in average Lyapunov timescale between orbits interior to Jupiter and orbits exterior to Jupiter? I'm trying to answer a question at _URL_ but I'm not totally sure if the last part of my answer is right. I'll quote the last part of it:
If the 2nd theory is true, then it's harder to answer this. One thing for sure though: Jupiter is much farther away, so its tug on the system is a much smaller factor than it is for the inner planets (where it can be a major source of instability over the solar system's lifetime)
In fact - I suspect that another factor is that from Pluto's perspective, Jupiter is practically in the center of the solar system anyways, so you're unlikely to see periods of time where Jupiter is in such a position where its constant gravitational tugs (over several Jupiter orbits) can accumulate and tug a satellite into an unstable orbit (which is what can happen with planets that orbit the Sun at distances interior to Jupiter ). Anyways I don't fully know the physics on this (yet) so some of my details could be wrong - what I do know is that it could happen to both asteroid belt objects and to Mercury's orbit - _URL_ - perhaps because there are positions where Jupiter's pull on interior bodies is in a direction opposite to that of the Sun's pull (we never hear about the Sun creating any orbital instabilities). And Mercury is much closer to Jupiter than Pluto is.
Of course, Pluto is vulnerable to Neptune's influence, but Pluto and Neptune have a 3:2 orbital resonance so it's relatively safe from collisions with Neptune (although the resonance may not be constant over the solar system's lifetime)
Anyways, we might finally know more once New Horizons reaches Pluto in a few years
 _URL_ says that there is something special about asteroids with orbits interior to Jupiter - I'll try to find more information on this.


text:
May 1, 2003, Gazette
These tiny telemeters shown on the palm of Dr. Bruce Van Vliet's
hand are surgically inserted into mice in order to transmit blood
pressure readings 24 hours a day.
Mice have become the new standard for researchers
studying the cardiovascular system.
"The mouse is now the Volkswagen of genetic change and has become
the workhorse – or workmouse of science," said Dr. Bruce
Van Vliet, a researcher in basic medical sciences who is studying blood
pressure in mice.
Ten years ago, cardiovascular research was mainly on rats. But around
1990 molecular biologists began to make genetically modified mice. The
result was the ideal research tool – an animal with a very specific
change, perhaps just one deleted gene, could be produced. "It's
a tremendous advantage to be able to study a single gene's contribution
to something like high blood pressure, which affects one in five Canadians,"
said Dr. Van Vliet.
One of the problems in using mice is that they are very tiny, about
one-tenth the size of rats. "We didn't have good ways to
measure their blood pressure and we also had to take into account that
although mice are like rats in a physiological and anatomical way, because
of their small mass and larger surface area they lose heat quickly and
must spend a lot of energy just to maintain body heat."
Some researchers use a tail cuff to measure mouse blood pressure, but
it turns out that mice get extremely upset by the stress of this and
become hypertensive just from having the cuff on. Dr. Van Vliet has
found the most effective way to measure mouse blood pressure is with
tiny internally-inserted telemeters that emit a continuous radio signal.
A recent paper by Dr. Van Vliet, to be published in Physiology,
gives possibly the most detailed description ever done of blood pressure
in mice. "In this study we've paid attention to the effect
of locomotor activity on mouse blood pressure. It is very powerful in
changing their blood pressure – mice are either active or inactive.
Because they are small they have to eat frequently. Even during the
light period, when most nocturnal animals tend to be quiet, they have
six to eight bouts of activity gathering food. When they are active
their blood pressure goes up; when they are quiet it goes down."
Dr. Van Vliet was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from Memorial's
Medical Research Foundation (MRF) to study blood pressure in mice. "We're
trying to promote and develop techniques to give confidence in the results
within a few percent. This still needs more understanding at the basic
level – with the help of the MRF funding, Alison Leonard is going
to work in my lab this summer and
start a master's in the fall looking at the measurement of blood
pressure in mice.
Dr. Van Vliet said the MRF funding, although relatively small, allows
his lab to diversify. "We've been supported by the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research and we would like to interest NSERC (Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council) in supporting our projects.
But to submit an application we need our project to be fairly mature.
We're already developing a reputation in this area and we're
going to use the MRF funding to get the project focused specifically
on how to measure the blood pressure in a mouse – or to get more
technical about it, how to phenotype the blood pressure of a mouse."
Dr. Van Vliet noted that other than the Faculty of Medicine's
Medical Research Foundation and Dr. A. R. Cox awards, there are no provincial
sources of funding for basic medical research. "There is a tremendous
requirement for seed money in research. You need to find funding to
be able to follow leads and try new approaches. It takes a lot of funding
to come up with a project that will be supported federally."


text:
No modern masonry chimney, reinforced and strapped to the house as required by code, has failed that we know of in recent American Earthquakes.
Tall and unreinforced
In the Northridge and Loma Prieta quakes in California and the Nisqually quake in Washington many old chimneys - even tall chimneys - did not fail. Even near the epicenter, many old and un-reinforced chimneys were not damaged.
The chimneys that did fail were, by in large, already in poor condition and in need of ordinary maintenance. Chimneys that served fireplaces and not furnaces generally faired better. Many of the chimneys that failed were lined with small metal flues indicating that a gas furnace had been vented into the chimney, and that probably the chimney had been damaged by acid flue gas condensation before the lining was installed. Chimneys that were poorly built to begin with or that were not maintained were the ones that failed.
