little falls, n. j., july 17 - - increases in teenage births, aids infections, and other sexually transmitted diseases indicate that progress in adolescent sexual health may have slowed in recent years, researchers say. teen birth rates for girls decreased for almost 15 years before starting an upward trend in 2005, and the annual rate of aids diagnoses among boys in that age group has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, according to a new cdc after decreasing for more than 20 years, gonorrhea infection rates leveled off, while syphilis rates have been increasing, cdc ' s lorrie gavin, phd, and colleagues reported in the july 17 morbidity and mortality weekly report. " the sexual and reproductive health of america ' s young persons remains an important public health concern, " the researchers said. " earlier progress appears to be slowing and perhaps reversing. " the report is a summary of data on young people from ages 10 to 24 from multiple sources, including the national vital statistics system, the national examination survey, and the national survey of family growth. the researchers found that about one million young people in the u. s. had chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis in 2006. that group accounted for nearly half of all incident sexually transmitted diseases even though it represented only 25 % of the sexually active population, the researchers said. a large proportion of disease occurs in the youngest population, with about 18, 000 youths between ages 10 and 14 diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases in 2006. chlamydia was the most commonly reported std, followed by gonorrhea, and then syphilis. rates of all three diseases were highest among non - hispanic blacks for all age groups. also, about 25 % of girls from to 19 and 45 % of those from 20 to 24 had human papillomavirus infections between 2003 and 2004. while teen pregnancy rates decreased every year from 1991 to 2005, they started increasing from 2005 to 2007. about 745, 000 pregnancies occurred among girls under 20 in 2004, with 16, 000 of those involving girls from 10 to 14. like disparities in std infection, pregnancy rates were much higher for hispanic and non - hispanic black girls ages 15 to 19 than in white girls ( 132. 8 and 128 per 100, 000 population, versus 45. 2 ). with regard to aids, the annual rate of diagnoses among boys ages 10 to 24 has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, from 1. 3 cases per


132. 8 and 128 per 100, 000 population, versus 45. 2 ). with regard to aids, the annual rate of diagnoses among boys ages 10 to 24 has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, from 1. 3 cases per 100, 000 in 1997 to 2. 5 in 2006. that year, about 22, 000 youths in 33 states were living with hiv / aids. again, non - hispanic blacks were most likely to be affected. black teenage girls ages 15 to 19 were more likely to live with aids than hispanics, alaska natives, whites, or pacific islanders ( 49. 6 per 100, 000 compared with 12. 2, 2. 6, 2. 5, and 1. 3, respectively ). sexual assaults also increased over the study period, the researchers said, with 105, 000 girls visiting an emergency department for a sexual assault injury between 2004 and 2006. about 27, 500 of those visits were among girls ages 10 to 14. the researchers said that the southern states generally had the highest rates of negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including early pregnancies and stds. they said their findings " underscore the importance of sustaining efforts to promote adolescent reproductive health. " " practitioners, " they said, " can use [ this information ] when making decisions about how to allocate resources and identify those subpopulations that are in greatest need. " the study was limited by self - reported data, undetected cases of disease, challenges in estimating pregnancy rates, and lack of ability to investigate causality. what do you think?


phytoplankton under ice beneath the arctic ice — over 12 feet deep in some areas — lies a dark, cold and lifeless sea. or so we thought. “ if someone had asked me before the expedition whether we would see under - ice blooms, i would have told them it was impossible, ” says arrigo. “ this discovery was a complete surprise. ” the researchers discovered an abundance of phytoplankton — microscopic life that forms the base of the marine food chain. phytoplankton require sunlight for photosynthesis, just like plants. and sunlight has a tough time penetrating thick sea ice. but that thick sea ice is changing. not only are warmer temperatures thinning the ice, but as the ice melts in summer, it forms pools of water that act like transient skylights and magnifying lenses. these pools focus sunlight through the ice and into the ocean, where currents steer nutrient - rich deep waters up toward the surface. phytoplankton under the ice evolved to take advantage of this narrow window of light and nutrients. the phytoplankton displayed extreme activity, doubling in number more than once a day. blooms in open waters grow at a much slower rate, doubling in two to three days. these growth rates are among the highest ever measured for polar waters. researchers estimate that phytoplankton production under the ice in parts of the arctic could be up to 10 times higher than in the nearby open ocean. the phytoplankton bloom discovered by arrigo and his colleagues in the chukchi sea ( just north of alaska ) extends tens of meters deep in spots and about 100 kilometers ( 62 miles ) across. “ at this point we don ’ t know whether these rich phytoplankton blooms have been happening in the arctic for a long time and we just haven ’ t observed them before, ” arrigo says. “ these blooms could become more widespread in the future, however, if the arctic sea ice cover continues to thin. ” the discovery of these previously unknown under - ice blooms could have serious implications for the broader arctic ecosystem, including migratory species such as whales and birds. phytoplankton are eaten by small ocean animals, which are eaten by larger fish and ocean animals. “ it could make it harder and harder for migratory species to time their life cycles to be in the arctic when the bloom is at its peak, ” arrigo says. “ if their food supply is coming


a legend in her own time both for her brilliant poetry and for her resistance to oppression, anna akhmatova — denounced by the soviet regime for her “ eroticism, mysticism, and political indifference ” — is one of the greatest russian poets of the twentieth century. before the revolution, akhmatova was a wildly popular young poet who lived a bohemian life. she was one of the leaders of a movement of poets whose ideal was “ beautiful clarity ” — in her deeply personal work, themes of love and mourning are conveyed with passionate intensity and economy, her voice by turns tender and fierce. a vocal critic of stalinism, she saw her work banned for many years and was expelled from the writers ’ union — condemned as “ half nun, half harlot. ” despite this censorship, her reputation continued to flourish underground, and she is still among russia ’ s most beloved poets. here are poems from all her major works — including the magnificent “ requiem ” commemorating the victims of stalin ’ s terror — and some that have been newly translated for this edition. buyback ( sell directly to one of these merchants and get cash immediately ) | currently there are no buyers interested in purchasing this book. while the book has no cash or trade value, you may consider donating it |


© 2005 - 2012 american society of clinical oncology ( asco ). all rights reserved worldwide. on this page : you will find information about how many people learn they have this type of cancer each year and some general survival information. remember, survival rates depend on several factors. to see other pages in this guide, use the colored boxes on the right side of your screen, or click “ next ” at the bottom. this year, an estimated 7, 060 adults ( 2, 630 men and 4, 430 women ) in the united states will be diagnosed with anal cancer. it is estimated that 880 deaths ( 330 men and 550 women ) from this disease will occur this year. the five - year survival rate ( percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases ) for early, localized anal cancer is between 53 % and 71 %, depending on the type of cancer ( see overview for details ). the five - year survival rate for people with tumors that have spread to the area around the anus is 24 % to 48 %. if the cancer has spread to more distant body parts, the five - year survival rate is between 7 % and 21 %. survival rate may be lower for people who have human immunodeficiency virus ( hiv ), the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome ( aids ). cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. these estimates are based on data from thousands of people with this type of cancer in the united states each year, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. it is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with anal cancer. because the survival statistics are measured in five - year intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer. learn more about understanding statistics. statistics adapted from the american cancer society ' s ( acs ) publication, cancer facts & figures 2013, and the acs website. choose “ next ” ( below, right ) to continue reading this guide to learn what raises a person ’ s risk of developing this type of cancer, or use the colored boxes located on the right side of your screen to visit any section.


this kennel was in a barn about 60 feet long and 30 feet wide with metal walls, a peaked metal roof, and concrete flooring. there were 12 dog pens in a row, each with inside and outside cages connected by plastic doggy doors framed in wood. the inside pens were about 3. 5 feet long, two feet wide, and three feet high, had wooden beams along the bottoms of the pens, rusting, thin - gauge wire for walls, and no roofs. each dog pen contained a single adult pug or miniature pinscher, each of which had a bronze tag hanging from a collar around its neck. each inside cage contained a dog house, about 1. 5 feet long, wide, and high, made of untreated wood. the corners of the dog houses were chewed and broken in several places ( 3. 1 ( c ) ( 1 ) - surfaces ). there was straw and wood chips on the flooring of the cages and more than 24 hours ’ accumulation of feces in each inside pen ( 3. 11 ( a ) - cleaning of primary enclosures ). each cage had a metal or plastic food dish placed on the floor ( 3. 9 ( b ) - feeding ). the water dishes contained ice ( 3. 2 ( a ) - heating, cooling and temperature ) ( 3. 10 - watering ). a wooden board against the inside of the barn wall and about four feet above the flooring of one cage had a white, plastic five - gallon bucket on top of it with a wooden board about a foot wide and long on top of it ( 3. 1 ( b ) - condition and site ).


as ancient rome lived in splendor off the tribute raised in the provinces, so in modern america the political capitals are prospering economically at the expense of the rest of the nation. the productive, private citizens in outlying regions of our nation and states are financially burdened to pay for a parasite public economy of lawmakers, lobbyists, contractors, and bureaucrats in the political centers. several statistics support those claims : - average annual pay of workers in the district of columbia exceeds the national average by 48 percent. nation - wide, income per person in counties with state capitals tends to be nearly 10 percent higher than in other regions. - the income differential between washington and the rest of the nation rose from 25. 9 percent in 1980 to 32. 1 percent in 1990. the poorest states have capitals with per capita income levels about 17 percent above state averages ; the richest states show virtually no income differential, which suggests that government income redistribution may contribute to poverty rather than enhance wealth. - although unemployment in the washington, d. c., metropolitan area has been increasing, it remains almost 30 percent below the national average. unemployment rates in counties containing state capitals average about 20 percent lower than in other counties. that evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that those who make up the “ parasite economy ” have been successful at improving their economic well - being at the expense of those working in the productive private economy.


