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Dr. C. George Boeree
The traditional approach to memory divides memory into three parts. The first part is called the sensory register (or "very short-term memory"). It is an experience that lasts for a very short time because it takes a second or two for the sensory neurons and the neurons that come right after them to recover from stimulation. If you look at a window, then shut your eyes tight, you will still see the window for a moment, and then see a reversed image of the window (where white becomes black, red becomes green, blue becomes yellow, and so on). Then it all fades back to black.
This visual sensory memory is also called iconic memory, and
last less than a second. Do you remember when you were little and
you played with sparklers on the fourth of July? Remember making
circles or writing your name in the air? You could actually see
the circle or the name! That's because the information was still
in your neurons.
The auditory version is called echoic
and it lasts three or four seconds. Did you ever have someone
tell you something while you were distracted, turn to them and say
"excuse me?" only to "hear" what they said? Of course you
have! That's echoic memory. Other senses have similar forms
sensory memory. This is not, of course, what most of us think of
as memory at all. It is really more an aspect of perception.
The next kind of memory is called working memory (or
"short-term memory"). It is the aspect of
that you are aware of, or can bring back very quickly and easily.
It is where you do your thinking and imagining. A
analogy is to the working memory (RAM) of a computer.
The aspect of working memory that has been most studied is nowadays called the phonological loop. If you read a telephone number in the phone book, you can keep it in your short-term memory for about 10 to 20 seconds. If you repeat it over and over, you can hold on to it longer. If you are anything like me, you will forget it before your reach the phone anyway!
Besides being brief, this kind of memory is very limited in capacity. It can hold “7 plus or minus 2” chunks of information, that is, from 5 to 9 “things.” Notice that phone numbers are 7 numbers long -- just about the right length to keep in mind for a bit. Social security numbers are 9 numbers long, and that is a strain for many of us.
One thing that helps is that the “chunks” can be of different sizes
themselves. So, while a series of random letters, like
are pretty difficult to remember, they become much easier to remember
you “chunk” them: IBM FBI CIA JFK LSD NOW....
Another part of working memory is called the visuo-spatial sketchpad. As
you can easily figure out from the name, it is like the phonological
loop, only it is devoted to the visual sense. "Sketchpad" is in
fact a nice name for it, since it
functions like one: You "draw" things on it as you work with
images. When you imagine a multicolored cube and turn it to see
the different colored faces, you are doing that in the sketchpad.
Or when you are counting the windows in your house. Or picturing
a friend smiling at you.
Presumably, other senses have similar "work spaces". Even
motor activity, such as going through a dance move or a gymnastic move,
probably has a specialized area. But all of them, just like the
phonological loop, are rather limited in size and the things you hold
in these kinds of memory can only be held for a matter of minutes at a
There are particular parts of the brain, near the respective sensory
or motor cortices, that appear to be associated with these different
kinds of working memory. But working memory isn't really a place
where things are temporarily
stored. It is actually more a matter of temporary cycles of
excitement that, if repeated often enough, eventually leave their mark
as more permanent memory.
This last kind of memory is long-term memory. As the name
this contains the memories that we hang on to for a long time - our
lives, often enough. It is also enormous in capacity - more room than
we will ever need! Long term memory is a little like the hard drive on
computer. And you may have noticed that, once you are talking about
you rarely have to worry about running out of room.
Long-term memory clearly involves physical changes in the brain - most likely some kind of facilitation at the synapse: Repeated experiences increase the efficiency of certain synapses by “pulling” receptor sites and axon endings closer together, as well as making the receptor neuron more sensitive over the long run. This is called long-term potentiation.
Moving things from short-term to long-term memory is called encoding. One thing that helps
encode verbal information, for example, is repetition or
rehearsal. Repeat that poem or list of French words
over and over, and eventually, the short-term cycles become permanent.
significant things that help us encode verbal information are organization,
imagery. It helps, for example, to put things into headings and
subheadings, or to use outlines to organize difficult material.
you may have noticed that it is easier to remember things that are
to you, that have meaning for you: stuff about your family rather than
others’ families, or classes in your major rather than “gen ed”
and so on. And if you can visualize the information - using your mental
sketchpad - you will remember
it even better. It seems that human beings are very visual creatures.
We often think of memory as involving storing stuff in the brain or mind, but that's just a metaphor. In a very real sense, there is "nothing" in the mind, no thing, that is, except relationships (as the linguist Hjelmslev once said).
It is difficult to describe something so complex, fluid, and ever-changing as these knowledge-relationships we have. We psychologists have drawn a little inspiration from linguistics, and as long as we remember that we are talking metaphorically, we have a nice model of the mind...
When we use these linguistic models, we talk about our cognitive structure (or our construction system), and the components or “basic building blocks” of this cognitive structure we call concepts (or constructs, contrasts, dimensions, categories...).
Concepts are ways we have of organizing what we have learned from our experiences. Concepts treat a variety of experiences as equivalent in some way: It could be features or qualities these experiences have in common, or their general similarity to some prototype, or some way in which we, the conceptualizers, relate to the experiences - something like Gibson's affordances.
Birds’ feathers are an example of a feature. Coins are gold or silver colored - this is a quality of theirs. A robin or a sparrow are more prototypical birds - ostriches and penguins are not so obvious. A chair is anything we use to sit upon (something that affords sitting-upon).
Please note that these concepts need not be verbal: A cat knows the difference between the expensive cat food and the cheap stuff, yet can't tell you about it; An infant knows who mommy is, long before he or she can say the word; Wild animals contrast safe areas and dangerous ones, etc. Even adult humans sometimes "just know" without being about to say: What is it about that person that you like or dislike? It may be quite difficult to put into words.
Concepts don't just float around independently, either. We interrelate and organize them. For example, we can define some category of things by combining various concepts: "Women are adult female human beings." Or we can go a step further and organize things into taxonomies, those tree-like structures we come across in biology: A Siamese is a kind of cat, which is a kind of carnivore, which is a kind of mammal, which is a kind of vertebrate.... Both of these - definitions and taxonomies - are contained in what is called semantic memory.
Or we can put contrasts into structures that involve steps one must
take, as well as definitions, like rules. These are often
schemas or scripts. You can find explicit examples in
about card games, etiquette, or grammar; but you know quite a few rule
systems yourself, even if they have become so automatic as to be nearly
Not all organization of contrasts are so tightly structured. We can describe something: "Women are delicate." As the example is intended to suggest, descriptions, as opposed to definitions, don't necessarily have to be true! Beliefs are similar to, but looser than, taxonomies. They don't have to be true, either. Whereas birds definitely (i.e. by definition) are vertebrates and have feathers, it is only a belief that says they all fly - you could be wrong! Stereotypes are examples of beliefs; so are opinions. But some beliefs are so strongly held that we see them as definite. This is a common cause for arguments - and wars!
Another kind of memory is called episodic
memory, which include our narratives - the stories we
have in our
These are temporal, like rules, but are amazingly flexible. They can be
a matter of remembered personal experiences, or memorized history
or pure fiction. I have a suspicion that these contribute greatly to
sense of identity, and that animals don't have them to the degree we
Both semantic and episodic memory involve the hippocampus. The hippocampus seems to be involved in working memory, and seems to be responsible for the transfer the information to the cerebral cortex, which is clearly the locus of most of our long term memory. If there is damage to the hippocampus, we have trouble developing new semantic and episodic memories. If the damage is to the left half of the hippocampus, it is verbal memory that is most affected. If the damage is to the right half, it is spatial memory that is affected.The hippocampus is also a part of the limbic system, and as such it shows why there is such a powerful relationship between emotional situations and strong memories. Exceptionally clear memories of emotional events, ones that have a near-photographic quality, are know as flashbulb memories. The amygdala appears to be especially involved in these emotional memories.
The last kind of long-term memory is called procedural memory. You know how to drive a car, play rugby, ride a bike, hammer a nail, and so on, without giving them much thought. Procedural memory involves the cerebellum (as well as the motor cortex and the basal ganglia) which makes sense in that most of our "procedures" involve movement.
Remembering and Forgetting
Remembering (often called retrieval in research literature) comes in two forms: recall and recognition. Recognition is the easier one: We recognize our friend when we see him coming down the road. Recall is more effortful, and involves mentally rebuilding the experience. It is a myth that we have everything in our heads like a motion picture. Really, we only have a certain amount of “information” in the form of neural connections, which we use to reconstruct our memories.
There is a degree to which we tend to forget things as we get older,
and there is some loss of neurons as we age. And there are drugs (such
as alcohol) and diseases (such as strokes and Alzheimer's) that can
that loss along. Amnesia is
what we call the more sudden loses of memory, whether temporary or
permanent. The most dramatic examples occur after serious trauma
to the head such as sometimes occur with car accidents or gun shots to
the head. The usual kind of amnesia is called retrograde amnesia, where you can't
remember past events. It is usually episodic memory (memories of
events in your life, or even of your identity). We seem to retain
things like our skills, the ability to speak, definitions of words, and
Anterograde amnesia, on the
other hand, means you can't make new memories. As mentioned
above, the hippocampus plays a big role here: if the hippocampi are
badly damaged, such as by a stroke, the person cannot transfer their
experiences into long-term memory. A person with
anterograde amnesia remembers their past, but will lose his or her
experience of all new events in a matter of minutes. If you
introduce yourself and have a nice conversation with such a person,
then leave and come back ten minutes later, they will act as if they
had never met you. In their minds, they never have! A good
movie that plays on this is Memento.
Another is 50 First Dates.
But there is nothing amusing about this disorder. Most of these
people wind up in an institution, living each day as if it were the
first since their accident.
Most of our day-to-day forgetting seems to be a matter of interference. In other words, there is so much stuff in your head that it is hard to separate one thing from another. It's like trying to find something in a particularly messy attic: It's not that the stuff isn't there somewhere, it's just that you can't access it.
Proactive interference is when an older memory interferes with remembering a newer memory. If you take a French lesson after taking a Spanish lesson, some of your Spanish may creep into your French. It is harder to remember that the word for man is now homme, not hombre! Retroactive interference is when newer memories interfere with older ones. When you talk to your friend Juan right after your French class, you may tend to say homme instead of hombre. Interference is really a simple idea - sort of like how its hard to find things when your hard-drive is stuffed full of files, or your room is filled with junk.
One of the biggest controversies in psychology concerns repressed
memories. This is the idea, promoted by Sigmund Freud, that we push
memories out of our awareness and into a deep, dark place called "the
mind." This is why, traditionally, we talk about going to a therapist
try to recover these traumatic memories so we can deal with them. There
have even been some therapists who use hypnosis to recover repressed
memories. (Note that "repression" is a broader idea of Freud's
which includes not acknowledging your needs or desires as well as
Unfortunately, some of the people who remembered terrible things like being abused as children were discovered to have created these memories under pressure (unintentional, we hope) from their therapists! Some parents were even sent to jail because of their adult children's “recovered memories.” But research indicates that not only is there very little evidence of repressed traumatic memories, but trauma - with its emotional intensity - actually makes memories harder to forget! Remember "flashbulb" memories?
Of course, people really do get abused, and other traumatic things do happen to people. There have been people who have recovered memories and whose memories have been confirmed. So it is a difficult issue that has yet to be decided.
But, as I said earlier, memories are not like films. Outside
may alter our memories as we reconstruct them. Some people are
manipulated, and everyone can be manipulated to some degree.
happens, for example, when a lawyer asks you what happened when you saw
the accused’s car “crash” into his client’s car - when in fact it
bumped into it. Hearing the word crash tends to subtly alter your
in the direction the lawyer wants it to. Hypnosis is especially
when it comes to altering memories. So are drugs. And children are very
susceptible to manipulation. This is why children’s testimony in court
is rarely accepted.
© Copyright 2002, 2009 by C. George Boeree
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Prambanan Temple Compounds
Built in the 10th century, this is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. Rising above the centre of the last of these concentric squares are three temples decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities (Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma) and three temples dedicated to the animals who serve them.
Outstanding Universal Value
Prambanan Temple Compounds consist of Prambanan Temple (also called Loro Jonggrang), Sewu Temple, Bubrah Temple and Lumbung Temple. Prambanan Temple itself is a complex consisting of 240 temples. All the mentioned temples form the Prambanan Archaeological Park and were built during the heyday of Sailendra’s powerful dynasty in Java in the 8th century AD. These compounds are located on the border between the two provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java on Java Island.
While Loro Jonggrang, dating from the 9th century, is a brilliant example of Hindu religious bas-reliefs, Sewu, with its four pairs of Dwarapala giant statues, is Indonesia’s largest Buddhist complex including the temples of Lumbung, Bubrah and Asu (Gana temple). The Hindu temples are decorated with reliefs illustrating the Indonesian version of the Ramayana epic which are masterpieces of stone carvings. These are surrounded by hundreds of shrines that have been arranged in three parts showing high levels of stone building technology and architecture from the 8th century AD in Java. With over 500 temples, Prambanan Temple Compounds represents not only an architectural and cultural treasure, but also a standing proof of past religious peaceful cohabitation.
Criterion (i): Prambanan Temple Compounds presents the grandiose culture of Siva art as a masterpiece of the classical period in Indonesia, and the region.
Criterion (iv): The property is an outstanding religious complex, characteristic of Siva expression of the 10th century.
Prambanan Temple Compounds comprises of two groups of buildings which includes Loro Jonggrang, Sewu complexes, Lumbung, Bubrah and Asu (Gana). The 508 stone temples of various shapes and sizes are either in a complete and preserved condition or have been retained as ruins. This site includes all elements necessary to express its exceptional significance and is well maintained. There are no threats of development or neglect; however the area is prone to natural threats such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Prambanan Temple Compounds contains the original structures that were built in the 9th century AD. The temples collapsed due to earthquake, volcanic eruption and a shift of political power in the early 11th century, and they were rediscovered in the 17th century. These compounds have never been displaced or changed. Restoration works have been conducted since 1918, both in original traditional method of interlocking stone and modern methods using concrete to strengthen the temple structure. Even though extensive restoration works have been done in the past and as recently as after the 2006 earthquake, great care has been taken to retain the authenticity of the structures.
Protection and management requirements
The property has been designated as a National Cultural Property in 1998 and the national law issued in 2010 also supports the protection and conservation of the property. Management of Prambanan Temple Compounds is accommodated in the Presidential Decree of 1992 that established the 77 ha that encompasses the property under central government ownership. This area is divided into two zones. The management of Zone 1 or the area within the boundary is conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism under two different regional offices, namely the Archaeological Preservation Office of Yogyakarta and Central Java. The Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Tourism Park Ltd. are responsible for Zone 2 which comprises the buffer zone. In order to implement standard operations for the safeguarding of the property, the government has established a regulation concerning national vital object area. All regulations have been well enforced and implemented.
In order to improve the management of the property, government issued the law in 2007 and government regulation of 2008 concerning national spatial planning which means that spatial planning in World Cultural Heritage area will be prioritized. Prambanan site has been established as one of the strategic national area which consists of Prambanan temple Compounds and others related temple remains. To ensure the long term safeguarding of the property, an integrated management and regulation that support preservation is needed.
The Action Plan of 2007 has been implemented with the involvement of the local community around the property. The welfare of the local community around the property that was affected by the earthquake of 27 May 2006, is now improving with the recovery of the usual economic activity and especially in the creative industry sector. The Siva temple has not been rehabilitated but research activities or technical studies of the Siva temple have been carried out in 2010 and 2011. The results have been discussed at national and international level with the conclusion that it is still necessary to study and research to determine the method of handling Siva Temple, including monitoring through seismograph study and crack meter periodically.
Prambanan, named after the village, is the biggest temple complex in Java. It is actually a huge Hindu temple complex about 15 km north-east of Yogyakarta. Dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities, this temple with its decorated reliefs is an outstanding example of Siva art in Indonesia and the region.
It was built in the 9th century and designed as three concentric squares. In all there are 224 temples in the entire complex. The inner square contains 16 temples, the most significant being the 47 m high central Siva temple flanked to the north by the Brahma temple and to the south by the Vishnu temple. These three ancient masterpieces of Hindu architecture are locally referred to as the Prambanan Temple or Lorojonggrang Temple (Slender Maiden); the compound was deserted soon after it was completed, possibly owing to the eruption of nearby Mount Merapi.
A square platform is divided into concentric courts by square-plane walls. In the middle of the last enceinte stand the temples dedicated to the three great Hindu gods and three small temples dedicated to their animal vehicles (Bull for Siva, Eagle for Brahma and Swan for Vishnu). Other minor temples were located at the entrance gates or outside the central enceinte (four ensembles).
The Siva temple had four statues: located in the centre chamber is the Siva statue; in the north chamber stands the Dewi Durga Mahisasuramardhini statue; in the west chamber stands the Ganesya statue; and the south chamber contains the statue of Agastya. Inside the Brahma temple there is Brahma statue, and in the Vishnu temple there is the Vishnu statue. In the Vishnu temple is carved the story of Kresnayana, while the Brahma temple houses the continuous story of the Ramayana. The temples of Siva, Vishnu and Brahma are decorated with reliefs illustrating the Ramayana period (history of the Hindu hero Rama, written around 300).
The neighbouring Buddhist ensemble at Sewu comprises a central temple surrounded by a multitude of minor temples. Surprisingly, it shares many design attributes with the Hindu Loro Joggrang Temple, perhaps indicating the degree to which such temples also reflect state policies and control. Three other temples in ruins set between Sewu and Loro Joggrang complete the ensemble around Prambanan: Lumbuna, Burah and Asu.Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC
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| 0.951927 | 1,586 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Forget high-voltage hybrids and instead look to the practicality of 48-volt systems, says Johnson Controls.
Mr. Molinaroli said that vehicles with start-stop systems — a feature that shuts down the engine when the vehicle is not moving to eliminate fuel waste while waiting at a stoplight, for instance — would soon edge out traditional vehicles. The Johnson Controls system will use the higher voltage for functions like electric air-conditioning and regenerative braking.
No cost was discussed for the system, and the company declined to name probable customers for the system. Energy savings for the start-stop function are estimated at 5 percent to 10 percent. Initially the system will include separate lead-acid 12-volt and lithium-ion 48-volt batteries, but the second generation will combine both voltages in a single lithium-ion battery pack.
Higher voltages have been promoted by automakers and suppliers before, with disappointing results. A flurry of interest in 42-volt systems in the 1990s died out when engineering advances in power consumption at the lower end — and the advent of full-hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius at the high end — of the energy scale stole their thunder.
The new interest in 48 volts is a result of a focus on the battery as an active part of the drive system, rather than just as a source for high power, said Bernd Engwicht, vice president for lead-acid batteries at the company. He said the 48-volt technology gives inexpensive energy storage compared to full hybrid systems, while remaining below the 60-volt threshold for human safety that requires expensive insulation and isolation of electrical circuits.
This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: January 20, 2013
An earlier version of this post referred imprecisely to the range of projected energy savings. It is the start-stop function alone that Johnson Controls estimates will provide a 5 percent to 10 percent savings; the full Micro Hybrid system, which includes regenerative braking and an electrically powered air-conditioning compressor, is estimated by Johnson Controls to offer a 15 percent to 20 percent savings based on a model using European testing procedures.
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| 0.932378 | 439 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Invasive Species – It’s Not What You Think
When you think of birds and invasive species, what comes to mind? I don’t know about you, but I think of house sparrows, house finches and starlings. They really top my list. House Sparrows, an import that takes over any nest box it can, but is equally happy inhabiting ivy on the sides of houses “commune style”. House finches, who are thought, by some, to possibly be mating with native Purple finches; not to mention their gregarious nature at birdfeeders. And, lastly, Starlings, brought to the US in 1890 as part of a plan to introduce all of the birds mentioned in Shakespeare. (What?)
But you know my style by know. I’m not talking about something that you initially would think of. And no, I’m not talking kudzu either.
I’ll bet you didn’t think of snakes. The truth is, other invasive animal species can also have a big effect on bird species. When they are introduced to non-native habitats, they can take advantage of native species of wildlife, ruining an otherwise symbiotic ecosystem.
That’s what is happening in Florida right now. According to Smithsonian Science, invasive Burmese Pythons are not only attacking bird populations, but also going after eggs in the nest.
Smithsonian Science goes on to say that Pythons, native to Asia, were first found in the Everglades in 1979. They were thought to be either discarded or escaped pets. Today, they have taken over native species and are a continuing and growing threat to wildlife in the Everglades.
Studies and examinations of the Pythons show that they have consumed more than twenty-five species of birds.
They are found to have consumed everything from a small house wren to a Great Blue Heron, but it is only recently that scientists have discovered that they are a threat to eggs as well.
The National Park Service and others continue to monitor and test Pythons in the Everglades. Florida will, experts say,likely become more and more plagued by invasive species due to its favorable climate for so many of the world’s worst offenders, who easily thrive in Florida’s welcoming, albeit shrinking, Everglades.
So, as a little post note, when you think of invasive species, you are, as always, invited to “think outside the nest box”. You are invited to weigh in on the subject by emailing me, or posting on our Facebook wall.
Python image by Sarah L. Stewart, courtesy Smithsonian Science
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Substance abuse and schizophrenia: editors' introduction
Most individuals with schizophrenia have problems with abuse of substances ranging from licit substances, such as nicotine, to illicit ones, such as cocaine. This comorbidity may reflect self-medication, as well as a biological susceptibility to both disorders. Twin studies have suggested that this biological susceptibility may involve genetic factors. Other biological risk factors may involve the medications used to treat schizophrenia, which may produce symptoms that provoke abuse of drugs to relieve negative symptoms or may even enhance the euphoric response to abused drugs. The articles in this issue address several research areas related to substance abuse and schizophrenia, including the differential diagnosis of schizophrenia and organic disorders induced by substance abuse and the impact of substance abuse on the course of early schizophrenia. The management of substance-abusing schizophrenia patients requires a careful balance of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapies, and atypical antipsychotic agents may be particularly helpful. Psychotherapy needs to focus both on the management of affect and on the adequate monitoring of drug abstinence.
Thomas R. Kosten and Douglas M. Ziedonis. "Substance abuse and schizophrenia: editors' introduction" Schizophrenia bulletin 23.2 (1997).
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/douglas_ziedonis/1
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Monopolistically competitive industries are made up of a large number of firms, each small relative to the size of the total market. Thus, no one firm can affect market price by virtue of its size alone. But firms differentiate their products, and by so doing gain some control over price.
Product Differentiation and Demand Elasticity
Perfectly competitive firms face a perfectly elastic demand curve for their product because all firms in their industry produce the exact same product. A monopolistic competitor faces a downward-sloping firm demand curve. This type of curve is based on the notion that the firm can change its price without losing all of its business because buyers do not see any perfect substitute. The fewer the substitutes (i.e., the more product differentiation), the less elastic the demand curve will be. The difference is illustrated in the figure below:
A monopolistic competitor, in the short run, is like a monopolist because it is the only producer of its unique product. But unlike a monopoly, the monopolistically competitive firm faces competition from other firms producing good substitutes for its product.
Price/Output Determination in the Short Run
Since the firm has a downward-sloping demand curve, it will also have a downward-sloping marginal revenue (MR) curve. A profit-maximizing firm produces where marginal cost (MC) equals marginal revenue (q0 in the graph below) and charges the price determined by demand (P0).
In panel (a) of the figure, the monopolistic competitor will make a profit. However, like a monopoly, a monopolistic competitor is not guaranteed to make a profit in the short run. The firm may make a loss in the short run; its profitability will depend on the demand. This is shown in panel (b).
To more fully understand price and output determination in monopolistic competition, try the following Active Graph exercise:
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Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - A leading medical group is warning that chemicals meant to do good can actually pose a threat to the young.
Pesticides are chemicals that kill insects and rodents, and help control weeds, mildew, and germs.
Now, saying “children encounter pesticides daily and have unique susceptibilities to their potential toxicity,” the American Academy of Pediatrics declares that children should have as little exposure to pesticides as possible.
Writing in the journal “Pediatrics,” the group cites:
- Household insecticides
- Pet flea and tic products
- Agricultural pesticides as hazards
But for many children, the statement says, their diet may be the most influential source.
The group says pediatricians have a poor track record for recognizing acute pesticide poisoning.
But even low levels of pesticide exposure can lead to pediatric cancers, lower cognitive functioning, and behavioral problems.
The authors say doctors should be vigilant for symptoms of pesticide exposure – and the government should improve regulation of labeling and marketing.
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There are few things more unpleasant than the stomach flu. That crippling nausea, the stomach and intestinal cramps and the frantic rush to the bathroom are sheer misery.
Sometimes this type of illness is caused by a virus and at other times it isn’t a virus at all, but food poisoning. According to Lizzie Bennett of Medically Speaking,
A non-food stomach flu is usually caused by a virus, often a norovirus, rotavirus or more rarely campylobacter. It will usually occur after contact with someone who as been unwell but most often is brought home by school children. People will generally feel ‘ under the weather’ and then the gastric upset starts. it often is accompanied by vomiting .
With food poisoning there is an acute onset, it occurs quite quickly after eating/drinking contaminated food and will often affect people who have eaten the same dish or who have eaten in the same place. Only lab testing will ascertain definitively what the cause is as the symptoms are so very similar.The symptoms can be relieved identically. Often, you’ll never know which was the cause. If the symptoms are especially severe or continue for more than 48 hours, the standard advice is to seek medical attention.
A stomach virus is incredibly contagious. If a family member is suffering from the symptoms of a stomach virus, practice the following precautions to attempt to contain it:
- Isolate the family member as much as possible
- Wash cutlery and dishes used by the sick family member in water containing a couple of drops of bleach. Wash again with your regular, non-toxic dish soap.
- Wipe items handled by the sick person with antibacterial wipes (I keep Clorox wipes on hand for this purpose.) Things like the telephone, the television remote, door handles, faucets and the toilet flush should be wiped before someone else touches them.
- Household members should wash their hands frequently, particularly before eating and after using the bathroom (yes, I know this should be standard, but I’m repeating it anyway)
Once the person is able to eat, try offering gentle, easily digested foods. The “BRAT” diet consists of bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. Other options are saltine crackers, pretzels, mashed potatoes, pasta and clear soups.
If after 12 hours, if the patient is still unable to keep down liquids, medical attention should be sought. The time shortens for younger patients. If an infant isn’t urinating at least every two hours his little body is trying to hold onto liquids because he is dehydrated – you should seek immediate medical assistance in this case.
Treating the Symptoms
There are all sorts of options for treating gastro-intestinal upset, both traditional and chemical. In our home, chemical treatments are always a last resort.
We very rarely use chemical medications, but I do keep these on hand for extremely sparing use.
The most common type of anti-diarrheal is the compound Loperamide Hydrochloride (found in Immodium or Kaopectate). It works by slowing the propulsion of intestinal contents by the intestinal muscles.
The most common side effects of loperamide are: stomach pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, constipation, dry mouth, sleepiness, fatigue and dehydration. According to the National Library of Medicine, loperamide hydrochloride can actually paralyze the intestines in a condition called paralytic ileus. This means that the intestines no longer participate in digestion and do not push the stool along for excretion.
Many natural practitioners feel that diarrhea should not be stopped – that the body is naturally ridding itself of viruses or toxins. As well, overuse of anti-diarrheals can result in a constipation so severe that medical intervention becomes necessary.
Anti-nauseants are also called anti-emetics. The most popular brands contain dimenhydrinate(found in Dramamine and Gravol).
According to the Alberta Health Services website, the medication (sold under the brand name Gravol in Canada) can have a number of side effects. There has also been a noted problem with abuse of medications containing dimenhydriante, so those medications have been relegated to “behind the counter”.
At recommended doses, Gravol can cause drowsiness, dizziness and blurred vision. It can impair your concentration and motor coordination. For these reasons, you should use Gravol with caution if driving or doing other things that require you to be fully alert. It can be especially dangerous to combine it with alcohol and other depressant drugs. Dry mouth, excitation and nervousness
(especially in children) are other side effects. At lower doses, you can experience feelings of well-being and euphoria. At higher doses you can hallucinate. Taking Gravol with alcohol, codeine and other depressant drugs intensifies these effects. Large doses can cause sluggishness, paranoia, agitation, memory loss, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and difficulty swallowing and speaking.
Treating the symptoms doesn’t necessarily require a trip to the pharmacy. Just like treatments for the seasonal flu, many good remedies can be found, already in your kitchen. If you don’t already have these items on hand, they are excellent, multi-purpose additions to your stockpile. Before using these or any other herbal supplements, perform due diligence in confirming potential interactions with any other drugs or supplements that person may be taking. Some of these plants can be easily grown in a variety of climates, providing a constantly replenishing supply.
Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory with a long history in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness.
Ginger can be found in the form of tea, the root itself or in tablets. Keep in mind, though, if you are vomiting already, ginger, especially in the form of tea, can make the experience far more unpleasant because of worsened esophageal reflux.
When purchasing ginger tablets, read the ingredients carefully. Gravol makes a “Natural Source” ginger chewable pill containing certified organic ginger. I was really excited because you can find that in even the tiniest pharmacy. However, upon closer inspection, the ingredients listed “aspartame” . Ummm. NO, I won’t add a proven neurotoxin to my organic herbal remedy, thanks.
Several companies offer a ginger tablet remedy. However, if you go over to the vitamin section, quite frequently you can find Ginger Root. Buying it from the vitamin section, without the glossy anti-nausea advertising, can save you a hefty amount. I checked at my local pharmacy today and 90 Ginger Root capsules (500 mg) were the same price as the bottle of 20 “All-Natural Ginger” anti-nausea tablets. Both were $8.99. As well, the one in the supplement section had no additional ingredients aside from the gelatin capsule that encased the powder.
Chamomile has anti-spasmodic properties. This makes a cup of chamomile tea a soothing treatment for a stomach upset that includes abdominal cramping, bloating, and gas. It has a mild pleasant taste with a hint of “apple” flavor.
There are all different kinds of mint tea available. The most common are peppermint, spearmint and wintergreen. They all contain menthol, a volatile oil. Menthol is the component that gives mint that “cooling” sensation. Mint tea is anti-spasmodic, so will aid in relieving gas, cramping and bloating. Additionally, menthol has muscle relaxant properties that can help reduce vomiting.
Candy containing real peppermint oil can easily be carried in your purse for a mildly soothing effect.
Some people that suffer from acid reflux find that mint worsens the condition.
Yogurt can’t be tolerated in all episodes of stomach and intestinal upsets. However, yogurt with active cultures can help to rebalance the “good flora” in your stomach and intestinal tract, making it especially valuable for treating diarrhea. Regular consumption of yogurt can actually prevent stomach viruses in the first place by making your digestive tract inhospitable to viruses.
Black tea is rich in tannins, which have been a longtime home treatment for diarrhea. You can sweeten your tea but leave out the milk until you’re feeling better.
Goldenseal capsules or extract can also be used in the treatment of diarrhea. Goldenseal kills certain bacteria, like e coli, which can cause diarrhea.
There isn’t really any way to “cure” a stomach virus – the illness must simply run its course. The best things you can do are rest, keep hydrated and treat the symptoms to keep them at a tolerable level.
Do you have any treatments for upset stomachs that you’ve found effective? Please share them in the comments below.
Daisy Luther is a freelance writer and editor. Her website, The Organic Prepper, where this article first appeared, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at [email protected]
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Search Archive & Site
The Republic of Kenya is a developing economy, which is primarily dependent on agriculture and related industries. Agriculture constituted approximately 21.4 percent of the country's GDP in 2009.
Kenya possesses much scope for economic growth and the economy's recovery in recent years has been achieved due to measures such as incentives for farm production and development of small scale primary industries.
In the early 1990s, Kenya's economy suffered greatly due to inefficient management of agricultural and international trade policies. However, in 1993 the economy began to revive as it benefited from policies of economic liberalisation, privatisation and the support of international organisations such as the IMF and World Bank. However, the economy's growth stagnated once again in 1997. The overdependence of Kenya's economy on agriculture with low-priced goods and the severe drought in the country in 1999, which deeply affected agriculture production, have been some of the major reasons for the lack of modernisation in the country. Corruption, which is widespread in Kenya, especially in the judicial system, is another major problem. Other issues of concern for the country are an unstable political environment and the widespread problem of HIV/AIDS.
The economy's recovery since 2002 has been achieved through measures such as incentives for farm production and the development of small-scale primary industries. However, post election violence together with the global financial crisis leading to a reduction in exports contributed to a reduction in GDP growth to 2.2% in 2008, a reduction of 7% from 2007.
The growth of telecoms in Kenya has been slow until recently, mainly due to strict government regulations. The market has been partially liberalised only recently and has since been growing at a faster pace. The introduction of 3G services will aid the growth of the telecom sector.
Table 1 provides an overview of the country's key economic parameters.
Population Growth Rate
GDP real growth rate
USD 62.01 billion
USD 42.0 million
Source: CIA Kenya
Kenya's telecom market has had great potential for growth because of its previous low penetration levels in both fixed and mobile markets.
2004 saw significant changes in the country's telecom industry, with the incumbent operator Telkom Kenya losing its monopoly in the fixed-line and internationals bandwidth sectors. Licences were also issued to a regional carrier, third mobile operator and several new data carriers, thereby marking a significant change in the competitive landscape for telecom services across the country.
The last five years has seen rapid growth due to new players entering the market, the introduction of 3G services by the telecom operators and, very recently, duty being waived on new mobile handsets and the allowance of number portability.
The official telecom regulatory body of the country is Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK).
In 2009, the Government recognised these rapid changes and developments in technology and introduced the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act 2009. They are now responsible for facilitating the development of the information and communications sector and electronic commerce.
Table 2 provides an overview of the country's telecom sector in terms of subscriber numbers and penetration rates.
Fixed-line (3Q 2010)
Internet (3Q 2010)
Mobile (4Q 2010)
Source: Communications Commission of Kenya
Mobile services in Kenya were pioneered with the launch of an ETACS network in 1993. But due to issues such as the high cost of handsets and high charges for the service, the number of mobile subscribers at the end of 1999 was only 20,000.
The number of operators providing mobile services in Kenya has now increased to four and with improving mobile infrastructure there is coverage in all major towns and highways in the country. The price of handsets has reduced due to the duty being waived by the Government and the increase in operators has intensified competition leading to price competition in the market.
Safaricom still dominate the market with a market share of 79% and the number of subscribers had risen to over 19 million in 2009.
The CCK is planning to introduce number portability by the end of July 2010 which will give mobile phone subscribers the option to switch between service providers without changing their phone number. This is likely to work to the benefit of the smaller operators.
The total number of mobile subscribers in Kenya at the end of 2009 was 19.11 million, resulting in a penetration rate of approximately 48 percent.
Total mobile subscribers in the country have increased at a rapid rate of approximately 459 percent from 3.42 million at the end of 2004 to 19.11 million at the end of 2009. The corresponding increase in the penetration rate during this period has been from around 5 percent to 48 percent.
The country's mobile subscriber base is expected to increase further over the next few years, resulting in a mobile subscriber base of 30.58 million and a penetration rate of 68 percent by the end of 2014.
Table 3 shows the forecasts for mobile subscribers in Kenya for the 10-year period from 2002 to 2011.
Source: industry sources, Blycroft estimates c. Blycroft 2011
Figure 1 illustrates the trends and forecasts for mobile subscribers and the penetration rate in Kenya for the 10-year period from 2002 to 2011.
Source: industry sources, Blycroft estimates c. Blycroft 2011
Safaricom was the first operator to launch GSM-based mobile service in Kenya in 1999. It has more recently launched voice SMS, mobile advertising, missed call alert and SIMEX. Their 3G network now covers Nairobi, Mombasa, Magadi, Eldoret and Naivasha with 301 3G-enabled base stations and they have recently acquired a 51% stake in One Communication Ltd to provide fixed and wireless data services.
The majority of its shares are owned by Vodafone Kenya.
Figure 3 shows the latest ownership structure of the company.
Source: Company Reports
Table 4 provides an overview of the operator's key performance indicators.
Revenue (USD millions)
EBITDA (USD millions)
CAPEX (USD millions)
Source: Company sources
Airtel (was Zain)
The second operator in Kenya's mobile market is Zain Kenya which was bought by Bharti in March 2010. They had 2.09 million subscribers at as at 31 Dec 2009, a reduction of 32 percent year on year.
Bharti's purchase of Zain is likely to see increased price competition among Kenyan operators as their model works on a lower cost base. They have demonstrated a penchant for negotiating lower rates from equipment suppliers due to its ability to place bulk orders. Zain had already started a cost reduction programme before the merger.
Essar Telecom Kenya (known as the brand Yu).
The company won the licence to operate mobile phone services in Kenya in 2003. After winning the licence, the carrier was engaged in several court cases involving shareholders' disputes and non-payment of licence fees, so delaying the service launch until 2008. Due to the resulting tarnished image in Kenya, the company has opted to launch its services under the brand name Yu.
They had 0.87 million subscribers at as 31 Dec 2009, an increase of 1344 percent year on year.
Telkom Kenya (Orange/France Telecom)
The company had been burdened with high operating costs, over staffing, high debt costs and low cash flow, and consequently over the last couple of years it could not invest in its infrastructure to cope with increasing competition. 2007 saw the workforce reduced by 50 percent to bring the loss making telecom carrier back to profitability.
The company's management transferred to France Telecom (FT) and the company's performance has improved. They had 0.76 million subscribers as at 31 Dec 2009, an increase of 111 percent year on year.
Some of the recent developments in Kenya's mobile market are as follows:
> In March 2010, Bharti Airtel bought Zain Africa excluding its operations in Morocco and Sudan for USD 10.7 billion. Bharti are known for working from a low cost base so prices will become more competitive. It is unclear whether they will continue to trade under Zain or change their name to Bharti.
> In 2008, Safaricom introduced 3G services in Kenya. 3G enabled handsets help users in connecting to a range of services such as internet access, e-mail communication and access to calendars and other multimedia services.
> Safaricom is in the process of deploying a completely integrated Customer Relations Management (CRM) software system aimed at handling interaction with the expanding base of the operator. They are one of the first companies to deploy a system in Africa.
> The Fair Competition and Equality of Treatment regulations, part of the Kenya Communications Regulations of 2010, require dominant players in the industry to report to the regulator before revising pricing. This has seen mixed reactions from operators in particular Safaricom have termed the rules unfair but other operators feel the regulations would oversee further growth in the sector.
Kenya's mobile market experienced rapid growth throughout the last decade and is forecast to grow even further over the next five years through the expansion in its mobile data services, particularly mobile banking.
Increased competition will be another driver of growth especially as Bharti have bought Zain and are known for operating from a low cost base. Lower handset prices and service tariffs will bring mobile services to the reach of a greater proportion of the population. Number portability will make it easier for subscribers to change between operators to take advantage of better pricing.
By the end of 2014, the total number of mobile subscribers is predicted to rise from 24.6 million mobile subscribers at year-end 2010 to 33.2 million, achieving a penetration rate of 79 percent.
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EUROPEAN & ASIAN HISTORY Return to EUROPEAN & ASIA INDEX 1500 - 1599
EUROPEAN & ASIAN HISTORY Return to European & Asia History
DIRECTORY Return to MAIN HISTORY INDEX
Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) of England sent 5,000 footmen and 1,000 horses to help the Protestants of northern Netherlands defend themselves from the Catholic Spanish army.
Pope Gregory XIII faced with crippling debt seized papal lands dispossessing nobles who turned to banditry. Serious disorder and lawlessness spread throughout the papal states and Rome.
Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) the inquisitor for Venice, (he is recalled due to his severity) the Franciscan Cardinal Felice Peretti da Montalto upon being elected Pope proclaimed "now I am Caesar". He is a ruthless, violent and inflexible pope with blood on his hands. Thousands of brigands are publicly executed the nobles who sheltered them are mercilessly punished. The Jesuit Robert Bellarmine suggested that the pope only had indirect jurisdiction over temporal rulers. Theologian Vittorio wrote it is lawful to disobey unjust orders of a pope. Pope Sixtus V resolved to censure both men. The Cardinals of the Congregation of the Index are too terrified to tell his Holiness that these eminent authors based their views on the works of countless saints and scholars for fear the pope might put the saints themselves on the Index.
War of the three Henry's over Paris, the Catholic League (Henry of Guise) allied with Spain and Henry of Navarre the Huguenot became Legitimate heir to the throne. The King had Henry of Guise murdered and was himself assassinated.
Most English people at this time believed that to be Catholic is to be an enemy of England.
March 9: King Henry III issued an edict outlawing all unauthorized assemblies and prohibited the formation of armed units.
March 31: The Holy Roman League issued their Declaration of Causes that led Monsignor the Cardinal of Burbon, the Catholic Peers, Princes, Nobles and cities to oppose the King by all possible means who would in their opinion subvert the Catholic religion. The Duke of Guise with the backing of Philip King of Spain hired troops to take over Normandy, Picardy and Brittany. In Burgundy, Dijon, Macon and Auxonne are seized.
