text:
WASHINGTON—U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and their colleagues have published the most comprehensive analysis to date of the corn genome, an achievement expected to speed up development of improved varieties of one of the world's most important agricultural commodities.
The work was organized by USDA scientists and funded in the United States by USDA and the National Science Foundation. The research was a collaborative effort by an international team of scientists at 17 institutions including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the University of California at Davis, Cornell University, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in El Batan, Mexico, and BGI, a genomic research center based in Shenzhen, China.
The results are expected to boost international efforts to increase yields, expand areas where corn can be cultivated, and produce varieties that are better equipped to resist pests and disease.
"This work represents a major step forward and an important tool in the arsenal available to scientists and breeders for improving a vital source of nutrition, as well as a source of fuel, in the face of changing climates, growing populations and a diminishing supply of arable land," said Edward B. Knipling, administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency. The research supports the USDA goals of promoting agricultural sustainability, international food security, and developing new sources of bioenergy.
The researchers published two separate reports in Nature Genetics that shed light on corn's remarkable genetic diversity, reveal its evolution, and outline how corn, known as maize among scientists, continues to diversify as it adapts to changing climates and habitats.
One report, published by a team led by ARS scientist Doreen Ware in collaboration with ARS colleagues Ed Buckler, Peter Bradbury, Jim Holland and Michael McMullen, examined the genetic structure and the relationships and sequential ordering of individual genes in more than 100 varieties of wild and domesticated corn.
Lead author Jer Ming Chia described how the structures of genomes can vary tremendously from one corn variety to the next, how structural variations within a genome can have major effects on traits, and how the corn genome is essentially still in flux. The researchers also discovered significant variations in the physical size of genomes of different varieties.
The research expands on a study published by Ware and another international team in 2009 that provided a genetic blueprint of the corn genome and identified roughly 1 million genetic markers. Using a sophisticated, population-genetics scoring model, Chia and his colleagues were able to identify 55 million markers. The achievement is expected to vastly enhance the ability of scientists and breeders to track and select for valuable regions of the genome to enhance targeted traits.
A second report, published by a group led by Jeff Ross-Ibarra from the University of California at Davis, gives an unprecedented glimpse into how corn evolved from a wild, scrubby plant into today's ubiquitous international commodity.
Lead author Matthew Hufford and his colleagues compared wild varieties with traditional corn varieties from across the Americas and with modern improved breeding lines. The researchers identified hundreds of genes that played a role in the transformation of corn from its wild roots to today's cultivated crop and show how that transition was largely achieved by ancient farmers who first domesticated the crop thousands of years ago.
They also found that since corn was first domesticated, many of the changes in patterns of gene expression by modern day breeding efforts have been centered on genes selected for hybrid vigor.
The economic value of the U.S. corn crop was $76 billion last year, with U.S. growers producing an estimated 12 billion bushels, more than a third of the world's supply. It is the largest production crop worldwide, providing food for billions of people and livestock and critical feedstock for production of biofuels.
As USDA's chief scientific research agency, ARS is leading America towards a better future through agricultural research and information. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to help answer agricultural questions that impact Americans every day. ARS work helps to:
• ensure high-quality, safe food and other agricultural products;
• assess the nutritional needs of Americans;
• sustain a competitive agricultural economy;
• enhance the natural resource base and the environment, and
• provide economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities and society as a whole.
U.S. Dept of Agriculture Press Release
Click To Submit Press Releases, News, Calendar Items, and Community Events to Great Lakes Radio Stations WFXD, WKQS, WRUP, WQXO, and WPIQ


