then and now, there is ample proof that americans do take supreme court nominations seriously. with good reason. sooner or later, the nation ' s most vexing disagreements over our most vital issues wind up before the supreme court. none quite penetrates to the core of our democratic being more than those involving first amendment rights and values. each term, the nine justices must grapple with profound questions involving freedom of speech, freedom of thought and freedom to participate in political discourse : just how free is freedom of speech? what is the role of religion in public life? does national security trump the public ' s right to know? during the court ' s last three terms, the first amendment has not fared well. the high court has accepted for review far fewer free - expression - related cases than usual and it has been unusually stingy in recognizing first amendment claims. in only two of the 15 decisions rendered in free - expression cases did the court sustain those claims. how the first amendment will fare in the future depends on how chief justice john roberts differs from his predecessor, william rehnquist, and how miers, if confirmed, differs from o ' connor. during his 33 years on the court as an associate justice and chief justice, rehnquist consistently voted against free - speech and free - press claims. o ' connor, however, played a pivotal role during her time as justice, frequently casting the decisive fifth vote in religion cases and occasionally in expression cases. the justices over the next 12 months will hear arguments, review briefs and render opinions in several cases that have direct bearing on whether we have full or constricted freedoms when we wish to play a role in the crucial political, cultural or religious issues that confront us. in five cases, the court will once more take up the question of whether state laws regulating campaign contributions and expenditures pose an unconstitutional threat to political expression : is money speech? the issues of compelled speech and government funding of speech are raised in another case. a coalition of university law schools which object to the military ' s ban against acknowledged homosexuals contends that requiring them to allow military recruiters on campus violates their rights. another case tests the limits of the free exercise of religion. the justices will decide whether the federal government can prohibit a small group of followers of a brazilian religious sect in new mexico from importing a banned substance, a hallucinogenic tea, for use in its ceremonies. in a case involving anti - abortion protests appearing before the court for the third time since 1986, the justices ' ruling could affect protest


sect in new mexico from importing a banned substance, a hallucinogenic tea, for use in its ceremonies. in a case involving anti - abortion protests appearing before the court for the third time since 1986, the justices ' ruling could affect protest and picketing rights and practices. and a los angeles deputy district attorney wants the court to declare that his free - speech rights were violated when he was disciplined for informing a defense attorney about ethical problems in a pending case. the confirmation process for miers should be complete by the end of the year. at present, chances seem good that she will be confirmed. since 1789, the senate has rejected only 34 of 155 nominations to the supreme court. not much is known about roberts ' views on these issues ; even less about miers '. first amendment advocates, of course, hope they set the new court on a new course as far as free expression is concerned. in that regard, justice brandeis set a great example as a first amendment champion during his 23 years on the supreme court. " those who won our independence, " he wrote in 1927, " believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty. they believed that freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth. " the cause of liberty would be better served if this court ' s future rulings transcend individual temperament and ideology to embrace the freedom for speech and the tolerance for belief that define a vital democracy. editor ' s note : paul k. mcmasters is first amendment ombudsman at the first amendment center, 1101 wilson blvd., arlington, va. 22209. web : www. firstamendmentcenter. org. e - mail : email @ example. com.


the vaunted protection that intellectually active adults get from alzheimer ’ s disease has a dark downside, a study released wednesday has found. once dementia symptoms become evident and alzheimer ’ s disease is diagnosed in such patients, their mental decline can come with frightening speed. that finding, published in the journal neurology, comes from a study of 1, 157 chicago - based seniors who were followed for an average of just over 11 years. six years after gauging the extent to which the study participants engaged in activities that challenged their mental capacities, researchers from rush university medical center alzheimer ’ s disease center made periodic assessments of the study participants ’ cognitive health and traced the trajectories of their brain health. all told, 148 of the participants were diagnosed with alzheimer ’ s disease during the follow - up period, and 395 were found to have mild cognitive impairment — intellectual problems that are less severe than alzheimer ’ s disease, but which often precede such a diagnosis. while all participants ’ mental function showed yearly declines, the steepest downward trajectories belonged to those who had been diagnosed with alzheimer ’ s disease, but who had reported high levels of mental engagement at the outset of the study. fellow alzheimer ’ s sufferers who had not sought out much intellectual stimulation at the study ’ s outset showed a more gradual decline in their function. “ in effect, the results of this study suggest that the benefit of delaying the initial appearance of cognitive impairment [ in alzheimer ’ s disease ] comes at the cost of more rapid dementia progression, ” the author wrote. the findings support a common observation of those who treat intellectually minded patients who go on to be diagnosed with alzheimer ’ s disease — that once diagnosed, their decline is rapid. it also underscores a growing body of evidence that the bright and mentally - active may not beat alzheimer ’ s disease, but can hold off its ravages for months or years longer than those who are not so engaged. dr. john m. ringman, a ucla neurologist and assistant director of the mary s. easton center for alzheimer ’ s disease research, said he sees regular evidence of the phenomenonen in his clinical work, as well as in brain - imaging scans that can detect the physical signs of alzheimer ’ s disease while a patient is still alive : patients with a history of intensive mental engagement seem to develop a “ cognitive reserve, ” said dr. ringman. that mental strength frequently allows them to function almost normally, he said, even as the amyloid plaques and neuro


belgian physicist francois englert, left, speaks with british physicist … ( fabrice coffrini / afp / getty … ) for physicists, it was a moment like landing on the moon or the discovery of dna. the focus was the higgs boson, a subatomic particle that exists for a mere fraction of a second. long theorized but never glimpsed, the so - called god particle is thought to be key to understanding the existence of all mass in the universe. the revelation wednesday that it - - or some version of it - - had almost certainly been detected amid more than hundreds of trillions of high - speed collisions in a 17 - mile track near geneva prompted a group of normally reserved scientists to erupt with joy. for the record los angeles times friday, july 06, 2012 home edition main news part a page 4 news desk 1 inches ; 48 words type of material : correction large hadron collider : in some copies of the july 5 edition, an article in section a about the machine used by physicists at the european organization for nuclear research to search for the higgs boson referred to the $ 5 - billion large hadron collider. the correct amount is $ 10 billion. peter higgs, one of the scientists who first hypothesized the existence of the particle, reportedly shed tears as the data were presented in a jampacked and applause - heavy seminar at cern, the european organization for nuclear research. " it ' s a gigantic triumph for physics, " said frank wilczek, an mit physicist and nobel laureate. " it ' s a tremendous demonstration of a community dedicated to understanding nature. " the achievement, nearly 50 years in the making, confirms physicists ' understanding of how mass - - the stuff that makes stars, planets and even people - - arose in the universe, they said. it also points the way toward a new path of scientific inquiry into the mass - generating mechanism that was never before possible, said ucla physicist robert cousins, a member of one of the two research teams that has been chasing the higgs boson at cern. " i compare it to turning the corner and walking around a building - - there ' s a whole new set of things you can look at, " he said. " it is a beginning, not an end. " leaders of the two teams reported independent results that suggested the existence of a previously unseen subatomic particle with a mass of about 125 to 126 billion electron volts. both groups got


he said. " it is a beginning, not an end. " leaders of the two teams reported independent results that suggested the existence of a previously unseen subatomic particle with a mass of about 125 to 126 billion electron volts. both groups got results at a " five sigma " level of confidence - - the statistical requirement for declaring a scientific " discovery. " " the chance that either of the two experiments had seen a fluke is less than three parts in 10 million, " said uc san diego physicist vivek sharma, a former leader of one of the higgs research groups. " there is no doubt that we have found something. " but he and others stopped just shy of saying that this new particle was indeed the long - sought higgs boson. " all we can tell right now is that it quacks like a duck and it walks like a duck, " sharma said. in this case, quacking was enough for most. " if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it ' s probably at least a bird, " said wilczek, who stayed up past 3 a. m. to watch the seminar live over the web while vacationing in new hampshire. certainly cern leaders in geneva, even as they referred to their discovery simply as " a new particle, " didn ' t bother hiding their excitement. the original plan had been to present the latest results on the higgs search at the international conference on high energy physics, a big scientific meeting that began wednesday in melbourne. but as it dawned on cern scientists that they were on the verge of " a big announcement, " cousins said, officials decided to honor tradition and instead present the results on cern ' s turf. the small number of scientists who theorized the existence of the higgs boson in the 1960s - - including higgs of the university of edinburgh - - were invited to fly to geneva. for the non - vip set, lines to get into the auditorium began forming late tuesday. many spent the night in sleeping bags. all the hubbub was due to the fact that the discovery of the higgs boson is the last piece of the puzzle needed to complete the so - called standard model of particle physics - - the big picture that describes the subatomic particles that make up everything in the universe, and the forces that work between them. over the course of the 20th century, as physicists learned more about the standard model, they struggled to answer one very basic question : why does


discrimination against citizens because of their sexual orientation or their youth is just as unfair as discrimination based on race, religion or gender. access to housing, hotels, theaters and restaurants should be equal to all, as a matter of plain fairness. the palm beach county commission recognized this truth in passing an ordinance protecting homosexuals, unmarried couples and young people from discrimination in renting or buying housing and in public accommodations. the ordinance also bans discrimination based on race, religion, gender, ethnic origin or disability, but it was the protection of gays that generated opposition and demands for a countywide referendum on the issue. no other florida county protects homosexuals against housing discrimination. in the 1970s, dade county passed a similar ordinance but it was repealed in a voter referendum after a bitter fight. a broward county effort to revise the human rights law to protect homosexuals is more complicated. the broward law was adopted through the florida legislature, so a revision must get legislative approval and be ratified in a public referendum. palm beach county ` s ordinance passed 4 - 1 ; commissioner ron howard dissented. the other four commissioners demonstrated courage by refusing to buckle under to opponents or to pass the buck to the public in a referendum. commissioners were elected to make tough decisions ; this time they did. the ordinance provides exceptions : a landlord who lives on his property of four or fewer housing units and rents the rest won ` t have to comply. nor will a seasonal resident who rents his home to someone else part of the year and lives in it himself the rest of the time. also exempt are religious organizations that own housing units. those sensible exceptions leave the vast majority of housing covered under the new ordinance. violators will face fines of up to $ 50, 000, but it may be difficult to prove a violation. early decisive action against violators by law enforcers, prosecutors and judges could make a clear statement that the county means business and won ` t tolerate further discrimination in housing and public accommodations.