April 7: Orleans declared for the Roman League. An attempt to take Marseilles failed but Lyons surrendered as did Verdun. The treaty of Nemours revoked all previous edicts and forbade the practice of any religion other than the Roman Catholic anywhere in France. Heretics would not be allowed to hold public office. All ministers of other religions would be banned and all subjects would have to make profession of the Roman Catholic faith within six months or be expelled from France. As Henry III signed the treaty he told the Cardinal of Bourbon that this act would stem the ruin of my state and my people. To seal the treaty Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) excommunicated the King of Navarre and next in line King of France by saying the authority vested in Saint Peter and his successors by the infinite power of the Eternal King surpasses all the power of earthly kings and princes. The Papal Bull stripped him of his titles, declared him incapable of succeeding to the throne of France and absolved all his vassals from allegiance to him. The Pope proclaimed his judgments are irrevocable. The Parliament of Paris stated Sixtus had no authority over kingdoms established by God before the name of the Pope existed in the world. King Henry III said that the Pope would like me to act as his provost marshal in France. Honest French Catholic who placed their national allegiance above that of their religion heard their King say this and in large numbers went over to the side of the Huguenots.
Mount Kelut, Indonesia erupted killing 10 thousand people. It erupted
again in 1919.
The Archbishop of Treves had 118 women burned and two men for incantations that prolonged winter, this added to the growing martyrs of the inquisition, Bishop of Geneva burned 500, Bishop of Bamburg 600, Bishop of Wurzburg created 900 martyrs.
About this time the potato arrived England from Chile and Peru. Some persist in the erroneous belief the potato was introduced to America from Europe.
King Philip II of Spain, an ardent Roman Catholic, was determined to end Protestantism that flourished in England under Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603), as well as repay the English for interfering in his war in the Netherlands. He decided to conquer England and began to assemble an Armada to move his army from the Netherlands to England when Francis Drake attacked and destroyed part of this fleet in Cadiz harbor.
The Duke of Joyeuse marched south to engage King Navarre. On October 20 Joyeuse's army met the Huguenots at Coutras. Within two hours, Joyeuse is dead and his army annihilated. The Duke of Guise marched east to intercept the German and Swiss mercenaries marching to assist the Huguenots. October 26 Guise engaged the army at Vimory and beat the roundly and chased them out of France.
It took three blows to remove Mary Queen of Scot's head.
Spain attacks England and the Spanish Armada is defeated.
The Duke of Guise and the Holy Roman League demanded the French King establish Courts of Inquisition in every province to confiscate all Huguenot property and put to death all Huguenot prisoners of war who refused to recant their heresy. They also demanded the return to the Church all lands and property it had been forced to cede by earlier edicts.
Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) promised Philip II of Spain (1556-1598) large subsidies if he invaded England. When the Armada failed the pope refused to pay however he did support Philip against the Huguenot Henry of Navarre (Henry IV of France (1589-1610). King Philip II of Spain rebuilt his fleet and the defeat of the Spanish Armada more by bad weather than by English guns marked the arrival of England as a great European sea power. The African Company is given a charter by Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) to trade in slaves.
The Duke of Guise quietly and without bloodshed took Paris and King Henry III fled the city. The Duke Cardinal of Lorraine brother of the Duke of Guise let it be known that any agreement would have to include the ceding to him of Sedan and its great fortress. The Duke of Savoy demanded withdrawal of French protection from Geneva that he coveted. The Papal Nuncio Morosini is on everyone’s side striving to delay any settlement until the Spanish Armada had landed its troops in England. The Church is solidly behind Spain and supports the dismembering of France. King Henry III (d-1589) ordered the death of the Duke of Guise (December 1588) and his brother the Duke Cardinal of Lorraine. The Catholics of France are outraged and declared Henry deposed.
Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) sent an army of 20,000 men against Lisbon, Portugal (Spain) but half the army is lost and they retreated to England. Raids by England on Spain would continue as Spain is preoccupied with France.
In Denmark, the death penalty is ordered for any Roma not leaving the country.
January 5: Catherine de Medici died. The Roman Catholic Church absolved all his subjects from their oath of allegiance with a free conscience to wage war on their king. The Holy League seized power.
August 1: A monk, Jacques Clement, stabbed Henry in the stomach and King Henry II died the next day. Before the King died he proclaimed Navarre as his successor thereby thwarting the Roman Church and its Holy League. Protestant Henry of Navarre became Henry IV of Burbon (1589-1610) and would fight the Catholic League, the Spanish armies but would convert to the Catholic faith in 1593 to put an end to the war. The Roman League proclaimed Cardinal Bourbon as the King of France taking the name Charles X. Philip II of Spain advanced a claim through the person of the elder daughter of his own marriage to Elizabeth the daughter of Catherine de Medici and Henry II. The Pope supported King Philips proposal that until succession is resolved he be appointed Protector of the State and of the Religion of the Kingdom of France. It is noteworthy that the House of Bourbon is founded on the Celtic God Borvo. Celtic beliefs also included touching wood to ward off evil, kissing under the mistletoe as an antidote to poison or saying things happen in threes keeping alive the sacred Celtic triad. Let us not forget the Celtic May Day festivals.
Spain sided with the Huguenot leading up to the war with France of 1595, and interference in France by Spain would end in 1598. About this time the Russians entered Siberia from the Perm region in the middle Ural area. Evidence suggests a group of Novgorodians fleeing from Ivan IV (1500-1584) of Russia reign of terror, took ships and eventually reached Alaska via the Arctic Ocean.
Urban VII alias Giambattista Castagna (1590-1590) an inquisitor is elected pope but died before coronation. Gregory XIV alias Niccolo Sfondrati (1590-1591) is elected pope with brutal intervention by the Spanish Government. He continued to fund the Spanish Holy League (inquisition).
Innocent IX Giovanni Antonio Fachinetti (1591-1591) an Inquisitor is elected pope being on the acceptable list of King Philip II (1556-1598) of Spain. Not surprising he supported Philip II, the Holy League against Protestant Henry IV (1589-1610) of France.
April 18: Pope Gregory XIV alias Niccolo Sfondrati (1590-1591) in Cumsicuti ordered the Indian slaves be set free. No one listened.
Clement VIII alias Loppolito Aldobrandini (1592-1605) is elected pope.
Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) paid King Sigismund (d-1632) of Poland (1587) and Sweden (1592) 20,000 crowns to restore Roman Catholicism in Sweden. Kind Sigismund is schooled in the doctrine of the Jesuits. He ruled Sweden through Polish ministers and the Roman Catholic clergy as though Sweden is a dependency of Poland. This arrogance would lead to revolution in 1597 reverting Sweden back to Lutheranism. More important a fundamental and perpetual hostility resulted between Poland and Sweden.
Henry of Navarre, France a Huguenot became Catholic to secure the support of Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) to become King of France. Spain is attacking France and the Pope is fearful of a further expansion of Spanish power even though the conversion of Henry is an obvious piece of hypocrisy.
Between 1593 to 1618 the invading Turkish armies burned eleven Hutterite schools in Moravia (Chez Republic).
William West an English lawyer defined a witch or hag as one who made a league with the devil causing her to perform unnatural acts and to fly through the air and perform lust and lewd desports.
In Venice there are 11,600 courtesans, twelve times the number of patrician wives.
William Parents aka Barentz, d-1597 made three trips into the Arctic of Russia and Siberia in search of the North East Passage to China, in the years 1594, 1595 and 1596.
King Henri IV of France declared war on Spain and the French allies are the English and Dutch. They all agreed not to settle a separate peace. Jesuit priest Pedro de Rivadeneira (1527-1611) wrote that Kings are not absolute lords over the property of his subjects.
"Our years are turned upside down, our summers are no summers, our harvests are no harvests" John King.
The Glacier at Gietroz, Switzerland advanced because of the Little Ice Age and dammed the Dranse River and caused flooding in Bagne causing 70 deaths. This is evidence to confirm global cooling 1550 to 1850.
Stefan Razvan, the son of a Gypsy (Roma) slave and free woman, becomes ruler of Moldavia in April. He is deposed four months later and murdered in December of the same year.
Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) (1527-1698) of Belgium was the first to propose the theory of 'Continental Drift' aka 'Plate Tectonics'.
106 men and women are condemned to death at York just for being Gypsies, but only nine are executed. The others prove they were born in England.
Edict of Nantes granted limited religious tolerance, political equality and fortified strongholds to the Huguenot but this was short lived and finally revoked by Louis XIV in 1685. Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) reluctantly accepted the treaty.
King Philip II (1556-1598) of Spain through costly wars attempted to secure his Empire from serious debt. He granted France the return of all lost territories over the past 18 years if France would break the alliance with England and the Dutch. Henry IV of France broke his alliance with England and the Dutch. King Philip II ceded the sovereignty of the Netherlands to his cousin Archduke Albert who married Philip's daughter. Philip III born 1578 son Philip II and Anne of Austria became Emperor and King of Spain but his father on his death bed had said "God who has given me so many kingdoms has not granted me a son fit to govern". Philip III effectively place the power of the Empire in the hands of Marquis of Demia (Don Francisco Gomez de Sandovalaly Rojas) later to be called Duke of Lerma for the next twenty years.
Jesuit priest Juan De Mariana (1536-1623) wrote monarchy is superior to democracy and should be strictly hereditary with a perfectly definite law of succession yet a monarch is he very antithesis of a tyrant. If a King usurp sovereignty by violence it is lawful to use violence to dethrone him and to deprive him of his life. If they make themselves intolerable by their wickedness and evil deeds, then they are liable to be assassinated, not only justly but with the applause and acclamation of posterity.
At the Synod of Diamper the Christian followers of the Apostle St. Thomas are brought into communion with the Christian followers of the Roman Paul. The Thomas Christian liturgical books are edited and reformed in a Roman direction. It is noteworthy that Ignatius Mar Atallah the Syrian bishop was assigned as Patriarch of India in 1653 was captured and handed over to the Roman Inquisition. He was martyred through burning in Goa or as others believe he died in Paris.
EUROPEAN & ASIAN HISTORY Return to EUROPEAN & ASIA INDEX 1500 - 1599
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Based on the just-published book, Raise Your Kids without Raising Your Voice
Never Yell Again!
Is that really possible? No! When our toddler runs into the road, we'll be yelling for sure. And we might also yell when our teenager upstairs can't hear us over the blast of his music. But what we can realistically hope to accomplish is the eradication of everyday yelling -- the kind of noise we make when our kids don't listen.
Many people don't think yelling is such a terrible thing. They say it is just an honest expression of feelings and it's even good for you because it releases unhealthy tension.
Boy, are they wrong. Research shows that yellers are at greater risk for heart disease than non-yellers.(1) Judaism teaches that yelling is not "an honest expression of feelings" but rather a form of verbal abuse. Spouses and children who are regularly yelled at know just how damaging this form of communication can be. Therapists fill their days helping people overcome the effects of routine parental yelling: low self-esteem, insecurity, depression, anger-management problems, relationship problems, parenting problems, addictions and more.
Sure, some people come out unscathed -- but don't count on it. Many otherwise loving parents have completely lost their relationships with their kids because they yelled too much for too many years.
When yelling is very much the exception rather than the rule of daily family life, a host of benefits accrue:
- Your home becomes an oasis in a really stressful world -- even you will enjoy being there.
- You increase your parenting power by strengthening your relationship
- Your kids will enjoy more physical health, mental health and emotional health and have better social skills and academic performance.
- You'll be teaching your children a communication style that can help them enjoy positive and loving relationships throughout their lives -- especially with their own spouses and children.
- You increase the likelihood of enjoying a warm, life-long relationship with your children and grandchildren
Feelings and Behaviors are Different
It's perfectly normal for everyone -- adults, teenagers and children -- to feel irritable, tense, frazzled, annoyed, and even furious. These are just feelings triggered by the conditions of everyday life (i.e. work, school, family and so on). All feelings are acceptable -- in fact, accepting them is the quickest way to help them dissipate.
Behaviors, on the other hand, are a whole different story. They can be acceptable or unacceptable. Unacceptable behaviors, like yelling, are those that hurt other individuals or society as a whole.
How to Stop Yelling
People don't tend to yell when they're not upset (unless they're at a sports event). So the ideal situation is to prevent or cure any feeling of distress. Until that is accomplished, upset feelings must be managed. Just in case you haven't prevented or cured all of your upset, we'll start by looking at a few techniques that can help manage angry feelings when they occur.
- Sit down.
- Say out loud, "I'm going to calm down and think about what I need to do now."
- Close your eyes and breathe slowly for a few moments until you can start thinking of what positive action you can take.
- Take appropriate action (such as speaking or disciplining).
Since the ideal situation is to feel calm in the throes of daily parenting challenges, we'll now look at how we can achieve this state. If we're calm to begin with -- no matter what is going on with the kids -- then there's no anger to manage. Believe it or not, intensive psychotherapy is not a prerequisite for achieving this state! But you must be prepared to follow these steps:
- Create and maintain a positive atmosphere in your home at all times by following the 80-20 Rule. This rule states that you must offer four pleasant-feeling words or actions for every one unpleasant word or action. For teenagers and spouses, raise that ratio to 5:1.
Examples of pleasant-feeling interventions are: compliments, treats, affectionate touch, joking, attentive listening, words of love, gifts and so on. Examples of unpleasant-feeling interventions are: criticisms, instructions, threats or actual punishments, saying "no," corrections, looking or sounding moody, demonstrating irritation or displeasure and so on.
Notice that "instructions" is part of this second list so that every request a parent makes to a child ("time to brush your teeth," "time for homework," "please take your plate off the table," etc. etc. etc. must be counted as an unpleasant-feeling intervention.)
- Whenever your child is demonstrating any sort of feeling (i.e. every moment of the day), name the feeling before saying anything else. For example, if your child is complaining that she doesn't like dinner, your first statement might be "Oh, that's frustrating -- you want something else to eat and this is what we're having." Then you can decide your next step -- whether it's offering substitutes, insisting that this is the menu or whatever. This technique of naming feelings leads to children becoming much more cooperative (and mentally healthier) over the course of time, even if a child does not cheer up immediately when you name his or her feelings.
- Use pleasant-feeling interventions to change your child's behavior instead of unpleasant or angry ones. For example, if you're trying to teach a child to refrain from interrupting your phone calls, use the totally good-feeling CLeaR Method: C= Comment, L=Label and R=Reward.
It works like this: Make a very short phone call when the child is nearby. Quickly hang up and Comment: "You waited so quietly while Mommy was on the phone." Now, Label: "That was very patient of you." Now, Reward: "I think that deserves a story (hug & kiss, treat, privilege)." The Reward step is used only when you want to teach a specific behavior. Use the Comment and Label steps to maintain desirable behaviors. Always use the CleaR Method before using any unpleasant-feeling discipline interventions.
- Keep calm with the 2X-Rule. Never make a request more than two times. In fact, only say something a second time if you are prepared to carry through with negative consequences should the need arise.
Here's how to do it: Ask once and, if the child doesn't respond, decide how important the matter is at this time. For instance, ask the child to hang up his jacket. If he doesn't do it, decide whether this is a good time for you to pursue the matter based on your location in the 80-20 Rule (if you've given too many unpleasant-feeling communications, maybe you need to wait until your ratio has improved before tackling the coat issue). Or, perhaps you're not feeling well enough right now to carry through. Or, perhaps you want to save your unpleasant-feeling intervention for a more pressing matter with this child. Or, maybe you're just tired. Whatever the reason, after asking only once, you can just drop the request and pretend it never happened.
If you decide to ask again, give the child a choice of complying or facing a (named) negative consequence. For example, if you ask the child a second time to hang up his coat, your instruction might sound like this, "Sweetie I asked you to hang up your coat and if you don't do it in the next couple of minutes, I'll hang it up and you'll lose computer tonight." If the child then fails to comply, briefly and quietly give the consequence. "I'm sorry. Your time is up. You've lost computer."
This process is a powerful alternative to the "10X-Rule" that permits a parent to ask and ask and ask -- 10 times -- until red in the face and screaming! The 2X-Rule keeps parents calm and helps kids to develop the habit of responding to a normal tone of voice. The loss of privileges or other mildly annoying consequences never harms a child's development when used in moderation, unlike the show of parental anger which invariably leaves its mark -- sometimes for decades forward.
Using the Skills
Parents frequently learn skills but then fail to use them in the heat of the moment. It is crucial for peace in the home and parental peace of mind that parents stop raising their voices. You can help yourself succeed by using a reward or punishment system. This may seem a bit childish at first, but it works!
You can start with rewards. For every day that you refrain from raising your voice (or every hour, if you use a raised voice frequently throughout the parenting day), give yourself a point. Work toward the number of points that you can reasonably earn in about a week. Once you achieve those points -- off you go to Hawaii for a well-earned vacation! Okay, not quite, but you get the idea.
Some people prefer to use "negative consequences" to change their brain habits. If you are in this group, or if a reward system has not yielded fast enough results, give yourself some sort of "punishment" every single time you raise your voice. Choose from any of the following sorts of activities: doing push-ups (enjoy the weight-loss benefits of this one), cleaning drawers (enjoy the organizational bonus!), giving money to charity or any other slightly difficult task. If no progress is being made, increase the difficulty of the task (i.e. do more push-ups!). Eventually, the yelling won't be worth it. Your brain will find a different way to handle parenting stress.
Happy Peaceful Parenting
We can all enjoy peaceful home lives built around respectful, caring relationships. We just need the tools and the will to use them. Children grow strong and healthy when nursed by the energy of love -- an energy too sensitive to co-exist with the harsh vibrations of anger. Fortunately, parents have so much love to give; when they stop yelling, that love pours out and fills the hearts of their kids.
1. American Journal of Epidemiology August 1, 2001;154:230-235
Raise Your Kids without Raising Your Voice is a complete manual for the first 20 years of childrearing. Based on Torah principles regarding respect for self and others, it gives parents simple and practical strategies for negotiating every parenting issue in an anger-free, stress-free way. Written by a clinician with 30 years experience in guiding families and individuals, this book offers parents invaluable support for the most important and challenging task of a lifetime: raising children. Click here to order.
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For over 8,000 years, this timeworn path has felt the tread of travelers. Buffalo and other wildlife were first to wind their way through the wilderness. Later, American Indians, traders, trappers and missionaries joined their fellow creatures on the rough track. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, boatmen floated merchandise downriver to New Orleans where they sold their flatboats and their goods and returned home on foot or horseback, using the well-worn Natchez Trace. Back then the Trace went through rough territory dominated by many hazards, such as bandits, American Indians and wild animals. All these hazards earned the route the ominous nickname, “Devil’s Backbone.” Cautious travelers of the old Trace made sure to acquire safety in numbers by accompanying postal workers on their regular routes. Because of their influence on traveling the Trace, postal workers were later chosen as the official symbol of the Parkway.
Today’s visitors will not need this historic safety measure to enjoy the Trace’s rich wildlife and scenery. Crimson clover, butterweed, Japanese honeysuckle and ground ivy are just a few of about 100 species of wildflowers to be found along the Parkway at different times of the year. There are also numerous hiking trails, exhibits, picnic sites, campgrounds, and water recreation areas. On either side of the Parkway lie communities with wonderful places to stay, excellent places to dine and plenty to see and do.
Hiking on the Parkway presents both challenges and rewards. With over 60 miles of National Scenic Trail and 28 different hiking and self-guiding trails, there is something for every kind of traveler to experience. Be sure to bring your camera along; beautiful scenery will greet you no matter what time of the year you choose to visit!
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Angela Tisdo, left, RN at Albany High School, counsels 18-year-old Amanda Coney on her pregnancy. Tisdol’s services are provided by Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s Network of Trust.
ALBANY, Ga. -- Teen births are at their lowest level in decades with fewer babes born across the country since 1946, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nationally, the number of live births per thousand women, age 15-19, declined 9 percent from 2009 to 2010 and 44 percent from 1991 through 2010. By the CDC's figures, if the teen birth rate had not declined from those observed in 1991, there would have been an additional 3.4 million births to teens through 2010.
While Georgia teen birth figures were not immediately comparable across the same span of years, according to the Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS), a public informational website of the Georgia Department of Public Health, teen births in Dougherty County declined by just more than 25 percent in the period between 1994 and 2004 -- a significant reduction.
According to her organization's website, Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, believes that teens are being more "careful" when it come to sexual activity. She attributes the decline in births not only to fewer sexual encounters but to increased use of contraception as well.
Debra Willingham, director of the Dougherty County Teen Center, a unit of The Southwest Georgia Health District, agrees. However, she is careful to place the greater emphasis on providing teens a reason to be careful.
"Young people have dreams," Willingham said, "and if a young lady wants to be a doctor or a nurse and comes to believe she can't (achieve that dream) she may decide she can be a mother."
According to Willingham, while birth rates tend to be significantly higher for Hispanics and African Americans, the common thread throughout is poverty and a lack of information. The Southwest Georgia Health District partners with a variety of organizations, including Strive 2 Thrive, Girl Scouts and Girls Inc.
The Taking Time for Teens Coalition brings together more than 30 organizations involved with pregnancy and other issues, to bring to teenage girls and boys the message that "dreams comes first and babies come later."
While the promise of a better life through education has been shown to be effective, Willingham knows that teens often fall short of their own good intentions and so she's a realist when it comes to birth control. She endorses sex education in the public schools, she said, and the availability of contraception.
"We have to recognize that no matter what, young people are having sex," Willingham said, "Most of the science today shows that abstinence education is not preventing pregnancy. We have to help them to take care of themselves and delay their pregnancies until they can take care of their babies."
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital's Network of Trust is a grant-funded project whose stated goals include "repeat" pregnancies, and providing a "stay in school" focus, stressing high school graduation. The network offers a program designed to build self-esteem to all pregnant teens in Calhoun, Dougherty, Lee, Terrell and Worth counties.
The United States has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy of any industrialized nation," said Angie Barber, Network Trust director, "This statistic alone should challenge each person to look around and ask how they can help to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around them. To see a decrease in teen pregnancy in Georgia and in Dougherty is a positive change for all of us."
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What is Gingivitis?
When plaque is allowed to build up on the area where your gum meets your tooth, it causes your gums to become irritated and inflamed - this is known as gingivitis. Usual symptoms include gums appearing redder than pink (the colour of healthy gums) and you may notice your gums bleed when you brush your teeth. Effective cleaning can reverse the affects of gingivitis in just a few weeks. When plaque has been left too long it hardens into calculus (tartar) and will need to be removed by your dentist or hygienist.
What is periodontal disease (gum disease)?
Periodontal disease (gum disease) is a disease affecting the gum tissue and the bone underneath your gums. The effects of periodontitis are irreversible - unlike gingivitis - due to a loss of underlying bone that hold your teeth in place. Bacteria then builds up in pockets between your gums and teeth. If left untreated, it will lead to tooth loss, with the rate of bone loss varying between patients. Like gingivitis, periodontitis is normally painless, however by the time patients are aware of the problem serious damage has already been done. In most cases, periodontal disease can be treated if caught early.
What treatments are there?
A large part of treating the affects are down to your own oral hygiene. Long-term control will require you to remove as much plaque bacteria from your gums as possible and we will be able to advise you on the best ways to do this.
Your dentist will need to clean out your gum pockets and the deeper are that you are unable to reach. This is known as deep scaling and root planing.
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Federal Recommendations Highlight Vegetarian and Vegan Meals and Increased Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Like previous versions, they specify foods to eat more of (e.g., fruits and vegetables), but avoid listing foods people need to eat less of (e.g., meat and cheese), apparently out of fear of upsetting food producers.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, unveiled 1/31/11, highlight the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets, drawing praise from nutrition experts at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). The new Guidelines go farther than previous federal policies in acknowledging the power of plant-based diets for health.
The Dietary Guidelines—issued by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services every five years—are the blueprint for all federal nutrition programs, including school meals. The new Guidelines devote two full pages to vegetarian and vegan nutrition, and point out that these eating patterns provide nutritional advantages and reduce obesity, heart disease, and overall mortality. Vegetarian diets may include dairy products and eggs, while vegan diets avoid all animal products.
“People who avoid meat cut their risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, and those who also avoid dairy products and eggs are healthiest of all,” says PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “It’s good to see that these diets are now part of federal policy.”
The new Guidelines resonate partially with PCRM’s own nutrition recommendations, represented graphically in The Power Plate (www.ThePowerPlate.org), and presenting whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes as dietary staples.
The Guidelines are far from perfect, however. Like previous versions, they specify foods to eat more of (e.g., fruits and vegetables), but avoid listing foods people need to eat less of (e.g., meat and cheese), apparently out of fear of upsetting food producers. Instead, the Guidelines call for limiting “cholesterol” and “saturated fat.” Similarly, while dairy products account for more than 30 percent of the saturated (“bad”) fat in the American diet, the Dietary Guidelines disguise this fat by splitting dairy products into many categories, including cheese (8.5 percent), butter (2.9 percent), whole milk (3.4 percent), reduced-fat milk (3.9 percent), dairy desserts (5.6 percent), and pizza (5.9 percent), so their contribution to ill health is harder to see.
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Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Usually an harpoon consists of a launcher (mostly a cannon) and a projectile which is a large spear connected to a thick rope. The spearhead is shaped in a manner that it will penetrate the thick layers of whale fat and stick in the flesh. It has sharp spikes to prevent the spear from sliding out. Thus, by pulling the rope with a motor, the whalers can drag the whale back to their ship.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
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Heart disease - prevention
What Is a Risk Factor?
A risk factor is something about you that increases your chance of getting a disease or having a certain health condition. Some risk factors for heart disease you cannot change, but some you can. Changing the risk factors that you have control over will help you live a longer, healthier life.
Risk Factors You Cannot Change
Some of the things about you that increase your risk of getting heart disease that you CANNOT change are:
- Your age. Risk of heart disease increases with age.
- Your gender. Men have a higher risk of getting heart disease than women who are still menstruating. After menopause, the risk for women gets closer to the risk for men.
- Your genes or race. If your parents had heart disease, you are at higher risk. African-Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans also have a higher risk for heart problems.
Risk Factors You Can Change
Some of the risks for heart disease that you CAN change are:
- Not smoking. If you do smoke, quit.
- Controlling your cholesterol through diet, exercise, and medicines.
Controlling high blood pressure through diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed.
- Controlling diabetes through diet, exercise, and medicines, if needed.
- Exercising at least 30 minutes a day.
- Keeping to a healthy weight by eating healthy foods, eating less, and joining a weight loss program, if you need to lose weight.
- Learning healthy ways to cope with stress through special classes or programs, or things like meditation or yoga.
- Limiting how much alcohol you drink to 1 drink a day for women and 2 a day for men.
Good nutrition is important to your heart health and will help control some of your risk factors.
- Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Choose lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, beans and legumes.
- Choose low-fat dairy products, such as 1% milk and other low-fat items.
- Avoid sodium (salt) and fats found in fried foods, processed foods, and baked goods.
- Eat fewer animal products that contain cheese, cream, or eggs.
- Read labels, and stay away from "saturated fat" and anything that contains "partially-hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated" fats. These products are usually loaded with unhealthy fats.
Follow these guidelines and the advice of your doctor to lower your chances of developing heart disease.
Gaziano JM, Ridker PM, Libby P. Primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. In: Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, eds. Braunwald's HeartDisease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2011:chap 49.
Hansson GK, Hamsten A. Atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 70.
- The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.
- A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.
- Call 911 for all medical emergencies.
- Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites.
©1997 - A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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The famous Ajanta and Ellora caves aresituated near the city of Aurangabad. These rock cut cave shrines are considered, one excellent specimens of ancient Indian architectural style. The 29 caves at Ajanta and 34 caves at Ellora were remained unnoticed till John Smith, a Brithish Army Officer, accidentally came across the caves in1819. The caves of Ajanta and Ellora have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Ajanta group The Ajanta group of caves were discovered in the 19th century. The cave is known for its art and architecture. The caves are in wooded and rugged horse shoe-shaped ravine. Ajanta is located 106 Kms, away from the Aurangabda city. The caves
lying deep with in the Sahyadri hills,cut into the curved mountain slope, above the river Waghora. The caves speaks the story of Buddhism dating back to 200 BC to 650 AD. The 29 caves were built as isolate retrates of the Buddhist monks, who used to teach and perform rituals in the Chaityas and Viharas. The monks carved out the impressive images on the walls by using hammers and chisel. Many of the house panels of caves, depicting stories from the Jatakas, a rich collection of tales of the several in carnations of the Buddha. In addition the images of nymphs and princesses have also been depicted. Ajanta caves are open all week days except Mondays.
Ellora is an ancient village lies 30 Kms away from the city of Aurangabad.The caves represents the excellent rock-cut temple
architecture. The 34caves are carved out of the Charanndari hills, house massive facades and nicely enhanced interiors. The caves consists of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave temple and monasteries, built between 5th century and 10th century A.D.The 17 caves in the centre are dedicated to Hinduism, the 12 caves to the south are Buddhist while 5 caves to the north are Jain. The images in side the Buddhist caves convey the message of nobility, grace and serenity in herent in the Buddha. Cave no 6 and 10 has images from the Buddhism and Hinduism faith, under the same roof. The Hindu images are dedicated to Vishwakarma, the patron saint of Indian crafts men. The Vishwakarma cave is considered both a Chaitya and a Vihara. It has an image of seated Buddha placed in the stupa. The two - storied structure inside the Vishwakarma cave portrays a colourful elaboration of dwarfs, dancing and making music. TheVishwakarma cave, the Kailasa Hindu temple and the Jain Indrasabha, present an attractive sight. Ellora caves are closed on Tuesdays.
Attractions around Ajanta and Ellora :
Aurangabad Caves -
The group of caves are located at a distance of 9 Kms from Aurangabad. The rockcut caves built between the 6th and 8th century AD, are must visit place.
The tomb situated 8 Kms away from Aurangabad, was built in 1679 by the Emperor Aurangzeb. The tomb modelled like Taj Mahal, was built by the emperor in the memory of his wife Rabia-ud-Durrani.
Panchakki or Water Mill -
The mill dating back to Mughal period, was built in 1624 A.D. It derives its name from a mill worked by water power, used for grinding grain. It was built to commemorate a Muslim saint Baba Shah Muzaffar.
Ajanta and Ellora caves are easily accessible from Aurangabad.
» Air -
Ajanta and Ellora have not their own airport. Nearest airport is Aurangabad which is located at a distance of 30Kms from Ellora and 106 Kms Ajanta. Aurangabad airport is directly connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur and Jaipur.
» Rail -
Aurangabad is the nearest railhead from Ajanta and Ellora. The trains are available for Mumbai and other cities of India from Aurangabad.
» Road -
Ajanta and Ellora can be reached by road from other cities of Maharashtra like Mumbai, Nasik, Jalgaon and Aurangabad etc.
Aurangabad is the ideal base for visiting Ajanta and Ellora. The city has plenty of accommodation choices. Some of the famous hotels of Aurangabad areTaj Residency (Taj Group), Welcome Hotel Rama International The Meadows,Hotel Ambassador Ajanta, Hotel President Park, and Hotel Aurangabad etc.
Best Time to Visit :
The caves of Ajanta and Ellora are open for the tourists through out the year. The best time to visit the caves is between October and March.
Customize your Tour Package >>>
Basic Inclusions of the package :
- Assisted transfers from airport to hotel and back
- Accommodation in Hotels (as per the category selected)
- Daily Breakfast Buffet
- City tour + Drives by private car
- An English / Language speaking well mannered guide during sightseeing trips
- All currently applicable taxes
- Any meal unless mentioned above, personal expenses like telephone /laundry bills etc.
- Entrance fees and still camera or video camera charges at various monuments and museums.
- Tips and gratuities to drivers, guides, and bellboys at hotels
- Departure taxes or Visa handling fees (A Visa is required to visit India)
- Any International Air fare, Airports tax and travel insurance etc. and other services not specified above.
- Anything not mentioned in inclusions.
» All prices quoted per person in INR. on twin sharing basis. Rates subject to change without notice Rates are applicable for a minimum of two (2) persons travelling at one time.
» Rates are applicable for Indian market only.
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The Science of the Body
By Prof. Liwayway Memije-Cruz
“Life is not always what one wants it to be, but to make the best use of it as it is, is the only way of being happy.” - Jennie Jerome Churchill
The body of a man has more than a million of cells (100 trillion cells) and these cells work together as tissues to be able to sustain life. We can say that an individual is healthy when he is self-sustaining, self-regulating, and self-healing. This would mean eliminating any sort of disturbances and trying to maintain one's body’s integrity. The good thing our body knows how to maintain health and to heal itself. A sort of miracle so to speak. Researches constantly prove that every one of us depends on our own physicians whenever we get sick and we are conditioned to believe that the power to heal lies in the hands of those who would be treating us. But it was also found out that a person must also have the will to heal himself and must cooperate and actively participate in his speedy recovery. Unknowingly, this is communicated to the body and miracles do happen.
I do accept miracles do happen. Our mind interacts with our entire body. The central nervous system do everything being the one responsible for interconnecting and interlinking all the stimulus received and has a profound effect on our body. thus sending messages to the brain. The mind indeed has energy since it can cause things to happen.
The nervous system is the master controlling and communicating system of the body. It serves as the chief coordinating agency. Conditions both within and outside of the body are constantly changing. Through the instructions and directions of the nervous system to the various organs, a person’s internal harmony and balance between him and his environment is maintained. The nervous system is compared to a telephone communication system wherein the brain and the spinal cord act as switching centers and the nerve trunks act as cables for transmitting messages to and from these centers. The nervous system has three overlapping functions: to monitor changes (stimuli) occurring inside and outside the body and to gather information (sensory input); to process and interpret the sensory input in order to make decisions (integration); and to activate the muscles or glands (motor input).
One of the most famous cases we on the issue of mind and healing is the Klopfer Study on a man treated with advanced cancer of the lymph nodes. Many parts of his body were filled with tumors the size of oranges and it seemed that he had little time left to live. He found out about an exciting new drug and begged his doctor to try it. The doctor eventually gave in, not expecting the man last to the weekend, and gave the injection. To the doctor’s surprise the man was walking around three days later. The tumors had melted like snowballs on a hot stove.
The man remained well for two months until an article appeared asserting that the particular drug had no effect on cancer. The man, who was very logical and scientific, became depressed and was readmitted to the hospital. So the doctor tried an experiment. He told the man he had a new version of the drug which was effective in treating cancer. He injected the man with plain water – a placebo. Again the results were dramatic. The tumors and chest fluids vanished.
For two more months the man was free of cancer until the American Medical Association published the results of a nationwide study of the drug, finding it worthless in the treatment of cancer. This time the man’s faith was completely broken and he died two days later.
This story illustrates a very powerful message of wisdom on healing the body. If we can awaken our faith and bypass our conditioned, old-paradigm beliefs, we can then tap extraordinary forces within us which will awaken a miracle consciousness. The will to be healed.
Source: Health, Wealth and Wisdom by Hans Jakobi and Stephen Skeleton
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Evidence from the William Reese Company
An Indian land sale on cover of Reese's Evidence.
The William Reese Company has issued their Bulletin 22. Evidence. That title derives from the nature of the material offered. It provides written or pictorial evidence of some place or event. There are handwritten accounts of events, photographs and drawings, broadsides, inscribed books and more. Each is a witness to its point in time. The William Reese Company specializes in Americana, and while that is not exclusively what they handle, this collection is focused on America. The dates range from colonial times to the early 20th century. Here are a few samples.
The item you see on the cover of this catalogue is a deed for land sold by the Mohawk Indians to King George II in 1741. The land is located northwest of Albany, New York. It consists of 216 square miles on the north side of the Mohawk River. It specifies that the land runs on both sides of the Osagondago Road, but I have not been able to pinpoint precisely where that road was located. The price was 180 pounds, and at less than a pound per square mile, that was a good deal, even in today's deflated real estate market. The document has been signed by six Mohawk leaders, including Chief Cornelius. The Indians renounce all rights to everything on the land, including "herediments and appurtenances." Did the Indians really know what "herediments and appurtenances" meant, or were they relying on verbal explanations as to what it was they were signing? Just asking. Item 1. Priced at $37,500.
Among the most valuable items of printed Americana are the compilations of western Indian drawings created in the 1830s and 1840s, as last-ditch efforts were made to capture their likenesses before traditional dress succumbed to American fashions. The most famous of these are the collections by McKenney and Hall, and George Catlin. However, one even rarer portfolio was created before either of these, and this artist was James Otto Lewis. Lewis began his painting in 1823, accompanying Governor Lewis Cass of Michigan to the Great Lakes region. In 1835 (dated 1836), Lewis began publishing The Aboriginal Port Folio, or a Collection of Portraits of the most celebrated Chiefs of North American Indians. It was to be published in ten installments of eight portraits each, and the parts were released quickly, possibly for fear of losing sales to the McKenney and Hall collection scheduled to be released later in 1836. However, the publisher ran into financial problems, and the tenth installment was only printed in a small number of copies, the eleventh, text volume not at all. The result is, other than the portraits, the portfolio consists only of a title page and three advertisements beyond the portraits themselves. Most copies extent do not have the tenth installment, thus having only 72 portraits, and of the few that do, only two are known to contain the title page. This is one of two known complete sets. Item 27. $450,000.
If you were a politician, how would you react to a letter informing you that your main rival had just been ensnared in a sex scandal, one that would undoubtedly destroy his hopes of ever achieving higher office? Would you be happy, sympathetic, or maybe both? One can only wonder how Thomas Jefferson reacted to this letter from his friend John Barnes in 1797. Barnes notifies Jefferson that his political rival, Alexander Hamilton, has admitted to a series of indiscretions with another man's wife. It would assure that Hamilton would never run against Jefferson when the latter sought higher office. Hamilton had made payments to the woman's husband, and accusations were made that he was using public funds for political advantage. In order to dispel these rumors of corruption, Hamilton was forced to reveal the bitter truth - that these were bribes to the woman's husband to keep him from talking about the affair. Hamilton was upright in his public life, even while not being so in his private one. Barnes had included a copy of Hamilton's published confession (no longer present) with his letter. Item 2. $16,500.
Evidence from the William Reese Company
Lewis' rare Indian portfolio, photos from Powell's second expedition.
Item 15 is an unusually classy piece of newsprint, one that would make you think the printers were rolling in money. In reality, it was just the opposite. As the Civil War dragged on, the South experienced numerous shortages. One was paper. There was no paper to print the daily news. Publishers had to become creative, and one of the alternatives they employed was wallpaper. That was certainly a more expensive grade of paper, and could only be printed on one side, the other being decorative. Nonetheless, they had to make do. Item 15 is the last issue of The Daily Citizen of Vicksburg, Mississippi, created before the Union took control of the city. We say "created" rather than "printed" because Union soldiers moved in before the daily paper, already set, was printed. The Union troops allowed the printing to go forward, but added a note at the bottom: "This is the last wall-paper edition, and is, excepting this note, from the types as we found them. It will be valuable hereafter as a curiosity." They were right. Dated July 2, 1863. $7,500.
Here is an absolutely amazing collection of photographs for those interested in the exploration of the American Southwest. It is an album of 539 photographs taken on John Wesley Powell's Second Expedition along the Colorado River during 1871-73. Most of the photographs were taken by the mission's chief photographer, John Hillers, one of the most important photographers of Indians and the American West in the late 19th century. Two years earlier, Powell had led a small group of men down the Green and Colorado Rivers from Green River, Wyoming, to the Grand Canyon. It was the first organized exploration of the great canyon. The second expedition, rather than one of initial discovery, was designed to bring back scientific data, survey and map the territory, and take photographs (none were taken during the first). It was on this second expedition that Powell developed his beliefs about water use and farming in the arid West (he didn't believe large-scale farming there was advisable). Many of the photographs in the album show the explorers interacting with the Pauite Indians, who were friendly and cooperative. Item 24. $75,000.
The William Reese Company may be reached at 203-789-8081 or [email protected]. Their website is www.reeseco.com.
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La Vie en Rose
You might think that farming salmon would relieve pressure on wild populations. But, in fact, it only makes things worse
Traditionally, the first of May is a day of festivity—a time to rejoice over the springtime return to abundance. This past May Day, however, many people who normally remain in close touch with nature were in no mood to celebrate: Because of historically low returns, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce officially declared the West Coast salmon fishery to have failed. Fishers of the region have thus had to face newly issued regulations that eliminate or severely limit the take, both recreational and commercial, of this popular, pink-fleshed fish.
As distressing as it is, this development can't be considered a surprise. Indeed, the collapse of the West Coast salmon fishery reflects a long-term global trend. A type of fish that used to teem in the rivers of California and in pre-industrial New England and Europe, to name some examples, has fallen into severe decline in all these places, as it has in many other parts of the world.
