mar. 1, 2005 scientists have turned to the brightest brains in britain in a bid to understand the link between intelligence and dementia. a team of researchers from the university of manchester will be asking members of the high - iq society mensa for dna samples in what will be the world ' s most sophisticated study of brainpower. the research will allow the team to find genes associated with intelligence and examine how they interact with each other. " when you look at the genes in combination you reduce the statistical power of the research considerably, " explained dr tony payton, who works in the university ' s centre for integrated genomic medical research ( cigmr ) and is leading the research. " selecting individuals who represent the extreme end of the iq distribution increases this power dramatically. for example, 200 volunteers with an iq of 145 is equivalent to using 100, 000 unselected volunteers. " the results of the mensa research will complement data collected from an earlier university of manchester study of some 2, 500 elderly people that has taken place over the last 20 years. that research has already uncovered two genes associated with general cognitive ability, while work elsewhere over the past eight years has identified a further 10 other ` intelligence genes '. " the study of intelligence is shrouded by historical, biological, ethical and descriptive complexities that have made a mockery of its intended definition ` to reason and understand ', " said dr payton. " although our understanding of the biological basis of intelligence is still at an early stage, a general consensus about the role genes play in determining the level of intelligence has now been reached. " all of us possess the same genes but there are variations within the genes themselves, known as ` polymorphisms ', which are largely responsible for what makes us all unique. " they have an important influence on factors such as our behaviour and susceptibility to disease and, of the genes implicated in intelligence, the associated polymorphism has been shown to alter the function of the gene. " theoretically, the research with mensa will be the most powerful approach to studies in this field ever adopted. the study of 2, 500 elderly people over 20 years has created the second largest dna archive in the world - the dyne steele dna bank - and is unique in that it assessed volunteers for changes in cognitive function. " combining this study with the mensa research will take cognitive genetic research to an altogether new level and maintain the university of manchester ' s position as a world leader in the field, " said dr payton. " scientists are interested in intelligence


cognitive function. " combining this study with the mensa research will take cognitive genetic research to an altogether new level and maintain the university of manchester ' s position as a world leader in the field, " said dr payton. " scientists are interested in intelligence genes because high intelligence protects against the onset of dementias such as alzheimer ' s disease. " a greater understanding of the role that genes play in regulating intelligence may help in the development of new diagnostic tests and more effective treatments designed to combat cognitive impairment in the elderly. " mensa has more than 25, 500 members in the united kingdom and ireland, all of whom have an iq that is measured in the top 2 % of the population. the aim of the project is to initially recruit at least 1, 000 members and investigate if there is a difference between their genetic polymorphisms and those found in average iq individuals using the dyne steele dna bank. most studies to date have only investigated single polymorphisms in single genes but given there are more than 33, 000 human genes these approaches are incredibly expensive and time consuming. using cutting - edge technology, known as ` affymetrix microarray ', dr payton ' s team will be able to investigate more than 100, 000 polymorphisms at a time and hope to identify many intelligence genes in a short time. other social bookmarking and sharing tools : note : if no author is given, the source is cited instead.


jan. 31, 2008 drugs derived from cinchona bark, known as cinchona alkaloids, have been used in healing from ancient times. the most prominent representative of this group is quinine, a bitter substance contained in beverages such as tonic water and used in modern medicine to combat malaria. as early as 1945, robert burns woodward and william von eggers doering ( harvard university ) described how to synthesize quinine in the laboratory. the last step of this “ formal ” total synthesis, a three - step reaction procedure previously described by paul rabe and karl kindler in 1918, has continued to be the subject of much controversy to this day. aaron c. smith and robert m. williams at colorado state university ( usa ) have now successfully reproduced the rabe – kindler protocol. as described in an angewandte chemie article dedicated to doering on his 90th birthday, they repeated the entire procedure without employing any modern methods. had they done it or not? that has been the question for decades. woodward and doering published the synthesis of d - quinotoxine in 1944. based on the conversion of d - quinotoxine into quinine described by rabe and kindler in 1918, they claimed to have derived the total synthesis of quinine, though they had not actually completed this last step themselves before publishing. their “ formal ” total synthesis was strongly challenged and was even dismissed as a “ myth ” by gilbert stork ( columbia university ) in 2001. “ quinine and the cinchona bark alkaloids play an important role in modern medicine. it is thus amazing that no attempts to reproduce the rabe – kindler conversion of quinotoxine into quinine have been published, ” marvels williams. smith and williams reviewed the old publications, researched further references, and set themselves the task of repeating the procedure outlined by rabe and kindler — and with techniques available at the time. initially, the yield of quinine they obtained was far too low. the key turned out to be the aluminum powder used as a reducing agent in the last step. it must not be too fresh, instead it must be exposed to air for a while first to produce a small amount of aluminum oxide. this results in yields of quinine in agreement with those in the old publications. “ analytically pure quinine can be isolated from this reaction by the selective crystallization of the corresponding tartrate salt, just as described by rabe in 1939, ” says williams. “ we


web edition : may 18, 2007 posted may 18, 2007, this is the second of a two - part series. part i : " childhood vitamin d — a dark side? " is available here. asthma incidence has been rising among people of all ages, but especially children. according to the centers for disease control and prevention, its prevalence among youngsters rose from 3. 6 percent in 1980 to 6. 2 percent in 1996. it ' s the third leading cause of hospitalization in u. s. children, and treatment costs for the potentially lethal disease now run some $ 3. 2 billion a year. there are currently no preventive measures or cure. but two new studies suggest ensuring that children get plenty of the sunshine vitamin might limit its toll. the idea that vitamin d might be helpful came to carlos a. camargo jr., of the harvard medical school during a colleague ' s lecture. while looking at a u. s. map that displayed the geographical distributions of vitamin d deficiency and a cancer it ' s been linked to, he recalls, " i realized it also looked like a map of asthma. " his group had already been at work on a study probing for possible dietary links to asthma — such as low consumption of fish or antioxidants — among 1, 194 boston - area youngsters. but during the lecture, he says, the proverbial light bulb switched on. he thought : which segment of the population makes the least vitamin d? answer : people in northern states such as massachusetts, where, for much of the year, sunlight isn ' t strong enough to trigger the vitamin ' s production by skin. who consumes the least vitamin d? blacks, the same ethnic group that makes the least vitamin d, because their heavily pigmented skin screens out much of the ultraviolet light needed to trigger vitamin d production. blacks also experience the highest rates of asthma. immediately following the lecture, camargo decided to investigate vitamin d intake among the children his group had been studying. " and boom! there it was, " he told science news online. children with frequent bouts of wheeze — an early indicator of asthma — were far more likely to have had mothers whose vitamin d intake during pregnancy fell well below average. some members of camargo ' s team worked with researchers in scotland. after seeing the link in their boston data, these scientists asked their colleagues at the university of aberdeen to investigate whether a similar association existed in their data. to their great surprise, camargo says, the scottish researchers


team worked with researchers in scotland. after seeing the link in their boston data, these scientists asked their colleagues at the university of aberdeen to investigate whether a similar association existed in their data. to their great surprise, camargo says, the scottish researchers turned up the same trend as seen in the boston children. both groups wrote up their findings and submitted them simultaneously to the same journal. those papers both appeared in the march american journal of clinical nutrition. why look at wheeze? asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by intermittent episodes of airway obstruction that lead to wheeze, cough, and shortness of breath. unfortunately, camargo notes, " it ' s really difficult to diagnose asthma in very young children. " they can ' t perform the diagnostic tests, such as one in which they deliberately breathe as hard and as long as they can into a machine. that ' s why physicians either put off a diagnosis until children become old enough to perform the exhalation tests — or offer a preliminary diagnosis on the basis of symptoms such as wheezing. the boston team used wheeze as a marker for potential asthma in the children it studied from birth through age 3. these kids came from middle - class homes and most of the mothers had a college education. their average vitamin d intake during pregnancy was about 550 international units ( iu ) per day — above the 300 iu / day average for u. s. women. the highest intake — 1, 145 iu / day — was nearly 20 times as great as the lowest intake. the researchers periodically asked moms to describe respiratory illnesses that their youngsters had recently experienced. the researchers categorized a child as potentially asthmatic if his or her parents had taken the child to a doctor at least once a year for some illness that involved wheezing. " if you don ' t want to call this asthma, that ' s fine, " camargo says. " but we ' re telling people more and more that if they have recurrent wheezing, it might very well be asthma. " in the boston study, a 100 - iu increase in a mom ' s daily vitamin d intake during pregnancy corresponded to a 20 percent reduction in risk of recurrent wheezing events in her child. this held up whether that vitamin d had come from diet or from supplements. the researchers didn ' t have data on the children ' s sun exposure, so they don ' t know how much of the vitamin the kids ' bodies made from sunlight. but


this held up whether that vitamin d had come from diet or from supplements. the researchers didn ' t have data on the children ' s sun exposure, so they don ' t know how much of the vitamin the kids ' bodies made from sunlight. but young, middle - class children don ' t get much sun these days, camargo notes, owing to their parents ' propensity to slather them with sunscreen creams before letting them play outside. in scotland, graham devereux ' s team in aberdeen collected data on a woman ' s diet during her eighth month of pregnancy. when the 1, 200 children these researchers were following reached age 5, the team compared a mom ' s vitamin d intake with her child ' s history of wheeze - related respiratory illnesses. here, too, moms whose pregnancy diets had been richest in the sunshine vitamin were least likely to have a child that experienced wheezing events. in fact, their kids were only a third as likely to experience recurrent wheeze as were children whose moms ' vitamin d intakes during pregnancy had been in the bottom 20 percent. what ' s behind the benefit? there ' s no way to know, from these epidemiological studies, what mechanism might make vitamin d protective against respiratory disease, camargo says. however, he notes that a spate of recent studies have found that a deficiency in the vitamin appears to render people more susceptible to autoimmune disease ( sn : 10 / 9 / 04, p. 232 ) and infections ( sn : 11 / 11 / 06, p. 312 ). so, he speculates, any protection afforded by the vitamin may reflect some immune enhancement. a study published about a year and a half ago offers further support to the idea that vitamin d is good for lung health. its authors analyzed data collected from a representative sampling of 14, 000 u. s. adults. among these people, consumption of ample amounts of vitamin d was correlated with an individual ' s ability to breathe deeper and more easily. this trend held even for people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( see breathing easier with vitamin d ). as for camargo ' s group, they ' re going to continue studying their youngsters. by the time these children reach age 5, the boston researchers may be able to validate whether the wheeze they ' re tallying now was indeed a marker for asthma risk in the low - d group. part i : " childhood vitamin