Again, we found no modern masonry chimney built to code that failed in any of the three earthquakes.
Excerpts pertaining to masonry chimneys from a 1994 article by Richard E. Klingner, "Performance of Masonry Structures"
The Nisqually Quake And Masonry chimneys a report prepared by Jim Buckley for FEMA
<<< BACK - Construction - NEXT - Cost >>>
Back to Training Program for Masons Index
Buckley Rumford Fireplace Home Page
Copyright 1995 - 2011 Jim Buckley
All rights reserved.


text:
The Exchange offline folder (.ost) file is a local and offline copy of the mailbox on the Exchange server. Whenever the mailbox on the server is not available permanently, the OST file is called orphaned.
There are many reasons that will make your Exchange offline folder (.ost) file orphaned. We classify them into two categories, i.e., hardware reasons and software reasons.
Whenever your hardware fails in storing or transferring the data of your Exchange Server databases (.edb), a data disaster happens and the server will crash. At that time, OST files will get orphaned. There are mainly three types:
- Data Storage Device Failure. For example, if your hard disk has some bad sectors and your Exchange Server databases are stored on these sectors. Then maybe you can only read part of the database file. Or the data you read are incorrect and full of errors. Such a data corruption will make the database unavailable and your OST file orphaned.
- Power Failure or Shutdown Server Abnormally. If a power failure happens or you shutdown the Exchange server improperly when the Exchange server is accessing the databases, then that may cause your databases damaged and your OST file orphaned.
- Controller Card Malfunction or Failure. If a caching controller is used with Exchange Server, its malfunction or failure will cause all the cached data lost and the database corruption, so to make the OST file orphaned.
There are many techniques to prevent or minimize the Exchange Server database corruption and the OST file being orphaned due to hardware problems, for example, UPS can minimize the power failure problems, and using reliable hardware devices can also reduce the chances of data corruption.
Also Exchange OST file can be orphaned because of software related issues.
- Delete, Disable, or Deny Access of the Mailbox on Exchange Server. If the mailbox on the Exchange Server corresponding to the OST file is deleted or disabled by your server administrator, or your access to the mailbox is denies. then your local OST file is orphaned and you must rely on DataNumen Exchange Recovery to retrieve the contents of your mailbox.
- Virus or Other Malicious Software. Many viruses will infect and damage the Exchange Server databases and make them unusable, which will also make the OST file orphaned. It is highly recommended to install quality anti-virus software for your Exchange Server system.
- Human Misoperations. Human misoperations, such as deleting databases by mistake, mis-partitioning the storage device, mis-formatting the operating system, will all cause the Exchange Server database unavailable, and so make the OST file orphaned.
Fix Orphaned OST Files:
When your OST files are orphaned, you can still use our award-winning product DataNumen Exchange Recovery to recover the data from your orphaned Exchange OST files, so to retrieve the contents of your mailbox again.


text:
Background: Affective disorders present an important clinical challenge in multiple sclerosis (MS). Due to prohibitive sample size requirements, population-based studies have not yet provided an adequate description of the underlying epidemiology of this association.
Objective: To describe the epidemiology of affective disorders in MS in a general population sample.
Methods: The study presented here accessed administrative data from a universal healthcare insurance plan in the Canadian province of Alberta. Physician billing data recorded in the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan was used to identify members of the population ≥15 years of age with and without MS. Crude and stratified estimates of the association between affective disorders and MS were made. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate statistical interactions and to provide adjusted estimates of the association.
Results: The estimated prevalence of MS in the population within the targeted age range (2.3 million individuals) was 386/100,000 and that of affective disorders was 7.7%. As expected, an association between MS and affective disorders was identified (crude relative prevalence: 2.2). The association varied in strength over age-sex categories. Although the prevalence of affective disorder was higher in women with MS than men with MS, the association of MS with affective disorders was stronger in men. The strength of association declined with age in both men and women. Affective disorder prevalence in people with MS becomes similar to that of the general population in older age groups.
Conclusion: Affective disorders occur with an increased frequency in MS. This is true in men and women and across all relevant age groups, although the association gets weaker with advancing age. Higher frequencies of affective disorder occur in women with MS than in men with MS. The frequency of affective disorder in people with MS is highest in the 25–44 age group, and declines in older age categories.


How Laws and Mandates Create and Disrupt Markets
Laws and mandates have major changes on the products and services that we use. Markets for goods and services are created and disrupted. An example of this is the Prohibition era in the United States. Prohibition was a time when the sale of drinking alcohol was made illegal by States and the Federal government. The logic behind the ban was that quality of life would improve because the consumption of alcohol would decrease. But did this happen? Nope. Instead the sales of alcohol skyrocketed. Bootleggers became rich by selling alcohol. All Prohibition did was disrupt the traditional alcoholic beverage market into a black market. People were able to make a business out of selling illegal alcohol.The same could be said for the sale of illegal drugs.
The auto industry also created a new market for the energy conscious with the release of the electric car and the hybrid. These changes created jobs in the green economy.
