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Dec 30, 2018, 19:23 pm
(This post was last modified: Dec 30, 2018, 19:40 pm by Resurgence. Edited 4 times in total.)
Happy New Year!
A New Year’s celebration in Kitzbühel, Austria.
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Positive News:
100 species discovered as scientists find new ocean zone
An ocean zone nobody knew existed, which is home to more than 100 new species, has been discovered by Oxford University.
The Rariphotic Zone, or rare light zone, extends from 226 feet (130m) to 984ft (300m) and joins five other areas which have distinct biological communities living and growing within them. The new section, was discovered during a research mission to Bermuda organised by the British charity for ocean exploration Nekton, and led by marine research scientists from Oxford University.
As well as the new zone, more than 100 new species were discovered including tanaids – minute crustaceans - dozens of new algae species and black wire coral that stand up to two metres high.
The survey team spent hundreds of hours underwater, either scuba diving or using submersibles and remote operated vehicles which can reach depths of 6,500 feet (2,000m).
“Considering the Bermudian waters have been comparatively well studied for many decades, we certainly weren’t expecting such a large number and diversity of new species,” says Alex Rogers, Professor of Conservation Biology at Oxford University and scientific director of Nekton.
Prof Rogers said the discovery of a whole new ocean zone, teeming with life, shows that there could be far more ocean species, and of greater variety than previously thought. "The average depth of the ocean is 4,200m. If life in the shallower regions of the deep sea is so poorly documented it undermines confidence in our existing understanding of how the patterns of life change with depth,” he added. “[This is] evidence of how little we know and how important it is to document this unknown frontier to ensure that its future is protected”.
The group also discovered a major algal forest on the summit of an underwater mountain 15 miles off the coast of Bermuda. The undersea mountain’s slopes were found to harbour gardens of twisted wire corals and sea fans, communities of sea urchins, green moray eels, yellow hermit crabs, small pink and yellow fish and other mobile fauna. There are more than 100,000 underwater mountains in seas across the globe yet less than 50 have been biologically sampled in detail.
The group's next mission will be to the Indian Ocean later this year, diving in seas around the Seychelles, the Maldives, Mauritius, Andaman and Sumatra.
“We now have the technology available to us to discover the deep ocean, to discover more of our planet in the next 10 years than we have in the last 100,000. We have been looking up and when we should have been looking down.”
In March 2018, in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports, Dr. Carole Baldwin from the Smithsonian Institute described the discovery of unique reef-fish communities living above the seabed between 130 and 309 meters around the Caribbean island of Curacao that are taxonomically distinct from shallower animals.
Lacking an existing name for this depth zone Dr. Baldwin proposed ‘rariphotic'. Results from Nekton's XL Catlin Deep Ocean Survey in Bermuda confirms that a similar zonation of life exists in the water column, and provides additional evidence of this zonation within the biota of the seabed including corals, sponges and algae.
A new coral species called stichopathes was found.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018...cean-zone/
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The Magic of Oil Painting - “Winter Snow”
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New Year’s Concert 1992 in Vienna
In the 150th Jubilee Year of the Wiener Philharmoniker
Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra)
Conductor: Carlos Kleiber
Die Lustigen Weiber Von Windsor; Ouvertüre - Otto Nicolai (8:56)
Stadt Und Land; Op. 322 Polka Mazur - Johann Strauss Jr. (4:24)
Dorfschwalben Aus Österreich; Op. 164 Walzer - Josef Strauß (8:34)
Vergnügungszug; Op. 281 Polka Schnell - Johann Strauss Jr. (2:49)
Der Zigeunerbaron; Ouvertüre - Johann Strauss Jr. (7:49)
Tausend Und Eine Nacht; Op. 346 Walzer - Johann Strauss Jr. (8:20)
Neue Pizzicato-Polka; Op. 449 Aus: Fürstin Ninetta - Johann Strauss Jr. (3:49)
Persischer Marsch; Op. 289 - Johann Strauss Jr. (1:51)
Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka; Op. 214 - Johann Strauss Jr. (2:46)
Sphärenklänge; Op. 235 Walzer - Josef Strauß (9:19)
Unter Donner Und Blitz; Op. 324 Polka Schnell - Johann Strauss Jr. (3:13)
An Der Schönen Blauen Donau; Op. 314 Walzer - Johann Strauss Jr. (10:02)
Radetzky-Marsch; Op. 228 - Johann Strauss Sr. (3:16)
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Jan 17, 2019, 03:08 am
(This post was last modified: Jan 17, 2019, 03:12 am by Resurgence. Edited 3 times in total.)
Positive News:
Every day a goose visits the man who rescued her
The goose a man rescued years ago flies right next to him whenever he takes his boat out - and she just gave him a gosling grandson.
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Olafur Arnalds - TREE
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The Magic of Oil Painting - "Sunset Trees"
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Hazy - Manifest
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Ballet:
Giselle
Teatro Alla Scala, Milan, Italy, 2005
Albrecht: Roberto Bolle
Giselle: Svetlana Zakharova
Myrtha: Marta Romagna
Hilarion: Vittorio D'Amato
Conductor: David Coleman
Setting: Rhineland during the Middle Ages
Based on: Heinrich Heine's De l'Allemagne and Victor Hugo's "Fantômes" from Les Orientales
The ballet first premiered on June 28, 1841 in Paris, France.
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Jan 24, 2019, 14:31 pm
(This post was last modified: Jan 24, 2019, 16:31 pm by Resurgence. Edited 5 times in total.)
