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Barbara Tomasino
Eugenio Medea (IRCCS), Italy
Sara Lazar
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States
Maarten A. Immink
Flinders University, Australia
Effects and Mechanisms of Aging
Effects and Possible Mechanisms of Meditation
Summary and Outlook
Author Contribution
FOCUSED REVIEW article
Front. Psychol., 30 May 2017 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00860
Promising Links between Meditation and Reduced (Brain) Aging: An Attempt to Bridge Some Gaps between the Alleged Fountain of Youth and the Youth of the Field
Florian Kurth1*†, Nicolas Cherbuin2† and Eileen Luders1,2†
1Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
2Centre for Research on Ageing Health and Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Over the last decade, an increasing number of studies has reported a positive impact of meditation on cerebral aging. However, the underlying mechanisms for these seemingly brain-protecting effects are not well-understood. This may be due to the fact, at least partly, that systematic empirical meditation research has emerged only recently as a field of scientific scrutiny. Thus, on the one hand, critical questions remain largely unanswered; and on the other hand, outcomes of existing research require better integration to build a more comprehensive and holistic picture. In this article, we first review theories and mechanisms pertaining to normal (brain) aging, specifically focusing on telomeres, inflammation, stress regulation, and macroscopic brain anatomy. Then, we summarize existing research integrating the developing evidence suggesting that meditation exerts positive effects on (brain) aging, while carefully discussing possible mechanisms through which these effects may be mediated.
Life expectancy has been rising consistently for more than a century, and it is expected that this trend will continue (Oeppen and Vaupel, 2002). In the United States, the percentage of the population aged 65 and older is projected to grow from 13.7 to 20.9% between 2012 and 2050. Furthermore, over the same time span, the percentage of the population aged 85 and older is likely to increase from 1.9 to 4.5% (Ortman et al., 2014). On a broader geographical scale, the percentage of the population aged 60 and older is estimated to double worldwide by 2050 (WHO, 2015). While this is generally good news, old age is also a major risk factor for dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, and it is therefore expected that the prevalence of age-related pathological conditions will rise in upcoming years. For example, over 35 million people were suffering from dementia worldwide in 2010, and this number is expected to triple by 2050 (WHO, 2012). In other words, a longer life expectancy might come at the expense of a healthy life. Thus, in the current absence of a general cure for age-related pathological conditions or disease-modifying treatments for dementia, it is important to direct more attention to the development of effective preventative approaches to brain aging and neurodegeneration.
Recent research revealed a reduced negative correlation between age and brain gray matter in long-term meditation practitioners compared to age-matched controls (Luders et al., 2015). We interpreted these findings as possibly indicating that meditators' brains are less affected by aging processes Importantly, this is not an isolated observation and, over the past decade, scientific evidence suggesting that meditation may help us to hold on longer to young(er) brains, bodies, and minds has been accumulating (Epel et al., 2009; Gard et al., 2014; Koike and Cardoso, 2014; Luders, 2014; Marciniak et al., 2014; Luders and Cherbuin, 2016). Thus, in light of a steadily increasing life expectancy, meditation could be an effective means to better maintain brain tissue, preserve cognitive, and emotional reserves, and to diminish the risk of dementia and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. However, before implementing prevention and/or intervention strategies, systematic, rigorous studies are clearly necessary to fill existing research gaps. Moreover, findings already present seem to require a better integration to construct a solid basis on which to further develop this field. Thus, in the first part of this article (Section Effects and Mechanisms of Aging), we review and discuss relevant theories and biological mechanisms implicated in aging and likely to be modulated by meditative practice. In the second part (Section Effects and Possible Mechanisms of Meditation), we summarize and attempt to integrate the increasing evidence suggesting that meditation exerts positive effects on (brain) aging; possible mechanisms through which these effects may be mediated are discussed. Note that, throughout the text, the term "meditation" is used to refer to any type of mind-body practice (for details on different types of meditation as well as mindfulness practices, please refer to Lutz et al., 2008; Lippelt et al., 2014; Marciniak et al., 2014).
Aging is the result of a multitude of complex direct and indirect mechanisms. While many of these mechanisms are still not fully understood, others have already been well-characterized (for review, see Lopez-Otin et al., 2013). Given the extensive literature on this topic, a comprehensive summary of the mechanisms and effects of normal brain aging is beyond the scope of this review. Instead, here we focus on selected aging-related processes for which effects of meditation have been reported, such as related to telomeres, inflammation, stress regulation, and macroscopic brain anatomy.
Telomeres
In vitro, diploid cells can only replicate a finite number of times before cellular senescence and programmed cell death occur (Hayflick and Moorhead, 1961). This limited cell life-cycle is due to the progressive shortening of telomeres—the terminal sections of the chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strands in eukaryotic cells that cannot be replicated completely during mitosis (Blackburn et al., 2006, 2015). In addition to this programmed mechanism, it has been established that superoxide and other free radicals, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), damage cellular structures, including DNA (Lopez-Otin et al., 2013). ROS are constantly produced by normal cellular metabolic processes or immune responses, and may also result from exogenous sources (e.g., radiation, chemicals, etc.). Within the cell, ROS result in oxidation and subsequent alterations of membranes, organelles, proteins, and the DNA, potentially impairing physiological functioning overall. Particularly in the DNA, such oxidations can result in devastating alterations of function. While most of the DNA is consistently restored, telomeres are covered by shelterin proteins that limit repair. Thus, it has been proposed that telomeres encode the cumulative DNA damage and with it the probability of devastating mutations (Blackburn et al., 2015). Importantly, cumulative damage of the telomeres has the same effects as progressive shortening and leads to altered gene transcription, altered cell functioning as well as mitochondrial dysfunction, and ultimately programmed cell death.
Interestingly, telomere attrition also increases ROS production via altered signaling and consequent mitochondrial dysfunction, which results in an increased release of ROS into the cell (Sahin et al., 2011). While an increase of ROS will initially result in increased compensatory and repair mechanisms, those mechanisms will fail above a certain threshold of ROS (Hekimi et al., 2011; Lopez-Otin et al., 2013). Thus, shortened or damaged telomeres can actively induce an environment that will lead to further telomere attrition, cellular senescence, cell cycle arrest, and ultimately apoptosis. While telomere attrition may play a protective role in avoiding mutations and DNA damage, telomeres can nevertheless be repaired and elongated by a specific enzyme, telomerase, which is enriched in a variety of stem cells (Blackburn et al., 2015). Although telomerase can help repair accumulated DNA damage and re-extend shortened telomeres, this enzyme is low (sometimes even undetectable) in many human cells, consequently resulting in unremitting telomere attrition (Blackburn et al., 2006, 2015; Lopez-Otin et al., 2013).
KEY CONCEPT 1. Telomere attrition
Telomeres are known to shorten with every cell division. Further, DNA damage in this region is not readily repaired, but accumulates over time. This attrition of the telomeres probably encodes the potential accumulated risk for mutations and dysfunction over the lifetime of a cell. Increasing telomere attrition results in increased repair mechanisms, and finally cell death.
Aging does not only affect intra-cellular biochemical processes, but also presents with changes in cell signaling, including endocrine, neuroendocrine, and neuronal communication (Lopez-Otin et al., 2013). One of these changes manifests as a weakened immune response as well as increased inflammatory signaling and has been described as central to aging. Age-associated inflammation was reported to inhibit epidermal stem cell function (Doles et al., 2012) and also has been discussed as an underlying factor of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and obesity (Lopez-Otin et al., 2013). In other words, while inflammation is a central factor of the immune response and essential for tissue regeneration and healing, this complex response becomes less specific and less effective with age. The increased inflammatory signaling that accompanies aging in mammals has been coined "inflammaging" (Salminen et al., 2012a) and represents a smoldering pro-inflammatory phenotype. Several reports point to the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB (Nuclear Factor κB) as a central element of inflammaging (Helenius et al., 1996; Adler et al., 2007; Salminen et al., 2008; Haustead et al., 2016). Moreover, inflammaging can be fueled by increased ROS and pro-inflammatory pathways. However, cause and effect on the cellular level are deeply intertwined (Salminen et al., 2012a,b; Lopez-Otin et al., 2013) and point to a complex relationship between cellular senescence, telomeres, and inflammation: As described in Section Telomeres, increased ROS—resulting, for example, from inflammatory processes, mitochondrial dysfunction, or indirectly from telomere attrition itself—may lead to increased oxidative stress and associated activation of the pro-inflammatory NF-κB pathway. Telomere attrition itself leads to the release of shelterin proteins, among them RAP1 (Ras-proximate-1), that normally cover the telomeres. Set free, RAP1 activates the NF-κB pathway, thus further increasing a pro-inflammatory state (Ye et al., 2014).
