text:
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The California Legislature approved a bill that would require development of an earthquake early warning system similar to what exists in Japan, Mexico and other quake-prone countries.
The bill advanced in Thursday's last hours of the legislative session and was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown, who has until Oct. 13 to act on it.
The U.S. has lagged behind other countries in creating a public alert system, which provides seconds of warning after a fault ruptures. For the past several years, the U.S. Geological Survey and several universities have been fine-tuning a test alert system that only broadcasts warnings to select users.
Scientists and public safety officials have urged for the creation of a system that would use a network of sensors to detect the start of a quake, the strength and provide useful seconds of warning.
While a few seconds may not sound like much time, supporters say it's enough notice for trains to slow down, utilities to shut off gas lines or people to duck under a table to ride out the shaking.
Early warning can't predict earthquakes before they happen and is useless at the quake's origin since there's no time to detect passing waves.
Researchers previously estimated it would cost about $80 million to build a statewide alert system. The bill would require state emergency officials to determine how to fund the system by 2016.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
A large study of the daughters of women who had been given DES, the first synthetic form of estrogen, during pregnancy has found that exposure to the drug while in the womb (in utero) is associated with many reproductive problems and an increased risk of certain cancers and pre-cancerous conditions. The results of this analysis, conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and collaborators across the country, were published Oct. 6, 2011, in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Beginning in 1940, diethylstilbestrol, known as DES, was used clinically to prevent certain complications of pregnancy. In the 1950s, clinical studies showed DES was ineffective for this purpose. In the late 1960s, an unusual occurrence of a rare cancer of the vagina among young women, called clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA), was observed and subsequently linked to their exposure to DES while in the womb.
In 1971, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified physicians that DES should not be prescribed to pregnant women. However, between 5 million and 10 million pregnant women and babies had been exposed to the drug. It was manufactured under many different product names, and came in various forms, including pills, creams and vaginal suppositories.
"Our study carefully documents elevated risk for DES-exposed daughters for a host of medical problems -- many of them also quite common in the general population," said study author Robert N. Hoover, M.D., director of the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program in NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. "Without the sentinel finding of a very rare cancer in young women, and without the sustained follow-up of those who were exposed, we would not know the full extent of harm caused by DES exposure in the womb."
In this study, which included over 6,500 women (4,600 exposed and 1,900 unexposed), the researchers found that the daughters with exposure to DES while in the womb had an increased risk of 12 medical conditions, including a twofold higher risk of infertility and a fivefold increased risk of having a preterm delivery. (See table below for complete list of increased risks.)
This study is also the first to estimate the cumulative proportion of all DES-exposed women who developed these conditions because of their exposure. Of all DES-exposed women, 1 in 5 will experience some level of infertility because of their exposure. And of all those exposed women who are successful in having at least one birth, 1 in 3 will have a preterm delivery due to DES.
Although DES-exposed daughters have about 40 times the risk of developing CCA than unexposed women, CCA is still a rare disease, occurring in 1 in 1,000 DES-exposed daughters. While the first women diagnosed with this condition in the late 1960s were adolescents and young adults at the time of their diagnosis, the research now shows that the risk for DES-exposed daughters continues through at least age 40. In addition, these women are more than twice as likely to develop pre-cancerous cells in the cervix or vagina (called cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) and have an 80 percent higher chance of developing breast cancer after age 40. According to the results of this study, by age 55, 1 in 25 DES-exposed daughters will develop abnormal cellular changes in the cervix or vagina, and 1 in 50 will develop breast cancer due to their DES exposure.
This study was the first to assess risk based on the presence of vaginal epithelial changes as a biomarker of timing and dose of DES exposure. Exposed daughters with higher total dose of DES and younger age of the embryo at first exposure had evidence of these changes in the lining of the vagina. Women with these changes were at even greater risk for 9 of the 12 conditions compared to exposed women who did not have the biomarker.
This study did not evaluate sons with DES exposure in the womb, but previous reports have indicated an increased risk for certain testicular abnormalities, including undescended testicles or the development of cysts in the epididymis, tightly coiled tubes connected to the testicles. As DES-exposed sons grow older, more data will be available to assess their cancer risk. So far, research has shown no decreased fertility for these men, even with testicular abnormalities.
The women in this study were followed as part of the NCI's DES Follow-up Study, which began in 1992. NCI researchers will continue to study DES-exposed daughters as they move into menopausal years. The cancer risks for exposed daughters, as well as sons, are continually being studied to determine if they differ from an unexposed population. In addition, researchers are studying possible health effects on the grandchildren of mothers who took DES during pregnancy, because some of the genetic changes caused by DES exposure in the womb may be inherited.
The other research centers involved in this work are Boston University Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center DES Project, Los Angeles; University of Chicago Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, N.H.; The Mayo Clinic DES Project, Rochester, Minn.; The Methodist Hospital-Research Institute Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Houston; and Tufts Medical Center, Boston.
For more information about DES exposure and cancer risk, please go to http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/DES.
For more information about NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, please visit http://dceg.cancer.gov. NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH effort to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov or call NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
Reference: Hoover RN, Hyer M, Pfeiffer RM, Adam E, Bond B, Cheville AL, Colton T, Hartge P, Hatch EE, Herbst AL, Karlan BY, Kaufman R, Noller KL, Palmer JR, Robboy SJ, Saal RC, Strohsnitter W, Titus-Ernstoff L, Troisi R. Adverse Health Outcomes in Women Exposed In Utero to Diethylstibestrol. NEJM. Oct. 6, 2011.
New England Journal of Medicine

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Some of you have wondered why National Geographic asked a question about the television show CSI on the Roper survey. This question reads "Which of these cities is the setting for the original television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation?" The four possible answers are San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. (The correct answer is Las Vegas.)
On this blog, and in e-mails, several folks have commented that the question is not really a very good indication of geographic know-how and amounts to television trivia.
The pop culture question was included on the survey as a contrast to substantive, real-world questions. The issue is not actually what percentage of young Americans know where CSI is set, but how many correctly answered that question compared to questions that we would assert really matter—questions about cultures, peoples, landmarks, security, economics, etc.
With this as our basis of inquiry, we can now say that more young Americans (39 percent) know that the fictional CSI is set in Las Vegas than can correctly select Chinese from a list of four options as the world's most spoken primary language (18 percent). Three times as many knew where CSI is set than could find Afghanistan on a map of Asia (12 percent). A map of Asia! These results speak to the power of pop culture.
Asking a pop culture question is not unprecedented. In the 2002 National Geographic-Roper survey, we asked about that season's location of the show Survivor. That year, more people knew the correct answer was the South Pacific (34 percent) than could correctly estimate the U.S. population (25 percent).
We recognize that these are not top-level benchmarks of geographic knowledge, but pop culture references make good examples of how young Americans can sometimes pay more attention to where their favorite television characters are sleuthing than where their troops are fighting.
Any single question on the survey can, of course, appear trivial. But, taken together, the results paint a disturbing portrait of geographic illiteracy on a range of knowledge and skills in an increasingly interconnected world.
—Chris Shearer
National Geographic Education Foundation


text:
In 1991, I was a high school freshman in the small town of Redding, Conn. My brother was a senior, and his prom date was one of our neighbors down the street, a junior, Pearl Aday. Pearl would drive me home from softball practice when her father, our coach, was unable to. I preferred Pearl, as her dad drove a red sports car, pushing it to its capabilities through our small, winding roads … like a bat out of hell. His name was Marvin Lee Aday, but he was better known to the world as Meat Loaf. To the scrappy group of girls he was trying to mold into softball players, he was Coach Meat.
The JV team was orphaned at birth that year. No one wanted to coach us, and it was getting down to the wire when Meat Loaf volunteered, despite being on the verge of filming three movies and being in the midst of recording Bat Out Of Hell II. Coach Meat took the game very seriously. When we prodded him to sing us one of his hits, we were denied. Instead, he taught us a team chant: "What do we wanna do? Kill! What do we need to do? Kill! What are we gonna do? Kill! What do big dogs do? KILL!"
Soon after he signed on, journalists started coming to our practices, something Meat had little patience for. He nearly bit the Sports Illustrated reporter's head off for daring to walk right onto our field, then made the guy sit on the sidelines quietly for the entire session. He extended practice that day by more than half an hour, presumably just to piss the guy off. It made us, this big dog's orphaned litter, feel special.
At games, the other team, their coaches, their parents, their entire town would come and circle over our benches to get an autograph or photo-and again he would try to protect us from it, playing only the role of "coach." He broke character only once, after our first win (suck it Abbott Tech). When we loaded on to the bus, he started belting out, "I Will Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)." We had never heard the song, and the public wouldn't hear it for nearly two more years.
Again, we felt special, but we still wanted one of his classics. We prodded him for more as we sang him our own song: "La Di Da, We Know Meat, He Does It, In The Backseat... but only with Mrs. Aday!" A few encores of that and we were finally interrupted: "I remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday, parking by the lake and there was not another car in sight." He sang his parts; we sang the girl parts. (Had it only been the era of the iPhone.)
The Sports Illustrated piece—which came out after the season was over—called him a "spirited, gentle skipper." Coach Meat had told the reporter that all the games were won or lost by one run. "That's .... such close ball!" he said. "We should have won them all! I kept telling the team that it was my fault and not theirs, that I had made coaching mistakes. If a player knows she's made a mistake, then she doesn't need to be yelled at. If she doesn't know, it's my job to make her understand she made a mistake without yelling at her." Which, in retrospect, sort of just sounds like a nice way of saying it was our fault.
Coach Meat had to depart early to finish up his album and to film some movie parts. Before he left, we had a big pizza banquet, where we took this photo. He gave us his address in L.A., and told us to write, and that he'd be back next year to coach again ... and he was, running laps right alongside us.
In May this year a publicist asked me if I'd like to interview Meat Loaf about an upcoming movie he was in. I hadn't seen him for a decade and replied that I would love to do the interview, adding that he was my old softball coach. In the end, the publicist was "unable to accommodate me" after all, "due to his schedule."
It was OK. Coach Meat was still the one who'd taught me how to throw the ball straight. "Pretend like you are drawing down a blind," he said.
Jen Carlson is a Senior Editor at Gothamist. Follow her on Twitter here.