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The secret to its effectiveness is that the hardened stainless-steel loops of different diameters are in three separate planes, one behind the other. The design originated with the Danes long ago, but now the whisk is made only in Poland. Asian look-alikes on the market do not perform well at all.
It would take a full catalog page to cover all the alternative uses of the whisks, which range from preparing bread dough to cookie and muffin batter, pie filling, and pastry. If you search "Danish dough whisk" on the web, you can find numerous other uses and many enthusiastic reviews.
All whisks have close-grained European beech handles.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fallen Climate Superstar: The Fight for Democracy and Survival in the Maldives/
by Mark Hertsgaard
This essay, presented in conjunction with the screening of The Island President at Film Society Cinema, is part of the Film Society's Global Threats Film Series, made possible with support from the San Francisco-based Skoll Global Threats Fund.
He's been called "the Mandela of the Maldives." And like anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, Mohammed Nasheed began public life as a courageous democracy activist who was jailed for years by a repressive regime he eventually helped to overthrow. Also like Mandela, Nasheed was a stunningly handsome, charismatic candidate who went on to win the first free and fair elections in his country's history. To the outside world, however, this 44 year old Liverpool John Moore's University graduate and father of two has been best known as a crusader against climate change, a reputation he acquired by holding the world's first underwater cabinet meeting, in 2009, to dramatize the threat that rising seas pose to the Maldives, a scattering of 1,200 low-lying islands off the southwest tip of India that boast some of the most beautiful beaches and high-end resorts on earth.
Nasheed solidified his hero's status at the otherwise discouraging Copenhagen climate summit later that year, where I saw his star power first hand. Covering the summit for Vanity Fair and The Nation, I interviewed the Maldivian president hours after he had addressed a large gathering of climate activists in downtown Copenhagen. Introduced by Bill McKibben, the author and activist who founded the grassroots group 350.org, Nasheed thrilled the crowd by doing what no other head of government had done: endorsing the goal of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million. The 350 ppm target was derided as impossible, even naïve, by most of the negotiators at Copenhagen; after all, the concentration was already 387 ppm and climbing as global population and fossil fuel burning increased. Nevertheless, more and more science indicated that returning to 350 ppm was necessary if humanity was to preserve a climate similar to that under which civilization has developed over the past ten thousand years. After leading the crowd in a chant of "350, 350, 350," Nasheed exited the stage to thunderous applause, passing a sign that read, "You Are Our Global President."
The next day, I hurried along beside the president as he rushed from one meeting to the next inside the Bella Center, the vast conventional hall where the official negotiations were held. We looked quite a pair, I'm told. Nasheed stands no more than five feet, six inches and has the copper colored skin of his Indian Ocean ancestors; I'm six feet two and as pale and thin as our Danish hosts. I had to bend my head low to hear his words as Nasheed said that the 350 ppm target might look unrealistic to some, but it was essential to the survival of his low-lying country and numerous others. Indeed, Nasheed wanted the final agreement at Copenhagen to enshrine a temperature cap of 1.5 C, not the 2 C usually regarded as the "red line" for dangerous climate change. "The idea is that people will agree not to murder others," he told me. "Anything above 1.5 C and we [in the Maldives] have had it."
And then it happened. We emerged from the restricted area of the Bella Center into the public zone where activists and other members of civil society had their booths, conducted briefings and ate meals. Seated on the floor, a gaggle of young people suddenly took notice of Nasheed heading toward them. Instantly, their eyes widened, their faces took on a rapturous glow and they leaped to their feet, clapping and shouting, "Thank you, Mr. President." Their cheers alerted others and in seconds Nasheed was surrounded by scores of adoring activists, whooping and hollering and snapping photos on their cell phones as the president smiled and continued towards his next meeting. It was real rock star adulation, unlike what I saw any other government official receive at the Copenhagen summit.
Now, barely two years later—and just in time for the release of a fine new documentary about him, The Island President—Nasheed has been forcibly removed from office by a military coup. Although initial news reports were confusing, it now seems clear that when Nasheed resigned as president of the Maldives on February 7, he did so under extreme duress, compelled by military officials and others loyal to the former dictatorship, who warned that Nasheed and many others would die if he did not step down immediately.
The plotters themselves have admitted as much. "I said [to Nasheed], if you did not resign there were only two options," Umar Naseer, the vice president of the People's Progressive Party of Maldives, told a televised public rally in the capital city of Male' on February 12. "Firstly, resign with bloodshed. Next, resign peacefully. And [I told him] one of these two would happen today." (For more on the coup and its aftermath, watch this gripping account, featuring interviews with Naseer, Nasheed and other key figures and reported by Australian SBS One TV's Mark Davis.)
Mohammed Nasheed thus brings together two of the towering issues of our time: human rights and climate change. Indeed, his example shows that the two cannot be separated from one another. "What is the point of winning our freedom, Nasheed has asked, "if we lose our country to climate change?" After the coup that deposed him, one might add a corollary: what are the odds of saving The Maldives and other nations from climate change if people are not free to assemble, speak out and pressure those in authority to do what is necessary?
Both sides of Nasheed's political activism—the fight for human rights and the crusade for planetary survival—are compellingly presented by director Jon Shenk in The Island President. With the face of a model and the courage of a street fighter, Nasheed makes for a charismatic star of the film, and the documentary is unabashedly but not unprofessionally partial to his point of the view. The portrayal of the Copenhagen Accord, the agreement eventually reached at the summit, is an especially rosy one, considering that the emissions reductions it prescribed were purely voluntary and the accord was not actually adopted by the assembled nations.
Before parsing that argument, however, it's important to say that The Island President is far from a political tract. Having apparently been granted all but total access, the filmmakers offer an extraordinarily intimate look at Nasheed the man, one of the most intimate visual portraits I have encountered of a sitting head of government. We see Nasheed, for example, return to his hotel room after a long day of urging negotiators in Copenhagen to be bold, watch him lie down on his bed, remove his socks and fall asleep. We see his wife, speaking to camera, recalling the difficult days when Nasheed was leading mass civil disobedience rallies against the dictatorship of former president Maumoon Gayoom, activity which led him to be jailed repeatedly and tortured twice. His wife feared for the family's safety as well but felt powerless to curb her husband's non-violent activism. "I suppose I could have left him," she says, "but he would have done it anyway."
Above all, The Island President reveals how much of a head of state's time is consumed by empty ceremonial activities and how motivated many of Nasheed's counterparts appear to be by ego and small-minded concerns. At a meeting of the world's small island states where Nasheed was urging a united, and tougher, stance in the upcoming Copenhagen negotiations, we see one fellow head of state gush through an interpreter that he appreciated Nasheed's "beautiful words," then turn brusquely away when Nasheed sought to engage him in further conversation. At a luncheon meeting with the Environment Minister of India, the region's big power and a rising source of greenhouse gas emissions, Nasheed is repeatedly interrupted and lectured by the minister for his "unhelpful" suggestions that India—and not just the rich industrial nations—should limit its emissions. In a nice bit of editing, the filmmakers cut back and forth from the minister's bullying to the bovine faces of his aides, stuffing their mouths with food as the fate of the Maldives (and other nations immediately threatened by climate change impacts) is discarded.
The documentary also eavesdrops on Nasheed's discussion with aides and thereby reveals, among other things, that all of them are astute enough to realize that, as a tiny nation of no particular geopolitical significance, their best hope for influencing the larger world's response to the climate crisis is to take the moral high road and to be creative, even outlandish, in publicizing their predicament. Hence the underwater cabinet meeting Nasheed convened six weeks before Copenhagen, which generated positive media coverage the world over. Hence as well Nasheed's announcement two weeks later that The Maldives would become "climate neutral" by 2010, the first nation in the world to do so. (Thus we see Nasheed climb atop the roof of the presidential house to help install solar panels—one means of shifting the nation from oil to solar power. Plans called for off-setting remaining fossil fuel consumption by subsidizing an equivalent amount of tree-planting and other climate friendly actions at home and abroad.) Nor was Nasheed shy about pricking the conscience of the outside world. "We know that the Maldives going carbon neutral will not save us from annihilation," Nasheed says during a pre-Copenhagen trip to London to urge British politicians and voters to take more aggressive action against climate change. "But at least we will die having done the right thing."
What's remarkable, and in retrospect poignant, is that Nasheed appears to have harbored genuine hope that the Copenhagen climate summit would produce a real breakthrough. Truth is, a lot of us felt that way, and not just for sentimental reasons. The election of Barack Obama as president of the United States the year before had removed one colossal obstacle: the George W. Bush administration, which had been actively hostile to mandatory emissions reductions during its eight years in power. By contrast, Obama had singled out "a planet in peril" during his victory speech on Election Night 2008 as one of the three major crises he would confront in the White House. A few weeks later, his inclusion of billions of dollars for energy efficiency and renewable energy in his economic stimulus package indicated he intended to follow through on that pledge. What's more, it appeared that the US and China, the world's two climate change superpowers, might at last be transcending their stand-off over who should cut emissions first and by how much. As I reported in Vanity Fair a month before Copenhagen, Obama had sanctioned months of back-channel negotiations with top Chinese officials that now had culminated in an agreement that both nations would reduce emissions.
Of course, it didn't work out that way in Copenhagen. Obama arrived at the end of the summit and, clearly suffering from jet lag, gave one of the worst speeches of his career. His tone was flat and bordered on lecturing, while his content was almost insulting to an international audience. For while Obama declared that the US would promise to cut emissions by 17 percent by 2020, international observers recognized that this number was based on blatantly moving the goalposts. For decades, the international community had measured emissions reductions from a baseline of 1990. By that standard, the US was really offering a mere 4 percent reduction; only by substituting a baseline of 2005 could the Obama administration arrive at its 17 percent figure. It was like promising to kick a 50 yard field goal from the 20 yard line.
None of this is mentioned in The Island President, which instead lays the blame for Copenhagen's shortcomings mainly on China. Not without reason, it must be said. China dragged its feet throughout the summit, resisting calls to accept even long-term limits to its emissions and pressuring poor nations to toe its diplomatic line or risk the loss of development aid. Ed Milliband, the climate secretary of Great Britain, later wrote in The Guardian that China had sabotaged the summit. In a late night meeting in the summit's final hours attended by the heads of government or state from the world's biggest polluters, Milliband wrote, China had refused to accept what Obama and European leaders saw as a grand compromise: the rich industrial nations would cut emissions by 80 percent by 2050 while the world as a whole—including China and other emerging economies—would cut emissions by 50 percent by 2050. The problem was, this formula would have imposed larger per capita emissions cuts on China, India and other developing nations than it imposed on the rich industrial nations whose past emissions had caused global warming in the first place. This, China would never accept.
The Island President does not show this pivotal meeting, presumably because Nasheed—the filmmakers' ticket inside—was not invited to attend it. But Nasheed did support the proposal. Indeed, so desperate was he for some kind of deal that he also endorsed the much weaker alternative the big powers subsequently settled on. This, the briefly ballyhooed Copenhagen Accord, was a far cry from what science said was needed to save civilization, much less to save The Maldives. Contrary to early news reports, the accord did not pledge to limit temperature rise to 2 C over pre-industrial levels; it merely "recognize[d] the scientific view" that the increase should be kept to 2 C. Nor did the accord do much to bring this result about. It neither enumerated nor prescribed binding limits on emissions; it only committed both developed and developing nations to "take action" to "achiev[e] the peaking of global and national emissions as soon as possible…." Adding insult to injury, the big powers presented the accord to the rest of the governments in Copenhagen in a take-it-or-leave-it fashion. No surprise, then, that the full summit explicitly declined to approve the Copenhagen Accord, voting instead merely to "take note" of it.
Nevertheless, near the end of The Island President we see Nasheed smiling as he telephones his mother while being driven to the airport to return home. In the translation at the bottom of the screen, he tells her with evident pleasure that the meeting has yielded an agreement. Fair enough. He was exhausted, and most boys, even grown ones, like to impress their mothers with their accomplishments. But neither science nor politics has been kind to Nasheed's upbeat assessment in the years since.
The world's greenhouse gas emissions rose to record levels in 2010, despite the overhang of widespread economic stagnation. Ice sheets continued melting. Record floods left 14 million people homeless in Pakistan and record heat in Russia led the government to halt grain exports, spooking global markets and giving rise to price spikes that helped provoke food riots in a dozen countries. The year 2011 brought even more extreme weather, with Texas suffering the worst one-year drought in its history and the hottest summer in the entire nation's history, even as Governor Rick Perry, like all Republican presidential candidates, continued to insist there was no such thing as man-made global warming.
And in an ominous foreshadowing of the Maldives' potential fate, in March 2012 the government of Kiribati announced it was planning to evacuate its inhabitants before rising seas completely inundated the island nation. Like the Maldives, Kiribati is a string of low-lying tropical islands, but located in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles south of Hawaii. Anote Tong, the president of Kirabati, told the (London) Telegraph he was attempting to buy 5,000 acres of land on Fiji where his countrymen could resettle, adding that the international community should provide financial aid to deal with "the needs of countries like Kiribati."
Meanwhile, the two international climate negotiations that followed the Copenhagen summit—in 2010 in Cancun, Mexico, and in 2011 in Durban, South Africa—made little more progress than Copenhagen had, and for the same basic reason: neither the US nor China was willing to reduce its emissions anytime soon. Astonishingly, the agreement reached in Durban—no country would be obliged to cut emissions until 2020—will, if left unchanged, guarantee the world will fail to limit temperature rise to 2 C, the level even the Copenhagen Accord acknowledged would cause "dangerous" climate change.
And so, for the sake of humanity and especially the two billion people around the world under the age of 30 who will spend their lives coping with climate change, the Durban agreement must not stand. It must be superseded by an agreement that respects science and the planet that makes our civilization possible. As I wrote in The Nation at the time,
Few have been more steadfast and creative in the fight against climate change than Mohammed Nasheed. Which makes the brutal coup that deposed him all the more deplorable. All of us, not just the citizens of The Maldives, need leaders like Nasheed on the global scene, pushing the limits of what is supposedly realistic, taking risks and above all inspiring people to rise up and demand real change before it is too late. Despair is a constant temptation in the climate fight, but Nasheed, like Mandela before him, has no patience for such self-defeatism. As he affirms at the end of The Island President, referring directly to the Maldives' struggle against sea level rise but more broadly to all humanity's challenge, "We can't just disappear. We have to survive. And we have to do whatever it takes to make that real."
The Island President screening and this essay are presented as part of the Film Society's Global Threats Film Series, made possible with support from the San Francisco–based Skoll Global Threats Fund.
Mark Hertsgaard has covered climate change since 1989 for outlets ranging from The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Time to NPR, L'espresso and The Nation, where is the environment correspondent. A Fellow of the New America Foundation, he is the author of six books that have been translated into sixteen languages, including, HOT: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth, released in paperback this month.
© 2012 Mark Hertsgaard


