8. Miscellaneous: What else can be found about languages and minorities?
Updated (January 2002)
2001 (November) Regular Report to the Council of Europe on Slovakia’s Progress towards Accession – Human Rights and the Protection of Minorities
As mentioned in the previous Regular Reports, human rights and freedoms of national minorities are fully respected in Slovakia. With the exception of Roma minority, other recognized minorities (numbering more then ten) are comparatively well integrated to Slovak society.
The Advisory Committee on the Council of Europe Framework Convention highlighted the achievements made in improving inter-community relations, notably the one with the Hungarian minority.
The implementation of the basic treaty with Hungary has continued. The Slovak government largely assented with the crucial demands of SMK (the Hungarian Coalition Party), which politically represents the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.
The agreement referred mainly to the accession to the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and to the establishment of a faculty for Hungarian teachers at the University in Nitra. Whereas the Government is willing to provide funds for the Faculty, the autonomous administrative bodies of the University have so far been reluctant to follow the agreement reached on the political level.
The situation of the Roma minority remains difficult. Roma students are under-represented in the educational system, however; they are over-represented in schools for retarded children. Housing situation, especially in the settlements in the Eastern part of Slovakia, remains a matter of concern too.
Over the reference period, substantial further efforts have been made by the Slovak Government and some municipalities in regard to national minorities:
In June 2001, Slovakia ratified the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages. The Charter applies to the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, German, Polish, Roma, Ruthenian and Ukrainian languages in all municipalities in which live over 20% of representatives of national minorities. The Hungarian minority, in conformity with the flexible instruments set up in the Charter, will benefit from the most generous provisions.
Implementation of the Government Roma strategy, which was adopted last year, started at both national and local levels. More than 100 projects were carried out in the areas of housing, infrastructure, education, training, employment, social affairs, health and culture. Approximately 50% of allocated financial means (4 million ª) were spent on the implementation of this strategy.
In the area of education, the Government has continued with establishment pre-school preparatory classes for Roma children and with construction of a number of schools in municipalities with a high proportion of Roma.


What is Giving Compass?
We connect donors to learning resources and ways to support community-led solutions. Learn more about us.
It is 19 years since the world first met to discuss global early warning for natural hazards in Potsdam, Germany. Since then events have only underlined how important early warning systems are for saving lives across the globe.
Read more about climate change on Giving Compass
The infrequency of tsunami events in the Indian Ocean explains why there was no such system in place while one had been installed in the Pacific Ocean 55 years earlier in 1949, following the Aleutian Island earthquake which resulted in 165 casualties.
Filling obvious gaps can justify the expense of a single hazard early warning system as in the case of Bangladesh which has lost hundreds of thousands of lives to cyclones but has reduced the death toll significantly in the last two decades thanks to an effective community-based cyclone preparedness programme.
However, it is often the case, particularly in developing countries, that a multi-hazard approach makes more sense economically, and operationally, especially in parts of the world exposed to many different types of hazard.
That is one key reason why the Mexican Government, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with many partners, are organizing the first-ever Multi-Hazard Early Warning Conference.
This is timely in the context of extreme weather events that have doubled over the last 40 years and continue to claim many lives and cause huge economic losses particularly in countries which struggle to maintain viable climate and weather information services.
Multi-hazard early warning systems are essential to achieving reductions in loss of life, the numbers of people affected by disasters, economic losses and damage to critical infrastructure – targets which Governments have agreed to under the global plan for reducing such losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Read the source article at huffingtonpost.com
Visit GivingCompass.org for related topics on disaster prevention


Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of biomass is one of the most promising ways to convert wet biomass into a valuable gas mainly composed of methane and/or hydrogen, according to the selected experimental conditions. A wide range of biomass can be classified as ligno-cellulosic, meaning that its main components are represented by cellulose and lignin. Such two main constituents of biomass behave in a completely different manner. It is known that lignin is much more difficult to gasify than cellulose. However, the effect of such inhibition has never been studied in great detail. In this work, glucose and phenol are used as model compounds for cellulose and lignin, respectively. Four aqueous mixtures were prepared, with a fixed organics content of 5 wt %, the remaining part being constituted by water. The organics content was represented by glucose/phenol in different relative amounts, ranging from a phenol concentration of 0 wt % (glucose only) to 30 wt %. Such mixtures underwent SCWG in a continuous tubular reactor at 400 °C and 25.0 MPa, with different residence times, ranging from 10 to 240 s. Results show that phenol gives a limited contribution to gas production. On the other hand, phenol does not seem to be an inert, since it reacts in the liquid phase to form other compounds, probably tar and/or solids.


Hearing Loss Evaluation and Management
Children’s National Hospital audiologists are trained to evaluate hearing from birth to young adulthood. We use both objective and subjective measures to assess auditory status. We utilize different techniques, depending upon your child's developmental/chronological age.
Our evaluations may include:
- Auditory processing disorder (APD) evaluation
- Automated auditory brainstem response
- Behavioral observation audiometry (BOA)
- Cochlear implant evaluation
- Conditioned play audiometry (CPA)
- Conventional audiometry
- Diagnostic auditory brainstem response
- Otoacoustic emissions (OAE – transient evoked or distortion product)
- Visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA)
- Vestibular and balance evaluation
We provide compassionate support for children and families as they adjust to and manage the challenges of hearing loss. This includes education and assistance with using hearing aids, cochlear implants and other devices.
Your child's doctor will determine specific treatment for hearing loss based on:
- Your child's age, overall health and medical history
- Your child's specific hearing loss
- Your opinion or communication preference
Management of hearing loss may include one or more of the following:
- Hearing aids. We will evaluate your child for hearing aids if needed. Sensorineural hearing loss may be genetic or environmental. It may be present at birth or develop over time due to infections, injury, noise exposure or certain medications.
- Cochlear implants. These surgically- placed devices transmit electrical stimulation to the inner ear. Only certain children are candidates for cochlear implants. Ask your child's doctor for more information.
- Bone conduction hearing aids. Our audiologists are trained in the fitting and management of several types of bone conduction hearing aids for conductive hearing loss and single-sided deafness. We work in conjunction with the Division of Otolaryngology (ENT) to manage children with surgically-implanted devices.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at 202-476-5600.


Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das
Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das was born on 28 April 1848. He was the first graduate and advocate of Odisha. He was born on 28 April 1848 in a village called Satyabhamapur,20 kilometers from Cuttack district of Odisha.
He is known as Kulabruddha which means Grand Old Man and Utkal Gourab, which means Pride of Utkal, and was referred to as a poet and freedom fighter.
He was born to a Zamindari family from father Choudhury Raghunath Das and mother Parbati Debi.T hey had initially named him Gopalballabh. Gopalballabh was the Magistrate at Bihar Province and the father of Ramadevi Choudhury. Madhusudan had adopted two Bengali girls; Sailabala Das and Sudhansubala Hazra. Sailabala was an educationist who had trained from England and in whose name the famous Shailabala Women’s College of Cuttack was founded. Shailabala was a Bengali, and her parents had left her in the care of Madhusudan Das and his wife Soudamini Devi at Calcutta now Kolkata. Sudhansubala Hazra was also a Bengali and she was the 1st female lawyer of British India. Madhu babu was the house teacher of Ashutosh Mukherjee, the former Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University in Calcutta and Janakinath Bose, father of Subhash Chandra Bose at Ravenshaw College.
He was also Known as ‘Madhu Babu’ by the common people,he worked for the political, social and economical upliftment of the people of Odisha and served his motherland as a lawyer,social reformer and patriot.He founded Utkal Sammilani which brought a revolution in the social and industrial development of Odisha.By his long political fight he united Odisha & modern Odisha took birth on 1 April 1936.This day is celebrated as Utkala Dibasa.
Painting / Art By : Renowned Artist Pitambar Nayak, Cuttack.


What Is a Spark-Gap Transmitter?
A spark-gap transmitter produces electromagnetic waves that can be picked up on a receiver tuned to a specific frequency. The development of this technology laid the groundwork for widespread radio communication around the world. Although it is not in wide use today because of its inefficiency and interference problems, some replica transmitters can be seen in museums and similar settings. It is also possible to build a transmitter for experiments and education.
With a spark-gap transmitter, an operator relies on two electrodes separated by a gap. When the operator supplies enough voltage, a spark will develop and spring across the gap, creating a route for the current. This creates an electromagnetic signal which can be transmitted with the use of an antenna. A receiver can pick up the signal, allowing for remote communication between two locations.
This technology relies on the use of tools like Morse code for transmission, as operators cannot send actual voices. Instead, a Morse key can be activated to send intermittent tones, which an operator on the receiving end can decode and translate into words. Early spark-gap transmitter operators developed shorthand in their signaling to quickly send information without having to spell out each word. This shorthand was standardized to avoid confusion, creating an international radio language that allowed people to communicate even when they didn't speak the same tongue.
There are a number of problems with the spark-gap transmitter. It tends to be subject to and can generate interference, and also operates in broadband. This can be a problem when there is fierce competition for available radio frequencies. The technology also transmits across a limited distance, hampered by the antenna, and allows for only crude communication. These issues led inventors to keep working on radio technology, and they eventually developed other modes of communication.
Radio operators began phasing out the spark-gap transmitter in the early 20th century, with a few exceptions for backup units in settings like ships. Numerous nations also agreed to suspend use of this technology, by international treaty, to free up frequencies for other uses. While the spark-gap transmitter was a pioneering invention in wireless telegraphy to enable communication across areas not linked by cable, it was ultimately phased out in favor of safer, more powerful, and more efficient systems. Hobbyists sometimes build replica systems to display the technology, and numerous recordings can be found online to demonstrate what spark-gap transmitters sounded like in operation.
Discuss this Article
Post your comments


