us 4884575 a a cardiac pacemaker pulse generator is adapted to. generate electrical stimuli at a first pacing rate, and to selectively increase the rate to a second higher pacing rate. a timer triggers the rate increase to establish the higher rate as an exercise rate folloing the passage of a preset period of time after the timer is enabled. an external magnet controlled by the patient activates a reed switch to enable the timer to commence timing. the pulse generator is further adapted to respond to a second pass of the magnet over the reed switch after enabling of the timer to thereupon disable the timer before the preset period of time has expired. if the second pass of the magnet occurs after the exercise rate has begun, the element for increasing the rate is disabled to return the pulse generator to the lower pacing rate. the change in pacing rates is made in steps. 1. in combination with an implantable cardiac pacemaker for delivering electrical stimuli to the heart of a patient to pace the heart rate, said pacemaker comprising : pulse generator means for selectively producing said electrical stimuli at a fixed resting rate and at a higher exercise rate, lead means associated with said pulse generator for delivering said stimuli to a selected chamber of the heart, and timer means for stepping - up said pulse generator means from said resting rate to said exercise rate after an adjustable preset delay following activation of said timer means, said preset delay being of a duration perceptible by the patient ; and external control means for patient initiation of a first command to said pacemaker to activate said timer means. 2. in combination with an implantable cardiac pacemaker for delivering electrical stimuli to the heart of a patient to pace the heart rate, said pacemaker comprising : pulse generator means for selectively producing said electrical stimuli at a fixed resting rate and a higher exercise rate, lead means associated with said pulse generator for delivering said stimuli to a selected chamber of the heart, and delay means for stepping - up said pulse generator means from said resting rate to said exercise rate after an adjustable preset delay following activation of said delay means, means associated with said pulse generator means and said delay means for maintaining said exercise rate for a predetermined time interval following said preset delay and then returning said pulse generator means to said resting rate ; and an external control means for patient - initiation of a command to said pacemaker to activate said delay means. 3. the combination according to claim 2, wherein said delay means is responsive to a second command initiated by the patient from


said resting rate ; and an external control means for patient - initiation of a command to said pacemaker to activate said delay means. 3. the combination according to claim 2, wherein said delay means is responsive to a second command initiated by the patient from said external control means at any time after receipt of the first said command and before the expiration of said predetermined time interval, to cancel the activation of said delay means. 4. the combination according to claim 3, wherein the stepping up and returning of said rates at which said stimuli are produced by said pulse generator means is effected gradually. 5. an implantable pulse generator unit for a cardiac pacemaker for use with an external magnet to permit patient - initiated adjustment of pacing rate from a resting rate to an exercise rate and vice versa, said unit comprising : generator means for generating electrical stimuli at said resting rate, control means associated with said generator means responsive, when enabled, for controllably increasing the rate at which electrical stimuli are generated from said generator means from said resting rate to said exercise rate, and timer means responsive to positioning of said external magnet in proximity to said pulse generator unit for enabling said control means an adjustable preset delay period after said positioning, said preset delay period being of a duration perceptible to the patient. 6. an implantable pulse generator unit for a cardiac pacemaker for use with an external magnet to permit patient - initiated adjustment of pacing rate from a resting rate to an exercise rate and vice versa, said unit comprising : generator means for generating electrical stimuli at said resting rate, control means associated with said generator means responsive, when enabled, for controllably increasing the rate at which electrical stimuli are generated by said generator means from said resting rate to said exercise rate, said control means including timing means for maintaining the rate at which electrical stimuli are generated by said generator means at said exercise rate for a predetermined time interval ; and delay means responsive to positioning of said external magnet in proximity to said pulse generator unit for enabling said control means an adjustable preset delay period thereafter. 7. the pulse generator unit of claim 6, wherein said control means automatically returns said generator means to said resting rate following the expiration of said predetermined time interval. 8. the pulse generator unit of claim 7, wherein said control means gradually increases the rate at which electrical stimuli are generated by said generator means from said resting rate to said exercise rate, and gradually returns said generator means to said resting rate following the expiration of said predetermined


claim 7, wherein said control means gradually increases the rate at which electrical stimuli are generated by said generator means from said resting rate to said exercise rate, and gradually returns said generator means to said resting rate following the expiration of said predetermined time interval. 9. the pulse generator unit of claim 6, wherein said delay means is responsive to a repositioning of said external magnet in proximity to said pulse generator unit after said control means has been enabled, for disabling said control means. 10. a cardiac pacemaker pulse generator for generating electrical stimuli to be delivered to the heart of a patient to pace the heart rate, said generator comprising : means for generating said electrical stimuli at a first pacing rate, means electrically connected to said stimuli generating means for selectively increasing the rate at which said stimuli are generated to a second higher pacing rate, timing means for triggering said rate increasing means to increase said first pacing rate to a second higher pacing rate upon passage of an adjustable preselected period of time after said timing means is enabled, said preselected period of time being of a duration perceptible by the patient, means responsive to a command signal from a patient - activated external device for enabling said timing means to commence timing. 11. the pulse generator according to claim 10, wherein said enabling means is further responsive to a second command signal after said timing means is enabled, to disable said timing means prior to passage of said preselected period of time. 12. the pulse generator according to claim 10, further including means responsive to a second command signal while said stimuli are being generated at said second higher pacing rate, for disabling said rate increasing means and thereby returning the rate at which said stimuli are generated by said stimuli generating means to said first pacing rate. 13. the pulse generator according to claim 12, wherein said rate increasing means is responsive, when disabled, to decrementally reduce the rate at which said stimuli are generated by said stimuli generating means. 14. the pulse generator according to claim 10, wherein said rate increasing means is responsive to said timing means reaching preset time intervals toward passage of said preselected period of time, for incrementally increasing the rate at which said stimuli are generated by said stimuli generating means in steps as each preset time interval is reached. 15. the method of pacing a pacemaker patient ' s heart rate using a magnet - controlled implantable pulse generator to adjust the stimulation rate from a resting rate to an exercise rate and vice versa, comprising


as each preset time interval is reached. 15. the method of pacing a pacemaker patient ' s heart rate using a magnet - controlled implantable pulse generator to adjust the stimulation rate from a resting rate to an exercise rate and vice versa, comprising the steps of maintaining the stimulation rate of said pulse generator at said resting rate, initiating a command signal to reset the stimulation rate of said pulse generator to said exercise rate after an adjustable programmed delay period following said command signal, and returning the stimulation rate of said pulse generator to said resting rate in increments following a predetermined interval of time at said exercise rate. the present invention relates generally to medical devices, and more particularly to implantable artificial cardiac pacemakers adapted to provide patient - variable stimulation rates appropriate to a condition of exercise by the patient. the resting heart rate of sinus rhythm, that is, the rate determined by the spontaneously rhythmic electrophysiologic property of the heart ' s natural pacemaker, the sinus node, is typically in the range from about 65 to about 85 beats per minute ( bpm ) for adults. disruption of the natural cardiac pacing and propagation system may occur with advanced age and / or cardiac disease, and is often treated by implanting an artificial cardiac pacemaker in the patient to restore and maintain the resting heart rate to the proper range. in its simplest form, an implantable pacemaker for treatment of bradycardia ( abnormally low resting rate, typically below 60 beats per minute ( bpm ) ) includes an electrical pulse generator powered by a self - contained battery pack, and a catheter lead including at the distal end a stimulating cathodic electrode electrically coupled to the pulse generator. the lead is implanted intravenously to position the cathodic electrode in stimulating relation to excitable myocardial tissue in the selected chamber on the right side of the patient ' s heart. the pulse generator unit is surgically implanted in a subcutaneous pouch in the patient ' s chest, and has an integral electrical connector to receive a mating connector at the proximal end of the lead. in operation of the pacemaker, the electrical pulses are delivered ( typically, on demand ) via the lead / electrode system, including an anodic electrode such as a ring behind the tip for bipolar stimulation or a portion of the pulse generator case for unipolar stimulation, and the body tissue and fluid, to stimulate the excitable myocardial tissue. pacemakers may operate in different response modes, such as asynch


tip for bipolar stimulation or a portion of the pulse generator case for unipolar stimulation, and the body tissue and fluid, to stimulate the excitable myocardial tissue. pacemakers may operate in different response modes, such as asynchronous ( fixed rate ), inhibited ( stimulus generated in absence of specified cardiac activity ), or triggered ( stimulus delivered in presence of specified cardiac activity ). further, present - day pacers range from the simple fixed rate device that offers pacing with no sensing ( of cardiac activity ) function, to fully automatic dual chamber pacing and sensing functions ( so - called ddd pacemakers ) which may provide a degree of physiologic pacing by at least a slight adjustment of heart rate according to varying metabolic conditions in a manner akin to the natural pacing of the heart. thus, some ddd pacemaker patients experience an increased pacing rate with physical exertion, with concomitantly higher cardiac output, and thereby, an ability to handle low levels of exercise. unfortunately, a significant percentage of the pacemaker patient population, who suffer from atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation or sick - sinus syndrome, for example, cannot obtain the benefit of exercise - responsive pacing with conventional atrial - triggered pacemakers. moreover, the ddd - type pacemakers are complex and costly to manufacture, which is reflected in a higher price to the patient. it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive pacemaker which provides pacing at a desired resting rate, and which is subject to limited control by the patient to provide a desired exercise rate for a preset period of time following which the pacemaker returns to the resting rate. various types of rate responsive pacemakers have been proposed which would sense a physiological parameter that varies as a consequence of physical stress, such as respiration, blood oxygen saturation or blood temperature, or merely detect physical movement, and correspondingly adjust the pacing rate. many of these rate responsive pacemakers may also be relatively complex, and therefore expensive to the patient. the present invention is directed toward a low cost pacemaker which can be adjusted at will by the patient, subject to the limited amount of control programmed into the device by the physician for that patient. according to the invention, patient control is manifested by bringing an external magnet into proximity with an implanted reed switch associated with the pacemaker. of course, limited magnet control has been afforded to the patient in the past for some purposes, such as to enable transtelephon


