the scary crawl space we build crawl spaces because they are cheaper than basements. but controlling moisture can be a challenge, depending on the climate zone. take the test and earn 0. 5 ce unit per article. depending on where you live, critters from snakes and rodents to spiders, bugs, and armadillos may have taken up residence in your crawl space. add a little water — or even a lot when flooding occurs — and mold and rot create indoor air quality ( iaq ) problems and structural deterioration. oh, and did i mention that soil gases like radon or methane can find their way into your house through the crawl space? research has shown that whenever it ’ s warmer inside your house than outside, the buoyancy of the rising warm air in the house sucks air into your home from the crawl space. in heating - dominated climates, 40 % or more of the air you breathe in your home originated in your crawl space. definitely scary — and it ’ s dark down there. we build crawl spaces because they are cheaper to build than basements, or because ground conditions make building a basement impractical. a crawl space can also provide service access for plumbing, electrical, and heating - and - cooling systems. which crawl spaces work where? in recent years, building america and others have done a lot of research around the country on crawl spaces. by looking at this research, we can learn a lot about which crawl space configuration works where. historically, most crawl spaces have been vented to the exterior ( see “ definitions ” and “ codes ” ). in some climates — especially with the introduction of central a / c — this can cause problems. in climates with extended periods of hot - humid weather — this includes the southeast and most of the northeast and midwest — closed crawl spaces are the best option. under hot - humid conditions, warm, moist air enters the vented crawl space from outside and can condense on the cooler surfaces. these cooler surfaces are created within the crawl space by the shade provided by the building and the moderating effect of the contact between the crawl space and the ground. even when condensation doesn ’ t take place, relative humidity ( rh ) above 80 % for an extended period can support mold growth and eventually rot wooden structural materials. add a / c to the house, and the floor above the crawl space becomes even cooler — and any ductwork in the crawl space creates an added risk of condensation. in closed conditioned crawl spaces, insulation is normally placed around the


materials. add a / c to the house, and the floor above the crawl space becomes even cooler — and any ductwork in the crawl space creates an added risk of condensation. in closed conditioned crawl spaces, insulation is normally placed around the perimeter and not in the floor. with perimeter insulation, the house is coupled to the cooler temperatures of the ground, and this can reduce the overall amount of a / c needed to cool the house. when closed conditioned crawls are used in heating - dominated climates, this same ground coupling can actually increase the heating load of a house, but that may cost very little compared to the cost of damage done by moisture brought in by venting. crawl spaces can be vented or closed. crawl spaces without venting are usually referred to as unvented, closed, or sealed. in this article i use “ closed ” to refer to any crawl space without passive vents from the crawl to the exterior. vented crawl spaces have the air and vapor barriers and the thermal boundary of the house in the floor assembly above the crawl space and provide passive venting from the crawl to the exterior. most codes require a minimum of 1 square foot of net free vent area for each 150 square feet of crawl space ; they also require that vents be placed to provide cross - ventilation. closed ( unvented ) crawl spaces come in a variety of configurations. some are actively conditioned ; some have an intentional passive connection to the conditioned part of the house ; and in extreme cases, some have an active dehumidification system ( see “ dehumidifier metering study, ” p. 44 ). insulation is normally at the perimeter of the crawl with a continuous air and vapor barrier on the ground and running up the perimeter wall to the sill plate or to a termite inspection strip, where required. closed power - vented crawl spaces generally look like closed unconditioned crawl spaces but include an exhaust fan to draw air from the crawl space to the exterior. the primary advantage of this system is its ability to reverse the stack effect and decouple the air in the house from the crawl — especially during the heating season. codes generally require 1 cfm of power venting for every 50 square feet of crawl space area. in the drier regions of the west, and even — surprisingly — in the marine climates of the northwest, vented crawl spaces work acceptably most of the time. the hot - dry conditions in summer and the cold - moist conditions in winter do not cause the same problems that


the west, and even — surprisingly — in the marine climates of the northwest, vented crawl spaces work acceptably most of the time. the hot - dry conditions in summer and the cold - moist conditions in winter do not cause the same problems that hot - humid conditions cause in the rest of the country. in a vented crawl, the insulation should be placed in the floor above the crawl space, properly supported, and in contact with the floor above. there should be no air space between the insulation and the floor. in colder climates, where basements are traditionally the norm, closed conditioned crawl spaces may be the best option to protect freeze - sensitive plumbing systems. ducts in crawl spaces hvac ductwork can have a significant impact on the crawl space environment. from an energy perspective, well - insulated, well - sealed ducts work best in a vented crawl space. while sealing and insulating ducts in a vented crawl is always beneficial in terms of energy savings, there can be unintended consequences that may increase the risk of condensation in heating - dominated climates. in this climate, heat loss to the crawl may help prevent condensation by maintaining higher and more stable temperatures. in cooling climates, properly sealed and insulated ducts — including a vapor barrier — can reduce the risk of condensation on cold supply ducts. in closed crawl spaces, where the air and vapor barriers and the thermal boundary are maintained at the crawl perimeter, the energy benefits of sealing and insulating ductwork are minimal. insulation materials and proper alignment of air and vapor barriers walls get wet — especially in below - grade crawl spaces. below - grade walls cannot dry to the exterior, so to avoid problems, they must dry to the interior. vapor barriers on the interior side of batt insulation can create real problems. figure 1 shows the rh inside a fiberglass batt on the interior of a crawl space perimeter wall. the batt in the figure has a vapor barrier on the interior surface that traps moisture. in the summer, the assembly is continuously at the dew point, or 100 % rh. in the winter, the rh drops, but it is still above 90 % almost the entire time. totally unacceptable! removing the interior vapor barrier from the insulation allows drying to the interior of the crawl space, but this may also allow additional condensation on the cold surfaces of the perimeter wall. the best solution in the figure 1 example is to use rigid - foam insulation with sealed seams, or to use spray


to the interior of the crawl space, but this may also allow additional condensation on the cold surfaces of the perimeter wall. the best solution in the figure 1 example is to use rigid - foam insulation with sealed seams, or to use spray foam. this provides a continuous air and vapor barrier with a material that isn ’ t susceptible to moisture damage. the insulation thickness should be determined by the amount of insulation required for thermal performance. do vented crawl spaces ever really work? the results of tests conducted in cold - dry west and northwest marine climates suggest that vented crawl spaces can work. the washington state university extension energy program ( wsu - eep ), as part of its work for building america, monitored four test houses in vancouver and moses lake, washington, for over a year and found that the vented crawls rarely, if ever, reached dew point and that they remained above 80 % rh only for brief periods of time. monitoring of wood moisture content in the crawls showed no moisture buildup, and while the vented crawl spaces in the test houses did maintain higher rh levels on average than found in closed crawl spaces, the rh levels were not a problem. see figures 2 and 3. in any crawl space, site water must be properly managed. vented crawls should be considered only where there is little risk of condensation and no prolonged periods of high rh. where the average ground temperature is above the average seasonal outdoor dew point, crawl temperatures should be above dew point most of the time, and moisture introduced by venting shouldn ’ t be a major problem ( see figure 5 ). risks in closed crawl spaces wsu - eep conducted tracer gas testing in vented and closed power - vented crawl spaces in a marine climate ( vancouver, washington ) in december 2006. the results showed that vented crawls provide a significantly higher air change rate with the exterior than closed crawls. vented crawls averaged about 3. 5 ach, while the closed power - vented crawls averaged about 1 ach. additional radon testing showed that radon levels in the closed crawls — with a relatively low dilution rate — were roughly 10 times the levels measured in the vented crawls. the tracer gas testing also showed that roughly 40 % of the air in the homes with vented crawl spaces that we tested originated in the crawl space. in the closed power - vented crawls that we tested, the stack effect was substantially offset by the venting —


