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Friday is Earth Day. It’s a good time to consider how to preserve our environment. Have you ever wondered how long it takes a plastic grocery bag to disintegrate? The decomposition rate chart presented on the Commonwealth of Virginia’s website (http://www.deq.virginia.gov/recycle) shows the relative speed of organic and inorganic materials. A banana peel takes 2-5 weeks (put up to three around a rose bush for a healthy fertilizer), a newspaper 3-6 months (shred and add to your compost pile), while a plastic bag will last a decade, a plastic beverage container or tin can a century, an aluminum can 2-5 centuries. To save space for future generations, recycling is the responsible thing to do. Where can you recycle your disposables? The state’s recycling website provides very helpful information for hard-to-dispose of items, such as computers and automobile products. Learn how and where to properly dispose of a variety of electronics, including cellphones, used oil, oil filters, antifreeze, and old medications (do not flush them down the toilet). For more ideas about where to recycle what, visit Earth911 at http://earth911.com/. Another resource with much potential is Freecycle at http://www.freecycle.org/. This is a network for linking those who have something to dispose of and those who are looking for something, organized by zip code. All items offered must be free. Read High Tech Trash: digital devices, hidden toxics, and human health by Elizabeth Grossman for an eye-opening explanation of the science, politics, and crimes in the collection of masses of e-waste. She follows the trail of toxins, including lead, mercury, chlorine and flame retardants, from mining and processing through disposal and dumping in India, China and Nigeria, where unprotected workers boil the refuse to retrieve useful fragments. Humanizing the impact of waste is Paolo Bacigalupi’s award winning novel for teens, Ship Breaker. In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl. This is action-packed and very well-written. Eminent Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of more than twenty works of nonfiction, has written his first novel, Anthill, about the interdependence of life in our biosphere. Raphael Semmes Cody, a lonely child of contentious parents (gentry v. redneck) in south Alabama, relishes summer freedom in a tract of old-growth longleaf pine forest and savanna on Lake Nokobee. He wanders off to observe salamanders and snakes and becomes enthralled by bugs ("every kid has a bug period" says Wilson. "Mine was especially intense and I never grew out of it."). His fascination becomes a lifelong focus, which guides his direction and purpose in mediating competing interests of environmentalists and business. The novel includes "The Anthill Chronicles", a story within the story, which is a riveting account of three colonies of ants, their wars, destruction, and survival, told from their point of view. The simplicity of this satisfying coming of age tale belies an admirable complexity in its portrayal of the interrelatedness of all life. Anthill bears comparison to Huck Finn and Homer’s Iliad in the recounting of epic journeys and the clash of civilizations. It is also very funny and full of sly observations about the "gray wool of the Confederacy" and "zircons in the rough". Anthill is destined to become a classic. For more about caring for the Earth, visit www.tcplweb.org or call 988-2541.

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New Zealand grasshoppers belong to the subfamily Catantopinae. A number of species are present including the common small Phaulacridium of the more coastal areas, the larger species of Sigaus of the tussock lands, and the alpine genera Paprides and Brachaspis, which include some quite large species. These inhabit the alpine areas of the South Island, some preferring scree and others tussock areas. They apparently survive the rigorous alpine winter conditions both as nymphs and as adults, and it is possible that they can withstand complete freezing. All species are plant feeders and lay batches of eggs or pods in short holes in the ground which they excavate with their abdomen. After hatching, the young nymphs moult four or five times before becoming adult. by Graeme William Ramsay, M.SC., PH.D., Entomology Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Nelson.

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I’m still following the Assembly Primer for Hackers from Vivek Ramachandran of SecurityTube in preparation for Penetration Testing with BackTrack. In this review I’ll cover data types and how to move bytes, numbers, pointers and strings between labels and registers. Variables (data/labels) are defined in the .data segment of your assembly program. Here are some of the available data types you’ll commonly use. Data types in assembly; photo credit to Vivek Ramachandran # Demo program to show how to use Data types and MOVx instructions .data HelloWorld: .ascii "Hello World!" ByteLocation: .byte 10 Int32: .int 2 Int16: .short 3 Float: .float 10.23 IntegerArray: .int 10,20,30,40,50 .bss .comm LargeBuffer, 10000 .text .globl _start _start: nop # Exit syscall to exit the program movl $1, %eax movl $0, %ebx int $0x80 Moving numbers in assembly Introduction to mov This is the mov family of operations. By appending b, w or l you can choose to move 8 bits, 16 bits or 32 bits of data. To demonstrate these operations, we’ll be using the example above. Moving a byte into a register movb $0, %al This will move the integer 0 into the lower 8 bits of the EAX register. Moving a word into a register movw $10, %ax This will move the integer 10 into the lower 16 bits of the EAX register. Moving a word into a register movl $20, %eax This will move the integer 20 into the 32-bit EAX register. Moving a word into a label movw $50, Int16 This will move the integer 50 into the 16-bit label Int16. Moving a label into a register movl Int32, %eax This will move the contents of the Int32 label into the 32-bit EAX register. Moving a register into a label movb %al, ByteLocation This will move the contents of the 8-bit AL register into the 8-bit ByteLocation label. Accessing memory locations (using pointers) In C we have the concept of pointers. A pointer is simply a variable that points to a location in memory. Typically that memory location holds some data that is important to us and that’s why we’re keeping a pointer to it so we can access the data later. This same concept can be achieved in assembly. Moving a label’s memory address into a register (creating a pointer) movl $Int32, %eax This will move the memory location of the Int32 label into the EAX register. In effect the EAX register is now a pointer to the data held by the Int32 label. Notice that we use movl because memory locations are 4 bytes. Also notice that to access the memory location of a label you prepend the $ character. Dereferencing a pointer (accessing the contents of a memory address) Moving a word into a dereferenced location movl $9, (%eax) This will move the integer 9 into the memory location held in EAX. In other words, if this were C, %eax would be considered a pointer and (%eax) would be the way we dereference that pointer to change the contents of the location it points to. The equivalent in C would like something like this: int Int32 = 2; int *eax; eax = &Int32; *eax = 9; The only difference in the C example is that we had to define eax as an int pointer before we could copy the address of Int32. In assembly we can just copy the address of Int32 directly into the EAX register, circumventing the need for an additional variable. But line 4 of this C example is the equivalent of the assembly example shown above. So to clarify one more time, EAX does not change at all in this example; EAX still points to the same location! However, the data at that location has changed. So if EAX contains the location of the Int32 label, then Int32 now contains 9. So it’s Int32 that has changed, not EAX. Notice that we use the parentheses to access the memory location stored in the register (dereference the pointer). Moving a dereferenced value into a register movl (%eax), %ebx In effect the EBX register is now a pointer to the data held by EAX. Notice that to access the memory location of the register we’re again enclosing the register name in parentheses. Moving strings in assembly I can imagine that reading this you might be thinking, “hey, strings are just bytes of data so why can’t I just move them using the same instructions I just learned?” And the answers to that questions is you can! The problem is that strings are oftentimes much larger. A string might be 1 byte, 5 bytes, or 100 bytes. And none of mov instructions discussed above cover anything larger than 4 bytes. So let’s discuss the string operations that are available to alleviate the pains of copying large strings of data. A key difference between the standard mov operations and the string series of movs, stos and lods operations is the number of operands. With mov, you specify the source and destination via 2 operands. However, with the movs instructions, the source and destination addresses are placed into the ESI and EDI registers respectively. And with stos and lods, the operations interact directly with the EAX register. This will become more clear with some examples. The DF flag DF stands for direction flag. This is a flag stored in the CPU that determines whether to increment or decrement a string’s memory address when string operations are called. When DF is 0 (cleared) the addresses are incremented. When DF is 1 (set) the addresses are decremented. In our examples the DF flag will always be cleared. The usefulness of the DF flag will make more sense in the examples. Clearing the DF flag DF is set to 0. Addresses are incremented where applicable. Setting the DF flag DF is set to 1. Addresses are decremented where applicable. In the example below, the following variables have been defined: .data HelloWorldString: .asciz "Hello World of Assembly!" .bss .lcomm Destination, 100 movs: Moving a string from one memory location to another memory location source: %esi; should contain a memory address where the data to be copied resides; the data at this address is not modified, but the address stored in the %esi register is incremented or decremented according to the DF flag destination: %edi; should contain a memory address where the data will be copied to; after copying, the address stored in the %edi register is incremented or decremented according to the DF flag movsb: move a single byte movsw: move 2 bytes movsl: move 4 bytes movl $HelloWorldString, %esi movl $Destination, %edi movsb movsw movsl In this example, we first move the address of HelloWorldString into the ESI register (the source string). Then we move the address of Destination into EDI (the destination buffer). When movsb is called, it tells the CPU to move 1 byte from the source to the destination, so the ‘H’ is copied to the first byte in the Destination label. However, that is not the only thing that happens during this operation. You may have noticed that I pointed out how the address stored in the %esi and %edi registers are both incremented or decremented according to the DF flag. Since the DF flag is cleared, both %esi and %edi are incremented by 1 byte. But why is this useful? Well, what it means is that the next string operation to be called will start copying from the 2nd byte of the source string instead of the first byte. In other words, rather than copying the ‘H’ a second time, we’ll start by copying the ‘e’ in the HelloWorldString instead. This is what makes the movs series of operations far more useful than the mov operations when dealing with strings. So, as you might imagine, when calling movsw the next 2 bytes are copied and Destination now holds “Hel”. And finally the movsl operation copies 4 bytes into Destination, which makes it “Hello W”. Of course, the memory locations held in both %esi and %edi have now been incremented by 7 bytes each. So the final values are.. %esi: $HelloWorldString+7 %edi: $Destination+7 HelloWorldString: "Hello World of Assembly!" Destination: "Hello W" lods: Moving a string from a memory location into the EAX register source: %esi; should contain a memory address where the data to be copied resides; the data at this address is not modified, but the address stored in the %esi register is incremented or decremented according to the DF flag destination: %eax; the contents of this register are discarded because the data is copied directly into the register, NOT to any memory address residing in the register; no incrementing or decrementing occurs because the destination is a register and not a memory location lodsb: move a single byte lodsw: move 2 bytes lodsl: move 4 bytes stos: Moving a string from the EAX register to a memory location source: %eax; the contents of this register are copied, NOT the contents of any memory address residing in the register; no incrementing or decrementing occurs because the source is a register and not a memory location destination: %edi; should contain a memory address where the data will be copied to; after copying, the address stored in the %edi register is incremented or decremented according to the DF flag stosb: move a single byte stosw: move 2 bytes stosl: move 4 bytes rep: Repeating an operation so you can move strings more easily This will continue executing the movsb operation and decrementing the ECX register until it equals 0. So if you wanted to copy a string in its entirety, you could follow this pseudo-code: * set ESI to the memory address of the source string * set EDI to the memory address of the destination string * set ECX to the length of the source string * clear the DF flag so ESI and EDI will be incremented for each call to movsb * call rep movsb movl $HelloWorldString, %esi movl $DestinationUsingRep, %edi movl $25, %ecx # because HelloWorldString contains 24 characters + a null terminator cld rep movsb Here we have movsb being called 25 times (the value of ECX). Because movsb increments both the ESI and EDI register you don’t have to concern yourself with the memory handling at all. So at the end of the example, the values are.. %esi: $HelloWorldString+25 %edi: $Destination+25 %ecx: 0 DF: 0 HelloWorldString: "Hello World of Assembly!" Destination: "Hello World of Assembly!" More to Come I hope you enjoyed reviewing data types and mov operations. Stay tuned for more assembly tips!

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It is not uncommon for patients to have increasing viral loads while on treatment. However, patients can have a disconnect: they may have detectable viral load and yet still be deriving benefit from their failing regimen. Their CD4 T-cell counts are not plummeting and are often still increasing. Overall, their general health remains well. These individuals continue with their daily life and routine, without any clinical consequences. The discordance between T-cells and viral load is often referred to as the Disconnect Syndrome. It is not a new disease, just an observation of the difference between viral and immunologic lab measures (viral load test vs. T-cell count). Usually, patients on antiretroviral treatment demonstrate a drop in viral load (often to undetectable levels) while improving their immune system with an accompanying T-cell rise. The disconnect syndrome of rising viral load along with stable or improving immune markers such as T-cells is more common among patients who have a longer history of being on several antiviral regimens. Viral drug resistance, which is associated with decreased efficacy of treatment, is not uncommon for these patients. They have fewer options than patients on their very first antiviral regimen. Usually, patients with an overtly failing regimen need to undergo changes in their antiviral treatment. This is a basic tenet of care for the chronically HIV-infected individual. This is done to halt progression of HIV disease, to preserve immune system function and to avoid further resistance development. However, in the unique situation of the disconnect syndrome, a question may be posed: Does every discordant patient merit a change in antiretroviral therapy? Sometimes a clinician may consider the fact that the viral load (HIV RNA) has not reached levels high enough to merit exposing their patient to further antiretroviral drugs. Many patients in this disconnect situation have already been exposed to multiple antiviral agents. Since undetectability does not mean one is cured, one must weigh the risks and benefits of modifying the regimen in order to lower the viral load. There exists a dilemma when considering altering a regimen in this unique situation. New antivirals to reduce viral load may forestall the emergence of more resistance mutations. On the other hand, one must consider that changing to yet another new regimen will reduce options for the future. This is critical in situations where new options for specific and heavily treated patients are not plentiful. Realistically, formulating a regimen for a heavily treated patient is often challenging because of the presence of multiple resistance mutations. Therefore the likelihood or durability of fully suppressing viral load with a new regimen is in question. Thus management of patients who are highly treatment experienced and who have a discordant response is a real quandary. It is believed that continuing the failing regimen further selects for resistance mutations, therefore further limiting future therapeutic options. But when there is stability in the elevated viral load together with increasing CD4 counts going yet higher, patients are obviously still deriving clinical benefit. No large prospective clinical trial has been performed to help provide insight for this situation. Patients who manifest a disconnect do not have undetectable viral loads, so by definition they generally have mutations or resistance. These mutations occur in the virus itself, usually in response to drugs used against it. The mutations in turn allow HIV to develop drug resistance. This means what it says: HIV can resist the drug or drugs, therefore making the medications less effective in fighting the virus. Individuals with a discordant response usually exhibit high numbers of mutations against the nucleoside drug class, which often includes the M184V mutation. This specific mutation of M184V (refers to a change in the amino acid switch in HIVs viral gene strand) is most known for being the tell-tale sign of 3TC (Epivir) resistance. But having the 184V resistance mutation has also been associated with sustained responses to antivirals, confirmed in several studies. Generally, cross-resistance would be a concern. Mutations that resist one drug may also resist another, especially one in the same drug class. This may lower the efficacy of new drugs which a patient has never taken before. However, if one has the 184V, without other nucleoside mutations, it does not confer resistance to other nucleosides such as ddI, d4T, ddC or abacavir (Videx, Zerit, Hivid or Ziagen). Also, the M184V seems to result in re-sensitization of the virus to AZT (Retrovir) in patients who previously developed resistance to AZT. Finally, the presence of 184V in highly experienced patients is associated with a better antiviral response to the newest HIV agent, tenofovir (Viread). A complex interaction of viral and other factors are at play in discordant responses to HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy). These include drug resistance mutations, replicative capacity and immunologic aspects. The initial status of the patient, including CD4 T-cell count and presence of the 184V mutation before antiviral treatment, is predictive of responses to HAART and development of discordance. A lower CD4 count is more predictive of discordance. The more damaged ones immune system has become prior to treatment, the more difficult it may be for the immune system to assist in suppressing viral load later. Often, T-cells remain stable or rise despite not obtaining optimally suppressed viral loads because HIV (though resistant) becomes weakened by antiviral drugs, impairing its ability to replicate. Thus the immune system is able to continue its restoration process. In other words, the antiviral treatments cause a decreased replicative capacity of the virus. In fact, there is a firm relationship between the high numbers of mutations and decreased replicative capacity of virus from people with discordance. The disconnect syndrome can be explained in an alternative way. The M184V and other mutations may result in the virus becoming less fit than wild type. (Wild type is virus that has not mutated, seen usually in non-treated individuals.) The less fit the virus, the less able it is to overcome the effects of other antivirals. Additionally, the reverse transcriptase enzyme, which HIV uses to reproduce itself, is also crippled despite the presence of resistance, and thus becomes less able to help make copies of the virus. HIV can not process its DNA strand (viral gene), and is therefore unable to replicate. Finally, development of increased mutations does not interfere with immune recovery during HAART. Measured by immune cell proliferation and response to interleukin 15 (a specific cytokine, protein produced by immune cells used for research purposes to measure immune response), researchers found that discordant patients had responses similar to fully respondant patients (Stephano Vella and colleagues, 9th Retroviruses Conference, Seattle, February 2002). Without attempting to advise whether patients in a disconnect situation should change or continue their treatment, the questions invoked here are placed on the table. The presence of primary resistance mutations can oddly enough be associated with the provision of some beneficial effects. However, developing resistance or discordance is not the preferred outcome. When a patient is facing this discordant predicament, the next path may not be always clear. Phenomena are occurring in the disconnect syndrome that are below the surface. A patients decisions are often complicated by various confounding issues. This is compounded by the fact that data regarding the long-term outlook of patients continuing in this disconnect pattern is sorely lacking. Some researchers have demonstrated higher progression rates while others concluded that the immunologic deterioration is delayed by an average of three years (Stephen Deeks and colleagues, University of California at San Francisco). However large trials of disconnected patients who continue to maintain good clinical immunologic response to HAART for a specified duration would provide greater insight into the risks. It seems that patients manifesting a disconnect who continue their treatment are stable clinically and not developing opportunistic infections. However, with the ongoing epidemic of resistance, it would be helpful to understand what it all means to a patients health and longevity. Daniel S. Berger, M.D. is Medical Director for NorthStar Healthcare; Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago and editor of AIDS Infosource. He also serves as medical consultant and columnist for Positively Aware. Inquiries are welcomed by Dr. Berger; he can be reached at DSBergerMD@aol.com or 773.296.2400.

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In mathematics, hyperbolic functions are analogs of the ordinary trigonometric, or circular, functions. The basic hyperbolic functions are the hyperbolic sine "sinh" (typically pronounced /ˈsɪntʃ/ or /ˈʃaɪn/), and the hyperbolic cosine "cosh" (typically pronounced /ˈkɒʃ/), from which are derived the hyperbolic tangent "tanh" (typically pronounced /ˈtæntʃ/ or /ˈθæn/), etc., in analogy to the derived trigonometric functions. The inverse hyperbolic functions are the area hyperbolic sine "arsinh" (also called "asinh", or sometimes by the misnomer of "arcsinh") and so on. Just as the points (cos t, sin t) form a circle with a unit radius, the points (cosh t, sinh t) form the right half of the equilateral hyperbola. Hyperbolic functions occur in the solutions of some important linear differential equations, for example the equation defining a catenary, and Laplace's equation in Cartesian coordinates. The latter is important in many areas of physics, including electromagnetic theory, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and special relativity. Hyperbolic functions were introduced in the 18th century by the Swiss mathematician Johann Heinrich Lambert. The hyperbolic functions are: Via complex numbers the hyperbolic functions are related to the circular functions as follows: where is the imaginary unit defined as . Note that, by convention, sinh2x means (sinhx)2, not sinh(sinhx); similarly for the other hyperbolic functions when used with positive exponents. Another notation for the hyperbolic cotangent function is , though cothx is far more common. Hyperbolic sine and cosine satisfy the identity which is similar to the Pythagorean trigonometric identity. It can also be shown that the area under the graph of cosh x from A to B is equal to the arc length of cosh x from A to B. For a full list of integrals of hyperbolic functions, see list of integrals of hyperbolic functions In the above expressions, C is called the constant of integration. It is possible to express the above functions as Taylor series: A point on the hyperbola xy = 1 with x > 1 determines a hyperbolic triangle in which the side adjacent to the hyperbolic angle is associated with cosh while the side opposite is associated with sinh. However, since the point (1,1) on this hyperbola is a distance √2 from the origin, the normalization constant 1/√2 is necessary to define cosh and sinh by the lengths of the sides of the hyperbolic triangle. and the property that cosh t ≥ 1 for all t. The hyperbolic functions are periodic with complex period 2πi (πi for hyperbolic tangent and cotangent). The parameter t is not a circular angle, but rather a hyperbolic angle which represents twice the area between the x-axis, the hyperbola and the straight line which links the origin with the point (cosh t, sinh t) on the hyperbola. The function cosh x is an even function, that is symmetric with respect to the y-axis. The function sinh x is an odd function, that is −sinh x = sinh(−x), and sinh 0 = 0. The hyperbolic functions satisfy many identities, all of them similar in form to the trigonometric identities. In fact, Osborn's rule states that one can convert any trigonometric identity into a hyperbolic identity by expanding it completely in terms of integral powers of sines and cosines, changing sine to sinh and cosine to cosh, and switching the sign of every term which contains a product of 2, 6, 10, 14, ... sinhs. This yields for example the addition theorems the "double angle formulas" and the "half-angle formulas" The derivative of sinh x is cosh x and the derivative of cosh x is sinh x; this is similar to trigonometric functions, albeit the sign is different (i.e., the derivative of cos x is −sin x). The Gudermannian function gives a direct relationship between the circular functions and the hyperbolic ones that does not involve complex numbers. The graph of the function a cosh(x/a) is the catenary, the curve formed by a uniform flexible chain hanging freely under gravity. From the definitions of the hyperbolic sine and cosine, we can derive the following identities: These expressions are analogous to the expressions for sine and cosine, based on Euler's formula, as sums of complex exponentials. Since the exponential function can be defined for any complex argument, we can extend the definitions of the hyperbolic functions also to complex arguments. The functions sinh z and cosh z are then holomorphic. Relationships to ordinary trigonometric functions are given by Euler's formula for complex numbers:

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The road to 'civilisation' is paved with bad intentions. Infestation, in'fes•ta'tion n. the state of being invaded or overrun by pests or parasites. Do people inhabit the lands and forests that they have been living in for thousands of years or do they infest them? The answer to this no-brainer of a question might well lie at the root of the problem being faced by the Jarawas in the Andaman Islands today. The video showing the Jarawa women dancing on the Andaman Trunk Road, apparently for food, is just the latest manifestation of a malaise that is so deep that one might well argue that there is no hope for the Jarawa. In 1965, the Ministry of Rehabilitation, Government of India, published an important document related to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands: ‘The Report by the Inter Departmental Team on Accelerated Development Programme for A&N Islands.' The contents of the report and their purpose were evident in the title itself — it laid out the roadmap for the development of these islands and set the stage for what was to happen over the decades that have followed. This little known report of less than a 100 pages in size is remarkable for the insight it provides into the thinking and the mindset of the times. There is what one might call a shocker on every page of this document and here is a just a sampling: Page 26: …The Jarawas have been uniformly hostile to all outsiders with the result that about half the Middle Andaman is treated as a Jarawa infested (emphasis added) area which is difficult for any outsider to venture… With the present road construction and the colonisation of the forest fringes, friction has become more frequent, and no month passes without a case of attack by the Jarawas. Page 69: The completion of the Great Andaman Trunk Road would go a long way to help in the extraction of forest produces... A nation that had just fought its way out of the ignominy of being a colony was well on the way to becoming a coloniser itself. And those that came in the way could only be pests or parasites infesting the forests that had valuable resources locked away from productive use. It is also pertinent to note here that in 1957 itself, more than a 1000 sq. km of these “Jarawa infested” forests of South and Middle Andaman had already been declared protected as a Jarawa Tribal Reserve under the provisions of the Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation (ANPATR) — 1956. The 1965 report was in complete violation, or was a result of complete ignorance of this legal protection to the Jarawa and the forests that they have inhabited for thousands of years. The seeds that were sown then have bloomed into myriad noxious weeds today and if one knows this history, the latest video that has generated so much heat is not in the bit surprising. Much space in the media, both print and electronic, has been occupied in the last few days by a range of claims and counter claims — about the date of the video, about the police involvement in its making, the role of tour operators and about fixing blame and responsibility. A little known fact that lies at the root of the issue has been all but forgotten — the existence of the Andaman Trunk Road, where this infamous video was shot about three years ago. The Andaman Trunk Road that the 1965 report offered as a good way of extracting resources from the forests of the Jarawa had been ordered shut by a Supreme Court order of 2002. It's been a decade now and in what can only be called audacious defiance, the administration of this little Union Territory has wilfully violated orders of the highest court of the land. A series of administrators have come and gone but contempt for the Supreme Court remains. Whenever asked about the order, the administration has tried to hide behind technicalities of interpreting the court order and arguing that the court had never ordered the road shut in the first place. They forget that in March 2003, a few months after the SC orders had been passed, they had themselves filed an affidavit with a plea to “permit the use/movement through the Andaman Trunk Road.” If it was not ordered shut, why the plea to keep it open? A few months later, in July 2003, the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee reiterated explicitly that the court orders include those for the closure of the ATR in those parts where it runs through the forests of the Jarawa Tribal Reserve. The A&N administration has clearly violated the court's order both in letter and in spirit. It is a spirit that was evocatively articulated by Dr. R.K. Bhattacharchaya, former Director of the Anthropological Survey of India, in a report he submitted to the Calcutta High Court in 2004. “The ATR”, he said, “is like a public thoroughfare through a private courtyard… In the whole of human history, we find that the dominant group for their own advantage has always won over the minorities, not always paying attention to the issue of ethics. Closure of the ATR would perhaps be the first gesture of goodwill on part of the dominant towards an acutely marginalized group almost on the verge of extinction”. The video in all its perversity offers us another opportunity, when all others in the past have been brushed aside either due to ignorance, arrogance or then sheer apathy. It's still not too late to make that ‘gesture of goodwill' because otherwise there will be many more such videos down the years and much worse will follow. The lessons from history are very clear on this. And it will hardly be a consolation that a few people will be left saying we told you so. (The writer is associated with Kalpavriksh, one of the three NGOs whose petition before the Supreme Court resulted in orders for the closure of the Andaman Trunk Road in 2002. He is also the author of Troubled Islands — Writings on the indigenous peoples and environment of the A&N Islands.)

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I was taught at medical school to remember that “what’s common, is common”. So if a patient comes into clinic with a sore throat, the chances are it is simply that — a sore throat. Picking out the unusual diagnoses from seemingly common symptoms is one of the challenges of medicine, particularly when you are in general practice. Back pain is a really common symptom to see in clinic and usually has no sinister cause. But there are some unusual diagnoses that present as back pain for doctors and patients to be mindful of. While lower back pain can be caused by physical injury, or slipped discs, for five per cent of sufferers, the pain is due to inflammation caused by a form of arthritis normally seen in young people. Since back pain is so common, the problem can go undiagnosed for years and lead to long-term damage. But it can be treated. Called axial spondyloarthritis, or axial SpA, it primarily affects the sacroiliac joint (the junction between the spine and the pelvis). Identifying the difference between this pain and mechanical back pain is vital, and there are a range of signals to look for. Typically, symptoms first appear in young people in the prime of their lives — this alone should ring an alarm bell — and often they have back pain or stiffness that has lasted for over three months. This is certainly a trigger to go to the GP. It is common for axial SpA patients to experience pain in the morning which improves with exercise but then worsens with rest. If these symptoms sound like a familiar pattern, a trip to the doctor will be necessary for some blood tests as well as a referral to get an MRI scan. Diagnosis of this condition has been known to take as long as 10 years for some sufferers, but vigilance from doctors in looking for uncommon causes of a common symptom, should hopefully improve the care that sufferers receive.

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Solar-powered ion drive asteroid probe set for launch Not much va-va-voom, but very economical NASA has confirmed that the "Dawn" space probe to the asteroid belt will indeed launch on Saturday, ending speculation that the mission might be delayed. After launching, Dawn will spend four years in transit to the asteroids, circling the Sun twice and gaining a "gravity assist" on the way by making a close approach to Mars. Planned voyage of the Dawn space probe In 2011, Dawn will go into orbit around Vesta, one of the larger rock-like asteroids in the Belt. After around five months studying Vesta, the probe will depart in early 2012 and complete most of a further circuit round the Sun, finally catching up with Ceres in 2015 and going into orbit around it. Ceres is a large example of the other main asteroid type, thought to be largely icy in composition. The Dawn mission will be the first to go into orbit around a Belt asteroid, and also the first to orbit two different bodies. This unusual flight profile would be all but impossible, according to NASA, were it not for the spacecraft's innovative propulsion system. Dawn will lift off from Earth aboard a conventional, chemical Delta II rocket, but its journey to the asteroids will be propelled - apart from the helping hand from Martian gravity - by means of an ion drive. In an ion drive, thrust is still provided by throwing stuff out of the exhaust just as with a regular rocket. The difference is that rather than chemicals burning and expanding to throw themselves out of a combustion chamber, Dawn's Xenon propellant is squirted out of its back end using electrical power generated by solar panels. As one might expect, this produces an exceptionally feeble thrust; equivalent to about 0.02lb. The clever bit is that the ion engine achieves this thrust very economically, using only a tiny amount of propellant, because it accelerates the Xenon-plasma exhaust to such a high velocity. Dawn takes ages to squirt out a given amount of fuel, but when the ion drive finally does so it has achieved much more with it than a chemical rocket could have done. All this makes the multi-asteroid flightplan achievable within the NASA budget. Now that NASA has addressed some technical concerns, it appears that Dawn's Saturday launch is a go, and then it's just four years until it gets to Vesta. ®

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Cloudy outlook for climate models More aerosols - the solution to global warming? Climate models appear to be missing an atmospheric ingredient, a new study suggests. December's issue of the International Journal of Climatology from the Royal Meteorlogical Society contains a study of computer models used in climate forecasting. The study is by joint authors Douglass, Christy, Pearson, and Singer - of whom only the third mentioned is not entitled to the prefix Professor. Their topic is the discrepancy between troposphere observations from 1979 and 2004, and what computer models have to say about the temperature trends over the same period. While focusing on tropical latitudes between 30 degrees north and south (mostly to 20 degrees N and S), because, they write - "much of the Earth's global mean temperature variability originates in the tropics" - the authors nevertheless crunched through an unprecedented amount of historical and computational data in making their comparison. For observational data they make use of ten different data sets, including ground and atmospheric readings at different heights. On the modelling side, they use the 22 computer models which participated in the IPCC-sponsored Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison. Some models were run several times, to produce a total of 67 realisations of temperature trends. The IPCC is the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and published their Fourth Assessment Report [PDF, 7.8MB] earlier this year. Their model comparison program uses a common set of forcing factors. Notable in the paper is a generosity when calculating a figure for statistical uncertainty for the data from the models. In aggregating the models, the uncertainty is derived from plugging the number 22 into the maths, rather than 67. The effect of using 67 would be to confine the latitude of error closer to the average trend - with the implication of making it harder to reconcile any discrepancy with the observations. In addition, when they plot and compare the observational and computed data, they also double this error interval. So to the burning question: on their analysis, does the uncertainty in the observations overlap with the results of the models? If yes, then the models are supported by the observations of the last 30 years, and they could be useful predictors of future temperature and climate trends. Unfortunately, the answer according to the study is no. Figure 1 in the published paper available here[PDF] pretty much tells the story. Douglass et al. Temperature time trends (degrees per decade) against pressure (altitutude) for 22 averaged models (shown in red) and 10 observational data sets (blue and green lines). Only at the surface are the mean of the models and the mean of observations seen to agree, within the uncertainties. While trends coincide at the surface, at all heights in the troposphere, the computer models indicate that higher trending temperatures should have occurred. And more significantly, there is no overlap between the uncertainty ranges of the observations and those of the models. In other words, the observations and the models seem to be telling quite different stories about the atmosphere, at least as far as the tropics are concerned. So can the disparities be reconciled?

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Education is the transmission of civilization.~ William James Durant (1885–1981) and Ariel Durant, born Chaya Kaufman (1898 - 1981) After the murder of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan dominated the news for a week or so but that has now faded. We were regaled with speculation about the danger to the world posed by an unstable, nuclear-armed, undemocratic state where fundamentalist Muslims find it easy to integrate into society. It was in Pakistan that the Taliban (which took over the government of Afghanistan and provided shelter to Al Qaeda) were originally able to organize and build a foundation. A recent analysis on television suggests that the Taliban are direct descendants of protestors who instigated the mutiny against British imperial rule and Christian missionary zeal in 19th century India. But Pakistan is also seen as a major bulwark in the "War on Terror" and has been the recipient of $5bn in US aid since the attack on the twin towers. Now the excitement has died down, Pakistan has dropped out of media consciousness but its problems remain. And one of its greatest problems is education. Like the rest of public life in Pakistan, the education system is subject to endemic corruption. And this should trouble the rest of the world because education in Pakistan is being exploited by fundamentalists in their drive to recruit new followers. When it was provided with American aid on a massive scale, Pakistan promised to devote some of the money to improving its education system. The World Bank has also allocated a separate $300mn specifically to support schools and colleges – but fearing that the money will disappear into a sink of corruption, it is reluctant to disburse the funds until proper control systems are put in place. These fears are justified. American officials supervising military aid suspect that invoices for supplies are inflated by as much as 30%, enabling millions of dollars to disappear. And in the education system, officials estimate that corruption taps 15% of intended expenditure. Little has been done to improve education in Pakistan. In the Punjab, for example, there are 63,000 state schools, of which: - 5,000 (8%) have been condemned as dangerous structures. - 26,000 (41%) have no electricity. - 16,000 (25%) have no toilets. Many teachers see their jobs as sinecures and don't turn up to work, while local inspectors distrust the information provided by the ministry of education. Few schools have enough classrooms and some resort to teaching in the open air under trees (possibly safer than sitting in a classroom with cracks in the walls and an unstable roof). Often they have to cope with only one quarter of the desks required. Understandably, parents are reluctant to send their children to these underfunded and under-supervised institutions. Two groups of educators have moved in to fill this vacuum: private schools and religious madrassas. It is the madrassas that have attracted most attention and generated hysteria in the press both inside and outside Pakistan. Some of them are run by fundamentalists, preach Jihad, and groom their students to be revolutionary fighters and suicide bombers The media in Pakistan and across the world, supported by wild estimates made by Pakistani police, have exaggerated the scale of this problem. A more restrained study by the World Bank and Harvard University has estimated that the true numbers of children being educated in madrassas represents a little less that 1% of children in the 5-19 age group. These figures must be put into context: - 33% of children are enrolled in state schools. - a further 12% are enrolled in private schools. - 87% of children enroll in primary education, but numbers fall sharply at secondary level. - literacy rates are 63% for men and 36% for women, showing that the standard of education is poor (in comparison, the figures for India are 76% and 54%). Wealthily endowed madrassas The development of the private sector is striking. Private schools now educate one third as many children as those educated in the state sector. The population values education and is willing to make sacrifices to give their children the schooling which the state fails to provide. Much has been said about madrassas (wealthily endowed by Saudi money) providing the only chance for the poorest Pakistani families. But private schools are cheap and all but the very poorest can afford them. So is there nothing to worry about? Indeed no. There are dangers and they are serious ones. The WB/Harvard study showed that, while in most areas of Pakistan madrassas account for less than 1% of school enrolments, in the so-called tribal areas (where Pasto is the main language and there are strong links to Afghanistan) the percentage rises to over 7%. These are the areas the state finds most difficult to control and, if madrassas do have a malign influence, it is here that it would be easiest to foment and develop an anti-democratic movement. Children brought up to hate Muslims The survey also estimated that there are about 175,000 students enrolled in madrassas. If we make a guess that 5% of madrassas are run by fundamentalists, this still means that almost 9000 children are being brought up to hate Muslims who do not meet their own "high" standards. The theory propagated by the extremists is this. The only acceptable law is Sharia law and this should be interpreted strictly (hence the enforcement of headscarves and the like for women … among much worse horrors). It is the duty of good Muslims to create a state which accepts and enforces Sharia. Government leaders who do not concur are the enemy. Those who conspire with the West are the enemy. Muslims who support these governments are the enemy. In this way, the fundamentalist madrassas create a justification for killing other Muslims. The suicide bombers are given a target and a cause. It has, however, very little to do with the West; the majority of victims are much closer to home. But a flow of almost 9000 young men and women (possibly more – other estimates are higher and my guess of 5% of may be optimistic) is more than enough to recruit suicide bombers and build momentum for the movement. Dodging and weaving So let us return to Benazir Bhutto. She and her husband spent the years since she was ousted from power dodging and weaving to avoid convictions for corruption and embezzlement. Indeed, she was convicted of money laundering by a Swiss magistrate, while a British judge found grounds for a prosecution against her and/or her husband for purchasing an estate in the English home counties with the fruits of embezzlement. Despite this track record, the West was keen to have Bhutto as a friend in Pakistan because of the fear that a nation with its own nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of someone worse. The US has provided huge amounts of cash, some of which has been used to buy delivery systems for these weapons of mass destruction, and has only recently begun to worry about whose finger might be on the button. Bhutto provided some hope of a friend to the West and she certainly looked the part, acting like a civilized politician, speaking excellent English, and sending her son to Oxford. She had plenty of support in Pakistan (the first attempt on her life killed more than 130 people because her rally attracted so many supporters). But it is almost certain that she, like other political leaders in Pakistan, was a thief. Some of the money she stole, and the money that leaked away into the pockets of bureaucrats and politicians, was supposed to have been spent on education, on the rebuilding of dangerous schools, and on ensuring that teachers turned up to do their jobs. The public in Pakistan wants education and many people are willing to pay for it. Some of them, however, send children to be taught hatred by cynical clerics who tell them that martyring themselves while killing the opponents of whichever fundamentalist branch of Islam they represent will earn them a place in paradise.

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Over 8,000 websites created by students around the world who have participated in a ThinkQuest Competition. Compete | FAQ | Contact Us Men in White Our website teaches the history of one of the most well known groups in the United States. The Ku Klux Klan is a group that is prejudice and unjust. We have covered the history of this group because we just read a book in class that had the Ku Klux Klan in it. We hope that people do not think we support this group because we do not! 12 & under History & Government

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Over 8,000 websites created by students around the world who have participated in a ThinkQuest Competition. Compete | FAQ | Contact Us The Kyoto Protocol: Changing Climates This site makes concepts like climate change and the Kyoto Protocol interesting and fun for teenagers. It contains information on climate change, the history and contents of the Kyoto Protocol and visual and oral sources of information. The site aims to help teenagers understand the current and important issue as clearly and enjoyably as possible. 19 & under Science & Technology > Earth Science History & Government > International Politics

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Named as a place to stay by & National Geographic Episode 13 Season 4 WEATHER IN TRINITY Trinity is surrounded by rocky beaches perfect for searching out treasures such as colourful seashells, sea glass and old clay pipes. Visitors who come in late spring early summer just might get the change to witness "the capelin run". This is when thousands of silvery capelin roll up on the beaches to spawn. Not only is it an amazing sight to behold, but it also serves as an indication that the whales, which feed on capelin, will soon be arriving! The Bald Eagle: Bald Eagles are no stranger to Trinity Bay. Visitors can spot eagle's nests while hiking or taking a boat tour. These magnificent birds are often spotted soaring over the town of Trinity and are hard to miss with wingspans sometimes reaching over 6 feet. Immature eagles are brown and do not develop their white heads and tails until they are five years old. Because Trinity Bay is a popular nesting ground, bird watchers can see these majestic creatures at their different ages. The Atlantic Puffin: Atlantic Puffins spend most of their time at sea but return to land during spring and summer to form breeding colonies. One such breeding colony is locatedin Elliston on route 238 and is just a short drive from Trinity. These white and black birds with colourful beaks are only 10 inches tall and flap their wings at over 400 beats per minute. It can often be difficult to photograph a puffin as it flies, but plenty can be spotted resting on land tending their burrows. The Arctic Tern: This bird is known for making the longest annual migration in the animal kingdom, guaranteeing itself two summers, lending it the nickname "bird of the sun". The Arctic Tern can often be spotted diving for small fish and crustacean around Trinity's beaches and directly in front of the Twine Loft Restaurant. Bird watching Links: Eastern Newfoundland Birdfinder The province's tourism site provides information about birds, seabird ecological reserves, and private tour operators. The province's tourism site provides information about birds, seabird ecological reserves, and private tour operators. The Natural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador's site has a birding checklist for the province, and occasionally information about birding activities. The province's Parks and Natural Areas site lists and describes seabird ecological reserves. This Google group site is where local birders report recent sightings of interest.

