. inflation had been a major problem until 2002. however, the depreciation of the afghani in 2002 after the introduction of the new notes ( which replaced 1, 000 old afghani by 1 new afghani ) coupled with the relative stability compared to previous periods has helped prices to stabilize and even decrease between december 2002 and february 2003, reflecting the turnaround appreciation of the new afghani currency. since then, the index has indicated stability, with a moderate increase toward late 2003. the afghan government and international donors seem to remain committed to improving access to basic necessities, infrastructure development, education, housing and economic reform. the central government is also focusing on improved revenue collection and public sector expenditure discipline. the rebuilding of the financial sector seems to have been so far successful. money can now be transferred in and out of the country via official banking channels. since 2003, over sixteen new banks have opened in the country, including afghanistan international bank, kabul bank, azizi bank, standard chartered bank, first micro finance bank, and others. a new law on private investment provides three to seven - year tax holidays to eligible companies and a four - year exemption from exports tariffs and duties. some private investment projects, backed with national support, are also beginning to pick up steam in afghanistan. an initial concept design called the city of light development, envisioned by dr. hisham n. ashkouri, principal of arcadd, inc. for the development and the implementation of a privately based investment enterprise has been proposed for multi - function commercial, historic and cultural development within the limits of the old city of kabul along the southern side of the kabul river and along jade meywand avenue, revitalizing some of the most commercial and historic districts in the city of kabul, which contains numerous historic mosques and shrines as well as viable commercial activities among war damaged buildings. also incorporated in the design is a new complex for the afghan national museum. according to the u. s. geological survey and the afghan ministry of mines and industry, afghanistan may be possessing up to of natural gas, of petroleum and up to of natural gas liquids. this could mark the turning point in afghanistan ’ s reconstruction efforts. energy exports could generate the revenue that afghan officials need to modernize the country ’ s infrastructure and expand economic opportunities for the beleaguered and fractious population. other reports show that the country has huge amounts of gold, copper, coal, iron ore and other minerals. the government of afghanistan is in the process of extracting and exporting its


opportunities for the beleaguered and fractious population. other reports show that the country has huge amounts of gold, copper, coal, iron ore and other minerals. the government of afghanistan is in the process of extracting and exporting its copper reserves, which will be earning $ 1. 2 billion us dollars in royalties and taxes every year for the next 30 years. it will also provide permanent labor to 3, 000 of its citizens. ariana afghan airlines is the national airlines carrier, with domestic flights between kabul, kandahar, heart and mazar - e sharif. international flights include to dubai, frankfurt, istanbul and a number of other destinations. there are also limited domestic and international flight services available from kam air, pamir airways and safi airlines. the country has limited rail service with turkmenistan. there are two railway projects currently in progress, one is between herat and the iranian city mashad while another is between kandahar and quetta in pakistan. most people who travel from one city to another use bus services. automobiles have recently become more widely available, with toyota, nissan and hyundai dealerships in kabul. a large number of second - hand vehicles are also arriving from the uae. nearly all highways and roads are being rebuilt in the country. television and radio broadcastings are available in most parts of the country, with local and international channels or stations. as of 2006 more than four million male and female students were enrolled in schools throughout the country. however, there are still significant obstacles to education in afghanistan, stemming from lack of funding, unsafe school buildings and cultural norms. a lack of women teachers is an issue that concerns some afghan parents, especially in more conservative areas. some parents will not allow their daughters to be taught by men. literacy of the entire population is estimated ( as of 1999 ) at 36 %, the male literacy rate is 51 % and female literacy is 21 %. up to now there are 9, 500 schools in the country. another aspect of education that is rapidly changing in afghanistan is the face of higher education. following the fall of the taliban, kabul university was reopened to both male and female students. in 2006, the american university of afghanistan also opened its doors, with the aim of providing a world - class, english - language, co - educational learning environment in afghanistan. the university accepts students from afghanistan and the neighboring countries. construction work will soon start at the new site selected for university of balkh in mazari sharif. the new building for the university, including the building for


photonics : sensing on the way published online 01 august 2012 hollow optical fibers containing light - emitting liquids hold big promises for biological sensing applications schematic illustration of a hollow fiber. the chemiluminescent liquid in the core ( yellow ) is guided through the fiber, also with help of further hole structures ( dark blue ). processing biological samples on a small substrate the size of a computer chip is becoming a common task for biotechnology applications. given the small working area, however, probing samples on the substrate with light can be difficult. to address this issue, xia yu and co - workers at the a * star singapore institute of manufacturing technology have now developed an optical fiber system that is able to deliver light to microfluidic chips with high efficiency1. “ our compact optical fibers are designed for use with high - throughput detection systems, ” says yu. “ they are ideal for use in space - restrictive locations. ” a common way of probing biological samples is by light. in this method, the sample is excited by an external light source and the light emitted in response is detected, which provides a unique fingerprint of the substance. conventional techniques are able to deliver light to samples and probe the response, but they are not very efficient at probing a small sample volume. a solution to this is to use optical fibers that are able to guide light to small spaces. the drawback with this technique, however, has been that it can be difficult to insert the external probe light into the optical fiber with sufficient efficiencies. yu and her co - workers have now circumvented this problem by using optical fibers with a hollow core ( see image ). the empty hollow core can be filled with liquids — in this case, with chemiluminescent solutions. the liquid is important to promote the transport of light through the core. in addition, these solutions consist of two liquids that when brought together initiate a chemical reaction that emits light. if such a solution is placed directly within the hollow core the problem of coupling light into the fiber is circumvented. this not only avoids external light sources but also promotes an established technology. “ the use of chemical luminescence is a common technique for a variety of detection assays in biology, ” says yu. “ by incorporating the emission mechanism into optical fibers, we can use it as a light source for sensing applications in microfluidics systems. ” first tests for such sensing applications are already underway, although some challenges remain. for example, there


career : propagation systems for generation of chromosomally stable human embryonic stem cells ( virginia commonwealth university ) raj rao and members of his research group at virginia commonwealth university have developed a new material free of animal components that produces stable, non - tumor - forming stem cells. traditionally, human stem cell growth systems involve the use of animal - derived components. these elements raise the risk of genetic mutations and the spread of disease in new cells. development of stable, non - tumor - forming, disease - free stem cells will advance stem cell therapies to treat human diseases. human stem cells have gained enormous interest as potential sources for regenerative biomedical therapies and model systems for studying early human development. however, the process is labor intensive and can result in nonuniform, unstable human stem cell cultures. in addition, traditional stem cell growth systems lead to a mixture of stem cells. some of these networks develop into normal tissues and cells, while others form cancers. stem cell cancers are typically some of the hardest to treat. rao ' s findings will enable investigators to use well - defined materials to manufacture stem cells that are disease free, stable and non - tumor forming. researchers re - create fish hair cell sensors and musclesresearch areas : engineering locations : virginia research could have a significant impact on bioengineered replacement materialsresearch areas : engineering locations : virginia


• select site currency select a currency for use throughout the site physical database design. the morgan kaufmann series in data management systems elsevier science and technology, june 2007, pages : 448 the rapidly increasing volume of information contained in relational databases places a strain on databases, performance, and maintainability : dbas are under greater pressure than ever to optimize database structure for system performance and administration. physical database design discusses the concept of how physical structures of databases affect performance, including specific examples, guidelines, and best and worst practices for a variety of dbmss and configurations. something as simple as improving the table index design has a profound impact on performance. every form of relational database, such as online transaction processing ( oltp ), enterprise resource management ( erp ), data mining ( dm ), or management resource planning ( mrp ), can be improved using the methods provided in the book. the first complete treatment on physical database design, written by the authors of the seminal, database modeling and design : logical design, 4th edition. includes an introduction to the major concepts of physical database design as well as detailed examples, using methodologies and tools most popular for relational databases today : oracle, db2 ( ibm ), and sql server ( microsoft ). focuses on physical database design for exploiting b + tree indexing, clustered indexes, multidimensional clustering ( mdc ), range partitioning, shared nothing partitioning, shared disk data placement, materialized views, bitmap indexes, automated design tools, and more! 1 introduction to physical database design 2 basic indexing methods 3 query optimization and plan selection 4 selecting indexes 5 selecting materialized views 6 shared - nothing partitioning 7 range partitioning 8 multidimensional clustering 9 the interdependence problem 10 counting and data sampling in physical design exploration 11 query execution plans and physical design 12 automated physical database design 13 down to the metal : server resources and topology 14 physical design for decision support, warehousing, and olap 16 distributed data allocation appendix a a simple performance model for databases appendix b technical comparison of db2 hadr with oracle data guard for database disaster recovery lightstone, sam s. sam lightstone is a senior technical staff member and development manager with ibm ' s db2 product development team. his work includes numerous topics in autonomic computing and relational database management systems. he is cofounder and leader of db2 ' s autonomic computing r & d effort. he is chair of the ieee data engineering work


product development team. his work includes numerous topics in autonomic computing and relational database management systems. he is cofounder and leader of db2 ' s autonomic computing r & d effort. he is chair of the ieee data engineering workgroup on self managing database systems and a member of the ieee computer society task force on autonomous and autonomic computing. in 2003 he was elected to the canadian technical excellence council, the canadian affiliate of the ibm academy of technology. he is an ibm master inventor with over 25 patents and patents pending ; he has published widely on autonomic computing for relational database systems. he has been with ibm since 1991. teorey, toby j. toby j. teorey is a professor in the electrical engineering and computer science department at the university of michigan, ann arbor. he received his b. s. and m. s. degrees in electrical engineering from the university of arizona, tucson, and a ph. d. in computer sciences from the university of wisconsin, madison. he was general chair of the 1981 acm sigmod conference and program chair for the 1991 entity - relationship conference. professor teorey ' s current research focuses on database design and data warehousing, olap, advanced database systems, and performance of computer networks. he is a member of the acm and the ieee computer society. tom nadeau is the founder of aladdin software ( aladdinsoftware. com ) and works in the area of data and text mining. he received his b. s. degree in computer science and m. s. and ph. d. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the university of michigan, ann arbor. his technical interests include data warehousing, olap, data mining and machine learning. he won the best paper award at the 2001 ibm cascon conference.