also showed that roughly 40 % of the air in the homes with vented crawl spaces that we tested originated in the crawl space. in the closed power - vented crawls that we tested, the stack effect was substantially offset by the venting — less than 5 % of the house air originated in the crawl spaces. because the power venting had substantially decoupled the house from the crawl, radon levels within the living area of the homes were still below epa action levels. reversing the stack effect with power venting should improve indoor air quality ( iaq ) by decoupling the house from the crawl space. the price of decoupling is the added cost of running and maintaining the crawl space exhaust fan. in closed crawls without power venting, or if the exhaust fan fails, the lower dilution rate creates the risk of a higher concentration of pollutants entering the house from the crawl. taming the beast here are some general tips for taming the beast : - if the crawl space has a dirt floor, always maintain a continuous vapor barrier on the floor. use 6 - mil black polyethylene sheeting or better. - if there is a high water table or periodic flooding, make sure that the crawl space is sloped to drain to a sump, which can be drained or pumped to daylight. - make sure the outside grade slopes away from the building and that gutter downspouts take water away from the foundation. don ’ t water your crawl space when you water your landscaping. - maintain the perimeter of the crawl space to prevent access by critters ; seal holes, penetrations, and access points and screen all vents. - clean it up. remove construction debris — especially wood, cardboard, or other organic material in contact with the ground. - don ’ t vent dryers or other appliances into the crawl ; make sure that any ductwork is well sealed and well supported and that the ducts terminate outside the crawl space. - don ’ t use your crawl space for storage. - use radon - resistive building practices in radon - risk areas, as recommended by epa on their web site. from the 2009 international residential code ( irc ), the applicable sections on vented and closed crawl spaces are section r408. 2 openings for under floor ventilation, and section r408. 3 unvented crawl space. the 2009 international energy conservation code ( iecc ) includes requirements for insulation levels on crawl space walls based on climate zone. see section 402.


1 square foot net free area venting per 150 square feet of crawl space ). - arrange vents to provide cross - ventilation. - insulate the ductwork for any heating or cooling system to at least r - 8. - maintain a continuous air and vapor barrier on duct insulation where there is a risk of condensation. - protect plumbing pipes from freezing. insulate the pipes and shelter them from excessive air movement near vents. well - insulated and sheltered pipes shouldn ’ t require the additional use of heat tapes for freeze protection. heat tapes can use large amounts of electricity, and improperly installed heat tapes may be a fire hazard. conventional wisdom on crawl spaces over the years has ranged from always vent to always seal. as with many things, it ’ s not that simple. it really depends on local conditions. properly designed and installed closed crawl spaces can be made to work well almost everywhere. on the other hand, vented crawl spaces are not suited for hot - humid regions where there is a risk of condensation. closed crawls also come with some risks. without venting there is a smaller dilution factor and the possibility of higher pollutant concentrations. if you power - vent a crawl space the fan must be used and maintained. in heating - dominated climates, there may be an increased heating load in a closed crawl. when working with a crawl space, always consider local conditions. evaluate what has worked in your community and remember that the best crawl space design won ’ t make up for poor water management on the site. david hales is an experienced contractor, building scientist, and technical trainer. he is currently a building systems and energy specialist at washington state university and provides technical support for the energy star homes northwest program, building america, and utility - based programs in the pacific northwest. for more information : to learn more about conditioned crawl spaces, go to www. energysavers. gov / your _ home / insulation _ airsealing / index. cfm / mytopic = 11480. and www. energycodes. gov / rc / vol3 _ basementinsulation. pdf. to learn more about radon, go to www. epa. gov / radon / and www. epa. gov / radon / pdfs / buildradonout. pdf. the research discussed in the article will be published in the transactions of the 2010 building thermal envelope conference : hales, lubliner and gordon ; vented and conditioned crawlspace performance in marine and cold climates of the pacific northwest. - first


making horse training equipment how to make simple horse training equipment wednesday 20 january 2010 horses have been trained to be ridden for thousands of years. consequently many different methods and equipment has been developed. as to be expected, some are now considered to be outdated whilst others are still in use. the horse training equipment used is mostly the same regardless of whether you are training a horse for western or english style riding. all horse training equipment have the same attributes, such as being durable and strong as well as being flexible ; this doesn ’ t mean it has to be expensive though. this guide will teach you how you can make some of the horse training equipment that you will need. finding materials to make horse training equipment • when first starting to make horse training equipment, it is best to formulate a list and categorise the equipment depending on the horse training methods that it will be used for and the strength needed for those methods. • you should consider that any horse training equipment that will be in direct contact with horse will need to be durable and waterproof. one of the most important materials you need when training horses is rope. by lengths of. 25 ” double braided nylon rope. this can be cut to any length required. • you will need to consider the size of the horse when you start buying materials and constructing your horse training equipment. when making a halter, measure from above the nose but below the cheekbone. this will tell you how much rope you will need. a measurement of 24 ” will require 22 ’ of rope, while a measurement of 20 ” will require 18 ’ of rope. making a halter for training horses the halter is one of the most fundamental and important pieces of horse training equipment. it is also not very difficult to make. • begin by making a loop that is half an inch larger than the measurement of the horse ’ s nose. tie two double overhand knots and place them half the distance of the horse ’ s nose away from each other. the rope should now be doubled with two equal lengths or ropes hanging downward from each side. • establish whereabouts on the base of the horse ’ s throat the nose loop will sit and measure the distance from here to the nose loop. use an overhand knot to fasten two pieces of rope here. below the right ear, tie another knot and connect a piece of rope between the nose loop and throat latch. do the same on the opposite side. • the next step is to hold the two pieces of rope from the knot on the right ear and tie them to


ear, tie another knot and connect a piece of rope between the nose loop and throat latch. do the same on the opposite side. • the next step is to hold the two pieces of rope from the knot on the right ear and tie them to the left knot with a latch knot. to ensure that the rope doesn ’ t fray, you can braid or twist the remaining rope together. making a lunge line another piece of essential horse training equipment, the lunge line, can be homemade very easily, saving you valuable money. • take a piece of the nylon rope that you bought and cut it into a length of between 25 to 30 feet ( 7. 6m to 9. 1m ). at one end, attach a brass clip that is used to attach the lunge line to the horse. it is important that this is sturdy, especially when horse training as you must have control over the horse at all times. to make sure it is secure, braid the rope. • when training horses, it is important to always be in control, this means knowing how much rope you have left in your hand so you know how much you can give the horse. a very simple way of doing this is to tie knots at intermediate lengths. measure 10 feet from the brass clip and tie a double knot. measure another 10 feet and tie another double knot. to let you know when you are nearing the end of the rope, tie a knot at 5 feet from the end, then another at one foot.