< Back to previous page
The Reliable Bias Model of Implicit Cognition.
Ruth believes it is racist to think that all black men are dangerous. Nevertheless, when she encounters a black man at night, she is afraid and tries to avoid this man. Ruth does not explicitly endorse the claim that all black man are dangerous but there seems to be an implicit aspect of her mind that does. This aspect is called "implicit bias". Psychological studies suggest that someone can be implicitly racist or sexist. Implicit bias is widely discussed, both in academia and in public debates about racism and sexism. Recently, the standard psychological models of implicit bias have been criticized. The standard models mistakenly claim that if a response is automatic (i.e. unintentionally activated and quick), it is the result of a mental shortcut which avoids a person's goals and desires. This project proposes a different model: the Reliable Bias Model of Implicit Cognition. The model can explain why some mental states are automatic but nevertheless goal-directed. Ruth's avoidant behaviour is guided by the goal to stay safe. It is not because a response is automatic that one's goals are not taken into account. This model will not only be useful for psychological research. There are also philosophical questions related to implicit bias, such as: Are we to blame for our implicit biases? Are we able to and should we control them? What does implicit bias tell us about our ability to gain knowledge? The project will use the Reliable Bias Model to answer these questions.
Date:1 Oct 2019 → Today
Keywords:PHILOSOPHY OF MIND
Disciplines:Philosophical psychology, Motivation and emotion, Social perception and cognition, Philosophical aesthetics, Philosophy of mind
Project type:Collaboration project


Walk along the streets of New York’s Chinatown today, and you’ll find authentic Chinese cuisine, eclectic shops, and historic buildings.
Home to the largest Chinese population in the Western hemisphere, the neighborhood has a immigrant history that is as violent as it is rich.
The street takes its name from a Hendrick Doyer, a Dutch immigrant who owned a brewery in the 1800’s.
The Tong Wars
As Chinatown increasingly became the destination and refuge for immigrants in the mid-1800’s, it created its own government in response to racism from Caucasian communities and the Chinese Exclusion Act. Soon, however, disagreements arose between rival factions, called tongs, which had opposing views on how to run Chinatown. The most notorious of these would be the Hip Sings and the On Leongs.
War Breaks Out
The violence that would eventually transform Doyers Street into “Bloody Angle” began as early as the 1880s. But according to New York Magazine: “the most bloody tong war in Chinatown history” began in 1909, when the Hip Sings killed an On Leong for “being disrespectful.”
The street’s sharp turn made it an ideal place for ambushes. Gang fights would break out frequently, giving Chinatown a fearsome reputation that would keep visitors away. The neighborhood became the home to opium, prostitution, and gambling dens.
Doyers Street Today
The Great Depression played a major role in ending the tong wars, according to Scott D. Seligman. The resources that once fueled violence on Chinatown’s streets were used for the welfare of its people. Now, more than a century later, Chinatown welcomes tourists from all over the world who celebrate its culture and history.
Learn more about Chinatown, along with other historic neighborhoods, on our SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown Tour. Get an insider’s look at some of New York City’s most famous neighborhoods with one of our expert guides.


In the radio-frequency identification (RFID) system, tags store unique identifications and are attached to objects; a reader performs the tag interrogation procedure to recognize an object by issuing wireless RF signals to interrogate the identification of the attached tag. Like other wireless communication systems, the RFID system also suffers from the signal interference problem. There are two types of signal interference. One is called the reader collision, which occurs when multiple readers issue signals to same tags simultaneously. The other is called the tag collision, which occurs when multiple tags respond to a reader simultaneously. Collisions hinder and slow down the tag interrogation procedure. Therefore, reader anti-collision and tag anti-collision protocols are required to respectively reduce reader collisions and tag collisions to improve interrogation procedure performance. In this chapter, we introduce existing reader anti-collision and tag anti-collision protocols. We intend to provide not only an extensive survey of the protocols, but also new research directions of them.
|主出版物標題||RFID and Sensor Networks|
|主出版物子標題||Architectures, Protocols, Security, and Integrations|
|出版狀態||已出版 - 1 1月 2009|


Global status of and prospects for protection of terrestrial geophysical diversity
Sanderson, E., Segan, D.B. and J.E.M. Watson (2015). Global status of and prospects for protection of terrestrial geophysical diversity. Conservation Biology, 29: 649-656.
Conservation of representative facets of geophysical diversity may help conserve biological diversity as the climate changes. We conducted a global classification of terrestrial geophysical diversity and analyzed how land protection varies across geophysical diversity types. Geophysical diversity was classified in terms of soil type, elevation, and biogeographic realm and then compared to the global distribution of protected areas in 2012. We found that 300 (45%) of 672 broad geophysical diversity types currently meet the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Target 11 of 17% terrestrial areal protection, which suggested that efforts to implement geophysical diversity conservation have a substantive basis on which to build. However, current protected areas were heavily biased toward high elevation and low fertility soils. We assessed 3 scenarios of protected area expansion and found that protection focused on threatened species, if fully implemented, would also protect an additional 29% of geophysical diversity types, ecoregional-focused protection would protect an additional 24%, and a combined scenario would protect an additional 42%. Future efforts need to specifically target low-elevation sites with productive soils for protection and manage for connectivity among geophysical diversity types. These efforts may be hampered by the sheer number of geophysical diversity facets that the world contains, which makes clear target setting and prioritization an important next step.
Read it online here
Download it here


Water Conservation Tips
It’s the little things that make a huge difference when it comes to water conservation. Tararua District Council is encouraging you to do your part with these #10wiseways to conserve water this summer.
Rainwater Collection Systems
What Is a Water Catchment System?
A rainwater harvesting system, also called rainwater collection system or rainwater catchment system is a system that collects and stores rainwater for human use. Rainwater harvesting systems range from simple rain barrels to more elaborate structures with pumps, tanks, and purification systems.
Without a purification system or filtering system this water will be 'non-potable'. The non-potable water can be used to irrigate landscaping, flush toilets, wash cars, or launder clothes, and with purification systems can even be for human consumption.
With water scarcity a pressing problem for many densely populated regions, rainwater harvesting systems can supply households and businesses with water for use in dry seasons and lessen the demand on water reticulation networks.
Water Tanks: What Size and Where To Get Them?
Rainwater tanks may provide all or some of the household’s water needs. We recommend contacting a local rainwater tank supplier to get the right advice on what size and type of tank will best meet your needs on your property. The requirement for whether your tank may need a building consent depends on:
- the size of the rainwater tank
- what you want to use the water for
- your location
You can read up on when a building consent is required here. Alternatively, you can contact our building team.
How Can I Create a Catchment System for Myself?
There are plenty of free resources available online which will help teach you how to build different catchment systems.
Below is a collection of resources. Tararua District Council do not endorse the companies listed and accept no responsibility for the products or services they provide.
Collecting and using rainwater | Smarter Homes
How to set up a rainwater collection system in a small garden | thisNZlife
23 DIY rainwater harvesting ideas | Morning Chores


How America’s Hottest City is Innovating to Survive | Weathered
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateTerra.
↓ More info below ↓
Perhaps no place in the United States more clearly illustrates the dangers of global warming than Phoenix, Arizona. 2020 was their hottest year on record, with 53 days reaching at least 110 degrees F. And heat-related deaths there have more than doubled over the last 5 years. But while these trends are truly disturbing, there is hope. Because of its extreme circumstances, Phoenix has been forced to explore innovative solutions and is learning how to adapt urban life to hotter and hotter temperatures.
In this episode of Weathered, we delve into the latest science of the “urban heat island” effect, learn about the looming threat of a potential “Katina-like event” that threatens their electrical grid, and explore the gamut of options being pursued by scientists and activists to make life safer and more livable in America’s hottest city.
Weathered is a show hosted by meteorologist Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare.
#ExtremeHeat #ClimateChange #Phoenix
Subscribe to PBS Terra so you never miss an episode! https://bit.ly/3mOfd77
And keep up with Weathered and PBS Terra on:
Thank you to Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies for supporting PBS.


Consumer behaviour is considered as the most important reason for marine litter in the Baltic Sea, indicate recent studies (MARLIN Project, 2013, ARCADIS report, 2012).
- 48% of marine litter in the Baltic Sea originates from household‐related waste, including sanitary waste, while waste generated by recreational or tourism activities would add up to 33% (MARLIN Project, 2013).
- Different beach types from Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Sweden were monitored for two years (2012 and 2013) in spring, summer and autumn (7 urban beaches, 6 rural beaches and 10 peri-urban beaches). The amounts of litter collected ranged from 75,5 items/100m at rural beaches to 236,6 items/100m at urban beaches (MARLIN Project, 2013).
- It has been estimated that in the seabed of the Polish territorial sea and Polish exclusive economic zone there are 150 – 450 tons of lost netting, depending on the assumed number of shipwrecks (WWF Poland, 2011).
- The world annual plastic production has increased dramatically from 1.7 million tonnes in the 1950s to approximately 280 million tonnes in 2011 (PlasticsEurope, 2012).
- The estimated proportion of plastic among total global marine debris ranges from 60 to 80%, reaching 90 to 95% in some areas (Gregory & Ryan 1997).
Plastic litter in the seas. Source: CleanSea Project. Click to enlarge.


