Earth is constantly breaking heat records. The latest international State of the Climate report noted that 2016 was the hottest year on record, and NASA just announced that July 2017 tied with July 2016 as the hottest July on record. We’ve heard a variation on this theme, well, a few times: 16 of the 17 warmest years on record have all happened since 2001.
The whole premise of heat records is abnormality. But as the headlines pile up, it can be difficult to keep in perspective how unprecedented the trend really is. Some scientists call this “shifting baseline syndrome“—when we become numb to the severity of the situation simply because we start to forget where the baseline was before.
That’s where visuals come in.
Antti Lipponen, a climate researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, put together a striking graphic using 1900-2016 global surface temperature data pulled from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies’ Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP).
Watch to the end as the bars—they represent the severity of abnormally high temperatures in different countries—begin to radiate outward in more places in the 1990s. By 2016, they form a sort of pulsing red circle.
July 2017, which brought uncharacteristic wildfires to Europe, looks like this in Lipponen’s graphic representation:
Globally, it tied July 2016 as the hottest in recorded history, but Lipponen points out that in some regions, it exceeded July 2016’s heat:


Interest rates strongly affect the housing market as most real estate is purchased through borrowed money. The cost of borrowing money through mortgages is directly tied to interest rates. The main ways that money is borrowed through mortgages are fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgages.
Why and How do Interest Rates Affect Real Estate Values?
Higher interest rates cause the monthly payment needed for housing to increase. Since many individuals look to see what their monthly payment will be when making an asset purchase, less people will be able to afford a higher monthly payment, and the demand for housing will decrease. This decrease in demand will cause a decrease in housing market values as higher interest rates make real estate purchases less affordable.
Lower interest rates are thought to be indicative of a more efficient real estate market as they cause a reduction in borrowing costs. A reduction in borrowing costs will lead to an increase in housing market values. Another example of how efficiency can reduce cost is through property management software. Property management software has helped reduce the cost to manage real estate. If the cost to manage property is less, housing market values will rise because it is a less difficult to own the asset.
Another secondary factor that affects the housing market is that higher interest rates will cause a stronger United States dollar that will reduce the demand from foreign sources of real estate in the United States. This reduction in foreign demand will also cause a decrease in housing market values. Foreign demand for housing has been responsible for some of the high real estate price growth in coastal areas of the United States.
Current Thoughts on How Interest Rates Are Affecting the Housing Market?
Interest rates have been kept at historically low levels since the Housing Bubble of 2007-2009, many economists believe that asset values have been inflated by extremely low interest rates. Housing market values and stock market asset values have increased both by around 50% over the last seven years and many believe the cause is interest rates and leverage.
Interest rates are a very important factor in the value of assets in the housing market. Since the values of the housing market are tied to interest rates, interest rates are a crucial factor in determining how strong the real estate market is.
About the Author: Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her 3-year-old husky Snowball. The information in this article is credited to Rentec Direct.


(HealthDay News) -- A runny nose usually starts when your child's cold is on the mend, says the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Mucus from a runny nose helps wash the cold virus out of the nose and sinuses. After a few days, the mucus may change to a white or yellow color, then to green.
A runny nose usually does not need to be treated. However, a cool mist vaporizer or over-the-counter decongestant medicine may help. The AAFP suggests checking with your child's doctor to see which medicines are okay.
Cooler Noses May Be Key to Winter's Spike in Colds
Is Your Kid's Runny Nose Going on Forever? Here's What You Need to Know
Having Kids Around Might Shield You From Severe COVID: Study
Many Parents Too Quick to Give Fever Meds to Kids: Poll
FDA Panel to Again Weigh Merit of Decongestant That Many Call Useless
U.S. to Release Flu Meds From National Stockpile to Ease Shortages
Is it COVID or Flu? FDA Approves 1st Home Test for Both
CDC Panel Urges Seniors to Get New, More Potent Flu Shot This Fall
Flu Shot Could Be a Lifesaver for Folks With Chronic Ills


It is known that drugs are meant for action against micro-organisms to treat various infections. However, it was found that certain bacterial strains with NDM-1 (New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1) gene are resistant to specific antibiotic called Carbapenem. An article in the Lancet journal stated that these drug resistant strains were recorded among certain people in many other countries including Australia, Canada, and the U.S apart from India. With this situation, a global movement was initiated by the World Health Organization to safeguard antibiotics for future generations.
The movement is aimed to target the growing antibiotic resistant microbes and was initiated from the World Health Day, 2011. “Antibiotic Resistance: no action today, no cure tomorrow” is therefore mentioned as the theme for this World Health Day.
Need for sustained action
Today we are in an antibiotic-dependent era. The over-use of antibiotics including the self-administration by the patient and the over-prescription by a doctor is the main reason for increased antibiotic resistance. With an increase in the antibiotic-resistant microbes, there may be a slow reversion to the pre-antibiotic era. This may rise the cases of deaths and diseases due to untreatable infectious and communicable diseases. The effectiveness of the treatment gets reduced due to the multi-drug resistance. Thereby, the drugs become expensive superseding the purchasing power of the people. It in turn becomes an obstacle for the poverty alleviation and development.
Regulation of antibiotic use
The only way to avoid the resistance is to educate people on the rational use of antibiotics. All fevers may not mean that you are infected. It is therefore not necessary to use an antibiotic for fever. For example, many of us use antibiotics for treating several common upper respiratory infections. However, such infections are mostly caused due to viruses. Antibiotics never act against viruses and only are meant for fighting against bacteria and certain fungi. Such indiscriminate use of antibiotics is therefore leading to cases of drug resistance.
The stakeholders and governments are advised by the World Health Organization(WHO) to initiate and implement certain practices and policies for prevention of rise of highly resistance microorganisms.


By Richard Rost 3 months ago
Create a Microsoft Access Database Launcher
In this Microsoft Access tutorial I'm going to teach you how to use one database to open another. We can effectively create a database switchboard which is a database that opens other databases. We'll also see how ChatGPT handles this issue.
Jan from Aurora, Colorado (a Gold Member) asks: I've got two separate Microsoft Access databases that I have to work with. One contains my customers and the sales guys have to use it. The other includes mostly accounting information and my list of vendors and such. The issue is that sometimes the sales guys have to look at the vendor information, and I of course need to use both databases. I don't want to merge these into one database as it's very complicated. Is there a way to just click a button and switch to the other database?
Members will learn how to make a list box containing your database files and launch them that way instead of hard coding them into buttons. We can also use this technique with other objects too and not just database files. You can open spreadsheets, documents, and more.
Silver Members and up get access to view Extended Cut videos, when available. Gold Members can download the database template from class plus get access to the Code Vault. If you signed up on YouTube you have to register on my YouTube Find User page so I can set up your account here on my web site. If you're not a member, Join Today!
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On Friday, at the Cancer Survivorship Research Conference in Washington, D.C., much discussion revolved around the fact that cancer survivors are turning to the Internet for help. Wen-ying Sylvia Chou of the National Cancer Institute said according to a recent survey, cancer survivors who have access to the Internet are more likely to search for health-related information than people without cancer.
Among young people living with cancer, social networking sites are replacing the peer and support groups that connect survivors. One such site, Planet Cancer, targets cancer survivors between the ages of 20 and 40.
Another social networking site that is open to all age groups is the Know Cancer Community, which features an inspirational blog about fighting cancer and a forum for members to share ideas.
Young survivors are also finding out cancer information from video games, said Brandon Hayes-Latin, an MD from Oregon Health Sciences University. In a research trial, young cancer patients who played a game called Re-Mission ncreased their understanding of cancer and better adhered to treatment guidelines, compared to survivors who didn’t play the game. The game is free to download or order for young adults with cancer on the Re-Mission website.
Cancer survivors can also find online information on common questions related to diet and physical activity at the Cancer Patients and Survivors section of the AICR website.


20 Times Teachers Displayed an Extraordinary Sense Of Humor Which Left Their Students Stunned
There's a certain seriousness in the word "teacher". It is uncommon to expect teachers to crack jokes in the classroom. For students, it's a no-brainer that they have to maintain a boundary. And the traditional teacher is often identified as authoritative, respectable, and an enforcer. But some teachers are busting common myths and stereotypes. They are breaking out of the traditional image of how a teacher should be and letting loose. It's a breath of fresh air to see the humorous side of teachers who otherwise would hardly let out a chuckle.
It is believed that teachers who step back and let their fun side shine have a better influence on students than serious ones. It has a myriad of benefits when a teacher displays a sense of humor. It improves students' engagement as they retain better, and above all, a strong student-teacher relationship develops. A win-win situation. "The use of humor in the college classroom has been researched extensively and has been shown to have many benefits for students," per American Psychological Association. Fortunately, teachers on Reddit have practically shown the power of humor. These students witnessed their teacher's fun side on their test papers, and we have curated the 20 most funniest ones. Scroll down to revel in this "teacher humor."
1. Cereal killer
2. Let's give the beak a face
5. Is this two- or three-timing?
6. When your teacher is a fan of 'Lord Of The Rings'
7. Teacher adds her creativity to student's drawings
8. Do anything to make it right
9. Teacher rocks, student shocked
11. When you score negative points
12. Teacher learning from student
13. Another teacher who is a LOTR fan
15. So creative
16. Teacher has a stamp of his face that he uses on people's tests if they do well
17. Ninja teacher
18. Learn from the teacher's experience
19. Teacher jokes about quiz results


I need a 4-6 sentence description of this URL http://www.crf-usa.org/foundations-of-our-constitution/the-federalist-papers.html about the federalist papers. I’m providing an example that you can follow.
The key is that someone should be able to read the entry and know whether this site is one that might be relevant to their research. See the example below for a good description.
Pennsylvania State Constitution of 1776. (2008)
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 (ratified September 28, 1776) has been described as the most democratic in America and was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. The Constitution provides for a unicameral legislature, a Supreme Executive Council, a President elected by an Assembly and Council together, and a Council of Censors. The constitution was later copied by revolutionaries of Vermont as a basis for their constitution. This site is useful as it gives us an insight into the debate over constitutional government that would culminate in 1787.


