Hurricane Sandy's Effects on the East Coast

MIT was closed yesterday due to considerations for Hurricane Sandy. There were no classes, and all non-essential personnel were off work for the three shifts of the day. While most of MIT Medical was closed, Urgent Care remained open.

McCormick and Baker Dining were open with limited service yesterday evening, though Simmons Late Night was closed. The rest of the dining halls functioned as usual.

The MBTA shut down service at 2 p.m. Monday, and all U.S. markets closed in preparation for the storm. This was the first market-wide shutdown since September 2001. Markets will remain closed today, though the MBTA is still planning to operate as of this writing.

The Tech has compiled a Sandy FAQ which can be found at http://techblogs.mit.edu/news/2012/10/hurricane-sandy-faq-how-not-to-get-eaten-by-your-labmate.

The Institute announced its closing at 8:15 p.m. Sunday through http://emergency.mit.net, MIT’s website for communicating campus emergencies. Alerts were sent to cell phones around 8:30 p.m. through the MIT Alert system, and a campus-wide email was sent at 8:34 p.m.

Hurricane Sandy brought winds of nearly 65 miles an hour to Massachusetts Monday afternoon, with the Green Building weather station monitoring gusts peaking at 40 mph. There was severe flooding in New Jersey, as well of pockets of flooding throughout Massachusetts. Sandy is the second largest Atlantic storm in the past 24 years (which is how long hurricane data has been tracked), having broken Hurricane Lili’s record from 1996. By press time Monday evening, over 350,000 homes in Massachusetts had lost power, and more blackouts are expected as the storm progresses.

The worst of the storm hit Massachusetts Monday afternoon — though Boston experienced only the outskirts of the storm. Sandy made landfall in New Jersey around 8:00 p.m. Monday, and as of this writing has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. Rain will continue throughout Wednesday afternoon.

MIT will be open today, the Institute announced at 9:50 p.m. Monday through the emergency website, though it will have a delayed starting time of 9 a.m..

Preparations for Sandy

MIT took a number of steps to prepare for the storm. Residents in all dormitories were urged to keep a light source handy and to close their windows to prevent rain and wind damage. Jason Doucette, house manager of Next House, said in an email to the dorm that towels were available to students to help block their windows in case of leakage.

Roof drains and external drains of residence halls were cleaned of leaves to help prevent flooding, and water vacuums and sump pumps around campus were tested. MIT Dining received a number of large food deliveries Monday in case the storm caused transportation issues or food shortages. LaVerde’s and Café Spice remained open Monday (Dunkin’ Donuts, Subway, and Anna’s Taqueria were only open for the morning), though the rest of the restaurants in W20 were closed. The menu at LaVerde’s was limited, and a number of items on the grill were not available.

Facilities around MIT, including the Zesiger Center, were closed for the day. In an email to the athletics staff, Julie Soriero — director of athletics, physical education, and recreation — announced that if MIT closes, “all of our buildings, programs, practices, and PE classes will be cancelled.”

How do you prepare for a hurricane?

Students were encouraged to pack loose items and move furniture away from windows — all of which should be closed and locked. Any items in outdoor areas should be brought indoors, and electronic devices should be unplugged. Cell phones should be charged before the storm. People should stay inside and be aware that the power might go out. While all dormitories have emergency generators for powering the fire alarms and hallway/exit lighting, bedrooms and apartments will lose power. In an email to all housemasters, Dennis Collins, director of residential life for capital renewal and construction, warned that if Massachusetts lost power, MIT’s cogeneration plant would initially go down, activating the emergency generators. While the cogeneration plant should be able to restart within a few hours, those in the northwest area of campus who do not rely on the cogeneration plant may be on emergency power for a longer time.

“Power on campus is supplied by the Co-Gen plant,” said Kirk D. Kolenbrander, vice president and secretary of the MIT Corporation. “It’s quite reliable.”

Collins’ email also included other tips for weathering Sandy, such as things to include in a hurricane preparation kit (“useful items such as non-perishable food items and snacks, juices, soft drinks, bottled water, manual can opener, change of clothing, sturdy shoes, portable radio, first-aid kit, batteries, flashlight, eating utensils and containers for holding water. Refill prescription medicines,” the email read). He also noted that refrigerators without power can safely hold food for up to 12 hours if they are opened infrequently.