text:
Dr. Yizhak Geiger
In the past few years, the study of Civics has become an integral part of the Israeli curriculum. This development, which is positive in its nature, was accompanied by fundamental failures such as inadequate preparation of the core curriculum and the publishing of unsuitable textbooks and materials. These steps were taken without proper public discussion and granted too much power to the current dominant ideological group in the Israeli academia, when it allowed it to design the curriculum according to its will and to leave a long term impression on the conscious of the citizens of Israel and the future of the State.
This position paper demonstrates that this failure is a painful blow on four dimensions: Zionist education, democratic education, the teaching of critical thinking, and the chance of reducing the tension between the various sectors of Israeli society. The full position paper, by Dr. Yizhak Geiger, civics teacher and former member of the civics committee in the Education Ministry, presents the situation report in detail and includes summaries and recommendations. Included in his recommendations are: revising the values and viewpoints included in the core curriculum, stressing the importance of supervision over the implementation of this plan, rewriting the tests and developing new literature in the subject. Read More


text:
James, Epistle of
The writer is generally thought of as the Lord's brother (Gal. 1:19), the son of Mary, and is mentioned in Acts 12:17; 15:13; Gal. 2:9. The epistle, which is addressed to the 12 tribes scattered abroad, was probably written from Jerusalem, but the date is not known. It may be one of the earlier epistles of the New Testament. In the epistle are found some clearly stated items about practical religion, including the important advice of 1:5–6 that if one lacks wisdom, he should ask of God for help. This instructive passage inspired Joseph Smith to inquire of the Lord in 1820 as to the true church, and as a consequence the Father and the Son appeared to him and the dispensation of the fulness of times was launched (JS—H 1:9–20). Among other important teachings of James are those that have to do with faith and works (James 2); the need to control the unruly tongue (James 3); an exhortation to patience (James 5); calling the elders for a blessing when sick (5:14–16); and the desirability of being an instrument of conversion in the life of even one other person (5:19–20).


text:
TWiki Web
(05 Jan 2008,
(raw view)
This is a short introductory training course for TWiki beginners. %SLIDESHOWSTART% ---++ A Taste of TWiki  The basic function of TWiki is a Wiki (if that helps!) A Wiki is like a web site, except that you can edit the content in your browser * "Wiki" is short for "wiki wiki", the Hawaiian for "Quick" * The idea originates from [[http://www.hyperdictionary.com/computing/hypercard][Macintosh Hypercard]], via [[http://www.c2.com/cgi/wiki?WardCunningham][Ward Cunningham]] * In Ward's words, Wiki is _"the simplest online database that could possibly work"_ * A Wiki is basically a shared, online, persistent whiteboard ---++ TWiki Wiki  TWiki implements the basic Wiki idea of a shared whiteboard * Anyone can add content
... or change what is written
... or change the organisation of the content * Whatever what you write is
... nicely presented
... remembered... and never forgotten TWiki also acts as an "application platform" to integrate a number of other functions. TWiki is an Open-Source development on [[http://twiki.org/][TWiki.org]] * led by TWiki:Main.PeterThoeny * with over 100 regular contributors in many countries ---++ Where is it used? TWiki is mainly used in commercial environments, often on corporate intranets * Examples: Disney, British Telecom, SAP, Wind River, Motorola, Epic Games

 A number of public Wiki sites also use TWiki * Examples:
 https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/
 http://csci.mrs.umn.edu/twiki/view ---++ TWiki Features TWiki builds on the original Wiki concept and adds a number of features that make it very useful in a business environment. * TWiki pages are fully revision controlled, so a record of every change to every page is kept

r6 < r5 < r4

 * The look-and-feel is highly configurable, through use of templates

 * A "plugins" interface eases * customisation * extension * application integration

 ---++ Applications of basic TWiki Basic TWiki can be used as: * A whiteboard * A document repository * A collaborative authoring environment * A notebook / scrapbook * A chat room ---++ Extended applications TWiki-with-extensions has been used as: * A Content Management System (CMS) for websites * A presentation development tool * A Blog * A database * A project management system * A tracking tool * (truth is, we don't really know its limits!) ---++ Structure of a TWiki page TWiki pages are usually organised into three parts: * A header * A body * A footer * The header and the footer are generated by the system * The body contains the text of the page, as entered by you TWiki is very configurable, and the look can change. However the essentials will all be there on the page (somewhere!) ---++ The Page Header The header of a TWiki page is generally highlighted in colour, and will usually contain an icon that gives you an idea of where you are, such as a company logo.

   	  My<nop>Co.My<nop>Topic  	 Webs:
 Myco | Main | TWiki | Sandbox

  [[WebChanges][Changes]] | [[WebIndex][Index]] | [[WebSearch][Search]] | Go <input type="text" name="topic" size="16" />

 It will also usually contain a number of 'links' that you can click on. You will generally see: * [[WebChanges][Changes]] - gives you a list of recent changes * [[WebIndex][Index]] - gives you a full index * [[WebSearch][Search]] - takes you to a search page, where you can search all the text * Go <input type="text" name="topic" size="16" /> - lets you type in the name of a page you already know ---++ The Page Header ... continued

   	  My<nop>Co.My<nop>Topic  	 Webs:
 Myco | Main | TWiki | Sandbox

  [[WebChanges][Changes]] | [[WebIndex][Index]] | [[WebSearch][Search]] | Go <input type="text" name="topic" size="16" />

 You may also see in the header (usually at the top right) a list of the TWiki "webs". A web is a collection of pages that are related closely together * For example, we might have a web called "Enemies", where we keep all we know about our enemies, and another called "Friends" * There's usually a safe play web called something like "Sandbox" or "Scratch", where you can create pages just to try things out * And some admin areas, like "%USERSWEB%" and "%SYSTEMWEB%" ---++ The Page Footer The footer of the page is also highlighted in colour, and is usually where you will find the links that let you change the content.

   Edit | Attach | Diffs | r2 > r1 | More

  Revision r1.2 - 13 Feb 2004 - 09:09 GMT - TWikiPresenter  	  %WEBCOPYRIGHT%

 * The Edit link takes you to an interactive page where you can change the page content * The Attach link lets you attach files * The other links invoke other, more complex, functions, mainly to do with revision tracking - they can safely be ignored for now ---++ Editing Pages * You've read a page, and you disagree with it violently! It says:
 _Everyone_ *knows* that =the world= is an OblateSpheroid
But you know for a fact it is flat! ;-) * You've clicked the edit link, and an edit page has appeared. But it doesn't look much like what was on the page before - it's full of strange hieroglyphics! _Everyone_ <nop>*knows* that <nop>=the world= is an Oblate<nop>Spheroid * Now what? ---++ What's in a page * The hieroglyphics are what's known as "TWiki Markup" or "formatting" * They are a really simple way of telling the browser how you want the page to look * You don't have to use them * TWiki understands pages in plain text just fine.

 Actually it is perfectly and absolutely flat

 appears as

 Actually it is perfectly and absolutely flat ---++ Formatting just makes pages prettier ... and easier to read

 _Actually_ it is <nop>*perfectly* and <nop>__absolutely__ flat

 appears as

 _Actually_ it is *perfectly* and __absolutely__ flat * A full description of all the formatting can be found in the %SYSTEMWEB%.TextFormattingRules and %SYSTEMWEB%.TextFormattingFAQ * The best thing to do is just to type until you get stuck * then follow the link on the edit page to the help. ---++ Commonly used formatting TWiki understands pages in plain text just fine, but you can %RED% __jazz__ %ENDCOLOR%%GREEN% _them_ %ENDCOLOR%%BLUE% *up* %ENDCOLOR% using some simple formatting shortcuts. Here are some of the more commonly used ones: * <nop>---+ indicates a heading. Add more +'s for a deeper heading. | *You type* | *You see* | | %BLACK%---+ This is a heading%ENDCOLOR% |
%BLACK%This is a heading%ENDCOLOR%
 | | %BLACK%---++ And so is this%ENDCOLOR% |
%BLACK%And so is this%ENDCOLOR%
 | * %<nop>TOC% will insert a table of contents
 ---++ More common formatting * A blank line gives a paragraph break
 * <nop>--- on a line of its own gives a horizontal bar * Text in stars <nop>*like this* looks *like this*
 * Text in underscores <nop>_like this_ looks _like this_
 * Text in equals signs <nop>=like this= looks =like this=
 * Bulleted lists use three spaces followed by an asterisk (<tt>*</tt>) at the start of the line * The depth of the bullet is given by the number of spaces, in multiples of three | *You type* | *You see* | |  * Bullet
 * Sub-bullet |

