Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell used to tell a story about a mission he flew in his F2H Banshee off the coast of Japan in 1950. He had missed the rendezvous point when his instruments mistakenly picked up a signal leading him away from his aircraft carrier. Lovell felt hopelessly lost as he flew circles in the dark over the stormy Sea of Japan. As he tried to use his map light, suddenly all of the electronics in the cockpit shorted out and everything went black. A bad omen he thought, until he began looking down at the water below. With the absence of light in the cockpit his eyes began to adjust to the dark, making it possible to see the faint trail of phosphorescent algae which had been churned up by the propellers of the carrier. He began to follow the trail which lighted the way home to the carrier where he landed safely. Were it not for the failed light and the resulting darkness, Lovell might have been forced to ditch his plane. The darkness saved him.
This story is a great metaphor for the observance of Lent. Lent is officially the forty days after we’ve stuffed ourselves eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday through to Good Friday excepting Sundays. It is meant to be a season in which Christians fast from something as a means of preparation for the celebration of Easter. Fasting — giving up sweets, coffee, cola, television, or meat on Fridays — are meant to help us see things in a new light. When we fast we voluntarily short out the cockpit lights in our daily routines, hoping that in the self-induced darkness we might actually be able to see our way forward a little better. And if ever a people needed to turn out the lights and sit in the darkness for awhile, it is us – right now.
Lent can be the antidote to our usual pursuit of self gratifying experiences or things which never bring as much pleasure as we thought they would anyway. We can unplug and actually see the way forward while everyone else is flying in circles over the Sea of Japan. Lent is our way of killing the lights that hide the way home.
Come on — give something up for Lent! Make it something tough. Challenge yourself a little bit. For forty days, give up your satiation, turn out the lights, sit in the darkness, gaze up at the night sky, and let the North Star lead the way home.


One Step At A Time
Bichir fish, Polypterus sp. (credit: Wiki-commons)
We now know from geologic records that life evolved in the ocean approximately 3.5 billion years ago. Did some creature just crawl out and start walking on land? Was there something particularly attractive on land? A coffee shop, perhaps? Or are species more adaptable than we might have thought?
Publishing several years ago in Nature, researchers raised a very adaptable species of small ray-finned fish, Polypterus. The investigators raised the species on land and measured their developmental plasticity and other physical responses. For a year, they observed changes that allowed the fish to maneuver more easily on land. Their bodies grew stronger in certain areas to make it easier to walk on land. It is easy to see how the physical changes that happened to them during the study could become solidified by evolution through natural selection. The environmentally induced physical adjustments in Polypterus may represent the 'origin story' of traits that led to tetrapods, creatures with limbs. With billions of years of evolutionary time along the way, you go from little fish to humans.
Evolution also have also led to some 'dead ends' which are no longer here because the natural process is not always an upwards ascent. Carl Sagan provides his own viewpoint on how molecules became fish and then man, one step at a time. Reilly Capps


While a part of the civilized world thinks about the incredible application potential of artificial intelligence (AI), on the other side there are those who try to take advantage of it. Not always legally. A few weeks ago we told you about how ChatGPTOpenAI’s conversational chatbot, has been used by various hackers to create malware.
LLMs, an acronym for Large Language Model, have been employed in numerous other illegal activities, such as AI scams (read more here). Another particularly popular trend is that of fake news and fake videos (remember the photos of Trump arrested)?
Europol: a workshop to stop hacker attacks via ChatGPT
Given the growing concern about the fraudulent use of technology, Europol has promoted workshops with experts in the cyber security sector to take stock of the situation. Europol points out to us, in its introduction, that ChatGPT does not provide any extra information that is not already available on the internet. However, it is true that the chatbot significantly speeds up searches, aggregating information from a large number of websites and providing a summary answer of the entire digital knowable.
According to experts, the fraudulent use of ChatGPT by hackers and scammers follows three main trends:
- Phishing: the AI is able to generate a credible text, ready to be sent to the victims’ email boxes.
- Fake News: precisely because of its advanced ability to create texts, ChatGPT is able to generate a plausible article containing false information.
- Malware: a novice hacker could use (and history tells us it did) ChatGPT to program malware. Not only that: an expert hacker can use AI to speed up and perfect the writing of malware code, thus being able to organize many attacks in a very short time.
You can consult the full Europol report at this link.


New Jersey residents like you may have heard of the phenomenon of drowsy driving. This behavior, though dangerous, is unfortunately somewhat common. Many drivers may be engaging in drowsy driving without even realizing how dangerous it is. But drowsy driving does not come without its risks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention take a look at how drowsy driving contributes to car crashes. It is not talked about quite as frequently as drunk driving or distracted driving, which get brought up often when talk turns to dangerous driving behaviors. However, it can be just as – if not more – dangerous than both of these things.
This is because drowsy driving actually has a similar effect on people as driving distracted or under the influence. A drowsy driver does not have good reflexes. They are unable to act quickly. They aren’t able to anticipate dangers as well, nor do they react to them in a fast and efficient manner. Some may become confused, or even express aggressive driving behaviors they wouldn’t otherwise show.
Of course, the biggest risk a drowsy driver faces is that of falling asleep at the wheel. This takes your hands, eyes and mind entirely off of the road. You are completely incapable of reacting to your surroundings. This increases the chance of getting into a crash by a good deal, and these crashes will likely be more dangerous as well, since you will not be awake to brake or try mitigating the damage. These are just a few of the reasons why drowsy driving can cause crashes, and why it is so dangerous.


Heroes, Legends, and Legacies
About This Exhibition
What makes a hero? Why do we honor some people above others? Who represents a community’s beliefs and ideals? The exhibition Heroes, Legends, and Legacies features artwork from the Wichita Art Museum’s permanent collection that considers these questions. Grappling with the rapidly changing culture of the United States over the last 50 years — including the fight for civil rights for women and people of color, economic insecurity, and anxieties about war and global conflict — American artists since the 1970s have explored what it is to be an American hero. As they picture extraordinary individuals or events, some artists find new relevance in old stories. Others critique larger-than-life leaders or uplift humble figures in downtrodden places. Each depiction provides a window into the values and concerns of our moment.
Modern and contemporary American artists mine pop culture, history, and mythology as they retell and reconsider hero stories. Roger Shimomura and Judith Schaechter use bold colors, active poses, and comic book imagery to create new heroes. Sharif Bey offers a monumental take on traditional North African beadwork, celebrating generations of Black empowerment. Andy Warhol and Alex Katz irreverently depict two of America’s most important leaders — Presidents George Washington and Theodore Roosevelt. Jacob Lawrence and Faith Ringgold celebrate icons of the civil rights movement. Hung Liu honors everyday Americans who have endured suffering and social inequity. Elizabeth Catlett, Will Barnet, and Fritz Scholder use mythic imagery to heroize the human condition. Many artists keep the traditional visual language for depicting a legendary person — the figure’s prominence in the composition, an active pose, and a confident expression — while others deliberately reject these strategies, all in service of expanding the roster of American heroes.
Roger Shimomura, American vs. American #2, about 2016. Acrylic on canvas, 56 x 56 inches. Collection of the Wichita Art Museum. Photo by Kirk Eck.


Thoroughbred horse racing is an outdoor sport and races typically take place rain or shine. That means track conditions can vary widely with the weather.
The Daily Racing Blog often refers to track conditions and the amount of moisture held by dirt and turf (grass) racing surfaces.
If you’ve ever got confused by all the track condition lingo, no worries. Here are the explanations in regard to those conditions.
FAST– When a dirt track is dry, it is labeled fast. The term fast has little to do with the speed of a racetrack. A fast (dry) track can produce slow times, and a wet track can produce fast times.
GOOD- A nearly fast track, drying out from rainfall, is labeled good.
WET- A track with surface water (from fresh rainfall) that hasn’t had time to sink in and affect the base.
SLOPPY- Similar to a wet track. A surface with some moisture in the base.
MUDDY- Once the base is meaningfully wet, a dirt track is labeled muddy.
SLOW- A track with moisture in the base, but with some surface drying.
SEALED- Used in conjunction with off-track labels, such as sloppy (sealed) or wet (sealed), to indicate a dirt track compacted by machinery to seal out moisture and reduce the amount of water reaching the base.
FIRM- A standard dry turf course is described as firm.
GOOD- A drying turf course still holding some moisture, compared to a firm surface.
YEILDING– When rainfall strikes, turf degrades to yielding, a slower racing surface more likely to suffer damage (such as divots) from racehorse hooves.
SOFT- A heavy amount of rain can produce a soft course, which is typically even slower and softer than a yielding course.
When a turf track is too wet, or otherwise deemed un-raceable, the contest is cancelled (on turf) to protect both the horses and the race surface. The race is then moved to the dirt track.