" helplessness " and " confusion " are words that easily come to mind when the issue of sick building syndrome is mentioned. it is a problem that does not have a regulatory solution, and is bound with engineering, medicine and emotions that will challenge the best of school administrators. a careful management style and knowledgeable use of technologies in medicine, toxicology and property maintenance are a school administrator ' s best allies in preparing to deal with or prevent this new generation of health and safety challenges. defining sick building syndrome there is no regulatory definition for sick building syndrome. although it often relates to indoor - air - quality problems, it simply means that the environment of a building is inspiring complaints of discomfort and / or disease. fundamentally, the causes of sick buildings relate to architecture and engineering patterns institutionalized in school construction following world war ii. schools of glass, rock and wood, with high ceilings, cross - ventilation via a transom over the door, and windows and radiators that could be adjusted by teachers no longer were built. these schools were being replaced with new, factory - like buildings featuring a temperamental, eccentric system of master controls for indoor environment. buildings were constructed with no regard to the environment around them or to people within the property. today, allowing for the ambiguity in defining sick buildings, somewhere between 1 - in - 5 and 1 - in - 15 school facilities are in a situation where discomfort and disease can be attributed to operations of the building. health symptoms in a sick building are highly variable, but generally split into three categories : - radical reaction - - a number of people clearly and suddenly ill. this usually involves limited air exchange combined with a " smoking gun, " which can include a new chemical cleaner, misbatched chlorine in a pool area, a weather inversion preventing a kiln from venting properly or a failure of a mechanical air - exchange system. - unhealthy atmosphere - - many people experiencing ongoing subtle illness or discomfort. the most common symptoms involve the dehydration of sensitive tissue, including sore eyes, throat or nasal membranes ; a feeling of lethargy ; a higher incidence of upper - respiratory infection ; asthmatic reactions ; low - grade headaches ; and a continuum of muscle pain and general discomfort among building occupants. much of this relates to oxygen deprivation typically caused by oxygen being displaced by other compounds, and occasionally by infestation of microbes as a result of excessive moisture remaining within the property. - hypersensitive reaction or multiple chemical sensitivity reaction - - one or two individuals extremely


oxygen deprivation typically caused by oxygen being displaced by other compounds, and occasionally by infestation of microbes as a result of excessive moisture remaining within the property. - hypersensitive reaction or multiple chemical sensitivity reaction - - one or two individuals extremely ill. this can result if even tiny exposures occur to anyone that has a highly sensitive reaction to certain chemicals. typically, these complaints should be viewed as warnings that some low - level toxin is in the area. although sick building syndrome usually relates to the general nature of the building itself, there are some specifics that account for most indoor - air problems : * combustibles ; any possible introduction of carbon monoxide. * moisture as it may relate to mold ( look for growths on drywall ). * moisture as it may relate to airborne infectious agents ( standing water and consequent growths ). * volatile organic compounds ( vocs ), usually cleaning agents or building materials, which may give off unpleasant, sometimes toxic gases. * formaldehydes in new carpet, pressed wood or other building products. * any new or newly exposed particleboard. * applied poisons ( pesticides, insecticides, rodenticides, herbicides ). a proactive approach administrators are dealing with a generation of post - world war ii properties prone to indoor - air - quality problems, particularly buildings constructed or remodeled during the 1970s energy crisis. a school district should take several steps before a problem strikes. first, initiate patterns for preventing air - quality problems. second, establish baseline information that will profile the building to facilitate an efficient, inexpensive and confidence - inspiring response. building occupants and the community need to see a clear and confident administrative approach should a problem arise in the future. the proactive investigation of the building should involve a limited amount of basic testing, particularly a professional review of the microbial matrix within the building - - the number of colony - forming units or what kinds of microbes presently are nesting in the building. understanding what is living in the ambient air can help administrators understand if there is a problem or, more importantly, can help to quickly isolate the exact nature of a problem. similarly, administrators should consider hiring an outside contractor to review how air - handling and mechanical - engineering systems are managed. a knowledgeable person should walk the area and observe the mechanical systems to see how the filtering system, the air - dispersion system and the air - dilution patterns of the building are operating. finally, a reliable epidemiological profile of comparative absenteeism should


ethiopian kids hack zoom tablets in five months. the one laptop per child ( olpc ) project recently tried a new approach to distributing computers to developing countries, by leaving boxes of tablets in remote ethiopian villages with no instructions. the motorola zoom tablets had a custom english language os, a solar charger, and tracking software to monitor how they were used. to the surprise of the organization, not only could the kids who started using the tablets easily figure out how to switch on and use them, but they also learnt to hack into the os and enable features - amazing especially seeing as most of the kids had never seen a printed word before, let alone in english. “ we left the boxes in the village. closed. taped shut. no instruction, no human being. i thought, the kids will play with the boxes! within four minutes, one kid not only opened the box, but found the on / off switch. he ’ d never seen an on / off switch. he powered it up. within five days, they were using 47 apps per child per day. within two weeks, they were singing abc songs [ in english ] in the village. and within five months, they had hacked android. some idiot in our organization or in the media lab had disabled the camera! and they figured out it had a camera, and they hacked android. ” olpc used the experiment to see whether kids can teach themselves to read and write english. research shows that 100, 000, 000 kids worldwide don ’ t even make to to first grade, often because there are no schools or teachers available. for the cost of a tablet, that could all change. previous olpc studies have also shown that the kids will also teach their parents to read and write as well.


the independent jane for all the love, romance and scandal in jane austen ’ s books, what they are really about is freedom and independence. independence of thought and the freedom to choose. elizabeth ’ s refusal of mr. collins offer of marriage showed an independence seldom seen in heroines of the day. her refusal of mr. darcy while triggered by anger showed a level of independence that left him shocked and stunned. the freedom she exhibited in finally accepting him in direct defiance of lady catherine and knowing her father would disapprove was unusual even for austen. in her last book anne elliot is persuaded to refuse captain wentworth at lady russel ’ s insistence. although jane played by the rules of the day, all of her writing is infused with how she wanted life to be. she ‘ screams ’ her outrage at the limitations for women in emma. when accosted by mrs. elton, jane fairfax says, “ excuse me, ma ’ am, but this is by no means my intention ; i make no inquiry myself, and should be sorry to have any made by my friends. when i am quite determined as to the time, i am not at all afraid of being long unemployed. there are places in town, offices, where inquiry would soon produce something — offices for the sale, not quite of human flesh, but of human intellect. ” “ oh! my dear, human flesh! you quite shock me ; if you mean a fling at the slave - trade, i assure you mr. suckling was always rather a friend to the abolition. ” “ i did not mean, i was not thinking of the slave - trade, ” replied jane ; “ governess - trade, i assure you, was all that i had in view ; widely different certainly, as to the guilt of those who carry it on ; but as to the greater misery of the victims, i do not know where it lies. ” that same sentiment is emphasized in emma ’ s shock when mrs. weston tells her of frank churchill ’ s secret engagement to jane. “ good god! ” cried emma, “ jane actually on the point of going as governess! what could he mean by such horrible indelicacy? to suffer her to engage herself — to suffer her even to think of such a measure! ” i find it interesting that at the moment of austen ’ s birth or there about, john adams left his farm in massachusetts for the continental congress in philadelphia. doesn ’ t sound particularly interesting, i know but consider this. john adams left his home in mid


find it interesting that at the moment of austen ’ s birth or there about, john adams left his farm in massachusetts for the continental congress in philadelphia. doesn ’ t sound particularly interesting, i know but consider this. john adams left his home in mid - december 1775 to attend an unprecedented meeting of colonial representatives to consider severing ties with their mother country and her monarch ; a decision that culminated in a document unlike any ever written. in the mother country, one day in that same cold december a baby girl was born at steventon rectory. her cry was heard by only the people in the house but the years to come would see her pen create works unlike any the world had ever seen. comparing austen ’ s words with thomas jefferson ’ s may seem a trivialization but i believe that austen ’ s impact on the world is no less important than jefferson ’ s. the effect of jane ’ s writing maybe more subtle than that of the virginian but it is no less influential. jefferson ’ s words instigated and promoted a revolution, a war of independence. jane ’ s words had no such excessive consequence. still in her own quiet, genteel yet powerful way she declared and promoted the same principles of freedom and self - regulated independence as our american forefathers. in all her novels jane advocates independence of person and thought, the rights of all and acceptance of responsibility for those rights. jane may not have incited military action as jefferson did but even as an avowed royalist, i doubt not that jane austen firmly believed in his declaration of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.