text:
Answered By: Ashlen Dube Last Updated: Nov 29, 2016 Views: 5
Answered By: Ashlen Dube
Last Updated: Nov 29, 2016 Views: 5
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Developing mechatronic systems requires integrating mechanical, electrical, control, and embedded software subsystems. Model-Based Design and MathWorks products enable you to design and simulate all of these domains in a single environment.
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text:
My friend and I were talking in class and we began to ponder what would everything be like after death.
He proposed this question: "Do you remember what it was like before you were born"
"Obviously not" I said
"That's what it is going to be like after death"
I have a theory that you are in a hazy, dream like state after you die.
What are your thoughts?
Views: 2001
I've been pondering this question for over 20 years... It's kept me interested and passionate.
I think your friend hit the nail on the head... when we die it will be exactly how it was before you were born. Kinda like that time when you're sleeping but in between dreams. But even less conscious. Think of it this way. Before you were born you were dead for at least 13 billion years or so... and I bet not a single thing that happened during that time was a nuisance... (not sure where that quote came from)
Some people, mostly religious people, think this is a horrible way to end our lives. I think it is beautiful. It makes our time spent here on earth that much more important and precious. Enjoy it.
We do have a purpose. Look at what all life does. It's our blueprint. Life survives, procreates, cares for the herd, spreads its seed, adapts, evolves... continues at all costs. That is our purpose. Let's help our offspring and future generations to do this the best we can. Let's see the big picture. Not just ourselves.
In a way, the purpose of any instance of any species is to pass along their genes. People who don't procreate aren't playing their part in the game.
At the same time, even to speak of "purpose" kind of falls into the arms of the people who believe in a creator.
I don't think to have a "purpose" by any sense of the word is exclusive only to a creator...
I've just observed life in all it's shapes and forms and these are things that all life have in common. I've chosen to find purpose in that sense. Mainly to try and contribute the continued survival of humanity by means of technology. If anyone else doesn't care to that's fine by me.
When you talk about purpose, you are open to the question, "According to whom or what?"
Purpose by it's nature implies a direction toward a goal.
If humans have a purpose, and not one they give themselves (to get into Harvard, to write The Great American Novel, to settle down in Montana and raise cattle), then whose purpose are they supposed to be fulfilling?
Life's purpose... The reason we are here.
this does bring up the question though.. does the universe have a purpose to expand and grow? Is that it's purpose Or is that simply just what it does.
My 2 cents...
Once when I was a kid, I asked my father this same question. He answered it like this: Imagine using LEGO blocks to construct a building. Now, suppose the blocks are removed. What happens? The building is gone - poof. That's it.
We are concepts - like a building which is an idea formed by lego blocks; or in our case flesh and bones put together to work in a particular way to generate self-conscious entities. Once the blocks are separated, the idea/ concept of the building is completely destroyed. Similarly, once you die, changes to our body ensures that though matter still exists (our bodies are still there), the idea/ concept of ME is destroyed.
Until science figures out a way to rebuild the matter in our bodies exactly in the same way as before to recapture the concept of 'ME', we will be dead forever.
but even if it was to be "rebuilt" it would be a copy of you... I think our life needs to be sustained to continue.. but who knows!
Will the copy differ from the original in any practical way? If not, can we then consider the copy to be exactly the same as the original?
In Star Trek, when Captain Kirk is 'beamed up', you can assume that information is transmitted (i.e) matter is broken down and reconstructed exactly as before. So, who gets beamed up - a different person or the same?
I am not sure about this myself... :)
When we die, we die. We no longer exist, in any way. And that's ok. We're here for a short while, and we do our part, we live our lives, but in the end we're gone. What's left behind is the world we belonged to. What's left behind is our mark on society: the children we raised, the people we affected, or both.
Dying is something truly human. It's not a sense of mortality this concept should lend us, but immortality. Because for all we know, when we die, the world and all it ever was is gone. When we are born, we are given a world to live in, a home that may not be the easiest to live with, but it is our universe. When we die, we will have lived forever in the world that is ours, and as far as for the world that belongs to society, the human race, and whatever else there shall ever be: this world is forever changed by our having been there, as individuals, and our "after life" is how our actions affect the world into the future and how those we loved and knew remember us.
I certainly don't think there is "nonexistence" after death, as though your soul goes in a black box never to be heard from again, although I feel this is a common way to interpret the notion that there is not an afterlife. Frankly, I believe there is something like reincarnation without memory of "past lives," which is to say that it would be a completely discrete and new experience in the universe. My hanging point on this theory is what constitutes a discrete, conscious being, which is obviously a mystery to science or at least very close to being one.
A hazy dream state (without memory) isn't a theory I disregard with the same force as life after death, but it doesn't sit well with me. What experiences this hazy dream state? The reason I warn against the idea of nonexistence is precisely because there is nothing we're aware of, and we're aware of quite a lot, which continues to experience anything other than the mundane after a brain and its body have died. However, it has occurred to me that the body's material must be made part of a living being again in order for anything which was "us" to experience life again, and climbing up the food chain to become a sentient being could take eons.
This is perhaps the most close-to-home reason why I don't want to be buried in a casket. I'm thinking whole-body burial in a burlap sack. Or sky burial. (Can you do that in the "civilized" world?) Cremation wouldn't bother me, either, as long as the ashes went into the soil, not into a jar.
It should be noted that this is entirely superstitious, but any pragmatic decision about what happens to your body naturally is, since, as I'm sure it's been pointed out numerous times in this thread alone, nobody knows, and it's pretty clear we can't know. But if I'm going to make a decision about it, I definitely don't want to be preserved in a state of death. It's creepy, whether you believe you're preserving yourself for reincarnation in this realm or another or you're doing it for posterity for the sake of the living. Creepy, creepy, creepy.


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(Sepsis; Septicemia)
Blood poisoning, also called septicemia or sepsis, is an illness due to an infection or its toxin spreading through the bloodstream.
The presence of bacteria in the blood is called bacteremia. Short bursts of low levels of bacteria in the blood usually do not cause problems.
Sepsis occurs when large numbers of infectious agents exist in the blood. Infections with viruses, fungi, and parasites may lead to sepsis as well. The body responds by trying to fight the infection. Causes include:
- An existing infection
- Contagious diseases
- A dirty needle used by an IV drug user
Toxins Can Spread Through the Bloodstream
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Risk Factors
Risk Factors
This condition is more common in older adults, especially those with frail health. Factors that increase your chance of getting sepsis include:
- Recent illness or hospital care, especially surgery
Poorly working immune system due to:
- Cancer or chemotherapy to treat cancer
- Diabetes
- HIV infection or another immunosuppressive condition, such as an autoimmune disorder or immune deficiency
- Immunosuppressive medications needed after a transplant
- Medical treatment with an invasive device
- IV drug abuse
- Crowded living conditions as in the case of some types of pneumonia and meningitis
The first symptoms depend on the site of the infection.
As the condition progresses to sepsis, symptoms may include:
- Fever and chills
- Low temperature
- Pale skin color
- Weakness
- Changes in mental status
- Rapid breathing
- Rapid heartbeat
- Decreased urine
- Problems with bleeding or clotting
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. If sepsis is suspected, the source of the infection will attempt to be found.
Your bodily fluids and waste products may be tested. This can be done with:
- Blood cultures and tests
- Urine cultures and tests
- Sputum cultures
- Stool cultures
Images may be taken of your bodily structures. This can be done with:
This condition will need to be treated aggressively. Treatment is aimed at the cause of the initial infection.
Early treatment improves the chance of survival. Life-saving steps may be needed to assist breathing and heart function. People with sepsis usually need to be observed in an intensive care unit.
IV antibiotics will be used to fight a bacterial infection and to clear it from your blood. You may be given oral antibiotics when you leave the hospital.
Surgery is sometimes needed to remove or drain the initial infection.
Supportive Care
You will likely receive other medications, IV fluids, and oxygen. If your blood pressure remains too low, you may need vasopressors—medications to help maintain your normal blood pressure. Blood transfusions and a respirator to help you breathe may be necessary in some cases.
Further treatment depends on how your body is responding. For example, you may need kidney dialysis if kidney failure occurs.
It is not always possible to prevent blood poisoning. Avoiding IV drug use decreases your chance of sepsis. Health care professionals must also take steps to stop the spread of these infections. Getting prompt medical care for infections can reduce your risk of sepsis.
Infectious Diseases Society of America http://www.idsociety.org
Public Health Agency of Canada http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca
Updated September 3, 2013. Accessed June 19, 2014.
Late-onset neonatal sepsis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
Updated April 20, 2015. Accessed June 10, 2015.
Sepsis in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
Updated May 12, 2015. Accessed June 10, 2015.
Sepsis in children. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
Updated July 30, 2014. Accessed June 10, 2015.
10/6/2014 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance
Holland TL, Arnold C, et al. Clinical management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia: a review. JAMA. 2014 Oct 1;312(13):1330-41.
Last Updated: 10/7/2014


