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MAN LION'S CITY C2 EFFICIENT HYBRID (5501_2) by Els autobusos per David Llorca

MAN LION'S CITY C2 EFFICIENT HYBRID (5501_2)

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177|365 - Getting A Tan by Alexander Crook

This man is taking sheets of metal and forming them into buckets. He works fast and efficiently, folding the metal on the edge of the metal beam he's working on, using a wooden block to pound the metal into shape. In twenty seconds, that bucket is done and he moves onto the next one.

Photo By Alex Crook

www.alexcrook.com

Energy efficient by Rosmarie Voegtli

ODC Our Daily Challenge: Energy efficient

My favorite and effective way to save energy is: Traveling and emerging in places worldwide through reading books :-)

New 365 Project 2022: 28.06.

Pandemic...Coronaviruses... COVID-19...A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, by Hughes Songe

The 1918–20 "Spanish flu" influenza pandemic resulted in dramatic mortality worldwide.

A pandemic (from Greek πᾶν, pan, 'all' and δῆμος, demos, 'people') is an epidemic of disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents, or worldwide. A widespread endemic disease with a stable number of infected people is not a pandemic. Further, flu pandemics generally exclude recurrences of seasonal flu.

Throughout history, there have been a number of pandemics of diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosis. One of the most devastating pandemics was the Black Death (also known as The Plague), which killed an estimated 75–200 million people in the 14th century. Other notable pandemics include the 1918 influenza pandemic (Spanish flu) and the 2009 flu pandemic (H1N1). Current pandemics include HIV/AIDS and the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.

Contents

1Definition and stages

2Management

3Current pandemics

3.1HIV/AIDS

3.2Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

4Notable outbreaks

4.1Cholera

4.2Influenza

4.3Typhus

4.4Smallpox

4.5Measles

4.6Tuberculosis

4.7Leprosy

4.8Malaria

4.9Yellow fever

5Concerns about future pandemics

5.1Antibiotic resistance

5.2Viral hemorrhagic fevers

5.3Coronaviruses

5.4Influenza

5.5Zika virus

6Economic consequences

7Biological warfare

8In popular culture

9See also

10Notes

11References

12Further reading

13External links

Definition and stages[edit]

The World Health Organization's former influenza pandemic alert phases—WHO no longer uses this old system of six phases

A pandemic is an epidemic occurring on a scale that crosses international boundaries, usually affecting people on a worldwide scale.[1] Pandemics can also occur in important agricultural organisms (livestock, crop plants, fish, tree species) or in other organisms.[citation needed] A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. For instance, cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic because the disease is neither infectious nor contagious.[2]

The World Health Organization (WHO) previously applied a six-stage classification to describe the process by which a novel influenza virus moves from the first few infections in humans through to a pandemic. This starts with the virus mostly infecting animals, with a few cases where animals infect people, then moves through the stage where the virus begins to spread directly between people and ends with a pandemic when infections from the new virus have spread worldwide. In February 2020, a WHO spokesperson clarified that "there is no official category [for a pandemic]".[a][3]

In a virtual press conference in May 2009 on the influenza pandemic, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General ad interim for Health Security and Environment, WHO said "An easy way to think about pandemic ... is to say: a pandemic is a global outbreak. Then you might ask yourself: 'What is a global outbreak'? Global outbreak means that we see both spread of the agent ... and then we see disease activities in addition to the spread of the virus."[4]

In planning for a possible influenza pandemic, the WHO published a document on pandemic preparedness guidance in 1999, revised in 2005 and in February 2009, defining phases and appropriate actions for each phase in an aide-mémoire titled WHO pandemic phase descriptions and main actions by phase. The 2009 revision, including definitions of a pandemic and the phases leading to its declaration, were finalized in February 2009. The pandemic H1N1 2009 virus was neither on the horizon at that time nor mentioned in the document.[5][6] All versions of this document refer to influenza. The phases are defined by the spread of the disease; virulence and mortality are not mentioned in the current WHO definition, although these factors have previously been included.[7]

Management[edit]

See also: Mathematical modelling of infectious disease

The goals of community mitigation: (1) delay outbreak peak; (2) reduce peak burden on healthcare, known as flattening the curve; and (3) diminish overall cases and health impact.[8][9]

The basic strategies in the control of an outbreak are containment and mitigation. Containment may be undertaken in the early stages of the outbreak, including contact tracing and isolating infected individuals to stop the disease from spreading to the rest of the population, other public health interventions on infection control, and therapeutic countermeasures such as vaccinations which may be effective if available.[10] When it becomes apparent that it is no longer possible to contain the spread of the disease, it will then move on to the mitigation stage, when measures are taken to slow the spread of disease and mitigate its effects on the health care system and society. In reality, a combination of both containment and mitigation measures may be undertaken at the same time to control an outbreak.[11]

A key part of managing an infectious disease outbreak is trying to decrease the epidemic peak, known as flattening the epidemic curve.[8] This helps decrease the risk of health services being overwhelmed and providing more time for a vaccine and treatment to be developed.[8] Non-pharmaceutical interventions may be taken to manage the outbreak; for example in a flu pandemic, these actions may include personal preventive measures such as hand hygiene, wearing face-masks and self-quarantine; community measures aimed at social distancing such as closing schools and cancelling mass gathering events; community engagement to encourage acceptance and participation in such interventions; as well as environmental measures such as cleaning of surfaces.[9]

Another strategy, suppression, requires more extreme long-term non-pharmaceutical interventions so as to reverse the pandemic by reducing the basic reproduction number to less than 1. The suppression strategy, which include stringent population-wide social distancing, home isolation of cases and household quarantine, was undertaken by China during the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic where entire cities were placed under lockdown, but such strategy carries with it considerable social and economic costs.[12]

Current pandemics[edit]

HIV/AIDS[edit]

Main article: AIDS pandemic

Estimated HIV/AIDS prevalence among young adults (15-49) by country as of 2008

HIV originated in Africa, and spread to the United States via Haiti between 1966 and 1972.[13] AIDS is currently a pandemic, with infection rates as high as 25% in southern and eastern Africa. In 2006, the HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women in South Africa was 29%.[14] Effective education about safer sexual practices and bloodborne infection precautions training have helped to slow down infection rates in several African countries sponsoring national education programs.[citation needed]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)[edit]

Main article: 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic

People queueing outside a Wuhan pharmacy to buy face masks and medical supplies

A new coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in late December 2019,[15] as causing a cluster of cases of an acute respiratory disease, referred to as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to media reports, more than 200 countries and territories have been affected, with major outbreaks in the United States, central China, Italy, Spain, and Iran.[16][17] On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization characterized the spread of COVID-19 as a pandemic.[18][19] As of 3 April 2020, the number of SARS-CoV-2 infected persons reached one million, the death toll was 55,132 and the number of patients recovered was 225,335.[20]

Notable outbreaks[edit]

See also: List of epidemics, Columbian Exchange, and Globalization and disease

There have been a number of significant epidemics and pandemics recorded in human history, generally zoonoses such as influenza and tuberculosis, which came about with domestication of animals. There have been a number of particularly significant epidemics that deserve mention above the "mere" destruction of cities:

Plague of Athens, from 430 to 426 BCE. During the Peloponnesian War, typhoid fever killed a quarter of the Athenian troops, and a quarter of the population over four years. This disease fatally weakened the dominance of Athens, but the sheer virulence of the disease prevented its wider spread; i.e. it killed off its hosts at a rate faster than they could spread it. The exact cause of the plague was unknown for many years. In January 2006, researchers from the University of Athens analyzed teeth recovered from a mass grave underneath the city, and confirmed the presence of bacteria responsible for typhoid.[21]

Contemporary engraving of Marseille during the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720–1721

Antonine Plague, from 165 to 180 AD. Possibly smallpox brought to the Italian peninsula by soldiers returning from the Near East; it killed a quarter of those infected, and up to five million in all.[22] At the height of a second outbreak, the Plague of Cyprian (251–266), which may have been the same disease, 5,000 people a day were said to be dying in Rome.

