A study published in The Journal of Pediatrics has shown that sustained use of wireless communication devices can help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder understand more speech in class, aid in their social interaction and improve educational outcomes.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with a range of behavioural symptoms including impaired social interaction and communication difficulties. Children with ASD often also experience problems processing sound1-3, which can further exacerbate their social difficulties.
The study, The Use of Listening Devices to Ameliorate Auditory Deficit in Children with Autism4, is the first of its kind to explore the sustained use of wireless listening technology for children with ASD in mainstream classroom environments. Led by Gary Rance, PhD of The University of Melbourne, the research evaluated the monaural (single-ear) and binaural (two-ear) sound processing skills among a group of 20 children with ASD – and sought to determine the extent to which personal wireless listening systems (specifically, Phonak inspiro microphones and Phonak iSense receivers) could enhance these children's listening difficulties.
The research involved 20 children with ASD - 10 primary school students and 10 secondary school students - aged between eight and 15 years. A control group of age- and gender-matched children was also evaluated in order to test the authors' baseline assumption that children with autism experience more difficulty processing auditory information than those without ASD2-4.
Rance and his team evaluated each child's: auditory temporal processing (how the brain analyses sounds changing over time); spatial listening (how well both ears are used to localize and separate different sound sources); and functional hearing (speech understanding in background noise). Half (10) of the children with ASD then underwent a six-week device trial. During this period they wore Phonak iSense wireless receivers for up to seven hours per day, with teachers and parents speaking into Phonak inspiro transmitter microphones.
Wireless listening devices such as the Phonak inspiro/iSense systems used in the study - also sometimes referred to as frequency modulation (FM) systems - work by transmitting the words of a microphone-wearing speaker to small discrete ear-level receivers, bringing these words directly into the listener's ear. This approach has already been proven to improve the speech understanding of children with cochlear hearing loss5, central auditory processing deficit6 and auditory neuropathy7.
1 Alcántara JI, Weisblatt EJ, Moore BCJ, Bolton PF. Speech perception in high-functioning participants with autism or Asperger's syndrome. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2004;45:1107-14.
2 Alcántara JI, Cope TE, Cope W, Weisblatt EJ. Auditory temporal-envelope processing in high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder. Neuropsychologia 2012;50;1235-51.
3 Groen WB, van Orzo L, tar Horne N, Winkles S, van der Gaga R-J, Butler JK et al. Intact spectral but abnormal temporal processing in autism. J Aut Dev Disord 2009;39:742-50.
4 Rance G, Saunders K, Carew P, Johansson M, Tan J, 2013, The Use of Listening Devices to Ameliorate Auditory Deficit in Children with Autism, The Journal of Pediatrics 2013; doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.09.041.
5 Hawkins D. Comparisons of speech recognition in noise by mildly- to moderately-hearing-impaired children using hearing aids and FM systems. J Speech Hear Disord 1984;49:409-18.
6 Johnstone KN, John AB, Hall JW, Crandell CC. Multiple benefits of personal FM system use by children with auditory processing disorder (APD). Int J Audiol 2009;48:371-83.
7 Rance G, Corben LA, DuBourg E, King A, Delatycki MB. Successful treatment of auditory perceptual disorder in individuals with Friedreich ataxia. Neuroscience 2010;171:552-5.


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Who's Winning The AI Race?
A brief look at the AI capabilities of the big four tech companies
June 5, 2018	by Raman Verma	in Tech
AI has been billed as the next big thing in the digital economy, and as is often the case with emerging technologies, there's plenty of hype and doomsday predictions, in equal measure.
Many emerging technologies have come and gone either because there have arrived too early or are commercially unviable but AI seems different. Automation has always provided huge commercial advantages for businesses, put machine learning into the mix and all of a sudden you have something really powerful that can offer unparalleled competitive advantage.
The question is, how are the big four tech companies – Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple applying AI to their business models and who's winning?
Facebook focussed on fighting fake news using AI
As I covered in my recent blog, in the wake of Cambridge Analytica debacle, Facebook has had to double-down on its effort to protect user data, make Facebook a safer environment and fight fake news.
In the recently concluded Facebook F8 conference, Mark Zuckerberg announced that one of the key tools used to fight fake news and bad content on its platforms would be AI, which will identify fake accounts and content based on certain parameters and adapt to changing strategies used by spammers and bad actors on its network.