Positive News:
Woman still vivacious at 94, works six days a week at a bakery
Meet Wynnifred Franklin, 94, a great-grandmother who’s worked in the bakery of the Giant supermarket in Audubon, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania since 1996.
For three years, she enjoyed retirement. But it got old, quick. And she didn’t.
So at the age of 72 — armed with a resumè that included a job at RCA during World War II — she went to a hiring fair for a new Giant supermarket that was opening in Audubon in 1996.
“It took, perhaps, a little bit of being brave,” she said, of applying for a job in her 70s at the Montgomery County store.
But Franklin’s bravery paid off and she was hired as a bakery associate, working on her feet from 6 to 9 a.m. up to six days a week — a job she still works today at the age of 94.
“This changed my life,” she said. “Now I’m part of a team that makes something happen.”
While Franklin may be the only member of the bakery team to use expressions like “Bullfeathers!” and “Oh my stars!” she easily fits in with her wry sense of humor and strong work ethic.
“She gets along with everybody. Everybody calls her Grandmom,” said Anna Inzone, bakery manager. “A lot of people are proud of her because they don’t think of anybody working at 94."
Franklin, who grew up in Haddonfield, graduated from high school in 1942 and went on to work in the purchasing and accounting departments of RCA Camden during World War II.
She married Charles Benjamin Franklin in 1949. She has five children, two grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
For about 20 years, Franklin was a stay-at-home mom. When her youngest was well into school she took a job with Valley Forge Information Services, answering calls and questions from across the country in the pre-internet era.
She then went to work for Transicoil, where she made motors for nearly 20 years before retiring in 1993.
By that time, her husband had passed, having died of an aneurysm in 1984, but she’d become close with her neighbor and they kept each other company.
But when the neighbor died, she decided to rejoin the workforce to keep herself busy.
And keep busy she does.
On workdays, Franklin wakes up at 3:30 a.m., showers, and has a bowl of cereal before jumping on her computer and playing brain games like Bookworm, Text Twist 2, and Klondike.
“It wakes me up," Franklin said. “I play games that I have to make decisions.”
At 5:30 a.m., her son drives her to work, where the rolls — which are baked from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. — are just starting to cool. The smells of artisan cheese bread, rosemary bread, and sometimes cookies fill the bakery.
“When they come out of the oven it’s just obscene,” Franklin said. “They smell wonderful."
Franklin individually bags the rolls — at least 250 a day — twist-ties them, labels them, and sometimes puts them through an industrial slicer. She’s also charged with boxing muffins and sticky buns.
And she does it all at the speed of someone a quarter of her age. Franklin attributes her youthful vigor to her sincere interest in others.
“Being a people person is part of it," she said. "They encourage me, just being there. Even the ones that are a pain will very often help you because you have to find out what makes them tick.”
When Franklin’s shift is up, sometimes she’ll do a little shopping at the store, and she often takes home a loaf of the bakery’s olive bread, which she heats for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
“Then I walk around like I made it from scratch,” she said.
Afterward, she’ll play more brain games on the computer and she’s usually in bed by 7 p.m.
Franklin has never missed a day of work in 22 years. Once, she fell on the job and her manager told her to go the emergency room. Franklin insisted on finishing her shift first.
The next day, she went to work with four stitches, insisting she was fine.
Franklin knows exactly how she got such a strong work ethic: the Great Depression.
“We would see people that had lost their job and they lost their house and you learned from that how valuable [work] really is,” Franklin said. “You just don’t forget that.”
She hopes that like Giant, other employers will give senior citizens seeking a job a chance.
“I hope that they realize that the person, the older they are, maybe the more equipped they just might be,” she said.
http://www.philly.com/news/giant-bakery-...90116.html
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Samantha James - Rain
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The Magic of Oil Painting - "Redwoods"
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Stelvio Cipriani - Anonimo Veneziano
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Short Film:
Paddle to the Sea (1966)
Based on Holling C. Holling's 1941 children's book of the same name, Paddle to the Sea is Bill Mason's film adaptation of the classic tale of a boy who sets out to carve a man and a canoe. Calling the man "Paddle to the Sea," he sets his carving down on a frozen stream to await spring’s arrival. The film follows the adventures that befall the canoe on its long odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 40th Academy Awards.
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Feb 01, 2019, 17:32 pm
(This post was last modified: Feb 02, 2019, 19:00 pm by Resurgence. Edited 7 times in total.)
Positive News:
The Hubble Telescope's deep view of the Universe peered deeper into the cosmos than previously thought
The new version of Hubble's deep image. In dark grey is the new light that has been found around the galaxies in this field. That light corresponds to the brightness of more than 100 billion suns.
One of the Hubble Space Telescope's most famous images peered even deeper into the cosmos than scientists had thought.
That photo is the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field (HUDF), which combines hundreds of images taken by the space telescope over multiple years into the deepest view of the universe ever created. The composite pic of a small patch of sky contains a whopping 10,000 galaxies, astronomers have estimated. (The HUDF also refers to that patch of sky, not just imagery of it.)
Now, researchers have painstakingly reprocessed the iconic image, recovering lots of additional light, a new study reports.
"What we have done is to go back to the archive of the original images, directly as observed by the HST, and improve the process of combination, aiming at the best image quality not only for the more distant smaller galaxies but also for the extended regions of the largest galaxies," stated study leader Alejandro Borlaff, from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) in the Canary Islands.