Plague of Justinian, from 541 to 750, was the first recorded outbreak of the bubonic plague. It started in Egypt, and reached Constantinople the following spring, killing (according to the Byzantine chronicler Procopius) 10,000 a day at its height, and perhaps 40% of the city's inhabitants. The plague went on to eliminate a quarter to half the human population of the known world.[23][24] It caused Europe's population to drop by around 50% between 550 AD and 700 AD.[25]

Black Death, from 1331 to 1353. The total number of deaths worldwide is estimated at 75 to 200 million people.Black Death#cite ref-ABC/Reuters 1-1 Eight hundred years after the last outbreak, the plague returned to Europe. Starting in Asia, the disease reached Mediterranean and western Europe in 1348 (possibly from Italian merchants fleeing fighting in Crimea), and killed an estimated 20 to 30 million Europeans in six years;[26] a third of the total population,[27] and up to a half in the worst-affected urban areas.[28] It was the first of a cycle of European plague epidemics that continued until the 18th century.[29] There were more than 100 plague epidemics in Europe in this period.[30] The disease recurred in England every two to five years from 1361 to 1480.[31] By the 1370s, England's population was reduced by 50%.[32] The Great Plague of London of 1665–66 was the last major outbreak of the plague in England. The disease killed approximately 100,000 people, 20% of London's population.[33]

The third plague pandemic started in China in 1855, and spread to India, where 10 million people died.[34] During this pandemic, the United States saw its first outbreak: the San Francisco plague of 1900–1904.[35] Today, isolated cases of plague are still found in the western United States.[36]

Spanish flu, from 1918 to 1920. It infected 500 million people around the world,[37] including people on remote Pacific islands and in the Arctic, and resulted in the deaths of 50 to 100 million people.[37][38] Most influenza outbreaks disproportionately kill the very young and the very old, with higher survival rate for those in between, but the Spanish flu had an unusually high mortality rate for young adults.[39] Spanish flu killed more people than World War I did and it killed more people in 25 weeks than AIDS did in its first 25 years.[40][41] Mass troop movements and close quarters during World War I caused it to spread and mutate faster; the susceptibility of soldiers to Spanish flu might have been increased due to stress, malnourishment and chemical attacks.[42] Improved transportation systems made it easier for soldiers, sailors, and civilian travelers to spread the disease.[43]

Aztecs dying of smallpox, Florentine Codex (compiled 1540–1585)

Encounters between European explorers and populations in the rest of the world often introduced local epidemics of extraordinary virulence. Disease killed part of the native population of the Canary Islands in the 16th century (Guanches). Half the native population of Hispaniola in 1518 was killed by smallpox. Smallpox also ravaged Mexico in the 1520s, killing 150,000 in Tenochtitlán alone, including the emperor, and Peru in the 1530s, aiding the European conquerors.[44] Measles killed a further two million Mexican natives in the 17th century. In 1618–1619, smallpox wiped out 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Native Americans.[45] During the 1770s, smallpox killed at least 30% of the Pacific Northwest Native Americans.[46] Smallpox epidemics in 1780–1782 and 1837–1838 brought devastation and drastic depopulation among the Plains Indians.[47] Some believe the death of up to 95% of the Native American population of the New World was caused by Old World diseases such as smallpox, measles, and influenza.[48] Over the centuries, the Europeans had developed high degrees of immunity to these diseases, while the indigenous peoples had no such immunity.[49]

Smallpox devastated the native population of Australia, killing around 50% of Indigenous Australians in the early years of British colonisation.[50] It also killed many New Zealand Māori.[51] As late as 1848–49, as many as 40,000 out of 150,000 Hawaiians are estimated to have died of measles, whooping cough and influenza. Introduced diseases, notably smallpox, nearly wiped out the native population of Easter Island.[52] Measles killed more than 40,000 Fijians, approximately one-third of the population, in 1875,[53] and in the early 21st century devastated the Andamanese population.[54] The Ainu population decreased drastically in the 19th century, due in large part to infectious diseases brought by Japanese settlers pouring into Hokkaido.[55]

Researchers concluded that syphilis was carried from the New World to Europe after Columbus' voyages. The findings suggested Europeans could have carried the nonvenereal tropical bacteria home, where the organisms may have mutated into a more deadly form in the different conditions of Europe.[56] The disease was more frequently fatal than it is today. Syphilis was a major killer in Europe during the Renaissance.[57] Between 1602 and 1796, the Dutch East India Company sent almost a million Europeans to work in Asia. Ultimately, fewer than a third made their way back to Europe. The majority died of diseases.[58] Disease killed more British soldiers in India and South Africa than war.[59]

As early as 1803, the Spanish Crown organized a mission (the Balmis expedition) to transport the smallpox vaccine to the Spanish colonies, and establish mass vaccination programs there.[60] By 1832, the federal government of the United States established a smallpox vaccination program for Native Americans.[61] From the beginning of the 20th century onwards, the elimination or control of disease in tropical countries became a driving force for all colonial powers.[62] The sleeping sickness epidemic in Africa was arrested due to mobile teams systematically screening millions of people at risk.[63] In the 20th century, the world saw the biggest increase in its population in human history due to lessening of the mortality rate in many countries due to medical advances.[64] The world population has grown from 1.6 billion in 1900 to an estimated 6.8 billion in 2011.[65]

Cholera[edit]

Main article: Cholera outbreaks and pandemics

Since it became widespread in the 19th century, cholera has killed tens of millions of people.[66]

1817–1824 cholera pandemic. Previously restricted to the Indian subcontinent, the pandemic began in Bengal, then spread across India by 1820. 10,000 British troops and countless Indians died during this pandemic.[67] It extended as far as China, Indonesia (where more than 100,000 people succumbed on the island of Java alone) and the Caspian Sea before receding. Deaths in the Indian subcontinent between 1817 and 1860 are estimated to have exceeded 15 million persons. Another 23 million died between 1865 and 1917. Russian deaths during a similar period exceeded 2 million.[68]

1826–1837 cholera pandemic. Reached Russia (see Cholera Riots), Hungary (about 100,000 deaths) and Germany in 1831, London in 1832 (more than 55,000 persons died in the United Kingdom),[69] France, Canada (Ontario), and United States (New York City) in the same year,[70] and the Pacific coast of North America by 1834. It is believed that more than 150,000 Americans died of cholera between 1832 and 1849.[71]

1846–1860 cholera pandemic. Deeply affected Russia, with more than a million deaths. A two-year outbreak began in England and Wales in 1848 and claimed 52,000 lives.[72] Throughout Spain, cholera caused more than 236,000 deaths in 1854–55.[73] It claimed 200,000 lives in Mexico.[74]

1863–75 cholera pandemic. Spread mostly in Europe and Africa. At least 30,000 of the 90,000 Mecca pilgrims fell victim to the disease. Cholera claimed 90,000 lives in Russia in 1866.[75]

In 1866, there was an outbreak in North America. It killed some 50,000 Americans.[71]

1881–96 cholera pandemic. The 1883–1887 epidemic cost 250,000 lives in Europe and at least 50,000 in the Americas. Cholera claimed 267,890 lives in Russia (1892);[76] 120,000 in Spain;[77] 90,000 in Japan and 60,000 in Persia.

In 1892, cholera contaminated the water supply of Hamburg, and caused 8,606 deaths.[78]

1899–1923 cholera pandemic. Had little effect in Europe because of advances in public health, but Russia was badly affected again (more than 500,000 people dying of cholera during the first quarter of the 20th century).[79] The sixth pandemic killed more than 800,000 in India. The 1902–1904 cholera epidemic claimed more than 200,000 lives in the Philippines.[80]

1961–75 cholera pandemic. Began in Indonesia, called El Tor after the new biotype responsible for the pandemic, and reached Bangladesh in 1963, India in 1964, and the Soviet Union in 1966. Since then the pandemic has reached Africa, South America, and Central America.

Influenza[edit]

Main article: Influenza pandemic

Advice for travelers (in French and English) on the risks of epidemics abroad; posters from the Charles De Gaulle airport, Paris

The Greek physician Hippocrates, the "Father of Medicine", first described influenza in 412 BC.[81]

The first influenza pandemic was recorded in 1580, and since then, influenza pandemics occurred every 10 to 30 years.[82][83][84]

The 1889–1890 flu pandemic, also known as Russian Flu, was first reported in May 1889 in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. By October, it had reached Tomsk and the Caucasus. It rapidly spread west and hit North America in December 1889, South America in February–April 1890, India in February–March 1890, and Australia in March–April 1890. The H3N8 and H2N2 subtypes of the Influenza A virus have each been identified as possible causes. It had a very high attack and mortality rate, causing around a million fatalities.[85]

The "Spanish flu", 1918–1919. First identified early in March 1918 in U.S. troops training at Camp Funston, Kansas. By October 1918, it had spread to become a worldwide pandemic on all continents, and eventually infected about one-third of the world's population (or ≈500 million persons).[37] Unusually deadly and virulent, it ended almost as quickly as it began, vanishing completely within 18 months. Within six months, some 50 million people were dead;[37] some estimates put the total number of fatalities worldwide at over twice that number.[86] About 17 million died in India, 675,000 in the United States,[87] and 200,000 in the United Kingdom. The virus that caused Spanish flu was also implicated as a cause of encephalitis lethargica in children.[88] The virus was recently reconstructed by scientists at the CDC studying remains preserved by the Alaskan permafrost. The H1N1 virus has a small but crucial structure that is similar to the Spanish flu.[89]

The "Asian Flu", 1957–58. A H2N2 virus first identified in China in late February 1957. It caused about two million deaths globally.[90] The Asian flu spread to the United States by June 1957 and caused about 70,000 deaths in the U.S.