One of the other ways to stop bad actors in their tracks using machine learning, according to Zuckerberg, is facial recognition technology, which will alert you if someone is trying to impersonate you by using your picture as their profile picture as an example. Privacy campaigners, on the other hand, see this as yet another way Facebook is encroaching in peoples private lives and there is an ongoing class action lawsuit in USA against Facebook on use of this technology.
It seems that due to a number of these difficult issues Facebook is currently grappling with, AI will remain one of the key tools in its fight to eliminate bad content and actors from its network.
Google invests heavily in AI infrastructure
Google has a history of launching services that get used by millions if not billions of people and deep cash reserves allow it to enter markets by usually offering its services for free and worrying about monetising it later.
AI is no different, Google is setting up AI focussed computational architecture across the globe using machine learning Tensor Processing Units but now they have launched TPU 3 which is so powerful that it has to be liquid cooled. This computing power is now available to its cloud customers via Google AI.
In the recently concluded Google IO developers conference, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that they are using AI in the healthcare sector and have successfully tested machine learning for diagnosing diabetic retinal retinopathy. The technology went even further in that by scanning the eye for retinal issues, AI also picked up risks of adverse cardiovascular events which may have been completely missed otherwise by a trained medical professional.
There were also examples of using AI to improve accessibility, enhancing photos (turning your old black and white photos to color or vice-a-versa) but one thing that was truly awe-inspiring at Google IO 2018 was human-like Google Assistant with natural conversation capabilities.
Here is a segment from Sundar's keynote so that you can experience this for yourself:
https://secureservercdn.net/160.153.138.71/s7i.e1c.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/My-Movie-1.mp4
Wasn't that truly mindblowing?
Mindblowing it may be but it has also got a lot of people concerned about where AI is going and how machines can convincingly mimic attributes that have previously been quintessentially human.
AI is also being used in advertising, Google's biggest revenue generator. Google's native advertising platforms such as Google AdWords and DoubleClick are now more sophisticated than ever and use deep machine learning to optimise campaigns in real time.
Amazon may be the AI darkhorse
Amazon has been using machine learning perhaps longer than most with its recommendations feature (people that bought this also bought..) for years now, notwithstanding the automation and AI used in its colossal warehouses.
Alexa, however, was a real game-changer for Amazon, as the breakaway smart home speakers that could book you an Uber without lifting a finger. Since then Amazon has built capabilities around image recognition, video analysis, chatbots, and AI-driven language services.
Amazon has also packaged it's deep learning capabilities into its cloud services infrastructure – AWS (Amazon Web Services).
Amazon does not hold it's annual conference with the same fanfare as Google or Facebook and they tend to be lowkey localised events. Amazon also has a reputation for being secretive about their tech development but there is no doubt that Amazon has its sights firmly set on integrating AI into every aspect of its business model.
Apple turns from AI leader to follower
Apple announced the launch of Siri in 2011 and although not perfect, it reignited the AI race and demonstrated real-world application of technology in the increasingly mobile world.
Since the glory days of Siri, competition has become a lot more fierce and voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant are much better at voice recognition and understanding complex voice commands.
In the recently concluded Apple's developer conference (WWDC), Apple announced how they are revamping Siri by adding voice shortcuts that add a special meaning to a certain voice command, for example, you can set your thermostat to increase your house temperature with the voice command "I am heading home".
There is no doubt Apple has a lot of catching up to do in the AI space and their application seems limited to voice.
So who is winning the AI race?
Considering everything that is in the public domain, our money is on Google. They are performing solidly on voice, image recognition, image enhancement, AI led computing, chatbots and integrating AI into most of their product offerings.
Raman Verma
Raman is the founder of Kandidly and has worked in the digital marketing space for over a decade. He has managed multi-million pound paid media campaigns for household brands in the UK and abroad.
Show Don't Tell: How Creative Content Can Help Your Brand
Facebook's Attribution Window – Then And Now
A Fond Farewell To Expanded Text Ads? Not Just Yet.
Paid Media Metrics & Why They Matter
When Amazon Attacks – Protecting Your Brand On Google
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A. ByeGraph's documents have several different extensions according to their version number.
ByeGraph provides upper compatibility in reading its documents.