KEY CONCEPT 2. Inflammation
A more pro-inflammatory state along with a less focused (i.e., weaker and less localized) response may be observed in aging, coined "inflammaging." This state weakens the immune response and wound healing on the one hand, and increases stress on the tissue overall on the other.
Stress Regulation
Stress enables individuals to effectively respond to threatening situations arising both from their internal environment (e.g., hypotension, pain) or external environment (e.g., cold, predators), and to maintain homeostasis. One mechanism involved in the so-called "stress response" is the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis describes an endocrine signaling cascade that starts with the release of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) in the hypothalamus, which causes the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the pituitary gland, that then triggers the release of glucocorticoids (cortisol in humans) from the adrenal glands. The activation of the HPA axis leads to wide ranging-effects, including raised blood pressure and raised heart rate, increased metabolism, and increased psychological alertness, as well as decreased inflammatory and decreased immune responses. While such modulations are essential to survival and well-being, chronic activation of the stress response leads to adverse outcomes. For example, high basal levels of glucocorticoids, if sustained over time, lead to increased ROS production, and increased risk of DNA and cellular damage (Garcia-Bueno et al., 2008; Joergensen et al., 2011). Moreover, high CRH levels stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thus further increasing oxidative stress (Wang et al., 2003). Importantly, increased stress levels and persistent negative emotions (e.g., as experienced during depression or life adversities), have been linked directly to accelerated biological aging through telomere shortening, DNA replication errors, and cellular damage (Lin et al., 2012; Price et al., 2013; Revesz et al., 2014; Blackburn et al., 2015; Zahran et al., 2015) or increased NF-κB activity (Irwin and Cole, 2011; Cole, 2014; Bower and Irwin, 2016). Furthermore, it has been shown that stress, anxiety, and depression are associated with reduced neuroplasticity and neurogenesis (Mcewen, 2001; Hanson et al., 2011; Liston and Gan, 2011; Besnard and Sahay, 2016), limiting the brain's ability to effectively adapt to new challenges. Finally, increased cortisol levels have been reported to be particularly detrimental in some brain regions (Bentson et al., 1978; Starkman et al., 1992, 1999; Knoops et al., 2010). For example, increased cortisol levels have been found to reduce the volumes of the hippocampus in rodents (Watanabe et al., 1992), primates (Uno et al., 1989), as well as humans (Bentson et al., 1978; Starkman et al., 1992, 1999; Knoops et al., 2010), suggesting a close link between stress, cortisol levels, and loss of brain tissue. Thus, while the stress response is protective in relation to transient threats, its chronic upregulation is detrimental and leads to accelerated (brain) aging.
KEY CONCEPT 3. Glucocorticoids
Glucocorticoid receptors are located inside the cells and, when activated, become transcription factors that change its functioning. On short term, glucocorticoids lead to multiple adaptations throughout the organism that are extremely beneficial during a stress response. However, when increased over a long time span, these changes can have detrimental effects.
Macroscopic Brain Anatomy
A well-documented effect of aging is a progressive decline in brain volume commencing in our early twenties to mid-thirties. While it is not entirely clear how this volume loss is reflected at the microscopic level, significant contributors to tissue loss include decreases in neuron, glia, and spine numbers, reductions in interstitial space (neuropil), shrinkages of dendritic trees, and demyelination (Shen et al., 2008; Glorioso and Sibille, 2011). Importantly, age-related volume changes differ between tissue types and brain regions with different brain structures showing different trajectories. For total brain volume this decline is estimated to range from 0.2% per year in early to mid-adulthood to 0.6% per year in the sixties and seventies (Hedman et al., 2012; Tabatabaei-Jafari et al., 2015). In contrast, the hippocampus, reaches its maximum volume in the mid-twenties and then starts declining at a rate of 0.38% per year until the mid-fifties. The shrinkage rate then increases to 0.98% per year and peaks at 1.12% in the early seventies (Fraser et al., 2015). As for white matter, the age-related volume decrease has been reported to begin later than for gray matter, and maturation processes (e.g., fiber myelination) continue well into the thirties and possibly beyond (Westlye et al., 2010). Despite this continuous decline in brain tissue over time, the brain retains some ability to change and adapt to new demands across the lifespan (Greenwood and Parasuraman, 2010; Valkanova et al., 2014). Indeed, increases in local brain volume have been described in regions involved in the acquisition and performance of new tasks over time frames from several weeks to years, and importantly such positive changes were evident in young adults as well as in the elderly (Draganski et al., 2004, 2006; Boyke et al., 2008; Woollett and Maguire, 2011). This neuroplasticity may allow, at least to some extent, to compensate for age-related volume loss by consolidating and optimizing resources (for review see Greenwood and Parasuraman, 2010). Similarly, factors such as educational attainment have been proposed to stimulate neuroplasticity and neurotrophic mechanisms, thereby enhancing brain and cognitive reserves, which may ultimately manifest as more age-resilient brains (Stern, 2012).
KEY CONCEPT 4. Decline in brain volume
Probably one of the best established effects of aging in brain research is a progressive loss of brain volume. While volume loss may be compensated to some degree via neuroplastic adaptation, it may reach a threshold below which full compensation becomes impossible. A relative preservation of volume might therefore be protective or delay the onset of functional decline.
KEY CONCEPT 5. Neuroplasticity
The brain has the ability to adapt in response to the existence (or absence) of demand. Neuroplasticity could be observed in local volume increases as a response to the learning of new tasks. Neuroplastic changes on a macroscopic level can be observed within weeks to years and can be assumed to be a continuous and fundamental process.
While there is only limited research investigating meditation and biological processes implicated in brain aging and neurodegeneration, it hints at plausible pathways through which meditative practice may exert beneficial effects on (brain) aging. In the next sections, we will review this emerging field of research suggesting an association between meditation and the aforementioned aspects and processes as pertaining to normal aging.
Effects of Meditation on Telomeres
As described above (see Section Telomeres), the enzyme telomerase contributes to repairing accumulated DNA damage and extending shortened telomeres. Interestingly, recent studies have indicated that meditation may increase telomerase activity (Jacobs et al., 2011; Lavretsky et al., 2013; Schutte and Malouff, 2014) and telomere length (Hoge et al., 2013; Alda et al., 2016). While telomere length has only been measured cross-sectionally, telomerase activity has been investigated longitudinally. Altogether, these studies' outcomes are consistent with the notion that meditation is protective against cellular aging. However, some caution is warranted. Telomere length and telomerase activity are measured in leukocytes from blood draws, and therefore these biomarkers may only reflect conditions (and possible meditation-induced effects) in peripheral blood cells, rather than in neurons and more broadly brain tissue. In fact, the role of telomerase in cells of the central nervous system remains obscure. More specifically, even although there is some preliminary evidence that a subunit of telomerase is also expressed in neurons after brain injury, it remains unclear if telomerase is expressed under normal conditions and with what result (Mattson et al., 2002; Zhang et al., 2007; Gonzalez-Giraldo et al., 2016). It should also be noted that while the critical role of telomere attrition is well-established in cell aging, its specific effect on the brain is not entirely clear (Allsopp et al., 1995; Nakamura et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2010; Eitan et al., 2014). Nevertheless, shorter leukocyte telomere length has been reported to predict dementia, cognitive decline, and mortality, suggesting at least some link between telomere length and brain aging (Eitan et al., 2014). Moreover, as telomeres are particularly sensitive to DNA damage (see Section Telomeres), the positive findings in meditators (i.e., longer telomeres, stronger telomerase activity) may point to less inflammatory signaling (see Section Inflammation), less stress (see Section Stress Regulation), and as a result more functionally intact cells, at least within the blood stream. Unfortunately, more comprehensive investigations exploring these links in controlled prospective intervention studies, optimally over an extended time frame, are entirely missing.
Effects of Meditation on Inflammation