" got nothing but blue skies " it is september 19, 1783. the place, lyons, france. preparations are being made for a journey. a journey that will eventually take man from his secure environment of terra firma, and place him in a hostile environment called the atmosphere. the vehicle to be used is a hot air balloon. the brainchild behind this trek is a wealthy paper maker named joseph montgolfier. there has been much speculation over just how montgolfier made the discovery of the hot air balloon. the most commonly - believed story is that his wife was standing too close to a fire and that the smoke caused her skirt to be inflated and lifted above her knees. this caused montgolfier to wonder - if this smoke, and its magical lifting powers, could be captured in a very large container, it might rise and lift a passenger along with it. so, montgolfier went about building the first hot air balloon. in 1783, not much was known about the atmosphere and its effects on human beings. upon examination of the occupants for any ill effects caused by this lofty height, it was discovered that the duck had a broken wing. could this have been an effect of exposure to altitude? actually, several observers noted that as the balloon left the ground, the sheep had an anxiety attack and kicked the duck. montgolfier reasoned that it would be safe for humans to ascend to altitude. so on november 21, 1783, jean francois pilatre de rozier ( a surgeon ) became the first aeronaut and flight surgeon. over 200 years have passed since that first flight. technology has allowed us to ascend through the atmosphere and into space, but the hazards of high altitude flight ( hypoxia, altitude - induced decompression sickness, and trapped gases ) will always be present. that is because humans are best suited to live in what is known as the " physiological efficient zone ". this zone extends from sea level to 12, 000 feet. when humans are exposed to altitudes above this zone, they are subjected to physiological hazards beyond their natural ability to adapt. one thing to keep in mind is that everything that occupies space and exerts weight is considered to be matter. all matter is made up of atoms and molecules in varying densities. these particles within the matter are kinetic and in constant motion. the slower the motion of the particles, the more dense the matter becomes. also, as the particles are pushed closer together, the matter also becomes more dense. the best


varying densities. these particles within the matter are kinetic and in constant motion. the slower the motion of the particles, the more dense the matter becomes. also, as the particles are pushed closer together, the matter also becomes more dense. the best way to slow down kinetic molecules is to cool the matter. the best way to get them to move closer together is to add pressure to the matter. inversely, when you remove the pressure or heat any material, the molecules within the material moves faster and further apart, thus making the material less dense. the least dense form of matter is, of course, gas. if a gas is cooled and compressed, at some point it will become a liquid. if that liquid is then cooled further, then at some point it will become a solid. also, when you take the pressure off any gas or liquid, that material will grow less dense and expand. this is essentially what happens to the gaseous molecules of our atmosphere. our atmosphere contains approximately 79 % nitrogen and 21 % oxygen, a constant ratio until you reach an altitude of about 270, 000 feet. so the question that always comes up is ; " if i have 21 % oxygen at sea level and 21 % at 40, 000 feet, why do i succumb to the effects of hypoxia within 20 seconds at that altitude? " the answer is, atmospheric pressure! if you could picture all the gaseous nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the atmosphere, they would stack up from the surface of the earth to the fringe of space. all these molecules stacking on top each other create a great deal of weight, or pressure. at sea level, one square - inch of any surface has about 15 pounds of air sitting on top of it. at 18, 000 feet, that same square inch has only 7. 5 pounds per square - inch ( psi ) exerted on it. what has caused this atmospheric pressure drop? the answer is simple : there is more air stacked up at sea level than above 18, 000 feet, and therefore, more weight. as you recall, when molecules are subjected to this pressure, they are going to move closer together. this will make the air more dense with oxygen and nitrogen molecules. for example, if at sea level you take in a breath of air that has an atmospheric pressure of 15 psi, then that air may contain 500 billion molecules of oxygen ( this a fictitious number to be used only as an example ) ; if you go to 18, 000 feet and take the same breath where atmospheric pressure


air that has an atmospheric pressure of 15 psi, then that air may contain 500 billion molecules of oxygen ( this a fictitious number to be used only as an example ) ; if you go to 18, 000 feet and take the same breath where atmospheric pressure is 7. 5 psi, then you will pull in only 250 billion molecules of oxygen. but, you require 500 billion per breath to function normally, and you ' re getting only half of what you need. that ' s hypoxia! not only do gaseous molecules in the atmosphere expand with reduced total pressure, gases in the human body are also subject to the same expansion. there are several areas in the body - ears, sinuses, lungs, gastro - intestinal tract, and teeth - where these gases can expand and cause a variety of problems. as long as the gas can expand and escape, there will be no problem. but if the gas becomes trapped, then pain will be the usual result. as we have discussed earlier, the air we breathe contains about 79 % nitrogen. nitrogen is inhaled into the lungs and distributed and stored throughout the body. according to gas laws, gases of higher pressure always exert force towards areas of low pressure. when you inhale nitrogen, it will be stored at a pressure of about 12 psi ( 79 % nitrogen ) of 15 psi ( total atmospheric pressure ), equal to about 12 psi ). when you ascend to altitude and the pressure around your body begins to drop, this creates a pressure gradient ( higher nitrogen in the body than outside the body ) and the nitrogen will try to equalize and escape outside the body. sometimes this nitrogen can leave so quickly and in such quantify that it may form a bubble. if this bubble forms at a body joint, the pain it causes is know as " the bends. " these are just a few of the problems that can occur when the human body is exposed to high altitude conditions. these problems will always be there for aviation. but through education and knowledge of the mechanisms that cause these problems, we can take steps toward protection and prevention so that your blue skies won ' t give you a case of the blues. by j. r. brown | savstop online magazine contact us return home | grab this headline animator


nursing a critically ill state back to health | indranill basu ray highlights the core problems that afflict bengal ' s health sector and suggests a few ways to improve the situation | despite many technological and other achievements that have propelled india from being a developing nation to one of the top economies of the world, one field that india continues to lag behind in is health. this is why stories of babies dying in large numbers haunt newspaper headlines. india is behind bangladesh and sri lanka in life expectancy at birth or under - five mortality level. india accounts for about 17 per cent of the world population, but it contribute to a fifth of the world ' s share of diseases. a third of all diarrhoeal diseases in the world occurs in india. the country has the second largest number of hiv / aids cases after south africa. it is home to one - fifth of the world ' s population afflicted with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. a common excuse that i often hear is that we have limited resources to tackle the huge and burgeoning health problems. but even the richest country on earth, the united states of america, has failed to provide appropriate health services to a large section of the populace. the problem in india is quite different. apart from being a poor nation with limited resources, it also has a sizeable population in need of basic health services. furthermore, the lack of appropriate sanitary measures and education ensures an ever increasing presence of communicable disease that have been controlled and even eradicated in the developed nations. india ' s list of woes does not stop here. lack of foresight on the part of successive governments and selective and fragmented strategies to counter daily problems without a definite public health goal have been the mainstay of india ' s health policies. resource allocation to this sector is influenced by the prevailing fiscal situation as well as by the priorities of the reigning government. unfortunately, in bengal — a state that faces a dismal fiscal situation — the government ' s priorities have been skewed as a result of political necessities. although we have a new government at the helm, it is important to realize that gross changes at the practical level cannot be initiated without having a team with experience and knowledge define a well - thought - out strategy. it is also essential to have a government that is willing to fulfil the financial needs necessary for the strategy to work. it is difficult, if not impossible, to paint a picture of the present state of public health in west bengal and to suggest measures to rec


essential to have a government that is willing to fulfil the financial needs necessary for the strategy to work. it is difficult, if not impossible, to paint a picture of the present state of public health in west bengal and to suggest measures to rectify the same in a short article like this. my intention is to highlight the core problems plaguing the system and to suggest solutions based on accepted principles of public health and healthcare management. the steps that need to be taken are as follows : reducing disease burden, including infectious diseases as well as non - communicable epidemics like diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease ; restructuring the existing primary healthcare system to make it more accountable ; creating a skilled and professional workforce which is quality driven ; financial planning to bring more investment to the health sector. reducing disease burden is the cornerstone of any good health policy. the factors that help reduce communicable diseases are clean drinking water, improved sanitation and an effective vaccination programme. a paradigm shift, from the prevalent curative approach to a preventive approach, including health promotion by inculcating behavioural changes, is imperative to reduce disease burden. west bengal is one of four states that urgently needs high investment in safe drinking water and toilet facilities. it is estimated that rs 18, 000 crore is required to provide effective drinking water and sanitation facilities for the entire country. kerala, maharashtra, west bengal and odisha would account for more than 60 per cent of the total outlay. similarly, a huge investment is required to provide nutritional supplements to malnourished children and pregnant and lactating mothers living below the poverty line. according to a report by the national commission on macroeconomics and health, west bengal would need to harness an additional resource requirement of rupees ( in crore ) 1, 286, 2, 459, 4, 693, 13, 811 and 8, 485 in sectors such as health, water and sanitation, nutrition, primary schooling and roads. it has been projected that in the next five years west bengal will spend a large portion of its revenues on wages and salaries, interest payments and pensions, leaving very little for discretionary expenditure in the field of health. it is imperative that the present government rethink and strategize in collaboration with the centre to ensure the appropriate funding necessary to make the state healthy. restructuring the present healthcare delivery system is also equally important. most primary healthcare centres are old, dilapidated buildings with few or no facilities. some do not even have basic resources like healthcare