Children are very curious and sensitive to stimulations in daily life and when interacting with other people. However, at the early stages of development, some younger children’s language, conceptualization and communication skills have not yet well developed to express their needs and feelings precisely.
We strongly believe that play is not only a right for children, but also the bridge for interaction and communication between themselves and the outside world, helping them to be aware of and express their emotions. By observing children’s play, parents and adults can learn how to understand their children and, in turn, support and accept them. Play also helps children to establish their sense of security and confidence, which are essential foundation for them to become healthy and strong adults in the long run.
In view of this, our Children & Family Services Centres provide the child-centered Play Therapy Service. Our playrooms provide a safe and comfortable environment, as well as toys that are carefully selected and suitable for Play Therapy. In this environment children can explore and play, while spontaneously expressing their emotions, feelings and needs. Moreover, our social workers with knowledge and skills of play therapy encourage parents to join hand-in-hand to enrich their children’s growth throughout the course of the therapy.
Let’s look at the stories of Shan Shan and Chun Chun, and see how Play Therapy lets our social workers reach the heart of the children and help them set out on their journey to wellness.
Link to: Play Therapy – Stepping into the inner world of the children
Tao Chan, Deputy Director (Services)


Pronounced rahm, a read-only memory (ROM) is a computer memory on which data has been pre-recorded. Once data has been written onto a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read. Unlike main memory (RAM), ROM retains its contents even when the computer is turned off. ROM is referred to as being non-volatile, whereas RAM is considered volatile. Read more about the difference between RAM and ROM here.
Most personal computers contain a small amount of ROM for critical programs that will not need to change over a device s lifetime, known as firmware. In addition, ROMs are used extensively in calculators and peripheral devices such as laser printers, whose fonts are sometimes stored in ROMs.
Three Types of ROM
There are three types of ROM that have historically been used in PCs, with each subsequent version replacing its predecessor:
- Programmable ROM (PROM) is manufactured as blank memory that can then be written by a programmer device, a change from earlier versions of ROM that were programmed during the manufacturing process.
- Erasable and Programmable ROM (EPROM) is a type of PROM that can be erased using ultraviolet light and then reprogrammed.
- Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM (EEPROM) is a type of PROM that can be erased using an electrical charge and then reprogrammed. EEPROM is similar to its derivative flash memory; however, flash memory can be programmed and erased in large blocks instead of one byte at a time (like EEPROM), so it can also be used as a stand-alone memory for removable storage, such as a USB flash drive.


Soil is the foundation for life on Earth, but more often than not it gets treated like dirt.
Ninety-five percent of our food comes from soil, and most of that food comes from family farms, which — according to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization — are key to alleviating hunger and poverty.
But family farms are increasingly facing the consequences of soil loss and degradation. Desertification, deforestation and poor agricultural practices are putting the soil farms depend on — and the food they supply — at risk.
Most people take soil for granted because it has always been there. To raise awareness of the importance of soil, and how we can preserve and restore it, the U.N. designated December 5 World Soil Day.
You don’t have to be a farmer to help protect the world’s soil. Read on to find out what you can do.
Here are some things you can do to promote soil health and productivity:
- Plant a tree. Trees slow soil erosion and retain moisture and nutrients in the soil.
- Don’t use pesticides in your garden or on your farm. Use other forms of pest control that are soil-friendly.
- Compost at home by collecting organic material from your kitchen and garden and placing it in a pile or container. After a few months, you can add it to your soil or donate it to a local farm.
- Celebrate World Soil Day at an event near you or plan your own.


WORLD CANCER DAY 2017
World Cancer Day takes place every year on the 4th February to unite the worlds population in the fight against cancer.
In addition to our annual Breast Cancer Awareness campaign we continue to advocate for affordable and fully equitable health care for women and girls with disabilities, including sexual and reproductive health services.
Women with disabilities are three times more likely to be denied health care and four times more likely to be treated poorly in the health care system
DAWN Canadas community development initiative OUR HEALTH MATTERS, affirms that in addition to the physical and attitudinal barriers that women with disabilities experience in trying to access health services, they ALSO experience physical and verbal abuse, bullying and neglect !
For example, there are issues with the mammography procedure that are specific to women with disabilities such as pain associated with a disability or chronic illness which may make the process beyond uncomfortable. Given the intimacy of the procedure coupled with not knowing what to expect these procedures can trigger aggressive or other behaviour for some women with mental health disabilities, intellectual, brain injury or other cognitive disabilities.
In order for health care services to be accessible to women with disabilities and Deaf women, there must be a commitment to addressing systemic change, adapting the physical environment(s), buildings and equipment and most importantly creating a welcoming environment with policies and procedures that are patient friendly
Ensuring a better health service for women with disabilities is a collective responsibility. So, lets create a welcoming environment for women with disabilities.


Python functions can return different values, objects, and types. So Python functions can return tuples without a problem. What makes returning a tuple from a function is popular than returning the types is multiple values or objects can be returned by using a tuple.
Returning Single Value with Tuple
The tuple type can be used to return a single value even it is not so popular.
def myfun(): name = ("name") return name t = myfun()
Returning Multiple Values with Tuple
The tuple is popularly used to return multiple values from a function. We can create a tuple to return two or more values from a function. The tuple can be created at the return statement line where returned values are separated with a comma.
def myfun(): return "ismail","baydan",35 t = myfun() print(t)
Returning Multiple Values with Existing Tuple
Another way to return a tuple from a function is by creating a tuple variable or object before returning it with the return statement.
def myfun(): t = ("ismail","baydan",35) return t myt = myfun() print(myt)
Assign Returned Tuple To Multiple Variables
Another powerful feature of returning a tuple from a function is the ability to assign every tuple item into a separate variable. In the following example, we will return a tuple that contains name, surname, and age information and assign this information to different variables.
def myfun(): return "ismail","baydan",35 name,surname,age = myfun() print(name," ",surname," ",age)


According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people worldwide have disabilities. The field of disability studies defines disability through a social lens, which considers people disabled to the extent that society creates accessibility barriers. AI technologies offer the possibility of removing many accessibility barriers. For example, computer vision might give people who are blind a better sense of the visual world, speech recognition and translation technologies might offer real-time captioning for people who are hard of hearing, and new robotic systems might augment the capabilities of people with mobility restrictions. Considering the needs of users with disabilities can help technologists identify high-impact challenges whose solutions can advance the state of AI for all users. At the same time, ethical challenges such as inclusion, bias, privacy, error, expectation setting, simulated data, and social acceptability must be considered. In this lecture, I will define these seven challenges, provide examples of how they relate to AI for Accessibility technologies, and discuss future considerations in this space.
Meredith Ringel Morris is a Sr. Principal Researcher and Research Manager at Microsoft Research; she is also an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington in the School of Computer Science and Engineering and in the Information School. Dr. Morris leads MSR’s Ability team, which conducts research in HCI and AI with the goal of developing innovative technologies that extend the capabilities of and enhance quality of life for people with disabilities. She is an internationally-recognized expert in Human-Computer Interaction, and has conducted foundational research in several areas including gesture design, social search, and accessibility. She has served as the general chair for ACM’s CSCW conference, and has previously served as Technical Program Chair of the CHI, CSCW, ASSETS, and Interactive Tabletops & Surfaces conferences. Dr. Morris is a past member of the TOCHI editorial board and of the CSCW and CHI steering committees. She has been recognized as one of Technology Review’s “35 under 35” for her work on collaborative web search, and was named an ACM Distinguished Scientist for her contributions to HCI research. She is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles, many of which have been recognized with best paper awards; her publications are available at http://aka.ms/merrie. Dr. Morris earned her Sc.B. in computer science from Brown University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University.


When it comes to fictional animals capable of breaking the sound barrier, there's no beating Sonic the Hedgehog, but would he be able to survive his own super swiftness?
Sonic's the star of the long-running Sega video game franchise, where he spins and rolls at breakneck speeds in order to defeat the evil Dr. Robotnik. How fast does he go? As his name implies, he reaches sonic speeds, meaning that he can travel as fast as a soundwave through Earth's atmosphere: roughly 767 miles (1,235 kilometers) per hour, depending on air temperature. He also becomes "Super Sonic," so it's safe to assume he exceeds the speed of sound as well.
That's incredibly fast! Consider that the world's fastest organism, the peregrine falcon, only reaches a maximum speed of 200 miles (323 kilometers) per hour. For sustained speeds, the cheetah is Sonic's closest rival at a mere 70 miles (113 kilometers) per hour. Sonic smokes them both.
So could Sonic realistically handle supersonic speeds? Let's think about it. Humans routinely break the sound barrier in supersonic aircraft. Aboard the now-discontinued Concorde, passengers could even enjoy an in-flight meal. But this is all within the artificial confines of an airplane. All Sonic has is his incredible body.
Because his body WOULD have to be incredibly strong and durable to achieve and survive the wear and tear of supersonic speeds – even if he's rolling through smooth tubes and chutes half the time. As "The Physics of Superheroes" author James Kakalios points out, a super-fast organism like The Flash would need super-healing abilities to rapidly recover from the physical damage of each acceleration – to say nothing of smashing into things. The same goes for Sonic.
But then again, if we're to assume Sonic's species evolved to reach such high speeds, he must be sturdy enough to survive it — at least in the short term. So perhaps he does have the sort of enhanced healing speeds necessary to keep all his bones and ligaments from snapping.
Or are we being too hard on Sonic? He's a hedgehog that chases coins across a pinball landscape and, in later games, achieves faster-than-light travel. Plus, he's still going strong after more than 27 years.