Finding reasons is not difficult. One obvious candidate is the presence of dams, which block the fish when they return from the sea to spawn in freshwater streams. Other factors include the warming of ocean and river waters, pollution, overfishing—even the loss of beavers, whose mud-and-twig dams had once provided juvenile salmon with abundant shelter from predators.
The recognition that salmon are in trouble itself has a long history. In the 19th century, artificial fertilization and incubation of salmon eggs were used to help give these fish a boost in Europe and North America. A century later, these techniques evolved into full-blown farming operations, in which salmon are raised to adulthood in floating "net pens" and then harvested for consumption. Norway pioneered this approach in the 1960s, and it has since spread to other regions, including Newfoundland, British Columbia and Chile.
One might guess that salmon farming would take pressure off wild stocks, but, in fact, the opposite appears to have happened. One reason may be the introduction of diseases from farmed fish to wild salmon passing close to net pens. Another may be the genetic dilution that arises when escapees from the farms mix with their wild (and more fit) cousins.
But with so many possible causes for the declines, it has been hard to judge whether salmon aquaculture is indeed as detrimental as feared. A paper published in PLOS Biology this past February helps to clear up the uncertainty. Working at Dalhousie University, Jennifer S. Ford and the late Ransom A. Myers amassed information about declining salmon populations around the world—both ones located near salmon farms and ones separated from these operations. What these authors found was that wild salmon exposed to the farms have experienced much sharper declines in their numbers.
Ford, who now works for the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, stresses that salmon farming is not the only problem. "Absolutely without a doubt, there are all sorts of things affecting salmon," she says. And she accepts that this effect of salmon aquaculture isn't universal. But even if the circumstances in some locales are different, she notes, finding a clear trend in a global analysis makes the result much more compelling than any one case study could ever be. "What makes it robust," Ford says, "is that we've done it in different places."
John P. Volpe, who heads the seafood ecology group at the University of Victoria, agrees. He notes that the data Ford and Myers used for their global study are "rather thin," but he's nevertheless swayed because "you find a similar signal no matter where you look." And to Volpe, the correlation between farming and sharp wild-salmon declines just makes sense, because aquaculture breeds problems such as "sea lice" (a pathogenic crustacean), which can then harm the wild fish. Indeed, he says it's a conclusion that any 10th-grade science student would have an easy time reaching: "If you take a million fish and put them in a net pen, you're going to amplify pathogens and diseases."
Asked about solutions, Volpe doesn’t hesitate to venture his opinion: "Closed containment," he says, referring to schemes that isolate the farmed fish, and any parasites and diseases they harbor, from wild ones. Volpe points out that the technology for farming salmon this way has been available for more than a decade; it just makes farming more expensive. The real problem, as far a Volpe is concerned, is that these days people expect salmon to be cheap and plentiful all the time.
So perhaps the solution should not just involve technical improvements in how the farming is done or the tightening of fisheries and environmental regulations. What may be needed every bit as much is a change in mindset. Rather than seeing salmon as an inexpensive staple, consumers should begin once again to view it as a delicacy, one that is perhaps only affordable when it is in season. For many, eating salmon would then become, to use Volpe's words, "almost a commune with nature." —David Schneider
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A nine-year-old chimp at Dublin Zoo has rescued three baby ducklings from possible danger. Bossou spotted the three-day-old ducks in a nest on the edge of Chimp Island in the zoo. He rescued them from the water and cradled them until zoo authorities became aware of what was going on.
The ducklings have now set up home in the a shelter. Spokesperson Miriam Kerins said the story was unusual. "This large chimpanzee, who was a male, cradled the ducklings, looked after them and minded them, thinking they were in danger…I think it's so touching," she said.
Although we may think this kind of behavior is characteristic only in humans, other animals also suffer emotionally and feel empathy for other individuals when in danger.
We aren't so different from other animals
Learn more: http://bit.ly/geMlpd
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Chronic Health-Related Disorders in Children: Collaborative Medical and Psychoeducational Interventions
This engagingly written text provides current diagnostic and treatment information on a broad range of chronic health-related disorders that tend to be first diagnosed in childhood. A group of widely recognized psychologists and experts in their respective fields address common ailments, such as intestinal and respiratory disorders, as well as less frequent but challenging disorders such as neurocutaneous syndromes and disorders arising from sex chromosome anomalies.
Two introductory chapters frame the overarching themes for psychologists by discussing contemporary issues in collaborative practice and service delivery. Fourteen chapters provide concise and current reviews of specific disorders, including cancer, kidney disease, endocrine disorders, and craniofacial anomalies. Each chapter defines the disorder, reviews etiology and risk factors, and provides prevalence data; outlines the behavioral, medical, psychoeducational, and socio-emotional consequences of the disorder; and presents evidence-based interventions that are intended to mitigate the negative outcomes of the disorder and improve the life-long functioning of children with chronic health-related disorders. The comprehensive medical discussions are tailored for psychologists.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-- JULY 15, 2003
Missile defense strategy not feasible against potential threats, shows American Physical Society study
Washington, D.C., July 15, 2003 – Intercepting missiles while their rockets are still burning would not be an effective approach for defending the U.S. against attacks by an important type of enemy missile. This conclusion comes from an independent study by the American Physical Society into the scientific and technical feasibility of boost-phase defense, focusing on potential missile threats from North Korea and Iran.
Boost-phase defense (disabling ballistic missiles while they are still under power) has recently received much attention as one possible element of a National Missile Defense system. However, the report shows that issues of timing severely limit the feasibility of this approach. The short time window available for disabling an enemy missile means that interceptor rockets would have to be based close to enemy territory to have a chance of intercepting the missile in time, if it is possible at all.
The study found that defending the United States against solid-propellant ICBMs would be impractical in many cases, because of their short burn times. According to the U.S. intelligence community, countries of concern could deploy such ICBMs within 10 to 15 years, about the same time the study judged would be required for the United States to field a boost-phase defense against ICBMs. Even against the longer burning liquid-propellant ICBMs that North Korea or Iran might initially deploy, a boost-phase defense would have limited use due to the requirement that interceptors be based close to potential missile flight paths.
“Only two to three minutes would be available to achieve a boost-phase intercept, even assuming substantial improvements in systems for detecting and tracking missiles,” said Study Group co-chair Frederick Lamb. “Consequently, even fast interceptors could have difficulty catching liquid-propellant ICBMs and would be unable to catch solid-propellant ICBMs in time. In the most optimistic scenarios, the defense would have only seconds to decide whether to fire interceptors and could be required to make this decision before knowing whether a rocket launch were a space mission or a missile attack.”
However, boost-phase defense against short- or medium-range missiles launched from ships off U.S. coasts appears technically possible, provided ships carrying interceptors could stay within about 40 kilometers of the threatening ships.
“ This study was conducted for the American Physical Society by a group that included recognized experts on missile defense. The group assessed the feasibility of boost-phase intercept in terms of fundamental science and engineering requirements,” said APS President Myriam Sarachik. “It is crucial that decisions about large-scale investments in weapons systems take into account their technical feasibility. The APS hopes this report will help in evaluating whether to build boost-phase defense systems.”
The APS Study Group looked at boost-phase defense systems utilizing land-, sea, or air-based interceptors, space-based interceptors, or the Airborne Laser.
The effectiveness of interceptor rockets would be limited by the short time window for intercept, which requires interceptors to be based within 400 to 1,000 kilometers of the possible boost-phase flight paths of attacking missiles. In some cases this is closer than political geography allows. Even interceptors that were very large and fast and that pushed the state of the art would in most cases be unable to intercept solid-propellant ICBMs before they released their warheads.
A system of space-based interceptors, also constrained by the short time window for intercept, would require a fleet of a thousand or more orbiting satellites just to intercept a single missile. Deploying such a fleet would require a five- to tenfold increase in the United States' annual space-launch capabilities.
The Airborne Laser currently in development has the potential to intercept liquid-propellant ICBMs, but its range would be limited and it would therefore be vulnerable to counterattack. The Airborne Laser would not be able to disable solid-propellant ICBMs at ranges useful for defending the United States.
“Few of the components exist for deploying an effective boost-phase defense against liquid-propellant ICBMs and some essential components would take at least 10 years to develop,” said Study Group co-chair Daniel Kleppner. “According to U.S. intelligence estimates, North Korea and Iran could develop or acquire solid-propellant ICBMs within the next 10 to 15 years. Consequently, a boost-phase defense effective only against liquid-propellant ICBMs would risk being obsolete when deployed.”
Although a successful intercept would prevent munitions from reaching their target, live nuclear, biological, or chemical warheads could strike populated areas short of the target in the United States or in other countries, shows the study. This “shortfall problem” is inherent in any boost-phase defense and difficult to avoid.
The American Physical Society (www.aps.org) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy and international activities. APS represents over 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories and industry in the United States and throughout the world. Society offices are located in College Park, MD (Headquarters), Ridge, NY, and Washington, DC.
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In 1984 I made a camera trigger to capture transient phenomena. I had a Mamiya ZE 35mm camera and Mamiyalite ZE flash unit. Typical for bodies of its time, the only means of remotely triggering the camera was the cable release socket built into its shutter release button. This was meant to be used with a purely mechanical cable; it let you operate the shutter release from a small distance away, and in a manner that avoided introducing vibration to the camera at the moment a picture was taken.
My solution for releasing the shutter electrically was to make a solenoid trigger. I rewound the coil of a small solenoid so that it would produce the necessary force when operated at 9V. It was a retraction type solenoid, meaning that applying current to it pulled the armature in. I wanted an extension solenoid, so I drilled a hole in the rear of it. I removed the camera end from a cable release - the part that screws into the cable release hole - and soldered it to the rear. I drilled a hole in the end of the armature, cut the pusher end off of the cable that was part of the release, soldered that into the armature, and then fed the pusher down through the solenoid and out the end of the cable release.
The whole thing was light enough that I could simply screw it onto the shutter
release of the camera and it would be supported without depressing the button.
The other end of the solenoid was threaded for mounting in the way it was
originally designed for.
I found a cap that would fit this thread.
This turned out to be particularly useful, because if set for automatic
exposure, the camera required that the shutter release be partially depressed
for long enough for it to do its calculation.
If the shutter release was simply slammed down as fast as the solenoid did it,
the shutter was released instantly and with incorrect exposure.
By adjusting how far I screwed the cap down I could make the shutter release be
initially depressed far enough to activate the camera.
To operate the solenoid I made a circuit that would briefly apply current to it
It also had a “test” position that would operate a sounder instead
of the solenoid, to facilitate setup.
I ended up using this system mainly for taking pictures of rockets lifting off.
The devices that I used with the trigger included hardwired circuits and an
The ultrasonic remote is at left.
I made it with a pair of surplus 40 kHz transducers.
The green extension cord at right has an inline switch to set whether devices
plugged into the mini jack on the end operate as normally-closed or
The device with the bolt was used to take the tennis-ball cannon pictures
No, I don't yet have any of the other (more successful) pictures I took with
this system scanned!
|This web page maintained by John DuBois|
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This page is sponsored by Google Ads. ARN does not necessarily select or endorse the organizations or products advertised above.
BERKELEY, CA The structure of one of the basic members of the cell-membrane water-channel family, a protein called aquaporin 1 (AQP1), has been determined to a resolution of 2.2 angstroms -- 22 hundred-billionths of a meter. The structure reveals the elegantly simple means by which AQP1 can transport water through the cell membrane at a high rate while effectively blocking everything else -- even individual protons, the nuclei of hydrogen atoms.
Biophysicist Bing Jap led a team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Life Sciences Division in the difficult and painstaking crystallization of this membrane protein, whose crystal structure was then solved from x-ray diffraction at Beamline 5.0.2 of Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source. Their report appears in Nature, December 20, 2001.
In almost all cells, from bacteria to those found in a variety of human tissues, pores embedded in cell membranes transport water rapidly into or out of the cell. Body temperature, digestion, reproduction, fluid pressure in the eye, and water conservation in the kidney are only a few of the processes in humans that depend on the proper functioning of cellular water channels.
"Membrane proteins are a very large class of proteins; some 30 percent of the genes in the human genome code for them. But they are notoriously difficult to crystallize, and only a few structures have been solved at very high resolution," Jap says.
Electron-microscope crystallography can use very small crystals, and the structure of AQP1 had previously been solved to a resolution of about 4 angstoms using this technique. At this resolution it is impossible to see individual water molecules, however, so vital features were left out or mistakenly characterized.
Jap and his colleagues crystallized AQP1, closely similar to that in human and other cells, from bovine red blood cells. They liberated enough protein from "gallons of blood" to make .2-millimeter crystals, suitable for x-ray crystallography at the Advanced Light Source.
"AQP1 is interesting because it is so specific for water" says Jap. "The key question was how it achieves this specificity. Theorists had come up with lots of ideas, but before we saw the structure in high-resolution, nobody knew how it was accomplished."
Architecturally, AQP1 is an assembly of four units, each with three major structural features: each has an entrance, or "vestibule," on the outside of the cell envelope, connected to a similar vestibule inside the cell by a long, narrow pore.
"The secret of AQP1's specificity is two-fold: it selects for size and for chemical nature," Jap says. "There is a very narrow constriction in the pore, which admits no molecule bigger than water. To keep out molecules smaller than water there is also a chemical filter, formed by the specific orientation and distribution of the amino acid residues lining the pore."
Molecules attempting to enter the channel are bound to water molecules that are stripped away in the pore; charged species are therefore left with net electrical charge. "The filter strongly rejects charged molecules or ions, even as small as single protons," Jap explains.
The unique distribution of amino acid residues along the pore wall also accounts for the channel's ability to move water quickly, explains Peter Walian, a member of the team that solved the structure. "It's a schizophrenic environment, half hydrophilic and half hydrophobic" -- that is, half water-loving and half water-fearing. "Water molecules readily get in because of the hydrophilic sites, but the hydrophobic regions prevent them from binding too frequently."
Thus water and only water flows freely in and out of the cell through AQP1's pores, the direction of flow depending only on changing relative pressure inside and outside the cell. "It's a beautiful mechanism," Walian remarks. "It's remarkable that nobody thought of it before now."
"This is what structural biology is for," Jap says. "It shows us how extremely simple nature's solutions can be."
"Structural basis of water specific transport through AQP1 water channel," by Haixin Sui, Bong-Gyoon Han, John K. Lee, Peter Walian, and Bing K. Jap, appears in the 20 December 2001 issue of the journal Nature.
The Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located in Berkeley, California. It conducts unclassified scientific research and is managed by the University of California.
File Date: 01.08.02
This data file may be reproduced in its entirety
for non-commercial use.
A return link to the Access Research Network web site would be appreciated.
Documents on this site which have been reproduced from a previous publication are copyrighted through the individual publication. See the body of the above document for specific copyright information.
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Guatemala Tikal Peten: The area of Petén occupies almost the whole northern part of the country. Large parts of its territory are covered by abundant vegetation, which features a great variety in flora and fauna. This department is considered as one of the “lungs” of our planet, because of which large parts of its territory have been declared “Protected Areas”. The Reservation of the Mayan Biosphere ranges among the most important protected areas, since it contains more than one million hectares of tropical forest.
Petén stands out as being the principal territory of the historic Mayan Culture. Its many archeological remains bear witness to the fact.
The National Park of Tikal was instituted in 1955 and it consists of an area of more than 570 square kms. The Great Plaza forms part of the most surprising architecture in Tikal. In its surroundings, pointing to the four cardinal points, different structures arise: to the north a group of Ceremonial buildings called “Acropolis of the North”, to the east the “Great Jaguar” is found; to the south is situated a group of buildings like palaces that are called “Central Acropolis”, and finally to the west there is the “Temple of the Masks”. As a magnificent detail in the architecture of the Great Plaza, to the north, just before the buildings of the Acropolis of the North, there are a series of stales, sculptured with information about the Mayan Empire.
Tours from Antigua Guatemala to Tikal
Places to Visit
The oldest building in Tikal is the “Great Pyramid”, more than 35 meters high. It is located in The Plaza. This building, which is found some 300 meters to the southwest of the Great Square, is part of great complex dedicated to Astronomy.
During the late Classic Period (please look for more information on this period in the pages about the “Maya” in the Arts and Culture Section) six of most important buildings in Tikal were built:
It is called “The Great Jaguar” and is located to the east of the Great Plaza. With a height of 45 meters it is the most famous temple of all. In the summit of this temple you can appreciate the sculptured face of a jaguar.
Called the “Temple of the Masks”. It is located to the west of the Great Square, like “The Great Jaguar”. This temple was built 700 A:C: and is 38 meters high.
Also called “The Great Priest”. Reaching a height of almost 50 meters. It is located to the west side of the “Temple of the Masks”. In this third temple you can still appreciate an original lintel made of wood.
It was built in the year 470 A:C: It is situated to the west side of the Great Plaza. The “Temple of the Bicephalous Snake” is the highest structure in Tikal with a height of 65 meters. Visitors of the park can ascend to the top of the pyramid and enjoy a magnificent view of Tikal.
It is found to the side (toward the south) of the Central Acropolis and measures more than 55 meters.
This temple is called “Temple of the Inscriptions”. This temple is famous for the inscriptions that were engraved on its top. They constitute the longest hieroglyphic text discovered in Tikal.
The Mayan Biosphere
The Mayan Biosphere consists of more than 1 million hectares of protected thick subtropical jungle. Only about one-third of this area, classified as “multiple use”, has human activity.
Located to the east of this Reserve is the largest National Park of Central America, “Laguna del Tigre”. There, in addition to an extensive system of lakes and lagoons of worldwide significance, the rare Xavier stork and the Scarlet Macaw are found.
In the north of the Petén Itza lagoon, next to the famous Tikal National Park, the El Zotz Biotope is located. It contains Mayan ruins of astrological character. Exemplary conservational work has been carried out here by the University of San Carlos. This area, because of its scenic beauty, caves and swamps, is much recommended for visits by groups. Also it can be explored on horseback starting from the Dos Aguadas intersection. Further to the National Park “El Mirador” and “Río Azul” can be found, which would be called almost legendary because of their remoteness and archeological findings. The “Dos Lagunas” biotope seems to be without doubt the heart of the jungle. One can observe all kinds of animals, like snakes, exotic birds, jaguars, pumas, Tizana eagle, boas with white lips, and crocodiles. To access it, one needs a guide and professional preparation.
The smallest preserved area close to Flores is the Biotope Cerro Cahui. This place has many advantages. It is located halfway between Flores and Tikal, and is about 4 kms. Away from the intersection leading to the archeological site of Yaxa, in the direction towards the border of Belize. Along the asphalt road lies the village of El Remate. Its population of about two thousand people, lives from the production of wooden crafts and tourism, because of which, it counts on safeguarding professionals in Bio-diversity.
The village of El Remate, at the rim of the famous lake Petén Itza, offers a spectacular sunset. Take a tour on horseback, or in a boat, observe water birds or hike to the Cerro Cahui Biotope, which is less than 1 km away.
All these activities can be done with or without a guide, and you are sure to enjoy an incredible panoramic view. The Biotopo was founded in 1980 in order to protect the last dense forest around the lake, and a small population (about 10 specimen) of howler and spider monkeys. Currently, thanks to the extraordinary protective work, there exist more than 15 groups of monkeys. Everyday they can be spotted with more and more facility.
Being in these jungle covered mountains, at the shore of a crystalline lake, 3 kms away from Tikal, there is no doubt that one is experiencing something unique. Relaxing and rejuvenating, this typical area is cared for by the same people as El Remate, with small hotels and restaurants.
The department of Petén contains the largest Protected Area of Tropical Forests in Central America. These forests, lakes and rivers, through the assistance of various Conservation Organizations, are still pristine and untouched.
Eco-tourism projects have brought Organizations benefits to various communities at the rim of the Mayan Biosphere, which El Remate is definitely the most beautiful of all encountered at the shore of lake Petén Itza. This permits tourism to fully explore this outstanding biological reserve.
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Significance and Use
This guide will familiarize public officials and business and industry managers with source reduction, reuse, recycling, or disposal of steel cans.
1.1 This guide provides general information to public officials and business and industry managers regarding the source reduction, reuse, recycling, or disposal of steel cans under 5-gal (wet) or 40-lb (dry) capacity. It presents a comprehensive overview of the steel can life cycle. Fivegallon pails and larger containers, up to 55-gal drums, will be in a separate guide due to their inherently different use and management when empty.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
basic oxygen furnace; electric arc furnace; ferrous scrap; foundry; magnetic separation; municipal solid waste; recycle; recycled; recycled content; steel; steel cans;
ICS Number Code 55.120 (Cans. Tins. Tubes)
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.
Citing ASTM Standards
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In less than a month, we will be treated to one of the most exhilarating rides in the solar system. Curiosity (The Mars Science Laboratory) may have had a pretty long journey since its launch last year but perhaps the hardest, most dangerous part is yet come…
This video makes it clear why James Cameron used to be on a NASA Advisory Council. The drama built into the mission has the making of a Hollywood blockbuster (it even has a laser that it shoots to boil off rocks!) but for planetary scientists the scientific drama will equally thrilling. Almost as soon as the rover lands, it will begin science operations and data will start flowing back to Earth.
This car-sized rover has some of the best instruments sent to the red planet to study its geologic history and for the first time since the Viking missions it will also attempt to detect chemical building blocks of biogenic molecules that might indicate the presence of active life on Mars.
On August 5th, be sure to tune in to NASA TV for live coverage of the landing. We will post more information on that closer to the date.
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AT&T Aspire: Students from D.C.'s Frank W. Ballou Senior High School discuss the high school drop-out problem, hurdles they face and how AT&T Aspire programs are helping them pursue their educational and career goals
WHAT IS ASPIRE?
As access to skilled workers becomes increasingly vital to the U.S. economy, AT&T is stepping up its commitment in education to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college, and to ensure the country is better prepared to meet global competition. Read more »
Among the most significant corporate educational initiatives in the U.S., AT&T Aspire has already impacted more than one million students across all 50 states since the program launched in 2008.
In March 2012, we announced an expansion to the Aspire program, bringing our total investment up to $350 million. With this additional financial commitment, AT&T Aspire will build on the program's first four years of success by:
- Using technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways, including interactive gamification and Web-based content and social media.
- Taking a "socially innovative" approach to tackle high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school. What is social innovation?
- Tapping the innovation engine of the AT&T Foundry to look for fresh or atypical approaches to educational obstacles. Learn more about the AT&T Foundry.
- Capitalizing on the power of personal connections in the form of mentoring, internships and other voluntary efforts that involve many of AT&T's approximately 240,000 employees and by engaging our customers in the issue.
We're excited to continue working with leading education organizations across the country to help prepare students for success in the workplace, college and life.
EDUCATION IN AMERICA
- Lacking a high school degree is a serious issue in the United States, where about one in five students does not graduate high school with their peers.1
- On average, a high school dropout earns 33 percent less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 65 percent less than a college graduate with a bachelor's degree.2
- The dropout rate, along with inadequate training and education, is keeping many high-paying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs from being filled. And the situation is expected to worsen as STEM jobs grow a projected 17 percent by 2018.3
- Workers in STEM positions typically earn 26 percent more than those in non-STEM positions.3
Although the problem is serious, there are signs of progress according to a February 2013 report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education:
- The national high school graduation rate is increasing at an accelerated pace and, for the first time, puts the nation on a path to reach the 90 percent goal by the Class of 2020.
- The high school graduation rate increased by 6.5 percentage points nationally from 2001 to 2010.
- In 2001, the rate was 71.7 percent; by 2010, it had risen to 78.2 percent. Two States – Wisconsin and Vermont – have reached the national goal of achieving a 90 percent high school graduation rate. Eighteen other states are on pace to reach this goal by 2020.
- And the number of "dropout factory" high schools (a high school where 12th-grade enrollment is 60 percent or less than the 9th-grade enrollment three years previously) dropped from 2,007 to 1,424 from 2002 to 2011 – a 29 percent decrease. 1.1 million fewer students attended these dropout factories in 2011 than in 2002.
- Significant "graduation gaps" impede progress, as graduation rates among states are uneven for students of different races, ethnicities, family incomes, disabilities and with limited English proficiency. Although there has been progress in boosting graduation rates for Hispanic and African American students in recent years, the four-year graduation rate is still 66 percent or less for African American students in 20 states and for Hispanic students in 16 states.
1 According to a February 2013, report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education.
2 Anthony Carnevale, Jeff Strohl, and Michelle Melton. Selected Findings from What’s It Worth: The Economic Value of College Majors. Georgetown University: Center on Education and the Workforce.
3 "STEM: Good Jobs Now and for the Future," U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration [July 2011]
HACEMOS Hosts National High Technology Day to Inspire Students in Science and Engineering
Atlanta, Georgia, February 25, 2013
AT&T 28 Days Celebrates Fifth Year with Concert and Speaker Series Featuring New Host Rickey Smiley
Dallas, Texas, January 28, 2013
Using the Power of Evidence-based Funding to Reduce the High School Dropout Rate
Dallas, Texas, October 29, 2012
- Genesys Works
- National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters (AMA announcement)
- Communities in Schools
- City Year
- Jobs for America’s Graduates
- The Power of a New Vision
- 1 Million Hours, Unlimited Potential
- Movie Making Builds Life Skills
- Helping Students Graduate: One Community at a Time
- Building Apps to Hack the High School Dropout Rate
- "Hacking" into Student Success through AT&T Aspire
- GameDesk: Where technology, fun and academic success converge
- Aspire to Success
OUR PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS
- The Alliance for Excellent Education
- America's Promise Alliance
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America
- City Year
- Civic Enterprises
- Communities in Schools
- The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University
- Genesys Works
- Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG)
- Junior Achievement
- Roadtrip Nation
- United Way Worldwide
- We Teach Science
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Animal Species:Arnoux's Beaked Whale
One hundred and fifty years ago a skull collected from a 9.7m whale stranded in Akaroa Harbour, Banks Peninsula, New Zealand was found to represent a new species of beaked whale.
Arnoux's Beaked Whale was given the name Berardius arnuxii by Duvernoy in 1851. Its specific and common names refer to the French surgeon, M. Arnoux, who presented the skull to the Paris Museum of Natural History in 1846. Unfortunately, Duvernoy made a mistake in the spelling of the species name, omitting the 'o' from Arnoux's name.
Arnoux's Beaked Whales are slate grey to brown dorsally and lighter ventrally. The head may also be slightly lighter. Both males and females have two pairs of teeth at the tip of the lower jaw. The anterior, or front, pair are large and triangular, while the posterior pair are smaller and peg-like. The anterior pair of teeth is exposed when the mouth is closed. Animals are often heavily scarred with parallel linear tooth-rakes. They are the largest beaked whales in the Southern Hemisphere. The body is spindle-shaped. The dorsal fin is small, triangular, slightly hooked and positioned well back on the body. The flippers are short and have rounded tips. The beak is long and tubular, distinct from the forehead, and may have a horizontal crease above the gape. The head is small, with a steep forehead and the melon is pronounced and rounded. Their large body size, steep melon and long beak distinguish Arnoux's Beaked Whale from other Southern Hemisphere beaked whales.
Arnoux's Beaked Whale may be confused with the Southern Bottlenose Whale. The Southern Bottlenose Whale is smaller, has a shorter beak and a more pronounced melon that overhangs the beak. The dorsal fin of the Southern Bottlenose Whale may be more erect and hooked, and the teeth (only a single pair in adult males) are not exposed at the tip of the lower jaw.
Accurate species identification is difficult for this and most other species of beaked whale, even for stranded animals. Identification of females and juveniles can be particularly problematic. Generally, while cranial anatomy and tooth morphology are useful, the distinguishing features may apply only to adults. However, the presence in both sexes of two pairs of erupted teeth in the lower jaw makes stranded Arnoux's Beaked Whales relatively easy to identify.
Recently, molecular genetic techniques have been applied to the identification of beaked whales. A database of mitochondrial DNA sequences has been compiled for all known species, making it possible to reliably assign individual animals to a particular species.
Arnoux's and Baird's Beaked Whales, the only two species in the genus Berardius, are very similar in appearance; the differences given in the original description of Baird's Beaked Whale, and thought to distinguish this whale from Arnoux's Beaked Whale, have been disputed. Although Baird's Beaked Whales attain slightly larger sizes, it is not clear whether any morphological features can be used to consistently distinguish these two forms. However, their present distributions are quite disjunct; Arnoux's Beaked Whale is restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, with Baird's Beaked Whale only found in the North Pacific Ocean from about 23°N into the Bering Sea. Disputes about their distinct species status have been resolved by recent comparisons based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data by Dr Merel Dalebout from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. The results of this work have shown the two forms are distinct species. Based on their morphology and molecular data, the two Berardius species, B. arnuxii and B. bairdii, are the most ancestral among all the living beaked whales.
9-10m long at adulthood, and weighing 9 tonnes, 4m long at birth
Southern Bottlenose Whale
Arnoux's Beaked Whales are found only in the Southern Hemisphere. Their distribution is circumpolar in deep, cool temperate and subpolar waters, generally south of 40°S to the edge of the Antarctic ice shelf (approximately 78°S). The most northerly records are from strandings, one from the mouth of Rio de la Plata, Argentina, and one from the Kromme River Mouth, South Africa. There have been several sightings of live Arnoux's Beaked Whales in Antarctic waters, in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, and around Albatross Cordillera in the South Pacific. These animals are, however, very shy and generally avoid ships. There have been other possible sightings off South Australia and southern New South Wales in spring and summer. Strandings are more common on New Zealand than Australia, with most occurring during the summer months. This suggests there may be a seasonal movement from deeper Antarctic waters to continental shelf areas. Stranded animals have also been recorded from southwestern Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
Feeding and Diet
Little is known about the diet of this species. They probably eat deepwater squid and possibly crustaceans and echinoderms (sea urchins and starfish) found on the sea floor. The diet of Baird's Beaked Whale, possibly similar to that of Arnoux's Beaked Whale, consists of squid, skates, rat-tails, rockfish and octopus, as well as pelagic fishes such as mackerel and sardines. Because they lack functional teeth (ie. for gripping and biting prey), they presumably capture most of their prey by suction.
Other behaviours and adaptations
Although single animals are sometimes encountered, this species generally appears to be gregarious. They are most often seen in groups of 6-10, and groups of up to 50 have been reported. A group of about 80 of these whales was encountered in Robertson Bay, Antarctica in 1986. Their blow is low and indistinct. They may show their flukes before a deep dive and can remain submerged for up to an hour.
Mating and reproduction
Nothing is known of the breeding behaviour or life history of this species. Sightings are rare due to their deep-ocean distribution, elusive behaviour and possible low numbers. They are very shy, difficult to observe and positively identify, and are capable of diving for an hour or more. The life history of Arnoux's Beaked Whale may be similar to that of the closely related Baird's Beaked Whale.
Baird's Beaked Whales are migratory. In the western North Pacific they move towards the continental shelf and sea floor escarpments in (Northern Hemisphere) spring and summer and head back to deeper waters in winter. There appears to be a sexual difference in this pattern; more males than females are taken in coastal whaling. Males appear to reach sexual maturity at a younger age (6 to 11 years) and smaller body length (9.1 to 9.8m) than females (10 to 15 years and 9.8 to 10.7m long). Males also appear to have lower natural mortality rates and can live longer than females (84 years versus 54 years, respectively). Gestation is thought to be about 17 months in Baird's Beaked Whales. This is one of the longest gestation periods among cetaceans. Calves are about 4.5m long when born.
Little is known about this whale: nowhere within its range is it considered very well known or common. Unlike its Northern Hemisphere cousin, Baird's Beaked Whale, Arnoux's Beaked Whales are not taken by commercial whaling.
- Baker, A. N. 1999. Whales and Dolphins of Australia and New Zealand: an identification guide. Allen & Unwin, St Leonards.
- Balcomb, K. C. 1989. Chapter 10. Baird's beaked whale Berardius bairdii Stejneger, 1883: Arnoux's beaked whale Berardius arnuxii Duvernoy, 1851. In Handbook of Marine Mammals. Pp. 261-288. (Eds S. H. Ridgeway and S. R. Harrison.) Academic Press, London.
- Bryden, M., Marsh, H. & Shaughnessy, P. 1998. Dugongs, Whales, Dolphins and Seals. A guide to the sea mammals of Australasia. Allen & Unwin, St Leonards.
- Carwardine, M. 2000. Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. Dorling Kindersley, London.
- Dalebout, M. L., van Helden, A. van Waerebeek, K, and Baker, C. S. 1998. Molecular genetic identification of Southern Hemisphere beaked whales. Molecular Ecology 7: 687-694.
- Menkhorst, P. 2001. A Field Guide to Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia.
- Reeves, R. R., Stewart, B. S., Clapham, P. J. and Powell, J. A. 2002. Arnoux's Beaked Whale. In National Audubon Society Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. Pp. 258-259. Chanticleer Press, Inc., New York.
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By Sam Boni
“Hybridization is the path to the future,” asserted Dave Hermance recently. He is the executive engineer for environmental engineering at the Toyota Technical Center, USA. As an interim solution, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) are in the news more and more every day. Hybrids surely will be in our future, but do they already have a past?
A hybrid electric vehicle combines the best features of the familiar internal combustion engine (ICE) and the forever reliable electric motor. But just a few years ago a survey of 14,000 people found that only 14% of North Americans were aware of this technology. With today’s relentless advertising to “go green”, most everyone is at least aware of the hybrid’s existence by now.
Apropos history: I learned early during my automotive education that a young Ferdinand Porsche worked in ‘mixed propulsion’ more than one hundred years ago. In 1899 (another source quotes 1897) the young engineer was hired by the Austrian Lohner Carriage Company, when owner Jakob wanted to diversify into the new horse-less carriages. Porsche used a gasoline engine running at a constant speed to turn a dynamo, or generator, which charged a number of accumulators, or batteries. The current from these early batteries –plates in wooden boxes- powered hub motors, modified to form part of the front wheels. This system eliminated the need for a gearbox, drive shafts or chain, and a clutch. Without the mechanical friction losses it had an amazing efficiency of 83%, as reported by a Thomas Scholz in his thesis. Continue Reading →
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• The American Cancer Society reports that ellagic acid and foods that contain ellagic acid may have several anti-cancer properties. Since the compound serves primarily as an antioxidant, the number of cancer cells and rate of cell growth may be decreased. Ellagic acid may also help to reduce heart disease, liver problems and birth defects.
People who increase consumption of foods that contain ellagic acid may be able to ward off certain types of illnesses and disease.
• Eating foods that contain ellagic acid is considered to be safe, and should become a part of a balanced diet. However, there is no research to support the claims that eating foods high in ellagic acid alone is a treatment for cancer or certain types of diseases. Anyone who wants to increase their intake of foods containing ellagic acid to treat a health problem should consult with a physician.
Al Naslah, United Arab Emirates, Al Naslah, UAE
2) “Immune Program Optimization”
The immune system could be the body’s front line of defense and is constantly trying to find pathogens, foreign antigens this sort of as viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and also pre-cancerous cells, together with toxic compounds and conditions. Your immune method easily is dependent on glutathione for proper function and so that you can neutralize these pathogens, your body requirements a quickly provide of glutathione to perform at an ideal stage. Inadequate amounts of glutathione depart the immune system comprimised and permits invaders to go undetected infecting your body, accelerating aging, and in some cases long-term accumulative hurt major to cancers.
Sickness and getting older can’t be prevented, but by trying to keep glutathione ranges at ideal ranges retains the immune system at peak efficiency and deters the getting older and disease process entirely.
3) “Effective Detoxification”
In todays large pace and technological era, it really is impossible to avoid contaminants each and every day. We take in them thru ingestion of meals and drinks and we inhale harmful toxins thru pollutants related with manufacturing processes, energy plants, and transportion exhaustion to name a few. Glutathione performs a key function inside the detoxification process in getting rid of numerous toxins like drug breakdown products, pollutants, carcinogens, radiation harm in addition to weighty metals(e.g. mercury,lead, and arsenic).
Scientific tests have indicated that lower glutathione amounts cause bad liver and kidney purpose, and consequence in unnecessarily big quantities of poisons circulating via your body continually damaging personal cells and organs. Because the body’s key detoxifying organ(liver) has the best glutathione concentrations, sustaining ideal levels of glutathione is important to eliminate harmful toxins and stop any conditions linked with these harmful toxins in addition to to advertise anti-aging.
4). “Restores Energy”
Our physique is consistently burning energy working 24 several hours each day along with the production commences with the mobile degree. The cells continuously burn up gasoline and consequently generate waste byproducts(oxiradicals). This waste procedure leaves the cells at risk of overload and can consequence in injury if the byproducts will not be eliminated. The main substance made by the cell to help keep it calme and working effectively is glutathione which allows cells to carry out optimally. Consequently allowing the cells to provide more vitality and power. Raising glutathione has become a target for several scientific studies from sports activities medication to anti-aging for this apparent purpose.
Japan, Tokyo City,
Fremantle Victoria Australia
New Haven, Connecticut
Los Angeles, California
City of Lithgow Australia
Al Hamraniyah, United Arab Emirates, Al Hamraniyah, UAE
Glutathione, current in each and every cell from the body, is composed of three amino acids including – cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine. It plays an important part in detoxification of pollutants and recycling of anti-oxidants.
Glutathione is one of the most substantial conjugating compounds that aid physique to purge fat-soluble toxic compounds like hefty metals, solvents, and pesticides to change them into a water-soluble kind allowing far better excretion through the kidneys.
Glutathione foods are valuable in many other techniques but extreme utilization of this protein decreases its level in human body cells, which results in illnesses. The higher the publicity to pollutants, the faster human body uses glutathione. Those who smoke, are much more uncovered to toxic compounds, and continue to be sick with inflammatory circumstances like rheumatoid arthritis, or are afflicted by long-term ailments this kind of as diabetes, AIDS or cancer. It’s a ferocious cycle: medical problems diminish the provide of glutathione, and decreased GSH ranges enhance the chance of diseases.
Aside from, detoxifying liver and protecting towards cancer, analysis on utilization of glutathione reveals that additionally it is beneficial in, stopping clot formation in the course of functions, minimizing the unwanted side effects and efficacy of chemotherapy medications like cisplatin, Parkinson’s sickness and increasing sperm counts in adult men with reduced sperm counts.
South Bend Indiana USA
Port Pirie, South Australia
Detoxification or detox is defined as the removal of toxins from the body. You learned all about toxins on the previous page. You learned that you need a dual strategy to successfully deal with toxins. You need to prevent them from coming in and you also need to know how to cleanse toxins in the human body that do make it in.
And you also learned that glutathione (GSH) is essential to keep you from being literally poisoned to death. Click here to learn about all of the roles that glutathione has. It’s much more than a detoxifier!
The list of toxins in products today is long. Today we have toxins in your home, toxins in food, cosmetic toxins, everyday toxins, and as a results we end up with toxins in blood.
We have tens of thousands of toxins in our environment today, poisons that were not known just a hundred years ago. These end up as toxins in the human body. Our body has a large order to fill – to successfully help us to remove them as they come in. And with disease on the increase, it is becoming increasingly evident that our bodies need an extra boost to keep up!
Just how does glutathione work in its role of detoxification?
Glutathione was first discovered in 1888 by J.de-Rey-Pailhade, but much was yet to be learned once it was found. It wasn’t until about 30 years ago that it was discovered that one of glutathione’s main roles is to assist with cleansing toxins from your body.
Now that there is growing evidence regarding the role of toxins and disease, and the powerful role that prevention plays, we have access to research that shows us just how glutathione keeps us from becoming full of poisons and toxic substances.
Your liver and kidneys are your main organs of detoxification, and therefore they contain the highest amounts of glutathione. They are primarily responsible for cleansing toxins from your body.
If you didn’t have glutathione in your body right now, you would not be able to read this sentence because you would be dead from all of the poisons in your body. Really!
And it’s not just humans that have this powerful protein at their disposal. Glutathione plays an important life-sustaining role in all vertebrates, and even in insects, plants and microorganisms!
Ghouls and goblins may be spooky, but what should really give you the creeps this Halloween is the decorative makeup you might be putting on your face. New evidence from the nonprofit Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan shows many novelty face paints used for Halloween are tainted with toxic heavy metals like cadmium and lead.
Your Halloween Costume May be Hazardous to Your Health
Researchers at the Ecology Center tested 31 types of novelty makeup you can find on the shelves of big name outlets and party stores all over the country. Every single product contained traces of some kind of metal, but that is just the beginning. More than half of the products contained cadmium, a toxic heavy metal linked to cancer, birth defects and brain damage. Other toxic metals like mercury and lead were also detected.
Even more disturbing is the popularity of these products with children. Kids dressing up as comical clowns and blood-sucking vampires routinely have their faces painted to match, but dress-up can turn ugly if toxic metals are involved. Children are especially at risk because their growing bodies and developing brains are more vulnerable to toxins like heavy metals. The health campaign director of the Ecology Center says parents should err on the side of caution until we know more about what levels of these metals are safe or unsafe for our children.
