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used in battle, by the 1700s, a new kind of pipe appeared in Ireland—the Uilleann Pipe (“pipes of the elbow”). An ancestor of the Pastoral Pipes, the Uilleann Pipe is smaller; its bellow is filled with air by pumping the |
elbow rather than blowing with the mouth; it can produce many notes thanks to its two-octave range; it is quieter and sweeter sounding than its warrior kin; and it is played sitting down. Its dulcet tones make it a lovely |
ensemble instrument and so it can be heard quite a lot in traditional Irish music. Perhaps the best known Uilleann piper of today is Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains, who performed to a sold-out crowd last month in Santa Barbara. |
Although the Uilleann pipe is the national pipe of Ireland, its makeup doesn’t lend itself to leading the charge — or parades. Therefore, it is the Great Irish Warpipes or generally the more common Scottish bagpipe that folks see and |
Everybody has heard the rumor: alcohol kills brain cells (just the weak ones, joked a comedian). And if the rumor were true, surely the effect would show up after decades of drinking. With the same large group of twins that |
they are using in the Duke Alzheimer's disease study (see article), Joe Christian and his colleagues recently studied the connection between long-term alcohol intake and cognitive functioning in aging men. They divided the twins up into nondrinkers, past drinkers (those |
who had quit drinking), and five categories of social drinkers, from light to heavy. It turns out that moderate drinkers (eight to sixteen drinks per week) scored higher on a test of mental acuity than everyone else. What's more, if |
one of a pair of identical twins was a moderate drinker and the other a light drinker, the moderately drinking twin scored higher. "No evidence was found," writes Christian, "for negative effects on cognitive function related to the consumption of |
moderate amounts of alcohol." This is not to downplay the risks of heavy drinking, Christian warned. Subjects in his study who drank more than sixteen drinks per week scored significantly lower than moderate drinkers. What's more, the other physical problems |
associated with heavy drinking--cirrhosis, high blood pressure, and strokes--are well known. Still, this study should reassure the millions of moderate drinkers in America that an occasional cold beer will not impair their ability to think as they grow older. See |
The water runs low at Lake Harbor park in Norton Shores, Mich. Lake Michigan's water levels set record lows in January. / Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press NEW BUFFALO, Mich. - This town has 1,884 residents and almost 1,000 |
boat slips filled by summer visitors, so low water levels in Lake Michigan threaten its economic stability and its identity as "the heart of harbor country." No wonder Jim Oselka, who runs Oselka Marina, a family business founded here in |
1957,says, "Every time I see it raining, I'm like 'Yes!' " The water lapping against the marina's 150 boat slips is 15 inches lower than it was a year ago, forcing Oselka to consider dredging for the first time since |
the 1960s. He has to have enough clearance to accommodate sailboats with 5-foot keels. "I'm anticipating a good season. And I'm hoping and praying that water levels have hit their low, and they're going to go back the other way," |
Oselka says. That wish is shared by communities and businesses all along the coasts of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, which set record lows in January and are expected to stay 2 feet below long-term averages at least through August. |
Blame the extended drought and hot weather that speeds evaporation, says Keith Kompoltowicz, chief of watershed hydrology for the Army Corps of Engineers' Detroit district. The mean water level in January was 576.02 feet above sea level, he says, breaking |
the previous record of 576.05 in March 1964. The corps started keeping records in 1918. Declining lake levels are causing problems across the region, says Chuck May of the Great Lakes Small Harbors Coalition, which represents small harbors authorized and |
maintained by the federal government. Michigan has 56 of the 112 Great Lakes small harbors. "It gives me chills just to think about what will happen if we don't do something about it," he says. "Harbor after harbor is in |
danger of shutting down this summer." Inaccessible harbors mean trouble for marinas, restaurants, resorts and almost every other business in waterfront towns, May says, and commercial shippers must lighten their loads, increasing costs for their customers and consumers. A lack |
of Army Corps of Engineers funding means communities must rely on state and local money for dredging, he says. The organization supports pending federal legislation that would require the corps to spend the $1.5 billion raised annually through harbor maintenance |
