printer friendly version lightweight true random number generators a step closer 17 september 2010 queen ' s university, belfast the widespread use of true random number generators ( trngs ) has taken a step closer following the creation of the most lightweight designs to date by researchers at queen ’ s university belfast ’ s institute of electronics, communications and information technology ( ecit ). members of the institute ’ s cryptography research team have produced a series of circuits that are up to 50 per cent smaller than anything else currently available. optimised for digital circuits, fpga and asic, they push efficiency to the limit by using just one logic gate, one look - up table and four transistors respectively. trngs are essential for it security because virtually any security application relies on unpredictable numbers such as cryptographic keys. current systems however are either too expensive or are not fast enough for many applications. that is why more nimble pseudo - random number generators are in widespread use even though the sequences they generate can be detected under certain types of attack, making them much less secure. the approach of ecit researchers jiang wu and dr maire o ’ neill has been to use the white noise inside the circuit to generate the randomness, effectively simulating the toss of a coin. to do this, they developed a new mechanism to measure the noise and generate the random output. “ the most challenging part of the work was to find the new mechanism that can effectively sample the noise, ” said wu. “ true random number generators have been extensively studied in recent years ; many very efficient designs based on different noise measurement mechanisms have been proposed. it was not clear if more efficient designs were even possible. after investigating several candidates, finally we found a successful one. ” the next step is to find ways of making the generators sufficiently robust to be embedded in devices such as mobile phones, smartcards and rfid tags, and – where they are used for security applications - to secure them from attack and develop appropriate countermeasures. other related work currently underway at ecit includes designs for highly efficient physical unclonable functions ( pufs ). these authenticate individual chips by extracting and identifying – but without revealing - their unique fingerprints which can then be used in a variety of security applications.


by jos van der poel down ’ s syndrome is a genetic disorder ( in stead of two these persons have three chromosomes 21 ) that besides a number of physical characteristics leads to intellectual impairment. it occurs in one out of every 1. 000 births. life expectancy of people with down ’ s syndrome has increased substantially over the last century : about 50 % of them will reach the age of 60. because of the trisomie 21 people with down ’ s syndrome have an overexpression of the amyloid precursor protein. amyloid is the main ingredient of the plaques, which are found in the brains of people with alzheimer ’ s disease. symptoms and course not all persons with down ’ s syndrome show evidence of cognitive deterioration or other clinical evidence of dementia even after extended periods of observation. clinical symptoms at first are increasing depression, indifference and a decline in social communication. later symptoms are : seizures in previously unaffected persons, changes in personality, loss of memory and general functions, long periods of inactivity or apathy, hyperactive reflexes, loss of activity of daily skills, visual retention deficits, loss of speech, disorientation, increase in stereotyped behaviour and abnormal neurological signs. especially for brothers and sisters who are confronted with the responsibility for ( the care of ) their sibling with down ’ s syndrome when their parents have died. it is distressing when this person develops alzheimer ’ s disease at a relatively young age. not only are they loosing the person they ( often ) love very much, but the burden of care gets heavier. causes and risk factors in down ’ s syndrome the development of alzheimer ’ s disease seems to be linked directly to the overexposure to app. the apoe2 gene seems to have a protective effect in down ’ s syndrome too, but whether apoe4 increases the risk of alzheimer ’ s disease in down ’ s syndrome is not clear yet. men and women seem to be equally susceptible. down ’ s syndrome originates in an extra copy of chromosome 21. at least 36 % of the people with down ’ s syndrome aged 50 – 59 years and 65 % aged 60 and older are affected by dementia. brain changes associated with alzheimer ’ s disease are found in 96 % of all adults with down ’ s syndrome. diagnosing dementia in people with down ’ s syndrome is very difficult, as the dementia symptoms are often masked by the existing intellectual impairment. several screening and evaluation procedures have been developed. these evaluations must be performed at select intervals, thus comparing with the


##gnosing dementia in people with down ’ s syndrome is very difficult, as the dementia symptoms are often masked by the existing intellectual impairment. several screening and evaluation procedures have been developed. these evaluations must be performed at select intervals, thus comparing with the person ’ s previous score. definitive diagnosis is only available after death. care and treatment because of limited personel in small scale living settings for people with an intellectual impairment, persons with dementia often have to move ( back ) to an institution for mentally retarded people. research has shown that donepezil ( aricept® ) has a positive though not significant effect. ongoing research / clinical trials erasmus university rotterdam ( evenhuis hm ) - beer efg de ; de effecten van donepezil bij downsyndroom ; down + up 2003 ; 62 - lott it, head e ; down syndrome and alzheimer ’ s disease : a link between development and aging ; ment ret dev dis 2001 ; 7 - visser fe ; down en alzheimer in perspectief ; dissertation 1996 - down ’ s syndrome and alzheimer ’ s disease ; briefing north west training & development team ( 1995 ) - dementia an intellectual disabilities ; fact sheet alzheimer ’ s disease international ( s. a. ) last updated : vendredi 09 octobre 2009


in 1621, the plymouth colonists and wampanoag indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. for more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. it wasn ' t until october 1777 that all 13 colonies celebrated day of thanksgiving. the very first national day of thanksgiving was held in 1789, when president george washington proclaimed thursday, nov. 26, to be " a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of almighty god especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. " though a national day of thanksgiving was declared in 1789, thanksgiving was not an annual celebration. we owe the modern concept of thanksgiving to poet and editor, sarah josepha hale. hale wrote the famous nursery rhyme, " mary had a little lamb, " and was editor of " godey ' s lady ' s book. " she spent 40 years advocating for a national, annual thanksgiving holiday. in the years leading up to the civil war, she saw the holiday as a way to infuse hope and belief in the nation and the constitution. so, when the united states was torn in half during the civil war and president abraham lincoln was searching for a way to bring the nation together, he discussed the matter with hale. on oct. 3, 1863, lincoln issued a thanksgiving proclamation that declared the last thursday in november ( based on washington ' s date ) to be a day of " thanksgiving and praise. " for the first time, thanksgiving became a national, annual holiday with a specific date. for 75 years after lincoln issued his thanksgiving proclamation, succeeding presidents honored the tradition and annually issued their own thanksgiving proclamation, declaring the last thursday in november as the day of thanksgiving. however, in 1939, during the great depression, the date of thanksgiving was scheduled to be nov. 30. retailers complained to president franklin d. roosevelt ( fdr ) that this only left 24 shopping days to christmas and begged him to push thanksgiving just one week earlier. it was determined that most people do their christmas shopping after thanksgiving and retailers hope that with an extra week of shopping, people would buy more. when fdr announced his thanksgiving proclamation in 1939, he declared the date of thanksgiving to be thursday, nov. 23, the second - to - last thursday of the month. the new date for thanksgiving caused a lot of confusion. calendars were now incorrect. schools who had planned vacations and tests


he declared the date of thanksgiving to be thursday, nov. 23, the second - to - last thursday of the month. the new date for thanksgiving caused a lot of confusion. calendars were now incorrect. schools who had planned vacations and tests now had to reschedule. thanksgiving had been a big day for football games, as it is today, so the game schedule had to be examined. before 1939, governors followed the president in officially proclaiming the same day as thanksgiving for their state. in 1939, many governors did not agree with fdr ' s decision to change the date and refused to follow him. the country became split on which thanksgiving they should observe. twenty - three states followed fdr ' s change. twenty - three other states disagreed with fdr and kept the traditional date for thanksgiving. two states, colorado and texas, decided to honor both dates. this idea of two thanksgiving days split some families because not everyone had the same day off work. did it work? the answer was no. businesses reported that the spending was approximately the same but the distribution of the shopping was changed. for those states who celebrated the earlier thanksgiving date, the shopping was evenly distributed throughout the season. for those states that kept the traditional date, businesses experienced a bulk of shopping in the last week before christmas. in 1940, fdr again announced thanksgiving to be the second - to - last thursday of the month. this time, 31 states followed him with the earlier date and 17 kept the traditional date. confusion over two thanksgivings continued. lincoln established the thanksgiving holiday to bring the country together, but the confusion over the date change was tearing it apart. on dec. 26, 1941, congress passed a law declaring that thanksgiving would occur every year on the fourth thursday of november.


