A patient on the brink of death has received the world's first self--contained artificial heart--a battery--powered device about the size of a softball that runs without the need for wires,tubes sticking out of the chest.It is powered by a small battery pack worn outside the body that transmits current through the skin.

Two surgeons from the University of Louisville implanted the titanium and plastic pump during a seven-hour operation at Jewish Hospital Monday.The hospital said the patient was''awake and responsive''Tuesday and resting comibrtably.It refused to eve personal details.

The patient had been expected to die within a month without the operation, and doctors said they expected the artificial heart to extend the person's life by only a month.But the device is considered a major step toward inlproving the patient's quality of life.

The new pump,called AbioCor,is also a technological leap from the mechanical hearts used in the l980s, which were attached by wires and tubes to large machinery outside the body.The most famous of those, the Jarvic-7,used air as a pumping device and was attached to an apparatus about the size of a washing machine.

''I think it's potentially a major step forward in the artificial heart development,''said Dr.David Faxon,president of the American heart Association.However,he said the dream of an implantable,permanent artificial heart is not yet a reality:''This is obviously an experimental device whose long--term success has to be demonstrated."Only about half of the 4,200 Americans on a waiting list for donor hearts received them last year,and most of the rest died.

Some doctors,including Robert Higgins,chairman of cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond,said artificial hearts are unlikely to replace donor hearts."A donor heart in a good transplant can last l5 to 30 years.''he said.''It's going be hard replace that with a machine.'' What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What was implanted on MOnday?
2. Was this common?
3. How many times has it been done?
4. Who implanted it?
5. from where?
6. How does the heart work?
7. Where is the battery?
8. and how does it work?
9. how is the patient doing?
10. How was the persons health before?
11. and now?
12. how many are on the donor list?
13. how many will receive a transplant?
14. how about the rest?
15. will these replace donor hearts?
16. who says?
17. where is he from?
18. where?
19. Does a donor heart extend life?
20. for how long?
Answer: 1. artificial heart
2. no
3. this is the first
4. Two surgeons
5. University of Louisville
6. battery--powered
7. outside the body
8. transmits current through the skin.
9. awake and responsive
10. expected to die within a month
11. xtend the person's life by only a month
12. 4,200
13. about half
14. die
15. unlikely
16. Robert Higgins
17. chairman of cardiology
18. Virginia
19. yes
20. l5 to 30 years

The Portuguese Empire (), also known as the Portuguese Overseas ("Ultramar Portugues"), was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history and the first colonial empire of the Renaissance. It existed for almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta in 1415 to the handover of Portuguese Macau to China in 1999.

The first era of the Portuguese empire originated at the beginning of the Age of Discovery. Initiated by the Kingdom of Portugal, it would eventually expand across the globe. Portuguese sailors began exploring the coast of Africa and the Atlantic archipelagos in 141819, using recent developments in navigation, cartography and maritime technology such as the caravel, in order that they might find a sea route to the source of the lucrative spice trade. In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and in 1498, Vasco da Gama reached India. In 1500, either by an accidental landfall or by the crown's secret design, Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil on the South American coast.

Over the following decades, Portuguese sailors continued to explore the coasts and islands of East Asia, establishing forts and factories as they went. By 1571, a string of naval outposts connected Lisbon to Nagasaki along the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, India and South Asia. This commercial network and the colonial trade had a substantial positive impact on Portuguese economic growth (1500-1800), when it accounted for about a fifth of Portugal's per capita income. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. what is one of the longest lived empires?
2. is there an alternate name?
3. what?
4. What years did it exsist for?
5. how many centuries is that?
6. What had a substansial impact on the economic growth?
7. Was it a positive impact?
8. Where did sailors explore?
9. Where did they explore first?
10. and?
11. when?
12. what were they searching for?
13. how were they to do this?
14. such as?
15. Who discovered Brazil?
16. where is it?
17. What year?
18. Who sailed to the cape of good hope?
19. when?
20. Who sailed to India?
Answer:
1. The Portuguese Empire
2. yes
3. also known as the Portuguese Overseas
4. from1415 to 1999.
5. almost six centuries
6. a commercial network
7. yes
8. East Asia
9. thee coast of africa
10. the Atlantic archipelagos
11. 141819,
12. Sea route to the source of the lucrative spice trade
13. using recent developments in navigation,
14. such as the caravel,
15. Pedro Alvares Cabral
16. on the South American coast.
17. In 1500
18. Bartolomeu Dias
19. 1488
20. Vasco da Gama