What is a Theory of Change and why do I need one?
A thoughtfully constructed ToC is essential to any organisation attempting to solve complex problems. A ToC is like a roadmap that outlines the steps by which you plan to achieve your goal, showing a clear and logical progression from inputs to the ultimate goal.
We have the beginnings of a very simple ToC above. Our example organization has the goal of improving health outcomes. The organisation proposes a programme where households in the community get smokeless cooking stoves. From the above it isn’t obvious that the intervention will contribute towards the goal, so we break down the process into its logical steps, indicating the outputs and outcomes. The simple but more complete ToC is presented below:
The logical process of why introducing smokeless stoves would improve health outcomes is now clearer. If the organization’s goal was instead to improve education quality, it would be apparent that the causal link between introducing cooking stoves and education quality is tenuous. Thus a well-designed ToC leads to better planning in that activities are linked to a detailed understanding of how change actually happens. It also leads to better evaluation, as it is possible to measure progress towards the achievement of longer-term goals that goes beyond the identification of programme outputs.
Developing a ToC is simple but needs to be carefully thought out. When we assist organisations to develop or update their ToC, we will facilitate a workshop with key stakeholders from the organisation. During the workshop, participants first brainstorm their long-term goal. From there we work backwards to identify the key outcomes that must be in place for the goal to occur. The last stage is to identify the activities and inputs that yield specific outputs that lead to the desired outcomes. The final ToC will show the logical progression from Inputs to Activities to Outputs to Outcomes and finally to the Goal.
If you’d like to read more on ToC, theoryofchange.org and a guide by the United Nations Development Group are both excellent resources. Otherwise, feel free to get in touch via email.


February in the Garden
WHAT TO PLANT
Bedding plants: Plants that perform better in the cooler months include petunias, pansies, verbena, dianthus, strawflower and lobelia. Protect from frosts and freezing temperatures.
Bulbs: Many bulbs can be planted now. Provide adequate water to establish and protect from cold weather with mulch. Some to try are Amazon lily, crinum and agapanthus.
Azaleas: With azaleas in full bloom this month, now is a great time to select varieties to add to the landscape.
Vegetables: Begin planting warm season crops this month. Beans, peppers, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes and squash can be started while temperatures are cool.
WHAT TO DO
Cold damage: If cold weather has damaged palms, proper care may prevent loss of the palm and encourage recovery.
Annuals: Prepare flower beds. Add organic materials and fertilizer.
Citrus: Now is a good time to check citrus trees for scab disease. Apply a copper fungicide when new leaves appear and again when two-thirds of the flower blossoms have fallen. Fertilize citrus now, if not done in January. Frequency and amount of fertilization depends on the age of the tree.
Plant poinsettias. Cut all poinsettias way back.
Prune roses: Roses should be pruned this month to remove damaged canes and improve the overall form. After pruning, fertilize and apply a fresh layer of mulch. Blooming will begin eight to nine weeks after pruning.
Shrubs: Now is the time to fertilize shrubs. Spread fertilizer evenly over the soil surface and water in. Follow with a fresh layer of mulch, which will conserve moisture and reduce weeds.
Lawns: Apply a pre-emergent weed killer to lawns this month to prevent germination of warm season weed seeds. Timing is important for good control. Begin feeding lawn by month's end with a low-phosphorous turf fertilizer.
Karen Stauderman is a Volusia County commercial horticulture extension agent. Reach her at 3100 E. New York Ave., DeLand, FL 32724-6497, 386-822-5778 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


1 Crate per Kit
The Molymod® Model Kit gives students the chance to explore amino acid structure using fun Molymod® models. Each tube contains enough parts to assemble 2 amino acids (students work in pairs). The models provide a strong 3D visual representation of an amino acid structure. Additional worksheets are provided for teachers to help explain electrons and bonds, amino acid structure, and protein folding.
Only to large dogs and certain squirrels. Consult your physician if you or a student has eaten a piece of molymod.
|Table of Contents|
Molymod Kit Inventory List
|Kit Contents||* 20 tubes containing model parts (atoms and bonds)
* Extra Model parts
* Amino Acids R Us Poster
|Using Molymods||Molymod Instructions
Building amino acids using Molymod modeling kits.
A brief tutorial on covalent bonds, hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, and Van der Waals interactions.
|Fun with Electrons
A brief tutorial on the behavior of electrons in small organic molecules.
|What is an Amino Acid?
Looking at the different components of an amino acid, and how peptide bonds are formed.
|Protein structure - Primary|
|Protein structure - Secondary|
|Protein structure - Tertiary|
|Protein structure - Quaternary|
|Amino Acids R Us
A poster of the 20 different amino acids.
|Amino Acid Chart
A chart separating the 20 amino acids into hydrophobic and hydrophilic.


Best of Last Week – Breakthrough in preserving sound waves, earliest North American occupiers, faster COVID-19 test
It was a good week for physics research, as a team at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University discovered a new physical paradox—the amplitude of mechanical vibrations can grow without an external influence due to internal thermal resources of the system. Also, a team from Columbia Engineering and Montana State University found that placing sufficient strain on a 2-D material—tungsten diselenide—created localized states that could yield single-photon emitters. And a combined team from the Photonics Initiative at the Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY and Georgia Tech achieved a major breakthrough in preserving the integrity of sound waves—it allowed for propagating sound waves along the boundaries of topological metamaterials without the risk of waves traveling backward or being thwarted by material defects.
In technology news, a team of engineers at the University of Missouri demonstrated that pencils and paper could be used to create devices for monitoring personal health—simply by drawing or pasting 90% graphite on the skin. Also, a team at the University of Texas at Austin announced that they had developed a new cobalt-free lithium-ion battery that reduces costs without sacrificing performance. And a team at UC Berkeley developed an algorithm that merges online and offline reinforcement learning.
In other news, a large team of researchers from the U.S. and the U.K. announced that they had achieved the first complete assembly of human X chromosome with no gaps. Also, a team with members from multiple institutions in Australia discovered an immune response to COVID-19's spike protein and suspect it could lead to the development of a vaccine. And another team with members from the U.K. and the U.S. announced that they had dated the earliest known occupation of North America—a pre-Clovis culture dating back more than 12,000 years.
And finally, if you are among the many people who believe that one of the keys to taming the global pandemic is through rigorous testing, you might want to check out the work done by a team at Monash University in Australia—they have developed a blood test that detects positive COVID-19 cases in just 20 minutes.
© 2020 Science X Network


Greenery Day 2024, 2025 and 2026
Greenery Day became a Japanese holiday in 1989 when it was meant to replace Shōwa Day after the death of the former emperor Shōwa that same year. From 1989 till 2007, it was observed on 29 April, but when Shōwa Day returned in 2007, Greenery Day was moved to 4 May.
|2024||4 May||Sat||Greenery Day|
|2025||4 May||Sun||Greenery Day|
|2026||4 May||Mon||Greenery Day|
|Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.|
Greenery Day is a part of Golden Week, which is the great holiday season at the beginning of consistently warm weather in Japan. Golden Week includes four major holidays in the space of one week and is a time when most families go on vacation.
Greenery Day is meant to bring attention to the greening up of Japan each year and to the importance and blessings of nature. The sitting emperor Naruhito gives a Greenery Day speech each year, and people then go out and plant trees. There are also parades and decoration of public streets with colourful paper lanterns. Some people do some gardening, visit a local park, or spend time hiking or strolling out of doors.
As the first (and best) harvest of green tea leaves occurs around Greenery Day, you will see many people stopping off at local tea houses this time of year to enjoy some super-fresh green tea.
|2023||4 May||Thu||Greenery Day|
|2022||4 May||Wed||Greenery Day|
|2021||4 May||Tue||Greenery Day|
|2020||4 May||Mon||Greenery Day|
|2019||4 May||Sat||Greenery Day|
|2018||4 May||Fri||Greenery Day|
|2017||4 May||Thu||Greenery Day|


Let's say we've got a Markov Decision Process, and a policy π. How good is this policy?
Well, one way to figure it out is by simply iterating the policy over a value function for each state.
In this example, we have a small gridworld. The goal is to make it to one of the two gray corners, ending the game. To encourage this, every move will have a reward of -1. Our policy will simply be to move in a random direction.
In order to find the value of the policy, we can start from a value function of all 0 and iterate, adding the reward for each state after every iteration.
In each step, the value of a state is the sum of the previous values of all neighbors, plus the reward of -1, scaled by probability (0.25 for up,down,right,left). Since the gray corners mark the end of the game, the reward is just 0.
After only two iterations, it already becomes clear that being near the two gray corners will have a higher return than being near the center.
But that only shows how to evaluate a certain policy. Randomly choosing a direction is certainly not the best strategy.
In policy iteration, instead of sticking to the same policy every time the values are iterated, the policy acts greedily towards the best expected result. In the example above, following the direction of the arrows would be the greedy policy.
Eventually, the policy would reach a point where continuing to iterate would no longer change anything. That final policy would therefore be the optimal policy for that environment.
The loop for policy iteration is as follows:
- perform policy evaluation for some number of iterations
- change the policy to act greedy towards the new value function
On the other hand, value iteration only cares about the value function, and not on forming a complete policy for every iteration. It's the same as policy iteration, but only performing policy evaluation once and then changing the policy right away.
While this requires less steps to find the optimal policy, intermediate steps cannot be used as a suboptimal policy as the values do not correspond to a concrete policy.
Note: this is a continuation from a previous post, with information taken from David Silver's RL Course.