evaluation of meningitis surveillance before introduction of serogroup a meningococcal conjugate vaccine — burkina faso and mali each year, 450 million persons in a region of sub - saharan africa known as the " meningitis belt " are at risk for death and disability from epidemic meningitis caused by serogroup a neisseria meningitidis ( 1 ). in 2009, the first serogroup a meningococcal conjugate vaccine ( psa - tt ) developed solely for africa ( menafrivac, serum institute of india, ltd. ), was licensed for persons aged 1 – 29 years. during 2010 – 2011, the vaccine was introduced in the hyperendemic countries of burkina faso, mali, and niger through mass campaigns. strong meningitis surveillance is critical for evaluating the impact of psa - tt because it was licensed based on safety and immunogenicity data without field effectiveness trials. case - based surveillance, which includes the collection of epidemiologic and laboratory data on individual cases year - round, is recommended for countries that aim to evaluate the vaccine ' s impact. a key component of case - based surveillance is expansion of laboratory confirmation to include every case of bacterial meningitis because multiple meningococcal serogroups and different pathogens such as haemophilus influenzae type b and streptococcus pneumoniae cause meningitis that is clinically indistinguishable from that caused by serogroup a neisseria meningitidis. before the introduction of psa - tt, evaluations of the existing meningitis surveillance in burkina faso and mali were conducted to assess the capacity for case - based surveillance. this report describes the results of those evaluations, which found that surveillance infrastructures were strong but opportunities existed for improving data management, handling of specimens shipped to reference laboratories, and laboratory capacity for confirming cases. these findings underscore the need to evaluate surveillance before vaccine introduction so that activities to strengthen surveillance are tailored to a country ' s needs and capacities. before introduction of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine, meningitis surveillance in burkina faso and mali included aggregate case counts only, enhanced by cerebrospinal fluid ( csf ) collection from a subset of cases during the epidemic season to guide epidemic preparedness and choice of polysaccharide vaccine. in collaboration with the west africa inter - country support team of the world health organization ' s africa regional office


( csf ) collection from a subset of cases during the epidemic season to guide epidemic preparedness and choice of polysaccharide vaccine. in collaboration with the west africa inter - country support team of the world health organization ' s africa regional office, cdc evaluated 2007 meningitis surveillance data from burkina faso during 2007 – 2008 and from mali in 2010. surveillance was evaluated according to cdc guidelines ( 2 ). each country ' s surveillance system was evaluated for compliance with standard operating procedures for enhanced meningitis surveillance and case - based surveillance in africa developed by the world health organization ( 3 – 5 ). meningitis surveillance data were analyzed, stakeholders were consulted, and surveillance databases, reports, and registers were examined. data management was evaluated, along with data completeness, reporting completeness, and representativeness ; specimen collection and transport ; and laboratory confirmation. in burkina faso in 2007, all 55 districts reported a total of 25, 695 meningitis cases to the national surveillance office. cases were reported weekly in aggregate, and reporting was supplemented with line lists of case - level data during the epidemic season. multiple databases rather than a single database were used, and unique identifiers were not used to link epidemiologic and laboratory data ; instead, hand - matching ( i. e., by name, age, and residence ) was attempted. completeness of case - level data was greater for demographic information ( 98 % ) than for vaccination status ( 81 % ). reporting completeness of the surveillance system, defined as the 10, 614 line - listed cases divided by the 25, 695 total cases reported in aggregate, was 41 %. of the line - listed cases, 9, 824 ( 93 % ) had csf specimens collected. population representativeness of surveillance data based on the proportion of districts submitting line lists and csf specimens was 91 % ( 50 / 55 ) and 85 % ( 47 / 55 ), respectively ; 4 % ( 443 / 10, 614 ) of line - listed cases and 4 % ( 423 / 9, 824 ) of specimens were from the burkina faso capital, ouagadougou. the proportion of all reported cases with a specimen reaching a national reference laboratory was 11 % ( 2, 898 / 25, 695 ) for cases reported in aggregate and 27 % ( 2, 898 / 10, 614 ) for line - listed cases. csf macroscopic examination, gram stain, and white blood cell count were performed routinely at


collected. results of these tests suggested bacterial meningitis in 39 % ( 198 / 514 ) of specimens. at the one reference laboratory that performed culture and latex agglutination, the proportion of specimens that were confirmed as bacterial meningitis was 21 % ( 106 / 514 ). mamoudou djingarey, md, denis kandolo, md, clement lingani, msc, fabien diomande, md, world health organization west africa inter - country support team, burkina faso. isaie medah, md, ludovic kambou, md, felix tarbangdo, ministere de la sante, burkina faso. seydou diarra, md, kandioura toure, md, flabou bougoudogo, phd, ministere de la sante, mali. sema mandal, md, ryan t. novak, phd, amanda c. cohn, md, thomas a. clark, md, nancy e. messonnier, md, div of bacterial diseases, national center for immunizations and respiratory diseases, cdc. corresponding contributor : sema mandal, firstname. lastname @ example. org, 404 - 639 - 3158. high - quality surveillance with laboratory confirmation is necessary to evaluate vaccine effectiveness, inform vaccination strategies to maintain population immunity, and monitor for changes in disease epidemiology. in this evaluation of meningitis surveillance in burkina faso and mali, good organizational structures, capable staff, and clear protocols for collecting both aggregate and case - level data and collecting csf specimens were found. however, a major gap was that case - level data and specimens often were not sent to the national level for analysis. harmonized data management tools and linking case identifiers were lacking. moreover, the ability of the reference laboratories to confirm cases was limited by the low number of submitted specimens, along with delayed specimen transport, and inadequate capacity for testing. based on the findings from the evaluation, recommendations were made to burkina faso and mali to improve data management, epidemiology, and laboratory capacity. since march 2008 in burkina faso and december 2010 in mali, these surveillance domains have been strengthened through baseline assessments, technology transfer, training, and mentorship. this is the model for meningitis surveillance and capacity - building in the meningitis belt ( figure ). surveillance needs assessments were conducted and pilot projects for case - based surveillance were implemented in selected districts, which were subsequently scaled up to the appropriate level


is the model for meningitis surveillance and capacity - building in the meningitis belt ( figure ). surveillance needs assessments were conducted and pilot projects for case - based surveillance were implemented in selected districts, which were subsequently scaled up to the appropriate level in each country. to improve case - level data reporting to the national level, district visits by supervision teams focused on introducing data management tools that included deploying a standardized surveillance database, introducing systemwide linking using unique case identifiers, and conducting training for surveillance officers. additionally, national level surveillance epidemiologists and data managers were mentored in collating, analyzing, and interpreting data. to improve specimen transport, district visits focused on reconnecting the network and conducted training on appropriate transport conditions. to improve laboratory capacity for case confirmation, real - time pcr § and external quality - control programs were established at reference laboratories. preliminary data from burkina faso for 2011 show improvements in surveillance. compared with 2007, in 2011 the proportion of line - listed cases doubled from 41 % to 88 %, and the proportion of all reported cases with a specimen reaching a reference laboratory increased from 11 % to 85 %. with implementation of real - time pcr in four national reference laboratories, causative pathogen confirmation increased from 24 % to 41 %. in mali, most surveillance - strengthening activities are still in progress, but compared with 2007, early 2012 indicators are encouraging. two of the first districts to introduce psa - tt now send electronic line - list data to the national level, the proportion of districts submitting specimens has increased from 61 % to 80 %, and pcr has been introduced at the national reference laboratory ( conventional pcr in 2009, real - time pcr in 2011 ). in burkina faso, high - quality surveillance data revealed the impact of psa - tt 1 year after it was introduced, with significant decreases in the incidence of all bacterial meningitis, serogroup a – specific meningococcal disease, and bacterial meningitis mortality, with no outbreaks identified ( 6 ). in mali, no meningitis outbreaks have occurred in 2012, and preliminary surveillance data have not identified serogroup a disease ( 7 ). burkina faso and mali differed in how they built on existing infrastructure to establish case - based surveillance. depending on local capacity, populations at risk, disease incidence, and geographic distribution, subnational rather than nationwide population - based case - based surveillance might be appropriate. for example, although burkina faso and mali are neighbors with similar sized populations ( 15


surveillance. depending on local capacity, populations at risk, disease incidence, and geographic distribution, subnational rather than nationwide population - based case - based surveillance might be appropriate. for example, although burkina faso and mali are neighbors with similar sized populations ( 15 – 16 million ) and a history of meningitis epidemics, disease epidemiology over the past decade has differed substantially. the incidence of meningitis disease in burkina faso is one of the highest in africa, with a mean annual incidence of 90 per 100, 000 during 2005 – 2009. the last major epidemic was in 2007, with 25, 695 cases. mali has a much lower mean annual incidence, seven per 100, 000 during 2005 – 2009, and the last major epidemic was in 1997, with 11, 228 cases. unlike burkina faso, which lies entirely within the meningitis belt, mali ' s northern, sparsely populated desert regions do not. therefore, mali concentrated its surveillance - strengthening efforts on the most populous districts in the meningitis belt to achieve a high proportion of laboratory - confirmed cases. the experience of case - based surveillance in burkina faso and mali has shown that one size might not fit all, but key factors for achieving surveillance objectives are conducting baseline surveillance evaluations, placing a high priority on developing surveillance expertise ( e. g., through staff training and development ), and building on existing infrastructure. the public health goal of introducing a serogroup a meningococcal conjugate vaccine is to eliminate meningitis epidemics in sub - saharan africa. ¶ strong case - based surveillance with pathogen - specific laboratory confirmation is essential to enable accurate assessments of vaccine effectiveness, vaccine failures, duration of protection, and herd immunity. assessment of all of these factors will help define a national vaccination strategy to maintain population immunity so that epidemics do not recur. such surveillance also enables identification of susceptible populations that might emerge as a result of low vaccine coverage or loss of vaccine potency during vaccine storage and handling. additionally, case - based surveillance is essential to detect other meningococcal serogroups and other meningitis pathogens with epidemic potential. finally, case - based meningitis surveillance can be of even greater value in the many countries that have introduced haemophilus influenzae type b vaccines and in those that plan to introduce pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, providing necessary information on vaccine effectiveness and changes in the epidemiology of meningitis following implementation of the vaccination programs