. by the time these children reach age 5, the boston researchers may be able to validate whether the wheeze they ' re tallying now was indeed a marker for asthma risk in the low - d group. part i : " childhood vitamin d — a dark side? " is available at http : / / www. sciencenews. org / articles / 20070512 / food. asp. if you would like to comment on this food for thought, please see the blog version. carlos a. camargo jr. center for d - receptor activation research massachusetts general hospital harvard medical school 326 cambridge street, suite 410 boston, ma 02114 department of environmental and occupational medicine university of aberdeen aberdeen, scotland ab25 2zp raloff, j. 2007. childhood vitamin da dark side? science news online ( may 12 ). available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2006. the antibiotic vitamin. science news 170 ( nov. 11 ) : 312 - 317. available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2005. breathing easier with vitamin d. science news online ( dec. 17 ). available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2005. vitamin d boosts calcium potency. science news online ( nov. 12 ). available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2005. understanding vitamin d deficiency. science news online ( april 30 ). available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2004. vitamin d : what ' s enough? science news 166 ( oct. 16 ) : 248 - 249. available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2004. vitamin boost. science news 166 ( oct. 9 ) : 232 - 233. available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2004. should foods be fortified even more? science news online ( sept. 11 ). available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2001. lead therapy won ' t help most kids. science news 159 ( may 12 ) : 292. available at [ go to ]. _ _ _ _ _ _. 2001. even low lead in kids has a high iq cost. science news 159 ( may 5 ) : 277. available to subscribers at [ go to ].


antimatter came about as a solution to the fact that the equation describing a free particle in motion ( the relativistic relation between energy, momentum and mass ) has not only positive energy solutions, but negative ones as well! if this were true, nothing would stop a particle from falling down to infinite negative energy states, emitting an infinite amount of energy in the process - - something which does not happen. in 1928, paul dirac postulated the existence of positively charged electrons. the result was an equation describing both matter and antimatter in terms of quantum fields. this work was a truly historic triumph, because it was experimentally confirmed and it inaugurated a new way of thinking about particles and fields. in 1932, carl anderson discovered the positron while measuring cosmic rays in a wilson chamber experiment. in 1955 at the berkeley bevatron, emilio segre, owen chamberlain, clyde wiegand and thomas ypsilantis discovered the antiproton. and in 1995 at cern, scientists synthesized anti - hydrogen atoms for the first time. when a particle and its anti - particle collide, they annihilate into energy, which is carried by " force messenger " particles that can subsequently decay into other particles. for example, when a proton and anti - proton annihilate at high energies, a top - anti - top quark pair can be created! an intriguing puzzle arises when we consider that the laws of physics treat matter and antimatter almost symmetrically. why then don ' t we have encounters with anti - people made of anti - atoms? why is it that the stars, dust and everything else we observe is made of matter? if the cosmos began with equal amounts of matter and antimatter, where is the antimatter? experimentally, the absence of annihilation radiation from the virgo cluster shows that little antimatter can be found within ~ 20 megaparsecs ( mpc ), the typical size of galactic clusters. even so, a rich program of searches for antimatter in cosmic radiation exists. among others, results form the high - energy antimatter telescope, a balloon cosmic ray experiment, as well as those from 100 hours worth of data from the alpha magnetic spectrometer aboard nasa ' s space shuttle, support the matter dominance in our universe. results from nasa ' s orbiting compton gamma ray observatory, however, are uncovering what might be clouds and fountains of antimatter in the galactic center. we stated that there is an approximate symmetry


space shuttle, support the matter dominance in our universe. results from nasa ' s orbiting compton gamma ray observatory, however, are uncovering what might be clouds and fountains of antimatter in the galactic center. we stated that there is an approximate symmetry between matter and antimatter. the small asymmetry is thought to be at least partly responsible for the fact that matter outlives antimatter in our universe. recently both the na48 experiment at cern and the ktev experiment at fermilab have directly measured this asymmetry with enough precision to establish it. and a number of experiments, including the babar experiment at the stanford linear accelerator center and belle at kek in japan, will confront the same question in different particle systems. antimatter at lower energies is used in positron emission tomography ( see this pet image of the brain ). but antimatter has captured public interest mainly as fuel for the fictional starship enterprise on star trek. in fact, nasa is paying attention to antimatter as a possible fuel for interstellar propulsion. at penn state university, the antimatter space propulsion group is addressing the challenge of using antimatter annihilation as source of energy for propulsion. see you on mars? answer originally posted october 18, 1999


- nostalgia, a sentimental yearning for the past, consists of particularly intense, complex and vivid memories. - although nostalgia was once considered an unhealthy preoccupation, new research reveals that it improves people ’ s moods and is a sign of emotional well - being. - nostalgia can promote a sense of social integration in people who are sad or feel alone. do you have wistful memories of the cookies that came from your grandmother ’ s oven? do you enjoy recalling the jokes and pranks that you and your school friends used to find hilarious? on a restless night, does the whoosh of a train on a long - ago journey linger in your mind? if your recollections sometimes evoke a sentimental yearning for the past, then you know what it means to experience nostalgia. you are in good company, too. in a 2006 study conducted at the university of southampton in england, 79 percent of the 172 students surveyed said that they have nostalgic thoughts at least once a week ; 16 percent reported having such moments every day. nostalgia is not limited to any culture, stage of life or state of mental health. our southampton team has found the emotion in healthy adults and children, as well as patients suffering from dementia. this article was originally published with the title yearning for yesterday.


exceptional beginner chemistry set can you make dazzling colors in flame tests? create your own mini fire extinguisher? with these hands - on lab sets, you will perform highly rewarding experiments while building a strong foundation in chemistry. the 80 - page, full - color experiment manual guides aspiring young chemists through each of the 125 experiments. kit includes safety glasses, professional - quality equipment and enough chemicals for repeated experiments. uses a 9 - volt battery ( not included ). learn about indicators with litmus solution and write a secret message in invisible ink. test the inks from your colored markers on the chromatography racetrack to reveal their different color components. experiment with air pressure, surface tension, and the physical properties of fluids. experiment with two well - known metals, iron and copper. investigate carbon dioxide. dissolve metals with electrochemical reactions. explore water and its elements, saturated and unsaturated solutions, and crystals. split water into hydrogen and oxygen with electrolysis, and form oxygen from hydrogen peroxide. experiment with soaps, detergents, and emulsions of water and oil. investigate chemistry in the kitchen by experimenting with sugar, honey, starch, eggs and proteins, fatty acids, and calcium. begin to build a strong foundation in chemistry with exposure to a broad range of chemical phenomena and hands - on laboratory experiences. this kit provides clear instructions for preparing and performing the experiments, offers safety advice, offers explanations for the observed occurrences, and asks and answers questions about the results. ages 10 and up. - protective goggles - two dropper pipettes - clip for 9 - volt battery - safety cap with dropper insert for litmus bottle - copper wire - two large graduated beakers - two lids for large graduated beakers - four test tubes - test tube brush - rubber stopper with hole - rubber stopper without hole - sodium carbonate - potassium hexacyanoferrate ( ii ) - calcium hydroxide - ammonium iron ( iii ) sulfate - copper ( ii ) sulfate - citric acid - litmus powder - small bottle for litmus solution - lid opener - double - headed measuring spoon - angled tube - experiment station ( part of the polystyrene insert ) warning! — this set contains chemicals that may be harmful if misused. read cautions on individual containers carefully. not to be used by children except under adult supervision.