The Arabidopsis thaliana — also referred to as the thale cress— is a flower that has now been discovered to have medical properties to aid breast cancer patients on the road to recovery.
Dr. Amanda Harvey of Brunel University London, Professor Alessandra Devoto of Royal Holloway, University of London, and Professor Nicholas Smirnoff of Exeter University were the team of scientists that made this discovery. Experiments were done on the thale cress flower and the observations shown were that the flower stops the breast cancer cells from growing while normal cells remain unharmed.
The thale cress flower was previously dismissed for not being useful to the medical world, but with recent scientific experiments, it has been shown that this flower has the potential to help as future chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Dr. Harvey, Professor Devoto, and Professor Smirnoff conducted the experiment by taking the Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, treating them with the plant hormone Jasmonate (a compound contained in jasmine that enhances the reaction of plants to stress), and incubated the flower leaves with breast cancer cells. They observed that the regular cells remained unchanged even though the cancer cells stopped developing.
Professor Alessandra Devoto said, “The plant is very much like the ‘Cinderella’ of the medicinal plant world – no one thought it was so special, but it has shown its true colours via our research. The discovery has important implications in developing treatments for cancer as well as other diseases.”
The thale cress flower may be the key to the future of the medical world. With this research, one foot is already through the door of fighting cancer. “We look forward to continuing our work with Professor Devoto to identify plant-based chemicals that interact with both breast cancer cells and other diseases and to promote this study by increasing more money for the greater good of society.”
This flower is the stepping stone for future research, not just on breast cancer, but also in other types of cancers and ailments. The future seems brighter and more hopeful all thanks to the thale cress flower.


Drought Conditions Could Easily End Idaho 4th Of July Fireworks
The Fourth of July is less than four weeks away. As drought conditions worsen across the western United States, many scientists are calling for the end of fireworks as part of the celebration of the country's independence.
I'm both a patriot and a huge fan of fireworks. The U.S. is the greatest country on Earth, and records exist that show Americans have been celebrating the autonomy, opportunity, and freedom found within our borders dating back to the 1700s in Philadelphia. Fireworks have become a part of our DNA.
Unfortunately, humans have been responsible for more than 90% of wildfires dating back 25 years, and every year during the Fourth of July holiday there is a large spike in deadly and destructive fires. Lakes and reservoirs particularly in the west are drying up to the point that resorts are closing and the skeletal remains of people that drown decades ago are being discovered.
The current plight of Lake Mead, which supplies water to parts of California, Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada, is perhaps the most sobering example of the reality of drought in the west. City-run fireworks celebrations and residential displays have been slowly getting banned in states such as Colorado, Utah, California, and Montana for years, and if the western weather crisis continues to result in arid conditions then it's just a matter of time before fireworks are banned altogether.
Water is becoming a scarcity, and fire departments every Fourth of July waste an awful lot of it putting out blazes started by fireworks.


Turner Falls Park is the oldest park in Oklahoma and is named for Mazeppa Thomas Turner. Turner was born in Virginia and married a Chickasaw named Laura Johnson. He then became a farmer in Murray County and in 1878 he and is wife settled in a cabin along Honey Creek. Turner discovered the nearby waterfall, which earned his name. The recreational area came under the ownership of the city of Davis in 1919. Davis operated the park until 1950, and then leased it out until 1978, when they resumed management of the area. Davis purchased 370 acres for the park from the Turner family in 1925, paying a reported sum of $17,000.
The 1500-acre area around the falls has been compared to the Grand Canyon and the Black Hills, in that the terrain provides a geological view into the past.
The Park has received national publicity and serves as a classroom for naturalists as it includes three natural caves, formations of conglomerates, limestone, granite, shale and sandstone.
Turner Falls Park is nestled below the famous Arbuckle Mountains and forms Honey Creek, which then cascades down a seventy-seven (77) foot fall to a natural swimming pool making the majestic Turner Falls the largest waterfall in Oklahoma. The Park has been a recreational area since 1868 as it is accented with beautiful picnic areas, nature trails, caves, geological wonders, and two natural swimming pools very unique in nature.
The City of Davis operates the park and everyone is welcome to enjoy the 1500 acres of fun in the "Heart of the Arbuckle's".
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Mountain Time
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Thursday, Jun 1, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time
JOIN FOR JUST $16 A YEAR


Click the 'Play' button to read out loud this webpage content
A temple is the dwelling of the Gods and a place of worship. This also remains a solemn structure dedicated for religious activities.
Our country can very well be called ‘the land of the temples’, where innumerable Hindu temples dot the landscape. Many of these are very ancient and some are also massive in size and grand in appearance. These were designed, constructed and are being maintained based on sound spiritual principles enunciated in the ancient texts including the Vedas and Upanishads. The Hindu temples stand as the very symbol of the values and beliefs steeped in the Indian culture and ethos for the past thousands of years. Patronized generously by the rulers in the olden times, these temples also stood as a sign of their regal power and might, apart from being the embodiment of art and architecture.
Though held equally sacred, temples in different regions have their own distinct structural styles and the differentiation lies essentially in the shape and pattern of the Shikara, the super structure. The North Indian temples are built in the Nagara style, which consists principally of two structures, the taller sanctum, the main shrine and the shorter mandapa, the front hall. Their Shikaras normally resemble large cones and are decorated with many similar, mini images. Whatever be the region or the structure, a visit to any of these magnificent institutions is sure to appeal deeply to anyone’s spiritual, religious and aesthetic senses and take one to sublime heights.
Read more about North Indian Temples


Due to extreme drought conditions in Lancaster County, the City is asking community members to follow the City’s voluntary water conservation plan that went into effect at 5 p.m. Friday, June 2, 2023.
Each of the three arrows in the recycling symbol has a meaning. The first arrow represents the collection of recyclables and the separation from the waste stream. The second arrow represents the manufacturers which take the recyclable material and make a new product from it. The last arrow represents consumers buying the recycled content products produced by the manufacturers. This is why many people say "you're not recycling until you are buying recycled content products."
Many common consumer products contain recycled content. In fact, it is very likely that you have "completed the loop" and bought recycled content products.
The first step in buying recycled products is learning to identify the recycling symbols
A product labeled with a recycling symbol containing no background shading means that the product can be recycled after it is used.
Products labeled with a recycling symbol containing shading in the background means that the product was made from recycled content material.
Here are some common product packages made from recycled material that you can find in your local store.
Buying recycled products is important because it saves natural resources, energy, clean air and water, landfill space, money and it creates jobs.


Abraham Lincoln never gave up. He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the United States history. This Abraham Lincoln Story will inspire you in many ways.
Abraham Lincoln Story:
Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown.
Here is a sketch of Lincoln’s road to the White House:
- 1816 His family was forced out of their home and he had to work to support them.
- 1818 His mother died.
- 1831 Failed in business.
- 1832 Ran for state legislature and lost.
- 1832 Also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.
- 1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
- 1834 Ran for state legislature again and won.
- 1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
- 1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
- 1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.
- 1840 Sought to become elector – defeated.
- 1843 Ran for Congress and lost.
- 1846 Ran for Congress again –and this time he won – went to Washington and did a good job.
- 1848 Ran for re-election to Congress and lost.
- 1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.
- 1854 Ran for Senate of the United States and lost.
- 1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party’s national convention – got less than 100 votes.
- 1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again – again he lost.
- 1860 At last, Elected president of the United States.
“Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.”


Google is working on artificial intelligence who himself writes, corrects and updates the codes.
According to the website insiderthe project, nicknamed Pitchfork, started in the X research division of major tech Alphabet and has already moved to the Labs group, which houses long-term programs such as virtual and augmented reality.
Based on machine learning, Pitchfork integrates Google’s pursuit of so-called generative artificial intelligence, which uses image creation algorithms and video, for example.
While this is an impressive piece of technology, it could impact the future of code developers, both inside and outside the company.
According to documents seen insider, the system was created to teach code as well as write and rewrite itself. The tool must be able to design in order to learn programming styles and write new features based on this knowledge.
The original goal was to create a tool that could update the codebase of a programming language. python programming from Google for newer versions.
“The idea was: how do we move from one version to another without hiring all these software engineers?” an unnamed employee said.
However, over time the goals have changed. Now Google needs a general purpose system that can still reduce the need for people to write and update code without sacrificing feature quality.
“The team is working closely with the research team,” the official said. “They are working together to explore different use cases to help developers.” According to him, the project is led by Olivia Hatalsky, a longtime Google employee.
Artificial intelligence on the rise
Google is working on several AI projects. OUR deep mind, a subsidiary of Alphabet, already has an AlphaCode system that uses artificial intelligence to generate codes. However, today the program is focused on coding at a competitive level.
There are reports that Google is working on a platform that offers code snippets based on what developers enter. It is very similar to Copilot from GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft.
According to website Bloomberg, developers using Copilot can generate up to 40% of the code. GitHub hopes to double that number by 2027.