Bullet

Sub-bullet

 | * Numbered lists use a number in place of the <tt>*</tt>. The list is numbered automatically, so you can just use a =1= ---++ Even more..... * You can create a table using vertical bars: <verbatim> | Cat | Feline | | Bear | Ursine | | Wolf | Lupine | </verbatim> * appears as | Cat | Feline | | Bear | Ursine | | Wolf | Lupine | * %<nop>RED% .... %<nop>ENDCOLOR% will change the colour of the enclosed text. Lots of colours are available (%RED%%<nop>RED%%ENDCOLOR%, %GREEN%%<nop>GREEN%%ENDCOLOR%, %BLUE%%<nop>BLUE%%ENDCOLOR% etc) ---++ Wiki<nop>Words * One special hieroglyph that is *very important* is a BumpyWord * a word that starts with uppercase, then some lowercase, then more uppercase (a.k.a <nop>CamelCase) * This has a special meaning to TWiki; if it matches the name of another topic, TWiki will automatically create a link to that page for you. * If there is no such page, then the word is highlighted and a question mark is put after the word, LikeThis * If you click on the question mark, then TWiki will invite you to create that page. * This lets you enter the names of topics you _think_ should exist, but don't yet * You, or someone else, can always come along later and click on the question mark! ---++ Referencing other pages and URLs * BumpyWords automatically link to the target page * You can make these links easier to read using square brackets: * [<nop>[BumpyWords][bumpy words]] appears as [[BumpyWords][bumpy words]] * An ordinary URL pasted into text will appear as a link - http://www.google.com * You can also prettify URLs using square brackets: * [<nop>[http://www.google.com/][Google]] appears as [[http://www.google.com/][Google]] * Use %<nop>SEARCH. This is an interface to a sophisticated search engine that embeds the results of the search in your page. See %SYSTEMWEB%.TWikiVariables for full details. ---++ More formatting * There's *lots* more formatting available, see %SYSTEMWEB%.TextFormattingRules and %SYSTEMWEB%.TextFormattingFAQ * _If you are a real masochist, you can even enter raw HTML tags!_ * *Important* to _disable_ unwanted formatting, use =<nop>= * <nop>_word_ appears as <nop>_word_ ---++ Creating new pages * Alternative ways: * Click on the question mark after a BumpyWord * Type in the name of the topic in the "Go:" box * Type in the name of the topic in the URL * Any time you try to visit a page that doesn't exist, TWiki will invite you to create it. * Make sure the names of topics are always BumpyWords. ---++ Attachments * Attachments are files which have been uploaded and attached to a TWiki page using the 'Attach' function in the footer.

 Attachment 	  Action 	  Size 	  Date 	  Who 	  Comment

   myco.gif 	  manage 	  9.6 K 	   13 Feb 2004 - 18:41 	   MushroomMagicMan 	  Attached image file

 * Attachments are simply files, in whatever format you want. * TWiki recognises some file formats, notably image files (.gif) * Write =%<nop>ATTACHURL%/myco.gif= to see this: %ATTACHURL%/myco.gif ---++ Wiki Culture Enough about mechanics; how is a wiki actually _used_ ? Well, that's really up to you, but there are a number of tricks that the wiki community has developed for collaborative writing that work pretty well: * What can I edit? * Anything. But it's good etiquette to sign your contributions * If someone doesn't want you to edit a page, it's up to them to say so, clearly, on the page * But what if somebody doesn't like my edits? * In TWiki, they can always recover the old revision and re-instantiate it if they really want to * Otherwise they should regard your changes as an opportunity for discussion * Pages in wiki are (usually) in one of three "modes" * Document<nop>Mode * Thread<nop>Mode * Structured<nop>Mode TWiki doesn't automatically distinguish between these modes; they are purely semantic. ---++ Document<nop>Mode * A page in Document<nop>Mode usually comprises a contribution which is written in the third person and left unsigned. * The piece of text is community property * It may have multiple and changing authors as it is updated to reflect the community consensus. ---++ Thread<nop>Mode * Thread mode is a form of discussion where the community holds a conversation * The discussion usually starts out with a statement, at the top of the page, that is subsequently discussed * The page may be periodically "refactored" (edited) to remove some of the comments * As long as the comment is accurately reflected in what replaces it, nobody usually minds. * Remember to always maintain a complete list of contributors, though! You may see a comment box on a page in Thread<nop>Mode that makes it easy to quickly add your inputs. Typing in a comment and adding it to a page this way is known as "blogging" ;-) * Thread<nop>Mode is rather like an e-mail thread * Except that new comments are usually added to the end * Thread<nop>Mode pages often get refactored into Document<nop>Mode ---++ Structured<nop>Mode * A page in Structured<nop>Mode follows some predefined structure for example * An agenda * A set of meeting minutes * A requirement description. * Pages in Structured<nop>Mode will usually have rules governing how they are edited. ---++ Other Wiki tricks - Categories * A Wiki trick for grouping pages together * Example: to group together a set of pages all relating to the weather: 1 Create a page called 'Category<nop>Weather' 1 Put a SEARCH that contains the word 'Category<nop>Weather' into it * %<nop>SEARCH{"Category<nop>Weather" nosearch="on" nosummary="on"}% 1 Put the BumpyWord 'Category<nop>Weather' on all the pages relating to the weather
(usually at the bottom, below a horizontal bar) ---++ Contributed features Basic TWiki is rich with features, but is enriched even further by the addition of optional plug-in modules that may (or may not!) be installed in your TWiki. These are classified as either __skins__ (modules that change the look-and-feel) and __plugins__ (modules that enhance functionality). Here's a brief description of some of the more common plugins, together with the tags you might expect to see in topics if they are used. You can find out more by visiting the plugin pages. * Action<nop>TrackerPlugin: Support *action tags* in topics, with *automatic notification* of action statuses %ACTION... * Calendar<nop>Plugin: Show a *monthly calendar* with highlighted events %CALENDAR...% * Comment<nop>Plugin: Support *rapid entry of short comments* (also known as blogging) %COMMENT... * Chart<nop>Plugin: Create PNG or GIF *charts to visualize data in TWiki tables* %CHART... * Edit<nop>TablePlugin: Edit TWiki tables using *edit fields and drop down boxes* %EDITTABLE... * Interwiki<nop>Plugin: Define *shortcuts* for links to *common external sites* ---++ More plugins * Render<nop>ListPlugin: Render *bullet lists in a variety of formats* %RENDERLIST... * Slide<nop>ShowPlugin: *Create web based presentations* based on topics with headings %SLIDESHOWSTART... * Spread<nop>SheetPlugin: Add *spreadsheet calculations* like "$SUM( $ABOVE() )" to tables located in TWiki topics %CALC... * Table<nop>Plugin: Control *presentation and sorting of tables* %TABLE... * TWiki<nop>DrawPlugin: Add *quick sketches* to pages %DRAWING... The following plugins are installed on this TWiki: %ACTIVATEDPLUGINS% There are many other plugins, see http://TWiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Plugins ---++ Credits and Acknowledgements * This training was developed by TWiki:Main.CrawfordCurrie on behalf of [[http://www.oxamer.com/][Oxamer]], one of the companies in the [[http://www.ogt.co.uk/][Oxford Gene Technology]] group. * Valuable contributions were also received from the TWiki Open Source community; special mentions go to: * TWiki:Main.WalterMundt * TWiki:Main.SvenDowideit * The latest version of this presentation is available at TWiki:%WEB%.%TOPIC%, where you can also provide feedback %SLIDESHOWEND% __Related topics:__ WelcomeGuest, TWikiTutorial, ATasteOfTWikiTemplate
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text:
Light Therapy
... is available in the
CSB Clemens and SJU Alcuin Libraries!
CSB Clemens Library: Lounge Area -- across from office B100
SJU Learning Commons & Alcuin Library: Periodicals Reading Area -- upper level
For individualized Light Therapy guidelines take the
Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ)
When used correctly, light therapy can help alleviate the fatigue and decreased activity commonly experienced in the shorter days of fall and winter, or even into spring. It is a common treatment for SAD. (seasonal affective disorder or "winter blues").
Seasonal Affective Disorder: What Is It?
Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD (sometimes called winter depression) is a condition characterized by recurrent depression in the fall and winter months, which alternates with nondepressed times in the spring and summer. In fall and winter, people with SAD usually experience an increase in vegetative symptoms including oversleeping, overeating, carbohydrate craving weight gain, fatigue, and social withdrawal. Many people with SAD note a marked responsiveness to changes in climate, latitude, and light conditions. Mood may lighten and energy may increase when a person with SAD spends more time in areas with windows or when the weather improves. Mood and energy may deteriorate when the amount of environmental light is reduced.
How Can Light Therapy Help?
Regular exposure to light of sufficient intensity, even artificial light, has been shown to ameliorate the symptoms of SAD for some people. Regardless of the mechanism, the findings that light therapy is a viable treatment for winter depression are widely supported.
People who are responsive to light therapy will generally see some effect after a week of treatment, although two weeks of treatment or more produces the greatest effects. Morning exposure has been shown to be somewhat better at achieving relief of symptoms than evening exposure. The symptoms most likely to respond to light treatment include: hypersomnia (oversleeping), carbohydrate cravings, afternoon and evening "slumps," and reverse diurnal variation, where evenings are worse than mornings. Symptoms less likely to be responsive include melancholic symptoms, suicidality, appetite loss, feelings of guilt, insomnia, and typical diurnal pattern, where mornings are worse than evenings.
What are Possible Side Effects?
Although negative side effects are uncommon, people sometimes complain that light therapy causes irritability, eyestrain, headaches, sleep disturbances or insomnia. The latter is most likely to occur when people use the light source in the evening. Mild visual side effects are common but remit promptly. Side effects can generally be reversed by decreasing the duration of treatment or increasing the distance between the patient and the light source.
Web MD
Begin with 15-minute sessions and adjust to your needs to alleviate your symptoms, up to 40 minutes. Daily use is suggested. The timing of the treatment is usually based on your sleep cycle. Those who experience SLEEP PHASE DELAY (that is, you struggle to wake up in the mornings) are advised to use the light as early in the day as possible. Those who experience SLEEP PHASE ADVANCE (that is, you fall asleep too early in the evening) are advised to use the light between 3 and 5 pm.
Some individuals prefer to get used to the brightness of the light before their therapy session. This can be achieved by turning it on for several minutes before sitting directly in front of it, allowing your eyes to adjust more comfortably. Light intensity is 10,000 lux which is about the brightness of a cloudy day in Alaska, mid-winter.
You will need to sit 12 to 16 inches away from the light. DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY INTO THE LIGHT but also do not wear sunglasses. Reading a book/magazine, using a laptop computer, doing homework, etc., in front of the light is a great way to get the full effect.
Consistency of use is important in reducing the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Try it for at least two weeks to experience relief and afterwards on a semi-regular basis (every other day or three times a week) as long as symptoms persist. If you miss sessions or discontinue use of the light, your body will return to its usual state. Your energy should return within a few days of resuming use.
Although there are rarely any negative side effects of using light therapy, it is possible to use the light too much. If you experience irritability, excessive energy, and/or any discomfort consistently during or after use, decrease the length of your sessions or move the light several inches farther away from you.
The guidelines outlined here are applicable for SAD, the winter blues, and supporting general well-being. Do not use the light for relief of any other type of mood disorder without the close supervision of a health professional. If you suffer from a mood disorder such as depression, are on prescription medications that react with sunlight, such as certain antibiotics or anti-inflammatories, your skin is sensitive to light, you have a history of eye conditions or you are under medical care for any reason, please consult your health professional before using. If you are currently engaged in counseling or therapy, you should consult your mental health professional prior to use. If you begin to experience any negative side effects, check with the CSB/SJU Counseling staff.