Some places are not just famous for what they are but hold a great significance in history.Such place is Mani Parvat.It is mentioned in the Ramayana that Lord Hanuman pulled up an entire mountain containing the rejuvenating sanjeevani booti to treat Lakshman who was wounded in a battle by Meghnad. It is said that a portion of the mountain fell at a place in Ayodhya. The mound or the hillock is called Mani Parbat.The parvat also has a stupa made by the great emperor Ashoka.People believe that Lord Buddha stayed in Ayodhya for six years and gave his sermons about the Law of Dharma.
The height of the top of the Mani Parbat is 65 feet. The view from the top of the Mani Parbat is mesmerising and breathtaking as the entire city of Ayodhya along with other surrounding areas is visible from here.There are many shrines at the top of the hill for the people who want to worship. Jhulanutsav is initiated from Mani Parvat itself.There is another mound named Sugriv Parbat.
It is situated at Kami Ganj in Ayodhya.It is 1.9 km from Ayodhya Railway Station and 10.4km from Faizabad Junction.
The time required to see the entire place is 1-2 hours.
Pingback: TOP PLACES TO VISIT IN AYODHYA - Now Ayodhya


During this interactive webcast, C Greene will share about what it looks like to teach in ways that are culturally responsive and sustaining for Indigenous youth, including selecting culturally relevant phenomena and problems to anchor units, as well as formative assessment tools that reflect cultural values. As a community of teachers and learners, we will share our own personal cultural values and discuss ways to incorporate them into science learning so that all students can see themselves represented in the science classroom.
C. Greene is a citizen of the Nez Perce Tribe. Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) culture and traditions emphasize a deep relationship with the environment, and drive her academic, professional, and personal endeavors. She has her BS in Chemistry from Northern Arizona University (2012), and will graduate in June with her MS degree in Science Teaching from Portland State University. C. serves on the Nez Perce Tribe General Council Resolutions Committee, Wisdom of the Elders Board of Directors, and recently accepted a position as Native Environmental Science faculty at Northwest Indian College. C. specializes in the integration, design, and instruction of Native American cultural values in program curriculum for formal and informal education platforms.
One PDU will be provided for attending, contingent upon completing an exit survey.
This meeting will be hosted on Zoom. You will receive an email with the meeting link after you register. If this is your first time using Zoom, you will need to allow yourself a few minutes to download the app here: https://zoom.us/
4110 SE Hawthorne Blvd, #1025Portland, Oregon97214


are categorised as follows:
Adult and children’s nonfiction are more popular than you might think, especially in the United States. The following are the top five nonfiction genres in terms of book sales, according to BookScan.
Cookbooks are included in nonfiction food books, although more current food books cover a wide range of topics, from specific cooking elements and ingredients to specialised diets. Books that are part memoir/autobiography and part cookbook can be found alongside classic cookbooks containing recipes. Julia Child’s book Mastering the Art of French Cooking is an example of a well-known food publication.
Nonfiction history books are any publications that put forth the known facts about a specific period of time, culture, or historical event in order to educate the reader. Killing England, a popular historical book written by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, is an example of this.
Memoirs are a sort of autobiography that can be written. Throughout this style of work, the author focuses on unique moments or events that have resulted in the development of specific life lessons. Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, is a well-known example of a memoir.
Book titles that are classified as political nonfiction include books published by career politicians, books that examine political systems, and books that cover the politics of a specific time period. Among the many types of political books, satires are those that make fun of a particular person or institution. A Confederacy of Dunces, a novel by John Kennedy Toole, is an example of political satire written in the twentieth century.
Self-help books are written with the intention of assisting the reader in better some aspect of her life. Relationships, finances, and mental health are just a few of the topics covered in self-help publications. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, written by Stephen R. Covey, is a typical example of a well-known self-help book that has endured over time.


The importance of pipe end preparation bevel before welding
What is Pipe Beveling?
The bevel of a pipe or tube is an angle that forms between the edges of the pipe or tube. When the end of a pipe or tube is made at a certain angle, it is known as a bevel end or beveled end.
How to Bevel a Pipe?
You can bevel a pipe in several ways, whether you use a hand grinder, a stationary or portable beveling machine, or you use a torch cutter or plasma cutter to perform the process.
What are the best methods for beveling?
In order to determine which method is the most suitable to bevele your pipe, you need to consider a number of factors
Bevelling without counterboring
These devices will ensure that a round bevel can be processed along the edge of the plastic caps for pipe ends as a result of the preparation of round bevels.
Bevelling with counterboring
During this process, all surfaces of the tubes are calibrated and the land is appropriately shaped (without profile control). The workpieces will be perfectly aligned.


The Internet of Things can contribute to the independence of the elderly by prioritizing safety and comfort within the home. In the smart home, data collected from IoT devices can track an individual’s daily routine, picking up inconsistencies and alerting emergency services if necessary. Routines such as water and electricity usage, movement around the home, and house temperature are all indicators of activity.
A project in the Swedish city of Västerås evaluates new technology that can improve the quality of care for the elderly not just in Sweden but also in the other Nordic countries. The goal is to test two new products per year and so far everything from safety alarms with sensor to communications tools and cell phone applications to help family members coordinate care for older relatives have been implemented. A unique product was recently tested – the LEA Care Robot – a smart walker equipped with sensors to detect obstacles, the ability to come when you call for it, and a built in computer tablet. It can be used as a training device during physical rehabilitation and has emergency detection and alarm functions.
“Why should we have a trained nurse or assistant nurse buy groceries or do a quick welfare check in the middle of the night when we could use technology instead,” says Susanne Rolfner Suvanto, a government special investigator.
There are currently around 50 million Americans over the age of 65. A trillion dollars are spent on healthcare for American seniors every year. And more and more technology users are entering the age when they are responsible for caring for both their children and their parents, while also meeting the demands of careers. It stands to reason that they will look for solutions that offer convenience, having spent their adult lives being connected.


The Beginning of Pfizer
January 27, 1950
On this day, Science Magazine announced a brand new antibiotic made by Charles Pfizer & Company, and it was called Terramycin.
Last year, when I shared this item, I don't think many of us were as familiar with the word Pfizer as we are today - living through the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 1950s, Pfizer was a small chemical company based in Brooklyn, New York.
And it turns out that Pfizer had developed an expertise in fermentation with citric acid, and this process allowed them to mass-produce drugs.
When Pfizer scientists discovered an antibiotic in a soil sample from Indiana, their deep-tank fermentation method allowed them to mass-produce Terramycin.
Now, Pfizer had been searching through soil samples from around the world - isolating bacteria-fighting organisms when they stumbled on Terramycin. Effective against pneumonia, dysentery, and other infections, Terramycin was approved by the USDA.
And the word Terramycin is created from the two Latin words: terra for earth and mycin, which means fungus - thus, earth fungus.
And Terramycin made history: Terramycin was the very first mass-marketed product by a pharmaceutical company. Pfizer spent twice as much marketing Terramycin as it did on R&D for Terramycin. The gamble paid off; Terramycin, earth fungus, is what made Pfizer a pharmaceutical powerhouse.
And so, there's a throughline from the vaccine we are using today, all the way back to that bacteria found in the soil in Indiana that ultimately became Terramycin.
Leave a Comment


The “Infinity of Nations" Opens in New York
This past month the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York opened its brand new exhibit. It was titled “Infinity of Nations” as a derivative of the French missionaries’ description of the peoples of the New World as “an infinity of nations” which opposed their original expectation of the land as being untouched and uninhabited. The exhibit features more than 700 artifacts found in North, Central and South America, from ancient to modern times. The museum staff chose objects for their esthetic, cultural and historical significance, which they identified with the help of 60 native American leaders and historians.
Many of the artifacts testify to the fact that the Americas were interconnected long before it was discovered by Europeans. A vast range of societies inhabited the Americas, from small farming, hunting and fishing villages to empires ruling from great cities. The objects also reveal much about the traditions and lifestyles of different tribes, such as marriage rituals, artistic creativity, military conflict and even sports. A featured low-relief illustrates a man about to catch a bouncing ball. Two hieroglyphs identify him as an athlete. The exhibit also includes artifacts which prove long distance trade operations like the ancient stone projectiles and banner stones which were discovered in areas far away from where the stones were first quarried.
The exhibit is divided into 10 areas: The Arctic/Subarctic region, 5 different North American regions, the Mesoamerica/ Caribbean region and 3 South American regions. Philip Deloria, a Native American historian states that the hemispheric approach of the exhibit really “brings together the depth and range of Native American culture and history.”
The title of the exhibition derives from French missionaries who as early as 1626 described the peoples of the New World as “an infinity of nations.” The expression captured the French impression of the Americas as lands populated with a multitude of indigenous peoples, “rather than being the pristine and uninhabited New World of European imagination,” said Ganteaume.


Elsterian Glacial Stage
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
- Related Topics:
- Pleistocene Series
Elsterian Glacial Stage, major division of Pleistocene deposits and time in northern Europe (the Pleistocene Epoch began about 2,600,000 years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago). The Elsterian followed the Cromerian Interglacial Stage and preceded the Holstein Interglacial Stage, both, in contrast to the Elsterian, periods of relatively moderate climatic conditions. The Elsterian is equated with the Mindel Glacial Stage of classical European usage in the Alpine region, and the Kansan Glacial Stage of North America. The Elsterian was named for the Elster River of Germany.
In eastern Germany the deposits of the Elsterian are poorly exposed; they are covered by deposits of later ice advances. In Poland the Elsterian deposits are known as the Krakow, and eastward in Russia they are termed the Oka Glacial Stage; all the names refer essentially to the same geological unit. It has been inferred that the Elsterian sediments record at least two expansions of the glacial ice, termed Elster I and Elster II. During the Elsterian Stage, Poland was essentially treeless tundra, as is indicated by the study of fossil pollen.