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Mission, Philosophy, & Beliefs UAS Mission Statement Universal American School provides a challenging, inquiry-based American and international education that empowers students to be caring individuals, critical thinkers, and responsible global citizens. Universal American School provides an American and international program of instruction and co-curricular activities that aims to develop the full potential of all students. The curriculum for Pre-K to 6th grade is the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP). A conceptually-based curriculum in grades 7 to 10 prepares students for entry into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in grades 11 and 12. Teaching and learning is dedicated to high standards of academic achievement, active inquiry, and the development of leadership, service, and creativity. The school actively promotes life-long learning, respect for diversity, and opportunities for intercultural learning. UAS Belief Statements We believe the Universal American School community should: - Challenge themselves academically, artistically and athletically - Think and act critically, creatively and independently - Communicate proficiently in English and at least one other language - Be internationally-minded leaders who participate in local and international projects that better humanity and contribute to a sustainable and peaceful world - Conduct themselves in a principled manner - Enjoy positive and healthy lifestyle

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- The perfect storm: Can disaster reduction occur in the face of climate change and population growth? - Voicing Slavery: Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Mary Prince - Osteoporosis: Bouncing babies to crumbling wrinklies - the need to own our bones - What has the King’s Speech done to improve public awareness about stuttering? - Photons, spacecraft, atomic clocks and Einstein – fundamental physics in the space environment - London: the divorce capital of the world. ‘Big money’ divorce cases: fairness, gender and judicial discretion - When technology design provokes errors - Prometheus and I: building new body parts from stem cells - Against nature? Homosexuality and evolution - Child development in developing countries - Did Democracy Cause the American Civil War? - The highs and lows of our nearest star, the Sun - From pathogen to ally: engineering viruses to treat disease - Designing for students - The price of the pouch: the evolutionary ramifications of mammalian reproductive strategies Download Lunch Hour Lectures to your mobile device from 7 days after the live event at iTunes U. Voicing Slavery: Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Mary Prince 25 October 2011 Professor Catherine Hall (UCL History) Women's voices were central to the struggle against slavery in the early 19th century. Elizabeth Barrett Browning, one of Britain's greatest poets, was the daughter of a slaveowner and the family money came from their Jamaican plantations. She sympathised with the cause of antislavery - but that sympathy was complicated by her family connections. Mary Prince was an enslaved woman who was brought by her 'owner' to Britain, escaped, and recorded her narrative. It was published and provided a moving testimony of the cruelties of slavery and a significant weapon in the war against it. Both these women had close connections with Bloomsbury, and this lecture, in conjunction with the exhibition 'The Slave Owners of Gower Street' will explore their lives and writings and the place of slavery in 19th century Britain. This lecture marks Black History Month in October. There is also an exhibition in UCL’s South Cloisters on the main campus entitled ‘The Slave Owners of Gower Street’ Page last modified on 25 oct 11 15:37

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Please note: UC Press e-books must be purchased separately from our print books, and require the use of Adobe Digital Editions. If you do not already have Adobe Digital Editions installed on your computer, please download and install the software. To complete your e-book order, please click on the e-book checkout button. A charge will appear on your credit card from Ingram Digital Group. In a book of deep and telling ironies, Peter Schrag provides essential background for understanding the fractious debate over immigration. Covering the earliest days of the Republic to current events, Schrag sets the modern immigration controversy within the context of three centuries of debate over the same questions about who exactly is fit for citizenship. He finds that nativism has long colored our national history, and that the fear—and loathing—of newcomers has provided one of the faultlines of American cultural and political life. Schrag describes the eerie similarities between the race-based arguments for restricting Irish, German, Slav, Italian, Jewish, and Chinese immigrants in the past and the arguments for restricting Latinos and others today. He links the terrible history of eugenic "science" to ideas, individuals, and groups now at the forefront of the fight against rational immigration policies. Not Fit for Our Society makes a powerful case for understanding the complex, often paradoxical history of immigration restriction as we work through the issues that inform, and often distort, the debate over who can become a citizen, who decides, and on what basis. Sources and Acknowledgments 1. A City upon a Hill 2. “This Visible Act of Ingurgitation” 3. “Science” Makes Its Case 4. Preserving the Race 5. The Great Awhitening 6. “They Keep Coming” 7. A Border without Lines Peter Schrag, for many years the editorial page editor and later a weekly columnist for the Sacramento Bee, currently contributes to The Nation, Harper's, The Los Angeles Times, and other publications. He is a visiting scholar at the Institute for Governmental Studies at the University of California at Berkeley and the author of several books, including Paradise Lost and California: America's High-Stakes Experiment (both from UC Press) and Final Test: The Battle for Adequacy in America's Schools. Peter Schrag is the 2010 winner of the Carey McWilliams Award from the California Studies Association. "Peter Schrag is the model for all political writers. He is committed, passionate, and eloquent, but always stays harnessed to the facts and rooted in the realities of politics and human nature. He reports out everything, and he writes like a dream. We can be grateful that in Not Fit for Our Society he has turned his gifts to the seemingly intractable problem of immigration. We will have to settle this issue again, as we always manage to do despite enormous commotion and anxiety. Schrag will force everyone to think more clearly and to approach immigration with both compassion and good sense."—EJ Dionne, Jr., author of Souled Out "Just who is fit to be part of the society that became a nation in 1776 and who decides, and on what basis? In Not Fit for Our Society, Peter Schrag offers an invigorating, well-informed, carefully reasoned investigation into today's immigration debates."—David Hollinger, President of the Organization of American Historians, 2010-2011 "Peter Schrag has a unique view of the immigration debate and policies that have shaped our country since it's founding. His very timely writing of Not Fit for our Society helps us to better understand how the immigration debate and politics have gotten us to where we are today. His insights and intellect on the subject give all of us much to think about as we move forward on this very important issue."—Doris O. Matsui, Member of Congress "Peter Schrag has done it again. A sweeping review that puts the ferocity of our current immigration debate in historical context, Not Fit for Our Society is a must-read for those hoping to get past talk-show rhetoric and cherry-picked facts. Uncovering the dark impulses that have long undergirded nativist thought, he argues that we have seen this before—and that America will be better if we see through it again."—Manuel Pastor, University of Southern California "Peter Schrag offers a lively and thoughtful reinterpretation of America's ambivalence about immigration and immigrants' place in the nation's life. Drawing on his reading of primary sources and the latest scholarship, he tells a story rich in irony, detail, and nuance, tracing the history of nativism from the earliest days of the Republic to the current debates over immigration reform. The book is particularly striking for the way that it connects the arguments and organizations of the current anti-immigration movement to their roots in the eugenics movement and pseudo-scientific racism of the early 20th century."—Mark Paul, New America Foundation "[Schrag] delivers a story rich in irony, detail, and nuance, often told with passion and frequently challenging orthodoxies of both the political right and left. It is the right book at the right time."-Mark Paul, New America Foundation "History's lessons come through loud and clear as Peter Schrag vividly recounts the characters and the ideas behind that side of America that rejects immigration. Illuminating both in its sweep and its detail this 300-year narrative makes an important contribution to our understanding of today's policy debates."—Roberto Suro, author of Strangers Among US: Latino Lives in a Changing America "In an intemperate time, Peter Schrag's voice is lucid and truly American."—Richard Rodriguez

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Have you ever wondered: where did we come from? What makes us different from all the other life forms on this planet? Shannon Dorey in her new book "The Master of Speech" just might have the answers and most people won't like them! Ms. Dorey has studied the life and works of Marcel Griaule, a French anthropologist, who 50 years ago recorded the oral history and mythology of the Dogon, as told by Ogotemmeli, a member of the tribe. The Dogon are an isolated mountainous region of Bandiagara, south of the Sahara Desert in Mali, West Africa. Mr. Griaule wrote about the Dogon in his book, "Conversations with Ogotemmeli", published in 1947. The Dogon mythology is disturbing because it claims that we were created by beings that genetically engineered our DNA. In fact, the book states that our DNA was manipulated three times and that three different versions of humans were designed. This was due to failed experiments by out creators. Amphibious aliens from the Sirian star system, that landed on earth with "great noise and wind" on a 3-legged spacecraft. These aliens, named the Nummo, didn't take into consideration the problems of combining their androgynous (both male and female) DNA with the DNA of single sexed animals (us). According to Ms Dorey on page 25, "the Nummo change the Earth animals who are "naked and speechless" by using the "fibers" or the DNA from the Nummo world. The lack of intelligence on the Earth is identified as "disorder" that the Nummo want to end. By combining their DNA with the Earth animals they order the universe". On page 26, Ms Dorey writes: "Ogotemmeli referred to the Earth previously as being "naked and speechless" which is how animals are defined. So by connecting with the Nummo, the animals become clothed and they learn to speak." As stated the Nummo came from the Sirius star system and resembled serpents, lizards, chameleons and fish! Ms. Dorey adds, "The first important symbol found in OgotemmÍli conversation with Griaule is the symbol of the "word" it self. The "word" is used as a metaphor for DNA of the biologically engineered humans. This is because speech is synonymous with intelligence and the only way the Earth animals are able to speak is when their DNA is combined with the Nummo's DNA. The "word" is a key symbol and is used throughout to describe the three different version of the biologically engineered humans." On page 5, Ms Dorey writes: "..the religion of the Dogon tribe centered on the Sirius star system and this information about the red-dwarf star had been told to Griaule, and another anthropologist Germaine Dieterlen, sometime between 1931 and 1950. The Dogon had told the anthropologists they had received their knowledge from visitors who came to the earth from another star system." How can we believe the Dogon mythology? What proof is there that this tale, this story is any truer than that of any other culture or religion? On page 5 Ms. Dorey writes, "What is even more important is that the Dogon mythology evolved from an oral culture. The ancient stories told by Ogotemmeli had been passed on from generation to generation throughout the ages". Read "The Master of Speech" and discover how the Nummo story is woven into the creation myths of all the worlds major religions! Learn the truth about immortality and reincarnation. In what may prove to be one of life's largest understatements, Ms. Dorey writes, "It (the Dogon mythology) provides us with the sought after missing link and answers to questions that have plagued humanity since the beginning of time. If you are interested in purchasing "The Master of Speech", please click here. Publishers, to have your book reviews placed here please contact email@example.com.

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2287 Scarce Dagger Acronicta auricoma ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)Wingspan 36-42 mm. Formerly resident in the south-east of England, it became extinct as a breeding species in the early 1900s. Since then, around a dozen immigrant examples have been found, mainly along the south and south-east coast. It has two generations, flying in May and June, and again from mid-July to August, and occupies mainly wooded areas. The larvae feed on a range of foodplants including oak (Quercus) and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus).

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Effect of District Meter Areas on Water Quality ISBN: 1 84057 205 1 From the modelling work, case study and discussions with the industry, it is concluded that the net long term effect of creating DMAs does not appear to be detrimental to water quality on a day to day basis. The short term effect of creating DMAs depends on the extent with which the network has a potential to cause water quality problems, eg does it contain deposits and/ or corroding mains. Where these exist it is highly likely that work to install new valves and the set up of the DMA will cause short term discoloured water for some customers. Customers who bought this report also bought... Various operational and maintenance strategies (and the activities that comprise the strategy) are adopted by water suppliers in order to maintain water quality at acceptable levels. Conversely, acitivities applied to a netw... More...Price: £100 Add to basket This report investigates the prediction of chlorine by means of a field study. The prediction of water age was successful. Further research is needed on chlorine decay. The importance of pipe material, diameter, temperature, ... More...Price: £150 Add to basket The manual provides guidance to staff engaged in managing district meter areas (DMAs). It guides the practitioner through the stages of : 1. setting up and maintaining districts, 2 monitoring leakage, 3 se... More...Price: £100 Add to basket This study aims to advance understanding on discolouration in drinking water. Work products include: - A literature review of corrosion and iron discolouration. - Analysis of relationships between corrosion, tuberculatio... More...Price: £100 Add to basket The first update of 'Managing Leakage', the 1995 water industry report. Economics of leakage methodology, both short and long term is developed in detail. There are case studies on whole- life costing. Seven key areas of UKWI... More...Price: £50 Add to basket

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The flask in the image above contains cell cultures in the laboratory of UMass Amherst cellular engineer Susan Roberts who is studying cells extracted from the yew tree, known to produce the powerful anti-cancer agent, Taxol. Produced by plants as a defense against predators, Taxol and other secondary metabolites have many beneficial uses. Roberts and her colleagues are developing methods to enhance Taxol productivity in lab cultures to enable a large-scale, sustainable supply. Roberts also directs the interdisciplinary Institute for Cellular Engineering, whose researchers are working to harness the cellular “machinery” in plants, animals, and microorganisms for applications in human health, bioenergy and the environment. Learn more. Photo credit: Amanda Drane

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Moving and copying clips You can copy and move files and clips in the storyboard/timeline to other parts of the storyboard/timeline. By moving a clip, you can change its position on the storyboard/timeline without having to delete it, and then add it to the storyboard/timeline again. You can include the same content multiple times in your project by copying a clip. For example, you might have a short video clip at the beginning of your project that you want to repeat two times before playing the main content in your project. When you copy or move a video clip or picture on the storyboard/timeline, any added video effect is also copied, and it will appear in the new location.

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|© 2007 CARE| |Already inundated from previous cyclones, Madagascar’s northern and northwestern regions were hit by Cyclone Indlala on 15 March.| By Blue Chevigny NEW YORK, USA, 19 March 2007 – The rain is coming down in sheets over the capital city of Madagascar, Antananarivo, in the aftermath of Indlala, the latest cyclone to hit the island nation. Madagascar is in the midst of an extreme cyclone season, with four major storms already having devastated the country since December, the most recent one on 15 March. Tropical Cyclone Indlala destroyed 90 per cent of the traditional homes in the northern Antlaha region where it touched down that day, as well as disabling electricity and communications, destroying many administrative buildings and ravaging the area’s crops. According to UNICEF Communication Officer Misbah Sheikh, 293,000 families are already affected by the floods from previous storms. “With Indlala, the numbers will go up,” she adds. Continuing impact on children Ms. Sheikh worries about the effects on families and children in the north and northwest of the country, the regions hardest-hit by the latest storm. A rapid assessment team has been sent by UNICEF to survey the damage. “Seventy per cent of Madagascar’s population is rural,” says Ms. Sheikh. “They live in wooden houses, sometimes with thatched roofs, so they have probably experienced a lot of damage. Children are over half of the population and are, of course, the first affected.” |© UNICEF video| |Much of the population in flood-affected rural areas of Madagascar lives in wooden houses with thatched roofs that are likely to sustain serious storm damage.| In the regions of Madagascar stricken by the previous cyclones, UNICEF had already been providing relief in the form of tents, water purification supplies and water canisters, as well as nutritional support and emergency school supplies. No sooner did the situation begin to stabilize than Cyclone Indlala hit. Ms. Sheikh says this pattern is a huge problem. “Every time we attack an emergency, another pops up,” she laments. UN issues flash appeal Complicating matters further, in the south of Madagascar – which is a huge country the size of France, Belgium and Luxembourg combined – an entirely different problem persists. While flooding afflicts the country’s northern and central regions, the population in the south has been overwhelmed by a severe drought, which has led to undernutrition, water and sanitation problems and a loss of agricultural livelihood. “Where we have one region inundated with water, we have another one, in the same country, where thousands of children haven’t seen rain,” says Ms. Sheikh. Between the flooding in the north and the drought in the south, many of the basic necessities of life – including safe water, adequate sanitation, public health, nutrition and education – are lacking, especially for vulnerable children. On 16 March, the United Nations issued a humanitarian ‘flash appeal’ to donors in an effort to raise much-needed funds to help alleviate the crisis. For UNICEF in particular, these funds will be used in the areas of water and sanitation, nutrition, rapid assessment and educational support. “Without adequate financing, we will not be able to work as effectively to address these emergencies as they arise,” asserts Ms. Sheikh. 19 March 2007: UNICEF Communication Officer Misbah Sheikh discusses the effects of flooding on children in areas of northern Madagascar devastated by Cyclone Indlala.

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Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter One of the most prominent features in the Solar System is Jupiter’s Red Spot. This is a massive storm three times the size of the Earth that has been raging across the cloud tops of Jupiter since astronomers first looked at it with a telescope. Known as the Great Red Spot, this is an anticyclonic (high pressure) storm that rotates around the planet at about 22°. Astronomers think that its darker red color comes from how it dredges up sulfur and ammonia particles from deeper down in Jupiter’s atmosphere. These chemicals start out dark and then lighten as they’re exposed to sunlight. Smaller storms on Jupiter are usually white, and then darken as they get larger. The recently formed Red Spot Jr. storm turned from white to red as it grew in size and intensity. Astronomers aren’t sure if Jupiter’s Red Spot is temporary or permanent. It has been visible since astronomers started making detailed observations in the 1600s, and it’s still on Jupiter today. Some simulations have predicted that this a storm like this might be a permanent fixture on Jupiter. You can still see the Red Spot with a small telescope larger than about 15 cm (6 inches). The edge of the Red Spot is turning at a speed of about 360 km/h (225 mph). The whole size of the spot is ranges from 24,000 km x 12,000 km to as wide as 40,000 km. You could fit two or three Earths inside the storm. The actual edge of the storm lifts up about 8 km above the surrounding cloud tops. Astronomers have noticed that it’s been slowly shrinking over the last decade or so, losing about 15% of its total size. This might be a temporary situation, or Jupiter’s Red Spot might go on losing its size. If it continues, it should look almost round by 2040. We’ve also recorded an episode of Astronomy Cast all about Jupiter. Listen here, Episode 56: Jupiter.

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Socialsekreteraren har ordet! En studie av hur ungdomar beskrivs i socialtjänstens yttranden avseende unga lagöverträdare. Sammanfattning: The purpose of this essay was to examine how youths are described in certain written statements that are produced by the social services. The statements that this study has focused on, are those written with the purpose of serving the court with suggestions of treatment-measures when a person between 15 and 18 is suspected of having committed a crime. The main issues were: How is the content in these statements described and what do these descriptions tell the reader? Do the images of youths in the statements differ, depending on the degree of intervention for the suggested treatment-measure? The essay is based on a qualitative content-analysis of 50 statements and the material has been analysed from a social-constructive theoretical perspective. The study shows that the youths in the statements are described through descriptions that reinforces a positive or a negative image of the youth, and that these descriptions are described as either utterances or facts. Depending on the degree of intervention for the suggested treatment-measures, the information in the statements differ in that descriptions that are likely to reinforce a positive image of the youth are more frequent in the statements where no or less intervening treatment-measures is suggested. I addition to this, descriptions that are likely to reinforce a negative image of the youth are more frequent in the statements where more intervening treatment-measures is suggested. The study further shows that descriptions are more often described as facts in the statements with more intervening suggested treatment-measures. In addition to this, descriptions are more often described as utterances in the statements with less intervening suggested treatment-measures. HÄR KAN DU HÄMTA UPPSATSEN I FULLTEXT. (följ länken till nästa sida)

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- Prayer and Worship - Beliefs and Teachings - Issues and Action - Catholic Giving - About USCCB The Story of Creation.* 1In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the eartha— 2* and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters—b 3Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light.c 4God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Evening came, and morning followed—the first day.* 6Then God said: Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other. 7God made the dome,* and it separated the water below the dome from the water above the dome. And so it happened.d 8God called the dome “sky.” Evening came, and morning followed—the second day. 9Then God said: Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear. And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared.e 10God called the dry land “earth,” and the basin of water he called “sea.” God saw that it was good. 11f Then God said: Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. And so it happened: 12the earth brought forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw that it was good. 13Evening came, and morning followed—the third day. 14Then God said: Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the seasons, the days and the years,g 15and serve as lights in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth. And so it happened: 16God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night, and the stars.h 17God set them in the dome of the sky, to illuminate the earth, 18to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. 19Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day. 20i Then God said: Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky. 21God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of crawling living creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw that it was good, 22and God blessed them, saying: Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth.j 23Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day. 24k Then God said: Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal. And so it happened: 25God made every kind of wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good. 26l Then God said: Let us make* human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. 27God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female* he created them. 28God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.* Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.m 29* n God also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; 30and to all the wild animals, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the earth, I give all the green plants for food. And so it happened. 31God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.o * [1:1–2:3] This section, from the Priestly source, functions as an introduction, as ancient stories of the origin of the world (cosmogonies) often did. It introduces the primordial story (2:4–11:26), the stories of the ancestors (11:27–50:26), and indeed the whole Pentateuch. The chapter highlights the goodness of creation and the divine desire that human beings share in that goodness. God brings an orderly universe out of primordial chaos merely by uttering a word. In the literary structure of six days, the creation events in the first three days are related to those in the second three. |1.||light (day)/darkness (night)||=||4.||sun/moon| |2.||arrangement of water||=||5.||fish + birds from waters| |3.||a) dry land||=||6.||a) animals| |b) vegetation||b) human beings: male/female| The seventh day, on which God rests, the climax of the account, falls outside the six-day structure. Until modern times the first line was always translated, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Several comparable ancient cosmogonies, discovered in recent times, have a “when…then” construction, confirming the translation “when…then” here as well. “When” introduces the pre-creation state and “then” introduces the creative act affecting that state. The traditional translation, “In the beginning,” does not reflect the Hebrew syntax of the clause. * [1:2] This verse is parenthetical, describing in three phases the pre-creation state symbolized by the chaos out of which God brings order: “earth,” hidden beneath the encompassing cosmic waters, could not be seen, and thus had no “form”; there was only darkness; turbulent wind swept over the waters. Commencing with the last-named elements (darkness and water), vv. 3–10 describe the rearrangement of this chaos: light is made (first day) and the water is divided into water above and water below the earth so that the earth appears and is no longer “without outline.” The abyss: the primordial ocean according to the ancient Semitic cosmogony. After God’s creative activity, part of this vast body forms the salt-water seas (vv. 9–10); part of it is the fresh water under the earth (Ps 33:7; Ez 31:4), which wells forth on the earth as springs and fountains (Gn 7:11; 8:2; Prv 3:20). Part of it, “the upper water” (Ps 148:4; Dn 3:60), is held up by the dome of the sky (vv. 6–7), from which rain descends on the earth (Gn 7:11; 2 Kgs 7:2, 19; Ps 104:13). A mighty wind: literally, “spirit or breath [ruah] of God”; cf. Gn 8:1. * [1:5] In ancient Israel a day was considered to begin at sunset. * [1:7] The dome: the Hebrew word suggests a gigantic metal dome. It was inserted into the middle of the single body of water to form dry space within which the earth could emerge. The Latin Vulgate translation firmamentum, “means of support (for the upper waters); firmament,” provided the traditional English rendering. * [1:26] Let us make: in the ancient Near East, and sometimes in the Bible, God was imagined as presiding over an assembly of heavenly beings who deliberated and decided about matters on earth (1 Kgs 22:19–22; Is 6:8; Ps 29:1–2; 82; 89:6–7; Jb 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This scene accounts for the plural form here and in Gn 11:7 (“Let us then go down…”). Israel’s God was always considered “Most High” over the heavenly beings. Human beings: Hebrew ’ādām is here the generic term for humankind; in the first five chapters of Genesis it is the proper name Adam only at 4:25 and 5:1–5. In our image, after our likeness: “image” and “likeness” (virtually synonyms) express the worth of human beings who have value in themselves (human blood may not be shed in 9:6 because of this image of God) and in their task, dominion (1:28), which promotes the rule of God over the universe. * [1:27] Male and female: as God provided the plants with seeds (vv. 11, 12) and commanded the animals to be fertile and multiply (v. 22), so God gives sexuality to human beings as their means to continue in existence. * [1:28] Fill the earth and subdue it: the object of the verb “subdue” may be not the earth as such but earth as the territory each nation must take for itself (chaps. 10–11), just as Israel will later do (see Nm 32:22, 29; Jos 18:1). The two divine commands define the basic tasks of the human race—to continue in existence through generation and to take possession of one’s God-given territory. The dual command would have had special meaning when Israel was in exile and deeply anxious about whether they would continue as a nation and return to their ancient territory. Have dominion: the whole human race is made in the “image” and “likeness” of God and has “dominion.” Comparable literature of the time used these words of kings rather than of human beings in general; human beings were invariably thought of as slaves of the gods created to provide menial service for the divine world. The royal language here does not, however, give human beings unlimited power, for kings in the Bible had limited dominion and were subject to prophetic critique. * [1:29] According to the Priestly tradition, the human race was originally intended to live on plants and fruits as were the animals (see v. 30), an arrangement that God will later change (9:3) in view of the human inclination to violence. 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Everyone is familiar with weather systems on Earth like rain, wind and snow. But space weather – variable conditions in the space surrounding Earth – has important consequences for our lives inside Earth’s atmosphere. Solar activity occurring miles outside Earth’s atmosphere, for example, can trigger magnetic storms on Earth. These storms are visually stunning, but they can set our modern infrastructure spinning. On Jan. 19, scientists saw a solar flare in an active region of the Sun, along with a concentrated blast of solar-wind plasma and magnetic field lines known as a coronal mass ejection that burst from the Sun’s surface and appeared to be headed for Earth. When these solar winds met Earth’s magnetic field, the interaction created one of the largest magnetic storms on Earth recorded in the past few years. The storm peaked on Jan. 24, just as another storm began. “These new storms, and the storm we witnessed on Sept 26, 2011, indicate the up-tick in activity coming with the Earth’s ascent into the next solar maximum,” said USGS geophysicist Jeffrey Love.” This solar maximum is the period of greatest activity in the solar cycle of the Sun, and it is predicted to occur sometime in 2013, which will increase the amount of magnetic storms on Earth. Magnetic storms, said Love, are a space weather phenomenon responsible for the breathtaking lights of the aurora borealis, but also sometimes for the disruption of technology and infrastructure our modern society depends on. Large magnetic storms, for example, can interrupt radio communication, interfere with global-positioning systems, disrupt oil and gas well drilling, damage satellites and affect their operations, and even cause electrical blackouts by inducing voltage surges in electric power grids. Storms can also affects airline activity — as a result of last weekend’s storm, both Air Canada and Delta Air Lines rerouted flights over the Arctic bound for Asia as a precautionary measure. Although the storm began on the 19th of January, it did not peak until January 24th. While this particular storm had minor consequences on Earth, other large storms can be crippling, Love said. He noted that the largest storm of the 20th century occurred in March, 1989, accompanied by auroras that could be seen as far south as Texas, and sent electric currents into Earth’s crust that made their way into the high-voltage Canadian Hydro-Quebec power grid. This caused the transformer to fail and left more than 6 million people without power for 9 hours. The same storm also damaged and disrupted the operation of satellites, GPS systems, and radio communication systems used by the United States military. While large, the 1989 storm pales in comparison to one that occurred in September 1859 and is the largest storm in recorded history. Scientists estimate that the economic impact to the United States from a storm of the same size in today’s society could exceed $1 trillion as a result of the technological systems it could disrupt. The USGS, a partner in the multi-agency National Space Weather Program, collects data that can help us understand how magnetic storms may impact the United States. Constant monitoring of Earth’s magnetic field allows us to better assess the impact of these phenomena on Earth’s surface. To do this, the USGS Geomagnetism Program maintains 14 observatories around the United States and its territories, which provide ground-based measurements of changes in the magnetic field. These measurements are being used by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center and the US Air Force Weather Agencyto track the intensity of the magnetic storm generated by this solar activity. In addition to providing data to its customers, the USGS produces models of the Earth’s magnetic field that are used in a host of applications, including GPS receivers, military and civilian navigational systems, and in research for studies of the effects of geomagnetic storms on the ionosphere (a shell of electrons and electrically charged atoms and molecules surrounding Earth), atmosphere, and near-space environment.

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Contamination and pollution Introduction of harmful substances into the environment by human action or natural processes. Northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem change and hazard susceptibility [ More info] Map interfaces and data in the area offshore Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama which was affected most by hurricane Katrina and, more recently, the oil spill. Nutrients National Synthesis Project: nutrients in rivers, streams, and aquifers in the United States [ More info] This Nutrients National Synthesis Project site on the U.S. study of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, as contaminants in high concentrations links to an overview, study team, featured reports, publications, and national datasets. Nutrients in the Nation's streams and groundwater: National findings and implications [ More info] Despite public sector efforts to reduce nonpoint-source nutrients in streams and rivers, concentrations have remained the same or increased, continuing to pose risks to aquatic life and human health. Occurrence of Emerging Contaminants in Water and Bed Material in the Missouri River, North Dakota, 2007 [ More info] Water monitoring results, focused on wastewater compounds, human-health pharmaceutical compounds, hormones, and antibiotics in water, and waste indicators, hormones, and antibiotics in solids. Occurrence of Escherichia coli in the Cuyahoga River in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio [ More info] Explains how this important indicator bacteria is used to detect problems in the water supply that may affect human health, focusing on a specific recreational area. Occurrence of selected radionuclides in ground water used for drinking water in the United States [ More info] Results (*.pdf) of a 1998 targeted reconnaissance survey on the sources of radium, polonium, and lead radionuclides, data collection and laboratory methods, existing occurrences in drinking water, risk assessments, and compliance monitoring. Occurrence, distribution, and concentrations of selected contaminants in streambed- and suspended-sediment samples collected in Bexar County, Texas, 2007-09 [ More info] Study showing which chemicals found in sediments were most common, with methods used and likely consequences of their high concentrations. Oil Pollution Impacts on Birds [ More info] A compilation of information, including reports, bibliographies, and data, on all aspects oil toxicity relevant to birds and other wildlife. Operational guidelines for geological fieldwork in areas endemic for Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) [ More info] Report giving operational guidelines that will lower the risk of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) for individuals who work outdoors in areas where the disease is endemic. Organic Compounds in Clackamas River Water Used for Public Supply near Portland, Oregon, 2003-05 [ More info] In all, 56 compounds were detected in samples collected approximately monthly during 2003-05 at the intake for the Clackamas River Water plant. On the basis of this screening-level assessment, adverse effects to human health are assumed to be negligible. Alphabetical Index of Topics a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

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Fact sheet on the historic and current conditions of mangroves of Dry Tortugas National Park, a cluster of islands and coral reefs west of Key West, Florida. Mangroves and nesting frigate bird colonies are at risk to destruction by hurricanes. Doppler radar imaging is used for tracking the migration and behavior of bird populations. With the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies, USGS uses this technology to assist decision makers balance natural and industrial concerns Updated summaries of research in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, on caribou, muskoxen, predators (grizzly bears, wolves, golden eagles), polar bears, snow geese and their wildlife habitats with maps of land-cover and vegetation. Fact sheet on the need to protect biological soil crusts in the desert. These crusts are most of the soil surface in deserts not covered by green plants and are inhabited by cyanobacterium (blue-green algae) and other organisms useful to the ecosystem. Overview of research of the Ecology Branch on the ecological consequences of habitat degradation due to altered environment, nonindigenous species, and atmospheric alterations. Includes links to staff and research projects. Assessment of the importance of the Conservation Reserve Program in preventing the decline of grassland breeding birds by preserving grassland habitats in North Dakota. Published as Wilson Bulletin v. 107 no. 4, pp. 709-718 (1995). Study of wildland fire history and fire ecology such as plants in the Sierra Nevada forests, California shrublands, the Mojave, and Sonoran deserts to develop management techniques that will reduce hazards. Catalog of bird species common to forest and rangeland habitats in the U.S. with natural histories including taxonomic information, range, and habitat descriptions to assist land managers in resource management. Text available as a *.zip file. Macroinvertebrate data collected by USGS or USFS from 73 sites from 2000 to 2007 and algal data collected from up to 26 sites between 2000 and 2001 in the Eagle River watershed, with emphasis on methods of sample collection and data processing. Plan for an upcoming study, at the microbiological scale, of the benthic communities (including corals) that reside in and around mid-Atlantic canyons, which are located at the edge of the continental shelf. Homepage for the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND, with links to announcements, science prgorams, biological resources finder, publications search option, contacts, and answers to common questions about the Center Links to ornithology programs at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, including large scale survey analysis of bird populations, research tools, datasets and analyses, bird identification, and seasonal bird lists. Core web page from America's first wildlife experiment station and a leading wildlife management refuge, the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland with links to projects, publications, library, contacts, and how to get there. Biomonitoring projects studying the status and trends of the nation's environmental resources and programs studying amphibians and birds. Links to long-term programs, resources and references, and related links. Report on effects of the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide on plants and animals, especially birds, in the Great Plains including effects of carbon dioxide fertilization, ultraviolet radiation, climate change, and harmful effects on bird habitats. Project is designed to integrate studies from a number of researchers compiling data from terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems within south Florida. Links to publications, maps, posters, and data of studies. Report prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with descriptions of exotic aquatic species introduced in the southeast United States with information on populations, geographic distribution, and origins. Complex interactions among hydrologic events initiated by people and the behaviors and characteristics of animal species (both native and introduced) lead to important scientific and management problems. Information on the NWRC Wetlands Ecology Branch, which conducts research related to sustainable management and restoration of the nation's coastal saltwater wetlands, freshwater wetlands, submerged aquatic ecosystems, and coastal prairie. How will the increasing use of wind turbines affect populations of wild birds and bats? This shows which birds and bats we study, and the aspects of their ecology that may be affected by wind energy development. Main page for accessing links for information and data on the San Francisco Bay estuary and its watershed with links to highlights, water, biology, wetlands, hazards, digital maps, geologic mapping, winds, bathymetry and overview of the Bay. Clearinghouse for the description and availability of multiple geospatial datasets relating to Alaska from many federal, state and local cooperating agencies under the coordination of the Alaska Geographic Data Committee. Links to volcanism, volcanic history, volcanic rocks, and general geology by state, by region, national parks and national monuments and a brief introduction to volcanism around the U.S. entitled: Windows into the past. They're abundant in this area, but hard to count reliably. We outline a procedure for estimating the population sizes so that we can determine whether they're increasing or dwindling. We must both listen for their calls and visually confirm them. Homepage for the Dept. of the Interior's Initiative coordinated by the USGS, for amphibian (frogs, toads, salamanders and newts) monitoring, research, and conservation. Links to National Atlas for Amphibian Distribution, photos, and interactive map serve Links to information on species of frogs, toads, and salamanders located in the southeastern United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with information on appearance, habitats, calls, and status, plus photos, glossary, and provisional data. We removed non-native fish from a section of the river and the endangered native species humpback chub increased in abundance. But it is not yet clear that decreased competition explains the rebound in population. Background information and genetic sequencing data for more than 1,000 individual field isolates of the fish virus Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHNV) collected in western North America from 1966 to the present, updated annually. Wildlife you see in a national park or other reserved area don't know about the park boundary. Bobcat, martens, mink, and moose need different types of living space and habitat. Development outside the park affects their ability to inhabit the park. Using genetic analysis of organic material found in aquatic environments it is possible to detect the presence of organisms without necessarily observing or capturing individuals. Explains terms, methods, and prospective utility of this approach. Previous analysis showed this area to have reduced macroinvertebrate biodiversity, an important measure of ecosystem health. New observations indicate that conditions have improved; report includes methods and results of sampling. Project of the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science program that evaluates the transport and sedimentation of contaminates through the Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River delta to the near-shore Gulf of Mexico. Includes aerial photographs. Small wetlands in this large area have hosted migratory birds for a long time, but with changes in agricultural practice and regional climate those habitats may not remain hospitable to the wild populations. Brief review of bat research in the San Francisco Bay area and southern California providing land managers with information on the occurrence and status of bat species with links to bat inventories for California and related material. A literature synthesis and annotated bibliography focus on North America and on refereed journals. Additional references include a selection of citations on bat ecology, international research on bats and wind energy, and unpublished reports. A geologic and oceanographic study of the waters and Continental Shelf of Gulf of the Farallones adjacent to the San Francisco Bay region. The results of the study provide a scientific basis to evaluate and monitor human impact on the marine environment. A web-enabled database that provides for the capture, curation, integration, and delivery of bioassessment data collected by USGS, principally macroinvertebrate, algae, fish, and supporting habitat data from rivers and streams. Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program is designed to assess and monitor the effects of environmental contaminants on biological resources with links to detailed information on specific species. Explains biological soil crusts, organism-produced soil formations commonly found in semiarid and arid environments, with special reference to their biological composition, physical characteristics, and ecological significance. Bird banding is used to study the movement, survival and behavior of birds. The Bird Banding Laboratory Site has links to the value, procedure and history of bird banding, how to report bird bands (English & Spanish), and resources for birders. Geographical access to multiple bird checklists developed by others that indicate the seasonal occurrence of birds in a given area. A Record Documentation Form to document supporting details of rare bird observations is also available. This web site is an outgrowth of an agreement between the USGS and the New England Aquarium, designed to summarize and make available results of scientific research. It will also present educational material of interest to wide audiences. Description of bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts) and lichens (dual organisms of a fungus and an alga or a cyanobacterium) that are part of forest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest with information on habitat and conservation. Manual for research program on the nesting habits of sea turtles of the Virgin Islands, with descriptions of species, nesting behavior, observation methods, record keeping, tagging, and tissue sample collection. (PDF file, 121 pp.) Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) poses a problem in the deserts of the United States, growing in dense stands and introducing a wildfire risk in an ecosystem not adapted to fire. This report explains what we are doing to help mitigate its effects. Combining genetic data with current and predicted climate scenarios, we are modeling the predicted future distributions of wildlife populations in the Arctic and identifying key environmental variables that determine important animal habitat. Three themes of ongoing research: forecasting polar bear and walrus population response to changing marine ecosystems; measuring wildlife population changes in the Arctic coastal plain, and wildlife communities in the boreal-Arctic transition zone. Identification of epiphytes (plants obtaining moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and usually living on another plant) on seaweed in Tampa Bay, Florida. Abstract of symposium presentation with photos. Detailed publication on the classification system for an inventory of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States used to describe ecological taxa and arrange them in a system useful to resource managers. Overview of interdisciplinary research studies in Glacier National Park to understand how this mountain wilderness responds to present climatic variability and other external stressors, such as air pollution, and links to detailed reports. Home page for Coastal and Marine Geology with links to topics of interest (sea level change, erosion, corals, pollution, sonar mapping, and others), Sound Waves monthly newsletter, field centers, regions of interest, and subject search system. Changes in both the ocean and coastal ecosystems may have negative effects on sea otter populations in the coastal Northwest and Alaska. A study underway will examine these factors and the overall health of sea otter populations. Declines in fish and wildlife populations, water-quality issues, and changes in coastal habitats have prompted this USGS study of the region's nearshore life and environment. Includes links to data from published reports. Coverage of the Coastal Prairie Ecology Research (CPER) Team, National Wetlands Research Center, providing scientific information to aid the conservation, management, and restoration of ecosystems in the greater coastal prairie region. Website for the Columbia Environmental Research Center with links to staff, publications, databases, field stations, and projects including those on the Rio Grande, burrowing owls, sea turtles, and geospatial technology. Links to Columbia Environmental Research Center online databases with text, data, and metadata on toxicity, Missouri River, biomonitoring of environmental status and trends, contaminants, and sediments. Web site for an Internet Map Service (IMS) serving base cartographic data, USGS data, science applications and real time modelling analyses for the Columbia River basin using geospatial analysis technology. Describes research to assess the effectiveness of the current system and distribution of marine reserves and protected areas in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico for conserving reef ecosystems and resources. The information provided in the CEE-TV database profiles available geo-referenced information on contaminant exposure and effects in terrestrial vertebrates along the U. S. coasts. The database utilizes Microsoft's Access 2000 for Windows. Report with mini-movie and photos on the hypothesis that the atmospheric transport of dust arising from the desertification in northern Africa led to algal infestation of corals, coral diseases, and the near extinction of associated sea urchins. Shows how coral reef specimens are collected, the type of information gained from them, and the methods by which they are measured and studied to understand recent (past few centuries) changes in climate. Locations for nine species of large constrictors, from published sources, along with monthly precipitation and average monthly temperature for those locations. Shapefiles for each snake species studied. Three mathematical models using information about the geographic distribution and character of land surface characteristics along with proposed modifications or plausible events to determine the likely costs and benefits of actions and events. Population size, foaling, deaths, age structure, sex ratio, age-specific survival rates, and more over a 14 year time span. This information will help land and wildlife managers find the best maintenance and conservation strategies. Article from Wildlife Monographs no. 100 (1988) on the relationships of wetland habitat dynamics and life history to the breeding distributions of the various species of ducks with information on research methods and references. Use of diatoms in biostratigraphy, coastal and estuarine studies, paleoceanology, paleoliminology, earthquake studies, environmental quality and forensic studies. Includes listing of USGS diatom projects and links to other diatom websites. Maps of the ranges of tree species in North America compiled by Elbert Little and others were digitized for use in USGS vegetation and climate modeling studies. Can be downloaded as ArcView shapefiles and in PDF graphic files. Comprehensive bibliography on the ecology, conservation, and management of North American waterfowl and their wetland habitats. Facilitates searching or downloading as *.zip files and use with ProCite utility. Satellite images of geographic areas of interest, cities, deserts, glaciers, geologic features, disaster areas, water bodies, and wildlife linked with articles, maps, and other images such as AVHRR, photographs, and special project images. Research and monitoring to develop fundamental understanding of ecosystem function and distributions, physical and biological components and trophic dynamics for freshwater, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems and the human and fish and wildlife communitie Comparison of water in two adjacent watersheds before and after implementing a brush management strategy in one of the watersheds helps us see what water resource characteristics are sensitive to brush management and how. By measuring the current and historical growth rates of coral skeletons, and using field experiments, we intend to find out whether rising atmospheric CO2 and rising sea levels will cause coral reefs to erode and cease to function. Study of the effects of the practice of cycling municipal nutrient-enriched wastewater from holding ponds through forested wetlands. Studies were in the Cypiere Perdue Swamp, Louisiana, and the Drummond Bog, Wisconsin. Sixty-five sampling sites, selected by a statistical design to represent lengths of perennial streams in North Dakota, were chosen to be sampled for water chemistry and mercury in fish tissue to establish unbiased baseline data. Sixty-five sampling sites, selected by a statistical design to represent lengths of perennial streams in North Dakota, were chosen to be sampled for fish and aquatic insects (macroinvertebrates) to establish unbiased baseline data. Integrated network of real-time water-level monitoring, ground-elevation modeling, and water-surface modeling that provides scientists and managers with current on-line water-depth information for the entire freshwater portion of the Greater Everglades. Wetlands and oil wells shouldn't mix, but in some areas they do. This explains what problems may arise and how we study the effects of highly salty water produced by oil wells when it leaks into nearby wetlands and streams. Constructed farm ponds represent significant breeding, rearing, and overwintering habitat for amphibians in the Driftless Area Ecoregion of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Links to fact sheet, brochure, annual reports, field manual, and final report. This program is focused on the study of fishes, fisheries, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic habitats, and evaluates factors that affect aquatic organism health, population fitness, biological diversity, and aquatic community and habitat function. Explains how we assessed the quality of a wetland as indicated by its plant species composition and abundance for marsh and swamp sites, to summarize the effectiveness of restoration projects in Louisiana. Home page of the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, providing research and technical support for ecosystem management in the western U.S. Links to projects, field stations, fact sheets, partnerships, and publications. Homepage of the Fort Collins Science Center in Colorado with links to programs in ecological research programs, staff directory, products library, news and events, and research features and spotlights. Overview with links to studies on the effects of human activity on the San Francisco estuary with loss of historic fresh and saltwater tidal marshes reducing habitats, introducing contaminants in waste, and creating dredging problems. Home page for the Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project, a demonstration study of the northern Colorado Front Range urban corridor and the entire Rocky Mountain Front Range urban corridor with links to projects, datasets, and publications. Program to keep common species common by identifying those species and plant communities that are not adequately represented in existing conservation lands. Links to projects, applications, status maps, and a searchable database. Describes the value of molecular biology genetic tools in enhancing the delineation of the genetic diversity and the effects of environmental degradation on living species. Links to research, which differentiated two species of sage-grouse. Geographic Analysis and Monitoring Program (GAM) conducts studies about land surface change, environmental and human health, fire and urban ecology, and natural hazards to help decision-makers in land-use planning and land management. Field methods, topics of investigation, shoreline changes, publications, and satellite imagery related to geologic and hydrologic processes affecting Lake Pontchartrain and adjacent lakes which form a large estuary in the Gulf Coast region. Description of the Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (GeoMAC) project, online maps of current wildland fire locations using Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, and user guide on how to use mapping application. Review of the size of breeding populations of Giant Canada geese by states in the Mississippi, Atlantic, Central, and Pacific flyways and the management problems caused by rapid increases of local breeding populations. Site for Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, which provides information about biological resources in the Great Lakes Basin. Links to personnel, publications, data, library, facilities, research vessels, Great Lakes issues, and research. Website of the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Science program to understand the framework and processes of the Gulf of Mexico using Tampa Bay as a pilot study. Links to publications, digital library, water chemistry maps, epiphytes, and field trips. Tide stage, specific conductance, water temperature, and freshwater inflow at selected Hudson River (New York) gages updated every 4-hours to measure the effects of freshwater withdrawals and upstream movement of the salt front. Airborne scanning laser surveys (LIDAR) are used to obtaining data to investigate the magnitude and causes of coastal changes that occur during severe storms. Links to examples of coastal mapping during specific hurricanes. A brief definition and explanation of hypoxia with special reference to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone along the Louisiana-Texas coast as well as extensive links to USGS and other related information resources. Information about the causes and impact of hypoxia with links to USGS and other Federal agency information and activities related to nutrients in the Mississippi River Basin and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Description of the use of a miniature video-camera system deployed at nests of passerine species in North Dakota to videotape predation of eggs or nestlings by animals such as mice, ground squirrels, deer, cowbirds and others. Recent physical changes over time, including trends toward earlier snowmelt runoff, decreasing river ice, and increasing spring water temperatures, may affect salmon populations; we want to know how important these effects are. Article from Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources on the serious impacts to river systems due to damming and flow regulation, and rehabilitation, monitoring, and research on such rivers. Landscapes of interwoven wetlands and uplands offer a rich set of ecosystem goods and services. Changes in climate and land use can affect the value of those services. We study these areas to understand how they may be changing. We conducted a national landowner survey, evaluated short-term vegetation responses to land management practices (primarily grazing, haying, and burning), and initiating a long-term vegetation monitoring study for wetland buffers. Description of research program for immediate and long-term management of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) inhabiting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Includes links to reports in PDF format and cooperating organizations. Links to research projects that will improve the ability to detect, monitor, and predict the effects of invasive species, including exotic animals, on native ecosystems of the Pacific Southwest (California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona). Will salt marshes survive if sea level rises quickly? The answer depends on whether the areas surrounding them can allow salt marsh fauna and flora to migrate there. Local topography, both natural and manmade, is the main factor limiting this migration. Handbook on monitoring methods for lake management, including program design, sampling methods and protocol, biota and chemical sampling methods, laboratory methods, preservation of data and samples, glossary, and bibliography. (PDF file, 92 pp.) This website is a gateway to information and data on Lake Tahoe with links to Lake Tahoe Initiative, geography, history, lake facts, GIS Data, DEM, DOQ, DLG imagery, bathymetry, satellite imagery, land cover, census, soils, pictures, and general maps. Homepage for the Leetown Science Center in West Virginia conducting research on aquatic and terrestrial organisms and their supporting ecosystems with links to directions, general description, library, projects, fact sheets, and facilities.