taxes on harbors; much of the money now goes into the treasury. The problem extends beyond lakes Michigan and Huron. Mike Waterhouse, sportfishing coordinator for Orleans County Tourism in New York state, says its Lake Ontario harbor has less than |
half its usual 8-foot depth and there's little chance of dredging this year. That endangers the area's 33 charter boats and a fishing fleet that contributes $7 million annually to the local economy, he says. "Last year we had 12 |
reported incidents of boats either going aground coming into our harbor or doing damage to their drive structures," he says, "and that was just the reported incidents. Something has to be done." New Buffalo used to get federal funds for |
dredging its harbor, but this year's project - which could cost more than $1 million - is being paid for by state money, a city emergency dredging fund, local businesses and the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, which operates the |
Four Winds Casino here. The city is seeking bids now for dredging the waterway from the city boat launch through a channel by April 30, says Ryan Fellows, assistant to the city manager. The Michigan Legislature is considering bills that |
would cut costs for dredging permit fees and allocate $21 million for emergency dredging of 49 public harbors. Fellows says dredging alone won't fix New Buffalo's problems: In a few years, dredging could expose the bottom of the seawall, allowing |
water to flow beneath it. New Buffalo harbor master Robin Abshire says this spring's dredging is essential. Sailboats with 5-foot keels would be unable to access the city marina now. Some slips were unusable last fall because low water left |
a stretch of lake bottom exposed, she says, and some vehicles were damaged by a gap between the city boat launch and the water. Abshire says a long-term plan to keep harbors open and the money to pay for maintenance |
are essential. The harbor generates $7.7 million in annual revenue for the area and supports 130 jobs that produce $2.5 million in labor income every year. "If this harbor were closed," she says, "New Buffalo would be a ghost town." |
Oselka, who has 12 full-time employees and hires more workers in the summer, is rooting for state legislation that would give private marina owners low-interest loans for dredging, and he's grateful New Buffalo's harbor will be dredged. "We're in better |
|Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) affects as many as 1 million Americans and 10 million worldwide. Yet, it is just beginning to receive widespread attention. When a defect in the immune system is carried through the genes, it is called a Primary Immunodeficiency. More than 150 Primary Immunodeficiency diseases have been i... |
are characterized by infections that can often be recurring, persistent, debilitating, and chronic. Everyone should know the following vital facts about PI: The result of research in this area of immunology is that our progress is quickly yielding positive benefits for victims of cancer, AIDS, asthma, autoimmunity and ... |
can go undetected because they do not have unique symptoms of their own. Rather, they appear as "ordinary" infections, often of the sinuses, ears, or lungs. They can also cause gastrointestinal problems or inflammation of the joints. Families and doctors are often unaware that the troubling conditions they are dealing ... |
system. - The infections can be chronic. This means they keep coming back, sometimes frequently, and can be severe. They tend to require prolonged recovery, and the patient may respond poorly to a conventional course of antibiotics. - The diseases can strike males and females of all ages, though they frequently present... |
diseases are detected most frequently in children. - Early diagnosis and treatment of Primary Immunodeficiency disease is essential to preventing the infections from causing permanent damage. - Research in Primary Immunodeficiency is central to progress in immunology. As medical science further illuminates the complexi... |
The problems presented by genetic immunodeficiency disease have challenged researchers and immunologists to reach improved diagnoses, treatments, and innovative new therapies. Promising results are being reported for immunodeficient patients using intravenous gamma globulin, bone marrow transplantation, enzyme replacem... |
of the 10 Warning Signs and the first step in diagnosing a Primary Immunodeficiency disease is a good evaluation. An immune system specialist (immunologist) can help with diagnosis and treatment. If you need help finding an immunologist, the Find an Expert section of this website can help you locate a physician or medi... |
immune system may include: At the time of the evaluation, your doctor will ask questions about your health. Frequent or unusual infections, prolonged diarrhea, and poor childhood growth are some symptoms of a possible Primary Immunodeficiency. Because some Primary Immunodeficiencies run in families, you may also be ask... |
