more relative savings in the low - insulation case than in the highinsulation case. the modeling results for yearly aggregates — excluding the swing season months of march, april, october, and november — revealed that the radiant barrier produced the greatest reduction in heat flows ( 44 % ) in attics insulated with r - 11. i excluded the swing season months because, in subtropical climates, little cooling or heating is done during these months. reductions in ceiling heat flows, in the range of 28 % and 23 %, were realized by the use of radiant barriers in combination with insulation levels of r - 19 and r - 30, respectively. these results are aggregated over the year. my experimental results differed slightly from the simulation results. in the field, i had obtained summertime reductions in ceiling heat flow of 42 %, 34 %, 25 % for insulation levels of r - 11, r - 19, and r - 30, respectively. one possible reason for the discrepancies in savings between the experiments and the simulations could be the number of days used in the two cases. during the experiments, the data were produced in seven - to ten - day increments, while yearly simulations using a tmy took into account every day in an eight - month period. the model predicted negative savings of less than 10 % in the heating season for an attic with a radiant barrier and either of two levels of insulation ( r - 11 or r - 30 ) compared to an attic with no radiant barrier. it is not known why the middle level of insulation did not follow the same pattern as the other two in this regard. one of the reasons for these losses is weather related. in austin, winters are mild with significant sunshine. in monthly simulations in subtropical regions, the heating energy savings would either be low — next to insignificant — or negative. sunshine is desirable during the heating season because it reduces the load on heating equipment. radiant barriers, on the other hand, limit the amount of solar radiation, which is carried to the conditioned space through the attic. this blockage of solar radiation from the attic deck is undesirable during the winter season, and helps to explain the negative savings produced. in warmer regions, wintertime savings could be realized. in subtropical ( hot and humid ) climates, more energy is used for cooling than for heating. therefore, even with this detrimental effect, the net annual savings in subtropical climates are still positive, because of the energy reductions that are realized in the summer. radiant barriers cut cooling energy demand in every situation that


after the flood - there ' s hope homes that are damaged by flooding can be repaired and made more durable. flooding is a fact of life that results in more damage to buildings throughout the united states than any other single natural cause. residential buildings are especially hard hit during floods ; the lives of the residents are disrupted and precious possessions are lost. while homeowners are discouraged or prohibited from building new homes in floodprone areas, existing homes, when damaged, must be repaired. builders can minimize damage to these homes from future flooding by repairing or renovating them using materials and methods that are resistant to flood damage. researchers at oak ridge national laboratory ( ornl ) and tuskegee university have been working to identify and evaluate building materials, systems, and methods that can be used to repair houses after flooding and that make the envelope of a house more resistant to future flood damage ( see “ after the flood, ” he jan / feb ’ 03, p. 12 ). we were also interested in providing a scientific basis for certifying building materials and systems that are resistant to flood damage, so that that information can inform future building code development. the department of homeland security, emergency preparedness and response directorate defines flood damage resistance as the ability of materials, components, and systems to withstand direct and prolonged contact with floodwater without sustaining degradation that requires more than cosmetic repair to restore it to its original condition. cosmetic repair includes cleaning, sanitizing, and resurfacing material ; resurfacing includes sanding, repairing joints, and repainting. repair should be less costly than simply replacing the affected materials and systems. as a result of our materials testing, we have identified another key attribute of flood damage resistance. individual materials that are considered flood damage resistant must not cause the degradation of adjacent materials, or the systems of which the material is a part. a 2 - ft flood our test facility is located on the experimental farm near an agricultural lake at tuskegee university, in tuskegee, alabama. initially, two test modules were built with typical home construction materials and methods. the modules were flooded to a level of 2 ft above the floor with water from an agricultural lake that reasonably represented typical riverine floodwater. the test modules were allowed to dry for 30 days. detailed information was collected to determine how these construction materials and systems were affected during and after flooding. test results from these materials and systems provided a baseline against which other materials and systems could be compared. based on what we learned in those tests, we conducted a second


was collected to determine how these construction materials and systems were affected during and after flooding. test results from these materials and systems provided a baseline against which other materials and systems could be compared. based on what we learned in those tests, we conducted a second set of tests. the second set of tests introduced materials and systems that we expected to be more flood damage resistant than typical construction materials and systems. in the second tests, unlike the first ones, we sanitized the materials and systems while they were drying, and cosmetically restored them after the drying period, in order to assess their performance after exposure to a flood. samples of the various materials were taken for testing and observation, and the test modules were then demolished and autopsied. the initial results of our research were reported in the article cited above. we built a third pair of modules to attempt dry floodproofing — constructing a building in such a way that no water enters the structure during flooding — and to test additional materials and systems for resistance to flood damage. in all of our testing, we employed relative humidity transmitters ; thermocouples that measured temperature ; and moisture sensors installed in wall studs, wall surfaces, floor joists, and floor surfaces ( see figure 1 ). a weather station provided data on ambient conditions during the test. we used a hand - held moisture meter to measure material moisture content during the postflood drying period. mold was sampled from the modules and tested in a laboratory to identify its type. flexural strength and modulus were determined for various types of siding and wallboard. we also developed detailed protocols for visual observation. while visual observation is subjective, the protocols were developed to systematize these observations and make them as detailed and consistent as possible throughout the series of tests. we made extensive photographic and video records as well. flood - damage - resistant materials and systems the ornl / tuskegee experiments tested only for resistance to physical degradation that results from the wetting and drying cycle associated with flooding. the testing did not address the structural impact on the envelope of externally applied hydrostatic pressures. postflooding mold growth was documented and selected specimens were analyzed. some test modules were also cleaned and sanitized to determine if mold growth could be controlled. however, bacteriological and toxic materials testing were not performed during this series of tests. and we did not test for the residual health effects of flooding on otherwise flood - damage - resistant materials and systems. such testing could potentially change our conclusions. the following conclusions should be viewed as preliminary


it could be cleaned, sanitized, and restored. fiberock exterior sheathing was applied to some interior walls. it regained 82 % – 87 % of its initial strength on an exterior wall insulated with spuf and 101 % – 130 % of its initial strength on an interior, hollow - cavity wall. ( the strength actually increased in one instance after exposure to flooding. this happens occasionally with gypsum products, since complete hydration of all of the gypsum does not always occur in manufacturing, and subsequent exposure to water completes the process. ) the fiberock exterior sheathing applied to interior walls also dried out during the drying period. it did not support mold growth and its surfaces were easily cleaned and restored. ceramic tile performed well under flood conditions and showed no longterm deterioration. both latex flat paint and latex semigloss enamel paint peeled, blistered, and stained. mold grew on both types of paint. high - and low - permeability paints were tested. both types of paint had to be sanded and new coats of paint applied to restore the walls to preflood conditions. we also compared waterbased flat latex and oil - based enamel paint. the water - based latex flaked and blistered. oil - based flat enamel paint performed better than any other paint that we tested. it flaked and blistered very little and was much easier to restore than other paints. of all the paints tested, oil - based flat enamel paint was found to be the most flood damage resistant. however, we did not completely investigate the impact of oil - based enamel on the drying of adjacent materials and systems in this testing. vinyl wall covering blistered, peeled, and debonded after flooding. it damaged the surface of the gypsum board, and it may inhibit the drying of the substrate or wall system. exterior wood - paneled doors in a wood frame, and exterior prehung metal - clad doors in a wood frame were stained slightly, but could be washed and restored. foam - filled fiberglass and foam - filled metal were restored to preflood conditions with minimal effort. the fiberglass and metal doors used in the second modules were reused in the third modules and once again were easily restored. all the interior doors that we tested were severely stained after flooding and drying, and some warped, split, and peeled. considering the relatively low cost of replacement, we did not consider it economically feasible to restore any of these doors. all vinyl and aluminum


income, inhalants, marijuana, mental health, mental health services, methamphetamine, pain relievers, pregnancy, prescription drugs, sedatives, smoking, stimulants, substance abuse, substance abuse treatment, tobacco use, tranquilizers, youths geographic coverage : united states date of collection : unit of observation : individual universe : the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the united states aged 12 and older, including residents of noninstitutional group quarters such as college dormitories, group homes, shelters, rooming houses, and civilians dwelling on military installations. data types : survey data data collection notes : data were collected and prepared for release by research triangle institute, research triangle park, north carolina. since 1999, the survey sample has employed a 50 - state design with an independent, multistage area probability sample for each of the 50 states and the district of columbia. prior to the 2002 survey, this series was titled national household surveys on drug abuse. although the design of the 2010 survey is similar to the design of the 1999 through 2001 surveys, there are important methodological differences since 2002 that affect the 2010 estimates. each nsduh respondent since 2002 has been given an incentive payment of $ 30. this change resulted in an improvement in the survey response rate. in addition, since 2002 new population data from the 2000 decennial census became available for use in nsduh sample weighting procedures. therefore the data from 2002 and later should not be compared with data collected in 2001 or earlier to assess changes over time. for selected variables, statistical imputation was performed following logical inference to replace missing responses. these variables are identified in the codebook as "... logically assigned " for the logical procedure, or by the designation " imputation - revised " in the variable label when the statistical procedure was also performed. the names of statistically imputed variables begin with the letters " ir ". for each imputation - revised variable, a corresponding imputation indicator variable indicates whether a case ' s value on the variable resulted from an interview response or was imputed. missing values for some demographic variables were imputed by the unweighted hot - deck technique used in previous surveys. beginning in 1999, imputation of missing values for many other variables was accomplished using predictive mean neighborhoods ( pmn ), a new procedure developed specifically for this survey. both the hot - deck and pmn imputation procedures are described in the codebook. to protect the privacy