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Consumers looking for a cheap tablet later this year will find some devices loaded with both Android and Windows 8, a new trend among Chinese manufacturers.
Scores of tablets from Chinese vendors were on display at the International CES show in Las Vegas this week, running only Android or Windows. But several Chinese manufacturers are also advertising upcoming tablets that will load either one of the OSes on reboot, or switch between them during the device's operation.
Four of the companies, all based in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, said at the show they'll start releasing the devices this quarter, with prices at around $250.
Shenzhen Bmorn Technology displayed one such tablet, the W102, that it said can switch between the operating systems on reboot. It has a 10-inch, 1280 by 800 resolution screen, uses a 1.46GHz Intel Bay Trail processor, and comes with different storage and memory options. When shown on Tuesday, however, the tablet was not functioning and only showed an error message.
Chinese manufacturers are already flooding the market with cheap Android tablets, under little-known brand names. In the case of Bmorn, the company primarily sells its tablets to customers in Europe and the U.S.
Another manufacturer, Shenzhen Cheng Fong Digital-Tech, said it's planning a tablet that can easily switch between the operating systems with a simple swipe of the screen. The company also ships tablets to Europe and the U.S. under different brand names. The upcoming tablet will use an Intel Bay Trail quad-core processor and has a 10-inch screen.
Vendors have been experimenting with the idea of putting both Windows and Android on PCs and tablets in recent years. On Monday, Taiwanese PC maker Asus showed a PC convertible that can be used as both a tablet and a laptop, but also comes installed with both operating systems. An on-screen button lets users switch between Android and Windows with only a five-second wait in between.
Another smaller, Indian-based vendor named Micromax also unveiled at the CES show a tablet called Laptap that can boot up with either operating system. It uses a 1.46GHz Intel Celeron processor, has 2GB of RAM and a 10-inch screen, with storage starting at 32GB. The tablet will be available starting in February, with a price between $400 and $500. It will primarily be sold in Russia and India.


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(CNN) — Thinner. Lighter. Faster. That's what Apple promises in its newest iPad, which also has a new name: the iPad Air.
The company rolled out the fifth generation of its market-leading tablet Tuesday. Among its new features, the iPad will weigh 1 pound, down from 1.4 pounds. It's 20% thinner and 28% lighter than the current fourth-generation iPad.
The iPad Air will have the same 9.7-inch screen as previous iPads and pack the same A7 processing chip that's in the iPhone 5S. That will make it 72 times faster than the original iPad, according to Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller.
"This is our biggest leap forward ever with a full-size iPad," Schiller said.
The iPad Air will go on sale November 1. Prices will start at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model and go up to $629 for a 16GB with 4G LTE connectivity.
Schiller also announced an iPad Mini starting at $399. It will be available in November and will have the same high-resolution "Retina display" as bigger iPads.
Apple took another new direction on Tuesday, announcing that the newest version of its Mac operating system, OS X Mavericks, is available now for download and will be free.
Selling Mac software has never been a huge money-maker for Apple, and the price of OS X upgrades had been dropping in the past few years. The move can be seen as a shot at Microsoft, which relies more heavily on revenue from sales of Windows.
New MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops also were rolled out. And the super-powerful Mac Pro, the desktop computer geared toward high-end graphics and video editing, finally got a price point — $2,999 — and will be released before the end of this year, according to Apple's Phil Schiller.
The Pro was designed in California and assembled in the U.S. across 20 states. The pieces are probably manufactured out of the country and shipped to the U.S. for the building stage.
Apple's not the only tablet manufacturer with news this week. Microsoft is releasing the latest versions of its Surface tablets, and Nokia got into the game with its own Windows 8 device, the Lumia 2520, earlier Tuesday.
But as rivals catch up to the once-dominant iPad and the marketplace gets flooded with new tablets, it's getting harder for competitors to set themselves apart.
"Tablets are a maturing market; there's not much competitors can do to differentiate at this point," said Sarah Rotman Epps, a senior analyst at Forrester Research.
"Replacement sales are growing much, much faster than new sales worldwide," she added. "You're competing for customers you already have."
At Tuesday's event, Cook took a swipe at competitors with a reference that seemed most aimed at Microsoft's hybrid Surface tablets.
"They chased after netbooks," he said. "Now they're trying to make PCs into tablets and tablets into PCs."