A. When data are read from a plain text file, an encoding error may occur (reading data may end up failing) if the file encoding is not the same as its current setting on the Preferences panel. Or even if reading data is passed, the data may not be displayed correctly. ByeGraph cannot detect the type of file encoding automatically. So if you encounter the encoding error, you need to try changing the current encode setting to another on the Preferences panel.
As long as you open data files using other application such as an editor and do drag & drop or copy & paste from there, problems with encoding will not be caused.
(Revised on Mar.15 '09) From version 1.7, Automatic detection for the type of file encoding will be usable.
If you encounter an unknown error in the data of the editing field, use an editor application, which can display invisible characters to clear the above suspicion, in order to check whether those futile characters are included in the data.
(Rivised on Nov. 08 '08) From version 1.6, you will be able to convert non-breaking spaces (  in HTML, U+00A0) to ordinary spaces(U+0020) using "Filtering process in reading data". This function is usable in reading data through the "Add…" button, Drag & Drop and Copy & Paste.
A. When you specify data labels with the "L" data header, "space" (U+0020) cannot be included in the data label because it has been defined as a delimiter.
Data labels can also be set in the "Disp…" sheet window without using the "L" header. After checking syntax of data, open the "Disp…" sheet window and replace the default data labels with the desired ones that include "space" (U+0020).
In addition, you can change data labels on the "Symbol/Line" pane of the "Graph Attributes" panel after the creating of a graph.
(Rivised on Aug. 02 '09) On the next version (1.8), you will be able to include "space" into a data label by binding a data labe with double quotation marks (" ") in the "L" header or the "%label" header.
A. From version 1.5, "Piled bar type graph" and "Axes rotation to right 90 degree" are available as new functions. By using these functions, a laid bar graph can be created easily. The steps to create it are as follows.
Create a normal "Character-Based x Labels" graph with the %xstrings (XSTRINGS) header.
After the creation, open the "Symbol/Line" pane of the "Graph Attributes" panel and choose "Piled" for the bar's type.
Move to the "Axis" pane and check the "Rotate right" button of the section "Axis Rotation".
In addition, if you want to insert "return" into a string of the x labels (if you want to display it with multiple lines), you have to insert "space" at the position to insert "return" and bind the whole character string with double quotation marks (" ") at the stage of data preparation. (Otherwise, "space" will be recognized as a delimiter.) And after the creation of the graph, you should choose "Multiple lines" at the section "Axis label/Option" on the "Axis" pane of the "Graph Attributes" panel.
A. When you create a frequency characteristic graph, a log scale should be applied to the x axis because x data range widely, for example, from 0 to 1M (106) Hz.
You should assign not the frequency x but the exponent n of x=10n to the loop variable like the expressions below (n=<0:4:0.05>).*1 Hereby, you can calculate equally arranged x data because log(x) has a linear relation with n.*2 And of course, you can suppress the increase of the number of data (81 points in this example).
You can assign not only the variable x but also user-defined variables to the loop variable.
(Added on Feb. 24 '12) For your reference, the following is an example in which the points per decade do not increase although x data are arranged logarithmically.


Looking to build but don't have the time to wait through the construction process? Westridge Builders can help with "Homes You Can Move In Today." There are several Westridge and Life designs in various stages of construction just waiting to become someone's dream home. Westridge builds in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Washington, Walworth, Jefferson, Kenosha, and Ozaukee counties and beyond. Your dream home may already be under construction! Many of these new construction homes are ready for immediate occupancy. Call the Westridge offices [262-547-0326] for details or ask a sales associate in the models this weekend.
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President Maithripala Sirisena made the decision amid fears that anti-Muslim attacks in a central Sri Lankan hill town could spread.
Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency for 10 days on Tuesday to stop the spread of communal violence, a government spokesman said, after confrontations erupted between majority Buddhists and members of the minority Muslim community.
Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam, and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites.
Some Buddhist nationalists have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mainly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.
"At a special cabinet meeting, it was decided to declare a state of emergency for 10 days to prevent the spread of communal riots," government spokesman Dayasiri Jayasekara told Reuters.
The unrest in the Indian Ocean island's central district of Kandy began on Sunday after the funeral of a truck driver from the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community, who died days after he was involved in an altercation with four Muslims, the government has said.
It was not clear why the initial altercation occurred, but after the driver's funeral on Monday, a Sinhalese mob attacked Muslim shops, police said. The body of a Muslim youth was found in a burnt-out house early on Tuesday, police said.