with the centre to ensure the appropriate funding necessary to make the state healthy. restructuring the present healthcare delivery system is also equally important. most primary healthcare centres are old, dilapidated buildings with few or no facilities. some do not even have basic resources like healthcare workers or pharmacists. what is required is a radical overhaul of the existing system. there are differences in health systems of different countries. a state - run health system, such as the one in canada, suffers from delayed medical care. a privately - run health system like the one in the us provides only limited health services to its poor. india ' s healthcare should carve out the best of both systems. private healthcare is thriving in india. it is uncontrolled and aimed at profit - making. government - run hospitals are poorly managed, providing few or no facilities to those living below the poverty line. different models have been suggested to take care of this disparity. while private investment will always be geared towards profit - making, it is mandatory to rein in these bodies under well - defined rules. large private hospitals in the us are non - profit bodies, which have to follow stringent rules in patient care. at the other end of the spectrum is the national health service in britain in which small, medium and even a few large hospitals are making way for a more competent and accountable government - controlled health system with fewer hospitals. human resource management is very important in running an effective health system. one of the biggest lacunae of government health service is its poor human - resource management. many physicians are not paid appropriate salaries or are posted in places that are not of their choice. political intervention and favouritism play a big role in posting physicians. consequently, dedicated physicians who want to serve the public or work in the academic setting found in government hospitals are forced to remain in private hospitals. to boost morale and efficacy, discipline needs to be instituted in the system and a transparent posting policy adopted. the doctor - population ratio needs to be improved by filling up vacancies in the west bengal health service. it is important to free postings from the grip of bureaucrats to ensure the registration of quality candidates. physicians failing to report to duty or indulging in indiscipline must be punished. doctors who do sign up need to provide relevant and quality medical care. this can only be done if some form of recertification of doctors is made mandatory once every 10 years. physicians ' salaries in the state health service must be made on a par with those of the


up need to provide relevant and quality medical care. this can only be done if some form of recertification of doctors is made mandatory once every 10 years. physicians ' salaries in the state health service must be made on a par with those of the central government to make sure that it remains a lucrative option. senior physicians providing exemplary public service must be rewarded for the same. a commonly - held notion is that most physicians run after the lucrative salaries that are offered in private hospitals. hence it is difficult to retain them in the government sector. this, however, is true of a minority. the majority of physicians are willing to work in a healthy, progressive and academic environment if there are appropriate non - financial incentives. let us take the example of christian medical college, vellore. most of the faculty there are paid salaries that are much lower than those of the private sector. however, physicians are provided with other facilities such as good housing, free schools, free - to - highly - subsidized college education and, most importantly, a progressive and research oriented work environment. west bengal lags behind many other states when it comes to medical education. there is an urgent need to increase the number of medical colleges in the state. private investment for the same should be welcomed but appropriate laws must be instituted so that huge capitation fees are not charged for seats. furthermore, selection should be made through competitive examinations. a certain percentage of seats can be reserved for the economically weaker sections. students passing out of such medical colleges must be given postings in rural hospitals. this has been true on paper for many decades now, but the rule has been poorly implemented even in government - run medical colleges. innovative schemes ought to be thought of to involve the cash - rich private sector to service the medical needs of the state. private institutions using government money or land must be asked to provide free service to 20 per cent of their capacity. appropriate punitive measures — such as temporarily withholding or cancelling licences — can be taken when a private institution fails to honour this commitment. institutions willing to set up large hospitals, particularly around calcutta, must be helped through the provision of low - cost land. but in return, promises to set up satellite hospitals in far - flung district headquarters have to be met. the biggest challenge to the rejuvenation of the healthcare system is the garnering of funds. west bengal is financially broke, thanks to the misrule of the communists. unlike most other communist rulers, our home - grown variants failed to provide basic sanitation


challenge to the rejuvenation of the healthcare system is the garnering of funds. west bengal is financially broke, thanks to the misrule of the communists. unlike most other communist rulers, our home - grown variants failed to provide basic sanitation, good roads, a working healthcare system and appropriate nutritional supplements to women and children. the lack of social services resulted in poor health and in increased mortality among the vulnerable sections of society. government efforts to improve basic health services must fund programmes that provide sanitation, nutritional supplements, and daily meals for school - going children. substantial investments in these sectors can reduce mortality in children. it is popular to blame doctors for not being able to save severely ill, malnourished children. but things won ' t change unless determined steps are taken to root out the problems, such as poor funds, minimal resources and an incompetent workforce, that affect the west bengal health service. in the next five years, in collaboration with the centre and the non - government organizations involved in public health, the state government must chalk out a definitive strategy to improve the supply of clean drinking water, provide better sanitation and one full meal to school - going children and arrange for nutritional supplements to pregnant women. private investment should be wooed in the health sector to set up hospitals in large metropolitan areas as well as in small district towns. while government land is needed at an appropriate price to help investors build hospitals, steps must be taken to bring about the inclusion of the deprived sections in their service plans. strong regulatory bodies that can monitor private hospitals and nursing homes must be instituted. many of the profiteering health institutions do not provide basic facilities, lack trained nurses and paramedical staff, and some are even run by quacks without medical degrees. it is of utmost importance that a regulatory body conducts surprise checks on these institutions, registers complaints and takes remedial steps. many ngos have been able to set up large projects benefiting thousands of people. they have also succeeded in bringing foreign aid to tackle malaria and hiv. the state government should help these ngos achieve their goals while exercising control to prevent financial irregularities. their services ought to be applauded and single - window processing of applications instituted to help them tackle bureaucratic delays. health is a service industry and not a lucrative business. unfortunately, in bengal, most large hospitals are owned by corporates. only a few are owned or run by doctors. there is thus a sustained effort to make profit. poor consumer protection makes the man on the street vulnerable to substandard service


the convention adjourned from july 26th to august 6th to allow the committee of detail – composed of john rutledge of south carolina, edmund randolph of virginia, nathaniel gorham of massachusetts, oliver ellsworth of connecticut, and james wilson of pennsylvania – to prepare a rough draft of a constitution, based on the series of resolutions the delegates had debated, amended, and debated again. when the convention re - convened, the committee of detail presented its report, made up of twenty - three articles. the convention spent the remainder of august reviewing and further revising these articles. we the people of … delegates quickly agreed to accept the committee of detail ’ s preamble and articles i and ii, affirming the new government would be called the unites states of america and consist of legislative, executive, and judicial branches. this agreement masked the critical issue that the convention had debated throughout – was this to be a union of states or of people? the committee of detail ’ s constitution began, “ we the people of the states ( emphasis added ) of new hampshire, massachusetts, rhode - island and providence plantations, connecticut, new - york, new - jersey, pennsylvania, delaware, maryland, virginia, north - carolina, south - carolina, and georgia, do ordain, declare, and establish the following constitution for the government of ourselves and our posterity. ” the convention would not end with that language in the preamble. representation : who, what, and how many? discussion of the committee of detail report continued to include the structure and powers of the legislative branch. some of the key questions included : who can elect representatives? how many representatives will there be? what will be their qualifications? delegates debated whether to allow non - land owners to the right to vote for house members, or reserve the franchise to property owners. gouverneur morris wanted to restrict voting to those with property, considering them more educated and better able to choose wise leaders. “ the ignorant and dependant, ” morris stated, “ can be … little trusted with the public interest. ” colonel mason countered arguments of this kind, saying all citizens should have equal voting rights and privileges. doctor franklin sided with colonel mason believing that restricting the right to vote to land owners would cause contention among the people. in the end morris ’ s proposal to restrict the franchise to property owners was defeated soundly ( 7 - 1 - 1 ). just as the convention rejected a plan to restrict voting to property owners, they also rejected a proposal to restrict elective


. in the end morris ’ s proposal to restrict the franchise to property owners was defeated soundly ( 7 - 1 - 1 ). just as the convention rejected a plan to restrict voting to property owners, they also rejected a proposal to restrict elective office to property owners. south carolina ’ s charles pinckney moved that “ the president of the u. s., the judges, and members of the legislature should be required to swear that they were respectively possessed of a cleared unencumbered estate ” – in an amount to be agreed upon by members of the convention. this proposal went nowhere. benjamin franklin expressed his “ dislike of every thing that tended to debase the spirit of the common people, ” and observed that “ some of the greatest rogues he was ever acquainted with, were the richest rogues. ” madison reports that pinckney ’ s motion “ was rejected by so general a no, that the states were not called. ” the convention did have a sentiment in favor of strong citizenship requirements for legislators. the committee of detail ’ s report required members of the house be u. s. citizens for three years prior to election, and members of the senate for four years. some, including george mason and morris, agreed that a lengthy citizenship requirement would protect the legislature from foreign intrigue. others, including madison and franklin, pointed to the number of foreign friends who had helped the states during the war for independence. delegates sided with mason and morris, agreeing to requirements that members of the house be citizens for seven years and members of the senate for nine years prior to election. on the question of how many representatives would make up the national legislature, article iv of the committee of detail report stated that the house of representatives would initially consist of sixty - five members, and that in the future, members of the house would be added “ at the rate of one for every forty thousand. ” madison, expecting the union to grow rapidly, thought that rate would quickly lead the house to grow too large. others thought that time would make this issue irrelevant. mr. nathaniel gorham from massachusetts asked, “ can it be supposed that this vast country including the western territory will 150 years hence remain one nation? mr. oliver ellsworth observed that “ if the government should continue so long, alterations may be made in the constitution ” through the amendment process. delegates agreed to add the language “ not exceeding ” to the one representative for 40, 000 citizen ratio, making that a ceiling and not a floor. controversy over this provision would re