During my time the dental industry, I noticed a surge in product sales of Amalgam Separators. This occurred after an environmental law was passed across the United States; barring Dentist's from pouring amalgam(mercury) used in fillings down the sewer. Amalgam had to be separated into a separator and disposed of through special means. Think of commercial waste.
If you want to see what markets will be created and disrupted; look to the laws and mandates of the government.prohibition-ends-daily-mirror-nyc1
Published by Dan Galante
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facebook logo twitter logo Instagram Logo Nordost Blog
Are Nordost cables directional?
Yes, Nordost cables are directional. This is especially true for single ended (RCA) interconnects as the shield is connected at the source or output end only.
Which way do directional arrows point on Nordost cables?
The directional arrows always point away from the source. For example, from a CD player to an amplifier, the arrows should point towards the preamplifier or power amplifier. On a speaker cable the arrows would always point towards the loudspeaker
How can cables be directional?
When cables are manufactured they do not have any directionality. However, as they break in, they acquire directionality.
Although the cable signal is an alternating current, small impurities in the conductor act as diodes allowing signal flow to be better in one direction over time. This effect is also called quantum tunneling, which has been observed in experiments over 25 years ago. Regardless of the purity of the metal used, there are still diode effects in all conductors. In addition, the insulation material will change when it is subjected to an electrical field.


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


Surf Training-Learning to Count to 1
The importance of a good bottom turn
Why Count to 1?
Ever watch Mick Fanning or Kelly Slater surf? What makes Kelly or Mick so good in your average beach break and the average surfer so hit and miss? Well, there are several things that stand out right off the bat and that is manuevers, positioning, and most apparent is the speed and flow these top surfers generate. With out the speed that they create, they would not be able to pull of the big manuevers that gives them the "Wow Factor" that the average surfer can not create.
First off, a surfer has to understand how to create speed and that means that a surfer has to understand what mindset he should be in. If you have skating experience on ramps, then you will have an excellent foundation on how to ride a wave. When you drop in on a ramp, you compress as you drop down the face of the ramp and at the bottom you raise your body to get a burst of speed up the other side of the ramp. Well, a wave is a moving ramp in a sense. When you drop in, your body is compressed and at the bottom you lift up to get speed and then ride back to the top of the wave to drop down again and get speed.
I've Dropped In but I Can't Get Up!
So what makes Mick Fanning go so fast and what makes the average surfer get caught behind sections? The next time you are surfing, watch the surfers around you. You see a lot of people twisting their bodies, hopping their boards, and putting in a lot of effort but the end result is somewhere around 5000 calories less than the wasted effort that they are putting in. Hopping on your board does not always equal speed. In fact, there are several things that kill a surfers ability to gain Mick Fanning like speed.
What Kills Speed?
There are several factors that kill the potential to gain speed on a wave. They include:
 1. The wrong equipment. A poorly shaped board, the wrong board for the surfer, or the wrong board for the conditions can kill the surfers chance to gain speed. If you weigh 2oo pounds and you are 6 foot 2 inches tall, a 5'6″ shortboard is not the board for you.
 2. Poor body mechanics. In a previous post about doing cutbacks, I mentioned the proper way to torque your body and getting a "T" shape to your upper body. Some surfers do not lift their arms up enough when trying to get around sections or when pumping so their board stays low in the wave. What did I say before? The wave is a moving hill so you have to get high on the face to get speed on the way back down. If you are tracking across the bottom, you will never gain any speed.
 3. Cutting your turns short. This is perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of surfing and this is where my tip will come in handy. This concept will also dramatically change your surfing and allow you to go from a fish killing barney to a surfer who is gaining speed and doing turns instead of watching the wave peel on by.
Why Full Turns Make You Go Faster
Everyone is guilty of occasionally cutting a turn short but the average surfer does this frequently. When a surfer does a snappy turn for instance, a common mistake is to try to gain control of the board during the drifting portion of the turn and then force the board back down the line in a whipping turn. By doing this, the surfer is making a mistake that is detrimental. Simply put, the surfer is taking away his down the line momentum during the turn because when they stop the board during the sliding portion, they are now taking away what is going to give them speed in the end and that is coming back down the face. When the surfer stops the slide early and redirects his board, the surfer is literally going down the line with very little speed. If you watch Kelly, he snaps the board and lets the board slide around until the board wants to come around. His nose should now be higher than the tail and when the board comes around naturally, he then regains control of the board and instead of riding down the line, he heads to the bottom of the wave to soak up every ounce of speed he can gain. Once he is out on the flats, he can redirect back to the top of the wave which will give him speed. So the most critical aspect of all of this is that it is not hopping up and down that gives you the speed, it is the proper body movements coupled with full top to bottom turns. So where you turn off the top is just as important as where you turn at the bottom of the wave.
How To Get a Full Turn
This is where the title of my post finally comes into play in your strategy to get a great ride. The next day you are out surfing, instead of trying to pump like a mad man down the line, try this instead. As you drop in, think of the keyword, "set". That means you are going to just drop in and gain your composure. Look down the line and look at the wave and not your board. Lift both of your arms up in one motion until your upper body is in the "T" shape. For dropping in, you literally do not need to have both arms out like a cross…it is more important that your arms are above your chest level. Then comes the important part, that is when you get to the bottom of the wave and then go into your bottom turn stance which should be low to the board and say "1". Once you have said "1" to yourself, find the spot where you want to hit and spring your body upwards once again lifting your upper body like a spring and aim for that spot. By saying one, you will allow yourself to be further out on the flats and you will hold your rail for that much longer which will give you a more vertical path into the lip. Your friends will hoot because you are now surfing like Tom Curren.