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Brett A. Kaufman, Ph.D.
Member, Mari Lowe Center for Comparative Oncology (MLCCO), University of Pennsylvania
Member, Center of Mitochondria and Epigenomic Medicine (CMEM), University of Pennsylvania
Member, Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism (IDOM), University of Pennsylvania
Member, Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET), University of Pennsylvania
Department: Biochemistry
Contact information
Education:Permanent link
BS (Biochemistry)
Indiana University, 1995.
Ph.D. (Cell and Molecular Biology)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2003.
BS (Biochemistry)
Indiana University, 1995.
Ph.D. (Cell and Molecular Biology)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2003.
Description of Research ExpertiseOur primary research focus is on the regulation of mitochondrial chromatin, and its effect on genome segregation, compaction, and expression. By analogy to the nuclear genome, whose regulated compaction/decompaction is an essential aspect of replication, transcription and transmission, regulated compaction of the mitochondrial genome is likely to be a key aspect of mitochondrial biology. The core of our research lies in determining how the mitochondrial genome is maintained and regulated, and how that regulation affects developmental and physiological aspects of mitochondrial function in health and disease. This work has implications in diabetes, aging, heart disease, and mtDNA-borne birth defects.
We have several thrusts in the lab as of now: 1) mutations affecting mtDNA compaction in cardiovascular disease, 2) post-translational regulation of mtDNA compaction, 3) environmental causes of mtDNA depletion and 3) identification and characterization of protein-mtDNA complexes.
Selected PublicationsKolesar Jill E, Wang Catherine Y, Taguchi Yumiko V, Chou Shih-Hsuan, Kaufman Brett A: Two-dimensional intact mitochondrial DNA agarose electrophoresis reveals the structural complexity of the mammalian mitochondrial genome. Nucleic acids research Dec 2012.
Soubannier Vincent, Rippstein Peter, Kaufman Brett A, Shoubridge Eric A, McBride Heidi M: Reconstitution of mitochondria derived vesicle formation demonstrates selective enrichment of oxidized cargo. PloS one 7(12): e52830, Dec 2012.
Mallilankaraman Karthik, Cárdenas César, Doonan Patrick J, Chandramoorthy Harish C, Irrinki Krishna M, Golenár Tünde, Csordás György, Madireddi Priyanka, Yang Jun, Müller Marioly, Miller Russell, Kolesar Jill E, Molgó Jordi, Kaufman Brett, Hajnóczky György, Foskett J Kevin, Madesh Muniswamy: MCUR1 is an essential component of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uptake that regulates cellular metabolism. Nature cell biology Nov 2012.
Campbell, Christopher T. Kolesar, Jill E. Kaufman Brett A.: Mitochondrial transcription factor A regulates mitochondrial transcription initiation, DNA packaging, and genome copy number. Biochimica et biophysica acta 1819(9-10): 921-9, Sep-Oct 2012.
Weraarpachai W, Antonicka H, Sasarman F, Seeger J, Schrank B, Kolesar JE, Lochmüller H, Chevrette M, Kaufman BA, Horvath R, Shoubridge EA.: Mutation in TACO1, encoding a translational activator of COX I, results in cytochrome c oxidase deficiency and late-onset Leigh syndrome. Nature Genetics 41(7): 833-7, Jul 2009.
Kaufman, Brett A. Durisic, Nela. Mativetsky, Jeffrey M. Costantino, Santiago. Hancock, Mark A. Grutter, Peter. Shoubridge, Eric A.: The mitochondrial transcription factor TFAM coordinates the assembly of multiple DNA molecules into nucleoid-like structures. Molecular Biology of the Cell 18(9): 3225-36, Sep 2007.
Leary, Scot C. Cobine, Paul A. Kaufman, Brett A. Guercin, Guy-Hellen. Mattman, Andre. Palaty, Jan. Lockitch, Gillian. Winge, Dennis R. Rustin, Pierre. Horvath, Rita. Shoubridge, Eric A.: The human cytochrome c oxidase assembly factors SCO1 and SCO2 have regulatory roles in the maintenance of cellular copper homeostasis.[erratum appears in Cell Metab. 2007 May;5(5):403]. Cell Metabolism 5(1): 9-20, Jan 2007.
Chen, Xin Jie. Wang, Xiaowen. Kaufman, Brett A. Butow, Ronald A.: Aconitase couples metabolic regulation to mitochondrial DNA maintenance. Science 307(5710): 714-7, Feb 4 2005.
Leary, Scot C. Kaufman, Brett A. Pellecchia, Giovanna. Guercin, Guy-Hellen. Mattman, Andre. Jaksch, Michaela. Shoubridge, Eric A.: Human SCO1 and SCO2 have independent, cooperative functions in copper delivery to cytochrome c oxidase. Human Molecular Genetics 13(17): 1839-48, Sep 1 2004.
Kaufman, Brett A. Kolesar, Jill E. Perlman, Philip S. Butow, Ronald A.: A function for the mitochondrial chaperonin Hsp60 in the structure and transmission of mitochondrial DNA nucleoids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Journal of Cell Biology 163(3): 457-61, Nov 10 2003.
Kaufman, Brett A. Newman, Scott M. Perlman, Philip S. Butow, Ronald A.: Crosslinking of proteins to mtDNA. Methods in Molecular Biology 197: 377-89, 2002.
Kaufman, B A. Newman, S M. Hallberg, R L. Slaughter, C A. Perlman, P S. Butow, R A.: In organello formaldehyde crosslinking of proteins to mtDNA: identification of bifunctional proteins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 97(14): 7772-7, Jul 5 2000.
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Last updated: 04/21/2017
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
Last updated: 04/21/2017
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


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This luxurious 4 bedroom 2 bath condominium is located in Orlando's newest resort community of Vista Cay at Harbor Square. Tuscan themed Vista Cay offers spacious accommodations that are ideal for either the family wanting to be close to all the excitement of International Drive, couples getting away for a short break, as well as the discerning business traveler in town for a meeting or a big convention.
Lavishly furnished, this beautiful 2,097 square foot open plan home with tasteful interior design boasts a master bedroom featuring one king-sized bed, the second bedroom has a queen-sized bed, the third bedroom has 2 full beds and 4rd bedroom has a queen-sized bed. This impressive home sleeps a total of 10 guests. This layout has a spacious owner's suite and a covered lanai.
The comfortable living area has a Wide Screen TV, wireless internet access and cable services. This is where you sit back, relax and think to yourself 'why have I stayed in a hotel room, when this condominium offering a generous layout, gorgeous furnishings and all it's comforts of home is available'?
All TV's have Roku TV ! Enjoy live TV with the Spectrum TV app or enjoy one of the many streaming services using your own account.
Entertaining, cooking and being able to share private time together with friends and family is fun and enjoyable. There is no need to miss out on any of the conversation, when using the 'open plan' fully equipped kitchen and dining area!
Unit amenities include; towels, linen, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, hair dryer, microwave oven, refrigerator, electric stove, dishwasher, electric toaster, central air/heat, dishes, cookware and utensils. Also available are washing and drying facilities, making it easier to have those 'little one's' ready in time. Why pack a big suitcase when you can wash their favorite sports jersey or best-loved dress! Also, free long distance calls (US) are a feature offered in this property.
For your pleasure and enjoyment, the resort amenities include; a clubhouse, tropical lagoon pool and spa, children's pool, sports court, fitness center, games room, movie theater, internet library, sundries store, elevators, concierge service and gated entrances. A beautifully landscaped walking trail and a number of golf courses are nearby! Restaurants, shopping, water parks and Orlando nightlife are just around the corner.
The community of Vista Cay is located on the beautiful Lake Cay, situated right next to the Orange County Convention Center and only a short distance from Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld Adventure Park and even closer to SeaWorld's newest park Aquatica. Vista Cay at Harbor Square is located in Orlando's newest development, Universal Boulevard and is at the center of some of Orlando's greatest experiences. Not forgetting, that this wonderful resort is only a short drive from Orlando International Airport.
= No = Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Smoking Permitted
Pets Considered
Base rates (EXCLUDING any applicable taxes, fees, and promotions) are displayed as provided by rental managers and are not guaranteed. Rates are based on the start or arrival date selected in the search and may vary on subsequent days. Properties marked 'Available' or 'Not Available' are done so based on information provided by the rental manager and are not guaranteed. For completed details (including minimum stay length, full availability information, approved arrival days and other booking rules for the property) select 'Book Now" (on available properties) or 'Check Availability' (booked properties) to be directed to the rental manager's website or click "Contact" to send them a specific request.


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So, why such a hook?
Well, it is a weapon that the older chicks have got it to stab younger siblings to death; thus, ensuring it gets all the food delivered by the parents. Fatally stabbed, the younger siblings are unceremoniously cornered few inches away from their cradle, never to see the light of the day.
This developmentally temporary siblicidal weapon of the chicks of the Blue-throated Bee-eater, and their macabre siblicidal behaviour were discovered and documented to science by a British Ornithologist named David M. Bryant and a colleague of his, following a study carried out in Malaysia.
I was extremely glad to have guided David M. Bryant and his ecologist wife Vicki Bryant on a 14-day Absolute Birding tour from 20 Nov. to 3 Dec., 2010. This turned out to be the first guided birding tour he'd undertaken lasting multiple days. Except for an a couple of day-trips; in all his other world birding trips, he'd not sought services of a local guide, preferring to find birds under his own steam.
A professor in ornithology, David had been the supervisor for more than 50 Ph.D students. Listening to his scientific research work, and birding anecdotes was an amazingly enlightening experience. David was a very sharp birder; I could see why he'd not wanted guides all this time!
We were able to rake in a whopping 252 species of birds. We found all 33 endemic birds currently recognised. Our tally included 10 out of the 15 resident night birds. The Black-capped Kingfisher and the Whimbrel found pre-tour by David at Waikkal were not reported on the main birding tour he did with me. David has done a brief trip report and posted it at the Travellingbirder.com. Please have a look to see his views and our complete bird list.
Coming back to birding specifics, my top 10 birds of the trip were Serendib Scops Owl, Slaty-breasted Rail, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, Greater Sand Plover, Great Knot, Cinnamon Bittern, Sri Lanka Whistling Thrush, Rufous-bellied Hawk Eagle, Plum-headed Parakeet, and Sri Lanka Spurfowl.
I am sharing a few specials that cooperated.
Orange-billed Babbler Turdoides rufescens
The mixed-species bird flocks of low to mid-elevation rain forests of the wet south-west Sri Lanka are centred around this gregarious species. According to a research carried out by the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka in the 80s and 90s in the Sinharaja "world heritage" rain forest, Orange-billed Babbler is present in c.90% of the flocks. These flocks average 41 individual birds (comrpised of several bird species), and in them, this babbler averages little more than 16 individuals per flock. Therefore, it is regarded as one of the "nuclear species" of the flock.
Sri Lanka Spurfowl Galloperdix bicalcarata
This is easily my best shot of this ultra-secretive forest dweller. It was captured at the Sinharaja rain forest. Not living upto its reputation as an elusive ground bird, this vocal, male Sri Lanka Spurfowl gave us exceptional views for nearly a half a minute. I photographed it with manual focussing, as the scene was too leafty and twiggy. A friend of mine finds it difficult to pronounce the English name of this birds, saying, Sri Lanka Superfowl!! Well, it's a super bird; I'll give him that!
Sri Lanka Bush Warbler Elaphrornis palliseri
This scarce montane endemic is very difficult to photograph because of its skulky habits at times. I am very happy about this. It is a treatened species because of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, high pesticide use and pollution. Like most endemics, its ecology is poorly known.
Moving on to non-birding subjects, we also saw over 40 species of butterflies, which the Bryants appreciated. This Centaur Oakblue Arhopala pseudocentaurus that we found at Kithulgala was my top highlight, as it was a lifer for me. It had an amazingly beautiful blue on the upperside.
Red Helan Papilio helenus This large swallowtail was spotted by Vicki, who had an eye for prettier things. (No, she certainly didn't do pipits and other LBJs.)
Common Jazebel Delias eucharis
Another butterfly that Vicki liked. The flower that is nectaring on goes as Wal idda in Sinhala. Its botanical name curiously is Walidda antidysenterica.
p.s. On a recent visit to Sinharaja, I discovered that the Forest Department had done postcards using two of my bird images without seeking my permission! And they were selling them! I protested, and they stopped selling them. Because of such severe copyright violations, I am reluctantly forced to include a watermark touching the subjects.