Better teachers are needed to enhance science training
This substitute was described as the results of a rational process during which students have to turn out to be conscious of the fundamental assumptions and epistemological commitments that characterize their intuitive theories and to understand their limitations and inadequacies vis. Students usually are not clean slates when they’re first uncovered to the educational of science. On the opposite they bring to the science learning process intuitive understandings of the bodily world, which can be very totally different from the scientific ideas and theories introduced in the science classroom (Driver and Easley, 1978; Clement, 1982; McCloskey, 1983; Novak, 1987).
A 2013 report1 from the US National Science and Technology Council said that “present instructional pathways usually are not leading to a sufficiently giant and properly-trained STEM workforce.” The report additional blamed the academic system for failing to produce a STEM-literate public. As a outcome, as much as half of those that need to pursue a STEM training in faculty are unwell-ready by their secondary colleges, in accordance with a report2 by the academic-testing group ACT. The European Commission set a goal in 2011 of including 1 million science researchers by 2020, and in 2012 then-President Barack Obama set a goal of 1 million new STEM graduates by 2025. In response, many secondary faculties have been increasing their maths and science necessities. The National Science Teachers Association acknowledges that many sorts of learning experiences, including science competitions, can contribute significantly to the education of scholars of science.


Why is this so important? We’d like to take you back to when Seraph Mihawk razed a considerable portion of a mountain and Blackbeard used haki for the first time in the series.
Seraphim aren’t inherently powerful because of Lunarian genes, but because of the Shichibukai lineage factor that helps them grow. The Seraph Mihawk was capable of such a display of power thanks to the abilities and memories of the original Mihawk. The question that arises is: if the Seraph grows, will he, at some point, be able to gain the power of the current Mihawk?
The second interesting detail is that zoan fruits have a will of their own, unlike Paramecia and Logia. We didn’t know the reason before, but now we do. This is because zoan fruits contain the lineage factor of a living being and are therefore capable of retaining memories.
Zoan revivals often upset the personality of the original userturning them into simple-minded beasts (like jailer beasts). The same thing happened to Luffy during Gear5. He lost all sense of fear and was overwhelmed with joy, but he retained his original identity.
According to the Gorosei, the world government tried to acquire the Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika for almost 800 years, but they were never successful. The reason could be that it contains the bloodline factor of Joyboy (Nika), and the world government will never get it.
Now, what if Luffy completely lost control of himself like the prison beasts? In this case, he would fully become the original Nika and might even retain some memories from the past like chapter 1065 suggests. If he remembers ancient history in the middle of a fight, the hype is unimaginable. A way for Oda to use this as a way to drop important story hints in the future.


Jesus, the Man and the Myth: A Jewish Reading of the New Testament
Category:History of Civilization & Culture
- Publisher: Frederic Seager
- Publication Date: August 13, 2021
- Number of Pages: 181
- ISBN-13: 9798736148233
Frederic Seager's Jesus, the Man and the Myth: A Jewish Reading of the New Testament is a nonfiction book that offers a fresh perspective on Jesus and a book that challenges readers, especially traditional Christians to look beyond everything they think they know about Jesus. The author presents the social and cultural conditions within which Jesus rose and grabbed the attention of people in His hometown and why his message resonated with the Jews. He had a good following when he preached that God's kingdom was near, promising that if the Jews followed Him, it would happen. With his miracles, he quickly gained the support of His kind who believed in His message. But when Jesus spoke about paying taxes to the enemy, He lost the overwhelming support for the Jews. In this book, readers will discover the Jesus that the Jews knew and understand the tenets and key teachings of Judaism.
This is an eye-opening book that invites readers to be critical of what they read and hear about Jesus. The author asks very pertinent questions and challenges readers to honestly consider why ''the Jews who actually knew Jesus overwhelmingly rejected his message'' and why their descendants continue to do so. The rift between Jesus and His fellow Jews is brilliantly explored in this book. Jesus, the Man and the Myth: A Jewish Reading of the New Testament presents an objective view of Jesus and shows readers how the Jews saw Jesus. The author writes in prose that is accessible, offering Biblical commentaries that bring clarity to his message. The author brings to readers his cultural heritage and provides insightful readings on Judaism. Seager's book will open a frank conversation between Jews and Christians. In this book, you will discover the historical Jesus and the myth that has been sold for 2000 years. You'll understand an interpretation of events surrounding the rise and fall of Jesus from the perspective of a Jew who didn't subscribe to his cult.


The lattice location of B in Si has been investigated by channelling analyses using nuclear reactions (650keV proton beam, B11(p,α)Be8). The formation at room temperature of a specific, small B complex in presence of an excess of point defects has been inferred. In particular, B implanted in Si or B substitutional dissolved in Si and irradiated with proton beam form a unique B complex with B atoms not randomly located. The angular scans along the ⟨100⟩ and ⟨110⟩ axes are compatible with B–B pairs aligned along the ⟨100⟩ axis. The thermal annealing in the 200–950°C range of the B complexes, analyzed by lattice location and carrier concentration measurements, depends on the residual defect density in the lattice. The B complexes dissolve at low temperature if no excess of Si self-interstitials (Is) exists or they evolve into large B clusters and then dissolve at high temperature if Is supersaturation holds.
American Institute of Physics
14 Nov 2005
Volume: 87 Issue: 20 Pages: 201905
Applied Physics Letters


WEDNESDAY, Jan. 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to what many people believe, the lone star tick does not spread Lyme disease, researchers report.
But it can transmit other diseases.
The researchers came to that conclusion after reviewing more than 60 studies published over three decades.
"The media coverage of Lyme disease might make many Americans think that a tick bite means only one thing: Lyme disease," said review co-author Robyn Nadolny. She is a biologist and program coordinator with the U.S. Army Public Health Center Tick-Borne Disease Laboratory.
Lyme disease bacteria are transmitted to people primarily by the blacklegged tick (also called the deer tick), which is common in the eastern United States. The lone star tick has become guilty by association as it has spread northward in recent decades.
But while it is not a factor in Lyme disease, the lone star tick does transmit bacteria that cause several types of illness. Those illnesses include ehrlichiosis; red meat allergy; and Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI), which produces rashes similar to those seen with Lyme disease.
The findings were published online Jan. 31 in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
Knowing the lone star ticks don't cause Lyme but are responsible for other illnesses is important in terms of public health.
"We aim to raise awareness of ehrlichiosis and the other problems caused by lone star ticks so that the real threat from these ticks does not go unrecognized," Nadolny said in a journal news release.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on ticks.
SOURCE: Journal of Medical Entomology, news release, Jan. 31, 2018
-- Robert Preidt


Question about modular reduction algorithm
Paul.Zimmermann at loria.fr
Thu Jun 30 15:16:13 CEST 2011
> I was looking through the Algorithms section of the documentation to see if I could figure out what algorithm is used for modular reduction so I can compare the cost of reduction a 2048-bit integer by a 1024 bit integer vs reducing a 384-bit number by a 192-bit number. Unfortunately I didn't exactly understand the Exact Remainder section. Can anybody either help me figure out the difference in cost or point me towards different documentation that will clear up this issue? Thanks.
the Exact Remainder section refers to the Exact Division section just before,
which explains the division by the low words, also known as Hensel division.
When only the remainder is wanted, this is also known as Montgomery's REDC.
See , section 1.4.8.
In theory, if you use a quadratic algorithm, a 2048/1024 division will cost
(16/3)^2 times more than a (384/192) division.
 Modern Computer Arithmetic, Richard Brent and Paul Zimmermann, Cambridge
University Press, 2010. Also available online from the authors web pages.
More information about the gmp-discuss


This is an introductory level class for those who are interested in using LS-DYNA® for material failure analysis.
This course focuses on modeling material failure phenomena using generalized finite element and meshless methods for industrial applications, such as electronics, aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, civil, medical, defense, sports, and consumer products. Outstanding examples include, but are not limited to, material failure in electronic packaging, crashworthiness, turbine engine safety, bird strike, joining and assembly processes, drop tests, and metal fabrication. We will discuss a wide range of natural and man-made materials, such as metal alloy, glass, plastic, foam, composite (laminate, fiber reinforced), and concrete.
The failure processes to be modeled span from low speed deformation to high strain rate dynamic response, such as ductile and brittle failure, crack propagation, delamination (in laminates) and fragmentation. To better capture the physics in these processes, material separation is carefully treated through various approximation schemes rather than the element/material deletion technique applied with the traditional finite element method. Thus, conservation laws are satisfied and reliable force responses and physical deformation modes can be obtained. Several generalized finite element and meshfree methods and their corresponding LS-DYNA keywords will be introduced. The basics of pre- and post- processing procedures will also be introduced in the class through in-class workshops.
Smoothed Particle Galerkin (SPG) Method
Ductile failure in destructive manufacturing
Blanking, cutting, drilling, grinding, self-piercing riveting, flow drill screwing
Ductile and semi-brittle failure in impact penetration and perforation
Impact on metal and concrete targets
Strength analysis of various joints such as SPR joints and spot welds
Brittle failure in isotropic brittle material
Glass fracture, impact on windshield
Delamination and in-plane failure in UD composite laminates
Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH)
Impact and penetration
eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM)
Ductile failure (crack propagation) in shell structures


Pioneer Corn Seed is a very high-yielding hybrid and has a unique plant structure that makes it respond to higher populations. It also has very good standability which is required in the markets. Corn is grown throughout Nigeria and acreage has been going up due to increasing demand from poultry feed industry and other industrial purposes. Pioneer Corn seeds are high yielding, fit for water stress conditions, disease tolerance, and good standability.
- High yielding & Lodging Tolerance.
- Long cobs with 40-45 grains per row.
- Compact cob, stay green character
- Proven highly digestible hybrid, also recommended for silage
Uses of Maize
Maize is used for many different purposes. It is mainly used as fodder for animals, food grain, popcorn, baby corn, sweet corn and green cobs. Corn flour is also widely used.
Maize also serves as a basic raw material to thousands of industrial products that may include oil, starch, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceutical, gum, textile, package, food cereals, cosmetic and paper industries.
Health Benefits of Consuming Maize/Corn
Consuming maize or corn has some health benefits. Most notable health benefits of consuming maize are mentioned below.
- Due to the fibre content, consuming maize is good for digestion.
- Maize can help in lowering LDL cholesterol.
- Regular consumption of corn can helps in preventing skin problems and can also help to combat hair loss.
- Consuming corn is beneficial for the heart, and it may help in preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
- Eating maize is good for preventing diabetes and hypertension.
- It can help in improving vision and it also has anti-cancer properties
There are no reviews yet.