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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Applying Problem Solving
|Introduction | Measuring Ant Tunnels | Problem Reflection | Classroom Practice | Problem Solving in Action | Classroom Checklist | Your Journal
Now that you are familiar with the Problem-Solving Standard and some of its aspects, we'd like you to apply it. We will see how Joe Reilly, a first-grade teacher, helps his students work on a problem involving non-standard and standard units of measurement. Before they begin to work, students talk about possible strategies and tools they can use to measure. They then set to work to apply their strategies and conclude by sharing their approaches and solutions with others in the class.
How does problem solving fit into this picture? Before we view the students' work, consider a problem similar to the task Joe Reilly sets for his students.
|Teaching Math Home | Grades K-2 | Problem Solving | Site Map | © |
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


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Take advantage of family programming at the Modern over the course of the week while your school-aged children are on Spring Break. Each session is led by a docent and includes a gallery project designed by the education department. Both the tour and project focus on selected works in the Modern's collection. Registration is not required. Attendance is limited to 45 children per session; admission is free.
March 14 – Focusing on Color
March 15 – Focusing on Line
March 16 – Focusing on Shape
March 17 – Focusing on Value


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Following the strong supply growth in 2016, hotel development activity is expected to remain robust in coming quarters. Due to delays in delivery, however, many projects shift into next year.
In H1 2017, total guest arrivals grew by 10.1%, y-o-y; significantly above the average of the previous seven years. Budapest outperformed the national average with its 10.4% growth, y-o-y.
Hotel KPI figures have shown improvement on last year, ranking Budapest among the top performing capitals in CEE in terms of RevPar and ADR. In Budapest, ADR has risen by 11.8%, y-o-y, averaging EUR 115, the highest level on record. Occupancy notched up by 4.9 pps, to 76.0%. RevPAR increased by 20.0%, y-o-y.


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One of my biggest complaints with Barca was that I could NEVER get AVG virus scanner to work with it. Well, I automatically downloaded the latest version AVG and now it just works! That is the good news. The bad news is that somehow all email seems to be/have an attachment. This is annoying when I delete email because Barca prompts me to also delete the attachment. If you go through a lot of spam, it gets rather annoying having to click every email twice to delete it. I know that there is a setting so that it won't prompt you to delete the attachment, but then it leaves the attachment
Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this?
[Edit by Robin: moved to E-mail Hall]


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Saint Mary's Beats Middle Tennessee State, 67-54 — 2013 NCAA Tournament Scores
Matthew Dellavedova scored 22 points, and Saint Mary's beat Middle Tennessee State, 67-54, in a First Four game of the 2013 NCAA tournament in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday night. After leading by nine points at the half, St. Mary's increased its lead behind the shooting of Dellavedova, who was 7-for-14 from the field for the game, including hitting 5 of 7 three-point attempts.
The victory means the 11th-seeded Gaels (28-6) will play sixth-seeded Memphis in the Midwest Regional at Auburn Hills, Mich. on Thursday afternoon.
Marcos Knight led the Blue Raiders (28-6), who made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 24 years.


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That's how Lindel Toups said his colleagues' behavior makes the Lafourche Parish Council look.
"It makes us look like clowns," Councilman Toups said before Tuesday's meeting.
It's hard to argue with him.
That's how Lindel Toups said his colleagues' behavior makes the Lafourche Parish Council look.
"It makes us look like clowns," Councilman Toups said before Tuesday's meeting.
It's hard to argue with him.
Whether it is Councilman Daniel Lorraine harping on Parish President Charlotte Randolph or Councilmen John Arnold and Jerry Lafont getting into a shoving match outside a council meeting, the council members have never felt the need to distinguish themselves with good behavior.
Lorraine's antics on the council are legendary.
He has spent years sparring with Randolph, after doing the same with her predecessor, Buzz Breaux.
As one of the Council Five, Lorraine had a big hand in imposing a standstill on the parish during Breaux's tenure as president. For years, the council refused to approve a budget, and members of the majority five bragged that they would never approve a department head for Breaux.
The predictable result was that the parish suffered in service to the egos of the five.
Back then, Lorraine and his cohorts took their marching orders from Councilman Charles Banta, who was eventually forced from office because of his criminal past.
Now, the buffoonery remains even if much of its structure has been removed.
Banta isn't calling the shots anymore.
And the opposition to Randolph isn't as stiff or as unified as it was to Breaux.
But the councilmen still seem to compete with one another over who can make the most ridiculous joke out of public service.
At times, Lorraine seems to be running away with the honor. But then another councilman will catch up.
Last year, for instance, Councilman Jerry Jones conducted a crusade against then-parish administrator Crystal Chiasson. Even though Chiasson was duly nominated to office and approved by the council, Jones took aim at her for the supposed sin of living outside the parish.
Jones succeeded in having a Home Rule Charter amendment placed on the November ballot, and local voters obliged him by approving his nonsense — unquestionably the product of some newfound vendetta against Randolph.
Just what we needed, right? More personal rancor between public officials will certainly be right at home on the Parish Council.
At least one person is trying to do something about it, but we'll have to wait and see how effective that effort is.
Councilman Aaron Caillouet proposed and the council approved a resolution requiring the body to follow Robert's Rules of Order, the commonly accepted guide for how to run meetings.
In most crowds, accepting the guidelines laid out in Robert's Rules would be a foregone conclusion.
It just seems like a good idea to run meetings with the understanding that members of the council will not personally attack one another, that they will confine their comments to the issues before the council.
But this ain't your average crowd.
These guys revel in conflict. And the more personal that conflict is, the better.
Even in discussing whether they should adopt Robert's as a guide, Lorraine couldn't help but violate this minimal standard of decorum.
"Mr. Caillouet ... when you are going to follow Robert's Rules of Order, I will consider it," Lorraine said, arguing the rules are unnecessary even as he violated one of their most-basic principles.
Nothing is going to make these guys respect each other or the offices to which they've been elected. Nothing is going to make them respect the people of the parish more than the sounds of their own voices.
But having a guide in place that at least gives examples of proper behavior would be an excellent starting point.
Clowns aren't all bad. They're just not what most of us want in a parish council.
Editorial Page Editor Michael Gorman can be reached at 448-7612 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Asymmetric Beliefs Can Lead to Bad OutcomesComments
This may, believe it or not, be the scariest thing I've ever read about the modern GOP:
Romney advisers are telling CBS News that there wasn't one person on the Romney campaign who saw the loss coming, and the GOP presidential candidate was "shellshocked" by the results. Here's what they have to say:
- "We went into the evening confident we had a good path to victory…I don't think there was one person who saw this coming."
- "There's nothing worse than when you think you're going to win, and you don't…It was like a sucker punch."
- Romney "was shellshocked."
The CBS story indicates that the Romney team even bought into the "unskewed polls" theory, believing that the polls dramatically underestimated Republican turnout and overestimated Democratic enthusiasm.
This report comes after other indications that the Romney campaign was disregarding polling data.
It's one thing for the rubes to believe that an election is in the bag when the actual chances of victory are south of 10%; indeed, a good campaign requires creating the conditions for suspension of disbelief. It's entirely another when the braintrust of the campaign has determined to smoke its own product. When I wrote this post, I didn't really think that the core strategists in the campaign had abandoned connection with reality; rather, I figured it was mostly #2 and #3. Asymmetric beliefs about the probabilities of success in conflict can produce bad outcomes. Another way of phrasing is that it would be remarkably more reassuring to learn that the campaign was simply lying about its chances (and, of course, they may still be); lying, at least, can be entirely rational. See also Ari Kohen on the difference between hope and delusion.
As it happens, Dan Nexon and I chatted about this just today:


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State / 711 Relay Services
Hamilton Relay makes it possible for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking to make and receive telephone calls. Relay calls are simple — just dial 711 and you will be connected with a highly trained Communication Assistant (CA) that will facilitate your call. There are no restrictions or time limits on any call and Hamilton Relay is available 24/7/365.
Whether you're making personal calls or business calls — all relay calls are confidential and there are no records or recordings of any relay conversation.
Traditional relay calls are based on the TTY (also known as a TDD or text telephone). However, there are many different types of relay calls, such as Voice Carry Over and Hearing Carry Over, that accommodate individual calling preferences.
Regardless of how you connect, the CA will "voice" everything you type to the other party — and type everything the other party says so that you can read the conversation on your screen. The CA is an invisible link between the calling parties.
To find out more about the relay services available to you, simply choose your State and click the Get Info button below.