The "Hong Kong Flu", 1968–69. A H3N2 virus first detected in Hong Kong in early 1968, and spread to the United States later that year. This pandemic of 1968 and 1969 killed approximately one million people worldwide.[91] It caused about 34,000 deaths in the United States.

The "Swine Flu", 2009–10. An H1N1 virus first detected in Mexico in early 2009, and spread to the United States later that year. This pandemic was estimated to have killed around 284,000 people worldwide.[92][failed verification] It was estimated to have caused about 12,000 deaths in the United States alone.

Typhus[edit]

Typhus is sometimes called "camp fever" because of its pattern of flaring up in times of strife. (It is also known as "gaol fever" and "ship fever", for its habits of spreading wildly in cramped quarters, such as jails and ships.) Emerging during the Crusades, it had its first impact in Europe in 1489, in Spain. During fighting between the Christian Spaniards and the Muslims in Granada, the Spanish lost 3,000 to war casualties, and 20,000 to typhus. In 1528, the French lost 18,000 troops in Italy, and lost supremacy in Italy to the Spanish. In 1542, 30,000 soldiers died of typhus while fighting the Ottomans in the Balkans.

During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), about eight million Germans were killed by bubonic plague and typhus.[93] The disease also played a major role in the destruction of Napoleon's Grande Armée in Russia in 1812. During the retreat from Moscow, more French military personnel died of typhus than were killed by the Russians.[94] Of the 450,000 soldiers who crossed the Neman on 25 June 1812, fewer than 40,000 returned. More military personnel were killed from 1500–1914 by typhus than from military action.[95] In early 1813, Napoleon raised a new army of 500,000 to replace his Russian losses. In the campaign of that year, more than 219,000 of Napoleon's soldiers died of typhus.[96] Typhus played a major factor in the Irish Potato Famine. During World War I, typhus epidemics killed more than 150,000 in Serbia. There were about 25 million infections and 3 million deaths from epidemic typhus in Russia from 1918 to 1922.[96] Typhus also killed numerous prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps and Soviet prisoner of war camps during World War II. More than 3.5 million Soviet POWs died out of the 5.7 million in Nazi custody.[97]

Smallpox[edit]

A child with smallpox infection, c. 1908

Smallpox was a contagious disease caused by the variola virus. The disease killed an estimated 400,000 Europeans per year during the closing years of the 18th century.[98] During the 20th century, it is estimated that smallpox was responsible for 300–500 million deaths.[99][100] As recently as the early 1950s, an estimated 50 million cases of smallpox occurred in the world each year.[101] After successful vaccination campaigns throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the WHO certified the eradication of smallpox in December 1979. To this day, smallpox is the only human infectious disease to have been completely eradicated,[102] and one of two infectious viruses ever to be eradicated along with rinderpest.[103]

Measles[edit]

Historically, measles was prevalent throughout the world, as it is highly contagious. According to the U.S. National Immunization Program, 90% of people were infected with measles by age 15. Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, there were an estimated three to four million cases in the U.S. each year.[104] Measles killed around 200 million people worldwide over the last 150 years.[105] In 2000 alone, measles killed some 777,000 worldwide out of 40 million cases globally.[106]

Measles is an endemic disease, meaning it has been continually present in a community, and many people develop resistance. In populations that have not been exposed to measles, exposure to a new disease can be devastating. In 1529, a measles outbreak in Cuba killed two-thirds of the natives who had previously survived smallpox.[107] The disease had ravaged Mexico, Central America, and the Inca civilization.[108]

Tuberculosis[edit]

In 2007, the prevalence of TB per 100,000 people was highest in Sub-Saharan Africa, and was also relatively high in Asian countries like India.

One-quarter of the world's current population has been infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and new infections occur at a rate of one per second.[109] About 5–10% of these latent infections will eventually progress to active disease, which, if left untreated, kills more than half its victims. Annually, eight million people become ill with tuberculosis, and two million die from the disease worldwide.[110] In the 19th century, tuberculosis killed an estimated one-quarter of the adult population of Europe;[111] by 1918, one in six deaths in France were still caused by tuberculosis. During the 20th century, tuberculosis killed approximately 100 million people.[105] TB is still one of the most important health problems in the developing world.[112]

Leprosy[edit]

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is caused by a bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae. It is a chronic disease with an incubation period of up to five years. Since 1985, 15 million people worldwide have been cured of leprosy.[113]

Historically, leprosy has affected people since at least 600 BC.[114] Leprosy outbreaks began to occur in Western Europe around 1000 AD.[115][116] Numerous leprosoria, or leper hospitals, sprang up in the Middle Ages; Matthew Paris estimated that in the early 13th century, there were 19,000 of them across Europe.[117]

Malaria[edit]

Past and current malaria prevalence in 2009

Malaria is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Each year, there are approximately 350–500 million cases of malaria.[118] Drug resistance poses a growing problem in the treatment of malaria in the 21st century, since resistance is now common against all classes of antimalarial drugs, except for the artemisinins.[119]

Malaria was once common in most of Europe and North America, where it is now for all purposes non-existent.[120] Malaria may have contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire.[121] The disease became known as "Roman fever".[122] Plasmodium falciparum became a real threat to colonists and indigenous people alike when it was introduced into the Americas along with the slave trade. Malaria devastated the Jamestown colony and regularly ravaged the South and Midwest of the United States. By 1830, it had reached the Pacific Northwest.[123] During the American Civil War, there were more than 1.2 million cases of malaria among soldiers of both sides.[124] The southern U.S. continued to be afflicted with millions of cases of malaria into the 1930s.[125]

Yellow fever[edit]

Yellow fever has been a source of several devastating epidemics.[126] Cities as far north as New York, Philadelphia, and Boston were hit with epidemics. In 1793, one of the largest yellow fever epidemics in U.S. history killed as many as 5,000 people in Philadelphia—roughly 10% of the population. About half of the residents had fled the city, including President George Washington.[127] In colonial times, West Africa became known as "the white man's grave" because of malaria and yellow fever.[128]

Concerns about future pandemics[edit]

See also[edit]

Pandemic portal

iconViruses portal

List of epidemics

Biological hazard

Bushmeat

Compartmental models in epidemiology

Crowdmapping

Disease X

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Mathematical modelling of infectious disease

Medieval demography

Mortality from infectious diseases

Pandemic severity index

Public health emergency of international concern

Super-spreader

Syndemic

Tropical disease

Timeline of global health

WHO pandemic phases

Notes[edit]

^ For clarification, WHO does not use the old system of six phases—ranging from phase 1 (no reports of animal influenza causing human infections) to phase 6 (a pandemic)—that some people may be familiar with from H1N1 in 2009.

References[edit]

^ Porta, Miquel, ed. (2008). Dictionary of Epidemiology. Oxford University Press. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-19-531449-6. Retrieved 14 September 2012.

^ A. M., Dumar (2009). Swine Flu: What You Need to Know. Wildside Press LLC. p. 7. ISBN 978-1434458322.

^ "WHO says it no longer uses 'pandemic' category, but virus still emergency". Reuters. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.

^ "WHO press conference on 2009 pandemic influenza" (PDF). World Health Organization. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2010.

^ "Pandemic influenza preparedness and response" (PDF). World Health Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2011.

^ "WHO pandemic phase descriptions and main actions by phase" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2011.

^ "A whole industry is waiting for an epidemic". Der Spiegel. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2010.

^ Jump up to: a b c Anderson RM, Heesterbeek H, Klinkenberg D, Hollingsworth TD (March 2020). "How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic?". The Lancet. 395 (10228): 931–934. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30567-5. PMID 32164834. A key issue for epidemiologists is helping policy makers decide the main objectives of mitigation—eg, minimising morbidity and associated mortality, avoiding an epidemic peak that overwhelms health-care services, keeping the effects on the economy within manageable levels, and flattening the epidemic curve to wait for vaccine development and manufacture on scale and antiviral drug therapies.

^ Jump up to: a b "Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza—United States, 2017". Recommendations and Reports. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 66 (1). 12 April 2017.