Representatives of some of the manufacturers insist their products have been tested to ensure legal levels of heavy metals, but health advocates say legal levels for topical products may be far too high. Not enough testing has been done to determine how much of these products are absorbed through the skin. Our skin is highly permeable, and putting these toxic metals on our skin may be no more safe than putting them straight into our mouths.
This Halloween the wise choice would be to avoid commercial makeup by either making your own at home or simply going without. When it comes to your health and that of your children, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Montgomery Alabama USA
Horsham Victoria Australia
Heavy metals are natural metallic elements – mercury, lead, zinc, copper, arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, nickel, tin uranium, barium, bismuth, and platinum. Some of these metals, like zinc and copper, are required in trace amounts by our bodies for optimum health. However, other heavy metals that have been found in our bodies serve no purpose once in our bodies, and they’re actually toxic to our systems. On their own, our bodies cannot completely eliminate toxins once they’ve been introduced, so they continue to accumulate with repeated exposure. Heavy metals are all around in our environment – in our air, soil, water supply, food, cosmetics, products we use on a daily basis, factory and auto emissions, medicine, fuel and personal care products, not to mention in the vaccines that can be introduced into our systems on a systematically scheduled basis.
Children absorb toxins much quicker than adults. They are also more susceptible to the effects that heavy metals can leave in their systems, which can possibly lead to neurological and psychological disorders. Symptoms of toxicity can include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, memory problems, seizures, coma, irreversible brain damage and cardiovascular problems. And what’s worse is, the more of the metals in the body, the more damage can occur; high concentrations can even eventually cause death. Because there are so many toxins in the environment, everyone has at least some trace amounts in their system. Studies have revealed that individuals who live in polluted or industrial areas may have a higher concentration of heavy metals than those living in non-polluted areas. But if this is true, why isn’t everyone ill from the effects of these heavy metals in our bodies?
We all don’t become notably ill from heavy metal toxicity because all humans do not process every contaminate in the same manner; some of us experience compromised immune systems while others go on to experience good health. The degree to which people are affected by toxic heavy metal exposure will depend on their body’s immune system and their ability to process these heavy metal toxins.
Heavy metals have been linked to diseases and disorders like autism, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, cataracts, HIV infection, respiratory infection, Alzheimer’s disease, cystic fibrosis, heart attacks, strokes and pulmonary fibrosis, to name a few. And studies have shown that heavy metals in the system of a mother can be transmitted to a fetus. When this happens, exposure then to environmental factors can lead to an accumulation of toxic heavy metals within a fetus’ system. Later on in life, if the child’s body does not produce enough antioxidants to detoxify the metals, this exposure can result in health disorders, such as autism.
People with autism are often deficient in a protein that’s naturally produced by the human body – glutathione; a powerful antioxidant that helps the body detoxify toxic heavy metals. Without glutathione, heavy metals have no natural way eliminate from the human body.
So what does glutathione have to do with autism and the levels of heavy metals in the system of someone on the autism spectrum? Research has shown time and time again that autistic children most often have an excessive level of heavy metals in their bodies, especially mercury.
Studies show MaxGXL – a top-selling glutathione supplement – increases glutathione levels in individuals on the autism spectrum as it reduces levels of other toxic, heavy metals within the human body. In these studies, caregivers of individuals with autism also noticed a reduction in many problematic behaviors associated with autism.
Fairfield California USA
Cotonou (de facto capital)
City of Lake Macquarie Australia
Cadmium heavy metal toxicity is like a thief in the night that doesn’t leave footprints.
Cadmium affects the thyroid function by lowering the T3 active thyroid hormone, although it does not raise the TSH which is the brains message to produce more thyroid hormone. When doctors test for thyroid function they test the TSH levels which most often appear normal despite lowered T3 levels.
With a normal lab test result, physicians will often blame their patients for complaining and overreacting, instead of taking the complaints serious.
It is important to have adequate levels of zinc, as fortunately zinc is able to displace the cadmium and kick it out of prostate storage. Selenium is also effective in protecting the body against cadmium toxicity.
High levels of nutrients that assist detoxification are of utmost importance to keep from developing symptoms of heavy metal toxicity.
You can read more about toxicity at my blog http://www.whatistoxicity.com/. You will find important information on toxic substances, its affects on humans and the environment, and what you can do about it.
Andorra, Andorra la Vella,
Egypt Cairo: city limits
New York City New York USA
In Our Food
Heavy metals in our diet are a serious threat. Here is one example: it is has been known for decades that Cadmium in our food is a health problem. Cadmium, which can cause kidney disease and cancer, is a natural part of the earth’s crust. Its presence, though, in the wider environment is increased by human activity. Cadmium is used in the electroplating of other metals such as steel because it is especially resistant to corrosion. It is also used as a stabilizer in PVC plastics. It is a major component of rechargeable “NiCad” (Nickel-Cadmium) batteries. Cadmium is released into the environment through the mining and smelting of zinc, Lead and Copper, the combustion of coal, wood and oil, waste incineration and the application of phosphate fertilizers or sewage sludge to soil.
Cadmium released into the air eventually settles on land, including land used for food production. As well, agricultural crops, such as potatoes, wheat, rice and other grains absorb Cadmium from their surrounding soils or directly through their leaves. So you see it is not difficult to determine how the contamination occurs and yet industry continues to release these toxic metals into the environment despite evidence that they reach our food supply.
Another example is Lead: Negative effects may be caused by Lead at any concentration, especially in children. Lead is in prepared foods, fast foods, fats and oils and meat. Lead has no known biological function in humans. It is poorly absorbed by the body from the digestive system, though children can absorb Lead much more readily than adults. The slow rate at which it is eliminated from the body leads to a build up of this toxic heavy metal in the bones and red blood cells.
One of the main sources of Mercury poisoning is eating contaminated fish. In Canada an advisory was issued warning women of childbearing age and children to limit consumption of shark, swordfish and fresh tuna to one meal per month. It is important to note, though, that not all fish are considered risky in the context of Mercury contamination. Fish is high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids which are known to be beneficial to cardiovascular health. Therefore, rather than avoid all fish, it is more prudent to find good substitutes for the risky fish.
In Our Water
Many Americans are exposed to high levels of heavy metal toxicity from drinking contaminated water. With Lead, for example, it is estimated that 40 million Americans drink water containing levels exceeding the safe limit set by the EPA. (Which, is set way too high considering no amount of this metal in our systems is safe.) The Lead contamination comes mainly from Lead plumbing in older homes and soldered joints in Copper pipes.
Other common heavy metals found in tap water include Copper and Arsenic. Copper serves as a co-factor for many enzymes and is required in the diet in small amounts for normal health. However, high doses of Copper are dangerous to health. A single dose of 15 mg Copper can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. More severe toxicity can cause liver and kidney damage. The Copper in tap water comes from corrosion of Copper pipes and can accumulate overnight. In this case, flushing the tap before using the water is highly recommended.
Arsenic is also a common contaminate in tap water. Several public water supplies were found in mid 2001 to have very high Arsenic levels. It has been shown that there is a real risk of cancer from levels far below the current EPA Standard of 50 parts per billion.
Mercury from environmental contamination (derived mainly from coal-fired power plants and medical and municipal incinerators) eventually enter our water system through soil, rivers, streams and lakes. The form of Mercury hazardous in drinking water is the inorganic form, which can easily be converted to the organic form, methylmercury, by bacterial action present in soil and water environments.
Heavy Metals and Cancer
Metals can directly and indirectly damage DNA and that means an increased risk of cancer (we call this genotoxicity). There are also possibly non-genotoxic pathways, due to irritation or immuno-toxicity.
There are a number of metals known to be carcinogenic. These are:
Arsenic and Arsenic compounds,
Beryllium and Beryllium compounds,
Cadmium and Cadmium compounds,
Nickel compounds and hexavalent chromium.
The usual target is the lung, though Arsenic has a unique association with skin cancers that has been recognized for many years.
Most health care professionals and researchers assume that heavy metals have to be taken into account only when a patient is showing definite symptoms of poisoning. It’s time they wake up to the fact that our health and well-being is affected by much lower levels of heavy metals than previously assumed.
Even metals necessary to maintain a healthy body will cause toxic reactions when they are in quantities the body cannot handle. In the case of excess exposure to Manganese, neurotoxic effects include weakness, slow and clumsy gait, speech disturbances, and tremors. Zinc is required for the proper functioning of hundreds of enzymes and is therefore the most abundant metal in humans. It can be found in all tissues and tissue fluids but overexposure to zinc has been shown to cause anemia. Children are at particularly at risk of negative health effects due to intake of these heavy metals above normal levels.
Finally, let’s not forget our four legged friends. Besides environmental issues, pet foods tested by atomic absorption methods show Aluminum levels (also Lead and Mercury) ranging from the lowest of 17 ppm (in canned wet foods) to 855 ppm in the kibbled product. Kibble production by dehydration would, as expected, increase the content of the metals over canned. I was shocked at the high levels in well-respected products made by supposedly conscientious manufacturers. Considering the evidence, they must know about the widespread contamination of their products. So why aren’t they fixing the problem?
There are many obvious steps we can take to reduce the hazards of heavy metal poisoning and a number of effective methods of eliminating heavy metals toxins already in our bodies.
Realistically, we cannot seal ourselves in an airtight setting and have our food, water and air shipped in from another world; a world that is clean. So what are we to do to protect ourselves? Clearly we cannot run and hide from our environment. Granted, some areas of the world are far less contaminated than others but for most of us moving to those areas is not an option. Anyway, though, there is no place left on earth untouched by at least some pollution. For example, Lead expelled from automobile exhaust into the air above our cities 20 years ago can be found in high concentrations in the Antarctic today.
Areas that are prone to acid rain are at an exceptionally high risk. The increased acidity makes the metals more soluble in water and, as a result, they are consumed in drinking water. Even if all heavy metal production were to stop today, enough heavy metals have been released into our environment to cause chronic poisoning and numerous neurological diseases for generations to come.
While we cannot escape from our surroundings we can, beyond a doubt, make sure that at least our home settings are relatively free of heavy metals and other toxins. Air and water filtration systems are readily available today that are very effective and essential for vital health. Those of you who follow my teachings know how important, I believe, that clean water and air are to maintaining essential health. I can’t say that enough times. Your good health depends on it!
Unfortunately there are no filtration systems for the food we eat but we can decrease the amount of toxins we ingest by following a few simple rules. Organ meats like liver and kidney, peanut butter, shelled seeds, cooking fats and salad oils, cured pork and beef should all be limited in your diet. Junk foods, frozen dinners and fast foods top my list of foods to banish forever from our lives.
They all contain heavy metals at levels ten times or greater than comparable fresh food. Also, stay away from all refined foods, prepackaged cooked foods, refined flours, baked goods, processed cheeses and acidic drinks. Acidic drinks can dissolve metals such as antimony, cadmium, tin and zinc from the enamel in pots, metallic cans and solderings in soft drink or soda cans.
Steer clear of larger fish known to be contaminated with methylmercury like tuna fish. As well, stay away from all fish known to come from lakes or areas recognized to have high levels of Mercury pollution. Use only fresh foodstuffs and healthy supplementation and if at all possible buy organically grown produce. Remember you are in control, keep the junk out of your home and it won’t be a problem.
Do not deliberately contaminate your body! Use your head! Stay away from products and materials known to be toxic like tobacco, cosmetics, canned goods, insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, dental amalgams and vaccines that contain Thimerosal, a mercury preservative. In the workplace; if you are exposed to hazardous materials, make sure you wear protective clothing and gear.
Antiperspirants contain aluminum that is absorbed by your body. It’s best to avoid it all together and use simple soap and water instead. Deodorants aren’t as bad as antiperspirants, but I would still avoid using them. Other things to avoid are: Aluminum cookware, Aluminum foil, over-the-counter drugs, (These include many antacids, anti-diarrheal drugs, buffered aspirin and other drugs used for pain and inflammation.) some baking powders. (Most baking powders contain aluminum as an additive but health food stores carry non-aluminum varieties.)
The effects of toxic metals can range from subtle symptoms to serious diseases. Since metals build up in your body over time, symptoms are often attributed to other causes and people often don’t realize that they have been affected by metals until it’s too late. Prevention is the best defense when it comes to metal poisoning.
Toxic heavy metal contamination is so pervasive in our environment that it is no longer a question of whether one has been exposed to toxins, but rather the level of exposure. In most cases damage to your system can be reversed and any further harm can be prevented by removing the metals. The process of removing toxic heavy metals from the body is useful in all chronic diseases and for those wishing to stay well and healthy. I have seen the incredible health benefits in my patients when they remove these harmful toxins from their bodies.
The method of removing heavy metal toxins from the body is called Chelation Therapy. Chelating (pronounced key-layting) agents are substances which can chemically bond with, or chelate (from the Greek chele, claw), metals, minerals, or chemical toxins from the body. The chelating agent actually encircles a mineral or metal ion and carries it from the body via the urine and feces.
There are natural chelation agents such as essential oils and organic acids found in green healthy foods including acetic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), citric acid, and lactic acid that have the natural ability to dissolve heavy metal salts so they can be eliminated. Besides detoxification of toxic chemicals and metals, natural chelation processes in the body are responsible for other things as the digestion, assimilation and transport of food nutrients, the formation of enzymes and hormones.
Wilmington North Carolina USA
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Note 1. They that have power to hurt and will do none. Sonnet xciv. in Shake-speares Sonnettes, 1609. Shakespeare has described his friend (see Sonnet xciii.) as able to show a sweet face while harbouring false thoughts; the subject is enlarged on in the present sonnet. They who can hold their passions in check, who can seem loving, yet keep a cool heart, who can move passions in others, yet are cold and unmoved themselves,they rightly inherit from heaven large gifts, for they husband them; whereas passionate, intemperate natures squander their endowments; those who can assume this or that semblance as they see reason are the masters and owners of their faces; others have no property in such excellences as they possess, but hold them for the advantage of the prudent, self-contained persons. True, these self-contained persons may seem to lack generosity; but, then, without making voluntary gifts they give inevitably, even as the summers flower is sweet to the summer, though it live and die only to itself. Yet, let such an one beware corruption, which makes odious the sweetest flowers. [back]
Note 4. The basest weed: Sidney Walker proposes the barest weed. (Dowden.) [back]
Note 5. Lilies that fester, etc.: This line occurs, says Dowden, in King Edward III., act ii. sc. 1 (near the close of the scene). I quote the passage that the reader may see how the line comes into the play, and form an opinion as to whether the play or the sonnet has the right of first ownership in it.
A spacious field of reasons could I urge
Between his glory, daughter, and thy shame:
That poison shows worst in a golden cup;
Dark night seems darker by the lightning flash;
Lilies, that fester, smell far worse than weeds;
And every glory that inclines to sin,
The same is treble by the opposite.
It should be remembered that several critics assign to Shakespeare a portion of this play, which was first printed in 1596. The lines which have been quoted occur in a scene ascribed to Shakespeare. [back]
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The shifting face of a 200-million-year-old mystery
Five times in the last half a billion years, tremendous, global-scale extinctions have wiped out a significant fraction of life on Earth - and each of them presents a grand puzzle.
The most recent and the most familiar is the extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs - between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, about 65 million years ago.
But before that, 205 million years ago, was the "End-Triassic Event" - it set the stage for the Jurassic Period, which saw the rise to prominence of the dinosaurs.
Just what happened that killed off half the species on the planet, though, remains a mystery.
On the coast of Somerset in the UK this week, one researcher from the US is trying to peel away - actually, to hammer away - some of that mystery, and in so doing providing a picture of science at work.Times a-changing
Once upon a time, Paul Olsen of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory was one of the few people who believed that a giant impact of an object from space started the extinction, much like the impact that many people believe caused the demise of the dinosaurs.
"I argued quite passionately for that on the basis of the pattern of extinction, which looks very much like that at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary, and because I discovered an 'iridium anomaly' at the level of the extinctions.
"Iridium is very rare in the earth's crust but relatively abundant in extraterrestrial material, so an abundance of that element suggests that there was an impact at that time," he explained.
"I thought it was pretty clear that that was a plausible cause."
But science has moved on. Other workers in the field have found in that same period, enormous lava flows from a flurry of volcanic activity in the then-developing Atlantic Ocean also occurred at exactly the same time.
And Prof Olsen himself found more iridium anomalies at different, nearby times.
"The way many scientists work is that while they're pushing one idea passionately, they always have in the back of their mind that they may be wrong, and they have alternative explanations for the same observations - and I did too.
"It wasn't so simple to explain the extinctions as a result of a giant impact, but simpler to explain as a result of the giant lava flows," he said.
So it is that Prof Olsen is at St Audrie's Bay in Somerset this week, where rocks of the right age are pristinely preserved.
What is at issue is the precise timings of the events. Prof Olsen and his colleagues believe that an impact did occur, probably at Rochechouart in south-western France, but that it occurred a few thousand years before the extinction.
While it may have had an effect on the life on Earth, the impact does not seem to line up in time with the volcanic activity and the extinction.
But, as is so often the case with the record of events laid out like the pages of a book on the Earth's surface, more data is needed, and Prof Olsen is hammering away chunks of it, carrying the samples back to the US for analysis in neatly labelled bags.Wipe-clean history
Gareth Collins, an impact expert at Imperial College London, says that anyone trying to unravel the details of extinction events, "if they're honest with themselves, would say that we're never going to know".
Just which species died off and disrupted ecosystems, and how stressed various species may have been before dying off, are simply too tricky to figure out from the fossil record.
In contrast to the guiding principle of science, any guesses do not lead to testable predictions.
"I think we're still some way off understanding exactly what was the cause of the mass extinction, and the more general question of whether mass extinctions have a common cause or whether each one is an event that needs to be considered in isolation," he told BBC News.
The extinction at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary, for example, again shows a great deal of volcanic activity, and irrefutable evidence for a giant impact.
Might it be that all of the "big five" extinctions involved both a disrupted climate due to volcanic emissions, as well as something smashing into the Earth? These mysteries will endure for some time.
But Dr Collins argues that the efforts to unravel them must press on.
"I think it's incredibly imperative that we understand mass extinction events; they punctuate evolution and they are absolutely as important if not more important than the sort of incremental changes that occur between these extinctions.
"They sort of wipe the slate clean and then allow the next era to occur and the next dominant species to evolve."
So as Prof Olsen hammers layers of 200-million-year-old shale out of the Somerset foreshore, he is keeping an open mind about what he and others will find.
"When you find evidence that directly contradicts your favourite idea and you have to switch modes, switch paradigms to a different concept, that's real progress," he said.
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Guest Author - Alissa Moy
Patterns are a fun math themed activity to embark on with your preschooler. Begin by discussing what a pattern is, and isn't. Remind your child that to be classified as a pattern, it must always repeat. Here are several ideas to teach about patterns:
1.Pattern Scavenger Hunt- Search the house and make a list of items and objects that have patterns, and those that don't.
2.Create color dot or other shape patterns using crayons and blank paper. Have your child finish the patterns (ie. Geen circle, red square, blue triangle...)
3.Have fun together making musical patterns, like clap, snap, clap! Repeat, of course!
4.Use musical instruments to play patterns, like drum beats or piano keys.
5.Create a math number worksheet, and have your homeschooler fill in the patterns- like 1,2,1,2...? You can create a few higher level thinking problems, too, like 1,2,4...5,6,?
6.Visit a zoo or animal sanctuary, either live or online, and note animals with patterns. Make a list of these animals and have your child draw the pattern or the animal and color it in.
7.Beads are an awesome craft to utilize the pattern concept with. Gather beads of all sizes and shapes, as well as plenty of string. Girls and boys will enjoy making bracelets and chains of various patterns again and again.
8.Use colored construction paper to make paper chains for the season. Create patterns together, and be sure to let your child use the scissors to practice cutting. Create patterns of orange, green and black for Halloween; red, green and gold for Christmas; and baby blue, pink and yellow for Easter.
9.Create patterns out of dried and colored macaroni! Use the recipe below to have your child assist you in coloring this non edible craft. Macaroni, after colored and dried can be easily strung , or glued on to heavy paper as a pattern project.
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
Food coloring -several drops per color, depending on color intensity, etc.
1.Mix alcohol and food coloring in bowl. You may need to use several bowls (paper is easy) to mix a variety of colors.
2.Add small amounts of any type of pasta to the liquid in the bowls and gently stir the pasta in.
3.Dry the dyed pasta on newspapers covered with wax paper.
Learning about patterns is not only fun, but also educational!
Check out Pattern Mania on the website below for some additional online fun learning about patterns with your preschooler!
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Almost half of Americans over the age of 85 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease so it is obvious that the biggest risk factor for developing the disease is aging. In some families, several cases are seen so scientists believe that there is a hereditary factor to the illness known for robbing people of their memory.
We all suffer from forgetfulness from time to time; however Alzheimer’s disease goes well beyond that, having a huge impact on everything from memory and orientation to judgment, mood, and over-all health. As the disease progresses, many sufferers will not even recognize their own spouse, their children and grandchildren. The forgetfulness is devastating to the whole family.
Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Factors
According to the World Health Organization 18 million people around the world suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. This number is expected to increase by 2025 so a great deal of time and energy has been spent on the science of this horrible illness.
Just as work has been going on to find ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease, researchers have been digging deep to uncover the biggest risk factors. What are the chances of you losing your memory?
Alzheimer’s generally strikes people 65 and older. It is true that a large number of women suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. This has led many people to believe that if you are a woman your risk is therefore higher than a man’s. It’s actually a matter of age. Since the disease is generally associated with getting older and women live longer, it stands to reason that it would appear that more women suffer from the disease.
Scientists have looked at a number of lifestyle factors when examining Alzheimer’s disease and what they have discovered is that some of the risk factors for heart disease could also be risk factors for Alzheimer’s. Smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and lack of physical activity are examples.
In recent years there has been a lot of discussion in the medical community about the impact of diet on our brain function. This is due to the fact that scientists around the globe have been taking a close look at the relationship between food and Alzheimer’s disease. Many researchers have concluded that fatty diets could contribute to the illness. Imagine food causing devastating forgetfulness. One study, published in the Archives of Neurology indicates that a diet that steers away from fats and includes fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and olive oil instead, can lead to a 40 per cent less risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Mental Stimulation for Alzheimer’s Disease
Lifelong mental stimulation has also been examined at great length. Some studies indicate that a lack of mental stimulation may put you at a higher risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease later in life. These studies suggest that stimulating jobs, leisure activities like reading and music, as well as frequent social interaction helps develop more cell-to-cell connections to protect the brain against age-related changes.
Debate continues among scientists as to whether or not brain trauma is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Some researchers say brain injuries leave a person vulnerable to the “adverse neurocognitive” effects of age-related diseases, while others say we need to study whether it is a combination of trauma and genetics that might be leading to the Alzheimer’s. Scientists are looking at the relationship between the disease and severe trauma associated with major accidents, as well as less dramatic incidents like mild concussions from sports mishaps.
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Mauritania is a desert. There is little plant or animal life except in the south near the Senegal River where most of the population live. Berbers on camels dominated the indigenous black population in the 3rd century AD and established trade with the Ghana Empire whose capital Kumbi Salah was located in the southeast corner of the country. In the 11th century the Almoravids further extended the domination of the Berbers over the blacks by razing Kumbi Salah but they were later by the Arabs who replaced them as the governing elite in the 17th century. Today’s Moors are the descendants of this Arab elite and of the Berber population who adopted Hassaniya (an Arabic dialect), both of which having a tradition of dominance over blacks.
Mauritania became a French protectorate in 1903 and French was the official language until independence in 1960. Democracy was attempted and elections were held in ’61, ’66, ’71 and ’76 but the country’s difficulty in handling the armed conflict with the Polisario Front resisting the take over of part of Western Sahara provided the occasion for a military coup in ’78. Government took a turn towards Islamic fundamentalism and another coup in 1994, installed Colonel Ould Taya as President. In 1989 the traditional tension between the dominant Moors and the subservient blacks, both indigenous and of Senegalese origin, came to a head and led to racial atrocities on both sides of the border with Senegal. More than a hundred thousand blacks had to flee Mauritania while an equal number of moors fled Senegal. The border was closed. Pro forma elections held in ‘92 and ’96 confirmed Ould Taya’s presidency.
|Atlapedia CIA Country Reports Traveldocs|
At Guerguarat in Morocco I left the Huraults who needed my seat for the guide they had hired and joined a British group travelling in a five ton Bedford truck. They did not hire a guide for they had decided to join a group a Germans ferrying trucks to Gambia and to rely on GPS devices (global positioning system), to find the way across the desert to Nouakchott.
After innumerable police checks and lengthy border formalities, we finally we got to Nouâdhibou late in the afternoon and found a guarded camping ground for our first night in Mauritania.
Here are the seven of us just before moving out after a hearty breakfast : Lee Thomas & Ian Townsend in front and in the back, Steve Hibbert (owner of the truck), Peter Faulstroh, Emma Hibbert, Abdalaii (the campsite manager), myself and Nicky Dabbs.
This endless train bringing iron ore from Zouérat 700 kms away was a bizarre sight in the middle of nowhere as it thundered by, raising a cloud of dust on its way to the port of Nouâdhibou.
I was delighted by the prospect of renewing the experience of a long trip through the trackless desert which I had enjoyed when visiting remote drilling sites in the Algerian Sahara more than 30 years earlier.
On the left, approaching the rig that drilled the discovery well at Nezla shortly before the oil gushed there in 1965 and on the right, the crew's camp seen from the top of the rig.
Vast unlimited expanses have always fascinated me. The open sea, the empty desert and the frozen whiteness of the far arctic share a beauty devoid of distractions akin to the emptiness of meditation. The contemplation of vast empty spaces is hypnotic and can bring on a state of trance where the conscious and unconscious meet.
A GPS is a remarkable instrument. It costs only a couple of hundred dollars, it's no larger than a cellular phone yet it can tell you exactly where you are on the surface of the earth with a precision of 10 meters. It can give you the compass bearing and distance to the next point you wish to reach but unfortunately it cannot tell you if the sand is firm or soft nor weather the way is clear or blocked by a string of dunes.
The trip from Nouâdhibou to Nouakchott can be done easily in a day a half with a good guide who knows the latest shifting of the sands and the best route through the desert. We got through all right with the GPS but it took us five days and four bivouacs to do it.
The photo shows our first bivouac at Baie du Lévrier at only 55 km from Nouâdhibou. The Germans were ferrying three trucks, a bus, a Peugeot station wagon and a four-wheel-drive Mercedes. You can glimpse the green top of our truck behind them.
Speeding cross-country in the desert its great when the sand is firmly packed but in many places, more recent accumulations are still soft and almost impassable. The multi-geared four-wheel-drive Bedford had power to spare but its weight made it bog down frequently.
The four-wheel-drive Mercedes had the least difficulty of the 7 vehicles in our convoy, as a matter of fact it never got stuck. The next best was the Peugeot followed by the three trucks. The bus and the Bedford really had a hard time.
Sand dunes like this one are constantly shifting from one place to another so it is difficult to tell where the sand is hard and where it is not.
This trip was rewarding for me not only because I love the desert but also because it gave me the opportunity to observe how role playing can become stereotyped between members of a small group isolated from external influences.
A sand storm.
In this case, the group had been travelling for several weeks in France, Spain and Morocco before getting here. It was self-sufficient, it had tents to camp out and cooked its own food. It was organized like a scout troop with a Head Scout which happened to be Steve's wife Emma who edicted a set of rules such as washing our hands with Dettol disinfectant before every meal, not eating ice cream to avoid poisoning etc...
A few hours later in the same sand storm. From time to time some of the trucks ahead of us could barely be seen through the sand.
Steve did not interfere with the Head Scout role his wife had adopted, he appeared not to see it. Nicky actively supported it and was verbally gratified several times a day for doing so. Her role of transmitting the Head Scout's wishes gave her a degree of authority she probably would never have achieved by herself.
Our second bivouac was only 80 kms from the first one. According to our longitude and latitude we were supposed to be close to a place called Bir el Gareb but I didn't see anything that looked like a well (Bir means well).
The two groups used the the same campsite but each one cooked its own food and kept pretty much to itself except for Peter, who spoke German and owned the GPS. He spent most of his time driving in the Mercedes with Klaus who also had a GPS. Together, they decided upon the route to be followed. That distance from the scout group probably saved him from role playing.
Ian and Lee, the bottom men on the totem pole, grudgingly accepted the role that had been thrust upon them and chose to obey rather than contest the Head Scout's orders even when they did not make sense such as cleaning the sand out of the lockers during a sand storm.
More empty space.
French being my mother tongue, the Head Scout asked me to translate for her a couple of times when dealing with the local authorities but every time she pushed me aside, took over and finished the job herself even though she did not really understand what the officials were saying. I gathered that I had been attributed a low position on the totem pole and decided to keep my distance to avoid being stuck with the role I was being asked to play.
And more sand traps.
I think that role-playing is normal. We all do it in everyday life but we have several roles to play. All of us can be dominant or submissive, serious or buffoon, according to the circumstances. As we switch between these roles and many others during the day, we don't realize that we are role-playing. Precisely because we're not stuck with a single role.
I think there is a multitude inside each one of us and that each one of that multitude deserves to be heard. Each one deserves to play his "role" on the stage of life. Roles are played for the benefit of the audience around us who generally can accept and understand only one of our roles at a time. Whether the environment we build around us is homogeneously narrow or pluralist and polychrome makes all the difference in the world on the survival of our personal multitude.
Our third bivouac was somewhere south of place called Chami. We had traveled 136 km that day.
This trip through the desert in the microcosm of a small isolated group gave me the occasion to see once again how social pressures limit the expression of the multitude inside of us. I am sure that Emma, Nicky, Ian and Lee have more roles at their disposal than those they chose to exploit or accept during this trip.
This is true for all of us, wherever we are, social pressures force us to limit the number of roles we choose to play with the unfortunate result that parts of our reality are never expressed.>
Our German friends had a had the brilliant idea to stock-up on beer and wine and invited us to enjoy it. We gratefully accepted their largesse and pooled our resources to share a meal together (the only one in 5 days).
More empty space.
The wonderful thing about emptiness is that it presents no limitations to the free rambling of ideas, all of them becoming permissible as long as they are not taken seriously as "Truths".
Finally we reached the Atlantic coast. The crossing of the desert was almost over and soon, outside influences might bring variety to the stereotyped stage play the group had gotten itself into.
The original plan had been to bypass Nouâmghâr to avoid paying the fees of the Banc d'Argouin National Park. The intention was to continue south past Nouâmghâr's latitude before turning west towards the coast but we were stopped by an east-west string of dunes that forced us to come this way.
The Germans paid up without a word but our Head Scout became quite upset and started berating the Mauritanian officials. Fortunately her husband calmed her down before we got into trouble. We all paid up and were allowed to continue towards Nouakchott.
Here is a last shot of the group by the seashore on the way to Nouakchott where we arrived at 4:00 pm. I was grateful for the ride but happy to be on my own again. I went to the local youth hostel and they went to a camping ground.
There is a large market near the center and the great Saudi Mosque is an attractive building. Unfortunately the National Museum to which is reputed worth seeing was closed when I was there. I did find a cybercafe and spent a whole afternoon catching up on my e-mail correspondence. The city was created less than 40 years ago so it is not surprising that there is not more to see here. Since its creation, desertification has reached the suburbs and hordes of nomads have been forced to move into the city's slums by droughts.
These black Mauritanian money changers invited me to share their meal of fish and rice as I was waiting for the border to open during the lunch break.
The Mauritanian border office finally opened. After stamping my passport, a uniformed official brought me to small room where he asked me what I had for him. Remembering an anecdote I had read somewhere, I immediately grabbed his hand and shook it saying to all I had to give him was a heartfelt handshake. He was so flabbergasted that I had time to scoot out of that room and move on towards the ferry to Senegal before he could react. I was lucky once again and he did not come after me. You may try that sometime, but don't blame me if it doesn't work, you might not be as lucky is I am.
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Yom Yerushalayim--Jerusalem Day--is the most modern of Jewish holidays. It celebrates the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli rule following the Six Day War of June 1967. Although it is joyously celebrated in Israel, Yom Yerushalayim has yet to attain widespread popularity in the Diaspora. It is celebrated on the 28th of Iyar, in May or June (one week before the eve of Shavuot).
Erev Yom Yerushalyim, Sunday May 20
Yom Yerushalayim--Jerusalem Day--is the most recent addition to the Hebrew calendar. It is celebrated on the 28th day of Iyar (six weeks after the Passover seder, one week before the eve of Shavuot). Although Jerusalem has been considered the capital city of the Jewish people since the time of King David--who conquered it and built it as the seat of his monarchy in approximately 1000 B.C.E.--there has never been a special day in honor of the city until the Israeli army took over the ancient, eastern part of the city on the third day of the Six-Day War in June 1967.
Shortly after the Six Day War, "a municipal unification" of the two sections of the city took place, ending 19 years of separation between predominantly Arab and Jewish suburbs of Jerusalem, following the War of Independence in 1948.
Due to the young age of this holiday, there is still not much which makes it unique in terms of customs and traditions. It is gradually becoming a "pilgrimage" day, when thousands of Israelis travel (some hike!) to Jerusalem to demonstrate solidarity with the city. This show of solidarity is of special importance to the state of Israel, since the international community has never approved the "reunification" of the city under Israeli sovereignty, and many countries have not recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish State (The United Nations "partition plan" of November 1947 assigned a status of "International City" to Jerusalem).
The Israeli education system devotes the week preceding this day to enhancing the knowledge of the history and geography of the city, with a special emphasis on the unique role that it played in Jewish messianic aspirations since Biblical times.
The status of Yom Yerushalayim in Jewish religious life seems more ambiguous than the religious status of Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). Following the model of Yom Ha'atzmaut, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has decided that this day should also be marked with the recital of Hallel (psalms of praise), and with the lengthier version of Psukei d'Zimra (the psalms in the earlier part of the morning service). It is quite clear that ultra-Orthodox Jews, in Israel and abroad, have not accepted Yom Yerushalayim, but it is not clear how many Orthodox Jews chant the Hallel psalms on this day.
Israel's Progressive (Reform) prayerbook notes that Hallel should be recited on Yom Yerushalayim, but not so the Masorti (Conservative) prayerbook, which does suggest a list of supplemental readings for this day. The American Conservative siddur, Sim Shalom, mentions that Hallel is recited "in some congregations" on Yom Yerushalayim.
The ambiguity of the religious status of this holiday is reflected in celebrations--or lack thereof-- outside of Israel. While the city of Jerusalem has significant meaning for all Jews, Yom Yerushalayim has yet to obtain the popularity of Yom Ha'atzmaut and is not observed extensively outside of Israel.
In addition, unlike Yom Ha'atzmaut--which is a day to celebrate the existence and successes of the modern Jewish state--Yom Yerushalayim can make some politically liberal Jews outside of Israel uncomfortable, due to the continuing conflicts over the future of the city. Even some Jews who believe that the city should remain undivided and under Israel's control choose not to emphasize Yom Yerushalayim as a day of joy because of the deeply emotional, violent, and controversial state of affairs surrounding the Arab portions of Jerusalem. Others, however, believe that despite the current political conflicts, an undivided Jerusalem is something to be celebrated openly and unhesitatingly, a sign like Yom Ha'atzmaut of Jewish political independence.
A common citation in Yom Yerushalayim celebrations in Israel is the quote (Psalm 122:4) Ir shehubrah lah yahdaiv-- "a city that is compact together" or "a city uniting all." (This translation is probably influenced by a rabbinic midrash on this verse which interpreted the phrase to reflect events in rabbinic times. In using the citation today, a modern midrash has been built on the rabbinic interpretation.)
The course which Yom Yerushalayim will take in future decades will be influenced, undoubtedly by the political developments which will determine the status of the city in future times.
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Where is the lost Ark of the Covenant? There are numerous theories and, occasionally, even claims. Unfortunately, nothing substantial has ever been produced demonstrating the Ark's present whereabouts. Yet, while we still do not know where it is today, a scholar has now pinpointed the exact spot where it once stood.
A popular topic since release of the box office hit movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” scholars continue to provide new insights into the history of this ancient relic. In the January/February 1996 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Leen Ritmeyer marshalled textual, historical and archaeological evidence to suggest the exact spot where the Ark of the Covenant rested in the Temple in ancient Jerusalem.
Few are better qualified to make such a claim. The most recognized archaeological architect in Biblical archaeology, Ritmeyer's reconstructions of Herod's Jerusalem are widely accepted as the most authoritative. He has worked with a number of excavations in Jerusalem and written numerous articles on archaeological remains in the Holy City.
In the March/April 1992 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Ritmeyer presented evidence demonstrating three stages in the development of the ancient Jewish Temple Mount. He reconstructed the original Temple Mount of Solomon and the Second Temple Mount's Hasmonean addition and Herodian expansion.
Although the Temple Mount came under Israeli control in 1967, Israeli government officials returned authority to the Wakf, the Supreme Moslem Council. The Wakf, while constantly making renovations on the Mount, has been unwilling to allow any archaeological excavations. This is at least partially due to their desire to keep any evidence of an ancient Jewish Temple from being found on their holy site.
Consequently, absolute proof of Ritmeyer's proposal is not available. However, his utilization of the available historical resources and his numerous personal examinations of the site offer the most authoritative proposal of the evidence.
Now, after clarifying the historical Temple Mount, Ritmeyer turned his efforts to determining the exact location of the First and Second Temple structures on the Mount. His research confirmed the traditional view that the ancient Jewish Temple once sat directly above the famous Rock (es-Sakhra; Arabic for "rock") beneath the Moslem shrine, the Dome of the Rock.
In addition to reconstructing the precise wall line of the Temple's Holy of Holies, Ritmeyer also believes he has identified the exact location where the Ark once sat inside the Holy of Holies, on es-Sakhra. While no one is allowed to do any direct examinations of the Rock, or even take measurements, historical data from those who have in the past, supplemented by modern photographs, provided Ritmeyer all the evidence he needed.
Location of Solomon's Temple.
Precisely in the center of the Holy of Holies as laid out by Ritmeyer, is a rectangular cutout in the bedrock measuring 4 ft 4 in x 2 ft 7 in. Based on his measurement of the Biblical "cubit," Ritmeyer suggests the Ark was exactly this size. Thus, according to Ritmeyer, the Ark once sat at the exact center of the Holy of Holies—in this very indentation on es-Sakhra beneath the Dome of the Rock!
While scholars and archaeologists are slow to agree that Ritmeyer is correct, all acknowledge he made an innovative and plausible proposal. Unfortunately, only the opportunity to excavate and do precise measurements will provide absolute confirmation of his research. Sadly, such excavations are very doubtful in the foreseeable future.
So that is where the Ark has been, but where is it now? Most scholars agree the Ark was never placed in the Second Temple (the Temple of Zerubabel and Herod). It disappeared from the Biblical story during the First Temple period and cannot be clearly traced afterward.
One of the most prominent theories today suggests the Ark is within a church in Axum, Ethiopia. While there are different theories of how and when it got there, the Ark was supposedly spirited out of the Jerusalem Temple by godly priests. Their motive was protecting it from the apostasy of Jewish leaders. (See the article by Milton Fisher in the Summer 1995 issue of Bible and Spade.)
Another theory suggests the Ark, along with other temple treasures, is hidden in a cave somewhere near the Dead Sea. While the Apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees seems to place this cave on the Jordan River's east bank (Biblical Mt. Nebo), many today think the Ark is presently hidden in a cave on the Jordan's West Bank. In recent decades, numerous caves in this region have been excavated, including some which contained the famous Dead Sea Scrolls. While many interesting artifacts were recovered, no evidence of the Ark has surfaced.
Probably the most popular theory of the Lost Ark's present location is a secret chamber carved deep within the rock mountain under Jerusalem's Temple Mount. The rock (es-Sakhra) beneath the Dome of the Rock is virtually the only section of the limestone mountain which can be presently observed on the surface of the Temple Mount compound.
The alleged secret chamber is generally attributed to either King Solomon, who built the First Temple, or King Josiah, one of the final kings of Judah. Purported to be carved out of bedrock and reached by a carved tunnel, it is not to be confused with the cave beneath es-Sakhra inside the Dome of the Rock, which can be entered today. The Ark's presence in this secret hiding place is widely believed by most of the Orthodox Jewish groups actively involved today in preparations for rebuilding the Third Jewish Temple.
In fact, a secret excavation by some of Israel's leading rabbis in 1981, supposedly cleared some rock-carved tunnels and chambers beneath the Temple Mount. Working in secret for some 18 months, they were convinced another 18 months would take them to the chamber with the Ark. However, when their efforts became known, the Israeli government discontinued their activities due to religious and political pressure from the Moslem/Arab world.