Muslims make up about nine percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million people. Buddhists make up about 70 percent, and ethnic Tamils, most of whom are Hindus, make up about 13 percent.
The government ended a 26-year civil war in 2009 with the defeat of Tamil separatist rebels. Muslim communities were occasionally caught up in that violence, but on the whole, Muslims managed to stay out of the war.


ROXAS CITY, Capiz (Sept 22) -- The municipality of President Roxas in Capiz will allocate funds for the establishment of a vermicompost and organic farm project in the locality.
Pres. Roxas Mayor Raymund S. Locsin has instructed Municipal Agriculturist Leornardo Barcenas to accomplish the proposed initiative.
"If the project will be successful, I will see to it that other communities in the municipality will replicate the practice and we will shift to organic farming eventually," Locsin noted.
The directive came after an observation tour at Buro-Buro Springs and Vermifarm in Talisay, Negros Occidental among department heads of Pres. Roxas town recently in an effort to pursue a more sustainable agricultural industry and at the same time preserving the natural balance of the ecology in the municipality.
The sites are considered pioneer in vermiculture and organic farming in Negros Occidental and the primary training center for Vermiculture and Vermicomposting in the country.
Buro-Buro Springs Vermi Farm is also a home of the African Nightcrawler Worm ( Eudrilus Eugeniae) which is being supplied to various vermicomposting projects since 1998.
An online resource, said that organically grown products are free from harmful chemicals and pesticides and offer better natural flavors of the products.


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Mennonite Resources
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About Mennotoba
The Story of Maria Braun: Return to Schoenwiese
November 30, 2020 Erin Places 0
WEST RESERVE
Not an email. Not a phone call.
There was only one way for Karen Peters to tell me this story.
We had to be there.
In early September, well before the lockdowns returned, we arranged to leave for the Altona/Winkler area as soon as I was done work for the day.
The story begins here, at the site of the first cemetery of Schoenwiese… which I had not known existed, until Karen brought me directly to this cairn, which reads:
"In honour of our grand and great grand parents and their families who pioneers and settled in the Village of Schoenwiese 1875-1940. They were laid to rest in the cemetery, the S.W. corner of which is located 325 ft east of this marker. Its approximate dimensions are 225 ft east & 160 ft north. Lobe den herrn, meine seele und vergiss nicht was er dir gutes getan hat. Psalm 130:2″
This was the site of the village's first cemetery, on the northern edge of the Schoenwiese.
Karen's Braun grandparents immigrated from Russia in the 1920s, settling in Schoenwiese in 1927. Maria was their second-eldest in the family, frequently assigned to care for children. Younger children loved her so. She was a favourite. Not just with her younger siblings, but also with neighbour children. One day in 1929, the neighbours requested Maria's help, presumably to care for children as usual. However, somehow she ended up helping with fieldwork. Up on a hayrack, maybe stamping down the hay? She fell. She did not land well.
At fourteen years old, she knew she was dying.
She had just one request.
"Do NOT bury me in the cemetery!"
Even in 1929, the Schoenwiese cemetery was becoming pasture. Cattle trod upon graves, and Maria insisted they not trod upon her.
"Bury me elsewhere!"
And so the family did exactly as she wished.
We drove south into the village.
Karen brought me here, to a cemetery I once stopped at, not knowing any of its stories.
Now I was going to learn how this cemetery came to be.
Maria Braun was the first person buried on this site, right here in a beautiful corner, under a gentle, protective tree.
Her stone is marked with vibrant silk flowers.
Maria Braun … 1915-1929 … Auf Wiedersehn
After Maria's burial, the community began burying their dead here, instead of the original site, which as you can see, is fully agricultural.
"Maria knew," said Karen. "She could see what was happening."
This cemetery was located behind the school, which is gone today… but the community ice rink remains, between the cemetery and the village street.
Many of Karen's family members rest here, including her parents, marked with a lovely bench, a place to sit in contemplation.
And at the corner, the best tree shelters Maria,
It was a beautiful, rainy day, the leaves just turning colour.
Karen and I took pictures of each other here in this place (she has the best smile). I'm so grateful to Karen for inviting me into her family's story, and for sharing Maria's tragic tale.
