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role in species protection could be changed from a coercive role to an advisory one, thereby fostering cooperation rather than confrontation. Government could offer information resources to encourage and assist landowners with their own - Cash for Species Protection: Cash payments could be provided to landowners for th... |
private property rights in the process. The large increases in federal ESA funding needed to make these payments could be paid for with profits generated from publicly-held natural resources. - Privatization: Greater "pride of ownership" -- and thus environmental stewardship -- could be fostered by giving individuals g... |
selling off some surplus federal land). - Rewards for Responsibility and Innovation on Public Lands: Efforts to preserve species on public lands could be enhanced by rewarding those who improve habitat with such incentives as favorable lease terms. - Conservation through Commerce: Private breeding of endangered and thr... |
for-profit wildlife and hunting reserves and captive breeding programs in recent decades has led to the recovery of such species as alligators in Florida, Bighorn sheep in Wyoming and elephants in five African countries. Recommendations developed based on information from David Ridenour of The National Center for Publi... |
A Major Depressive Episode (MDE) is defined as a period of at least 2 weeks when a person experiences a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, plus at least four additional symptoms of depression (such as problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, and feelings of self-worth) (Ameri... |
reported having had an MDE in their lifetime, which was not measurably different from the percentage in 2006. From 2006 to 2009, the percentages of males and females who had experienced an MDE did not measurably change; nor were there differences from 2006 to 2009 among 14- to 17-year-olds and 18- to 20-year-olds. Howe... |
an MDE in their lifetime decreased from 16 to 14 percent, and the percentage among females in this age group decreased from 20 to 18 percent. In contrast, the percentage of male 14- to 17-year-olds reporting an MDE increased from 8 percent in 2006 to 10 percent in 2009. Among 14- to 25-year-olds, higher percentages of ... |
in their lifetime in each year from 2006 through 2009; in 2009, the reported incidence of lifetime MDEs was about twice as high for females as for males (19 vs. 10 percent). Differences also emerged when examining reports of lifetime MDEs by age group. The percentage of reported lifetime MDEs in 2009 for 14- to 17-year... |
18- to 20-year-olds (13 percent). In 2009, higher percentages of 14- to 17-year-olds (10 percent) reported having an MDE in the past year than did 18- to 20-year-olds and 21- to 25-year-olds (8 percent each). Across all three age groups, higher percentages of females than males reported having an MDE in the past year. ... |
This interactive diagram is based on the energy flow diagram produced by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 2009. The data are from the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE/EIA-0384(2008), June 2009). Hydro, wind, and solar electricity inputs are expressed using fossil-fuel pla... |
and the fuel utilization for combustion- and nuclear-driven systems. This enables hydro, wind, and solar to be counted on a similar basis as coal, natural gas, and oil. For this reason, the sum of the inputs for electricity differs slightly from the displayed total electricity output. Distributed electricity represents... |
of electricity production is calculated as the total retail electricity delivered divided by the primary energy input into electricity generation. End use efficiency is estimated as 80% for residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, and as 25% for the transportation sector. Totals may not equal the sum of compone... |
|WHO, UNICEF Tackle Critical Lack of 'Child Size' Medicines| Geneva - 21 January 2009 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has received a US$ 9.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to work with UNICEF to conduct crucial research in children’s medicines, with the aim of increasing |
the number of 'child size' medicines designed and formulated specifically for children. Currently, many medicines are only designed for adults. More than 50 percent of medicines prescribed for children have either not been developed specifically for children or have not been proven to be effective and safe for their us... |
Therefore many children lack access to essential treatment because no suitable paediatric dosage or formulation of the necessary medicine exists, or those that do exist are not available or are too expensive. "We must take the guess work out of medicines for children," said Carissa Etienne, Assistant Director-General, ... |