analysis of ethnoveterinary treatments for cattle ( bos indicus ) diseases referred in sanrimgyeongje including twelve volumes of literature from the 7th to the 18th century. abstract this study aims at a comprehensive analysis of ethnoveterinary treatment in the cattle - raising section of sanrimgyeongje which covers 12 different volumes of literature including 4 korean and 8 chinese literatures from the 7th to the 18th century, with a special attention to the treatments for cattle diseases. the above mentioned literature was analyzed through several steps : translation of the chinese text into korean, identification of diseases, verification of medicinal materials and confirmation of scientific names. as recorded in the thirteen references, this study shows that there are 143 medicinal materials which have been used as therapies for cattle diseases. of these, 55 plant species belonging to 52 genera in 29 families had 100 modes of usages, while one species of fungus was used in one way. likewise, 11 species of animals belonging to 11 genera in 10 families were utilized in 18 different methods. lastly, 9 kinds of inorganic matters were used in 11 ways with another 4 kinds being useful in 14 different ways. consequently, each of rinderpests, murrains, and hooves has been treated, respectively with 14, 10 and 3 types of medicinal decoctions made from 35, 18 and 15 kinds of medicinal materials. this diversified usage of various medicinal materials is incomparable to the modern ethnoveterinary investigation which tends to focus strictly in plants. if additional studies were to be conducted on these treatments and all the medicinal materials used within them, various new treatments and medicines can be developed to supplement the pharmacopoeia of contemporary veterinary medicine.


vanuatu is definitely one of the south pacific ' s best kept secrets! its 74 inhabited islands form a y - shaped archipelago almost directly west of fiji and north - east of new caledonia. for many years there was joint british and french colonial rule here, an arrangement officially known as the condominum, but more commonly referred to as the pandemonium. joint rule meant joint languages, so that some villages were given education in english while neighboring villages were taught in french! the ni - vanuatu people are melanesian, like the people of papua new guinea and fiji. melanesians have frizzy afro - style hair and are usually of stocky build, unlike the polynesians of places like tonga, samoa and hawaii, who are tall and have straight hair. while polynesians have a single basic language which can be understood by widely separated groups like the hawaiians, tahitians and new zealand maoris, melanesians have extraordinarily splintered linguistic groups - the island of tanna, only 40 kilometers long, has seven completely different languages! the same situation applies throughout melanesia - papua new guinea is said to have over 800 different languages - not just dialects, but completely different languages. the solution to this babel is pidgin english, which everyone here speaks. unfortunately, rather earthy australians provided the main source of english for this area, so phrases like " buggered up " became words like " bagarap ", which is the normal and appropriate way of saying " broken "! if you spend a bit of time in the area, you ' ll see some amusing pidgin english signs and hear some interesting spoken language. melanesian culture is somewhat different than many third world cultures. many of the customs are based on the idea of mutual obligation. one consequence of this is that there ' s no tipping, since a tip would leave the recipient obligated to the giver - so hopefully this is one part of the world where this dirty habit won ' t spread! another unusual custom is that everything is sold at a fixed price, without bargaining, even at street markets. thankfully, the melanesians here are friendly and very honest like their counterparts in fiji, unlike those of their race in new guinea, where violence and theft are common. the capital city of port vila, on the island of efate, must be one of the prettiest in the pacific, especially from the air. the low hills above the crescent - shaped harbor allow good views


violence and theft are common. the capital city of port vila, on the island of efate, must be one of the prettiest in the pacific, especially from the air. the low hills above the crescent - shaped harbor allow good views of beautiful blue waters filled with coral reefs and colourful fish. the islands have volcanic origins, something we were reminded of when a small earthquake struck while we were sleeping in our hotel. a trip around the island on the main road quickly changes from a smooth drive on asphalt to an adventurous safari along a sometimes deeply rutted dirt track, however it ' s worth it in order to see attractions like the mele - maat waterfalls, giant banyan trees and the eton blue hole, a small lake connected to the ocean and filled with reef fish. if you want to see the reef and its inhabitants more closely then you should go to mele bay, just around the corner from port vila. there are numerous places to snorkel or dive, including a wall around small mele island, now usually referred to as hideaway island. efate is very pleasant, but it would be a real shame to spend all of your time there, because there ' s so much of interest on other islands in the chain. for instance, the island of pentecost is where bungee jumping was invented! at yam harvest time villagers climb 90 foot bamboo towers, tie vines around their ankles and jump - the idea is to just touch the dug - up earth at the base of the tower with your head, and usually it works! espiritu santo has good diving, including a wreck dive on the president coolidge, an american troop ship sunk when it hit american mines, and million dollar point, where american commanders pushed hundreds of tonnes of surplus war equipment and supplies into the water rather than sell it cheaply to local planters. i didn ' t go to these places, instead i opted for the island of tanna, south of efate. the attractions are mostly concentrated in the south - west corner of the island. the area is dominated by mt yasur, which is a constantly active volcano only 360 metres high, but quite a spectacle at night. instead of staying in regular accomodation, we stayed at port resolution, a native village where the locals have made a concerted effort to provide facilities for tourists. the villagers have also struck up a relationship with a dugong, a close relative of the caribbean manatee, and they ' re able to slap the water to bring


native village where the locals have made a concerted effort to provide facilities for tourists. the villagers have also struck up a relationship with a dugong, a close relative of the caribbean manatee, and they ' re able to slap the water to bring it to shore. cook ' s pyramid is also here, a rock where the famous british explorer captain james cook stopped to take sightings, as well as shark bay, where villagers threw transgressors to the namesake sharks. just around the volcano from port resolution is the sulphur bay custom village, which follows a " cargo cult " found in some other parts of melanesia. during world war two villagers in papua new guinea and elsewhere saw people construct airfields where planes landed, disgorging huge amounts of cargo ; so they figured that if they also built airfields then planes would come loaded with cargo for them, too! these ideas survived the end of the war, and continue in some places to this day. in the case of sulphur bay, villagers believe that a man called jon frum will one day arrive with an army and large amounts of goods for the local people. villagers have their own church where christianity and their own beliefs are mixed together, and they paint the letters " usa " on their buildings and even on themselves. funnily enough, this primitive place also has a radio - equipped telephone you can use to call anywhere in the world, just like a regular phone. even more primitive than sulphur bay is the village of yaohnanen on tanna ' s western coast near the airfield. here the people decided to continue to live according to their ancient customs, even avoiding western clothing in preference for the traditional " nambas " or penis sheath. but rejecting modern life doesn ' t mean that the people have isolated themselves from others. you can visit the village, walk around, buy your own nambas or other handicrafts, and watch a surprisingly enthralling yam harvest dance put on by the whole village - men, women and children.


bring a buzz to milan jim farmer, southeastern indiana beekeepers association, pictured right, discusses the benefits of beekeeping with anita chandler and jean oelker, left. chandler, a beekeeper for three years in cross plains, explained that she attended the seminar for more information on beekeeping. oelker, a master gardner from lawrenceburg, wanted to know what she could do to increase the bee population. milan was buzzing with activity on saturday, february 19 due to the 2011 honeybee fair held at the milan vfw and sponsored by the southeastern indiana beekeepers association. those attending the fair had the opportunity to receive first hand information about beekeeping, landscaping for bees and creating products that use honey or beeswax from vendors and special speakers kathleen prough, indiana dnr chief apiary inspector, and roy ballard, hancock county purdue university extension educator. the focus of the seminar was gardening to attract honeybees. kathleen prough explained that a large space is not needed for a bee - friendly garden. choose a space that gets about six hours of sunlight a day and start with a few plants then adding a few each year. when choosing plants for the garden, one should strive for abundance, sequence, and diversity. prough explained that plants should be clumped together so that the bees can visit many flowers in one plant for bloom succession so that there are blooms from spring through fall. bees need both pollen for protein and nectar for carbohydrates for energy. select plants that provide both of these. and, dont forget, trees and shrubs can provide pollen and consider a flower shape and color when choosing a plant for the bee garden. for example, bees favor yellow, bright white and blue flowers. according to prough, bees do not see the color red. ultraviolet, seen by bees but not by humans, is used as a nectar guide that draws a bee to the flower. the shape of the flower is also important for a bee. bees prefer a shallow flower with a platform landing and a single flower top. good examples are lavender and coneflowers. when choosing pesticides, opt for one in liquid form that will dry on the leaves. according to prough, dry pesticides, such as powders and dust, are bad for bees as it sits on the leaves and sticks to the bees legs and body and is then ingested as the bee cleans itself. prough noted that native plants may attract native bees but may not attract honeybees. she explained that honeybees are native