Model EPP-10SP open standpipe is used for measuring ground water level and its variation with time. It consists of a pipe that is sealed along its entire length and installed in a borehole such that it is open to water flow at bottom and open to atmosphere at the top. The intake is a slotted pipe covered with geo-textile material, to prevent soil particles from clogging the borehole.
The depth to the water level in the standpipe is measured by lowering model EPP-10/6 water level sounder (also called dipmeter) into the pipe. The water level sounder probe is lowered from the surface with the help of flat cable,with precise markings, for taking observations.The level of water in such a borehole or well corresponds to the water table at that location.The level of water in such a borehole or well corresponds to the water table at that location.
Open standpipe piezometer
Consists of PVC slotted pipe and riser pipes, 50 mm od
Monitor water level in observation well in soil, rockfill
Depends on range of EPP-10/6 dipmeter being used
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In the News
When flaring natural gas becomes political – Needless regulation or good conservation?
Forbes reports: The Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the development of federally owned lands, proposed regulations last February to curtail methane emissions from public lands. As the Bureau of Land Management noted in its regulations, methane is the primary component of natural gas, and the venting or flaring of natural gas causes methane to be released into the atmosphere. Moreover, the Bureau of Land Management estimated that methane has a climate change impact 25 times greater than that of CO2. Whether or not one accepts the climate change concerns raised by these methane emissions, the fact remains that the Bureau of Land Management has a vital interest in ensuring that natural gas obtained from federally owned lands is put to a productive use. Thus, the Bureau of Land Management issued regulations that sought to curtail the amount of flaring that could occur on federally owned lands, and one of the rationales was to prevent the needless waste of an economically valuable and scarce natural resource. Last week, it was reported that Congress and the President would seek to overturn needless regulations that inhibit business activity, and news reports identified the Bureau of Land Management’s recent regulations as targets for elimination. For more visit forbes.com
or click http://bit.ly/2kbTzsN
U.S. natural gas futures fall to lowest since Nov as less cold expected
The Economic Times: U.S. natural gas futures on Friday fell to their lowest levels since November on forecasts continuing to call for mostly warmer-than-normal weather for the rest of the winter. For more visit conomictimes.com
or click the following link http://bit.ly/2jRlMZr


Harriet Beecher’s novel Stove, published in the mid-nineteenth century, has no apparent connection to Berlin. And yet … there is a housing estate with that name in Berlin and that’s where I’m taking you for this post.
At the end of the 19th century, in a district in the south west of the city, towards Grünewald, a “Beer Garten” opened and small huts were built to provide shelter for consumers. For this reason, the place was named Onkel Tom Hütte.
A few decades later, Bruno Taut, a city architect, was to build a modernist housing estate not far from there, which was to take this name. The Beergarten has since disappeared, but there remains a neighbourhood in the middle of the greenery. A neighbourhood full of colour and modernist design.
IIt dates from the 20’s, with the Neuen Bauen movement that you will find in other posts I wrote (Britz, Schillerpark …). This housing estate is not classified as a UNESCO site like others in Berlin, but it is still worth a visit.
There are regular calls for the district to change its name and get rid of the colonialist heritage attached to Uncle Tom’s Cabin. How long will this controversy last? … will a name change take place? To be continued…
Where to find it: https://goo.gl/maps/RdJmKwVzMaZB4Npx8


What are Sunpatiens?
Sunpatiens are a hybrid plant belonging to the Impatiens family, specifically a cross between New Guinea impatiens and traditional impatiens. They’re known for their bright colors and wide range of varieties. These plants love being in full sun, which is why they’re called Sunpatiens! They’re very easy to care for and can bring life to any garden or landscape design.
If you want to expand your collection of Sunpantiems without buying new plants, propagation is the way to go! Propagation allows you to take existing healthy plants and create more from them. There are several ways that you can propagate Sunpatients: stem cuttings, layering or division. All three methods can be done during the growing season when temperatures remain above 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18°C).
The most common way of propagating sunpatients is by taking cuttings from existing stems and planting them in moist soil or rooting mediums like perlite or vermiculite. Take 4-5 inch long stems with at least two sets of leaves on each cutting; remove all but the top set of leaves before placing into the rooting medium – this will prevent moisture loss while allowing light onto the stem as it grows roots. Water well after planting and place in indirect sunlight until rooted (normally 2-4 weeks). Once roots form transplant into individual containers filled with potting mix tailored for flowering plants once nighttime temperatures remain above 55F (12°C).
Layering is another popular method used when propagating sunpantiems that involves bending a low branch down slightly so that part touches the ground then covering it with soil so it makes contact with root stimulating hormones found naturally in soil allowing roots to develop along part of its length while still attached to parent plant – once fully developed sever connection at desired spot & transplant into individual container filled with appropriate potting mix similarly as described previously – procedure should be done during late spring/early summer months otherwise may fail due too cold weather conditions preventing successful rooting process leading up towards permanent separation from parent plant which could result death if procedure not followed correctly/carefully .


How well children remember negative events is not fully understood. Previous research has failed to simultaneously test memory and perceptions of memory for both negative and positive events. Children (n = 38, 7–17 years) recruited from a hospital following accidental injury were tested for their memory of an injury-producing accident (negative event) and a positive event (unexpectedly receiving a $50 gift voucher). Objective accuracy of memory, memory quality characteristics (e.g., how coherently the event was recalled), children's judgments of their memory (meta-cognitive), and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms were assessed 2 months post-injury. Children's memories for their experiences were verified using witness/parent reports. Memory quality characteristics of children's free recollection were coded with a previously used standardized system. Overall, children showed high levels of accuracy for both events, with little degradation over time. High PTS children showed little evidence of deficits in coherence or organization in their narratives relative to low PTS children. Although in some instances high PTS children judged their memory quality to be poor compared to low PTS children, this depended on how this was assessed (e.g., self-report questionnaire vs. coded narratives). In terms of limitations, it is unclear whether the findings will generalize for memories of repeated events. Witness verification of the accident details itself could be prone to error. In conclusion, the findings are broadly supportive of the proposal made by theorists who argue that trauma memories are recalled no less accurately than other distinctive memories. The role of meta-cognitive elements of children's memory and reporting in PTS is less clear.
|Number of pages||14|
|Publication status||Published - Jan 2018|


Kenya finally gets a new wildlife law
Posted on 17 February 2014
The conservation fraternity in Kenya was elated when the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 was finally passed with WWF having coordinated the input of environmental civil society organizations views.The conservation fraternity in Kenya was elated when the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013 was finally passed with WWF having coordinated the input of environmental civil society organizations views. This law was a culmination of efforts spanning over 15 years’ to get a comprehensive and all-inclusive legislation in place.
The Wildlife Act came into force on January 10th 2014, having received Presidential assent on 24th December 2013. This new law is aimed at improving the protection, conservation, sustainable use and management of the country’s wildlife resources. Consequently, the law was drafted with a view to addressing the loss of wildlife, which had exacerbated despite high profile conservation efforts, by various institutions. This loss in wildlife resources was attributed in varying proportions to a combination of policy, institutional and market failures.
This new law provides for restructured governance of wildlife resources by separating the regulation and management functions from those of research. Furthermore, new structures have been established at the County level in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The Act also sets out important principles that include:
- Effective public participation in the management of wildlife resources, thereby setting a basis for the strengthening of community based natural resources management.
- Use of the ecosystem approach in the management of wildlife
- Equitable sharing of benefits accruing from wildlife resources by Kenyans
- Sustainable utilization
- Recognition and encouragement of wildlife conservation and management as a form of land use on public, community and private land. It further gives every person the right to practice wildlife conservation as a land use and states that benefits of wildlife conservation shall be derived by the land users in order to offset cost and to ensure the value and management of wildlife do not decline.
Communities living with wildlife or those that live adjacent to protected areas will be a happier lot as this law provides for a significant increase in the awards for injury and death resulting from wild animals.
WWF in Kenya remains committed to ensuring the full operalisation of this Act and engage in continuous efforts to improve the sustainable management of wildlife resources in Kenya and in the trans frontier areas.


Extending the artery of life to the desert
At the tip of Israel’s most arid region, the city of Eilat has become a domestic and international tourism center. For 60 years, the Sabha desalination plant enabled the city to grow in the desert, serving as the water artery for life, hotels, and attractions, as well as advanced regional agriculture.
The Sabha plant was the first desalination installation built in Israel and in the Middle East. It was initially based on evaporation, and later upgraded to the reverse osmosis method. Over the years, it has become one of the most advanced and unique desalination plants in the world, because of its ability to desalinate water from different sources – seawater and groundwater – under one roof. These capabilities are enhanced by extraordinary energy efficiency in the desalination processes that conform to strict environmental sensitivity standards.
Mekorot is currently headed toward further development of the Sabha plant to supply the water needs of desert tourism and agriculture in the coming years. The first phase of the development, as part of a comprehensive plan, will include construction of a new marine system that will carry larger quantities of seawater for desalination at the plant. The project’s start is already visible, with the construction of a rig for a geological survey at a depth of 500 meters in preparation for construction of the new system. The survey’s findings will help the construction of the water-to-land pipeline along the most accurate and efficient route.
This desalination project is developing a sea of new opportunities for the continuing thriving of desert tourism and agriculture.


Many women walk around with parasols in the summer because they not only avoid strong sunlight but also block ultraviolet rays, which are a dangerous enemy of the skin. Recently, it is reported in the media that not only women but also men are using parasols in increasing numbers. However, the majority of people who use them are women. It is said that parasols became common in Japan when Western-style culture spread from the Taisho era (1912-1926) to the early Showa era (1926-1989). As it became fashionable to match Western-style accessories with Japanese clothes, parasols also became a common item for women.
When I look into the situation in Europe, the origin of the Western-style culture that spread in Japan, I find that, surprisingly, the parasol has fallen into disuse in modern Europe. It is true that many people in Europe with light-colored eyes wear sunglasses to prevent eye diseases caused by ultraviolet rays, but there is not many images of people walking around with parasols. While people in Europe want to prevent eye diseases, they seem to want to tan their skin, unlike the Japanese. A parasol may be inconvenient for tanning the skin. The custom of using a parasol, as depicted in Monet's "Woman with a Parasol," has been replaced by the use of sunglasses. The Japanese parasol culture may soon be replaced by sunglasses in the same way.
|Oct 2022 IN THE CITY TOKYO|
|IIDABASHI PEDESTRIAN CROSSING SUNSHADE|
October 7, 2022
March 19, 2023
SONY ALPHA 7R II
ZEISS LOXIA 2/35


Iowa's People & Places: A Program Commemorating 175 Years of Iowa Statehood Online
Join State Curator Leo Landis as he covers 13,000 years of Iowa history to help commemorate the 175th anniversary of Iowa statehood. In this webinar, Leo highlights stories and artifacts from the exhibition “Iowa’s People and Places,” which opened at the State Historical Museum of Iowa in Des Moines on March 5, 2021.
Leo Landis is State Curator and Museum Curator for the State Historical Society of Iowa, where he has worked since March 2013. He began his museum career at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, worked at Conner Prairie in Fishers, Indiana, and was a curator at Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, for eight years. He also worked as a curator and educator at Salisbury House in Des Moines, Iowa. Leo has a B.S. in history from Iowa State University (ISU), an M.A. in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University, and completed coursework toward a Ph.D. from ISU.
- Thursday, December 16, 2021
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm
- This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.
- Adults Teens
- Educational Local History
If you are interested in exploring this exhibit, please visit the State Historical Museum of Iowa or visit the exhibit online. Here is a website with more information related to the exhibit: https://iowaculture.gov/history/museum/exhibits/IowasPeopleandPlaces.