identifying hurdles to renewable electricity transmission source : ap / thanassis stavrakis this article contains a correction. download this report ( pdf ) the next administration will face an extensive list of simultaneous policy challenges, not least of which include an international financial crisis, two wars abroad, and the growing climate crisis. while president barack obama navigates which issues and policies to prioritize, an essential element of our nation ’ s economic recovery must be investing in a clean energy economy in order to create jobs and spur economic growth and prosperity, while at the same time fighting global warming and addressing national security. this report seeks to highlight the multiple challenges and opportunities for action to vastly increase our nation ’ s renewable energy generation and connect this clean energy to the grid via advanced electrical transmission construction. identifying the significant, but by no means insurmountable, obstacles to implementing this vision is the first step toward designing policy solutions that enable investments to not only significantly reduce our nation ’ s global warming emissions but also to put us on a path to a clean energy future. our electricity grid is an integral but often overlooked element in the shift to a low - carbon economy. the current grid configuration cannot handle the growth in electricity demand expected over the next few decades unless we act quickly to modernize it. grid modernization must be compatible with scaling up renewable energy generation, including the ability to incorporate intermittent renewable electricity generation, and carrying renewable power to city centers, which in many cases will require long - distance transmission. additional important modernization efforts also include grid expansion, improved connectivity between different u. s. regions, increased efficiency of electricity transmission, improved security to ensure reliable supply of electricity, and adoption of smart grid technologies. the electricity grid in the united states is often heralded as one of the world ’ s first great technological achievements in modern history. the grid pioneered national access to electricity and spurred prosperity, and it now represents a central piece of economic and societal infrastructure. but nearly a century after grid construction began, no major updates have occurred. in a recent publication, the department of energy frames the issue well : if alexander bell were to see his original invention — the telephone — today, he would be blown away by the progress of telecommunications. in stark contrast, not much has changed for electricity distribution and technologies since thomas edison ’ s time. currently, the united states derives only 2 to 3 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, excluding hydropower. a national renewable portfolio standard, or rps — which sets a target percentage of renewable energy generation by a certain year — would dramatically


time. currently, the united states derives only 2 to 3 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, excluding hydropower. a national renewable portfolio standard, or rps — which sets a target percentage of renewable energy generation by a certain year — would dramatically increase this percentage and can serve as an important step toward establishing a low - carbon economy and combating global warming. president - elect obama has endorsed a national rps of 10 percent by 2012 and 25 percent by 2025. in the absence of federal leadership, 27 states and the district of columbia have established state - level rps requirements, and six additional states have explicit renewable electricity goals. thus, about 70 percent of the u. s. population is currently under a renewable electricity mandate or goal. reaching the target set by any type of renewable portfolio standard requires grid modernization and new transmission, yet how to proceed is a contentious and difficult policy challenge. a timely example is unfolding in minnesota, where xcel energy and other regional utilities are working on a project called capx 2020 to add more than 700 miles of new transmission in order to help meet the state rps. the project is encountering a variety of obstacles, which reveal the difficulty that scaling up renewable electricity production is likely to face. implementation hurdles to capx 2020 and other projects include environmental, public, and political concerns, siting authority, permit approval procedures, and environmental impact assessments. we will explore these issues here and briefly discuss other challenges that must be addressed, such as a qualified workforce, grid access, and cost recovery for new construction. even though new construction of renewable energy facilities and transmission lines offers significant environmental benefits — including reducing greenhouse gas emissions — any new construction risks facing public opposition for aesthetic, economic, or environmental reasons. typical objections include charges that new construction obstructs views, reduces property values, and could harm endangered species and habitats. one project that faced widespread public opposition is the offshore wind farm called cape wind in cape cod, massachusetts, in the nantucket sound. the project was first proposed in 2001 and its developer spent years fighting public claims that the farm would be a visual sore, negatively affect tourism to the region, and threaten birds, bottom - dwelling fish species, and boat navigation. this type of opposition is frequently called the not - in - my - backyard syndrome, or nimby, which describes a common tendency for people to favor a project until it directly affects them. six years after cape wind was proposed, in january 2008, the u. s. minerals management service completed an environmental impact statement


backyard syndrome, or nimby, which describes a common tendency for people to favor a project until it directly affects them. six years after cape wind was proposed, in january 2008, the u. s. minerals management service completed an environmental impact statement and approved the wind farm, concluding it would not have a significant, lasting effect on wildlife, tourism, or navigation. efforts must be made to both integrate the public ’ s concern and expedite such decision - making processes. the opportunities to modernize the grid and the added urgency to combat global warming highlight the need to act quickly. involving constituents early in the decision - making process can help temper public opposition to renewable energy infrastructure. working with different constituencies so that they understand the energy and global warming challenge and the employment and economic growth opportunities associated with clean energy infrastructure can generate greater support for these projects, too. one successful case study is the western united states. both the western governors ’ association and individual states like colorado have aggressively pursued initiatives to expand renewable energy capacity on the grid. this year the wga launched the western renewable energy zones project to expedite the development and delivery of clean and renewable energy, and last year colorado passed legislation ( sb 100 ) requiring utilities to identify renewable energy resources and plan transmission lines to harness those resources. to accomplish these projects, wga and colorado have embarked on thorough stakeholder processes to ensure that invested voices have the opportunity to be heard. as a result, the west is making notable progress toward constructing the necessary renewable energy transmission infrastructure. in contrast, pennsylvania and surrounding mid - atlantic states have seen opposition erupt over a transmission corridor designation, mainly due to the lack of sufficient consultation with the public and with state and local authorities. the energy policy act of 2005 requires the secretary of energy to designate national interest electric transmission corridors, or nietcs, in areas experiencing electricity transmission constraints or congestion. the law also grants the federal energy regulatory commission backstop eminent domain authority to grant permits for interstate transmission lines if a transmission developer is not able to site a line at the state level after a year or under certain other conditions, and the line is in an nietc. eminent domain authority allows the federal government to bypass or override state or local decisions on electricity transmission siting in the name of national interest, even when facing objections from states, localities, or private property owners. with this authority, the federal government has identified two nietc corridors, one in the southwest consisting of parts of southern california and western arizona and the other in the mid - atlantic.


when facing objections from states, localities, or private property owners. with this authority, the federal government has identified two nietc corridors, one in the southwest consisting of parts of southern california and western arizona and the other in the mid - atlantic. the mid - atlantic nietc spans large parts of new york, pennsylvania, delaware, and maryland, and has also drawn significant opposition. in pennsylvania, the nietc encompasses 50 of the state ’ s 67 counties, and includes historic sites, agricultural land, protected habitats, and national parks. during the public comment period, over 2, 000 replies were submitted expressing concern over the corridor, and the extent of land incorporated caused governor ed rendell to describe the designation “ so broad as to be meaningless. ” at least 14 senators representing mid - atlantic states are also opposed to the corridor. no fewer than three bills have been introduced in congress to repeal or modify the federal government ’ s eminent domain authority in response to the mid - atlantic nietc ’ s designation. these examples shed light on a hurdle to new transmission and generation : the conflict over federal versus state jurisdiction over new transmission projects and authority over siting decisions. navigating this question is proving to be politically contentious and time - consuming. another pending conflict is in the southwest, where southern california edison has launched a pre - filing consultation process with ferc in an effort to build a new transmission line between arizona and southern california after failing to reach agreement about this new line with arizona. there is still much to be done to facilitate work between federal and state authorities to determine new transmission corridors. this is especially important in light of the increasing demand for new transmission to meet new electricity demand, stabilize the grid, and facilitate connecting renewable electricity to the grid. permit approval procedures another hurdle to siting renewable energy infrastructure is that permit criterion, application, and review processes are inconsistent across municipalities, counties, states, and the federal government. efforts must be ramped up to develop an integrated strategy for working across jurisdictions and federal agencies to ensure swift and comprehensive review and permitting. a wind farm proposal, for example, could fall to any one of eight federal agencies, but there is no streamlined process for coordinated action. developing greater coordination across agencies and between state and federal government will be critical in order to reach ambitious goals for renewable energy penetration in our electrical supply. in the three years since the energy policy act of 2005 encouraged renewable energy development on federal land, the bureau of land management has yet to approve a single concentrated solar or solar pv facility. additionally,


ambitious goals for renewable energy penetration in our electrical supply. in the three years since the energy policy act of 2005 encouraged renewable energy development on federal land, the bureau of land management has yet to approve a single concentrated solar or solar pv facility. additionally, during the summer of 2008, the blm attempted to entirely freeze solar applications on blm - managed land until it could sort out its environmental assessment. however, the agency ’ s attempted moratorium was met with fervent protest and the decision was reversed within months. another example occured in october 2008, when the department of interior announced it compiled a programmatic environmental impact statement for geothermal applications on federally owned or managed land ; however, the environmental protection agency has raised concerns about groundwater and air quality impacts regarding the peis. the energy policy act of 2005 requires coordinated effort by the secretaries of agriculture, commerce, defense, energy, and interior, in consultation with ferc, other governments, industries, and other interested parties to designate energy corridors for oil, gas, and hydrogen pipelines as well as electricity transmission and distribution facilities on federal lands, in part in an to attempt to reduce federal siting hurdles experienced by energy developers. recently, the federal government designated the west - wide energy corridor, which stretches across 11 states and covers nearly 3 million acres. western states that the corridor affects have made recent attempts to prioritize renewable energy generation and transmission, such as through the western renewable energy zones project. the west - wide designation has met with public opposition because of claims it should have given greater prioritization to renewable electricity, and that the involved federal agencies did not adequately consult regional or local entities before creating the energy corridors on protected federal lands, such as new mexico ’ s sevilleta national wildlife refuge, utah ’ s grand staircase - escalante national monument, and arches national park. this experience makes it clear that there are many priorities to consider as we develop our nation ’ s energy resources. while difficult choices between conflicting priorities will continue to arise, there will also be opportunities to address these challenges as efforts to scale up renewable energy proceed. one of the goals of new renewable energy infrastructure and supporting electrical grid investments to connect areas of high renewable energy potential to regions of the country with the greatest demand is to advance the environmental goal of reducing our nation ’ s greenhouse gas emissions and to facilitate a shift to a low - carbon economy. the center for american progress has argued that federal permitting of new projects that require environmental impact statements under the national environmental policy act should not only consider greenhouse gas emissions resulting