The new work revealed that some of the galaxies in the HUDF view are nearly twice as big as previously thought, study team members said.
The Hubble Space Telescope launched to Earth orbit in April 1990 aboard NASA's space shuttle Discovery. The scope got off to an inauspicious start; its initial images were blurry, a problem that mission team members traced to a slight flaw in Hubble's primary mirror.
Spacewalking astronauts fixed that problem in December 1993, giving Hubble the sharp focus it's known for today.
The 2012 version of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field image.
That was the first of five servicing missions that repaired, maintained and upgraded the telescope over the years. The most recent of these, which occurred in May 2009, installed what is today Hubble's main eye on the universe, an instrument called the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).
The HUDF image has long been a work in progress. The first version combined data gathered by Hubble from late 2003 to early 2004; later updates have incorporated additional imagery in various wavelengths of light.
https://www.space.com/43147-hubble-teles...photo.html
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Paul Cardall - Sweet Escape
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The Magic of Oil Painting - "Mountains and Buffalo" (my own title - actual title unknown)
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Loituma - Valamon Kirkonkellot
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Documentary:
This Is London
Take a tour of London in the fifties.
Produced by: Associated British Pathé Ltd. for The British Travel Association
Narrated by: Rex Harrison
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David Sun
Harmony
Full Cassette
Released: 1986
Side A - Harmony
Side B (22:44) - Harmony
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Feb 07, 2019, 01:37 am
(This post was last modified: Feb 07, 2019, 01:47 am by Resurgence. Edited 4 times in total.)
Positive News:
'Inkjet' solar panels poised to revolutionize green energy
Polish physicist and business woman Olga Malinkiewicz poses with a printed solar panel at her company Saule in Wroclaw.
What if one day all buildings could be equipped with windows and facades that satisfy the structure's every energy need, whether rain or shine?
That sustainability dream is today one step closer to becoming a reality thanks to Polish physicist and businesswoman Olga Malinkiewicz.
The 36-year-old has developed a novel inkjet processing method for perovskites -- a new generation of cheaper solar cells -- that makes it possible to produce solar panels under lower temperatures, thus sharply reducing costs.
Indeed, perovskite technology is on track to revolutionize access to solar power for all, given its surprising physical properties, some experts say.
Solar panels coated with the mineral are light, flexible, efficient, inexpensive and come in varying hues and degrees of transparency.
They can easily be fixed to almost any surface -- be it laptop, car, drone, spacecraft or building -- to produce electricity, including in the shade or indoors.
Though the excitement is new, perovskite has been known to science since at least the 1830s, when it was first identified by German mineralogist Gustav Rose while prospecting in the Ural mountains and named after Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski.
In the following decades, synthesizing the atomic structure of perovskite became easier.
But it was not until 2009 that Japanese researcher Tsutomu Miyasaka discovered that perovskites can be used to form photovoltaic solar cells.
Initially the process was complicated and required ultra high temperatures, so only materials that could withstand extreme heat -- like glass -- could be coated with perovskite cells.
This is where Malinkiewicz comes in.
In 2013, while still a PhD student at the University of Valencia in Spain, she figured out a way to coat flexible foil with perovskites using an evaporation method.
Later, she developed an inkjet printing procedure that lowered production costs enough to make mass production economically feasible.
"That was a bull's eye. Now high temperatures are no longer required to coat things with a photovoltaic layer," Malinkiewicz told AFP.
She went on to cofound the company Saule Technologies -- named after the Baltic goddess of the sun -- along with two Polish businessmen.
They had to assemble all their laboratory equipment from scratch, before multimillionaire Japanese investor Hideo Sawada came on board.
The company now has an ultra-modern laboratory with an international team of young experts and is building an industrial-scale production site.
"This will be the world's first production line using this technology. Its capacity will reach 40,000 square metres of panels by the end of the year and 180,000 square metres the following year," Malinkiewicz said at her lab.
Eventually, compact production lines could easily be installed everywhere, according to demand, to manufacture perovskite solar panels that are made to measure.
The Swedish construction group Skanska is testing the cutting-edge panels on the facade of one of its buildings in Warsaw. It also inked a licensing partnership with Saule in December for the exclusive right to incorporate the company's solar cell technology in its projects in Europe, the United States and Canada.
"Perovskite technology is bringing us closer to the goal of energy self-sufficient buildings," said Adam Targowski, sustainability manager at Skanska.
"Perovskites have proven successful even on surfaces that receive little sunlight. We can apply them pretty much everywhere," he told AFP.
"More or less transparent, the panels also respond to design requirements. Thanks to their flexibility and varying tints, there's no need to add any extra architectural elements."
Malinkiewicz insists that the initial cost of her products will be comparable to conventional solar panels.
Perovskite technology is also being tested on a hotel in Japan, near the city of Nagasaki.
Plans are also afoot for the pilot production of perovskite panels in Valais, Switzerland and in Germany under the wings of the
Oxford Photovoltaics venture.
https://news.yahoo.com/inkjet-solar-pane...07575.html
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The Magic of Oil Painting - "Indian Summer"
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Happy Valentine's Day!
To honor the occasion, I share with all of you some very moving and timeless performances by Frank Sinatra.