how to draw > how to draw a goatthey aren ' t the first animal you would think of for comic interest, but goats can be a treasure - trove of amusement. they have the unusual mix of being kind of dumb in some ways, but endlessly inventive and persistent in others. if you have ever owned a goat, or know someone who has owned a goat, they will confirm this strongly, and may even tell you with a few stories of the unbelievable things their goat did over the years. what does this have to do with drawing? a heck of a lot - - and it has everything to do with cartooning. any art benefits from interest, and funny art sells. goats are funny. if you can capture their adventures and misadventures properly, people will buy it ( especially in rural areas or vacation towns ). but if you are a budding cartoonist, you really, really need to know how to draw a good goat. there are a lot of similarities between goats and horses, and the similarities increase between goats and young horses, known as colts. goat bodies are slighter, thinner than horses. goats also have cloven feet, unlike horses, and, or course, they have horns. do note, though, that not all goats have horns, and not all goats have goatees ( the shaggy tuft of hair that comes out below their chin ). practice how to draw a goat here : another way to draw a goat. home | contact | about | privacy | blog | sitemap | © 2012 city different marketing llc disclosure : sometimes we are compensated for purchases made from links on this site. click here for details.


level rti : rajasthan kisan shakti sangathan ( mkss ) spearheaded the right to information movement in rajasthan - and subsequently, throughout india. mkss famously used the right to information as tool to draw attention to the underpayment of daily wage earners and farmers on government projects, and more generally, to expose corruption in government expenditure. initially, mkss lobbied government to obtain information such as muster rolls ( employment and payment records ) and bills and vouchers relating to purchase and transportation of materials. this information was then crosschecked at jan sunwais ( public hearings ) against actual testimonies of workers. the public hearings were incredibly successful in drawing attention to corruption and exposing leakages in the system. they were particularly significant because of their use of hard documentary evidence to support the claims of villagers. time, the media and the government paid increasing attention to the results of the jan sunwais. consequently, greater attention was focused on the importance of the right to information as a means for increasing transparency and accountability, as well as empowering poor people. although mkss was able to obtain some information from government during the early 1990s, it was not easy. the difficulties experienced by mkss in trying to access information reinforced the importance of a comprehensive right to information law for rajasthan. 5 april 1995, the chief minister of rajasthan announced in the legislative assembly that his government would be the first in the country to provide access to information to citizens on all local developmental works. however, no action was taken for months. exactly a year later on 6 april 1996, mkss started an indefinite dharna ( protest demonstration ) in bewar town. their immediate demand was that the state government pass executive orders to provide a limited right to information in relation to local development expenditure. the government responded by issuing orders to inspect relevant documents on payment of fees. however, the order was rejected by civil society as ineffective because it did not allow taking photocopies of documents. 6 may 1996, one month later, the dharna was extended to jaipur, the state capital. the dharna was strongly supported by the people of the state. on 14 may 1996, the government responded, announcing the establishment of a committee to look into the practical aspects of implementing right to information within two months. in response, mkss called off the dharna. unfortunately, government interest again lapsed, such that in may 1997 another series of dharnas commenced, which continued for 52 long days. at the end of this time, the government announced


in response, mkss called off the dharna. unfortunately, government interest again lapsed, such that in may 1997 another series of dharnas commenced, which continued for 52 long days. at the end of this time, the government announced that the government had already notified the right to receive photocopies relating to local level government functions six months earlier! civil society was taken by surprise - through all their discussions with government it was the first time they had been told about the order providing access to information to 1998, during the state elections the opposition party promised in its election manifesto to enact a law on right to information if it came to power. following their election, the party appointed a committee of bureaucrats, headed by mr p. n. bhandari, a secretary of the rajasthan government, to draft a bill on the right to information. as the committee was comprised only bureaucrats, stong objections were raised by civil society organisations, following which the members of mkss and national campaign for peoples right to information were invited to assist in drafting the bill. and ncpri conducted a host of consultations in each divisional headquarters of the state. drawing on the input from these consultations, a draft civil society right to information bill was prepared, which was then submitted to the committee. the committee drew on the citizens draft bill for its recommendations, but refused to accept the bill right to information act 2000 was eventually passed on 11 may 2000, but only came into force on 26 january 2001 - after the rules were framed. the act in its final form retained many of the suggestions of the rti movement, but diluted others. activists in the state have stated that it is stronger that some state acts, like tamil nadu, but lags behind those of goa, karnataka and delhi. any case, in may 2005, the national right to information act 2005 was passed by parliament. the rti act 2005 received presidential assent on 15 june and came fully into force on 12 october 2005. ( for more information on the passage of the act and implementation at the national level, click here. ) the rti act 2005 covers all central, state and local government bodies and will apply to public authorities in rajasthan. the government has issued the rajasthan right to information rules 2005. is not clear at this time whether the rajasthan rti act will be repealed to make way for the national rti act. a list of public information officers and appellate authorities designated by the state government, click here. of fee & costs against receipt / demand draft / bank


this time whether the rajasthan rti act will be repealed to make way for the national rti act. a list of public information officers and appellate authorities designated by the state government, click here. of fee & costs against receipt / demand draft / bank cheque 2 per page and printed form price so fixed or rs 2 per page photocopy inspection of records free for first hour, rs 5 for each 15 minutes or a fraction thereof second appeals and complaints against non - disclosure of information may be filed with the rajasthan state information commission. mr. m. d. kaurani state chief information commissioner state information commission h. c. m rajasthan state instititute of public administration ( o. t. s ) jawaharlal nehru marg, off : 0141 - 2700645 / 2702342 activities & advocacy shakti sangathan ( mkss ) is a workers and farmers solidarity group, which is dedicated to ensuring fair working conditions and daily wages for daily wage earners and farmers. mkss has famously used the method of jan sunwai ( public hearing ) to raise awareness of the practical value of the right to information for poor people. mkss has been a leader in the national campaign for right to information and continues to use the right to information to empower local people to root out corruption and hold their government representatives for further information : contact mkss at village devdungri post barar, district rajsamand - 313341, rajasthan, tel : 91 - 2909 - 243254. tele fax : 91 - 2909 - 250180. mobile : 09414007305. e - mail : firstname. lastname @ example. org, - chri ( 2005 ) forwarding information requests and appeals : a step by step guide for assistant public information officers under the right to information act 2005, prepared by mr venkatesh nayak. - chri ( 2005 ) processing information requests : a step by step guide for assistant public information officers under the right to information act 2005, prepared by mr venkatesh - for chri ' s posters on rti click here. - dinesh gehlot ( 2004 ) a critique of the rajasthan right to information act 2001, rajasthan patrika, 5 august ( hindi ). - dinesh sharma ( 2004 ) rajasthan ' s desert robin hoods make corrupt repay victims, ians, - nistulla hebbar ( 2004 ) paper tiger act awaits action, 27 march, times of india. -


aviation safety is at the core of icao ’ s fundamental objectives. the organization is constantly striving, in close collaboration with the entire air transport community, to further improve aviation ’ s successful safety performance while maintaining a high level of efficiency. this is achieved through : the development of global strategies contained in the global aviation safety plan and the global air navigation plan ; - the development and maintenance of standards, recommended practices and procedures applicable to international civil aviation activities which are contained in 16 annexes and 4 pans ( procedures for air navigation services ). these standards are complemented by more than 50 manuals and circulars which are providing guidance on their implementation. - the monitoring of safety trends and indicators. icao audits the implementation of its standard, recommended practices and procedures through its universal safety oversight audit programme. it has also developed sophisticated tools to collects and analyse a vast array of safety data which allows to identify existing and emerging risks - the implementation of targeted safety programmes to address safety and infrastructure deficiencies ; and - an effective response to disruption of the aviation system created by natural disasters, conflicts or other causes. in all of its highly coordinated safety activities, icao strives to implement practical and achievable measures to improve safety and efficiency in all sectors of the air transportation system. this approach ensures that aviation ’ s complimentary achievements of a remarkably safe and efficient air transport network continue to serve a fundamental role in supporting global social and economic priorities.