, alterations may be made in the constitution ” through the amendment process. delegates agreed to add the language “ not exceeding ” to the one representative for 40, 000 citizen ratio, making that a ceiling and not a floor. controversy over this provision would re - emerge before the end of the convention, however. the specter of slavery likewise, controversy would emerge about slavery. consideration of the apportionment of representatives raised the question of whether slaves would be included within that ratio. morris rose on august 8 and gave a withering criticism of the institution. moving to specify that this ratio would include only “ free ” inhabitants, morris called slavery “ a nefarious institution, ” and “ the curse of heaven ”. comparing free with slave states, morris noted, on the one hand, “ a rich and noble cultivation [ which ] marks the prosperity and happiness of the people, ” and on the other “ the misery and poverty which overspread the barren wastes of virginia, maryland, and the other states having slaves. ” morris ’ s motion was defeated 10 - 1, but the issue of how slavery would be addressed by the new union was by no means resolved. for more detailed information on the constitutional convention, please visit prof. gordon lloyd ’ s web companion to the philadelphia convention. posted in countdown to the constitution


in 2006, two scientists announced that they had cooked an egg by placing it in between two cell phones. it has been thrououghly disproven and analyzed since the surface of the claim, but it is still an excellent opportunity to use the scientific thinking principles on! # 1 : ruling out rival hypotheses this principle isn ' t the most relevant because the experiment doesn ' t exactly prove any hypotheses. but it can still apply to the attempt to cook an egg between two cell phones because there could be other effects causing that outcome. # 2 : correlation vs. causation there are so many other reasons that the egg could ' ve cooked! maybe it was really hot out? or the cell phone egg set up was within a microwave? not the most probable of all possible causations, but it proves the point. there could be many other ways this egg could ' ve cooked ( or in actuality, the fact that it didn ' t cook at all ) that we need to examine or at least acknowledge that they could be there. this claim is very out there so it has a really good chance of being able to be falsified. as we will see in # 4, after replicating the incident one can find almost instantly that it is in fact a hoax. as many people did, reproducing the egg cooking experiement will prove that it is in fact a hoax. every reproduction that was prodcued failed to yield the same results as the first, which made everything make sense when the site ' s webmaster that published the article stepped forward to say it was in fact completely fake. # 5 : extraordinary claims the claim that you can cook an egg with two cell phones is pretty extraordinary yet there is no extraordinary evidence to back it up! in fact, it is just too extraordinary to be real. # 6 : occam ' s razor in my mind, the simpliest explaination would be that it simply is not true. the end. i ' m not going to lie, if this claim was true i would be thrilled. in addition to being in awe of the power of technology, it would make cooking meals for myself in my dorm room a whole lot easier! unfortunately though, this is a hoax. with the help of the six principles of scientific thinking, i will never fall for this or any other raw food cooking claim ever again!


how to win at science fairs ( dec, 1960 ) how to win at science fairs by ronald benrey you can win at a science fair as long as one thing interests you more than winning does. this is your project itself. it is going to be judged on scientific thought, creative ability, and presentation. you will really have to know the field your project is concerned with. this takes effort. since you lack the means of a professional laboratory, you will have to do much with little. this takes trial and error and just plain work. your presentation must be attractive and clear. this means good workmanship, which takes time and care. you are going to have to show some originality. after all, there is no use doing what everybody else is doing : be different. for this, you have to have the other three under control. by the way, the “ laymen ” who see your exhibit will ask all kinds of questions. have good answers at your fingertips. the judges won ’ t be laymen, and any double - talk will scream to them that you don ’ t know your subject. it may also make them suspect that the best parts of your project are not your work. this would be unjust, perhaps, but deadly. now, whether your entry covers a large table top or can just be tucked under your arm, it is going to be a big job. it can ’ t be left for a “ crash program ” in the last few weeks before the fair. it is going to eat up big portions of your time, energy, and spending money for the next several months. all this demands your interest. but it isn ’ t simply a matter of “ fun. ” licking this challenge may be a turning point in your life. with or without a scholarship prize, your career may begin with it. as a reader of electronics illustrated your project will probably deal with electronics or applied physics rather than with biological or earth sciences. select your topic carefully from a broad subject that really interests you. a massive effort in the direction of a passing fancy will result in a mediocre project at best. take a limited subtopic that you think worth investigating and that you feel able to handle. to ease financial strain, plan now to build your project over a long period of time, say six months, on a pay - as - you - build basis. once you have a rough idea of your project ’ s general form, don ’ t dash into construction. visit technical libraries and learn all you can about current professional


of time, say six months, on a pay - as - you - build basis. once you have a rough idea of your project ’ s general form, don ’ t dash into construction. visit technical libraries and learn all you can about current professional work in the field, and its technical jargon. this will give you much important information and helpful hints, and when you finally face the judges, you will know your subject. here is a prickly question. it is up to you to be realistic and honest with yourself when you choose a topic. your science teachers and advisers will certainly be helpful, but the final decision must be yours. in other words, if you have never handled a soldering iron before, don ’ t take on a project requiring elaborate electronic instrumentation. if you have enough time you can work up to a complex project by building a few simpler devices, like many described in ei. this is another reason for starting now. – why not get your feet wet by assembling some test equipment from kits? you will certainly need a multimeter anyway, for any project, and it will be something you can use “ forever. ” another touchy subject : discussion of this often scares off good potential science fairers. nobody requires or expects a science fair project to produce a radical new scientific discovery. however, this does not imply that an entrant can ’ t find a new angle on an old problem. merely duplicating a project described in a magazine shows the judges only one thing : the builder can follow directions. the main benefit of entering a science fair is the challenge of thinking a real problem out, all the way through. your project can be for “ demonstration ” rather than “ research, ” but make sure you come up with fresh, clear, meaningful ways to present your material. stay away from last year ’ s winning project : it was good last year. avoid “ staples ” ( like tesla coils ) unless they are only part of a ‘ wider original project. your project should be well presented and look impressive, but impressive need not mean expensive. judges seldom look twice at an exhibit loaded down with excess and borrowed equipment when the same results could have been obtained more economically and without false show. novel use of common materials shows creative ability, and this is an important judging criterion. remember, how you solved your problem is what counts at a science fair, and not merely that you solved it. also, neatness counts! aside from being impossible to troubleshoot, a rat ’ s nest of


this is an important judging criterion. remember, how you solved your problem is what counts at a science fair, and not merely that you solved it. also, neatness counts! aside from being impossible to troubleshoot, a rat ’ s nest of wiring is typical of losing projects. time spent color - coding leads, installing wire harness and cable clamps will result in a much more attractive and more reliable project. but know what you are doing! don ’ t harness leads in a circuit that demands point - to - point wiring, or cable grid and plate leads together in an amplifier circuit. read up on layout and construction techniques, and allow yourself time to make and correct mistakes. prior planning will also pay off in dollars and cents, since you can save by purchasing some components ( like resistors ) in quantity, and if you live near a big city you can shop around for some items in the military surplus stores, modifying your design if necessary to take odd - value components. now, sit back and start your thinking. the time to start is right now. is your winning project here? radio telescope : home - built sensitive low - noise receiver, simple antenna system. try to make simple “ radio map. ” guidance system : for model ear. can be programmed to run around science fair grounds without hitting anything, or to reach pre - chosen destination. solar cells : home - built unit as part of demonstration of basic physics of solar cells : display on recent professional research results : off - beat practical applications ( eyeglass type hearing aid? ). moon mouse : “ to be landed on the moon. ” self - propelled, radio controlled from earth, instrumented and transmitter equipped. some functions solar powered? these are only suggestions. you may come up with ideas regarding fuel cells, space communications, navigation, etc.