nation ’ s greenhouse gas emissions and to facilitate a shift to a low - carbon economy. the center for american progress has argued that federal permitting of new projects that require environmental impact statements under the national environmental policy act should not only consider greenhouse gas emissions resulting from those projects, but also the projected impacts of global warming on these projects to ensure responsible spending of taxpayer dollars. thus, when weighed against high - carbon energy development projects, renewable projects should be accelerated given global warming considerations. yet new construction and development invariably have environmental impacts, and environmental review is indispensable to understand a project ’ s impact on natural habitats and wildlife, endangered species, water supply, water quality, and air quality. decisions must be considered given regulation set by the endangered species act and the clean water act, among others. recently the environmental protection agency warned that the evaluation drafted by the interior department — the peis mentioned above — does not adequately consider geothermal energy ’ s effect on water quality. in the millions of acres identified by the doi for geothermal development, there are 23 aquifers that people depend on for drinking water. before moving forward on a large scale, the epa argues we need a concrete understanding of if and how much water supply could be depleted ( particularly in the west ). still, the environmental impact of renewable energy is estimated to be far less than that of fossil fuels, particularly in terms of water withdrawal and land disturbance. renewable electricity - generating technologies are estimated to use tens of billions of gallons less water than thermoelectric power plants. coal mining is estimated to disrupt 400, 000 hectares of u. s. land each year. in contrast, a department of energy scenario that sketches how to acquire 20 percent of our nation ’ s electricity from wind power by 2030 suggests that wind farms would cause a one - time disruption of 100, 000 to 250, 000 hectares. that is, if they cannot be sited on previously disturbed lands, such as “ brownfield ” sites. california has expressed a preference for siting new renewable energy generation on brownfield sites because reusing the land reduces environmental degradation, and the california energy commission wishes to see environmental criterion that weighs this benefit. a qualified workforce, grid access, and the question of cost recovery are additional challenges to address. despite the political interest, enthusiasm, and necessity to revamp our energy and electricity infrastructure, we have not yet adequately invested in facilitating a ramped - up clean energy and transmission workforce, including engineers, manufacturers, and construction workers. a 2006 study by the national renewable energy


, enthusiasm, and necessity to revamp our energy and electricity infrastructure, we have not yet adequately invested in facilitating a ramped - up clean energy and transmission workforce, including engineers, manufacturers, and construction workers. a 2006 study by the national renewable energy lab identified the shortage of skills and training as a leading non - technical barrier causing a bottleneck in the future growth of the renewable energy and energy - efficiency industries. this growing skills shortage is occurring even as the american public power association reports that half of current utility workers will retire within the next decade. policymakers must work to remedy this shortfall through comprehensive low - carbon energy and workforce training programs. we have the opportunity to create a truly national electricity grid that facilitates renewable energy access. currently, we do not have one, large grid ; we have three, separate regional grids called interconnects — the western interconnect, the eastern interconnect, and the texas interconnect. the current capacity to transmit electricity across interconnects is very limited. therefore the grid ’ s current structure prohibits states with abundant solar or wind energy from transmitting large amounts of this power between interconnects, a technical barrier to transporting electricity to where it could be most needed. ensuring renewable energy access to transmission infrastructure — existing infrastructure as well as new transmission lines — is another imperative. part of this challenge requires load integration between renewable and traditional sources. because renewable electricity is an emerging market with fresh actors, certain energy providers have yet to prioritize renewable electricity and are in the process of learning the best techniques to integrate renewable energy, especially since it is often an intermittent source. yet transmission lines are in high demand, and new transmission networks also need to be built out. as the example of the west - wide corridor illustrates, renewable energy still needs to emerge as a priority in planning stages so that it is not disadvantaged in terms of accessing transmission capacity. finally, utilities, developers, and policymakers have to decide how to distribute costs and create a plan to pay for renewable energy transmission infrastructure. should electricity ratepayers who benefit see a slight increase in prices, or should a renewable energy - compatible overhaul be something that taxpayers help fund in the greater interest of their state, region, or nation? here, too, we may need innovation and a national approach to problem solving. traditional strategies for rate recovery allocate the costs of new projects to those rate payers who benefit, but this regional allocation of costs may not be sufficient when the benefits of improved reliability and greater


may need innovation and a national approach to problem solving. traditional strategies for rate recovery allocate the costs of new projects to those rate payers who benefit, but this regional allocation of costs may not be sufficient when the benefits of improved reliability and greater use of clean energy are benefits that accrue to the nation at large, or the scope of the benefits is much larger than any single utility or service area. in these cases, there may be strong reasons for a federal commitment to take on the costs of upgrading our electrical infrastructure to provide a truly national clean energy network. regardless of the ultimate resolution of this question, it is a near certainty that innovative financing and policy tools will be important moving forward. our economy is in trouble, and a massive investment in clean energy must be part of the solution. we are in need of major investments to rejuvenate communities, create new markets and growing industries, and create jobs rebuilding our infrastructure. at the same time we also need to take significant steps to reduce our nation ’ s greenhouse gas emissions. america ’ s electricity grid is a vulnerable intersection of our national security interests and our energy and economic security as well, yet it can be a tremendous source of inspiration for america ’ s spirit of innovation, and a good way to invest in a more prosperous future. a clean energy economy is not only better for the environment, but it is also more modern, more efficient, safer, and enables tremendous cost savings for american workers and their employers. as the obama administration sets its priorities, it must take a close look at new renewable electricity generation and the advanced transmission that will be required to take wind, solar, and geothermal to a national scale. as the administration lays new plans for infrastructure, government at all stages must be engaged in finding new solutions and new opportunities for collaboration to meet our shared national interest in building a green, prosperous, and vibrant low - carbon economy. special thanks to bracken hendricks and benjamin goldstein. download this report ( pdf ) read more about our energy policy on the energy and environment page. to speak with our experts on this topic, please contact : print : katie peters ( economy, education, health care, gun - violence prevention ) 202. 741. 6285 or firstname. lastname @ example. org print : anne shoup ( foreign policy and national security, energy, lgbt issues ) 202. 481. 7146 or email @ example. com print : crystal patterson ( immigration ) 202. 478. 6350 or firstname. lastname @ example.


every generation has to reinvent the practice of computer programming. in the 1950s the key innovations were programming languages such as fortran and lisp. the 1960s and ' 70s saw a crusade to root out " spaghetti code " and replace it with " structured programming. " since the 1980s software development has been dominated by a methodology known as object - oriented programming, or oop. now there are signs that oop may be running out of oomph, and discontented programmers are once again casting about for the next big idea. it ' s time to look at what might await us in the post - oop era ( apart from an unfortunate acronym ). the tar pit the architects of the earliest computer systems gave little thought to software. ( the very word was still a decade in the future. ) building the machine itself was the serious intellectual challenge ; converting mathematical formulas into program statements looked like a routine clerical task. the awful truth came out soon enough. maurice v. wilkes, who wrote what may have been the first working computer program, had his personal epiphany in 1949, when " the realization came over me with full force that a good part of the remainder of my life was going to be spent in finding errors in my own programs. " half a century later, we ' re still debugging. the very first programs were written in pure binary notation : both data and instructions had to be encoded in long, featureless strings of 1s and 0s. moreover, it was up to the programmer to keep track of where everything was stored in the machine ' s memory. before you could call a subroutine, you had to calculate its address. the technology that lifted these burdens from the programmer was assembly language, in which raw binary codes were replaced by symbols such as load, store, add, sub. the symbols were translated into binary by a program called an assembler, which also calculated addresses. this was the first of many instances in which the computer was recruited to help with its own programming. assembly language was a crucial early advance, but still the programmer had to keep in mind all the minutiae in the instruction set of a specific computer. evaluating a short mathematical expression such as x2 + y2 might require dozens of assembly - language instructions. higher - level languages freed the programmer to think in terms of variables and equations rather than registers and addresses. in fortran, for example, x2 + y2 would be written simply as x * * 2 + y * * 2. expressions of this