This applies for any turn during the wave. When you snap off the whitewater for example on a cutback and you are aiming down the line, once you have worked your way up the wave face, you look down the line and see what is available and if the wave ahead is either steep or getting steep, you then aim more to the beach and thrust downward, raise your arms as you are reaching the bottom area, compress, count to "1", and belt the lip again.
Remember, you have to frequently check the wave ahead of you but your main zone of concentration will be on the zone around where you are currently riding and not focusing two miles down the line. If it is starting to throw out in your zone, then going into a long drawn out bottom turn might not be the best idea. Instead your better choice would be to get around the section and aim for a turn in the next section. You have to be quick on your feet in a beach break and able to change things up at a moments notice.
Right at the edge of the breaking lip.
Example From the Pictures
From the first two shots, I want to point out a few things. In the first picture I am at the bottom and staying low but notice where I am looking. I am looking at a ridge on the face of the wave. Where I took off, the wave is bending back so going straight up there will only make me hang up but down the line there is a ridge where the two sections are coming together. In the second picture, you can see that once again I am looking at the section and not my board. The bottom turn placed me right at the edge of the breaking lip and not way down the line. Full speed ahead!
About 1stpeaksteve
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2 Responses to Surf Training-Learning to Count to 1
 1. Elvin Zapata says:
 Yoo steeeeve! are you the same steve from only surf erie surfboards?? I've met you many times in the water I think! Thanks for the trick-tips mang! I plan on using them on thursday morning session! wooooot!
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text:
Virtues for their characters. Any player will be able to access the display on any character's paperdoll by pressing a certain "Virtue button."
- One button for each of the eight Virtues. Clicking on one of the Virtue buttons will display:
- a message describing what is needed to gain in that Virtue
- the benefits associated with that Virtue
- A "status" button. Clicking the "status" button will describe to the player how close that character is toward achieving the next step of that Shrine's related Virtue.
- "You have not even started on the path of this Virtue."
- "You have barely begun your journey through the path of this Virtue."
- "You have progressed in this Virtue, but still have much to do."
- "Your journey through the path of this Virtue is going well."
- "You feel very close to achieving your next goal in this Virtue."
- "You have achieved a goal in this Virtue."
Double-clicking the "Virtue button" will present the player with a graphic display, indicating what steps they have attained in the Virtues. There will be eight sections, one for each Virtue, in the form of an engraved stone.
- The button used to access this display will be the mailbag icon currently in place on 2D paperdoll gumps.
- A new Virtue symbol icon which will be added to the 3D paperdoll.
Players who progress any number of steps on the path of a given Virtue, but do not continue to actively pursue it, may discover that their Virtuous title reduces in steps over time.
- For characters who have not yet achieved the first step of a given Virtue, the respective engraving is empty. The engraved symbols for each of the Virtues are as follows:
- Humility: a shepherd's crook
- Sacrifice: a teardrop
- Honor: a chalice
- Compassion: a heart
- Valor: a sword
- Honesty: a open-palmed hand
- Spirituality: an ankh
- Justice: a set of scales
- When characters have achieved the first step on the path of a given Virtue, the engraved symbol for that Virtue will fill with the appropriate Virtue symbol, tinted light gray.
- When characters have achieved the second step on the path of a given Virtue, the engraved symbol for that Virtue will fill with the appropriate Virtue symbol, colored a light tint of that Virtue's respective color.
- Humility: a tint of black ("medium grey")
- Sacrifice: a tint of orange ("light orange")
- Honor: a tint of purple ("light purple")
- Compassion: a tint of yellow ("pale yellow")
- Valor: a tint of red ("pinkish")
- Honesty: a tint of blue ("light blue")
- Spirituality: a tint of white ("pale grey")
- Justice: a tint of green ("light green")
- When characters have achieved the third step on the path of a given Virtue, the engraved symbol for that Virtue will fill with the appropriate Virtue symbol, colored in the respective color of that Virtue.
- Humility: black ("dark grey")
- Sacrifice: orange
- Honor: purple
- Compassion: yellow
- Valor: red
- Honesty: blue
- Spirituality: white
- Justice: green
- Progressing any number of steps in a Virtue will grant a character some special abilities. Players will be able to access these abilities by clicking the related Virtue symbol on their own Virtue gump. For example, clicking on the symbol for "Sacrifice" will activate the Virtuous ability for Sacrifice.
- When a player moves his cursor over a given Virtue symbol, a title will be displayed under the respective symbol, indicating the step currently achieved for that Virtue by that character.
- First step: Seeker of [name of that Virtue]
- Second step: Follower of [name of that Virtue]
- Third step: Guardian of [name of that Virtue]
- A character that has achieved all three steps in all eight Virtues will earn the title "The Virtuous" on their paperdoll.
HUMILITY AS DEFINED BY THE VIRTUE SYSTEM
Humility is part of a philosophy within Ultima Online known as the Virtues, and is one of eight pursuits within the upcoming Virtue system.