Sandy in Boston

MIT was not the only school in the Boston area to close for the day. All public schools in the Boston metropolitan area were closed, and a number of other colleges — including Harvard University, Boston University, Babson College, Wellesley College, and Northeastern University — shut operations down on Monday in preparation for Sandy. Public schools should be open today.

In a press conference Sunday afternoon, Governor Deval Patrick requested schools to close and for Bay Staters to stay off the roads during Sandy.

Federal aid is now supplementing local efforts, as President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration for Massachusetts Sunday afternoon.

Logan Airport remains open, though the reliability of individual airlines will vary. Danny Levy, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, suggested that travelers “check with airlines before venturing to the airport,” according to The Boston Globe.

Hurricane Sandy has been touted as the second “Perfect Storm” after the deadly storm of 1991, which inspired the 2000 film of the same name starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. While the prior conditions for the storms are similar, they are not the same, and Sandy is not predicted to be as damaging.

Students who have problems with leaks or other storm-related issues should contact MIT Facilities at 617-253-1500. While MIT has increased the number of mechanics on shift for the next few days, those making calls should expect delays. More information about Hurricane Sandy can be found at the NOAA’s website at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

Vocabulary Week 10

aficionado- a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer

browbeat- to discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate

commensurate- able to be measured by a common standard

diaphanous- Of such fine texture as to be transparent or translucent

emolument- Payment for an office or employment

foray- A sudden raid or military advance

genre- A realistic style of painting that depicts scenes from everyday life

homily- An inspirational saying or platitude

immure- To confine within or as if within walls; imprison

insouciant- carefree or unconcerned;
light-hearted
matrix- a substance, situation, or environment in which something has its origin, takes form, or is enclosed

obsequies- A funeral rite or ceremony

panache- A bunch of feathers or a plume, especially on a helmet.

persona- The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one's public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self

philippic- a bitter or impassioned speech of denunciation; invective

prurient- unusually or morbidly interested in sexual thoughts or practices

sacrosanct- Regarded as sacred and inviolable

systemic- Of or relating to systems or a system

tendentious- Marked by a strong implicit point of view; partisan

vicissitude- A change or variation

Literature Analysis #2

Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck

1. Of Mice and Men takes place in Central California, somewhere around the Salinas River Valley. The two main characters are George, the smarter, leader, and Lennie, the mentally handicapped friend who travels with George. The two have always been friends and they have a goal of owning their own ranch someday. Lennie is always getting the two in trouble. They have been released from their last job, and now at the new ranch, Lennie has a new focus, the boss' son's wife. Lennie really doesn't know his boundaries which leads to him getting much to close to Curley's wife, and ultimately breaking her neck. At this point, Lennie leaves and runs away back into the country where George instructed him to go if anything happens. George shows up later and shoots his friend in the head to save him from what would happen if Curley and the guys at the ranch got a hold of him.

2. The theme of this novel is friendship and tragedy. Lennie and George always have each other's best interests at heart. Even when George shoots Lennie, he is doing what is best for Lennie. The ending of the novel is tragic, as George has to kill his best/only friend as Lennie is thinking the "ranch dream."

3. John Steinbeck maintains a somber tone throughout the book. He starts by outlining the duo's lifestyle, which appeals to the readers emotions and makes us feel sympathetic to Lennie..Now feeling this way, Lennie is thrown an array of challenges which leads to his end.

• "I wisht we'd get the rabbits pretty soon, George."
• "I want you to stay with (Lennie)."
• "You got it by heart,you can do it yourself".

4. FORESHADOWING: 

• The dead mouse that Lennie finds at the start was an indication of Lennie's lack of finesse and led me to believe that more death was in the midst. This was foreshadowing for Curley's wife death, since both she and the mouse were "cuddled" by Lennie.
• "You seen a girl around here?"
• "God awmightly I never seen such a strong guy."
• "He was so little," said Lennie. "I was jus' playin' with him....... an' he made like he's gonna bite me....an' ....an' I done it. An' then he was dead."