lean, mean and green heating, cooling and powering the 2012 olympics in a sustainable way some modern olympic games have been branded as extravagant and a waste of public money. installations are costly and facilities in service for only a short period during the event – but are unsuitable for later use by the general public. mindful of this, the london 2012 organizers placed sustainability firmly at the core of this year ' s olympics. the provision of heating, cooling and power in a sustainable way is at the very centre of this effort and should ensure a positive legacy long after the games are over. many iec tcs ( technical committees ) and scs ( subcommittees ) prepare international standards for components and systems that are being installed on the olympic park. early green commitment when bidding to host the games the locog ( london organising committee of the olympic and paralympic games ) made a commitment to meet 20 % of the olympic park electricity requirements with new local renewable energy sources. these include advanced waste - to - energy technologies, pv ( photovoltaic ) panels, small scale wind turbines, bio - diesel generators and micro - co - generation for public lighting, venues, accommodation and electric vehicle power. all additional site electricity demand is to be met with off - site renewables, supplied by wind farms and marine current turbines. three iec tcs prepare international standards for renewable energy sources proposed for the 2012 games. they are tc 82 : solar photovoltaic energy systems, tc 88 : wind turbines and tc 114 : marine energy – wave, tidal and other water current converters. the commitment to renewable sources was restated in the london 2012 sustainability plan. furthermore, the oda ( olympic delivery authority ) set an overall target of cutting carbon emissions by 50 % across the olympic park, in comparison with schemes constructed and operated using more conventional means. to achieve this it adopted a ' lean, mean, green ' approach : - lean – minimizing energy demand by building energy - efficient venues - mean – supplying heat, cooling and power from on - site energy centres, further reducing their carbon emissions - green – generating heat and power from renewable sources. the right mean and green tools to provide heat, cooling and power on site, the organizers chose to build two flexible modular energy centres at kings yard ( olympic park ) and stratford city. each is equipped with a natural gas - fired cchp ( combined cooling, heat and power ) unit and bio - mass fired boilers. using zero carbon renewable energy sources such as biomass will provide savings in carbon emissions of more than 1 000 tonnes


city. each is equipped with a natural gas - fired cchp ( combined cooling, heat and power ) unit and bio - mass fired boilers. using zero carbon renewable energy sources such as biomass will provide savings in carbon emissions of more than 1 000 tonnes per year in comparison with schemes employing fossil fuels. chp ( combined heat and power ) plants are up to 30 % more energy efficient than those using traditional means of generation. basic demand for heat during winters will be met through the bio - boilers that burn sustainable biomass such as woodchips and pulp. iec tc 5 : steam turbines, has been asked by the smb ( standardization management board ) to carry out a study of standardization needs for chp. the energy centres have a flexible modular design that will avoid overcapacity in the first phase of development but allow future technologies to be incorporated in the buildings as they are developed and as demand grows after 2012. they will provide an efficient, low - carbon heating and cooling system across the site for the games and for the new community and housing projects that will be developed after 2012. between them the two centres currently produce 92, 7 mw of heating, 55 mw of cooling and 10 mw of electrical power. eventually they will be able to supply a total of 194, 9 mw of heating, 64 mw of cooling and 30 mw of electrical power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. the centres are interconnected and electrical power is distributed by 200 km of underground cables running through two 6 km tunnels. this underground network has replaced 52 pylons and 130 km of overhead cables. iec tc 20 prepares international standards for electric cables. a primary electrical substation forms the central part of the utilities network. it takes power from the upstream 132 kv electrical network outside the park, ' stepping it down ' to 11 kv to supply venues and buildings across the olympic park and stratford city. each 132 / 11 kv transformer is supported by 11 000 items of switchgear and auxiliary equipment. standardization for power transformers is the task of iec tc 14, whilst tc 17 and its scs prepare international standards for high - and low - voltage switchgear and controlgear and associated assemblies. to minimize primary energy use, both centres exploit recovered waste heat for their operation. they use energy - efficient systems and mechanisms to reduce the costs of heat supply. ammonia - based chillers and electrical and absorption chillers enable the centres to meet the demand for cooling, while the site - wide heat network generates hot water and heats the aquatics centre swimming pools and other venues and


to reduce the costs of heat supply. ammonia - based chillers and electrical and absorption chillers enable the centres to meet the demand for cooling, while the site - wide heat network generates hot water and heats the aquatics centre swimming pools and other venues and buildings. the roof of the olympic park copper box, the venue for various events, is fitted with 88 light pipes that allow natural light inside, reducing the demand for electric lights and achieving annual energy savings of up to 40 % in comparison with a more conventional structure. as with any major project, some adjustments were required late on in the process. as time constraints caused the installation of the preferred wind turbine system to be abandoned, the oda had to revise down its target for cutting carbon emissions, from 50 % to 43 %. however, energy efficiency schemes in boroughs surrounding the park have been introduced to make up for the shortfall and some small renewable sources, such as pv panels on the media centre and its car park and some micro wind turbines, have been added. further efforts will also be made to deliver additional carbon savings by reducing electricity consumption during the games. electrical installations at the core power generation and distribution are essential for the olympic and paralympic games and will provide a beneficial legacy for the local communities. they are just two of the countless electrical systems deployed during the event that rely on iec international standards for proper and safe operation. a successful, lean, mean and green london 2012 implies an iec success – albeit a discreet one.


the pathways from economic and social policies to improved food security and nutrition for the poor often are not well understood. yet each day governments decide on policies that ultimately affect their well - being. how households increase their incomes, acquire food, improve health, or cope with insecurity are important concerns that need to be examined in order to devise policies to help eradicate poverty. nearly all attempts to study these issues have used snapshot approaches — those that look at one point in time. these approaches are limited in that they do not reveal anything about the actual dynamics of poverty, food security, and their consequences for nutrition and health. in poverty, household food security, and nutrition in rural pakistan, research report 96, harold alderman and marito garcia address these concerns by looking at longitudinal data for a three - year period, 1986 - 89, and analyzing fluctuations in incomes, consumption, savings, nutrition and health - seeking behavior of 800 households in five districts in rural pakistan ( faisalabad and attock in punjab province, badin in sind, dir in north - west frontier province, and mastung / kalat in baluchistan ). the report examines income sources and wage formation in rural pakistan and investigates the level and distribution of income in poor households. it contributes to analysis of the temporal dimensions of poverty and thus adds to the literature on coping strategies of households. although the three - year panel of data analyzed is too short to model fully the dynamics of poverty, it is sufficient to indicate the fluidity of the economic environment that households in pakistan face. the report also traces the efficiency by which household incomes are converted to better nutritional well - being and the influence of other intervening factors such as health and education.


z94. 15 - organization planning and theory the new editors added to the excellent list of terms that previous editors had compiled. there have been some changes which have been added to the list and in addition, some of the new terms of quality management have been added because of the effect of tqm ( total quality management ) on organizational structure and culture. approximately 60 definitions have been added to the list to bring it more up - to - date and to make it more comprehensive. hopefully the more than 50 years experience will contribute to the needs of the users of the terms. dr. anita l. callahan, ph. d. dr. paul e. givens, ph. d. industrial & management systems department college of engineering university of south florida | 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 | adhocracy. a structure that is flexible, adaptive, and responsive ; organized around unique problems to be solved by groups of relative strangers with diverse professional skills. administration. ( 1 ) usually synonymous with the term management. however, it sometimes refers to the portion of management exclusive of establishing goals and policies. ( 2 ) that group of people who perform the process of administration. attribution theory. when individuals observe behaviors, they attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused. authoritarianism. the belief that here should be status and power differences among people in organizations. authority. the right to exercise power and to extend jurisdiction over others for the attainment of performance. ( 1 ) the " legitimate " ' right to direct or influence the performance of others under the condition of applying rewards and penalties. authority lies in the position in an organization, not in the man. this authority derived from institutionalized power should be distinguished from other authority concepts. ( 2 ) authority by subordinate acceptance - authority is a function of the degree to which subordinates accept decisions and direction and is derived from the group of subordinates. ( 3 ) authority of person - authority is derived from superior ability or knowledge or charismatic qualities. ( 4 ) authority by legal decree - authority invested by law to enforce statutes. ( see delegation, responsibility. ) autocratic leader. one who tends to control in an absolute manner through the use of personal domination and application of coercive measures. ( compare to participative management. ) autonomous work - group design.