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picked up or shipped from our location within 4-6
business days. i
As with nearby Australia, New Zealand has over the past century proven itself to be a superb location for producing high quality wines in vast amounts, with much of the cooler regions of both islands being used primarily for vine cultivation. New Zealand wineries are notable for their enthusiasm in regards to experimentation, and for utilizing modern technologies and methods to make the most of the imported grape varietals which flourish in the rich, fertile soils and oceanic climate. In recent years, it has been the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines which have gained the most attention, as a result of their smoky character and ability to carry the mineral rich nature of the terroir they grow in. Changing consumer interests have brought about a considerable rise in the production of organic and sustainable wines in New Zealand, of which again, the Sauvignon Blanc varietals are leading the way in regards to excellence, flavor and overall character.
The green skinned grapes of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal had their origins in Southern France, where they are still widely grown and used for many of the excellent young and aged white wines the region is famous for. Today, however, they are grown in almost every wine producing country in the world, and are widely revered for their fresh and grassy flavors, full of tropical notes and refreshing, zesty character. Sauvignon Blanc grapes thrive best in moderate climates, and ripen relatively early in the year. This has made them a favorite for many wineries in the New World, where they can still produce healthy and high yields in the earlier part of the summer before the temperatures become too hot. Too much heat has a massively adverse effect on Sauvignon Blanc, as the grapes become dull in their flavor, and the wine produced from them loses all its unique character and high points. As such, Sauvignon Blanc farmers have had a lot of trouble from global warming and climate change, as they are being forced to harvest their crops increasingly earlier in the year when it is cool enough to do so.


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The Prostate and Hormonal Changes
The truth is, around the age of 40, testosterone levels begin to decline in men. Although not as significant and all-encompassing as the hormonal changes women experience during menopause, it does have some definite effects. And they are not all positive! As testosterone levels decline, there is also an increase in one of its metabolites, called dihydrotestosterone. This hormone causes overproduction (called hyperplasia) of cells within the prostate gland, which ultimately result in enlargement of these tissues.
Benign Prostate Hyperplasia -- BPH
This process is called benign prostatic hyperplasia or benign prostatic hypertrophy-- often simply called BPH. Because the prostate sits beneath the bladder, when inflamed it may put pressure on the urethra, creating a variety of uncomfortable urinary complaints. Quite simply, the enlarged prostate obstructs the flow of urine. This results in symptoms of incomplete emptying of the bladder, dribbling, difficulty starting urination, reduced force of the stream, frequent urination of small amounts, and sometimes the inability to urinate at all.
The data varies, but BPH interferes with the urinary system to some degree in up to 80% of men over the age of 60. It is reported that at least 50% of men over the age of 45 have some prostate enlargement, whether it is accompanied by symptoms or not. These numbers characterize benign prostatic hyperplasia as an "epidemic" rather than an isolated health concern that is troublesome to a small group of men.
Other Prostate Conditions
A secondary health problem often associated with BPH is actual infection in the prostate gland. Incomplete emptying causes "stagnation" in the bladder, which sometimes results in a bacterial infection. However, in only 5% of the cases can an identifiable bacteria be cultured from the prostatic fluids.
Cancer of the prostate also needs to be mentioned. This year the American Cancer Society estimates that 165,000 men in the US will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 35,000 will die of it. Presently, the only malignancy killing more men is lung cancer. The overall incidence has soared 39% since 1973. However, prostate cancer is rare before the age of 50. It occurs in at least 50% of men who live to be 80 and beyond, the average age of diagnosis being 73. And men who are over 65, African-American, or whose fathers had prostate cancer are at greatest risk for developing it (1).
Western Treatment
The purpose of this article is to focus on the treatment and prevention of BPH rather than cancer of the prostate. Conservative measures for an enlarged prostate include prostatic massage and reducing or eliminating coffee and alcohol. Antibiotics are frequently prescribed whether an identifiable pathogen is present or not. And surgery is considered in some of the more serious cases of prostate enlargement, as well as for some individuals with cancer.


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Kent Bazemore carries small town roots
By ODU Athletics
March 15, 2011
By Diamond Leung (ESPN.com) - Read the complete story HERE
The remote road leading toward his house isn't well-lit, so Kent Bazemore warns of deer appearing in the headlights along the way.
Blink, the locals say, and you might miss Kelford, N.C., driving right past the Old Dominion junior's hometown of less than 300 people.
Given the size of it, Kelford sure seems like an unlikely place to have produced one of the top defenders in the nation and an NBA prospect.
"No stoplights, just stop signs," Bazemore said.
These small-town roots motivated Bazemore to make it on a big stage, and Old Dominion gave him that opportunity. The Monarchs now possess one of the most dynamic playmakers heading into the bright lights of the NCAA tournament


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Jermain Defoe has told Chelsea's Fernando Torres that he needs to treat the Premier League like the school yard if he is to get back to scoring ways.
Torres has netted seven times in 21 appearances in all competitions this season, to go with the fifteen he scored in his one-and-a-half seasons before that – a low return for the ┬ú50 million paid for the Spaniard in 2011.
But Defoe, whose double against West Ham at the weekend took his goals tally for the season to 14, insists that it is no wonder Torres cannot regularly find the net given the pressure on his shoulders.
With the arrival of Rafa Benitez at Stamford Bridge the expectation that Torres will return to form is only likely to increase given that the 52-year-old was the last manager to get the best out of his striker when they were at Liverpool.
But rather than waiting for a tactical masterstroke from Benitez, Defoe has encouraged Torres to think like a schoolboy and just play on instinct.
"People put so much pressure on Torres that he can't relax and enjoy his football," said Defoe.
"There is pressure every game you play. It is something you have to deal with and everyone deals with it differently. You just have to approach it like any other game, like a schoolboy would."


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|No announcements have been published.
Reporting Copyright Infringement
If you believe that your copyright-protected work has been posted without authorization by any of our journals or to report copyright infringement on Tulane websites, please notify: Hunter Ely, Tulane University Information Security Officer at firstname.lastname@example.com. Hunter Ely is the agent designated under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, P.L. 105-304.


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Skip Schumaker completed a two-year, $3 million contract with Cincinnati that gives the Reds a versatile player off the bench.
Skip Schumaker completed a two-year, $3 million contract with Cincinnati that gives the Reds a versatile player off the bench.
Schumaker, 33, was drafted by current Reds general manager Walt Jocketty and played his first eight seasons in St.?Louis, batting .288 with 23 home runs and 211 RBI. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, batting .263 in 125 games with two homers and 30 RBI. He played second base and all three outfield positions last season.
To open a spot on the 40-man roster, the Reds designated outfielder Derrick Robinson for assignment. Robinson split time between triple-A Louisville and Cincinnati last season, batting .255 in 102 games for the Reds.
� Four-time Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux, two-time winner Tom Glavine and two-time AL MVP Frank Thomas were among 19 newcomers on this year�s Hall of Fame ballot, joining steroid-tainted holdovers Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.
Mike Mussina, Hideo Nomo, Kenny Rogers, Jeff Kent, Moises Alou and Luis Gonzalez also are among the players eligible to be voted on for the first time by the Baseball Writers� Association of America.
The 36-player ballot will include Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Ray Durham, Eric Gagne, Jacque Jones, Todd Jones, Paul Lo Duca, Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow and Mike Timlin.
Voters are the approximately 600 writers who have been members of the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years at any point. Ballots are due by Dec.?31, and results will be announced on Jan.?8.
Players elected along with choices announced Dec. 9 by the expansion era committee (1973 and later) will be inducted on July 27 at Cooperstown, N.Y. Among those on the committee ballot are retired managers Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre; late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner; and late players� union head Marvin Miller.
Last year, the BBWAA failed for the first time since 1996 to produce any inductees.
ElsewhereNew England�s Goncalves named top defender
New England�s Jose Goncalves was voted Major League Soccer�s defender of the year.
The 28-year-old Portuguese played every minute of the Revolution�s 34 league games and scored a pair of goals. He was loaned to New England from Switzerland�s Sion in January, and the Revolution last week exercised its right to purchase his contract.
Goncalves received the most team, media and player votes. Kansas City�s Matt Besler was second after winning the award last year. Omar Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Galaxy, the 2011 winner, was third.
� ECHL officials approved Indianapolis� membership to join the league, making the Fuel the 23rd member of the hockey league. Indianapolis will begin play in October 2014.
� The second of two suspects was arraigned on a murder charge in the shooting of an Eastern Michigan football player at an off-campus apartment complex.
Kristopher K. Pratt, 20, was arraigned at the Washtenaw County jail and ordered held without bond. He and Ed J. Thomas, 20, face first-degree murder and robbery charges in the Oct.?18 killing of Demarius Reed. Reed was a 20-year-old communications major from Chicago and played six games this season, catching 15 passes for 185 yards.
� From wire reports