- level languages freed the programmer to think in terms of variables and equations rather than registers and addresses. in fortran, for example, x2 + y2 would be written simply as x * * 2 + y * * 2. expressions of this kind are translated into binary form by a program called a compiler. with fortran and the languages that followed, programmers finally had the tools they needed to get into really serious trouble. by the 1960s large software projects were notorious for being late, overbudget and buggy ; soon came the appalling news that the cost of software was overtaking that of hardware. frederick p. brooks, jr., who managed the os / 360 software program at ibm, called large - system programming a " tar pit " and remarked, " everyone seems to have been surprised by the stickiness of the problem. " one response to this crisis was structured programming, a reform movement whose manifesto was edsger w. dijkstra ' s brief letter to the editor titled " go to statement considered harmful. " structured programs were to be built out of subunits that have a single entrance point and a single exit ( eschewing the goto command, which allows jumps into or out of the middle of a routine ). three such constructs were recommended : sequencing ( do a, then b, then c ), alternation ( either do a or do b ) and iteration ( repeat a until some condition is satisfied ). corrado bohm and giuseppe jacopini proved that these three idioms are sufficient to express essentially all programs. structured programming came packaged with a number of related principles and imperatives. top - down design and stepwise refinement urged the programmer to set forth the broad outlines of a procedure first and only later fill in the details. modularity called for self - contained units with simple interfaces between them. encapsulation, or data hiding, required that the internal workings of a module be kept private, so that later changes to the module would not affect other areas of the program. all of these ideas have proved their worth and remain a part of software practice today. but they did not rescue programmers from the tar pit. nouns and verbs the true history of software development is not a straight line but a meandering river with dozens of branches. some of the tributaries — functional programming, declarative programming, methods based on formal proofs of correctness — are no less interesting than the mainstream, but here i have room to explore only one channel : object - consider


with dozens of branches. some of the tributaries — functional programming, declarative programming, methods based on formal proofs of correctness — are no less interesting than the mainstream, but here i have room to explore only one channel : object - consider a program for manipulating simple geometric figures. in a non - oop environment, you might begin by writing a series of procedures with names such as rotate, scale, reflect, calculate - area, calculate - perimeter. each of these verblike procedures could be applied to triangles, squares, circles and many other shapes ; the figures themselves are nounlike entities embodied in data structures separate from the procedures. for example, a triangle might by represented by an array of three vertices, where each vertex is a pair of x and y coordinates. applying the rotate procedure to this data structure would alter the coordinates and thereby turn the triangle. what ' s the matter with this scheme? one likely source of trouble is that the procedures and the data structures are separate but interdependent. if you change your mind about the implementation of triangles — perhaps using a linked list of points instead of an array — you must remember to change all the procedures that might ever be applied to a triangle. also, choosing different representations for some of the figures becomes awkward. if you describe a circle in terms of a center and a radius rather than a set of vertices, all the procedures have to treat circles as a special case. yet another pitfall is that the data structures are public property, and the procedures that share them may not always play nicely together. a figure altered by one procedure might no longer be valid input for another. object - oriented programming addresses these issues by packing both data and procedures — both nouns and verbs — into a single object. an object named triangle would have inside it some data structure representing a three - sided shape, but it would also include the procedures ( called methods in this context ) for acting on the data. to rotate a triangle, you send a message to the triangle object, telling it to rotate itself. sending and receiving messages is the only way objects communicate with one another ; outsiders are not allowed direct access to the data. because only the object ' s own methods know about the internal data structures, it ' s easier to keep them in sync. this scheme would not have much appeal if every time you wanted to create a triangle, you had to write out all the necessary data structures and methods — but that ' s not how it works. you define the class triangle just once ; individual triangles are created


scheme would not have much appeal if every time you wanted to create a triangle, you had to write out all the necessary data structures and methods — but that ' s not how it works. you define the class triangle just once ; individual triangles are created as instances of the class. a mechanism called inheritance takes this idea a step further. you might define a more - general class polygon, which would have triangle as a subclass, along with other subclasses such as quadrilateral, pentagon and hexagon. some methods would be common to all polygons ; one example is the calculation of perimeter, which can be done by adding the lengths of the sides, no matter how many sides there are. if you define the method calculate - perimeter in the class polygon, all the subclasses inherit this code. object - oriented programming traces its heritage back to simula, a programming language devised in the 1960s by ole - johan dahl and kristen nygaard. some object - oriented ideas were also anticipated by david l. parnas. and the sketchpad system of ivan sutherland was yet another source of inspiration. the various threads came together when alan kay and his colleagues created the smalltalk language at the xerox palo alto research center in the 1970s. within a decade several more object - oriented languages were in use, most notably bjarne stroustrup ' s c + +, and later java. object - oriented features have also been retrofitted onto older languages, such as lisp. as oop has transformed the way programs are written, there has also been a major shift in the nature of the programs themselves. in the software - engineering literature of the 1960s and ' 70s, example programs tend to have a sausage - grinder structure : inputs enter at one end, and outputs emerge at the other. an example is a compiler, which transforms source code into machine code. programs written in this style have not disappeared, but they are no longer the center of attention. the emphasis now is on interactive software with a graphical user interface. programming manuals for object - oriented languages are all about windows and menus and mouse clicks. in other words, oop is not just a different solution ; it also solves a different problem. aspects and objects most of the post - oop initiatives do not aim to supplant object - oriented programming ; they seek to refine or improve or reinvigorate it. a case in point is aspect - oriented programming, or aop. the classic challenge


the post - oop initiatives do not aim to supplant object - oriented programming ; they seek to refine or improve or reinvigorate it. a case in point is aspect - oriented programming, or aop. the classic challenge in writing object - oriented programs is finding the right decomposition into classes and objects. returning to the example of a program for playing with geometric figures, a typical instance of the class pentagon might look like this :. but this object is also a pentagon :. and so is this :. to accommodate the differences between these figures, you could introduce subclasses of pentagon — perhaps named convex - pentagon, non - convex - pentagon and five - pointed - star. but then you would have to do the same thing for hexagons, heptagons and so forth, which soon becomes tedious. moreover, this classification would give you no way to write methods that apply, say, to all convex polygons but to no others. an alternative decomposition would divide the polygon class into convex - polygon and non - convex - polygon, then subdivide the latter class into simple - polygon and self - intersecting - polygon. with this choice, however, you lose the ability to address all five - sided figures as a group. one solution to this quandary is multiple inheritance — allowing a class to have more than one parent. thus a five - pointed star could be a subclass both of pentagon and of self - intersecting - polygon and could inherit methods from both. the wisdom of this arrangement is a matter of eternal controversy in the oop community. aspect - oriented programming takes another approach to dealing with " crosscutting " issues that cannot easily be arranged in a treelike hierarchy. an example in the geometry program might be the need to update a display window every time a figure is moved or modified. the straightforward oop solution is to have each method that changes the appearance of a figure ( such as rotate or scale ) send a message to a display - manager object, telling the display what needs to be redrawn. but hundreds of methods could send such messages. even apart from the boredom of writing the same code over and over, there is the worry that the interface to the display manager might change someday, requiring many methods to be revised. the aop answer is to isolate the display - update " aspect " of the program in a module of its own. the programmer writes one instance of the code that calls for a display update, along


change someday, requiring many methods to be revised. the aop answer is to isolate the display - update " aspect " of the program in a module of its own. the programmer writes one instance of the code that calls for a display update, along with a specification of all the occasions on which that code is to be invoked — for example, whenever a rotate method is executed. then even though the text of the rotate method does not mention display updating, the appropriate message is sent at the appropriate time. an aop system called aspectj, developed by gregor kiczales and a group of colleagues at xerox parc, works as an extension of the java language. aop is particularly attractive for implementing ubiquitous tasks such as error - handling, the logging of events, and synchronizing multiple threads of execution, which might otherwise be scattered throughout a program. but there are dissenting views. jorg kienzle and rachid guerraoui report on an attempt to build a transaction - processing system with aspectj, where the key requirement is that transactions be executed completely or not at all ( so that the system cannot debit one account without crediting another ). they found it difficult to cleanly isolate this property as an aspect. surely the most obvious place to look for help with programming a computer is the computer itself. if fortran can be compiled into machine code, then why not transform some higher - level description or specification directly into a ready - to - run program? this is an old dream. it lives on under names such as generative programming, metaprogramming and intentional programming. in general, fully automatic programming remains beyond our reach, but there is one area where the idea has solid theoretical underpinnings as well as a record of practical success : in the building of compilers. instead of hand - crafting a compiler for a specific programming language, the common practice is to write a grammar for the language and then generate the compiler with a program called a compiler compiler. ( the best - known of these programs is yacc, which stands for " yet another compiler compiler. " ) generative programming would adapt this model to other domains. for example, a program generator for the kind of software that controls printers and other peripheral devices would accept a grammar - like description of the device and produce an appropriately specialized program. another kind of generator might assemble " protocol stacks " for computer networking. krzysztof czarnecki and ulrich w. eisenecker compare a generative -