A new CIRCLE report based on a survey of students and educators in the state offers major findings and recommendations for more effective and equitable civic learning.
CIRCLE’s evaluation of the Guardians of Democracy initiative points a way forward for making civics professional development successful, sustainable, and scalable.
A summary, based on research conducted by CIRCLE and many other scholars, of key considerations for creating more equitable and effective civic learning.
CIRCLE Director Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg is one of the seven principal investigators and the Pedagogy Task Force co-chair in this groundbreaking national effort to strengthen civic education in America.
The full report of our study of civic education in the Commonwealth highlights challenges and recommendations for more inclusive and equitable K-12 civics.
Read about CIRCLE's major evaluation of innovative K-12 civics policy and implementation in Illinois
CIRCLE surveys show that there's a relationship between being encouraged to vote and taught how to do so by teachers and a host of indicators of civic engagement later in life.
An update on our partnerships in Florida and Illinois focused on training teachers to incorporate effective civic education pedagogies.
Our comprehensive study, in partnership with other researchers, will help identify what the state must do to effectively and equitably implement new civics requirements.
On the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, we look at how states have incorporated teaching about it into education standards.


Definition of Accrued Interest
Accrued interest is the amount of loan interest that has already occurred, but has not yet been paid by the borrower and not yet received by the lender.
Under the accrual basis of accounting, the amount of accrued interest is to be recorded with accrual adjusting entries by the borrower and the lender before issuing their financial statements.
The borrower's adjusting entry will debit Interest Expense and credit Accrued Interest Payable (a current liability). The lender's adjusting entry will debit Accrued Interest Receivable (a current asset) and credit Interest Revenue (or Income).
Example of Accrued Interest
Let's assume that on December 16, a company borrows $20,000 from its bank at an annual interest rate of 6%. The first interest payment is due 30 days later on January 15. Both the company and the bank have accounting years which end on December 31.
The accrued interest as of December 31 is $50 ($20,000 X 6% = $1,200 per year = $100 per month = $50 for 1/2 month).
The company's adjusting entry will debit Interest Expense for $50, and will credit Accrued Interest Payable for $50.
The bank's adjusting entry will debit Accrued Interest Receivable for $50, and will credit Interest Revenue for $50.


There’s gum in these wheels!
Whether you’re stepping in it or scrapping it off, gum can be a nuisance if not disposed of properly. What makes matters worse is that gum takes about 50 years to even start decomposing due to the synthetic rubbers it’s made from.
But two students have discovered a new potential purpose for those old wads of chewing gum…
Stuck on wheels!
Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Fischer at the School of Design in Nantes, France decided to come up with an idea to make their city cleaner and more sustainable. That led them to think of collecting used chewing gum and redesigning it into skateboard wheels.
It all started with a brainstorming session for a project to help combat the gum issue in urban areas. Eventually, they came up with the “Off the Street” initiative.
This imaged initiative would encourage people to take action to keep their cities slightly cleaner.
How would the idea work?
Going all over town and collecting gum seems like a hassle (and a bit unsanitary). That’s why they came up with “gum boards” to help people collect used pieces of gum.
These boards are placed around the city where people can dispose of their gum by sticking it on the board.
Once the gum board is full, they can be collected, cleaned with a stabilizing agent, heated, and then finally remolded into skateboard wheels.
Natural dyes can be used to add style and personalization.
Maybe this will stick…
Maupetit and Fischer hope to create a way to keep the city a bit cleaner while making it more sustainable.
“That is why we invented a system that will transform used wheels and turn them into new ones,” they said. “No more waste is created, and the material stays in use. We thought, ‘why not take this characteristic waste of the city and use it to make it greener?’ The bold colors and texture of chewing gum is the perfect fit for use in skate wheels.”
While gum and its impact on the environment may not seem like a pressing issue, the duo believes this imaginary project could one day become a reality. They also hope it will encourage more people to think about the small, and seemingly insignificant, impact that things like chewing gum can have on our lives.


A new study suggests that store-bought sauces can boost the risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer. Researchers recommend cooks to make their own sauces as they are a much healthier option in the long run.
Scientists found that ready-made sauces contain ingredients that can promote inflammation. All ready-made sauces seem to be hazardous to the health, from those for pasta dishes and curries to those in bakery goods and sandwiches.
Scientists found that these products raise the cancer risk because they negatively impact the DNA.
Study authors unveiled the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual conference last week. The study shows that two women who consumed the highly-inflammatory products had a 39% higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer than women who did not consume the products.
Also, the women that consumed ready-made sauces and other inflammatory foods had a nearly threefold risk of developing the triple-negative form of breast cancer, which is the hardest to treat.
Highly Inflammatory Foods Can Boost Cancer Risk
Study authors, though, acknowledged that they need further study to confirm the results. Lead author Adela Castello noted that just women who consumed too many of these foods face the highest risk of cancer.
Our advice is not get obsessed. Eating processed meat, fast foods or sweets once or twice a week probably won’t hurt you,
Prof Castello told reporters.
Researchers recommend consuming fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grain every day to keep cancer at bay. Also, ensure that you eat enough nuts, fish, and legumes; red meat should be consumed just once or twice weekly.
Processed meats, fast foods, and ready-made foods are prohibited as they promote inflammation. In addition, you should steer clear from sugary drinks, sweets, and store-bought bakery. Other foods that promote inflammation are eggs, high-fat dairy, pasta, and rice.
Image Source: Flickr


Navarro, Don Jose Antonio
José Antonio Navarro, a leading Mexican participant in the Texas Revolution, son of María Josefa (Ruiz) and Ángel Navarro, was born at San Antonio de Béxar on February 27, 1795. His father was a native of Corsica, and his mother was descended from a noble Spanish family. Navarro's early education was rudimentary, though he later read law in San Antonio and was licensed to practice. He was compelled to flee to the United States because of his support of the Gutiérrez-Magee expedition in 1813 but returned to Texas in 1816. A developing friendship with Stephen F. Austin served to deepen his interest in Texas colonization. Before Texas independence Navarro was elected to both the Coahuila and Texas state legislature and to the federal congress at Mexico City. He supported Texas statehood in 1835 and embraced the idea of independence the following year. Along with his uncle, José Francisco Ruiz, and Lorenzo de Zavala,qqv he became one of the three Mexican signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Upon his election to the Texas Congress as a representative from Bexar, Navarro sought to advance the rights of Tejanos, whom many Anglo-Texans held in contempt after the Texas Revolution. He also generally endorsed the policies of President Mirabeau B. Lamar while opposing those of Sam Houston. As a supporter of Lamar, Navarro was selected as a commissioner to accompany the foolishly conceived Santa Fe expeditionqv. Decimated by Indian attacks and suffering from hunger and thirst, those who survived the march from Austin tamely capitulated outside the gates of Santa Fe. After imprisonment under brutal conditions at Veracruz for fourteen months, Navarro escaped and returned to Texas.
Full article on the Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas Online


Papuan Wreathed Hornbill (Aceros plicatus)
Other common names include: Blyth's hornbill and Plicated hornbill. Kemp (1995) notes that the Plain-pouched wreathed hornbill, Aceros subruficollis was once considered conspecific with plicatus. . There is uncertainty about the species identification of a few of the older records in the North American regional studbook. Five specimens were recorded as A. plicatus subruficollis. Kemp does not recognize this subspecies. It is unclear whether they were A. plicatus or A. subruficollis. These birds (studbook #1-5) did not reproduce, and have all died.
Range, habitat, and status
Kemp (1995) describes 6 subspecies but suggests that they might be one species representing a cline. This species ranges in eastern Indonesia, Papuan New Guinea, and Solomon Islands in primary and secondary forests below 1500 meters. This species is hunted for food and trophies. They are reported to be common in the western part of the range and more vulnerable in the eastern region. Kinnaird and O'Brien (pers. comm.) have recently completed a survey at seven sites on the island of Seram in the North Molluccus. Their preliminary estimates reveal a high hornbill density of 30 birds/sq. km. They note that abundance is most strongly correlated with the density of nesting trees and the density of adult strangler figs.
Euing (1995) wrote about the breeding
of Aceros plicatus jungei at the San Diego Zoo. As these birds were collected
in Papua New Guinea, they are identified to subspecies (pers. comm: D.
Rimlinger). The other A. plicatus in captivity can not be accurately listed
to subspecies. Macek (1998) wrote a short note about the most recent breeding
success at St. Louis Zoo. In 1999, a female hatched from the pair at San
Diego Zoo and a male hatched at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Unfortunately
the male breeder died at the Wild Animal Park in 1999. In 2000, a chick
hatched out at the San Diego Zoo but did not survive.