Just Discovered I Have Family History in Schoenwiese
Mennonite village
Old Altona Cemetery is NOT in "Old Altona"
What I've Learned About Ste. Elizabeth Museum & Community
MENNONITES. MANITOBA. STORIES.
Copyright © 2021 | Mennotoba - All Rights Reserved


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Forza Horizon 3 Heads for the Mountains
Posted on 17 Dec 2016 by
Kyle Johnson
The Frozen Mountain, that is. The first major expansion came to Turn 10's Australia-based driving game on December 13th for both Windows 10 and the Xbox One, and it brings new environments, cars, and more to Forza Horizon 3.
Some of these new cars coming to Forza Horizon 3 include the 2016 Ford Focus RS RX, 1985 Lancia Delta S4, the 1975 Lancia Stratos HF, plus a couple of trucks, a hidden car, and more. Moving away from the cityscapes, jungles, and open plains of Australia has its perks too, as Turn 10 has added new skies and enhanced rendering techniques for the Xbox One S and 4K ready PC rigs.
Blizzard Mountain is available now as a standalone purchase, for $19.99 USD, or as part of the Expansion Pass package, which nets two Forza Horizon 3 expansions for a lower price, and you can't beat that.
Ready for a frozen adventure? Well, the wait is over, because the Blizzard Mountain Expansion for Forza Horizon 3 is here! Available today in the Microsoft Store as a standalone purchase or included as part of the Forza Horizon 3 Expansion Pass, Blizzard Mountain invites players to the snowy elevations of a brand new playable area of Forza Horizon 3's Australia. This is a place where speedy vehicles are welcome, ice and blizzard conditions are the norm, and snow tires are heartily recommended.
For players on Xbox One S with HDR-ready hardware Blizzard Mountain is a visual treat. HDR allows you to see detail in the beautiful snow-covered terrain of Blizzard Mountain like never before thanks to the expanded contrast range available on the Xbox One S. Together with HDR, our physics-based rendering system ForzaTech brings even more accuracy to the experience, with sunlight bouncing off the snow and the ice, and frozen lakes glistening under the mountain's all-new Australian winter skies, all immersing you in a completely authentic winter wonderland. Blizzards add to the challenge as they reduce visibility, but also, are a thing of beauty, as HDR allows you to see the sparkling detail of each falling snowflake in the unique glow of your favorite car's headlights. In other words, gather your friends around that brand new 4K UHD TV and watch their eyes light up when you make your way to Blizzard Mountain on Xbox One S. For more on HDR gaming on Xbox One S, head over to Xbox.com, or read our HDR and 4K Gaming Primer.
A big part of the fun with Blizzard Mountain is the amazing roster of new cars and trucks coming to the game, each of which have been hand-picked to provide maximum fun in the extreme elevations and challenging weather conditions that can only be found on the mountain. Heading off the list is the brand new 2016 Ford GYMKHANA 9 Focus RS RX, otherwise known as Ken Block's current trick-driving weapon of choice. Then there's legendary rally racers like the 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Group B, the 1975 Lancia Stratos HF Group 4, alongside rough and ready trucks like the 2016 Nissan Titan Warrior Concept and the 1966 Ford F-100 Flareside Abatti Racing Trophy Truck and the 2016 RJ Anderson #37 RZR-Rockstar Energy Pro 2 Truck. Last but not least, the 2016 Subaru #199 WRX STI VT15r Rally Car is a slice of modern rally brilliance that must be driven to be believed. And don't forget: this expansion will also feature a brand new barn find car, hidden somewhere in the snowy reaches of Blizzard Mountain.
[UPDATE 12/13 6:35 p.m. Pacific] – Earlier today, players were having difficulty accessing Blizzard Mountain in game due to "Marketplace Errors." After investigation, we have identified and fixed this error so players should no longer be seeing this error and should be able to access Blizzard Mountain expansion content as normal. For more information, check out the thread on the Forza Forums.
To celebrate the launch of the Blizzard Mountain expansion for Forza Horizon 3, we're hosting a day-long stream showing off the best of what the mountain has to offer over on the official Forza Beam channel, where we'll be playing the expansion, checking out all the cool new cars and trucks, and answering your questions along the way. Time to enjoy the snow!