grammar - like description of the device and produce an appropriately specialized program. another kind of generator might assemble " protocol stacks " for computer networking. krzysztof czarnecki and ulrich w. eisenecker compare a generative - programming system to a factory for manufacturing automobiles. building the factory is more work than building a single car by hand, but the factory can produce thousands of cars. moreover, if the factory is designed well, it can turn out many different models just by changing the specifications. likewise generative programming would create families of programs tailored to diverse circumstances but all assembled from similar components. the quality without a name another new programming methodology draws its inspiration from an unexpected quarter. although the term " computer architecture " goes back to the dawn of the industry, it was nonetheless a surprise when a band of software designers became disciples of a bricks - and - steel architect, christopher alexander. even alexander was surprised. alexander is known for the enigmatic thesis that well - designed buildings and towns must have " the quality without a name. " he explains : " the fact that this quality cannot be named does not mean that it is vague or imprecise. it is impossible to name because it is unerringly precise. " does that answer your question? even if the quality had a name, it ' s not clear how one would turn it into a prescription for building good houses — or good software. fortunately, alexander is more explicit elsewhere in his writings. he urges architects to exploit recurrent patterns observed in both problems and solutions. for the pattern of events labeled " watching the world go by, " a good solution is probably going to look something like a front porch. taken over into the world of software, this approach leads to a catalogue of design patterns for solving specific, recurring problems in object - oriented programming. for example, a pattern named bridge deals with the problem of setting up communications between two objects that may not know of each other ' s existence at the time a program is written. a pattern named composite handles the situation where a single object and a collection of multiple objects have to be given the same status, as is often the case with files and directories of files. over the past 10 years a sizable community has grown up around the pattern idea. there are dozens of books, web sites and an annual conference called pattern languages of programming, or plop. compared with earlier reform movements in computing, the pattern community sounds a little unfocused and new age. whereas structured programming was founded on a proof that


of books, web sites and an annual conference called pattern languages of programming, or plop. compared with earlier reform movements in computing, the pattern community sounds a little unfocused and new age. whereas structured programming was founded on a proof that three specific structures suffice to express all algorithms, there is nothing resembling such a proof to justify the selection of ideas included in catalogues of design patterns. as a matter of fact, the whole idea of proofs seems to be out of favor in the pattern community. software jeremiahs usually preach that programming should be an engineering profession, guided by standards analogous to building codes, or else it should be a branch of applied mathematics, with programs constructed like mathematical proofs. the pattern movement rejects both of these ideals and suggests instead that programmers are like carpenters or stonemasons — stewards of a body of knowledge gained by experience and passed along by tradition and apprenticeship. this is a movement of practitioners, not academics. pattern advocates express particular contempt for the notion that programming might someday be taken over entirely by the computer. automating a craft, they argue, is not only infeasible but also undesirable. the rhetoric of the pattern movement may sound like the ranting of a fringe group, but pattern methods have been adopted in several large organizations producing large — and successful — software systems. ( when you make a phone call, you may well be relying on the work of programmers seeking out the quality without a name. ) moreover, beyond the rhetoric, the writings of the software - patterns community can be quite down - to - earth and pragmatic. if the pattern community is on the radical fringe, how far out is extreme programming ( or, as it is sometimes spelled, extreme programming )? for the leaders of this movement, the issue is not so much the nature of the software itself but the way programming projects are organized and managed. they want to peel away layers of bureaucracy and jettison most of the stages of analysis, planning, testing, review and documentation that slow down software development. just let programmers program! the recommended protocol is to work in pairs, two programmers huddling over a single keyboard, checking their own work as they go along. is it a fad? a cult? although the name may evoke a culture of body piercing and bungee jumping, extreme programming seems to have gained a foothold among the pinstriped suits. the first major project completed under the method was a payroll system for a transnational automobile manufacturer. ask me about


evoke a culture of body piercing and bungee jumping, extreme programming seems to have gained a foothold among the pinstriped suits. the first major project completed under the method was a payroll system for a transnational automobile manufacturer. ask me about my oop diet frederick brooks, who wrote of the tar pit in the 1960s, followed up in 1987 with an essay on the futility of seeking a " silver bullet, " a single magical remedy for all of software ' s ills. techniques such as object - oriented programming might alleviate " accidental difficulties " of software development, he said, but the essential complexity cannot be wished away. this pronouncement that the disease is incurable made everyone feel better. but it deterred no one from proposing remedies. after several weeks ' immersion in the how - to - program literature, i am reminded of the shelves upon shelves of diet books in the self - help department of my local bookstore. in saying this i mean no disrespect to either genre. most diet books, somewhere deep inside, offer sound advice : eat less, exercise more. most programming manuals also give wise counsel : modularize, encapsulate. but surveying the hundreds of titles in both categories leaves me with a nagging doubt : the very multiplicity of answers undermines them all. isn ' t it likely that we ' d all be thinner, and we ' d all have better software, if there were just one true diet, and one true programming methodology? maybe that day will come. in the meantime, i ' m going on a spaghetti - code diet. © brian hayes


each month there is a special south carolina token or medal that is highlighted as the token or medal of the month. this month we will showcase an interesting early 20th century trade token from the city of charleston. the city of charleston has always played a significant role in the history of the state of south carolina. from its beginnings in 1670 as a small colonial settlement at the confluence of the ashley and cooper rivers, through its growing importance as a seaport for the fledgling nation, to its part as the incendiary flashpoint in the sectional conflict which became the civil war, the city has enjoyed a prominence that seemingly lifted it above similar communities in the state. it is no small wonder then, that some of its citizens thought the city to occupy a pedestal raised above its south carolina neighbors. it was this feeling of superiority that occasionally led some charlestonians to consider themselves immune from the laws and social mores governing the rest of the state. and this sentiment, in turn, gave rise to the issuance of this month ' s token, which so publicly flaunted charleston ' s opposition to the state dispensary law and the temperance movement behind it. on its surface, the 29mm aluminum token shown above does not appear to carry any hint of its true nature. the innocuous inscription on the obverse reads good for 5¢ in trade at chicco ' s cafe. the pictorial of the blindfolded tiger on the reverse, however, is a blatant advertisement for the " supposedly " clandestine saloon which vincent chicco operated in conjunction with his cafe. and, as such, the token speaks volumes on charleston ' s open opposition to the state legislature ' s attempts to outlaw saloons and the sale of liquor by the drink in the late 1890s and early 1900s. during the aforementioned time period hundreds of " blind tigers, " as they were commonly called, sprung up in charleston and other cities in south carolina. the illegal drinking establishments were a logical response to governor ben tillman ' s attempt to legislate the drinking habits of a populace which liked its liquor. tillman had much difficulty in controlling the " blind tigers " across the state, but especially so in the city of charleston. several times during his tenure in office he had to send out state constables to arrest any proprietors they could catch selling alcohol illegally. vincent chicco was one of the first people arrested after the enactment of tillman ' s dispensary bill. a scant two weeks after the bill became law, chicco was arrested and brought before


be traced back to the 1850s. a sister term " blind pig " dates from the 1870s. the terms derive from clandestine establishments that would advertise exotic animals on their window blinds, charging admission to see the said animals, which of course were not inside. once admitted, patrons were then served with the illegal refreshment of their choice. the following limerick summarizes the ruse : on the store, though behind it you ' d find neither bengal nor cat, just a liquor - filled vat and the patrons who paid didn ' t mind. copyright 2006 by tony chibbaro. the south carolina dispensary & embossed s. c. whiskey bottles & jugs, 1865 - 1915 by harvey s. teal and rita foster wallace, midlands printing company, camden, s. c., 2005. south carolina postcards, volume i, charleston, berkeley, and dorchester counties by howard woody and thomas l. johnson, arcadia publishing company, charleston, s. c., 1997. the red tape cocktail : charleston ' s reaction to the south carolina dispensary system by helen glenn smith, published in chrestomathy : annual review of undergraduate research, school of humanities and social sciences, college of charleston, volume 4, 2005 : pp 195 - 217, college of charleston, 2005. chicco funeral this afternoon in news & courier, october 26, 1928. oedilf : the omnificent english dictionary in limerick form online at http : / / www. oedilf. com. if you collect or have a casual interest in south carolina tokens or tokens issued by cotton mills, lumber companies, or other types of businesses, you may want to purchase my book, south carolina tokens and its three supplements. to read a description of these standard references, please click on this link : books. token or medal of the month main page a short history of token use in south carolina south carolina trade tokens for sale - page 1 south carolina trade tokens for sale - page 2 other south carolina exonumia for sale trade tokens from other states for sale ebay auction listings south carolina stereoviews the charleston exposition links to other sites


march 2003 | monitor on psychology | vol. 34 no. 3 cover : cover topic : anger - when anger ' s a plus despite its mixed reputation, anger can play a constructive role at home, at work and in the national consciousness, psychologists are finding - angry thoughts, at - risk hearts researchers are exploring whether angry and hostile people ' s coping and social support affect their risk for poor cardiovascular health. - hostility associated with immune function aggression and hostility can affect tumor necrosis factor — a protein that is released by immune cells and other tissues. - ' goo, gaa, grr? ' researchers are still looking for consensus on how and when anger first appears in infants. - anger across the gender divide researchers strive to understand how men and women experience and express anger. - advances in anger management researchers and practitioners are examining what works best for managing problem anger. honeybees can use short - term memory to alternate between two food sources, a new study suggests. - study shows high rates of mental disorders among detained youth - new database will help dispatch psychologists to disasters - psychologist / engineer team builds robot that senses emotions - p. kennedy will receive award at state leadership conference - foundation accepting applications for seligman positive psychology award - study examines neural correlates of sympathy - even hands - free cell phones may impair driving - members expand mission statement, student representation, membership category - make plans for 2003 regional psychological association meetings allegations of politicization are threatening the credibility of the federal government ' s scientific advisory committees. hipaa ' s minimum necessary requirement was created to limit the amount of patient information that managed - care companies can request. a psychosocial treatment model at walter reed army medical center helps breast cancer patients and their partners find comfort and answers. as more children survive cancer, psychologists are helping them overcome the academic, social and cognitive obstacles that result from the disease and its treatments. a new apa interdivisional coalition aims to showcase psychology ' s research findings on education to the public and policy - makers. is the nation ' s rise in nontraditional faculty for better or worse? psychologists journey to antarctica to evaluate those stationed there during the severe winters. organizers hope that changes introduced at apa ' s 2002 annual convention will pave the way to increased attendance at future conventions. interdisciplinary psychology programs focused on the underserved have secured $ 2 million in federal funding. nominate your colleagues now for next year ' s annual convention. public policy update health and education programs facing termination could use psychologists ' advocacy.