section 2 : what? what can be shared? although it is widely acknowledged that the industry definition of shared services refers to the sharing of business processes, business functions or expertise, it is recognised that many different aspects of an organisation can be shared, each in themselves providing incremental benefits to a participating organisation. sharing may start with collaboration and adoption of best practice. the more detailed level of sharing leads to greater levels of efficiencies, higher quality service and an increased ability to react to market or legislative change. however these benefits come coupled with higher risk and need for a strong change management culture. shared services is a journey without a fixed end point, but has an agreed vision of what good looks like, for an organisation and the strategy defined to deliver that vision. it needs measurable milestones to mark achievements and the journey involves collaboration, change management, change of culture regardless of the level of sharing. there are numerous areas and levels of sharing that can and do occur on a shared services journey. they start with collaboration and shared practices. many stop at the early stage as they entail the least risk and organisational and cultural change. others go on in accordance with their strategy or build on their initial experiences to achieve the full level of shared services. most shared services efforts begin by focusing on centres of scale : volume - based services - transactional, processing and administrative, those that are delivered to most employees or to external customers and can be maximised by aligning economies of scale. glasgow city council have implemented an internal shared service for financial, hr and procurement processes typically, success in these areas leads organisations to search for other services where similar operational efficiencies and cost reductions can be achieved. the logical choices for this second stage are centres of expertise : knowledge - based services - specialised expertise, consultative and integrated solutions, supported by common business processes to provide consistent delivery. the advanced procurement for universities and colleges programme ( apuc ) is creating a centre of expertise for procurement for further education and higher education institutions centres of expertise and scale are candidates for shared services because they provide the greatest opportunities for leveraging efficiency and effectiveness. listed below are examples of the types of sharing and collaboration that can occur, with different levels of benefits being achieved, depending on the nature and extent of the sharing. they all encompass many of the attributes and skills required to achieve shared services, e. g. collaboration of requirements, negotiation, change of culture and process review, all of which are invaluable on the journey to shared services and achieve incremental


all encompass many of the attributes and skills required to achieve shared services, e. g. collaboration of requirements, negotiation, change of culture and process review, all of which are invaluable on the journey to shared services and achieve incremental benefits as well as credibility and experience. this is not intended to be an exhaustive list but should give an indication of the types of sharing that can occur and further examples of sharing across the public sector in scotland are listed in appendix b. level of sharing common business processes and shared execution commercial model, service level agreement, performance measures, sharing of requirements, operating model, design and ict operational configuration. nss health procurement south lanarkshire payroll services common business process design ( best practice ) sharing of requirements and design ( best practice ) local authority crm system procurement sharing of requirements and remit for tendering, producing one tender document, lowering cost of procurement ict software and infrastructure standards operating systems and application software and standards, executing on a shared ict infrastructure provides common operational standards and practices, consistency in execution and increased service levels, affords different working cycles up to 24 / 7 uni ) edinburgh high performance computing facilities ( uk, janet osiaf approved stds ; seas property gazetteer ; entitlement card data centres, hardware, networks, telecoms, disc management, ict infrastructure : sharing of ict skills and knowledge at a lower cost, less risk of attrition effecting business common operational standards and practices, consistency in execution and increased service levels, affords different working cycles up to 24 / 7 south lanarkshire ict hosting property, co - location and sharing of buildings and services sharing of building and utility costs, sharing of services e. g. transport, vehicle maintenance highland service point network e. g. legal, it skills, trading standards, procurement, pension, is, medicalcentres of expertise, working to standards, accreditation, providing expertise in subject matter excel ; apuc ; national collections collaboration definition of terms for service provision the industry wide definition of shared services can be summarised as the convergence and streamlining of an organisation or organisations functions to ensure that they deliver the services required of them as effectively as possible. shared services are more than just centralisation or consolidation of similar activities in one location. shared services mean running these service activities like a business and delivering services to customers at a cost, quality and timeliness that is competitive with alternatives. south lanarkshire council provide a shared service delivering payroll services to several organisations within their community is the process by which the activities


these service activities like a business and delivering services to customers at a cost, quality and timeliness that is competitive with alternatives. south lanarkshire council provide a shared service delivering payroll services to several organisations within their community is the process by which the activities of an organisation or organisations, become concentrated within a particular location and / or group. there are two types of centralisation, the first involves organising workers into groups that support business processes for the entire organisation or across multiple organisations. the second organises workers by specific skill set and experience to provide services for the entire organisation or across multiple organisations. provides economy of scale, reducing costs and overheads whilst providing resilience and can be used as a step in the direction of providing a full shared services model or an end state operational model in itself. seas ( scottish executive accounting service ) provide a centralised financial service for scottish executive, agencies and ndpbs there are many and varied types of services that are often associated with shared services and sometimes confused as being shared services. the section below defines some of the most common service provisions and their definitions. all of the services listed can be used to support a shared services operation, and equally all can be used to support centralised and distributed operations as well. became part of the business lexicon during the 1980s and often refers to the delegation of non - core operations from internal production to an external entity specialising in the management of that operation. the decision to outsource is often made in the interest of lowering firm costs, redirecting or conserving energy directed at the competencies of a particular business, or to make more efficient use of worldwide labour, capital, technology and resources. fundamentally and historically, outsourcing is a term relative to the organisation of labour within and between societies. over the years various forms of outsourcing services have evolved and provide services for all type of business operations, eg shared services, distributed and centralised. further definitions of outsourcing are as follows : capgemini provide ict outsource services to customer across the uk from the highland region business process outsourcing ( bpo ) is the contracting of a specific business process, such as payroll, to a third - party service provider. usually, bpo is implemented as a cost - saving measure for tasks that a company requires but does not depend upon to maintain its position in the marketplace. bpo is often divided into two categories : back office outsourcing, which includes internal business functions such as billing or purchasing, and front office outsourcing, which


a company requires but does not depend upon to maintain its position in the marketplace. bpo is often divided into two categories : back office outsourcing, which includes internal business functions such as billing or purchasing, and front office outsourcing, which includes customer - related services such as marketing or technical support. use of a bpo as opposed to an application service provider ( asp ) usually also means that a certain amount of risk is transferred to the company that is running the process elements on behalf of the outsourcer. bpo includes the software, the process management, and the people to operate the service, while a typical asp model includes only the provision of access to functionalities and features provided or ' served up ' through the use of software, usually via web browser to the customer. the most common examples of bpo are call centres, human resources, accounting and payroll outsourcing. bt use accenture and xansa as bpo providers for financial processes application service provider ( asp ) is a business that provides computer - based services to customers over a network. software offered using an asp model is also sometimes called on - demand software or software as a service ( saas ). the most limited sense of this business is that of providing access to a particular application program ( such as medical billing ) using a standard protocol such as hypertext transfer protocol ( http ), a communications protocol used to transfer or convey information on the world wide web. the need for asps has evolved from the increasing costs of specialised software that have far exceeded the price range of small to medium sized businesses. as well, the growing complexities of software have led to huge costs in distributing the software to end - users. through asps, the complexities and costs of such software can be cut down. in addition, the issues of upgrading have been eliminated from the end - firm by placing the onus on the asp to maintain up - to - date services, 24 x 7 technical support, physical and electronic security and in - built support for business continuity and flexible working. customers of asp services include businesses, government organisations, non - profits, and membership organisations. the covalent performance management system is used by a large number of councils across scotland and uk hosted service provider ( xsp ) is a business that delivers a combination of traditional it functions such as infrastructure, applications ( software as a service ), security, monitoring, storage, web development, website hosting and email, over the internet or other wide area networks ( wan ).


) is a business that delivers a combination of traditional it functions such as infrastructure, applications ( software as a service ), security, monitoring, storage, web development, website hosting and email, over the internet or other wide area networks ( wan ). an xsp combines the abilities of an application service provider ( asp ) and an internet service provider ( isp ). this approach enables customers to consolidate and outsource much of their it needs for a predictable recurring fee. xsps that integrate web publishing give customers a central repository to rapidly and efficiently distribute information and resources among employees, customers, partners and the general public. hosted service providers benefit from economies of scale and operate on a one - to - many business model, delivering the same software and services to many customers at once. customers are charged on a subscription basis. south lanarkshire council provide hosted it services for the customer first programme and a university is the practice of transferring day - to - day related management responsibility as a strategic method for improved effective and efficient operations. the person or organisation who owns or has direct oversight of the organisation or system being managed is referred to as the client, or customer. the person or organisation that accepts and provides the managed service is regarded as the service provider. typically, the client remains accountable for the functionality and performance of managed service and does not relinquish the overall management responsibility of the organisation or system. city of edinburgh city council use bt to provide a managed service for the majority of their ict functions


also known as : chest pet scan, lung nuclear medicine scan, lung positron emission tomography, pet - chest, pet - lung or pet - tumor imaging - to diagnose lung cancer - to see if lung cancer has spread to other areas of the body. this is called staging. staging helps guide future treatment and follow - up and gives you some idea of what to expect in the future. - to determine whether a growth in the lungs seen on a ct scan is cancerous or noncancerous. - to determine how well you ' re responding to cancer treatment. a lung positron emission tomography ( pet ) scan is an imaging test that uses a radioactive substance ( called a tracer ) to look for disease in the lungs, especially lung cancer. how the test is performed the health care provider will inject a small amount of a radioactive material into one of your veins, usually on the inside of the elbow. the substance travels through the blood and collects in the tissues of the lungs. you will be asked to wait nearby as the radioactive substance is absorbed by your body. this usually takes about 1 hour. then, you will lie down on a table that slides into a tunnel - shaped hole in the center of the pet scanner. the pet machine detects energy given off by the radioactive substance and changes it into 3 - dimensional pictures. the images are sent to a computer, where they are displayed on a monitor for the health care provider to read. you must lie still during the pet scan so that the machine can produce clear images of your lungs. the test takes about 90 minutes. how to prepare for the test you must sign a consent form before having this test. you will be told not to eat anything for 4 - 6 hours before the pet scan, although you will be able to drink water. tell your doctor if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant. also tell your doctor about any prescription and over - the - counter medicines that you are taking, because they may interfere with the test. be sure to mention if you have any allergies, or if you ’ ve had any recent imaging studies using injected dye ( contrast ). tell the pet center if you have diabetes and are taking insulin. during the test, you may need to wear a hospital gown. take off any jewelry, dentures, and other metal objects because they could affect the scan results. how the test will feel you will feel a sharp prick when the needle with the radioactive substance is inserted into your vein. you shouldn ’


