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Values of Autonomy This chapter presents a variety of considerations suggesting that autonomy is a valuable ideal, focusing on its value for (many) women. The focus is on women for several reasons. First, autonomy has not always been idealized for women. Even though autonomy is more widely encouraged and supported in women than ever before, it is still not regarded as a particularly feminine value or virtue. If a case for autonomy can be made out for women in particular against this history, then the case for autonomy in general should prove easier to secure. Second, feminist philosophers have figured prominently among those who have expressed doubts and reservations about the value of autonomy. Focusing on the case of women's autonomy in particular helps to answer those criticisms. Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter. If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.

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Over its long history, Armenia has been subject to successive conquest. It was conquered by the Roman Empire in the 1st century followed by the Persian Parthian Arsacid dynasty. This dynasty fell to the Sassanids in the 3rd century, who annexed Armenia, only to lose it to the Roman Empire later in that century, who in turn returned the Arsacids to power. In the 7th century, Armenia came under Byzantine rule. The Byzantines ceded Armenia to the Arabs, who had conquered Persia and granted Armenia independence. Then Armenia was conquered by the Byzantine Empire (again), to be succeeded by the Turks in 1071. The Mongels conquered Armenia in the 13th century to be followed by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. During the late 1800s, Armenian nationalists, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, or ARF, sought autonomy for Armenians, but were met with repression in what historians have called the first great genocide of the 20th century. Ottoman forces killed around 800,000 Armenians between 1894 and the end of World War I. After WWI, Armenia was proclaimed by the ARF to be a independent state in 1918. In 1920, the Bolsheviks invaded Armenia and formed a coalition government, proclaiming Armenia a socialist republic. In 1921, the Bolsheviks took complete control of the government, and the Armenian nationalists were expelled. Armenia became a part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Purges began in Armenia and continued through the Stalinist regime in the 1930s. Largely as a byproduct of Mikhael Gorbachev's glasnost reform of the USSR, the movement for independence began anew in Armenia, and by 1991, Armenia succeeded from the Soviet Union and declared itself an independent Republic. The first presidential elections were held in October 1991, and Levol Ter-Petrossian, head of the Pan-Armenia National Movement (PNM), became the first popularly elected president of independent Armenia in November 1991. The country elected a Parliament, and against opposition by the ARF, the PNM won a decisive victory to claim a majority of seats in Parliament. Between 1990 and 1995 Armenia dissolved the political, legal, social, and economic relationships of the previous political system, while simultaneously creating new ones. In 1993 Armenia remained a weak state with powerful regional and family clans running much of the local administration and economy. Criminal gangs operated with impunity, corruption was rampant, and assassinations of political figures occurred on occasion. In the absence of a secure rule of law, the stresses of war and material privation, uncertainty about the future, and widespread suspicion about the legitimacy of the ruling elites destabilized the infant republic. In 1995, the second parliamentary elections and a new general referendum on a new constitution were held. According to the constitution adopted in 1995 Armenia is a presidential republic with power separated between the legislature, executive, and judicial branches of power. The constitution provides for the rule of law, separation of power, and guarantees fundamental human rights. In 1996, Ter-Petrossian was reelected to a second term. Robert Kocharian succeeded him in 1998 as president. Kocharian's election was significant since he had been president of Nagaro-Karabakh. Armenian leaders had been preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karbakh, a primarily Amenian populated enclave, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the enclave in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karbakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The status of Nagaro-Karabakh remains unresolved. In 1999, five terrorist gunmen opened fire on a session of parliament, killing the Prime Minister, the parliamentary speaker, and six top officials. The gunmen surrendered after assurances from Kocharian that they would receive a fair trial. The Criminal Code of the former Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted by the Supreme Soviet in 1961. Up to the time of independence, the Criminal Code was subsequently amended in line with changes in the Soviet criminal legislation. As will be discussed below, under this preexisting code, laws differed from those in the United States, particularly in regard to treatment of women. For instance, there were no specific laws banning violence against women, against prostitution, nor prohibiting trafficking in persons. However, these codes are being revised, based upon the new constitution. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, all international laws that Armenia has ratified or acceded to, have supremacy over national ones, and are an integral part of Armenia legislation. The death penalty has been abolished under the new code for economic crimes and desertion, leaving the penalty only for premeditated murders under aggravated circumstances, as well as for military crimes committed in time of war. INCIDENCE OF CRIME With the exception of murder, Armenia has a low rate of violent crime. In 1994, the homicide rate was 5.4 per 100,000, compared to 2.8 for assault, 0.6 for rape, and 2.9 for robbery. The rate of theft (including burglary) was 47.9 per 100,000. The U.S. State Department warns that common street crime has increased, especially at night. Generally incidents are limited to pickpocketing and other petty thefts. However, expatriates have been victims of several attacks involving knives in the last year. Robberies on board train service to Georgia are a problem. Though crime on the roads is rare, the police themselves often seek bribes at periodic checkpoints on main routes. Drug trafficking is increasingly significant in Armenia. Armenia is an illicit cultivator of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption; however, it is increasingly used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs -mostly opium and hashish - to Western Europe and the US via Iran, Central Asia, and Russia. TRENDS IN CRIME Especially in the chaotic conditions that have existed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia has suffered steep increases in the gang activity of an organized mafia. Overall crime in 1991 increased 11.5 percent over 1990; then it increased 24.8 percent from 1991 to 1992. "Major" crimes (murder, robbery, armed robbery, rape, and aggravated assault) increased 3 percent from 1991 to 1992. The largest increases in that category were in murder, robbery, and armed robbery. White-collar crime (bribery and fraud) increased about 2 percent in that time, crimes by juveniles increased about 40 percent, and drug-related crimes increased 240 percent. According to one report, 80 percent of crimes committed in Armenia in 1992 were drug related. In 1992 and 1993, a police campaign temporarily limited the activity of a few large gangs, but gang leaders, whose identities were commonly known in Armenian society, used influence in parliament to stymie the efforts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Some deputies in parliament were implicated directly in white-collar crime, and some even had been convicted prior to their election. From 1991 to 1993, six convicts were sentenced to death, but by early 1994 none had been executed. Possibly as result of the anti-crime campaign, crime dropped after 1992. As result, comparing the years 1990 and 1994, the total number of offenses reported to the police in Armenia decreased from 12,110 to 9,923 (-18%). Though the total number of intentional homicides (including attempts) stayed virtually the same, assaults decreased by 70%, robbery by 71%, and rape by 38%. Related to the anti-crime campaign, the total number of persons brought into formal contact with the criminal justice system for intentional homicides increased by 91.9%. The same pattern existed for other major crimes. Formal contact increased 154.9% for robbery, 20% for rape, 200% for theft, and an astounding 4000% for drug-related crimes. Related to these increases, there were increases in the total number of people prosecuted, brought before the criminal court, and admitted to prison. The trends of the past several years are encouraging: the number of crimes registered in 1999 has decreased by 0.7% as compared with 1998. Out of all registered crimes, 67.3% were legally punitive, while heavy crime cases constituted 11.6%, which is lower by 11% than in 1998. The crimes connected with appropriation of property (27.7%) have also declined. The situation is rather alarming concerning bribery cases and the number of economic crimes has increased by 14.8% and constitutes around 6.3% of the overall crimes. While the prevalence of drug abuse has declined slightly since 1996, an increase in narcotic-related criminal activity was registered too. Compared to 1993, such crimes have increased one and half times and the amount of drugs seized has increased thirty times. Seventy percent of narcotics confiscated in Armenia is imported. The difficult socio-economic situation, temptation of making easy money from drugs in an unstable economy, coupled with yet undeveloped system of drug control made Armenia a propitious territory for drug abuse and drug-related activities. Geographically Armenia is situated on crossroads of drug trafficking from Asia to Europe and during the last 10 years has become a transit route for illicit drug trafficking, while lacking the necessary technical facilities to fully counter this problem. Into the country, drugs are brought mainly from Russia and the Ukraine (via Georgia), and Iran, by road transport. The prices of drugs in the black market in Armenia are considered the highest in the region. Among the age and the social group of drug abusers, prevail those of the age of 18-20 (47%) and the irregularly employed (60%). According to the Centre of Toxicology, the number of registered cases of drug use has increased from 610 in 1996 (66% hashish and 34% opium) to 1,438 (90% of hashish and 10% of opium) in 1998. According to the Centre, the number of drug addicts is close to 300, while the operative data of the Special Department of the Interior Ministry indicate the figure of 20,000. All police agencies are under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Border patrols are administered by the Main Administration for the Protection of State Borders. Some of the patrols on the Iranian and Turkish borders are manned by Russian troops, whose presence is partially funded by Armenia. The rest of the border patrols are made up of Armenian troops serving under contract. In the early 1990s, growing radical opposition to the moderate domestic and foreign policies of the Ter-Petrosian government endangered internal security. By 1993 a widespread breakdown of law and order in the republic had eroded the authority of the Armenian state. Shortly after independence, a special internal security force was formed under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, whose special status in the government alarmed many observers in the ensuing years. The original mission of the internal security force was to prevent guerrilla attacks on military installations in the first months of independence. Since that time, this militia also has acted as the sole general (and nominally apolitical) police force. As originally formed, the internal affairs unit had 1,000 troops, including one assault battalion, two motorized patrol battalions, and one armored patrol battalion. Three specialized companies, including a canine unit for drug detection, also were formed. Elements of the former KGB have remained active under Armenian direction. In early 1994, Armenia completely reorganized the State Administration for National Security (SANS), the umbrella agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that heads all national security activities. All agency activities except border patrols were suspended for three months while staff were reevaluated and an announced focus on intelligence and counterintelligence was introduced. The controversial measure may have been instigated by the assassination of Marius Yuzbashian, a former chief of the Armenian branch of the KGB; SANS had failed to investigate the assassination fully when it occurred, in the fall of 1993. Experts saw a serious long-term threat to internal security in the independent mercenary Fidain forces that had been trained and expanded by Armenian political parties to fight in Nagorno-Karabakh. The end of the Karabakh war would free these combat-hardened forces, which did the bulk of the fighting in Karabakh, for possible guerrilla activity within Armenia on behalf of their respective opposition parties. Most cases of police brutality go unreported, due to fear of police retribution. Impunity remains a problem. Homosexuals complained that police physically and mentally abused them and demanded bribes; such abuse reportedly increased when homosexuals were unable to pay police. Yezidis complained that police routinely failed to respond to crimes committed against Yezidis. In April 2000, police reportedly did not intervene to prevent harassment and abuse of members of Jehovah's Witnesses by local hoodlums. A few cases of police brutality were reported after the intervention of local human rights groups. The Helsinki Association received two complaints from citizens about beatings at the police precincts in the village of Kasakh and in the Korhrdain community in Yerevan. Both petitioners agreed to file a motion to the Procurator General's office; however, one of them later refused to proceed with his case. Arbitrary arrest and detention is a problem. Authorities continued to arrest and detain criminal suspects without legal warrants, often on the pretext that they were material witnesses. An amendment to the Criminal Code reduces the length of time the police have the right to detain suspects without official charges from 96 to 72 hours. The police frequently imprison detainees without notifying their family members. Often several days pass before family members obtained information about an arrest and the person's location. The Constitution and laws prohibit torture; however, the practice of security personnel beating pretrial detainees during arrest and interrogation remains a routine part of criminal investigations, and prosecutors rely on such confessions to secure convictions. There were no reports that members of the security forces committed extrajudical killings due to severe beatings and mistreatment in detention. However, there were no reports of government action against individuals who may have been responsible for the reported 54 deaths in custody in 1999. Security agencies often restrict access of lawyers and family members to prisoners until the preliminary investigation phase is complete, a process that can last weeks. Although the Criminal Procedure Code has entered into force, the Criminal Code remains under consideration in Parliament. A suspect may be detained for no more than 12 months pending trial, after which the suspect must be released or tried; however, this latter provision is not always enforced in practice and lengthy pretrial detention remains a problem. The legal system of Armenia is based on a civil law system. A civil law system is based on codes enacted by the legislature and made into laws, and the judiciary has less power to shape law than it would in a common law system. The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, the Constitution's provisions do not insulate the courts fully from political pressure, and in practice, courts are subject to pressure from the executive and legislative branches and some judges are corrupt. Legal and constitutional provisions make judges and prosecutors dependent on the executive branch for their employment. The system, inherited from the Soviet system, views the court largely as a rubber stamp for the prosecutor and not as a defender of citizens' rights. The Constitution mandates a three-level court system: The highest court is the Court of Cassation. There are two lower-level courts, the Appellate Court and courts of the first instance. First instance courts try most cases, with a right of appeal to the Court of Appeals, and then to the Court of Cassation. District courts are the courts of first instance. Their judges are named by the president and confirmed by the parliament. The Supreme Court, whose chief justice is nominated by the president and elected by a simple majority of parliament, provides intermediate and final appellate review of cases. The court includes a three-member criminal chamber and a three-member civil chamber for intermediate review and an eleven-member presidium for final review. The full, thirty-two member court provides plenary appellate review. The Constitutional Court rules on the conformity of legislation with the Constitution, approves international agreements, and decides election-related legal questions. It can accept only cases proposed by the President, by two-thirds of all parliamentary deputies, or election-related cases brought by candidates for Parliament or the presidency. Because of these limitations, the Constitutional Court cannot ensure effective compliance with constitutional human rights safeguards. The general prosecutor is nominated by the president and elected by parliament. The general prosecutor's office moves cases from lower to higher courts, oversees investigations, prosecutes federal cases, and has a broad mandate to monitor the activities of all state and legal entities and individual citizens. The general prosecutor appoints district attorneys, the chief legal officers at the district level. Prosecutors continue to greatly overshadow defense lawyers and judges during trials. Under the Constitution, the Council of Justice, headed by the President, the Procurator General, and the Justice Minister, appoints and disciplines judges for the tribunal courts of first instance, review courts, and the Court of Appeals. The President appoints the other 14 members of the Justice Council and 4 of the 9 Constitutional Court judges. This authority gives the President dominant influence in appointing and dismissing judges at all levels. The selection of judges is often based on scores on a multiple-choice test to determine potential judges' fitness under the system, and on their interviews with the Minister of Justice. The list of nominations is then approved by the Council of Justice and, finally, by the President. Approximately 55 percent of the appointed judges in 1999 had been judges under the old structure. Based on the results of this four-stage selection, 123 judges were appointed to the courts in January 1999. Judges are subject to review by the President, through the Council of Justice, after 3 years; unless they are found guilty of malfeasance, they are tenured until they reach the age of 65. The military legal system operates essentially as it did during the Soviet era. There is no military court system; trials involving military personnel take place in the civil court system and are handled by military prosecutors. Military prosecutors perform the same functions as their civilian counterparts, and operate in accordance with the Soviet-era Criminal Code. In November 1999, the Military Prosecutor was named Deputy Procurator General, and placed in charge of the investigation into the October 1999 shootings in Parliament. The Criminal Procedure Code does not allow detainees to file a complaint in court prior to trial to redress abuses committed by the Prosecutor's Office, the police, or other security forces during criminal investigations. Witnesses have no right to legal counsel during questioning while in police custody--even though failure to testify is a criminal offense--and detainees must obtain permission from the police or the Prosecutor's Office to obtain a forensic medical examination to substantiate a report of torture. Although defense lawyers may present evidence of torture in an effort to overturn improperly obtained confessions and, according to law, all such charges must be investigated, judges and prosecutors routinely ignored such complaints even when the perpetrator can be identified. All trials are public except when government secrets are at issue. Defendants are required to attend their trials unless they have been accused of a minor crime not punishable by imprisonment. Defendants have access to a lawyer of their own choosing. The court appoints an attorney for any indigent defendants who need one. However, in 2000, the local Helsinki Association conducted a survey of the courts together with the International Helsinki Federation, the International Union of Armenian Lawyers, and the Moscow Helsinki Group. According to their report, 38 percent of 50 respondents stated that they were not provided with defense attorneys during the preliminary investigation. Reportedly individuals choose to defend themselves in court because they have little respect for a defense attorney's professional skills and ethics. Defendants may confront witnesses and present evidence. The Constitution provides that those accused of crimes shall be informed of charges against them; however, the constitutionally mandated presumption of innocence is not observed in practice, and acquittals are rare once a case comes to trial. Defendants and prosecutors have the right to appeal; however, figures released by the Association of Armenian Judges showed that in 2000, three out of four appeals were turned down by higher courts. Three major prisons are in operation, at Sovetashen, Artik, and Kosh. Local jurisdictions also have jails. All prisons and jails are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Soviet prison system remains intact in Armenia. That system includes two general categories: labor colonies, and prison communities similar to Western prisons. Prison system reforms call for establishment of general and high-security reform schools for teenagers; general and high-security prisons for women; and four grades of prisons for men, from minimum to maximum security. The death penalty is applicable for military crimes, first-degree murder, rape of a minor, treason, espionage, and terrorism. There is no specific law banning violence against women, and few cases of rape, spousal abuse, or other violence against women are reported; however, their number likely is higher than the statistics indicate. Domestic violence cases usually are not reported to the police, and women are not protected from it. Several nongovernmental organizations exist in the Yerevan and Gyumri areas, which provide shelter and assistance to battered women. The law (the old Soviet Criminal Code) cites specific punishments for rape, forced abortion, forbidding a woman from marrying, and discrimination in hiring due to pregnancy. Prostitution is not illegal, and according to anecdotal evidence, most prostitutes stopped by police for street-walking, simply are sent to a hospital or physician for a medical check-up. Although, the Criminal Code does not forbid prostitution itself, keeping brothels is prohibited. According to an investigation conducted by journalists, more than 1,600 prostitutes were registered by the police, around 800 in the Yerevan area. A study of Yerevan prostitution done by an international NGO showed that while some operate by telephone, the vast majority are what is known as streetwalkers, with their "class" and desirability defined by the area of the city in which they operate. An international NGO reports that the problem of battered wives is much more widespread then the Government or local human rights groups will admit. Many cases are not reported to police in some cases because women are afraid of physical harm if they do so, afraid that police will refuse to take action and instead return them to their husbands, and in others because they are embarrassed to make "family matters" public. Even women's groups and health professionals decline to offer specific figures, but do not indicate that such violence is especially common. At least four cases were reported in the press of women who died as a result of domestic violence. In view of the phenomenon of Armenian women working as prostitutes in Russia and the Middle East, it is likely that trafficking in women and girls (particulary from the country) is more of a problem than the Government and women's organizations have recognized openly. TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS The law does not prohibit trafficking in persons specifically, although it does prohibit exploitation by force of persons for financial gain, and trafficking in women and girls from the country is a problem. However, specific information on trafficking is difficult to obtain and there is little information about trafficking within the country. The Criminal Code specifically prohibits the keeping of what generally are considered to be brothels. Prostitution itself is legal. Armenian women work as prostitutes in the Middle East and Russia, and in the past there have been reports of trafficking in women and girls to these countries. Young women and girls from socially vulnerable groups all over Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are the main targets of traffickers. Trafficked persons often were lured by jobs abroad offered through recruiters and informal channels, tourism firms and some media. Reportedly, there were cases when older girls from orphanages and poor families are sold to wealthy men in Dubai. An orphanage run by a religious group reports that older girls have been approached by relatives urging them to "earn their share" for the family by engaging in prostitution. Most parents and relatives are convinced; however, that they are sending such children to work in the UAE or elsewhere as models, dancers, waitresses, or domestic servants. Traffickers themselves are often ex-prostitutes or pimps who have already established "good working contacts" in the country of destination. They are well organized, have connections with local authorities and are supported and protected by criminal gangs. Most potential victims are approached by persons whom they personally know (e.g. friends of friends, relatives of relatives, neighbors, etc.), or by travel agencies. Most often, recruiters tell victims that they will be working as babysitters, waitresses, or cleaning ladies. Only a few of the victims know before departure that they will work as prostitutes, but even these do not realize that they will have their documents and money confiscated and that they will be pressured to receive numerous clients every day to maximize their employer's profits. To tighten control over their "staff" procurers threaten to burn prostitutes' passports or to inform police about their "business." While there is no specific law prohibiting trafficking in persons, traffickers may be prosecuted under different articles of the Criminal Code. For example, illicit seizure of non-property documents (passports or other personal documents), as well as use of these documents, may be punished by imprisonment up to 1 year. Police officials announced the investigation of numerous cases of procuring but said that they were unable to arrest the main offenders because they resided in the Middle East rather than in the country. There have been few cases (four to five in 1999-2000) in which traffickers were prosecuted. Some officials from the Ministry of Interior complained that courts easily acquit procurers or sentence them to only minor administrative punishment and fines. In addition, victims usually are the main witnesses and are often reluctant to come forward out of fear of violent retaliations. Reliable information on trafficking has been difficult to obtain. Some NGO's and experts insist that local police officers, border guards and customs officers are involved in trafficking by accepting bribes from traffickers in exchange for tolerating their business. According to international NGO's, the Government appears to be focusing more on prostitution within the country than on trafficking; however, the Government acknowledges the problem. Armenia is a party to three major United Nations drug control conventions: the 1988 UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances; the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs; and the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Despite the scarcity of financial resources, which reduces the government's ability to implement the national program in full scale, considerable work has been done in combating illegal drug trafficking. Interested state bodies cooperate to make their actions more effective, e.g., 400 tons of drug crops (mixed) were eliminated in Armenia. Joint activities of the Interior Ministry, Ministry of Health, and the Border guards to combat illegal drug trafficking involve different spheres: the draft Law on Drug Abuse is prepared, while the draft of the new Criminal Code includes provisions stemming from the requirements of the UN Conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988; planned improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of drug abusers will allow early and more effective warning; law enforcement bodies and the Ministry of Health cooperate to reduce the drug supply and demand to meet the 2003 and 2008 UNGASS demand reduction goals.

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Thinking, Fast and Slow By Daniel Kahneman Farrar, Straus and Giroux (October 25, 2011) I am always on the lookout for ways to improve my scientific thinking. That’s why I have an interest in the areas of sociology concerned with decision making in groups and how the individual is influenced by this. And this is also why I have an interest in cognitive biases - intuitive judgments that we make without even noticing; judgments which are just fine most of the time but can be scientifically fallacious. Daniel Kahneman’s book “Thinking, fast and slow” is an excellent introduction to the topic. Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Price for Economics in 2002, focuses mostly on his own work, but that covers a lot of ground. He starts with distinguishing between two different modes in which we make decisions, a fast and intuitive one, and a slow, more deliberate one. Then he explains how fast intuitions lead us astray in certain circumstances. The human brain does not make very accurate statistical computations without deliberate effort. But often we don’t make such an effort. Instead, we use shortcuts. We substitute questions, extrapolate from available memories, and try to construct plausible and coherent stories. We tend to underestimate uncertainty, are influenced by the way questions are framed, and our intuition is skewed by irrelevant details. Kahneman quotes and summarizes a large amount of studies that have been performed, in most cases with sample questions. He offers explanations for the results when available, and also points out where the limits of present understanding are. In the later parts of the book he elaborates on the relevance of these findings about the way humans make decision for economics. While I had previously come across a big part of the studies that he summarizes in the early chapters, the relation to economics had not been very clear to me, and I found this part enlightening. I now understand my problems trying to tell economists that humans do have inconsistent preferences. The book introduces a lot of terminology, and at the end of each chapter the reader finds a few examples for how to use them in everyday situations. “He likes the project, so he thinks its costs are low and its benefits are high. Nice example of the affect heuristic.” “We are making an additional investment because we not want to admit failure. This is an instance of the sunk-cost fallacy.” Initially, I found these examples somewhat awkward. But awkward or not, they serve very well for the purpose of putting the terminology in context. The book is well written, reads smoothly, is well organized, and thoroughly referenced. As a bonus, the appendix contains reprints of Kahneman’s two most influential papers that contain somewhat more details than the summary in the text. He narrates along the story of his own research projects and how they came into being which I found a little tiresome after he elaborated on the third dramatic insight that he had about his own cognitive bias. Or maybe I'm just jealous because a Nobel Prize winning insight in theoretical physics isn't going to come by that way. I have found this book very useful in my effort to understand myself and the world around me. I have only two complaints. One is that despite all the talk about the relevance of proper statistics, Kahneman does not mention the statistical significance of any of the results that he talks about. Now, this is all research which started two or three decades ago, so I have little doubt that the effects he talks about are indeed meanwhile well established, and, hey, he got a Nobel Prize after all. Yet, if it wasn’t for that I’d have to consider the possibility that some of these effects will vanish as statistical artifacts. Second, he does not at any time actually explain to the reader the basics of probability theory and Bayesian inference, though he uses it repeatedly. This, unfortunately, limits the usefulness of the book dramatically if you don’t already know how to compute probabilities. It is particularly bad when he gives a terribly vague explanation of correlation. Really, the book would have been so much better if it had at least an appendix with some of the relevant definitions and equations. That having been said, if you know a little about statistics you will probably find, like I did, that you’ve learned to avoid at least some of the cognitive biases that deal with explicit ratios and percentages, and different ways to frame these questions. I’ve also found that when it comes to risks and losses my tolerance apparently does not agree with that of the majority of participants in the studies he quotes. Not sure why that is. Either way, whether or not you are subject to any specific bias that Kahneman writes about, the frequency by which they appear make them relevant to understand the way human society works, and they also offer a way to improve our decision making. In summary, it’s a well-written and thoroughly useful book that is interesting for everybody with an interest in human decision-making and its shortcomings. I'd give this book four out of five stars. Below are some passages that I marked that gave me something to think. This will give you a flavor what the book is about. “A reliable way of making people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth.” “[T]he confidence that people experience is determined by the coherence of the story they manage to construct from available information. It is the consistency of the information that matters for a good story, not its completeness.” “The world in our heads is not a precise replica of reality; our expectations about the frequency of events are distorted by the prevalence and emotional intensity of the messages to which we are exposed.” “It is useful to remember […] that neglecting valid stereotypes inevitably results in suboptimal judgments. Resistance to stereotyping is a laudable moral position, but the simplistic idea that the resistance is cost-less is wrong.” “A general limitation of the human mind is its imperfect ability to reconstruct past states of knowledge, or beliefs that have changed. Once you adopt a new view of the world (or any part of it), you immediately lose much of your ability to recall what you used to believe before your mind changed.” “I have always believed that scientific research is another domain where a form of optimism is essential to success: I have yet to meet a successful scientist who lacks the ability to exaggerate the importance of what he or she is doing, and I believe that someone who lacks a delusional sense of significance will wilt in the fact of repeated experiences of multiple small failures and rare successes, the fate of most researchers.” “The brains s of humans and other animals contain a mechanism that is designed to give priority to bad news.” “Loss aversion is a powerful conservative force that favors minimal changes from the status quo in the lives of both institutions and individuals.” “When it comes to rare probabilities, our mind is not designed to get things quite right. For the residents of a planet that maybe exposed to events no one has yet experienced, this is not good news.” “We tend to make decisions as problems arise, even when we are specifically instructed to consider them jointly. We have neither the inclination not the mental resources to enforce consistency on our preferences, and our preferences are not magically set to be coherent, as they are in the rational-agent model.” “The sunk-cost fallacy keeps people for too long in poor jobs, unhappy marriages, und unpromising research projects. I have often observed young scientists struggling to salvage a doomed project when they would be better advised to drop it and start a new one.” “Although Humans are not irrational, they often need help to make more accurate judgments and better decisions, and in some cases policies and institutions can provide that help.”

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[NOAA] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Services Center. Alternatives for Coastal Development: One Site, Three Scenarios. 2004 May 14. <http://www.csc.noaa.gov/alternatives/> This website illustrates three different coastal development scenarios: conventional design, conservation design, and new urbanist design. It uses several indicators (water consumption, infrastructure costs, etc.) to compare the economic, environmental, and social differences that result from each approach. [Daily, GC et al.] 1997. Ecosystem Services: Benefits supplied to human societies by natural ecosystems. Issues in Ecology. Number 2. Ecological Society of America. This document focuses on services that natural ecosystems provide for humans such as, seafood, game animals, crops, wood for fuel and building materials, and pharmaceutical products. In addition it looks at the role nature plays in purifying our air and water, climate regulation, soil regeneration, nutrient cycling, and detoxification and decomposition of waste. It is one of the required modules for the US EPA Watershed Academy Certification Program.

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Amazon Tribe Already Feels the Pinch From Climate Change & Deforestation Like the Kalapalo people pictured here, the Kamayurá people, also living in the Xingu national park, get most of their protein from fish . Photo: e-giacomazzi via flickr For a really great image of how environmental changes are already affecting people, in fact destroying an entire culture -- and no, not in some low-slung Pacific Island -- The New York Times has a poignant piece about how the Kamayurá people in Brazil are struggling today with deforestation and climate change making their way of life less and less tenable:Forest Homelands Now Surrounded by RanchesThe Kamayurá people live in the middle of the Xingu National Park -- which was once deep in the Amazon but is now surrounded by ranches -- and live by hunting, fishing and some agriculture. They have done so for countless years. But changes in precipitation in the region -- brought about by a combination of deforestation and warmer temperatures -- are making things difficult to follow their traditional ways. Fish Stocks Collapsed in 2006The fish stocks began to decline in the 1990s, the Times reports, and have collapsed completely since 2006. Fish farming has been considered, but water levels in rivers and lakes have dropped with the hotter temperatures and decreased rainfall. Chief Kotok, who like all of the Kamayurá people goes by only one name, said that men can now fish all night without a bite in streams where fish used to be abundant; they safely swim in lakes previously teeming with piranhas. To make do without fish, Kamayurá children are eating ants on their traditional spongy flatbread, made from tropical cassava flour. "There aren't as many around because the kids have eaten them," Chief Kotok said of the ants. Sometimes members of the tribe kill monkeys for their meat, but, the chief said, "You have to eat 30 monkeys to fill your stomach." Agriculture & Medicine Also SufferingThe tribe's agriculture has suffered as well, with traditional signals used to signal the start of the rainy season no longer accurate.What's more, traditional sources of medicine have become increasingly hard to find, as the flora in the region changes. Read more about the plight of the Kamayurá and other indigenous groups -- who even less than people in Bangladesh, and other low-lying and low-emitting nations have done next to notion to create the problem -- as they try to cope with climate change: As Trees Fall in the Amazon, Fears That Tribes Won't Be HeardGlobal Climate ChangeBangladesh Want $4 Billion From Wealthy Countries for Climate Change Adaptation ProjectsAmazon Will Be Drier Because of Global Warming, But Won't Turn to SavannahNext Five Years Will Warm Faster Than Predicted, Scientists Say

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Early detection strategies focus on identifying either the earliest pathological expression of disease before clinical signs appear or detecting the first clinical signs of disease. Screening tests can be conducted without full clinical presentation of disease. In some cases, surrogate markers can be employed for early detection when their presence is clearly associated with a disease. For example, high cholesterol is a surrogate marker for early detection of heart disease. In AD, neuroimaging may detect disease in the brain years before cognitive loss is apparent. The value of early detection results in the use of drugs and lifestyle interventions to slow or prevent the onset of disease in its earliest stages. Andrew Blackwell, PhD Prototype development for the Guided Neuropsychological Evaluation system for the early detection and differential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease Duration: 2008 - 2009See an abstract Prototype development for the Guided Neuropsychological Evaluation system for the early detection and differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease Investigator(s): Andrew Blackwell, PhD Institution(s): Cambridge Cognition Duration: 2008 - 2009 Cambridge Cognition Ltd (CCL) develops and markets software based medical devices based upon the world leading CANTAB technology invented at the University of Cambridge. This highly validated technology is already used by many of the world's leading researchers focusing on neurodegenerative diseases, and, in addition, is increasingly used by pharmaceutical companies in the drug development process. A series of independent studies have demonstrated that CANTAB measures of visuospatial associative learning and semantic memory are sensitive in detecting the earliest signs of prodromal Alzheimer's disease (up to 32 months prior to clinical diagnosis) both in memory clinic attendees (Fowler et al., 1995, Fowler et al., 1997; Fowler et al., 2002; Swainson et al., 2001; Blackwell et al., 2004) and in community dwelling cohorts of individuals classified as asymptomatic using current clinical measures (De Jager et al., 2002); De Jager et al., 2005). CCL now intends to take this core technology into mainstream healthcare with a particular focus on improving the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. This is a particularly important and large unmet need which, given the impending registration of disease modifying drugs is now more urgent than ever. Christos Davatzikos, PhD University of Pennsylvania Predicting conversion from MCI to AD via 4-dimensional pattern analysis and classification of ADNI imaging data Duration: 2008See an abstract Predicting conversion from MCI to AD via 4-dimensional pattern analysis and classification of ADNI imaging data Investigator(s): Christos Davatzikos, PhD Institution(s): University of Pennsylvania The investigators will apply computer-based image analysis for early detection of structural patterns of brain change that characterize the development of Alzheimer’s diseaes in persons with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and identify patterns that predict which patients are likely to convert from MCI to AD. The project will use data from the Alzheimer\'s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a $60 million longitudinal study primarily funded by the NIH, the pharmaceutical industry, and by ISOA. The ADNI generates enormous amounts of longitudinal data on AD that is being made publicly available for research through supplemental funds. This proposal therefore represents excellent leverage of ISOA funds. Kelvin Lee, PhD Proteomic Technologies for the Analysis of the Disease Modifying Effects of IVIg Immunotherapy Duration: 2006 – 2008See an abstract Proteomic Technologies for the Analysis of the Disease Modifying Effects of IVIg Immunotherapy Investigator(s): Kelvin Lee, PhD Institution(s): Cornell University Duration: 2006 – 2008 Significant progress has been made in identifying molecules involved in Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are currently no validated biomarkers for AD that aid in preclinical diagnosis, early diagnosis, or in the monitoring of the effectiveness of drugs in clinical trials or in clinical use. One approach to the identification of biomarkers relies on proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This approach has the potential to account for the multifactorial nature of the disease. There is evidence that univariate tests based on changes in CSF protein expression (for example of tau, phosphoTau, or Aβ42) may have some utility, but none of these offer significant improvement over a detailed clinical examination by an experienced physician. By relying on new statistical methods well-suited to proteomic analysis, the investigators have identified a panel of 23 biomarkers that offer a significant opportunity to improve current diagnostic methods. Current proteomic approaches depend on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) as the primary method for detecting these 23 biomarkers. The development of nanobiotechnology-based proteomic methods for the detection of these biomarkers offers significant scientific and practical advantages in terms of sensitivity and specificity. In this study, the investigators will develop nanotechnology based, proteomic methods for the development of a panel of biomarkers that can be used in the early diagnosis of AD. The test will also be used for the monitoring of therapy in a clinical trial of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg). Mark A. Gluck, PhD Rutgers University - Newark Novel Behavioral Screening Tools for Memory Assessment in Rodents and Humans Duration: 2005 – 2006See an abstract Novel Behavioral Screening Tools for Memory Assessment in Rodents and Humans Investigator(s): Mark A. Gluck, PhD Institution: Rutgers University Duration: 2005 – 2006 We propose to develop novel behavioral assessment tools for detecting mild memory impairments (and improvements) that can be used both in mouse models of AD as well as in non-demented elderly and MCI patients. The project is collaborative with the Mayo Clinic, with the transgenic mouse work to be done with Michelle Nicolle at Mayo-Jacksonville, and the parallel human longitudinal MCI->AD conversion studies to be done with Ronald Petersen at Mayo-Rochester. This work will address a high priority need for current AD research: better behavioral paradigms for translational research between rodents and humans. These need to be sensitive to the selective assessment of memory impairments due to dysfunction to the septo-hippocampal memory circuits seen in MCI and early AD. There are three things that make our work unique: (1) our tasks directly translate from rodent to human studies for better pre-clinical to clinical translation of results, (2) our tasks are theoretically motivated by specific neuro-computational theories of the hippocampus in learning and memory (see Gluck & Myers, 2001, MIT Press book, Gateway to Memory: An Introduction to Neural Network Models of Learning and the Hippocampus), and (3) we have already collected and published evidence that our human tasks are highly predictive of very mild hippocampal atrophy seen in non-demented elderly and early MCI which others have shown is predictive of conversion to AD (Myers et al, 2002, 2003). Our tasks are more sensitive at predicting this early mild hippocampal-region atrophy than current standard neuropsychological memory tests Ultimately, this program of research will lead to a novel battery of behavioral tests, standardized across rodents and humans, that researchers can use to evaluate new Alzheimer\'s drugs that target the earliest stages of the disease. Ely Simon, MD NeuroTrax Corporation, Bayside, NY Mindstreams Cognitive Testing for Early Diagnosis and Longitudinal Follow-up of Dementia: A 3-Center Validation Study Duration: 2003-2006See an abstract Mindsteams Cognitive Testing for Early Diagnosis and Longitudinal Follow-up of Dementia: A Validation Study Investigator(s): Ely Simon, MD Institution(s): NeuroTrax, LTD

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Food Glorious Food Lesson involving a brainstorm on why we eat with a follow-up worksheet entitled "Balance your Diet" demonstrating the food groups. 4.5 The function of consciousness What is consciousness? How does the brain generate consciousness and how can a science of the mind describe and explain it adequately? This unit will introduce you to the slippery phenomenon that is consciousness, as well as some of the difficulties consciousness presents to science and philosophy. Fire ants on the ground Ants are indirect decomposers because they bring fungi, a decomposer, to their nests in compost piles. The Richmond MBA Graduation Testimonials 2011 Graduates from The Richmond MBA Class of 2011 sat down at the annual graduate reception and shared their memories and reflections on the program. Featuring: Connie Mattox, Landon Davis, Gray McDermid, Jamey Nolan and Joe Bergeron. To read,vocabulary, grammar, writing: Who kann ich muffler zubereiten? You will practice your reading skills and vocabulary about Judicial system and nationalities. You can change adjectives correctly. You will learn to write sentences in which you present typical Court cases. Optical Microscope - Perform calibration checks An introduction to procedures in scientific and medical testing laboratories for calibrating an optical microscope. Support community participation This competency has the following elements of competency. 1. Work with individuals and the community to promote participation. 2. Support existing community activities. Infosys leaders on leadership When Infosys Technologies Ltd. founder and CEO S. Gopalakrishnan addressed INSEAD as part of the Global Leadership Series in March, the 55-year-old corporate titan said he believes in leading by example. Now, the world is about to see if he practices what he preaches. Description not set Lesson 246: Culture/News Yellowstone: Monitoring the Fire Below Science Bulletins: Correlation to the National Standards 140: Growing a business with word-of-mouth marketing: the case of iXiGO.com Pricing and Pricing Strategies - Mini Lecture Stronger, Smarter, Nicer Humans Undestrand the Politics' Crysis in Honduras in portuguese, listen and learn in this post of Brazilian Portuguese Podcast, the Effective Portuguese Learning Check out our website, brazilianportuguesepod.com and find out more how we can help you improving your Portuguese! This interactive feature story is part of Science Bulletins, an innovative online and exhibition program that offers the public a window into the excitement of scientific discovery. Published in June 2006, this Earth Bulletin looks at the geologic history of Yellowstone National Park. It includes the following components: Three online essays - Yellowstone National Park Is a Volcano, Signs of Restlessness, and Volcanic Witness; An Interview with Bob Smith -- each available in a print-friendly for See how Science Bulletins materials correlate with National Science Education Standards. Most start-up companies allocate a hefty budget for advertising and marketing at the beginning, especially when they have lofty goals of capturing market share. But an Indian online travel start-up has proven the unthinkable: you can do it all by word-of-mouth and not spend a penny on advertising. A mini-lecture which introduces a number of pricing techniques Julian Savulescu's 'Sydney Ideas Lecture' on Human Enhancement was originally broadcast on ABC Radio National in Australia, August 19 2007. Yellowstone: Monitoring the Fire Below Science Bulletins: Correlation to the National Standards 140: Growing a business with word-of-mouth marketing: the case of iXiGO.com Pricing and Pricing Strategies - Mini Lecture Stronger, Smarter, Nicer Humans

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Welcome to the Birds of North America Online! Welcome to BNA Online, the leading source of life history information for North American breeding birds. This free, courtesy preview is just the first of 14 articles that provide detailed life history information including Distribution, Migration, Habitat, Food Habits, Sounds, Behavior and Breeding. Written by acknowledged experts on each species, there is also a comprehensive bibliography of published research on the species. A subscription is needed to access the remaining articles for this and any other species. Subscription rates start as low as $5 USD for 30 days of complete access to the resource. To subscribe, please visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology E-Store. If you are already a current subscriber, you will need to sign in with your login information to access BNA normally. Subscriptions are available for as little as $5 for 30 days of full access! If you would like to subscribe to BNA Online, just visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology E-Store. Let a squadron of southbound pelicans but feel a lift of prairie breeze over Clandeboye and they sense at once that here is a landing in the geological past, a refuge from that most relentless of aggressors, the future. With queer antediluvian grunts they set wing, descending in majestic spirals to the welcoming wastes of a bygone age. The American White Pelican occurs mainly in western and southern portions of North America, breeding inland in colonies on remote islands and wintering along warm southern coasts. The species is of particular interest because of its large body size, conspicuous white and black coloration, graceful flight, highly developed cooperative foraging, and the somewhat comic proportions of its large bill and pouch. White Pelicans are most commonly seen at foraging and adjacent loafing sites, where they are tolerant of human observers if not approached too closely. At breeding colonies, by contrast, they are shy and prone to desert or to leave eggs and young exposed to predators if approached. Early spring migrants often arrive at colony sites before winter ice has left all surrounding waters. Courtship begins almost immediately, starting with aerial flights of often dozens of birds circling prospective breeding sites. Groups of newly paired birds at the same stage of the reproductive cycle then begin to form dense, synchronized nesting clusters or sub-colonies. As more birds arrive, additional sub-colonies form on other nearby portions of the colony, with the different sub-colonies commonly at different stages of the reproductive cycle. Upon hatching, the altricial young are totally dependent on parents for food, warmth, and protection. By about 3 wks of age, they become more mobile, typically forming large overnight creches for protection and warmth, while the parents stay at the foraging grounds except for trips to the colony to feed their young. Generally only one of the two young survives, the other being harassed or killed by its older nestmate, a form of siblicide. Favored foraging sites are shallow marshes, rivers, and lake edges, where mainly fish of little commercial value are taken. White pelicans obtain their food by dipping their bills into the water and scooping up prey. They do not plunge-dive from the air like Brown Pelicans. Like some of the Old World species of pelicans, White Pelicans are widely noted for their habit of cooperative foraging. Coordinated flocks of swimming birds encircle fish or drive them into the shallows where they become concentrated and can be more easily caught with synchronized bill dipping. The continental population of White Pelicans was considered threatened until the early 1960s by combinations of changing water levels, human disturbance, and possibly contaminants. The population has since recovered and continues to increase at >3%/year. These increases have created conflicts with the aquaculture industry in the Southeastern United States in the last decade, especially during spring migration. The first significant inquiry into the biology of the American White Pelican was a study of food habits relative to game fish interests by Hall(1925) at Pyramid Lake, Nevada. Thompson (1933) provided the initial estimate of the continental population, which has been repeated at various intervals since (Sloan 1979, Vermeer 1970, Sidle et al 1985). Behle (1958) summarized a decade of studies of the natural history of the species on Great Salt Lake, and that volume along with the ethological observations of Schaller (1964) stimulated many additional studies of behavior and physiological ecology by Evans and his students at the University of Manitoba and breeding biology ecology by Knopf at Utah State University. Recent studies by King and his associates (King and Michot 2002, King and Werner 2001) have again focused on behavior and food habits of the species, specifically relative to economic impacts on aquaculture in the Mississippi River Delta region.

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Have you always dreamt of having a little girl? Or maybe your heart is set on having a little boy? Well, new technologies are now allowing some couples to choose the sex of their child before pregnancy. Many couples wish to have a child of a particular sex in order to prevent certain medical illness or to help balance their families. Sex selection procedures are now available at fertility clinics worldwide to help couples conceive a child of the desired gender. Sex selection is a hotly debated procedure, though, and is associated with many ethical, moral, and legal concerns. What is Sex Selection? Sex selection, or gender selection, is any method used to increase your chances of having a child of a specific gender. Every egg contains one X chromosome while sperm contain either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome. When an X-bearing sperm fertilizes an egg, a girl is conceived, and when a Y-bearing sperm fertilizes an egg, a boy is conceived. Typically, you have about a 50% of conceiving a male child and a 50% chance of conceiving a female child. Sex selection techniques work to increase the odds in favor of having either a male or female child. The History of Sex Selection Gender selection has actually been around for centuries; in fact, methods of sex selection were recorded in hieroglyphics by the Ancient Egyptians. In the past, sex selection has relied on certain sexual positions, timing, or special foods eaten during pregnancy. But these methods are based on little or no scientific evidence, and don’t really increase your chances of having either a boy or a girl. Recent advances in technology, however, have allowed for sex selection to become much more precise and effective. Through these technologies, couples can significantly improve their chances of having a child of a specific sex. Why Sex Selection? The reasons for undergoing baby gender selection are numerous. The most typical reasons for choosing sex selection procedures include: - Genetic Disease: Some couples are afraid of passing certain genetic diseases on to their children. There are genetic disorders associated with male children, such as hemophilia and muscular dystrophy. In order to avoid having a child with these disorders, some parents choose to have a female child. - Family Balancing: Family balancing is also a popular reason to turn to sex selection. Couples who have already had a child often would like to have another child of the opposite sex, in order to balance their family. - Death of a Child: Unfortunately, some parents lose their children at a very young age. Sex selection provides these couples with the chance of having another child of the same gender. There are also certain cultural, economic, and social reasons for having a child of a specific gender. Methods of Sex Selection There are currently three types of sex selection procedures available. The gradient method is one the simplest forms of sex selection technology. Sperm from the father is placed in a rapidly spinning machine called a centrifuge. As it spins, this machine helps to separate sperm with Y-chromosomes from those with X-chromosomes, which are heavier due to more genetic material. Sperm with the desired chromosome is then used in IUI in order to produce a child of the desired sex. The gradient method is associated with poorer success rates, but it is also less expensive than other sex selection options. Flow cytometry is another sperm sorting technique. It uses fluorescent dye to highlight sperm that carry X chromosomes. This fluorescent dye adheres to genetic material within the sperm. Because X-bearing sperm contain more genetic material, these sperm pick up more dye than the Y-bearing sperm. A laser machine is then used to separate the two types of sperm. The sperm with the appropriate chromosomes are then used in IUI or IVF. Success rates with flow cytometry are high: you have a 60% to 70% of conceiving a child of the desired gender. Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) PGD is one of the most successful methods when it comes to gender selection. This is a complex procedure that involves the creation of embryos that are then analyzed for cell structure and DNA. Embryos are created in a laboratory and allowed to divide. After three or four days, one cell from each dividing embryo is removed and analyzed for DNA and genetic material. Once the sex of the embryos are determined, only those embryos of the desired sex are implanted into the mother’s uterus through IVF. PGD is highly successful, giving you a 99% chance of having a child of the desired gender. Costs of Sex Selection Sex selection isn’t cheap, so it shouldn’t be done lightly. The gradient method is the most inexpensive procedure – one cycle of IUI with sperm selection will cost around $600. Flow cytometry is currently only available as part of a limited FDA-study. PGD testing costs between $2,000 and $4,000 plus the costs of IVF procedures. Ethical and Legal Concerns Sex selection is hotly debated in countries all over the world. This is because the sex selection procedures go against the moral and ethical concerns of many people. Some argue that sex selection perpetuates sexual discrimination and stereotyping. Many worry that sex selection will have a negative impact on the ratio of male to female births in certain countries. Others worry that it will lead to the desire to select other characteristics of our children, including hair color, eye color, and intelligence level. For these reasons sex selection based on non-medical reasons has been banned in certain countries. Sex selection is available at fertility clinics throughout the United States. To date, there is no body that governs sex selection procedures and fertility clinics may offer it at their own discretion. However, sex selection techniques are typically only offered for those concerned about genetic disorders. Sex selection based on non-medical reasons is illegal in both Britain and Canada. If you are interested in sex selection techniques, be sure to contact your local government authorities for information in the laws in your country or state.