thursday, july 19, 2012 come learn about a local endangered species. on august 8th my wife pam and i will be part of a panel discussion at the aquarium of the pacific on a population of an endangered species that has chosen an improbable environmental niche in which to survive, the green sea turtles of the san gabriel river. not much is known about the green sea turtles that take refuge in the warm water produced by power - plants on the river that provide electricity to parts of los angeles and orange county. these turtles are more normally associated with the warmer waters of mexico and hawaii. dan lawson of noaa, pam and the aquarium vet lance adams will talk about the recent research on these animals and the rehabilitation and tracking of stranded turtles. many of my sea turtle images will be used in the talks and i ’ ll also be part of the panel discussion. since 2008 my wife pam and i have been making regular treks to the san gabriel river to gather information on these urban sea turtles. pam taking notes on turtle sightings and incidental sightings of other wildlife while i photograph the brief instances that these sea turtles are at the surface. the aquarium shares the data that we gather with the noaa ’ s national marine fisheries service. how hard is it to photograph an urban sea turtle in the murky waters of the san gabriel river? unlike the sea lions and sea otters that i work with at the aquarium i can ’ t tell these wild sea turtles to come up exactly when and where i want them to. to give you an idea of the short window of opportunity i have while trying to photograph these turtles try this exercise. place your camera in your right hand and hold it at your waist. take a coin and place it on your left hand thumb in a flipping position. flip the coin in the air while at the same time bringing your camera up to your eyes. before the coin hits the ground you have to find it in your viewfinder, focus and shoot a picture of it. that ’ s about how much time you have to photograph a sea turtle when it surfaces, takes a breath and dives. fortunately i do have a way of increasing my chances of getting a good shot of a sea turtle. when photographing any animal it helps to know your subjects. when the aquarium of the pacific opened in 1998 one of my duties along with taking care of the pinniped was to help out in caring for the four green sea turtles then on exhibit. this experience helps me understand a little bit of turtle behavior and helps me predict


the douglasfir is to the world of trees what a decathlon winner is to the olympics. this tree is an all - around champion. it is one of our most important lumber species, a magnificent ornamental tree, and one of the most popular christmas trees in america. additionally, a large number of bird and animal species find shelter and food in its majestic foliage. this magnificent evergreen has a dense, cone - shape when young becoming more open and pyramid - shaped with maturity. it has a straight trunk with thin, smooth bark with resin blisters when young becoming thicker and furrowed on older trees. it reaches 40 ' - 80 ', 12 ' - 20 ' spread in the home landscape to over 200 ' in natural conditions. coast douglasfir needles are a dark yellow green although on some trees bluish green. in rocky mountain douglasfir, the needles are blue green, but occasionally are yellowish green. the light brown, 3 " - 4 " cones grow downward on the branches with distinctive 3 - pointed bracts protruding from the between the scales. the coast douglasfir grows best in deep, moist, well drained, acid or neutral soil with atmospheric moisture, but the hardier rocky mountain variety is found in its native range on rocky mountain slopes. it does not tolerate dry, poor soils, and breakage is common on the side exposed to high winds. ( zones 4 - 6 ) douglasfir seeds are used by blue grouse, songbirds, squirrels, rabbits, and other rodents and small animals. antelope, deer, elk, mountain goats, and mountain sheep eat the twigs and foliage. it provides excellent cover for a wide range of animals. while the douglasfir may have first been introduced to cultivation by botanist - explorer david douglas in 1826, its importance to american history continues unabated. as well as being the country ' s top source of lumber today, the douglasfir also helped settle the west, providing railroad ties and telephone / telegraph poles. the douglasfir was crucial to american soldiers in world war ii as well, being used for everything from gis ' foot lockers to portable huts and even the rails of stretchers that carried many a soldier from battle. but perhaps one contribution of the douglasfir symbolizes its place in america ' s evolving history more than any other. when in 1925 the time came to restore the masts of " old ironsides, " the uss constitution, sufficiently grand white pine trees could no longer be found. today, old ironsides proudly


' s evolving history more than any other. when in 1925 the time came to restore the masts of " old ironsides, " the uss constitution, sufficiently grand white pine trees could no longer be found. today, old ironsides proudly sails in the boston navy yard under the power of three douglasfir masts. there are two geographical varieties of douglasfir : coast douglasfir, pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii native to british columbia along the pacific coast to central california and western nevada ; rocky mountain douglasfir native to the inland mountains of the pacific northwest and the rocky mountains from central british columbia south to northern and central mexico. the coastal variety is faster growing, long - lived, and can reach over 300 ' tall. the needles are usually a dark yellow - green although some trees they may be bluish green. rocky mountain douglasfir, pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca is hardier, slower growing, shorter lived and seldom grows over 130 ' tall. the needles are shorter and bluish green although in some trees may be yellowish green. the cones are barely 3 " in length with bracts bent upwards. douglasfir is written as one word or hyphenated to show it is not a true fir. sensitive to drought conditions ; requires good drainage. the needles are spiral, simple, 1 - 1 / 2 inches long, shining, shade of green depends upon the variety, two bands of stomata beneath. coast douglasfir has dark yellow - green, occasionally bluish - green needles. rocky mountain douglasfir has shorter, bluish - green, occasionally yellowish green needles. male is red female is green with prominent bracts the light brown, oval, pendulous cones are 3 - 4 inches long with prominent 3 - pointed bracts that protrude between the scales.


san marino, ca. - drawing on the unparalleled manuscripts collection on the topic held by the huntington library, art collections, and botanical gardens, a major exhibition illuminates the remarkable changes wrought in the united states by the planning, construction, and completion of the transcontinental railroad. visions of empire : the quest for a railroad across america, 18401880, on view april 21 through july 23 in the marylou and george boone gallery, coincides with the 150th anniversary of the 1862 pacific railroad act, which led to the rail connection between the missouri river and the pacific ocean. the exhibition features some 200 items, the vast majority from the huntingtonincluding maps, photographs, illustrations, newspapers, magazines, letters, and diaries, most of which have never before been on public display. visions of empire is our first large - scale effort to share with the public the huntingtons trove of materials relating to the history of the american railroad, said david zeidberg, avery director of the library. with his purchase of a few major collections early in the 20th century, henry huntington brought together hundreds upon hundreds of the most significant books and pamphlets on the trans - mississippi west. those materials, combined with the scores of invaluable manuscript, photographic, and ephemera collections on the west acquired over the succeeding decades, form a massive foundation for what we hope will be an extraordinary exhibition. peter blodgett, h. russell smith foundation curator of western historical manuscripts at the huntington and curator of the exhibition, has chosen to tell a couple of stories. as much as the exhibition will cover the technological marvels, engineering feats, and entrepreneurial audacity of the railroad age, it also tells the story of how the vision of american continental expansion evolved through a range of historical contextsfrom the age of andrew jackson through the gold rush, civil war, and gilded age of the late 19th century, says blodgett. beginning with the handful of passionate and obstinate dreamers before the civil war who first imagined a railroad stretching to the pacific ocean, visions of empire portrays the drive to move westward in the face of unrelenting geographic obstacles. published engravings and original drawings from the 1830s and 40s depict romanticized landscapes navigable only by foot or on horseback, by wagon or by boat. one such example is the exquisite hand - illustrated diary of british army officer william fairholme, which captures the landscape of the southern great plains in the 1840s ; others include several of the hundreds of