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Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (Paperback)
In his runaway bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond brilliantly examined the circumstances that allowed Western civilizations to dominate much of the world. Now he probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to fall into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates? Using a vast historical and geographical perspective ranging from Easter Island and the Maya to Viking Greenland and modern Montana, Diamond traces a fundamental pattern of environmental catastrophe--one whose warning signs can be seen in our modern world and that we ignore at our peril. Blending the most recent scientific advances into a narrative that is impossible to put down, Collapse exposes the deepest mysteries of the past even as it offers hope for the future.
"Diamond's most influential gift may be his ability to write about geopolitical and environmental systems in ways that don't just educate and provoke, but entertain." --The Seattle Times
"Extremely persuasive . . . replete with fascinating stories, a treasure trove of historical anecdotes [and] haunting statistics." --The Boston Globe
"Extraordinary in erudition and originality, compelling in [its] ability to relate the digitized pandemonium of the present to the hushed agrarian sunrises of the far past." --The New York Times Book Review


text: Rockwood RM6090-RM6092 Satin Stainless Steel - US32D Satin Stainless Steel - US32D Long Offset Pulls- Round Ends Specification Base Metals: Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel Options: For optional mid-post, suffix the product number with "MP" (example: RM6090MP) Full wrap option is available up to 72" long (example: RM6090FW) Over 96" available on select finishes Note: Maximum leather length is 72" Part Number OA Diameter Projection RM6090 Up to 96" 1" diameter of metal grip, leather thickness is about 1/8" additional 2-1/2" RM6091 Up to 96" 1-1/4" diameter of metal grip, leather thickness is about 1/8" additional 2-3/4" RM6092 Up to 96" 1-1/2" diameter of metal grip, leather thickness is about 1/8" additional 3" Close Downloads RM6090 Order Form (.) RM6090-English Bridle Leather-Cut Sheet (.pdf) RM6091 Order Form (.) RM6091-English Bridle Leather-Cut Sheet (.pdf) RM6092-English Bridle Leather-Cut Sheet (.pdf) Downloads RM6092 Order Form Close Mounting Options Mounting Options: Our mounting systems firmly attach the pull to the door and are guaranteed for the life of the door. Choose from thrubolt, back to back or concealed mountings for wood, metal and glass doors. Note: Y base plates are recommended on wood or glass doors to make a stable and durable mounting. Note: Heavy Duty (HD) mounting features hex drive for positive tightening and large overall size for superior strength. Recommended for high frequency and rough service openings. Download Mounting Chart File: Mounting Chart.pdf Type 1HD: Thru Bolt Heavy Duty (Wood or Metal) Type 5HD: Back-to-Back Heavy Duty (Wood or Metal) Type 6HD: Surface Concealed Heavy Duty (Metal) Type 13HD: Back-to-Back Heavy Duty (Glass) Type 15HD: Decorative Thru Bolt Heavy Duty (Glass) Close Finishes Description US ANSI/BHMA Polished Brass, Clear Coated US3 605 Satin Brass, Clear Coated US4 606 Satin Oxidized Bronze, Oil Rubbed US10B 613 Dark Oxidized Satin Bronze, Equivalent US10BE 613E Black Suede Powder Coat BSP - White Suede Powder Coat WSP - Polished Stainless Steel US32 629 Satin Stainless Steel US32D 630 Black Powder Coat BPC Flat Black Powder Coated FBPC White Powder Coat WPC Close Leather Color Selections Close Request Information Our consultative experts are ready to help. Contact us here: loading Interested in this product? Contact us to order Related products Rockwood RM6030-RM6050 Rockwood RM6004-RM6024 Rockwood RM6080-RM6082


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A truly exceptional corkscrew, skillfully crafted by French knife maker in the artisan tradition.
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5 Behavioral Job Interview Questions You Must Ask
November 11, 2011
By Mel Kleiman
The Problem with Behavioral Interviewing
Just as typewriters and record players have given way to desktop computers and handheld
media players, outmoded employee selection systems need to be reinvented to take advantage
of our new understanding of how to select employees in the 21st century.
Although behavioral interviewing was initially developed by industrial psychologists
back in the 1970s, it is still in widespread use today. Predictably, during these past 30
years, everyone looking for a job has learned to expect interviewers to ask them about
their past behaviors.
Just as we all learned what our teachers wanted to hear from us in school, prospective
employees learned to deliver the answers interviewers want to hear. Ask, "Tell me about
a time you had to deal with a difficult customer," and all but the dullest applicant immediately
understands that customer service is paramount and will respond to the question
Every job applicant with a basic understanding of the interview process now knows that
the most critical interview questions will concern past behaviors. The reason so many unsatisfactory
new hire decisions are made is due to the fatal flaw in this system – specific
past behaviors during specific past events are all but impossible to document or verify.
The continued reliance on the validity of behavioral questions has led to too many hiring
decisions based more on the applicant's presentation skills rather than on the person's
ability to perform on the job.
Great Employees vs. Great Applicants
Start hiring great employees (instead of great applicants) by shifting the focus from past
behaviors to verifiable experiences and achievements. Begin by using an interview built
upon the following five, essential questions. (To gain a sense of their effectiveness, as
you read each one, ask yourself how you would respond if you were the applicant.)
Essential Question #1: "Tell me what you learned from your very first paying job."
This is the first question interviewers should ask because our earliest learning experiences
set the patterns and expectations for later experiences. (Hiring Hint: The story makes a
lot more sense when you hear it from the beginning. Follow this up by asking them to talk
briefly about each successive job and what was learned at each.)
Essential Question #2: "Which work achievements or accomplishments to-date are
you most proud of?" The achievements we value most reveal both our strongest character
traits and our strongest desires. Identifying these speaks volumes about the kind of
employee the applicant can become. (Hiring Hint: The number of achievements or accomplishments
is not as important as the motivations that drove it.)
Essential Question #3: "On a scale from zero to ten, how would you rate yourself as
a (job title) and why?"
Because we seldom see ourselves as others see do, the specific number is not as important as the fact that you will be able to verify if the applicant's
number is higher, lower, or the same as perceived by the applicants former managers or
supervisors when you check references. (Hiring Hint: Would you rather have an employee
who undervalues or overvalues their contributions reporting to you?)
Essential Question #4: "When we contact your former manager to verify your employment,
what will he or she tell me about your last performance review?" The answer
will tell you a great deal about the applicant's actual on-the-job performance, ability
to take direction, and efforts to improve. (Hiring Hint: Phrased this way, this question
will elicit the truth from 99% of applicants. For further verification, if you decide to extend
a job offer, then ask for a copy of that review.)
Essential Question #5: "What would you like to ask me about the job or our company?"
The answers to this one reveal the applicant's concerns and motivators or simply
point out basic job information (benefits, hours, policies) that have not yet been communicated.
(Hiring Hint: Follow this up by allowing the applicant one or two more questions
for even more insight.)
Between Questions #3 and #4, ask all the other questions you've developed that help determine
if the candidate is a good fit for the job, the department, and the company.
After the interview, verify what you learned with this achievement-based interviewing
technique through evidence-based selection criteria: thorough reference and background
The further you can move your interviews away from outdated behavioral techniques and
toward achievement- and evidence-based selection, the quicker your hiring effectiveness
will improve. Like that great philosopher of our time Dilbert said: "Eighty-percent of a
manager's job is hiring the right people. The other 20 percent is leaving them alone so
they can do what you hired them for."
Mel Kleiman CSP: Helping companies build a frontline that will help them build their bottomline. Visit www.the5firsts.com and www.humetrics.com.


