NASA engineers are investigating why one of the two solar arrays equipped to the agency’s Lucy spacecraft has failed to lock into place.
Lucy was launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V on October 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on a mission to investigate a pair of asteroid fields that may shed light on the formation of our solar system.
Following a successful launch, a NASA press release confirmed that the team had acquired a signal from the spacecraft and that its two circular solar arrays had been deployed successfully. However, an update released a day later revealed that one of the two arrays had failed to lock into place follow deployment.
Despite the issue, NASA has confirmed that both arrays are producing power and charging Lucy’s battery. The spacecraft can continue to operate in its current configuration without affecting the mission.
Engineers are currently examining data from the spacecraft to determine the best course of action moving forward.
Named after the fossilized skeleton of one of humanity’s earliest known ancestors, Lucy was built to explore two fields of Trojan asteroids that share an orbit around the Sun and Jupiter.
Scientists believe that these asteroids are the remnants of the formation of giant planets from a distant solar system. It is hoped that by studying the asteroids we may learn more about the evolution of our own solar system in much the same way as Lucy helped us understand human evolution.
“It will still be several years before we get to the first Trojan asteroid, but these objects are worth the wait and all the effort because of their immense scientific value,” said Hal Levison, Lucy’s principal investigator. “They are like diamonds in the sky.”
Following two Earth gravity assists in 2022 and 2024, Lucy will make its first Trojan asteroid encounter in 2027. After completing four targeted flybys of the first asteroid field, it will make a third Earth gravity assist in 2031 that will catapult it to the second field by 2033.


The Sherman Historical Society shared the story of Florence Quammie whose abbreviated bio is told in the book, A Life In Color. It is a fascinating look into the early 20th-century history of this charming Connecticut village.
It was the year 1933 when the Quammies moved to Sherman, Joseph Allan, his wife Flora Mae and their two children, Florence and Gerald. At the time, Florence was only six years old. The family moved from the Bronx and, they were the first black family to make their home in Sherman. The potential for complications could come into play for this interesting transition. The history for it was certainly there.
During the Civil War and despite abolitionists’ cries, the majority of the North was not fighting for slaves’ rights; in fact, many couldn’t have cared less either way; for them, the fight was about preserving the Union. During and after it, the influx of freed Blacks moving north to find work in the industrialized cities came up against both American-born and immigrant workers who saw their jobs threatened by the new arrivals.
The book interviews Florence at 80 years old. Her story is refreshing and one that destroys stereotypes and expectations. Her parents came to Sherman to work for the Walter Evans family at “Estwick,” (the stately 1804 Federal Colonial home on the corner of Chapel Hill). “The Evanses treated us like family; they took to my brother and me like their own.” In fact, Florence enjoyed many activities she might not otherwise have known, among them: learning to play tennis and piano and attending numerous concerts and plays.
In the book, a Life of Color, Florence recalls the many wonderful times she had growing up in Sherman. She was accepted by the children of the town in school and made many lasting friendships with no racial barriers. This book is inspiring and shows that tolerance breeds goodness and acceptance breeds community.
A Life in Color is available from the Sherman Historical Society’s Old Store or by contacting them via email email@example.com


The development of healthcare treatments has given people hope to fight diseases. However, humans are born to be afraid of advanced technologies. As such, it is critical that medical professionals have the skills to explain the benefits of treatments to patients and, ideally, involve them in the development of new treatments in the first place.
Find out how and why you should engage patients and communities in the development of new healthcare technology and treatments with the free online course “Medical Humanity: Engaging Patients and Communities in Healthcare“.
Engaging Patients and Communities in Healthcare – Course Content
This free online course explores the concept of doctors as “mediators” in the changing relationship between patients and technology, and introduces the theme of “medical humanity” to improve communication and trust in healthcare. You will find out how to bring patients into the development of medical technologies and treatments.
Using real-life examples from Taiwan and South East Asia, the course will help you to understand:
- The basic principles of community engagement;
- The concept of “living labs”;
- How to listen to people and use their oral histories as part of healthcare service design;
- How to make elders or minority groups an integral part of designing new medical technologies;
- Why you should consider technology as a tool for conscious social change.
This course is designed for undergraduates and postgraduates, with some medical, healthcare or social work experience.
Summary of Main Course Features
- Educator: Duujian Tsai
- Publisher: Taipei Medical University
- Start Date: 8 August 2016
- Duration: 3 weeks x 2 hours per week
- Certificates available
Visit the Course Page
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Green Hydrogen Catapult
It is widely acknowledged that green hydrogen will play a significant role in decarbonising the global economy. Yet, currently only 1% of all hydrogen produced is ‘green’. Green hydrogen is a zero-emissions, sustainable fuel made by using renewable energy – wind and solar – to power electrolysis that splits water into its constituent parts. Platinum is used as a catalyst in Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysers, one of the two leading electrolysis technologies available.
Until now, cost has been a significant barrier to wider adoption of green hydrogen, with analysis showing that a price of $2 per kilogram represents the likely tipping point at which green hydrogen should become affordable across multiple sectors. The key to driving down costs is to build out additional capacity on a large ‘gigawatt’ scale to achieve the economies of scale needed to make green hydrogen production economically viable.
The new ‘Green Hydrogen Catapult’ initiative will see green hydrogen industry leaders take on this challenge, targeting the deployment of 25 gigawatts of green hydrogen production by 2026, with a goal of halving the current costs to below $2 per kilogram and increasing production fiftyfold. In establishing the initiative, the enterprises behind the Green Hydrogen Catapult are collaborating to accelerate the necessary technological and infrastructure advancements, as well as related market development. In addition, the Catapult target requires investment of roughly $110 billion.
Growing Market for Platinum
It is now estimated that green hydrogen could supply up to 25% of the world’s energy needs and become a $10 trillion addressable market, by 2050. These projections are underpinned by the recent emergence of strong green hydrogen-focused national hydrogen strategies, including those announced by Australia, Chile, Germany, the EU, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and South Korea.
From an investment perspective, the rapid growth of the PEM electrolysis market clearly has the potential to benefit platinum demand, albeit modestly in the short- to medium-term. What is more, expansion of hydrogen production capacity will facilitate development of the wider hydrogen economy, enabling adoption of other hydrogen-related technologies including platinum-based fuel cell electric vehicles – further good news for platinum demand.
The unique physical and chemical properties of platinum make it perfect not only for jewelry but also for many other applications that make a lasting, positive impact on our world.


This is a new series of blog posts for teachers looking to become materials writers. It aims to help future writers explore topics and issues in writing, encourage deeper insight into the content of published materials, and promote a principled approach to materials development.
- What does it really mean to ‘personalise’ materials for a learner?
- In what ways could you personalise a text?
- How can you help young learners make connections between a text and their existing knowledge/experiences?
Analyse some existing published materials for young learners. Focus specifically on the reading texts and lesson stages around these. Consider the following:
To what extent are the learners encouraged to
- connect the text content to their own life experiences?
- connect the text to other texts they have read?
- connect the text to (past) world events that the learner might know about?
- connect the text to current world events?
(Choosing topics for published resources that remain current can be tough – this is worth thinking about for the task)
Plan a resource that encourages young learners to connect to the content of a reading text in a variety of ways. You may wish to create a graphic organiser activity or some other visual response to promote engagement.
Alternatively, you may choose to adapt/enhance an existing resource from the materials you analysed.
Categories: General, materials writing, teacher development
It’s great to see you’re using the graphic organisers! I’ve found this becomes a common phrase I use now “well done for making connections to something we’ve read in class before” or “ well done for making a connection to a real life experience”. My students are getting much better at recognising when they make connections too and see there are links in what they’ve done!
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Intermittent Computer Systems on Earth and in Space
Intermittent computing is an emerging computational model that allows software to operate reliably on devices that harvest energy from their environment. Energy-harvesting frees devices from the need for batteries, battery replacements, tethered power, and regular maintenance, enabling deployment to far remote installations, such as in civil infrastructure and outer space. This does not come for free: power failures impede progress and can leave a system’s memory and execution state inconsistent. Unpredictable future energy availability, and the difficulty of precisely characterizing device power consumption makes building a reliable intermittent system a challenge. I describe our experience with intermittent computing. I describe our recent efforts to mathematically formalize the behavior of intermittent software execution, and lessons learned from these formal modeling efforts. I discuss concrete incarnations of our intermittent and energy-harvesting computing results: a terrestrial, long-range batteryless camera system with the ability to do on-device machine learning and transmit over 10km distances with no batteries and two tiny, intermittent computing nanosatellites that sense, compute on sensor data, and communicate with Earth.
The discussion following this talk will be moderated by Mike Bond.
Brandon is a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University working on hardware and software computer systems to answer the question: “How capable can a computing system be, given physical restrictions on its form factor, input power, energy storage, or other resource constraints?” His research has been recognized with 8 best paper awards, the 2019 IEEE TCCA Young Computer Architect Award and the 2015 Bell Labs Prize.
Thu 19 NovDisplayed time zone: Central Time (US & Canada) change
11:00 - 11:40
|Intermittent Computer Systems on Earth and in Space|
Brandon Lucia Carnegie Mellon University