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WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HORSE? There are five basic body colors of horses. - BROWN A brown horse has a mixture of black and brown in his coat. In Europe, a "bay" is considered to be a brown horse. - BAY A bay horse can be any shade of brown (which is a mixture of red and yellow), with points such as tail, mane, muzzle and lower legs being black. The brown can range from a light, almost tan or chestnut to a dark, seal color. - BLACK A black horse is completely black, including muzzle and flanks. Most horses that look black are actually a very dark bay. - CHESTNUT A chestnut horse has brown skin and the hairs are actually red. The shades vary from a light yellowy color to dark liver. The mane and tail are usually the same color as the body but can be lighter. The lighter coloring is called flaxen. Lighter colored horses are called sorrel; very dark chestnut is called "liver chestnut". - WHITE A truly white horse is born white and remains white. His hair is snowy; he has pink skin and blue eyes. Cream horses are a variation, also having unpigmented skin and pink or blue eyes, with a pale colored coat. Most "white horses" are actually light grey. There are also three major color variations in horses and three major color - DUN Duns have black skin with an evenly distributed coat color and a black mane and tail, similar to bay coloring. The coat color can range from a pale yellowish color to the color of a dirty canvas. Dun horses usually have a dorsal stripe down their backs and some have stripes on their forearms. The lighter shades are called buckskin. - GRAY A gray coat is actually a mixture of black and white hairs on black skin. A foal may be born a solid color with a few white hairs sprinked in his coat, but more white hairs will appear in the coat until he is gray at maturity. "Dappled grey" looks mottled, while greys with clusters of darker hair which sometimes include a reddish brown, are called "flea - ROAN Roan is a mixture of white and colored hairs. White with brown is called red roan; white with red is strawberry roan; white with black is called blue roan. - PALOMINO Palominos are golden horses with light colored, or "flaxen" manes and tails. - PINTO Pintos have a mixture of white and colored areas on their bodies. Horses with black and white splotches are called piebald, while horses with any other color than black are called skewbald. Pinto is a Spanish word meaning painted. Painted horses are divided into two categories: Tobianos, the most common, have white splotches across their backs which extend downward. On Overos, the white extends from the belly and legs upward toward the back but does not actually cross the back. Overos often have a "War Bonnet" or - APPALOOSA This is a color breed. It is divided into three color Leopard is a white horse with dark spots all over his body; Snowflake is a dark horse with tiny white spots; and the "blanket", the most well-known Appy pattern which usually consists of a white blanket with dark spots on the rump. Appys must meet three minimum requirements: striped hooves, unpigmented sclera (white around the cornea of the eye) and mottling of the skin, particularly on the nostrils, muzzle, and genitalia. There are solid colored appaloosas but they must meet the above requirements. Many horses have markings on their faces and legs. Here are the more common - BLAZE A white mark spread over the forehead and the length of the face. If the blaze is exaggerated to cover the entire front of the face, the term "bald face" or "war bonnet" might be used. - STRIPE A white mark down the face, similar to a blaze but narrower. - STRIP A white mark running partway down the face. - STAR A patch of white on the forehead. - SNIP A white or pink patch on the nose or lip. - WHORL A patch of hair swirling opposite to the surrounding hair, usually found on the forehead. - SOCK White hair on a leg, looking like human ankle socks. - STOCKING White hair on a leg, extending from hoof to hock or knee. A full, legal description of a horse would include: name, age, color, breed or type, sex, height, parentage, natural marks (such as those listed above and patches on the body), whorls, acquired marks such as scars. This article was kindly provided by Michelle Staples, Staples Stables

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On May 1, the American Lung Association (ALA) will release its annual "State of the Air" report on air pollution levels in American cities. Like previous "State of the Air" reports, the news is alarming. The ALA claims "nearly half of the US population" lives in areas with dangerous levels of air pollution. Metropolitan areas from New York to San Diego are given letter grades of "F" for air quality. Before taking this year's ALA report at face value, reporters should ask the ALA report's authors a few questions to clarify the report's biases. 1. Is air quality in California, and the U.S. as a whole, better or worse than it was 10 years ago? Five years ago? Discussion: Air pollution has been declining for decades. While southern California's air pollution remains the highest in the nation, southern California has made more progress than any other region. Figure 1 displays the improving trend in exceedences of the 1-hour ozone standard. National compliance with the 1-hour ozone standard went from about 50% in the early 1980s to 87% today. About 40% of U.S. monitoring locations still exceed EPA's stringent new 8-hour ozone standard, but 8-hour ozone levels have been dropping as well. Virtually the entire nation (>99%) now meets all federal health standards for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide. More than 96% of the nation complies with PM10 standards (particulate matter under 10 micrometers in diameter), and the compliance rate is about 70% for EPA's stringent new annual PM2.5 standard. PM2.5 declined 33% between 1980 and 2000, with the most polluted areas once again achieving the greatest reductions (see Figure 2 for PM trends). These declining trends will continue in the coming decade (see discussion of question 4 below). 2. Is every single person in each city or county with an "F" grade exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution? [If the ALA spokesperson says "Yes" to this question, it will mean they do not know what they are talking about and reporters can stop taking notes. See discussion below.] Follow up question: For each county, "State of the Air" lists the number of days per year exceeding the 8-hour ozone standard. How many individual monitoring locations in a given county exceeded the ozone standard that many times per year? [The correct answer is zero for almost all counties with more than one ozone monitoring site (see Figure 6 below).] Discussion: ALA "State of the Air" reports give an entire county an "F" grade if only a single air quality monitor within a county exceeds the EPA's strict new 8-hour ozone benchmark more than 3 times per year. But in most metro areas only a few monitors ever register an exceedence. In some metro areas, only a tiny percentage of the population lives in proximity to air quality monitors that exceed the EPA standard. For example, ALA gave San Diego an "F" for air quality, claiming that San Diego experienced 16 exceedences per year of the EPA ozone standard. In fact, only a single rural location, Alpine, exceeded the 8-hour ozone standard more than 2 times per year (see Figure 3). 99.7% of people in San Diego County breathe air that meets both the EPA 8-hour and 1-hour ozone standards. ALA greatly exaggerated ozone levels in other metro areas as well (see figures 4, 5, and 6). This one of the ways in which ALA was able to claim half of all Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone—they simply included tens of millions of people who actually breathe clean air. The point: One might argue that talking about the number of days smog is elevated somewhere in a region is not misleading and paints a fair picture of the nature of the regional pollution problem. But the health effects of smog depend on how often a given person is exposed. Since no one is exposed to smog anywhere near as often as the ALA claims, the public is being encouraged to vastly overestimate its risk from air pollution. 3. Does ALA believe that air that exceeds EPA's 8-hour ozone standard poses a major health risk? Discussion: The EPA's new, stricter 8-hour ozone standard is was selected to offer protection to those people who are considered "most sensitive" to pollution, chiefly the elderly and people with respiratory ailments. Most Americans do not face significant risk from current levels of ozone. For example, the EPA projects that going from nationwide attainment of the 1-hour ozone standard to attainment of the 8-hour standard would reduce emergency room visits for asthma by 0.6 percent, even though the 8-hour standard is significantly more stringent. Comparison of air pollution levels in California counties shows that there is little relationship between air pollution levels and asthma prevalence (see Figure 7), while a recent study of California's Central Valley, funded by the California Air Resources Board, found that emergency room visits and hospitalizations for respiratory disease were lower on days with higher ozone. While no one believes ozone protects against respiratory harm, the effects of ozone at current levels are small enough that epidemiologists have difficulty detecting any change in health outcomes with changes in air pollution levels. Nevertheless, ALA claims 40% of Americans are "at risk" when air pollution exceeds the 8-hour ozone benchmark on just a few days per year. Discussion: ALA claims in the "State of the Air" that "the improvement in ozone levels seen in 1999-2001 is likely due to favorable weather conditions rather than significant new measures to reduce pollution," and "much air pollution cleanup has been stalled during the past five years, because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has failed to take steps to enforce more the more protective ozone standard adopted in 1997." (p. 3, col. 1). In fact, the downward trend in pollution levels has been ongoing and will continue. On-road pollution measurements show emissions from gasoline vehicles are dropping by about 10 percent per year, as the fleet turns over to more recent models that start out and stay much cleaner than vehicles built years ago. Diesel truck emissions are also declining, albeit about half as fast. Although motorists are driving more miles each year and population growth means more motorists on the roads, these increases in driving are tiny compared to the large declines in vehicle emission rates and will do little to slow progress on auto pollution (see Figure 8). Emissions from industrial sources will also continue to drop. Starting in 2004, EPA regulations require a 60 percent reduction in summertime NOx emissions from coal-fired power plants and industrial boilers—the major industrial sources of ozone-forming pollution, and a 20 percent reduction in PM-forming SO2 from power plants between now and 2010. These reductions are in addition to substantial declines in industrial NOx and SO2 emissions during the last 30 years. Clearly "State of the Air" is designed to generate alarming headlines—and aid fundraising for the American Lung Association—rather than provide the media and the public with accurate information on air pollution. Last August Andrew Goldstein of Time magazine wrote: "Fuzzy math and scare tactics might help green groups raise money, but when they, abetted by an environmentally friendly media, overplay their hand, it invites scathing critiques. . ." (From "Too Green for Their Own Good?" Time magazine, August 26, 2002.) Joel Schwartz is an adjunct fellow at Reason Foundation and visiting scholar at American Enterprise Institute. Steven F. Hayward is senior fellow in environmental studies at the Pacific Research Institute, and a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

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All sorts of athletes came to the lab, cross-country skiers, runners, speed skaters, cyclists, oarsmen and lugers, to name a few, and if the work Arnot did with them was ad hoc to a degree that enraged conventional medical opinion, it was also pertinent. As Dr. Allan Ryan, now editor-in-chief of The Physician and Sports-medicine, says, "He has trained himself, which draws criticism from the classic exercise physiologists who want him to have a formal training, but his Lake Placid lab was active and useful." No group was as well represented there as the cross-country skiers. Arnot had brought home from Europe the realization that in the off-season such skiers had to train the legs and upper body simultaneously. After the Games, Hall, now Canadian National coach, said, "I'm a lot smarter coach for having been involved with Arnot's work." Arnot rigged a device to simulate poling—a pulley, adjustable for tension, and a cord with handles extending from each side—and had the skiers speed hike on an elevation-adjustable treadmill. He tried various combinations of arm-and-leg tensions and ultimately was able to prove that the skiers' isolated leg and upper body exercising had not been the most effective method of training. Arnot also tested the athletes on a piece of sports science equipment called a breath-by-breath pulmonary gas-exchange system, which he linked up to a computer. It enabled him to determine each athlete's anaerobic threshold, the level of exertion at which lactic acid in the blood increases suddenly, causing breathlessness and burning in the muscles. That is the level at about which all endurance athletes should train to optimally increase their race pace, and no athlete benefited more from this testing than Doug Peterson of Hanover, N.H., a 28-year-old skier on the U.S. cross-country team, who says that he improved more in the last two years, having worked with Arnot, than in all the previous seven years. "Bob Arnot," he says, "has done more for elite athletes, in my sport, at least, than anyone else in the country." Olympic competition began in February of 1980, and activity in Arnot's lab ended. Although the experience cost Arnot the $150,000, he says that it was worth that much and more to him, and he continues to be fascinated by the role of science in improving athletic performance. After Lake Placid he also had a new nickname to go with Doctor Ben Gay; a lot of people were starting to call him Doctor Sport. One night late last April Arnot met his 29-year-old for dinner in New York, and soon thereafter he began a typically hectic five-week slice of life. He kicked off, characteristically, with a sleepless night in a hospital, followed, equally characteristically, by a 60-mile bicycle race in the a.m. That night, with a windsurfing race on Long Island ahead of him the next day, Arnot attended a formal dance given by Boston's Alliance Française. The band played '40s jitterbug music, and Arnot's date spent a good part of the evening and early morning in defiance of various Newtonian laws, whirling dizzily about his chest, shoulders and neck. Most of the other partygoers were content to watch, as Arnot, rarely known to resist an audience or a pretty girl, failed to resist again. The next afternoon, windsurfing in the second of three triangle races, Arnot fell from his board and finished last. He had slept only three hours the night before, and he seemed to be having difficulty concentrating. But maybe that had something to do with the presence, just off his stern, of a photographer in a launch. Three days later Arnot received a call from the U.S. Olympic Yachting Committee denying his request, made weeks earlier, to attend the Olympic windsurfing (board sailing) training camp in June. It had nothing to do with the results of the Long Island race; the committee said there was little chance of anyone weighing more than 140 pounds—Arnot weighs 185—doing well in Olympic competition. Arnot had raced creditably in heavy seas off Maui, a big man's game; as for competing in small waves, he was disappointed with the committee's decision but had to agree with its reasoning. Now it was 7 a.m. at Claremont's hospital. Arnot was completing a 24-hour shift during which he had administered intravenous therapy to a truck driver with an acute asthma attack, X-rayed and examined a local millworker who had caught her arm in a machine, and examined a woman who had suffered a massive stroke, then confronted her family with his diagnosis and his opinion that the prognosis was poor. He had also put in some time with the Tartini and "worked the phones," as he puts it, running up a phone bill of $97 while arranging with his 29-year-old for jaunts to various Hamptons and calling all over the West to determine "the hot wheels" for an upcoming roller-skating race. As a weary nurse asked, "What does he use for fuel?" Arnot could hardly wait for the day's activities to begin. He had had eight hours sleep, after all, only three nights earlier. At eight he was telling a breakfast gathering of the Newport, N.H. Chamber of Commerce, "...your overall life expectancy, and how you feel from day to day, is largely determined by what you do for yourself, by how fit you are." He was about to begin what he calls a Health Sports Day, in conjunction with the Newport Hospital, an NES affiliate. It would be his 10th such day in 1981.

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Plasteel provides two Excel spreadsheets, one English and one Metric, that compute the volume of liquid in a tank given the rod depth measurement. These spreadsheets produce print-ready lookup tables that are specific to your tank's inside length and diameter. Download:Tank Calibration Chart - English units (inches, gallons)Tank Calibration Chart - Metric units (millimeters, liters) 1. Open the downloaded spreadsheet and click the Set Up Tab at bottom. 2. Enter your Nominal Capacity into B5. 3. Enter your Inside Length into B8. 4. Enter your Inside Diameter into B9. 5. The Actual Capacity will appear in B13. 6. Click the Charts tab at bottom and the chart will be calculated. 7. Enter Inside Diameter, Inside Length and Capacity for future reference and print the chart.

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A broadaxe is a large-headed axe. Usually one side is flat and the other side beveled, though sometimes both sides are beveled. With one bevel the handle may curve away from the flat side to allow a flush stroke when hewing a flat plane on a log. The flat blade is to make the flat surface, the curved handle to enable the user to wrap his hand around the handle without damaging his knuckles by hitting them against the object being worked on. Single bevel axes are made either right or left-handed. A double beveled broad axe may be used to either side, but requires more skill as it must be swung near the angle of the bevel to produce a flat cut.

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Good plans shape good decisions. And hence the need of good planning is an essential part of good business. Workforce planning helps an organisation in calculating its future workforce requirements and determining the nature, number and sources of potential employees who are required to meet the demand. To explain it more simply, workforce planning is about getting the right number of people, with the right skills, in the right place and at the right time. Once the organization is aware of its needs and goals, it is comparatively easier to identify the amount of talent required to get there. Workforce planning requires a comprehensive study of the organisation wherein managers are required to design a structure for making staffing decision based on the organization’s mission, vision and resources. Strategic planning, budget and human resources are the key players in workforce planning. Not everyone understands the importance of workforce planning, but strategically workforce planning enables managers to avoid people problems that could crop up in future and improve the talent pipeline to ensure the organization will have the required people to meet the organization’s goals. Here is some usefulness of workforce planning; - It helps in identifying and preparing the managers for future requirements. - It helps in filling up the sudden vacancies in key roles with capable talent. - It increases the overall productivity of the workforce and enables organization to achieve its desired goals. - It helps in maintaining the availability of conditional workforce. - It reduces labour costs without affecting productivity How it works? Workforce planning begins with analysis of the strategic positions of the organization. This analysis is then used to predict the demand of workforce and how this demand can be supplied. The final stage involves the creation and implementation of the human resource plan which aim to deliver the right number of right people at the right time. Organizations are advised to use workforce planning to avoid uncertainty and identify the right workforce strategy to put in place today to be prepared for the future. Create a plan, follow a plan and you will be surprised to see how successful your organization could be.

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version ISSN 1850-468X DE RUYVER, Roberto; DENEGRI, María J. and ORICCHIO, Patricio. Frost risk map for the south of Buenos Aires province using satellite and surface data. Meteorologica [online]. 2012, vol.37, n.1, pp. 37-46. ISSN 1850-468X. Cold temperature can cause severe damage in crops when a cold front irruption occurs. This is especially true in some specific periods on the growing crops mainly during spring. This work presents frost risk maps for wheat. The region selected was the south of Buenos Aires province in Argentina. Wheat covers almost 2,2 million ha in south Buenos Aires area which represents 40% of the total wheat cultivated in Argentina At the same time, south Buenos Aires area suffers the biggest damage on wheat because of frost during spring time. The study was carried out based on channels 3, 4 and 5 of NOAA satellite images (1,09 km2 spatial resolution). Images from 2005 to 2008 were available. Minimum daily temperatures from "Servicio Meteorológico Nacional" (SMN) and "Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria" (INTA) were also used. Risk area is increased in areas which combine lower altitudes and higher distance to the Ocean. Areas near the Ocean are associated to areas with lower frost risk. This methodology can be applied for different crops and different areas and It would be a useful tool for management policies. Keywords : Frost; Frost mapping; Remote sensing; Wheat.

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Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) NCRW’s 2001 publication, Balancing the Equation: Where Are Women and Girls in Science, Engineering and Technology? features many recommendations that form the basis of successful programs. The National Science Foundation and others have applied many of the same findings to develop successful programs and strategies. One of the most important features of successful STEM programs is building mentoring relationships between accomplished women STEM professionals and young women at different stages of study or career. MIT and the Mathematical Association of America have created such mentoring programs. In primary and secondary schools, hands-on courses encouraging students to design their own websites or create their own tech toys have been incredibly effective in capturing the interest of girls and young women. Girls Incorporated, an NCRW member center, sponsors TeachingSMART, a program that increases awareness of gender issues among elementary and high school teachers. The Center for the Study of Women, Science, and Technology at Georgia Tech (also an NCRW member) offers support services to women scholars and engineers. And the National Science Foundation is making substantial investments through its ADVANCE Program aimed at increasing the number of women in STEM. No resources are attached to this category. Reports & Publications U.S. Female Students Enter College Most Prepared for STEM Studies, According to Faculty at America's Top Research Universities in a New Bayer SurveyDecember 8, 2011 November 23, 2011 September 28, 2011 What We Do NCRW is a network of leading university and community based research, policy, and advocacy centers with a growing global reach dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women and girls. We also have a Corporate Circle comprised of senior diversity professionals from leading U.S. and global member companies and a Presidents Circle of college and university leaders who share our commitment. NCRW harnesses the collective power of its network to provide knowledge, analysis, and thought leadership on issues ranging from reducing women’s poverty to building a critical mass of women’s leadership across sectors.

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World Trade Organization (WTO) The basic aim of the 155-member World Trade Organization (WTO) is to liberalize world trade and place it on a secure basis. The latest round of WTO negotiations, launched in Doha, Qatar in 2001, is the most ambitious attempt ever to spur global economic growth by liberalizing trade in agricultural and non-agricultural goods as well as freeing up trade in services. The Doha Round has placed the interests of developing countries, which constitute the majority of WTO members, at the heart of negotiations, adding to their ERS analyzes data and information on WTO topics and conducts economic research on trade policies and regulations to provide U.S. negotiators and other stakeholders with an economic perspective on the complex issues confronting the WTO.

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Science Fair Project Encyclopedia Physics and Star Wars The Interstellar trilogy, Star Wars, uses science and technology in their settings and storylines, though they were not considered "hard" science fiction. Star Wars concentrates mainly on the epic drama and not on the "technobabble." It has borrowed freely from the scientific world. The series has showcased many interesting technological concepts, both in the movies and in an extensive line of novels and comics. These vivid imaginings, and the discussions they have started amongst fans, have inspired many people to enter the world of science. The Star Wars movies are a vehicle for entertainment and their primary aim is to deliver drama, not scientific knowledge. Many of the on-screen technologies created or borrowed for the Star Wars universe were used mainly as plot devices, and not as elements of the story in their own right. The iconic status that Star Wars has gained in popular culture allows it to be used as an accessible introduction to real scientific concepts. Many of the technologies used in the Star Wars universe are impossible, according to current theory. However, the process of understanding why they are considered impossible can educate people while simultaneously entertaining them. Star Wars technology Individual technology is discussed in separate articles: Compare with: Physics and Star Trek External links, resources, references - Star Wars Technical Commentaries - Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia - TrekWars: The Furry Conflict - Star Wars : Realities beyond the myth - Alt.Startrek.Vs.Starwars FAQ - Ultimate Star Wars Vs. Star Trek Database - 202129 Resource Center - Star Wars vs. Star Trek website 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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Hot on HuffPost Parents: When to Introduce Kids to Music: Early and Often As a musician, music educator and researcher, parents often ask me when they should begin introducing their children to music. As with most easy questions, there's an easy answer that is incomplete and a more nuanced answer that is correct. The easy answer is: You should begin age-appropriate music "lessons" soon after birth, or maybe even before birth. That being said, please stay with me before giving your 6-month-old a trumpet. There is a great deal of research supporting the notion that musical ability develops during a critical period from birth through age 9 (or 10 or even 11, depending on the research). However, it seems clear that after age 11 the window for developing certain musical abilities is shut -- and shut forever. This makes sense. Our brains seem to be "wired" for learning and processing the patterns we hear. This is most obvious in how young children develop language. They hear the patterns and inflections in their native tongue and their brains internalize them. Language learning seems natural, and they learn the language of the culture they're living in. A child can also learn multiple languages at this time and being bi-lingual seems natural. Yes, an adult can learn a second language, but it will rarely be as natural as the first language or without an accent. The same is true with music. At its most basic level, music is made up from a surprisingly small vocabulary of rhythm and pitch patterns. These basic patterns vary by culture, (which is why Japanese music sounds different from Canadian music), but the basic principle of music being comprised of patterns is true of all music. These patterns can be considered the basic units of music, much like words are the basic units of speech. The individual notes are like letters -- they only take on meaning when combined into a word. Likewise, the individual notes only take on musical meaning when they are combined into patterns. A child learns the musical patterns of the music they're exposed to during their formative years. The patterns are internalized and become the child's natural musical language. So, early music "lessons" should have as its goal engaging the child with music in a way that will help him or her focus on, and learn, the basic building blocks of music. This internalizing of musical patterns is most often accomplished by singing and movement at an early age. Like language, it is best learned if the entire environment is immersed with music. This takes us right back to our basic question. While weekly "lessons" or "Mommy-Baby Classes" are worthwhile, the fact that they only meet once or twice a week makes them enhancements to the process, not the core of the process. Imagine if your child only heard language during prescribed classes once or twice a week and the rest of the time the child experienced no language. The chance of a regular development would be remote. So, providing basic music experiences is really up to the parents. Now, before you start protesting, "I can't carry a tune in a bucket" or "I haven't played my instrument since I was in middle school," there is some good news. You don't have to be a musician! The key is to help your child focus and internalize the basic patterns of music -- to engage her in music. Here are a few ways in which you can go about it: - Sing with your child. The reason many children's songs (for example, "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" or "Row, Row, Row Your Boat") have lasted through generations is that they have the basic patterns we're trying to instill. - Download songs to your iPod and do the movements along with the song. The purpose is to focus attention on the music. - Hold your child and sway while singing or listening to music. - March around your living room. - Clap a rhythm. Any rhythmic "dancing" to music at this age will fulfill this purpose. - Have music as a constant "soundtrack" in the home. This will be especially helpful if there is repetition of certain pieces. So, the answer to the original question is: Start your child's musical development as early as you can, but do it in an age-appropriate way, with age-appropriate goals. How are you engaging your child in music? This article was originally on PBSParents and was written by Rob Cutietta. Rob is the Dean of the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. He is a noted author and popular speaker whose areas of expertise include the middle-school learner, choral education, learning theories and the psychology of music. Additionally, he is a highly-regarded musician and educator, and he has extensive knowledge about the full range of musical talent nationally as well as internationally. More From PBSParents.org: Child Development Tracker The Parent Show Start by teaching him that it is safe to do so.

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Conservation officers find more polar bear dens near Manitoba-Ontario boundary A file image shows a polar bear in Manitoba. Published Tuesday, August 21, 2012 9:56AM CST WINNIPEG -- Manitoba conservation officials have stumbled across a pleasant surprise -- a large number of polar bear dens along the Hudson Bay coast near the Ontario boundary. The dens lie in an area southeast of Wapusk National Park and east of the Nelson River. It's a region along the southern end of the polar bear's range and not as well-known as Wapusk, Churchill and other areas to the north. "We've always known that there are dens in there ... but not to this extent," said Daryll Hedman, the regional wildlife manager for northeast Manitoba. "We have a fairly large number of denning females in there, equal to or even maybe surpassing Wapusk National Park, so it's fairly exciting news." Female polar bears dig the dens in the ground to give birth. The discovery could be a sign that the polar bear population in the area is in good shape, at least for now. The province is beginning a three-year study to get more detail. "'For now' might be a fair statement, but that ice-free period is getting longer each year." The area's polar bears are threatened by a shrinking feeding season. The amount of time every year that ice covers that stretch of Hudson Bay, allowing the bears to hunt seals, has been reduced by three weeks. That makes it harder for female bears to gain enough weight to give birth. Climate change is also affecting the permafrost the bears use for their dens. Dens do not collapse under permanently frozen ground, but scientists are worried warming temperatures will cause the permafrost to recede northward. Not everyone agrees that polar bears are in trouble. The Nunavut government released a survey earlier this year that said Canada's polar bear population hasn't significantly declined in the last seven years as predicted. The aerial survey estimated the western Hudson Bay bear population at around 1,000. That's about the same number of bears found in a more detailed study done in 2004. That study, which physically tagged the bears, predicted the number would decline to about 650 by 2011.

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Keep your Immune System strong until Spring. With the start of winter upon us, it’s important to keep the immune system functioning at its peak to fight seasonal colds and flu. Experts agree that diet, sleep and exercise all help keep the immune system functioning at its peak. Getting enough sleep can keep your body’s defenses strong, as can a diet of fresh, nutritious foods—especially those high in vitamin C. Exercise can also help boost your immune system: Studies show that people who exercise regularly report fewer colds than their sedentary peers. Boost immunity with a supplement. Sometimes, though, your immune system could use some extra help. That’s when immune supplements can help boost the immune system and lay a foundation of good health. Immune Stimulator is a unique blend of natural ingredients that support and boost the immune system and promote the functions used in the body’s natural repair of DNA. It contains compounds that maintain the body’s natural defense mechanisms, including: - Beta glucans, which trigger an increase in the production of macrophages, T-cells, natural killer cells and cytokines. - Arabinogalactan, to stimulate natural killer cells and macrophage activity. - Colostrum, the first milk produced by mammals, which is rich in immune-enhancing transfer factors. - Reishi and maitake mushroom, believed to help support immunity by increasing the activity of natural killer cells and macrophages. - Cordyceps, a prized, energizing nutrient from China that promotes the integrity of DNA and increases T-cell and B-cell activity. Fuel for your immune system Immune Stimulator offers your immune system a complete package of protection. During times of stress, or when you can’t eat as well as you’d like or exercise as much as you’d like, take daily to strengthen your immune system and help prevent unwanted attacks.

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en

(Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Schöneckstrasse 6, 79104 Freiburg, Germany) What is heating the quiet-Sun chromosphere? It is widely believed that the heating of the chromosphere in quiet-Sun internetwork regions is provided by dissipation of acoustic waves that are excited by the convective motions close to the top of the convection zone and in the photospheric overshoot layer. This view lately became challenged by observations suggesting that the acoustic energy flux into the chromosphere is too low, by a factor of at least ten. Based on a comparison of TRACE data with synthetic image sequences for a three-dimensional simulation extending from the top layers of the convection zone to the middle chromosphere, we come to the contradicting conclusion that the acoustic flux in the model provides sufficient energy for heating the solar chromosphere of internetwork regions. The role of a weak magnetic field and associated electric current sheets is also Back to index.

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CC-MAIN-2013-20

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en

Dates from 1520 | English, Southwark (with earlier Italian and Flemish components) | Object number: II.7 The Tonlet armour takes its name from its large metal skirt, or tonlet, which offered protection for the upper legs during foot combat. The tonlet was probably inspired by the male fashion for heavy fabric skirts, or ‘bases’. This armour was made for the Field of Cloth of Gold Tournament. New rules for the event were announced quite late and there was little time to create new armour to conform to them. This armour is composed of various pieces from already existing tournament and field armours. An example is that the greaves have slots in the back for spurs; important for a battle harness, but unnecessary for foot combat. Only the pauldrons and the tonlet were newly made by Henry’s armourers. Henry VIII’s tonlet armour This armour was made for Henry VIII to wear to compete in the foot combat at the Field of Cloth of Gold tournament in 1520. The combatants fought in an enclosed arena, so the tonlet gave essential protection for the legs. Backplate and tonlet The shape of this armour reflects male clothing fashions of the time. The backplate and tonlet mimic the form-fitting doublet with flared skirt that was popular in the early 16th century. The tonlet was hastily decorated with foliage and Tudor roses, one of Henry’s family’s symbols. The haste of the execution of this decoration is made apparent by a mistake in the pattern which appears on the back. Left and right pauldrons (shoulder defences) The pauldrons were made in the royal workshop especially for this armour. The right pauldron is decorated with an image of St George and the left with the Virgin and Child. St George is the patron saint of England, and was also considered a model of the chivalrous knight. The Virgin and Child was a symbol of piety and protection, and the Virgin Mary was seen as an important link to God for devout Catholics. Modified bellows visor The original slits in the visor for sight and ventilation were reinforced with interior pierced panels, presumably for enhanced safety. Compared with the unfinished foot combat armour, this bacinet offered greater protection by not having a long open slit for sight. Although seeing out of the bacinet was not impossible, it would be, to quote one of the Royal Armouries’ interpreters, similar to ‘trying to look through a colander.’ Makers’ marks on bacinet The tonlet armour was assembled from various pieces of existing armour. The bacinet bears the maker’s mark of the Missaglia family of Milan, Italy. With Nuremberg in Germany and Innsbruck in Austria, Milan was one of the major centres of armour production throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The identification of sword cuts on the bacinet is debatable, although their location and appearance are consistent with examples on other armours. As the bacinet was part of an older armour, it is impossible to know whether these marks were from earlier combats or those at the Field of Cloth of Gold. The vambraces (arm defences) Unlike typical armours which have gaps in certain areas in order to allow for greater flexibility, Henry’s armourers employed cutting-edge technology to fill many of these gaps with extra lames, providing fuller coverage. This is most clear on the inside of the elbow joints and it greatly enhanced the protective quality of the armour, making Henry much safer when he competed. The tonlet (armoured skirt) The tonlet is constructed from a series of concentric plates, each one slightly larger than the one above it. One side is hinged, while the other opened and closed by means of a series of buckles. The overlapping plates allowed the tonlet to be quite flexible. The wearer’s mobility was further enhanced by the tonlet’s flared shape, allowing a good degree of leg movement. There are many depictions of this style of armour in tournaments, indicating that it was a popular one at that time. However, very few examples survive today. The Bacinet’s collar The armour was hastily decorated with etching and gilding in order to give the composite pieces a unified appearance. For example, the etched and gilded collar of the Order of the Garter around the neck of the bacinet links with the garter itself around the top of the left greave. Etching was done by creating a wax design on the surface, then covering the metal in acid. The acid would erode the steel but leave the wax design unmarked, which left a raised design on the steel. Gilding involved applying gold mixed with mercury so that it formed a paste that could be easily spread onto the armour’s surface. Heating the piece of armour drove off the mercury, leaving the gold adhering to the metal. This is known as fire gilding or mercury gilding. Etched Garter on Left Greave (lower leg defence) Members of the Order of the Garter wore a single garter as an emblem of this high honour. Henry VIII, who was himself a member, had the garter with its inscription HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (‘Shame to him who thinks ill of it’) etched on the left greave of his tonlet armour. The greaves have slots in the back to accommodate spurs. This is evidence that these originally came from a different armour, as foot combat did not require spurs. These greaves were probably from one of King Henry’s earlier field armours. The leg defences were separate from this armour at some point, and reunited with the rest of the armour in 1947, initially on loan, having been in the collection of the Dymoke family, the hereditary Royal Champions, at Scrivelsby Court in Lincolnshire. Want to know more? To read PDF documents you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not currently have it installed you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader here.

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en

In Scotland and the Nordic countries of Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden it may take the form of general public rights which are sometimes codified in law. The access is ancient in parts of Northern Europe and has been regarded as sufficiently basic that it was not formalised in law until modern times. Many tropical countries such as Madagascar have historic policies of open access to forest or wilderness areas. This practice in the rainforests of eastern Madagascar and in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests has led to considerable destruction of habitat, much of which is effectively irreversible. In the United States hiking access to true wilderness areas is encouraged, but the property owner controls access to private lands, with exceptions for beach access and other easement rights that can be negotiated between government entities and owners to allow access to lands of unusual merit. Today these rights underpin opportunities for outdoor recreation in several of the Nordic countries, providing the opportunity to hike across or camp on another's land (e.g. in Sweden for one or two nights, or "temporarily"), boating on somebody else's waters, and to pick wildflowers, mushrooms and berries. However — with the rights come responsibilities; that is, an obligation neither to harm, disturb, litter, nor to damage wildlife or crops. Access rights are most often for travel on foot. Rights to fish, hunt or take any other product are usually constrained by other customs or laws. Building a fire is often prohibited (though in Finland fires are sometimes allowed on state owned land and in Sweden fires are allowed with proper safety precautions). Making noise is discouraged. In some countries, putting up a tent in the forest for one night is allowed, but not the use of a caravan. Access does not extend to built up or developed land (such as houses, gardens) and does not include commercial exploitation of the land. For example, workers picking berries is legal only with the landowner's permit. The notable exception is Denmark, where it is generally not allowed to walk in privately owned forests, more similar to the rest of Europe. The right is restricted. They may not disturb other people or damage property, disturb breeding birds (or their nests or young), or disturb reindeer or game animals. They may not cut down or damage living trees, or collect wood, moss or lichen on other people’s property, nor may they light open fires on other people’s property (except in an emergency). They cannot disturb the privacy of people’s homes, by camping too near to them or making too much noise, and neither can they leave litter, drive motor vehicles off road without the landowner’s permission, or fish or hunt without the relevant permits.In the municipality of Ahvenanmaa one is not allowed to camp even for one night without the landowner's permit. The right is a positive right in the respect that only the government is allowed to restrict it. However, the exact definition remains uncodified and based on the principle of nulla poena sine lege (what is not illegal cannot be punished for). In later years the right has come under pressure particularly around the Oslo Fjord and in popular areas of Southern Norway. These areas are popular sites for holiday homes and many owners of coastal land want to restrict public access to their property. As a general rule, building and partitioning of property is prohibited in the 100m zone closest to the sea, but local authorities in many areas have made liberal use of their ability to grant exemptions from this rule. Even though a land owner has been permitted to build closer to the shore he can not restrict people from walking along the shore. Fences and other barriers to prevent public access are not permitted (but yet sometimes erected). Hunting rights belong to the landowner, and thus hunting is not included in the right of free access. In freshwater areas such as rivers and lakes, the fishing rights belong to the landowner. Regardless of who owns the land, fresh water fishing activities may only be conducted with the permission of the landowner or by those in possession of a fishing licence. In salt water areas there is free access to sports fishing using boats or from the shoreline. All fishing is subject to legislation to among other things protect biological diversity, and this legislation stipulates rules regarding the use of gear, seasons, bag or size limits and more. The Allemansrätt gives a person the right to access, walk, cycle, ride, ski, and camp on any land - with the exception of private gardens, the immediate vicinity of a dwelling house and land under cultivation, and with restrictions for nature reserves and other protected areas. It also gives the right to pick wildflowers, mushrooms and berries provided one knows they are not legally protected, as well as the right to visit beaches, to swim in any lake and put an unpowered boat on any water. Exception if the beach belongs to a private garden. Permission to build a private house is usually not given so close to the beach that this right is obstructed. Private bridges are not free to use for boats or bathing. Fishing remains essentially private - apart from on the biggest five lakes and the coast of the Baltic Sea, the Sound, Kattegat and Skagerrak - and access to land by means of motor vehicles can be limited or restricted. At certain times of the year, and with certain restrictions, both fires and dogs are also permitted. It is not free to drive a car on a private road, or to camp in a caravan on such roads, or on private parking places. This means in reality that caravan camping is best done on camping places (or rest areas along roads, even though it is not recommended). The Ramblers' Association works to improve the rights of walkers in the United Kingdom and has been a driving force behind the recent legislation improving the public's access to the wilderness. The rights confirmed in the Scottish legislation are greater than the limited rights of access, which were not present in English law previously, granted in England and Wales with the passing of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Traditionally the public could walk on established public footpaths and land owners could charge a fee if people wanted to gain access to any other areas. Angling interests successfully lobbied for the exclusion of rivers in England and Wales from CROW, leaving other river users such as swimmers and canoeists with restricted access to less than 2% of navigable water. The British Canoe Union is running the Rivers Access Campaign, to highlight the level of restrictions the public face in gaining access to inland waterways in England and Wales. The new rights were introduced region by region through England and Wales, with completion in 2005. Maps showing accessible areas have been produced. The right to roam in Austria, particularly in forests and mountainous areas, is called Wegefreiheit. Since 1975 the right to roam in forests is guaranteed by Federal law. In particular, walking, running, hiking, and resting in most forest areas is automatically allowed to the public, however, horse riding, bike riding, and camping is not, and may only be practised with the land owner's permission. A large proportion of the forest area in Austria is owned by government bodies such as the Österreichische Bundesforste, however the same restrictions still apply. In some circumstances forests may be closed to the public for environmental reasons. The situation in mountainous areas is less clear, and differs from state to state. Some states, such as Carinthia, Styria, and Salzburg guarantee a right to roam in mountainous areas (usually defined as above the tree line), for all recreational activities. In other states, such as Tyrol, Lower Austria, and Burgenland, no explicit right to roam exists and land owners reserve the right to deny access. In practice, however, such restrictions are rarely enforced, since mountain tourism is an important industry in Austria. Article 13 of the Constitution of Belarus guarantees that all forest and farm land is publicly owned. 40% of the country's territory is covered by forest, approximately the same amount is devoted to agriculture. According to the Forest Code (Article 42) "citizens have the right to freely stay in the forest and collect wild fruits, berries, nuts, mushrooms, other food, forest resources and medicinal plants to meet their own needs." Citizens also have the right to camp in the forest and to start campfires. The 1992 Rio Convention on Biodiversity (subscribed to by 189 countries) expressed some caution about the potential effect of unlimited access, especially in tropical forests, where slash and burn practices undermine biodiversity. For this reason, broad public access rights are challenged in some countries' resulting Biodiversity Action Plans. Critics of a general right of public access sometimes assert that it threatens the management practices of property owners who have created and preserve many environmentally important qualities. It has also been argued that newly created access rights should lead to some form of financial compensation for private landowners.

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The use of portable electronics continues to grow. Have you seen a loved one sitting on the couch using a lap top and thought to yourself that can’t be comfortable? To prevent hand injuries while using portable electronics and video games, ASHT recommends the following safety tips: - Tell your child to use a neutral grip when holding the controller. A neutral grip is when the wrist is straight, not bent in either direction (not strong or weak). It will allow for wrist motion in a plane where more motion is available in the wrist. - Ask your child to take a break every hour or switch to another activity. Overuse of repetitive motions, such as pressing buttons, can cause tendonitis of the elbow or lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. - Don’t let your child sit back on his/her knees. Bending the knees this far is not only a hard position for the knee joint, but it requires your child to push most of his/her body weight up with his/her hands and wrists, placing increased pressure on these joints as well. - Make sure the monitor is at the correct height. While looking at the horizon, your child’s eyes should be looking at the top of the monitor (this may vary if child wears glasses). - If your child is typing, the keyboard should be at a height so that with his/her wrist/hands are straight, his/her forearms are parallel to the keyboard surface. - When using a gameboy ( a hand held device), encourage your child to put pillows in their laps and rest arms on pillows. This will allow them to keep their head in a more upright position and therefore decrease neck strain. The pillows will help support the arms so they do not have to be held up in the air. - Whenever, possible your child should be sitting in an appropriate chair. This would be a chair that allows your child to comfortably put their feet on the floor and also provides good back support. - When s/he is using a single control device (like a mouse), encourage your child to switch hands frequently. This will allow the one hand to rest and reduce fatigue. - Have your child frequently focus on a distant object (away from the monitor) to help reduce eye fatigue. Brattleboro Memorial Hospital employs Occupational Therapists and a Certified Hand Therapist that can help you with you upper extremity rehabilitation needs. In addition to following healthy usage guidelines, ASHT recommends performing the following wrist exercises to reduce the risk of injuries when using handheld electronics: - Fold your hands together and turn your palms away from your body as you extend your arms forward. You should feel a stretch all the way from your shoulders to your fingers. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. - Fold your hands together and turn your palms away from your body, but this time extend your arms overhead. You should feel the stretch in your upper torso and shoulders to hand. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. - Place your hand just above the back of the elbow and gently push your elbow across your chest toward the opposite shoulder. This is a stretch for the upper back and shoulder. Stretch both the right and left arms. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. - Raise one arm overhead. Bend the elbow. Place the opposite hand on the bent elbow and gently push the elbow back further. This is a stretch for the triceps (muscle on the back of the upper arm). Stretch both the right and left arms. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. - Extend an arm in front of you, making sure the elbow is completely straight. With your palm down, take the opposite hand and bend the hand down toward the floor. Then turn the palm up, and stretch the hand back toward the floor. This stretches the forearm and wrist muscles. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. - Open up hands and spread the fingers as far as possible. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. Note: These exercises should never be painful when completing them. You should only feel a gentle stretch. Should you experience pain, please consult a hand therapist or physician. ASHT stresses the importance of developing good habits early on in children to prevent hand and wrist injuries in adulthood. Healthy techniques learned at a young age can carry over into other aspects of life where there is a similar injury risk such as sitting in front of a computer or playing musical instruments.

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en

Attracted by some of the smallest creatures in Alaska, dozens of the state's largest gathered recently off Point Barrow. Bowhead whales in groups of almost 100 were grouped a few tens of miles from Barrow to take advantage of one of the richest whale feeding hot spots off the coast of Alaska. Steve Okkonen was there to see them in the shallow waters above the continental shelf north of Barrow. "The whales we saw Friday and Saturday were in eight meters of water," said Okkonen, a research associate professor with the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. "That's an eight-meter (-long) animal in eight meters of water, sometimes up to a 15-meter animal in eight meters of water." The creatures, weighing more than 100 bull moose, were congregating off Point Barrow because of a staggering concentration of one of their favorite foods, krill. Krill, shrimplike organisms about an inch long, are so small it would take a few hundred to fill a cereal bowl. Okkonen and researchers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the University of Rhode Island, the North Slope Borough and others are studying the Barrow whale-feeding hot spot to determine how unique and important it is, a question developers will be forced to ponder when considering which areas to alter in the search for oil and gas. From the Annika Marie, a 43-foot research ship, Okkonen and his colleagues witnessed a phenomenon common offshore of Barrow in the fall. Strong east winds help create a current that forces krill toward the shallow continental shelf from the depths of the Beaufort Sea. These east winds also push the krill-infested waters westward along the Beaufort coast toward Point Barrow. When the east winds settle down, another current flowing northeastward up the Chukchi Sea coast acts as a wall. "The krill will tend to stack up," Okkonen said. Sometimes swimming in an echelon formation reminiscent of migrating geese, bowhead whales plow through the stacks of krill, filling their bathtub-size bellies with tens of thousands. Okkonen and his coworkers want to find out how the Barrow hot spot compares to other great feeding areas along the whales' annual migratory path through cold northern waters. Bowheads spend their entire lives in the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas. "In Alaska (the Point Barrow area) is the hot spot, but how important is that spot?" Okkonen asked, adding that areas off Camp Simpson and Kaktovik are also productive for whales. "We also want to find out if krill overwinter (off Point Barrow after the sea ice forms)." Point Barrow is an important place for bowhead whales, which pass it during spring as they move from the northern Bering Sea to where they spend their summers in the Canadian arctic. Barrow-area Natives have harvested bowheads in both spring and fall for thousands of years. Researchers including Okkonen wrote a paper detailing the Barrow hot spot and the prevalence of bowheads in the June 2010 issue of Arctic. Here is their conclusion: "Because ... whales appear to persist despite ongoing climate variability, the fall whale harvest by the Inupiat community at Barrow should be relatively resilient to climate change. The whale harvest at Barrow could, however, be particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic activities such as ship traffic, oil development or an oil spill." Ned Rozell is a science writer at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks. He can be reached by e-mail at email@example.com.

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In honor of this week's, "It's Playtime (8) Natural Play," I'm going to share what we did today, which happened to be using natural items in the classroom. In science center, we used these bamboo place mats to create individual spaces. I bought them at the dollar store a hundred years ago, but any natural place mat will do. |On each place mat, I put several different types of natural items from our science center, along with magnifying glasses.| |All of the rocks, leaves, and twigs were picked by the children during a nature walk. Right outside our playground is an area of gravel...the perfect hunting ground for interesting and brightly colored rocks like this turquoise one above.| |Magnifying glasses provide a fresh way to see the world. You don't need anything specific to examine...I remember being fascinated by my own magnified hands as a child.| |Of course, not everyone wanted to use the mats for looking at natural items. Majd found a new way to use the place mat...as a road for his toy car! :)| Over at the other table, we had this going on: |It's a little blurry, but it's play dough and beans.| |Giovanni makes "cookies," and then sorts them. It may look like a couple of piles of stuff, but he was very meticulous about sorting and deciding where each bean or play dough cookie would go.| |Christopher found that scooping and pouring beans with his hands was just as fun.|

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en

In the Shadow of War: Christiana’s story Christiana* from Sierra Leone was one of scores of young women abducted by rebel fighters during the country’s decade long civil war. Her story is just one of many featured in Plan’s 'Because I am a Girl: The State of the World's Girls 2008’ report, which focuses on the state of girls in conflict situations around the world and what happens to them before, during and after war is over. This is Christiana's story“I was 14 years old when I was captured by rebels. This was in 1998. I was a virgin back then and then one of the rebels raped me. After that I was used as a sex slave. I was held captive for three years from the time the rebels attacked Makeni up until the end of the war. There were other girls there and they were all treated the same as me. We were all treated very badly. "The soldiers kept moving us around all the time. I tried to escape but it was difficult as there was always a bodyguard watching me. "I became pregnant in 2002 and gave birth to a baby boy. He is now five years old. After the war ended and the soldiers gave up their arms, the rebel who captured me abandoned me. I had no home to go to for a while until I found my parents and returned to them. "When I returned home my parents were supportive about my pregnancy because they knew it wasn’t my fault. Some parents rejected their daughters who had been captured and had returned pregnant. They called their babies ‘rebel children’ and threw their daughters out on to the street. "There was one girl I know whose parents threw her out when she tried to return home. They said that if she ever tried to return again they would throw her baby into a pit latrine. "I told my mother and father I wanted to go back to school but they said they could not afford to help me. We were living in poverty. It was then that a friend told me about Help and Needy Children [an NGO working with Plan in Sierra Leone to improve the lives of girls and women who were abducted by rebels during the conflict]. I registered with them and they helped me to return to school. They have been paying my school fees and bought my uniform for me. I have also been involved in peace marches and radio debates to fight the stigma faced by the girls who had been raped and had babies by rebels. "I think that fighting for the rights of children, young mothers, and victims of rape is very important. It has helped young women like me who have been badly treated to develop pride in ourselves. Before, we used to be ashamed about what happened to us, even though it was not our fault, and of the babies we had by the rebel soldiers. Today we are no longer ashamed and we have helped to fight the stigma in our local communities.” Telling our stories: listening to what girls have to sayGirls, like Christiana, are the ones who know the risks they face during times of instability and have ideas about how to protect themselves. Families, communities, agencies and governments should listen to them and act on what they say. For this reason, “In the Shadow of War” is full of stories of girls who have survived, run households, learned new skills and even represented youth in international forums after their experience of having lived through a war. The report also contains policy and program recommendations for change at international, national and local levels in order to prevent abuse of girls and protect them, take account of girls’ particular needs, listen to their voices and promote their rights. Join Plan's Because I am a Girl campaign and learn more about the issues facing girls in poor and conflict affected countries, and what you can do to make a difference. What can you do?Sponsor a child today! Plan believes all children should have the opportunity to reach their full potential. By sponsoring a girl through Plan you can help make it possible for her to get the safe water, food, health care and education she deserves. *Name of the interviewee has been changed to protect her identity.