Recent longitudinal studies have revealed that meditation reduces NF-κB activity (Creswell et al., 2012; Bhasin et al., 2013; Black et al., 2013; Bower et al., 2015; Rao et al., 2015; Bower and Irwin, 2016) as well as circulating markers of inflammation, such as C reactive protein and interleukin (IL)-6 (Creswell et al., 2012, 2016; Lengacher et al., 2012; Malarkey et al., 2013). Moreover, the reduced NF-κB activity was accompanied by a meditation-induced increased activity of the anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid receptor, which suggests a higher sensitivity to anti-inflammatory glucocorticoids (Bower et al., 2015; Bower and Irwin, 2016). Overall, these results point to a reduced pro-inflammatory state in active meditation practitioners. However, as for telomerase activity and telomere length (as discussed in Section Effects of Meditation on Telomeres), markers of inflammation are measured in peripheral leukocytes, rather than in neurons of the central nervous system; and although the role of NF-κB in brain cells is better established than for telomeric measures, the interpretation of these findings remains tentative. That is, on the one hand, NF-κB within glia cells was found to exert a pro-inflammatory activity and the potential to cause neuronal degeneration. On the other hand, and outside the realm of inflammation, NF-κB has also been established as an important factor for neuronal development, plasticity, repair, and survival (Mattson, 2005; Mattson and Meffert, 2006; Camandola and Mattson, 2007; Boersma et al., 2011). Thus, a simple extrapolation from findings in peripheral leukocytes to all cells and circumstances may be too simplistic, especially as it is well-known that single factors can result in different effects depending on the circumstances. Overall, however, meditation-induced reduction in NF-κB activity might be beneficial, as inflammatory activity observed in peripheral immune cells (e.g., leucocytes) may be correlated (at least to some degree) with the activity of immune cells in the brain (e.g., microglia). Overall, these reductions of NF-κB activity may potentially reflect a delay of the smoldering pro-inflammatory phenotype "inflammaging" and its detrimental effects (see Section Inflammation), although this latter hypothesis remains mere conjecture until it can be tested directly. Along these same lines, a meditation-induced increase in the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor (Bower et al., 2015; Bower and Irwin, 2016) is likely to increase the anti-inflammatory properties of cortisol. This, in turn, may help reduce cortisol levels overall (because the higher glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity will relay the same anti-inflammatory effects at lower doses of circulating cortisol). As may be inferred from the discussion of the detrimental effects of cortisol (see Section Stress Regulation), decreased cortisol levels are likely to contribute to lower rates of brain shrinkage, and particularly so in the hippocampus. So, altogether, the observed effects of meditation on inflammation processes may have beneficial effects on brain aging. However, comprehensive controlled trials to substantiate these effects are still missing.
Effects of Meditation on Stress Regulation
Several studies suggest that meditation fosters adaptive emotion regulation and emotional well-being (Moynihan et al., 2013; Grecucci et al., 2015; Zeng et al., 2015), while also reducing stress and cortisol levels (Chiesa and Serretti, 2009; Koike and Cardoso, 2014; Ray et al., 2014; Sharma and Rush, 2014; Turan et al., 2015). Such effects were not only observed cross-sectionally when comparing meditators with non-meditators but also longitudinally in randomized controlled trials exploring the effects of meditation. These findings may reflect improved voluntary regulation of mental activity, shifting focus and attention, as well as reduction in rumination (Holzel et al., 2011; Wolkin, 2015). As discussed above (see Section Stress Regulation), stress reduction may play a central part in the modulating effects of meditation on brain aging, especially as chronically increased cortisol levels have been associated with increased ROS, NF-κB activity, and brain volume loss, as well as reduced telomere length and neuroplastic capacity (see Section Inflammation and Stress Regulation). Thus, while stress is not a mechanism of aging per se, it can directly affect a multitude of aging processes. Unfortunately, a comprehensive assessment of the effects of meditation on perceived stress, objective biomarkers of stress (including cortisol levels etc.), changes in telomere length, NF-κB activity, and brain tissue over an extended time is not yet available. This severely limits the level of inference that can be drawn at this point. More specifically, while links and interactions between meditation, stress regulation, and mechanisms of aging appear likely, they have not been assessed directly and remain a hypothesis that awaits to be tested in future studies.
Effects of Meditation on Macroscopic Brain Anatomy
A limited number of cross-sectional neuroimaging studies has investigated the possible modulating impact of meditation on age-related changes in the macrostructure of the brain (Luders, 2014; Luders and Cherbuin, 2016). These investigations revealed less pronounced negative correlations between chronological age and various cerebral measures (e.g., local and global gray matter volumes or indicators of white matter fiber integrity) in meditators than in controls (Lazar et al., 2005; Pagnoni and Cekic, 2007; Luders et al., 2011, 2015; Kurth et al., 2015; Laneri et al., 2016). Moreover, when estimating the age of brains using automated pattern recognition, the brains of meditators appeared to be several years younger than the brains of age-matched controls (Luders et al., 2016). These findings seem to suggest that meditation may slow down age-related brain degeneration. However, the cross-sectional nature of these studies precludes an inference on causality. That is, it remains unclear whether meditation induced the observed differences, whether the differences existed already before people started meditating, whether there is interplay between the two, or whether the differences are due to more complex interactions with other factors. Assuming the observed differences are the result of meditation, a combination of processes is likely to be implicated (Kurth et al., 2015; Luders et al., 2015; Luders and Cherbuin, 2016): For example, through a variety of mechanisms, such as upregulating telomerase activity, down-regulating pro-inflammatory processes, and decreasing the effects of chronic stress (see Sections Effects of Meditation on Telomeres, Effects of Meditation on Inflammation, and Effects of Meditation on Stress Regulation), meditation may prevent or at least reduce the normal age-related brain decline by averting neurotoxic effects on the brain. However, these effects might even go beyond the mere prevention of tissue loss and actually present as tissue gain, at least in the short term. For example, it has been reported that loss of hippocampal tissue originally induced by high cortisol levels was restored when cortisol levels were reduced (Starkman et al., 1999). Similarly, relative tissue increases may occur due to anabolic training effects, similar to the neuroplasticity observed in imaging studies (see Section Macroscopic Brain Anatomy). In fact, several longitudinal studies revealed changes in local brain tissue after 4–8 weeks of intense meditation and, overall, these changes presented as increases (Fox et al., 2014). Nevertheless, some tissue decreases were also evident in brain regions known to modulate stress and fear responses and/or when effects of meditation were examined in pathological states (Holzel et al., 2010; Kurth et al., 2014). Although a time frame of several weeks is likely too short to draw sensible conclusions with respect to the impact of meditation in the framework of aging, the existing short-term longitudinal studies already demonstrate meditation-induced neuroplastic changes in brain structure. Controlled long-term longitudinal studies might reveal even more pronounced changes, especially if conducted over several years. Ideally, such trials will also obtain detailed measures of stress, inflammation, and telomere attributes to facilitate the interpretability of findings.
Aging is happening to each and all of us every single day. It is an ongoing process regardless of our birth dates, but the obvious sequels become most evident late in life. Aging is complex and our understanding of it still resembles an incomplete puzzle. However, we know that throughout the life span, there are multiple factors that may influence the dynamics of aging, and meditation may be one of them. Without a doubt, the accumulating scientific evidence is very encouraging, especially given that meditation is relatively easy to integrate in everyone's every-day life. Nevertheless, numerous open questions exist for diverse aspects, ranging from missing answers on the biological level, over the specifics of an effective (personalized) meditation intervention, to the general question of causality. Moreover, preliminary evidence for possible age-defying effects of meditation mostly stems from cross-sectional studies and/or from using indirect markers associated with aging. In contrast, controlled longitudinal studies between meditation and diminished brain aging are still missing. Admittedly, since aging is a rather slow and dynamic process, such prospective trials constitute challenging long-term endeavors but they seem necessary eventually to prove a causal relationship. In conclusion, before constructing effective prevention and/or intervention plans leveraging the potential of meditation to affect multiple pathways involved in (brain) aging, future research is clearly necessary to continue collecting still missing pieces and painting a more complete picture.
All authors FK, NC, EL contributed equally in writing and revising the manuscript.
Florian Kurth graduated from medical school at the University of Düsseldorf (Germany), and subsequently finished his doctoral thesis in the field of neuroanatomy and structure-function relationships at the research center Jülich (Germany). In 2010, he took a research position at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where—in close collaboration with Eileen Luders and later also with Nicolas Cherbuin—his research focuses on neuroimaging and brain mapping in health and disease.
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Keywords: aging, brain, meditation, mindfulness, MRI
Citation: Kurth F, Cherbuin N and Luders E (2017) Promising Links between Meditation and Reduced (Brain) Aging: An Attempt to Bridge Some Gaps between the Alleged Fountain of Youth and the Youth of the Field. Front. Psychol. 8:860. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00860
Received: 15 October 2016; Accepted: 10 May 2017;
Published: 30 May 2017.
Barbara Tomasino, University of Udine, Italy
Maarten A. Immink, University of South Australia, Australia
Sara Lazar, Massachusetts General Hospital, United States
Copyright © 2017 Kurth, Cherbuin and Luders. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: fkurth@ucla.edu
†These authors have contributed equally to this work.