Moonlight In Vermont (with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra) (Venue and date unknown)
Strangers In The Night (Altos de Chavón Amphitheater, Concert for the Americas, Dominican Republic, 1982)
I Get Along Without You Very Well (Royal Festival Hall, London, England, November 16, 1970)
I've Got You Under My Skin (Royal Festival Hall, London, England, 1971)
One For My Baby (Royal Festival Hall, London, England, 1962)
Didn't We (Royal Festival Hall, London, England, November 16, 1970)
A Man Alone (Venue and date unknown)
Little Green Apples (Venue and date unknown)
The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else (Venue and date unknown)
You Will Be My Music (Venue unknown, 1973)
For Once In My Life (Venue unknown, 1969)
Here's That Rainy Day (Venue and date unknown)
Going Out Of My Head (Venue and date unknown)
Too Marvelous For Words (Royal Festival Hall, London, England, 1962)
You Make Me Feel So Young (Royal Festival Hall, London, England, 1962)
I Have Dreamed (Venue and date unknown)
The Best Is Yet To Come (A gala in tribute of Frank Sinatra, December, 1979)
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Feb 18, 2019, 15:31 pm
(This post was last modified: Feb 18, 2019, 15:48 pm by Resurgence. Edited 2 times in total.)
Positive News:
A wild African black leopard has been photographed for the first time in more than 100 years
"Since childhood, I have been fascinated by stories of black panthers," begins the blog post of Will Burrard-Lucas.
"For me, no animal is shrouded in more mystery, no animal more elusive, and no animal more beautiful," the British photographer continues.
It's hard to argue with Burrard-Lucas, who just became the first person in more than a century to capture an image of a wild African black leopard (also known as a black panther).
The images are out of this world.
Burrard-Lucas travelled to Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya after hearing about a nearby sighting. There he set up a Camtraptions camera trap, complete with motionless sensors and mirrorless camera, on a trail that multiple leopards seemed to be using.
After several days, the photographer returned to his trap hoping, but not expecting, to find imagery of the elusive black leopard.
"I had a quick look at the last trap, not expecting to find much," he wrote on his blog. "As I scrolled through the images on the back of the camera, I paused and peered at the photograph below in incomprehension … a pair of eyes surrounded by inky darkness … a black leopard!
"I couldn't believe it and it took a few days before it sank in that I had achieved my dream."
Capturing imagery of black leopards is so difficult not only because they are extremely secretive, Burrard-Lucas said in an email to INSIDER, but also because only a tiny percentage of leopards are black. The dark colour in black leopards is caused by an excess in melanin pigmentation, which is passed down via recessive genes, meaning both parents must be carriers.
"Melanism occurs in about 11% of leopards globally, but most of these leopards live in South East Asia," Nick Pilfold, a San Diego Zoo global conservation scientist, said.
In the sparse landscape of Africa, melanistic leopards are extremely rare.
"It is likely that black leopards have been living in Kenya all along, it is only that high-quality imagery to confirm it has been missing until now," Pilfold added.
An article in the African Journal of Ecology states that the last confirmed report of a black leopard in Africa was in 1909 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
"Collectively these are the first confirmed images in nearly 100 years of a black leopard in Africa, and this region is the only known spot in all of Africa to have [the] black leopard," Pilfold stated.
Burrard-Lucas posted a behind-the-scenes video showing how he captured the stunning images.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/other/a-w...ar-BBTwQIJ
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Woolookologie - Forest
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The Magic of Oil Painting - "Winter Mountain"
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Hollow Coves - Coastline (Lakeside Acoustic Session)
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The Hermitage Museum (The State Hermitage Museum)
Saint Petersburg, Russia
A Virtual Tour
A view of the Hermitage Museum complex from across the Neva river. From left to right: Hermitage Theatre – Old Hermitage – Small Hermitage – Winter Palace. The "New Hermitage" is situated behind the Old Hermitage.
The second-largest art museum in the world, it was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. It has been open to the public since 1852.
Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display, comprise over three million items (the numismatic collection accounts for about one-third of them), including the largest collection of paintings in the world. The collections occupy a large complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment, including the Winter Palace, a former residence of Russian emperors.
Of the six buildings in the main museum complex, five—namely the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage, and Hermitage Theatre—are open to the public.
The museum receives around 4 million visitors annually.
The Winter Palace with the Alexander Column in the foreground.
A view of the museum from the Neva River.
An aerial view of the Winter Palace with the Small Hermitage and the Old Hermitage to the left.
The Jordan Staircase, Winter Palace.
The Twelve-Column Hall, Winter Palace.
The Large Italian Skylight Room, New Hermitage.
The Gallery of the History of Ancient Painting with The Dancer sculpture by Antonio Canova in the foreground, New Hermitage.
Renaissance art in the Majolica Room, New Hermitage.
Tent-Roofed Room with Dutch and Flemish art, New Hermitage.
The Raphael Loggias, New Hermitage.
Before you begin your virtual tour of the museum, take a brief aerial tour of Saint Petersburg to establish a wider context for appreciating the great beauty of the city.
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An Interesting and Fun Fact about the Hermitage:
The Hermitage Cats
The Hermitage cats are a group of cats residing in the museum. The museum has a press secretary dedicated to the cats, and three people act as caretakers. The cats live in the museum's basement, and they also appear on the embankment and on the square during the summer. In previous eras they roamed throughout the museum galleries.
In 2010, Maria Khaltunen, who directs the museum's cat programme, stated that there were 60 cats on the museum grounds, even though the staff has a joke that officially the museum is only supposed to have 50 cats. Irina Popovets, who became the head of the cat department, stated that the cats were "as well-known as our collections".
In May 2013, the count had grown to 74 cats, of both sexes (but neutered and spayed), according to Haltunen. There are kitchens for preparing their food ("they all have different preferences"), and even a small hospital.