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Researchers are concerned about a fish that's turning into a new threat to the ecology of Lake Tahoe. Biologists with the University of Nevada, Reno say they're finding a growing number of giant goldfish in the lake. While officials have been working for years in trying to keep the lake's water crystal clear, researcher Sudeep Chandra told KCRA-TV ( ) the discovery of the goldfish is particularly worrisome because goldfish eat a lot and excrete "lots of nutrients." Those nutrients stimulate algae growth. The goldfish, some of which have grown to 18 inches, could also eat smaller fish, creating new competition for native trout. Chandra says with no prior studies on goldfish for guidance, researchers are catching the giant goldfish and bringing them back to their lab to study. It's not clear how the goldfish got into Lake Tahoe, but it's believed to be from people dumping aquariums into the lake. Information from: KCRA-TV The Associated Press

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Interactive Tool: When Are You Most Fertile? What does this tool measure? Back to top Click here to find out when you are most likely to get pregnant. This interactive tool estimates your peak fertility period, also known as your "fertile window." This is when you are most likely to get pregnant. Do not use this tool to prevent pregnancy. To find your peak fertility period, the tool first calculates the day you are most likely to ovulate. This is the day an ovary releases an egg. In the tool, you will enter the typical length of your menstrual cycle, and you will click on the first day of your last menstrual period. - To know how long your cycles are, track the number of days on a calendar for 2 or 3 months or cycles. Your menstrual cycle begins with the day your period starts and ends the day before your next period starts. - If you do not know the number of days in your menstrual cycle, you can use 28 days. This is the average length of a menstrual cycle. But if your cycle is longer or shorter than that, or if it is not always the same length, this tool will not predict your fertile window very well. This calculator is meant to give you a rough estimate. Women usually ovulate at day 15, but it's also normal to ovulate well before or after the 15-day mark. For information about reading your body's signs to tell when you will ovulate, see Fertility Awareness. Health Tools Back to top Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. |Interactive tools are designed to help people determine health risks, ideal weight, target heart rate, and more.| What do the results tell me? Back to top Your "fertile window" is up to 6 days long, once a month. It includes: - The day you ovulate. This is when you have the best chance of becoming pregnant. (A human egg usually lives for only 12 to 24 hours after ovulation. This is why you are not likely to get pregnant by having sex a day after you ovulate.) - The 5 days before ovulation. This is because sperm can live in a woman's body for 3 to 5 days after sex. When an egg is released, one of these sperm is ready to fertilize it. If you want to become pregnant, try to have sex every day or every other day from your first fertile day to your last fertile day. What's next? Back to top If your periods are irregular, this calculator is not a good way to predict your ovulation dates. Do not use this tool to prevent pregnancy. Source: Fritz MA, Speroff L (2011). Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 8th ed., Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. References Back to top Other Works Consulted - Fritz MA, Speroff L (2011). Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 8th ed., Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Credits Back to top |Primary Medical Reviewer||Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine| |Specialist Medical Reviewer||Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology| |Last Revised||October 29, 2012| To learn more visit Healthwise.org © 1995-2013 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

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Image: Sierra Nevada Corporation Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser spacecraft is being prepared for its first test flights as part of NASA’s commercial space program, and it’s a design that wouldn’t look out of place on a poster stuck to a 10-year-old’s wall. The Dream Chaser is one of three vehicles competing for NASA contracts to replace the space shuttle orbiters for transporting astronauts to the International Space Station and elsewhere in low Earth orbit. Unlike its capsule competitors from Boeing and SpaceX, the Dream Chaser is a flying, lifting body design that could land on a runway, much closer in concept to the orbiters that were retired in 2011. Sierra Nevada announced that it will be partnering with veteran space vehicle maker and aerospace juggernaut Lockheed Martin to build the second Dream Chaser vehicle. The two companies will also collaborate on ongoing parts of NASA’s commercial crew program, which is currently in the Certification Products Contract phase. Sierra Nevada, SpaceX and Boeing are developing versions of their space vehicles that will meet NASA certification for safety and performance. “The SNC team is thrilled that Lockheed Martin will be joining our expanding world-class team of partner organizations,” said Mark Sirangelo, head of Sierra Nevada’s space system group. Lockheed Martin will build the next Dream Chaser at the facility in Michaud, Louisiana where the external tanks for the space shuttles were made. The company is no stranger to the current commercial space programs as it builds the Atlas V rocket (in a joint venture with Boeing) to be used by the Dream Chaser as well as Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft. Sierra Nevada says the first Dream Chaser spacecraft is currently bring prepared for transport at the company’s facility in Colorado. In the next few weeks SNC expects to transport the vehicle to Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert where flight testing will take place. The Dream Chaser will be dropped from a helicopter at 12,000 feet and and is expected to reach speeds of around 300 knots (345 mph) before landing at a touchdown speed of around 180 knots (207 mph). For the initial test flights, the Dream Chaser will glide to the ground autonomously without a pilot. The glide flights are scheduled to begin within the next two months and Sierra Nevada says the flight test vehicle will make just a few flights to gather the data necessary to further refine the flight characteristics of the design. The second Dream Chaser – built by Lockheed Martin – will be the vehicle used for sub-orbital flight testing that the company hopes will begin in the next two years. NASA is expected announce at least two companies to fly astronauts to low earth orbit by 2017. Via FlowingData: http://flowingdata.com/

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Ear Mites (Otodectes) in Cats What are ear mites? The ear mite Otodectes cynotis is a surface mite that lives on cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets. It is usually found in the ear canal but it can also live on the skin surface. The entire ear mite life cycle takes place on animals. Ear mites are highly contagious, and cats become infested by direct contact with another infested animal. The mite is barely visible to the naked eye and may be seen as a white speck moving against a dark background. What is the life cycle of the ear mite? It takes approximately 3 weeks for a mite to develop from egg to adult, going through a total of 5 stages. Adult ear mites live about 2 months, during which time they continually reproduce. The entire ear mite life cycle takes place on the host animal, although mites can survive for a limited time in the environment. What are the clinical signs of ear mites? Ear mites are the most common cause of feline ear disease and infection. They are the second most common ectoparasite (external parasite) found on cats; the most common is the flea. Infestations are most common in kittens and young cats although cats of any age can be affected. Clinical signs of infestation vary in severity from one cat to another and include combinations of: 1. Ear irritation causing scratching at the ears or head shaking 2. A dark waxy or crusty discharge from the ear 3. Areas of hair loss resulting from self-trauma - scratching or excessive grooming 4. A crusted rash around or in the ear 5. An aural hematoma - a large blood blister on the ear, caused by rupture of small blood vessels between the skin and cartilage - caused by scratching at the ears Skin lesions most frequently affect the ear and surrounding skin but occasionally other areas of the body may be affected. How are ear mite infestations diagnosed? Typical clinical signs with a history of contact with other cats or dogs would suggest the involvement of ear mites. Although ear mites cause over half of all feline ear disease, other conditions can result in very similar clinical signs and must be ruled-out before treatment is begun. A veterinarian makes the diagnosis by observing the mite. This is usually straightforward and may be done either by examination of the cat's ears with an otoscope or by microscopic examination of discharge from the ear. If the ears are very sore, the cat may need to be sedated to allow the ears to be properly examined and treated. How are ear mites treated? Three steps are required to treat ear mites successfully: 1. Treat the ears of all affected and susceptible pets 2. Treat the skin of all affected and susceptible pets 3. Treat the indoor environment because the mite is capable of limited survival off pets "It is necessary for the entire course of treatment to last a minimum of three weeks." Your veterinarian will advise you about which insecticidal products are suitable. There are several ear medications licensed for the treatment of ear mites in cats. No medication can penetrate the eggs or pupae, so treatment is directed at killing the adult and larval forms. Because of the length of the life cycle, it is necessary for the entire course of treatment to last a minimum of three weeks. There are no products licensed for use on the house or on an animal's skin but many products licensed for flea control are effective. Your veterinarian may ask to re-examine the cat to ensure that the mites have been eliminated after the initial treatment has been performed. Do ear mites affect people? Ear mites may cause a temporary itchy rash on susceptible people if there are infested pets in the household. Eradication of the mites from the pets will cure the problem.

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n his thoughtful history of Eton, Christopher Hollis points out the complexities involved when discussing matters of class distinction at the school and in society as a whole during the centuries since its founding. First of all what we may call a Whig theory of history doesn't really apply; that is, class distinctions have not, as many have claimed, gradually attenuated. Things are more complicated than that. When discussing either British society or the institution of the English Public School, one frequently encounters the claim, as Hollis puts it, "that class distinctions are perhaps still strong but . . . that they have been gradually and steadily growing less over the generations. The truth is . . . by no means so simple. Turning to the issue of class in the Eton Henry VI founded, he argues, It would be somewhat less than a half truth to say that Eton was in its foundation a school for poor boys. In the first place of course the 'poor and needy' boys whom Henry had in mind were not the sons of serfs. They were rather the sons of tradesmen. In the second place in the Middle Ages instruction in a school was almost always free. Eton was in no way unique in providing free tuition. The originality in Henry's plan was his conception of a school in which poor and needy' scholars were to be educated side by side with richer commensales. Nonetheless, despite the king's apparently radical juxtaposition of sons of tradesman and nobility, one form of class distinction — well known since Victorian times — did not yet exist: Up to the beginning of the nineteenth century no one ever suggested that the local tradesman's son — the son of the man who made no pretence to be a gentleman — should be excluded from the school. Eton of the early nineteenth century was by no means what could be called a democratic or an egalitarian school. The sons of noblemen had what would seem to us offensive and ridiculous privileges within the school —a special dress — a special seat in Chapel and the like. On occasion at any rate, as appears in various Memoirs, they behaved with ill-bred insolence towards their inferiors within the school. Yet class distinctions were so clearly established in society at large that it was not thought that the nobleman's son could be in any way contaminated or his prestige put in jeopardy if he had to spend his school days sitting at the same bench or kneeling at the same block as a tradesman's son. When and why, then, did fear of class contamination come about? With increasing social mobility, for as long as everyone assumed they existed in a rigidly hierarchical society in which each order and occupation had an essentially fixed position, no one feared that they might be mistaken for someone of a lower social and economic class. Perhaps surprisingly — until, that is, one thinks about the matter a bit — the upwardly mobile, rather than members of the established nobility, first demanded class separation: It was the middle class after their victory in 1832 which brought in this notion of personal segregation — of the class school. It was the manufacturers who had recently raised themselves from the ranks who did not feel confident that their children would preserve their refinement if they were educated alongside tougher and poorer boys. It was in the second half of the nineteenth century that there appeared for the first time the notion of a school to which only the sons of gentlemen should be admitted and reforms, desirable in themselves, were then for the first time twisted so as to preserve the exclusive character of the school. One paradoxical result of these changed attitudes was that during the first two decades of the twentieth century Eton "was much more egalitarian within itself than had been the Eton of fifty years before. The boys were less conscious of social differences among themselves. But also the social differences among them were much less. To be an Etonian was then in itself the real social distinction, and it was much more firmly believed than it had been earlier that gentle birth both required and produced a higher moral code" (291). Hollis, Christopher. Eton: A History. London: Hollis and Carter, . Last modified 26 July 2006

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The art of painting portrait miniatures has its origin with the illuminators of medieval times, whose tiny depictions of scenes from the Bible were incorporated into manuscripts. This art form developed and expanded in sixteenth and seventeenth century Europe when a demand grew for small mementos of wives and children or deceased relatives that could be carried when travellingmmuch as we carry a photogaph of our wife or family in our wallets today. Miniature portraits played an important role in the personal relations of the upper middle-class and the nobility of the time; they were tokens of affection or love. In that respect they were similar to mourning brooches containing plaited locks of the hair of the “dearly departed” that also became common in Victorian times. Indeed, miniature portraits came to be used by the royal courts of Europe as things approaching a currency. They were given to royal favourites by the monarch, exchanged with other Kings, Princes or Ambassadors, or created to commemorate a royal engagement or marriage. As the American periodical Scribner’s Magazine commented in 1897: the miniature, the little picture that could be covered by a kiss or hidden in the palm of the hand had an intimate and personal quality, it was a pledge of affection, often a gauge of stolen joys; it could be carried by the exiled in never so hurried a flight, could be concealed in the lid of a comfit case Prior to the eighteenth century, miniatures were painted in an assortment of media: oil, watercolour or sometimes enamel — but watercolour nevertheless predominated. They were also painted variously on vellum, chicken-skin or cardboard, and even on copper. During the eighteenth century, however, watercolour on ivory became the standard medium, and this continued until the miniature was gradually replaced by daguerreotypes and photography about the end of the nineteenth century. The zenith of the popularity of miniature portraits, both in Europe and North America was in mid-Victorian times. Miniatures were usually small and oval or round. Some were as tiny as 40 mm by 30 mm. They were often enclosed in a locket or a covered “portrait box”. Indeed, the housing for the portraits was sometimes decorated with elements of death or romance such as carved initials or flowers or braided locks of hair. When used for mourning, appropriate imagery was sometimes incorporated on the reverse of the locket or frame, such as mourners at a tomb. As the genre moved into Victorian times some miniatures grew larger (up to 150 mm by 200mm) and were painted in square or rectangular form, to be displayed on walls or in cabinets. The innovative use of ivory as a “canvas” was introduced by the Italian painter Rosalba Carriera in about 1700 as it provided a luminous surface for transparent pigments such as watercolour. The ivory was cut from the elephant’s tusk in thin sheets lengthways, sometimes so thin as to be almost translucent. Ivory is, however, difficult to paint on with watercolour, being greasy and non-absorbent. Miniaturists consequently roughened the surface with fine sandpaper or powdered pumice. They also bleached it in sunlight to make it more white. Another technique was to degrease it with vinegar and garlic, or by pressing it with a hot iron between sheets of paper. Some artists used a brush with a single hair, and added gum arabic to the paint to make it stickier. Some added liquid from the gall bladder of cows or bulls to make it flow more easily. Victorian society particularly appreciated the technical difficulties of painting such small fine portraits, and that led to a finer appreciation of the particular aesthetics of the genre. Generally-speaking Victorian miniatures encompassed a lighter palette of colour, monochromatic backgrounds and brushwork that exploited the translucency of the ivory on which it was painted. Among the best-known English miniature painters of the early nineteenth century were John Engleheart (1784 to 1862) and his uncle George Engleheart (1750 to 1829) (who kept his colours in small, specially-made round ivory boxes with screw lids. He used only ivory palettes, ivory mixing-bowls, small ivory basins in sets, and ivory brush rests), Richard Cosway (1742 to 1821), and Sir William Charles Ross (1794 to 1860). Those best known in the latter half of the nineteenth century include: Alyn Williams (1865 to 1955), Maria Eliza Burt (1841 to 1931) (she married the well-known war artist, William Simpson) and the Australian Bess Norris (1878 to 1939). Alyn Williams founded the Society of Miniature Painters in 1896, but its name soon changed to the Royal Miniature Society (on the granting of the Royal prerogative), and later still to the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers. Last modified 2 May 2010<

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Even the first census of 1801 divided the population into those 'chiefly employed in agriculture', those 'chiefly employed in trade, manufacturers or handicraft', and others. From 1841 onwards, information was gathered on each person's occupation and this formed the basis for very detailed tables. The 1841 occupational tables, used here, listed over 3,000 different occupational titles. This was partly because no advance plans had been made for dealing with the enormous range of job titles people gave, but by 1881 the more organised classification used in the county level tables covered 414 categories. Unfortunately, because of the need to reorganise these statistics into different areas, for 1971 to 1991 we must work with data for over 10,000 wards, and only a very simple industrial classification is available for these. We therefore present long-run industrial change using just six broad sectors. In general, early census reports applied just one classification to occupations, which led to three separate issues getting mixed up: social status, what the individual worker did, and what their employer's business was. Modern censuses have separate tables for each of these. NB our 1841 data are geographically crude, which results in some districts in the same county having identical figures. Our detailed statistics are held in structures called nCubes, which you can think of as tables with one dimension, or with two ... or with twenty. Their dimensions are defined by the variables each nCube combines, and each variable is made up of categories. These nCubes are available at national level for this theme: |Available nCubes||Period covered||Variables (number of categories) |Standardised Industrial Classification (1968) by Sex||1841 to 1931|| Standard Industrial Classification (1968) (28) |Standardised Industry Data||1841 to 2001|| 2001 'Key Statistics' Industries |Total employed in all industries||1841 to 2001|| Employed in all Industries |Working age population by Sector||1921 to 1931|| Cambridge Group Industrial Sector |Males aged 20 & over, in 9 occupational categories||1831|| 1831 Occupational Categories |Males aged 20 & over, in four industrial categories||1831|| 1831 Occupational Categories (simplified) |Occupation data classified by the Booth main sectors plus sex||1841|| Booth-Armstrong Industrial Sectors (10) |Persons of Working Age by Sex & 1921 Occupational Order||1921|| 1921 Occupational Classification (31) |Persons of Working Age by Sex & 1931 Occupational Order||1931|| 1931 Occupational Classification (32)

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no news in this list. Kusatsu-Shirane volcanoKusatsu-Shirane volcano is a complex of overlapping cones and 3 lake-filled craters (Karagama, Yugama, Mizugama) at the summit. It is located 150 km NW of Tokyo. All historical eruptions have consisted of phreatic explosions from the acidic crater lakes or their margins. There are fumaroles and hot springs around the flanks of the volcano, and many rivers draining from the volcano are acid. Similar to Ijen volcano, the crater was the site of active sulfur mining for many years during the 19th and 20th centuries. Background:The andesitic-to-dacitic volcano was formed in 3 eruptive stages beginning in the early to mid Pleistocene. The Pleistocene Oshi pyroclastic flow produced extensive welded tuffs and non-welded pumice that covers much of the east, south and SW flanks. The latest eruptive stage began about 14,000 years ago. Yugama crater ("hot-water cauldron") contains the most active vent. Its lake is 270 m wide and up to 27 m deep and contains highly acidic (pH = 1.2 ) and salty (app. 1% salt) water. The surface temperature of the lake is heated by vents at the lake bottom. In the interval 1910 to 1918, water temperatures reached a maximum of 100°C. Subaqueous fumaroles with molten sulfur pools exist in the center of the lake. - Smithsonian / GVP - B. Takano, K. Watanuki (1990) "Monitoring of volcanic eruptions at Yugama crater lake by aqueous sulfur oxyanions", Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Volume 40, Issue 1, January 1990, Pages 71-87 A small hydrothermal explosion likely occurred at Kusatsu-Shirane volcano on 7 February 1996. Broken pieces of the ice sheet 20-30 cm in diameter were found washed ashore and discolored water was observed at the NW part of the lake. Probably, a sudden sudden discharge of fluid or a minor hydrothermal explosion was the cause. A small eruption occurred from Yugama crater on 6 January 1989. It produced small amounts of volcanic ash on the frozen surface of the crater lake. Kusatsu-Shirane volcano had 5 phreatic eruptions during 1982-83. Eruptions occurred on 26 October 1982, 29 December 1982, 26 July 1983, 13 November 1983, and on 10 December 1983. The water temperature at Yukama crater lake increased strongly and reached to 55.5 deg C after the first eruption, but did not increase further during the later eruptions. (Source: GVP/monthly reports) A phreatic eruption occurred at Mizugama Crater on 2 March 1976. A new crater 50 m in diameter and 10 m deep was formed in the NE part of Mizugama Crater. The only event interrupting 34 years of quiet at Kusatsu-Shirane volcano between the eruptions in 1942 and 1976 was a small phreatic explosion in 1958. An eruption occurred in 1942 and was unusual as it came from a different location than most activity at the volcano. A cluster of small craters was formed on the north flank of Mizugama Crater. A second group of craters formed on the south flank of Yugama Crater. The largest historical eruption at Kusatsu-Shirane volcano was in 1932. It producing a 20 cm ash deposit reaching up to 2 km east of Yugama Crater.

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Papandayan is situated on the island of Java, at 7°32' S and 107°73'E, rising 2.665 m asl, and lies apprx. 175 km south east of the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Papandayan is a complex stratovolcano with four large summit craters, the youngest of which has breached to the NE by collapse during a brief eruption in 1772 and contains active fumarole lighter colored area on the left is Alun-Alun, the uppermost of four The valley below in the center of the photo extending to the NE in the breach left by collapse in 1772. The volcano in the distance is Gunung Guntur, another historically Photo: Tom Casadevall, 1986 (USGS) The broad 1.1 km wide, flat-floored Alun-Alun crater truncates the summit of Papandayan, and Gunung Puntang to the north gives the volcano a twin-peaked appearance. episodes of collapse have given the volcano an irregular profile and avalanches that have impacted lowland areas beyond the volcano. Since its first historical eruption in 1772, in which a catastrophic debris avalanche destroyed 40 villages, only two small phreatic eruptions have occured from the vents in the NE-flank fumarole field, Kawah Mas. rises ffrom a sulfur-encrusted fumarole at Kawah Mas (Golden Crater), a frequently visited destination at Papandayan. A lirge number of high-temperature fumaroles, with temperatures of several hundred degrees C, are located within Kawah Mas. Photo by Lee Siebert, 1995 (Smithsoinian Institution) November 21st, 2002 Volcanic activity dominated by explosion and emission, which has medium-high intensity. These activities were accompanied by the crater-wall collapsing, near activity at Kawah Baru, 17 November 2002 on picture for larger view Up to 07.45 local time today, there were 98 times explosions, that produced a white-grey ash plume which rose 200-600 m high and blew westward. Seismograph remain showing volcanic tremosr, emissions ( medium-high intensity), and continuous explosions .List of seismic record is: 10 shallow volcanic, 1 low frequency, and continuous tremor. on 14 November 2002 on picture for larger view November 20th, 2002 White thick ash plume emitted westward, and reached 100-1500 m asl. Heavy rain occurred at 05.02 local time. Ash eruptions also occurred, reaching 1500 m asl, ashfall drifting northeast, then north and northwest. This eruption had its source in Nangklak crater, one of eruption points. Ash fall reached 2 cm thickness in radius of 2 km (northwest). Seismic activity revealed as volcanic, tremor, and medium intensity of continuous emission. Explosion earthquake noted 1 time. List of seismic record is : 17 shallow volcanic, 1 deep volcanic, 2 tectonic, continuous tremor, and 1 low frequency. Volcano status is in level 3. at Tea Plantation (left) and vegetable fields right) caused by ashfall. Looks like Norway during winter with snow all over.. November 19th, 2002 Volcanic activity dominated by ash emission, while medium pressured-ash explosion occurred continuously.White-thin ash plume rose from the crater westward, about 200-700 m high, with medium pressure, no rainfall around the volcano. Seismic activity noted continuous emission earthquake, continuous explosion, 2 volcanic, continuous tremor, and tectonic. On November 18th, 2002, 12.00 local time, volcano status reduced into November 17th, 2002 Despite the obvious dangers, many people entered the safety area near Mount Papandayan's crater to get a closer look at the huge majestic eruption. Hundreds of villagers, foreigners, photographers and cameramen took the risk of going in closer than one-kilometer radius cordon zone around the volcano's crater, which was still spewing ash and thick smoke on Saturday. (So if you ever wondered why people get caught in volcano-eruptions, one of the answers are given here.....) Damage on rice fields caused by lahar flood on 11 November 2002 The volcano is still dangerous and no one is allowed to enter the forbidden are. Despite the decreasing number of eruptions, there are no signs that the 2,665-meter-high volcanic peak will slow down completely and the situation is still similar to that on Friday. There is nothing the authorities can do to help them if the volcano starts to discharge hot lava that could flow down to farmlands and villages. Nonetheless, it was a good scene for viewers on Saturday morning to see the volcano's awesome power as it spewed hot ash and thick smoke to a height of 6,000 meters in the air. The ash has been blown to the volcano's southeast over several tea plantations in Bandung © TEMPO/Hariyanto 2002-11-14 November 16th, 2002 According to monitoring and seismographic records, the volcano, after its major eruption early this morning (Friday), has shown increasing activity by continually spewing hot ash and thick smoke to a height of 6,000 meters. So far the volcano has spewed out more than one million cubic meters of volcanic material, including silica, magnesium and sulfur, which would be dangerous to humans if it were mixed with the mudflows moving toward the Cileutik, Cibeureum and Cimanuk from the volcano. Some 2,600 hectares of paddy(?) field in the regency were suffering a shortage of water as the mudflows had damaged several dams on the Cibeureum River. About Rp 7.5 billion (US$830,000) to Rp 10 billion would be needed to repair the damaged dams over the next five years. much to do when you have to evacuate © TEMPO/Arie Basuki;2002-11-15 November 15th, 2002 Papandayan erupted early this morning, around 6:00 o'clock local time, belching thick smoke up to 6.000 m into the sky, sending hot ash and lava onto nearby areas, and triggering panic among residents in nearby areas. (Indonesian Post said: 'There were no signs of hot lava or clouds of poisonous gas that often accompany A major eruption took place at 6:33 a.m. this morning. After that more than 10 big eruptions were recorded within an hour. Friday morning's eruption was the biggest so far since the Papandayan volcano began to rumble early this week. Before the eruption as many as 48 tremors were recorded in 12 hours. The long-dormant Papandayan volcano has been causing havoc in the area since Monday afternoon, when lahar -- accumulated lava from past flows -- on the volcano's peak broke off after heavy rains and poured down on nearby villages, burying 17 houses, an Islamic boarding school and two bridges. Officials on Friday issued their maximum alert status for Papandayan in West Java province after a dawn eruption. Residents have been evacuated out of a four kilometre area around the volcano. November 13th, 2002, 08:00 GMT At least 5,000 people have fled their homes near a volcano in Indonesia's West Java province which is emitting smoke and mudflows. At least six out of eight craters of the Papandayan volcano began emitting white and black smoke on Tuesday. The authorities have also closed an area of seven kilometres from the peak of the volcano. And here comes what is confusing: The volcano near the town of Garut had since Tuesday been emitting mudflows known as lahar into the Cibeureum river. Since this is NOT a mud-volcano, the only answer I can imagine, is that rain has fallen and brought ash from the flanks downwards and that mixture has become mudflows. Anyone else have any suggestions? At least 18 homes in two villages had been destroyed by the mudflows, and 5,000 people had fled their homes compared to 2,000 on Monday, when the volcano belched smoke and lava. The refugees have taken shelter in a mosque, a sport stadium and a local provincial government office in Cisurupan. The mudflows covered around 43 hectares of rice fields in one village. Officials have set up four emergency medical posts to help the villagers. © TEMPO/Arie Basuki;2002-11-14 November 13th, 2002, 07:00 GMT There have been no reports of fatalities but the lava has destroyed houses in a nearby village. The authorities has rised the alarm-level, as they expect more lava is trying to get out from the volcano in the November 13th, 2002 'Papandayan volcano cools down, 3,000 people refuse to return' - That's the next newsline we read, and you get a bit confused, after having heard that this was only a mudslide. According to 'The Jakarta Post', Papandayan now has stopped spewing out lava, but 3,000 frightened villagers are still too scared to return home. On Tuesday afternoon only white smoke was emitting from one of its craters, but during Monday the number of residents who had fled their homes rose from 2,000 to 3,000. There are 5 villages that have been evacuated. Lava and ash have flowed down the volcano-flanks into the Cibeureum November 12th, 2002, afternoon It might have been a mudslide, mistaken for an eruption. November 12th, 2002 A news-article this morning says: 'Thousands Flee Volcano in Indonesia'. It is the Papandayan volcano that should have erupted yesterday, forcing about 1,000 people to flee their villages. Lava has been spewed into the air around 3 PM local time. Inhabitants of two nearby villages have already moved to safer places, and the authorities are prepaired to evacuate other citites. It has now, Tuesday morning, been confirmed that there has been an eruption here, and we will be back later today with more news. However, there are no immediate reports of damage Latest news always above. Older eruptions Also in the years 1923 and 1942 were small eruptions, both at VEI , with much lesser damages and casualties than the great VEI 3 eruption of 1772. of the summit of Papandayan on August 8, 1772, accompaniesd by a brief, 5 minute long explosive eruption, produced a debris avalanche that swept over lowland areas to the east, destroying 40 villages and killing 2.957 The farmland in the foreground are underlain by the deposits from this which traveled 11 km from the volcano. Photo: Tom Casadevall, 1986 (USGS) Bilder og tekst denne side: Photo and text this page: Kimberly, P., Siebert, L., Luhr, J.F., and Simkin, T. (1998). Volcanoes of Indonesia, v. 1.0 (CD-ROM). Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Digital Information

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When bullying goes high-tech Researcher says as many as 25% of teens have experienced cyberbullying Brandon Turley didn't have friends in sixth grade. He would often eat alone at lunch, having recently switched to his school without knowing anyone. While browsing MySpace one day, he saw that someone from school had posted a bulletin -- a message visible to multiple people -- declaring that Turley was a "f--." Students he had never even spoken with wrote on it, too, saying they agreed. Feeling confused and upset, Turley wrote in the comments, too, asking why his classmates would say that. The response was even worse: He was told on MySpace that a group of 12 kids wanted to beat him up, that he should stop going to school and die. On his walk from his locker to the school office to report what was happening, students yelled things like "f--" and "fatty." "It was just crazy, and such a shock to my self-esteem that people didn't like me without even knowing me," said Turley, now 18 and a senior in high school in Oregon. "I didn't understand how that could be." A pervasive problem As many as 25 percent of teenagers have experienced cyberbullying at some point, said Justin W. Patchin, who studies the phenomenon at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He and colleagues have conducted formal surveys of 15,000 middle and high school students throughout the United States, and found that about 10 percent of teens have been victims of cyberbullying in the last 30 days. Online bullying has a lot in common with bullying in school: Both behaviors include harassment, humiliation, teasing and aggression, Patchin said. Cyberbullying presents unique challenges in the sense that the perpetrator can attempt to be anonymous, and attacks can happen at any time of day or night. There's still more bullying that happens at school than online, however, Patchin said. And among young people, it's rare that an online bully will be a total stranger. "In our research, about 85 percent of the time, the target knows who the bully is, and it's usually somebody from their social circle," Patchin said. Patchin's research has also found that, while cyberbullying is in some sense easier to perpetrate, the kids who bully online also tend to bully at school. "Technology isn't necessarily creating a whole new class of bullies," he said. The conversations that need to be happening around cyberbullying extend beyond schools, said Thomas J. Holt, associate professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University. "How do we extend or find a way to develop policies that have a true impact on the way that kids are communicating with one another, given that you could be bullied at home, from 4 p.m. until the next morning, what kind of impact is that going to have on the child in terms of their development and mental health?" he said. Holt recently published a study in the International Criminal Justice Review using data collected in Singapore by his colleague Esther Ng. The researchers found that 27 percent of students who experienced bullying online, and 28 percent who were victims of bullying by phone text messaging, thought about skipping school or skipped it. That's compared to 22 percent who experienced physical bullying. Those who said they were cyberbullied were also most likely to say they had considered suicide -- 28 percent, compared to 22 percent who were physically bullied and 26 percent who received bullying text messages. Although there may be cultural differences between students in Singapore and the United States, the data on the subject of bullying seems to be similar between the two countries, Holt said. A recent study in the journal JAMA Psychiatry suggests that both victims and perpetrators of bullying can feel long-lasting psychological effects. Bullying victims showed greater likelihood of agoraphobia, where people don't feel safe in public places, along with generalized anxiety and panic disorder. People who were both victims and bullies were at higher risk for young adult depression, panic disorder, agoraphobia among females, and the likelihood of suicide among males. Those who were only bullies showed a risk of antisocial personality disorder. Since everything we do online has a digital footprint, it is possible to trace anonymous sources of bullying on the Internet, he said. Patchin noted that tangible evidence of cyberbullying may be more clear-cut than "your word against mine" situations of traditional bullying. Patchin advises that kids who are being cyberbullied keep the evidence, whether it's an e-mail or Facebook post, so that they can show it to adults they trust. Historically, there have been some issues with schools not disciplining if bullying didn't strictly happen at school, but today, most educators realize that they have the responsibility and authority to intervene, Patchin said. Adults can experience cyberbullying also, although there's less of a structure in place to stop it. Their recourse is basically to hire a lawyer and proceed through the courts, Patchin said. Even in school, though, solutions are not always clear. Turley's mother called the school on his behalf, but the students involved only got a talking-to as punishment. Cyberbullying wasn't considered school-related behavior, at least at that time, he said. "I was just so afraid of people," says Turley, explaining why he went to different middle schools each year in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. He stayed quiet through most of it, barely speaking to other students. Fighting back by speaking out Turley started slowly merging back into "peopleness" in eighth grade when he started putting video diaries on YouTube. Soon, other students were asking him to help them film school project videos, track meets and other video projects. In high school, Turley discovered an organization called WeStopHate.org, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping people who have been bullied and allow them a safe space to share their stories. Emily-Anne Rigal, the founder of the organization, experienced bullying in elementary school, getting picked on for her weight. Although she and Turley lived on opposite sides of the country, they became friends online, united by their passion for stopping bullying. WeStopHate.org has achieved a wide reach. Rigal has received all sorts of honors for her efforts, from the Presidential Volunteer Service Award to a TeenNick HALO Award presented by Lady Gaga. Turley designed the WeStopHate.org website and most of its graphics, and is actively involved in the organization. In additional to Rigal, he has many other friends in different states whom he's met over the Internet. "I got cyberbullied, and I feel like, with that, it made me think, like, well, there has to be somebody on the Internet who doesn't hate me," he said. "That kind of just made me search more." Ashley Berry, 13, of Littleton, Colo., has also experienced unpleasantness with peers online. When she was 11, a classmate of hers took photos of Ashley and created an entire Facebook page about her, but denied doing it when Ashley confronted the student whom she suspected. "It had things like where I went to school, and where my family was from and my birthday, and there were no security settings at all, so it was pretty scary," she said. The page itself didn't do any harm or say mean things, Ashley said. But her mother, Anna Berry, was concerned about the breach of privacy, and viewed it in the context of what else was happening to her daughter in school: Friends were uninviting her to birthday parties and leaving her at the lunch table. "You would see a girl who should be on top of the world coming home and just closing herself into her bedroom," Berry said. Berry had to get police involved to have the Facebook page taken down. For seventh grade, her current year, Ashley entered a different middle school than the one her previous school naturally fed into. She says she's a lot happier now, and does media interviews speaking out against bullying. These days, Berry has strict rules for her daughter's online behavior. She knows Ashley's passwords, and she's connected with her daughter on every social network that the teen has joined (except Instagram, but Ashley has an aunt there). Ashley won't accept "friend" requests from anyone she doesn't know. Technical solutions to technical problems Parents, extended relatives, Internet service providers and technology providers can all be incorporated in thinking about how children use technology, Holt said. Apps that control how much time children spend online, and other easy-to-use parental control devices, may help, Holt said. There could also be apps to enable parents to better protect their children from certain content and help them report bullying. Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are working on an even more automated solution. They want to set up a system that would give bullying victims coping strategies, encourage potential bullies to stop and think before posting something offensive, and allow onlookers to defend victims, said Henry Lieberman. Lieberman's students Birago Jones and Karthik Dinakar are working on an algorithm that would automatically detect bullying language. The research group has broken down the sorts of offensive statements that commonly get made, grouping them into categories such as racial/ethnic slurs, intelligence insults, sexuality accusations and social acceptance/rejection. While it's not all of the potential bullying statements that could be made online, MIT Media Lab scientists have a knowledge base of about 1 million statements. They've thought about how some sentences, such as "you look great in lipstick and a dress," can become offensive if delivered to males specifically. The idea is that if someone tries to post an offensive statement, the potential bully would receive a message such as "Are you sure you want to send this?" and some educational material about bullying may pop up. Lieberman does not want to automatically ban people, however. "If they reflect on their behavior, and they read about the experience of others, many kids will talk themselves out of it," he said. Lieberman and colleagues are using their machine learning techniques on the MTV-partnered website "A Thin Line," where anyone can write in their stories of cyberbullying, read about different forms of online disrespect, and find resources for getting help. The researchers' algorithm tries to detect the theme or topic of each story, and match it to other similar stories. They're finding that the top theme is sexting, Lieberman said. "We're trying to find social network sites that want to partner with us, so we can get more of this stuff out into the real world," Lieberman said. Turley and Rigal, who is now a freshman at Columbia University, are currently promoting the idea of having a "bully button" on Facebook so that people can formally report cyberbullying to the social network and have bullies suspended for a given period of time. They haven't gotten a response yet, but they're hopeful that it will take off. In the meantime, Turley is feeling a lot safer in school than he used to. "Times have changed definitely, where people are becoming slowly more aware," he said. "At my school, at least, I'm seeing a lot less bullying and a more acceptance overall. People just stick to their own." Copyright 2013 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Symptoms of ADHD The symptoms of ADHD include inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity. These are traits that most children display at some point or another. But to establish a diagnosis of ADHD, sometimes referred to as ADD, the symptoms should be inappropriate for the child's age. Adults also can have ADHD; in fact, up to half of adults diagnosed with the disorder had it as children. When ADHD persists into adulthood, symptoms may vary. For instance, an adult may experience restlessness instead of hyperactivity. In addition, adults with ADHD often have problems with interpersonal relationships and employment.