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We offer the full product catalog from Salisbury via Bridge
Salisbury Fine Metal Artisans is a family owned company of proud and dedicated artisans who recognize the importance of preserving our heritage while creating new and exciting products that are sure to become tomorrow's treasured heirlooms.
Salisbury's products are produced to the highest quality standards. Our various collections have been ...... Read More


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(05-21) 12:14 PDT — Without winning any of the seven fleet races in Venice, Italy, Jimmy Spithill's Oracle Team USA crew established itself as the team to beat for the 2011-12 America's Cup World Series title going into next month's finale in Newport, R.I.
The Spithill boat had to rally from a slow start in very light winds Sunday to finish second to France's Energy Team in the climactic fleet race. Energy Team, consistently fast through the four days, picked up 30 points for the win and took the Venice regatta handily. Spithill shot up to second place.
Terry Hutchinson's Artemis Racing defeated Chris Draper's Luna Rossa Piranha for the match-racing championship. Spithill's crew was declared the third-place finisher. So the Oracle crew, including tactician John Kostecki, Kyle Langford, Joe Newton and Brad Webb, was the only one to earn a podium finish in both disciplines.
In the overall ACWS standings, Spithill's crew has 84 points. Second-place Emirates Team New Zealand has 80, followed by Artemis Racing with 71. The other boat from the San Francisco-based Oracle Team USA, skippered by Darren Bundock, stands sixth out of the nine entries.
Spithill recovered nicely after two eighth-place finishes and a fourth in the first three races in Venice. Over the final four races, he had two seconds and two thirds. He'll carry his lead into the final leg in Newport, June 26-July 1.
"It wasn't our best regatta, but in some ways, it was a fantastic test for the team," Spithill said. "It wasn't my plan to go out and start this regatta on the back foot, but I enjoyed seeing the team under a bit of pressure and was very happy to see our guys working away to turn it around."
In Sunday's 12-leg race, again on the Grand Canal, Spithill was seventh at the first reach mark. He moved down the shoreline on the run and took second by the next turning mark and made it close at the end. Loick Peyron's Energy Team won by only nine seconds after leading by about 10 minutes at one point.
"I think the lighter conditions were good for us," Peyron said. "I'm used to this kind of tricky game, trying to be as cool as possible."
Gaining 20 points for finishing second pushed the Spithill crew up the leader board.
"We came here with a one-point lead over Emirates Team New Zealand; we're leaving with a four-point lead," Spithill said. "That's the important thing. I'm happy with how the team did. Obviously, we've got a lot to work on, but there's no question we'll be ready for Newport."
Kostecki said the crew's performance on the downwind legs was crucial. "Our technique in the jibing was excellent," he said. "There were tactical moves that were nice, and it all came together. We sailed well."
Spithill said he and his crew improved by watching Peyron, an experienced multi-hull sailor, and his Energy Team. "We think he's been the fastest all week," he said.
Bundock's crew, with Cup legend Russell Coutts as tactician, was in good position around the first reach point. The boat was involved in a slow pileup at one of the turning marks, with Emirates Team New Zealand drawing a penalty. Bundock settled into fifth place, but was so far behind the leaders that it was among five boats that didn't complete the course when the time limit expired.
The 2012-13 America's Cup World Series begins in San Francisco with a regatta running Aug. 21-26. The second leg is scheduled Oct. 4-7 in San Francisco during Fleet Week.
Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. email@example.com


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During the making of "Miral," a coming-of-age tale about a teenaged Palestinian girl, a profound moment occurred for director Julian Schnabel as he was filming in a convent outside of Jerusalem. Sirens sounded and everyone on set — men, women, Palestinians, Israelis and otherwise — suddenly stopped for several minutes of silence.
"There was a pool of humanity at that moment that was in sync," recalled Schnabel. "It was powerful."
He didn't know it at the time, but Schnabel was experiencing an Israeli tradition that's part of Yom HaShoah, a memorial day in remembrance of the millions of Jews killed during the Holocaust. While everyone on set remained mum for that moment of silence, other folks have been anything but quiet about his film in the months leading up to its release.
After the movie was screened at the Venice Film Festival last year, some critics dubbed "Miral," which is based on the semi-autobiographical novel about four Palestinian women by journalist — and Schnabel's girlfriend — Rula Jebreal, as pro-Palestinian propaganda. Others questioned the casting of Indian-born actress Freida Pintoof "Slumdog Millionaire" fame in the title role.
"The story remains a muddle of melodramatic gestures, extraneous protagonists and blunt political talking points," Variety critic Justin Chang wrote after seeing the film at the festival. "Schnabel's attempts to compensate stylistically with his trademark smeary impressionistic visuals feel like auteurist doodles in the margins of an important subject."
Unlike most films about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, "Miral" only focuses on Palestinians' stories. The film begins in 1948 after the United Nations instituted the two-state system and chronicles the opening of the Dar Al-Tifel Institute in East Jerusalem, an orphanage for Palestinian children founded by Hind Husseini (played by Hiam Abbass).
"Miral" also touches on the backgrounds of would-be terrorist Fatima (Ruba Blal) and Miral's mother, Nadia (Yasmine Al Massri), whose suicide compels Miral's father (Alexander Siddig) to leave her at the school. The film then fast-forwards to 1988 as Hind sends the teenaged Miral (Pinto) outside the orphanage's walls to teach at refugee camps.
After the film was screened, Schnabel trimmed "Miral," and distributor Weinstein Co. delayed it from a December to March release, moving it out of this year's awards race. The biggest backlash came this month when Jewish groups, like the American Jewish Committee and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, condemned the film's premiere at the United Nations General Assembly.
"On one hand, it's a pity, but on the other hand, it's very good for the film," said Schnabel. "It's too bad that somebody was stupid enough to say it shouldn't be shown when they haven't seen it. How do you say something shouldn't be shown without actually looking at it first? If you want to pick on something, at least know what you're picking on."
The Weinstein Co. has been promoting "Miral," which opens in limited release Friday, with a graphical print and online advertisement featuring a striking red-and-black image of Pinto, which Schnabel said he shot himself, accented with a barbed-wire Star of David surrounding her eye and a bold tagline declaring it's "the movie they tried to stop."
"I know a good line when I hear it," Harvey Weinstein said in an email when asked about the ad. "Seriously, though, it is true that attempts were made to halt the premiere at the U.N., and I did find that sad and troubling. Our ultimate goal is to get people to see 'Miral,' a movie we love and believe in, and one we think can promote valuable dialogue."
The Weinstein Co. has a long history of courting controversy with their films. The distributor battled the Motion Picture Association of America over the strict ratings of such movies as "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover," ''Blue Valentine" and "The King's Speech." Earlier this month, the ratings board switched the rating of "Miral" from R to PG-13.
Embracing — or even manufacturing — controversies to promote entertainment properties has become a more blatant marketing practice in recent years. After reports surfaced last year that some moviegoers fainted during the amputation scene in "127 Hours," Fox Searchlight launched IKeptMyEyesOpenFor127Hours.com and handed out T-shirts with the slogan.
Electronic Arts promoted the violent video game "Dead Space 2" earlier this year with the website YourMomHatesThis.com and commercials starring creeped-out mothers watching footage of the sci-fi sequel during focus tests. The saucy CW series "Gossip Girl" infamously played up negative review blurbs in a 2008 campaign. "Mind-blowingly inappropriate," boasted one ad.
The hoopla surrounding "Miral" isn't just a matter of sex or gore though. It's political. Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, was most miffed about the film's premiere venue, not the film's content, which he has not yet seen. Hier said he wouldn't have taken issue if "Miral" debuted at "Radio City Music Hall or any other distinguished theater."
"I may have a different opinion about the facts in that film, but I'm not boycotting the right of the Palestinian point of view from being presented in the United States," said Hier. "My only issue was with the film being played at the United Nations. I just think they're trying to make money with that marketing. Who is this 'they' they're talking about?"
Schnabel, the Jewish-American painter-turned-director of such films as the Cuban saga "Before Night Falls" and French drama "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," said he isn't surprised by the uproar and insisted "all that controversy is good." His hope is that "Miral" can in some way help to inspire peace at a time of change in the Middle East.
"Let everybody argue with each other if that's what they want to do," said Schnabel. "I made an object, a vessel, whatever it is, and you can take that information and do whatever you want with it. I know what I think. It's in the movie. I think it's about caring about people. It's about looking at people and realizing they're not all the same."


text: 35mm Acrylic Rose - Single Hole- Ivory Available per bead. Please select your desired quantity below. £0.60 Quantity: at £0.60 each Add To Basket 35mm ivory acrylic rose with one hole drilled through the middle (across the diameter of the bead). These roses can be used to create a real on trend look in both bracelets and necklaces.