with the development of science and technology, computer has become more and more popular in our daily life, which is intended to be a part of our life. but at the same time it also brings the safety problem, because increasing number of bad people would like to break into computer systems to steal the secret information. it seems that computer safety has been a serious problem by now. maybe you could learn something about the safety terms in microsoft so that you could adopt the different methods according to different cases. what is malware? in fact malware, short for “ malicious software ”, is any kind of software which is installed without your complete permission and is not in need at all. the famous malware areviruses, worms, and trojan horses, which are almost known to us all. even though you are not familiar with them, you must have heard of it at ordinary times. if you want to protect your computer from the malware, you could make sure that the automatic updating is turned on all the time to get the latest updates. 2 antispyware software antispyware software helps protect your computer, and prevent the pop - ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other adverse software. every computer user must keep antispyware software up to date in order to keep in touch with the latest spyware. aimed at protecting our computer, we could use microsoft security essentials, free download software, to be against spyware and other malicious software. a firewall is used to help screen out hackers, viruses, and worms that try to attack your computer through the internet. in fact, if you are the one who use the computer at home, the most efficient and important step is to enable firewall when you start your computer. a virus will slip through and infect you ; the only effective way by protecting yourself is using a firewall. a firewall monitors your internet connections and allows you to specify which programs are allowed to connect and which are not. 4 antivirus software antivirus software is a kind of computer program which can be used to test, defend, and take actions to remove or delete malicious software program. as we all know, computer virus is some programs, which can specially disturb computer operation. so we should update antivirus software in regular time to prevent against the latest virus. 5 windows password besides the above mentioned software, you could have an alternative at the same time, namely windows password. with a password like this, you can prevent your privacy from being let out


. 8grams x kilogram of body weight / day how to convert pounds into kilograms : # pounds / 2. 2 = kg for example someone who weighs say 110 would be 50kg. so we take 50kg and multilpy that by. 8gm and they should be getting about 40 grams of protein a day. low protein diets can result in weak bones, muscle wasting, and decrease in time for wounds to heal. protein is essential in the diet and having enough is very important especially if you are exercising. when you are working with weights and building muscle adequate protein intake is essential in building those muscles. if you are taking a protein supplement in powder try to find one that does not have any added saturated or transaturated fats. there are some protein supplements out there that are made for gaining weight so they will have additional calories and fats in them. so make sure you read the label and everything says 0 except the protein. this brand is an excellent choice and very safe : just remember to read label and consult with your doctor if it is safe for you to take a protein supplement. the following foods are excellent sources of protein : - cottage cheese - nuts and seeds - soy beans - greek yogurt make sure at every meal you have a protein, a healthy carbohydrate ( whole wheat or whole grain ), and good fat. ( monounsaturated fats ) keep your meals and snacks balanced so you can stay full and not feel hungry throughout the day.


our opinion : fostering better nutrition is a key to reducing public health costs. that makes the scarcity of large grocery stores in some urban neighborhoods, especially poor ones, a matter of public policy. it ’ s easy, and comforting, to assume that in an modern, industrialized nation, everyone eats well. surely with programs like food stamps, even needy people are doing ok, right? more than 40, 000 people in albany and schenectady live in what are known as food deserts — places where a grocery store is at least a mile away. many are poor. the u. s. department of agriculture estimates that about 3, 700 of the more than 23, 000 people in albany who don ’ t live near a large grocer are poor. in schenectady, about 5, 400 of the more than 19, 000 people for whom a supermarket trip is more like a trek are low income. moreover, those estimates were based largely on information gathered before a recession that has made even more people poor. that ’ s not just an inconvenience. it ’ s a public health issue in a society where the problems associated with poor nutrition and obesity are linked to the growing cost of public health care. one suggestion for alleviating the problem comes from the american cancer society, which is reviving the controversial idea of a tax on soda and other sugar - sweetened drinks. the group suggests using the tax to help fund and evaluate child obesity programs. an even more productive use might be to devote a portion of such a tax to local efforts to lure larger grocery stores to urban neighborhoods that don ’ t have them now. it would seem doubtful, though, that the state legislature will be any more inclined to implement a soda tax than it was last year, when it refused to do so even with the prospect of raising $ 400 million in new revenue and even with the urging of the state health commissioner and then - gov. david paterson. that doesn ’ t mean it ’ s not worth trying for a soda tax — encouraging kids in particular to cut back on sugary beverages is not a bad goal at all, nor is raising funds that could be used to promote a healthier citizenry. but the more likely reality is that new york and communities will have to find ways to do something about poor nutrition and food deserts without the help of a soda tax. here ’ s one direction : since last march, capital district community gardens has been supplying nine convenience stores and markets with fresh produce under a five - year, $


yesterday ’ s house passage of cap - and - trade legislation designed to confront climate change is a landmark achievement, the first tangible step taken by the country that emits more greenhouse gas per capita than anyone in the world. the bill itself still faces a tough test in the senate. passage is far from assured, and without similar actions by other major emitting countries, it won ’ t mean much. but it does finally demonstrate to the rest of the world that the united states is prepared to do its part, which puts the pressure on them to follow suit. the bill itself, the product of a thousand political compromises, also isn ’ t perfect. but it also isn ’ t what its hysterical opponents claim it is. as bryan walsh acknowledges in time : … critics have vastly overstated the likely cost. in fact, they ’ re all but lying. during the house debate, republican whip eric cantor, using numbers from an american petroleum institute study, said that the bill would eventually cost more than $ 3, 000 per family per year — but those numbers assume that billions of tons worth of inexpensive carbon offsets won ’ t be available under the bill, which would significantly inflate the overall cost. that ’ s not going to happen. a more reliable study from the nonpartisan congressional budget office forecast that the bill would cost the average u. s. household $ 175 in higher energy costs annually by 2020 — and other studies estimate that the energy - efficiency provisions in the bill might even save americans money over time. when opponents are forced to lie so blatantly — in this case exaggerating the likely cost 17 times over — they don ’ t have much of an honest argument.


just as there are many variants and forms of electronic malware and internet - based threats around the globe, so there are many forms of protection against these threats. signature - based detection is one of the multifarious forms of defense that have been developed in order to keep us safe from malicious content. although signature - based detection can be argued to have been overshadowed by more sophisticated methods of protection in some environments, it remains as a core ‘ technique ’ featuring in the anti - virus controls of packages and suites that work to protect a user ’ s system today. how does signature - based detection work? signature - based detection works by scanning the contents of computer files and cross - referencing their contents with the “ code signatures ” belonging to known viruses. a library of known code signatures is updated and refreshed constantly by the anti - virus software vendor. if a viral signature is detected, the software acts to protect the user ’ s system from damage. suspected files are typically quarantined and / or encrypted in order to render them inoperable and useless. clearly there will always be new and emerging viruses with their own unique code signatures. so once again, the anti - virus software vendor works constantly to assess and assimilate new signature - based detection data as it becomes available, often in real time so that updates can be pushed out to users immediately and zero - day vulnerabilities can be avoided. next - generation signature - based detection new variants of computer virus are of course developed every day and security companies now work to also protect users from malware that attempts to disguise itself from traditional signature - based detection. virus authors have tried to avoid their malicious code being detected by writing “ oligomorphic “, “ polymorphic ” and more recently “ metamorphic ” viruses with signatures that are either disguised or changed from those that might be held in a signature directory. despite these developments, the internet at large does of course still function on a daily basis. populated as it is by users who not only have up to date security software installed, but also by those who have educated themselves as to the type of risks discussed here.


by jason kohn, contributing columnist like many of us, scientific researchers tend to be creatures of habit. this includes research teams working for the national oceanic and atmospheric administration ( noaa ), the u. s. government agency charged with measuring the behavior of oceans, atmosphere, and weather. many of these climate scientists work with massive amounts of data – for example, the national weather service collecting up - to - the - minute temperature, humidity, and barometric readings from thousands of sites across the united states to help forecast weather. research teams then rely on some the largest, most powerful high - performance computing ( hpc ) systems in the world to run models, forecasts, and other research computations. given the reliance on hpc resources, noaa climate researchers have traditionally worked onsite at major supercomputing facilities, such as oak ridge national laboratory in tennessee, where access to supercomputers are just steps away. as researchers crate ever more sophisticated models of ocean and atmospheric behavior, however, the hpc requirements have become truly staggering. now, noaa is using a super - high - speed network called “ n - wave ” to connect research sites across the united states with the computing resources they need. the network has been operating for several years, and today transports enough data to fill a 10 - gbps network to full capacity, all day, every day. noaa is now upgrading this network to allow even more data traffic, with the goal of ultimately supporting 100 - gbps data rates. “ our scientists were really used to having a computer in their basement, ” says jerry janssen, manager, n - wave network, noaa, in a video about the project. “ when that computer moved a couple thousand miles away, we had to give them a lot of assurances that, one, the data would actually move at the speed they needed it to move, but also that they could rely on it to be there. the amount of data that will be generated under this model will exceed 80 - 100 terabits per day. ” the n - wave project means much more than just a massive new data pipe. it represents a fundamental shift in the way that scientists can conduct their research, allowing them to perform hugely demanding supercomputer runs of their data from dozens of remote locations. as a result, it gives noaa climate scientists much more flexibility in where and how they work. “ for the first time, noaa scientists and engineers in completely separate parts of the country, all the way to places


from dozens of remote locations. as a result, it gives noaa climate scientists much more flexibility in where and how they work. “ for the first time, noaa scientists and engineers in completely separate parts of the country, all the way to places like alaska and hawaii and puerto rico, will have the bandwidth they need, without restriction, ” says janssen. “ noaa will now be able to do things it never thought it could do before. ” in addition to providing fast, stable access to hpc resources, n - wave is also allowing noaa climate scientists to share resources much more easily with scientists in the u. s. department of energy and other government agencies. ideally, this level of collaboration and access to supercomputing resources will help climate scientists continue to develop more effective climate models, improve weather forecasts, and allow us to better understand our climate. powering vital climate research the high - speed nationwide hpc connectivity capability provided by n - wave is now enabling a broad range of noaa basic science and research activities. examples include : - basic data dissemination, allowing research teams to collect up - to - the - minute data on ocean, atmosphere, and weather from across the country, and make that data available to other research teams and agencies nationwide. - ensemble forecasting, where researchers run multiple hpc simulations using different initial conditions and modeling techniques, in order to refine their atmospheric forecasts and minimize errors. - severe weather modeling, where scientists draw on hpc simulations, real - time atmospheric data, and archived storm data to better understand and predict the behavior of storms. - advancing understanding of the environment to be able to better predict short - term and long - term environmental changes, mitigate threats, and provide the most accurate data to inform policy decisions. all of this work is important, and will help advance our understanding of earth ’ s climate. and it is all a testament to the amazing networking technologies and infrastructure that scientists now have at their disposal, which puts the most powerful supercomputing resources in the world at their fingertips – even when they are thousands of miles away.