The Virtue of Humility has been described as:
"Perceiving one's place in the world, not according to one's own accomplishments, but according to the intrinsic value of all individuals."
Pursuit of Humility will be designed to encourage veteran players to help new players, in that they will specifically advance in this Virtue by helping [young] players.
Squire System: Veteran players will be able to invite [young] players to become their squires.
Virtuous Title & Abilities: When a character has achieved any number of Humility points, he is considered to have achieved a certain step on the path of Humility.
- [Young] players can be invited to become a squire in the following manner:
- Open up the Virtue gump.
- Double-click the Humility (shepherd's crook) symbol
- Target the [young] character
- Once invited, the [young] player will receive a special invitation message. The [young] player can accept the invitation by:
- Opening up the Virtue gump.
- Double-click the Humility (shepherd's crook) symbol
- Target the veteran character
- If the [young] player accepts this invitation…
- …and does not have a current sponsor, he will become the squire to the veteran character.
- …and already has a current sponsor, he will receive a gump, stating: "You are a squire to another player. If you accept this new invitation you will no longer be a squire to [current sponsor's name]."
- Whenever a [young] character gains skill points in the following skills while within a squire-sponsor relationship exists, the sponsor may gain points in Humility:
- Animal Taming
- Mace Fighting
- There are certain situations which will affect a sponsor's gaining of Humility points:
- In order for the sponsor to gain in Humility, he must remain close to the [young] character as that [young] character gains skill.
- Skill points gained through the use of a training dummy will not count toward possible Humility increases.
- Skill points gained by paying for training from NPCs will not count toward possible Humility increases.
- [Young] characters will not gain Humility points.
- The sponsor cannot gain Humility points while dead.
- When a player moves his cursor over the Humility symbol, a title will be displayed, indicating the step currently achieved in Humility for that character.
- First step: Seeker of Humility
- Second step: Follower of Humility
- Third step: Guardian of Humility
- Players who progress any number of steps on the path of Humility, but do not continue to actively pursue it, may discover that this Virtuous title reduces in steps over time.
- Gaining steps in Humility will grant a character some special abilities. Players will be able to access these abilities by clicking the Humility symbol on their own Virtue gump.
- First step: +10 Hit Points, +10 Mana, +10 Stamina
- Second step: +20 Hit Points, +20 Mana, +20 Stamina
- Third step: +30 Hit Points, +30 Mana, +30 Stamina
SACRIFICE AS DEFINED BY THE VIRTUE SYSTEM
Sacrifice is part of a philosophy within Ultima Online known as the Virtues, and is one of eight pursuits within the upcoming Virtue system.
The Virtue of Sacrifice has been described as:
"The courage to give of oneself in the name of love."
Pursuit of Sacrifice will be designed to allow players to interact with "monsters" in a manner other than one of combat.
Sacrifice & Redemption: Characters that attain a level of Reputation (Fame or Karma) will be able to use "sacrifice" their Reputation in order to defeat certain monsters.
Virtuous Title & Abilities: When a character has achieved any number of Sacrifice points, he is considered to have achieved a certain step on the path of Sacrifice.
- Upon encountering a related, "redeemable" monster, players will be able to sacrifice their reputation to defeat the monster in the following manner:
- Open up the Virtue gump.
- Double-click the Sacrifice (teardrop) symbol
- Target the monster
- The following is a list of monsters which may be redeemed with the sacrifice of one's Reputation:
- Enslaved Gargoyle
- Gargoyle Enforcer
- (Regular) Demon
- Evil Mage
- You cannot target a redeemable monster if:
- It has already taken more than 15% of its maximum hit points in damage.
- You cannot see it (you must have line-of-sight).
- You are invisible.
- You are dead.
- Attempts to sacrifice Reputation to anything other than the redeemable monsters will have no effect.
- Once a monster is redeemed, the following will occur:
- The character's Reputation (both Fame and Karma) is set to "zero."
- The monster disappears in a cloud of particles
- The character will gain a certain amount in Sacrifice, depending on how much Reputation was lost in the redemption—the greater the Reputation loss, the


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Using plotmaple to return multiple plots
I need to generate 4 different plots (one for each multiple choice option).
Is there a way to get all 4 plots using just one plotmaple call?
I currently have 4, and the question seems sluggish when previewing. I'm wondering if it is because of all the back and forth between Maple TA and Maple.
4 separate calls for plots shouldn't be sluggish, I would follow up with support on that concern, however you also have the following option:
I have used this many times.. use the Plots:-display command to display multiple color plots on the same grid, with a legend indicating what choice is what line. For example redLine=choiceA blueLine=choiceB.. etc
Here is a simple to follow example that illustrates this and also uses an algorithmic answer in the multiple choice:
Link to.zip file that can be imported into your Mobius Course (it contains a single question).
Hope it works out for you,
Have you tried using an array of plots?
This post is deleted!


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Indian J Orthop. 2012 Jul-Aug; 46(4): 407–412.
PMCID: PMC3421930
Enhanced recovery program in total hip arthroplasty
Enhanced recovery program (ERP) was implemented to optimize the hospital stay in total hip arthroplasty. This study assessed the effects of optimizing preoperative and perioperative care using enhanced recovery (ER) on patients undergoing Total hip arthroplasty.