Jan 26 2008
Climate change will have a huge impact on human health and bold environmental policy decisions are needed now to protect the world’s population, according to the author of an article published in the BMJ today.
The threat to human health is of a more fundamental kind than is the threat to the world’s economic system, says Professor McMichael, a Professor of public health from the Australian National University. “Climate change is beginning to damage our natural life-support system,” he says.
The risks to health are many, and include the impact of heat waves, floods and wildfires, changes in infectious disease patterns, the effect of worsening food yields and loss of livelihoods.
The World Health Organisation estimates that a quarter of the world’s disease burden is due to the contamination of air, water, soil and food – particularly from respiratory infections and diarrhoeal disease.
Climate change, says Professor McMichael, will make these and other diseases worse. While it is unlikely to cause entirely new diseases it will alter the incidence, range and seasonality of many existing health disorders. So, for example, by 2080 between 20 and 70 million more people could be living in malarial regions due to climate change.
The adverse health impacts will be much greater in low-income countries and vulnerable sub-populations than in richer nations.
Professor McMichael says:
“Poverty cannot be eliminated while environmental degradation exacerbates malnutrition, disease and injury. Food supplies need continuing soil fertility, climatic stability, freshwater supplies and ecological support (such as pollination). Infectious diseases cannot be stabilised in circumstances of climatic instability, refugee flows and impoverishment.”
The relationship between the environment and health is complex. For example, as India modernises it expects the health of its population to improve, yet industrialisation also means a rapidly increased level of coal-burning and greater global emissions. This in turn leads to climate change, the impact of which is felt most by vulnerable populations.
Professor McMichael concludes that the global changes we are seeing now are unprecedented in their scale, and healthcare systems should develop strategies to deal with the resulting growing burden of disease and injury. More bold and far-sighted policy decisions need to be taken at national and international level to arrest the process and health professionals “have both the opportunity and responsibility to contribute to resolving this momentous issue.”


Smart in math to be an advantage of a child who has been actively moving. In this case, children who are obese or overweight.
Regular exercise will increase the ability of children who are overweight, which is usually just sit still, to be able to think, make plans, it can even grow in mathematics. Thus the findings of researchers at the Georgia Health Sciences University.
Why do math? Not explain why, but the main reason is that mathematics is a subject that has a higher level of difficulty compared to other subjects and also requires more concentration to learn.
Researchers also hope that not only obese children undergoing exercise every day, but also those who were poor. The study was based on observations of 171 overweight children aged 7 to 11 years.
After doing the exercise every day, there is a significant development in terms of competency and skills in mathematics.According to the central site Pysch after MRI of the brain of children, there is increased brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, an area that is typically used to think.
In addition, the IQ has been increased. Most often they exercise, the higher the IQ. On average, an increase of 3.8 points for those who practice 40 minutes a day after school for three months.
Sports that can be diverse: the hula hoop, running, jumping rope, and other sports, including swimming and cycling.
All sports it is also the stimulation of the brain more active.Everything from the movement that carried out while making the blood more fluid, so that oxygen delivery was smooth as well.
In essence, a child could not move if the brain is not active. To be active, oxygen required, and so on. It is all interconnected.Therefore, if there are children who are overweight, do not let them sit. Invite them to move as often as possible.
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Onion is a common vegetable in many countries. It can be used in a variety of dishes, including soups, stews, cereal, and more. On the other hand, onions can be eaten raw as well. When eaten raw, onions are a great source of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, and flavonoids.
According to WebMD, when onions is cooked or fried, it loses some of their beneficial vitamins and nutrients, however eating them raw provides you with more of these nutrients. When you eat raw onions on a regular basis, here are a few of the things that happen to your body:
1. Improves eye health or vision.
Onions are beneficial for the eyes because of the selenium they contain. An onion’s vitamin E content helps to heal eye disorders. Even some prescription eye drops contain onion juice extracts because of their eye-healthy properties.
2. Improves cardiovascular health.
Helps decrease cholesterol levels by including flavonoids. To keep your blood in check, onions are packed with nutrients that keep your cardiovascular system healthy.
3. Enhances digestion.
A healthy digestive system is facilitated by eating onions, which contain a significant amount of fiber. The fiber in raw onions encourages the formation of good bacteria in your body. Keep diarrhea and stomach ulcers at bay with this method.
4. Improved skin condition.
An onion’s high vitamin A, C, and K content makes it a great source of skin-friendly nutrients. Protect your skin from harmful rays of the sun and minimize pigmentation with these vitamins.
5. Improve the health of the lungs and airways.
Eating onions relaxes the muscles in the lungs of people with asthma and other respiratory conditions, allowing them to breathe easier. Because of its high flavonoid concentration, this is the case.
6. Boosts the immune system.
Antioxidants found in onions can help the body’s defenses. Chemically, onions are incredibly potent, able to both increase immunity and fight cancer.
What are your thoughts on raw onion consumption? Please share this article to others.


Confidentiality (Teenagers) Policy
The principles of confidentiality apply equally to all patients regardless of age. Young people (including those under 16) are entitled to equal confidentiality, as all other patients. This includes respecting their wishes to withhold information from parents or guardians. The GP involved will determine the competency of a young person seeking treatment and will determine the extent to which confidentiality guidelines apply in each case.
Care must be taken to ensure that this right of confidentiality is not inadvertently breached by following the procedural guidelines in force.
It is generally recognised that parents will accompany children up to 13 years of age. Many will continue to do so past this age but the clinician can check if they are happy to have the parent there if it is regarding something personal.
A child under 16 can come and see a clinician alone. However a clinician must believe that they are capable of understanding the choices of treatment and their consequences. This includes contraceptive advice, but the principles apply to other treatments, including abortion.
The policy of the practice is to support young people in exercising their choice of medical treatment, and to deal with them in a sympathetic and confidential manner. Where a young person presents at the surgery without adult support they may be booked in to see a clinician in the normal way. Where there is some question of the urgency of an appointment the matter should be referred to a nurse in the first instance to triage the request.
The Fraser guidelines apply to the treatment of contraceptive advice and care. A clinician should proceed to give advice and treatment where:
- The Clinician is satisfied that the patient understands the advice given.
- The Clinician cannot persuade the patient to inform the parents.
- That the patient is likely to continue having sexual intercourse with or without contraceptive treatment.
- That unless the patient receives contraceptive advice or treatment their physical or mental health or both are likely to suffer.
- That the patient’s best interests require the clinician to give them contraceptive advice, treatment or both without the parental consent.
The Gillick Competency in brief is as follows:-
It is not enough that the patient should understand the nature of the advice which is being given but that the patient should be sufficiently mature to understand it.
It is also commonly believed that “the parental rights yields to the child’s right to make their own decisions when they reach a sufficient understanding and intelligence to be capable of making up their own mind on the matter requiring decision”


It is mandatory for toy manufacturers in the United States to follow strict toy safety standards for their production lines. The ASTM F963 is considered the highest standard in promoting toy safety and is emulated across the globe.
ASTM International is recognized around the world as a leader in the development and implementation of standards associated with voluntary consensus. To date, there are more 12,000 ASTM standards that are put in place across the globe.
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
This is the U.S. government agency that has been tasked to protect the public from unreasonable injury risks or fatalities associated with the use of consumer products under the jurisdiction of the agency.
SAFETY EDUCATION PROGRAMThis program organized by the Toy Association is designed to deliver a detailed overview to participants about the main state, federal, and international safety requirements that have an impact on the toy industry.
The association provides information to its members that can be found inside briefs and guides on several important laws and regulations revolving safety that include the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
This website by the Toy Association caters to both parents and caregivers who wish to find out more on the guidelines they can follow to ensure a safe and fun environment at all times where children of all ages can learn and play without concerns. Parents and caregivers can also find the list of recalled products manufactured by various brands found in the kids toy market today.


Vba setup list box in Excel
For example, I have a Activex listbox "Countries". I want to allow users to select more than one country in the list.
To do it in Excel, here is the answer:
- Option Explicit
- Sub EnableListBoxMultiSelect()
- ActiveSheet.Countries.MultiSelect = fmMultiSelectMulti
- End Sub
a) Line 3 sets up the ListBox to support multiple values selection by user.
b) To support only one value selection, the MultiSelect propert should be set to "fmMultiSelectSingle" instead of "fmMultiSelectMulti"
You can find similar Excel Questions and Answer hereunder
1) Introduction to tables in Excel VBA and how to use tables, create tables in VBA
2) How to create charts in Excel VBA
3) Tables in Excel VBA. How you can create table in VBA and work with them with macros
4) How can I copy and rename a WorkSheet using VBA?
5) Vba clear the contents of an entire sheet in Excel
6) How do I enter a formula in a cell using VBA (using Relative Reference)?
7) How can I filter and copy only filtered data using VBA?
8) How can I set Page orientation, Zoom % , Title Rows and footer using VBA?
9) How can I prevent users from seeing / accessing my macro code?
10) Vba delete entire row if contains certain text in Excel


The process of painting a character can be broken down into two parts: the pre-production and the production. Pre-production includes sketching, conceptualizing, and designing. Sketching is done by hand or digitally on a tablet. The sketch is used to map out the proportions of the character and to plan what colors will be used. Conceptualizing is done by making notes about what kind of mood or emotion the character should convey. Designing is done by deciding what clothes, hairstyle, and accessories will be worn by the character.
Production includes blocking in color, adding details with darker values, adding shadows with darker values, and finishing with lighter values to give it a 3D look.
Yes, you can use different mediums to paint a character. For example, you could use a video to show the character's point of view. You could also use an infographic to show how they feel.
First, we need to create two circles and the fill them with black paint. Then, we need to use the pen tool to create an outline of the character and fill it in with white paint. Finally, we can add some details using other tools such as the brush tool and the pencil tool.
Suzen Kumar Mohanty
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Afrin A Shaikh
VALENTIN GABRIEL CRISTEA
EASY TO UNDERSTAND
Md. Sajjad Hosen Saju
I've never seen a course like this for free on the internet. Really appreciate the game character design course. All in one course.
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“Plantar fasciitis” is the most common condition that causes heel pain. When plantar fascia (a tough band of connective tissue) gets inflamed, a person experiences pain. That condition is called plantar fasciitis. People experience plantar fasciitis when they run, jump or stand for a long time. The pain is worst first thing in the morning when affected person gets out of bed or when seats for a long time and gets up.
To diagnose plantar fasciitis healthcare provider needs to ask questions about symptoms and perform physical exam. Sometime X-rays or other tests are needed to rule out problems that may cause similar pain.
There are exercises that help to relieve symptoms of plantar fasciitis. Also, rest, putting ice for up to 20 minutes four times a day, taking over-the-counter pain-relieving medications “NSAID’s” that include ibuprofen (brand names: Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (brand name: Aleve), using sturdy shoes with arch and heel support and wearing splints at night may alleviate symptoms of foot and heel pain.
Health care provider can also do a foot or heel injection with numbing medication and corticosteroids to help with pain and inflammation.


