The Japanese from Zero! series is well-known for its easy-going style when it comes to teaching Japanese. A key feature of books in this series is the "progressive" layout, which entails mixing in Japanese characters you're supposed to know after you've been introduced to them in previous lessons. This means you will see words written in mixed romaji and hiragana in book 1, romaji and katakana in book 2, and hiragana with kanji from book 3 onward. Some people find this style of learning very intuitive while others do not. Chapters are highly organized, and the overall style feels light and fun – recently-upgraded illustrations include cute, line-drawn animals and characters. There are plenty of exercises and games inside the text to promote practice. An answer key, glossary, and even Japanese name guide can be found in the back as well.
The material covered by this book does not follow the typical progression of most big-name textbooks and really excels at doing its own thing. Some chapters include:
- Colors and adjectives
- Likes and dislikes
- Asking for things
- Telling time
Most people see the difficulty of this book as most appropriate for younger learners because it really takes its time with presenting content. On the other hand, this style may actually be more appropriate for older learners considering the fact that learning languages tends to get harder with age. In any case, this book makes for a fantastic, light introduction to the Japanese language – truly a "from zero" approach. You can read the full review here.


Defoamers and antifoams
What are defoamers and antifoams?
A defoamer, or antifoam, is a chemical additive that will reduce or eliminate foam from forming in industrial process liquids.
Defoaming is the removal of air and bubbles from liquids used in a wide range of industrial water treatment applications including food processing, fermentation, textiles manufacturing, wastewater management and in the paper and pulp industry.
Increased foam can be a result of biological activity, mechanical action or chemical contamination. Foam is a challenge as it can reduce total capacity production volumes, reduce volume outputs and increase operational costs.
What are the benefits of our defoamers and antifoams?
Foam production can be a significant manufacturing challenge. Unwanted foam is often a result of surfactant and additives found in formulations.
Benefits of our defoamers and antifoams include:
- Excellent product stability in a wide range of conditions
- Significant reduction of foam meaning effortless release of trapped gases
- Reduction of maintenance costs
- Improvement of biodegradability and reduced bioaccumulation
- Can be used in areas where there are stricter environmental restrictions in place.
We recognise that foam control in water treatment processes involves challenging and changing environments and we are committed to providing tailored advice and solutions to support your requirements.
InvertersLearn more about our products
Inverters are used in the manufacture of inverse polymer emulsions. Our range of non-Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APE) inverters offer several performance advantages for inverse polymer emulsions that are formulated using traditional emulsifiers.Read more


Common App Essay Topics
How to Write a Common App Essay
Entering a college calls for persistence, curiosity, articulation and talent. A common application essay will make it possible to reveal all your talents, background and acquired knowledge. Every student should be well aware of how to write such types of papers. As a rule, there is no difference for the teachers what topic you are going to choose. The only thing that really matters is that your topic is meaningful to you.
How to Start a Common App Essay
Starting to write such an essay is rather easy. All you need to do is focus on your keen interests, likes, preferences and talents. The term paper is not about boasting your skills or showing off. Yet, you need to point out your key advantages and background on a particular topic. Therefore, choosing an interest style of talking about yourself, basically, selling yourself is of great significance.
Common App Essay Topics and Examples
- Describe a person you admire.
- Why do you want to attend this school?
- What is a book you love?
- What is an extracurricular activity that has been meaningful to you?
- What is your favorite sport?
- Who is your favorite author?
- Who is your favorite actor?
- Who is your favorite politician?
- How does a failure affect you?
- Compare decisions you made while challenging a belief
- Discuss a formal event
- Discuss an informal event
- Share your background
- What subjects are you good at?
- Who affects your actions in family?
- What is your favorite art form?
- Describe your ideal lecture
- How will you make friends with your classmates?
- What is the most defining event in your life?
- What can influence your choice?
Common App Essay Outline and Format
A common app essay does not have a strict outline. Nevertheless, it is supposed to be well-organized and structured. Use a traditional outline featuring such defined sections as:
- Body Paragraph


A 2-foot-high evergreen shrub native to the woods and woodland edges of the Pacific Northwest, mahonia gives a shady area three seasons of interest. Erect racemes covered with clear yellow flowers rise from the plant’s leaf axils or from the main stem tip in spring. In contrast to these upright blooms are long, elegant, compound leaves made up of leaflets with spiny edges. In fall, some leaves turn a lovely wine-red. During summer, clusters of berries mature to dark blue with a powdery whitish coating.
Noteworthy CharacteristicsSpreads very slowly by stolons. Three seasons of interest. Grows in shade.
CareGrows very slowly by stolons, so plant close to the density you want to achieve. Needs slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter and shelter from severe weather, especially desiccating winter winds. Does not tolerate soggy conditions, but thrives in dry shade once established.
PropagationSow seed outdoors in autumn or as soon as ripe, stratifying them to enhance germination rates. Root semi-ripe or leaf-bud cuttings from late summer to autumn.
ProblemsRust, leaf spots, galls, scale insects, and whiteflies can be problems.
- Genus : Mahonia
- Plant Height : 1 to 3 feet
- Plant Width : 1 to 3 feet
- Zones : 6, 7, 8
- Moisture : Medium Moisture
- Maintenance : Moderate
- Light : Partial Shade to Full Shade
- Characteristics : Showy Foliage, Showy Fruit
- Plant Type : Shrubs
- Growth Rate : Slow
- Bloom Time : Spring
- Plant Seasonal Interest : Spring Interest
- Flower Color : Yellow


On February 6, 2019, Rana Mitter, Professor of the History and
Politics of Modern China at the University of Oxford, gave a
lecture on "War and the Making of a New World Order in Asia, 1937
to the Present."
From the Chinese Revolution of 1911 to the May 19 Movement of
1957, from the Xidan Democracy Wall of 1978 to the Democracy
Movement in 1989, Chinese people have never ceased in their
struggle for democracy. When the Tiananmen Massacre shocked
Benjamin Elman, Gordon Wu
’58 Professor of Chinese Studies at Princeton University and former
Mellon Visiting Professor (1999-2001) in the School of Historical
Studies at the Institute, delivered a public lecture, “Philologists
as Rogues? The Life...
When Fang Lizhi, one of China’s most distinguished
scientists, began in 1986 to talk to his students about the
“universal rights” of human beings, he knew the risks. In those
days, the use of the term “rights” in China was highly sensitive,
Three years ago, just before it was scheduled to shut down in
preparation for its second phase, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
discovered the Higgs boson. Its discovery was expected, having been
predicted nearly sixty years earlier by Peter Higgs...
Addressing an international audience in 2004, Professor Dong
Guangbi, an erudite historian of science, summarized Chinese
physics development over the previous century, and he argued that
the country from which Chinese physicists and physics...
Women’s rights have come a long way since the beginning of the
twentieth century. Before that, if a European or American woman
were married, her husband owned the wages she might earn and
controlled any property or inheritance she might bring.
Historians today can hardly answer the question: when does
history begin? Traditional boundaries between history,
protohistory, and prehistory have been blurred if not completely
erased by the rise of concepts such as “Big History” and


The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to rely heavily on satellite and airborne remote sensing data for monitoring and research of Kilauea Volcano’s ongoing summit and East Rift Zone eruptions.
Thermal imagery is particularly useful for tracking the advancement of active lava flows on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. Satellite data from Landsat, EO-1 and the ASTER have shortwave and longwave infrared bands with pixel sizes of tens of meters, which provides a rough idea of the nature of surface lava flows. To improve the thermal mapping of the lava flow field and improve hazard assessments, USGS scientists are now regularly producing high-resolution (~1-m) thermal maps of the flow field using oblique thermal images collected during helicopter overflights. The thermal images, taken with a handheld thermal camera, are merged into an orthomosaic using structure-from-motion software and then georeferenced. Creating these high-resolution thermal maps can be done in a few hours following the overflight, allowing them to be used for operational monitoring.
The high-resolution thermal maps provide new details on the dynamics of pahoehoe flow fields. First, the maps provide a detailed picture of the distribution of surface breakouts, which are often clustered in groups. Second, the thermal maps clearly delineate the path of the subsurface lava tube, as surface temperatures above the tube are generally 15–50 °C higher than the surroundings. Third, the thermal maps allow more detailed tracking of the lava ocean entry and can show hot cracks on the lava delta that are sometimes a prelude to collapse events. More details can be found in Patrick et al. 2017.
Thermal maps produced from oblique thermal images collected during the June 29, 2017, helicopter overflight of Kilauea’s East Rift Zone lava flow field. The thermal map covers the current episode 61g lava flow.