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A NEW Monash University study aims to tackle rural obesity in young women.Monash University women's health researcher Cate Lombard is leading the study, which is set to focus on preventing weight gain rather than treating obesity. The large-scale research is targeting 900 women aged between 18 and 50 living in 42 small rural communities across Victoria. And will focus on participants changing their lifestyle and developing a low-cost program that helps women avoid putting on weight. It's estimated 60 per cent of Australian women are overweight and those in their 20s and 30s are gaining weight faster than other age groups. "They are often unaware that their yearly weight gain is having a major impact on their health," Dr Lombard said. "Young women living in rural communities may be at an even higher risk." Participants will attend a healthy lifestyle information session held locally and report on progress in two years. Those interested in participating can email firstname.lastname@example.org.

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For Further Information Contact: Channel Islands Field Station 1901 Spinnaker Drive Ventura, CA 93001-4354 Phone: (805) 658-5753 FAX: (805) 893-8062 The Southern California Bight and its offshore islands are a unique natural resource with many sensitive and endemic plants and animals. This area is also an expanding urban center for the nation. The corresponding elimination and degradation of coastal habitats have created a need for scientifically guided management. The Channel Islands Field Station has cooperative agreements with Channel Islands National Park in Ventura, Calif., and the University of California, Santa Barbara, that facilitate collaboration between field station scientists and university and park biologists. The linkage with the university also provides opportunities to supervise graduate students in marine ecology and work in laboratories with flow-through seawater to allow housing temperate marine species. Channel Islands National Park provides access to the habitats of several rare and endemic plant species suffering from the impacts of exotic weeds and feral animals. The national park also has a wealth of marine resources in need of study and management. Field station biologists analyze data collected from the park and assist with the park's extensive resource monitoring program. Scientists at the Channel Islands Field Station conduct research on the ecology and conservation biology of sensitive plants and animals at the Channel Islands and along California's coast. In doing so, the field station supports information needs of the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other state and federal clients such as the Department of Defense, National Marine Sanctuary, and California Department of Fish and Game. Some examples of ongoing research in plant ecology include rare plant demography, effects of grazing by feral animals on native plant communities, restoration ecology, and the distribution of invasive exotic weeds. Examples of research in marine ecology are restoration strategies for the nearly extirpated white abalone, patterns of disturbance for threatened western snowy plovers, marine reserve design, and kelp forest community dynamics.

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‘Bristol Cats’ study, growing from strength to strength! What’s it all about? The ‘Bristol Cats’ study is a ‘first of its kind’ study by the University of Bristol, investigating the health, welfare and behaviour of cats living in the UK. The study is taking place to help find the causes of common behaviour problems and diseases of cats - eg obesity & hyperthyroidism - as the causes of these conditions are poorly understood. How is information collected? Information is collected via four questionnaires when kittens are aged eight to16 weeks, six, 12 and 18 months of age. The data will be analysed to see what extent certain characteristics eg obesity are associated with management - eg diet, lifestyle and other factors eg breed. What are the benefits? The researchers aim to provide guidance to practitioners, owners and the cat community at large, to improve the health and welfare of cats. In order to do this, they need the help of kitten owners and hope to enrol 900 kittens by December 2011 to ensure robust statistical results. Study progress to date... Between March and September 2011, 588 kittens registered on the study – a fantastic response and thank you to everyone who has already enrolled! Not surprisingly, the most commonly registered cat breed was found to be the moggy/mixed breed/domestic short hair. How to get involved: Can you help by spreading the word to kitten owners, cat breeders or anyone with a kitten? If so, please contact the ‘Bristol Cat’ study team at the University of Bristol, using the details below, to request a poster to display and a supply of flyers to pass on to kitten owners. Alternatively, if you have a kitten between eight and 16 weeks of age, please log-on to the study website and complete a questionnaire. The researchers are also keen to hear from owners of more than one kitten. Full details about the study can be found at www.vetschool.bris.ac.uk/cats, together with a link to the first questionnaire. Please also contact the team if you would prefer to receive a paper copy of the questionnaire in the post. With grateful thanks for your help! The ’Bristol Cats’ study team Bristol Cats, Dr Jane Murray University of Bristol Tel: 07827 981412

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In the Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit, Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder is on display for the first time. Click on image for full size Courtesy of Landspeeder image © 2006 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM Photo: Dom Miguel Photography Star Wars Exhibition Brings Reality to Fantasy News story originally written on April 16, 2008 A new museum exhibit shows that some of the robots, vehicles and devices from the Star Wars films are close to the types of things scientists have developed to use in space. The exhibition--at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minn., from June 13 until August 24--showcases landspeeders, R2D2 and other items from the Star Wars films. Visitors will learn how researchers today are pursuing similar technologies. The exhibit developers were surprised and excited to learn that many of today's scientists were inspired by the fantasy technologies they saw in the Star Wars movies. One of the goals of the exhibit is to be an inspiration for the kids will be the next set of future scientists. The exhibit contains film clips, props, models and costumes. Visitors are encouraged to participate in hands-on exhibits and activities. Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store! Our online store includes fun classroom activities for you and your students. Issues of NESTA's quarterly journal, The Earth Scientist are also full of classroom activities on different topics in Earth and space science! You might also be interested in: Scientists have learned that Mount Hood, Oregon's tallest mountain, has erupted in the past due to the mixing of two different types of magma. "The data will help give us a better road map to what a future...more The Earth's mantle is a rocky, solid shell that is between the Earth's crust and the outer core, and makes up about 84 percent of the Earth's volume. The mantle is made up of many distinct portions or...more Some geologic faults that appear strong and stable, slip and slide like weak faults, causing earthquakes. Scientists have been looking at one of these faults in a new way to figure out why. In theory,...more The sun goes through cycles that last approximately 11 years. These solar cycle include phases with more magnetic activity, sunspots, and solar flares. They also include phases with less activity. The...more Studying tree rings doesn't only tell us the age of that tree. Tree rings also show what climate was like for each year of a tree's life, which means they can tell us about climates of the past and about...more Earth's first life form may have developed between the layers of a chunk of mica sitting like a multilayered sandwich in primordial waters, according to a new hypothesis. The mica hypothesis, which was...more Acid rain plays a small role in making the world's oceans more acidic. But new research has found that acid rain has a much bigger impact on the coastal sections of the ocean. Acid rain is caused by pollution...more

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This photograph shows the stones of Stonehenge up close. Stonehenge is the most well known megalithic structure. Click on image for full size Image courtesy of Corel Photography What are Megaliths? Have you ever seen a megalith? Maybe you have and you just didn't know it! A megalith is made of huge stones. They were put together by ancient people. Sometimes the stones look like a stone fort and sometimes they are just rocks that have been stood on end. Other megaliths look like big mounds of rocks, but those mounds have secret chambers inside of them! Megaliths can be found all over. They are in Europe, Russia, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Some megaliths were road markers like our present-day road signs. Some were probably ancient sites of worship. Still others were graveyards. And others might have been astronomy observatories. We do know that these structures must have been really important to the people who built them! Some of the megaliths are almost 7,000 years old. That means that 7,000 years ago people were moving stones of up to 180 tons in weight around. They did that without cranes or trucks or even simple horse-drawn carts! The most famous megalithic site is Stonehenge in England. But there are other cool ones too. Take a look at Newgrange of Ireland, Balnuaran of Clava in Scotland, Pentre Ifan in Wales, the stones of Fossa in Italy and the Carnac stones of France. Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store! The Summer 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist , available in our online store , includes articles on rivers and snow, classroom planetariums, satellites and oceanography, hands-on astronomy, and global warming. You might also be interested in: Ancient people all over the world built stone structures. Some of the stone structures marked graveyards for these people. In Wales, there are some stones named Pentre Ifan that mark a grave. There is...more The stones of Carnac, France, are very famous because there are a lot of them and because they are so old! The oldest stones found in Carnac are from about 4,500 B.C. That's older than the stones at Stonehenge!...more You may have heard of the lake called Loch Ness, where people think they've seen the Loch Ness monster. Near Loch Ness there are three giant stone tombs you may not have heard of...they are called the...more There are over 900 rings of stone located in the British Isles. The most famous of these stone rings is Stonehenge. Stonehenge is in England. Stonehenge is a mysterious sight. There's these huge stones...more The stone rings and tombs of England and France are very famous. But, there are also stone structures in Italy. There are some neat stones in Fossa, Italy. They are standing stones. These stones form circles...more Simple astronomy was probably practiced at Stonehenge over 4,000 years ago. These ancient observers would especially observe the movement of the Sun and Moon across the sky. Stonehenge actually lines up...more Man has always observed the sky. By watching the Sun and Moon, early man could tell what season was coming next. They had to know this to be able to farm and hunt. Archeoastronomy started in the 1960's...more

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Although there have been relatively few major incidents – such as a blade flying off in North Dakota last year –a lot more come under the category of falls and electric shocks such as those caused by arc flashes. According to Wally Tinsley, lead power systems engineer at diversified power management company Eaton Corp, OSHA investigated over 30 arc flash accidents in US wind farms in one year. Understandably, the industry is giving far more attention to safety. OSHA and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) have formed an alliance to improve safety standards. Its purpose is to develop consensus on standardising safety practices, to ensure compliance and to establish training programmes. AWEA has agreed to help OSHA inspect US wind facilities region by region. Most wind turbine OEMs have joined the AWEA Safety Committee. And with good reason – a rise in accidents could lead to soaring insurance costs and expensive worker's compensation claims. And a poor safety record would fan the fire of the anti-wind lobby. "The safe operation of wind turbines will be a significant factor in promoting the wind industry," says Grayling Vander Velde an environmental health and safety expert at US utility Duke Energy's wind energy production division in Charlotte, North Carolina. "As companies recognize hazards, they have worked together to reduce or eliminate that hazard. This has allowed the overall safety of the wind industry to continue to improve." While OHSA efforts will cover the spectrum of possible safety issues, two issues attracting attention are minimising arc flash and at-height rescue procedures. An arc flash is essentially the release of electrical energy due to an electric arc. It has the potential to cause serious injury or even death. "Arc flash is a concern for wind turbines due to the limited area in the base of the tower and nacelle, as well as when operating pad mount transformers," says Vander Velde. "For example, the restricted area within the tower would confine any energy produced to that area and to any individuals within the tower." What is to be done about arc flash? Tinsley highlights the importance of an arc flash hazard assessment to isolate trouble spots so mitigation measures can be instituted. Possible areas of high risk include squirrel cage induction generators, doubly fed induction generators and direct-drive turbines. "A smart way to mitigate arc flash hazard is through remote access and remote switching," says Tinsley. Vander Velde concurs. His company has adopted a remote operator design for some of its wind-related electrical equipment to allow the employees to reduce the need to go inside the tower. "We have also developed computer access that allows the switches to be operated remotely," says Vander Velde. Training is another important facet of any safety programme related to arc flash. Duke Energy, for instance, requires National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 70E training, a standard to promote electrical safety in the workplace, to along with an employee qualification programme. There is also plenty of arc-flash rated equipment around including headgear, coveralls, gloves, rainwear and even beard nets. But it takes training for employees to recognize the need for it. By the very nature of the business, most accidents are likely to happen off the ground. So what do you do when a worker is injured a hundred metres up? "OSHA requires that employers not only protect works from fall hazards, but also have a rescue plan in place for workers who may be suspended from a fall arrest system," says Kevin Denis, training manager at Gravitec Systems Inc. of Poulsbo, Washington, a company that provides fall protection equipment and equipment. "Although there is a regulatory requirement for the employer to provide rescue, there are no specific guidelines for wind industry rescue programmes." Denis explained that a well-designed fall protection programme would go a long way towards preventing the need for rescue. This begins with personal protective equipment such as hard hats, gloves and safety harnesses and continues into good housekeeping practices like not cluttering up the nacelle with tools, replacement parts or personal items. Another step in at-height safety is teaching workers to evacuate dangerous areas under their own power. There are many situations where use of the ladder is not an option. For example, a worker may already be suspended below the hub to do blade repair/inspection when high winds make a rapid descent imperative. In those cases, competence is called for in using the various descent control devices available on the market. Standards are also evolving concerning what is known as high-angle rescue, defined as terrain that has a slope angle of 60 and higher where rescuers are dependent upon ropes. This might involve other wind technicians or emergency personnel and a variety of safety systems. Denis stresses the need for the writing of proper procedures for every wind farm including a fall protection code that clearly outlines the required action for all possible events. Currently, OSHA rule 1910:66 (f) is fairly general: "The employer shall provide for prompt rescue of employees in the event of a fall or shall assure the self-rescue capability of employees." The only way to ensure this is by establishing effective training programmes for new and existing employees. "Even though the incidents are infrequent, the potential for high angle rescue is a concern for everyone," says Vander Velde. "Most sites now require all their employees to be trained in a high angle rescue system." Medical help at height Some go beyond high angle rescue training and require additional emergency management training such as support for injuries that occur in remote areas. Duke Energy reports great success with the implementation of an Elevated Emergency Management (EMM) programme. Each year, the company holds an emergency response drill that involves all site personnel and may include off site personnel. This drill is to practice emergency response skills as well as assess existing levels of knowledge. During one of the first such drills, several wind technicians said they felt they needed more emergency medical treatment training. That led to a new safety programme involving one of Duke's wind site managers who was an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a company called Tech Safety Lines of Carrollton, Texas that supplies rescue training and equipment. This team worked together to develop training to address a range of injuries. The company now provides annual EMM retraining for all employees. This programme deals with such situations as victims being suspended in their harness and needing relief before being lowered to the ground. It is all very well to call a medic. But what if you are 50 miles from the nearest doctor and in a location that can only be accessed along a dirt track? And in any case, rural emergency response teams do not typically have the training or tools to reach a patient dangling from a rotor. "Emergencies involving a post-fall suspended victim get most of the attention but the larger percentage of up-tower injuries involve soft-tissue or bone and joint injuries," says Brent Wise, a partner at Tech Safety Lines. "Victims suspended in their harness need relief and lowering as quickly as possible, however many up-tower accidents would benefit greatly from medical care before being assisted to ground." He says that some wind industry safety programmes failed to achieve adequate patient assessment in their procedures for responding to an emergency aloft. A fellow worker might overlook what might be indistinct signs of a serious internal injury such as a broken arm. "The fractured bone could potentially puncture an artery in the process of a haphazard evacuation attempt — making a relatively serious but manageable injury into a critical if not fatal event," says Wise. Those completing the EMM programme are able to: ensure scene safety for both the rescuer and the victim; prioritise care for life-threatening injuries; recognize and care for traumatic injures including burns, severe bleeding, electrocution, and amputation; apply moldable splints for injured bones and joints; apply patient packaging and stabilisation; and evacuate a victim with minimal disruption of care. "Best practices would include an understanding that trained medical help is most likely remote if not altogether unavailable up-tower," says Wise. "Each climber should be capable of assessing a medical event, providing appropriate treatment, and stabilising the injured member until turned over to a medical professional." The subject of "packaging" was continually stressed by Duke and Tech Safety Lines. What they mean is how to safely harness the person to be lowered to the ground. Tech Safety Lines recommends a device known as a Spec-Pak, which is a combination of a Class III harness and a backboard. It is designed to immobilise a victim and facilitate evacuation with minimal disruption of care. Wind turbine design Worker comfort is not necessarily a priority in wind turbine design. Consequently, the wind turbine technician spends much of his or her day in tight spaces. Additionally, many of the components are heavy and have to be lifted in awkward positions. This is added to the repetitive motion of climbing ladders. "Ergonomics is a very prominent issue within wind turbines," says Vander Velde. "Further studies need to be done in order to determine what action should be taken." With OSHA scrutinising wind farms all around the US, expect that the next generation of wind turbines will be called upon to improve ergonomics and provide greater built-in safety mechanisms and practices. And older models will probably be required to retrofit improvements or risk being phased out. Having a wind safety programme is one thing, but it is quite another to get it used by personnel. After all, it is often easier and quicker to do without a harness or don the required electrical gear to avoid arc flash. So how do you get around the urge to cut corners or ignore safety rules for a quick trip up top to perform a two-minute maintenance task? Todd Karasek, Vice President of EHS at Suzlon Wind Energy Corp, sums it up nicely. "The overwhelming numbers of policies are procedures can sometimes cause staff to ignore the rules or be slow with compliance," he says. "In many cases, complying with safety procedures is difficult, inconvenient, slow and uncomfortable." His solution is to lay out clear consequences both positively and negatively. This goes beyond just saying that following a procedure will keep you safe and failing to follow it could get you hurt. The way to make such a programme work is to concentrate on the positive. "Catch them doing something right," says Karasek. "Concentrate on recognizing the right behaviours." But where there is a carrot, there must also be a stick. In this case, Suzlon has created a series of levels of safety violation which have different actions and penalties associated with them. This ranges from written reprimands all the way up to suspension and even termination. Failure to wear arc flash-protective equipment or working under the influence of drugs or alcohol, for example, are grounds for dismissal. This article originally appeared in Wind Stats magazine

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1516: Two Bavarian dukes issue a decree that limits the ingredients used in brewing beer to barley, water and hops. Referred to today as the Reinheitsgebot (purity ordinance), the decree has come to be known as a beer-purity law that was intended to keep undesirable or unhealthy ingredients out of beer. But the original text doesn’t explicitly state the reasoning behind the regulation. An English translation of the decree simply states,”We wish to emphasize that in future in all cities, markets and in the country, the only ingredients used for the brewing of beer must be barley, hops and water.” In fact, the main intent of the decree had more to do with bread than beer. “The government simply didn’t want people using valuable grains for beer,” said historian Maureen Ogle, author of Ambitious Brew: The Story of American Beer. “I think it was really just an attempt to keep beermakers from infringing on the territory of people who made bread.” Ensuring cheap bread was critical in times of food scarcity, a real problem for 16th-century Bavaria. While barley is not very digestible and consequently does not make for good eating, grains like wheat and rye are great for bread. The Bavarian leadership wanted to head off competition for those grains, in order to keep the price of food down. An unintended side effect of the regulation may have been a purer brew, but Ogle suspects the idea that purity motivated the rule may have germinated after World War II, when Germany’s economy was struggling. “After the war, they were looking for ways to bolster their economy, and one thing they could do is export beer,” Ogle said. “My educated guess is it’s directly connected to this drive.” The beer-purity angle probably really took hold in the United States in the 1960s as craft brewing was becoming more popular, Ogle said. The Reinheitsgebot is still discussed on beer blogs today. “If here had been no craft-beer movement, there wouldn’t be anybody sitting around talking about this law today,” she said. The name Reinheitsgebot did not appear in print until 1918, and wasn’t applied beyond Bavaria until 1871 when the German Empire was formed. According to the German Beer Institute, the law became an official part of the tax code in 1919 — despite the protestations of brewers — when Bavaria refused to join the Weimar Republic unless the law was enforced throughout the republic. Until Germany joined the European Union in 1987, a version of the Reinheitsgebot was still part of the German tax code, with the addition of yeast (until Louis Pasteur came along, yeast’s role in fermentation wasn’t known), and the inclusion of ingredients that can also be used in other food, such as wheat. Many German brewers still proudly claim to follow the Reinheitsgebot, and beers that do comply get special protections as a traditional food. It’s used as a marketing tool, and the beers have “Gebraut nach dem deutschen Reinheitsgebot” (brewed according to the German Purity Ordinance) on the label. Today the penalty for not abiding by the Reinheitsgebot may only be the upturned noses of some American craft brewers. But in the 16th century, the consequences of brewing an offending beer were far more dire: They lost the beer. “Whosoever knowingly disregards or transgresses upon this ordinance, shall be punished by the court authorities’ confiscating such barrels of beer, without fail.” Image: No, these soldiers are not confiscating transgressive beer. The caption says, “Preparations for the Kaiser’s birthday celebration at the front. Beer delivered from home is unloaded.” On the left-hand inset, “Zensiert” means “censored.” Circa 1915-1918. Courtesy New York Public Library - April 7, 1933: Gimme a Tall, Cold One - It’s Beer O’Clock! Watch Has Built-In Bottle Opener - Why Geologists Love Beer - How Wired.com Built Beer Robot, Our DIY Kegerator - Beer Gear, From Can to Refrigerator Robot - April 23, 1827: Shedding a Ray of Light on Rays of Light - April 23, 1940: Batteries Included, and They Don’t Leak - April 23, 1984: AIDS Virus Disclosed, and a Premature Promise Made - Aug. 10, 1519: Magellan Sets Sail Into History

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This is one of my favorite stories. In short, one of John Burk’s (@occam98) students wanted to launch a space balloon. If you want all the details, this post at Quantum Progress pretty much says it all. The part that makes this story so cool is that it was the student who did all of the set up and fundraising and stuff. Love it. Oh, and the student is apparently named “M.” I wonder if the student is either one of the Men in Black or a James Bond scientist. Ok, you know what I do, right? I need to add something. Here is a very nice video of the space balloon launch. You know I like to use pictures for data from time to time, right? One problem is that I don’t know much about cameras. There, I said it. Really, almost all of my photos are made with my phone. That is what makes the phone so great, you almost always have your camera with you. To make these pictures useful for physics, it helps to know the angular size of the picture. Here is a diagram so you can see what I am talking about: There are 20 seconds left on the clock. Your team is down by 2 points such that a field goal would win it. The ball is spotted on the hash mark at the 15 yard line and it is first down. What to do? Should you call a run play so that the ball is in the center of the field? Or should the ball be kicked from where it is? So there is the question. Is it better to kick the ball from an angle or move back and kick it head on? Let me just look at one aspect of this situation. What is the angular size of the goal post from the location of the kicker? I am not looking at the height of the horizontal goal post – I will assume the kicker can get the ball over this. This was on reddit. It is an image from google maps showing an aircraft. Not surprising, there are lots of aircraft that get caught by the cameras in mid flight. But what about the colors? Is this some rainbow-unicorn plane? I am not sure of the exact details, but this rainbow effect is from the camera. I am not sure why, but this camera is capturing red green and blue (and probably white) colors separately at different times. Here is the actual link to the google map. The first thing that comes to my mind is – I wonder how fast the plane was moving. That question is difficult to answer because I don’t know how much time was between each ‘color filter’ photo. Oh well, I will proceed anyway. First, some info. Reading through the very insightful reddit comments, it seems the commenters are certain that the plain is an Embraer ERJ 145. Really, all I need is the length. Wikipedia lists it with a 29.87 m length and a 20.04 meter wingspan. From the image, does the rainbow plane have the same ratio of length to wingspan as listed? Ok, not quite the same. Maybe that is close enough. The one thing is that the image clearly has some distortion. Either the plane it turning or the image has been adjusted to make it look like it is a top down view. Well, surfing around a bit I couldn’t find another plane that was close in length/wing span ratio. I am going with ERJ 145. If I scale the image from the length of the plane, how “far” between the different colors? Here is a plot of the 4 color images. Note that for this image, I put the axis along the fuselage of the plane. The points are the locations of the back tip of one of the wings. The first cool thing that I can learn from this is that there must have been a cross-wind. The aircraft is not traveling in the direction that it is heading. Of course this is not uncommon, planes do this all the time. Oh, let me not that I am assume the aircraft is far enough away from the satellite that the multiple colors are due to the motion of the plane and not the satellite. This is probably a good assumption since the houses below are not rainbow colored. What about the speed? If it is moving at a constant velocity, then: I know the changes in position. So, let me just call the change in time 1 cs (cs for camera-second). This means that the plane’s speed would be 1.8 m/cs. Ok, let’s just play a game. What if the time between frames was 1/100th of a second? That would mean that the speed would be 180 m/s or 400 mph. That is possible since wikipedia lists the max speed at around 550 mph. If the time between images is 1/30th of a second (I picked that because that is a common frame rate for video) then the speed would be 54 m/s (120 mph). That doesn’t seem too low. I would imaging the landing speed would be around that speed (or maybe a little lower – but what do I know?) But WAIT – there is more. Can I determine the altitude of the plane? Well, suppose I have two objects of two different lengths that are two different distances from a camera. Here is an example. My notation here looks a little messy, but both objects have a length (L) and a distance from the camera (r). They also have an angular size, denoted by θ. About angular size, I can write the following. I don’t know the distances from the camera and I don’t know the angles. But, I can sort of measure the angles. Suppose I measure the number of pixels each object takes up in the photo. Then the angular size could be written as: Where p1 is the pixel size of an object and c is some constant for that particular camera. Now I can re-write these angular equations and divide so that I get rid of the c. I can get values for all the stuff on the right of that equation. Here are my values (object 1 is the plane and object 2 is the background – really, I will just use the scale provided by google maps). Oh, one more thing. I am not going to measure the pixel length but rather some arbitrary length of the same scale. L1 = 29.87 m p1 = 1 unit L2 = 10 m p2 = 0.239 unit Putting in my values above I get the ratio of the distances from the camera as: Now I just need one of the r‘s – ideally it would be r2 (the distance the camera is from the ground). Wikipedia says that the satellite images are typically taken from an aircraft flying 800-1500 feet high. So, suppose r2 = 1500 feet (457 meters). In this case the altitude of the rainbow plane would be: 1000 feet would mean that the rainbow plane is probably landing (or taking off). It looks like Teterboro Airport is quite close and the rainbow plane is heading that way. I claim landing. So, here is what I can say: Airspeed. Really, I don’t have a definite answer. Like I said before it depends on the camera rate. If I had to pick (and I don’t) I would say that the rainbow plane is going 120 mph and the time between different colored images is 1/30th of a second. Altitude. If I go with the higher value of the typical google-map planes (like the google map cars but with wings) then the altitude would be around 1000 feet. This lower altitude is why I used the lower value for the airspeed. Windspeed. Now I am changing my answer for windspeed. I am going to pretend like there is no wind. The perpendicular motion of the colored images could be due to the motion of the google-map plane.

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Dictionary of Wisconsin History Search Results for: Keyword: 'lac du flambeau' Term: Dubay [Dube), John Baptiste 1810 - 1887 Definition: (Note: birth date given in original as "July 10, 1810[?].") pioneer fur trader, b. probably in Green Bay. He was the son of a French trader and a Menominee Indian. Although the facts of DuBay's early life are obscure, it appears that from 1824 to 1839 he was engaged in the fur trade at Saginaw and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and at Lac du Flambeau, Wis., either in the employ of the American Fur Co. or operating his own posts. In 1839 he purchased the American Fur Company's post at Fort Winnebago (Portage), where he served as Hercules L. Dousman's (q.v.) agent until 1851 and continued his residence in the Portage area until 1858. A colorful and well-known figure in early Wisconsin, DuBay was frequently utilized by the U.S. and territorial governments as Indian interpreter, and was also called upon by the Indians and half-breeds to act as a spokesman in their behalf. In 1857 while living near Portage he became involved in a property dispute with William S. Reynolds, and, while drunk, shot and killed him. A widely publicized murder trial was held in Madison in which many of Wisconsin's leading figures testified in DuBay's behalf. Moses M. Strong (q.v.) and Harlow S. Orton (q.v.) conducted DuBay's defense and Luther S. Dixon (q.v.) acted as assistant prosecutor. The jury failed to reach a verdict in the first trial, and a second trial produced the same result. Although one other attempt was made to renew the case, proceedings were eventually dropped. DuBay retired to a trading post north of Stevens Point, where he lived in obscurity until his death. M. E. Krug, DuBay (Appleton [19461); Hist. of N. Wis. (Chicago, 1881); WPA MS. [Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]

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La Crosse's first bowling alley built in 1846 First bowling alley erected in La Crosse seventy-six years ago Early La Crosse settlers Myrick and Miller built the city's first bowling alley in 1846. Although less than fifty people lived in the city at the time, Indians, raftsmen, and fur traders regularly stopped on their journeys up and down the river. The article is followed by additional articles on some La Crosse "firsts." Wisconsin's Response to 20th-century change| The Rise of Professional Sports |Creator: ||La Crosse Tribune |Pub Data: ||La Crosse Tribune. 5 March 1922. |Citation: ||"First bowling alley erected in La Crosse seventy-six years ago." La Crosse Tribune. (5 March 1922); Online facsimile at: Visited on: 5/21/2013

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Learn something new every day More Info... by email A block diagram is a graphical method used to explain the concept of a system without the need to understand the individual components within that system. This type of diagram might be used in a variety of industries to illustrate and educate individuals about how a system operates, either in part or in its entirety. Block diagrams usually will have a logical, methodical flow from beginning to end. Engineers and software programmers are examples of individuals who might be familiar with block diagrams. Block diagrams essentially are synonymous with flow charts, but a block diagram is generalized in nature. Sometimes block diagrams are used to conceal specific information or processes that might prove to be advantageous or detrimental, whichever the case might be. People who are being presented with a block diagram should be able to develop an understanding of what that block represents. To assist in understanding the block itself, lines should be drawn to the block representing various inputs, outputs or alternative choices. Depending on the type of process being illustrated, blocks might serve in any capacity that is needed to adequately describe the process or parts of the process. For instance, a manufacturing cell of machine tools might include a drill press, a milling machine and a sanding machine. To illustrate a process within that cell, each machine tool might be represented by its own block. When the manufacturing process is illustrated in its entirety, a single block might be used to represent all of the components within that cell. A block diagram also can be used to illustrate how a computer program works or how parts of a program work. If, for instance, a program is needed to calculate four different methods of interest rates, a block might represent each of these lines of code for one of these methods. In this way, a supervisor does not need to understand the code itself, as it is written, as long as the purpose of that block is communicated effectively. Some block diagrams can be used as a way to map out a process as a top-down diagram. For instance, a person who has an inspired project might use a block diagram as a way to convey the idea as a series of individual blocks, each of which helps support the main topic. Later, these individual blocks might then be analyzed and further developed into additional block diagrams as needed. This method can be repeated until the process is mapped out to the satisfaction of all those involved with the project. If compiled and mapped out completely, the block diagram might resemble a pine tree type of structure of the entire project, which is typical for a top-down diagram.

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Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia - Homolographic; noting a method of map-projection in which equal areas of the earth's surface are reduced to equal areas on the map. Sorry, no example sentences found. ‘equigraphic’ hasn't been added to any lists yet. Looking for tweets for equigraphic.

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American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition - v. To establish in office; install. Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia - To set or place; establish, as in a rank or condition. - To invest. GNU Webster's 1913 - v. To set, place, or establish, as in a rank, office, or condition; to install; to invest. - From in- + state. (Wiktionary) “North Carolina improved to 21-1 in instate tournament games, including 6-0 in games played here - home to Atlantic Coast Conference rival Wake Forest.” “While this was not a war, the instate was the same.” “But, the difficult national environment for Democrats coupled with a surge in Republican energy instate -- the result of the passage of a stringent immigration bill -- quickly turned the race into a serious contest.” “Soccer Board of Directors voted to re-instate the provisional sanction.” “After a first refusal, Obama says he'll now re-instate solar water heating to the White House roof, and will add photo-voltaic cells that will generate electricity.” “If we want to avoid catastrophic climate change and avoid climate disaster, we need to instate a moratorium on drilling in the Arctic.” “I think only money from instate sources should be allowed to pay for the campaign.” “This seems like more of a power play to me: they want a worldwide governing body to oversee this and have them instate rules in place that will change our lives forever.” “It's time to re-instate the tax breaks from the 2000-2004 period and we all have to face the fact that these bills must be paid.” “Then if Congress really thinks this is incorrect, they can re-instate them.” These user-created lists contain the word ‘instate’. The only letters without a "satine" bingo possibility: J, Q, Y Words found through Wordie's random word function. I didn't take phrases, foreign, misspelled, or madeupical words, so I looked at about 200 words to assemble this list. I was surprise... Looking for tweets for instate.

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If you really want to hit a home run with a global warming story, manage to link climate change to the beloved rainforest of the Amazon. The rainforest there is considered by many to be the “lungs of the planet,” the rainforest surely contains a cure for any ailment imaginable, all species in the place are critical to the existence of life on the Earth, and the people of the Amazon are surely the most knowledgeable group on the planet regarding how to care for Mother Earth. The global warming alarmists have taken full advantage of the Amazon and they are very quick to suggest that the Amazon ecosystem is extremely sensitive to climate change. Furthermore, not only can climate change impact the Amazon, but global climate itself is strongly linked to the state of the Amazon rainforest. But, as usual, there is more to this story than meets to eye (or, rather, the press). For instance, a headline last year from USA Today sounded the alarm declaring “Amazon hit by climate chaos of floods, drought”. In the first few sentences, we learn that “Across the Amazon basin, river dwellers are adding new floors to their stilt houses, trying to stay above rising floodwaters that have killed 44 people and left 376,000 homeless. Flooding is common in the world’s largest remaining tropical wilderness, but this year the waters rose higher and stayed longer than they have in decades, leaving fruit trees entirely submerged. Only four years ago, the same communities suffered an unprecedented drought that ruined crops and left mounds of river fish flapping and rotting in the mud. Experts suspect global warming may be driving wild climate swings that appear to be punishing the Amazon with increasing frequency.” This piece is typical of thousands of other news stories about calamities in the Amazon that are immediately blamed on global warming. Other headlines quickly found include “Ocean Warming - Not El Niño - Drove Severe Amazon Drought in 2005” or “Amazon Droughts Will Accelerate Global Warming” or “Amazon Could Shrink by 85% due to Climate Change, Scientists Say.” Notice that climate change can cause droughts and floods in the Amazon PLUS droughts in the Amazon can cause global warming (by eliminating trees that could uptake atmospheric carbon dioxide). Throughout many of these stories, the words “delicate” and “irreversible” are used over and over. As we have discussed countless times in other essays, climate models are predicting the greatest warming in the mid-to-high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere during the winter season. The Amazon is not located in a part of the Earth expected to have substantial warming due to the buildup of greenhouse gases. Somewhat surprisingly, the IPCC Technical Summary comments “The sign of the precipitation response is considered less certain over both the Amazon and the African Sahel. These are regions in which there is added uncertainty due to potential vegetation-climate links, and there is less robustness across models even when vegetation feedbacks are not included.” Basically, the models are not predicting any big changes in precipitation in the Amazon due to the change in atmospheric composition, nor are the models predicting any big change in temperature. Should the people of the Amazon deforest the place down to a parking lot, there is evidence that precipitation would decrease. There is a lot going on in the Amazon – deforestation, elevated carbon dioxide levels, global warming, and all these reported recent droughts and floods. One would think that the entire place is a wreck! A recent article in Hydrological Processes might come as a huge surprise to the climate change crusade. The first two sentences of the abstract made this one an immediate favorite at World Climate Report. The author has the nerve to write “Rainfall and river indices for both the northern and southern Amazon were used to identify and explore long-term climate variability on the region. From a statistical analysis of the hydrometeorological series, it is concluded that no systematic unidirectional long-term trends towards drier or wetter conditions have been identified since the 1920s.” We should leave it at that! The author is José Marengo with Brazil’s “Centro de Ciéncia do Sistema Terrestre/Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais”; the work was funded by the Brazilian Research Council and the “UK Global Opportunity Fund-GOF-Dangerous Climate Change”. Very interesting – we suspect the “Dangerous Climate Change” group was not happy with the first two sentences of the abstract. José Marengo begins the piece noting “The main objective of this study is the assessment of long-term trends and cycles in precipitation in the entire Amazon basin, and over the northern and southern sections. It was addressed by analysing rainfall and streamflow indices, dating from the late 1920s”. The Figure 1 shows his subregions within the greater Amazon basin. Figure 1. Orientation map showing the rainfall network used on this study for (a) northern Amazonia (NAR) and (b) southern Amazonia (SAR) (from Marengo, 2009). The bottom line here is amazing. The author writes “The analysis of the annual rainfall time series in the Amazon represented by the NAR and SAR indices indicates slight negative trends for the northern Amazon and positive trends for the southern Amazon. However, they are weak and significant at 5% only in the southern Amazon” (Figure 2). So, nothing is happening out of the ordinary in the north and the south is getting wetter. There is definitely variability around the weak trends, but it all seems to be related to natural variability, not deforestation or global warming. Figure 2. Historical hydrometeorological indices for the Amazon basin. They are expressed as anomalies normalized by the standard deviation from the long-term mean, (a) northern Amazonia, (b) southern Amazonia. The thin line represents the trend. The broken line represents the 10-year moving average (from Marengo, 2009). Marengo notes “Since 1929, long-term tendencies and trends, some of them statistically significant, have been detected in a set of regional-average rainfall time series in the Amazon basin and supported by the analysis of some river streamflow time series. These long-term variations are more characteristic of decadal and multi-decadal modes, indicators of natural climate variability, rather than any unidirectional trend towards drier conditions (as one would expect, due to increased deforestation or to global warming).” [emphasis added] José – nice work, have a Cuervo on us!!! Marengo, J.A. 2009. Long-term trends and cycles in the hydrometeorology of the Amazon basin since the late 1920s. Hydrological Processes, 23, 3236-3244.