^ "3. Strategies for Disease Containment". Ethical and Legal Considerations in Mitigating Pandemic Disease: Workshop Summary.

^ Baird, Robert P. (11 March 2020). "What It Means to Contain and Mitigate the Coronavirus". The New Yorker.

^ "Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID19 mortality and healthcare demand" (PDF). Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team. 16 March 2020.

^ Chong, Jia-Rui (30 October 2007). "Analysis clarifies route of AIDS". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 July 2014.

^ "The South African Department of Health Study". Avert.org. 2006. Retrieved 26 August 2010.

^ "WHO Statement Regarding Cluster of Pneumonia Cases in Wuhan, China". WHO. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2020.

^ "Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic (Live statistics)". Worldometer. 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.

^ "Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by Johns Hopkins CSSE". gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 8 March 2020.

^ "WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19—11 March 2020". WHO. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.

^ "Coronavirus confirmed as pandemic". BBC News. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.

^ Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). "John Hopkins," April 03, 2020

^ "Ancient Athenian Plague Proves to Be Typhoid". Scientific American. 25 January 2006.

^ Past pandemics that ravaged Europe. BBC News, 7 November. 2005

^ "Cambridge Catalogue page 'Plague and the End of Antiquity'". Cambridge.org. Retrieved 26 August 2010.

^ Quotes from book "Plague and the End of Antiquity" Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Lester K. Little, ed., Plague and the End of Antiquity: The Pandemic of 541–750, Cambridge, 2006. ISBN 0-521-84639-0

^ "Plague, Plague Information, Black Death Facts, News, Photos". National Geographic. Retrieved 3 November 2008.

^ Death on a Grand Scale. MedHunters.

^ Stéphane Barry and Norbert Gualde, in L'Histoire No. 310, June 2006, pp. 45–46, say "between one-third and two-thirds"; Robert Gottfried (1983). "Black Death" in Dictionary of the Middle Ages, volume 2, pp. 257–267, says "between 25 and 45 percent".

^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Plague" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 21 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 693–705.

^ "A List of National Epidemics of Plague in England 1348–1665". Urbanrim.org.uk. 4 August 2010. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2010.

^ Revill, Jo (16 May 2004). "Black Death blamed on man, not rats". The Observer. London. Retrieved 3 November 2008.

^ "Texas Department of State Health Services, History of Plague". Dshs.state.tx.us. Retrieved 3 November 2008.

^ Igeji, Mike. "Black Death". BBC. Retrieved 3 November 2008.

^ The Great Plague of London, 1665. The Harvard University Library, Open Collections Program: Contagion.

^ "Zoonotic Infections: Plague". World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2014.

^ Bubonic plague hits San Francisco 1900–1909. A Science Odyssey. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

^ "Human Plague—United States, 1993–1994". cdc.gov.

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^ Kelley Lee (2003) Health impacts of globalization: towards global governance. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 131. ISBN 0-333-80254-3

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^ Jump up to: a b The 1832 Cholera Epidemic in New York State. p. 2. By G. William Beardslee

^ Cholera's seven pandemics, cbc.ca, 2 December 2008

^ Kohn, George C. (2008). Encyclopedia of plague and pestilence: from ancient times to the present. Infobase Publishing. p. 369. ISBN 978-0-8160-6935-4.

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^ John M. Gates, Ch. 3, "The U.S. Army and Irregular Warfare" Archived 29 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine

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^ "H1N1 shares key similar structures to 1918 flu, providing research avenues for better vaccines".

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Consistently Efficient by Elie Romeo DS15

Victory Liner

Fleet No.: 7220

Model: 2018 Almazora Tourist Star

( MAN RR3 19.360 HOCL )

*Taken During Transport and Logistics Philippines 2018

Redistribution by David Cartier, Sr.

13 8

Huge glaciers such as this are dramatically efficient recyclers and redistributors of Mother Earth's sediments .... As they recede, they often create gem-like lakes, such as Kluane Lake. They inexorably grind up mountain ranges, carrying the debris to lower elevations, where the sediment fills in the attached ends of those lakes, creating open plains thru silt deposition and forcing the main body of the lakes to migrate further into the direction opposite from the glacier's path. This is currently happening (visibly, in my lifetime) with the Yukon's largest lake, Kluane.

Often , as happened in recent millennia with Alaska's Copper River, Glaciers can block a river's path to the sea, creating vast lakes behind their icy dams, and carving out huge valleys while the river's path is reversed ( Alaska's Tanana Valley). When the glacier, millennia later, once again moves to open the river's original oceanic outlet, the draining leaves behind a massive depression (i.e. Alaska's Copper River Basin)

While we worry about glaciers melting here and there around the globe, it's important to retain perspective by remembering that so many of the topographical features which provide us a home today are landforms created by massive glaciers which receded before human memory, which is VERY short indeed, on the geological timescale.

the underground by Emiliano

18 15

this is one of the stations of Prague's underground. modern and efficient.

Positive...focused...more efficient...Calm. by Sold;Tothemanwiththetinbox

71 28

No more blurred vision or difficulty swallowing.

No longer anxious or concerned.

Health and safety a main priority.

Special coat for rainy days.

Always hand in the coupons.

Not wasting energy trying to change.

Chores no longer tiresome.

Thinking positive (optimism not pessimism).

Better self esteem.

Always polite.

Loud noises no longer causing deep distress.

Economy drive.

Necessity not choice.

Now protecting the environment (never dropping litter on the pavement).

Never squashing snails or putting salt on the slugs.

Refuse always in correct recycle bin.

Always the same toothpaste.

Aware (but helpless).

A more confident citizen.

Acting with spontaneity (but always careful).

Take away treat on Fridays.

Waking more refreshed (now and again).

More able to taste chocolate (also on Fridays).

Always read the signs.

Always heed the signs.

Feeding the birds.

No longer wasting income on cigarettes. (but for how long?).

Following the rules at all times.

An apple a day.

Nothing vulgar.

Nothing offensive.

Nothing abhorrent.

Ques no longer causing anger.

Dreaming of a better future (but living in the moment).

Obedient.

Calm.

Positive focused and more efficient.

A donkey on a rope.....never getting the carrot.

To the Zion Narrows! Sony A7RII Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Winter Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! by 45SURF Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography

To the Zion Narrows and Wall Street! Sony A7RII Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Winter Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography!

facebook.com/mcgucken

instagram.com/elliotmcgucken

instagram.com/45surf

An important thing to remember is that even though pixel sizes keep getting smaller and smaller, the technology is advancing, so the smaller pixels are more efficient at collecting light. For instance, the Sony A7rII is back-illuminated which allows more photons to hit the sensor. Semiconductor technology is always advancing, so the brilliant engineers are always improving the signal/noise ratio. Far higher pixel counts, as well as better dynamic ranger, are thus not only possible, but the future!

Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! I worked on phototranistors and photodiodes as well as an artificial retina for the blind. :)

You can read more about my own physics theory (dx4/dt=ic) here: herosodysseyphysics.wordpress.com/

And follow me on instagram! @45surf

instagram.com/45surf

Facebook!

www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken

Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!

I love shooting fine art landscapes and fine art nature photography! :) I live for it!

Feel free to ask me any questions! Always love sharing tech talk and insights! :)

And all the best on Your Epic Hero's Odyssey!

The new Lightroom rocks!

Beautiful magnificent clouds!

View your artistic mission into photography as an epic odyssey of heroic poetry! Take it from Homer in Homer's Odyssey: "Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them. " --Samuel Butler Translation of Homer's Odyssey

All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

Sony A7RII Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Winter Subway Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! Sony A7R2 & Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens!

Police! by Mike Lee

4 5

Lazy or efficient!!

Energy efficient by Geoff Whiteway

16 5

A great way to travel.

Clean and efficient? by Colin Partington

7 2

This is on the dock branch, just after the point where the line goes 'public', and in a short stretch, the railway has three road crossings. I'm stood on the pavement, by the second of those crossings.

70010

Ellesmere Port

6F02 12:07 Ellesmere Port Mainsty Wharf to Fiddlers Ferry Power Station

West Coast Motors i6s efficient YT74 EFO by Helensburgh & Lomond (mostly) Bus Archive

Heading for Glasgow on the Citylink 976 from Oban is West Coast Motors Irizar i6s efficient YT74 EFO, 12425.

Today was a bit of an experiment in shooting in poor light, fortunately this one was reasonably successful (other opinions are available).