Seasonal Allergies in Pets
It may surprise you that dogs and cats, like humans, can suffer from seasonal allergies. This happens when their immune systems become sensitive to substances present in their surroundings. Pollens from trees, grass, and weeds can be especially problematic. In the case of dogs, can develop allergies at any age, with some breeds being more prone than others. Terriers, Setters, Retrievers, and flat-faced breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs and Boston terriers are more likely to suffer from these types allergies.
General allergy symptoms include:
- Itchy, red, skin (allergic dermatitis)
- Itchy, runny eyes
- Itchy ears and ear infections
- Snoring caused by an inflamed throat
- Paw chewing/swollen paws
- Constant licking
If you suspect that your pet has seasonal allergies, you should schedule a trip to the Vet. Your veterinarian will be able to determine if your pet has seasonal allergies as opposed to other types of allergies such as food, fleas, or environment substances like dust or cleaning products.
If your cat is allergic to environmental pollutants, it may worsen your cat’s asthma. In this case, your vet may prescribe medications that open your cat’s airway for the short-term; long term solutions include corticosteroids. And here’s a good reminder: cigarette smoke is bad for your cat, especially if your cat has asthma.
Treatment for allergies can include allergy injections, oral antihistamines such as Loratadine (Claritin) or Benadryl, or in the case of severe reactions, a corticosteroid such as Prednisone may be prescribed.
Other things you do to help relieve symptoms include:
- Giving frequent cool baths with specially formulate shampoo to wash away allergens from fur and skin
- Wash paws thoroughly each time your pet comes in from outdoors
- Clean and vacuum floors and bedding on a regular basis


What Is a Multimedia Story?
Multimedia stories use several production mechanisms to bring multiple media — such as audio, video and photography, among others — to student voice in order to tell a story in a unique and interesting way. Students can take a linear series of events and create multidimensional experiences.
Why Use Multimedia Storytelling?
According to Michael Hernandez in “Empowering Students Through Multimedia Storytelling,” there are multiple reasons to produce stories in this manner. First, students develop skills necessary in other academic areas. For example, students will rely on their writing and critical thinking skills, as well as research knowledge. Further, allowing students to choose what topic they work on lets them take ownership of their projects. Multimedia literacy is an important part of the overall Common Core curriculum, and this type of project helps develop that skill.
Tools to Use
For this type of project, students can use a variety of tools, including Audacity for audio editing and Windows Movie Maker for video. There are many applications and websites that can help create this type of work, and allowing students to discover their own tools provides them with an additional learning experience.
From TV news stories to the oral tradition, storytelling is an effective way to communicate. By including multimedia options such as audio and video production, and engaging students in a topic of their interest, multimedia storytelling can offer a chance for students to create something both unique and useful.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online M.Ed. in Digital Learning and Leading program.
Edutopia: Empowering Students Through Multimedia Storytelling


Evergreen shrub growing to about 33 ft (10 m) in its natural state, but a much smaller annual when cultivated. Has large, palm-shaped leaves, green female flowers, and prickly red seed capsules.
Habitat & Cultivation
Castor oil plant is probably native to eastern Africa. It is cultivated in hot climates around the world. The seed capsules are gathered throughout the year when nearly ripe and are then put out in the sun to mature.
Seed oil, seeds.
The seeds contain 45–55% fixed oil, which consists mainly of glycerides of ricinoleic acid, ricin (a highly toxic protein), ricinine (an alkaloid), and lectins. The seeds are highly poisonous—2 are sufficient to kill an adult—but the toxins do not pass into the expressed oil.
History & Folklore
Castor oil has been used medicinally for about 4,000 years. Until recently, it was a common remedy given regularly to children “to help keep the system clear.” Owing to its unpleasant taste, castor oil is remembered as the bane of many childhoods.
Medicinal Actions & Uses
Castor oil is well known for its strongly laxative (and, in higher doses, purgative) action, prompting a bowel movement about 3–5 hours after ingestion. The oil is so effective that it is regularly used to clear the digestive tract in cases of poisoning.
Castor oil is well tolerated by the skin, and it is sometimes used as a vehicle for medicinal and cosmetic preparations. In India, the oil is massaged into the breasts after childbirth to stimulate milk flow. Indian herbalism uses a poultice of castor oil seeds to relieve swollen and tender joints. In China, the crushed seeds are used to treat facial palsy.
Do not ingest the seeds, which are extremely poisonous. Do not take castor oil during pregnancy, and do not take more often than once every few weeks as a treatment for constipation.


Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR)
Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR) is an objective test used for evaluation of hearing ability in children too young for traditional audiometric testing. Most children are referred for ASSR after a newborn hearing screen in the hospital indicates the possibility of hearing loss. Early intervention strategies, such as hearing devices or cochlear implantation, are necessary for development of speech and language skills in a child with hearing impairment. The results obtained from ASSR testing can be used to estimate the behavioral pure-tone audiogram. This information is essential in the management of children with hearing loss.
- ASSR Test Mthods
The person being tested must be very quiet and still in order to obtain reliable ASSR results. Often, testing is performed under sedation or in natural sleep if the person is under 6 months of age. Results are obtained by measuring brain activity while the person listens to tones of varying frequency (pitch) and intensity (loudness)
- How ASSR Works
The brain activity is recorded using electrodes taped on the forehead and behind each ear. The use of electrodes eliminates the need for active participation of the patient (i.e, pushing a response button every time a tone is activated). The results are detected objectively using statistical formulas that determine the presence or absence of a true response. Similar to traditional audiometric testing, threshold is determined as the lowest level at each frequency at which a response is present. ASSR provides an accurate, frequency- specific estimate of the behavioral pure-tone audiogram.
- ASSR History
The use of ASSR in estimating hearing loss in children was the subject of a recent study by Audiologists at California Ear Institute. The article “Estimation of Hearing Loss in Children: Comparison of Auditory Steady-State Response, Auditory Brainstem Response, and Behavioral Test Methods” was published in the American Journal of Audiology in December 2003.


This page describes the mean wave characteristics for Samoa.
Samoa is located at a unique location in the South Pacific where it is exposed to waves from the three main directions: The south Pacific swells, the north Pacific Swells and the trade wind waves.
The South Coasts of Samoa are exposed to the south Pacific Swell. These waves are generated near the storm belt some 4,000 km South East of New Zealand. By the time they reach Samoa, they have a long period (15s and more) but they are often not very large (1—2m). The Southern Ocean storm belt is active all year around so these swell are always present but they are more frequent and larger during the South Hemisphere winter (June to August).
Compared with the Southern Ocean storms, the Trade Winds do not blow very strongly and can only generate medium waves with a wave period between 6 and 10s. These waves are directly associated with the wind so when the wind stops they disappear. The coasts exposed to the South East, East and North East are affected by these waves. The trade winds are dominant in the South Hemisphere winter (June to August).
The North Coasts of Samoa are exposed to the North Pacific Swells, these only occur during the North Pacific Winter (December to March). These swells are typically from the North and North East with wave periods of 12s and more.
Small waves and large waves mean something different whether you live in an area exposed to the waves or in a sheltered location. The figures below map what would be considered tiny, small, large and severe waves at different location in Samoa.


The Berimbau is the most familiar and important music instrument in the Capoeira as it commands, starts and finishes the Roda and rules the game speed and style.
The berimbau’s origins are not entirely clear, but there is not much doubt on its African origins although there are evidence of musical instruments in the form of bows from India. We can learn about the development of the Berimbau over the years by other similar musical instruments that were used in Africa like “Berimbau de Boca” and others.
At present time, the Berimbau we use at the Capoeira is made of a wooden stick (Verga), Gourd (cabaça), Wire (Arame) together with Caxixi, Dobrão and Baqueta.
There are three types of Berimbaus, the three differ by the size of the Cabaça and the sound pitch they produce:
Bara Boi in the Capoeira Regional or Gunga at the Capoeira Angola is the biggest Berimbau type, it produces a low sound pitch, and usually starts to play first.
After the Bara Boi comes a medium sized Berimbau called Gunga in the Capoeira Regional or Medio in the Capoeira Angola, where the smallest Berimbau is called Viola both in Capoeira Regional and Capoeira angola, the Viola produces the highest sound pitch of the three.
You can learn more about Berimbau rhythms and the task of each Berimbau in our Rhythms page


Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5.
Most know it as poliovirus. The virus is spread person to person, typically through contaminated water. It can attack the nervous system, and in some instances, lead to paralysis. Although there is no cure, there is a safe and effective vaccine – one which Rotary and our partners use to immunize over 2.5 billion children worldwide.
Who is Affected?
Unless we eradicate polio, within 10 years, as many as 200,000 new cases could occur around the world each year. In the past few years, only two countries have reported cases of polio caused by the wild virus, but no child anywhere is safe until we’ve vaccinated every child.
At the end of the 1980s, more than 350,000 children were paralyzed by polio every year. Today, Rotary and its partners have reduced the incidence of polio by 99.9 percent. However, until we see the last of the poliovirus, eradication efforts need additional funding to:
more than 400 million children against polio every year
disease surveillance systems to detect any poliovirus in a person or the environment
more than 150,000 health workers to go door to door to find every child


Yukta is a unique and charming name for a baby Boy that has been gaining popularity in the Hindu community. The name Yukta has a beautiful meaning - "Attentive; Skillful".
|Name Length||5 Letters and 1 Word|
|The numerological value of the name Yukta is 6, the total value is 15 and Popularity in Hindu Religion: 3508|
According to Hindu beliefs, choosing a lucky name for a baby is an important decision. Yukta is associated with many lucky attributes, including the lucky stone of Fluorite, lucky metals of Promethium, and the lucky colors of Slateblue.
Yukta is also associated with the lucky zodiac sign of Libra, and the lucky days of Thursday. This name has a significant impact on the bearer's life, and its popularity is increasing day by day. In fact, Yukta is currently ranked 3508 in popularity in the Hindu religion.
Choosing the right name for a baby is a special and meaningful experience, and Yukta is a name that carries many positive and fortunate associations.
Yukta name meaning is Attentive; Skillful.
The religion of the name Yukta is Hindu.
The origin of the name Yukta is Hindi.
The Name Yukta contains 5 Letters and 1 Word.


Oral history is the skeleton of the Bootleg Coal Rebellion book—what happened in the miners’ own words. But to put together the bigger picture and verify what the interviewees talked about, the book draws on over 3,000 articles from 70 different newspapers and magazines.
Most of that requires reading between the lines. Does the reporter understand what they are reporting on? Why is it being reported? Is there something they aren’t saying? Is an article suspiciously flowery or dramatic? This is why it takes more than one article to verify an event.
In other cases, the headline says it all. This was usually in local newspapers. While events still need verified, local editors had relationships with the bootleg miners, the bootlegger unions, the UMW, and local company officials. Shamokin’s editor (Joe Agor) frequently served as mediator between bootleggers and companies. He also attended nearly every bootleg union function and often reported on them with a pen name (“The Wandering Reporter”). Coaldale’s editor, James Gildea, was even more active. He was president of the Panther Valley Equalization Committee, which repeatedly marched on company headquarters and called strikes when the company tried to close mines or lay off workers. From there, Gildea won a bid for US Congress and became the bootleggers’ representative in D.C.
Safe to say, these editors knew what was going on.
Here’s a sample of some of the most clear headlines from this time.