feeds are also known as rss. there is some discussion as to what rss stands for, but most people plump for ' really simple syndication '. in essence, the feeds themselves are just web pages, designed to be read by computers rather than people. in general, the first thing you need is something called a news reader. this is a piece of software that checks the feeds and lets you read any new articles that have been added. there are many different versions, some of which are accessed using a browser, and some of which are downloadable applications. browser - based news readers let you catch up with your rss feed subscriptions from any computer, whereas downloadable applications let you store them on your main computer, in the same way that you either download your e - mail using outlook, or keep it on a web - based service like hotmail. once you have chosen a news reader, all you have to do is to decide what content you want it to receive. for example, if you would like the latest icis news headlines, simply click on the link in the left hand column. how do i get a news reader? there is a range of different news readers available and new versions are appearing all the time. different news readers work on different operating systems, so you will need to choose one that will work with your computer. here are some examples. insight : pet latin america - looking to asia for direction " pet demand in latin america has been slower than expected throughout 2012 and 2013 even for the peak soft - drink seasons. " more


there are some benefits that apply to almost all forms of mobile network sharing. network - sharing agreements generally benefit operators and the general public from a cost perspective. network sharing helps operators to attain more efficient coverage, since operators may choose to use only those sites that provide deeper and better coverage, decommissioning sites with poor coverage possibilities. operators can then reinvest those savings in upgrading their networks and providing better coverage and services to end users. passive infrastructure sharing is usually encouraged. wireless communication masts and antennas can be unsightly and local communities may object to the construction of new sites because of the visual impact or because of the fear of public exposure to electromagnetic fields around masts and antennas. site sharing can limit such concerns and potential negative effects. another beneficial aspect of site sharing is the amount of energy that can be saved when operators share electrical power, which is often in limited supply in developing countries. site sharing can also speed up network deployment and make it less expensive. in the european union, for example, 2g networks were deployed in the 900 megahertz ( mhz ) spectrum band, while 3g licenses were assigned in the 1900 - 2100 mhz band. because spectrum generally has a shorter range at higher frequencies, 3g networks require more base stations ( and therefore more sites ) – a significant transition expense for 2g operators. however, if those 2g operators can co - locate 3g equipment on each other ’ s existing 2g towers, they can enjoy significant savings as a result. active mobile infrastructure sharing may not be permitted under the licensing regimes of some countries. this is the case in india, for example, where the licensing regime for mobile telecommunications does not permit active sharing. other regulatory agencies may allow active sharing only with strict conditions, in the belief that competing operators should utilize their own infrastructure independently. box 6. 9 : ofcom ’ s concerns with infrastructure sharing “ network sharing could also have undesirable consequences for competition. for example, [ mobile network operators ] could collaborate on network development and gain information about each other ’ s costs and plans, which may have a chilling effect on competition in the retail market. dynamic efficiency may also be lower with fewer networks able to provide high quality mobile broadband services. end - to - end competition, i. e. at both the network and service level, could lead to greater innovation, which could bring significant benefits for consumers. we note that the competition concerns would be amplified if the 900 mhz operators were themselves to decide to share a single umts 900 network in response


at both the network and service level, could lead to greater innovation, which could bring significant benefits for consumers. we note that the competition concerns would be amplified if the 900 mhz operators were themselves to decide to share a single umts 900 network in response to the actions of their competitors. while it is difficult to quantify the potential impact of these effects, ofcom ’ s initial view is that there is a significant risk that both competitive intensity and innovation in mobile broadband services would be weakened, with potentially serious impacts on consumer welfare. ” with the merger of orange and t - mobile ( box 2. 10 ) as everything everywhere, the number of national mobile operators dropped from 5 to 4 ( the others are telefonica, vodafone and h3g ). to ensure that this number does not drop any further, ofcom is proposing to structure spectrum auctions to guarantee 4 competing national networks. sources : ofcom, application of spectrum liberalization and trading to the mobile sector, 20 september, 2007 and ofcom ’ s second consultation on assessment of future mobile competition and proposals for the award of 800 mhz and 2. 6 ghz spectrum and related issues, 12 january 2012 generally speaking, network sharing is a useful tool for regulators and policy makers who want to encourage network deployment in unserved or under - served areas. several instruments can be used to promote network sharing. national roaming arrangements are probably the most simple and effective arrangements. while roaming leads to a certain level of uniformity among operators ’ offerings, this does not necessarily restrict competition significantly. national regulatory authorities that have anti - competitive concerns may allow network sharing for a limited period ( for example, one or two years ) in order to promote roll - out of initial phases of network deployment. after that, operators could be required to provide coverage using their own networks. a more complex form of sharing is the mobile virtual network operator ( mvno ). the types of mvno range from resale to bulk buying : · the resale end of the market buys the existing suite of products and services off the provider at a small discount and resells them under their own name. it is little more than a rebadging exercise and does nothing beyond raising the mvno ' s profile in the mobile market segment. · the true mvnos buy minutes, texts and data in bulk and provides its own sim card to its customers. the level of investment required by the true mvno is much higher - they need to hire a product team and have billing capability for instance - but the rewards


##nos buy minutes, texts and data in bulk and provides its own sim card to its customers. the level of investment required by the true mvno is much higher - they need to hire a product team and have billing capability for instance - but the rewards are also much greater. they get more control and they should get a better margin. mvnos first appeared in denmark, hong kong, finland and the uk and today exist in over 50 countries, including most of europe, united states, canada, australia and parts of asia, and account for approximately 10 % of all mobile phone subscribers around the world. the key reference document for mobile infrastructure sharing is gsr 2008 mobile network sharing, by camila borba lefevre the passive elements of a mobile telecommunications network are the physical components of the radio access network that may not necessarily have to be managed or controlled by the operator after their installation. these elements include electrical or fiber optic cables, masts and pylons, physical space on the ground, towers, roof tops as well as shelter and support cabinets containing power supply, air conditioning, alarm installation and other passive equipment. the assembly of passive equipment in one structure is generally referred to as a ‘ site ’. but, because antennas generally have to be separated from each other by a minimum distance in order to avoid interference, mast sharing usually requires taller ( and more visually disruptive ) masts. local planning authorities actually may prefer several small towers to one large one. more discrete ( or disguised ) structures reduce visual intrusion, but cannot support more than one operator ’ s antenna. the active elements of a wireless network are those elements are managed by operators, such as antennas, antenna systems, transmission systems, channel elements and others.