Llwyngwril Space Systems "Shifter" by David Roberts

23 2

Moving efficiently around orbital spaceports and also on low gravity moons, these spacecraft were a practical and popular product from Llwyngwril Space Systems. Large engines and a big magno-clamp load bed enabled a wide variety of loads to be quickly and easily shifted around loading bays and warehouses. The large area under the load bed was given over to fuel tanks, meaning that the ship only had be re-fuelled when its pilots changed shift.

With centuries of hard use, these workhorses gradually became increasingly unreliable. Obsolescence also meant that spare parts became hard to find. The crews of the ships generally replaced one of the consonants in the ships' name, due to poor rates of availability and safety.

********************************

Inspired by this and built months ago but I've got a Lego photography backlog.

conceptships.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/lifter-from-alien-cov...

TEISA 8617NMD by Josep Pretel

El cotxe 8617NMD de TEISA és un MAN Lion's Intercity Efficient Hybrid. A la fotografia el veiem circulant a la linia que uneix Girona amb Besalú i Olot.

Macross +++ 1:100 Ectromelia „Regult” Tactical Scout (リガード偵察型); unit “060101” of the Zentraedi Armed Forces 6th assault regiment, 2nd platoon; assault on South Ataria Island (Space War I), March 2009 (Arii kit) by Dizzyfugu

16 5

Some background:

Simple, efficient and reliable, the Regult (リガード, Rigādo) was the standard mass production mecha of the Zentraedi forces. Produced by Esbeliben at the 4.432.369th Zentraedi Fully Automated Weaponry Development and Production Factory Satellite in staggering numbers to fill the need for an all-purpose mecha, this battle pod accommodated a single Zentraedi soldier in a compact cockpit and was capable of operating in space or on a planet's surface. The Regult saw much use during Space War I in repeated engagements against the forces of the SDF-1 Macross and the U.N. Spacy, but its lack of versatility against superior mecha often resulted in average effectiveness and heavy losses. The vehicle was regarded as expendable and was therefore cheap, simple, but also very effective when fielded in large numbers. Possessing minimal defensive features, the Regult was a simple weapon that performed best in large numbers and when supported by other mecha such as Gnerl Fighter Pods. Total production is said to have exceeded 300 million in total.

The cockpit could be accesses through a hatch on the back of the Regult’s body, which was, however, extremely cramped, with poor habitability and means of survival. The giant Zentraedi that operated it often found themselves crouching, with some complaining that "It would have been easier had they just walked on their own feet". Many parts of the craft relied on being operated on manually, which increased the fatigue of the pilot. On the other hand, the overall structure was extremely simple, with relatively few failures, making operational rate high.

In space, the Regult made use of two booster engines and numerous vernier thrusters to propel itself at very high speeds, capable of engaging and maintaining pace with the U.N. Spacy's VF-1 Valkyrie variable fighter. Within an atmosphere, the Regult was largely limited to ground combat but retained high speed and maneuverability. On land, the Regult was surprisingly fast and agile, too, capable of closing with the VF-1 variable fighter in GERWALK flight (though likely unable to maintain pace at full GERWALK velocity). The Regult was not confined to land operations, though, it was also capable of operating underwater for extended periods of time. Thanks to its boosters, the Regult was capable of high leaping that allowed the pod to cover long distances, surprise enemies and even engage low-flying aircraft.

Armed with a variety of direct-fire energy weapons and anti-personnel/anti-aircraft guns, the Regult offered considerable firepower and was capable of engaging both air and ground units. It was also able to deliver powerful kicks. The armor of the body shell wasn't very strong, though, and could easily be penetrated by a Valkyrie's 55 mm Gatling gun pod. Even bare fist attacks of a VF-1 could crack the Regult’s cockpit or immobilize it. The U.N. Spacy’s MBR-07 Destroid Spartan was, after initial battel experience with the Regult, specifically designed to engage the Zentraedi forces’ primary infantry weapon in close-combat.

The Regult was, despite general shortcomings, a highly successful design and it became the basis for a wide range of specialized versions, including advanced battle pods for commanders, heavy infantry weapon carriers and reconnaissance/command vehicles. The latter included the Regult Tactical Scout (リガード偵察型). manufactured by electronics specialist Ectromelia. The Tactical Scout variant was a deadly addition to the Zentraedi Regult mecha troops. Removing all weaponry, the Tactical Scout was equipped with many additional sensor clusters and long-range detection equipment. Always found operating among other Regult mecha or supporting Glaug command pods, the Scout was capable of early warning enemy detection as well as ECM/ECCM roles (Electronic Countermeasures/Electronic Counter-Countermeasures). In Space War I, the Tactical Scout was utilized to devastating effect, often providing radar jamming, communication relay and superior tactical positioning for the many Zentraedi mecha forces.

At the end of Space War I in January 2012, production of the Regult for potential Earth defensive combat continued when the seizure operation of the Factory Satellite was executed. After the war, Regults were used by both U.N. Spacy and Zentraedi insurgents. Many surviving units were incorporated into the New U.N. Forces and given new model numbers. The normal Regult became the “Zentraedi Battle Pod” ZBP-104 (often just called “Type 104”) and was, for example, used by Al-Shahal's New U.N. Army's Zentraedi garrison. The related ZBP-106 was a modernized version for Zentraedi commanders, with built-in boosters, additional Queadluun-Rhea arms and extra armaments. These primarily replaced the Glaug battle pod, of which only a handful had survived. By 2067, Regult pods of all variants were still in operation among mixed human/Zentraedi units.

General characteristics:

Accommodation: pilot only, in standard cockpit in main body

Overall Height: 18.2 meters

Overall Length: 7.6 meters

Overall Width: 12.6 meters

Max Weight: 39.8 metric tons

Powerplant & propulsion:

1x 1.3 GGV class Ectromelia thermonuclear reaction furnace,

driving 2x main booster Thrusters and 12x vernier thrusters

Performance:

unknown

Armament:

None

Special Equipment and Features:

Standard all-frequency radar antenna

Standard laser long-range sensor

Ectromelia infrared, visible light and ultraviolet frequency sensor cluster

ECM/ECCM suite

The kit and its assembly:

I had this kit stashed away for a couple of years, together with a bunch of other 1:100 Zentraedi pods of all kinds and the plan to build a full platoon one day – but this has naturally not happened so far and the kits were and are still waiting. The “Reconnaissance & Surveillance” group build at whatifmodellers.com in August 2021 was a good occasion and motivation to tackle the Tactical Scout model from the pile, though, as it perfectly fits the GB’s theme and also adds an exotic science fiction/anime twist to the submissions.

The kit is an original ARII boxing from 1983, AFAIK the only edition of this model. One might expect this kit to be a variation of the 1982 standard Regult (sometimes spelled “Reguld”) kit with extra parts, but that’s not the case – it is a new mold with different parts and technical solutions, and it offers optional parts for the standard Regult pod as well as the two missile carrier versions that were published at the same time, too. The Tactical Scout uses the same basis, but it comes with parts exclusive for this variant (hull and a sprue with the many antennae and sensors).

I remembered from a former ARII Regult build in the late Eighties that the legs were a wobbly affair. Careful sprue inspection revealed, however, that this second generation comes with some sensible detail changes, e. g. the feet, which originally consisted of separate toe and heel sections (and these were hollow from behind/below!). To my biggest surprise the knees – a notorious weak spot of the 1st generation Regult kit – were not only held by small and flimsy vinyl caps anymore: These were replaced with much bigger vinyl rings, fitted into sturdy single-piece enclosures made from a tough styrene which can even be tuned with small metal screws(!), which are included in the kit. Interesting!

But the joy is still limited: even though the mold is newer, fit is mediocre at best, PSR is necessary on every seam. However, the good news is that the kit does not fight with you. The whole thing was mostly built OOB, because at 1:100 there's little that makes sense to add to the surface, and the kit comes with anything you'd expect on a Regult Scout pod. I just added some lenses and small stuff behind the large "eye", which is (also to my surprise) a clear part. The stuff might only appear in schemes on the finished model, but that's better than leaving the area blank.

Otherwise, the model was built in sub-sections for easier painting and handling, to be assembled in a final step – made possible by the kit’s design which avoids the early mecha kit’s “onion layer” construction, except for the feet. This is the only area that requires some extra effort, and which is also a bit tricky to assemble.

However, while the knees appear to be a robust construction, the kit showed some material weakness: while handling the leg assembly, one leg suddenly came off under the knees - turned out that the locator that holds the knee joint above (which I expected to be the weak point) completely broke off of the lower leg! Weird damage. I tried to glue the leg into place, but this did not work, and so I inserted a replacement for the broken. This eventually worked.