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Labor (including mental labor) does not bestow utility on an automobile; consumers do that. Rather, labor bestows utility on the disparate factors of production by transforming them into an automobile.
Monday, April 30, 2012
The Question of Value
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Op-ed: An Echo, Not a Choice
My take on Mitt Romney and the upcoming election.
With Mitt Romney's sweep of Tuesday's primaries, he will almost certainly be President Barack Obama's Republican opponent in November. Romney has vowed to make the economy the chief issue against Obama, and he is sure to portray the president as an enemy of free enterprise in order to draw a contrast with himself. How fit is Romney's claim to be a champion of economic freedom?
Friday, April 27, 2012
TGIF: Can Mutually Beneficial Exchanges Be Exploitative?
The great thing about competitive markets is not that marginal utility sets prices, but that rivalry among sellers drives prices below the level that approximates many people's marginal utility. This produces a consumer surplus. (How far below is governed by producers' subjective opportunity costs, including workers' preference for leisure.) We all have bought things at a price below that which we were prepared to pay. . . . In a manner of speaking, competition socializes consumer surplus.
On the other hand, in the absence of competition a coercive monopolist is able to charge more than in a freed market, capturing some of the surplus that would have gone to consumers. That's a form of exploitation via government privilege.Read the rest of TGIF here.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tough Times for Christians in Israeli-Occupied Palestine
The Israeli government didn't want this "60 Minutes" segment aired. Its ambassador even protested to the chairman of CBS before the exact content of the report was known. The only problem I see with Bob Simon's report is that he says the wall "completely separates Israel from the West Bank." In fact, as he shows, the wall snakes through the West Bank, surrounding Palestinian towns such as Bethlehem ("an open-air prison," according to Palestinian Christians) and separating people's homes from their farms. All in all, for an American television network, this is an extraordinarily frank report on the Israeli oppression of Palestinians.
See Juan Cole's "Top Ten Reasons Israel tried to Censor Bob Simon's Report on Palestinian Christians." (HT: Hassan Al Shouli)
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
TGIF: Variations on a Corporatist Theme
The latest TGIF focuses on the common corporatist philosophy held by Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Read it here.
Happy Birthday, Tom Szasz!
Today is Tom Szasz's 92 birthday. I hope he's having a great day with his family. Remarkably, Tom continues to publish a book a year. His awesome work is recommended to anyone who loves liberty. It's a mistake to think his work is fundamentally about psychiatry. Fundamentally it is about the necessary integration of freedom and self-responsibility -- and their enemy the state.
You can find a sample of his writings here. Some things I've written about Szasz include:
"Szasz in One Lesson"
"Szasz and Rand" (Journal of Ayn Rand Studies, pdf)
I'm proud to call this great man and great libertarian my friend!
Are They Laughing at Us?
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Why Ron Paul Is Wrong on Jerusalem
Ron Paul's senior adviser, Doug Weed, says the presidential candidate supports Israel's choice for its capital. Weed reported that Paul told a a group of evangelical leaders:
The real issue here is not what America wants but what Israel wants. We have no right to choose their capital. If they say it is Jerusalem, then it is Jerusalem.Weed then paraphrased Paul: "Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Get over it."
Hammond documents in detail the illegality of Israel's annexation of Jerusalem (as well as its 1981 bombing of Iraq's Osirak nuclear reaction, which Paul also defended):
Ron Paul's suggestion that the U.S. should recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is likewise a disappointing defense of lawlessness that would seem to indicate that Dr. Paul is unfamiliar with the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and rather bases his views on the establishment-approved mythical narrative, which is essentially the history as it is presented in Zionist propaganda….
It is a disturbing development in Ron Paul's campaign to see him sounding on this issue more rather than less like his establishment opponents.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Was Trayvon Martin Standing HIS Ground?
Be careful.
Monday, April 09, 2012
Deir Yassin Day
The best brief introduction to the Nakba is Jeremy Hammond's The Rejection of Palestinian Self-Determination.
In a not unrelated story, Israel has barred from entry Günter Grass, the NobelPrize winning German poet for his poem "What Must Be Said," which is about the danger to peace from Israel's nuclear arsenal. As Israel and the United States edge toward war with Iran, which is not thought by them to be building even one nuclear weapon, it is worth recalling that Israel has an arsenal of several hundred warheads, including submarine-based nukes.


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With the departure of Mario Manningham, one of the major storylines heading into the season was how the Giants would fill the role of the third wide receiver.
That task, among others, was put on the plate of Kevin M. Gilbride, who took over as wide receivers coach this year. The season started out as planned as the passing game picked up where it left off from Super Bowl XLVI. Eli Manning was the first quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards in the NFL, and Domenik Hixon and Ramses Barden took turns stepping up.
But then the injury bug hit the group and three different wide receivers have started opposite Victor Cruz.
"The thing is, based on injury, we've had to slide some guys in there, whether they were the third wide or not," Gilbride said. "The good thing is that we've had some guys step into those roles and be productive. Whether it be Ramses Barden; clearly Domenik Hixon has played well when he's been in there, and Rueben Randle's really shown some things when he's been in there as well."
Gilbride hopes the bye week will cure any nicks and bruises with his group as the Giants prepare for the next phase of the season.
Meanwhile, Randle is beginning to show his second-round talent both in practice and on the field. The rookie has notched big plays of 56 and 36 yards this season while averaging 14.4 yards per catch.
Gilbride talked about his progression from the offseason and what he needs to do in the final six weeks of the season.
"I'd say he has a grasp of understanding the offense, understanding techniques and then actually getting on the field and executing it," Gilbride said. "He's just made steps in the right direction. He's not where he needs to be, but he's getting there. Then hopefully down the stretch run, he can really be a factor helping our team."