Materials and Methods:
We compared a prospective group of 64 patients on the ER program with a historic cohort of 63 patients that received conventional care (non ER).
ER patients were discharged earliest from hospital [mean length of stay (LOS) 5.3 days, median 4; P < 0.001] as compared to a mean of 8.3 days among non ER patients. Comparison based on American Association of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grades, preoperative hemoglobin, and body mass index (BMI) revealed that patients with ASA grade 3, preoperative hemoglobin of <14 g/dl, and BMI >30 on ER program spent shorter time in hospital as compared to the non ER's conventionally treated patients with more favorable physiological parameters of ASA grade 1 and 2, preoperative hemoglobin of >14 g/dl, and BMI <30.
The ER protocol is universally beneficial and confers an advantage regardless of the patients' preoperative condition.
Keywords: Enhanced recovery program, length of stay, total hip arthroplasty
Enhanced recovery (ER) programs have been implemented in general surgery and have helped optimize preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative factors to reduce the physiological and psychological stress of surgery.1 Several factors are responsible for functional deterioration and increased risk of morbidity after major surgical procedures, and include the surgical stress response, increased cardiac demand, impairment of pulmonary function, changes in coagulation and fibrinolysis, catabolism and loss of muscle mass, sleep disturbance, and paralytic ileus.2
The ER program begins with preoperative care and detailed patient education prior to admission to hospital. Strictly defined discharge criteria and a prescheduled discharge plan are implemented.3 Postoperative care includes early introduction of oral nutrition supplements, early mobilization, and restricted opiate use to minimize nausea and ileus.4 The multimodal rehabilitation program has enabled early restoration of gastrointestinal function, reduction of fatigue, and improved physical performance in some general surgical procedures.5 Such protocols have also reduced length of hospital stay (LOS).6,7
With approval from the department of clinical governance at our hospital, we implemented an ER program for patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) and compared the results with a similar patient population who had undergone hip replacement surgery prior to the advent of the ER program.
Between November 2006 and January 2008, 64 consecutive patients underwent total hip arthroplasty on an ER program. The control group consisted of 63 consecutive patients who underwent THA between November 2004 and October 2006 prior to the ER program (non ER). The non ER data were obtained retrospectively from patient records. All patients were treated under the care of the senior author (PP). ER data were collected prospectively and analyzed.
There was no difference in the age of patients. The mean age for the ER patients was 70.5 years (range 48–89 years) and for the non ER group was 72.5 years (range 56–91 years, P=0.9). There were 27 men and 37 women in the ER group and 22 men and 41 women in the non ER group.
The ER program incorporates a multidisciplinary team composed of surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, and includes the patient as an active participant. The program is followed clearly in a stepwise manner to maximize efficiency of the care pathway [Table 1].
Table 1
Enhanced orthopedic recovery in summary
The program was outlined to each patient being admitted for a primary joint replacement. A patient information leaflet was supplied at the initial clinic visit and a mini pre-assessment check carried out at that stage. This identifies those patients who need to see an anesthetist prior to surgery.
The key aspects of ER were explained again at the pre-assessment clinic prior to admission. At the pre-assessment clinic, each patient undergoes the routine protocol for pre-assessment. The ER program was emphasized again and patients were supplied with supplement drinks (Build-up® by Nestle Nutrition) [Table 2] to be taken 2 days before hospital admission in the morning. Patients were asked to take three sachets of Build-up dissolved in 150 ml of water 2 days before surgery and two sachets 1 day before surgery.
Table 2
Food values and calorie content of supplemental drinks
All patients attended a pre-admission joint replacement class run by the physiotherapists and occupational therapists and were encouraged to bring a member of their family or a friend for support. This class lasts for approximately 1 h. The ER program was discussed in detail again. Patients were usually admitted on the eve of surgery.
On the day of admission, which is a day before the operation, the patient was given high carbohydrate drink of two sachets of preload™ (by Vitaflo) [Table 2 dissolved in 400 ml of water at 8 p.m. in the evening. A further high carbohydrate drink with one sachet dissolved in 400 ml of water was given 3 h before surgery. This minimizes the adverse metabolic effects of starvation. All patients were given the high energy drink irrespective of any comorbidities, e.g. diabetes or high body mass index (BMI). The high energy drink helps reduce The risk of anesthetic and starvation-induced diabetes, and helps maintain higher energy levels following the operation.
The physiological benefits of managing the metabolic insult of a prolonged starvation period followed by the traumatic insult of surgery are central to our intervention8 and, we believe, are new to orthopedics. Traditional patient starvation regimes (nil by mouth for 6 h) are based on the premise that this will reduce the incidence of pulmonary aspiration. A recent review, however, has provided no scientific support for this practice.9 Recommendations now suggest clear fluids up until 2 h before the initiation of anesthesia and a 6 h solid food fast. This reduces preoperative thirst, hunger, and anxiety, and significantly reduces postoperative insulin resistance.10 Preoperative oral carbohydrates also reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting, which can prevent the rapid postoperative recovery of the patient.11
All patients were given spinal or epidural anesthesia and propofol was used for sedation and maintenance of light general anesthesia which helps reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting. Shortacting opiates decrease the incidence of opiate toxicity, and accurate fluid resuscitation avoids iatrogenic hyperchloremic acidosis and fluid overload.