the bacterium micavibrio aeruginosavorus ( yellow ), leeching on a pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium ( purple ). what ’ s the news : if bacteria had blood, the predatory microbe micavibrio aeruginosavorus would essentially be a vampire : it subsists by hunting down other bugs, attaching to them, and sucking their life out. for the first time, researchers have sequenced the genome of this strange microorganism, which was first identified decades ago in sewage water. the sequence will help better understand the unique bacterium, which has potential to be used as a “ living antibiotic ” due to its ability to attack drug - resistant biofilms and its apparent fondness for dining on pathogens. anatomy of a vampire : - the bacterium has an interesting multi - stage life history. during its migratory phase it sprouts a single flagellum and goes hunting for prey. once it find a delectable morsel of bacterium, it attacks and irreversibly attaches to the surface, and sucks out all of the good stuff : carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, dna, etc. - sated, the cell divides in two via binary fission, and the now - depleted host is left for dead. hungry for pathogens : - m. aeruginosavorus cannot be grown by itself ; it must be cultured along with another bacteria to feed upon. a 2006 study found that it only grew upon three bacterial species, all of which can cause pneumonia - like disease in humans. a more recent study showed that it can prey upon a wider variety of microbes, most of them potentially pathogenic, like e. coli. - these studies also found that m. aeruginosavorus has a knack for disrupting biofilms, the dense collection of bacteria that cause harmful plaques on teeth and medical implants alike, and can be up to 1, 000 more resistant to antibiotics than free - swimming bugs. - the bacteria can also swim through viscous fluids like mucous and kills pseudomonas aeruginosa, the bacterium that can colonize lungs of cystic fibrosis patients and form a glue - like film. - these qualities have caught the eye of researchers who think it could be used as a living antibiotic to treat biofilms and various types of drug - resistant bacteria, which are a growing problem in medicine. sequencing the organism ’ s genome is an important step


qualities have caught the eye of researchers who think it could be used as a living antibiotic to treat biofilms and various types of drug - resistant bacteria, which are a growing problem in medicine. sequencing the organism ’ s genome is an important step in understanding its biochemistry and how it preys on other microbes. clues from the vampire code : - the new study found that each phase of life involves the use ( or expression ) of different sets of genes. the migratory / hunting phase involves many segments that code for flagellum formation and genes involved in quorum sensing. the attachment phase involves a wide variety of secreted chemicals and enzymes that facilitate the flow of materials from the host. - micavibrio aeruginosavorus possesses no genes for amino acid transporters, a rather rare trait only seen in a few other bacterial species that depend heavily upon their host to help them shuttle these vital protein building - blocks. this absence helps explain the bacterium ’ s dependence on a narrow range of prey, from which it directly steals amino acids. although it remains unclear exactly how the microbe attaches to and infiltrates other cells. the future holds : - the range of microbes upon which micavibrio aeruginosavorus can survive is expanding ; after being kept in laboratory conditions for years it has apparently evolved a more diverse diet. if this expansion continues, that could be a real problem for its use as an antibiotic ; it could begin to eat beneficial gut bacteria, for example. - researchers claim it is harmless to friendly gut microbes, but it hasn ’ t been tested on all the varieties of bacteria present in humans. - several important steps must be taken before testing in people, like learning more about what traits makes another bacteria tasty to micavibrio aeruginosavorus. researchers speculate the bacterium may need to be genetically altered in order to go after specific pathogens, or to reduce the risk of it causing unforeseen complications. reference : zhang wang, daniel e kadouri, martin wu. genomic insights into an obligate epibiotic bacterial predator : micavibrio aeruginosavorus arl - 13. bmc genomics, 2011 ; 12 ( 1 ) : 453 doi : 10. 1186 / 1471 - 2164 - 12 - 453 image credit : university of virginia


- november 15th, 2008 - derek robertson - comments : 7 comments » tags : consolarium, endless ocean, games based learning, wii endless ocean for the nintendo wii was one of those games that immediately caught my eye. a wonderful world in which the player can become immersed in a rich, vibrant and somewhat hypnotically therapeutic underwater world. i ’ ve written about how i thought it might be used to drive learning before but my initial ideas have been put into place and extended beyond recognition by some really creative teachers. last week i went with margaret cassidy from stirling council to cowie ps to see a teacher that was using endless ocean with her class : mrs bullivant and her class of p. 6 children treated me to an afternoon of sheer joy. i walked in to a class that had been turned into an underwater world that was awash with a tide of enthusiastic and industrious learnning. - streamers of various shades of blue were hung from two lines that criss - crossed the class. from these lines also hung starfish, sharks and other underwater creatures that the children had made. - the wii was hooked up to the whiteboard and the gameplay was integral to the learning. - the children were divided into ‘ dive teams ’ and their ‘ dive leader ’ had to manage certain aspects of how the children worked together. - children were engaged with a teacher led leson that investigated buoyancy. - children were searching the web to find out more about some of the creatures that they discovered in the game. - a spreadsheet activity detailing the range of creatures that they had discovered was in place. - a shipwreck ( created by the janitor ) was sitting in the class. this helped drive much of the creative writing work. - the children created treasure maps and were using these to look at grid references. - mermaids were created in art and design and very lifelike they were too! - reference books were in great demand when i was in the class and the initial stimulus of the game appeared to drive a real interest for what could be found in the complementary resource that was the book. - children actively encouraged to measure exactly how long 7 metres is as a result of finding out that that was how long a great white shark was. this was just a wonderful visit and an example of what learning in class can be. yes we need creative teachers to lead this but isn ’ t that what we are meant to be. the work that was in evidence in this class was delightful to witness and further cemented my ideas of


correctly identifying what is causing a problem is the most important step in pest control. we do our best here to help you do that. sometimes we can identify the cause accurately enough from your phone or e - mail description of what is happening and what you see. sometimes we can do this from photographs you submit, either electronically or printed on paper. but sometimes word descriptions and photographs aren ' t quite good enough, and we ask you to submit a specimen of an arthropod you have found, or the damage it has caused. the information we give you is only as good as the information you give to us. i can ' t identify specimens that look like the one in the photograph above. here are some hints that will help all of us : 1. make sure any photographs are clear and take several, from very close up to farther away. make sure you have sufficient light, or that you compensate with your camera to make sure we can clearly see what you are trying to show us. learn how to use the close up mode on your digital camera. 2. you have 20, 000 of something flying around? please give us at least - oh maybe - six of them. if it ' s something unusual, we need at least one full, intact set of key characteristics. if there are big individuals and little ones, try to submit a few of each size. maybe they ' re different, maybe they ' re not, but we won ' t know for sure unless we see them. 3. label your material. where and when was it found? what does it seem to be doing? 4. you had 20, 000 last week, but you can ' t find even one now? maybe you don ' t have the problem anymore. keep an eye on the situation and try not to worry. 5. that doesn ' t go for termites. if you think you had a termite swarm, worry! keep a close eye on it, try to find a least one, even if it ' s only a wing, and submit it for identification. 6. you can kill most small pests by putting them in the freezer or by dropping them into alcohol. any sort of alcohol will do. the alcohol not only kills them, it also preserves them. never submit arthropod specimens in water ( unless they are living aquatic animals ). moths and butterflies are easier to identify if they are not preserved in alcohol, so just freeze them and bring them in dry. we can also take live specimens. 7. some insects


efforts to incorporate bowmanstown as a borough occurred as early as 1892. the village contained about 300 inhabitants in 1896 but the nearby new jersey zinc company soon added to its growth. bowmanstown was incorporated as a borough on november 29, 1913 for the purpose of providing general local government services to residents of the community. upon incorporation of bowmanstown as a borough its boundaries encompassed lands measuring 0. 75 square mile. the borough ' s assessed valuation in 1918 was $ 279, 000. 00. the population of 834 in 1920 remained relatively constant for decades. the bowmanstown borough municipal building ( borough hall ) is a converted school building that was constructed in 1903 to serve the youths of the community. in 1958, the palmerton school district was established and combined several local schools in order to create a regional school thus making the bowmanstown campus obsolete. in 1964, the borough acquired the old brick school building and has been using it as offices ever since. the borough kept the building in its original condition. the bowmanstown borough authority was incorporated august 24, 1997 and was created for the purpose of owning and operating the bowmanstown public water system. on february 11, 2002 the authority began construction of its water system improvement project which included a new chlorine building, looping numerous water mains, installing new services, erection of a new 250, 000 gallon standpipe and a new liner to the one reservoir. in 2009, the authority replaced their two roofs at the reservoirs with metal roofs. ongoing water projects will continue to transpire throughout the years.