As of 2013 donations, a €400-per-month payment from the charity Pro Animale, and the sponsorship of Royal Canin fund the presence of the cats.
In 2011, the museum began a "Catfest", a celebration of its cat population. "Catfest" has included cat painting contests and scavenger hunts for children.
One of the friendly residents:
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George Winston
Winter Into Spring
Released: 1982
Tracklist:
1.January Stars (0:00)
2.February Sea (6:38)
3.Ocean Waves (O Mar) (11:51)
4.Reflection (19:06)
5.Rain (21:51)
6.Blossom/Meadow (32:01)
7.The Venice Dreamer (36:10)
A. Part One - Introduction
B. Part Two (38:35)
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Feb 26, 2019, 05:23 am
(This post was last modified: Feb 26, 2019, 05:25 am by Resurgence. Edited 1 time in total.)
Positive News:
Breakthrough 'lab-on-a-chip' detects cancer faster, cheaper and less invasively
A new ultrasensitive diagnostic device invented by researchers at the University of Kansas, The University of Kansas Cancer Center and KU Medical Center could allow doctors to detect cancer quickly from a droplet of blood or plasma, leading to timelier interventions and better outcomes for patients.
The "lab-on-a-chip" for "liquid biopsy" analysis, reported today in Nature Biomedical Engineering, detects exosomes—tiny parcels of biological information produced by tumor cells to stimulate tumor growth or metastasize.
"Historically, people thought exosomes were like 'trash bags' that cells could use to dump unwanted cellular contents," said lead author Yong Zeng, Docking Family Scholar and associate professor of chemistry at KU. "But in the past decade, scientists realized they were quite useful for sending messages to recipient cells and communicating molecular information important in many biological functions.
Basically, tumors send out exosomes packaging active molecules that mirror the biological features of the parental cells. While all cells produce exosomes, tumor cells are really active compared to normal cells."
The new lab-on-a-chip's key innovation is a 3-D nanoengineering method that mixes and senses biological elements based on a herringbone pattern commonly found in nature, pushing exosomes into contact with the chip's sensing surface much more efficiently in a process called "mass transfer."
"People have developed smart ideas to improve mass transfer in microscale channels, but when particles are moving closer to the sensor surface, they're separated by a small gap of liquid that creates increasing hydrodynamic resistance," Zeng said. "Here, we developed a 3-D nanoporous herringbone structure that can drain the liquid in that gap to bring the particles in hard contact with the surface where probes can recognize and capture them."
Zeng compared the chip's nanopores to a million little kitchen sinks: "If you have a sink filled with water and many balls floating on the surface, how do you get all the balls in contact with the bottom of the sink where sensors could analyze them? The easiest way is to drain the water."
To develop and test the pioneering microfluidic device, Zeng teamed with a tumor-biomarker expert and KU Cancer Center Deputy Director Andrew Godwin at the KU Medical Center's Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, as well as graduate student Ashley Tetlow in Godwin's Biomarker Discovery Lab. The collaborators tested the chip's design using clinical samples from ovarian cancer patients, finding the chip could detect the presence of cancer in a minuscule amount of plasma.
"Our collaborative studies continue to bear fruit and advance an area crucial in cancer research and patient care—namely, innovative tools for early detection," said Godwin, who serves as Chancellor's Distinguished Chair and Professor in Biomedical Sciences and professor and director of molecular oncology, pathology and laboratory medicine at KU Medical Center. "This area of study is especially important for cancers such as ovarian, given the vast majority of women are diagnosed at an advanced stage when, sadly, the disease is for the most part incurable."
What's more, the new microfluidic chips developed at KU would be cheaper and easier to make than comparable designs, allowing for wider and less-costly testing for patients. "What we created here is a 3-D nanopatterning method without the need for any fancy nanofabrication equipment—an undergraduate or even a high school student can do it in my lab," Zeng said. "This is so simple and low-cost it has great potential to translate into clinical settings. We've been collaborating with Dr. Godwin and other research labs at The KU Cancer Center and the molecular biosciences department to further explore the translational applications of the technology."
According to Zeng, with the microfluidic chip's design now proven using ovarian cancer as a model, the chip could be useful in detecting a host of other diseases. "Almost all mammalian cells release exosomes, so the application is not just limited to ovarian cancer or any one type of cancer. We're working with people to look at neurodegenerative diseases, breast and colorectal cancers, for example," he said.
https://techxplore.com/news/2019-02-brea...eaper.html
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Alexandre Desplat - The Mirror
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The Magic of Oil Painting - "Moonlit Surf"
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Jake McGuire - Moving Mountains
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Claude Debussy
Nocturnes
Composed: Completed December 15, 1899
The three movements are:
I. Nuages ("Clouds")
II. Fêtes ("Festivals")
III. Sirènes ("Sirens")
Conductor: Sergiu Celibidache
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart (Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra)
Südfunk-Chor Stuttgart (Stuttgart Radio Choir) under the direction of Marinus Voorberg
Recorded in Stuttgart, Germany, 1981
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Short Documentary:
Glas (1958)
Produced and Directed by Bert Haanstra
The film is about the glass industry in the Netherlands. It contrasts the handmade glass from the Royal Leerdam Glass Factory with automated bottle making machines. Short segments of artisans making various glass goods by hand are joined with those of mass production. It is often acclaimed to be the perfect short documentary. The film won the Oscar for Documentary Short Subject in 1959.