known to cause meningitis. § advantages of real - time over conventional pcr include the following : 1 ) in real - time pcr, amplification products are measured quantitatively each amplification cycle by measuring the fluorescence of a dye, whereas in conventional pcr, amplification products are detected only after the last amplification cycle when the products are separated by gel electrophoresis and stained ; 2 ) real - time pcr is more sensitive than conventional pcr ; and 3 ) real - time pcr amplification is performed in a closed system, whereas amplification in conventional pcr is performed in an open system, allowing a greater chance of contamination. ¶ additional information available at http : / / www. meningvax. org / mission. php. what is already known on this topic? a new serogroup a meningococcal conjugate vaccine ( psa - tt ) was introduced in the african meningitis belt with the goal of eliminating epidemic meningitis as a regional public health concern. strong case - based surveillance with laboratory confirmation is essential in early - implementing countries to evaluate vaccine impact because the vaccine was licensed based on safety and immunogenicity data without field effectiveness trials. what is added by this report? surveillance evaluations conducted in burkina faso and mali before introduction of the vaccine revealed limitations in data quality and management, specimen collection and transport, and laboratory confirmation. building on existing infrastructure and expertise, surveillance - strengthening activities, such as technology transfer, training, and mentorship, demonstrated measurable improvements. compared with 2007, causative pathogen confirmation during 2011 – 2012 increased from 24 % to 41 % in burkina faso, and the proportion of districts submitting specimens increased from 61 % to 80 % in mali. what are the implications for public health practice? countries implementing psa - tt should evaluate their existing meningitis surveillance before vaccine introduction and create a surveillance system that is population - based at the national or subnational level and that generates case - level data appropriate to their needs and capacity. abbreviations : qa = quality assurance ; qc = quality control ; pcr = real - time polymerase chain reaction ; id = identifier. alternate text : the figure above shows the model for meningitis surveillance and capacity - building used in the " meningitis belt " in africa. based on the evaluation findings, recommendations were made to burkina faso and mali to improve epidemiologic and laboratory capacity. since march 2008 in burkina faso


gonorrhea laboratory information identification of n. gonorrhoeae and related species the genus neisseria contains a number of species which are normal flora and pathogens of humans and animals. of these species, the species of human origin - - and particularly the pathogenic species, n. gonorrhoeae and n. meningitidis - - have been studied extensively in an effort to control the infections they cause. gonorrhea, caused by n. gonorrhoeae, is one of the most frequently reported infectious diseases in the united states and worldwide. rapid tests have been developed to identify and distinguish n. gonorrhoeae, from the commensal neisseria and related species which are normal flora of the oro - and nasopharynx. because many rapid tests for the identification of n. gonorrhoeae test for a limited number of characteristics which may be shared by one or more nonpathogenic neisseria spp., a non - gonococcal, commensal neisseria species may be incorrectly identified as n. gonorrhoeae. such incorrect identifications may result in serious social and medicolegal consequences for patients and their families. thus, the primary purpose of these pages is to provide information relating to the accurate identification of n. gonorrhoeae. descriptions of species in these pages will, for the moment, be limited to those of human origin. information relating to the identification species of animal origin will include a table of differential characteristics which should be consulted when a gram negative diplococcus is not readily identifiable as a human neisseria species e. g., an isolate from a wound inflicted by an animal bite. in addition, reference information on the taxonomy, host range, pathogenicity, natural habitat and prevalence of the neisseria species is included.


mobility / stability statistics for 2011 - 2012 definitions of terms used the total ( cumulative ) number of students in membership at any time during the academic year. instructional program service type ( ipst ) : services provided by schools and / or districts for students identified as belonging to one or more of the categories below. students with disabilities : students who have been formally identified as having physical or health conditions that may have a significant impact on the student ’ s ability to learn and therefore warrant placing the student on an individual educational program ( iep ). limited english proficient : this designation encompasses all students identified as either non - english proficient or limited english proficient. non - english proficient is defined as a student who speaks a language other than english and does not comprehend, speak, read, or write english. limited english proficient is defined as a student who comprehends, speaks, reads, or writes some english, but whose predominant comprehension or speech is in a language other than english. districts must provide language services to all limited english proficient students. student qualifies for either the free or reduced lunch program. the federal national school lunch act establishes eligibility for the reduced price lunch program for families with income up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level ( in 2009, this amount was $ 39, 220 for a family of four ). families with income up to 130 percent of the federal poverty level qualify for the free lunch program ( in 2009 this amount was $ 27, 560 for a family of four ). students enrolled in a specially designed program for children who are, or whose parent or spouse is a migratory agricultural worker, and who, in the preceding 36 months, in order to obtain, or accompany such parent or spouse in order to obtain, temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural work has moved from one school district to another. students that are identified by the school as failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the state ’ s challenging student academic achievement standards on the basis of multiple, educationally related, objective criteria established by the school. according to the mckinney act, a “ homeless individual ” : lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. gifted and talented : students who have been formally identified, using district - wide procedures aligned with cde guidelines, as being endowed with a high degree of exceptionality or potential in mental ability, academics, creativity, or talents ( visual, performing, musical arts, or leadership. for additional information, e - mail :


reporting on the state of the north american environment the north american agreement on environmental cooperation obliges the secretariat of the commission for environmental cooperation to “ periodically address the state of the environment in the territories of the parties. ” to meet this obligation, the secretariat has developed this report — the north american mosaic : an overview of key environmental issues — with the support of environmental reporting experts from the governments of canada, mexico and the united states. this report describes current environmental conditions and trends across north america. the breadth and diversity of the subject are astounding : from tiny invasive zebra mussels to global greenhouse gases measured by the teragram ; from the last remaining vaquita porpoises to vast expanses of boreal forests and marine ecosystems ; from invisible molecules of toxic chemicals to the all - too - visible smog and haze that blanket our cities from time to time. as a mosaic of existing information, this report prompts us to consider the following questions : the commission for environmental cooperation welcomes your feedback < email @ example. com >. - what are the central environmental challenges confronting north america? - what are the greatest priorities for cooperative action among our three countries to address these environmental challenges? - how can we measure our progress and create effective feedback mechanisms? - how can we enhance the relevance of trinational cooperation through the commission for environmental cooperation? the 14 environmental issue papers may be downloaded individually as pdf files :


march 2, 2011 contact : ashley moore the children ' s hospital of philadelphia office : ( 267 ) 426 - 6071 ; mobile : ( 267 ) 294 - 9134 performing delicate surgery in the womb, months before birth, can substantially improve outcomes for children with a common, disabling birth defect of the spine. experts at the children ’ s hospital of philadelphia ( chop ) co - led a new landmark study showing that fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain, improves mobility and improves the chances that a child will be able to walk independently. spina bifida is the most common birth defect of the central nervous system, affecting about 1, 500 babies born each year in the united states. “ this is the first time in history that we can offer real hope to parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida, ” said n. scott adzick, md, surgeon - in - chief at the children ’ s hospital of philadelphia, director of children ’ s hospital ’ s center for fetal diagnosis and treatment, and lead author of a federally sponsored study reporting results of a clinical trial of fetal surgery for myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida. adzick, who led a team at chop that pioneered fetal surgeries for this condition and set the stage for this clinical trial, added, “ this is not a cure, but this trial demonstrates scientifically that we can now offer fetal surgery as a standard of care for spina bifida. ” myelomeningocele is devastating, occurring when part of the spinal column does not close around the spinal cord, failing to protect it during stages of fetal development. long - term survivors of the condition frequently suffer lifelong disabilities, including paralysis, bladder and bowel problems, hydrocephalus ( excessive fluid pressure in the brain ), and cognitive impairments. fetal surgery researchers have now reported long - awaited results from an unprecedented clinical trial that compared outcomes of prenatal, or fetal, surgery versus postnatal surgery, the conventional surgery for this disabling neurological condition. the study appears today in an online first article in the new england journal of medicine. two and a half years after fetal surgery, children with spina bifida were better able to walk, when compared to children who received surgery shortly after birth. patients who received fetal surgery also scored better on tests of motor function. within a year after fetal surgery, they were less