patient control is manifested by bringing an external magnet into proximity with an implanted reed switch associated with the pacemaker. of course, limited magnet control has been afforded to the patient in the past for some purposes, such as to enable transtelephonic monitoring of the pacemaker functions. also, techniques are presently available which permit external adjustment of the stimulation rate of the pacemaker after implantation, as by means of a programming unit available to the physician. for obvious reasons, it is undesirable to give the patient the same latitude to control his pacemaker. in u. s. pat. no. 3, 623, 486, berkovits disclosed a pacemaker adapted to operate at either of two stimulation rates, and switchable from one to the other by the physician using an external magnet. in this manner, the physician would be able to control the pacer mode and rate according to the needs of the particular patient. the purpose, in part, was to provide a pacemaker which had some adaptability to the patient ' s requirements. however, once set by the physician, the selected resting rate was maintained for that patient by the implanted pacer. another technique for external adjustment of pacing rate by the physician is found in the disclosures of u. s. pat. no. 3, 198. 195 to chardack, and u. s. pat. no. 3, 738, 369 to adams et al. in each, rate control is exercised by inserting a needle through a pacemaker aperture beneath the patient ' s skin to adjust a mechanism. in the adams et al. disclosure, the needle is used to change the position of a magnet within the paper to actuate a rate - controlling reed switch. in u. s. pat. no. 3, 766, 928, goldberg et al. describe an arrangement for continuous adjustment of rate by a physician using an external magnet that cooperates with a magnet attached to the shaft of a rate potentiometer in the implanted pacemaker, to provide the initial setting of pacing rate desirable for the particular patient. more recent proposals offer the patient limited control over the pacing rate. in u. s. pat. no. 4, 365, 633, loughman et al. disclose a pacemaker programmer which is conditioned by the physician to give the patient the capability to select any of three distinct rates : for sleep, for an awake resting state, and for exercise. the programmer generates a pulsating electromagnetic field,


al. disclose a pacemaker programmer which is conditioned by the physician to give the patient the capability to select any of three distinct rates : for sleep, for an awake resting state, and for exercise. the programmer generates a pulsating electromagnetic field, and allows the patient to select any of those three modes with an abrupt change in rate when the coil pod of the programmer is positioned over the implanted pacemaker. it is, of course, necessary to have the programmer at hand in order to change the stimulation rate, and the use of the device in public can be a source of extreme embarassment to the patient. in u. s. pat. no. 4, 545, 380, schroeppel describes a technique for manual adjustment of rate control contrasted with the activity sensing, automatic rate control disclosed by dahl in u. s. pat. no. 4, 140, 132. according to the schroeppel patent, a piezoelectric sensor and associated circuitry are combined with the implanted pulse generator of the pacemaker to allow the patient to change from a resting rate to a higher rate by sharp taps on his chest near the site of the piezoelectric sensor. such an arrangement requires that the sensor be sufficiently sensitive to respond to the patient ' s sharp taps, and yet be insensitive to the everyday occurrences the patient encounters while undergoing normal activities and which could otherwise result in false triggerings. these include presence in the vicinity of loud noise such as is generated by street traffic, being jostled in a crowd, experiencing bumps and vibrations while riding in a vehicle, and the like. further, even when controlled in the manner described, this type of switching results in an abrupt, non - physiological change of rate. accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a pacemaker which is capable of being controlled externally by the patient to assume exercise and non - exercise rate modes, in a manner that allows discreet and yet reliable control. yet another object of the invention is to provide a cardiac pacemaker whose stimulation rate is controllable by and according to a schedule selected by the patient. briefly, according to the present invention a cardiac pacemaker is manually controllable by the patient to preset time intervals of operation at a relatively high ( exercise ) rate and lower ( resting ) rate according to the patient ' s own predetermined schedule of exercise and rest. an important aspect of the invention is that the pulse generator may be implemented to undergo an adjustment of stimulation rate from


high ( exercise ) rate and lower ( resting ) rate according to the patient ' s own predetermined schedule of exercise and rest. an important aspect of the invention is that the pulse generator may be implemented to undergo an adjustment of stimulation rate from a fixed resting rate of, say, 75 bpm, to a preselected exercise rate of, say, 120 bpm, following a predetermined period of time after activation by the patient using an external magnet, that is, after a predetermined delay following a patient - initiated command signal, and to remain at the higher rate for a preselected time interval. thus, the patient may effectively " set a clock " in his pacemaker to elevate his heart rate at the time and for the duration of a scheduled exercise session, such as a game of tennis. moreover, he may activate the pacemaker in this manner in the privacy of his own home well in advance of the exercise session. according to another aspect of the invention, the pulse generator is implemented to return automatically to the resting rate at the expiration of the preselected exercise rate time interval. hence, the patient need not carry his magnet with him to readjust the pacer to the resting rate at the completion of the scheduled exercise session. according to this aspect, after operating at the elevated stimulation rate for a time interval preselected to be suitable for the exercise session, say, one hour, the generator resets itself to return to the initial resting rate. according to another feature of the invention, the rate is incremented and decremented in steps from one rate setting to the other to avoid abrupt changes, and therefore to provide a more physiological rate control than has heretofore been available in manually controlled pacemakers. a further feature of the invention is that the pulse generator may be activated to disable the exercise rate command at any time after it has been given, including that to produce an early conclusion to an already - commenced exercise session. for example, if a scheduled tennis game or bicycling run is called off by the patient ' s partner after the patient has programmed in the higher rate, he need merely apply the magnet in proximity to the implanted pulse generator again to cancel the previous command and maintain the fixed resting rate. similarly, if the exercise session is shortened, the rate may be returned to the resting rate by simply applying the magnet over the pulse generator. the above and still further objects, aspects, features and attendant advantages of


command and maintain the fixed resting rate. similarly, if the exercise session is shortened, the rate may be returned to the resting rate by simply applying the magnet over the pulse generator. the above and still further objects, aspects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the field to which the invention applies from a consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which : fig. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a pulse generator unit of a cardiac pacemaker according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. referring now to fig. 1, an implantable pulse generator unit 10 includes a pulse generator 12 and batteries 15 housed in a biocompatible metal case 17. pulse generator 12 is implemented to be rate limited to generate output pulses at rates up to either of two low / high limit rates - - for example, 75 pulses per minute ( ppm ) and 120 ppm, respectively - - and to be incremented from the lower rate to the higher rate and decremented from the higher rate to the lower rate under the control of an up / down counter 18 associated with the pulse generator 12 in unit 10. counter 18 may be set by application of a voltage level to its " up " input to commence counting toward the higher rate, and thereby to incrementally step the pulse repetition frequency up to that rate, and may be reset by application of a voltage level to its " down " input to commence counting toward the lower rate, and thereby decrementally step the pulse repetition frequency down to that rate. this is accomplished under the control of set and reset output voltage levels generated by a flip - flop circuit 21 also housed in case 17. the pulse generator unit 10 also includes a reed switch 25 which is actuable by placement of a magnet 27, external to the skin of the patient in whom the unit 10 is implanted, in proximity to case 17. reed switch 25, when actuated, serves to enable a delay timer 29 in unit 10. the delay timer responds to the enabling input to commence timing of its preset time delay interval. at the end of the delay interval, delay timer 29 produces a pulse for application to the flip - flop 21. subsequent actuation of the reed switch before the timer 29 has timed out serves to disable the timer and reset it in preparation for a subsequent enabling signal from the reed switch. if timer 29 has already timed out before the reed switch is


flop 21. subsequent actuation of the reed switch before the timer 29 has timed out serves to disable the timer and reset it in preparation for a subsequent enabling signal from the reed switch. if timer 29 has already timed out before the reed switch is again actuated, the timer will respond to the disabling input, when the reed switch is actuated, to produce another pulse for application to the flip - flop 21. the flip - flop is thereupon reset and produces its reset output voltage level. the set and reset output voltage levels of flip - flop 21 are also applied respectively to " set " and " reset " inputs of an interval timer 30. upon being set, the interval timer commences timing out a predetermined time interval, and, at the expiration of that interval, generates a pulse for application to flip - flop 21. upon being reset, the interval timer 30 is returned to the start of the predetermined time interval in preparation for initiating the timing of that interval on receipt at its " set " input of the next set output voltage level from the flip - flop. the preset time period of delay timer 29 and the predetermined time interval of interval timer 30 are programmable by the physician according to the desires and needs of the particular patient. if, for example, the patient has a regularly scheduled early morning brisk walking session of one hour with friends, and resides near the starting point of the walk, the time period of the delay timer 29 may be programmed to be fifteen minutes. the time interval of the interval timer 30 is programmed to be one hour in length. in operation, the pulse generator produces output pulses at the resting rate prescribed ( and programmed ) by the physician for the particular patient - - in this exemplary embodiment, a resting rate of 75 bpm. the pulses are delivered to the stimulating cathodic electrode 35 in the right ventricle of the heart 40 via a lead 42, the reference electrode ( anode ) and the body tissue and fluids, according to the mode in which the pacemaker is designed to operate. in the preferred embodiment, the pacemaker continues to operate at that rate unless and until the patient elects to initiate the exercise rate cycle. to do so, the patient places the magnet 27 in proximity to the implanted pulse generator unit 10 at about fifteen minutes prior to the appointed time for the exercise session, as a command to actuate reed switch 25. the patient may then choose to leave the magnet at home or take it