a very early conception of a solid state device invented at bell telephone laboratories between 1945 and 1948, many consider the transistor to be one of the most important inventions in 20th century technology. the story of the first working transistor underscores the power modern industrial laboratories have had to coordinate scientific discovery in the pursuit of technological breakthroughs. it is about great intellectual leaps and driving ambition. but while the story has been told and retold to scientists and engineers for years, only a small circle of history buffs and scholars know that the pursuit of the solid - state amplifier has an even longer history than the transistor. this quest dates back to 1924 – 1925, and the work of julius edgar lilienfeld. the dawn of the electronics age though karl braun ’ s cathode ray tube ( 1897 ) and ambrose fleming ’ s vacuum tube rectifier ( 1904 ) marked the beginning of the electronics age, lee de forest ’ s triode actually propelled electronics forward. by placing a wire “ grid ” between the cathode and anode, de forest transformed fleming ’ s rectifier into an amplifier. with amplification, radio communications blossomed and long - distance telephony became a reality. the very success of the triode, however, brought out its long - term limitations. it was a fragile device that consumed a lot of power. and so in the mid - 1920s, with an eye on radio technology, julius edgar lilienfeld set out to find a solid - state replacement for the thermionic triode. lilienfeld follows his intuition in patent applications to canada in 1925 and to the united states in 1926, lilienfeld claimed that his solid - state amplifier “ relates to a method of and apparatus for controlling the flow of an electrical current between two terminals of an electrically conducting solid by establishing a third potential between said terminals. ” he filed two more u. s. patent applications in 1928. in his 28 march u. s. patent application, lilienfeld was more explicit about what he was after : “ the provision of a simple, compact and substantial device which withal shall be inexpensive to construct. ” offering an alternative to thermionic principles, lilienfeld argued that his novel device “ [ could ] be operated under much lower voltage conditions than heretofore. ” no one really knows whether lilienfeld ever tried to build his device. even if he did, the device would not have worked well, if at all, since the production of high -


under much lower voltage conditions than heretofore. ” no one really knows whether lilienfeld ever tried to build his device. even if he did, the device would not have worked well, if at all, since the production of high - quality semiconductor materials was still decades away. thus, in the 1920s and 1930s, lilienfeld ’ s solid - state amplifier ideas had no practical value to the radio industry. like so many patents, lilienfeld ’ s went into obscurity. nevertheless, his ideas embody the principles of the modern - day, field - effect transistor ( fet ). history is sketchy little is known of the intellectual journey that led lilienfeld to his field - effect approach to solid - state amplification. even the details of his life are sketchy. like so many pioneers in solid - state electronics, lilienfeld was an accomplished physicist. born in poland in 1881, he obtained his ph. d. in 1905 at the university of berlin. in 1910, he became a physics professor at the university of leipzig. his early interests seem to have focused on cryogenics. in 1911, lilienfeld filed a u. s. patent for separating gas mixtures. he also worked with count ferdinand von zeppelin on designing hydrogen - filled dirigibles. from 1914 through the early 1920s, lilienfeld made important contributions to x - ray tube design, receiving six u. s. patents. in 1927, lilienfeld left germany to escape the rising tide of anti - semitism, immigrating to the united states. here, while head of an industrial research laboratory, he patented several contributions to capacitor technology, including the first solid - state electrolytic capacitor. it could be that work on capacitors led him to conceive of the solid - state amplifier through the framework of electric field effects. from the grave to the forefront for nearly two decades, lilienfeld ’ s field - effect approach lay buried and forgotten. then, in 1947, it reached out from the grave to shape bell telephone laboratories ’ ( btl ) patent strategy on the transistor. in the process, it frustrated william shockley ’ s grand ambition. although the vacuum tube had made long distance telephony possible, bell telephone was keenly aware of the tube ’ s limitations. in the late 1930s, shockley began looking for a solid - state version of the triode, but with little success. at the end of world war ii,


##een and brattain ’ s invention of the bipolar, point - contact transistor took many unexpected twists and turns. shockley did not put all his eggs in the field - effect basket. not to be outdone by bardeen and brattain, shockley secretly worked on a different bipolar device. within a short time, his patent for the bipolar junction transistor had wiped out all commercial interest in the point - contact transistor. shockley remained committed to the value of his field - effect theory, but was unable to make a go of it. more than 15 years of material technology advances would be needed before the first practical fet appeared. today, 75 years after lilienfeld ’ s work, metal - oxide silicon ( mos ) transistors, which are built around field - effect principles, dominate semiconductor electronics. lilienfield acknowledged as pioneer in an address to the american institute of physics in 1988, bardeen acknowledged the great credit due lilienfeld for his pioneering efforts to make the semiconductor amplifier. in the 1920s, lilienfeld could not have understood the physics of the field - effect semiconductor amplifier, as the quantum theory of solids was still several years away. nevertheless, he had a good intuitive feel for a new approach to electronics. in bardeen ’ s own words, “ lilienfeld had the basic concept of controlling the flow of current in a semiconductor to make an amplifying device. it took many years of theory development and material technology to make his dream a reality. ”


early applications of electricity early applications of electricity - page created by shh, 9 september 2008 - contributors : shh x3, nbrewer x10, nmolnar x1, administrator1 x4, rnarayan x5 - last modified by administrator1, 11 january 2012 making electricity work : putting theory into practice when people realized what electricity and magnetism were they took the first steps towards putting them to work. the very first machines hardly seem useful compared to the stuff we use today, but 200 years ago, when the industrial revolution was getting under way in europe, they were major breakthroughs. in the 19th century inventors began looking for ways to use electromagnetism to run machines, which was being done at that time by steam engines, water wheels, horses, or even people. one of the first to think about using electricity for practical purposes was the american joseph henry. in 1829 he used a large battery to build a powerful electromagnet. it was not just a scientific instrument — it could do heavy work, such as lifting hundreds of pounds of metal. with his demonstration, henry really began to transform electricity into something that people could use every day. those interested in using electricity also found new ways to produce electric current. inventors tried to improve the basic idea of electromagnetic induction and used magnets to create a flow of current in wires. one of the first to invent such a machine was frenchman hippolyte pixii in 1832. pixii ’ s machine generated what would today be called an alternating current. it flowed first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. belgian floris nollet improved pixii ’ s electromagnetic generator around 1850, and his design was capable of producing about 50 volts. the nollet generator was the first to be produced in large numbers by a manufacturing firm. they were used in electroplating, the first industrial operation to employ electricity. the electrical age was truly under way. along with the generator came much more powerful ways to put electricity to work. a key technology was the electric motor. by the 1800 inventors had already harnessed the power of steam to run locomotives and factory machines. many thought that electricity could be tapped to do the same kind of work, especially after michael faraday demonstrated a tiny electric motor. in 1834 thomas davenport designed a motor that was strong enough to run a small printing press. he patented the motor in 1837. but progress was slow — it wasn ’ t until almost 50 years later that electric motors were used commercially.


tiny electric motor. in 1834 thomas davenport designed a motor that was strong enough to run a small printing press. he patented the motor in 1837. but progress was slow — it wasn ’ t until almost 50 years later that electric motors were used commercially. davenport also used his motor ( which was powered by batteries ) to move a small railroad car around a track. unfortunately, commercial railroad cars were large, and so many batteries were needed that an electric railroad was not practical. but inventors used batteries and motors to power small automobiles beginning in the 1880s. in fact, in 1900 electric automobiles outsold gasoline - powered cars. today, of course, most cars use gas, but electric cars continue to be developed. since they do not produce exhaust gas and are easier on the environment than gasoline, they continue to attract interest. electricity was also put to work at an early age in the field of medicine. just three years after the invention of the leyden jar in 1745, doctors in geneva began to treat patients with electric shocks. a swiss physician reported that victims of paralysis could sometimes be cured by repeated shocks to their muscles. when luigi galvani announced the discovery of “ animal electricity, ” doctors were encouraged to continue their experiments. doctors such as guillaume - benjamin duchenne, the “ father of electrotherapy, ” believed that shocking people with electricity might even cure their ailments. unfortunately, this type of medicine did not prove effective and became much less common by the early 20th century. but there were many other uses of electricity in medicine that succeeded. the first detection of the electric currents emanating from the brain was made in 1875, and the x - ray machine was introduced in 1895. however, the most successful practical early use of electricity in the 19th century was the telegraph. this new form of communication ushered in the era of electrical communication and brought electricity to the forefront of the public ’ s attention. < rating comment = " false " > well written? 1 ( no ) 2 3 4 5 ( yes ) < / rating > < rating comment = " false " > informative? 1 ( no ) 2 3 4 5 ( yes ) < / rating > < rating comment = " false " > accurate? 1 ( no ) 2 3 4 5 ( yes ) < / rating >