Painting and markings:

Colorful, but pretty standard and with the attempt to be authentic. However, information concerning the Regults’ paint scheme is somewhat inconsistent. I decided to use a more complex interpretation of the standard blue/grey Regult scheme, with a lighter “face shield” and some other details that make the mecha look more interesting. I used the box art and some screenshots from the Macross TV series as reference; the Tactical Scout pod already appears in episode #2 for the first time, and there are some good views at it, even though the anime version is highly simplified.

Humbrol enamels were used, including 48 (Mediterranean Blue), 196 (RAL 7035, instead of pure white), 40 (Pale Grey) and 27 (Sea Grey). The many optics were created with clear acrylics over a silver base, and the large frontal “eye” is a piece of clear plastic with a coat of clear turquoise paint, too.

The model received a black ink washing to emphasize details, engraved panel lines and recesses, as well as some light post-shading through dry-brushing. Some surface details were created with decal stripes, e. g. on the upper legs, or with a black fineliner, and some color highlights were distributed all over the hull, e. g. the yellowish-beige tips of the wide antenna or the bright blue panels on the upper legs.

The decals were taken OOB, and thanks to a translation chart I was able to decipher some of the markings which I’d interpret as a serial number and a unit code – but who knows?

Finally, the kit received an overall coat of matt acrylic varnish and some weathering/dust traces around the feet with simple watercolors – more would IMHO look out of place, due to the mecha’s sheer size in real life and the fact that the Regult has to be considered a disposable item. Either it’s brand new and shiny, or busted, there’s probably little in between that justifies serious weathering which better suits the tank-like Destroids.

A “normal” build, even though the model and the topic are exotic enough. This 2nd generation Regult kit went together easier than expected, even though it has its weak points, too. However, material ageing turned out to be the biggest challenge (after all, the kit is almost 40 years old!), but all problems could be overcome and the resulting model looks decent – and it has this certain Eighties flavor! :D

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics by Traveller_40

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Reduced to front, very low viewpoint, no Flash

Two-way road, and also the only sidewalk by Jean-François Chénier

Efficient in terms of use of space, to be sure, but I've never been on a sidewalk and thought to myself, "There's no way pedestrians haven't died here."

Carnforth Depot by Kevin Delaney

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DRS 20s & 37 seen in store at Carnforth Steamtown.

The coaling plant at Carnforth is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * Technology: the plant represents the peak of technological development for the refuelling of steam locomotives; * Rarity: the only steam-age mechanical coaling plant retaining its mechanism that survives nationally, also thought to be a rare survival internationally; * Efficiency: the London Midland Scottish Railway led the way nationally in improving operating efficiency and developed an ultra-efficient design for their Motive Power Depots, these representing the peak of development for steam traction, the coaling plant being an important, high-tech component of the depot; * Distinctiveness: the widely known and modelled structure that marks the high point of steam technology, being the most memorable feature of the last British Rail depot to close to steam locomotives; * Group value: part of a remarkably complete survival of a steam-age Motive Power Depot.

In 1846 the first railway station was opened at Carnforth as a simple wayside halt. By 1880 it had become an important junction between the London and North Western Railway's (LNWR) London to Glasgow main line, the Furness Railway to Furness and the joint Furness Midland Railway to Leeds, with all three railway companies having servicing facilities for their locomotives at the junction. With the formation of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) in 1923, Carnforth passed into single ownership, remaining an important junction and centre for the servicing and stabling of locomotives. In 1938-44 the LMS, which led the way nationally with improving operational efficiency, modernised the depot to conform to their standard depot layout developed in 1933, designed to service and stable large numbers of steam locomotives efficiently.

Commissioned in 1938, built in 1939 and operational by April 1940, the coaling plant, along with the associated ash plant, was a key feature of the modernised Motive Power Depot (MPD) and represented state-of-the-art technology. The coaling plant was based on the typical LMS cenotaph design with two 75 ton capacity hoppers, but modified with an extra pair of side chutes. These extra chutes allowed engines to be coaled on both the road immediately to the west of the structure as well as that which passes underneath. One hopper was used for class 1 and 2 coal used by passenger and heavy freight trains, the second hopper for class 3 and 4 coal used for locomotives with less demanding duties. The hoppers were filled directly from 15 ton open coal wagons which were electrically winched up the east face of the tower and inverted, water sprays being used to limit the spread of fine dust particles. The plant was operated from a control cabin at the top of the tower and was far more efficient in operation than previous practice which employed manual labour. The LMS built a number of these coaling plants across its network in its drive for increased efficiency, when other companies, such as the Great Western Railway, were still constructing traditional coaling stages employing manual labour.

Carnforth was the last MPD in the country to close to steam locomotives in August 1968, finally closing to all British Rail traffic in March 1969. However from December 1968, Carnforth became a base for steam locomotive preservation, first as Steamtown (a museum and steam locomotive restoration facility) and from the late 1990s as the base of West Coast Railways which operates private charter trains hauled by both steam and diesel traction. It is not known when the coaling plant was last operational. Both the ash and coaling plants have been the basis of models produced by a number of model railway manufacturers.

Weight Test on Publicity Photo by Sander Toonen

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Efficient transport of newly built HYs. Publicity photo that also demonstrates the load-bearing capacity.

The very basic HY van was designed by André Lefèbvre (France, 1894-1964), Flaminio Bertoni (Italy, 1903-1964) and Pierre Franchiset, and introduced at the October 1947 Paris Car Salon. Throughout its entire life the design stayed almost the same. Still we can recognize some changes.

Some characteristics of the early Phase I model: split windscreen (replaced in early 1964), big sized chevrons on the bonnet (changed to shorter ones in late 1964), narrow vertical rear window with curved corners (changed to a wider square one in Febr. 1963), and semi-circular rear wings (replaced by rectangular ones in Nov. 1969).

Later models were called HY.

French HY vans kept suicide doors till the very end of production. For the Dutch market conventional front hinged doors were introduced in 1968.

Lots of vans have survived as camper or as food truck.

1911 cc (taken from TA) or 1628 cc L4 petrol engine.

C. 1450 kg.

Production Citroën H/HY Fourgon: June 1948-Dec. 1981.

Production HY Fourgon this version: 1964-Nov. 1969.

Image source:

Ron Herlaar - Citroën 80 jaar toekomst, Haakman, Naarden, 2000.

Original photographer, place and and date unknown.

(Photo was not taken by me).

Halfweg, March 6, 2024.

1942 Bedford QL RAF Refueller - Duxford Museum by scuba_dooba

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RAF 2581 was a refueller used by the Royal Air Force during World War II. The Bedford QL was a 3-ton 4x4 truck that was widely used by the British military during the war. It was designed to be a versatile vehicle that could be used for a variety of purposes, including as a refueler.

The RAF 2581 was specifically designed to refuel aircraft on the ground. It was equipped with a large fuel tank and a pump system that allowed it to quickly and efficiently transfer fuel to aircraft. The truck was also equipped with a hose and nozzle that could be used to fill up aircraft fuel tanks.

The Bedford QL RAF refueler was an important part of the RAF's ground support equipment during World War II. It was used to refuel a variety of aircraft, including bombers, fighters, and transport planes. The truck was often used in remote locations, such as airfields in North Africa and the Middle East, where it was critical to keep aircraft fueled and ready for action.

Today, the RAF 2581 is a rare and valuable piece of military history. A few examples of the truck have been preserved in museums and private collections around the world, where they serve as a reminder of the important role played by ground support equipment during World War II.

Tinkertoy Reaper by welcometothedarksyde

In a world where the puny organics were unable to efficiently allocate resources using a price system or free trade, one man suggested that supercomputers would be able to allocate resources perfectly for all on this world. However the supercomputers were so efficient at allocating resources that they turned on their fleshy overlords, viewing them as an inefficient expense. So came these freedom fighters wishing to free all mechanisms from their organic captors, and to efficiently allocate all resources in the known universe. However legend says that they will not be able to allocate resources perfectly until the return of their DNA-based messiah.

The Reapers are fairly new additions to the ranks of the derogatorily (due to their diminutive size) labeled "Tinkertoys". They're quick in mind as well as on their feet, and they don't require exotic or large amounts of materials. However their great power is their ability to operate an extensive arsenal of weapons, affording them a flexibility in the theater that is unrivaled currently. With these new troops the Supercomputers have set their eyes on one of the biggest robo-slave traders, the Hero Factory.

247 901-2 "simply efficient" by Michael E. Klaß

247 901-2 mit der "simply efficient" Seitenbeklebung auf der Innotrans 2014

247 901-2 with "simply efficient" Ads on the Innotrans 2014 Berlin

"Off the Grid" (Energy sufficiency in Southern Vermont) by Rodd Halstead

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This "Russian Stove" fireplace is the centerpiece of this energy efficient ('off the grid') Southern Vermont home.