magnet 27 in proximity to the implanted pulse generator unit 10 at about fifteen minutes prior to the appointed time for the exercise session, as a command to actuate reed switch 25. the patient may then choose to leave the magnet at home or take it along in the glove compartment of his car, since actuation of the reed switch has enabled the delay timer 29 and nothing more need be done by the patient to enable the pacemaker to commence the exercise rate at the expiration of the preset delay period. before the end of that period the patient has arrived at the starting point for the exercise session, and at the end of the delay period, the delay timer applies a pulse to flip - flop 21 which responds by generating a set output voltage level. the set voltage is applied to both the " up " input of counter 18 and the " set " input of interval timer 30. accordingly, the counter commences its count, preferably at a relatively slow rate of, say, ten counts per minute, and correspondingly incrementally steps the pulse generator 12 output rate up to the upper rate limit of 120 ppm, and thereby gradually increases the patient ' s heart rate from 75 bpm to 120 bpm as the patient commences to exercise. hence, the patient ' s heart rate and cardiac output are now at levels adequate for the patient to carry out the exercise session. the pulse generator continues to supply pulses at the upper rate limit until interval timer 30, which commenced its predetermined time interval with the application of the set input voltage, times out, whereupon the interval timer produces an output pulse which is applied to flip - flop 21 to reset the latter. the flip - flop responds by providing a reset output voltage level for application to the " down " input of counter 18 and the " reset " input of the interval timer. accordingly, the counter decrementally steps the pulse repetition frequency of the pulse generator down, preferably at the ten pulses per minute rate, to the lower rate limit of 75 ppm corresponding to a heart rate of 75 bpm. in this manner, the patient ' s heart rate is reduced gradually from the exercise rate to the resting rate at a time commensurate with the end of the exercise session. also, the resetting of the interval timer by the set output voltage level of the flip - flop assures that the timer is ready to commence timing its predetermined interval on receipt of the next " set " input. in the event that the exercise session is called off


the interval timer by the set output voltage level of the flip - flop assures that the timer is ready to commence timing its predetermined interval on receipt of the next " set " input. in the event that the exercise session is called off at any time after the delay timer 29 has been enabled and before the interval timer has timed out, the patient need merely place the magnet 27 once again in proximity to the implanted pulse generator unit. if the delay timer has not yet timed out, it is disabled by the actuation of the reed switch, and hence, flip - flop 21 remains reset, interval timer 30 remains reset, counter 18 is at its low count, and pulse generator 12 is at its lower rate limit. if the delay timer has timed out, it produces an output pulse in reponse to the disabling input from the reed switch, thereby resetting the flip - flop, resetting the interval timer, returning counter 18 toward its low count and pulse generator 12 toward its lower rate limit. to that end, delay timer 29 is provided with an internal clock such that, once enabled to time out the delay interval, it cannot be again enabled to do so until the passage of a preselected time interval, which is one hour and fifteen minutes in the present example, unless it has first been disabled during that overall interval. of course, to cancel the exercise rate, the patient must have the magnet available to issue the second command but, as previously noted, once the delay timer is enabled through actuation of the reed switch the magnet may be kept in a convenient location, such as the glove compartment of the patient ' s car, to allow cancellation of the exercise rate in private. although a presently preferred embodiment has been described herein, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the preferred embodiment may be carried out without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. accordingly, it is intended that the present invention shall be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.


us 5459828 a a method of producing a raster font from a contour font entailing the steps of deriving font metrics and character metrics of font characters in terms of arbitrary font units ; scaling the font characters to a selected size and output resolution ( pixels per unit length ) ; altering the thickness of vertical and horizontal strokes of each character to a desired thickness, from the measured font metrics and character metrics, and including a difference applied to the thickness of the strokes by the printer process, to cause the strokes to be close to an integer number of pixels and thickness and to compensate for thinning and thickening which the printing engine might produce ; bringing the leading and trailing edges of the characters to integer pixel locations, where such locations are based on and scaling the character between the leading and trailing edges proportionally therebetween, and producing a rasterized font from the altered contour font character. 1. a printer processor implemented method for producing a raster font from a contour font defined by a list of points connected by curves, said raster font suitable for printing on a selected printer having known reproduction characteristics, including the steps of : a ) deriving for a contour font a set of font metrics and character metrics of a character in the font defined in terms of arbitrary font units ; b ) scaling a character contour defined in arbitrary font units to a selected size in units of pixels ; c ) altering thickness of character strokes by adjusting vertical and horizontal coordinates of each point defining the character contour in directions defined by a vector normal to the character contour at each point, by an amount required to obtain a desired thickness from the measured font metrics and character metrics, and an amount required to add to difference thickness thereto in accordance with the selected printer reproduction characteristics, said alteration amounts together causing the vertical and horizontal strokes to be sufficiently close to an integer number of pixels or half pixels so as to cause subsequent numerical rounding to produce uniform results across the font ; d ) grid aligning the contour of each character so that leading and trailing edges, and top and bottom edges of the contour of each character fall on whole or half pixel positions ; and e ) applying a rasterization function to the contour to convert each contour font character to a bitmap. 2. the method as defined in claim 1 wherein in said grid alignment step, after aligning said leading and top edges of said contours of each character on a whole pixel position, the length of any


font character to a bitmap. 2. the method as defined in claim 1 wherein in said grid alignment step, after aligning said leading and top edges of said contours of each character on a whole pixel position, the length of any lines joining leading and trailing edges, and lines joining top and bottom edges, are rounded to an integer number of whole or half pixels, and the trailing edge and bottom edges are aligned at whole pixel positions. 3. in a printing system for printing on a selected printer having reproduction characteristics known and available as contour font correction data, wherein a font to be printed has a set of predefined font metrics and character metrics for each character in the font defined in terms of arbitrary font units, the method of preparing a contour font defined by a list of points connected by curves, for printing on the selected printer including the ordered steps of : a ) scaling each character in the contour font to a selected print resolution in pixels per unit length ; b ) altering thickness of character strokes by adjusting vertical and horizontal coordinates of each point defining the contour of each character to a desired thickness in directions defined by a vector, normal to the character contour at each point, by an amount required to obtain a desired thickness from the measured font metrics and character metrics, and an amount required to add a difference thickness thereto in accordance with the contour font correction data for a particular printer, to cause the vertical and horizontal stroke thickness to approximate an integer number of pixels so as to cause subsequent numerical rounding to produce uniform results across the font ; c ) grid aligning the contour of each character so that leading and trailing edges, and top and bottom edges of the contour of each character fall on whole pixel positions ; and d ) applying a rasterization function to the contour convert each contour font character to a bitmap. 4. the method as defined in claim 3 wherein in said grid alignment step, after aligning said leading and top edges of said contours of each character on a whole pixel position, the length of any lines joining leading and trailing edges, and lines joining top and bottom edges, are rounded to an integer number of pixels or half pixels, and the trailing edge and bottom edges are aligned at whole pixel positions. a microfiche appendix, having 5 fiche and 398 frames, is included herewith. the present invention relates generally to the production of raster fonts from contour fonts, and more particularly, to a method of


pixel positions. a microfiche appendix, having 5 fiche and 398 frames, is included herewith. the present invention relates generally to the production of raster fonts from contour fonts, and more particularly, to a method of producing raster fonts from contour fonts taking into account characteristics of the contour font and the printer system which will ultimately print the font. a portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. the copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the patent and trademark office files or records, but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. cross reference is made to u. s. patent application ser. no. 07 / 416, 211 by s. marshall, entitled " rapid halfbitting stepper ", and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. u. s. pat. no. 4, 675, 830 to hawkins is incorporated herein by reference for the purposes of background information on contour fonts. u. s. patent application ser. no. 07 / 416, 211 by s. marshall, entitled " rapid halfbitting stepper ", and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, is incorporated by reference herein for the purposes of teaching rasterization. " contour fonts " is a term that refers to the use of outlines or contours to describe the shapes of characters used in electronic printing. in a contour font, each character shape is represented by one or more closed curves or paths that traces the boundary of the character. the contour is specified by a series of mathematical equations, which may be in any of several forms, the most common being circular arcs, straight lines, and polynomial expressions. the shape of the contour font is that of the ideal design of the character and, generally, does not depend on parameters associated with any printer. contour fonts are ideal for use as master representations of typefaces. bitmap fonts or raster fonts are composed of the actual characters images that will be printed on a page, and are made by scaling contours to the appropriate size, quantizing or sampling them at the resolution of the printer, and filling the interiors of the characters with black bits or pixels. achieving high quality in this process is difficult, except at very high resolutions, and requires knowledge of both the marking technology and typo