sits on the leaves and sticks to the bees legs and body and is then ingested as the bee cleans itself. prough noted that native plants may attract native bees but may not attract honeybees. she explained that honeybees are native to the united states. roy ballard, hancock county purdue extension educator, explained how creating a bee pasture in normally waste areas can help improve production in ones hive. these pastures could be on your own property or neighboring property within a three mile radius of your hives. the pasture can include trees and shrubs, vines, and flowers. some good plants for honeybees include alfalfa, clover, black locust trees, dandelions or honeysuckle. those blackberry vines growing in a fence row are also great food sources for honeybees. it is important to provide a water source for the bees to be used for bodily functions and to cool the hive. ballard advises to provide a water source that will not contribute to bees drowning and to keep away from pets, swimming pools or pedestrian walkways. when using pesticides, ballard advises using only when needed and the least toxic pesticide possible. apply the pesticide when the plant is not in bloom or late in the day when the bees are as the 2011 indiana state bee association honey bee queen, lacy doolys job is to bring honeybee awareness to as many people as possible. she visits schools, 4 - h clubs and other organizations across indiana to give presentations about how bees are important to humans by pollinating plants and providing honey and beeswax. dooly became involved in beekeeping through 4 - h and soon her family became interested in the hobby that has lasted for many years. honey is often used in many of the recipes she uses in the family below are some interesting facts about bees : one in three bites of our food is a result of pollination the average honeybee flies about 15 miles per hour and visits 50 - 100 flowers during each foraging trip. a colony of honeybees collectively flies over 55, 000 miles and visits about two million flowers to produce one pound of honey. in her lifetime, each individual worker bee produces about 1 / 12 of one teaspoon of honey. this means one pound of honey ( 12 fl. oz. ) represents the lifes work of 720 bees. honeybees have one stinger, two stomachs, three body segments, four wings, five eyes and six legs. a queen can lay up to 3, 000 eggs per day. a healthy bee hive can contain a


( ara ) – serving nutritious meals, ensuring everyone gets enough sleep and physical activity, helping kids navigate the emotional challenges of growing up – parents have a lot to think about when it comes to keeping their kids healthy. over the past decade, one more concern has emerged, and it ’ s gaining in importance : teaching children how to live a healthy digital life. the percentage of american children with access to home computers increased 70 percent between 1984 and 2010, and the percentage with home internet access rose 35 percent between 1997 and 2010, according to research by the nonprofit child trends research center. eighty - five percent of children have access to computers in their home, the organization says. nearly 97 percent of american households own at least one tv, according to nielsen. clearly, the digital world has become a big part of life for kids of all ages. with schools back in session and the holidays approaching, many families will spend even more time in the digital world, doing homework, holiday shopping, or replacing outdoor activities with tv when the weather turns cold. just as parents teach children the value of self - discipline in their eating, exercise and behavior, they need to share lessons of digital discipline as well. as your family gets into a fall routine, keep these digital do ’ s and don ’ ts in mind : * limit screen time – the mayo clinic reports that too much screen time ( whether tv or computer ) has been linked to childhood obesity, poor sleep, behavioral problems, poor school performance, and even violence. many child health advocates recommend limiting the amount of time children watch tv or spend on the computer. when kids aren ’ t sitting in front of a screen, parents should encourage them to engage in physical activity, creative pursuits or in - person socializing. * keep everything in the open – online activity should only take place with a parent present. keep the family computer – and all internet use – in a common area of the home. be around when children are online. you don ’ t have to look over their shoulders, but you should be aware of what they are doing while they ’ re online. * take the first look – if your child wants to visit a new website or join a particular social media group, check it out first. if the content seems inappropriate, steer your child away from the site. * use helpful tools – protecting kids online can be a challenge, but tools like safetyweb can make it easier. the tool helps parents keep kids safe online by monitoring online activity – both the child ’ s and what the child is


the site. * use helpful tools – protecting kids online can be a challenge, but tools like safetyweb can make it easier. the tool helps parents keep kids safe online by monitoring online activity – both the child ’ s and what the child is exposed to. an active blog discusses the latest challenges with rearing kids in the digital age. * let kids isolate themselves in the digital world – while kids might enjoy a tv show or video game together, computer time is too often alone time for them. children who spend a lot of time online can become cut off from the real world. encourage children to engage in healthful face - to - face interaction with their peers, whether it ’ s as part of a sports team, volunteer group or just hanging out together at a friend ’ s house. * allow digital communication to replace family face - time – technology has made it easier than ever for families to stay in touch when they ’ re apart at work or school. too often, however, family members rely on a quick text or instant message to reach someone in another room of the house. when you ’ re home together, set aside digital communication and go in search of each other. * skip exercise – families that exercise together tend to be healthier, studies show. don ’ t forego physical activity in favor of screen time. instead of sitting down together to watch a tv show, gather up the family and head to the bowling alley. * forget to lead by example – for all that the digital world has expanded the influences to which children are exposed, parents still remain the most influential people in their children ’ s lives. modeling digital discipline and healthy behaviors is an important part of teaching those lessons to your children.


urban coyotes pose little dangercoyotes adapt well to living in urban areas but generally stay away from people by : emily zimmer, rosemount town pages it may seem alarming to run across a coyote while on a walk in downtown rosemount. but the wild canines are in rosemount and generally pose no danger to residents. police chief gary kalstabakken said police officers have reported seeing coyotes near the train tracks near downtown. " you will see them in town, " said kalstabakken. but kalstabakken said coyotes " are generally not an issue. " according the minnesota dnr coyotes can be found anywhere in minnesota including busy urban areas. in the twin cities area, coyote populations are rising. coyotes are wild members of the dog family. on average they weigh 30 pounds and are 18 inches tall. the dnr says the animals are gray and brown and resemble a small german shepherd dog. coyotes generally are loners except when families are raising pups. simply put, coyotes don ' t like people. according to the dnr there have been no reported attacks on humans in minnesota. however, attacks have been reported in other states. the dnr says experts believe attacks by urban coyotes occur after the animals become accustomed to humans or after being fed by humans. coyotes primarily eat small mammals including mice and rabbits. however, they have been known to kill small pets including dogs and cats. also they will raid garbage cans for food. kalstabakken warned against feeding any wild animal. he said small animals shouldn ' t be allowed to roam freely and garbage cans should be secured. if you encounter a coyote that doesn ' t immediately run off, kalstabakken recommended harassing the animal by chasing and shouting at them. if problems should arise with coyotes they can be killed without a license. contact the dnr or the city of rosemount for information on coyote removal.


chemical technology news from across rsc publishing. nanofactories monitor bacteria communication 03 march 2010 scientists in the us have developed a microdevice that investigates how bacteria communicate with each other to enhance their resistance to drugs. bacteria communicate in a process called quorum sensing, in which they secrete small signalling molecules called autoinducers. when bacteria produce a quorum, their resistance to drugs is enhanced. william bentley and co - workers from the university of maryland have developed bio - inspired nanoscale factories that capture bacteria, deliver a drug right on the surface of the bacteria and test their responses. ' the overall goal is to understand how pathogens communicate with each other to make a more formidable team than each individual cell. we ' re trying to break down what exactly a quorum is and how it works ', explains bentley. microdevice could help develop the next generation of antimicrobials the nanofactories assemble themselves on a chitosan coated electrode within a microfluidic device. they contain multiple modules that each perform a different function, including targeting and capturing bacteria cells, sensing raw materials in the vicinity and converting the raw materials into autoinducer molecules and transporting these back to the bacteria cell surface. bentley used bacteria cells that were specially constructed to express a fluorescent protein in response to autoinducer signalling, which could be easily seen. the autoinducer molecules made by the nanofactories triggered the quorum sensing response of the bacteria, causing them to express the fluorescent protein. ' we ' re developing tools that enable rapid, cost - effective assembly of complex biological systems on devices so that the device can interrogate what the biology is doing ', bentley adds. michael shuler, an expert in bioengineering at cornell university, ithaca, us, called the concept of nanofactories ' highly intriguing and novel '. he said that while applying the technique to the capture of quorum sensing bacteria was important for controlling some types of bacteria without antibiotics, the most exciting thing for him was the potential of the nanofactories to be integrated with microfluidics or other nanotechnologies. in the future bentley hopes that increasingly complex biological systems could be assembled to recreate the environment that bacteria see. he hopes to use the method to study other systems including epithelial and cancer cells. enjoy this story? spread the word using the ' tools ' menu on the left or add a comment to the chemistry world blog. link to journal article biological nanofactories facilitate