Fish stocks targeted by MSC certified fisheries were found to perform better against key sustainability criteria than those targeted by fisheries without certification, new research published today in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Marine Science has found.
In the most comprehensive comparison to date, the analysis looked at publicly available data on the abundance of 80 fish stocks targeted by MSC certified fisheries against data on more than 90 stocks where fisheries lack MSC certification.It covered a wide range of species, including tuna, small pelagic fish and whitefish and the geographic areas of East and West Coast Canada, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, Southern Africa, East Coast USA and the Atlantic Ocean.
The research compared the stocks on two sustainability criteria – or biological reference points - widely used by fishery managers: first, the limit that a stock can’t fall below before it is considered overfished, and second, the target level that fisheries aim towards for the stock to be considered sustainable.
Stocks targeted by fisheries certified to the MSC’s standard for sustainable fishing were found to be more consistently fished within sustainable limits. In addition, stocks targeted by MSC certified fisheries were found to have greater abundance relative to sustainable harvest targets compared with stocks fished by non-MSC certified fisheries.
Dr Rohan Currey, Chief Science and Standards Officer at the Marine Stewardship Council, said:
“Accelerating progress to tackle the challenge of overfishing remains an urgent priority globally. We know how to solve this problem. This research demonstrates that implementing best practice in fisheries management, as required by the MSC Fisheries Standard, can deliver sustainable outcomes. Governments, fishery managers, fisheries and indeed all who champion sustainable fishing practices, will be encouraged by these outcomes.”
The findings reinforce that consumers can have confidence that seafood products carrying the MSC blue label come from fisheries that are well-managed with stocks that are not overfished and remain within sustainable limits.
As overfishing continues to rise, with more than a third (35%) of the world’s fish stocks overfished, well-managed fisheries are critical to addressing this challenge. Fisheries that are managed sustainably are also more productive in the long-term, ensuring a vital source of protein-rich food for the planet’s growing population.
Read the full paper: Wild-caught fish populations targeted by MSC-certified fisheries have higher relative abundance than non-MSC populations


Many people learn about Saona island during their beach vacation in La Romana or Punta Cana. After visiting Saona Island on a day trip, many visitors come back home and want to know more about this tropical paradise. That’s why we have put together a few interesting facts about Saona, the largest island of the Dominican Republic.
Facts About Saona Island you might not know
1. The Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer Christopher Columbus discovered the island. In 1494 Columbus named the island after a friend who later became the first governor. It is known as one of the most popular places to visit in the Caribbean.
2. The beach, Canto de la Playa, is a favorite beach of Hollywood to film scenes in movies
Pirates of the Caribbean and The Blue Lagoon both had scenes filmed here. The “natural pool” houses hundreds of starfish where tourists can gently interact with the creatures.
3. The island is part of a government-protected reserve. It is part of East National Park in the south of the Dominican Republic. It is one of the most important reserves in the country.
4. Interesting and endangered species like the rhinoceros iguana, the gentle manatee, elegant dolphins, and the fishing bat all live on or in the ocean near the island.
5. Many parts of the sea around the island is only a few feet deep. Many sandbars form natural pools which are the ideal conditions for a large starfish population.
6. The indigenous Taino people were the first to occupy the island. The island was originally called Adamanay before it was overtaken by the Spaniards. There is a current push to return to the original name.


A new research study published in the journal Geology by geologists from the Geological Society of America has said they will crack open an 830-Million-Year-Old crystal with potential life in it.
Major Peer-Reviewed Study: Menstrual Irregularities, Uterus Shedding Cases Spike After COVID Vaccine Rollout
Geologists aim to break open an 830-million-year-old crystal to see if it contains ancient living microorganisms.
The findings on the rock salt crystal were initially published in the journal Geology (pdf given below) by scientists from the Geological Society of America earlier this month. Organic substances are floating inside the rock salt, also known as halite, according to the researchers, and the organic matter appears to be prokaryotes and algal cells.
“This discovery shows that microorganisms from saline depositional environments can remain well preserved in halite for hundreds of millions of years and can be detected in situ with optical methods alone. This study has implications for the search for life in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial chemical sedimentary rocks, “the study read.
West Virginia University geologist Kathy Benison told NPR that her team is preparing to open the crystal to see if the organic objects are still alive.
“There are little cubes of the original liquid from which that salt grew. And the surprise for us is that we also saw shapes that are consistent with what we would expect from microorganisms. And they could be still surviving within that 830-million-year-old preserved microhabitat,” Benison said.
She claimed “a lot of detailed work going on for years to figure out how” to introduce microbes that are hundreds of millions of years old “in the safest possible way” back into the current world.
Benison’s team could find evidence of alien life from about one billion years ago, according to Bonnie Baxter, a scientist at Westminster College in Salt Lake City who wasn’t involved in the study.
Read the research article below:


In 2022, the countries of the EU Economic and Monetary Union celebrated the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Erasmus Programme with the issue of a special 2 euro Erasmus coin. The coin is the crowning glory of this Official Austrian Euro Coin Set 2022, which consists of eight proof coins with values from 1 cent to 2 euros.
Proof quality coins are the fruit of the most advanced minting know-how, technology and craftsmanship. Only after 22 high-precision procedures is the die used to strike the first coin, which is then subjected to the most rigorous technical demands. Before each coin leaves Münze Österreich AG, it is scrutinised in great detail to guarantee that design, craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology have successfully transformed a simple piece of metal into a work of art.
Who exactly was the Erasmus after whom the EU student exchange programme was named? Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, who died in Basel almost half a millennium ago, is still considered an important humanist, philologist, church reformer and pioneering spirit of the Enlightenment. He was a Renaissance cosmopolitan who worked in many European countries. In 1509, he wrote his most famous work, In Praise of Folly. One of the most important and popular publications of the Renaissance, this satire looks at the many faces of human ignorance.
Approved by the European Council of Ministers in 1987, the Erasmus Programme combats ignorance by promoting cultural, social, and academic exchanges between European students. The Erasmus+ programme 2021–2027 places a strong focus on social inclusion, digital change, combating climate change and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.


Here you see the rusty red door which exited the Eastern State Penitentiary yard into one of the guard towers of this prison. The door is small and short to slow the entrance of any prisoners trying to rush the guard tower. These days the doors are all sealed shut with rust and padlocks.
This is yet another photo from my last trip to Philadelphia. While we were enjoying the City of Brotherly Love’s historic sites, it was suggested that a trip to the Eastern State Penitentiary was in order. So like good tourists with a great guide, we headed to the former home of both bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone.
The tour of the prison was far more interesting than I expected. Turns out this prison, built in the late 1800s, was a revolutionary prison design and Quaker-inspired philosophy. Prior to the Eastern State Penitentiary, prisons were places people went to be punished. The name is, in this case, key to the building. Until the Eastern State Penitentiary, prisons were prisons. The use of the word “Penitentiary” comes from the idea of giving penance. Instead of going to the prison to be punished, criminals were sent to the penitentiary to be reformed.
Prisoners were kept in solitary confinement to think about the wrongs they did. They were able to consult books and ministers but overall, they lived a solitary life. This worked for quite some time, until it became overcrowded. It’s wagon-wheel design allowed for the central prison guards to monitor each hall of the structure from a central point. But as they grew to multiple stories and more wings, and even underground cells, this feature became less efficient.
Speaking of overcrowding…
In 1924, Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot allegedly sentenced Pep “The Cat-Murdering Dog” (an actual dog) to a life sentence at Eastern State. Pep allegedly murdered the governor’s wife’s cherished cat. Prison records reflect that Pep was assigned an inmate number (no. C2559), which is seen in his mug shot. However, the reason for Pep’s incarceration remains a subject of some debate. A newspaper article reported that the governor donated his own dog to the prison to increase inmate morale.
There are more photos from this beautiful prison to come, as well as more about history of the building.