surgery, children with spina bifida were better able to walk, when compared to children who received surgery shortly after birth. patients who received fetal surgery also scored better on tests of motor function. within a year after fetal surgery, they were less likely to need a shunt, a surgically implanted tube that drains fluid from the brain. three fetal surgery centers participated in the management of myelomeningocele study ( moms ) trial — at the children ’ s hospital of philadelphia, vanderbilt university, and the university of california san francisco. the biostatistics center at george washington university ( gwu ) served as the coordinating center and oversaw data collection and analysis, while the eunice kennedy shriver national institute of child health and human development sponsored the trial. the moms study was a prospective, randomized clinical trial. one sign of its prominence is that all u. s. fetal surgery centers not participating in the trial agreed to perform no fetal surgery for spina bifida during the 7 - year duration of the trial. the trial goal was to enroll 200 patients, but the nih ended the trial in december 2010, after 183 surgeries had occurred, based on clear evidence of efficacy for the prenatal procedure. throughout the trial, women whose fetuses had been diagnosed with spina bifida contacted the trial ’ s coordinating center at gwu if they chose to volunteer for the study. that center randomly assigned half of the eligible women to receive prenatal surgery, the other half to receive postnatal surgery. postnatal surgery entailed delivery by planned cesarean section at 37 weeks gestation, after which the surgical team repaired the opening in the newborn ’ s spine, usually within 24 hours after birth. in prenatal surgery, done between 19 and 26 weeks ’ gestation, the surgical team made incisions in the mother and her uterus, then repaired the spina bifida lesion while the fetus was in the womb. mothers in this group stayed near the center for ongoing monitoring, then underwent delivery by planned cesarean section at 37 weeks, or earlier, because many of the babies in the prenatal surgery group arrived prematurely. the complex requirements of this fetal surgery require a highly sophisticated multidisciplinary team. the chop program includes specialists in fetal surgery, neurosurgery, obstetrics, maternal - fetal medicine, cardiology, anesthesiology and critical care, neonatology, and nursing. in both study groups


least one year after surgery. clinicians who were independent of the surgical teams and blinded ( not informed which of the two surgeries a given child received ) evaluated the children from the study at one year of age and again at age 30 months. “ the mothers, children and families who participated in this moms trial, and who are continuing to be available for follow - up studies, have made an important contribution to our knowledge and treatment of spina bifida, ” said lori j. howell, rn, ms, executive director of the cfdt, and a study co - author. “ because of their involvement, we are better able to accurately counsel other families about what it will mean to have a child with spina bifida — and to offer a rigorously tested, innovative prenatal surgical treatment. ” although the trial results mark a milestone in spina bifida treatment, not every woman carrying a fetus with spina bifida may be a suitable candidate for fetal surgery. for example, severely obese women were not included in the current study because they have a higher risk of surgical complications. adzick noted that further research will continue to refine surgical techniques and improve methods to reduce the risks to mothers and fetuses. in the meantime, concluded adzick, “ both the experimental outcomes of animal studies and the results of the moms trial suggest that prenatal surgery for myelomeningocele stops the exposure of the developing spinal cord to amniotic fluid and thereby averts further neurological damage in utero. in addition, by stopping the leak of cerebrospinal fluid from the myelomeningocele defect, prenatal surgery reverses hindbrain herniation in utero. we believe this in turn mitigates the development of hydrocephalus and the need for shunting after birth. ” adzick added that this demonstrated success for fetal surgery may broaden its application to other birth defects, many of which are rarer but more uniformly lethal than spina bifida. children ’ s hospital ’ s comprehensive center already offers fetal surgery for selected life - threatening fetal conditions. the children ’ s hospital of philadelphia began performing fetal surgery for spina bifida in 1998, three years after adzick launched the center for fetal diagnosis and treatment. the center ’ s reports of neurological improvements in spina bifida, based on 58 fetal surgeries through 2003, helped lay the groundwork for the moms trial. for ad


march 26, 2012 contact : john ascenzi, children ’ s hospital of philadelphia, phone : ( 267 ) 426 - 6055, ascenzi @ email. chop. edu new biological research reveals how an invading virus hijacks a cell ’ s workings by imitating a signaling marker to defeat the body ’ s defenses. by manipulating cell signals, the virus destroys a defensive protein designed to inhibit it. this finding, from studies in human cell cultures, may represent a broader targeting strategy used by other viruses, and may lay the scientific groundwork for developing more effective treatments for infectious diseases. “ learning details of how cells respond to viruses helps us to understand key cellular machinery better, ” said study leader matthew d. weitzman, ph. d., of the center for cellular and molecular therapeutics at the children ’ s hospital of philadelphia. “ this study tells us how a virus overcomes intrinsic host defenses. in this case the virus mimics signals used during normal dna repair mechanisms. ” the study team, formerly based at the salk institute for biological studies in la jolla, calif., published their current findings online march 8 in molecular cell. biologists have long known that viruses hijack cellular processes to replicate themselves, while host cells have evolved intrinsic defense systems to resist viral invasion. to replicate, viruses must deliver their own dna into a cell ’ s nucleus, so a viral infection entails a conflict between two genomes — the dna of the host cell versus the foreign dna of the virus. viruses mount their attack by interacting with specific cell proteins as a way of penetrating the cell ’ s defenses. “ in this study, we asked how the herpes simplex virus finds the specific proteins that it interacts with, ” said weitzman. “ by describing the mechanism of this particular interaction between a virus and a cell protein, we have pinpointed key regulators of a cell ’ s processes, and shed light on how a cell regulates its defenses. ” this laboratory study focused on herpes simplex virus type - 1 ( hsv - 1 ), a common human virus that results in recurrent infections alternating with inactive periods. like other viruses, hsv - 1 is known to manipulate cellular processes in order to infect cells, but the specific mechanisms by which it acts on the dna repair pathway were previously unknown. weitzman ’ s study team was studying a viral protein called icp0 that overcomes host defenses by targeting cellular proteins for destruction. they found that icp0 exploits ph


mechanisms by which it acts on the dna repair pathway were previously unknown. weitzman ’ s study team was studying a viral protein called icp0 that overcomes host defenses by targeting cellular proteins for destruction. they found that icp0 exploits phosphorylation, a chemical mark that is often used in cells to promote interactions between proteins, especially as part of the cellular signaling response to dna damage. in hsv - 1 infection, the phosphorylation signal on icp0 attracts a cellular dna damage response protein, rnf8, which binds to the false signaling marker and is then degraded. because rnf8 normally inhibits viral replication, its destruction leaves the cell vulnerable to hsv - 1 infection, as the virus takes over the cell ’ s machinery. the researchers also found that icp0 exploits the same phosphorylation signal to bind to other cellular proteins in addition to rnf8, a hint that it may play a broader role in defeating antiviral defenses and manipulating cellular machinery. weitzman will continue to investigate hsv - 1 infection in neurons and in animal models. he also plans to extend his research into other viruses, which may act on different pathways than hsv - 1 does. “ ultimately, ” he added, “ better knowledge of molecular mechanisms in infection may suggest strategies to interrupt the viral life cycle and treat infections. ” the national institutes of health, the salk institute, the american cancer society and the howard hughes medical institute were among the funders of this research. “ viral e3 ubiquitin ligase - mediated degradation of a cellular e3 : viral mimicry of a cellular phosphorylation mark targets the rnf8 fha domain, ” molecular cell, published online march 8, 2012, to appear in print, april 13, 2012. doi : 10. 1016 / j. molcel. 2012. 02. 004


human rights reminder sixty - four years ago, on dec. 10, the united nations promulgated and its members adopted the international declaration of human rights. ever since, international human rights day has been “ celebrated ” on the same date. written after world war ii as the sun had just begun to rise over the darkened, brutalized terrain of so much of the world, the document enshrines the highest values and aspirations of civilized men and women. the document hoped to open a door onto a new world. it begins : “ whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world … “ whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind … “ whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations … ” how should we respond, therefore, when not one leader of the arab world, let alone the purportedly moderate palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas, condemned the call to genocide last weekend by hamas chief khaled meshal? meshal fulminated against israel. “ we are not giving up any inch of palestine. it will remain islamic and arab for us and nobody else. jihad and armed resistance is the only way. we cannot recognize israel ’ s legitimacy. from the sea to the river, from north to south, we will not give up any part of palestine — it is our country, our right and our homeland. ” was it only a fool ’ s grasp at a straw to hope that abbas, the anointed of the western world, would have publicly protested : “ no! that is no longer the way. we wish to live alongside, not instead of, israel. ” but it would appear that despite the new un state status conferred upon abbas ’ plo, the palestinian leader believes the provisions of the declaration do not apply to him. of course, in this belief, he is at one with all the members of arab league who applauded meshal and the various other political leaders who regard the declaration as merely a decorative plaque to hang on a wall hiding a crack in the plaster rather than as an earnest, meaningful expression of human values. but the protection of human rights must not only concern us when it is beyond our borders. cjn reporter andy levy - ajzenkopf reminds us in a compelling, two - part series about the predicament of the european roma that we must ensure our own laws – here


warsaw ghetto uprising ’ s 70th anniversary seventy years ago last month, the nazis began their second deportation of the jews from the warsaw ghetto. in response, on jan. 18, 1943, the first organized and armed jewish / zionist resistance action in the ghetto was launched. the fighters of the zzw and zob drove the nazis from the ghetto. months later, on april 19, 1943, on the eve of passover, the nazi ss and police units entered the ghetto and were attacked by organized jewish partisans yet again. there were two separate armed resistance organizations in the ghetto – the zzw and zob. the most famous jewish leader of armed resistance is mordechai anielewicz, commander of the zob ( jewish fighting organization ) during the uprising. the zob was an alliance of several zionist and non - zionist youth groups. anielewicz received paramilitary training in betar as a young teenager and left the group before the war. the zob had a socialist orientation, and betar as an organization did not participate in it, in part because of politics. zzw, the jewish military organization, was commanded and manned by betar members and their allies. betar ’ s fighters in the warsaw ghetto uprising have been largely written out of history. moshe arens, a former israeli defence minister who was a betar member, recently wrote a yet - to - be published book on betar ’ s heroic battle against the ss in the ghetto. that book, flags over the warsaw ghetto ( gefen publishing, november 2011 ), and articles by arens about the zzw that were published in yad vashem studies, ha ’ aretz and the jerusalem post have helped to create a far more accurate account of the zzw ’ s participation in the uprising. the book and the articles also did much to recall the heroism of pawel frenkel, zzw ’ s commander. the zzw is now thought by historians to have been the better - equipped force in the ghetto, as it had procured machine guns. the zob, however, had more fighters. the groups finally decided to co - ordinate their efforts in the last moments before the april 19 battle began. for 28 days, jewish warriors fought the enemy and showed bravery not seen since the days of bar kochba ’ s uprising against rome. in the vilna ghetto, betar leader joseph glazman was deputy commander of the united partisan organization, the only armed jewish resistance group in that ghetto