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South African Journal of Science
On-line version ISSN 1996-7489
Print version ISSN 0038-2353
S. Afr. j. sci. vol.106 n.1-2 Pretoria Jan./Feb. 2010
Forecasting electricity demand in South Africa: a critique of Eskom's projections
Roula InglesiI; Anastassios PourisII
IDepartment of Economics, University of Pretoria, South Africa
IIInstitute for Technological Innovation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Within a short period, Eskom has applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) for the third time since the 2008 electricity crisis, proposing a multiyear price determination for the periods 2010-2011 and 2012-2013. The new application, submitted at the end of September 2009, motivated for the debate of strategies with which the consequences of the proposed price hikes could be predicted, measured and controlled. In his presentation to Parliament in February 2009, Eskom's then CEO, Mr Jacob Maroga presented the current energy situation in the country, the reasons for the crisis in 2007-2008, as well as the challenges of the future. The purpose of this paper is to contribute some new ideas and perspectives to Eskom's existing arguments regarding the demand for electricity. The most important issue is the fact that Eskom does not sufficiently take into account the impact of the electricity prices in their electricity demand forecast. This study proposed that prices have a high impact on the demand for electricity (price elasticity of -0.5). Employing similar assumptions for the country's economic growth as Eskom, the results of the forecasting exercise indicated a substantial decrease in demand (scenario 1: -31% in 2025 and scenario 2:-18% in 2025). This study's findings contrasted significantly with Eskom's projection, which has extensive implications as far as policy is concerned.
Keywords: Eskom; price elasticity; electricity demand; South Africa; policy analysis
In September 2009, Eskom applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) for the third time since the 2008 electricity crisis, with a proposal consisting of three increases of 45% each, followed by three smaller ones, to be implemented over a five-year period. However, after deciding to delay the construction of their Kusile power station, Eskom has since revised these proposals, reducing the initial three increases to 35%. This study was undertaken before this recent decision was made public, though, and therefore its calculations were based on Eskom's initial proposal.
Since 2007, Eskom has experienced a lack of capacity in the generation and reticulation of electricity. As a result, in the first quarter of 2008, blackouts became common place in the country, with damaging effects on South Africa's economy - the economic growth of the first quarter of 2008 fell to 1.57% from 5.4% in the last quarter of 2007.1 Eskom argued that government's refusal to fund the expansion of the electricity capacity in the country was the main cause of the crisis, thus Eskom requested a multibillion Rand budget to increase capacity and avoid similar problems in the future.
The paper is divided into four main sections. In the first section, we emphasise the main points of Eskom's presentation2 to Parliament and those in its 2008 Annual Report3. In the next section, we provide a number of reasons underlying the crisis. A critical analysis of the presentation focused upon the electricity demand forecast is provided in the next section. This section also indicates the possible consequences of doubling the price of electricity in the following four years (as has been requested by Eskom), by presenting the impact of price elasticity. Finally, the policy implications and conclusions are discussed.
Presentation of Eskom's CEO to the Parliamentary Committee
In February 20092, Mr Maroga gave an account of the current state of affairs regarding South Africa's energy situation. He also expressed his opinions about possible future scenarios and challenges. The title of the presentation, 'Update on State of Power Security in South Africa,' stressed Eskom's effort to protect the sector from potential threats that could lead to similar problems as those the country experienced in the beginning of 2008.
The following were identified as the main challenges2,3:
ensuring continuity of supply
successful execution of the capacity expansion programme
maintaining the financial sustainability of Eskom
responding to climate change
successful implementation of Electricity Distribution Industry (EDI) restructuring
building public confidence in Eskom and the system.
The main reasons for the energy crisis of 2008 and the mismatch of electricity supply and demand were then provided. Eskom argued that substantial efforts were necessary in order to convince both the private sector and the government of the necessity of the new capacity. However, the government was not convinced of the viability of this strategy and wanted to bring independent power producers into the market. In October 2004, the government agreed to finance the building of a new plant, but due to insufficient time to finish the project, it could not be utilised to counter the deficit experienced in 2007-2008.
Eskom also presented two possible scenarios which differed only in their estimation of the future economic growth. In the first scenario, the electricity growth will be 4%, supporting 6% growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while in the second, electricity growth will be lower (2.3%), supporting an assumed rate of economic growth of 4%.2
Figure 1 shows 'Eskom's long-term demand forecast' as presented to Parliament. The demand is expected to be between 56 710 and 77 960 MW in 2025, depending on the economic growth in the country.
Reasons for the energy crisis of 2007-2008
The main reason provided by Eskom for the energy crisis was the imbalance between electricity supply and demand. The delayed decision (in 2004) by government to fund the building of a new power station did not give enough time to Eskom to prevent the crisis. An additional contributing factor is the increase (50%) of electricity demand in the country between 1994 and 2007. This might have been partially due to the implementation of the Free Basic Electricity Policy in 2001. Another contributing factor was the expansion of the economy after sanctions were lifted.
It has also been argued by Pouris4 that the lack of research on energy in general and on electricity in particular, could be one of the factors responsible for Eskom's predicament. Pouris4 stated that South Africa produces only 0.34% of the international research publications reporting on topics of energy and fuels while the country contributes 0.5% of the academic research papers in all scientific disciplines internationally. Furthermore, he found that energy research literature constitutes 0.45% of the national effort. This is a relatively small share in comparison to the country's top disciplines (i.e. medicine [6.04%], plant sciences [5.07%], ecology [3.50%] and others). In the context of two indicators (see Table 1), South Africa is being outperformed by Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand. The lack of academic research in the field deprives the relevant stakeholders and government from insight and debate based on independent views.
Electricity demand forecast and price impact
Eskom's forecast (see Figure 1) assumes that growth of electricity demand is mainly dependent on economic growth only. This assumption can be misleading, and in addition, have consequences in terms of policy. A number of extensive and international studies5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 have been undertaken to examine the relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth. They were, however, unable to agree in a general rule as to whether there is a relationship and towards which direction. For example, according to Odhiambo14, there is bidirectional causality between electricity consumption and economic growth in South Africa. On the other side, Lee15 argues that energy consumption causes economic growth.
A more serious concern is that while it can be assumed that economic growth is responsible for the status quo of electricity demand in the country, the impact of prices on demand has not been taken extensively into consideration. Mr Maroga's presentation2 in 2009 stated that electricity prices in the country are low compared to other developed and developing countries and that energy costs are increasing all over the world. Hence, Eskom's proposal to increase the prices in the next years should be expected.
According to Eskom, the extra income from the price increase is imperative in order to cover coal costs and to fund its immediate capital expenditure programme. This assumption is based on the expectation that electricity demand will not be significantly affected by the changes in the price regime, nor in economic terms, and that the price elasticity of electricity is so close to zero as not to be significant.
Internationally, the price elasticity of electricity is highly significant, especially in studies conducted for the aggregate electricity demand. Table 2 shows the findings of a number of studies that attempted to estimate, among others, the price elasticity of electricity demand. For this group of studies the estimated average price elasticity of aggregate electricity demand in the long run is -0.52. This means that an increase of 10% in the price of electricity will decrease demand by 5%. The sectoral studies indicated a higher variability. For example, Ziramba13 gave evidence that the demand for electricity in the residential sector might be inelastic in South Africa.
A recent study16 on the aggregate electricity demand of South Africa estimates the impact of the price of electricity on electricity demand until 2030. In order to create a model of electricity demand, or demand for energy generally, a co-integration analysis is done, as has been employed vastly in the literature.7,9,10,12 Our model follows the Engle-Granger methodology.ª
Apart from the other variables used, res_coint represents the co-integrating vector to specify the Error Correction Model.
Long run: Electricity demand
Short run: Electricity demand
By employing annual data for 1980-2007, the results showed that the long-run determinants for the South African electricity demand are income and the price of electricity. The short-run dynamics of the system are influenced by the economic growth (GDP) and the population growth.
Long run: LCONS
Short run: DLCONS
Where LCONS is the electricity consumption, LRYD is the income, LPRICE_ELEC is the price of electricity in real terms, LGDP is the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and finally, LPOP is the population of the country. The letter L before the name of the variables shows that all the variables are linearised and in the short run, the variables used are differentiated once in order to be stationary.
The forecast of electricity use for 2025, comparable to that of Eskom, employed two scenarios. The first assumed that economic growth will average 4% for the period 2009-2025, and that population growth will remain at 1% per annum. The second scenario proposed accelerated growth of 6% over the period 2009-2025.
The price elasticity of electricity in our model is estimated to be -0.56, showing that prices have an important effect on demand.
The assumption was that the price will increase and double from 2008 to 2011 (as per Eskom's request), and then it will remain constant until 2025.
Figure 2 shows that the growth of electricity demand will be negative for the period during which the prices are increasing. As soon as the prices remain constant, electricity growth becomes positive. According to this forecast, electricity demand will decrease by 31% from 2008 to 2025 (scenario 1) and by 18% (scenario 2) from 2008 to 2025. This decrease is also shown in Figure 3 where the electricity demand is shown.
In scenario 1, demand reaches its lowest point (132 103 MWh) in 2018. Subsequently, it starts rising again. In scenario 2, the electricity demand decreases until 2017 (144 636 MWh), before it starts rising again, as illustrated in Figure 3.
At the end of September 2009, Eskom proposed a new price determination until 2013. Recognising the possible economic implications, it proposed an approach which will consist of three increases of 45% each, which are then to be followed by three smaller increases, over five years. In this article, we argued that future electricity demand in South Africa may be affected by the prices suggested by Eskom.
Government has the option of funding expansion, either mainly through price increases, or through treasury allocations. The appropriate mechanism and the mix will be dependent on the understanding of the relationship between electricity demand, prices and economic growth. In the case of electricity demand being the result of economic growth, prices may become the appropriate mechanism. This means that the increase in prices most probably would have an effect on the demand, a fact that should be taken into account in future policy design.
The effects of price increases on electricity demand are not taken extensively into account in Eskom's projections. The historical evolution of prices may partially explain the phenomenon. From 1987 to 1991, real prices decreased by 14%, which was followed by another decline of 20% over the period 1992 to 1996. In 2000, Eskom increased prices by only 5.5%. However, as the trend moves from a decreasing price environment into an increasing one, prices should be expected to have a substantial effect. The importance of price in the demand for electricity is exhibited by recent events. Data released by Statistics South Africa show that the estimated consumption of electricity in South Africa declined 7% year-on-year during January 2009.17 However, it was not only the price of electricity that affected the demand in the last quarter, but also the closure of some mining operations and the fall in international commodity markets.
It should be emphasised that our projections do not mean that Eskom will not need to build new electricity capacity. The existing power stations are aging and need to be replaced. It is estimated that a capacity of 20 000 MW needs to be replaced over the next 15 years.
The authors wish to acknowledge financial support by SANERI. The usual caveats apply.
1. South African Reserve Bank. Quarterly bulletin December 2008. South African Reserve Bank; 2008. [ Links ]
2. Maroga J. Update on state of power security in South Africa. Eskom's presentation to parliament. South Africa; 2009. [ Links ]
3. Eskom. Annual Report 2008. Eskom; 2009. [ Links ]
4. Pouris A. Energy and fuels research in South African universities: a comparative assessment. The Open Inf Sci J. 2008;1:1-9. Available from: UPSpace. [ Links ]
5. Pouris A. The price elasticity of electricity demand in South Africa. Appl Econ. 1987;19(1):269-277. [ Links ]
6. Donatos GS, Mergos GJ. Residential demand for electricity: the case of Greece. Energ Econ. 1991;13:41-47. [ Links ]
7. Diabi A. The demand for electric energy in Saudi Arabia: an empirical investigation. OPEC Rev. 1998;22:13-29. [ Links ]
8. Hondroyiannis G. Estimating residential demand for electricity in Greece. Energ Econ. 2004;26:319-334. [ Links ]
9. Filippini M, Paschauri S. Elasticities of electricity demand in urban Indian households. Energy Policy. 2004;32:429-436. [ Links ]
10. Narayan PK, Smyth R. The residential demand for electricity in Australia: an application of the bounds testing approach to co integration. Energ Policy. 2005;33:467-474. [ Links ]
11. De Vita G, Endresen K, Hunt IC. An empirical analysis of energy demand in Namibia. Energ Policy. 2006;34:3447-3463. [ Links ]
12. Zachariadis T, Pashourtidou N. An empirical analysis of electricity consumption on CyprusEnerg Econ. 2007;29:183-198. [ Links ]
13. Ziramba E. The demand for residential electricity in South Africa. Energ Policy. 2008;36:3460-3466. [ Links ]
14. Odhiambo NM. Electricity consumption and economic growth in South Africa: A trivariate causality test. Energ Econ. 2009;31(5):635-640. [ Links ]
15. Lee CC. Energy consumption and GDP in developing countries: a co-integration panel analysis. Energ Econ. 2005;27:415-427. [ Links ]
16. Inglesi R. Aggregate electricity demand in South Africa: conditional forecasts to 2030. Appl Energ. 2010;87:197-202. [ Links ]
17. Statistics South Africa. Electricity generated and available for distribution; 2009. [ Links ]
Correspondence to:
Roula Inglesi
Department of Economics
University of Pretoria
Pretoria 0002, South Africa
email: email@example.com
Received: 04 June 2009
Accepted: 30 Nov. 2009
Published: 11 Mar. 2010
This article is available at: http://www.sajs.co.za
a. In the past, researchers were using linear regressions to estimate relationships among non-stationary time series data. However, Engle and Granger (both Nobel laureates in 2003) showed that these regressions are proven to be spurious and therefore, not representing the reality. They introduced the concept of co-integration, which exists if two or more series are themselves non-stationary, but a linear combination of them is stationary. For more details on the procedure proposed by Engle-Granger, also be referred to Inglesi.16