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A footnote. Fourteen bars. Can a fifty-five second composition be a key to unlocking Chopin’s life-long aesthetic? Cantabile. An Italian word first used around 1724. It means “singable,” “songlike,” or indicates “a style of playing designed to imitate the human voice.” Twice in his life Chopin fell head-over-heels in love…with singers. A third became a close friend and collaborator. Days after his arrival in Paris, Chopin wrote home heady with the endless buffet of spectacular voices he was hearing night after night. Chopin was identifying something of himself in these great voices and in what they were singing - most notably in the “never-ending melody” Chopin reported hearing in Vincenzo Bellini’s operas. For many music scholars, Chopin’s love of opera, and of singing, is the key to understanding his music; they call it Chopin’s “Cantabile Aesthetic.” Flowing, singable, lines, Bellini’s bel canto, translated to the black and white of the keys. Cantabile is also the title of this briefest of Chopin miniatures. Chopin wrote it in Paris around 1834, but it didn’t get published until nearly a century later. Despite its brevity, it sums up the singing soul of Chopin. As Chopin’s biographer, James Hunecker wrote, "He may become old-fashioned, but, like Mozart, he will remain eternally beautiful.” - Jennifer Foster

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5th Forum Top 25 Highlights - Thematic Programme During the scores of discussions in over one hundred sessions, some overall messages emerged: - Water is a common denominator for many development issues and the key to successfully resolving those challenges. - Because of the interrelatedness of water issues across so many different sectors, progress can only be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach. There is a need to reinforce the preliminary linkages made at the 5th World Water Forum and continue to think out of the box. - Education, capacity development and financial support are needed in virtually every domain to support further progress. - Solutions must be sustainable and flexibly adapted to specific local or regional circumstances: no “one size fits all” approach can be applied to water management. - Stakeholders need to be engaged through participatory processes in the earliest stages of water resource development strategies. - The 5th World Water Forum enabled greater focus and synergies to move forward on today’s water-related challenges and to create more political will. Climate Change, Disasters and Migration While climate change, disasters and migration are distinct in scope and challenges, joint reflection on these issues at the 5th World Water Forum concluded that good adaptation measures implemented for climate change and disasters will, in fact, assist in mitigating migration. One billion slum dwellers worldwide demonstrate that unsolved rural problems lead to urban problems. Therefore, more work is needed to continue to dovetail efforts before crises arise, despite disparities among these domains. In addition, the message that water is the medium through which climate change acts and the work on “hotspots” and recommendations formulated at the 5th World Water Forum will be channeled into the UNFCCC CoP15 processes, as well as to other international processes. Advancing Human Development and the MDG’s Regardless of whether or not the MDG’s are achieved, after 2015, the remaining half of the population will still need to be served. At the 5th World Water Forum, the main impediments to reaching the MDGs were identified as a lack of effective management, investment, institutional capacity and political priority. One suggested instrument to ensure coverage for all school-aged children was the creation of a global convention to implement WASH in schools. However, the necessity was also made clear to move away from increasing crisis management toward a process steered by more long-term development objectives, in which the challenges are recognized as all being interconnected. This will be especially important in harmonizing water use between energy production, food production and other uses, so that these needs complement each other rather than compete against one another. The fundamental baseline associated with all development and environmental challenges is that by 2050, the world’s population will rise to over 9 billion people, and all will need water and sanitation. Managing and Protecting Water Resources This theme perhaps offered the most fertile terrain for building bridges between polarized viewpoints: on transboundary issues, on storage issues, on infrastructure and environment, and between policy and implementation. Generally, it was agreed that river basin organizations offer a vehicle through which a range of partners can work together. In addition, a “Handbook on Integrated Water Resources Management in Basins” was presented, providing useful advice on how to improve governance of freshwater resources in basins. It was also recommended that IWRM needs to be practiced at different scales in order for it to be helpful in enabling Governments and all stakeholders to determine how to allocate water appropriately and which global solutions are most appropriate for any given situation. But most of all, these recommendations must lead to action. Governance and Management A wide majority of stakeholders reaffirmed support for the right to water and sanitation, already extensively recognized by many States, and supported further efforts for its implementation. In addition, a better understanding of the complementary roles of public and private sectors was achieved, recognizing that specific circumstances call for specific solutions. Moreover, 10 priority issues for catalyzing institutional change and policies were identified. In an effort to address corruption issues, participants called for the creation of an international tribunal to address violations and launched an appeal to incorporate anti-corruption safeguards into project designs. The need for public participation as an essential component of good governance was also emphasized. Through a series of panels, sessions and side events throughout the week, financing issues received much greater attention than ever before from Forum participants. Despite recognition that financing needs for the water sector are still enormous and remain a major constraint for further development, the discussions enabled a much better understanding of the fundamentals of water economics. It was agreed that funds need to be allocated where they can have the biggest impact. By flexibly balancing “The 3 Ts: Tariffs, Taxes and Transfers”, the sector is consciously shifting its operational paradigm from “full cost recovery” to “sustainable cost recovery.” Although higher priority for water should still be requested in national budgets, increased efficiency and greater innovation can actually reduce financing needs. Education, Knowledge and Capacity Development With a view of strengthening science and education, participants called for: - Enhancing knowledge and capacity development within the water sector; - Improving data gathering, sharing and dissemination mechanisms; - Promoting knowledge-based integrated approaches and informed decision making in water resources management; - Actively engaging professional associations and all stakeholders. To accomplish these objectives, guiding principles for education, knowledge and capacity development were drafted. Both Youth and network associations were recognized as powerful agents for change in this domain, especially in the advent of new technologies that will improve interconnectedness in future water management strategies. Partners also committed to improve the organization and availability of water-related data, building upon existing systems.

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What Is a Letter of Intent? Letters of intent, commonly referred to as 'heads of agreement', are used to indicate the terms under which two or more people intend to enter into a contractual relationship when doing business together. The term 'letter of intent' has no legal significance. However, the courts have often treated so-called letters of intent as contracts capable of being enforced, so care must be taken when drafting them. One legally binding clause that is normally included in a letter of intent is the confidentiality clause in which it is agreed that confidential information acquired during negotiations will not be disclosed to any third party or otherwise used. Why Use Letters of Intent? Many letters of intent are really a mechanism by which the parties to a deal give each other reassurance of their intentions. They provide strategic guidance as to how a deal is to be done. They are also useful when outsiders need to be brought into the picture. For example, a takeover deal may need to be financed by institutional investors. The letter of intent is a valuable tool for them in their decision-making. A letter of intent can be submitted to the relevant authorities in order to obtain a clearance that a particular way of structuring a deal will not cause problems: for example, obtaining a tax clearance from the Inland Revenue. What Problems Might Arise? Letters of intent can present problems. Unless drafted carefully, a letter of intent can create a contract, enforceable in the courts. For example, the use of the words 'subject to contract', which normally operate to show that contractual relations will be created later, are not always effective in this regard. Similarly, the courts have ruled on several occasions that work done following agreement of a letter of intent should be paid for at a reasonable rate, when the anticipated contract did not materialise. If negotiations fail, there may be a damaging 'loss of face' if details have been disclosed to third parties. In addition, UK tax law will often catch 'arrangements' in which a series of predetermined steps is carried out with the effect that tax payable is reduced. The existence of a letter of intent could justify the tax authorities arguing that an arrangement was in effect. This can be of particular importance in management buyouts, sales of businesses and similar deals. What Should be Included? Normally, letters of intent should contain the following clauses: - a statement of the law under which the letters are drafted; - a statement that they are not binding, or clear identification of any parts that are intended to be contractually binding; - any provisions for non-completion (e.g. where one side must do work to progress the deal, and whether they will be compensated for this); - a 'lock out' clause is common, in which the parties agree not to have negotiations with competitors for a period; - a non-disclosure ('confidentiality') clause defining to whom (if anyone) disclosure of terms can be made. Recently, the court issued guidance regarding when letters of intent might most usefully be used in construction agreements. In the court's view, letters of intent are most suitable for use when the following are agreed or there is little chance of dispute regarding them: - the scope of the works; - the price of the works; - the date of completion of the works and any ‘milestones’ prior to final completion; and - the main contract terms. The use of letters of intent is also most appropriate when there are good reasons to commence the works prior to the formal contract documents being in place.

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Information contained on this page is provided by NewsUSA, an independent third-party content provider. WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. /Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - As a parent, you know how much you do to keep your little one safe and healthy. Even if you don't have kids, you still play an important role in protecting babies -- like your friend's newborn, your grandchild or even a baby you run into at the store. These children have something in common: they are vulnerable to whooping cough (or pertussis). We can all do something to protect them by getting immunized. Whooping cough can take a toll on anyone, but it can be deadly for young children. Today, there are cases in every state, and the country is on track to have the most reported cases since 1959. From January through September 2012, about 30,000 cases of whooping cough were reported, along with 14 deaths. Most of those deaths were among babies younger than three months old. How can you protect yourself and help keep babies safe? Protection can start before a baby is even born. Pregnant moms should get a Tdap vaccine , which is a booster shot combining protection against whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria. She'll be protecting herself so she won't spread whooping cough to her newborn, and some protection will be passed on to her baby. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that anyone around babies get the whooping cough vaccine at least two weeks before coming into close contact with an infant. In fact, every adult is recommended one dose of Tdap to protect themselves, even if they're not going to be around babies. During pregnancy, moms should talk to others about getting the Tdap vaccine. This includes her spouse, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, babysitters and day care staff. After the baby arrives, he'll get his first dose of DTaP (the childhood vaccine combining protection against whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria) at two months of age. He should complete the vaccine series by getting additional doses at 4 months, 6 months, 15 through 18 months and 4 through 6 years of age. Since the protection the DTaP vaccine provides young children decreases over time, preteens need the Tdap booster shot at 11 or 12 years old. Now is the time to do your part to protect yourself -- and babies, too. Visit www.cdc.gov/pertussis for more information, and talk to a doctor about the whooping cough vaccine today.

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The case of the first toddler ever to be "functionally cured" of HIV could have wide-ranging effects on the global fight to end the AIDS epidemic. "If we can replicate this in other infants ... this has huge implications for the burden of infection that's occurring globally," said Dr. Deborah Persaud, a pediatrician at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Persaud is the lead author of a report on the toddler's case that was presented at the 2013 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta on Monday. "For the unfortunate ones who do get infected, if this can be replicated, this would offer real hope of clearing the virus." Some 1,000 infants are born with HIV every day, according to the latest estimates from the UNAIDS Global Report. That means some 330,000 children are living with the deadly virus. The majority of these infections are in the developing world. The most common way children get HIV is through perinatal transmission -- HIV transmission from an infected mother to a child while she is pregnant, giving birth or when she breast-feeds the child. The number of infant infections in the United States has gone down some 90 percent since the mid-'90s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; that's in large part because pregnant women are routinely tested. When a mother is identified as being HIV positive, her doctor is then able to administer preventive interventions that will, in most cases, keep the virus in check. In developing countries, infants born to mothers with HIV are not so lucky. There, mothers are less likely to be treated with antiretroviral drugs that would prevent transmission during pregnancy. In North Africa and the Middle East, for instance, 3 percent of pregnant women with HIV received antiretroviral medications, according to the U.N. report. Some 23 percent in West and Central Africa did. Testing is also less sophisticated in these areas. The unidentified Mississippi woman in this case had no prenatal care and was not diagnosed as HIV positive until just before she delivered the baby. That's why Dr. Hannah Gay, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, administered the drugs within 30 hours after the baby was born. Typically, a baby born to a woman with HIV would be given two drugs as a prophylactic measure. Gay said her standard is to use a three-drug regimen to treat an infection. She did this on the Mississippi infant without waiting for test results to confirm the baby was infected with HIV. Gay thinks the timing may be key, that the timing may deserve "more emphasis than the particular drugs or number of drugs used."

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The issue of discipline will doubtless be an important one in your selection of a school. You'll be concerned, and rightly so, that your child has a safe and ordered environment in which to learn. The school's rules and regulations should be spelled out in their printed material; look them over carefully. But just as vital, you'll need to investigate how well these rules are actually enforced by the administration. What type of punishment do they carry out for various actions? Do you agree with these steps? Another area to evaluate is the type of peer pressure your children are likely to encounter at a given school. With today's problems such as alcohol, drugs, sex and gang violence, you'll want to know what your child might be up against. Also, how does school policy respond to these situations? You might also ask if discipline is enforced off the school grounds; can students be expelled for certain behaviors that take place away from school? Some parents prefer strict disciplinary action, with no exceptions made; others favor a more lenient approach. Obviously, you'll want to find a school whose philosophy is more or less consistent with your own. ©2004 Bluestreak Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Welcome to Professor Pam's Home Page RULES FOR CAPITALIZATION not capitalize common nouns the represent general classifications. We want to deal with a good company. Note: Many companies capitalize the word “company” in their in-house materials when they are referring to their own company. If you work for that company, you will, of course, follow the company protocol. not capitalize general occupational titles not used with names. He is a lawyer. Personal Names and Titles: the following forms for titles in the inside address, salutation, and body of a business letter. Capitalize the first letter of each title. titles such as professor or senator are spelled in full within titles when they are used with names. Jenkins, but the professor Example: I work for the “the” at the beginning of a company name only if it is actually part of the name. Example: We will visit The First National Bank. words as for or and are not capitalized within a company name. Days, Months, Holidays. Capitalize the names of days of the week, months, and holidays. We will arrive on Monday. Do not capitalize north, southeast, western, etc., when they simply indicate directions. Capitalize such words when they represent definite geographic regions. Capitalize directions when they are actual parts of geographic names. His home is in Northern Ireland. ©Division of Business, Economics & Mathematics, WVUP, 2011. Steve.Morgan@mail.wvu.edu ;Business Division Office:

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You will learn the basics of Yoga—the ABC’s—the sun salutation and basic sitting and standing positions. This course will help you master the basic vocabulary upon which most yoga traditions are based. With Yoga Basic, you can learn the basics of yoga in 90-minute sessions. You can start immediately and join at any time. Yoga Basic is especially suitable for: - Just trying out yoga - quickly yet throughouly learning the basic elements of yoga - finding out how to adapt yoga exercises to your body flexibility and day. - getting a feel for how different exercises have different physical and mental effects We recommend Yoga basic for: - Those coming from other yoga styles - As a preparation for those wanting to learn the dynamic styles of yoga (Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow) - Sun Salutation: simple form. The Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara) is an essential part of the traditional yoga practice. It stretches all limbs, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. At the same time, it works the internal organs and glands and thus activates the entire body. - Basic standing and sitting positions: the special effects of the positions, you know which positions are particularily important for you. - You will learn to adjust the basic positions to your physical fitness and flexibility, so you’ll know in any yoga course—also at home—how far you can go. - You will learn step by step how to link the movement to an energizing breathing technique (Ujai breathing). This breathing technique can also be used in your daily life to promote peace, concentration, and composure. - Anyone can join at any time!

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In grammar terms, a participle is an adjective (descriptive word) made from a verb.(noun) An example of a participle is "sleeping" in the phrase "sleeping dogs." See participle in Webster's New World College Dictionary Origin: OFr < L participium < particeps, participating, partaking < participare, participate: from participating in the nature of both v. & adj. See participle in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Origin: Middle English Origin: , from Old French Origin: , variant of participe Origin: , from Latin participium (translation of Greek metokhē, sharing, partaking, participle) Origin: , from particeps, particip-, partaker; see participate. Usage Note: Participial phrases such as walking down the street or having finished her homework are commonly used in English to modify nouns or pronouns, but care must be taken in incorporating such phrases into sentences. Readers will ordinarily associate a participle with the noun, noun phrase, or pronoun adjacent to it, and misplacement may produce comic effects as in He watched his horse take a turn around the track carrying a racing sheet under his arm. A correctly placed participial phrase leaves no doubt about what is being modified: Sitting at her desk, Jane read the letter carefully. • Another pitfall in using participial phrases is illustrated in the following sentence: Turning the corner, the view was quite different. Grammarians would say that such a sentence contains a “dangling participle” because there is no noun or pronoun in the sentence that the participial phrase could logically modify. Moving the phrase will not solve the problem (as it would in the sentence about the horse with a racing sheet). To avoid distracting the reader, it would be better to recast the sentence as When we turned the corner, the view was quite different or Turning the corner, we had a different view. • A number of expressions originally derived from participles have become prepositions, and these may be used to introduce phrases that are not associated with the immediately adjacent noun phrase. Such expressions include concerning, considering, failing, granting, judging by, and speaking of. Thus one may write without fear of criticism Speaking of politics, the elections have been postponed or Considering the hour, it is surprising that he arrived at all. Learn more about participle

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Most Viewed Stories Farmworkers face special risks and health issues Thanks to the agricultural workers that toil in the fields, millions of people are fed during the winter. But these farmworkers face different health issues and risks than the general population. “They do a lot of repetitive work. There are a lot of back injuries,” noted Amanda Aguirre, CEO/president of the Regional Center for Border Health It might be a challenge to keep their feet dry. “The fields are wet, muddy. If someone is diabetic, it might be a problem,” she said. The same conditions increase their risk of getting fungus under their nails. They have to protect themselves from the insecticides applied to the crops. They are experts at using a knife to cut lettuce and broccoli, but they're still at risk of injuries, especially in cold weather, when fingers might be numb. Tuberculosis, which spreads easily, is a concern because farmworkers spend a lot of time in small, confined spaces with large groups of people, either living together or traveling to job sites on buses. Other concerns include sexually transmitted diseases, chronic diseases such as diabetes, lack of preventive care and continuity of care since migrant workers — and their families — move a lot. “They follow the crops. Today they're here and tomorrow in Salinas,” Aguirre noted. These migrant farmworkers are the reason the Sunset Community Health Clinic exists. Sunset began receiving federal funding through a Public Health Service grant to the Yuma County Migrant Health Program in 1972, according to the center's website. Services were provided out of a trailer in Somerton during those early days. Today the center serves 27,000, including 6,000 migrant workers. Some agricultural groups and major companies provide health insurance for their temporary workers, who might be on their payroll for six months or so. Some unions, particularly in California, also provide health insurance, thanks to the movement started by Cesar Chavez. This type of insurance extends into Mexico, where farmworkers and their families can access health-care services and have it paid by American insurance. Aguirre noted that Pan American Underwriters and Western Growers both provide health insurance for farmworkers, often with coverage for services in Mexico. This is how many farmworkers and their families like it. “Because we're on the border, a lot of workers cross into Mexico for service,” Aguirre pointed out. The San Luis Clinic, which is run by the Regional Center for Border Health, a private, nonprofit organization, is designated as a rural health care provider. It also sees farmworkers, takes all insurance and has a sliding fee scale. The clinic will not deny anyone services and will donate medical services should someone not have the means to pay for them. Some farmworkers might also qualify for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, depending on the individual's work and insurance status. Or if they're temporary workers and they qualify for unemployment benefits during the off season, they might also be enrolled in AHCCCS. While farmworkers face special health issues, Aguirre believes agricultural companies are paying more attention to worker safety. “Education and awareness are very important,” she said, noting that the focus must be on keeping families healthy, impressing upon them the importance of good nutrition and giving them access to primary health care services. “They have a difficult skill, a skill they know very well. It's very unique,” Aguirre added. “Not many people want to do that, so we need to value them as part of our community and make sure to offer them services as well as we can.” Mara Knaub can be reached at email@example.com or 539-6856. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSMaraKnaub or on Twitter at @YSMaraKnaub.

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Seattle and Beyond It was immensely significant for black America that the last major public demonstration in the U.S. in the 20th century was a protest over global economics and trade. More than forty thousand people came to Seattle to oppose the policies of the World Trade Organization, which since 1995 has functioned like an international cabal in league with powerful corporate and financial interests. Labor activists went to Seattle to force the WTO to enact trade sanctions against nations that use child labor, prohibit labor unions and that pay slave wages to their workers. Environmental activists came to Seattle to pressure the WTO to ensure environmental safeguards would be part of any global trade agreements. What motivated both labor and environmentalists is the political recognition that issues like human rights, employment and healthcare cannot be addressed individually as separate issues. Nor can they be effectively discussed only in the context of a single nation-state. Capital is now truly global, and any analysis of specific socioeconomic problems that may exist in our country must be viewed from an international perspective. The WTO was set up to be the global headquarters for drafting and enforcing trading rules. When one member country challenges another's trading practices, disputes are settled secretly by panels of trade experts. Elaine Bernard, director of Harvard's Trade Union Program, explains that the WTO's rules are based on privatization, free trade and few regulations on the environment. Bernard states the WTO's rules "value corporate power and commercial interests over labor and human rights, environmental and health concerns, and diversity. They increase inequality and stunt democracy. The WTO version of globalization is not a rising tide lifting all boats, as free traders insist, but a dangerous race to the bottom." What kinds of "dangerous" priorities are we talking about? Consider that the WTO's rules that deny Third World nations the right to have automatic licensing on patented but absolutely essential medicines. So for example, even when African nations currently ravaged by diseases such as AIDS acquire the scientific and technical means to manufacture drugs to save millions of lives, the WTO's first concern is the protection of the patents and profits of powerful drug companies. The WTO defines itself as a "trade" organization, which is incapable of pursuing social goals, such as extending the rights to freedom of collective bargaining to Third World and poor workers. Thus when an authoritarian regime markets clothing and athletic shoes that were produced by child labor under sweatshop conditions, the WTO claims that there is nothing it can do. The demonstrations in Seattle, however, showed that growing numbers of Americans are recognizing that all of these issues-Third World sweatshops, the destruction of unions, deteriorating living standards, the dismantling of social programs inside the U.S.-are actually interconnected. "Globalization" is not some abstraction, but a destructive social force that has practical consequences on how we live, work and eat. There is a direct connection between the elimination of millions of jobs that can sustain families here in the U.S., and the exportation of jobs into countries without unions, environmental and safety standards. As real jobs disappear for millions of U.S. workers, and as welfare programs are eliminated, the only alternative is to use the prisons as the chief means of regulating mass unemployment. Thus in the 1990s in the U.S., a period of so-called unprecedented capitalist expansion, the number of prisoners in federal, state and local correctional facilities roughly doubled. Between 1995 and 1997, according to the National Jobs for All Coalition, the average incomes of the poorest 20 percent of female-headed families fell. In 1998, 163 cities and 670 counties had unemployment rates that were more than 50 percent higher than the national average. These deep pockets of joblessness and hunger are not accidental: they represent the logical economic consequences of a nation that builds one hundred new prison cells a day and sanctions the exportation of millions of jobs. Black Americans therefore should be in the forefront of the debates about international trade, but we must do so by recalling the activist slogan of the sixties: "Think Globally, Act Locally." There is an inescapable connection between Seattle and Sing Sing Prison, between global inequality and the brutalization of Third World labor and what's happening to black, brown and working people here in the U.S. As globalized capitalism destroys democracy, unions and the environment abroad, it is carrying out a similar agenda in our own backyards. For these reasons, we must create new organizations and a new political language that can unify international groups into collective protest action. We are challenged to build new political networks and information sharing across the boundaries of race, gender, class and nation. We must make the connections in the fight for democracy in the 21st century. Dr. Manning Marable is Professor of History and Political Science, and the Director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies, Columbia University. "Along the Color Line" is distributed free of charge to over 325 publications throughout the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Marable's column is also available on the internet at www.manningmarable.net.

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The Department of Education recently issued a guidance to support educators in combating bullying in schools by clarifying when student bullying may violate federal education anti-discrimination laws. The guidance, which comes in the form of a "Dear Colleague" letter sent to schools, colleges and universities, explains educators' legal obligations to protect students from student-on-student racial and national origin harassment, sexual and gender-based harassment, and disability harassment. The letter provides examples of harassment and illustrates how a school should respond in each case. (November 23, 2010) Celebrate the 35th anniversary of the passage of Public Law 94-142, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). On November 29, 1975, then-President Gerald Ford signed into law the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142). In adopting this landmark civil rights measure, Congress opened public school doors for millions of children with disabilities and laid the foundation of the country’s commitment to ensuring that children with disabilities have opportunities to develop their talents, share their gifts, and contribute to their communities. While tremendous progress has been made over the years, we must continue the hard work and address the challenges that still exist. Although we are able to help many individual students to achieve their goals, we must strive to ensure that all children have the support they need and to find ways to meet each student’s needs within the context of each school. (November 18, 2010) Department Awards $3.5 Million to 15 Special Education Parent Centers; One Million Dollars to Ten Community Parent Resource Centers The U.S. Department of Education announced the award of more than $3.5 million in grants to operate 15 special education Parent Training and Information (PTI) Centers in 11 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. The Department also awarded $1 million to provide funding for ten Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs). With the new grants, the Department now funds 106 information centers for parents of students with disabilities. Every state has at least one parent information center, which assist parents as they work to ensure their children receive a free, appropriate public education as guaranteed by federal law. In addition, Community Parent Resource Centers provide services to underserved parents of children with disabilities in targeted communities throughout the country. For a list of Education Department-funded special education parent information and training centers, visit http://www.taalliance.org/ptidirectory/index.asp (October 7, 2010) Sue Swenson begins duties as OSERS deputy assistant secretary and Melody Musgrove becomes director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Sue Swenson comes from her own company which specializes in management, payment technologies and social entrepreneurship to support people with disabilities and their families. Formerly the executive director of the Arc of the United States and the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, as well as the commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), Swenson brings a wealth of experience in disability related issues including family support, inclusion, and transition to name a few. Melody Musgrove came from LRP Publications where she served as the director of Business Development. Formerly, she was the state director of Special Education in Mississippi, a due process hearing officer, an assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Federal Programs for the Lawrence County School District, an assistant principal, and a special education teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Musgrove has been noted for her work to reduce the achievement gap for traditionally under-performing students, conducted statewide self-assessments, and designed and implemented a focused system of monitoring local districts. (August 19, 2010) 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act a Cause for Celebration and Rededication to Equal Educational Opportunity for Students with Disabilities U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act’s (ADA) enactment by applauding the legislation and by rededicating the U.S. Department of Education to the ADA’s effective implementation. “The Americans with Disabilities Act is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation. It protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination and promotes their full inclusion into education and all other aspects of our society,” Duncan said. “I want to celebrate the progress that we’ve made and highlight our commitment to continuing the work of providing equal access for all Americans. I acknowledge we still have work to do and renew my commitment to ensuring that individuals of all ages and abilities have an equal opportunity to realize their full potential. “With President Obama’s support,” Duncan said, “we are strengthening our efforts to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, have the tools they need to benefit from a world-class education that prepares them for success in college and careers.” To learn more about OSERS, the ADA Technical Assistance Centers and the independent living programs authorized by the Rehabilitation Act go to http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/index.html?src=oc. For further information about the ADA, Section 504 and OCR, please visit http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/disability.html. (July 26, 2010) Assistant Secretary of Education Alexa Posny to Discuss Reauthorization of ESEA, IDEA at Indiana Education Forum U.S. Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Alexa Posny will deliver remarks and participate in a Q&A at an education forum on Friday, May 28 in Bloomington, Ind. Dr. Posny will discuss the priorities in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and how it will serve as the roadmap for IDEA reauthorization. The education forum is being sponsored by the Indiana Council of Administrators of Special Education. Dr. Alexa Posny, assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services, U.S. Department of Education Discussion of how ESEA reauthorization aligns with IDEA reauthorization at Indiana Education Forum Bloomington High School South 1965 S. Walnut Street Friday, May 28 at 9:30 a.m. (May 28, 2010) The Department has posted a summary of state laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines regarding the use of restraint and seclusion techniques in schools: http://www.ed.gov/policy/seclusion/seclusion-state-summary.html. The summary is a result of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s letter issued to Chief State School Officers on July 31, 2009, urging a review of current state policies and guidelines regarding the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. Since August, the Department’s regional Comprehensive Centers have researched and compiled information on state-by-state restraint and seclusion techniques. “Restraint and seclusion policies should be reviewed regularly to prevent the abuse of such techniques and ensure that schools provide a safe learning environment for all of our children,” said Duncan. “I am pleased that many states and territories have begun to work with their stakeholders to develop or revise current practices. The Department will continue to serve as a resource throughout the process to ensure that all students are safe and protected.” Each Chief State School Officer or a representative of the Chief State School Officer reviewed and verified the information gathered. (February 24, 2010)

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U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Federal Energy Management Program Operations and Maintenance for Major Equipment Types Equipment lies at the heart of all operations and maintenance (O&M) activities. This equipment varies greatly across the Federal sector in age, size, type, model, condition, etc. No single resource covers all equipment in use by Federal agencies, and listing major equipment types is beyond the scope of this Web site. Instead, FEMP outlines major equipment types within chapter 9 of the FEMP O&M Best Practices Guide. The FEMP O&M Best Practices Guide focuses on: - Steam traps - Cooling towers - Energy management and building automation systems - Air handling systems - Air compressors The guide provides the following information for each equipment type: - General equipment descriptions and operating principles. - Key maintenance components. - Important safety issues. - Cost and energy efficiency issues. - Water related efficiency issues. - Recommended maintenance checklists. The full FEMP O&M Best Practices Guide is also available.

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The Classical World and Classical Language From the John Paul II Library homepage, select Find articles by and then Subject. Under History, select the Ancient World and Early Christianity. This section guides you to many resources that pertain to the classical world. If you know the title of the journal, go to Find Articles by title of journal and follow along. Remember that information about his period comes to us from two main sources: the written record and the physical remains of these cultures. The study of archeology plays an important role in interpreting both the ruins of these cultures and the writings that they have left behind. Many nations and places in ancient history still exist today. If you perform a search in a general database using Egypt or Rome as a term without additional qualifiers, you may have results that pertain to the modern rather than the ancient world 1. You may search by words anywhere (a keyword approach) title, author, subject. I suggest that you use keyword-at least at first. 2. Subject headings should be used only after finding the appropriate one to use. You can never be sure as to the exact subject heading in use until you have some experience with the database. 3. After using keywords, you may find a subject heading that is useful for your search. These subject headings are in the blue print under the citations for the articles and you can click on them to bring up those citations. Some important facts about Inter Library Loan--- 1. Books take at least 3 days 2. Articles take at least 5 daysprint citation and attach pink form with your contact information 3. Please print the article citation from the database. If submitting a list, please make it very clear as to which articles you wish to order. (please order handwritten next to each one you want is fine) 4. The ISSN number is very importantit can be found on most databasesplease include it. Journals in John Paul II Library Many of the databases do not include the full text of the article. The library subscribes to over 700 journals. Current copies are on the main floor and the older copies are on the second floor, bound and arranged in call number order. Some older journals are in storage and there is a 24-hour turn around on requests. You may check to see if we subscribe to a journal by checking the JPII catalog. You may see if we have full text access to a journal by using the Find Articles by Title of Journal option. PLEASE REMEMBER to search by the exact name of the journal. Before asking for an article via ILL, be sure to check and see if the library has the journal available here. Remember-if the title of the book is in Latin or Greek, the book is most likely in that language. Please look for the name of the translator. Unless there is a translator, the work will be in the original language. ©2003 Franciscan University of Steubenville - 1235 University Boulevard - Steubenville, Ohio 43952-6701 Last updated January 2009

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The Western Wall Additional western wall pics |History of the Wall||Power and the Wall||Gender and the Wall||Links| History of the Wall The Western wall is the last remnant of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed in 70 CE by Titus and the Roman legions. Interestingly, the Romans did not destroy the protective wall which surrounded the Temple. This last remnant of the Temple quickly became one of the most celebrated religious sites in Jerusalem. The Kotel ha-Ma'aravi (Western Wall) stands upon the Temple Mount and stretches 200 meters. For many reasons the wall attracts visitors from around the world. It is one of the holiest sights in Jerusalem and some believed that here Abraham bound Isaac. Jewish people have been praying at the wall for two thousand years and travel from around the world to gather and pray at this holy site. Jews pray facing the wall three times daily, often in tears which is why some refer to the wall as the "Wailing Wall". In fact, the wall is an ancient praying site for Jews since the Middle Ages and the sheer longevity of the wall is phenomenal. This leads many Jews to believe that the wall is holy and has been blessed by God. Power and the Wall Aside from the historical significance of the wall, another attraction to the wall stems from the perception of the wall as an appropriate metaphor for the struggle of survival of the Jewish people themselves. For just as the Jewish peoples' existence has been endangered over the course of history, the wall's existence has been threatened as well. The Romans burned the entire Temple but inexplicably left the outer wall unscathed. Remarkably, the wall still exists and just as remarkably so do the Jews. This religious connection that many Jews feel with the wall, arguably makes the wall the most powerful and emotional religious site in Jerusalem. The amount of people that come to the wall to pray on a daily basis is amazing and the emotion that is so commonly exhibited by these people leaves many observers in awe. The wall also holds an important position within ancient Jewish prophecies. One being that the Holy Temple will eventually be reconstructed. Rebuilt in its original form, standing upon the Temple Mount surrounded by the wall. The second prophecy involves the arrival of the Messiah, for some Jews attest that only the true Messiah will cause enough power for the Temple's construction. Whether a person is Jewish or not, the power that the wall holds within the Jewish community is undeniable. Gender and the Wall Although the Wall is considered by Jews as a holy place of worship it does not allow for all members of the Jewish community to pray in the same area. Orthodox Jews believe that women should not don prayer shawls or lead services and should be separated from men during prayer. So, Jewish women are expected to pray at a specific area of the wall without Torahs. Some women, who have attempted to pray at the wall have even encountered violence from Orthodox men. Unfortunately, the space at the Wall is not entirely equal and the Israeli government, for fear of the power of the Orthodox within Jerusalem will not protect a woman who wants to pray at any part of the wall. Instead women must pray at a separate area of the wall and if they feel inclined to pray elsewhere there is a chance she would be met by men who use violence as a deterrent. The mob rule of the Western Wall is unfortunate but indicative of Orthodox gender practice in general, in which women are not permitted to read from the Torah, pray in the same area as men or allowed to lead religious services. We may conclude that the separatism that occurs at the wall is not an isolated event but rather an extension of Orthodox Jewish practice concerning gender. Messianic prophecy concerning the Wall Wailing Wall Kvitel Service Send a message to put in the wall. Window On The Wall 24 Hour view of the Western Wall.

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Home Fire Safety for Family and Friends of Older Adults When it comes to fire, adults over age 65 are at greater risk than any other group. Most fire deaths occur in the home and it is important for older adults to know how to protect themselves. If you have a relative, friend or neighbor in this high-risk group, please take a few minutes to complete this fire safety check of their home. Conduct the following safety checks: - Check that there are working smoke alarms on every level of the home and in sleeping areas. - Make sure the older person can hear the alarm when it activates. If not, there are now a variety of smoke alarms on the market that combine sound and light to alert those with limited hearing that there is a fire in the home. - Check that the smoke alarms have been tested. If not, test the smoke alarm by pressing the alarm test button. If it is difficult to reach, use a broom handle or ruler to test it. - Check that the batteries have been changed within the past year. Batteries should be replaced each year. It is a good idea to mark the date on the batteries so that anyone will know when they were last replaced. Families are encouraged to change the batteries in the fall during "Change your Clock, Change Your Batteries" programs. A chirping sound indicates a low battery, but this sound can be difficult for an older person to hear or recognize. - Check for scorch marks on pots and pans. If you find scorch marks, discuss with the older person. He/she may be leaving cooking unattended. - Check that clothing, bedding, furniture and floors are free of cigarette burns. If you find cigarette burns, discuss the situation with your older friend or relative. - Do you know how to leave quickly if there is a fire? - Check that the older person knows two ways out in case the main route is blocked by smoke or flames. Check that all doors and windows in the escape route can be easily opened. - Do you have a neighbor who can help in an emergency? - Is there a phone near your bed in case you need help? - What would you do if the room filled with smoke? - Demonstrate how to crawl low and go. - For those living in apartments: - Do you know the sound of the fire alarm and what to do if the alarm sounds? Find out correct procedures from building management. - Do you ever leave cooking unattended? - Most kitchen fires start because cooking food has been left unattended. Never leave items cooking unattended on the stovetop. It's best to turn off the stove before leaving the kitchen and to closely monitor things cooking in the oven. Use a timer or take an item such as a potholder as a reminder if there is something cooking in the oven. - Do you know what to do if a pot on the stove catches fire? - Keep a proper fitting lid nearby and safely slide it over the burning pot. - If a grease fire starts: - Using a potholder, place a lid over the burning pan. - Turn off the heat source. - Leave the lid on the pan until it is completely cool. - Never use water on a grease fire. - Don't try to carry a pan that is on fire to the sink or outdoors. Smother the fire with a lid and leave the pan where it is. - If a grease fire starts: - Are combustibles or things that can easily ignite, such as dish towels or curtains near the stove? - Keep anything that can easily catch fire away from the stove. - Do you wear tight-fitting or rolled up sleeves when you use the stove? - Dangling sleeves can easily brush against a hot burner and quickly catch fire. - Are you careful not to reach over hot burners? - Use the front burners as much as possible. - Do you keep portable heaters at least 3 feet from any combustible materials, such as drapes, clothing or furniture? - Space heaters can quickly warm up a cold room, but they have also been the cause of many serious home fires. Remind your friend or relative that portable heaters should be at least three feet from all combustible materials, including paper, bedding, furniture and curtains. Never use your heater to dry clothing or shoes and make sure that all heaters are turned off before leaving your home or going to bed. - If you smoke, do you consider yourself a careful smoker? - Smokers should use large, deep ashtrays and never smoke when drowsy or in bed. - Where do you empty your ashtrays? - Soak cigarette butts and cigar ashes in water before discarding or in a non-combustible can. Ashes from a cigarette can smolder for hours before a flare-up occurs. - Are you cautious when your drink and smoke? - Drinking alcohol while smoking is a deadly combination and account for many fire deaths. Take a few minutes to learn about safety in the home and get family members involved! With a little planning, many injuries and deaths from fires and unintentional injuries could be prevented. We put safety where you put your family - FIRST. Please don't hesitate to call the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service if you need help with any aspect of your home safety.