Only 6% of practicing physicians are Hispanic. Does it affect the health of Latinos?
Although Hispanics and African-Americans make up about 17% and 13% of the US population, respectively, they only make up 6% and 5% of practicing physicians, according to a report by the American Heart Association (AHA). .
“Diversity among physicians is essential to improve patient care and health outcomes. That’s especially important in cardiology,” said Norissa Haynes, MD, the report’s first author.
Variation Among Applicants to Medical Schools
Despite the fact that applications for admission to medical schools in the US increased by 47% between 1980 and 2016, that of African-Americans and Hispanics increased only 1.2%, according to the report published on January 5 in the journal of the AHA Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
But other sources contrast the data. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, in 2022, 10% of medical students were African-American; and the number of Hispanic students increased to 12%.
Lack of diversity affects heart health
Among cardiologists treating adults, 5% are Hispanic and 2.7% black, according to the report. from the AHA.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This makes cardiology workers “extremely important” to global health, said Michelle A. Albert, president of the AHA and immediate past president of the Association of Black Cardiologists.
How does diversity contribute to the health of patients?
“If you come from that culture, you know and understand that background, and you know and understand those patterns of the population you treat, you’re more likely to identify with them and, in turn, they’ll trust you more,” said the Dr. Gladys Velarde.
Velarde, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Florida-Jacksonville School of Medicine, gave examples of how diversity can help a doctor understand how to treat patients.
For example, a doctor who knows a patient’s cultural traditions around their favorite foods can guide them on how to make them healthier, Velarde said.
It might also help a doctor understand that a patient who has been told to exercise more may not have a safe space to walk around, so they might recommend a place to salsa dance as an alternative.


The favourite word of Norilsk schoolchildren is ‘actirovka’. For the first time in Norilsk, days with bad weather conditions, when students were allowed not to attend classes, were officially approved in December 1953. Then the order on the procedure for stopping work in the open air and stopping classes in schools in the city on frosty days was issued.
For schoolchildren of the 1-3 grades, lessons were not conducted at temperatures below minus 40 degrees and wind exceeding three meters per second. Pupils of 4-5 grades were allowed to stay at home at temperatures below minus 45 degrees, regardless of the strength of the wind; grades 6-10 – at temperatures below minus 45 and wind of more than three meters per second. School principals were required to arrange for conversations with students about frostbite prevention.
Almost all Norilsk families started morning by listening to the report on the weather days off on the city radio. Since 1977, actirovkas have been announced not only by radio, but also by city telephone communication along with the weather forecast.
Read other materials of our photo project in the History spot section.
Text: Svetlana Samokhina, Photo: Nornickel Polar Branch archive


The UNESCO guidelines for validation define Validation as a confirmation by an approved body, that learning outcomes or competences acquired by an individual have been assessed against reference points or standards through pre-defined assessment methodologies.
Validation is not a simple process, and it easily faces several obstacles and requirements. Validation should not be regarded as “the greatest solution” to sub certification problems, nor should it be overlooked or secondarily simplified. The first step is to recognize that all adults undergo lifelong learning processes, that we are constantly in learning processes and that we cannot separate knowledge in several disciplines or areas.
The validation of competences implies the inclusion in the Portfolio of each candidate the activities that can lead to the achievement of the validation. These activities should be anchored in the candidate’s experiential itinerary and deservedly envisaged in the light of their future projects.
In the preparation phase for the validation, the candidate carries out the self-evaluation of the portfolio, with the support of the technical-pedagogical team. The trainer also validates the process and achievements of the learners.
During the project, project partners decided to create and use several tools that will allow us to evaluate the whole learning process of soft skills:
- Evaluation forms for trainers
- Self-assessment forms for learners
- Evaluation form for the lessons/tools
- Certificate of attendance
The “Validation Tools” booklet is available in English, Dutch, Greek, Macedonian, Portuguese and Swedish languages


The Gazetteers contain information of great strategic importance. Their great importance is clear from the fact that the Prime Minister of India in his speech in the Lok Sabha (April 28, 1965) quoted from different Gazetteers to corroborate the fact that the Rann of Kutch formed a part of India. So the Gazetteers, whether it is District Gazetteers, or State Gazetteers or Indian Gazetteers, are indeed of a national asset .It offers considerable scope for research. As aptly pointed out by the International Documentation Centre, Sweden, “The Indian Gazetteers are as incomparable collection of research material and a necessary source of information for all studies concerning the History and Culture of India.’’ The Documentation Centre of some foreign countries have spent a large sum of money on microfilming the entire series-old and new-of Gazetteers is thus recognised even in foreign countries.
For Raebareli District Gazetteer please Visit: http://gazetteer.up.nic.in/ViewPdf.aspx?Dst=RTE1-nvC%2bpYDKNng%3d&DsName=UmFlIEJhcmVsaQ%3d%3d-g%2f2k4nNPGm4%3d


Can Cockatiels Eat Human Food?
Cockatiels are popular pet birds with their vibrant feathers, cute chirps and affectionate personalities. As their owners, we want to ensure they have a healthy diet that meets all of their nutritional needs. One way to supplement the food found in bird feeders is by offering them human foods. But can cockatiels eat human food safely? Let’s take a closer look at this question!
What Types of Human Food Can Cockatiels Eat?
In general, cockatiels can consume many types of fruits and vegetables that are safe for humans to eat. This includes apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, broccoli and spinach. They can also snack on certain grains such as cooked rice or oats as long as there is no added butter or salt. In addition to these items you may find in your kitchen pantry or refrigerator, cockatiel owners should also introduce some sprouted seeds into their diet periodically for an extra boost of nutrients like vitamins A & C and potassium. These seeds could be sunflower kernels (without shells), sesame seeds or even pumpkin seeds without any added flavors/seasonings.
What Foods Should Be Avoided?
Although there are plenty of human foods that cockatiels can safely enjoy eating from time-to-time it’s important to remember that some should never be offered because they may contain toxins or cause digestive upset in birds such as avocados and chocolate products containing caffeine or cocoa beans—both are toxic for birds! Additionally acidic foods like limes & lemons should not be given due to potential stomach irritation while processed meats like hot dogs & bacon offer little nutritional value with the high amount of fat content they contain so these too should not be fed often if ever at all!
Finally it’s important to avoid feeding your pet bird anything with sugar including candy/sweets; sugar isn’t good for them just like it’s not good for us either so keep those treats away from curious beaks!
When providing occasional snacks from your kitchen make sure you follow safety guidelines by avoiding foods known to cause harm when ingested by birds; only offer items which provide beneficial nutrition such as fruits/vegetables & cooked grains instead so your feathered friend stays fit & healthy!


• HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS HURTING THE BEES*
• Pesticides put bees at risk, European watchdog confirms.*
• Neonicotinoids found in 75% of honey sampled in global study.*
• Beyond Honey Bees: Wild Bees Are Also Key Pollinators, and Some Species Are Disappearing*
• Scientists Discover Another Cause of Bee Deaths, and it’s Really Bad News
• Bees exposed to common pesticide can’t find flowers
• How Garden Centers Are Getting Toxic, Bee-Killing Pesticides Out of Their Plants and Off of Their Shelves
• The Latest Threat to Bees? Flupy
• Bees are addicted to pesticide-laden junk food, too
• Landmark Study Finds Queen Honeybees Harmed by Controversial Pesticides
Bees Under Threat
Propolis Science information is here to provide you with easy access to research and scientific papers regarding bee propolis. You will find work from respected institutions related to bee propolis in general and also specific types of bee propolis. The information mentioned here is not offered as specific medical advice for any individual and is not intended to be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. This content should not substitute for medical advice from a health professional. Always consult your healthcare practitioner regarding any health or medical conditions.
* THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.


Paleontologists unearthed fish teeth that are 14 million years older than any other teeth found from any species – and the discovery could rewrite our understanding of early evolution.
Four studies published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature detailed research on a trove of fish fossils that were found in China in 2019 and included illustrations of never-before-seen species. The findings, which could help trace the origin of jaws, suggest jawed fish are tens of millions of years older than had been known and shed light on an era from which there are very few fossils to study.
Found among the wide range of “superbly” preserved fossils was the whole body of a jawless fish, a rare find that offers clues to how ancient fins evolved into limbs. A boomerang-shaped fish was the most common fossil found in the two deposits, Erik Ahlberg of Sweden’s Uppsala University, an author of one of the studies, told The Associated Press.
A man found dinosaur bones in his yard.It could lead to largest skeleton ever found in Europe.
76 million-year-old dinosaur skeleton in ‘pristine’ condition auctioned in NYC
Scientists believe fish evolved to have teeth and jaws during the Silurian period more than 400 million years ago. With a set of chompers, fish ditched their former fellow bottom feeders to be hunters of prey. Millions of years ago, these jawed fish crawled out of the seas and paved the way for the vertebrates we see on land today.
See what these ancient creatures looked like, according to scientists.
Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY’s NOW team.
Contributing: The Associated Press


Introduction: The repertoire of small molecules circulating in human blood represents an extensive functional readout of the body’s physiology and response to environmental exposures. To date, the extensive catalogue of circulating small molecules has only been assayed in relatively small populations of individuals.
Methods: We describe here the development of rapid liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (rLC-MS) based methods and machine learning based spectral data handling approaches that enable non-targeted analysis of blood samples from over 50,000 individuals across diverse backgrounds, demographics, geographical locations, and lifestyles.
Results: Our rLC-MS technologies mapped tens of thousands of circulating molecules across the 50,000 individuals. Among these molecules, ~3,000 were deemed “universal” and were present in virtually everyone, while ~12,000 molecules were found to be “common” and present in greater than 50% of individuals within any population. Among common molecules, some were found to be highly stable in humans, likely reflecting evolved homeostatic modulation, while others were highly variable, independent of technical variations, across humans. Circulating small molecules were further found to change over the course of 24 hours with fasting and feeding, circadian, and rest-exercise cycles, but were stable under first-in-the-morning fasting states, even over several years’ time. Analysis of twin pairs revealed that environmental factors influence circulating molecules to a greater extent than genetic factors, consistent with circulating chemistry largely reflecting exogenous exposures. Among exposures, the human microbiome was found to be a critical determinant of circulating small metabolites.
Conclusions: Comprehensive mapping of circulating small molecules in humans is possible and has the potential to uncover critical determinants of health and disease. The rLC-MS technologies and resulting human studies represent a foundation from which to expand our understanding of human biology.