hospital gown. take off any jewelry, dentures, and other metal objects because they could affect the scan results. how the test will feel you will feel a sharp prick when the needle with the radioactive substance is inserted into your vein. you shouldn ’ t feel anything during the actual pet scan. why the test is performed your doctor may order this test : there are no problems detected in the size, shape, or function of the lungs. there are no areas in which the radiotracer has abnormally collected. what abnormal results mean abnormal results may be due to : what the risks are the amount of radiation used in a pet scan is low. it is about the same amount of radiation as in most ct scans. also, the radiation doesn ’ t last for very long in your body. however, women who are pregnant or are breastfeeding should let their doctor know before having this test. infants and fetuses are more sensitive to the effects of radiation because their organs are still growing. it is possible, although very unlikely, to have an allergic reaction to the radioactive tracer. some people have pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site. it is possible to have false results on a pet scan. blood sugar or insulin levels may affect the test results in people with diabetes. most pet scans are now performed along with a ct scan. this combination scan is called a pet / ct. other tests that may be done instead of a pet scan include a gallium scan, ct scan, or mri scan. silvestri ga, jett j. bronchogenic carcinoma. in : mason rj, murray jf, broaddus vc, nadel ja. murray and nadel ’ s textbook of respiratory medicine. 4th ed. philadelphia, pa : saunders elsevier ; 2005 : chap 44. gould mk, fletcher j, iannettoni md, lynch wr, midthun de, naidich dp, ost de. evaluation of patients with pulmonary nodules : when is it lung cancer? accp evidence - based clinical practice guidelines ( 2nd edition ). chest. 2007 ; 132 : 208s - 130s. wahl rl. imaging. in : abeloff md, armitage jo, niederhuber je, kastan mb, mckenna wg, eds. abeloff ' s clinical oncology. 4th ed. philadelphia, pa : elsevier churchill livingston ; 2008 : chap 21. kieninger an, welsh r, bendick pj, zelenock


mb, mckenna wg, eds. abeloff ' s clinical oncology. 4th ed. philadelphia, pa : elsevier churchill livingston ; 2008 : chap 21. kieninger an, welsh r, bendick pj, zelenock g, chmielewski gw. positron - emission tomography as a prognostic tool for early - stage lung cancer. am j surgery. 2006 ; 191 : 433 - 436. - review date : - march 24, 2009 - reviewed by : - benjamin taragin, md, department of radiology, montefiore medical center, bronx, ny. review provided by verimed healthcare network. also reviewed by david zieve, md, mha, medical director, a. d. a. m., inc. the information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. a licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. call 911 for all medical emergencies. links to other sites are provided for information only - - they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997 - 2008 a. d. a. m., inc. any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.


henri matissefrench ( le cateau - cambresis, france, 1869 - 1954, nice, france ) along with pablo picasso, henri matisse was one of the pillars of the parisian avant - garde, whose formal innovations in painting would dominate much of modern art. matisse initially worked in law, but discovered a passion for art when he began painting as an amateur. he went on to study traditional academic painting. in the early years of the twentieth century, however, he rejected the idea that painting had to imitate the appearance of nature. his characteristic innovations were the use of vibrant, arbitrary colors ; bold, autonomous brushstrokes ; and a flattening of spatial depth. this anti - naturalistic style inspired the critical name " fauves, " or " wild beasts, " for the group of painters around matisse. ironically, matisse often applied his thoroughly modern style to traditional subjects such as still lifes, landscapes, and portraits. such works express a sense of timeless joy and stillness that runs counter to the frenetic, technologically inspired compositions of many of his contemporaries. although primarily dedicated to painting, matisse was also active as a sculptor and printmaker. in the 1940s, in failing health, he embarked on a well - known group of cut - paper collages.


new prenatal test may show inherited diseases blood sample from mother less invasive than current screening procedures doctors may soon be able to diagnose inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis, thalassaemia and sickle cell anemia in fetuses by simply testing a blood sample taken from the mother. until now, prenatal diagnoses of such disorders have been possible only through invasive procedures like amniocentesis, which carry a risk of fetal miscarriage. amniocentesis is the extraction of a small amount of fluid from the sac surrounding a developing fetus. but scientists in hong kong and thailand may have found a way to diagnose in fetuses such " monogenic " diseases, which are caused by a single error in a single gene in the human dna. such diseases can be diagnosed by a simple blood test ( taken from the mother )... and by counting the relative ratio of the mutant genes against the normal genes. this is only possible because fetal dna circulates in maternal blood, a discovery lo and his colleagues made several years ago. many scientists have since been trying to find the best way to differentiate fetal dna from maternal dna, before they can even get down to looking for any anomalies in the fetal dna. but these efforts have not met with much success. in an article published in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences, lo and his colleagues said they had devised a counting system that could " bring non - invasive prenatal diagnosis of monogenic diseases closer to reality. " using highly precise digital blood testing technology, both mutant and normal dna sequences are counted in maternal plasma and that is then used to calculate the number of mutant genes inherited by the fetus and to determine the probability of the fetus developing any monogenic disease.


it has been six years since the u. s. has had to worry about mad cow disease. with the recent confirmed case of the disease in a california bovine, the public is worried about food safety. is there reason for concern? is our food safe? since 2006, the u. s. has had no positive tests for mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy ( bse ). this new case, found in california ’ s central valley, marks only the fourth occurrence ever in the u. s., out of 40, 000 tests each year. the infected cow, however, never entered the human food chain, meaning that there is no risk to beef and / or dairy products, nor is there a risk for other countries who import u. s. beef. read about oprah ’ s connection to mad cow disease > > " the beef and dairy in the american food supply is safe... " no risk to humans in an effort to quell the rising public concern, the usda has issued a statement regarding the recent case of mad cow disease. in part, tom vilsack, u. s. agriculture secretary, said, " the beef and dairy in the american food supply is safe and usda remains confident in the health of u. s. cattle … usda has no reason to believe that any other u. s. animals are currently affected, but we will remain vigilant and committed to the safeguards in place. " read more about selecting organic foods > > to further ease our minds, john clifford, the u. s. department of agriculture ’ s chief veterinarian, said that this particular cow died of an atypical form of mad cow disease which was caused by a random mutation and not from contaminated feed, meaning that it was a chance occurrence. learn more about the benefits of grass - fed beef > > there was a time when mad cow disease was rampant, but in recent years, the numbers have dropped drastically. in 2011, only 29 cases were reported worldwide, compared to over 37, 000 cases in 1992. cattle ranchers are actually touting this recent discovery as proof that the system is working as it should. still in the mood for beef? cook the perfect tenderloin > > more food news


this week ' s parsha | previous issues | welcome - please read! g - d took the man and placed him in the garden of eden, to work it and to guard it … g - d commanded the man saying : ' you may freely eat of every tree in the garden. but you must not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and bad, for on the day that you eat from it you shall surely die ' ( 2 : 15 - 17 ). the narrative relates how adam nevertheless came to eat from the tree of knowledge. he was expelled from the garden of eden, and he was condemned to toil the remainder of his life to grow his own food as an agricultural laborer. several questions present themselves on the above : 1. adam was warned that he would die on the day that he ate from the tree. how come, therefore, that the torah records that he lived the very long life span of nine hundred and thirty years ( 5 : 5 )? 2. why was he punished at all? he claimed that eve gave him the forbidden fruit : ' the woman whom you gave to be with me - she gave me from the tree and i ate ' ( 2 : 12 ). there is no statement in the text that suggests that adam knew what he was actually eating in the first place. 3. the torah emphasizes that his sin in eating from the fruit was ' because he listened to the voice of his wife ' ( 3 : 17 ). why was in not sufficient to say that he was to be punished for simply eating from the forbidden fruit? 4. adam and eve were both expelled from garden of eden. why did g - d not warn him that this would happen to him if he ate from the tree of knowledge? a key towards resolving these difficulties may be found in the following sentence : g - d took the man and placed him in the garden of eden to work it and to guard it ( 2 : 15 ). this verse suggests that g - d did not create the garden of eden to be a paradise for adam - so that he would be its guest and spend his life enjoying the largesse of his ' host '. rather his role was to fit in with the creation and get to know every plant and creature of the garden, work with them and develop the potential of the symbiotic relationships that would make the garden an even greater place to be in. for nowhere in the text does it say that the garden of eden was created as a perfect place. indeed the talmud holds that a