Abundant research has shown correctly using appropriate child restraints or seat belts is the single most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries in crashes. The challenge is to convince all passenger vehicle occupants to buckle up. Despite high observed belt use rates, many unrestrained people die in crashes each year.
Despite numerous HVE campaigns and a relatively high seatbelt use rate, the number of people who died in 2020 while not wearing a seat belt increased by 16% over 2019, with 1,073 unrestrained drivers and passengers killed on Texas roadways. In 2021, 27% of the fatally injured drivers and passengers were traveling unrestrained. Of those who suffered a serious injury, 14% were not wearing a seatbelt.
of fatal crashes show a factor of unrestrained persons
Combating the Issue
Strategies were developed to combat the occupant protection clproblem.Strategies Programs and Projects Emphasis Area Team
Impaired Fatalities and Serious Injuries
Single-vehicle, run-off-the -road-crashes
Run-off-the-road and impaired driving crashes
Fatal and Serious Injury Impaired Driving Crashes
56% of Unrestrained Occupant Fatal and Serious Crashes are Rural
35% of crashed with an unrestrained occupant are intersection and impaired driving related
Click a strategy below to learn more about the countermeasures for that strategy.
Utilize a data driven approach to identify and target audiences for enforcement and education efforts designed to increase correctly installed and applied safety belts and child car seats.


Best friends or mortal enemies?: The complex ecological roles of Australia’s predators
Dr Euan Ritchie
Faculty of Science, Engineering & Built Environment
Why are feral animals running rampant? And why are some of our native species causing environmental headaches too? One significant reason is the lack of balance that now characterises our ecosystems. A clear way to improve this situation would be to return native top predators, in particular dingoes and Tasmanian devils, to landscapes where they once occurred. This would allow these species to resume their important ecological roles.
Scientific research strongly suggests dingoes not only kill cats and foxes, but they also instil fear in them. This means cats and foxes avoid areas and times where dingoes are most active. As a result dingoes can provide a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week pest control service, and largely for free! If we want to conserve our iconic and globally-unique wildlife then we need to work with, rather than against nature. Supporting more positive management of dingoes and returning Tasmanian devils to mainland Australia for their biodiversity benefits would be one of the best and most cost-effective actions policymakers could encourage now.
The resurgence of apex predators across Europe and North America (species such as wolves, bears, lynx and mountain lions), demonstrates that biodiversity change is not a one-way street. Indeed, few would have predicted a predator renaissance in Europe 50 years ago. Yet, European society has deemed that predators are important to conserve and they are actively restoring them to rewild their landscapes.
There are emerging signs that Australians are up to the task too. The western quoll, a species that once occurred in every mainland state (now restricted to southwestern Western Australia), was recently reintroduced to the Flinders Ranges, and is successfully reproducing. In this talk I will describe the complex interactions between Australia’s predators and their prey. This knowledge is vital if we are to address current and future biodiversity conservation issues.
Dr Euan Ritchie is a Eureka prize-winner in environmental research and senior lecturer in ecology within Deakin University’s Centre for Integrative Ecology. He applies ecological theory with good doses of fieldwork to seek solutions to the challenges of conserving biodiversity. He is an active and passionate science communicator, writing and speaking regularly on conservation-related issues.


3D DOCUMENTATION OF A HISTORICAL MONUMENT USING TERRESTRIAL LASER SCANNING CASE STUDY: BYZANTINE WATER CISTERN, ISTANBUL
Keywords: Cultural Heritage, Terrestrial Laser Scanning, 3D Modelling, Point Cloud
Abstract. 3D modelling of architectural structures for monitoring, conservation and restoration alterations in heritage sites has special challenges for data acquisition and processing. The accuracy of created 3D model is very important. In general, because of the complexity of the structures, 3D modelling can be time consuming and may include some difficulties. 3D terrestrial laser scanning technique is a reliable and advantageous method for reconstruction and conservation of monuments. This technique is commonly acknowledged due to its accuracy, speed and flexibility. Terrestrial laser scanners can be used for documentation of the cultural heritage for the future. But it is also important to understand the capabilities and right conditions of use and limitations of this technology.
Istanbul is a rich city with cultural monuments, buildings and cultural heritage. The presented study consists of documentation of a Byzantine water cistern situated underground the court of Sarnicli Han building. The cistern which represents a very good living example of its period has been modelled in 3D by using terrestrial laser scanning technology and the accuracy assessment of this modelling is examined.


No worker should have to endure a discriminatory work environment. It can be easy to assume the issue rests with one problematic person, but the fact is that many workplaces in New York can foster an environment of tolerance for discrimination or even display blatant discrimination.
One example is the recent development in an age discrimination case involving IBM.
Coming from the top down
In the latest lawsuit, IBM faces allegations of widespread, deep-rooted discrimination against workers over the age of 40. Evidence of this comes in the form of emails from executives calling older workers “dinobabies.” Another executive stated that workers who were not “digital natives” posed a threat to the company.
These revelations demonstrate how the company’s leadership views their workforce. Although IBM claims that it never “separated” employees from the company because of their age, the leaked emails, including an email that specifically made reference to a “dated maternal workforce,” tell a different story. In situations where highly-ranked leaders at a company display or allow preference for younger workers, the message that ageism is tolerated can spread down the ranks.
Protecting yourself against systemic discrimination
Discrimination is less likely to occur in companies where employees are able to speak out about wrongdoing and employers take those reports seriously.
However, when discrimination is pervasive at a company, it can seem impossible to protect yourself or make any difference. Sadly, parties who do not speak out and report misconduct could pay the price through a wrongful termination, a hostile work environment, or lost employment opportunities.
Employees have rights that are worth protecting. Rather than normalize discrimination or accept that it is all just a part of the job or industry, employees can pursue legal action to protect their rights and those of others who may be having the same experience.


THE STATUS OF THE FOLLOWERS AND THEIR SCIENTIFIC AND LITERARY SERVICES
تابعینِ کرام ؒکامقام ومرتبہ اور ان کی علمی و ادبی خدمات
Keywords:Tabieen Kiram, Students of Companion of the Holy Prophet, Successors, Contributions of Tabieen.
After the Prophets of Allah Almighty, the most sacred class of mankind is the class of Prophet Muhammad's Companions. Those are the people who had seen the prophet of Islam with their naked eyes, remained in his companionship and got the heights of knowledge and actions and proved to be a great example of character by attaining the image of Prophet Muhammad's model of excellence. Another class which, like the companions of Prophet (pbuh), deserves such honor is the class of Tabe’en (The followers of the Companions). Tabe'en had contributed a matchless role in the history of Islam regarding religious knowledge and literature. They had also examplary performed in social, economical, political and military services. Due to these great services they are considered the most sacred class of the Ummah after the prophet’companions. There is a list of academic and literary services ahead of the name of each person in this class. And these services are the great testimony to the greatness of these people. The prophet's companions received the religious knowledge directly from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), while Tabe'en got it from the companions and then published it in the whole world. The sincere efforts performed by Tabe'en regarding Quran, Hadith, Tafseer and Islamic litrature are of so high level that no one had reached such level of sincerity in the entire history of Islam. The steps that occur after that period, regarding the development of Islamic culture are only the effects of their services. Actually ‘‘Tabe’en’’ is the only class that has spread the social, moral and spritual blessings of Islam throughout the world. That is why, it is not only the Quran that witnesses their greatness but the Prophet (peace be upon him) also praises them.


The National Institute of Mental Health describes Bipolar Disorder as “a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.” Manic-depressive is another term for this illness that is known for its severe symptoms and the damaging impact it has on a person’s life. Thankfully there are treatments for Bipolar Disorder.
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder
Sometimes it is difficult to recognize Bipolar Disorder, in part because it is easy to attribute the behavior to other issues, like substance abuse, or because the person feels good during manic episodes and refuses to believe a problem exists. Mental Health America details the symptoms for mania, including:
- Excessive energy and activity
- Extreme euphoric feelings
- Decreased need for sleep
- Exaggerated confidence
- Uncharacteristically poor judgment
- Unusual sex drive
- Provocative or aggressive behavior
After a manic period, the person may have normal moods, but will eventually find themselves in a depressed phase. Those symptoms may include:
- Long periods of sadness or anxiousness
- Changes in sleep
- Loss of interest in activities
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Sometimes a person with Bipolar Disorder can experience both mania and depression at the same time, feeling hopeless but energized at once. In more extreme situations, a person may experience hallucinations or delusions. If you or someone you love experiences any of these symptoms, don’t be discouraged. We cannot stress enough that help is available at LifeLens to treat Bipolar Disorder effectively.
Treatment for Bipolar Disorder
The most successful treatment plan usually involves a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Your doctor might prescribe a mood stabilizer, antidepressant, or possibly an antipsychotic drug. Psychotherapy treatment might also be part of your plan, including Cognitive Behavior Therapy or Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy. Sometimes, if medication and psychotherapy aren’t yielding the desired results, electroconvulsive therapy can be used, providing relief for those who haven’t found it in other treatments.
Working with you to identify an effective approach to therapy is what we do best at LifeLens.