for immediate release, april 1, 2010 for information : alice tibbetts, 612 - 625 - 3889 the chocolate headline appeared in a newspaper in 2005 and was based on a study involving only 14 people. results from more current studies are in the news again, just in time for the easter candy season. how do we determine if such health claims are credible? how do we interpret the statistics behind headlines? when are statistics manipulated to further an agenda? nancy reid, a professor of statistics at the university of toronto, will speak to these questions at a public lecture, thursday, april 22, 2010 in 175 willey hall, 225 19th avenue south at the university of minnesota. she is the final speaker in this season ' s free lecture series sponsored by the institute for mathematics and its applications ( ima ). when the media presents findings as definitive, the public is misinformed, she said. " statistics are not black and white. in reality, there is a lot of nuance, and in the most complex problems, there is ambiguity. one number won ' t tell you anything important about climate change or cancer. instead, we have to ask : where did the number come from? how can we find more data to better inform us? what could have gone wrong? data is just the beginning of the conversation. " reid will discuss the statistics behind current news stories, including : chocolate ' s impact on health, whether girls are really less capable in math than boys, the netflix grand prize for movie recommendations, and the use of new on - line visuals to explain large data sets, such as how stimulus money is being spent. for updates on future public lectures : http : / / www. ima. umn. edu / public - lecture. the ima brings together the best minds in math and the sciences to solve pressing problems facing our society, our industries, and our planet. it receives major funding from the national science foundation and the university of minnesota.


political science | politics of the european union y350 | 15352 | sissenich in 1945, europe was completely devastated as a result of wwii. more than sixty years later, 27 european countries are bound together in the european union. they share economic and monetary policy, agricultural and environmental policy, asylum guidelines, and countless other policy areas traditionally controlled by national governments. meanwhile, the eu and the us are each other ’ s most important trade partners. we will examine the following questions : what drives european integration? what explains the complex institutional structures that we find in the eu? are there comparable cases of regional integration elsewhere in the world? why does european integration evolve more easily in some policy areas than others? what is the role of law in integration? what does european integration mean for democracy? the course proceeds in three parts : 1 ) history and theories of integration ; 2 ) eu institutions ; and 3 ) eu policies. policies to be covered include : the single market, economic and monetary union, agriculture, environment, enlargement, security, and justice and while neither a political science nor an economics background is a prerequisite for this course, students must be willing to engage arguments from both of these fields. 1 ) a group project consisting of an analysis of eu newspaper coverage of a particular issue in different countries and languages ; 2 ) a midterm focusing on history and institutions of the eu 3 ) a cumulative final focusing on policy - making in the eu 4 ) weekly readings of ca. 50 pp. of fairly dense legal, political, and economic texts 5 ) participation in classroom discussion. at the end of this course, students should be able to 1 ) understand the institutional set - up of the european union. 2 ) understand how the eu and its member - states make decisions and implement them. 3 ) place their knowledge about eu institutions and policies in a broader context of concepts about regional integration and 4 ) assess the close connection between the us and the eu ( and between indiana and the eu! ) on a range of political - economic issues. 5 ) evaluate news reports from a range of sources for ideological leanings and policy preferences. 6 ) deploy their existing knowledge of one or more foreign languages to analyze news reports from eu sources. ”


the wide south - east swath of land of the indonesian part of the island of papua comprises flat plains overgrown with mangrove forests serrated by many rivers. these plains lie so low that at high tide during the rainy season, sea water penetrates some two kilometers inland and flows back out to two km to sea at low tide. during low tide the plains are muddy and impassable. this is the largest alluvial swamp in the world, a low - lying territory of bog forest and meandering rivers emptying into the arafura sea. here is the habitat of crocodiles, gray nurse sharks, sea snakes, fresh water dolphins, shrimp, and crabs, while living along the banks are huge lizards. the forests contain palms, ironwood, merak wood and mangroves and are home to the crown pigeons, hornbills and cockatoos. there are grass meadows, and orchids do bloom here. in such inhospitable landscape the asmat have made this their home, next to the marind - anim and the mimika tribes. among these, the asmat are the best known, or the most infamous. they are fierce warriors who in the past practiced head - hunting following their culture and belief. but through their complex culture, they have also created some of the world ’ s most outstanding wood sculptures, exemplified by strong lines and design, most coveted by art collectors around the world. despite prized among the world ’ s finest primitive arts, nonetheless, to the asmat themselves, their woodcarving is inextricably linked with the spirit world, and therefore, are not principally considered as aesthetic objects. much of the highly original art of the asmat is symbolic of warfare, headhunting, and warrior - ancestor veneration. for centuries the asmat, preoccupied with the necessity of appeasing ancestral spirits, produced a wealth of superbly designed shields, canoes, sculptured figures, and drums. many of these masterpieces are today on display at new york ’ s metropolitan museum of art. the asmat region shot into world spotlight when in 1961 michael rockefeller, son of new york governor nelson rockefeller disappeared here on his second expedition to new guinea. this time the expedition was to the asmat region itself to purchase as many woodcarvings as possible. on his first visit michael had been deeply impressed by the asmat sculptures, and planned to display these at an exhibition in the united states. on this fatal trip, accompanied by a dutch art expert, the two hired an


##carvings as possible. on his first visit michael had been deeply impressed by the asmat sculptures, and planned to display these at an exhibition in the united states. on this fatal trip, accompanied by a dutch art expert, the two hired an outboard - powered catamaran, but on this journey the boat capsized pushed by the rushing incoming tide. impatient, michael swam to shore never to be seen or heard of again. whether he was dragged down by the tide, was ripped by crocodiles or hunted down by the asmat remains a moot question. the name “ asmat ” most probably comes from the words as akat, which according to the asmat means : " the right man ". others say that that the word asmat derives from the word osamat meaning " man from tree ". asmat ' s neighbors to the west, - the mimika -, however, claim that the name is derived from their word for the tribe - " manue ", meaning " man eater ". the indigenous people in the region are divided into two main groups ; those living along the coasts, and those in the interior. they differ in dialect, way of life, social structure, and ceremonies. the coastal river areas are further divided into two groups, the bisman, living between the sinesty and the nin river, and the simai. around 70, 000 asmat, the largest tribe in the area, are scattered in 100 villages in a territory of roughly 27, 000 square km living in this huge tidal swamp land. the tribe was untouched by civilization until recent times. dutch outposts, missionary settlements, and foreign expeditions finally made inroads into this isolated community only in the 1950 ’ s and 60 ' s. formerly, entire tribal families lived together in houses of up to 28 meters long called yeus. yeus are still in use today, but are only occupied by men for rituals where unmarried men sleep. upriver, the asmat still live in longhouses, while the kombai and korowai asmat still live in houses constructed in treetops. the asmat live on sago, their staple diet, as well as on mussels, snails, and fat insect larvae collected from decaying stumps of sago palms. these are eaten to the accompaniment of throbbing drums and ritual dances. larvae feasts can last up to two weeks. the asmat also gather forest products such as rattan, and catch fish and shrimp in large hoop nets. the