vivotif oral patient information including how should i take in this article - what is typhoid vaccine ( vivotif oral )? - what are the possible side effects of typhoid vaccine ( vivotif oral )? - what is the most important information i should know about typhoid vaccine ( vivotif oral )? - what should i discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving typhoid vaccine ( vivotif oral )? - how is typhoid vaccine given ( vivotif oral )? - what happens if i miss a dose ( vivotif oral )? - what happens if i overdose ( vivotif oral )? - what should i avoid before or after getting typhoid vaccine ( vivotif oral )? - what other drugs will affect typhoid vaccine ( vivotif oral )? - where can i get more information? what should i discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving typhoid vaccine ( vivotif oral )? typhoid vaccine should not be used in a person who is a typhoid carrier. you should not receive this vaccine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to typhoid vaccine in the past, or if you have : - fever with any type of infection or illness ; - a weak immune system caused by disease such as hiv / aids or cancer ; or - a weak immune system caused by using certain medicines such as chemotherapy. you may not be able to receive this vaccine if you have : - stomach flu or any illness with vomiting or diarrhea ; - if you are taking an antibiotic, especially a sulfa drug such as sulfasalazine ( azulfidine, sulfazine ), sulfamethoxazole ( bactrim, cotrim, septra, smx - tmp ), or sulfisoxazole ( gantrisin ) ; or - if you plan to start taking an anti - malaria medication within 10 days after receiving a typhoid oral vaccine. you can still receive a vaccine if you have a minor cold. in the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, the doctor may ask you to wait until you get better before you can receive the vaccine. vaccines may be harmful to an unborn baby and generally should not be given to a pregnant woman. however, not vaccinating the mother could be more harmful to the baby if the mother becomes infected with a disease that this vaccine could prevent. your doctor will decide whether


an unborn baby and generally should not be given to a pregnant woman. however, not vaccinating the mother could be more harmful to the baby if the mother becomes infected with a disease that this vaccine could prevent. your doctor will decide whether you should receive this vaccine, especially if you have a high risk of infection with typhoid. it is not known whether typhoid vaccine passes into breast milk, or if it could harm a nursing baby. do not receive this vaccine without telling your doctor if you are breast - feeding a baby. how is typhoid vaccine given ( vivotif oral )? typhoid vaccine is recommended for adults and children in the following situations : - people who travel to countries where typhoid fever is common ; - people who will have long - term exposure to food or water that may be contaminated with typhoid ; - people who live with someone who is a typhoid carrier ; and - laboratory workers who may come into contact with salmonella typhi in a work setting. the typhoid oral vaccine is given in a series of 4 capsules that are taken 1 per day on alternating days ( days 1, 3, 5, and 7 ). on this alternating - day schedule, you will take 1 capsule every 48 hours for 7 days. you must take each capsule according to the recommended schedule for this vaccine to be effective. you should complete all doses at least 1 week before your scheduled travel or possible exposure to typhoid. you must keep typhoid vaccine capsules cold when not in use. once you receive the capsules from your doctor or pharmacy, take them directly home and place them in the refrigerator. keep each capsule in the foil blister pack in the refrigerator until you are ready to take it. do not allow the capsules to freeze. take the capsule on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before a meal. swallow the capsule as quickly as possible after placing it in your mouth. take with a full glass of cold or lukewarm water or other beverage. do not use warm or hot drinks such as coffee, tea, or warm milk. the liquid you use to help swallow the typhoid vaccine capsule should not be warmer than your body temperature ( 98. 6 degrees f ). do not crush, chew, or break a typhoid vaccine capsule. swallow the pill whole. the enteric - coated pill has a special coating to release the vaccine slowly into your body. breaking the pill could damage this coating. the complete series


filed under : computers often, when people talk about the future of user interaction with computers, the go - to reference is steven spielberg ’ s ‘ minority report. ’ but those dreams of gesture - based computing find users waving their hands in the air with no tactile feedback at all, and anyone who has typed on both an iphone and a blackberry can tell you a little physical feedback is always welcome. an experimental system being developed at gifu university in japan marries that sort of hand gesture - based experience with 3 - d displays and haptic feedback to create an experience that more closely resembles manipulating objects in the real world. the hiro iii requires that you strap your fingertips into a robot hand, which has fingers that simulate the texture of real surfaces to provide a sense of weight to your on - screen interactions. for example, if you ’ re running your hand across a jagged surface, the hiro iii will appropriately recreate that feeling. when combined with a 3 - d display, the experience should be quite immersive. the system has obvious applications for controlling robot arms, as well as for simulating surgical and diagnostic procedures for medical students. check out the video of hiro iii in action after the break. [ from : engadget ] continue reading in hiro iii, researchers see scientific breakthrough, we see feel - o - vision in hiro iii, researchers see scientific breakthrough, we see feel - o - vision originally appeared on switched on wed, 30 jun 2010 11 : 00 : 00 est. please see our terms for use of feeds. read | permalink | email this | comments


: current science 2012 年 3 月 23 日 | en india needs a permanent dengue surveillance system. united states department of agriculture population rise, unplanned urbanisation, poor vector control, viral evolution and international travel have turned dengue into a major global infectious disease with 50 – 100 million cases and 3. 6 billion people at risk. complications arise from the fact that the number of dengue cases in an affected area may be limited. few vectors, ( aedes aegypti or a. albopictus ) mosquitoes may be found infected with the virus, limiting the scope for epidemiological and transmission studies. the presence of dengue vectors and antibodies to the virus in a community does not necessarily reflect on re - emergence of dengue in an area. domestic animals such as cats, rats, dogs, cows, buffaloes and goats may serve as ' hidden reservoirs ' for the virus, as also sylvan monkeys. in such a situation, a ' denguenet - india ' surveillance system can help track the spread of the virus and provide a better understanding of the interactions between mosquitoes, different strains of the dengue virus, animals and humans. existing technologies such as geographical information systems, polymerase chain reaction, rapid antigen tests, genetic sequencing and bioinformatics can be harnessed to provide a holistic approach to suppress dengue resurgence, in collaboration with the who ' s denguenet. databases could be continuously updated and the reporting of dengue cases from india ’ s existing network of institutions and laboratories standardised, with a view to predicting epidemics and reducing fatality rates.


may 26, 2000 iowa city, iowa - - long - term exposure to radon in the home is associated with lung cancer risk and presents a significant environmental health hazard, according to a study led by researchers at the university of iowa college of public health. the iowa radon lung cancer study, funded by the national institute of environmental health sciences, included investigators from the ui, st. john ' s university in collegeville, minn. and the university of kansas. the results are published in the june 1 issue of the american journal of epidemiology. from 1993 to 1997, the researchers studied 1, 027 iowa women - - 413 who were newly diagnosed with lung cancer and 614 " controls " - - ages 40 to 84 who had lived in their homes for the past 20 years or more. the women studied in both groups included smokers as well as nonsmokers. women were studied because they typically have less occupational exposures to substances that may cause lung cancer, and historically have spent more time in the home. the researchers found that close to 60 percent of the basement radon concentrations for both the lung cancer cases ( study participants with lung cancer ) and the control group ( participants without lung cancer ) exceeded the u. s. environmental protection agency action level for radon of 4 picocuries per liter ( pci / l ). the researchers found that 33 percent of living areas for the lung cancer cases, and 28 percent of the living areas for the control group, exceeded the epa ' s action level of 4 pci / l. even at the epa action level of 4 pci / l, an approximate 50 percent excess lung cancer risk was found among the women in the study after correcting for the impact of smoking, according to charles lynch, ui professor of epidemiology and the study ' s principal investigator. " what this indicates is that residential radon exposure is a significant cause of lung cancer, " lynch said. at least four radon detection devices were placed in different areas in each of the study subjects ' homes for one year. the researchers linked these multiple home radon measurements, as well as estimates on radon exposure outside the subjects ' homes, with the subjects ' past mobility history - - where and how much time they had spent outside or inside their homes or in the workplace, for example. with this information, the researchers were able to determine actual detailed exposure estimates for each study participant. " this study incorporated the most sophisticated radon exposures analysis ever performed in a residential epide


or inside their homes or in the workplace, for example. with this information, the researchers were able to determine actual detailed exposure estimates for each study participant. " this study incorporated the most sophisticated radon exposures analysis ever performed in a residential epidemiologic study, " said r. william field, ph. d., ui research scientist in epidemiology and lead author of the journal article. " most previous studies have focused on only one or two radon measurements in a home to determine a person ' s radon exposure. we linked where the study participants spent their time over the past 20 years with the radon concentrations gathered from inside and outside the home and came up with a more accurate measurement of exposure. " previous studies have shown that iowa has the highest average radon concentrations in the united states. radon - - a naturally occurring odorless, tasteless and colorless radioactive gas - - is produced by the breakdown of radium in soil, rock and water. the high concentrations in iowa and the upper midwest are due primarily to glacial deposits that occurred more than 10, 000 years ago, field noted. " many homes and other buildings, such as schools and offices, have high radon concentrations, " field said. " our research provides direct evidence that residential radon exposure is tied to an increased risk for lung cancer. " the best way to reduce overall exposure to radon is to test homes and take steps to reduce elevated indoor radon concentrations. information on radon testing and mitigation is available toll - free from the epa by calling ( 800 ) sos - radon or by visiting the epa web site at http : / / www. epa. gov / iaq / radon /. additional information about the study is available at the following web site : http : / / www. cheec. uiowa. edu / misc / radon. html. the american journal of epidemiology is the premier scientific journal devoted to the publication of empirical research findings and methodologic developments in the field of epidemiologic research. other social bookmarking and sharing tools : note : materials may be edited for content and length. for further information, please contact the source cited above. note : if no author is given, the source is cited instead.