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Positive News:
Meet Jonathan, the oldest-known animal in the world
The year was 1832 — and Jonathan the tortoise was just a tiny hatchling.
The world was a very different place back then; the light bulb had yet to be invented, and cars were still half a century away.
But Jonathan, who is a Seychelles giant tortoise, lived to see it all. At around 187 years old, he’s now the oldest-known animal in the world — and he’s living a relaxing life on the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, where he’s been since the late 1880s. Teeny Lucy, the chairperson for the local SPCA, is one of his main caretakers. Jonathan lives on the lush grounds of the historic governor's mansion, where Lucy and several others visit with him throughout the week with fresh veggies.
“Jonathan is an icon here,” Lucy told The Dodo. “He is a grand old gentleman who has seen it all. He landed on St. Helena in 1882 as a fully grown adult; he has seen generations of people coming and going.”
Jonathan’s longevity has certainly surprised a lot of people, Lucy said. He’s the oldest member of his companions at the mansion, who consist of three other giant tortoises; the second-oldest tortoise is his friend, 80-year-old David.
Jonathan is likely fully blind, but he still makes his way around very well. He typically spends his days lounging in the sun, munching on grass and relaxing with his tortoise friends. It’s a very calm life for someone of such status; he’s so popular that his portrait is even on the back of the small island’s five pence coin.
“Being the oldest land animal in the world, he has almost royal status here,” Lucy said. “He is dignified and interacts in a friendly way as long as people move slowly around him. We are all very fond of him.”
While Jonathan has surely seen his fair share of different caretakers over the years, it’s clear he appreciates them all the same — as long as they bring him his favorite snacks, of course.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/life...ar-BBV799b
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Alice Phoebe Lou - Fiery Heart, Fiery Mind
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The Magic of Oil Painting - "Autumn Road"
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Arros - Your Story
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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping
I am pleased to announce a new series of videos for the thread for the next few months - the fascinating aquarium art of aquascaper James Findley.
Aquascaping is the craft of arranging aquatic plants, as well as rocks, stones, cavework, or driftwood, in an aesthetically pleasing manner within an aquarium—in effect, gardening under water. Typically, an aquascape houses fish as well as plants, although it is possible to create an aquascape with plants only, or with rockwork or other hardscape and no plants.
Although the primary aim of aquascaping is to create an artful underwater landscape, the technical aspects of tank maintenance and the growth requirements of aquatic plants are also taken into consideration. Many factors must be balanced in the closed system of an aquarium tank to ensure the success of an aquascape. These factors include filtration, maintaining carbon dioxide at levels sufficient to support photosynthesis underwater, substrate and fertilization, lighting, and algae control.
James is the UK’s leading aquascaper and founder of The Green Machine, a nature aquarium website to inspire others in the craft.
James was a professional fine art photographer during which time he discovered the nature aquarium, which represented a new and welcome challenge for his abilities. His artistic eye and appreciation of nature was easily applied to this new art form.
After traveling extensively in the Far East, James realized the full potential of the nature aquarium.
James has been working with CO2 injection in the aquarium for almost 20 years and is a true expert.
The video below is an interview with James about his work entitled, Crimson Sky.
The following video is a detailed tutorial of his creation entitled, Spontaneity.
His website:
https://www.thegreenmachineonline.com
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Steve Roach, Richard Burmer, Kevin Braheny
Western Spaces
This Album Released: 1987, 1989
A1 00:34 The Breathing Stone • Steve Roach
A2 07:24 Desert Walkabout • Kevin Braheny
A3 14:30 In the Heat of Venus • Steve Roach, Thom Brennan
A4 21:24 Across the View • Richard Burmer
B1 26:42 Desert Prayer • Kevin Braheny, Steve Roach
B2 39:22 A Story from the Rain • Richard Burmer
B3 46:30 Western Spaces • Steve Roach, Kevin Braheny, Richard Burmer
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Posts: 3,279
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Positive News:
Eating mushrooms may reduce the risk of cognitive decline
A team from the Department of Psychological Medicine and Department of Biochemistry at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that seniors who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly may have 50 per cent reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms with an average weight of around 150 grams. Two portions would be equivalent to approximately half a plate. While the portion sizes act as a guideline, it was shown that even one small portion of mushrooms a week may still be beneficial to reduce chances of MCI.
"This correlation is surprising and encouraging. It seems that a commonly available single ingredient could have a dramatic effect on cognitive decline," said Assistant Professor Lei Feng, who is from the NUS Department of Psychological Medicine, and the lead author of this work.
The six-year study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2017, collected data from more than 600 Chinese seniors over the age of 60 living in Singapore. The research was carried out with support from the Life Sciences Institute and the Mind Science Centre at NUS, as well as the Singapore Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council. The results were published online in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease on 12 March 2019.
MCI is typically viewed as the stage between the cognitive decline of normal ageing and the more serious decline of dementia. Seniors afflicted with MCI often display some form of memory loss or forgetfulness and may also show deficit on other cognitive function such as language, attention and visuospatial abilities. However, the changes can be subtle, as they do not experience disabling cognitive deficits that affect everyday life activities, which is characteristic of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
"People with MCI are still able to carry out their normal daily activities. So, what we had to determine in this study is whether these seniors had poorer performance on standard neuropsychologist tests than other people of the same age and education background," explained Asst Prof Feng. "Neuropsychological tests are specifically designed tasks that can measure various aspects of a person's cognitive abilities. In fact, some of the tests we used in this study are adopted from commonly used IQ test battery, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)."