- Blood tests - Vaccines to test the immune response If a Primary Immunodeficiency is suspected, a series of blood tests and vaccines may be required. Blood tests will show if any part of the immune system is missing or not working properly. Vaccines may be given to test the immune system's response, i.e. its ability t... |
the 4 Stages of Immunologic Testing for more on this process. How is PI treated? There are a variety of treatment choices for immunodeficient patients. At a minimum, the recurring infections can be treated with antibiotics. These can help prevent damage caused by chronic illness, improving a patient's chances for long-... |
treatment intervention is antibody replacement therapy, often referred to as IVIG therapy. IVIG works by replacing the antibodies that the body cannot make on its own. IVIG is now an accepted treatment protocol for a range of Primary Immunodeficiency diseases. Individuals can learn more about antibody replacement thera... |
and Octapharma. In other cases, bone marrow transplants, gene therapy, or other alternative treatments may be appropriate. What are the goals of treatment? Doctors believe people with a Primary Immunodeficiency can lead active and full lives. A guiding objective of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation is to help people with P... |
on PI - Participating in work, school, family, and social activities; - Decreasing the number and severity of infections; - Having few, if any, side effects from medications and other treatments; - Feeling good about themselves and their treatment program. If you have been diagnosed with a PI disease, learn more about ... |
Awareness Campaign and view or download posters, brochures, videos and other educational information on PI. Kids can visit our Kids Korner to learn more about PI. Still have questions? Visit our FAQ section for valuable answers to your most frequently asked questions about PI, or get more information about Specific Def... |
Republic of Panama The southernmost of the Central American nations, Panama is south of Costa Rica and north of Colombia. The Panama Canal bisects the isthmus at its narrowest and |
lowest point, allowing passage from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Panama is slightly smaller than South Carolina. It is marked by a chain of mountains in the west, |
moderate hills in the interior, and a low range on the east coast. There are extensive forests in the fertile Caribbean area. Explored by Columbus in 1502 and by Balboa |
in 1513, Panama was the principal shipping point to and from South and Central America in colonial days. In 1821, when Central America revolted against Spain, Panama joined Colombia, which |
had already declared its independence. For the next 82 years, Panama attempted unsuccessfully to break away from Colombia. Between 1850 and 1900 Panama had 40 administrations, 50 riots, 5 attempted |
secessions, and 13 U.S. interventions. After a U.S. proposal for canal rights over the narrow isthmus was rejected by Colombia, Panama proclaimed its independence with U.S. backing in 1903. For |
canal rights in perpetuity, the U.S. paid Panama $10 million and agreed to pay $250,000 each year, which was increased to $430,000 in 1933 and to $1,930,000 in 1955. In |
exchange, the U.S. got the Canal Zone—a 10-mile-wide strip across the isthmus—and considerable influence in Panama's affairs. On Sept. 7, 1977, Gen. Omar Torrijos Herrera and President Jimmy Carter signed |
treaties giving Panama gradual control of the canal, phasing out U.S. military bases, and guaranteeing the canal's neutrality. Nicolas Ardito Barletta, Panama's first directly elected president in 16 years, was |
inaugurated on Oct. 11, 1984, for a five-year term. He was a puppet of strongman Gen. Manuel Noriega, a former CIA operative and head of the secret police. Noriega replaced |
Barletta with vice president Eric Arturo Delvalle a year later. In 1988, Noriega was indicted in the U.S. for drug trafficking, but when Delvalle attempted to fire him, Noriega forced |
the national assembly to replace Delvalle with Manuel Solis Palma. In Dec. 1989, the assembly named Noriega “maximum leader” and declared the U.S. and Panama to be in a state |
of war. In Dec. 1989, 24,000 U.S. troops seized control of Panama City in an attempt to capture Noriega after a U.S. soldier was killed in Panama. On Jan. 3, |
1990, Noriega surrendered himself to U.S. custody and was transported to Miami, where he was later convicted of drug trafficking. Guillermo Endara, who probably would have won an election suppressed |
earlier by Noriega, was installed as president. On Dec. 31, 1999, the U.S. formally handed over control of the Panama Canal to Panama. Meanwhile, Colombian rebels and paramilitary forces have |