june 4, 2005 autism therapy is bedeviled by unpredictable outcomes. even with the best behavioral treatments, which are the only ones to have been scientifically demonstrated to work - - says laura schreibman, professor of psychology and director of the autism research program at ucsd - - some children improve dramatically, some only somewhat and others not at all. many families try one thing after another, losing precious months before hitting on the therapeutic method best suited for their autistic child. given the importance of early intervention, schreibman said, " we need to get it right the first time. " a new study coauthored by schreibman and recent doctoral graduate michelle sherer successfully matches autistic children with an appropriate therapy. published in the june issue of the american psychological association ' s journal of consulting and clinical psychology, the study is the first to develop and test a predictive profile of children likely to respond to a particular treatment, in this case pivotal response training. prt is a child - directed behavioral intervention developed by schreibman and uc santa barbara colleague robert l. koegel. focused on improving a child ' s motivation and responsiveness, prt targets language skills, play skills and social behaviors that can be generalized to a natural, non - lab setting. the researchers began by examining data from 28 children who had participated in previous investigations of prt. characteristics of the poorest and most exceptional responders were used to develop the predictive profile. children expected to do well with prt were those who showed a moderate to high interest in toys, were tolerant of another person in close proximity, and, relative to those with poor outcomes, had fewer non - verbal stimulatory behaviors ( flapping or rocking, for example ) and more verbal self - stimulatory behaviors ( squeaking or other nonsensical sounds ). a prospective study followed : six new participants were selected - - three who were predicted to respond to prt and three who were not. each prospective responder was matched to a non - responder on iq, language age and symptom severity. two boys and girl, the responders ranged in chronological age from 3 years, 0 months to 3 years, 5 months. the non - responders were likewise two boys and a girl, aged chronologically from 3 years, 1 month to 5 years, 10 months. the children received 90 minutes of one - on - one prt four to five times a week by trained, advanced psychology students who were


likewise two boys and a girl, aged chronologically from 3 years, 1 month to 5 years, 10 months. the children received 90 minutes of one - on - one prt four to five times a week by trained, advanced psychology students who were blind to the hypothesis of the study. after five weeks, prt treatment was stopped for the non - responders because they failed to show any improvement, and it was ethically indefensible to continue. they were referred to other programs. ( the non - responders ' slightly higher chronological age did not appear to be a factor. in fact, the youngest child of this group was among the poorest performing. ) responders received a total of six months, or approximately 190 hours, of treatment. as predicted, they made significant gains on several measures. children " r1 " and " r2, " for example, began the study with no functional communication. by the second month, both were talking during and outside of treatment sessions. skeptics might charge that the profile developed by sherer and schreibman merely picks out children who will improve with any and all behavioral treatment. an important insight, however, the authors write, is provided by the non - responders who were discontinued from the study. " nr1, " for instance, who did not derive any benefit from prt, made great gains with another method - - suggesting the profile is specifically predictive for outcomes with prt. subsequent research led by schreibman is confirming this finding. " this is just a start in the right direction. it is one profile for one therapy, " said schreibman, author of autism and the forthcoming the science and fiction of autism ( harvard university press, nov. 2005 ). " we in the autism community know there is no one - size - fits - all approach. to reduce outcome variability, we need to continue finding predictor variables and to develop a full inventory of tailored treatments. " schreibman ' s lab is currently working on adapting its prt profile so that it can more easily be used in schools and other real - world environments. the authors urge further research to develop profiles for all other behavioral therapies. the study was supported by a grant from the national institute of mental health. other social bookmarking and sharing tools : note : materials may be edited for content and length. for further information, please contact the source cited above. note : if no author is given, the source is cited instead.


july 26, 2012 excitation of neurons depends on the selected influx of certain ions, namely sodium, calcium and potassium through specific channels. obviously, these channels were crucial for the evolution of nervous systems in animals. how such channels could have evolved their selectivity has been a puzzle until now. yehu moran and ulrich technau from the university of vienna together with scientists from tel aviv university and the woods hole oceanographic institution ( usa ) have now revealed that voltage - gated sodium channels, which are responsible for neuronal signaling in the nerves of animals, evolved twice in higher and lower animals. these results were published in cell reports. the opening and closing of ion channels enable flow of ions that constitute the electrical signaling in all nervous systems. every thought we have or every move we make is the result of the highly accurate opening and closing of numerous ion channels. whereas the channels of most lower animals and their unicellular relatives cannot discern between sodium and calcium ions, those of higher animals are highly specific for sodium, a characteristic that is important for fast and accurate signaling in complex nervous system. surprising results in sea anemones and jellyfish however, the researchers found that a group of basal animals with simple nerve nets including sea anemones and jellyfish also possess voltage - gated sodium channels, which differ from those found in higher animals, yet show the same selectivity for sodium. since cnidarians separated from the rest of the animals more than 600 million years ago, these findings suggest that the channels of both cnidarians and higher animals originated independently twice, from ancient non - selective channels which also transmit calcium. since many other processes of internal cell signaling are highly dependent on calcium ions, the use of non - selective ion channels in neurons would accidently trigger various signaling systems inside the cells and will cause damage. the evolution of selectivity for sodium ions is therefore considered as an important step in the evolution of nervous systems with fast transmission. this study shows that different parts of the channel changed in a convergent manner during the evolution of cnidarians and higher animals in order to perform the same task, namely to select for sodium ions. this demonstrates that important components for the functional nervous systems evolved twice in basal and higher animals, which suggests that more complex nervous systems that rely on such ion - selective channels could have also evolved twice independently. other social bookmarking and sharing tools : note : materials may be edited for content and length. for further information, please contact the source cited above. note : if no author is


hot sites and cool books recommended web sites : information about the 2006 dinosaur dig at the 5e ranch can be found at www. montanadinosaurdigs. com / sauro. htm ( judith river dinosaur institute ). perkins, sid. 2006. bone hunt. science news 170 ( aug. 26 ) : 138 - 140. available at http : / / www. sciencenews. org / articles / 20060826 / bob10. asp. books recommended by searchit! science : the fossil factory : a kid ' s guide to digging up dinosaurs, exploring evolution, and finding fossils niles eldredge published by addison - wesley publishing co., 1989. if you think that fossils are dinosaur bones, you ' re partly right. there are fossils of lots of other things, toograins of pollen, sea creatures, even human beings! how can you find fossils on your own? with black - and - white, cartoon - style drawings and a humorous writing style, a world - famous scientist and his teenage sons explain how fossils are formed, where you can find them, and how to take care of them. along the way, they also offer a few chuckles as well as fascinating information about the history of life on earth, the way rocks and continents formed, and what earth was like during the age of the dinosaurs. twelve activitiesincluding instructions for making a plaster cast of your own footprintare featured, too, along with step - by - step diagrams. at the end, a timeline shows how life forms evolved over millions of years. armored, plated, and bone - headed dinosaurs : the ankylosaurs, stegosaurs, and pachycephalosaurs thom holmes published by enslow publishers, 2002. what are the origins of these spiny, armor - plated dinosaurs? what were their feeding habits? how did they defend themselves? explore the anatomy and physiology of these creatures that are now extinct. return to article from the american heritage® student science dictionary and the american heritage® children ' s science dictionary estuary the wide lower end of a river where it flows into the sea. the water in estuaries is a mixture of fresh water and salt water. fossil the hardened remains of traces of plant or animal that lived long ago. fossils are often found in sedimentary rocks. paleontology the scientific study of life in the past, especially through the study of fossils. sauropod one of the two types of saurichian dinosaurs, widespread during the jurassic


lived long ago. fossils are often found in sedimentary rocks. paleontology the scientific study of life in the past, especially through the study of fossils. sauropod one of the two types of saurichian dinosaurs, widespread during the jurassic and cretaceous periods. sauropods were plant - eaters and often grew to tremendous size, having a stout body with thick legs, long slender necks with a small head, and long tails. sauropods included the apatosaurus ( brontosaurus ) and brachiosuarus. sedimentary rock a rock that is formed when sediment, such as sand or mud, becomes hard. sedimentary rocks form when sediments are collected in one place by the action of water, wind, glaciers, or other forces, and are then pressed together. limestone and shale are sedimentary rocks. stegosaurus or stegosaur any of several plant - eating dinosaurs of the jurassic and cretaceous periods. stegosaurus had a spiked tail and an arched back with a double row of large, triangular, upright, bony plates. although stegosaurs grew to 20 feet ( 6. 1 meters ) in length, they had tiny heads with brains the size of a walnut copyright © 2002, 2003 houghton - mifflin company. all rights reserved. used with permission. return to article behind the scenes hot sites & cool books