Statement of Valerie Huber, Executive Director, National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study “Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and Bacterial Vaginosis among Female Adolescents in the United States” which shows 3.2 million teen girls are infected with an STI (March 11, 2008):
“For too many years, schools and communities have made reducing teen pregnancy the goal of sex education classes. Teens are erroneously taught that a condom makes sex safe. When we learn that one in four teen girls is infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD), it becomes clear that the contraception-based approach taught in 75% of U.S. schools is failing young people. The CDC study shows that the sexual health of teens should be paramount. The risk-avoidance message of abstinence education should be the top public health priority in response to this new information.
Abstinence education is an holistic approach to providing youth the skills to make the best health decisions concerning sexuality. A number of credible studies prove that teaching a wide-range of character building, decision-making skills, while also offering students medically accurate information on STDs and contraception, delays the onset of sexual activity in teens, and reduces risky behavior in teens already having sex.
Teens deserve to know that condoms do not provide complete protection from STDs. Parents and community leaders need to use the information from the CDC to begin an honest conversation with young people about the dangers of casual sex, and Congress must continue investing in abstinence education programs.”


Let’s work on the premise that one way of offering differentiated learning tasks is to offer a choice of questions to learners, who can then select them based on their own preferences. Now imagine that you have presented 8 questions you want them to pick from. Without parameters this is unlikely to be particularly productive. Some might think to rush through all questions, others might only complete one, typically students will work through the questions in order which in many ways defeats the point of offering a range for them to pick from.
One solution is to adopt a ‘scrabble-esque’ approach.
Firstly come up with a number of questions about a topic (say for instance 8 questions).
Secondly assign each of the questions a score. So for instance ‘In What year did Shakespeare write Macbeth?’ might be worth 1, whereas ‘Why might Shakespeare have been inclined to write about Witches?’ might be more challenging and worth 5. Include a range of small, medium and big ticket scores.
Thirdly you assign a total score which you expect student to achieve by answering a combination of questions that total that score. So a score of 10 might be made up by answering a 3, 1, 1 and 5 mark questions. Variables can include saying you can make the total answering as many or as few questions as you wish, meaning some might do so by answering many small mark questions whereas others might make it up by answering a longer big ticket question. Alternatively tell students they have to make up the score using exactly 4 questions.
The purpose is no more than to encourage students to be genuinely selective about which questions they choose to answer and to perhaps reflect afterwards on why they were drawn to certain questions. As a differentiated activity it can be highly effective in allowing students ownership of the types of questions that they feel comfortable in approaching in a non-judgemental way.


The age of the green, manicured lawn in California might be coming to an end. Lawns may not literally be a thing of the past, but if restrictions taking hold in some California water districts remain, it will be near impossible to grow a lawn. Some California residents are seeing restrictions limit watering grass to one day a week for a maximum of eight minutes. Most lawns need between 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week to grow, which should be spread out (by watering or by rain) over two to three times each week. While there are some types of grass that are more drought resistant, a watering once a week for eight minutes just isn’t enough to keep a lawn green… and the rain just has not been falling!
This isn’t to say that the reasons to strictly conserve water aren’t real. The American west has been suffering under the worst drought conditions on record. Winters with below average snowfall and relatively dry springs have contributed to an overall parching of the western landscape that has been building since the turn of the century, leading to shrinking rivers, reservoirs at record low levels and the propensity for massive wildfires. A raging fire in Yosemite National Park has already consumed over 16,000 acres. The steady population growth in cities within these arid climates hasn’t helped much either.
In a cruel twist of irony, the people in and around St. Louis are getting drenched with record rainfall, leading to flash floods and heavy property damage. In twelve hours on Tuesday (7/26), St. Louis received 25% of its normal annual rainfall. If only there were a way to spread out the rain.
Take a look at this article on California water restrictions and the resulting effects on area yards, as well as the rise of landscaping with native plants that naturally need significantly less water to thrive. What are your thoughts- let me know!
~ Brian Kasal- The Leadership Matrix
Click here- California’s Worst Drought on Record Spells Trouble for Classic Green Lawns
P.S.- Did you see my last Leadership Matrix post? Cutting the Cord or Stopping the Stream?
Are you ready to start a conversation or get a second opinion on the financial or philanthropic goals for you, your family, or your business? Click here to connect with the team at FourStar!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it on your favorite platform below or tell your friends about The Leadership Matrix.


Alzheimer’s disease is an epidemic. It attacks the brain’s nerve cells, causing memory loss, behavioral changes, confusion, and deterioration of language skills. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, now affecting some 6.2 million Americans age 65 and older at a cost to the nation of $355 billion a year. By 2050, projections show the cost will be more than $1.1 trillion.
Reducing the human and economic price of this disease lies at the heart of work currently under way at Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (ADC), a national leader in Alzheimer’s research since 1996 and one of 32 NIH-funded Alzheimer’s centers in the United States.
Dozens of ADC researchers are exploring possible genetic risk factors and running clinical trials of diagnostic tests and interventions that may prevent or delay the disease and lead to treatments and a cure. The center recently identified two genes responsible for Alzheimer’s disease in African Americans.
One of the most promising areas of research involves identifying biomarkers that will indicate the presence of the disease. Noninvasive testing with biomarkers opens the possibility of early diagnosis, which would allow treatment before Alzheimer’s damages the brain. “If you can’t diagnose Alzheimer’s, you can’t identify people with the disease and get them into clinical trials, and that’s our best hope for finding a treatment,” says Professor Neil Kowall, the center’s director.
NIH funds much of the basic Alzheimer’s research at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, but philanthropic support is essential if researchers are to unravel the complexities of the disease.
To learn more about how you can help, please contact the BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Development team or donate here.
Learn more about BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s research.


Mindfulness Based Leadership
People Managers & Leaders
Great leaders see things clearly. They are aware of themselves, others and the world around them. They are able to direct their awareness internally: aware of their thoughts, feelings and values, they are better able to manage their own mind-states and reactions. They are also able to direct their awareness externally. Some people may come to their leadership tasks with these capacities already well-developed. But mindful leadership strengthens and develops these qualities. The curriculum of Mindfulness Based Leadership is based on the book 'Mindfulness Based Leadership: The Art of Being a Leader, not becoming One'.
Leaders will be able to:
• incorporate Mindfulness into their Leadership Competencies
• develop self-awareness, self-management and social awareness.
• foster a culture of “Mindfulness practice” in self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness and kindness at work
• learn and apply strategies to deal with and manage emotions and facilitate decision making, conflict management.
improves Attentional & Working Memory Capabilities
increases Positive states of Mind
creates a healthy learning environment
reduces negative effects of multitasking
enhances present moment attention
enhances witnessing awareness
enhances interpersonal functioning, empathy and self-awareness
enhances problem solving, decision making, focusing, analysing
promotes a positive emotional contagion effect
improves listening skills
coaching with compassion
increases employee job performance, job satisfaction and need satisfaction
enhances leadership skills


Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday that they expect the 2023 hurricane season to be “close to normal” with at least 12 named storms.
NOAA said it expected 12 to 17 named storms and 5 to 9 hurricanes this year, including 1 to 4 major hurricanes.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th. When a tropical cyclone reaches maximum wind speeds of 39 mph or more, it is considered and named a tropical cyclone.Tropical cyclone become a hurricane A large Category 3, 4, or 5 hurricane is even more powerful if sustained winds reach at least 114 mph.
Scientists argue that climate change due to the burning of fossil fuels is resulting in rising sea temperatures and other atmospheric conditions, which intensifies hurricanes.
Occurring during the 2022 hurricane season 14 named storms, including eight hurricanes and two major hurricanes.according to NOAAthe average hurricane season consists of 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes.
Although the number of storms last year was about average, the intensity of those storms was very destructive. With just one storm, Hurricane IanAfter making landfall in southwestern Florida on September 28 as a Category 4, it killed 150 people and caused more than $112 billion in damage. Hurricanes that caused the most damage It’s the third most expensive expense in U.S. history, in Florida’s history.
The researchers El Nino will hit this summer Hurricane season could weaken. El Niño and La Niña are naturally occurring weather patterns in the Pacific that can affect weather forecasts around the world. An El Niño event could mean warmer waters off the west coast, more storm activity in the Pacific, and less hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
Officials touted enhancements to NOAA’s operational regime, predicting it’s expected to save lives this hurricane season.
The National Weather Service provides real-time updates on hurricane preparedness and the ongoing weather system. www.hurricanes.gov.
Thank you for reading CBS News.
Create a free account or log in
For even more features.