are suffering and dying from diseases we can treat, and yet we lack the critical evidence needed to deliver appropriate, effective, affordable medicines that might save them.” As an unsafe alternative to missing paediatric medicines, healthcare workers and parents often use fractions of adult dosage forms or prepare ma... |
of medicines by crushing tablets or dissolving portions of capsules in water. Other challenges include the need for more clinical trials and research to be carried out on paediatric medicines. "Some progress has been made on children's medicines but too many medicines are still given to children that have never |
been properly tested for them," said Dr Hans Hogerzeil, Director of Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies, WHO. "This work is an excellent example of coordination of United Nations agencies and key experts in the world to address this urgent problem." The grant provides support for essential research to: dete... |
optimum dosage forms for paediatric medicines (e.g. small tablets, dispersible tablets, powders); develop dosing guides (e.g. a review of existing priority medicines and the identification of the appropriate doses for new medicines for children); and develop guidelines for testing, treatment and use of medicines in chi... |
clinical trials in children. Globally, 1000 children under the age of five die every hour. Diarrhoeal diseases account for 17 percent of these deaths. The optimal treatment for diarrhoea is zinc with oral rehydration salts. Yet, in a recent study of health facilities zinc was the least available of all |
paediatric medicines. And when zinc is available, it is not licensed as a treatment to reduce diarrhoea -- leaving pharmacists to concoct doses -- and it is both unpleasant tasting and difficult to administer. To reduce child mortality in this area, easy to use, palatable and appropriate dosages are needed. |
"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant will contribute to accelerating work on investigating, clarifying and communicating to partners, including industry, what the needs of children are in terms of medicines and dosages to more effectively fight child morbidity and mortality”, Hanne Bak Pedersen, Deputy-Director U... |
is very pleased to be working with WHO on this project and appreciates the support from the Gates Foundation.” Another major cause of under-five mortality is pneumonia, leading to 17 percent of deaths each year. Effective treatment of pneumonia requires 50mg of amoxicillin per kilogram of child's weight per day |
for three to five days. An easy to use package of oral amoxicillin providing the appropriate dose would ensure the right course of medicine is taken, and thus help reduce child mortality. "Improving essential medicines for children is a critical global health issue,” added Jaime Sepulveda, Director of Integrated Health |
Solutions Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "This program will help provide effective health interventions to children and improve child survival, particularly in the world’s poorest countries. This work follows the WHO-led "make medicines child size" initiative launched in December 2007, which focuses on i... |
There is no safe amount of alcohol that mothers-to-be can drink, experts believe. Abstinence is best, say experts Even the small amount advised by the government can harm the unborn |
child, a UK conference on foetal alcohol syndrome heard this week. Dr Raja Mukherjee of St George's Medical School believes many more babies - up to one in every 100 |
- are affected than currently recognised. Many are incorrectly labelled with 'behavioural' problems, he said. Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy is known to be damaging to the unborn child, which |
is why the government sets a limit of one to two units of alcohol per week for mothers-to-be. But Dr Mukherjee told delegates at an Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Aware UK |
conference in Wigan that studies show any amount of alcohol can be damaging. He said one in every 100 babies born is damaged by their mother drinking while pregnant, but |
many cases are going unrecognised. No safe level According to Dr Mukherjee, obvious cases of foetal alcohol syndrome - a group of problems in children born to mothers who drank |
alcohol during their pregnancy, which includes abnormal facial features and nervous system problems - are recognised and detected. But many children who develop behavioural problems as a result of exposure |
to alcohol in the womb are incorrectly diagnosed as having conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The real culprit, alcohol consumption, goes unnoticed in these milder forms, collectively called |