in a. d. 79 mount vesuvius erupted, annihilating the cities of pompeii and herculaneum and killing thousands who did not evacuate in time. to avert a similar fate for present - day naples, which lies six miles west of the still active vesuvius, as well as for the cities near volatile mount etna in sicily, a novel laser system could soon forecast volcanic eruptions up to months in advance. current methods to predict eruptions have downsides. seismometers can monitor tremors and other ground activity that signal a volcano ' s awakening, but their readings can prove imprecise or complicated to interpret. scanning for escaping gases can reveal whether magma is moving inside, but the instruments used to analyze such emissions are often too delicate and bulky for life outside a laboratory. " you have to collect samples from the volcano, bring them to a lab, and often wait through backlogs of weeks to months before analysis, " explains frank tittel, an applied physicist at rice university. a more promising technique for early detection focuses on changes in carbon isotopes in carbon dioxide. the ratio between carbon 12 and carbon 13 is roughly 90 to one in the atmosphere, but it can differ appreciably in volcanic gases. a ratio change by as little as 0. 1 part per million could signal an influx of carbon dioxide from magma either building under or rising up through the volcano. lasers can help detect this change : carbon 12 and 13 absorb light at slightly different mid - infrared wavelengths. the lasers must continuously tune across these wavelengths. previously investigators used lead - salt lasers, which require liquid - nitrogen cooling and thus are impractical in the field. furthermore, they are low - power devices, generating less than millionths of a watt, and can emit frequencies in an unstable manner. other isotope scanning techniques are similarly lab - bound. tittel and other scientists in the u. s. and britain, in partnership with the italian government, have devised a volcano - monitoring system around a quantum - cascade laser. such a semiconductor laser can produce high power across a wide frequency. moreover, they are rugged and do not require liquid - nitrogen cooling, making them compact enough to fit inside a shoe box. the researchers first tried out their device on gas emissions from nicaraguan craters in 2000. the new field tests will check its performance and accuracy in harsh volcanic locales. dirk richter, a research engineer at the national center for atmospheric research in boulder, colo., says it would prove


on gas emissions from nicaraguan craters in 2000. the new field tests will check its performance and accuracy in harsh volcanic locales. dirk richter, a research engineer at the national center for atmospheric research in boulder, colo., says it would prove difficult to design a system " to work in one of the worst and most challenging environments possible on earth, " but " if there ' s one group in the world that dares to do this, that ' s frank tittel ' s group. " if the instrument works, the plan is to deploy early - warning systems of lasers around volcanoes, with each device transmitting data in real time. false alarms should not occur, because carbon isotope ratios in magma differ significantly from those in the crust. the changes that the laser helps to detect also take place over weeks to months, providing time to compare data from other instruments, as well as ample evacuation notice. " our system aims at avoiding a catastrophe like the vesuvius eruption, " says team member damien weidmann, a physicist at the rutherford appleton laboratory in oxfordshire, england. field tests for the prototype are planned for the spring of 2005 in the volcanic alban hills region southeast of rome, near the summer home of pope john paul ii, as well as for volcanic areas near los alamos, n. m. this article was originally published with the title volcanic sniffing.


if astronomy and outerspace interest you, then this activity set will fascinate you. you ' ll learn about the planets, stars, sun, moon, and even rockets - all through fun, hands - on experiments. activities include using balloons and chemically powered rockets to study rocket propulsion, building a telescope and star map to investigate the stars and constellations, assembling a model of the solar system to about the planets that share it, and more. once you work through all the activities, you will understand how earth ’ s axis and revolution around the sun causes the seasons, how the moon ’ s rotation around earth gives us the phases of the moon, how meteorites formed the craters on the moon, how meteoroids become falling stars, and so much more. includes a full - color, 32 - page experiment book to guide your space exploration. ages 8 and up. warning : choking hazard — children under 8 yrs. can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. adult supervision required. keep uninflated balloons from children. discard broken balloons at once. - launch three types of rockets - build a telescope and star map - model the solar system - investigate the revolution and rotation of earth - swing a moon sling - find the man in the moon - recreate lunar and solar eclipses - learn about falling stars - discover how the universe is expanding


- a prehistoric evergreen that keeps coming back to life! - grows in one day! unconditionally guaranteed to grow! - can " sleep " for fifty years and spring back to life in one day! take the amazing dinosaur plant out of its home for days, months, even years - then give it water, and it will roar back to life! the amazing dinosaur plant is one of the longest - living plants in the world! this plant actually lived when the first dinosaurs emerged. at that time, this plant would grow to over 120 feet, taller than even a tyrannosaurus rex! when the ice age came, the dinosaur plant had to mutate and get really small. in order to survive, it learned how to blow onto dry land and sleep, waiting for water. usually the plant drifted around until it stumbled into a puddle. then the plant " drank " greedily, and went back sleep until it found the next puddle. the dinosaur plant is very easy to care for. all it needs is a little water and some occasional sleep. simply place the plant in its bowl with new mexico lava rock ( included ), pour some water on the plant and it will spring to life within one day! if you let the dinosaur plant dry out, it will shrink back to its sleeping state. it can sleep for up to fifty years and will still rise when you place it in water! a fun project for the entire family to enjoy! the amazing dinosaur plant includes a live plant, bag of genuine volcanic lava rock, display bowl, and instructions. appropriate for ages 4 +. dinosuar plant instructions


an instrument to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. generally, mean sea level is used for the reference level. mid - level cloud ( bases generally 2000 - 8000m ), made up of grey, puffy masses, sometimes appearing in parallel waves or bands. an indicatorof mid - level instability. altocumulus can take on various forms such as aclenticularis, ac undulatus, ac castellanus, altocumulus ' mackerel sky '. a middle level cloud with vertical development that forms from altocumulusclouds. it is composed primarily of ice crystals in its higher portions andcharacterised by its turrets, protuberances or crenulated tops. mid - level cloud composed of water droplets and ice crystals. usuallygives the sun a watery or dimly visible appearance. a local wind that flows up the side of valleys due to increased heating alongthe valley walls. often the anabatic wind results in cumulus clouds along theridges either side of the valley. see also katabatic winds. a device used to measure wind speed. the departure of an element from its long - term average for the locationconcerned. for example, if the average maximum temperature for melbourne in june is 14 degrees and on one particular day the temperature only reaches 10 degrees, than the anomaly for that day is - 4. a large scale atmospheric circulation system in which the winds rotate anticlockwise in the southern hemisphere ( clockwise in northern hemisphere ). anticyclones are areas of high atmospheric pressure and are generallyassociated with light winds and stable weather conditions. interchangeablewith high pressure system. rotation in the opposite sense as the earth ' s rotation, i. e., anticlockwise in


what is graywater? according to health and safety code section 17922. 12, graywater is “ untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge, has not been affected by infectious contaminated or unhealthy bodily wastes, and does not present a threat from contamination by unhealthful processing, manufacturing, or operation wastes. ” graywater ” includes but is not limited to wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines, and laundry tubs, but does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks or dishwashers. ” - download an informational brochure on installation and permitting requirements for graywater systems in sonoma county graywater systems standards on july 30, 2009, the ca department of housing and community development ( hcd ) codes and standards division and the california building standards commission ( cbsc ) announced the adoption of the state ’ s new graywater standards. the new standards became effective on august 4, 2009. " these new graywater standards will be a big step toward reducing california ’ s water consumption by providing cost - effective guidelines that will be beneficial to every home throughout the state, ” said director lynn l. jacobs. “ hcd and its staff recognize the importance of continually improving the state building codes and standards to help improve our sustainability. ” for more information regarding the standards and building permits, please contact the county permit and resource development department ( prmd ) at ( 707 ) 565 - 1900 or visit the prmd website, or view the new graywater standards. graywater frequently asked questions 1. what is graywater? graywater is untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge. graywater includes wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, clothes washing machines and laundry sinks. it does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks, dishwashers, photo lab sinks or laundry water from soiled diapers. 2. what is a graywater system? graywater systems are onsite wastewater systems that use graywater for subsurface landscape irrigation through the use of mulch basins, disposal trenches or subsurface drip irrigation fields. 3. are there regulations for the use of graywater? the regulations for the design, construction and use of graywater systems can be found in chapter 16a of the california plumbing code ( cpc ). a copy of these regulations can be found on our website at http : / / www. sonoma - county. org / prmd / divpages / wellsep


be found in chapter 16a of the california plumbing code ( cpc ). a copy of these regulations can be found on our website at http : / / www. sonoma - county. org / prmd / divpages / wellsepdiv. htm 4. who regulates the use of graywater in sonoma county? the county of sonoma permit and resource management department ( prmd ) has been delegated the authority to regulate graywater systems in the unincorporated area of sonoma county by the california regional water quality control board ( rwqcb ). prmd does not regulate graywater systems in the incorporated cities in sonoma county. these cities can implement a program of their own that meets or exceeds the requirements of the cpc with approval from the rwqcb. questions regarding graywater systems within an incorporated city should be go directly to that city. 5. can i allow my graywater to discharge to the ground surface? due to the potential for high levels of bacteria and viruses in graywater, graywater must be used in a way that eliminates potential human contact or the creation of nuisances. the regulations for graywater systems allows for subsurface irrigation only, although graywater can be discharged to the ground surface in a mulch basin as long as it remains covered with at least two inches of mulch, rock or soil. 6. can i use graywater for other purposes such as flushing toilets? the cpc allows graywater to be used for flushing toilets but the graywater must meet the same regulations in place for the use of recycled water ( title 22 ) with respect to treatment, permitting, inspection and cross connection control. 7. do i need a permit to install a graywater system? the cpc exempts graywater systems that collect graywater from a clothes washer only and where no modifications to the plumbing system are required or pumps are used in the graywater system from construction permits but the system must still meet the design and construction standards found in the regulations. all other graywater systems require a construction permit. plans for graywater systems must be submitted to prmd or the authorized permitting agency for review and approval of the graywater design. once the design is approved, a construction permit must be obtained to install the graywater system and allow for inspection by the permitting agency. 8. do i need to contact any other agencies for the installation of a graywater system? you need to contact your local building department to discuss plumbing, venting and electrical requirements as needed for either new construction


allow for inspection by the permitting agency. 8. do i need to contact any other agencies for the installation of a graywater system? you need to contact your local building department to discuss plumbing, venting and electrical requirements as needed for either new construction or the retrofit of an existing structure where a graywater system is proposed. in addition, you need to contact your local water purveyor to discuss the need for the installation of a backflow protection device at the water meter. 9. what kind of plants can i irrigate with graywater? graywater can be used to irrigate fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, groundcover and lawns. graywater should not be used in vegetable gardens where the food is a root crop or touches the ground surface. be aware that soaps and detergents can contain a variety of chemicals to aid in cleaning that may be harmful to your plants. please contact your local landscape specialist for more information. 10. where can i find more information on graywater? additional information regarding graywater and onsite wastewater systems is available on the prmd website at http : / / www. sonoma - county. org / prmd / divpages / wellsepdiv. htm. prmd is currently in the process of developing new guidelines for the use of graywater to address the revisions to the cpc and will post these when available.