As such, the researchers conducted extensive interviews and tests with the senior citizens to determine an accurate diagnosis. "The interview takes into account demographic information, medical history, psychological factors, and dietary habits. A nurse will measure blood pressure, weight, height, handgrip, and walking speed. They will also do a simple screen test on cognition, depression, anxiety," said Asst Prof Feng.
After this, a two-hour standard neuropsychological assessment was performed, along with a dementia rating. The overall results of these tests were discussed in depth with expert psychiatrists involved in the study to get a diagnostic consensus.
Six commonly consumed mushrooms in Singapore were referenced in the study. They were golden, oyster, shiitake and white button mushrooms, as well as dried and canned mushrooms. However, it is likely that other mushrooms not referenced would also have beneficial effects.
The researchers believe the reason for the reduced prevalence of MCI in mushroom eaters may be down to a specific compound found in almost all varieties. "We're very interested in a compound called ergothioneine (ET)," said Dr Irwin Cheah, Senior Research Fellow at the NUS Department of Biochemistry. "ET is a unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which humans are unable to synthesise on their own. But it can be obtained from dietary sources, one of the main ones being mushrooms."
An earlier study by the team on elderly Singaporeans revealed that plasma levels of ET in participants with MCI were significantly lower than age-matched healthy individuals. The work, which was published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications in 2016, led to the belief that a deficiency in ET may be a risk factor for neurodegeneration, and increasing ET intake through mushroom consumption might possibly promote cognitive health.
Other compounds contained within mushrooms may also be advantageous for decreasing the risk of cognitive decline. Certain hericenones, erinacines, scabronines and dictyophorines may promote the synthesis of nerve growth factors. Bioactive compounds in mushrooms may also protect the brain from neurodegeneration by inhibiting production of beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau, and acetylcholinesterase.
The potential next stage of research for the team is to perform a randomised controlled trial with the pure compound of ET and other plant-based ingredients, such as L-theanine and catechins from tea leaves, to determine the efficacy of such phytonutrients in delaying cognitive decline. Such interventional studies will lead to more robust conclusion on causal relationship. In addition, Asst Prof Feng and his team also hope to identify other dietary factors that could be associated with healthy brain ageing and reduced risk of age-related conditions in the future.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...103702.htm
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Springtime Desktop Backgrounds:
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Scott Cossu - Purple Mountain
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The Magic of Oil Painting - "Mountain Afternoon"
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Dave Beegle - Sandy's Painting
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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping
Nano Aquascape Tutorial - Scree
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Peter Pearson
Blissful Journey
This Recording Released: 2016
Tracklist:
00:00:00 Blissful Journey
00:04:51 Gentle Moments
00:10:02 All Is Still
00:16:46 Always in My Dream
00:22:27 A Rose for You
00:28:07 A Dream in Your Eyes
00:34:34 Moody Vibes
00:41:05 Your Gentle Eyes
00:46:45 Sundowner
00:50:27 Autumn Whispers
00:56:27 Angel of the Sky
01:00:17 Move On
01:04:34 Whispering Light
01:09:22 Touching Base
01:14:51 Sweet Dreams
01:19:23 Beyond the Mist
01:23:35 Small Hours
01:29:12 Floating On a Cloud
01:34:40 From the Heart
01:38:09 I Fell in Love
01:44:20 Just for You
Last Active: Today
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Posts: 3,279
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Apr 03, 2019, 21:57 pm
(This post was last modified: Apr 03, 2019, 22:00 pm by Resurgence. Edited 1 time in total.)
Positive News:
Scientist discovers ingenious way to clean polluted water, saves a Peruvian wetland
As technologies develop, experts find more and more pollutants in the world’s oceans, and there’s a wide range of them, from pills and cosmetics to pesticides and petroleum. People have been using freshwater bodies of water for dumping chemical and biological wastes for so long, that it will soon be impossible to find a clean river or lake. When Marino Morikawa, a scientist from Peru, learned that the lake from his childhood had become extremely contaminated, he rushed to help.
When scientist Marino Morikawa learned that the Cascajo Wetlands (El Cascajo) he remembered from his childhood had gotten dramatically polluted, he gave up his research work in Japan and came back to Peru. When Marino saw the wetlands with his own eyes, 20 years after his last visit, it looked like “an oxidation pond.”
The waters smelled terrible, and the 150 hectares of the wetlands he remembered from childhood had drastically diminished to 40 hectares. That was the moment Marino realized he had to do something about it.
Two reasons he detected for the pollution problems were illegal landfills and the breeding of pigs, cattle and sheep that had badly contaminated the water. Even worse, the previous mayor had built a new drainage canal that bordered on the wetlands and headed seaward. Most of the waste being channeled through this canal was leaking out into the wetlands. Water lettuce, an invasive species, was another major polluting factor that was ultimately choking the wetlands. This type of lettuce fully covers the surface of the water, preventing light and oxygen from reaching the wetland’s depths. It was a major contributor to the putrefaction and stench of El Cascajo.
The authorities had given up hope of ever salvaging the lake. But Marino didn’t think twice: With his experience in management and water quality control, he knew he could and should do something to help it recover. Marino holds a PhD in Bioindustrial Science and specializes in water treatment.
“This is hard to explain and might be difficult for many people to understand. But the first thing I did was kneel down in the wetlands. When I put my hands on the ground, I felt a heartbeat, a pulse under my hands. You're alive, I said, you're not dead like everyone thinks you are.”