Postoperatively, the patient was sat up in bed in the recovery room and oral fluids were commenced. Pneumatic intermittent calf compression was instituted to minimize the risk of deep vein thrombosis.
In the ward, the patient was encouraged to sit up, eat, and drink almost immediately. There was an emphasis on oral intake with protein and carbohydrate-rich drinks, rather than reliance on intravenous fluid administration. They were given two sachets of Build-up drink on the evening after surgery and three sachets for 3 days thereafter. The strategy aims to maintain the gut flora, preserve immune function, and optimize wound healing and recovery.12 The multimodal approach to perioperative nutrition is cumulative in its benefits. Dedicated joint replacement physiotherapy started on the evening of the operation and patients were encouraged to sit out of bed in the chair. Enoxaparin (40 mg) was administered subcutaneously in the evening following surgery and for the duration of the in-patient stay only. However, the antithrombotic effects of early mobilization have been shown to reduce the incidence of thromboembolic events after lower limb joint replacement surgery.13
Wound drains were removed on the first postoperative day. Patients were mobilized with the assistance of the physiotherapist. Urinary catheterization was avoided, if at all possible. Mobilization was "goal-oriented." The patient was encouraged to reach a white board at the end of the ward and to sign it on reaching that target. Discharge plans were again confirmed.
At discharge, patients were escorted to the hospital exit by a physiotherapist or nurse and shown how to get in and out of a car safely. Following discharge, wound care was undertaken either by a district nurse or practise nurse in the community. All patients were reviewed by a physiotherapist between 1 and 3 weeks following discharge, but they could contact the hospital ward should they have any concerns.
All patients were scored according to the American Association of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification system, preoperative hemoglobin (Hb), and BMI. The LOS (defined as the number of nights spent in hospital) was recorded.
We obtained approval from the Department of Clinical Governance at our hospital and followed ethical standards on human experimentation. We performed the procedure in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000, to implement an ER program for patients undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty.
The two groups were similar in size (non ER=63, ER=64). The average age of the ER group was 70.1 years (range 48–89 years, SD=8.79). The average age of the non ER group was 72.5 years (


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Smithsonian Gardens Turns 40!
2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of the horticulture division of the Smithsonian Institution. Known as Smithsonian Gardens to the public since 2010, the department was called the Office of Horticulture when it was founded on July 31, 1972. Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, an enthusiastic ornithologist and conservationist, sought to extend the interior exhibits outside the museum walls. Though most of the museums were surrounded by some sort of landscaping, it was not until this time that the grounds were brought together under the umbrella of the Office of Horticulture and a plan was developed to integrate the gardens into the educational mission of the Smithsonian. Secretary Ripley was an innovative thinker, bringing the much-loved and iconic carousel to the mall as well as helping to found the Folklife Festival. The first major project for the Office of Horticulture was establishing the Victorian Garden in time for the 1976 United States Bicentennial. The Victorian Garden parterre became the basis for the Enid A. Haupt Garden, which opened to the public in 1987. The history of the gardens is explored more in depth in A Guide to Smithsonian Gardens, published in 2011.
What started as a small staff and half of a shared green house has now grown to 180 acres of gardens on the mall, 64,000 square feet of greenhouse space, the Archives of American Gardens research collection, and a variety of educational programming. Our gardens showcase modern sculpture, explore the landscapes of past Americans, celebrate the beauty of the Victorian age, highlight exotic and heirloom plants, and create a serene environment in a busy city.
Let's take a step back in time and explore Smithsonian gardens through the decades:
-Kate Fox, Smithsonian Gardens Contractor


Parenting culture is the latest hot export from Scandinavia. But what exactly do parents in Europe's far north do differently?
By Linda Åkeson McGurk
November 10, 2017
Mother and son walking in the snow
Credit: Aliyev Alexei Sergeevich/Getty Images
From minimalist design and catchy pop music, to the elusive concept of hygge, people everywhere are swooning over Scandinavian culture. The latest up-and-coming export from Europe's far north? Parenting. And with good reason. When U.S. News ranked the best countries to raise a child in 2017, Sweden came in on top, followed by Norway and Denmark in second and third place. Their strong economies in combination with the most generous parental leave policies in the world naturally help the Scandinavian countries consistently score high in these types of reports. But there's more to the Scandinavian parenting culture than that. Here are five parenting lessons you can learn from Scandinavian moms and dads:
1. There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes
2. Embrace the wild in the child
While wild and dirty kids are often frowned upon in other cultures, digging in the dirt and stomping around in the mud are par for the course for children in Scandinavia. In fact, parents even encourage and cherish messy play, since it's considered an essential part of a good childhood. It can be a boon to children's health, too. Letting them dig in dirt exposes them to healthy bacteria, which in turn can help build a strong immune system, improve gut health, and reduce the risk of asthma and allergies. Some bacteria are even known to trigger the brain's production of the "feel-good" neurotransmitter serotonin. With that in mind, running your washing machine a little more often seems like a small trade-off!
3. Forget the flashcards
Scandinavian parents mainly expect one thing from their children in the early years: that they spend as much time as possible playing. And they have plenty of time for it, since formal schooling doesn't start until age six or seven. Most parents and preschool teachers agree that children will learn what they need to learn when they're ready for it and there is no pressure to teach children how to read and write early. They may be on to something, since research has shown that by age 11, there is no significant difference between children who learn to read at age five and those who learn at age seven. The kicker? Those who learn later have better text comprehension and a more positive attitude toward reading.