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Volume 11, Number 3—March 2005 Rumor Surveillance and Avian Influenza H5N1 We describe the enhanced rumor surveillance during the avian influenza H5N1 outbreak in 2004. The World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Regional Office identified 40 rumors; 9 were verified to be true. Rumor surveillance informed immediate public health action and prevented unnecessary and costly responses. In January 2004, 14 persons in Vietnam were admitted to provincial hospitals with severe respiratory illness (1). Avian influenza H5N1 was detected in samples from 3 of these patients. Health officials and the World Health Organization (WHO) were concerned, as these were sporadic cases of an influenza strain that normally infects birds exclusively (2). Furthermore, little was known about the extent of the outbreak, its potential for international spread, and the possible evolution of a pandemic influenza strain. WHO issued an international public health alert on January 13, 2004, to inform the world about the outbreak (1). News of the outbreak led to international anxiety and the propagation of unofficial outbreak reports or disease rumors (3). These rumors could have led countries to impose trade and travel restrictions with negative social, economic, and health consequences (3,4). To protect both the international community and the affected countries, WHO introduced enhanced rumor surveillance for reports of avian influenza H5N1, a process of investigating unofficial reports of disease events to determine their veracity. Rumor surveillance aims to decrease the potential for misinformation and misunderstanding and to inform the public and health officials about disease outbreaks, facilitate a rapid response, and promote public health preparedness (3). Rumor surveillance is a passive process, where rumors are identified from media reports, professional groups, the public, and persons in the WHO network, which is made up of WHO headquarters, country offices, and WHO Collaborating Centers. In an enhanced system, rumor surveillance is intensified by actively seeking out rumors and undertaking more rigorous follow up. This surveillance includes analyzing more media sources and regularly requesting information from the WHO network about outbreak events. Previous studies have examined the role of enhanced rumor surveillance during public health emergencies, such as the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 and the outbreak of Ebola in Uganda in 2000 (5,6). However, research has not examined the role of rumor surveillance in multicountry or regional outbreaks. The importance of rumor surveillance is likely to increase as the international community considers the revised draft of the International Health Regulations (IHR). Article 8 of the IHR Working Paper (7) states, “WHO, in consultation with the health administration of the State concerned, shall verify rumors of public health risks which may involve or result in international spread of disease.” During the avian influenza outbreak, WHO’s Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) was the focal point for identifying rumors and coordinating their investigations in the region (8). WPRO covers 37 nations and stretches from China in the north and west, to New Zealand in the south, and to French Polynesia in the east (9). This study examines whether the enhanced rumor surveillance undertaken by WPRO during the first 40 days of the outbreak achieved its aims of 1) offering timely assistance to potentially affected nations, 2) prompting countries to undertake preparedness measures appropriate to their level of risk of being affected, and 3) informing the public and the international community about relevant events. WPRO designated a rumor surveillance officer to develop and implement the rumor surveillance system for avian influenza in animals and humans. This officer actively assessed media sources and email-based public health discussion and regularly contacted the WHO network to identify rumors. Media sources included journalists visiting WPRO and Web sites for television networks and newspapers. Most were English-based media sources; however, some were also in Japanese and Arabic. To increase the scope of the active media search, this officer also accessed the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (10), an electronic surveillance system that continuously monitors >600 media sources and biomedical journals in a number of languages, including Chinese, Spanish, English, and French. Each rumor was followed up by an email or a telephone request to the relevant WHO country office to investigate its veracity. The WHO country office in turn sought verification from the country’s health authorities. Overall, the onus of the verification process was in the hands of the affected countries’ health authorities. The authorities had to demonstrate to WHO that appropriate investigations were conducted to deem rumors correct or incorrect. To ensure this process, WHO sometimes supported rumor verification by assisting in laboratory testing or shipment of isolates. Once available, the outcome of the investigation was disseminated to WHO stakeholders, including the outbreak response team. For events reported in the media, WPRO’s media officers made information publicly available through press releases and media interviews, as well as providing up-to-date information on the WHO Web site (http://www.who.int). From January 20 to February 26, 2004, a total of 40 rumors were identified, most within 4 weeks of the outbreak alert (Figure). The rumors concerned 12 countries and 1 special administrative region. Of the total rumors received, 19 (48%) were received from the media, 18 (45%) from the WHO network, 2 (5%) from embassy staff living in affected countries, and 1 (2%) from ProMED Digest with a media source as the origin. Nine (23%) rumors were confirmed to be true events: 5 in China and 1 each in Cambodia, Japan, Laos, and South Korea. Of the incorrect rumors, 6 were in China, 6 in Laos, 4 in Vietnam, 4 and in Hong Kong, 3 in Cambodia, 2 in Germany, and 1 each in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. The average period for verification of true events was 2.7 days (range 1–5 days). The average period to verify that a rumor was incorrect was 9.3 days (range 1–26 days). Sixty percent of the rumors related to human outbreaks, of which 1 was true, and 40% to animal outbreaks, of which 8 were true. The Table provides examples of rumors received during the 40-day study, the outcomes of the investigation, and the public health action taken. The remaining 32 rumors are not shown for reasons of brevity and privacy; however, not all rumors resulted in public health action after the verification process. This finding was expected because the high sensitivity of the system decreased the predictive value positive. WPRO’s enhanced rumor surveillance system identified many rumors. Most were identified in the first few weeks after the public health alert. A similar pattern was also observed during the 2003 SARS outbreak, when most rumors were received within the first 7 weeks of the public health alert (11). The decreased rate of rumor detection later in the outbreak is consistent with Allport and Postman’s basic law of rumor (12). According to this law, the amount of rumors in circulation is roughly equal to the importance of the rumor multiplied by the uncertainty surrounding the rumor. We found that, as more information became available about the outbreaks and about the H5N1 virus, fewer rumors circulated. This decrease was despite the fact that the importance of the disease remained high because of the ongoing risk for evolution of a pandemic influenza strain. Through rumor surveillance, WHO assisted affected countries by issuing guidelines, providing technical expertise, and mobilizing supplies. Unaffected countries also took action by banning the importation of poultry from affected countries. This action was crucial in preventing the further spread of avian influenza. An important part of rumor surveillance is the timely dissemination of accurate information to reduce misunderstanding and unwarranted concern, especially for rumors reported in the media. One example was the need to address the international concern that arose about the rumor that pigs were infected with avian influenza (13). If the rumor had not been reported to be incorrect publicly after the verification process, health authorities may have heightened avian influenza surveillance to include the investigation of persons with symptoms of influenza and a history of contact with pigs. The literature lacks guidance on how to establish and operate enhanced rumor surveillance during large outbreaks. Based on our experience and drawing on the recommendations in standard texts on public health surveillance (14,15), we suggest the following criteria for developing rumor surveillance: 1) Define the goals of surveillance as part of an early warning system in which each rumor deserves investigation to determine its veracity; 2) Apply a case definition that will have a high level of sensitivity (and therefore a relatively lower specificity) to identify the event of interest early in the outbreak; 3) Articulate clearly the steps to be undertaken to assess the veracity of the rumor, the criteria for deeming the verification process complete, and the ethics and confidentiality in conducting investigations; 4) Clarify the actions to be taken if the rumored events are true, or incorrect, or if the response of the verifying authority lacks credibility; 5) Delegate responsibility for data collection, management of the rumor database, and verification to a person trained in surveillance. This person must have access to relevant national and international networks and appropriate negotiation skills to investigate the veracity of the rumors. In selected instances, multilingual staff may be essential; 6) Include among the data sources print and electronic media, the Global Public Health Intelligence Network, national health authorities, and professional bodies and networks. Consider mechanisms for the public to report rumors through a hotline or an email address; 7) Develop mechanisms to provide regular updates on current verification activities, the number of rumors investigated, and their outcomes to the outbreak response team; 8) Provide regular feedback on the outcomes of investigations to those who provided data, and where appropriate, to the international community; and 9) Evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the investigations and upgrade the rumor surveillance system through a process of continuous quality improvement. Ms. Samaan is completing a field epidemiology training program at the Australian National University and is currently working at the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. Her research interests include emergency disease outbreak response and mental health epidemiology. We thank Roseanne Muller and Janet Li for their comments. This research was supported by the Masters of Applied Epidemiology Program at Australian National University. The Masters of Applied Epidemiology Program is funded by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. - World Health Organization. Avian influenza A (H5N1) in humans and poultry in Viet Nam. [cited 2003 May 14]. Available from http://www.who.int/csr/don/2004_01_13/en/ - Yuen KY, Chan PK, Peiris M, Tsang DN, Que TL, Shortridge KF, Clinical features and rapid viral diagnosis of human disease associated with avian influenza H5N1 virus. Lancet. 1998;351:467–71. - Grein TW, Kamara KO, Rodier G, Plant AJ, Bovier P, Ryan MJ, Rumors of disease in the global village: outbreak verification. Emerg Infect Dis. 2000;6:97–102. - Health Canada. Learning from SARS: renewal of public health in Canada, October 2003. [cited 2003 May 14]. Available from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/protection/warnings/sars/learning.html - Rahu M. Health effects of the Chernobyl accident: fears, rumors and the truth. Eur J Cancer. 2003;39:295–9. - Okware SI, Omaswa FG, Zaramba S, Opio A, Lutwama JJ, Kamugisha J, An outbreak of Ebola in Uganda. Trop Med Int Health. 2002;7:1068–75. - World Health Organization. International health regulations: working paper for regional consultations. [cited 2004 Jun 21]. Available from http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/csrpublications/en/index8.htm - World Organization for Animal Health. Update on avian influenza in animals in Asia. [cited 2004 May 15]. Available from http://www.oie.int/downld/AVIAN%20INFLUENZA/A_AI-Asia.htm - World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office. In brief. [cited 2004 Oct 6]. Available from http://www.wpro.who.int/in_brief.asp - World Health Organization. Epidemic intelligence—systematic event detection. [cited 2004 Oct 6]. Available from http://www.who.int/csr/alertresponse/epidemicintelligence/en/ - Muller R. Chasing rumors: a field placement with the WHO SARS team in Manila April–June 2003. The Northern Territory Disease Control Bulletin 2003;10:1–4. Available from: http://www.nt.gov.au/health/cdc/bulletin/June_2003.pdf - Allport GW, Postman L. The psychology of rumor. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston; 1947. - Health e-line. Bird flu death toll hits 18, pigs in focus. Reuters Health Online. 2004 Feb 6. Available from http://www.nt.gov.au/health/cdc/bulletin - Teutsch SM, Churchill RE, eds. Principles and practice of public health surveillance. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2000. - Thacker SB, Birkhead GS. Surveillance. In: Gregg MB, editor. Field epidemiology. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2002. p. 26–50. Suggested citation for this article: Samaan G, Patel M, Olowokure B, Roces MC, Oshitani H, and the World Health Organization Outbreak Response Team. Rumor surveillance and avian influenza. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet] 2005 Mar [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1103.040657 1WHO Western Pacific Region Team: Richard Brown, Maria Roces, Elizabeth Miranda, Peter Cordingley, Karen Shaw, Masahiro Ueno, Kumi Ueno, Lance Jennings, Akira Suzuki, Reiko Sato, Kevin Carroll, and Clara Witt. Comments to the Authors Lessons from the History of Quarantine, from Plague to Influenza A

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Another day, another planet, another micro — but the Ace is so fast that even Bill Bennett had to switch into hyper-drive to review it. The Jupiter Ace is a radical departure from the mainstream of micro-computing, and could prove to be the start of a very important new-trend. Rather than accepting the prevailing wisdom, Jupiter Cantab designed the machine around the Forth language. In a way, this makes the Ace a breakthrough — it is both the first mass-produced home computer not to use that tired old lady of micro languages, Basic, and is also one of the fastest micros ever made. The speed clement is vital; it is more or less the justification for using a hitherto arcane computer tongue. But speed is not the only-advantage of Forth, or indeed of the Ace. It has that all-important feature; structure. Structured programming is definitely the “coming thing”. It is preferred by both educationalists and professional programmers alike, and leads me to another fashionable computer buzz-word; portability. Portability is an important conception in micro-computing. Put simply it means the ability of one computer to run a program written for another, taking the hardware differences into account. Forth is highly portable. Providing the relevant hardware details, such as screen and memory size, are taken into account, any program written in Forth should run on any Forth system. Programming in Forth is so fundamentally different to programming in Basic that some people prefer not to call Forth software “programs” at all. It is important to discard all your current ideas about programming before you start with the language Forth. When writing a Basic program, it seems quite normal to think of the control passing through program lines. These lines are like rails along which the control runs, complete with loops and Goto jumps. The control path is often difficult to follow even in your own, short, well-documented programs. Imagine trying to sort out someone else’s epic and rather badly-documented program, which they quickly wrote in the middle of the night. This just does not happen with Forth, because each little section of code is debugged as it is written, and the control path does not really exist as a concept. A Forth system contains a set of words, called a kernel in some implementations. On the Jupiter Ace they are referred to as ROM-words, because they are in the machine’s 8K of read-only memory. These words act on whatever number is on the top of the stack, which is the area of memory that the system plays with. The best way to think of a stack is as a pile of plates. These plates are the numbers. Plates can be added to the top of the pile at any time, but only the one on the top can be worked on. This is a much more convenient way of managing the memory than using addresses, though with Forth it is still possible to define variables and constants. Each word in the ROM-word set can be thought of as a call to a machine-code subroutine. Usually any value sent into a subroutine is called a “parameter”. In Forth the relevant parameters are those numbers at present on the top of the stack. For example: plus is a Forth word — written + — which adds together the two numbers at the top of the system stack, and then puts the resulting number in their place. Thus, on the Jupiter, when you input 2 ENTER the screen shows 2 OK 3 ENTER the screen shows 3 OK + ENTER the screen shows + OK .ENTER the screen shows 5 OK The command “.” prints out whatever is currently on the top of the stack. For conven-ience I will call this “dot”. We can think of the numbers 2 and 3 as parameters sent to the plus routine, and the resultant value 5 as the parameter sent to the dot routine. As soon as a Forth word is entered it is obeyed. A number of words can be entered at a time. For example, our example could have been input as: 2 3 + . ENTER The result 5 is printed immediately at the cursor position. It is very important to remember to put a space between all Forth words or numbers as they are entered. Forth really comes into its own when users start to define their own words. This is very simple to do. New words are formed by combining words already defined, and in some cases using numbers which are placed on the stack. For example, to write a word that will add two numbers together and then print out the result, we shall use the name Plus: : PLUS + . ; ENTER The colon at the beginning indicates that a new word is being defined. What follows it — Plus in this case — is the name of that word. We input the + and . to tell the computer that these are the Forth words which go to make up our word, Plus, and the semi-colon at the end closes the definition. Once a new word is defined it appears on the top of the vocabulary list. The vocabulary initially contains the 140 ROM-words, and, the top word in the list is Forth. This merely indicates that the words below it constitute the main vocabulary. The Forth word VList makes the machine print out a list of all the words in the vocabulary, including all the new ones. It is possible to define the same word twice. If, having typed in the word Plus as I des-cribed you decided that you wanted to change it so that the screen cleared first, you would have to use the editor. Enter the following: and up comes the previous definition of that word, laid out thus; :PLUS + . The word CLS — clear screen — would need to be added before the word +. This is done by moving the cursor to the position where the extra word — or words — are to be inserted and typing that word in. The cursor-control keys are the 5,6,7 and 8, used in the same way as on the ZX-81. Once the word has been changed to the corrected form, typing Enter now places that word in the vocabulary. If at this stage you type VList, you would find that there are two versions of the word Plus in the list. The computer would always execute the second version, leaving the first for dead. This makes debugging software incredibly easy because any incorrectly-defined words can be tested as they are entered and continually hacked about until they reach a correct form. Because all previous attempts at the same word are kept in the dictionary, you can return to these at any time. When the definitive version of the word has been created, you can save memory space by deleting with Replace all the intermediate attempts. Unlike most implementations of Forth, the Ace has a substantial level of error-checking. For example, the stack will not overflow. It is also made more powerful by the ability to redefine words without the system crashing. However, should you require yet more speed than normally available, there is a Fast command. This does away with the error-checking, so it is wise to use it only when a program is totally debugged. It takes the computer’s speed up to about 90 percent of a machine-coded program, but it does disable the break key. At an end-user price of £89.95, the Jupiter Ace is an excellent way of learning an important new computer language. It will have a special appeal to those who feel that they have now grown out of their ZX-81s, especially as far as Basic programming is concerned. It will also be a Godsend to those who want the speed and economy of machine code but cannot grasp its principles. The Jupiter Ace comes in a white plastic case, not all that dissimilar in style to the now-defunct ZX-80′s horrible box. It is undoubtedly the machine’s worst feature, and the cost-cutting that has been done here could turn out to be that ha’porth of tar that spoilt the ship. The printing on the case is in a matt-black, broken only by a series of red lines. These red lines are obviously the microcomputer world’s equivalent of the “go-faster” stripes that teenage car owners sport to make their old Ford Cortinas look a little sleeker. The truth of the matter is that the Jupiter is very fast. The manufacturer claims that it is the fastest microcomputer in this quadrant of the galaxy. This has a lot to do with the rapidity of the Forth language, but some of the credit has to go to the Z-80A processor which nips along at a rate of knots — 3.25MHz to be precise. Speed implies heat, but there is not much danger of the Jupiter overheating, or at least a sight less danger than some machines, because inside that flimsy plastic case is plenty of breathing room and what is more, the case is better ventilated than that of the ZX range of computers. Sinclair cognoscenti will smile when they peer inside the case and see the heat sink. I often wonder why they are such odd shapes — could it be they were designed by Picasso? Comparisons with the Sinclair machines will inevitably keep cropping up, because the designers of the Ace were, until recently, in the employ of Sinclair Research and so take some of the credit and blame for the ZX Spectrum. Apart from the gross departure of choosing the Forth language, the design is fairly standard. Sinclair owners will find much inside the Ace’s case that is familiar to them. The keyboard closely resembles that on the ZX-81, both in the number of keys and their layout. But rather than having those horrid little squares that you have to struggle to push down as you program, the Ace uses a rubbery “moving-key” design. Personally I find it is a little like shaking a dead man’s hand. The keys do at least have the advantage of being readable — that is, there are none of the Spectrum’s red words which you can only track down using special spectacles. Another small mercy that we can thank Jupiter for — or Zeus if you are Greek — is that there is no single-keyword entry to contend with. However, the designers probably did not abandon it for any good reason, but merely because the infinity of word names available to Forth makes it impracticable. There are also some significant advances. For example, there are both upper and lower-case letters. It is also possible for the user to define his own character set — in fact by doing so, some reasonably high-resolution graphics are possible. In this way the graphics of the Ace remind me of a non-colour Spectrum. In normal mode there are 32 character positions across the display and 24 down. In the Plot mode, there is a resolution of 64 by 48 points — not exactly high resolution. If you are prepared to play about with the character definition then this increases to a respectable 192 by 256. The operation of the word Plot is like the other Forth words. The top three numbers on the stack are the parameters which are passed to a machine-code routine. At the top of the stack is a number which describes how the point is to be drawn, and the next two give its screen location. Probably the biggest advantage of the Ace’s picture quality over the ZX-81′s is that the Ace has a rock-steady black screen on which any printing appears in white: the ZX-81 docs the reverse which is not a natural way for a computer to behave. The two machines certainly have a good deal in common, apart from the designer. The review machine did not have a power supply. That was no problem because I used the Sinclair Research one, which worked perfectly. The user port on the rear of the Ace, closely resembles that on the Sinclair machines. It is not difficult to justify this as there are not really many ways of presenting the Z-80 lines at the edge of a board. Any device that connects to the rear of a Sinclair computer will snugly fit on the back of the Ace. All that is needed is a special cable that unshuffles the lines. It will probably take a few months at least for a budding Forth programmer to need more than the 3K of user RAM that comes as standard with the Ace, but should you ever require more, the Sinclair 16K RAM pack will fit the bill. Forth was originally designed as a control language, and the Jupiter Ace makes a fine control computer. In fact, this may become its eventual role. There are two words, In and Out for controlling the data lines. Put the Ace together with any of the available add on hardware designed for the Sinclair, and you have a powerful control system. The way forward Other features available on the Ace include a speaker, which can operate right across the audio range. But, like the Spectrum’s, it is very quiet. It is controlled by the ROM-word Beep, and can be manipulated very easily by the language. Again, Forth is ideal for this kind of programming, and musical sequences are among the easiest things to write on the Ace. There is also a quartz timer, which doubles as the system clock. This can be accessed from Forth and has a number of possible applications. The timer sorts a number in four bytes, from 15403 to 15406. These can be extracted by use of the fetch word, written as @. I expect the most common use for such a facility will be in the timing of responses and in the generation of random numbers. Here is a very crude random-number generator: : RAND 15403 @. ; Perhaps the way forward for the Ace is best indicated by the other port at the back of the machine. It takes the video lines out from the main card. Eventually it will be used for a colour video generator. - The success of the Jupiter Ace will depend on the machine-buying public’s acceptance of another microcomputer language. - The machine’s development is certainly a brave gamble on behalf of its manufacturers. - It will be of great interest to scientists, those with control applications, ZX-81 machine-code fans, educationalists and professional programmers who feel they cannot ignore the language. - Home-computer users who have progressed beyond the beginner phase will like the language and the price but may balk at the lack of true high-resolution and colour graphics.

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Japan has been hit by the worst crisis since 1945, as an earthquake and tsunami have killed 10,000, destroyed tens of thousands of buildings, displaced hundreds of thousands, and left millions without power or water. As the nation braces for more aftershocks, people have resorted to using sea water in an attempt to prevent a nuclear meltdown from adding a third catastrophe, which has already leaked and caused a mass evacuation. According to Greenpeace, "We are told by the nuclear industry that things like this cannot happen with modern reactors, yet Japan is in the middle of a nuclear crisis with potentially devastating consequences…The evolving situation at Fukushima remains far from clear, but what we do know is that contamination from the release of Cesium-137 poses a significant health risk to anyone exposed. Cesium-137 has been one if the isotopes causing the greatest health impacts following the Chernobyl disaster, because it can remain in the environment and food chain for 300 years.” Whereas the first two catastrophe’s were natural and unpredictable, a nuclear meltdown is entirely unnatural and entirely predictable. According to the local anti-nuclear group, Citizens’ Nuclear Information Centre, The nuclear crisis comes a month before the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the largest nuclear meltdown in history, which showered Europe in a radioactive cloud causing a quarter of a million cancers, 100,000 of them fatal. As of this writing the disaster in Japan is already the third worst in history, behind Chernobyl and the Three Mile Island partial meltdown in 1979, and comes only 12 years after a fatal overexposure of workers at a nuclear plant in Tokaimura, Japan. Even without the inherent risk of a meltdown, nuclear power is a threat to health. The problem is not just the few terrible times when they don't work, but the daily experience of when they do work. As climate campaigner George Monbiot wrote more than a decade ago, “The children of women who have worked in nuclear installations, according to a study by the National Radiological Protection Board, are eleven times more likely to contract cancer than the children of workers in non-radioactive industries. You can tell how close to [the nuclear plant in] Sellafield children live by the amount of plutonium in their teeth.” Add to this the morbidity and mortality or working in uranium mines and the dangers of disposing of radioactive waste, and you have negative health impacts at every stage of nuclear power (for a summary see the UK’s Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament). Despite this, governments have invested massively in the nuclear industry and globalized the risk. Canada has exported nuclear reactors while building seven of its own, and despite concerns about safety the Ontario government plans on investing $36 billion into nuclear power at the same time as its backing off wind power. REASONS AND EXCUSES While nuclear power is a clear and present danger to the health of the planet and its people, it is a thriving industry driven by economic and military competition. Vandana Shiva—who studied nuclear physics and now leads the climate justice movement in India—has exposed the hypocrisy of US hostility to Iranian nuclear power when it is doing the same thing to promote nuclear power and weapons in India as a bulwark against China: As Shiva summarized in her book Soil Not Oil, “nuclear winter is not an alternative to global warming”, and it is a tragedy that Japan has become the test case against both military and civilian arms of the nuclear industry--from the atomic bomb 65 years ago to the nuclear meltdown today. But instead of admitting the problems of nuclear power, the nuclear industry and its supporters have greenwashed it and presented it as a solution to global warming. Some environmentalists, such as Gaia theorist James Lovelock, have fallen prey to these claims. Lovelock, whose ideas are driven by apocalyptic predictions and an extreme pessimism, has gone so far as to claim that “nuclear power is the only green solution”.While former US president George Bush defended his country’s 103 nuclear power plants as not producing "a single pound of air pollution or greenhouses gases”, Dr. Helen Caldicott has refuted the claim in her important book Nuclear Power is Not the Answer, which proves that even without meltdowns nuclear power is a threat to the planet: The false dichotomy between carbon emissions and nuclear power is also refuted by those developing the Tar Sands, who have proposed using nuclear power to pump Tar Sands oil. PEOPLE POWER, GREEN JOBS Fortunately there are growing anti-nuclear campaigns uniting indigenous groups, NGOs and the broader climate justice movement to challenge nuclear power in all its stages—from mining to use to waste disporal. As Vandana Shiva writes in Soil Not Oil, Meanwhile in Canada indigenous groups are leading opposition to transportation of nuclear waste through the Great Lakes and their surrounding communities, declaring “what we do to the land, we do to ourselves.” Last year the German government extended nuclear power against the will of the majority but after news of the leak in Japan, 50,000 people formed a human chain from a nuclear reactor to Stuttgart demanding an end to nuclear power. Uniting these campaigns with the labour movement raises the demands of good green jobs for all, to transform our oil and nuclear economy into one based on ecological and social sustainability and justice. Instead of the billions in subsidies for the nuclear industry, governments could be investing in solar, wind and clean electricity, while retrofitting buildings, which could solve the economic and climate crises without the inherent dangers of nuclear power. As Greenpeace wrote, "Our thoughts continue to be with the Japanese people as they face the threat of a nuclear disaster, following already devastating earthquake and tsunami. The authorities must focus on keeping people safe, and avoiding any further releases of radioactivity...Greenpeace is calling for the phase out of existing reactors, and no construction of new commercial nuclear reactors. Governments should invest in renewable energy resources that are not only environmentally sound but also affordable and reliable.”

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[Previous] | [Session 38] | [Next] R. Greenberg, G. Hoppa, B. R. Tufts, P. E. Geissler (LPL, Univ. of Arizona) The characteristics of chaos regions on Europa suggest they may be sites of melt-through from below. They are wide-ranging in size, location and age. Most are similar to Conamara with a matrix reminiscent of frozen slush, and often rafts of pre-existing crust. Edges are of two types: ramps, perhaps the tapering of crustal thickness to zero, or cliffs where rafts appear to have broken clear from the shore. Of the lenticulae, "spots" generally appear to be small chaoses with textured matrix and occasional rafts, "pits" may represent incipient melting nearly at the surface, and many "domes" may be small chaoses raised by isostatic compensation following refreezing of the crust. The extent of chaoses often appears to be limited by ridge systems with the coastline parallel and set back by a distance comparable to the width of the ridge system. Pre-existing ridges often survive as causeways or chains of rafts. Boundaries of chaoses are apparently not controlled by pre-existing cracks, evidence that formation is essentially a thermal, rather than mechanical process. Evidently ridges thicken the crust such that melt-through is more likely between ridge systems. Subsequent cracks and ridges form across pre-existing chaoses: Recent chaoses have few cracks or ridges across them (with paths somewhat jagged as they meander among rafts), while the remains of old chaoses are only isolated rafts surrounded by densely ridged terrain. Thus two fundamental resurfacing processes have alternated over Europa's geological history: melt-through (at various places and times) forming chaos terrain, and criss-crossing by cracking and ridge-building forming densely ridged (and other tectonic) terrain. Mapping of chaos features based on morphology at 200 m shows that they correlate well with dark regions in global (2 km resolution) mosaics (except dark regions due to ridge margins or craters), so considerable area has been available to accommodate the expansion of crust that occurs along extensional bands and ridges. Chaos ubiquity suggests Europan geology has been dominated by the effects of having liquid water under a very thin ice shell, with chaos regions being widespread examples of zero shell thickness.

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We are six weeks into the 2010-11 school year, and now that the dust has settled, some inspiration has hit to get me blogging again. Recently, a third grade teacher asked me if there were any podcasts “out there” that taught the parts of speech. She was looking for some reinforcement for the nouns work that they were doing in the classroom. This would be a good avenue to reach the different learning styles in her classroom. Excited to get iPods into the hands of third graders, I did a little searching and came across this tremendous resource that I would like to share: mrcoley.com . This site has wonderful examples of podcasts by both students and teacher (and one fit the bill for the parts of speech topic); however, this site is has even more to offer beyond podcasts. It has gotten me and some of the teachers at my school thinking about how we can use our Nanos in a whole new way: for flash cards. It’s a basic concept that Mr. Brent Coley, a 5th grade teacher, explains with step by step directions and tutorials (Thank you!). Using PowerPoint or Keynote, make simple slides that teach or review a concept. Then save them as pictures that can be loaded on an iPod. By clicking “next” on the photo album’s contents on the iPod, a student can review at his/her own pace. By having the iPod “play” the slide show, it now is more advanced for such subjects as math facts, adding in the element of a timer. Now, third graders are trying to “beat the iPod” to the answer! Sure, the students could do their fact practice with paper flash cards, but this “hook” of using the iPods makes the learning very exciting and motivating. One teacher reported to me that 19 sets of earbuds came in on one day’s notice. (Students have to supply their own earbuds to use our Nanos, and if you don’t have earbuds, you can’t use them.) She said that getting permission slips back in a timely fashion never happens, but using an iPod got their attention! Engagement is up! (Even in the bus line on the way home, students enthusiastically were telling me that their teacher was signing out the iPods again for another lesson.) Wondering how slides will look on something as small as an iPod Nano? Here’s what an Explorer review that I created looks like: Nothing fancy, but it is easy to read. Its linear fashion allows a student to review for the benchmark by reading a question on one slide and then following up with the answer on the next one. Everything doesn’t have to be in a quiz format either. Perhaps, a teacher could take a PowerPoint that was used to teach a lesson and convert it to work on the iPods, too. Students could use the lesson for reference to do assignments or to study at school or at home on their own device. The implications for special education and ELL students are vast. I’m even thinking that students could create their own “flash cards” or content slides to share their learning. My brain is percolating! Where could this take us? I’d love to hear others’ thoughts. ** Don’t forget to check out the great examples on Mrs. Coley’s site as well.

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Search: Advanced search Browse by category: My question is how do we know whether to say Ittaqullah and not Attaqullah or Uttaqullah. Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh Kindly explain the rules of how to read a word when one needs to seperate it from the word before it for example I know that when we seperate Ya Ayyuhallazina Amanuttaqullaha and want to say 'fear Allah' on its own, we say Ittaqullaha. My question is how do we know whether to say Ittaqullah and not Attaqullah or Uttaqullah. I remember learning the rule long ago, something to do with the sign (fathah, dhamma, kasra) on the next letter, but have since forgotten. Please explain with examples from the Qur'an. Jazak Allahi Kkhair Wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, The rules involved in the question are the hamzah al-wasl rules. We have to look at the word beginning with the hamzah al-wasl and determine whether it is a verb, a noun, or a participle. In this case, the word is a command form of a verb. In a verb starting with hamzah al-wasl, we look at the vowel on the third letter, if it is a fathah or a kasrah, then we start the hamzah al-wasl with a kasrah. To see the detailed lessons on hamzah al-wasl, please see the following link. You will find many examples in the eight different lessons insha' Allah: Wa iyyaaakum wa-l-muslimeen. Powered by KBPublisher (Knowledge base software)

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This is a language dependent introduction course on computer program design and development. Emphasis is on the identification and solution of business problems through systems of computer programs. Programs are described and designed through such tools as program flowcharts, structure charts, and pseudocode. Within this framework, programming languages are treated as tools which can be selected, as appropriate, to implement the designs. This course provides the foundation for a program of study in computer science. It introduces the discipline of computing and the roles of professionals. A contemporary high-level language with appropriate constructs for structured design and structured types is presented. It integrates an introduction to algorithm design, an understanding of abstraction applied to date types and structures, and an appreciation of imperative and object-oriented programming. Programming assignments are an integral part of this course. Prerequisite: CSC 110 or Permission of Instructor. This course develops the discipline of computing and the roles of professionals by introducing software engineering early in the learning process. This course formally presents abstract date types (ADTs). The ADTs presented are stacks, queues, lists, trees, graphs and tables. Simple sorting and searching techniques, along with their efficiency are studied. The use of pointers and recursion is covered. Programming assignments are an integral part of this course. Prerequisite: CSC 111. This course covers the manner in which the computer is used to solve problems. Lectures cover the style and techniques necessary to solve problems using the Visual Basic programming language. Object-oriented programming (OOP) will be covered. This course will allow students to take advantage of the many new capabilities of building applications in a graphical user interface (GUI). This course emphasizes the organization and operation of real computer systems at the architectural level. The mapping of statements and constructs in a high-level language onto sequences of machine instruction is studied, as well as the internal representation of simple data types and structures. Topics include the fetch/execute cycle, bus structures, memory hierarchy, addressing modes, and subroutines. Alternative architectures, such as vector and parallel models, are presented. Three lecture hours per week. Prerequisites: CSC 111, MAT 161. This course is the capstone course for the AS degree in Computer Science. The course focuses on software engineering and requires a major software project. Topics include: object-orientation, software design tools and techniques (such as data flow diagrams, structure charts, CRC cards, algorithms, pseudocode), software reuse, software test strategies, and documentation standards. Prerequisite: CSC 112. This course is an introduction to game programming techniques and gaming development. Topics include 2D graphics and code generated animation, sound technologies, interactivity, and multi-player games. Prerequisite: CSC 111 or CSC 264 or Permission of Instructor. This course is an introduction to the administration of servers operating in a client server environment. Students will be introduced to the system software running client server networks, and will learn to install, configure, monitor, and manage a network server. Specific topics include server software installation, protocols, shells, system and user administration, scripts, and daemons. Students will be exposed to several different operating systems and several server applications, such as Web, ftp, database, and mail servers. Three lecture hours. Prerequisite: CIS 130 or Permission of Instructor. The fundamentals of database design and implementation are introduced with an emphasis on data relationships. Utilization of a Database Management System (DBMS) and its components will be covered, along with Structured Query Language (SQL) and data security techniques. Prerequisite: CIS/CSC major with sophomore standing. An introduction to the C++ language which provides software developers with an "extendable" language in which abstract data types suitable for a given application can be created and then used as naturally as built-in data types. While based on the C programming language, C++ provides data and function encapsulation, function overloading, inheritance, strong typing, and other features needed for object-oriented programming (OOP). This makes C++ a true high-level language suitable for professional software engineering. The language constructs and OOP methods are introduced with a series of examples of increasing sophistication which are the basis of project assignments. Four lecture hours and one optional recitation hour per week. Prerequisite: CSC 110 or Permission of Instructor. This course introduces object-oriented Java using current technical advances in programming methodology, Web-based applications, and applications for hand-held devices. Java methods, classes, objects, inheritance, graphics, animation, and networking are discussed. Four lecture hours per week. Prerequisite: CSC 110 or Permission of Instructor. This course builds upon the fundamental topics explored in CSC 162. More advanced topics involving object oriented programming (OOP) will be studied. This includes Graphical User Interface (GUI); File and Database Management; ActiveX controls; Networking, Internet and World Wide Web applications; Multimedia applications; and Dynamic Data Structures. Prerequisite: CSC 162 or Permission of Instructor. This course focuses on the language and programming fundmentals of the C# language and object-oriented programming, in the context of the .NET development environment. Topics covered will include: the .NET platform including common language runtime and framework, Visual Development Environment, Object-Oriented Programming, C# Language and Application Structure, basic GUI constructs, and basic concepts of XML. This course may not be used to fulfill a Liberal Arts elective. Prerequisite: CSC 112 or Permission of Instructor. Onondaga Community College Explore. Discover. Transform. 4585 West Seneca TurnpikeSyracuse, NY email@example.com

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If the city feels hotter to you in the summer, you're right. The Japan Meteorological Agency has proved that all the asphalt and tall buildings and exhaust heat are indeed to blame. "Urban heat islands" raised the daily August temperatures by 1 to 2 degrees in Japan's three biggest megalopolises of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, the JMA said July 9. This is the first time the JMA has analyzed the effects of urban heat islands, where asphalt, buildings and heat from the exhaust of automobiles and air conditioners and other factors contribute to a rise in temperatures. The JMA used data from last August to simulate air temperatures on the assumption that all ground surface was covered by grassland and that there was no exhaust heat from human activities in the three megalopolises, and compared the numerical outcomes with what was actually recorded. The urban heat islands accounted for rises of about 2 degrees in the cities' central areas and about 1 degree on their outskirts, JMA officials said. It is believed that air temperatures have risen about 3 degrees in the three big cities during the last 100 years due to both global warming and urban heat islands, but the JMA has never evaluated to what extent the urban heat islands are responsible. "Urbanization accounted for as much part of the temperature rises as global warming," a JMA representative said. "The situation is thought to be similar in other regions of advanced urbanization." - « Prev - Next »

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In a new study launched Wednesday by the International Energy Agency (IEA), weeks ahead of the Durban Climate Change talks, scientists warn that if the current trend to build high-carbon generating infrastructures continues, the world's carbon budget will be swallowed up by 2017, leaving the planet more vulnerable than ever to the effects of irreversible climate change. According to the IEA's World Energy Outlook, today's energy choices are likely to commit the world to much higher emissions for the next few decades. The current industrial infrastructure is already producing 80% of the world's "carbon budget". The report estimates that global primary energy demand rebounded by a remarkable 5% in 2010, pushing CO2 emissions to a record 30.6 gigatonnes (Gt) in 2010. Subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption of fossil fuels jumped to over $400bn (£250.7bn). The IEA warns of a "lock in" effect; whereby high-carbon infrastructures built today contribute to the old stock of emissions in the atmosphere, thus increasing the danger of runaway climate change. According to the report, there are few signs to suggest that the urgently needed change in direction in global energy trends is under way. As the world gears up towards the Durban talks later this month and Rio+20 in seven months, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) plans to launch a new report on 23 November 2011 that reviews the latest data on the gap between commitments by nations to reduce their emissions and the actual emissions reductions required to keep global temperature rise under 2 degrees C. The report also tackles the question - How can the gap be bridged? The new report is a follow up to "Bridging the Gap", which was launched last December and became a key benchmark for the international climate negotiations in Cancun. UNEP will also launch on 25 November a study that will outline the measures and costs of reducing black carbon and non-CO2 gases to slow climate change. The new UNEP report outlines a package of 16 measures which could reduce global warming, avoid millions of premature deaths and reduce global crop yield losses by tackling black carbon, methane and ground-level ozone - substances known as short-term climate forcers. The report demonstrates that half of these measures can deliver net cost savings over their lifetime, for example, from reduced fuel consumption or the use of recovered gas.