and showed bravery not seen since the days of bar kochba ’ s uprising against rome. in the vilna ghetto, betar leader joseph glazman was deputy commander of the united partisan organization, the only armed jewish resistance group in that ghetto. betar was founded in 1923 by ze ’ ev jabotinsky ( 1880 - 1940 ), a figure who is too often forgotten today. professor daniel j. elazar ( 1934 - 1999 ), a scholar of the jewish political tradition, in the may 15, 1981, edition of the journal sh ’ ma elazar remarked about jabotinsky ’ s legacy : “ would there be serious public commemoration of the 100th birthday of zev jabotinsky had it not been for the fact that the likud won the election in israel in 1977? not likely. for 30 years and more, jabotinsky was one of those non - persons in israel and the jewish world … the ruling labor party made him a non - person for the same reasons that it portrayed [ then - prime minister ] menachem begin and his supporters as uncivilized fascists – it is easier to beat the opposition by painting it as irrelevant, intolerable and non - existent, until it is too strong to be dismissed. ” this year ’ s 70th anniversary of the warsaw ghetto uprising offers an opportunity to remind today ’ s jews about jabotinsky ’ s vital contributions. moshe phillips is the president of the philadelphia chapter of americans for a safe israel.


carbon savings - promoting tangible methods of conservation ( finalist. ) ymca - toronto office updates based on feedback : many have felt this proposal is based on measuring a person ' s carbon footprint, instead we are helping people estimate the economic and environmental benefits they can expect to achieve by switching to a new light bulb, showerhead or even by adding a rain barrel. we will be getting the word out through our own marketing efforts but also see this as a resource to support the many organizations that are already out there. we provide traction to the envrionmental movement and use money and environmental benefits as incentives for people to consider and try new products. we are looking to work with sustainability networks, housing associations, builders, manufactuers and retailers ( to help market their products ), real estate agents, mortgage specialists, educational programs, speakers and the list goes on. - if you are one of these people or know someone who is, we would love to hear from you! carbon savings is committed to reducing society ’ s demand on natural resources by promoting environmentally preferred products ( epps ). to do this, carbon savings focuses on public awareness by helping people to understand how to conserve water and energy and then to estimate the financial and environmental benefits associated with each method. this is done through calculators which help people estimate their annual savings, payback period and co2 reductions. please view http : / / carbonsavings. org / product. php? item = faucet for an example. the organization was founded on the following premises : - people would prefer to reduce their impact on the environment as long as it does not affect their standard of living - the majority of people are motivated to action based on financial considerations - people are hesitant to spend money when the resulting savings are unknown in order to support the transition towards a low carbon economy, carbon savings has decided to concentrate its efforts on a two pronged approach. the first is to help homeowners and businesses find tangible methods to conserve energy and water. there are roughly 30 household technologies that are good for the environmental and have a fast payback period, yet many of them are unfamiliar to the public. as a result, carbon savings is building a comprehensive and easy - to - use website for consumers to view all of their options and learn about each one. the second approach is to help companies communicate the benefits of their epps to the public. this allows manufacturers and retailers to promote their products by demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits to the customer. in essence, the calculators


learn about each one. the second approach is to help companies communicate the benefits of their epps to the public. this allows manufacturers and retailers to promote their products by demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits to the customer. in essence, the calculators become interactive marketing tools to help companies sell more products. at the end of the day, increased sales translate into greater adoption of conservation. background & details the concept of carbon savings was born in 2010 as part of a sustainability course in engineering at queen ’ s university. since that time, the idea has evolved and gained momentum. today, the company has teamed up with a number of non - profit organizations to provide traction to their environmental efforts. one of carbon savings ’ core beliefs is that in order to achieve mainstream conservation, consumers must first know what their options are and then be convinced these products are worth buying. as a result, the company has created a working prototype at www. carbonsavings. org to allow users to browse through different product categories, such as showerheads and thermostats, in order to learn about them and their importance. each technology is highlighted with its own interactive calculator to help users estimate the financial and environmental benefits. the calculators are pre - loaded with average household data to help people that may not be aware of reasonable input values. these numbers can be changed to generate customized estimates. in addition to the 30 household technologies, there are roughly 40 commercial technologies that can be adopted at work to generate even greater savings. as the site develops, the goal is to provide a user experience geared towards helping people and companies explore practical opportunities to achieve conservation. by highlighting all of these technologies, carbon savings is looking to offer the most extensive collection of environmental products and their calculators in one location. beyond the educational website, carbon savings will leverage its impact by creating marketing tools for manufacturers and retailers. the calculators can be customized to be product specific and can be placed on the retailer ’ s site beside the product, which positions the calculators in front of people at the point of sale. it also enables companies to provide personalized estimates without sending their customers away from their website. the calculators have a lot of flexibility in terms of look, feel and the number of questions asked of the user. they must also be approved by carbon savings for accuracy and then carry the carbon savings logo, providing third party verification. companies do not currently have the option to license energy savings calculators and therefore, cannot benefit from the various advantages they have


user. they must also be approved by carbon savings for accuracy and then carry the carbon savings logo, providing third party verification. companies do not currently have the option to license energy savings calculators and therefore, cannot benefit from the various advantages they have to offer. the licensing option allows companies to focus on their core competency while outsourcing software improvements and utility updates to an industry expert. also, companies are able to forgo the development cost, which reduces risk and makes high - end features more affordable. at the end of the day, these marketing tools and added features help companies sell more epps and lead to a low carbon economy. once the site is established, carbon savings will create tools to help sustainability departments and green teams to evaluate the energy and water savings potential of their company. again, the focus will be on both the financial and enviornmental benefits so they can communicate the benefits to the public once the retrofits are performed. this helps the departments identify the best opportunities while saving a lot time since the software will evaluate which technologies offer the greatest savings and are best suited for their applications. this lets staff members concentrate on implimentation while carbon savings performs the initial research and compares technologies. a big component of our success will be getting our calculators in front of people. this will be facilitated by a number of partnerships. as it ' s been mentioned throughout the competition, we have a number of partnerships in the works and some have been confirmed at this time. we are working with the ymca, a few td branches ( to start ), science 44 housing co - op ( and looking at the co - op network ), youth metoring youth program and we are hoping to work with a number of low - income housing organizations, greenovations with queen ' s university and there are a large number of organizations in the pipeline. another aspect to consider is that corporate clients are similar to partnerships in the way that they help bring the calculators to the public. companies looking to license the calculators bring the calculators to their own network and often present the information at meaningful times such as the point of sale or in relationship to a " call to action ". the energy demands of the average canadian household results in roughly 8 - 10 metric tons of co2 emissions per year. however, it is possible to reduce these energy demands by more than 20 % with technologies that offer a combined payback period of less than 5 years. as a result, a household would be able to save upwards of $


co2 emissions per year. however, it is possible to reduce these energy demands by more than 20 % with technologies that offer a combined payback period of less than 5 years. as a result, a household would be able to save upwards of $ 500 per year and reduce emission by over 2 metric tons on an annual basis. average annual savings low flow showerheads - 220kg co2 | $ 90 per year | 0. 7 year payback period ( or less ) | 30, 000l of water faucet aerators - 60kg co2 | $ 40 per year | 0. 5 year payback period ( or less ) | 15, 000l of water rain barrel - 2kg co2 | $ 9 per year | 10 year payback period | 5, 000l of water front - load washing - 170kg co2 | $ 140 per year | 5 - 10 year payback period | 40, 000l of water thermostat - 200kg co2 | $ 40 per year | 2. 5 year payback period phantom power bar - 30kg co2 | $ 20 per year | 2 year payback period the goal is to reach as many people as possible and through the help of the ymca, carbon savings is able to get a good start. in toronto alone, the ymca network reaches approximately 500, 000 people each year and the organization helps roughly 25 % of all immigrants entering the country. their network offers an incredible opportunity to reach a large number of people and tailor solutions to help recent immigrants. the partnership will begin with a flyer distributed through the ymca ’ s network that will highlight a couple household products and how much can be saved. it will then lead people to both organizations ’ websites to learn more. partnering with the ymca offers an unparalleled ability to reach a large number of people and achieve environmental reform. furthermore, targeted campaigns can help low income families save money with products that have payback periods of less than 1 year. separately, a couple bank branches have offered to provide exposure by handing out information about www. carbonsavings. org to new homeowners that sign up for a mortgage. carbon savings was founded by howard swartz who graduated from mechanical engineering at queen ’ s university. he has continued his studies at queen ’ s and is currently completing a masters in civil engineering with speciality in applied sustainability. he has worked as the environmental manager for an eco - friendly coffee shop and spent a summer at an energy service company. in the