Biodiversity change and ecosystem function in tropical forests
Recent debate about the fate of tropical forests has focused attention on the consequences of forest degradation and fragmentation for their diversity and composition, and the likely functional consequences of these changes. Existing data suggest that the responses of tropical forest plant and animal communities to habitat change are idiosyncratic, although a few consistent patterns are emerging. In particular, it is apparent that conventional diversity and richness metrics may not adequately represent anthropogenic changes to community structure and organisation. A widespread trend is towards 'biotic homogenisation': while disturbed forests may often have an equal or even a greater number of species than undisturbed forests, these species are typically drawn from a restricted pool; and endemic, restricted-range or habitat-specialist species are most likely to decline or go extinct. Similarly, studies have documented marked changes in the structure of food webs, even where the richness and diversity of component species remains little altered. What are the likely consequences of such changes for the important ecosystem functions performed by biodiversity, such as pollination and decomposition? Much of the extensive literature on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function is of limited utility for answering this question, because experimental designs do not consider species-specific contributions to ecosystem function, abundance, degree of redundancy, or extinction-proneness; and few such studies have been carried out under realistic levels of diversity under field conditions, particularly in high-diversity ecosystems such as tropical forests. Furthermore, the focus has almost always been on richness as the explanatory variable, rather than the composition or structural attributes of communities. I briefly review recent papers that have begun to tackle these important issues, and consider how future research might help us understand the functional consequences of realistic changes to species composition and food-web 'biostructure' in tropical forests. © 2008 Gesellschaft für Ökologie.


Hate and dangerous speech is a serious and growing problem in Ethiopia, both online and offline. It has contributed to the growing ethnic tensions and conflicts across the country that have created more than 1.4 million new internally displaced people in the first half of 2018 alone. The government says it will pass a new law on hate speech to counter this. But around the world, laws criminalizing hate speech have been often and easily abused – and there are other options.
In the past year, speeches by government officials, activists and others in Ethiopia have disseminated quickly through social media and helped trigger or fuel violent conflicts in the country.
It is encouraging that Ethiopia’s government says hate speech must be addressed. But any law that limits freedom of expression by punishing hate speech must be narrowly drawn and enforced with restraint, so that it only targets speech that is likely to incite imminent violence or discrimination that cannot be prevented through other means. Many governments have tried and failed to strike the right balance, and Ethiopia’s own track record offers reason for alarm. In the past, the Ethiopian government has used vague legal definitions including in its anti-terrorism law, to crack down on peaceful expressions of dissent.
What Ethiopia needs is a comprehensive new strategy – one that even a carefully drawn hate speech law should only be one small part of. This could include public education campaigns, programs to improve digital literacy, and efforts to encourage self-regulation within and between communities. The prime minister and other public figures could also speak out regularly and openly about the dangers of hate speech. Donors, eager to support the reform process, could help support such a strategy. And social media companies should do more, including ensuring they have sufficient resources to respond quickly to reports that speech on their platform may lead to violence.
Ethiopians also need new platforms and opportunities to express their grievances and discuss critical issues, beyond social media. The growing list of independent media outlets, as well as universities, civil society organizations, political parties, and others could provide helpful environments for discussion.
Ethiopia is currently rewriting its civil society law and anti-terrorism law – both of which were used in the past to stifle dissent and limit freedom of expression. It should be careful not to undermine those efforts by drafting a new law that could be used for the same kinds of abuse.


Each input field should make it easier for all assistive devices to convey the information to their users.
Table of Contents
Success Criterion 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (Level AA): The purpose of each input field collecting information about the user can be programmatically determined when:
The input field serves a purpose identified in the Input Purposes for User Interface Components section; and The content is implemented using technologies with support for identifying the expected meaning for form input data.
Why is it required?
Various input form fields should have appropriate visible labels and instructions to help people with cognitive disabilities and motor impairments fill up forms easily. Developers should also make use of technologies like autocomplete that can collect personal data and prefill text fields in forms.
How do we fix it?
People with cognitive disabilities have greater difficulty while performing mental tasks than the average person. It is hard for them to remember personal details and fill them up in forms each time. People with motor disabilities also have difficulties while entering input data. To make it easier for them, forms should have proper symbols, labels and instructions.
Furthermore, the forms should be programmed to support the HTML autocomplete attribute. The attribute will help users to enter input values without any hurdles. Developers should ensure that input fields align with HTML 5.2 autocomplete attributes to avoid confusion for users.
The autocomplete attribute is also helpful to users to fill up forms easily.
Mistakes to avoid
- Forms not supporting HTML autocomplete attribute or other similar technologies
- Fields are not specifically defined or programmed according to autocomplete attribute


- Press Release
- June 7, 2023
Transit Detection of a "Starshade" at the Inner Lagrange Point of an Exoplanet
All water-covered rocky planets in the inner habitable zones of solar-type stars will inevitably experience a catastrophic runaway climate due to increasing stellar luminosity and limits to outgoing infrared radiation from wet greenhouse atmospheres.
Reflectors or scatterers placed near Earth’s inner Lagrange point (L1) have been proposed as a ‘geo-engineering” solution to anthropogenic climate change and an advanced version of this could modulate incident irradiation over many Gyr or “rescue” a planet from the interior of the habitable zone. The distance of the starshade from the planet that minimizes its mass is 1.6 times the Earth-L1 distance. Such a starshade would have to be similar in size to the planet and the mutual occultations during planetary transits could produce a characteristic maximum at mid-transit in the light-curve.
Because of a fortuitous ratio of densities, Earth-size planets around G dwarf stars present the best opportunity to detect such an artifact. The signal would be persistent and is potentially detectable by a future space photometry mission to characterize transiting planets. The signal could be distinguished from natural phenomenon, i.e. starspots or cometary dust clouds, by its shape, persistence, and transmission spectrum.
(Submitted on 3 May 2017)
Comments: MNRAS, in press
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:1705.01285 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:1705.01285v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
From: Eric Gaidos
[v1] Wed, 3 May 2017 07:41:17 GMT (318kb)


Degrees of Freedom
The degrees of freedom can be calculated to help ensure the statistical validity of t – tests and even the more advanced f – tests. The number of degrees of freedom refers to the difference between the numbers of independent observations in a sample and the number of population parameters that must be estimated from sample data.
What is Degrees of Freedom?
The number of degrees of freedom of a dynamical system is defined as the total number of co – ordinates or independent variables required to describe the position and configuration of the system. If a particle is moving a straight line along any one of the axis, it has one degree of freedom. If a particle is moving in a plane, it has two degrees of freedom. If a particle is moving in space, it has three degrees of freedom.
A point mass cannot undergo rotation, but only translatory motion. A rigid body with finite mass has both rotatory and translatory motion. The rotatory motion also can have three co-ordinates in space, like translatory motion. Therefore, a rigid body will have six degrees of freedom. Three dues to translatory motion and three dues to rotatory motion.
Monoatomic Molecule: Since a monoatomic molecule consists of only a single atom of point mass it has three degrees of freedom of translatory motion along the three co-ordinate axes as shown in the below figure.
Example: Molecules of rare gases like helium, argon, etc.
Diatomic Molecule: The diatomic molecule can rotate about any axis at right angles to its own axis. Hence it has two degrees of freedom of rotational motion in addition to three degrees of freedom of translational motion along the three axes. So, a diatomic molecule has five degrees of freedom as shown in the below figure.
Examples: Molecules of N₂, CO, Cl₂, etc.
Triatomic Molecule: In the case of triatomic molecule of linear type, the centre of mass lies at the central atom. It, therefore, behaves like a diatomic molecule with three degrees of freedom of translation and two degrees of freedom of rotation, totally it has five degrees of freedom as shown in below figure.
Examples: Molecules of CO₂, CS₂, etc.


Today we’re going to talk about a super useful visualization tool called the Gantt chart! This type of chart is really helpful for managing projects and understanding timelines. You’ve probably seen some kind of Gantt chart before, like when you’re checking the progress of your favorite construction project or keeping track of a team’s work on a new app or product.
Imagine you’re planning a big event, like a wedding or a conference. There are many tasks to complete, and they all have different start and end dates. You need a way to visualize all these tasks and their timelines, so you can see how they overlap and make sure everything gets done on time. This is where the Gantt chart comes in handy!
A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that represents a project’s schedule. Each task is represented by a horizontal bar, with the bar’s length showing the task’s duration. The position of the bar on the chart indicates the start and end dates of the task.
To give you a better idea, picture a chart with two axes: the vertical axis shows a list of tasks, while the horizontal axis represents time. Now, let’s say we’re planning a product release. Some tasks, like planning or research, might take multiple months. Others, like following up, could take a few weeks. You’d see bars of different lengths on your Gantt chart, each one corresponding to a specific task.
Gantt charts are super useful because they help you:
- Visualize the overall project timeline and individual task durations.
- Understand task dependencies, meaning which tasks need to be completed before others can start.
- Monitor progress and identify potential bottlenecks or delays.
Gantt charts can answer questions such as:
- What is the timeline or schedule of tasks or events within a project?
- How do different tasks or events within a project overlap or depend on each other?
You might have seen a Gantt chart about a major infrastructure project, like a bridge or a subway line, in a news article. These charts help everyone understand the project’s timeline and ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.