angola is a giant jigsaw puzzle of different climates, landscapes, cultures and colors. from mountains to vast open plains, wide white beaches to thick tropical rainforest, angola has it all, as if each of its eighteen provinces were a different country. lubango has a mild temperate climate, luanda is hot and dry, while cabinda is steamy and tropical. much of the landscape is dramatic, with plunging waterfalls, bizarre rock formations and deep gorges. with an atlantic coastline stretching for over 1. 650 kms, angola has mighty rivers flowing into wide estuaries depositing sediments from the high plateaus to form numerous small islands, bays and sandbanks. in angola, you can encounter a diversity of wild animals : lions, hyenas, elephants and antelopes. apes, hippopotamuses and crocodiles are also indigenous to this country. in the namib desert, which is situated in the south - west, you can find the tumboa, a unique plant with two wide leaves that are several metres long and lie on the ground of the desert. although the climate is such that the beaches can be visited all year round, it is in fact during the hot season that they are most frequented. the bars all filled and the local music and dancing provide an animated and exotic atmosphere that mixes well with the mystery of the african nights.


according to buddhist tradition, the disciple devadatta was the buddha ' s cousin and also brother to the buddha ' s wife, yasodhara. devadatta is said to have caused a split in the sangha by persuading 500 monks to leave the buddha and follow him instead. this story of devadatta is preserved in the pali tipitika. in this story, devadatta entered the order of buddhist monks at the same time as ananda and other noble youths of the shakya clan, the clan of the historical buddha. devadatta applied himself to practice. but he became frustrated when he failed to progress toward becoming an arhat. so, instead, he applied his practice toward developing supernatural power instead of the realization of enlightenment. it was said he also became driven by jealousy of his kinsman, the buddha. devadatta believed he should be the world - honored one and the leader of the order of monks. one day he approached the buddha and pointed out that the buddha was growing older. he proposed that he be put in charge of the order to relieve the buddha of the burden. the buddha rebuked devadatta harshly and said he was not worthy. thus devadatta became the buddha ' s enemy. later, the buddha was questioned how his harsh response to devadatta was justified as right speech. i ' ll come back to this a bit later. devadatta had gained the favor of prince ajatasattu of magadha. ajatasattu ' s father, king bimbisara, was a devoted patron of the buddha. devadatta persuaded the prince to murder his father and assume the throne of magadha. at the same time, devadatta vowed to have the buddha murdered so he could take over the sangha. so that the deed could not be traced back to devadatta, the plan was to send a second group of " hit men " to assassinate the first one, and then a third group to take out the second one, and so on for some time. but when the would - be assassins approached the buddha they couldn ' t carry out the order. then devadatta tried to do the job himself, by dropping a rock on the buddha. the rock bounced off the mountain side and broke into pieces. the next attempt involved a large bull elephant in a drug - induced fury, but the elephant was gentled in the buddha ' s presence. finally devadatta attempted to split the sangha by claiming superior moral rec


mountain side and broke into pieces. the next attempt involved a large bull elephant in a drug - induced fury, but the elephant was gentled in the buddha ' s presence. finally devadatta attempted to split the sangha by claiming superior moral rectitude. he proposed a list of austerities and asked that they become mandatory for all monks and nuns. these were : - monks must live all their lives in the forest. - monks must live only on alms obtained by begging, and should not accept invitations to dine with others. - monks must wear robes made only from rags collected from rubbish heaps and cremation grounds. they must not accept donations of cloth at any time. ( see kathina. ) - monks must sleep at the foot of trees and not under a roof. - monks must refrain from eating fish or meat throughout their lives. the buddha responded as devadatta had predicted he would. he said that monks could follow the first four austerities if they wished, but he refused to make them mandatory. and he rejected the fifth austerity entirely. ( see buddhism and vegetarianism. ) devadatta persuaded 500 monks that his super austerity plan was a surer path to enlightenment than the buddha ' s, and they followed devadatta to become his disciples. in response, the buddha sent two of his disciples, sariputra and mahamaudgayalyana, to teach the dharma to the wayward monks. upon hearing the dharma explained correctly, the 500 monks returned to the buddha. devadatta was now a sorry and broken man, and he soon fell mortally ill. on his deathbed he repented of his misdeeds and wished to see the buddha one more time, but devadatta died before his liter - bearers could reach him. life of devadatta, alternate version the lives of the buddha and his disciples were preserved in several oral recitation traditions before they were written down. the pali tradition, which is the foundation of theravada buddhism, is the best known. another oral tradition was preserved by the mahasanghika sect, which was formed about 320 bce. mahasanghika is an important forerunner of mahayana. mahasanghika remembered devadatta as a devout and saintly monk. no trace of the " evil devadatta " story can be found in their version of the canon. this has led some scholars to speculate that the story of the renegade devadatta is a later invention.


public papers - 1991 white house fact sheet on the strategic arms reduction treaty ( start ) today, the united states and the soviet union signed the strategic arms reduction treaty. this treaty marks the first agreement between the two countries in which the number of deployed strategic nuclear weapons will actually be reduced. reductions will take place over a period of 7 years, and will result in parity between the strategic nuclear forces of the two sides at levels approximately 30 percent below currently deployed forces. deeper cuts are required in the most dangerous and destabilizing systems. start provisions are designed to strengthen strategic stability at lower levels and to encourage the restructuring of strategic forces in ways that make them more stable and less threatening. the treaty includes a wide variety of very demanding verification measures designed to ensure compliance and build confidence. the treaty sets equal ceilings on the number of strategic nuclear forces that can be deployed by either side. in addition, the treaty establishes an equal ceiling on ballistic missile throw - weight ( a measure of overall capability for ballistic missiles ). each side is limited to no more than : - - 1600 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles ( deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles [ icbm ' s ], submarine launched ballistic missiles [ slbm ' s ], and heavy bombers ), a limit that is 36 percent below the soviet level declared in september 1990 and 29 percent below the u. s. level. - - 6000 total accountable warheads, about 41 percent below the current soviet level and 43 percent below the current u. s. level. - - 4900 accountable warheads deployed on icbm ' s or slbm ' s, about 48 percent below the current soviet level and 40 percent below the current u. s. level. - - 1540 accountable warheads deployed on 154 heavy icbm ' s, a 50 - percent reduction in current soviet forces. the u. s. has no heavy icbm ' s. - - 1100 accountable warheads deployed on mobile icbm ' s. - - aggregate throw - weight of deployed icbm ' s and slbm ' s equal to about 54 percent of the current soviet aggregate throw - weight. ballistic missile warhead accountability the treaty uses detailed counting rules to ensure the accurate accounting of the number of warheads attributed to each type of ballistic missile. - - each deployed ballistic missile warhead counts as 1 under the 4900 ceiling and 1 under the 6000 overall warhead ceiling. - - each side is allowed 10 on - site inspections each year to verify that deployed ballistic missiles contain no more warheads than the number that is attributed to them under the


1 under the 4900 ceiling and 1 under the 6000 overall warhead ceiling. - - each side is allowed 10 on - site inspections each year to verify that deployed ballistic missiles contain no more warheads than the number that is attributed to them under the treaty. downloading ballistic missile warheads the treaty also allows for a reduction in the number of warheads on certain ballistic missiles, which will help the sides transition their existing forces to the new regime. such downloading is permitted in a carefully structured and limited fashion. - - the u. s. may download its three - warhead minuteman iii icbm by either one or two warheads. the soviet union has already downloaded it ' s seven warhead ss - n - 18 slbm by four warheads. - - in addition, each side may download up to 500 warheads on two other existing types of ballistic missiles, as long as the total number of warheads removed from downloaded missiles does not exceed 1250 at any one time. the treaty places constraints on the characteristics of new types of ballistic missiles to ensure the accuracy of counting rules and prevent undercounting of missile warheads. - - the number of warheads attributed to a new type of ballistic missile must be no less than the number determined by dividing 40 percent of the missile ' s total throw - weight by the weight of the lightest rv tested on that missile. - - the throw - weight attributed to a new type must be no less than the missile ' s throw - weight capability at specified reference ranges ( 11, 000 km for icbm ' s and 9, 500 km for slbm ' s ). start places significant restrictions on the soviet ss - 18 heavy icbm. - - a 50 - percent reduction in the number of soviet ss - 18 icbm ' s ; a total reduction of 154 of these soviet missiles. - - new types of heavy icbm ' s are banned. - - downloading of heavy icbm ' s is banned. - - heavy slbm ' s and heavy mobile icbm ' s are banned. - - heavy icbm ' s will be reduced on a more stringent schedule than other strategic arms. because mobile missiles are more difficult to verify than other types of ballistic missiles, start incorporates a number of special restrictions and notifications with regard to these missiles. these measures will significantly improve our confidence that start will be effectively verifiable. - - nondeployed mobile missiles and non - deployed mobile launchers are numerically and geographically limited so as to limit