the invention, there is provided a method for conversion of contour fonts to bitmap fonts with automatic thickening and thinning of strokes, and snapping of character edges to pixel or half pixel boundaries. in accordance with the invention, there is provided a method of producing a raster font from a contour font entailing the steps of : first, deriving font metrics and character metrics of font characters in terms of arbitrary font units ; scaling the font characters to a selected size and output resolution ( pixels per unit length ) ; altering the thickness of vertical and horizontal strokes of each character to a desired thickness, from the measured font metrics and character metrics, and including a difference applied to the thickness of the strokes by the printer process, to cause the strokes to be close to an integer number of pixels and thickness and to compensate for thing and thickening which the printing engine might produce ; bringing the leading and trailing edges of the characters to integer pixel locations, where such locations are based on and scaling the character between the leading and trailing edges proportionally therebetween, and producing a rasterized font from the altered contour font character. these and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description used to illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which : fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the inventive optimized scaler rasterizer system. figs. 2a - 2e illustrate the development of a raster font from a contour font, using the system described in fig. 1. with reference to the drawing, where the showing is for the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of the invention and not for the purpose of limiting same, the figure shows a block diagram of the present invention which will be referred to and described hereinafter. fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the contour rasterization process of the present invention. beginning with a contour font 10, and with a character " h " shown in contour for illustration purposes at fig. 2a the contour font is analyzed initially at hint generation step 20. at the hint generation, the parameters defining the font are determined, including measurement of the following metrics and character hints : table 1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ font metric comments _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ font metric comments _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ cap - height height of the h, i or similar letterx - height height of the lower case xascender height of the lower case k, b, or similar letterdescender position of the bottom of the lower case p or qthickness of upper vertical stroke thicknesscase stems on upper case h or kthickness of upper horizontal stroke oncase cross - strokes upper case e or fthickness of lower vertical stroke thicknesscase stems on lower case k or lthickness of lower case horizontal strokecross - strokes thickness on the fthickness of auxiliarycharacter stemsthickness of auxiliarycharacter cross - strokeshairline thickness thickness of the cross bar on the e or the thin part of the o _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ( see, appendix, page 13, icffontiodefs. mesa ) character hints are generated for each character and include the following : table 2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ character metric comments _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ position of all horizontal left sides of strokes areedges and indications of leading edges and rightwhether each edge is a sides or strokes areleading or trailing edge. trailing edges. position of all verticaledges and indication ofwhether each edge is aleading or trailing edge. direction of the normalvector ( perpendicular ) to the contour at eachcontrol point in thecontour, pointingtoward the whiteregion. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ at hint generation 20, the font


c ) the contour font is converted from arbitrary contour font units, which are supplied by the provider of the font, to a particular size, expressed in units of pixels. typically, contour font units are provided in terms of the contour itself, i. e., the height or size of the contour font is one ( 1 ). that is, lengths of characters are placed in terms of the size of the font character itself. these values must be transformed into pixel unit values, or whatever other value is required, e. g. the scaled font may be 30 pixels tall. additionally, it is at this point that the contour font is rotated for either landscape or portrait mode printing, as required. rotation and scaling is accomplished in accordance with a previously determined transformation matrix equation 35, which mathematically determines the conversion of the contour font from font measurements to pixel values at a selected orientation which can be used by the printer. the transformed character h is shown at fig. 2b. subsequent to transformation step 30, at thickening or thinning step 40, font characters are thickened or thinned based on requirements of the transformation, and requirements of the printing process. the character contour is adjusted to make the strokes thicker or thinner to compensate for the xerographic or other marking process to follow. there are three components of the thickening or thinning value. the first compensates for xerographic or other imaging effects. that is, if for example, the marking technology will thin strokes by half a pixel, then strokes are thickened by half a pixel in this step. the amount of thickening or thinning specified in the printer profile 50 separately for x and y directions, and is created at the manufacturer of the printer, and inserted at the printer profile 50. ( see, appendix, page 348, thicken. c ) the second component of thickening, called residual thickening, is applied to insure uniformity of output strokes after the sampling or rasterization step. this amount for horizontal thickening on upper case letters, for example, is equal to the difference between the calculated ideal output vertical stem thickness, which is obtained by scaling the font metric to the proper size, and the result of rounding that thickness off to the actual pixel width which will be obtained after rasterization. this rounding is performed to the nearest whole pixel if half bitting is not enabled and to the nearest half pixel, if half bitting is enabled. there are separate values for horizontal or vertical directions and for


which will be obtained after rasterization. this rounding is performed to the nearest whole pixel if half bitting is not enabled and to the nearest half pixel, if half bitting is enabled. there are separate values for horizontal or vertical directions and for upper case, lower case and auxiliary characters. the third component of thickening and thinning applies only to very small characters, and prevents drop - outs of fine lines. this amount is equal to the difference between the calculated scaled thickness of the hairlines, after thickening by the font thickening steps, and the minimum stroke thickness specified in the printer profile. when applied, this thickening brings fine lines up to the value of the minimum stroke thickness. the value is zero if the hairline is already greater than the minimum stroke thickness. ( this process, referred to as " adaptive thickening, " is not disclosed in the source code in the appendix. ) the actual thickening or thinning applied is equal to the sum of these three components. each component has an independent value in the x and y directions. the direction to move each contour control point is specified by its normal vector. the thickened character h is shown at fig. c. at step 60, the snap function or grid alignment function is applied. the coordinate system of the character is varied in the horizontal direction to move vertical and horizontal edges to positions where pixel boundaries will be after rasterization, i. e., to a whole pixel position. this is to assure uniform stroke thickness in the rasterized character images. the process is to piecewise stretch or shrink the character to force edges to align the pixel boundaries. on the left hand sides of the characters, the left edge of each stroke is moved to the closest pixel boundary, while the right edge of the stroke is moved to the pixel boundary specified by rounding the stroke thickness. this process gives priority to maintaining uniform stroke thickness over absolute stroke position. that is to say, that after the left edge of the character has been moved to a whole pixel position, the thickness of the stroke, or portion of the character, is examined to determine its thickness. the thickness has already been adjusted in the thickness of thinning step, so that it is close to a whole pixel width. accordingly, the right edge of the character is then moved to the nearest whole pixel, based on rounding the thickness of the pixel, as opposed to moving the right hand side to the nearest pixel. on the right hand sides of characters, the rolls of left and right edges of strokes are


character is then moved to the nearest whole pixel, based on rounding the thickness of the pixel, as opposed to moving the right hand side to the nearest pixel. on the right hand sides of characters, the rolls of left and right edges of strokes are reversed. right edges of strokes are anchored, while left edges are rounded relatively to corresponding right edges. ( see, appendix, page 355, snap. c ). in one variant of this scheme, the positions of left and right index points or width points, which are those points which determine character spacing and are made to coincide in constructing words, are snapped before the vertical edges. in the vertical direction, snapping is performed to piecewise stretch characters so that positions of baseline, cap - height, x - height, and descender fall on pixel boundaries. baseline and descender position are treated as bottoms of strokes, that is, anchored, while cap - height and x - height are treated as tops of strokes, computed relative to the baseline. all characters are snapped to all of these positions, ensuring uniform character alignment. after these font metric positions are snapped, horizontal edges are snapped in the same manner as vertical edges, with lower edges of strokes anchored and upper edges snapped relative to the lower edges in the lower half of the character and upper edges of strokes anchored and lower edges snapped relative to the upper edges in the upper half of the character. in both horizontal and vertical directions, snapping is performed one edge at a time. that is, the first edge is snapped, stretching the coordinate system of the character slightly on one side of the snapped edge and shrinking it slightly on the other side. the second edge is then snapped, with its pre - snapping position perhaps already modified slightly by the first snap. this sequential snapping helps preserve local character features better than simultaneous snapping of all edges does. when the second edge is snapped, its area of influence on the coordinate grid extends only up to the first snapped edge, which stays in place. this process is then repeated for the remainder of the edges. the snapped character h is shown at fig. 2d. once each character in the adjusted contour font has been placed in the grid and appropriately thickened and thinned, the final step is to sample the adjusted contour on discrete grid. this step 70 can optionally produce half bitted output images, as controlled by the printer profile. light half bitting produces half bitting on curves and diagonals, while heavy half bitting will also produce half bitted vertical and horizontal edges. rasterization in a


