Friday, May 16, 2014

The Historic Struggle For Racial Equality

BY CLAUDINE L. FERRELL

In the 1960s, many Americans shared Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of equality achieved through non-violent means. They marched in Alabama and Washington, D.C. They led the Freedom Rides through the South. They planned programs to ease the burden of poverty for blacks and whites. They reasoned against their critics’ verbal assaults. They took the physical blows inflicted by some of their opponents.

 Commonwealth Professor of History James Farmer

Early in 1986, four of those men who shared Dr. Kings vision-James Farmer, Ralph Abemathy, Walter Fauntroy, and Andrew Young, all still active in their quest for an egalitarian America brought their stories to Mary Washington College and Frederickburg.

Listening to them speak on separate evenings in Dodd Auditorium were community residents who had once experienced the trials and tensions of the 1960s. And listening were MWC students. All were present because of James Farmer, who is cmrently Commonwealth Professor of History at MWC and is teaching a course called “The Historic Struggle for Racial Equality.”

Mr. Farmer’s decades of work in the civil rights struggle was the basis of his combination public lecture series and history course. Farmer’s experiences-in the Freedom Summer, with Ku Klux Klan assassination plots, with Dr. King and Malcolm X--served as the unifying thread of the series, the most recent in a seven-year line of programs offered by MWC’s Department of History and American Studies. The respect that Farmer is accorded brought to Dodd Auditorium three of the men who were compatriots in the struggle.

East Texas-born and educated, Farmer chose to study theology at “the black Athens,” Howard University in Washington, D.C. His studies at Howard from 1938 to 1941 led this young black man, already a pacifist, to an important decision. His final thesis was “A Critical Analysis of the Historical Interrelationship Between Religion and Racism.” This work confirmed not only his opposition to theories of God-ordained black inferiority but his earlier decision to refuse ordination rather than accept ministering to a segregated Methodist Episcopal Church. His goal, he told his father, would be to “destroy segregation” by relying on some form of “mass mobilization in the use of the Gandhi technique.”

In April 1942, Farmer and several pacifist and socialist friends, who shared an interest in Gandhi, founded CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), an organization built on the idea of a non-violent, directaction attack on discrimination. Next followed the “first organized civil rights sitin in American history.” The sit-in by 28 black and white men and women forced a Chicago coffee house to change its discriminatory policy. Yet most Americans, regardless of color, knew nothing about either the strategy of non-violent direct action or the tactic of sitting-in, until the 1960s made both staples of the evening news.

The ’60s were perfect for both Farmer and CORE to make an impact on American race relations. Farmer’s efforts at what he has called “the cutting edge of the movement” meant he endtu'ed the constant threat of death. Most Americans came to know Farmer during and following his participation in one of the first steps taken by the civil rights advocates in the ’60s: the Freedom Rides of 1961.

While Farmer had been studying at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and then at Howard, a young Ralph Abernathy was studying at a Baptist boarding school in Linden, Ala. From there he went to Alabama State University and then to Morehouse School of Religion where he received an M.A. in sociology. After 18 months as an administrator at Alabama State and as pastor in Demopolis, Abernathy became pastor of Alabama’s oldest black congregation, Montgomery’s First Baptist Church.

The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy

Like Farmer, Abernathy could not blind himself to the racial inequities around him. The result of his clear vision was his organization of the 1956 Montgomery bus boycott, which he led with Dr. King. The boycott lasted over a year and was successful in forcing a change in the city’s blacks-to-the-rear-of-the-bus policy. But before success was his, Abernathy’s home was bombed and his church dynamited, his personal possessions were sold in a public auction, and he was beaten until his attackers believed he was dead. This treatment was reason enough for the man, who today is pastor of Atlanta’s West Hunter Street Baptist Church, to assert to his MWC audience, “America has never been America to me.” Nevertheless, undeterred by his brutal treatment and that of other blacks in the South, the young Baptist minister joined Dr. King in 1957 in forming the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), in organizing and participating in numerous marches, and in enduring many stays in jail for their non-violent protests against discrimination.

When Dr. King was killed in 1968, Abernathy, his “civil rights twin,” succeeded him as president of the SCLC and oversaw the successful Poor People’s Campaign. Abernathy as “mayor” of Resurrection City, a city of the poor on the Mall in Washington, D.C., helped push Congress Congressman Wa/ter Fauntroy toward aiding the hungry, the ill, and the elderly.

Sharing this concern for the economics of discrimination, Walter Fauntroy told his audience that “the basic problem in America today” is not black inferiority or welfare cheats but rather “the flight of American capital abroad, taking millions of jobs.” It is a view, he noted with irony, that he shared with Alabama Governor George Wallace, a man against whom so many civil rights battles had been fought.

Fauntroy, a native of Washington, D.C., is a graduate of Virginia Union University and Yale University Divinity School. Like so many other black leaders throughout American history, he began his career as a pastor. And like so many, including two of his fellow MWC lect1u'ers, he continued that career while working in other, yet related, directions. While he continues to serve as pastor of his first church, New Bethel Baptist in Washington, his other causes have led him to fight a variety of battles. In the 1960s, Fauntroy was director of the Washington bureau of the SCLC and was national director of the Poor People’s Campaign.

After serving on the D.C. city council, Fauntroy in 1971 became the District’s first elected representative in Congress. He has served in that position ever since and is now fifth in seniority on the House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs. A member of the Congressional Black Caucus and president of the National Black Leadership Roundtable, he is also chairman of the board of the SCLC. And in 1984 his multiple interests led him to work on issues and strategy for Jesse J ackson’s “Rainbow Coalition” presidential primary campaign.

Most recently Fauntroy has focused on South Africa, creating the “Free South Africa Movement.” His protests against apartheid led to his arrest in November 1984 outside the South African Embassy, and recently he took a fact-finding trip to South Africa to study the apartheid system firsthand. As he informed his MWC listeners-tying together the strings of his interest in and philosophy of discrimination-“Apartheid is, at heart, a labor control system that feeds on cheap labor and foreign investment.”