Marino’s family is well-known in their hometown Huaral, and they also just happened to be friends with its current mayor. So the first thing Marino did was set up a meeting with him. “Give me just one year and I’ll do everything in my power to restore the wetlands,” he said. “Just you?” the mayor asked. “Under my administration we tried to save the wetlands many times, but we couldn’t.” Marino replied: “I know, but you won’t have to worry about anything. It won’t cost you a cent, it’ll be my responsibility.”
The mayor agreed to the ambitious project, and Marino started knocking on doors to raise money. Unsuccessful in Peru, he tried his luck in Japan: He took all his savings, borrowed money from three banks, and returned to Peru. It was all his personal commitment: No one refunded him the money.
Marino started off by camping in the wetlands for three days to identify the sources of contamination. He counted the approximate number of people who passed through the wetlands, he analyzed water and soil, and he studied the winds. Afterwards, he returned to Japan to develop adequate technology in the well-equipped laboratories of Tsukuba University. Since he had focused on nanotechnology and chemistry during his studies, he decided to deploy two nanotechnology methods in El Cascajo: a micro-nano bubbling system and a biofilter.
The micro-nano bubbling system consists of introducing microbubbles in the depths of polluted waters that attract bacteria and polluted microorganisms. “Think of soda bubbles,” explains Marino. “Everybody can see the bubbles rising to the surface. Now imagine a bubble ten-thousand times smaller and imperceptible to the human eye. Since it is so small, it is a lot slower and takes 5 to 8 hours to reach the surface. The micro-nano bubble has an electromagnetic field of positive and negative ions that works as a magnet. On the way to the surface of the water, it attracts viruses and bacteria, thus catching them like in a spider’s web.”
Once attracted by the magnet, the viruses and bacteria can’t move anymore and die. But in case the bubbles still reach the surface, they turn in gas and disappear due to radiation and ultraviolet rays.
The second method Marino used was biofilters. A biofilter is a media bed different types of microorganisms attach to and form a biological layer called a biofilm. It attracts water bacteria and preserves the good species that contribute to micro-flora conservation and bioremediation.
Biofilters are commonly used in water treatment worldwide, but they have to be adapted to the specific conditions of the local water. For his work in Peru, Marino used ceramic biofilters that he produced by himself in local pottery courses.
While it took Marino six months of research to develop the nanotechnology system, the practical application went comparatively quickly: In just 4 months, he had decontaminated the entire wetlands. At least 40 species of migratory birds have returned to El Cascajo Lake, and 10 fish species have come back to inhabit its waters. And what is more: the only equipment he used was materials that are available in any hardware store. “Never use an expensive resource in a poor area, while you can use the home material,” is one of his principles.
Marino also successfully raised awareness among the local people in Peru. They saw him working long hours all alone in the wetlands every day and began asking him about what he was doing. One morning, when Marino was thoroughly exhausted and arrived to the wetlands late, he found more than hundred people of different ages waiting for him. They wanted to work together and called out: “Marino, we are with you!” Even the illegal breeders turned up and helped him clean up the area.
In 2014, Marino’s scientific work and his commitment and dedication to Peru were honored by the Peruvian National Council for Science, Technology and Technological Innovation (Concytec). His methods are considered a true innovation and will be used for other applications in future. Marino already has two ambitious goals for 2015: He wants to clean the highest lake in the world, Lake Titicaca, and decontaminate the Rio Chira in the northern city of Sullana in Piura.
“If you take the first step, others will follow,” he says.
The Morikawa Family.
http://www.tea-after-twelve.com/all-issu...y-miracle/
https://brightside.me/wonder-people/a-ma...or-719560/
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Laura Allan - Waterfall
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Bill Alexander - The Magic Art Instructor #105
This is a one-hour instructional special.
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David Lanz - Reverie
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James Findley - The Art of Aquascaping
Aquascape Tutorial - Nature's Chaos
To complement James Findley's tutorials, I will also integrate some excellent videos focusing on the foundations of aquascaping from Kevin at the YouTube channel N.O.A.H., Northern Ontario Aquarium Hobby.
"The MOST Important Question When Beginning the Planted Tank Hobby"
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Interior
Design
This Recording Released: 1987
Tracklist:
The YouTube member who posted this music put Side Two first. This makes sense considering that Shadows Of You is such a powerful song and therefore a great introduction to the album.
Side Two:
00:00 - Shadows Of You (02:44 - Interlude, 05:35 Reprise)
10:44 - River
14:43 - Out Of Tokyo
Side One:
17:12 - Gaia
24:19 - N.Y. 1908
27:46 - Spring Walk
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Film:
The Ghost And Mrs. Muir (1947)
In 1900, a young widow finds her seaside cottage is haunted...and forms a unique relationship with the ghost.
Starring:
Gene Tierney as Lucy Muir
Rex Harrison as Captain Daniel Gregg
George Sanders as Miles Fairley
Edna Best as Martha Huggin
Vanessa Brown as Anna Muir (as an adult)
Anna Lee as Mrs. Fairley
Natalie Wood as Anna Muir (as a child)
Robert Coote as Mr. Coombe
Isobel Elsom as Angelica Muir, Lucy's mother-in-Law
Victoria Horne as Eva Muir, Lucy's sister-in-Law
Stuart Holmes as Man ordered out of train compartment by the Captain (uncredited)
Whitford Kane as Mr. Sproule, the publisher (uncredited)
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