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netcdf-hdf mailing list is no longer active. The list archives are made available for historical reasons.
Hi John, On Jul 24, 2007, at 12:22 PM, John Caron wrote:
Meanwhile yet another question on a different topic:Im trying to figure out what the NPOESS data files are doing with "Reference Types".Case 1 is a Reference with type = 0 (Object Reference) long VIIRS-AF-EDR_Aggr(5); :AggregateBeginningDate = "2003125"; :AggregateBeginningGranuleID = "NPP001212126088"; :AggregateBeginningOrbitNumber = 9; // int :AggregateBeginningTime = "10109.840960z"; :AggregateCreationDate = "2003125"; :AggregateEndingDate = "2003125"; :AggregateEndingGranuleID = "NPP001212126088"; :AggregateEndingOrbitNumber = 9; // int :AggregateEndingTime = "101038.325248z"; :_LastModified = "2005-08-29T15:54:58Z"; data: {2928, 3528, 3800, 4072, 4344}The 5 values are indeed object references to 5 other datasets in the file. Any clues on how this is used, or is it an internal structure that should be left alone?
An object reference is simply the offset in the file of the object header for the object referenced. Users shouldn't modify them directly, but use the H5R* API routines for working with them.
h5dump is: DATASET "VIIRS-AF-EDR_Aggr" { DATATYPE H5T_REFERENCE DATASPACE SIMPLE { ( 5 ) / ( 5 ) } ATTRIBUTE "AggregateBeginningDate" { DATATYPE H5T_STRING { STRSIZE 7; STRPAD H5T_STR_NULLTERM; CSET H5T_CSET_ASCII; CTYPE H5T_C_S1; } DATASPACE SIMPLE { ( 1, 1 ) / ( 1, 1 ) } } ATTRIBUTE "AggregateBeginningGranuleID" { DATATYPE H5T_STRING { STRSIZE 15; STRPAD H5T_STR_NULLTERM; CSET H5T_CSET_ASCII; CTYPE H5T_C_S1; } DATASPACE SIMPLE { ( 1, 1 ) / ( 1, 1 ) } } .... Case 2 is a Reference, with type = 1 (Dataset Region Reference). long VIIRS-AF-EDR_Gran_0(5); data: {3299824, 14172636162555905, 8589934592, 3299824, 14172636162555907} h5dump is DATASET "VIIRS-AF-EDR_Gran_0" { DATATYPE H5T_REFERENCE DATASPACE SIMPLE { ( 5 ) / ( 5 ) }The docs on this are pretty sketchy, i wonder if i could get an expanded description of what the Dataset Region Reference structure looks like? Heres whats there (last page of 1.6.5 doc):"Dataset region references are stored as a heap-ID which points to the following information within the file-heap: an offset of the object pointed to, number-type information (same format as header message), dimensionality information (same format as header message), sub-set start and end information (i.e. a coordinate location for each), and field start and end names (i.e. a [pointer to the] string indicating the first field included and a [pointer to the] string name for the last field)."specifically: "an offset of the object pointed to" = object id ?"number-type information (same format as header message)" datatype message? "dimensionality information (same format as header message)" = dataspace message?and then im even more lost as to what the fields are....
Hmm, looks like the docs are out of date and/or wrong for region references. Because region references are variable in length, the actual reference information is stored in the global heap and a (fixed length) heap ID is stored in the dataset's raw data - that part is right, although too briefly described. The format of the data in the heap is wrong however. The information actually stored in the heap is as follows: - The offset of the object header of the object (ie. dataset) pointed to (yes, an object ID) - A serialized form of a dataspace _selection_ of elements (in the dataset pointed to). I don't have a formal description of this information now, but it's encoded in the H5S_<foo>_serialize() routines in src/H5S<foo>.c, where foo = {all, hyper, point, none}.
There is _no_ datatype information stored for these sort of selections currently.
I'll file a bug report in our bugzilla to make certain this description gets fixed in the file format spec.
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Study: Sons of older fathers have normal brainpower?
By the time they reach their 20s, sons born to older fathers and those who were born to younger men score about the same on intelligence tests, a new Danish study finds.
Whatever negative biological effects a father's age might have on his child may be offset by the benefits of being raised by a better educated and financially stable older father, researchers said.
"Our results are reassuring for older fathers," Liselotte Petersen, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health in an email.
"Our finding is that any potentially deleterious effects of older fathers on general cognitive ability, as young adults may be counter-balanced," Petersen, an associate professor at Aarhus University in Denmark, said.
Previous studies have suggested that the children of older fathers are more likely to be diagnosed with autism and schizophrenia. That led Petersen and her colleagues to suspect that the children of older fathers may also have lower intelligence scores.
For the study, they used data collected from 169,009 men born after 1955. The goal was to see if there were any differences in intelligence related to how old their fathers were at the time of their birth.
The researchers used the participants' scores from the intelligence test that's required for military service in Denmark. Each participant took the test when he was about 20 years old.
The participants' average score was 42, which is about the same as that of the general Danish population.
Initially, it appeared that the children born to teenagers or to fathers over age 35 scored lower on the intelligence test, compared to the kids of fathers in their mid to late 20s.
But the difference disappeared when Petersen and her colleagues adjusted those scores to account for the parents' education levels, the children's birth order, the mother's age and the year the test was administered.
Children of teenage fathers, however, scored on average about one point lower, compared to the kids of fathers aged 25 to 29.
Small changes in intelligence may impact people in subtle ways, the researchers write in PLOS ONE. But that difference would be magnified if it were applied across the entire population.
The new study, however, can't prove that a father's age will directly impact his child's intelligence.
Also, it's hard to compare the intelligence scores used in this study to scores in previous research, according to NYU Langone Medical Center's Dr. Dolores Malaspina, because the intelligence test used is unique to Denmark.
But, Malaspina, who has done similar work but wasn't involved in the new study, wrote in an email that this is a "compelling area of research."