made periodic incursions into Panamanian territory, raising security concerns. Panama has also faced increased drug and arms smuggling. In May 2004 presidential elections, Martín Torrijos Herrera, the son of former |
dictator Omar Torrijos, won 47.5% of the vote. He took office in September. Panamanians approved a plan to expand the Panama Canal in 2006. It will likely double the canal's |
capacity and is expected to be completed by2015. Defying the current Latin American trend for left-leaning governments, Panama elected millionaire businessman Ricardo Martinelli as its president on May 3, 2009. |
After a period of rapid economic growth, Panama had succumbed to the global recession. Trading on his personal record of success—and utilizing his fortune to get his message out—Martinelli promised |
Capital: Honolulu (on Oahu) State abbreviation/Postal code: Hawaii/HI Governor: Neil Abercrombie, D (to Dec. 2014) Lieut. Governor: Shan Tsutsui (to Dec. 2014) Senators: Mazie Hirono (D) (to Jan. 2019); Brian |
Schatz, D (to Dec. 2014) U.S. Representatives: 2 Historical biographies of Congressional members Atty. General: David M. Louie, D (appt'd. by gov.) Organized as territory: 1900 Entered Union (rank): Aug. |
(Hawaiian goose) (1957)| |tree||kukui (candlenut) (1959)| Nickname: Aloha State (1959) Origin of name: Uncertain. The islands may have been named by Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. Or they may have |
been named after Hawaii or Hawaiki, the traditional home of the Polynesians. 10 largest cities1 (2010): Honolulu, 387,170; Pearl City, 47,698; Hilo, 43,263; Kailua, 38,635; Waipahu, 38,216; Kaneohe, 34,597; Mililani |
Town, 27,629; Kahului, 26,337; Kihei, 20,881; Wahiawa, 17,821. Land area: 6,423 sq mi. (16,637 sq km) Geographic center: Between islands of Hawaii and Maui Number of counties: 5 (Kalawao non-functioning) |
Largest county by population and area: Honolulu, 953,207 (2010); Hawaii, 4,028 sq mi. State forests: 19 natural area reserves (over 109,000 ac.) State park: 52 (25,000 ac.) Residents: Hawaiian, also |
kamaaina (native-born nonethnic Hawaiian), malihini (newcomer) 2010 resident population: 1,360,301 2010 resident census population (rank): 1,360,301 (40). Male: 681,243 (50.1%); Female: 679,058 (49.9%). White: 336,599 (24.7%); Black: 21,424 (1.6%); American |
and over: 1,056,483; 65 and over: 195,138 (14.3%); median age: 38.6. See additional census data 1. Census Designated Places. First settled by Polynesians sailing from other Pacific islands between A.D. |
300 and 600, Hawaii was visited in 1778 by British captain James Cook, who called the group the Sandwich Islands. Hawaii was a native kingdom throughout most of the 19th |
century, when the expansion of the sugar industry (pineapple came after 1898) meant increasing U.S. business and political involvement. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was deposed, and a year later the |
Republic of Hawaii was established with Sanford B. Dole as president. Following annexation (1898), Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900. The Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl |
Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, was directly responsible for U.S. entry into World War II. Hawaii, 2,397 mi west-southwest of San Francisco, is a 1,523-mile chain of islets and eight |
main islands—Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, other than Midway, are administratively part of Hawaii. The temperature is mild, and cane sugar, pineapple, |
and flowers and nursery products are the chief products. Hawaii also grows coffee beans, bananas, and macadamia nuts. The tourist business is Hawaii's largest source of outside income. Hawaii's highest |
peak is Mauna Kea (13,796 ft). Mauna Loa (13,679 ft) is the largest volcanic mountain in the world by volume. Among the major points of interest are Hawaii Volcanoes National |
Park (Hawaii), Haleakala National Park (Maui), Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (Hawaii), Polynesian Cultural Center (Oahu), the USS Arizona and USS Missouri Memorial at Pearl Harbor, The National Memorial |
Cemetery of the Pacific (Oahu), and Iolani Palace (the only royal palace in the U.S.), Bishop Museum, and Waikiki Beach (all in Honolulu). Hawaii-born Barack Obama was elected president of |
the United States. See more on Hawaii: Monthly Temperature Extremes All U.S. States: Geography & Climate Printable Outline Maps Record Highest Temperatures Record Lowest Temperatures Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations |
Land and Water Area All U.S. States: Population & Economy Historical Population Statistics, 1790–Present Per Capita Personal Income Minimum Wage Rates Federal Government Expenditure Percent of People in Poverty Births |
and Birth Rates Percentage of Uninsured by State All U.S. States: Society & Culture: Most Livable States Most Dangerous States Residency Requirements for Voting Compulsory School Attendance Laws National Public |