text:
title: Nuxt.js
---

[Nuxt.js](https://nuxtjs.org/) is a frontend framework based on [Vue.JS](http://vuejs.org).

This document explains how to use it in conjunction with FoalTS. A sample source code can be found on [Github](https://github.com/FoalTS/foal/tree/master/samples/nuxt.js).

## Installation

Create your frontend and backend projects in two different folders.

```
foal createapp backend
npx create-nuxt-app frontend
```

When the CLI asks which server framework to choose, select *None*.

## Set Up

1. Go to your server directory and install `nuxt`.

    ```
    npm install nuxt
    ```

2. Then update your `src/index.ts` file as follows:

    ```typescript
    import { Builder, Nuxt } from 'nuxt';
    // ...

    // Import and Set Nuxt.js options
    const config = require('../../frontend/nuxt.config.js');
    config.dev = Config.get('settings.debug', true);

    async function main() {
      // Init Nuxt.js
      const nuxt = new Nuxt(config);

      // Build only in dev mode
      if (config.dev) {
        const builder = new Builder(nuxt);
        await builder.build();
      } else {
        await nuxt.ready();
      }

      // ...

      const app = createApp(AppController, {
        postMiddlewares: [
          nuxt.render
        ]
      });

      // ...
    }

    main();

    ```

3. Delete the file `index.html` in `backend/public`.

4. Open the file `nuxt.config.js` in the `frontend/` directory and update its first lines as follows:

    ```typescript
    module.exports = {
      srcDir: '../frontend',
      // ...
    }
    ```

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Articles by Rev. Michael S. Heath
By Rev. Michael S. Heath | 06.04.15
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The Cultural Need for Resistance
In a recent article, IFI's Dave Smith asked the question, "What's Next?" I have been asked that question many times over the years. I started fighting the "gay" movement in the late 1980s here in Maine. The Christian Civic League...
Remain Firm and Resist
In the late 1980's God placed me at the Christian Civic League of Maine. Formed in 1897 by clergy, laymen and academics the League fought throughout the 20th century to keep Christianity at life's center in Maine. I was often...
Usurping Parental Rights
For a second year in a row, Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford (D-Chicago) has introduced a bill, SB 1307, to lower the mandatory age for school attendance in Illinois from 7 to 5 years-of-age. This year, Senator Lightford amended her...
SAVE-THE-DATE: Monumental
On Tuesday, March 27, 2012, more than 450 major movie theaters – 22 in Illinois – will have a one-night only theatrical event called Monumental: In Search of America's National Treasure hosted by Kirk Cameron. The two-hour show will begin...
Illinois Lawmakers Propose Another Year of Indoctrination
On January 24th, in his State of the Union Speech, President Barack Obama told the states to raise the compulsory age of schooling to 18. State Senator Kimberly Lightford (D-Chicago) went right to work. On February 1st she introduced a...
Rev. Michael S. Heath
Mike Heath committed his life to Jesus Christ in 1980. After earning a degree in philosophy he entered the ministry.
For four years he led a church-run ministry called Bethany Acres. He led a staff on a 600 acre farm that ministered to troubled adults.
In 1988 he joined the staff of the Christian Civic League. In 1994 he was appointed Executive Director and remained in that position until 2009. He stopped so-called "gay" rights in statewide voting twice.
He accepted God's ordination to ministry in July of 2010.
Heath's wife, Paulie, is an accomplished Christian singer/songwriter and speaker.
He has three sons. The oldest is a graduate of Grove City College, and the younger two are United States Marine Corp infantry.
Follow Rev. Michael S. Heath