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, he said. He blamed binge drinking for the high rates of damage. "The brain develops throughout pregnancy and the most vulnerable period is the first three |
months - the first trimester - when people may not even know they are pregnant." He said the government should warn women that any amount of alcohol could damage their |
unborn child. "The current recommendation of one to two units is ambiguous. "The only guaranteed safe way is not to drink at all when you are pregnant," he said. A |
spokeswoman from the National Organisation on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome said: "We do not want to panic any woman who is pregnant and may have had a couple of drinks. The |
chances are their child will be fine. "But there is a risk if you drink alcohol during pregnancy. The only way you can be certain is to abstain from alcohol," |
she said. A spokeswoman from the Department of Health said: "We would be interested to see any further research in to this area but current evidence does not justify changing |
our advice." In May, Lord Mitchell from the National Organisation on Foetal Alcohol Syndrome highlighted the issue to the House of Lords. He said the government should be doing more. |
"The government is being really complacent about it. It's sort of saying 'have a few drinks and that's OK', but our feeling, and certainly the evidence that we have seen |
in other countries, is that no drinking is the best policy." He said alcoholic beverages should carry warning labels about the potential for damage to unborn children in the same |
The research, which is featured on the cover of the July 17, 2005 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, focused on the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and the characteristic yellow-orange color for which it is named ("aureus" is |
Latin for "golden"). Among the deadliest of all disease-causing organisms, "Staph" is the leading cause of human infections in the skin and soft tissues, bones and joints, abscesses and normal heart valves. Staph especially flourishes in the hospital setting, producing |
bloodstream and surgical wound infections. The spread of antibiotic resistant strains of Staph, referred to as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, has reached epidemic proportions and poses a major threat to the public health. The UCSD team proved for the |
first time that the golden pigment that coats the surface of Staph is not just for decoration; rather, the molecules that give the bacteria its golden hue also help it resist killing by neutrophils, white blood cells with a front |
line role in immune defense against invading microbes. Staph's coloration reflects the production of molecules called carotenoids, similar to those present in carrots and other colorful vegetables and fruits. Dietary carotenoids have long been touted for their antioxidant properties with |
hope that they could slow aging or fight off cancer. The scientists found that pathogenic Staph took advantage of the antioxidant effects of its carotenoid pigment to extend its own life, by inactivating chemicals deployed by neutrophils that are lethal |
Photograph by Taylor S. Kennedy, National Geographic Updated March 16, 2011 On St. Patrick's Day—Thursday, March 17—millions of people will don green and celebrate the Irish with parades, good cheer, and perhaps a pint of beer. But few St. Patrick's Day revelers have a clue about St. Patrick, the historical figure, acc... |
the Man Behind St. Patrick's Day? For starters, the real St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family with a townhouse, a country villa, and plenty of slaves. What's more, Patrick professed no interest in Christianity as a young boy, Freeman noted. At 16, Pat... |
tend sheep as a slave in the chilly, mountainous countryside of Ireland for seven years. (See Ireland pictures.) "It was just horrible for him," Freeman said. "But he got a religious conversion while he was there and became a very deeply believing Christian." St. Patrick's Disembodied Voices According to folklore, a vo... |
passage on a pirate ship back to Britain, where he was reunited with his family. The voice then told him to go back to Ireland. "He gets ordained as a priest from a bishop, and goes back and spends the rest of his life trying to convert the Irish to Christianity," Freeman said. Patrick's work in Ireland was tough—he wa... |
harassed by the Irish royalty, and admonished by his British superiors. After he died on March 17, 461, Patrick was largely forgotten. But slowly, mythology grew around Patrick, and centuries later he was honored as the patron saint of Ireland, Freeman noted. St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Shortage According to St. Patrick... |