how our information is produced : our methods " evidence - based " means : supported by scientific evidence and proof. most people who are interested in evidence - based health information already know this. yet : how is our evidence - based health information actually produced in detail? what individual steps are necessary? who reviews or tests the contents? how does the information stay up - to - date? we explain our methods using an easy - to - read diagram. read more here to find out about how we produce evidence - based information the basic principles of evidence - based medicine do you know the trick with the spoon in the top of the champagne bottle? a spoon put into an opened champagne bottle is supposed to keep the champagne fresh and bubbly for longer. how can you test if that is true? and what has that got to do with evidence - based medicine? read more here about the basics of evidence - based medicine why is it important for people to be " randomized " in trials? the story of an important large randomized trial from 1954 shows the importance of " randomizing " people in trials. the trial tested the use of high levels of oxygen in incubators for preterm babies and found that it was causing blindness in many babies. this was used for many years without being adequately tested. a cautionary tale of medically - caused blindness is it possible to find out in trials whether a treatment has a benefit based solely on measured data? readings like blood pressure or cholesterol levels are important in the field of medicine. but can they also predict how a particular treatment affects events that are critical to patients, like heart attacks or broken bones? you can read more here about the use of readings in testing treatments


about 4, 200 athletes from about 165 countries competed for medals at the london 2012 paralympic games impressively demonstrating the high standards of international disabled sport. one example of this was the 24 : 50, 22 minutes that it took former formula 1 racing driver alessandro zanardi to cover the specified 16km in the hand bike time trial to win the gold medal. whereas sports equipment such as hand bikes are individually built and totally customised to the specific requirements of the athletes and their physical impairment, as far as their clothing is concerned they frequently only have access to the ready - made clothes for able - bodied athletes. within the framework of the research project ( aif - nr. 17377 n ), scientists at the hohenstein institute in bonnigheim are aiming to optimise functionality and comfort of sportswear for wheelchair users. project leader anke klepser ascertained the physical dimensions of male wheelchair basket ball players and hand bikers : “ by choosing these particular sports we are covering both indoor and outdoor sports which means that our research results can also be adapted to other sports disciplines. a further benefit is that we are examining two different body postures, the more horizontal body position of the hand bikers and the upright sitting position of the wheelchair basketball players and this enables any results to be easily transferred to other sports. ” the test persons were measured once in a stationary 3d bodyscanner in their usual wheelchair and then also with a handscanner in their respective sports wheelchair. back in the 1980s clothing technology experts had already captured the physical dimensions of wheelchair users in order to improve the fit of everyday clothing. with the assistance of today ' s 3d scanner technology first of all the body can be captured in full and then a virtual twin ( avatar ) can be compiled which can be used to measure on the computer, as required, individual body measurements such as the back, legs or arms. an important objective of the project is to use the measurement data to optimise the cuts and seam lines of sportswear. but also the physiological comfort, or in other words, the ability of the textiles to absorb body sweat and divert it away from the body as well as the heat insulation of the materials should also be adapted to the specific requirements of the athletes. skin irritations caused by mechanical actions such as intensive friction of the arms on the upper body should be minimised in the demonstration / functional samples that are to be developed. the sitting position of wheelchair users in particular creates specific requirements for clothing cuts. in order to achieve a horizontal waistband fit


as intensive friction of the arms on the upper body should be minimised in the demonstration / functional samples that are to be developed. the sitting position of wheelchair users in particular creates specific requirements for clothing cuts. in order to achieve a horizontal waistband fit, the back part of the trousers must be cut longer than the front. the horizontal position of the handbikers on the other hand requires the exact opposite in functionalities if the sportswear is to sit in the optimum position. in the majority of wheelchair athletes the upper body and arms are very muscular which must be taken into consideration in the design of shirts and jackets. to create a good fit with extensive freedom of movement, the clothing items should therefore have adapted seam lines. in addition to the anatomical specifics, as part of their project, the researchers also collated those special requirements which arise from the sports commitment of the athletes. therefore, in addition to the 3d scanner measurements, anke klepser has also conducted a survey to collate the optimisation wishes of the test persons. for instance, the hand bikers said that they would like to see a narrow lower leg trouser width which would offer them better head wind protection. the scientists also had to consider the specific requirements of disabled athletes in relation to the diversion of body sweat, also known as clothing moisture management. due to the position of the back or back of the thigh which is in close contact with the hand bike or wheel chair, moisture can very quickly get trapped. this could be avoided through the use of various suitable materials and functional designs in these areas ( comfort - mapping ) in contrast to this, depending on the type and degree of the spinal cord injury, for the majority of wheelchair athletes, the paralysis of the extremities is also linked to a restricted functionality of the body ' s own temperature control. for example, quadriplegics whose legs and arms are affected to a greater or lesser extent by the paralysis, do not sweat or only sweat to a limited extent and run the risk, especially in the case of very high external temperatures and / or high physical exertion, of suffering a circulatory collapse due to the body overheating. water applied externally to the clothing can help in such cases by ensuring the necessary cooling through evaporation. anke klepser and her team also had to consider other specific aspects in their research work. " the clothing requirements for wheelchair athletes are extremely variable and complex. we hope that our data and information will form the basis for


evaporation. anke klepser and her team also had to consider other specific aspects in their research work. " the clothing requirements for wheelchair athletes are extremely variable and complex. we hope that our data and information will form the basis for many optimised products which will make life easier for the athletes and will support them appropriately in their outstanding achievements. it is expected that the results of the project will be available for interested manufacturers from early 2014. phone : + 49 7143 271 - 325 rose - marie riedl | source : hohenstein institute further information : www. hohenstein. de more articles from materials sciences : stacking 2 - d materials produces surprising results 17. 05. 2013 | massachusetts institute of technology engineered biomaterial could improve success of medical implants 15. 05. 2013 | university of washington researchers have shown that, by using global positioning systems ( gps ) to measure ground deformation caused by a large underwater earthquake, they can provide accurate warning of the resulting tsunami in just a few minutes after the earthquake onset. for the devastating japan 2011 event, the team reveals that the analysis of the gps data and issue of a detailed tsunami alert would have taken no more than three minutes. the results are published on 17 may in natural hazards and earth system sciences, an open access journal of... a new study of glaciers worldwide using observations from two nasa satellites has helped resolve differences in estimates of how fast glaciers are disappearing and contributing to sea level rise. the new research found glaciers outside of the greenland and antarctic ice sheets, repositories of 1 percent of all land ice, lost an average of 571 trillion pounds ( 259 trillion kilograms ) of mass every year during the six - year study period, making the oceans rise 0. 03 inches ( 0. 7 mm ) per year.... about 99 % of the world ’ s land ice is stored in the huge ice sheets of antarctica and greenland, while only 1 % is contained in glaciers. however, the meltwater of glaciers contributed almost as much to the rise in sea level in the period 2003 to 2009 as the two ice sheets : about one third. this is one of the results of an international study with the involvement of geographers from the university of zurich. second sound is a quantum mechanical phenomenon, which has been observed only in superfluid helium. physicists from the university of innsbruck, austria, in collaboration with colleagues from the university of trento, italy, have now proven the propagation of such a temperature wave in a quantum


so when is a chicken not a chicken? when it ducks! you might be wondering how in the world that pathetic old joke is relevant to those spinning little ( or big ) fans in your computer case. if you ’ re a custom pc builder, be it for the sweet sound of silence, or for some rage against the machine overclocking, if there ’ s one thing that you know, it ’ s fans. electronics don ’ t like to be hot, and whether it ’ s moving air over a heatsink or moving air over a liquid cooling radiator, at some point you just have to transfer the heat that computer parts generate into the air. that means you need ye olde whirling dervish, aka a fan. but fans are tricky. you ’ re often limited to the size of the fan that you can use, which reduces their efficiency. the speed that they run at and the design of the fan blades determine all sorts of factors from the amount of air moved, to the pressure of the air, to the focus cone of how the air moves, to the amount of power the fans consume, to the noise that they make as the blades spin around going whir whir whir. and then there ’ s the bearing design. how long will the fan really last? when it comes to pcs, fans are a tricky business! but what if your fan … wasn ’ t a fan? general electric has developed an interesting novel approach to moving air in consumer electronics, which they based not on ye olde whirling dervish, but on a bellows. taking a concept from their commercial jet engines, ge used tiny ceramic piezoelectronics and two 40mm x 40mm metal plates to make what they call a dual piezo cooling jet ( dcj ). the little buggers are smaller than fans, move more air, use less electricity, and make so little noise as to be virtually inaudible. and with no bearings to grind, in theory they ’ ll last longer too! allegedly they don ’ t even gather dust. in theory they ’ re better all - around than any fan. now, you ’ re probably thinking, “ sounds great! where can i get a dcj? ” that ’ s where problems start to come in. because ge isn ’ t really interested in manufacturing and selling the dcjs themselves. they ’ re only promoting the intellectual property. ge is presently demonstrating dcjs to manufacturers and so far have licensed the design to only one company :


start to come in. because ge isn ’ t really interested in manufacturing and selling the dcjs themselves. they ’ re only promoting the intellectual property. ge is presently demonstrating dcjs to manufacturers and so far have licensed the design to only one company : fujikura ltd of japan. so it may be some time yet before you can buy one. there ’ s also another problem : the way that they work. as you watch their video, you realize one really important thing, dcjs are thin. like really really thin. sure, they create a jet of air, but how often in a big pc case do you need a really tiny jetstream? if you want a big fan, or need to cover a lot of area, the dcj may not be for you. they look to create a very concentrated little jetstream. sure, it moves air, but how many of the little buggers do you need to cover as much area as you want? and in the case of an exhaust fan, what ’ ll it feel like to be the person who dares to walk behind the computer? so there may be a few features that need tweaking for pc use. it ’ s a design that ’ ll work great in super - thin devices, like smartphones, tablets, and ultrabooks. i ’ m not so convinced about larger consumer electronics though. not without a serious rethink of how air moves in the device. i don ’ t see someone fitting a dcj into any traditional fan slot. they just work too differently, moving air along a completely different axis. i ’ m also not sure that i like the idea of my cellphone having a fan. still, it ’ s interesting, isn ’ t it? we could find that five years from now the dual piezo cooling jet may just have completely revolutionized consumer electronics airflow designs. i can already see a few of my old theoretical computer case designs that i ’ d been thinking about for silence that didn ’ t work well with traditional spinning fans would work quite the treat with dcjs. they ’ d finally become reasonable designs. makes me wish i had the money to patent a few case designs and manufacture them. it also makes me wonder, if they can move air so much more efficiently, and air is just a fluid ( as far as the physics of fluid dynamics are concerned ) how about an adaptation to water? and if that works, what about other liquids? from better water cooling rigs in pcs to fuel injection in cars, just how many things