Science Comics: Bats – Learning to Fly, by Falynn Christine Koch, (Feb. 2017, First Second), $12.99, ISBN: 9781626724082
Recommended for ages 8-13
The latest volume of Science Comics introduces kids to bats. The information is pulled together with a story about a little brown bat whose wing is injured by humans on a nature hike. He’s taken to a rehabilitation center, where he meets bats of different species. Little Brown, as he’s called by the other bats, learns what the other bats eat, how they fly, live, and sadly, how their homes are invaded by humans. The information is comprehensive and there’s a call to conservation and preservation for kids, which I always appreciate.
I enjoy Science Comics because it’s easily an digestible, thorough introduction to a subject that doesn’t talk down to kids, nor does it speak over their heads. The illustrations are interesting and technically on point, and the fictional narrative that ties each volume together is interesting and fun, keeping the reader’s attention. I’ve got every issue of Science Comics (Coral Reefs, Dinosaurs, Volcanoes) so far, and Bats will join them on my shelves. I display mine with related series nonfiction, lest kids worry about a “comic book” not satisfying their research requirements, and I booktalk them every chance I get. If you’re a teacher, have these in your classroom and use them when you cover these topics – your kids will thank you.
One thought on “Science Comics Explores Bats”
i had a very handsome science teacher so i paid attention but WOW things would have been easier if they’d had Science Comics back in the day. and who doesn’t love BATS??


The Unknown Epidemiology of Psoriasis
Main Article Content
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease, with no identified etiology or cure, worldwide distribution and predominantly male. Skin diseases contribute 1.79% to the global disease burden measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) placing them in the 18th position. It is the third of the skin diseases with the highest total burden.
The data to date, which include 68 articles and full reports from 20 countries, have estimated the worldwide prevalence of psoriasis to range between 0.09% and 11.4%, equivalent to at least 100 million affected individuals. In most developed countries, the prevalence is between 1.5% and 5%, with Norway being the country with the highest prevalence. The only study carried out in Portugal, was published in 1994, with a sample of 1037 participants of all ages and concluded a prevalence of psoriasis in Portugal of 1.9%.
Different methodologies, differences in the definition of prevalence, in the definition of case, in the ages of the studied populations and in the sampling techniques are observed. Available prevalence data cover only 20 countries, which means that the epidemiology of this disease elsewhere is completely unknown. There is a small proportion of studies carried out in developing countries, contributing to greater inequality in the published results.
The quality of the epidemiological data obtained is essential for a better understanding of the size and distribution of the problem, for the management of this chronic disease and for the adequate planning of healthcare.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.


Aztec empire collapsed by salmonella?
German biologists looking for the causes of the fall of the Aztec empireów have taken DNA from human remains (more specifically, from the tooth of theó(w) from the Oaxacan area in southern Mexico. 24 of 29 osób, from whichórs whose genetic material was collected died as a result of the 1545 epidemic – 1550. Researchers from fragmentóThey extracted two genomes of a strain of Salmonella enterica bacteria in DNA.
Before the arrival of Hernando Cortes in Mexico in 1519, the population there numbered about 25 millionów. One hundred years póAfter that, only one million remained. The population was decimated by the conquistador’s armies, but mostly by epidemics. Spaniards brought with them a disease, for which theóre themselves were immunized, but the local population was no longer.
Scientists agree on the size of theóin tragedy. They also agree that the population of the Aztec empireów finished epidemics, however, róThey agree on the disease, whichóra caused the plague. Smallpox, measles and typhoid were already taken into account. Recently, it has also been hypothesized that a hemorrhagic fever epidemic is behind the decimation of the population of present-day Mexico. Now a new one has been put up, whichóra tragedy put on the shoulders of the Salmonella enterica bacteria.
The population of today’s Mexico is believed to have been overrun by two major epidemics. The first dated to 1545 and the second to 1576. Found by German biologistsów strain of salmonella in Europe appeared several centuries earlier. Evidence for this was presented by British biologist Mark Achtman, który found the genome of this strain in the remains of a woman buried in Trondheim around 1200. After 300 years, when Cortes set out to conquer the subbój America, Europeans were already immune to it.
Results of Max Planck Institute researchers await scientific review. Although there is convincing evidence in this case, confirmed by other studies, the scientific community is not convinced. María Ávila-Arcos of the National Autonomous University of Mexico noted that the work of the German biologistsów does not rule out other hypotheses.


What’s your favorite doughnut? Glazed, nutty or a cinnamon twist? Creme-filled or topped with chocolate or vanilla frosting? Well, today is the day to enjoy a sweet sugary doughnut with your morning coffee because it is National Donut Day.
National Doughnut Day is always celebrated on the first Friday in June, which this year, is June 5. The day honors the Salvation Army “Lassies” of World War I. It is also used as a fund raiser for needy causes of the Salvation Army.
The original Salvation Army Doughnut was first served by Salvation Army in 1917, according to holidayinsights.com. During WWI, Salvation Army “lassies” were sent to the front lines of Europe. These brave volunteers made home-cooked foods, and provided a morale boost to the troops. Often, the doughnuts were cooked in oil inside the metal helmet of an American soldier.
The American infantrymen were commonly called doughboys. Salvation Army lassies were the only women outside of military personnel allowed to visit the front lines. Lt. Colonel Helen Purviance is considered the Salvation Army’s “first doughnut girl”.
On National Doughnut Day, look to see if your local doughnut shop, or other organizations, are offering free donuts to solicit donations for the Salvation Army or for another needy cause.


Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Richard Besser talks about the possibility of a pandemic. What is a pandemic, aside from being a media magnet?
"A pandemic is basically a global epidemic -- an epidemic that spreads to more than one continent," says Dan Epstein, a spokesman for the Pan American Health Organization, a regional office of the World Health Organization.Tamaflu has proven effective in beating the virus, so perhaps talk of a pandemic is hype at this point. There are 6 cases in California and 2 in Texas. The best thing you can do is wash your hands regularly. No, you can't get it from eating bacon.
Influenza pandemics have struck about three times every century since the 1500s, or roughly every 10-50 years. There was one in 1957-1958 and one in 1968-1969. The most infamous pandemic flu of the 20th century, however, was that of 1918-1919. An estimated 40 million people died in less than a year, and what made it so different from seasonal flu epidemics is that it killed primarily young people, those aged 20-45. WebMD
Here's a story that looks at how this virus may have started. Makes sense to me.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Here's more from the CDC.
Obama monitoring swine flu:


Body Mass Index
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fat for most people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat and is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
Body Mass Index (BMI) for Children
For children and teens, BMI calculated based on age and sex and is often called BMI-for-age. After BMI is calculated for children and teens, the BMI number is plotted on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) BMI-for-age growth charts (for either girls or boys) to obtain a percentile ranking. The BMI is not used by itself when evaluating possible obesity in children and teens. Percentiles are the most commonly used indicator to assess the size and growth patterns of individual children in the United States. The percentile shows the relative position of the child’s BMI number among children of the same sex and age. The growth charts show the weight status categories used with children and teens (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese). BMI tables for adults are not accurate for children and teens.BMI-for-age weight status categories and the corresponding percentiles are shown in the following table.
|Weight status category||Percentile range|
|Underweight||Less than the 5th percentile|
|Healthy weight||5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile|
|Overweight||85th to less than the 95th percentile|
|Obese||Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile|
See the following example of how some sample BMI numbers would be interpreted for a 10-year-old boy.
To measure your child’s BMI, please enter his/her age, height and weight, and click the Calculate button.


Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa launched a food sustainability program in 2021 to assist low-income institutions in providing for their students. Koyonzo Special Primary School was located in the heart of Mumias. The students at the school came from low-income families, and many of them had disabilities that made their lives even more difficult.
The school proposed getting a cow, and KBTA facilitated the purchase of Hope, a lovely brown and white Friesian.
Every day, the students at Koyonzo School had access to fresh milk for the first time in their lives. They were no longer hungry in class, and they had more energy to concentrate on their studies. The students' health significantly improved, and they were able to attend school more frequently without becoming ill. The school also began selling excess milk in the local market, earning money that was used to improve the school's facilities and resources.
Because Hope milk was available, these students had access to a nutritious source of food right at school. They no longer had to worry about going hungry or skipping meals, and their health significantly improved. They were able to devote more time to their studies and participate in school activities with renewed vigor. Hope's story is a symbol of resilience, compassion, and the power of a simple act of kindness to change lives.


Marvin Klemme Range Research Station
The Klemme Research Station is the result of the generous donation of 1,000 acres and the associated facilities by Marvin Klemme on November 10, 1988 to the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and Oklahoma State University to further agricultural research and education and thus promote agriculture to the benefit of western Oklahoma and society.
Major research trials conducted at the Klemme Range include studies on: stocker cattle, patch burning, cow-calf, pasture and forage improvement, livestock management research, and education programs. The primary commodities located in the Rolling Red Plains Area are wheat, range, and cattle. Other important commodities include grain sorghum, alfalfa, and cotton.
Size and Location
The station consists of 1,560 acres and is located 10 miles south and 5 miles west of Clinton or 5 miles west and 1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 183, at Bessie, Oklahoma.
The station is located slightly south of the north/south midpoint of the Rolling Red Plains Resource Area.
The Rolling Red Plains extends from south of the Red River to north of the Oklahoma/Kansas border consisting of approximately 9.4 million acres, which occupies a significant portion of Western Oklahoma excluding the Oklahoma Panhandle.