4. Freedom fosters responsibility
Busy extra-curricular schedules and a fear of (in no particular order) lawsuits, strangers, nature, traffic, and a surprise visit from Child Protective Services are keeping many American kids under virtual house arrest. Not so much in Scandinavia, where even young children are given the freedom to climb trees, use real tools, play with fire, and walk to the neighborhood playground on their own. By the time they're nine or 10, they're typically expected to get to their after-school activities on their own—by foot, bike, or by using public transit. This, Scandinavian parents believe, helps them learn how to judge risk, make sound decisions, and be responsible, and research suggests that they're right.
5. It's all about the friluftsliv
There's no doubt Scandinavian kids love their TV shows and electronic devices. But young children don't spend nearly as much time in front of screens as their American counterparts, and their parents have a powerful trick to get them to unplug: friluftsliv. Roughly translated to "open-air living," friluftsliv can be described as a way of life that revolves around appreciating and spending time in nature. But you don't have to live in pristine countryside to enjoy friluftsliv—it's all about appreciating nature in everyday life, and walking around the neighborhood or grilling hot dogs in a local park counts, too. In addition to helping parents balance screen time with green time, friluftsliv is a powerful way for children to learn about their role in the natural world, and how to become good stewards of the land. And ultimately, that's probably the most important lesson of them all.
Linda McGurk is a Swedish-American freelance journalist and blogger who lives with her family in rural Indiana. Her writings about natural parenting and outdoor play have appeared in a wide range of newspapers, magazines, and online publications in North America as well as Europe. In 2013, she started the blog Rain or Shine Mamma to inspire outdoor play and adventure every day, regardless of the weather. She is the author of There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather.


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Evidence for compromised metabolic function and limited glucose uptake in spermatazoa form the teratospermic domestic cat (Felis catus) and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)Scientific Papers
Cheetahs and certain other felids consistently ejaculate high proportions (≥ 60%) of malformed spermatozoa, a condition known as teratospermia, which is prevalent in humans. Even seemingly normal spermatozoa from domestic cat teratospermic ejaculates have reduced fertilizing capacity. To understand the role of sperm metabolism in this phenomenon, we conducted a comparative study in the normospermic domestic cat versus the teratospermic cat and cheetah with the general hypothesis that sperm metabolic function is impaired in males producing predominantly pleiomorphic spermatozoa. Washed ejaculates were incubated in chemically defined medium containing glucose and pyruvate. Uptake of glucose and pyruvate and production of lactate were assessed using enzyme-linked fluorescence assays. Spermatozoa from domestic cats and cheetahs exhibited similar metabolic profiles, with minimal glucose metabolism and approximately equimolar rates of pyruvate uptake and lactate production. Compared to normospermic counterparts, pyruvate and lactate metabolism were reduced in teratospermic cat and cheetah ejaculates, even when controlling for sperm motility. Rates of pyruvate and lactate (but not glucose) metabolism were correlated positively with sperm motility, acrosomal integrity, and normal morphology. Collectively, our findings reveal that pyruvate uptake and lactate production are reliable, quantitative indicators of sperm quality in these two felid species and that metabolic function is impaired in teratospermic ejaculates. Furthermore, patterns of substrate utilization are conserved between these species, including the unexpected lack of exogenous glucose metabolism. Because glycolysis is required to support sperm motility and capacitation in certain other mammals (including dogs), the activity of this pathway in felid spermatozoa is a target for future investigation.


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A small leakage current path can exist between the VCCINT and VCCAUX voltage rails in Spartan-6 devices during a power-down / power-off cycle. This situation only exists on a very small subset of devices. It can be triggered when VCCAUX is powered-off prior to VCCINT, and the VCCAUX voltage lowers to approximately 0.75V. The leakage can be as high as 17mA, but is much more typically less than 3mA or completely non-existent.
If there are no other active or passive devices on the board sharing the VCCAUX rail, or if the current loading of other devices is too small, the VCCAUX rail can actually "hang" around the 0.75V level due to the current being fed from the VCCINT voltage rail, until the time that the VCCINT power rail is actually powered-off. If the VCCAUX voltage is used to directly control the enable pin of the VCCINT rail voltage regulator, this can cause the hazardous situation where the VCCINT regulator never shuts down.
The Spartan-6 device will naturally load the VCCAUX voltage rail, drawing current and lowering the voltage to at least 0.9V before the potential VCCINT current leakage path can be triggered. So, the suggested work-around if the above mentioned hazard situation is implemented on a board is to change the enable circuit of the VCCINT regulator so that enable pin of the VCCINT regulator will trigger to shut off its output when a VCCAUX voltage level of 1.0V (or higher) is reached. Typically, this can be accomplished by using a resistor divider network on the Enable pin.
Alternatively, a resistive, deterministic load can be placed on the VCCAUX rail that is either always present, or enabled only during a power-off event. This load would need to "bleed" off the VCCINT current being leaked to the VCCAUX voltage rails, and lower the VCCAUX voltage low enough to trigger the VCCINT regulator's enable.