Christian holy trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Today, St. Patrick's Day revelers wear a shamrock out of tradition. But people in Ireland hoping to wear an authentic shamrock are running low on luck. Trifolium dubium, the wild-growing, three-leaf clover that some botanists consider the official shamro... |
harsh winters, affecting the plant's growth. "The growing season this year is at least as delayed as it was last year, and therefore there is the potential for shortage of home-grown material," John Parnell, a botanist at Trinity College Dublin, said in an email. "We have had frost and snow showers in parts of Ireland ... |
the shortage of the traditional plant as much on modern farming methods and loss of traditional hay meadows. "The cold winters we are having here lately are just another nail in the coffin," Carsten Krieger, a landscape and nature photographer whose books include The Wildflowers of Ireland, said via email. To make up f... |
such as the perennials Trifolium repens and Medicago lupulina. According to the Irish Times, these plants are "bogus shamrocks." Trinity College's Parnell agreed that Trifolium dubium is the most commonly used shamrock today, which lends credence to the claims of authenticity. However, he added, the custom of wearing a... |
to say what people then used. I think the argument on authenticity is purely academic—basically I'd guess they used anything cloverlike then." What's more, botanists say there's nothing uniquely Irish about shamrocks. Most clover species can be found throughout Europe. No Snakes in Ireland Another St. Patrick myth is t... |
island today, Freeman said—but they never did. Ireland, after all, is surrounded by icy ocean waters—much too cold to allow snakes to migrate from Britain or anywhere else. Since snakes often represent evil in literature, "when Patrick drives the snakes out of Ireland, it is symbolically saying he drove the old, evil, ... |
said. The snake myth, the shamrock story, and other tales were likely spread by well-meaning monks centuries after St. Patrick's death, Freeman said. St. Patrick's Day: Made in America? Until the 1970s, St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was a minor religious holiday. A priest would acknowledge the feast day, and families wo... |
Day was basically invented in America by Irish-Americans," Freeman said. Irish-American history expert Timothy Meagher said Irish charitable organizations originally celebrated St. Patrick's Day with banquets in places such as Boston, Massachusetts; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston, South Carolina. Eighteenth-century ... |
York City in 1762 to reconnect with their Irish roots. Other parades followed in the years and decades after, including well-known celebrations in Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, primarily in flourishing Irish immigrant communities. "It becomes a way to honor the saint but also to confirm ethnic identity and to crea... |
Green for St. Patrick's Day Sometime in the 19th century, as St. Patrick's Day parades were flourishing, wearing the color green became a show of commitment to Ireland, Meagher said. In 1962 the show of solidarity took a spectacular turn in Chicago when the city decided to dye a portion of the Chicago River green. The ... |
of a plumbers' union, noticed how a dye used to trace possible sources of river pollution had stained a colleague's overalls a brilliant green, according to greenchicagoriver.com. Why not use the dye to turn the whole river green on St. Patrick's Day, Bailey thought. So began the tradition. The environmental impact of ... |
plants, said Margaret Frisbie, the executive director of the advocacy group Friends of the Chicago River. Rather than advising against the dye, her group focuses on turning the Chicago River into a welcoming habitat full of fish, herons, turtles, and beavers. If the river becomes a wildlife haven, the thinking goes, Ch... |
the river continues to improve, ultimately people can get excited about celebrating St. Patrick's Day different ways," she said. Pint of Guinness on St. Patrick's Day On any given day 5.5 million pints of Guinness, the famous Irish stout brand, are consumed around the world. But on St. Patrick's Day, that number more t... |
corporate-relations director of Guinness. "Historically speaking, a lot of Irish immigrants came to the United States and brought with them lots of customs and traditions, one of them being Guinness," she said. Today, the U.S. tradition of St. Patrick's Day parades, packed pubs, and green silliness has invaded Ireland ... |
the popularity of St. Patrick's Day was a good way to boost spring tourism. (Get National Geographic Traveler magazine's list of the best hotels in Ireland.) "Like anybody else," he said, "they can take advantage of a good opportunity." The Ring Nebula shines, a volcano erupts, and Germans see the bat signal in this we... |