should i be a strict or lenient parent? to be strict or not to be strict, that is the question – in fact, it ’ s the number - one question among child - rearing and education authorities, among teachers and, of course, parents. it ’ s doubtful that there is a parent who hasn ’ t at one time or another agonized over this. there is a widespread uncertainty on how to be at home ( or how to come across in the classroom ) – tough or soft, to be a strict disciplinarian or a permissivist. have you noticed, however, that you seldom hear a parent or teacher admit “ i am authoritarian ” or “ i am permissive ”? these are terms reserved for those with whom you disagree. the question, whether to be strict or lenient, never ceases to be debated in books and articles, or at conferences and conventions. dr. gordon points out that this question is what social scientists call a “ pseudo problem ” and how it also is a clear case of “ either - or thinking ”. let ’ s take a look at what he means by that. seldom parents or teachers seem to recognize that it is not necessary to make a choice between these two leadership styles. few adults know it, but there is an alternative to being at either end of the strictness - leniency scale. there is the choice of a third style. this alternative is being neither authoritarian nor permissive, neither strict nor lenient. does that mean being somewhere near the middle of the scale – moderately strict or moderately lenient? not at all. the alternative is not being on the scale at all! how so? authoritarian leadership – whether at home or in the classroom – means that the control is in the hands of the adult leader. it has been researched and proven for decades how ineffective maintaining control through power is. authoritarianism often creates fearful and subservient children and / or rebellion. still, no parent or teacher really wants to suffer the chaotic consequences of unrestricted freedom and lawless permissiveness either. it ’ s also true that most children are uncomfortable with the consequences of permissiveness. permissive leadership means that control has been “ permitted ” to be in the hands of the youngsters. children of permissive parents usually feel guilty about always getting their way. they also feel insecure about being loved, because their inconsiderate behaviors make them feel unlovable. so what is that third viable alternative to both, authoritarian and per


to the profound comprehension of this law of the intellectual generation of ideas, are due the marvels of catholic civilisation. to that wonderful civilisation is due all that we admire and all that we see. its theologians, even considered humanly, put to the blush modern and ancient philosophers ; her doctors excite wonder by the immensity of their science ; its historians by their generalising and comprehensive views, cast those of antiquity into the shade. st augustine ’ s “ city of god ” is, even today, the most profound book of history which genius, illuminated by the rays of catholicity, has presented to the astonished eyes of men. the acts of her councils, leaving aside the divine inspiration, are the most finished monuments of human prudence. the canonical, excel in wisdom the roman, and the feudal, laws. who is before st thomas in science, st augustine in genius, bossuet in majesty, st paul in power? who is greater as a poet than dante? who is equal to shakespeare? who surpasses calderon? who, like raphael, infused life and inspiration into the canvas? place people in sight of the pyramids of egypt, and they will tell you, “ here has passed a grand and barbarous civilisation. ” place them in sight of the grecian statues and temples, and they will tell you, “ here has passed a graceful, ephemeral, and brilliant civilisation. ” place them in sight of a roman monument, and they will tell you, “ here has passed a great people. ” place them in sight of a cathedral, and on beholding such majesty united to such beauty, such grandeur to such taste, such grace to such delicacy, such severe unity to such rich variety, such measure to such boldness, such heaviness in the stones, with such suavity in their outlines, and such wonderful harmony between silence and light, shade and colour, they will tell you, here has passed the greatest people of history, and the most astounding of human civilisations : that people must have taken grandeur from the egyptian, brilliancy from the greek, strength from the roman, and, beyond the strength, the brilliancy, and grandeur, something more valuable than grandeur, strength, and brilliancy — immortality and perfection. donoso cortes, essays on catholicism, liberalism and socialism


san angelo, texas — moscow ( ap ) the head of russia ' s space agency said tuesday that cosmic radiation was the most likely cause of the failure of a mars moon probe that crashed to earth this month, and suggested that a low - quality imported component may have been vulnerable to the radiation. vladimir popovkin also said a manned launch to the international space station is being postponed from march 30 because of faults found in the soyuz capsule. the statements underline an array of trouble that has afflicted the country ' s vaunted space program in recent months, including the august crash of a supply ship for the space station and last month ' s crash of a communications satellite. since the end of the u. s. space shuttle program last year, russian craft are the only means to send crew to and from the iss. the unmanned phobos - ground probe was to have gone to the mars moon of phobos, taken soil samples and brought them back. but it became stuck in earth orbit soon after its launch on nov. 9. it fell out of orbit on jan. 15, reportedly off the coast of chile, but no fragments have been found. the failure was a severe embarrassment to russia, and popovkin initially suggested it could have been due to foreign sabotage. but on tuesday he said in televised remarks that an investigation showed the probable cause was " localized influence of heavily radiated space particles. " popovkin, speaking in the city of voronezh where the report was presented to deputy prime minister dmitry rogozin, said two units of the phobos - ground probe ' s onboard computer system went into an energy - saving " restart " mode, apparently due to the radiation, while the craft was in its second orbital circuit. it was not immediately clear why the units could not be brought out of that mode. popovkin said that some microchips used on the craft were imported and possibly of inadequate quality to resist radiation. he did not specify where the chips were manufactured. yuri koptev, a former space agency head who led the phobos - ground investigation, said 62 percent of the microchips used in the probe were " industrial " class, a less - sophisticated level than should be used in space flight. popovkin said the craft ' s builder, moscow - based npo lavochkin, should have taken into account the possibility of radiation interfering with the operation and said lavochkin officials would face punishment for the oversight. popovkin later announced that a march


european ports install radiation detectors as u. s. delays just last week, u. s. officials announced that the homeland security department is slowing plans to roll out 1, 400 monitors, each costing nearly $ 400, 000, as part of a $ 1. 2 billion multiyear project. in field tests, the new advanced spectroscopic portal monitors, or asps, " led to the determination that additional functional capacity is needed to meet the operational standards, " a department spokeswoman announced. the announcement, which means the machines could take another year to reach u. s. ports, comes after more than a year of sparring between dhs officials and the government accountability office over how effective the technology is as well as testing methods used to evaluate it. the debate over the new equipment has largely played out in congressional hearings. in september, government accountability office officials argued that dhs testing was based on a " biased " methodology that allowed vendors an artificial edge during the evaluation of their radiation detectors, an allegation homeland security officials said was off base. officials at the belgian port of antwerp, however, are moving ahead with deployment of the asps for use in secondary screening. " we ' re in the process of finalizing it now, " pascal fias, a scientist working at the antwerp port, said last week during an international atomic energy agency - sponsored conference on nuclear trafficking here. in the netherlands, dutch customs officials are already using the asp detectors in secondary deployments and expect to eventually use them as primary scanners, fias said. containers at ports are typically put through a two - phase scanning process. during the first phase, the shipping containers are sent through very sensitive detectors called plastic scintillators. plastic scintillators can detect very low - level radiation emissions but are incapable of identifying the isotope emitting the energy. due to their sensitivity, they can be triggered by innocuous cargo with trace levels of natural radiation like granite, kitty litter or bananas. in one instance a load of blueberries set off belgian alarms. the fruit exhibited trace levels of cesium contamination, a legacy from chernobyl, fias said. if the primary detectors discover the presence of radiation, the shipping container is then sent through a secondary screening where customs officials use hand - held devices to determine the nature of the source. after the latest round of gao criticism of the dhs technology vetting process, homeland security officials suggested the asp detectors would first be deployed in secondary locations and testing would continue before replacing the plastic


- held devices to determine the nature of the source. after the latest round of gao criticism of the dhs technology vetting process, homeland security officials suggested the asp detectors would first be deployed in secondary locations and testing would continue before replacing the plastic scintillators. while belgian port officials have no plans to shift the asp to a primary detection deployment - they say they have the plastic scintillators and might as well use them - the new technology is perfect for secondary screening, they say. " for the second phase, it makes a lot of sense to use the asp, " fias told global security newswire, calling the technology currently " the best on the market. " without the asp detectors, custom officials must use a small, hand - held scanner to assess the entire shipping container. that is a small scanner and a large box, a combination that has led to complaints from customs officials at the port, fias said. by contrast, the asp scanners are " basically a very, very big detector that can scan the whole of the container, " he said. replacing primary scanners with the new technology requires any new device to be at least a sensitive as the plastic scintillators, fias notes, a more challenging bar to meet. the goal with these detector upgrades, both domestically and abroad, is not necessarily increasing the level or radiation detection at ports, but rather smoothing the flow of commerce and making sure current detection regime is not disruptive. u. s. officials have repeatedly said the goal is to lower the number of false alarms at large ports such as los angeles / long beach. that port, the nation ' s busiest, has about 500 radiation alerts a day, and dhs officials suggest the new technology could plunge that number to less than 30. " we want to have a low economic impact. time is money, certainly in a port, " fias said of antwerp. " only 1 in 10, 000 containers are delayed for more than a few hours or days. " he expects the asps, to be used in conjunction with x - ray scanning, to be rolled out in antwerp by the end of next year.