interrupt the execution of an expression and allow the inspection of the environment where browser was called from. browser ( text = " ", condition = null, expr = true, skipcalls = 0l ) - a text string that can be retrieved once the browser is invoked. - a condition that can be retrieved once the browser is invoked. - an expression, which if it evaluates to truethe debugger will invoked, otherwise control is returned directly. - how many previous calls to skip when reporting the calling context. a call to browser can be included in the body of a function. when reached, this causes a pause in the execution of the current expression and allows access to the r interpreter. the purpose of the condition arguments are to allow helper programs ( e. g. external debuggers ) to insert specific values here, so that the specific call to browser ( perhaps its location in a source file ) can be identified and special processing can be achieved. the values can be retrieved by calling the purpose of the expr argument is to allow for the illusion of conditional debugging. it is an illusion, because execution is always paused at the call to browser, but control is only passed to the evaluator described below if expr evaluates to true. in most cases it is going to be more efficient to use an if statement in the calling program, but in some cases using this argument will be simpler. skipcalls argument should be used when the browser ( ) call is nested within another debugging function : it will look further up the call stack to report its location. at the browser prompt the user can enter commands or r expressions, followed by a newline. the commands are - ( or just an empty line, by default ) exit the browser and continue execution at the next statement. - synonym for - enter the step - through debugger if the function is interpreted. this changes the meaning of c : see the documentation for debug. for byte compiled functions nis equivalent to - print a stack trace of all active function calls. - exit the browser and the current evaluation and return to the top - level prompt. ( leading and trailing whitespace is ignored, except for an empty line ). anything else entered at the browser prompt is interpreted as an r expression to be evaluated in the calling environment : in particular typing an object name will cause the object to be printed, and ls ( ) lists the objects in the calling frame. ( if you want to look at an object


last reviewed by faculty of harvard medical school on january 24, 2013 by harvey b. simon, m. d. harvard medical school regular exercise has enormous health benefits. most importantly, it reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and premature death. and that ' s not all. many studies link physical activity to protection against : - high blood pressure - osteoporosis and fractures - colon cancer, breast cancer and possibly prostate cancer. despite all these benefits, only about one in four american adults gets the exercise they need to promote health. people have many excuses for not exercising. one excuse concerns the belief that exercise causes arthritis. is this true or not? back to top excuses, excuses, excuses couch potatoes have many excuses to explain their sedentary ways. lack of time is the most common. the belief that exercise is too hard is a close second. but neither excuse is very convincing. all it takes is 30 minutes of moderate exercise nearly every day to promote health. what about the arthritis excuse? recent studies show that exercise can be safe for joints, both in older, overweight folks and in athletes. even if it were true, it might be wise to accept aching knees as the price for a healthy heart, brain and metabolism ( cholesterol, blood sugar, body fat and muscle ). back to top should runners worry? running, in particular, is considered to be hard on the body. unlike walking, running is a high - impact exercise. it ' s simply a matter of gravity : what goes up must come down. walkers have one foot on the ground at all times, while joggers and runners are entirely airborne for part of every stride. each time a foot hits the ground, it puts a stress equal to eight times the body ' s weight on a person ' s feet, legs, hips and neck. in just one mile, a runner ' s legs will have to absorb tons and tons of force from the impact. running actually causes relatively few physical problems. it ' s a testament to the wonderful construction of the human body. the faster the pace, however, the greater the impact and the greater the risk of injury. but that doesn ' t mean that running will cause arthritis. in fact, new studies provide reassurance that exercise, and particularly running, are safe for healthy joints. exercise may even help joints stay healthy. back to top what the research shows framingham offspring cohort in 1948, more than 5, 200 residents of framingham, ma volunteered for the framingham heart study.


| | | | diseases and conditions what is it? a phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation. it is a type of anxiety disorder. a person with a phobia either tries to avoid the thing that triggers the fear, or endures it with great anxiety and distress. some phobias are very specific and limited. for example, a person may fear only spiders ( arachnophobia ) or cats ( galeophobia ). in this case, the person lives relatively free of anxiety by avoiding the thing he or she fears. some phobias cause trouble in a wider variety of places or situations. for example, symptoms of acrophobia ( fear of heights ) can be triggered by looking out the window of an office building or by driving over a high bridge. the fear of confined spaces ( claustrophobia ) can be triggered by riding in an elevator or by using a small restroom. people with these phobias may need to alter their lives drastically. in extreme cases, the phobia may dictate the person ' s employment, job location, driving route, recreational and social activities, or home environment. there are three major types of phobia : - specific phobia ( simple phobia ). with this most common form of phobia, people may fear specific animals ( such as dogs, cats, spiders, snakes ), people ( such as clowns, dentists, doctors ), environments ( such as dark places, thunderstorms, high places ) or situations ( such as flying in a plane, riding on a train, being in a confined space ). these conditions are at least partly genetic ( inherited ) and seem to run in families. - social phobia ( social anxiety disorder ). people with social phobia fear social situations where they may be humiliated, embarrassed or judged by others. they become particularly anxious when unfamiliar people are involved. the fear may be limited to performance, such as giving a lecture, concert or business presentation. or it may be more generalized, so that the phobic person avoids many social situations, such as eating in public or using a public restroom. social phobia seems to run in families. people who have been shy or solitary as children, or who have a history of unhappy or negative social experiences in childhood, seem more likely to develop this disorder. - agoraphobia. agoraphobia is a fear of being in


families. people who have been shy or solitary as children, or who have a history of unhappy or negative social experiences in childhood, seem more likely to develop this disorder. - agoraphobia. agoraphobia is a fear of being in public places where it would be difficult or embarrassing to make a sudden exit. a person with agoraphobia may avoid going to a movie or a concert, or traveling on a bus or a train. in many cases, he or she also has repeated, unexpected panic attacks ( intense fear and a set of uncomfortable physical symptoms - - trembling, heart palpitations and sweating ). childhood phobias occur most commonly between the ages of 5 and 9, and tend to last a short while. most longer - lasting phobias begin later in life, especially in people in their 20s. adult phobias tend to last for many years, and they are less likely to go away on their own. without proper treatment, phobia can increase an adult ' s risk of other types of psychiatric illness, especially other anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse. the symptoms of phobia are : - excessive, unreasonable, persistent feelings of fear or anxiety that are triggered by a particular object, activity or situation. the feelings are either irrational or out of proportion to any actual threat. for example, while anyone may be afraid of an unrestrained, menacing dog, most people do not run away from a calm, quiet animal on a leash. - anxiety - related physical symptoms. these can include tremors, palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea or other symptoms that reflect the body ' s " fight or flight " response to danger. - avoidance of the object, activity or situation that triggers the phobia. because people who have phobias recognize that their fears are exaggerated, they are often ashamed or embarrassed about their symptoms. to prevent anxiety symptoms or embarrassment, they avoid the triggers for the phobia. a mental health professional is likely to ask about current symptoms and family history, particularly whether other family members have had phobias. you may want to report any experience or trauma that may have set off the phobia - - for example, a dog attack leading to a fear of dogs. it may be helpful to discuss how you react - - your thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms - - when you are confronted with the thing you fear. also, describe what you do to avoid fearful situations, and how the phobia affects your daily


stocks are commonly touted as being safe ( real returns greater than 0 ) over the long run. if you look only at the united states over the past century, this has been the case for any period greater than 20 years. however, in many other countries, stocks needed to be held for a much longer period in order for this statement to hold true. furthermore, social and economic conditions in the u. s. today are very different from those at the beginning of the last century. in the future, the u. s. may have more difficulty claiming that stocks are safe over the long run - an issue that has important implications for building portfolios in the twenty - first century. in this article, we examine the reasons behind this change and discuss what it means for the equity premium ( defined as equity return - cash return ). ( for further reading, see the equity risk premium - part 1 and part 2. ) the u. s. and uncommon returns all too often, investors look at historical u. s. returns as a gauge for future returns. given that the u. s. saw the largest economic and market growth of any country in the twentieth century, this might not be a prudent strategy, as countries, just like sectors, eventually rotate in and out of favor. because of its success, however, the u. s. has been the most researched market ; more long - term quality financial data exists on it than on any other market. this resulting success bias has strongly influenced investors ' projected returns. the bull market of 1982 to 2000 also had an effect on investors ' expectations, but given that it was the greatest combined bull market ( equities and fixed income ) in history, it may be difficult to repeat any time soon. at the beginning of the twenty - first century, valuation levels on stocks were higher and, therefore, not as compelling as they were at the start of the previous century, and investors hurt during the last bubble may be much less likely to pay such high premiums in the future. ( for background info, read digging deeper into bull and bear markets other countries did not share the unprecedented degree of success enjoyed by the u. s. over the twentieth century. according to elroy dimson, paul marsh and mike staunton in their book " triumph of the optimists : 101 years of global investment returns " ( 2002 ), the u. s. has seen positive real equity returns for every 20 - year period in the last century. the same cannot be said for many other