You might hear your trainer week after week asking you about how much water you have been drinking and thought to yourself, I know it's important to drink at least 2L of water per day but I don't really understand why.
Until you get a better understanding of how your body functions and why water is so invaluable, you will never fully grasp just how important it is!
- The Kidneys: The kidneys are an organ in our body responsible for the production or urea (urine we excrete). When you're dehydrated, wastes and toxins build up in the kidneys, often leading to increased protein levels that can cause problems such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and kidney stones. Both of these problems can cause long-term kidney damage, minimizing their ability to remove wastes and keep you healthy.
- The Brain: Dehydration of 2% or more body mass loss can increase perception of fatigue, induce impairment in cognitive functions such as memory and attention, and alter mood. Even below 2% body mass loss fatigue appears, mood is altered, and several cognitive functions might be impaired
- Blood Pressure: The amount of blood circulating through your body, or blood volume, decreases when you are dehydrated. To compensate, your heart beats faster, increasing your heart rate and causing you to feel palpitations. Also your blood retains more sodium, making it tougher for it to circulate through your body.
- Bone Health: As your bones lose minerals and need to rebuild and strengthen, a lack of available calcium can lead to bone loss and eventually osteoporosis. Since water also helps rid the body of toxins, these substances can and do build up in the bones if there is not enough water to carry them away.
- The Skin: Water keeps your body hydrated and refreshed and helps maintain your skin's elasticity. People who drink large amounts of water are less likely to suffer from scars, wrinkles, and soft lines and they won't show as many signs of aging as those who drink little amounts of water.


The new U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that each American should get three full daily servings of whole grain. In reality, a staggering 95% of Americans are only getting a little more than half a serving of whole grain daily. That means that fewer than 1 in 20 people living in the U.S. has the recommended daily serving of whole grain incorporated into their diet.
Whole grain provides vital nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients that make up a healthy diet. Whole grains are those that contain the complete grain, including the bran, the germ and the endosperm. When working together naturally, these three ingredients have tremendous health benefits.
After some research, it has been found that a big indicator as to why most Americans are not receiving the daily recommended serving of whole grains is because they aren’t sure what exactly whole grains are, or what foods are made of true whole grain. It seems to me that this is a great indicator that Americans are not being given the adequate and comprehensive education we rightly deserve when it comes to what foods must be present in our daily diets to keep ourselves healthy. We merely read about recommended serving sizes, but never information on how we should incorporate those foods into our diet in the healthiest way possible.
There are many ways to incorporate whole grain into your diet. Here are some simple food choices that are loaded with whole grains that are healthy for you to eat on a daily basis:
General Mills is dedicated to providing America with more whole grain at breakfast with their cereals than any other breakfast food from any other manufacturer. General Mills Big G cereals contain at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, with more than 20 Big G cereals delivering 16 grams or more.
Visit General Mills website for information about Big G cereals, including product and nutrition details, as well as where your closest grocery store is where you can find General Mills Big G cereals.


Are you looking seriously at concurrent or parallelized procedures within your applications yet? Do you know what impact using such techniques is going to have on your development cycle or your applications?
If you are not at least considering the impact of multi-core processors on your application development, then it might be a good time to start. If you look at the system offered today, you’ll find that many now come with dual core chips. On higher-end desktop systems quad-core is becoming the norm. In 2010 you’ll see AMD and Intel start migrating the high-end towards six-core chips.
The number of cores is going to continue to grow. In fact, in 2010 Intel is expected to release a 48-core chip to researches to begin using. According to BBC News, Intel has already developed an x86 based 48-core chip dubbed the Single-Chip Cloud Computer (SCC).
If you are not adjusting your applications to take advantage of multi-core, then you could be wasting nearly 80% of the power of a six core chip. On a 48 core chip you’d barely be touching the power if you don’t adjust your application.
Of course, you can argue that 48 core chips are only for the high-end user and not main stream. Of course the same argument was made with dual core chips just a few years ago. The other old argument is that you’ll never use all the power of the many cores. Again, a similar argument was made a few years ago about disk space. Nobody would ever need a terabyte of data storage on their machines. They could never use it all. Yet today, people are buying Terabyte drives for under $100. More importantly, they are using the space. Of course, to process all that data, what would be better than applications using multi-core chips to process it concurrently!
Are you already considering the impact of multi-core on your applications?


Ban Hang Ro Ha
Ban Hang Ro Ha in Kamphaeng Phet Province or Ban Pha Po is a two-storey wood building decorated in a combination of Thai and western styles. The whole house is made of teakwood adorned with delicate fretwork, especially at the veranda. Only one piece of teakwood is used for building all the house pillars. There is a long canal at the front of the house, called Khlong Suan Mak. The owner of this house is Pha Po, who biught it from Phraya Ram. Pha Po was a Burmese wealthy man whose job is trading wood at the mouth of Khlong Suan Mak in Nakhon Chum during the reign of King Rama V. One day, when King Rama V privately traveled to Kamphaeng Phet in 1906, he visited Ban Pha Po, resulting in the name Bang Hang Ro Ha. According to the history, in the late reign of King Rama IV in 1875, Maung Su Phor or Phraya Taka, Pha Po’s older brother, asked Phraya Kamphaeng Phet (Ong) to be rented for wood trade. However, he died in the same year. Later, in 1886, Pha Po started his wood trade business. He had his house constructed at the mouth of Khlong Suan Mak, which is a good spot for transporting wood logs from the forest down to Nakhon Sawan-the largest wood trade center in the lower northern part. Having faith to Buddhism, Pha Po and Phraya Taka (older brother) had a chedi restored and raised the top of tiered umbrella together at Wat Phra Borom That Chediyaram in Nakhon Chum. Ban Hang Ro Ha is located on the highway number 1078 in Nakhon Chum Sub-district, Mueang Kamphaeng Phet District, Kamphaeng Phet Province, near Wat Sawang Arom. The tourists can walk along the edge of the canal from Wat Sawang Arom for 500 meters. However, at present, the house is still remained in the ancient style but the woods are already decayed; therefore, there is a sign “Do not enter the house” here. The tourists should strictly abide by the rule in order to reserve Ban Hang Ro Ha to stay with Kamphaeng Phet Province with younger generations.


Glenna Johnston and Ray Norton are the winners!
Elk River is the answer for Week 215 of Orofino History Trivia a special feature to celebrate the history and heritage of Clearwater Country.
Join in the discovery!
Monday: Homesteaded in the late 1890s.
Tuesday: Electricity was key for growth
Wednesday: It had a hospital.
Thursday: 1,300 people called it home at one point
Friday: It had a school and a bank, among other facilities.
Saturday: Lewiston's new mill started its decline.
According to information on the Elk River Lodge web site, Willard Trumbell homesteaded the present day site of Elk River in 1897.
Potlatch Lumber Company purchased the homestead in 1909 and started the first all electric sawmill in the country .in 1910. The Milwaukee and Puget Sound Railroad extended its line from Bovill to Elk River at the same time.
The name was changes to Elk River from Trumbell and in 1911 the fast growing town had 1,300 residents. Between 1911 and 1930 about 40 businesses were operating in town, representing about every kind of trade. By 1912, the town had a new school, a waterworks system, graded streets, electricity, board sidewalks and a hospital. There was also some mining in the surrounding area.
Elk River began to decline when a newer and bigger sawmill was built in Lewiston in 1927. It took a second blow in 1929 when blister rust attacked the white pine trees. The Great Depression hit the area in the 1930s. This along with other problems affecting the lumber industry, caused closure of the sawmill in April of 1931. The following year, the planer mill was shut down.
By 1933, with most of the employment opportunities eliminated; the bank closed and houses were moved out of town. Many of the homes sold for as little as $15. The population declined to around 400. Today's population is about 200 and its outdoor receation oppportunities draw visitors in all seasons.
Check the web site at: http://www.elkriverlodge.net to learn more about Elk River and the Elk River Lodge.


Antivirus software is essential for keeping your computer expending safe. These programs prevent the spread of malware, viruses, and spyware, and maintain your pc’s data safeguarded. In this day and age, cyber criminals are aiming for computers to steal sensitive info. Antivirus software program detects the unauthorized access to this info, protecting your data from hackers.
Antivirus software can be expensive, but many companies offer regarding multiple units. Some of these deals cover up to 10 devices. You can also order individual permits, which cover to five devices. You can also find cheaper anti-virus apps upon Amazon. com or in stores. You can even obtain a free trial edition and pay a one-time cost for a year’s subscription.
Antivirus security software software helps to protect your gadget from cyber criminals and viruses, by monitoring data touring over a network. The software likewise monitors plan behavior to recognize and take out known threats. Antivirus protection is crucial today, along with the number of fresh cyberthreats continuously elevating. Without an antivirus security software solution, you risk choosing a computer virus or getting targeted by simply malware.
Malware software not simply detects and cleans computer viruses, it offers current protection. It can monitor dubious links and websites, and can protect your pc from ransomware. Antivirus computer software can even path unusual behavior on your computer, https://directionsoftware.org/how-to-activate-iphone-easily which may be an indication of a fresh type of web based threat. Help to make certain to purchase an antivirus system that is effective and would not flag virtually any false positives.


This calculator transforms roman numbers into arabic numbers and vice versa.
The romans used those numbers: I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, D=500 and M=1000. In most cases, they were simply put behind each other and added.
If one letter stands to the left of a letter with a higher value, you subtract the value of that letter.
How did the Romans write numbers?
The Romans did not know our number system with 10 digits (we got from the Arabians). Therefore, the romans wrote numbers by writing letters.
What number signs did the Romans know?
The Romans used the signs I for 1, V for 5, X for 10, L for 50, C for 100, D for 500 and M for 1000.
How to keep those signs in mind?
Simply remember the I, the X, the C, the D and the M. The I is simply a line.
C and M are corresponding to the latin words centum (hundred) and mille (thousand).
If you remember the X, the V is simply the upper half of the X and the L is the lower half of the C.
How to put those numbers together?
Normally, you just put signs behind each other, and the sum corresponds to the number.
Exception: To avoid having more than tree times the same sign in a row, use this notation: If a sign of less worth is before a sign of higher worth, subtract its value.
How did the Romans add or subtract numbers?
There were difficult algorithms for adding or subtracting. This is one of the main reason why we use arabian numbers nowadays and not the roman ones.
Mathepower can transform roman numbers into arabian numbers and vice versa. Just enter a number and it will be transformed.