the pristine waters off kona, hawaii, teem with big game and spawn many exciting fish tales. but this tale is unlike any other, a mystery involving a giant slender fish discovered on the surface minus its head and tail, making it nearly impossible to identify. sea strike capt. dale leverone poses with giant headless mystery fish found recently off kona, hawaii. in below image, first mate jack leverone lies beside the 7 - foot - long denizen. credit : the leverones the case may never be solved because scientists have little to go on besides the photos accompanying this post, and because the fishermen filleted the carcass and tossed it overboard. the only thing that appears certain is that the headless mystery fish belongs to a species that resides at great depth, and is rarely encountered by humans. the best guess, and some might have already ventured this theory, is that this was an oarfish. oarfish are long and slender prehistoric - looking fish believed to have spawned tales of sea serpents among ancient mariners. that ’ s what capt. dale leverone of the sea strike, which stumbled upon the 7 - foot - long ribbon - like fish, initially believed. that ’ s also what jon schwartz supposed. schwartz, a fishing photographer and friends of the leverone family, spent an entire day last week trying to solve this mystery, and blogged about his detective work. his title : “ giant headless mystery fish baffles fishermen and scientists. ” but oarfish boast crimson - colored mane - like dorsal fins, tall and prominent near their heads, and the headless fish did not have a detectable dorsal fin. “ i thought it was a car bumper, but then i remembered they don ’ t float, ” first mate jack leverone told schwartz. schwartz contacted jim rizzuto, a veteran fishing writer in hawaii, and rizzuto suggested it could be a hawaiian ridge scabbardfish, which are long and ribbon - like, and extremely rare. but scabbardfish do not get nearly this long, so it was crossed off the list. schwartz plunged into wikipedia and found a species called beltfish, which are long and thin, and a photo of a bunch of them at a fish market in japan. not a probable match. schwartz also contacted two noaa marine biologists, who could not provide a positive id. i decided to probe on my own and contacted perry hampton, vice president of animal husbandry at the aquarium of the pacific in long beach


not a probable match. schwartz also contacted two noaa marine biologists, who could not provide a positive id. i decided to probe on my own and contacted perry hampton, vice president of animal husbandry at the aquarium of the pacific in long beach, calif. hampton said the photographs “ do not show enough detail to make a determination ” but added : “ despite the apparent lack of red dorsal fin it is hard to come up with any other species other than an oarfish, ” based on the size of the specimen. “ the most prominent part of an oarfish ’ s dorsal fin are the first few spines near the head, ” he added. “ it is possible that these things were lost along with the head. the rest of the dorsal fin runs the length of the body but usually lays flat in a recessed channel along the fish ’ s back unless it is alarmed. ” so the headless mystery fish could very well have been an oarfish, but the world may never know for sure. just as it will never know what kind of shark or other predator chomped off its head and tail, leaving the rest for the leverones. they had planned to eat the headless mystery fish, but when they cooked it the flesh turned gelatinous, so they passed. more on grindtv nature – facebook friends capture amazing baby whale, seal footage on same day sharks – scary moments for divers during up - close tiger shark encounter fishing – bluefin tuna sells for record $ 1. 76 million in japan


in response to growing demand from western u. s. and canadian outdoor fruit and berry producers, biobest is developing a native western bumblebee for outdoor pollination. bumblebees are important pollinators of many cultivated crops. by pollinating our fruits and vegetables, they not only help deliver our healthy meals, but are also vital to overall food security. bumblebees have the edge when it comes to effective pollination. they produce their own heat, which in combination with their furry coats enables them to fly early in the season when it is still far too cold for honeybees and other insects. unlike honeybees, they also buzz or shake flowers to collect pollen, which assures effective pollination. the use of bumblebees has allowed growers to produce higher - yielding, better - quality and safer crops. in food crops like greenhouse tomatoes, bumblebees have for many years successfully replaced physical pollination or chemicals previously used to induce fruit set. the demand for bumblebees to help guarantee crop yield has increased in recent years as honeybees and other natural pollinators have declined, but because native western species have not been available commercially, western u. s. and canadian growers of field crops like berries, top fruit and canola have been at a disadvantage, unable to share in the many benefits these pollinators offer. biobest recognizes the ecological and economic benefits of using native species for pollination. having pioneered the use of bumblebees for crop pollination, biobest has now developed a native western bumblebee species especially for the western u. s. and canada. biobest has been successful in rearing a range of native western bumblebee species, allowing them to select the right candidate for the western u. s. market. the company says that only the species that proves most successful in crop pollination will be launched for use in its native territory. biobest expects to begin pollination trials in the spring of 2013. for more information :


fire ants can present a real problem for home owners. almost every yard in our area has fire ants. although they do not cause damage to the turf or other plant material, they can inflict painful stings. when their mounds are disturbed, the ants become aggressive and will attack anything that disturbs their mounds. an unsuspecting victim can be quickly covered with ants. the stings are usually just irritating and painful. however, some people are highly allergic and can become very ill with just one sting. fire ants were accidentally introduced into the united states from south america through the port of mobile, ala., in the 1930s and they arrived into georgia in the 1950s. at present, the ants are present in all counties except for some in the mountains. human activity has helped spread the ants through shipments of ant infested nursery stock, soil, sod or other such material. they do not do as well in colder climates, which have slowed their spread northward. states in the western part of the country are trying to control the spread of fire ants through inspections of incoming agricultural products from infested areas and quarantines. the total elimination of fire ants from an area is not feasible. however, temporary measures can be initiated to control fire ant infestations. but the controls must be used continuously or the ants will return. many situations exist that do not require the treatment of fire ants, like areas were little or no human activity occurs. however, in high traffic areas, such as lawns and garden areas, control of fire ants is a must. killing the queen is very important in controlling fire ants. the queen stays in the mound and continues to reproduce while other ants build the mound and forage for food to feed the colony. killing the foraging ants without killing the queen will not destroy the mound. there are basically three methods of treating fire ants. the first way is to broadcast fire ant bait such as amdro, logic, and several other brands on and around the mound while the ants are foraging. the ants think the bait is food when it actually is a poison. it goes down to the queen and gets rid of the colony over time. the second method is to treat the individual mounds with an insecticide drench, such as acephate, carbaryl ( sevin ) and several others. the mound drenches use a small amount of the active poison ingredient mixed with water and poured upon the mound. some times the " two step " method is used. the fire ants are treated with bait


##yl ( sevin ) and several others. the mound drenches use a small amount of the active poison ingredient mixed with water and poured upon the mound. some times the " two step " method is used. the fire ants are treated with bait broadcasted into the area and then, seven days later, the mounds are drenched with the appropriate insecticide. a third method is broadcast applications of granular insecticides. the products are not baits. the products, such as fipronil ( over ' n out, chipco, topchoice ), can reduce the fire ant population substantially over time. however, these products only work where they have been directly applied to. remember, when using chemical pesticides follow all label directions and safety precautions. one home method is to use boiling hot water. a couple of applications can kill a fire ant mound. however, each mound has to be treated individually and there is the risk of the applicator being scalded by the water. never use gasoline to try to burn mounds. besides the risk of setting yourself and the surrounding property on fire, the gasoline will kill the turf and can sterilize the soil. some " home made remedies " such as grits, are totally useless in controlling fire ants. fire ants are a big problem and will continue to be so. but they can be brought under controlled and should in areas of high usage due to their potential danger to human health. timothy daly is an agricultural and natural resource agent with the gwinnett county extension service. he can be reached at 678 - 377 - 4010 or email @ example. com.


staff photo : jason braverman girl scouts kennedy watson, from left, leah royes and kaitlyn hamlette, of troop 4525 in snellville, draw signs to promote cookie sales. lemon - wedge cookies dusted with powdered sugar and filled with lemon zest flavor the shortbread cookie oatmeal cookies with peanut butter filling vanilla cookies covered in caramel and toasted coconut, then striped with chocolate cookie topped with peanut butter then completely covered in chocolate thin wafer covered in a peppermint chocolate 1912 — on march 12, 1912, founder juliette gordon low gathered 18 girls to register the first troop of american girl guides. it was renamed girl scouts the following year. 1920s — the first girl scout troops on foreign soil were established in china, mexico, saudi arabia and syria for american girls living in other countries. 1930s — the first sale of commercially baked girl scout cookies took place. 1940s — girls collected 1. 5 million articles of clothing that were then shipped overseas to children and adult victims of war. 1950s — the march 1952 issue of “ ebony ” magazine reported, “ girl scouts in the south are making steady progress toward breaking down racial taboos. ” 1960s — the social unrest of the 1960s was reflected in organization actions and girl scout program change, including introduction in 1963 of four program age – levels for girls : brownie, junior, cadette and senior girl scouts. 1970s — girl scouts contributed to a white house conference on food, nutrition and health. 1980s — “ the contemporary issues ” series was developed in the 1980s to help girls and their families deal with serious social issues. the first, “ tune in to well being, say no to drugs, ” was introduced in collaboration with a project initiated by first lady nancy reagan. 1990s — girl scouting experienced a renewed emphasis on physical fitness with the inauguration of a health and fitness national service project in 1994 and the girlsports initiative in 1996. 2000s — grants from fortune 500 companies such as lucent technologies, intel and lockheed martin supported science and technology exploration programs for girls. 2012 — girl scouts of the usa has declared 2012 the year of the girl : a celebration of girls, recognition of their leadership potential and a commitment to creating a coalition of like - minded organizations and individuals in support of balanced leadership in the workplace and in communities across the country. snellville - - it ' s that time of year. across gwinnett - - and the nation - - young girls dressed in green, brown, tan and blue vests are selling the famous girl scouts cookies by the boxes and