how to develop a wind farm the benefits of wind power wind powered electricity is relatively new in ireland even though we have some of the best wind resources in europe. global environmental benefits of wind power include reduced greenhouse gas emissions and national benefits include security of supply from a locally sourced energy. the development of a wind farm can provide opportunities at a local level also. development can provide landowners with an alternative or supplementary income and can provide jobs locally during the construction and operational phases of the project. tax receipts are generated as are local authority rates for collection and use within the region of the wind farm. if operated as a community scheme, those within the vicinity of the wind farm can benefit directly from the share dividends. is my site suitable? not all sites are suitable for wind farms, for either economic or environmental reasons. when assessing the suitability of a site both technical suitability and environmental suitability must be addressed. key suitability criteria are outlined below : - visual aspects - proximity to dwellings - ecological / archaeological / architectural protection - recreational use - restricted areas - wind speed - grid connection - site size it is important to discuss a proposed development with a local planner at an early stage to receive feedback for the plan and to identify the scope of the planning application and, where appropriate, the environmental impact statement ( eis ) that should accompany the planning application. the development of a wind farm can be a long process and cannot be treated lightly so in order to ensure high quality development, professional services must be employed throughout the process. each local authority has developed a map where wind energy projects will be considered, are prohibited or are encouraged. this local authority wind strategy should be one of the first documents to refer to. the economics of wind farming wind farms differ in size and the location and scale of the project can dictate the economics for each site. typical investment costs are in the region of €1. 7 - €2m. the figure represents the total project cost, including the planning / eis, equipment procurement, civil works, grid connection, commissioning, o & m and decommissioning costs. turbines generally account for between 65 and 75 % of the total project costs. financial institutions have in the past been willing to finance up to 85 % of a wind farm project costs subject to several assurances. recent reports suggest that 75 % finance is more common in the current economic and banking climate. local equity available through a shared or community developed wind farm may prove attractive for the project developers. financially viable : what the bank looks for - verified wind


##s. recent reports suggest that 75 % finance is more common in the current economic and banking climate. local equity available through a shared or community developed wind farm may prove attractive for the project developers. financially viable : what the bank looks for - verified wind data measured onsite - power purchase agreement for energy produced - full planning permission - professional feasibility study - site title - experienced development team - authorisation to construct a generator from the regulator use independent professional support for - pre - feasibility study - feasibility and basic design - wind measurement and assessment - eis and planning application - landscape classification - lease / loan / shareholder agreements - attaining grid connection - power purchase agreements - epc agreements - o & m agreements building a wind farm with planning permission achieved and a power purchase contract agreed the construction of the wind farm offers two choices : as owner of the wind farm you can choose to employ the turbine manufacturer ( or their agent ) to project manage the construction and commissioning of the wind farm. by doing so, they will undertake the design, procurement of equipment, civil works and commissioning plus in most cases deal with future operation and maintenance of the wind farm. the benefit of this arrangement is that one party takes care of the entire construction management of the project - this however at a higher price than using an " owners engineer ". you may however choose to employ a professional experienced engineer or firm of engineers to manage the project for you. this way you can achieve the same objectives as outlined for the turnkey developer but you may also avail of their independent advice when selecting the turbines and of the lower project management costs. separate o & m contracts from the turbine manufacturer will be available. if choosing this type of development process, it is vital that clear responsibilities are defined and agreed beforehand to avoid possible delay during the construction phase. the working wind farm the turbines stand and their blades are busy turning wind energy into electricity but the job is not complete. as owner of the wind farm you also ultimately assume responsibility for its continued operation and any scheduled or unscheduled maintenance necessary to keep it working efficiently. it is vital that any agreements made in conjunction with the planning permission are adhered to and that o & m contracts and warranty conditions are honoured. personnel will require continual training and local residents should continue to be informed about the development. wind farms must be maintained in a fashion reflecting the clean and efficient energy source that we can all be happy to benefit from.


the history of pressure measurement 1594 galileo galilei, born in pisa ( italy ), obtains the patent for a machine to pump water from a river for the irrigation of land. the heart of the pump was a syringe. galileo galilei found that 10 meters was the limit to which the water would rise in the suction pump, but had no explanation for this phenomenon. scientists were then devoted to find the cause for this. 1644 evangelista torricelli ( rorr ). italian physicist, filled a tube 1 meter long, hermetically closed at one end, with mercury and set it vertically with the open end in a basin of mercury. the column of mercury invariably fell to about 760 mm, leaving an empty space above its level. torricelli attributed the cause of the phenomenon to a force on the surface of the earth, without knowing, where it came from. he also concluded that the space on top of the tube is empty, that nothing is in there and called it a " vacuum ". 1648 blaise pascal, french philosophei physicist and mathematician, heard about the experiments of torricelli and was searching for the reasons of galileo ' s and torricelli ' s findings. he came to the conviction that the force, which keeps the column at 760 mm, is the weight of the air above. thus, on a mountain, the force must be reduced by the weight of the air between the valley and the mountain. he predicted that the height of the column would decrease which he proved with his experiments at the mountain puy de dome in central france. from the decrease he could calculate the weight of the air. pascal also formulated that this force, he called it " pressure ", is acting uniformly in all directions. 1656 offo von guericke, born in magdeburg / germany. torricellis conclusion of an empty space or " nothingness " was contrary to the doctrine of an omnipresent god and was thus attacked by the church. guericke developed new air pumps to evacuate larger volumes and staged a dramatic experiment in magdeburg by pumping the air out of two metal hemispheres which had been fitted together with nothing more than grease. 8 horses at each hemisphere were not strong enough to separate them. 1661 robert boyle. an anglo - irish chemist, used " j " - shaped tubes closed at one end to study the relationship between the pressure and volume of trapped gas and stated the law of x v = k ( p : pressure, v : volume,


robert boyle. an anglo - irish chemist, used " j " - shaped tubes closed at one end to study the relationship between the pressure and volume of trapped gas and stated the law of x v = k ( p : pressure, v : volume, k : constant ) which means that if the volume of a gas at a given pressure is known, the pressure can be calculated if the volume is changed, provided that neither the temperature nor the amount of gas is changed. 1820 almost 200 years later, joseph louis gay - lussac. french physicist and chemist, detects that the pressure increase of a trapped gas at constant volume is proportional to the temperature. 20 years later, william thomson ( lord kelvin ) defines the absolute temperature mechanical measurement technologies 1843 lucien vidie, french scientist, invented and built the aneroid barometer, which uses a spring balance instead of a liquid to measure atmospheric pressure. the spring extension under pressure is mechanically amplified on an indicator system. employing the indicator method of vidie, eugene bourdon ( founder of the bourdon sedeme company ) patented 1849 the bourdon tube pressure gauge for higher pressures. electrical measurement technologies 1930 the first pressure transducers were transduction mechanisms where the movements of diaphragms, springs or bourdon tubes are part of an electrical quantity. pressure diaphragms are part of a capacitance. the indicator movement is the tap of a potentiometer. 1938 the bonded strain gauges were independently developed by e. e. simmons of the california institute of technology and ac. ruge of massachuseffs institute of technology. simmons was faster to apply for a patent. 1955 the first foil strain gauges came up with an integrated full resistor bridge, which, if bonded on a diaphragm. see opposite stress in the center and at the edge. 1965 the bonding connection of the gauges to the diaphragm was always the cause for hysteresis and instability. in the 1960 ' s, statham introduced the first thin - film transducers with good stability and low hysteresis. today, the technology is a major player on the market for high pressure. 1973 william r. poyle applied for a patent for capacitive transducers on glass or quartz basis, bob bell of kavlico on ceramic basis a few years later in 1979. this technology filled the gap for lower pressure ranges ( for which thin film was not suited ) and is today, also with resist