After the heavy rains during the 2018 floods in Kerala damaged the walls of the Wayanad's historic Edakkal Caves, the archeology department restricted the number of visitor numbers to 1,920 per day.
The cave walls have Neolithic engravings and scribblings believed to be from the prehistoric settlers. A research team conducted a study earlier this year on the extent of the damages, but the restrictions are still in place, officials confirmed.
No way to know in advance
Tourists have no way to know in advance whether they will be allowed to visit the caves. “The restrictions were first imposed in October, 2018. As of now, tourists won't know whether they will be able to visit the caves, without reaching the spot. The research team finished its study to assess the damages in January. But they have not yet submitted the report," said Wayanad District Tourism Promotion Council manager P P Praveen.
Why was the number restricted to 1,920 per day?
“Initially the decision was not to allow anyone inside. However, following discussions, the archelogy department fixed this number after considering how many people can be given entry in batches of 20 till noon,” he said.
Local people demand immediate action
People in the locality demanded that immediate action should be taken about the restriction that has been in place for years. They expressed concern that if the curb continues, it will drive tourists away from the area. This season too would see a dip in the number of tourists visiting the Edakkal caves if the report of the study is further delayed.


The Individual Piano Student In The Context Of Their Community
One of the great insights I’ve gained from studying the work of music learning researcher Edwin Gordon is that music is better understood when listening for content within a context. Specifically, Meter and Tonality provide the context, and Rhythm Patterns and Tonal Patterns comprise the content for any piece of music.
I’ve noticed that this is a robust concept with implications everywhere! By zooming in or out we can find all sorts of ways the idea of content in context can broaden our horizons.
For now I’d like to zoom out and look at the way we train piano students, in the context of how music and piano are used in our communities.
As music availability has gone through the roof, musical engagement has dropped into the basement. When I talk with adults about their experience with childhood piano lessons, responses are almost always tinged with failure or regret. “I never practiced.” “I wish I had listened to my parents and continued lessons.” “I never learned to read music.”
Piano lessons are still taught today in ways that perpetuate these sentiments. We piano teachers still teach to those one in a hundred very high aptitude students that might become music majors, and to what end? Individual musicians cannot succeed, even with college degrees, without the context of a society that has some understanding of what it is we do.
Those other 99 students that didn’t do so well in lessons are not a strong support for the individual who does. To say nothing of the those who don’t seek or can’t afford music lessons in the first place.
To continue to be effective, piano lessons must be designed to benefit both the individual student and the context of the community as a whole.
In my next post I’ll talk about two ways to do this.
Thank you. This is very good!


Columbus, Kentucky was the site of a major Civil War battle, as the Confederate army tried to cut off Mississippi River travel by placing a large iron chain across the entire river from Columbus to Belmont, MO. Ulysses S. Grant, in his first battle of the war, attempted to reopen the river, without success, but as he gradually captured everything else around Columbus, the Confederates abandoned it. A large section of the chain and an anchor were discovered after a river bluff caved in in the 1920’s. The town of Columbus, at least according to folklore, was considered as a possible capital for the United States by those who felt the capital should be more centrally located in a country that was rapidly expanding to the west. Unfortunately, continuing floods made life in Columbus difficult. The final one in 1927 destroyed the town more or less completely. The American Red Cross arranged for the town to be completely relocated to the top of the bluffs, and a city planner from Indianapolis was engaged to draw up a comprehensive plan for the new Columbus. He designed a town plan that was largely an oval, centered around a broad parkway, and the buildings from the old town that could be saved were relocated to the new townsite. Only about 200 people remain in the new Columbus today, but there is a Columbus-Belmont State Park that commemorates the old town and its importance in the Civil War.


Young Engineers Robo Bricks Enrichment Program
Suitable for: 8 – 12
Average lesson duration: 90 minutes
The Robo Bricks course objective is to introduce the students to theoretical and practical aspects of the fields of Technology, Software Engineering, Math and Entrepreneurship.
The course develops algorithmic thinking and program implementation, using the LEGO® WeDo graphic programming. During each lesson, students will build a robot using LEGO® parts and program it according to the required functionality. Most programming tasks will be performed using English terms.
This enrichment program objective is achieved when the students design a software and mechanical engineering project, study its market and use rhetorical methods to make a successful presentation to investors.
2 ways to register for a trial class
ONE : Click on the picture below to see the respective class schedule and fill up the form
TWO : Fill up the form below
Students will be using our Young Engineers exclusive LEGO kits & Blocks for this workshop. (Disclaimer: Not to be brought home)
Robo Bricks Main Topics
- Utilizing Young Engineers Spiral Method: the introduction to the world of robotics will be based on implementing all the mechanical engineering knowledge acquired in previous programs.
- Software and Mechanical Engineering principles: Algorithm planning, formulation of pseudocode, flow charts, We-Do Programming, different output implementations, different input implementations, loops, multi-threads, keyboard operations, sensor implementations, calculation commands.
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship: Market study, product page, how Google works, Microsoft Power Point, rhetorical methods.


Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Auditory system, Sound discrimination, Musical training, Sound pressure, Hearing
Communication Sciences and Disorders | Speech and Hearing Science | Speech Pathology and Audiology
Musicianship confers enhancements to hearing at nearly all levels of the auditory system from periphery to percept. Musicians' superior psychophysical abilities are particularly evident in spectral discrimination and noise-degraded listening tasks, achieving higher perceptual sensitivity than their nonmusician peers. Greater spectral acuity implies that musicianship may increase auditory filter selectivity. This hypothesis was directly tested by measuring both forward- and simultaneous-masked psychophysical tuning curves. Sharper filter tuning (i.e., higher Q10) was observed in musicians compared to nonmusicians. Findings suggest musicians' pervasive listening benefits may be facilitated, in part, by superior spectral processing/decomposition as early as the auditory periphery.
Gavin Bidelman, Jonathan Schug, Skyler Jennings, and Shaum Bhagat. "Psychophysical auditory filter estimates reveal sharper cochlear tuning in musicians" Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (2014): 33-39. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4885484
Copyright 2014 Acoustical Society of America. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the Acoustical Society of America.
This article appeared in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, volume 136, issue 1, 2014, and may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.4885484


The nearly 400-foot-long Polarstern is designed to break through ice in frigid waters—but for an upcoming trip to study climate change, Germany is going to purposely let its ship become stuck in the middle of the floes, per the BBC. In what the Telegraph paints as a "daring plan," the Polarstern will embark on its 1,550-mile trip sometime in 2019, at which point it will sail into Arctic sea ice, allowing itself to become trapped in the ice and then drift with it across the North Pole. The frigid adventure, which is said to be the biggest Arctic research project ever, "will give us a new and absolutely fascinating insight into the climate system" there, professor Markus Rex, who's leading the MOSAiC project, tells the BBC.
As the Polarstern floats along in "sea-ice Lagrangian mode," scientists from several dozen research entities will gather data on the local waters and atmosphere, all of which will be analyzed to make more sense of the major climate changes going on at the top of the world (January's measurement of Arctic sea ice was said to be the lowest ever recorded). Rex tells the Telegraph this is really the only way to do a study at the North Pole during the winter, as thick ice during that time of year is impossible to break through, and it's too dangerous and unwieldy to head onto the ice in snowmobiles with all of the necessary gear. Not that the ice-bound journey, which is expected to take about a year, is going to be an easy sail: It will be freezing and completely dark around the clock during the winter months, and polar bears will be on the prowl. (Scientists say the warm temps in the Arctic are "alarming.")


Newport Bay Conservancy (NBC) is focused exclusively on the protection and preservation of Upper Newport Bay – one of the most precious natural resources in Southern California.
How to Help
Among the very few remaining, undeveloped wetlands on the California coast located in Orange County, Upper Newport Bay is recognized as a globally significant hotspot of biodiversity. NBC works to sustain an amazing diversity of marine, plant and animal life in its stewardship of the Bay.
Restoration of native habitat is one of NBC’s primary activities, bringing together highly trained experts, committed volunteers, the public, and local businesses in the process of uprooting invasive plants and returning the proper plant life to encourage biodiversity.
The environmental education programs NBC provides for both academic students of all ages and the general public enhance their knowledge and appreciation of the Bay; increased awareness of the role everyone plays in protecting the environment is essential.
Supporting research in the the square mile of protected tidelands and uplands of the Bay builds our knowledge of this rich biosphere, while proper science-based management helps sustain the 154 square mile watershed of central Orange County that drains to the Pacific via the Bay.
NBC seeks to advocate for residents of central Orange County and many of our visitors from far and wide to enjoy the natural beauty of this precious resource and to learn more about its ecological value.
As NBC strives to protect and preserve the Upper Newport Bay, we also aim to foster human diversity by creating a culture in which every visitor, volunteer, public steward, partner, member and employee feels at home. Upper Newport Bay welcomes people of all races, genders, nations, ages, abilities, and backgrounds.