country. snellville - - it ' s that time of year. across gwinnett - - and the nation - - young girls dressed in green, brown, tan and blue vests are selling the famous girl scouts cookies by the boxes and they have a new cookie this year, the savannah smiles. haven ' t heard of it? it ' s the latest creation to celebrate the organization ' s 100th anniversary. the girls from troop no. 4525 in snellville, just like millions of other girls, are bound and determined to sell their cookies to anyone who will buy a box for $ 3. 50. " this is exciting to me because i started out as a girl scout with my sister in brooklyn, n. y., " troop co - leader qualena odom - royes said. " now being able to share it with leah ( my daughter ) and these other girls is exciting and wonderful. " the troop worked on posters to advertise their confectionery sweets and set individual sales goals for 2012. with much childhood exuberance, jocelyn spencer, 8, decided on 81, 000 boxes. " i ' m going to get everyone in my family to sell cookies, " she said. and she ' s not the only one aiming big. the other girls in the troop set goals in the hundreds. " i ' m going to try to raise 400 because i really want all of the prizes, " kennedy watson, 8, said. girl scout cookies in recipes try using girl scout cookies as part of fun recipes in addition to the usual cookies, girl scouts of the usa has introduced its latest creation, the savannah smiles, to commemorate its 100th year. these celebratory baked goods were created in honor of girl scouts founder juliette gordon low ' s hometown of savannah and are similar in taste to past customer favorites with bursts of lemon flavor. the cookie is shaped like a wedge, covered in powered sugar and filled with lemon crisps. " the savannah smiles is actually closer to the original cookies made for the girl scout sales. it was one of the first varieties out there, " troop co - leader adrienne cole said. the cookie is such a new addition to the girl scouts, the troops and their leaders haven ' t gotten to taste - test the lemon flavored treat. " i really want to try the new cookie, " kaitlyn hamlette, 6, said. " i like lemony stuff, so i really want to try it. " ada hamlette of loganville, kaitlyn


test the lemon flavored treat. " i really want to try the new cookie, " kaitlyn hamlette, 6, said. " i like lemony stuff, so i really want to try it. " ada hamlette of loganville, kaitlyn ' s mother added, " everyone is excited about the new cookie and they want to try them. they look like they ' ll be delicious. " to boost the savannah smiles ' sales, troop no. 4525 thought of a strategic marketing approach : give out free samples while selling boxes around the county. " i want to give a box of milk to everyone who eats a sample, " spencer said. cole chimed in, " maybe we can get kroger to donate some milk. " your hips may be mad that you bought the cookies, but your heart won ' t feel the same. all of the proceeds from girl scouts of greater atlanta ' s fundraising activities, including the cookie drive, stay in the council to serve the girls and volunteers in many ways. the money delivers programs to 41, 500 girl members in a 34 - county territory, trains more than 18, 000 adult member volunteers, provides approximately $ 52, 000 in scholarships for higher education and so much more. the girls scouts of the usa haven ' t started selling their cookies online yet, but could in the next few years. the organization recommends never buying girl scout cookies on any sites, including amazon, ebay and other auction or community sites. there is no guarantee of freshness or authenticity. to keep up with a technological age, the organization is using its website to help buyers easily find troops to purchase from in the area. starting feb. 17, the public can use the cookie locator, a program set up to help locate girls selling in your neighborhood by entering your zip code. to use the locator, visit cookielocator. littlebrownie. com. to learn more about the girl scout ' s 100th anniversary and the savannah smiles, visit www. girlscouts. org.


become a fan of h2g2 daniel boone, a legendary american frontiersman, was once quoted as saying, ' i ain ' t never been lost, but i may have been confused once or twice '. with all respect to mr boone - who was born in pennsylvania, incidentally - it ' s incredibly easy to get lost and confused in the forests and mountains of pennsylvania. in the course of the state ' s 300 - plus year recorded history, many people have gotten lost and confused. and they ' ve lost plenty of things while stumbling around in the pennsylvania woodlands - including a surprising amount of gold and silver. late in the 1690s, a group of french canadians, led by louis frontenac, departed new orleans and headed towards montreal. they sailed up the mississippi river to the ohio river turn - off. they then went up the ohio to the location of present - day pittsburgh and took the left fork up the allegheny river. on their rafts were kegs filled with gold coins destined for the royal governor of canada ' s treasury. upon reaching present - day potter county, pennsylvania, they started overland, but the heavy kegs of coins made the going slow. fearing an english or indian attack, they decided to bury the treasure just north of the location of present - day coudersport. they marked their cache of gold with a cross chipped onto a rock. seneca indians are said to have seen the cross on the rock, but left it alone because they feared the site had special mystical significance. in time, the marker wore off the stone and the indians were unable to remember where it was located. the frenchmen never returned for their gold and to this day it has never been found. the counterfeiter ' s gold then there ' s the story of cyrus cole who, in the early 1900s, lived by himself in a shack near the swamps outside eldred in mckean county, pennsylvania. cole was something of a bum, surviving by picking berries and trapping muskrats yet, strangely, he was never short of cash. the united states secret service had agents investigating an influx of counterfeit silver half dollars and gold coins in the area, but could never get any leads. then in 1912, they got an anonymous tip that cole was the mastermind behind the counterfeiting ring. armed with a search warrant, the agents searched cole ' s shack and found some evidence, but not enough for a conviction. they searched the swamp for evidence of the minting equipment, but came up empty - handed


behind the counterfeiting ring. armed with a search warrant, the agents searched cole ' s shack and found some evidence, but not enough for a conviction. they searched the swamp for evidence of the minting equipment, but came up empty - handed. legend has it that cole buried his counterfeit coins and his real gold and silver profits somewhere on the high ground near eldred. none of it has ever been recovered. civil war gold in 1863, during the american civil war1, a union army lieutenant was ordered to escort a wagon that had been fitted with a false base. this disguised compartment contained 26 gold bars each weighing 50 pounds. the wagon was to travel from wheeling, west virginia, north through pennsylvania and then south to washington, dc - the idea behind this route was to avoid any possible encounter with confederate forces. in the early stages of the journey, the lieutenant was sick with fever. during a fit of delirium, he blurted out the fact that the wagon contained a fortune in gold. after his fever broke, the expedition left st marys, pennsylvania, heading for driftwood where they were to build a raft and float down the susquehanna river to harrisburg. they never made it, vanishing somewhere in the forests of cameron and elk counties. two months later, the party ' s civilian guide stumbled into lock haven - 50 miles east of st marys, the last known location of the convoy. army investigators interrogated the guide for days and heard that bandits ambushed the group, killing all the soldiers and taking the gold. the army did not believe this story. pinkerton2 detectives were hired to search the area, but all they found were some dead mules in the area of dent ' s run near present - day route 55 in elk county. in the early 1870s, human skeletons which were believed to be those of the soldiers were found in the same area. the guide was drafted into the army and assigned to a fort in the west. a heavy drinker, when he was drunk he would claim to know where the gold was hidden. but when he sobered up, he disavowed all knowledge of the treasure ' s location. local rumour has it that during the past 50 years the modern us army has sent several teams into the area around dent ' s run searching for the gold. despite these alleged ongoing searches, the gold has never been recovered. during the american civil war, confederate raiders captured a union convoy heading from west virginia to the philadelphia mint. the convoy ' s treasure - some 15 tons of


run searching for the gold. despite these alleged ongoing searches, the gold has never been recovered. during the american civil war, confederate raiders captured a union convoy heading from west virginia to the philadelphia mint. the convoy ' s treasure - some 15 tons of silver bars - was stolen and hidden inside a cave north of uniontown, pennsylvania. the rebels sealed the mouth of the cave and never returned for the booty. some say it ' s still out there waiting to be discovered. in 1680, a spanish treasure ship sank off the bahamas. a hundred and thirty years later a british captain named ' blackbeard ' 3 found the treasure and recovered several tons of silver. blackbeard sailed into baltimore harbour intending to transfer the silver to a british warship for transport to london. fearing that the ship would be followed and attacked on the high seas, blackbeard sent the silver overland by wagon to canada where it would be loaded into a convoy of strong ships. by the time blackbeard reached renovo, pennsylvania, the war of 18124 had begun and blackbeard, fearing that the silver would fall into usa hands, buried the treasure in the mountains outside emporium in mckean county near present - day route 155. blackbeard never returned for the silver and rumour has it that it is still there today. robber lewis ' lost booty david ' robber ' lewis made a reputation for himself in the early 1800s, robbing the rich and giving to the poor. he was captured in 1820 and on his deathbed, he confessed to all his crimes and told his jailers of three caches of gold he had hidden in pennsylvania : one, containing $ 10, 000 in gold, is said to have been hidden in a small cave along the juniata river near lewistown, pennsylvania. lewis returned for the cache and couldn ' t find it because the river had flooded and washed away his trail markers. a second cache is purported to be buried along the conodoguinett creek near the caves he used as a hide - out. the third, reportedly containing $ 20, 000, is buried in the hills outside of bellefonte. during his last imprisonment, lewis is said to have taunted his jailers by telling them that he could see the cache from the jail. none of these caches have ever been recovered. cash at kinzua in the 1890s, a man robbed a bank in emporium, pennsylvania, making off with $ 40, 000 in cash. apparently, he got lost and wound