- 2 scientists of Indian origin by name Dr Susant Lahiri and Moumita Maiti from the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) and Indian Institute of Science, Rourkela, are termed co-creators of the newly discovered element 117 along with a an international team of 72 scientists and engineers.
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the US has produced 13 mg of berkelium over 18 months of time, and this was then targeted with Calcium ion beams using a GSI accelerator to produce an atomic nuclei with a proton number of 117. The element has been named ununseptium.
- International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, will now decide whether more data is necessary for such a proof.
- Significance of the discovery:
- The main interest lies in the fact that an atomic nuclei with proton number 117 exists which proves that element number 117, which was hitherto elusive, exists.
- Earlier, Russian scientists had reported observation of 4 atoms of the nuclei of the element 117 isotope.
- Prospects for finding new materials in the future is what makes this discovery very fascinating.
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sci-tech-and-agri/indian-role-in-producing-superheavy-element-117/article5987669.ece


The 1940 Campaign in the West
Here, for the first time in English, is an illuminating new German perspective on the decisive Blitzkrieg campaign of 1940. Karl-Heinz Frieser’s account provides the definitive explanation for Germany’s startling success and the equally surprising and rapid military collapse of France and Britain on the European continent. In a little over a month, Germany decisively defeated the Allies in battle, a task that had not been achieved in four years of brutal fighting during World War I.
First published in 1995 as the official German history of the 1940 campaign in the west, the book goes beyond standard explanations to show that German victory was not inevitable and French defeat was not preordained. Contrary to the usual accounts of the campaign, Frieser illustrates that the military systems of both Germany and France were solid and that their campaign planning was sound. The key to victory or defeat, he argues, was the execution of operational plans – both preplanned and ad hoc – amid the eternal Clausewitzian combat factors of friction and the fog of war. Frieser shows why on the eve of the campaign the British and French leaders had good cause to be confident and why many German generals were understandably concerned that disaster was looming for them.
This study explodes many of the myths concerning German Blitzkrieg warfare and the planning for the 1940 campaign. A groundbreaking new interpretation of a topic that has long interested students of military history, it is being published in cooperation with the Association of the U.S. Army.
About the Author
Karl-Heinz Frieser is a lieutenant colonel in the German Army and a trained military historian who has served for many years at the Militargeschictliches Forschungsamt (Military History Research Office) in Freiburg and Potsdam.
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A conurbation is a special form of metropolitan areas and smaller metropolitan agglomerations in Germany . Metropolitan areas are characterized by a high concentration of population, economy and infrastructure facilities and, related to this, by a high density of buildings. They are located at strong junctions of the traffic lines, the so-called development axes .
The economic development and industrialization in the so-called industrialized countries during the last centuries and decades would be without the spatial densification or without the trend towards urbanization, i. H. the expansion of the cities through immigration was not possible. The metropolitan areas are constantly expanding all over the world.
After the aim of the Spatial Planning Act of the federal and state planning for the creation of equal living conditions throughout Germany, the state support measures aimed at densification measures mainly to achieve the improvement of the environmental situation and to remedy deficiencies - such as housing or deficits in local public transport .
The rural areas with very low population and settlement density as a counterpart to the densely populated areas, on the other hand, are given preference by the state in their further development. The move of the economy to the agglomeration areas is, however, generally slightly influenced by this.
Characteristics for Germany: minimum area 100 square kilometers, minimum number of inhabitants 150,000 inhabitants and at least 1,250 inhabitants per square kilometer.


This book covers the little known period of naval warfare in the Gulf of Finland, sparked by the German intervention in Finland and Estonia in early 1918 and evacuation of the Baltic Fleet through ice to Kronstadt.
Through the entire year 1918 the Soviet forces were preparing their bases in Kronstadt and Petrograd. The attack of the German fleet was expected, but it was too busy in operations in the west and the forces assigned to attack on Kronstadt proved to be too weak. When the German Empire was defeated on the Western Front and the country was engulfed in revolutionary flame, British forces as well as sporadically American and French ships appeared in the Baltic Sea. By the end of the year the Soviet fleet tried to attack Tallinn, which ended in capture of Soviet destroyers, which were then handed over by the British to Estonia.
All the ships involved are described and illustrated with full technical specifications. Profusely illustrated with scale drawings (side views) and illustrations of the ships. Rarely documented aspect of World War I and post-war naval history. In 1919 the operations consisted in active blocking of the Soviet fleet by the Royal Navy and supporting land fighting.
The peace treaty signed in 1920 in Tartu effectively ended hostilities in this area. This document sanctioned and confirmed the independence of Finland and Estonia for the next nineteen years.


The English have a love affair with the period house. They find the intoxicating blend of history, rustication and detailed styling more appealing than the plain and synthetic houses of recent years. The Edwardian house comes in all shapes, sizes and materials. It was essentially conservative in design, often harking back to a romantic age with elaborate but solid constructions. Garden Cities and suburbs were planned on a larger scale than ever before. There was a feeling of space and comfort that would disappear in the turmoil and tragedy of the First World War. Using his own drawings, diagrams and photographs, author Trevor Yorke explains in an easy to understand manner all aspects of the Edwardian house, particularly its style. The book provides a definitive guide for those who are renovating, tracing the history of their own house or simply interested in this brief but notable period of the early twentieth century. The book provides a background to different phases of design and influences between 1900 and 1914. These include what became known as Arts and Crafts, and domestic revival, much inspired by the work of late Victorian architects. There are also the neo-Georgian classical and symmetrical facades that had come back into fashion after the work of Norman Shaw in the late 1880s and 1890s. As with other titles in this series, The Edwardian House Explained is profusely illustrated with drawings and diagrams of the period details which can help date them. There is also a glossary of the more unfamiliar architectural terms.
About the Author
Trevor Yorke is an experienced author and artist who specialises in period architecture. His many books include British Architectural Styles, Georgian & Regency Houses Explained, and The English Village Explained
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Shared Key Authentication
A version of this page is also available for
Shared key authentication is not secure and is not recommended for use. It verifies that an authentication-initiating station has knowledge of a shared secret. This is similar to preshared key authentication for Internet Protocol security (IPSec). The 802.11 standard currently assumes that the shared secret is delivered to the participating wireless clients by means of a more secure channel that is independent of IEEE 802.11. In practice, a user manually types this secret for the wireless AP and the wireless client.
Shared key authentication uses the following process:
- The authentication-initiating wireless client sends a frame consisting of an identity assertion and a request for authentication.
- The authenticating wireless node responds to the authentication-initiating wireless node with challenge text.
- The authentication-initiating wireless node replies to the authenticating wireless node with the challenge text that is encrypted using WEP and an encryption key that is derived from the shared key authentication secret.
- The authentication result is positive if the authenticating wireless node determines that the decrypted challenge text matches the challenge text originally sent in the second frame. The authenticating wireless node sends the authentication result.
Because the shared key authentication secret must be manually distributed and typed, this method of authentication does not scale appropriately in large infrastructure network mode, such as corporate campuses.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)


MathsBolt is an exciting way to get children learning and loving Maths. It started with the principle that learning Maths should be fun and led us to creating colourful and engaging app games that let children explore and develop their Maths skills while having fun.
Children learn better when they are motivated and enjoying an activity, which is where our game-based learning comes in.
Our games allow children to discover a whole world of Maths, from counting to comparing numbers, identifying shapes and patterns, using measures and so much more.
Children can try out and build their skills independently through discovery learning, or be guided by a teacher or parent, who can set them challenges and track their progress.
Teachers or parents can assess their children’s skills and understanding by assigning games across the whole Junior Infants Maths Curriculum, and get instant feedback on their understanding and progress across all areas of learning.
Numbers, counting, comparing, ordering and combining
Recognizing and extending patterns
2D and 3D shapes and spatial awareness
Measurements (length, weight, capacity, time, money)
Data (sorting, classifying, representing and interpreting)
The more fun the games, the more kids play, the more they play, the more they learn!
Contact us: firstname.lastname@example.org