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E3: Microsoft 2019
E3: PC Gaming Show 2017
Feast Your Eyes on Forza Horizon 3's Launch Trailer
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Three HKU academics receive Croucher Innovation and Senior Research Fellowship Awards
Three HKU academics have been presented with Innovation and Senior Research Fellowship Awards by the Croucher Foundation. Dr Yufeng Wang, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry who received the Croucher Innovation Award 2019, studies how to put together colloidal nanoparticles to form 1D to 3D superstructures for emerging applications such as photonics, drug delivery and micro-machinery. Professor Anderson Shum, Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Professor Wang Yao, Chair Professor of Department of Physics, received the Croucher Senior Research Fellowships 2020.
The annual Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Awards recognise each Faculty's outstanding KE accomplishment that has made demonstrable economic, social or cultural impacts to benefit the community, business/industry, or partner organisations. Results of the 2019 Faculty KE Awards are now available.
HKU organises STEM competition to raise public awareness of light pollution
The "Dark-sky-friendly Lighting Fixture STEM Competition" was co-organised by HKU Department of Physics, HKU Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Ho Koon Nature Education cum Astronomical Centre (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen), in association with the Hong Kong Space Museum, to raise public awareness of the severe light pollution problem in Hong Kong. Entries from 8 teams were received. Each team is required to submit an outdoor lighting fixture (real size or scaled model) which can minimise light pollution for demonstration, along with a written technical report. The winning entry came from Fanling Kau Yan College. The team visited Sheung Shui Wai and learnt how residents there suffered from light trespass originated from lamp posts and created a smart sensing street lamp array with adjustable light intensity based on the flow of pedestrian traffic, thus leading to a reduction in the intensity and the number of lighting fixtures required.
HKU-led study shows 60% of shark species threatened by shark fin trade
An HKU-led study found that global shark catches now exceed one million tonnes per year, more than doubled what they were six decades ago, threatening 60% of shark species.
HKU School of Biological Sciences Professor Yvonne Sadovy, lead author of the study said Hong Kong is the port of entry for about half of all officially traded dried shark fins globally, which is around 6,000 tonnes, but estimated that only 12% of shark fisheries are considered sustainable, while 25,000 tonnes of dried fins each year originate from unsustainable and often illegal fisheries. A 2017 study showed that 33% of shark fins found on sale in Hong Kong's dried seafood stores were from species listed as Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN). The study researchers urge consumers to reject shark fin products altogether, and for restaurant chains to refrain from selling and serving shark fin immediately.
HKU biologist suggests delay in ivory ban in Hong Kong may spur poaching
A new study has examined how recent ivory bans – and gaps thereof – could help or harm the preservation of elephants. Ivory trade has fueled the rampant and ongoing poaching of these important animals across Africa, leading to unprecedented population declines throughout much of the continent. The study's lead author, Dr Luke Gibson, Associate Professor of the Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China and Honorary Assistant Professor at the HKU School of Biological Sciences, suggested that the closure of mainland China's domestic ivory market at the end of 2017 may shift more of the trade to Hong Kong as the full ban in Hong Kong won't be implemented until the end of 2021. The researchers believe that mismatch in timing of the two bans may be inadvertently widening the window for illegal trading and smuggling, fueling the poaching of elephants in Africa.
HKU students publish field guide on poisonous plants in Hong Kong
Students from the HKUSU Ecology & Biodiversity Society recently published a guide book named "Poisonous Plant Field Trip: Field Guide", originally intended for their Poisonous Plant Field Trip held in June to teach participants on identifying poisonous plants in Hong Kong. The printed version of this field guide were only given to the participants of the field trip and the eVersion is now also available online to the public.
Conservation Forensics Helping to Fight Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
Illegal wildlife trafficking is the fourth most lucrative criminal trade in the world and is estimated to generate up to US$20 billion in illicit revenue a year. Millions of animals and plants are traded every year threatening the survival of many endangered species. With more species on the brink of extinction, illegal profits surging and with no sign that the trade is slowing down, HKU School of Biological Sciences has adopted conservation forensics to provide authorities investigating illegal wildlife trafficking with accurate scientific data to use against traffickers. Watch the full video.
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Booklets describing sororities and setting forth the provisions regulating selection of new members are provided to all prospective freshmen and interested upperclass-women by Panhellenic Council.
House bills in sororities will average approximately $1,900 a semester. This includes room, board, and sorority dues. Freshman members, however, live in residence halls and pay sorority dues of approximately $100 a month.
The following national sororities have established chapters at K-State: Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Sigma Theta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Gamma Rho, Sigma Kappa, Sigma Lambda Gamma, and Zeta Phi Beta.