of long - term returns from the last century. finally, proceeding with a lower equity premium and the same historical amount of volatility will mean longer periods before stocks can be considered safe over the long run. according to dimson, marsh and staunton, the equity premium in the second half of the twentieth century was twice that of the first half. the post - war years saw unprecedented growth and trade in the global economy, while central bankers came to better understand the intricacies of monetary policy. during this time, global investing was a true " free lunch ", where you could pick up additional return with little additional risk. this was due to the poor correlation of financial market returns. the financial markets and the world economy were not as integrated as they are today ; this has changed dramatically since the 1970s, and global market returns have become more closely correlated. therefore, this " free lunch " may be harder to realize now. ( for further reading see, broadening the borders of your portfolio and investing beyond your borders some argue that long - term equity returns can even be more certain than bond returns. according to peter l. bernstein in his article " what rate of return can you reasonably expect... or what can the long run tell us about the short run? " ( 1997 ), stock market returns are historically mean reverting ( returns ultimately coming back to their long - run averages ), while bonds have not been mean reverting on either a nominal or a real basis. for example, the bond market in the twentieth century was basically two secular bull markets and bear markets - there was no mean reversion about it. despite this argument, the yields on inflation - protected securities ( another basis for calculating equity premium ) were actually dramatically compressed at the beginning of this century, as a glut of global savings resonated throughout the world. since that time, the world has generally become a much safer place to invest. shouldn ' t this relative safety be reflected in lower equity premiums required by investors? at any rate, it certainly helps to explain the increase in valuations in the last half of the twentieth century. assuming a lower equity premium in the future, people will need to change the way they invest. personal savings will have to increase to offset lower real returns and real assets may offer a more viable alternative to financial assets. finally, sector and stock selection will become even more important. conclusion in terms of market returns, the twentieth century was more favorable to the u. s. than to most other countries


high blood pressure | integrative therapy quick links : | - aneroid monitor, aneurysms, angina, angiogenesis, angiogram, antihypertensive, aneurysm, aorta, aortic coarctation, artery, arteriogram, atherosclerosis, blood clot, cholesterol, chronic heart failure ( chf ), coronary heart disease ( chd ), cushing ' s disease, diabetes, diastolic, digital monitor, endocrine, endothelial dysfunction, endothelium, erectile dysfunction ( ed ), essential, high - density lipoprotein ( hdl ), hyperaldosteronism, hyperlipidemia, hyperparathyroidism, hypertension, hypotension, idiopathic, impotence, isolated systolic hypertension, low - density lipoprotein ( ldl ), malignant hypertension, metabolic syndrome, myocardial infarction, obesity, palpitation, pheochromocytoma, pre - eclampsia, pre - hypertension, primary, pulmonary hypertension, renal, secondary, silent ischemia, smoking, sphygmomanometer, stress, stroke, syndrome x, systolic, tinnitus, vertigo. - blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of arteries ( blood vessels ). each time the heart beats, it pumps blood through blood vessels, supplying the body ' s muscles, organs and tissues with the oxygen and nutrients that they need to function. over the course of a day, an individual ' s blood pressure rises and falls transiently many times in response to various stimuli. elevated blood pressure over a sustained period of time is a condition referred to as hypertension ( htn ). - the american heart association estimates that nearly one in three american adults has high blood pressure. approximately two - thirds of people over the age of 65 have high blood pressure. of those people with high blood pressure, 71. 8 % are aware of their condition. of all people with high blood pressure, 61. 4 % are under current treatment, 35. 1 % have it under control, and 64. 9 % do not have it controlled. - the cause of 90 - 95 % of the cases of high blood pressure is not known ; however, high blood pressure is easily detected and usually controllable. - from 1994 to 2004 the death rate from high blood pressure


least 4, 000 years old. there are two main types of qi gong practice : internal and external. internal qi gong is a self - directed technique that involves the use of sounds, movements, and meditation. internal qi gong actively engages people in their own health and well - being, and can be performed with or without the presence of a master instructor. it may be practiced daily to promote health maintenance and disease prevention. several human trials suggest benefits of qi gong in the treatment of high blood pressure, particularly when added to conventional treatments such as prescription drugs. there is early evidence that there may be lower death rates in people with high blood pressure who practice qi gong. some studies report that high blood pressure associated with pregnancy may be partially controlled through internal qi gong relaxation exercises. although this research is promising, a major problem is that the way qi gong is practiced is not always clear in these studies, and may not be similar to the way qi gong is practiced in the community. - qi gong is generally considered to be safe in most people when learned from a qualified instructor. use cautiously with psychiatric disorders. - stevia : stevia ( stevia rebaudiana ) standardized extracts are used as natural sweeteners and dietary supplements. stevioside is a natural plant component isolated from stevia that has demonstrated blood pressure lowering effects. despite evidence of benefits in some human studies and support from laboratory and animal studies, more research is warranted to compare stevia ' s effectiveness for hypertension with the current standard of care. - caution is advised when taking stevia, as numerous adverse effects including blood sugar lowering have been observed. stevia should not be used if pregnant or breastfeeding, unless otherwise directed by a doctor. - unclear or conflicting scientific evidence : - acupressure, shiatsu : the practice of applying finger pressure to specific acupoints throughout the body has been used in china since 2000 bc, prior to the use of acupuncture. acupressure techniques are widely practiced internationally for relaxation, wellness promotion, and the treatment of various health conditions. small studies in men and women report that acupressure may reduce blood pressure. study results on the effect of acupressure on heart rate have yielded mixed results. large, well - designed studies are needed to better understand the role of acupressure in treatment of hypertension. - with proper training, acupressure appears to be safe if self - administered or administered by an experienced therapist. no serious long - term complications have been reported,


to better understand the role of acupressure in treatment of hypertension. - with proper training, acupressure appears to be safe if self - administered or administered by an experienced therapist. no serious long - term complications have been reported, according to scientific data. hand nerve injury and herpes zoster ( " shingles " ) cases have been reported after shiatsu massage. forceful acupressure may cause bruising. - acupuncture : the practice of acupuncture originated in china 5, 000 years ago. today it is widely used throughout the world and is one of the main pillars of chinese medicine. it involves the insertion of needles in various point of the body to help move the " chi " or energy. although used for centuries to lower blood pressure, human trials are lacking. more studies are needed to determine what can be expected in the use of acupuncture for hypertension. - needles must be sterile in order to avoid disease transmission. avoid with valvular heart disease, infections, bleeding disorders, medical conditions of unknown origin, or neurological disorders. avoid if taking drugs that increase the risk of bleeding ( e. g. anticoagulants ). avoid on areas that have received radiation therapy and during pregnancy. use cautiously with pulmonary disease ( e. g. asthma or emphysema ). use cautiously in elderly or medically compromised patients, diabetics, or with history of seizures. avoid electroacupuncture with arrhythmia ( irregular heartbeat ) or in patients with pacemakers because therapy may interfere with the device. - acustimulation : acustimulation is the mild electrical stimulation of acupuncture points to control symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. a low intensity electrical current is used to penetrate just slightly below the surface of the skin. it may be delivered by acupuncture needles attached to electrodes or, more commonly, by battery - powered appliances that can be worn on the body ( touching the surface of the skin ). acustimulation has been examined in the treatment of high blood pressure in one small study of patients diagnosed with diastolic hypertension. a set of four different acupuncture points were used, with results showing an immediate reduction of diastolic blood pressure. at this time, the evidence is insufficient for use of acustimulation in high blood pressure. - a known side effect of acustimulation devices is slight skin irritation under the electrodes when the wristband is used


been published in this area. although some studies are suggestive, overall the existing evidence remains debatable. better research is necessary before a firm conclusion can be drawn. - use extra caution during cervical adjustments. use cautiously with acute arthritis, conditions that cause decreased bone mineralization, brittle bone disease, bone softening conditions, bleeding disorders, and migraines. use cautiously with the risk of tumors or cancers. avoid with symptoms of vertebrobasilar vascular insufficiency, aneurysms, unstable spondylolisthesis, or arthritis. avoid if taking drugs that increase the risk of bleeding. avoid in areas of para - spinal tissue after surgery. avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding due to a lack of scientific data. - chlorella : ingestion of chlorella may somewhat reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients. as the results of available studies are not significant, chlorella cannot be recommended for hypertension at this time. - avoid in patients with known allergy / hypersensitivity to chlorella, its constituents, mold, or members of the oocystaceae family. avoid in patients using warfarin or other anticoagulant therapy. use cautiously in patients with hypotension or taking antihypertensives. use cautiously in patients taking immunomodulators or with altered immune function, or cancer. use cautiously in patients with photosensitivity, taking photosensitizers, or exposed to the sun. - color therapy : in humans, color therapy has been studied as a possible treatment for hypertension. further research is needed before a recommendation can be made. - color therapy is generally considered safe. exposure to bright light may cause eye injury, such as retinopathy. strobe lights may cause seizures in susceptible individuals. avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding. - evening primrose oil : evening primrose oil is proposed to have effects on chemicals in the blood called prostaglandins, which may play a role in pre - eclampsia. however, more studies are needed before a firm conclusion can be drawn. - avoid if allergic to plants in the onagraceae family ( e. g. willow ' s herb or enchanter ' s nightshade ) or gamma - linolenic acid. avoid with seizure disorders. use cautiously with mental illness drugs. stop use two weeks before surgery with anesthesia. avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding. - flaxseed : fl