Renewable Energy Vermont, the solar energy industry lobby group, is out with a press release urging the legislature to pass a bill, H.320, to require the utilities to buy more of their product.
According to the group, “a strong Renewable Energy Standard would prioritize the development of new renewable resources that truly reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout Vermont and the rest of New England. It would fix the fundamental flaw in the 2015 Renewable Energy Standard – an overreliance on existing renewables that failed to reduce regional carbon pollution. H.320 would do just that by requiring Vermont utilities to get 60% of their power from new renewables while getting Vermont to a 100% renewable energy future.”
The future the group envisions is one where everything runs on electricity, and all of that electricity is generated by solar farms and wind farms, mainly the former. This may seem ridiculous, and it is, when you consider that in Vermont solar electricity can only be produced about 35% of the time, and the other 65% of the time somebody has to build billions of dollars’ worth of storage, mainly from gigantic inefficient batteries.
Renewable Energy Vermont argues that failing to require the utilities to buy more of their product also Perpetuates Environmental Injustice. If that’s their concern, we should be building new modular nuclear plants, but that wouldn't enrich the renewable energy lobby that’s getting rich on government-rigged deals.
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#solar #greenenergy #solarpanels #RenewableEnergyVermont


As part of Orange Shirt Day, members of Lloydminster Public School Division’s Small Fires Indigenous Mentorship Program hosted a blanket exercise at Lakeland College.
Blankets are used as a visual representation of Canada and the Small Fires group go through the events and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada’s history.
Grade 12 student Riley Cross is a member of the Small Fires group and says the exercise is important as it shows people where Indigenous people came from and the way they were treated in past events through Canada’s history.
“It’s important so we don’t lose our voice. It’s important for other people to learn in case they don’t know what it is.”
LPSD First Nation, Métis and Inuit Coach Denae Bruce says the blankets are taken away throughout the activity to represent the assimilation of the culture through topics such as residential schools and other Indigenous issues.
“It represents the assimilation of culture and language loss and reconciliation. We’re trying to heal from that and educate people so something like that doesn’t happen again,” says Bruce.
The blanket exercise is one of the 94 calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to promote reconciliation in Saskatchewan schools. The call urges provinces and territories to make age-appropriate curriculum on residential school, treaties and the history of Indigenous people.
Once the exercise is over, Bruce says the participants will get into a circle and share their thoughts on the history of Indigenous people in Canada.
“There are times where it is quite emotional and a lot of people say they’ve never learned about this before which is something common in Canada that the residential schools and the history of Indigenous people are not taught in schools.”
Bruce says the activity is important for her Small Fires group as they will be the ones to pass on the stories in the future.
“The legacy is in their family so they’re here now spreading the awareness and becoming leaders of action.”


The cartridge mounted to the tonearm of your turntable uses a small stylus tip, made of diamond, to convert the information held within the groove of a record to a signal which can then be amplified for listening.
During playback the stylus tip, attached to a cantilever, is dragged through a records groove at a consistent speed, tracing the landscape of the record itself. The physical variations within the groove causes this assembly to vibrate, and it is this physical movement which can then be converted into an electrical signal through electromagnetic induction.
Electromagnetic induction is a phenomenon that occurs when an inductor is placed within a varying magnetic field. As this magnetic field changes, a current will be induced within the inductor proportional to the rate of change of the field. This principle is integral to the function of a cartridge and is achieved using magnets and coils of wire.
Moving Magnet Cartridges.
A moving magnet cartridge uses magnets fixed to the end of the cantilever. These magnets sit within a static set of wire coils, moving within these coils as the stylus travels along the record groove.
This movement causes a variation in the magnetic field, inducing a small current within the coils that corresponds to the movement of the stylus. This current can then be amplified for listening using a phono preamplifier.
Moving Coil Cartridges.
The principle remains the same for a moving coil cartridge, with the primary difference being that in this assembly the coils are mounted upon the cantilever, whilst the magnets remain fixed.
In this formation it is the coils that move in relation to the magnets, causing a variation in the magnetic field, and in turn inducing a small current. These coils of wire are often much smaller than those used in a moving magnet cartridge, and due to this the signal generated tends to be of a much lower level. Therefore, moving coil cartridges require a preamplifier with a dedicated MC input to provide the additional gain necessary for optimum performance.
As the coils are mounted directly to the cantilever of a moving coil cartridge, the cantilever assembly itself is much lighter in comparison to that of a moving magnet cartridge. This lightweight design contributes to an improved transient response, better clarity during quieter sections of audio, and more detailed reproduction overall. However, cartridges of this type are therefore much more delicate and tend not to have any user-replaceable parts as can be seen in many moving magnet cartridges.


Town in the sea – level 3
Until the 3rd century AD, the town of Baia was the most coveted destination for wealthy Roman citizens, senators, and emperors.
Now, it’s hidden beneath the sand and pebbles in the waters of the Gulf of Pozzuoli, just a few kilometers from Naples, Italy, and the only residents are fish and seahorses.
The slow movement of land from volcanic activity caused the land to submerge, and in 1969, divers discovered the ruins of two marble statues by chance. About 15,000 divers, snorkelers, and tourists visit the site all year round to travel back in time and swim through ancient streets, mosaics, statues, and the remains of a seaside resort.
Over the years, archeologists have moved some of the ancient objects above the sea to protect them from rock-eating plants and animals, strong tides, and thieves. However, the archeologists have placed copies of the originals underwater so that divers can experience the city as it was 2,000 years ago.
Difficult words: covet (to want something very much), submerge (to go under water), mosaic (small pieces of stone or glass that are arranged together to make a picture or pattern).
You can watch the video news lower on this page.
What do you think about this news?
LEARN 3000 WORDS with NEWS IN LEVELS
News in Levels is designed to teach you 3000 words in English. Please follow the instructions
How to improve your English with News in Levels:
- Do the test at Test Languages.
- Go to your level. Go to Level 1 if you know 1-1000 words. Go to Level 2 if you know 1000-2000 words. Go to Level 3 if you know 2000-3000 words.
- Read two news articles every day.
- Read the news articles from the day before and check if you remember all new words.
- Listen to the news from today and read the text at the same time.
- Listen to the news from today without reading the text.
- Answer the question under today’s news and write the answer in the comments.
- Choose one person from the Skype section.
- Talk with this person. You can answer questions from Speak in Levels.
Stock images by Depositphotos


Most of Quebec's wild blueberry production is frozen. This allows large volumes of fruit to be harvested in a short period of time and sold throughout the year. Fresh blueberries are in a more precarious situation where the harvest period determines when they will be on the shelves of food chains. Ripening occurs at a time when the risk of frost increases. Increasing the consumption of fresh Quebec wild blueberries and improving the predictability of supply from one season to the next are priorities for the sector. To achieve this, harvests need to be spread out over a longer period of time to prevent an early frost event from sabotaging the crop. The risk of frost can be mitigated with different protection methods that have proven their worth for other crops. However, the feasibility, cost, risks and framework for successful adoption of this practice remain to be detailed for blueberries.
From 2020 to 2022
Optimizing spraying through exclusion nets.
Researchers: Gérald Chouinard Daniel Cormier Vincent Philion
The aim of this project is to improve the productivity of haskap orchards by promoting more efficient water and nutrient uptake.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
The aim of our project was to increase the acreage on which mating disruption is used against the codling moth in all of Québec’s apple-growing regions.
Researcher: Daniel Cormier


The full size model of Chiron, which was taken care of by Lego company, can also move independently with the help of a number of electric motors.
At the beginning of this summer, the French car maker Bugatti and the Danish toy maker Lego presented the first result of their joint collaboration, a miniature of Chiron, which followed the example of Porsche 911 GT3 and some other miniatures that Lego created with various other automotive manufacturers. Now Lego and Bugatti started a new and much larger project: the production of Lego Chiron in its natural size.
BUGATTI and @LEGO_Group achieved the impossible: a full-sized LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron that drives! #BuildforReal #BUGATTI #Chiron #LEGOTechnicBugatti pic.twitter.com/C3LA2AJ5KZ— Bugatti (@Bugatti) August 30, 2018
More than a million different Lego cubes were used in the design of the model, some of which were premiered in the project, and more than 13,000 working hours were invested for its production and testing. The car is almost entirely made of Lego components, while Bugatti provided the original Chiron wheel rims and some other minor components of the vehicle, which in total weighs around 1,500 kilograms.
Although it's just a mock up of a real car, full sized Lego Chiron can move independently up to a maximum speed over 20 kilometers per hour. Under a bonnet in an apparently true engine housing, namely cooperate as many as 2,034 electric motors, which otherwise move much smaller miniatures.


Understanding the news, a movie, a song is one of the skills that stresses most students. Nothing strange about that, once you’ve heard it, it’s gone, you have to be quick, to make sense of a few or more words to get the meaning of what is said and in many situations, there is no way to rewind.
However, it is a part of all our language exams, so here are a few sites where you can train, practice and improve your listening and understanding skills.
I’ll start with two sites which provide “slower” news, and scripts.
VOA (Voice of America) provides many ways of improving comprehension and learning vocabulary. There’s also a YouTube Channel, Listen and read along based on VOA news with a script you can follow.
Same thing for News in levels.
If you like karaoke, music, singing along or just another way to practice English, try Lyricstraining.
One website I like a lot because, there are many videos and audios, different levels, interesting subjects, and the speakers are not always native speakers, is Elllo.
CNN10 is obviously a reference, international news for students in 10 minutes, quizzes to check your weekly news and scripts.
BBC provides so many excellent services to help students learn English that I can’t even begin to list them. I encourage you to browse through the BBC Learning English, section especially 6 Minute English and take your time, you can search by level or by programmes.
If you feel comfortable I would advise listening to the BBC Global News, 30 minutes of news and reports.
Last but not least, there’s the Ted.com website, talks about so many subjects that you will necessarily find one that will appeal to you.
There are also zillions of YouTube channels to help you, and here is one:
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This device has a long history. It’s a tool used by cooks, magic maidens and healers. Thousands of years ago, the Aztec and Maya used a similar utensil made of basalt for cooking. Evidence reveals Native Americans created mortars in bedrock and used a pestle to grind acorns and other nuts.
The mortar is a strong bowl, or as history has shown, an indent in a hard surface with the capability to hold material. The dimension of the vessel varies, ranging from the size of a dessert bowl to a barrel. It’s usually made of hard wood, ceramic or stone.
The pestle is the fat round-ended stick or club which grinds, crushes and mixes the material in the mortar.
From its conception, mortar and pestle were used for the purpose of creating medicine. The close relationship between the pair continues, and the mortar and pestle image often appear on medical prescriptions.
In fiction, characters who work magic are often well-versed in the use of the tool. They crush herbs and other plant material to create potions and magical pastes. Some prefer wooden mortars, but many prefer the roughness of stone. In a pinch, it can also be used as a throwing weapon.
The young haulfin in Shadows in the Stone happened upon one while visiting the Midway Keep…
Isla had reached the end of the room. The centre display unit ended, leaving a path to the opposite side. Natural light poured in from two tall windows. Sundry items—lanterns, candles, flint and firesteel kits, tinderboxes, hand mirrors and folding knives—filled the tables near the openings. On the sill sat a miniature statue of a dragon beside a small dish and pestle akin to what Alaura used to mix herbs. Three books similar in size leant against the glass frame.
If your stories contain magic, healers or herbs and your characters have never used a mortar and pestle before, perhaps you could introduce them to the tool.
…Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence and self-esteem. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls. They give us hope! ~ Toni Robinson


Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT)
The Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT) provides FREE presentations about current NASA missions and research to Montana schools, youth programs, and community groups. This year's presentation is called The Sun Earth Connection.
Teachers: if you assign watching the video to your students, please send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org and include where you teach and the size of your class. Thank you!
Students: if you have questions about the dark side of the universe, you can send them to email@example.com and we'll send you answers!
- What kind of light do doctors use to take pictures of your bones?
- How different does Jupiter look in different types of light?
- What force keeps our solar system together?
- What is more dense, a rock the size of your hand or a pillow?
- Will our sun become a black hole one day?
- Which is heavier, a spoonful of our sun or a spoonful of a neutron star?
- True or false: we can detect gravitational waves from colliding black holes?
- Montana State University helped discover gravitational waves using what instrument?
- True or false: we can see most of the matter in the universe.
- What do galaxies need to keep from flying apart?
- What is your favorite thing you learned from the video?
The focus of the program is professional training for higher education student presenters with mentoring by STEM graduate student managers. Through this program higher education students utilize unique NASA content to become inspirational STEM role models for K-12 students and teachers.
The interactive SPOT presentations utilize slides, videos, animations, iClickers (depending on group size) and an inquisitive approach to relay the excitement of new discoveries in space science. NASA research and careers here in Montana are highlighted in each show. Presentations can be done in a classroom or assembly setting, as long as a screen or blank wall and an electrical outlet are available. Each show lasts approximately 50 minutes.
Participating teachers will receive NASA related activities, brochures and other materials they can use in their classrooms.
Interested in being a SPOT presenter? Email us!
Click here to see the SPOT presentation schedule


Ai’aoksiikowaata is pronounced “eye ox EE go WA duh.” It is a Blackfoot word that means “providing guidance to youth.” Ai’aoksiikowaata describes the nurturing and direction that youth traditionally received from ceremony and other traditional parenting practices.
Our childhood experiences provide the basis for living a good adult life. All children have the right to receive nurturing and guidance that comes from a loving, supportive, and stable family. We know that people coming out of child welfare often have not received this kind of care and are thus more likely to become homeless, fall into poverty, and experience subsequent health problems. What we don’t know is just how many people continue to struggle or how many are able achieve their goals after they age out.
The goal of this project is to make improvements to Alberta’s child welfare system so that young people who are growing up in government care can receive all the guidance and support they need to successfully transition into independent adulthood. To achieve this goal, we need to understand where the gaps are and how it affects people’s lives. For this reason, we have created two research studies, a survey and a storytelling project, to learn about youths’ experiences with the system.
The project is open to people from all backgrounds. However, because Aboriginal children and youth are especially affected by the child welfare system, this project was inspired and guided by Blackfoot knowledge holders.
If you want to learn more and participate, please visit the Survey and Storytelling pages.


Kievan Rus' (Old East Slavic Рѹ́сь, Рѹ́сьскаѧ землѧ, Greek Ῥωσία, Latin Rus(s)ia, Ruscia, Ruzzia, Rut(h)enia,Old Norse Garðaríki) was a loose federation of East Slavic tribes in Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century, under the reign of the Rurik dynasty. The modern peoples of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestors.
At its greatest extent in the mid-11th century, it stretched from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south and from the headwaters of the Vistula in the west to the Taman Peninsula in the east, uniting the majority of East Slavic tribes.
Kievan Rus' begins with the rule (882–912) of Prince Oleg, who extended his control from Novgorod south along the Dnieper river valley in order to protect trade from Khazar incursions from the east and moved his capital to the more strategic Kiev. Sviatoslav I (died 972) achieved the first major expansion of Kievan Rus' territorial control, fighting a war of conquest against the Khazar Empire. Vladimir the Great (980–1015) introduced Christianity with his own baptism and, by decree, that of all the inhabitants of Kiev and beyond. Kievan Rus' reached its greatest extent under Yaroslav I (1019–1054); his sons assembled and issued its first written legal code, the Rus' Justice, shortly after his death.


Do you not know where to start from finding evidence to inform your article? We got you. Below are some of the most recommended repositories of literature on health care and medicine to find peer-reviewed information about your topic of interest.
A. Public and Global Health
i. The Lancet: The Lancet is a family of journals (Child & Adolescent Health, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Global Health, Haematology, HIV, Infectious Diseases, Neurology, Oncology, Planetary Health, Psychiatry, Public Health, Respiratory Medicine, Biomedicine, Clinical Medicine) with a core belief that medicine must serve society, that knowledge must transform society, that the best science must lead to better lives.
ii. Pubmed: PubMed is a free search engine accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics.
iii. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM): NEJM is one of the world’s leading medical journals. It delivers high-quality, peer-reviewed research and interactive clinical content to physicians, educators, and the global medical community. Its mission is to bring physicians the best research and information at the intersection of biomedical science and clinical practice and to present this information in understandable and clinically useful formats that inform health care delivery and improve patient outcomes.
i. Nature Medicine: Nature Medicine is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal publishing research articles, reviews, news and commentaries in the biomedical area, including both basic research and early-phase clinical research covering all aspects of medicine.
ii. The New England Journal of Medicine
iv. Google Scholar


How to retrieve source code from Python objects?
We are given a object and our task is to retrieve its source code, for this we have inspect module, dill module and dis module built-in standard libraries in Python programming. They provide several useful functions to track information about live objects such as modules, classes, methods, functions, tracebacks, frame objects, and code objects. getsource() method is used to get the source code of Python objects.
Parameter: The object type parameter, of which we want the source code.
Return type: text of the source code for an object
Note: An IOError is raised if the source code cannot be retrieved.
Using the inspect module to retrieve source code
Example: Here we are importing the inspect module first and then using the inspect.getsource() function to fetch the source code of the given object.
def test(x): return (x+2)*(x-2)
Example: Here we are fetching the source code for the given object.
def far(n): factorial = 1 if int(n) >= 1: for i in range (1, int(n)+1): factorial = factorial * i return factorial
Example: We can use inspect on built in library functions and objects also.
class DataFrame(NDFrame): """ Two-dimensional size-mutable, potentially heterogeneous tabula
Using the dis module to retrieve source code
Here we are using the dis module in Python to fetch the source code of the specified object.
50 0 LOAD_FAST 0 (a1) 2 LOAD_FAST 1 (a2) 4 BINARY_ADD 6 STORE_FAST 2 (a) 51 8 LOAD_FAST 2 (a) 10 RETURN_VALUE
Using the dill module to retrieve source code
Here we are using the dill module in Python to fetch the source code of the specified object.
def fun(a1,a2): a = a1 + a2 return a
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Slavic Institute (Slovanský Ústav). A Czechoslovak state-funded research institution, founded in Prague on the initiative (1920) of President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. It was legally constituted in 1922 to study and develop Czechoslovakia’s cultural and economic relations with other Slavic countries. Under the directors Lubor Niederle (1928–32) and M. Murko (1932–40) the institute was active in the field of Slavic studies. During that time it published many serials, over 70 monographs, and over 50 annual volumes of Byzantinoslavica, Germanoslavica, Slavia, and Slavische Rundschau. Its Slavic Library (Slovanská Knihovna, est 1924) was one of the largest Slavic libraries outside the USSR; in 1946 it contained 244,000 monographs and 150,000 annual periodical runs. The institute supported scholarly institutions and individual scholars engaged in Ukrainian studies. Ukrainian émigré scholars who were members of the institute included Leonid Biletsky, Filaret Kolessa, Dmytro Chyzhevsky, Oleksander Kolessa, Ivan Ohiienko, Oleksander Lototsky, Stepan Smal-Stotsky, Oleksander Mytsiuk, Fedir Steshko, and Vladimir Timoshenko; they worked on its numerous commissions, particularly on its autonomous Research Board on Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia. From 1931 to 1940 the Ukrainian Historical Cabinet functioned within the institute. The institute’s activities were restricted during the German occupation, and it was closed down in 1943. It was reactivated in 1945, but Soviet repression forced it to suspend its activities in 1948. In 1953 it was revived as part of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.
[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 4 (1993).]