foot or on horseback, by wagon or by boat. one such example is the exquisite hand - illustrated diary of british army officer william fairholme, which captures the landscape of the southern great plains in the 1840s ; others include several of the hundreds of drawings by gold seeker j. goldsborough bruff as he takes part in the harrowing overland migration to gold rush california. karl bodmers hand - colored engravings of steamboats on western rivers from maximilian of wieds travels in the interior of north america ( ca. 1834 ) not only represent one of the first great visual epics of western american history, according to blodgett, but they portray the early appearance of the new technology of steam power beyond the mississippi, a generation before the arrival of the train. such images, reflecting the increasing movement of people and goods west in the 1840s, helped to fuel widespread popular debate about railroad expansion across western plains and mountains to the pacific coast. in 1845, new york merchant asa whitney submitted a petition to the u. s. congress proposing the construction of a railroad from lake michigan to the pacific ocean, igniting a debate that would unfold over the ensuing decades. the exhibition features letters, newspaper articles, railroad convention proceedings, and speeches in congress that depict the points of view in play. these many perspectives echo the multitude of hopes and dreams that different individuals held for their futures, from profit - hungry railroad entrepreneurs and financiers pursuing federal largesse to chinese and irish laborers attracted by the promise of work involved in laying nearly 1, 700 miles of track. throughout the exhibition, says blodgett, visitors will encounter the voices of many americans celebrating, critiquing, commending, and condemning the new world being stitched together in those decades with iron rails. structured chronologically, the exhibition consists of six sections, beginning with a prologue called early visions and visionaries. from there, visitors will follow the narrative through four major sections : charting the course, 184062 ; launching the enterprise, 186265 ; spanning the continent, 186569 ; and creating a new country, 186980. an epilogue will take visitors to the cusp of the 20th century : iron horse america. rare items from the huntingtons collections will be supplemented with several loans for the installation, including artifacts such as hands tools used by railroad laborers, a payroll sheet for chinese employees of the central pacific railroad, and advertising cards for clipper ships carrying goods and passengers to gold rush california. part of the exhibition takes a deeper look


the installation, including artifacts such as hands tools used by railroad laborers, a payroll sheet for chinese employees of the central pacific railroad, and advertising cards for clipper ships carrying goods and passengers to gold rush california. part of the exhibition takes a deeper look at the pacific railroad and telegraph act. here visitors can engage in exploring physical evidence in a more immersive and interactive mode. hundreds of the huntington ' s alfred a. hart photographs will be on view for the first time in a striking wall - sized installation. some of these will also be able to be seen close - up through a stereographic viewer, a 19th - century apparatus that brings a dramatic three - dimensionality to images of landscapes, laborers, campsites, and supplies of the 19th - century west. other highlights of this area include a hands - on morse code station, where visitors can try their hand at the new communications system sweeping the country at the time, and a " walkable " map of the united states tracing the route of the transcontinental railroad. a widespread impact while the development of california and the west provided the allure for a transcontinental railroad, visions of empire tells an even broader, national storyone tied to the railroads place in american aspirations to dominate international trade and commerce with asia, in the evolving role of the federal government in the life of the nation, and in the efforts to preserve the union during the american civil war. a ballot from the presidential election of 1856, showing the last name of republican john c. fremont emblazoned across an image of a steaming locomotive, advertises the first national candidate to associate himself with the idea of a transcontinental railroad. abraham lincoln, the successful republican candidate in 1860, signed the pacific railroad act of 1862, mindful of the importance of the west to the preservation of the union. the launching of the first american transcontinental railroad during the 1860s represented a new and dynamic phase in the enduring struggle among americans over what role they imagined government should play in building a nation and shaping a social order. visions of empire depicts the monumental challenges faced by this great enterprise, as captured in survey reports, engineering sketches, treaties with indians, photographs and engravings of toiling construction crews, and correspondence highlighting the triumphs and travails of the so - called big fourmark hopkins, charles crocker, leland stanford, and collis p. huntington ( uncle to henry e. huntington, founder of the huntington ). elsewhere in the exhibition, maps, photographs, and political cartoons


of the so - called big fourmark hopkins, charles crocker, leland stanford, and collis p. huntington ( uncle to henry e. huntington, founder of the huntington ). elsewhere in the exhibition, maps, photographs, and political cartoons trace the progress of this great endeavor and evolving popular attitudes toward it. early maps offer glimpses of the young american republic pushing its web of market places and depots westward, while later versions depict the routes and towns that proliferated from missouri to california in the wake of the meeting of the union pacific railroad and the central pacific in 1869. similarly, during the 1850s and early 60s, publications such as harpers weekly, leslies illustrated news, and the london illustrated news portrayed these events in human terms through detailed engravings based on the burgeoning practice of photography. by the late 1860s, as photographic technology advanced, book publishers began issuing volumes filled with massive plate photographs, such as andrew j. russells the great west illustrated ( 1869 ). while many of those photographs echoed images from the 1840s with their romanticized views of the open landscape, many also captured the human toll of the brutal labor required to span the continent. cartoonists, such as the celebrated thomas nast, added yet another layer of interpretation for readers as they mocked wealthy businessmen, lampooned corrupt politicians, or demonized chinese immigrants. the transformation of american society long before the last spike was hammered in place, when the east - and westbound tracks finally met at utahs promontory summit on may 10, 1869, the first locomotives traveling west unleashed irrevocable social, political, and economic changes. completion of this initial enterprise only accelerated the pace of such changes, including the inauguration of other transcontinental lines. to illuminate the decade following completion of the transcontinental railroad, visions of empire incorporates the letters and diaries of engineers, travelers, and investors who experienced first - hand the triumphs and the failures that characterized this massive undertaking. outlining the rise of new railroads, communities, and industries across the west, it emphasizes the rapid pace of change in the 1870s spurred by this crossing of the continent. the era of exploration and discovery had quickly given way to a new age of tourism, as travelers could now see captivating landscape from their railroad car windows rather than simply in books or newspapers. transportation became associated with luxury, as railroad lines used gloriously colorful lithographic posters to advertise the comforts of traveling east to westand west to eastin elegant compartments and dining cars.


car windows rather than simply in books or newspapers. transportation became associated with luxury, as railroad lines used gloriously colorful lithographic posters to advertise the comforts of traveling east to westand west to eastin elegant compartments and dining cars. john gasts famous painting american progress ( 1872 ), as reproduced in the 1874 edition of crofutts trans - continental tourist, demonstrates that notions of empire had become as expansive as the views captured by photographers such as alfred a. hart and as wondrous as the poetry of walt whitman, whose poem a passage to india, in printed broadside form, is displayed. singing my days, wrote the beloved poet, singing the great achievements of the present, singing the strong, light works of engineers.... i see over my own continent the pacific railroad, surmounting every barrier ; i see continual trains of cars winding along the platte, carrying freight and passengers. contrasting with whitmans exuberant and celebratory prose, however, are other texts that remind the viewer of the inextricable link between the expansive march of railroads across the west and the conquest of native peoples such as the sioux and the cheyenne, the corruption of politicians and corporate officials, and the havoc wrought by the unceasing exploitation of the land and its resources.


types of arthritis there are over 100 types of arthritis, and these diseases affect more than 46 million individuals in the u. s. alone. this figure is expected to breach the 60 million mark before 2030. various types of arthritis are unique and distinct from each other and each type has its own treatment approach. this highlights the necessity and importance of accurate tests and diagnostic procedures in determining the specific type of arthritis that a person is suffering from. once you are able to isolate the triggers of the pain and inflammation associated with the disease, then you will be able to undertake the necessary steps in finding relief from the effects of the disease and maintain a relatively normal daily routine. diversity of the types of arthritis if you live long enough, there is a strong likelihood that you will experience a touch of at least one of the more than 100 types of arthritis. this chronic medical condition can take the form of a mild tendinitis and bursitis or a debilitating systemic disease like rheumatoid arthritis. there are also some forms of arthritis and arthritis - related conditions such as fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erythematosus that are widespread and affect different parts of the body. arthritis is not a medical condition of the old. there are certain types of the disease that specifically affect infants and children, and these include juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and septic arthritis. there are also a significant number of men and women who are suffering from this disease at the prime of their lives. a common denominator for these types of arthritis is the presence of musculoskeletal and joint pain, and this is the primary reason why these conditions are collectively referred to as arthritis. major types of arthritis include : this type of arthritis is a degenerative disease and is also referred to as arthrosis, degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis. osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. it is a medical condition that is characterized by low - grade inflammation which triggers persistent pain in the affected joints. this condition is the result of the progressive deterioration of the cartilage, and its deteriorated condition affects its capacity to protect and act as cushion of the joints. rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that primarily affects the joints. it is a painful and debilitating inflammatory condition and can lead to substantial impairment of normal mobility as a result of the persistent pain and damage to the affected joint. rheumatoid is also a systemic condition and