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Arguably, the most significant advancement of the 21st century, social media has had a profound impact on our lives. But has it improved our lives? It is a question with a philosophical ring and one that opens up a host of other queries. First, we must analyse the conveniences and abilities social media has given us. If one is to measure the noteworthiness of broadband by calculating the amount of time spent on specific elements, then social media would come on top. Facebook boasts a billion users and Twitter 500 million. That's one out of every seven human beings alive on earth and this doesn't even take into consideration the numbers conversing online through Google+ and what not. It isn't just how many social media users there are on earth that indicates how much an influence it has had on our lives. It is the amount of time such a large proportion of the human population spends on these sites. A study late last year concluded that one out of every seven minutes online are spent on Facebook, while similar figures are to be expected with Twitter. However, has this actually improved our lives? A report by published in the Guardian in mid-March established a correlation between Facebook usage and levels of obsessions with self-image, shallow friendships and being a socially disruptive narcissist. The theory was that the social media site had become a platform for empty self-expression and popularity contesting. Social media does have its benefits of course. One would have to look no further than the Arab Spring to identify these. The platform's ability to organise and mobilise protests has been cited as the catalyst behind the Arab protests that saw the overthrow of prominent dictators throughout the Middle East. These uprisings were branded 'Twitter Revolutions' and it is supposed that the ability to network and spread news through social media sites helped the protests spread in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. While one cannot exactly obtain a broadband speed test and determine the connection levels in the countries involved in the Arab Spring at the time; it is accepted that high speed connections were available in the right places throughout the Middle East. This increases the likelihood of social media having had a fundamental role to play in the uprisings. However, it has also been suggested that the impact of social media on these revolutions has been overstated, particularly in the Western media. This logic argues that there were large scale revolutions before social media, indicating that the protests would have spread regardless. In truth, it is likely that social media did play some role. Nevertheless, that it was impactful in the toppling of unjust regimes and tyrannical governments is a credit to the existence of social media. In Britain, the 2011 riots fueled by social media, which allowed the organisation of rebellions. Such negative aspects have however brought about positives as many rioters who used social media to arrange and express their involvement in looting sessions, were easily tracked down by the police. What Constitutes an Improvement to Our Lives? Upon deliberation, the question of whether or not social media has improved our lives is somewhat unanswerable without knowing the full meaning of life. What is improvement for something you do not know the nature of? What can be said is that social media has changed our lives and made many aspects incredibly more convenient. But that is all that can be said.

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Photography - Overview The millions of photographs in the Museum's collections compose a vast mosaic of the nation's history. Photographs accompany most artifact collections. Thousands of images document engineering projects, for example, and more record the steel, petroleum, and railroad industries. Some 150,000 images capture the history, art, and science of photography. Nineteenth-century photography, from its initial development by W. H. F. Talbot and Louis Daguerre, is especially well represented and includes cased images, paper photographs, and apparatus. Glass stereographs and news-service negatives by the Underwood & Underwood firm document life in America between the 1890s and the 1930s. The history of amateur photography and photojournalism are preserved here, along with the work of 20th-century masters such as Richard Avedon and Edward Weston. Thousands of cameras and other equipment represent the technical and business side of the field.

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Teaching Students to Dialogue One of the most important lessons I learned this year was that I cannot rely on my students to come into my classroom knowing how to interact with one another. Instead, it is my job to teach them. Below is the handout I use in my classroom to do just that. It is based on a technique called Accountable Talk, and it has changed the way my students interact with one another. For more information about Accountable Talk, try the following resources:

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Yellow tangs, Zebrasoma flavescens, are reef fish found in the waters west of Hawaii and east of Japan in the Pacific Ocean. They mainly live off the coast of Hawaii, but are also found in the more western ranges of their habitat, including the islands Ryukyu, Mariana, Marshall, Marcus, and Wake. They prefer subtropical waters. (Agbayani, 2008; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999) Yellow tangs are reef-associated fish. Their preferred water temperature is around 21 degrees Celsius. They inhabit coral reefs in subtropical waters, but generally do not live in tropical seas. Yellow tangs mainly live in the sub-surge zone of a coral reef, this is the area with the least wave action. Zebrasoma flavescens live at depths of 2 to 46 meters. The clear larva of yellow tangs develop into marine plankton, in this stage they are carried close to reefs where they settle in coral crevices. (Agbayani, 2008; Ogawa and Brown, 2001; Reynolds and Casterlin, 1980; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999) Yellow tangs have a clear larval stage before developing into juveniles. Juveniles and adults have a narrow, oval body. They have an average length-weight ratio between 2.93 and 3.16. They have a long snout for eating algae, a large dorsal fin with four to five spines, and an anal fin with three spines. Like other surgeonfish and tangs (Acanthuridae), yellow tangs have a white, scalpel-like spine on both sides of the tail that can be used for defense or aggression. Yellow tangs are named for their bright yellow coloring; the only area that is not yellow is the white spine. At night, this bright yellow color changes to a darker, grayer yellow with a white lateral line. (Agbayani, 2008; Froese, 1998; Guiasu and Winterbottom, 1998; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999; Wood, 2008) Yellow tangs begin their lives as fertilized eggs floating in open water. After hatching, the clear, pelagic larvae develop in the plankton. They enter the acronurus larva stage where they develop an oval body, dorsal and ventral fins, and spines. After about ten weeks, they enter a planktonic stage. Here, waves carry them to a coral reef where they take refuge and continue to develop and grow. (Brough and Brough, 2008; Sale, et al., 1984; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999; Wood, 2008) Zebrasoma flavescens can spawn in groups or in pairs. When in groups, females release eggs and males release sperm into open water where fertilization occurs. When in pairs, the male courts a female by changing colors and exhibiting a shimmering movement. The two fish then swim upward and simultaneously release their eggs or sperm into the water. Males may spawn with multiple females in one session, while females typically spawn only once a month. (Brough and Brough, 2008; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999; Wood, 2008) Yellow tangs reproduce externally. Their spawning peaks from March to September, but some fish spawn at all times throughout the year. An average female can release about 40,000 eggs. (Agbayani, 2008; Detroit Zoological Society, 2008; Lobel, 1989) There is no parental investment in yellow tangs beyond the fertilization of eggs. Juvenile yellow tangs are often territorial. This trait usually diminishes as the fish mature and start to roam wider areas of the reef. Adult tangs live singly or in small, loose groups. These groups sometimes contain other species of fish, like sailfin tang (Zebrasoma veliferum). Yellow tangs are diurnal. During the day, tangs move from place to place, grazing on algae; at night, they generally rest alone in coral reef crevices. (Agbayani, 2008; Atkins, 1981; Brough and Brough, 2008; Wood, 2008) When they are juveniles, yellow tangs have small home ranges that they defend, often staying within a few meters of one area. Not much is known about the home ranges of adult yellow tangs. (Parrish and Claisse, 2005) When mating, males change colors and exhibit a shimmering movement to attract females. In defense or aggression, yellow tangs extend their fins to full length, greatly increasing their size. They also expose their scalpel-like scales on their fins as a warning sign. They use these not only to defend themselves from predators, but also to scare away competitors for food or territory. (Brough and Brough, 2008; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999) Yellow tangs have a long, down-turned mouth with small teeth that are specialized for grazing on algae. Because they are mainly herbivores, they spend a large amount of their time grazing either alone or in groups. A large portion of their diet consists of uncalcified and filamentous algae that grows on coral reefs. In addition to smaller types of algae, yellow tangs feed on macroalgae, such as seaweed. Yellow tangs will also eat some types of zooplankton. (Guiasu and Winterbottom, 1998; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999; Wylie and Paul, 1988) Predators of Zebrasoma flavescens include larger fish and predatory invertebrates such as crabs and octopi. Yellow tangs rely on camouflage and their scalpel-like fins to protect themselves. To humans, these fish appear bright yellow, but, to other fish, yellow tangs blend in very well with coral reef backgrounds. According to Marshall et al. (2003) wavelength differences between yellow and average reef color become negligible at the depths where yellow tangs are found. In addition to camouflage, Zebrasoma flavescens use their scalpel-like fins for defense. (Barry and Hawryshyn, 1999; Detroit Zoological Society, 2008; Marshall, et al., 2003; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999) Yellow tangs, along with other algae feeders, are crucial parts of coral reef ecosystems. They feed on algae and seaweed that grow on the reefs, preventing them from overgrowing and killing corals. Yellow tangs are also a food source for larger fish and invertebrates. (Detroit Zoological Society, 2008; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999) Yellow tangs are important for tourism and the aquarium trade. Their bright yellow color is well recognized by scuba divers and other tourists on Hawaiian reefs. They are also a valuable resource in aquarium trade; they are the number one collected fish for export out of Hawaii. Their coloring, hardiness, and low cost all attribute to their popularity in marine aquariums, making them one of the ten most popular fish. (Brough and Brough, 2008; Ogawa and Brown, 2001; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999) Yellow tangs, along with other surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), are not generally dangerous. When they are young, they possess venom glands. As they age into juveniles and adults, they lose these glands. If yellow tangs are provoked, they can inflict deep injuries with the sharp blades on their tails. (Agbayani, 2008; Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999) Zebrasoma flavescens is not a threatened or endangered species. Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web. Kara Zabetakis (author), University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Kevin Omland (editor, instructor), University of Maryland, Baltimore County. body of water between the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), Australia, Asia, and the western hemisphere. This is the world's largest ocean, covering about 28% of the world's surface. having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria. uses smells or other chemicals to communicate having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect. humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of natural areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals. animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature fertilization takes place outside the female's body union of egg and spermatozoan An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants. having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature. offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes). seaweed. Algae that are large and photosynthetic. A large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. In insects, "incomplete metamorphosis" is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and "complete metamorphosis" is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. Butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis. having the capacity to move from one place to another. specialized for swimming the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic. reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body. the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets. the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also pairs with several different females. structure produced by the calcium carbonate skeletons of coral polyps (Class Anthozoa). Coral reefs are found in warm, shallow oceans with low nutrient availability. They form the basis for rich communities of other invertebrates, plants, fish, and protists. The polyps live only on the reef surface. Because they depend on symbiotic photosynthetic algae, zooxanthellae, they cannot live where light does not penetrate. mainly lives in oceans, seas, or other bodies of salt water. breeding is confined to a particular season remains in the same area reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female associates with others of its species; forms social groups. uses touch to communicate defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south. an animal which has an organ capable of injecting a poisonous substance into a wound (for example, scorpions, jellyfish, and rattlesnakes). uses sight to communicate breeding takes place throughout the year animal constituent of plankton; mainly small crustaceans and fish larvae. (Compare to phytoplankton.) Agbayani, E. 2008. "Zebrasoma flavescens" (On-line). FishBase. Accessed April 08, 2008 at http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Speciessummary.php?id=6018. Atkins, P. 1981. Behavioral determinants of the nocturnal spacing pattern of the yellow tang Zebrasoma flavescens (Acanthuridae). Pacific Science, 35: 263-264. Barry, K., C. Hawryshyn. 1999. Effects of incident light and background conditions on potential conspicuousness of Hawaiian coral reef fish. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 79: 495-508. Brough, D., C. Brough. 2008. "Animal-World" (On-line). Accessed April 08, 2008 at http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/tangs/yellow.php. Detroit Zoological Society, 2008. "Detroit Zoo" (On-line). Accessed April 09, 2008 at http://www.detroitzoo.org/zoo/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=562&Itemid=610. Dodds, K. 2007. "Reef Resources" (On-line). Accessed May 03, 2008 at http://www.reefresources.net/RR_profiles/viewtopic.php?t=153. Froese, R. 1998. Length-weight relationships for 18 less-studied fish species. Journal of applied ichthyology, 14: 117-118. Guiasu, R., R. Winterbottom. 1998. Yellow juvenile color pattern, diet switching and the phylogeny of the surgeonfish genus Zebrasoma. Bulletin of Marine Science, 63: 277-294. Lobel, P. 1989. Ocean current variability and the spawning season of Hawaiian reef fishes. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 24: 161-171. Marshall, N., K. Jennings, W. McFarland, E. Loew, G. Losey. 2003. Visual Biology of Hawaiian Coral Reef Fishes. BioOne, 3: 467-480. Ogawa, T., C. Brown. 2001. Ornamental reef fish aquaculture and collection in Hawaii. Aquarium Sciences and Conservation, 3: 151-169. Parrish, J., J. Claisse. 2005. "University of Hawaii, Department of Zoology" (On-line pdf). Post-settlement Life History of Key Coral Reef Fishes in a Hawaiian Marine Protected Area Network. Accessed May 03, 2008 at http://www.hawaii.edu/ssri/hcri/files/res/parrish_c_noaa_final_2004.pdf. Reynolds, W., M. Casterlin. 1980. Thermoregulatory behavior of a tropical reef fish, Zebrasoma flavescens. OIKOS, 34: 356-358. Sale, P., W. Douglas, P. Doherty. 1984. Choice of Microhabitats by Coral Reef Fishes at Settlement. Coral Reefs, 3: 91-99. Waikïkï Aquarium, 1999. "Marine Life Profile: Yellow Tang" (On-line pdf). Waikïkï Aquarium Educational Department. Accessed April 07, 2008 at http://www.waquarium.org/MLP/root/pdf/MarineLife/Vertebrates/YellowTang.pdf. Wood, A. 2008. "Animal Life Resource" (On-line). Accessed April 09, 2008 at http://animals.jrank.org/pages/2212/Surgeonfishes-Relatives-Acanthuroidei-YELLOW-TANG-Zebrasoma-flavescens-SPECIES-ACCOUNTS.html. Wylie, C., V. Paul. 1988. Feeding preferences of the surgeonfish Zebrasoma flavescens in relation to chemical defenses of tropical algae. Marine Ecology, 45: 23-32.

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You might check the following: The fuel pressure regulator (1) is a diaphragm-operated cartridge relief valve with the fuel pump pressure on one side and the regulator spring pressure and intake manifold vacuum on the other. A retainer (2) holds the fuel pressure regulator. The regulator's function is to maintain a constant pressure differential across the injectors at all times. The pressure regulator compensates for engine load by increasing the fuel pressure as engine vacuum drops. With the ignition ON leaving the engine off (zero vacuum), the fuel pressure at the pressure test connection should be 415-455 kPa (6O-66 psi) . If the pressure is too low, poor performance could result. If the pressure is too high, excessive odor may result. The engine coolant temperature sensor is a thermistor (a resistor which changes value based on temperature) mounted in the engine coolant passage. Low coolant temperature produces a high resistance 100,000 ohms at -40°C (-40°F) while high temperature causes low resistance 70 ohms at 130°C (266°F). The VCM supplies a 5 volt signal to the engine coolant temperature sensor through a resistor in the VCM and measures the voltage. The voltage will be high when the engine is cold. The voltage will be low when the engine is hot. By measuring the voltage, the VCM calculates the engine coolant temperature. Engine coolant temperature affects most systems the VCM controls. The scan tool displays engine coolant temperature in degrees. After engine start-up, the temperature should rise steadily to about 9O°C (194°F) then stabilize when thermostat opens. If the engine has not been run for several hours (overnight), the engine coolant temperature and intake air temperature displays should be close to each other. When the VCM detects a malfunction in the Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor circuit, the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) s will set: DTC P0117 circuit low. DTC P0118 circuit high. DTC P0125 excessive time to Closed Loop. DTC P1114 circuit intermittent low. DTC P1115 circuit intermittent high.

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Does your jurisdiction have a public information call center (PICC)? This toolkit is designed to walk you through the basic steps of developing a PICC to help build the capacity to handle a surge in phone calls during a public health emergency. |Seattle & King County Advanced Practice Center ||Risk Communication||Word||Reference / Guides||English||1/16/2012 3:43 PM||Gaurav Mahajan| <br>Prepare for medical surge by engaging community pharmacies/pharmacists with preparedness efforts. Federal, state, and local governments must reach out to pharmacists to ensure that they are included in policy decisions and emergency planning, and to seek their input on the pharmaceutical needs of vulnerable populations. Rx4Prep is an interactive, educational website to help local health departments obtain information about collaborating with pharmacies and connect with other users.<br><br> |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center ||Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Preparedness||Website; Podcast||Reference / Guides||English||3/13/2012 4:46 PM||Susan Wherley||Blueprint for the Use of Volunteers in Hospitals and Rural Medical Centers; Building Preparedness: Proven Tools for Your Health Department||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20101002| 1. Engage local health departments (LHDs) and pharmacies/pharmacists to work together on all hazards emergency preparedness and response. 2. Define important resources to increase awareness and understanding of public health and pharmacy organizations. 3. Provide current tools, resources and materials that: • Identify strategies to connect LHDs and community pharmacists and other local pharmacy leaders; • Foster sustainable relationships by demonstrating new products and areas of mutual benefit; • Create links between hospitals, healthcare professionals, emergency management, LHDs, and pharmacists/pharmacies; and • Describe trainings and drills that LHDs and community pharmacists and pharmacies can use to train, be READY and practice for emergencies. <br>Alternative care sites, shelters, and points of dispensing (PODs) require a specific number and type of facility depending upon the public health scenario and the number of persons affected. The Alternative Care Site Planning Model is intended to help public health officials evaluate the resources required to staff and equip alternative care sites in multiple emergency scenarios.<br><br> |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center||Workforce||Website||3/13/2012 1:46 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20101003| The Alternative Care Site Planning Model is intended to help public health officials evaluate the resources required to staff and equip alternative care sites in multiple emergency scenarios. This model focuses on the critical resources needed for alternative care sites. It is not intended to manage all materials required. Users must have Microsoft Excel in order to operate the model. Does the public really understand the difference between the terms "avian influenza" and "pandemic influenza"? Do they know how avian and pandemic influenzas are spread? Are they familiar with simple ways to prepare for influenza? This tool is both a resource for local health departments to educate their communities and a self-study for persons who wish to increase their own knowledge and awareness. This tool includes a PDF of the “Complete Presentation Guide” which includes The PowerPoint presentation with speaker's notes, pre- and post-tests, suggested handouts, and interactive activities. Word documents are available for the Pre- and Post-Test and evaluation. |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center||Risk Communication||Word; PDF||Reference / Guides||English||5/20/2011 11:05 AM||Ian Goldstein| <br>Prepare for an emergency by equipping first responders with the medication they need to safely respond to a biological incident or other public health disaster. Protect first responders while cutting down on response time. The Bio-Pack toolkit demonstrates an effective model of medication prepositioning implemented in Montgomery County, MD.<br><br> |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center||Mass Medical Countermeasures; Workforce||HostedVideo||Reference / Guides||English||3/13/2012 4:56 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC2005681| • Demonstrate an effective model of medication prepositioning for first responders through bio-packs. • Highlight challenges of medication prepositioning, including implementation, screening, purchase, storage, and dispensing. <br>Foster relationships with community partners and incorporate volunteers into local preparedness and response. This toolkit was developed to help hospitals and public health agencies integrate volunteer support into hospital inpatient, emergency department, and incident response operations through deployment of just-in-time training (JITT) and exercise curricula.<br><br> |Mesa County Advanced Practice Center||Partnerships and Collaborations; Volunteer Management||Website; Podcast||Reference / Guides||English||3/14/2012 10:21 AM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20102192| • Refine medical surge tools in a way that will enhance partnership-building. • Make the use of medical and non-medical volunteers in public health and hospital activities more efficient. • Simplify exercises and just-in-time training. • Provide tools for volunteer management and integration into hospitals. • Communities will develop a local committee that coordinates emergency preparedness and response planning efforts among the communities’ stakeholders. • A Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)-compliant training and exercise program will be created. This program will develop a jurisdiction's target capabilities and make the most use of limited resources. • The hospital, volunteer organization, and local public health agency will be prepared to use volunteers in a surge situation and agree on how to integrate them into hospital operations. • The local hospital or medical center will have a Joint Commission-compliant Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that is up-to-date. <br>A Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) facilitates the performance of a health department's functions during a public health emergency or other situation which may interrupt normal services.<br><br> This tip sheet guides local health departments through the second phase of COOP planning, the process of identifying critical functions and services. <br><br> |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center||Continuity of Operations Planning||Word||Reference / Guides; Training||English||3/14/2012 12:01 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20071696| • Identify critical day-to-day services of the local health department that will need to continue to ensure uninterrupted performance during a wide spectrum of emergency events or disasters. <br>Building a Public Health Community of Practice – A Biosurveillance Resource Compendium is a CD toolkit intended to help public health agencies implement an effective, comprehensive biosurveillance program. Providing approximately 40 resources, the CD includes a series of articles on implementing biosurveillance initiatives, materials defining and discussing the development of a public health community of practice, specific examples of real-world tools and resources that have proven beneficial in North Texas (including system response protocols), and a research report on biosurveillance system efficacy.<br><br> |Tarrant County Advanced Practice Center||Biosurveillance, Disease Detection, and Investigation||CD||Reference / Guides||English||3/14/2012 3:58 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20081484| • Help public health agencies strengthen partnerships with stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels and with the medical community, law enforcement, first responders, and schools. <br>Learn about public health preparedness issues such as isolation and quarantine, workforce activation/surge, vulnerable populations planning, risk communications, and pandemic influenza preparedness with tools directed towards Local Health Departments (LHDs), businesses, and community agencies.<br><br> |Seattle & King County Advanced Practice Center||Risk Communication||CD||Training||English||3/14/2012 3:55 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20091746| Build, strengthen, and carry out emergency response strategies in: • Vulnerable and at-risk populations • Risk communication • Pandemic flu • Healthcare response • Isolation and quarantine • Community and partner engagement <br>Help businesses, government agencies, and community-based organizations in your jurisdiction with pandemic flu planning efforts.<br><br> This 20-minute video profiles leaders from a variety of organizations as they prepare for the consequences of an influenza pandemic. <br><br> |Seattle & King County Advanced Practice Center||Pandemic Influenza Preparedness; Risk Communication||HostedVideo; PDF||Reference / Guides; Training; Templates||English||3/14/2012 4:31 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20081323| • Prevent and prepare for pandemic influenza in your community by working with local businesses, government agencies, and organizations. <br>Partner with Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trainers in your jurisdiction to provide them with pandemic H1N1 influenza training resources. Increase awareness of the threat of a pandemic influenza and its impact on the community and give CERT participants the education and tools needed to increase preventive health behaviors and limit the spread of the pandemic influenza virus. |Santa Clara County Advanced Practice Center, revised by the San Francisco Bay Area Advanced Practice Center||Workforce||CD; HostedVideo||Training; Reference / Guides; Checklists||English; ASL (Sign); French; Hmong; Spanish||10/25/2012 1:41 PM||Ian Goldstein||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20091779| • Describe the differences between seasonal, avian, and pandemic H1N1 influenza • Identify steps of how to prepare a household for pandemic influenza. • Describe the function of CERTs and potential roles during an influenza pandemic. • Learn how to use personal protective equipment (PPE) for CERTs. <br>Avoid congestion, crowding, and confusion by quickly creating an accurate model that will provide assistance with planning for a public health vaccination or dispensing clinic. This tool can be used either in the advance planning stages or for immediate support during an actual event. The computer model is designed to assist in planning a clinic with improved efficiency and performance while enlightening the planners on what to expect in the event of an outbreak.<br><br> |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center||Mass Medical Countermeasures||Website||Reference / Guides||English||3/21/2012 5:04 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC2008258| • Create mathematical and simulation models of mass dispensing and vaccination clinics (also known as points of dispensing or PODs). • Develop decision support tools to help emergency preparedness planners plan clinics that have enough capacity to serve residents quickly while avoiding unnecessary congestion. <br>The Closed POD Partnerships: Train the Trainer website is designed for businesses, faith-based and community-based organizations, higher education institutions (colleges and universities) and federal agencies that are interested in partnering with their local health department as closed Points of Dispensing (PODs) for mass dispensing of antibiotics to employees, family members and/or clients in the event of a large scale infectious disease emergency. This resource includes self-guided online training modules, forms, templates, fact sheets, planning resources, checklists, and information useful for staff setting up and working a closed POD. <br><br> |San Francisco Bay Area Advanced Practice Center||Partnerships and Collaborations||Website||Reference / Guides||English||3/22/2012 1:20 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20101780| • Learn how a closed point of dispensing (POD) works. • Set up and activate a closed POD. • Conduct just-in-time training for closed POD staff. <br>Tabletop exercises are one of the strategies that the public health workforce can use to convene and engage their community partners. This resource provides state and local public health entities with information and guidance on the key ingredients to consider when developing and facilitating a bioterrorism tabletop exercise. |Dekalb County Board of Health Advanced Practice Center, revised by the San Francisco Bay Area Advanced Practice Center||Workforce||PDF||Training; Reference / Guides||English||3/22/2012 1:34 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC200567| • Set goals. • Select a coordinator, a facilitator, and participants. • Develop the scenario and questions. • Address logistical issues. <br>Provide child care providers with the knowledge and skills to develop a continuity of operations plan (COOP) for emergency events, specifically an H1N1 influenza pandemic. This tool includes a trainer outline, notes, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations. The training can be used by local health departments or other community service agencies to help prepare the child care community for emergency events. |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center||Workforce||PDF||Training||English||3/22/2012 1:57 PM||Susan Wherley||Emergency Response Planning for Child Care Providers||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20091732| • Describe the purpose and components of a continuity of operations plan (COOP). • Recall the response sequence for children or staff with pandemic flu symptoms. • Identify local, state, and national resources for keeping up-to-date on pandemic flu and other emergency information. <br> This training program guides Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteer candidates through various topics that conform to the MRC Core Competencies Matrix. The tool covers various topics, including disaster preparedness, universal precautions, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and other topics essential for the proper training of volunteers. The CD-ROM includes resource links, videos, a course map, and exercises for self-assessment.<br><br> |Tarrant County Advanced Practice Center||Workforce||HostedVideo; PowerPoint||Training; Other; Reference / Guides||English||3/22/2012 4:44 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20091728| • Domain 1: Health, Safety, and Preparedness • Domain 2: Roles and Responsibilities of Volunteers • Domain 3: Introduction to Public Health • Domains 2 & 3: Shared Content <br>This toolkit is intended to serve as a resource to help you develop a plan for family assistance services that can be applied to all hazards. It contains four sections related to developing a Family Assistance Center (FAC) plan: Prepare to Plan, Components of Plan, Role of Federal Partners, and Training Resources. <br><br> |Seattle & King County Advanced Practice Center||Partnerships and Collaborations||Website||3/23/2012 1:58 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20102208| • Understand the context and rationale for operating Family Assistance Centers (FACs) during mass-casualty or mass-fatality incidents. • Identify the principles that should guide the operations of a FAC. • Develop a plan for a FAC, including strategies for addressing the behavioral health needs of families. This Crisis Communications Guide and Checklist, created by the Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center, is to assist public health planners in the preparation for a public health emergency by equipping them with the knowledge and understanding of basic crisis communications components. The 2001 anthrax crisis is used to illustrate key components of the ideas discussed. Approximately 30 pages long and available in PDF format, this guide is divided into three sections: a literature review; a quick guide that summarizes key points from the relevant literature; and, a checklist for message development/evaluation. |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center||Risk Communication||PDF||Reference / Guides||English||5/20/2011 11:05 AM||Ian Goldstein| The Crisis, Emergency, and Risk (CERC) Toolkit evolved from Santa Clara County's increased understanding and recognition of the need to build a strong operational framework for emergency public communication activities. Toolkit materials are predicated on "lessons learned" from actual events and best practices from the numerous trainings, drills, tabletops and exercises in which we have been participants and/or facilitators. The goal of the CERC Toolkit is to provide information and materials to other public health departments and assist in the development and organization of public information activities. The ultimate goal is for all public health departments to be better prepared in order to communicate efficiently and effectively in a public health emergency. |Santa Clara County Advanced Practice Center||Risk Communication||Website||Reference / Guides||English||5/20/2011 11:05 AM||Ian Goldstein| The Guide to Multi-jurisdictional Collaborations is a resource for leaders in Public Health Emergency Preparedness who seek answers about their community's capacity to respond to disasters. This Guide provides examples of laws, inter-jurisdictional cooperation agreements, collaborations, policies, practices, and procedures. Additionally, the Guide addresses various formal and informal means to develop agreements, potential legal issues these agreements may generate, and the benefits and liabilities governments and their agents may reasonably expect when entering into such agreements. |Western New York Public Health Alliance Advanced Practice Center||Partnerships and Collaborations||PDF||Reference / Guides||English||1/10/2011 9:47 AM||Ian Goldstein||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20091690| <br> This module provides an engaging educational experience that simulates field-based decisions related to environmental health issues for two scenarios: a major flood and a chemical spill caused by a train derailment.<br><br> |Twin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center, revised by the Mesa County Advanced Practice Center||Environmental Health Emergency Preparedness||CD; Podcast||Training; Reference / Guides||English||3/23/2012 4:41 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20091722| After reading the background information, choose which scenario you want to complete. Playing the role of an environmental health professional, answer questions about how you would address a variety of issues that you encounter during the disaster. After answering each question, you earn points based on the relative correctness of your decision, given the three choices available in each situation. You also receive feedback explaining the merits or drawbacks of the possible answer answers. At the end of each scenario, you obtain your final score and can review the questions and feedback. <br>Design and conduct a full-scale disaster exercise using a DVD-based interactive training course designed to assist public health and emergency management professionals. The DVD includes video footage that details Tarrant County's full-scale dirty bomb disaster drill. The tool also includes an interactive training manual as well as a chapter-based lecture series focused on the design and evaluation components of a public health exercise.<br><br> |Tarrant County Advanced Practice Center||Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive Preparedness||DVD; HostedVideo; PDF||Exercises; Training||English||3/26/2012 2:29 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC2005272| • Identify the basic components of a field functional exercise for public health. • Compare a field functional exercise to drills, tabletops, full-scale exercises, and top offs. • Set performance expectations and scale the exercise to include budget considerations. • Plan a field functional exercise. • Define key collaboration and partnerships including required expertise and level of experience. <br>Discover the process for utilizing pharmacies as medication dispensing and vaccination sites during emergencies by building effective partnerships between local health departments and community pharmacists. This toolkit contains four sections related to Developing Effective and Sustainable Medication Dispensing Strategies: Background, Planning, Activation & Operation, and Policy & Legal. A user guide and table top exercise are also available on the website.<br><br> |Seattle & King County Advanced Practice Center ||Partnerships and Collaborations; Mass Medical Countermeasures||Website||3/26/2012 2:53 PM||Susan Wherley||A Prescription for Preparedness: An Online Community for Local Health Departments and Pharmacists to Help Ready America for Emergencies||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20102206| • Document the process for developing collaborative drug therapy agreements and memoranda of understanding between local health departments (LHDs) and pharmacists/their organizations to utilize pharmacies as medication dispensing and vaccination sites during emergency events. • Document a medication and vaccine distribution strategy that involves partnering between LHDs and pharmacy organizations for responding to emergency events. • Identify opportunities and challenges in working with community pharmacists for emergency preparedness and response. <br> For this training module, environmental health professionals from around the country shared how they dealt with actual disasters and emergencies. Their real-world stories – through which they share valuable tips, techniques, and lessons learned – will guide you through the preparation, response, and recovery stages of emergencies and disasters. |Twin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center||Environmental Health Emergency Preparedness||Website||Reference / Guides||English||4/17/2012 3:52 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC2007968| After completing this module, you will be able to apply the eight Environmental Health Core Competencies based on the insights gained and lessons learned by environmental health professionals in dealing with actual emergences and disasters. <br>During a public health emergency, time, accuracy, and data collection are essential in medical clinics. One way to improve results is through the use of an electronic medical screening tool. eMedCheck, an ongoing project with the University of Maryland, is a medical screening tool used on iPhone/iPad, Blackberry, or Palm PDA. Two medical screening tools have been developed: one for a Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) anthrax scenario and a second for a hepatitis A outbreak.<br><br> |Montgomery County Advanced Practice Center||Partnerships and Collaborations||Website||3/26/2012 4:20 PM||Susan Wherley||A Prescription for Preparedness: An Online Community for Local Health Departments and Pharmacists to Help Ready America for Emergencies; Developing Effective and Sustainable Medication Dispensing Strategies||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20101004| • Decrease the amount of time spent on patient registration and screening. • Improve the accuracy of medication allocation to patients. • Serve as a data collection system. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department Advanced Practice Center created The Emergency Dark Site Toolkit: A Toolkit on How to Build, Use and Maintain an Emergency Dark Site for Public Health Emergencies. This toolkit is intended to serve local health departments in setting up a public health department emergency dark site -- a static Web page used to post critical public health emergency messages when a server goes down. The Santa Clara County APC, in conjunction with Stanford University and Google, tested their newly created Dark Site during the April 2009 H1N1 outbreak. Due to an overwhelming number of web hits, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department's server went down, resulting in the activation of their Dark Site. When the site was activated, the Public Information Officer had a new tool to manage the public demand for H1N1 information. The Emergency Dark Site Toolkit: A Toolkit on How to Build, Use and Maintain an Emergency Dark Site for Public Health Emergencies includes step-by-step instructions to build your own emergency dark site for public health emergencies. Insert the CD into your computer or download the program and follow the interactive menus to view the simple instructions. |Santa Clara County Advanced Practice Center||Risk Communication||CD||Reference / Guides||English||3/8/2012 5:01 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20091949| The Emergency Dispensing Site Action Plan Template (version 1.5) is an all-hazards post-exposure prophylaxis response plan capable of addressing a range of public health threats. This planning template lays out a process for planning, opening, operating, and closing an emergency dispensing site (EDS) or dispensing vaccination center (DVC). It also includes critical plan elements, such as job action sheets and incident response forms. |Cambridge Advanced Practice Center||Mass Medical Countermeasures||Word; PDF||Reference / Guides; Templates||English||5/20/2011 11:00 AM||Ian Goldstein| <br> This tool includes a series of pictograms designed to facilitate communication and promote universal access to emergency dispensing site services and other mass care services. Please note that this tool is currently being revised and a new version will be released in 2012. |Cambridge Advanced Practice Center, revised by the Multnomah County Advanced Practice Center||Mass Medical Countermeasures||CD||Templates; Training||English||4/16/2012 4:50 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC20071675| The signs were developed in collaboration with local and state public health professionals, and experts in universal design and accessibility. The signs are large, high contrast pictograms of station activities, accompanied by simple, one-word descriptions in English and Spanish. This tool has been created to help participants gain knowledge and skills to work at a Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS) in order to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and speed of a universally accessible emergency mass prophylaxis operation. This training approach is well suited for an audience of local public health and MRC volunteers who are leaders either within their departments or in their communities. Teach your volunteers how to use job action sheets, work within the chain of command, trouble-shoot bottle necks, and identify client barriers to service. The two complementary trainings included in this PDF tool are: 1. EDS 1: The Mechanics of an EDS 2. EDS 2: Facilitating Clients through an EDS |Cambridge Advanced Practice Center||Mass Medical Countermeasures||PDF||Training; Reference / Guides||English||5/20/2011 11:01 AM||Ian Goldstein| <br>Download a quick reference guide to provide step-by-step emergency information to food managers and other supervisory personnel at food service establishments. The handbook addresses both naturally-occurring and man-made emergencies. |Twin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center, revised by the Mesa County Advanced Practice Center||Environmental Health Emergency Preparedness||PDF||Reference / Guides; Checklists||English||3/26/2012 4:52 PM||Susan Wherley||http://apc.naccho.org/Products/APC2005268| • Provides prompts for whom to call, first steps to take, and subsequent recovery actions after an emergency occurs. • Offers tips for managing longer-term emergencies caused by disruption of utilities and municipal services. • Provides ongoing food security and emergency preparedness advice.

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Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2012 June 23 Explanation: As seen from Frösön island in northern Sweden the Sun did set a day after the summer solstice. From that location below the arctic circle it settled slowly behind the northern horizon. During the sunset's final minute, this remarkable sequence of 7 images follows the distorted edge of the solar disk as it just disappears against a distant tree line, capturing both a green and blue flash. Not a myth even in a land of runes, the colorful but elusive glints are caused by atmospheric refraction enhanced by long, low, sight lines and strong atmospheric temperature gradients. Authors & editors: Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply. A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC & Michigan Tech. U.

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Yes, it's Protect Your Groundwater Day! Here is some information from the National Ground Water Association: Everyone can and should do something to protect groundwater. Why? We all have a stake in maintaining its quality and quantity. - For starters, 95 percent of all available freshwater comes from aquifers underground. Being a good steward of groundwater just makes sense. - Not only that, most surface water bodies are connected to groundwater so how you impact groundwater matters. - Furthermore, many public water systems draw all or part of their supply from groundwater, so protecting the resource protects the public water supply and impacts treatment costs. - If you own a well to provide water for your family, farm, or business, groundwater protection is doubly important. As a well owner, you are the manager of your own water system. Protecting groundwater will help reduce risks to your water supply. Groundwater protectionThere are two fundamental categories of groundwater protection: - Keeping it safe from contamination - Using it wisely by not wasting it.Before examining what you can do to protect groundwater, however, you should know that sometimes the quality and safety of groundwater is affected by substances that occur naturally in the environment. "When the well is dry, we learn the worth of water." -- attributed to several, including Ben Franklin

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New ideas and information have emerged recently that hold great promise for enhancing the impact of current prevention efforts. "Prevention is the best treatment" is an oft-cited maxim, and one that certainly applies to drug abuse. Anyone who can be influenced to avoid abusing drugs is spared their harmful health and social effects, including increased risk for lethal infections, family disruption and job loss, confusion and despair, the difficult struggle of treatment, and -- for many -- the ravages of addiction and the ordeal of climbing back after relapse. From society's point of view, drug abuse prevention helps keep a tremendous burden -- related to disease and premature death, lost capacity for productive work, and crime -- from being even worse. The bulk of current interventions to prevent drug abuse fall mainly into two groups. One set is designed to reduce risk factors associated with higher likelihood of drug abuse and increase protective factors associated with lower likelihood of drug abuse. When implemented in conformity with proven prevention principles (see "Risk and Protective Factors in Drug Abuse Prevention"), this strategy, the product of more than a decade of research and clinical experience, is effective and inclusive enough to apply to most populations. Moreover, researchers continue to learn more about how risk and protective factors relate, and practitioners are ever more adept at applying this knowledge. These efforts will continue to yield incrementally -- perhaps even dramatically -- higher impact interventions well into the future. Nonetheless, there are limitations to the risk-and-protective-factors strategy. One feature that ultimately limits its impact, for example, is the nature of the factors themselves. They tend to be fundamental or deeply entrenched characteristics or experiences of a person, family, or community. Some are hidden, such as sexual victimization; others are prominent in society, such as adolescent depression or ready access to drugs of abuse. As a result, traditional risk factors generally can be modified only by relatively broad and long-term interventions. Certain factors may not be susceptible to modification, such as a genetic predisposition to risk-taking. In addition, for the most part, traditional risk factors pertain to an individual's vulnerability to drug abuse, rather than the actual choice to use drugs. As important as it is to lower vulnerability, on a given day, even someone with a relatively low vulnerability may opt to use drugs. The second important group of preventive interventions complements and extends the risk-and-protective-factors strategy by focusing on the dynamic of situations, beliefs, motives, reasoning and reactions that enter into the choice to abuse or not to abuse drugs. Important applications of this strategy include normative education to refute the common belief that "everyone takes drugs," and equipping young people with the skills to refuse drug offers without feeling they are losing face. This strategy is full of untapped promise, and today likely offers the best prospects for rapid development of more effective prevention. A few of the many issues whose elucidation may yield improved interventions include why even very young children tend to expect positive experiences from drugs; how individuals' styles for processing language and visual images affect drug-taking decisions; the roles of curiosity and impulsivity in such decisions; and what logical processes people typically follow when deciding to use or not use drugs. A recent dramatic finding in neurobiological research may greatly increase our understanding of adolescent decisionmaking and our ability to help adolescents choose wisely regarding drug abuse. Scientists have long suspected that the adolescent brain is still developing physically, and researchers have now demonstrated that new neural tissue and connections continue to form throughout the transitional years between childhood and adulthood. Further investigation of this growth process undoubtedly will yield important insights relevant to some of the cognitive issues affecting the appeal of drugs and drug-taking decisions. The impact on drug abuse prevention could be tremendous, especially in light of the fact that adolescence often is a critical period for initiation of drug abuse. Most chronic drug abusers start experimenting with intoxication in adolescence or young adulthood. While populations are constantly changing -- and while prescription drug abuse by older individuals today is a serious and mounting concern -- it remains generally true that people who do not abuse drugs during the decisive years before age 25 are unlikely ever to develop a serious drug problem. It remains generally true that people who do not abuse drugs during the decisive years before age 25 are unlikely ever to develop a serious drug problem. A tighter focus on decisionmaking regarding drug abuse should enable us to progress in a vitally important area: preventing escalation from early, experimental drug use to regular use, abuse, and addiction. We know that fewer than 10 percent of people who experiment with drugs become dependent or addicted. We also know that some of the factors that influence whether a person will become dependent or addicted are independent of the factors that influence whether he or she will initiate drug abuse. For example, research has suggested that, perhaps because of their particular brain chemistry, some individuals dislike the agitation cocaine can produce more than they like the euphoria it brings -- and so discontinue use after their initial experimentation. Interventions based upon such factors may curtail drug abuse before it reaches critical severity and thereby forestall most of its truly tragic health and social consequences. NIDA's prevention agenda is to aggressively pursue research on risk and protective factors while also seeking to identify, develop, and integrate new science-based approaches into existing prevention programs. To accomplish these goals, NIDA recently launched the three-part Drug Abuse Prevention Research Initiative. (See "NIDA Conference Reviews Advances in Prevention Science, Announces New National Research Initiative.") Basic researchers will mine new neurobiological and other fundamental research discoveries for prevention applications. Basic, clinical, and applied researchers and practitioners will work together in Transdisciplinary Prevention Research Centers to synthesize knowledge from all the relevant scientific fields into powerful new prevention packages. Researchers and State and local practitioners will collaborate in Community Multisite Prevention Trials to rapidly assess proposed new prevention approaches and interventions in diverse communities and populations. Exciting moments in science occur when the gradual accumulation of knowledge suddenly gives rise to new perspectives with the promise of new solutions to problems of living. In the area of drug abuse prevention, this is such a moment, and NIDA is moving swiftly to take full advantage of its potential.