Fauntroy’s interest in a variety of racial, economic, and political subjects is shared by Andrew Young of Atlanta. Young, like the D.C. congressman, participated in the 1960s civil rights movement before beginning a political career. As Young has explained, “I have fought and will continue to fight for the inclusion of all in the economic mainstream of Atlanta as I have for the inclusion of all across the nation.”

When elected to represent Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District in 1972, Young became that state’s and the Deep South’s first black representative in over a century, a victory attributable to a coalition of black and white support since his district was 60 percent white. The coalition re-elected him twice, allowing Young to serve on the Banking and Currency Committee and on the powerful Rules Committee. It also gave him theopportunity to work on a variety of issues, including mass transit, foreign affairs, and civil rights. These issues, in ef- fect, link Young’s early and later careers.

A graduate of Howard University and the Hartford Theological Seminary, the young Georgian took part in most of the major civil rights protests in the 1960s. He worked with Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham and Selma. He worked on the Poor People’s Campaign and protested against the Vietnam War. He was active in voter registration, labor organization, economic development, and leadership training.

Young’s career, which also saw him serve as a pastor in Georgia and Alabama and for the National Council of Churches, took him to the United Nations in 1977. He was appointed ambassador by President Jimmy Carter, the former governor of Georgia. In 1982, he became mayor of one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing urban centers: Atlanta-a city of over 2,000,000 people, two-thirds of whom are black. Young oversees one of the country’s most successful cities in dealing with desegregation and integration. As he once noted, “The thing that separates Atlanta from most cities is that people here admit that racism is a problem and, as a result, are willing to talk about it.” In working on integration, the city recognized that success depended on “learning to accept and learning not to be threatened by cultural differences.”

Mayor Andrew Young

Four men. Farmer, Abernathy, Fauntroy, Young. They tired, as did black poet Langston Hughes, “of hearing people say / Let things take their course. / Tomorrow is another day.” And they brought to MWC and Fredericksburg their fight to make tomorrow now.

Claudine L. Ferrell, assistant professor of history, taught for several years in her native Texas and for one year at Kansas State University before corning to MWC in 1984. She teaches 20th Century U .S. History, Black History, and Legal/Constitutional History.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Patient Concerns Regarding Asthma, COPD and Regular Therapies: Results from a European Survey

Dario Olivieri, MD1, Alessio Amadasi2*, Andrea Bizzi2, Serena Paciotli2 and Martyn R. Partridge, MD3
1Dpt Clinical Sciences, Section of Respiratory Diseases, University of Parrna and scientific Committe Chiesi Foundation, Parma, Italy.
2Dpt. stiennfit Affairs, Chiesi Farmceutici Spa, Parma, Italy and 3 Imperial College London, N HLI Division at Charing Cross Hospital, London, United Kingdom
*Address for correspondence: a.amadasi@chiesgroup.com



Compliance with medication is often a problem in the management of longterm conditions such as asthma and COPD and this may reflect patients’ misconceptions regarding treatment, or undiscussed fears and concerns. The aim of the present study was to better understand patients’ view regarding their condition and regular therapy.

METHODS

A questionnaire-based survey was performed utilizing computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI) with 1022 patients with asthma and 719 patients with COPD in 5 European Countries.

Patient Concerns Regarding Asthma, COPD and Regular Therapies

Demographic characteristics of the respondents were determined in terms of age, sex, educational level, time since diagnosis and current therapy. The level of asthma control and of COPD severity were also assessed through the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ; 6-item version with FEV1 question omitted) and the modified Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea score, respectively.

 

CONCLUSIONS

Despite availability of effective medications, there is still significant impairment ofquality of life among those with asthma and COPD, with more than half ofthem reporting fears of seasonal worsening and about two thirds of COPD patients reporting strong limitations in physical activity. The data collected in the present study suggest that fears and misconceptions about regular therapy and low perception of immediate benefits are barriers that need to be addressed in order to improve adherence.

The survey has been executed by Kantar Health and supported by Chiesi Foundation

GENERAL CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS

DO has received honoraria forlecturing or ad hoc consultancies from Chiesi, GSK, OH Pharma, Pierre-Fabre, Boehringer lngelheim and Pfizer He has received research support from GSK, Zambon, Chiesi, Italian Ministry of Health and Italian Ministry for University and Research. AA, AB and SP are employees of Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

MRP has received honoraria for lecturing or ad hoc consultancies from AstraZeneca, Chiesi, GSK, Boehringen Cipla, Novartis, Dr Reddys Laboratories, German Remedies and Teva. He has received research support from AstraZeneca and financial assistance with the production ofa book on the history of asthma charities from Novartis.

Sustainable Results from Heat Recovery Technology

Luc Jerry describes a saccessful oxy-fuel heat recovery project on float glass furnace at AGC Glass Europe .

Sustainable results from heat recovery technology


Glass producers are constantly looking for innovative ways to raise production efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and cut costs related to environmental regulations on emissions of NOX and CO2.

Several methods to decrease emissions have been investigated and applied for over a decade, including pretreating the batch to melt glass more efficiently, improving combustion control to reduce NOX and switching to natural gas for lower carbon emissions.

Sustainable results from heat recovery technology


Among the existing technologies, oxygen firing achieves these three goals at once. But although oxyfurnaces increase heat transfer and minimise emissions, 20%-30% of their energy input is lost in the flue gas. Now, Air Liquide and global glassmaker AGC Glass Europe have developed Alglass Heat Recovery to recover most of this lost heat by indirectly preheating fuel and oxygen (figure 1). This is the only current oxy-fuel technology to take advantage of this waste energy to improve combustion.

Using Alglass Heat Recovery with float glass is economically efficient because it simultaneously enhances the proven benefits of oxy-combustion, increases overall furnace efficiency, reduces CO2 and keeps NOX emissions low. This is a set of technologies, specifically designed and approved for safety and reliability. Among them is Alglass Sun, a specially designed concept burner with staged combustion (figure 2), which can accommodate reactants at either ambient or very high temperatures.