Our story is about water – 20 percent of the world’s fresh surface water – and the need to educate citizens and leaders about protecting the Great Lakes as a commons held in public trust now and for future generations. At FLOW (For Love of Water), we believe the enduring ideas of the commons and legal principles of the public trust can offer unifying adaptive solutions to address systemic basin-wide threats, increased water conflicts, diversions, and climate change impacts.
The Great Lakes belong to all of us. They are ours to defend.
The Great Lakes are often referred to as North America’s “crown jewels.” They are, without question, precious and valuable – but they are much more. The Great Lakes are globally unique; they are a magnificent natural resource endowment existing nowhere else on the earth.
- The Great Lakes contain 85 percent of all the fresh water in all the lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands in North America.
By ancient law, passed on from Roman times to the Magna Carta to the Northwest Ordinance, the Great Lakes are a “public trust” – waters and bottomlands held in trust for the benefit of public to use and enjoy.
With that trust comes a duty of stewardship, what the courts have called a “perpetual and solemn duty” to protect the Great Lakes for our use and enjoyment, our children’s, and that of future generations.
FLOW is dedicated to protecting and preserving the extraordinary and essential natural resource endowment and apply public trust principles to educate, advance policy, and provide solutions to the pressing water, energy and climate issues facing our region, nation and planet.


Anakena is a coral and white sand beach located in the Rapa Nui National Park on the north coast of Easter Island, Chile.
Anakena is a sandy beach on Easter Island. It is located in the middle of the north coast of the island in the Gulf of Anakena. At the end of the 500 m diameter bay on the north coast is a small white sandy beach, next to the smaller Ovahe beach one kilometer further east, it is the only one on Easter Island.
It is an atypical bay for the island, most of the coast of which is rocky and formed of black volcanic rocks. This place is considered the cradle of the history and culture of Easter Island.
The beach is part of the National Park and as part of it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.Today the area is covered with a small coconut palm grove.
Access : Coordinates: -27.073889, -109.322778 / Anakena is a bay on the north coast of Easter Island.
- According to local legends, Legend has it that this is where Hotu Matua, the mythical founding father of the Easter Island people, landed and founded a settlement. This settlement was the nucleus for the settlement of Easter Island.
- Anakena Beach was a 1994 location for the movie Rapa Nui directed by Kevin Reynolds, starring Jason Scott Lee, Esai Morales, Sandrine Holt, George Henare and Cliff Curtis. This movie was produced by Kevin Costner.
- Anakena has two stone platforms: Ahu-Ature contains one beautiful and Ahu Nao-Nao seven.
- The Moai : Moai are stone statues on the coast of Easter Island in the form of a human head with a torso truncated at about waist level.
Activities : sightseeing / photo opportunities / trekking / Diving, Fishing ,Kayak ,Picnic / Historical Tours.
Go next : Ahu Te Pito Kura : The ahu contains the largest moai on the island at 11 meters in length / Te Pito o Te Henua : It is a huge round stone that represents the “navel of the world” for the islanders.


Vascular Supply of Eye Anatomy
Tendon of superior rectus muscle, Veins draining scleral venous sinus (into anterior ciliary veins), Meningeal sheath of optic nerve, Short posterior ciliary arteries, Scleral venous sinus (canal of Schlemm), Inferior ophthalmic vein, Recurrent branch of anterior ciliary artery, Minor arterial circle of iris, Arteries and veins of iris, Muscular artery, Anterior ciliary arteries,
Vorticose vein, Short posterior ciliary arteries, Long posterior ciliary artery, Segment of episcleral vein* Posterior tributaries of a vorticose vein, Vessels of internal sheath of optic nerve, Short posterior ciliary arteries, Central retinal artery and vein, Conjunctiva and cornea, Major arterial circle of iris, Anterior ciliary veins, Posterior conjunctival artery and vein, Sclera Vascular arrangements within the choroid (vascular tunic) of the eyeball, Anterior ciliary veins, Nonpigmented and pigmented regions of the retina
*The episcleral veins are shown here anastomosing with the vorticose veins, which they do; however, they also drain into the anterior ciliary veins. Bulb of vorticose vein, Superior ophthalmic vein, Junctions of suprachoroidal tributaries forming vorticose vein, Episcleral vein*, Anterior tributaries of vorticose vein.


The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the Indian economy, with many industries struggling to cope with the impact of lockdowns and social distancing measures. The Indian economy was already facing some challenges before the pandemic, but the outbreak has made things worse.
The Indian stock market has been hit hard by the pandemic, with the BSE Sensex falling by more than 20% since the start of the year. Many businesses have been forced to shut down or reduce their operations, leading to widespread job losses and a decline in consumer spending.
The Indian government has taken several measures to support the economy during this crisis, including providing financial aid to businesses and individuals, and announcing a $266 billion stimulus package to revive the Indian economy. However, many experts believe that the government will have to take more steps to support the economy in the coming months.
The Indian tourism industry has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, with many tourists canceling their trips to India. The Indian government has announced measures to support the industry, including providing financial assistance to hotels and other tourism-related businesses. However, it will be a long road to recovery for this industry as it’s being hit by both the global travel restrictions and the local infection rate.
The Indian agricultural sector has managed to remain relatively stable in comparison to the rest of the economy. The government has taken steps to ensure the continuity of the food supply chain, and farmers have continued to produce and sell their crops, despite the pandemic.
In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the Indian economy, and the challenges are likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The Indian government will have to take further steps to support the economy and help businesses and individuals to recover from the effects of the pandemic. The situation remains uncertain, but the Indian government is taking steps to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the economy.


Penicillin is the most common beta-lactam antibiotic allergy and the most common drug class allergy, reported in about 8% of individuals using health care in the USA. Only about 1% of individuals using health care in the USA have a cephalosporin allergy noted in their medical record, and other specific non-penicillin, non-cephalosporin beta-lactam allergies are even rarer. Most reported penicillin allergy is not associated with clinically significant IgE-mediated reactions after penicillin rechallenge. Un-verified penicillin allergy is a significant and growing public health problem. Clinically significant IgE-mediated penicillin allergy can be safely confirmed or refuted using skin testing with penicilloyl-poly-lysine and native penicillin G and, if skin test is negative, an oral amoxicillin challenge. Acute tolerance of an oral therapeutic dose of a penicillin class antibiotic is the current gold standard test for a lack of clinically significant IgE-mediated penicillin allergy. Cephalosporins and other non-penicillin beta-lactams are widely, safely, and appropriately used in individuals, even with confirmed penicillin allergy. There is little, if any, clinically significant immunologic cross-reactivity between penicillins and other beta-lactams. Routine cephalosporin skin testing should be restricted to research settings. It is rarely needed clinically to safely manage patients and has unclear predictive value at this time. The use of alternative cephalosporins, with different side chains, is acceptable in the setting of a specific cephalosporin allergy. Carbapenems and monobactams are also safely used in individuals with confirmed penicillin allergy. A certain predictable, but low, rate of adverse reactions will occur with all beta-lactam antibiotic use both pre- and post-beta-lactam allergy evaluations.


Twenty-five products have been added to, and one has been removed from, the Department of Labor’s list of foreign-made goods it has reason to believe are produced by child and/or forced labor in violation of international standards. The DOL is required to take steps to ensure that the goods on this list are not imported into the U.S. if they are made with forced or child labor, including working with producers to help set standards to eliminate the use of such labor.
The DOL list, which the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013 requires to be updated every two years, now totals 437 line items representing 155 products from 77 countries. Goods added to the list this year include the following.
- Brazil: coffee (forced labor)
- Cambodia: bovines (child labor) and bricks (child labor and forced labor)
- China: fish, gloves, hair products, textiles, thread/yarn, and tomato products (forced labor)
- Colombia: fruits (pome and stone) and grapes (child labor)
- Ethiopia: khat (child labor)
- India: sandstone (child labor and forced labor)
- Indonesia: palm oil (forced labor)
- Kenya: gold (child labor)
- Madagascar: mica (child labor)
- Malaysia: rubber gloves (forced labor)
- Mexico: cattle, garments, and leather goods (child labor)
- Taiwan: fish (forced labor)
- Venezuela: gold (forced labor)
- Zimbabwe: sugarcane and tobacco (child labor)
Cattle from Namibia (child labor) has been removed from the list.
Copyright © 2023 Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.; WorldTrade Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.