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Added December 9, 2012
Organic dairy farmers and University of Minnesota experts will collaborate on a new study aimed at improving dairies’ profitability through improved pasture production, best management practices for animal comfort and more milk production.
The project, headquartered at the university’s West Central Research and Outreach Center at Morris, brings farmers together with experts in animal science, entomology, agronomy and economics. A $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is helping fund the four-year project.
The West Central Research and Outreach center has its own certified organic dairy, one of only two at land-grant research universities in the United States that have made the transition from traditional to organic dairy production. Farmers from across Minnesota were involved in designing the project and will be involved in on-farm research and demonstrations.
“Over the next four years, we’ll be looking at best management practices for not only improving milk quality and quantity, but also in improving cow health and in making organic pasture land more productive,” said Brad Heins, an assistant professor of animal science and the project’s lead investigator. The results of the research will be shared nationwide through webinars, conferences and field days.
The research grant is part of the USDA’s Organic Research and Extension Initiative, a program aimed at helping organic producers and processors grow and market high quality organic agricultural products.
Posted: to Economics of Organic Dairy Production on Sun, Dec 9, 2012
Updated: Sun, Dec 9, 2012


When asked to recommend one type of fruit overall, Gluten Free Society recommends berries. They are some of the healthiest fruits on the planet, in part because they haven’t been hybridized into giant fruits full of sugar. They are instead small and densely packed with a variety of potent phyto-chemcials that do wonders to normalize and improve health.
The rich nutrient density of berries helps to heal the gut after prolonged exposure to gluten.
Berries—especially wild berries—can have a huge impact on boosting and maintaining your nutritional health by:
- Elevating your antioxidant status
- Decreasing your risk of cancer
- Preventing heart disease and stroke by reducing the build up of so called “bad” cholesterol
- Guarding against Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases
- Combating aging and reversing short term memory loss
- Relieving arthritis inflammation
- Fighting infection and bolstering the immune system
- Promoting urinary tract health
- Optimizing vision health and reversing the causes of macular degeneration and blindness
- Improving motor skills
As with all fruits and vegetables, try to buy organic. If you have a hard time finding quality wild organic blueberries in your area, or if you simply want to try some of the most delicious berries available, I highly recommend you try: Vital Choice Wild Organic berries.
In a past issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers used a technique called oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) to test the antioxidant power of more than 100 different kinds of fruits, vegetables, nuts and spices.
In a laboratory testing, wild blueberries emerged as the top antioxidant capacity fruit. For the first time, in this antioxidant study, the USDA evaluated both wild and cultivated blueberries and found that wild surpassed its cultivated cousins by 48%.
Scientists attribute the high antioxidant capacity of Wild Blueberries to anthocyanin, the phytonutrient responsible for the berry’s deep blue color.
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Boldly Going ... Going ... Gone! Why Voyager 1's Entrance Into Interstellar Space Is Such a Big Deal
An explainer starring Neil deGrasse Tyson, Wil Wheaton, LeVar Burton, and other space celebrities
This afternoon, NASA made a big announcement: Its Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched from Earth 36 years ago, has entered interstellar space. Nerds the world over -- your correspondent included -- proceeded to freak out. This is big.
But why, you ask, does it matter that Voyager 1 is no longer, in the most meaningful way possible, with us? Why should we care that some chunk of metal tooling around millions of miles away from Earth is now sliiiiightly farther from us than it was before?
Because the now-starship Voyager's move into interstellar space represents the passage of a significant benchmark in the annals of human history. It may not be quite Columbus- or Wright- or Armstrong-level in the leap forward it represents, but it's certainly following in those explorers' footsteps as a human accomplishment. We are now, via Voyager, in a new space within space. We have never traveled this far before. One small step for a spaceship is one giant leap for mankind.
But don't take my word for it. Others can explain the meaning of Voyager's passage much better than I can.
"It's the farthest thing we've ever sent anywhere," says Neil DeGrasse Tyson in the video above. "Dad would be enormously proud," Nick Sagan, Carl Sagan's son, explains, adding: "It's a great celebration. It's an enormous accomplishment." "We are boldly going," LeVar Burton says, "where no one has gone before."
Or as Wil Wheaton, unofficial king of the nerds of Earth, sums it up: "This is awesome."


The chemical make-up of soot passing through northern Sweden on the way to the European Arctic reveals fossil fuel combustion in the continent as the main source of soot in the winter, and forest fires in Russia as the main source in the summer. This is shown in a new study published in Nature Communications.
For a little more than a year, researchers from ACES collected air samples in Abisko, northern Sweden, for determining the sources of soot in the European Arctic. They then applied carbon-14 dating on the microscopic air particles and found that, in the winter, the soot that passes through Abisko comes mostly from coal-fired plants and traffic, while wood and above all fires in the Russian tundra and taiga give rise to the soot that passes through Abisko in the summer.
“Airborne soot particles lead to warming of snow-covered regions throughout most of the year. The soot prevents the sunbeams from being reflected back as effectively and accelerates warming leading to the melting of snow and ice in the Arctic,” says Patrik Winiger, doctoral student at ACES and lead author of the study.
However, the scientists say that there is some good news. The proportion of carbon from fossil fuel combustion is unexpectedly low given that modern car engines are getting better, and even soot emissions from the burning of wood has fallen by about 2% per year.
“Better understanding about the sources of soot presents politicians with more opportunities to make the best possible decisions on climate action”, says Örjan Gustafsson, professor at ACES and co-author of the study.


Hypertension: When Should I Call a Doctor?
Emergency situations with high blood pressure, called hypertensive crisis, are common when blood pressure is very high. This is a serious situation, as it may lead to organ damage. If the increase in blood pressure is not too high to cause any problems to any of the organs it is referred to as hypertensive urgency. The pressure can be controlled using drugs in this case. Hypertensive emergency refers to the condition in which the pressure is very high leading to organ damage. Extremely high measures of blood pressure in the order of 180 mm of Hg diastolic pressure and 120 mm Hg of systolic pressure is found in hypertensive emergency. This condition requires immediate medical attention to prevent the damage to vital organs and death.
People with hypertensive emergency conditions need to be admitted to the emergency department for urgent care.
When left untreated emergency conditions in hypertension can cause:
- Heart failure
- Heart attack
- Chest pain
- Edema of the lungs
Hypertensive emergency is a condition that often occurs due to prolonged hypertension that is untreated. It may also result from taking over-the-counter medication for hypertension that increased the hypertension. It may also be caused by kidney failure, rupture of aorta, drug interactions, and stroke.
Hypertensive emergency is characterized by:
- Blurred vision
- Severe anxiety
- Nausea and vomiting
- Chest pain that increases with time
- Shortness of breath
- Edema of tissue
Proper diagnosis and initiation of treatment is very important in the management of this condition. Understanding the complete medical history of the patient and physical examination helps the doctor to diagnose the condition. The physician might ask about the present and past medical condition of the patient, and also the medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) taken by the patient.
To evaluate the damage caused to the organs, the blood pressure of the patient is continuously monitored. Blood and urine tests and physical examination of the eyes to look for swelling and bleeding also helps in assessing the damage.
Any treatment plan used for hypertensive emergencies focuses on bringing down the blood pressure as soon as possible. Medications are given intravenously to make the transition soon and to prevent any further damage to the internal organs. Specific treatment is then given to the organ damage that has already happened.


Chronic diseases like diabetes are skyrocketing, and children are predicted to have a shorter life span than their parents. Parents want healthy food for their kids, and they want accurate information to guide them.
But parents are being fundamentally misled, says Prevention Institute's new study, released today through Strategic Alliance. Claiming Health: Front-of-Package Labeling of Children's Food examined products with front-of-package labeling--those products that food companies choose to identify as healthier. Claiming Health found that 84% of products studied failed to meet basic nutritional standards.
Despite the postive benefits the labels imply, study findings reveal:
- More than half (57%) of the study products qualified as high sugar, and 95% of products contained added sugar.
- More than half (53%) were low in fiber.
- More than half (53%) of products did not contain any fruits or vegetables; of the fruits and vegetables found, half came from just 2 ingredients – tomatoes and corn.
- 24% of prepared foods were high in saturated fats.
- More than 1/3 (36%) of prepared foods & meals were high in sodium.
Claiming Health underscores that the current system is broken: we can't count on food companies to decide which products receive front-of-package labels and what information those labels include. Without FDA regulation, instead of giving more information to parents struggling to make the best decisions for their kids, families are being misled.
The food industry can--and should--do better. Our families deserve it.
We invite you to read and share Claiming Health broadly.


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The Nature of Metabolism
Until now, we have discussed some basic chemical principles and investigated the natures of the molecules of which living cells are composed. We have yet to discuss the bulk of chemical reactions of biomolecules themselves, which constitute metabolism, the biochemical basis of all life processes. The molecules of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins taken into an organism are processed in a variety of ways (Figure 15.1). The breakdown of larger molecules to smaller ones is called catabolism. Small molecules are used as the starting points of a variety of reactions to produce larger and more complex molecules, including proteins and nucleic acids; this process is called anabolism. Catabolism and anabolism are separate pathways; they are not simply the reverse of each other.
Catabolism is an oxidative process that releases energy; anabolism is a reduc-tive process that requires energy.
Metabolism is the sum total of the chemical reactions of biomolecules in an organism.
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Duration: 3 or 6 hours
Although we don’t realize it, we think in arguments, formal structures with premises and conclusions that build one upon the other and help us make sense of the world. For instance, a simple inference like “It’s Monday, the board meeting starts at 9am” has a hidden premise that completes the argument in a valid form: “Today is Monday. On Mondays, the board meetings start at 9am. Therefore today the board meeting starts at 9am.” Identifying hidden premises help us spot the Achilles’ heel of questionable reasoning like in this case: “Mike is really successful. He has a 3.000 EUR salary.” Also, understanding the limits of formal validity helps us understand why “The board meeting today starts at 9am. On Mondays, the board meetings start at 9am. Therefore today is Monday.” is a bad argument.
Bad logic can make us miss the pitfalls of commercial proposals and new strategy design, so the first purpose of this module is to train the skill of complex argument analysis. The second goal, as important, is to train the complementary skill to better structure our own arguments and reasoning.
Methods. Practical analyses on given pieces of text and on participants’ examples, practical written and oral activities to help participants exercise the better structuring of their ideas.
Outcomes. This module puts together elements from formal and informal logic in order to train participants to see the logic (or lack of it) behind pieces of speech or text. It also continues with training participants to make their point of view more compelling by using certain kinds of arguments (analogy, causation, generalization) and to structure their own thinking, speech, and writing, in a logical, compelling manner.