For each float glass furnace,eight to 10 burners are supplied with fuel and oxygen piping, connected to a series of exchangers and regulation equipment: Two air/fumes exchangers, a set of air/natural gas exchangers to preheat the natural gas to 45O°C, a set of air/O2 exchangers to increase the oxygen temperature to 55O°C and fuel and oxygen valve trains (figure 3).

After two successful pilot campaigns on an industrial scale, the technology was installed in one of AGC Glass Europe's float glass furnaces. Temperatures and fluid flow rates were tracked to optimise fuel consumption at each stage of the project and to evaluate the technology's efficiency. The first results, whether for cold reactants or hot reactants, were very promising. Compared with air firing, NOX emissions were reduced by a minimum of 75% and energy consumption was decreased to the targeted 25%. The bottom line is that despite the technical challenges involved, the furnace has efficiently produced good glass since start-up.

After several years of fruitful collaboration, AGC Glass Europe and Air Liquide are continuing to develop breakthrough technologies for efficient glass manufacturing, focusing on adapted solutions that adhere to local legislation and respect the environment, in addition to benefiting customers.

Sustainable results from heat recovery technology

Nuclear Energy Not Green, Say NGOs.

The bad effects of radiation remain for years, United Nations forum told.

By DAVE OPIYO
 
A group of foreign non governmental organisations yesterday caused a stir at the Unep headquarters when their representatives protested at the inclusion of nuclear power as “green energy”

They urged delegates attending the ongoing Global Environment Ministers’ Conference in Gigiri, Nairobi, to keep nuclear power “out of the Clean Development Mechanism”.

The NGOs said that this form of energy should 'not be allowed because it had severe health effects.

Kyoto Protocol

Clean Development Mechanism is under the Kyoto Protocol and allows industrialised countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries as an alternative to more expensive emission reductions in their own countries.

The demonstrator's plea comes ahead of a meeting of world governments to decide whether this form of energy is eligible as clean.

Mrs Kaisha Atakhanova, the chair of the Eco-Forum (Kazakhstan) said that her country had had Soviet nuclear activity for over 50 years. “Grandchildren of women who were exposed to radiation have severe defects, worse than the generation that was directly exposed,” she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Mrs Sabine Bock, the director of Women in Europe for a Common Future, who, quoting previous studies, said: “Even a four-fold expansion of nuclear power by 2050 would provide only marginal reductions in green house gas emissions.”

Mrs Mildrid Mekandla, director of Earth Care Africa, Zimbabwe, said the cash to be used in investing in- nuclear power could be used to create millions of jobs, reduce emissions while at the same time fighting poverty and climate change.

Rural Areas to Get More Condoms

Rural Areas to Get More Condoms
By BORNICE BIOMNDO

The distribution of condoms in rural areas is to be stepped.

This follows the findings of the Kenya Aids Indicator Survey that more men are getting infected with HIV.

While the infection rate of women has remained constant, the rate of infection among men has risen, especially in rural areas.

Public Health and Sanitation minister Beth Mugo said the ministry’s new strategy included ensuring access to preventive measures and information, especially in remote areas.

“We want community service organisations to be major distributors of condoms and information materials,” the minister said in a statement.

The director of the National Aids and STI Control Programme, Dr Nicholas Muraguri, "fead the statement on her behalf during the official launch of Maanisha, an HIV programme initiated by Amref and funded by the Swedish and British governments.

Official launch

Dr Muraguri said that the government needed to form links with such initiatives to effectively reach the people.

At the same time, the National Aids Control Council chairperson, Prof Miriam Were, attributed the rise in the number of infections to the failure to involve men in the Aids war.

“Until we address them (men), we cannot keep clapping for the empowered woman", she said. `

The Maanisha programme is a five year plan to strengthen community based organisations through funding, training of personnel and provision of care kits.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Energise with Yoga; Stretch and Release

Yoga Stretch and Release

You know the ones .... you wake up and even your eyeballs feel tired! Perplexed you wonder how this can be - you went to bed early, have slept deeply for 9 hours (2 hours more than usual) and yet your body feels like you have gone 3 rounds with Ali (showing my age!).

I had one of those mornings today. Despite a full night’s sleep I woke up feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. After spending 5 fruitless minutes wondering why, it dawned on me that it didn’t really matter why... I just was exhausted. So instead of analysing, fighting or masking it (double espresso and a chocolate muffin - not that I would ever indulge in either!), or ignoring it, I decided to just accept the fact and work with it. Today my body, mind and heart are tired and I am going to embrace and accept this and go a little easier on myself.

The next time you have one of those mornings or moments, try the sequence below. A gentle stretch and a few deep breaths really do go a long way. After just 10 minutes you should feel better able to cope with the challenges of the day ahead.

Yoga Stretch and Release

The Benefits of Yoga for Teens

The Benefits of Yoga for Teens
Today’s teens are faced with more pressures than ever before. School, jobs, preparing for college and body image issues are just a few of a teenager’s daily events that can cause undue stress or anxiety. A regular yoga practice can help teenagers overcome stressful situations while providing their bodies with physical benefits. Lara Azzarito Ward is a local yoga expert and founder of Lotus Gardens, LLC, which is the first Yoga Alliance approved teacher training program in Connecticut. She is a certified 500 hour yoga instructor with more than 20 years of yoga teaching experience. Lara discusses the many physical and mental benefits that a regular yoga practice provides.

“Yoga helps teens build strength and learn proper body alignment," says Azzarito Ward. ‘A regular practice also helps promote a healthy body image, raises self esteem and promotes self acceptance by building confidence and strength.” Yoga strengthens the body and elongates the muscular structure while improving circulation. A regular practice improves sleep and stabilizes the nervous system, something that can benefit teens and adults alike.