DIRECT CHARACTERIZATION:

• " They are an unlikely pair: George is small and quick and dark of face. Lennie is a man of tremendous size, and has the mind of a young child.
• "Let the big guy talk."
• "Lennie looked timidly over to him."
• "His huge companion..."(Lennie) 

IMAGERY:

• "He took off his hat and wiped the sweat-band with his forefinger and snapped the moisture off."
• "His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting the water like a horse."
• "George knelt beside the pool and drank from his hand with quick scoops."

DICTION:

• "Lennie never done it in meanness."
• "He's such a nice fella. I didn't think he'd do nothing like this."
• "All the time he done bad things, but he never done one of 'em mean."
• "I.... I ain't gonna.... say a word."
• "An' live off the fatta the lan'"

SETTING:

• The novel is set in the 1930's in California. This sets up the farming and ranch dream of Lennie and George. It also is portrayed through the female role of Curley's wife as being subordinate to men.
• "A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green."
• "There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungle-up near water."
• "I don't like Curley, he ain't a nice fella"

Tools That Change the Way We Think

One of the pros of the Internet has to do with the rapid access of information that would require many more hours of research resorting to the older more traditional methods.Interested people can order products from traditional chain stores such as Macy's, or order products from Internet based business. Some Internet users use the Internet to socialize on line with people who share common goals and interests. There is Facebook and various Blogs available to match compatible people of the same age. A lot of Internet community sites target the younger generations.

To Facebook or not to Facebook ?

Pros:

1. Keep in contact with loved ones.

2. Post pics of yourself looking fabulous.

3. Show travels.

4. Watch your friends, be involved in their lives.

5. Post funny videos.

6. Part of mass culture.

Cons:

1. Stalk people.

2. Misrepresenting who you are.

3. Shallow way to engage others.

4. Waste time.

5. Flash judgements.

6. Privacy issues.

7. Emphasized material over meaning.

info from:

http://www.proconlists.com/list/society-culture/facebook/2133

Who was Shakespeare ?

I was first introduced to William Shakespeare's works as a freshman, reading Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnetand Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613.His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrotetragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights.

resources used:

http://shakespeare.about.com/od/shakespearebasics/tp/Who_Was_Shakespeare.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare

Notes on Hamlet

Act 2:

2.1

• Polonius tells Reynaldo to spy on Laertes. Ophelia reveals Hamlet visited her and acted strange.
• Tells Reynaldo to say Laertes does bad things to see if people agree or disagree.

2.2

• King asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to watch Hamlet and see what’s up with him. Norway king states that they will not attack and asks if his troops can come through Denmark. Polonius says Hamlet is crazy because of his Daughter rejected love. Make plan to put Hamlet and Ophelia together. Hamlet tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern he is no mad for love. The players come in. Hamlet know them, speaks with them.
• Hamlet recites speech showing his love of theater and his intelligence.
• Story of Priam’s death and Huckaback sadness
• Hamlet [speech] second soliloquy “Ay, so, goodbye to you – Now I am alone. O, what a rouge and peasant slave am I” Tells about how he feels he has failed the Ghost, and does not know if the Ghost is from heaven or hell. Compares himself to player and how emotional player seems and how unemotional Hamlet seems. Makes a plan to make the King watch a play acting out the situation of the murder to see if the king is guilty.

Vocabulary #9

Abortive: failing to produce the intended result

Bruit: spread a report or rumor widely

Contumelious: scornful and insulting behavior

Dictum: a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source; a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle

Ensconce: establish or settle

Iconoclastic: characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions

In medias res: a narrative that begins somewhere in the middle of a story rather than the beginning

Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict

Maladroit: ineffective or bungling; clumsy

Maudlin: self-pitying or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness

Modulate: exert a modifying or controlling influence on

Portentous: of or like a portent; done in a pompously or overly solemn manner

Prescience: the power to foresee the future

Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage granted in return for something

Salubrious: health-giving, healthy; pleasant, not run-down

Saturnalia: the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December; an occasion of wild revelry

Touchstone: a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized

Traumatic: emotionally disturbing or distressing; relating to or causing psychological trauma

Vitiate: spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of.