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Lupus Awareness Week - Symptoms, What Causes It, Who Gets It May 21, 2013 The symptoms associated with Lupus can often times mimic those of other diseases. You should consult with your doctor or a rheumatologist if you have multiple of the following symptoms. Rash on cheeks and nose Scaly rash on face, ears, and neck Sensitivity to the sun or light Sores in mouth and nose Arthritis, painful, or swollen joints Chest pain when deep breathing Brain problems, such as seizures Presence of autoantibodies in the blood Presence of antinuclear antibodies Swelling in feet, legs, hands, and/or eyes Abnormal Blood Clotting Raynaud’s phenomenon (fingers turning white/blue when cold) Besides drug induced, the cause of lupus is unknown. No gene has been identified as causing lupus, but it does appear to run in families. If a family member is diagnosed with lupus, their immediate family members have a greater chance of also being diagnosed with lupus. There is also an increased risk of developing lupus if a family member has another type of an autoimmune disease. Who Gets It While both genders and all different races and ages can get lupus, there are trends. Females are more likely to get lupus than males and most symptoms appear between the ages of 18 and 45. People of African, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawiian, and Pacific Island descents have a greater chance of developing lupus (www.lupus.com). Lupus Awareness Week - What is Lupus and the Types of Lupus May 20, 2013 Lupus is a non-contagious autoimmune disease that can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood, and other parts of the body. An autoimmune disease is when the body’s immune system starts to attack the body’s own healthy tissue, instead of defending the body. Lupus is a chronic disease which means it is long lasting, possibly lifelong. Lupus is also categorized as an inflammatory condition which refers to the act of swelling in the body. The symptoms associated with Lupus can fluctuate. When symptoms are escalated, it is referred to as a flare. When symptoms are not present or minimal, it is referred to as remission. A person can go into remission for very long periods of time without the disease actually going away. Although the term remission is used with cancer, Lupus and cancer are not similar and not related in any way. Normally, the term “lupus” is referring to systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE, which is one of the three types of lupus. Systemic lupus is when the disease affects several different body systems. Those systems can include the skin, joints, kidneys, nervous system, lungs, and/or heart. Systemic lupus is the most common type of lupus. The second type, discoid or cutaneous lupus, is limited to the skin. This results in a chronic skin rash that can cause scaring, but does not affect other organs. It is possible to have both systemic lupus and discoid lupus. The final type of lupus is drug induced lupus. This is the least common form of lupus and develops as a reaction to drugs taken for a different medical problem, usually blood pressure or hypertension. Normally, the lupus symptoms will go away in the months after stopping the medication. Osteoporosis Awareness Week - Eating for Bone Health May 16th, 2013 You are what you eat! The foods you eat affect not only your overall health, but your bone health. Your diet should be rich in Calcium, Vitamin D, and other nutrients. Calcium Rich Foods Dairy Products such as Non-Fat Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Canned Sardines and Salmon (with bones) Collard greens, turnip greens, kale, okra, Chinese cabbage, dandelion greens, mustard greens, and broccoli. Vitamin D Rich Foods Fatty varieties of fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines Spinach, beet greens, okra, tomato products, artichokes, plantains, potatoes, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and raisins Tomato products, raisins, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, papaya, organs, orange juice, bananas, plantains, and prunes Red peppers, green peppers, oranges, grapefruits, broccoli, strawberries, brussel sprouts, papaya, and pineapple Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, and brussel sprouts. **Food lists from arthritis.org Osteoporosis Awareness Week - Treatments May 15, 2013 There are many similarities between the steps taken to prevent osteoporosis and the steps taken to treat it, but there are also medications used for treatment. Bisphosphonates are the most common treatment for osteoporosis. They slow bone loss, restore bone density, and improve bone strength. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERM’s) are drugs that work like estrogen, but with fewer side effects. They are FDA approved for the prevention and treatment of post menopausal osteoporosis. The FDA has also approved terparatide, a form of a normal hormone, for treatment of severe osteoporosis and fractures. It stimulates new bone formation, decreases the risk of spinal fractures, and improves density. The FDA has also approved medications for the treatment or prevention of post menopausal and treatment of corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis. They can reverse bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures by about 50 percent. Calcitonin is a naturally occurring hormone that decreases bone breakdown and is FDA approved for treatment, but not prevention. Zoledronic is the newest osteoporosis medication to treat post-menopausal osteoporosis and is given as a yearly infusion into the vein. Prolia (Denosumab), which stalls RANK, is another treatment option. RANK is the primary signal in the body for bone removal. By stalling RANK, the body’s natural defenses against bone destruction can increase, helping to treat osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy used to be a traditional way to prevent osteoporosis, but recent studies show they increase the risk of breast cancer, strokes, and heart attacks, therefore it is no longer used. Osteoporosis Awareness Week - Risk Factors and Prevention May 14, 2013 Factors for Increased Risk of Osteoporosis Include: - Family History of Osteoporosis - Being Female - Early Menopause - Irregular Menstrual Periods - Small Body Frames - Easily Fractured Bones - Diet is Lacking Calcium - Having Celiac Disease - Having More Than 2 Alcoholic Beverages a Day - History of Anorexia - Not Regularly Exercising - Men with Low Levels of Testosterone People with inflammatory forms of arthritis, such as RA or Lupus are also at an increased risk. Inflammatory arthritis results in the production of substances that cause bone loss in the body. Your risk is also increased if you take corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, or heparin. Corticosteroids are the most common cause of drug related osteoporosis. If you can relate to one or more of these risk factors, your chance of getting osteoporosis is increased. The goal of osteoporosis prevention is to build stronger bones and prevent bone loss. a. Most adults need 1,200 to 1,500 mg of calcium per day. b. An 8 oz glass of milk has about 300mg of calcium. a. Getting 400 to 800 IU of Vitamin D daily is recommended. b. Your body produces Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight for 15 min a day. c. Other sources include: liver, fish oil, Vitamin D-fortified milk, multivitamins. a. Smoking reduces the calcium absorption and puts women into early menopause, both increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Avoid Heavy Alcohol Use a. Alcohol causes the body to lose bone mass more quickly and increases the chances of falling. b. You should not have more than two alcoholic beverages a day. Exercise and Stay Active a. Exercise helps increase mobility and balance, which reduces the chance of falling. Putting force on the bones through exercise also helps them maintain their mass. It is recommended to do some type of exercise five days a week for 30 minutes. b. Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. Osteoporosis Awareness Week - What is it and what are the symptoms? May 13th, 2013 Today we start our Osteoporosis Awareness Week in honor of Osteoporosis Month. Osteoporosis, not to be confused with osteoarthritis, is a disease that is caused by the weakening of bones. In fact, the word osteoporosis means “bone that is porous or filled with holes”. Osteoporosis is commonly associated with a hump in the upper back and loss of height. While osteoporosis itself is not painful, it increases the possibility of bone fractures, which can be extremely painful. Bone is a living tissue that is broken down and built up with new stronger bone over and over throughout a lifetime. From birth to age 25, bones grow faster than they break down. This causes a peak in bone mass around 25-30 years old. Around age 40, bone mass begins to decline slowly as it breaks down faster than it is built up. After menopause, women lose bone mass faster because of the drop in estrogen levels. Women can lose up to one third of their bone mass the first 10 years after menopause. For many, the first sign of osteoporosis is a broken bone, which is why it is considered a silent disease. Some information collected from www.arthritis.org. Arthritis Awareness Week - OSMS Rheumatology Department May 10th, 2013 As our Arthritis Awareness Week comes to an end, we wanted to share the resources that OSMS has for our arthritis patients. OSMS has a full service rheumatology department, with two rheumatologists, Dr. Davis and Dr. Utrie. Our department includes X-Ray machines, Bone Density scanners, a lab onsite for tests, and infusion therapy. Look around on our website to learn more about our rheumatology department and physicians. You can make an appointment with our rheumatology department by calling 920.420.8113. Next week we will be covering osteoporosis. Arthritis Awareness Week - Common Myths May 9th, 2013 MYTH: Arthritis is a single condition. TRUTH: Arthritis is a term that encompasses many different illnesses, not one single condition. MYTH: Arthritis is more of a nuisance than an illness. TRUTH: Arthritis is an illness, like diabetes or heart disease. Many types of arthritis require treatment and medications just like any other illness would. To see more Myths about Arthritis, take a look at the Arthritis Foundation’s page at http://www.arthritis.org/about-us/myths/. Arthritis Awareness Week - Treatment & Management May 8th, 2013 After an arthritis diagnosis, the next step is to create a treatment program. The goal for a treatment program is to decrease joint pain, improve mobility, and help with the completion of day to day activities. It is important for patients to work with their rheumatologist to help create the best plan for them. Arthritis Management includes a variety of different treatments: Physical Activity, Stretching, and Exercise – It is vital to keep your body moving while managing arthritis symptoms. Being active will help with joint stiffness, muscle strengthening, and the strengthening of other organs that can be affected by arthritis. Weight Control – Getting to and staying at a recommended weight can significantly help by reducing the stress on your joints. Assistive Devices – Assistive devices are an option for those patients who are not eligible for surgery, but their arthritis limits their physical activity. Devices can include shoe orthotics, supports, or braces. Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is working on your movement. This is a good option for those that can’t complete daily activities due to their arthritis. Therapy will mainly focus on improving flexibility, strength, coordination, and balance. Surgery – When joints are damaged severely due to arthritis, surgery may be an option. Arthroscopy – This is a minimally invasive type of surgery where the surgeon will look inside the joint to examine the damage. They will also remove loose particles of damaged cartilage and repair other damages. This can reduce pain and improve function. Arthoplasty – This is better known as a joint replacement. In a joint replacement, all or part of your joint is removed and replaced with synthetic parts. Medication – While the previous options can help arthritis patients, many patients will use medications to help control pain. Your rheumatologist will help decide what medication is right for you. Analgesics – Medications that relieve pain. Non-Narcotic – These would be over the counter medications like acetaminophen. This is a good option to start with as they are low in cost and have very minimal side effects. Narcotics – These would be pain medications that you would require a prescription to receive. They can provide stronger pain relief, but they can come with side effects such as dizziness and nausea. Also, over time dependencies may develop as your dose increases because your body builds up tolerance. NSAIDS – Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help reduce joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. Examples would be aspirin and ibuprofen. These too can come with side effects such as stomach pain. Injectable Steriods – A doctor can inject your joints to relieve pain and swelling. These types of injections can only be done so many times a year as they could lead to infection or cartilage damage. Topical Pain Relievers – These types of pain relievers come in the form of gels, patches, rubs, or sprays and are applied on the outside of the skin over a painful joint. Arthritis Awareness Week - Diagnosis May 7th, 2013 Do you think there is a possibility you could have a type of arthritis? Did the symptoms in yesterday's post sound familiar to you? If yes, it is important to visit your primary care physician or a rheumatologist. Remember, arthritis is not just aches and pains, it is an illness and there are treatments. Rheumatology is a sub-specialty of internal medicine that deals with problems in joints, soft tissues, and autoimmune disorders. What is does the diagnosis process consist of? Diagnosis of arthritc diseases will include a physical exam as well as an assessment of your medical history. The physician will also take test such as X-Rays to take a look at the condition of the inside of your joint and to rule out other causes of pain. The diagnosis process may also include joint aspiration. Joint aspiration is a procedure in which fluid is drained from the joint and examined. Arthritis Awareness Week - Types & Symptoms May 6, 2013 May is a big month for our Rheumatology Department as it is Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Lupus Awareness month! Through the next three weeks we will be sharing information on these three diseases. This week is dedicated to Arthritis Awareness! Arthritis can be defined as a joint disorder that involves the inflammation of one or more joints. There are actually OVER 100 TYPES of arthritis, but two of the most common are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis Arthritis – Osteoarthritis or OA is defined as when the cartilage within a joint is wore down due to years of use, injuries, and different body processes. Movement can become harder and more painful as the joint contines to break down. In time, it is possible for the two bones in a joint to rub against each other, causing severe pain. OA can affect all of the major joints such as knees, hips, feet, hands, fingers, wrists, neck, and spinal cord. Often times, OA does not affect both sides of the body equally. For example, your right knee and right hip can be worse than your left knee and left hip. Rheumatoid Arthritis – Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA differs from OA in that the joint pain caused by severe inflammation or swelling in the joints, is not caused by wear and tear but rather by the body’s immune system. Normally, inflammation occurs in our bodies when something is wrong. However, when a person has RA, their immune system works improperly and attacks the good tissues leading to chronic inflammation. Common symptoms with RA are flare ups of pain or severe inflammation that can last for multiple weeks. This swelling can eventually start to break down the joints, damaging them permanently. RA can also affect internal organs such as the heart, liver, spleen, and eyes. Youth Sports Safety Month - Running April 26, 2013 For our last week of sharing injury prevention information, we chose running. Running injuries are prevalent this time of year as high school sports such as track are going on, but also because people are starting to hit the pavement and train for upcoming running events such as 5Ks, Half and Full Marathons. Take a look at the document below to learn more about running injuries and how to prevent them. The documents we are using can be found at www.stopsportsinjuries.org. Youth Sports Safety Month - Golf April 19, 2013 This week we are sharing injury prevention information for Golf, another common spring sport, for Youth Sports Safety Month. Golf is not usually thought of as a high risk sport for injury, but overuse and acute injuries are common. The documents we are using can be found at www.stopsportsinjuries.org. Youth Sports Safety Month - Soccer April 12, 2013 As we mentioned last week, to help spread awareness of Youth Sports Safety Month, every Friday we will be sharing information on injury prevention for a popular youth spring sport. This week's sport is soccer where injuries to the lower extremities are most common. Take a look at the document below to learn about soccer injuries and prevention. The documents we are using can be found at www.stopsportsinjuries.org. Youth Sports Safety Month - Baseball April 4, 2013 April is Youth Sports Safety Month; a month dedicated to raising awareness of the growing problem of youth sports injuries and promoting safety in youth sports activities. To do our part in spreading awareness, every Friday in April, we will be sharing information on common injuries and prevention in common spring sports. The documents we are using can be found on www.stopsportsinjuries.org . This week we are sharing information on Baseball Injury Prevention. Youth baseball injuries are on the rise, especially in the elbow and shoulder. Learn more here: Youth Baseball Injuries Meet Paul Utrie, MD April 2, 2013 Dr. Utrie is another hometown physician in the OSMS family, growing up in Green Bay in a medical family. His father was an obstetrician/gynecologist who practiced with the Beaumont Clinic in town for 34 years. Dr. Utrie graduated from Green Bay East High School and went on to the University of Wisconsin Madison for his undergraduate degree. He then graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Iowa. This is where he met his professional mentor who inspired him to become a rheumatologist and he completed his rheumatology fellowship at the University of Iowa as well. Rheumatology is a natural fit for Dr. Utrie as he says he enjoys the problem solving that is required by rheumatologists to resolve what are commonly complex medical issues, as well as the long-term relationships that result from this process. Rheumatology allows him to assist individuals through very significant challenges in their life. Dr. Utrie remains active in the American College of Rheumatology where he presents, with his former mentor, an educational course at their annual meetings. When asked why he chose to join OSMS, Dr. Utrie says that the OSMS facility and staff provided him the opportunity to deliver care to patients and make their best interests a priority, which is very important to him. “All of our decisions are made internally rather than by a broad outside medical system. I knew I was joining a group of physicians who had excellent reputations and delivered excellent care as well,” says Utrie of OSMS. When he is not working, Dr. Utrie and his wife Robin keep busy caring for their four sons who are very active in school, sports, and other activities. Dr. Utrie did play soccer and football through high school, but now says he enjoys being only a fan of the sports, watching the Green Bay Packers and more enjoyable, his sons. He also enjoys taking the family downhill skiing, something he has done since he was 4 years old. “Nothing like trapping your children on a chairlift to engage them in conversation,” said Utrie of their family time. He is also very active in his church where he spends a significant amount of his time volunteering. One of his favorite activities when he has free time is cooking, for which he gives credit to his mother. She cooked for him and his siblings growing up and it is now passion he shares. He says at home this hobby makes him very popular, or very unpopular, depending on his children’s tastes. When not cooking, he does enjoy going to some of his favorite restaurants in the area, including Cy’s Bistro and Carmella’s Italian Bistro. Dr. Utrie is a strong advocate for the benefits of exercise and nutrition and as a result exercises on a regular basis and promotes a healthy diet with himself and his family. He thinks both exercise and nutrition are under-utilized “natural therapies” for most medical conditions. And finally, what are his favorite movies? He says Mary Poppins is his lifetime favorite because of its pure and genuine talent that you don’t find in most movies today. His two favorite comedies are The Princess Bride and Young Frankenstein as they hail back to a time when humor was genuine and clean. “I come to work each day prepared to provide care on a personal level and in a way that I see best suits my patients, but at the same time being open to their individual needs. Not all of the problems we encounter have simple answers, but my goal is to work in a thorough and ethical manner to find answers and problem solve to the best of my ability.” – Paul Utrie, MD To make an appointment with Dr. Utrie, please call 920-430-8113. Meet Steven Schechinger, MD March 4, 2012 Dr. Schechinger may not have been born and raised in Wisconsin, but he was born and raised in the Midwest in Harlan, Iowa. Dr. Schechinger grew up the oldest of 4 children. His father was a welder in a local factory and his mother stayed home with him and his siblings. While in high school, Dr. Schechinger worked part-time with his father and part-time as an aid at a local hospital. It was there that he first became interested in the healthcare field. After high school he attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska for both undergraduate and medical school. During medical school Dr. Schechinger spent a summer volunteering at a small village hospital in India. Near the end of his stay he sustained an injury and dislocated his wrist. Upon returning to the states, he saw an orthopedic surgeon and underwent surgical repair of his injury. It was this experience that pointed him toward orthopedic surgery as his specialty of choice. Dr. Schechinger went on to complete his orthopedic residency at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he met his wife Jackie, a Green Bay native. He and Jackie would eventually move back to her home town of Green Bay after completing his Sports Medicine Fellowship in Lake Tahoe, California. “We wanted to move back to the Green Bay area to be closer to her family, as well as the fact that we both love the area and the community of Green Bay,” said Schechinger of their move back. After he and Jackie moved back to Green Bay, he joined OSMS in 2009. He was excited to join the OSMS family and, as he words it, “It gave me the opportunity to work in an independent practice that is well respected in the Green Bay area and is known for having skilled surgeons who focus on excellent care for their patients.” What is his favorite part of the job now? Getting to know patients and their families and working with them to correct their orthopedic injuries and improve their quality of life and overall function. Dr. Schechinger has a strong interest in caring for athletes and also enjoys running, skiing, and biking himself. Staying true to his Midwest upbringing he is an avid hunter and fisherman. When he is not at work he enjoys spending time with his young family. He and Jackie have two sons, Will who is 2 ½ and Reid who is 15 months old. To quote his 2 year old, “Daddy goes to work to fix kids bones, and dogs eat bones, and kids eat lunch.” He also enjoys jumping into ice cold water to raise money for local charities – see Polar Plunge article. “My goal as an orthopedic surgeon is to provide my patients with the most up to date and quality orthopedic care possible. I focus on listening to my patient’s needs, then working together with them and their families to achieve a common goal, improving their function, pain, and quality of life.” – Dr. Steven Schechinger To make an appointment with Dr. Schechinger, please call 920.430.8113. What Does 'Full Service' Mean? February 27, 2013 At OSMS we refer to ourselves as a ‘Full Service’ orthopedic and rheumatology clinic, so what exactly does that mean? As we briefly mentioned in The Story of OSMS post, when designing our new location, we wanted to be a full service clinic. Therefore, we decided to put a surgery center right in the building. However, the surgery center is only part of the full service offerings. Full service refers to the idea of taking care of your medical needs in one location, under one roof, from the moment you walk in the door with a health concern, to the moment you leave with the concern addressed. On the orthopedic and sports medicine side, our Lime Kiln location offers the full range of services. You can consult with our physicians, receive X-Rays, get an MRI, and receive the medical services for your diagnosis right here in the building. Everything from injections for arthritis, to casting for broken bones, to outpatient surgery are done in the building with one cohesive team that ensures your experience is the best possible. The only orthopedic service that is not done in the building is inpatient surgery such as joint replacements. These will be done a nearby hospital, but rest assured, the same physician you worked with at OSMS, will be the one doing surgery at the hospital. Our building also has physical therapy services on the second floor staffed with experienced Bellin therapists. This guarantees that your therapist can easily and efficiently communicate with your physician on your therapy needs. However, if it better suits your needs, you can have therapy at a location closer to home. Our relationship with all of the Bellin therapy locations ensures the communication of your needs. On the rheumatology side, our Lime Kiln location also offers a full range of services. You can visit your doctor, receive bone density screens, and receive infusion treatments under the same roof. Our rheumatology department has a 10 chair infusion department only steps from where you visit your physician. We also have lab services and lab technicians in house to better serve our rheumatology patients as well as our orthopedic patients. OSMS knows that medical concerns and medical offices can be stressful and at times scary for many people, which is why we value knowing that our patients are receiving the best care possible from one team from the moment they walk in our doors, to the moment they walk out. Experience the difference. Heart Healthy Fish Fry February 26, 2013 Being that Fish Fry season is upon us, we decided to make our final Heart Healthy Recipe Oven Fried Fish and Chips! This is the final recipe in honor of American Heart Month from the American Heart Association Recipe Book! Fish and Chipss are traditionally sold wrapped in paper to soak up all the grease - not a good sign. To cut the calories in half and reduce the fat, we coat teh delicate fish in a crispy cornflake crust and then bake it along with sliced potatoes. Serve with: Coleslaw and malt vinegar or lemon wedges. Canola or olive oil cooking spray 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-in-thick wedges 4 teaspoons canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning, divided 2 cups cornflakes 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large egg whites, beaten 1 pound cod (see Cooking Tips) or haddock, cut into 4 portions Position racks in upper and lower third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Set a wire rack on another large baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Place potatoes in a colander. Thoroughly rinse with cold water, then pat dry completely with paper towels. Toss the potatoes, oil and 3/4 teaspoon Cajun (or Creole) seasoning in a large bowl. Spread on the baking sheet without the rack. Bake on the lower oven rack, turning every 10 minutes, until tender and golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely grind cornflakes in a food processor or blender or crush in a sealable plastic bag. Transfer to a shallow dish. Place flour, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon Cajun (or Creole) seasoning and salt in another shallow dish and egg whites in a third shallow dish. Dredge fish in the flour mixture, dip it in egg white and then coat all sides with the ground cornflakes. Place on the prepared wire rack. Coat both sides of the breaded fish with cooking spray. Bake the fish on the upper oven rack until opaque in the center and the breading is golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Chicken & White Bean Soup February 19, 2013 What is better than a bowl of warm soup on a snowy and cold day? Our third heart healthy recipe in honor of American Heart Month is Chicken & White Bean Soup from the American Heart Association Recipe Book! 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into 1/4 inch rounds 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage or 1/4 tsp dried 2 14 oz cans reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 cups water 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed 1 2 lb roasted chicken, skin discarded, meat removed from bones and shredded (4 cups) Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and continue cooking until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and water, increase heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Add beans and chicken and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve hot. Make Ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Devil's Food Cupcakes February 12, 2013 For our second heart healthy recipe in honor of American Heart Month, we are sharing a Valentine's Day appropriate treat, Devil's Food Cupcakes with Almond-Mocha Topping on Raspberry Sauce from the American Heart Association Recipe Book! 1 18.25 ounce box devil's food cake mix 1 2.5 ounce jar baby food pureed prunes 1 cup strong coffee, or 1 cup water plus 2 tsps instant coffee 3 large egg whites 2 Tbsp canola oil 2 12 ounce packages frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsps instant coffee granules 2 tsps water 8 ounces frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed 2/3 c sliced almonds, dry roasted Preheat the oven to 325°F, or as directed on the package. Lightly spray two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cupcake ingredients. Follow the package directions for beating the batter and baking and cooling the cupcakes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, stir together the raspberries, sugar, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. In a medium bowl, stir together the coffee granules and water until the coffee is dissolved. Fold in the whipped topping until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed. For each serving, spread 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons raspberry sauce on a dessert plate, top with a cupcake, spoon 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons whipped topping mixture over the cupcake, and sprinkle with about 1 1/2 teaspoons almonds. The Story of OSMS February 7, 2013 Let’s start with the history. Over 50 years ago, two orthopedic clinics started in Green Bay, WI. One was Orthopaedic Associates of Green Bay and the other Green Bay Orthopedics. Both practices were comprised of skilled orthopedic surgeons and for decades, the two practices worked in the same city as separate businesses. In 2004, Green Bay Orthopedics added rheumatology to their practice to better service the musculoskeletal system. Many years of tradition, skills, and techniques were passed down through the generations of doctors at each practice. In time, Green Bay Orthopedics and Orthopedic Associates decided to join together as one, elite practice, serving Northeast Wisconsin and Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists of Green Bay (OSMS) came to be in 2008. They still practiced in separate offices; therefore the next reasonable step was to move into the same location. As they planned for this new building, they decided that OSMS should be a full service orthopedic clinic and have the capability of accommodating MRI, physical therapy, and outpatient surgery. Bellin was approached with the opportunity and the Bellin Orthopedic Surgery Center (BOSC) was born. In May 2010, OSMS and BOSC moved into their new building at 2223 Lime Kiln Rd. OSMS surgeons now had the ability to perform outpatient surgeries in the new building and continued to perform inpatient surgeries at Bellin Hospital and other area hospitals. The new building also allowed for a full service rheumatology clinic including infusion chairs, bone density, and lab services to better serve their patients. OSMS currently has 12 physicians. This includes 10 orthopedic surgeons: Dr. Marc Anderson, Dr. William Enright, Dr. James Grace, Dr. Jason Klein, Dr. Daniel Linehan, Dr. Patrick McKenzie, Dr. Steve Schechinger, Dr. James Spears, Dr. Thomas Sullivan, and Dr. Michael Tressler. This also includes two rheumatologists, Dr. Mark Davis and Dr. Paul Utrie. Although all the physicians now work together as one team, they have kept the teachings and traditions of their past a strong part of how they practice medicine today and as a result continue the 50+ year tradition of excellence in medical care. You will always receive the best care possible at OSMS. Lemon & Dill Chicken February 5, 2013 In honor of American Heart Month, OSMS is sharing weekly Heart Healthy Recipes from the American Heart Association Recipe Book! This Week’s Pick: Lemon & Dill Chicken Description: Fresh lemon and dill create a quick Greek-inspired pan sauce for simple sautéed chicken breasts. Make it a meal: Serve with roasted broccoli and whole-wheat orzo. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 – 1 ¼ pounds) Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste 3 Tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Canola Oil, divided ¼ Cup Finely Chopped Onion 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced 1 Cup Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth 2 Tsps Flour 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Dill, Divided 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 ½ teaspoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons oil to the pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Whisk broth, flour, 1 tablespoon dill, and lemon juice in a measuring cup and add to pan. Cook, whisking until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan; reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill. Enjoy! Meet William Enright, MD February 1, 2013 We want to make sure you know the entire OSMS family, even if they are not your current physician, so every month we will be featuring a different doctor. The first doctor featured in the Meet Our Doctors column is Dr. William Enright. Dr. Enright was born and raised in Green Bay and graduated from De Pere High School. After graduation, Dr. Enright attended the University of Wisconsin Madison as part of the Medical Scholars program. Here he completed medical school and also his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic. When asked why he chose to enter the orthopedics field, Dr. Enright’s story includes his colleagues. “When I was growing up I worked the usual jobs: mowing lawns, babysitting. One of the people I worked for was Dr. Marc Anderson. I started asking him questions about what he did. He took the time to explain what an orthopedic surgeon does, and it sounded great. When I was in high school, he invited me to the hospital to see it first-hand. I was able to observe Dr. Anderson and Dr. McKenzie performing joint replacements and shoulder arthroscopy. I loved the operating room.” After Dr. Enright decided on pursuing his dream of a medical career, he kept in contact with Dr. Anderson who gave him sound advice, “He told me to go into medical school with an open mind in regards to my choice of specialty.” But after Dr. Enright’s year of clinical rotations in medical school, it was clear orthopedics remained his top choice. As Dr. Enright got close to finishing his training, he began looking for a job. Throughout residency he always used the Green Bay practice as a benchmark by which he evaluated other Midwest orthopedic groups. The timing worked out in his favor and he was able to join the same practice that started his interest in orthopedics. He joined Orthopedic Associates and soon after they joined with Green Bay Orthopedics to form Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists of Green Bay (OSMS). “Now we are a larger group, 10 orthopedic surgeons and 2 rheumatologists, and we still provide our patients with a very personal experience,” says Dr. Enright of OSMS. “It is satisfying to see the positive influence you can have on an individual's quality of life. Many patients with musculoskeletal problems are in pain, others can no longer play the sports they love because of injury. As orthopedic surgeons we work with the patient to solve those problems. That is extremely satisfying,” finished Dr. Enright. “We love what we do. Orthopedic surgery and rheumatology are fields that allow us to make an almost immediate difference in our patients' quality of life. When a patient returns to the office after having surgery and reports on their progress, that is success we share.” – Dr. William Enright To make an appointment with Dr. Enright, please call our office.

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Actually saltpeter has a long history, but hasn't always been used for gardening. However, although it is an old substance at heart it doesn't mean that it can't be a force for good in the modern garden. It can be used as a germination powder, to improve your fruit tree yield, and as a liquid feed and fertilizer. Let's meet the very versatile substance that is saltpeter. Using Saltpeter for Gardening No doubt you've heard of saltpeter but aren't quite sure what it is, what saltpeter can be used for in the garden, or indeed where you can buy it. What is Saltpeter? To answer the question of what use Saltpeter has in the garden, we first have to look at what saltpeter is. Saltpeter is also known as saltpetre, and by it's chemical name, potassium nitrate. Saltpeter comes from treating sodium nitrate with potassium chloride. It used to be obtained from decomposing material, but now is a much more chemical affair. It is a source of Nitrogen and Potash and is usually sold in white powder form. How Can You Use Saltpeter in Your Garden? Used in the garden, Saltpeter can be used as a powder, or more commonly mixed to form a liquid feed. Using Saltpeter as a fertilizer for tomatoes and egg plants though, may need nothing more than your regular compost and a top dressing of Saltpeter in it's powdered form. If your fruit and vegetable crop is suffering from a potassium deficiency (brown leaves and leaf curling), then they may well benefit from the introduction of Saltpeter too. Saltpeter is particularly suitable for cane fruit (such as raspberries), soft fruit (such as strawberries), peppers (including hot chilies), and for growing tomatoes. Saltpeter is most widely used as a garden fertilizer, but can also be used to help seed germination, and as a nutrient in hydroponic gardening for high tech plant growing. Improve Your Fruit Yield with Saltpeter Saltpeter can be used in the garden, as a way to get more fruit to stay on your tree. The high levels of potassium and nitrogen help the plants tremendously, to get the fruit to stay on the tree without dropping. Saltpeter is often used on orange, lemon, and lime trees, as it can add nitrogen rapidly, if there's a deficiency, which is a common problem with citrus plants. When the tree flowers, spray the tree with 1 teaspoon of Saltpeter, to 1 quart of water (1 liter), directly to the leaves. Use Saltpeter to Germinate Pepper Seeds If you have problems with pepper and chili seeds being slow to germinate, Saltpetre is particularly effective used as a germination powder. It doesn't just work on pepper and chili seeds either, any seed with a relatively hard shell can benefit from a saltpeter germination solution. To hasten the germination of pepper seeds, try soaking them for around four hours in a Saltpeter solution (1 teaspoon Saltpeter to 1 quart of water). Soaking it in the solution, softens the outside shell of the seed, which makes it easier for the seedling to emerge. Using this method, you should achieve germination results in around 7-10 days. Where To Buy Saltpeter: What Stores Sell Saltpeter? So, now we've answered the question of, what is Saltpeter used for in gardening, you probably want to know where you can buy Saltpeter from. As Saltpeter can be used in the manufacture of explosives, it is not surprising that buying Saltpeter from stores isn't as easy as it used to be. However, some garden centers do still stock it, and if they do, it will be found with the fertilizers. If your local garden center can't help in your purchase of Saltpeter though, it can be found in online garden stores in small enough quantities to be a valuable resource to the gardener. If you have any Saltpeter left, after germinating your pepper seeds, and increasing your fruit tree yield, you could try making your own incense sticks. Simply soak lavender stems in a Saltpeter solution, dry them out, and the stems can then be burned like incense - the perfect way to end a tiring day of gardening. Time left: 3 days, 6 hours Current bid: $0.99 Place bid Time left: 1 day Current bid: $9.99 Place bid Time left: 3 days, 7 hours Current bid: $0.01 Place bid

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As we approach three weeks since the earthquake and tsunami, reports continue to indicate worsening conditions at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors in Japan. Highly radioactive contaminants have been found in large amounts in pools of water in and around reactors Units 1-4. High radiation levels continue to be found in seawater, and plutonium has been found in soil samples around the reactors. Cesium-137 has been found 25 miles from the nuclear plant at levels that could prevent people from living there. Farmers in Japan are suffering the financial impacts. All reports seem to indicate that this situation is already far worse than Three Mile Island (which, incidentally, occurred 32 years ago this week). It remains unknown how much worse the situation will get, and the truth of the matter is that radiation is literally leaking out of these reactors and flowing around the globe. Click here to see a map model of the flow of the radiation plume. Insight from the emergency workers is particularly telling, as reported by the New York Times. Monitoring stations here in the U.S. are picking up slightly elevated levels of radioactive iodine-131 in many western states, as well as in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and along the East coast. News reports state that they are low doses and will not pose health risks, but Physicians for Social Responsibility says, “any amount of radiation will damage cells and it is the delicate balance of repair mechanisms that determines the ultimate outcome of health or disease.” This means there are so many factors at play that it is difficult to say with any certainty what the actual health risks are; it all depends on age, health, immunity, fitness, predisposition, and a multitude of other interrelated factors. Here are some additional resources: - Nuclear engineer and expert Arnie Gundersen posts regular videos detailing his assessment of the unfolding crisis, including the state of the core of reactor Units 1-3, as well as the recent discoveries of plutonium in the soil and large pools of highly radioactive water; - An interesting MSNBC article discussing the updated earthquake risk calculations for existing reactors here in the U.S. that points to serious concerns for the South, East and Midwest; - Physicians for Social Responsibility has numerous interviews with medical doctors on the affects of radiation exposure along with a detailed analysis of the possible health impacts from the releases of radiation at the damaged Japan reactors; - Reuters states that the financial impacts of the earthquake and tsunami and subsequent damage and destruction is now estimated at $300 billion, making it the world’s costliest natural disaster. In the United States, the debate over nuclear power continues. Many are increasingly concerned about the dangers of storing highly radioactive waste in over-crowded spent fuel pools and the increased likelihood of a catastrophic event should a fire start near one of the nations many pools of toxic waste. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chair Gregory Jackzo testified before Congress Wednesday about Japan and the Commission’s regulatory oversight of the U.S.’s 104 operating reactors. Nuclear safety expert Dave Lochbaum with Union of Concerned Scientists also testified. View the broadcast of the full hearing here. Congress also heard testimony from academic and industry experts on many facets of nuclear power, including safety, radioactive waste, emergency preparedness and evacuation zones. As we reported last week, plans for new nuclear reactors in the U.S. continue to lurch forward. In South Carolina, Senator Lindsey Graham went on tour around the state to tout nuclear as good for the state. Tennessee Valley Authority testified to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Wednesday, discussing and setting timelines for approval of small modular reactor (SMR) designs that are not immune to problems. President Obama outlined his plans for energy security yesterday at Georgetown University, which still included risky energy sources such as new reactors and so-called ‘clean coal’ as ‘part of the mix.’ If an ongoing disaster affecting a close political ally such as Japan does not encourage our leaders to move beyond nuclear power, perhaps economics will. Mark Cooper, senior fellow at Vermont Law School’s Institute for Energy and Environment, said “If they do what they are supposed to, nuclear reactor construction will be much more costly and much less inviting as a policy option as a result of the Fukushima accident.” Or perhaps the recent statements by nuclear-reliant France, whose President Nicolas Sarkozy was the first foreign leader to visit Japan since the earthquake and tsunami, to establish global nuclear safety regulations could influence our decision makers. We shall see what motivates our elected officials and regulators to act. The pressure from industry or the legitimate concerns over public health and safety? Leave a comment

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Isn’t evolution compatible with the Bible? It is easy to understand why well-meaning Christians want to find harmony with the teachings of the Bible and evolution. Thanks to the heavy evolutionist propaganda we have today, a lot of people have the mentality that evolution is a solid fact. So solid of a fact, in fact, that to deny evolution would be like denying the earth is round. Because of this mentality, many Christians feel that they must force to make the Bible fit with evolution. Unfortunately, the match doesn’t fit very well; and usually, it is the Bible that takes the hit. The Bible teaches us that before Adam sinned, there was no death in the world (Romans 5:12). However, according to the evolutionist worldview, there were millions of years of death, suffering, disease, famines, etc. before man even appeared on earth. Evolution teaches things in reverse to the Bible. According to evolutionists, the earth was a very hot molten mass when it was formed. This clearly goes against what the Bible teaches, which in stark contrast states that there was water on the surface of the earth on the very first day of creation (Gen. 1:2). Evolutionists also believe the sun was formed before the earth; the Bible teaches the sun wasn’t created until the fourth day (Gen. 1:14-16). In addition to this, evolutionists believe dinosaurs, or other types of reptiles, evolved into birds. The Bible teaches birds were created before reptiles (Gen. 1:20-25). What of the long ages? The evolutionist’s theory looks silly without eons of time to hide behind. This is one of the reasons evolutionists heavily push the belief that the earth is billions of years old. To the evolutionists' credit, they have done a marvelous job in convincing the public to believe their beliefs. Namely, that the world is billions of years old. Christians don’t want to look ignorant, but then again, they don’t want to abandon the Bible either; hence the reason a lot of them attempt to squeeze long periods of time into the Bible. A Gap between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2. Some Christians have attempted to put long ages into the Bible by creating a ‘gap’ between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. This is commonly called ‘The Gap Theory’. Adherents of the Gap Theory have tried to justify putting long ages between these two verses by claiming God created His first creation, but in between the time of Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, Satan fell from Heaven and ruined that creation. Gap theorists believe this is why v. 2 states that the earth was without form and void and there was darkness. Gap theorists also believe all the fossils we find of past life, such as dinosaurs, were apart of God’s original creation, but perished when Satan fell (before verse 2). While I can’t blame the Gap theorist's efforts, this teaching is not supported by the Bible. So what of the Gap theorist’s arguments? Genesis 1:2 states that the earth was without form and void because God wasn’t finished creating. It would be like watching someone building a house and claiming the house must have been destroyed previously because all you see are pieces of wood. This, of course, would be false. The builder just isn’t finished yet. Another verse that is used in attempting to salvage the Gap Theory is Gen 1:28, where God told Adam and Eve to “replenish” the earth. They point out that this must mean the earth was once populated and was now going to be re-filled. There is a difference, however, between "replenish" and “re-fill”. The word replenish actually has two different meanings. Usually in the English language, when you put “re” in front of a verb, it means to repeat an action. This isn’t the case with the word "replenish," however. There is no such word as “plenish”. Replenish actually means both to fill and to fill again. So there is no contradiction here with a straightforward reading of the Bible. In any case, even if there was a previous creation, the fossil evidence for it would be destroyed as a result of the Noachian flood. The Gap Theory simply has no place in the Bible and is without any type of support. Progressive creationist’s longer days. Probably the most common attempt at putting long ages into the Bible is by claiming the days of Genesis weren’t literal 24-hour days. While this is another tempting solution to reconciling evolution (long ages) and the Bible, it is just as unbiblical as the Gap Theory. Jesus himself said, “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6). This would cause a huge problem if the days of Genesis were long periods of time. The Bible teaches that God created the universe and the earth about 6,000 years ago, and that he created man on the sixth day of creation. For all practical purposes, the 6th day of creation in a 6,000 year period is pretty insignificant. On the evolutionist’s timeline, though, man would look like he appeared much later than the beginning, since evolutionists believe humans have been around for only a few million years, while the universe is some 14 billion years old. Claiming the days of Genesis are long periods of time is clearly going against what Jesus taught. Also, one must consider that the Bible teaches plants were created on the third day of the creation (Gen. 1:9-13), while the sun wasn’t created until the fourth day (Gen. 1:16-19). This is clear evidence that the days of creation couldn’t have been long periods of time, as plants could not survive very long without the sun. Like proponents of the Gap Theory, Progressive Creationists run into the problem of having to accept that there were millions of years worth of death before Adam sinned, which goes against the Bible (Rom. 5:12). It’s always disappointing to see well-meaning Christians accept the teachings of evolutionary ideas (in this case, fitting millions of years into the Bible) and compromise the teachings of the Bible. The Bible is divine revelation from God, and is accurate in all areas it touches upon, including how long the days of Genesis were. It really comes down to a simple question: are you going to believe what the Bible has to say about the history of the world, or man’s fallible ideas? With that, I leave you with this thought: "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" – Jesus (John 3:12)

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You see how smooth Tarzan moves in the Disney title of the same name? You see how smooth Tarzan moves in the Disney title that bears the same name? One of them must've been what I said on the phone with my friend. Well, I could've just said "You see how smooth Tarzan moves in the Disney animated movie 'Tarzan'?", but I don't like the repetition of the same word unless it's intended. My question is, would the two sentences above be something you native speakers use? are they too wordy? or would you rather use totally different structure? Please let me know. Thank you very much. Re: Too wordy? You see how smooth Tarzan moves in the Disney version/movie. That's what I'd say. Well, being a BrE speaker, I'd go for 'smoothly'. Re: Too wordy? The exact way of phrasing would be influenced by time and circumstance. If you had just seen the movie or had established a context of discussing recent films, I think most Americans would express this thought by saying, "Did you see how smoothly Tarzan moved? Those Disney animators are amazing!" In a written analysis of the film, a writer might phrase this thought by stating, "The smooth movements of the character Tarzan demonstrate that Disney's contemporary animators have lost none of the studio's lifelike skill and precision, the trademark of its golden era." Yes, both sentences could be used by native speakers, but only the second one is closer to being gramatically correct according to the rules of standard American English. The first sentence has some errors very common in slang usage, one of which could also be construed as a clarity issue. Technically, in the way the sentence is written, "You see how smooth (+ ly) Tarzan moves in the Disney title of the same name?" the sentence structure suggests that the speaker is asking the listener to look at how the animated character Tarzan is moving in the actual letters of the film's title as they are presented two-dimensionally either on a movie screen or on a piece of paper (perhaps an ad for the movie in a newspaper.) Is he swinging from the letter "T" in his own name like an ape? Regardless of whether the film were live action or animated, would a native speaker/listener understand the content? Yep. You betcha. But it is awkward. The other error is an EXCEPTIONALLY FREQUENT mistake made by many native speakers in casual conversation and informal writing. It's a modifier problem in which speakers leave off the -ly ending that makes an adjective form of a word into an adverb. Most likely, the speaker's thoughts, and subconscious, internalized system of grammar, are focused on the subject (a noun or pronoun), so that even when describing the subject's actions, the speaker concentrates on Tarzan himself and not on what he is doing: Tarzan moves smoothly. The first sentence could be used by an educated person in a very casual, face-to-face conversation with either close friends or others who are in some slight, almost insignificant way, subordinate to the speaker. It's not very likely that a well-educated person would make such a grammar goof in the company of people who are superior in status, or who are held in high regard, because the speaker would subconsciously be on his or her "best" syntactical behavior and wouldn't want to do anything to lose face or cause a venerated person, such as a grandparent, to feel disappointed or embarrassed. What a very interesting question, Harakiriblade! As you can tell from lengthy reply, I enjoyed giving it a good "think." Re: Too wordy? Thank you very much Tdol, as always. Now that I think of it, 'Tarzan' has many different 'versions' and Disney's is just one of them. See, in my native language the concept of 'verson' is virtually non-existent. It was probably introduced only recently. And tctepreslm, I really, really appreciate your long reply! I usually don't write back if the reply answers my question in full because any reply I write, a display of gratitude and whatnot, will bump this thread up, but I see you just started coming here and I didn't want to let you down. Please do keep it up! I need somebody like you to provide explanations in detail. Don't feel obliged to do so every time, bust I just want you to know your input is very much valued. Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO

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November 4, 2009 DALLAS (SMU) – An established engineering curriculum program is now positioned to help Texas principals and superintendents challenged to fill fall schedules with expanded science and math classes to adhere to new 4X4 graduation requirements. Over 180 Texas high schools – in Houston, Spring, Austin, San Antonio, DFW, Pflugerville, Rio Grande Valley and other districts – already offer The Infinity Project for science- and math-based engineering coursework, credited as an elective class. Beginning with the 2010-11 academic year, juniors and seniors may add engineering to their schedules to meet science graduation requirements, prepare themselves to major in engineering at the university level, and eventually succeed in fields reporting a critical shortage of qualified graduates, such as biomedical and environmental engineering. "This cost-effective, standards-based classroom technology takes learning to the next level," says Teresa Green, Director of Science in the Houston area's Spring ISD. "Our teachers are well trained to deliver cutting-edge classroom material that is flexible enough to use as a standalone 4th year science course, or incorporated into existing science, math, or career and technology classes." SMU Lyle School of Engineering, Texas Instruments, National Instruments, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and others developed The Infinity Project 10 years ago to help students see the real value of science and math and encourage this generation to pursue careers in engineering. The Infinity Project has impacted over 5,000 students in 38 states. "Students who complete biology, chemistry, and physics now have the opportunity to add engineering as a graduation credit," says Tammy Richards, Associate Dean of SMU's Lyle School of Engineering and Executive Director of The Infinity Project. Richards advocated adding engineering as a 4th year science graduation credit in Texas, in compliance with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements. "We've been preparing all along for this," adds Dianna McAtee, Director of Academic Relations for The Infinity Project. "Our partner schools are now well positioned to meet the 4X4 requirements, and we are reaching out to districts searching for a turnkey solution to quickly and cost-effectively add rigorous and relevant engineering courses." Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

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Alternative treatments for Autism Recent research has found that many American families are turning to alternative treatments to manage autism and its symptoms in their children. One study in particular found that out of the 21% of families trialling alternative or complementary therapies, 17% of those were using special diets, most commonly gluten and casein free. The study was presented at the Paediatric Academy Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia and was sponsored by the Autism Treatment Network which has 14 centres across the U.S and Canada and is working hard to develop standards of care for treating children with autism. Daniel Coury is medical director of the Autism Treatment Network and chief of developmental behavioural paediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He believes that complementary treatment is used for a variety of issues, whether it be for arthritis or ADHD so it is only natural that it has made the cross over into treating autism. “Families may be looking at complementary treatment because traditional medical treatments may not be doing the job for their child,” Coury said. There is evidence that these diets can improve symptoms of autism but it is essential that the child’s GP knows of additional treatments as a combination of alternative and traditional medication may cause side effects. Read the original article here.

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The Illinois Accelerator Research Center (IARC) is a new accelerator research facility being built at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. At the Illinois Accelerator Research Center, scientists and engineers from Fermilab, Argonne and Illinois universities will work side by side with industrial partners to research and develop breakthroughs in accelerator science and translate them into applications for the nation's health, wealth and security. Located on the Fermilab campus this 83,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility will house offices, technical and educational space to study cutting-edge accelerator technologies. In addition to attracting new private industry partners that will create new high-tech jobs, the center will also collaborate with local universities to serve as a training facility for a new generation of scientists, engineers and technical staff in accelerator technology. These partnerships will make critical contributions to the technological and economic health of Illinois and place the state in a position to become the world leader in accelerator research, development and industrialization. Funding for the Illinois Accelerator Research Center comes from a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the U.S. Department of Energy. View archive of construction progress photos. From treating cancer to sterilizing food packaging, more than 30,000 particle accelerators are in operation around the world. A long and growing list of practical applications illustrates the contributions that particle physics has made to society. Fermilab's plan for the future outlines a world-leading program, addressing the most intriguing questions in particle physics.

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Ask a new question Learn from step-by-step Chegg solutions to problems in your textbooks. Ask any question and get help with your hardest classes. Find the approximate value of the volume of the right circular cone with a circular base shown All arcs shown are 1/4 the same circle with the center E and diameter GH. Find the area of the Prove : CB+BD+AB>(1/2)(CD+DA+AC) You have the fact that QL perpendicular to HI, RK perpendicular to AI, and JP perpendic 1. angle ACB is a right angle 2. Segment CD is the altitude to the hypotenuse

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Good Practice Guide Reporting Security Incidents Resilient e-Communications Networks Questionnaires and forms, Pre-defined categories for variables, Web forms with pre-defined answers. Standardized data input enables, on the one hand, sophisticated statistical analyses (see section 6.2), and on the other hand, a number of specific follow-up procedures. Several respondents in our research expressed the opinion that the larger the volume of reports submitted the greater the benefit of formalization and automation. Categorization enables prioritization. If the number of reports submitted is likely to be high, it might exceed the capacity of human reviewers to assess each report individually. For these cases, the report should contain a categorized variable (most likely, one of the incident impact variables) that would attract the attention triggering a follow-up. (On prioritization, see section 5.2.) Standardization enables automated processing. Similarly, if reaction to incidents requires immediate processing of a considerable volume of reports, especially triggering alerts or distributing information on an incident, standardized format will probably become necessary. In the cybersecurity area, many CERTs use machine-readable formats to automatically collect and distribute data on incidents on a daily or weekly basis. A corresponding software tool may be capable of working with several formats simultaneously. In any scheme with emergency response aspect, automated alerts may be sent out to stakeholders in reaction to reports containing critical levels of a certain variable. is running an automated reporting tool which works as "a collection of simple, but efficient, scripts. The underlying engine is responsible for fetching, categorizing, sorting, and formatting the reported incidents according to predefined templates. The engine also takes care of compiling the daily reports and emailing them out at predefined times to addresses found in our contact list. Each data source is attached to the framework through a tailor-made plug-in. Autoreporter is able to handle sources where data is either pushed (e.g., receiving data by email) or pulled (e.g., fetching the data from an external web MIMER enables automated alerts in response to the messages submitted. Messages are handled in a uniform manner and the format used is XML. Standardization saves resources. Many operators are using automated network management tools on their networks. Standardization makes it possible to install interfaces that tune the inner reporting procedures of service providers with those of the public reporting scheme, thus allowing the operators to save resources. On the other hand, we should say that standardization not only brings advantages. A number of respondents mentioned that standardization and formalization discourage the scheme's constituency from reporting. That is not only so because the reporting parties may feel overburdened by the reporting requirements, but also because standardization invites formalist attitudes: Thomas Grenmann of CERT.FI at

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Before fitness training, one must give importance to doing warm-up or stretching exercises to prevent accidents or to enhance the output during the training. There are also a number of precautionary measures and tips to serve as guidelines when doing fitness exercises. Here are some of them. 1. To increase your flexibility and to avoid injuries, stretch before and after workout. Almost everyone knows that stretching before workout prevents injuries during the exercises, but only few people know that stretching after workout, when muscles are still warm, can increase flexibility. 2. Hold your stretching position for more than 60 seconds to increase flexibility. While holding your position for 20 seconds is enough for warm ups, holding each position for at least 60 seconds will develop the body’s flexibility. 3. Do not go into a stretching position then immediately return to the relaxed position, and do it repeatedly. This is more appropriately termed as bouncing while in a position. When stretching, hold that position for several seconds, and then slowly relax. You may do this exercise repeatedly this way. Bouncing or forcing yourself into a position during stretching can strain or damage some joints or muscles. 4. Work slowly in increments instead of immediately proceeding to doing the hardest exercise or position. 5. Make sure that you have stretched or warmed up all muscle groups. For some people, even if they have strong bodies, they tend to neglect the neck when working out of stretching. Stretching the neck muscles can be as simple as placing the palm of one’s hand against the front of the head and pushing it. Then, do the same to the sides and the back of the head. 6. Stretch regularly to continually increase your range of movements and your level of flexibility and strength. 7. Workout considering only your capabilities and not of others. Do not force yourself to do exercises that you are not yet capable of just because there are people who can do it. Increase your limits slowly. Listen to your body. There are days when your body may be too tired that you may have to consider reducing your range of motion. 8. Learn to rest. Rest in between sets and stations to make sure that the body has enough time to recover its energy. Also, it is advisable that you don’t work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days. The muscles grow during the period when you rest and not when you are working out. 9. Do aerobic exercises to strengthen your heart. Aerobic exercises are those physical activities that much oxygen for fuel. This includes cardiovascular exercises such as skipping rope, running or swimming. 10. Music may help you when you want to train for longer periods or to increase your intensity. You can use mp3 players, CD players or lightweight am radio receivers for this. Just make sure that you brought your headset with you so you wouldn’t disturb people who don’t prefer music while exercising. Apart from preventing injuries and increasing one’s limit, it is also said that stretching is good for a tired body and also for a stressed mind and spirit.

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Healthy Back-to-School Lunch Ideas Children who eat nutritious foods do better in school, but coming up with healthy back-to-school lunch ideas that children will actually eat can be a challenge for many parents. A healthy school lunch combines nutrient-rich foods from several food groups to supply protein, fat and carbohydrates to sustain energy and concentration for several hours. The composition of the meal makes a difference in how long it will sustain a child throughout the day. A balanced meal consisting of carbohydrate, protein and fat gives children energy and prevents a drop in blood sugar for several hours. In general, a meal including a variety of foods from several food groups will provide the most benefits to a child, educationally, nutritionally and physically. A balanced meal that keeps a child energized throughout the day can be a quick and easy meal -- at home, at school or on the go. Healthy Lunchbox Ideas Foods like fruit, bread, crackers and juice provide carbohydrates, while milk, cheese, yogurt, lean meat and beans provide protein to balance kids’ meals. Fat is found in nuts, peanut butter, meat and some dairy foods. Providing children a balance and variety of these foods will ensure they are well-nourished and energized for learning. Our printable Tips for a Healthy Lunchbox offers ideas for healthy foods to include in kids’ lunches. The key is to balance nutrition with your child’s personal taste by getting him/her involved in the back-to-school lunch preparation process to reduce food waste. When your children are involved in the planning process they'll be more likely to eat what is prepared. Children who help select and prepare their meals are more likely to actually eat them. It’s a simple and effective way to make sure your children get the energy they need to learn and the nutrition that keeps them healthy. It will also be easier to get help with the meal preparation and clean up process if their food preferences are considered. More Healthy Lunch Ideas Lunch should contain food from all five main food groups: breads, fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy products. Many children do not like sandwiches for lunch, so including some variety in the menu can prevent children from getting bored with their lunch and will prevent them from straying to the vending machine or snack bar. Some sandwich alternatives are: - Chicken tenders - Pasta salads - Bean salads - Hard boiled eggs - Trail mix - Crackers with cheese or peanut butter - Hummus and pita flatbread - Sliced veggies with yogurt dip Warm Lunch Ideas - Soup sent in a Thermos® - Rice bowls (rice topped with last night’s leftover meat and vegetables) - Macaroni and cheese - Pasta noodles Keep Lunch Food Safe It is important to practice safe food handling when packing a school lunch. If lunches are not refrigerated, after about two hours the food can begin to grow harmful bacteria that cause food borne illnesses. You can keep lunches cold by sending a frozen 100 percent juice box or ice pack in an insulated lunch box to keep contents cold until lunchtime. If you’re too busy to prepare lunch you may want to take advantage of your school’s cafeteria. The school lunch is another nutritious and economical option for families. Take a look at the school lunch menu with your child and decide which days your child would like to eat the school meal. Remember, getting their input is always important when you want them to actually eat the meal. Reprinted with the permission of Meals Matter. © 2008 Meals Matter Add your own comment Today on Education.com WORKBOOKSMay Workbooks are Here! WE'VE GOT A GREAT ROUND-UP OF ACTIVITIES PERFECT FOR LONG WEEKENDS, STAYCATIONS, VACATIONS ... OR JUST SOME GOOD OLD-FASHIONED FUN!Get Outside! 10 Playful Activities - Kindergarten Sight Words List - The Five Warning Signs of Asperger's Syndrome - What Makes a School Effective? - Child Development Theories - Why is Play Important? Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Creative Development - 10 Fun Activities for Children with Autism - Test Problems: Seven Reasons Why Standardized Tests Are Not Working - Bullying in Schools - A Teacher's Guide to Differentiating Instruction - Steps in the IEP Process

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bicameral Federal Parliament holds legislative power, both chambers are chosen by universal adult suffrage. The 76 member Senate serves a 6 year term, while the House of Representatives is voted in every 3 years. The Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party in the Lower House and uses executive power at the head of a Cabinet of Ministers. The Queen of England is officially head of state, represented locally by a Governor General. Each of Australia’s 6 states also has its own directly elected legislature, enjoying considerable autonomy in areas such as health, education and transport

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Current Issues, Current Resolutions: Pedagogy, Gender and Portrayals of Civic Life in Decisions, Decisions Current By Rachel Araneta and Sierra Lovelace Using computers in the classroom has become more common as teachers and students recognize the ability of games to function as educational tools. Learning about the benefits of computer games has led to increased interest in the study of computer games as a potential tool for reconnecting youth with civic life. Studies have shown a decline in youth civic engagement in both knowledge and participation (Delli Carpini, 2000). The knowledge gained after studying educational computer games can be used to develop future games that can aim to teach about and increase civic engagement. However, one of the possible barriers to increasing civic education of youth is in the way games are designed and the portrayal of gender stereotypes in While a number of studies have focused on commercial computer games, educational games are often overlooked. However, the need to study educational computer games such as Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues (DDCI) is necessary to discover whether traditional educational software is designed to yield the same benefits in the classroom as do some commercial titles. We studied the content of the game in relation to gender roles, civic engagement, and knowledge about Information Communication Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues is an educational computer game that was designed in the late 1990s by Tom Snyder Productions. The game is part of a larger series called Decisions, Decisions that includes fifteen, full length game titles such as: Ancient Empires, Building a Nation, Revolutionary Wars, and Immigration. Like all titles of the Decisions, Decisions series, Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues is designed to be used in a classroom setting as a tool for teaching social studies. It targets 5th-10th graders, ages 10 to 15. The game comes equipped with a teacher's manual, ready-made quizzes, and handouts that define key vocabulary for each topic being presented. DDCI includes six short titles: Cloning, Death Penalty, Gun Control, Energy and the Environment, Genetically Engineered Food, and Juvenile Crime. In each title of the DDCI series, "students role-play a decision maker faced with a critical situation drawn from today's headlines. As senator or governor, students use a proven, five-step model for critical thinking and decision making to gather and review information, discuss options, and take action" (DDCI Teacher's Manual, 2001, p. 4). The game's manual suggests that teachers break students up into small groups and give them the task of making a decision about the current issue at hand. The small groups of students first watch a video on the computer screen that introduces them to the advisors that will be giving them information about the current issue (see Figure 1). Then, students are given the opportunity to discuss and prioritize the three goals of the game that are presented in a memo that the teacher passes out (see Figure 2). Students then watch a second video that teaches them about the key points of the issue being discussed. Next, students receive four different "advisor memos" that offer conflicting advice about what to do about the issues (see Figures 3-7). Towards the end of the game, students discuss and debate the possible decisions they could make about the current issue and then vote on which decision they believe is the best one to make (see Figure 8). After the entire class has voted, a third video is watched and the advisors' reactions to the classes' decision are presented. After game play is completed, the teacher has the option to give students a quiz (see Figure 9). The goals of the Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues is for the students to come to a final decision about each issue by using the 5-step decision making process: 1. Analyze the situation, 2. Determine your goals, 3. Consider the options, 4. Make a decision, 5. Consider the consequences. This process should also be facilitated by a structured in-class debate or discussion that further educates the students about the issue. DDCI aims to teach students both knowledge and skills about civic life. The game uses real-world current issues to teach students about "the political, social, and economic institutions that characterize significant aspects of Western civilizations" (www.tomsnyder.com). The game also aims to teach students about "the governmental system of the U.S.; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation" (DDCI Teacher's manual, 2001, p. 6). In terms of skills, DDCI strives to teach students how to use "a problem-solving process to identify problems, gather information, list and consider opinions, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose a solution, and evaluate the consequences of the solution" (www.tomsnyder.com). In addition, the game attempts to teach students causal reasoning skills, how to separate opinion from fact, and how to communicate effectively with others by generating solutions through discussion. DDCI has received numerous awards, including the "Teacher's Choice Award," which is one of the most recognized and prestigious awards in the educational market. In addition to promoting interaction among students in the classroom, Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues also encourages students to go beyond the classroom and into the real world, via literature and the World Wide Web, to learn more about current issues. The game includes pre-screened links to websites and articles where students can learn more about the topic they are studying (see Figure 10). Gender and Design of Games Educational software is frequently held in higher esteem than other genres of computer software because of its specific intent to teach children. More often than not, educational software is viewed as wholesome, "family friendly" and scholarly, which has deterred any scrutiny about the potential negative effects that some elements of educational software may have on children (Sheldon, 2004). However, there is evidence that even educational software may be contributing to the ever-growing "technology gap" that exists between the genders, with software design being the biggest culprit. Because girls buy only 12% of games (Raphael, 2002), the majority of the games on the market today are designed specifically to accommodate male play preferences. This, however, creates a vicious cycle, which time and time again excludes females from participating in the computer game market and in turn only further widens the "technology gap." These male-oriented design features act as barriers that not only severely limit girls' ability to participate in gaming, but also makes it difficult for them to learn from educational software that is also deeply rooted in masculinity. Three of the more prevalent barriers in game design are the way gender roles are portrayed in games, the stereotyping of female characters in games and the gendering of design feature in computer games. Previous studies (Graner Ray, 2004; Raphael, 2002) have shown that there are slight but consistent differences in the ways that boys and girls respond to basic design principles of computer games (see Table 1). The stimuli that software designers use to capture the audience's attention, can interpreted differently by male and female players. For example, males tend to be physically stimulated by visual input, whereas females tend to have less physical response to visual stimuli. Therefore, games that involve large amounts of visual stimuli may only attract the attention of male players (Graner Ray, 2004). However, it has been found that females are more likely to respond to emotional or tactile elements of the game. In addition, females are more attracted to games that allow them to accomplish something socially significant and/or beneficial for the greater good, because it allows them to feel more emotionally connected to the game, which gives them a greater reason to play it (Graner Ray, 2004). Opposing genders are also affected by the way the game punishes or rewards them. For instance, males are more tolerant of being punished for errors they make in the game. The classic example of this is the "die and start over" game design, which gives players a "limited number of lives and the player has only so many chances to succeed" (Graner Ray, 2004, p. 182). Females, on the other hand, prefer to be forgiven for mistakes they may make while playing the game. For example, females prefer to play games where making errors creates temporary delays in reaching the final goal, but does not result in permanent loss. Unfortunately, because the gaming industry is dominated by male designers and consumers the majority of the games are geared toward the male willingness to "die and start over." The portrayals of gender roles in computer games also acts as a barrier, preventing girls from taking full advantage of the learning opportunities of educational software. A study conducted by Children Now (2001) "identifies some of the unhealthy social messages that video games may be sending to young players" (p.2). The findings presented in this study especially highlight the ways that females are affected by video and computer games. The study examined a total of ten games (both for computers and for different video consoles) in the U.S. and used a micro and macro analysis. The study found that the number of male characters significantly outweighs the number of female characters in games. It has been proven that girls who are able to identify with a female character in a game will feel more comfortable using the software and will also be more engaged in the game (Sheldon, 2004). In addition, the Children Now study found that the characters that players had direct control over tended to be male, further limiting the ability for girls to assume the role of female avatars in games. In addition, the primary role of male characters in games was to be the competitor, whereas "the primary role for female was that of prop" (Children Now, 2001, p. 12). In other words, female characters were found to play less significant roles in games. Sheldon (2004) also found stereotypical gender roles in 48 of the most highly rated educational software titles for children three to six years old. More often than not, Sheldon found that characters in the game were placed in stereotypical roles. For example, "Female characters were more often passive, nurturant, and engaged in feminine stereotyped activities (e.g., setting the table). Whereas male characters were more often active, non-nurturant, and engaged in masculine activities (e.g., sawing wood)" (Sheldon 2004, p. 434). Males were also portrayed as being more aggressive and physically active. This discrepancy likely results in the inability of girls to identify with software protagonists, which can discourage girls from wanting to play. The way the avatar or other characters are portrayed in the game also affects the way that males and females perceive the game and in turn how they are affected by it. For example, when the female characters in the game are hypersexualized, many female gamers will not even consider playing. This is because these characters tend to be placed in stereotypical and very limited roles, which pushes female players away from both games and technology in general (Graner Ray, 2004). Because the majority of games, both commercial and educational, cater to male design preferences, girls are again discouraged from playing and learning from games, and using technology. Although it may be difficult to create games that are completely gender-neutral, in order to narrow the technology gap and entice more girls to play computer games, designers need to create games that appeal to both sexes by incorporating features that we know to be preferred by girls, boys and by both genders. Therefore it is essential to continue to study the design preferences of males and females and the portrayal of gender roles within games. Civic Knowledge and Skills Indications of youth disengagement in American civic life have been noted since the 1950s (Bachen et.al, forthcoming). Young adults are less knowledgeable about the process of politics, less likely to read newspapers, less likely to participate in community organizations and less likely to feel a sense of identity or pride towards American citizenship compared to previous generations. The disconnection of youth from public life is possibly due to the lack of meaningful opportunities for youth to become engaged in civic life (Delli Carpini, 2000). The deficiency of civic knowledge and decline in involvement among youth is a matter of concern. Studying the effects of educational computer games could lead to several potential strategies for increasing youth participation in civic life. Delli Carpini (2000), found that "America's youth want to be connected to public life in some meaningful way and lament the sense of disconnectedness they feel." For example, a 1996 poll revealed that 70% of young adults were worried and concerned about the future of the country (p. 345). This concern can be translated into action by teaching children the knowledge and skills that are necessary to become an active and civically engaged member of their community. One way to foster activism is through computer games. Although computer games are seen primarily as a form of entertainment, educational games can have a number of benefits for student players. The lessons gained from playing educational computer games extend much further than the progress made on the actual computer screen. The learning strategies fostered in role-playing computer games such as Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues, can apply in real world situations (Jenkins & Squire, 2003). The knowledge and skills gained from educational games can give children the foundation they need for successful problem solving and critical thinking now and in their future. Not only do players learn from the computer game and their instructor, but classmates can also be a source of knowledge. Peer learning can occur as students compare game playing strategies and work cooperatively with classmates (Jenkins & Squire, 2003). Another benefit to using computer games in the classroom is the ability to focus on a specific subject area (Mitchell & Savill-Smith, 2003). This is mutually beneficial for the student and the teacher. Because computer games can be tailored to inform students about certain issues or skills, the area of focus can also be fine tuned to the interest of the player. The teacher has the ability to choose educational software depending on which skills he/she feels a student or group of students should aim to improve or develop. Educational computer games have the potential to reach students who have difficulty engaging with material through traditional teaching methods. (Jenkins & Squire, 2003). In this way, computer games can complement the teacher's lecture or the teacher could build class discussions based on issues addressed in the game. In order for any person to become engaged in civic life motivation, opportunity, and ability are needed. Computer games are known to increase some players' motivation to learn about civic life, which in turn could motivate them to become active in their communities (Mitchell & Savill-Smith, 2003). However more specific knowledge about what civic life entails and the skills needed to successfully participate in civic events needs to be taught in conjunction with the game. Teachers need to be able to teach students the knowledge and skills they will need to engage in civic life in the future. Some techniques such as, "Fostering youth's ability to express opinions, take part in discussions, participate in public life, practice civic problem-solving or decision-making, and engage in group learning, project-based learning and simulations of real world civic events" (Bachen et al, forthcoming, pp. 9-10). DDCI and other educational software have the potential to aid teachers in their endeavor to teach the necessary knowledge and skills about civic engagement to their students. Therefore it is necessary to study how DDCI attempts to teach knowledge and skills about civic life. ICTs Roles in Civic Education Children need knowledge about Information and Communication Technology, or ICTs, for a number of reasons. Effectively using computers to engage youth requires developing the ability to efficiently use the ICTs. This is because ICTs can be an effective tool for learning about civic life and how to become an active participant in the community. In addition, the ability to discuss and use ICTs will determine whether youth are able to successfully participate in public life in the future as technology continues to advance (Bachen et. al, forthcoming). Children "need to develop critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills both with computers and about them" (Raphael 2002, p.1612). The computer can be utilized as a way to increase involvement in public life. Internet sites can provide ways to sustain and improve the quality of civic engagement. The Internet can help translate civic interest of youth into action (Delli Carpini, 2000). Internet sites or computer games can provide contact information for organizations, encourage attendance at public meetings, etc. The move from old media to new technologies means that the public will need to update their knowledge and skills with ICTs in order to keep up with civic life and stay informed. By using educational games in the classroom, younger generations can begin to become more familiar and comfortable with using ICTs to search for knowledge, learn about public life and gain the skills needed to stay informed. Teachers can play an active role in this process by teaching about ICT policies, "ICT policy issues offer promising routes to engage youth in volunteering and organized political action because of young people's interest in media topics and because communication technology policy touches their lives directly through their own use of media" (Bachen, et al, forthcoming, p. 8). Therefore it is necessary to examine what DDCI teaches players about ICTs as a means to become civically involved. It is also important to look at the way DDCI incorporates ICTs as a topic in relation to civic life. Because very little is known about educational software, there are several gaps in the research that our study will fill. First and foremost, our study will provide more detail about gender roles and gender stereotypes and how opposing sexes are portrayed in educational software. Also, our research will begin to fill the gap surrounding the role of educational software as a teaching tool about civic knowledge and skills, as well as ICTs in relation to civic engagement. This study poses four broad research questions. First, drawing on previous research about gender preferences in computer games, we ask, what game design features in DDCI are male oriented, female oriented and gender neutral. Then we ask how DDCI portrays gender roles. More specifically we examine gender role stereotypes based on occupation, clothing and appearance, body type, and level of authority or status. We also compare and contrast the gender roles of both avatars and other characters in the game. These questions are necessary to investigate because it is already known that game design features greatly affect the way that boys and girls play computer games and how they are affected by the game. Further research is needed to determine gender-neutral features that can be incorporated into games about civic life to encourage girls to play these games. Next we look at the types of civic knowledge and/or skills that DDCI tries to teach those who play it and whether similar titles of DDCI attempt to teach the same skills about civic life. Moreover we compare and contrast these findings with the skills and knowledge that the DDCI Teacher's Manual promises to teach with the game. Lastly, we ask how does DDCI teach players about ICT and if DDCI uses ICTs to teach about civic life in the game. We also want to know if DDCI encourages players to use technology to conduct further research on topics presented in the game. Civic knowledge is a key component of being an informed citizen. Teaching young children about civic life will only further encourage them to participate in civic life as adults. Because technology plays such an essential role in today's society, it is only appropriate that we begin to use ICTs to teach youth about why they should be involved with civic life. For this study we have decided to follow the qualitative method of research based on many reasons derived from Hoepfl (1997). First and foremost, qualitative methods are best to use when the topic or area of study is new and there is little known about the subject. This is primarily due to the fact that qualitative methods focus on open-ended questions that enable researchers to discover new information beyond their intended findings. Most importantly, qualitative methods allow researchers to delve deeply into the meaning of texts, which in turn affords them the opportunity to produce thorough and well-supported findings. Qualitative research is also appropriate method to use when studying a single, complex text such as a computer game and how it creates meaning because, "qualitative research reports are descriptive, incorporating expressive language and the presence of voice in the text" (Hoepfl, 1997, p.3). This means that all data is recorded in a way that is more easily understood by those who may read the study. Using qualitative methods also conveys complexity and detail that bring the study to life. These characteristics of qualitative research have enabled us to gather and record detailed data about our game, which in turn has helps us greatly in answering our specific research Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues includes six different titles, each of which is considered a separate game. As a research team of two, we played one DDCI game in its entirety and then studied the characters in all of the games to gather data about gender roles in the game. A total of 25 hours were spent playing the games on a PC. Because a relatively small number of choices were presented in DDCI, we were able to exhaust all paths offered in the game. Each title introduces a current event topic and the player must take a stance on the issue. The game offers two choices: to veto a bill or pass a Without group discussions, each computer game itself is very basic. We were automatically assigned an avatar, a government official. We held this position for the entire game. The game is intended for a classroom setting and is designed for four students to play in a group. As a research team of two people we were able to play all parts of the computer game, but were not able to experience the game played in a classroom setting. The game is designed to incorporate a significant amount of "play" that does not take place on the computer screen, including reading advisor memos, explaining views to others in the group and class discussions. The teacher's manual and official game website recommend a 45 minute period to both play the game and engage in-group discussion. We read the game introduction, listened to advisors, prioritized goals, and made final votes. Each individual DDCI computer game, without classroom discussion, can be completed in about 10 minutes. The topics of the game are complex; however the steps to complete the game are straightforward. We visited all website links included in the game. The discussion groups and teacher links were no longer in service during the time we played DDCI. In addition to the data we collected by playing and studying our game, we also looked to other sources of data to answer our research questions. More specifically, we used the official website of the game and the literature that came with the game as additional sources of data so that we were able to answer our research questions accurately and thoroughly. To answer our research question about gender preferences and game design, we examined all of the game features listed in Table 1, especially structure, interface, relationships between characters, gender roles and opportunities for collaborative play. We looked closely at these elements to determine if the game's design features were more masculine, feminine or gender neutral. To do this, we looked at the way the game was structured and compared these findings with those of previous research that had determined which gender preferred one game structure to another. Knowing that female players tend to identify with female characters in the game, and male players with male characters, we examined the mix of the genders of the characters and the relationships they had with one another, to see if either male or female players would prefer to play the game. When considering this research question, we also looked at the teacher's manual that came with the game to examine how the game was supposed to be played in the classroom and whether collaborative or social play between students was encouraged. To answer our research question about the way that DDCI portrays the opposing genders and if gender stereotypes exist in the game, we focused on the characters in the game. More specifically we scrutinized the appearance, dress, occupation title and demeanor of all of the characters in the game. We then juxtaposed these findings with previous research about gender stereotypes and games, as well as other titles in the game series to determine if gender stereotypes existed in the game. We also analyzed the way the characters interacted with one another to determine if one gender tended to have more authority than the other. To answer our research question about the kinds of civic skills and knowledge our game attempts to teach those who play it, we compared our analysis of the game with the official website and the Teacher's Manual. For example, the Teacher's Manual offered a list of skills and knowledge that the game was designed to teach, as well as suggestions for different activities that the teacher can facilitate in the classroom, during or after game play, to enhance the knowledge and skills taught by the game. Moreover, the Teacher's Manual also gave suggested links to websites that would help students to learn more about the issue at hand. To answer our research question about the game's ability to teach about ICTs, we primarily looked at the content of the game. We focused on both the information presented in the game by the characters, as well as the use of ICTs in the setting of the game. ICTs were defined as encompassing all media of communication hardware and software except face-to-face communication. This includes television, cameras, cell phones, operating systems, messages boards, web browsers and so on. Civic participation is a person's awareness of and relationship to public affairs. Civic engagement can be accomplished in many ways including, writing government officials, participating in political clubs, actively seeking information about public life, voting, activism and volunteering in the community. We studied the civic knowledge and skills that are needed for successful civic education and how ICTs in DDCI served as a link to civic life and involvement both online and offline. We looked at the knowledge and skills, in relation to ICTs and civic life that the game claimed to teach. We examined how the computer game attempted to relay knowledge through explanations and descriptions of current issues. Skills are acquired when a student can effectively use their knowledge to perform a task or make a decision. We studied how skills were taught in the computer game through the role-playing, detailed instructions, and decision-making activities in the game. We looked at which specific knowledge and skills were presented in DDCI. For this study, gender roles and stereotypes were defined as commonly held thoughts, views, or characteristics about a gender, which are often over-generalized. Typical female roles and stereotypes we looked for in DDCI were passiveness, nurturing actions, or occupation in positions with little authority. For male roles we looked for aggression, physical activity and authority over Gender and Game Design: Drawing on previous research about gender play preferences and game design, our first research question asked: of the design features of DDCI, which were male oriented, female oriented or gender-neutral? Despite popular belief that all video and computer games are designed to cater to male play preferences, our findings suggest that this game is in fact female oriented. Table 2 displays the best-supported game design features that appeal to females and males and those features that are liked by both sexes and are incorporated in to the DDCI game. First and foremost the game's interface is very simple. The computer screen displays the same tool bar during each level of the game, displaying the categories of: About us, Teacher's guide, Topic, Community, and Help. Although the actual game is found under the "topic" tab on the tool bar, the other tabs allow players to easily find the information they may need to play the game successfully. While playing DDCI, only the tool bar and a small Quick Time video screen appear on the computer screen, keeping the interface constant and simple throughout the entire game. This is a proven design characteristic preferred by females because they prefer to work with the computer while playing the game. If the interface is simple and easily understood, female players will feel more comfortable using the computer and playing the game. The structure of DDCI also appeals to female, rather than male play preferences for several reasons. Whereas males are more comfortable being punished for errors they may make in the game, which is sometimes referred to as the "die and start over" structure, females prefer to be forgiven for mistakes they may make while playing the game. Our research revealed that DDCI does not operate under the "die and start over" structure because there is really no way to make a mistake that would cause one to lose the game. Although your decision to veto or pass a bill may anger some of the advisors, the player is never "punished" for his or her decision. This is because there is no right or wrong answer to the current issue at hand and thus the player can never lose the game. Moreover, because players do not play DDCI to "win," there is no direct competition. Because it is known that most females prefer games that do not center on direct competition, the non-competitive nature of DDCI probably appeals more to female players, than male players who tend to prefer competitive games. Also, the structure of the game does not require its players to make a decision in a certain amount of time, so DDCI most likely appeals to girls, who tend to dislike being pressured The narrative and characters in DDCI are simple. In addition to there being only one story line, there is practically no relationship depicted between the player and the characters or even between the characters themselves. This simplicity of the characters and their relationships is a design feature preferred by most males. However the way that the characters present their opinions on the current issue being talked about most likely appeals to female players. Many of the characters share personal and emotionally charged stories that explain why they feel the way that they do about the issue at hand. This design element probably appeals more to females than males because the majority of female gamers are stimulated by emotional elements in games. In addition, a key game design feature that appears in DDCI is the mock resolution of an issue that will be socially beneficial to "society." For example, players have to decide whether to allow the death penalty to be legalized in their state. Although they have to pass or veto the bill, both sides of the issue are presented as being potentially beneficial for society, just for different reasons. Also, players are encouraged to come to a resolution through diplomatic discussion where everyone's opinion can be heard and an agreement is decided by discussion and compromise. These two aspects of the game structure and design fall under the category of elements that appeal to more females than males. The Teacher's Manual, which comes with DDCI, calls for students in a classroom to be put into groups of four when playing the game. This design element of DDCI promotes collaborative and social interaction to complete the goals of the game, a feature that is preferred by both sexes. The Teacher's Manual also claims that DDCI will teach its players decision making strategies and skills as they move through the 5-step decision making process facilitated by the game. As depicted in Table 2, these design feature appeal to both male and female players, making DDCI appealing to both sexes. Although DDCI incorporates game design features that appeal to both male and female players, overall the game is oriented towards female play preferences. Gender Portrayals: Our second research question focused on the way gender was portrayed in DDCI. To answer this question we examined all six titles of DDCI to determine how the games portray gender stereotypes in relation to appearance (clothing/body type), occupation and level of authority or status in the game. Our findings suggest that gender stereotypes are few and far between in DDCI (see Table 3). There are 21 characters in the six titles of the game, with twelve of these characters being male and nine of them being female. Each individual title has a different number of males and females. For example, in the Energy and the Environment and Genetically Engineered Food title there are four advisors, two male and two female. The remaining titles (Death Penalty, Gun Control, Cloning, and Juvenile Crime) have five advisors and always have three male and two female characters. Based on this data, it can be said that males have a slightly more dominant role in the game, as they tend to outnumber the female characters in the majority of the game titles. Although we can only see each character from the waist up (they sit at a table in each title), their appearance is quite professional and appropriate. All 21 of the characters, men and women, are dressed in a professional manner either in business suits or collared shirts, with the majority of the men wearing ties. They female characters appear to have healthy and normal body types and are not at all hypersexualized. Similarly, the male characters appear to have normal body types and are not hypermasculinized. This finding may be attributed to the fact that the characters on the computer screen are real people who are acting in short, real-time movie clips. Therefore, because they are real people, it is more difficult to make them appear unrealistic, as do some animated characters in other games. Because the game's narrative revolves around current issues being faced by either national or local governments, all of the characters' occupations directly correlate with the government or with issue itself. For example in the Energy and the Environment title, the player has to decide whether or not to allow oil companies to drill in a wildlife refuge in Alaska. There are four advisors who have been chosen to give the player advice on how to make his or her final decision by presenting different sides of the issue. For example, the Advisors in this title 1. Amy Muller is an Environmental Scientist who believes that the wildlife refuge is too precious to drill in and drilling will hurt the animals that live there. 2. Terry Hackett is an Economist who believes that we need to lower the demand for oil because drilling will not lower 3. Julia Leone is the player's Campaign Manager (the player is a senator who is in the middle of a re-election campaign) who thinks that supporting the drilling initiative means more votes. She also acts as the leader of the discussion. 4. Jay Chadam is an Oil Industry Representative and believes that people need affordable energy and that drilling in Alaska is the only way to achieve that goal. Each character is depicted as an expert in his or her field and has equal time to present their knowledge and/or opinion on the subject. However besides Julia Leone in Energy and the Environment, all five other titles have men acting as the leader or facilitator of the discussion. This position is high in authority because as the facilitator they get to decide when the meeting starts and stops. They also regulate the time allotted to each advisor to share their opinions with the group. The fact that a male character assumes this position in five of the six game titles alludes to the stereotype that men, more so than women, are leaders who tend to hold high status positions in the workplace. However this same stereotype is also challenged in the game as there are several women who have authoritative titles or hold high status occupations. For example, in the Juvenile Crime title, Dr. Mary Egan is a child psychologist and in the Genetically Engineered Food title, Kara Simon has her Ph.D. in science and Theresa Witkowski is a Biotechnology Executive. These three women exemplify well-educated and high-powered individuals whose titles rank them higher than most of the other individuals in the game, including the majority of the male After gathering and analyzing the data, we stepped back and took a moment to think about the bigger picture and the overarching ideologies that rise from our findings for this research question. At the most basic level, DDCI is mimicking the workings of a traditional democratic government. However in DDCI there are only four or five representatives who debate an issue instead of an entire House or Senate. Because these representatives are fairly equal in both numbers (men vs. women), roles played and level of authority, it can be said that DDCI is sending its players the ideological message that gender equality exists in both local and national government systems. However, this notion is not true. Currently the US House of Representatives has 435 members, with only 70 of those members being female. That means that women make up only 16% of the House of Representatives, which in turn may make it very difficult to voice their opinion and have it thoughtfully considered. Likewise, only 14 of the 100 members of the US Senate are women (http://clerk.house.gov/index.html). Moreover, only two of the seven leadership positions in both the House and the Senate are held by women, making the US government a male dominated domain. However, DDCI challenges real-world representation of women by portraying them as actively involved in civc life. Although DDCI's representation of genders may be idealistic, it can help combat traditional stereotypes about women in government. Civic Education: Our third research question asked what civic knowledge and/or skills DDCI tried to teach players and whether similar titles of DDCI attempted to teach the same skills about civic life. In order to accurately answer these questions we looked at claims listed in the Teacher's Manual and evaluated these claims across all six game titles. Although the current issue topics changed from game to game, we found the same basic skills were taught in each title due to the consistent five-step decision making process in each The claims listed in the DDCI Teacher's Manual apply to each title. These claims explain what the game intends to teach in relation to civic knowledge and skills. After evaluating the claims we found all assertions were met to some extent either through playing the game itself, classroom work and discussions, or visiting website links provided in the game. The computer game itself was considered our primary source for evaluating the claims. Classroom discussions and website links were considered secondary. While we were able to evaluate skills and knowledge from information provided in the computer game, it was not possible to determine to what extent each claim was met through secondary means of classroom discussions or student exploration of the We evaluated several claims stated in the DDCI Teacher's Manual. According to the manual the computer game is designed to teach players about: 1. The governmental system of the U.S. 2. Basic civic values of American constitutional democracy 3. Avenues of participation The first claim we tested was whether DDCI taught about "the governmental system of the U.S." The game includes a simulation of a U.S. representative democracy where the avatar plays the role of an elected government official making decisions on behalf of citizens. The way players learn about governmental system is through the steps required in order to reach a decision to pass or veto a bill. Similar to the real life governmental system, in DDCI players must gather knowledge about the issue from a variety of people, prioritize goals, discuss the issue, and make a final vote. These learning strategies fostered in DDCI can apply in real world situations. The computer game itself is the primary resource providing the basis to learn about the governmental system in the video conference and the on screen steps. The classroom discussions and websites can serve to further expand students' knowledge and skills about the governmental system. Directly related to the governmental system is the second claim which is that DDCI teaches about "basic civic values of American Constitutional democracy." Out of all the civic values and portrayals of civic life we found in the game, voting and activism were the most apparent. Directly through the game, students are taught the importance of voting as a skill by communicating their final opinion about the current issues through a vote. The votes of each group playing the game are tallied and the majority vote wins and has the final say on the current issue about whether the bill is passed or vetoed. To further highlight the importance of voting, some advisors in the game stress the importance of being reelected to office as the game takes place during the campaign trail of the avatar. Voting is not only a basic value of constitutional democracy, but also relates to the other claims we tested, including being a part of the governmental system and an avenue of participation. Through DDCI we found evidence of activism, which also meets the Teacher Manual's claim of educating players about "basic civic values." The term activism refers to activities both offline and online that assist youth in organizing and expressing their political views about institutions. Some of the institutions that appeared in the game titles included the government, media, and corporations. Because the game is played in a group of four students, requires class discussions, and encourages students to explore Internet websites, activism is stressed as a civic value and more specifically as an avenue of participation. In addition, discussion with peers is another form of civic engagement as students share their views about the issues presented in the game. Another claim included in the teacher's manual included teaching about "avenues of participation." This claim is met minimally in the game itself. The components of the game which extend beyond the screen - classroom discussions and outside website links - are what provide students with the opportunity to become involved in civic life. By expressing views on current issues to classmates or gathering information about becoming civically involved via websites students are developing the skills to utilize avenues of participation. For example, some web links provided at the end of game titles lead to places to contact government officials or the opportunity to participate in civic activities. The avenue of participation in the game itself is minimal, but the potential of avenues of participation, which stem from the game are extensive. Although DDCI met the chosen claims we tested, the game could reasonably be expected to provide more information for players in several areas. The game does provide a basic, rudimentary vocabulary list labeled "terms." These definitions are specific to each game and can better assist understanding of the content of the advisors' presentation. However we noted missing knowledge and skills such as a basic introduction to government positions and process such as how a bill becomes a law. In addition the game does not tell you which US state you are representing, the progress of your campaign trail, which political party you associate with, or the type of coverage the issue is getting in the media. Including this information in the game could more effectively teach civic knowledge and skills to players. We tested three claims from the Teacher's Manual that are associated with civic knowledge and skills. In reality, a number of claims that extend much further than the DDCI Teacher's Manual are considered necessary to be an informed citizen or an active participant in civic life. A widely held ideology is that the "good" U.S. democratic citizen is informed and active. While educational game designers and teachers agree on the importance of developing students' ability to learn about good citizenship, it is difficult to reach a consensus about what constitutes this ideal citizenship. In a study by Westheimer and Kahne (2004), three kinds of citizens are described. The "Justice-Oriented Citizen" is one who prepares to make decisions affecting society after analyzing and addressing social issues. In this model students need to "understand the interplay of social, economic, and political forces" in order to develop skills needed to benefit society (p 3). The second type is the "personally responsible citizen." Developing the personally responsible citizen involves emphasis on honesty and compassion, as well as self discipline. This could include obeying laws, paying taxes, recycling and contributing to others in times of need or crisis. While the "personally responsible citizen" may be involved in community activities, the "participatory citizen" takes a more active role in organizing the activities often holding leadership positions within institutions. DDCI most closely fosters the "participatory citizen" by teaching students the importance of being a leader in the community by role-playing an elected official. Another description of a "participatory citizen" is someone with knowledge about government processes and one who will strategize ways to collectively accomplish tasks. DDCI provides players with basic knowledge of government processes through gathering a spectrum of information about the current issues from advisors. Collaborative play in groups and class discussion helps players develop the ability to collectively accomplish duties. It is important to look at which political implications and ideologies are embedded in educational computer games such as DDCI. The game alluded to the notion that all citizens have the right to participate in civic life by communicating their opinions to elected representatives and participating in community activities. People's authority to participate stems not just from their professional credentials but from their The base of education for youth has larger implications such as determining their civic activities and involvement as adults. The need for fostering good citizenship is apparent, but deciding which vision of citizenship to promote in the classroom is a difficult issue. The political goals and constraints of DDCI game designers, as well as the priorities and values of the teachers who choose to administer the game, have implications for the way good citizenship is conveyed to students. ICTs: ICTs touch the lives of many US citizens today and will play an increasingly important role in the future. The power of ICTs to teach youth about civic life is a probable and expected outcome. Therefore, we believe it is important to evaluate if DDCI taught players about ICTs and if so, how ICTs were used to teach about civic life. We looked to see if ICTs were discussed in game titles and whether DDCI encouraged players to use technology to conduct further research. We found ICTs were predominately a means and occasionally a topic of civic life for players of DDCI. To determine how DDCI taught players about ICTs we turned to the Teachers Manual. Although most claims in the manual were related specifically to civic knowledge and skills, there was one point that focused on ICTs. This claim stated that the game will teach students how to "use information gained from a variety of multi-media sources." After studying DDCI, we found that this claim was true because players had to use a "variety of multi-media sources" such as the Internet, the QuickTime video player, and the Adobe Acrobat Reader to play the game. Because players had to use several different types of ICTs throughout game play, we can conclude that students were in fact using ICTs to learn the civic knowledge and skills that were featured in the game. Another way ICTs are used to teach about civic life is directly through the computer itself. Students learn about ICTs through use of the computer and all the programs and installations encompassed in the computer. For example, the player is receiving information from advisors in the game through a simulated video conference call, made possible through the QuickTime program. The game does not convey any knowledge about how to define or design ICTs, but it does offer information on how to further research the issues using the Internet. A major component of how the game uses ICTs to teach about civic life is through the Internet links provided in the game. Players also have the option to email their opinions or comments to representatives from Tom Snyder Productions. Players are supported in using the Internet to conduct further research based on the issue presented in the game. Some websites provide additional information about the two sides of the issue, while others present general information about the issues. These websites are updated on a regular basis, keeping the information current and timely. ICTs are used mainly as a means to teach players' about civic life; however, we found the topic of ICTs discussed in relation to civic life within the game title "Juvenile Crime." One advisor, Dr. Mary Egan who is a Child Psychiatrist, explains some of the potential effects of ICTs on children. She says, "As more children are exposed to violence in video games, movies, TV and other media, they're likely to imitate the behavior they see without realizing the consequences of their actions." Presenting ICTs as a topic for discussion, as done through this dialogue, will educate youth about the importance of critically analyzing their own relationship with ICTs and how ICTs may positively or negatively affect their behavior. We found that civic knowledge and skills presented in the teacher's manual were taught through at least one of three mediums: the DDCI game itself, class discussions, or Internet links provided in the game. All the claims we tested were met to some extent. ICTs were both a means to learn about civic life and a topic of civic issues within the game. Using the computer itself served as a way for students to increase familiarity with ICTs and the topic of ICTs was presented in one of the six DDCI titles "Juvenile Crime." While there was evidence of game design features that were female oriented, male oriented and gender neutral, the majority of design features were elements most often preferred by female players. This suggests that the game is open to female players and therefore does not act as a barrier to their ability to achieve civic education through this game. We also found that traditional gender stereotypes were not present in DDCI. Moreover, DDCI tended to challenge common gender stereotypes rather than reinforce them. As with all scholarly studies, we encountered several minor but unavoidable limitations while conducting our research. Because our research was qualitatively based, our findings may have been influenced by the interpretations and opinions that we may hold as researchers. For example, the fact that we are both females in our early twenties may have caused us to interpret the game differently than a young male child would. Because it is known that males and females respond differently to the content of computer games, our research might be slighted biased to the opinions and understandings of female players. Lastly, because this educational game has not been studied before, we have little to compare and contrast our findings with and are therefore unable to triangulate our data, which limits the generalizability of our findings. Our findings both confirm and contradict previous researchers' claims about gender and game design. First and foremost previous research has indicated that video and computer games are designed to cater to male play preferences (Graner Ray, 2004). However our textual analysis has found that DDCI caters mostly to females by incorporating design features that appeal to female players. Previous research also claims that female characters in educational software tend to be "passive, nurturant and engaged in feminine stereotyped activities" (Sheldon 2004, p. 434). However our analysis revealed that the female characters in DDCI were strong, intelligent women who held high status occupations and engaged in governmental activities, which are usually stereotyped as masculine. On the other hand, our findings also confirmed several claims previously made by researchers about gender and game design. For example, Children Now (2001) found that the number of male characters tends to be higher than the number of female characters in computer and video games. We found this to be true of our game, as four out of six of the titles we played had more male characters than female characters. We also found that DDCI has the potential to aid teachers in teaching and encouraging players to become civically informed and engaged through suggested activities such as reading and discussing advisor memos, listening to others view points, prioritizing goals, and making a final decision in the vote. Although we did not conduct a user study, we believe that the game has great potential to teach students about civic roles and differing opinions about current issues (Bachen et. al, forthcoming). DDCI presents multiple view points about current issues in video conference and memos. This may give players the opportunity necessary to develop their own opinions on current issues and civic life. Prior literature, such as Bachen et al., describes ICTs role in civic education. DDCI may have the potential to be utilized as a way to increase involvement in civic life for youth. Internet sites can provide ways to sustain and improve the quality of civic engagement. For example, websites linking players to writing their representative, links to official websites, message boards, or links to political activities in the community. Our findings suggest that ICTs may offer routes to engage youth in civic life. In order to improve the quality and depth of research in this area, we must first suggest several changes that should be made to the game itself. Most importantly, we found that the game was unable to give players the information they need about how the U.S. government works (how bills are drafted, how a bill become a law, how senators and governors are re-elected to office, etc). Therefore we find it necessary to re-design the game to better deliver information about the workings of the government so players can fully grasp the concept of the laws and issues being discussed in the game. We also feel that the game needs to do more to incorporate the outside world into the game. For example, the game should provide students with the opportunity to participate in online polls and discussion boards about the Because the majority of our game revolves around classroom discussion and collaborative play among students, we believe that future research on our game should concentrate on players and how they are affected by the content of the game by conducting First we suggest that future research focuses on how female players are affected by the representation of female characters as leaders in the game. We think it would be interesting to test if game like Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues helps girls to envision themselves in governmental roles that are traditionally held by males. To do this, researchers should conduct an experimental user study where a control group of female youth would play DDCI and an experimental group of female youth would play a game that does not depict women in positive leadership roles. We hypothesize that the control group would be more likely to envision themselves in leadership positions than females in the experimental. Therefore, we believe that females who play games that depict women in strong leadership positions like DDCI, will be empowered to take on leadership positions both as children and as adults. Because female characters tend to be depicted in stereotypical, hypersexualized roles in video and computer games, females are often discouraged from wanting to play games. Our analysis of the educational game DDCI, found that the female characters were depicted as intelligent women with authoritative positions, contradicting previous findings and stereotypes present in both games and in the real world. Thus we hypothesize that if educational software continues to depict women in a strong and positive way, more females will want to participate in technology by playing more games-bridging the technology gap between genders. Future researchers should conduct experimental user studies to test whether games such as DDCI actually do increase females' want to participate in gaming technology. Lastly, we think it would be beneficial to conduct future research on the game's ability to teach players about civic life. Again researchers should perform an experimental user study to test whether players are actually retaining information presented in the game about current issues and the democratic governmental system. If a questionnaire was given to players both before and after game play, it would be possible to determine if players were learning and remembering what the game intends to teach. However we must remember that the majority of this game takes place in the classroom and depends on how the teacher both presents and explains the information presented in the game. Therefore, it would be necessary for future researchers to observe the classroom discussions that take place during game play to fully understand the effectiveness of Decisions, Decisions: Current Issues as a tool for educating youth about civic life. Bachen, C., Raphael, C., Lynn, K-M., Philippi, J., & McKee, K. (forthcoming). Civic engagement, pedagogy, and information technology on website for youth. Children Now (2001). Fair play: Violence, gender and race in video games. Oakland: Children Now. Delli Carpini, M. (2000). Gen.com: Youth, civic engagement, and the new information environment. Political Communication Journal, 17, 341-349. Graner Ray, S. (2004). Gender inclusive game design: Expanding the market. Hingham, MA: Charles River Media Inc., 180-184. Hoepfl, M. (1997) Choosing qualitative research: A primer for technology education researchers. Journal of Technology Education, Jenkins, H., & Squire, K. (2003). Harnessing the power of games in education. INSIGHT, 3(5), 7-33. Mitchell, A., & Savill-Smith, C. (2003). The use of computer and video games for learning. London: ESRD, 17-55. Raphael, C. (2002). Citizen Jane: Rethinking Design Principles for Closing the Gender Gap in Computing. Proceedings of the ED-MEDIA 2002 Conference, June 2002, Denver, CO, 1609-1614. Sheldon, J. (2004). Gender stereotypes in educational software for young children. Sex Roles, 51 (7/8), 433-442. Snyder, T. (2001). DDCI Teacher's Manual. Watertown, MA: Scholastic, 1-23. Westheimer, J., & Kahne, J. (2004, April). Educating the "good" citizen: Political choices and pedagogical goals. American Political Science Association. Retrieved March 1st, 2006, from www.APSANET.org. Rachel Araneta and Sierra Lovelace are Santa Clara University undergraduates. They delivered this paper at the third annual Student Ethics Research Conference, May 10, 2006.

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- The placing of a body under water or other liquid. - microscopy filling the space between the objective lens and the top of the cover glass with a fluid, such as water or oil, to reduce spheric aberration and increase effective numeric aperture by elimination of refractive effects that result from an air-glass interface; the best resolution is achieved when the space between the condenser lens and the specimen slide is also filled with the fluid. [L. immergo, pp. -mersus, to dip in (in + mergo)] Search Stedman's Medical Dictionary Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.

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Dora Bas Rivka Silver O'H Saplings and Cornerstones David praises G-d, Whom he calls his rock, for preparing him for his struggles and battles. David then refers to G-d by a long string of titles: fortress, refuge, shield, and others. David takes shelter in G-d, Who caused the nation to accept him as king. What is a person that G-d should care about us? We're frail creatures whose lives don't last all that long. G-d, on the other hand, is the other end of the scale. He's off the scale altogether! Exposure to His glory could disintegrate a mountain - quite the opposite of man's powerlessness! G-d could scatter all of David's enemies in an instant. David asks for G-d to intervene and save him from his troubles. By way of thanks, David will compose new Psalms of praise to G-d. Since David refuses to harm Saul, Saul is safe (even if he doesn't know it). David would like to enjoy similar security. May G-d continue to redeem him from danger as He has done so far! The sons of the Jewish people are like saplings, grown with care; the daughters are like the cornerstones of palaces (in other words, the foundation of the Jewish home). The nation is rich with the bounty of the harvest and their flocks are full. The people are happy and secure in their land. Happy is the nation that enjoys all this and that worships the one true G-d. (The closing verse of Psalm 144 is one of two verses recited thrice daily as an introduction to Psalm 145, commonly referred to as "Ashrei.")

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The Meaning and History of the Constitution Available to you, your family, your friends, and all Americans. Begins February 20, 2012 – Sign Up TODAY! Over the years, many friends of Hillsdale, those who never attended college here, have said to me: “Dr. Arnn, I wish I could take Hillsdale’s Constitution course!” In response to these requests, this past year, for the first time ever, Hillsdale College offered the “Introduction to the Constitution” lecture series at no charge. Frankly, I wasn’t sure what sort of a response a course like this would have. That's why I was excited to see that YOU and almost 200,000 other people from all over the United States registered for “Introduction to the Constitution.” Thank you very much for registering and participating. I hope you learned a lot from the series. I was thrilled, not only by the response, but at what it indicates: Americans are willing and eager learn about the Constitution and to defend the principles of liberty that made America so prosperous! And this re-awakening of national interest in the Constitution comes not a minute too soon. Now, for the first time ever, Hillsdale College is offering a no-cost 10-week online Constitution course based on the class Hillsdale College students must complete for graduation: This course on the U.S. Constitution is available online at no charge to anyone who wants to understand and defend the timeless principles of liberty upon which our nation was founded! I am proud to be teaching part of our NEW “Constitution 101” course and hope YOU will be one of my students again! "Constitution 101" begins on February 20, 2012, and concludes the week of April 30. It will cover such topics as the Declaration of Independence and its connection to the Constitution, how the Constitution is structured to protect individual liberty and ensure good government, the crisis of constitutional government faced by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, and modern challenges to the Constitution during the "Progressive" era. It is my honor to teach the first class, "The American Mind," and the final class, "The Recovery of the Constitution." All of the classes will be taught by Hillsdale College professors — the top teachers in their field and the same ones who instruct our students here on Hillsdale’s campus. Constitution 101 Schedule - Introduction: The Larry P. Arnn Monday, February 20 - The Declaration of Independence Thomas G. West Monday, February 27 - The Problem of Monday, March 5 - Separation of Powers: Monday, March 12 - Separation of Powers: Ensuring Good Government Monday, March 19 - Religion, Morality, Monday, March 26 - Crisis of Monday, April 2 Lincoln and the Constitution Monday, April 9 - The Progressive Rejection of the Founding Ronald J. Pestritto Monday, April 16 - The Recovery of Larry P. Arnn Monday, April 23 As Hillsdale’s president, I have devoted my life to education, helping students understand the meaning and history of the American founding. Here at Hillsdale, we know that can only come about through a close reading and study of our nation’s founding documents, particularly the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In recent years, Hillsdale has worked hard to expand its educational outreach, teaching citizens and policy makers (especially Members of Congress and their staffs) about the timeless truths contained in our nation’s founding documents. This is a direct response to the way the Constitution is being ignored and violated by our own government. After all, the Constitution is the supreme law of our nation, the framework by which our country should be governed. Its principles and structures are responsible for the greatest government in human history. Like you, I see the coming months as pivotal in the history of our country. Will we as a nation succumb to bureaucratic despotism, or will we take a stand for liberty? The century-old attack on the Constitution, continuing under President Obama, has threatened to undermine our hard-won liberties and is reducing American citizens to subservience to an ever-expanding federal bureaucracy. Our choice of whether to recover the principles of liberty and limited government under the Constitution will determine if we remain self-governing citizens or become dependent subjects ruled by unelected bureaucrats. That's why Hillsdale College is committed to restoring and reviving the public's understanding of the Constitution, once again making it the central focus of American government. As you probably know—especially if you listen to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, or other prominent conservatives on the radio—Hillsdale College is one of the few colleges or universities in the country that requires all of its students, regardless of their major, to complete a one-semester course on the U.S. Constitution. My Request to You ACTION STEP #1: Be one of the first to sign up for "Constitution 101." Since you already registered for the "Introduction" course, you can be automatically re-enrolled for Constitution 101. ACTION STEP #2: Please include the best donation you can make to help Hillsdale College fund this vital project. The course, available at no charge to the public, is not without cost to Hillsdale. The College has already invested much to make this landmark course a reality. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been committed to create and prepare the course for one of the most far-reaching webcasts in our history . . . and to mount a massive email, radio, and mail marketing campaign to enroll an initial ONE MILLION course registrants. To make "Constitution 101" available nationwide will cost nearly $1,000,000. While a monumental expenditure for Hillsdale College, it must be made if we are to reach as many citizens and elected officials as possible during 2012. ACTION STEP #3: Please share this offer with friends and family and encourage them to enroll in "Constitution 101." With your help, Hillsdale College is dedicated to returning the U.S. Constitution to its rightful place at the center of American political life. If our republic does not reverse course, we may not be able to reclaim the liberty that has been lost, and we will lose those we still have. Hillsdale College has accepted this challenge, and our commitment to making "Constitution 101" available to citizens nationwide is proof. But we need your help to make this possible. . . You know, before coming to Hillsdale, I often wondered how a small liberal arts college in southern Michigan could, as Ronald Reagan once described it, "cast such a long shadow." The answer is simple. It can be found in adherence to our motto: "Pursuing Truth and Defending Liberty." This phrase defines the purpose of the College, and gives life to the education we provide our students – which now includes you! That commitment has made it possible for Hillsdale to accomplish what many considered unachievable for a school of our size, including: Through these and other programs, Hillsdale College has worked tirelessly to safeguard the principles of liberty by educating citizens about the Constitution. - Educating our students independent of any and all government taxpayer subsidy—even in the form of grants and loans; - Publishing Imprimis, our no-cost monthly speech digest that promotes the principles of liberty, for 40 consecutive years—now with a circulation of over 2.1 million subscribers; and - Establishing our Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in the heart of Washington, D.C. One of its chief purposes is educational outreach to our elected officials and their staffs on the principles of American constitutionalism. And Hillsdale has done it all without a dime of taxpayer subsidy. In order to protect the integrity of its mission and prevent intrusive government regulation, Hillsdale College accepts no taxpayer funding whatsoever. We are proud to remain steadfast in this policy at a time when almost every other institution of "higher learning" is increasingly dependent on government support. Thank you for supporting the mission of Hillsdale College. Before I close, I would like to ask you please to consider honoring Hillsdale with a special gift to support our vital work at such an important time in our nation's history. Your generosity at this critical time will help underwrite the cost of making "Constitution 101" available nationwide, and it will also support the many other ways that Hillsdale College educates Americans to be defenders of liberty and limited government. MY GIFT FOR YOU In appreciation of your donation of $100 or more, I will send you a complimentary copy of my new hardbound book. Its title is: THE FOUNDERS' KEY: THE DIVINE AND NATURAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DECLARATION AND THE CONSTITUTION AND WHAT WE RISK BY LOSING IT In this book I explain the unique connection between America's two most important documents, how that connection has been severed today, and why we must repair it for the sake of freedom. If your gift is $500 or more, you become eligible to have your name (or the name of a loved one you would like recognize) engraved on a brick on the Liberty Walk located on the Hillsdale campus. But even a gift of $50 will help ensure that Hillsdale can continue to reach millions with the message of liberty via Imprimis . . . educate our elected officials and their staffs at our Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship . . . run Hillsdale-sponsored events and lectures in cities all across America . . . and continue to educate the next generation of leaders without federal or state government subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants and loans. Your gift will help make it all possible. And for that I am grateful. For liberty to prevail, Americans must come to understand and defend the Constitution. And they must do so urgently. Please help Hillsdale College educate citizens on how to revive the Constitution and preserve America's tradition of liberty and limited government. Thank you for supporting Hillsdale College. Yours for liberty, Dr. Larry P. Arnn P.S. PLEASE REMEMBER to do these three important things: Thank you so much for standing with Hillsdale and the Constitution . . . and for doing everything in your power to defend liberty in America in 2012. - Enroll NOW in our new "Constitution 101: the Meaning and History of the Constitution" online course, which begins on February 20, 2012. - Make the most generous tax-deductible contribution you can afford. And remember, as thanks for your gift of $100 or more, you will receive a copy of my new book, The Founders' Key. - Share this offer with any of your friends or family who you think would enjoy taking "Constitution 101." Share this Offer:

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The modload command loads the loadable module filename into the running system. filename is an object file produced by ld -r. If filename is an absolute pathname then the file specified by that absolute path is loaded. If filename does not begin with a slash (/), then the path to load filename is relative to the current directory unless the -p option is specified. The kernel's modpath variable can be set using the /etc/system file. The default value of the kernel's modpath variable is set to the path where the operating system was loaded. Typically this is /kernel /usr/kernel. For example, the following command looks for ./drv/foo: The following command looks for /kernel/drv/foo and then /usr/kernel/drv/foo: example# modload -p drv/foo

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Boston, MA -- In a series of mouse experiments, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have pinpointed a specific immune deficiency as the likely fundamental cause of ulcerative colitis, a chronic, sometimes severe inflammatory disease of the colon or large intestine that afflicts half a million Americans. Remarkably, the researchers also found that once the disease was established in mice, it could be passed from mother to offspring and even between adult animals, with potential implications for public health and prevention. The researchers have linked ulcerative colitis in mice to a deficiency of a molecular "peacekeeper" in the immune system, allowing harmful bacteria in the large intestine to breach the bowel's protective lining and trigger damaging inflammation. In a paper being posted online on Thursday, October 4, 2007, by the journal Cell, a team led by Laurie Glimcher, Irene Heinz Given Professor of Immunology at HSPH, details a series of immunological events by which a shortage of a regulatory protein called T-bet opens the way to a bacterial attack on the intestinal wall. The resulting inflammation, in turn, causes the characteristic colitis marked by open sores, or ulcerations, throughout the colon. The first co-authors of the paper are Wendy Garrett, a research fellow in the laboratory of Glimcher and a clinical fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Graham Lord, formerly at HSPH and now a Professor of Medicine at King's College, London. To listen to a podcast of the lead HSPH researchers and to view a brief slide demonstration of the inflammation process, visit here. The podcast and slide presentation are EMBARGOED until Thursday, October 4, 2007, 12:00 PM Noon ET. The key abnormality is a deficiency of the T-bet protein in "dendritic" cells - white blood cells that capture identifying antigens of foreign microbes and activate the immune defenses. T-bet, discovered in 2000 in Glimcher's laboratory, is a "master regulator gene," a transcription factor that orchestrates a pro-inflammatory response of the immune system. T-bet had been found to play a role in the body's handling of infectious microbes and cancer cells and has been implicated in rheumatoid arthritis and asthma, but the discovery of its pivotal part in the innate immune system in inflammatory bowel disease came as a total surprise. "We have identified a new molecular player, T-bet, and when it's missing, there is spontaneous onset of the disease in the mice," said Glimcher. "The importance of this study is that we now have a novel model for ulcerative colitis: The disease appears in 100 percent of the animals and looks just like the human disease." If some people develop ulcerative colitis because of T-bet DNA variation or polymorphisms, it may be because of an inherited variation in the DNA affecting the T-bet gene. The researchers are following up this lead. With its close mimicry of human ulcerative colitis, the animal model will have unprecedented value for testing new therapies and preventive measures, said Glimcher, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Ulcerative colitis and a related disorder, Crohn's disease, are known collectively as inflammatory bowel disease: they affect an estimated one million people in the United States. Crohn's disease tends to involve the small intestine as well as the colon. Ulcerative colitis usually appears between ages 15 and 30 but also can begin in the 50s and 60s, especially in men. The disease is somewhat more common among men than women, whites than non-whites, and Ashkenazi Jewish individuals than non-Jewish individuals. Since about 20 percent of patients with ulcerative colitis have a close relative with the disease or with Crohn's disease, scientists have hunted specific genes that may be involved. Studies of the pathology of the inflamed intestine have suggested that an abnormal immune reaction and injury by bacterial residents of the colon are to blame. The T-bet shortage described in the Glimcher paper links these two mechanisms. Beneficial bacteria in the colon aid in digestion and extraction of nutrients from food. However, harmful microbes also reside in the intestine, so animals that harbor bacteria have evolved a boundary, or barrier, in the form of the intestinal lining to keep the dangerous bacteria from injuring the colon wall. The key to maintaining this mucosal barrier, the scientists discovered, is the "peacekeeper" activity of T-bet in the dendritic cells of the intestine's immune system. When T-bet is at normal levels, the boundary - a kind of demilitarized zone - remains intact and prevents trouble from pathogenic bacteria. But if T-bet is insufficient, the dendritic cells overproduce a powerful chemical called TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) that triggers inflammation and causes normal cells to die. In ulcerative colitis, the T-bet-related excess of TNF-alpha leads to the death of cells making up the epithelial barrier of the colon, enabling harmful bacteria to chronically inflame the intestinal wall. The scientists bred strains of mice that lacked T-bet and showed that the resulting disease was virtually identical to human ulcerative colitis. Moreover, the investigators demonstrated that female mice with the disease could transmit it to baby mice that had adequate levels of T-bet. (The scientists placed genetically normal infant mice with the sick foster mother on their day of birth.) Presumably, the flourishing colonies of colitis-causing bacteria were passed down from the sick mother to the fostered mice. The disease was even "horizontally" transmissible from T-bet-deficient adult mice with ulcerative colitis to other adults with normal T-bet, through fecal-oral and skin-to-skin contact. Inflammatory bowel disease can be treated with antibody drugs that block TNF-alpha activity, though their toxicity limits their use. The researchers showed that such antibody drugs cured and also prevented ulcerative colitis in T-bet-deficient mice. However, they are pursuing other potential therapies, such as increasing T-bet levels in the immune cells, administering natural immunity-dampening cells called T-regulatory cells, or giving "probiotics" - healthful bacteria that can keep the harmful microbes under control. The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and by an Ellison Scholar Award to Glimcher. Communicable Ulcerative Colitis Induced by T-bet Deficiency in the Innate Immune System. Wendy S. Garrett, Graham M. Lord, Shivesh Punit, Geanncarlo Lugo-Villarino, Sarkis K. Mazmanian, Susumu Ito, Jonathan N. Glickman, and Laurie H. Glimcher. Cell 131, 1-13, October 5, 2007. See the latest news from the Harvard School of Public Health. Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to advancing the public's health through learning, discovery, and communication. More than 300 faculty members are engaged in teaching and training the 900-plus student body in a broad spectrum of disciplines crucial to the health and well being of individuals and populations around the world. Programs and projects range from the molecular biology of AIDS vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from risk analysis to violence prevention; from maternal and children's health to quality of care measurement; from health care management to international health and human rights. For more information on the school visit: www.hsph.harvard.edu. AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Scientist Daniel Glavin (Courtesy of Chris Gunn Winter,…) Description: A meteorite that rained fragments on a frozen lake in Canada in January 2000 is revealing new insights on protein molecules thought to help explain the origins of life. The proteins can have two types of orientations — right- or left-handed, they are called — and life is not thought to be able to function without a mix of both. Scientists explored the presence of left-handed amino acids inside the meteorite fragments. Researchers: Daniel Glavin of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt was the lead author of the research, published last month, along with Jason Dworkin, Aaron Burton and Jamie Elsila of the Goddard center and Christopher Herd of the University of Alberta in Canada. Stage of research: The scientists have analyzed ground-up samples of the meteorites and found higher levels of left-handed versions of one type of amino acid than right-handed versions. Other types of amino acids in the meteorite didn't show the same disparity. The scientists were able to determine that the amino acids were created in space, by a non-biological process. Implications: The finding raises questions about how the high levels of left-handed amino acids were created, and how the left-handed versions that are so vital in biology came to Earth in the first place. An excess of left-handed proteins was previously thought to have come only from biological processes. The finding makes it more difficult to predict life on other planets, such as Mars, because a high level of left-handed amino acids can no longer serve as proof of life.

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Anyone who has dealt with fire ants in the south knows how painful their bite can be, and how much damage they can do. Experts say the fire ant population is growing. There are several types of fire ants, but the "red imported fire ant" is the biggest troublemaker. Experts say we can get ants from a number of places, like sod and plants from nurseries. An ant mound is usually a tell-tale sign of a problem, but those skilled at trying to exterminate them say a mound is just the tip of the iceberg. There's 75-percent of the ant structure beneath it. They add on-average, there are some 300-thousand ants in one colony

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BuddhaSasana Home Page For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting and meaningful guide to the very purpose of life for millions of people. Today, large numbers of men and women from diverse backgrounds throughout our world are following the Teachings of the Buddha. So who was the Buddha and what are His Teachings? The man who was to become the Buddha was born Siddhattha Gotama around 2,600 years ago as a Prince of a small territory near what is now the Indian-Nepalese border. Though he was raised in splendid comfort, enjoying aristocratic status, no amount of material pleasure could satisify the enquiring and philosophic nature of the young man. At the age of 29 he left palace and family to search for a deeper meaning in the secluded forests and remote mountains of North-East India. He studied under the wisest religious teachers and philosophers of his time, learning all they had to offer, but he found it was not enough. He then struggled alone with the path of self- mortification, taking that practice to the extremes of asceticism, but still to no avail. Then, at the age of 35, on the full moon night of May, he sat beneath the branches of what is now known as the Bodhi Tree, in a secluded grove by the banks of the river Neranjara, and developed his mind in deep but luminous, tranquil meditation. Using the extraordinary clarity of such a mind with its sharp penetrative power generated by states of deep inner stillness, he turned his attention to investigate upon the hidden meanings of mind, universe and life. Thus he gained the supreme Enlightenment experience and from that time on he was known as the Buddha. His Enlightenment consisted of the most profound and all-embracing insight into the nature of mind and all phenomena. This Enlightenment was not a revelation from some divine being, but a discovery made by Himself and based on the deepest level of meditation and the clearest experience of the mind. It meant that He was no longer subject to craving, ill-will and delusion but was free from their shackles, having attained the complete ending of all forms of inner suffering and acquired unshakeable peace. The Teachings of the Buddha Having realized the goal of Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha spent the next 45 years teaching a Path which, when diligently followed, will take anyone regardless of race, class or gender to that same Perfect Enlightenment. The Teachings about this Path are called the Dhamma, literally meaning "the nature of all things" or "the truth underlying existence". It is beyond the scope of this pamphlet to present a thorough description of all of these Teachings but the following 7 topics will give you an overview of what the Buddha taught: 1. The way of Inquiry The Buddha warned strongly against blind faith and encouraged the way of truthful inquiry. In one of His best known sermons, the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha pointed out the danger in fashioning one's beliefs merely on the following grounds: on hearsay, on tradition, because many others say it is so, on the authority of ancient scriptures, on the word of a supernatural being, or out of trust in one's teachers, elders, or priests. Instead one maintains an open mind and thoroughly investigates one's own experience of life. When one sees for oneself that a particular view agrees with both experience and reason, and leads to the happiness of one and all, then one should accept that view and live up to it! This principle, of course, applies to the Buddha's own Teachings. They should be considered and inquired into using the clarity of mind born of meditation. Only when one sees these Teachings for oneself in the experience of insight, do these Teachings become one's Truth and give blissful liberation. The traveller on the way of inquiry needs the practice of tolerance. Tolerance does not mean that one embraces every idea or view but means one doesn't get angry at what one can't accept. Further along the journey, what one once disagreed with might later be seen to be true. So in the spirit of tolerant inquiry, here are some more of the basic Teachings as the Buddha gave them. 2. The Four Noble Truths The main Teaching of the Buddha focuses not on philosophical speculations about a Creator God or the origin of the universe, nor on a heaven world ever after. The Teaching, instead, is centred on the down-to- earth reality of human suffering and the urgent need to find lasting relief from all forms of discontent. The Buddha gave the simile of a man shot by a poison-tipped arrow who, before he would call a doctor to treat him, demanded to know first who shot the arrow and where the arrow was made and of what and by whom and when and where ... this foolish man would surely die before his questions could be well answered. In the same way, the Buddha said, the urgent need of our existence is to find lasting relief from recurrent suffering which robs us of happiness and leaves us in strife. Philosophical speculations are of secondary importance and, anyway, they are best left until after one has well trained the mind in meditation to the stage where one has the ability to examine the matter clearly and find the Truth for oneself. Thus, the central Teaching of the Buddha, around which all other teachings revolve is the Four Noble Truths: 1. That all forms of being, human and otherwise, are afflicted with suffering. 2. That the cause of this suffering is Craving, born of the illusion of a soul (see below, note 7). 3. That this suffering has a lasting end in the Experience of Enlightenment (Nibbana) which is the complete letting go of the illusion of soul and all consequent desire and aversion. 4. That this peaceful and blissful Enlightenment is achieved through a gradual training, a Path which is called the Middle Way or the Eightfold Path. It would be mistaken to label this Teaching as 'pessimistic' on the grounds that it begins by centring on suffering. Rather, Buddhism is 'realistic' in that it unflinchingly faces up to the truth of life's many sufferings and it is 'optimistic' in that it shows a final end of the problem of suffering - Nibbana, Enlightenment in this very life! Those who have achieved this ultimate peace are the inspiring examples who demonstrate once and for all that Buddhism is far from pessimistic, but it is a Path to true Happiness. 3. The Middle Way or Eightfold Path The Way to end all suffering is called the Middle Way because it avoids the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. Only when the body is in reasonable comfort but not over-indulged has the mind the clarity and strength to meditate deeply and discover the Truth. This Middle Way consists of the diligent cultivation of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom, which is explained in more detail as the Noble Eightfold Path. 1. Right Understanding 2. Right Thought 3. Right Speech 4. Right Action 5. Right Livelihood 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Concentration Right Speech, Action and Livelihood constitute the training in Virtue or Morality. For a practising Buddhist it consists of maintaining the five Buddhist Precepts, which are to refrain from: 1. Deliberately causing the death of any living being; 2. Intentionally taking for one's own the property of another; 3. Sexual misconduct, in particular adultery; 4. Lying and breaking promises; 5. Drinking alcohol or taking stupefying drugs which lead to lack of mindfulness. Right Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration refer to the practice of Meditation, which purifies the mind through the experience of blissful states of inner stillness and empowers the mind to penetrate the meaning of life through profound moments of insight. Right Understanding and Thought are the manifestation of Buddha-Wisdom which ends all suffering, transforms the personality and produces unshakeable serenity and tireless compassion. According to the Buddha, without perfecting the practice of Virtue it is impossible to perfect Meditation, and without perfecting Meditation it is impossible to arrive at Enlightenment Wisdom. Thus the Buddhist Path is a Gradual Path, a Middle Way consisting of Virtue, Meditation and Wisdom as explained in the Noble Eightfold Path leading to happiness and liberation. Kamma means 'action'. The Law of Kamma means that there are inescapable results of our actions. There are deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' harm, one's own harm, or to the harm of both. Such deeds are called bad (or 'unwholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by greed, hatred or delusion. Because they bring painful results, they should not be done. There are also deeds of body, speech or mind that lead to others' well being, one's own well being, or to the well being of both. Such deeds are called good (or 'wholesome') kamma. They are usually motivated by generosity, compassion or wisdom. Because they bring happy results, they should be done as often as possible. Thus much of what one experiences is the result of one's own previous kamma. When misfortune occurs, instead of blaming someone else, one can look for any fault in one's own past conduct. If a fault is found, the experience of its consequences will make one more careful in the future. When happiness occurs, instead of taking it for granted, one can look to see if it is the result of good kamma. If so, the experience of its pleasant results will encourage more good kamma in the future. The Buddha pointed out that no being whatsoever, divine or otherwise, has any power to stop the consequences of good and bad kamma. The fact that one reaps just what one sows gives to the Buddhist a greater incentive to avoid all forms of bad kamma while doing as much good kamma as possible. Though one cannot escape the results of bad kamma, one can lessen their effect. A spoon of salt mixed in a glass of pure water makes the whole very salty, whereas the same spoon of salt mixed in a freshwater lake hardly changes the taste of the water. Similarly, the result of a bad kamma in a person habitually doing only a small amount of good kamma is painful indeed, whereas the result of the same bad kamma in a person habitually doing a great deal of good kamma is only mildly felt. This natural Law of Kamma becomes the force behind, and reason for, the practice of morality and compassion in our society. The Buddha remembered clearly many of His past lives. Even today, many Buddhist monks, nuns and others also remember their past lives. Such a strong memory is a result of deep meditation. For those who remember their past life, Rebirth is an established fact which puts this life in a meaningful perspective. The Law of Kamma can only be understood in the framework of many lifetimes, because it sometimes takes this long for Kamma to bear its fruit. Thus Kamma and Rebirth offer a plausible explanation to the obvious inequalities of birth; why some are born into great wealth whereas others are born into pathetic poverty; why some children enter this world healthy and full-limbed whereas others enter deformed and diseased... The fruits of bad Kamma are not regarded as a punishment for evil deeds but as lessons from which to learn, for example, how much better to learn about the need for generosity than to be reborn among the poor! Rebirth takes place not only within this human realm. The Buddha pointed out that the realm of human beings is but one among many. There are many separate heavenly realms and grim lower realms, too, realms of the animals and realms of the ghosts. Not only can human beings go to any of these realms in the next life, but we can come from any of these realms into our present life. This explains a common objection against Rebirth that argues "How can there be Rebirth when there are 10 times as many people alive today than there were 50 years ago?" The answer is that people alive today have come from many different realms. Understanding that we can come and go between these different realms, gives us more respect and compassion for the beings in these realms. It is unlikely, for example, that one would exploit animals when one has seen the link of Rebirth that connects them with us. 6. No Creator God The Buddha pointed out that no God or priest nor any other kind of being has the power to interfere in the working out of someone else's Kamma. Buddhism, therefore, teaches the individual to take full responsibility for themselves. For example, if you want to be wealthy then be trustworthy, diligent and frugal, or if you want to live in a heaven realm then always be kind to others. There is no God to ask favours from, or to put it another way, there is no corruption possible in the workings of Kamma. Do Buddhists believe that a Supreme Being created the universe? Buddhists would first ask which universe do you mean? This present universe, from the moment of the 'big bang' up to now, is but one among countless millions in Buddhist cosmology. The Buddha gave an estimate of the age of a single universe-cycle of around 37,000 million years which is quite plausible when compared to modern astrophysics. After one universe- cycle ends another begins, again and again, according to impersonal law. A Creator God is redundant in this scheme. No being is a Supreme Saviour, according to the Buddha, because whether God, human, animal or whatever, all are subject to the Law of Kamma. Even the Buddha had no power to save. He could only point out the Truth so that the wise could see it for themselves. Everyone must take responsibility for their own future well being, and it is dangerous to give that responsibility to another. 7. The Illusion of Soul The Buddha taught that there is no soul, no essential and permanent core to a living being. Instead, that which we call a 'living being', human or other, can be seen to be but a temporary coming together of many activities and parts - when complete it is called a 'living being', but after the parts separate and the activities cease it is not called a 'living being' anymore. Like an advanced computer assembled of many parts and activities, only when it is complete and performs coherent tasks is it called a 'computer', but after the parts are disconnected and the activities cease it is no longer called a 'computer'. No essential permanent core can be found which we can truly call 'the computer', just so, no essential permanent core can be found which we can call 'the soul'. Yet Rebirth still occurs without a soul. Consider this simile: on a Buddhist shrine one candle, burnt low, is about to expire. A monk takes a new candle and lights it from the old. The old candle dies, the new candle burns bright. What went across from the old candle to the new? There was a causal link but no thing went across! In the same way, there was a causal link between your previous life and your present life, but no soul has gone across. Indeed, the illusion of a soul is said by the Buddha to be the root cause of all human suffering. The illusion of 'soul' manifests as the 'Ego'. The natural unstoppable function of the Ego is to control. Big Egos want to control the world, average Egos try to control their immediate surroundings of home, family and workplace, and almost all Egos strive to control what they take to be their own body and mind. Such control manifests as desire and aversion, it results in a lack of both inner peace and outer harmony. It is this Ego that seeks to acquire possessions, manipulate others and exploit the environment. Its aim is its own happiness but it invariably produces suffering. It craves for satisfaction but it experiences discontent. Such deep- rooted suffering cannot come to an end until one sees, through deep and powerful meditation, that the idea 'me and mine' is no more than a mirage. These seven topics are a sample of what the Buddha taught. Now, to complete this brief sketch of Buddhism, let's look at how these Teachings are practised today. Types of Buddhism One could say that there is only one type of Buddhism and that is the huge collection of Teachings that were spoken by the Buddha. The original Teachings are found in the 'Pali Canon', the ancient scripture of Theravada Buddhism, which is widely accepted as the oldest reliable record of the Buddha's words. Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Between 100 to 200 years after the passing away of the Buddha, the Sangha (the monastic community) split over the political question of 'Who runs the Sangha?' A controversy over some monastic rules was decided by a committee of Arahats (fully Enlightened monks or nuns) against the views of the majority of monks. The disgruntled majority resented what they saw as the excessive influence of the small number of Arahats in monastery affairs. From then on, over a period of several decades, the disaffected majority partially succeeded in lowering the exalted status of the Arahat and raising in its place the ideal of the Bodhisattva (an unenlightened being training to be a Buddha). Previously unknown scriptures, supposedly spoken by the Buddha and hidden in the dragon world, then appeared giving a philosophical justification for the superiority of the Bodhisattva over the allegedly 'selfish' Arahat. This group of monks and nuns were first known as the 'Maha Sangha', meaning 'the great (part) of the monastic community'. Later, after impressive development, they called themselves the 'Mahayana', the 'Greater Vehicle' while quite disparagingly calling the older Theravada 'Hinayana', the 'Inferior Vehicle'. Mahayana still retains most of the original teachings of the Buddha (in the Chinese scriptures these are known as the 'Agama' and in the Tibetan version as the 'Kangyur') but these core teachings were mostly overwhelmed by layers of expansive interpretations and wholly new ideas. The Mahayana of China, still vibrant in Taiwan, reflects an earlier phase of this development, the Mahayana of Vietnam, Korea and Japan (mostly Zen) is a later development, and the Mahayana of Tibet and Mongolia is a much later development still. Buddhism's relevance to the world today Today, Buddhism continues to gain ever wider acceptance in many lands far beyond its original home. Here in Australia, many Australians through their own careful choice are adopting Buddhism's peaceful, compassionate and responsible ways. The Buddhist Teaching of the Law of Kamma offers our society a just and incorruptible foundation and reason for the practice of a moral life. It is easy to see how a wider embracing of the Law of Kamma would lead any country towards a stronger, more caring and virtuous society. The Teaching of Rebirth places this present short lifetime of ours in a broader perspective, giving more meaning to the vital events of birth and death. The understanding of Rebirth removes so much of the tragedy and grief surrounding death and turns one's attention to the quality of a lifetime, rather than its mere length. From the very beginning, the practice of meditation has been at the very heart of the Buddhist Way. Today, meditation grows increasingly popular as the proven benefits to both mental and physical well being become more widely known. When stress is shown to be such a major cause of human suffering, the quieting practice of meditation becomes ever more valued. Today's world is too small and vulnerable to live angry and alone, thus the need for tolerance, love and compassion is so very important. These qualities of mind, essential for happiness are formally developed in Buddhist meditation and then diligently put into practice in everyday life. Forgiveness and gentle tolerance, harmlessness and peaceful compassion are well known trademarks of Buddhism, they are given freely and broadly to all kinds of beings, including animals of course, and also, most importantly, to oneself. There is no place for dwelling in guilt or self-hatred in Buddhism, not even a place for feeling guilty about feeling guilty! Teachings and practices such as these are what bring about qualities of gentle kindness and unshakeable serenity, identified with the Buddhist religion for 25 centuries and sorely needed in today's world. In all its long history, no war has ever been fought in the name of Buddhism. It is this peace and this tolerance, growing out of a profound yet reasonable philosophy, which makes Buddhism so vitally relevant to today's world. Buddhist Society of Western Australia Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre 18 Nanson Way Nollamara. WA 6061 Tel. (61-8) 9345 1711 [Back to English Index]

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Statins are a type of drug often prescribed to lower cholesterol levels. They are usually given to people who have high cholesterol and are therefore at risk of developing, heart disease and atherosclerosis or at risk of having a stroke. These drugs are very effective at reducing cholesterol as they work by inhibiting a chemical in the liver that helps to produce cholesterol. Are they all they’re cracked up to be? Statins are widely prescribed and have been for some time but their use is still controversial. Some studies have linked prolonged use of statins with certain types of cancer but the results have not been consistent. They can, however, produce a number of side effects which include headache, stomach pain, bloating, nausea, skin rashes, and occasionally more serious side effects such as muscle pain and kidney failure. Omega 3 fatty acids Omega 3 fish oil is now well known to reduce the risk of heart disease as well as many other health conditions including everything from arthritis to skin problems and even depression. The reason for this is that Fish oil produced from oily fish such as Salmon, Sardines and Tuna, contains important Omega 3 fatty acids that the body needs but cannot make. One of the most important Omega 3 fatty acids is Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA which is believed to be largely responsible for the beneficial effects on health. Many studies to date have shown that fish oil reduces inflammation, thins the blood, and helps to maintain healthy arteries, lowers blood pressure, as well as lower triglyceride levels and levels of so called bad cholesterol. Fish oil is considered safe to use and carries very few side effects, the most common being a fishy aftertaste in the mouth and fishy burps. What about both? Most people won’t question the use of Statins and will take them because they have been prescribed by their doctor, however, more and more people, including doctors are becoming aware of the health benefits associated with fish oil. It has to be said though that most doctors are still unlikely to prescribe or recommend fish oil alongside or instead of statins but this is starting to change. Fish oil with a kick It takes time for the results of studies to filter down into the doctor’s surgery but now, drug regulators in Australia have approved a concentrated form of Omega 3 fish oil for use by people who have had a heart attack or who are already taking Statins and beta blockers. It’s only available on prescription though. Experts have described the new Omega 3 “drug” as “fish oil with a kick”. According to Yahoo News Professor Gerald Watts, from the University of WA’s school of medicine and pharmacology at Royal Perth Hospital, welcomed the approval of the new drug, “It’s safe, it’s simple and will cost the punter some money but it will probably be pretty appealing as an extra insurance against a heart attack” he said. The Japanese JELIS study Probably the most major study to show the benefits of taking fish oil alongside Statin therapy is a Japanese study led by Dr Mitsuhiro Yokoyama from the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. The results of The Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS) were published in the March 31st 2007 issue of the Lancet. The Japanese JELIS study involved 19,466 people all of whom were taking a low dose of statins for high cholesterol. Of these, 9326 were given a daily dose of 1800 mg of a highly concentrated and purified form of EPA alongside their statins, and the remainder received statins alone. Cholesterol levels were identified at the beginning of the trial and were checked after six months, after 12 months, and then yearly after that. Reduction in risk At a follow up just over 4 and a half years later, the results revealed that in the group taking EPA alongside statins there was a 25 percent reduction in cholesterol levels in both groups. In the group that was given EPA alongside statins there was a 19 percent reduction in the risk of major coronary events which included death from heart disease, heart attack, unstable angina, and the need for revascularization. “The beneficial effects of EPA could have stemmed from many biological effects that lead to the attenuation of thrombosis, inflammation, and arrhythmia, in addition to a reduction of triglycerides” said the authors. “Overall, this study shows that EPA, at a dose of 1800 mg per day, is a very promising regimen for prevention of major coronary events, especially since EPA seems to act through several biological mechanisms.” Taking into consideration the results of the JELIS study it would appear there is some benefit to be had by supplementing with fish oil whilst taking statins, however, it’s important to note that the fish oil used in the study was a highly concentrated and purified form of fish oil. Anyone who wishes to take fish oil alongside statin therapy should speak to their doctor or health care professional first.

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Through this post I am going to explain How Linear Regression works? Let us start with what is regression and how it works? Regression is widely used for prediction and forecasting in field of machine learning. Focus of regression is on the relationship between dependent and one or more independent variables. The “dependent variable” represents the output or effect, or is tested to see if it is the effect. The “independent variables” represent the inputs or causes, or are tested to see if they are the cause. Regression analysis helps to understand how the value of the dependent variable changes when any one of the independent variables is varied, while the other independent variables are kept unchanged. In the regression, dependent variable is estimated as function of independent variables which is called regression function. Regression model involves following variables. - Independent variables X. - Dependent variable Y - Unknown parameter θ In the regression model Y is function of (X,θ). There are many techniques for regression analysis, but here we will consider linear regression. In the Linear regression, dependent variable(Y) is the linear combination of the independent variables(X). Here regression function is known as hypothesis which is defined as below. hθ(X) = f(X,θ) Suppose we have only one independent variable(x), then our hypothesis is defined as below. The goal is to find some values of θ(known as coefficients), so we can minimize the difference between real and predicted values of dependent variable(y). If we take the values of all θ are zeros, then our predicted value will be zero. Cost function is used as measurement factor of linear regression model and it calculates average squared error for m observations. Cost function is denoted by J(θ) and defined as below. As we can see from the above formula, if cost is large then, predicted value is far from the real value and if cost is small then, predicted value is nearer to real value. Therefor, we have to minimize cost to meet more accurate prediction. Linear regression in R R is language and environment for statistical computing. R has powerful and comprehensive features for fitting regression models. We will discuss about how linear regression works in R. In R, basic function for fitting linear model is lm(). The format is fit <- lm(formula, data) where formula describes model(in our case linear model) and data describes which data are used to fit model. The resulting object(fit in this case) is a list that contains information about the fitted model. The formula typically written as Y ~ x1 + x2 + … + xk where ~ separates the dependent variable(y) on the left from independent variables(x1, x2, ….. , xk) from right, and the independent variables are separated by + signs. let’s see simple regression example(example is from book R in action). We have the dataset women which contains height and weight for a set of 15 women ages 30 to 39. we want to predict weight from height. R code to fit this model is as below. >fit <-lm(weight ~ height, data=women) >summary(fit) Output of the summary function gives information about the object fit. Output is as below Call: lm(formula = weight ~ height, data = women) Residuals: Min 1Q Median 3Q Max -1.7333 -1.1333 -0.3833 0.7417 3.1167 Coefficients: Estimate Std. Error t value Pr(>|t|) (Intercept) -87.51667 5.93694 -14.74 1.71e-09 *** height 3.45000 0.09114 37.85 1.09e-14 *** --- Signif. codes: 0 ‘***’ 0.001 ‘**’ 0.01 ‘*’ 0.05 ‘.’ 0.1 ‘ ’ 1 Residual standard error: 1.525 on 13 degrees of freedom Multiple R-squared: 0.991, Adjusted R-squared: 0.9903 F-statistic: 1433 on 1 and 13 DF, p-value: 1.091e-14 Let’s understand the output. Values of coefficients(θs) are -87.51667 and 3.45000, hence prediction equation for model is as below Weight = -87.52 + 3.45*height In the output, residual standard error is cost which is 1.525. Now, we will look at real values of weight of 15 women first and then will look at predicted values. Actual values of weight of 15 women are as below Output 115 117 120 123 126 129 132 135 139 142 146 150 154 159 164 Predicted values of 15 women are as below Output 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 112.5833 116.0333 119.4833 122.9333 126.3833 129.8333 133.2833 136.7333 140.1833 10 11 12 13 14 15 143.6333 147.0833 150.5333 153.9833 157.4333 160.8833 We can see that predicted values are nearer to the actual values.Finally, we understand what is regression, how it works and regression in R. Here, I want to beware you from the misunderstanding about correlation and causation. In the regression, dependent variable is correlated with the independent variable. This means, as the value of the independent variable changes, value of the dependent variable also changes. But, this does not mean that independent variable cause to change the value of dependent variable. Causation implies correlation , but reverse is not true. For example, smoking causes the lung cancer and smoking is correlated with alcoholism. Many discussions are there on this topic. if we go deep into than one blog is not enough to explain this.But, we will keep in mind that we will consider correlation between dependent variable and independent variable in regression. In the next blog, I will discuss about the real world business problem and how to use regression into it. Liked this? Get more by Signing up for our free newsletter! Would you like to understand the value of predictive analysis when applied on web analytics data to help improve your understanding relationship between different variables? So register now for our Upcoming Webinar: How to perform predictive analysis on your web analytics tool data. Get More Info & Book Your Seat Now!

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Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists. Search native plant database: Hydrocotyle americana L. American marshpennywort, Water-pennywort USDA Symbol: hyam USDA Native Status: Native to U.S. A creeping or weakly erect marsh plant with small clusters of tiny, greenish-white flowers rising from leaf axils. There are about eight pennywort species in the East. Their distinctive, rounded, penny-like leaves, on stems that creep or float, account for the common name. Plant CharacteristicsDuration: Perennial Habit: Herb Flower: Bloom InformationBloom Color: White Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep AR , CT , DC , DE , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: NB , PE Native Distribution: Ontario east to Nova Scotia, south to South Carolina, west to Tennessee, and north to Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Native Habitat: Damp woods and meadows. USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N) Growing ConditionsSoil Moisture: Moist , Wet Recommended Species Lists Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search. View Recommended Species page Record Modified: 2007-01-01 Research By: TWC Staff

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also known as: Hársfalva (HU), Nelipino (CZ), Nelipyno (RU) 48°34' N / 23°02' E ~ Introduction ~ ( Click the arrow in the buttons below for pronunciation. ) Nelipyno was part of the Kingdom of Hungary (11th century - 1920 and 1938-1944) with the name of Hársfalva in Bereg megye (county), next part of Czechoslovakia (1920-1938) with the name of Nelipino in Podkarpatská Rus (Sub-Carpathia), then part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1945-1991) with the name of Nelipyno and, since 1991, known as Nelipyno, in the Svaliava rayon (district) of Zakarpats'ka oblast (county) of Ukraine. Other spellings/names for Nelipyno are Nelipino, Nelipeno, Nelipyne and Nelepino. Nelipyno is located about 17 miles ENE of Mukacheve (Munkács), 3 miles ENE of Svalyava (Szolyva). Jews probably settled in Nelipyno in the first half of the 18th century. In 1830, the Jewish population was nine. By 1880, the Jewish population was 209 (of a total population of 795). In 1921, under Czechoslovakian rule, the Jewish population rose to 496. By 1941, the Jewish population rose to 672 (of a total population of 2,765). Among the Jewish breadwinners were families that earned their livelihoods from commerce and farming. With the Hungarian occupation of Nelipyno in March, 1939, Jews were pushed out of their occupations. Several men were drafted into forced labor battalions in 1941 and others were drafted for service on the Eastern front, where most died. In August, 1941, a number of Jewish families without Hungarian citizenship were expelled to Nazi occupied Ukrainian territory, to Kamenets-Podolski, and murdered there. The remaining Jews of Nelipyno were deported to Auschwitz mid-May, 1944. A great many of the Jews from Nelipyno were murdered in Auschwitz and a few survivors returned, but eventually settled elsewhere. In 2001, Nelipyno had about 3,554 inhabitants and no Jews live there today. Sources (portions): The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust, (2001) p. 880 This page is hosted at no cost to the public by JewishGen, Inc., a non-profit corporation. If you feel there is a benefit to you in accessing this site, your JewishGen-erosity is appreciated.

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Share & Connect FB – Let’s Be Friends San Francisco, U.S.A. — Music has been incorporated into medical practice since before the ancient Greeks. However, though practitioners have been convinced of music’s health benefits for thousands of years, there had been little peer-reviewed research to back them up. But recent studies are providing an empirical backbone for the anecdotal evidence. A 2012 scientific review, published in the journal Nutrition, collects information from a number of studies to support music’s influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the immune system. These results support the experiences of complementary practitioners, who have long used music to help heal. “As an integrative physician and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, the healing power of music has always been an important part of my practice and family life,” says integrative medicine pioneer Isaac Eliaz, M.D. “Harmony and tempo help synchronize the rhythms of the natural world with the music of the heart – each person’s individual energetic pattern, expressed in their pulse.” The review highlighted a number of studies that confirm music’s healing potential. For example, music reduces levels of serum cortisol in the blood. An important player in the HPA axis, cortisol increases metabolic activity, suppresses the immune system and has been associated with both anxiety and depression. A number of studies have shown that exposing post-operative patients to music dramatically lowers their cortisol levels, enhancing their ability to heal. Other studies in the review measured music’s impact on congestive heart failure, premature infants, immunity, digestive function and pain perception. In particular, music’s effects on the limbic and hypothalamic systems reduced the incidence of heart failure. Other studies showed that surgical patients required less sedation and post-operative pain medication. “These results only confirm what I have observed for many years in my practice,” says Dr. Eliaz. “Music produces quantifiable healing. For example, my daughter Amity, a professional musician, regularly plays her songs for chronically ill patients who express how uplifting her music is. These performances do more than encourage good feelings, they help the body heal on a molecular level.” Amity’s original debut song and music video, “Me and My Guitar,” tells a unique story about the power of music to heal, transform and uplift the spirit. To watch and listen, visit www.AmityVideo.com. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of music’s healing properties is how widespread they are. For example, music also aided recovery time following strenuous exercise. Other studies showed that fast-paced music can increase resting metabolism, which may prove helpful for people trying to lose weight. “Modern science has just begun to scratch the surface of music and sound in terms of healing potential,” says Dr. Eliaz. “However, traditional medical systems from around the world have long revered the beneficial vibrations of music, harmony and rhythm for health and vitality. The effects are instant and tangible, but they are also powerful and long lasting.” To hear Amity’s uplifting song and watch her music video, visit www.AmityVideo.com. The story she tells is a heart-felt tribute to the healing and transformative power of music to help access your true spirit.

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The subject of independent schools and inequality is rife with contradictions. In some ways, independent schools work to ameliorate inequities. In other ways, they reinforce and exacerbate them. Those in independent schools who work on social justice, equity, and diversity issues deal with these contradictions every day. Most believe, most of the time, that the good done by independent schools outweighs the bad, but sometimes it is not clear this is the case. Here are some of the ways independent schools ameliorate inequality: • Many independent schools are leaders in progressive education. Some provide excellent models for embracing diversity in all its forms, and are working hard at developing pedagogical practices that attempt to empower all students. • Independent schools have reached out to provide opportunities for talented and ambitious students of color. Barack Obama, our first African-American president, and Deval Patrick, the first African-American governor of Massachusetts (and the second African-American governor in any state), both attended independent schools, and in some ways are very much products of the independent school world. They represent a sizable group of people of color whose careers have received significant boosts from their independent school experiences and connections. • Many independent schools are making strong efforts to educate all of their students about equity, social justice, and diversity issues. Enlightening elite students about their assumed or unexamined privileges may provide significant support for social justice efforts in the future when these elites move into positions of power and influence. • Some independent schools offer service-learning programs or public-purpose initiatives that attempt to address real social issues within their local communities and abroad. As good as these efforts are, however, there is no getting around the fact that the primary clientele of independent schools are the wealthiest families in our country: the 1 percent, to use “Occupy” terminology. Who else can afford tuition costs that in some areas are approaching $40,000 a year? While independent school tuitions have been steadily rising (up 48 percent, adjusted for inflation, over the past 10 years in New York City),1 median incomes have remained essentially flat for the past 30 years, and actually dropped in the past 10 years.2 Meanwhile, the top 1 percent received nearly 20 percent of national income in 2010, more than double their share of income in 1980.3 While the wealthy, and institutions that serve them, have flourished as inequality has grown, our poor have been particularly hard hit. From 2000 to 2010, the number of children living in high poverty areas increased 25 percent (to a total of 7.9 million children).4 Incarceration rates in many low-income communities have reached epidemic proportions. A New York Times editorial notes that, currently, “African-American men have a one-in-three chance of spending a year or more in prison. The trend affects whole communities, depressing earnings and increasing recidivism.”5 None of this should surprise us. The evidence is increasingly clear that there are huge social costs associated with high levels of inequality. The public schools that serve the poor and middle class have also come under increasing stress over the past 30 years. A neoliberal agenda that is antagonistic toward almost all public services has become increasingly influential as economic inequality has intensified. Public schools have been saddled with unfunded mandates and growing constraints on what and how they teach. In many cases, especially since the 2008 financial collapse, schools have experienced significant funding declines that have reduced already strained budgets. Neoliberal-advocated experiments with charter schools, school choice, vouchers, high-stakes testing, and incentive pay have yet to achieve any significant gains in achievement over equivalent traditional public schools,6 but they do appear to have led to a resegregation of some schools.7 Social mobility through education has also slowed significantly. Only 3 percent of the students going on to top colleges come from families with earnings in the bottom quartile.8 Independent schools salaries have experienced their own version of the growing income inequality in the United States. The median salary of independent school heads, with inflation adjustment, increased 31.4 percent between 1999 and 2009. The median salary of teachers, with inflation adjustment, increased 5.8 percent in the same time period. The growing income gap between heads and teachers is not as wide or as troubling as the income gap between the rich and poor in the nation as a whole, but the fact that it widened in recent years suggests that school leadership has somehow embodied the prevailing notion that those at the top deserve significantly more than the rest — that broad income inequity is an acceptable fact of life. As we move ahead in this current economic phase, where winners take a much bigger slice of the economic pie than ever before, it has become increasingly important for families to do everything possible to get their children into the winners’ circle. Independent schools have become very good at doing this, for both children of the elites and a select few financial aid students. One of the ways independent schools do this is by spending a lot more money than equivalent public schools.9 Another way is through selective admissions that avoid troublesome or learning-challenged students (except, of course, in the case of independent schools designed for students with learning challenges). Perhaps as important as any factor, independent schools have been able to pursue pedagogical approaches that are proven to work versus the ideologically driven, non-evidence-based pedagogy being promoted by the neoliberal reform movement. In a winners-take-more world, independent schools are perceived as a valued means to an end. These factors raise questions about just how committed independent schools really are to a more equitable society. Independent schools have done extremely well during a period in which economic inequality has increased sharply — to the benefit of the people who are the primary funders/users of independent schools. I understand the arguments that independent schools, in some ways, are doing good work as a force for social good. But the counterbalancing activity is troubling — and raises important questions. Why aren’t more independent school leaders speaking out against growing inequality? As best I can tell, with a few notable exceptions, the voices of independent school leaders have been conspicuously absent from the inequality conversation. Is it possible that a desire not to alienate potential wealthy donors has muted their concerns? As the nation moves deeper into a winner-takes-more economic model, do the possible negative consequences on students’ college admissions cause most heads and other independent school leaders to avoid a difficult topic that might raise eyebrows and hurt admission prospects? Why aren’t more independent leaders speaking out about the pedagogical perversions of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top? |I wonder if independent schools are becoming essential parts of a new framework of oppression being constructed to support, rationalize, and justify growing economic inequality.| Independent schools are exempt from the high-stakes testing insanity of the federal government’s No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top initiatives that have led — quite predictably, for those aware of Campbell’s Law — to a massive outbreak of test-result-altering scandals in public schools and, more diabolically, to a narrowing of the public-school curriculum. As independent school programs have become steadily enriched by adding everything from dance to Mandarin to fabrication labs (almost all financed by wealthy families) many public schools have been shedding art, music, and physical education programs as they desperately try to avoid being labeled failing by a law with more perversity of circular logic than Joseph Heller’s concept of Catch-22.10 Are many independent schools gilding the lily? Do already strong programs and excellent facilities really need ever-increasing upgrades? Is the facilities/programs “arms race” between competing independent schools so inescapable that leaders can’t say, “We have enough right now; let’s focus the next capital campaign on helping improve an impoverished inner-city school”?Why don’t we speak up for Finland? In the 1990s, Finland transformed its private schools into public schools as part of a larger effort to remake Finnish public schools. Equity of educational opportunity was a top goal of this transformation. Over the next 20 years, Finland not only achieved a remarkable degree of equity, its education system also achieved excellence. Finnish students now are consistently top performers on the international PISA tests.11 I wonder if independent schools — with the Finnish outcome somehow guaranteed — would be willing to give up their special status and become part of a public school system devoted to educational equity. If the idea of giving up independence is too much to contemplate, I wonder if independent school leaders would be willing to advocate for a U.S. public education system that more resembles Finland’s — and do so forcefully. Finland has a childhood poverty rate of 3.4 percent, compared to the United States childhood poverty rate of over 21 percent. To get a sense of what a poverty rate of 21 percent really means, try reading Jonathan Kozol’s Savage Inequalities. I say try, because it is incredibly painful and depressing to read about the bleak schools that Kozol portrays. While the book was written over 20 years ago, the issues still persist in most inner cities today and, in more than a few places, especially since the 2008 financial collapse, are worse. Why aren’t independent schools doing more to reduce the distance between their splendor and the squalor of many schools serving low-income families? I know the standard argument is that independent schools are working hard to educate enlightened leaders for the future. But how good are we at doing the enlightening? After all, independent schools have educated a significant number of today’s leaders who, broadly speaking, are responsible for the current state of affairs. I frame my concerns in the form of questions, because I don’t know the answers. In a world of increasing inequality, I’ve just become steadily more uncomfortable with the disconnect between the socioeconomic reality and rhetoric of independent school compassion. I wonder if independent schools are becoming essential parts of a new framework of oppression being constructed to support, rationalize, and justify growing economic inequality. I wonder if some independent schools aren’t becoming Veblen Goods. These are goods that are extremely expensive, not because they need to be to provide their service, but because their high cost performs a status-signaling function for elites. I’m not sure about any of these concerns, but I hope we can talk more openly about them. Why? Because I know that good educators don’t really want to be complicit in supporting and exacerbating economic inequality, and because in the long-run, things don’t turn out well for those who support and benefit from gross inequality.12 History is very clear about this. We ignore that lesson at our peril.Fred Bartels is currently teaching online computer programming courses to students at independent schools in New York and Connecticut. Prior to this, he worked for 28 years teaching and integrating information technology at Rye Country Day School (New York).Notes1. “Bracing for $40,000 at New York City Private Schools,” New York Times , January 27, 2012. 2. David Leonhardt, “A Decade With No Income Gains,” New York Times , September 10, 2009. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/a-decade-with-no-income-gain/ Ezra Klein, “In 2010, 93 percent of income gains went to the top 1 percent,” Washington Post (Wonkblog), March 5, 2012.4. Sue Lin Chong, “Children Living in High-Poverty Areas Surged 25 Percent Over Last Decade,” Annie E. Casey Foundation, www.aecf.org/Newsroom/NewsReleases/HTML/2012Releases/DataSnapshotHighPovertyCommunities.aspx “Falling Crime, Teeming Prisons,” New York Times , October 29, 2011.6. Diane Ravitch, “The Myth of Charter Schools.” New York Review of Books , November 11, 2010.7. N.R. Kleinfield, “A System Divided: ‘Why Don’t We Have Any White Kids?’” New York Times , May 11, 2012.8. Thomas B. Edsall, “The Reproduction of Privilege.” New York Times (blog) , March 12, 2012. http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/the-reproduction-of-privilege/ Bruce D. Baker, “When Schools Have Money….” School Finance 101 (blog), http://schoolfinance101.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/when-schools-have-money/ Valerie Straus, “Ravitch: No Child Left Behind and the Damage Done.” Washington Post (The Answer Sheet blog), January 10, 2012. www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/ravitch-no-child-left-behind-and-the-damage-done/2012/01/10/gIQAR4gxoP_blog.html OECD Program for International Student Assessment, www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,2987,en_32252351_32235731_1_1_1_1_1,00.html “Verified: 400 Wealthiest Americans Have a Greater Combined Net Worth than the Bottom 150 Million Americas.” October 21, 2011. www.decisionsonevidence.com/2011/10/verified-400-wealthiest-americans-have-a-greater-combined-net-worth-than-the-bottom-150-million-americans/

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The Highway 95 Fault is a buried, roughly east-west trending growth fault at the southern extent of Yucca Mountain and Southwestern Nevada Volcanic Field. Little is known about the role of this fault in the movement of groundwater from the Yucca Mountain area to downgradient groundwater users in Amargosa Valley. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Arizona Water Science Center (AZWSC), in cooperation with the Nye County Nuclear Waste Repository Project Office (NWRPO), has used direct current (DC) resistivity, controlled-source audio magnetotelluric (CSAMT), and transient electromagnetics (TEM) to better understand the fault. These geophysical surveys were designed to look at structures buried beneath the alluvium, following a transect of wells for lithologic control. Results indicate that the fault is just north of U.S. Highway 95, between wells NC-EWDP-2DB and -19D, and south of Highway 95, east of well NC-EWDP-2DB. The Highway 95 Fault may inhibit shallow groundwater movement by uplifting deep Paleozoic carbonates, effectively reducing the overlying alluvial aquifer thickness and restricting the movement of water. Upward vertical hydraulic gradients in wells proximal to the fault indicate that upward movement is occurring from deeper, higher-pressure aquifers. From December 2006 to January 2007, the USGS and NWRPO collected dipole-dipole DC resistivity data to characterize the Highway 95 Fault. Modeled data from the resistivity study agreed with mapped faults from gravity anomalies and highlighted a prominent fault within 1.5 km of Highway 95, thought to be the Highway 95 Fault. Results of the dipole-dipole resistivity survey warranted further study. From March to April of 2008, the USGS and Nye County continued their geophysical investigation of the Highway 95 Fault using TEM and CSAMT geophysical techniques. TEM and CSAMT data were collected along the same profile as the dipole-dipole resistivity data. Modeled data from these additional studies yielded similar results to the dipole-dipole resistivity study. An area of distinct resistivity change was detected within 1.5 km of Highway 95, and it is thought that this change is the Highway 95 Fault. Coordinated application of electrical and electromagnetic geophysical methods provided better characterization of the Highway 95 Fault. The comparison of dipole-dipole resistivity, TEM, and CSAMT data confirm faulting of an uplifted block of resistive Paleozoic Carbonate that lies beneath a more conductive sandstone unit. A more resistive alluvial basin-fill unit is found above the sandstone unit, and it constitutes only about 150 m of the uppermost subsurface. |Citation Search Results Text: ||Characterization of the Highway 95 Fault in lower Fortymile Wash using electrical and electromagnetic methods, Nye County, Nevada; 2012; SIR; 2012-5060; Macy, Jamie P.; Kryder, Levi ; Walker, Jamieson

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Treatment of Bone Marrow to Prevent Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Patients With Acute or Chronic Leukemia Undergoing Bone Marrow Transplantation RATIONALE: Bone marrow that has been treated to remove certain white blood cells may reduce the chance of developing graft-versus-host disease following bone marrow transplantation. PURPOSE: Randomized phase II/III trial to compare the effectiveness of treated bone marrow with that of untreated bone marrow in preventing graft-versus-host disease in patients with acute or chronic leukemia who are undergoing bone marrow transplantation. Graft Versus Host Disease Biological: anti-thymocyte globulin Drug: fludarabine phosphate Procedure: allogeneic bone marrow transplantation Procedure: in vitro-treated bone marrow transplantation Radiation: radiation therapy |Study Design:||Allocation: Randomized Masking: Open Label Primary Purpose: Treatment |Official Title:||A Multi-Center, Open Label, Randomized, Active Controlled Phase II/III Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Processed Unrelated Bone Marrow in Patients With Acute or Chronic Leukemia| |Study Start Date:||March 2000| |Study Completion Date:||May 2003| - Compare the efficacy of processed (cell depleted) vs unprocessed (conventional) unrelated bone marrow transplantation in reducing grade III/IV acute graft vs host disease (GVHD) in patients with acute or chronic leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes. - Compare the safety of these regimens in these patients. - Compare the disease-free survival rate at 100 days and at 6 months in patients treated with these regimens. - Compare the time to engraftment and percent engraftment in patients treated with these regimens. - Compare the reduction rate of grade II or greater acute and chronic GVHD in patients treated with these regimens. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, open-label, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to degree of HLA matching and disease (chronic vs acute). Acute myelogenous leukemia patients are further stratified according to prior myelodysplastic syndromes (yes vs no). Patients are randomized to one of two bone marrow transplantation arms. All patients receive a conditioning regimen comprising fludarabine IV on day -6, cyclophosphamide IV on days -5 and -4, anti-thymocyte globulin IV on days -4 and -2, and total body irradiation on days -3 to 0. Patients also receive methylprednisolone IV every 12 hours for 4 doses on days -2 to 0. Tacrolimus IV is administered continuously on day -1 and continues either orally or IV for 6 months. Bone marrow is infused on day 0. Filgrastim (G-CSF) is administered subcutaneously from day 0 until blood counts recover. - Arm I: Patients receive allogeneic bone marrow that has been processed to produce a mononuclear cell preparation. - Arm II: Patients receive unprocessed allogeneic bone marrow. Patients are followed weekly for 100 days and then at 6 months. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 260 patients will be accrued for this study within 17 months. |United States, California| |University of California San Diego Cancer Center| |La Jolla, California, United States, 92093-0658| |United States, Colorado| |Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center| |Denver, Colorado, United States, 80218| |United States, District of Columbia| |Lombardi Cancer Center| |Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20007| |United States, Florida| |Shands Hospital and Clinics, University of Florida| |Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32610-100277| |United States, Indiana| |Indiana Blood and Marrow Transplantation| |Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202| |United States, Kentucky| |James Graham Brown Cancer Center| |Louisville, Kentucky, United States, 40202| |United States, Michigan| |Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute| |Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201-1379| |United States, New York| |University of Rochester Cancer Center| |Rochester, New York, United States, 14642| |New York Medical College| |Valhalla, New York, United States, 10595| |United States, Oklahoma| |University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center| |Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, 73190| |United States, Oregon| |Oregon Cancer Center| |Portland, Oregon, United States, 97201-3098| |United States, Pennsylvania| |Hahnemann University Hospital| |Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19102-1192| |United States, Texas| |University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center| |Houston, Texas, United States, 77030-4009| |South Texas Cancer Institute| |San Antonio, Texas, United States, 78229| |United States, Virginia| |Massey Cancer Center| |Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23298-0037| |Study Chair:||James N. Lowder, MD||Chimeric Therapies|

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FACILITIES USE AND MANAGEMENT This chapter examines the facilities use and management functions within the Kerrville Independent School District (KISD) in three sections: - A. Facilities Planning and Construction Management - B. Maintenance and Custodial Operations - C. Energy Management C. ENERGY MANAGEMENT Energy management ensures that district facilities maintain comfortable environments at the lowest cost. Districts use energy management programs and energy audits to evaluate utility operations and control energy costs. There are three major goals of an energy program: to minimize waste, to provide a comfortable environment for students and staff and to encourage energy awareness across the district. KISD initiated an energy program in 2000-01 with improvement and technology upgrades to the HVAC systems at each school. Efficient energy management automated systems have been installed in the new schools under construction. An energy manager was added in 1988 and after his departure in November 2000 from the district; the HVAC technician took his place. The district Energy Incentive Program implemented in January 2001 focuses on cost avoidance and user education. The program compares baseline information for a school with current energy costs as measured by utility bills for the school. Baseline information is determined by a moving five-year average. Through contests, schools such as Peterson Middle School encourage participation by students as well as teachers. The district issues awards twice a year. Participation is mandatory for all regular schools. Each school receives an award based upon savings earned or a participation award of $250 based upon the school's efforts. Schools receive an award based upon the amount of savings and the number of students participating. The awards are as follows: 5 to 20 percent savings - $.50 per student, 20 to 24.99 percent savings - $.75 per student, 25 to 29.99 percent savings - $1.00 per student and 30 percent or more - $1.25 per student. Awards are deposited in school instructional supply accounts. Exhibit 4-11 lists the second set of district awards. The second set of awards indicated an increase in the number of schools earning savings, with awards made to five of the six schools versus only two in the first set of awards and an increase of $12,574 in overall energy savings. Exhibit 4-11Source: KISD assistant superintendent of Business and Finance, April and May 2002. KISD Energy Savings Incentive Program Awards for June - December 2001 June - December Daniels Elementary $25,059 $23,246 $1,813 7% $317.00 Nimitz Elementary 37,447 35,089 2,358 6% 287.50 Starkey Elementary 36,092 35,119 973 3% 250.00 Tivy Upper Elementary 31,868 30,268 1,600 5% 365.00 Peterson Middle School 48,233 42,389 5,844 12% 334.50 Tivy High School 69,332 47,640 21,692 31% 1,701.25 Total $248,031 $213,751 $34,280 14% $3,255.25 This program has saved the district energy costs and promoted student interest and awareness. Additional ideas to involve schools in energy conservation can be found on the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) Web site. For example, SECO has a school-based program called Watt Watchers or Watt Team. Students learn ways to save energy and how to teach others. The program provides free materials, training and site support to students in grades 1 through 12. This program not only saves money at the schools, but students learn how to develop a habit of saving energy in their homes as well. The Watt Watchers program also involves starting an Energy Patrol at individual schools. The Energy Patrol consists of teachers, students, parents and community volunteers who work together to implement energy conservation practices, such as: - planting trees around the building to provide shade and improve the environment; - checking door and window weather stripping for cracks; - checking outside air dampers, heating, ventilation and air conditioning filters; - developing maintenance schedules for monitoring energy conservation; and - turning off fluorescent bulbs in soda machines. Implementing a school energy incentive program at each school saves energy dollars and teaches conservation. The district has not had a formal energy management audit during the tenure of the current superintendent. The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) provides free energy management audits to public sector entities, including school districts. The audits provide detailed recommendations of equipment and procedures to implement, which serve as the basis for an energy management plan and estimate the amount of time it will take to recoup money spent on energy efficient equipment through lower energy costs. Contact an energy consultant to conduct an energy management audit of all KISD facilities. The audit should serve as the basis for the development of an energy management plan. Given the financial situation in the district, it may be necessary to implement the plan in stages over several years. The plan should include an analysis of cost benefits, consideration of alternatives, a schedule to implement and the sources of funding for implementation IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE 1. The director of Maintenance contracts with an energy consultant to perform an energy management audit. November 2002 2. The energy consultant completes the audit and provides KISD with recommendations. March 2003 3. The director of Maintenance, working with the assistant superintendent of Business and Finance, reviews the report and develops a recommended implementation plan. April 2003 4. The superintendent approves the plan and submits it to the board. May 2003 5. The board approves the plan and directs implementation. September 2003 6. The director of Maintenance evaluates the results of the plan at the end of the first year of implementation and annually thereafter. October 2004 and Ongoing This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.

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Click on the underlined title to access the document or go back to the Search Results screen to download the PDF version. If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options. Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.orgCitation: Isermann, Rolf. 2006. Section 2.2 Sensors, pp. 32-52, of Chapter 2 Hardware, in CIGR Handbook of Agricultural Engineering Volume VI Information Technology. Edited by CIGR--The International Commission of Agricultural Engineering; Volume Editor, Axel Munack. St. Joseph, Michigan, USA: ASABE. . Authors: R. Isermann Keywords: Sensors, Measurement, Signals, Transducers, Amplifiers, Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, Vibration, Oscillation, Force, Pressure, Torque, Temperature, Flow, EMC, Integrated and intelligent sensors Sensors and measurement equipment are of fundamental importance for all technical products and processes. They are used to indicate some variables of the processes, to monitor the internal state and the basis for manual control, automatic feedforward and feedback control, supervision, and optimization. After considering the elements of a measurement system and a classification of measured quantities, some sensor properties and signal types are discussed. This is followed by brief descriptions of sensors that are required frequently in industrial, mechatronic, and agricultural systems. This includes measurement of displacement, velocity, acceleration, vibration, force, pressure, torque, temperature, and flow. Finally, A/D conversion, electromagnetic compatibility, and integrated and intelligent sensors are discussed.

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Dover Castle is clearly distinguished from other medieval fortresses in the territory of England. Besides being exceptionally beautiful, yet creepy it is considered the oldest preserved fortress in England and one of the oldest generally in Europe. Moreover, the Palace is one of the largest English castles. The transcend of the English Channel port of Dover is in Kent, on the shore of the Strait of Pas de Calais, which is the narrowest part of the strait Channel between Britain and France. Even in those distant centuries Dover won its nickname, Key to England because of its extremely important strategic location. Because of its strategic location, the Dover Castle is now a museum and visitors have availabalit to all its parts, including the famous tunnels. The fortress had the mightiest walls and massive towers reminiscent of the raw and violent mysterious past of the castle. Today, the well preserved structure of the palace is a background of many television and cinema productions, which include, Hamlet, Lady Jane and others. The Dover Castle is situated on the famous White Cliffs. On October 14th in 1066 after defeating Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, the path of William the Conqueror to Westminster Abbey passed through Romney, Dover, Canterbury, Surrey and Berkshire. Even then, the attention was drawn to the new king of the area. The construction of the fortress began under King Henry II. For 10 years from 1178 to 1188 under the guidance of architect Maurice the Engineer the impressive fortifications of the fortress were built. During the reign of Henry III, Dover undergoes profound changes. The outside wall which remains behind the Dover Castle, the Roman church and lighthouse were all erected. In the reign of Henry VI of England the walls were strengthened again to successfully resist the new weapons entering the army. In the north and south walls of the Dover Castle were built outbuildings, which began the steps leading through to the three pillars. The tower has a passageway that leads to the basement. To strengthen its security, access to it is from three doors fitted with strong bolts. The stairs leading to the chapel are located on the second floor of the first pillar. Continue along you then get to the suspension bridge which leads to the co-pilot. In the lower chapel you can enter the penthouse. On the ground floor are several rooms and warehouses. In the late 18th century rack rails were added to the tower to upgrade massive stone arches to fit the big guns. Dover Castle map, location and contact detailsWrite a Review Be the first to comment here!

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Guest blog by Lorie Huston, DVM, who is a writer and blogger that speaks with authority on pet topics. A lush garden is a beauty to behold but it can hold many dangers for your pet. Some of these dangers are minimal while others may be life-threatening. Many of the plants and flowers we grow in our gardens are toxic to our pets. Lilies are quite dangerous, especially for cats but for dogs as well. All parts of the true lilies are considered to be poisonous and potentially lethal. Digitalis plants contain a chemical that can cause heart arrhythmias for both dogs and cats. Onions are another example of a plant which may be toxic to pets, causing a blood disease known as anemia. These are just a few examples of plants dangerous for our pets. Flower bulbs, commonly planted in the spring, are another danger for our pets. When ingested, these bulbs can be toxic for unsuspecting pets. Bone meal and other fertilizers used in gardens can also be poisonous for our pets if ingested. In some cases, curious pets many suffer a “double toxicity” through the ingestions of both bulbs and fertilizers. To protect your pet, keep fertilizers and all garden chemicals out of your pet’s reach or where these products have been applied. Use fencing or other barriers to keep your pet away from plants, flowers or herbs that may be poisonous. Cocoa mulch is another potential danger, particularly for curious dogs. Cocoa mulch contains theobromine, the same chemical that makes chocolate toxic to pets. Cocoa mulch is particularly dangerous when first laid down. With time and exposure to rain and other weather, the theobromine tends to be leached out of the mulch, making it less dangerous. Bio: Lorie Huston, DVM is a pet health/pet care expert and professional writer/blogger. She currently practices veterinary medicine in Rhode Island. You can find Lorie at her blog, Pet Health Care Gazette.

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To see why complexity is crucial to inferring design, consider the following sequence of bits: These are the first twelve bits in the previous sequence representing the prime numbers 2, 3, and 5 respectively. Now I can guarantee that no SETI researcher, if confronted with this twelve-bit sequence, is going to contact the science editor at the New York Times, hold a press conference, and announce that an extra-terrestrial intelligence has been discovered. No headline is going to read, "Extra-Terrestrials Have Mastered the First Three Prime Numbers!" The problem is that this sequence is much too short (i.e., has too little complexity) to establish that an extra-terrestrial intelligence with knowledge of prime numbers produced it. A randomly beating pulsar might by chance just happen to output the sequence "110111011111." A sequence of 1126 bits representing the prime numbers from 2 to 101, however, is a different story. Here the sequence is sufficiently long (i.e., has enough complexity) to establish that an extra-terrestrial intelligence could have Even so, complexity by itself isn't enough to eliminate chance and implicate design. If I flip a coin 1000 times, I'll participate in a highly complex (or what amounts to the same thing, highly improbable) event. Indeed, the sequence I end up flipping will be one in a trillion trillion trillion ..., where the ellipsis needs twenty-two more "trillions." This sequence of coin tosses won't, however, trigger a design inference. Though complex, this sequence won't exhibit a suitable pattern. Contrast this with the previous sequence representing the prime numbers from 2 to 101. Not only is this sequence complex, but it also embodies a suitable pattern. The SETI researcher who in the movie Contact discovered this sequence put it this way: "This isn't noise, this has structure." What is a suitable pattern for inferring design? Not just any pattern will do. Some patterns can legitimately be employed to infer design whereas others cannot. The basic intuition underlying the distinction between patterns that alternately succeed or fail to implicate design is, however, easily motivated. Consider the case of an archer. Suppose an archer stands 50 meters from a large wall with bow and arrow in hand. The wall, let's say, is sufficiently large that the archer can't help but hit it. Now suppose each time the archer shoots an arrow at the wall, the archer paints a target around the arrow so that the arrow is squarely in the bull's-eye. What can be concluded from this scenario? Absolutely nothing about the archer's ability as an archer. Yes, a pattern is being matched; but it is a pattern fixed only after the arrow has been shot. The pattern is thus purely ad hoc. But suppose instead the archer paints a fixed target on the wall and then shoots at it. Suppose the archer shoots a hundred arrows, and each time hits a perfect bull's-eye. What can be concluded from this second scenario? Confronted with this second scenario we are obligated to infer that here is a world-class archer, one whose shots cannot legitimately be referred to luck, but rather must be referred to the archer's skill and mastery. Skill and mastery are of course special cases of design. The type of pattern where the archer fixes a target first and then shoots at it is common to statistics, where it is known as setting a rejection region prior to an experiment. In statistics, if the outcome of an experiment falls within a rejection region, the chance hypothesis supposedly responsible for the outcome is rejected. Now a little reflection makes clear that a pattern need not be given prior to an event to eliminate chance and implicate design. Consider the following cipher nfuijolt ju jt mjlf b xfbtfm Initially this looks like a random sequence of letters and spaces--initially you lack any pattern for rejecting chance and inferring But suppose next that someone comes along, after you've seen this sequence, and tells you to treat it as a Caesar cipher, moving each letter one notch down the alphabet. Behold, the sequence now reads, methinks it is like a weasel Even though the pattern is now given after the fact, it still is the right sort of pattern for eliminating chance and inferring design. In contrast to statistics, which always tries to identify its patterns before an experiment is performed, cryptanalysis must discover its patterns after the fact. In both instances, however, the patterns are suitable for inferring Patterns divide into two types, those that in the presence of complexity warrant a design inference and those that despite the presence of complexity do not warrant a design inference. The first type of pattern is called a specification, the second a fabrication. Specifications are the non-ad hoc patterns that can legitimately be used to eliminate chance and warrant a design inference. In contrast, fabrications are the ad hoc patterns that cannot legitimately be used to warrant a design inference. This distinction between specifications and fabrications can be made with full statistical rigor. Why the Criterion Works Why does the complexity-specification criterion reliably detect design? To see why this criterion is exactly the right instrument for detecting design, we need to understand what it is about intelligent agents that makes them detectable in the first place. The principal characteristic of intelligent agency is choice. Whenever an intelligent agent acts, it chooses from a range of competing possibilities. This is true not just of humans, but of animals as well as of extra-terrestrial intelligences. A rat navigating a maze must choose whether to go right or left at various points in the maze. When SETI researchers attempt to discover intelligence in the extra-terrestrial radio transmissions they are monitoring, they assume an extra-terrestrial intelligence could have chosen any number of possible radio transmissions, and then attempt to match the transmissions they observe with certain patterns as opposed to others. Whenever a human being utters meaningful speech, a choice is made from a range of possible sound-combinations that might have been uttered. Intelligent agency always entails discrimination, choosing certain things, ruling out others. Given this characterization of intelligent agency, the crucial question is how to recognize it. Intelligent agents act by making a choice. How then do we recognize that an intelligent agent has made a choice? A bottle of ink spills accidentally onto a sheet of paper; someone takes a fountain pen and writes a message on a sheet of paper. In both instances ink is applied to paper. In both instances one among an almost infinite set of possibilities is realized. In both instances a contingency is actualized and others are ruled out. Yet in one instance we ascribe agency, in the What is the relevant difference? Not only do we need to observe that a contingency was actualized, but we ourselves need also to be able to specify that contingency. The contingency must conform to an independently given pattern, and we must be able independently to formulate that pattern. A random ink blot is unspecifiable; a message written with ink on paper is specifiable. Wittgenstein in Culture and Value made the same point as follows: "We tend to take the speech of a Chinese for inarticulate gurgling. Someone who understands Chinese will recognize language in what he hears. Similarly I often cannot discern the humanity in man." In hearing a Chinese utterance, someone who understands Chinese not only recognizes that one from a range of all possible utterances was actualized, but is also able to specify the utterance as coherent Chinese speech. Contrast this with someone who does not understand Chinese. In hearing a Chinese utterance, someone who does not understand Chinese also recognizes that one from a range of possible utterances was actualized, but this time, because lacking the ability to understand Chinese, is unable to specify the utterance as coherent speech. To someone who does not understand Chinese, the utterance will appear gibberish. Gibberish--the utterance of nonsense syllables uninterpretable within any natural language--always actualizes one utterance from the range of possible utterances. Nevertheless, gibberish, by corresponding to nothing we can understand in any language, also cannot be specified. As a result, gibberish is never taken for intelligent communication, but always for what Wittgenstein calls "inarticulate gurgling." This actualizing of one among several competing possibilities, ruling out the rest, and specifying the one that was actualized encapsulates how we recognize intelligent agency, or equivalently, how we detect design. Experimental psychologists who study animal learning and behavior have known this all along. To learn a task an animal must acquire the ability to actualize behaviors suitable for the task as well as the ability to rule out behaviors unsuitable for the task. Moreover, for a psychologist to recognize that an animal has learned a task, it is necessary not only to observe the animal making the appropriate discrimination, but also to specify this discrimination. Thus to recognize whether a rat has successfully learned how to traverse a maze, a psychologist must first specify which sequence of right and left turns conducts the rat out of the maze. No doubt, a rat randomly wandering a maze also discriminates a sequence of right and left turns. But by randomly wandering the maze, the rat gives no indication that it can discriminate the appropriate sequence of right and left turns for exiting the maze. Consequently, the psychologist studying the rat will have no reason to think the rat has learned how to traverse the maze. Only if the rat executes the sequence of right and left turns specified by the psychologist will the psychologist recognize that the rat has learned how to traverse the maze. Now it is precisely the learned behaviors we regard as intelligent in animals. Hence it is no surprise that the same scheme for recognizing animal learning recurs for recognizing intelligent agency generally, to wit: actualizing one among several competing possibilities, ruling out the others, and specifying the one chosen. Note that complexity is implicit here as well. To see this, consider again a rat traversing a maze, but now take a very simple maze in which two right turns conduct the rat out of the maze. How will a psychologist studying the rat determine whether it has learned to exit the maze. Just putting the rat in the maze will not be enough. Because the maze is so simple, the rat could by chance just happen to take two right turns, and thereby exit the maze. The psychologist will therefore be uncertain whether the rat actually learned to exit this maze, or whether the rat just got lucky. But contrast this now with a complicated maze in which a rat must take just the right sequence of left and right turns to exit the maze. Suppose the rat must take one hundred appropriate right and left turns, and that any mistake will prevent the rat from exiting the maze. A psychologist who sees the rat take no erroneous turns and in short order exit the maze will be convinced that the rat has indeed learned how to exit the maze, and that this was not dumb luck. This general scheme for recognizing intelligent agency is but a thinly disguised form of our complexity-specification criterion. In general, to recognize intelligent agency we must observe a choice among competing possibilities, note which possibilities were not chosen, and then be able to specify the possibility that was chosen. What's more, the competing possibilities that were ruled out must be live possibilities, and sufficiently numerous so that specifying the possibility that was chosen cannot be attributed to chance. In terms of complexity, this is just another way of saying that the range of possibilities is complex. All the elements in this general scheme for recognizing intelligent agency (i.e., choosing, ruling out, and specifying) find their counterpart in the complexity-specification criterion. It follows that this criterion formalizes what we have been doing right along when we recognize intelligent agency. The complexity-specification criterion pinpoints what we need to be looking for when we detect design. As a postscript it's worth pondering the etymology of the word "intelligent." The word "intelligent" derives from two Latin words, the preposition inter, meaning between, and the verb lego, meaning to choose or select. Thus according to its etymology, intelligence consists in choosing between. It follows that the etymology of the word "intelligent" parallels the formal analysis of intelligent agency inherent in the There exists a reliable criterion for detecting design. This criterion detects design strictly from observational features of the world. Moreover, this criterion belongs to probability and complexity theory, not to metaphysics and theology. This criterion is relevant to biology. When applied to the complex, information-rich structures of biology, this criterion detects design. In particular, the complexity-specification criterion shows that Michael Behe's irreducibly complex biochemical systems are designed. Richard Dawkins's claim that all biological design is only apparent needs therefore to be modified: "Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of being designed because they actually are designed." What are we to make of these developments? Many scientists remain unconvinced. So what if we have a reliable criterion for detecting design and so what if that criterion tells us that biological systems are designed? How is looking at a biological system and inferring it's designed any better than shrugging our shoulders and saying God did it? The fear is that design cannot help but stifle scientific inquiry. Design is not a science stopper. Detecting design is one intelligence determining what another intelligence has done. There's nothing scientifically unfruitful about this. The only reason it seems scientifically unfruitful is because materialist philosophy so pollutes our intellectual life. Granted, once design is reinstated within science, it won't be business as usual. For instance, a lot of the unsubstantiated Darwinian just-so stories will go by the board (to which I say good riddance). But new questions will arise and new research opportunities will Once we know that something is designed, we will want to know how it was produced, to what extent the design is optimal, and what's its purpose. Note that we can detect design without knowing what something was designed for. There's a room at the Smithsonian filled with obviously designed objects for which no one has a clue about their purpose. Design also implies constraints. An object that is designed functions within certain design constraints. Transgress those constraints and the object functions poorly or breaks. Moreover, we can discover those constraints empirically by seeing what does and doesn't work. This simple insight has tremendous implications not just for science but also for ethics. If humans are in fact designed, then we can expect psychosocial constraints to be hardwired into us. Transgress those constraints, and we personally as well as our society will suffer. There's plenty of empirical evidence to suggest that many of the attitudes and behaviors our society promotes do not comport with human flourishing. Design promises to reinvigorate that ethical stream running from Aristotle through Aquinas known as natural law. By reinstating design within science, we do much more than simply critique scientific reductionism. Scientific reductionism holds that everything is reducible to scientific categories. Scientific reductionism is self-refuting and easily seen to be self-refuting. The existence of the world, the laws by which the world operates, the intelligibility of the world, and the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics for comprehending the world are just a few of the questions that science raises, but that science is incapable of answering. Simply critiquing scientific reductionism, however, is not enough. Critiquing scientific reductionism does nothing to change science. And it is science that must change. By eschewing design, science has for too long operated with an inadequate set of conceptual categories. This has led to a constricted vision of reality, skewing how science understands not just the world, but also ourselves. Evolutionary psychology, which justifies everything from infanticide to adultery, is just one symptom of this inadequate conception of science. Barring design from science distorts science, making it a mouthpiece for materialism instead of a search for Martin Heidegger remarked in Being and Time, "A science's level of development is determined by the extent to which it is capable of a crisis in its basic concepts." The basic concepts with which science has operated these last several hundred years are no longer adequate, certainly not in an information age, certainly not in an age where design is empirically detectable. Science faces a crisis of basic concepts. The way out of this crisis is to expand science to include design. To reinstate design within science is to liberate science, freeing it from restrictions that were always arbitrary, and now have become intolerable. William A. Dembski Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture 1402 Third Ave., Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98101

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Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear energy fears Jaitapur, the world’s other nuclear crisis Even before the potential catastrophe at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant, the inhabitants of Maharashtra in India were fiercely protesting against the imposed and governmentally enforced arrival of the world’s largest nuclear complex. If they can defeat or delay its construction, the entire global nuclear industry will change by Praful Bidwai In the remote villages of the Sahyadri mountains abutting India’s west coast, the French nuclear company, Areva, and its European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) design, have become household names. So have the words radioactivity, plutonium and hazardous reactor waste. These beautiful villages around (...) This article is 1506 words.

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The eye is one organ that can show feeling and content of a person’s emotions. Not only the emotional content that could be seen, because the levels of cholesterol a person has can also be seen from the eye. (more…)Recent search: CAN CHOLESTEROL BE SEEN ON THE BODY, plaque on vein leading to optic nerve The emergence of soft veins poking around the back of the calf, often considered a disorder commonly called varicose veins. This disorder occurs due to enlargement of veins (veins) that carry blood to function metabolism of all body tissues and return to the heart. This diseases is commonly suffered by women and the cause remains unknown. However, most pointed out that this could be genetic disorders. The word varicose comes from the Latin word, “varix”. Varicose veins cause blood circulation becomes not smooth, because the blocked around the calf and leg cause of body weight, and around the arm. If someone suffer from varicose veins, the blood vessel wall is not in right circulation. Varicose veins mostly caused by genetic disorder. But, a genetic disorder that we do not know, there are descendants or anything. So there abnormalities in blood vessels.’s Elasticity of blood vessels not good, and valve function are also not very good. It will also be influenced by hormonal. Hence, varicose veins occur in many women. Since women have the hormone progesterone and that if hormonal hesterogen was increased, in pregnant women, in adolescence, causing the blood vessels so weak and broad. Moreover, the descendants of varicose veins have the talent. So, what therapy should be performed if Varicose veins have adorned the female body? Varicose veins has many therapy, but the simplest is wearing stockings. If the disorder is on the outside, the blood vessels behind the outside can be overcome by the use of stockings. Because stockings would affect healing. The lighter, the easier the cure. Especially if you’ve got varicose veins in , blood vessels are taxable, no surgical measures can be taken. Stockings are made based on research. It is designed for specific skins. If there is an allergy, then made stockings for leg allergies. People with varicose veins have a high risk, then the job that caused by standing, or sitting continuously, and the muscles do not move, they are recommended to wear stockings, so that their muscles are still driven by these stockings. However, if the person is not comfortable to wear stocking in daily activity, there is still other therapies. What’s that? If patients want to look better but don’t want to wear stockings at home, they could take alternatives action. Like surgery, or a small laser. But after that, you is better to wear stockings to prevent this disorder did not arise again. Other therapies that the patient can do is exercise. When exercising, the blood vessels will move back along with the muscles work. Exercise is play an important role. The best sport activity is swimming, because the principle of swimming is the same as stockings, hipotherapy. Stockings were principally work below, but sometimes also up. In addition, an exercise bike or treadmill. But for older people do not recommend to do a treadmill exercise.

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It seems that everywhere you look in Japan these days, printed advertising has Internet-style “search buttons” somewhere in the design, with Japanese text inside a box indicating the term to be searched. And many TV commercials end with a short phrase “such and such de kensaku” (“search on the Internet for such and such”). These techniques are used to guide people beyond the ads and onto the Internet. Advertisers expect viewers to be interested enough in the product being advertised to search for the given keyword on Yahoo! or Google, on PC or mobile phone — which in turn leads the potential customer to their website. This style of ad was first introduced a few years ago and has rapidly become an advertising standard. Most printed ads now feature this search-engine box-and-button design. In Japan, when you want to lure offline customers online, there are four methods that are more popular than the rest. The first one is pretty basic and standard: display a Web address (URL) and ask people to type it into a browser. The second technique is to use a QR-code. Under the leadership of cellphone carriers, Japanese mobile phones have had QR code-reading functions since 2003. In 2006, 100 percent of Japanese mobiles came with built-in readers, so it was understood that anyone with a phone could access the information stored in a QR code. Just taking a photo of one with an embedded URL instantly takes you to the website. It is so easy that many people use it. Providing a very short alternative email address is the third well-used method. Companies can set up short address such as firstname.lastname@example.org to which potential customers send a blank email eliciting an auto-reply with a longer Web address. This works especially well for cellphone-mail addicts, who send and receive hundreds of email on their cellphones daily. And the search box with a keyword is the last method. There is no single best way to lure people onto the Web, so real-world ads usually use some, or all, of these techniques. But why is giving a URL, as is done in advertising elsewhere in the world, not enough? This has to do with some Japan-specific circumstances. If the company name on an ad is, say, “Apple,” what is the correct URL? In the United States, if you were to simply type “apple” into the address bar of a browser it is likely to automatically send you to Apple Inc.’s website, as many browsers add the “.com” suffix for you. In Japan it’s different. Firstly a person has to guess how to spell a word using the Roman alphabet. Japanese advertising obviously uses Japanese text but in almost all cases URLs are in Roman. Even if English is used, this does not necessarily help with the spelling. And if Japanese is written in the Roman alphabet, there could be more than one way of doing so. Adding to all that, Japanese people need to know whether a URL ends with “.com,” “.jp” or “.co.jp.” In the U.S., established companies secured the “.com” domain in the early days of the Internet. But in Japan, the three domain suffixes compete in popularity, so it is not easy to guess whether the main site for Toyota, for example, is .com, .jp or .co.jp. Typing Roman letters is also an issue as it is not the most common way to type in Japan. To foreigners it may seem more complex to type Japanese characters, but in fact that is naturally the easiest way for Japanese. Typing a roman-text-based URL into a browser’s address bar is for many Japanese less favorable, and slower, than simply typing a Japanese keyword into a search box. And, as the whole idea of these keywords in ads is that when done properly the company’s website will be at the top of the search result list, this method can be quite effective. As a result, many companies have taken to this search-keyword idea. However, some companies do not realize how quickly search results can change, and in the worse cases they did not even check whether their site really is the top of the result when the keyword they suggest is searched for. Some advertisers have found their keyword actually sends potential customers to a competitor’s site. In China, I have noticed many popular sites use numerals as Web addresses, e.g., 163.com. I think this is because Chinese have a similar problem with how to connect with consumers. Numbers are easy to remember and easier to type. In Japan, the digits in toll-free phone numbers often carry meaning because of the many ways number-words can be pronounced. For example, removal companies may use the numbers “154″ which can be pronounced “hikkoshi” (“moving”). But on the Internet, domains using numbers are not so popular in Japan. Over the past decade, there has been a move towards International Domain Names (IDN), whereby URLs can be written in non-Roman alphabets, such as Arabic and Chinese. More than 20 countries now also have country suffixes that are written in their local script, such as .中国 (China), and Japan may soon join the list. Yet, despite Japanese-character domain names being available they are not popular. For example, even “.com” or “.jp” can be written in Japanese but I have rarely seen Japanese domain names used in advertising. I am not sure having the domain .日本 as well as .jp would change things much. If even such a basic thing as a website address can be so complex as to have inspired the trend of search keywords, then adding Japanese text to the equation may just create more confusion. If someone were to invent a better way to direct customers to websites than the four methods mentioned here, it would be a game-changer.

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Here's a guess: dig into the bend or droop of one of those. I think you'll find the stem of an evergreen in there. Clear off enough snow, and the stem will straighten up... no more droop. In other words, the snow fell so thickly and heavily (i.e., it was sticky, and didn't slide off the tree) that the tip of the tree bent over. Once that process begins, it tends to be self-reinforcing: a bent stem (closer to horizontal) offers more surface area for snow to fall on. (That effect diminishes once the stem bends all the way toward upside-down, but it's a one-way process: as long as the snow doesn't fall off, the only way the stem can bend is down.) The snow was sticky enough that it stayed in place even when it reached an upside-down position. Details still to be worked out... why the bend seems to happen at a consistent spot along the height of the tree (though only in some trees); role of wind (direction of bend? Additional loading once in the upside-down position?); how much of the droop contains stem or was loaded when the tree was vertical, and how much is added by wind on the underside.

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Moore, Paul (2010) 'And what concentration camps those were!': foreign concentration camps in Nazi propaganda, 1933-9. Journal of contemporary history, 45 (3). pp. 649-674. ISSN 0022-0094 This article examines nazi propaganda on non-German ‘concentration camps’ in the years 1933—9. It shows how the regime publicized internment facilities in Austria, the Soviet Union and South Africa during the Boer War for rhetorical effect. This examination is placed within the context of extensive nazi propaganda concerning Germany’s own camps, demonstrating that the two propaganda strands worked not contrary to each other, but rather in a mutually reinforcing manner. In addition, the article will explore the legacy of this propaganda material in shaping popular attitudes with the onset of war and genocide. |Additional Information:||© 2010 The Author| |Uncontrolled Keywords:||Austria, Boer War, British Empire, concentration camps, Gulag, propaganda| |Library of Congress subject classification:||D History General and Old World > DD Germany| |Sets:||Departments > International History| Actions (login required) |Record administration - authorised staff only|

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A comment from a reader: "I notice in your section on self leveling concrete that you mention about needing to let the water out before putting anything on top of the new compound. (Self Leveling Concrete) This is a common misconception about concrete, in fact the water does not leave, it becomes part of the concrete. You could seal it with watertight plastic and the concrete will still setup exactly the same." --Mike People are often a bit confused about things like this and half truths can cause a lot of household damage so let me share a bit of information about concrete so that we can all understand about water and concrete. Yes as Mike says you can cover concrete with plastic and it will setup very well, in fact that is often done to help it set-up in dry weather. No, water does not become part of the concrete and it will eventually reach equilibrium with the environment around it, either getting wet or drying out. So just what is the role of water while making concrete and after it is cured? The presence of water in a concrete mixture is essential to provide the environment in which the chemical reactions that cure concrete to a permanently hard substance can take place. If there is too much water in the mixture, the chemicals and granules are thinned out and the resulting concrete will be weak -- which is why water should never be added to specifically formulated pre-mixed concrete from a truck in order to make it flow -- but rather special chemicals can be added called plasticizers that will make it flow more easily into its forms without reducing its final strength. This is also why you should really follow to the letter the package instructions when mixing your own concrete -- unless you know how to do a "slump" test. If there is too little water, or you allow the water to evaporate too quickly, the chemical cure will not be complete and the concrete will end up weaker as well. So the right quantity of water in concrete is measured by something called "slump", packing the wet concrete into a little "sand bucket" (not just any bucket but one made for this test), tipping it over like when making sand castles on the beach and measuring how much it slumps down from the full bucket size. Either too much or too little water will show up clearly with this test. Different concrete mixtures, intended for different applications will each have their own proper "slump" measurement. Contrary to Mike's statement, water is not drawn in to become part of the concrete; it is just the key element in permitting the chemical reactions to happen -- what we call curing. Note that I did not say "dry", but "cure". You may already have experience with this distinction between drying and curing with drywall compounds. Premixed drywall compound (the stuff you buy wet in a bucket) must dry to get hard and power mixed drywall compounds and plasters use water for a chemical reaction -- they get hard or cure first, then slowly dry out. (If you tried to "pre-mix" them, they would simply harden in the bucket.) Both end up dry but if you re-wet the premixed compound, it gets soft again. If you re-wet plaster it remains hard because the chemical bonds are still there -- as with concrete. Click HERE for a video on the difference between evaporation set and chemical set compounds. Concrete needs a very specific water content for a few hours until it "sets" -- which means that it gets hard enough that more water or rain will not wash it away. Then it needs to stay moist for a minimum of 3 days to obtain its minimum acceptable strength. When the atmosphere is hot and dry we often cover the concrete to reduce evaporation, or put a sprinkler on it to keep it wet. So that part of what Mike says is true, concrete does not need to "dry" to get hard. Ideally the concrete will be kept wet for 28 days, the time it takes for the chemical reactions to complete their actions giving the most strength possible for a given concrete mixture. Once the cure is completed the water is no longer needed in the concrete. It has not been "used up" nor has it "become part of the concrete". What has not drained out or evaporated is still there as water. As far as the concrete is concerned, it makes no difference if the water stays (pillars in the lake) or goes (columns on a building). In fact what eventually happens is that the water content of the concrete comes into equilibrium with its environment. If soil in contact with the concrete is dry, it will dry out the concrete. If the soil is wet, it will add water to the concrete. In fact for houses, foundation walls and often footings are covered with a moisture barrier to help keep the concrete dry -- actually to help stop the migration of water from the soil through the concrete and into the house. In the same way, air humidity levels will come into balance with the concrete and most dry winter heated basements will dry out the 600 or so gallons of water in the original foundation mix in about two heating seasons or 18 months. Sealing concrete can slow down water evaporation, but will not stop it. A concrete sealer's primary function is to prevent liquid water from soaking into concrete and secondarily to harden the surface reducing concrete dust formation. In residential construction, if concrete still has mix water in it (we often call that "green" concrete or "young" concrete), there can be problems caused by that water as it evaporates out of the concrete. We see that with Ontario's bag insulation hung on basement walls with large quantities of water getting caught in the insulation as it tries to move toward the basement but hits that plastic sheet that is holding the insulation in place. With floor coverings put over wet concrete, whether the water comes from the original mix or from a drainage problem, unprotected materials will pick up that moisture and expand, sometimes to the point of destroying the floor. So that is why we either want to wait for the concrete to dry before covering it, or take precautions to prevent the migration of water or water vapour to other building materials. If you look back at Mike's note at the top, I had mentioned in my database entry about self-levelling concrete that you should let the concrete dry out before putting anything on top of the new compound. The concrete compound couldn't care less, but the new floor covering could be destroyed by all that water, and there is a lot of water in self-levelling concrete that will dry out whether you want it to or not. The whole question is where will it go? I prefer to wait a couple of days and let it evaporate into the room where I can ventilate it outdoors rather than fight trying to protect a floating floor from all that moisture. Oh- one last detail: to keep a clear distinction between the words Concrete and Cement, just remember that Cement is the glue that holds the Concrete together. So we do not have cement floors -- we have concrete floors.

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A box of animal crackers measures 12 inches by 8 inches by 2 inches. What is the volume of the box Over a time interval of 2.15 years, the velocity of a planet orbiting a distant star reverses direction, changing from +18.9 km/s to -17.3 km/s. Find (a) the total change in the planet's velocity (in m/s) and (b) its average acceleration (in m/s2) during this interval. Inc... Find the exact solutions of the equation in the interval [0,2pi). sin(x/2)+cos(x)=0 Hello, could someone please help me with this problem? I'm a little stuck with it. Thanks, Isaac A rectangle is to be inscribed with its base on the x-axis and its other two vertices above the x-axis on the parabola y=9-x^2 (a) find the dimensions of the rectangle of large... These r question tho n i need them lol ppl kum here for answers not watever diss is ^^ In what way is erosion NOT like weathering? A)It is a force that changes the earth's surface B)It is a destructive force C)It changes rocks in some way D)It breaks down rocks I think D?? Go to google and search it you will find the answer If you go to google it says Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press 2nd grade math 2 Quarters equal 50 cents. 1 dime equals 10 cents 2 pennies equal 2... Add then all together 0.50 0.10 0.02 ____ 0. 62 Subtract 0.75 from 0.62 You get 13 twitch and rub its back, there are two predicates but question asks for one For Further Reading

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Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) Martin Luther King Jr., Baptist minister and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), was the most prominent African American leader in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Early Life and Education, 1929-1955 Family, church, and education were the central forces shaping King's early life. Michael Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta on January 15, 1929, to Alberta Williams and Michael Luther King Sr. In 1934, after visiting Europe, Michael King Sr. changed his and his son's name in honor of the sixteenth-century German church reformer Martin Luther. King spent his early years in the family home at 501 Auburn Avenue, about a block from King was educated in Atlanta, graduating from Booker T. Washington High School in 1944. He then followed in the path of his maternal grandfather and father and enrolled at Morehouse College. King first considered studying medicine or law but decided to major in sociology. He ultimately found the call to the ministry irresistible, however. He served as assistant to his father at Ebenezer while studying at Morehouse. In February 1948 King Sr. ordained his son as a Baptist minister. After graduating from Morehouse in June 1948 King studied for a divinity degree at Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania, graduating in May 1951. The following September King enrolled at Boston University in the Ph.D. program in systematic theology. There he met his future wife, Coretta Scott. King's father preferred that his son marry an Atlanta woman and initially opposed King's plans to marry Coretta. When King refused to back down, his father relented, and on June 18, 1953, he performed the marriage ceremony at the Scott family home in rural Perry County, Alabama. During his last year of residential studies at Boston University, King sought employment while he finished his dissertation. Through a family friend he learned of a vacant position at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Desiring a pulpit in a southern city and wanting to escape Atlanta and gain independence from his father, King arranged a trial sermon. He was offered the position, and in 1954 he moved to Montgomery with Coretta. In June 1955 King received his Ph.D. The Kings' first child, Yolanda Denise, was born November 17, 1955. King and Civil Rights, 1955-1960 On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a respected member of Montgomery's black community, refused to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger when asked to do so. At the meeting black leaders agreed on a one-day boycott. When this was successful, they agreed to extend the action. King was asked to head the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA), a new organization formed to run the bus boycott. He had not planned to take a leading role, but he agreed to serve. The boycott ran for 381 days. Throughout, whites in Montgomery tried to stymie it. King and other MIA members were arrested. Segregationists even bombed King's home. The intimidation strengthened the resolve of the black community. The initial demands of the MIA for a modified system of segregation on city buses evolved into a lawsuit that called for its total abolishment. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled segregation on Montgomery buses unconstitutional. On December 21, 1956, King was among the first passengers to board an integrated bus. The bus boycott made King a national symbol of black protest. In the next few years he spoke alongside other national black leaders and met with U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower and a host of foreign dignitaries. In 1958 King published Stride toward Freedom, his account of the Montgomery boycott. But his newfound recognition came at a price. In September 1958 a mentally ill black woman, Izola Ware Curry, stabbed King in the chest at a book signing in New York. King barely survived that injury. Earlier that month, police in Montgomery had again arrested King. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began to take an interest in him, starting a covert surveillance of his activities that continued for the rest of his life. All the while King looked to capitalize on the success of the Montgomery boycott. In August 1957 the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Nonviolent Direct Action, 1960-1963 Events quickly overtook King and the SCLC. In February 1960 four black students staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. The sit-in movement rapidly expanded to other cities, where it met with some success in persuading local communities to desegregate facilities. In April 1960 the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), based in Atlanta, was formed to support student protest. In 1961 the Chicago-based Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) held interracial "freedom rides" to test the court-ordered desegregation of southern bus terminals. The freedom rides ultimately led to federal action in upholding the court order. The success of sit-ins and freedom rides demonstrated the relevance of nonviolent direct action to the civil rights movement. During the Montgomery boycott, two of King's close advisors, white pacifist Glenn E. Smiley and black activist Bayard Rustin, tutored King in nonviolence. King's interest in nonviolence continued to develop and became a central tenet of his leadership. King joined student sit-ins in Atlanta, though he declined an invitation to participate in the freedom rides. Learning the lessons of Albany, in 1963 King and the SCLC carefully chose their next target. In Birmingham, the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) under the leadership of the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth provided an established local base for protest. Specific goals and a movement strategy were drawn up in advance. As expected, Birmingham police chief Eugene "Bull" Connor met protestors with force, using police dogs and high-power fire hoses to break up demonstrations. The conflict brought national news headlines and federal intervention, and pulled local white businessmen to the negotiating table. The campaign won significant gains in desegregating downtown facilities and in opening up black employment opportunities, although segregationist violence in the city remained a serious problem. Arrested and jailed for eight days during the Birmingham campaign, King composed his well-known "Letter from Birmingham Jail" during his incarceration. Desegregation and Voting Rights, 1963-1965 The years between 1963 and 1965 represented the high point of King's career. In August 1963 the civil rights movement Not everything went King's way. Attempts to renew demonstrations in Birmingham after a surge in white violence met with stiff opposition and failed to make much headway. U.S. president John F. Kennedy's assassination in November 1963 lost King a carefully cultivated federal ally, although the new president, Lyndon B. Johnson, proved equally if not more sympathetic with the civil rights movement. A new SCLC campaign launched in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1964 failed to win meaningful concessions for local blacks. King's attempts to mediate the seating of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegation at the 1964 Democratic Party convention failed. The FBI stepped up its campaign of harassment and intimidation against King. As was often the case in King's relatively short public career, victory and defeat, advancement and setback, were never far apart. New Directions, 1965-1968 In the last few years of King's life, important changes were taking place in his thinking, King responded to these developments in a variety of ways. He took the SCLC into the northern ghettos in an attempt to alleviate the conditions that caused the urban riots. He opposed much of the angry rhetoric of Black Power and continued to stress the importance of nonviolence. He spoke out ever more stridently in opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War. He opposed conservative politicians who sought to exploit white racial fears. He also gained new insight about black problems in the United States as the movement shifted from tackling segregation to confronting the problem of racial discrimination. In 1965-66 the SCLC launched its first northern campaign in Chicago. King felt that the urban riots in northern cities underlined the need for SCLC assistance, focusing on such issues as black employment, housing, and education opportunities. The Chicago campaign highlighted the difficulties of fighting entrenched racism. The city was much bigger than previous communities in which the SCLC had worked. Discrimination was much more difficult to dramatize than segregation. SCLC funds declined, making operations even more problematic. Despite some successes, the SCLC failed to make the desired impact on black advancement in Chicago. In 1968 Coretta Scott King founded the King Center in Atlanta as a memorial to her husband. The center seeks to advance King's philosophies of justice and nonviolence through its educational programs, exhibitions, and tours. In 1983 Congress passed legislation to make the third Monday in January a national holiday in honor of King, who remains the only African American to be commemorated in this way. The first Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was observed on January 20, 1986. King was selected as one of the inaugural honorees for the Extra Mile Points of Light Volunteer Pathway, a monument in Washington, D.C., that celebrates the efforts of national volunteer leaders. The pathway was unveiled in October 2005. In August 2011 a memorial to King was unveiled on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the first on the Mall to honor either a nonpresident or an African American. Taylor B. Branch, At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006). Taylor B. Branch, Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988). Taylor B. Branch, Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years, 1963-65 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998). Clayborne Carson, ed., The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, J r. (New York: Warner Books, 1998). Michael Eric Dyson, I May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr. (New York: Free Press, 2000). Adam Fairclough, To Redeem the Soul of America: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Martin Luther King, Jr. (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1987). David J. Garrow, Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (New York: Morrow, 1986). David J. Garrow, The FBI and Martin Luther King, Jr.: From "Solo" to Memphis (New York: Norton, 1981). John A. Kirk, Martin Luther King Jr.: Profiles in Power (New York: Longman, 2004). Laura T. McCarty, Coretta Scott King: A Biography (Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 2009). David S. Williams, From Mounds to Megachurches: Georgia’s Religious Heritage (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2008). John A. Kirk, Royal Holloway, University of London, United Kingdom A project of the Georgia Humanities Council, in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System of Georgia/GALILEO, and the Office of the Governor.

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In their final series of Tweets, Marcus Chown and Govert Schilling ask how we can talk to extraterrestrials In 19th century, scientists proposed communicating with Martians by planting trees in geometric shapes, or lighting big fires in Sahara. In 1959 Nature article, Giuseppe Cocconi and Philip Morrison suggested 21-cm radio waves is best choice for interstellar communication. One year later, Frank Drake started Project Ozma. He tuned in to stars Epsilon Eridani and Tau Ceti to search for artificial radio signals. Since 1960, the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, or SETI, has become ever more sensitive. But still no ET signal detected. We’ve also sent messages on spacecraft – Pioneer Plaque and Voyager Interstellar Record – and coded radio messages to other stars. Also, radio & TV broadcasts have turned Earth into a ‘natural’ emitter of strong artificial radio waves. These could be picked up by aliens.

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July 29, 1999 Science teams around the world are poised for an exciting voyage into space -- to boldly go beyond the limits of gravity in search of ways to improve life on Earth. These trekkers represent a new breed of "virtual" researchers who will conduct fundamental, ground-breaking science aboard the International Space Station without leaving home. They’ll use a tool known as the Telescience Resource Kit, or TReK -- a new computer software system that enables scientists to remotely operate their Space Station experiments from anywhere in the world. "As we move into the Space Station era and round-the-clock, long-duration science operations in space, it’s not practical or feasible to have science teams on site," said Michelle Schneider, who leads the team of NASA engineers who developed TReK at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The idea behind TReK is to make it easy for science teams working in their own laboratories on Earth to receive information from and transmit commands to their experiments aboard the Space Station 220 miles in space. "TReK is a user-friendly, PC-based system," said Schneider. "PC advancements -- processing power, memory and networking capabilities -- enable PCs to support this system." TReK uses off-the-shelf computer hardware and software, which makes it cost-effective for users. "We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel if what we needed was already out there," said Schneider. "We provide users with TReK, the non-commercial software, and a list of suggested hardware -- basically, any PC -- and software that is readily available." TReK works by receiving and relaying information to the main computer system in the Science Operations Center at Marshall. Science teams will specify what information they want to obtain from their experiments and in what intervals. Once the experiment is under way, the main computer system in the Operations Center retrieves the requested information and routes it to the TReK system. TReK processes and displays the information for the science teams. In turn, science teams can send information through TReK to the main computer system which relays it to the experiment. With TReK, nearly all Space Station science operations can be remote. "It has the capability to support most of the experiments conducted aboard the Space Station," said Schneider. "We could have as many remote sites as we have science teams." Science teams are now getting a first-look at the system and seem pleased. "Remote-site testing has begun," said Schneider, "allowing users to get a feel for the product and allowing us to get some initial, positive feedback from users." The first delivery of TReK is expected to be fully operational next summer. The first Space Station experiments planned for installation on the orbiting laboratory are scheduled for launch in 2000. Assembly of the International Space Station began last December when the Endeavour Space Shuttle mission attached together in orbit the first two station modules. - 30 - Note to Editors / News Directors: For interviews and photos supporting this release, media representatives may contact Tim Tyson of the Marshall Media Relations Department at (256) 544-0034. Other social bookmarking and sharing tools: The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above. Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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- Historic Sites 1851 150 Years Ago February/March 2001 | Volume 52, Issue 1 On February 15, in Boston, a black coffeehouse waiter named Shadrach Minkins was seized by federal marshals at the behest of John DeBree of Norfolk, Virginia, who claimed him as his property. The waiter, also known as Frederick Wilkins, had fled Virginia months earlier, and until recently Boston’s relaxed attitude toward fugitives had protected him against arrest. But the new Fugitive Slave Act, passed as part of the Compromise of 1850, had given slave owners a much more powerful legal weapon by placing enforcement in the hands of federal officials. Richard Henry Dana, the author, sailor, and lawyer, and Robert Morris, the nation’s second black attorney, volunteered to represent Wilkins. They asked Lemuel Shaw, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, to free the prisoner on the grounds that he had been seized without good cause. Despite a personal abhorrence of slavery, Shaw—who a year earlier had written the court’s decision permitting segregated schools—declined to interfere. As the hearing was about to end, however, some 50 black Bostonians stormed the courtroom (after Morris had opened the door for them, according to some witnesses), surrounded Wilkins, and carried him off. He was soon reported to be safe in Montreal. President Millard Fillmore issued a proclamation calling for the arrest of “all persons, who shall have made themselves aiders and abettors in this flagitious offence.” Morris and several others were tried and found guilty, only to be freed on a technicality. In November, Morris was retried and acquitted. At this point the federal government despaired of finding an impartial jury. No one was ever convicted for assisting Wilkins. While the Wilkins rescue encouraged black fugitives, and potential fugitives, by showing that they had sympathizers in the North, it also reinforced the belief of white Southerners that they had been swindled with an unenforceable law in the Compromise of 1850. By serving the cause of freedom, this and other fugitive-slave rescues took the nation one step farther down the road to eventual dissolution.

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1. Why use this guide? This guide will help you to find records held at The National Archives, which can be used to trace the service of soldiers who served in the British Army between around 1730 and 1898 but who were not discharged to pension. These records are known as muster rolls, pay lists and description books. For more information on this subject see the Militia research guide. 2. Essential information 2.1 What were muster rolls? Regimental musters, from the early 18th century onwards, were taken every month or quarter (frequency varied over the years) for pay and accounting purposes. They, along with pay lists, were effectively the main everyday service records kept by the army of men in active service. 2.2 What information do they contain? Muster rolls and pay lists give the enlistment date, movements and discharge date of all soldiers in the British Army. From 1868 to 1883 musters may also contain lists of 'men becoming non-effective', found at the end of each quarter (or the beginning for regiments stationed in India) which give a man's birthplace, along with his trade and date of death or discharge. However, these quarterly lists are not always present. From about 1868 musters may also include Marriage Rolls giving details of children and wives occupying married quarters. 2.3 What do you need to conduct a search? To trace a man's army career by way of the musters, you will have to know the name of his regiment. 3. How to search for musters and pay lists c. 1730-1878 The musters are bound together in annual volumes for each regiment and are held in the War Office (WO) series, listed below. Each series is searchable in Discovery, our catalogue. Search by name of regiment and specify the appropriate record series from the table below. To view the muster roll or pay list itself you will need to order the original document. The first entry for a recruit in a muster book usually gives his age, place of enlistment and trade. |Type||Date range||Description||Record series| |General Series||1732-1878||Household troops, cavalry, guards, regular infantry, special regiments and corps, colonial troops, foreign legions and regiments, and regimental, brigade and other depots.||WO 12| |Artillery||1708-1878||WO 10, WO 69, WO 54| |Engineers||1816-1878||From 1816 to 1856, the musters are principally of the Royal Corps of Sappers and Miners, and list only NCOs and other ranks. The two merged in 1856, as the Royal Engineers.||WO 11, WO 54| |Militia and Volunteers||1780-1878||WO 13, WO 68| |Crimean War||1854-1856||British troops sent to the Scutari Depot||WO 14| Records of some soldiers' children may be found among the papers of the Duke of York's School and the Royal Hibernian School in WO 143, from 1801. 4. How to search for musters and pay lists 1878-1898 From 1878 to 1898, all muster rolls and pay lists are in WO 16. From 1888 onwards, the series contains only muster rolls, there are no longer any pay lists and by 1898 muster rolls were no longer kept by the War Office either. There are some difficulties in using WO 16, caused by the reorganisation of the Army in 1881. 4.1 Reorganisation of the Army: the Cardwell reforms The Cardwell reforms of 1881 led to major changes within infantry (foot) regiments: - Infantry regiments, which had been known by numbers (for example, 28th Foot), were to become known by a title - Regiments from the 26th Foot onwards were paired together to form new regiments (for example, the 28th Foot and the 61st Foot became the Gloucester Regiment) - Each 'new' regiment was to have two battalions, as the first 25 Foot regiments already did - The lower number became the 1st battalion and the higher number became the 2nd battalion (thus, the 28th Foot and the 61st Foor became the 1st and 2nd Battalions respectively of the Gloucester Regiment) - All infantry regiments were placed into numbered regimental districts 4.2 Searching WO 16 The arrangement of WO 16 reflects the reorganisation of the army following the Cardwell reforms. If you are working backwards through the musters, you may need to find the previous regimental number of a 2nd battalion. To do this, you should consult the Army List. Each volume of the Army List has an alphabetical list of regiments: find the title of the regiment, and turn to the page indicated which lists the various designations over time of its component parts. You may also need to know the relevant regimental district numbers, a key to which can be found in the record summary of WO 16. 5. How to find description books These give a description of each soldier, his age, place of birth, trade and service, and are in WO 25/266-688, which can be searched by regiment in our catalogue. The books themselves are in alphabetical order of soldiers' names. The overall dates are 1756 to 1900, but for most regiments there are volumes for the first half of the nineteenth century only. Similar description books for depots, 1768 to 1908, are in WO 67. There are also description books for the Royal Artillery, 1749-1863 and 1773-1876, in WO 54/260-309 and WO 69/74-80, respectively, and for the Royal Irish Artillery, 1756-1774, in WO 69/620. Description books of sappers, miners, artificers and the like, 1756-1833, are in WO 54/310-316. 6. The British Foreign Legion 1854-1856 During the Crimean War, men were recruited abroad to form the British German Legion, the British Italian Legion, and the British Swiss Legion. These forces were formed as a result of the Enlistment of Foreigners Act 1854 and they became known collectively as the British Foreign Legion. A total of 14,000 men were recruited, although none saw active service: they were disbanded after the war. The musters, service records and attestation papers of the German and Swiss Legions are in WO 15, searchable by regiment in our catalogue. Those of the Italian Legion no longer survive. See Mercenaries for the Crimea by CC Bayley (London, 1977). 7. Further reading Mustor (muster) books and pay lists: General series: Cavalry (Swift, 1984) Amanda Bevan, Tracing your Ancestors in the The National Archives (The National Archives, 2006) - Available to buy J Gibson and M Medlycott, Militia lists and musters, 1757 - 1876: a directory of holdings in the British Isles (Federation of Family History Societies, 2004) William Spencer, Army Records: A guide for family historians (The National Archives, 2008) - Available to buy William Spencer, Records of the Militia and Volunteer Forces 1757-1945 (Public Record Office, 1997)

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Nikita Khrushchev's shoe-banging incident allegedly occurred at some point in autumn 1960 (on 23 or 29 September, or on 12 or 13 October) during the 902nd Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly held at the United Nations. Some sources claim Khruschev pounded his shoe on his delegate-desk in protest of a speech by Philippine delegate Lorenzo Sumulong. Others argue Khrushchev was responding to the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. Though all parties are in agreement that Khrushchev was enraged by both Sumulong's and Macmillan's speeches, and loudly denounced them, there are no photographic or video records of the incident available. There is at least one fake photographic depiction of the incident, where a shoe was added into an existing photograph. Description of incident with Sumulong During the meeting, head of the Filipino delegation Lorenzo Sumulong referred to "the peoples of Eastern Europe and elsewhere which have been deprived of the free exercise of their civil and political rights and which have been swallowed up, so to speak, by the Soviet Union". Upon hearing this, Khrushchev quickly came to the rostrum, being recognized on a Point of Order. There he demonstratively, in a theatrical manner, brushed Sumulong aside, with an upward motion of his right arm — without physically touching him — and began a lengthy denunciation of Sumulong, branding him (among other things) as "a jerk, a stooge, and a lackey", and a "toady of American imperialism" and demanded Assembly President Frederick Boland (Ireland) call Sumulong to order. Boland did caution Sumulong to "avoid wandering out into an argument which is certain to provoke further interventions", but permitted him to continue speaking and sent Khrushchev back to his seat. Khrushchev pounded his fists on his desk in protest as Sumulong continued to speak, and, as some sources claim, at one point picked up his shoe and banged the desk with it. Some other sources report a different order of events: Khrushchev first banged the shoe then went to the rostrum to protest. Sumulong's speech was again interrupted. Another Point of Order was raised by the highly agitated Romanian Foreign Vice-minister Eduard Mezincescu, a member of the Eastern Bloc. Mezincescu gave his own angry denunciation of Sumulong and then turned his anger on Boland, managing to provoke, insult and ignore the Assembly President to such an extent that his microphone was eventually shut off, prompting a chorus of shouts and jeers from the Eastern Bloc delegations. The chaotic scene finally ended when Boland, crimson-faced with frustration, abruptly declared the meeting adjourned and slammed his gavel down so hard he broke it, sending the head flying. Subsequent commentary Khrushchev's granddaughter Nina L. Khrushcheva writes that after years of embarrassed silence her family explained their recollection of the event. According to Nina, Khrushchev was wearing new and tight shoes, so he took them off while sitting. When he started pounding the table with his fist during his angry response his watch fell off. When he was picking it up his discarded shoes caught his eye and he took the opportunity to pick one up and pound the desk with it. She also mentions that multiple versions of the incident have been in circulation, with various dates and occasions. Nina's account is very similar to that of Khrushchev's long-time interpreter, Viktor Sukhodrev, who sat with Khrushchev during the event and reported his boss pounded on his delegate-desk so hard his watch stopped, which only infuriated him further and prompted the switch to the shoe. Nikita Khrushchev in his memoirs mentioned yet another case of shoe-banging. Khrushchev wrote that he was speaking against the Franco regime in strong expressions. A representative of Spain took the floor to reply, and after his speech the delegates from Socialist countries made a lot of noise in protest. Khrushchev wrote: "Remembering reports I have read about the sessions of the State Duma in Russia, I decided to add a little more heat. I took off my shoe and pounded it on desk so that our protest would be louder." The footnote to this text says that Khrushchev's recollections are mistaken. Sergei Khrushchev (Nikita's son) stated that he could not find any photo or video evidence of the incident. Both NBC and CBC ran a search in their archives but were unable to find a tape of the event. In Sergei's opinion it would be very unlikely that Nikita Khrushchev intentionally removed his shoe. There was little space under the desk, and the Soviet leader, being rather obese, couldn't reach his feet. This specific issue was addressed in 2002 by a former UN staffer, who confirmed that Khrushchev could not have spontaneously removed his shoe at his desk, but claimed he had previously lost it after a journalist stepped on it. The UN staffer then retrieved the shoe, wrapped it in a napkin and passed it back to Khrushchev, who was unable to put it back on and had to leave it on the floor next to his desk; the same staffer also confirmed she saw him later bang the shoe on the desk, thus functionally confirming the reports by Nina Khrushcheva and Viktor Sukhodrev. - William J. Tompson (1997). Khrushchev: A Political Life. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0312163600. - David Phillips (2007). On This Day: Volume One. iUniverse. p. 172. ISBN 978-0595462889. - E. Bruce Geelhoed; Anthony O. Edmonds (2003). Eisenhower, Macmillan and Allied Unity 1957-61. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0333642276. - Michele Ingrassia (December 6, 1988). "Krushchev brought chaos to UN in 1960". The Milwaukee Journal. Newsday. p. 87. - William Taubman (2003-07-26). "Did he bang it?: Nikita Khrushchev and the shoe". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-09-28. - Fred Bals (July 15, 2009). "K Blows Top!". Dreamtime. - Frances Romero. "Khrushchev Loses His Cool". Time. Using the fake photo. - "Khrushchev Addressing United Nations General Assembly". Associated Press. The original photo from the AP. - Faisal J. Abbas (December 16, 2008). "Shoe Fetishism...The Arab Way!". The Huffington Post. Using the fake image. - "Хрущев кричал в ООН про кузькину мать, чтобы поглумиться над переводчиками" [Khrushchev was shouting at the UN about the gruel to mock translators] (in Russian). КОМСОМОЛЬСКАЯ ПРАВДА (Komsomolskaya Pravda). March 29, 2004. - Yulia Latynina (October 3, 2008). "Трагические последствия победы" [The Tragic Consequences of Victory] (in Russian). The Daily Journal. Russian oppositional site using the original picture. - Official Records, 15th Session of the UN General Assembly - Other translations exist, see Nina Khrushcheva's article - Amy Janello; Brennon Jones, eds. (1995). A Global Affair: An Inside Look at the United Nations. p. 230. ISBN 1-86064-139-3. - William Taubman; Sergei Khrushchev; Abbott Gleason; David Gehrenbeck (May 2000). Nikita Khrushchev. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-07635-5. - Nina Khrushcheva (2 October 2000). "The case of Khrushchev's shoe". New Statesman. Archived from the original on November 23, 2006. - Sergei Khrushchev (2007). Memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev. Vol. III: Statesman. Penn State Press. p. 269. ISBN 0-271-02935-8. - "А был ли ботинок?" [Was there a shoe?] (in Russian). Izvestia. 2002-08-09. Retrieved 2010-09-28.