Interested in learning how to become a healthcare administrator? Read more about the requirements and experience needed for this healthcare profession.
For a fulfilling career in epidemiology, learn about the education & experience needed to become an epidemiologist in the field of public health.
In the field of public health, there are many different types of career paths you can take. Learn more about some of the more popular careers in public health.
Learn about the highest-paying public health jobs, including biostatistician and epidemiologist, and the education requirements for these jobs.
Overuse of antibiotics is resulting in the rise of “superbugs.” This guide explains how antibiotic resistance can be prevented.
Accelerated MPH programs may help students in public health enter the workforce faster. Learn more about the one-year accelerated online MPH program at GWU.
Public health is important because it has helped address sanitation, environmental health and infectious diseases issues through research. Without public health, what would the quality of life in North America look like?
Racism has become a public health crisis now more than ever before. Learn about how we got to this point & what we can do to address racism in the U.S.
More and more, individuals are taking an active role in their health care and collaborating with their medical teams to improve their well-being and treatment responses. This is the first


The blueberry harvest is upon us and with that, we will see great quality juicy blueberries galore! Why have blueberries become so popular in recent years? Is it because they have so many recognised health benefits or simply because they are delicious? Whatever the reason, we think they’re great! So here are 10 interesting facts about blueberries which make it hard not to love them...
1. The blueberry is one of the only foods that is naturally blue in colour. The pigment that gives blueberries their distinctive colour is called anthocyanin, and is the same compound that provides the blueberry’s amazing health benefits.
2. People have been eating blueberries for more than 13,000 years.
3. The silvery sheen (or “bloom”) found on the skin of blueberries is a naturally occurring compound that helps protect the fruit. That is why you should only wash blueberries just before you’re going to eat them. The berries should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep fresh for up to 10 days.
4. In the commercial production of blueberries, the smaller species are known as “lowbush blueberries”, while the larger species are known as “highbush blueberries”. Blueberries produced from the highbush varieties are mostly used fresh, while blueberries produced from the lowbush varieties are often used in food processing.
5. Blueberries freeze in just 4 minutes.
6. Blueberries are green in colour when they first appear, then deepen to purple and blue as they ripen.
7. The blueberry is a very popular and versatile berry. It is low in calories but high in fibre, vitamin C and vitamin K.
8. In 2017, demand reached record levels within the UK, making blueberries one of the most popular berries amongst UK shoppers.
9. Blueberries ranked number one in antioxidant health benefits in a comparison with more than 40 fresh fruits and vegetables.
10. When blueberries have been frozen they still contain all of their antioxidant properties.
Why not take a look at some of our delicious recipes for ways to use blueberries this summer…
Blueberry Swirl No-bake Cheesecake
Raspberry, Blueberry & Strawberry Tart


Wisconsin Native Caterpillars
Genus-Species: Leminitis archippus
Description: Resembles bird droppings in all stages.
May be mottled brown or green; has creamy blotches and two knobby horns on thorax. Partially
grown caterpillars from the third brood spend the winter in a specially rolled leaf called a
hibernaculum that they silk to a branch. Feeding and development resumes that following spring.
Note: To distinguish Viceroy caterpillars from Red-Spotted Purple caterpillars, look for spiked
rather than rounded projections behind the head.
Chrysalis: Shiny brown and white. Abdomen is paler.
Thorax has a a large, knob-like projection. Also resembles a bird dropping.
Host Plants: Trees in the willow family (Salicaceae)
including Willows (Salix species), and Poplars and Cottonwoods (Populus species)
Habitat: Wetland areas, especially along streams, where
willows, its host plants are found.
Comments: The Viceroy is a mimic of the Monarch and
can easily be confused with it, especially in flight. The Viceroy is smaller, is found along wetland
areas where its host plants, willows, are found, and has a dark postmedian line on the hindwing
that can be seen from above or below. This butterfly, like the Monarch, is also found commonly


This activity looks at some historical Olympic results and asks children to think about whether they could do something similar. It introduces ideas about measuring time and distances in standard units.
Talk to the class about the Olympic Games and their history both in modern and ancient times. Talk about the ideas of winning and competition, and discuss the concept of a world record. When is a world record set with a higher number and when is it set with a lower number? If the children don't bring this up themselves, draw their attention to the face that the winner is generally either the athlete with the longest distance (in some sense) or a shortest time.
Encourage learners to consider ways of measuring their distances and times, and provide an opportunity for children to try the activities suggested and record the information about what they did. You may want to ask the learners to make predictions before they try the activities - how far do they think they could run in 11 seconds?
At the end of the activity, discuss how the pupils' distances and times compare to the ones in the activity. Children are often most confident with saying how many seconds longer or metres shorter their time is, but you might also want to encourage them to consider their results as a ratio - can they jump a quarter of the distance of the athlete's jump? Did they take three times as long to run the 100 metres? This will enable them to see e.g. how many times faster the Olympic athletes can run compared to people who aren't Olympic athletes.
How far do you think that is? What might you use to measure it?
How much time is that? What might you use to measure it?
Can you jump that far/run that fast? Why/why not?
How does your distance/time compare to the athlete's? How many times faster are they compared to you? Why might that be?
Children could move on to timing each other as they do different tasks and create their own sports competitions deciding on rules for winning. They might also be interested to look at how the world records have changed over time, and think of reasons why world records are being continuously broken.
Some children will need a lot of help to measure lengths and times accurately. Using them in a real context can help them to understand the meanings of the numbers on the tapes and on the clock.
The task Can You Do it Too? offers a similar opportunity, but in the context of measuring distance using non-standard units.


- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Suborder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Theridiidae
- Genus: Rhomphaea
- Species: Rhomphaea fictilium
There have been 2 confirmed sightings of Rhomphaea fictilium, with the most recent sighting submitted on April 4, 2019 by Spider ID member i_gotta_digbick. The detailed statistics below may not utilize the complete dataset of 2 sightings because of certain Rhomphaea fictilium sightings reporting incomplete data.
- Web: 50% of the time, Rhomphaea fictilium spiders are sighted in a spider web (Sample size: 2)
- Sex: 1 female and 0 male.
- Environment: Rhomphaea fictilium has been sighted 1 times outdoors, and 1 times indoors.
- Outdoors: Open field, pasture, grassland (1).
Location and Range
Rhomphaea fictilium has been sighted in the following countries: United States.
Rhomphaea fictilium has also been sighted in the following states: Kentucky, Oregon.
Rhomphaea fictilium has been primarily sighted during the month of June.
- April: 1
- June: 1


The Father of Modern Boxing
Daniel Mendoza (1764-1836) was born in England to a Jewish family of Portuguese descent. Little is known of his early life. At 16, he was working for a tea company, and stepped in to protect his employer from a client. It is reported that the bout lasted 45 minutes until the much older and larger assailant could no longer continue. The young Mendoza became a local hero. He was soon drawn to the sport of boxing and found a mentor. By 1788 he had won 27 bare-knuckle boxing matches, all by knockout. By 1792 he had become the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of England, despite being just 160 pounds and officially designated a middleweight. He went on to become the first middleweight in history to win the Heavyweight Championship of the World. Mendoza’s immense success lay in his revolutionary tactics. Until this point, boxing typically consisted of a series of punches and very little movement. Mendoza developed a form of boxing based on defensive principles like ducking and blocking instead of just offence. He is credited with inventing the side-step, and developing the strategy of wearing down an opponent. Later, Mendoza opened his own boxing school and wrote a book called The Art of Boxing where he described the sport as a science. He traveled across Great Britain to teach his methods, inspiring a new generation of boxers. For all of these reasons, among others, he has been called “the father of modern boxing”, and not surprisingly, was first to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Mendoza was also instrumental in changing the stereotypical European image of the “weak Jew”, and was the first Jew to have an audience with King George III. Both a play and film have been made about his life.
Words of the Week
When you are not practicing, remember that someone, somewhere, is practicing, and when you meet him, he will win.
– Ed Macauley


Tiberius II Constantinus
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
- Title / Office:
- emperor (578-582), Byzantine Empire
Tiberius II Constantinus, (born, Thrace—died August 14, 582, Constantinople), Byzantine emperor from 578 to 582 who succeeded in defending the empire against the Persians to the east but suffered reverses in conflicts with the Avars and Slavs to the north and west.
Tiberius served in campaigns against the Avars in the Balkans under Justin II. About the year 574, Justin became subject to fits of insanity; the empress Sophia and Tiberius then took over control of the government. Justin adopted Tiberius as his son, named him Caesar on December 7, 574, and crowned him emperor (September 26, 578). Justin died soon after (October 4), leaving Tiberius sole ruler.
Meanwhile, in 578, Byzantium and Persia had entered into peace negotiations to settle the Armenian question. The Persian king Khosrow I seemed about to make a settlement on Byzantium’s terms when he died in the early spring of 579. His successor, Hormizd IV, however, rejected Tiberius’s proposals, and hostilities resumed, continuing throughout Tiberius’s reign. On the northern frontier, Tiberius attempted to pacify the Avars by an annual tribute, but, after a two-year siege by the Avars, he was forced (582) to surrender Sirmium (now Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia). Meanwhile, the Slavs poured into Thrace, Thessaly, Illyricum, and other regions of Greece.
The mortally ill Tiberius in 582 recognized Maurice, his commander in the Persian War, as his successor and crowned him emperor on August 13, one day before his own death.


China’s National Health Commission (NHC) yesterday announced that they had recorded the first case H3N8 strain of Bird Flu among humans. A four-year-old boy who had been showing several symptoms including fever had been diagnosed with this infection. It is believed that the child had been in contact with chickens and crows being raised at his home.
However, NHC assured that no close contacts have been detected with the virus. The statement also said that it is unlikely that this bird flu will spread among humans. Initial assessment showed that the strain is not likely to infect humans and so large-scale epidemic might not happen.
According to the commission, the strain has been detected among animals in other parts of the world but no infections have been reported among humans. Horses, birds, dogs, and some other animals have been detected with this infection, but no human case has been reported. NHC insisted that if all the evidence is anything to go by, this variant is unlikely to infect humans on a large scale.
NHC said that the child getting infected was most likely a one-off case of cross-species transmission. However, it has warned the public to refrain from getting close to sick or dead birds and animals. People should also seek medical assistance immediately at the first sign of infection, no matter how nominal.
H3N8 variant of bird flu first emerged in 2002 in North American waterfowl and has been present ever since. This variant has never been seen to infect humans until now.