As many adults have experienced, yoga not only benefits the body but the mind and spirit as well. Practicing yoga is an effective way to reduce stress in teens. "We live in a world where teenagers have a lot of pressure to excel," says Azzarito Ward. "Yoga can teach young people the coping, breathing and focusing skills that are important in everyday life." Proper breathing techniques are a central focus of a yoga practice. The deep breathing techniques learned in yoga expand respiratory function and bring a fresh supply of oxygen to the body which helps rid it of harmful toxins. Teenagers are typically multitasking and are bombarded with different types of media throughout the day making it hard to focus and slow down. "It is more important than ever to teach young people how to clear their minds and focus,” she says. "Meditation is a big part of a yoga practice which leads to improved learning, grade point averages and test taking skills. Not only will meditation and proper breathing help teenagers in their current daily lives, but it will build a foundation for how they will deal with stress and anxiety as adults" A regular practice also improves concentration, memory and attention.

Teenagers can benefit in many ways from a regular yoga practice. To find a certified yoga instructor or school for your teenaged son or daughter visit www.yogaalliance.com or call your local community centen For more information on local yoga expert, Lara Azzarito Ward, visit vvwvv.lotusgardensyoga.com. ##

by Clarissa Gonzales

Fibs, Porkies and Tall Stories - Why Children Lie...

Why children lie
Fibs, porkies & rall stories - Why children lie...

Imagine the scene: your three year old is standing next to the table with chocolate smeared around his mouth. On the floor lies a piece of crumpled gold foil; the last bit of daddy’s Easter egg, which was on the table five minutes ago, is missing. You say to your son "Have you eaten daddys last bit of egg?" and he looks you straight in the eye and says "No mummy". It’s almost charming in its naivety and you are tempted to laugh. Don’t!

Youngsters are often confused about the rights and wrongs of lying because they observe adults telling ‘white’ lies all the time. Supposing a child has been in the house all afternoon with their mum and then they hear her, having forgotten to ring someone, answer a phone call by saying "Oh hello, I've only just got in..." The child will observe this and hle it away, just like the note they took in about their absence from school being due to a sore throat when really a long weekend away was on the agenda,

Children use their imaginations to make their lives better so if they’re a bit lonely, they may create an imaginary iriend. Parents often find this amusing and join in with this fantasy, including imaginary Jo-Jo in conversations and maybe even setting a place for him at the table. However, if Jo-Jo is blamed for any misdemeanours that his creator has been confronted With it becomes important to deal with the Fantasy

So why do children lie?

To preserve their self-image From around the age of six to seven years children Want to build a sense of their own identity and to have a really good sell"»image. They will deny doing things they feel guilty about because they don’t want to be in yoL1r bad books, but also because they don’t want to think badly of themselves (I don’t want to be the child who ate dad°s Easter egg and disappointed mum).

To get attention

Children often agree with others in order to be liked and may make up things to have in common with someone such as "I've got a black Labrador called Nellie, just like you". Often adults think younger children making things up like this is cute and charming and will go along with it saying "Oooh, have you really?!"

To avoid punishment

If a child feels that the punishment that they are likely to get is severe, or unbair, they will keep up the untruth for as long as possible.

To live up to high expectations

Declaring that they got 10/10 for a test when really they got 6/10 indicates that they are Worried about living up to what their parents expect and want them to achieve.

How should parents react?

How you react to an obvious fib is important. lf you get angry they may be too scared to tell you the truth in future ~ and next time it may be a more important issue. If they continue to deny a wrongdoing it’s best to say "Go and thing about it and then come back and tell me the truth" If you are both very angry it’s important to move away from the threatening situation by saying "Lets go for a walk/ sit on the stairs and talk this through somewhere else" When they do own up, give them credit tor that and ask them to apologise for the wrongdoing. Honesty is something children need to be taught and parents need to model that behaviour and explain the reasons for their occasional white lies. Children who feel loved and safe will soon learn that it is better to tell the truth. Helping them to develop a healthy conscience is something that will stand them in good stead for a lifetime.

Jill Knowles and Sue Twort are Professional Child Counsellor wirh Marchants House Therapy Center. www.childlight.co.uk

Friday, May 2, 2014

Do molecular data support an ancient rapid radiation of the genus Nicrophorus (Coleoptera: Silphidae)?

Do molecular data support an ancient rapid radiation of the genus Nicrophorus (Coleoptera: Silphidae)?
Chandra Venables & Derek S. Sikes

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada




Abstract: Preliminary phylogenetic analyses of the genus Nicrophorus (Silphidae: Nicrophorinae) show a polytomy in the mid-level of the clade, which may reflect a rapid radiation. The resolution of the polytomy may be possible with the addition of data from genes evolving at a rate informative for the depth of the polytomy. This, combined with dense taxon sampling may 1) indicate whether the rapid radiation is ‘real,’ and 2) if the branching pattern of the polytomy can be resolved. Recent Bayesian analysis of molecular data indicates resolution may be possible. The latest trees suggest a number of intriguing macro-evolutionary scenarios and possible solutions to long-standing problems.



Table 1. Summary of molecular data analyzed, including the protein coding genes COI, COII (mitochondrial), and CAD (nuclear), and the non-prolein ooding nuclear D2 region of 2BS_ Parsimony informative characlers are for the in-group only (genus Nicrophorus).

Figure 1. 90% GTR+I+G Bayesian analysis of COII dala_Phylogeny shows a polytomy at the mid-level of the clade indicating a possible rapid radiation.


Introduction: The polytomy in the nicrophorine phylogeny (Fig. 1) may represent a rapid radiation (Sikes 2003). This radiation may have coincided with an EoceneI0|igocene faunal turn-over, when populations of large mammals were replaced by rodents (prey items of Nicrophorus) and lagomorphs in a radiation originating in Asia (Meng and McKenna 1998). The oldest nicrophorine fossils are from the Eocene (55-40 Mya) (Hatch 1927) thus, a radiation coincident with that of the rodents is possible. The species of Nicrophorus hypothesized to be basal to the rest of the genus are native to China. However, the lack of resolution at the mid-level of the nicrophorine tree (Fig.1) prevents a test of this hypothesis. Other information is obscured by the polytomy in the Nicmphoms phylogeny, such as: Where did the genus originate? Did the nicrophorines reach their present distribution (Fig. 2) via dispersal or vicariance? Do the New World species form a clade?