seagrass, photoghraphed in the indian river near the sebastian, fla. on july 20, 2010, is the primary food for manatees. drift algae can feed off nutrients from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and other sources, clogging out seagrass. / craig rubadoux, florida today brevard county, fla. - - manatees are drowning for some mysterious reason, with bellies full of seaweed as one of the only clues. at least 55 manatees have died in the indian river lagoon since july, including 25 of them in the past month. their carcasses appear otherwise healthy, but their guts are filled with thick drift algae, also called macroalgae, and not so much of their usual seagrass staple diet. that stringy stuff is virtually nowhere to be found in the lagoon since a phytoplankton explosion decimated the estuary ' s seagrass in 2011. scientists have yet to identify any known algae toxin that may be killing the manatees. but biologists with the fish and wildlife research institute in st. petersburg, fla., say the 2011 phytoplankton " super bloom, " as well as a severe brown algae bloom after that, may have contributed to the manatee die - off. " so far we haven ' t found evidence of disease or viruses at this point, but we ' re still looking into that as well, " said kevin baxter, a spokesman with the fish and wildlife research institute. baxter said the manatees show " indications of shock and drowning, " so something is affecting their ability to surface for air. drift algae can feed off nutrients from fertilizer runoff, septic tanks and other sources, clogging out seagrass, the manatees main food source. florida wildlife officials have notified the national oceanographic and atmospheric administration, to determine whether the manatee deaths meet the criteria for that federal agency to investigate them as unusual. the st. johns river water management district had already planned to survey lagoon drift algae, which crashed in 2010 after cold snaps, leaving behind nutrients for an unprecedented lagoon - wide phytoplankton explosion that killed off most of the seagrass. " we think that may have been a big cause of the microalgae bloom in 2011, " said troy rice, director of the district ' s indian river lagoon program. " it ' s never come back since 2011, " rice said of the lagoon ' s seagrass. " it ' s not good


introductionkiribati ( ) [ key ], officially republic of kiribati ( 2005 est. pop. 103, 000 ), 342 sq mi ( 886 sq km ), consisting of 33 islands scattered across 2, 400 mi ( 3, 860 km ) of the pacific ocean near the equator. it includes 8 of the 11 line islands, including kiritimati ( formerly christmas island ), as well as the gilbert and phoenix groups and banaba ( formerly ocean island ). tarawa is the capital. the population is nearly all micronesian, with about 30 % concentrated on tarawa. english is the official language, and kiribati, a micronesian language, is also spoken. some 50 % of the inhabitants are roman catholic, while 40 % are protestant. fishing and the growing of coconuts, taro, breadfruit, and sweet potatoes form the basis of the mainly subsistence economy. the mining of banaba ' s once thick phosphate deposits ended in 1979. copra, coconuts, seaweed, and fish are the chief exports ; foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, manufactured goods, and fuel are imported. australia, japan, fiji, and the unites states are the main trading partners. a member of the commonwealth of nations, the nation is a republic governed under the constitution of 1979. the president, who is both head of state and head of government, is elected by popular vote for a four - year term and is eligible for two more terms. the unicameral house of parliament has 42 members, most elected by popular vote, who serve four - year terms. administratively the country is divided into three units ( the gilbert, line, and phoenix islands ), and subdivided into six districts. there are also 21 island councils, one for each of the inhabited islands. sections in this article : the columbia electronic encyclopedia, 6th ed. copyright © 2012, columbia university press. all rights reserved. see more encyclopedia articles on : pacific islands political geography


| | | medical myths | | | sleep : what ' s going on behind that shut - eye? last reviewed on january 13, 2011 by robert h. shmerling, m. d. beth israel deaconess medical center have you ever watched someone sleep and wondered what he or she was dreaming? the persons outward appearance would never give it away : slow breathing, eyes occasionally fluttering, but mostly the very picture of peace and stillness. but, appearances can be deceiving. when people sleep, theres a lot more going on than meets the eye. the notion of sleep as the bodys ultimate down time has some truth to it, but sleep is also an active process, in which the brain can be remarkably busy, even if the body remains ( mostly ) immobile. whats going on during sleep? there is much about sleep that remains mysterious, but experts divide it into two main categories, based on observations of sleeping persons and recordings of the brains electrical activity during sleep : - non - rem sleep this is divided into four stages, with stage 1 the lightest and stage 4 the deepest. - rapid - eye movement ( rem ) sleep during rem sleep, dreaming is common, muscles ( other than the eyes ) are inactive, and electrical activity in the brain is similar to that of an awake person. the blood pressure and heart and breathing rates may suddenly increase for short periods of time, just as they do during wakefulness during a typical eight - hour period of sleep, a person drifts from wakefulness to stage 1 non - rem sleep, through stages 2, 3 and 4 and finally rem sleep over the first several hours. during the last half of the night, rem sleep and stage 2 sleep alternate for 90 to 120 minutes each. as we age, brief awakenings increase in frequency, while deeper stages of non - rem sleep decrease. back to top why do we sleep? the function of sleep is not entirely clear, but researchers believe that rem sleep is important for solidifying memories, and perhaps for even more critical functions. rodents completely deprived of rem sleep die after a few weeks. non - rem sleep, meanwhile, seems to be important in providing a sense of restored energy and ability to concentrate during the day. a number of theories about sleep attempt to explain its role or roles : a restorative for the mind and body in preparation for the day ahead ; or a way of reducing energy consumption, to save energy for activities occurring during the day. some scientists believe that


of theories about sleep attempt to explain its role or roles : a restorative for the mind and body in preparation for the day ahead ; or a way of reducing energy consumption, to save energy for activities occurring during the day. some scientists believe that sleep is evolutions way of improving survival by preventing animals from preying on each other 24 hours a day. back to top consequence of sleep deprivation it is hard to define just how much sleep is normal ; different people seem to need different amounts. sleep experts define enough sleep as how long a person would sleep if there were no alarm clocks ; that is, left to decide entirely on your own, how long would you sleep? the other way to define it is how long one needs to sleep in order to feel alert and rested the next day. however, duration of sleep is not the only thing that matters the quality of sleep also matters. too little sleep or poor - quality sleep can cause a number of problems, including difficulty with short - term memory, concentration, depression, anxiety, irritability, poor energy and reduced libido. in short, quality of life at work and at home may suffer terribly due to insufficient or poor sleep. all of these problems may resolve when sleep duration increases or sleep quality improves. one problem related to sleep deprivation deserves particular emphasis : automobile and truck accidents attributed to sleepy drivers account for thousands of deaths each year. although the impact is uncertain in humans, sleep - deprived rodents have reduced immune function and higher susceptibility to infection. back to top there are more than 80 individual sleep disorders, but they are divided into 4 main categories : - dyssomnias, in which there is insomnia ( difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep ), sleepiness during the day, and abnormal sleep - wake timing ; examples include sleep apnea and the effects of medications or alcohol. - parasomnias, in which there is abnormal behavior around sleep, but without excessive sleepiness or insomnia ; examples include sleepwalking or night terrors. - medical - psychiatric sleep disorders, in which a condition that causes other problems disrupts or impairs sleep ; examples include anxiety, depression, parkinsons disease, dementia or gastroesophageal reflux disease ( gerd ). - sleep problems that cannot be clearly separated from normal variation, or for which there is no consensus among experts ; examples include pregnancy - associated sleep disorder and sleep hyperhidrosis ( excessive and unexplained sweating during sleep ). back to top getting a