Soil Science and Agronomy
Under performing agricultural soils cost Australian farmers billions of dollars a year in lost productivity.
Yields of some horticultural crops in Australia are 75% lower than the best overseas yields due to multiple constraints conferred by our soil.
To maximise crop yields under these constraints, farmers apply chemicals, fertilisers and amendments. They often make these complex management decisions with inadequate information and guidance, and only have access to ineffective and sub-optimal products.
Integrated, innovative and multi-level approaches to agriculture are needed across all aspects of production to maximise yields, achieve sustainability and deliver on-farm solutions that lower costs and increase effectiveness.
To develop innovative on-farm solutions, better crop establishment and growth, and sustainable management of soil to minimise soil degradation and maximise the water stored in the soil.
Our research initiatives
Addressing soil related constraints such as acidity, non-wetting and compaction
Professor Caixian Tang has been working on management of soil constraints and nutrients (N and P). He has studied the adaptations of grain legumes to alkaline soils, causes and management of soil acidification/ acidity in farming systems, the role of organic matter in soil pH change and in amelioration of soil acidity and subsoil constraints, screening wheat genotypes for tolerance to soil acidity, and the impacts of farming practices on soil carbon sequestration.
Developing management packages for early sown winter wheat
Professor James Hunt’s work focuses on adaptation and management packages for new wheat genotypes with improved adaptation to climate change, particularly autumn rainfall decline.
National Phenology Initiative
Led by Professor James Hunt, the GRDC (Grains Research and Development Corporation) National Phenology Initiative is a collaboration between:
- La Trobe
- NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI)
- South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)
- WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
It aims to predict flowering time of new wheat and barley cultivars.
Inspired by our work? Enquire about our partnership opportunities.


The history of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an could be dated back to 1300 years ago, during the Tang Dynasty. The pagoda was built to store Sanskrit Buddhist Scriptures that monk Xuanzang brought from India. Xuanzang is a person who became famous for his seventeen year overland journey to India. Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the masterpiece of the Buddhist architecture, which has been considered the symbol of the ancient capital city of Xi'an.
Preserved on the four stone doors in the base of the pagoda are exquisite engravings of the Tang Dynasty. Two stone steles with the Preface to the Sacred Religion written by the famous Tang calligrapher Chu Suiliang are set into the walls on the either side of the south door of the pagoda. On the forehead of the west stone gate, there are carved with architecture joss patterns and pictures, which feature compact layout and smooth lines.
Since the Tang Dynasty, there have been traditional temple fairs in the Goose Pagoda Temple in the 14th, 15th, an 16th every lunar January. The temple fair also became a gathering place for intellectuals. Successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations always left their signature in the tower which was called Superscription of the Wild Goose Tower. In addition, many celebrities left poems or some other literature works.
Getting up to the top of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, you could find a perfect view of the city of Xi'an and its countryside. However, it’s better to climb the pagoda early or late in a day to avoid long waits, especially during the tourist season.


Obesity is a major health problem that carries enormous costs to both the individual and society. Being overweight may limit quality of life and work productivity and cause disease, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. It may even lead to premature death. Obesity is defined as the excess accumulation of fat in the body. This extra fat is a specialized tissue called white fat.
White fat’s job is to store energy to use later. In contrast, brown fat doesn’t store energy; it burns it. Previously, scientists thought only newborn mammals have brown fat, which is believed to help maintain body temperature. However, scientists have recently discovered that adults also have brown fat. This discovery has created a great deal of interest in the scientific community. Researchers want to find a way to increase the amount of brown fat adults have and to turn white fat into brown.
Aaron Cypess, MD, PhD, from the National Institutes of Health, gave a talk about brown fat at Experimental Biology 2019 earlier this month in Orlando, Fla. He looked at how the drug mirabegron—typically used to treat an overactive bladder—activates brown fat. Earlier research found that just one dose of mirabegron caused brown fat to increase blood sugar storage and metabolism. An increase in metabolism can help some people burn more calories, causing them to lose weight. Cypress found that long-term treatment with a lower dose of mirabegron wasn’t able to activate brown fat or increase metabolism significantly. It did, however, provide metabolic benefits—such as better control of blood sugar and insulin levels— that are similar to what happens during moderate exercise. Previous research has found that mirabegron doses higher than those used in this study are not recommended because it may cause damage to the heart, liver or gallbladder.
Researchers will keep working to find a different medication that can increase the energy-burning action of brown fat. This is just one of the many areas of research scientists are working on to better understand and fight the dangers of obesity.
Sandy Martin, PhD, is a professor in the department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Sandy served as a meeting blogger for Experimental Biology 2019.


Tips of the day
Paralysis is a disease that can partially or completely affect your body and it can be in grownups & children. Paralysis or palsy is a disease caused by problem in Nervous System, where there is loss of muscular function. The disease is known by different technical names given to various forms of the disease. Hemiplegia is a paralytic condition where one side of the face is affected along with corresponding arm and leg. Diplegia is the name given to total paralysis. Monoplegia is the paralysis of single limb, whereas Paraplegia is paralysis of both sides.
According to Ayurveda, Paralysis is mainly due to imbalance of VATTA.
The symptoms of paralysis are mainly dependent upon what caused the paralysis and what parts of the body are affected. Generally paralysis is sudden and immediate as with trauma or stroke. It can be a gradual process where the muscles are weakened especially when it is induced by certain disease or illness.
Paralysis can be caused due to stroke or due to injury in spinal cord or neck. Following are the other causes of paralysis:
- Nerve diseases
- Autoimmune diseases
- Serious health conditions such as tumor, hemorrhage and stroke
- Trauma – directly to nerve or vertebral disk
- Exposure to hazardous toxins such as poison or radiation
Common Herbs to treat Paralysis:
Herbs like Ashwagandha (Winter Cherry) and Bala (Country Mallow) are very effective in curing paralysis as per the Ayurveda. Regular intake of barley, millet and rye can also help a lot. Apart from these herbs the patient should only eat freshly cooked food and avoid food that is too bitter and pungent in taste. Dry fruits and red meat should also be avoided. Applying of medicated oil on the affected area can make the condition better.
If you are suffering from PARALYSIS and want safe and effective herbal medicines, then please fill below form for Doctor’s online consultation.
Disease: Skin For the product 'Anti Blemish Turmeric Cream' creates an enthusiastic blend of glow to my face after using it for a few days. Therefore, I could say that it is very much helpful to all aspirants whoever use it regularly.China View All»


While pandemic-related lockdowns led to a dramatic drop in greenhouse gas emissions last year, the event that had the biggest impact on the climate in 2020 was actually a series of devastating bushfires in Australia, according to a new study.
Using computer modeling, researchers compared the effect of both the drop in vehicle emissions and industrial activity during the pandemic with smoke released by the Australia wildfires. They found that the decline in pollution during lockdowns produced clearer skies, allowing more sunlight to reach Earth, thereby warming the planet by around 0.05 degrees C. Smoke from the Australian bushfires, on the other hand, blocked sunlight, cooling the planet by around 0.06 degrees Celsius. The findings were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
“What this research shows is that the impact of regional wildfire on global climate can be substantial,” said John Fasullo, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and lead author of the study. “There are large-scale fingerprints from the fires in both the atmosphere and ocean. The climate response was on par with a major volcanic eruption.”
Over the long run, economic lockdowns or slowdowns will help keep warming in check by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while wildfires will add to warming by releasing more heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Wildfires are expected to grow more intense in the years to come, as the last century of fire suppression has left forests full of vegetation that has been desiccated by hot, dry conditions. But a new study of forests in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains suggests that, following a decade-long burst of wildfires, such blazes are expected to grow smaller as trees are consumed by fires or killed off by drought. Those findings were published in the journal Ecosphere.
“The buildup of fuels, in conjunction with the increasingly hot and dry conditions, leads to these very large, catastrophic fire events,” said Maureen Kennedy, an ecologist at the University of Washington Tacoma and lead author of the study. “But our simulations show that if you allow fire to continue in an area, then the fire could become self-limiting, where each subsequent fire is smaller than the previous one.”


Severe drought threatens food security in Western China
shortages due to a prolonged drought that has left hundreds of
reservoirs dry and tens of thousands of wells either dry or nearly
empty, reported the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
It estimates that 12 million acres of winter crops have been lost or damaged as a result of inadequate rainfall and higher temperatures, and the areas planted in spring crops have been reduced substantially. The worst-affected provinces are Yunnan, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei.
Cheng Fang, economist at the FAO, told AP-Foodtechnology.com that the drought would have little impact on national wheat supply.
"The provincial wheat harvesting area is less than 1 million hectares for Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Gansu, and Ningxia. The national wheat area is about 23 million hectares in 2006," he said.
"As a result, we are not expecting that the ongoing drought will have a big impact on national market prices but it may have a big impact on local grain markets."
The FAO does not have the market price information in these affected local markets yet but warned that the drought will have a serious impact on vulnerable groups, particularly in affected mountain areas, where there are few alternative sources of income.
The drought in Ningxia started in 2004, and some districts have not received significant rainfall for more than 600 days. In the worst-hit districts, over 60 per cent of winter wheat crops were reported as totally lost, with a 40-50 per cent reduction in output in the remaining areas.
The FAO says that out of 2 million acres of planned spring crops, only around 30 per cent were planted.
In Hebei, almost 5 million acres of agricultural land have been severely affected by two consecutive drought seasons, and the level of groundwater has fallen by 2 feet.
The affected areas are among China's poorest regions, with 2004 per capita annual incomes of rural households of $227 in Yunnan, $226 in Gansu, and $283 in Ningxia. Over half of rural households live under the poverty line and have limited access to food.