Waggish: humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner

Hamlet Remix

HAMLET:
To be, or not to be, that is the question.
Is it nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to fight against a sea of troubles,
And end them by fighting? To die, to sleep,
Nothing more, and by sleeping, to be able to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That the body gets as part of life is an ending
To be wished for very earnestly. To die, to sleep,
To sleep! Perhaps to dream. Yes, there's the catch,
For what dreams may come in that sleep of death,
When we have left this life on earth,
Must make us stop. There's the respect
That makes a mess of long life,
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's insults,
The pangs of rejected love, the law's delay,
The inexperience of office, and the disdain
That patient merit takes from the unworthy,
When he himself might his final settlement make
With a bare, sharp knife? Who would bear these burdens
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
Except that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country, from whose borders
No traveler returns, puzzles the mind,
And makes us bear those problems we have
Rather than fly to others that we don’t know about?
In this way, a conscience can make cowards of us all,
And in this way the natural color of making up your mind
Is covered with the pale shadow of thinking,
And projects of great substance and significance,
And in this regard, their movement turns erratic,
And lose the name of action. Wait!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in your eyes
May all my sins be remembered.

Vocabulary Midterm Reflection

After receiving my midterm, I believe that my grade was an accurate portrayal of my efforts. I earned an A. I have continuously learned the new words weekly, so it makes sense that I executed this exam, also accounting for the fact that almost every vocabulary quiz I have taken up until now has been an A.

Vocabulary #8

Abeyance-(N.) A state of temporary disuse or suspension.

Ambivalent- (Adj.) Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Beleaguer- (V.) Beset with difficulties

Carte blanche- (N.) Complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best.

Cataclysm- (N.) A sudden violent upheaval, esp. in a political or social context

Debauch- (V.) Destroy or debase the moral purity of; corrupt.
(N.) A bout of excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures, esp. eating and drinking

éclat- (N.) brilliant or conspicuous success

Fastidious- (Adj.) Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

Gambol- (V.) Run or jump about playfully

Imbue- (V.) Inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality: "imbued with deep piety".

Inchoate- (Adj.) Just begun and so not fully formed or developed

Lampoon- (V.) Publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule or sarcasm.
(N.) A speech or text criticizing someone or something in this way

Malleable- (Adj.) Easily influenced; pliable

Nemesis- (N.) The inescapable or implacable agent of someone's or something's downfall

Opt- (V.) Make a choice from a range of
possibilities

Philistine- (N.) A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them

Picaresque- (Adj.) Of or relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero

Queasy- (Adj.) Nauseated; feeling sick

Refractory- (Adj.) Stubborn or unmanageable

Savoir-faire- (N.) The ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations.

What Campuses are Learning About Online Teaching

This article came out in the Wall Street Journal this morning, and seems to have a close connect to open source learning and my future at MIT.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444620104578012262106378182.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Vocabulary Midterm Study Strategies

Since these are words I have already seen, I will most likely just look at the definitions I have previously posted on this blog. I will make sure I can use words in context and compare and contrast words with similar meanings.

Vocabulary words thus far:

adumbrate - to outline; foreshadow

apotheosis - the elevation or exaltation of a person to the rank of God.

ascetic - simple life, denies material satisfaction.

bauble - a showy, cheap ornament, jester's scepter.

beguile - to influence by trickery, flattery

burgeon - to begin to grow or blossom

complement - something that completes, makes up a whole or brings to perfection.

contumacious - disobedient or rebellious

curmudgeon - an ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions.

didactic - intended to instruct

disingenuous - not straightforward or candid; insincere

exculpate - to clear of guilt or blame

faux pas - a social blunder or indiscretion

fulminate - to explode or detonate

fustian - pretentious speech or writing; pompous, bombastic

hauteur - arrogance, pride

inhibit - to hold back, restrain

jeremiad - a literary work or speech expressing a bitter lament or a righteous prophecy of doom.

opportunist - one who takes advantage of any opportunity to  achieve an end with no regard for consequences.

unconscionable - not restrained by conscience; excessive.

accolade - any award, honor or laudatory notice

acerbity - harshness or severity, as of temper or expression.

attrition - a reduction or decrease in numbers, size or strength

bromide - a platitude or trite saying

chauvinist - a person who is aggressively and blindly patriotic.