contact lens prescription by mary jameson, bhs, coa, nclc, cpot what do the numbers on a contact lens prescription mean? how do they relate to a patient ' s eyes? how important are they? with all of the controversy surrounding the issue of releasing contact lens prescriptions, we should understand what every detail of the prescription means. measuring base curve the back of a contact lens features a series of curves. these curves help the contact lens fit the contour of a cornea. the main back surface curve of a lens is the base curve. it represents the central radius of curvature of the back of the lens. the base curve corresponds to the keratometry reading, the measurement of a patient ' s corneal curvature. we typically record keratometry measurements in diopters of power and typically measure the base curve reading in millimeters of radius. you can use a conversion chart to transition from diopters to millimeters of radius. when you select a trial lens, you can choose a base curve that is on k ( meaning it matches the corneal curvature reading ), steeper than k ( meaning the base curve is smaller than the corneal curvature reading ) or flatter than k ( meaning that the base curve is larger or longer than the corneal curvature reading ). an " on k fit " is not always the ideal. you can compare this to shopping for shoes or clothing - - if you are a certain size in one brand, you may not be the same size in another. the same is true for contact lenses. patients need to try contact lenses on to make sure the fit is the best possible. the power of a lens represents the prescription that will neutralize the power of the patient ' s eye. this number is not always the same for a contact lens fitting as it is for a spectacle prescription. you must take the vertex distance ( the distance from the surface of the cornea to the back of the spectacle lens ) into consideration because the contact lens fits onto the cornea. you can use an effectivity chart to make the appropriate power adjustments. also, the over - refraction during the lens fit will help finalize the patient ' s prescription. when you fit gas permeable lenses, you must consider the relationship of the base curve to the cornea. when you fit a lens steeper or flatter than the keratometry reading, a lacrimal lens forms between the cornea and the back curvature of the lens. if you fit a lens steeper than


curve to the cornea. when you fit a lens steeper or flatter than the keratometry reading, a lacrimal lens forms between the cornea and the back curvature of the lens. if you fit a lens steeper than the k reading, then you must add minus power to the prescription. likewise, if you fit a lens flatter than the k reading, then you must add plus power to the prescription. use the acronym samfap ( steeper add minus ; flatter add plus ) to help remember this calculation. contact lens diameter influences the fit of the lens. diameter is less variable for soft lenses. if you reduce the diameter of the lens but the base curve remains the same, then the lens will show more movement. if you increase the diameter of the lens but the base curve remains the same, the lens will show minimal amounts of movement. contact lens prescriptions should be filled just like any other valid medical prescription. make " no substitutions " the norm for contact lens prescriptions. any variance from the prescribed contact lenses can result in problems for your patients. ms. jameson is laboratory supervisor for the department of clinical sciences at the pennsylvania college of optometry and is a past chair of the aoa paraoptometric contact lens spectrum, issue : october 2003


having a labrador retriever as a companion in your home is wonderful, especially if you have the opportunity to have raised your dog from a puppy. however, dogs tend to be much more short - lived than humans, and many pet owners are concerned about how to give their dog the highest quality of living possible. there are many factors that influence how many years your labrador retriever will spend with you, some of which will depend on your responsibility as a pet owner. what is the average lifespan of a labrador retriever? the official average lifespan of a labrador retriever is said to be between 12 and 13 years. this is called the median age. the term “ median age ” refers to a point when half of a specific breed live past this age, while half are no longer alive. labrador retrievers have a relatively high median age compared to some other larger breeds ( st. bernard dogs only have a median age of 4. 1 years! ). however, it is possible for a labrador retriever to live longer than 13 years, with good lifestyle habits and attentive medical care. good lifestyle habits many veterinary studies have proven that a fit labrador lives much longer than an inactive or obese labrador. in one study, there were two groups of 20 dogs : one group was fed low - quality dog food, and one group was fed high quality dog food in addition to exercise. by the age of 13, eleven of the dogs that had been fed better food were still alive, in contrast to one of the low - quality dog food group. though some of these dogs died from disease, it is clear that some important lifestyle choices can affect how long your dog will live. how to help your dog live longer the most important thing to help your dog to live longer is to provide constant attention. your dog is your companion, and will thrive off of the love that you show them. as a companion, it ’ s important that you feed your dog the highest quality pet food that you can afford. lower quality pet foods may contain chemicals, indigestible nutrients, and a high carbohydrate content. higher quality foods contain nutrients that are easily absorbed, and are much easier for your dog to digest. exercise is also very important when helping your dog to become healthy. labrador retrievers are very active, and will require at least 20 minutes of moderate exercise on a daily basis.


( cnn ) - - boys in the united states are starting puberty earlier than ever, according to a new study publishing in the november issue of the journal pediatrics. in the study, lead author marcia herman - giddens from the university of north carolina ' s school of public health and her colleagues show that boys are starting to sexually develop six months to two years earlier than medical textbooks say is standard. this research has been a long time coming. herman - giddens first documented early puberty in girls in 1997, and several studies have since backed up those findings. one of the reasons it took so long to do a comprehensive study on early puberty in boys, herman - giddens said, is that the onset is more difficult to identify. for girls, breast development and the start of a menstrual cycle are obvious clues. for boys, the onset of puberty comes in the form of enlarged testes and the production of sperm. researchers responded : " ' yikes, we don ' t want to ask about that! ' " herman - giddens said with a laugh. but ask they did - - 212 practitioners across the country examined more than 4, 100 boys aged 6 to 16. the practitioners recorded information on the boys ' genital size and pubic hair appearance. researchers assigned each boy ' s data to one of five stages - - stage 1 being pre - puberty, stage 2 being the onset of puberty and stage 5 being adult maturity. they then compared the ages and puberty stages of all the boys. the rigorous study was designed to report on only physical changes, not hormonal. the results were broken down by race : african - american boys start hitting stage 2 first, at about 9 years old, while non - hispanic white and hispanic boys begin developing around 10 years old. " this should have an impact on the public health community, " herman - giddens said. but the researcher is concerned about using the numbers as a new standard for pediatricians. " that might be normal now, " she said, " but that doesn ' t mean it ' s normal in the sense of what ' s healthy or what should be. " one of the reasons she ' s worried is that our environment may be playing a role in accelerating puberty. " the changes are too fast, " herman - giddes said. " genetics take maybe hundreds, thousands of years. you have to look at something in the environment. that would include everything from ( a lack of ) exercise


accelerating puberty. " the changes are too fast, " herman - giddes said. " genetics take maybe hundreds, thousands of years. you have to look at something in the environment. that would include everything from ( a lack of ) exercise to junk food to tv to chemicals. " dr. megan kelsey, an assistant professor of pediatric endocrinology with children ' s hospital colorado, said several studies have shown an association between childhood obesity and early puberty in girls. fat tissue has the ability to convert other hormones into estrogen, which experts believe may lead to early breast development. fat also creates the hormone leptin, which is necessary for the onset of puberty, kelsey said. the little research that has been done on the relation between obesity and puberty in boys has shown conflicting results. a few studies found puberty is delayed in obese males - - possibly because of excess estrogen in the body. obesity could still be to blame, but a closer examination is needed, kelsey said. the problem is a lot of other factors that could be involved. " it ' s a very complicated subject, " said sonya lunder, a senior analyst with the environmental working group. " we ' re finding a lot of the chemicals that americans have daily exposure to have an impact. " but identifying the specific chemicals that are causing hormonal changes has so far been impossible. skepticism abounds about food additives, pesticides and chemicals like bpa, lunder said. " the overall concern is that by hastening puberty you ' re actually shortening childhood, " she said. " the real impact of this is not only on future fertility, " but also that puberty is a " physiological change in your brain. " parents should be aware that their boy or girl could hit puberty earlier than they did as children, herman - giddes said. they may need to give " the birds and the bees " talk earlier or be prepared to explain their child ' s body changes. early development in girls has been linked to poor self - esteem, eating disorders, and depression, according to health. com. the findings for boys are not as clear, but parents should be on the lookout for risky behaviors. one thing that should be a relief for parents, though, is that boys are still seemingly reaching sexual maturity at the same age as they have in the past. " although they seem to be starting a little bit earlier, they seem to reach the end of puberty at the same time as they used


problem code : manyleft all submissions for this problem are available. the classical game of oneleft is played as follows. some pegs are placed on an nxn grid. initially, at least one cell is empty and at least one contains a peg ( each cell contains at most one peg ). a move consists of jumping one peg over an adjacent peg to an empty cell, and removing the peg that was jumped over. formally, if there is a peg in cell ( x1, y1 ), and cell ( x2, y2 ) is empty, and ( x1 - x2, y1 - y2 ) is one of ( 0, 2 ), ( 0, - 2 ), ( 2, 0 ), or ( - 2, 0 ), and there is a peg in cell ( ( x1 + x2 ) / 2, ( y1 + y2 ) / 2 ), then the peg in cell ( x1, y1 ) may be moved to cell ( x2, y2 ) and the peg in cell ( ( x1 + x2 ) / 2, ( y1 + y2 ) / 2 ) removed. the coordinate ( 0, 0 ) indicates the top - left corner, ( n - 1, 0 ) indicates the top - right corner, ( 0, n - 1 ) indicates the bottom - left corner, and ( n - 1, n - 1 ) indicates the bottom - right corner. the game continues until no more moves are possible. normally the goal of oneleft is to leave a single peg on the grid. however, in this problem the goal is to leave as many pegs as possible. optimal solutions are not required, but solutions that leave more pegs will score more points. input begins with an integer n, the size of the grid. n lines follow with n characters each, representing the grid. a '. ' character indicates an empty cell, and a ' * ' character indicates a peg. for each test case, first output the number of moves in your solution. then output each move in the form " x1 y1 x2 y2 ", which indicates a peg moving from ( x1, y1 ) to ( x2, y2 ). any whitespace in your solution will be ignored. your score for each test case is the fraction of cells containing pegs after performing the moves in your solution. your overall score is the average of your scores on the individual test cases. invalid solutions