Is the Ark really there? No one knows. Is it even intact and recoverable? We really cannot say. Yet, recovery of the lost Ark would be the greatest archaeological discovery of all time. Its discovery would also lead to significant pressure to rebuild the Third Temple. While
Moslem and Arab reaction would not make it a simple task, the Bible does say it will eventually happen. Whenever it does take place, Leen Ritmeyer has done his part to make sure it is done right! Interested persons can find out more about Dr. Ritmeyer's work in his latest book, The Quest.
Recommended Resources for Further Study
Ritmeyer, L., 1992 "Locating the Original Temple Mount". Biblical Archaeology Review 18/2: 24-45, 64-65.
Ritmeyer, L., 1996 "The Ark of the Covenant: Where it Stood in Solomon's Temple". Biblical Archaeology Review 22/1: 46-55, 70-73.
Please help ABR continue to post these free articles by making a donation of any size today. Donate
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The Open Group holds the UNIX trademark in trust for the industry, and manages the UNIX trademark licensing program.
UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers (685 Viewing) If you're not sure where to post a UNIX or Linux question, post it here.
Unix operating systems are widely used in both servers and workstations. The Unix environment and the client-server program model were essential ...
Unix.tv - Your One Stop Unix Books Store ... CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC.
Unix is an operating system that originated at Bell Labs in 1969 as an interactive time-sharing system.
Help with Linux and Unix containing hundreds of commands, syntax, Q&A, history, news, and much more.
Vi vil gjerne vise deg en beskrivelse her, men området du ser på lar oss ikke gjøre det.
Lengthy encyclopedia-quality article from Bell Labs, covering the early days to the present versions.
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Organize the material clearly.
Separate sub sections with highlighted titles.
Help clarify misconceptions before introducing new concepts.
Create associations between the new information presented with something
familiar or relevant to the participants whenever possible.
Use navigation to suggest looking up related items to compare and
Avoid long blocks of text. If a lot of text is necessary, break it
down into sections.
Present information through different means of representations.
Use illustration whenever helpful to support the text.
Choose simple images over good looking complex ones if they more
clearly illustrate the essence of the information.
Use animations or moving images only to enhance understanding.
Avoid using animations instead of verbal descriptions if students
should be learning the terminology.
Be considerate of those who will be using the program via a slow
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Internet security may be one of the important issues in the world right now, as FBI director Robert Mueller warned people at the RSA Conference in San Francisco that the threat of cyber crime rivals terrorism as a national security threat.
Surfing a social networking website can be extremely dangerous without internet security tools such as an antivirus program. According to USA Today, there are more phishing attacks and malware then ever on websites like Facebook and Twitter, so many businesses are looking into better protection for themselves.
If it wasn't evident before that Internet security and antivirus software was needed when surfing the web, it certainly is after reading through Verizon's 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report, which was released this week. The report said malware and hacking were the most common types of data breach in 2011.
Internet security and antivirus software becomes much more important when it comes to small and mid-sized businesses, as a security breach can go a long way toward bringing one of these companies down. A new survey by IT services company GFI Software said 44 percent of U.S. businesses said their networks have been breached due to malware-laden spam.
According to one cybersecurity expert, online spammers and hackers are not the greatest threat to internet security. Instead, Bruce Schneider, a security technologist, told a crowd at the RSA Conference that "Big Data companies, poorly thought out government regulations, and the cyberwar arms race," were the biggest threats, according to CRN.
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The BLM Today
Increasingly, the BLM has had to address the needs of a growing and changing West. Ten of the 12 western States with significant proportions of BLM-managed lands have among the fastest rates of population growth in the United States.
The American public values balanced use, conservation, environmental management, recreation, and tourism. Public lands are increasingly viewed from the perspective of the recreational opportunities they offer, their cultural resources, and—in an increasingly urban world—their vast open spaces. However, against this backdrop, the more traditional land uses of grazing, timber production, and mining are still in high demand.
The BLM's task is to recognize the demands of public land users while addressing the needs of traditional user groups and working within smaller budgets. Fortunately, the public, constituent groups, and other agencies and levels of government have proven eager to participate in collaborative decisionmaking. These diverse partners have joined with us in developing many partnerships that benefit the public lands and everyone who relies on them.
Perhaps one of the Bureau's greatest challenges today is to develop more effective land management practices, while becoming more efficient at the same time. We are proud of the significant steps we and our partners have already taken to reduce administrative costs, streamline work processes, focus on customer service, and improve accountability to the American people.
As the BLM is entering the 21st century, we look forward to continuing our service to the public while strengthening our partnerships with all who use or care about the public lands. Working together, all of us can succeed in restoring and maintaining the health, diversity, and productivity of America's public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for managing 258 million acres of land—about one-eighth of the land in the United States—and approximately 700 million acres of subsurface mineral resources.
- Most of the lands the BLM manages are located in the western United States, including Alaska, and are dominated by extensive grasslands, forests, high mountains, arctic tundra, and deserts. The BLM manages a wide variety of resources and uses, including energy and minerals; timber; forage; wild horse and burro populations; fish and wildlife habitat; wilderness areas; archaeological, paleontological, and historical sites; and other natural heritage values.
- The Bureau of Land Management administers public lands within a framework of numerous laws. The most comprehensive of these is the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA). All Bureau policies, procedures, and management actions must be consistent with FLPMA and the other laws that govern use of the public lands.
Map: Public Lands Managed by the BLM
Map of BLM administered jurisdictions—including: BLM-Administered Lands, BLM State Jurisdictions, BLM State Offices, BLM National Monuments, Field Office Jurisdictions, Field Offices, BLM National Conservation Areas, County Lines, and Field Stations.
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Firefighters in Oregon, 1959.
Firefighting: Then and Now
By NIFC Staff
In the 1960s, perspectives on fire and its place on the land were evolving, and fire operations were changing, at times in major ways. During the decades that followed, the growth of aerial operations, increased agency cooperation, implementation of the Incident Command System (ICS), and development of standardized training significantly affected the way fires were managed and formed the basis for fire operations today.
“Fire used to be primarily a ground operation,” said Roy Percival, whose career in fire management began in the mid-1950s and spanned 35 years. “In the earlier times, everything had to do with hiking and trucks.” As time passed, aerial operations became an integral part of fire management, from smokejumpers to helicopter crews to single-engine air tankers and heavy air tankers, with capacities sometimes exceeding 3,000 gallons of retardant or water. By 2010, very large air tankers—or VLATs—with capacities of 12,000–20,000 gallons were being used on fires.
In the early 1960s, the BLM and the Forest Service (FS) shared a coordination center near downtown Boise, Idaho. By 1965, the BLM had established the Great Basin Fire Center in vacant buildings near the Boise airport, the FS was looking to establish an air center for fire suppression operations, and both agencies began working with the National Weather Service (NWS) to develop fire weather forecasting capabilities. By 1968, the BLM had acquired land adjacent to the Boise airport and started construction of what was to become the Boise Interagency Fire Center (BIFC). In the spring of 1969, the BLM, FS, and NWS moved into the new administration building; a mess hall, barracks, and a smokejumper loft were completed that same year. The three agencies were later joined by the Department of the Interior’s new Office of Aircraft Services and the National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). A new era of cooperation and coordination evolved within the fire community, and that spirit of cooperation continues today at what is now called the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). The BLM still owns the buildings and continues to serve as the host agency and the largest employer at NIFC.
|A crew setting up a hoselay during the Raft River fire in Idaho.|
In the early 1980s, NIFC adopted the Incident Command System (ICS), an organizational model that would change the way wildfire response was managed. Previously, a lack of communication and coordination, particularly during fires that crossed jurisdictional lines and involved multiple agencies, led to confusion. The ICS was based on a quasi-military organization and established a clear line of command across agencies from an incident commander to general staff and branch chiefs for aviation, operations, planning, logistics, finance, safety, transportation, and other functions.
The ICS not only brought much needed organization to wildland fire response, it also was easily scalable to the size and complexity of any incident. The system would later be adopted by all federal, state, and local emergency responders, not just for wildfire but also for all types of natural and human-caused disasters, from hurricanes to terrorist attacks.
The success of interagency fire response, and later, the ICS, was dependent upon common and consistent training. During the early 1970s, on a float trip down the Colorado River, Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz and Secretary of the Interior Rogers Morton engaged in several campfire discussions about how their departments could work more closely together. In 1972, during a subsequent meeting of wildland fire training officers, it was discovered that eight separate and distinct units were developing similar courses in fire safety. These events pointed to a need for standardized training and led to the creation of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), composed of representatives from the FS; four Department of the Interior agencies (BLM, FWS, NPS, and BIA); state fire organizations through the National Association of State Foresters; and local departments through the U.S. Fire Administration, an organization of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
With standardized training, all firefighters would be trained according to the same principles, and functional firefighter and incident management roles could be filled in times of need across jurisdictions, agencies, and geographical areas. Since its inception, the NWCG has developed and established standards and guidelines covering the full spectrum of wildland fire management, from training, equipment, and aviation to business practices, risk management, communication, and numerous functions in between.
According to Mike Campbell, the BLM pioneered much of the early effort in the fire community to standardize training. Campbell was one of a half-dozen employees hired in 1974 to help put together the new training program. New ideas regarding training, what was needed, and how it was presented and implemented in BLM’s fire community were welcomed and given every opportunity to succeed. “If you had some spunk, some imagination, and creativity, you could sell your idea to management and they would let you try it,” recalled Campbell, who spent more than 28 years in the BLM fire program. “You were allowed to experiment and prove the worth of your idea.”
As the ICS was established and training and other elements of the fire program gelled, the seeds of a more professional firefighting and fire management workforce were beginning to sprout. “We went from an organization of temporary employees to more permanent employees,” Campbell said. “People got hooked on fire and the change gave them a career ladder. We went from a cadre of folks to a team of professionals.” And that team of professionals is now better prepared to face the challenges of fighting wildland fires that are yet to come.
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Early 1990s: The genesis
A group of dedicated El Paso attorneys and civil rights activists created the Border Rights Coalition in the early 1990s, with support from the American Friends Service Committee through its Immigration Law Enforcement Monitoring Project. The group documented alleged human rights and civil rights abuses committed by the Border Patrol and provided legal aid to the community on specific cases.
The highlight of the work of the Border Rights Coalition was the group’s involvement in two landmark cases – The historic civil federal lawsuit brought by the students and staff of Bowie High School in 1992 to stop the Border Patrol from harassing students inside the school; and the 1997 death of Esequiel Hernandez Jr., a teenage goat herder who was killed by Marines patrolling the border near Radford, Texas.
1998: Back to the roots
The Border Rights Coalition began transforming itself into a grassroots organization with the hiring of Fernando Garcia as executive director. Garcia, a former photojournalist in California, said that despite high profile cases such as the Bowie High School suit, abuses of civil and human rights continued in El Paso, mostly in the form of possible illegal entry by the Border Patrol, racial profiling and alleged beatings.
Garcia started training community members as Human Rights Promoters to teach their neighbors about search warrants, their right to remain silent and other civil and human rights they did not know they had. The strategy to have trusted members of the community train others – was successful.
Later, community members organized themselves into Human Rights Committees, meeting weekly to discuss cases and organize events. Some of the groups have been meeting continuously since 2000. In 2000, the Border Network for Human Rights (the name changed legally in 2001) had its first abuse documentation campaign conducted by members of the community, with support from immigration and human rights lawyers.
2003: Going public
After three years of intense organizing, during which membership grew exponentially to reach hundreds of people, the Border Network for Human Rights held its first public event. It was prompted by the tragic death of Juan Patricio Peraza Quijada on February 22, 2003. Juan Patricio, a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents outside the migrants’ shelter where he was staying. The Border Network for Human Rights organized a 20-mile march, from Anthony to Downtown El Paso, to honor Juan Patricio and demand accountability from the Border Patrol. Hundreds of men, women and children participated in the event.
In addition to public events, the Border Network for Human Rights started sending delegations to Washington, D.C., each year to educate elected officials about the realities of border life and the need for immigration reform. These trips also served to introduce members of the community to the realities of the U.S. political system.
2005: A time for responsible law enforcement
In 2005, the Border Network for Human Rights responded to a situation where long-time El Paso Sheriff Leo Samaniego had his deputies detain undocumented immigrants, thereby sowing fear in the community. After a campaign including the drafting and eventual adoption of a resolution by county commissioners calling for the end of the practice, Samaniego ceased.
At that time, the Border Network for Human Rights started making allies with law enforcement officials who believe mixing immigration and criminal enforcement is bad policy. The Border Network for Human Rights also organized a series of joint community meetings with the Border Patrol, during which then-Border Patrol Sector Chief Luis Barker took questions from community members.
2006: Immigration reform
In December 2005, U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-WI, introduced the “Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (H.R. 4437), a needlessly punitive bill, and the struggle for humane and rational immigration reform was born. Immigrant communities and their supporters organized massive street protests around the nation in 2006. The Border Network for Human Rights was one of the leaders of this mobilization with marches in March, April and May 2006 that brought tens of thousands of El Pasoans to the streets.
2007: Working with the system
The Border Network for Human Rights continued working on immigration reform in 2007 with letter-writing campaigns and forum discussions aiming at including the voices of border communities in the national debate. Through the staff’s hard work, several elements proposed by the Border Network for Human Rights (such as the creation of a U.S.-Mexico border enforcement review commission, more Border Patrol training and better reporting of border deaths) made it to the “Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy (STRIVE) Act,” a promising bill that, like the Sensenbrenner bill, would eventually fail.
The Border Network for Human Rights’ efforts were greatly aided by the work of the U.S.-Mexico Border Immigration Task Force, a group of elected officials, law enforcement officials, academics and religious representatives organized by the Border Network in 2006. Task Force members traveled to Washington, D.C., several times to speak to federal officials about the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
At the same time, the Border Network for Human Rights started organizing border tours to bring staffers for key members of Congress to experience the reality of the bi-national way of life.
The 2008 presidential elections and the subsequent push for health care reform placed immigration reform onto the back burning. During that time, the Border Network for Human Rights concentrated on building up its grassroots network, doubling its membership in the span of one year. The group also reorganized its work around four pillars — Community organizing, Policy, Alliance building and Communications.
In mid-2009, the Border Network for Human Rights organized like-minded groups around the state into the Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance. The alliance’s first action was to gather 25,000 signatures in support of immigration reform and to participate in a national day of action in Washington, D.C., October 13.
The Border Network for Human Rights community is still working for a resolution to the immigration debate, one that is sensible and humane and takes into account border communities.
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Environmental Studies Program History
Applied Science for Informed Decision Making
Mission: To provide the information needed to predict, assess, and manage impacts from offshore energy and marine mineral exploration, development, and production activities on human, marine, and coastal environments. The Environmental Studies Program (ESP) was initiated in 1973 to support the U.S. Department of the Interior's offshore oil and gas leasing program. Statutory authorization is derived primarily from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (OCSLA), as amended, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Section 20 of the OCSLA authorizes the ESP and establishes three general goals for the program:
- to establish the information needed for assessment and management of environmental impacts on the human, marine, and coastal environments of the OCS and the potentially affected coastal areas;
- to predict impacts on the marine biota which may result from chronic, low-level pollution or large spills associated with OCS production, from drilling fluids and cuttings discharges, pipeline emplacement, or onshore facilities; and
- to monitor human, marine, and coastal environments to provide time series and data trend information for identification of significant changes in the quality and productivity of these environments, and to identify the causes of these changes.
In addition to the specific mandates identified, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 added responsibilities for offshore renewable energy projects and alternate use of existing structures. Information collected through the program also addresses other laws including the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Historic Preservation Act and the Clean Air and Water Act, to name a few.
The broad spectrum of research and monitoring undertaken through the ESP contributes to the BOEM mission and long-term DOI goals focusing on environmentally sound development of our Nation’s energy and mineral resources. The ESP works hard to maximize cooperative efforts with other Federal programs involved with marine environmental research and data collection. The BOEM has provided cooperative funding for many projects conducted by other agencies with missions involving specific components of marine ecosystems. BOEM research has consistently been recognized for excellence in partnering with the DOI Partners in Conservation Awards, and the National Oceanographic Partnership Program Excellence Awards.
The ESP research portfolio addresses a wide variety of environmental concerns and issues – all premised on environmentally sound and responsible management of offshore energy and mineral resources. It complements and builds upon broader strategic plans that set DOI wide policies and directions.
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Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers!
Why do you think Sigrid helps Ericha at the cinema in the opening of the book? If you had been in Sigrids situation, would you have helped Ericha? Would you have become as involved as Sigrid does? With the advantage of hindsight, our perspective is no doubt skewed; since we know the truth behind what was happening in Nazi Germany, how do our answers compare with Sigrids bold decisions?
As the story progresses, Sigrid grows more and more involved and takes more and more risks. How does her reasoning for doing so later differ from the reasoning behind her first risky decision in the cinema? What is her motivation for making these increasingly dangerous choices? Desire? Excitement? Conscience?
Discuss the theme of betrayal in City of Women. Many of the characters are guilty of doublecrossing and treachery. In what ways do they deceive one another? What about Egon? Is his betrayal portrayed differently from that of others, such as Renate or Ericha?
Sigrids relationships are numerous and variedwith her motherinlaw, her neighbors, her coworkers, her husband, her lovers, the socalled Uboats. How does each of them define who Sigrid is? How is she reflected in the various relationships? How have these bonds been altered by the extraordinary circumstances of war?
Were you surprised by the depiction of Berlin during World War II? Before reading the novel, had you thought about what life was like on the German home front as the tide turned and defeat loomed on the horizon?
Countless times throughout the novel, characters risk their lives to help othersto protect the value of human life, spurred on by their own integrity. Conversely, there is the scene on the bus where no one does anything as a Jewish woman is arrested and brutalized. Which do you think is typical of human behavior? Are people more inclined to avert their eyes and try to stay out of trouble, or risk their own safety and get involved? Why?
If one simply observes the facts at surface value, Sigrid would probably not be considered a righteously moral individual. Nonetheless, she manages to be a very sympathetic character. How does the author accomplish this?
Sigrids coworker Renate seems to have a sensibility similar to hers. Yet when Renate discovers that Sigrids lover may be Jewish, her response shocks Sigrid. Was it naive of Sigrid to expect anything different? Were you surprised by how deepseated Renates antiSemitism was?
Often in the novel, people are not actually who they appear to be. Consider Frau Obersturmführer Junger, the SS officers pregnant wife who moves in down the hall: were you shocked to find out her secret? Do you feel that everyone in the book is hiding something?
How would you characterize Sigrids relationship with Ericha Kohl? Antagonistic? Trusting? Maternal? What do you think Sigrid gets from her relationship with Ericha? What does Ericha get from Sigrid?
What did you think about Kaspar? Egon? Wolfram? All are on the wrong side of history. Did you find any of them appealing? Are they very different from one another?
At one point Sigrid flirts with the idea of turning in Anna Weiss and her two daughters so that she can have Egon to herself. Do you feel she seriously considers this?
How important is amorous passion in the novel? Is that the driving force that motivates Sigrid? Is it emblematic of something else?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Berkley Books.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
Amazon cuts off 5200 affiliates in Minnesota(Jun 19 2013) With Minnesota's online sales tax law due to take effect July 1, Amazon has played a familiar card by cutting ties with 5,200 members of its Associates...
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This radical first course on complex analysis brings a beautiful and powerful subject to life by consistently using geometry (not calculation) as the means of explanation. Aimed at undergraduate students in mathematics, physics, and engineering, the book's intuitive explanations, lack of advanced prerequisites, and consciously user-friendly prose style will help students to master the subject more readily than was previously possible. The key to this is the book's use of new geometric arguments in place of the standard calculational ones. These geometric arguments are communicated with the aid of hundreds of diagrams of a standard seldom encountered in mathematical works. A new approach to a classical topic, this work will be of interest to students in mathematics, physics, and engineering, as well as to professionals in these fields.
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| 0.947074 | 151 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Johann Wilhelm Ludwig GleimArticle Free Pass
Gleim studied law at Halle and was successively secretary to Prince William of Brandenburg-Schwedt at Berlin, to Prince Leopold of Dessau, and secretary (1747) of the cathedral chapter at Halberstadt. “Father Gleim” was the title accorded him throughout literary Germany on account of his generosity to young poets. Although he looked with some suspicion on their revolutionary tendencies, he helped them none the less. Gleim himself wrote feeble imitations of Anacreon, Horace, and the minnesingers, a dull didactic poem entitled Halladat oder das rote Buch (1774), and collections of fables and romances. Of higher merit is his Preussische Kriegslieder von einem Grenadier (1758), inspired by the campaigns of Frederick II.
What made you want to look up "Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim"? Please share what surprised you most...
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Simply begin typing or use the editing tools above to add to this article.
Once you are finished and click submit, your modifications will be sent to our editors for review.
developments in tackle design
After 1880 tackle design evolved rapidly. Horsehair fishing lines gave way to lines made of silk, cotton, or linen. The average angler could cast three times farther with these lines, and this increased distance helped spur the development of artificial lures. With longer casting capabilities and more line, a considerable tangle (called an overrun in Britain and a backlash in the United States)...
use in commercial fishing
In line fishing the fish can be attracted by a natural or artificial bait or lure devised to catch and hold the fish. Generally, the bait is combined with a hook or with a gorge, as is used in France in line fishing for eels. There are hand lines, as in pole-and- line fishing for tuna; set lines, such as bottom long lines with hundreds of hooks, used for cod or halibut; drift lines with a single...
What made you want to look up "line"? Please share what surprised you most...
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| 0.929996 | 235 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Science Museum Club Boxes
The Science Museum has developed three popular activity boxes that enable teachers to run exciting and innovative Science and Engineering Club sessions for students aged 11-14 years without spending extra time researching and buying materials.
There are three boxes: Crime Lab challenges students to solve a robbery attempt, lauchbox allows students to design and build a chain reaction contraption, and Mars Mission explores the challenges of living on the Red Planet. Each box contains STEM activities for students to complete and a USB stick full of teacher support and extension activities making these resources a perfect starting point for a CREST Bronze Award.
You can buy a Club Box by contacting the Science Museum Education Booking Office on 020 7942 4777 or visiting their website. If you have a Science Museum Club Box and you would like to use these activities to complete the CREST Award with your students, please contact your CREST Local Coordinator.
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Anthropology is the study of human being, and human diversity. Anthropologists study human cultural and biological diversity in the contemporary world as well as in the past, through the holistic integration of both scientific and humanistic disciplines. The four sub-fields of Anthropology are cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics. Many anthropologists work in the public sphere as well as in academia. There is no other discipline that is as broadly envisioned and better poised to prepare students for tackling the global issues of the 21st century.
Department of Anthropology
Office: Cooper C12
Fax: (585) 395-2684
Contact: Jackie Deats,
April 22 3:30 pm
Marjorie Helen Stewart Speaker Series: Professor Robert J. Foster, Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Rochester, will speak on "Adversaries into Partners? Brand Value, Consumer-Citizens, and the Coca-Cola Company," Edwards Hall, Room 103.
April 25, 7:30 pm
Robert Marcus Memorial Lecture: Professor Anthony Marcus, Dept. of Anthropology at John Jay College, CUNY, will speak on “Moral Panics: Youth, Sex and Forced Labor, Yesterday and Today,” New York Room, Cooper Hall
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capture of several animals together, usually entire
herds numbering up to several hundred at one time.
3 methods of Mass Capture depending on the terrain and
the species we are catching
1. Capture by nets: Drop lines or net bomas
2. Plastic Boma method
Chemical Capture or
darting. We dart all species of animals.
capture of individual animals in difficult terrain and
for shy individuals where other capture techniques may
not be feasible.
A net is blasted out and over the fleeing animal beneath
with either the Robinson R44 or Robinson R22. We do
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Women at the Olympics; a long roadBy Paula Ward | Jul 30, 12 09:33 AM
The London Olympics this year is the first time each national delegation includes women, but it's been a long road to get this far.
Women competing in sport are “impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic and incorrect”. These are the words of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder and organiser of the first Modern Olympics in 1896 and the result was no woman was permitted to compete.
We have come a long way since then but it has been slow progress. It has taken 116 years to see women competing in all Olympic sports. It is only this year at the London Olympic Games with the inclusion of women’s boxing that we will have no remaining sports that do not enable the participation of women.
It’s has been a long road…
The Ancient Olympic Games were the exclusive domain of men. Married women were not permitted to attend although, strangely, prostitutes and virgins were able to spectate. The only way a woman was able to officially take part was to enter a horse in an equestrian event. As the owner of the horse, the woman would be credited with the victory. Although, it was most likely she did not attend the actual event and she certainly did not participate as a rider. Kynisca, a Spartan princess was the first woman to achieve this feat when her horse won a chariot race.
Although unable to compete in the first modern Olympics, a Greek woman ran unofficially in the marathon. Not allowed to compete with the men, on the following day she ran the same course on her own. She was not permitted access to the arena for the final lap so instead ran around the outside of the stadium. Afterwards, officials could not recall her name – Stamata Revithi – so they labeled her ‘Melpomene’ the Greek muse of tragedy. It is indeed a misfortune that when they looked at her all they could see was tragedy and not her extraordinary feat.
The Paris Games in 1900 was the first time women were able to directly compete with the inclusion of women’s events in lawn tennis and golf. Records also show there was at least one woman competing in a team sailing event, three French women competing in croquet and a woman participating in a ballooning team.
Women’s boxing was included in 1904 as a demonstration sport although it will only be this year that it becomes a competitive inclusion.
The involvement of women in swimming was sanctioned in 1912 and the first gold medal was won by Australian, Sarah ‘Fanny’ Durack in the 100m freestyle. Interestingly, women from America were not included in these initial swimming events due to a uniform requirement for all women to wear long skirts when competing.
In the same year, 1912, a 15-year-old British schoolgirl entered the modern pentathlon only to have her entry rejected. It took until 2000 for the first modern pentathlon for women to be contested.
Athletics and gymnastics debuted at the 1928 Olympics. However, so many women collapsed at the end of the 800m track event that this race was then banned until 1960.
Gender verification testing had been routine for all athletes for many years, when in 1976, the only female competitor not to have to submit to the test was Princess Anne. Although a member of the UK equestrian team, as the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II such a test was seen as inappropriate.
In 1981 the first woman was co-opted as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It took until 1990 for a woman to be elected to their Executive Board – Flor Isava Fonseca. Thirty years of committee participation by women has resulted in 19 women being active IOC members (out of 110) with four as honorary members.
The Sydney 2000 Olympics saw the introduction of women’s weightlifting.
Today, there are only two Olympic sports where men and women compete directly against each other - equestrian and sailing - although in sailing it is now only in one event. In addition, tennis and badminton have mixed double events.
Equality in the available sports is one thing, but in many countries women do not have an equal right to participate in sport or the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games. While the goal of gender equity is enshrined in the Olympic Charter, it has been difficult to achieve.
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, 26 countries competed without female representation. By the Beijing Olympics in 2008, only three countries had never before sent a female athlete. These three Muslim countries were Qatar, Brunei and Saudi Arabia. Pleasingly, all three countries plan to send female athletes to London. Brunei is sending a hurdler and Qatar is sending four athletes to compete in shooting, swimming, table tennis and track events. Most significantly, despite the Saudi Olympic Committee President, Prince Nawaf Bin-Faisal announcing he did “not approve” of sending female athletes to London, two Saudi women will be competing – one in the 800m track event and the other in judo. Interestingly, neither qualified to compete in the Olympics but received special invitations from the IOC “based on the quality of the athletes”.
This means the 2012 London Olympics will be the first time in history that every competing nation has both male and female representatives. This is a significant achievement.
Forty years ago in Munich there were 1,058 female athletes participating in the games, which represented only 14% of all athletes. This has increased substantially to a participation rate of 42% at the Beijing Olympics four years ago where there were 4,746 women of the 11,196 athletes.
It is evident that women’s inclusion in sport at an elite level has been contentious, long-fought and ongoing. It mirrors the same challenges corporate women face in entering our boardrooms, executive ranks and non-traditional roles. It is through persistence, determination and resilience that gender equality has any chance of being a reality.
Pierre de Coubertin‘s words no longer resonate with the wider community as we now see women in elite sport as inspirational role models, a high water mark for health and fitness and a source of admiration.
Paula is a Premium member of Business Chicks; request her online businesscard and connect with her here.
Paula Ward is founder and director of Know The Game, a consultancy focused on enabling people to know enough about Australian sports so they can engage and network with senior executives, colleagues and clients. To stay across the latest sporting news subscribe to Paula's e-newsletter "From The Sidelines" by emailing [email protected]
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We are often asked, "How can I make Activated Charcoal?" To answer the question, we first need to understand that there are two basic methods of activation - steam activation and chemical activation. Chemical activation should not be confused with acid-washed or chemical impregnation.
A reasonably good activated charcoal with a surface area of 1,000 m2/g would have 125 acres of surface area per pound.
Coconut charcoal and coal are primarily used for steam activation.
In the production of steam-activated charcoal, first the coconut shell or coal is heated to create a char. This char is then "activated" in a furnace at high temperatures of 1,700° to 1,800°F with steam in the absence of oxygen. In the steam-activation process, all volatile compounds are removed, and at the same time layer after layer of carbon atoms are pealed off, enlarging the existing internal pores, and leaving behind a carbon skeleton. The carbon + steam reaction results in producing hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide (C+H2O=H2 +CO). As the carbon monoxide gases off it takes carbon atoms with it. Typically 3 pounds of raw charcoal will produce 1 pound of activated charcoal. This is a perfect example of the saying "Less is More". Less carbon atoms yields More internal space.
Once the activated charcoal is cooled off, to remove the soluble ash content, it may be either "water-washed" (which requires a lot of water) or it is "acid-washed" (to remove the acid-soluble ash content) and then repeatedly "water-washed" to remove any trace of the acid solution.
Because of the very high temperatures required for steam activation (600 - 1,200 °C), temperatures you cannot achieve in a conventional oven (260 °C), this method is all but limited to industrial technology.
Another huge limiting factor is the cost of production. The world uses a tremendous amount of Activated Charcoal annually and so production needs to be on an industrial scale that can produce millions of tons of AC at a very low price. This is typically done in large rotating steal cylinder kilns (up to 180ft long producing up to 12.5 metric tonnes/hour) with a sophisticated delivery system of heat and steam. If money were not an issue, then individuals would need to first design an even more sophisticated miniature version. There would be the issue of washing/rinsing, the disposal of waste ash from the pyrolysis, managing the exhaust gasses, and other challenges. The net product would far exceed the cost of the mass produced product and quality would likely also be an issue, since cooking temperatures and times are quite critical. Aside form the fascination of building one's own, it seems the cost would be prohibitive to make steam-activated charcoal "at home".
So, how can you make steam activated charcoal? It should be obvious that, for small personal quantities, you are not set up for the technical challenges or the financial outlay. Well then, how can you make chemically activated charcoal? Is it less expensive and easier?
Chemical-activation produces the same end result - a much increased internal surface area - but uses a chemical solution to chew away the internal structure. Typically wood-based activated charcoals are commercially made using heat (450–900 °C
) and phosphoric acid. This “activation” process results in the creation of an enormous surface area — on the order of 600 to 1,200 square meters per gram (m2/g), depending upon the raw material used and the process. Once again the industrial model is a large steal rotisserie. The wood may be first pyrolized, then the char is saturated with phosphoric acid, followed by controlled reheating to enhance the chemical erosion of carbon atoms, and then an elaborate washing cycle to remove the acid*. This process is sometimes preferred because it requires less heat and time.
(*Not to let anything go to waste, the charcoal "vinegar" is sometimes collected and sold as commercial ascetic acid or processed into table vinegar.)
Once again, some will want to see if this can make chemically activated charcoal on a backyard scale. You will find some serious entrepreneurs on YouTube.com. While their methods appear simple enough, the use of different chemicals seems an invitation for accidents. Some of their suggestions for chemicals include "battery acid" (sulphuric acid), hydrochloric acid (aka muriatic acid sold in hardware stores for eating concrete off bricks), nitric acid, potassium or sodium hydroxide (highly caustic), calcium or zinc chloride (more stable salts)... Then there is the tedious combination of treating, heating, and extensive washing to remove any remaining chemicals. The required heat (
450–900 °C), though much less than for steam-activation (600 - 1,200 °C), is still much higher than a conventional oven can achieve.
But, back to the chemicals. The chemical of choice is phosphoric acid (a rather weak acid). Even so, considering the high temperatures required to drive the activation process, the erosion effect produced by any of the different chemicals would be greatly reduced, and the end product would be only marginally better than raw charcoal. But there could be potential for serious harm. For example, the possible results of reacting hydrochloric acid with carbon include:
For these and other reasons we do not at all recommend you attempt to make chemically activated charcoal as a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project.
- Carbon tetrachloride (Freon) - it can more than take your breath away
- Trichloromethane (Chloroform) - CNS depressant, converts to phosgene (a chemical weapon during World War I) in the presence of oxygen and heat
- Chlorohydrocarbons - some are highly toxic and/or flammable.
- Various hydrocarbons - toxic, flammable, and potent greenhouse gasses
- Chlorine gas - toxic
- Hydrogen gas - flammable
However, if this project is directed at making a cheap water or air filter for primitive circumstances, it should be noted that plain charcoal has a long history (3,000+ years) of use in odor control and water purification. As far back as 1500 B.C. down to hospitals in the 1800s, plain charcoal powder was used to control the stench of rotting flesh. Ancient sea explorers scortched wooden water barrels to preserve drinking water during long voyages. In their campaigns to help tame the wild West, the American Calvary used plain lump charcoal in the last compartment of a 3-compartment box (1. gravel 2. washed sand 3. charcoal) to filter swamp water for drinking water. It has been found that even the lowly plain wood charcoal has fragments of the super molecule Buckmisterfullerene (C60) that has phenomenal adsorptive capacities. So, if it is for some rough or makeshift circumstances, just your regular charcoal will work effectively enough as both a water and air filter, without the potential mishaps of trying to activate it with some potentially corrosive chemicals.
If the DIY is to produce an activated charcoal for medicinal use, it is highly questionable how much is to be gained; certainly not in activity levels or in money savings, while safety remains a real concern. On the other hand a one-gallon container of food grade charcoal powder costs as little as $31, without all the equipment, labor, and expense. A typical family will not use that amount in a year for common ailments. Stored with a tight lid it can last indefinitely.
If the DIY is thinking ahead to some Survival scenario, then we can tell you from very real firsthand experience; you are not going to have access to any of the chemicals suggested above, and, more importantly, the effectiveness of plain charcoal will compare favorably with any activated charcoal in whatever emergency should come your way, as long as the final powder is sterile. See CharcoalTimes newsletter June 2012 (Uganda 2012 Adventure) In the meantime, save your self a lot of unnecessary grief, and don't let your good intentions turn some would-be charcoal enthusiast against this most benign of natural remedies, with some reckless chemistry gone wrong.
How can you make activated charcoal? In review, whether steam activated or chemical activated, it is best not to try. How can you make regular charcaol, is another matter. Click HERE for a step by step description.
BROWSE by CATEGORY
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Virus discovery holds mystery, potential
Date posted: February 7, 2012
Media contacts: Dr. Dennis Brown, professor and head of the Department of Biochemistry, N.C. State University, 919.515.5765 or [email protected]; or Ricardo Vancini, graduate research assistant, [email protected]
A previously unknown virus discovered by North Carolina State University scientists may hold keys to managing another virus that causes a debilitating disease.
A virus that has been named Espirto Santo Virus (ESV) was discovered by Ricardo Vancini, a doctoral student working in the laboratory of Dr. Dennis Brown, head of the N.C. State Department of Biochemistry. The new virus has an unusual and as yet unexplained relationship with another virus, the virus that causes dengue fever.
If they can unravel this relationship, the scientists may find a way to control dengue fever.
Dengue fever, also known as breakbone fever, is a tropical disease caused by the dengue virus and spread by mosquitoes. The disease, which can be fatal, infects as many as 300 million people annually and is found in more than 100 countries around the world.
There are no vaccines for dengue fever, although a previous discovery by Brown and Dr. Raquel Hernandez, research associate professor at N.C. State, may lead to the development of a vaccine. Brown and Hernandez, who are husband and wife as well as research collaborators, discovered a way to alter viruses carried by insects so that they can be used to create vaccines for a range of diseases. The virus alteration technology was licensed to a North Carolina biotechnology startup company called Arbovax, which is using the technology to develop vaccines for several diseases, including dengue fever.
It is not yet clear how the Espirto Santo and dengue viruses interact, but Brown said the Espirto Santo virus appears to have a dampening antiviral effect on the dengue virus.
Vancini and Brown happened upon the Espirto Santo virus while studying the dengue virus. Brown said they obtained samples of a particular strain of dengue virus from the Fiocruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“They (Fiocruz Institute) had a strain of dengue virus that grew exceptionally well, and we wanted it for the structural studies (of viruses) we do,” said Brown.
Vancini and Brown began working with the newly acquired virus, and when they looked at its structure with an electron microscope, it was quite different from other dengue viruses with which they had worked.
“The structure really didn’t look like typical dengue,” said Brown, “And we actually thought that we had found a new strain of dengue.”
Brown decided to have a mass spectrometry analysis done on the virus. Mass spectrometry identifies molecules by mass. The mass spectrometry analysis of what Brown and Vancini thought might be a new strain of dengue virus only deepened the mystery, because it indicated that the sample that was analyzed did not contain dengue or any other virus.
“We said, ‘Look, How can there be no virus in there? We’re looking at it,’” Brown recalled. “And what it was, there was no virus in there that was in any of the gene banks.”
In an effort to determine what they were actually working with, Vancini and Hernandez did a full characterization of the RNA that makes up the virus’ genetic identity.
Brown said this genetic characterization was sent to gene banks around the world, and it matched nothing on record. It was then that it dawned on the scientists that what they had on their hands was a new virus, previously unknown to science. Brown said Espirto Santo is a rare birnavirus, only a handful of such viruses are known to science, but it is more than that.
“I have never seen anything like it,” Brown said. “This virus seems to control the production of dengue. Dengue proteins are made inside the cells, but they don’t assemble into viruses. So there are two really interesting things that are happening. This virus, Espirto Santo, makes something that controls the production of dengue virus. At the same time, it needs the dengue virus in order to grow efficiently.”
The virus samples from Brazil did contain dengue virus, but they also contained Espirto Santo, and the presence of the Espirto Santo virus masked the presence of the dengue virus to the point it was almost imperceptible.
Now, Brown said, he, Herandez and Vancini, who plans to continue working in Brown’s lab as a post-doctoral researcher after earning his doctorate, are going to try to sort out the genetic factors involved in the relationship between the two viruses.
It appears, Brown said, that Espirto Santo, which was named for the area of Brazil where it was found, produces some type of antiviral agent that inhibits dengue virus particle production. Viruses reproduce by hijacking the reproductive mechanism of a cell and using the host cell’s reproductive machinery to produce virus particles. When dengue and Espirto Santo viruses infect a cell, the Espirto Santo virus produces virus particles, but the dengue virus is unable to reproduce.
Brown said he, Vancini and Hernandez plan to compare viral proteins produced in cells infected with dengue and Espirto Santo viruses alone with proteins produced in cells infected with the dengue-Espirto Santo combination to see if there are differences. And they’ll search for an antiviral substance as they try to tease apart the relationship between dengue and Espirto Santo.
Among the questions the scientists hope to answer is whether the dengue-Espirto Santo relationship exists only with one strain, or type, of dengue virus. Or does Espirto Santo inhibit viral particle production for other or, perhaps, all strains of dengue?
“There’s something there,” Brown said. “There’s something happening inside of that cell that’s preventing dengue virus from assembling. We need to find out what that is.”
Written by: Dave Caldwell, 919.513.3127 or [email protected]
From Issue: Spring 2012 Category: Media Releases, Noteworthy News, Perspectives
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| 0.955946 | 1,407 | 2.875 | 3 |
FDA Approves HPV Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved a vaccine that protects against the two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that are responsible for 70 percent of all cases of cervical cancer. The approval covers the vaccine's use in females from ages 9 to 26.
The FDA action comes on the heels of a unanimous vote by the agency's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee that the vaccine, called Gardasil, is both safe and effective in the populations in which it was tested.
Manufactured by Merck & Co., Gardasil is a "quadrivalent" vaccine, meaning that it protects against four HPV types: 6, 11, 16, and 18. While the latter two types are responsible for the large majority of cervical cancer cases, types 6 and 11 are responsible for 90 percent of genital warts cases.
The approval for Gardasil, which is administered as a series of three injections over a 6-month period, includes its use for the prevention of cervical cancer and certain cervical, vulvular, and vaginal precancers called intraepithelial neoplasias.
In large international clinical trials testing Gardasil, it prevented nearly 100 percent of the precancerous cervical cell changes caused by the HPV types targeted by the vaccine for up to 4 years after vaccination.