accelerate globally, scientists believe events Down Under can help explain what to look for-and guard against. Cicadas bugging you? See our recipe ideas for the low-fat critters, including the new candied cicada cocktail. |
All tea comes from a single plant, the Camellia Sinensis. An evergreen bush, tea is grown predominantly in Southeastern Asia. Harvesting, picking and processing the camellia sinensis bush yields 5 classes of tea: white, green, oolong, black, and pu·erh. Although scientists believe Yunnan Province in China to be the bir... |
of the tea plant, both Indian and Chinese mythology stake legendary claims to its discovery. Known as the Divine Healer, second Emperor Shen Nung is credited with identifying the medicinal properties of hundreds of ingredients that later became the foundation of Chinese Medicine. It is said that he possessed the |
magical property of a transparent stomach with which he could gauge the effects of medicine on the body. One fateful afternoon in the year 2737 B.C., Shen Nung was boiling water and resting upon a wild tree when a slight breeze stirred the branches above and caused a few leaves |
to drift into the simmering cauldron. Intrigued by the tempting aroma, Shen Nung drank the liquid and felt revitalized and invigorated. As chance would have it, he was resting under a tea tree. According to another legend, an Indian Bodhisattva by the name of Bodhidharma went to China to teach |
Buddhism in the 6th Century B.C.. One version of the story tells of his students becoming impatient and falling asleep during lengthy meditation. Leading by example, Bodhidharma began a nine year meditation near the entrance of a cave. After seven years he accidentally fell asleep. When he awoke he became |
angry with himself and sliced the eyelids from his face, throwing them upon the ground. Legend has it, that a tea plant grew where his eyelids fell. The monks of Zen buddhism would come to incorporate the use of tea into their rituals to attain a calm awakeness and focus |
during their meditations. “Monkey-picked” is a term used today to denote high-quality tea, but like the origin of tea's use, the history of the term is shrouded in mystery. One story tells of Buddhist monks training monkeys to fetch precious leaves from tea trees growing from the sides of treacherously |
steep cliffs. Another version portrays the monks throwing stones at monkeys perched high in tea trees, so that they would fall to the ground, breaking the branches and bringing the prized, top-most leaves down with them. Today, most tea plants are pruned to waist high bushes and monkeys aren't used |
to pick the leaves. When someone refers to “monkey-picked” tea, they are simply referring to premium quality tea leaves. Before the advent of tea cultivation, two genera of Camellia Sinensis thrived in the wild. Camellia Sinensis var. Sinensis (China bush) is at home on the foggy mountainsides of Southwestern China |
and produce a small, tender leaf during a short growing period. Separated from China by the Himalayan Mountains, Camellia Sinensis var. Assamica (Assam bush) prefers the jungle-like conditions of Northeastern India and yields a large, broad leaf that can be picked year-round. Since the discovery of tea by the Western |
World in the 1600’s, tea has been transplanted and cultivated all over the world. Although still predominantly grown in China and India, tea gardens thrive in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya, Uganda, Argentina and Brazil. Experimental and small-production gardens are even being grown in Hawaii, Washington, and South Carolina... |
leaves and bud of the camellia sinensis bush yield thousands of varieties of tea. Like different vines for different wines, tea farmers harvest different bushes for specific varieties of tea. For example, one cultivar may yield a Lung Jing Green Tea while another bush is best used for a Ti |
Kuan Yin oolong. Teas are generally named after the region they are from: Darjeeling from Darjeeling India, Yunnan from Yunnan Province in China; or named after the physical attributes of processed tea: Jasmine Pearls from the scenting and rolling of green tea, Silver Needles from the color and shape of |
budset white tea. White tea (in one form or another) has been treasured for over 1,000 years as the finest of all teas and for a time, was reserved solely for Chinese Royalty. True to its history, white tea remains a delicacy to this day, albeit, one we can all |
enjoy. Harvested in early spring, tender young buds are carefully plucked the day before they unfurl into leaves. The downy buds are briefly withered and then quickly air driedsteamed to prevent oxidation. As a result of minimal processing, white tea is valued for its high concentration of polyphenols. The flavor |