chronic - constant, habitual

expound - to set forth or state in detail

factionalism - self-interested: partisan

immaculate - free from spot or stain; spotlessly clean; free from blemish

imprecation - a curse; malediction

ineluctable - incapable of being evaded, inescapable

mercurial - changeable, volatile, fickle, flighty, erratic

palliate - to relieve or lessen without curing

protocol - the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality

resplendent - shining brilliantly; gleaming

stigmatize - to mark with a stigma or brand

sub rosa - confidentially, secretly

vainglory - empty pomp or show

vestige - a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence.

volition - the power of willing; will

apostate: a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.

effusive: unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve.

impasse: a position or situation from which there is no escape.

euphoria: a state of intense happiness and self-confidence.

lugubrious: mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner.

bravado: a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

consensus: majority of opinion

dichotomy: division into two parts

constrict: to slow or stop the natural course or to contract or shrink

gothic: noting or pertaining to a style of 
architecture, originating in France in the middle of the 12th century and existing in the western half of Europe through the middle of the 16th century, characterized by the use of the pointed arch and the ribbed vault, by the use of fine woodwork and stonework, by a progressive lightening of structure, and by the use of such features as flying buttresses, ornamental gables, crockets, and foils.

punctilio: a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct, ceremony, or procedure.

metamorphosis: a complete change of form, structure, or substance, as transformation

raconteur: to tell

sine qua non: an indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential

quixotic: extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.

vendetta: any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention

non sequitur: an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises.

mystique: a framework of doctrines, ideas, beliefs, or the like, constructed around a person or object, 
endowing the person or object with enhanced value or profound meaning

quagmire: anything soft or flabby

parlous: perilous; dangerous


acumen (noun)- keen insight.

adjudicate (verb)- to settle or determine.

anachronism (noun)- something or someone that is not in its correct historical time.

apocryphal (adj)- of doubtful authorship or authenticity.

disparity (noun)- inequalityThere will always be disparity of wealth within this society.

dissimulate (verb)- to disguise or conceal under a false appearance.

empirical (adj)- derived from or guided by experience or experiment.

flamboyant (adj)- strikingly bold or brilliant; showy

fulsome (adj)- offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive;overdone or gross

immolate (verb)- to sacrifice

imperceptible (adj)- very slight, gradual, or subtle.

lackey (noun)- a servile follower

liaison (noun)- a person who initiates and maintains such a contact or connection.

monolithic (adj)- consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken

mot juste (noun)- the exact, appropriate word

nihilism (noun)- total rejection of established laws and institutions.

patrician (noun)- a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat.

propitiate (verb)- to make favorably inclined; appease; conciliate.

sic (verb)-to incite to attack

sublimate(adj)-to make nobler or purer

beatitude- Supreme blessedness

bete noire- a detested person (disliked or avoided)

bode- Be an omen of a particular outcome

dank- Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold

ecumenical- Promoting or relating to unity among the world's Christian churches

fervid- Intensely enthusiastic or passionate

fetid- Smelling extremely unpleasant

gargantuan- of great mass

heyday- The period of a person's or thing's greatest success or popularity

incubus- A cause of distress or anxiety like a nightmare

infrastructure- The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation

inveigle- Persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery

kudos- Praise and honor received for an achievement

lagniappe- Something given as a bonus or extra gift

prolix- Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy

protege- a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career

prototype- A first or preliminary model of something, esp. a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied

sycophant- A person who acts obsequiously toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer

tautology- The saying of the same thing twice in different words

truckle- Submit or behave obsequiously

aberration - (noun) an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm

Ad hoc- (adverb) for the special purpose or end presently under consideration

bane - (noun) something causes misery or death

bathos - (noun) triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos

cantankerous - (adj.) having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate

casuistry - (noun) moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas; argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading

de facto - (noun) in fact; in reality

depredation - (noun) an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action

empathy - (noun) understanding and entering into another's feelings

harbinger - (noun) an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage

hedonism - (noun) an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good; the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle

lackluster - (adj.) lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality

malcontent - (adj.) discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted

mellifluous - (adj.) pleasing to the ear

nepotism - (noun) favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)

pander - (noun) someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to

peccadillo - (noun) a petty misdeed

piece de resistance - (noun) the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction. 

remand - (noun) the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial (or the continuation of the trial); verb refer (a matter or legal case) to another committee or authority or court for decision; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail

syndrome - (noun) a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease