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|Noah Webster's Dictionary| 1. (n.) A weight on the side of the ball used in the game of bowls, or a tendency imparted to the ball, which turns it from a straight line. 2. (n.) A leaning of the mind; propensity or prepossession toward an object or view, not leaving the mind indifferent; bent; inclination. 3. (n.) A wedge-shaped piece of cloth taken out of a garment (as the waist of a dress) to diminish its circumference. 4. (n.) A slant; a diagonal; as, to cut cloth on the bias. 5. (a.) Inclined to one side; swelled on one side. 6. (a.) Cut slanting or diagonally, as cloth. 7. (adv.) In a slanting manner; crosswise; obliquely; diagonally; as, to cut cloth bias. 8. (v. t.) To incline to one side; to give a particular direction to; to influence; to prejudice; to prepossess. Bias (1 Occurrence) 1 Timothy 5:21 I command you in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality. (See NAS)

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because people speak English In English, punctuation is important. If you care about your readers, learn how to use punctuation properly. We all make mistakes sometimes. In fact, I have to look up comma rules regularly. This is one of my favourite resources for advanced comma questions. The most common punctuation error I see on MyEC is the comma splice. This is the use of a comma instead of a period between two independent clauses (when no conjunction is used). It's easy to spot this error when the sentences are short: Error: My name is John Smith, I am a farmer. Correction: My name is John Smith. I am a farmer. OR My name is John Smith, and I am a farmer. Some English learners think long sentences are better. They think long sentences make their writing look more advanced. I disagree! As a teacher, I'd rather see short sentences written correctly than long sentences with many incorrectly placed commas. When in doubt, use two or three short sentences to get your idea across. After you learn how to use commas correctly, play around with sentence variety. 1) Review EnglishClub.com's lesson on How to use a Comma. There are 12 types of commas mentioned in this lesson. 2) Start a new blog post. Call your post Writing Challenge: Correcting Commas. 3) Write 12 sentences about MyEC or its members. Your sentences will show that you know how to use each of the 12 different types of commas from EnglishClub.com's lesson. (see my examples) *For #12, find a comma splice on a MyEC blog post. Copy the sentence and write the correction. (No need to mention where you found the error.). 4) Come back and share a link to your post in the comments! I will check your sentences. Correcting Commas: 12 Example Sentences 1) In a list: Robbie likes writing blogs, making videos, and drawing illustrations to go with his blog posts. 2) Between 3 or more adjectives or adverbs: The MyEC photo gallery is an educational, colourful, moderated space for English practice. 3) With two adjectives: The Learning English Video Project is an informative, entertaining documentary. 4) With numbers: The 50,000th member of MyEC was Mogal Satish. 5) For addresses or dates: Our 50,000th member arrived on December 30, 2011. He was from Maharashtra, India. 6) For direct speech: JK said, "Just ignore that chatter. He's a troublemaker." "Thank you," the new member said. "Can you show me how to use the ignore button?" 7) Before a coordinating conjunction: Tara was away from the Audio Speaking Group for a while, but Ohnie and others filled in. 8) For parenthetical elements: Josef, who is the founder of EnglishClub, posted a great photo from Vietnam. 9) After an introductory element: After creating a new photo challenge, Nadiyah invited her friends to join. 10) With sentence adverbs: Our 20,000th member, not surprisingly, was overwhelmed by our welcome messages. 11) With adverbial clauses: a) If ESL Teacher Lisa Jo moderates a chat on MyEC, many chatters will participate. b) Many MyEC chatters will participate if Lisa Jo moderates the chat. (no comma) 12) Run-on sentence correction: Error found: It seems that you have good news about your work, you are clever, and you will succeed. Correction: "It seems that you have good news about your work. You are clever, and you will succeed." Tip for challenge participants: Copy and paste my list of 12 into your blog post. Delete my example sentences and write your own for each of the 12 types. Note: There are always exceptions to language rules. You will find commas used in other ways. It's always best to learn the basic rules before you learn how to break them. Add a Comment

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How to Add Page Numbers to a Microsoft Word Document Creating a document in Microsoft Word for Mac? Depending on who you're creating the document for, you may have to add page numbers. Many organizations such as schools and legal entities have very strict guidelines regarding the numbering of pages. Here's how to add page numbers to a Microsoft Word document on your Mac: - Open Microsoft Word on your Mac, and then create a new document. - From the Insert menu, select Page Numbers. The Page Numbers window appears, as shown below. - From the Position menu, select a location for the page numbers. You can set the page number to be displayed at the top or bottom of the page. - From the Alignment menu, select a position for the page numbers. You can choose left, center, or right alignment. And if you're planning on binding your document, you might want to use the inside or outside options, which are specifically designed for bound documents. - Optional: To hide the page number on the first page of your Word document, deselect the Show number on first page checkbox. - Click OK to save and apply your changes. Congratulations! You have successfully added page numbers to your Microsoft Word document. Changing the Format of the Page Numbers Some organizations require the page numbers to be displayed in a certain format. For example, instead of the usual format (1, 2, 3...), you might need to use roman numerals (I, II, III...) or even letters (a, b, c...). Here's how to change the format of the page numbers in your Microsoft Word document: - Open your Microsoft Word document, if it is not already open. - From the Insert menu, select Page Numbers. The Page Numbers window appears. - Click Format. The Page Number Format window appears, as shown below. - From the Number Format menu, select a page number formatting option. - Click OK. - Now you're back in the Page Numbers window. Click OK to save and apply your changes. Now the page numbers in your Microsoft Word document are formatted the way you want them to be! Meet Your Macinstructor Matt Cone, the author of Master Your Mac, has been a Mac user for over 20 years. A former ghost writer for some of Apple's most notable instructors, Cone founded Macinstruct in 1999, a site with OS X tutorials that boasts hundreds of thousands of unique visitors per month. You can email him at: firstname.lastname@example.org.

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Progression in a STEM programme You can use this example of stepped progression to assist you in longer-term planning of your Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) enhancement and enrichment programme. Each step describes the nature of pupils' involvement with STEM enhancement and enrichment and can help you to identify the level of current provision provided as a teacher, department or school. The strategies following each step suggest what might be done to improve the experiences of pupils through a coherent programme – you can adopt or adapt these strategies as required. Pupil experience of STEM enhancement and enrichment - has isolated experiences of enhancement and enrichment activities - considers science to be what takes place in the school lab - has no recognition of the significance of STEM. - has a variety of unconnected experiences of enhancement and enrichment - shows interest in science beyond the classroom and in science-related careers. - has expectations that school science will link to the world outside - understands how science, technology and mathematics are related in the curriculum - considers that enhancement and enrichment activities are personally worthwhile. - discusses with teachers own interests and needs with respect to enhancement and enrichment - uses enhancement and enrichment experiences to progress in understanding of STEM subjects - uses enhancement and enrichment experiences to think about subject and career choices. Strategies the teacher can take to help pupils move to the next step - build up a range of ideas and contacts for enhancement and enrichment - discuss with pupils the links in the curriculum to ‘real’ science and how the practice of science uses mathematics and relates to engineering and technology. - establish tracking method for pupil experiences - develop links with other departments for coherent enhancement and enrichment provision - arrange a STEM event to give a whole-school impact. - compile enhancement and enrichment information to facilitate pupil personalisation - coordinate enhancement and enrichment provision across departments - produce a whole-school calendar of enhancement and enrichment events - review programme and share experience with local schools. The content above shows steps in the development of pupils' awareness in the value of enhancement and enrichment activities, not only in their understanding of the science curriculum and its relation to other STEM subjects, but also in science’s role in the world beyond the classroom and in their possible future careers. The teacher strategies suggest ways to progress from one step to the next. Support for making these steps may be available from colleagues within your school, both in your own department and others within the school, other local schools, your local authority or other local providers.

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National Mathematics Awareness Month, created by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics, is hoping to help people understand the link between math and climate change. Many issues that relate to mathematics, such as voting, the brain, Internet security and medicine, have been themes of the month in the past, while this year there is a focus on mathematics and climate. “Math Awareness Month actually used to be a week, but there’s been inflation,” said Wayne Raskind, a professor and the director of the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. Lord Julian Hunt, an honorary professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge in England and a visiting professor at ASU, delivered a public lecture on math and climate change on Friday. Hunt’s lecture is one of many to be held this week, although it most closely relates to the topic of math and climate. “The use of mathematics has enabled many important discoveries to be made and decisions to be taken,” he said. Hunt discussed whether there has been climate change. “If you’re plotting the temperature ... over the last 10 years, it has remained more or less flat,” Hunt said. He said that over the last 50 years, temperature has been steadily climbing when comparing the temperatures from sea and land areas, but it is not so apparent when looking at only the past few years. Hunt also said there is concern that if the overall temperature increases by 4 degrees by the year 2100, there will be an effect on humans and animals because of diseases and food supplies. “The objective is that we should be able to do something about it by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions,” he said. Hunt gave examples of how weather and climate have affected the world, such as Hurricane Katrina and West Africa’s rising sea levels and flooding. “One of the practical solutions is to be monitoring what’s happening to the climate,” he said. This can be accomplished by taking measurements at the ground level and from satellites, Hunt said. “If we have science and math, we choose the object or area that we’re concerned with,” he said. “We have to consider the aspects of those in order to do calculations.” Shapes, like that of clouds, and the magnitude of variables, like the height and speed and the number of objects or collections, are used when determining climate change. Hunt also discussed how data, which can be collected from places like ships and satellites, can be used in weather forecasting. He said the data are not known very well, so guesses have to be made, which often leads to inaccurate weather forecasts. “[By] measuring tomorrow’s weather, we can know more about yesterday’s weather,” Hunt said. Toward the end of the lecture, Hunt talked about global warming and how it is a reality. He said that progressively there has been an increase in carbon dioxide, and if people start turning off their air conditioners, walking to work and stop eating hamburgers, “the world will change.” Vivek Singh, a physics and math senior, said he attended the lecture because his professor organized it and he’s interested in math lectures. Singh said math lectures give him a greater variation in his physics and mathematical interests. “The more applications I see that math is applied to, the more interest I can gain in math,” he said. Garth Baughman, an economics senior, volunteered to help with the Math Awareness Month events. “It’s about personal connections, about the community around the math department and helping to support that community,” Baughman said. Reach the reporter at firstname.lastname@example.org.

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Safe usage of the Internet should be taught in schools , is the attitude of Dr Rachel O'Connell, the director of the Cyberspace Research Unit at the University of Central Lancashire. O'Connell claims that there should be compulsory classes in Internet safety and how to avoid online paedophiles. Given indications that these sorts of problems are very widespread on the Internet, this is probably a very wise recommendation. It needs to be embedded throughout the curriculum," she said. "Teachers [also] need to be up-skilled," she said, explaining many pupils have no lessons in internet use. According to O'Connell, some 92% of nine to 19-year-olds now access the internet at school, but a third had received no instructions on doing so.

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Q:Do newborn babies enter the world as virtual blank slates or as little Einsteins, loaded with knowledge about things they’ve barely even seen? A: "Helpless as they are, babies pop into the world neurally programmed for reasoning about objects, physical causality, numbers, the biological world, the beliefs and motivations of other individuals, and social interactions," says neuroscientist David Eag leman in "Incognito:The Secret Lives of the Brain." For example, Baby’s brain expects to see faces, and so Baby will turn toward face-like patterns but not toward scrambled versions of these patterns. By just a few months old, babies will express surprise if one object seems to pass through another, or if solid objects seem to disappear as if by magic. They know to treat supposed animate objects differently from inanimate ones and also make assumptions and draw conclusions about adults, trying to impersonate them when they do something right but not if they make a "whoops-punctuated" mistake. As for babbling, deaf children do this in the same way as the unimpaired, and children hearing radically different languages nevertheless wind up babbling similarly. "In other words," Eagleman concludes, "by the time babies are old enough to be tested, they are already making assumptions about the workings of the world. So although children learn by imitating what’s around them -- aping their Q: What’s in ice cream ingredient that you probably never thought about, though the manufacturers certainly have, counting their profits along the way? Beer lovers, take note. A: Beer, you know, has foamy bubbles collected in the "head" that for many drinkers never lasts long enough, though others argue it lasts too long, says F. Ronald Young in "Fizzics: The Science of Bubbles, Droplets, and Foams." Some beer manufacturers fatten the foams by using additives, but ice cream manufacturers? Fact is, ice cream is a dessert famous for its foam. Before she became a politician, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once worked for an ice cream company and helped devise a method for introducing more air into the product, lightening the texture and winning over customers. "It also resulted in less ice cream (which is relatively expensive) and more air (which is relatively cheap), creating bigger profits. Mrs. Thatcher’s method, of course, spread widely." Q: According to the classic Parkinson’s Law, "work expands to fill whatever time is available for its completion." What’s the garbage version of this principle? A: As discovered by Tucson anthropologist William Rathje and reported by Edward Humes in "Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash," the amount of garbage a household generates expands to fill its available receptacles. As part of his Garbage Project, Rathje discovered this after researchers pointed out "that households in Phoenix threw away a third more trash than their counterparts in Tucson, despite similar demographics." Phoenix used mechanized garbage trucks and 90-gallon bins, whereas Tucson used smaller containers. Then when Tucson adopted the same trash system, the amount of garbage increased by a third. Included were more yard waste, old clothes, household toxins, recyclable plastics, glass and cans (previously disposed of separately, now all too easily dumped into the bigger bin). Concluded Humes: "Parkinson’s Law suggested the need for separate mechanized bins for recyclables, which has since become the industry standard." Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at Strangetrue@cs.com.

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ACCOUNTING TERMS - ACCOUNTING DICTIONARY - ACCOUNTING GLOSSARY From the web's #1 provider of financial analysis / ratio analysis FIXED COSTS Definition FIXED COSTS are operating expenses that are incurred to provide facilities and organization that are kept in readiness to do business without regard to actual volumes of production and sales. Fixed costs remain relatively constant until changed by managerial decision. Within general limits they do not vary with business volume. Examples of fixed costs consist of rent, property taxes, and interest expense. Learn new Accounting Terms ACAT (Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation) is a national organization established in 1973 as a non-profit independent testing, accrediting and monitoring organization. The Council seeks to identify professionals in independent practice who specialize in providing financial, accounting and taxation services to individuals and small to mid-size businesses. Professionals receive accreditation through examination and/or coursework and maintain accreditation through commitment to a significant program of continuing professional education and adherence to the Councils Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct. SELF-CONTRUCT ASSETS is the costs incurred to build it yourself.

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Definitions for causekɔz Random House Webster's College Dictionary causekɔz(n.; v.)caused, caus•ing. (n.)a person that acts or a thing that occurs so as to produce a specific result: the cause of the accident. the reason or motive for some action: a cause for rejoicing. good or sufficient reason: to complain without cause. a ground of legal action. a case for judicial decision. a principle, ideal, goal, or movement to which a person or group is dedicated: the Socialist cause; the human rights cause. (v.t.)to be the cause of; bring about. Idioms for cause: make common cause,to unite in a joint effort. Origin of cause: 1175–1225; ME (< OF) < L causa reason, sake 'cause*kɔz, kʌz, unstressed kəz(conj.) Origin of 'cause: events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something "they are trying to determine the cause of the crash" cause, reason, grounds(noun) a justification for something existing or happening "he had no cause to complain"; "they had good reason to rejoice" campaign, cause, crusade, drive, movement, effort(noun) a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end "he supported populist campaigns"; "they worked in the cause of world peace"; "the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant"; "the movement to end slavery"; "contributed to the war effort" causal agent, cause, causal agency(noun) any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results lawsuit, suit, case, cause, causa(verb) a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy "the family brought suit against the landlord" cause, do, make(verb) give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally "cause a commotion"; "make a stir"; "cause an accident" induce, stimulate, cause, have, get, make(verb) cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner "The ads induced me to buy a VCR"; "My children finally got me to buy a computer"; "My wife made me buy a new sofa" Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary a thing that makes sth happen the cause of the disease; the Civil War and its causes the reason sb feels or behaves a particular way I had good cause to be angry.; There's no cause for worry/alarm/concern. a group or idea that people support Opponents started a website for their cause.; Give money to a good cause. to make happen What caused the problems?; The heat caused several people to collapse. The source or reason of an event or action A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends. He is fighting for a just cause. To set off an event or action. The lightning caused thunder. To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority. His dogged determination caused the fundraising to be successful. Origin: From cause, from cause, from causa, in also "a thing". Origin uncertain. See accuse, excuse. Displaced native sake (from sacu), andweorc (from andweorc). that which produces or effects a result; that from which anything proceeds, and without which it would not exist that which is the occasion of an action or state; ground; reason; motive; as, cause for rejoicing sake; interest; advantage a suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action any subject of discussion or debate; matter; question; affair in general the side of a question, which is espoused, advocated, and upheld by a person or party; a principle which is advocated; that which a person or party seeks to attain to effect as an agent; to produce; to be the occasion of; to bring about; to bring into existence; to make; -- usually followed by an infinitive, sometimes by that with a finite verb to assign or show cause; to give a reason; to make excuse abbreviation of Because Translations for cause Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary something or someone that produces an effect or result Having no money is the cause of all my misery. - causaPortuguese (BR) - die UrsacheGerman - årsag; grundDanish - סִיבָּה, גוֹרֵםHebrew - orsak, grundSwedish - neden, sebepTurkish - 起因Chinese (Trad.) - وجہ ، سبب، باعثUrdu - nguyên nhânVietnamese - 起因Chinese (Simp.) Get even more translations for cause »

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LMAC - AC linear induction motor The LMAC AC linear induction motor (LIM) is designed for highforce, long-stroke applications, such as material handling and people movers. The single sided motor consists of a primary coil assembly and a secondary called a reaction plate. The coil assembly is comprised of steel laminations and phase windings with a thermal sensor encapsulated in thermal epoxy. The customer supplied reaction plate is made of 3.2mm (1/8 inch) thick aluminum or copper plate bonded to a 6.4mm (1/4 inch) thick cold rolled steel. The aluminum faces the coil assembly. The width of a reaction plate must be equal to the width of the coil assembly. A customer supplied bearing system is used to maintain the 3.2mm (1/8 inch) airgap between the coil and reaction plate over the length of the stroke. When AC voltage is applied to the coil windings, a traveling magnetic field is created. This induces current in the reaction plate which in turn creates its own magnetic field. The interaction of the two magnetic fields generates the force and direct linear motion. Either assembly or the reaction plate can be the moving member of the motor. Typically the reaction plate becomes part of the customer load moving over stationary coil assemblies placed end-to-end for the travel distance. In this configuration the length of the reaction plate must be equal to the center to center distance of two adjacent coil assemblies plus the length of one coil assembly. This will ensure the reaction plate covers adjacent coil assemblies at the point of transition from one coil to the next. Should the coil assembly be the moving element of the motor then the reaction plate length must be equal to the length of stroke plus the length of one coil assembly. Using two LIMs facing each other can provide increased force. This is known as a double sided linear induction motor. Here the reaction plate will consist only of a 6.4mm (1/4 inch) thick aluminum plate without steel backing. The aluminum will require additional support over the length of the stroke. A variable frequency inverter will provide velocity control of a linear induction motor. A Linear Induction Motor (LIM) equipped with a linear encoder can do point to point programmable positioning when driven with a vector control and motion controller. These motors are supplied in kit form with customer providing reaction plate (secondary) and bearing system to be integrated into the application.

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Oxfam salutes the recovery of the land rights of the Bolivian indigenous peoples On 3 July, 2007 the Chiquitano indigenous people will receive from the hands of President Evo Morales the land titles in perpetuity of the indigenous Community Territory of Monte Verde, after more than a decade of peaceful, legal work to that end. Monte Verde, known by the Chiquitanos as "Casa Grande" ("the Big House"), is a territory of approximately one million hectares located in southeast Bolivia near the Brazilian border. The land titling comes following a long process of internal organization of the indigenous communities, advocacy work carried out by the organizations representing them, and public activities, including five pacific protest marches by indigenous men, women, and children, who, on different occasions, walked almost a thousand kilometres each time, in order to reach the seat of government and claim their rights to these lands. "This enables the Chiquitano People to recover land which has traditionally belonged to them," says Jorge Velazquez of Oxfam International in Bolivia. "It is the beginning of a new stage in the history of the Chiquitano people. Now the challenges they face are in connection with the administration of these lands, the evaluation of available resources, and a search for the best methods of sustainable development and management." The land titling recognizes the Chiquitano people's ownership of the land, which will enable them to strengthen their development, as they seek the best way to manage the forests and all the renewable resources in a sustainable way, ensuring a physical space for future generations. "We want to salute and highlight the work of organizations like the indigenous central organizations of Concepción, San Javier, Lomerío, and other organizations of the Chiquitano people, which have demanded the land," says Jorge Velazquez. This recognition of the ownership of their lands is the fruit of more than a decade of work on the part of the indigenous peoples in this region of Bolivia, involving lawsuits and a laborious process of persuasion and negotiation with the authorities; their efforts included performing different studies and investigations that proved the link between them and the territories they live in. This is a substantial advance for the indigenous peoples with relation to their rights expressed in Agreement 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO), a document which has been included in Bolivian legislation as Law No. 1257. "Oxfam International recognizes this historic fact because the land forms part of the essence of these peoples: not only does it enclose natural resources that give them sustenance, but it is also their natural habitat, to which they are united by a series of cultural and spiritual values that give them their meaning, affirm their identity, and guide their lives," declared Jorge Velazquez. For coordination or further information, please contact: Tel: (+591) (2) 278-8323 y 278 - 8319 Cel: (+ 591) 7620-4536 y 7736-4466 Tel: (+51-1) 264-2255, anx 117 o 9278-1078 Tel: (+51-1) 9737-2499 Tel: (+51-1) 9347-4401 Photo of the wk: Young Ahmed holds the keys to 1 of 48 new wash blocks, Zaatari camp #Jordan http://t.co/qOs5BOPh63 #Syria #refugees15 hours 52 min ago 1000s homeless again, searching for safety as violence erupts again in eastern #DRC http://t.co/C3cLwXNit3 $1bn WorldBank aid pledge17 hours 12 min ago UN Disaster Risk Reduction Conference: Good, but needs to go further http://t.co/Hm54O1EsXT #GPDRR13 #drr @UNDP @unisdr @odi_development18 hours 17 min ago European #taxhavens are 2/3 of the $150 billion tax loss problem http://t.co/jax7i3jVsd #G8 #taxdodging #transparency19 hours 57 min ago Thx @Food_Tank! Proud 2b in 40 Orgs Shaking Up the Food System list @IFADnews @millenniuminst @OneAcreFund @ONECampaign @rocunited @FAOnews22 hours 3 min ago RT @oxfamgb: Good news of £30m extra funding from @DFID_UK for #Syria. Still need more aid from others & big push for a peace. http://t.co/…22 hours 10 min ago US pushes Europe to amend arms #embargo on Syrian rebels http://t.co/B8KYe8VNQn #SyriaCrisis @StateDept @WilliamJHague @eu_eeas @OxfamEU22 hours 47 min ago +80,000 ppl have been killed & several million displaced since the #SyriaCrisis began; #EU must extend arms embargo http://t.co/JlpzH9egf723 hours 16 min ago RT @Katie_Nguyen1: Another arresting headline from @katymigiro 'Chips for sex: Oxfam explores the lives of #Kenya’s hungry millions' http:…23 hours 36 min ago RT @liviafirth: 1 empowered woman can spark a positive change for her whole community @Oxfam @thecircle_oxfam #SparksthatFly @eco_age23 hours 56 min ago RT @Karl_Schembri: #Syria children nxt to newly installed water tap outside 1 of 48 new wash blocks by @Oxfam in #Zaatari Camp, #Jordan htt…1 day 33 min ago The #ArmsTreaty can create a safer future for millions, but first it needs signatures. Urge the US to sign! http://t.co/4YUsIawus71 day 2 hours ago #EU foreign ministers must bite the bullet & extend the arms #embargo on #Syria http://t.co/rL80yARiSt #SyriaCrisis #ArmsTreaty1 day 8 hours ago RT @OxfamIreland: Ireland pledges €2.5 million in aid to Mali to contribute to reconstruction http://t.co/wvUzsRsHoD via @IrishTimes #Mal…1 day 16 hours ago As @UN Disaster Risk Reduction Conference ends, worth checking #GPDRR13 for great tweets from @unisdr @UNOCHA @Federation et al1 day 16 hours ago

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Moissanite is a mineral that was first discovered in fragments of the meteorite at Diablo Canyon or Meteor Crater in Arizona. It was named in honor of its discoverer, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Ferdinand Henri Moissan. Synthetic moissanite is also known as silicon carbide after its chemistry and by the trade name carborundum. In the meteoritic material, moissanite is associated with tiny diamonds. Moissanite is also the trade name being used for new synthetic SiC gemstones. Moissanite grown in laboratories is now being cut as gemstones and they are used as diamond simulants. Moissanite brings to the jeweler's table a similar index of refraction and better than twice the fire of diamond, but is only slightly less expensive due to the difficulty in growing nearly colorless crystals. Moissanite is causing quite a stir in the jewelry markets. As a diamond simulant, artificial moissanite is very hard to differentiate from diamond and can fool many gemologists. It does have many similarities. It is very hard at 9.25 (diamond is 10) and it is highly refractive with an index of refraction of 2.6 - 2.7 (diamond's IR is slightly lower at 2.42). Most important, moissanite and diamond are thermally conductive unlike other diamond simulants and unfortunately it is this property that is primarily used as the test for the authenticity of real diamonds. Differences however are clear and other tests can be used to differentiate the two. First of all, moissanite is hexagonal, not isometric and therefore it is doubly refractive unlike diamond. A through-the-face examination of a moissanite gemstone should show double facet edges whereas a diamond's edges are single in appearance. Moissanite is also slightly less dense than diamond and is rarely perfectly clear of color, having pale shades of green. Natural flaws are absent in moissanite, replaced instead by tiny, unnatural, white, ribbon-like structures that are a result of the growing process. The synthetic SiC known as carborundum has seen many uses in high tech ceramics, electrical components, abrasives, ball bearings, semi-conductors, extremely hard saws and armor. Natural moissanite is very rare and is limited to iron-nickel meteorites and a few other rare ultramafic igneous occurrences. Initially there were skeptics to the original meteorite findings and were attributed to the silicon carbide blades that may have been used to saw the type specimens. But this has been disputed because Dr Henri Moissan did not use silicon carbide blades to prepare the samples. Moissanite can be a bi-product of the blast-furnace process used to make iron. In a blast furnace, the raw ingredients such as iron ore, carbon (usually in the form of coke, but other forms such as methane may be used), limestone and other chemicals and air (used to react with impurities) are continuously introduced. The reaction results in the production of pig iron which is removed as a liquid while the impurities form a slag which floats to the top and is removed. The sides of the huge furnace are relatively cool, while the interior is very hot, and this creates conditions for minerals to crystallize. Every few months, the furnace is emptied so that these minerals can be cleaned from the walls of the furnace. One such mineral is moissanite, which readily crystallizes from the silicon and carbon dissolved in the molten iron. The resulting moissanite crystals are nearly black and opaque due to their iron content, but they can be quite colorful and beautiful due to a surface iridescence, although most are ground up and used as abrasives. There are several phases of SiC. The original mineral discovered is officially known as moissanite-6H. The (6H) refers to the hexagonal symmetry of this phase of moissanite. There are two other phases recognized as minerals: moissanite-5H and the isometric phase beta-moissanite. Moissanite is classified as an element despite the fact that in chemical reality it is a compound! The reason for this is that the elemental bonds that exist between carbon and silicon are very similar to the carbon-carbon bonds of other elemental minerals such as diamond. There also is just no other mineral class that moissanite could fit in better than the Native Elements Class! Moissanite in fact is sometimes placed into the

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The Boy Scouts of America reaffirms its commitment to their own version of “don’t ask, don’t tell” when it comes to gay members and leaders, those most expected to support the decision did so, and those most expected to oppose did the same – no real surprises in either case. The surprise, and I would say the wonderful surprise, is by two very influential BSA national executive board members who have publicly spoken about their opposition to this conclusion without breaking from the organization. Ernst & Young CEO James Turley and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, both advocates for full and equal inclusion regardless of sexuality, will likely continue to argue for that policy even in the face of this new affirmation of the current policy. As a statement released by AT&T said, “We don’t agree with every policy of every organization we support, nor would we expect them to agree with us on everything. Our belief is that change at any organization must come from within to be successful and sustainable.” I don’t know that change from within is the only way to go, or that there isn’t also a useful role for outside agitation for the change that is sought. In fact, history tells us that there is. But it also tells us that the combination of the two is typically the most successful and durable approach to creating positive change. And in this case, the history to which I refer is none other than that of the Boy Scouts of America. America’s first “Negro Boy Scout troop” was founded in 1911, but not until 1916 would there be a troop which was officially recognized by the Boy Scouts Council, and even then it was a racially segregated troop and fights continued about the “propriety” of black Scouts wearing the tan uniform. Struggles over the place of African-American boys and young men in scouting continued, not surprisingly especially in the Deep South, right up through the 1970s. In other words, scouting mirrored the struggles faced by the rest of the nation. And that is precisely where the organization is on the issue of full inclusion of gay members and leaders today. The real question is what lessons can be learned from that past – lessons that will serve both individual scouts and the scouting movement? For starters, we see that Scouts has been a fairly conservative organization – one that followed social trends rather than lead them. That has been, and continues to be, both strength and a weakness. While pushing for many good values, including those that may seem “old fashioned” to many, Scouting has championed the value of service, moral strength, commitment to community and to family. That same conservatism has also made the organization slow to appreciate how broadly those categories can be understood without any loss of integrity. Past experience indicates that with time, the organization is likely to become more, not less, inclusive. Given that, it would be helpful for people to follow Turley and Stephenson, and think about what could be done to encourage the organization to ask how it might become more inclusive of gay people without violating what it sees as its mission. In fact, they could come to appreciate that such inclusivity might actually help them to fulfill that mission. That is very much what happened with the integration of black scouts. Ultimately, Boy Scouts of America is a private organization and they have the right to construct their membership rules as they see fit. They have the right to be wrong. But one hopes that they will not simply bask in that right, ignoring their own history in the process --- doing that, will simply reduce a truly wonderful organization to an ever-shrinking club which is increasingly relevant to itself only. In fact, like all great organizations, the Boy Scouts will maintain their vitality and their relevance not by simply protecting the status quo, nor by doing whatever is asked of them even by those with whom they disagree. They will accomplish the most by learning from those with whom they disagree and by incorporating those lessons, and those from their own organizational history, in ways that respect their past while embracing is presidential lessons for the future

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Is this jumping mountain goat real? Here is an interesting video from the interwebs. Yes, it is narrated in some language other than English (maybe Turkish?). Yes, it is not the best quality – it is like watching a good video with your eyes all squinted. But here are some questions: - Is this real or fake? - Is this even possible (in case it is fake)? - If this is real, I wonder what the first goat that did this was thinking: “hey. I bet you I can get down this ravine without dying.” - Why is the camera mostly still, but shakes just enough for me to have to adjust the coordinate system? Haven’t these people ever heard of a tripod? Using Tracker Video, I can get the motion of that goat as it goes down the canyon (or whatever it would be called). I don’t know know the scale, but I will just guess that a goat is 1 meter long. Here is the horizontal motion of the goat (distance units are in goats where 1 goat = the length of a goat) Looks like a fairly constant velocity. This is what you would expect for a real jumping goat. When not in contact with the rock wall, the only force on the goat would be the gravitational force (which is down). This means that the only acceleration will be in the vertical direction. For the vertical motion, the acceleration should be constant. Also, the acceleration for each jump should be the same. Here is the vertical motion of the goat. Comparing the fitting equation to the kinematic equation (for constant acceleration), I get: Here, it is important to note that the a in the parabolic fit is not the acceleration. To emphasize that this is different, I called the acceleration ay in the kinematic equation. I have at least three jumps for the goat. Using the same ideas, I get the following three vertical accelerations: - -2.92 goat/s2 - -5.36 goat/s2 - -3.84 goat/s2 That is not very consistent, but the video is fairly crappy. Suppose I take the average measured acceleration of about 4 goats/2. How big would this make the goat? I can assume that these are Earth-based goats jumping on Earth. If this is the case then the vertical acceleration should be about -9.8 m/2. This gives: That seems like a pretty big goat. However, I admit that even defining the beginning and end of the goat was not easy. Also, there is an assumption that the frame rate of the video is in real time. It might be in slow motion for a better effect. Well, let me just suppose that this is a real video and the new scale is correct. Some interesting questions: - How far apart are the two rock walls? Answer: around 8 goats or 20 meters. - How far vertically does the goat fall? Answer: The three ‘drops’ were 17, 13, and 16 meters. - How fast did the goat jump? Answer: using the horizontal distance and the time I get the first two jumps had a horizontal velocity of around 16 m/s. The third jump had a horizontal speed of around 17.5 m/s (ummm. that is like 40 mph) I really don’t know if a goat can jump horizontally with a speed of around 40 mph. That seems crazy. Either this video is fake, or it is not playing in real time speed (I suspect the later). If it is indeed not in real time, I can’t really figure out the correct time without knowing a scale. One more question. If the time scale is correct and the distances are correct, is this jump even realistically survivable by a human? I already answered this question before. Here is the simple answer. My Wolfram Alpha dangerous jumping calculator widget. Using a jumping height of 16 meters and a landing distance of 0.5 meters, I get an acceleration of 300 m/s2 or about 30 g’s. According to NASA’s g-force tolerance data, this wouldn’t really work for a human (maybe it would be ok for a zombie). Conclusions – or tl;dr The video is not great quality. For the first three jumps, the horizontal velocity is constant (as it should be). I get slightly different vertical accelerations for the three jumps (they should all be the same). This could be because it is fake or it could be due to the poor video quality. I suspect the problem is that the frame rate has been changed.

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- Historic Sites Pawnee Indian Museum The Pawnee Nation was the dominant power of the Central Plains for hundreds of years. This museum tells the story of an 1820s Pawnee village. The most remarkable feature is the museum’s centerpiece – the excavated floor of a large 1820s Pawnee earth lodge. Feel the spirits of the past while walking the perimeter of the lodge and view the rare sacred bundle that hangs above the altar. After touring the museum, walk the interpretive trail that winds through the depressions marking other lodges. Learn about the people of the Pawnee Nation, and their stories when you visit the Pawnee Indian Museum.

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You are here The authors of Explore Evolution raise another issue, that of variations of clock rates along lineages due to "environmental factors", which if true would be more problematic because they would be harder to control for. However, while mutation rates in individuals can of course change according to environmental factors (e.g radiation exposure), for this change to noticeably affect substitution rates in populations and species (which is what the molecular clock measures), the change in mutation rates would have to be very substantial, to be sustained over many generations, and to affect a very large proportion of individuals in a species. These are not a common occurrence, even on a paleontological scale, and indeed environmental changes are not counted by experts among major hurdles in molecular clock studies. The authors provide the following citations for their statements: Nowhere in the paper by Valentine, Jablonski and Erwin do the authors find that magnetic field changes and mass extinctions affect clock rates. In fact, while the idea that inversions of the Earth’s magnetic field could correlate with accelerated evolution by effects on cosmic radiation levels was considered early in the 1960s, it was quickly shown to be very unlikely based on physical and biological principles. Explore Evolution wrongly attributes this idea to Valentine and his collaborators, and gives no basis for this attribution.

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Science Explorer Textbook Grade 7 Prentice Hall North Carolina Science Explorer © 2005, Grade 7 Correlated to: North Carolina Standard Course of Study and Grade Level Competencies (Grade 7) SE = Student Edition TE = Teacher Edition 1 SCIENCE COURSE OF STUDY AND GRADE LEVEL COMPETENCIES PAGE(S) WHERE TAUGHT (If submission is not ... Science Explorer Interactive Textbook Tutorial Guide Slide 1. Introduction Slide 2. Accessing Your Interactive Textbook Slide 3. Navigation Tips Science Explorer - Mississippi Science - Grade 7 © 2011 TEXTBOOK COMPANY CORRELATION . Prentice Hall Science Explorer - Mississippi Science - Grade 7 © 2011 CORRELATED TO Correlation to the Mississippi Curriculum Frameworks - Science (Grade 7) Grade 7 Junior High Science - Grade 7 Curriculum Course Overview: ... Prentice Hall Science Explorer: ... Student designed investigations Write formal lab report Textbook / Resources / Technology: Text: The Nature of Science and Technology ... Science Curriculum Map—2009-2010 Prentice Hall Science Explorer Grade 6 6.1 6.5 6.7 6.9 Unit 4: Earth's Waters Chapter 7—Fresh Water (pgs.192-221) ... Science Curriculum Map—2005/2006 Prentice Hall Science Explorer Grade 6 October 22, 2005 Page 1 of 18 1 Month SOL Content Skills August-early September 6.1 Unit 1: Introduction to Science P.H. Science Explorer 6 Pgs.4-15; 642-647; 655-657 • Learn chemistry equipment names & uses ... ... Science Explorer Grade 6 Virginia Edition 2004 Padilla, ... Science Textbook Contrace Price Information Virginia Board of Education Approved Textbooks Science ... PRENTICE HALL REACHING TODAY'S STUDENTS PRENTICE HALLSCIENCE 2000-2001 Study Comparing Performance of Students Using Prentice Hall Science Explorer with Students Using Other Science Programs ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of science textbook programs at the eighth grade level. ... 2-70841 1-800-462-6595 Science Science Explorer Earth Science Edition: 2009 ... 1-800-334-7344 * All 6 th grade CMS students in both levels of mathematics will receive a code number to access an "online textbook. ... 7 th Grade Textbooks Social Studies Spanish United States History Ven Conmigo ... 1 Life Science Grade 7 State Standard Selected Classroom Activities Text or Resource Interdisciplinary Links Technology Links Classifying of Organisms 1 Classify organisms into the currently recognized kingdoms according to characteristics that they share. Other sites you could try: Find videos related to Science Explorer Textbook Grade 7

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While Ernest Hemingway and President Kennedy never met, President Kennedy more than once expressed his admiration for Hemingway and his work. In the opening sentence of his own Pulitzer Prize winning book, Profiles in Courage, Kennedy cited Hemingway’s description of courage, writing that, “This is a book about the most admirable of human virtues — courage. ‘Grace under pressure,’ Ernest Hemingway defined it.” Hemingway was among the American artists, writers, and musicians invited by President and Mrs. Kennedy to attend the 1961 inauguration, but the author was too ill to travel. In a statement released by the White House when Hemingway died, President Kennedy noted: "Few Americans have had a greater impact on the emotions and attitudes of the American people than Ernest Hemingway.... He almost single-handedly transformed the literature and the ways of thought of men and women in every country in the world." When Ernest Hemingway died in 1961, a large portion of his literary and personal estate remained at his Cuban home, the Finca Vigia, which he had left during Fidel Castro’s revolution. Despite a U.S. ban on travel to Cuba – the result of high tensions between the two countries following the Bay of Pigs incident – President Kennedy made arrangements for Mary Hemingway, Ernest’s widow, to enter Cuba to claim family documents and belongings. While in Cuba, Mrs. Hemingway met with Fidel Castro who allowed her to take her husband’s papers and the artwork he collected in exchange for the donation of their Finca Vigia home and its remaining belongings to the Cuban people. With Fidel Castro’s personal approval she was able to ship crates of papers and paintings on a shrimp boat from Havana to Tampa. Mary gathered more material from other places Hemingway had lived and placed the resulting mass of documents and artifacts in storage while she weighed offers from several prospective repositories. Mrs. Hemingway was later the guest of President and Mrs. Kennedy at the White House dinner for the Nobel Prize winners in April, 1962 where Ernest Hemingway was honored as one of America’s distinguished Nobel laureates. Following this dinner Frederic March read excerpts from the works of three previous Nobel Prize winners, Sinclair Lewis, George C. Marshall, and Hemingway – the opening pages from his then-unpublished Islands in the Stream. In 1964, at the suggestion of journalist and writer William Walton, a friend of both the Kennedys and Hemingways, Mary Hemingway contacted Jacqueline Kennedy and offered her husband’s collection to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, which was then being planned as a national memorial to the 35th President. Mary wanted the various drafts – many written in Hemingway's "big sprawling hand" – available so people could see the writing process from initial idea "to the point where it is finally published the way the author thinks is the best." And she wanted to give the collection "to some place where [Hemingway] would be to himself and have a little personal distinction." A 1968 exchange of letters between Mary Hemingway and Jacqueline Kennedy confirmed that the Hemingway papers would be archived at the Kennedy Library. In 1972, Mrs. Hemingway deeded the collection to the Kennedy Presidential Library and began depositing papers in its Archives. When Mrs. Onassis announced the gift of the papers in 1972, she noted that the collection would “help to fulfill our hope that the Library will become a center for the study of American civilization, in all its aspects, in these years.” On July 18, 1980, Patrick Hemingway, the writer’s son by his second wife Pauline, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis dedicated the Hemingway Room in the newly opened John F. Kennedy Presidential Library on Columbia Point.

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Selfish and aggressive behaviour draws important leadership roles to a person, while generosity and kindness are seen as signs of weakness, a new study has found. Study co-author Robert Livingston of the Kellogg School said this tendency to associate aggression with leadership shows why nations get caught in corruption. The study, from the Kellogg School of Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business and Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, explored the personality types usually associated with leadership. Researchers analysed participants in groups, as they managed tokens representing money. Some decided on keeping the tokens for themselves, while others contributed them to a group pool. The results showed that those who were more generous gained popularity in the groups, but they were also considered weak or gullible and therefore unfit for a leadership role. Participants who chose to keep the tokens just for themselves were seen as 'alpha' personalities. "As humans we are wired to respond to dominance," Livingston told Today.com. "Being selfish makes you seem more dominant and being dominant makes you seem more attractive as a leader, especially when there's competition... On a subconscious level this is the conclusion people are coming to: Kindness equals weakness," Livingston said, adding, "People who are more likely to be moral, kind and pro-social are least likely to be elected to these leadership roles." "That increases the likelihood of corruption and malfeasance because we've got the wrong people in positions of leadership," Livingston further analysed. To contact the editor, e-mail:

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Lessons from the Past for a Better Economic Future However, long-time Pittsburghers know the real Great Recession actually happened thirty years ago. Between 1979 and 1983, the U.S. experienced two back-to-back recessions as a result of high energy prices and efforts to control inflation. In January 1983, U.S. unemployment rate reached 11.4%, nearly a full point higher than the peak rate of 10.6% that was reached during the most recent recession. No part of the country suffered more back then than Pittsburgh. Between 1979 and 1983, the Pittsburgh Region lost over 110,000 jobs, almost 9% of total employment at the time. Not surprisingly, unemployment in the region skyrocketed. At its peak, the unemployment rate reached 18.2% in January 1983, with over 212,000 southwestern Pennsylvanians unemployed. Perhaps even more devastating was the loss of thousands of young people who moved away in search of work. Between 1982 and 1987, 82,000 people left the region’s labor force, a 7% reduction. Although many people think the problem was caused solely by the collapse of the steel industry, there were job losses nationally across all manufacturing sectors, and nearly one-fourth of the jobs in Pittsburgh at the time were in some type of manufacturing, not just steel. When the recession hit, Pittsburgh lost over 95,000 manufacturing jobs in less than four years, one-third of the total manufacturing jobs in the region at the time. It took until 1989 for the number of jobs in the region to return to 1979 levels. Although over 100,000 net new jobs were added in the six years after 1983, that merely brought job levels back to where they had been before the recessions started. Since Pittsburgh lost more jobs than most regions did, it took longer for it to catch up. While jobs in the U.S. grew by 20% during the decade of the 80s, the Pittsburgh region had no net job growth at all. Part of the reason for our slow recovery was that manufacturing job losses didn’t stop when total jobs hit bottom in 1983. Between 1983 and 1987, another 37,000 manufacturing jobs disappeared. The region had to rely on job growth in service sectors such as health care, education, and tourism to make up the shortfall. Fast forward to today. On the surface, it would appear that the restructuring of the region’s economy over the past thirty years has made our economy stronger and more resilient than other regions. The statistics you hear all the time seem to prove it: Pittsburgh had one of the smallest job losses of any region in the country during the 2008-2009 recession; our unemployment rate was below the national average during the recession (the first time that had ever happened in any recession), and we’re one of only a handful of regions that has more jobs today than before the recession began. But a closer look suggests that we’re really not doing all that well: • There are still over 80,000 southwestern Pennsylvanians who are unemployed. That’s 30,000 more people looking for work than before the recession started. The region’s unemployment rate in October 2012 was 6.6%, dramatically higher than the 3.9% rate in October 2007 before the recession began. The fact that the unemployment rate is below the national average is small consolation for the tens of thousands of people struggling to find jobs here. • While it’s true that Pittsburgh lost fewer jobs during the recession than other regions, that was mostly because the region had created so few new jobs before the recession began. In fact, there were fewer jobs in the Pittsburgh Region in 2007 than in the year 2000, making it one of only a small number of major regions in the country that hadn’t recovered from the previous recession before the most recent recession began. • Although Pittsburgh was adding jobs faster than other regions immediately after the recession ended in 2009, that’s no longer true. Between November 2011 and November 2012, Pittsburgh had the 9th worst job growth among the 40 largest regions in the country. • Local boosters were quick to quote a recent Brookings Institution report saying that Pittsburgh was one of only three U.S. regions that had “fully recovered” from the recession, but they failed to point out that the same report showed Pittsburgh was doing worse than more than half of the regions in the world (not just the U.S.) in terms of growth in employment and real GDP per capita from 2011 to 2012. Prior to 1980, our region had benefited from having a large number of high-paying manufacturing jobs, but we suffered from the 1982 recession more than other regions because we were so dependent on manufacturing. However, rather than learning from history, we’re repeating the mistakes of the past. Instead of having a more diversified economy today, we’ve simply become dependent on a different group of industries, namely, health care and higher education. Although those sectors helped us get through the recession, they’re a risky bet for the future, because the growing unaffordability of both healthcare and higher education makes it unlikely that the growth we’ve seen there in the past will continue. In contrast, Pittsburgh now has fewer high-paying manufacturing jobs than half of the major regions in the U.S. So instead of patting ourselves on the back for surviving the recession better than others, let’s make a New Year’s resolution to encourage job growth in a wide range of sectors and to enable our region to succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy. • Let’s resolve that Pittsburgh will be seen as one of the best places in the world for manufacturing firms to locate. To do that, we need to create a truly competitive state tax structure, prepare ready-to-go industrial sites all across the region, and educate our young people so they have both the skills and willingness to work in high-paying manufacturing jobs. • Let’s resolve that Pittsburgh will also be seen as one of the best places in the world for entrepreneurs to start a new business. We need to ensure that there is sufficient startup capital available for every entrepreneur with an innovative idea and a solid business plan, and enough customers willing to try their innovative products and services. (A version of this post appeared as the Regional Insights column in the Sunday, December 30, 2012 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.)

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Time is indeed relative. The lower the effect of gravity the faster time travels. Scientists built two incredibly accurate atomic clocks and were able to validate Einteins theory by showing that time does travel faster on the higher altitude clock even if the clock only differ in altitude by a few feet. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/scien ... 88195.html So just think... - Your head ages faster than your feet. - The higher you live above sea-level the faster you age. We're only talking a few minutes at most over 80 years (relative to sea level) but the theory has been prooven.

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Dorothea Lange photographed Eloy during the Great Depression. Before interstate highways, ubiquitous McDonald's and sprawl, there was that unique creature of the American Southwest: The small desert town. It was not like Bisbee, Globe or Prescott, growing rich from mining or ranching, or Flagstaff with its sawmills, cool weather and available water. They were not like Phoenix, sitting in one of the great fertile river valleys of the world. These were precarious footholds of human effort to conquer, or at least exist, in a deeply hostile wilderness. I think of places such as Casa Grande, Gila Bend, Eloy and Kingman. Wickenburg almost fit the description, but it benefited from mining, then dude ranches and proximity to fast-growing Phoenix on the main highway to Los Angeles. Nineteenth century Arizona was a badlands in which only the most visionary dreamer, swindler or madman could see much potential beyond the mining country and the old Spanish outpost of Tucson. Going west from Tucson to California was only for the toughest or most deranged immigrant. A few tribes such as the Mojave knew how to live in this parched, poor land of eerie basins, rugged bare mountains and, in the south, the fickle Gila River. The European-Americans did not, even as they disparaged the natives as "digger Indians" and sometimes set out across the alien terrain. One famous example was the Oatman party in 1851, traveling from well to well, until an encounter with (it's speculated) Yavapais 80 miles east of Yuma went wrong and most of the party were killed; young Olive was abducted, traded to another tribe and eventually returned to the whites, living out her life with tribal tattoos on her face. This was the world into which the desert town was planted. One dreaming pragmatist was Jefferson Davis, who as Secretary of War encouraged surveys of a southern route for a future transcontinental railroad and pushed for the Gadsden Purchase (otherwise, Mexico would begin just south of Phoenix). It was the railroad that gave these Arizona desert towns their initial life. Sometimes they had water; other times it had be brought in by rail, but the steam locomotives of the Southern Pacific Railroad subsisted on a string of water towers along its route (the same was true of Kingman on the Santa Fe). One is still standing at Red Rock north of Tucson. From the water towers came towns. A few even survived. The Red Rock water tower today (Gary O'Brien photo) The federal government cleared the natives and subsidized the railroads. In some places, its reclamation projects boosted the desert towns through agriculture. Eloy, for example, became a cotton center. Yes, these are the same places that now claim their loud "rugged individualists." That Wild West is a myth. Even with Uncle Sam's help, isolation was the dominant characteristic of the desert town. Its denizens loved it, or left. I still remember descending through the night to a tiny cluster of light, surrounded by implacable darkness: The desert town. I'm young enough to remember something close to the pure desert town. I rode through them by car, grateful for each refuge in a hostile country, or I passed by in greater comfort on the train. More than once, I nursed a sick car into one, barely making it. The desert town was familiar and yet strange for a young man from Phoenix, which at that time was the ultimate oasis, very different from any other place in the Southwest. Most were still dependent on the railroad, even though diesels now powered the trains. Two-lane highways connected them to the outside world. The town was invariably compact, with a small business district, grade school, high school, surrounded by houses. Local eateries usually lined the highway, along with a drug store, hardware store, motel, feed store — all locally owned — and offices of a handful of professionals. And this was not Old Scottsdale or even what Wickenburg has become, but completely authentic. By then, rural electrification (big government action again) had allowed these places to enjoy air conditioning. But their essential character was unchanged. For example, the streets were empty during the day in high summer. Only a fool or an easterner would be on the highway with the sun out, but if he or she was, a small local filling station or two was there. These often became crowded with broken-down cars, defeated by the desert heat. Trains blasted through or stopped to drop off or pick up rail cars. Life emerged at night. Most of these towns also had at least one park with grass and shade, heaven for the traveler. The sky overhead was huge. When a sign warned that it was a hundred miles to the next gas and water, one took stock. A short drive and suddenly the town fell away and the desert was all around you, making you feel so tiny and vulnerable. Even if you weren't a believer, you appreciated the desert as metaphor in the Bible. At the same time, each town was distinct, many proud. For example, even now the surest way to get in a fight with a native of Casa Grande is to say, "Oh, you're from Gila Bend, right?" Casa Grande became relatively prosperous and built a real downtown, including some of the toughest bars I ever entered. The SP erected a handsome art moderne depot — the stations were always the center of life in any American town — even though all but one passenger train, the Argonaut, had been routed to the northern main line through Phoenix which opened in the 1920s. Even now, Gila Bend seems to hang on with its fingernails and the military Keynesianism of the nearby bombing range. Casa Grande had a welcoming vibe; Eloy always seemed a little sinister. These memories were made in a state with little more than 1 million people, most concentrated in Phoenix and Tucson. Now most Arizona desert towns are dying or being absorbed into the Borg of Phoenix sprawl. Casa Grande is especially tragic, its downtown so full of potential but neglected (the train depot was allowed to deteriorate and then burn) while the highway connecting it to Interstate 10 has become a horrid specimen of fast-food outlets, mega gasoline stations and minit-marts, big boxes and cheap tract housing sprawl. The buildings are the same free-standing "brand" billboards one would see outside Akron or Atlanta, perhaps with some cheap stucco applied. Most of the local economy is gone. On the hottest day, the highway is busy. Casa Grande claims an absurd 109 square miles and Eloy 112 — larger than Seattle. Kingman is another abortion. Needless to say, almost all of the passenger trains are gone, few towns have Amtrak stations and the wealthy Republican John Sidney McCain III, nominally one of the state's U.S. senators, repeatedly tries to kill Amtrak. Life revolves around long, single-occupancy car trips, plentiful air conditioning and cluelessness too moronic to justify the relatively noble word "hubris." This, apparently is the promise of the "Sun Corridor," only more, more, more of the same. "The desert always wins." I keep hearing that, but it's taking some serious blows from humanity right now. And sadly, the authentic desert town lost. Just rolled in from the Midwest and keep hearing the people in your gated "community" lament that Phoenix and environs lack history? Read the Phoenix 101 archive and roll like a native.

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Why Do People Become Allergic, And Why Are Allergies On The Increase? Allergies are on the increase - a third of the population believe that they suffer from allergies, and even though some of these people may be mistaken, everyone agrees that eczema, asthma, hay fever, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. are now more and more common. So, what has happened? It is often unclear why a person has a tendency to be allergic or intolerant to a range of substances. Medical practitioners talk about ?atopic individuals? - atopic means ?out of place?. To the unknowing this sounds like a medical diagnosis, but in fact all it means is: You have a tendency to have allergies; you may have several different symptoms caused by your allergic reactions; this often runs in families; we don?t know why. Describing someone as an atopic individual is not saying anything the person does not already know about themself! Allergy problems undoubtedly do run in families, so there may be a genetic component, although the exact mechanism is not clearly understood. Some small genetic mutation can cause the immune system to be triggered more easily, so that family members sharing this mutation will all have a tendency to allergic reactions, although not necessarily to the same substances, but this does not explain the rise in the incidence of allergies in recent years. Severe Virus Infections A severe virus infection can lead to damage to the immune system, so that the individual is more likely to develop allergies in the future. Again, although this may explain why someone has allergies, the incidence of virus infections is not on the increase. So we have to look elsewhere to explain the rise, and there are several completely different possibilities. One allergy theory now being proposed is that the lack of the proper enemies (liver fluke, tapeworms, etc.) has led to an idle immune system finding inappropriate work in allergic reactions. There are many antibodies produced in the body to protect it against invasion by harmful organisms. IgE antibodies deal effectively and quickly with the extreme danger of infection by large parasites, such as tapeworms. Parasites? effect on health can be devastating, so over the years individuals with efficient IgE mechanisms have lived to reproduce and pass on their genes at a greater rate than people with a less efficient IgE mechanism. The IgE antibodies are also involved in allergic and hypersensitivity reactions, so people with these inherited efficient IgE mechanisms are more likely to suffer allergy problems than people who have inherited a less efficient system. This super-charged immune system was a plus for an asthma sufferer?s distant ancestors inhabiting a world with many life-threatening parasites, but now leads to a ?trigger-happy? immune system firing off inappropriately. Other practitioners (notably Hulda Clark in ?Cure For All Diseases?) take the opposite view, and see many allergy symptoms as being a reaction to an infestation of parasites. The obsession with the danger of ?germs? is thought to have led to an increase in allergies. Much of this obsession with cleanliness seems to be driven by the media and advertising. Headlines about ?killer bugs?, and advertisements that claim a product kills even more germs have led many people to buy more and more products to wipe out these dangerous enemies. A view now gaining ground among many researchers and some doctors is that a certain level of dirt is good for us, particularly during infancy and early childhood when the immune system is maturing. T-helper cells in the immune system recognise foreign antigens and then secrete substances to activate other cells to fight the invader. In pregnancy the T-helper cells that attack invaders directly without producing antibodies (Th1 cells) are less active, as these could lead the mother?s system to reject the foetus. This means that the T-helper cells that are responsible for antibody reactions (Th2 cells) are more prominent. These are the ones that are involved in allergic reactions. The new baby?s immune system has the same emphasis as the mother?s had during pregnancy. It is believed that the exposure of the very young to some level of ?dirt? is beneficial in that it helps to rebalance the immune system to emphasise the T-helper cells that are not involved in the allergy process. In an excellent article (?New Scientist? July 18th 1998) Garry Hamilton talks about ?the gentler side of germs?. If the young are not exposed to ?dirt?, the immune system does not go through this rebalancing process, and a tendency to allergy can result. Linda Gamblin in ?The Allergy Bible? cites several medical research projects, which support the idea of allowing children to be exposed to dirt and minor infections to help protect against allergies. Our children are now being vaccinated against a bigger and bigger range of diseases. While some of these are serious, many are mild illnesses that were once considered part of a normal childhood. Many alternative practitioners consider that these childhood illnesses help to prime the immune system so that it is better able to cope with a whole range of illnesses later in life. This view is not accepted by most of the medical profession, and indeed it would be difficult to prove. However, there is some evidence that vaccination alters the ratio of T-helper cells and T-suppresser cells. This would be likely to have an effect on the vaccinated child?s susceptibility to allergy reactions. It is also known that most vaccines stimulate the branch of the immune system that is concerned with the more extreme immune reactions to invaders such as parasites (?New Scientist? July 18th 1998). Ubiquitous Presence Of Some Foods Before the advent of freezers and airfreight most people ate local foods in season. Now most fruit and vegetables are available all year round, so that our systems are exposed to the same foods continually without respite. There has been a dramatic increase in people experiencing soya allergy, since soya has become a common ingredient in many processed foods. In Europe and North America rice allergy is relatively uncommon, whereas in Asia where it is consumed more frequently it is much more common. Developments that make modern life more comfortable have also led to an increase in allergies. With the advent of air conditioning, central heating and wall-to-wall carpeting house dust mites and moulds such as alternaria have an ideal environment in which to thrive. Modern offices with sealed windows mean that everyone is exposed to the perfumes worn by other people. The increasing use of plastics, formaldehyde, benzene etc. have led to all of us being exposed to an amazing variety of chemicals. Contamination By Environmental Pollutants The chemicals in diesel fumes are known to damage the outer membranes of pollens. This means that when the pollen is breathed in, the pollen proteins are immediately in much closer contact with the delicate membranes in the mouth, nose and lungs than they would be if the pollen had not been damaged in this way. It has now also been suggested that the immune system is reacting to some harmless substances because they have been contaminated by environmental pollution: the immune system does not recognise the food, for example, if it has molecules from tyre rubber attached to it. These molecules sometimes appear similar to enzymes produced by parasites and so the immune system attacks the ?parasite?. Although more and more evidence is accumulating for a role for environmental pollutants, this does not explain why New Zealand, which is relatively unpolluted, has one of the highest incidences of asthma in the world. An increase in electro-magnetic pollution has run parallel with the increase in allergies. The scientific jury is still out on the danger of mobile phones, power lines, etc., but many people are becoming more concerned about our constant exposure. People who are sensitive to computers, etc. often also show many symptoms typical of allergic individuals. In some cases correcting this sensitivity to electro-magnetic sources, results in all or most of the adverse reactions disappearing. (I recommend health kinesiology for this.) The pace of life is quickening all the time: modern technology gives us more possibilities and many of us want to experience as many of these as we can. A survey found that half of the 950 young people in their 20?s interviewed said that they would feel a failure if they did not own a home by 26, were not married by 27 and not both rich and parents by 29. Many of the interviewees said they were prepared to sacrifice a healthy diet and way of life to achieve this. These expectations and pressures are not conducive to long-term health and can also lead to stress and allergies. Pre-packaged, processed foods eaten in front of the television, too much alcohol, too little fresh air and exercise all take their toll. Sometimes particular traumatic events can explain a particular allergy. One of my clients was allergic to wool and tea. She told me that when she was a small child she had pulled a cup of hot tea on to herself. At the time she was wearing a wool sweater, and the tea soaked into the sweater and burnt her very badly. It is now well known that bottle-fed babies are more likely to be prone to allergy problems than breast-fed ones. Sudden or early weaning can contribute to the problem too. Sadly the modern diet may be abundant in calories, but there is more and more evidence that it is low in some important nutrients. People are eating more pre-processed foods, which may be nutritionally compromised. Soil is becoming depleted of some minerals, because they have long been taken up by plants grown in the soil. If the mineral is not in the soil, it cannot be in the plant, and so it is not available in the foods we eat either. It is unlikely that there is one simple answer as to why people are allergic, intolerant or sensitive in general or to particular substances. Research is still being carried out in this fascinating area. Fortunately with the tools that are available it is not necessary to know why someone has allergy problems in order to be able to detect and correct them. About the Author: Jane Thurnell-Read is an author and researcher on health, allergies and stress. She has written a book on allergies -"Allergy A to Z" which is available from Amazon, and all good book stores (ISBN 0954243927). It is also availble from her web site http://www.healthandgoodness.com

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Descripción del producto The Populist Movement was the largest mass movement for political and economic change in the history of the American South until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The Populist Movement in this book is defined as the Farmers' Alliance and the People's Party, as well as the Agricultural Wheel and Knights of Labor in the 1880s and 1890s. The Populists threatened the political hegemony of the white racist southern Democratic Party during populism's high point in the mid-1890s; and the populists threw the New South into a state of turmoil. Populism in the South Revisited: New Interpretations and New Departures brings together nine of the best new works on the populist movement in the South that grapple with several larger themes--such as the nature of political insurgency, the relationship between African Americans and whites, electoral reform, new economic policies and producerism, and the relationship between rural and urban areas--in case studies that center on several states and at the local level. Each essay offers both new research and new interpretations into the causes, course, and consequences of the populist insurgency. One essay analyzes how notions of debt informed the Populist insurgency in North Carolina, the one state where the Populists achieved statewide power, while another analyzes the Populists' failed attempts in Grant Parish, Louisiana, to align with African Americans and Republicans to topple the incumbent Democrats. Other topics covered include populist grassroots organizing with African Americans to stop disfranchisement in North Carolina; the Knights of Labor and the relationship with populism in Georgia; organizing urban populism in Dallas, Texas; Tom Watson's relationship with Midwest Populism; the centrality of African Americans in populism, a comparative analysis of Populism across the Deep South, and how the rhetoric and ideology of populism impacted socialism and the Garvey movement in the early twentieth century. Together these studies offer new insights into the nature of southern populism and the legacy of the Peoples' Party in the South.

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The United States has always been a nation of immigrants, never more so than in 1917 when the nation entered the First World War. Of the 2.5 million soldiers who fought with U.S. armed forces in the trenches of France and Belgium, some half a million—nearly one out of every five men—were immigrants. In The Long Way Home, David Laskin tells the stories of twelve of these immigrant heroes. Starting with their childhoods in Europe, the book unfolds the saga of their journeys to Ellis Island, their struggles to start over in the land of opportunity, and the ordeal of their return to Europe in uniform to fight—and win—a war that had already killed tens of millions. In tracing the lives of these twelve men, the book captures the complex story of an immigrant generation—one that streamed into this country in unprecedented numbers around the turn of the last century, that sweated to support their families through back-breaking physical labor, and that fought loyally for their adopted country on the battlefields of Belleau Wood, Soissons, St. Mihiel, and the Argonne forest. Laskin also brings to light the tragic story of four German-speaking Americans who were imprisoned and tortured by U.S. military authorities for their refusal to serve on religious grounds. Based on stories, letters, and diaries passed on by descendants as well as the author's personal interviews with two foreign-born Doughboys who were still alive at the time he was researching the book, The Long Way Home evokes the dreams and the sacrifice at the heart of the American experience. 1. Here in the U.S., the First World War is often called the "forgotten war," overshadowed by the Civil War before it and the Second World War just a generation later. Discuss how The Long Way Home altered and informed your understanding of this chapter of American history. Compare the American experience in the Great War to that of Britain, France and Germany. 2. Laskin structures his narrative as a series of overlapping stories of twelve men. Did you find this an effective way of capturing the immigrant experience in the war? How successfully do think the book balances the "foreground" stories of the individual men with the historical background of their period? How else might this story have been told? 3. Teddy Roosevelt decried "hyphenated Americans" and insisted that the only true American was "100 percent American"—yet Laskin shows that thousands of immigrants made brave and loyal soldiers. To what extent do you think that immigrants need to put the heritage and culture of their country of origin behind them in order to serve effectively in our armed forces? 4. The Ellis Island experience remains a powerful icon of American history—the Atlantic crossing in steerage, the confusing processing in the Registry Hall, the emotional reunion with relatives. Did The Long Way Home teach you anything new or surprising about this experience? Have any Ellis Island stories come down in your own families? Discuss and compare. 5. In the popular imagination, World War I was an endless quagmire of trenches, mud, poison gas, and shell shock. How does Laskin's portrayal of the experiences of his twelve men confirm and/or depart from this popular image? What were you most struck by in the war scenes that Laskin recreates? Which battle did you find most gripping, most revealing, most disturbing? Choose one war scene and talk about the details, style, point of view or narrative technique that made it come to life. 6. Immigration remains a critical and hotly debated subject in our society today. What insights does The Long Way Home shed on our current immigration issues? How do today's immigrants compare with those who came through Ellis Island in terms of education, aspirations, attitudes toward their adoptive country? What about immigrants fighting in the United States armed forces today—how do you think their experiences compare with those of the men in The Long Way Home? 7. Laskin argues that the Great War was the watershed experience in the lives of the Ellis Island generation of immigrants—the key milestone in their journey to become Americans. Do you agree with this thesis? If not, what other events, experiences, ideas would you point to that had a greater impact in Americanizing that generation? 8. The word "melting pot" is used frequently in connection with immigration to the U. S.—yet as The Long Way Home makes clear, the various groups in the melting pot rarely fused or "melted" into a consistent whole. Italians, Jews, Poles, etc. retained their identities—and in many cases their descendants continue to hold onto the culture and pride of their ancestors. Talk about the role of the melting pot in the American popular imagination. What about your own families? Discuss your various ethnic backgrounds and to what extent your heritage remains alive and important to you today. 9. Of the twelve men in the book, which one was your favorite—and why? Laskin includes two Medal of Honor recipients, three men who died in action, one who was in the military but never shipped out, several who were ordinary soldiers who did nothing remarkable or distinguished. Talk about how Laskin individualizes the members of his cast and what personal details you found particularly striking. Which character would you most like to meet? What would you ask him? 10. The story of the drafting, trial, imprisonment and torture of the three Hofer brothers and Jacob Wipf is one of the most disturbing parts of the book. Talk about how you reacted to this element in the story and whether you think the author presented it fairly and impartially. Do you think these Hutterite men were at fault for clinging so stubbornly to their refusal to do any non-combatant work in the army? Or did you admire them for their willingness to sacrifice everything, even life itself, for their faith? Compare the treatment these men endured at Alcatraz and Leavenworth with the conditions in which political prisoners are held today. Broaden your discussion to examine the whole idea of conscientious objection and how to balance individual morality with the nation's need for defense. 11. Discuss the style of The Long Way Home. Do you think the style was well-suited to the subject matter? Find and discuss passages that you found particularly well (or badly) written, or that stood out for other reasons. Compare the book to other recent works of creative non-fiction—The Children's Blizzard by the same author, Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. Point to some of the techniques that these books employ in bringing history alive. 12. The book ends with an epilogue bringing the stories up to the present. Did you think this was an effective way of ending the book—or do you feel it would have been better if Laskin stopped at the end of the war? Did you read the end notes? If so, how did they contribute to your understanding of the kind of material the author used in putting the story together? About the author For the past twenty-five years, David Laskin has written books and articles on a wide range of subjects including history, weather, travel, gardens and the natural world. His most recent book, The Children's Blizzard, won the Washington State Book Award and the Midwest Booksellers' Choice Award for Nonfiction. Laskin's other titles include Braving the Elements: The Stormy History of American Weather, Partisans: Marriage, Politics and Betrayal Among the New York Intellectuals, A Common Life: Four Generations of American Literary Friendship and Influence, and Artists in their Gardens (co-authored with Valerie Easton). A frequent contributor to The New York Times Travel Section, Laskin also writes for the Washington Post, the Seattle Times, and Seattle Met. He and his wife Kate O'Neill, the parents of three grown daughters, live in Seattle with their two sweet old dogs.

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Understanding domestic abuse is the first step toward a better life. In fact, it could save your life. Are you feeling threatened by your partner? Does your partner call you names, swear at you, put you down or control your activities? Has your partner hit, slapped, kicked, punched or pushed you? Do you feel that you deserve more respect than you are getting? You are not alone. Please, call 911 if you are afraid for your immediate safety. Or for help dealing with an abusive relationship, please call our 24-hour hotline at 216-391-HELP. The Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center is here to provide information and support as you explore your options. There is no single choice or decision that is right for everyone, only you can decide what is best. Whatever your decision, there are steps we can help you take to increase your safety and there are community resources available to assist you. What constitutes abuse? Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive and coercive behaviors including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners. Abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological. It occurs in the form of actions or threats meant to control another person - and it includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure or wound someone. Domestic violence can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion or gender. It affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. And it can happen to those who are married, living together or simply dating. Types of abuse: Following are some of the most common forms of domestic violence. Are these things happening in your relationship? • name calling • threatening to hurt or kill • degrading comments about women or men in general • criticizing appearance • belittling accomplishments • constant blaming • apologizing and making false promises to end the abuse; offering false hope • isolating from others • ridiculing, criticizing, blaming • neglecting physical or emotional needs • ignoring or withholding affection • abusing pets • accusing of affairs • monitoring conversations • making account for time • criticizing friends, family • embarrassing in front of others • undermining authority with children • constant phone calls • taking or breaking phone • controlling money/bank accounts • withholding financial information • making a partner account for all expenditures • withholding child support • destroying property • taking or disabling car • taking keys/purse • quitting or losing jobs • sabotaging work or school • constant sexual demands • forcing unwanted sexual acts • insisting on unwanted and uncomfortable touching • committing rape or incest • forcing sadistic sexual acts • treating others as sex objects • making demeaning sexual remarks • forcing family members to see pornographic materials • using denigrating language such as: fat, ugly, no good • wanting sex after abuse • forcing to have sex with others • forcing pregnancy or abortion • holding down • hair pulling • poking, grabbing • pushing, shoving • locking in or out of house • subjecting to reckless driving • refusing to help when sick or injured • kicking, biting • hitting, slapping • choking, strangling • throwing or hitting with objects • using a knife or gun Are you in an abusive and potentially violent relationship? Answering the following questions will help you determine whether your relationship is abusive or becoming abusive. Does your partner: • embarrass you in front of others? • belittle your accomplishments? • make you feel unworthy? • constantly contradict him/herself to confuse you? • do things for which you are constantly making excuses to others, or yourself? • isolate you from many of the people you care most about? • make you feel ashamed most of the time? • make you believe he/she is smarter than you and therefore, more able to make decisions? • make you perform acts that are demeaning to you? • use intimidation to make you do what he/she wants? • prevent you from going or doing common activities such as shopping, visiting friends and family, and talking to the opposite sex? • control the financial aspects of your life? • use money as a way of controlling you? • make you believe that you cannot exist without him/her? • make you feel there is no way out? • make you find ways of compromising your feelings for the sake of peace? • treat you roughly, grab, pinch, push or shove you? • threaten you verbally, or with a weapon? • hold you to keep you from leaving during or after an argument? • lose control when he/she is using alcohol or other substances? • get angry frequently without an apparent cause? • allow anger to escalate into violence? • not believe that he/she hurt you or not feel sorry for what has happened? • physically force you to do things you don't want to? • believe you can help your partner to change the abusive behavior if you were only to change yourself? • find that not making him/her angry has become a major part of your life? • do what he/she wants you to do out of fear rather than what you want to do? • stay with him/her only because you fear he/she will hurt you if you leave or tell someone? If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you may be in abusive relationship. Help, support and information are available to you through the DVCAC. Please, call our confidential 24-hour hotline at 216-391-HELP.

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Talk of integration is, for most educated liberals, a rhetorical engine that can be coupled to any trainload of goods that needs to be pulled over the mountain pass of public opinion. Surely no one can object to the ideal of integration. The alternative--disintegration, segregation, isolation--leaves good intellectual produce stranded on a siding with no hope of forward motion. The goal in education is to get our train--our students--over the mountain pass. In our haste to reach the summit, we should not ignore the key question of strategy: can we climb the long grade better with one giant train led by the powerful engine of integration or with several smaller trains progressing along different tracks and at different speeds? A strategic analysis of "integration" requires what economists call "disaggregation." We begin by examining three basic issues--philosophy, coherence, and instruction--and then conclude with some cautious recommendations. PhilosophyThe language of the conference theme sounds symmetrical, as if the changes in science education required to achieve curricular integration will be comparable to the changes in mathematics education required for the same objective. But since the relationship between science and mathematics is not itself symmetrical--mathematics is the language of science, not the other way around--it is not at all clear whether the goal of integration is best described by a word with symmetrical connotations. It is easy to imagine several possibilities for how the proposed change might come about: Students gathering data in a science or social studies course can be asked to use elementary tools of data analysis to organize these data and to formulate conjectures for further testing. By using real data, students will encounter all the anomalies of authentic problems--inconsistencies, outliers, errors. Children can, of course, practice arithmetic on any data they gather. Examples of ratios and proportional reasoning abound in science, providing extensive experience in a very important topic that students often do not master. Older students can gain good experience in routine mathematical tools of graphing, calculation, and simple algebra (in curve fitting). Beginning algebra students can fit lines by eye, then figure out their equations. More advanced students can investigate transformations to linearize non-linear data. In a similar fashion, students studying mathematics can be asked to apply what they learn to situations in the world around them. Children can be introduced to scientific strategies of observation, recording, and calculation with numeric data such as records of rainfall or temperature. Collections of leaves can be used to develop non-numeric habits of classification and pattern-recognition. Geometry students can be asked to lay out the foundations of a building with string and stakes, and discover just how important the word "plane" is in plane geometry--and how difficult it is to achieve in the real three dimensional world. Algebra students can be asked to gather data and make conjectures about patterns in algebraic structures, and then try to prove them. Clearly there are many possibilities of such integrating activities. My point in citing these examples is not to catalogue what might be done, but to illustrate a very important difference in perspective. In teaching science, one would want to employ whichever mathematical techniques are suitable to the task, whereas in teaching mathematics one would seek whichever science domains help illustrate and apply the mathematics. These differences in perspective are part of the instinct of the professionals who teach science and mathematics, and they are, for the most part, entirely justifiable. These differences are essential to proper understanding of a fundamental difference between mathematics and science: Mathematics reveals order and pattern. So too are the crafts of mathematics education and science education. Good mathematics teachers develop various strategies to help students construct for themselves the mental structures of mathematics that will become a unique part of their own working intelligence. Similarly, science teachers lead students to develop the habits and instincts of a working scientist, to make the scientific method part of their own repertoire of approaches to the world. Effective education, therefore, must not only teach students about science and mathematics, but teach them in what respects they are similar and in what respects they are different. There is no intrinsic value to an educational program of integration whose primary purpose (or effect) is to diminish student understanding of these essential differences. CoherenceI come now to my second key issue: how one could coordinate mathematics and science in a coherent curriculum. Regardless of which model for integration one selects, careful coordination will be required. Again, I foresee several hurdles, most of which, unfortunately, appear to be insurmountable: InstructionFinally, to the crux of the matter: teaching and learning. Is it possible--in this real world, not some Platonic universe--to teach an entire curriculum that integrates science and mathematics? The answer, I believe, is very simple: No. Indeed, since we cannot seem to teach either discipline separately very well, why should we think we could succeed with the vastly more difficult task of an integrated curriculum? Science teachers do not have sufficient breadth across the sciences to teach all of science in an integrated fashion. Very few school science teachers, for example, are sufficiently comfortable with physics to introduce students in a suitable fashion to fundamental physical concepts such as mass, force, momentum, and energy, much less to angular momentum or action at a distance. Teachers who teach out of their zone of comfort too often teach only vocabulary and terms, since that is all they really know. Except for those prepared in chemistry and physics, most science teachers do not have sufficient preparation in quantitative methods to successfully integrate mathematics and science, much less to teach mathematics beyond the level of the middle school curriculum. Teaching high school mathematics really does require as preparation a full undergraduate major in mathematics. Current science teachers do not have this background, and prospective science teachers could not be expected to acquire it unless they undertook a six year program of teacher preparation. Finally, to complete my litany of liabilities, few mathematics teachers are well prepared in even one science; practically none are competent in all. What's worse, the predominant emphasis of school science has strongest links to the biological and life sciences, which is the area in which mathematics majors are typically least prepared. Moreover, unless mathematics teachers have studied a lot of science, they are not likely to understand or empathize sufficiently with the observation-rich, hands-on, laboratory-intensive aspects of the scientific method. Silver LiningsI don't enjoy providing such a negative analysis, and rather hope that perhaps others will be able to prove me wrong. Nevertheless, I don't see any escape from the general conclusion that any broad-brush attempt to integrate curriculum and courses in science and mathematics is doomed to failure. There are, however, some silver linings in this thundercloud. Elementary school is an obvious exception to many of my concerns about philosophy, coherence, and instruction. I believe it should be possible to develop a good coherent joint curriculum in science and mathematics in the first 4-6 grades, doing justice to both fields while also laying sound foundations for future study. The major impediment would concern the number of teachers who are capable of teaching such a curriculum. It is clearly small. But it is also possible, and important for the nation, to educate a cadre of elementary school mathematics-science specialist teachers who would be both enthusiastic about science and also capable of teaching a coordinated curriculum. My second silver lining is actually the beginnings of a sunburst: instead of worrying about integrating content, let's think instead about integrating instructional methodologies. Exploratory, investigative, discovery learning that is typical of the best science instruction is one of the features of the new NCTM standards. Children learn by doing, their actions helping construct their personal knowledge. Involvement in learning increases, as does long-term retention. Active, exploratory learning works as well in mathematics as it does in science. Similarly, the compelling logic of inference and deduction can help students experience the special power of science. Absent the rigorous logic of inference that is typical of mathematics, science instruction can easily degenerate into description, demonstration, and memorization. Without the intrinsic authority of inference, the epistemology of school science becomes extrinsic, hence heretical: students believe what teachers tell them, not what they have logically demonstrated from evidence. If the methodology of science is to be faithfully expressed, the essence of mathematics must be taught as part of science. So learning theory suggests many plausible benefits to blending (or "integrating," if you insist) the ways in which mathematics and science are taught. These benefits are important for students, but unfortunately that argument is insufficient to bring about significant change. We all know that what really matters is politics. It may just be that blending methods is better politics than blending content. To infuse methods of science and mathematics into each other's instruction, one avoids the absolute need for careful coordination, with the inevitable controversy and painful compromise. Methodological issues such as exploration, group work, data collection, discussion, argument are activities that apply to all ages. The issues of symmetry or of dominant style also vanish: science teachers can stress the methods that suit science, using more quantitative and mathematical approaches as supplements whenever appropriate and to the extent that they prove effective. Similarly, mathematics teachers can use a blend of presentation and discovery method in whatever balance they find useful. Neither must feel threatened by domination from the other. Finally, about instruction. By blending methodologies instead of content, one preserves the established traditions of essentially separate science and mathematics teacher preparation where scientific and mathematical content predominate. In school, teachers could engage in paired teaching, or team teaching, with the science teacher helping the mathematics teacher learn how to make productive use of exploratory assignments while the mathematics teacher helps the science teacher see how to introduce quantitative, logical methods into science teaching. The system as a whole then builds on the strengths of the corps of teachers as a whole, rather than floundering on the inevitable weaknesses of individual teachers when confronted with the task of teaching an integrated science and mathematics curriculum. So, in conclusion, the proposition I put before you for discussion is really quite simple: integrate how you teach before worrying so much about integrating what you teach. |Copyright © 1999.||Contact: Lynn A. Steen||URL: http://www.stolaf.edu/people/steen/Papers/integrating.html|

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Note: This item is more than seven years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references. June 13, 2005 New Report Details Water Needs of Sabine Lake Estuary PORT ARTHUR, Texas — A new report by state scientists documents the amount of freshwater inflows from the Sabine River watershed needed to sustain the Sabine Lake ecosystem, a vital resource that supports dozens of fish and wildlife species and is worth millions of dollars per year to the regional economy. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Water Development Board recently completed the report “Freshwater Inflow Recommendation for the Sabine Lake Estuary of Texas and Louisiana.” The report recommends 9.6 million acre-feet as the amount of flow for the Sabine Lake system. (An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to flood an acre a foot deep.) This recommended flow is actually far less than the average flow that the system receives every year based on historical records. Sabine Lake receives by far the largest inflows of any bay system in the state because of the relatively high rainfall throughout the eastern parts of Texas which flows into its drainage basin. “Factors such as drought or flood constantly change the rules in natural systems such as these, and are actually a key part of their proper functioning,” said Larry McKinney, Ph.D., and TPWD coastal fisheries director. “Thus, the recommendation is provided only as a target rather than as a strict requirement which must be met every year. TPWD’s main goal is for water to be managed so that recommended inflows are provided frequently enough to maintain the system’s productivity while also providing for other human needs.” Located on the coastal border between Texas and Louisiana, Sabine Lake is actually a coastal bay which hosts a multitude of recreationally popular fish and wildlife species such as speckled trout, redfish, canvasback ducks and Canada geese. In 2001, saltwater recreational anglers statewide spent approximately $600 million in Texas, generating a total economic impact of about $1.3 billion, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bay also supports a healthy commercial fishery for shrimp, menhaden and other species. In 2001, 4,180 pounds of finfish worth $57,059 and 1,420,147 pounds of shellfish worth $1,175,874 were landed in Sabine Lake. Besides the lake itself, the expansive wetlands along the edges of much of it also rely on freshwater inflows and provide key habitat for many other species, such as crabs, muskrats, river otters, ibises and great blue herons. In 1985 the Texas Legislature directed TPWD and TWDB to determine the beneficial freshwater inflow needs for major Texas estuaries. To that end, state scientists consider historical river flows, local rainfall, salinity (salt content in sea water), nutrients, and fisheries needs as well as other components in calculating the freshwater inflows that will sustain a healthy bay. To request a copy of the report, contact Nathan Kuhn, a TPWD biologist and primary author of the report, at email@example.com or (512) 912-7016. Publication — Permission is granted to publish, in whole or in part, any news releases on this page. Print — A print-friendly version of the news release shows only the release with font sizes set to the browser default. E-mail — This link launches your e-mail client with the subject and message filled in. All you need to do is fill in the recipient. Plain Text — Plain text versions of TPWD news releases are provided for copying and pasting into editing software. To copy text into an editing software: - Click a Plain Text link to display the plain text page in your browser. - Select all. - Paste in a document in your editing program. Permalink — This is a direct link to the news release, omitting the navigation context from the URI. English/Spanish — News releases posted in both English and Spanish have one of these links. If you have any suggestions for improving these pages, send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org and mention Plain Text Pages.

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doctype (W3C DOM Core property) var dtd = document.doctype; In the example above, the dtd variable is a reference to the Document Type Declaration for this document, which is an instance DocumentType interface, containing properties such as the publicId. So in this next example: var pubid = dtd.publicId; If we were on a page with an XHTML 1.0 Strict doctype, the pubid variable would have the value -//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN. The Document Type Declaration of an XML document. For HTML documents, or XML documents without a document type declaration, this property should return This property is readonly. And if you're lucky, you'll never need this! In Internet Explorer 6 and 7 and Safari 1.3 and 2 in HTML mode1, the doctype property returns However this is according to specification — the doctype should only return an object in XML (including XHTML mode2), otherwise it should be In Safari 1.3 and 2 in XHTML mode or XML the doctype property is available, but all its properties are Firefox 3 in HTML mode the name of a is returned in uppercase. Internet Explorer 5.5 in HTML does not implement this interface doctype is undefined). The relationship between the node and its owning Document varies between browsers. While all which implement this interface have the correct Firefox has the document as its parentNode; in Opera and Safari 3 both properties are Firefox has the correct behavior. Opera in XHTML mode or XML and Internet Explorer in XML return a populated entities collection; in Safari and Firefox null. In Internet Explorer in XML this collection only includes internal entities (those defined in a doctype's internal subset). Only Opera in XHTML mode and Firefox in XHTML mode or XML provide data for the internalSubset property; in Internet Explorer it's undefined, and in other browsers and modes it's an empty string.

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News And Upcoming Events What is a Science Café? Science cafés are live events that involve a conversation with a scientist about current topics in science and technology. They are open to everyone, and take place in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses across the country. Science cafés emphasize audience participation in the lively discussion of a topic. What are the goals of the Notre Dame-South Bend Science Café? - Promote scientific interest and literacy in the South Bend community - Provide a community outreach opportunity to faculty and graduate students in the sciences - Introduce new audiences to current topics in science and engineering Who is the audience? - Anyone and everyone in the South Bend community. - Expect a wide range of ages, education levels, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Where: Notre Dame Downtown 217 South Michigan Street - South Bend, IN 46601 (across the street from the State Theater) Science Café temporarily suspended...The South Bend Science Café will be suspended for the remainder of 2012 due to scheduling conflicts at our normal venue. We are currently attempting to either work with the Notre Dame-Downtown Center to secure meeting locations for the Spring of 2013 or secure a secondary venue. We plan to have a full lineup of intellectually stimulating speakers for the Spring of 2013 and will keep you updated as our scheduling progresses. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Check out this link for another science lecture series on plant ecology being hosted at the Potawatomi Conservatories: http://potawatomiconservatories.blogspot.com/ Semester Schedule: Spring 2012 April 25, 2012 6:30 p.m. Summary: The Sherlock Holmes series popularized the use of scientific techniques to solve crimes. Join us for a discussion of modern day applications of science and technology in criminal investigations. Specifically, Mr. Eakins will discuss the use of fingerprinting in forensics. He will begin with a brief history of fingerprinting including how it was used by Sherlock Holmes, and then move on to details about modern day applications. Eakins will also present some examples where fingerprints played a key role in homicide cases investigated by the SBPD. The audience is welcome to ask any questions they may have about fingerprinting, crime scene work, or forensics in general. A One Book, One Michiana Event: http://sjcpl.lib.in.us/onebook/ March 28, 2012 6:30 p.m. How to Turn Lead into Gold Speaker: Dr. Micha Kilburn, Director of Education and Outreach for the Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics. Summary: Carl Sagan once wrote that “We are made of star stuff.” What did he mean by that? How do stars make the “stuff” in our bodies and everything around us? How was the gold in our jewelry made? I will address these questions and more, focusing on how we recreate these stellar conditions in laboratories to better understand the origin of elements. To show how we turn lead into gold (or anything into something smaller) there will be interactive demonstrations. February 29. 2012 6:30 p.m. Foraging behavior of small mammals: the difference between finding food and being food Speaker: Dr. Michael Cramer, Assistant Teaching Professor at Notre Dame and Assistant Director of UNDERC. Summary: This presentation will investigate how rodents, especially deer mice, make decisions about what to eat and when to eat it, while balancing the risk of becoming food themselves. The talk will outline studies determining preference of mice foraging on maple seeds, and how those decisions change in the perceived presence of a predator. Foraging decisions by other rodents such as porcupines will also be covered. January 25, 2012 6:30 p.m A History of Nuclear Weapons with Dr. Michael Wiescher of the Physics Department, Notre Dame. Nuclear weapons have been a part of life on earth for more than 60 years. They have affected political decisions, military planning, and military costs. They have altered the environment and influenced man's way of life in numerous ways. After summarizing the present interest in nuclear weapons and nuclear proliferation, the presentation will focus on the physics of nuclear materials followed by a description of the technical development and the technical challenges associated with the production of nuclear weapons. The history of the US weapons program and its implications for the ecologic and cultural environment will be discussed. The presentation will end with a summary of long-term issues associated with a military nuclear weapon program. >See Flyer Semester Schedule: Fall 2011 November 30, 2011 6:30 p.m. Engineering Materials that Coexist/Interact with Biology by Ryan Roeder, Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering Graduate Program, University of Notre Dame. This presentation will highlight examples of inert and bioactive materials used in current medical device technology, and discuss the role of biomaterials in the development of therapies involving regenerative medicine. September 28, 2011 6:30 p.m. Patents in Biotech: Legal and ethical questions with Dr. Karen Imgrund Deak, Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame. Prof. Deak will present an overview of the patenting process and legal requirements for obtaining a patent. The bulk of her talk will focus on a specific case that has been in the news recently – AMP v. USPTO – the so-called gene-patenting case. Semester Schedule, Spring 2011 January 26, 2011 6:30 p.m. Ecological Restoration and Native Plants with Will Ditzler, President and CEO of JFNew, an ecological consulting and restoration firm based in Northern Indiana. February 22, 2011 6:30 p.m. How can we conserve and manage plants and wildlife in a changing climate? with Dr. Jason McLachlan, an Assistant Professor in the Notre Dame Dept. of Biological Science who studies the ecological and evolutionary impact of climate change. March 31, 2011 6:30 p.m. A Digital Tour of the Roman Forum with Prof. Krupali Krusche, Notre Dame School of Architecture, and Paul Turner and Ben Keller from Notre Dame’s Academic Technologies team. Prof. Krusche will demonstrate how her Digital Historical Architectural Research and Material Analysis research team (D.H.A.R.M.A.) documents historic monuments and buildings around the world using 3D laser scanners and high resolution digital panorama imagery. The main focus of the presentation will be the recent work of the team in July 2010 to document the Roman Forum — the center of political, religious, commercial, and judicial life in ancient Rome. > See flyer April 27, 2011 6:30 p.m. Dr. Thomas Corke, Professor of Engineering in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, will present Aerodynamics and Potential of Wind Power Generation. Wind energy is playing an ever increasing world-wide role as a renewable energy source. Because of its intermittent nature, wind energy presents significant challenges before becoming a completely reliable utility. To address such challenges, a "Laboratory for Enhanced Wind Energy Design (eWiND)" has been established as part of FlowPAC. The mission of the laboratory is to apply flow control technology to wind turbines to enhance their performance and reliability as a renewable energy source. The application of strategic aerodynamic control has the potential to increase the energy capture by wind turbines by up to 20 percent. Podcasts of Science Café Speakers Some presentations of Science Café are recorded and available as podcasts on iTunes U. Find the Science Café icon once iTunes opens up, then enter a search for Science Café or look for us under "What's New." Semester Schedule, Fall 2010 Café’s are held on the last Wednesday of every month starting at 6:30 pm unless otherwise noted. September 29, 2010 6:30 p.m. Aging Successfully with Prof. Cindy Bergeman, Dept. of Psychology October 27, 2010 6:30 p.m. How climate change modeling works with Prof. Edward Bensman, Dept. of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences November 10, 2010 6:30 p.m. The Economics of Climate Change with Prof. Richard Jensen, Dept. of Economics. December 15, 2010 6:30 p.m. Why You Should Care about Asian Carp with Prof. David Lodge, Dept. of Biological Sciences. Nano Tech with Dean Gregory Crawford, Notre Dame College of Science The science Behind Angels & Demons - What's Real and What Isn't with Prof. Michael Hildreth, Dept. of Physics What is genomics, and how can it help us fight malaria? with Prof. Mike Ferdig, Dept. of Biological Sciences Biofuels with Prof. Jean Romero Severson, Dept. of Biological Sciences Climate Change and the managed relocation of species with Prof. Jason MacLachlan and Prof. Jessica Hellmann, Dept of Biological Sciences Vital Facts about Vittles, a celebration of food with ND Graduate Students Mia Stephen and Christopher J. Patrick, Dept. of Biological Sciences January 27, 2010 Solving the autism puzzle with Dr. Joshua Diehl, Dept. of Psychology February 24, 2010 Nova Now Video Series with ND Graduate Students Mia Stephen & Christopher J. Patrick, Dept. of Biological Sciences March 31, 2010 Fish food for thought: The link between sea monkeys and the seafood in your supermarket with Prof. Gary Belovsky, Dept. of Biological Sciences

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By Hope O'Brien (Wednesday, Dec 1, 2010) Access to basic medicines can mean the difference between life and death, and is a critical link in realizing the Right to Health. The UN Working Group on Access to Essential Medicines opened its report on Essential Medicines with the assertion that “The lack of access to life-saving and health-supporting medicines for an estimate 2 billion poor people stands as a direct contradiction to the fundamental principle of health as a human right.” Join PHR in advocating for better access to essential medicines in resource-poor settings through UNITAID’s new Medicine Patent Pool. Our new National Action Toolkit offers analysis, resources to educate your community, and easy advocacy projects. This week of action spans from today – World AIDS Day (December 1) – to International Human Rights Day (December 10). As Stephen Marks points out in Access to Essential Medicines as a Component of the Right to Health in Health: A Human Rights Perspective, there are many obstacles to making essential medicines available in poor countries: affordable prices; government commitment and policy; adequate, sustainable, and equitable public sector financing; generic substitution; consumer information; efficient distribution; control of taxes; and careful selection and monitoring. These structural gaps are addressed by the WHO Medicines Strategy, but have proven to be nearly intractable in many low-income countries, with some notable and inspiring exceptions. Some countries have attempted to overcome the first gap, affordable prices, by negotiating lower prices or substituting patented drugs with ones obtained through their own production or parallel importation. The pharmaceutical industry challenges the idea that patents cause a lack of access (in part, because not all of the 319 products on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines are patentable). Nevertheless, patents to protect investment in research and development are linked to the high price of certain drugs, notably antiretrovirals (ARVs) to manage HIV/AIDS. As Lisa Foman asserts in ‘Rights’ and Wrongs: What Utility for the Right to Health in Reforming Trade Rules on Medicines, public pressure, legislative advocacy, and legal accountability are more likely to provoke corporate innovation for diseases affecting poor countries than commercial reasons. In other words: the profit motive does not adequately produce public goods like medicines. So, this year, we suggest you put these human rights strategies to work. This December, the PHR NSP National Action asks you to educate your community about this human rights issue, and ask drug companies to participate in the UNITAID Medicine Patent Pool. The prohibitive cost of providing needed drugs impedes access. Join the PHR National Student Program in demanding universal access to essential medicines.

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CARACAS, Wednesday April 01, 2009 | Update Following a serious political, economic and social crisis stemming from a number of events, including two failed military coups d'état and weakened political stability, Rafael Caldera was elected president for the second time. He was no longer a member of Copei party, which he left to found Convergencia. He garnered support from a coalition of diverse parties called El Chiripero (the cockroach pool). A few months earlier, Carlos Andrés Pérez was removed from office under a judicial ruling A short time following his speech before Congress on the occasion of a failed coup d'état on February 1992, Rafael Caldera was elected Venezuelan president for the second time File Photo: Andrés Mata Foundation On December 1993, during a voting marked by unprecedented abstention and amidst a deep political crisis, Rafael Caldera was elected president with only 30.45 percent of the ballot. He also broke up with the bipartisan prevalence for 33 years when running for president with the support of his political Convergencia party. The coalition of political minority groups called El Chiripero (the cockroach pool) went on the political stage that used to feature political AD and Copei parties Caldera, the founder of Copei party, was certain since 1990 that the country was looking for an alternative to prevailing political structures and an ineffective state that failed to meet the people's needs. He expressed his view during a speech at the special session held at the Congress on February 4th, 1992, to discuss a failed coup attempt on that same day against the government of President Carlos Andrés Pérez. There, Caldera cleared his way to the presidency. "It is difficult to ask the people to sacrifice themselves for freedom and democracy, as they feel that freedom and democracy are unable to give them food and prevent a dramatic hike in the cost of living; are unable to put an end to the scourge of corruption." In May, seven months before Caldera's triumph, the Congress dismissed President Pérez and declared his incumbency vacant as he faced criminal charges for the use of USD 116,660 of the secret allocation for the custody of Nicaragua's President Violeta Chamorro. He was replaced by historian Ramón J. Velásquez, who acted as provisional president for eight hard months. Sports comforted Venezuelans. Baseball player Andrés "Gato" Galarraga was the first Venezuelan who became a bat champion of the National League as a result of his agility and perseverance both in the field and in his fight against a cancer in his spine. On December 1993, Colombian drug trafficking received a knock-out blow. Pablo Escobar Gaviria, the kingpin of the Medellín Cartel, was shot dead by the army after chasing him for almost two years following his jailbreak from Envigado. He was found in a house of Medellín. Additional news shocked the world. Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) signed a historical peace agreement at the US White House, witnessed by president-elect Bill Clinton. In Germany, race violence against immigrants reemerged. Groups of neo-Nazi skinheads set fire to a building inhabited by Turkish-German families in Solingen. Two women and three girls died. Most of the German society condemned the racial hatred. 5.- Renewed status 6.- Radio Capital 9.- Cyber Radio MEMORY GAME >> Try your ability to keep images in your head and discover wonderful pictures of all times !

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How To Make A Practical Diamond Device Diamond has some phenomenal properties. Many of these are due to the fact that the carbon atoms that make diamond what it is, are held together by very tight chemical bonds in a close packed structure. Compounded by the small size of the carbon atom this makes it challenging (but not impossible) to dope diamond in the same way you would with silicon. A good analogy is that with most dopants it's rather like trying to squeeze a tennis ball into a tight packed array of ping-pong balls. The resulting distortion to the regular crystal structure of diamond compromises the performance of the material. To make practical working devices in diamond, you need to start by tearing up the semiconductor rulebook. The first principle of working with diamond is that it is not a classical semiconductor - rather it's an electrical insulator with some phenomenal charge transport properties. Our technology takes diamond, one of the world's best electrical insulators, and turns it at will into a controllable conductor. We do this by exploiting one of diamond's unique properties, which is that it is virtually transparent to free electrons. This phenomenon is widely known and has been used to make switching devices in the past. To make such a device the free electrons were generated from an external source such as a hot filament (just as in a thermionic tube) and therefore needed to operate under a vacuum. What these devices did show was that they could handle very high power levels (kiloamps per cm2) and they were capable of very fast picosecond switching times. As everyone who's ever had to change a lightbulb will know, filaments are fragile, so an improvement to the original design was proposed. In the Mark II version, the hot filament was replaced by a cold cathode - which utilised lots of needle like structures (just like those room ionisers that were so popular in the 1990's) engineered using semiconductor fabrication techniques. This type of cathode generated electrons by a process known as field emission and the had the big advantage that you didn't need to apply large amounts of power to heat a filament: The problem with this Mark II idea was that a vacuum was still required, so still not practical. Evince's innovation was to realise that superior dielectric properties of diamond could sustain the conditions needed to support field emission within the material itself. Using proprietary surface engineering techniques we have developed a process by which we embed tens of thousands of nano-scale electron emitters into a diamond substrate that provide the charge necessary to switch diamond from being an insulator to an efficient conductor... ... and no vacuum is required! The result is a new class of devices - unique to diamond - that exhibit the superior high voltage and high frequency switching properties of much loved thermionic valve but none of their drawbacks. © 2011 Evince Technology Limited, Netpark, Sedgefield, County Durham, UK, TS21 3FD

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|Classification and external resources| A Kayser-Fleischer ring (the brown ring on the edge of the iris) is common in Wilson's disease, especially when neurological symptoms are present |eMedicine||med/2413 neuro/570 ped/2441| Wilson's disease or hepatolenticular degeneration is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which copper accumulates in tissues; this manifests as neurological or psychiatric symptoms and liver disease. It is treated with medication that reduces copper absorption or removes the excess copper from the body, but occasionally a liver transplant is required. The condition is due to mutations in the Wilson disease protein (ATP7B) gene. A single abnormal copy of the gene is present in 1 in 100 people, who do not develop any symptoms (they are carriers). If a child inherits the gene from both parents, the child may develop Wilson's disease. Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 6 and 20 years, but cases in much older people have been described. Wilson's disease occurs in 1 to 4 per 100,000 people. Wilson's disease is named after Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson (1878–1937), the British neurologist who first described the condition in 1912. Signs and symptoms The main sites of copper accumulation are the liver and the brain, and consequently liver disease and neuropsychiatric symptoms are the main features that lead to diagnosis. People with liver problems tend to come to medical attention earlier, generally as children or teenagers, than those with neurological and psychiatric symptoms, who tend to be in their twenties or older. Some are identified only because relatives have been diagnosed with Wilson's disease; many of these, when tested, turn out to have been experiencing symptoms of the condition but haven't received a diagnosis. Liver disease may present itself as tiredness, increased bleeding tendency or confusion (due to hepatic encephalopathy) and portal hypertension. The latter, a condition in which the pressure in the portal vein is markedly increased, leads to esophageal varices, blood vessels in the esophagus that may bleed in a life-threatening fashion, as well as enlargement of the spleen and accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. On examination, signs of chronic liver disease such as spider naevi (small distended blood vessels, usually on the chest) may be observed. Chronic active hepatitis has caused cirrhosis of the liver in most by the time they develop symptoms. While most people with cirrhosis have an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), this risk is relatively very low in Wilson's disease. About 5% of all people are diagnosed only when they develop fulminant acute liver failure, often in the context of a hemolytic anemia (anemia due to the destruction of red blood cells). This leads to abnormalities in protein production (identified by deranged coagulation) and metabolism by the liver. The deranged protein metabolism leads to the accumulation of waste products such as ammonia in the bloodstream. When these irritate the brain, the person develops hepatic encephalopathy (confusion, coma, seizures and finally life-threatening swelling of the brain). About half the people with Wilson's disease have neurological or psychiatric symptoms. Most initially have mild cognitive deterioration and clumsiness, as well as changes in behavior. Specific neurological symptoms usually then follow, often in the form of parkinsonism (cogwheel rigidity, bradykinesia or slowed movements and a lack of balance are the most common parkinsonian features) with or without a typical hand tremor, masked facial expressions, slurred speech, ataxia (lack of coordination) or dystonia (twisting and repetitive movements of part of the body). Seizures and migraine appear to be more common in Wilson's disease. Cognition can also be affected in Wilson's disease. This comes in two, not mutually exclusive, categories: frontal lobe disorder (may present as impulsivity, impaired judgement, promiscuity, apathy and executive dysfunction with poor planning and decision making) and subcortical dementia (may present as slow thinking, memory loss and executive dysfunction, without signs of aphasia, apraxia or agnosia). It is suggested that these cognitive involvements are related and closely linked to psychiatric manifestations of the disease. Psychiatric problems due to Wilson's disease may include behavioral changes, depression, anxiety and psychosis. Psychiatric symptoms are commonly seen in conjunction with neurological symptoms and are rarely manifested on their own. These symptoms are often poorly defined and can sometimes be attributed to other causes. Because of this, diagnosis of Wilson's disease is rarely made when only psychiatric symptoms are present. Other organ systems Medical conditions have been linked with copper accumulation in Wilson's disease: - Eyes: Kayser–Fleischer rings (KF rings), a pathognomonic sign, may be visible in the cornea of the eyes, either directly or on slit lamp examination as deposits of copper in a ring around the cornea. They are due to copper deposition in Descemet's membrane. They do not occur in all people with Wilson's disease. Wilson's disease is also associated with sunflower cataracts exhibited by brown or green pigmentation of the anterior and posterior lens capsule. Neither cause significant visual loss. KF rings occur in approximately 66% of diagnosed cases (more often in those with neurological symptoms rather than with liver problems). - Kidneys: renal tubular acidosis, a disorder of bicarbonate handling by the proximal tubules leads to nephrocalcinosis (calcium accumulation in the kidneys), a weakening of bones (due to calcium and phosphate loss), and occasionally aminoaciduria (loss of essential amino acids needed for protein synthesis). - Heart: cardiomyopathy (weakness of the heart muscle) is a rare but recognized problem in Wilson's disease; it may lead to heart failure (fluid accumulation due to decreased pump function) and cardiac arrhythmias (episodes of irregular and/or abnormally fast or slow heart beat). - Hormones: hypoparathyroidism (failure of the parathyroid glands leading to low calcium levels), infertility, and habitual abortion. The Wilson's disease gene (ATP7B) has been mapped to chromosome 13 (13q14.3) and is expressed primarily in the liver, kidney, and placenta. The gene codes for a P-type (cation transport enzyme) ATPase that transports copper into bile and incorporates it into ceruloplasmin. Mutations can be detected in 90%. Most (60%) are homozygous for ATP7B mutations (two abnormal copies), and 30% have only one abnormal copy. Ten per cent have no detectable mutation. Although 300 mutations of ATP7B have been described, in most populations the cases of Wilson's disease are due to a small number of mutations specific for that population. For instance, in Western populations the H1069Q mutation (replacement of a histidine by a glutamine at position 1069 in the protein) is present in 37–63% of cases, while in China this mutation is very uncommon and R778L (arginine to leucine at 778) is found more often. Relatively little is known about the relative impact of various mutations, although the H1069Q mutation seems to predict later onset and predominantly neurological problems, according to some studies. A normal variation in the PRNP gene can modify the course of the disease by delaying the age of onset and affecting the type of symptoms that develop. This gene produces prion protein, which is active in the brain and other tissues and also appears to be involved in transporting copper. A role for the ApoE gene was initially suspected but could not be confirmed. The condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. In order to inherit it, both of the parents of an individual must carry an affected gene. Most have no family history of the condition. People with only one abnormal gene are called carriers (heterozygotes) and may have mild, but medically insignificant, abnormalities of copper metabolism. Wilson's disease is the most common of a group of hereditary diseases that cause copper overload in the liver. All can cause cirrhosis at a young age. The other members of the group are Indian childhood cirrhosis (ICC), endemic Tyrolean infantile cirrhosis and idiopathic copper toxicosis. These are not related to ATP7B mutations: for example, ICC has been linked to mutations in the KRT8 and the KRT18 gene. Copper is needed by the body for a number of functions, predominantly as a cofactor for a number of enzymes such as ceruloplasmin, cytochrome c oxidase, dopamine β-hydroxylase, superoxide dismutase and tyrosinase. Copper enters the body through the digestive tract. A transporter protein on the cells of the small bowel, copper membrane transporter 1 (CMT1), carries copper inside the cells, where some is bound to metallothionein and part is carried by ATOX1 to an organelle known as the trans-Golgi network. Here, in response to rising concentrations of copper, an enzyme called ATP7A releases copper into the portal vein to the liver. Liver cells also carry the CMT1 protein, and metallothionein and ATOX1 bind it inside the cell, but here it is ATP7B that links copper to ceruloplasmin and releases it into the bloodstream, as well as removing excess copper by secreting it into bile. Both functions of ATP7B are impaired in Wilson's disease. Copper accumulates in the liver tissue; ceruloplasmin is still secreted, but in a form that lacks copper (termed apoceruloplasmin) and is rapidly degraded in the bloodstream. When the amount of copper in the liver overwhelms the proteins that normally bind it, it causes oxidative damage through a process known as Fenton chemistry; this damage eventually leads to chronic active hepatitis, fibrosis (deposition of connective tissue) and cirrhosis. The liver also releases copper into the bloodstream that is not bound to ceruloplasmin. This free copper precipitates throughout the body but particularly in the kidneys, eyes and brain. In the brain, most copper is deposited in the basal ganglia, particularly in the putamen and globus pallidus (together called the lenticular nucleus); these areas normally participate in the coordination of movement as well as playing a significant role in neurocognitive processes such as the processing of stimuli and mood regulation. Damage to these areas, again by Fenton chemistry, produces the neuropsychiatric symptoms seen in Wilson's disease. It is not clear why Wilson's disease causes hemolysis, but various lines of evidence suggest that high levels of free (non-ceruloplasmin bound) copper have a direct effect on either oxidation of hemoglobin, inhibition of energy-supplying enzymes in the red blood cell, or direct damage to the cell membrane. Wilson's disease may be suspected on the basis of any of the symptoms mentioned above, or when a close relative has been found to have Wilson's. Most have slightly abnormal liver function tests such as a raised aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and bilirubin level. If the liver damage is significant, albumin may be decreased due to an inability of damaged liver cells to produce this protein; likewise, the prothrombin time (a test of coagulation) may be prolonged as the liver is unable to produce proteins known as clotting factors. Alkaline phosphatase levels are relatively low in those with Wilson's-related acute liver failure. If there are neurological symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is usually performed; this shows hyperintensities in the part of the brain called the basal ganglia in the T2 setting. MRI may also demonstrate the characteristic "face of the giant panda" pattern. There is no totally reliable test for Wilson's disease, but levels of ceruloplasmin and copper in the blood, as well of the amount of copper excreted in urine during a 24-hour period, are together used to form an impression of the amount of copper in the body. The gold standard or most ideal test is a liver biopsy. Levels of ceruloplasmin are abnormally low (<0.2 g/L) in 80–95% of cases. It can, however, be present at normal levels in people with ongoing inflammation as it is an acute phase protein. Low ceruloplasmin is also found in Menkes disease and aceruloplasminemia, which are related to, but much rarer than Wilson's disease. The combination of neurological symptoms, Kayser–Fleisher rings and a low ceruloplasmin level is considered sufficient for the diagnosis of Wilson's disease. In many cases, however, further tests are needed. Serum and urine copper Serum copper is paradoxically low but urine copper is elevated in Wilson's disease. Urine is collected for 24 hours in a bottle with a copper-free liner. Levels above 100 μg/24h (1.6 μmol/24h) confirm Wilson's disease, and levels above 40 μg/24h (0.6 μmol/24h) are strongly indicative. High urine copper levels are not unique to Wilson's disease; they are sometimes observed in autoimmune hepatitis and in cholestasis (any disease obstructing the flow of bile from the liver to the small bowel). In children, the penicillamine test may be used. A 500 mg oral dose of penicillamine is administered, and urine collected for 24 hours. If this contains more than 1600 μg (25 μmol), it is a reliable indicator of Wilson's disease. This test has not been validated in adults. Once other investigations have indicated Wilson's disease, the ideal test is the removal of a small amount of liver tissue through a liver biopsy. This is assessed microscopically for the degree of steatosis and cirrhosis, and histochemistry and quantification of copper are used to measure the severity of the copper accumulation. A level of 250 μg of copper per gram of dried liver tissue confirms Wilson's disease. Occasionally, lower levels of copper are found; in that case, the combination of the biopsy findings with all other tests could still lead to a formal diagnosis of Wilson's. In the earlier stages of the disease, the biopsy typically shows steatosis (deposition of fatty material), increased glycogen in the nucleus, and areas of necrosis (cell death). In more advanced disease, the changes observed are quite similar to those seen in autoimmune hepatitis, such as infiltration by inflammatory cells, piecemeal necrosis and fibrosis (scar tissue). In advanced disease, finally, cirrhosis is the main finding. In acute liver failure, degeneration of the liver cells and collapse of the liver tissue architecture is seen, typically on a background of cirrhotic changes. Histochemical methods for detecting copper are inconsistent and unreliable, and taken alone are regarded as insufficient to establish a diagnosis. Mutation analysis of the ATP7B gene, as well as other genes linked to copper accumulation in the liver, may be performed. Once a mutation is confirmed, it is possible to screen family members for the disease as part of clinical genetics family counseling. Medical treatments are available for Wilson's disease. Some increase the removal of copper from the body, while others prevent the absorption of copper from the diet. Generally, penicillamine is the first treatment used. This binds copper (chelation) and leads to excretion of copper in the urine. Hence, monitoring of the amount of copper in the urine can be done to ensure a sufficiently high dose is taken. Penicillamine is not without problems: about 20% experience a side effect or complication of penicillamine treatment, such as drug-induced lupus (causing joint pains and a skin rash) or myasthenia (a nerve condition leading to muscle weakness). In those who presented with neurological symptoms, almost half experience a paradoxical worsening in their symptoms. While this phenomenon is observed in other treatments for Wilson's, it is usually taken as an indication for discontinuing penicillamine and commencing second-line treatment. Those intolerant to penicillamine may instead be commenced on trientine hydrochloride, which also has chelating properties. Some recommend trientine as first-line treatment, but experience with penicillamine is more extensive. A further agent with known activity in Wilson's disease is tetrathiomolybdate. This is regarded as experimental, though some studies have shown a beneficial effect. Once all results have returned to normal, zinc (usually in the form of a zinc acetate prescription called Galzin) may be used instead of chelators to maintain stable copper levels in the body. Zinc stimulates metallothionein, a protein in gut cells that binds copper and prevents their absorption and transport to the liver. Zinc therapy is continued unless symptoms recur or if the urinary excretion of copper increases. In rare cases where none of the oral treatments are effective, especially in severe neurological disease, dimercaprol (British anti-Lewisite) is occasionally necessary. This treatment is injected intramuscularly (into a muscle) every few weeks and has unpleasant side effects such as pain. People who are asymptomatic (for instance, those diagnosed through family screening or only as a result of abnormal test results) are generally treated, as the copper accumulation may cause long-term damage in the future. It is unclear whether these people are best treated with penicillamine or zinc acetate. Physiotherapy is beneficial for patients with the neurologic form of the disease. The copper chelating treatment may take up to six months to start working, and physical therapy can assist in coping with ataxia, dystonia, and tremors, as well as preventing the development of contractures that can result from dystonia. Liver transplantation is an effective cure for Wilson's disease but is used only in particular scenarios because of the risks and complications associated with the procedure. It is used mainly in people with fulminant liver failure who fail to respond to medical treatment or in those with advanced chronic liver disease. Liver transplantation is avoided in severe neuropsychiatric illness, in which its benefit has not been demonstrated. Left untreated, Wilson's disease tends to become progressively worse and is eventually fatal. With early detection and treatment, most of those affected can live relatively normal lives. Liver and neurologic damage that occurs prior to treatment may improve, but it is often permanent. The disease bears the name of the British physician Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson (1878–1937), a neurologist who described the condition, including the pathological changes in the brain and liver, in 1912. Wilson's work had been predated by, and drew on, reports from German neurologist Carl Westphal (in 1883), who termed it "pseudosclerosis"; by the British neurologist William Gowers (in 1888); and by Adolph Strümpell (in 1898), who noted hepatic cirrhosis. Neuropathologist John Nathaniel Cumings made the link with copper accumulation in both the liver and the brain in 1948. The occurrence of hemolysis was noted in 1967. Cumings, and simultaneously the New Zealand neurologist Derek Denny-Brown, working in the United States, first reported effective treatment with metal chelator British anti-Lewisite in 1951. This treatment had to be injected but was one of the first therapies available in the field of neurology, a field that classically was able to observe and diagnose but had few treatments to offer. The first effective oral chelation agent, penicillamine, was discovered in 1956 by British neurologist John Walshe. In 1982, Walshe also introduced trientine, and was the first to develop tetrathiomolybdate for clinical use. Zinc acetate therapy initially made its appearance in the Netherlands, where physicians Schouwink and Hoogenraad used it in 1961 and in the 1970s, respectively, but it was further developed later by Brewer and colleagues at the University of Michigan. In other animals Hereditary copper accumulation has been described in Bedlington Terriers, where it generally only affects the liver. It is due to mutations in the COMMD1 (or MURR1) gene. In non-Wilsonian copper accumulation states (such as Indian childhood cirrhosis), no COMMD1 mutations could be detected to explain their genetic origin. - Ala A, Walker AP, Ashkan K, Dooley JS, Schilsky ML (2007). "Wilson's disease". Lancet 369 (9559): 397–408. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60196-2. PMID 17276780. - Kinnier Wilson SA (1912). "Progressive lenticular degeneration: a familial nervous disease associated with cirrhosis of the liver" (PDF). Brain 34 (1): 295–507. doi:10.1093/brain/34.4.295. - Merle U, Schaefer M, Ferenci P, Stremmel W (2007). "Clinical presentation, diagnosis and long‐term outcome of Wilson's disease: a cohort study". Gut 56 (1): 115–20. doi:10.1136/gut.2005.087262. PMC 1856673. PMID 16709660. - Lorincz MT (2010). "Neurologic Wilson's disease". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1184: 173–87. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05109.x. PMID 20146697. - Yanoff, Myron; Jay S. Duker (2008). Ophthalmology (3rd ed. ed.). Edinburgh: Mosby. p. 411. ISBN 978-0323057516. - de Bie P, Muller P, Wijmenga C, Klomp LW (November 2007). "Molecular pathogenesis of Wilson and Menkes disease: correlation of mutations with molecular defects and disease phenotypes". J. Med. Genet. 44 (11): 673–88. doi:10.1136/jmg.2007.052746. PMC 2752173. PMID 17717039. - Grubenbecher S, Stüve O, Hefter H, Korth C (2006). "Prion protein gene codon 129 modulates clinical course of neurological Wilson disease". Neuroreport 17 (5): 549–52. doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000209006.48105.90. PMID 16543824. - Roberts EA, Schilsky ML (2003). "A practice guideline on Wilson disease" (PDF). Hepatology 37 (6): 1475–92. doi:10.1053/jhep.2003.50252. PMID 12774027. - Lee, GR (1999). "Chapter 48: acquired hemolytic anaemias resulting from direct effects of infectious, chemical or physical agents". In Lee GR, Foerster J, Lukens J et al.. Wintrobe's clinical hematology. vol 1 (10th ed.). Williams & Wilkins. p. 1298. ISBN 0-683-18242-0. - Shaver WA, Bhatt H, Combes B (1986). "Low serum alkaline phosphatase activity in Wilson's disease". Hepatology 6 (5): 859–63. doi:10.1002/hep.1840060509. PMID 3758940. - Das SK, Ray K (September 2006). "Wilson's disease: an update". Nat Clin Pract Neurol 2 (9): 482–93. doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0291. PMID 16932613. - Walshe JM (July 1996). "Treatment of Wilson's disease: the historical background". QJM 89 (7): 553–5. PMID 8759497. - Brewer GJ, Askari FK (2005). "Wilson's disease: clinical management and therapy". Journal of Hepatology 42 (Suppl 1): 13–21. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2004.11.013. PMID 15777568. - Robertson WM (February 2000). "Wilson's disease". Arch. Neurol. 57 (2): 276–7. doi:10.1001/archneur.57.2.276. PMID 10681092. - Cumings JN (1948). "The copper and iron content of brain and liver in the normal and in hepato-lenticular degeneration" (PDF). Brain 71 (Dec): 410–5. doi:10.1093/brain/71.4.410. PMID 18124738. - McIntyre N, Clink HM, Levi AJ, Cumings JN, Sherlock S (February 1967). "Hemolytic anemia in Wilson's disease". N. Engl. J. Med. 276 (8): 439–44. doi:10.1056/NEJM196702232760804. PMID 6018274. - Cumings JN (March 1951). "The effects of B.A.L. in hepatolenticular degeneration". Brain 74 (1): 10–22. doi:10.1093/brain/74.1.10. PMID 14830662. - Denny-Brown D, Porter H (December 1951). "The effect of BAL (2,3-dimercaptopropanol) on hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson's disease)". N. Engl. J. Med. 245 (24): 917–25. doi:10.1056/NEJM195112132452401. PMID 14882450. - Vilensky JA, Robertson WM, Gilman S (September 2002). "Denny-Brown, Wilson's disease, and BAL (British antilewisite [2,3-dimercaptopropanol])". Neurology 59 (6): 914–6. PMID 12297577. - Walshe JM (January 1956). "Wilson's disease; new oral therapy". Lancet 267 (6906): 25–6. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(56)91859-1. PMID 13279157. - Walshe JM (March 1982). "Treatment of Wilson's disease with trientine (triethylene tetramine) dihydrochloride". Lancet 1 (8273): 643–7. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(82)92201-2. PMID 6121964. - Harper PL, Walshe JM (December 1986). "Reversible pancytopenia secondary to treatment with tetrathiomolybdate". Br. J. Haematol. 64 (4): 851–3. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.1986.tb02250.x. PMID 3801328. - Brewer GJ (January 2000). "Recognition, diagnosis, and management of Wilson's disease". Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 223 (1): 39–46. doi:10.1046/j.1525-1373.2000.22305.x. PMID 10632959. - Bull PC, Thomas GR, Rommens JM, Forbes JR, Cox DW (1993). "The Wilson disease gene is a putative copper transporting P-type ATPase similar to the Menkes gene". Nat. Genet. 5 (4): 327–37. doi:10.1038/ng1293-327. PMID 8298639. - Tanzi RE, Petrukhin K, Chernov I, et al. (1993). "The Wilson disease gene is a copper transporting ATPase with homology to the Menkes disease gene". Nat. Genet. 5 (4): 344–50. doi:10.1038/ng1293-344. PMID 8298641. - Sternlieb I, Twedt DC, Johnson GF, et al. (1977). "Inherited copper toxicity of the liver in Bedlington terriers". Proc. R. Soc. Med. 70 Suppl 3 (Suppl 3): 8–9. PMC 1543595. PMID 122681. - van De Sluis B, Rothuizen J, Pearson PL, van Oost BA, Wijmenga C (2002). "Identification of a new copper metabolism gene by positional cloning in a purebred dog population". Hum. Mol. Genet. 11 (2): 165–73. doi:10.1093/hmg/11.2.165. PMID 11809725. - Müller T, van de Sluis B, Zhernakova A, et al. (2003). "The canine copper toxicosis gene MURR1 does not cause non-Wilsonian hepatic copper toxicosis". J. Hepatol. 38 (2): 164–8. doi:10.1016/S0168-8278(02)00356-2. PMID 12547404. - Wilson's disease association international - Wilson's disease UK - Children's Liver Disease Foundation (UK) - Wilson Disease Mutation Database (HUGO) - Wilson's disease at Who Named It? - Wilson disease at NLM Genetics Home Reference - Wilson Disease at NIH/UW GeneTests

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PROGRAMS “R” US Nearly everyone reading this is already a programmer, on one level or another. Even if you don’t know a “GOTO” from a “STA $C030″, you already know how to program something. For the act of “programming” is nothing more than giving instructions to a non-human device to have it carry out what you want it to do. The device that most of you already know how to program is your automobile. The act of giving those instructions may not seem like programming to you; nevertheless in its strictest sense, programming it is. You want the car to go forward? Set the transmission to “D”. Go in reverse? Use “R”. Of course, the programming needed to operate an automobile is quite simple, and cannot be done in more than one step at a time. An example of a device that is more complicated to program but does let you store up several instructions in advance is a VCR or DVR. On this device you instruct it to record a television broadcast that starts at 7:00 pm and ends at 8:30 pm, on channel 6. All current DVRs can have several programs set up in advance, even download a schedule and automatically add new programs to the record queue. If you can operate a VCR or DVR in this fashion (which is, admittedly, not always easy), you are a programmer. When it comes to the microcomputer, the process of programming (giving it instructions on how to carry out a task) is more complicated. This is primarily because the computer is far more flexible in its ability to accept instructions and carry them out than is an automobile or DVR. Devices attached to a computer can be manipulated by a program to do something useful (print a letter several times, or perhaps read the outside temperature and sound an alarm if it drops too low). This flexibility, plus the speed at which a computer can execute its instructions, makes it a powerful tool for doing things that have previously taken much more effort and time. And as a project becomes more sophisticated, so also must the programming acquire a similar level of sophistication. The rate at which computers, including the Apple II, increased in capacity since the 1970s made it possible to design programs that could do things that were not even dreamed possible back in the days of the 4K Integer BASIC machine. An example of programming evolution on the Apple II was given during the A2-Central Developer’s Conference (KansasFest) in July of 1991. To fully appreciate this narrative, it is necessary to know a little about an old Integer BASIC program, APPLEVISION. This was found on the DOS 3.2.1 System Master disk, and was a fun little display that showed off the use of hi-res graphics. It began by creating a simple line drawing of a room, with a picture on the wall (“HOME SWEET HOME”) and a television set. On the screen of the TV appeared a man who danced to the tune of “Turkey In The Straw”, which sounded on the built-in speaker. It ran repeatedly, until the user interrupted the program. It was fascinating at the time, since there was nothing in the program text that showed off exactly how the hi-res effects were accomplished. But things have gotten a bit more complex as time has gone by: Roger Wagner’s keynote address featured a history of hypermedia, which Roger set into action and left to run as he wandered offstage. The history began with Bob Bishop’s classic APPLEVISION, done in black and white on the original Apple II. Progressive screens enhanced the APPLEVISION image using subsequent incarnations of Apple II graphics (single hi-resolution, double hi-resolution, and the IIGS‘s Super Hi-Resolution modes). Finally, thanks to a laserdisc player under HyperStudio‘s control and a video overlay card, Roger’s image appeared within the television’s screen and spoke to the audience, completing the introduction before turning the presentation back to Roger (returning from offstage). To follow the programming progress that has made such magic possible, this chapter will begin with the first two built-in high-level languages for the Apple II, Integer BASIC and Applesoft, and then move on to a briefer discussion of some of the other languages that became available over the years. Following this will be a summary of various 6502 and 65816 assemblers that programmers used on the Apple II platform. The chapter will finish with an introduction to “hypertext”, and programs that used this concept on the Apple II. FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAMMING A programming language has the standards to translate “what I want” into commands that the computer understands. To do so, it must take some human language and convert it into the binary dialect of the computer on which it is executed. Computer languages usually come in one of two different types: “interpreted” and “compiled”. A language that functions as an interpreter takes the text of the program and translates it at the time of execution into commands the computer can understand. A compiled program, on the other hand, has already had the program text translated into executable code before it is run, usually including some extra code needed to carry out necessary functions of input, output, and calculations. As such, an interpreted program usually runs more slowly, but has the advantage of being easier to modify and re-run without the delay of first re-compiling. A compiled program will ordinarily run faster, but may use more memory than an equivalent interpreted program. Languages are also given the designation of being “high-level” or “low-level”, depending on how close they are to the base language of the computer on which they run. The lowest level of computer programming is at the level of the bytes understood as commands by the microprocessor. This “machine language” is typically not very understandable to humans. A low-level language more often used by programmers is “assembly language”. This uses commands somewhat more understandable (“LDA $24″ means “load the accumulator with the contents of memory location $24″), which are then assembled (actually compiled) into machine-readable code. Assembly language is very powerful, since it works on the byte level of the computer. However, as a low-level language it can be very complicated and requires an intimate understanding of the function of the computer. As a language becomes more “high-level”, it is easier for humans to read, but requires more effort from its interpreter or compiler to translate it into the native language of the computer. This was the first language available for general use on the Apple II (aside from assembly, which will be dealt with later). Most of the details concerning its development have already been covered in Chapter 3 of this History. It was a quick, compact language, and its creation was an example of programming directly in machine language (since Steve Wozniak, the author, had no assembler available to use). Its disadvantage was the lack of easy access to floating point operations, and it lacked some string handling functions. Apple II users, especially those who wanted to produce programs that could be used in business applications, wanted something more powerful to use. Despite its limitations, Integer BASIC was a language that had a loyal following. For those thousands who purchased the Apple II from June 1977 to June 1979, this was the only programming language available, and it took on a status similar to that of a beloved first-born child. Games, utilities, and even some simple business-use programs were written using Wozniak’s hand-assembled masterpiece, and those who followed the pages of Call-A.P.P.L.E. magazine learned much about the internals of the language. With the disassembler built into the Monitor, people tore Integer BASIC apart to learn how it worked, and to make it work better. Val Golding, the editor of Call-A.P.P.L.E., even wrote a series of columns in 1979 entitled “So Who Needs Applesoft?” These articles showed how to simulate some of the more advanced features of Applesoft in this older BASIC. A.P.P.L.E. even sold (under license agreement with Apple Computer) “Integer BASIC +”, a relocatable RAM version of the original ROM BASIC. It had all the features of the original language, plus a “USER” command, the ability to easily do four direction scrolling on the text and lo-res screens, easy printing of ASCII characters, and improved error handling. Apple never released a comprehensive reference manual for Integer BASIC. The only manual available for it was primarily a tutorial (and a general introduction to using a computer). The “Apple II BASIC Programming Manual” didn’t even call it “Integer BASIC”, but referred to the language as “Apple BASIC”. It gave most of its programming examples in the form of segments of a graphics and sound demo that created a lo-res ball bouncing off the sides of the screen. With the many programs available that were written in Integer BASIC, it was almost a necessity for Apple to offer a means for Apple II Plus users to be able to run the older software. The Integer Firmware card made this “backward compatibility” possible. This was especially important in the early days of the II Plus, when there was little new software available to use with Applesoft. Back in 1975 and 1976, Microsoft was producing BASIC interpreters for nearly every microprocessor that was produced, in hopes of licensing or selling their BASIC to those who built a computer around that chip. In mid-1976, Microsoft’s first employee, Marc McDonald, was given the job of creating a version of BASIC that would run on the then-new 6502 microprocessor, even though there not yet any computers that used that processor. They became aware of Steve Wozniak’s efforts in designing his 6502 computer (the Apple-1), and one of Microsoft’s programmers called Steve Jobs to see if he would be interested in a BASIC language for this computer. Jobs told him that they already had a BASIC (remember that Wozniak had been writing BASIC interpreters before he even had a computer on which to run them), and if they needed a better one, they could “do it themselves over the weekend”. Even without a potential customer for this product, McDonald worked on this BASIC, using a modified 6800 microprocessor simulator (the 6800 had an instruction set that was similar to the 6502). For several months, Microsoft had their 6502 BASIC sitting on a shelf, unwanted and unused. But by October 1976 they finally had a contract to put this interpreter into the new PET computer that was being designed by Commodore. This would ultimately become the first time that BASIC was included with a computer built into the ROM, rather than being loaded from a paper tape, disk, or cassette. However, the contract Microsoft had with Commodore was no good to them at that time, as far as income was concerned; it stipulated that they would not be paid until some time in 1977, when the computer was to be finished and ready to ship. With income and cash reserves running dangerously low, Microsoft was given a reprieve by none other than Apple Computer. Apple was receiving increasing numbers of requests by users of the Apple II for a floating point BASIC. Integer BASIC (which Wozniak had also at one time called “Game BASIC”) worked well for many purposes, and a skilled programmer could even make use of the floating-point routines that were included in the Integer BASIC ROM. However, the average Apple II user was not satisfied with Integer BASIC, especially as it made them unable to easily implement business software (where the number to the right of the decimal point is as important as the one to left). Wozniak tried to make modifications to his Integer BASIC to make use of the floating point routines, but at that time he was also hard at work on designing the Disk II interface card, and his efforts on creating a floating point BASIC fell further and further behind. Consequently, Apple’s management decided to go back to Microsoft and license the 6502 floating point BASIC that had been offered to them in 1976. In August 1977, Apple made a $10,500 payment to Microsoft for the first half of a flat-fee license that they were able to negotiate. Typically, Microsoft would license its BASIC on a royalty basis; they would be paid a set fee for every copy of BASIC that went out the door – in this case, with every computer that was sold. The fact that Microsoft was willing to concede and let Apple license their 6502 BASIC on a flat-fee basis is a reflection of the financial straits that Microsoft was under. The version Apple licensed was almost identical to the MITS extended BASIC that Microsoft had previously written for the Altair 8800., At Apple, Randy Wigginton was assigned the job of incorporating into Microsoft’s BASIC the graphics commands that were unique to the Apple II. Another early employee, Cliff Huston, became involved in the floating point BASIC project (to be named “Applesoft”). According to Huston, the source code that had been obtained from Microsoft was “a mess”, and needed considerable bug fixing, over and above the incorporation of the lo-res and hi-res graphics commands. The problem they had in trying to do this work was a lack of tools. Since there was no assembler to use on the Apple II, Wigginton had to do his programming using a cross-assembler over a 110 baud modem via teletype with a company named “Call Computer”. The work was tedious because of the slow speed of the connection; compare this 110-baud speed to the significantly faster dial-up modem speeds of 56K (56,000 baud, over 500 times as fast) that became available years later. Not only was his connection very slow, but also the cross-assembler he was using to compile 6502 code for the Applesoft project was itself written in BASIC. This resulted in a long compile time, over two hours. Printing out a new source code was out of the question; it would have taken days to make a printout. By December 1977, Wigginton hit a crisis. Call Computer managed to accidentally destroy the saved work on a number of accounts, including the workspace for Apple that he had been using to work on Applesoft. Call Computer tried to restore from a tape of the previous month – and that tape didn’t work. The same happened with the backup from the month before that. It turned out that the tape being used to reload the system at Call Computer was being erased by a faulty tape drive, and so all of the backups were being sequentially destroyed. The end result was that several months of work on Applesoft were all gone, except for the handwritten notes on his single source code printout. It was intended that the finished version of Applesoft was to be ready by January 1978. What saved the situation was Cliff Huston, and his IMSAI computer. When he had started working at Apple, Huston had brought in his own computer, because it was (at the time) all he had to work on. He had done his own programming on this IMSAI, and it had a paper tape reader. Wigginton and others had previously criticized him for using this foreign, inferior piece of equipment. Now, using the paper tape reader, Huston was able to input the original BASIC source code from Microsoft, break it up into multiple segments (he had only a single floppy disk drive), and let Wigginton resume work on fixing the source code, using an IMSAI-based cross-assembler. Because it required several floppy disks to hold the entire source, it was necessary to swap disks during the compile process, but it took only six minutes to do the compile (rather than the two hours required for Call Computer’s cross-assembler written in BASIC). Mike Scott, the president at Apple, bought a Centronics printer to use with the IMSAI, and with that Wigginton was able to get a full printout of the source code in only 35 minutes. In the end, Scott leased Huston’s IMSAI for development at Apple for nearly two years after this. With this last-minute help from Huston’s “inferior” IMSAI, Applesoft BASIC was completed on schedule and was released in January of 1978 on cassette. It was loaded as a 10K program that looked to the computer just like an Integer BASIC program, though only a small part of it really was. To make it easy to load and start from cassette, the Applesoft interpreter was attached to the end of a short Integer BASIC program. When the Integer program was run, it poked some values into memory and jumped to the start of the machine language section, which relocated the Applesoft interpreter to the lower part of memory (at $800), just after the memory that held the screen display. Using this version of Applesoft (which later became known as Applesoft I) could be frustrating. It took several minutes to load from the cassette tape, and it was not dependable. If the wrong key was pressed while entering or running an Applesoft program, the program that was being run could be wiped out, and the Applesoft interpreter itself would have to be reloaded from cassette. However, few users knew how to make use of the floating-point routines that Wozniak had written into the Integer ROM, so this unreliable Applesoft BASIC became the only practical means of doing floating-point math on the Apple II. Aside from the reliability issue, another difficulty with this early version of Applesoft involved hi-resolution graphics. Although the Apple II was capable of displaying it, the Applesoft interpreter extended up into the memory used by the hi-res screen, and so prevented its use. Furthermore, Applesoft I had no built-in commands to manage hi-res graphics. Applesoft I came with a manual that was 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches in size, and sported a blue cover with square glued binding. This came to be known as the “Blue Book” (recall that the reference book for the computer itself was affectionately known as the “Red Book”). (Click here for a link to download both of these manuals). There were actually two versions of the Applesoft Reference Manual. The first edition was dated November 1977, and the second edition came out nearly a year later, August 1978. The changes between the two involved the change from Applesoft I to Applesoft II (see below), and the newly available firmware version of Applesoft. The August 1978 edition included these additional changes: - The section about color graphics was shortened from twelve pages to just three pages, and also did not include a demo program for color graphics - Appendix A, “Getting APPLESOFT BASIC Up”, added the information about the Firmware Card. - It did not include a program for converting Applesoft I programs to Applesoft II. - Appendix K, which documented Applesoft zero page usage, was added Applesoft I - Photo credit: personal When starting the interpreter after loading it from the cassette, a screen was displayed announcing that Applesoft was copyright 1977 by Apple and Microsoft. It then asked the user for the memory size of his computer, and gave options of allowing either LET and REM statements or the use of lo-res graphics. The names of the lo-res graphics commands were very different from those that existed in Integer BASIC (and in the later versions of Applesoft). The commands were: PLTG = Go to lo-res graphics mode TEX = Go to text mode PLTC N = Set color to N (0-15) PLTP X,Y = Plot square at X,Y PLTH X1,X2,Y = Plot horizontal line from X1 to X2 at Y PLTV Y1,Y2,X = Plot vertical line from Y1 to Y2 at X There was a note about these commands in the reference card included with Applesoft I that warned about using graphics coordinates only between 0 and 39, or a program could “self-destruct”. Apparently it lacked the error checking that could prevent the plotting of lines from spilling over into the text of the Applesoft program itself., The A.P.P.L.E. user group published a patch in 1978 that allowed programmers to avoid the question about using LET and REM statements versus lo-res graphics, and use the graphics only. The author of the patch pointed out that the LET statements were not necessary (“A = 3″ worked just as well as “LET A = 3″). The REMark statements could be simulated by putting them at the end of a GOTO line (where they were ignored by the interpreter), and the GOTO could just jump to the following line: Additional patches were made available for some of the other bugs found in Applesoft I. In spring 1978, Randy Wigginton and some others at Apple made some needed revisions to Applesoft. Using a cross-assembler running on a North Star Horizon (Z-80) microcomputer (modified from Dick Huston’s IMSAI compiler), they fixed the known bugs and added other commands to control features unique to the Apple II. These commands included the ones needed to draw and manipulate hi-res graphics. Also, the lo-res graphics commands were renamed to be more consistent with the equivalent commands in Integer BASIC (GR, HLIN, VLIN, etc.) This version was called “Applesoft II”, and eventually it was available in five forms: Cassette RAM and Diskette RAM (which loaded to the same memory locations that interfered with hi-res graphics as did Applesoft I), Firmware card ROM, Language card RAM, and finally main board ROM (in the Apple II Plus). Applesoft II - Photo credit: personal When Applesoft II was started up from cassette or diskette versions, the display screen now showed a copyright date of 1978 by Apple Computer, Inc., and 1976 by Microsoft (which may be either their copyright date for the original Microsoft BASIC, or possibly for Microsoft’s first 6502 version). This RAM version of Applesoft II used memory from $800-$2FFF, and the Applesoft BASIC program itself was loaded beginning at $3000. When the versions in ROM and for the Language Card RAM were released, the BASIC program could load at $800, and much more memory was available for it. However, some of this extra space (in high memory) was reclaimed by DOS when the Disk II was released. Applesoft in the original IIe was unchanged from the II Plus version. When the IIc was introduced in 1984, however, Apple programmers had cautiously made a few useful changes to the language: - Input processing was changed to allow lowercase entry of Applesoft commands (they were translated into uppercase) - Screen output commands (PRINT, TAB, HTAB, etc.) were modified to more properly handle the 80-column screen - Program lines (when LISTed) were changed to begin in column 2, making screen editing easier - All of the cassette tape routines (LOAD, SAVE, SHLOAD, STORE, and RECALL) were removed, since the hardware did not support cassette I/O. The keywords were still in the token table, but now pointed to the same memory vector as the ampersand (“&”) command. - Patches were made to the lo-res graphics commands (GR, HLIN, VLIN, PLOT, and SCRN) to work with double lo-res graphics. However, a bug was introduced that allowed PLOTting vertically to areas outside of the double lo-res graphics screen, which would land right in the beginning of the $800 space where the Applesoft program text was located (similar to the “plot” bug in Applesoft I). When the Apple IIe Enhanced ROMs were made available, Applesoft in those ROMs had undergone some similar modifications. All the above IIc changes were added, with the exception that double lo-res graphics capability was not added (lack of ROM space), and the cassette I/O commands were not removed (since the cassette input and output port was still present). The version of Applesoft on the Apple IIGS closely resembled the Apple IIc variant, the only exception being a fix of the double lo-res PLOTting bug. However, a bug in the SCRN function that applied to double lo-res mode was not fixed. No changes to Applesoft from the IIc version appeared in the Apple IIc Plus. The manuals written for Applesoft II were far more comprehensive than either the older “Blue Book” or the Integer BASIC manual. It gave not only programming examples for each of the commands, but included much more information about the various ways in which each Applesoft statement could be used. It also mentioned some of the differences between Applesoft and Integer (for those who wanted to convert their older programs), and gave a little information about the internals of Applesoft to aid in creating machine language additions to the language. Curiously, the manuals that were reprinted even as late as 1990 by Addison-Wesley included an odd cautionary note to programmers. In a section in the index about “reserved words” (words reserved as Applesoft commands), it advises against using “XPLOT” as a variable name, stating, “It is a reserved word that does not correspond to a current Applesoft statement.” What is apparently meant by this comment is that at one time Apple intended to extend the language and add another command “XPLOT” to it, probably working with HPLOT in the same way that XDRAW complements DRAW in doing hi-res graphics. Examination of the command table within the Applesoft interpreter shows there is no entry labeled “XPLOT”, and a disassembly of the interpreter shows no preliminary code to support the command. Somehow this precaution persisted and was never removed, even though Applesoft was never upgraded by Apple (their license from Microsoft expired in 1993; see below). Particularly helpful for programmers was the foresight to include a simple extension called the “ampersand hook”. If Applesoft came across the “&” symbol while interpreting a line, it jumped to a known location in memory and left it to the programmer to insert the correct code to add a machine language extension to the language. With the publication of important information about the internals of Applesoft in 1980, assembly language programmers were able to add statements to do things that could not be done with the language as it was originally created. Music, extended graphics, IF-THEN-ELSE logic, and even the missing “XPLOT” command could be added to the language. The only limits were the author’s imagination (and available memory). A significant part of the story of Applesoft and Apple Computer occurred in March of 1985. At this time, Apple was still struggling to get the new Macintosh and Lisa computers to sell well enough to make it on their own. The company was still depending heavily on the continued strong sales of the Apple II line, specifically the Apple IIe and IIc computers. An ominous event was looming on the horizon, however, and it was one more way in which Apple and Microsoft were beginning to come into conflict with one another. The eight year license on Applesoft BASIC, which was actually Microsoft’s old 6502 BASIC (modified by Randy Wigginton) was due to expire in 1985, and if Apple could not renew the license they could not continue to sell any version of the Apple II without making the computer unable to run a large body of existing software. By this time, an Apple II was defined by the existence of Applesoft in ROM; if Apple could not continue to use Applesoft in the popular Apple II line, there would be no more Apple II. It would be unthinkable to revert back to the product that Apple did own (Integer BASIC) at that late date. And without the Apple II to provide a steady income while Macintosh development continued, there just might be no more Apple Computer. Back in 1977 when Apple was granted the eight-year license for Microsoft’s 6502 BASIC, Microsoft was in a much tighter situation financially. In 1985, however, they could ask for and get from Apple quite a bit more. However, rather than making it a financial deal, Microsoft offered to swap a second eight-year license for Applesoft BASIC in exchange for something that Bill Gates had his eyes on: MacBASIC. This product had been in development at Apple for quite a while, and was slowly progressing. But Microsoft had built its original business on supplying BASIC for every computer, and to not be the supplier of a BASIC for the Macintosh was unacceptable to Bill Gates. Steve Jobs had no choice but to allow the code for MacBASIC to be given to Microsoft, and Applesoft survived. However, Apple probably got the better end of the deal, since BASIC on the Macintosh never really turned out to be important in the same way that BASIC was in the 1970s and early 1980s. Even Gates admitted that the deal for Applesoft’s renewal was not the smartest decision he has ever made. Microsoft could have demanded a high price for Applesoft and Apple would have had no choice but to pay it to them. Overall, the importance of Applesoft as an influence to productivity on the Apple II cannot be overstated. Since the release of the Apple II Plus in 1979, every variety of Apple II contained Applesoft in virtually an unchanged form. This made it possible for anybody to write programs that all other Apple II users would be able to use, since the language did not have to be purchased or added. If there were thousands of Integer BASIC programs written during the two years when the Integer BASIC Apple II was the only available choice, there were hundreds of thousands of Applesoft programs that appeared in the years following. Even in its later years, it was not uncommon for an applications program to include a configuration module written in Applesoft using the disk commands available with BASIC.SYSTEM in ProDOS. It was often faster to write such a program in BASIC, and the author would know without a doubt that his customer will be able to run it. [Additional note: When Microsoft wrote their 6502 floating point BASIC back in 1976, the programmers embedded the company name in a hidden fashion within the object code. The encoding hid it such that simply looking at the code displayed as ASCII text would not reveal it. It was present in nearly all Microsoft versions of this 6502 language, and it is also present in Applesoft. On the Commodore PET, a command could be typed from the keyboard to display this "Easter egg". On the Apple II the code was present, but there was no secret method to invoke it. If viewing from the Monitor, the bytes for it can be found from $F094 to $F09C, just after the definitions for powers of pi. The bytes at those addresses are: F094:A6 D3 C1 C8 D4 C8 D5 C4 CE CA If printed as ASCII, it reads as "&SAHTHUDNJ". If an exclusive-or function with $87 is performed on each byte, it changes this to "!TFOSORCIM", which is "MICROSOFT!" backwards., ] APPLESOFT 3 (?) In 1979 there were rumors at the West Coast Computer Faire about an enhancement to Applesoft II that was in the works at Apple. It would possibly be called Applesoft 3, and would be as much of an enhancement over Applesoft II as that version was to Applesoft I. Supposedly it was intended to merge DOS and BASIC, and would include such powerful functions as IF-THEN-ELSE, PRINT USING, WINDOW, and VIEW PORT. It was predicted to be a RAM version only, and would be about 24K in size. What was actually happening at Apple was that there had indeed been a move to create a better Applesoft, starting in late 1978. Internally it was called Basic III (or Basic ///), and was created to be RAM-based, with the additional features mentioned above. It was a revision of Applesoft II to make it more powerful, and was originally intended for the Apple II. When the Apple III project was getting far enough along to start planning a shipping date of March 1980, they found that Pascal for the Apple III was not going to be ready at the same time. It was decided to take Basic III, which was working well on the Apple II in a beta form, and modify it to work on the Apple III. Donn Denman was hired to do this conversion, and did his work on a 6502 cross assembler on a Polymorphic computer. He collaborated with Taylor Pohlman, who had long experience with BASIC. They produced what eventually became Business Basic, and the original code never became a product on the Apple II., The work done on Business Basic was later revived in the attempt to create GS Basic for the Apple IIGS. A comparison of the source code for Business Basic and Applesoft shows that they share quite a bit of code. This confirms that Applesoft (or, really, Microsoft’s 6502 BASIC) is at the core of this Apple III language. It even contains the same Microsoft Easter egg as in Applesoft, at the same relative location (after the definitions of powers of pi). On the 8-bit Apple II models, several utilities were created to extend the usability of Applesoft and try to meet some of its limitations. Beagle Bros sold a utility in 1986 called the Beagle Compiler. Written by Alan Bird, it took an Applesoft program and created an executable binary program that ran just like the original. This binary ran much faster than the original, though some programs could not take advantage of it due to memory constraints. Also, it did not help with programs that did floating-point calculations (trigonometry and logarithmic functions, division, and the RND function). One reviewer claimed that this compiler could speed up programs by five to fifteen times. Another method of optimizing Applesoft was MD-BASIC, sold for $89.95 by Morgan Davis Group. Davis wrote it to help him speed the Proline software he had written for his computer bulletin board system. MD-BASIC took an Applesoft program and created a highly optimized version of it that would run on any Apple II. Written in C, the MD-BASIC optimizer ran only on the Apple IIGS, but the programs it created could run on any Apple II. MD-BASIC allowed logic that did not naturally come in Applesoft, such as IF-THEN-ELSE and WHILE-WEND statements. It also allowed meaningful variable names (using more than two significant characters), did not require line numbers, and had named subroutines. The BASIC program could be written and designed in a standard word processor, with as much commentary as was desired. Applesoft on the Apple IIGS was virtually the same ROM-based language that appeared on the Apple II Plus back in 1979, and so worked just as it did on the 8-bit Apple II computers. It could utilize the lowest 64K of RAM, but could not make use of extended memory on the IIGS. For those who wanted to program in BASIC on the Apple IIGS, some options became available within two years of its release. In February 1988, Absoft released AC/BASIC, a 16-bit BASIC for the Apple IIGS, selling for $125. It was a compiled BASIC, and was almost completely compatible with versions of Microsoft BASIC, as well as Absoft’s AC/BASIC for the Commodore Amiga. Like other modern BASIC languages, it did not require line numbers, and allowed access to IIGS graphics, sound, and GUI interface elements. It worked under the Apple Programmer’s Workshop editor. Developed at Apple by John Arkley, GS BASIC for the Apple IIGS was another interpreted BASIC. It was derived from Apple III Business BASIC, though the original work on it was done through a contract with an outside company, Regent Systems. Arkley began to work on it in June 1986, and by November he had a working version. One of the challenges Arkley had to overcome was making this interpreted language properly interact with the Apple IIGS toolbox. Since it was modeled off of Business BASIC, it offered more sophisticated data file read and write (all Applesoft could do was save and load text, and translate that text into numbers within the program). It offered more advanced and modern commands such as DO-WHILE and UNTIL options, and was actually much closer to newer versions of Microsoft BASIC than it was to the ten-year-old Applesoft language. Although GS BASIC was never officially released, there were beta copies sent out to developers that have survived. A comment made by one user who tried it out years later mentioned how slow it was compared to Applesoft. A simple program that used a FOR/NEXT loop to count from 1 to 10,000 took four seconds to run under Applesoft, but took 43 seconds to run under GS BASIC. A response to this claim was that the problem was related to the use of the SANE routines (Standard Apple Numerics Environment, for high precision math) on the IIGS. Although the SANE package offered significantly higher precision floating-point math, in many side-by-side comparisons, Applesoft ran faster. Micol Systems released Micol Advanced BASIC for $145 in November 1988. It worked much like Applesoft, and did not have the steeper learning curve of other versions of BASIC. It was a compiled BASIC, and as with other BASIC languages offered at this time, line numbers were optional, it offered named procedures and more structured loop commands, a CASE statement, a PRINT USING command, and could support strings as long as 1,023 characters. It worked on the Apple IIGS, and could use all of the available IIGS RAM. Development on improving and bug-fixing the language continued until 1994. BASIC beyond Applesoft on the Apple IIGS was not a popular option with many casual programmers. The ease of use and inclusion of Applesoft made it the first go-to language for quick and easy projects. If programmers wanted a powerful language, they turned to Pascal, and, increasingly, to C. As a result of this, by 1992 most of these IIGS-specific BASIC programming languages were no longer available or supported. GS BASIC had died on the vine at Apple, having never moved beyond a beta release for developers. AC/BASIC and TML BASIC did not stay on the market for very long. At that time (in 1992), Micol Advanced BASIC was still sold, but it did not support access to the Apple IIGS toolbox, and did not have PEEK, POKE, or call commands or more modern equivalents. Despite these previous product failures, The Byte Works released GSoft BASIC in August 1998, six years after Apple stopped selling the Apple IIGS. Author Mike Westerfield released updates to version 1.1 in November, and version 1.2 in February 1999. The Byte Works also sold a course on programming in GSoft BASIC in 1999. Like other programming languages from The Byte Works, GSoft BASIC worked from the ORCA (APW) command line, and included commands to allow access to the IIGS toolbox. In 2011, Westerfield released GSoft as freeware. At the same time he began to sell a product called techBASIC for iOS 5, designed to run on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. techBASIC was derived from GSoft, and added matrix operations which most version of BASIC had neglected, though it was part of the original BASIC language description.

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Standards 2010: Standard 6 Professional Learning and Leadership Candidates recognize the importance of, demonstrate, and facilitate professional learning and leadership as a career-long effort and responsibility. The Professional Learning and Leadership Standard is based on a commitment by all reading professionals to lifelong learning. Professionals learn in many different ways, for example, individual learning through activities such as reading, pursuing advanced degrees, and attending professional meetings. The elements featured in this standard include an emphasis on positive dispositions, individual and collaborative learning, the ability to design and evaluate professional learning experiences, the importance of advocacy, and a need for knowledge about adult learning and school leadership. Also, learning is often collaborative and occurs in the workplace through grade-level meetings, academic team meetings, workshops, study groups, and so forth. The following are the major assumptions of the Standards 2010 Committee for developing this standard and its elements: - Effective professional learning is evidence based in ways that reflect both competent and critical use of relevant research and is thoughtfully planned, ongoing, differentiated, and embedded in the work of all faculty members. - Effective professional learning is inclusive and collaborative across parents or guardians, the community, and all school staff, including education support personnel, classroom teachers, specialized personnel, supervisors, and administrators. - Effective professional learning is focused on content determined by careful consideration and assessment of the needs of students, teachers, parents or guardians, and the larger community of stakeholders. - Effective professional learning is supportive of the need for instruction that is responsive to the range of diversity. - Effective professional learning is grounded in research related to adult learning and organizational change as well as research on reading acquisition, development, assessment, and instruction. - Effective professional learning in schools requires collaboration, is job embedded, builds trust, and empowers teachers, and those who lead such efforts must have effective interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills.

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Pursuant to the law 155/1998 Sb. the Sign Speech (SS) means Czech Sign Language and Signed Czech. The article 4 specifies the Czech Sign Language (CSL) as follows: The article 5 specifies the Signed Czech (SC) as follows: The basic unit of the sign language is the sign (it corresponds broadly to the individual word (concept) in spoken language, but this is not always true!). Every sign has two parts: nonmanual and manual part. The nonmanual part is expressed by facial expressions, movements and positions of the head and upper part of the torso. The manual part is expressed by shapes, movements and positions of the hands. The signs are realized in sign space, which is delimited by outspread elbows, crown and line leading under the stomach. The main difference between the Czech language and CSL results from the different way of perception. CSL is visual-spatial language, i.e. this language is not perceived by hearing but sight.

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Fall Allergy Season Basics Common causes and symptoms of fall allergies. It has spiny-looking leaves, grows in almost every U.S. state, and when its pollen takes to the air, it makes millions of Americans sniffle, sneeze and suffer. Fall allergies are caused by weed pollens, in particular ragweed. There are several varieties of ragweed, but the pollen of the common ragweed is usually the cause of most fall allergies. Ragweed + pollen = allergies. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), ragweed is a common weed whose flowers, after maturing, release pollen that when airborne can cause as many as 20 percent of Americans to suffer from allergy symptoms. One ragweed plant can have as many as one billion pollen grains. Pollen count. The pollen count is usually at its highest around dawn. The AAFA says pollen counts in urban areas peak from about 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. A pollen count is measured by counting the number of plant pollen grains from a specific time found in a specific area of air. The National Allergy Bureau (NAB) and the Weather Channel online both offer pollen count data. Fall allergy sufferers can log in and check the pollen count for their local area. Avoiding outside activity when the pollen count is high may help to reduce allergy symptoms. How long is the fall allergy season? The fall allergy season in the United States runs from about mid-August to the first frost. First frost generally occurs in mid- to late-October; however, warming trends can push the first frost back into November in parts of the country. The cool, dry days of the autumnal season are perfect for the airborne weed pollens. While a rainy fall day can put a damper on outdoor activities, rain can help decrease the pollen count, helping many suffering from seasonal allergies. Is it fall allergies or a common cold? Fall allergy symptoms usually include itchy, watery eyes, as well as congestion, sneezing and a runny nose. You may suffer from a scratchy throat and even mild fatigue with fall allergies. Usually allergies are not accompanied by aches, pains and fever. Rarely will allergy symptoms include a sore throat or a cough. For some, fall allergies can trigger asthma attacks. Make it stop! Days can be difficult when sneezes erupt every few minutes or congestion makes you feel simply awful. Fortunately, you can treat the symptoms of fall allergies. Begin by visiting your doctor to discuss your allergy symptoms and to determine their severity. Your doctor may prescribe over-the-counter medications or even a nasal steroid spray. Avoid prolonged exposure to pollen by limiting outdoor time. When outdoors, wear sunglasses to minimize eye exposure to pollen. Keep outdoor clothing such as coats and shoes out of the bedroom, and always wash your hands when you come in from outside. Avoid opening windows to keep the airborne pollen out of your home.

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Alison was able to check the artist’s sitters book, which is now kept in the National Portrait Gallery in London. She duly found a mention of the double portrait shown above listed under October 1807. It was probably begun in 1806, before William IV Blathwayt’s death. The portraits of the next generation to own Dyrham, William Crane Blathwayt (1795-1839) and his wife Frances Margaret, were also painted by Phillips, and were listed in the sitters book under July 1832. It is interesting that even after more than twenty-five years the family still went back to Phillips for their portraits. William Crane Blathwayt was the son of William IV’s sister Penelope. She had eloped with a Jeremiah Pierce Crane and married him in Gretna Green. The childless William IV and Frances raised William Crane as their son and heir, and he took the name Blathwayt in 1817. These paintings record how, after the explosion of Baroque exuberance at Dyrham under the first William Blathwayt (as shown in previous posts) the later generations of Blathwayts settled down to mostly quiet – and occasionally scandalous – lives as members of the country gentry.

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A Collection of Informative and Interesting Articles Absolutely Free - Start Sharing Your Knowledge Today! Home | Submit Articles | Login Online Since Year 2000 Psychology of ChildrenBY: Liyakat Shah | Category: Self-Improvement | Submitted: 2012-01-17 21:02:36 Psychology may be defined as a science which deals about the human behavior or aspects of human life. The spelling is also somewhat typical which sounds different while writing and also at speaking. The alphabet P is silent while speaking. Psychology plays a very vital role in children. If we deal with proper psychological aspects of our children than the problem could be solved at the basic level to avoid any confusion when they grow up, it is the duty of the parents to provide them fresh healthy and nourishing food and not to make them habituated to eat fast food. Make use of green leafy vegetables as far as possible in their diet. Women can give a different look and taste in making variety of vegetables and fruits items. The diet should have a proper time table to have their breakfast, lunch and dinner in the stipulated time. To make them punctual to eat at a proper time from childhood make them aware of their responsibilities give them some manual and responsible work to make them do their duties give them some assignment of markets and let them see the daily and weekly markets along with you. Let them see how you bargain for certain goods. Make them familiar about the cost price selling price profit and loss. Let them take part in some good deeds and charitable work so that they can learn to be generous to think about the poor and needy people. Do offer prayer along with them to realize the concept of true God that governs and runs the whole universe. Make proper time table for them. Not to load too much of burden of any mental or physical work of home or school. Share your ideas and views if they desire for it. Take a time to drive for a walk or play with them. Teach them polite manners to implement it everywhere. Do not punish or scold them in front of all. Not to use harsh or derogatory words to make them feel guilty. Explain them in simple and lucid manner. Do illustrate them those problem which they find difficult or hard. If you cannot give the valid answer than do consult the expert of that subject Do give them some reading materials to relax them from the routine of school studies which may includes newspaper, comics, adventure books, fairy tales, cartoons and so on. Games play stations games and video games are the instruments that train their mind mentally to clear certain tasks or level. They ought to have full concentration to play the game and need to be cautious of all the adventures in between. Teach them love manners, respect and honour from childhood. It is a Psychology that even if teacher teaches wrong answer than also the child takes the side of the teacher because he finds his teacher as best and perfect. So the child imitates whatever he sees at home if we do all good acts at home than it would be as it is imitated by the child. Mr. Liyakat Shah The writer can be reached at email@example.com Article Source: http://www.saching.com/ About Author / Additional Info: A teacher by profession and loves to pen articles visit my blog at shahdoof.blogspot.com Comments on this article: (0 comments so far) • Rehabilitation Hospitals and Clinics • If You Have a MLM Home Based Business This Will Scare Your Pants Off • Considering a Career in the U.S. Army? • Hotels in Corbett Latest Articles in "Self-Improvement" category: • Why Acetal and Delrin Are the Same But Different Polymers • CRIME: An Outcome of Missing Emotions • Who is 'I' and What is 'I' • How to Avoid a Nervous Oral Presentation • Always Do Good Deeds • Try This Simple Experiment • Be First to Apologize Important Disclaimer: All articles on this website are for general information only and is not a professional or experts advice. We do not own any responsibility for correctness or authenticity of the information presented in this article, or any loss or injury resulting from it. We do not endorse these articles, we are neither affiliated with the authors of these articles nor responsible for their content. Please see our disclaimer section for complete terms. Copyright © 2010 saching.com - Do not copy articles from this website. || Home | Disclaimer | Xhtml ||

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The seasonal flu vaccine comes either as a shot or as a nasal spray. Both are effective in preventing the virus. Adam J. Ruben is a molecular biologist working on a vaccine for malaria. He is also the author of the book Surviving Your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School. A few weeks ago, my sister asked a simple yes-no question on her Facebook page: She wrote, "should I get the flu shot?" She might as well have posted, "should I fillet this kitten?" Friends replied in droves, arguing every aspect of what, in this country, has become a fierce and unnecessary debate. Last year, when H1N1 reared its head, the public demanded a quick, safe, reliable way to prevent the disease. "Here," said science. "We've made this vaccine!" And the public said, "Eh ... what else have you got?" The government bought about 200 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine and worried whether these would be enough. But many sat unused, and tens of millions of doses were incinerated when they expired this summer. Now, there's nothing unusual about a vaccine surplus being destroyed, but I was struck, both last year and this year, by what the destruction represented: that millions of people — with the vaccine widely available — had chosen to forgo the shot and tough it out on their own. Marina Koestler Ruben Adam J. Ruben writes the column "Experimental Error" in the journal Science. I happen to think vaccines are the single greatest invention of humankind. In the middle of the 20th century, the world saw 50 million cases of smallpox every year. Thirty years later, thanks to a successful vaccination campaign, that number fell to — and has remained at — zero. Perhaps we've become complacent. Thanks to improved public health measures — of which vaccines are a vital part — today's United States is a country largely without tuberculosis. Without diphtheria, rubella, typhoid fever. When 58,000 American children contracted polio in 1952, and a vaccine promised to curtail the misery, we were grateful. Now, having forgotten about pandemics, we're suspicious. A large part of what protects the unvaccinated is something called herd immunity. Herd immunity means keeping the disease in check by surrounding susceptible people with vaccinated people. If a certain percentage of a population becomes immune to a contagious disease, the rest of the population enjoys immunity indirectly. Ideally, this privilege should be reserved for those who medically cannot be vaccinated — people with immune disorders, for example, those who can't afford medical care, and infants too young for vaccination. But lately, more and more of us have been claiming the benefit for ourselves. California is currently experiencing its worst whooping cough outbreak in decades. So far, 10 infants — all too young to receive a full complement of vaccine doses — have died. At 6,795 cases, it's the worst whooping cough epidemic in more than 60 years. Other diseases we thought we had conquered are reappearing among pockets of non-vaccinators. The measles in Indiana. The mumps in Brooklyn. And it's not because medicine has taken a step backward. It's because people have stepped back from medicine. Granted, there are some good reasons to think cautiously about vaccinations. Side effects are rare but real. Out of every million people receiving the H1N1 vaccine, about four or five experienced serious adverse events. Meanwhile, though, more than 18,000 have died from H1N1 itself, so you have to wonder — are people just bad at math? A year ago, the Harvard School of Public Health published a study that asked parents why they might choose not to get the H1N1 vaccine for their children. Some of the reasons stemmed from misconceptions — 24 percent feared the vaccine would cause the flu, even though the flu virus used to make the vaccine is verifiably dead and no dose of flu vaccine — out of billions given — is even capable of causing the flu. Many parents wanted to distance their children from the preservative thimerosal, which some celebrities claim causes autism. And whom do you believe? On one hand, you've got numerous published, peer-reviewed studies showing no link between thimerosal and autism. On the other ... Jenny McCarthy. But here's where the complacency comes in. Fifteen percent of parents elected not to vaccinate their child simply because the child dislikes needles. Vaccines have enabled us to finally live in a world free of diseases that have roamed the planet for millions of years. So why are we afraid to use them? The issue, I think, is one of volition. Drawing a fluid into a needle and sticking that needle into your baby's arm is an inherently unnatural but voluntary act. We're more afraid of harming ourselves and our families through action than through inaction. If something went wrong, we couldn't live with the guilt. But when you decide whether to get a flu shot, or you visit the doctor to discuss your child's next vaccination, remember that lack of action is a form of volition, too. And the choice not to vaccinate — to trust your health and the health of the herd to chance, or luck, or Jenny McCarthyism — can be deadly.

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The author of this volume has brought together 1,000 pages of up-to-date information on cholera. The 11 listed chapters were printed as separate articles in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization prior to this revision. The effects of cholera on a person, population, community, state, nation, and international affairs and all phases of patient medical care, disease control, and prevention are adequately related in this book. Cholera, which Hippocrates described as a disease entity, has been the cause of six pandemics, some of which extended to the United States, in the past century. Cholera was the cause of 1,000 deaths in Calcutta as recently as 1955.

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Icy moon blasts liquid water Huge plumes of water vapour and ice particles are spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus at supersonic speeds in a way that strongly suggests they come from liquid water down below the icy surface, say scientists. The research, published in the journal Nature, offers new evidence that the moon may harbor an underground ocean of water, meaning conditions might exist that could support life, even if only microbial organisms. "This is more evidence that there is liquid water there. You also need energy, you need nutrients, you need organics. It looks like the pieces are there. Whether or not there's actually life, of course, we can't say," she says. In 2005, the Cassini spacecraft discovered humongous geysers erupting from fissures near the south pole of Enceladus. Since then, scientists have debated whether this meant that Enceladus, with a diameter of only 500 kilometres, was hiding a reservoir of liquid water. It is one of about 60 moons orbiting the ringed planet Saturn. Based on data collected last year by Cassini's Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph instrument, the researchers say the behaviour of the plumes supports a mathematical model in which the cracks that extend below the surface act as nozzles that channel water vapour from an underground liquid water reservoir. The geysers continuously shoot plumes into space at more than 2160 kilometres per hour, say the researchers. By using the instrument to observe the flickering light of a distant star as the geyser blocked its starlight, the researchers determined that the water vapour comes from narrow jets as it blasts into space. "We're saying we detected these jets within the plumes and the gas moving at supersonic velocities. And we're saying that this is consistent with the previously developed model that has liquid water at depth" under the surface, says Hansen. In March 2008, the Cassini spacecraft flew close over the surface of Enceladus and through a plume, collecting samples of ice and gas. "There are only three places in the solar system we know or suspect to have liquid water near the surface - Earth, Jupiter's moon Europa and now Saturn's Enceladus," says Assistant Professor Joshua Colwell of the University of Central Florida. "Water is a basic ingredient for life, and there are certainly implications there," says Colwell. "If we find that the tidal heating that we believe causes these geysers is a common planetary systems phenomenon, then it gets really interesting."

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A new study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has found that Greenland's melting ice may have a greater effect on sea level rise on the northeastern coasts of the U.S. and Canada than previously hypothesized. "If Greenland's ice melts at moderate to high rates, ocean circulation by 2100 may shift and cause sea levels off the northeast coast of North America to rise by about 12 to 20 inches (about 30 to 50 centimeters) more than in other coastal areas. The research builds on recent reports that have found that sea level rise associated with global warming could adversely affect North America, and its findings suggest that the situation is more threatening than previously believed," NCAR said in its preliminary report. The group of researchers on the project, which was led by NCAR's Aixue Hu, included scientists from NCAR, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Florida State University. The report research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. Greenland ice has been melting at a rate of about 7 percent per year within the last few years. But Hu and his group modeled several different scenarios based on different melting rates using NCAR's Community Climate System Model, which simulates global climate change. They did not include overall global sea level rise by other factors such as Arctic ice melt, but sea level rise based on Greenland ice melt alone. The group wants to educate the public on the misconception that the oceans of the world spread out evenly. "The oceans will not rise uniformly as the world warms. Ocean dynamics will push water in certain directions, so some locations will experience sea level rise that is larger than the global average," NCAR scientist Gerald Meehl, co-author of the paper, said in a statement. If Greenland's ice melt rate slows to 1 percent per year, northeastern sea levels would, at most, rise 8 inches (20 cm) by 2100. If Greenland's ice melt rate slows to 3 percent per year, it could raise world sea level by 21 inches (54 cm) by 2100. Most interesting may be the group's predictions in the unlikely event that Greenland's ice melt rate were to continue its 7 percent increase per year. In that scenario, the increased drain of freshwater into the North Atlantic would change oceanic circulation of warm water pumping into the Arctic, which would in turn lead to a temporary recovery of Arctic sea ice. A full report of NCAR's findings will be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters this Friday.

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A few junpier trees survive in Northumberland National Park and we work to protect these from grazing animals. Juniper grows and very slowly and, despite being spiky, the young trees are quite edible by stock and roe deer. Recently, new jumiper trees have been introduced from local stock into ancient and new native woodlands alike to safeguard the species for the future. Find out more about Juniper by downloading our Species Action Plan: Juniper (25kb) To view this document you may need to download a free copy of Adobe Reader.

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MONTEREY, Calif. -- Move over, polar bear. The white prowler of Arctic ice fields may now be an icon of climate change, but when it comes to ocean acidification -- the shift in ocean chemistry caused by rising carbon dioxide emissions -- it's the tiny Pacific Northwest oyster that dominates the discussion. The little mollusk brings in an estimated $110 million for West Coast shellfish growers, an economic shot in the arm for many struggling communities in Washington and Oregon. But today, the ongoing process of ocean acidification, fueled by man-made CO2 emissions, threatens that bounty. Scientists working with oyster hatcheries have linked recent widespread deaths of oyster larvae to periodic influxes of more acidic ocean water. Oyster growers have developed temporary fixes for the problem, like cutting off the flow of ocean water into hatchery tanks when sensors show a pulse of acidified water is about to hit. But with a grim long-term prognosis, some hatcheries are taking more drastic steps. Washington-based Goose Point Oysters and Taylor Shellfish Farms have shifted some of their oyster operations to Hawaii. The problem is so severe that Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) commissioned a blue-ribbon panel on the topic, which is expected to release its findings next month. A 'sad story' "The science around our industry has already told us a sad story," said Taylor spokesman Bill Dewey. "Our fate is sealed for the next several decades. Even if we change our CO2 emission policies today and stop the assault, [scientists] have told us it's probably going to get worse for the next 50 years before it gets better." He and other experts who gathered in Monterey this week say they fear the fate of the Pacific Northwest's oysters is the first hint of widespread disruption of marine ecosystems and commercial fisheries that is likely to result as CO2 sours the world's seas. Oceans have absorbed roughly two-thirds of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities since the Industrial Revolution began, leaving seawater 30 percent more acidic now than it was then. That corresponds to a drop of 0.1 unit on the 14-point pH scale scientists use to gauge a substance's relative acidity or alkalinity. By one recent estimate, the chemistry of the ocean is shifting faster now than it has for at least 300 million years. Scientists began studying the problem less than a decade ago, and the field has exploded. But much of the existing research looks at the fate of single species in isolation. Researchers are just now beginning more ambitious experiments to examine the fate of whole ecosystems. "We started out with a pretty simple view, but like everything else with biology, it gets complicated very quickly," said Joanie Kleypas, a marine ecologist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. "There's a lot of ways ocean acidification affects organisms that we didn't predict, and there's a lot of variation in those organisms." And that makes predicting the fate of the world's fisheries in a more acidic ocean a difficult task. "What the science needs to do is move from single organisms, to move from the lab to the field to examine the food web," said Jean-Pierre Gattuso, a biogeochemist at the French National Center for Scientific Research. "We don't know how the impacts on the base of the food web will propagate up to the top predators." In the Pacific Northwest, scientists have discovered that oysters are most vulnerable to today's acidified water as fast-growing young larvae. Severe chemical shift Some studies suggest that some strains of oysters and mussels may be better able to adapt to that chemical shift. Dewey says Taylor Shellfish Farms is already investigating the possibility of identifying ocean acidification-resistant strains as part of its ongoing selective breeding program.

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Global Change Units developed by 2010 Global Change Summer Teacher Institute Participants 1. Climate Change and the Greenhouse Effect, by Healther Colombo 6th Grade, Science This unit addresses how the greenhouse gasses contribute to changing climate. Each year my students arrive knowing that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and that it causes temperatures to rise. Through this lesson the students will come away with a deeper understanding of the greenhouse gasses and how they affect the 2. Effects of Human Impact on Water Quality: Above and Below Ground, by Christine Kelly 7th Grade, Science A. Students will discover and describe the links between land use and the water quality of streams, rivers, and lakes when they observe how pollutants from various human land uses can be carried by runoff through watershed, eventually reaching one of the Great Lakes. Students will identify and list examples of best management practices (BMPs) through pollution prevention and/or mitigation of impacts. B. Using their knowledge of the water cycle, students will explore and explain how groundwater moves and interacts with surface water in a watershed. Using Michigan groundwater data, students determine how groundwater may be contaminated and whether the cleanup of such contamination is feasible. The importance of groundwater to Michigan and how groundwater is used in Michigan will also be C. Students will list and describe human impacts to our aquatic habitats as a result of nutrient loading and pesticide use. They will draw a connection between external use of fertilizers and pesticides and acidic compounds in our atmosphere and the resulting change in pH of the freshwater systems. 3. How applying nitrogen fertilizer can affect biodiversity: A 7th grate partial inquiry lesson on nitrogen saturation, by Denise Payment, Tahquamenon Area Schools 7th Grade, Science In most classrooms the nitrogen cycle is just a set of steps and processes that students learn in class as part of a unit on cycles, probably related to plants or global warming. Nitrogen, an important component of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, is often overlooked. Carbon dioxide is widely referenced in the classroom, but little is understood by students about nitrogen’s role in global change. This unit is meant to show how the nitrogen cycle has an impact on global change. This will be done through observations of plant growth in plots using a variety of nitrogen application concentrations. This allows students to see the ramifications of nitrogen use in the environment and infer from the data how other systems and biodiversity are affected by nitrogen application. The first two days of this unit will be spent on the nitrogen cycle, leading into the experiment where students will add nitrogen to plots of mixed weeds and grasses. They will make observations over time and record the change in the size, number and type of plants that are growing. This unit could also be adapted to the classroom The unit will add depth to the benchmarks covered in 7th grade Life and Earth science that address how humans affect the environment. This material will also help students see that real world farming or agricultural strategies are affecting the nitrogen cycle and subsequently global temperature change and organism diversity. 1. Algebra 1 Lessons for Global Change, by Amy Culver 9th Grade, Algebra This unit is a compilation of several lessons meant to occur at different times of the year in Algebra. Though they are not from one unit, they are valuable lessons to reinforce global change concepts outside of science class. The first two lessons address scatter plots, data correlation, best fit lines, and linear regression from a unit entitled Linear Functions & Inequalities that occurs during the first semester. The last three lessons address surveys, data analysis, displaying data, and misleading data displays from a unit entitled Data Analysis & Probability that occurs at the end of the year. Discussing global change issues through mathematical concepts will help students make connections to real-world ideas and problems, and emphasize the idea that these issues are important to our daily lives, as well ashelping them understand how important and useful Algebra can be. 2. Global Change Lesson Plans, by Ian Gagnon 10th Grade, Physical Science, Life Science, Environmental Science The driving forces behind what happens to global change are rooted in physical science. These are fundamental disciplines, and should be addressed when looking at what we have in the environment today. This unit covers physical processes that drive changes in the climates such as reactions of compounds that produce greenhouse gases, pH measurements, energy conversion, conservation of mass, and energy. 3. Global Change Unit, by Brian Neil 11th and 12th Grade, Environmental Science The initial focus of this unit of study is helping students evaluate short-term change within the context of long- term trends using the context of climate history. Real data from various sources will be reviewed and discussed. The teacher’s role will be restricted to guidance during data analysis with students being given latitude in reaching their own conclusions. In addition students will be challenged to work with peers to produce a workable solution to a community-based, environmental problem which has a climate connection. 4. Global Change Unit: It’s More Than Just Increasing Temperature, by Cindy Ruotsi The following unit works well in a Biology classroom during a unit on Ecology. Throughout the unit, students will learn about the carbon and nitrogen cycles as well as important global changes that are taking place. Students will participate in class discussions, will watch videos and read articles, will write to an elected official about a change they’d like to see in regards to the food industry or some other environmental issue, and finally, will develop and carry out a project that helps them to make their school more eco-friendly. 5. Microclimate and Global Change Teaching Unit, by Jacob Walikainen 11th and 12th Grade, Interdisciplinary Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to define and demonstrate an understanding of global change. Students will recognize major factors affecting global change, participate in field studies of global change, research climate change using the internet/technology to identify damage to parts of ecosystems from global change and write a reflection/research paper on what global change means to them and the planet.

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I'm an Illinois girl which means we have vague state standards, we're assessed on ACT College Readiness Standards, we recently agreed to Common Core Standards,and basically have to decipher this on our own. I have decided to go by ACT Standards until Illinois gets smart enough to write their own state test, which will take at least 3-4 years from now. So using a very helpful ACT resource book, I've listed all the topics addressed in the ACT. Now I just need help deciding which topics fit specifically into Algebra 1 as opposed to Algebra II. Once I get those nailed down, should I list the prerequisite skills needed? How specific should I get? How do I assign grades on topics instead of skills? Or maybe I could break down the topics a bit more specifically and use them as shorter skill list? Remember, Dan Meyer pulled it off in 34 standards people! ACT Math Topics - Operations Using Whole Nunbers Fractions, and Decimals - Square Roots - Scientific Notation - Ratios, Proportions, and Percent - Linear Equations with One Variable - Absolute Value - Simple Probability - Polynomial Operations and Factoring Simple Quadratic Expressions - Linear Inequalities with One Variable - Properties of Integer Exponents and Square Roots - Quadratic Formula - Radical and Rational Expressions - Inequalities and Absolute Value Equations - Systems of Equations - Roots of Polynomials - Complex Numbers - Number Line Graphs - Graphs of Points, Lines, Polynomials, and Other Curves - Equation of a Line - Parallel and Perpendicular Lines - Distance and Midpoint Formulas - Properties and Relations of Plane Figures - Angles, Parallel Lines, and Perpendicular Lines - Translations, Rotations, and Reflections - Simple Three-Dimensional Geometry - Perimeter, Area, Volume - Basic Trigonometry Concepts (SOHCAHTOA) - Advanced Trigonometric Concepts (Secant, Cosecant, Cotangent, Pythagorean Identities, Trigonometric Identities, Double-Angle Formulas, Half-angle Formulas) - Radians (Conversions)

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The Canadian Institute for the Energies and Applied Research The Solar Research Facilities of the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) are among the most advanced laboratories in the world for concentrated solar energy research. A major feature of the Unit is a Solar Tower containing a field of 64 large, multi-faceted mirrors (heliostats), each measuring 7×8 meters. Each heliostat tracks the movement of the sun independently and reflects its light onto a selected target on a 54-meter high tower containing five separate experimental levels, each of which can house several experiments. Light can be reflected toward any or all of these stations, allowing a number of experiments to be carried out simultaneously. This is the only Solar Tower facility in the world located on a campus of a research or academic institute and is solely dedicated to scientific work. The Tower is operational since 1988. In 1995 a unique optical feature, called “beam down” was added in the form of a 75 m2 reflector shaped as a hyperboloid section attached to the tower at about 45 m above ground level. Using this reflector, about one megawatt of concentrated sunlight can be reflected down onto a ground target. This feature exists only at the Weizmann Institute Solar Tower. Research Projects Conducted at the Solar Research Facilities Unit Our goal is to explore solar-driven thermal and chemical processes, enabling power production, fuel alternatives, long-term storage and convenient transportation options. Work at WIS is diverse and evolves based on the scientists’ vision and mission. At present, our research programs address the following topics: - Electricity production – developing cost effective ways for environmentally clean, solar-driven gas turbines for electricity production. - Hydrogen production – WIS scientists work on several methods to produce hydrogen (a clean and efficient fuel) using solar energy. These methods include: (i) hydrocarbon reforming, (ii) methane decomposition, and (iii) solar thermal-electrochemical dissociation of water at high temperatures. - Biomass gasification – developing means to use solar energy to convert biomass (such as organic waste) to fuel. - Developing of high temperature stable catalyst for steam reforming of methane. - Solar reduction of metal oxides, for example, the production of zinc from zinc oxide, for developing a clean process to provide zinc for fuel cells and for the production of hydrogen. - Developing of heat storage in a phase change material (PCM) medium.

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Familial multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.What is FMEN1? Familial multiple endocrine neoplasia Multiple endocrine neoplasia Abnormal tissue growth on one or more of the endocrine (hormone-secreting) glands. Mentioned in: Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Test multiple endocrine neoplasia See MEN. type 1 (FMEN1) is an inherited disorder that affects the endocrine glands endocrine glands (enˑ·dō·krin glandz′), n.pl ductless glands of the endocrine system that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream. . It is sometimes called familial multiple endocrine adenomatosis type 1 or Wermer syndrome, after one of the first doctors to recognize it. FMEN1 is quite rare, occurring in about 3 to 20 persons out of 100,000. It affects both sexes equally and shows no special geographical, racial, or ethnic preferences. Endocrine glands are different from other organs in the body because they release hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones are powerful chemicals that travel through the blood, controlling and instructing the functions of various organs. Normally, the hormones released by endocrine glands are carefully balanced to meet the body's needs. In FMEN1, specific endocrine glands such as the parathyroid glands tend to become overactive o·ver·ac·tive Active to an excessive or abnormal degree: an overactive child. o . Also, it is common for people with FMEN1 to have more than one group of endocrine glands become overactive at the same time (for example, the parathyroids, pancreas, and pituitary pituitary /pi·tu·i·tary/ (pi-too´i-tar?e) 2. pituitary gland; see under gland. anterior pituitary adenohypophysis. ), leading to complications that can vary greatly from one person to another. FMEN1 is quite rare, however, and most people who develop overactivity o·ver·ac·tive Active to an excessive or abnormal degree: an overactive child. o of one endocrine gland endocrine gland Any of various ductless glands, such as the thyroid, adrenal, or pituitary, having hormonal secretions that pass directly into the bloodstream. Also called ductless gland. do not have FMEN1. How Does FMEN1 Affect the Endocrine Glands? The Parathyroid Glands The parathyroids are the endocrine glands most often affected by FMEN1. The human body normally has four parathyroid glands, which are located close to the thyroid gland in the front of the neck. The parathyroids release a chemical called parathyroid hormone parathyroid hormone or parathormone, a hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands that regulates the metabolism of calcium and phosphate in the body. , which helps maintain a normal supply of calcium in the blood, bones, and urine. In FMEN1 all four parathyroid glands tend to be overactive. Overactive parathyroid glands secrete too much parathyroid hormone, leading to excess calcium in the blood. High blood calcium blood calcium, n the level of calcium in the blood plasma, generally regulated by parathyroid gland activity in conjunction with the degree of calcium ingestion, absorption, use, and excretion. Normal value is 8.5 to 11.5 mg/100 ml of blood serum. , known as hypercalcemia Hypercalcemia Definition Hypercalcemia is an abnormally high level of calcium in the blood, usually more than 10.5 milligrams per deciliter of blood. , can exist for many years before it is found by accident or by family screening. Unrecognized hypercalcemia can cause excess calcium to spill into the urine, leading to kidney stones Kidney Stones Definition Kidney stones are solid accumulations of material that form in the tubal system of the kidney. Kidney stones cause problems when they block the flow of urine through or out of the kidney. or kidney damage. Nearly everyone who inherits a susceptibility to FMEN1 will develop parathyroid parathyroid /par·a·thy·roid/ (-thi´roid) 1. situated beside the thyroid gland. 2. see under gland. 1. overactivity (hyperparathyroidism Hyperparathyroidism Definition Parathyroid glands are four pea-sized glands located just behind the thyroid gland in the front of the neck. The function of parathyroid glands is to produce a hormone called parathyroid hormone (parathormone), which helps ) by age 60. Hyperparathyroidism can cause problems such as tiredness, weakness, muscle or bone pain, constipation, indigestion, kidney stones, or thinning of bones. Treatment of Hyperparathyroidism. It is sometimes difficult to decide whether hyperparathyroidism in FMEN1 is severe enough to need treatment, especially in a person who has no symptoms. The usual treatment is an operation to remove the three largest parathyroid glands and all but a small part of the fourth. After parathyroid surgery, regular testing should continue, since the small piece of parathyroid tissue can grow back and cause recurrent hyperparathyroidism. People whose parathyroid glands have been completely removed by surgery must take daily supplements of calcium and vitamin D to prevent hypocalcemia Hypocalcemia Definition Hypocalcemia, a low bood calcium level, occurs when the concentration of free calcium ions in the blood falls below 4.0 mg/dL (dL = one tenth of a liter). The normal concentration of free calcium ions in the blood serum is 4.0-6. (low blood calcium). The Pancreas Gland The pancreas gland, located behind the stomach, releases digestive juices into the intestines and secretes key hormones into the bloodstream. Some hormones produced in the islet cells of the pancreas and their effects are listed below: * gastrin-increases stomach acid; * insulin-lowers blood sugar; * glucagon-raises blood sugar; * vasoactive intestinal peptide Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP, also polypeptide) is a peptide hormone containing 28 amino acid residues and is produced in many areas of the human body including the gut, pancreas and suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus in the brain. (VIP)-stimulates * somatostatin-inhibits many cells. A common problem in FMEN1 is the tendency of the pancreas to develop one or more islet cell tumors that produce high amounts of gastrin. Gastrin is a hormone that normally circulates in the blood, causing the stomach to secrete enough acid needed for digestion. If exposed to too much gastrin, the stomach releases excess acid, which leads to the formation of severe stomach ulcers. Too much gastrin can also cause serious diarrhea. Among persons with FMEN1 who have overactive glands, about one in three has gastrin-releasing pancreatic tumors, called gastrinomas. (The illness associated with these tumors is sometimes called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.) The ulcers caused by gastrinomas are much more dangerous than typical stomach or intestinal ulcers; left untreated, they can cause rupture of the stomach or intestine and even death. Treatment of Gastrinomas. The gastrinomas associated with FMEN1 cannot be cured by pancreatic surgery because it is nearly impossible to remove the gastrin-producing tumors without a dangerous operation. In the past, the standard treatment for gastrinomas was the surgical removal of the entire stomach. Recently, however, researchers have identified very powerful blockers of stomach acid release that have proven effective in controlling most cases of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. The Pituitary Gland pituitary gland, small oval endocrine gland that lies at the base of the brain. It is sometimes called the master gland of the body because all the other endocrine glands depend on its secretions for stimulation (see endocrine system). The pituitary is a small gland inside the head, behind the bridge of the nose. Though small, it produces many important hormones that regulate basic body functions. The major pituitary hormones and their effects are: * prolactin-controls formation of breast milk and influences fertility; * growth hormone-regulates body growth, especially during adolescence; * adrenocorticotropin adrenocorticotropin /adre·no·cor·ti·co·trop·in/ (-kor?ti-ko-tro´pin) corticotropin. ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·trop·in or ad·re·no·cor·ti·co·troph·in See ACTH. (ACTH ACTH: see adrenocorticotropic hormone. in full adrenocorticotropic hormone Polypeptide hormone made in the pituitary gland. )-stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol cortisol (kôr`tĭsôl') or hydrocortisone, steroid hormone that in humans is the major circulating hormone of the cortex, or outer layer, of the adrenal gland. ; * thyrotropin thyrotropin (thī'rätrō`pĭn) or thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), hormone released by the anterior pituitary gland that stimulates the thyroid gland to release thyroxine. (TSH TSH thyroid-stimulating hormone; see thyrotropin. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) )-stimulates the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones; * luteinizing hormone (LH)-stimulates the ovaries Ovaries The female sex organs that make eggs and female hormones. Mentioned in: Choriocarcinoma ovaries (ō´v or testes testes Male reproductive organs (see reproductive system). Humans have two oval-shaped testes 1.5–2 in. (4–5 cm) long that produce sperm and androgens (mainly testosterone), contained in a sac (scrotum) behind the penis. to produce sex hormones that determine many features of "maleness" or "femaleness" and * follicle stimulating hormone Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) A hormone that stimulates the growth and maturation of mature eggs in the ovary. Mentioned in: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Premature Menopause (FSH FSH follicle-stimulating hormone. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSH) )regulates fertility in men through sperm production and in women through ovulation ovulation /ovu·la·tion/ (ov?u-la´shun) the discharge of a secondary oocyte from a graafian follicle.ov´ulatory The discharge of an ovum from the ovary. . The pituitary gland becomes overactive in about one of six persons with FMEN1. This overactivity can usually be traced to very small, benign tumors in the gland that release too much prolactin prolactin /pro·lac·tin/ (-lak´tin) a hormone of the anterior pituitary that stimulates and sustains lactation in postpartum mammals, and shows luteotropic activity in certain mammals. n. (prolactinomas). High prolactin can cause excessive production of breast milk or it can interfere with fertility in women or with sex drive and fertility in men. Treatment of Prolactinomas. Most prolactinomas are small, and treatment may not be needed. If treatment is needed, a very effective medicine called bromocryptine lowers the production of prolactin and shrinks the prolactinoma. Occasionally, prolactinomas do not respond well to bromocryptine. In such cases, surgery, radiation, or both may be needed. Rare Complications of FMEN1 Occasionally, a person who has FMEN1 develops tumors of the pancreas that secrete high levels of pancreatic hormones other than gastrin. Insulinomas, for example, produce too much insulin, causing serious low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia hypoglycemia: see diabetes. Below-normal levels of blood glucose, quickly reversed by administration of oral or intravenous glucose. Even brief episodes can produce severe brain dysfunction. . Tumors that secrete too much glucagon glucagon (gl`kəgŏn), hormone secreted by the α cells of the islets of Langerhans, specific groups of cells in the pancreas. It tends to counteract the action of insulin, i.e. or somatostatin Somatostatin A naturally occurring regulatory peptide that carries out numerous functions in the human body, including the inhibition of growth hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary gland. can cause diabetes, and too much vasoactive intestinal peptide can cause watery diarrhea. Other rare complications arise from pituitary tumors that release high amounts of ACTH, which in turn stimulates the adrenal glands to produce excess cortisol. Pituitary tumors that produce growth hormone cause excessive bone growth or disfigurement dis·fig·ure tr.v. dis·fig·ured, dis·fig·ur·ing, dis·fig·ures To mar or spoil the appearance or shape of; deform. [Middle English disfiguren, from Old French desfigurer . Another rare complication is an endocrine tumor inside the chest, known as a carcinoid carcinoid /car·ci·noid/ (kahr´si-noid) a yellow circumscribed tumor arising from enterochromaffin cells, usually in the gastrointestinal tract; the term is sometimes used to refer specifically to the gastrointestinal tumor . In general, surgery is the mainstay of treatment for all of these rare types of tumors. Are the Tumors Associated With FMEN1 Cancerous? The overactive endocrine glands associated with FMEN1 may contain benign tumors, but usually they do not have any signs of cancer. Benign tumors can disrupt normal function by crowding nearby structures, but they do not spread to or invade other parts of the body. Cancer cells, by contrast, break away from the primary tumor and spread, or metastasize me·tas·ta·size To be transmitted or transferred by or as if by metastasis. Spread of cells from the original site of the cancer to other parts of the body where secondary tumors are formed. , to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. An example of a benign tumor that may become quite large in people with FMEN1 is the pituitary tumor called prolactinoma. As it grows, the tumor can press against nearby tissues, damaging the normal part of the pituitary gland or the nerves that carry vision from the eyes. Sometimes impaired vision is the first sign of a pituitary tumor in FMEN1. Another type of benign tumor often seen in people with FMEN1 is a plum-sized, fatty tumor called a lipoma lipoma: see neoplasm. , which grows under the skin. Lipomas cause no health problems and can be removed by simple cosmetic surgery. These tumors are also fairly common in the general population. The pancreatic islet cell tumors associated with FMEN1 tend to be numerous and small, but most are benign and do not release active hormones into the blood. Occasionally, however, pancreatic islet cell tumors in FMEN1 are cancerous. Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer in FMEN1. Since the type of pancreatic cancer associated with FMEN1 can be difficult to recognize, difficult to treat, and very slow to progress, doctors have different views about the value of surgery in managing these tumors. One approach is to "watch and wait," using medical, or nonsurgical, methods of treatment. According to this school of thought, pancreatic surgery has serious complications, so surgery should not be attempted unless surgery will result in the cure of a tumor that is secreting too much of a hormone. Another school advocates early surgery to try to remove pancreatic cancers in FMEN1 before they spread outside the pancreas. According to this view, surgery should be considered at an early stage in an attempt to cure cancers that might later become dangerous. There is no clear evidence, however, that aggressive surgery to prevent pancreatic cancer from spreading actually leads to longer survival in FMEN1. (Also, surgery of the pancreas rarely succeeds in removing all of the multiple, gastrin-producing tumors that are commonly found in FMEN1.) Doctors agree that excessive release of certain hormones (such as gastrin) from pancreatic cancer in FMEN1 needs to be treated, and medications are often effective in blocking the effects of these hormones. The role of pancreatic surgery needs to be considered carefully in each patient's case, since some tumors (for example, insulin-producing tumors of the pancreas) are usually benign and single, thus curable cur·a·ble Capable of being cured or healed. by pancreatic surgery. Can FMEN1 Be Cured? There is no cure for FMEN1 itself, but most of the health problems caused by FMEN1 can be recognized at an early stage and controlled or treated before they become serious problems. If you have been diagnosed with FMEN1, it is important to get periodic checkups because FMEN1 can affect different glands and, even after treatment, residual tissue can grow back. Careful monitoring enables your doctor to adjust your treatment as needed and to check for any new disturbances caused by FMEN1. Is FMEN1 the Same in Everyone? Although FMEN1 tends to follow certain patterns as described earlier, there is considerable variation in the ways FMEN1 can affect a person's health. Not only do the features of FMEN1 vary among members of the same family, but some families with FMEN1 tend to have a higher rate of prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors and a much lower frequency of gastrin-secreting pancreatic tumors. In addition, the age at which FMEN1 can begin to cause endocrine gland overfunction can differ strikingly from one family member to another. One member may have only mild hyperparathyroidism beginning at age 50, while another may develop complications from tumors of the parathyroid, pancreas, and pituitary by age 20. How Is FMEN1 Detected? In the next few years, scientists hope to develop a simple test that will identify the abnormal FMEN1 gene. Such a test would be given once in a person's lifetime to find out whether he or she has inherited the FMEN1 gene. In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile , though, screening of persons at high (50-50) risk generally involves testing for hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroidism is the most common and usually the earliest sign of FMEN1. Any doctor can screen for hyperparathyroidism by testing the blood for calcium and sometimes one or two other substances such as ionized i·on·ize tr. & intr.v. i·on·ized, i·on·iz·ing, i·on·iz·es To convert or be converted totally or partially into ions. i calcium and parathyroid hormone. An abnormal result indicates that the person has FMEN1, but a normal finding cannot rule out the chance that he or she will develop hyperparathyroidism at a later time. Blood testing can usually show disturbances that are typical of early hyperparathyroidism many years before complications of hyprpairathyroidism occur. Why Screen for FMEN1? FMEN1 is not an infectious or contagious disease, nor is it caused by environmental factors. FMEN1 is a genetic disorder that can only be inherited from one parent. Because FMEN1's transmission pattern is so well understood, family members at high risk for the disorder can be easily identified. For this reason, screening can yield important information for people at high risk of inheriting FMEN1. Testing is also useful because it can detect the blood chemical problems caused by FMEN1 many years before major complications develop. Finding these hormonal imbalances early enables your doctor to begin preventive treatment, reducing the chances that FMEN1 win cause problems later. Who Should Be Screened for FMEN1? Each of us has millions of genes in each of our cells, which determine how our cells and bodies function. In people with FMEN1, there is a mutation, or mistake, in one gene. A carrier is a person who has the FMEN1 gene. The FMEN1 gene is transmitted directly to a child from a parent carrying the gene. The chances that any child of an FMEN1 "carrier" win inherit this disorder are 50-50. The persons who should be screened are the first-degree relatives (parents, brothers, sisters, and children) of persons with FMEN1, since these family members are at 50-50 risk of already having inherited the FMEN1 gene. Though the abnormal gene is present before birth, it tends to become evident at varying ages and in different organs. A "silent" carrier has the gene but has not yet shown any hormonal disturbance caused by the gene. Periodic testing may also be considered in people whose nearest affected relative is a grandparent, uncle, or aunt (that is, a second-degree relative), if there is reason to believe that the parent may be a silent FMEN1 gene-carrier. When and How Often Should Screening Be Done? Most often, the first sign of FMEN1 is hyperparathyroidism, which can usually be detected by blood tests between ages 20 to 50. Periodic testing should begin around age 15 and be repeated every year. There is no age at which periodic testing should stop, since doctors cannot rule out the chance that a person has inherited the FMEN1 gene. However, a person with normal testing beyond age 50 is very unlikely to have inherited the FMEN1 gene. Should a Person Who Has FMEN1 Avoid Having Children? A person who has FMEN1 may have a hard time deciding whether to have a child. No one can make this decision for anyone else, but some of the important facts can be summarized as follows: * A man or a woman with FMEN1 has a 50-50 risk with each pregnancy of having a child with FMEN1. At present, there is no way of detecting FMEN1 before birth or even before age 15, although such tests will probably become possible in the next 5 years. * FMEN1 tends to fit a broad pattern within a given family, but the severity of the disorder varies widely from one family member to another. In particular, a parent's experience with FMEN1 cannot be used to predict the severity of FMEN1 in a child. * FMEN1 is a problem that does not usually develop until adulthood. Treatment may require regular monitoring and considerable expense, but the disease usually does not prevent an active, productive adulthood. * Prolactin-releasing tumors in a man or woman may inhibit fertility and make it difficult to conceive. Also, hyperparathyroidism in a woman during pregnancy may raise the risks of complications for mother and child. Research in FMEN1 The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases About NIDDK The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, conducts and supports research on many of the most serious diseases affecting public health. (NIDDK NIDDK National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ) was established by Congress in 1950 as part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH "Not invented here." See digispeak. NIH - The United States National Institutes of Health. ), whose mission is to improve human health through biomedical research. The NIH is the research arm of the Public Health Service under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Noun 1. Department of Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Health and Human Services, HHS . The NIDDK conducts and supports a variety of research in endocrine disorders, including FMEN1. NIDDK scientists recently showed that plasma from FMEN1 patients contains a growth factor that stimulates parathyroid cells. This factor may be the cause of hyperparathyroidism in FMEN1. Researchers have also begun to locate the FMEN1 gene by showing that it is on chromosome 11. After reading this fact sheet, you may think of questions that you would like answered. Some sources of additional information are medical textbooks, physicians, nurses, and genetic counselors. Genetic counseling can help couples through the decisionmaking process about family planning. Genetic counselors provide information but do not tell anyone what to do. The following articles about FMEN1 can be found in medical libraries, some college and university libraries, and through interlibrary loan in most public libraries. Brandi, M.L., Marx, S.J., Aurbach, G.D., and Fitzpatrick, L.A., "Familial Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1: A new look at pathophysiology pathophysiology /patho·phys·i·ol·o·gy/ (-fiz?e-ol´ah-je) the physiology of disordered function. 1. ." Endocrine Reviews, vol. 8, 1987, pp 391-404. Larsson, C., Skogseid, B., Oberg, K., Nakamura, Y., and Nordenskgold, M., "Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I Gene Maps to Chromosome 11 and Is Lost in Insulinoma." Nature, vol. 332, 1988, pp 85-87. Marx, S.J., Vinik, A.I., Santen, R.J., Floyd, J.C. Jr., Mills, J., and Green J. III, "Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1: Assessment of laboratory tests to screen for the gene in a large kindred. Medicine, vol. 65, 1986, pp 226-241. The following organizations might also be able to assist with certain types of information: Office of Health Research Reports National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Budding 31, Room 9AO4 Bethesda, MD 20892 March of Dimes/Birth Defects Foundation 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains, NY 10605 National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health 38th and R Streets, NW. Washington, DC 20057 This fact sheet was written by Stephen J. Marx, M.D., of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It is based in part on the booklet Understanding Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1, published by the NIH Clinical Center's Communications Office. This fact sheet is not copyrighted. Readers are encouraged to duplicate and distribute as many copies as needed. Single copies may be obtained from NIDDK's Office of Health Research Reports at the address given under "Other Resources" in this fact sheet.

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BirdLife Pacific Homepage Find out more about the work of BirdLife's Pacific Programme. See photos showing 'Conserving Biodiversity, Improving Livelihoods in Natewa Tunuloa and Nabukelevu Kadavu IBA' here. See photos showing how to save the Tahiti Monarch in French Polynesia - a Species Guardian at work here! The Pacific has more threatened bird species per unit of land area, or per person, than any other region in the world. Pacific birds evolved on tiny, oceanic islands, in isolation from predators and competitors, and have long been subject to extermination by a range of introduced species. More » The Pacific Regional Programme 2009-2012 aims to bring together national efforts towards bird conservation in a focused and strategic manner... More » The BirdLife International Pacific Partnership and Secretariat are involved in a number of regional and national conservation initiatives... More » The Pacific Partnership currently has Partners in Australia, the Cook Islands,French Polynesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Palau. More » The BirdLife Pacific Partnership Secretariat manages a country programme in Fiji pending the development of an eligible conservation NGO there. More » The BirdLife International Pacific Partnership Secretariat has developed a ‘project catalogue’ for 2010 with projects in the Pacific region that urgently need funding. Some of the projects that are included in the catalogue are described here... More » Volunteers are extremely important to the BirdLife International Pacific Partnership. With you and others like you, we are able to make a difference to the protection of threatened bird species and the conservation of Important Bird Areas in the Pacific region! More » Next Page » Pacific Overview

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SOS Forum Post Technical Editor Hugh Robjohns replies: An alias occurs when a signal above half the sample rate is allowed into, or created within, a digital system. It's the anti-aliasing filter's job to limit the frequency range of the analogue signal prior to A-D conversion, so that the maximum frequency does not exceed half the sampling rate — the so-called Nyquist limit. Aliasing can occur either because the anti-alias filter in the A-D converter (or in a sample-rate converter) isn't very good, or because the system has been overloaded. The latter case is the most common source of aliasing, because overloads result in the generation of high-frequency harmonics within the digital system itself (and after the anti-aliasing filter). The sampling process is a form of amplitude modulation in which the input signal frequencies are added to and subtracted from the sample-rate frequency. In radio terms, the sum products are called the upper sideband and the subtracted products are called the lower sideband. In digital circles they are just referred to as the 'images'. These images play no part in the digital audio process — they are essentially just a side-effect of sampling — but they must be kept well above the wanted audio frequencies so that they can be removed easily without affecting the wanted audio signal. This is where all the trouble starts. The upper image isn't really a problem, but if the lower one is allowed too low, it will overlap the wanted audio band and create 'aliases' that cannot be removed. Let's consider what occurs if we put a 10kHz sine-wave tone into a 48kHz sampled digital system. The sampling process will generate additional signal frequencies at 58kHz (48 + 10) and 38kHz (48 - 10). Both of these images are clearly far above half the sample rate (24kHz), so can be easily removed with a low-pass filter, which is the reconstruction filter on the output of the D-A converter, leaving the wanted audio (the 10kHz tone) perfectly intact. See Figure 1, above. However, consider what happens if our 10kHz tone is cranked up too loud and overloads the A-D converter's quantising stage. If you clip a sine wave, you end up with something approximating a square wave, and the resulting distortion means that a chain of odd harmonics will be generated above the fundamental. So our original 10kHz sine wave has now acquired an unwanted series of strong harmonics at 30kHz, 50kHz and so on. Note that these harmonics were generated in the overloaded quantiser and after the input anti-aliasing filter that was put there to stop anything above half the sample rate getting in to the system. By overloading the converter, we have generated 'illegal' high-frequency signals inside the system itself and, clearly, overloading the quantiser breaks the Nyquist rule of not allowing anything over half the sample rate into the system. Considering just the third harmonic at 30kHz for the moment, the sampling modulation process means that this will 'mirror' around the sample rate just as before, generating additional signal frequencies at 78kHz (48 + 30) and 18kHz (48 - 30). The 18kHz product is clearly below half the sample rate, and so will be allowed through by the reconstruction filter. This is the 'alias'. We started with a 10kHz signal, and have ended up with both 10kHz and 18kHz (see Figure 2, above). Similarly, the 50kHz harmonic will produce a 2kHz frequency, resulting in another alias. Note that, unlike an analogue system, in which the distortion products caused by overloads always follow a normal harmonic series, in a digital system aliasing results in the harmonic series being 'folded back' on itself to produce audible signals that are no longer harmonically related to the source. In the simplistic example I've explained, we have ended up with aliases at 2kHz and 18kHz that have no obvious musical relationship to the 10kHz source. This is why overloading a digital system sounds so nasty in comparison to overloading an analogue system.

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"For the South Vietnamese, our precipitate withdrawal would inevitably allow the Communists to repeat the massacres which followed their takeover in the North 15 years before. They then murdered more than 50,000 people and hundreds of thousands more died in slave labor camps. We saw a prelude of what would happen in South Vietnam when the Communists entered the city of Hue last year. During their brief rule there, there was a bloody reign of terror in which 3,000 civilians were clubbed, shot to death, and buried in mass graves. With the sudden collapse of our support, these atrocities at Hue would become the nightmare of the entire nation and particularly for the million-and-a half Catholic refugees who fled to South Vietnam when the Communists took over in the North. For the United States this first defeat in our nation's history would result in a collapse of confidence in American leadership not only in Asia but throughout the world. Three American Presidents have recognized the great stakes involved in Vietnam and understood what had to be done. In 1963 President Kennedy with his characteristic eloquence and clarity said, 'We want to see a stable Government there,' carrying on the [a] struggle to maintain its national independence.' We believe strongly in that. We are not going to withdraw from that effort. In my opinion, for us to withdraw from that effort would mean a collapse not only of South Vietnam but Southeast Asia. So we're going to stay there.' President Eisenhower and President Johnson expressed the same conclusion during their terms of office. For the future of peace, precipitate withdrawal would be a disaster of immense magnitude. A nation cannot remain great if it betrays its allies and lets down its friends. Our defeat and humiliation in South Vietnam without question would promote recklessness in the councils of those great powers who have not yet abandoned their goals of worlds conquest. This would spark violence wherever our commitments help maintain the peace -- in the Middle East, in Berlin, eventually even in the Western Hemisphere. Ultimately, this would cost more lives. It would not bring peace. It would bring more war. For these reasons I rejected the recommendation that I should end the war by immediately withdrawing all of our forces. I chose instead to change American policy on both the negotiating front and the battle front in order to end the war fought on many fronts. I initiated a pursuit for peace on many fronts. In a television speech on May 14, in a speech before the United Nations, on a number of other occasions, I set forth our peace proposals in great detail. We have offered the complete withdrawal of all outside forces within one year. We have proposed a cease fire under international supervision. We have offered free elections under international supervision with the Communists participating in the organization and conduct of the elections as an organized political force. And the Saigon government has pledged to accept the result of the election. We have not put forth our proposals on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. We have indicated that we're willing to discuss the proposals that have been put forth by the other side. We have declared that anything is negotiable, except the right of the people of South Vietnam to determine their own future. At the Paris peace conference Ambassador Lodge has demonstrated our flexibility and good faith in 40 public meetings. Hanoi has refused even to discuss our proposals. They demand our unconditional acceptance of their terms which are that we withdraw all American forces immediately and unconditionally and that we overthrow the government of South Vietnam as we leave. We have not limited our peace initiatives to public forums and public statements. I recognized in January that a long and bitter war like this usually cannot be settled in a public forum." Richard Nixon gives the Great Silent Majority speech.

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The vulnerability of animal and human health to parasites under global change The term ‘global change’ is used to encompass all of the significant drivers of environmental change as experienced by hosts, parasites and parasite managers. The term includes changes in climate and climate variability, atmospheric composition, land use and land cover including deforestation and urbanisation, bio-geochemistry, globalisation of trade and transport, the spread of alien species, human health and technology. A subset of land use issues relates to the management of protective technologies in relation to residues in food and the environment and the emergence of resistance. Another is the question of changing biodiversity of both parasites and their associated natural enemies, and the effects on the host–parasite relationship and on parasite management. A framework for studying impacts of global change is proposed and illustrated with field data, and CLIMEX and simulation modelling of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus in Australia. Parasitology suffers from the perception that the key impacts of global change will be driven by changes at lower trophic levels, with parasitic interactions being treated as secondary effects. This is incorrect because the environment mediates host–parasite interactions as much as it affects parasites directly. Parasitologists need to strive for holistic solutions to the management of animal and human health, within a wider context of overall management of those systems, if they are to make a meaningful contribution to global efforts aimed at coping with global change.

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Tucked deep into Tuesday’s hefty climate bill draft is an innocuous-sounding sentence: ‘‘Notwithstanding section 116, no State or political subdivision thereof shall implement or enforce a cap that covers any capped emissions emitted during the years 2012 through 2017.” That sentence could potentially spell the end of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the cap-and-trade scheme engineered by 10 Northeastern states to cut global warming emissions. Essentially, what it means is that a federal scheme to cap carbon dioxide emissions, and allow companies to trade the allowances to pollute, would pre-empt similar schemes by the states. The regional initiative in the Northeast, which governs power plants, is the only mandatory scheme up and running, but California and other Western states are contemplating a cap-and-trade program of their own. Many details need to be worked out. But folding the Northeastern program into a nationwide carbon-trading scheme is a fine objective, according to Ian Bowles, the secretary for energy and environment in Massachusetts, one of the states taking part in the regional program. “I don’t think once you have a federal cap-and-trade that it makes sense to maintain regional types of programs,” he said. He noted that the bill, as it currently stands, would leave room for other state roles, so that states could “continue to get at emissions through traditional air regulation of different entities that are in the state.” “Generally speaking, I think the bill does a good job of balancing federal and state roles and responsibilities,” Mr. Bowles said.

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Czech Independence Day (1 January) A day to mark the creation of an independent Czech Republic following the division of Czechoslovakia on 1 January 1993. Liberation Day (8 May) The day commemorates the liberation of the Czechoslovakia by the Allies in May 1945. Day of the Slavic Apostles Cyril and Methodius (5 July) The missionaries Cyril and Methodius are closely associated with the arrival of Christianity in this country and the first Slavic alphabet, Cyrillic (in the year 863). Jan Hus Day (6 July) The day marking the burning of Jan Hus at the stake (6. 7. 1415). Jan Hus was a reforming religious leader and the rector of Prague University. Day of Czech Statehood (28 September) The day Czech Prince Wenceslas was murdered in the year 935 by his own brother. Not long after his death he was declared a saint. On this day the Czechs celebrate their patron saint and symbol of Czech statehood and national identity. Czechoslovak Independence Day (28 October) A public holiday to mark the day Czechs and Slovaks established their own state in 1918 – the most important national holiday of the year. Freedom and Democracy Day (17 November) The day Czechs remember the student struggles of 1939 and 1989 against the Nazi and communist regimes. - New Year (1. January) - Easter Monday (March/April, changes every year) - Workers’ Day (1 May) - Christmas Eve (24 December) - Christmas Day (25 December) - Feast of St Stephen (26 December) The main school holidays are in summer (July and August around 1. 7. and 31. 8.). Children are also off school around Christmas (usually from 23 December –until 3 January) and in spring (a whole week – differs according to location). View from Nebozizek St. Havel Church "A traveller without observation is a bird without wings" - Moslih Eddin Saadi

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In spite of not being allowed to build carrier, Japan just commissioned its first aircraft carrier since World War II. Quotes: The new, helicopter carrying destroyer, the Hyuga, is a 610 foot long, 18,000 ton warship that operates up to 11 (mostly SH-60) helicopters from a full length "Although called a destroyer, it very much looks like an aircraft carrier. While its primary function is anti-submarine warfare, the Hyuga will also give Japan its first real power projection capability since 1945. The Hyuga is the largest warship built in Japan since World War II. The Japanese constitution forbids it to have aircraft carriers, which is the main reason it is called a destroyer. That, and the desire to not make the neighbors anxious. East Asian nations still have bad memories about the last time Japan had lots of aircraft carriers. The Hyuga also has 16 Mk41 VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells for anti-aircraft and There are also two 20mm Phalanx anti-missile cannon and two triple 12.75-inch torpedo mounts. There is a crew of 350 and a top speed of about 60 kilometers. Vertical takeoff jets like the Harrier and F-35B could also operate from the Hyuga. A second Hyuga is under construction and a third is planned. The last Japanese warship to be called the Hyuga was a World War II battleship that entered service in 1918, and was converted to a hybrid battleship/aircraft carrier in 1943. The new Hyuga will be used for peacekeeping missions as well, and for that role its many helicopters will be most useful." According to a blogger, "The last time the Japanese Navy sailed the Hyuga, it was a battleship turned into an aircraft carrier and was sunk in June 1945 off the island of Kure by Curtiss Helldivers of VB-87 flying from USS Ticonderoga."

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Even though autism symptoms typically emerge before age three, most children with autism are diagnosed when they're fiveor older, a new snapshot of autism in America shows. More than half of US children with an autism spectrum disorder are taking at least one psychotropic medicine - including stimulants, anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants, sleep aids, seizure medications or antipsychotics - even though there are no drugs that have clearly been shown to impact the core symptoms of the disorder. The findings are from a nationally representative survey of more than 4 000 parents or guardians of children with special needs aged six to 17, including about 1 400 who had an autism spectrum disorder. The report was compiled by researchers from the USNational Institute of Mental Health in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This is a snapshot of what the nation looks like. American families can compare their experience to what others have found," said study co-author Lisa Colpe, chief of the office of clinical and population epidemiology research at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. What the study found Among the other key findings: About 19% of kids were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at age two or younger; 17% were diagnosed at age three; 13% were age four; 11.5% were age five; and nearly 40% were six or older when they were diagnosed. Children were identified by a range of health care professionals, including paediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, developmental psychologists, neurologists and multidisciplinary teams. Nine of 10 school-aged children with an autism spectrum disorder use at least one service to meet their developmental needs, while just over half of the kids use three or more services. The most common service is social skills training, followed by speech or language therapy. Others include behavioural interventions and occupational therapy. Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for Autism Speaks, said findings show the continued need to work toward identifying children earlier. Early intervention works best "Research tells us that children who start intervention earlier do better in the long run. This report found that the majority of children were five years or older when they were first identified. We can reliably diagnose autism by 24 months, so professionals need to do a better job, including screening all children at 18 and 24 months," Dawson said. Only about 40 percent of school-aged children with an autism spectrum disorder receive behavioural intervention, even though research has shown such strategies can "significantly improve outcomes," she added. Lack of insurance coverage and too few trained providers with expertise in behavioural interventions are reasons why some children aren't getting the services, Dawson noted. "It is critical that we address the barriers that are preventing children from receiving early intervention. Early intervention will result in better outcomes for children and provide substantial cost savings in the long run," Dawson said. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by problems with social interaction, communication and restricted interests and behaviours. That includes repetitive behaviours, such as arm-flapping or head-banging; having an obsessive interest in one topic; having a need to stick to a specific ritual or routine; and experiencing distress or agitation when that routine gets disrupted. About one in 88 US children has the disorder, according to the CDC. Autism and ADHD Children with autism can also have co-existing conditions, such as anxiety, seizures, depression or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Experts say it's not always easy for parents and doctors to know whether symptoms are autism-related or a co-existing condition, but many will try various drugs to alleviate the symptoms. "The findings with respect to psychotropic medication use is in line with previous findings," Dawson said. "Children with autism often have co-occurring conditions, such as ADHD and anxiety, which are often helped with medication." Because some of the drugs to treat those conditions can be powerful, Colpe said it was a good sign that so many children (upwards of 90 percent) were also receiving some other sort of treatment, indicating that they are being monitored by a physician. "They are getting a multi-mode treatment," Colpe said. Autism can be predicted at 6 months The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more on autism. (Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.)

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New scientific methods and novel technologies distinguish this system from previous tsunami warning systems. Previously used systems, such as the Pacific Tsunami Warning System, are not optimal for Indonesia due to its distinctive geological situation. The earthquakes in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia occur along a subduction zone, the Sunda Trench, which arches from the northwestern tip of Sumatra to Flores in eastern Indonesia. If a tsunami is generated here, the waves will, in extreme cases, surge up the coast within 20 minutes, leaving only very little time for an early warning. This limiting factor was therefore the basis of the concept for the whole system. Technical concept of GITEWS Current status of the project The German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System for the Indian Ocean (GITEWS) was in its entirety handed over to Indonesia on 29 March 2011 and has demonstrated its full functionality during several strong earthquakes and tsunami. Tsunami warnings are issued in less than five minutes after a sea quake, followed by updates or cancelation messages. GITEWS has been completed successfully. It can warn or give the all-clear very quickly and accurately, and its expandability for the entire Indian Ocean is part of this development work. In the warning center in Jakarta based at the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency BMKG, about 30 people work in shifts around the clock. The system was internationally evaluated and classified as one of the most advanced tsunami warning systems worldwide. The geological situation in Indonesia with extremely short periods (30 to 40 minutes) between an earthquake and the arrival of a tsunami on the coast called for an entirely new approach to the design of tsunami early warning. The system is based on more than 300 different land-based sensor systems. The warning is based on very fast and precise recording and evaluation of earthquakes, which forms the core of the warning system. The rapid determination of earthquake parameters (location, depth, magnitude) via 160 seismometers on land is the first and most important foundation for a tsunami preview by means of modeling, as well as the generation of a warning message that is based on the preview. This first assessment of the situation is subsequently verified by GPS data from continuously GPS stations and tide gauges along the coast of Indonesia. The tsunami itself is detected by the tide gauges via pressure, radar- and floating sensors. The development of the entire system was continuously supplemented with the latest research results. Using the seismological analysis system SeisComP3, it was therefore possible to develop a new, rapid and robust method for the determination of earthquake parameters, which is now used in virtually all countries bordering the Indian Ocean and other countries around the world (a total of approximately 40 nations use SeisComP3). Another completely new approach is the use of GPS measurements for the precise determination of the deformation of the earth crust, from which conclusions about the rupture mechanism and thus a possible tsunami formation can be recorded very quickly. The innovative conceptual design of the system allows an evaluation of measurement data from all sensors in the shortest possible time so that a reliable tsunami warning may be released in less than five minutes. Consequently, an advance warning of about 30 minutes remains for the main Indonesian islands. The islands offshore Sumatra along the Sunda Trench are located in the immediate vicinity of the earthquake epicenters, a warning via the warning centre in Jakarta is not always possible here because of the very short time until the arrival of a tsunami. Here, above all provisions must be made through education and training of the population. Tsunami buoys (also known as Tsunameter) are no independent WARNING systems! In all tsunami warning systems around the world they are MEASURING instruments for the verification of a tsunami. The most important information, namely the magnitude and fast localisation of an earthquake, without which neither a simulation of the location nor a warning can be produced, CANNOT be delivered by buoy systems. At the beginning of the project buoy systems were included in the planning, because they belonged to the "classic" instrument pool of the existing tsunami warning systems. The buoys developed within GITEWS belong to the most advanced worldwide. In the course of the project it quickly turned out that the buoy information cannot be on hand in time for the quick warning necessary in Indonesia (5 minutes after the earthquake), however equivalent information can be obtained in the required short time span through the integration of land-based GPS as an innovative element. To at least deliver information within the first ten minutes of an earthquake, the buoys have to be very close to the earthquake zone and thus anchored close to the coast of Indonesia. The possibility of "vandalism" by fishermen who use the buoys to moor their vessels was, however, underestimated, as was the dense ship traffic near the coast. Oceanographic instruments are particularly expensive to maintain. The cost calculation for the operation and maintenance of the Indonesian system as a whole reveals that the maintenance and operation of the buoy systems alone (20 in total, of which 10 from Germany) costs as much as all of the approximately 280 instruments installed on land. A cost / benefit analysis that takes into account the fact that the buoy data usually comes too late for the first and most important warning and considers the limited availability of the systems due to vandalism and extensive maintenance led to the decision to no longer include the buoy systems for early warning in Indonesia. Due to the development and expansion of novel land-based measuring systems, the offshore buoys are no longer necessary for tsunami early warning in Indonesia. The buoy systems which were developed as part of GITEWS turned into an independent, innovative measuring system with GPS sensors to verify a tsunami in the open ocean. As such, they may be deployed in the Indian Ocean – in fact, all the world's oceans – as a useful and reliable tool, if operation and maintenance can be assured technically, organizationally and financially. There is no full protection against natural disasters, which also applies to large tsunami. The shores of the main Indonesian islands are faced with extremely short early warning times of around 30 minutes, for the islands of Sumatra there is practically no advance warning. It is obvious that megacities such as Padang on the southern coast of Sumatra cannot be evacuated in such a time period. The population has to be trained (evacuation) and offered preventive measures with technical infrastructure such as shelters (vertical evacuation facilities near the beach, shelters ...), and emergency plans have to be developed and implemented. These activities, grouped under the term "capacity development", are an integral part of a sustainable and effective early warning system. Without appropriate preventive measures and effective education and training programs, the best measurement technique is worthless. In Indonesia, this Capacity Development set out with German support already during the GITEWS project. Scientists, disaster management, national and local government and local people must be trained in what to do during a strong quake and a tsunami warning and what preventive measures can be taken. The earthquake tragedy in Japan in March 2011 has shown how much of a harm reduction effect preventive and training measures may have even with major disasters. In the GITEWS project capacity development activities were established in three test regions (Padang, Sumatra; Cilacap, South Java; Kuta / Sanur, Bali). They were developed with the local authorities and the local population and established as binding. They include the elucidation of the operating mode of the early warning system, the definition of hazard maps as a basis for evacuation plans, evacuation routes and infrastructure planning for the future. Together with the Indonesian partners local communication means (sirens, loudspeakers, police, local radio and TV) were identified, local disaster management organizations (DMOs) were set up and trained and clear mandates in the warning process were defined. Ultimately, the entire sequence of a tsunami warning up to the evacuation of the coastal area was played out and practised. In parallel, the chain of decisions and alerts from the national down to the local level was defined and agreed upon. The project GITEWS has therefore laid the foundation for the national disaster management strategy in Indonesia. For a sustainable success of the early warning system in Indonesia, this capacity development must now be developed and established more widely. In the near future, the BMBF-funded follow-up project PROTECTS will, together with the newly formed Indonesian disaster management authority BNPB and in cooperation with the Indonesian Academy of Sciences LIPI, distribute the strategies and measures developed in the test regions nationwide. Moreover, in PROTECTS the scientists and engineers of the warning centre will undergo an intensive and comprehensive training on the warning system, its operation and maintenance.

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If the sum of three vectors in R3 is zero, must they lie in the same plane? Follow Math Help Forum on Facebook and Google+ They could lie all on the same line or the same plane. They all lie on the same point if all vectors are the zero vector. Let the three vectors be If the sum of the three vectors is the zero vector, then these vectors are linearly dependent since so must lie on the same plane spanned by and . Hence all three vectors lie on the same plane Thanks for the help MacstersUndead. Cool Avatar picture. View Tag Cloud

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Copyright Tips And Other Issues Copyright enables writers and artists to prevent others from using their creative works. If a work of art or writing has been fixed, it can be protected under copyright law. Copyright disallows the distribution of original work through electronic media and public display, but an unprotected piece of work, or one that is permitted for use by its creator, can be distributed or used freely. - What is Copyright Protection?: An overview of copyright protection. - Copyright Basics: A guide to the basics of copyright. - The Purpose of Copyright: Learn about the purpose of copyright. - Copyright FAQ: Frequently asked questions about copyright. - Copyright Tips: Tips for avoiding copyright violation. - Avoiding Plagiarism: Advice on how to avoid plagiarism. Citing Electronic Resources In the electronic environment, it is easy to access and distribute other people’s works. Copyright laws give a person the right to own his or her work, and they even allow for a joint ownership. When a work is copyrighted, those who wish to use the work need to ask permission from its owner. - Electronic Copyright: All about copyright in electronic media. - Copyright and Fair Use: General information about fair use of copyrighted materials. - Copyright of Electronic Resources: A brief explanation of copyright and use of electronic resources. - Electronic Resources Licensing: List of principles for licensing of electronic resources. Citing Internet Resources Emails and web pages do not come under copyright protection, but there are ways to use works that are found on the Internet. Copyright does not allow phishing, but use of other people’s work for the purpose of education and public interest is allowed. Usually, it is illegal to use other people’s work to generate income. - Online Copyright: Introduction to copyright laws and practices on the Internet. - Copyright on the Internet: Information about internet and copyright laws. - Acceptable Use of Online Resources: Find out what methods of usage of electronic resources are acceptable. - Citing Online Resources: Learn how to evaluate and cite Internet resources. - Online Copyright Links: List of links to information on online copyright. There are many different types of creative works that cannot be registered under copyright law. Some of these include forms of expression, slogans, symbols, explanations, and descriptions. Many forms of art such as books, sounds, music, and designs that are saved in tapes or CDs can be copyrighted. - Copyright Clearance Center: Website that is dedicated to promoting understanding of copyright laws. - Cognizance of Copyrights: Understanding copyright laws and violation. - Protection of Literary and Artistic Works: Collection of articles that contain important information about copyright of literary and artistic works. - Copyright Resources: A resource page with links to information about different types of copyright. - Library Copyright Guidance: Copyright guidance for using library resources. - Works Cited: Find out how to cite works to avoid copyright violation. - Citing Sources: A guide to citing sources and avoiding plagiarism. The main question about copyright is: What is the use of copyright? The answer to this question is that copyright enables writers and artists to get recognition and revenue for their works. - Copyright Quizzes: Quizzes about copyright laws. - More Copyright Quizzes: Questions that test knowledge about copyright. Ten Big Myths about Copyright Explained - Copyright requires copyright symbol - It is not necessary to have a symbol "c" to show that a work is copyrighted. - Copyright symbol shows that you are protected - The use of "c" for copyright does not ensure that the material is protected. - Copyright is not violated if you are not generating revenue from the material - Even if revenue is not generated from a copyrighted work, it is still illegal to use the material without permission from the owner. - Material posted on public domain does not come under copyright laws - Material on public domain can come under copyright laws. - Using other people’s work to create a derivative work does not violate copyright law - Derivatives are also protected by copyright law. - Copyright violation is not a crime - Making more than ten copies of other people’s work is considered felony in the United States. - Registration is required for copyright - Even if a work is not registered, it will be copyrighted when it is saved to a communication media. - Registration ensures additional protection - Registration is only required when a suit is filed. - Internet material is not protected by copyright law - Every original creative work saved to a media is covered under copyright protection. - Registering at writers’ associations ensures copyright protection - A person does not get copyright protection by just registering to a union or organization. - Copyright Myths: Ten myths about copyright explained. Publicado el 19/11/2010Páginas de interés

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Edward Sapir (18841939). Language: An Introduction to the Study of Speech. 1921. more commonly than simple duplication, this partial duplication of the radical element has taken on in many languages functions that seem in no way related to the idea of increase. The best known examples are probably the initial reduplication of our older Indo-European languages, which helps to form the perfect tense of many verbs (e.g., Sanskrit dadarsha I have seen, Greek leloipa I have left, Latin tetigi I have touched, Gothic letot I have let). In Nootka reduplication of the radical element is often employed in association with certain suffixes; e.g., hluch- woman forms hluhluch-ituhl to dream of a woman, hluhluch-kok resembling a woman. Psychologically similar to the Greek and Latin examples are many Takelma cases of verbs that exhibit two forms of the stem, one employed in the present or past, the other in the future and in certain modes and verbal derivatives. The former has final reduplication, which is absent in the latter; e.g., al-yebeb-in I show (or showed) to him, al-yeb-in I shall show him. We come now to the subtlest of all grammatical processes, variations in accent, whether of stress or pitch. The chief difficulty in isolating accent as a functional process is that it is so often combined with alternations in vocalic quantity or quality or complicated by the presence of affixed elements that its grammatical value appears as a secondary rather than as a primary feature. In Greek, for instance, it is characteristic of true verbal forms that they throw the accent back as far as the general accentual rules will permit, while nouns may be more freely accented. There is thus a striking accentual difference between a verbal form like eluthemen we were released, accented on the second syllable of the word, and its participial derivative lutheis released,

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Net-Zero Lab Tackles Energy Crisis By Creating As Much Power As It Consumes The net-zero lab is the US government’s answer to the looming energy crisis, a home that actually creates as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year. The next step? Actually getting people to live there. For the researchers involved, the net-zero lab is a grand experiment of sorts. Named because it would have a carbon footprint of zero, the laboratory for now is located on an unassuming hillside outside of Washington, D.C., Reuters reports. For now, the net-zero lab is unoccupied, its 4,000 square feet instead filled with sensors and computer programs made to replicate a family of four: two working parents, a 14-year-old, and an 8-year-old. The program will simulate everyday activities like moving from room to room, taking a bath, or turning on a computer and is so detailed that even the shower is gauged differently depending on which family member is inside. The 14-year-old will take the longest showers. The appliances really do exist, Reuters noted, and are controlled from a command center located in a detached garage. Located on a suburban campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the net-zero lab is seen as a good way to tackle the energy crisis. “This family is very cooperative, they do exactly what we want them to do, every minute of the day,” Hunter Fanney, chief of NIST’s Building Environment Lab, said at the project’s official launch last week. Energy in the net-zero lab comes from solar panels on the roof. The house is also surrounded by a deep layer of gravel that will collect rainwater. Something close to the net-zero lab was created for actual use in Concord, Massachusetts for $600,000, and Habitat for Humanity has a nearly net-zero home for $150,000, though it is smaller than the one in Washington. The net-zero lab is also a success story of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, more commonly know as the stimulus. President Obama made environmentally friendly construction a priority for the stimulus, so nearly every part of the net-zero lab was made in the United States. For the first year, the net-zero lab is intended to demonstrate that such a high-tech home can fit into any normal neighborhood, NIST reported on its website. Once the year-long experiment has completed, the home will be used to test existing and new energy efficient technologies and find ways to make them a better fit for a home rather than a laboratory.

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You are in: SAN MATEO - EDUCATION & SCHOOLS - CHILDHOOD EDUCATION San Jose Elementary Schools for the Creative Child ~ Sheena West Creativity is something that should be nurtured in all children. By developing their talents, you allow your kids to grow more fully, developing in every facet of their lives. They learn to be self-confident, self-motivated, and to think critically about every endeavor. If you have a creative child eager to learn, you may want to consider enrolling her in a school that will help her realize her full potential. Two San Jose elementary schools have excellent arts programs for creative children. The Harker School Since its founding in 1893, the Harker School has been dedicated to allowing children to grow in every aspect of their lives. Their intellectual growth is fostered by an accredited curriculum and teaching staff, while their social skills are nurtured in the many school-wide activities. For children with strong creative sides, the school offers a fine performing arts program. As early as first grade, children take performing arts classes, in which they learn about music, dance, and the art of creative storytelling. By the 7th and 8th grade, students can take classes in musical theater production, in which they'll learn the ins and outs of putting together a stage show. All this culminates in the Upper School musical performance, where students have a hand in every major aspect of the program, from the script to set design and beyond. The Harker School's Lower School, open to students in kindergarten to 5th grade, is located at 4300 Bucknall Road, San Jose, CA. You can contact them by email at firstname.lastname@example.org. The Middle School for 6th- to 8th-grade is located at 3800 Blackford Avenue, San Jose, CA, with email address email@example.com. The Upper School is open to 9th- to 12th-grade students, and is located at 500 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA. Contact the Upper School by email at admissionUS@harker.org. For more information, visit the school's website, http://www.harker.org. The Stratford School has a strong reputation for academic excellence, but were you aware that they have a comprehensive arts and language program for their elementary students as well? The Stratford’s curriculum is a based on the Core Knowledge Sequence, which provides a sequenced, grade-appropriate plan for teaching language arts, science, history, geography, and fine arts. Topics in this curriculum build on each other, and each student understand how everything is interconnected. In their language arts program, students will be exposed to a broad selection of classic literature, poetry, and short stories. Not only will they read them; they’ll be able to discuss these works in an intelligent manner. Students will also be taught correct writing techniques and proper use of grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. Aside from literature, all elementary students get to enjoy an Art Exploration program through several mediums. There’s Directed Art, which teaches skills and techniques that kids can use for independent work in the future, and Crafts, where students create functional masterpieces. Open-Ended Art encourages students to create for the sake of creation, using any medium and supplies they desire. The Stratford School’s San Jose location is at 6670 San Anselmo Way San Jose, CA 95119. Call (408) 363-2130 to schedule a tour, or visit the Stratford website at http://www.stratfordschools.com to learn more. These are just some of San Jose elementary schools that could help your child reach his or her potential!

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Simple text and engaging photos of children and their families taking small conservation actions in their homes, classrooms, and communities make big conservation ideas accessible to beginning readers. This exciting sets offers children many concrete, hands-on ways to care for planet Earth, directly and indirectly. Each title includes picture glossary and index plus teacher notes with activity and discussion ideas. Paperback, 24 pages. Ages 4 to 6. Set contents listed below

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Polymerase chain reaction for screening blood donors at risk for malaria: safe and useful? (Letters).To the Editor: TransFusion-transmitted malaria, although extremely uncommon in most countries not endemic for malaria, may have fatal consequences if undetected (1,2). Benito and Rubio (3) addressed this timely issue by presenting data on screening of blood donors at risk for malaria in Spain with a seminested polymerase chain reaction polymerase chain reaction (pŏl`ĭmərās') (PCR), laboratory process in which a particular DNA segment from a mixture of DNA chains is rapidly replicated, producing a large, readily analyzed sample of a piece of DNA; the process is (SNM-PCR). Of 125 donors at risk (immigrants from malarious areas), these researchers identified five cases of PLasmodium falciparum Plasmodium fal·cip·a·rum A protozoan that causes falciparum malaria. by using SNM-PCR with a 5-mL EDTA EDTA: see chelating agents. blood sample. Benito and Rubio's conclusion was that the SNM-PCR could serve as the reference test for screening blood (3). Obviously, this conclusion implies the potential use of blood donations from donors who were at risk but whose PCR PCR polymerase chain reaction. polymerase chain reaction Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results were negative. We believe that this practice would be dangerous and could lead to the administration of unsafe blood. The PCR, like any method based on direct detection of the parasite, does have a shortcoming short·com·ing A deficiency; a flaw. a fault or weakness Noun 1. : the amount of specimen processed determines the limit of detection. Even if the described PCR method detected a single parasite in the 5-mL blood sample used by the authors (3) (hypothetical sensitivity 0.0002 parasites/[micro]L), a standard 450-mL blood donation could still contain [less than or equal to] 90 parasites and have a negative PCR result. However, with the "best" sensitivity reported by Benito and Rubio (3) of 0.004 parasites/[micro]L, a standard 450mL blood donation could contain <1,800 parasites and still be tested negative by SNM-PCR. Surely, <1,800 parasites is enough to cause disease in a blood recipient. As few as 10 parasites per donation (perhaps even fewer) may cause disease. Theoretically, any method would have to detect a single parasite per unit of blood to be safe, thus requiring a hypothetical detection limit of 2.2x[10.sup.-6] parasites/[micro]L. However, a sample equal to the unit of donated blood (450 mL) would have to be processed to achieve this level. In addition, one would have to assume that parasites are equally distributed in the peripheral blood peripheral blood Cardiology Blood circulating in the system/body at the time of donation. Little is known about the frequency of very low parasitemias. No large-scale epidemiologic studies have been conducted in which large amounts of blood (e.g., the equivalent of a blood donation or 450 mL) were collected. The authors (3) could not confirm the PCR-positive cases by microscopy. This finding suggests very low levels of parasitemia parasitemia /par·a·si·te·mia/ (par?ah-si-te´me-ah) the presence of parasites, especially malarial forms, in the blood. The presence of parasites in the blood. , below the sensitivity of thick smears, in the range of 1-20 parasites per [micro]L (4). Similar results were observed in blood donors associated with transfusion-transmitted malaria in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , in which malaria smears were positive in only 17 of 49 donors (1). PCR is similar to microscopy in screening donors at risk, even if the detection limits are different. Hommel and Gilles report in Topley and Wilson that for disease-endemic countries "the use of PCR ... ... is not, despite its much increased sensitivity, a complete guarantee of safe blood, because the absence of parasites in a 20-[micro]L sample does not exclude the possibility of infection in the remaining volume of the 450 mL blood unit" (5). On the other hand, one might argue that screening the whole blood supply for malaria by PCR may detect the rare blood donation with undetected malaria, with higher parasitemias. However, the generally accepted deferral criteria for blood donors at risk seem highly efficient. In the United States, only 14 cases of transfusion-transmitted malaria were reported from 1990 through 1999 (1). The same authors estimate that this deferral policy led to 50,000 rejected donations in a total of 13 million per year (0.3%). At an estimated expense of $2.00-$3.00 per PCR, a general screening program would cost more than $20 million-$30 million per year. Each case of malaria prevented would therefore cost in excess of several million U.S. dollars. Several novel diagnostic methods have been developed recently (6). However, we agree with Mungai et al. (1). These methods, including PCR, have still not been shown to detect the lowest possible parasitemia that can cause malaria. Showing that a method is able to detect donors at risk for malaria, as done by Benito and Rubio (3), is insufficient. On the contrary, the only convincing study design would be to show that donors at risk who have a negative PCR result also do not harbor parasites and cannot transmit the disease. Accordingly, careful screening of blood donors in nondisease-endemic countries, in accordance with the established exclusion criteria exclusion criteria AIDS Donor exclusion criteria, see there , remains the best way to prevent transmission of malaria (1,2). (1.) Mungai M, Tegtmeier G, Chamberland M, Parise M. Transfusion-transmitted malaria in the United States from 1963 through 1999. N Engl J Med 2001;344:1973-8. (2.) Slinger R, Giulivi A, Bodie-Collins M, Hindieh F, St. John R, Goldman M, et al. Transfusion-transmitted malaria in Canada. CMAJ CMAJ Canadian Medical Association Journal 2001;164:377-9. (3.) Benito A, Rubio JM. Usefulness of seminested polymerase chain reaction for screening blood donors at risk for malaria in Spain. Emerg Infect Dis 2001;7:1068. (4.) Dowling MAC, Shute GT. A comparative study of thick and thin blood films in the diagnosis of scanty malaria parasitaemia Noun 1. parasitaemia - a condition in which parasites are present in the blood blood disease, blood disorder - a disease or disorder of the blood . Bull World Health Organ 1966;34:249-67. (5.) Hommel M, Gilles HM. Malaria. In: Collier L, Balows A, Sussman M, editors. Topley and Wilson's microbiology and microbial microbial pertaining to or emanating from a microbe. the breakdown of organic material, especially feedstuffs, by microbial organisms. infections. Vol. 4, Parasitology Parasitology The scientific study of parasites and of parasitism. Parasitism is a subdivision of symbiosis and is defined as an intimate association between an organism (parasite) and another, larger species of organism (host) upon which the parasite is . London: Arnold; 1998. p. 384-409. (6.) Hanscheid T. Diagnosis of malaria: review of alternatives to conventional microscopy. Clin Lab Haematol 1999;21:235-45. T. Hanscheid, * E. Valadas, * and M.P. Grobusch ([dagger]) * Faculty of Medicine, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisboa, Portugal; and ([dagger]) Institute of Tropical Medicine tropical medicine, study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of certain diseases prevalent in the tropics. The warmth and humidity of the tropics and the often unsanitary conditions under which so many people in those areas live contribute to the development and , Tuebingen, Germany

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9 out of 10 people, all over the world, are right-handed. True ambidexterity occurs in less than 1% of the population. Why does the world skew to the right? Scientists still don't know. Things like nipples and nostrils come in pairs on the outside of our bodies, but it doesn't work that way in the interior: The heart and spleen, for example, normally form on the body's left side, while the liver forms on the right; each lung has a distinctly different shape. We're asymmetrical INSIDE. Our brain halves are different too: the left side is more logical, while the right hemisphere is more creative and intuitive (although that pattern is reversed for lefties). In LiveScience.com, Adam Hadhazy quotes neuropsychologist David P. Carey as saying, "For a lot of actions, it's a good idea to have the boss living in one place." Dogs and chimps are "handed" too. Hadhazy quotes Carey as saying, "Your dog is one-pawed," said Carey. "If you force a dog to reach for a toy through an aperture, it will tend over many trials to use one paw over the other." Should leftie people only own leftie dogs? We don't know if Melody was right-handed or left-handed, but she was incredibly creative, so we guess she might have been a leftie, and her secret lover Beresford might have been too. Anne Strieber thought of it, Whitley wrote it, and now you can be AMONG THE FIRST to read it!

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* The Greek Philosopher Plato developed the philosophical concept of transcendence. * The verb "to transcend" means "to go beyond" something. In Transcendentalism, it meant that there are truths that go beyond, or transcend, proof. These were truths that were simply "known" but could not be proved with logic. These truths were a private experience of faith and conviction. * The German philosopher Immanual Kant gave Transcendentalism its name. * Kant, with other German thinkers, influenced the views of some important English writers; the poet-critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, and the Scottish philosopher-historian Thomas Carlyle. These three, especially Carlyle, exchanged ideas with Ralph Waldo Emerson of Concord, MA. * It was Emerson who brought the movement to New England and nurtured its growth in this country. * American Transcendentalism thus began in the 1840's as Emerson interacted with Longfellow, Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Thoreau and Lowell. This influential group of people were all born within a few years and a few miles of each other in New England. * Transcendentalism was the beginning of American interest in Oriental thought. Emerson and his friends read the Hindus, Confucius, Buddha and the Mohammedan Sufis. The Bhagavad-Gita was very influential to Emerson. * Transcendentalism became an eclectic composite of Oriental, Greek, English, French, German, and native thought. * Transcendentalism is a belief there is a higher reality and greater knowledge than that manifested in human mind. It divides reality into a realm of spirit and a realm of matter. This division is made by many of the great religions of the world. There are three creative thinkers that greatly influenced Ernest Holmes (1887-1960) as he moved Emerson is not thought of as a New Thought writer, but rather as one of the sources from which New thought drew a great deal. Reading: Emerson's eloquent essays that particularly reflect Science of Mind thinking are Self-Reliance, Spiritual Laws, Compen-sation and The Over-soul. Ernest Holmes was a spiritual seeker. Born in 1887, he was primarily "home schooled" by his mother, who was an ardent reader. In his teens, Ernest began a search for the similarities in all the worlds' religions. He read extensively about all of them. He was deeply moved by the work of Ralph Waldo Emerson Holmes said, "Reading Emerson is like drinking water to me". Thomas Troward was born in the Punjab, India in 1847, educated in England and returned to India to become a Divisional Judge in the Punjab, which is now Pakistan. His chief interest lay in the field of religion. He explored the Indian religions and studied comparative religions. He studied Indian lore and sacred writings as well as Hebrew and other ancient scriptures. He was an ardent student of the Bible and was drawn to Emerson's writings. The concept of reincarnation was a strong influence in his thinking He associated himself with the Higher Thought Centre in England and became a noted leader of British New Thought. Troward was interested in formulating a theory of mental healing. When he was asked to label it, he called it "Mental Science ". Troward began by examining the universe. He saw things that seemed to have a quality of livingness and some which did not. Since the difference was not always sharp he concluded that there are degrees of livingness. Further searching led him to conclude that what makes the difference is intelligence. Reading: Trowards The Dore Lectures contains a logical, intellectual explanation of this rich philosophy. Holmes discovered Troward's work in 1914, two years before Troward died. He said "This is as near to my own thoughts as I shall ever come". He began speaking on Troward's writing to growing groups when he was 25 without realizing his lifetime ministry had begun. He totally absorbed Troward's ideas and deeply linked them with his own thinking. He was one of the main channels through which Troward's ideas reached American circles. Phineas Quimby was an American mental healer whose ideas greatly influenced the New Thought movement, a religious-metaphysical healing group. He originally studied mesmerism and became a practitioner of hypnosis. He claimed that he could heal by mere suggestion. Quimby believed that illness originated in the mind and was created by erroneous beliefs. He taught that when a person opened their mind to God's wisdom, they could conquer any sickness. One of his patients and disciples was Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. When Eddy moved into her own work she denied Quimby had made any contribution to the theory of Christian Science. Emma Curtis Hopkins, more than any other single teacher, influenced New Thought. She was born in Connecticut in 1853. She was educated at Woodstock Academy there and remained for a time as an instructor. In 1882, she went to Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christian Science) because she was ill. She was healed. She then devoted herself to the study and growth of the Christian Science approach. She became a practitioner and served as editor (1884-85) of the Christian Science Journal. Within another year, her independent quest for spiritual truth created an impossible situation between the two religious thinkers and she began to explore other metaphysical writings. In 1886 she left Mrs. Eddy and moved to Chicago where in 1887, she established the Christian Science Theological Seminary, an institution founded to promote teachings similar to those of her mentor. She quickly won a following. She branched out and taught classes in New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, Boston and elsewhere. Among those influenced by these lectures were * Melinda Cramer and Nona Books, co-founders of Divine Science; * Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, who established the Unity School of Christianity. * Harriet Emilie Cady, author of Lessons in Truth; * Annie Rix Militz, founder of The Home of Truth; and * Ernest Holmes, founder of Religious Science. Because her influence was so pervasive in these New Thought organizations Emma Curtis Hopkins came to be called the "Teacher of Teachers." Unity, Divine Science and Religious Science are the three largest organizations within the present-day International New Thought Alliance (INTA). Emma Curtis Hopkins was a genuine mystic. She emphasized this element in all her teachings and writing. She drew upon the Bible, the non-Christian scriptures, and the works of the world's great philosophers and saints in her teaching. Her mysticism was a very potent influence upon Ernest Holmes. She spent time in London, where she had contact with Thomas Troward and other British leaders of the New Thought movement. She eventually ceased using the name Christian Science and began teaching privately. Ernest Holmes studied with Emma Curtis Hopkins in her later years when she was teaching only individuals. He felt she was among the greatest of the mystics. Reading: Hopkins' Scientific Christian Mental Practice is a powerful treatise on mental healing. Who is Ernest Holmes? Ernest Holmes is the founder of the International Religious Science movement which is recognized as one of the leading viewpoints in modern metaphysics. Science of Mind is a spiritual philosophy that easily applies to everyday living while also expanding the student's sense of their relationship to God and their place in the Universe. Known to his family as the "question mark", Ernest Holmes was a passionate seeker of knowledge. He embarked on a path of independent thinking at age 18. He was deeply moved by the work of Ralph Waldo Emerson. He then found Judge Thomas Troward in England who further defined elements of the philosophy that was formulating in his mind. He began teaching Troward everywhere he could. He was also touched by the work of Emma Curtis Hopkins who had begun to influence other great "New Thought" leaders. He wrote Science of Mind which is used as a textbook in Religious Science churches. * Began lecturing on Troward 1916 * Published his first book Creative Mind * Published The Science of Mind 1926 * Established the Institute of Religious Science 1927 * Founded Science of Mind Magazine 1927 * Revised The Science of Mind 1938 * Reorganized the Institute to become the Church of Religious Science 1953 * Dedicated Founder's Church 1960 * Made his transition 1960 * Church became known as United Church of Religious Science 1967 Reading: The Science of Mind, Living Science of Mind, This Thing Called You, This Thing Called Life, What Religious Science Teaches and many more.

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American mothers have served it to children for over 100 years. My husband craves it when he's sick. Or busy at work. In 2012, Campbell's Tomato Soup still ranks as one of the top ten selling dry grocery items in U.S. grocery markets. Truth be known, it's fairly healthy, too, for canned, modern industrial food. No fat, no cholesterol, no fake colors or flavors. Laced with minerals, iron and Vitamin C. An entire can... two servings... is only 270 calories (before requisite grilled cheese sandwich). Campbell's has added a generous dose of high fructose corn syrup (i.e. sugar) to please America's sweet tooth. And all canned soups are inherently very high in sodium (i.e. salt). Clearly, canned soups are second best to homemade in both taste and nutrition. The soup in Campbell's Tomato Soup isn't the health hazard. It's the can. Campbell's Soup Co., now a profit-hungry multinational corporation with $7.7 billion in annual sales, is one of the major food manufacturers to still line its cans with bisphenol-A (BPA), a hormone-disrupting chemical that can leach from can linings into the foods held inside. Per the Harvard University School of Public Health in November 2011: "Exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemical BPA, used in the lining of metal food and beverage cans, has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity in humans... "A new study... has found that a group of volunteers who consumed a serving of canned soup each day for five days had a more than 1,000% increase in urinary bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations compared with when the same individuals consumed fresh soup daily for five days. " 'Previous studies have linked elevated BPA levels with adverse health effects. The next step was to figure out how people are getting exposed to BPA. We’ve known for a while that drinking beverages that have been stored in certain hard plastics can increase the amount of BPA in your body. This study suggests that canned foods may be an even greater concern, especially given their wide use,' said Jenny Carwile, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology..."Brace yourselves, tomato soup fans: the highest levels of BPA are found in tomato-based soups, pastas and canned goods because the natural acidity of tomatoes accelerates erosion of the can lining. Ban Mulled by FDA, Already Banned in Other Countries BPA has been banned by Canada, Japan, Denmark, Turkey, and France. The FDA promised, then failed to rule on BPA by June 2011. Sued by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the FDA is mulling a similar ban, which could be announced as soon as March 31, 2012. My guess is that the FDA, with its entrenched record of favoritism for manufacturers over consumers, will, at best, mandate a very lengthy period to phase-in any ban on BPA in the United States. (Don't believe me? Per the Pulitzer Prize-winning Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "A series of reports in the Journal Sentinel in 2007 and 2008 showed how government regulators relied on two industry-funded studies to claim that the chemical was safe.") Meanwhile, Campbell's, under intense pressure from food activists, finally announced two days ago that "the company... will make the transition as soon as 'feasible alternatives are available.'" Notice that the Campbell's spokesman excluded any mention of a timeline, or a definition of "feasible alternatives." What's a Concerned Tomato Soup Lover to Do? First, stop serving and consuming soups from cans lined with BPA. Do it now for your health and that of your loved ones. Soups simmered from scratch, whether at home or a local eatery, are the healthiest (and yummiest!) alternatives. If freshly made soups aren't possible, buy soups and other goods in glass, pouches, or non-BPA cans. Diligently look for the non-BPA designation on the cans. Brand names with non-BPA lined cans include Eden Foods, Hunts plain tomatoes, some Muir Glen, and many canned products at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. (Read a complete list HERE.) Second, demand responsibility and public-minded behavior from the FDA and U.S. food manufacturers. Complain to the FDA, to Campbell's Soup Co., and to your Congress members and U.S. senators. Complain loudly. Third, click HERE to sign a Campbell's: Stop Endangering Kids' Health! petition at Change.org demanding that "Campbell’s to stop being an industry laggard and start protecting kids’ health. This petition is in support of the Breast Cancer Fund's "Cans not Cancer" campaign. Fourth, boycott all Campbell's products until the company aggressively moves to replace cans lined with known carcinogen BPA with non-BPA cans. Grocery stores carry delicious alternatives to every product offered by Campbell's. And remember... fresh produce and homemade soups are your best-quality alternative. Check back here for updates on Campbell's Soup Co.'s use of BPA-laden cans.

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New Data Demonstrate the Unique Needs of Gay and Transgender Families The largest population-based study ever of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, released last week by Gallup and the Williams Institute, offers insight into why gay* and transgender families are among the most economically insecure in America today—and the answer lies in the demographics. Data from the new study show, for example, that women make up a majority of the gay and transgender population, and people of color are more likely to identify as gay or transgender than whites. Gay and transgender women, and especially women of color, are also more likely to be raising children than their male counterparts. These data suggests that the “typical” gay and transgender family is likely battling sex and race discrimination in addition to the economic barriers unique to gay and transgender Americans. In other words, achieving social equality and economic security for these families cannot be accomplished by achieving only gay and transgender equality. Specifically, the study found that 3.6 percent of women identified themselves as gay or transgender, whereas only 3.3 percent of men did the same. In younger cohorts the difference was much starker, with 8.3 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 29 years old identifying as gay or transgender, compared to 4.6 percent of men in the same age group. Perhaps more surprisingly, 4.6 percent of African Americans and 4 percent of Hispanics reported being gay or transgender, compared to only 3.2 percent of white people. Nearly a third of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women reported that they are currently raising children, compared to only 16 percent of gay and transgender men. Causes of economic instability among gay and transgender Americans Gay and transgender Americans face considerable discrimination in the workplace. Studies have shown that anywhere between 15 percent and 43 percent of gay workers have experienced some form of mistreatment or harassment on the job because of their sexual orientation, and an astounding 90 percent of transgender people report similar experiences. These high levels of workplace discrimination translate into lower salaries, lost wages, and other outcomes that reduce the economic security of gay and transgender workers and their families. Without a federal law explicitly prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, gay and transgender employees are without legal recourse if they are wrongly fired. The Defense of Marriage Act and the subsequent lack of relationship recognition for same-sex couples impose additional financial burdens on gay and transgender families. Spouses cannot file joint tax returns, for example, and this often means they pay higher taxes, compared to married heterosexual couples. In some cases, parents cannot claim tax credits and deductions—including those for child care or education expenses—that are designed to reduce the financial costs associated with raising children. The result is that gay and transgender families can pay thousands of dollars more in taxes than a family led by opposite-sex spouses. It’s unsurprising, then, that children with same-sex parents are twice as likely to live in poverty as children being raised by heterosexual parents. Susceptibility to workplace discrimination and the many impacts of the lack of legal relationship recognition combine to compromise the economic security of gay and transgender Americans and their families. But the specific impact on lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women—especially those who are women of color—can be lost in these broad studies of the gay and transgender population. The reality of being a lesbian, bisexual, or transgender woman At first glance, previously existing data on the economic security of lesbians can be easily misinterpreted, with the notion that gay men have a larger income gap than lesbians, compared to each group’s straight counterparts. We know that gay men earn 10 percent to 32 percent less than straight men, for example. In contrast, lesbian and bisexual women earn the same or even more than heterosexual women. The point that could be missed here is that lesbians still earn less than both gay and heterosexual men, bringing in an average of only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns performing the same work. Being a woman—regardless of sexual orientation—poses a bigger obstacle to pay equity than being gay or transgender. According to Gallup, lesbians and heterosexual women are equally as likely to be raising children. About 32 percent of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women and 32 percent of heterosexual women report having children under the age of 18 in the home. Forty-one percent of gay and transgender women of color reported having children under the age of 18. Gay and transgender men, in contrast, are half as likely to be raising children as heterosexual men and all women. Justice for gay and transgender families extends beyond gay and transgender equality Policymakers can immediately begin to alleviate the economic disparities faced by gay and transgender families. Passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would protect all Americans from workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Repealing the Defense of Marriage Act would allow federal recognition of married same-sex couples, allowing them to access a wide range of programs and policies (the tax credits mentioned earlier, for example) that help strengthen family economic security. In addition, since women are more likely to identify as lesbian, bisexual, or transgender and are twice as likely to have children as gay and transgender men, according to the Gallup poll, eliminating sex-based discrimination in the workplace is a significant step forward for the entire gay and transgender community. Lawmakers can begin by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would prohibit employers from punishing workers who disclose their salaries with other employees. If passed into law, women could more easily identify pay discrepancies and employers could be held responsible for showing that such discrepancies are rooted in genuine business requirements. The law would also allow people of color, no matter what sex or sexual orientation, to hold their employers accountable for similar wage and income discrepancies. Ensuring every gay and transgender family has an equal opportunity to succeed requires comprehensive progressive policy reforms that can help all Americans and cut across the boundaries of race, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The new data from Gallup and the Williams Institute affirm the diversity of gay and transgender Americans. It’s now up to advocates and supportive lawmakers to use these data to fight for policies that are truly inclusive of all Americans. Katie Miller is a Special Assistant with the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress. Jeff Krehely is the Vice President of the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the Center. * In this column, we use “gay” as an umbrella term for people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact: Print: Katie Peters (economy, education, health care, gun-violence prevention) 202.741.6285 or firstname.lastname@example.org Print: Anne Shoup (foreign policy and national security, energy, LGBT issues) 202.481.7146 or email@example.com Print: Crystal Patterson (immigration) 202.478.6350 or firstname.lastname@example.org Print: Madeline Meth (women's issues, poverty, Legal Progress) 202.741.6277 or email@example.com Print: Tanya Arditi (Spanish language and ethnic media) 202.741.6258 or firstname.lastname@example.org TV: Lindsay Hamilton 202.483.2675 or email@example.com Radio: Madeline Meth 202.741.6277 or firstname.lastname@example.org Web: Andrea Peterson 202.481.8119 or email@example.com

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The Kerr effect, also called the quadratic electro-optic effect (QEO effect), is a change in the refractive index of a material in response to an applied electric field. The Kerr effect is distinct from the Pockels effect in that the induced index change is directly proportional to the square of the electric field instead of varying linearly with it. All materials show a Kerr effect, but certain liquids display it more strongly than others. The Kerr effect was discovered in 1875 by John Kerr, a Scottish physicist. Two special cases of the Kerr effect are normally considered, these being the Kerr electro-optic effect, or DC Kerr effect, and the optical Kerr effect, or AC Kerr effect. Kerr electro-optic effect The Kerr electro-optic effect, or DC Kerr effect, is the special case in which a slowly varying external electric field is applied by, for instance, a voltage on electrodes across the sample material. Under this influence, the sample becomes birefringent, with different indices of refraction for light polarized parallel to or perpendicular to the applied field. The difference in index of refraction, Δn, is given by where λ is the wavelength of the light, K is the Kerr constant, and E is the strength of the electric field. This difference in index of refraction causes the material to act like a waveplate when light is incident on it in a direction perpendicular to the electric field. If the material is placed between two "crossed" (perpendicular) linear polarizers, no light will be transmitted when the electric field is turned off, while nearly all of the light will be transmitted for some optimum value of the electric field. Higher values of the Kerr constant allow complete transmission to be achieved with a smaller applied electric field. Some polar liquids, such as nitrotoluene (C7H7NO2) and nitrobenzene (C6H5NO2) exhibit very large Kerr constants. A glass cell filled with one of these liquids is called a Kerr cell. These are frequently used to modulate light, since the Kerr effect responds very quickly to changes in electric field. Light can be modulated with these devices at frequencies as high as 10 GHz. Because the Kerr effect is relatively weak, a typical Kerr cell may require voltages as high as 30 kV to achieve complete transparency. This is in contrast to Pockels cells, which can operate at much lower voltages. Another disadvantage of Kerr cells is that the best available material, nitrobenzene, is poisonous. Some transparent crystals have also been used for Kerr modulation, although they have smaller Kerr constants. In media that lack inversion symmetry, the Kerr effect is generally masked by the much stronger Pockels effect. The Kerr effect is still present, however, and in many cases can be detected independently of Pockels effect contributions. Optical Kerr effect The optical Kerr effect, or AC Kerr effect is the case in which the electric field is due to the light itself. This causes a variation in index of refraction which is proportional to the local irradiance of the light. This refractive index variation is responsible for the nonlinear optical effects of self-focusing, self-phase modulation and modulational instability, and is the basis for Kerr-lens modelocking. This effect only becomes significant with very intense beams such as those from lasers. Magneto-optic Kerr effect The magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE) is the phenomenon that the light reflected from a magnetized material has a slightly rotated plane of polarization. It is similar to the Faraday effect where the plane of polarization of the transmitted light is rotated. DC Kerr effect For a nonlinear material, the electric polarization field P will depend on the electric field E: where ε0 is the vacuum permittivity and χ(n) is the n-th order component of the electric susceptibility of the medium. The ":" symbol represents the scalar product between matrices. We can write that relationship explicitly; the i-th component for the vector P can be expressed as: where . It is often assumed that , i.e. the component parallel to x of the polarization field; and so on. For a linear medium, only the first term of this equation is significant and the polarization varies linearly with the electric field. For materials exhibiting a non-negligible Kerr effect, the third, χ(3) term is significant, with the even-order terms typically dropping out due to inversion symmetry of the Kerr medium. Consider the net electric field E produced by a light wave of frequency ω together with an external electric field E0: where Eω is the vector amplitude of the wave. Combining these two equations produces a complex expression for P. For the DC Kerr effect, we can neglect all except the linear terms and those in : which is similar to the linear relationship between polarization and an electric field of a wave, with an additional non-linear susceptibility term proportional to the square of the amplitude of the external field. For non-symmetric media (e.g. liquids), this induced change of susceptibility produces a change in refractive index in the direction of the electric field: where λ0 is the vacuum wavelength and K is the Kerr constant for the medium. The applied field induces birefringence in the medium in the direction of the field. A Kerr cell with a transverse field can thus act as a switchable wave plate, rotating the plane of polarization of a wave travelling through it. In combination with polarizers, it can be used as a shutter or modulator. AC Kerr effect In the optical or AC Kerr effect, an intense beam of light in a medium can itself provide the modulating electric field, without the need for an external field to be applied. In this case, the electric field is given by: where Eω is the amplitude of the wave as before. Combining this with the equation for the polarization, and taking only linear terms and those in χ(3)|Eω|3: As before, this looks like a linear susceptibility with an additional non-linear term: where n0=(1+χLIN)1/2 is the linear refractive index. Using a Taylor expansion since χNL << n02, this gives an intensity dependent refractive index (IDRI) of: where n2 is the second-order nonlinear refractive index, and I is the intensity of the wave. The refractive index change is thus proportional to the intensity of the light travelling through the medium. The values of n2 are relatively small for most materials, on the order of 10-20 m2 W-1 for typical glasses. Therefore beam intensities (irradiances) on the order of 1 GW cm-2 (such as those produced by lasers) are necessary to produce significant variations in refractive index via the AC Kerr effect. The optical Kerr effect manifests itself temporally as self-phase modulation, a self-induced phase- and frequency-shift of a pulse of light as it travels through a medium. This process, along with dispersion, can produce optical solitons. Spatially, an intense beam of light in a medium will produce a change in the medium's refractive index that mimics the transverse intensity pattern of the beam. For example, a Gaussian beam results in a Gaussian refractive index profile, similar to that of a gradient-index lens. This causes the beam to focus itself, a phenomenon known as self-focusing. As the beam self-focuses, the peak intensity increases which, in turn, causes more self-focusing to occur. The beam is prevented from self-focusing indefinitely by nonlinear effects such as multiphoton ionization, which become important when the intensity becomes very high. As the intensity of the self-focused spot increases beyond a certain value, the medium is ionized by the high local optical field. This lowers the refractive index, defocusing the propagating light beam. Propagation then proceeds in a series of repeated focusing and defocusing steps. See also - Faraday effect - Jeffree cell -- An early acousto-optic modulator - Filament propagation - Rapatronic camera, which used a Kerr cell to take sub-millisecond photographs of nuclear explosions - Weinberger, P. (2008). "John Kerr and his Effects Found in 1877 and 1878". Philosophical Magazine Letters 88 (12): 897–907. Bibcode:2008PMagL..88..897W. doi:10.1080/09500830802526604. - Melnichuk, Mike; Wood, Lowell T. (2010). "Direct Kerr electro-optic effect in noncentrosymmetric materials". Phys. Rev. A 82: 013821. Bibcode:2010PhRvA..82a3821M. doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.82.013821. - Dharmadhikari, A.K., Dharmadhikari, J.A., and Mathur, D. (2009). ``Visualization of multiple focusing-refocusing cycles during filamentation in Barium Fluoride, Applied Physics B, Vol. 94, p. 259. - Kerr cells in early television (Scroll down the page for several early articles on Kerr cells.)

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A form of affirmative action is needed in university admissions to promote a diverse environment reflecting the changing demographic in the workplace across the nation. However, this action needs to take a more holistic approach toward maintaining the quality of diversity at universities through Texas’ Top 10 Percent Plan. This past month, the Supreme Court has been hearing the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case. According to the amicus brief document from the Fifth Circuit, Abigail Fisher and Rachel Michalewicz, who are both white, were denied admission to UT in 2008. The two filed suit under allegations the university had racially discriminated them by violating the Equal Protection Clause. Based on the current makeup of the Supreme Court, it seems likely Fisher and Michalewicz could win. As a result, this could mean affirmative action could be banned at universities. In addition, institutions with an already diverse student body through race-neutral choices will have to avoid implementing any race-conscious admission processes. Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) is the precedent case in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. According to the case brief on the Oyez website, the court held the University of Michigan Law School’s use of race-conscious admissions did not violate the Equal Protection Clause. The decision was due to the school’s narrowly tailored use of race in admissions. But, the Grutter case’s flaw is the aim for “critical mass” of underrepresented minority students. According to the same case brief, Erica Munzel testified “critical mass” meant “a number that encourages underrepresented minority students to participate in the classroom and not feel isolated.” In the Grutter case, that value is more tangible because it was in regard to law school admissions. For undergraduate admissions at a large state university, such as Texas State, that “critical mass” number is much harder to fathom. Even so, the effects of overturning Grutter v. Bollinger would be monumental. It could prematurely put into effect lofty ideals and leave hundreds of already disadvantaged students in a more precarious state. To combat this, an even approach of considering low-income schools and communities in poverty is necessary for admissions. According to a May 1 New Yorker article, the Top 10 Percent Plan automatically admits any Texas students graduating from the top 10 percent of their high school classes to state universities. This plan needs to remain in place to ensure a variety of applicants are considered for admissions. With UT’s close proximity to Texas State, the Supreme Court case likely hits close to home for many students. According to an Oct. 25 University Star article, 254 white, 212 Hispanic, 50 black, 5 Asian and 27 other freshmen students were automatically admitted to Texas State under the plan. According to an Oct. 19, 2011 University Star article, black students composed 7 percent of the campus population last fall. According to a Feb. 8 University Star article, the white and non-Hispanic ethnic group comprised 59.4 percent of the student body. Texas State is classified as a Hispanic Serving Institution. Along with that classification, the Top 10 Percent Plan allows for diversity in automatically admitted students that is relatively proportional to the overall student body race makeup at the university. In a state that has had a past of deeply segregated schools, the Fisher case should demonstrate the Top 10 Percent Plan is needed as a vehicle for opportunity at Texas State and other universities in Texas. —Ravi Venkataraman is a creative writing masters student.

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Making of the Curriculum and Materials Revision,Modernization and Renewal of Curriculum and syllabuses After a lapse of some 23 years it became an imperative for the Board to undertake the task of renewal/revision/modernization of the curriculum and syllabuses introduced as early as in 1981. The need for changes: The change in socio-political and socio-economic condition, rapid advancement of science and technology, changes in the national and international scenario, particularly in the world of education (reference may be made for example, to the Dakar Framework for Action, Delor's Commission etc.) and introduction of English as per recommendations of the Pabitra Sarkar Committee from the second semester of Class II called for renewal and modernization of the existing curriculum and syllabuses. This challenge was meticulously and efficiently met by the Board. Subject Expert groups were formed. Members of each group thoroughly discussed the pros and cons of the existing curriculum and syllabuses and incorporated the necessary changes into it. Suggestions were collected from large number of teachers and experts who participated in the workshops. The Basic Features: In the renewed curriculum and Syllabuses along with the contents, hints on the mode of classroom transaction with emphasis on activity-based and participatory group learning (Peer Learning) have been incorporated into and more about writing textbooks and guidebooks, workbooks particularly for co-scholastic subjects have been given. * Competencies to be attained by the learners from the lessons have been identified and clearly mentioned in the beginning of each lesson of all * Exercises have been elaborately given not only to promote self-learning but also to facilitate the conduct of evaluation - instant (Sub-Unit based), Unit Based, Periodic and summative; sample evaluation sheets have been given to facilitate the mode of implementation. * Exercises have been designed in a way that the competencies identified earlier, have been acquired through teaching learning of the specific * Views and opinions of erudite persons in the field of education and more than one lakh teachers participating in different orientation programmes were also given importance to. * Special emphasis has been given on value education and values that are inherent in the lessons have been identified and mentioned. A separate chapter has been added to incorporate into the basics of value education. But no separate book has been prepared for this purpose. * A separate chapter has also been added to impress upon the clientele, the teachers, the basics of continuous and comprehensive evaluation. * Another separate chapter has been given on the method of teaching-learning and methodology of preparing text books. * With a view to promoting health and environmental consciousness special emphasis has been given in this regard in the curriculum. * Special attention has been paid to imbibe in the curriculum the basic spirit that the four pillars of learning as referred to in the International Commission on Education for the 2151 Century (Delors Commission, UNESCO). Basic educational thoughts of our great thinkers such as Ram Mohan Roy, Vidyasagar, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, Shri Aurobinda and others have also been kept in mind while giving a shape to the curriculum. * The update NCERT curriculum and other reports of different Commissions, Committees etc. were taken into consideration before giving shape to the The renewed curriculum has been be introduced from the current session, i.e., the session of 2004-2005.

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|Costs and Benefits of Government Regulations| Do federal regulations -- the rules enforcing the laws passed by Congress -- cost taxpayers more than they are worth? Answers to that question can be found in a first-ever draft report on the costs and benefits of federal regulations just released by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The report includes benefit-cost information by agency program as well as by agency. A copy of the report can be viewed at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/2003draft_cost-benefit_rpt.pdf. "More detailed information helps consumers make intelligent choices on the products they purchase. By that same token, knowing more about the benefits and costs of federal regulations helps policymakers promote smarter regulations," said Dr. John D. Graham, OIRA Administrator. Benefits far exceed costs The draft report estimates that major federal regulations provide benefits of from $135 billion to $218 billion annually, while costing taxpayers between $38 billion and $44 billion. Federal regulations enforcing the EPA's clean air and water laws accounted for the majority of the regulatory benefits to the public estimated over the last decade. Clean water regulations accounted for benefits of up to $8 billion at a cost of $2.4 to $2.9 billion. Clean air regulations provided up to $163 billion in benefits, while costing taxpayers only about $21 billion. Costs and benefits of some other major federal regulatory programs included: - Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Benefits: $4.7 billion Costs: $2.4 billion - Health & Human Services: Food and Drug Administration Benefits: $2 to $4.5 billion Costs: $482 to $651 million - Labor: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Benefits: $1.8 to $4.2 billion Costs: $1 billion - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSHA) Benefits: $4.3 to $7.6 billion Costs: $2.7 to $5.2 billion - EPA: Clean Air Regulations Benefits: $106 to $163 billion Costs: $18.3 to $20.9 billion - EPA Clean Water Regulations Benefits: $891 million to $8.1 billion Costs: $2.4 to $2.9 billion The 37-page full draft report contains detailed cost and benefit figures on dozens of major federal regulatory programs, as well as the criteria used in making the estimates. OMB recommends agencies consider costs of regulations Also in the report, OMB encourages all federal regulatory agencies to improve their cost-benefit estimation techniques and to carefully consider costs and benefits to taxpayers when creating new rules and regulations. Specifically, OMB calls on regulatory agencies to expand use of cost-effectiveness methods as well as benefit-cost methods in regulatory analysis; to report estimates using several discount rates in regulatory analysis; and to employ formal probability analysis of benefits and costs for rules based on uncertain science that will have more than a $1 billion-dollar impact on the economy. Agencies must prove need for new regulations The report also reminds regulatory agencies they must prove that a need exists for the regulations they create. When creating a new regulation, OMB advises, "Each agency shall identify the problem that it intends to address (including, where applicable, the failures of private markets or public institutions that warrant new agency action) as well as assess the significance of that problem." OMB seeks public comment The draft report also calls for public comment on how federal regulatory agencies are currently assessing and managing emerging risks to human health, safety, and the environment, particularly those risks that are subject to substantial scientific uncertainty. For future homeland security regulations, the report seeks public comment on how agencies and OMB can do a better job of identifying, quantifying, and weighing the consequences of the rules. The draft report is required by the Regulatory Right to Know Act and it will now be subjected to a 60-day public comment period, peer review by academic experts, and a formal process of interagency review. Comments can be emailed to OIRA _ECON _GUIDE@omb.eop.gov or faxed, with the title Comments on Draft Guidelines" identified in the transmittal page, to (202)395 7245. Comments can also be sent via regular mail to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget NEOB, Room 10202,725 17th Street, NW. Washington, DC 20503

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Writers are often thought of as solitary figures. Yet good writers know the importance of connections. Their work is to connect ideas, words and images that will, in turn, connect with readers. Research shows that helping students become good writers requires that schools also make the "write" connections: Teachers and students Sheida White, on analyzing the 1998 NAEP reading assessment, observed a positive relationship between "teachers talking with students about what students were writing and students' writing scores," especially in grades 8 and 12. Reading and writing "Numerous studies have shown that writing led to improved reading achievement, reading led to better writing, and combined instruction led to improvement in both reading and writing," wrote Tierney and Shanahan in the 1991 Handbook of Reading Research. Creative and informational writing Informational texts, as well as stories and poems, can play important roles in children's literacy development. Until recently, however, early literacy instruction tended to focus on fiction and poetry. Most children had little classroom experience with nonfiction texts until after they had learned to read. For example, when Nell Duke of Michigan State University examined 20 first-grade classrooms, she found students spent an average of 3.6 minutes per day engaged with informational texts, and the average was even lower in high-poverty districts. Limited exposure to good models of informational writing may hinder students' ability to produce such writing themselves. Students need experiences in reading and writing in various genres, and they must be taught about the distinct rhetorical elements appropriate to each. Writing and its components Research by Paul Diederich (1974), Donald Murray (1982) and Alan Purves (1992) helped identify six traits that intelligent, educated people notice when they examine student writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions such as correct spelling and grammar. Writer and audience As students receive instruction in how to organize thoughts, develop ideas and revise for clarity, they need opportunities to practice. Writing for authentic purposes for real audiences can motivate students as they learn the components of good writing. Process and product Students in grades 8 and 12 outperformed peers on the 1998 NAEP writing assessment when they "were asked to plan their writing at least once a week or once or twice a month" and when they were asked to write more than one draft. A positive relationship was observed at grades 4, 8 and 12 between student writing scores and students having writing portfolios. Writing and learning The standards movement sparked increased use of writing as a tool for learning and communicating in all disciplines. The National Science Education Standards, for example, direct teachers to use writing as a tool for building scientific understanding. Robert Bangert-Drowns and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of 48 school-based writing-to-learn programs in 2004. They found writing could have a small, positive impact on conventional measures of academic achievement. The use of metacognitive prompts and increased treatment length were associated with enhanced effects. Bangert-Drowns cautions that poorly designed writing activities or assignments that exceed students' developmental abilities may have a negative impact on learning. Writing and technology Amie Goldberg and colleagues performed a meta-analysis of 26 studies conducted between 1992 and 2002, comparing K-12 students writing with computers vs. paper and pencil. They found an increase in the quantity and quality of student writing in classrooms where computers were used.

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As I have already mentioned in the first post on draping, I decided to follow instructions from a great Dutch book Draping: Art and Craftsmanship in Fashion Design. Yet, when I started preparing the toile, I realized that instructions for the one-piece circular skirt were misleading. To understand what was wrong with these instructions I needed to know more about fabric grain and its role in garment construction. So, before I post the blog entry on muslin preparation, let me elaborate on some terminology most of you may already be acquainted with. Grain is the direction of the yarns in a woven fabric Selvage is the narrow woven border at both lengthwise sides of the fabric. Lengthwise (straight) grain is formed by warp yarns, which run parallel to selvage. Warp yarns hold their shape best, that’s why most of the garments are cut on lengthwise grain. Crossgrain is formed by weft yarns; these run perpendicular to selvage. Weft yarns have a greater stretch in comparison to warp yarns. This quality is useful for constructing figure-hugging garments. Little stretch of weft yarns allows for comfort without obstructing the movement. However, if the crossgrain is perpendicular to the floor it will stretch and droop over time, especially on light- to medium-weight fabrics. Bias is an imaginary line that falls at any diagonal angle to the selvage. Cutting on bias adds stretch and elasticity to the garment. If you want a flirtier or sexier garment and are not afraid of revealing your body curves, this is the construction method for you. True bias always falls at 45-degree angle to the selvage. This Draping on Grain Exercise helps understand different grains better: You will see the most difference if you use less stable fabrics, such as silk chiffon or silk charmeuse. Medium-weight fabrics are also interesting to experiment with. 1. Drape fashion fabric over dress form with the lengthwise grain perpendicular to the floor. 2. Now repeat the same with the crossgrain. 3. Finally drape the fabric with the true bias perpendicular to the floor. Do you see any difference? Observe how fabric folds fall. Where do the folds start to form? Does the drape conceal the body shape or reveal it? I take pictures of draping steps from this stage on and until I am finished with draping. This ensures that all stages are documented well and I can easily recreate the garment without having to reinvent the wheel. Finally, I started a journal with swatches of my fabrics where I attach the pictures of draping samples and make notes with ideas. I don’t do it for all fabrics, but only when I feel that I need to explore new ways of handling fabric. For example, I had a nice plaid for a skirt, and I didn’t want to have the stripes align horizontally or vertically – it looked so boring. So, I draped a pencil skirt on true bias, added a circular ruffle at the bottom and finished the hem with contrasting thread. I must admit that construction on bias is a whole new territory for me, so until now I have been using only stable fabrics for bias projects. Nevertheless, I am always trying to find out first if changing the grain line will help me come up with new styles. Part of the fun in sewing is overcoming challenges and constant learning. Now, how this post helps me advance with the circular skirt project? Well, first, it helps me choose the right fabric. As the skirt is draped in a circular manner, it affects its behaviour around your body in different manner. Only the center front is on lengthwise grain; the rest is will hang differently. So, I decided (luckily, it’s winter outside) to go with thicker, more stable fabric – I would rather avoid grain issues at this stage of exploring the basics of draping. Finally, all three different types of grain are clearly marked on muslin (toile), which makes it invaluable learning experience: observing how fabric behaves while you are draping and knowing what affects any changes in fit or drape. To conclude, I must say I started indicating grain lines clearly on all my muslins, even those that I create from patterns – it's very helpful for fitting!

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|Introduction to Stamp Collecting| Stamp Collecting Tools By Jim Watson The principal tools used by stamp collectors are: tongs* (not tweezers), perforation gauges, magnifying glasses, albums, and hinges or other mounting material. A stamp catalogue, a book with detailed information on stamps, is essential to get the most from the hobby. Success in identifying a stamp after searching the catalogue is a particularly rewarding activity, similar to solving a puzzle. It also gives the structure for your collection. The tongs that stamp collectors use are designed to enhance handling stamps. Typical designs are plated nickel silver, brass, or steel, and they are about 5 to 6 inches long with flat, thin tips. There are a variety of choices - rounded, pointed, bent, or spade tips. Each has its supporters but the rounded tip is easier to learn to use. Tongs are held like a scalpel between the thumb and finger tips, and not like a pencil. Practice quickly improves using the tongs. Perforations are one of the characteristics by which stamps are classified. The number of perforations in a 2-cm group defines the characteristic. The stamp is "perf. 10" if there are 10 perforation holes in the 2-cm length. Collectors use a perforation gauge to assess the measurement. This gauge is a flat card made of paper, metal, or plastic that has rows of black dots in graduated scales from perhaps perf. 7 to perf. 17. To use the perforation gauge, the collector holds the stamp in tongs and moves it up and down the scale until a group of dots on the gauge matches the holes on the stamp. Reading the gauge markings provides the perforation count. Magnifying glasses are used to examine stamps to make design details clear and to reveal defects such thin spots and tears. Any magnifying glass works well, as long as the glass has at least a 5-power magnification. This is an item that can be added when needed. A catalogue should be one of the early acquisitions of a serious stamp collector. There are a number of catalogues available. The standard catalogue used in the United States is the Scott Catalogue and is published by the Amos Publishing Company. It is published annually and has a number of volumes covering the world of stamps. A complete set is expensive, so collectors may want to consider buying only the volume(s) that deal with stamps of countries in which they are interested. The catalogue has two principal functions: first, it provides the ordered framework for stamp identification and a numbering system that collectors and dealers can use to exchange data about stamps. Second, it provides a guide to the price of stamps. The catalogues provide an excellent solution to the first objective and a limited answer to the second objective. For this reason, it is possible that your needs for a catalogue can be solved by purchasing a catalogue issued some time ago. Many such catalogues are offered on eBay. They are perfectly useful in building a collection although they do not have the very latest catalogue values and do not illustrate the very latest stamps. Since such values are only a guide, and values do not generally change rapidly, older catalogues can still be useful. New issues can be found in the various stamp journals -- some of which are online. In addition, a catalogue provides information which will expand the philatelic knowledge of both the novice and experienced collector. The introductory material in Scott's Catalogue is particularly useful in this regard. It is highly recommended that all collectors read it. If collectors have access to a good local library, catalogues are often available there or can be obtained through interlibrary loan services. It is well worth the time to at least visit the library and determine whether its resources can meet your needs. You can also see how the catalogues are organized and find out firsthand which one you might need. One caution, however; Scott has rearranged the volumes several times so make sure that the volumes you acquire cover the material in which you are interested. Another solution to the need for a catalogue is to use the price lists of various dealers and the publications of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). These are helpful to U.S. collectors, in particular. There are foreign catalogues available as well. If you are going to limit your collecting interests to Great Britain or its colonies, then a Stanley Gibbons catalogue will be quite useful, since it is the catalogue of choice of such collectors. There are even some limited online catalogues provided by dealers and collector groups. * Words in red are defined in the Glossary section - see link under Outline at right.

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Olympia eye clinic VUE provides patients with comprehensive eye care, annual exams, and treatment for eye disease and genetic eye disorders, such as albinism. Albinism is a genetic condition characterized by the partial or complete lack of pigment in the hair, eyes, and skin. It is found in all races, in mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish, and occurs in 1 in 17,000 Americans. Interestingly, even though albinism is hereditary, there is usually no family history of it. People with albinism often have vision problems and may have very light, red, or purple eyes. Vision problems related to albinism are the result of abnormal development of the retina, and abnormal development of nerve connections between the eye and brain. Most people with this condition have poor vision, sensitivity to light, and nystagmus. Sometimes they have strabismus.

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Charles Lindbergh may have shown human fortitude by flying across the Atlantic in his "Spirit of St. Louis," but now he has robotic company when it comes to transatlantic records. An underwater robotic glider built by Rutgers University students and scientists has achieved the first underwater robot crossing, after traveling beneath the waves for 221 days. Rutgers researchers joined some Spanish colleagues today aboard the "Investigador" ship to recover the drone, after launching it on April 27, 2009 off the coast of New Jersey. The submersible bot made its 4,591-mile journey at the slow but steady pace of 4 centimeters per second. Rutgers University alone has a small underwater fleet of up to seven gliders operating off the coast of New Jersey, with one even cruising around the Antarctic. The U.S. Navy has likewise deployed a number of drone submersibles (not to mention sea mammals), and private companies may also soon send out swarms of underwater explorers for oil prospecting. Looks like Scarlet won't be too lonely the next time she decides to take a dip. Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.

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When frozen food In summer, people prefer to eat fruit, drink beverages removed from the refrigerator, but for some people, especially children with weak digestive function, about half an hour after eating symptoms to appear stomach, may be more severe vomiting, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea leading to acute intestinal spasms. You should know, the temperature in the intestines to facilitate digestion is 36 degrees C, while carrying food from the refrigerator were 2-8 degrees C, when the load on the body strong stomach stimulated by temperature is too low, the blood vessels, reducing blood flow, gastric secretions less ... lead to physiological dysfunction. The simplest way to prevent this disease is no rush just take out food from the refrigerator, should be at room temperature 15-30 degrees C before use and should not eat too much, especially the elderly, young children, people with chronic gastritis, gastrointestinal disorders ... Any food liquid The intense heat of summer makes the body sweat a lot, dehydration, spleen and digestive function deteriorates, so breakfast and dinner instead of rice dishes or indigestible meat, broth or soup is not only solve the heat but also a good way nourish the body. Some good soup for the summer as the lotus soup, green bean soup, black, lotus seed soup ... Appropriate nutritional supplementation - Summer to need more vitamin enhanced, such as eating more fresh fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, melons, peaches, pears ... - Addition of water and inorganic salts. Note potassium supplements or by eating more soy beans, mushrooms. Or as bitter melon, watermelon, peaches, plums, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans ... heat is also very good food. - To add protein, such as fish, lean meats, eggs, milk and beans ... Add a little sour for the summer Slightly acidic foods will help strengthen the digestive functions in the spleen and stomach. Eat plenty of tomatoes, apples have, kiwi ... to quench the thirst of the body. Tags: Kim novak photos | Oprah winfrey show | Al pacino filmography | Brad pitt troy | Peter Facinelli divorce | Henry cavill shirtless | watch conan the barbarian | Dark Shadows | Endangered animals | Toms for kids

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Next: Practical Issues Up: Summary of Variations Previous: Training Criterion One of the main benefits of the recurrent network is that it relaxes the conditional independence assumption for the local observation probabilities. This results in a model which can represent the acoustic context without explicitly modeling phonetic context. This has positive ramifications in terms of the number of required parameters and the complexity of the search procedure. The second main assumption of standard HMMs is that the observation distributions are from the exponential family (e.g., multinomial, Gaussian, etc.) or mixtures of exponential family distributions. The recurrent network, however, makes much fewer assumptions about the form of the acoustic vector distribution. In fact, it is quite straightforward to use real-valued and/or categorical data for the acoustic input. In theory, a Gaussian mixture distribution and a recurrent network can both be considered nonparametric estimators by allowing the size (e.g., number of mixtures or state units, respectively) to increase with additional training data. However, because standard HMMs employ maximum likelihood estimation there is the practical problem of sufficient data to estimate all the parameters. Because the recurrent network shares the state units for all phones, this data requirement is less severe.

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Black Harvester Ants The black harvester ant is one of several species of harvester ants found in the United States. These ants are common from southern California to western Texas. Harvested seeds are their primary food source. These ants will collect seeds or plants until the supply is exhausted, at which point they will begin harvesting another type of seed. The black harvester ant’s antennae consist of 12 segments without a club. Under the head is a row of long hairs, known as the psammophore. The thorax and head contain shallow parallel grooves, with a pair of spines located atop the thorax. Unlike many other pest ant species, black harvester ants do not nest inside human structures. Instead, they seek out areas that are open and clear of vegetation. They build their mounds and cover them with gravel, charcoal, tiny rocks or fragments of dead vegetation. This debris serves as a solar energy trap, controlling nest temperature. Black harvester ant nests are excavated deep within the ground. Black harvester ants can relocate their nest, if necessary, due to climate changes. Swarming black harvester ants are common during the summer. Soon after mating, male ants die and females search out new nesting sites. Colonies of black harvester ants are populous, but contain only one queen. Because they are desert dwellers, black harvester ants do not commonly encounter humans. However, they do sometimes build nests near human dwellings, and black harvester ants sting when disturbed or attacked by predators.

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Lori Piestewa's real lesson I doubt that many of the Hopis thought very highly of her joining the military. The Hopis are probably among the most peaceful people on earth. As far as I know, they have never had a war, not with the U.S., not with Mexico, not even with their warlike neighbors, the Navajos. And yet, the Hopis have probably survived and kept their culture better than any of the other Indian tribes. One of their villages, Oraibi, is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited village in the United States. One is reminded of Jesus’ saying, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” In fact, even the name Hopi means “peace” or “the people of peace.” If a Hopi does something mean or violent, this is said to be cahopi (not Hopi). During World War II, there were at least 12 Hopi young men who refused to be inducted into the military and were sentenced to do time in a federal prison. One can say, “Well, 12 isn’t very many,” but, when one considers that this is out of a population of about 8,000, it’s a pretty high percentage compared to the number of conscientious objectors in the U.S. population. So, why do editors think Lori Piestewa’s story is worth printing? One possible explanation might be that they want to draw our attention to the fact that there are some people who don’t believe in war, and are trying to live by that belief. Personally, I hope so, because another Hopi belief is that some day men will come up with something so dangerous and powerful that they can destroy the earth with it. Some of them believe this thing is the atom bomb, and that the end is not far off. The author was a conscientious objector, and served prison time with a number of Hopi conscientious objectors during World War II.

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From random walks to informed movement Article first published online: 18 OCT 2012 © 2012 The Authors How to Cite Fronhofer, E. A., Hovestadt, T. and Poethke, H.-J. (2012), From random walks to informed movement. Oikos. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.21021.x - Article first published online: 18 OCT 2012 - Paper manuscript accepted 23 August 2012 The analysis of animal movement is a large and continuously growing field of research. Detailed knowledge about movement strategies is of crucial importance for understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics at all scales – from individuals to (meta-)populations. This and the availability of detailed movement and dispersal data motivated Nathan and colleagues to published their much appreciated call to base movement ecology on a more thorough mechanistic basis. So far, most movement models are based on random walks. However, even if a random walk might describe real movement patterns acceptably well, there is no reason to assume that animals move randomly. Therefore, mechanistic models of foraging strategies should be based on information use and memory in order to increase our understanding of the processes that lead to animal movement decisions. We present a mechanistic movement model of an animal with a limited perceptual range and basic information storage capacities. This ‘spatially informed forager’ constructs an internal map of its environment by using perception, memory and learned or evolutionarily acquired assumptions about landscape attributes. We analyse resulting movement patterns and search efficiencies and compare them to area restricted search strategies (ARS) and biased correlated random walks (BCRW) of omniscient individuals. We show that, in spite of their limited perceptual range, spatially informed individuals boost their foraging success and may perform much better than the best ARS. The construction of an internal map and the use of spatial information results in the emergence of a highly correlated walk between patches and a rather systematic search within resource clusters. Furthermore, the resulting movement patterns may include foray search behaviour. Our work highlights the strength of mechanistic modelling approaches and sets the stage for the development of more sophisticated models of memory use for movement decisions and dispersal.

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OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 10, 2010The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested a $4.03 billion budget for FY2011, a 23 percent increase over last year. Prompted by the FDAs vast reach and alarming budget, a new report delves into the organizations history, finding that a series of drug-related crises provided it with the political leverage to amass control over the nations food and drug industries, while showing the FDAs repeated failures to protect the public. Medical Disasters and the Growth of the FDA (February 2010) by Independent Institute Research Fellow Ronald Hamowy investigates the three major health crises that fostered the expansion of the FDA. Hamowy, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Alberta, Canada, highlights the FDAs power plays in the aftermath of each event, every one resulting in constricted protocol for producers and broader authority for government. In 1901, it was discovered that a batch of diphtheria antitoxin contaminated by tetanus resulted in the deaths of thirteen children. Social reformers used the tragedy to push a bill through Congress establishing the Public Health Service, a forerunner of the FDA. Proponents of the bill werent bothered by the fact that, as Hamowy points outs, the provisions of the law would have done nothing to prevent the tragedies. Regardless, the stage had been set for ever-increasing intervention in this market. The next disaster that bolstered the case for nationalized supervision of the food and drug industries was the 164 deaths caused in 1937 by a flavor additive in sulfanilamide, an anti-infective medication. As with the previous disaster, reformers capitalized on the event to link the disaster to the absence of a new food and drug bill. Although the measures then proposed to Congress would have proved inadequate in dealing with the crisis, the bill passed thanks to an FDA campaign that produced literature and two motion pictures fueling public distrust of private medicine and desire for expanded federal authority. The event that solidified the FDAs role as the national authority over food and drug safety was the thalidomide crisis of 1960. Thalidomide, a drug marketed to pregnant women suffering morning sickness, was discovered to be responsible for thousands of miscarriages, stillbirths, and birth defects in Europe, Australia, and Canada. While the manufacturer recalled the product before it was approved in the United States, the FDA illegitimately took credit for intentionally forestalling the drugs distribution. The outcome was new legislation enacting controls on everything from drug names and prices to efficacy claims and pre-market testing. Through each of these crises, the FDA was able to strengthen its hold on pharmaceutical companies and other medical innovators, even though it likely meant that fewer new drugs would be developed. Hamowy stresses that the FDA was consistently ineffective at averting disaster, while local authorities and private companies were immediately responsive to each situation. In spite of this, the FDA still ultimately has the power of life and death over hundreds of thousands of people suffering from fatal illnesses. By tracing the FDAs history of happenstance successes and subsequent power grabs, Medical Disasters and the Growth of the FDA demonstrates that the FDA is not solely interested in serving the public. Hamowy exposes the possibility that it may be too mired in bureaucratic inefficiency and the distractions of politicking to reliably ensure the safety and quality of the products that it has sought to monitor. # # #

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Dung-Dkar (Tibetan: དུང་དཀར་ [tʰúŋkar]) translated from Tibetan is literally “white conch” (Tibetan-English Dharma Dictionary, 2003), and true to its name, it is a trumpet formed from a white conch shell of the species Turbinella pyrum, from the Indian Ocean. (It is also known as the “śaṅkha”, the Sanskrit word for the same shell). It is heavily decorated with ornate patterns in metals such as silver, bronze or tin and is topped with a bright bead, which is said to represent good energy. Throughout Indian history, the conch shell or shankha was a symbol of great power, authority and sovereignty. A conch is one of the Ashtamangala, the eight auspicious objects. Each mythological hero in ancient Indian epics is described as having a great white conch shell, which usually has a name. When the hero sounds his conch (used as a trumpet or more accurately a bugle) it invokes terror in his opposing forces and symbolises the start of a battle. It is this ancient belief that is thought to have influenced the image of the white conch in Tibetan religious music, where the conch is a sacred symbol of peace and good energy. The dung-dkar has been used as an instrument throughout all the recorded history of religious music in Tibet. Before Buddhism was introduced to the region, the Tibetan religion was the shamanistic “Bon”, and in that context the dung-dkar was used to invoke and call the spirits to help grow cattle or food plants and even to banish evil spirits that caused illness and destruction. Nowadays the dung-dkar is mainly found only in Buddhist monasteries and performances, and is very rarely used as a secular instrument. Hornbostel-Sachs classification The Dung-Dkar is an aerophone that produces its sound much like a trumpet, in that vibration is passed on from the player’s lips to the instrument itself. It can be described by the Hornbostel-Sachs classification number 423.111.2. This can be broken down into these sections (Grove Music Online Aerophone: Appendix, 1914): - 4 – Aerophones: the air itself is the vibrator in the primary sense … - 42 – Wind instruments proper: the vibrating air is confined within the instrument itself … - 423 – Trumpets: the airstream passes through the player’s vibrating lips, so gaining intermittent access to the air column which is to be made to vibrate … - 423.1 – Natural trumpets: without extra devices to alter pitch … - 423.11 – Conches: a conch shell serves as trumpet … - 423.111 – End-blown … - 423.111.2 – With mouthpiece … Notation and range The Dung-Dkar can be considered a form of bugle, so is limited to a single harmonic series. There is no real set tuning because the instrument is formed from a primarily naturally-grown object it has many different variables including size, shape and texture. These affect the tone, pitch and playability of the Dung-Dkar (obviously smaller ones play higher notes more naturally and the larger ones play lower notes easier). That being said, the notation for the Dung-Dkar – used only sparsely in certain Buddhist monasteries – is much like the notation used for chants. The notation used for chants contains very little (if any) pitch information and only mainly rhythmic and pronunciation. For this, the notation uses a system of neumes -not unlike some of the earliest music notation of medieval Europe – that contain rhythmic and melodic contour information, rather than actual pitch information. However, the Dung-Dkar plays different pitches only in exceptionally rare circumstances, and is used only for decoration in Tibetan ensembles. Role within music The sound of the Dung-Dkar is a “symbol of the proclamation to the world of Buddhist law” (Grove Music Online, 2006) and is played in pairs in orchestras or to summon the public to certain ceremonies. If the Dung-Dkar is used for summoning, the players will play the instruments from the top of monasteries facing towards each of the four points of the compass in turn. An example of the dung-dkar being used in an ensemble situation is a traditional offering to Buddha, where the instrument is accompanied by the “sil-snyan” (small cymbals) and the “mchod-rnga” (offering drum). The sound of the ensemble is said to make the ghosts panic and Buddha happy. The playing of the dung-dkar is often left to young boys who will later learn how to play other instruments of Tibetan Buddhism. - Anthology of World Music: The Music of Tibetan Buddhism. [Booklet notes by Peter Crossley-Holland.] [CD] Massachusetts: Rounder Select - arts, Central Asian. (2006). Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved April 10, 2006 from http://wwwa.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=82600 - Canzio, R., Dhondup, T., Helffer, M., Henrion-Dourcy, I.., Luzi, L., Pegg, C., et al. Tibetan Music. Grove Music Online. Retrieved 10 April 2006 from http://www.grovemusic.com/ - Ellingson, T. (1979). The Mandala of Sound: Concepts and Sound Structures in Tibetan Ritual Music. Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI - Hornbostel and Sachs (1914). Aerophone: Appendix. Grove Music Online. Retrieved 10 April 2006 from http://www.grovemusic.com - Kumar, N (2004). The Conch Shell. Retrieved 11 April 2006 from http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols/conch.htm - Marcuse, S. (1975). Musical Instruments: A Comprehensive Dictionary. New York: Norton - Miller, R. Music of Tibetan Buddhism. Retrieved 11 April 2006 from http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/r/e/rem219/tibet.html - Music of Tibetan Buddhism. Retrieved 11 April 2006 from http://www.diamondway-teachings.org/content/glossary/music.html - Yeshe, R (2003). Tibetan-English Dharma Dictionary. Retrieved 10 April 2006 from http://www.rangjung.com/ry-dictionary2003/search.htm

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Search Tools: Web | News | Images | Forums Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) Types of EDS There are many types of EDS, but are categorized into nine different types: 1. Classical Types (Types I & II): These types are remarkable due to the hypermobility of certain joints, skin hyperextensibility (laxity) and fragility. In people suffering from classical types of EDS, the smooth and velvety skin is fragile and tears or bruises easily with minor trauma. Joint instability with sprains and strains are common. 2. Hypermobility Type (Type III): In this type, any joint can be affected and dislocations are frequent. Hypermobility is an excess amount of elasticity in joints, or the ability for joints to stretch much farther than normal. 3. Vascular Type (Type IV): In this type, veins are visible through the skin. People suffering from this type have spontaneous rupture of arteries and bowel sometimes leading to death. 4. Kyphoscoliosis Type (Type VI): In this most uncommon type, the patient suffers from severe curvature of the spine (also known as kyphoscoliosis) with increased risk of rupture of medium sized arteries, muscular weakness and the fragile eyes that may be damaged or ruptured easily. 5. Arthrochalsia Type (Type VIIB): Patients suffering from this type of EDS have extreme general hypermobility of the joints and frequent joint dislocations. Patients are often short in height and the skin is hyperextensible (capable of being stretched or extended). There could also be easy scarring due to tissue fragility and kyphoscoliosis (spinal deformity combining sideways curvature and hunching forward of the upper part of the spine).(7) 6. Dermatosparaxis Type (Type VIIC): This is a rare type too with patients exhibiting extremely fragile and sagging skin, loose joints, swollen eyelids, umbilical hernia and bluish tinge to the whites of the eyes. 7. Periodontosis Type (Type VIII): This is a rare inherited type of EDS with differing degrees of hypermobility, inflammation of gums and the bones adjacent to the teeth (periodontitis). 8. Cutis Laxa (Type IX): This is a rare type of EDS with occurrence of chronic diarrhea and hypotension (low blood pressure). The skin and joints are rarely affected and scars are usually evident because healing is poor. There are other variant and rare types of EDS that have been reported indicating that EDS is genetically diverse and heterogeneous disorder (2), (3) & (4). Article by Kona Vishnu, MS OmniMedicalSearch does not provide medical advice and the Medical Conditions & Diseases section is for informational purposes only. Please see our Medical Disclaimer and always consult with your physician. Page Last Modified:

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Causes of Male Pattern Baldness Baldness is basically a state of lacking hair. It is a state of hair thinning and a state of resting hair falling and no new growth of hair. Baldness is mainly seen in adult men, the common pattern of baldness is it starts from the center of the head and then recedes towards the lower part of the head. The pattern of baldness differs in males and females. Females don’t have a receding hairline. Their hair becomes thin and starts falling, where as in men it recedes from the center of the head. It usually takes 15-20 years to get bald while some men get bald in 5 years. There are various causes attributed to baldness: Hypothyroidism can cause outer thinning and balding of eyebrows. Treatment such as chemotherapy can cause some serious hair loss leading to baldness in some cases. One of the main causes of male pattern baldness can be heredity. Families, who have a heredity of baldness, generally pass it down to the lower generations. Aging is also a big factor that causes male pattern baldness. As we age our new growth of hair stops and over a period of time the existing hair falls which leads to baldness. Tumors and skin outgrowths can also cause temporary and localized baldness. One rare cause of male pattern baldness can be stress, anxiety, depression, social phobia etc. but these lead to baldness at a very slow pace. Treatment for Male Pattern Baldness Male pattern baldness can be delayed by a number of measures. As discussed above regarding the causes of baldness. If the baldness is due to ageing or heredity, not much can be done about it. As aging is a natural process so any kind of drugs or medication may just postpone balding but to cure balding totally is very rare. Balding due to local skin infection or scalp infection or some kind of fungal infection or tumors can be cured fully by medication, but as I said earlier it is a slow process and may take months for the hair to grow fully. The hair loss or balding due to temporary chemotherapy or some serious illness can be cured by medication as prescribed by the doctors. The hair usually begins to grow back once the chemotherapy is stopped. For the totally incurable cases, artificially hair transplant and hair weave are good options. These procedures are a little painful and expensive but they cure balding permanently. Natural Remedies for Male Pattern Baldness There are certain natural remedies that could help with curing male pattern baldness: The first and most effective one is the rubbing of the finger nails of both hands against each other. This method is as effective as it is simple. It may be unbelievable to many, but this has been known to miraculously cure male pattern baldness as well as gray hair. Even normal people not suffering from baldness can use this method to prevent and cure hair fall. The procedure has been described in detail on the home page. Many herbal oils are available that claim to grow new hair. While precaution must be taken while trusting these claims, some genuine oils do contain hair restorative properties. They nourish the roots and induce the growth of new hair. Prevention of Male Pattern Baldness There is no permanent cure for male pattern baldness but by preventing hair fall maybe one can prevent balding for some time. To prevent hair loss is entirely up to you. Have regular eating and sleeping habits. Maintain a healthy diet with good vitamin rich nutritious food. In case of hair loss due to a certain medication, consult your doctor and ask him to suggest an alternative. Avoid stress and staying up late. Avoid chemical treatments on your hair. Use a mild shampoo and do not let your conditioner come in contact with your scalp. Do not wear your hair very tight. Maintain a good hair care regimen. Maintain good hygiene of your scalp.

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The megalithic complex of Stonehenge was built in the plain of Salisbury, Great Britain, around 3200 BC, about the same time as the Pyramids in Ejypt were being built. The construction has a circular shape, the diameter of a few tens of meters; is composed of several rings of stones high and narrow, some of which are surmounted by other slabs of stone. In addition, there can be observed several series of holes in the ground, arranged in circular form. It is believed that this complex has been designed by the ancient inhabitants of the region not only as a place of worship but also as a huge calendar, after a patient observation of the heavens to keep track of the passing months, seasons and years. Stonehenge certainly contains many references to the motion of the Sun and the Moon, the number of stones and holes in different rings appear to be related to some astronomical cycle, such as the lunar phases. Moreover, the directions of alignments between the various stones coincide roughly with some points of the sky, corresponding to periodic events such as the rising and setting of the sun at the solstices. For example, the day of the summer solstice, the Sun rises at a point further north than any other day of the year. That day, being in the center of the circle of stones, one can see the sun rise above about a particular stone called “Heel Stone”, which is located along the axis of the construction. The Stonehenge complex that seems to be aligned not random. However, although Stonehenge holds great symbolism of astronomical character, is not yet clear if it was really a place for the study of celestial phenomena, as many scholars, or acted only as a calendar for seasonal occasions, such as sowing and harvesting of wheat. The alignments between the rocks are not very precise, and often scholars have developed theories of “post” to explain the position of the stones. Some would even argue that this complex would serve to predict the occurrence of eclipses. Once known the length of the year and month, easily determined, would be necessarperò know the frequency of motion of the nodes of the orbit lunar eclipse occurs only when the Sun and Moon are in the vicinity of a node. It is unlikely that the ancient inhabitants of the place had such advanced knowledge. In any case, the eclipses were for the ancient people of the place a very important event, perhaps a harbinger of doom as in many other nations of the past.

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Borondir Udalraph of Gondor and five other messengers rode north along Anduin to seek out Gondor's old allies, the Éothéod, when Gondor was being overrun by Easterlings, in TA 2509. Borondir was the only survivor, and presented the Red Arrow to the Éothéod King Eorl the Young. It is also sometimes stated that Borondir, descended from the Northmen of Rhovanion who entered Gondor in the noontide of that realm, was an excellent horseman who died in the charge of the Éothéod on the Field of Celebrant. The name Borondir means "Steadfast Man" (boron: "steadfast, eduring", dir: "man"). His surname "Udalraph" means "the stirrupless", it refers to his qualities as a rider because he didn't need stirrups, whilst a normal Gondorian rider did.

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Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter This post is part of Ada Lovelace Day, which is a worldwide effort to get as many people as possible to blog about a heroine of science or technology. Ada was a mathematician who lived in the 1800′s who created the first computer program. Yep — you read correctly — a computer in the 1800′s. It was actually a device called an analytical engine, which was an important step in the history of computers. You can read more about Ada and Ada Lovelace Day here. The person I chose to write about is a goddess of both science AND technology. She is a biochemist and an astronaut. She was the first science officer on board the International Space Station and later become the first female commander of the ISS. She helped get some of the initial science programs going on the on the space station, and as commander oversaw a period of one of the biggest expansions for the station, coordinating the additions of European and Japanese laboratory modules. Her name is …. Dr. Peggy Whitson Perhaps I have always been drawn to Whitson because she grew up in a rural, agricultural environment, as I did. But I have always found Whitson to be endearing because of her easygoing and friendly personality. But yet, she must be almost a “slave-driver” and perfectionist when it comes to her work. During her expeditions on the ISS, Whitson earned a reputation for high achievement, which prompted mission planners to assign the crew extra work every day. NASA called it “The Peggy Factor.” “We account for the fact that Peggy is going to do things more efficiently, and that she likes to work some on her time off, and so she’ll accomplish more,” said NASA deputy station project manager Kirk Shireman. First some the details about Whitson: she graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1981, and received her doctorate in biochemistry from Rice University in 1985. She worked as a Welch Postdoctoral Fellow before joining NASA in 1986. From 1989 to 1993, Whitson was a research biochemist for NASA. During that time, she also served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Texas and Rice University. In 1995, she became co-chair of a combined American and Russian working group, and a year later she was named an astronaut candidate. Whitson flew her first space mission in 2002 as a flight engineer to the International Space Station as part of the Expedition 5 crew. While there, then NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe gave her the title of first NASA Science Officer. Of course, she took some ribbing about being like “Spock,” the science officer on the original Star Trek, but she came to enjoy using the phrase “Live Long and Prosper.” During that mission she performed 21 experiments in human life science, microgravity sciences and commercial payloads. During her second stint on the station, Expedition-16 in 2007-2008, she was named the commander. I could go on about her accomplishments, but perhaps even better would be to let Whitson herself tell about her experiences in space. During her stays on the ISS, she wrote “letters home” to family and friends, answering questions and sharing details of her days in space. Here’s what she had to say about doing science on the ISS: I set up the first experiment inside the microgravity sciences glovebox this week. Tomorrow, I will do the powered checkouts of the glovebox and the next day start up the experiment. It is ssssoooo cool, getting to do science in space!!! This week we are also doing the urine collections for the renal stone investigation…and while I suspect this won’t be especially fun to collect the samples, I do think it’s one of the best experiments (I am biased, of course, since it is my experiment!). In reading her letters, I found it interesting that she did amateur astronomy while on board the space station!: One evening, I had dimmed the lights inside the module so that I could better watch the Earth/stars. I watched the sun set as we moved into the shadow of the Earth. I was pleasantly surprised a few min later to see a half-moon rise into view from behind the Earth. As the stars started popping into view, I was surprised again, as I saw a satellite pass by above us, looking so much like one of the other stars, but moving across the field of “constant” stars. I had never thought about the fact that I could, as one of those satellites, actually see another! And then I saw a second! Amazing. Whitson has conducted six spacewalks. Here’s how she described her first one: My first look, as I poked my head out the hatch, was amazing! I previously compared the view of being in space to having lived in semidarkness for several years and having someone turn on the lights. Well, the view from my helmet, continuing the same analogy, would be like going outside on a sunny, clear day after having lived in semidarkness for years! If it gets better than this, I’m not sure my mind would be able to comprehend it! And in this letter home, she waxes poetically about seeing Earth from space. She also talks about how people on Earth can watch for the ISS in the night sky, which is something that I love to do, and so it was interesting to read her perspective on that as well: Although all the views of our planet are incredible and varied from our viewpoint up here on the Station, with the colors, textures, and lighting changing as we orbit…the most impressive view is the curve of the planet at the horizon. That curve is the special place where it is possible to see the layers of atmosphere extend beyond the surface to meet with the blackness of space beyond. Relative to the size of the Earth, it seems impossibly thin, less than a finger-width. The atmosphere carries all the shades of blue in that thin band, closest to the planet a glowing blue, like sunlit water over white sand, extending to the deepest blue-purple mixture that holds the blackness at bay. As the night-side of the planet slips by beneath me, it carries on the fringes of darkness the colors of a sunset on the clouds below. The Station is still lit by the sun, despite the fact that we have already crossed the terminator between day and night below us. This is the timeframe when Station is most visible to folks on the ground, just before their dawn or after their dusk. A small bit of sunlight reflected off of our structure, illuminates us moving across their darkened sky. As the terminator approaches the horizon, the sun shows a blinding face that burns the atmosphere with molten reds and oranges before seemingly melting itself into the darkness, leaving a royal blue line that dissipates more slowly as the stars come out from hiding. Less than an hour passes before our path around the planet brings us back to the royal blue curve, signaling sunrise, as the process reverses itself. I am sure that after I return, I will again miss watching the curve of the Earth. You can read more of Whitson’s letters home here. Whitson’s ride home from space after Expedition 16 was more dramatic than expected. A malfunction made the Soyuz enter Earth’s atmosphere at a steeper angle than normal and the crew experienced “ballistic” descent at eight times the force of Earth-normal gravity. But, thankfully, everything turned out OK. Whitson is currently chief of NASA’s astronaut office at Johnson Space Center.

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Gender and Racial Differences in Teens' Attitudes about Sexuality: A Data-Driven Learning Guide Goal & Concept The goal of this exercise is to explore gender and racial differences in adolescents' beliefs and attitudes about sexuality and pregnancy. Crosstabulation and comparison of means will be used. Adolescent sexuality has given rise to lively discussions over the years as researchers have brought attention to the risks associated with early or unsafe sexual activity. Studies show that early onset of sexual activity has been linked to greater numbers of sexual partners and higher rates of unprotected intercourse, STDs, unplanned pregnancy, and depression. The factors that influence adolescent sexual activity are as diverse as pubertal timing, peer pressure, parents' involvement in their children's lives, or adolescents' perceptions about sexuality and pregnancy. Studies have shown that adolescents' beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes toward sexuality are of particular importance in their decision to engage (or not) in sexual activity and may in fact be a more significant factor in the onset of sexual activity than parental attitudes or religiosity, for example. In this exercise we will explore whether there is a relationship between gender or race and adolescents' attitudes toward sexuality and pregnancy. Examples of research questions about [concept]: - How do biological, social, cultural, and environmental factors influence adolescents' sexual beliefs? - Do teen males and females differ in their perception of sexuality, and if so, how do their perceptions affect the choices they make? - Do racial/ethnic groups have different attitudes about sexuality? - Are teenagers who have a more positive attitude about sexuality more likely to engage in (unsafe) sexual behavior? - How do parental attitudes about sexuality influence teens' attitudes and behaviors? CITATION: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. Gender and Racial Differences in Teens' Attitudes about Sexuality. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2011-06-30. Doi:10.3886/teensexattitudes This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

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See more from this Session: General Crop Physiology & Metabolism: II Tuesday, October 18, 2011 Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Hall C, Street Level Roots play important roles in crop adaptation to water stress but the root traits responsible for the adaptation have not been clearly identified. This paper aims to review recent progress in our research on functional roles of the important root traits. We have been paying special attention to drought as well as soil moisture fluctuation between wet and dry as prevailing water stress, and the ability of the plant to change its development, as environmental conditions change, which is known as phenotypic plasticity. We already showed that some QTL are responsible for root plasticity, and root osmotic adjustment is one of the physiological bases for the plasticity. Then we have conducted a series of experiments to evaluate the functional roles of root plasticity by using various accessions/populations such as OryzaSNP germplasm set, chromosome segment substitution lines derived from Nipponbare and Kasalath cross, IR 64 NILs and a few promising genotypes including NERICA (New Rice for Africa that is an interspecific cross between Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) lines. We have been using rootbox-pinboard method, slant tube method, experimental bed installed with line source sprinkler system that can create gradient in drought stress intensities, and sloping bed that can create increasing rooting depths under field conditions for phenotyping root traits. These results consistently showed that in addition of deep roots, the plastic development of root system was a key trait for plant adaptation to water stress and was expressed as an integration of rooting from tillers and their branching, with root plasticity triggered by water stress. We quantitatively showed the contributions of root plasticity to dry matter production through enhanced water uptake under water stress. Genotyping is now in progress by using some of the populations to determine the functions of genes responsible for the plasticity.

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By Bruce Auchly FWP Region 4 Information Officer As the calendar turns to March, nearly everyone it seems wants to leave winter and move into spring. There are exceptions, people who do not want winter to end just yet. Folks like hardcore ice anglers, skiers and those who make a living plowing snow. But most of us are ready for a change. Throughout the rest of the country (read: everywhere south of Montana) signs of spring are sprouting, from sales at local garden centers to newspaper headlines and blog sites telling you how to perk up your home for spring. What’s your first sign of spring? If it’s the first gopher, they are out and about already. Several people have reported seeing them scampering in late February. Richardson’s ground squirrels, a.k.a. gophers, form a solid foundation in the food chain, eating mostly plants and serving as a prey base for carnivores. Gophers feed primarily on a variety of native plants, like pigweed and blue grama. They can also become a pest in agricultural areas, eating grass and alfalfa. They spend half of the year, or more, hibernating. Starting in mid to late summer, the small rodents disappear into their underground lairs and sleep. The early appearing gophers are usually males. Females emerge mid-March to mid-April just in time for breeding season. And just in time for migrating raptors that eat gophers. A friend once told me if it’s March it’s time to drive the back roads and watch for hawks perched on fence posts and eagles soaring over head, waiting for a gopher to pop up from underground. As for other birds in the spring, March is the time when early migrants, such as western meadowlarks, make their first appearance. Our state bird, the western meadowlark, has a distinct warbling song that it seems proud to show off even in the face of a March snowstorm. In the homestead era, the meadowlark’s song – a gushing of notes like water pouring from a bucket – signaled for prairie dwellers the end was near of another long, dark winter. For antler hunters, March is when mature bull elk drop their headgear and immediately start growing a new rack. Bull elk take up to five months to grow a set of antlers. Since antlers usually stop growing by late August, big bulls must drop their antlers in March and start regrowth within a week or two. March for anglers may mean heading to a reservoir to catch rainbow trout cruising shorelines that are looking for a place to spawn. The fish are searching for suitable gravel to deposit their eggs and milt, creating the next generation. However, those eggs need oxygen typically provided by running water, like that found in a stream. As a result not many reservoir rainbows spawn successfully, which is why Montana’s reservoirs are stocked regularly. Birds, mammals and fish all signal the coming of spring this month. Take time to notice.

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Some Basic Information About These Holy Days Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are several of the holiest days on the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashana takes place on the first two days of the year, and Yom Kippur takes place on the tenth day of Tishrei, the first month of the year. Every person and creature's actions, merits and sins, are reviewed and weighed in the Heavenly court. On Rosh Hashana, the verdicts are written, and on Yom Kippur, our fates are sealed for the year. How many will pass away, how many will be born, who will live and who will die, who by fire, who by plague, who by wild animal... Apples and Honey Photo Credit: slgckgc on Flickr On Yom Kippur, it is forbidden to wear leather shoes. People generally wear other footwear, that is not made of leather, such as crocs or slippers. On Rosh Hashana, people generally wear nice shoes. On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we try to wear white or light-colored clothing. We avoid wearing gold and silver jewelry, because we want to stay away from reminders of the Sin of the Golden Calf. Many people do wear dark-colored clothing, however it is better to wear white, if you have. The white clothing symbolizes purity and lack of blemish. We pray that even if our sins are red as scarlet, they should be whitened like snow. A white cloth Kittel, similar to a robe, is traditionally worn by men on Yom Kippur. Men try to wear it throughout Yom Kippur, especially during prayers. It is usually worn over a white, collared, button-down shirt and dark pants. A belt is tied around the waist, to separate the upper half of the body from the lower half. The kittel can have special embroidery or designs. Men often purchase or receive a kittel as a gift prior to their wedding. It is sometimes worn at the wedding, which is considered a day like Yom Kippur for the bride and groom. Married men typically wear a white kittel twice a year- on Yom Kippur and on Pesach, the holiday of Passover. The following item is currently NOT available on Amazon, and is only being shown here for illustrative purposes. On Yom Kippur, it is forbidden to eat or drink. The exception is for elderly, very young children, and certain people that are ill. However, most people are prohibited from eating and drinking on Yom Kippur. For those that are permitted to eat or drink, there may be specific guidelines regarding how much and how often to eat and drink- a sick person should contact their local Orthodox Rabbi for details. On Rosh Hashanah, there are festive meals eaten each day and each evening. The family sits around the table, and the meal is started with wine/grape juice, and challah. For Rosh Hashana until after Sukkos, the Challah eaten is specially made differently than all year round. Typically, on Shabbos, we eat Challah that is prepared in a long braid. However, for the new year, the challah is made in a round shape, to symbolize the cycle of life. The challah is often made with sweet additions, such as raisins in the dough. The challah is dipped in honey, instead of, or in addition to, dipping it into salt, which is usually done during the rest of the year. We then eat special foods at the Rosh Hashanah meal, which symbolize our hopes for the new year. Some of these special Rosh Hashana "Simanim" are Apples Dipped in Honey, Figs, Dates, Pomegranate with the seeds, the head of a fish or lamb, leek, beets, cabbage, and a new fruit that we have not yet eaten that year. Prior to eating each of these "Simanim", we recite a prayer specific to that dish. For the apples in honey, we say, (loosely translated), "May it be Your will to renew upon us a year that is good and sweet". The sweetness is symbolized by the apple in the honey. For more on the symbolic foods and the prayers on each of them, see this article: http://www.kashrut.com/articles/simanim/ Please note: if you are an observant Jew, refer to this article before the holiday. It is forbidden to use the computer on the actual holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur, we keep all of the work prohibitions of Shabbos, plus five more prohibitions that are specific to Yom Kippur (written here in random order): - no eating & no drinking, - no leather shoes, - no anointing oneself with lotions or perfumes, - no marital relations - no washing for pleasure On Rosh Hashanah, we must follow all prohibitions of a typical Jewish holiday. These are the same prohibitions as Shabbos, with the exception that on Rosh Hashanah and most holidays, we can carry items and perform duties necessary to cook foods in a certain manner, but only if it is needed for that day. This article is a work in progress. It is meant to give over general information, however, it is not meant to be a complete manual. Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur can not possibly be fully described in one article. There are many holy books regarding these holy days. If you are Jewish and are looking for more information regarding observance of these holy days, I would recommend that you proceed to the following site in your quest for information: If you are not Jewish, there is no need to observe these holidays. The Jewish people are not missionaries, and do NOT attempt to convert anyone that is not Jewish. According to Jewish tradition, non-Jews are only required to follow the Seven Noahide Laws. All people on Earth are descended from Noah. A righteous Non-Jew that follows the Seven Laws of Noah will earn a good place in Heaven.

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Henrietta Lacks’ “immortal” cells were the first immortal human cells ever grown in culture. They played a vital role in developing the polio vaccine. They went up in the first space missions to see what would happen to cells in zero gravity. Her cells have been used in cloning, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization. Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. The story of the Lacks family — past and present — is inextricably connected to the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of. These themes struck a chord with me. Not only were they representative of Memento Mori but they also introduced a different way of living on after death.

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College of Forest Resources University of Washington, Seattle Campus Creating Content and CommunityIt all started with a digital camera. Dr. Brubaker borrowed one from the CTLT and collected an archive of images related to material in her undergraduate courses: "Trees in our Environment" and "Dendrology." She then created a course Web site to house her collection which took the form of an online field guide (see 'Species Lists'), tailored to her course and available to students 24 hours a day. Dr. Brubaker also uses her course Web site to post static information including course requirements, project descriptions, grading policies and due dates. The reality is, however, that even this information is not static in a course. Due dates change, projects may be modified and grading policies altered to reflect special conditions of the course. The course Web site is a great place to make these changes available in a more concrete form than in-class announcements. Connecting the Web with Class TimeSeeing the potential of this space for her students, Dr. Brubaker has extended her Web site in creative ways to develop community. A large group photo of the class is the first image you'll see as her "Trees in Our Environment" course page downloads. The photo helps Brubaker and her students in the class put names with faces. The Dendrology and Autecology ESC 221 course also affords several field trips over the quarter. Brubaker believes that including photographs of the field trip helps to 'jog students' memories' once they return so they can use the experience more effectively afterward. Reaching Every StudentDr. Brubaker also encourages the use of email as a way to keep in touch with her students, especially the quiet ones: "At a big university the shy students are marginalized. You get a lot of emails from students who clearly would not have been brave enough to ask in class." Brubaker consulted her colleagues frequently for general computer inquiries as she built up her course site. "You can ask your friends dumb questions and have the synergy of minds working together; that's why gangs are so effective." Although enthusiastic about the use of technology in her courses, Dr. Brubaker is the first to acknowledge it as a supplement to face-to-face interaction. "The World Wide Web allows you to [disseminate information] effectively, but it can never be a substitute for hands-on." by Holly Jamesen, February, 1999

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Recently in Terminology Category Geoff Brumfiel of Nature's The Great Beyond blog provides a series of useful primer posts on radiation numbers (see here and here, for example). The convention is to gauge radiation levels in sieverts—or really, millisieverts (mSv) or microsieverts (microSv). Most in the health professions are familiar with quantifying radiation exposure (typically from X-rays) in units of gray (Gy), which can be equivalent in a 1:1 fashion with sievert; although the latter unit importantly considers the type of radiation and the type of tissue (eg, brain, abdomen, etc) exposed. The most important caveat, however, when considering radiation exposure from a potential environmental disaster is, not only the radiation level, but the time exposed to that level. According to TGB blog, radiation levels in Tokyo on the afternoon of March 15 were 0.144 microSv per hour—an elevated, but still tiny, level. By comparison, yesterday's level at the Fukushima nuclear plant gate was 10 mSv per hour (or 10,000 microSv per hour); although there was a transient spike to 400 mSv per hour on Tuesday (March 15). Brumfiel writes that the cancer risk begins to increase at a threshold of 100 mSv per year. According to various other sources, symptoms of acute radiation sickness (eg, nausea, vomiting) may begin with levels as low as 500 mSv and are almost certain when levels exceed 2000 mSv (or 2 Sv). According to one Danish study, a chest CT provides a one-time exposure of 6-18 mSv.* A mammogram poses a 3-mSv risk. Other routine background exposures (like those from transcontinental flights or dental radiographs) are provided by Reuters and, of course, Wikipedia.** * For a rough comparison, the estimated exposure from an abdominal CT is 14 milligray (mGy). ** Unfortunately Wikipedia articles are not consistent in their use of sievert (vs Gy) when describing radiation risks. 03/18/11 update: Today's TGB blog posts an animated map of the recent-past, current, and near-future radioactive fallout from Fukushima, courtesy of Austria's weather service. The wind-directed exposure ranges from 100 mSv per hour (in a transient magenta focus at the plant) to the negligible 100 nanoSv per hour (in a diffuse purple trail, over the Pacific). The model suggests that Tokyo will suffer the greatest exposure (but still at microSv levels), due to changes in wind direction, on March 20. 03/21/11 update: A revision of the animated fallout map from Austria's weather service is at yesterday's TGB blog. The bulk of the fallout, in purple, represents 0.3 microSv per hour—"which corresponds to the amount of the natural background radiation dose." In addition, Forbes's Matthew Herper put the risks of Fukushima's radiation in much-needed perspective. An expert panel of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), the flagship organization of US neurologists, confirms the 1995 criteria for establishing brain death and has little to add on the basis of the interim literature. The panel's assessment is available in the latest issue of Neurology. Among the findings: - There have been no published reports of neurologic recovery once brain death has been diagnosed by using the 1995 criteria. - There is insufficient evidence to define a minimal observation period for diagnosing brain death, once brain function has ceased. - Complex, spontaneous movements, like facial myokymia, and ventilator triggering can be seen in brain death. - The various tests for determining apnea have not been compared—so one test has not been shown to be preferable. - Data supporting the use of newer ancillary tests, like MR angiography, to confirm brain death are not sufficiently compelling. The steps to determining brain death include the prerequisites (eg, excluding the use of CNS depressants and neuromuscular blockers, establishing a normal core body temperature and blood pressure), the clinical evaluation (eg, documenting a lack of responsiveness, assessing brainstem reflexes, performing an apnea test), and ancillary tests (eg, performing an EEG or imaging study). A useful appendix checklist is provided in the article. In addition, the AAN web site provides a Q&A with one of the panel members, Eelco Wijdicks of the Mayo Clinic, regarding the reassessment of brain-death criteria. In addition to discussing clinical and other parameters, Dr. Wijdicks provides all-important guidance for communicating the diagnosis of brain death to the victim's family. (In my experience, a particularly difficult concept for many family members to understand is the idea that brain death equals death, both functionally and legally. Conveying this information firmly and compassionately can be a challenge.) After the diagnosis of brain death is made, the attending physician should meet with the family, accompanied by nursing staff and, often, hospital clergy. Considerable time for conversation and a quiet place to sit are needed. The family members are told that their loved one has passed on and that the medical staff deeply regrets the loss. The family members will have ample time to say their good-byes. The medical staff will be available for support. The family, however, will have to make a decision about possible organ donation and is invited to speak with an organ donation agency. The medical staff is keeping the rest of the organs working with medication and the mechanical ventilator, and if there is no wish for organ donation, the staff will stop the ventilator and other treatments. Your government at work. Yesterday the FDA announced generic (or nonproprietary) name changes for 2 approved versions of injectable botulinum toxin.* Botox (Allergan), formerly botulinum toxin type A, is now onabotulinumtoxinA; and Myobloc (Solstice Neurosciences), formerly botulinum toxin type B, is now rimabotulinumtoxinB. The generic name for the most recently approved version, Dysport (Tercica), remains abobotulinumtoxinA. The names were changed to emphasize the different potencies of the products—the unit dosages of which are not interchangeable. In the United States, nonproprietary names for drugs are assigned by the US Adopted Names (USAN) Council, a long-time collaboration among the American Medical Association, the US Pharmacopeial Convention, the American Pharmacists Association, and the FDA. The USAN Council works closely with the International Nonproprietary Names Programme of the World Health Organization to provide standardized and consistent drug names for worldwide use. According to WHO, nonproprietary names "have to be distinctive in sound and spelling, and should not be liable to confusion with other names in common use"—an explanation which clarifies the unwieldy length of some generic drug names and their near unprounounceability. Pharmacologically related drugs should also share a common stem, which explains why all generic names for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) end with the -mab suffix (eg, rituximab, belimumab). For botulinum toxin products, the names are evidently distinguished by a short prefix (ie, ona-, rima-, and abo-) and the tail designator of "A" or "B," which denotes the toxin type. Clearly pharmaceutical marketers take advantage of cumbersome generic names by assigning catchier and easier-to-pronounce trade names. For instance, who's going to say, "Hand me the syringe of onabotulinumtoxinA"? * The FDA also announced that the labels of botulinum toxin drugs would now carry a boxed warning, describing the potential spread of the toxin and the attendant, possibly life-threatening effects. The president of the American Medical Writers Association (to which I belong) has written to its members (below) regarding the practice of medical ghostwriting, and AMWA's response to the NYT article about Merck's use of guest authoring and ghostwriting has been printed. I agree with AMWA's assessment. Hello, AMWA colleagues, As many of you have been discussing, the articles in this week's JAMA about alleged misuse of medical writing resources by Merck in publications about Vioxx garnered a lot of press coverage. As is often the case, the JAMA articles and the associated press coverage tend to blur the distinction between "guest authorship" (putting an author's name on an article he/she did not help to write) and the unacknowledged use of medical writers (ghostwriting, a term AMWA tries to avoid). A number of people have asked whether AMWA should do something. Several of us saw this as an opportunity to assert AMWA's leadership in promoting ethical practices in medical writing. Accordingly, we have submitted letters to the editors of the NY Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Chronicle of Higher Education, all of which carried stories about the JAMA articles. All letters are signed by me as AMWA president. Key points in all the letters: - While ghostwriting (the undisclosed contribution of a medical writer) is unethical in scientific publications, the use of professional medical writers may be appropriate and ethical. - Using their skills in communicating complex data, professional writers help researchers report their findings effectively, making contributions comparable to those of professional statisticians who analyze data or artists who create illustrations. - The 5500-member American Medical Writers Association promotes ethical practices in scientific publication, including acknowledgment of medical writers' roles, adherence to applicable guidelines (eg, authorship rules of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors), and full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, including financial support. - Transparent disclosure of the roles of all contributors avoids ghostwriting and allows readers to evaluate the credibility of research reports. We're also drafting a response to JAMA. We'll keep you posted to let you know if these letters are published. In addition, Lori Alexander will include an editorial in the summer issue of the [AMWA] Journal, bringing these issues to members' attention. A recent New York Times article draws attention to an ill-considered problem of using medical eponyms. Beside the fact that these names—like Parkinson of Parkinson's disease—do nothing to illustrate the nature of a disease, they may honor a physician of dubious or even reprehensible character. Such is the case with Friedrich Wegener, the German pathologist who, in the 1930s, described an uncommon systemic vasculitis, now referred to as Wegener's granulomatosis. In 2006, Alexander Woywodt and Eric Matteson published their investigation of Wegener's Nazi background in the journal Rheumatology, arguing that the German doctor's voluntary association with the National Socialist German Workers Party and his related activities as physician should preclude the use of his name—in more or less tributary fashion—to describe the disease. According to their research of publicly available documents throughout During that year, Wegener was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the SA medical corps and began working in 1939 as a military pathologist in Łódź, In files concerning the German regional government of Woywodt and Matteson acknowledge that their investigation did not reveal Wegener’s unequivocal involvement in war crimes; however, his behavior was clearly in sympathy with, if not direct support of, Nazism. In a related editorial, they recommend that the use of eponyms in medical literature be dropped altogether on the basis of a number of compelling arguments. They summarize, Eponyms often provide a less than truthful account of how diseases were discovered and reflect influence, politics, language, habit, or even sheer luck rather than scientific achievement. Moreover, the continued use of tainted eponyms is inappropriate…. I would add that the use of eponyms promotes an unhealthy throwback to the adulation and narcissism of the individual physician—particularly the physician of academia. The investigation of Wegener prompts the renewed consideration of other physicians' histories, and not just those practicing within the European theater during World War 2. Case in point is

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In the year 1767, Sarah Frazier of Dorchester deeded to her eleven year old son a tract of land in that county known as Willenborough. Three years before, upon the death of his father, Alexander Frazier, the boy had inherited the home plantation with other tracts of land lying between Skillington's and Edmondson' creeks, fronting the Choptank river. With the formation of Caroline this land (about 1400 acres in all) was included in the new county and became known as Frazier's Neck. The house upon the home plantation is still standing and its splendid structure carries out the tradition hat it is one of eight similar dwellings built on the Eastern Shore about seventeen hundred and fifty. Its splendid furniture was made in London and until a generation ago many of the original pieces remained in the house. Of William Frazier's life we know little, but in March, 1776, when he was commissioned 3rd Lieutenant of the 4th Independent Company of Maryland. In December of the same year he became 1st Lieutenant in Captain Dean's company of the 5th Regiment of the Maryland Flying Camp. Later he was promoted to a captaincy in the militia. In March 1783 he became a Justice of Caroline County Court, but William Frazier's prominence in Caroline's affairs came neither through his military or judicial career. He was a devoted follower of John Wesley and as such was largely responsible for the organization of Methodist societies in the lower part of the county. In his home at Frazier's Flats, the front room on the upper floor was used as a meeting place and is known today as the "Church Room." An outgrowth of this was Frazier's Chapel, supposedly located on the present site of Preston, which later became Bethesda congregation and is now Preston Methodist Episcopal Church. To Frazier's hospitable home came Jesse Lee, the Methodist circuit rider, and later Francis Asbury on his annual trips from Massachusetts to Georgia rejoiced in the rest and companionship found there. In the latter's journal we find repeatedly such noted as these: May, 1801 - We had a long ride (from Cambridge) to William Frazier's through dust and excessive heat. It was hard to leave loving souls, so we terried until morning. April, 1805 - We came to brother Frazier's. The fierceness of the wind made the Choptank impassable; we had to rest awhile and need had I, being sore with hard service. In the family burying ground at Frazier Flats two stone slabs may be seen bearing these inscriptions: Captain William Frazier. Born 1756. Died 1807. Henrietta Maria Frazier. Died 1846, in the 84th year of her age. A nobler monument is erected to their memory in the form of Methodist churches scattered throughout lower Caroline which are the result of the patient labors of this good man and his wife. Table of Contents | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Home ©2000 Caroline County MDGenWeb All rights reserved

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Champaign, IL—Tai chi has been part of traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, and now doctors in the United States are recognizing the physiological and psychological benefits of the exercise. According to Master Pixiang Qiu, a veteran tai chi instructor and director of the Chinese Wushu Research Center of Shanghai University of Sports, tai chi is practiced in over 150 countries and promotes cardiovascular health, bone mineral density, balance, and flexibility. “In fact, many cardiologists prescribe tai chi as an adjunct therapy for treatment of heart problems or as preventive therapy,” says Qiu. In Tai Chi Illustrated (Human Kinetics, 2012), Qiu and coauthor Weimo Zhu explain the benefits of tai chi and the implications of the exercise on a variety of health conditions. “There is promising evidence in support of using tai chi to reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis, and even larger benefits in pain reduction from tai chi than for other popular interventions, such as using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),” says Qiu. “Tai chi is also beneficial for improving balance and physical function in those with osteoarthritis.” Studies have also found that tai chi intervention improves pain, fatigue, mood, depression, vitality, and disability index of people with rheumatoid arthritis. Bone Mineral Density “Research indicates that tai chi may improve risk factors associated with low bone mineral density in postmenopausal women,” says Qiu. Tai chi has been found to be a beneficial complement to traditional cancer treatment. “Tai chi helped improve self-esteem and health-related quality of life, functions in activities of daily life, and increased shoulder range of motion in cancer survivors,” Qiu says. “In addition, tai chi has been shown to increase immune response and psychological function of cancer survivors.” “Studies have concluded that tai chi may be a beneficial adjunct therapy for patients with cardiovascular disease,” Qiu explains. Those with cardiovascular disease have reported a reduction in blood pressure and an increase in exercise capacity when practicing tai chi. Balance and Control Tai chi improves balance in older adults, and the exercise has been found to prevent falls in pre-frail elderly while also reducing their fear of falling. According to Qiu, there is also favorable evidence to support the use of tai chi for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Tai Chi Illustrated offers a comprehensive look at the mind–body exercise with full-color photo sequences demonstrating the most popular tai chi routines. Photos are accompanied by numbered steps that explain how to execute each move, making the exercises accessible for beginning and intermediate audiences alike. For more information, see Tai Chi Illustrated.

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