hypnosis, hypnotherapy : hypnosis is a trance - like state in which a person becomes more aware and focused and is more open to suggestion. hypnotherapy has been used to treat health conditions or to change behaviors. early study suggests that hypnosis may have short and long - term effects for patients with mild high blood pressure. additional research is needed to confirm these findings. - use cautiously with mental illnesses ( e. g. psychosis, schizophrenia, manic depression, multiple personality disorder, or dissociative disorders ) or seizure disorders. iridology is the study of the iris ( colored part of the eye ) with the intention of gaining information about underlying diseases. iridologists believe that the degrees of light and darkness in the iris give clues to the body ' s general health. preliminary studies by a south korean team of researchers using a computerized approach suggest that iridology may assist in the identification of individual predispositions for vascular diseases such as hypertension. further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of iridology as a diagnostic tool for hypertension, and further teams of researchers would need to conduct parallel work in order for these methods to become validated. - iridology should not be used alone to diagnose disease. studies of iridology have reported incorrect diagnoses, and thus, potentially severe medical problems may go undiagnosed. in addition, research suggests that iridology may lead to inappropriate treatment. iridology is therefore not recommended as a sole method of diagnosis or treatment for any condition. - lutein : lutein and zeaxanthin are found in high levels in foods, such as green vegetables, egg yolk, kiwi fruit, grapes, orange juice, zucchini, squash, and corn. preliminary evidence suggests that pre - eclampsia risk may decrease with increasing concentrations of lutein. additional human studies are needed before a firm recommendation can be made. - avoid if allergic or hypersensitive to lutein or zeaxanthin. use cautiously if at risk for cardiovascular disease or cancer. avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding. - lycopene : lycopene is a carotenoid, which is a naturally occurring class of fat - soluble pigments ( coloring ) found mainly in plants and algae. lycopene is present in human serum, liver, adrenal glands, lungs, prostate, colon, and skin at higher levels than other carote


occurring class of fat - soluble pigments ( coloring ) found mainly in plants and algae. lycopene is present in human serum, liver, adrenal glands, lungs, prostate, colon, and skin at higher levels than other carotenoids. there is some evidence that short - term treatments of lycopene may reduce blood pressure. lycopene may also reduce the development of pre - eclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation in women having their first child. more research is needed, especially to examine the long - term effects of lycopene in patients with high blood pressure. - avoid if allergic to tomatoes or to lycopene. due to a lack of conclusive data, avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding. - magnesium : controversy exists whether oral magnesium ( mg ) supplementation can lower blood pressure in patients with mild to moderate hypertension or prevent the onset of hypertension. several studies have reported a small but not significant decrease in blood pressure with mg. further research is indicated for the use of mg in the treatment of hypertension. - use cautiously in patients with bleeding disorders, or in those taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents, antidiabetic agents, or antihypertensive agents. use intravenous magnesium sulfate with extreme caution in patients with eclampsia. avoid in patients with atrioventricular heart block, renal failure, or severe renal disease. avoid intravenous magnesium in women with toxemia during the first few hours of labor. - massage : various forms of therapeutic superficial tissue manipulation have been practiced for thousands of years across cultures. chinese use of massage dates to 1600 bc, and hippocrates made reference to the importance of physicians being experienced with " rubbing " as early as 400 bc. based on early study, massage may decrease blood pressure in patients with hypertension. more high - quality studies are needed. - avoid with bleeding disorders, low platelet counts, or if taking blood - thinning medications ( such as heparin or warfarin / coumadin® ). areas should not be massaged where there are fractures, weakened bones from osteoporosis or cancer, open / healing skin wounds, skin infections, recent surgery, or blood clots. use cautiously with history of physical abuse or if pregnant or breastfeeding. massage should not be used as a substitute for more proven therapies for medical conditions. massage should not cause pain to the client. -


surgery, or blood clots. use cautiously with history of physical abuse or if pregnant or breastfeeding. massage should not be used as a substitute for more proven therapies for medical conditions. massage should not cause pain to the client. - melatonin : melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain by the pineal gland, from the amino acid tryptophan. the synthesis and release of melatonin are stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light, suggesting the involvement of melatonin in circadian rhythm and regulation of diverse body functions. levels of melatonin in the blood are highest prior to bedtime. synthetic melatonin supplements have been used for a variety of medical conditions, most notably for disorders related to sleep and as an antioxidant. several controlled studies in patients with hypertension report small reductions in blood pressure when taking melatonin by mouth ( orally ) or inhaled through the nose ( intranasally ). better - designed research is necessary before a firm conclusion can be reached. - caution is advised when taking melatonin, as adverse effects including drowsiness and drug interactions are possible. melatonin should not be used if pregnant or breastfeeding, unless otherwise directed by a doctor. melatonin is for short - term use only ( one to two weeks ). - omega - 3 fatty acids : several studies of fish oil do not provide enough reliable evidence for use of this supplement for pre - eclampsia. - avoid if allergic or hypersensitive to fish, omega - 3 fatty acid products that come from fish, nuts, linolenic acid, or omega - 3 fatty acid products that come from nuts. avoid during active bleeding. use cautiously with bleeding disorders, diabetes, low blood pressure or drugs, herbs or supplements that treat any such conditions. use cautiously before surgery. pregnant and breastfeeding women should not consume doses that exceed the recommended dietary allowance ( rda ). - onion : onion - olive oil capsules may help lower blood pressure. high quality clinical research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of onion for treatment of hypertension. - avoid if allergic or hypersensitive to onion ( allium cepa ), its constituents, or members of the lilaceae family. use cautiously with hematologic ( blood ) disorders, diabetes, hypoglycemia ( low blood sugar ), and hypotension ( low blood pressure ). use cautiously if taking anticoagulants or antiplatelets ( blood thinner


may increase the risk of bleeding, hypertensive ( high blood pressure ) medications, or immune stimulating or inhibiting drugs. avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding. - reishi mushroom : reishi ( ganoderma lucidum ) is a fungus ( mushroom ) that grows wild on decaying logs and tree stumps. reishi has been used in traditional chinese medicine for more than 4, 000 years to treat liver disorders, high blood pressure, arthritis and other ailments. preliminary data suggest that reishi may exert a blood pressure lowering effect ; however, currently available evidence in this area is weak. future studies are warranted to validate the results of these small studies and to provide clinical usefulness of reishi as a possible treatment for high blood pressure. - caution is advised when taking reishi supplements, as adverse effects including an increase in bleeding and drug interactions are possible. reishi supplements should not be used if pregnant or breastfeeding, unless otherwise directed by a doctor. - relaxation therapy : relaxation techniques include behavioral therapeutic approaches that differ widely in philosophy, methodology, and practice. the primary goal is usually non - directed relaxation. relaxation techniques have been associated with reduced pulse rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, lower perception of stress, and enhanced perception of health. further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of relaxation therapy for high blood pressure. - avoid with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia / psychosis. jacobson relaxation ( flexing specific muscles, holding that position, and then relaxing the muscles ) should be used cautiously with illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or musculoskeletal injury. relaxation therapy is not recommended as the sole treatment approach for potentially serious medical conditions and should not delay the time to diagnosis or treatment with more proven techniques. - rhubarb : chinese herbalists have relied on rhubarb ( rheum palmatum ) for thousands of years. the rhizomes and roots contain powerful anthraquinones ( components with laxative properties ) and tannins ( components that tonify tissue ). studies on rhubarb ' s effect on pre - eclampsia indicate that it may be a helpful treatment to decrease blood pressure. more high quality trials are needed to confirm this hypothesis. - avoid if allergic / hypersensitive to rhubarb, its constituents, or related plants from the polygonaceae family. avoid using rhubarb for more than two weeks because it may induce tolerance in