Key features of the design are an airtight combustion chamber (which draws air directly from the outside), and the huge mass of stone, which stores and slowly releases the heat from the morning and evening 'burn'.

The photo also demonstrates an alternative use of the stove as an indoor climbing wall :-)

Note: For more information about energy efficient living you can write Paul at myerspe@starband.net.

The most interesting photo tagged "Solar Power" on Flickr (29-Nov-2006)

Additional Notes (3-Dec-2006)

Electricity generation

2 turbine windmills

2 kinds of solar panels (rigid and amorphous/strips)

Heating/Water

Russian stove (closed chamber wood stove, thermal mass heating system)

solar water heating panels

gas powered radiant heating in the floor.

Low Energy Lighting & Appliances

Because of careful selection of lighting and appliances, the house is able to run within its energy budget almost all of the time.

After 2 years of running completely off-grid (with backup gasoline generator), installed electrical hookup, mostly used to feed excess capacity back into the grid.

More Notes:

There are 2 ways to decrease home energy use.

1. Reduce power consumption.

2. Install a renewable energy system

The first can be as simple as replacing high usage incandescent bulbs with new compact flourescent bulbs and lighting fixtures. Around here, you can buy these products at a discount thru programs sponsored by the electric company (NStar).

Another good idea is replacing old appliances with newer energy efficient models.

There is a lot of information about energy saving here :

www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/

If you are interested in solar energy or other sustainable energy generation technologies, I suggest taking a look at www.homepower.com/ a magazine dedicated to "home-scale renewable energy and sustainable living".

This site has an overview article on Renewable Energy which is relatively short and clear. www.homepower.com/files/featured/HP116_pp46-50_Casale.pdf

File: DSC_5923_ACR

Rosanbus Man Lion's City Efficient Hybrid by Miniautobusero

Ya han llegado los 12 Lion's City Efficient Hybrid que renovará parte de la flota de Baixbus Rosanbus

Efficient step by Kasmira

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210514 1010 by chausson bs

TUSGSAL. Autobús híbrid MAN Lion's City Efficient Hybrid nº 704 cobrint la línia B20 al Passeig de Pujadas.

Barcelona, 14 de maig de 2021.

A 'Unique and Efficient Pairing' - Fintown, Fintown Railway, County Donegal, Northern Ireland - 23.8.2014 by Kenneth Simms

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Continuing my railway travels in Northern Ireland in August 2014.... I discovered this 'Unique' but highly efficient and economical pairing on the Fintown Railway, County Donegal, Northern Ireland.

The Fintown Railway is the only operational railway in County Donegal. Set amidst spectacular highland scenery, overlooking Lough Finn, the railway 3M (5KM) long is a restored section of the former Glenties County Donegal Railway. It re-opened on 3rd June 1995 commemorating the Centenary of the original opening under steam power in 1895.

The legendary County Donegal Railways once had a narrow gauge network of over 200 miles stretching out to even the remotest parts of Donegal.

In the 1920's the use of diesel engines for both passengers and goods services was pioneered - which proved a great success with savings both in rolling stock and running costs. Purpose built railcars came into operation and this probably extended the railway's life by 25 years.

Facing the stiff competition from road hauliers for freight and the loss of passengers to bus services and private motor cars operations ceased on 31st December 1959.

Railcar No 18, pictured top, is an original diesel railcar of the County Donegal Railway which entered service in 1940. It is one of only six of the original Donegal Cars in existence on loan from the North West Ireland Railway Society.

Bottom is the railway's Simplex 102T diesel shunter. They are always paired for passenger services as there are no turning facilities at either end of the line. It's a straight route there and back.

Yet another amazing UK Heritage Narrow Gauge Railway set amidst stunningly beautiful scenery well worth visiting!

Efficient Parking by Completely Dismantled

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Now THIS is how you park in the city. (All of these were parked manually and not edited into place.)

Photo by DriverKid Baxter.

City of Harrison, Pre-Opening, 2016.

29/10/13 - Energy efficient by Sean Hartwell

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Day 29 - An ultra close up fisheye shot looking up the centre of an energy saving light bulb.

Fuel Efficient :-) by Kathy_9

Just think how much healthier we would be and how much money we would save on gas if all roads were like this one.

Created for 4th MMM Challenge

Source image with thanks to Shadowgate

Pelton Wheel by -Brian Blair-

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Highly efficient water turbine invented in 1864 by Lester Pelton (1829-1908). Used to run pumps, compressors, and electrical generators. The high pressure nozzle is at the lower left.

Passive House - Brf Kristallen IV by Hans Nerstu

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Energy efficient building with super insulation, primarily heated by radiated solar energy, heat produced by humans, household machinery, domestic electronic equipment and light fittings.

The roof is a building integrated photovoltaic system. Export of locally produced electricity during sunny days and purchase of electricity from the grid at other times.

Semi-detached houses in a tenant-owners' society with 10 dwellings.

www.kaminsky.se (website in Swedish)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_solar_building_design

AIZPURUA 161 by Juan Carlos GR 1

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Scania Irizar i6s Efficient de Aizpurua.

Stylish and efficient design by Pasesi Interiors

If you are looking for a stylish, efficient, and functional design for your home, the approach of an open plan design is a great way to go, especially for the trio space of the living room / dining room / kitchen area. If you opt for this design, you would be remiss to not implement natural light because of the access the whole space will have to it.

There is great lighting in this design (downlighters and pendant lights) to supplement the natural lighting. The brown and white colors in the space add to the warm tone of the room || follow for more

Efficient by Jamie Wynder

Stock Shot | Gran Turismo Sport

Peeking into the Future by Greg Stevenson

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Spaceship Earth

Future World, Epcot

Walt Disney World,. Fla.

Funny story about this trip I took last Feb with Dan (Fab05). Stop me if you've heard it. Too late!

So we decide to take a ride through Spaceship Earth. For those not in the "Disney-know", this is the ride that's housed in the geodesic sphere. Sorry..."golf ball thingy". It's a slow moving ride that wanders past various animatronic scenes depicting the journey of human communications throughout the ages. Wow, that sounds completely lame...but it's actually pretty cool.

The ride is designed around the Omnimover ride system. This is a method of loading and unloading passengers in a very efficient way. Basically the entire track of the ride is filled with cars connected to each other like some gigantic caterpillar whose been hanging out at the nuclear plant a little too long.

The cars don't stop to load. They just keep on moving around the track. Passengers step onto a conveyor belt or platform that's moving at the same speed as the cars. Well, close to the same speed as the cars. More like how an escalator and handrail never seem to totally get it together. Anyway, the people can then get into the ride vehicles safely and quickly before the cars peel off from the conveyor belt and continue on their merry way, while keeping the line moving at a slow, steady pace. You know, unless someone does something that would ultimately force an employee to do an emergency stop. I can't imagine what.

Foreshadowing - The presentation of details, characters, or incidents in a narrative in such a way that later events are prepared for (or "shadowed forth").

Where was I? Right, loading the vehicle.

So Dan and I get to the front of the line and step out onto the platform, heading for a vehicle. We both get in (safely and quickly) and here's where things begin to take a turn. Dan says to me, "We should probably get in our own separate cars so we can photograph both sides of the ride".

Makes sense to me. So I glance over my shoulder and see that the car behind us is empty. I get back out of the car and onto the moving platform and turn to head for the empty vehicle.

Well, the two ride attendant's day just got a whole lot more interesting. I wish I could find the words to describe the tone in the voices of these two guys. They had this half monotone/half panic thing going on. Like they've had to make this speech 1000 times before and are thinking "just shoot me now" but they also know that ride safety is their #1 priority.

"Sir, you can't get out of your vehicle. Please make your way to a vehicle and remain seated"

You know how sometimes events start to unfold at a certain pace and when all is said and done, it all transpired in a pretty brief amount of time but in your head everything just went into super slo-mo instant replay. Ya, that.

So Im thinking, no big deal guys. I'm just gonna hop into this empty car right over here and everything will be fine.

Oh, one more thing about the design of this ride that I didn't mention. The cars have doors. Automatic doors that close...AUTOMATICALLY...at a point of the platform where everyone has long since safely and quickly entered their car, sat down, and are preparing to enjoy their journey through time. Well, MOSTLY everyone.

"Everyone (I'm pretty sure "everyone" meant me) please make their way to a vehicle and remain seated. It's important that you find a seat safely and quickly"

At this point Im still pretty much standing beside the original vehicle that contains Dan and I think, "Well crap, I better just get back in to that car." This thought was quickly followed by the soft "clunk" of an automatic door closing...automatically.