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Tuesday 21 May Large heath (Coenonympha tullia) What’s the World’s Favourite Species?Find out here. Large heath fact file - Find out more - Print factsheet Large heath description Adult large heath butterflies always have their wings closed when at rest; males are smoky orange-brown in colour, and females are paler (1). Both sexes have pale brown undersides featuring a creamy white band and a number of eyespots (1). The green caterpillar is around 2.5 centimetres in length and has two white bands along its sides (3). - Wingspan: 3 - 4 cm (1) Large heath biology The flight period occurs between mid-June and early August. The large heath is single-brooded; eggs are laid singly at the base of the foodplant on dead stems. The larvae hibernate when still small, and emerge in March to complete their development (2). Pupae develop towards the end of April or early May and are attached to stems. Adults emerge around a month later (3).Top Large heath range Found in Europe, Asia, Canada and western USA, the large heath has undergone serious declines throughout much of Europe. In Britain, it is largely restricted to Scotland and the far north of England with a few small populations persisting in central and eastern England (2) and north Wales (4).Top Large heath habitat Inhabits wet, boggy habitats such as lowland raised bogs, upland blanket bogs and damp acidic moorland where the main foodplant, hare's tail cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) occurs (2). Abundant sources of the most important adult nectar source, cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix) are also essential (2).Top Large heath status Listed on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with respect to sale only (2).Top Large heath threats Huge losses of suitable habitat have occurred throughout Europe as a result of large-scale drainage works, commercial forestry plantations and peat extraction. Inappropriate habitat management, such as overgrazing, may be degrading once suitable habitat and causing losses (2).Top Large heath conservation Lowland raised bogs and blanket bogs are listed under the EC Habitats Directive, and peatland habitats have been the focus of a number of conservation campaigns. Despite this, peat is still extracted for use in gardens and in horticulture. As large populations of species are more resistant to local extinctions, it is important that large areas of remaining habitats must be conserved and suitable management practices encouraged. Homeowners can help by choosing to use peat-free alternatives in their gardens (2).Top Find out more For more information on the large heath see: - Butterfly Conservation: - Butterfly Conservation's Species Action Plan: - Asher, J., Warren, M., Fox, R., Harding, P., Jeffcoate, G., and Jeffcoate, S. (2001) The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Information authenticated by Butterfly Conservation: - A winter survival strategy characteristic of some mammals in which an animal's metabolic rate slows down and a state of deep sleep is attained. Whilst hibernating, animals survive on stored reserves of fat that they have accumulated in summer. In insects, the correct term for hibernation is 'diapause', a temporary pause in development and growth. Any stage of the lifecycle (eggs, larvae, pupae or adults) may enter diapause, which is typically associated with winter. - Stage in an animal's lifecycle after it hatches from the egg. Larvae are typically very different in appearance to adults; they are able to feed and move around but usually are unable to reproduce. - Stage in an insect's development when huge changes occur, which reorganise the larval form into the adult form. In butterflies the pupa is also called a chrysalis. - Also known as ‘univoltine’. Referring to an organism which has just one brood each year. - Still, J. (1996) Collins Wild Guide: Butterflies and moths of Britain and Europe. HarperCollins Publishers, London. - Asher, J., Warren, M., Fox, R., Harding, P., Jeffcoate, G. and and Jeffcoate, S. (2001) The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland. Oxford University Press, Oxford. - Carter, D.J. and Hargreaves, B. (1986) A Field Guide to Caterpillars of Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Collins, London. - Bourn, N.A.D. and Warren, M.S. (1997) Species Action Plan: Large Heath Coenonympha tullia. Butterfly Conservation, Wareham. Available at: More »Related species Play the Team WILD game MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends. Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials Copyright in this website and materials contained on this website (Material) belongs to Wildscreen or its licensors. 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Contents - Previous - Next This is the old United Nations University website. Visit the new site at http://unu.edu Projects to programmes: An international perspective James Greene and John Kevany The decision to move from a successful project outcome to large-scale programme operations in the prevention of vitamin A deficiency involves detailed consideration of technical, managerial, and financial implications. The comparability of demographic, epidemiological, and service conditions at the project and programme levels must be considered in predicting long-term outcomes; the criteria for problem definition and response measurement must also be consistent. Design changes may be required as the scale is expanded; interventions managed by a single sector at the project level may require multiple-sector inputs at the programme level. Training, supervision, and management requirements are more diverse at the programme level, and operations research has an important role in ensuring consistent service performance under varied conditions. It is concluded that the development of effective software systems at the programme level is central to reproducing the technical effectiveness demonstrated at the project level. Three principal intervention options are available to control and prevent vitamin A deficiency (VITAD): administration of vitamin A supplements (usually mega-dose capsules), fortification of dietary staples at a central or local level, and dietary diversification supported by nutrition education and improvement of the quality of the food supply. With the possible exception of centralized fortification, the options depend in varying degrees on local delivery systems, usually in health, agriculture, education, and commerce. Even in the case of fortification, however, the creation of demand through local systems can have an important role. This is particularly true when fortified and unfortified products compete in the marketplace, or when monopoly production encounters informal competition in the presence of a weak regulatory system. This review focuses particularly on the implications for local delivery systems in the transition from projects to programmes, assuming a distinction between the two kinds of operation based on the general characteristics listed in table 1. TABLE 1. Characteristics of projects and programmes compared |Short-term (3-5 years)||Long-term (10 years-indefinite)| |Small-scale (district/area)||Large-scale (national, regional)| |High unit costs||Low unit costs; high percentage recurrent costs| |Low total cost (extra-budget)||High total cost (compared with project)| |VITAD intervention prioritized||Integrated service activity| |Specific VITAD objectives||Composite health objectives| |Flexibility and innovation||Replication of a defined model| |Special monitoring and evaluation||Integrated reporting| |External funding||National agency budget(s)| Framework for scaling up Specialists in organizational behaviour have defined several basic models for scaling up; two are generally pertinent to this topic. One is an organizational growth model, and the other involves large-scale programme expansion from small pilot projects. Three phases characterize the organizational growth model. The first usually involves building credibility with clients, considerable experimentation, an informal structure, team efforts, and evolution of practices. The second involves consolidation: a definite work pattern and clearly defined roles among team members that emerge from experience. Third is large-scale expansion that brings with it increased managerial demands and a need for functional specialization. Scaling up from small pilot projects, which seems to characterize VITAD interventions, involves decisions on what is to be scaled upproducts, processes, or a combination of both; what key elements require special attention; what changes have to be made for effective expansion; and what resources physical, financial, and humanare required and how they will be made available. When this model runs into trouble, it is frequently due to a failure of strategic management and to mismatches between strategies and the programme environment or between strategies and the processes to implement them. It is possible to look at either scaling-up model as arguably having four reasonably sequential stages that sometimes, and probably often, overlap: a process stage to test whether the proposed intervention will be effective under field conditions; a feasibility stage to determine the likelihood of achieving accepted output/outcome levels; an efficiency stage to establish optimum costs and effectiveness relationships; and, finally, a going-to-scale with the appropriate mix of services and resources. In the process phase, an intervention that has proved efficacious in an experimental setting is tested under field conditions. Such field trials are often initiated by research institutions or groups seeking to demonstrate that experimental findings can be applied successfully in a service context. Their prime function, not unlike field trials in agriculture, is to see whether efficacy can be maintained under general service conditions applied to free-living (and free-choosing) populations. There is an inherent need in design and implementation to minimize the confounding effects of weak delivery systems. Ideally, an effort of this kind should be located in the worst problem area (to demonstrate impact best) with the best delivery system (to ensure that the technical effect can be isolated). These conditions are elusive in practice because health status usually is worst where services are poorest, and vice versa. Choosing the best service conditions to highlight technical effectiveness may therefore reduce the magnitude of the impact because baseline health status is relatively good. Conversely, if the worst health conditions are chosen to display maximum impact, the delivery system may require strengthening in a way that cannot be replicated at the programme level. Regardless of the choice made, field trials tend almost inevitably to optimize delivery systems in the project area, if only in the contexts of better information collection, improved training and management, and stronger motivation to obtain a positive result. They will also frequently add substantial resources to upgrade infrastructure and for staffing, training, supervision, supplies, and logistics, all of which are affordable in the context of a relatively small-scale, short-duration project but may be very costly at the programme level. The main purpose of the second, or feasibility, phase is to identify the operational difficulties and resource constraints likely to be encountered under programme conditions. Feasibility efforts are usually initiated by the agency or agencies that will carry programme responsibility in the longer term. In the case of VITAD control this usually is the department of health, with collaboration from other departments such as agriculture, education, or rural development, singly or combined depending on the strategy. At this stage there is clear recognition of geographic variation in problem severity and in health-service performance at the field level. This raises a different dilemma: choosing a project site that best represents programme conditions and resource requirements as a basis for future planning. Above-average service conditions may conceal a future need for substantial resources to upgrade areas with poor services, and worst-case conditions may exaggerate the inputs required to deliver an effective intervention and so threaten the diversion of scarce resources from other priority activities. Effectiveness and feasibility are not always defined as separate objectives, however. Sometimes the design at these stages reflects an optimistic mix of objectives; that is, it is hoped that the same model will demonstrate or validate effectiveness and at the same time provide useful information about programme requirements. The danger is that such a mixed approach may fail to provide the full range and quality of necessary information, particularly regarding programme requirements. The progression from project-scale activities to full programme operations is therefore viewed differently according to the commitments and expectations of the different participants. Directors of successful effectiveness trials are rewarded by academic and professional recognition and want to know, where do we go from here? Managers, on the other hand, will inherit the strengths and weaknesses indicated by project performance and will be responsible for programme implementation and resource allocation; they want to know, what am I buying, how well will it work on a large scale, and can I afford it? The efficiency stage is where the question of cost-effective workability on a large scale comes into play. It is at this point that operations research is usually required to provide the best relationships among inputs, outputs, and outcomes. Testing different delivery channels and processes becomes virtually essential to ensure the emergence of a good match between the VITAD strategy and its programme context and content. Contents - Previous - Next

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This day is for environmental educators wishing to be a little more adventurous with creative play structures at their sites, building them out of wood and rope and combining these with the natural features at your site. We will be sharing techniques and know-how on building safe but slightly risky structures with children that can enhance creativity and physical play at your forest school site. We will be looking at techniques for making: - Rope swings, rope bridges, rope crawls and rope walks - Combining wood with rope including simple rope ladders and tree houses - Making free standing wooden structures such as ladders and sculptures to climb on We will be including throughout the day tips on: - How to minimise impact of structures on Forest School sites - Keeping within the health and safety guidelines for safe construction and use of natural structures

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Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Truman shared two things in common — their philosophical belief on the role of government in economic activity and their participation in the mass murder of millions of innocent people. All of them believed that government should own or control the means or results of production. Thus, each of them helped lead their respective nations down the collectivist road — to Nazism, fascism, the welfare state, the planned economy, the New Deal, and so forth. But the misery and destitution that their economic philosophy brought to the citizenry of their countries were nothing compared to the tremendous evil associated with the holocausts in which these world leaders participated. Hitler’s holocaust, of course, is well known — six million people burned in the Nazi ovens. Less well known is the holocaust in which two million innocent Russians were massacred through the joint participation of the U.S., Great Britain, and Russia. Americans have been taught to believe that World War II was a war of good versus evil. Unfortunately, the analysis is not that simple. For one thing, the U.S. and Great Britain were allied with one of the most evil political regimes in all of history — Stalinist Russia. There is nothing that Hitler and Nazi Germany did that communist Russia did not do. Hitler killed millions of innocent people. So did Stalin. Germany attacked Czechoslovakia and Austria. Russia attacked Finland. Germany invaded Poland. Russia did so at the exact same time. In fact, it is difficult to understand why Great Britain and France declared war only on Germany rather than on both Germany and Russia — both Germany and Russia had engaged in the exact same evils. If France and Great Britain had not declared war on Germany, there is no doubt that Germany and the Soviet Union would have ultimately gone to war against each other. The Nazis hated the communists; and the communists hated the Nazis. With his move into Eastern Europe, Hitler was clearly moving eastward. And the overwhelming evidence is that Stalin was preparing to attack Germany (see the review by Richard M. Ebeling of Icebreaker: Who Started the Second World War? in Freedom Daily, November 1991). So, when Germany finally attacked Russia, the war on the eastern front became one of Nazism versus communism — not exactly a wonderful choice for either Germans or Russians. But for thousands of Russians, anything was better than the mass murderer Joseph Stalin and his communist regime. It would have been virtually impossible to find a Russian family who had not had a friend or relative killed by Stalin’s forces. And political terror existed all across the nation. Thus, thousands of Russian people had nothing but hate for — and fear of — Joseph Stalin and his communist regime. This was the reason that when Germany invaded Russia, thousands of Russians viewed the Germans as liberators rather than as conquerors. When Andrey Vlasov was captured near Leningrad, the Germans knew that they had bagged a big prize. Vlasov was one of Stalin’s most brilliant and courageous generals. The Germans removed Vlasov to a POW camp back in Germany. There, Vlasov met many other Russian POWs. They began talking among themselves about Stalin, communism, the war, and Russia. Most of them shared two things in common — their hatred for Stalin and communism and their love for their country. After much soul-searching, deliberation, and reflection, the Russian POWs persuaded the Germans to permit them to form a Russian army to fight Stalin’s forces. And they elected Andrey Vlasov as their commanding general. Of course, this raises questions with respect to the meaning of patriotism. Were Vlasov and his men patriots or traitors? One might argue that they were traitors because they were opposing their own government during wartime. If that is the test for patriotism, then what about German citizens, like Marlene Dietrich, who opposed Hitler — were they patriots or traitors? Vlasov and his men believed that patriotism meant more than blindly supporting one’s government. Stalin was a mass murderer, they reasoned, who had brought nothing but misery and destitution to the Russian people. Their goal was to eradicate the communist regime and establish an independent and free Russia. Here are excerpts from “The Smolensk Declaration,” issued by Vlasov on December 27, 1942: An appeal by the Russian Committee to the men and officers of the Red Army, to the whole Russian nation, and to the other nations of the Soviet Union. Friends and Brothers! Bolshevism is the enemy of the Russian people. It has brought countless disasters to our country and finally has involved the Russian people in a bloody war waged in other’s interests. This war has brought unheard-of sufferings to our Motherland. Millions of Russians have already paid with their lives for Stalin’s criminal attempts to seize world-wide power to the profit of Anglo-American capitalists. Millions of Russians have been crippled and have lost their ability to work forever. Women, old people and children are dying of cold, starvation and because the work demanded of them is beyond their strength. Hundreds of Russian cities and thousands of villages have been destroyed, blown up and burned on Stalin’s orders. Defeats such as those experienced by the Red Army have never happened before in the history of our country. In spite of the selflessness of the troops and officers and the bravery and self-sacrifice of the Russian people, battle after battle has been lost. The fault lies with the rottenness of the whole of the Bolshevik system, and the incompetence of Stalin and his general staff. At this very moment, when Bolshevism has shown itself to be incapable of organising the country’s defences, Stalin and his clique make use of terror and lying propaganda to drive people to their deaths, for they want to remain in power, at least for a while, regardless of the cost in blood to the Russian people. Stalin’s allies — the British and American capitalists — have betrayed the Russian people. . . . The Russian Committee has set itself the following aims: a. The overthrow of Stalin and his clique, the destruction of Bolshevism. b. The conclusion of an honourable peace with Germany. c. The creation, in friendship with Germany and the other peoples of Europe, of a “New Russia” without Bolsheviks and Capitalists. The Declaration then set forth thirteen specific goals, including the abolition of forced labor; the abolition of collective farms and their return to private ownership; the “re-establishment of commerce, trades and crafts” and “private initiative”; and the “complete dismantling of the regime of terror and the introduction of genuine freedom of religion, conscience, speech, assembly and the press; the guarantee of inviolability of persons and of their homes.” In March 1943, Vlasov published an open letter entitled “Why I decided to fight Bolshevism,” which stated in part the following: Inasmuch as I am calling on all Russian people to fight against Stalin and his clique, to build a “New Russia” without Bolsheviks and Capitalists, I consider it my duty to explain my actions. . . . I am the son of a peasant, and was born in the province of Nizhni Novgorod. . . . During the Civil War, I fought with the Red Army because I believed that the Revolution would give the Russian people land, freedom and happiness. When I became a commander in the Red Army, I lived with the men and their officers — Russian workers, peasants, and members of the intelligentsia, all of them dressed in grey [army issue] overcoats. I knew their thoughts, their worries and problems. I did not lose touch with my family and my village and was familiar with the ways and means of the peasantry. And so I realised that none of those things for which the Russian people had fought during the Civil War had been achieved by Bolshevik victory. I saw what a difficult life a Russian worker led and how the peasant was forcibly driven to join the collective farms. Millions of Russian people disappeared, having been arrested and shot without trial. I saw that everything Russian was being destroyed, that time-servers were being given positions of command in the Red Army, people to whom the interests of the Russian nation were of no importance. . . . From 1938 to 1939 I was in China as military adviser to Chiang Kai-shek. When I returned to the USSR, I saw that during that time the command structure of the army had been destroyed for no reason whatsoever on Stalin’s orders. Thousands of the best officers, including the Marshals of the Red Army, had been arrested and shot or sent to the labour camps to disappear forever. Terror was unleashed not only on the army but on the whole nation. There was no family which was not involved in some way or other. The army was weakened, the terrified nation looked to the future with horror, awaiting the war which Stalin had made inevitable. . . . While I was in the forests and swamps [avoiding capture], I finally came to the conclusion that my duty consisted in calling on the Russian people to fight to overthrow Bolshevik power, to fight for peace for the Russian people, to fight for an end to an unnecessary war being fought for foreign interests which was spilling Russian blood, to fight for the creation of a New Russia, in which every Russian might be happy. . . . I reached the firm conclusion that the tasks facing the German people can be solved in alliance and cooperation with the German people. Of course, the logical question is, how could Vlasov cooperate with the Nazis? After all, Hitler and the Nazis were not any different from Stalin and the communists. Vlasov knew that if he was to help liberate Russia from communist rule, he had no choice but to work with the Germans. His attitude was the same as the American and British toward Stalin and the communists — politics and war sometimes make strange bedfellows. But Vlasov also believed that he could ultimately maneuver the German political leaders into guaranteeing a free and independent Russia. Little did Vlasov and his men know that their attempt to liberate their nation from communist tyranny would ultimately result in one of the worst holocausts in history — this one provided by Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill, and Stalin.

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Helping Your Teen Prepare for the Future There are two questions that all teens ask themselves: Who am I? What do I want to do? As a parent you can help your son or daughter answer these questions. First of all, you can help your son or daughter build his or her own values. You can talk about your values and why they are important. You can expose your son or daughter to a spiritual and religious foundation. Find lots of opportunities to talk about values and character. Start the conversation by asking about something somebody did in a movie or TV show, for example. Second, help your son or daughter identify his or her own goals. Does he or she want to go to college or trade school after high school, or get a job? Is there something your son or daughter loves to do – you can help him or her learn how that could lead to a job in the future. Help your son or daughter set short and long-term goals. Short-term goals could include things like “get good grades this semester” or “take a summer course in design.” Long-term goals can include graduating high school, going to trade school or college, getting a job in a certain field, and getting married. Help your son or daughter understand that the choices he or she makes today can make a difference for their future. Give him or her examples. For example, getting pregnant or getting a girl pregnant could change her or his life forever. On the other hand, getting good grades today means he or she will have lots of choices after high school, and that can mean a better job when he or she grows up. Finally, one of the best ways to help prepare your son or daughter for the future is to make sure he or she knows you love him or her. And be available. Whether you are a mother, father, grandparent, or guardian, whether you are married or single, you need to be available for your child, pre-teen, or teen. And that’s true whether or not your son or daughter lives with you. Go to Enjoying a Good Relationship with Your Son or Daughter to learn more. Reprinted with the permission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Add your own comment Today on Education.com WORKBOOKSMay Workbooks are Here! WE'VE GOT A GREAT ROUND-UP OF ACTIVITIES PERFECT FOR LONG WEEKENDS, STAYCATIONS, VACATIONS ... OR JUST SOME GOOD OLD-FASHIONED FUN!Get Outside! 10 Playful Activities - Kindergarten Sight Words List - The Five Warning Signs of Asperger's Syndrome - What Makes a School Effective? - Child Development Theories - Why is Play Important? Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Creative Development - 10 Fun Activities for Children with Autism - Test Problems: Seven Reasons Why Standardized Tests Are Not Working - Bullying in Schools - A Teacher's Guide to Differentiating Instruction - Steps in the IEP Process

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March 9, 1957 Aleutian Tsunami from the archives to the Catalog of Tsunami in the Hawaiian Islands. World Data Center A- Tsunami U.S. Dept. of Commerce Environmental Science Service Administration Coast and Geodetic Survey, May On March 9, 1957, a great earthquake - the third largest earthquake the 20th century - with a moment magnitude of 8.3 occurred south of the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It generated a destuctive Pacific-wide Earthquake Time, Origin and Epicenter and Magnitude - The earthquake occurred on March 9, 1957, at 14:22 GMT. Its epicenter was at 51.5 North , 175.7 West., south of the Andreanof Islands. The quake's focal depth was less than 33 km. Earthquake Aftershocks - A series of major aftershocks followed the main earthquake. Their epicenters were spread over a very large zone of about 1200 km. Tsunami of March 9, 1957 of March 9, 1957 generated a Pacific-wide tsunami which caused considerable damage at coastal areas in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. It is estimated that the tsunami source area was about 850-900 Aleutian Islands - Near the generating area maximum waves of up to 22.8 meters occurred at the Aleutian island of Unimak, where sheep camps were washed away and docks and a concrete mixer were destroyed. At Atka, another Aleutian island, tsunami waves of up to 9.1 meters destroyed houses and washed away the harbor facility and its oil supply storage tanks. At Chernofski, waves drowned sheep at a sheep ranch. At the island of Adak, waves of about 4 meters destroyed all the structures at the harbor California - At Point Lobos (near Monterey), in California the reported tsunami wave height was 0.6m and two people were swept from rocks along the shoreline. At San Diego, the height of the tsunami wave was 0.2m. The 1957 Tsunami in the Hawaiian Islands Hawaiian Islands suffered by far the greatest damage. Midway Island - There was unusual flooding Tsunami flooding at Kauai - Maximum runup and damage occured at the northern part of the island of Kauai, near Haena point, where the tsunami waves reached heights of 16 m, almost twice the height of the 1946 tsunami. The waves destroyed bridges and sections of Kauai's highways were flooded. Houses were washed out and destroyed at Wainiha and Kalihiwai. A total of 75 homes were destroyed or badly damaged on Kaua'i - twice the number of those damaged by the 1946 tsunami. - Maximum tsunami wave heiht of 23 ft. was reported. Molokai - The tsunami waves with runup heights of more than 14 ft in Kalaupapa smashing the water pipeline. Maui - At Kahului harbor the tsunami induced strong currents and extreme turbulence, Hawaii - At Hilo, the maximum tsunami run-up was 3.9 m. The tsunam flooded the wharf by about two feet and damaged the warehouse and its contents . Numerous buildings along the waterfront were damaged. Coconut Island was covered by 1 m of water and the bridge connecting it to shore, as in 1952, was again destroyed. There was floding along the coastal streets. Fortunately, the 1957 tsunami was nothing like the 1946 tsunami and no lives were lost. Tide Gauge record of the 1957 tsunami at Hilo, Hawaii Elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands - The rest of the Hawaiian islands islands received waves averaging 2 to Total damage in the Hawaiian Islands was estimated at approximately $5 million (in Photographs of tsunami inundating Laie Point , and along Kamehameha Highway at Waiaha Bay on the Island of Oahu (from ITIC and NGDC archives). Cox D.C. and G. Pararas-Carayannis (1976). Catalog of tsunamis in Alaska revised 1976, World Data Center A, NOAA, Boulder, CO, Report SE-1, 43 pp. Dudley, W.C. and M. Lee (1988). Tsunami!. Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Iida, K., D.C. Cox, and G. Pararas-Carayannis (1967). Preliminary catalog of tsunamis occurring in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii Inst. of Geophys., HIG-67-10, University of Hawaii, 131 pp. Johnson, J.M. and K. Satake (1993). Source parameters of the 1957 Aleutian earthquake from tsunami waveforms, Geophys. Res. Lett., 20, 1487-1490. Y. Tanioka, L.J. Ruff, K. Satake, H. Kanamori, and L.R.Sykes (1994). The 1957 great Aleutian earthquake, Pageoph, 142, 3-28. Kanamori, H. (1977). The energy release in great earthquakes, J. Geophys. Res. Lander, J.F. (1996). Alaska 1737-1996, NGDC Key to Geophysical Record Documentation No. 31, NOAA, NESDIS, NGDC, 195 pp. Lander, J. F. and P. A. Lockridge., (1989) United States Tsunamis. Publication 41-2. U.S. Department of Commerce. August . Lander, J.F., P.A. Lockridge, and M.J. Kozuch (1993). Tsunamis Affecting the West Coast of the United States 1806-1992, NGDC Key to Geophysical Record Documentation No. 29, NOAA, NESDIS, NGDC, 242 pp. Salsman, G.G. (1959). The tsunami of March 9, 1957, as recroded at tide stations, C&GS Technical Bulletin #6, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, C&GS, 18 pp. NEW BOOK - THE BIG ONE- The Next Great California Earthquake now available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other major bookstores. It can be also ordered by contacting directly Aston to other Pages OTHER MISCELLANEOUS NON-TECHNICAL WRITINGS 1963-2007 George Pararas-Carayannis / all rights reserved / Information on this site is for viewing and personal information only - protected by copyright. Any unauthorized use or reproduction of material from this site without written permission is prohibited.

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||This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2008)| An appropriation bill or running bill is a legislative motion (bill) which authorizes the government to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending. In most democracies, approval of the legislature is necessary for the government to spend money. In a parliamentary system, the defeat of an appropriation bill in a parliamentary vote generally necessitates either a resignation of a government or the calling of a general election. One of the more famous examples of the defeat of a supply bill occurred in Australia in 1975, when the Senate, which was controlled by the opposition, refused to approve a package of appropriation and loan bills, prompting Governor-General Sir John Kerr to dismiss Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and appoint Malcolm Fraser as caretaker Prime Minister until the next election (where the Fraser government was elected). Appropriation bills by country New Zealand In New Zealand, an Appropriation Bill is the formal name for the annual Act of Parliament which gives legal effect to the Budget, that is, the Government's taxing and spending policies for the forthcoming year (from 1 July to 30 June). Like other bills, it is enacted, following debate, by the House of Representatives, and assented to by the Governor-General. The main Appropriation Bill is traditionally placed before the House for its first reading in May amid considerable media interest, an event known as the introduction of the Budget. An Appropriation Bill is not sent to a select committee, a lengthy process undergone by most bills during which they are scrutinised in detail by the committee, which also receives public submissions relating to the bill. Instead, an expedited process is followed in which the Appropriation Bill essentially goes directly to its second reading for consideration by the committee of the whole House. Royal assent is granted after the formality of a third reading. The main Appropriation Bill is formally called an "Appropriation (Estimates) Bill", or, after assented to, an "Appropriation (Estimates) Act". Supplementary Budgetary legislation in New Zealand includes an annual "Appropriation (Financial Review) Bill", which serves to validate taxation and spending incurred in the previous year which fell outside the previous year's Budget, and "Imprest Supply Bills," typically several in a year, which grant interim authority to the Government to tax and spend. Both Appropriation and Imprest Supply bills fall under the rubric of confidence and supply. A refusal by the House to pass such a Bill conventionally leads to either the resignation of the Government (unlikely, since there is usually no alternative Government immediately available) or to a dissolution of the House and a subsequent general election. United States Under the U.S. presidential system, the support of the Congress for the President's appropriations requests is not necessary for the separately elected President to remain in office, but can severely limit the President's ability to govern effectively. In the United States, two types of legislation are used to spend money. An authorization establishes a program that will later spend the money, but does not necessarily provide any funding. A mandatory program is one that does not need an additional piece of legislation known as an appropriation in order for spending to occur. The authority for spending to occur for the mandatory program is included in the authorization legislation. Social Security benefits are an example of a "mandatory" program. An authorization bill can create programs and make known Congress's intended level of spending for programs that also require an appropriation. What distinguishes a mandatory program from a discretionary program is that after Congress enacts a law creating a mandatory program, the program is permitted to spend funds until the program expires based on a provision in law, or until a subsequent law either terminates the program or reauthorizes it. "Discretionary" programs typically require annual appropriations legislation. An appropriation bill is used to actually provide money to "discretionary" programs. Appropriations are generally done on an annual basis, although multi-year appropriations are occasionally passed. According to the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 8, clause 12), Army appropriations cannot be for more than two years at a time. An annual appropriation requires that the funds appropriated be obligated (spent) by the end of the fiscal year of the appropriation. Once the fiscal year ends, no more money can be spent via the prior year's appropriation. A new appropriation for the new fiscal year must be passed in order for continued spending to occur, or passage of a special appropriations bill known as a continuing resolution, which generally permits continued spending for a short period of time—usually at prior year levels. The Anti-Deficiency Act makes void any attempt to spend money for which there is no current appropriation. According to the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 7, clause 1), all bills relating to revenue, generally tax bills, must originate in the House of Representatives, consistent with the Westminster system requiring all money bills to originate in the lower house which is why the appropriations bills that are enacted begin with "H.R.", indicating a bill that originated in the House. The Constitution also states that the "Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills," so in practice, the Senate and House each drafts and considers its own bill. The Senate then "cuts-and-pastes", substituting the language of its bill of a particular appropriations bill for the language of House bill, then agrees to the bill as amended. See also - Appropriation (law) - Appropriation Act - Money bill - Energy Policy Act of 2005 - U.S. House Committee on Appropriations - U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations - Confidence and supply

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Each Labor Day, a group of physicians — the American College of Occupational and Environmental Health — issues recommendations to improve worker safety and health. This year the "occ docs" target obesity in the workplace. "Millions of Americans are fighting the battle against obesity," says ACOEM. It's a health issue that can kill people, inflate health care costs, and reduce workplace productivity, the group explains. But is anyone listening? Two-thirds of workplace health promotion programs fail, according to a recent Canadian study. In this edition of ISHN's e-newsletter, we ask: What's wrong with wellness? Employees show little interest in wellness activities, for one thing. In a United Kingdom survey, for example, only 13 percent of employees welcomed the idea of 15-minute workplace exercise workouts. And despite the highly publicized battle of the bulge, only one in ten backed a ban on the sale of high fat snacks, drinks and candy at work. That's no surprise, really. Many of us aren't interested in moving muscles much. One in four Americans get no exercise at all, according to the article, "Why are we so fat?" in the August, 2004 issue of National Geographic. More than two-thirds of us don't get the recommended exercise minimum of 30 minutes a day, most days a week. But we do like to eat. Adult women eat 335 more calories per day than they did in 1971; adult men put away 168 more calories. "Super size me," goes the title of a documentary on jumbo fast food servings. A bucket of megaplex buttered popcorn packs 1,700 calories today versus the 174 calories of movie popcorn common in the 1950s. An order of McDonald's fries in 1955 totaled 210 calories; today it comes in a cardboard crate with 610 calories. One of three Americans is obese in 2004, twice as many as three decades ago. Obesity is an epidemic, declares the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Taking the health risk further, 64 percent of Americans are overweight. Putting on excess pounds is associated with 400,000 deaths a year, and increased odds of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon and breast cancers, according to the National Geographic cover story. "Ghastly." That's wellness pioneer Don Ardell's description of our current health status. Most people are overstressed, overweight, underfit and have given in to poor diets, he says in an interview published by the Wellness Councils of America. Ardell sees two problems: we expect too much from modern medicine, and too little of ourselves. Maybe that's a reason why only two percent of employees surveyed earlier this year reported participating in a workplace weight-management program, according to the American Association of Occupational Health. OFF THE RADAR Here's the second problem: Most CEOs don't see employee health status as a problem. "In smaller and medium-sized companies, health promotion isn't even on the radar," says Steven Aldana, a Brigham Young University health researcher, in an interview published earlier this year by the Wellness Councils of America. To be sure, about 95 percent of companies with more than 200 employees and about a third of smaller ones offer some kind of program to improve worker health, according to an article in The Washington Post. But most wellness programs are passive and reactive — just like many traditional safety programs. Maybe health tips are posted on bulletin boards next to safety posters. Or behavior modification is tried on employees after health risks are evident — smoking, high blood pressure or weight problems. Also, most wellness programs are small-scale. Individual health behaviors get the attention, rather than the organizational issues — work conditions, deadlines and schedules, job content, coworker and supervisor relations and financial rewards — that can contribute to job stress and absenteeism, says Vancouver health consultant Graham Lowe in a recent report, "Health Workplace Strategies." And most programs don't take wellness out of the classroom. To help employees manage weight problems, 38 percent of employers bring in health and wellness experts for visits and 16 percent offer a health series or seminar, according to the AAOHN survey. Lectures and newsletters is not what Don Ardell had in mind when he started promoting wellness in the 1970s. Wellness is a mindset, a philosophy, and most critically "a choice to assume responsibility for the quality of your life," he says in the WELCOA interview. Wellness programs fail for some of the same reasons safety programs often don't extend beyond OSHA compliance minimums. 1) Where's the business case? Wellness benefits are hard to measure. You need to collect and interpret huge amounts of data over time. Some costs, such as health care utilization and absenteeism, are easy to document. Others, such as the impact of having sick workers show up for work but perform below par, are not. "We all know that workers are more productive and happier when they are healthy, but it's just difficult to prove, " said Dr. Desiree Backman, manager of a California health promotion campaign, in an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune. 2) Give me the quick fix. Execs want fast bottom line payoffs. But it takes up to 20 years for health promotion to deliver significant health care cost savings. 3) Blame the victim. It's less costly and less complicated to zero in on unhealthy employee behavior — rather than long shifts and tight deadlines that could lead to distress and unhealthy coping. Employees get the message. Some resent it: Don't tell me how to live my life. 4) What, me worry? Why think about health consequences you might pay for 20, 30, 40 years down the line? It won't happen to me, at least not today. So how about another Krispy Kreme? 5) Personal responsibility is a tough sell. Wellness requires a conscious decision to commit to self-responsibility, says Don Ardell. But 75 percent of employees recently surveyed in Michigan feel it's their employer's responsibility to promote wellness and healthy living practices, according to St. John's Health. If some of the obstacles that wellness and safety face are the same, so are the strategies to build support. Find a champion. Someone high up in the organization who values fitness and healthy living. Someone who has the connections to spread the message and secure funding. How athletic is your CEO? Like safety, an organization's commitment to wellness often depends on the values of a handful of people in high places. Values are probably even more crucial to wellness, since it isn't driven by OSHA-like compliance mandates. Start small and don't force it. Don't suddenly ban Twinkies in the cafeteria and tempt a protest rally. Slip in subtle healthy choices. Bottled water in vending machines. Granola bars mixed in with morning doughnuts. Gym memberships. Walking paths and bike racks. Screenings for cholesterol, body fat, glucose, blood pressure and osteopororsis. Have fun with it. Johnson Financial Group in Racine, Wisconsin, was losing participation with traditional fitness challenge teams, so it challenged employees to do something they do every day: walking. Employees track the number of steps they take each day with a pedometer attached to their waist. Out of 984 employees, 563 have signed up. The goal is to walk 825 miles, the distance from the Johnson building in Racine to six different Johnson Bank locations in Wisconsin. Make it easy. Security Federal Credit Union in Flint, Michigan, set up a series of lunch hour seminars on nutrition and stress management. Employees chip in a dollar to help cover the cost of the meal. Bosses are encouraged to attend. "We hope to show them how to relieve stress without shifting work to other employees," an instructor told the Flint Journal. Dave Johnson is the ISHN E-News editor. He can be reached at email@example.com, (610) 666-0261; fax (610) 666-1906. This valuable resource gives you word-for-word regulations for EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act along with information on hazwaste topics including: You’ll also get summaries of proposed regs and federal and state agency address information. Now you can get J. J. Keller’s Hazardous Waste Guide – packed with over 1,000 pages of must-have regulatory information – absolutely FREE! Visit www.jjkeller.com/hazwaste today to get your free guide … a $189 value! Join 3E for a free, educational Web Seminar – A DOT Regulatory Update – part of the 3E HazMat Management Web Seminar series. Technical Specialist, Jacki Burns, will instruct participants on changes in regulations that are applicable to companies transporting hazmat including: When: Thursday, September 23, 2004 Time: 9:00 am Pacific, 11 am Central, 12 pm Eastern Cost: No Cost How: Internet (for both audio and visual) Register here (http://www.3ecompany.com/HazMat_News_Events/eh_s_events.asp?eventtype=WebSeminars") or call today 1-800-346-6737 Jot down the Web address for yourself, or pass it on to a friend who might be job hunting — www.nexsteps.org Visit Nexsteps today for the best in EH&S job listings from the nation's premiere safety and health organization. Some of our featured speakers are: Aubrey Daniels - Aubrey Daniels International, Scott Geller - Safety Performance Solutions, Don Little - Liberty Mutual, Rixio Medina - U.S. Chemical Safety Board, Terry McSween - Quality Safety Edge, Jim Spigener - Behavioral Science Technology, just to name a few. The two-day conference includes keynote presentations, break-out sessions and many case studies relating to Behavioral Based Safety. We also offer a selection of pre-conference workshops. We are very excited about the quality of our 2004 conference and we hope to see you there! Check out the Behavioral Safety NOW web site for all of the conference details and to register at www.behavioralsafetynow.com. See you in Reno!! This book will not only help you to understand the four cycles of change but will allow you to engage champions for change who will want to make the evolution toward safety excellence a reality in your organization. This book will make any reader believe that positive change is possible. It also highlights the eight most critical components of safety culture change. The Safety Coach® Says … is in story form — and its four main characters will engage and entertain you, as well as your future champions of change. Forward by Dave Johnson, Editor, Industrial Safety & Hygiene News. Item #SC008-BK Orders can be made by visiting: www.davidsarkus.com/estore_book.html. Single book orders are $19.95 + $5.00 for shipping and handling. For bulk orders please phone: 1-800-240-4601 Among the books you'll find: Shakespeare need not apply, but ISHN is looking for authors to publish short articles (1,000 words) in our monthly issues. Topics include: safety success stories, close calls and personal experiences, training tips, use of software, engineering controls (machine guards, lockout-tagout), gas detection and air monitoring, confined space safety, personal protective equipment, and OSHA compliance issues. If any of these topics interest you — or if you have other ideas — e-mail editor Dave Johnson at firstname.lastname@example.org We will also consider articles you’ve already written but not submitted to any safety magazine.

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To walk thoughtfully around the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park is to be asked to delve into a story of unspeakable horror that took place right in New York City’s waters during the Revolutionary War. It’s a story that many of us in the 21st century do not know or one that we neglect. But look into books, journals and diaries, online summaries, and historic newspapers and the story is there. The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, sitting on high ground atop Fort Greene Park, honors the patriotic soldiers, sailors, indentured servants, and others who perished in the inhumane conditions aboard floating prisons. It’s far more than a fancy granite memorial. It’s one of New York’s few places where you can come into contact, in a real physical way, with the reality and sacrifice of the Revolutionary War, with tangible evidence that everyday people suffered terribly and lost their lives. The British government consigned thousands of prisoners to ships around New York during the years of the Revolutionary War that the British occupied the city, from 1776 to 1783. The captives’ suffering was immense and horrible beyond comprehension. Writing of his imprisonment aboard the British ship Jersey, Capt. Thomas Dring observed “that among the emaciated crowd of living skeletons who had remained on board for any length of time, the cook was the only person who appeared to have much flesh upon his bones.” Those who somehow survived recalled receiving very little food. For a meal, they might have gotten only a hard biscuit full of worms and oil, a tiny bit of oatmeal, or a scant ounce of rotted meat. One prisoner, Ebenezer Fox, told of prisoners learning to pound the biscuits sharply on the ship’s deck to dislodge the worms, according to Forgotten Patriots: The Untold Story of American Prisoners During the Revolutionary War. Another remembered when he and other prisoners received the severed heads of sheep, which they crushed and mixed with water and a small bit of oatmeal to make a broth. Edwin G. Burrows’ Forgotten Patriots captures the appalling conditions and death on the prison ships: The British confined prisoners to the lower decks that were often so crowded they had no room to lie down to sleep or anywhere to sit. Guards often beat or terrorized prisoners. Aboard the Jersey, the captives fought “like wild beasts” to get near the ship’s small openings so that they could breathe. The stench was intolerable. The water they drank was putrid. In such unsanitary, befouled, and close conditions and without proper food or water, thousands came down with typhus, dysentery, small pox, yellow fever, and other illnesses and died. The death toll from starvation, lack of water, disease, extreme heat or cold, and overcrowding was extremely high. More than 11,500 men and women died aboard the prison ships, which were primarily moored in Wallabout Bay, a small inlet that now abuts the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Today, it’s difficult to grasp the extent of wartime horror that occurred in New York, in a small bay on the Brooklyn side of the East River. New York – which has been built over countless times – retains little physical evidence and atmosphere of the war and the colonial era compared with Boston and Philadelphia. Bones Washing Ashore The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument is a hallowed place in a city that has layered over so much of its past. Calling it a “lost monument to a forgotten cause,” author Eric Nash, in New York’s 50 Best Secret Architectural Treasures, notes that the Revolutionary War has been “reduced to images such as General Washington at Valley Forge or crossing the Delaware.” Here, beneath a thick, mammoth Doric column rising 149 feet lays a crypt with 20 coffin-shaped boxes that hold the bone fragments of thousands of the prison ship captives. This is sacred ground. Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, Fort Greene Park Base of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument That the bone fragments found a final resting place here is a tribute to caring New Yorkers in the years after the Revolutionary War and in the 19th century. When prisoners died on the ships, those who held them captive threw their bodies overboard or buried them in the marshes along the shore. For many years, the prisoners’ bones washed up on the shores of Brooklyn and Long Island, and conscientious citizens who collected them sought to make sure there would be a permanent resting place for the remains. In 1808, the fragments were buried in a memorial near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. During subsequent decades, this site fell into disrepair. Ultimately, in 1873, the prisoners’ remains were moved and interred in a vault at the current site in Fort Greene Park (then known as Washington Park). Still, those who cared about the sacrifices and heroism of the prison ships’ dead persisted in efforts to get a permanent memorial. Finally, in the early 20th century, after the Prison Ship Martyrs Association had raised thousands of dollars, Congress approved funds for the monument, to be matched by the city and state. In what would be architect Stanford White’s final project before his death, the architects McKim, Mead, and White designed the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. It was dedicated in 1908 in a ceremony attended by President-Elect William Howard Taft, some 20,000 spectators, and 15,000 soldiers, according to the Brooklyn Eagle. The monument is stately, grand, solemn, and peaceful. The best way to take it in is by walking up from the first of its three wide granite staircases, each about 30-yards-wide and containing 33 steps. As one ascends the third flight of steps, a wide plaza and the massive Doric column come into view. The column, the tallest freestanding Doric column in the world when it was constructed, is topped by a bronze urn. Four 300-pound eagles are situated at the corners of the terrace. The word “expanse” came to mind as I walked quietly. After walking silently around it, I read the plaque affixed by the Society of Old Brooklynites that tells of soldiers and sailors who “endured untold suffering” on the ships and I looked down at the base and crypt, thinking of the remains buried within. Nearby, a child played on a scooter, a man practiced yoga, a boy glided by on a skateboard, three teens were engaged in perky chatting, and a father wheeled his baby in a stroller. In the midst of life, of play, of serenity, of chatter is a remembrance of death, of lives given in a cause hundreds of years ago. Their lives came to a horrifying end. A “Pestiferous Shell” Encountering this place makes what the men and women who died in the Revolutionary War did suddenly become real. It’s not some stereotyped image of men in three-cornered hats or women in colonial garb in a history book. It also renders a vivid sense of New York City under martial law during the American Revolution, occupied by the British forces. It was a place that many thousands had fled, where people were held in makeshift prisons not only on ships but in churches, sugar houses, and the King’s College building. It rapidly became a city of rampant infection and disorder, a “half-ruined, pestiferous shell” by September, 1776, as author Burrows terms it. New York held the bulk of American captives during the Revolutionary War, according to Burrows. As word spread about the conditions, the harsh treatment of prisoners only served to stiffen the spine of the resistance to British rule. On the prison ships, the soldiers and sailors could have escaped torment and stayed alive by swearing allegiance to the British crown and enlisting in the British forces. Few made this choice. It strikes me that I owe them an incalculable debt. Watching people going about their day around the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, I couldn’t help but wonder how many know of the entombment and of the story of the brave souls here. It’s a part of our history that isn’t told often enough or is neglected. Yet, like Arlington and Gettysburg, this place makes it clear just how dear our freedom is – especially when it came at the cost of thousands of lives. To find out more about the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument and Fort Greene Park, also see:

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Better living through chemistry The chemistry of mind-altering drugs: history, pharmacology and Daniel M Perrine Washington: American Chemical Society 1996 Ppx+480, $39.95, ISBN 0 8412 3253 9 One of the many badges popular in the late 1960s reproduced a well-known motto of E I DuPont: 'Better things for better living through chemistry'. Although the actual chemicals the hippies referred to were quite different from those intended by the old industrialist, their basic philosophy was the same. All human problems, whether material or internal, could be solved by the appliance of science. Mind-altering, or psychoactive, drugs are many and varied in both effect and social standing. But whether legal and freely available, legal but at least nominally controlled by prescription, or damned as having little or no medicinal use and subject to tight legal control, they are generally used for the same fundamental purpose - to provide a quick-fix solution to problems physical, spiritual or emotional. In a technological society, what is there to object to in that? The defining factor in judging which psychoactive drugs are made illegal is their tendency or potential for abuse. It would perhaps be cynical to say that the drugs which are prohibited are the ones that people actually want to take, but the scheduling or classification of psychoactive substances can barely withstand rational scrutiny. It is a well-worn argument that the three most commonly used drugs, alcohol, caffeine and nicotine, are only legal by historical precedent and current economics. Nicotine is the most addictive drug known, more so than smoked methamphetamine or crack cocaine, while caffeine is the only known drug that causes laboratory rats to attack each other or mutilate themselves. Marijuana, the most commonly used illegal drug, compares favourably with alcohol in terms of health, and would certainly have fewer disruptive social effects. However, its association with perceived 'undesirables' means that it is generally forbidden even for medical use, despite proven results against nausea, glaucoma and spasticity. In the US, marijuana is a Schedule I drug with no accepted medical use, although its active ingredient, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is available as the Schedule II Marinol. Meanwhile, the use of marijuana in the UK at least is so common, indeed almost ubiquitous, that its decriminalisation seems only a matter Aldous Huxley's Brave new world postulated the ultimate technological society, where all personal problems could be solved by a dose of 'Soma', a visionary chemical to produce 'sane men, obedient men, stable in their contentment'. Legal, socially-accepted marijuana could be one step towards that world, for better or for worse, but any further steps would have to be led by the pharmaceutical industry. The industry has certainly been responsible for the synthesis and initial promotion of many of the 'recreational' psychoactives. Heroin was marketed by Bayer in the 1890s as a 'heroic' non-addictive alternative to morphine; amphetamine was popularised by Smith Kline and French in the 1920s; LSD was famously isolated by Albert Hofmann of Sandoz; MDMA, or ecstasy, was patented by Merck in 1912; PCP and ketamine, both of which can have deeply grim consequences when used recklessly, were developed by Parke-Davis as anaesthetics. Of course, these companies are no more to blame for abuse of these substances than Gottlieb Daimler is to blame for every road death, although in the increasingly litigious US they might be advised to start preparing their damages funds now. But if a perfect Soma-like drug, delivering instant harmless bliss in tablet form, were developed, would and should the pharmaceutical industry get involved? If the drug was medically harmless, it would be hard to justify banning it on grounds of potential for abuse. And, in a free market, the profits could be staggering. Dave Nicholls, professor of medicinal chemistry at Purdue University, has said that most pharmaceutical companies would be quite willing to market LSD-like psychedelic drugs, if only they were sure of a market of at least USD300M/a. Professor Marshall Marinker, a leading healthcare consultant, recently looked forward to pharmaceutical companies developing 'safe and highly targeted psychotropics', noting that 'these may be not only therapeutic, but recreational.' But what of the human effect of the widespread use of mind-altering substances, approved and controlled by the highest social powers? As the logical extension of the quest for a technological solution to every human problem, it would certainly not be the end of society as we now it. Whether or not a total dependence on quick-fix technological solutions to deeper human problems would be a good thing or not is a matter for politics or philosophy rather than science. Anyone involved in the continuing debate about the use and effects of mind-altering drugs, whatever position they may take, would do well to read Perrine's excellent book. It belongs to the currently unfashionable genre of descriptive chemistry, grouping its subjects into six loose categories: opium and the opiates; depressants; stimulants; antipsychotics and antidepressants; psychedelics; and dissociatives and cannabinoids. The molecular structure and pharmacological action of each drug is described, and this is supplemented by a wealth of historical, anthropological and literary material, putting the chemistry firmly in a human context. Indeed, I would be very surprised if there is any other serious chemistry textbook with quite so many references to the works of the late William S Burroughs. This cornucopia of often arcane information, combined with a lucid writing style, makes the book a delight to read. This would be the perfect book to interest the intelligent but reluctant student in many areas of organic chemistry. The first chapter introduces concepts of neurology and pharmacology, and there is a lengthy appendix detailing the basics of organic structure. Synthesis methods are given for many of the drugs, but not in enough detail to allow the average student to start his own production line. My only criticism would be of the small bias towards patterns of drug abuse in the US. While there are full details of the dextromethorphan-slurping 'Robo weekends' popular in US college circles, for example, there is nothing on the abuse of the short-acting benzodiazepine temazepam in mainly Scottish heroin users - a phenomenon that has led some observers to dub temazepam 'the cure for being Glaswegian'. Such quibbles aside, I would unreservedly recommend this book to anyone interested in psychoactive substances, whether researcher, legislator, student or user. And please note that none of those categories are necessarily exclusive. Tim Chapman is a journalist and writer with a purely intellectual interest in the sociology and psychology of drug use. Return to main page 5 Jan 1998

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In his paper, "Underwater Women in Shakespeare Films," Charles Ross looks at the film tradition of representing the social oppression of women by scenes submersion, a trope that has its literary roots in the classics, the French Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the novel. Ross argues that unlike classic directors such as Kurosawa, Kozintsev, and Polanski, modern filmmakers not only like to enhance the female body, but also to draw on this trope as a cinematic shorthand to symbolize the oppression of women by various forces. Hollywood films made in the 1990s often go overboard in their attempts to make women wet in the movies. Jane Campion's The Piano probably influenced Kenneth Branagh and Michael Almereyda, which soak Ophelia perhaps more than is necessary. Despite pandering to his audience, Baz Luhrmann obtains some significant effects by putting both Romeo and Juliet underwater, while Julie Taymor's Titus also uses and overcomes the convention. "Underwater Women in Shakespeare Films." CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture This text has been blind peer reviewed by 2+1 experts in the field. The above text, published by Purdue University Press ©Purdue University, has been downloaded 1777 times as of 05/12/13. Note: the download counts of the journal's material are since Issue 9.1 (March 2007), since the journal's format in pdf (instead of in html 1999-2007). CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture is published by Purdue University Press ©Purdue University in open access. Please support the journal: Click here for more information and to make your donation online.

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You can use the teaching and learning outcomes in each phase to support your unit planning and help you plan for the children's learning across the unit. The teaching sequences model good practice. You will need to tailor and develop this unit to match the needs of your pupils and the curriculum of your school. - Phase 1: Familiarisation Around four days Prior to teaching the unit, whole-class collections of fantasy or science fiction texts are established to support independent reading for pleasure. Texts could include films, comics, picture books, television programmes and written texts. One particular text could be chosen as the whole-class novel for children to experience how a narrative builds over a period of time. - As a whole class, read, share and discuss different fantasy or science fiction texts. Investigate the themes of the narratives and identify the key elements of the narrative structure using an interactive whiteboard (IWB) to create a framework for a story skeleton plan. The framework can be printed out as a template plan for children later in the unit. - Compare and contrast settings from the texts. Display the text using the IWB and use the IWB tools to highlight how the author created mood and atmosphere. Note the findings on the IWB setting and atmosphere comparison grid. - Children read descriptions of other fantasy settings to identify and discuss the atmosphere evoked. Children compare the settings to find common techniques for creating different atmospheres and highlight evidence in the text. - During the plenary, collate children's findings on the IWB grid to decide which atmospheres are most commonly associated with which settings. - In shared reading, return to the IWB comparison grid. Explain that, for children's writing to be successful, the atmosphere of the setting influence the characters' reactions. Different characters may react in different ways. Revisit the texts from previous sessions and model how to highlight evidence that illustrates how the author has communicated to the reader the thinking and feelings of different characters, for example, descriptions of their facial expressions, body posture, speech and behaviour. - Divide children into groups. Each group focuses on one of the texts used in the previous sessions. Ask each child in a group to focus on one particular character, for example, the main character or the main character's best friend. Children locate and highlight evidence in the texts that demonstrates how the author has shown what a character is thinking and feeling in response to a setting. - During the plenary, explore the range of responses displayed by characters, using the emotional response scale on the IWB. Identify the range of reactions displayed by characters in response to a setting and record the findings on the comparison grid. Children can express opinions about an author's intended impact on a reader. - Phase 2: Capturing ideas and planning Around seven days A range of photographs is needed to create children's fantasy settings using photo editing software. Children could source the images on the Internet or take their own digital photographs using the local environment. - Remind children about the need to have settings that create a particular atmosphere. Explain that children are going to use the filters and cutting tool in photo editing software to create their own fantasy settings to support their writing. Model how to add filters to a photograph of a landscape. Experiment with the filters and discuss how, for example, changing the colour saturation can make the image appear warm and welcoming or cold and hostile. Save the different examples of enhanced images in a central folder for children to access later. - Arrange children into pairs. Ask them to take four of the images they have sourced and alter the images using the software program. Children keep notes of the filters or effects they have used to create particular atmospheres so that the process can be repeated at a later date or shared with peers. Ask children to save the images in a central folder using an appropriate word to describe the atmosphere of the image. - During the plenary, ask each group to choose one image to share with the rest of the class. From their notes the group describe which filters were used and what atmosphere these are intended to communicate to a reader. Other members of the class can provide feedback on the effectiveness of the filters used. Time will be needed to enable children to make adjustments to their images in response to the feedback. - In the shared session, project one of the images made in the previous session onto the IWB. Ask children to refer back to the notes made during reading about characters' responses to settings. Discuss how the image could make the characters feel and decide on appropriate facial gestures and body postures to reflect their inner thoughts. Freeze-frame children in front of the images showing various responses to the settings. Take digital photographs of the freeze-frames to record the ideas and for later use to support children's writing. - Return to the story skeleton plan on the IWB created in phase 1. Insert onto the page the four altered images of fantasy settings made in phase 2 and discuss which of the four settings would be most suitable at different stages in the story. Experiment with the order of the images, alternating threatening environments with calmer places of safety. Explain to children how alternating the setting in this way gives the reader a period of rest and increases the impact of the next dramatic encounter. - Each group repeats the ordering process with their own images. Encourage children to copy and paste the images into different orders so that the different alternatives can be kept for future reference and to enable discussion and comparison. - Encourage the children to critically reflect on the different order of their images to assess which sequence of settings would have the most impact on a reader, creating the feeling of tension followed by a breathing space. - Use modelled and shared teaching approaches to demonstrate how to use the planner and the image sequences as a support for telling an oral version of a fantasy narrative. Small-world role-play figures could be used to provide a stimulus for the main characters. Remind children that each box on the story planner will be equivalent to one paragraph of their final narrative. - Children follow the example set in the shared session and work in pairs or small groups to re-tell their narratives. Encourage children to use appropriate language to describe the characters' reactions to the settings and to develop the narrative in paragraphs using the boxes as a support to structure their ideas. - Ask children to add brief notes to their paragraph planner to remind them of ideas gained from the oral storytelling. - To extend the use of adverbs and conjunctions within paragraphs, use the original text examples and identify key words and phrases used by the authors. Use the IWB to create a word bank. Drag and drop words onto the planner and model how to include the words in a second oral draft of the narrative. Keep the word bank on display to support children in adding appropriate adverbs and conjunctions to their own plans. Children then perform their second oral draft with their peer, making sure that they have included the cohesive words and phrases. - Encourage children to add notes of the vocabulary used in the session onto their planner. Children can tell a story orally based on their role-play using the organisational and language features of the text type. - Phase 3: Writing Around seven to nine days - Use modelled, shared and supported composition to write a first draft of the narrative. Refer back to the word bank, plans and oral versions of the narrative to model, drawing on a range of sources to support the writing process. Make explicit reference to organising the ideas from each box on the paragraph planner into written paragraphs. Using supported composition, children suggest different options for connecting the ideas within a paragraph using their oral storytelling and the word bank created in previous sessions. - Extend the writing process over an appropriate number of days to suit the pace and confidence of the children. Assess the progress of the writing against the success criteria of the text type at appropriate intervals in the writing process. Provide time for children to revise and adapt their drafts based on the assessments against the success criteria. - Review the use of adverbs and conjunctions to create cohesion within a paragraph. Use supported composition to re-draft the whole-class narrative on the IWB ensuring that the ideas flow naturally for the reader. - Ask children, working in pairs in the shared session, to review their work and revise the cohesive devices that link the ideas together within and across the paragraphs. - During the plenary, ask children to identify three successful cohesive devices they have used and one area of the narrative that needs a stronger link between ideas. Share the top three ideas from the children as a class and provide time for children to use the ideas to alter the area they identified as a possible weakness. - Publish the work in an appropriate format. Children's narratives could be word processed with the images created as part of the planning and inserted as illustrations. Additional illustrations of the main characters could be created and added by scanning in children's drawings or using photo editing software. Children can write a narrative using paragraphs to organise ideas maintaining cohesion within and between paragraphs.

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By Jonathan Marshall In the great 1967 film “The Graduate,” young Benjamin famously learns the one-word secret of success: Plastics. “There’s a great future in plastics,” confides his father’s friend, Mr. Maguire. Hearing that advice at the time, audiences cringed and Benjamin rebelled. But today, a new generation of scientists and entrepreneurs is taking another look at plastics. Benjamin might, too, if he could see how they are working to reduce waste and spare the environment. The farthest-out idea — under investigation at both the University of Alberta and at Clemson University in South Carolina — is to convert waste parts of dead cows, rendered worthless by fear of mad cow disease, into valuable plastics. In 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of cattle, sheep and game byproducts to feed farm animals, in order to prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. As a result, U.S. meat processors now pay to dispose of billions of pounds of waste. “We thought we could keep meat and bone meal from being deposited in landfills by using it to make petroleum-free bioplastics,” said Clemson researcher Fehime Vatansever at a meeting this year of the American Chemical Society. The team’s product is particular suited to making tough skis and snowboards. In Canada as well, meat processors now pay $30 a metric ton to dump animal waste. University of Alberta biochemical engineer David Bressler has found a way to break down their proteins with highly pressurized water and steam, and then reformulate them into industrial plastics. BioRefinex Canada is building a facility capable of doing the necessary processing. “We’ve been talking with a couple of the big auto parts manufacturers in Canada that sell globally,” Bressler said. “We’re sending them materials and they’re testing it out and giving us feedback on how to modify it.” Close to home, a West Sacramento company, Micromidas, is figuring out how to convert municipal sewage—which produces 4 million tons of sludge every day — into valuable packaging materials using microbes to convert the chemicals. “Literally, we are brewing plastic,” John Bissell, the company’s CEO, told Silvio Marcacci. “It’s very similar to brewing beer or anything else.” Last but not least, MBA Polymers, based in Richmond, Calif., has turned years of award-winning research into the world’s largest business recycling mixed plastic waste from durable goods like computers, TVs, refrigerators and cars. The company now has plants in Austria, China and the United Kingdom, each capable of processing tens of thousands of metric tons of mixed and shredded plastic. It claims to save more than 80 percent of the energy required to make new plastic and up to three tons of CO2 for every ton of virgin plastics it replaces with recycled products. Too bad Benjamin didn’t take Mr. Maguire’s advice. Today he might innovating sustainable bioplastics to help save the environment.