These efficacy studies included females aged 15 to 26. Because of logistical and ethical concerns, Merck conducted trials in girls aged 9 to 15 only to measure their immune response to the vaccine. Participants in those studies had an even stronger immune response than the older participants in the efficacy trials, which the advisory committee and FDA agreed supported "bridging" or extending the effectiveness data to include this younger group.
Merck is conducting several post-market studies, including those to further evaluate general safety and long-term effectiveness, and to monitor the pregnancy outcomes of women who received Gardasil but didn't know they were pregnant at the time. Merck is also conducting trials to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Gardasil in males.
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| 0.962655 | 427 | 3.03125 | 3 |
CO. MAYO, IRELAND.
needs to be alone with the loved one.
It was this basic instinct of the human
heart that drew our first Carmelites to settle as hermits on Mount Carmel in the
Holy Land over 800 years ago.
men these! Some were ex-Crusaders; others pilgrims, who had trudged the roads
of Europe to visit the land of Christs birth and walk in His footsteps.
Settling on Mount Carmel, an ancient Holy Place, they formed a hermit
their goal: a life of constant prayer.
eventually evolved was a distinctive form of life, primarily eremitical, but lived
in a community setting.
vowed allegiance, not to any earthly sovereign, but rather to Mary, whom they
looked upon as Queen, mother and sister. |
Their father figure was the fiery
result was a rich intertwining of solitude and community, strength and gentleness
a spirit still characteristic of Carmel.
to Europe as refugees in the 13th Century, they faced a dilemma: adapt, or die
out? They adapted, taking on apostolic work, but still retaining a strong
hermit orientation. They spread rapidly,
arriving in Ireland before the end of that Century.
15th Century saw communities of women being founded in the Order.|
a community in Avila, Teresa de Ahumada, a vibrant young Spanish woman entered
some years, she felt called to a deeper life of prayer than was possible for her
in her large and busy community. Blessed by God with gifts of prayer and a growing
passionate desire for the salvation of all people, she longed for the solitude
of the early hermits, so that she might give herself wholly to God.|
wanted, Teresa usually got!
Unable to go out to the desert, she would create
a desert space of freedom within the city.
achieve this, she founded a small, poor convent, with a much stricter form of
cloister than was then customary. (see Page below:
she and a small group of like-minded women would be free to live a life of constant
prayer, in a unique blend of solitude and community, modelled on that of Mount
Carmel. (see Page below: LIFE).
of Teresas special charisms was a profound insight into the mystery of the
Church and the apostolic value of prayer. She saw prayer as a powerful weapon
in the battle against evil and in the service of the Church.
Before her death,
she founded seventeen Carmelite Monasteries in Spain.
Together with St. John
of the Cross, she also founded communities of Carmelite Friars, imbued with the
Both Friars and Nuns spread rapidly, reaching Ireland during the
was founded in Dublin in 1833 and transferred to Knock in 1981.
is a fitting home for an Order whose joy it has always been to say
Carmel is all Marys.
Teresas own account of her life and the story of her foundations is a saga
which makes fascinating reading.
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| 0.93886 | 662 | 2.890625 | 3 |
The Book of Armagh
Technically known as LIBER AR(D)MACHANUS.
A celebrated Irish-Latin manuscript preserved in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin. It is a vellum, in small quarto, and in a fine state of preservation, with the exception of the commencement, where a few pages are missing. In its present condition it consists of 221 leaves (442 pages) with the writing in double or, less often, in triple columns. The Irish band is used throughout, but some of the initial letters are in Greek character, and some of the letters are lightly coloured black, red, green, and yellow. The penmanship is, on the whole, very beautiful, distinct, and uniform. The only drawings in the manuscripts are four, representing the symbols of the Evangelists. Because of the value that the Irish placed on the Book of Armagh, it was often richly bound, and encased in shrines of artistic workmanship. The Book of Armagh was also known as the "Canon of Patrick", and it was once thought that it was the Patron's own book and in part, the work of Patrick himself. It was left for Bishop Charles Graves, however, to discover from the erasures in the manuscript itself, and from references in the Annals to names which he had pieced together from the Book of Armagh, that the name of the scribe of, perhaps, the entire work was Ferdomnach of Armagh, who died in 845 or 846, and that he wrote the first part of the Book in the year 807 or 808.
The Book of Armagh is, in the main, a transcript of documents of a much older period than the Book which has preserved them, and these documents are of inestimable value for the early history and civilization of Ireland. Above all, this collection is valuable because it contains the earliest writings that have come down to us relating to St. Patrick. The author of one of the Lives of Patrick, which the Book of Armagh contains, was one Muirchu Maccu Machteni, who wrote at the request of Aed, Bishop of Sletty. The author of the other Life was Tirechan, who wrote, we are told, for Bishop Ultan of Ardbraccan . Both these authors wrote at about the middle of the seventh century, and had as their authorities even older memoirs. The Book contains other miscellaneous documents relating to St. Patrick, and gives considerable information on the rights and prerogatives of the See of Armagh. Among the miscellaneous contents may be mentioned the "Liber Angueli" (so spelled in the Irish fashion to show that the g was not palatalized), "the Book of the Angel ", wherein an angel is represented as entrusting to St. Patrick the primatial rights of Armagh; the Eusebian Canons, St. Jerome's letter to Damasus, Epistles of St. Paul, with prefaces, chiefly by Pelagius, Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; the Apocalypse, the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke, and the "Life of St. Martin of Tours ", by Sulpicius Severus. At bottom of folio 16 verso , there is an entry which the scribe says was made "in conspectu Briani imperatoris Scotorum", that is, in the presence of Brian Borumha, probably in the year 1002.
St. Bernard, writing in the twelfth century, in his "Life of Malachi ", speaks of a certain book which, he says, was one of the marks of the primatial rights of the See of Armagh. This was probably the "Liber Ardmachanus". In such high estimation was this Book held that a custodian was appointed for it and in virtue of his office he had, as his remuneration no less than eight townlands. It was probably one of his functions to carry the Book on occasions of state and ceremony. The name of the keeper (in Irish, Maor , "steward") became in the course of time the family name of the keeper, since the office was hereditary, and they became known is mac (pl. meic ) maor , or, anglicized, Moyre or Moyer. The precious Book thus changed hands frequently, and there is mention in the records that it was once pawned as security for a claim of five pounds. In the latter part of the seventeenth century it passed from the hands of the MacMoyres into the possession of the Brownlow family of Lurgan, with whom it remained until 1853, when it was purchased for three hundred pounds by the Irish antiquarian, Dr. Reeves, and by him transferred, on the same terms, to the Anglican primate Beresford, who presented it to the Library of Trinity College. There is evidence to show that the Book was often used when giving testimony, and that oaths were sworn, and covenants ratified on it. This may account for some of the pages having the appearance of having been rubbed or touched frequently. The Irish of the Book of Armagh is of the greatest importance for the history of the Irish language. It is not only one of the very oldest monuments of the Old-lrish, since it is antedated only by the fragmentary glosses in the Irish manuscripts preserved on the Continent, but it is the earliest extant specimen of a continuous narrative in Irish prose. It represents the language of the end of the seventh, or of the beginning of the eighth, century. The phonetic peculiarities of the Irish of that period, as evidenced in the Book of Armagh, are described briefly by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan in the preface to the second volume of their "Thesaurus Paleohibernicus", XIII, sqq. This same volume contains all the Irish found in the Book of Armagh.
More Catholic Encyclopedia
Browse Encyclopedia by Alphabet
The Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed in fifteen hardcopy volumes.
Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.
No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.
Browse the Catholic Encyclopedia by Topic
Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912
Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online
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Select a map marker to see a regional human library book
Text hereView mapText here
What is the Human Library?
On Jan. 26, National Human Library Day invites Canadians to interact with people they might not otherwise meet.
In partnership with CBC, local libraries and cultural centres in 15 cities across the country have asked volunteers with a wide range of experiences to act as human “books” and make themselves available for one-on-one conversations about their lives.
On the same day, CBCNews.ca will host a live event online and keep the conversation going on Twitter using the hashtag #CBCHumanLibrary.
The first Human Library was held in 2000 at the Roskilde Festival, a large North European culture and music festival, by a non-governmental youth movement in Copenhagen. Since then Human Library events have been held in 27 countries.
CBC is the first broadcaster to be involved as a national media partner.
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| 0.931105 | 190 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Adult Tobacco Use Statistics
Cigarette smoking prevalence is among the topics covered by the Early Release Program which publishes selected estimates from the NHIS on a quarterly basis. To access this information, click on the data year of interest (full or partial) and scroll down to "Current Smoking."
Cigarettes smoking estimates from the NHIS are published in selected NCHS Series 10 reports, including "Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults" (published annually) and "Health Behaviors of Adults," (published tri-annually.)
This new report series, introduced by NCHS in 2008, provides information about current health topics in a straightforward format. Future reports may include tobacco-related topics.
This report series, introduced by NCHS in June, 2008, replaced the Advance Data Reports series. Future reports may include tobacco-related topics.
Smoking statistics have been published in selected reports. Review report titles to identify reports of interest. This report series was discontinued mid-year 2008 and was replaced with the National Health Statistics Reports series.
Health E-Stats are web-published NCHS reports that cover a variety of health topics, including tobacco use.
This annual report to Congress contains several tables showing estimates of tobacco use based on data from the NHIS Sample Adult interview. Go to the most recent edition of Health, United States. Go to the PDF document titled "Trend tables." Then go to the section entitled "Health Determinants and Measures of Health." These files are large and may take some time to download.
Tobacco Use is Focus Area #27. It is also one of the leading health indicators tracked by the Healthy People Program.
Tobacco use is among the national health objectives for the year 2020. Information about the objectives and progress toward meeting them can be accessed from the Healthy People website:
The Surgeon General of the Public Health Service has focused the Nation's attention on important public health issues. Reports of the Surgeon General on the adverse health consequences of smoking triggered nationwide efforts to prevent tobacco use. The Office on Smoking and Health Website contains an archive of published reports by the Surgeon General.
Cigarette smoking among adults is among the topics covered by the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR). Selected estimates on cigarette smoking are published annually. Click on the link above, select the year of interest, and search for "Cigarette Smoking Among Adults".
Cigarette smoking is among the topics covered in the National Vital Statistics Reports (NVSR). Click on the link above and search for “smoking.” This report series was initiated in 1998. It replaced the Monthly Vital Statistics (MVSR) series.
Cigarette smoking among adults is among the topics covered in supplements to the Monthly Vital Statistics Reports (MVSR). Selected estimates on cigarette smoking are available in the following reports: Vol. 21, No. 3 and Vol. 18, No. 9. This series was discontinued in 1998 and was replaced with the National Vital Statistics (NVSR) series.
A report of recent findings from CDC’s tobacco monitoring systems - Published annually.
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| 0.94632 | 643 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Cold sores are small blisters around the mouth, caused by the herpes simplex virus. The most common strain of the virus that causes cold sores is herpes simplex virus 1.
Once infected, the herpes simplex virus becomes dormant for long periods of time and may reactivate. Episodes of the cold sores usually do not last longer than two weeks. Hot sun, cold wind, a cold, or a depressed immune system can cause a reactivation of herpes simplex virus symptoms.
Some children and adults never experience any symptoms with the first attack; others have severe flu-like symptoms and ulcers in and around the mouth. The following are the most common symptoms of cold sores. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
The symptoms of cold sores may resemble other dermatologic conditions or medical problems. Always consult your children's physician for a diagnosis.
Specific treatment for cold sores will be determined by your child's physician based on:
Although cold sores cannot be cured, treatment may help alleviate some symptoms, if severe. Treatment may include antiviral medication and other types of prescription medications. Always consult your child's physician.
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Self-Test for Breath Alcohol
A breath alcohol test is an estimate of your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The test measures the amount of alcohol in the air that you breathe out (exhale).
You can measure your own breath alcohol level with a simple handheld device. If the device is calibrated and used according to the manufacturer's directions, it can provide an accurate estimate of your blood alcohol level. The home device is similar to, though not as precise as, the type of test used by police for suspected drunk drivers.
Within minutes of drinking alcohol, your blood alcohol concentration starts to rise. Unlike food, alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach, goes into the bloodstream, and travels throughout your body and to your brain. This allows blood alcohol levels to increase quickly.
The amount of alcohol in your blood reaches its highest level about 60 minutes after drinking. But food in your stomach may increase the amount of time it takes for the blood alcohol to reach its highest level. Most of the alcohol is broken down in the liver. The rest of it is passed out of your body in urine and your exhaled breath.
You can buy breath alcohol devices to measure your BAC at many pharmacies or through the Internet.
- The manual device is a glass tube (or a balloon and a glass tube) containing crystals that change color when exposed to alcohol from your breath. This device is less expensive than electronic meters.
- The electronic meter shows your BAC in a digital display window after you blow into a glass mouthpiece attached to the meter. This type of meter is more expensive than the manual type.
Many bars and restaurants provide their customers with free alcohol breath tests using one of these two methods. The devices are also used to monitor people in an alcohol rehabilitation center or hospital.
Why It Is Done
The breath alcohol self-test is used to estimate your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The results can help you decide whether it is safe to drive. This estimate of blood alcohol is not intended to represent your actual driving abilities. Your driving may be impaired even with a low BAC level, such as below 0.05.
The breath alcohol test offers one piece of information to help you make a safe decision about drinking and driving. The safest decision is always not to drive if you have been drinking.
BAC is commonly used by police and other legal authorities to determine whether a person is legally impaired and should not drive. A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 0.08 or greater is considered legally impaired for adults in the United States. But the legal BAC limit for people under age 18 may be lower, such as 0.02.
How To Prepare
- Check the expiration date on the package. Don't use the test if the expiration date has passed.
- Store the testing device correctly. If the device should be stored in the refrigerator or kept in a cool place, make sure you place it in an appropriate storage area.
- Follow the instructions exactly. All test kits come with detailed instructions. Carefully read the instructions that come with your test before using it. Many test kits include a toll-free number you can call for more information.
- Note any special instructions you need to follow before you take the test. These might include avoiding certain foods or medicines.
- Follow every step of the instructions carefully.
- Prepare and handle everything exactly as the instructions tell you.
- Follow all the steps in sequence. Don't skip any steps.
- If a step in the test needs to be timed, use a watch. Don't guess.
- Know your limits. If you are color-blind or have trouble distinguishing colors, have someone else read the test results for you. For some tests, you need to be able to see color changes in a test area or window.
- Wait at least 15 minutes after having an alcoholic drink before testing your BAC. Trace amounts of alcohol left in your mouth from a recent drink or the use of mouthwash or mouth spray, such as mouth sprays to relieve a sore throat, can give false results.
- Do not smoke for 1 to 5 minutes before testing your BAC. Do not blow smoke into the device.
- Take at least two separate readings 15 minutes apart.
How It Is Done
Manual (glass tube/balloon) test
To obtain a breath alcohol reading:
- Blow into the balloon that comes with the kit until the balloon is almost full. Use one long breath, not several small breaths.
- Attach the balloon mouthpiece to one end of the glass tube filled with bands of yellow crystals.
- Let the air flow slowly out of the balloon and through the tube for exactly 1 minute.
- Count the number of bands of colored crystals in the tube that turn from yellow to green.
If your test has only the glass tube, blow through the tube for the amount of time in the instructions. Use one long breath, not several small breaths. Then look at the colored crystals to get the reading.
The amount of alcohol in your breath is based on the number of bands that change color and on the intensity of the color change.
Electronic breath alcohol meter
Follow the specific instructions that come with the device. With most meters, you:
- Turn on the meter and let it warm up for several minutes.
- Take a deep breath.
- Place your lips tightly around the mouthpiece. Blow steadily and continuously into the machine for the correct amount of time (usually 4 to 6 seconds). Use one long breath, not several small breaths.
The results appear as a digital readout in a display window. It may show a red or green "traffic light" or an estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC). After you obtain the first reading, press the reset button and do a second test.
How It Feels
There is no pain from a breath alcohol test.
There is no chance for problems from taking this test. You might feel slightly lightheaded after taking the test.
A breath alcohol test is an estimate of your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The test measures the amount of alcohol in the air that you breathe out (exhale). Results are ready right away.
Manual (glass tube/balloon) test
To read the glass tube breath alcohol test, count the number of yellow bands of crystals that turn green.
- 1 green band roughly corresponds to a BAC of 0.00 to 0.05.
- 2 green bands roughly corresponds to a BAC of 0.05 to 0.10.
- 3 green bands roughly corresponds to a BAC of 0.10 to 0.15.
Electronic breath alcohol meter
Some electronic devices have a "traffic light" display.
- A green light means a BAC below 0.04.
- A yellow light means a BAC between 0.04 and 0.08.
- A red light means a BAC above 0.08.
Some devices display the results as an estimated BAC numerical value.
What Affects the Test
No home test is 100% accurate. The results may not be helpful if you:
- Have trace amounts of alcohol left in your mouth from an alcoholic drink or even a mouthwash.
- Smoke. Do not smoke for 1 to 5 minutes before doing the test.
- Have had a drink within 30 minutes of performing the test. Your actual blood alcohol level may continue to rise after the test.
What To Think About
A blood alcohol test is more accurate than a breath alcohol test. For more information, see the topic Blood Alcohol.
Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) can be deadly. Alcohol is involved in nearly half of all fatal highway accidents. Even mild intoxication can impair your ability to drive safely. At 0.06 BAC, your judgment and physical coordination are impaired. At a BAC of 0.08, your muscle coordination and driving ability are significantly impaired.
A person who drinks alcohol and takes certain medicines, such as antihistamines, sedatives (tranquilizers), or narcotics, may feel more of the effects of alcohol. Also, a person who uses other drugs, such as marijuana, will feel the effects of both drugs more than if the drugs were used separately.
How much alcohol it takes to raise your blood alcohol level depends on:
- The amount of alcohol you drink.
- How fast you drink the alcohol.
- Your weight.
- Your age.
- How fast your body breaks down (metabolizes) the alcohol. Different people metabolize alcohol at different rates.
- Your sex.
- The amount of food in your stomach when you drink.
Things that affect how quickly the blood alcohol level rises in the body include:
- The number of drinks per hour. As you increase the number of drinks per hour, your blood alcohol level steadily increases.
- The strength of alcohol (proof or percentage) in the drink.
- Your weight. The more you weigh, the more water is present in your body, which dilutes the alcohol and lowers the blood alcohol level.
- Your sex. Women's bodies typically have less water and more fat than men's bodies. Alcohol does not go into fat cells as well as other cells, so women tend to retain more alcohol in their blood than men do. Also, a woman's hormones may affect the breakdown of alcohol.
- Your age. One drink raises the blood alcohol level of an older adult 20% more than it does for a young adult.
- The presence of food in your stomach. Food in the stomach absorbs some of the alcohol. The blood alcohol level will be higher if you do not eat before or during drinking.
- Other medicines or drugs. A person who drinks alcohol and takes certain medicines, such as antihistamines or sedatives (tranquilizers), may feel more of the effects of alcohol. Also, a person who uses other drugs, such as marijuana, will feel the effects of both drugs more than if the drugs were used separately.
Effects of drinking alcohol
Having any amount of alcohol in the blood can cause poor judgment and slowed reflexes. BAC and the effects of drinking alcohol vary from person to person and depend upon body weight, the amount of food eaten while drinking, and each person's ability to tolerate alcohol
|Estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC)||Observable effects|
Relaxation, slight body warmth
Sedation, slowed reaction time
Slurred speech, poor coordination, slowed thinking
Difficulty walking, double vision, nausea, vomiting
May pass out, tremors, memory loss, cool body temperature
Difficulty breathing, coma, possible death
0.50 and greater
You can buy breath alcohol tests on the Internet, either directly from the manufacturer or from a company that sells this kind of product. If you have access to the Internet, you can find this information by searching for the type of test or the name of the manufacturer.
Other Works Consulted
Pagana KD, Pagana TJ (2010). Mosby’s Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests, 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.
|Primary Medical Reviewer||E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine|
|Specialist Medical Reviewer||R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Medical Toxicology|
|Last Revised||November 8, 2011|
|By:||Healthwise Staff||Last Revised: November 8, 2011|
|Medical Review:||E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine|
R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Medical Toxicology
© 1995-, Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
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Robert Mugabe - Fast Facts
Here's a closer look at the life of Robert Mugabe.
Personal: Birth date: February 21, 1924
Birth place: Kutama Mission, Southern Rhodesia
Birth name: Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Father: Gabriel Mugabe, a carpenter
Mother: Bona Mugabe
Marriages: Grace Marufu (August 17, 1996 - present); Sally Heyfron (February 21, 1961 - January 27, 1992, her death)
Children: With Grace Marufa: 2 sons and 1 daughter; with Sally Heyfron: 1 son, died at 4 years old.
Education: University of Fort Hare, B.A., 1951; University of London, L.L.B
Religion: Roman Catholic
Military: Commander-in-Chief Zimbabwe National Liberation Army (ZANLA) 1977- present.
Timeline: 1952-1959 - Teaches school in Southern and Northern Rhodesia and Ghana.
1960-1961 - Returns to Southern Rhodesia and works as Publicity Secretary for the National Democratic Party.
1963 - Co-founds the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) with Ndabaningi Sithole in Tanzania after having fled Rhodesia.
1964-1974 - Upon returning to Rhodesia is arrested and imprisoned for 10 years. Continues his education while incarcerated and earns university degrees in education, economics, administration and law from the University of London.
1974-1979 - Is released from prison and leads the ZANU-PF, the guerilla movement, from Mozambique.
1977 - Is elected President of ZANU and Commander-in-Chief of ZANLA
April 18, 1980-December 31, 1987 - After February elections, serves as the first Prime Minister of Zimbabwe. Helps form the Republic of Zimbabwe after British rule of Rhodesia comes to an end.
December 31, 1987 - Is elected by the national assembly to a 4-year term after a new constitution replaces the office of Prime Minister with an Executive President.
March 1990 - Is reelected by popular majority, after a constitutional revision, to a 6-year term.
1993 - Threatens to expel white landowners who object to the 1992 Land Acquisition Act permitting the government to force them to give up their land for redistribution to black Zimbabweans.
March 1996 - Is reelected, in what becomes a one-man contest after all other opponents drop out days before the election.
2000 - Mugabe begins ordering white farmers to give up their land. Some 4,000 farmers lose their land and Zimbabwe's agricultural output decreases sharply.
October 15, 2001 - Announces countrywide shift to socialist-styled economy after 12 years of a market-driven one.
2002 - The European Union and the United States impose targeted sanctions on Mugabe and some senior ZANU-PF party members after widespread reports of human rights violations.
March 2002 - Is reelected to another 6-year presidential term amid charges of fraud and "state-sponsored-terrorism."
June 24, 2002 - Prepares to enforce the redistribution of land from whites to blacks, issues orders to white farmers to stop working their farms and vacate their property, despite the country's worst famine in 60 years.
December 7, 2003 - Withdraws Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth, a 54-nation organization of Great Britain and her former colonies.
August 2004 - Accusations by Human Rights Watch state that starvation is being used as a tool for the regime's support among Zimbabweans. Farm output has decreased sharply since Mugabe began his policy of land grabs.
July 16, 2007 - The University of Edinburgh withdraws the honorary degree it awarded Mugabe in 1984 for his services to education in Africa. "The removal of this honorary degree shows the people of Zimbabwe that we recognize their struggle," Edinburgh University rector Mark Ballard states.
April 2, 2008 - Results of the March 29, 2008 election are released by Zimbabwe's Electoral Commission and show that Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party has lost control of parliament.
June 12, 2008 - The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees revokes the honorary law degree it gave to Mugabe in 1986.
June 22, 2008 - Amid election fraud, violence, and arrests targeting his party and its supporters, opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai states that he is dropping out of the race, effectively handing the presidency back to Mugabe.
June 25, 2008 - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II strips Mugabe of an honorary knighthood awarded in 1994 by former Prime Minister John Major.
June 27, 2008 - Mugabe wins runoff election held in Zimbabwe amid worldwide controversy. He is the only candidate.
June 29, 2008 - Mugabe is sworn in for his sixth term as Zimbabwe's president.
September 15, 2008 - Mugabe signs a power-sharing deal with political rival Morgan Tsvangirai in order to end months of unrest. Mugabe will remain president and Tsvangirai will assume post of prime minister and coordinator of government affairs.
February 11, 2009 - Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as prime minister of Zimbabwe by Mugabe as part of a new unity government.
February 2010 - Mugabe celebrates his 86th birthday with a lavish party, costing a reported $300,000.
December 17, 2010 - Mugabe threatens to seize all Western-owned investments in Zimbabwe unless their governments remove targeted sanctions imposed on him and his senior party members.
December 10, 2011 - Mugabe's Zanu PF party endorses him as its candidate for the 2012 presidential elections. The 87-year-old Mugabe rejects calls for him to retire saying, "I will continue to lead the party as I have done."
December 19, 2012 - A Mugabe spokesman says Mugabe will call for presidential elections before the end of the year even if a new constitution isn't agree upon. Under his power sharing deal with Tsvangirai, a referendum on the constitution must be held before presidential elections can take place.
Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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With her family’s encouragement, this 17-year-old girl self-refers to dermatology for a recurrent facial lesion. It has reappeared in the same location and in the same manner over the past 18 months; they suspect it is a staph infection.
First, the patient experiences localized itching and tingling in the same location on her left upper eyelid. Within a day or two, clusters of tiny blisters appear and the surrounding skin becomes erythematous. Ten days or so into the episode, the blisters begin to scab over and the redness subsides. Within two weeks, the condition totally resolves, only to reappear later.
Each time, she has been seen in an urgent care clinic, given a diagnosis of staph infection, and prescribed a 10-day course of trimethoprim/sulfa, which appears to clear the infection.
This case nicely illustrates the curious nature of extragenital/extralabial herpes simplex virus (HSV), which can manifest in virtually any location on the body. We can all agree that HSV far more commonly affects the lip, where a lesion such as this one would be readily recognized. But the diagnosis becomes problematic when the same blisters appear in an unfamiliar location.
Assumptions are made, often fueled by family fears, themselves fed by opinions from other well-meaning friends and acquaintances. And in such cases, treatment with antibiotics certainly appears to corroborate the diagnosis because it “works.” But the family’s nagging question of “Why?” is reasonable, and the answer telling.
The truth is, it would be quite out of the ordinary for a staph infection to present with grouped vesicles on an erythematous base, over and over again in the same location. It would also be unlike staph to merely tingle and itch, since pain and tenderness are far more typical.
If we really wanted to rule out staph infection, we would have to obtain a culture, which would not only provide an organism but also solid information about which antibiotics are likely to be effective against that particular organism. Had that been done in this case, the culture would have shown “no growth,” leaving us where we started, since a routine culture only identifies bacteria. A viral culture, taken from the vesicular fluid, would probably have proven the culprit to be herpes—but that possibility would first have to be entertained.
Had herpes been considered as a diagnosis, other corroboratory historical facts might have included the patient’s history of severe atopy, plus the fact that most of the episodes occurred during periods of increased stress. Both of these factors are well known to predispose patients to a number of skin infections—most notably, HSV. The premonitory symptoms of tingle and itch (and sometimes a bit of pain) were also instructive.
It also helps simply to know that such HSV infections are quite common (though often, as in this case, misdiagnosed). I’ve seen HSV in the scalp, on the ear, on the chest, on fingers, toes, thighs, and on the bottom of the foot. I’ve also seen it affect the eye itself, where it can cause scarring of the cornea. Fortunately, our patient had no symptoms referable to the eye. Had that been the case, referral to ophthalmology on an urgent basis would have been necessary.
Had this condition occurred only once, other items in the differential might have been considered: contact dermatitis and the blistering diseases (pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, and others). But the recurrent nature was all but pathognomic.
For this patient, there was no effective treatment for the current episode, since the acyclovir family of antivirals can only slow viral replication, which had already taken place. But I did provide a prescription for valcyclovir 500-mg capsules, dispensing 10. The patient was advised to take them twice a day for five days, starting at the earliest signs of her next episode, which should halt the progression. If the patient has more than six or eight eruptions a year, a case could be made for prophylactic medication to be taken daily.
Ultimately, the most valuable thing provided to this patient was the answer to the questions: What is this, and why does it affect me? Two good questions remain unanswered: How did she get HSV in that exact location? And how can we cure her? With a little luck, in the reader’s career, we’ll come up with a cure, just as science came up with the acyclovir family of medicines early in my career.
• Grouped vesicles on an erythematous base, recurring in the same location, are HSV until proven otherwise.
• HSV episodes typically last 10 to 14 days.
• Staph infections are typically painful, and rarely recur in the same locations.
• Atopy predisposes to extralabial HSV.
• There are many causes of inflammation, only one of which is infection.
• There are many types of infection that are not bacterial (eg, viral, fungal, protozoan).
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Consumer Price Index: CNBC Explains
Many Americans check their receipts after going to the grocery store to make sure they've bought everything they need, and perhaps to see if what they paid this time is any different from the last trip.
The U.S. government likes to do the same for the whole country with the Consumer Price Index.
What is this economic measuring tool and why does it matter? Here are the details.
What is CPI?
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a "measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services."
In other words, it indicates the cost of living for a typical consumer, but it's not a straight measurement of living costs, as we'll see later.
What CPI can specifically identify is periods of inflation or deflation for consumers in their day-to-day living expenses.
If there's inflation—when goods and services costs more—the CPI will rise over a short period of time, say six to eight months.
If the CPI declines, that means there's deflation, or a steady decrease in the prices of goods and services.
The CPI is compiled and released every month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which is a sub-agency of the Department of Labor.
What is the CPI used for?
Because the CPI indicates prices changes—both up and down—for the average consumer, the index is used as a way to adjust income payments for certain groups of people.
For instance, more than 2 million U.S. workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements, which tie wages to the CPI. If the CPI goes up, so do their wages.
The CPI also affects many of those on Social Security—47.8 million Social Security beneficiaries receive adjusted increases in income tied to the CPI. Also, millions of military and Federal Civil Service retirees and survivors have benefits tied to the CPI, as do about 22 million food stamp recipients.
Changes in the CPI also affect the cost of lunches for the 27 million children who eat lunch at school. Some private firms and individuals use the CPI to keep rents, royalties, alimony payments, and child support payments in line with changing prices.
Since 1985, the CPI has been used to adjust the federal income tax code to prevent inflation-induced increases in taxes.
What type of information is collected for CPI?
The government wants to know what Americans are buying and how much they're paying.
To find out what people buy most often, the Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys families and individuals. Each year, some 7,000 families from around the country provide information on their spending habits on a quarterly basis.
Another 7,000 families in each of these years keep diaries listing everything they bought during a two-week period.
What part of the population is measured by CPI?
Not all Americans are included in the CPI. Instead, CPI measures the spending patterns for two population groups: all urban consumers, and urban wage earners and clerical workers.
The all urban consumer group represents about 87 percent of the total U.S. population, according to the BLS, which releases the monthly report. Among those studied are professionals, the self-employed, the poor, the unemployed, and retired people, as well as city wage earners and clerical workers.
Excluded from the CPI are the spending patterns of people living in rural areas, farm families, as well as people in the Armed Forces, and those in prisons and psychiatric hospitals.
The fact that the CPI ignores the areas mentioned above has lead many analysts to say the CPI figures do not reflect a true measurementof price increases or decreases.
What goods and services are included in CPI?
The CPI measures costs in these areas, according to the BLS:
- Food and Beverages (breakfast cereal, milk, coffee, chicken, wine, full service meals, snacks)
- Housing (rent of primary residence, owners' equivalent rent, fuel oil, bedroom furniture)
- Clothes (men's shirts and sweaters, women's dresses, jewelry)
- Transportation (new vehicles, airline fares, gasoline, motor vehicle insurance)
- Medical Care (prescription drugs and medical supplies, physicians' services, eyeglasses and eye care, hospital services)
- Recreation (televisions, toys, pets and pet products, sports equipment, admissions)
- Education and Communication (college tuition, postage, telephone services, computer software and accessories)
- Other Goods and Services (tobacco and smoking products, haircuts and other personal services, funeral expenses)
Also included within the major groups listed above are various government-charged user fees, such as water and sewerage charges, auto registration fees, and vehicle tolls. Also, the CPI includes sales and excise taxes associated with purchases.
However, the CPI excludes taxes—such as income and Social Security taxes—which are not directly associated with the purchase of consumer goods and services.
There's one more item off the list. The CPI does not include investment vehicles, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and life insurance.
To get all the information it does want, the BLS sends out hundreds of researchers to thousands of retail stores, service establishments, rental units, and doctors' offices, all over the U.S.
What cities have their information released?
The CPI is released monthly for the following urban areas:
- Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI
- Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA
- New York-Northern NJ-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA
Data for the following additional 11 metropolitan areas is published every other month on an odd or even month schedule for the following areas:
- Atlanta (even)
- Boston-Brockton-Nashua, MA-NH-ME-CT (odd)
- Cleveland-Akron, OH (odd)
- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (odd)
- Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI (even)
- Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX (even)
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL (even)
- Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD (even)
- San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA (even)
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA (even)
- Washington-Baltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV (odd)
Why isn't the CPI a true cost-of-living index?
A cost-of-living index would measure changes over time in the amount that consumers need to spend to reach a certain standard of living, according to the BLS.
Those standards of living would include changes in governmental or environmental factors that affect consumers' well-being—such as safety and education, health, water quality, and crime.
The CPI does not measure any of those items—and there is currently no official government survey that does. The CPI is as close as it gets.
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(CNN) -- As history is made every day, history teachers' subject matter is growing with it -- even as the number of classroom hours stays the same.
That ever-expanding content is the crux of the social studies teacher's dilemma: How to cover every topic with limited class time?
Here are some of the challenges they face in their classrooms.
Cutting back too young
When high school teacher David Plonski mentions the 1860s and 1960s, he expects those dates to trigger different ideas in the minds of his students at Tarboro High School in Tarboro, North Carolina.
In the 1860s, the United States was caught up in the Civil War. The 1960s are remembered for social revolution, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and Beatlemania.
But Plonski notices that some students have a weak sense of time, are unable to picture the different characteristics of those eras and often confuse events a century apart.
At Caprock High School in Amarillo, Texas, teacher Jeff Frazer said he's surprised by how many of his incoming students know that the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 but don't know that it was a list of grievances against Great Britain.
"I think they learn information by itself, in isolation," Frazer said of his students. "But putting the big picture together is not happening."
And during the comparative religions unit at Rutland Middle School in Rutland, Vermont, Ted Lindgren regularly asks students, "What is Easter about?"
He said they invariably bring up the Easter bunny but don't know the significance of the holiday to Christianity. It shows a lack of cultural literacy, Lindgren said, that they have to compensate for during class.
"There's just a lot more to occupy a student's time today than there was in previous generations," the eighth-grade teacher said.
High school students' lack of a historical knowledge base can partially be explained by the decrease in class time spent on social studies at the elementary level. History is not an area that requires testing under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, so it often gets shortchanged, teachers said.
"In a lot of districts, social studies and science have been removed from the curriculum, per se, because of math and language arts testing," said Gayla Hammer of South Elementary School in Lander, Wyoming.
To help mitigate the problem, Hammer and other teachers said, they use social studies texts within their reading lessons, because reading skills will appear on standardized tests.
Beverly Fanelli, a fifth-grade teacher at Fox Elementary School in Macomb, Michigan, said she approaches social studies as informational reading so she can work it into her language arts curriculum.
"Because we have so much to do and only so much time, wherever we have overlap, I will," she said.
History grows; class time doesn't
"The only issue that I have with what I teach is, I wish I had time to go deeper," Tarboro High school civics and economics teacher Leshaun Jenkins said.
It's a complaint repeated by other history educators, who must balance "trivia" with larger concepts.
When Plonski teaches the Jimmy Carter administration, he said, he covers the 1978 Camp David Accords, considered to be a major stepping stone to peace in the Middle East. He also teaches about the 1978 deregulation of the airlines, although it's information he believes his students will never need in the future.
He said he shortchanges his lecture on the accords because of North Carolina's recommendation that he also cover the airlines.
"You have to take away time from the bigger topics in order to make sure you cover small details, just because they could appear on the state exam," Plonski said.
World history teacher Troy Hammon of Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, said he is constantly weighing how much "trivia" he teaches, like names, dates and places, and when to try to help his students relive history.
For example, Hammon had his students take on the roles of individuals who may have taken part in the Crusades of the Middle Ages. The students then answered questions based on their knowledge of that time. Hammon believes this helps his students better understand the Middle Ages.
"History grows every year, no matter what," said Jennifer Kravitz, who teaches world history, civics and economics at Rutland High School in Vermont. "So with this ever-expanding content, teachers are trying to balance teaching history content with helping students learn the essential skills they are going to need."
Years later, time to review
When students in California take their state-mandated social studies tests at the end of eighth grade, it covers material from the ancient world history class they took in sixth grade, world history and the Middle Ages classes from seventh grade and U.S. history from eighth grade.
That one test covers several semesters of material, some of which students haven't touched in years.
"I don't think most adults could pass that test at the proficient level if they had to take it," said Carolyn Raber of Will C. Wood Middle School in Sacramento.
To graduate from high school in Texas, students must pass a test that covers everything from early American history to the end of the Vietnam War.
Because some of that material was covered as long ago as eighth grade, Frazer must take time to review so his students can pass the high school test.
But that's not the only hard part about tests, teachers said. History tests tend to measure more than just a students ability to remember and analyze the past.
"They have to be proficient readers," said middle school teacher Raber. "It's just as much a reading test as a history test."
As a teacher at an urban middle school with a high number of struggling students, Raber finds it frustrating when schools or teachers are labeled as failures based on test results in single subjects.
"Realistically, I could be transferred to another school with a different set of students," Raber said, "and I would be considered a success."
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This archived Web page remains online for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. This page will not be altered or updated. Web pages that are archived on the Internet are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats of this page on the Contact Us page.
Les quatre saisons de Simon
Text and illustrations: Gilles Tibo
Toronto: Livres Toundra, 2006. 48 p.
Ages 4 to 7
Published in English under the title Simon Says: Seasons (Toronto: Tundra Books, 2006)
This book contains four stories by Gilles Tibo. From spring through to winter, we follow the adventures of Simon, a boy with a fertile imagination. He tries to help the flowers grow by attaching balloons to the emerging shoots. In summer, he wants to keep the sun in a box. In the fall, he races against the clouds and ensuing winter, and tries to count the number of snowflakes it takes to build a snowman.
The delightful illustrations convey the story at least as much as the brief texts, leading young readers into a garden of pleasure.
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Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Swift is its life of
permanent flight. Swifts only touch down to reproduce. They will
cling to a wall or rock-face to check a potential nest hole, and
they will spend the night in such a hole to establish it as
their nest site. When incubating their eggs and feeding their
young they stay in the nest hole and bring food there for the
chicks, but otherwise, all their life is spent on the wing.
Swifts stay aloft night and day, Summer and Winter alike. A
Swift can spend its first two or three years on the wing before
breeding, and making its first ever landing.
Such an ability is unique. No other bird can even approach it.
Only Frigatebirds (Fregata sp.) are known to be capable
of spending months in flight over the seas, taking their food
whilst on the wing.
The age record for a Swift is 21 years. This was a bird ringed
as a chick at its nest in Switzerland, and recorded again there
21 years later. By then it had flown perhaps 4.8 million
kilometres (3 million miles).
The Swift has evolved into such a perfect airborne creature,
that its feet and legs have retained few of the abilities of
those of other birds. The minute, slightly curved feet are ideal
for clinging to walls and rock-faces, but useless for holding on
to a perch, or for walking or even hopping along the ground.
Swifts look fast, and they are. Their aerobatic territorial and
social display flight can take them to a speed of 220 km (137
miles) per hour, a record for birds of this size. Only the
Alpine Swift (Apus melba) and the Peregrine Falcon (Falco
peregrinus) can match this, and they are considerably
bigger, heavier birds with substantial body-mass.
Their fast and continuous flight, combined with the drift effect
of the wind, has produced sightings of Swifts at great distances
from their breeding areas.
Illustrating this are observations of Swifts made well inside
the Arctic Circle, over Spitsbergen, and in the area between
Novaya Zemlya and Franz Joseph Land, more than 1000 kilometres
North of any likely breeding site.
During the permanent daylight of the far North, the "White
Nights", Swifts fly and feed continuously, and only stop their
screaming calls for about 2 hours.
In general, Swifts arrive in their breeding territory a few days
before they start to nest, and leave it a couple of days after
the young have flown.
They arrive in Israel in the first week of March, and leave in
the first week of June. In London they are usually present from
the first week in May until the first week in August. Further
North, in Lapland, they are present from the first week of June
until the first week of September.
But there are always some birds that arrive and leave either
earlier or later than the mass, sometimes at such extreme dates
that we do not know whether they are too early or too late.
Hence the description “unusual presence”.
Swift was observed at Billingen in Sweden on 31st October 1918.