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


JAMMU: To give momentum to their ongoing struggle and garnerpeoples support for granting statehood to Jammu, a massive demonstration was staged by Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Front (JKNF) here today. Hundreds of demonstrators including a seizable number of women and school children assembled at Shalamar Chowk this afternoon where from the procession started for Raj Bhavan. The demonstrators with pla cards in their hands demanding 'Sotela pan ab nahi sahain gain, Jammu state lay kay rahain gain'we will not tolerate the stepmotherly treatment any more and have resolved to get the separate State , 'Lay kay rahain gay Jammu state'We will get the statehood for Jammu, 'Bijli, pani jo nah dey woh sarkar nikami hai, jo sarkar nikami hai, woh sarkar badalni hai'The Government which can not provide electricity and water is incompetent and such Government is to be removed. The procession after passing via City Chowk, Purani Mandi, Link Road, Jain Bazar and Upper Bazar culminated in front of Raj Bhavan where two memorandums were presented to Governor. As the demonstrators passed through the various City markets the pro statehood and anti State Government slogans rent the air. One memorandum was addressed to President and Prime Minister of India which strongly advocated for reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir State by creating a separate state for Jammu and granting the union territory status to Ladakh region. The memorandum while hailing the peace initiative of Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee however, expressed its deepest concern over stepped up acts of terrorism and subversion. It said while all efforts should be taken to restore normalcy in trouble torn state, there should be no lowering of guards against the enemies of peace working on the behest of neighboring country. It maintained that for any talks to resolve the impasse in J&K the involvement of all sections of people from Jammu, Ladakh, Kashmiri Pandits, nationalistic Muslims from Valley, Gujjars and Bakerwals and other sections of the society is must. It while expressing apprehensions regarding transfer of power, warned that repeat of exercise to handover the destiny of all the people of J&K to a handful of Kashmiri leadership will not help in solving the present impasse in the state. It said the people of Jammu and Ladakh are conscious of their political rights and interests hence they will not tolerate any surrender of the same to appease the secessionist Kashmiri leaders. The memorandum addressed to State Governor, Mr G C Saxena demanded immediate rescinding of the Government order granting admission to 55 students of Prime Medical College Badgam into the medical colleges of the state. Expressing serious concern over the prevailing power crisis the Front sought the immediate intervention of the Governor and demanded immediate cancellation of special lines to VIPs and some privileged people be disconnected. The demonstrators were led by Messrs Tilak Raj Sharma, convener of the Front and among the prominent persons who participated in it include Prof Virender Gupta, Yash Bhasin, Shamsher Singh, Ramesh Arora, H B Khajuria, Seneh Gupta and Kousar Naseem. Addressing the demonstrators in front of Raj Bhavan, Mr Sharma said the people of Jammu who have suffered total discrimination in every field of life are now fed up from the rulers of Kashmir. He alleged that Jammu has not only been deprived of basic facilities like water and electricity but the future of our wards is bleak as they are facing discrimination in every sphere of life through the hands of the State Government. He said the recent back door admissions in the medical colleges has exposed the Government which is totally biased towards a particular region. He said by selecting the candidates through backdoor in the medical colleges is an onslaught on the rights of the meritorious students of the region and this will not be tolerated at any cost. He asserted that the only viable solution to Kashmir crisis, weeding out of present militancy and end to over 50 year long discrimination which the region has been facing is to grant a separate statehood to Jammu. He said the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions be also included in the proposed dialogue to be held for resolving the Kashmir tangle. He urged the Governor to take personnel interest as the head of Constitution in resolving the basic problems of Jammu people. Mr Sharma also asked the people to make the Jammu bandh on January 15 a total success. Earlier addressing the processionists in different bazars enroute the speakers said when Jharkhand, Uttranchal and Chatisgarh have been granted the statehood what is harm in granting this status to Jammu.


Over the years Tammy has filled most every position in the kitchen (both domestically and professionally), while always gravitating to the oven and the chance to bake. Since 1994 she has expressed that joy in baking by creating cakes on Cape Cod for friends and customers alike (the latter often become the former!).


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Next:AIR WEAPONS: Underpowered And Overpaid
Support: Gritty Graphic Games For Grunts
October 30, 2010: U.S. Army combat training simulations continue to take advantage of new technology. These include systems which enable trainers to quickly construct 3-D simulations troops can engage in via PCs. These are first person shooter (FPS) type systems, using a local network. But a trainer can control the actions of the enemy forces, and every move of the trainee troops is recorded for the after-action briefing. This is the most valuable part of the exercise, because the trainer points out, in detail, what troops did right. The flexibility of these games make it easy to adapt them to the special needs of infantry ("grunts") or support troops ("fobbits").
But the best training is when troops are in battle gear and carrying a rifle. There is now equipment available to run these exercises, using movie-like props to quickly set up the scene, and actors dressed and speaking languages found in the combat zone. Like the PC based simulator, this one tracks what everyone did (movement as well as firing laser equipped weapons). Realistic sound effects, including explosions, are available. Again, the after-action briefing is the most interesting part of the exercise, except this time the trainees are all sweaty and still have ringing in their ears from all the noise. But no one gets killed making mistakes, and that's a lesson that can save your life when you do it for real.
ELECTRONIC WEAPONS: Even Trainers Need A Little ECM
AIR WEAPONS: Underpowered And Overpaid
Support: Current 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999


It was a second tough game following the Christmas break for the North West Raiders with 25-0 loss against the Knights at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. The Raiders were under the pump from early in the game and trailed 12-0 by the end of the first quarter as the Knights showed their strength. But the Raiders proved to be up for the fight in the second quarter and although they were unable to score themselves, the Knights were held scoreless. The Knights were unable to find their rhythm again in the third quarters, as both the hosts and the Raiders finished the quarter scoreless. But the Raiders' tough defence were unable to hold out in the final quarter and Knights found the scoreboard with a touchdown and a converted PAT and then with another touchdown to end the game. The Raiders were also defeated 25-0 by the Devils last weekend in their first round back after Christmas. In the other game of the Gridiron Tasmania double-header, the Devils proved too strong for the Launceston Gorillas and claimed a commanding 34-0 victory to finish the round.
Battling on: the North West Raiders. Picture: Simon Sturzaker.
It was a second tough game following the Christmas break for the North West Raiders with 25-0 loss against the Knights at the University of Tasmania in Hobart.
The Raiders were under the pump from early in the game and trailed 12-0 by the end of the first quarter as the Knights showed their strength.
But the Raiders proved to be up for the fight in the second quarter and although they were unable to score themselves, the Knights were held scoreless.
The Knights were unable to find their rhythm again in the third quarters, as both the hosts and the Raiders finished the quarter scoreless.
But the Raiders' tough defence were unable to hold out in the final quarter and Knights found the scoreboard with a touchdown and a converted PAT and then with another touchdown to end the game.
The Raiders were also defeated 25-0 by the Devils last weekend in their first round back after Christmas.
In the other game of the Gridiron Tasmania double-header, the Devils proved too strong for the Launceston Gorillas and claimed a commanding 34-0 victory to finish the round.