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Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles
'Sorbus tianschanica' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
There are no active references in this article.
A tree to about 25 ft high in the wild, or a shrub; branchlets glabrous or almost so, olive-brown or reddish brown, purplish brown in the second season; winter buds about 3⁄8 in. long, narrowly conical, acute, the scales white-hairy on the back or only at the edge. Leaves 4 to 6 in. long including petiole; rachis glabrous, or sometimes with woolly tufts at the insertions of the leaflets, which are in five to seven pairs, lanceolate, 11⁄2 to 2 in. long, 3⁄8 to 5⁄8 in. wide, tapered to an acute apex, toothed in the upper half or two-thirds, almost glabrous beneath when mature. Inflorescence lax, 4 to 6 in. wide, more or less glabrous. Flowers white or sometimes tinged with pink, unusually large, about 5⁄8 in. wide on the introduced plants and apparently even wider on some wild plants; receptacle glabrous. Carpels free almost to the base. Fruits globose, about 3⁄8 in. wide, glabrous. Bot. Mag., t.7755.
Native mainly of Soviet Central Asia, but extending southwest into Afghanistan, northwest Pakistan and the inner parts of Kashmir, and eastward as far as the Chinese province of Kansu; introduced from Russia in 1895. So far, this species has not been a success in this country, though with so wide a range in Asia it may yet provide a form adapted to our climate. A plant that once grew at Borde Hill in Sussex, planted in 1907, had not produced a fruit by 1932, when it was 5 ft high. Dr Fox’s plant in the Winkworth Arboretum grew to be 9 ft high in nineteen years and in that time flowered once, without bearing fruits. In Scotland it succeeds better.
For a species supposedly related to S. tianschanica, see S. cashmiriana,


Gray WhalePhotos, Pictures, Prints
View gray whale photos, license gray whale stock pictures, and buy stunning gray whale prints by award winning professional photographer Jon Cornforth. To license an image for editorial or commercial use, click on the License Image button and fill out the form. To purchase a fine art print, select your image size and presentation style before clicking on the Buy Print button.
Gray Whales (Eschrichtius robustus) are a species of whale that lives in the Eastern (American) and Western (Asian) Pacific Ocean. In the past, populations of this whale lived in the North Atlantic as well. However, those became extinct in the 17th century.
These whales boast streamlined bodies, with narrow, tapered heads. They are dark gray in color and covered by gray-white patterns. These are scars left by parasites, which drop off in the cold feeding grounds. Though these whales lack a dorsal fin, they bear several dorsal ‘knuckles’. In terms of size, they reach a length of up to 52 ft (16 m), a weight of 36 tons (32,000 kg). Like sperm whales, they live to an age of 50-60 years.
The Eastern Pacific or California gray whale population numbers between 20,000 and 22,000 whales. These travel between the Bering and Chukchi Seas and Baja Mexico. In the fall, the California gray whale starts a 2-3 month, 5,000-7,000 miles (8,000-11,000 km) trip south along the west coast of North America.
The animals travel in small groups. When they reach the coastal waters of Baja California, they breed and give birth. Females bear a single calf, at intervals of 2 or more years. Courtship and mating behavior are complex, and frequently involve 3 or more whales of mixed sexes. After several weeks, the return trip starts.
Because of these whales’ predictable appearances, whale watching is very popular in southern California and Baja Mexico. The best locations to photograph these whales in Baja are Laguna San Ignacio, Magdalena Bay, and Scammon’s Lagoon. ‘Friendly’ whales are most commonly encountered at San Ignacio during the months of February and March.
Explore with Cornforth Images.


The miracle at the center of the Hanukkah story centers around a small cruet of oil that miraculously kept the eternal flame in the Temple of Jerusalem burning for eight days when everyone thought it would only last one. Therefore, it was decided by future generations of Jews that the best way to celebrate Hanukkah would be by eating lots of oil — more specifically, food fried in oil. In most parts of the world, Jews eat pancakes, or latkes, but in Israel, they eat jelly-filled doughnuts, called sufganiyot, a combination of North African pastries called sfenj (fried balls of dough dipped in honey) and European jelly-filled doughnuts. According to one source, sufganiyot were popularized in the 1920s (when Israel was still called Palestine and governed by the British) by a labor organization that argued that while latkes could be made at home, it took a professional to make good sufganiyot, which meant more work for bakers. Here’s a list of bakeries that are selling sufganiyot this Hanukkah in Chicago, one for each night.
As of August 20, the city has mandated that everyone wear facial coverings while indoors. For updated information on coronavirus cases, please visit the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 dashboard. Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose a low-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.Read More


Born in Potsdam, Prussia, Heiman immigrated to the United States in 1834, arriving in Nashville, Tennessee in 1837, after spending time in New York City and New Orleans. Heiman was trained as a stone cutter, and his early work primarily consisted of designing and creating monuments. From 1837 to 1841, he worked on the First Baptist Church, on Fifth Avenue (no longer extant), and the tombstones in the City Cemetery in Nashville, after which time he volunteered for service in the Mexican-American War of 1846–1848. Wounded in the Battle of Cerro Gordo and the Battle of Monterey, Heiman returned to Nashville at the rank of major and became a self-fashioned architect. From an initial commission to design a suspension bridge across Nashville’s Cumberland River, Heiman built a positive reputation through work on a multitude projects, including the Tennessee Hospital for the Insane, the Adelphi Theatre, the Belmont Mansion (now part of Belmont University), and the vault at Mount Olivet Cemetery (now Confederate Memorial Hall), all in Nashville. Outside Tennessee, he designed the St. John’s College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the First Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. He served the Confederacy during the Civil War, ultimately becoming the assistant adjutant-general of the Tennessee Military Department. Using his skill as a military engineer, he built Fort Heiman on the bank of the Tennessee River near present-day New Concord, Kentucky. In 1862 Heiman was imprisoned for six months at Fort Warren, in Boston, until being released because of ill health. Although he was transferred immediately to a Confederate hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, he died soon thereafter and was interred at the Confederate Circle of Nashville’s Mount Olivet Cemetery.


Economically drying of fruit seeds
Important when drying fruit seeds is that the seeds will not stick to each other. Therefore, it is wise to let the seeds move whilst drying. By doing this, you will prevent double seeds. A drum dryer is extremely suitable for this; either loose seeds or seeds in small bags will – because of the rotation of the drum dryer – keep moving whilst there is drying air blown along the seeds. The moving prevents that the seeds will stick to each other.
Example of a mobile drum dryer for two drums.
Each drum dryer has got an own fan so that there can be a desired amount of air set per drum.
The dryer can work either with or without heater.
The dryer is mobile and only requires a 230V or 400V connection.
When the seeds are dry on the outside, they will not stick to each other anymore. Then it is not necessary anymore that the seeds stay in the drum. They can continue drying static. A very economical way of drying is by some open or closed drawer dryer.
Seeds can be collected in drawers.
Drawers with fine stainless steel mesh for ventilation
On the left, the open drawer dryer. This can be placed in a conditioned room. Air from this room will get sucked through the seeds. In this way, the seeds will be dried optimally at the right temperature and moisture content.
On the right, the conditioned closed drawer dryer. The front is foreseen of a rolling shutter. The drawer dryer can be placed at any desired (working) place.
The drawers have got a dimension of 400x800mm or 400x400mm. Other dimensions are possible.
Left: by opening the rolling shutter, the complete front will get opened and the drawers can be placed.
Normally, the conditioned drawer dryer has got 6 drawers.
When placing a drawer, the drawer will be automatically aerated.
Right: air is being sucked through the seeds per drawer. The air is blown to the conditioning unit at the top. There, the air will be dried and brought to the right temperature.


How to Make Healthy Choices in the Lunch Line
The school year has started for many, and for us parents; we are trying to get back to a schedule. Along with buying schools supplies, new clothes and packing backpacks comes the worry that our kiddos are getting the nutrition they need during the school day.
While many families pack a lunch, many students do purchase lunch at school. I’m a registered dietitian, and a mom, and understand the worry that children might not be making healthy decisions when it comes to filling their plate at school.
Here are a few simple tips to encourage kids to make the right choices in the lunch line.
Look at the menu together.
Look over the cafeteria’s weekly menu together and discuss choices ahead of time. In a rush, kids may just grab what they see first, but knowing what is available ahead of time takes away the pressure of an impulse choice. Remind them that half the plate should be fruits and veggies!
Talk about beverages.
It’s not just food choices that matter. Many beverages are filled with added sugar. Suggest water, or low-fat milk and talk to them about choosing fresh fruits over fruit juices.
Recap the day.
Ask what they had for lunch and talk about their choices, the tastes and whether or not they enjoyed the food. This helps them to understand that their lunch choices are important and important enough to talk about.
Make it fun!
Let your kid’s know that it is okay to buy their favorite lunch items and enjoy Pizza Friday as long as they are incorporating fruits and veggies. Eating healthy is all about teaching kids balance and moderation.
Healthy choices at home.
Help your child establish healthy habits at home. How we eat at home will affect our child’s choices at school.
Many schools have salad bars, which can be really fun for kids to create a salad masterpiece. Find out how your school can apply for a salad bar.