and develop the potential of the symbiotic relationships that would make the garden an even greater place to be in. for nowhere in the text does it say that the garden of eden was created as a perfect place. indeed the talmud holds that a person must work to reach his potential and to function as a useful member of society : shemaya said : ' love work ' ( avot 1 : 10 ). avot de r. natan develops this further stating that work is essential for anyone - even someone who has enough for all his needs : what should a person who has no work do? if he has … many fields, he should occupy himself with them. for just as the torah was given with a covenant, similarly work was given with a covenant : ' six days shall you work... and the seventh is a sabbath to the l - rd your g - d '. indeed, adam did not taste anything until he did work, as it states ' he placed him in the garden of eden to work it and to guard it ' and only afterwards ' you may eat freely from every tree in the garden ' ( avot de r. natan 11 ). one may go even further. in order for a person to feel close to g - d, he has to give to him, as it were. adam was required to do this by working on the land. a person who puts in effort, and is closely involved in a worthy and productive project sees his own self in it. if he is honest with himself, he will also see the hand of g - d in his success. he will be grateful to him, and come closer to him. as rabbi e. e. dessler ( michtav mi - eliyahu, vol. 3 ) writes, when a person feels gratitude to him for all the good he receives every day in his life, he will naturally express his gratitude by sacrifice ( in temple times ) or through prayer - offered in sincerity. by doing this, a person becomes a ' giver ' to g - d. this is the relationship that causes the ' giver ' ( man ) to love the ' receiver ' ( g - d ). and by loving g - d, a person wishes to serve him to the very best of his ability. it seems that this was adam ' s failing. he did not work on the land sufficiently. he did not experience the personal development and closeness with g - d that came with ' working on the land ' - developing the potential


best of his ability. it seems that this was adam ' s failing. he did not work on the land sufficiently. he did not experience the personal development and closeness with g - d that came with ' working on the land ' - developing the potential within the garden that would improve it still further. for that reason he was expelled from eden and he had to work harder on the land - not out of wealth, but out of sheer necessity. this may be derived from the text. adam may well not have known that the fruit he ate had come from the tree of knowledge. thus he did not willfully disobey g - d ' s command. ( nor did eve fully transgress the prohibition that was given to adam in the singular before she was created - even though she correctly understood it applied to her through inference. ) so he did not deserve to die. ( nor did she deserve to die. ) however had he worked properly, he would have known the flora of the garden of eden well enough to know which fruit belonged to each tree - ask any gardener! his having been led into accidentally eating the forbidden fruit revealed that he did not sufficiently perform the tasks for which g - d created him - ' to work on the land ' - and, through honest work, spiritually develop into the great personality that would become the father of mankind. this is a lesson for everyone. like adam, each individual must find out his or her potential and develop it, serving g - d and mankind, and thus endeavor to leave the earth a better place. written by jacob solomon. tel 02 673 7998. e - mail : firstname. lastname @ example. org for any points you wish to raise and / or to join those that receive this parasha sheet every week. this article is provided as part of shema yisrael torah network for information on subscriptions, archives, and


longstreet highroad guide to the north georgia mountains the chickamauga valley lies between the cumberland plateau ' s lookout mountain to the west and the armuchee ridges to the east. where it divides the " thumb " of pigeon mountain from lookout mountain is the famed mclemore cove. the chickamauga valley forms a natural passageway between the high ridges on either side. because it gives access to both chattanooga and the tennessee river and contains a few low ridges, it was the site of much movement and conflict during the civil war. the chickamauga valley is not just one valley but a series of northeast - southwest trending valleys with limestone floors and ridges some 200 to 300 feet high, capped with more weather - resistant rock. down through these valleys and across the ridges between chattanooga and atlanta, union army forces under general william sherman pursued confederate troops during the fighting which led to the battle of atlanta near the end of the civil war. visitors to the military parks at chickamauga, missionary ridge, and orchard knob, as well as other areas such as the lovely and serene mclemore cove, will come away with a clearer understanding of how the natural geology of the region has helped shape recent human history. from the chickamauga valley, especially ga 337, one can reach a variety of natural features lying at the base of the pigeon mountain escarpment. these include giant, dry, forest sinkholes ; blue hole ; and the entrances to the enchanting dickson and mcwhorter gulfs, deeply eroded into pigeon mountain ' s east wall. [ fig. 5 ( 13 ) ] a postcard - pretty valley nestled in the v formed by lookout mountain and pigeon mountain, the mclemore cove historic district was listed in the national register of historic places in 1994. the steep limestone and sandstone walls of the mountains form a dramatic backdrop for a scenic drive through the cove. the area is almost exclusively agricultural, with small dairy farms taking up most of the land. at the southwest end of the cove is a portion of the picturesque 11, 500 - acre mountain cove farm. red cedars which thrive on the limestone soil here are profuse throughout the cove, particularly along west cove road, as indicated by the names of the natural features and landmarks : cedar grove creek, cedar grove community, and cedar grove church and cemetery. perhaps nowhere else in georgia are so many cedars concentrated in such a small area. the cove, which was named for robert and john mclemore, sons of a white trader and a cherokee


cedar grove community, and cedar grove church and cemetery. perhaps nowhere else in georgia are so many cedars concentrated in such a small area. the cove, which was named for robert and john mclemore, sons of a white trader and a cherokee mother, is just south of chickamauga battlefield. one of the civil war battles took place at davis crossroads. near cedar grove methodist church, a large number of union soldiers spent the night of september 17, 1863, immediately prior to the historic battle of chickamauga. another antebellum structure is the 130 - year - old, plantation - plain style farmhouse where the hise family has lived for generations. it is located. 5 mile south of mt. hermon church on hog jowl road. most of the other old houses and buildings in the cove are not antebellum but date from the 1890s, when the railroad was built through the northern part of the cove. this park is comprised of four separate battlefield siteschickamauga, point park, orchard knob, and missionary ridge. the park became the first of four military parks established by congress between 1890 and 1899, the others being shiloh, gettysburg, and vicksburg. chickamauga. [ fig. 5 ( 7 ) ] the civil war battle of chickamauga, in the northwest corner of georgia, was the first of a series of decisive battles that culminated in the fall of atlanta and brought the civil war to a close. a union force of about 58, 000 men and a confederate force of about 66, 000 men clashed on the battlefield at chickamauga september 1920, 1863. the result, after 34, 000 casualties ( 3, 969 dead ), was that the union army retreated north to chattanooga, then a town of about 2, 500 people, and the southern forces occupied missionary ridge and lookout mountain, which bordered the town. troops from 29 of the 33 states east of the rockies engaged in the campaign ; four states had troops on both sides. the chickamauga battlefield visitor center has an excellent small museum containing artifacts related to the civil war. it also houses the fuller gun collection, which consists of 355 weapons dating from the revolutionary war period through world war ii. a 26 - minute, multimedia show is presented daily. books on civil war history and four rental audiocassettes are available. the major points of interest on the chickamauga battlefield, which when the battle was fought consisted of small fields, dense woods, and thick underbrush, can be reached by following a 7


war history and four rental audiocassettes are available. the major points of interest on the chickamauga battlefield, which when the battle was fought consisted of small fields, dense woods, and thick underbrush, can be reached by following a 7 - mile driving tour. monuments and markers along the road indicate the locations of units and batteries engaged in the battle. chickamauga contains remarkable natural environments. in the eastern portion is georgia ' s best example of the remarkable cedar glades, where red cedars dominate an open forest community. the thin soil over a limestone outcrop supports rare and unique prairie plants, some found nowhere else in the state. there are late - summer displays of showy coneflowers and black - eyed susans. the only year - round stream, cave springs creek, has rich aquatic fauna ; large shell - bark hickories grow along it. two quarry ponds lie just east of us 27 near its junction with viniard road. several limesinks, or sagponds, occur. the most historic is bloody pond, near the southwestern corner of the park. the largest and most interesting limesink is just north of alexander ' s bridge over chickamauga creek in the southeast corner of the park. it contains huge, 36 - inch - diameter willow oaks buttressed at the base. staff is not available to assist in nature tours. point park. [ fig. 5 ( 3 ) ] point park, although located in the cumberland plateau, is more conveniently discussed here, in the chickamauga valley section. after the battle of chickamauga, the union army retreated to chattanooga, and the confederate army reformed battle lines around the city with the intention of starving and freezing the union troops into submission. point park, strategically positioned on top of lookout mountain, was the location of one of those battle lines. the dominance of the location over the city below cannot be fully grasped until one stands on the edge of point park and looks down on chattanooga. a visit to this park is an opportunity to visualize the grand strategy of a major civil war battle. during the battle of lookout mountain, termed the " battle above the clouds " because during the fighting a band of mist and fog hung around the middle of the mountain, the union army drove the confederates from their position and effectively gained control of the city. point park is on the northeastern tip of lookout mountain. the welcome center contains a fine 13 - foot - by - 30 - foot mural painted by james walker, an eyewitness to the battle


from their position and effectively gained control of the city. point park is on the northeastern tip of lookout mountain. the welcome center contains a fine 13 - foot - by - 30 - foot mural painted by james walker, an eyewitness to the battle. a tape recording provides a narrative that describes the scene and effectively draws the visitor into the action. the small ochs museum in the park has an observation deck which affords a commanding view of the area. orchard knob. [ fig. 5 ( 4 ) ] this hill in front of missionary ridge was initially the forward position of the confederate defense line. it was taken by union forces, and from here general ulysses grant commanded the assault on missionary ridge. on november 25, 1863, six cannon shot from this hill signaled the beginning of the battle for the ridge. visitors will find a half dozen state monuments and a number of cannon, but the real reason to visit orchard knob is the geographical perspective it gives to the fighting between lookout mountain and missionary ridge. missionary ridge. [ fig. 5 ( 5 ) ] missionary ridge was occupied by the confederate forces after the battle of chickamauga and was part of the battle line around chattanooga. during the battle for the city, union troops attacked and captured the ridge. along the ridge are remarkable views of orchard knob, chattanooga, and lookout mountain. markers, plaques, and gun positions give details of troop positions and describe the action in which various units participated. the historical markers are dispersed among elegant houses. read and add comments about this page