Brownish blotches on the skin around your eyes, nose, and cheeks are so common in pregnancy, they're nicknamed "pregnancy mask." They're also called chloasma or melasma. You're more likely to get these marks if you have a dark complexion. They appear when hormonal changes during pregnancy increase your body's production of melanin, brownish skin pigment. Being in the sun makes the blotches worse. You don't need to treat them because they're harmless. They will likely fade within a few months after your baby is born.
Call Doctor If:
- If you notice a new black spot or mole, or one that is changing rapidly. You should be checked for skin cancer.
- You have pain, tenderness, redness, or bleeding with skin color changes.
- Wear a sunscreen and a wide-brim hat every day. Pick a sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection and an SPF of 30 or more. Apply it 20 minutes before you go in the sun and reapply every 2 hours, more if swimming or sweating.
- Limit sun time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Use gentle face cleansers and creams to avoid irritating your skin, which can make chloasma worse.
- Use makeup with yellow or white undertones to cover up the patches if they bother you.


The Lemmatisation of Nouns in Tshivenda Dictionaries
AbstractTshivenda is one of the official languages of South Africa, mostly spoken in Limpopo Province at Vhembe District. From 1994, when the Republic of South Africa became a democratic government, speakers of the Tshivenda language spread to all nine provinces of South Africa. Tshivenda has different word categories, like nouns, verbs, adjectives and many more. When words are looked up in dictionaries, one should know what types of categories are given, e.g. their spelling, pronunciation and meaning. If this is not clearly represented one would not be able to use such a dictionary. This paper seeks to investigate how nouns are lemmatised in Tshivenda dictionaries. Attention is given to word and stem lemmatisation. It also looks at the lemmatisation of singular and plural nouns, and the lemmatisation of deverbative and diminutive nouns. This will be accomplished by analysing published Tshivenda dictionaries in circulation.
Copyright of all material published in Lexikos will be vested in the Board of Directors of the Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal. Authors are free, however, to use their material elsewhere provided that Lexikos (AFRILEX Series) is acknowledged as the original publication source.
Creative Commons License CC BY 4.0


A red-haired second grader who longs to be "a true pioneer" takes center stage in this tongue-in-cheek tale about edible entomological fare. When Beetle McGrady claims she'll "eat an ant in a second," her friends dare her to prove it. So she sets out to chart new culinary territory during "Fun with Food Week" in science class. "Beetle practiced her ant-eating on potato chips. Crunch
. She practiced on raisins. Squish
. But potato chips did not crawl. And raisins did not have legs." When she can't quite muster the courage to stomach a crawly critter, humorous watercolors depict Beetle as a forlorn blue anteater with pigtails. A scattering of purple and blue vignettes convey Beetle's wishes and thoughts, while a cartoon ant fitted out in parka and boots in the corners of several spreads offers its own droll reactions. Manning (Do Kangaroos Wear Seat Belts?
, reviewed above) presents Beetle and her classmates with slightly enlarged heads and missing teeth (the heroine is a kind of Alfred E. Neuman meets Pippi Longstocking). When Beetle at last conquers her fear (with a little help from an avant-garde chef) a final image portrays the smiling girl perched on top of the world, a forked caterpillar in one hand and a plate of insects in the other. Endpapers suggest some lighthearted tips for bug tasting. McDonald's (the Judy Moody series) comical fare is sure to elicit plenty of "eeews" alongside the laughs. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)


School’s Out Wrap Up for Summer
Soccer practice, final exams, graduations and end of school pool parties and field trips … who has time to cook? Having a young family is a busy time. This is a stage when nutrition can take a backseat to other priorities. Sometimes just getting through the week is difficult enough!
But this is also a stage where MORE THAN EVER, nutrition matters. The stats in Canada tell an alarming story: obesity rates are at an all-time high, with kids ages 9 to 13 getting 57% of their calories from foods low in nutrient value. These nutrient-poor foods are displacing the foods kids need to stay healthy and energized.
The key at this stage is to develop strategies that help you get wholesome foods on the table fast. Strategies like pre-prepping, using the slow cooker, batch cooking and developing a weekly menu plan can all help you avoid the drive-through.
Some tips for success…
- Have kids help choose homemade meals
- Cook an extra steak to use in a wrap for tomorrow’s lunch
- Use leftovers to give you a head start on the next meal
- Get kids in the kitchen and in the grocery store to be part of the meal-prep process
Need a recipe to get you going on the right track? Let’s start off simple: All Kinds of Meatballs. Who doesn’t love meatballs? Meatballs freeze well, so you can whip up a big batch on a Sunday and reap the benefits all week long. Plus, it is an easy recipe to get the kids to be involved with. To keep the cooking simple, bake the meatballs instead of pan-frying.
Keep in mind, beef has an important role to play at every stage in life. Rich in protein, dense with nutrients, beef not only makes a great meal, but can make a significant contribution to the wellness of you and those you love at all ages and stages.


The financial economy of the United States has experienced a period of upheaval with the decline of significant banks. Furthermore, there has been a notable global trend toward the reduction of the use of the US dollar for transaction settlements.
This shift is evidenced by Russia’s declaration of intent to pursue de-dollarization and by China and France’s successful completion of an LNG gas trade utilizing the Chinese yuan. As a result of these developments, there has been a decrease in reliance on the US dollar.
Also read: Swiss Bank Credit Suisse Allegedly Assisted US Tax Evasion for Years, Say Whistleblowers
However, even if there is a very meager chance of the US dollar collapsing, the possibility can’t be neglected.
Could the US dollar collapse?
The possibility of a currency collapsing is when that currency loses all its use cases and value. A currency, or money in general, has value because of the belief that it has value and also because of the value given by the government.
A currency can collapse for various reasons. These include hyperinflation, political and economic instability, and the high debt of a country.
Also read: Binance Concealed Substantial Ties to China for Multiple Years, Says Report
However, unlike other currencies, the US dollar has a special status globally. Since it is a global reserve currency, it is also touted as the safest and most stable currency. With the US economy still the biggest worldwide, the chances of the US dollar collapsing are very thin. Yet, this is not an improbable situation.


Neutrinos react rarely with normal matter, making them great messengers for phenomena happening far beyond our own galaxy. Undeterred by intervening planets, stars, and light-years of space, these neutrinos carry information from distant sources to our doorstep. It’s the dawn of neutrino astrophysics!
Cosmic neutrinos are generated by cosmic rays in extragalactic sources that can be thought of as “cosmic accelerators.”
These neutrinos carry far more energy than any other kind of neutrino we see here on Earth—and more than we could hope to produce in any of our experiments. They’re particularly important because they point to intense events in the cosmos. The exact source (or sources) is still a mystery, but it could include objects such as black holes, pulsars, the remnants of supernovae, energetic explosions called gamma-ray bursts, and active galactic nuclei (the bright, compact region at the center of a galaxy). Or it could be an entirely new type of source that scientists have never seen before.
The most energetic neutrinos ever witnessed were cosmic neutrinos captured by the IceCube experiment, a neutrino telescope made of a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice. Researchers witnessed neutrinos with petaelectronvolts of energy, or one thousand trillion electronvolts. In the particle world, this is a gargantuan amount of energy. For comparison, a typical atmospheric neutrino (formed by a cosmic ray interaction in our own atmosphere) has about 1 to 10 trillion electronvolts. Even the Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, smashes particles together only at around 13 trillion electronvolts.
IceCube also traced a high-energy cosmic neutrino back to its source for the first time in 2018. The culprit was a blazar, an energetic galaxy powered by a supermassive black hole. This ushered neutrinos into the age of multi-messenger astronomy, which uses signals from different kinds of messengers (including neutrinos, cosmic rays, gravitational waves, and electromagnetic radiation, or light) to study cosmic phenomena.


Tornadoes are most common in the United States, particularly in the central and southern regions. The southern United States in particular is known as “Tornado Alley” due to the frequency of tornado activity in this area. However, tornadoes can occur anywhere in the country under the right conditions, so it’s important to be prepared and know what to do in the event of a tornado warning.
In terms of weather conditions that can lead to a tornado, some of the key factors include warm, moist air colliding with cooler, drier air, as well as wind shear – the change in wind direction or speed with height. When these conditions are present, it can create the necessary instability in the atmosphere for a tornado to form.
Sheltering during a tornado event is a critical safety measure that can help protect you and your loved ones from harm. Here are some instructions for sheltering during a tornado:
1. Stay alert: Keep an eye on weather reports and be aware of any tornado warnings or watches in your area. Tornadoes can form quickly, so it’s important to stay informed. Local weather channels that will keep you informed include:
2. Identify a safe location: Identify a safe location in your home or building where you can take shelter in the event of a tornado. Ideally, this should be a basement or storm cellar, but if one is not available, choose a small, windowless interior room on the lowest level of the building. Check with your local law enforcement to find community shelters that will open in the event of an emergency.
3. Prepare your shelter: Make sure your shelter area is stocked with supplies like water, food, and a first aid kit. If possible, bring a battery-powered radio or other communication device to stay informed about the tornado’s progress.
4. Take shelter: When a tornado warning is issued or you see a tornado approaching, move quickly to your designated shelter location. Stay there until the storm has passed and it is safe to emerge.
In the event that you are impacted by a Tornado, UAMS and other local agencies will post instructions and post resources to aide in your recovery.