Don't change your passwords too often, UK intelligence says
Security experts are often advising computer users to change their passwords to safeguard against hacking. However, the UK’s intelligence agency is advising the public to do exactly the opposite, as new passwords are likely to be forgotten or written down.
UK intelligence and the Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG), which is part of the security organization GCHQ, has advised those using a computer to ignore previous advice every couple of months.
Password expiry - Why CESG decided to advise against this long-established security guideline https://t.co/8YSIZteyZ6#passwordday— CESG HMG (@CESG_HMG) May 5, 2016
“The problem is that this doesn’t take into account the inconvenience to users - the ‘usability costs’ - of forcing users to frequently change their passwords. The majority of password policies force us to use passwords that we find hard to remember,” CESG said on its website.
If a person is constantly changing their password, the chances are that it will be written down because of the difficulty in remembering it. However, this makes an account vulnerable to being unlawfully entered should the password fall into the wrong hands.
“It’s one of those counter-intuitive security scenarios; the more often users are forced to change passwords, the greater the overall vulnerability to attack. What appeared to be a perfectly sensible, long-established piece of advice doesn’t, it turns out, stand up to a rigorous, whole-system analysis,” CESG stated.
One of the problems CESG says with changing a password at regular intervals is due to the fact that the public become complacent about the new password they pick. This can be something similar to their old password or one that has been used for another account.
Speaking in April 2015, former National Security Agency contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden recommended using “passphrases” instead of passwords as he said it takes a computer less than a second to crack any eight-character password.
“The best advice here is to shift your thinking from passWORDs to passPHRASES,” Snowden recommended. “Think about a common phrase that works for you. It’s too long to brute force and also make them unlikely to be in the dictionary.”


It is usually a mild infection that affects children by age 2. It sometimes can affects adults. This is a commonest type of infection that most of the children have been infected by the time they enter kindergarten. Roseola is caused by two common strains of herpes virus.
Symptoms of roseola appears usually after a week or two after getting infection. But this condition can also be asymptomatic. Patient with roseola presents with:
- Sudden, high grade fever along with sore throat, runny nose or cough
- Rashes appear when fever subsidies and usually consists of small pink spots and patches. Rashes usually starts from abdomen and then spreads to the neck and arms
- Children become irritable
- Mild diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Eyelid swollen
Usually the commonest cause of this infection is human herpes virus 6, but it can also be caused by human herpes virus 7. Roseola is transmitted from person to another person through infected saliva or secretions. Roseola, even in the absence of rashes is a highly contagious disease. Unlike other viral illnesses that have relatively rapid spread, roseola rarely results in an outbreak.
Usually complications are rare with roseola but it can become complicated in low immunity people such as:
Diagnosis depends upon detailed medical history and complete general physical examination of the patient. Along with this examination for rashes is very crucial as telltale rash is present in roseola patient. Antibodies to roseola can also be detected in blood test.
Usually roseola is a self-limiting infection. Over-the-counter medications for fever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) can be prescribed. Aspirin should be used with caution as it is linked to a life-threatening condition in children, Reye’s syndrome. Antibiotics are not given. Antiviral drugs such as acyclovir can be prescribed in patients with low immunity.
Lifestyle and home remedies
- Lot’s of rest
- Drink plenty of fluid and electrolyte rehydration solution (Pedialyte, others)
- Sponge baths


The need for local governance of global commons
To limit global warming to 1.5 ◦C, vast amounts of CO2 will have to be removed from the atmosphere via Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). Enhancing the CO2 sequestration of ecosystems will require not just one approach but a portfolio of CDR options, including so-called nature-based approaches alongside CDR options that are perceived as more technical. Creating a CDR “supply curve” would however imply that all carbon removals are considered to be perfect substitutes. The various co-benefits of nature-based CDR approaches militate against this. We discuss this aspect of nature-based solutions in connection with the enhancement of blue carbon ecosystems (BCE) such as mangrove or seagrass habitats. Enhancing BCEs can indeed contribute to CO2 sequestration, but the value of their carbon storage is low compared to the overall contribution of their ecosystem services to wealth. Furthermore, their property rights are often unclear, i.e. not comprehensively defined or not enforced. Hence, payment schemes that only compensate BCE carbon sequestration could create tradeoffs at the expense of other important, often local, ecosystem services and might not result in socially optimal outcomes. Accordingly, one chance for preserving and restoring BCEs lies in the consideration of all services in potential compensation schemes for local communities. Also, local contexts, management structures, and benefit-sharing rules are crucial factors to be taken into account when setting up international payment schemes to support the use of BCEs and other nature- or ecosystem-based CDR. However, regarding these options as the only hope of achieving more CDR will very probably not bring about the desired outcome, either for climate mitigation or for ecosystem preservation. Unhalted degradation, in turn, will make matters worse due to the large amounts of stored carbon that would be released. Hence, countries committed to climate mitigation in line with the Paris targets should not hide behind vague pledges to enhance natural sinks for removing atmospheric CO2 but commit to scaling up engineered CDR.
The commentary is published at Ecological Economics:
Prof. Marie-Catherine Riekhof


In 2005, the one billionth Internet user logged on to the World Wide Web. Hundreds of thousands of new users log in for the first time each week. It is estimated that the 2 billion user mark will be reached in less than 10 years from now. There is no question that the World Wide Web is growing and becoming more important each day.
More than ever, individuals and companies rely on the stability of the Internet for a constant exchange and display of important information. Virtually every financial institution in the world stores information on and uses the Internet to shift commodities and allow customers access to their funds. Millions of businesses rely on the web as their lifeblood and direct connection to their customer base. Critical information is exchanged between institutions of higher learning, hospitals, and research facilities. It is indisputable that the importance of a redundant, reliable Internet is crucial in modern times.
The Internet backbone is a conglomeration of multiple networks, routing facilities, and servers that provide a multiple redundancy approach to keeping information online available and secure. Simply put, it enables back up networks to take on the load of a failed network or multiple failed networks.
Each ISP (Internet Service Provider) is equipped with its own contingency backbone network or is at least equipped with an outsourced backup. These smaller networks are interlinked and intertwined to provide the multi-faceted backup redundancy needed to keep the web intact in case of partial failure through peering and transit agreements.
Peering is the term assigned to the sharing of Internet traffic and users voluntarily by multiple networks, typically privately owned by companies. Peering typically refers to these networks being shared with no monetary gain being obtained by their owners. Rather, an agreement is made between multiple parties to handle each other's traffic in times of need, with each network gaining its revenue from its own customer base. A transit agreement is a particular type of peering arrangement between ISPs that may contain a monetary agreement. Generally larger ISPs will create multiple transit agreements with smaller ISPs that are in need of additional facilities than they possess.
With each passing year, the importance of the World Wide Web and its contents increases exponentially. As more users log on each day, the need for a worldwide redundant communication and storage network becomes more imperative to effective and reliable commerce and stability. The backbone of the Internet will continue to evolve and progress in relation to increased needs of the world economy and interconnectivity of its users.
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The Great War
There were two different establishments of Cavalry Regiment during the Great War, with three and four squadrons respectively. Cavalry Regiments were part of a Cavalry Division, or attached to Armies, Corps, or even a single infantry division in a reconnaissance role.
Both types of Cavalry Regiment for the period had a Machine Gun Section similar to that of the Infantry Battalion of the Great War. However, where an Infantry MG Section used 1 Limbered Wagon for very two guns, the Cavalry used 1 Limbered Wagon per gun and was therefore able to transport more ammunition and be more independent.
Providing reinforcement drafts to the Cavalry Regiments were Reserve Cavalry Regiments. There was one reserve regiment linked to two line regiments. The War Establishment of the Reserve Regiment was increased in November 1914 to allow for additional signallers to replace ‘wastage’ at the front.
The Inter-War Period
The Cavalry Regiment of the immediate (1923) inter-war period was formed of a Regimental headquarters, a headquarter wing and three squadrons. A Vickers machine gun troop was included in the headquarter wing, with Hotchkiss light automatics in each of the squadrons.
- Gudmundsson, 2005
- The National Archives, WO 24/931, War Establishments 1923.


Researchers may have found a way to prevent intestinal damage during stem cell transplantation. Donor stem cells can damage the intestinal membrane of children in a life-threatening way. As stated by Dr Caroline Lindemans, from the Prinses Máxima Centrum (Utrecht) and TransplantChild member: “By administering ruxolitinib early in the treatment, we may be able to protect the intestinal mucosa”.
Caroline Lindemans, a stem cell transplant doctor at the Princess Máxima Center, investigated how the T cells damage the intestinal mucosa. “The T cells in the donor bone marrow secrete a substance that damages and even destroys intestinal stem cells, causing long-term damage to the intestine. If this happens we will treat it with more anti-immune drugs such as Prednisone. “But the treatments we give now to inhibit T cells do not work well enough. Too many children still die from Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD).”
“The death of a child from GvHD is terrible,” says Dr Lindemans. “The intestinal damage causes very serious diarrhoea, making the child more and weaker,” says Lindemans. “It is also inconceivable for parents that, after finally getting cancer under control in their child, they can also be bitten by another dog.”
The findings were published in the journal Science Immunology. The project was conducted at the Child Health and Regenerative Medicine department at UMC Utrecht and at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “We must now investigate whether it also works with children with GvHD”, says Dr Lindemans. “We hope to start a clinical study to find out.”