1. definition of reading many definitions of reading are explained by some specialist, some of them are complementary one another, but any others contradictory. reading is not simple mechanical skill : nor is it a narrow scholastic tool. properly cultivated, it is essentially a thoughtful process. it should be developed as a complex organization of patterns of higher metal process. reading also defines responding. the response may be at the surface level of “ calling ” the word. it may be the somewhat deeper level of understanding the explicit meaning of sentence, paragraph or passage. another definition says, reading is the process of giving the significance intended by the writer to the graphic symbols by relating them to one ’ s own found of experience. frank smith in his understanding reading book defines that reading is an act of communication in which information is transferred from a transmitter to a receiver. according to miles a. tinker and contance m. mccullough, reading involves identification and recognition of printed or written symbols which serve as stimuli for the recall of meanings built up through past experience, and further the concentration of new meanings through the reader ’ s manipulation of relevant concepts already in his possession. soedarsono explained, reading is a complex activity that not gives a great amount of action separately. daniel hittleman in his development reading book, defines reading is a verbal process interrelated with thinking and with all other communication abilities – listening, speaking, and writing. based on some definitions of reading by some specialists above, the writer concludes that reading is an activity to get information, increasing perception through written text and also interpreting and analyzing text. 2. aspect of reading some aspects of reading based on normal reading situation consist of three kinds. they are word recognition, comprehension and reflections. a. word recognition the degree of excellence in reading is determined, to a large extent, by the ability to recognize and pronounce words. the core of view that reading is chiefly skill in recognizing words can be accurated by the form of the word itself. decoding the printed page is one of examples of recognizing the oral equivalent of the written symbol. comprehension is one of competence that must be had by the readers. reading just is not transferring the symbol printed from page to the brain but the readers have to comprehend the content of the reader ’ s read. comprehension in reading becomes important because it makes the readers have meaningful in their reading. in other word, their reading is not useless. there are three levels of reading comprehension. first : literal reading, second : aesthetic reading, and third is critical reading. literal reading


for a burgeoning underdeveloped nation, the most widely used construction material in the world — concrete — is a valuable asset. but in mongolia — that landlocked asiatic country wedged between russia and the people ’ s republic of china — knowledge of concrete is, at best, rudimentary. one of the most sparsely populated nations in the world, the country is emerging from a modern history of political turmoil and looking to the west for assistance in its development. mongolia is asia ’ s seventh largest country in area but with a population of less than 2. 5 million. this is why, in part, siue engineering professor luke snell and his wife, billie, traveled to mongolia — to lead the first mongolian concrete conference in mid - may, where they served as “ good will ambassadors ” for concrete as they toured the country. the snells departed for ulaanbaatar — the mongolian capitol — on may 14 for a 14 - day visit that was packed full of activities promoting and providing information about concrete. “ mongolia is on the verge of a construction boom, ” said snell. “ there is a great deal of need for the building of basic infrastructures, and the population has migrated to the cities, such as they are. ” a colleague from the south dakota school of mines and technology, who is spending a year teaching at the mongolian university of science and technology, invited snell to organize the conference. as director of the concrete construction resource unit at siue, snell ’ s expertise was valuable in its formation. “ the conference covered everything from the basics of concrete to discussions of why concrete cracks, and testing of concrete quality, ” said snell. following the one - day conference, the snells traveled throughout mongolia, visiting factories, government offices and schools. “ we took a supply of our ‘ floating concrete ’ kits with us to teach mongolian teachers how to teach this learning kit to their students, ” said snell. “ somewhere between toddler age and sixth grade, children appear to lose their natural curiosity about the world. by sixth grade, children view science and math as boring and too hard. we ’ ve been using the ‘ floating concrete ’ unit to demonstrate otherwise. ” established in 2001, the concrete construction resource unit ( ccru ) is an extension of the department of construction within the school of engineering. the ccru unites the knowledge and experience of faculty from civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering, as well as construction. one of


) is an extension of the department of construction within the school of engineering. the ccru unites the knowledge and experience of faculty from civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, and mechanical engineering, as well as construction. one of its primary missions is to develop, promote and implement programs that create awareness of the concrete construction industry, as well as encourage children to explore the possibility of a career in construction or engineering. the snells travel and participation in the mongolian concrete conference was sponsored by the american concrete institute ( aci ), the missouri chapter of the aci, and siue ’ s school of engineering. winners of attendance prizes at the siue fitness and benefits fair in may have been announced. the fair is held each year in conjunction with the health walk and the staff senate bbq. the fair affords employees a chance to assess their health coverages through the university, as well as assess their health in general. two employees won prizes funded by benefits fair vendors ’ fees : deanna taylor, of the office of human resources, a mountain bicycle, and nancy waltz, of the school of education, a 19 - inch color television set. other winners included : gloria hartmann, of the office of the registrar, a birdhouse floral arrangement, and bob legate, of university housing, a swim mat, both from colonial supplemental insurance ; emily coffin, of the office of continuing education, micro talk walkie talkies from gallagher byerly ; and joann white, of facilities management, a one - year student fitness center membership, from campus recreation christy simpson, of the office of graduate and international admissions, and karen take, of administrative accounting, both received certificate for a free massage from our health club & spa in glen carbon. siue ’ s alumni association has created another first... the first siue alumni days at wrigley field and busch stadium, that is. siue alumni, as well, as other members of the university community, are invited to join in the fun in both chicago and st. louis. the first event kicks off sunday, june 23, at wrigley field in as the chicago cubs do battle with the st. louis cardinals. the event features a pre - game reception at the cubby bear, 1059 w. addison st., across from wrigley. the pre - game reception will begin at 4 : 30 p. m. and should end before game time. alumni association members pay a $ 32 event price, while non - members pay $ 35


. addison st., across from wrigley. the pre - game reception will begin at 4 : 30 p. m. and should end before game time. alumni association members pay a $ 32 event price, while non - members pay $ 35, which includes both the game ticket and pre - game reception buffet featuring hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers, cole slaw, potato salad, french fries, cookies, brownies, and soda. there is also a cash bar on location. then, it ’ s “ meet me in st. louis, louie, ” as the association hosts the second part of the event on sept. 7, at busch stadium in st. louis as the cards play host to the cubs. the second event includes a pre - game picnic in the picnic area of the stadium beginning at 5 p. m. that pre - game picnic includes hot dogs, bratwurst, chips, pasta salad, and a cash bar and will end by the first pitch. the price for this event is also $ 32 for association members ; non - members, $ 35. tickets for both events are available from the siue alumni association, ( 618 ) 650 - 2760, from 8 : 30 a. m. - 4 : 30 p. m. weekdays. big changes are occurring in the morris university center as the $ 19. 3 million renovation project progresses. the food court re - opened last week with limited seating in the cougar den, and as summer term begins we will see a number of closings, relocations and other related modifications to daily life in the muc. “ we ’ re minimizing inconveniences as much as we can, ” said mary robinson, director of the center. “ work will progress as quickly as possible to restore some semblance of normality, but a little patience and a little advanced knowledge will smooth things out greatly. ” “ with the start of the fall semester, the construction walls will come down and everyone will be able to enjoy the first phase of the new and improved seating, ” said robinson. “ sometime in early fall the new food court will open in the southeast area of the dining area and the current servery will be closed to make way for additional seating. ” goshen lounge continues to be closed until early june as renovations take place in that area. “ but it ’ s not all about things closing up, ” said robinson. “ june 14 will see the opening of the new and enlarged union station. we ’


, may 23. the finals for 400 meters are 7 p. m. on saturday, may 25. walden ' s spot in the national meet was not as certain because he was 17th on the qualifying list. the ncaa committee overseeing the event selected 20 runners in the event. walden hopes to qualify for the finals on friday, may 24, at 7 : 40 p. m. the finals will be the next day at 7 : 50 p. m. “ dan shouldn ’ t be as nervous as he was last year in his first race at national, ” frerker said. “ this season he ’ s been very consistent with his time and running within a few seconds of his personal best in every race. ” walden ' s qualifying time at 800 meters was 1 : 51. 43. with a softball conference championship in hand, the siue athletics department finished third in this season ’ s great lakes valley conference all - sports trophy standings. northern kentucky won the annual trophy, accumulating the most points based on finishes in glvc championships and other glvc - sponsored events. northern kentucky scored 113 points, followed by indianapolis ( 104. 75 ), siue ( 95. 5 ), lewis ( 91. 75 ), southern indiana ( 89 ), bellarmine ( 72. 5 ), saint joseph ’ s ( 67 ), quincy ( 61 ), wisconsin - parkside ( 60. 5 ), missouri - st. louis ( 57 ) and kentucky wesleyan ( 22 ). siue won its first glvc championship event in nearly three seasons when softball coach sandy montgomery ’ s team won early this month. northern kentucky won the most glvc titles with seven, followed by indianapolis ( 4 ), lewis ( 4 ), siue ( 1 ) southern indiana ( 1 ) and kentucky wesleyan ( 1 ). indianapolis shared two of its titles with northern kentucky in men ’ s golf and lewis in women ’ s outdoor track. chad opel ( edwardsville ), who became the seventh player in ncaa division ii history to record more than 300 career hits, added another accolade to his growing list by being named all - north central region by the american baseball coaches association. opel, who batted. 420 in his final season as a cougar, was named to the first team and will appear on the national ballot for a chance to be named all - american for a second consecutive season. the shortstop completed his career with 302 hits, making him the seventh player in ncaa division ii history to record 300 or more