In the period up to October 1941 Swifts were observed above
frozen lakes on the Finnish-Soviet border, and at Frankfurt in
Germany on 4th November 1965. Swifts were seen in South Wales in
the United Kingdom (UK) several times between 2nd October and
17th November 1882, and several were seen in the period up to
12th November 1957 in Malmö and Lund in Sweden.
Even more unusual reports concern a Swift sighted at Marseilles
in France on 12th December 1909, and another seen from 3rd to
8th February 1967 in Essex in the UK.
While some of the above sightings took place in relatively
temperate climates, Swifts, who rely exclusively on a rich
supply of airborne insects for their food, have nonetheless been
observed above ice and snow-covered landscapes. One such record
is of Swifts seen at Pomosdino, Upper Vitchegda in Russia, on
30th September 1930, when there was 25 cm (10 inches) of snow on
There have also been reports of Swifts assumed to be sleeping.
One was found in a belfry in Dover in the UK in the Winter of
1831, and another was disturbed and flew away during works on an
attic on the 18th December 1990. Some evidence that this was
indeed a Swift, and not a bat, was provided by the corpse of a
second bird present in the attic.
Unusual locations and nesting places
Swifts live either in the skies, or else in their nest holes.
Non-breeders will check nest sites, flying repeatedly to
existing or potential sites. Sometimes they scream at the
entrance to test if the sites are occupied or not. They may then
enter the holes to make a further assessment. But otherwise they
Sometimes, however, they have been found in unusual places. In
Sweden, juvenile Swifts have been observed clinging to trees
overnight, hanging by their feet, their backs parallel to the
At the Courland Lagoon in Lithuania, Swifts were found clinging
to a balloon. Swifts have also been seen clinging to building
gutters and bargeboards.
Swifts have been found in bad weather in a cave only one metre
above ground level. Six Swifts were also found in a starling's (Sturnus
vulgaris) nest may be sheltering, and after three days of
continuous rain one pair were found dead, sitting on two chicks
in their nest sited on a wall of a church.
Swifts have been reported breeding in a House Martin's (Delichon
urbica) nest, in a stack of drying peat blocks, and also in
a nest in full sunlight. Low nest sites of about three metres
(10 feet) above ground level are quite common, but perhaps the
lowest typical nest site reported was at about a metre (3.3
feet) high, in a stone wall banking the River Rhine in Germany.
However, there is also a report of a brood being found in an
"earth hole", in Romania, and even more bizarre, there is a
report of a Swift seen copulating repeatedly for ten minutes on
top of a wall.
In Catalonia, Swifts have been observed taking off after a short
run across a roof, and there has been a record of a Swift
actually pushing slates from a roof!
Low light level ability
It is clear that Swifts have quite exceptional eyesight, but
their activity in the depths of night is usually restricted to
high level "sleeping" flight. However, there is a record of a
Swift arriving on its nest 90 minutes after dusk, when it was
completely dark, and I have observed a Swift checking a nest
site at a light level of only 1 lux, in almost complete
We tend to assume that such skilled and perfect flyers as Swifts
will have a low or a nil accident rate. This is pretty much the
case, such accidents as have been observed being sufficiently
unusual to warrant comment and recording.
In 1832 a Swift was observed flying straight into a wall, and
falling away dying. It was found to be carrying many parasites,
and it was thought that it had committed suicide, but this
anthropomorphic assumption is almost certainly wide of the mark.
There is also a report of a Swift flying straight into the sea
when pursued by an Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus),
and another of a Swift, somehow caught by a Crow (Corvus
corone sp.), flapping and screaming until the Crow released
In 1930 a fatal collision between two Swifts was noted; they had
each flown along opposite sides of a wall, and turned into each
other at the end.
In Holland a Swift was killed by a tennis ball, and in
Thuringia, Germany, fire fighters released a trapped Swift from
a hole in a wall. We also have a very curious report of a Swift
being killed by a tree in the Congo.
But there is little if any information on Swift mortality and
disease. I have been able to find only one, scarcely
satisfactory, report which concludes that a young Swift died of
Swifts raise one brood each year, and this takes them between 70
and 80 days, depending on the weather. The food supply for the
chicks is absolutely dependent on the weather; if it is cold or
wet airborne insects are unavailable.
Under these conditions and within the restrictions of a 100-days
stay, multiple broods are not feasible, and most of the reports
of multiple broods refer to multiple clutches, i.e. egg laying
This is a fairly common occurrence, and there are two known
reasons. The first is that during prolonged periods of bad
weather and food shortage the parents may throw the eggs off the
nest, and try again later when food supplies are better.
The second is that fights between the birds can cause damage to
the eggs or knock them out of the nest. These fights occur when
other Swifts intrude, seeking to take over an occupied nest
site. They can be severe, and can last for several hours, the
birds remaining locked together in their struggle.
In both cases, the adult birds will produce a second clutch.
There have been several reports of up to three replacement
clutches being laid in this way, in one of these the chicks
fledging three weeks after the parents left the nest.
True double broods are extremely rare; there are only two known
records from Gütersloh in Germany and Copenhagen in Danmark.
Misinterpretation and Misinformation
With a bird as difficult to observe as the Swift, mistakes and
tall stories are bound to proliferate. For instance, there was a
report from England that Swift chicks with an age differential
of 4 weeks had been found in the same nest. Also coming from
England was a series of reports, purporting to have scientific
backing, of young Swifts returning repeatedly to their nests.
The general consensus is that such a return is impossible; once
fledged the young birds leave their nest, and do not return to
it before they migrate.
However returns to the nest to breed have been reported in
larger colonies, such as Kronberg in Germany, and Tel Aviv in
Israel. Swifts usually return to the area where they were born
to breed, and from ringing recoveries it has been established
that in two cases, chicks from a specific nest returned there as
adults to breed some years later.
Swiss observer reported seeing 56 Swifts entering the same hole.
This too is unprecedented, and one has to suppose they were in
fact bats entering the hole to get to their own roost. There are
recent reported cases of two Swift pairs sharing a single entry
hole to two quite separate nest sites (in Tel Aviv, Israel) but
otherwise the birds are so aggressive, that sharing a nest space
and entry hole is extremely unlikely.
Likewise reports of mutual feeding by pairs of Swifts on the
wing in spring are likely to be caused by a confusion between
species, or activity.
Reports of Swifts scraping insects off walls with their wings to
catch them, and banging gutters to dislodge insects are simply
mistaken; Swifts behave like this when clinging to walls and
inspecting potential nest sites; they are not feeding.
Likewise, a Swift reported as brooding three Starling (Sturnus
vulgaris) chicks, was without doubt trying to regain a
usurped nest space. Its intentions were not maternal.
Every now and then there is a report of Swifts taking a short
cut through the Great St. Bernard Pass Tunnel in Switzerland.
Quite definitely a myth or even a hoax, as Swifts will only
enter a darkened area to access their nest site, not to travel
For some strange reason Berlin in Germany seems prone to both
misinterpretations and misunderstandings of Swift behaviour,
with accounts of arrivals taking place over a period of several
weeks, of resting periods in Berlin, and of departures of
newly-fledged birds three weeks earlier than in the rest of
Deviations from normal breeding routine
Swift courtship and mating takes about 10 -15 days from
inception to the laying of the first egg. They occupy the nest
site from 5, to more usually 10 -15 days before the first egg is
laid. They start to brood the eggs only when the complete clutch
has been laid. Clutch size is usually two to three eggs, four
being rare, though there is one record of six eggs from a site
There are deviations from these norms, and Swifts have been
recorded laying only two days after occupying a nest hole,
(though this may well be because the pair in question moved from
another nest site), and starting to brood immediately after one
egg was laid.
For a bird that is so intolerant of its neighbours, there is a
record of two Swift pairs breeding only a foot apart in an
attic, though it is not known if they could see each other from
their nest sites, and there is even a report of a Swift feeding
two chicks in one nest box, while occupying another nest box.
The human desire to interfere is irresistible, and so we have
reports of a Swallow (Hirundo rustica) that adopted a
Swift chick that was placed in its nest.
There have been two reports of Swifts making physical contact
with older birds after either leaving their nest holes or being
released There is a report from Holland of a Swift screaming
loudly before its first flight, and there is another report of a
young bird, hand-reared, making its way back to the site where
it was reared, from a release point 34.5km (22 miles) away, and
we know that normal young Swifts do not in fact return to their
Swifts feed exclusively on airborne insects, catching them up as
they fly. They build the catch into a ball of compressed food, a
"bolus" which is passed to the chick upon return to the nest.
They have a small, weak bill with no cutting power, and so
cannot remove the wings of their prey, but have to swallow and
compress the whole insect into the food ball. So the size of
potential prey is very limited. There is a record of a Swift
trying to catch a Green Oak Tortrix moth (Tortrix viridana),
but its wingspan of only 20mm made it too big to ingest. Swifts
are able to distinguish stinging insects from those without
stings, and are known to take drones, and avoid bees with
There have been several reports of Swifts being caught
accidentally by fishermen, casting their lures over water
surfaces where Swifts were feeding at low level.
Interaction with other species
Interaction with other species is for the most part simply a
case of occupying the same sky, but competition for nest spaces
has led to cases of Swifts pursuing, or even grappling bats.
There is also one report of a Hobby (Falco subbuteo - a
predator of large fast insects and Hirundines) found on
the ground with a Swift clamped to its thigh.
Flight mimicry is known; Swifts have been observed following
Pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), copying
their speed and flight pattern, though there is no obvious
explanation for this.
Interaction with Man is purely accidental: there is one report
of a Swift flying right into a man's eye, causing sufficient
damage for recovery to take some six months.
Other curiosities in Swift behaviour
What else do we know of Swifts? They can hunt at night, smoke
bathe, clap their wings, roll on their backs and scratch holes!
Is this Swift juvenile or adult?
This Swift entered this nest box (which has a glass back wall
for photographic and observation purposes) on 30th June 2001.
As the chin patch appeared very light, and there were light
markings on the leading edge of the lesser wing coverts, my
first impression was that this was a fledgling. I took three
photographs, which are shown above in different sizes.
At the higher angles the throat patch appears less light, but
the wing coverts still look light enough to justify this
Given this bird is a juvenile born that year, where did it come
from? Local birds here in Berlin where the nest box is sited
have not yet reached this stage of growth, so the bird has to
come from the South, probably from the Mediterranean area.
While previously it was assumed that young birds on leaving the
nest would immediately head South for their African wintering
areas, research by Tarburton and Kaiser in 2001, revealed that
about a quarter of all fledgling Swifts instead turned North,
and not South.
The miniature radio transmitters used for their research had an
ability to transmit for only a few hours, and as result it was
impossible to ascertain just how far, or for how long, these
birds travelled northwards.
However, it does lend support to the theory that some juvenile
Swifts may head quite far North, taking part in seeking nesting
spaces of older individuals, well before they turn South to
migrate to Africa.
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2271, 2465, 2468, 2468, 2531, 2619, 2787, Caravan & Motorhome
Sport 04 (1999) and Ludovic 2002
APUSlife No. 2866
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| 0.957751 | 4,044 | 3.6875 | 4 |
Sam Hampton-Smith shows you how to select, control and adjust your display typography using the features found in the OpenType format.
Often overlooked, typography is an art form all of its own.
While it's simple to lay down words and numbers on a page, making the most of the shapes and letterforms involves more than just setting leading and kerning. Good typography should often be almost invisible to the reader; it should facilitate the understanding and improve readability. However, it doesn't have to all be functional because OpenType fonts offer the designer a host of styles and effects that can be used to introduce more refinement and character to a piece of work.
In this tutorial, we'll look at some of the features available within the OpenType format, how to access them and make stylistic decisions over where to use optional features.
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| 0.936257 | 173 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Standard for smart grid established
IEEE 2030, which was recently approved and published, establishes a smart grid interoperability reference model and knowledge base for manufacturers.
IEEE announced that IEEE 2030 – IEEE Guide for Smart Grid Interoperability of Energy Technology and Information Technology Operation with the Electric Power System (EPS), End-Use Applications, and Loads – has been approved and published. IEEE 2030 establishes a globally relevant Smart Grid interoperability reference model and knowledge base that can be used by utilities who are developing their infrastructure roadmaps, by manufacturers who are planning Smart Grid systems and applications, by scientists who are conducting research, by governments who are crafting regulations and by standards-development organizations (SDOs) who are writing additional standards for the Smart Grid.
IEEE 2030 provides alternative approaches and best practices for Smart Grid work worldwide and defines terminology, characteristics, functional performance and evaluation criteria and the application of engineering principles for Smart Grid interoperability of the EPS with end-use applications and loads. Additionally, it defines design tables and the classification of data-flow characteristics necessary for interoperability, with emphasis on functional interface identification, logical connections and data flows, communications and linkages, digital information management, cyber-security and power generation usage.
Work has already commenced on three IEEE 2030 extensions:
- IEEE P2030.1 – Guide for Electric-Sourced Transportation Infrastructure – is intended to establish guidelines that can be used by utilities, manufacturers, transportation providers, infrastructure developers and end users of electric-sourced vehicles and related support infrastructure in addressing applications for road-based personal and mass transportation.
- IEEE P2030.2 – Guide for the Interoperability of Energy Storage Systems Integrated with the Electric Power Infrastructure – is intended to help users achieve greater understanding of energy storage systems by defining interoperability characteristics of various system topologies and to illustrate how discrete and hybrid systems may be successfully integrated with and used compatibly as part of the electric power infrastructure.
- IEEE P2030.3 – Standard for Test Procedures for Electric Energy Storage Equipment and Systems for Electric Power Systems Applications – is intended to establish a standard for test procedures around verifying conformance of storage equipment and systems to storage-interconnection standards.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Edited by Chris Vavra, CFE Media, www.cfemedia.com
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These case studies provide examples of how knowledgeable solution providers have used technology, processes and people to create effective and successful implementations in real-world situations. Case studies can be completed by filling out a simple online form where you can outline the project title, abstract, and full story in 1500 words or less; upload photos, videos and a logo.
Click here to visit the Case Study Database and upload your case study.
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| 0.898365 | 622 | 2.59375 | 3 |
For the first time in my life, I have a niece and a nephew who have reached the age to have their driver's permits. My own children are much younger, so I am glad I have several more years before I have to worry about sending them out on the roads by themselves.
As a staff member at Youth Resources, I have heard numerous valuable workshops for teens about the dangers of distracted driving, and our hope is that the information students learn really sinks in and influences their driving behaviors.
But it hasn't been until my own family members have reached the legal driving age that I have found myself wanting to make sure that they understand the importance of safe driving.
They hear the messages at school and in their driver's education class, but it is a message that adults cannot convey enough because the message has the potential to save their lives.
Dosomething.org is a website for teens that launches national campaigns each year about issues such as safe driving that are important to teens. The website offers these statistics about teens and driving:
Texting while driving makes you four times more likely to cause a crash.
Almost 65 percent of all teen vehicle deaths occurred when another teen was driving.
More than 90 percent of teens admit to doing multiple tasks while driving, such as talking on the cellphone, eating, playing loud music, channel surfing, using mp3 players and interacting with friends in the car.
An overwhelming 75 percent of teens admit to text messaging while driving.
About 54 percent of teenage motor vehicle crash deaths occur on Friday, Saturday or Sunday — with Saturday being the deadliest day of the week for teens.
Most people, not just teenagers, have the it-won't-happen-to-me mentality when they read statistics. So how can family members, teachers, ministers and other caring adults send a message about safe driving that will make a lasting impact in the minds of teenagers?
Lead by example. Don't multitask while you're driving. Show them that changing the song on your iPod, talking on the phone, reading a map, checking your app for the lowest gas prices in the area or anything that will take your focus off the road for even a second can wait until you get to where you can stop and do those things safely.
Teach them not only to be focused drivers but to be responsible passengers. Speak up when the driver is distracted and not paying full attention to the road, even if it's an adult driver.
Limit the number of passengers allowed in the teenager's vehicle. According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, teens are four to five times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash when there are three or more passengers in the vehicle.
Make your teenagers responsible for paying their own tickets if they get caught texting, speeding or driving without a seat belt. The laws are in place for a primary reason — to keep people safe. Making your teens own up to their bad judgment by breaking the law and paying the consequences themselves will have a lasting long-term effect on them.
Implement a family contract. Distraction.gov has a downloadable contract that lists the most distracting behaviors while driving. Have your teens sign it and parents write down the consequence that will be enforced for that behavior. Again, lead by example and sign a contract yourself, too.
Parents and caring adults should not underestimate the influence they can have on teenagers, even when teens act as if they are not listening.
Discussions about serious topics such as safe driving should be ongoing during teachable moments that happen every day in natural situations, whether you are eating dinner, driving in the car or watching a movie together.
Teens are reluctant to listen if you sit them down for a five-minute do-this-and-don't-do-that discussion dominated by the adult. Try not to be so distracted yourself that you miss teachable moments about safe driving that could save a teenager's life.
Krista Decker is vice president of Development at Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana. Since 1987, Youth Resources has engaged more than 146,000 youths in leadership development and community service through its evidence-based, youth-led TEENPOWER, Teen Advisory Council, Teen Court and Make A Difference Grant Programs. For more information, call 812-421-0030 or visit www.youth-resources.org.
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The Colonial home is one of the more iconic American home styles and probably the most distinguishable. The style evolved over the years from the Colonial days in New England. The term “Colonial” has several subtypes including; Dutch Colonial, French Colonial, Spanish Colonial and German Colonial. Typically those subtypes are identified by name and “colonial” is referring to the Georgian or New England Colonial style.
Throughout US History there have been waves of Colonial Revival periods where these home styles come back into style. Throughout the years there have been many adaptations to the style, but the distinguishing features remain in tact.
The characteristic feature of this style is the symmetrical balance of the windows and central door. During the Colonial Revival period of the 1970′s it earned a nickname “Five – Four and a Door” from this symmetrical characteristic, typically 5 windows on the 2nd floor, 4 windows on the first floor with a door in the middle.
Dental molding is often seen on these homes as well as window shutters. Siding will vary from brick, stone, and wood clapboards.
A Widow’s Walk is sometimes seen on this homestyle. A Widow’s Walk came about from the age of Sailing vessels. The story is that Maritime wives would use this perch to watch for their husbands returning from Sea, this is how it earned it’s name Widow Walk. These are also called Captain’s Walks.
Some of the most stately and elegant homes are built in this Colonial Style. There were also many of these homes built that are pretty basic. This home style covers the spectrum of price brackets. There are many of these Colonial Revival homes throughout the Twin Cities ranging from really basic to really elegant. Edina, MN has an impressive stock of this architectural style.
No slides are available.
photo credit: wallyg via photopin cc
photo credit: mystuart via photopin cc
photo credit: bill barber via photopin cc
photo credit: StarrGazr via photopin cc
photo credit: InAweofGod’sCreation via photopin cc
- 1690′s-1830 Age of Georgian Colonial House Styles (Architecture Home Designz)
- Roy Cloud’s Redwood City house deemed a historical landmark (mercurynews.com)
- Home Styles: Cape Cod (craigkamman.com)
- Home Styles: Salt Box (craigkamman.com)
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Gut check: Digestive health tips from nutrition expert Keri Glassman
(ARA) - A new survey from The Dannon Company, conducted by StrategyOne, reveals that Americans are making health-conscious decisions about the foods they eat, with six in 10 saying they have made food purchases driven by health concerns. In particular, 43 percent say they have purchased a food to help their digestive system. "While this finding reveals a positive step for many Americans, it also means that more than half of us aren't paying close enough attention to our digestive health", said Dr. Miguel Freitas, Director of Health Affairs for Dannon.
Why is digestive health so important? For starters, the digestive system is where vitamins, nutrients and minerals are absorbed, so it's important to take good care of it. In addition, a healthy and well-functioning digestive system can lead to better overall well-being.
The good news is, there are many steps we can take to improve our digestive health, including easy changes to the foods we buy and eat. Nutrition expert Keri Glassman, founder and president of Nutritious Life and author of the best-selling book, The O2 Diet, shares her simple steps for a healthier digestive system:
* Eat until you're satisfied, not stuffed. When eating a snack or meal, the goal is to feel satiated (the feeling when hunger goes away), not full or uncomfortable. Foods that contain whole grains will help you achieve this feeling while also delivering a strong dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Try adding a helping of vegetables to round out a healthy meal without adding a lot of calories.
* Drink lots of fluids. Fluids can help ease the passage of food through the digestive tract. Drink at least one glass of water at every meal. If you're tired of plain water, add slices of lemons or oranges, or whole berries to pack a punch of flavor without extra calories.
* Choose digestion-friendly foods. Eating foods that contain probiotics ("friendly" bacteria) is an increasingly popular way to improve digestive health. In the Dannon survey, over half of Americans (54 percent) reported that they have consumed products containing probiotics, and two-thirds of these individuals say they consume them often. Seek out products with specific benefits, such as yogurt containing a probiotic culture called Bifidus Regularis, which helps regulate the digestive system when consumed daily for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
* Get moving. Regular exercise, including taking a walk after a meal, is a great way to keep your digestive tract on track. Be sure to stay hydrated before, during, and after a vigorous workout.
* Understand the gut-brain connection. The "gut feeling" isn't just a myth; the gut and brain are closely connected, and if you're feeling stressed, angry, or nervous, it can affect your digestive system. To maintain good digestive health, try to find ways to stay relaxed and stress-free.
To learn more about digestive health and the benefits of probiotics, speak with your health care provider or nutritionist.
If you have any technical difficulties, either with your username and password or with the payment options, please contact us by e-mail at [email protected]
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Sometimes it is none of those.
Here are a few clues that use numbers as mathematical objects and symbols to stand for arithmetic operations.
Can you solve them?
From Alec Robins' book The A.B.C. Of Crosswords:
|⅔ of 1 + ⅔ of 1 – what kind of sign is that? (4)|
From Anatomy of the Crossword by D. St. P. Barnard:
Guardian 25037 (Puck):
|Poor fish eaten by roughly 4.10 (11)|
If you wish to keep track of further articles on Crossword Unclued, you can subscribe to it in a reader via RSS Feed. You can also subscribe by email and have articles delivered to your inbox, or follow me on twitter to get notified of new links.
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| 0.916317 | 170 | 2.625 | 3 |
When atmospheric pressure increases, the sea level is slightly lowered in the highpressure cell. When pressure is lower, the sea level is slightly higher. The changes are only in inches and fractions of inches.
Approximate number of statute miles a cold front moves in a day (more in winter, less in summer). Warm fronts move approximately 200 statute miles a day.
Avoid a storm’s center by tracking its movements in relation to your course by putting your back to the wind and pointing to the left; that’s where the center of the storm lies.
Rule of 1/12
Tides do not rise or fall at an even rate. Divide the tide’s range by 12. A change of 1/12 occurs in the first hour, 2/12 in the second hour, 3/12 in the third hour, 3/12 in the fourth hour, 2/12 in the fifth hour and 1/12 in the sixth.
The Weather Clock
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere as you face the wind, and it changes in a clockwise direction, it is generally an indicator that fair weather is on the way. Counterclockwise movement means just the opposite.
Navigation by Estimation
The attention span of the average helmsman working at peak efficiency is 30 minutes, dropping off considerably until four hours, after which he is more a danger than a helping hand.
In a crossing situation with another boat at night, note the other vessel’s position relative to a low star. If the boat and star don’t separate, take evasive action.
Give ’Em the Fingers
The “three-finger rule” says that when an object, such as a lighthouse or tower, appears as tall as three fingers held sideways at arm’s length, it’s about 10 times as far away as it is tall. If the chart says the lighthouse you see is 150 feet tall, when it appears “three fingers” tall you’re about 1,500 feet or a quarter of a nautical mile away from it.
Since sound travels at a known speed, you can tell how far off an object is by timing your echo. Every second of delay equals 200 yards. Use this in fog or at night against cliffs, buildings or even large ships.
Go to the Light
White navigational lights appear first when approaching a shore at night. Red and green lights have about three-quarters of the range of white ones.
Rule of Thumb
Nautical legend has it that the phrase “rule of thumb” came when ship masters never allowed themselves to get closer to an obstacle than the width of their thumb on a chart.
Edge of the Earth
Distances over the water seem greater than on land. When standing eight feet above the waterline, as you might in the cockpit of a cruiser, the horizon is barely 3¼ miles away. At six feet up, it’s only 2½ miles.
A statute mile is the distance a Roman soldier covered in a thousand (mille in Latin) steps, which is now 5,280 feet. By convention, statute miles are used with charts of inland waters and the Intracoastal Waterway. A nautical mile is 6,076 feet, which corresponds to one minute of latitude, and so makes navigation computations easier.
On most planing boats, stow heavy gear to maintain a center of gravity on plane that's about 60 percent of the boat’s waterline length aft of the bow.
Discharge time for the average fire extinguisher. So aim at the base of the fire and get as close in as you can before discharging. Better yet, carry two or three.
Bow and stern lines should be as long as the boat, spring lines 1.25 times the length. This will accommodate even the most extreme tidal ranges.
The eye splices in your dock lines should be at least two feet long to make them easier to place over a piling and to put less strain on the splice.
Allow one inch of cleat horn length for each one-sixteenth inch of rope diameter. This provides enough room for the rope to make a gentle curve without pinching, which weakens the line.
Hey, Big Fender
How big a fender do you need? A good guide is one inch of diameter for every five feet of overall length. A 25-foot boat needs at least a 5-inchdiameter fender.
* * * * *
The U.S. Coast Guard is asking all boat owners and operators to help reduce fatalities, injuries, property damage, and associated healthcare costs related to recreational boating accidents by taking personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their passengers. Essential steps include: wearing a life jacket at all times and requiring passengers to do the same; never boating under the influence (BUI); successfully completing a boating safety course; and getting a Vessel Safety Check (VSC) annually from local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, United States Power Squadrons(r), or your state boating agency's Vessel Examiners. The U.S. Coast Guard reminds all boaters to "Boat Responsibly!" For more tips on boating safety, visit www.uscgboating.org.
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Atacama Desert Trek Overview:In June and July of 1997, a four year program to develop technologies for space exploration will culminate in the Atacama Desert Trek. The robot Nomad, supervised via satellite from thousands of miles away, will attempt to traverse the Atacama desert while acquiring various forms of geological data. The command center will be at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA, and Nomad's onboard sensors and intelligence will allow it to be operated by the general public.
For the foreseeable future, our explorers to other worlds will be robots. Many questions about controlling robotic explorers, communicating with them over vast distances, and how well they will survive long duration treks and harsh condition, are currently unanswered. Funded by NASA, the Atacama Desert Trek will break new ground in the areas of robotic communication and imagery. Innovative precision pointing of Nomad's antenna to a satellite relay station will provide data rates much greater than previously attainable from a moving platform. With this bandwidth the robot can deliver live 360° panoramic imagery of its surroundings. This imagery will be displayed live on a 10 foot high, 35 foot wide projection screen at the ElectricHorizon theatre in the Science Center.
In the Atacama desert, Nomad will traverse harsh terrain analogous to that found on the Moon and planets. The robot's four wheel drive/four wheel steering locomotion and innovative suspension system will provide effective traction, mobility, and propulsion across loose sands, rocks and soils typical of the Atacama landscape. Unique to Nomad, the chassis expands, increasing the wheel base and track for improved stability over rugged terrain. Nomad also has a visual guidance system that calculates the robot's location by tracking landmarks on the skyline. During periods of lost or degraded communications, Nomad will use its onboard navigation sensors to continue its mission, choosing its own path until communications are reestablished.
The Atacama Desert Trek is moving high performance robotic technologies out of the laboratory and toward space. Beyond its technical objectives, the Atacama Desert Trek will set new standards of public involvement and educational outreach. With capabilities forged in the desert, Nomad will serve as the precursor to robotic explorers destined for other worlds.
Look for more info on the project:
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The special major provides students with an opportunity to design unique courses of study leading to the bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree. When your academic or professional goals are not adequately accommodated by standard University programs, the special major can meet your needs by allowing you to specialize in a field of study which is not offered as a major program by the University.
Bachelor of Arts or Science Programs
Students interested in the special major are encouraged to discuss their plans with the Coordinator of Special Majors and with faculty members in the areas related to their interests. It is expected that for many students such discussions will lead to the identification of standard University programs which will satisfy their academic and professional goals. However, others will find it beneficial to pursue a special major that satisfies their particular needs. The special major is a rigorous interdisciplinary program that is designed to meet individual needs.
Students who wish to pursue a special major should prepare a proposal, in consultation with proposed faculty sponsors, for consideration by a University committee charged with overview of the special major program. Upon approval of the proposal, the student's major will become special major. Students who have declared a special major are required to satisfy all requirements for the awarding of the bachelor's degree, including the General Education requirement.
Master of Arts or Science Programs
A Master of Arts (MA) and a Master of Science (MS) in Interdisciplinary Studies are available through the Graduate School. See the "Graduate Education" section in the University Catalog.
Since special majors are unique programs structured to suit particular educational needs, the objectives of the specific programs vary considerably. The majority of students who develop a special major have definite occupational goals, while others pursue intellectual interests which have little or no direct application to occupational pursuits. The special major provides students the opportunity to secure knowledge and skills necessary in the performance of specific occupations or academic fields of study in which the University does not have an approved degree program. Through this avenue, students have the opportunity to satisfy their unique occupational and intellectual pursuits, while drawing upon the faculty and other resources of the University.
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| 0.951419 | 417 | 2.546875 | 3 |
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University "Pierre et Marie Curie" - Inserm U483
9, quai Saint Bernard
Paris, France 75005
The TiM game engine is dedicated to the development of games specifically designed for visually impaired children. It was created within the framework of The TiM Project (Tactile Interactive Multimedia Games for visually impaired children), funded by the European Commission.
Various games from different categories were designed using this platform. In this paper we will explain first the requirements that conducted the development of the TiM game engine, then we will describe several of the TiM games.
Prior to the start of this development, a preliminary study showed that partially sighted children who had enough visual perception to access mainstream games would not use specific games. Therefore we concentrated our efforts on children who cannot use the ordinary graphical interface because they are totally blind or because their partial sight is very low (<0.05), with or without additional disabilities (slight to moderate). Their ages vary from 3 to 10 years old.
The platform allows to design games that may be adaptable to the visual possibilities of each child, using various devices like: tactile boards, braille displays and keyboards, speech synthesisers, surround audio system, customisable graphical displays (scalable font prints, adjustable colours and contrast...); but also standard devices as speakers, keyboards, mouses, joysticks... There is always a nice graphical interface that is useful to the sighted (parents or peers for instance).
One big constraint was that the games are really games. It seems obvious, but it implies that those games would be very easy to use, and then it was impossible to use standard access technology like screen readers. Indeed those tools allow to do very complex operations with mainstream program, but are very difficult to use. Then the TiM game engine is able to drive directly any kind of specific device.
2. The TiM game engine: Technical summary
The TiM game engine has a multi-layered architecture, which main layers are: the Platform API and Low level modules.
The low level modules are external libraries used by the platform internals to manage each kind of device. The architecture allows to easily update those modules or add a new one corresponding to a new kind of device. We designed specific libraries to access to Braille and tactile board devices (respectively libbraille and libboard), independently of models and manufacturers. We use the Open Audio Library (OpenAL - http://www.openal.org) for playing sounds in standard stereo as well as 5.1 surround system of speakers (OpenAL is a joint effort to create an open, vendor-neutral, cross-platform API for interactive, primarily spatialised audio); and we use Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL - http://libsdl.org) for the low level interaction of the platform with keyboard, mouse and screen (SDL is a cross-platform multimedia library designed to provide fast access to the graphic frame-buffer, audio devices, keyboards and joysticks).
The platform API is organised in many different components. Those components have preexisting functionalities that are provided to the game designer to simplify game design. Given TiM objective of adaptive games, components are very high level objects completely independent of the game representation. The scenario will manipulate only abstract objects, while the data corresponding to each modality are stored in an XML style sheet. The scenario is usually written using the Python programming language.
To give a simple example, the API contains a component 'button'. In the scenario a button is used through an ID. It is possible to create it, to show it, to hide it, to delete it, and to attach an function to do when this button is activated. Then the data corresponding to the graphical description of the button (picture, position...), to its textual content, to its alternative content for Braille, the keyboard shortcut, the different languages, etc... are stored in the style sheet.
The system will decide what data to send to what device according to the devices used by the user, to the language. The game programmer don't have to know anything about software communication with Braille devices for instance.
3. TiM Games
3.1 Reader rabbit's: Toddler
'Reader rabbit's: Toddler' is an adaptation of a mainstream discovery game designed for children from 2 to 4 years old. The child discovers, helped by animals and by music, 9 animated educational games. 6 of these activities were adapted to be used with keyboard and tactile boards (on which tactile sheets with different material, fabrics, leather, Braille labels are sticked).
In one of these games, the user has to find the mother of animals (listening to their voices); in another, he can put together different musical elements to make his own sound...
'MudSplat' is an arcade like game where the player defeats mud throwing monsters by squirting water at them. The player can hear the monsters appearing on a line in front of him; he/she estimates their position (thanks to stereo pan) and has the possibility to move left or right (with keyboard or gamepad); then when he/she thinks a monster is in front of him, he can shoot with a water hose: the monster, who don't like to be clean, disappears. The monsters can also fire throwing mud (if hit, the player will loose one life).
After having defeated a certain number of monsters, the player will reach the next level. 25 levels of increasing difficulty allow skilled player to play for a long time, while beginners can still have fun on easy levels. The main traditional features of arcade games were implemented (like extra lives, levels, bonus objects, bonus levels). A high score list is maintained where the player may insert his name.
'X-tune' is a musical construction game where the player can sequence and play with different sound environments (called 'patches'). A patch consists of 15 sounds from a theme. The player creates music by combining sounds, and by manipulating them (volume, tempo, pan position, sound effects) and arranging them in rhythmical patterns. In X-tune the child simply creates music, using, as he/she likes, sample d instruments or recorder sounds, that he/she may record himself (like "everyday sounds").
3.4 TiM Magic dictation
'TiM's Magic dictation' proposes an implementation, based on the TiM technology, of popular toys that can be found in mainstream toy shops. These toys look like computers and implement lots of activities like find a letter, spell a word, hangman, etc. The level of difficulty increases with the targeted age group, and the kind of activities also varies a lot. The screen of these devices is usually of very low quality and very difficult to use by children with low vision. Obviously they cannot be used at all by blind children. Then the TiM Magic Dictation enables Blind and severely visually impaired children to access this kind of games.
4. To conclude
Several other games are currently under development, like 'Tim's journey': an exploration game where the player solves a mystery in real-time, by exploring a surround sound environment; or a discovery game for the youngest where the child makes an association between sounds and tactile elements.
The next step of the project is to build software tools simplifying the creation of game without any programming skill. The idea is to design templates of games allowing to personalize an existing scenario, by including in it his own resources (sounds, pictures, texts...).
More information at: http://inova.snv.jussieu.fr/tim/
The presentation will let a large part to demonstration of the games.
The TiM project is funded by the European Commission, on the program IST 2000 (FP5 - IST - Systems and Services for the Citizen/Persons with special needs) under the reference IST-2000-25298. The contents of this paper is the sole responsibility of the authors and in no way represents the views of the European Commission or its services. The TiM project participants include: Inserm U483/INOVA from Université Pierre and Marie Curie, coordinator, (France), Les Doigts Qui Rêven t (France), Université du Havre (France), Association BrailleNet (France), Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (Sweden), Sunderland University (United Kingdom), The Swedish Institute for Special Needs Education (Sweden) and Virtua Ltd (UnitedKingdom).
We thank the company 'Mindscape' for allowing the adaptation of the game "Reader rabbit's : Toddler".
Archambault D., Burger D., and Sablé S., The TiM Project: Tactile Interactive Multimedia computer games for blind and visually impaired children, in Assistive Technology -- Added Value to the Quality of Life, In: Marincek C., Bühler C., Knops H., and Andrich R. (eds.), Proceedings of the AAATE'01 Conference, Ljubljana, Slovenia. September 2001, IOS Press Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 359--363
Archambault D. and Sablé S., A Game Engine for Designing Adapted Computer Games for Visually Imapired Children, in CSUN 2003, Technology And Persons With Disabilities Conference 2003, Los Angeles, March 2003. http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2003/proceedings/191.htm
Sablé S. and Archambault D. libbraille: a portable library to easily access Braille displays. Proceedings of ICCHP 2002, 8th International Conference Computer Helping People with Special Needs. Linz Austria July 2002. Springer, LNCS 2398, pp. 345--352. http://libbraille.sourceforge.net
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| 0.91642 | 2,068 | 2.890625 | 3 |
How to Make Bonsai
Hello, thank you for visiting this bonsai tutorial. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to make your first bonsai easily and some basic knowledge of bonsai.
Making and Growing your bonsai
- Bonsai Soil: there are many kinds of it and learning how to mix the bonsai soil can be a little complicated for the beginners. So we should stick to a simple way (read more about the bonsai soil). If you are converting your plant into bonsai style, you can use the soil the plant grew up in. In this tutorial we use Akadama soil and Kanuma soil.
- coarse soil: used to prevent the main soil inside the pot from coming out of the bottom and helps the water to drain. (only needed depending on size and shape of the pot)
- Wires: there are two basic wires for bonsai. Aluminum and Copper. Aluminum wire is softer and easier to use.
- Scissors: really don't need expensive one. You can use the one you have at home and if you want the better one you can buy one then.
- Pliers/Nippers: the one you have at home is just fine. (need it only to cut and bend the wires.)
- Stick: something like chopstick.
- Net: to cover the hole in the pot.
- Pot: any pots are fine. it won't even need to be a pot. You can use a plate, flat plastic lid of something, and... anything you like as a pot! (pots that don't drain water from the bottom are hard for beginners to use.)
- Gloves and newspaper to keep the mess out of your hands and house.
- Green moss: to make your bonsai have umm.. a feeling that I can't explain. I don't know why bonsai looks really good with it!
- The plant: the one you like to have as bonsai style. Without this you can't make anything.
2 Mixing the soils
Ratio of Akadama soil to Kanuma soil is 7:3
(Akadama soil 7, Kanuma soil 3)
The difference between Akadama And Kanuma
Akadama soil High waterholding capacity and drainage/air conductivity at the same time. Soil type is slight acidity and no nutrition.
Kanuma soil More like pumice than soil. Higher drainage than akadama and high air conductivity. Soil type is acidity and no nutrition.(best use for plants that like acidity condithion like azaleas.)
These are the most common mix of bonsai and keep the soil to be high waterholding, high air conductivity and high drainage.
I recommend hard ones because they won't break so easy and last long inside pot and keep the plant healthy.
The the mixing ratio is up to the plant based on whether it likes more/less acidity etc.
3 Preparing and working on the wires and the net
if you are using your favorite plate or pot that doesn't have a hole on the bottom you can skip this part.
Cut the wire and net
and put them in the pot
To keep the net in place:
- insert the wire so the legs go through the net and out the bottom of the pot
- bend the looped part of the wire in opposite directions to lay flat against the net.(You can bend the looped part before inserting as well.)
- bend the wire sticking out against the pot
Extra wiring if needed:
In case your plant is too big or might not be stable in your pot, put an extra wire from the bottom so you can tie the plant. the length of the wire is up to the size of your plant. Don't worry so much about this. Just prepare the wire with the length you feel comfortable working with(not too short though). If it's too long you can cut it later anyways.
Put the extra wire from the bottom and curve it along the inside of the pot.
Wiring is a little hard but better to practice whenever you have the chance!
4 Putting the Coarse soil
Coarse soil is ,as mentioned in preparation above, used to prevent the main soil inside the pot from coming out of the bottom and helps the water to drain. (only needed depending on size and shape of the pot). if you are using a pot with no hole or flat pot with hole that doesn't have much room for the main soil to fit in you don't need this coarse soil. Keep the room for man soil.
5 Cut extra branch and leaves
Before you take out the plant you should cut the extra branch and leaves a little bit before you take it out (the main trimming is after you put it in the new pot). It's easier to handle the plant later this way.
6 Getting the plant ready for the new pot
Take out the plant and take off the old soil using a stick. If the soil is too hard you can put it in water and leave it a while so the soil comes off easily. ( don't need to take all the soil off.) and cut the extra roots if its too big for your pot. (more about root cutting, read here)
7 Wiring the root and put a little bit of the main soil( the one you prepared). in this tutorial, a mix of akadama and kanuma soil
Put the plant in the pot and tie it with the wire.
Put the soil little by little and make sure the soil goes everywhere between all the small roots in the pot using the stick, when you do this you can stick it from the top to the bottom of the pot with the stick so you know the soil is getting everywhere. (careful not to damage the root.)
8 Fill the pot with the soil up to 80% of the pot
make sure the soil is filled equally in the pot
9 Watering your new bonsai style plant!
don't know how much of water?