. soy and components of soy called isoflavones have been studied scientifically for numerous health conditions. although soy products have not been proven to be effective in lowering blood pressure in humans, laboratory and some human studies do support the use of soy in reducing the risk of developing coronary artery disease ( cad ). additional research is needed to better understand the role of soy in hypertension. - caution is advised when taking soy, as adverse effects including drug interactions are possible. soy supplements should not be used if pregnant or breastfeeding, unless otherwise directed by a doctor. experts recommend that individuals with breast cancer not use soy products unless under the supervision of a doctor. - spiritual healing : there is limited research on the use of spiritual healing for treatment of hypertension. - spiritual healing should not be used as the only treatment approach for medical or psychiatric conditions, and should not delay the time it takes to consider more proven therapies. - tai chi : tai chi techniques aim to address the body and mind as an interconnected system. early study shows that tai chi may help to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and anxiety in patients with high blood pressure ( hypertension ). - avoid with severe osteoporosis or joint problems, acute back pain, sprains, or fractures. avoid during active infections, right after a meal, or when very tired. some believe that visualization of energy flow below the waist during menstruation may increase menstrual bleeding. straining downwards or holding low postures should be avoided during pregnancy, and by people with inguinal hernias. some tai chi practitioners believe that practicing for too long or using too much intention may direct the flow of chi ( qi ) inappropriately, possibly resulting in physical or emotional illness. tai chi should not be used as a substitute for more proven therapies for potentially serious conditions. advancing too quickly while studying tai chi may increase the risk of injury. - taurine : taurine is a non - essential amino acid ( building blocks of protein ) and is important in several metabolic processes of the body, including stabilizing cell membranes in electrically active tissues, such as the brain and heart. it also has functions in the gallbladder, eyes, and blood vessels, and may have some antioxidant and detoxifying effects. in early study, taurine has been reported to result in decreased blood pressure in patients with hypertension. well - designed and reported clinical trials are still needed. - caution is advised when taking taurine


minerva ( micro / nano experimental robot vehicle for asteroid ), japan ' s first planetary exploration rover, traveled to the itokawa asteroid aboard hayabusa. it is a 16 - sided prism measuring 12 cm in diameter and 10 centimeters in height, and weighing 591 grams. minerva was released from hayabusa during its descent to itokawa. it was designed to move around on the asteroid autonomously, by hopping, and to perform observations with a camera and thermometer. minerva was deployed on november 12, 2005, two - and - a - half years after hayabusa ' s launch on may 9, 2003. unfortunately, it did not make the landing on itokawa. however, it was able to take an image of hayabusa ' s solar paddle during deployment, which is the world ' s first image of a deep - space explorer taken from outside the spacecraft while in space. maintaining stable function after release, minerva also succeeded in demonstrating many new engineering technologies. q. minerva is designed to travel by hopping. how did this idea come about? originally, hayabusa was supposed to carry only a nasa rover, but in 1998 we initiated a project to develop an original japanese one. later, nasa canceled its rover plan, so minerva was the only one on board. we wanted to make our robot different from nasa ' s wheeled version, in part out of pride. we wanted to build an original japanese robot. and after considering it theoretically and experimentally, we also came to the conclusion that a hopping transportation method made sense. no matter what direction minerva descends from, it can hop. q. what was the greatest challenge in developing minerva? the first obstacle was the extremely low gravity on the asteroid itokawa. low gravity makes a rover hop no matter what, so with that in mind i came up with a design where the rover would move by hopping. it was necessary to make it hop horizontally because if it hopped only vertically, it would stay in one place. we tested the rover for direction and speed in a simulated zero - gravity environment, and also looked at its response on hard surfaces such as rocks, and soft surfaces such as sand. minerva ' s data was to be transmitted to earth via hayabusa. but itokawa is about 300 million kilometers from earth, and it takes approximately 40 minutes for communication signals to travel back and forth between them. it ' s not very efficient if it takes that much time to send a command from earth to hayabusa and wait for confirmation of its receipt. so, we needed


it takes approximately 40 minutes for communication signals to travel back and forth between them. it ' s not very efficient if it takes that much time to send a command from earth to hayabusa and wait for confirmation of its receipt. so, we needed to make minerva capable of assessing its environment and taking action on its own, but the development of the software for this was very difficult. minerva is powered by solar cells on its body, which generate about 2 watts of electricity. with higher computer processing speeds, more electricity is consumed, so we couldn ' t increase minerva ' s processing speed because of its limited amount of consumable energy. as a result, the performance of its onboard computer is less than one per cent that of ordinary, everyday computers we use. adding many functions to such a computer caused delays and crashes, and we had a tough time solving these problems. q. what do you remember most vividly among all hayabusa operations thus far? it ' s the deployment of minerva. minerva was released from hayabusa during a rehearsal descent on november 12, 2005. a command was transmitted to hayabusa to separate minerva, and i waited in front of the monitor to hear back from hayabusa. forty minutes later, the deployment of minerva was confirmed. i was so happy and informed everyone of the success. but three hours later we realized something was wrong. itokawa ' s rotation period is 12 hours. minerva should have landed on the asteroid around noon itokawa time. the shift from noon to night there takes about three hours, and at night communication with minerva stops, as its solar cells cannot get any sunlight. however, the communication remained active for more than three hours, which indicated that the rover had not landed on itokawa ' s surface. we learned from subsequent inspection that minerva had actually been released at a distance of 200 meters from the asteroid, instead of 70 meters. in addition, hayabusa was flying away from itokawa at a speed of 15 centimeters per second, which was the most severe problem. minerva might still have been able to make a landing, even from 200 meters away, if the probe had been moving towards the asteroid. even though minerva flew away from itokawa without landing on it, stable communication lasted for 18 hours after the release. after communication stopped, i waited with the transmitter on for two weeks, just in case minerva sent a signal. however, in the end, no radio waves from the probe were detected. minerva had become the world ' s smallest satellite, at 591 grams


were many things we had to do by ourselves, and it gave me a sense that we were making a satellite with our own hands. core parts of a satellite or an explorer are hard for us to build by ourselves, but it is possible for us to make a certain level of instruments, such as those used for observation, and in fact, that is what people at isas do. i realized that we should build what we can by ourselves, even if it ' s a spacecraft. i ' ve gained some confidence in hand - crafting. i ' ve also learned not to give up, not to compromise, no matter what, until the end, always trying to make the situation the best you can at that time. i think that space exploration requires creative ideas and pushing boundaries, and the hayabusa mission has taught me the ideal way of working on a space project. q. what do you think about hayabusa ' s return? i hope that propulsion by the ion engines, which is the initial step for coming back, will go well at first. but the return journey will take about three years, so we cannot relax for a while. as a member of the development team, i don ' t see that my agitation will stop soon. it will turn into joy if hayabusa returns successfully, but i think that our trial will continue until then. q. what is your dream for the future? i ' ve been interested in robots since i was a child, so i ' m basically keen on using them for unmanned exploration. i ' d like to send various types of robotic explorers not only to asteroids but also to other celestial bodies, such as the moon, mars and comets. q. do you have a message for children who wish to be part of future space development? space is surely easy to get interested in, but i don ' t think it necessarily has to be space. as a kid myself, i preferred robots and automobiles, if anything, to space. whatever it is, i think it ' s wonderful for children to be interested in something that gets them using their own hands. education reform and children ' s dislike of science have been issues of concern, but it ' s not easy to like science simply because you are told to do so. if children find it fun to work on things related to science with their own hands, their interest in science and mathematics will inevitably grow. so i ' d like children to have opportunities to create things themselves.


what sustainability education is to me james pittman ’ s “ living definition of sustainability ” forms the foundation for my definition of optimal sustainability education in that it offers an integrated vision for sustainability that focuses on the health and integrity of human / nature systems. pittman defines living sustainability as “ the long - term equilibrium of health and integrity maintained dynamically within any individual system ( organism, organization, ecosystem, community, etc. ) through a diversity of relationships with other systems. ” pittman ’ s definition of living sustainability describes what i call “ socio - ecological living sustainability. ” i use “ socio - ecological ” in addition to “ living ” because “ ecology ” — the study of the earth household — is inherently concerned with relationships — with systems views — and these views are central to exploring social power and exploitation. using the term “ ecology ” highlights the fact that the systems referenced in the definition include both living and nonliving components of earth systems. this definition is “ socio - ecological ” because society is embedded within ecology, and the definition is “ living ” because, like all life, it is open to change driven by historical and natural forces. this openness to change points to an important aspect of the definition : it is place specific ; what might be sustainable in a given context is not necessarily so in every context. the appropriateness of changes to and adaptations of the definition is therefore place - specific in the same way that the appropriateness of life adaptations is in many ways determined by the specific context. the definition, to remain viable, must take form and evolve in living situations. sustainability, then, is a set of lifeways lived within specific, historical circumstances. within these lifeways, considerations of the “ long - term equilibrium of health and integrity ” remain the central focus for communities. my focus as a sustainability educator is in higher education as a critical pedagogical process that, at its best, is capable of engaging students, faculty members, and the community in sustainability praxis. the purposes and goals of this transformative praxis depart from those dominant in higher education today in that they involve students in the process of naming the world and defining desired action. this praxis seeks to ( re ) integrate our fractured identities and worldviews. it is counterhegemonic in orientation so that it directly confronts the political economy of late capitalism and its means of production as primary drivers in the sustainability crisis. it takes a transdisciplinary approach to integrating the academic disciplines and seeks to heal dichotomous and destructive


user : oh, how the sea calls if you have questions ask on my talk page. quick references for common japanese - a little bit on the japanese language to possibly act as a reference guide for the wiki. - more verbs, common nouns, asking questions, and a little bit more order to follow soon. important particles ' ga ' - subject marker. ex. - sasuke ga naruto o hanasu. sasuke ( subject marker ) naruto ( d. o. marker ) hanasu ( speaks ). ' o ' - direct object marker. shows what the subject is doing the action to. ex. sasuke ga naruto o hanasu. sasuke ( subject marker ) naruto ( direct object marker ) hanasu ( speaks ). ' no ' - shows possession, or is as a modifying phrase. ex ( possession ) - sora no kiiburedo ( keyblade ). sora ' s keyblade. ex ( modifying phrase ) - nihongo ( japanese language ) no hon ( book ). japanese language book. ' wa ' - denotes the subject of the sentence. - clarifies what you are talking about. - add ' wa ' after the topic of the sentence. - any noun can be the topic, if it is the d. o., replace ' o ' with ' wa ', and if it is the subject, replace ' ga ' with ' wa. ' ex. - kinou wa ( as for yesterday ) sensei ( teacher ) ga ( subj. mark ) jon ( john ) o ( d. o. marker ) shikatta ( scolded ). ' ka ' - lists choices like the english word ' or. ' ame ka yumi. ( rain or water ). ' to ' - lists items, or specifies the co - agent. ex ( lists items ) - ame to yumi ( rain and water ). ex ( specifies co - agent - sasuke ga ( subj mark. ) naruto to ( co - agent specifier ) tabeta ( ate ). - always at the end of a sentence. - comes in four forms ; the dictionary, negative, stem ( i will post these forms later ) and ' te ' form ( also, later ). - info on past tense will follow with the ' te ' form. dictionary - the one you would see if you looked it up in a dictionary. the present tense and affirmative form of the verb. ex - tab