- GHGSat data now available thro...
GHGSat data now available through ESA's Earthnet programme
20 Apr 2021
In the framework of the Earthnet programme, ESA is offering, for scientific research and application development, access to archive and new tasking data from the GHGSat mission upon submission and acceptance of a project proposal.
GHGSat's overall mission objective is to provide actionable information to operators, regulators, and other stakeholders interested in understanding, controlling, and ultimately reducing facility-level emissions of greenhouse gases. This mission is considered a Third Party Mission (TPM) under assessment.
The GHGSat constellation currently consists of three satellites, GHGSat-D (Claire), GHGSat-C1 (Iris) and GHGSat-C2 (Hugo). Each satellite is equipped with a wide-angle Fabry-Perot (WAF-P) imaging spectrometer designed to measure the vertical column abundances of greenhouse gases.
Details about the data provision, data access conditions and quota assignment procedure are described in the GHGSat Terms of Applicability. More information can also be found on the archive and new tasking data page.
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive highlights of recent news from Earth Online


A Red Dragon on the Red Planet
Spaceflight company SpaceX said Wednesday it will start sending unmanned rockets to Mars in two years.
SpaceX, the spaceflight company run by Elon Musk, plans to send its Dragon spacecraft to Mars as soon as 2018, the company announced on Wednesday.
The rocket will be known as—surprise!—a Red Dragon. From The Verge:
The company indicated that the capsules would fly on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, a bigger version of its Falcon 9; the rocket will launch the capsules to the planet to test out how to land heavy payloads on Mars. If successful, the endeavor would make SpaceX the first private spaceflight company to land a vehicle on another planet.
SpaceX plans to eventually attempt to send humans to Mars. Musk has previously said that he wants to build “a city” there.
SpaceX began delivering supplies to the International Space Station using its Dragon rocket in 2012. Earlier this month, SpaceX successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket on a drone ship in the middle of the ocean, marking the first time the company has been able to salvage much of the vehicle using this landing technique. The company failed to land the spacecraft four times before at sea, but had previously successfully landed it on the ground at Cape Canaveral in Florida. This new landing technique saves significant fuel costs and allows the company to reuse rockets.
Here’s the historic sea landing:


If you have educated yourself on the different safety components in your vehicle, you likely learned about the SRS airbag module. If you have not, I cannot stress enough to you the importance of it for the overall functionality and safety of your vehicle. Even though it is a small component in your vehicle, it plays a big role. Let me tell you just how it does that.
To start, the SRS airbag module is a computerized system in your car. What it does is control the entire airbag system in your vehicle. Everything from the airbags themselves, the impact sensors, and even the seat belt pre-tensioners—relies on the module to properly function. During a sudden stop or collision, where the airbags deploy, the airbag module stores a ton of information in the form of crash data and hard codes. This information includes seat belt use, the vehicle and engine speed, seat belt pre-tensioner deployments, impact speed change, throttle position, airbag deployments, and brake light switch position. Interestingly enough, this type of information is almost always admissible in court and usually trumps other physical evidence or verbal explanations.
When the airbag module is not up to par—or has all this data stored—the airbags cannot deploy in an accident. This, as a result, can potentially lead to serious injury or even death. That is why you should have the unit replaced immediately. You do not want to be endangering your own life or that of your passengers.
You have two options when it comes to fixing a faulty airbag module. The first, and pricier, an option is to purchase a brand new module at the dealer. Or, you can send in your present unit to the company Safety Restore so that they can restore it to factory settings.


Tuesday, September 18, 2018 by Michelle Simmons
Suboxone is a drug used to treat opioid addiction. It contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is in a group of drugs called opioid partial agonists, which help alleviate symptoms of opiate withdrawal. On the other hand, naloxone belongs to a class of drugs called opioid antagonists, which reverse the effects of narcotics.
Suboxone may interact with prescription, non-prescription, illegal, and recreational drugs; herbal remedies; and nutritional or dietary supplements. It should not be taken with antidepressants, sedatives, narcotic painkillers, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or even alcohol.
The common side effects of Suboxone include:
Suboxone can also cause serious side effects. These include:
The body systems that may be harmed by Suboxone include the nervous, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, cardiovascular, hepatic, psychiatric, dermatologic, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, and immune systems.
The following food items help prevent and treat dizziness, one of the common side effects of Suboxone:
Some of the common side effects of Suboxone can be managed by the following:
Suboxone is a drug used to treat opioid addiction.
Suboxone contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone.
Suboxone commonly causes constipation, diarrhea, headache, and nausea.
Suboxone can be addictive and cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.
Suboxone can slow down or stop your breathing.
Tagged Under: Tags: suboxone


Electrical fires causes and prevention tips.
Across the nation, home electrical fires account for an estimated 51,000 fires each year, nearly 500 deaths, and over $1.3 billion in property damage. Because of modern-day technology, electronics surround our everyday needs and are now fully ingrained in our lives, whether it is at home or in the workplace. Take a look at a few of the common causes of electrical home fires and what you can do to prevent them.
A common cause of electrical fires is faulty electrical outlets and old, outdated appliances. Large appliances should be serviced as frequently as recommended by the manufacturer. Appliances with worn and damaged cords should not be used, as they can send heat onto surrounding surfaces like curtains and rugs.
It’s important for homeowners to make sure their wiring is safe. Older buildings may not have the wiring capacity to handle the increased amounts of electrical appliances used in today’s average home. Along with more chargers and high-speed blenders, the average home demands more from wiring than it did in previous years.
Space heaters are ideal for New York winters, bringing instant heat to any room. However, many have made the mistake of placing the heater too close to an object that it catches fire. These heaters are potentially dangerous when positioned near curtains, rugs, and furniture. The chance of inflammable material coming into contact with the red-hot coils increases the risk of fire. Be mindful to leave space around the heater and to keep it on stable ground.
These tips can help you to avoid electrical fires. If your home does succumb to a fire, you will want to be sure you are protected. Fortunately, homeowners insurance is there to protect your home when you need coverage the most. Visit the independent insurance professionals, Perry & Carroll, for all of your insurance needs in Elmira and neighboring cities in New York.


Listen to today's episode of StarDate on the web the same day it airs in high-quality streaming audio without any extra ads or announcements. Choose a $8 one-month pass, or listen every day for a year for just $30.
You are here
The stars that are visible to the unaided eye aren’t representative of the galaxy as a whole -- far from it. We see many giants and supergiants, for example. Yet those types of stars make up only a tiny fraction of the overall stellar population. Most of the stars in the Milky Way are small and feeble -- so feeble that we can’t see a single one, even though several are among our closest neighbors.
Astronomers call this a selection effect -- some things are easier to see than others. A spiffy European sports car stands out among the usual sedans and SUVs, for example.
For scientists, though, that can be a problem. If astronomers studied only the bright stars -- the equivalent of racy sports cars -- they’d get a completely wrong idea about how stars form, evolve, and die.
Selection effects are a problem in other ways, too.
When astronomers began discovering planets in other star systems, they found almost exclusively one type: giant worlds in close orbits around their stars. The techniques used to find exoplanets work best on those types of worlds.
In the decades since, though, they’ve discovered thousands of planets that are smaller, farther out, or both. Only by studying all of these planets can we get a full picture of the lives of planets and planetary systems.
So astronomers can’t settle for looking at the easy targets. To fully understand the workings of the universe, they need to study the hard ones, too.
Script by Damond Benningfield


2 Billion Tonnes
of municipal solid waste is produced per year globally, and is expected to nearly double by 2050.
of global methane emissions are generated by landfilling of organic waste, despite capture technologies.
immediate cooling can occur if landfill methane release is prevented, due to its short-life and high warming potential.
That’s where we come in
After you recycle, you H Cycle.
Recycling is still a critical part of our waste reduction. H Cycle takes the leftover waste after all recyclable material is taken out and converts it into hydrogen.
H Cycle works with heterogeneous waste mixtures, allowing us to process feedstocks typically unsuitable for composting or anaerobic digestion.
What is normally sent to a landfill for burial comes instead to H Cycle to be converted into hydrogen, resulting in a reduction of emissions.
Diverting Waste from Landfills and Incinerators
Addressable Market Size
In California alone, 27 million tons of waste needs to be redirected from the landfill by 2025. The processing capacity that existed in 2020 is 10 million tons, leaving 17 million tons of processing capacity needed (equivalent to 170 H Cycle facilities).
Organics Diversion Mandates
There is an increased scrutiny towards diversion of organics from landfills, specifically called out by the IPCC. California and Washington recently passed bills requiring 75%+ diversion of organics.
Our process works with the residuals resulting from post-recycling operations and achieves further elemental recycling, converting remnant value in the waste to renewable hydrogen.
Micro-plastics contaminating soil, water, and food; Severe landfill constraints; China’s national sword policy cracking down on western exports of recycled material; “Forever chemicals” (known as PFAS) in drinking water and food. At H Cycle, we believe that we need disruptive solutions to handle these enormous global challenges.