jail. none of these caches have ever been recovered. cash at kinzua in the 1890s, a man robbed a bank in emporium, pennsylvania, making off with $ 40, 000 in cash. apparently, he got lost and wound up in the village of hazel hurst where he collapsed. not having a good day, our man died of ' exhaustion ' a short time later, but not before confessing that he had buried the loot north - east of kushequa within sight of the kinzua railroad bridge. the money has never been recovered. the belsano train robbery on 11 october, 1924, a train carrying a safe containing a payroll of $ 33, 000 was robbed just outside the cambria county, pennsylvania town of belsano. during the course of the robbery, one of the men who was guarding the safe was shot and killed. police in several neighbouring states joined the manhunt for michelo bassi and anthony pezzi and the murderous duo were apprehended two weeks after the robbery in terre haute, indiana. each had a gun and $ 3, 000 in cash. the men were convicted of first degree murder and in february 1925, they were executed in the state ' s electric chair. the safe and some of the money was never recovered. legend has it that it may be buried or hidden near the site of the robbery. the lost cave of silver somewhere in the allegheny national forest to the west of the town of tionesta, pennsylvania is a cave reputed to be full of silver. during the late 1700s, a white settler named hill got lost and sought shelter in a cave for the night. inside the cave he saw veins of silver running everywhere through the walls and ceiling. in the floor was a great pit filled with pure silver. when he managed to find his way home, he was unable to find his way back to the cave. hill ' s story was backed up by an early entrepreneur who traded liquor with the indigenous indians in exchange for furs and silver. when he asked them where they got all their silver, legend has it that they blindfolded him and took him to a cave matching the one described in hill ' s story. pure silver was found in indian burial grounds near irvine, warren county - approximately 15 miles upstream from tionesta. however, the cave of silver has never been found. other lost treasures an aeroplane carrying a quarter - million dollars in cash crashed near mount carmel in 1948. the money was thrown out of the plane just


schopf, j. william adult nonfiction qh325. s384 1999 summary : one of the greatest mysteries in reconstructing the history of life on earth has been the apparent absence of fossils dating back more than 550 million years. we have long known that fossils of sophisticated marine life - forms existed at the dawn of the cambrian period, but until recently scientists had found no traces of precambrian fossils. the quest to find such traces began in earnest in the mid - 1960s and culminated in one dramatic moment in 1993 when william schopf identified fossilized microorganisms three and a half " billion years old. this startling find opened up a vast period of time - - some eighty - five percent of earth ' s history - - to new research and new ideas about life ' s beginnings. in this book, william schopf, a pioneer of modern paleobiology, tells for the first time the exciting and fascinating story of the origins and earliest evolution of life and how that story has been unearthed. gracefully blending his personal story of discovery with the basics needed to understand the astonishing science he describes, schopf has produced an introduction to paleobiology for the interested reader as well as a primer for beginning s question about returns, requests or other account details? add a comment


many things can trigger depression. it is common during life changes such as adolescence, marriage, birth and menopause. it can be a consequence of your upbringing - such as whether or not you were taught effective coping skills as a child. there is a genetic component to depression, and influences such as diet, stress and illness also play a part. being depressed can make you feel out of control and helpless, yet there are many ways to avoid falling into depression. * examine your diet. what you eat - or don ’ t eat - can influence your mood. the same diets that can cause heart disease and arthritis in some individuals - one that is high in sodium and saturated fat, and low in whole, fresh plant foods and unrefined essential fatty acids ( efas ) - can cause depression in others. likewise, food allergies can also alter brain function and trigger depression ( biol psychiatry, 1981 ; 16 : 3 - 19 ). wheat, milk, corn, beef and eggs are common culprits ( ann allergy, 1982 ; 48 : 166 - 71 ). but bear in mind that food allergies linked to depression often have an addictive quality - so whatever you eat compulsively may be contributing to the problem. * psychotherapy is as effective as drugs. cognitive behavioural therapy can help those at risk of depression to become more conscious of negative thoughts and attitudes that feed into their depressions. patients undergoing such therapy can learn to change ( or at least mitigate ) these unhelpful tendencies ( j consult clin psychol, 1989 ; 57 : 414 - 9 ). * drug - induced depression is very common. around 200 different classes of drugs have been implicated, including beta - blockers, tranquillisers, corticosteroids and birth - control pills, as well as alcohol and recreational drugs. if you think you may be reacting to a drug, consider switching to another family of drugs or trying other options. * environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, petrochemicals, pesticides and other toxins can disrupt the nervous system and lead to mild, but chronic, mood disorders, including depression ( med clin north am, 1990 ; 74 : 325 - 45 ). similarly, exposure to electromagnetic fields ( emfs ), especially at work ( west j med, 2000 ; 173 : 94 - 100 ) can lead to more depression and suicide in some vulnerable individuals ( bioelectromagnetics, 2001 ; [ suppl 5


to electromagnetic fields ( emfs ), especially at work ( west j med, 2000 ; 173 : 94 - 100 ) can lead to more depression and suicide in some vulnerable individuals ( bioelectromagnetics, 2001 ; [ suppl 5 ] : s132 - 43 ). * st john ’ s wort is the most effective herbal remedy for mild depression because it works in a similar way to conventional antidepressants. a standardised extract ( 0. 03 per cent hypericin ) usually at a dose of 300 mg three times a day can be just as effective as antidepressant drugs ( bmj, 1996 ; 313 : 253 - 8 ). what ’ s more, the side - effects are minimal. * traditional acupuncture can be as good as conventional drugs for preventing relapses in depression ( compl ther med, 2001 ; 9 : 216 - 8 ). * electroacupuncture can benefit those suffering from major depression who cannot tolerate the side - effects of antidepressant drugs ( psychiatry clin neurosci, 1998 ; 52 [ suppl ] : s338 - 40 ). * stay active. people who exercise regularly have less depression ( prev med, 2003 ; 36 : 698 - 703 ). typically, any aerobic exercise, such as walking or jogging, for 20 - 30 minutes three or four times a week will benefit mild - to - moderate depression ( bmj, 1985 ; 291 : 109 ). * acknowledge your feelings. depressed individuals often try to suppress their ‘ bad ’ feelings, especially those concerning distressing life experiences. ‘ confessing ’ your most troubling feelings and experiences in a private diary can have significant long - term benefits on both mental and physical health ( j abnorm psychol, 1986 ; 95 : 274 - 81 ; j consult clin psychol, 1989 ; 57 : 414 - 9 ). * get a good night ’ s sleep. since depression and lack of sleep can form a vicious circle, make sure you sleep well. stick to regular bedtimes ; having curtains that keep the light out will help regulate night - time melatonin secretion ; and don ’ t exercise or take stimulants such as coffee or alcohol before going to bed.


learning is the means whereby we acquire new working knowledge about the world. memory is the means whereby we retain that knowledge over time. our abilities to learn and remember are essential to our sense of self and our ability to function effectively in daily life. memory is the glue that holds our mental life together. as a result, we are who we are in large part because of what we have learned and what we remember from past experience. but what is memory? how does the brain capture and sustain it? why does memory sometimes fail us? those simple questions, of course, have exceedingly complex answers, and many biological details about the process of memory in humans and other animals remain unknown. hhmi investigator eric r. kandel of columbia university, however, has provided a good start. his studies of the molecular basis of learning and memory underpin much of what we know about how events are recorded by the brain, processed by individual nerve cells, and etched in gray matter. for his work on learning and memory, kandel was awarded a share of the 2000 nobel prize in physiology or medicine. in the 1960s, kandel began his studies of learning and memory by focusing on the behavior of the sea slug aplysia, which he found to be a marvelously tractable system in which to study the cellular basis of these abilities. with only about 20, 000 nerve cells — compared with the roughly thousand billion in humans — and a well - delineated neural circuitry, it proved possible to zero in on a biologically interesting reflex pathway. like humans and other animals, aplysia is capable of learning to modify this reflex, and this learning involves making memories. kandel found that the cellular basis for memory depends on persistent changes in synapses, the connections between nerve cells. the differences in the strength of these connections come about through learning. kandel found that when, in the simple withdrawal reflex, the gill reacts to touch, the connection between the sensory nerve cell and motor nerve cell of the reflex are activated. when the sea slug was taught to ignore a harmless touch, the connections between the sensory nerve cell and motor cell weakened. when the same light touch was coupled to an unpleasant fearful stimulus the animal became sensitized. it would now react strongly to the light touch because the same set of connections had strengthened. kandel later discovered that short - term memory is kindled by the modulation of synapses and that long - term memory is sustained by the activation of genes. the formation of memories, kandel determined, is a


set of connections had strengthened. kandel later discovered that short - term memory is kindled by the modulation of synapses and that long - term memory is sustained by the activation of genes. the formation of memories, kandel determined, is a function of biochemical changes that occur at the synapse. to make short - term memories, the proteins involved in a chain of events at the nexus of nerve cells are chemically altered by the addition of phosphate groups. to cement a memory for the long haul, proteins are added at the synapse to make new connections with sensitization and lose connections with habituation. in the 1990s, he turned from studying simple forms of learning to more complex forms using genetically modified mice and showed that similar principles for short and long term memory were at work here as well. by laying a foundation for understanding the events that shape our ability to learn and remember, kandel ' s work has helped us understand not only the cellular processes that occur during the acts of learning and remembering, but also - through his work on mice - where things can go wrong when dementia and other illnesses that affect memory arise. the cellular processes revealed by kandel are among the targets of drugs used to alleviate these disorders of memory. pinpointing the activity of individual nerve cells engaged in the process of learning and memory may help in the development of new, more effective agents to treat diseases that affect the brain. photo : matthew septimus