to the first team and will appear on the national ballot for a chance to be named all - american for a second consecutive season. the shortstop completed his career with 302 hits, making him the seventh player in ncaa division ii history to record 300 or more in a career. he also ranks fifth in the ncaa in runs scored with 229 and at bats with 850. he helped the cougars to a 30 - 24 record and a third - place finish in the glvc tournament this past season as well as fifth - place national finish during the 2001 season. opel holds career records at siue in runs scored and doubles with 59. he also is second all - time at siue in hits and at bats. he also holds single season records for at bats ( 274 ) and runs scored ( 82 ) in 2001. valerie mccoy ( bethalto ), who helped siue to its third straight appearance in the ncaa division ii softball championships and a record 51 wins this season, was named all - american by the national fastpitch coaches association. mccoy, a senior, accepted her second all - american certificate in salem, va., in a ceremony at the national finals. mccoy was named an at - large third team all - american. “ val has been a steady force for this team for a long time. i ’ m happy she is getting well - deserved recognition, ” coach sandy montgomery said. the second baseman was steady in her final season as a cougar with a. 372 batting average. she completes her four - year career at siue among the all - time best in several offensive categories. mccoy is sixth in batting average at. 357, fourth in at bats with 616, tied for second in hits with 220, eighth in runs batted in with 102, and fifth in walks with 55. siue completed the 2002 season with a 51 - 12 record and its first great lakes valley conference tournament title. siue men ’ s soccer coach ed huneke filled his team ’ s needs for next season with the signing of five players. the soccer cougars added mike ngonyani ( bloomington, ind. ), pete cacciatore ( st. louis ), brian higgins ( st. charles, mo. ), andrew crider ( granite city ), and tim velten ( st. louis ). “ we ’ re still winning, ” huneke said. “ last year ’ s success has carried over into recruiting. the momentum should continue. ” siue advanced to the final four last season and was eliminated


- southwestern conference selection his junior season, the midfielder capped his prep career with two goals his senior season. “ andrew is a versatile player with a good sense of how to play, ” huneke said. velten scored three goals as a back for webster groves ( mo ) high school his senior season. a second team all - state and third team all - metro selection, velten was the suburban south conference ’ s player of the year in 2001 and a three - time all - conference pick. “ tim is a superb athlete who is cool on the ball for a back, ” said huneke. jenny esker ( steeleville ) and missy koenig ( mapleton ) have been named members of the verizon / cosida district v college division softball team. esker, the great lakes valley conference ’ s player of the year, was named to the first team as an outfielder, while koenig was selected to the second team. the verizon / cosida district v college division includes institutions from illinois, minnesota, iowa and wisconsin who are ncaa divisions ii or iii or naia. esker has been placed on the national ballot for consideration for academic all - american. a sophomore, esker batted. 395 for the cougars, who finished the 2002 season with a 51 - 12 record and a no. 2 national ranking in the final usa today / nfca ncaa division ii regular season poll. esker led the cougars in several offensive categories, including hits ( 83 ), runs ( 56 ), doubles ( 22 ), home runs ( 12 ) runs batted in ( 48 ) and stolen bases ( 30 ). the hits and runs numbers broke single - season records at siue. koenig completed her second season at siue with a 16 - 4 record, one save and a 1. 70 earned run average. in two seasons, koenig has compiled a 32 - 11 record as an siue pitcher. anna wiszniewska, a 5 - foot - 10 - inch forward from warsaw, poland, has signed a national letter of intent to play women ’ s basketball for siue next season. wiszniewska played in the polish i league last season and has previously been a member of a team which placed third at the polish junior championships. “ we like what we saw when we brought her in for a visit, ” admitted coach wendy hedberg. coach hedberg first learned of wiszniewska through a compact disc the player had had sent to the women ’


polish junior championships. “ we like what we saw when we brought her in for a visit, ” admitted coach wendy hedberg. coach hedberg first learned of wiszniewska through a compact disc the player had had sent to the women ’ s basketball office. the cd had a video of her displaying her basketball talent. the cougars took a chance on bringing wiszniewska in for a visit. wiszniewska has been among winning teams since age 10 when she began to play in warsaw ' s sports club. in 1999, her club team advanced to the polish i / ii finals. in 2001, her team won the bronze at the polish junior championships as she averaged 10. 5 points and 5. 9 rebounds per game. “ i think she is going to develop into a good player, ” hedberg said. the coaching staff may not have received an accurate view of her capabilities when she arrived for a visit since she was playing the day after flying in from poland, said hedberg. but the women ' s basketball coaching staff liked her maturity and poise after being put in a tough position. after finishing the 2002 season with a 51 - 12 record, five siue softball players were named all - great lakes region by the national fastpitch coaches association. jenny esker ( steeleville ), ryann spann ( bethalto ) and valerie mccoy ( bethalto ) were named to the first team. erin newman ( fairfield, calif. ) and koree claxton ( rantoul ) were selected to the second team, the members of the first team have been placed on the national ballot and will have an opportunity to be named all - american. “ this is an outstanding achievement for these players, ” coach sandy montgomery said. they have worked hard this season and deserve the reward. ” siue finished the 2002 season this past weekend after being eliminated by ashland in the consolation bracket of the ncaa division ii great lakes regional tournament held in edwardsville. esker, a sophomore outfielder, was named the great lakes valley conference player of the year after leading the league in several offensive categories, including hits ( 83 ), runs scored ( 56 ), runs batted in ( 48 ), and stolen bases ( 30 ). she set a single - season record for hits and runs scored as the team ' s leadoff hitter for most of the season. spann, a junior, recorded the most victories in a season ( 27 ) since coach montgomery set the record as a player with 30 in 1985.


record for hits and runs scored as the team ' s leadoff hitter for most of the season. spann, a junior, recorded the most victories in a season ( 27 ) since coach montgomery set the record as a player with 30 in 1985. spann fanned 219 batters in 247 2 / 3 innings and finished the season with a 1. 10 earned run average. mccoy, a senior, earned a back - to - back all - region selection at second base. this season, mccoy hit. 372 with 26 runs batted in. mccoy, an second team all - american last season, was the hardest player to strikeout with 11 in 183 at bats. newman, a two - time all - american, completed her collegiate career by shattering numerous offensive records, some of which she already had held after her junior season. newman, a third baseman, batted. 303 with eight home runs and 40 runs batted in this season. for her career, newman leads siue in at bats ( 697 ), hits ( 265 ), walks ( 96 ), doubles ( 69 ), home runs ( 44 ), and runs batted in ( 185 ). claxton batted. 311 in the outfield as the cleanup hitter. claxton, a junior, recorded four home runs and 37 runs batted in, and was 11 of 11 in stolen bases. opel named glvc player of the year siue senior chad opel ( edwardsville ) has been named player of the year by great lakes valley conference. opel, who needs four hits to become the seventh player in ncaa division ii history to record 300 or more hits, heads into the glvc tournament batting. 429 with a team - best 51 runs scored, 19 doubles and 78 hits. opel was named first team as a shortstop for the cougars. wes pickering ( springfield, mo. ) and eric meyer ( topeka ) were named second team all - glvc as a utility player and relief pitcher, respectively. pickering is batting. 331 with three home runs and 18 runs batted in. meyer is 6 - 2 with a 3. 31 earned run average and five saves. jarad rettberg ( divernon ) was named to co - freshman of the year. rettberg is currently 5 - 2 with a 3. 29 era. logan glosser, a 6 - foot - 5 - inch forward from mt. zion, has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball for siue. it is the first recruit for new coach marty simmons


parkinson ' s disease is one of the most common nervous system disorders affecting the elderly. parkinson ' s disease occurs when the nerve cells in the brain that make a checmical called dopamine are slowly destroyed. dopamine helps control muscle movement. without dopamine, the nerve cells in that part of the brain cannot properly send messages. this leads to the loss of muscle function. the damage gets worse with time. exactly why these brain cells waste away is unknown. secondary parkinsonism may be caused by health problems, including : there have been cases of secondary parkinsonism among iv drug users who injected a substance called mptp, which can be produced when making a form of heroin. these cases are rare and have mostly affected long - term drug users. the health care provider may be able to diagnose secondary parkinsonism after performing a physical exam and asking questions about your medical history and symptoms. however, the symptoms may be difficult to assess, particularly in the elderly. examination may show : difficulty starting or stopping voluntary movements increased muscle tone problems with posture slow, shuffling walk reflexes are usually normal. tests may be used to confirm or rule out other disorders that can cause similar symptoms. if the condition is caused by a medication, your doctor may recommend changing or stopping the medicine. however, the benefits of the medication should be weighed against the severity of symptoms. medications should be stopped or changed if the risks outweigh the benefits. treating underlying conditions such as stroke or infections can reduce symptoms. if your symptoms make it hard to do everyday activities, your doctor may recommend medication. many of the medications used to treat this condition can cause severe side effects. it is important that you see your doctor for check - ups. secondary parkinsonism tends to be less responsive to medical therapy than parkinson ' s disease. however, medications are worth trying if the cause of the condition is not treatable. discuss the situation with your health care provider if you are unable to care for the person at home ( after treatment begins ). treating conditions that cause secondary parkinsonism may decrease the risk. people with conditions that require long - term use of antipsychotics should be carefully monitored to prevent the development of secondary parkinsonism. newer antipsychotic medications are less likely to cause secondary parkinsonism. lang a. parkinsonism. in : goldman l, ausiello d. cecil textbook of medicine. 23rd ed. philadelphia, pa : saunders elsevier ; 2007 : chap 433. lang ae. when and how should treatment be started in parkinson disease