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Rapper Kodak Black arrested in South Florida
Rapper Kodak Black Arrested in Florida
By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Rapper Kodak Black was arrested Thursday in South Florida, accused of grand theft of a firearm, possession of marijuana and child neglect, the Broward County Sheriff's Office said.
Explore>> Read more trending news
Black, 20, whose legal name is Dieuson Octave, also faces two counts of possession of a weapon by a felon and two counts of probation violation, the Sheriff's Office said in its arrest report. Black was booked at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale.
The native of Pompano Beach, Florida, was arrested in May for breaking the terms of his probation after a court ruled the rapper broke the terms of his probation. He had been arrested for strong arm robbery, false imprisonment, possession of a firearm by a delinquent and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement.
On Thursday, a live video was published on Black's Instagram account. In the brief clip, Black can be heard talking about his cellphone and whether he should turn the device over to authorities.
"Your phone's part of this search warrant. You are not going to get your phone back," a man can be heard saying in the video.
Black released a video for his "Roll In Peace" single with XXXTenaction, also known as Jahseh Onfroy, WPLG reported. In the video, Black is shown throwing cash on a courtroom floor.
CONCERT NEWS: Weird Al is coming to Dayton
Best of 2021: Top 10 Dayton area arts stories
Trio from Ohio could take crown on 'The Voice' finale tonight
Lebanon hosts Ohio's largest horse-drawn carriage parade this weekend
TOP EVENTS GUIDE: Comedy, music and more this week
Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk


in the pleasant disguise of illusion.
Escape to the infamous magicians secret top hat bar to satisfy your palate from our fine selection of both local and international wines, cocktails and french shots – then retire to the cabaret room to witness the magician perform a parade of surprises.
No sleight of hand, smoke or mirrors used!
Magicians Top Hat Bar has a fine selection of designer beer, craft cocktails and international and local wines to treat your palate.
Imagine a fun night out to the Parisian dinner theatre.
Acclaimed La Fortuna Cabaret Dinner Show now in its sixth year comprises of a three course candle lit dinner and then a cabaret show embracing storytelling, song, dance and magic. A cast of dancers and singers accompany the magician in a show full of glitz, glamour and wonder.
Experience the joy of a classic magicians 20th century magic parlour show accompanied with a two course dinner. Escape your inhibiting bonds of logic as you are led down a rabbit hole and onto a roller coaster of astonishment and wonder.
Cabaret Le Belle Rose is a Parisian cabaret show experience which includes a shared La Fromage platter and the seductive French desert Crème Brulee.
Having played at the annual Bastille French Festival (2015-2018) and appeared on French media (CCTV, TV5 Monde), you shall delight in how Cabaret La Belle Rose orchestrates French poetry and literature such as François-Marie Arouet, along with famous Cabaret songs from Edif Piaf, music from French composer Jacques Offenbach, famous French dances such as the Can Can, Follie Bergere and of course 19th century French Magician Robert Houdin.
Tails of Trickery Dinner and Show experience comprises of a three course candle lit dinner followed by a cabaret show of storytelling and magic.
Tails of Trickery Dinner and Show experience comprises of a three course candle lit dinner followed by a cabaret show of storytelling and magic. Mind reading, metamorphosis, objects float, things appear and disappear along with audience participation and a dash of comedy, the magician will make you believe in the impossible and that life is full of wonder.
In this underground bar, as you enjoy a craft cocktail, a serious spirit or perhaps a love potion and listen to the songs and poetry of the magicians muse. Her words will drop into your soul and some kind of magic happens to you.
Hidden within the magicians' cabaret, in this underground bar, as you enjoy a dirty martini or a magic potion the magicians muse recites poetry and sings songs of love and magic. This "prescription list" ranges from aphrodisiacs to euphoric enhancers as her words drop into your soul some kind of magic happens.
The curtain rises, music, lights, costume, magic.
A parade of surprises awaits you!
In Sydney's world of Magic & Cabaret since 2010.
The Magician's Cabaret is a cabaret bar theatre restaurant venue with character somewhere between New York cabaret and Parisian dinner theatre.
The venue encases a classic theatre box office, an intimate Parisian cabaret room which features a 1920s proscenium arch stage, a New York style underground bar and a secret museum of magic.
The programming consists of weekly Parisian cabaret dinner show experiences which encompass magic, narration, poetry, song and dance by a stellar cast of magicians, singers and dancers as you enjoy a candle lit dinner, dinner and show experiences featuring just magic after a candle lit dinner, classic magic cabaret shows and daily guided tours to the hidden museum of magic.
The values The Magicians Cabaret operates to: a safe environment with a zero tolerance for harm, adherence to Responsible Service of Alcohol laws, a fun, enjoyable and memorable experience for all under theatre audience etiquette, quality cuisine & entertainment. Furthermore, The Magicians Cabaret advocates the equality and respect of women in the work place.
Thank you for supporting the Australian performing arts industry and we look forward to welcoming you to The Magicians Cabaret.


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9 of the biggest TV moments in UK electricity history
What happens when 26 million people make a cup of tea? Some of the biggest surges of electricity demand the UK has ever seen.
It's 1990 and Chris Waddle, England midfielder, steps up to the penalty spot. The 60,000 people in Turin's Stadio delle Alpi watching him and the fate of England football go silent.
He takes a breath and fires a shot at Bodo Illgner, the German goalkeeper. It careers over the crossbar and misses – England are out of the World Cup. The now famous image of Paul Gascoigne crying into his shirt is beamed across millions of UK television screens.
There's a shuffling on the sofas in front of those TVs as the population gets up to make a cup of tea, get a drink or turn on the oven. Millions of kettles, lights and fridges are powered up as the country collectively despairs. The demand for electricity across the country soars.
This is what's called a 'TV pickup' – the moment during a popular television event when there's a break and viewers unwittingly cause a huge surge of demand from the National Grid.
It's these moments that have caused some of the biggest spikes in UK electricity demand. Here we look at what's caused them:
What? Football World Cup Semi Final: England v West Germany
When? Wednesday, 4 July 1990
Electricity demand: 2,800MW – equivalent to 1,120,000 kettles (based on 1MW = 400 kettles), or 4.3 Drax-sized generation units (there are six 645MW units at Drax)
After that fateful penalty miss the population made for the kitchen. The match was watched by an estimated 26 million people in the UK, and when full time was called they caused a 2,800MW surge in electricity demand.
What? The Thorn Birds
When? 22 January 1984
Electricity demand: 2,600MW – 1,040,000 kettles – 4 Drax units
A sleeper hit, The Thorn Birds was a one-off American mini-series about a fictional sheep station in the Australian outback. Based on the novel of the same name, it was broadcast in the UK following building up a huge following in the US when it was aired in 1983. By the time it arrived on UK shores there was clearly enough of that excitement to create a surge of electricity demand – one of the largest in UK TV history.
What? Football World Cup Quarter Final: England v Brazil
When? Friday, 21 June 2002
Broadcast early on a Wednesday morning in the UK due to time differences with South Korea, where the game was played, the match saw England put up a solid fight against overall tournament winners Brazil. A goal from Michael Owen provided early hope and at half time TV viewers left their screens to cause a huge 2,570MW spike in demand. By the time the game had reached its conclusion, Brazil had won thanks to a chipped Ronaldinho free kick that fooled England keeper David Seaman and those viewers who had lasted the duration caused a slightly smaller 2,300MW surge.
Four:
What? Eastenders: Lisa admits shooting Phil
When? Thursday, 5 April 2001
Electricity demand: 2,290MW – 916,000 kettles – 3.5 Drax units
In one of the most dramatic plot developments in UK TV history, Lisa Shaw, played by actress Lucy Benjamin, admitted to shooting her former boyfriend, Phil Mitchell. An estimated 22 million viewers turned on to see the dramatic reveal. When it was all over they caused a surge of 2,290MW, more than five times the normal pickup of 400MW seen at the end of an average Eastenders episode.
Five:
What? The Darling Buds of May
When? Sunday, 12 May 1991
One of the more wholesome entries to the list, this British comedy drama racked up a huge following during its 20-episode run from 1991 to 1993. The peak was early in the first season, when the third ever episode saw the Larkin family take an unhappy holiday to Brittany. The family's escapades drew a large audience and prompted a surge equivalent to 880,000 kettles being switched on at the same time.
Six:
What? Rugby World Cup Final: England v Australia
When? Saturday, 22 November 2003
A unique sporting entry to the list as England ended as winners. More than 12 million people watched England beat Australia, with the largest electricity demand coming at half time and not at full time, when audiences were presumably still celebrating Jonny Wilkinson's last minute drop goal.
Seven:
What? European Football Championship 2020 final: England vs Italy
When? Sunday, 11 July 2021
The most recent heartbreaker for England fans, the match came as COVID-19 restrictions were only beginning to lift around the UK. The team, led by Gareth Southgate, conquered old foes Germany on their way to a final in Wembley, only to lose to Italy on penalties.
The sense of disappointment was almost palpable in the energy demand, peaking at 1,800MW at half-time, when England went into the changing rooms one-nil up. Demand then surged again to 1,200MW at the end of the 90-minute stalemate, followed by a deflated 500MW at the end of the game. Had things gone differently, National Grid ESO was preparing for a peak of 2,000MW.
What? The Royal Wedding – Prince William and Kate
When? Friday, 29 April 2011
The biggest and most celebrated Royal Wedding in a generation, the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton attracted an audience of 24 million in the UK alone. Energy demand peaked at 1,600MW when the bride's carriage procession returned to Buckingham Palace. This is the largest TV pickup in recent years, which hints at how changing viewer habits, on demand watching and smart TVs are changing the need for power and making TV pickups a rarer occurrence.
Nine:
What? Clap for carers
When? Thursday, 16 April 2020
Electricity demand: 950MW – 320,000 kettles – 1.5 Drax units
COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns had several interesting effects on the UK's energy system. One feature was a return in regular demand spikes, with Thursday evenings' Clap for Carers events prompting notable surges.
The gestures, held at 8pm on Thursdays between 26 March and 28 May 2020, saw millions across the UK stand outside their homes and clap in appreciation of emergency services workers. As people went back inside to put on kettles and turn on TVs electricity demand spiked. The particularly cloudy evening of 16 April saw demand reach 950MW as more people reached for light switches.
How do we deal with TV pickups?
National grid electricty pylon silhouette at sunrise
Because the level of electricity needed to power the country can't be stored, when there is a spike in demand it needs to be met quickly by a similar increase in real time generation.
To manage the supply and demand for events likely to cause electricity surges, the National Grid forecasts electricity need for large events like World Cups and major TV events.
The grid can then put contingency measures in place to manage the huge changes in demand in real time. It does this through a suite of tools called balancing mechanisms, which allows it to access sources of extra power in real-time.
The rise of more energy efficient home appliances and on-demand streaming means that the 'shape' of electricity demand has become flatter since the days when most of the country was tuned into the same must-see moments.
However, it's still crucial for the grid to forecast periods of high demand, when it will keep the necessary power stations on reserve, ready to deliver additional electricity if needed.
If it wasn't for this careful management of electricity by the grid and the power stations like Drax supplying it, that cup of tea next time England crash out of a major sporting event would not only be tainted with disappointment but cold, too.
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Johan Victorinus Pingel, född 25 februari 1834 i Köpenhamn, död där 18 maj 1919, var en dansk filolog, geolog och politiker, son till Christian Pingel.