Silvia Peppoloni and Giuseppe Di Capua
Geoethics: Manifesto for an Ethics of Responsibility Towards the Earth
2022, Springer, Cham, XII+123 pp., ISBN 978-3030980436. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98044-3
This book outlines the current development of geoethical thinking, proposing to the general public reflections and categories useful for understanding the ethical, cultural, and societal dimensions of anthropogenic global changes.
Geoethics identifies and orients responsible behaviors and actions in the management of natural processes, redefining the human interaction with the Earth system based on a critical, scientifically grounded, and pragmatic approach. Solid scientific knowledge and a philosophical reference framework are crucial to face the current ecological disruption. The scientific perspective must be structured to help different human contexts while respecting social and cultural diversity. It is impossible to respond to global problems with disconnected local actions, which cannot be proposed as standard and effective operational models. Geoethics tries to overcome this fragmentation, presenting Earth sciences as the foundation of responsible human action toward the planet. Geoethics is conceived as a rational and multidisciplinary language that can bind and concretely support the international community, engaged in resolving global environmental imbalances and complex challenges, which have no national, cultural, or religious boundaries that require shared governance. Geoethics is proposed as a new reading key to rethinking the Earth as a system of complex relationships, in which the human being is an integral part of natural interactions.
Front Matter (free download)
Origins of Geoethical Thought
From Ethics to Geoethics
The Concept of Responsibility
The Advantage of Geoethical Action
Ethical Problems and Dilemmas in the Geosciences
The Values of Geoethics
Geoethics and Anthropogenic Global Changes
Geoethics for an Ecological Humanism


"Canadian Pacific: The Story of the Famous Shipping Line" (used book)
Canadian Pacific: The Story of the Famous Shipping Line
by George Musk
About the Book
Used Book. Hardcover. Dust jacket included. Good condition.
-- From the dust jacket
‘Canadian Pacific spans the world.’ So ran the advertising slogan so well known between the two world wars. In this history, prepared as part of the company’s centenary observances, George Musk summarises more than ninety years of ocean, coastal and inland shipping services. More than three hundred Canadian Pacific ships are described, ships that have played an outstanding role in the development of both Canada and Canadian Pacific. Beginning with small wooden steamboats built in the company’s own shipyards 1000 feet above sea level in the Canadian Rockies, the record traces the expansion over some ninety-five years to modern oil tankers of 250,000 tons. Fleets that have made the names Empress, Duchess, Princess and Beaver synonymous with the Canadian Pacific transportation system, and ships with names such as Kyoquot, Illecillewaet, Valhalla, fort Steele and Princess Norah portray the romance of water transport. The story also tells of the major contribution made by Canadian Pacific Steamships in two world wars, when some 300,000 tons of company’s ships were lost, including the 42,000 ton Empress of Britain, the largest merchant ship lost in World War II.


Cybersecurity is a priority to Kit Carson and its members; KCEC wants to share some information about Typosquatting.
Here at Kit Carson, we are seeing domains being misspelled and redirected to identical but malicious sites in ways that cybercriminals are trying to get personal information from the end users.
What is Typosquatting? It is a form of cybercrime that involves adversaries registering domains with deliberately misspelled names of well-known websites. This results in unsuspecting visitors being lured to alternative websites, typically for malicious purposes.
KCEC wants to remind its members to use these steps when doing anything online:
STOP – Resist immediate action when receiving an email, text, or accessing a website
LOOK – Check for anything unusual in the message or web address. Examples: misspelled email addresses or misspelled domains.
THINK – If something seems “phishy” do not click on the links or access the website. If possible, report it to the organization so they can take the appropriate action.
Kit Carson has measures in place to identify these types of threats and will continue to notify our members of tactics that cyber criminals continue to use to cause malicious activity in our communities. Thank you for being a critical part of continuing to keep our community cyber-aware.


Secure hash functions often do not take a key per se, but they can be used with a key. Adding a key to a hash is useful, for example, to prevent a rainbow table attack.
There are a couple obvious ways to incorporate a key K when hashing a message M. One is to prepend the key to M before hashing. The other is to append K to M before hashing. That is, we either stick K onto the front or the end of M, then apply the hash function.
Both of these approaches could be vulnerable to attack under certain circumstances for reasons that are more complicated than I’d like to go into. Instead, a better approach is prepend and append the key. This is called the envelope method or more descriptively the sandwich method because the message is sandwiched between two copies of the key.
For details, see Ken Yasuda’s paper “‘Sandwich’ Is Indeed Secure: How to Authenticate a Message with Just One Hashing”, Australasian Conference on Information Security and Privacy, ACISP 2007: Information Security and Privacy pp 355–369.
One thought on “How to turn an unkeyed hash into a keyed hash”
The paper is DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-73458-1_26


Evaluating methods for detecting and monitoring pangolin (Pholidata: Manidae) populations (Open Access)
The behaviours, ecologies and morphologies of pangolins make them challenging to survey and monitor, and non-targeted wildlife surveys have not produced robust status assessments, especially where population densities are low because of overexploitation. To inform the development of feasible survey and monitoring techniques for pangolins, we conducted a systematic review of all traceable efforts used to survey and monitor pangolins to date: 87 articles were included in the review. Pitfalls of current approaches are discussed and recommendations made on suitable methods. Recommendations include the use of mark-recapture for burrow-dwelling species, community interviews, sign-based surveys in arid and open habitats, detection dog teams, and targeted camera-trapping. Occupancy sampling using camera-traps could be used to monitor some pangolin populations, particularly ground-dwelling species, but the rarity of all species makes it uncertain whether this would provide enough data for monitoring; combinations of methods used within an occupancy sampling framework are likely to be the most effective. There will be many circumstances where direct monitoring of a population at a site, to a level that will generate precise data, is not financially viable nor the best use of conservation resources. In many sites, particularly in Asia, pangolins are too rare as a result of overexploitation, and/or occur in inaccessible areas where significant resources will be needed to implement a targeted monitoring programme. Under such circumstances, the use of proxy variables, including status of other hunting-sensitive species that are easier to record, in combination with enforcement or patrol data and/or community interviews, is likely to be the most cost-effective method for assessing the impact of conservation interventions on pangolin status. The publication of incidental observations and survey ‘by-catch’ would significantly improve understanding of pangolin status and ecology, and therefore how best to identify, conserve and monitor priority populations.
Willcox, et. al. 2019. Evaluating methods for detecting and monitoring pangolin (Pholidata: Manidae) populations. Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 17.
Published: Feb 2019 | Categories: Research Articles
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The ARK Educational Program
Ark Charities seeks to infuse humane education into the educational experience of K-12 youth—in school curricula and after-school programs, in youth groups, in the community, and at home
We catalyze humane education through transformative projects like our Compassionate Communities program, which take a district-wide approach to integrating humane education in schools. Through the our partnership with The HEART Network,
We advocate for humane education, raising awareness in the educational and governmental sectors, and increase compliance with existing state laws related to humane and character education for grades K-12.
We are committed to monitoring the impact of The ARK ED. projects and resources, and periodically conduct in-depth evaluations . These assessments demonstrated positive impact on the youth we serve.
Children’s natural love for and fascination with animals are often some of their earliest and most formative experiences of true empathy for others. The Ark's approach to humane education takes advantage of these experiences to help children develop compassion toward not only animals, but also people and the environment. We focus on the interconnections between all living beings and the natural world, and address the root causes of harm. Schools and the communities they serve benefit as students gain greater awareness of their ability to help others and translate that ability into direct action.
Social and Emotional Learning
We provide resources and training that demonstrate how meaningful connections to various animal issues enhance SEL educational content and expand the impact of students’ direct actions in both their local and wider communities. These offerings also empower students to effectively communicate, listen, debate, self-regulate, and tackle their own biases and assumptions.
Developing Compassion and Empathy
Our humane education lessons help children develop an empathetic and compassionate approach to understanding and communicating with others – an essential skill in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world. We want to help students think critically about the impact of their actions so they make just and humane choices.


Tax on Agricultural Income in India
India is considered as one of the agrarian country in the world. Majority of rural population is actively involved in Agricultural activities. So lets know the Tax Treatment of Agricultural Income in India under Income Tax Act.
As per Section 10(1) of Income Tax Act, "Agricultural Income of a Tax Payer is exempt from Tax". But now question arises, what is considered as agricultural income under Income Tax Act?
You can also watch this video on Tax treatment of Agricultural Income:
What is Agricultural Income under Income Tax Act?
Agriculture Income is defined under section 2(1A) as:
(a) Any rent or revenue derived from land which is situated in India and is used for agricultural purposes.
(b) Any income derived from such land by agriculture operations including processing of agricultural produce so as to render it fit for the market or sale of such produce.
(c) Any income attributable to a farm house subject to satisfaction of certain conditions specified in this regard in section 2(1A). Any income derived from saplings or seedlings grown in a nursery shall be deemed to be agricultural income.
Some points to be noted for Income to be considered as an Agricultural Income
Agriculture Land must be in existence, ownership is not necessary. Income derived from Agricultural activities carried on leased land will also be considered as an Agricultural Income.
Agricultural land must be used for agricultural activities. If income derived from other activities on Agricultural Land then such Income will not be considered as an Agricultural Income. e.g. Agricultural Land leased out for social events or gatherings, such rental income will not be considered as agricultural income.
Mere selling of Agricultural Product will not be considered as Agricultural Income. e.g. Selling of Grains by wholesaler or retailer will not be considered as Agricultural Income.
Processing activity that changes the entire form or characteristics of Agricultural Product will not be considered as Agricultural Income. e.g. Making Mix Fruit Jam from fruits or manufacturing of Tomato Ketchup from Tomatoes.
Income derived from selling of teak woods is not an Agricultural Income
Consideration received from sale of Agricultural Land will not be considered as agricultural Income. [Will be considered under the head Capital Gain (sec 54B)]
Is Agricultural Income completely exempt?


Remind the people . . . to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
Gentleness is probably the least-talked-about fruit of the Spirit. And even though it is often overlooked, it is one of the most important character traits of people who live by the Spirit. In the Bible, gentleness is also called meekness, and it is a prominent virtue in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus teaches us, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Our world today does not value gentleness. Instead we are loud, boisterous, rowdy, showy, obnoxious, and pushy. One commentator described our culture in North America as “restless, rootless, and ruthless.” Gentleness is the opposite of these. Gentle folks are not restless but calm and composed, not rootless but stable, not ruthless but respectful. Biblical synonyms for the word gentle include humble, meek, considerate, courteous, respectful, and noble.
We tend to categorize gentle people as wimps. But gentleness is actually the result of bringing great strength under control. In a biblical sense, the strongest people are those who dare to be gentle. And the best example to guide us is Jesus.
Jesus calls out, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). To be gentle or meek is to be God-molded, Christ-shaped, and Holy Spirit-directed. Ask the Spirit for an extra measure of gentleness today.
Forgive us, Lord, for associating gentleness with weakness. May we as Christians take the lead in being gentle toward everyone. Amen.
See God's love, power, presence, and purpose in your life every day!