Radio Stations Information Please® Database, © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. More on Hawaii from Infoplease: - Alaska-Hawaii time: meaning and definitions - Alaska-Hawaii time: Definition and Pronunciation |
- University of Hawaii - Hawaii, University of Hawaii, University of, at Honolulu (Manoa Campus), Hilo, and Pearl City (West ... - Hawaii, island, United States - Hawaii Hawaii, island |
(1990 pop. 120,217), 4,037 sq mi (10,456 sq km), largest and southernmost ... - Hawaii: Temperature Extremes - Hawaii: Temperature Extremes Month Maximum °F Year Place Minimum °F Year Place |
Imagineyou’re at the helm of a 747 commercial airliner, cruising over the Rocky Mountains. Alone in the cockpit, you’re on your third cup of coffee, having long since resorted to taping your eyelids open to keep from falling asleep. You’re exhausted. Above your head, one of the vast constellation of |
instruments surrounding you begins to flash rhythmically. Looks kind of serious, doesn’t it? You try to slap yourself awake and think, think! Maybe that light knows something you don’t. Maybe those other silent instruments should be registering distress. Is there a dead fuse somewhere? Are we all going to die? |
In a panic, you bank hard left and smash into the mountains. This may be how the brain tends to malfunction when it hasn’t gotten enough sleep — it freaks out over the unimportant details. We believe this now because of research conducted by the team of Hans Van Dongen |
at Washington State University Spokane over the last three years — the results of which were published earlier this year. Granted, Van Dongen, the principal investigator in the study, wasn’t researching pilots, specifically. (And, yes, the FAA takes precautions to keep drowsy pilots away from the yoke — if not |
away from their laptops). But the work that Van Dongen and his crew of researchers and students conducted has overturned the common wisdom about sleeplessness — the old thinking that it impaired the brain’s ability to make decisions based on input, to strategize, to execute. The study introduced groups of |
four nominally paid volunteers at a time to the university’s sleep lab — an apartment-like space with couches and food and beds, but no natural light, television or Internet. Each volunteer was hooked up to a battery of electrodes that monitor brain waves and other vital signs. Then they were |
tucked into bed for the first two nights. Following the second night, they were kept awake for the next 62 hours. Throughout this time, the four volunteers were tested for various cognitive functions. In one task, subjects had to decode numbers and letters. Another was something like Scattergories, in which |
subjects had to name, for example, as many animals that begin with “b” as possible. A third tested their scanning working memory by having them memorize a series of letters and then asking if certain other letters were in that original series. What they found was surprising. While the sleepless |
subjects did lousy on most of the tasks, they did just as well on the executive function, or decision-making, aspects of the tasks when they were sleepy as they did when they first showed up to the lab. “Sleep deprivation did nothing to slow you down,” says Van Dongen. “That |
came as a complete surprise. Our prediction, based on the knowledge of the field, was that it would be affected. It turned out completely the opposite.” These results should shake up the sleep research community. But they also pose another question: Why, if our decision-making abilities are so intact when |
the information needed to make a decision. Information that’s relevant to the decision may not get as much attention as data that are merely salient — in other words, the brain focuses more on the louder info than the correct info. That brings us back to our cockpit. Our drowsy |
pilot made a bad decision because he mistakenly perceived that big flashing light to be a really big deal, when in fact it was merely alerting him that it was time for the in-flight movie to begin. Clearly, that big screaming signal was more salient than relevant to the decisions |
needed to fly the plane. So what if, given our new understanding of the brain, we re-design the cockpit? Less important things get little tiny light indicators. Big game-changing information (altitude, airspeed, cabin pressure) gets a big display. Now the important things are both salient and relevant. That could take |
a huge load off the weary mind of our drooping pilot. Or, for that matter, anybody who runs long shifts with heavy responsibilities. “We know what that’s like,” Van Dongen says. “All the people who work here are really busy. Twenty-four-hour operations add to the complexity.” Asked what he does |
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