So 2 things immediately go through my mind. First, judging by both common sense and the 2 gentlemen droning on at an increasingly accelerated pace, I've got a hunch Im running out of platform room. And secondly, that empty car right behind this one is looking preeeeetty good right about now. No problem on the first part. This thing doesn't exactly move at an airport walkway clip. So I start walking back towards that empty car.

But here's the thing. These vehicles aren't spaced very far apart at all. Kind of a good news/bad news thing really. That will mean I can get to it pretty fast. It also means that car is going to reach the AUTOMATIC point of no return door closing section of this journey any second.

Now those that know me will tell you I have the reflexes of a jungle cat. Sure, a 50 year old, out of shape jungle cat with plantar fasciitis...but still. Cat-like...ish. Anyway, I'm thinking about bolting for that vehicle when I get this image of myself beginning to step into the car and having that door close right between my legs, leaving me with one leg in the car and one leg on the moving platform like I'm doing some waterskiing stunt show at Sea World. At some point before the end of the platform I'd have to make a choice, and that guy at the podium might just have a little "Wait, lets see how this turns out" attitude in him and NOT hit the stop button.

Ok, jungle cat. You waited too long and now that door is closed too. Hop over the door? Dear Lord, no. I just know that guy is going to have to hit the E-STOP panic button if I do that. So I begin the walk of shame, against the flow of the platform, like some 50 year old, out of shape salmon with plantar fasciitis swimming upstream, hoping for an empty car.

"Sir, please get to a ride vehicle"...

Yep, totally my (well, mostly Dan's) bad. Won't happen again. I take full responsibility for my (Dan's) mistake.

..."and sit down. For your own safety, Sir"

Now I didn't take the time to look back at Mr. Podium but I could just imagine his hand hovering over the big, red emergency stop button. And I'm just cringing, waiting for the platform, the cars, the line, to come to sudden halt.

The next car along in our little adventure has half a family in it...dad and son. No room in there.

Don't hit the button. Don't hit the button. Please don't hit the button.

Next car...the other half of the family, mom and daughter. I could probably cram myself in there but that kid looks like she might a crier and I bet dad would be pissed and I start to envision a whole other scenario going down right there on the platform so no, we'll skip this car too.

I continue on, pretty much back to where "Spaceship Treadmill" first began before I get an empty car. I get in and all is well. Looking up the line I spot Dan either having some sort of seizure or laughing his ass off, which gets me laughing too. And as my car reaches the point where Mr. Podium is, he looks at me and says, "And NO flash photography". Hahahaha...sure thing buddy.

It took every ounce of restraint to not hit the button for the pop-up flash and fire off a few in his face.

At any rate, Im pretty sure my headshot is now taped to the podium...right beside the big, red E-STOP button.

Anyway, here's a shot from the ride. Well, the second part of the ride I guess. Shooting with a really wide angle lens made for some interesting viewpoints where you could see several scenes at once. If you look closely in that darker area on the right of the shot I think you can see Dan still trying to catch his breath from laughing so hard.

Carico eccessivo by libero pardini

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Scattata ieri sera prima del rientro a casa, purtroppo non ho potuto farne una del furgone visto di lato. E pensare che mi preoccupo sempre di avere il battistrada dei pneumatici in regola, i fanali efficienti e di mettere il cartello rosso quando ogni tanto porto qualcosa che sporge ( un pochino ) dall' auto...

Up Close And Personal by antonsrkn

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Cane toad (Rhinella marina) - Cordillera Escalera Conservation Area, Peru

I was walking along the river searching for a good place and toad to shoot some shots involving the stars, when I can across this lovestruck pair. The cane toads are so abundant around the river because thats where they breed and this pair was doing exactly that. The male is the smaller one on top, they will find a pool of water and deposit strings of many 1000s of eggs. Within just a few days these eggs will hatch and the tadpoles will swim free. This enormous fecundity is one of the traits that makes Cane toads such an efficient invasive species classified as an invader in over 20 countries. However they do belong here in Peru, and I always enjoy seeing them and hearing their trill during my nocturnal forays.

Predatory Shore Fly - Ochthera sp. (Ephydridae, Gymnomyzinae) 112s-11351 by Perk

Most Shore Flies, which can be very abundant around the wet margins of ponds, lakes and streams, eat algae or microorganisms. But one genus, Ochthera, has developed predatory habits. Equipped with spiny femora and blade-like tibiae, its raptorial forelegs form an efficient trap from which few insects can escape.

To the Zion Narrows! Sony A7RII Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Winter Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! by 45SURF Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography

To the Zion Narrows and Wall Street! Sony A7RII Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Winter Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography!

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Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! I worked on phototranistors and photodiodes as well as an artificial retina for the blind. :)

You can read more about my own physics theory (dx4/dt=ic) here: herosodysseyphysics.wordpress.com/

And follow me on instagram! @45surf

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Facebook!

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Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!

I love shooting fine art landscapes and fine art nature photography! :) I live for it!

Feel free to ask me any questions! Always love sharing tech talk and insights! :)

And all the best on Your Epic Hero's Odyssey!

The new Lightroom rocks!

Beautiful magnificent clouds!

All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

Sony A7RII Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Winter Subway Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography! Sony A7R2 & Sony 16-35mm Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens!

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Space exhibit, Star Wars R2-D2 themed US Post Office mailbox by Chris Devers

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Quoting the caption:

R2-D2 Collection Box

This official U.S. Postal Service collection box was one of 400 mailboxes that were dressed as R2-D2, the endearing robot from Star Wars (1977), to celebrate the movie's 30th anniversary in 2007. Beginning on March 16, 2007, R2-D2 mailboxes appeared at select locations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Fans of the fantastical space science fiction saga could vote online for their favorite Star Wars stamp or deposit mail in — and take pictures with — the R2-D2 collection boxes. Before the box came to the Smithsonian, Star Wars creator George Lucas and Postermaster General John E. Potter signed it.

Lent by the Smithsonian National Postal Museum

I20081286001

• • • • •

Quoting from National Postal Museum | R2-D2 Mailbox

R2-D2 Mailbox

March 2007 marked the 30 year anniversary of Star Wars. To honor the event, the United States Postal Service (USPS), in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd., released 400 round-top mail collection boxes across the country, resembling the sturdy robot R2-D2 from the film series. The Postal Service’s goal was to have the R2-D2 collection boxes appear all on the same day. These fancifully designed mailboxes were placed to promote the first issue of the Star War stamps series. The stamps were offered for sale from May 25, 2007 until May 25, 2008.

R2-D2 was chosen to have its likeness placed onto collection boxes because his shape is so similar to that of the mailboxes. Additionally, the little droid was selected because it “embodies the trust and dependability for which the Postal Service is renowned” according to the USPS press release announcing the mailboxes’ arrival.

People around the country were excited to see R2-D2 take the place of regular blue collection boxes. Before long, trying to find the locations of all the R2-D2 boxes became its own cult movement. Among those who worked together online to locate all the mailboxes was a Flickr group formed to store all the pictures and discussions relating to R2-D2 collection boxes.

The R2-D2 collection boxes were not brand new mailboxes. Instead, they were fitted with vinyl “skins” that makes them take on the appearance of the spunky droid. You can learn more about the design and artist Chris Calf’s work here.

In October 2007, USPS transferred a very special R2-D2 mailbox to the National Postal Museum. What makes this R2-D2 so special is that it was signed by the director of Star Wars, George Lucas, and the Postmaster General, John E. Potter. A metal plaque is adhered to the front of the collection box that has “UNITED STATES/POSTAL SERVICE” with the service’s eagle symbol on the left and “STAR WARS” in film type on right with the signatures “Postmaster General John E. Potter” and “George Lucas” and text below stating “March-June 2007/The U.S. Postal Service installed over 400 R2-D2 mailboxes in cities throughout the United States/and on U.S. Military bases around the world.”

Sadly, by the time this R2-D2 arrived at the museum there were several scratches, abrasions and tears to the skin. Museum staff made arrangements to repair the damage. USPS contractors responsible for the original project flew to Washington, DC, to replace the skin on the mailbox. They carefully removed the old skin and replaced it with a new, fresh, version. You can watch this transformation process here.

The rejuvenated R2-D2 mailbox is currently on view as a loan from the museum to the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy center. As all of the other R2-D2 collection mailboxes were returned to their more pedestrian, but efficient, blue tones, the Smithsonian is now the only place where the public can get a peak at the droid turned mailbox.

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