After the marathon, your immune status will be depressed. Because of the physiological hit to the immune system created by the stress of running a marathon, colds, flu, and other upper respiratory tract infections are potential problems in the days and weeks that follow. The best medicine is prevention. After the marathon, take care to allow yourself more sleep than before the race. Resume a well-balanced, nutritious diet immediately following the race. During the first week following the race, focus on rehydration.
Consider using herbal preparations, such as Echinacea (but only after reviewing product information).
If you do develop a cold, flu, or upper respiratory tract infection, remember that sleep, diet, and hydration remain important self-care weapons. Remember: if you have a fever, do not run. Also, if you must take medications (whether over-the-counter or prescription) for your illness, don’t run. Seek professional care if you develop a persistent fever or cough. Consider herbal remedies for their therapeutic benefit.
Easy running can be resumed when there is no fever, no medications are required, and there’s no residual fatigue or malaise. You should not resume hard running until there’s no residual respiratory tract congestion (usually 2 to 3 weeks after easy running can be resumed).


The Silesian horse, Polish: Koń śląski, Silesian: Ślůnski kůń, is a breed of warmblood horse from the area of historic Silesia, which lies mostly within modern Poland. It is the heaviest of the Polish warmblood breeds, and has been influenced mainly by the Thoroughbred and Oldenburg, and partly by the East Friesian and German halfbred. The Oldenburg influence was particularly pronounced after World War II, when imported stallions were used to keep the breed from becoming extinct. Two types are recognised in the breed standard, an old and a new. At 3 years old, stallions of the old type stand 160–170 centimetres (15.3–16.3 hands) at the withers, mares about 2 cm less; the girth is 190–210 cm (75–83 in), and the cannon-bone circumference about 23–24 cm. The new or racing type is taller and lighter, stallions standing 164–170 cm (16.1–16.3 hands) at the withers and mares about 2 cm less; the girth measures 185–200 cm and the cannon-bone 21.5–23 cm. Stallions average 650 kg (1,430 lb), mares 600 kg. The current stud-book dates from 1961; registers for this type of horse have been kept since the late 19th century. In 2008 the breed numbered about 5000.
De Horse Scanner app geeft veel meer informatie over het Silesian Horse ras en nog veel meer.
Ook bekend als
Dit ras wordt ook wel Silesian, Silesian Horse en Slaski genoemd.
Is je paard een Silesian Horse?
U kunt onze Horse Scanner app gebruiken om uit te vinden of uw paard een Silesian Horse is.


The use of digital technologies in schools has led to systematic data collection, which reconfigures schooling processes and interpersonal relationships and presents new risks to staff and students. Although there are laws in place to protect students’ rights, there are hidden consequences to using digital technologies. This project will provide detailed, fine-grained analysis of how data circulates within and beyond schools and investigate the implications this has on young people’s learning and development.
This project will investigate how data collection, use and disclosure is experienced and understood in schools. It will identify the role played by intermediaries, such as tech brokers, educational authorities and professional networks. Through a series of collaborative workshops between school staff and other key stakeholders in the tech industry and education, it will develop protocols, guidelines and policy recommendations on just data use in schools.
The project will have practical, educational and research benefits. For school staff, it will increase understanding of data generation, processing and feedback and provide them with a list of strategies to help procure digital technologies and ensure their data practices are just. As the main beneficiaries of this project, young people should have greater privacy and a more equitable schooling experience as a consequence of this study. Benefits include policy recommendations, protocols and guidelines for data justice in schools. Benefits include policy recommendations, protocols and guidelines for data justice in schools.
Dr Luci Pangrazio
1 March 2023 to 28 February 2026
Australian Research Council, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award


Enthalpies of formation of kornelite [Fe2(SO4)3·~7.75H2O] and paracoquimbite [Fe2(SO4)3·9H2O] were measured by acid (5 N HCl) solution calorimetry at T = 298.15 K. The samples were characterized chemically by an electron microprobe, and structurally by the means of single-crystal, in-house powder, and synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. The refined structures for the two phases are provided, including estimates of the positions and concentration of non-stoichiometric water in structural channels of kornelite, location of the hydrogen atoms and the hydrogen bonding system in this phase. The measured enthalpies of formation from the elements (crystalline Fe, orthorhombic S, ideal gases O2 and H2) at T = 298.15 K are −4916.2 ± 4.2 kJ/mol for kornelite and −5295.4 ± 4.2 kJ/mol for paracoquimbite. We have used several algorithms to estimate the standard entropy of the two phases. Afterward, we calculated their Gibbs free energy of formation and constructed a phase diagram for kornelite, paracoquimbite, Fe2(SO4)3·5H2O, and Fe2(SO4)3 as a function of temperature and relative humidity of air. The topology of the phase diagram is very sensitive to the entropy estimates and the construction of a reliable phase diagram must await better constraints on entropy or Gibbs free energy of formation. Possible remedies of these problems are also discussed.


Clubface angle at impact plays a big role in the initial launch of a golf ball. This is something for golfers to consider strongly when assessing their ball flight and misses.
For many years it was believed that the golf ball’s initial launch was determined by the path of the club. It was thought that the curve was determined by the relationship of clubpath to clubface. Over the last decade, research in golf science has shown that roughly 80% of the ball’s initial launch is a result of the clubface angle at impact, and that spin results from clubpath relative to the face angle.
The role of clubface angle in assessing your miss
Everyone has a common miss, either to the right or to the left. Understanding the combination of path and face that create the miss can help you self-correct.
The left miss
There are two different types of left misses.
1) In the first type of left miss, the golf ball is pulled straight left, without much curve. Here the clubface and clubpath are both aiming left the same amount at impact.
2) In the second, the ball launches fairly straight but then hooks hard to the left. The hook results from a square face at impact with a path that is to the right. This is difficult to correct: a golfer’s instincts are to swing more to the right, but that only exacerbates the problem.
Alignment at address
Alignment at address is another factor influencing ball flight.
If you don’t have a TrackMan or other launch monitor, use an alignment stick to select a target that is less than half the distance that the golf ball will travel. This will give you a good look at the initial launch of the ball to help you self-correct if necessary.
Of the six primary fundamentals in golf, clubface and clubpath are lag factors that are influenced by the other four: balance, posture, rotation, and speed. That being said, there’s still a clear case for better understanding of what influences ball flight.


This is not a broken turboprop engine. It's a new radical new aircraft engine design by French engine manufacturer Snecma, one that will forgo the traditional bypass system and remove the engine ducting altogether while reducing fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and engine noise.
Modern aircraft engines rely nearly exclusively on turbofan technology, which allows a portion of its incoming air to bypass the engine's combustion chamber and generate additional thrust when expelled with hot, compressed exhaust gases. However, the prototype engine above completely does away with the ducting found on conventional engines, instead allowing the counter-rotating fans to spin in open air.
"An aircraft engine's efficiency and consumption depend on the amount of air the fans draw and eject at slow speeds," Snecma Research & Technology Director Pierre Guillaume said in a press statement. "With the open rotor, we will be able to considerably increase that drawn air flow because we won't have any ducting around the fans. And that will improve consumption and cut CO2 emissions." What's more, the current 1:5 scale prototype engine is already testing at 10 dB below the noise levels of conventional engines, about what CFM's LEAP engines currently produce.
The Sneca team expects to have a full-size prototype ready for bench testing by 2015 and plans to install it for flight testing on an A380 by early 2019. Should the program continue without any major setbacks, Sneca hopes to begin commercial production of the open fan engines by 2030. Can't wait to see how these handle bird strikes. [Defense Update - Image: Sneca]


Department of Social Sciences
This final chapter provides a summary and conclusions of the book, as well as some directions for future research. It was found that despite recent changes in ethanol markets, Brazil has maintained its dominant position for production and trade in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), though in recent years its exports have plummeted. In the case of biodiesel, however, the situation is much more volatile. Both Brazil and Argentina have grown to challenge the USA for the production lead. Argentina dominated trade and exports until recently, when its practices have been challenged in Europe. The increasing importance of trade in LAC (and also with the USA) and changes in agricultural markets underscores that biofuels present both opportunities and challenges for the region.
Sustainable Development of Biofuels in Latin America and the Caribbean
Sustainable Development of Biofuels in Latin America and the Caribbean,
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/4050