Pingel blev student 1850 och avlade filologisk-historisk ämbetsexamen 1858. Han ägnade sig emellertid även åt naturvetenskapliga studier, särskilt geologi. Han blev 1864 filosofie doktor i filologi på avhandlingen De gigantibus, 1871 lärare och 1882 överlärare vid Metropolitanskolan i Köpenhamn. Han visade i denna egenskap utmärkt duglighet, men erhöll 1883 avsked på grund av sin utpräglade politiska opposition.

Han var 1882 Studentersamfundets förste ordförande, var 1883 en bland stiftarna av Köpenhamns liberala valmansförening och länge styrelseledamot där samt 1884-92 medlem av Folketinget. Ursprungligen hyllade han en mycket radikal politisk åskådning och stod Viggo Hørup nära, men sedermera (från 1890) anslöt han sig till den förhandlande vänstern under Frederik Bojsens ledning. Hans viktigaste insats på politikens område var sannolikt inrättandet 1888 av Danmarks geologiske undersøgelse, vars ledning han själv, tillsammans med Frederik Johnstrup, tillhörde under några år. År 1892 lämnade han det politiska livet. Om sin politiska verksamhet författade han Et politisk tilbageblik (1891).

Källor

Danska filologer
Danska geologer
Födda 1834
Avlidna 1919
Män
Ugglan
Salmonsens
Danska Folketingsledamöter
Personer från Köpenhamn

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The concept of how to shuffle properly probably sounds like a non-topic. Anyone who's ever played a basic game of Go Fish knows how to shuffle a deck of cards! Right? Right, it is true that the technical aspect of shuffling the deck is straightforward enough, but what about the intuitive part? Believe it or not, shuffling, or rather, when to stop shuffling, had become one of my biggest road blocks. Why? Because I'm kind of left-brained a lot of the time! I like to work within systems I can understand and analyze and shuffling, that just seems so random and haphazard! For me to get beyond this block, I needed to build an element of ritual into this process. So if you're struggling with this bit too, perhaps some of what I've learned and applied here will help you out.


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BESE board votes for Governor Edwards raise for Louisiana teachers
by: Crystal Whitman-Barrow
Posted: Mar 14, 2019 / 01:02 AM UTC / Updated: Mar 14, 2019 / 01:08 AM UTC
Louisiana's top school board votes yes today, for Governor John Bel Edwards' plan to increase the pay of educators. All present members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education or BESE backed the k-12 public schools financing formula. This includes a $1,000 pay raise across-the-board raise for teachers. He is also pushing a $500.00 raise for cafeteria workers, bus drivers and other support staff.
Board President Dr. Gary Jones says a lot of the board members are made up of either current or former teachers so there was never any question about support for the teacher pay raises.
"This was a pretty unified front. The superintendents wanted it, the school boards wanted it, the governor wanted it, most of the Legislatures I talked to agreed that it needs to be done," says Dr. Gary Jones, BESE board president.
The average teacher across the state makes about $49,745, which the governor says is about 22 dollars less than the southern regional average.
The formula now moves to state law makers for the legislative session that starts in April.
The governor's proposal affects grades K through 12 in Louisiana.
The Office of the Governor released this statement about today's decision by BESE:
"I join the hardworking teachers, support personnel and students across our state in sincerely thanking all the members of BESE for their unanimous approval of my proposal. Today's vote was a necessary and important step in getting closer to making a well-deserved and long overdue raise a reality. It's one part of a multi-year process to bring teacher pay in Louisiana up to that of other southern states. And we cannot overlook the value of every person who has a hand in helping to create an environment conducive to learning in our schools, from the cafeteria staff to those who keep the classrooms clean. Everyone can point to a teacher who has helped them succeed in life, and now it's our turn to show them our support in a very tangible way. Additionally, we know that a pay raise will enable Louisiana to attract the best and brightest to this noble profession. I'm very encouraged by BESE's action and believe that we will see the same success in the legislature. I am ready to work with all state lawmakers to get this done."
Louisiana has reported teacher shortages in nearly every subject area since 2004. According to a 2018 study by the U.S. Department of Education, 94 percent of teachers spend their own money on school supplies without reimbursement due to a lack of sufficient funding in the classroom.
As part of his multi- year plan in K-12 investment, Gov. Edwards is proposing a $1000 pay raise this year for teachers and a $500 raise for school support personnel. In addition, he is also proposing a 1.375% increase in the per-pupil allocation of Level 1 of the MFP. In the last ten years, there has been only one pay raise and one increase in the MFP.
by Michael Scheidt / Jul 16, 2019
BATON ROUGE, La. (LOCAL 33) (FOX 44)-
by Carly Laing / Jul 16, 2019
BATON ROUGE, LA (LOCAL33) (FOX44) - Scottlandville residents can participate in a free health fair this weekend.
4 local churches in the Scottlandville area have teamed up to host the event.
by Jonah Gilmore / Jul 16, 2019
On a flower in front of the African American History museum founded by Sadie Roberts-Joseph, sits a heartfelt message.
"She was the one that loved life , loved communicating, talking, loved giving you your own history so when you left her your head was high" said Mike McClanahan, President of Louisiana's NAACP.
Last week, the beloved 75-year-old's body was found in the trunk of her car.
McClanahan said "We've got to the point where life doesn't matter, we devalue life and anytime we take the life of someone who give their life to ensure all succeeded we've fallen to an all new low so when I heard the news, I said wow."
The news of her death sent shock waves throughout the Baton Rouge community, then, across the country. Many people took to social media, even turning her name into a hashtag.
"She fulfilled life. She used every ounce of her being on earth to fulfill her purpose and that was to ensure everyone knew about where they came from, where they were heading and just to show you just a little bit more love."
While the person behind her murder remains a mystery, for now. The community she served for decades will always remember her as an icon.
"Whether I saw her early in the morning or late in the afternoon when she had a full day it was always the same. She spoke quietly, eloquently and you knew that you were in the presence of someone special."