problems that cannot be clearly separated from normal variation, or for which there is no consensus among experts ; examples include pregnancy - associated sleep disorder and sleep hyperhidrosis ( excessive and unexplained sweating during sleep ). back to top getting a good nights sleep there are changes you can make to improve your chances of getting a good nights sleep. sleep experts call this sleep hygiene, and these measures are routinely recommended for almost anyone complaining of sleep trouble. some are just common sense, but, unfortunately, many people for whom sleep is a problem do not recognize their importance. here are some general guidelines to follow : - establish a schedule and stick to it ; sleep when you are sleepy but try to get up and go to bed each day at about the same time. - use a fan or other means of creating a steady, soothing sound to drown out other noises. - reduce alcohol and caffeine intake ; avoid caffeine after noon and dont use alcohol as a sedative before bed. - get heavy curtains or shades to block out bright light early in the morning if you are awakening earlier than youd like. - check your medication list. because some medicines can interfere with sleep, ask your doctor or pharmacist about the medicines you take. - do not exercise vigorously within several hours of bedtime. - avoid heavy meals or excessive fluids within an hour or two of bedtime. back to top the bottom line the importance of sleep is self - evident, yet much remains unknown or uncertain about how we sleep, why we sleep and how to improve sleep. one thing is certain, however : sleep is not a passive process or a complete shut down of the body many stages of sleep are as active for the mind as being awake. so, the next time you see someone sleeping, keep in mind that though the body may look quiet and peaceful, there is much more to the story. back to top robert h. shmerling, m. d., is associate physician at beth israel deaconess medical center and associate professor at harvard medical school. he has been a practicing rheumatologist for over 20 years at beth israel deaconess medical center. he is an active teacher in the internal medicine residency program, serving as the robinson firm chief. he is also a teacher in the rheumatology fellowship program.


though apple designed the iphone, ipod and ipad to be very user friendly and intuitive devices, they do take some adjusting to especially as they move further into roles computers have held - email, word processing, spread sheet, powerpoint, etc and are becoming more common in business, and educational functions. analogies are comparisons that point out relationships between two or more different things. for example : cat : kitten as dog : puppy. by providing your child with practice in correctly identifying analogies, you ’ ll not only help him improve his iq and placement test scores, but you ' ll also improve his analytical thinking, problem solving, perception, spatial skills, memory and creativity. go grab istart spanish now ( deadline sep 30, 2010 ) - - you can learn spanish, and enter to win a 16gb apple ipad!! contest terms and conditions are clearly explained in the app, and the winner will be announced on 3 oct, 2010. this contest is not related in any way to iphonelife. com promotions or giveaways. as a dabbler of a few languages, i admit that i am not a natural learner. my english is not that good, and it ' s my native tongue! anyhoo, i took spanish in high school, but never could quite get the hang of the tricky rolling r sounds, the masculine and feminine forms, etc. with istart spanish on my ipod, i may finally be able to make some progress, and understand some of my wife ' s favorite tv shows. charles peattie ' s animal alphabet is bound to be a favorite with young and old alike. are you looking for a way to entertain your preschooler? teach him or her the letters of the alphabet? either way, here ’ s an app to do it, and you ’ ll discover that you ’ ll be entertained as well! for you history buffs, check out the history apps available from … making learning fun again! last year our school district was fortunate to receive a $ 12, 000 grant to fund a handheld computing project. we chose the ipod touch ( a. k. a., " itouch " ) as our handheld solution for a variety of reasons. the itouch is fast and portable. the students stay on task because we can control the apps they are using. there are apps available in all subject areas that focus on specific classroom objectives. we purchased 18 itouch units for our high school and 30 units for our middle school, grades 5 - 8. they were implemented as " portable labs " (


the man who saves turtles 04 april 2011 | news story dr nicolas pilcher - malaysia nick saves sea turtles. in a nutshell that ’ s what he does. but he has to look far beyond their nesting grounds to make it work. nick has a phd in turtle biology, but he says it did not prepare him for the real - world challenges of turtle conservation. | “ knowing their biology may be one thing, but working with communities, fishermen and industry to make conservation happen is a whole different story, ” he says. | after an early career in saudi arabia, malaysia and palau as a marine biologist, nick settled down in north borneo and established his own non - governmental organization, the marine research foundation ( mrf ), a non - profit entity geared to saving marine life across various countries and facing differing threats. mrf, an iucn member, now serves as a base from which nick addresses turtle conservation at various levels, and with an ever - growing diversity of people. thank the turtles! in papua new guinea nick has brought together seven communities who all share one special thing in common : their beaches are nesting grounds for the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle. this community - based conservation project employs villagers to serve as rangers and protect the turtles, their eggs and their hatchlings. but conservation in papua new guinea is tricky because natural resources are owned by the people and reaching consensus about conservation issues is a massive challenge. one of the greatest problems was that there were not enough ranger jobs to satisfy everyone in each village and the benefits of conserving turtles, rather than eating them, were not being felt by the entire community. to overcome this problem, nick provides a fixed lump sum ‘ grant ’ to each community to be used for village development or ‘ legacy projects ’ as he calls them, so that everyone benefits from having turtles around. these small projects range from repairing school roofs, organizing new church furniture, to the expansion of the fresh water system. and even if one does not get to be a ranger each season, at least there are benefits which all can enjoy. nick tells the communities to thank the turtles – and not the project – each time they pass by the new elementary school building, for it is they who bring them benefits. judging by the continued involvement of all of the communities six years on, it appears to be a winning formula. no head - butting with business in india, nick worked with the industry to get it right. not more than 15km away from a proposed site for the development of a large port was


six years on, it appears to be a winning formula. no head - butting with business in india, nick worked with the industry to get it right. not more than 15km away from a proposed site for the development of a large port was a beach where hundreds of thousands of turtles nest in a wonderful natural phenomenon called an arribada. but the port needed to dredge a long channel for the ships to navigate safely, and lights were a concern as they could disturb nesting females and disorient the emerging hatchlings. nick developed a plan with the port authorities and the help of many iucn marine turtle specialist group members ( of which he, incidentally, is co - chair ) to devise strategies to counter these potential threats. these were developed at an initial stage of port development, and so they did not cost the port any major financial or time losses. nick and his team developed ways to stop the dredgers from ever sucking up any turtles, and designed a lighting scheme to overcome the concerns over light pollution. they even helped the port develop a world - class environmental management plan to address all kinds of other concerns and risks, so that the surrounding ecosystems upon which the local villagers depend are well protected long into the future. | “ working with industry, rather than against them, and understanding that although industries have their own needs, much of what is needed for conservation can often be built into their plans, is a much more practical approach to conservation than continually butting heads with them, ” says nick. | the fisherman ' s friend in malaysia, nick helps fishermen keep turtles out of their nets. shrimp trawlers often fish in areas where turtles feed, and the turtles drown accidentally in the nets. but the use of a simple metal grid and an escape flap called a turtle excluder device can save the turtles and allow the fishers to continue to earn a living. but convincing a fisherman to put a hole in his net for turtles to escape is not easy, as he fears he will also lose his catch. so nick spends many days at sea with them, and shows them how to use the devices correctly, and showing that he is also concerned that they don ’ t lose any of their catch. sitting on the back of a boat fixing nets and sewing in the grids makes nick part of the fishing community, and allows him to gain their trust. today this project is gaining momentum and spreading wings to pakistan and even india. the list of projects nick has been involved with is long and the list of problems he has helped