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Skokie's Howard Bergman is among more than 14,000 people from 60 countries who have used the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's International Tracing Service to access information about Holocaust-era histories. The collection of more than 150 million digital images of documentation, in vaults in Bad Arolsen, Germany, was established by Allied powers to help reunite families and trace missing people after World War II. The museum led an effort to open the archives in 2007 in response to the frustration of Holocaust survivors seeking information about their loved ones, said Andrew Hollinger, museum spokesman. The archive is overseen by an 11-nation commission and administered by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Like Bergman, many searchers have received copies of documents recorded by the Nazis but sealed from the public for decades, such as prison cards, transportation documents and camp entry cards. In many cases, names and details were meticulously transcribed by the Nazis. To help people find information online, the museum has partnered with Ancestry.com to build what's touted as the largest online resource on Holocaust victims. Trained museum researchers handle database search requests at no charge and use other museum collections to seek further information. Search times vary depending on the complexity of the search, though priority is given to survivors and their families. To request a search, go to ushmm.org/its. Anyone who has documents, photographs or other materials to donate to the museum's collection is asked to contact Susan Snyder at email@example.com or call 202-488-0430. — Amanda Marrazzo

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Researchers at Stanford University have brought about a unique marriage between computer chips and living cells that could greatly accelerate everything from tests for new drugs to screening for diseases such as leukemia. The basic living element in every organism is the cell. Humans have at least 100 trillion of them, all designed to carry out various bodily functions. Each cell is a complex bag of enzymes and chemicals surrounded by a spherical membrane, and how a cell reproduces and works with other cells determines how efficiently the organism performs. Scientists have struggled for years to understand the cell and especially the membrane that seems to control most of the crucial functions, but they have been hampered by the difficulty of growing cells in a laboratory culture for research. A decade ago, Stanford researchers developed artificial membranes that were so like the real thing that living cells could be tricked into attaching themselves to them. Two years ago, graduate student Jay T. Groves learned something interesting when he pulled a pair of tweezers through one of the artificial membranes. The parts separated permanently. He also found that he could manipulate the different parts by applying an electrical current. About that time, Nick Ulman, an electrical engineer, joined Groves' research group, headed by chemistry professor Steven G. Boxer. Ulman brought with him an understanding of microelectronics. The researchers discovered that the electric field generated by a tiny microchip could be used to separate the artificial membrane into tiny squares, which they called "corrals." The corrals were so small that millions occupied an area no bigger than a fingernail. That gave the researchers something they had never had before: a means of isolating, cataloging and manipulating millions of cell membranes simultaneously. "It's a little bit like having a parking lot with assigned spaces," Boxer says. If you leave your car in an unmarked parking lot at the airport, he says, you may be lucky to find it again. But if each parking space has a number, it becomes much simpler. "Ultimately, you can say I've got a Ferrari in spot 2A, and I've got a Volkswagen over in space 3D," Boxer says. Similarly, living cells can be "tricked" into attaching themselves to individual membranes. That is done by modifying the surface of each membrane. "If you wax a car, after you wax it, water beads up on the surface," Boxer says. "Before waxing, the water just runs off. That's an example of modifying the properties of the surface such that water associates differently with the surface." One potential use is for cell screening for leukemia patients. Some of the membranes on the chip could be "seeded" with proteins that bind to different kinds of cells. By flooding a glass plate embedded with chips with blood from the patient, the cells would attach themselves to designated areas, thus revealing how many cells of different types are present, and possibly even how well they are performing. Joseph A. Zasadzinski, professor of chemical engineering at UC Santa Barbara, who has analyzed the Stanford research, sees many potential applications. It could pave the way for a pharmaceutical researcher to "try 50 million different things" at the same time, Zasadzinski says. "Right now, you grow cells in culture and you see which ones die, and that's very slow. Here you can imagine 20,000 little plates in a square inch, and each one of them you can tweak a slightly different way." It could greatly increase the rate of testing for new drugs for viruses, he says, because the experiments could be repeated millions of times in a tightly controlled and manipulable environment. Others see it leading to a test for AIDS in which thousands of blood tests could be conducted in the time it now takes to do just one. The heart of the system is the computer chip. "That's where the ultimate power of this comes in," Boxer says. "The same technology that's used to make integrated circuits, computer chips, is also being used to design a biocompatible surface." That has led to a bit of unwelcome fallout, he adds. The researchers are constantly asked if they are on the road to the ultimate marriage between computers and living cells--the bionic man. Boxer flinches at the suggestion. This is such a tiny step, he says, that it's ludicrous to think of it in those terms. Still, some see this as one more step toward creating computer-based biological systems. "If you can optimize this, you can get a nice bio-sensor out of it," Zasadzinski says. "But it would be hard to imagine any sort of bionic man for an awful long time." He says he is more worried about "that sheep in England." "That's scary," he says. Lee Dye can be reached via e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.org

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Do not imagine the Mona Lisa with a mustache! If you failed to carry out this instruction, it is because your power of visualization is so strong that it takes any suggestion, positive or negative, and turns it into an image. And as the maestro emphasized, “the thing imagined moves the sense.” If you think you cannot visualize. Chances are you answered these questions easily by drawing on your internal image data bank, the occipital lobe of your cerebral cortex. This data bank has the potential, in coordination with your frontal lobes, to store and create more images, both real and imaginary, than the entire world’s film and television production companies combined. From How to think like Leonardo da Vinci, by Michael J. Gelb, published by Delacorte Press, 1998.

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With the Insurance institute for highway safety reporting a record 1.5 million vehicle strikes against wildlife annually, animals are forced to circumnavigate a daily procession of cars, trucks, SUV’s and more, barreling down highways that run through habitats in man-made surroundings which in no way resemble their own. Road mortality, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, is a serious threat to 21 federally listed threatened or endangered species, and a State Farm Insurance study determined there were 2.4 million collisions between deer and vehicles between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 alone. The study further revealed that a collision between animal and vehicle happens somewhere in this country every 26 seconds. In addition to deer, the vehicular slaughter of elk, moose, bears, bighorn sheep, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians make up the grisly statistics, with the human toll approximated at 200 fatalities and 29,000 injuries each year according to the Federal Highway Administration. Property damage from these strikes has been listed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety at more than $1.1 billion per year. Meeting what at one time seemed like an insurmountable challenge to the varied agendas of commercial and recreational drivers, federal and local government, conservationists, highway engineers and members of Native American nations, many states have embarked on odysseys to build a series of bridges, culverts and tunnels for animals, or aptly named "wildlife crossings." These structures, often with fences that act as guidelines to direct wildlife to the crossings, mitigate the effects of the built environment and promote safety and survival by routing animals around, over and/or under roads and highways. Predicated on early models in Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Slovenia and France, with France at the forefront of many of these structures since the 1950s, wildlife crossings now exist in various forms throughout the U.S. Species and Statistics Dr. Patricia Cramer, research assistant professor at Utah State University, worked with Principle Investigator Dr. John Bissonette and a team of nine ecologists and engineers on compiling a resource guide for professionals on construction of wildlife crossings: “Evaluation of the Use and Effectiveness of Wildlife Crossings.” Surveying more than 400 professionals throughout the U.S. and Canada to find there are now more than 700 terrestrial underpasses, 9 overpasses and more than 10,000 aquatic passages in 46 states and most Canadian provinces, Cramer noted that Florida is “the leader in multiple crossings for multiple species,” but that a 10-year project nearing completion in Montana—the U.S. Highway 93 project—is a “shining star study” of wildlife crossing construction and “a collaborative process (she) really value(s).” Confluence of Creeds and Crossings To that end, in western Montana, an infamous bumper sticker reading, “Pray for me, I drive U.S. 93” reflects a treacherous drive along a 55-mile stretch of roadway. Extending from Arizona to Canada, the two-lane U.S. 93 enters Montana from Idaho at Lost Trail Pass and continues through Missoula, Kalispell, the Flathead Indian Reservation and along the western shore of Flathead Lake before entering Canada. Described by many as “Montana’s most dangerous two-lane highway,” U.S. 93 is heavily traveled by local, commercial and recreational vehicles. In 1989, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) initiated a plan to expand U.S. 93 into a four-lane highway to decrease fatalities which were determined, in the course of a 20-year study, to occur primarily during passing. At that time, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes (CSKT) strongly opposed the plan, citing “concerns about their natural, cultural, recreational and scenic resources” along the large segment of highway that crossed the Flathead Indian Reservation. According to reports, the tribes “believed the road expansion would harm their land and its diverse animal population—from grizzly bears and elk to painted turtles and bullhead trout.” Protecting and safeguarding animals is intrinsic to Indian culture, observers note, with the continuum of wildlife corridors an integral part of that. “Early on, it wasn’t pretty,” said Dale Becker, program manager for the CSKT wildlife management project, which includes the crossings. CSKT studied wildlife crossings in Europe and at Canada’s Banff National Park, the latter of which eventually became a template for them, but initially, Becker says, “…everything we proposed met with real resistance. It was a tough run. We were dealing with great civil engineers, but even MDT and the Federal Highway Administration had not embraced this. We needed a set strategy and a set approach for the three governments.” With CSKT’s escalating concerns, according to members, “that highway expansion wouldn’t just add lanes, it would also encourage higher speeds which would increase the number of animals killed by speeding traffic,” the plan stalled for nearly a decade until Jones & Jones —a Seattle-based architectural, landscape architectural, and planning firm—was brought in to mitigate what had become a contentious debate. The environmental award-winning firm, known globally for its practiced assimilation of architecture, the environment and wildlife spaces (“To save wildlife, we must save wild places” is among its slogans), determined that only the northern quarter of the highway required four lanes, and went on to design upwards of 40 strategic wildlife crossings including small-and large-box culverts, open span bridges and major over-crossings. The structures were created to channel bear, elk, moose, mountain lions, amphibians and waterfowl under and over the highway, according to Jones & Jones’ whitepaper report. With completion slated for this summer, an 8-foot stock fence running along the road between crossings diverts animals from the road and into the crossings. Pat Basting, MDT Missoula district biologist who has been involved with the U.S. Highway 93 project since shortly after its inception, affirmed that the wildlife crossings have been getting “pretty substantial use by a multitude of species.” A formal monitoring process that will continue for five years will be in place this summer, he added, ascribing “the bulk of the credit to the tribes in maintaining connectivity to wildlife.” Panthers and Passages In Florida, where an estimated 120 panthers remain in the wild, conservationists have been particularly concerned with State Road 29 and Interstate 75, also called Alligator Alley, among others. Listed as an endangered species since 1967, and though numbers have rebounded considerably in the last two decades (up from 20-30 in 1987), the Florida panther continues to meet an untimely fate due to vehicle strikes with the loss of 10 individuals in 2008 and 16 (possibly 17) in 2009. “There are not enough resources to protect every linear mile of highway in the state,” said Darrell Land, panther team leader of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. But in areas that have benefitted from the construction of wildlife crossings, and in particular a 40-mile stretch of I-75 which boasts 36 structures, only two panthers have been lost to collisions in 20 years, he says, noting that 40 miles of fencing also help facilitate passage through the crossings, with an additional 5 miles on SR 29 which traverses I-75. Four crossings also currently exist on Highway 1, south of Miami and in the vicinity of Everglades National Park. Land explained that in the state whenever a new road is planned, or a proposal for a road upgrade is submitted, wildlife crossings are considered and integrated where possible. Wyoming Weighs In In Lander, Wyoming, an arduous research project between Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) and the state’s Game and Fish Department, which involved a series of deer migration studies and analysis of vehicle-wildlife collisions over an 8-year period, resulted in the $3.8 million construction of seven 12-foot high wildlife underpasses and more than 30 miles of fencing along U.S. Highway 30. Considered one of the state’s busiest highways, with the label “world renowned as a bad place for motorist or mule deer,” two-lane Highway 30 bisects Nugget Canyon, the state’s largest big game winter range, and was known as a “slaughter zone” for 300-500 mule deer out of 7,000-10,000 who crossed the highway annually. Since its completion in 2008, the underpasses have reduced fatalities by up to 97 percent according to Mark Zornes, wildlife management coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Green River region. “It all started in the 1980s with 11 miles of just deer fences,” Zornes said, “and we still had significant mortalities. We tried everything on the planet to keep deer off the highway and warn motorists: flashing signs that came on when animals tried to enter and had right of way. Nothing worked.” With construction of the Wyoming underpasses, also referred to as boxes, not only did mule deer fatalities decrease to 11 last year, but elk, moose, bobcats, badgers, cottontails and other animals have been known to use them successfully. Acknowledging mule deer’s high migratory drive (Zornes quipped that one can herd mule deer anywhere they want to go), the state recognized the importance of providing enough underpasses in proportion to miles of fencing. “They will throw themselves into the fence to get to (winter or summer) ranges,” Zornes explained, adding that if there are enough boxes, and once they figure out where the boxes are, it becomes a part of their migratory route. And with another thriving wildlife crossing in the Baggs area (Carbon County) utilized by 3,000 mule deer in its first year, WYDOT is seeking $25.5 million in funding, including stimulus money, to build 25 miles of big game fencing, 10 underpasses and one overpass for pronghorn sheep along U.S. Highway 189 south of Kemmerer. With Montana’s U.S. Highway 93 project garnering the moniker “The Road as Respectful Visitor,” and 46 states transcending the conventional approach to road building with the incorporation of wildlife crossings, proponents say construction no longer has to be construed as destructive, and the right of way (whose ever it is) can clearly yield to the right way.

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Recently, as shoreline landowners in Lubec, my wife and I received a letter from Acadian Seaplants, providing their answers to persistent questions about the harvest of rockweed in Cobscook Bay and hoping for our support of their efforts when they resume cutting in 2010. Because I am a long-time environmental scientist, I did what comes naturally: I looked for scientific information about rockweed and its role in coastal ecosystems. Rockweed is one of many “seaweeds” that sustain coastal marine ecosystems throughout the world. The growth of rockweed provides the food and shelter for invertebrates, which are the basis of the food web that sustains higher-level fisheries of coastal Maine. Rockweed also provides critical nursery habitat for young fish that are attractive to predators. Seaweeds are threatened in many areas, disappearing at a rate of 7 percent per year worldwide, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. One need not look far to see the abandoned sardine factories and codfish fisheries of New England, signs of overexploitation of the marine environment. Good management of marine resources should balance catch against annual production, so that the economic livelihood of the sea is sustained for generations. Unfortunately, cod and sardines were overharvested in many areas, and those fisheries are now gone. Now that we have removed these higher-level fish and some invertebrates, such as sea urchins, the rockweed cutters are focused on the base of the food chain itself. Will we allow rockweed to be overharvested as well, so that it declines and disappears from Cobscook Bay and the surrounding waters? Protecting rockweed is important if we are to sustain periwinkle and mussel fisheries, which provide local jobs. So, as an aid to the local economy, we registered our shoreline with Downeast Coastal Conservancy as a “no-harvest” area. Acadian Seaplants vows that it will not remove more than 17 percent of the annual growth of rockweed — a level deemed sustainable in studies by R.L. Vadas of the biology department at the University of Maine. To ensure recovery, Dr. Vadas also advises not to harvest any area in consecutive years. The other major player, North American Kelp of Waldoboro, also plans to adhere to a maximum 17 percent harvest, after subtracting biomass that cannot be harvested from protected lands. We can only hope that all those who harvest rockweed will comply with the new state regulations passed in June 2009, codifying a maximum 17 percent harvest, because no amount of tax will bring back the rockweed if it disappears from the coast of Maine. The best policy would probably be to prohibit the harvest of rockweed, since it sustains the basis of the fish and shellfish industries in this region. Even so, it is unclear who has monitored and enforced the past levels of harvest and how accurately any of these parameters can be measured. The Marine Resources Committee will soon hold a workshop to evaluate the success of the regulation of rockweed cutting during the 2009 season. Currently, a surcharge on rockweed harvest is earmarked to help pay for monitoring by the commissioner of marine resources. Indeed, the current legislation requires that the proper harvest of rockweed must be verified by a third party starting with the 2010 harvest season. Done well, these provisions would provide welcome oversight of the rockweed resource and protect its critical role in the coastal marine ecosystem. Alternatively, the passing of rockweed would mark the end of the marine fisheries ecosystem — top to bottom — within the span of a couple of decades in eastern, coastal Maine. William H. Schlesinger is president of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y. and a shoreline property owner in Lubec.

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If bones from dead deer could talk, they would reveal compelling stories. In late March 1989, snowmobilers reported several dead and frozen deer in a Canada Falls deer yard near historic Pittston Farm, 50 miles northwest of Greenville. As the state’s regional wildlife biologist at the time, I investigated the report and found 10 dead deer. Curious to know if the deer had died from coyote predation or other natural causes, I broke open the femur (thigh) bones with a hatchet to examine the bone marrow. Bone marrow of healthy deer resembles the color and consistency of thick hand cream. During late winter, as deer exhaust all remaining energy reserves, their bone marrow turns the color and consistency of red jelly. Lethargic deer with swollen faces and visible rib cages are signs of very poor health. Red jelly-like bone marrow in eight of 10 deer indicated severe malnutrition. A ninth deer died of a fractured hip caused by bullet fragments. Coyotes had eaten the deer based on tracks and scat, but did they kill the deer or merely perform euthanasia on animals weakened by inadequate food and shelter? The question is more relevant today than it was in 1989 because the quality and quantity of deer yards has plummeted since then. Winter is the bottleneck of deer survival in northern Maine. Poor-quality deer-wintering habitat further compromises their survival. Coyotes kill healthy deer, but emaciated ones are easy prey in late winter. Purchasing deer yards outright or protecting them with conservation easements — with binding timber harvest regulations — are the only viable long-term solutions to resolving Maine’s deer woes. Many hunters claim that designated deer yards without deer are solely attributable to coyote predation. During the winter of 1989, timber company foresters brought to my attention six designated deer yards without deer in the Moosehead Lake region. Investigations revealed that three of these deer yards had been mistakenly mapped and were subsequently dropped from state regulation. The other three deer wintering areas lacked deer because timber companies had clear-cut around them, creating an island of spruce and fir forest surrounded by three- to four-foot deep snowfields. With no access to neighboring forests, deer abandoned the yards rather than remain vulnerable to coyote predation. One winter evening, a Great Northern Paper Company forester surprised me by knocking on my house door. We had spent the day together with his boss, but in the woods he could not talk confidentially with me. He said the deer yard we had surveyed earlier that day supported winter deer for as long as he could remember. The forester explained that against his wishes, his boss instructed him to supervise a summer harvesting crew that cut all the timber around the deer yard. He then did something unprecedented and bold. From long cardboard tubes, he extracted forest cover maps showing closely guarded future forestry operations. He proceeded to identify deer yards unknown to the state. He did this because he wanted those areas protected from being clear-cut. He said, “I like hunting deer, and we can work cooperatively with the state to harvest trees and have deer, too. These are not mutually exclusive goals.” The Chub Pond deer yard in Hobbstown, south of Jackman, supported deer each winter from the 1940s until the early 1980s when Scott Paper Company clear-cut healthy trees abutting the deer yard, claiming it was a spruce budworm salvage cut. According to a Scott forester, also a deer hunter, deer abandoned the yard the following winter. The demise of deer yards is the reason why deer are struggling in northern, western and eastern Maine. Lawmakers, under increasing pressure to “do something about declining deer numbers,” are considering extending coyote trapping seasons to help the struggling deer population. However, passing LD 372 and other coyote control bills is as misguided as placing a Band-Aid on a compound fracture. The Legislature can enact infinite coyote-control bills, but the deer herd will not recover until the Legislature makes deer-yard protection a priority. Ron Joseph, of Camden, is a retired Maine wildlife biologist and deer hunter.

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The Art of Burlesque: ‘New Gotham Burlesque, 1931’ by Reginald Marsh (1898-1954) The drawings of burlesque and vaudeville acts Marsh made in the 1920s for the New York Daily News are among the first of his many images of popular theater. Such entertainments flourished throughout the country and were available all over New York City. The burlesque that Marsh captured can be described as raunchy and vulgar, but also comedic and satiric. Marsh’s drawings depict chorus girls, clowns, theater goers and strippers. Burlesque was “the theater of the common man; it expressed the humor, and fantasies of the poor, the old, and the ill-favored.” Marsh continued his burlesque sketches during his trip to Paris in 1925. In 1930 Marsh was well off; he was successful in his career and had inherited a portion of his grandfather’s money. Nonetheless, the lower class members of society were his preferred subject matter, as he contended that “well bred people are no fun to paint”.

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|Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary| 3:1-10 To expect unchanging happiness in a changing world, must end in disappointment. To bring ourselves to our state in life, is our duty and wisdom in this world. God's whole plan for the government of the world will be found altogether wise, just, and good. Then let us seize the favourable opportunity for every good purpose and work. The time to die is fast approaching. Thus labour and sorrow fill the world. This is given us, that we may always have something to do; none were sent into the world to be idle. Verse 8. - A time to love, and a time to hate. This reminds one of the gloss to which our Lord refers (Matthew 5:43), "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy," the first member being found in the old Law (Leviticus 19:18), the second being a misconception of the spirit which made Israel God's executioner upon the condemned nations. It was the maxim of Bias, quoted by Aristotle, 'Rhet.,' 2:13, that we should love as if about some day to hate, and hate as if about to love. And Philo imparts a still more selfish tone to the gnome, when he pronounces ('De Carit.,' 21, p. 401, Mang.), "It was well said by them of old, that we ought to deal out friendship without absolutely renouncing enmity, and practice enmity as possibly to turn to friendship. A time of war, and a time of peace. In the previous couplets the infinitive mood of the verb has been used; in this last hemistich substantives are introduced, as being more concise and better fitted to emphasize the close of the catalogue. The first clause referred specially to the private feelings which one is constrained to entertain towards individuals. The second clause has to do with national concerns, and touches on the statesmanship which discovers the necessity or the opportuneness of war and peace, and acts accordingly. In this and in all the other examples adduced, the lesson intended is this - that man is not independent; that under all circumstances and relations he is in the hand of a power mightier than himself, which frames time and seasons according to its own good pleasure. God holds the threads of human life; in some mysterious way directs and controls events; success and failure are dependent upon his will. There are certain laws which, regulate the issues of actions and events, and man cannot alter these; his free-will can put them in motion, but they become irresistible when in operation. This is not fatalism; it is the mere statement of a fact in experience. Koheleth never denies man's liberty, though he is very earnest in asserting God's sovereignty. The reconciliation of the two is a problem unsolved by him. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible A time to love, and a time to hate,.... For one to love his friend, and to hate a man, a sinner, as the Targum; to love a friend while he continues such, and hate him, or less love him, when he proves treacherous and unfaithful; an instance of a change of love into hatred may be seen in the case of Amnon, 2 Samuel 13:15. A time of unregeneracy is a time of loving worldly lusts and sinful pleasures, the company of wicked men, and all carnal delights and recreations; and a time of conversion is a time to hate what was before loved, sin, and the conversion of sinners, the garment spotted with the flesh, the principles and practices, though not the persons, of ungodly men; and even to hate, that is, less love, the dearest friends and relations, in comparison of, or when in competition with, Christ; a time of war, and a time of peace; for nations to be engaged in war with each other, or to be at peace, which are continually revolving; and there is a time when there will be no more war. In a spiritual sense, the present time, or state of things, is a time of war; the Christian's life is a warfare state, though it will be soon accomplished, in which he is engaging in fighting with spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world: the time to come, or future state, is a time of peace, when saints shall enter into peace, and be no more disturbed by enemies from within or from without. In the Midrash, all the above times and seasons are interpreted of Israel, and applied to them. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 8. hate—for example, sin, lusts (Lu 14:26); that is, to love God so much more as to seem in comparison to hate "father or mother," when coming between us and God. a time of war … peace—(Lu 14:31). Ecclesiastes 3:8 Parallel Commentaries Ecclesiastes 3:8 NIV Ecclesiastes 3:8 NLT Ecclesiastes 3:8 ESV Ecclesiastes 3:8 NASB Ecclesiastes 3:8 KJV Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible

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Infographics have become a common means of presenting information to people in an easy-to-understand visual format. But this ubiquity doesn’t mean that an infographic always means what a viewer might presume it to mean at first glance. Consider the following map of the United States. Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released this, and a number of other maps, showing what the summer climate has been doing recently. Unsurprisingly, the media quickly picked up on the dramatic story. During an interview with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Kai Ryssdal, senior editor of public radio’s Marketplace program, made the following observation, “This has been, as you know, the hottest summer on record in a lot places in this country.” On NPR’s news blog, “The Two-Way,” their piece on the heat starts out with “The all-red map tells the story.” But does it? If you look at the same data on the regional map, you see plenty of the nation sweated through a warmer than normal July. But the heat wasn’t record-setting in any single given region. The “118” that shows up on the national map is nowhere to be found on the regional one. The statewide map is different again. We can see even more of the variation in the average temperature for July. And we see that across Virginia, it was hot – the “118” re-appears, although not so hot as to push the entire southeast region of the NOAA map into the red. In fact the mountain west seems to have a higher average temperature. We can also see that the “Near Normal” and “Above Normal” temperatures dominate states in New England, the Gulf Coast, the Southwest and the West Coast. People in these areas may have been surprised to learn that the summer had thus far been unusually warm. And when you boil the data all the way down to the divisional level, the red spreads out to scattered parts of the country, but we learn that parts of Washington (like the Puget Sound area), Oregon, California, Texas and Louisiana had below normal average temperatures during July. (Don’t worry; we got ours over the first few weeks of this month.) The contiguous states are divided into a total of 344 divisions. In all, 17 of these divisions, spread out over 12 of the 48 states, experienced record high average temperatures last month. While that means that a lot of people were looking for ways to stay cool, especially when you consider that Chicagoland is in one of the record-setting districts, many parts of the country, while warmer than normal, avoided pushing into new territory. The culprit is, of course, averaging. Both spatially and temporally. As an example, I’ve created a simple chart that measures a fictitious “Salamander Index” over a span of 15 years. The area being measured is divided into five separate regions – and the orange line on the chart represents the average value of all of the regions for that point in time. By year 15, the average is at record levels, yet, as you can see, only the East Region is in record territory; all of the other regions had scored higher on the index than that in the past – in some cases significantly so. In fact, although it isn’t immediately evident from the chart, the South Region (the violet line), which spends much of its time above the overall average, is at slightly below its average level, as across all 15 years, the South Region scores an average of about 31.8. So it’s important to remember that while infographics, especially simple ones, make data easily digestible, they don’t always provide as accurate a picture as it might seem at first glance. (Thanks to Aaron for the guest post!) Denali, in an evaluation version, has been out for a little while now. I even have a copy on my computer and I’m working one of our analysts to learn the ins and outs- fun stuff! According to Microsoft, though, the official release will hit shelves April 1st. I’m not quite sure why Microsoft chose to release Denali on a day that’s well known for Google hi-jinx (Google Paper anyone?) but I’m sure they have their reasons. Happy Holidays from Piraeus! We had a busy holiday season here, but not too busy that we forgot how to have fun We hosted a Mad Men themed potluck, complete with cocktails. It was great to see everyone dressed to the nines. Thanks for playing along! Here at Piraeus we aren’t starting to deck the halls before Thanksgiving, but a co-worker did send this interesting tree-related infographic my way and I thought I’d share it. Just last night I had a rather lengthy conversation about the old-growth trees along the Olympic Peninsula. According to the Peninsula Daily News (from 2/2011), the Olympic National Park sees around 3,000,000 visitors annually, though there’s debate about the traffic counter’s accuracy. Are you one of the 3 million? I wonder if anyone has tried to see all of these old trees. I suspect there’s a dendrologist somewhere with it on their bucket-list Happy Halloween from the Piraeus Data crew There were more costumes too, and some brilliant karaoke by even our newest crew members. Fun was had by all! It’s on like Donkey Kong! I know, I know, old news. This happened in Paris already. But you know what? Post-it wars are fun. I saw an angry bird up in the window across the street and then noticed the space invader a few floors up and Pac Man a few doors over. We just had to join in. Turns out it looks like the folks over at Health Solutions Network started with Pac Man and Runic Games did the space invaders. PlacePlay followed suit, setting off the folks across from us, and now there’s a smile face above them. I hope this keeps going. Thanks GeekWire, for getting this rolling with your article here with original Pine Street Space Invader attack . Most people I know have a wordpress or blogger site at this point. My family even has one going that includes emergency contacts, updates on health and new family photos from weekend excursions to keep those of us away from the East Coast in the loop. The templates are easy to use and you don’t have to be a programmer to add a slide show or link back to an article. Remember an earlier day, one that included GeoCities? I have to say I’d completely forgotten about GeoCities, but then I stumbled across this visualization this morning, via Mashable. I like the idea of “The Deleted City” being an enormous virtual city that never really existed, but sort of did. (Video via Mashable) I remember the Math Olympiad and the Science Olympiad in high school, but for some reason I never thought of the practice continuing out of the classroom. Since school is supposed to prepare you for the real-world, I don’t know why I was surprised to come across this project from Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to the Business Intelligence Olympiad! Every two years, starting in 2008, the city of Charlotte pits business unit teams from different city departments against each other to address a fictional problem with analytics and data sets. I’m sure the competition leads to plenty of laughter and good-hearted competition, but according to the article I read, it’s also created an environment where “a lot of information that previously had not be [sic] shared is now shared regularly between BI analysts throughout the city.” The competition in 2010 included a fictitious hurricane that bore a striking resemblance to Irene. “The underlying benefit was with Hurricane Irene coming up the coast almost on the same track as the theoretical Hurricane Vixen from December, teams were more used to looking at contingencies and how they affected portions of their business,” [manager of data administration for the city of Charlotte] Raper said. As far as I know there isn’t something comparable in Seattle, but maybe there should be. Is it time for a BI Olympiad with data from the viaduct? For more about Charlotte’s Olympiad, see the original article from govtech.com here. The teams here at Piraeus put in a lot of hard work, so it’s nice that we can also hang out together. We had our summer picnic on Friday and our fearless office manager managed to pick just about the nicest day all summer. The food was great, we had balloons and music, a little bit of ladder golf and a little bit of swimming. Most importantly, some really great people! Oh yeah, and water balloons. I forgot how much fun water balloons are! I’ll update the slideshow as I get more photos.

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Question: Why should all medicine be available over the counter? Jacob Appel: Well it’s interesting you ask that because historically in the United States, all medicine was available over the counter without a prescription. It’s interesting to note one of the first “medications” that you needed a prescription for in the United States was beer. Because beer was prescribed at Prohibition and doctors would prescribe beer for various ailments, for small pox, for rabies, for measles. I should add, not effectively. This is not a good remedy. And from that, from the interest in protecting the rights of doctors, over time, the prescription right of doctors, which is really what it’s about. The theory is we should protect from themselves. People don’t know the consequences of the medication. The reality is, in the world of the internet, in the world of the educated consumer, most people go to the doctor and say, “This is what I want medically, and there are enough doctors out there that honor this request anyway. That the harm of not letting some people buy medication over the counter and forcing them to have a doctor’s appointment with the added cost will keep certain people from getting the medical care they need. Which in my opinion is far greater a risk than the small number of people who might not be educated enough or informed themselves enough to use medicine in a dangerous way. I think it’s important to keep in mind there are many people out there, and I see them every day who really do need medication. Medical medication, psychiatric medication, who know they need it, who don’t get it because they haven’t been able to get to a doctor, or can’t afford a doctor, or have time to see a doctor to get the prescription.

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Random acts of kindness go a long way toward putting a smile on someone’s face and reshaping a not-so-great day into a special memory that impacts not just the recipient but everyone that person comes in contact with that day. Next week, imagine how many people you can touch by taking a moment to thank a nurse for a job well-done. First, you will bring a smile to the nurse. Then, the nurse will unknowingly share that smile with patients and colleagues throughout the day and those people will pass the gesture along to the people they interact with. In a busy clinic or hospital, your simple “thank you” to a nurse will touch hundreds of people. We celebrate National Nurse’s Week in early May to coincide with Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Just as Nightingale tirelessly cared for soldiers during the Crimean War (1853-1856), our nurses care for all types of patients—some are very sick and others are generally healthy. Make plans to surprise a nurse with a random act of kindness during Nurse’s Week and know that your thoughtful expression will not only make the nurse’s day, but you will share kindness with many people who may need a boost. You will never know it, but your actions may help a patient overcome a frightening diagnosis or help a young family cope with grief. What a terrific way to say thank you and honor our nurses! Sylvia T. Brown, EdD, RN, CNE Dean & Professor ECU College of Nursing

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/23/2012) —Approximately 70 percent of the seed soybeans planted this year in Minnesota will be treated with fungicides. This is a dramatic change from 10 years ago when most farmers planted untreated soybeans. This change requires increased care to keep seed soybeans separate from harvested soybeans headed to market. Federal law provides a zero tolerance for treated soybeans at market. That means that a single treated seed can contaminate a truck, bin or silo. Your elevator can hold you legally responsible for the contamination because of a problem that started with one treated soybean. University of Minnesota Extension recommends that growers take these steps to avoid mistakes that can take place during the rush of planting: - Make sure nobody on your farm dumps leftover soybean seed into a storage bin. - Do not use the same equipment to transport treated seed and soybeans sold for grain. - Clean all equipment that comes in contact with treated seed. - Manage treated seed before and after planting to reduce the potential for problems. - Buy only the seed you need to minimize dealing with leftover treated soybeans. - Work with your seed supplier to develop a plan to dispose of any leftover treated seed. In addition to avoiding costly penalties because of soybean contamination, handling treated soybeans with care is the right thing to do. Fungicides have a place in seed beds, but not on a dinner plate, which is why it's important to keep treated seed soybeans separate from your soybean harvest. Take time this spring to pay attention to farm safety, both your personal safety and the safety of the crops that you grow. For more information for soybean growers, visit www.extension.umn.edu/soybean. Any use of this article must include the byline or following credit line: Seth Naeve is a soybean agronomist with University of Minnesota Extension. Media Contact: Catherine Dehdashti, U of M Extension, (612) 625-0237, firstname.lastname@example.org

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Consider the following in Haskell: let p x = x ++ show x in putStrLn $ p"let p x = x ++ show x in putStrLn $ p" Evaluate this expression in an interactive Haskell session and it prints itself out. But there's a nice little cheat that made this easy: the Haskell 'show' function conveniently wraps a string in quotation marks. So we simply have two copies of once piece of code: one without quotes followed by one in quotes. In C, on the other hand, there is a bit of a gotcha. You need to explicitly write code to print those extra quotation marks. And of course, just like in Haskell, this code needs to appear twice, once out of quotes and once in. But the version in quotes needs the quotation marks to be 'escaped' using backslash so it's notactually the same as the first version. And that means we can't use exactly the same method as with Haskell. The standard workaround is not to represent the quotation marks directly in the strings, but instead to use the ASCII code for this character and use C's convenient %c mechanism to print at. For example: Again we were lucky, C provides this great %c mechanism. What do you need in a language to be sure you can write a self-replicator? It turns out there is a very general approach to writing self-replicators that's described in Vicious Circles. What follows is essentially from there except that I've simplified the proofs by reducing generality. We'll use capital letters to represent programs. Typically these mean 'inert' strings of characters. I'll use square brackets to indicate the function that the program evaluates. So if P is a program to compute the mathematical function p, we write [P](x) = p(x). P is a program and [P] is a function. We'll consider both programs that take arguments like the P I just mentioned, and also programs, R, that take no arguments, so [R] is simply the output or return value of the program R. Now we come to an important operation. We've defined [P](x) to be the result of running P with input x. Now we define P(x) to be the program P modified so that it no longer takes an argument or input but instead substitutes the 'hard-coded' value of x instead. In other words [P(x)] = [P](x). P(x) is, of course, another program. There are also many ways of implementing P(x). We could simply evaluate [P](x) and write a program to simply print this out or return it. On the other hand, we could do the absolute minimum and write a new piece of code that simply calls P and supplies it with a hard-coded argument. Whatever we choose is irrelevant to the following discussion. So here's the demand that we make of our programming language: that it's powerful enough for us to write a program that can compute P(x) from inputs P and x. This might not be a trivial program to write, but it's not conceptually hard either. It doesn't have gotchas like the quotation mark issue above. Typically we can compute P(x) by some kind of textual substitution on P. With that assumption in mind, here's a theorem: any program P that takes one argument or input has a fixed point, X, in the sense that running P with input X gives the same result as just running X. Given an input X, P acts just like an interpreter for the programming language as it outputs the same thing as an interpreter would given input X. So here's a proof: Define the function f(Q) = [P](Q(Q)). We've assumed that we can write a program that computes P(x) from P and x so we know we can write a program to compute Q(Q) for any Q. We can then feed this as an input to [P]. So f is obviously computable by some program which we call Q0. So [Q0](Q) = [P](Q(Q)). Now the fun starts: [P](Q0(Q0)) = [Q0](Q0) (by definition of Q0) = [Q0(Q0)] (by definition of P(x)) In other words Q0(Q0) is our fixed point. So now take P to compute the identity function. Then [Q0(Q0)] = [P](Q0(Q0)) = Q0(Q0). So Q0(Q0) outputs itself when run! What's more, this also tells us how to do other fun stuff like write a program to print itself out backwards. And it tells us how to do this in any reasonably powerful programming language. We don't need to worry about having to work around problems like 'escaping' quotation marks - we can always find a way to replicate the escape mechanism too. So does it work in practice? Well it does for Haskell - I derived the Haskell fragment above by applying this theorem directly, and then simplifying a bit. For C++, however, it might give you a piece of code that is longer than you want. In fact, you can go one step further and write a program that automatically generates a self-replicator. Check out Samuel Moelius's kpp. It is a preprocessor that converts an ordinary C++ program into one that can access its own source code by including the code to generate its own source within it. Another example of an application of these methods is Futamura's theorem which states that there exists a program that can take as input an interpreter for a language and output a compiler. I personally think this is a little bogus.

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