. any whitespace in your solution will be ignored. your score for each test case is the fraction of cells containing pegs after performing the moves in your solution. your overall score is the average of your scores on the individual test cases. invalid solutions will be judged as " wrong answer ". in particular, if any legal moves exist after the moves in your solution have been performed, your solution will considered invalid. sample input 1 6.. *.. * *.. *. * * * *. * *. * * *.. * * * *.. * *. *. * sample output 1 13 1 3 1 1 3 3 1 3 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 0 3 5 3 3 5 2 3 2 5 0 5 2 3 2 3 0 2 4 0 4 0 3 0 5 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 2 5 sample input 2 5. *. *... *.. *... *... *.. *... sample output 2 the first sample output scores 8 / 36 = 0. 2222. the second sample output scores 7 / 25 = 0. 28. recall that the goal is to maximize your score. test case generation for each official test file, n is chosen randomly and uniformly between 10 and 30, inclusive. a real number d is chosen randomly and uniformly between 0. 5 and 0. 95, then each cell is independently chosen to contain a peg with probability d. | time limit : | | 1 sec | | source limit : | | 50000 bytes | | languages : | | ada, asm, bash, bf, c, c99 strict, caml, cloj, clps, cpp 4. 0. 0 - 8, cpp 4. 3. 2, cs2, d, erl, fort, fs, go, hask, ick, icon, jar, java, js, lisp clisp, lisp sbcl, lua, nem, nice, nodejs, pas fpc, pas gpc, perl, perl6, php, pike, prlg, pyth, pyth 3. 1. 2, ruby, scala, scm guile, scm qobi, st, tcl, text, wspc | fetching successful submissions


posted 3 years ago in 1941 anton refreger was paid $ 26, 000 by the wpa to make murals in san francisco ' s rincon post office on spear street. i visited it today and took pictures of the wonderful murals, which trace the state ' s history from the indians to the world wars. these two murals are numbers four and five. notice in them the massive hands of the people - - something found in all of refreiger ' s murals. here is the provided description in the post office, which is actually now a food court, not a post office. 4. conquistadors discover the pacific : " baja california was discovered in 1533 by fortun jimenez of the cortes expedition. by 1540, ulloa, another member of that expedition, had explored the sea of cortes. also in that year, hernando de alarcon sailed up the colorado river and in 1541, francisco de bolanos explored both sides of the baja peninsula. the first european to explore alta california, the land above the bajapeninsula, was juan rodriguez cabrillo who sailed to the santa barbara islands in 1543. ' 5. monks building the mission : " mission san francisco de asis, named for the founder of the franciscan order, st. francis of assisi, is popularly know as mission dolores. that name comes from a stream named arroyo de los dolores originally on the property. that stream and its adjoining lake were filled in years ago. mission dolores, the sixth of california ' s 21 missions, was founded in 1776 by a missionary named palou. the chapel that stands today was completed in 1791 and restored in 1917 by architect willis polk. " part of my trip to rincon center. for more on new deal post office murals, check out this website : http : / / www. parmaconservation. com / newdealpostoffic. html


washington - - december 7 - - the united states is facing a looming waste crisis with a conservative estimate of 70 billion pounds of pvc plastic ( polyvinyl chloride ) slated for disposal in the next decade. disposal rates are expected to sharply increase as an estimated 125 billion pounds of pvc installed in the last 40 years in construction and other long lasting uses will need to be disposed of as it reaches the end of its useful life. this pervasive poison plastic is used in thousands of products including pipes, building materials ( such as vinyl siding ), consumer products ( such as toys or tablecloths ) and disposable packaging, and cannot be disposed of safely. from 1966 to 2002, an estimated 250 billion pounds of pvc was used in the u. s., with a doubling of use in the past 15 years alone. a new report, pvc : bad news come in threes, documents the health and environmental hazards during manufacturing, product use and disposal, and provides detailed state and national estimates on pvc waste incinerated and landfilled. several communities near incinerators are concerned about increased cancer rates linked to dioxin emissionsburning pvc plastic forms dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals linked to cancer many pvc products are made with toxic additives including phthalates and organotins that can be released during use, and leach into groundwater when landfilled. studies have shown plasticizers such as phthalates have migrated out of pvc containers used to store food, iv bags used to hold blood, toys and numerous other soft vinyl products, exposing people to toxic additives. and, consumers that recycle pvc bottles are unaware that it can contaminate the entire recycling batch. the center for health, environment & justices ( chej ) be safe network kicked off a campaign to convince johnson & johnson and microsoft to switch to available, safe non - pvc products and packaging as bristol meyers, samsung and nike have already done. many firefighters who are concerned about pvc - producing toxic fumes in burning buildings will benefit from firestones announcement in october to phase out 8, 000 tons of pvc used annually in their roofing. the two corporate targets are large users of pvc packaging such as microsofts blister packaging on software products, and johnson and johnsons kids detangling shampoo bottles. some major medical device manufacturers are switching from using pvc to avoid direct patient exposure to phthalates, as well as the public and environmental health impacts


imagine a moment from the age of dinosaurs frozen in time : primitive birds, bees, insects, early mammals, the first known flowering plants and of course, dinosaurs, all exquisitely preserved in fine - grained fossils from chinaa€™s liaoning province. volcanic eruptions killed and buried victims quickly in this dinosaur pompeii, capturing soft, fragile features not normally preserved in fossils a€ ” notably the feathers on animals that had never been known to have them before. now, with state - of - the - art animation to bring this lost world to life, nova investigates the mysterious feathered dinosaurs that are challenging old ideas about the origin of bird flight. the central character in this drama is a strange little dinosaur with wings on its legs as well as its arms. the pigeon - sized microraptor is the smallest adult dinosaur ever found, perhaps the first known tree dweller. but could it really fly? is it the key to understanding the origin of flight or merely an evolutionary dead end unrelated to the ancestry of birds? to help solve the riddle, nova assembles a team of top paleontologists, aeronautical engineers and paleo - artists to reconstruct the microraptor and build a sophisticated model for a wind tunnel experiment. the results have surprising implications for long - accepted ideas about how winged flight began. a


herbal tea ingredients the prickley hawthorne bush is native to europe, africa and western asia and is often used as a hedge in europe though it grows to be about 13 feet high. in north american climates the hawthorne tree grows to about 5 feet tall. the hawthorne plant has a grayish colored bark and thorns that grow along the branches. the leaves are shiny and dark green with a bluish tint to the undersides. hawthorne trees produce white flowers and bright red berries that hang in clusters. hawthorne berries are widely used for heart problems and its medicinal value for blood and heart related illness is thought to be both effective and safer than other drugs with similar qualities. hawthorne is used for irregular heart beat, to lessen the plaque build up in arteries and increase blood flow and oxygen in the blood to the heart and brain. it is known as a high blood pressure regulator. in addition to the benefits to the heart and circulatory system hawthorne has been used to rid the body of excess water and salts and support weight loss programs. medicinal properties extend to digestive disorders, insomnia and even sore throats can be relieved by hawthorne. effect of the benefits from hawthorne herbals are seen after several weeks use as it is a slow acting herb. hawthorn is available as a dried herb, tea and as a tincture which is more potent than the tea. it is sometimes found under the name indian hawthorne. it is thought that the thorns of the hawthorne tree were used to make the crown of thorns worn by jesus at his crucifixion. herbal tea recipe hawthorne tea is prepared by steeping 1 – 2 teaspoons dried leaf and flower or 2 – 3 teaspoons of the dried crushed berry in 8 ounces of boiling water for 15 – 20 minutes. hawthorne extract can also be added to other herbal teas for additional effects. hawthorne uses & herbal remedies hawthorne tea benefits hawthorne herb is often used to quiet muscle spasms and as a sedative of the nervous system without inducing sleep. a compress of hawthorne berries have been used to help remove splinters and embedded foreign bodies in the skin. hawthorne is thought to be an effective treatment in heart disease and will help to improve blood supply to the heart and smooth the heart contractions. the leaf bud of the hawthorne can be cooked and eaten, the leaf can be chewed to nourish and relieve hunger, the berries can be used to make jellies and fruit sauces and the flowers can be added to salads. hawthorne side effects & cautions hawthorne


can be cooked and eaten, the leaf can be chewed to nourish and relieve hunger, the berries can be used to make jellies and fruit sauces and the flowers can be added to salads. hawthorne side effects & cautions hawthorne is considered a safe herb ; however, caution should be made in excessive use of it. lowering blood pressure naturally we came across this resource for lowering blood pressure and it is a great report. if you are suffering from high blood pressure, you are well aware of the dangers. this report can help you to naturally reduce your blood pressure and gain control. lots of our readers have reported back excellent results in just 2 - 3 weeks after implimenting a few of the strategies. you can get the high blood pressure remedy report by clicking here. buy herbal tea remedy e - book if you are interested in herbal teas – our complete herbal tea recipe e - book is a fabulous resource. you can buy it for a limited time for just $ 9. 99. you will get 80 tried and tested herbal teas and herbal blends along with what the tea is best used for. this herbal remedy tea recipe book will become one of your favorite resources if you are interested in holistic healing, herbs and herbal tea. use the graphic below to place your order. return from hawthorne herb to herbal tea ingredients. return to herbal tea home