of white tea can be described as delicate, smooth, sweet, velvety, and reminiscent of fresh apricots. The combination of a bud and top leaf from the tea plant provides the backbone for green tea. After picking, the tea begins its journey down the mountain where it will be thinly spread |
in the shade and left to air-dry. This primary drying is kept short to prevent oxidation of the leaf. The next step determines the characteristics of a green tea’s style. Working with fresh product, a team of firers will sift, roll, flatten, tumble, or shake the tea over a heat |
source until it is thoroughly dried and the flavor is locked in. Careful manipulation of the leaves during the firing process results in distinctive shapes and flavors. Traditionally, this process was done entirely by hand in baskets and woks carefully placed over coal and wood burning fires. Today, large tumblers |
and ovens are employed during this phase to process large amounts of green tea for export. The flavors of green tea are partially determined by region of growth and seasib of pick, but are also deapendent upon method of finishing. Pan-frying results in the toasty flavor of Long Jing, while |
steaming results in the sweetly vegetal flavors of Japanese Sencha. It was once said that over 10,000 types of green tea exist in China alone. While this may be an exaggeration, if you haven’t found a green tea you like, chances are good that there is one waiting for you. |
Jasmine Green Tea Jasmine Green Tea is one of the oldest known scenting methods for tea. To obtain such a delicate flavor, night blooming jasmine flowers are picked during the day and laid over dried tea leaves. As the flowers open overnight and release their aromatic fragrance, the tea naturally |
absorbs the sweet scent. The next day, the flowers and tea are separated and the tea is allowed to rest and dry for several days. This process is repeated anywhere from 3-5 times depending on the quality of jasmine scenting (the longer the scenting the higher the quality). The whole |
process can take up to one month! This process is often imitated with perfumes and "natural" or artificial flavoring, but results in unpleasant and sharp aromas and tastes. Choose real jasmine blossoms and scenting methods for the best experience. Oolong teas are made from large, broad tea leaves that are |
picked later in the season than green tea. Oolongs can be made from the bud of the tea plant with up to three large leaves still attached to the twig, or from a single large leaf. Some oolongs are green in color and tightly rolled into little pellets, while others |
are brown, crimped, or loosely folded. What separates oolongs from other classes of tea is that oolongs are only partially oxidized. Particular to the style of oolong being produced, a complex method of bruising the tea leaves is used to break down cell walls and begin the oxidation of the |
leaf. Low heat is then used to halt the process, allowing for the still pliable leave to be rolled, curled, crimped, twisted, and fired into their final form. Different levels of oxidation and firing are used to bring out complex flavors and aromas that are uniquely “oolong.” Sometimes referred to |
as the “tea for connoisseurs,” oolongs possess aromatics that range from distinctively floral, to reminiscent of stone fruit. Flavors can be smooth, savory, full-bodied and rich; or delicate, with notes of orchid, honey, and exotic fruits. Black tea results from the full oxidation of the bud and first two leaves |
of the tea plant. Like green and white teas, a high quality black tea is picked early in the spring and contains a high ratio of bud-to-leaf. Unlike other teas, leaves destined for black tea are spread thickly during the withering process. An extended withering time (up to 18 hours) |
drives moisture out of the leaf and begins the conversion of delicate “juices” within the leaf into dark, complex liquoring compounds. The oxidation begins at this stage and continues into the rolling process. After being sorted by size, the withered leaves will be twisted, compressed, and rolled multiple times, breaki... |
down cell walls and allowing enzymes to mix. special oxidation chambers are used to feed air through thin layers of rolled leaves to quicken the process. Once the tea master determines oxidation is complete and the flavors and aromas properly developed, the leaves will be dried, cooled, and packaged for |
sale Grown and produced similarly all over the world, black tea is graded and sold by its size of leaf and point of origin. High quality black teas are of whole leaf with a high ratio of leaf buds (tips) to leaf. Terms like “Flowery Orange Pekoe” (FOP) are used |
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