Methods: Our dataset contained 3,982 molecular characters (Table 1). 62 species were represented in the dataset including 6 outgroup species and 58 of the total 67 species in the genus Nicrophorus (B7%). Phylogenetic analyses were Bayesian (Bl) using MC’ algorithms. We conducted mixture model (BayesPhylogenies: Pagel and Meade [2004]), and single model analyses (MrBayes 3.1.22 Huelsenbeck and Ronquist [2001]). ln all analyses the best tit model of evolution was found to be GTR+I+G (ModelTest: Posada and Crandall [1998]). Two chain Bl analyses were run for 3x106 generations, sampling once every 1,000 generations. We made a 90% majority-rule consensus tree of 2,400 post burn-in trees. Mixture model analysis consisted of the GTR+G model with 2 rate-matrices and 2x106 generation MC3, sampling once every 1,000 generations, resulting in a post burn-in total of 1,500 trees.



Discussion/Conclusions: Single and mixture model Bayesian analyses of sequences from 4 genes with dense taxon sampling support the hypothesis that the genus Nicrophorus has experienced a rapid radiation (Fig. 3 & 4). Resolution of the branching pattem at the mid-level of the tree suggest the following:

- The basal-most species of Nicrophorus are N. smefarka and N. przewalskii (Fig. 4 & 5). These species are both endemic to China which suggests that the ancestral Nicmphorus may have occurred in China.

- Given the probable origin of the lineage in the Eocene (Sikes 2003), and the location of the ancestral species, it is possible that the nicrophorine radiation coincided with the rodentl lagomorph radiation in Asia (Meng and McKenna 1998).

- These results suggest Nicrophorus invaded the New World a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 times. Resolution of the polytomy in the terminal clades, and complete taxon sampling should resolve the exact number, and pattem of invasions.

- The monophyly of the South American species indicates a single invasion of South America (Fig. 3). However, not all S. American species are represented, so it is possible that multiple invasions have occurred.

Acknowledgements: l‘d like to thank my colleague Tonya Mousseau for her ideas and her encouragement. Funding was provided by NSERC awarded tc Derek Sikes.

Literature Cited:_ Hatch, ul. l-l. 1927. Studies cn the Silphinae. Journal ofthe New York Entomological Society 35: 331-370. l-luelsenbeelt, .l.P. s. l=. Ronquist. 2001. MRBAYES: Bayesian inference of phylogeny. Bioinformatics 17: 754-755. Meng, J. & McKenna, M.C. 1995.
Faunal tumcvers of Palaeogene mammals from the Mongolian Plateau. Nature 394: 364-367. Pagel, ul., and A. Meade. 2004. A phylogenetic mixture model for detecting pattern heterogeneity in gene sequence or character state data. Systematic Biclcgy 53(4): 571-581.
Posada, o. and Crandall, K.A. 1995. Modeltest: testing the model of DNA substitution. Bioinformatics 14:817-s1a. sikes, o.s. zoos. A revision ofthe subfamily Nisroohorinae lGrby (lnseotacoleootera;silpnidae) PhD Dissertation. University of Connecticut, Connecticut, us.


Bonus 2
Bonus 1
Bonus 3
Bonus 4
Bonus 5

Brown's Observation Confirmed

SIR - The recent claims that Robert Brown could not have observed brownian movement can now be laid to rest. I have demonstrated videomicrographs of the phenomenon, seen through Brown’s own microscope, at Inter Micro (Chicago, Illinois, July 1992). The recordings reveal the clarity with which Brown observed the phenomenon that now bears his name.

Your correspondent Cadéel is taken to task by Deutsch2 for a slight misquotation in his letter. Deutsch comFour frame enlargements from video imaging of brownian movement. The test specimen is suspended globules in milk, and the scale bar represents 10 um. Frame separation 0.5 seconds, and the high-power lens from Brown’s microscope is calibrated at a magnification of x17O. lt resolves particulates of 1.3 um diameter. The microscope is in the collection of the Linnean Society. plains that he is wrongly cited as having said that Brown’s particles were “too large . . _ e.g. pollen”, and that he actually said they were “too light". Deutsch has published his belief that Brown claimed to observe the phenomenon in the movement of pollen grains. and this common misconception is incorrect.

As Brown makes perfectly plain. his observations were of the intracellular granules within the pollen cells, and not of the entire grains themselves3. Furthermore, Brown took great pains to avoid external perturbations and was clearly aware of the problems that might be caused by currents induced by such factors. Each of Deutsch’s objections can be faulted by a careful consultation of Brown’s privately printed account".

The authority now cited by Deutsch5 produced an interesting -account, although it perpetrated the widespread belief that the simple microscope was not capable of generating images of sufficient resolution. Perrin writes that the phenomenon was described “very shortly after the discovery of the achromatic objective”. This comment is misleading.

As Brown makes clear, his observations were made -using the simple (single lens) microscope. He_had brief recourse to an early achromatic compound system. but soon returned to the single lens3. The “pseudo-brownian movement” postulated by Deutsch is certainly not recognized by Perrin, or by other major workers in the field. I am aware of no evidence that it exists.


Brown's Observation Confirmed


Brlan J. Ford
Rothay House, Mayfield Road,
Eastrea, Cambridge PE 7 2A)C UK.
1. Cadée. G. C. Nature. 354. 180 (1991).
2. Deutsch. D. H. Nature, 357. 354 (1992).
3. Brown, R. A brief account of microscopical observations made in the months of June. July and August 1827 on the particles contained in the pollen of plants and Additional remakrs on active molecules (London, 1828).
4. Ford, J. The Microscope 39 (3 & 4), 161-173 (1991).
5. Perrln. J. Brownian Movement and Molecular Reality (London. 1910).


John Geisse: Never Say Retire

John Geisse: Never Say RetireDon’t look for John Geisse to be accepting a gold watch any time soon. He’s tried retirement twice, and it doesn’t suit him. Three years ago when he was 64, an age when many executives turn increasingly to such things as passive investing and Florida, Geisse was busy raising the $3.7 million necessary to start a new company.