First, you see brown water coming out and later it'll look more clear (no more dirty brown water). That's the cue and you'll see water coming out of the bottom like this. ( read more about bonsai watering. )
getting tired? hang in there! almost done!
10 Inserting green moss.
Let's play with a softy,mossy feeling green moss!
Put it tight in the pot so they wont come out. (bonsai somehow looks good with green moss but its okay not to use it, you can use some other colored small soil to cover the surface to make it look good too.)
When you prepare green moss, cut the green moss a little bit bigger than your pot and smush it in your pot so it fits.
11 Tada! Done!
how do you like your first bonsai? cute and cool right?
there's more to discover about bonsai but this should be enough for the start.
hope you enjoyed this bonsai tutorial.
see ya and happy bonsai!Pictures by NICOGUSA. A lot of thanks!
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| 0.938417 | 1,499 | 2.875 | 3 |
The Washington Teacher Performance Assessment (WTPA) is being developed as the Washington version of a nationally available assessment of readiness to teach for novices. The national assessment is focused on student learning and is designed around the principles applied by successful teachers:
The Washington version adds a state emphasis of involving students in their own learning process and providing student-voice evidence. As a performance-based assessment, the Washington TPA is designed to engage candidates in demonstrating their understanding of teaching and student learning in authentic, experiential ways.
As a participant in this assessment, you will have an opportunity to develop a collection of materials that represents the ways in which you impact student learning in your “student teaching” classroom or other instructional settings. When developing your materials, you will be prompted to synthesize what you have learned throughout your preparation program and apply it with the students you currently teach. Your Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) evidence will demonstrate your current abilities, knowledge, and skills as a beginning teacher on your way to becoming a highly accomplished teacher.
In this assessment, you will describe, analyze, and evaluate the teaching of a series of 3–5 science lessons (or, if teaching science within a large time block, about 3–5 hours of connected instruction) referred to as a learning segment. The learning segment should provide opportunities for students to develop and monitor their abilities to use science concepts and scientific inquiry skills to explain a real-world phenomenon as well as precise communication.
You will complete three tasks for edTPA assessment:
To complete the assessment, you will submit artifacts and commentaries as evidence of how you planned and implemented instruction to deepen student learning in science. Artifacts represent authentic work completed by you and your students. These include lesson plans, copies of instructional and assessment materials, video clips of your teaching, student-voice evidence, and student work samples.
The commentaries are your opportunity to describe your artifacts, explain the rationale behind their use, collect student-voice evidence about their learning progress, and analyze and reflect on what you’ve learned about your teaching practice and your students’ learning. In each commentary, you will respond to prompts to provide evidence of what you know and understand about your students and their learning. Note that although your writing ability will not be scored directly, commentaries must be clearly written and well focused.
When preparing your artifacts and commentaries, refer to the rubrics frequently to guide your thinking, planning, and writing. Refer to the Secondary Science Evidence Chart for information about how your evidence should be formatted for electronic submission.
The evidence you submit will be judged on six dimensions of teaching:
Evidence for the planning, instruction, assessment, and analyzing teaching dimensions will come from the corresponding tasks. Evidence for the academic language dimension will come from the Planning and either the Instruction or Assessment tasks. Evidence for the student-voice dimension will come from all tasks.
The rubrics used to score your performance on the TPA are included in the handbook and are linked electronically to each task. The descriptors in the five-level rubrics address a wide range of performance representing the knowledge and skills of a novice not ready to teach (Level 1) to the advanced practices of a highly accomplished beginner (Level 5).
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http://www.cwu.edu/teacher-performance/secondary-science
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en
| 0.950514 | 661 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Bartow Emergency Management Agency Director Johnny Payne said that in honor of Severe Weather Awareness Week, which has been declared by Gov. Nathan Deal for the week of Feb. 6-10, the alerts will be activated so that citizens can practice their plans and be better prepared when a real emergency strikes.
"People should always have a plan," Payne said. "There's information on our website that can help people make a plan and be safe."
Each day of Severe Weather Awareness Week will be celebrated uniquely to express the differences between reactions to various disasters. Today marks the importance of family preparedness and weather radios.
"Stock up on non-perishables like canned goods and always have a weather radio," Payne said. "Get a can opener that's not electric."
According to Deal's news release, good items to have in an emergency ready kit include: at least three gallons of water per person in the household for three days to be used for drinking and sanitation, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food, battery powered or hand crank weather radio, flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit, a whistle to signal for help, face masks to help filter contaminated air, plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in place, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for sanitation, wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, local maps, blankets and warm clothes.
Tuesday will be set aside for thunderstorm safety awareness. Watching the sky and looking for darkening skies, flashes of lightning and increasing wind can help warn of any severe activity. According to the Bartow EMA website, if residents can hear thunder, they are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning and should find a safe shelter immediately.
EMA warns of avoiding metal pipes and telephone lines that conduct electricity and unplugging appliances. Other means of avoiding harm include waiting to take a bath, shower or running water and turning off the air conditioner as power surges can overload the compressor. Drawing blinds and shades over windows can offer protection if the windows break from high winds.
Similar to thunderstorm safety, preparing for a tornado is an important step to take as well. To help citizens prepare for the terrible storm, the National Weather Service will issue a drill on Wednesday with sirens blaring through every county.
During tornadoes, the EMA recommends having a safe place for the family to take cover when a tornado is said to be heading for the area. If a home does not have a basement, a center hallway, bathroom or uncluttered closet can be good places to hide.
Like thunderstorms, watching the local weather radar can help in determining how close a storm is to the resident's home. When alerts sound, it is important to know that a tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for a tornado to form. A warning means that a tornado has been spotted in the area and shelter should be sought immediately. Watches and warnings are issued by county.
If a watch is declared, a tornado may still form without a warning. Watching weather conditions closely and looking for blowing debris or the sound of a freight train -- the sound a tornado reportedly makes -- are signs that residents should take cover.
Also coinciding with thunderstorm and tornado preparedness, Thursday will be dedicated to lightning safety. The Bartow EMA warns against being near trees, poles or metal objects when lightning flashes. Squatting low to the ground if a citizen is caught outside during a storm can make them a smaller target. However, laying flat on the ground covers more surface, thus making the person a larger target for strikes.
If someone is struck by lightning, call 911 immediately. The victim carries no electrical charge, so it is safe to handle them for first aid treatment, but the person has received an electrical shock and may be burned in the area where they were struck and where the electricity left their body.
Wrapping up the week, knowledge of flood safety is encouraged as most heavy storms also bring heavy rains and flooding. According to the EMA, being aware of flood zones throughout the area and having flood insurance can be helpful. Also, a flood can take several hours or days to develop, but a flash flood can occur within minutes. As with tornadoes, a flood watch means there is a possibility for heavy rains to overload lakes, rivers and creeks while a warning means that flooding is already occurring or will happen soon.
To be safe during a flood, as with all storms, the EMA recommends keeping at least a half a tank of gas in the family vehicle in case an evacuation is issued and keep important documents or valuables in a water and fire proof box. Even if flooding has begun without a warning, the EMA suggests evacuating the area as an extra precaution and not to drive around barricades. If a car stalls in swiftly rising waters, the EMA says to abandon it and climb to higher ground.
In an effort to alert Georgians to severe weather faster, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency has developed an application for smart phones called Ready Georgia. The title reflects a statewide campaign for emergency preparedness and the application offers safety tips and emergency plans.
Further information on the application and campaign can be found at www.ready.ga.gov. Also, more information and tips can be found at the Bartow EMA website at www.bartowga.org.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.daily-tribune.com/view/full_story/17410870/article-Be-safe-during-severe-weather--Gov--Deal-declares-awareness-week
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en
| 0.948113 | 1,102 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the first six months of life treated with sulfonylurea.
Children who are dependent on insulin injections could now be treated with tablets after researchers at Plymouth's Peninsula Medical School discovered a new, genetic cause of diabetes. The researchers published a paper showing that mutations in the gene responsible for the insulin producing beta-cells was a common cause of diabetes in children diagnosed in the first six months of life.
Some cases of neonatal diabetes result from activating mutations in the ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K-ATP), an international research team reports. Their studies suggest that sulfonylurea treatment may restore insulin secretion in such patients.
Although the diabetes has a genetic cause in 80 per cent of the children, they will still be the first person in their families with diabetes.
Before this discovery children with this type of diabetes would have to take insulin injections for the rest of their life.
But the Peninsula Medical School team, working with scientists throughout the world, have shown that patients with the genetic type of diabetes can respond to sulfonylurea tablets.
They are normally used by elderly patients with diabetes and had never been considered in children who were not secreting any insulin.
The research was led by Professor Andrew Hattersley and funded by the Wellcome Trust and Diabetes UK. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Prof Hattersley said: "We have shown that more than one third of patients diagnosed with diabetes before the age of six months will have diabetes because of a change in the potassium channel gene.
"It is very exciting that finding the cause of the diabetes in these children has resulted in the real possibility of stopping insulin injections."
Even more remarkably, the cure had already been discovered by accident in Brazil four decades ago, when a baby was given the drug in desperation, because no insulin was available. He is still alive 46 years later, and his example shows that the drug can free children born with the rare form of diabetes from a lifetime of injections, as well as helping to advance understanding of the more common forms of the disease.
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en
| 0.962983 | 432 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Schools, child care programs, worksites, and communities can work together to share land and develop a shared garden space. When groups formalize such a relationship, it’s called a joint-use agreement. Joint use gardens have the potential to:
- Increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables
- Help community members save money spent on fresh produce
- Provide opportunities to share fruit and veggie nutrition information, recipes, and cooking skills
- Increase physical activity
- Connect people of different ages, races, incomes, and ethnicities
- Build community connections
- Reclaim and beautify abandoned property
- Teach business and life skills
- Provide donations of surplus produce to food shelters
American Community Gardening Association offers leadership-development training and suggests how to raise funds for training.
CitySprouts addresses schoolyard gardening in public schools.
Community Gardening in New Hampshire: From the Ground Up explains how to organize a community garden, highlights five New Hampshire examples, identifies helpful resources and provides a glossary.
Cultivating Community Gardens: The Role of Local Government in Creating Healthy, Livable Neighborhoods
Early Sprouts is a 24-week seed-to-table curriculum for preschool children.
Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina: Growing Communities through Gardens is a planning and resource guide for anyone who is thinking about starting a community garden. The guide describes a community garden, its benefits, how to find or start a garden and tips for growing, storing, preparing and enjoying fruits and vegetables. It also highlights state and national gardening resources.
Edible Schoolyard Project provides how-to gardening information, recipes, classroom lessons, and inspiration from program across the nation and around the world.
Establishing Land Use Protections for Community Gardens: A Fact Sheet for Advocates
Got Dirt? Garden Tool Kit for Implementing Youth Gardens
Ground Rules: A Legal Tool Kit for Community Gardens helps overcome legal and practical barriers to establishing community gardens on land that is not municipally owned. Provides model agreements and other documents that can easily be customized to simplify building an agreement that benefits both landowners and the community.
Joint Use Agreements
- Checklist for Developing a Joint Use Agreement
- Cultivating Community Gardens: The Role of Local Government in Creating Healthy, Livable Neighborhoods
- Establishing Protections for Community Gardens
- Opening School Grounds to the Community After Hours - a tool kit for increasing physical activity
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/nhp/healthygardens.htm
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| 0.894504 | 500 | 3.75 | 4 |
Researchers have found that a current HIV drug called maraviroc could be a potential therapy for Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogen linked to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations each year as well as being a common hospital ‘superbug’.
According to the research brief, the HIV drug blocks the entry of HIV (human immune-deficiency virus) into cells. This includes cells that can initiate an immune response and help the body to fight in infection. Research has shown that the drug can also block certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus from entering cells.
What is remarkable is that it is unusual for a drug to be effective against a bacterium and one to be effective against a virus to target the same cell receptor.
Staphylococcus aureus causes toxic shock syndrome, pneumonia, and food poisoning, among other illnesses, and is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics (making it one of the so-termed ‘superbugs’).
Based on these findings, the investigators aim to run future human clinical trials will determine whether drugs that block CCR5, such as maraviroc, could help the immune system to control the infection and potentially save lives.
The study was carried out by the NYU School of Medicine and was published in Nature. The research was a collaborative effort between Dr. Torres, a bacteriologist, and immunologist Derya Unutmaz, MD, associate professor of microbiology and pathology and medicine.
The drug maraviroc was developed by the drug company Pfizer in its UK labs located in Sandwich.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/339350
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en
| 0.962739 | 329 | 3.515625 | 4 |
Vitamin B12 is required for important biological functions like red blood cell production, nervous system function, and DNA synthesis. Deficiency in B12 can cause a variety of problems including anemia, depression, confusion, fatigue, digestive issues, and nerve damage.
Vitamin B12 is scarce in plant-based diets, and is a common deficiency, especially in the elderly. Of course, diets low in animal products and high in unrefined plant foods dramatically reduce the risk of chronic disease, but these healthful diets do require a supplemental source of vitamin B12. The rates of deficiency increase with age, and about 20% of adults over the age of 60 are either insufficient or deficient in vitamin B12. Recent research has suggested that the current recommendations for B12 intake may be inadequate – not just for the elderly, but even for young people who have adequate absorption capability. Therefore supplementation with vitamin B12 is likely important for most people, and absolutely required for most vegans to achieve sufficient B12 status.
When vitamin B12 takes part in DNA synthesis, it helps to convert the amino acid homocysteine to methionine, therefore lowering homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Since B12 is important for nervous system function, and many cardiovascular disease risk factors are also risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, scientists hypothesized that adequate vitamin B12 levels would be protective, and elevated homocysteine would be detrimental with respect to the development of Alzheimer’s. They investigated the relationship between homocysteine, B12, and Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis in a group of 271 healthy older persons (65-79 years of age) over the course of 7 years. Elevated homocysteine was associated with increased risk, and increased B12 with decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Future studies will evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin B12 supplementation as a preventive measure against dementia, but we don’t need to wait for those results – we already know that B12 is an important supplement to take, and Alzheimer’s prevention may turn out to be an added benefit of maintaining adequate B12 levels.
A health-promoting diet is the most effective way to maintain excellent health and protect against chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. But in order to enjoy the strongest protection possible, it is just as important to prevent deficiencies of certain nutrients that may be sub-optimal in an overall health-promoting diet, such as vitamin B12, zinc, DHA, and vitamin D, by taking the necessary supplements.
1. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12. November 18, 2010]; Available from: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12/.
2. Allen, L.H., How common is vitamin B-12 deficiency? Am J Clin Nutr, 2009. 89(2): p. 693S-6S.
3. Bor, M.V., et al., Daily intake of 4 to 7 microg dietary vitamin B-12 is associated with steady concentrations of vitamin B-12-related biomarkers in a healthy young population. Am J Clin Nutr, 2010. 91(3): p. 571-7.
4. Hooshmand, B., et al., Homocysteine and holotranscobalamin and the risk of Alzheimer disease: a longitudinal study. Neurology, 2010. 75(16): p. 1408-14.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/cat-multivitamin.html
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en
| 0.908618 | 742 | 3.3125 | 3 |
The UnBabyBoomer - You are called a boomer but you just don't feel that old.
Generation Jones is a term typically used to describe the younger baby boomer generation (people born between 1954 and 1965). The term was brought to life by cultural historian Jonathan Pontell to help explain what he considered a generation lost between Gen X and the Baby Boomers.
Generation Jones stems from the line “keeping up with the Joneses” and marks a competitive generation. Individuals born in these years typically had children early, are internet and technologically savvy (despite the reputation of not being so, due largely to their older Baby Boomer counterparts) and were one of the first generations to look at their work more as a career than a job. Many Jonesers feel they share some things with Gen X and some things with Boomers, but they feel there are some major differences. Over 80% of people born between 1954-1965 say they fell “in-between” these two generations. Because of this, usage of the Generation Jones term is growing rapidly. In fact, Yale University now teaches Generation Jones in a course called: Managing a Multiple Generation Workforce.
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<urn:uuid:739315cc-c95d-4fbe-941f-c7353bbe1211>
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http://www.divergentplanning.com/generation-jones
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en
| 0.977844 | 241 | 2.90625 | 3 |
(Caution - boring civics lesson to follow...)
Here's an example of how the voting goes in individual states, and also of the typical CITY vs COUNTRYSIDE divide in this country. It's a random example, in the state of Indiana which at 11AM NY time today was just
called for Obama.
If you click on this link, http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html
, and then
click on the state of Indiana (it's a blue state (the Democrat color) along the top of the country, about 1/3 over from the far right, abbreviation "Ind." for those who aren't as familiar with the map), you'll see that Obama only won 15 out of what looks like 150 or 200 counties. The rest of the counties are red, red, and red (Red is the Republican color)! But, these blue counties are the ones with the large population centers (cities), and since states are winner takes all, all of Indiana's electoral votes go to the blue candidate, Obama.
Digging deeper, if you click on a red county, you can see that even though they are red, some are quite close - 49.9% to 49.1%, etc. So, even if Obama didn't get a majority of a red county, he got some
votes there that contributed to his overall statewide vote and victory.
Besides apparently having good ideas and a good character, he was a great campaigner!
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=6472.msg194259
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| 0.968094 | 311 | 2.59375 | 3 |
|Check Out DNA Fingerprint Plus $300|
If you ask this question of the archeological establishment today, the answer you are likely to receive is something like "Darned, if we know!"
Whoever they were, they appeared and disappeared suddenly with about 1500 years in between. Phoenix where the Salt and Gila rivers meet was their center, and the site of the present-day Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeological Park near Sky Harbor is believed to have been their capital city, with an area population at its height of 50,000 people--the greatest civilization of North America, excluding Mexico.
Their name means "the vanished ones" in the modern Pima Indian or O'odham language. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community located in the metropolitan Phoenix area now occupy the Hohokam homeland, although they and the related Papago (Tohono or Desert O'odham) are ambivalent about whether they are the descendants or conquerors of the Hohokam.
Harold Sterling Goodwin, who first discovered the Hohokam in his excavations of Snaketown in the 1920s, thought they were a Central American culture like the Maya or Zapotec. It is true that when they showed up about a century before the Common Era, they brought pottery, corn and beans agriculture and sophisticated canal irrigation, and that none of these arts indicate any preliminary or introductory stages of development in the Arizona archeological record. It would be 800 more years before the truly indigenous Indians (called Basketweavers) acquired pottery and the other appurtenances of civilization, including the village architecture we call Puebloan.
A giant in Southwestern archeology, Goodwin fell from grace in the 1940s when he had the audacity to disagree about the emerging picture of Basketweaver-Pueblo-Spanish cultural phases and persist in a diffusionist theory of prehistory emphasizing Austronesian migrations rather than Asiatic influences. He went on to write a synthesis of American Indian studies titled A History of the Ancient Southwest (1957), a straightforward survey of the ancient civilizations that were overrun by the Uto-Aztecan, Navajo and Apache intruders beginning about 1100.
Another bad boy of academia, Barry Fell, believed the Hohokam came from the Middle East and North Africa, where they had perfected adobe construction and canal irrigation of crops. Fell pointed to the parallels between Pima and Papago and Berber languages.
The Salt and Gila Rivers ran year round when the Hohokam built their system of government and katchina-based religion. Some of the canals were 50 feet wide and 16 miles long. There were four or more networks of irrigation canals totaling more than a thousand miles long. Since they built grass huts and caliche-plastered mud mounds and villages, though, the footprint of the Hohokam today is mostly melted away by erosion, and their earliest habitation spots are forever lost in the changing shoreline. They used few timbers, so tree-ring chronologies cannot be applied to them.
Thus the Hohokam are likely to remain permanent mysteries to us. But a little hint: if you read their name as Semitic, it means "Sea Peoples." Snaketown can be understood as "boat-town" as well as the modern local Indians' calque "place where there are lots of rattlesnakes."
Their genetic signature, at any event, seems to be haplogroup B, like the Maya, other Pueblo Indians and Southeast Asians.
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http://www.dnaconsultants.com/_blog/DNA_Consultants_Blog/tag/Pima_Indians/
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en
| 0.957049 | 744 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Is Seeing Believing?
Horizon explores the weird and wonderful world of illusions – and reveals the tricks they play on our senses and misleading.
We show how easy it is to trick the senses of taste, changing the colors of the food and drink, which explains how you can change is what you hear, and see how unreliable our sense of color can be.
But all this deception has a serious purpose. It is helping scientists to create a new understanding of how our senses work – not all the individual senses, but interconnected.
Bring out the intriguing possibility that a sense could be assigned to another. This is what happened to Daniel Kish, who lost his sight as a child.
Now she is able to create a world view, click your tongue allowing it like a bat echolocation.
And in a series of magnetic resonance imaging, scientists are now trying to find out if the brains of Daniel may have actually rewired itself that lets you use sound to create a visual image of the world.
Is Seeing Believing?,
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<urn:uuid:2458d010-571c-42a8-a5c4-08e045046403>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.documentarytube.com/is-seeing-believing
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en
| 0.928008 | 212 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Gene Variant May Raise Risk of Common Eye Disease
MONDAY April 12, 2010 -- Two new studies provide more evidence of a genetic link between an eye disease that affects millions of older people and the regulation of so-called "good" cholesterol in the body.
The researchers don't fully understand the connection, nor are they near finding better treatments for the eye disease, known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Still, they say the results could lead to future advances.
Scientists had been exploring the cholesterol-eye disease link for some time, noted Anand Swaroop, an investigator with the National Eye Institute and lead author of one of the reports. "But somehow, their studies did not get much attention. Hopefully now the genetic evidence is so strong that people will explore those possibilities in much more detail," Swaroop said.
An estimated 10 million or more people in the United States develop AMD each year, including about 25 percent of people over the age of 65 and 30 percent to 35 percent of those over 75, Swaroop said. The disease affects an area of the retina known as the macula, causing people to lose the ability to see in the central area of their field of vision.
"You cannot see straight," Swaroop explained. In the most severe cases, "you cannot drive, and you cannot do day-to-day things in life."
For some patients, the disease can cause blindness.
The cause appears to be a blend of genes and environment. "Genes alone do not cause the disease, and environment alone cannot cause the disease," Swaroop said.
In the new studies, researchers examined the genetic makeup of hundreds of people with and without age-related macular degeneration. Those with the condition turned out to share a particular variant of a gene known as LIPC, which regulates the metabolism of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the blood.
But what is the link, exactly? It's not clear if high levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol might somehow boost a person's risk of developing the eye disease. That would create a complication if treatments designed to prevent the eye disease harmed cardiovascular health by lowering levels of "good" cholesterol. The reverse -- a treatment that boosted HDL cholesterol but also raised the risk of the eye disease -- would be a problem, too.
In any case, the researchers believe there isn't a direct cause-and-effect relationship, in which the genes in question cause both high levels of good cholesterol and raise the risk of the eye disease.
It's possible that the eye disease might have something to do with how the body transports nutrients in the blood, said Dr. Johanna Seddon, co-author of the other study and director of Tufts University Medical Center's Ophthalmic Epidemiology and Genetics Service.
Or, she said, a third factor might be involved.
In the big picture, said Swaroop, "we know today a lot more than we knew last month and last year." But that doesn't mean a better treatment -- or a cure -- for the eye disease is around the corner.
The studies are published in the April 12-16 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For more about age-related macular degeneration, try the National Eye Institute.
Posted: April 2010
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| 0.95515 | 691 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Hindu Funeral Customs
Most Hindus choose to dispose of a person's body through cremation — usually within a day of the death. In Hinduism, death applies only to the physical body; there is no death of the soul.
Hindus don't believe in the resurrection of the material body. They believe that upon death, the soul, which truly represented the person, has departed or detached. The body has no significance and, therefore, no attempt is made to preserve it.
While some Hindus do bury their dead, the most common practice is to cremate the body, collect the ashes, and on the fourth day, disperse the ashes in a sacred body of water or other place of importance to the deceased person.
Hindu funeral rites will vary among families and locations, but here are some common customs:
Mourners at a Hindu funeral wear simple, white, casual clothes. Dress down, not up.
A priest or oldest son (or other male) of the family preside at the service.
You'll hear prayers and hymns
You'll see lots of flowers on the body. You can also send flowers to the family or funeral home before the service — don't bring the flowers with you to the funeral. Sending food is inappropriate.
The casket will be open, and all mourners are expected to quietly view it.
Many families celebrate the departed life on the twelfth or thirteenth day after the funeral. A feast marks appreciation for the life of the deceased and the day when the soul completes its travels through a ghost world and reaches the land of the ancestors.
According to Hindu scripture (called the Bhagavad Gita), the soul is a spirit that a sword cannot pierce, the fire cannot burn, the water cannot melt, and the air cannot dry. The soul is free, unbounded, holy, pure, and perfect. The Hindu's goal is to avoid rebirth (reincarnation) so that the individual soul merges with the Supreme Soul and achieves moksha (liberation).
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| 0.935708 | 422 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Researchers at Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been testing different kinds of particleboard, fiberboard and extruded lumber made from manure. The waste is first processed in an "anaerobic digester" which breaks down the manure in a contained fashion. Methane gas and liquid fertilizer are the useful byproducts that come from this process, and now, the solid component is finding a use.
The product is being manufactured using processed, sterilized manure in place of wood chips. Combining the material with resins and applying heat and pressure, as is done with the wood-based versions of these products, results in a board that has equal or better structural properties than the wood-based versions.
"It appears that the fibers interlock with each other better than wood," said Charles Gould at Michigan State's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "We end up with, I think, a superior material." (msnbc)
This is a literal example of a waste stream becoming a source of raw material for another process. We'll see if this becomes a viable commercial product or if the *ewwww* factor is just too much for consumers to bear.
written by Janis Mara, March 23, 2007
written by linda, April 10, 2007
written by diplas, February 08, 2008
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| 0.955493 | 282 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Posted on 26 October 2009.
CANBERRA, Australia, Oct. 26 (UPI) — Oil leaking into the Timor Sea from the Montara rig could be five times faster than previously thought.
The spill began Aug. 21 after an accident on PTTEP Australasia’s offshore rig nearly 100 miles off the remote Western Australian coast, known for its rich marine environment.
PTTEP estimates that between 300 and 400 barrels of oil a day is pouring into the ocean, but the Australian Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism said Thursday it could be as much as 2,000 barrels a day. Conservationists estimate that the oil is covering an area of at least 5,800 square miles.
A fourth attempt to intercept the leak has been unsuccessful and is now planned for Tuesday. When the accident occurred, PTTEP had estimated it would take 50 days to plug the leak, 1.6 miles below the seabed.
Australia’s federal environment minister, Peter Garrett, said he was confident everything possible was being done to stop the oil leak.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said that the cost of the cleanup had reached more than $5 million. PTTEP has agreed to meet the costs.
The opposition’s spokesman for environment Greg Hunt called for the government to bring in international experts to deal with the situation.
“It’s been nine and a half weeks of complacency, nine and a half weeks of belching oil and nine and a half weeks of continued failure,” Hunt told the Australian Broadcasting System. He said the spill is a marine disaster of epic proportions and the federal government is “ignoring it”.
“It’s an out of sight out of mind philosophy. If this spill were occurring off the coast of Sydney or Melbourne the federal government would be up in arms,” Hunt said.
Following a three-day expedition through the polluted waters, WWF Director of Conservation Gilly Llewellyn said, “There were times when we were literally in a sea of oil from left to right and as far as we could see ahead of us — it was heavily oiled water and it was sickening because in this we were seeing dolphins surfacing.”
Llewellyn stressed that, based on previous oil disasters, the damage from Montara will be long lasting. “We know that oil can be a slow and silent killer. Impacts from the Exxon Valdez disaster are still being seen 20 years later, so we can expect this environmental disaster will continue to unfold for years to come,” she said.
Meanwhile, on Friday PTTEP took control of five new exploration licenses, giving PTTEP access to an additional 571 square miles of Australian waters near the leaking Montara rig. Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson and Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board supported the $11 million purchase of new oil assets.
Australian Marine Conservation Society spokesman Darren Kindleysides said PTTEP’s track record should have been considered before access was granted to new oil fields.
“Clearly PTTEP’s track record has been pretty shabby in recent months,” Kindleysides said, The Age reports. “Major questions still hang unanswered over why this spill happened and why it hasn’t been plugged yet.”
Despite concerns about the impact of the two-month oil leak, the Australian government stressed that the company would be “treated the same as any other company.”
“PTTEP is a major international oil company with strong technical capability and financial capacity,” said government spokesman Michael Bradley.
“The causes of the Montara well leak are unknown at this stage. … PTTEP will continue to be treated by government on a non-discriminatory basis in its activities and operations here in Australia,” Bradley said.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International
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| 0.96972 | 812 | 2.578125 | 3 |
If you're a teacher, this course will show you how to create an exciting and enriching experience for your students. You'll learn a wide variety of simple, field-tested, and easy to apply techniques that will make the most of the computer in your classroom.
In this course, your instructor will work with you to assess your knowledge of computer use and to help you set goals for yourself so that you achieve the highest level of personal benefit from this course.
Simple classroom management ideas will help you maximize your classroom time for learning. You'll also discover powerful ideas and interesting web sites that you can immediately use to enhance your language arts, math, science, and social studies curriculum. You will discover pointers on using email and the Internet effectively to increase your students' understanding and learning in all content areas.
Click here to enroll today! >>
Session Start Dates:
Education To Go is the industry leader in online learning. Through a unique partnership
with over 1,800 colleges and universities, we provide the highest quality non credit
continuing education courses. These monthly courses are both affordable and accessible-regardless
of where you live or work.
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| 0.920595 | 234 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Why should I report data to EDDMapS?
A key component in an invasive species Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) program is the development of species distribution maps. Entering and tracking locations of invasives within and between states can identify the "leading edge" of invasive plants heading our way. This gives each of us a chance to implement Early Detection and Rapid Response programs in our area. These EDRR programs allow us to stop or minimize an invasive plant before it becomes a "kudzu" kind of problem and allows land managers and agencies to prioritize control needs and strategies while populations are still small.
The Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System, or EDDMapS, is a web-based mapping system for invasive species distribution that is fast and easy to use and doesn't require GIS experience or software. Using standardized on-line data forms, you can add specific information about the infestation and images to the EDDMapS database. This database aggregates data from other mapping projects and cooperators to display invasive species distribution at county, state and national level scales.
Gathering the information is as simple as taking pictures of the invasive plant and noting the location. Location information can be determined by taking the GPS coordinates on-site, or by using the EDDMapS on-line map functions to locate the point of the infestation.
You can keep track of your personal observations on EDDMapS. This provides you an easy way to look at your observations and keep records for your personal use. And can help you answer questions about species you saw and when and where you saw them.
EDDMapS can also be used as a tool to document and follow treatment programs. By keeping track of an infestation site that has been treated you can find it again and ensure the site has been successfully eliminated or see that it needs treated again.
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| 0.920229 | 384 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Craft a Simple Stick Sled
Reuse old cardboard boxes and popsicle sticks to create a miniature sled that is perfect for pretend play with dolls or action figures. Ignite the imagination of your young child with this three dimensional usable art project! The Craft Stick Sled activity will help your little builder to explore structure and form, recognize shapes and colors, and develop important math skills such as counting. Compare and contrast this mini-model sled with the real thing for an added lesson on scale.
What You Need:
- Reused cardboard box (cereal or cracker boxes will work well)
- Crayon, marker, or pencil
- Popsicle or craft sticks
- Hole punch
- Felt, fabric scraps, or foil
- Paint and brushes (optional)
What to Do:
- Ask your child to draw a rectangle on the cardboard. This will be the base for the sled. Discuss size and scale. It may be helpful to use a small doll or action figure for reference.
- Help your child to cut out the rectangle.
- Punch two holes with the hole punch near the front of the rectangle. The yarn will go through these for the sled pull.
- Using glue, attach the popsicle or craft sticks to the cardboard rectangle in rows. As your child is gluing, ask him to count the number of sticks that it takes to fill the cardboard. Try not to glue over the holes.
- Help your child to feed the yarn through the holes. Tie the yarn in a knot.
- Have your child decorate the sled with felt, fabric, or foil that is glued on top
- Use paints in a variety of colors to add an extra special effect (optional)
- Place a doll or action figure on top, and watch as your child imagines a snowy adventure!
Although this activity results in a fun winter inspired play toy, it is not constructed from materials that will withstand the outdoor elements. This sled craft should be used indoors for pretend winter play, and not outside in the real snow.
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| 0.865855 | 423 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Why is Play Important? Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Creative Development (page 3)
Social and Emotional Development
During play, children also increase their social competence and emotional maturity. Smilansky and Shefatya (1990) contend that school success largely depends on children’s ability to interact positively with their peers and adults. Play is vital to children’s social development. It enables children to do the following:
- Practice both verbal and nonverbal communication skills by negotiating roles, trying to gain access to ongoing play, and appreciating the feelings of others (Spodek & Saracho, 1998).
- Respond to their peers’ feelings while waiting for their turn and sharing materials and experiences (Sapon-Shevin, Dobbelgere, Carrigan, Goodman, & Mastin, 1998; Wheeler, 2004).
- Experiment with roles of the people in their home, school, and community by coming into contact with the needs and wishes of others (Creasey, Jarvis, & Berk, 1998; Wheeler, 2004).
- Experience others’ points of view by working through conflicts about space, materials, or rules positively (Smilansky & Shefatya, 1990; Spodek & Saracho, 1998).
Play supports emotional development by providing a way to express and cope with feelings. Pretend play helps children express feelings in the following four ways (Piaget, 1962):
- Simplifying events by creating an imaginary character, plot, or setting to match their emotional state. A child afraid of the dark, for example, might eliminate darkness or night from the play episode.
- Compensating for situations by adding forbidden acts to pretend play. A child may, for example, eat cookies and ice cream for breakfast in play, whereas in reality this would not be permitted.
- Controlling emotional expression by repeatedly reenacting unpleasant or frightening experiences. For example, a child might pretend to have an accident after seeing a real traffic accident on the highway.
- Avoiding adverse consequences by pretending that another character, real or imaginary, commits inappropriate acts and suffers the consequences. Children whose television viewing is monitored at home, for instance, can pretend to allow the doll to watch indiscriminately and then reprimand the “bad child” for unacceptable TV viewing habits.
In addition to expressing feelings, children also learn to cope with their feelings as they act out being angry, sad, or worried in a situation they control (Erikson, 1963). Pretend play allows them to think out loud about experiences charged with both pleasant and unpleasant feelings. A good example is Alexander, a 4-year-old whose dog was recently hit by a car. In his dramatic play in the pet hospital, his teacher heard him say to another child, “I’m sad because the car hurt my dog.” Here he was trying to cope with unpleasant feelings from a frightening situation. Play enabled Alexander to express his feelings so that he could cope with his worry about his dog (Landreth & Homeyer, 1998). So, too, do older children learn valuable emotional skills, such as increasingly realistic self-perceptions, the ability to manage their emotions, and self-control that improves over time through games and inventions. As older children engage in spontaneous and structured play activities, they come to see themselves as good in some areas and less good in others. These opportunities to monitor and discriminate among feelings and emotions contribute to children’s beliefs about their own capacity.
Play contributes to children’s fine and gross motor development and body awareness as they actively use their bodies. Learning to use a writing tool, such as a marker, is an example of fine motor development through play. The natural progression in small motor development is from scribbles to shapes and forms to representational pictures. Playing with writing tools helps children refine their fine motor skills. Gross motor development, such as hopping and skipping, develops in a similar fashion. When children first learn to hop, they practice hopping on different feet or just for the pure joy of hopping. As elementary children, they integrate their hopping skill into many games, such as hopscotch and jump rope games. Using their bodies during play also enables them to feel physically confident, secure, and self-assured (Isenberg & Quisenberry, 2002).
Recess in schools has traditionally been the time for children to “take a break” from the sedentary academic activities of the classroom and engage in active, free play. Today, that part of the school day is in jeopardy. As a result, the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECSSDE) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) have recommended that elementary children get at least 1 hour of exercise each day, preferably in 15-minute blocks without the structure of a physical education class.
While all children need active play for healthy physical development, the physical benefits are particularly valuable for children with joint or muscular illnesses, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. These children cannot engage in repeated strenuous exercise; they can, however, engage in active play. Active play helps them build or maintain energy, joint flexibility, and muscular strength (Majure, 1995). Side benefits of active play for these children include the development of social skills and an increasing ability to endure stressful situations.
We talked about the important role of creative thought and expression in children’s development and learning. Nearly 50 years ago, Sigmund Freud (1958) suggested that every child at play “behaves like a creative writer, in that he creates a world of his own, or, rather, rearranges the things of his world in a new way which pleases him. . . . The creative writer does the same as the child at play. He creates a world of phantasy which he takes very seriously—that is, which he invests with large amounts of emotion” (pp. 143–144).
The play context is ideal for supporting children’s creative and imaginative thought because it offers a risk-free environment. Research supports the notion that play and creative thought are related behaviors because they both rely on children’s ability to use symbols (Johnson, Christie, et al., 1999; Singer & Singer, 1998; Spodek & Saracho, 1998). Jerome and Dorothy Singer (1985, 1998) describe the ability to engage in make-believe as essential to children’s developing the ability to create internal imagery, stimulate curiosity, and experiment with alternative responses to different situations. This capacity, practiced in play settings, enhances children’s ability to engage successfully in new situations.
Creative thought can also be viewed as an aspect of problem solving, which has its roots in play. When young children use their imaginations in play, they are more creative, perform better at school tasks, and develop a problem-solving approach to learning (Dansky, 1980; Dansky & Silverman, 1973; Frost et al., 2001; Fromberg & Bergen, 1998; Pepler & Ross, 1981; Singer, 1973; Sutton-Smith, 1986).
The importance of play in children’s lives is well documented. As children grow and change, play develops with them according to a developmental sequence.
© ______ 2006, Merrill, an imprint of Pearson Education Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The reproduction, duplication, or distribution of this material by any means including but not limited to email and blogs is strictly prohibited without the explicit permission of the publisher.
Add your own comment
- Kindergarten Sight Words List
- The Five Warning Signs of Asperger's Syndrome
- First Grade Sight Words List
- Graduation Inspiration: Top 10 Graduation Quotes
- 10 Fun Activities for Children with Autism
- What Makes a School Effective?
- Child Development Theories
- Should Your Child Be Held Back a Grade? Know Your Rights
- Why is Play Important? Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Creative Development
- Smart Parenting During and After Divorce: Introducing Your Child to Your New Partner
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en
| 0.94846 | 1,678 | 3.9375 | 4 |
Effects of Mother's Employment on Children's Development
The impact of a mother's employment on her children is influenced by a number of interrelated variables. They involve:
- the mother's satisfaction with work;
- the father's family involvement;
- the conditions of early childhood education and care;
- the characteristics of the child.
The reasons a mother has for working outside the home, her attitude toward and satisfactions from work, her degree of autonomy at work, relationships with coworkers and individuals outside the home, educational level, and job status affect her family roles. In addition, her adjustment to the demands of work and family roles, the father's or other family adult's relationship and involvement with the child, the divisions of housekeeping tasks, and the mother's overall stress level all play an important role in how her employment affects the socialization and development of the child (Belsky and Eggebeen, 1991; Desai, Chase-Lansdale, and Michael, 1989).
Key to how a mother's employment affects her children is the quality and the type of child care (relative, center-based or family child care). In addition, the mother's feelings about the separation on her child and the ability of others to provide good care for her child are vitally important. Does this mother feel guilty and see her child as suffering from her absence or does she see her child benefiting from experiences at substitute care? Most studies showing advantages of child care on a child's development focus on high-quality center-based care. Very few studies have compared the effects of different types of child care on a child's development.
The effects of a mother's employment appear to vary with the child's age, sex, race, ethnicity, family form, and socioeconomic status. Considerable research focuses on the age of the child when the mother enters the workplace. However, researchers do not always agree. For example, using the same National Longitudinal Survey on Youth data, Nasal Baydar and Jeanne Brooks-Cunn (1991) reported that White preschoolers whose mothers worked during infancy did not do as well on cognitive and behavioral tests as did White preschoolers with mothers who stayed home.
© ______ 2004, Merrill, an imprint of Pearson Education Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The reproduction, duplication, or distribution of this material by any means including but not limited to email and blogs is strictly prohibited without the explicit permission of the publisher.
Add your own comment
- Kindergarten Sight Words List
- The Five Warning Signs of Asperger's Syndrome
- First Grade Sight Words List
- 10 Fun Activities for Children with Autism
- Graduation Inspiration: Top 10 Graduation Quotes
- What Makes a School Effective?
- Child Development Theories
- Should Your Child Be Held Back a Grade? Know Your Rights
- Why is Play Important? Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Creative Development
- Smart Parenting During and After Divorce: Introducing Your Child to Your New Partner
|
<urn:uuid:9c2bceeb-280c-49f5-bb8f-79c641949aa9>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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en
| 0.943968 | 618 | 2.921875 | 3 |
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