that primarily affects the joints. it is a painful and debilitating inflammatory condition and can lead to substantial impairment of normal mobility as a result of the persistent pain and damage to the affected joint. rheumatoid is also a systemic condition and can affect the extra - articular tissues in various parts of the body. these include the muscles, lungs, hearts, blood vessels and the skin. the highest incidence of the disease is observed in men and women within the 30 - 60 years age range. gout is characterized by the sudden and severe episodes which usually affect the big toe, although any joint is prone to these gout attacks. this type of arthritis is a metabolic problem brought about by the accumulation of uric acid in the bloodstream. the precursor of the condition is the buildup of harmful crystals in the joints and other parts of the body. specific medications and proper diet are essential in the control and management of gout. ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the spine. in its advanced stage, the condition is characterized by the stiffness of the spine and fusion of the vertebrae. in most cases, it is more difficult to detect and diagnose the disease in women than in men. the persistent pain and discomfort are the results of the inflammation in the vertebrae or spinal joints. aside from the fusion of the vertebrae, the abnormal bone growth can lead to immobility and forward - stooped posture. ankylosing spondylitis can also lead to stiffness, pain and inflammation on the other parts of the body, including the joints of the hands and feet, heels, ribs, hips and shoulders. there are also some rare cases where the disease can affect the eyes, a condition known as uveitis or iritis, as well as the heart and lungs. juvenile arthritis, or simply ja, is a chronic disease that is associated with the inflammation of one or several joints. this disease affects individuals below the age of 16. the inflammation is the common denominator of the various forms of juvenile arthritis, although such forms of the disease have distinct nuances and require different treatment modes. psoriatic arthritis is the type of arthritis that is common in patients who are suffering from a chronic skin disorder known as psoriasis. it has some similarities with rheumatoid arthritis, although most patients who have psoriatic arthritis exhibit mild to moderate symptoms. this chronic disorder affects both men and women, and it can lead to further complications and serious health problems when left


dangerous cooking habits all men love barbecues but too much of them can be bad. mom was right ( sort of ) ; burnt food can cause cancer so do not eat open - flame grilled food too often. but don ' t panic just yet ; look at the details. studies on animals have shown that charred and burnt meats are carcinogenic, and so is the smoke generated by burnt fat that drips from meat. on a more reassuring note, alexis currie - williams, nutrition and physical activity manager for the american cancer society, states that, " while grilling foods may increase the risk for cancer, it ' s not at the top the cancer - causing list. " in other words, grilling is bad, but not very bad, especially if proper cooking measures are taken. when grilling food from now on, don ' t : avoid genetically modified foods for now. the gm food industry is still in its infancy, so we don ' t know how such foods can affect people. in rare cases, allergic reactions, nerve damage and poisoning have all been reported. food makers must inform people which products are genetically modified so people could at least know what " can " have dangerous effects. canola seeds, soya and maize are some of the most widely modified foods. cooking foods properly, keeping the kitchen area and utensils clean to avoid cross - contamination, drinking pasteurized milk, and washing food before eating are all practices that can prevent listeria. listeria is a pathogen that makes people ill and causes meningitis. vegetables, milk, cheese, meat, and seafood should all be handled carefully and properly. north americans normally tend to avoid picking mushrooms themselves, but eastern europeans and asians enjoy picking their own shrooms. this practice can be dangerous when the same wild species of mushrooms are consumed on different continents. some mushrooms are safe in one part of the world, but can be poisonous in another, even though they are the same species. possible microwave risks include increased ldl cholesterol levels ( the bad kind ). the study was conducted by the swiss federal institute of technology and the university institute of biochemistry. on the other hand, most national safety agencies maintain that microwaves are safe. my suggestion is to use microwave ovens as little as possible. i myself don ' t even own one, yet i still manage to survive. many of the aforementioned habits don ' t pose an immediate danger to your health, but long - term use and a combination of these might lead to problems later on in life.


researchers model fetal - to - adult hemoglobin switching : important step towards cure for blood diseases researchers have engineered mice that model the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin, an important step towards curing genetic blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia and beta - thalassemia. the research is published in the february 2011 issue of the journal molecular and cellular biology. they also produced for the first time a mouse that synthesizes a distinct fetal - stage hemoglobin, which was necessary for modeling human hemoglobin disorders. these diseases manifest as misshapen hemoglobin, causing anemia, which can be severe, as well as other symptoms, which can range from minor to life - threatening. the cure would lie in causing the body to revert to use of fetal hemoglobin. “ the motivation for our research is to understand the basic mechanisms of gene regulation in order to cure human disease, ” says thomas ryan of the university of alabama birmingham, who led the research. “ if we can figure out how to turn the fetal hemoglobin back on, or keep it from switching off, that would cure these diseases. ” the new model “ mimics precisely the timing in humans, completing the switch after birth, ” says ryan. “ the previous models didn ’ t do that. ” in earlier models, researchers inserted transgenes, large chunks of dna containing the relevant genes, randomly into the mouse chromosome. in the new model, the investigators removed the adult mouse globin genes, and inserted the human fetal and adult genes in their places. the successful engineering of a mouse with a fetal - stage hemoglobin means that humanized mouse models with mutant human genes will not die in utero. while the basic principals behind the research are simple, the details are complex. for example, ryan and sean c. mcconnell, a doctoral student who is the paper ’ s first author, had to deal with the fact that hemoglobin switching occurs twice in h. sapiens, from embryonic to fetal globin chains in early fetal life, and then to adult globin chains at birth, while wild type mice have a single switch from embryonic to adult chains early in fetal life. “ instead of the single hemoglobin switch that occurs in wild type mice, our humanized knock - in mice now have two hemoglobin switches, just like humans, from embryonic to fetal in early fetal life, and then fetal to adult at birth


july rendezvous with vesta " we often refer to vesta as the smallest terrestrial planet, " said christopher t. russell, a ucla professor of geophysics and space physics and the mission ' s principal investigator. " it has planetary features and basically the same structure as mercury, venus, earth and mars. but because it is so small, it does not have enough gravity to retain an atmosphere, or at least not to retain an atmosphere for very long. " there are many mysteries about vesta, " russell said. " one of them is why vesta is so bright. the earth reflects a lot of sunlight — about 40 percent — because it has clouds and snow on the surface, while the moon reflects only about 10 percent of the light from the sun back. vesta is more like the earth. why? what on its surface is causing all that sunlight to be reflected? we ' ll find out. " dawn will map vesta ' s surface, which russell says may be similar to the moon ' s. he says he expects that the body ' s interior is layered, with a crust, a mantle and an iron core. he is eager to learn about this interior and how large the iron core is. named for the ancient roman goddess of the hearth, vesta has been bombarded by meteorites for 4. 5 billion years. " we expect to see a lot of craters, " russell said. " we know there is an enormous crater at the south pole that we can see with the hubble space telescope. that crater, some 280 miles across, has released material into the asteroid belt. small bits of vesta are floating around and make their way all the way to the orbit of the earth and fall in our atmosphere. about one in every 20 meteorites that falls on the surface of the earth comes from vesta. that has enabled us to learn a lot about vesta before we even get there. " dawn will arrive at vesta in july. beginning in september, the spacecraft will orbit vesta some 400 miles from its surface. it will then move closer, to about 125 miles from the surface, starting in november. by january of 2012, russell expects high - resolution images and other data about surface composition. dawn is arriving ahead of schedule and is expected to orbit vesta for a year. vesta, which orbits the sun every 3. 6 terrestrial years, has an oval, pumpkin - like shape and an average diameter of approximately 330 miles. studies of meteorites found on earth that are believed to have come


vesta for a year. vesta, which orbits the sun every 3. 6 terrestrial years, has an oval, pumpkin - like shape and an average diameter of approximately 330 miles. studies of meteorites found on earth that are believed to have come from vesta suggest that vesta formed from galactic dust during the solar system ' s first 3 million to 10 million years. dawn ' s cameras should be able to see individual lava flows and craters tens of feet across on vesta ' s surface. " we will scurry around when the data come in, trying to make maps of the surface and learning its exact shape and size, " russell said. dawn has a high - quality camera, along with a back - up ; a visible and near - infrared spectrometer that will identify minerals on the surface ; and a gamma ray and neutron spectrometer that will reveal the abundance of elements such as iron and hydrogen, possibly from water, in the soil. dawn will also probe vesta ' s gravity with radio signals. the study of vesta, however, is only half of dawn ' s mission. the spacecraft will also conduct a detailed study of the structure and composition of the " dwarf planet " ceres. vesta and ceres are the most massive objects in the main asteroid belt between mars and jupiter. dawn ' s goals include determining the shape, size, composition, internal structure, and the tectonic and thermal evolution of both objects, and the mission is expected to reveal the conditions under which each of them formed. dawn, only the second scientific mission to be powered by an advanced nasa technology known as ion propulsion, is also the first nasa mission to orbit two major objects. " twice the bang for the buck on this mission, " said russell, who added that without ion propulsion, dawn would have cost three times as much. ucla graduate and postdoctoral students work with russell on the mission. now is an excellent opportunity for graduate students to join the project and help analyze the data, said russell, who teaches planetary science to ucla undergraduates and solar and space physics to undergraduates and graduate students. after orbiting vesta, dawn will leave for its three - year journey to ceres, which could harbor substantial water or ice beneath its rock crust — and possibly life. on the way to ceres, dawn may visit another object. the spacecraft will rendezvous with ceres and begin orbiting in 2015, conducting studies and observations for at least five months. russell believes that ceres and vesta, formed almost 4. 6 billion years