While many of his peers were giving up walking even nine holes of golf, opting instead for carts, Geisse took up sailboarding, a decidedly vigorous sport. (He has three sailboards at his home on Eagle Creek Reservoir; last year, he sailed one of them on New Year’s Day.)

Besides steering his sailboards, Geisse is also at the helm of a fast-growing, publicly traded company, The Wholesale Club, Inc., an Indianapolis-based discount retailer. Since its start-up, the company has opened 15 of its huge (100,000-square-foot) stores in four states: Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Last year, The Wholesale Club reported sales of $158 million. Geisse is the company’s chairman and, with a 13.3 percent stake, its largest shareholder.

Of retirement, Geisse says: “l’m in no hurry. My health is good, and there’s a lot of work left to do here.”

The Wholesale Club is Geisse’s third start-up. ln 1962, he started the Target Stores discount chain for Minneapolis-based Dayton Hudson Corp. Six years later, he formed The Venture Stores, the discount arm of St. Louis-based May Department Stores Co. Geisse retired for the first time in 1975. Then, he took up private consulting and later, retired again. ln 1981, he was approached by some West Coast venture capitalists who wanted to compete with the country’s first warehouse chain, San Diego-based Price Club, Inc., in what looked like a promising industry. Geisse liked the idea of warehouse sales but didn’t much take to California living, with its crowds and traffic jams. “So I decided to see if I could make the same concept work here in the Midwest,” he says.

In February 1984, the first Wholesale Club store opened, on the east-side of Indianapolis.

The stores engage in mass merchandising through self-service, cash-and-carry warehouses.

So far this year, the company has opened four new stores. Next year, it’ll open three. Geisse assures share-holders that, although growth has slowed, profits are expected next year, “Things will be GK," he says.

Nora McKinney Hia!! is an Indianapolis-based free-lance writer



By Nora McKinney Hiatt

San Gabriel Valley: The Intellectual Capital of California

By Nat Read

The colleges and universities of the San Gabriel Valley, this past May-J une, awarded degrees to 14,370 candidates, according to figures of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership. That means 14,370 caps, 14,370 gowns, 14,370 sheepskins and 14,370 educated entrants into the work force or candidates for additional degrees. Graduation time is especially important here because the San Gabriel Valley is the top cluster of colleges and universities in California earning its title of “Intellectual Capital.”

The San Gabriel Valley is composed of 30 cities and a population of 1.9 million. Within its 400 square miles are 25 colleges, universities and graduate schools, including some of the most distinctive in the country. The San Gabriel Valley‘s 164,457 higher education students would form the largest city in the San Gabriel Valley, and the aggregate college and university workforce of 13,000 faculty and staff` would make Higher Education, Inc. the largest single employer. The combined campus acreage makes higher education larger than seven San Gabriel Valley cities. One out of every twelve San Gabriel Valley residents is a student of higher education.

The 14,370 graduates of 2002 outnumber the population of five of the San Gabriel Valley cities. Figures for graduates and enrollment were compiled by the San Gabriel Valley Partnership from reference sources and the colleges and universities themselves.

The Boston area and Manhattan have more colleges and universities than does the San Gabriel Valley, but the San Gabriel Valley has more four-year colleges and universities than do Boston/Cambridge, Manhattan or Chicago.

The San Gabriel Valley has about the same number of colleges and universities as does Los Angeles even though Los Angeles has almost twice the population. The San Gabriel Valley has three and a half times the number of colleges and universities ofthe San Fernando Valley, which has about the same population base.

Albert Einstein taught in the San Gabriel Valley at Caltech, whose faculty and alumni have captured 29 Nobel prizes.

Two of the nation's top liberal arts colleges, Claremont McKenna and Pomona, are here as well. Harvey Mudd College sends a higher percentage of students to graduate school than does any of America's other 690 engineering/science schools.

Mt. San Antonio is the largest community college in the U.S. with 39,279 students, and, arguably, the brainiest. It boasts America's largest Phi Theta Kappa chapter (the Phi Beta Kappa of two-year schools). It even has its own air force, with three airplanes used for pilot instruction. The third largest U.S. community college is also here: Pasadena City College.

Other colleges and universities in the San Gabriel Valley are Azusa Pacific University, California State University Los Angeles, California Polytechnic University Pomona, Citrus Community College, Claremont Graduate University, , DeVry Institute of Technology, Don Bosco College of Science and Technology, East Los Angeles

College, Emanuel Bible College. ITT Technology Institute, Mt. Sierra College, Pacific Oaks College, Pitzer College, Scripps College and University of LaVerne.

Consider these facts about San Gabriel Valley academic institutions:

° More than half of the world's automobile designers are graduates of Pasadena's Art Center College of Design.

° Fuller Seminary is the largest multi-denominational seminary in theworld.

° The Claremont School of Theology maintains perhaps the country‘s most significant collection of ancient Biblical manuscripts.

° The new Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences is the nation's only graduate school dedicated to biotechnology.

° The Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University boasts one of the highest ranked MBA n the country

° Cal State L.A. is home to unique American Program, the 1000-student Early Enterance Program, Helping young scholars, as young as teen, enroll and graduate from college.

If the San Fernando Valley is "The Valley of the Stars," the San Gabriel Valley is "The Valley of the Scholars.

Prophet and Pioneer Fire Scientist Harry T. Gisborne

by Louise Kingsbury, Station History Coordinator

Harry T. Gisborne
Suppression of fire in forests was a priority of the Forest Service in the I920’s, but what forest managers needed was the power of a prophet: something to tell them quickly and simply days in advance what to expect so that funds, equipment, and personnel could be allocated to a firefighting job.

Foresters knew little about how to predict the behavior of a fire, the nature of its effects, and the means to control it. They guessed. But that wasn’t good enough for a young forester named Harry Thomas Gisborne, who in 1922 began a quest for accurate predictions about fire. Over the next 27 years, Gisborne’s research in the Northem Rocky Mountains resulted in development of many instruments to measure weather conditions and forest inflammability. Foremost was the Fire Danger Rating Meter, which revolutionized the management of millions of acres of land in the United States and abroad. And Gisborne’s plans for research facilities ultimately, after his death, led to establishment of the Missoula, Montana, Northern Forest Fire Laboratory, now the Intermountain Fire Sciences Laboratory of the Intermountain Research Station.

Harry T. Gisborne

In 1935 when the Fire Danger Rating Meter was given its first full test on the fires in the Selway National Forest in Idaho, its success in correctly predicting the behavior of the fires suddenly made the system popular. Managers now had a way of planning ahead to assure that adequate personnel and supplies would arrive at a fire.

“The field is so new that we have nothing to help us except our own imagination and what little ingenuity we possess,” wrote Gisborne in 1927.

By all accounts Gisborne had great imagination and ingenuity. He was also described as an outspoken man not easy to work for, given to argumentation and sarcasm. But the same people also note that Gisbourne inspired a legacy of devotion and had a knack of selecting good people.

Gisborne was born in Vermont on September ll, 1893, the son of a lumberyard and planing-mill owner. He earned a degree in 1917 from the University of Michigan School of Forestry. He was a seasonal employee as a lookout in the Wenatchee National Forest in Washington before World War I. After serving in the war, he returned to the Forest Service in the Northwest.

In 1922 Gisborne began work in Idaho at the Priest River Branch of the Northern Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station (now part of the Intermountain Research Station). From the beginning he believed his research should have practical application. He wrote: “Fire research is intended to serve as directly as possible the fire-control men who must first be successful before any of the other arts or artistry of forestry can function with safety.”

Gisbome had three research priorities: measuring and forecasting fire conditions; assessing the relationship between lightning and fires; and forecasting rainfall and other fire-weather conditions. Gisborne established three fire-weather stations in the Kaniksu, Clearwater, and Nez Perce National Forests in northern Idaho in 1922. He discovered that evaporimeters, which were supposed to predict evaporation for the next day, had no value. He learned that relative humidity of air is not a good index of moisture content or inflammability of duff and other forest materials, but that temperature is an important variable in moisture content. Most important, he concluded that there was no one single factor that could be used to measure or predict forest inflammability.

His second priority, the relationship between lightning and forest fires, found him analyzing nearly 15,000 storms over 5 years in three Forest Service Regions and British Columbia. Gisborne’s study resulted in improved levels of protection from lightning fires by increased surveillance, knowledge of the difference between a “fire-starting” storm and a “safe’ storm, and more accurate 36-hour forecasts of StOrm occurrences.

Working with the U.S. Weather Bureau, Gisbome found that forecasting rainfall was the most difficult of his priorities. Although many people did not believe weather could be predicted months in advance, Gisbome developed a statistical method of showing the relative probability that tl1e following spring or summer would be wetter or drier than the previous one. In 1925 he announced the creation of a system for predicting rain fall monthly from April through September, based on 44 years of precipitation records.

Gisbome concluded that what forest managers needed was a simple and reliable device that expressed in one figure the results of many integrated factors, rather than depending on multitudes of time-consuming charts. By 1931, Gisbome had created a small cardboard envelope with windows and two slides and many variables to analyze. The factors produced six classes of fire danger conceming rate of fire spread and administrative action needed to cope with probable danger. Gisbome and others subsequently modified the meter. Today, computers have made the device even more effective.

In the summer of 1949, the Mann Gulch fire in the Helena National Forest in Montana took the lives of 13 of a crew of 16 firefighters. Afterward, Gisbome insisted on inspecting the scene of the fire, despite a heart condition and the re- luctance of his Station Director. On November 9, accompanied by a Forest Ranger, Gisbome drove to the site, then, over the Ranger’s objections, began walking. Late in the day, while starting to leave a resting place, Gisbome collapsed and died. He was 56 years old.

Firefighter honor Gisborne with those killed at Mann Gulch

The Nation’s firefighters honored the Forest Service’s first fire scientist on May 8, 1991, when they included him in a memorial dedicated to those who have given their lives fighting wildland fires.

Just north of Missoula’s Aerial Fire Depot conifers surround a small hill and a rock wall built to resemble the scene where at Mann Gulch 12 smokejumpers and a forest guard gave their lives. Scattered along the base of the wall lie engraved stones marking the places where their bodies were found. In keeping with the re-creation of the scene, over the hill lies another stone marking the place where Gisbome died.

No tighter fratemity exists in the Forest Service than among the smokejumpers who have faced fear and close bnishes with death while fighting forest fires. So when Smokejumper Foreman and visitor center manager Wayne Williams approached the memorial committee and suggested that they include Gisbome, and then got a quick affirmation, the recognition could not have been greater.

Deputy Chief George Leonard dedicated the memorial while several hundred stood and listened in a cold spring drizzle. Northem Regional Forester John Mumma also spoke to those gathered Mumma pointed out historical significance of the Mann Gulch tragedy and the work of Gisbome in launching the Forest Service into a new era of fire research.

The Station is now working with the Helena Ranger District to place a simple monument on the site where Gisbome actually died on a steep hillside above the Missouri River.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Hypnosis: 20 hypnotherapist Secrets

Self Hypnosis
20 hypnotherapist Secrets
You don't need to look onto her eyes to change.


Leading hypnotlst Ursula James explains how your brain can do everything from shrink your stomach to help your baby sleep.

1) HYPNOTHERAPY CAN HELP WHERE COUNSELLING MAY NOT

'There's a difference between knowing what you should be doing and actually doing it. Take weight loss, for example - everyone's aware they should eat less and exercise more, but they don't. Even if you've had counseling to overcome a problem, and feel you totally understand yourself, you still might not have actually changed. Hypnotherapy is the bridge between acknowledging what actions you should take and actually carrying them out It can boost your motivation and help you succeed.'

2) IT CAN MAKE YOUR SKIN SMOOTHER

‘Hypnotherapy can be used to treat skin conditions, including eczema and allergic reactions. lt’s not surpnsing, really - when we were just an egg, the outside pan of it was what became our skin. organs and brain. so everything is heavily connected, Therefore, anything that affects your brain is highly likely to affectthe nervous system and skin itself.'

3) YOU’RE THE REAL EXPERT

'As a hypnotherapist, being a good listener is essential because when you listen to people they'll tell you so much about themselves, their problem and how they feel about it. My clients are the true experts on their condition, and so they’ll teach me how to treat them!

4) THERE AR£ THREE DIFFERENT ROUTES IN...

‘You can use sound, sight or touch to hypnotist someone. If I asked you how you relax and you said by reading. I'd use eye focus and perhaps ask you to concentrate on the back of your hand. if you chill out to music. I'd request you listen to the sound of my voice. If you said you liked having a massage. I'd pick a touch-based induction. Hypnosis is about keying into your individual way of relaxing.'


6) YOU CAN HYPNOTISE YOURSELF HAPPIER

'Sit somewhere where you'll be undisturbed for five minutes. Close your eyes, take three deep breaths while focusing, then breathe out "a dark colour” and breathe in 'a bright colour', The dark colour is any irritation, and the light one is a positive feeling. Next fake a smile. After a couple of seconds you’ll break into a real grin. You may feel silly doing it, but your brain will release feel-good endorphins'

7) HYPNO-BIRTHI NG IS GOING TO BE HUGE

'I use hypnotherapy to help women conceive, during pregnancy (to cope with morning sickness) and with childbirth itself. With the birth. I teach the mother to ride the contractions. instead of tensing up. Research has found that with hypnotherapy, the use of drugs drops, recovery is faster and theres less stitching required afterwards. And if the mother has listened to hypnosis CDs throughout her pregnancy, the baby sleeps better once it's born, too.'

8) REMEMBERING YOU’RE FABULOUS HELPS!

'If l was treating you, l'd ask you to recall something you'd successfully done in the past - a moment when you felt proud of yourself. Then l'd encourage you to associate that memory with something you’ve got coming up. so that you link it with a part of you that already knows you can be successful.'

9) TRUST YOUR THERAPIST

'If you don't completely trust them, you'll  never enter hypnosis. Thats why I always talk to people on the phone first, so that I can a) make sure they're comfortable with me, b) give them the chance to ask any questions and, c) assess whether hypnosis is the correct treatment - it's not a cure-all.'

10) I WON'T HYPNOTIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY

'I know planty of people who've tried and it's unfruitful at best. They're familiar with your voice and they know you in a certain context. Plus, they wouldn't necessarily want to tell you all the information you need to treat them. For example, l always ask smokers if they smoke anything else and they may say, "The odd joint" But if that person's your cousin, they may not be 100% truthful.'

11) THERE'S NO UPPER AGE LIMlIT

‘l don't treat children under seven; when someone is that age it's often the parent, rather than the child, who needs therapy. And also it's not necessarily a good idea to go in there and tinker. There's no upper age limit, but the older someone is, the more likely they are to fall asleep, thanks to the relaxation aspect.'

12) IN THE PAST, ONLY WOMEN COULD BE HYPNOTISED

'Before the First World War, hypnosis was seen as a 'side effect' of hysteria. And only women could be hysterical, because people thought it was caused by your womb moving around your body. That all changed when men returned from the war with the same symptoms - they were actually suffering from shell shock. When hypnosis seemed to help them too, the diagnosis for hysteria and the criteria for hypnosis charged.'

Self Hypnosis


14) IT CAN TEACH YOU TO BE CHILLED

'When you're in a physicaliy relaxed state, your biochemistry changes are, as a result. you can bring that feeling of relaxation into your everyday life. This is because your body learns that it's more effective for you to be calm thar anxious.'

15) MOST PAIN (BUT NOT ALL) CAN BE BLOCKED OUT

'The more acute a pain is, the more you're able to manipulate it. With intense pain, it's easier to think, "Yes, this is exactly what I don't want," block it out and focus on something else. However, pain can never completely be taken away - you’ll still feel low grade "signal pain". This is important, because you need it to tell you if somethng is wrong and it can be very dangerous to just take it all away.'

16) YOU CAN DOWNSIZE, FAST!

'Good hypnotherapy is never about losing weight, it's about getting to a healthy weight and maintaining it for good. The main difference between hypnotherapy and dieting is that clients don't get obsessed about food. They just get on with their lives and out food into context.'

17) I WORK WITH THE INNER SMOKER

‘Smokers don't smoke 24/7 - for example, they may smoke after a meal. It you want to give up, I work on the basis that 99% of you is fine. There's only a little bit of you that's a smoken and that's who I work with. Also, I never tell someone they're an ex-smoker, bocause ex-smokers are a pain in the bum. I just say, "Youre a smoker who hasn't lit up for five years.” People quite like the idea of this "rebel personality", so l let them keep thai.'

18) CLEVER WOMEN ARE BETTER AT IT

'People think you have to be weak-willed to experience hypnotherapy, but strong personalities are the best to work with. The more control you feel over the event, the more you'll participate. The worst people to treat are those who think hypnotherapy is a magic wand - that they'll "wake up" half an hour later completely fixed. Hypnosis is a therapeutic partnership. You givie me information, then l’ll give you knowledge and teach you how to use it.'

19) MAN ARE EASIER TO HYPNOTISE..

'. .but maybe that's because l'ma woman. More men have started coming in the past few years, possibly because hypnotherapy is now used as a tool for success, rather than rust as something to fix a problem. I work with actors who want to be better performers and sportsmen who want to cut their running time lt 's about saying, "You're doing most things right, but hypnotherapy can finely tune it.'

20) l CAN’T MAKE YOU DO ANYTHING

'I often get people who say, "You're not going to make me do anything stupid, are you?" I just reply. "No, that's your job.” Nobody can make you do anything. One woman got naked, but she did it before I even hypnotised her! I left the room briefly, and by the time I returned she'd started to undress, I never did find out why, l just said, "l’m going to go back outside again and you're going to put your clothes back on" l didn't continue treating her.'

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Ursula James is the author of You Can Be Amazing: Transform Your Life With Hypnosis
For moreinformation about her, log onto www.ursulajames.com.
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