Having some friends in the United Kingdom, it always bothered me how lucky they are with some many options to buy retro games or retro computers. And being in a tiny country helps to drive all around the place to visit those stores.
That what brings me to talk about "Games for Cash", a nice store (with a bad name, I have to say) in Ottawa's downtown area that I visited for the last two weekends.
They carry everything you can imagine from NES to Game Cube, PS2 to XBox, Game Boy and even Virtual Box. Actually, for the Virtual Boy the also have a display used at old Zellers store where people could use the handheld and buy it (which the story tells us it didn't happen very much).
The prices are fair for most of the games and as you could expect, they have some rare games, like a Donkey Kong Competition Edition that could be mine if I had CAD$ 1,000 in my pocket (Unfortunately I never carry pocket change like that ;). There is also a large offer of consoles, with some of them in the original box and excellent condition, and others with no boxes, but always in working condition.
As the name suggests, the store is always willing to buy your old cartridges and CDs. I never tried to sell anything to them, so I can't tell how that works, though.
If you happen to leave in the region, it is worth the visit. The store doesn't have its own website, but you can contact them through their Facebook page.
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I want to implement ECC in our iOS application. Could you please confirm, if it is available in CommonCrypto, or could be achieved using CommonCrypto or any other security framework.
There are some apis available in OpenSSL, but as per CommonCrypto's documentation, OpenSSL is not stable and is getting updated quite soon.
What do you mean by "implement ECC in our iOS application". iOS supports EC cryptography in general, but there are places where that support is not complete (I'm actually struggling to think of an example of this because recently releases have fleshed out the EC support). If you explain how you plan to use EC keys, I should be able to give you more concrete details.
Could you please confirm, if it is available in CommonCrypto, or could be achieved using CommonCrypto or any other security framework.
Just FYI, this isn't in CommonCrypto. Asymmetric key cryptography is supported by the Security framework itself.
You can look into GMEllipticCurveCrypto, I want to know, if we are having similar APIs for ECC implementation in Security framework.
I am currently working on development of JOSE security (JWE/JWA/JWT) and in that instead of using RSA encryption for JWE, we need to use ECC Cryptography.
You can definitely do A using the Security framework; check out this thread, which discusses that in the context of Touch ID.
As always, if iOS APIs aren't available to do things that you need to do, you should file an enhancement request describing your requirements.
3. generate the shared secret - as far as I can see the Security Framework doesn't expose a funciton to do this. `CCECCryptorComputeSharedSecret()` is in CommonCrypto but it is not a public function. You probably need to roll your own. It's all standardised stuff, and hopefully the primitives are all in Security.framework - in any case there are plenty of C libraries to do it, we can probably pull the code out of CommonCrypto ourselves if we have to.
4. encrypt a small piece of data to exchange to verify you both have the right key. This is the variable g that RFC-5114 specifies a few versions of - the spec of your api/device should say what the value of g is supposed to be. https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5114#section-3 Again there doesn't seem to be a canned way of either getting a standard g value, or doing this all in one step, but the steps are not too hard.
I'm currently replacing a custom C library with the Security framework and it really would be useful if 3 & 4 had a simple interface. ECDH is something that everyone should be doing a lot more of - if it were a simple matter of calling 3 or 4 functions in the right sequence and exchanging data, then I think a lot more people would use it (correctly).
I should probably raise a radar - but Quinn or anyone else, please correcty me if I'm missing any simple functions in the framework for 3 & 4.
Lots of this stuff has changed with the new unified SecKey APIs we added in iOS 10 (and macOS 10.12). For example, you no longer need to round trip via the keychain to get the public key bits of a generated key (yay for SecKeyCopyExternalRepresentation). I recommend you dig into the new API before going further.
I am using new API SecKeyCopyExternalRepresentation in iOS 10.0. I want to share the public key to my server (Java based server).
Question: Which algorith server should use to encrypt the sharedsecret using my public key?
At client side once i have encrypted(sharedSecret), i will decrypt using secureenclave SecKeyCreateDecryptedData API.
Will secure enclave able to decrypt since message is encrypted with public key and secure enclave has corresponding private key?
Which algorith server should use to encrypt the sharedsecret using my public key?
It has to be an encryption algorithm, not a signature algorithm or key exchange algorithm. Thus, you should only consider values containing Encryption.
The Secure Enclave only supports EC keys, so you should filter out all the values containing RSA.
I have generated key pair using Secure Enclave (EC, 256). I have shared my public key(Pub1) with server using SecKeyCopyExternalRepresentation.
Now, I want the server to encrypt some data (data1) using this shared public key so I can decrypt the data(data1) and use it in my business.
Server will also have its EC key pair (Pub2/Pk2). Server will use its Private Key (Pk2) and the received Public Key from iOS application(Pub1) to generate a shared secret (KeyAgreement). Server can then encrypt the data (data1) using this shared secret and using the Symmetric Key algorithm (e.g. AES-GCM) and send to iOS application along with server public key (Pub2).
Server ECC capabilities support ECDH KeyAgreement only and not the pure asymmetric encryption similar to RSA.
The challenge on iOS as per the documentation of eciesEncryptionCofactorX963SHA256AESGCM is that we do not find a way to pass the server public key and decrypt using SecKeyCreateDecryptedData API.
Legacy ECIES encryption or decryption, use kSecKeyAlgorithmECIESEncryptionCofactorVariableIVX963SHA256AESGCM in new code.
all-zero 16 byte long IV (initialization vector).
1) How can we use server public key(Pub2) to decrypt data (data1) with above mentioned API ?
2) IF #1 above is not possible, what static Public key (as it is mentioned in API doc) can be used at server side?
3) as the algorithm on iOS mentioned SHA256AESGCM, we understand that some shared secret is derived internally by iOS which is then used for AES-GCM crypto. Please guide us through this internal algorithm.
Please help us how can server and iOS application support this type of encryption decryption ?
I'm sorry but this is beyond what I can help you with in the context of DevForums. I recommend that you open a DTS tech support incident and get official support from DTS's security expert.
Did you finally get a solution around this issue? I have exact same problem where I need to use decrypt API with Server's public key. But looks like Apple is using a Random AES key instead of server key.
If you can share the resolution would be of great help.