The Enigmatic Venoms of Heloderma – Trophic Adaptation or Optimized for Defense?
Mackessy, Stephen P.
School of Biological Sciences
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, Colorado USA
The Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) and Beaded Lizard (H. horridum) are the only non-snake squamate reptiles known to produce venoms, and the protein compositional complexity of these venoms is comparable to that observed in many viperid species. Like rattlesnake venoms, Heloderma venoms contain representatives of more than 12 protein families, including potent hemorrhagic metalloproteinases, and the lethal toxicity (~1-2 µg/g) is likewise similar. However, unlike all venomous snakes, which produce venoms in temporal venom gland, venoms are produced in a non-homologous submandibular gland and delivered under low pressure via grooved mandibular teeth. The primary role of venoms in snakes as a trophic adaptation is well accepted, but a similar role for Heloderma venoms, which feed largely on defenseless prey, seems unlikely. An anti-predator role has long been suggested, and human envenomations by Heloderma are quite painful (i.e., strong negative stimulus), but the complexity of the venom has argued against this as a primary role, as a much simpler venom should suffice. However, recent observations suggest that secretion of venom from the submandibular glands is stimulated by agitation of the animal, and greatly decreased in a quiescent animal, again suggesting a role in defense. Heloderma venoms lack several canonical venom proteins, including L-amino acid oxidase and phosphodiesterase, and contain several novel peptides, including exendins, which possess interesting pharmacologies but lack any significant toxicity, strongly indicating that these are not venom toxins in the traditional sense. The actual biological role remains uncertain but likely extends beyond these typical functions. Unraveling the function(s) of submandibular “venoms” in helodermatid lizards will require a novel approach to determining exactly how these secretions are used by the lizards and what biological roles they fulfill.


evidence of chemical reactions
atoms of 1 or more substances are rearranged to form different substances
evidence of chemical change
temp change, color change, gas bubbles, precipitate-solid resulting from 2 clear liquids
-law of conservation-matter is neither created nor destroyed (matter is conserved during a reaction)
written out instructions of an equation
uses chemical formulas to identify reactants and products
must show how law of conservation of matter is obeyed
# atoms of reactants=?
# atoms of products
number written in front of a reactant or product.
-describes the lowest whole ration of amounts of all reactants and products
also called composition reactions; 2 elements or simple compounds combine to form new compounds; generally compounds produced are larger or more complex than the reactants
normally involve a substance reacting rapidly with oxygen gas, releasing heat and light
a single compound breaks down into 2 or more elements or less complex compounds; most are endothermic.
break down to metal chloride and oxygen gas
break down to metal oxide and carbon dioxide
break down to metal oxide and water
weak acids break down to non-metal oxide and water
certain metal oxides
metal oxide breaks down to metal and oxygen
electrolysis of molten salts
breaks down to the basic elements


Weekly Cumulative All-Cause Mortality by Calendar Year
These charts shows the weekly cumulative excess deaths by calendar year from all-causes for Germany and its states over time.
Saarland reported 4,413 deaths, for the 52 weeks of year 2020 (75-84 years of age). Expected deaths were 4,123. That is an increase of +290 deaths (+7.0%).
Saarland reported 4,394 deaths for the 52 weeks of year 2021 (75-84 years of age). Expected deaths were 3,875. That is an increase of +519 deaths (+13.4%).
Saarland reported 4,378 deaths for the 52 weeks of year 2022 (75-84 years of age). Expected deaths were 3,864. That is an increase of +514 deaths (+13.3%).
Year to date, Saarland reported 1,372 deaths for the 16 weeks of year 2023 (75-84 years of age). Expected deaths were 1,305. That is an increase of +67 deaths (+5.1%).
These are raw undadjusted numbers as reported by the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis.de). Excess is calculated by substracting deaths from the baseline. The baseline is calculated as the pre-pandemic average of 2015-2019 adjusted for the linear trend (10y linear regression). Striked out series can be toggled by clicking on the legend. We use a projection algorithm to account for the delay in reporting based on up to 8 weeks of previous reports. The figures, are not suitable forcomparison between states, as they do not normalize for differences in population size and age structure.


In 1176/7 Richard FitzNigel was asked to compose the Dialogue of the Exchequer while 'sitting by the window of a tower (specule) next to the river Thames’, probably in his house in Westminster.1 Important figures in royal government like Richard must have settled and spent much time in Westminster around this period, as governmental affairs came to be transacted more often in this place. By this time, Westminster was on the way to becoming the ‘royal capital’. Such development, however, was quite uncertain when William the Conqueror was crowned at Westminster several months after the battle of Hastings. London was then already the largest and most influential town in England, which needed to be subdued by William before his coronation, but Westminster was to develop as a relatively small but distinct urban community in the Middle Ages, and in 1066 it was rather a bleak damp area that stretched around the abbey rebuilt by Edward the Confessor, though there were around it some houses, which were set on fire during William's coronation.2 .
|Title of host publication||Rulership and Rebellion in the Anglo-Norman World, C.1066-C.1216|
|Subtitle of host publication||Essays in Honour of Professor Edmund King|
|Publisher||Ashgate Publishing Ltd|
|Number of pages||14|
|Publication status||Published - 2015 Jan 1|
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities(all)


The Last Revolutionaries: The Conspiracy Trial of Gracchus Babeuf and the Equals is the story of a poor man and radical activist who fought to revive the French Revolution, and whose failure heralded the republic’s defeat.
Laura Mason tells a new story about the French Revolution by exploring the trial of Gracchus Babeuf. Named by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as the “first modern communist,” Babeuf was a poor man, an autodidact, and an activist accused of conspiring to reignite the Revolution and renew political terror. In one of the lengthiest and most controversial trials of the revolutionary decade, Babeuf and his allies defended political liberty and social equality against a regime they accused of tyranny. Mason refracts national political life through Babeuf’s trial to reveal how this explosive event destabilized a fragile republic. Although the French Revolution is celebrated as a founding moment of modern representative government, this book reminds us that the experiment failed in just ten years. Mason explains how an elected government’s assault on popular democracy and social justice destroyed the republic, and why that matters now.
“Very much a book for our times. Mason’s retelling of the trial of Gracchus Babeuf and the French Revolution shows how democracies end. Historians of revolutions and all those concerned with the arc of social justice movements have much to learn from this remarkable story.”Sophia Rosenfeld, University of Pennsylvania


We’ve only had a single sighting with Longman’s beaked whales (Indopacetus pacificus) – a group of ~35 individuals offshore of Kona in August 2007. In spite of this, there have been numerous likely reports of large groups of Longman’s beaked whales off the island of Hawai‘i and in offshore waters around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, along with a single stranding in March 2010. While this species remains elusive for the moment, we hope to encounter them again in the future!
Below is a slideshow featuring images of Longman’s beaked whales from Hawai‘i. You can hover your mouse over the images for more information.
References on Longman’s beaked whales:
- Baird, R.W. 2016. The lives of Hawai‘i’s dolphins and whales: natural history and conservation. University of Hawai‘i Press, Honolulu, Hawai‘i. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780824865931.
- Rankin, S., S. Baumann-Pickering, T. Yack, and J. Barlow. 2011. Description of sounds recorded from Longman’s beaked whale, Indopacetus pacificus. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 130. EL339-EL344.
- West, K.L., D. Rotstein, K.M. Robertson, S. Dennison, G. Levine, N. Davis, D. Schofield, C.W. Potter, and B. Jensen. 2012. A Longman’s beaked whale (Indopacetus pacificus) strands in Maui, Hawaii, with first case of morbillivirus in the central Pacific. Marine Mammal Science 29(4):767-776.
All photos are copyrighted and should not be used without permission.
Updated May 2023.


In Computer Science our aim is that all students
- can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
- can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated the practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
- can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
- are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology
We believe that delivering a high-quality computer science education equips students to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computer science has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems.
At Sancroft, computing is taught in discreet computing lessons but the use of technology is encouraged to support learning across all curriculum areas. We use The NCCE Computing Curriculum scheme of work to cover the three areas of the Computing National Curriculum: Digital literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology. You can discover more about this at https://teachcomputing.org/curriculum
The core of computing is computer science, in which students are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, students are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that students become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
Please refer to the Online Safety documents for how this is delivered across the curriculum.


36. Do Laws About Religion Take Atheism into Account?
Atheism in Five Minutes - Teemu Taira
Lori G. Beaman [+]
University of Ottowa
Lori G. Beaman, Ph.D., F.R.S.C., is the Canada Research Chair in Religious Diversity and Social Change, Professor in the Department of Classics and Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa, and Director of the ‘Nonreligion in a Complex Future’ project (nonreligionproject.ca). She previously directed the ‘Religion and Diversity Project’ (religionanddiversity.ca). Her publications include The Transition of Religion to Culture in Law and Public Discourse (Routledge, 2020), Deep Equality in an Era of Religious Diversity (Oxford University Press, 2017, and ‘Living Well Together in a (non)Religious Future: Contributions from the Sociology of Religion,’ Sociology of Religion. Professor Beaman received the 2017 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Impact Award in the Insight Category and holds an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University.
This chapter considers the intersection of atheism and law. Specifically, it examines legal protections for atheists (and other nonreligious people) through human rights guarantees of the freedom of and from religion. The chapter also explores the ways that religion is subtly privileged in, for example, courts mandating attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (with its reference to a "higher power") or the persistence of religious symbols in public institutions. Despite this, the chapter argues that the growth of the numbers of atheists and nonreligious people in recent years has the potential to shift legal frameworks dealing with religion.