vitamin d is sometimes referred to as the “ sunshine vitamin. ” that ’ s because the main source of this vitamin so necessary for good health comes from exposure to the sun. when sunlight hits the skin, vitamin d precursors present on the surface of the skin are activated and undergo further processing by the liver and kidney to create vitamin d in a form the body can use. there are two types of vitamin d. vitamin d3 is the form of vitamin d synthesized from exposure to sunlight, while vitamin d2 is the kind in fortified foods and the type found in plants. unfortunately, most people don ’ t get enough vitamin d from sunlight or diet. estimates are that up to 75 % of the adult population has vitamin d levels that are too low for good health. vitamin d deficiencies are common because there are few food sources of vitamin d with the exception of fatty fish like salmon, liver and egg yolks. fortified milk, orange juice, yogurt and other products fortified with vitamin d are also good sources. people who are older, those that consistently wear a sunscreen and those living at higher latitudes where the sun ’ s rays are weaker are at greater risk for vitamin d deficiency. in adults, vitamin d deficiency can cause muscle weakness and increase the risk of osteoporosis, some autoimmune disease, and some forms of cancer. it ’ s also important for calcium absorption by the intestines. this creates a dilemma for some people. is it better to jeopardize the health of their skin and increase the risk of skin cancer by exposing it to sunlight or risk not getting enough vitamin d, a vitamin that seems to reduce the risk of certain health problems including cancer? the american academy of dermatology takes the position that adults who wear sunscreen or avoid sun exposure should consider taking 1, 000 i. u. of vitamin d daily. there ’ s also a blood test available to measure levels of vitamin d. there are definite benefits to taking a vitamin d supplement for people who have low levels. vitamin d is available in pill form. there are also topical forms of vitamin d, and some cosmetic and manufacturers of skincare and anti - aging products are adding topical vitamin d to their skin care products. vitamin d has already shown benefits for treating certain kinds of skin problems including psoriasis. psoriasis is a skin disease characterized by chronic inflammation. vitamin d causes a peptide molecule called cathelicidin to bind to dna. this blocks the inflammatory response that is responsible for many of the


certain kinds of skin problems including psoriasis. psoriasis is a skin disease characterized by chronic inflammation. vitamin d causes a peptide molecule called cathelicidin to bind to dna. this blocks the inflammatory response that is responsible for many of the symptoms of psoriasis. rosacea is another skin disease that ’ s driven by inflammation, and vitamin d may play a role in controlling this skin problem as well. in addition, preliminary research suggests that it may be helpful for treating symptoms of eczema. some studies in children show that eczema is more severe in children with low vitamin d levels and that supplementation with vitamin d helps. it ’ s easy to see that vitamin d is important for overall health and for healthy skin, which is why it ’ s an ingredient in some skin care products including anti - aging products, facial moisturizers, facial scrubs, facial cleansers and eye creams. vitamin d is also important for hair growth, and there ’ s some evidence that it may stimulate hair regrowth, although more research is needed. is vitamin d safe? vitamin d is a fat - soluble vitamin, so it can be toxic if high levels build up in the body. this is unlikely to happen unless a person is taking high supplemental doses of vitamin d. vitamin d at levels found in skin care products are too low to cause toxicity. the environmental working group skin deep cosmetics database classifies vitamin d as a low hazard cosmetic ingredient. all in all, vitamin d is an important vitamin of which most people get too little. it ’ s critical for overall health, for disease prevention and is a requirement for healthy skin as well.


posted sunday, feb. 24, 2013, at 8 : 00 am years ago, in 1999, some odd pictures were returned from the mars global surveyor space probe orbiting the red planet. they showed what looked for all the world ( s ) like trees, banyan trees, dotting the martian landscape. they made quite a splash on the internet, and you can see why ; here ’ s a section of one of the pictures : image credit : nasa / jpl / malin space science systems no fooling, they really do look like trees. the usual pseudoscience website went nuts — well, more nuts — claiming they were life on mars. more rational heads knew they were formed from some sort of natural non - biological process, but what? over time, more and better pictures were taken, and eventually the story became clear. hints were found when these features were detected at extreme latitudes, and only in the spring. that meant they must be related to the change in seasons, specifically to the weather warming. that, plus some high - resolution images, made it possible to eventually figure out what they are. mars has a thin atmosphere that ’ s mostly carbon dioxide. in the winter at the poles it gets cold enough that this co2 freezes out, becoming frost or snow on the martian surface — what we on earth call dry ice. it gets this name because when you warm it up, it doesn ’ t melt : it turns directly from a solid into a gas, a process called sublimation. image credit : arizona state university / ron miller in the martian spring sunlight warms the ground, which warms the layers of dry ice. they sublimate slowly, and — here ’ s the cool part — from the bottom up. dry ice is very white and reflective, so sunlight doesn ’ t warm it efficiently. the ground is darker, and absorbs the solar warmth. this tends to heat the pile of dry ice from the sides and underneath at the edges. the newly released gaseous carbon dioxide needs somewhere to go. it might just leak away from the side, but some will find its way deeper into the dry ice pack, toward the center. if the gas finds a weak spot in the ice it ’ ll burst through, creating a hole. other trickles of co2 under the ice will flow that way as well, and eventually find that hole. what you get, then, is dry ice on the surface laden with cracks, converging on a single spot where the gas can then leak out


##s of co2 under the ice will flow that way as well, and eventually find that hole. what you get, then, is dry ice on the surface laden with cracks, converging on a single spot where the gas can then leak out into the martian atmosphere like dry geysers. the plumes of co2 will carry with them dust from the ground under the dry ice pack, depositing the darker dust on the brighter surface ice, discoloring it. and when you look at them from above, you see what look like trees! after a while, the carbon dioxide frost sublimates away entirely, and all you ’ re left with are weird looking spidery channels in the ground, up to a couple of meters deep, created by erosion as the carbon dioxide gas wended its way under the dry ice pack. these are even called araneiform features, meaning spider - like. they also kinda look like the cell bodies of neurons. unsettling. but probably a better situation than an infestation of giant alien tree spiders. how cool is that? while reading about this, i found various other features that have a similar origin, created from carbon dioxide gas flow. one aspect really got to me, a simple but terrifically strange observation : in some of these features on mars, the tracks get wider as they go uphill. that ’ s the opposite of what you ’ d expect from the flow of an actual liquid ; channels created by, say, water on earth get wider as they flow downhill. this means whatever formed those channels must be flowing uphill. so the culprit must be gas, not liquid. that is so flippin ’ weird! it ’ s bizarre enough that a major component of a planet ’ s air might freeze out at all, but then to have some it flow uphill in the spring, and also to create those creepy spidery things? mars is a damn odd place.


what is a wellhead pumper? a wellhead pumper operates power pumps and other equipment so that gas or oil can flow from the oil well. the job is known by a number of other terms, including operations technician, rig technician, pumper and well tender. work is performed within a strong safety culture that follows detailed and exact safety regulations. environmental rules also must be closely followed. the pumper ' s job involves bringing an oil, gas, or mining product from a well up to the surface by means of pumps and compressors. the pumper starts the compressor engine and opens valves to return compressed gas to the bottom of the well. the pump depressurizes the pipe and forces oil to rise to the surface. the wellhead pumper then must monitor the flow as the product travels to make sure it is moving at the proper rate. once the pump has brought the product to the surface, the pumper transfers it to storage tanks or trucks that move it offsite. although the wellhead pumper has long been a traditional part of the oil and gas industry, increased use of automated storage and retrieval systems has increased productivity and lessened the need for wellhead pumpers. no one ' s written a review on this career yet. you could be the first! what does a wellhead pumper do? the wellhead pumper is responsible for all aspects of the pumping operations : assembling pumps, attaching hoses to wellheads, starting the compressor, operating the pumps and monitoring flow. monitoring is generally done by computer control panel, and the pumper must watch that the oil, or the material being extracted, is pumped at the correct pressure, rate, and density. he or she needs to operate the pumps, open valves and shut them off as required by production schedules, and redirect flow into storage tanks. any blockages in the pipes must be quickly identified and repaired. routine maintenance of equipment is part of the job, and meters and gauges also need to be maintained and repaired if necessary. depending on the product being extracted, the pumper may also be responsible for blending acids and chemicals and controlling equipment used to fracture gas and oil wells or rock formations. sometimes they are responsible for driving trucks and other transport vehicles on the site. the pumper may need to supervisor other workers on the job site ; the team works together to keep production running smoothly, keeping the product flowing from the ground through the pipes and into storage facilities. the team assembles the rigs and tears equipment down, and