text:
|2009-07-17, 19:53
|Link #81
Fax Caelestis
Join Date: Apr 2006
|2009-07-17, 21:43
|Link #82
Join Date: Sep 2004
San-An-Kou (3 concealed pungs or kans) 2 han
San-Kan-Tsu (3 kans) 2 han
Toi-Toi (all pung/kan) 2 han
Tan-Yao (all simples) 1 han
Rin-Shan 1 han
That makes 8 han, which is enough for a Baiman.
|2009-07-18, 10:08
|Link #83
I like pie.
Join Date: Nov 2004
Okay, I'm confused about two things.
1.) Looking at Saki's initial hand in c. 51, if she were to go for a 13 orphans hand like some are speculating, wouldn't it be painfully obvious that she was going for that hand after the 7th round of discards? (Just dumping that pon of 2 pins alone would be highly suspicious.)
She would have to dump the 2, 2, 2, 3, 5 of pins, the 3 sou and the 4 man. 怪しい! (Of course, you can't see her discards in the manga... bah!)
2.) Why would calling ron on the head of the 13 orphans change it from a single yakuman into a double yakuman? I've been looking through my books, and I can't see anything about that. (Granted, my books are pretty basic stuff.) Can someone explain how that works? I'm still new to scoring.
|2009-07-18, 10:39
|Link #84
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Somewhere lost on the road of life...
2. Kokushi musou is generally single yakuman, but if you have each of honor tiles and terminal tiles and are waiting for any of the 13 you have in your hand (13 way wait) then it's considered double yakuman, regardless of you getting it with ron or drawing from the wall and regardless of which tile you get to complete your hand.
Last edited by emauser; 2009-07-18 at 10:40. Reason: adding sth.
|2009-07-18, 11:00
|Link #85
Join Date: Oct 2008
Ahh, emauser was faster
It will be obvious for players (and for readers too, so it was ommited ) and imho it was reason for that Koromo's chill or how to call hers black aura. But if Saki really has 13-side wait on Kokushi Musou she doesn't exactly need Koromo to discard that 1 of Dots, if she had enough luck to draw 7 needed tiles in 7 round, she will draw 8th to form pair and win with tsumo double yakuman (Saki +64k, Koromo -16k, Kana -16k, Yumi -32k). Only hinderance can be some call to Koromo's discard from Yumi.
Edit: I'm beginner too, so I hope I didn't some stupid error above
|2009-07-18, 14:47
|Link #86
I like pie.
Join Date: Nov 2004
Thanks for the answers. Now I have more questions. (Since I'm usually not dealing with hands like these. lol.)
If 13 orphans is a yakuman worth 32,000 points anyway, if Saki rons on Koromo's 1-pin, even if there's no double-yakuman rule, she'll still beat Koromo by 1500 points, right? (Or am I missing something again?)
Koromo: 168,200
Saki: 105,700
If Saki takes 32,000 from Koromo:
Koromo: 136,200
Saki: 137,700
I'm asking because after looking around a bit, I saw a blog post by some pro mahjong players who keep a blog/podcast (in English no less!), and they were discussing all of the various rule variations. Double yakuman as an optional rule didn't seem to be very popular in Japan ATM. (Especially in the pro leagues.) It's more popular as part of the European rules.
Then again, they're playing the tournament in Saki with akadora... so who knows what the rules are.
I guess it's time to find an illustration somewhere of the rules held conveniently in someone's hand.
|2009-07-18, 14:57
|Link #87
Fax Caelestis
Join Date: Apr 2006
|2009-07-18, 15:26
|Link #88
I like pie.
Join Date: Nov 2004
Thanks for the answers. I feel more enlightened now.
My groundless speculation is that Saki will just win with a plain Yakuman, just because it's more dramatic. I like the 13 orphans angle, though. In exchange, Koromo gets a new mahjong playtoy. Saki telling her that playing mahjong with her is fun stunned her, I think. lol.
Either way, it won't be the last we see of Koromo.
|2009-07-18, 15:56
|Link #89
Join Date: Oct 2008
These Kokushi Musou speculations are based only on limited informations what we have (initial hand and number of discards). Off course chance it's way off is high, but right now it match too perfrectly, even that Koromo's One of Dots match the scheme . As you said Saki's discards should be too obvious to good players and Koromo really don't need to play offensively, so I'll be surprised if she discards it, but maybe Saki's befriending speech throwed her away
But off course I'm bit biased because I really want to finish this match as fast as possible, it became bit boring after almost 3/4 year and story need to move forward
About double yakuman rules, I red somewhere (can't find it right now between my bookmarks ) that it's allowed by default, but of course we have no idea what changes they did to rules it anime.
|2009-07-18, 18:20
|Link #90
Join Date: Oct 2008
I did small research and tried to count number of tiles Saki need to change for all yakumans:
Kokushi Musou (13 Orphans) .............. 7 tiles Chuuren Poutou (The Nine Gates) ......... 9 tiles Suu An Kou (Four concealed triplets) .... 6 tiles Dai San Gen (Big three dragons) ......... 8 tiles Shou-suushi (Four Little Winds) ......... 9 tiles Dai-suushi (Four Big Winds) ............. Not possible Ryuu-iisou (All Green) .................. 11 tiles Suu Kantsu (Four Kans) .................. 7 tiles (not usable imho) Tsu-iisou (All honors) .................. 10 tiles Chinroutou (All Terminals) .............. 10 tiles
|2009-07-19, 01:08
|Link #91
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Somewhere lost on the road of life...
I have question about Suu Kantsu. I found that if four Kans are declared by two or more players than the hand ends in a draw. Doesn't that mean that a single player can declare four Kans without consequences? Or am I mistaken?
Last edited by emauser; 2009-07-19 at 01:08. Reason: grammar check
|2009-07-19, 01:14
|Link #92
Knowledge is the solution
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Age: 34
Yes, that's correct. As long as the 4 kan's are declared by a single player the hand doesn't end in an abortive draw.
@Bambi: That's assuming she didn't made any calls for the potentially open Yakuman's, which just throws a wrench into the equation
|2009-07-19, 15:09
|Link #93
Join Date: Oct 2008
I briefly checked chapter again and any calls looks unlikely, at least from Kana or Koromo discards ......
|2009-07-20, 01:46
|Link #94
Fax Caelestis
Join Date: Apr 2006
Edit: Here's the image from the manga.
No idea why it isn't showing up. It's in volume 5. Link: http://mangahelpers.com/downloads/read-online/20671/67
Last edited by tjalorak; 2009-07-20 at 04:53.
|2009-07-20, 04:03
|Link #95
Join Date: Oct 2008
Btw what chapter in manga it was, your image is gone? Looks like I missed it.
|2009-07-20, 17:34
|Link #96
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
As mentioned in the anime thread, is anyone else getting the Yugioh vibe while reading the manga? I feel like I am watching the mahjong version of Yugi vs Pegasus battle. With Koromo destroying the lights and everything after Saki starts to get back in the groove, it reminds me of how Pegasus decides to take the battle into the "SHADOW REALM" when Yugi starts switching with Yami-Yugi repeatedly throughout the battle.
|2009-07-23, 04:46
|Link #98
Join Date: Oct 2008
|2009-07-26, 21:09
|Link #99
Mad Loli
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: FraudPayments.com
50-50 is good gamble. I will put 10 USD on the possibility she is not going to throw that 1 away:P.
|2009-07-27, 20:36
|Link #100
Join Date: Sep 2004
This might not be the last round if Yumi ends up winning this one as East. Of course it won't matter for the point balance between Saki and Koromo unless she ends up getting a direct hit on one of them.
Since we learned in the anime that there are no double yakuman, doesn't that mean that it's impossible for Kana to win anymore no matter what? The best she could do is a normal yakuman hit on Koromo, but that won't be enough to win. Did she discard her tsumo Yakuman, because she's just hoping for a direct hit on Koromo as revenge even though she has no chance of winning? Or perhaps she doesn't want to end the final round yet, since it would be like giving Koromo a victory. Afterall, it was Saki who saved her from death's door.
|mahjong, nopan, seinen, sport, yuri
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Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Revolutionary Road: You're Only Kidding Yourself...
My 2011 reading trip round the decay of American family structures and consumer capitalism concluded with this book - Richard Yates' first novel from 1962. My appetite has obviously been whetted with John Cheever but as explained below although the subject matter is in the same ball park it's a slightly different game that Yates is playing.
One of the limited benefits of a movie being made from a novel is that it reinvigorates interest in the work. This was the case for this as Sam Mendes 2008 version led to a reprint and increase in sales of the work; Yates himself died in 1992. I've not seen the film as was waiting to finish the book but as adaptations go it is very good apparently and pretty faithful to the work. But as ever the internal monologue of a good writer, use of phrase and metaphor only enhances itself in prose for me and this is particularly true here.
Split into three the novel is ostensibly an examination of a young suburban couple living on the eponymous street in the mid 1950s. Young as in their 30s with the requisite two children (of which more later) - in 2012 you could probably add 10 years to their age for the same stage of life.
Cars, new televisions, tentative attempts at creating a suburban community, cocktails after work, train journeys home - so far so Cheeverian 1950s America and I would argue many modern developed captialist societies in 2012. But there is a distinction this couple : Frank and April see themselves as apart and removed from their literal lifestyle. More of the avant garde than the golf club/swimming pool set. When they meet 10 years before Frank fresh from the war lives in Greenwich Village and frequents jazz clubs. Even his job in a proto- computer company in the City (which he commutes to) is taken as a post-modern prank or so he would have people believe.
This deceit although buried eventually sprouts up into loathing between the couple which comes to a head after a disastrous (and hilariously written) am-dram production of a mainstream American play which had been a big success in 1950s tv. April is the lead (she trained vaguely as an actress in the 40s) but the show almost literally falls about around them. The fight between the couple is bitter and quite painful to read.
Warring couples are also a Cheever trait but I think the route of the unhappiness is different. This is not simple alienation creating a consumer lifestyle to fill the emptiness of modern capitalist work in a place removed from your geographical being. This is a couple who are pretending to play the game but hold it in disdain but as they play the game becomes more important than the disdain.
The Cheever novels I have read actually only deal with the suburban lifestyle in passing - they have a broader historical sweep ( as this work does slightly with the examination of the couples' parents' lifestyles). It is his short fiction where he forensically dissects it so it is a change to read it in the context of a novel.
An escape is offered - an emigration to Paris where April will work to sustain Frank in "finding out what he wants to do". This is unclear as although Frank tries to be aloof he never really exhibits any particular desire or interest in any other direction - he even refuses to audition for the terrible play. Thus his emptiness or fear of it is exposed by this possibility. It is not a mere fantasy the plan gains legs and serious moves are made to turn it into reality but ultimately Frank baulks using the excuse of April's pregnancy to hide his growing reliance on the lifestyle he despises.
This hesitation exposes April and Frank and their relationship for what they really are with truly sad consequences. Adultery is almost inevitable on both sides. But it culminates in the banal setting of a suburban hospital with a poster advertising a staff dance and Life magazines on the table.
You could make a case that Yates is making broader points about American capitalism - a country born on Revoulutionary Road remember. The book is set almost mid way through the twentieth century in the richest society ever created on the planet but that point but the desire not to be part of it and the unhappiness that seeps into the protagonists bones is palpable. But this is no obviously didactic piece it is in the minutiae of personal relationships that Yates is brilliant at , and a big influence on other writers I think.
He also preempts one of the defining issues of American society in the late 20th Century : abortion. Unusually this is dealt with in an open, honest and contextual way. This divides the couple though they both have ambiguous views on it - again parallels with the broader USA.
The use of minor characters - the realtor Mrs Givings who provides the passage into suburbia for the Wheelers, her son an asylum inmate who is the mirror that reveals the deep truths that the young couple don't really want to see, Shep and Milly a sort of distorted mirror image of the Wheelers with some similar disdain but ultimately I think Shep deals with it in a more honourable way - particularly at the climax.
I enjoyed Yates style of narrative which provides sort of mute and multiple witnesses - he sweeps into scenes and takes different perspectives: Frank, April,Shep, even briefly and memorably Frank and April's children. Yates speaks of the curtainless massive windows in all the houses in Revolutionary Road and the adjoining estate and in a sense he invites us the readers to look through them.
The closing image of Frank as described by Shep is an image that will stay with me for a long time. An important and beautifully written work.
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Labels: books, reviews, Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates
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