##cers on glass or quartz basis, bob bell of kavlico on ceramic basis a few years later in 1979. this technology filled the gap for lower pressure ranges ( for which thin film was not suited ) and is today, also with resistors on ceramic diaphragms, the widest spread technology for the sensor age 1967 honeywell research center, minneapolis / usa, 1967 : art r. zias and john egan applied for patent for the edge - constrained silicon diaphragm. 1969. hans w. keller applied for patent for the batch - fabricated silicon sensor. the technology is profiting from the enormous progresses a modern sensor typically weighs 0. 01 grams. if all non - cristalline diaphragms have inherent hysteresis, the precision limit of this item is not detectable by todays means. 2000 the piezoresistive technology is the most universal one. it applies for pressure ranges from 100 mbar to 1500 bar in the absolute, gauge and differential pressure mode. the slow spread of the technology in high volume applications for non - benign media resulted from the inability of us - companies to develop a decent housing. in 30 years, keller has perfected it at costs comparable to any other technology. for more information, please contact... keller at www. keller - druck. com for details of pressure sensors suppliers, click here... home - website - search - suppliers - links - new products - catalogues - magazines problem page - applications - how they work - tech tips - training - events - jobs - register


zooplankton community dynamics ballast water transport as a taxonomic and numeric ' filter ' zooplankton data collected from ballast tanks at the beginning and end of 25 voyages showed an overall decline in total zooplankton abundance during a voyage. mortality within tanks could be caused by a number of factors, including : - lack of settlement substrate - exposure to toxic substances - physiological stress caused by changes in physical conditions in addition, the duration of a voyage or the age of the ballast water is also an important factor, as mortality within tanks appears to increase with time. for example, our data indicated that : • on short voyages ( < 10 days ) survival of zooplankton is unpredictable, but typically high ( both increases and decreases in abundance were recorded ). • on long voyages ( 16 - 22 days ) there were large declines in survivorship ( > 95 % decrease in abundance in all cases. this an important finding because in order to survive, establish, and thus achieve a successful ballast - mediated invasion, an organism must be delivered in adequate densities to increase the chances of encountering a mate and reproducing. this means that shorter coastwise voyages, where survivorship is more variable and the final densities are relatively higher pose a greater ' invasion threat ' than do longer voyages. though these data bring us closer to identifying predictors of overall zooplankton survivorship, identifying individual taxonomic groups that are more likely to become successful invaders remains elusive. survivorship varied both between taxonomic groups and within taxonomic groups for different voyages. thus, we still do not fully understand the extent to which particular taxonomic groups are better able to survive transport in ballast tanks than others. these data strongly point to the need for rigorous ballast water management policies across the board to effectively handle the release of domestic ballast water, particularly that portion of it which has only been subject to short - term transport.


mansfield, until the middle of the eighteenth century, was an isolated market town set in sherwood forest. its transformation into an industrial urban area is the result of the effects of five crucial industries. the earliest industry noted is stone quarrying which is documented from about 1227 when king henry 3 granted a monday market and fair. during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries there was a growth in farming activity in the local area following the founding of the great estates known as the dukeries in sherwood forest. this led to the development of two crucial industries, malting and framework knitting, using wool from the forest sheep, mansfield ' s isolation was eased by the turnpiking of the roads, the first trust coming in 1760, followed in 1819 by the mansfield and pinxton railway. prior to the building of this railway malt was exported on pack - horses who returned with coal required for the malt production from the erewash valley pits. the railway was built to carry this coal. by the middle of the eighteenth century there were 36 maltings in the town, the majority being owned by william broadhurst. the only surviving one, built circa 1740, is now a bar and stands in midworth street having ceased production in 1975. broadhurst died in 1846, the maltster in 1844 being loseph gilstrap. a significant remnant of the malting industry is mansfield brewery. it was founded in 1855 on a site in littleworth where it has remained and expanded to the present day. some old buildings can still be seen in the current complex. after malting the other four crucial industries are coal, cotton, iron and quarrying. quarrying has been for three varieties of stone. white freestone is found to the south of the town in 50 to 60 foot irregular beds. it was used in 1337 during the building of southwell minster. red sandstone, also in 50 foot beds, was worked in rock valley and along chesterfield road north of the town centre. the lower magnesian limestone ( dolomite ) has been worked in the mansfield woodhouse area. actually a dolomitic sandstone it was used in the building work at the houses of parliament. charles lindley, the quarry owner, named that particular quarry parliament quarry. redstone has been used at belton house, grantham, and white for mansfield town hall. parliament quarry has now been filled in. in 1967 these quarries were reopened during the building of the m1 motorway producing 20, 000 tonnes of roadstone per week. a remaining quarry, gregory quarry, was opened


stokes castings, founded in 1862, is the only other firm still active and currently market under pressure castings. other major late nineteenth and twentieth century firms have ceased production, e xamples being meadow foundry who operated 1852 - 1980 and s. walker & son 1847 - 1987. coalmining, arrived towards the end of the nineteenth century and brought with it the large growth in the local population. the earliest deep mines were sunk to the west of the town and the first in the mansfield area was that at warsop, sunk in 1890 by the staveley coal and lron company. thc adjacent housing was built to house the miners. the ellis family from hucknall sank sherwood colliery in 19o2 - 3. the bolsover colliery company sank mansfield ( crown farm ) colliery in 1905 - 6, and, as for their other collieries, built a village to house the miners and their families. it consisted of 320 houses in eighteen 200 foot terraces leading off to the east of a main drive and seventeen to the west. this village became forest town. the colleries employed about 2000 men each and closed in the 1990s. the other critical industry in mansfield ' s development is textiles. in the seventeenth century it began wilh framework knitting, a basically cottage industry. in 1727 there were 40 framework knitters in the town. by 18oo there about 700 frames rnaking stockings, and cotton and silk gloves. later on many frames were converted into lace frames. in the late eighteenth century mansfield was suffering an economic depression and the construction of five water - powered cotton spinning mills along the river maun were financed by the duke of portland to create employment. he also financed the conversion to cotton spinning of the old town mill ( now a public house ) which had been built circa 1744 as a corn and malt mill. this conversion was completed by 1795. the furthest west of the five new mills was hermitage mill, leased from the duke of portland in 1782 and currently occupied by a builders merchants. reed mills, in bleakhills, was operating by 1708 and demolished in 1971. little matlock mill was another late eighteenlh century mill, and is still extant. field mill was also leased in 1788 and was demolished in 1925. bath mill was built in 1792 and still survives, albeit in a derelict condition. one other late eighteenth century mill survives, now in mult iple occupancy, and that is stantons mill. this was built for charles stanton in 1795 : he also had carr bank house built


survives, albeit in a derelict condition. one other late eighteenth century mill survives, now in mult iple occupancy, and that is stantons mill. this was built for charles stanton in 1795 : he also had carr bank house built at about the same time. in the middle of the nineteenth century framework knitting gradually changed to machine hosiery and the cotton spinning mills generally to changed hosiery production. most are still standing along with other later steam powered works, although most are no longer being used for textiles which have been relocated to more modern buildings. lndustrial development led to better transport facilities. this is exemplified in two railway viaducts. the mansfield and pinxton railway was constructed in 1019 as an ox - hauled railway. in 1849 the line was bought by the midland railway company and up graded to take steam trains. this meant smoothing out some of the sharper curves ol the old line and so isolated the eight - arched kings mill viaduct - an early example of preserved railway architecture. when the railway was extended northwards towards worksop in 1871 the viaduct that splits the town centre was built. the industrial development of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw many inventions and mansfield is well represented in its fields of activity. for example in 1764 john and william b etts of mansfield together with john and thomas morris of nottingham invented an improved framework knitting machine, while in 1885 lorenzo tindall, a partner in sherwood foundry, invented the hand mangle. in the eighteenth century ] ames murray, working in an old bobbin shop in rock valley, is credited with inventing the circular saw.


learn how you and your school can help save the rainforests with our fantastic, free online programme for primary and secondary schools across the uk and ireland ( pupils aged 8 - 14 ). choose from 3 fascinating challenge topics : the food we eat, stuff we buy and energy we use and then carry out simple tasks to help your school learn about the rainforest and how to protect the environment. with brilliant curriculum - based resources, students learn about the rainforest across a range of subject areas including geography, citizenship, science, numeracy and pshe building valuable life skills including creativity, communication and teamwork. there are great prizes on offer including the opportunity to win £1, 000 ( €1, 250 ) for your school and make a short film about the rainforest. register today to set up your challenge team! register your school today and help protect the world ’ s rainforests! as you move through the challenge, your team will accumulate points. may 22 2013 is international day for biological diversity – a chance for people around the world to come together to help protect the amazing plants and animals that live on our planet. this year the theme is water – a resource that we sometimes take for granted, but is vital to every living thing on earth. rainforests such as the amazon are particularly important as they provide clean water for human communities. it ’ s really important that everyone joins together to do their bit in helping to protect them. by taking part in the sky rainforest rescue schools challenge schools across the uk and ireland can take real action to look after the world ’ s rainforests. through an... teams taking action registration is free and only takes a couple of minutes. challenge : food we eat it ' s our absolute pleasure to announce our new team of the month - st. bride ' s foodies from st. bride ' s primary in cambuslang. the team, led by their teacher mr nugent has shown great enthusiasm through their blog and the team members have undertaken some brilliant actions since starting the challenge in february. well done to you all and keep up the hard work during the final few weeks of the challenge. remember - the competition deadline is 14th june at midnight! the 2011 / 12 grand prize winners of the sky rainforest rescue schools challenge were the students from st marks c. e primary school in wigan. click below to watch the the rainforest news story they made at the sky skills studio as part of their grand prize. the challenge is a very effective tool for learning. the way it fits with the curriculum was spot on, and was an