Last modified: 31 May 2022 13:22
This course introduces students to the key issues surrounding being a geologist in the petroleum industry. With the changing nature of hydrocarbon exploration and production, both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons are considered. The key concepts of the origin and generation of hydrocarbons, reservoir rocks and subsurface reservoir structures (traps) are introduced, together with some of the key techniques used within the industry (e.g. reservoir geology, petrophysics and formation evaluation). Practical issues such as how hydrocarbon wells are drilled and how rocks are sampled in the subsurface are also considered.
|Session||First Sub Session||Credit Points||15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)|
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
Alternative Resit Assessment
Online Test (100%)
There are no assessments for this course.
|Knowledge Level||Thinking Skill||Outcome|
|Factual||Remember||ILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.|
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European volunteer scuba group Ghost Diving and its partner Healthy Seas are collaborating with Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands on a pilot initiative to determine the ecological impact and sources of the ghost nets and lines they recover in the North Sea and Adriatic.
Also read: Net result for Ghost Diving USA
They hope that the knowledge will lead to more effective ghost-net prevention and clean-up strategies.
During their first sea clean-up of 2022 in mid-January, a Ghost Divers team from the Netherlands, Croatia and Italy collected samples off the Croatian coast and recorded underwater footage for analysis by the researchers.
“Up to now, the ecological impact and sources of nets retrieved from wrecks have received relatively little research attention,” said scientific researcher Wouter Jan Strietman from the university. “We are happy to support Ghost Diving and Healthy Seas by contributing our expertise to provide a deeper understanding of the issue.”
It is estimated that 640,000 tons of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear end up in the ocean each year, much of it plastic netting that can take centuries to decompose and in that time goes on catching and killing marine life.
“With the results coming out of this project we are aiming at improving our clean-up protocol and to further contributing to the dialogue with the fisheries sector around solutions tackling the ghost-fishing phenomenon,” said Ghost Diving founder Pascal van Erp.
The results of the pilot phase of the scientific project will be published towards the end of this year.
Ghost Diving volunteers have been clearing nets and other marine debris since 2009, while Healthy Seas, which started in 2013, works to recycle marine litter into textiles. Recovered fishing nets are regenerated into ECONYL yarn from which products such as swim- and sportswear or carpets are made.


Between 2000 and 2010, the use of colorectal cancer screenings increased from 19% to 55% among adults ages 50 to 75, the analysis found. In 2010, 64% of people age 65 years and older reported having undergone a recent screening test. “Colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that we can actually prevent with screening, so it's a great opportunity,” Siegel said.
Despite the progress, researchers say there's still more work to do.
“This is a really important and is a lifesaving test,” said Siegel, “but we still have more than a third of adults for whom screening is recommended (who are) not getting tested, and others who say they have never been screened.”
Screening rates remain low among the poor and uninsured, the report said, and there were substantial racial and ethnic differences in both incidence and death rates. For example, the death rate for blacks was 50% higher than that of whites, attributed to disproportionately higher poverty rates in the black community.
With more people gaining access to coverage as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Siegel says she hopes some of the disparities will be addressed. But in general, she says, she is often shocked by how unaware the public remains on the role they can play in prevention.
“Colon cancer is one of the cancers we do know a lot about in terms of risk factors,” she said noting that any effort to encourage patients to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, increase physical activity, eat plant-based diets low in red and processed meats and quit smoking can help.
Colon cancer is currently the third leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. This year more than 136,000 individuals are projected to receive a colorectal cancer diagnosis, and more than 50,000 are projected to die from the disease.
The CA report used colon cancer incidence data drawn from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, and mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
The CDC last November issued a report noting that comparative effectiveness data have shown at-home stool tests to be equivalent to colonoscopies at catching cancer early in patients who don't have additional risk factors.
Follow Sabriya Rice on Twitter: @MHSRice


How to view different worksheets of the same workbook side by side?
It’s quite normal to have two workbooks opened; and more than common to view the two workbooks side by side:
This could be done fairly easy:
1) On the RIbbon, Go to View –> Arrange All –> Select how you want to arrange –> OK
(Pls try the four different ways to see the differences)
How about to view same/different worksheet(s) of the SAME workbook together?
It requires just one more step in advance.
1) Create a new window for the workbook: Go to View –> New Window
2) Note the name on the top of the window. Now it is “12 month profit and loss.xlsx:2 – Microsoft Excel”
3) Also look at the bottom, you should see two windows of the same workbook.
4) Repeat the step in the 1st part: Go to View –> Arrange All –> Select the way you want –> Check “Windows of Active Workbook” –> OK
5) There you go. The screenshot below shows two windows of the same worksheet of the same workbook. You may select different worksheet if required.
Tips: You may click the “View Side by Side” to activate “Synchronous Scrolling”


Wi-Fi and Ethernet are two popular ways to connect devices to a network, such as the internet. While both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, Ethernet is generally considered to be the more reliable and faster option. Here’s a breakdown of the differences between Wi-Fi and Ethernet:
- Speed: Ethernet connections are typically faster than Wi-Fi connections. Wi-Fi speeds can vary depending on the distance from the router, the number of devices connected to the network, and other factors. Ethernet connections can provide a more consistent and reliable speed, making it better for activities that require high bandwidth, such as gaming, streaming video, and downloading large files.
- Security: Ethernet connections are generally considered to be more secure than Wi-Fi connections. Wi-Fi signals can be intercepted by anyone within range, making it easier for hackers to access your network and steal sensitive information. Ethernet cables, on the other hand, provide a direct connection between your device and the router, making it harder for hackers to intercept your data.
- Reliability: Ethernet connections are more reliable than Wi-Fi connections, especially in areas with a lot of interference or where the signal is weak. Wi-Fi signals can be disrupted by other wireless devices, walls, and other obstacles. Ethernet cables provide a more stable and consistent connection, making it better for tasks that require a stable network connection.
- Convenience: Wi-Fi connections are more convenient than Ethernet connections. Wi-Fi allows you to connect multiple devices to a network without the need for cables, making it easier to move around your home or office. Ethernet connections, on the other hand, require you to have a cable running from your device to the router, which can be inconvenient and limit your mobility.
In conclusion, Ethernet is generally considered to be the more reliable and faster option for network connections. However, Wi-Fi is more convenient and can be a good option for devices that don’t require a high-speed connection or when mobility is important. Ultimately, the choice between Wi-Fi and Ethernet depends on your needs and preferences, as well as the layout and size of your home or office.


Intelligent inhaler designed to combat spiraling costs of respiratory disease
Asthma is a common long term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath may occur a few times a day or a few times per week.
More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from either asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), with numbers rising rapidly driven by the ageing population. There is no cure for asthma but medication delivered in the form of aerosol sprays can be effective in treating the symptoms. Hospitals and care providers, however, continue to see low levels of adherence and poor and inconsistent competence using these devices.
This is where a Minnesota based company called 3M Drug Delivery Systems comes in with its 3M™ Intelligent Control Inhaler. The device, which is still under development, provides a number of benefits over standard inhalers.
The 3M™ Intelligent Control Inhaler relies on a combination of breath actuation with innovative technology to control inspiratory flow rate and actuate the drug delivery. This results in more accurate dosage delivery. The dose is only registered when the patient correctly inhales medication. This provides cost-savings to healthcare professionals who can avoid unnecessary switches and treatment escalation, and delivers greater accuracy of information for the patient. And the device is intelligent in that it records the times that the medication is administered, as well as other data about the patient’s breathing patterns. The smartphone app collects all this information and sends it on to the patient’s healthcare professional.
“Providing an effective and intuitive delivery method for respiratory disease treatment is critical to patients, health care providers and payers alike,” said Louise Righton, Global Marketing Operations Manager, 3M Drug Delivery Systems.
“Poor technique in using an inhaler, coupled with the challenges of getting patients to adhere to their medication protocols, can lead to exacerbations, increased use of health care resources and ultimately, a burden on health care systems. By increasing competence and adherence, we can realize better patient outcomes and reduce health care costs.”
The device will be developed in partnership with a pharmaceutical company, and is expected to be in wide use within the next few years.
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Top image is a true-color corrected reflectance image of flooding in Mozambique and Malawi, neighboring nations in southeastern Africa, on March 22, 2023. Note the brown, sediment laden rivers in the center of the image as well as the sediment plumes exiting into the Mozambique Channel. The lower image shows the Flood 3-Day Window composite ending on March 22, 2023. Red indicates flooded areas, blue indicates existing surface water, and grey indicates areas of insufficient data (which is usually due to cloud cover). Note how the red flooded areas correspond with the sediment laden rivers.
The flooding was caused by Tropical Cyclone Freddy that repeatedly brought torrential rain to the region. See previous Worldview Images of the Week: Tropical Cyclone Freddy over Madagascar, Tropical Cyclone Freddy over Madagascar (Again), and Cyclone Freddy Continues over Mozambique and Malawi. The cyclone is likely to be named the longest-lived tropical cyclone at 34 days as a named storm, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
These images are from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. Visit Worldview to interactively compare these images.
View the Worldview Tour story Assessing Floodwaters to learn more about the MODIS Near Real-Time (NRT) Global Flood Product.
Visit Worldview to visualize near real-time imagery from NASA's EOSDIS; check out more Worldview weekly images in our archive.
Dataset: MCDWD_L3_NRT doi:10.5067/MODIS/MCDWD_L3_NRT.061