for most of us, search engine optimization ( seo ) can be more than a little confusing. the main idea is to increase traffic to your site through optimizing pages for search engines, but how does it work? in plain english, how do you get the pages within your site “ read ” by the search engines and stored in the database of existing pages? in seo terms, how do you get your site crawled and indexed? search engines use two major areas of assessment to produce search engine result pages ( serps ) most relevant to a specific search : document analysis and link analysis. document analysis comprises several factors. the search engine crawls pages for keywords related to the search while taking both quantity and location into account. keywords in more important places carry more weight. for example, a search engine assumes keywords in your domain name, title tag and h1 tags ( headings ) as more likely to convey subject matter than page content and captions. search engines also surmise that pages with multiple instances of a keyword are more relevant to the query, the word or phrase entered in a search engine. actual page content is another factor that search engines are able to recognize and use to rank pages. search engines use semantics and lexical analysis to “ read ” text and judge its quality. other factors are also measured, such as how long a viewer spends on your page. how do you keep a viewer on your page longer? you can compel them to stay with unique, intelligent content. search engines not only strive to produce relevant serps, but also quality serps, a process which is achieved through link analysis. search engines assume that the more sites there are that link to your site ( called backlinking ), the more authoritative your site is. popularity equals importance. search engines also “ read ” what the backlinking site says about your site. the anchor text ( the actual text being linked ) and the text directly surrounding the link are both considered. if the anchor text for the backlink is “ this is a terrible site, ” search engines take that text into account. therefore, you wouldn ’ t want another site to link to yours with the anchor text “ click here, ” but something more relevant, such as your company name or descriptive keywords. links from any old site won ’ t do either. the more trusted or authoritative the site is that backlinks to your site, the more weight that backlink will carry. this being said, backlinks from poorly coded sites with inferior content can


from any old site won ’ t do either. the more trusted or authoritative the site is that backlinks to your site, the more weight that backlink will carry. this being said, backlinks from poorly coded sites with inferior content can actually hurt your ranking. link farms, sites that exist solely to house links for the purpose of influencing rank, are an example of this type of harmful spam. sites that participate in link farms are penalized by search engines and given a lower ranking. most importantly, for your site to be crawled and properly indexed, you need a site worthy of traffic. this means having a site with good usability, professional design and high - quality content. a site with good usability is easily crawled because it has clear navigation and organizational hierarchy, making subject matter easily assessed. professional design conveys authority and trust, making viewers more likely to visit and backlink to your site. finally, high - quality content will bring links and invite viewers to spend more time on your site. even professional search engine optimizers are unaware of the exact procedure search engines use to rank pages. if all the secrets were released, the process could be cheated, rendering search engines less effective at returning relevant information. the bottom line is that high rankings come from high - quality pages with professional design and great content. follow that mantra and you have taken the biggest step toward obtaining a high ranking.


last modified : 2012 - 07 - 07 by rick wyatt keywords : nevada | united states | links : fotw homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors image by clay moss, 28 march 2009 in 1865, a star was added, representing nevada, bringing the total number of stars on the u. s. flag to 36. there were thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies. the 1929 design was altered in 1987 so the name " nevada " is placed under the star, not spaced all around it. motto of state is " battle born " reflecting the formation of the state during the civil war. the background color on nevada flags is officially " cobalt blue ", best matched at rgb 0 - 51 - 153. clay moss, 28 march 2009 nevada revised statutes nrs 235. 020 state flag. the official flag of the state of nevada is hereby created. the body of the flag must be of solid cobalt blue. on the field in the upper left quarter thereof must be two sprays of sagebrush with the stems crossed at the bottom to form a half wreath. within the sprays must be a five - pointed silver star with one point up. the word " nevada " must also be inscribed below the star and above the sprays, in a semicircular pattern with the letters spaced apart in equal increments, in the same style of letters as the words " battle born. " above the wreath, and touching the tips thereof, must be a scroll bearing the words " battle born. " the scroll and the word " nevada " must be golden - yellow. the lettering on the scroll must be black - colored sans serif gothic capital letters. joe mcmillan, 16 february 2000 " the county flag array came about as a result of the nevada centennial in 1964. it was the brainchild of the music director at the sands hotel in las vegas, mr. antonio morelli. his suggestion was passed to the chairman of the nevada centennial commission mr. thomas c. wilson. he requested that the county commissioners of all 17 nevada counties consider adopting flags. james j. ferrigan iii, 5 january 2001 as a result all of nevada ' s counties began to solicit designs from schools, local artists, and designers. all the counties adopted official flags in time for their display on nevada day 1964. on that day a u. s. marine corps honor guard from the u. s. navy ammunition depot at hawthorne marched the new flags into the west portico of the capitol in carson city


adopted official flags in time for their display on nevada day 1964. on that day a u. s. marine corps honor guard from the u. s. navy ammunition depot at hawthorne marched the new flags into the west portico of the capitol in carson city and presented them to governor grant sawyer in the name of the people of nevada. since then they have been used at the capitol building as well in numerous nevada day parades. " image by clay moss, 25 march 2009 there are two flags of the governor of nevada, one military and the other civil. the military version was updated in 1991 when the specifications were created for the state flag in 1991. james j. ferrigan iii, 17 april 2001 while official, the governor ' s flag has apparently fallen into disuse as the governor ' s office according to jim doesn ' t even know that the flag exists. clay moss, 25 march 2009 image by clay moss, 25 march 2009 the previous governor ' s flag had the letters nevada wrapped around the central star. nevada ' s state seal has mountains, a mine, a railroad crossing a bridge, a plow, etc. the star and sagebrush badge was designed specifically for the flag. joe mcmillan, 5 february 2001 image by joe mcmillan, 21 april 2000 the state military crest, which is the crest used in the coats of arms of units of the national guard, as granted by the precursor organizations of what is now the army institute of heraldry. the official institute of heraldry blazon is " within a garland of sagebrush a sledge and miner ' s drill crossed in saltire behind a pickaxe in pale proper. " joe mcmillan, 21 april 2000 image by zach harden, 10 august 2001


bone loss in the jaw is common in people who have lost teeth, had gum disease, suffered facial trauma, or have ill - fitting dentures. even with just a single missing tooth, 40 - 60 % of the supporting bone structure can be lost in the first year, which can make it very difficult to place a dental implant that will last. but today, thanks to advanced bone grafting techniques, we have the ability to grow bone where you need it. this gives us the opportunity to build a strong foundation on which successful implants can be placed to help restore a fully functional, beautiful smile. there are several bone graft options, which will be determined during your treatment planning with your doctor. common bone grafting procedures - autogenous bone graft - also called autografts, these types of grafts are made from the patient ' s own bone, removed from another part of the body. the most common area is the hip. - allogeneic bone - bone from a human tissue donor obtained from a bone bank ( cadaver bone ). - xenogenic - similar to allogeneic bone, but derived from another species, usually a cow. - alloplast - synthetic or artificial bone. an example is infusea® bone graft - which contains a synthetic version of bone morphogenetic proteins ( bmps ) which are naturally produced in the body to regulate bone formation and healing. - many patients prefer these grafting options because they eliminate the harvesting procedure of the autogenous bone graft. however, with these procedures bone regeneration may take longer and the outcome may be less predictable. - ridge preservations - replacing bone in the empty space or socket created after a tooth is extracted. - sinus lift - replacing bone lost in the upper jaw / sinus floor to accommodate a dental implant. - guided tissue / bone regeneration - special membranes are placed under the gum to protect a bone graft and encourage bone regeneration. - platelet rich plasma - using platelets from your own blood to promote faster and more efficient healing. most bone grafting procedures are fairly simple and are usually performed under sedation in our office. however, major bone grafts are sometimes performed to repair defects of the jaws resulting from traumatic injuries, tumor surgery, or congenital defects. large defects are often repaired using anautogenous bone graft. these procedures are routinely performed in an operating room and may require a hospital stay.


susan yark with bartow history museum explained the intent of the two - day camp was to help children see how youth in pioneer days created their own toys and games. the camp also involved some modern aspects for participants. “ we learned that kids in the past played with sticks, so we painted a base coat on [ sticks ] and put decorations and yarn wigs on them and, of course, the googly eyes, ” yark said. other activities included weaving, candle dipping and a tour of the museum. “ [ it ’ s important ] to recognize the difference of what happens now and what happened in the past, ” yark said. “ and the chores they had to do, like candlemaking — it ’ s fun for us, but [ pioneers ] had to do it once a year for the whole year ’ s lighting of their cabin. ” camp participants also played games, such as the cherokee bean dice game and a cherokee game called “ firekeeper. ” “ [ firekeeper ] uses craft sticks that are painted to look like fire. we take a bandanna hankerchief and put it around the eyes as a blindfold for the firekeeper, ” yark said. “ the other children try to steal a stick one at a time and the cherokee children learned how to be quiet when they were hunting. ” while the camp taught from the past, a modern craft — the styrofoam and yarn octopus — was the crowd favorite for tuesday, which included children ages 7 to 11. monday ’ s camp was geared toward children ages 4 to 6. “ we ’ ve been making arts and crafts, weaving, and we ’ ve made candles and stuff like that. it ’ s been a lot of fun, ” euharlee elementary school third - grader dylan hankins said. both hankins and fellow camp participant cody stewart, a fourth - grader at taylorsville elementary school, said they enjoyed crafting the styrofoam and yarn octopus as well as playing and exploring in the museum ’ s history nook. program volunteers and staff said one of the less popular activities was weaving, leaving some children frustrated with the difficult nature of the activity and unable to complete their project before the end of camp. however, that wasn ’ t the case for caroline lanier, a third - grader at tes. “ weaving was hard... but that was my favorite part, ” lanier said. “ i finished everything. ”