Today in military history: US declares war on Mexico
On May 11, 1846, President James K. Polk asked Congress to declare war on Mexico.
Tensions with Mexico were on the rise since the United States annexed Texas and admitted it to the Union as the 28th state. Texas had received its independence from Mexico in 1936, but northern states were hesitant to incorporate another slave-state into the union.
On April 25, 1846, 2,000 Mexican cavalry attacked a 70-man patrol with the United States Army, leaving 11 American troops dead. Later, six more Americans were killed at the Siege of Fort Texas and the Battle of Palo Alto.
Declaring that Mexico had “invaded our territory and shed the blood of our fellow-citizens on our own soil,” Polk asked for Congress to declare war on Mexico. Polk operated with an expansionist mindset, believing that the United States had a “manifest destiny” to conquer the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The Mexican-American War would become America’s first war fought chiefly on foreign soil. No declaration of war ever came from Mexico.
The resulting conflict would take a year and nine months, and over 13,000 American troops would die – although the Department of Defense notes only 1,733 were killed in combat.
The United States would eventually force Mexico to cede the territory that would include Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, and New Mexico, among other states or parts of states — nearly one third of its pre-existing territory.
Featured Image: Bombardment of Veracruz by Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayot. Originally published in The War Between the United States and Mexico, Illustrated, 1851.


- Auditorium Design Basics
- Seating Configurations
- Chair Stagger Methods
Chair Stagger Methods
Irwin Seating Company can help optimize sightlines, but a building’s design is the most important factor. There are four distinct arrangements of staggered seating layouts typically used:
Alternating Chair Sizes: By alternating chair sizes within rows, a stagger is created that allows patrons to see between those seated in front of them.
Odd-Even Parallel: This method alternates the size and quantity of chairs in a row in order to improve sightlines. In the example shown above, alternating rows of 11, 20" chairs and 10, 22" chairs improve sightlines. Rows of nine or fewer chairs are very difficult to accommodate using this method.
Odd-Even Tapered: Pick a chair size, and increase the chair count by one in successive rows. Obviously, this offers limitations on chair counts.
Sawtooth Stagger: Simply shift alternate rows by a half chair total, or shift successive rows one-quarter chair each way.
The alternating chair sizes and the parallel odd-even methods are the most common methods used to create chair stagger. The saw-tooth stagger is not used often, because it creates uneven row ends.


Most well-drained Mississippi Delta soils have been used for cotton production, but corn has recently become a desirable alternative crop, and subsequently, atrazine use has increased. Between 2000 and 2001, 21 surface soils (0 to 5 cm depth) with known management histories were collected from various sites in Leflore, Sunflower, and Washington counties of Mississippi. Atrazine degradation was assessed in 30-d laboratory studies using 14C-ring–labeled herbicide. Mineralization was extensive in all soils with a history of one to three atrazine applications with cumulative mineralization over 30 d ranging from 45 to 72%. In contrast, cumulative mineralization of atrazine from three soils with no atrazine history was only 5 to 10%. However, one soil with no history of atrazine application mineralized 54 and 29% of the atrazine in soils collected in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Methanol extracted 15 to 23% of the 14C-atrazine 7 d after treatment in soils having two applications within the past 6 yr, whereas 65 to 70% was extracted from no-history soils. First-order kinetic models indicated soil with 2 yr of atrazine exposure exhibited a half-life of less than 6 d. Most probable number (MPN) estimates of atrazine-ring mineralizing-microorganisms ranged from 450 to 7,200 propagules g−1 in atrazine-exposed soils, and none were detected in soils with no history of atrazine use. Although most soils exhibited rapid atrazine mineralization, analysis of DNA isolated from these soils by direct or nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) failed to amplify DNA sequences with primers for the atzA atrazine chlorohydrolase gene. These results indicate that microbial populations capable of accelerated atrazine degradation have developed in Mississippi Delta soils. This may reduce the weed control efficacy of atrazine but also reduce the potential for off-site movement. Studies are continuing to identify the genetic basis of atrazine degradation in these soils.
Nomenclature: Atrazine; cyanazine; DEA, de-ethyl atrazine; DIA, de-isopropyl atrazine; corn, Zea mays L.; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.


Small cone-shaped projection used in the architrave of the Doric order / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Guttae?
Summarize this article for a 10 years old
A gutta (Latin pl. guttae, "drops") is a small water-repelling, cone-shaped projection used near the top of the architrave of the Doric order in classical architecture. At the top of the architrave blocks, a row of six guttae below the narrow projection of the taenia (fillet) formed an element called a regula. A regula was aligned under each triglyph of the Doric frieze. In addition, the underside of the projecting geison above the frieze had rectangular protrusions termed mutules that each had three rows of six guttae. These mutules were aligned above each triglyph and each metope.
It is thought that the guttae were a skeuomorphic representation of the pegs used in the construction of the wooden structures that preceded the familiar Greek architecture in stone. However, they have some functionality, as water drips over the edges, away from the edge of the building.


The Neogene Record of Cartilaginous Fishes (Chondrichthyes: Holocephali, Elasmobranchii) from Northern Chile: A Review and Identification Guide
62 Pages Posted: 29 Oct 2022
The abundance of fossil sharks and other cartilaginous fish in northern Chile is widely known. Fossil sites such as the Bahia Inglesa Formation were affected by intense exploitation by fossil traffickers, which caused the departure of numerous specimens that are currently in foreign collections. Fortunately, this has decreased in the last decade and the study of Chilean specimens has been increasing. This study seeks to synthesize and update our knowledge about fossil chondrichthyans from northern Chile, specifically during the Neogene, offering a review of the species mentioned in the literature, along with key characters that can help in their identification. In this way, we seek to generate a guide for the classification of dental elements, and outline future works that can validate some of these records. This is important if we take into account that a third of the records mentioned in the literature remain unconfirmed, due to the lack of adequate descriptions or images to validate the assignments. Furthermore, most confirmed records can only be validated at the genus level. Despite these difficulties, we identified 42 chondrichthyan taxa for the region and discuss their reliability. We estimate that the known record represents 75% of the potential species to be discovered for the Neogene of northern Chile, based on a rarefaction analysis. This highlight the need for more studies on all unconfirmed taxa and to continue exploring these basins.
Keywords: fossils, sharks, rays, chimaeras, Miocene, Pliocene
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation


you attach the standard input of the script as a whole to the file
filename. This means that anything that reads from standard input in your script will read from the
filename file, until the end of that file is reached.
For example, a script that you would invoke in the above way, that simply changes all characters to upper-case, could be written as
tr 'a-z' 'A-Z'
<filename is not an argument of the script, but an instruction to the shell to set up the script's standard input to come from the file.
On the other hand, if you ran the script using
then the name of the file would be available as
$1 in the script and you would have to refer to that name when reading from the file:
tr 'a-z' 'A-Z' <"$1"
tr 'a-z' 'A-Z' <"$filename"
This would allow you to parse the same file several times, whereas reading the contents through the standard input of the script would only allow you to read the file once (unless you saved it to a temporary file in the script, using e.g.
cat >tmpfilename, and then parsed that).
Giving the script filenames on the command line would also allow you to process any number of files in a loop:
for pathname do
# code that processes "$pathname"


GHGSat, a global leader in high-resolution greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring from space, has successfully deployed three new methane satellites into orbit, taking the company’s constellation to nine satellites in orbit. GHGSat’s Mey-Lin (C6), Gaspard (C7), and Océane (C8) travelled on board SpaceX’s Transporter-7 rideshare mission from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. All three satellites separated from the vehicle approximately 63 minutes after liftoff.
In 2022 with six satellites, GHGSat observed over 500,000 facilities worldwide, detecting 179 million tonnes of CO2e, up 25 per cent from 2021. With nine satellites in orbit, GHGSat expects to almost double the number of measurements of emissions from industrial facilities in 2023 compared to 2022.
The company is uniquely positioned as the only player in space today capable of delivering high-resolution measurements and frequent revisits to help industrial operators tackle fugitive methane emissions. The expanded constellation means GHGSat can revisit facilities on average every two days, delivering valuable and timely data to operators, governments and financial services worldwide.
The proprietary methane sensor technology developed by GHGSat has set the standard with an industry-leading combination of low detection threshold and high resolution. Continuously innovating, the company’s latest breakthrough of satellite offshore emission detection has unlocked true global and independent monitoring for oil & gas customers as 30 per cent of production takes place over bodies of water.
GHGSat will launch three more payloads hosted on third-party satellites later this year, including the world’s first commercial carbon dioxide hosted payload.
Stéphane Germain, CEO of GHGSat said: “Our customers have been clear in their desire for more frequent monitoring at more sites from space, and these three additional satellites directly answer this need. GHGSat continues to establish itself as a trusted partner and provider of the best methane emissions data available.”
The company has locations around the globe but has noted that the Canada Space Agency has been a great support over the years, helping GHGSat develop and improve its technology for commercialization.
Featured image: Artistic rendering of three satellites (Luca, Penny and Diako) from the GHGSat fleet orbiting Earth. (Credit: GHGSat)