Fraternities select new members primarily during the summer months. High school seniors are often guests at fraternity houses during their senior year, and throughout the spring and summer months each fraternity has representatives visiting high school seniors and their parents in Kansas and surrounding states.
Freshman men may live in a fraternity house if they accept invitations to membership before classes start and if they cancel their residence hall contracts. Costs will average $1,900 a semester.
The following national fraternities are established at K-State: Acacia, Alpha Gamma Rho, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Sigma Psi, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Chi, Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Upsilon, FarmHouse, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Kappa Theta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Sigma Lambda Beta, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Theta Xi, and Triangle.


A study published in the journal Food Science and Human Wellness revealed that basil (Ocimum basilicum) can help reduce high lipid levels and prevent atherosclerosis. In this study, researchers from Morocco examined the effect of basil extract on high lipid levels and oxidative stress in an animal model.
Basil is an aromatic plant used as a culinary herb, condiment, or spice.
In the east of Morocco, it is also used as a medicinal plant to treat health problems like hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.
To test its efficacy on these diseases, the Moroccan researchers induced hyperlipidemia in 12 mice, then orally treated six of them with 200 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) body weight of basil extract.
The oral administration of the basil extract resulted in significant reductions in total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
In addition, the extract prevented blood lipid oxidation.
Hyperlipidemia and LDL oxidation are known to contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
The research team also found that the extract contains four major phenolics, including cafeic acid, caftaric acid, chicoric acid, and rosmarinic acid – which was found to be the major compound in the extract and may be responsible to the extract's lipid-lowering and antioxidant activities.
In conclusion, these findings indicate that basil exhibits hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities, which can be used to lower elevated cholesterol levels and prevent atherosclerosis.
To read more studies on the heart health benefits of basil, visit Herbs.news.


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How To Create Amal Clooney's Royal Wedding Hairstyle, Straight from Her Pro
Wearing a chic yellow dress and loose waves, Amal Clooney received one of the biggest cheers at Windsor Castle -- and PEOPLE has the scoop on her hairstyle
By Monique Jessen May 22, 2018 06:21 PM
"China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala - Arrivals
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Meghan Markle's "messy" bun wasn't the only hairstyle that had onlookers turning heads at the royal wedding.
Amal Clooney made an unforgettable entrance alongside husband George wearing a gorgeous yellow Stella McCartney midi dress and matching veiled fascinator. She paired the ensemble with a soft berry lip color (courtesy of makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury) and loose waves created by hairdresser Miguel Martin Perez, who is sharing details of their pre-wedding glam session with PEOPLE.
"We had a super early start – we were there [at] 7am!" freelance stylist Perez tells PEOPLE, adding that upon his arrival, Amal was "relaxed, and really excited to go to her friend's wedding."
Working alongside Tilbury, Perez said the decision for Amal to wear her hair down was actually a last minute one. "Originally we had thought of wearing her hair up. But once we put it all together with her dress, I just loved the look of her hair down."
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The Spanish-born hairstylist, who has been cutting, coloring and creating looks for Amal for almost four years (just after the Clooneys' spectacular Italian wedding in 2014) says this style took less than one hour to put together.
As one would expect, Amal has "amazing hair," he shares. "It is quite curly and very thick, which gives me a lot of control."
Using hair care brand Hair Rituel by Sisley, Perez prepped Amal's hair with its Revitalizing Smoothing Shampoo, followed by its Regenerating Hair Mask, which he let sink in for 10 minutes. Then the London-based pro pulled out his magic potion — the brand's Precious Hair Care Oil — which he says he always uses on Amal.
"It is such an amazing oil because [you can] use it before heat styling to protect the hair, or after for glossiness," he says.
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Next, he "created soft waves with a hair brush, and pinned one side up a little," recalls Perez, who added that the look had a "modern 1920's vibe."
For the evening party at Frogmore House, also in Windsor, Amal went for a more tousled, 1960's-inspired style. "It was a little bit Brigitte Bardot — half-up, half-down — with very soft waves," explains Perez. "We removed some of the curls by brushing the hair to give it a softer texture."
Says the pro of the once-in-a-lifetime experience: "I love working with Amal, she is very easy to work with. And of course, I'm so proud that my work has now been seen all over the world."