posted : may 8, 2012 5 : 54 pm by andy koen updated : may 8, 2012 6 : 02 pm a local start - up company is on the cutting edge of renewable energy development by designing and building machines that make electricity by harnessing the power of ocean waves. atargis energy corporation was founded in 2010 by air force academy aeronautics professor dr. stefan siegel, ph. d. the company is currently building a 1 / 10th scale prototype in their facility on janitell road for testing at tested at the hydromechanics laboratory at texas a & m university next month. " the vision is to really produce electricity at the utility scale and feed that electricity to the power grid to communities in the vicinity of the ocean shore, " siegel said. dr. siegel says a single generator can produce five megawatts of electricity, enough to power a community roughly the size of falcon. the generators would also create electricity at a similar cost per kilowatt hour as non - renewable sources like oil, gas and coal. so, why would an aeronautics professor start a wave energy company in a land locked state? siegel says the science is virtually the same. " water and air are basically just fluids, " he explained. " the same laws of motion and physics apply to both of them. " using a 1 / 300th scale model, siegel demonstrated that the same forces that create lift under an airplane wing are also at work spinning the blades of his generator with passing ocean waves. as for the location, siegel says the design of the machine is such that a large manufacturing plant isn ' t necessary. instead, the various components can easily be mass produced by existing manufacturers. the generators would then be assembled at shipyards near the coasts before installation. another unique attribute of the design is that it operates completely submerged, protected from heavy winds and storms on the surface of the water. " if you go below the water surface you already don ' t have the impact of the wind, if you go down a little bit further, you ' re actually losing the impact of the wave as well and that is how our device survives storms, " siegel explains. atargis plans to build quarter - scale and full - size prototypes for ocean testing in the next two years. they hope to begin selling them in 2015.


allow these kinds of sweeping powers, says aasim sajjad, a professor of political economy at quaid - e - azam university in islamabad. " frankly, to be honest, it is not as if this act per se would be required for this sort of big - brother apparatus to operate. i think it operates in any case, " sajjad says. " the worry is that the state and the intelligence apparatus here has historically been so powerful and so unaccountable that there is a feeling that we would be totally surrendering every last remaining bit of independence or civil liberties " by passing the law. limited opposition to date while sajjad ' s concern about civil liberties would be common in the united states, in pakistan it is unusual. aside from university professors and the liberal elite, opposition to the bill has been, at best, muted. while its passage in the lower house made the front pages of the english - language papers here, there was barely a whisper about it in the urdu - language press. " amongst a fairly limited circle — activists and observers — there has been concern, " sajjad says. " but it hasn ' t generated or garnered the kind of response that i think would be necessary for some sort of countervailing pushback to prevent something like this from going through. it will pass the senate and the president will sign it. " mohman hussein baluch is a ph. d. candidate in pakistani studies at the university, and his reaction is typical of the students there. he says if he isn ' t doing anything wrong, he has nothing to fear. " i am a peaceful citizen of pakistan. i bleed in peace, so i am not worried about this, " he says. the senate is more conservative than the lower house in pakistan, and it is expected to approve the bill and send it to the president for his signature early in the new year. steve inskeep, host : on top of their concerns about terrorism, sectarian violence, the taliban and their painful relationship with the united states, people in pakistan are talking about privacy. the lower house of pakistan ' s parliament passed what ' s called the investigation for fair trial bill. it is the pakistani version of the patriot act. it clears the way for intelligence and law enforcement agencies to tap phones, monitor internet traffic and follow people they suspect are terrorists. of course, it ' s an open secret that security agencies in pakistan already do this, but the new bill will give them legal cover. npr ' s dina


- " what is a wiki? " questions questions about using this wiki - finding and accessing information in the wiki - adding information to the wiki - adding other document formats to the wiki - installation & configuration - administering the wiki " what is a wiki? " questions what is a ' ' wiki ' '? the term wiki is a shortened form of wikiwikiweb. a wiki is a database of pages that can be collaboritively edited using a web browser. what is a ' ' moinmoin ' '? a moinmoin is a wiki provided by the python wiki program moinmoin. what is this good for? to be honest, it is good for whatever you use it for. at lineo we have put up a wiki on our internal web site with very many pages, which describe various projects, architectures, ideas, etc. for people to comment on. some pages just sit there and convey information. other pages are an open invitation for discussion and commentary. we also have set up a wiki for a very simple skills database. in general, a wiki is very much a free - form tool, whose value derives from the use to which it is put. for instance, a page in a wiki can serve the same purpose as a discussion thread. you could use a wiki page to collaboratively work on a project. wikis are used internally by the guys who write zope to manage their ideas and projects. what are the major features of a wiki? here are some important wiki features : - editability by anyone - a wiki page is editable by anyone with a web browser - ability to view recent changes - ability to search pages ( several ways ) - ability to very easily add new pages - ability to see the change history for a document - ability to add new information or modify existing information how does this compare to other collaboration tools, like notes? a wiki can accomplish certain things very easily, but there are some things it cannot do. the biggest missing feature is some kind of access control, to allow only certain groups to see and manipulate informatin. what about wiki security? isn ' t a wiki subject to complete wipeout or nastiness from a saboteur? this is an important question. in general, wiki ' s have no security. ( that ' s right! ) because of this, the possibility exists for accidental or conscious destruction or corruption


performance will be recorded. they ' ll also be monitored by web cam to test how well crews on the ground can gauge the emotions of the crew in space. unlike current space missions, where ground control and astronauts are in near - constant communication, deep space exploration will take astronauts far outside the realm of easy contact. signals will take hours to reach earth, neerincx said, so astronauts have to be able to solve problems on their own. to do so, they ' ll need software that ' s easy to use, supportive and responsive to changing situations. the software being tested has already gone through one 105 - day isolation trial, said wolff. using data from that study, researchers were able to improve their communications network and add more realistic tasks to their modules. this time around, they hope to gather enough data from the training module to automate the system so that the computer would do the training without a human instructor. they also hope to monitor the astronaut ' s performance to better understand how to allocate the day - to - day tasks of running a deep - space mission. next year, the team hopes to take the experiments one step further by re - testing the software at europe ' s concordia base in the antarctic, where astronauts will be asked to carry out real scientific tasks, not just simulations. eventually, they hope to test the system on the international space station. " our experiments mainly look very similar, but the people are going to be in another environment, " wolff said. " the results may be different. " more from livescience. com


math10131 - 2006 / 07 - title : calculus and vectors - unit code : math10131 - credits : 15 - prerequisites : a - level mathematics - co - requisite units : this course unit can only be taken with math10131 sets, numbers and functions - school responsible : mathematics - member of staff responsible : dr. jack williams the programme unit aims to provide an introduction to the basic elements of calculus. brief description of the unit this lecture course introduces the basic ideas of complex numbers relating them the standard transcendental functions of calculus. the basic ideas of the differential and integral calculus are revised and developed. vectors in two and three dimensions are introduced and this leads on to the calculus of functions of more than one variable and the beginnings of vector calculus. on successful completion of this module students will have acquired an active knowledge and understanding of some basic concepts and results in calculus. future topics requiring this course unit almost all mathematics course units will rely on material in this course unit. - numbers and functions. basic algebra of real and complex numbers ; real line and complex plane ; graphs and curve sketching ; functions, domain and range, inverse functions ; standard functions and inverse functions ; basic algebra of real and complex numbers. - limits and differentiation. basic notion of limit and continuity ; discontinuities, left and right limits ; finding some limits ; definition of derivative ; derivatives of standard functions and their inverses ; sums, products, quotients and the chain rule ; implicit functions ; logarithmic differentiation ; higher derivatives ( use in curve sketching ). - infinite series. notation, basic notions of convergence, radius of convergence ; infinite taylor ' s series ; expansions for standard functions. - more on complex numbers. euler ' s theorem and de moivre ' s theorem ; polar form of complex numbers ( polar representation of the plane ) ; roots of unity ; complex forms of sin and cos, relationship to trigonometric identities. - integration. definite and indefinite integrals ; fundamental theorem of calculus ; techniques : linearity, integration by parts, partial fractions, substitution ; lengths of curves, surfaces and volumes of revolution. - vectors in 2 and 3 dimensions. representation as directed line segments ( magnitude, direction ) ; choice of axes, components, cartesian representation ; basic properties, addition, subtraction, polar representation and relationship with complex numbers in 2 dimensions ; scalar and vector product ; representation of lines, planes, curves and surfaces. - functions of more than one variable. partial