SHANGHAI, Sept 29 (Reuters) – A report from environmental group Greenpeace found that new Chinese infrastructure still relies on carbon-intensive supply chains, though they emitted less carbon than traditional infrastructure last year.
New infrastructure includes 5G technology, artificial intelligence, data centres, electric vehicles and its infrastructure and high-speed railways, said the report, which was released on Wednesday.
“The majority of new infrastructure’s emissions come from upstream and downstream industries. As long as the whole new infrastructure supply chain relies on China’s high-emissions energy mix, cutting emissions here will be a struggle,” said Zhang Kai, deputy program director in Greenpeace East Asia’s Beijing office.
“This impact needs to be addressed holistically.”
China, the world’s largest coal consumer and steel producer, is the biggest emitter of climate-warming gases globally. It aims for its carbon emissions to peak by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
Beijing has not published any overall scheme to lower emissions, but local governments and industries such as steel have their own carbon pledges. read more
According to the Greenpeace report, emissions from China’s new infrastructure industries are 7.24% lower than in traditional infrastructure.
While policies on new infrastructure have improved, there are few considerations for “greenness and inclusiveness,” said the report, adding that further policy support is needed.
“More detailed development norms and industry guidelines still need to be drafted,” it said.
“In order to achieve better energy saving and emission reduction effects, investment decision makers of new infrastructure should focus on energy efficiency optimization in the supply chain’s upstream section.”
Reporting by Emily Chow and David Stanway;
Editing by Bernadette Baum
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Americans from Africa Slavery and its Aftermath
Americans from Africa seeks to convey varying perspectives on the "Black Experience" in the United States and its controversial history. This volume, Slavery and Its Aftermath, deals with four major issues: the extent of African influences on the lives of those enslaved and brought to America, beginning with an essay on "Africanisms in Everyday Life" by Melville J. Herskovits; the impact of slavery on personality and social structure, sometimes called "The Elkins Debate;" similarities and differences in life for African Americans in the South and in the North; and matters of community, class, and family, including the full text of the "Moynihan Report" and several pointed critiques.
In addition to the commentaries by and on the works of Herskovits, Elkins, and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, other contributors to Volume I include Kenneth B. Clark, Mina Caulfield Davis, E. Franklin Edwards, Eugene Genovese, Ulf Hannerz, Charles S. Johnson, Leroi Jones, and Charles Keil.
The second volume, Old Memories, New Moods, contains essays on the roots of black protest; the background and character of the Civil Rights Movement; interpretations of the impact and significance of Black Power, and varied views on changing self-images of being African American.


This activity brings to life the double helix structure of DNA by enabling you to make your own paper model. You can download instruction sheets for how to make the model that takes you through the process step-by-step.
Three model sheets are available. One is a full-color version showing how the DNA bases pair together called the “template sheet”. There is a blank version called the “Replicate the template sheet” where you can copy the template sheet and understand how complementary base pairing works. The third sheet is the “Fill the Bases” wherein you are supposed to fill the blanks with the complementary bases and color them accordingly.
This project is made possible by Bharath Atthe, Aditya Undru, Dr. K. Lakshmi Rao and Dr. Somdatta Karak.
This hands-on activity allows you to create your own paper model of a DNA double helix. Read the instructions, download and print the activity sheets to build your paper DNA model.
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Bibliometrics is the quantitative analysis of research literature, based upon citations, and can be used to evaluate the impact on the academic community of a research paper, an individual researcher, a research group or institution, or a journal.
The most commonly used bibliometric indicators include journal metrics and researcher metrics and alternative metrics are now increasingly being used.
A researcher has index h if h of his or her Np papers have at least h citations each and the other (Np – h) papers have ≤h citations each.
(Np = number of papers)
E.g. an h-index of 20 means there are 20 published papers each with at least 20 citations.
Some of the limitations of the h-index include:
There will also be variations in the h-index according to the bibliographic source or the search engine used to calculate it as the sources will only gather information from the journals they index. For example Web of Science indexes over 12,000 journals and conference proceedings and Scopus indexes over 20,000 journals and conference papers, and citation data is primarily from 1996 onwards.
You can calculate your h-index on Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar Citations.
Google Scholar Citations is a free service provided by Google which collates your work into one profile. The profile can be kept private or made public. The benefits of using Google Scholar Citations include a simple graphic to identify what your h-index is.
Publish or Perish retrieves and analyses academic citations to measure performance of individuals. It uses Google Scholar raw citations, then analyses and presents results according to indicators such as the h-index.
Citation counts alone should not be used as the only measure of research quality. Different sources can produce different figures, and data should be used with caution, especially if comparing across disciplines.
 Hirsch, J. E. (2005). An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102(46), 16569–16572. http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0507655102
Some of the limitations of altmetrics include:
Some alternative metric tools:
Altmetrics serve as a supplement to traditional metrics. It is always a good idea to use a range of metrics appropriate to your discipline and relevant to the context in which they are being used.


Knowing how to build well structured programs and apps, that are scalable and robust is essential for every developer.
That’s why I’ve created this course on Design Patterns for Python.
Here you will learn how to apply popular patterns to your code, such as Builder, Adapter, Abstract Factory, as well as lesser known but very useful patterns, such as Composite, Decorator, Strategy etc.
This course will teach you how to structure your code so that it is more maintainable as it grows, and that it’s easier to debug and test. When building a new project, you are not trying to reinvent the wheel, but instead to implement the correct solutions to the problems that you encounter.
It will also teach you the terminology that you need when you communicate with top level developers. When they say they implemented a factory for a piece of code, or the added a builder pattern for the creation of a certain object, you will immediately know what they mean.
This course covers 3 types of design patterns
We will also include code samples at each step of the way, so that you already know how to implement these patterns in practice.
Sign up today, and let’s learn how to use Design Patterns in Python.
Who this course is for:
- Beginner Python developers
- Intermediate Python developers
- Python development knowledge
- Mac or PC
Last Updated 11/2022
Python design patterns masterclass 2022.zip (1.1 GB) | Mirror
Python design patterns masterclass 2022.torrent (48 KB) | Mirror


A diamond girdle can be bruted or polished. Modern diamonds usually have girdles with small facets giving them better transparency and stronger brilliance. Step-cut diamonds usually have polished girdles that are not faceted.
Bruted girdles were typically left on old cuts before girdle faceting became common. Counterintuitively the bruted girdles are better at masking the diamond tint, which means that once such a stone is repolished and facets are added, the stone might drop a grade or two in color. However, they tend to absorb dirt and oils, requiring periodic cleaning.
Girdle thickness effect
A girdle is the widest part of a gemstone, separating the crown above from the pavilion below. The girdle’s circumference defines the stone face-up measurements. Girdle thickness does not affect a diamond’s brilliance and fire. A diamond with an extremely thin girdle has an elevated risk of chipping along the girdle edge during setting or when worn. However, it does not pose a challenge for a qualified stone setter. A diamond with an extremely thick girdle weighs more and looks smaller than a diamond of the same carat weight and a thinner girdle. Given a choice, diamonds with extreme girdles are less desirable than similar diamonds with moderate girdle thickness.
GIA girdle grades
- Extremely Thin: May be prone to chipping or breaking unless properly set
- Very Thin: Typically a very good cut grade in diamonds
- Thin, Medium: The most desirable girdle thickness
- Slightly Thick, Thick: Typically an excellent cut grade
- Very Thick: Typically a good to a very good cut grade
- Extremely Thick: Makes a diamond to face-up smaller
In the past, girdles were left unpolished after the bruting process, where two diamonds are rotated against each other to give them a round shape. Such girdles with a frosted appearance are called bruted or rough. “Bearded” girdles have microscopic feathers resembling tiny hairs radiating from the girdle’s edge. This is the result of too much pressure applied during the bruting.


Adoptions fall into the following categories:
- Agency Placement Adoptions: In Agency Placement Adoptions the birth parents give their child to an adoption agency and the agency in turn place the child with prospective adoptive parents.
- Direct Placement Adoptions: Direct placement adoptions are independent adoptions where neither a government department nor an agency is a party to the adoption petition. Such adoptions give birth parents the right to select and consent to the adoption of their child to particular approved adoptive parents.
- Stepparent Adoptions: A stepparent adoption is an adoption of a child by a stepparent. This type of adoption is possible only when one birth parent retains custody and control of the child.
- Relative Adoptions: A relative adoption is an adoption of a child by a person related to the child within a certain degree by blood or marriage.
- International Adoptions: International Adoption is the adoption of a foreign-born child by U.S. citizens for whom federal law makes a special immigration visa available.
- Domestic Adoptions: An adoption where the adoptive parents and adoptee are citizens and residents of the United States.
- Closed Adoption: In a closed adoption the adoptive parents will not have information about the adoptee’s birth parents or the adoptee’s social and medical history.
- Open Adoption: The birth parents will meet the chosen adoptive family prior to placement of the child for adoption. Identifying information will be shared by both adoptive parents and birth parents.
- Adult Adoptions: Adult adoption is an adoption of a person above the age of majority by another adult, except the spouse of the prospective adoptive parent.


During this time of year it can be hard to get your children back in school mode. Having study tips on hand for back to school time can be greatly beneficial getting your kids back in the homework groove. Here are 4 of the best study tips to start the school year off.
1. Getting in the Habit of Effective Note Taking
Taking notes sounds like a daunting and unfun task for most children. Incentivising children to take notes can be a huge step to make the task look more fun. This could mean getting them to use colourful sticky notes, getting them a pen with their favourite superhero on it, and more. Studies have shown that writing notes out by hand have a greater retention rate rather than taking no notes at all. Teaching active listening and reading skills like highlighting important points can also help with retention.
2. Study Buddy/Parent Help
Having someone by your side when doing your homework can help motivate the child to get work done. This could mean having a study buddy over to finish the homework, with the incentive to play after. This could also be a parent sitting down with the child to guide them through any troubles they may have, and put them on the right path.
3. Avoid Leaving Things Till Last Minute
Doing homework or projects in advance can reduce the stress levels of not only the children, but the parents themselves. Having a schedule to do the homework much before it is actually due can get the children in a good habit to finish things early and schedule their work. This can also be done with studying before tests, or big upcoming dates.
4. Have a Quiet Study Space
Having a clean, quiet study space can reduce distractions your child may be having. This means having all devices off the table, the TV off, and focusing on the work at hand. Giving them breaks in between is a good idea, especially as a reward of focusing on work for a slotted amount of time.
Oak Learners has great day school and tutoring options. You can check out the day school where students learn all kinds of skills and build on it with personalized study habits. If you want personalized one on one tutoring online or in person sessions as well, Oak Learners offers private tutoring here! Good luck with studying!
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