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Length: 3.0-8.5 mm Pyropyga is a small genus in the Nearctic, and only three species are found east of the Mississippi River: - Pyropyga nigricans, 4.2-8.5 mm. Somewhat scarce in the East, and absent from the Southeast. More common in the western U.S. and Canada, and in Mexico. - Pyropyga minuta, 3.0-5.5 mm. Records from North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and a number of southwestern states, also Mexico and Honduras. This is the smallest member of Pyropyga. - Pyropyga decipiens, 4.5-7.2 mm. Southeastern Canada and as far south as Tennessee and North Carolina. Distribution in the western states unclear. Unfortunately, the species in this genus are usually very difficult to separate, and markings and even body shape vary from individual to individual. Green (1961) argued that for most species of Pyropyga, dissection of the male genitalia is the only way to identify to species, and that females of most species must remain unidentified unless identified by association with an identified male. In this genus, Dillon and Dillon (1972) note, the light organs are "feebly developed." Insects of West Virginia

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This easy-to-search resource can help you learn about new ways to address eye health issues and replicate eye health-related projects in your community. Visit the Healthy Vision Community Programs Database at /nehep/. The National Eye Health Education Program is coordinated by the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This administrative document may be reprinted without permission. In This Issue: As eye health professionals, we are able to help prevent vision loss and blindness as part of our daily lives. As a resolution for the new year, I would like to see the eye health community translate greater public awareness about health concerns and health care into increased outreach that will impact the public's health. Through the past year's wide-ranging discussions of health insurance legislation, public attention has been primed on the topic of health care, creating opportunities to advance a disease-prevention agenda. Accompanying these debates, there has been heightened public scrutiny of various healthcare practices with an emphasis on garnering the greatest possible health benefit from healthcare expenditures. The confusion and outcry associated with the recent recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on breast cancer screening underscore the challenges of communicating effectively when the health stakes are high. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. This provides a great opportunity to enhance our education efforts this year about the importance of early detection and timely treatment of glaucoma. Research shows that African Americans over age 40, people over age 60 (especially Mexican Americans), and those with a family history of the disease are at elevated risk of developing glaucoma. Eye health professionals can provide health benefits by conducting comprehensive dilated eye exams for those at risk, and taking straightforward steps such as mentioning to glaucoma patients that their relatives have an elevated risk of the disease. Such a message may encourage family members to seek care that could reveal a previously undetected (and untreated) disease. The National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) has developed a variety of free resources, and we encourage you to use them to reach out to those at higher risk for glaucoma. To find educational resources with suggestions for glaucoma outreach, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/nehep/programs/glaucoma. Primary care physicians are a critical source of health information for patients, and they can play a significant role in preventing vision loss and blindness. The article, "Minority Primary Care Physicians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Eye Health," in this issue of Outlook, highlights findings from a web-based survey of primary care physicians about their perceptions and attitudes concerning communication about eye health with patients. Racial and ethnic similarities between patients and physicians appear to be a factor in patient-physician communication, but it goes without saying that effective patient-physician communication involves much more than ethnic heritage and that the provision of quality health care is a great way to transcend differences in background. Of overarching importance is the conclusion that effective patient-physician communication about eye health, especially among those at higher risk for eye disease, can play a key role in preventing vision loss. This issue of Outlook also includes a variety of stories submitted by some of our NEHEP Partnership organizations that highlight their eye health education activities around the country. I would especially like to extend my congratulations to EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. All of our NEHEP Partnership organizations do great work in raising awareness of eye health, and we continue to salute your involvement in preventing vision loss by working to make eye health a priority. I send my best wishes to all of you for a happy, healthy, productive new year. I look forward to continuing to work together in 2010 to expand our reach and our public health impact in support of vision health. Anne Louise Coleman, M.D., Ph.D. Chair, National Eye Health Education Program Planning Committee Frances and Ray Stark Professor of Ophthalmology Jules Stein Eye Institute David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Professor of Epidemiology UCLA School of Public Health Minorities in the United States are at higher risk of developing eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataract.1-3 These diseases can lead to loss of productivity and reduced quality of life, and their growing prevalence in minority populations is a major public health problem. 1-3 Physicians are a critical source for health information for patients and as such, they can play a significant role in preventing vision loss and blindness. Minority physicians are more likely than other physicians to see minority patients. Racial and ethnic similarities between patients and physicians are important factors in improving patient-physician communication.4 To gain a better understanding of physicians, in 2007, the National Eye Institute (NEI) included key eye health knowledge, attitudes, and practices questions in the DocStyles survey, a web-based survey of primary care physicians about physician perceptions and attitudes concerning communication with patients. Of those that completed the survey, 428 physicians (or 28.5% of the total sample group) reported that they were Hispanic or part of a minority group. Here are some of the key findings: Seventy-five percent (75%) of minority physicians reported that they were more likely to recommend that their patients see an eye care professional for an eye exam whether or not they had any vision problems. Interestingly, 25 percent of the physicians in this group reported that in the past 12 months they referred fewer than 10 percent of their patients, or none at all, for a dilated eye exam. Results from the 2007 DocStyles survey demonstrated favorable attitudes and opinions by minority physicians regarding eye health and the role they should play in talking with patients about it. Survey findings also reveal, however, both a need and an opportunity to increase physician confidence in identifying patients at higher risk for eye disease and advising their patients on eye health. To learn more about the 2007 DocStyles survey findings addressed here, you can read the full text article, “Minority Primary Care Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Eye Health and Preferred Sources of Information” in the Journal of the National Medical Association, December 2009. 1 Higginbotham, E. J., Gordon, M. O., Beiser, J. A., et al. (2004). The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study: Topical medication delays or prevents primary open-angle glaucoma in African-American individuals. Archives of Ophthalmology, 122: 813–820. 2 Kempen, J. H., O’Colmain, B. J., Leske, M. C., et al. (2004). The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among adults in the United States. Archives of Ophthalmology, 122: 552–563. 3 Varma, R., Ying-Lai, M., Klein, R., et al. (2004). Prevalence and risk indicators of visual impairment and blindness in Latinos. The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study. Ophthalmology, 111: 1132–1140. 4 Brown, T. T., Scheffler, R. M., Tom, S. E., et al. (2007). Does the market value racial and ethnic concordance in physician-patient relationships? Health Services Research, 42(2): 706–726. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. This is a great time to raise awareness in your community about this disease, which has no warning signs. |Normal Vision||Vision with Glaucoma| Although treatments to slow the progression of the disease are available, at least half of those who have glaucoma are not receiving treatment because they are unaware of their condition.1 Fortunately, a comprehensive dilated eye exam can detect glaucoma, and early detection may minimize vision loss. People at higher risk for glaucoma include African Americans over age 40, people over age 60, especially Mexican Americans, and those with a family history of the disease. The National Eye Institute (NEI) offers a wide variety of resources that you can use to help educate the public about glaucoma and the importance of having a dilated eye exam to detect it. For example, try using the Eye-Q test, a 10-question true-false quiz that can help people at higher risk for glaucoma learn more about the disease and protect their vision. You will find an assortment of materials at http://www.nei.nih.gov/glaucomaeducation//. For ideas about how to get the word out, be sure to look at Educating Your Community about Glaucoma. This resource is part of the Healthy Vision Toolkit and it contains facts about glaucoma, activity suggestions, promotional materials, and a brochure. Visit the National Eye Health Education Program Glaucoma Webpage for additional suggestions about community activity outreach opportunities. 1 National Eye Institute & Lions Clubs International Foundation. (2007). 2005 survey of public knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to eye health and disease. Bethesda, MD: National Eye Institute. Available at: http://www.nei.nih.gov/kap/. Helen Keller International (HKI) received the prestigious António Champalimaud Vision Award from the Lisbon-based Champalimaud Foundation in September 2009. HKI was recognized for its achievements in preventing blindness in the developing world, particularly efforts to find effective and sustainable means to combat vitamin A deficiency (VAD). VAD is the number one cause of preventable childhood blindness, and significantly increases the risk of severe illness, and even death, from such common childhood infections as diarrhea and measles. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 140 million children, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia, suffer from VAD. Each year up to 500,000 children go blind from the condition, and 70 percent of them will die within 1 year of losing their sight. While the problem of VAD is widespread, there are proven, cost-effective solutions available. Just two high-potency vitamin A capsules are needed per child, per year, to control VAD; the cost of delivering these capsules twice a year is just $1.00 per child, per year. HKI currently offers vitamin A supplementation in 13 African countries and 5 in the Asia-Pacific region. HKI partners with governments, other international organizations, and local groups to create sustainable delivery systems to reach more than 80 percent of targeted children. Last year, 41 million African children and 46 million Asian children benefitted from HKI’s programs. VAD can also be prevented by eating foods rich in vitamin A or by fortifying commonly used foods, such as cooking oil, with vitamin A. HKI has established community-based programs that teach local villagers how to grow fruits and vegetables high in vitamin A and other micronutrients, and HKI has also become involved in the development and promotion of an orange-fleshed variety of sweet potato in Africa that is rich in vitamin A. In West Africa, HKI’s public-private partnership, Tache D’Huile, focuses on fortifying cooking oil with vitamin A with the aim of reaching 70 percent of the population by the end of 2010. The Champalimaud Foundation, one of the largest global science foundations in the world, initiated the €1 million (U.S. $1.4 million) Champalimaud Award in 2006. Since then, it has alternately been given for blindness prevention on the ground and in scientific research. The award has the support of WHO’s VISION 2020 initiative, and has been referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Vision” by the former president of India, A. P. J. Kalam.For more information on HKI’s vitamin A supplementation programs or the 2009 Champalimaud Award, contact Jennifer Klopp, Vice President of Development and Communications, at email@example.com. EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is proud to announce its 25th anniversary. Founded in 1985 by a group of dedicated ophthalmologists committed to preserving sight, the organization has grown to include nearly 7,000 ophthalmologists across the country volunteering to see EyeCare America patients. Eligible patients receive eye exams and up to 1 year of care, often at no out-of-pocket cost. Since the program’s inception, EyeCare America has helped more than 1 million people by raising awareness for eye disease, distributing valuable, free sight-saving information and providing access to eye care to medically underserved communities. EyeCare America is the largest program of its kind in American medicine. This award-winning program has been recognized by every sitting U.S. president since Ronald Reagan and has received the support of many celebrities including Bob Hope, Gene Kelly, Bill Cosby, Senator John Glenn, Oscar de La Hoya, and TV legend Betty White. In honor of its 25th anniversary, EyeCare America would like to encourage people to call 1–800–222–EYES (3937) to find out if they qualify for an eye exam at no cost. EyeCare America is a year-round program. Its helpline operates 24 hours a day, year-round. The program facilitates eye care for U.S. citizens or legal residents who are without an ophthalmologist and who do not belong to an HMO or do not have eye care coverage through the Veterans Administration. To be found eligible for the program an individual should fall into one of the two categories below: More information can be found at: www.eyecareamerica.org. Lighthouse International has launched the East Harlem–Early Action Saves Sight (EH–EASS) pilot program, a 2-year effort to raise awareness among older adults about the importance of quick action when there is a change in vision. Comprised mostly of Hispanic/Latino and African-American residents, East Harlem, NY, is an underserved community where the prevalence of diabetes is the highest in New York City and among the highest in the Nation. Up to 40 percent of all individuals with diabetes will eventually develop diabetic retinopathy, which will lead to blindness if left untreated. Many residents are low-income elderly people who may not have access to quality health and vision care. Cultural beliefs and practices, fear of the healthcare system, and transportation concerns may pose additional obstacles to health and vision care. EH–EASS is designed to reduce disparities in access to care for this highly vulnerable population through vision education and services provided in the community. EH–EASS underscores the importance of seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist as quickly as possible—should a vision problem arise—to speed diagnosis, treatment, and minimize the chances of vision being irrevocably lost. A key element is follow-up with those at highest risk to encourage them to get eye exams. EH–EASS introduces critical new players to the vision outreach team—patient navigators—who will identify and remove the numerous cultural, social, and economic barriers to vision care within the community. The patient navigator model has been successful in eliminating obstacles to screenings and treatment for people at high risk for cancer. The EH–EASS program may represent the first time a community-based patient navigator model will be used by a vision-focused agency. With help from researchers in the Lighthouse Evaluation Unit, Lighthouse will be able to study the effectiveness of patient navigators in improving access to eye care and, ultimately, share the results with other vision care organizations so they can replicate this innovative model in other high-risk communities. The EH–EASS team is comprised of numerous local, city, and state organizations and agencies committed to addressing all aspects of the diabetes crisis facing East Harlem residents. Together, Lighthouse International, community partners, and funders hope to have a dramatic and positive impact on the health and well-being of some of the most underserved New Yorkers. This program is made possible thanks to the generosity of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Genentech, and Communities IMPACT Diabetes Center. Prevent Blindness America recently released a summary report of a 5-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This report, entitled Prevent Blindness America: Working to Advance Public Health, Vision and Eye Care in the U.S., summarizes key efforts of the first stage of this public-private partnership, focusing on activities taking place between 2003 and 2008. In 2005, CDC, under its Vision Health Initiative, entered a collaborative partnership with Prevent Blindness America to address vision loss and related eye diseases. With the CDC grant, Prevent Blindness America was able to undertake key vision preservation and vision-loss initiatives, including: In 2008, CDC entered into a new agreement with Prevent Blindness America to fund the nonprofit organization’s “National Vision Preservation Initiative,” an effort to develop an integrative approach to eye health promotion and vision loss prevention. The new 3-year cooperative agreement, which includes an approximate $3 million grant to Prevent Blindness America, involves several participating organizations: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, New York State Department of Health, Prevent Blindness North Carolina, Prevent Blindness Ohio, and Prevent Blindness Tri-State. The National Vision Preservation Initiative is currently funding evaluations of adult vision health programs at community health clinics in Ohio, as well as a pediatric-focused effort in North Carolina. Additionally, a statewide vision integration program is underway in partnership with the New York State Health Department and a new comprehensive national database for clinical and public health data related to vision and eye health is under development. “It is imperative that we have partnerships with institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to address the ever-growing needs of our country’s population. This partnership allows our organization to continue to carry out our mission to promote vision and eye health, and safety,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America.The full report can be found at www.preventblindness.net/CDC_summary. For more information, contact Sarah Hecker at Prevent Blindness America at 312–363–6035 or firstname.lastname@example.org. In 2001, the American Optometric Association Board approved the formation of the Healthy Eyes Healthy People® program (HEHP).1 HEHP® is a program developed to encourage community projects in health promotion and disease prevention that carries out the vision objectives of Healthy People 2010, an initiative to promote the prevention of certain diseases that are devastating the American public today. The HEHP® award is up to $5,000 in grant money and is meant to further the initiatives of individuals trying to develop new projects, such as diabetes education and prevention methods. From 2004-2009, there were a total of 279 grants of $1 million awarded from the HEHP® program, of which 80 awards were aimed at reducing the visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy. Optometrists, along with healthcare professionals, can find ways to help diabetes patients who are at risk for diabetic retinopathy.2 Results from one intervention suggest that a complete diabetes management education along with diabetes consultants, such as primary care providers, diabetes educators, and endocrinologists are essential to control the complications related to diabetes.2 Through timely detection and treatment, vision loss can be prevented.2 The HEHP® program emphasizes an annual comprehensive dilated eye exam as well as patient education to reduce the cases of diabetic retinopathy. Patient education is a better way of intervention as compared to usual eye care.2 A complete eye examination in addition to education on diabetes are both helpful tools to control diabetic retinopathy. According to research, awareness of the eye complications of diabetes is low among the Hispanic population in the United States.3 Among the Hispanic individuals with diabetes the frequency of eye examinations is less than the national average.3 There is a need for culturally suitable health education, which may reduce barriers to eye care.3 The HEHP® program is working with the Hispanic population in a number of States to reduce this disparity through providing brochures and other educational material in Spanish. Optometrists are playing a significant role in all 50 states by detecting, treating, and educating their patients about the problems related to diabetic retinopathy through the HEHP® program. The HEHP® grants are a resource for optometrists to use in creating community health programs that recognize the importance of vision services particularly related to diabetic retinopathy. For more information about the Healthy Eyes Healthy People® program, contact Uzma A. Zumbrink, M.P.H., Associate Director of Public Health, American Optometric Association, at 314-983-4146 or email@example.com. American Optometric Association. (2009). Diabetic Retinopathy. Retrieved from http://aoa.org/diabetic-retinopathy.xml. 2 Wagner, H., Pizzimenti, J. J., Daniel, K., Pandya, N., & Hardigan, P. C. (2008). Eyes on diabetes: A multidisciplinary patient education intervention. The Diabetes Educator, 34 (1), 84-89. 3 Munoz, B., O'Leary, M., Fonseca-Becker, F., Rosario, E., Burguess, I., Aguilar, M., Fickes, C., et al. (2008). Knowledge of diabetic eye disease and vision care guidelines among Hispanic individuals in Baltimore with and without diabetes. Archives of Ophthalmology,126(7), 968-974. Managing diabetes is not easy, but it’s worth it to prevent complications, such as diabetic retinopathy. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) found in their follow-up study that people with type 2 diabetes who kept their blood glucose targets as close to normal as possible—as early as possible in their diagnosis—could reduce their risk of developing diabetes-related complications, such as eye disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage. The key is making a plan. People who learn to manage their diabetes from the start have fewer health problems from diabetes in the years that follow. Translating research into action, the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a joint program of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has revised its Control Your Diabetes. For Life. campaign. The messages in this campaign recognize that managing diabetes is not easy, but provide much-needed reinforcement about the benefits of managing diabetes, and offer action steps to help patients make a plan. Campaign materials (which are free and available in English and Spanish) include a variety of tools, such as posters, fact sheets, feature articles, and e-newsletter blurbs that can be downloaded and customized to help communicate this important message as part of eye health education programs across the country. Additionally, you can use NDEP patient education resources (also available in English and Spanish) to complement important eye health messages, such as: To order a free copy of NDEP’s 4 Steps to Control Your Diabetes. For Life. booklet or If You Have Diabetes, Know Your Blood Sugar Numbers tip sheet, please visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org or call 1–888–693–NDEP (6337); TTY: 1–866–569–1162. Materials are available on printer-ready CDs, making it convenient for organizations to add their logo and print desired quantities.For more information, contact Rachel Byrd at 202–842–3600 or firstname.lastname@example.org. The Vision and Eye Health Council of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is working to encourage program integration to better use existing vision-related resources, reduce gaps in vision-related services, and enhance vision preservation, eye health and surveillance strategies. The mission of the Council is to provide leadership and expertise for the development of and/or assistance to state-based vision programs by promoting links between eye health and chronic diseases and fostering integration of vision-related activities and messages within chronic disease programs. Integration of vision and eye health information into existing programs can increase the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of involved programs and stakeholders without compromising the individual integrity of either entity. Public health programs and organizations across the nation are uniquely positioned to deliver vision and eye health messages and information to their populations through existing chronic disease initiatives. By integrating information, program action plans can be enriched, resources can be used more efficiently, collaborations can be enhanced, health messages can be standardized, and gaps in services and activities can be reduced. Vision and eye health information can easily be integrated into many current chronic disease initiatives. The risk of vision impairment cuts across age groups, races, ethnicities, genders, health status, and lifestyles. Mounting evidence indicates an association between vision loss and some modifiable risk factors such as smoking,1-4 ultraviolet light exposure,1, 2 trauma,5 poor nutrition,4 blood sugar,1, 2 lipid2 and blood pressure control,1 obesity,4 and lack of physical activity.6 Major chronic diseases, such as heart disease and stroke,1, 7, 8 hypertension,1, 2 diabetes,1, 2 arthritis,9 cancer,10-12 HIV/AIDS,13-15 and kidney disease,16 can be associated with vision impairment and blindness. Integrating vision messages into existing programs or activities need not be time consuming or difficult. Efforts should enhance existing action plans, not create new ones. The NACDD Vision Council would like to invite you to join their efforts to promote vision and eye health integration activities. If your organization is interested in program integration, contact Kim Kronenberg, NACDD Vision and Health Council Consultant, at email@example.com or visit www.chronicdisease.org and click on Vision and Eye Health. 1Age-Related Eye Disease Study Results. (2008). Retrieved November 11, 2009, from National Eye Institute Website: http://www.nei.nih.gov/amd/background.asp. 2 Pelletier, Thomas, Shaw. (2009). Vision loss in older persons. American Family Physician, 79(11), 963–70. 3 Khan, Thurlby, Shahid, Clayton, Yates, Bradley, Moore, Bird. (2006). Smoking and age related macular degeneration: the number of pack years of cigarette smoking is a major determinant of risk for both geographic atrophy and choroidal neovascularisation. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 90, 75–80. 4 Schaumberg, Nichols, Kelly. (2006). The Global Sex Disparity in Blindness and Visual Impairment. Optometry and Vision Science, 83(10), 700–701. 5 Kuhn, Morris, Witherspoon, Mann. (2006). Epidemiology of Blinding Trauma in the United States Eye Injury Registry. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 13(3),209–216. 6 Knudtson, Klein, Klein. (2006). Physical activity and the 15-year cumulative incidence of age-related macular degeneration: the Beaver Dam Eye Study. British Journal of Ophthalmology, 90, 1461–1463. 7 Tedeschi-Reiner, Strozzi, Skoric, Reiner. (2005). Relation of Atherosclerotic Changes in Retinal Arteries to the Extent of Coronary Artery Disease. The American Journal of Cardiology, 96, 1107–1109. 8 Witt et al., (2006). Abnormalities of Retinal Microvascular Structure and Risk of Mortality From Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke. Hypertension, 47, 975–981. 9 Thorne, Woreta, Kedhar, Dunn, Jabs. (2007). Juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis: incidence of ocular complications and visual acuity loss. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 143(5), 840–846. 10 Researchers Detail Chemotherapy’s Damage to the Brain. (2008). Retrieved November 11, 2009, from URMC Newsroom Website: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=1963. 11 Detailed Guide: Eye Cancer. (2009). Retrieved November 11, 2009, from American Cancer Society Website: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_What_is_Eye_Cancer_74.asp. 12 Childhood Cancer: Late effects of cancer treatment. (2009). Retrieved November 11, 2009, from American Cancer Society Website: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_late_effects_of_childhood_cancer.asp. 13 Kestelyn, Philippe G. and Cunningham JR, Emmett T. HIV/AIDS and blindness. Bull World Health Organ [online]. 2001, vol.79, n.3 [cited 2009-11-23], pp. 208-213. Available from: http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862001000300008&lng=en&nrm=iso. 14 Holland. (2008). AIDS and Ophthalmology: The First Quarter Century. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 145(3), 397-408. 15 Ahmed, I., Everett, A., Chang, E., Luckie, A. (2006, January). Ophthalmic Manifestations of HIV. Retrieved November 11, 2009, from UCSF HIV InSite Website: http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite?page=kb-04-01-12. 16 Sabanayagam et al. (2009). Retinal Microvascular Caliber and Chronic Kidney Disease in an Asian Population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 169(5), 625-632. 17 Liew, Mitchell, Wong, Iyengar, Wang. (2008). CKD increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 19(4), 806-11. The Codman Square Eye Clinic in Dorchester, MA, is a 2009 Healthy Vision Community Award recipient. A significant portion of the patients seen at the eye clinic are of Haitian decent. Due to their ethnicity, this population is at a higher risk for open angle glaucoma.1 The current approach to the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma at the clinic is consistent with American views on health and illness, but the Haitian point of view differs significantly. It is reported in the literature that Haitian people do not perceive that they are ill unless the illness interferes with their ability to work.2 Treatment compliance depends on the perceived severity of the illness. Noncompliance is attributed to difficulty understanding the nature of chronic diseases, difficulty accessing and maintaining a relationship with a healthcare provider, and reliance on traditional/magical treatments.3, 4 The usual cultural, educational, and language differences of the Haitian population— combined with a common lack of early warning symptoms for glaucoma—make its diagnosis and treatment particularly challenging with this group. Despite the comprehensive approach taken at the eye clinic to address glaucoma, these patients often discontinue using prescribed medications, miss appointments, or expect a cure from one bottle of glaucoma medication. The Patient Education About Glaucoma Through the Eyes of the Haitian Patient project focuses on gaining insight and understanding on the perspectives of the Haitian community on glaucoma. The objectives of the project are to: To meet these objectives, the clinic conducted 2 focus groups consisting of 19 people that represented the Codman Square Health Center patients of Haitian descent. The focus groups explored perception of illness and knowledge about glaucoma and other chronic conditions. Focus group questions centered on perception of illness, preventative care, patient behavior, access to health care, the doctor-patient relationship, knowledge of chronic diseases in general, and glaucoma in particular. Two members of the clinic staff of Haitian descent and native Creole speakers served as participants and interpreters. Four men and 15 women ranging in age from their 30s to their 80s served as participants. This age range was reflected in both groups with the average being the late 50s. Participants’ length of stay in the United States varied from more than 15 years (5 participants) to less than a year (2 participants). On average, patients had lived in the United States for 9 years. Information from the focus group informed the production of an educational video and written material. The educational materials address the poor understanding of how the eye works and the permanent nerve damage that can occur with untreated glaucoma. All of the materials developed for the project take a wide range of education levels into account and emphasize the importance of early detection and treatment of glaucoma. For more information about the Education About Glaucoma Through the Eyes of the Haitian Patient project, contact Aurora Denial, O.D., at DenialA@neco.edu. 1Wormald R., Shah R. (2004). Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension. In R. Wormald, L. Smeeth, K. Henshaw (Eds.), Evidence-Based Ophthalmology (pp. 197-205). London, UK: BMJ Publishing Group. 2Wilk, R. J. (1986). The Haitian Refugee: Concerns for Health Care Providers. Social Work in Health Care, 11(2), 61–74. 3Kemp, C. (2002). Haitian Immigrants and Refugees. Retrieved from http://bearspace.baylor.edu/Charles_Kemp/www/haitian_refugees.htm. 4Laguerre, M. S. (1984). American odyssey: Haitians in New York City. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

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New Zealanders' love of acidic food and drinks is creating a growing trend of dental problems with their teeth - but many are unwilling to change their habits, a new study has found. The survey of 1000 people - commissioned by GlaxoSmithKline New Zealand - found Kiwis were very fond of things that cause acid wear, which can result in loss of tooth enamel, sensitive teeth or other problems. It also found that more than half of people with acid wear said they still ate and drank what they wanted, despite knowing the effects. Acidic drinks and food that can contribute to acid wear include daily staples for many people such as fruit juice, salad dressings, soft drinks, energy drinks, alcohol, tea and coffee. "In recent years, we've seen a rise in the number of people suffering from acid wear, and it's often due to a high consumption of acids found in fruit juice, energy drinks and alcohol," said Dr Usha Narshai of Grey Lynn Dental. "I see many patients with sensitive teeth and often they're unaware of the damage that can be caused by acidic food and drink ... and once your tooth enamel is gone, it's gone. The effects of acid wear cannot be reversed." Seventy-one per cent drank alcohol regularly, 56 per cent drinking wine at least weekly. More than 70 per cent drank tea or coffee at least once a week, over half of those having a daily brew. Seventy-two per cent had salad dressing at least once or more a week, while 39 per cent drank fruit juice at least once or more every week. Nutrition consultant Kate Gray said the rise in popularity of soft drinks, energy drinks and flavoured water was a recent phenomenon. "These drinks are laden with sugar and acidic ingredients including phosphoric and carbonic acid, while orange and other citrus juices contain natural acids like citric acid and ascorbic acid, which can still be harmful." Overall, people rated their smiles their most important physical trait but only a third of people claimed to visit the dentist annually and two-thirds had never been to a dental hygienist. Dr Narshai said: "Regular check-ups ... help detect early acidic wear to teeth, and there are a number of easy steps people can take to protect the development of acid wear". BARISTA WON'T CUT OUT THE COFFEE Natalie HindsonIn her work as a barista, Natalie Hindson drinks several coffees a day - but the risk of acid wear to her teeth won't make her cut it out of her routine. When the Herald put study findings to her yesterday about acidic food and drinks linked to dental problems in Kiwis, Miss Hindson, 26, said: "I don't think I would change what I'm drinking. I would more so change the toothpaste I'm using, or something like that". "I'm more concerned about the dairy intake as opposed to the acid intake I guess. I would tend to drink more long blacks ... which may have even more of a detrimental effect [in acid intake]. "I use the toothpaste for coffee drinkers - so you don't get the staining. I think dental hygiene is really important. I don't do soft drinks or anything like that." Drinking coffee is about "quality control" in her job at Christchurch's Addington Coffee Co-Op. "I think it's the sign of a good barista to be able to know they are producing a good coffee. I don't need it to get through the day." Five easy steps to avoid acid wear: * Avoid brushing immediately after consuming acidic foods and drinks as this is when the enamel is at its softest. * Drink fizzy drinks and fruit juices quickly, don't swish them around or hold them in the mouth for long periods of time. * Be aware of hydration levels. Dehydration results in less saliva production and less protection against acid wear. * Balance acidic foods with neutral foods to reduce acidic effect.

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Town Clerk of London The Town Clerk of London is an important position that has existed since the 13th century within the City of London, England. Originally the position was to take the minutes of London council meetings, but over the years the holder has gathered responsibility which requires staff and executive powers. The Town Clerk of London has held responsibility for recording the minutes of the Council of the City of London and its committees since 1274. But historically, the Town Clerk of London's elected position was also one of a legal advisor and recorder of city law. The Town Clerk has worked out of the Guildhall, London building since 1411. Today the Guildhall is still used for official functions. The elected City of London Council assumed legislative functions and adopted financial powers as confirmed by Charters of 1377 and 1383 and as written by the Town Clerk of London. The Council, with the Town Clerk, has amended the civic constitution, regulated the election of Lord Mayor and other officials, and amended the functions of the City of London courts via writs. This was successful, leading to the similar expansion of the City of London courts who had jurisdiction outside of London as a type of County Court. This gradually took over from the now obsolete circuit criminal court called the Assize Court. The format strongly influenced the development of the High Court of Chancery and Lord Chancellor's jurisdiction based in Westminster. During the early 17th century, before and after the 1666 Great Fire of London the Town Clerk's function began to evolve into more complex and multiple positions as need and growth dictated. The more modern era of the Town Clerk as an executive had begun requiring more assistants and employees. Today the Lord Mayor of the City of London is assisted in the daily operation of the city by three leading personnel whose titles are the Town Clerk and Chief Executive, the Chamberlain and the Remembrancer. Town Clerk and Chief Executive By 2009 the actual title of Town Clerk has resolved into its combined Town Clerk and Chief Executive type position which is much more than a recorder of minutes of the city council. Sample duties include: - Efficient management and execution of City functions. - Primary advisor on policy and resources. - Servicing meetings of the Court of Common Council and designated committees. - Servicing meetings of the Court of Alderman and designated committees. - Investigating complaints against the City. - Electoral Registration Officer. - Overseer of public relations. - Overseer of economic development. - Overseer of human resources. The noted Town Clerk of London John Carpenter was one of the most famous of London's town clerks, and was the author of the first book of English Common Law called "Liber Albus" (the White Book). The statue of John Carpenter, now residing within the City of London School, shows him holding this book. John Carpenter (1372–1442) also in 1442 bequeathed land to the Corporation of London intended to fund the maintenance and education of four boys born within the City, who would be called 'Carpenter's children'. This later became the City of London School. Town Clerks of London List of the known Town Clerks of London from 1274 to 2009, covering 735 years. - Years served Name, notes - ..... 1274-1306 ..... Ralph Crepyn, alias 'Ralph de Alegate', served as "clericus" or "common clerk" of the city with an absence due to serious injury and Royal inquest from 1285 to 1286 due to the murder of his assailant. - ..... 1284-1286 ..... John de Bauquell, aka Batequell, Banquell & Bankwell. He served from 21 Nov 1284 to 1286 in absence of Ralph Crepyn. - ..... 1307-???? ..... William [last name unreadable], aka "clerk de la Gyalle." - ..... 1311-1335 ..... Hugh de Waltham, first known elected Clerk on 20 November 1311. - ..... 1335-1335 ..... Roger de Depham, elected on 25 Jan 1335 until about August 1335. Second shortest term in office. - ..... 1335-1354 ..... John de Bourne, elected 29 August 1335. - ..... 1364?-??? ..... John Lucas - ..... 1368-1375 ..... Henry de Padingstone, elected 7 September 1368. - ..... 1375-1399? ..... Henry Perot, elected 10 August 1375. - ..... 1399?-1417 ..... John Marchaunt, first known to be granted a dwelling and pension - 10 pounds per annum - upon retirement. - ..... 1417-1438 ..... John Carpenter, elected 20 April 1417, Member of Parliament (MP) 1425,1437-1439. - ..... 1438-1446? ..... Richard Barnett, elected 4 October 1438. - ..... 1446-1461 ..... Roger Spicer, alias Tonge, elected 18 November 1446. First known to be dismissed from his office for offences and rebellions against King Edward IV on 5 August 1461. - ..... 1461-1490 ..... William Dunthorn, elected 2 October 1461. - ..... 1490-1510 ..... Nicholas Pakenham, elected 9 March 1490. - ..... 1510-1514 ..... Walter Stubbe, elected 16 July 1510. - ..... 1514-1533 ..... William Paver, elected 20 June 1514. First known to have committed suicide while in office. - ..... 1533-1540 ..... Thomas Ryshton, aka Rysshton, admitted 13 May 1533, granted annual pension and livery. - ..... 1540-1570 ..... William Blackwell, admitted 10 July 1540. - ..... 1570-1574 ..... Anthony Stapleton, admitted 24 July 1570. - ..... 1574-1613 ..... William Sebright, admitted 25 May 1574. First known to have a deputy (Richard Langley) admitted to assist in office. - ..... 1613-1642 ..... John Weld, admitted 27 April 1613. His deputy was Robert Michell. He was later Knighted for service to the Crown. - ..... 1642-1649 ..... Robert Michell, succeeded to office 15 September 1642 and confirmed 27 October 1642. First Deputy to assume office when required. - ..... 1649-1660 ..... John Sadler, elected 3 July 1649, first known to be suspended from office on 4 September 1660, then first to have suspension lifted on 6 September 1660. He is the first known to be declared incapable of continued service on 18 September 1660 and retired for cause. - ..... 1660-1666 ..... Sir John Weld, admitted 21 September 1660, first to serve to serve two separate terms of office. His deputy (William Avery) was to succeed him on his death per contract. - ..... 1666-1672 ..... William Avery, admitted 12 November 1666. - ..... 1672-1690 ..... William Wagstaffe, elected 9 February 1672. - ..... 1690-1700 ..... John Goodfellow, elected 17 February 1690/1691. - ..... 1700-1705 ..... Henry Ashurst, elected 2 July 1700. - ..... 1705-1717 ..... James Gibson, elected 16 November 1705. - ..... 1717-1724 ..... Randolph Stracey, elected 9 May 1717. - ..... 1724-1737 ..... Thomas Jackson, elected 19 March 1723/1724. - ..... 1737-1757 ..... Miles Man, first noted "Clerk" to the Town Clerk to succeed Town Clerk upon death, he was then elected 13 July 1337. - ..... 1757-1774 ..... James Hodges, elected 10 May 1757. Knighted c. 1760. - ..... 1774-1801 ..... William Rix, first known Clerk to the Town Clerk to officiate during vacancy of illness of Town Clerk. He was then elected 25 November 1774. - ..... 1801-1801 ..... Edward Boxley, former "principal clerk" appointed to fill in during vacancy on 2 September 1801 to 15 December 1801. Shortest term in office. - ..... 1801-1825 ..... Henry Woodthorpe, Sr., elected 15 December 1801. First to have his son (Henry Woodthorpe, Jr.) to be his "principal assistant" upon election then to be his appointed deputy on 27 February 1818. - ..... 1825-1842 ..... Henry Woodthorpe, Jr., elected 6 October 1825, the first son to succeed his father in office. "The Remembrancer" appointed to officiate during vacancy of Town Clerk. - ..... 1842-1859 ..... Henry Alworth Merewether, elected 23 June 1842. - ..... 1859-1873 ..... Frederick Woodthorpe, elected 10 February 1859. Related to Henry Woodthorpe, Sr. & Jr., but details not given. - ..... 1873-1902 ..... Sir John Braddick Monckton, elected 17 July 1873. Knighted 1880. The "Remembrancer" appointed to officiate during vacancy of Town Clerk. - ..... 1902-1935 ..... Sir James Bell, elected 1 May 1902 with effect from 1 June 1902. Knighted 1911. - ..... 1935-1946 ..... Alfred Thomas Roach, elected 13 June 1935. The "Comptroller and City Solicitor" (Anthony Frederick Ingham Pickford) appointed to officiate during vacancy of Town Clerk from November 1946. - ..... 1946-1953 ..... Anthony Frederick Ingham Pickford, elected 27 February 1947 with effect from 28 November 1946. Knighted 1949. - ..... 1954-1974 ..... Edward Henry Nichols, elected 22 October 1953 with effect from 1 January 1954. Knighted June 1982. - ..... 1974-1982 ..... Stanley James Clayton, elected with effect 1 April 1974. - ..... 1982-1991 ..... Geoffrey William Rowley, elected with effect 2 September 1982. - ..... 1991-1995 ..... Samuel Jones elected with effect 23 May 1991. - ..... 1996-1999 ..... Bernard Peter Harty, no election date given. - ..... 1999-2003 ..... Tom Christopher Simmons, no election date given. Former Deputy Town Clerk. - ..... 2003-2012 ..... Chris Duffield, no election date given. - ..... 2012-current ... John Barradell, no election date given. Formerly served Brighton & Hove City Council. Formerly Deputy Chief Executive of Westminster City Council. - Court of Common Council: Administrative/Biographical history. See: http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=11567&inst_id=118&nv1=search&nv2= - Guildhall, City of London - See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guildhall,_London#1441-present - Court of Common Council: Administrative/Biographical history. - Leading personnel page at: http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Council_and_democracy/Council_departments/Leading+personnel.htm - - City of London Corporation - See: http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Council_and_democracy/Council_departments/ - City of London - Leading personnel - http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Council_and_democracy/Council_departments/Leading+personnel.htm#townclerk - Medieval English common law: foundations for 21st century legal systems. See: English Common Law#Medieval English common law: foundations for 21st century legal systems - Riley, Henry T., and John Carpenter, eds. Munimenta Gildhallae Londoniensis; Liber Albus, Liber Custumarum, Et Liber Horn. 3 Vols. in 4. Rerum Britannicarum Medii Aevi Scriptores (Rolls Series), 12. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, 1859-1862. City of London (England), Henry T. Riley, and John Carpenter. Munimenta Gildhallæ Londoniensis: Liber albus, Liber custumarum, et Liber Horn. London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, and Roberts, 1859. - Libraries, Archives and Guildhall Art Gallery, "The Town Clerk" - Pages 71-74, from the London Metropolitan Archieves, City of London, 40 Northampton Road, London EC 1R 0HB - www.cityoflondon.gov.uk - www.lma.gov.uk - additional information supplied by the Director of Libraries, Archives and Guildhall Gallery, David Bradbury, BA, MA, DipLib, MCLIP. - City of London website - City of London School web site - City of London Corporation - Town Clerk & Chief Executive picture at: http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Council_and_democracy/Council_departments/ - Guildhall - http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Local_history_and_heritage/Buildings_within_the_City/guildhall.htm City of London Corporation homepage on the Guildhall.

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The Taxman Cometh: U.S. v. Alphonse Capone Al Capone—the quintessential American gangster—headed the nation’s most notorious organized crime syndicate for more than a decade during Prohibition. Through smuggling, bootlegging, and a variety of other criminal operations, his “Chicago Outfit” was able to dominate America’s illegal liquor trade throughout the 1920s. But did you know that Al Capone was never convicted of violating the National Prohibition Act? In 1931, Capone was indicted for income tax evasion for 1925-1929. Despite his immense wealth, he had never paid taxes or purchased any assets in his own name. So when the Internal Revenue Service’s Special Intelligence Unit uncovered cash receipts from a gambling operation linked to Capone, the evidence served as the foundation for a Federal case. The prosecution charged that he owed over $200,000 in unpaid taxes stemming from gambling profits. Unable to strike a plea bargain with prosecutors, Capone attempted to bribe jury members. The presiding judge, however, responded by quietly changing the jury panel prior to the trial. On October 18, 1931, Capone was found guilty on five counts of tax evasion. A month later he was sentenced to 11 years in Federal prison, fined $50,000, charged $7,692 for court costs, and ordered to pay his back taxes plus interest. Following seven and a half years in prison (four and a half spent on Alcatraz), Al Capone was released in 1939. His incarceration had been exceedingly taxing on his mental and physical health. According to the FBI, he was unable to publicly return to Chicago following his release, opting instead to spend his final years at his home in Florida. Want more information on Al Capone’s trial? The National Archives in Chicago holds the criminal case file. The file includes an indictment, appearances, bench warrants, citations, dockets, mandates, motions, notice of appeal, petitions, orders, statement of proceedings, subpoenas, and a verdict. Posted by Gregory Marose on July 26, 2011, under Myth or History, Unusual documents. Tags: Al Capone, Alcatraz, IRS, National Archives at Chicago, National Prohibition Act, Prohibition, tax evasion

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Glass – in this case architectural glass used as construction material – is most typically found in transparent glazing for building exteriors. Examples of glazing are windows in external walls, glass doors, transparent walls for internal partitions, and glass used as a design feature in architectural works. The word “glazing” derives from the Middle English word for ‘glass’, and refers to the part of a wall or window that is made of glass. Glazing also describes the work done by a professional glazier. A glazier is a construction professional who selects, cuts, installs, removes and replaces residential, commercial and artistic glass. Glaziers also install aluminum storefront frames and entrances, glass curtain wall framing, shower enclosures, and glass and mirror walls. Glazing can be mounted into a window sash or door stile, usually made of wood, aluminum or PVC. The most common types of glass used in construction include clear and tinted float glass, tempered glass and laminated glass, as well as a variety of coated glass – all of which can be glazed singly or as double or even triple glazing units. Ordinary clear glass has a slight green hue, but several manufacturers offer special types of clear glass. For glazing buildings, safety glass such as reinforced, toughened or laminated glass is often used. Toughened and laminated glass panes can be bolted directly to a metal frame with bolts passing through drilled holes in the glass pane. Early types of window glass are hand-blown. Unfortunately, this method was very expensive and could not be used to make large panes. By the end of the 19th century, this was replaced by machine manufactured glass. Today, the most commonly used types of glass for windows, glass doors, transparent walls and windshields is flat glass – also known as sheet glass or plate glass. This soda-lime glass, so-called for its slight greenish tinge, is produced using the float glass method. Soda-lime glass is divided technically into glass used for windows, called flat glass, and glass for containers, called container glass. Also called the Pilkington process, the float glass method involves pouring molten glass on a bath of molten metal, typically tin, although lead and various low melting point alloys were also used. The glass floats on the tin and spreads flatly along the bath, lending a smooth surface to both sides. It cools and slowly solidifies as it travels over the molten tin and leaves the bath in a continuous ribbon. The glass is then annealed and cooled in an oven. Sheets of glass produced with this method have uniform thickness and very flat surfaces. Glass block or glass brick was originally developed in the early 1900s to provide natural light in industrial factories. It is used to delineate areas of privacy but still admit light, such as in underground parking garages, washrooms and public swimming pools. Laminated glass is manufactured by bonding two or more layers of glass together with layers of PVB to create a single sheet. The PVB interlayer serves as both sound insulation and as a safety feature. Different types of layering produce different results when the glass is broken. Where safety is a concern, laminated glass is used. Automotive glass for windshields is typically laminated annealed glass. When broken, the PVB layer prevents the glass from shattering, creating instead a “spider web” cracking pattern. Tempered laminated glass, on the other hand, is about 4 to 6 times stronger than annealed glass. It is designed to shatter into small pieces to avoid possible injury. When both types of glass are broken, it produces a "wet blanket" effect and will fall out of its opening. Toughened or tempered glass is used in commercial structures for unframed assemblies such as frameless doors, shower doors, door lites and vision lites adjacent to doors. It is also used for refrigerator trays, diving masks, as a component of bulletproof glass and various types of plates and cookware. Since 1977, US federal law has required glass located within 18 in (46 cm) of a floor or doorway to be tempered. When security is a concern, heat strengthened laminated glass is often used. Stronger than annealed, but not as strong as tempered, heat-treated glass has a larger break pattern, but because it holds its shape, it remains in the opening and can withstand more force for a longer period of time, making it much more difficult to get through. Architectural glass can be coated with a low-emissivity substance for more energy-efficient structures. Coated glass lets visible light pass through, but encourages radiant heat to remain on the same side of the glass from which it originated. The result is that radiant heat originating from indoors is reflected back inside in winter, thus preserving the heat inside the room, while infrared heat radiation from the sun is reflected away during summer, keeping it cooler inside. Electrically heatable glass is a relatively new product, which has promising applications in designing buildings and vehicles. A low-emissive coating on this type of glass decreases the loss of heat by approximately 30%. Heatable glass can be used in all kinds of standard glazing systems made of wood, plastic, aluminum or steel. A recent innovation is self-cleaning glass for building, automotive and other technical applications. A nanometer-thin coating of titanium dioxide on the surface of the glass allows ultraviolet rays to catalyze the breakdown of organic compounds on the surface; at the same time, the coating also attracts water, forming a thin sheet that washes away the broken-down organic compounds. Insulated glazing or double glazing consists of two or more layers of glazing separated by a spacer along the edges and sealed to create a dead air space between the layers. This type of window is designed for maximum thermal insulation and noise reduction. Sometimes the space in between is filled with an inert gas for energy conservation purposes, as in the case of low-energy buildings in sustainable architectural design. For more answers to your questions regarding glass and glazing, contact Freedom Restoration at 410-451-7110 or click here.

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UK scientists are mid-way through a project in collaboration with Ribena maker GlaxoSmithKline to boost vitamin C levels in blackcurrants, and results to date indicate it will yield benefits for consumer health, as well as the country's fruit farmers. The UK blackcurrant industry is valued at £10m (c €14.6m), with around 15 thousand tonnes of the fruit harvested each year. GlaxoSmithKline is believed to have contractual arrangements with almost all of the country's 50-odd growers for the production of its popular Ribena drink If researchers at the Scottish Crop Research Institute and East Malling Research in Kent continue to see success in their endeavour to raise vitamin C levels in the fruit themselves, this could have a knock-on affect for the food industry, enabling higher levels in Ribena and other consumer products from less currants. Vitamin C plays an important role in tissue growth and repair and boosts the immune system. But since it is water soluble, the body is unable to store it. The UK's Food Standards Agency recommends daily intake of 40mg, but despite campaigns to boost fruit and vegetable consumption it is thought that most people fail to achieve this. The researchers have reported their progress to date in the July issue of Business, the publication of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The key finding so far hinges on the relationship between starch levels in a bush's leaves after the fruit have been harvested and vitamin C levels in the following year's fruit. Research leader Dr Robert Hancock explained that vitamin C accumulation occurs when the blackcurrants are still green and is fuelled by sugars. Once the fruit take on colour, the vitamin C levels off. At the time of harvest, the leaves are very photosynthetic and sugars generated by the solar energy hitting the fruit over the winter months are stored as starch. Come spring, these starches are transported to the new fruit to fuel vitamin C synthesis. Thus, there appears to be a correlation between higher starch levels and higher vitamin C. "Understanding how and when vitamin C is produced and accumulates in the blackcurrant plants has clear benefits for the consumer," said Dr Hancock. "We can grow crops that produce juice that will have higher levels of vitamin C and a better taste." As well as adjusting carbohydrate levels across the plant in order to alter starch deposits, practical ways of optimising starch production are currently being devised, including pruning to optimise photosynthesis - a novel approach since blackcurrants have traditionally been a low maintenance crop. The team is also developing techniques and knowledge to speed up the breeding of super blackcurrant bushes. Dr Hancock explained that the next stage involves predictive screens that will be able to determine from a biochemical marker in seedlings what the vitamin C content of the fruit is likely to be once the plant reaches maturity. Since each bush takes three years to produce a full harvest, this will considerably speed up the process as it will allow the researchers to make more crosses each year, between 30 and 50 per cent of which may be discarded at an early stage. Although it looks promising thus far, it will be some time yet before products containing super blackcurrants actually come to market. The current research is under a £1.2m (€1.75m) public-private partnership overseen by Defra. The public portion comes from the BBSRC and the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department. The private portion is from GlaxoSmithKline's coffers and the Horticultural Development Council, which is a conduit for contributions by growers themselves. Since public funds are being used, GSK does not have exclusivity on the resulting fruit from this particular project. Rather, this research is intended to benefit the sector as a whole. However GSK may well benefit from being close to the research, and from further developing any offshoots. Dr Hancock said that GSK is also the sole funder of some other projects with SCRI, and in these cases does have exclusivity on the findings. Vitamin C levels are measured using HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography), and vary between a cultivar called Hedda, not used by GSK, which has 60mg of vitamin C per 100ml of juice and others such as Baldwin, which have between 150 and 160mg/100ml. Dr Hancock said that SCRI has managed to attain levels of vitamin C of 400 to 450mg/100ml in some of its experimental varieties, but these may be lacking in other desirable areas, such as colour, taste or disease resistance. The SCRI says that varieties it has bred - all of which are named after Scottish mountains - are used in 50 per cent of the global crop, and new varieties are introduced each year. Other key growing regions include Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, and New Zealand. This years New Zealand harvest was around 8000 tonnes, 90 per cent of which was for export to Europe. New Zealand's HortResearch is another key player in blackcurrant breeding, and has also been looking at vitamin C levels, which have a knock on effect on levels of beneficial anthocyanins antioxidants. Although SCRI and HortResearch are not presently working together over vitamin C, they have collaborated closely in the past. In May it drafted in some New Zealand varieties in a bid to prevent the UK's yield being impacted by the warmer winters experienced in recent years.

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According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, “On average, a person needs about 1800 kcal per day as a minimum energy intake.” (A kcal – kilocalorie – is a measure of food energy, also known as the Calorie). For comparison, the US government recommends 2,500 per day, on average (a recommendation that is certainly exceeded by most people, but I digress). The unit of kcal/person/day provides a useful basis for evaluating total food supply as compared to population. The graph at the top of this post shows such an evaluation, based on data downloaded from FAOSTAT (thanks RTC!). The data show that from 1961 to 2007, when the dataset begins and ends, global food supply in kcal/person/day has steadily and consistently increased such that it has been for many decades comfortably above the level deemed necessary to meet individual nutritional needs. In fact, if food supply distribution were perfectly efficient (which of course it is not) the world could feed an additional 1-3 billion people with the food produced in 2007 (depending on your view of nutritional requirements). This can be hard to reconcile with the fact that in 2007 the UN found about 1 billion people globally to be “undernourished.” So there is considerable “headroom” for progress even without increasing global food supply, and UN data show progress in recent years.

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It’s the end of my semester, and students are understandably stressed out about getting all of their final projects finished on time. This stress sometimes means that they’re full of questions about such nuts-and-bolts issues as assignment requirements, deadlines, and methods. And often the answers to those questions are right there on the assignment sheets I’ve created or they’re about to be shared by me in class as we discuss the assignments in question. But what do you do when you start class and students keep raising their hands with questions that you’re just about to answer through your introductory lecture? This happened to me last week in one class, and I decided to stop and answer each question as it arose. As a result, I later found out, students ended up confused about some of the key details. (Fortunately, we were able to resolve that confusion before it was too late.) In the next class session, I tried a different approach: The first words out of my mouth were “How many of you have questions?” Almost every hand went up. “Okay, take out a piece of paper and write them all down.” After about five minutes, I started class and explained everything that I had to explain that day. If a student raised a hand, I asked them to add their question to the piece of paper in front of them. When I was finished talking, I asked how many of them still had questions. Only two hands went up, and I was able to answer their questions quickly. Every other question had been answered through my planned introductory remarks. I’ll be sure to do this again when faced with a similar situation. It’s important for students to have their questions answered, but it’s also important to focus their attention on the very sources of information that will answer those questions. How about you? What strategies do you have for handling overzealous student questions?

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Please give a warm welcome to our new summer intern, Genevieve Alander. This is her first piece for the ONE Blog. Today, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the recipient for the 2012 World Food Prize Laureate Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has made significant progress in improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. We are excited to share with you that Dr. Daniel Hillel, 81, was recognized today as the 2012 World Food Prize Laureate for his innovative irrigation system designed specifically for reaching dry crops in the Middle East, and decades of ground-breaking work in the field. Dr. Hillel grew up in Israel, and it was there where he saw a need in the farming industry. He looked for ways to improve each step of the farming process, starting with the seed and then moving to water. Understanding the importance of water for crops to thrive and noticing a lack of it, Dr. Hillel developed a micro-irrigation system that applies water in small, continuous amounts. Also known as drip irrigation, this method conserves water while still allowing plants to flourish. The system combats both the unpredictability of water as well as the scarcity of it, allowing for well-hydrated crops. So far, this system has made an impact on thousands of farmers throughout 30 countries. Dr. Hillel’s groundbreaking development of the micro-irrigation system has strengthened food security across the globe and will continue to do so, especially as rainfall becomes less reliable due to climate change. Both water and food have been named as critical issues to be addressed at next week’s Rio+20 Earth Summit, and no doubt Dr. Hillel’s innovation was chosen in part because it addresses both of these. Highest regards to Dr. Hillel for making our world one step closer to reversing the global trend of hunger and poverty while also conserving one of the earth’s scarcest and most precious elements: water. For more information about the World Food Prize check out: http://www.worldfoodprize.org/

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